United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary letter to AG Rosenstein and Acting Director McCabe on Russian Probe Briefings (12.05.2017)

U.S.: Letter from EEC to Deputy AG Rosenstein on violations of the “AG Sessions recusal from FBI’s Russian Probe” (12.05.2017)

Opinion: Trump’s two Executive Orders tries to deflect FBI’s Russian Probe!

President Donald Trump tries to deflect the Federal Bureau of Investigations Russian Probe into the Trump Campaign and United States Election in 2016. That must be seen since he the day after the FBI Director James Comey. He has tried to fill the news cycle with new movement, that goes back into the campaign spin, that even Sean Spicer hasn’t the capacity to hide behind. This is worrying if the American society buys into the quest Trump has with this new measures, while the acting FBI Director will continue the probe. Certainly, the case will not go away, even if Trump lies out of his teeth to the NBC, as he did earlier today.

LESTER HOLT: He asked for the dinner?

DONALD TRUMP: A dinner was arranged, I think he asked for the dinner. And he wanted to stay on as the FBI head. And I said I’ll, you know, consider and we’ll see what happens– But we had a very nice dinner. And at that time, he told me you are not under investigation. [OVER TALK]

LESTER HOLT: That was–

DONALD TRUMP: Which I knew anyway.

LESTER HOLT: That was one meeting. What was it, what were the other two? [OVER TALK]

DONALD TRUMP: First of all, when you’re under investigation, you’re giving all sorts of documents and everything. I knew I wasn’t under and I heard it was stated at the committee, at some committee level, that I wasn’t. Number one.

LESTER HOLT: So that didn’t come directly from him?

DONALD TRUMP: [OVER TALK] Then during a phone call he said it. And then during another phone call he said it. So he said it once at dinner and then he said it twice during phone calls.

LESTER HOLT: Did you call him?

DONALD TRUMP: Uh, in one case I called him and one case he called me.

LESTER HOLT: And did you ask, “Am I under investigation?”

DONALD TRUMP: I actually asked him, yes. I said, “If it’s possible, would you let me know am I under investigation?” He said you are not under investigation.

LESTER HOLT: But he’s, he’s given sworn testimony that there is an ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign and possible collusion with the Russian government? You were the centerpiece of the Trump campaign so [OVER TALK] was he being truthful when he says you weren’t under investigation?

DONALD TRUMP: [OVER TALK] Well, all I can tell you is, well I know what, I know that I’m not under investigation. Me. Personally. I’m not talking about campaigns. I’m not talking about anything else. I’m not under investigation” (NBC Exclusive Interview, 11.05.2017).

This is typical way of lying, putting different issues together and mixing it, while not disclosing or answering the interviewer. That President Trump knew is strange and that he claims Comey lied, is evident. Because Trump doesn’t want to lose face. Therefore, he called in this interview to try to look smart and deflect the grand issues arising from the sacking. It is not weird that he claims not be under investigation, since the FBI has had this probe for a while and different agents at the San Francisco, Pittsburg and Washington D.C. headquarters has worked on different parts of the investigation. So Mr. Trump is lying out of his teeth.

That is why he suddenly starts wasting public funds looking into ghosts and non-issues like fraudulent elections that the President has claimed all along, therefore now that he is catching a shit-storm of epic proportions. He has to try to send messages of other problems. So that he hopes the media looks away from the investigation that the FBI will continue to pursuit. Even with the firing of Comey and scandal of reasoning for doing so.

Therefore, this mission for a Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which just happen to be executed today: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the

laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote fair and honest Federal elections, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Establishment. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (Commission) is hereby established” (…) “Sec. 3. Mission. The Commission shall, consistent with applicable law, study the registration and voting processes used in Federal elections. The Commission shall be solely advisory and shall submit a report to the President that identifies the following:

(a) those laws, rules, policies, activities, strategies, and practices that enhance the American people’s confidence in the integrity of the voting processes used in Federal elections;

(b) those laws, rules, policies, activities, strategies, and practices that undermine the American people’s confidence in the integrity of the voting processes used in Federal elections; and

(c) those vulnerabilities in voting systems and practices used for Federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations and improper voting, including fraudulent voter registrations and fraudulent voting” (Executive Order, Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, 2017).

So by all means he tries to start a Commission to safe himself on the grand-issue has claimed all along, that the election was filled with frauds, even if he won it. Like he has been proud of all the time, and to top it all off, he delivered yet another one connected with the whole election. Since there been discussed the leaks and hacking of the elections, therefore he had to order on Cyber Security, even if he has no knowledge of