Secret Service asks for $60 million to protect Trump

WaPo reports that the Secret Service requested $60 million to protect Trump and family. Um, this taxpayer says no. I want my tax dollars to go somewhere else. Oh, wait, that is not how this works. We should be appalled by this! Deficits, healthcare, cutting lunches for kids - all so he can have trips to Florida and his sons can conduct business???

Trump Organization is not forgoing foreign business and this includes Dallas

NYT reports that the Trump brand Scion that is eyeing a property in Dallas has deep ties to Russian and Turkish oligarchs . So the Trump business is not stopping foreign business and is continuing to to deepen its ties internationally. Why is this a problem? Because no decision Trump makes can be seen as not tainted.

Nunes really claimed incidentally gathering of info??

WaPo reports that David Nunes, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, claimed there was incidental info due to other wiretaps. Now, this bothers me because he went to visit the White House (um, if you are looking into the president you shouldn't be visiting with him) plus clearly the FBI denies this.  (NBCNews) Here is the thing: if they were wiretapping Trump Tower, then isn't that enough to raise some questions??? The Russia thing is a problem!

Republican Healthcare modifications

Three articles: WaPo reports Trump stumped on Capitol Hill for the plan, threatening to "come after" Repubs who oppose the bill . Wow. Just wow. Can you imaging any of the previous presidents doing that? I get it; people wanted different. But don't you think this is a little threatening and authoritarian? Wa Po also reports on some of the budgetary adjustments that are supposed to help Medicaid and older people . This is far from a finished piece of legislation, and it doesn't do all that it is supposed to. I am still just shaking my head about it because it falls far short of the changes that need to be made to go either in a true free market direction or in a single payer direction. NYT has a great graphic on how the Repubs will vote in the HOuse and a NYT Upshot that explains the changes that were made and an article that explains the role of upstate NY in these changes . These changes definitely turn control over to states. Whether that is good or not, ??? Probably not, I don't think.

Tillerson skipping NATO

And further proof of the Russia connection and the attempt by Trump and the Repubs to turn the U.S. into an oligarchy along the lines of China and Russia, Reuters reported yesterday late that Tillerson is skipping a NATO conference to visit with the China President on a visit to DC followed by a trip to Russia later in April. Coincidence? I think not. Wake up Americans! Gee whiz!

And the Russian connection get thicker

WaPo reports that Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, laundered money from Russia & Ukraine.  So when are we going to do something about this?? Oh that's right, the Republican Congress doesn't give a crap about Russian interference as long as they get their way. The Republican are despicable anarchists (with the exception of a couple) that need to be voted out of office. Seriously, they make me ill.

What the Trump Budget misses

Brookings analyzes how Trump's budget misses key support for cities and states that are the real drivers of prosperity . Trump is cutting funding in ways local budgets can't make up and making it harder for localities to attract business. He needs to learn from Hoover's experience of not helping cities and states and from Nixon's example of turning over local control. Except that would mean reading and studying and not tweeting. Am I the only one who think the White House and Congress need to put up their cell phones?

Ignoring Blue States

WaPo reports that Trump is heavily visiting states where he won and Sarah Huckabee Sanders suggested that it was basic math, ignoring the popular vote. The most disturbing thing is that Trump is clearly ignoring other sides. He is not representing America - he represents himself and his vision of America.

Election 2020 - Cash me ousside how bow dah?

From my often funny husband:
"Someone I follow on Twitter commented today that watching Trump dodder through his post POTUS years would be fascinating and wodnered who his Dave Frost would be. I responded to that by pointing out that the 'cash me ousside how bow dah' girl would need a job. Allow your imagination run wild [on the responses].
My offering was 'The 16 election, how you rig dat hoe?"

ROFLMAO! That is greatness I can't post on FB because of conservative snowflakes.

Russia connections and the what the hearing tells us

Several links here that all cover a more combative angle on the Trump Russia hearings. First CNN Christine Amanpour video analyzing the hearing and the extent Russia is going to in order to weaken democracy . PolitiFact covered the false tweets by POTUS Trump . Mother Jones (a liberally biased magazing btw) critiques David Nunes for focusing on leak rather than Russian connections and for not knowing Carter Page and Roger Stone. This does ask some good questions, but it is important to note the bias. NBC News reports a Timeline of Trump Associates and their connections with Russia .

The CNN Amanpour video is what you MUST watch!

White House has "eyes and ears" in key Cabinets

WaPo reports that the White House has put political aides into positions in various cabinet agencies to spy on the agency and watch for "leaks".  Am I the only one who thinks this is awful? I guess all presidents do this to some extent, and maybe I am being Chicken Little, but this spooks me. I know, I know, don't be hysterical. And to be fair, I look for a swastika everywhere with Trump. Still, it is worth being aware of.

So what's up with the the Congressional hearing on Trump & Russia?

WaPo has 3 articles, the first is really good: Six Big Takeaways . This is an analysis piece that distills all the news into the big ideas. Essentially the wiretapping has no evidence, FBI is carefully investigating ties to Russia, Dems think there is collusion, Repubs are towing the party line and looking for intelligence leaks. For more details  read WaPo's article on Comey's testimony and on the White House Repsonse.

Two different views on the Trump-Russia Connection

The New Republic talks about the concerns and connections of the Trump Campaign with Russia while The Intercept warns there is not a Russia Smoking Gun . I am concerned about the Russia connection but I agree that big issues are getting pushed off. We need to worry about the overall impact to American democracy from many directions.

The real story of the Merkel Trump meeting

Wa Po analyzed the meeting with Merkel and there are interesting take aways. First, Trump is embarrassing the U.S. And he doesn't understand how any of this works. Are there things to talk about with NATO - yes. But first you have to understand the thing. AAARRGGHHH. It is so frustrating.

“Trump’s comments misrepresent the way NATO functions,” Daalder told us. “The President keeps saying that we need to be paid by the Europeans for the fact that we have troops in Europe or provide defense there. But that’s not how it works.”

Founding Fathers and preventing a corrupted Presidency

WaPo covered why the Founding Fathers wanted the President to have a salary and it highlights that they did NOT want the President to have business ties. Since Trump has promised to donate his salary (which he has not done yet) and has not divested himself of business (really, really - his sons running the company??) we should be very concerned. So much for loving the country and the Founding Fathers. Trump is not wrapping himself in an American flag - he is wrapping himself in a for sale sign.

A Divided White House

WaPo reports that the staff inside the WH is divided among NY elites and populists (so much for the Kushners running the show) and that the foreign policy is equally divided . All I can say is that this type of internal competition is chaotic. FDR and Hitler both used chaotic administration techniques. As did Andrew Jackson. I think it is a bad thing.

Is there a deep state?

NYT poses the question about What happens when you fight a deep state that doesn't exist.  The issue to me is that Trump and Bannon are trying to destroy the government and create an oligarchy. So they attack agencies and facts and then act surprised when people stand up to them. The so called "deep state" is really opposition and resistance but authoritarian regimes see that as "deep state".

Cost of Trump goes beyond budget cuts

WaPo covered just how much Trump's travel and living arrangements cost.  I think their words say it all:

If Melania and Barron never move to Washington and if Trump heads to Mar-a-Lago for four out of every nine weekends, our estimates put the total cost at something like $526 million over the course of Trump’s presidency. Melania Trump is apparently planning to join her husband in Washington at the end of the school year, though, and Trump calls Mar-a-Lago the “winter White House,” implying that he won’t be there in the summer. In which case the overall spending plummets further.

To only, say, $130 million or so. Only enough to fund the homelessness agency until 10-year-old Barron Trump is 42.

Trump & Co Supposed donations to Charity

WaPo reported that the Trump camp made at least 3 big promises about charitable donations that have not come to pass. Should we be surprised??

Trump's Taxes - The 2005 release leaves us wanting more

Brookings analyzed what the Rachel Maddow 2005 Tax Return version of Al Capone's vault in What Trump's tax return tells us . Non partisan, but it does point out that we should be asking more questions, like "Why don't you want to pay your taxes Donald? Why do you want to get ride of the AMT?" His presidency is a con job to enrich himself and make the US play by rules he sets. Just saying.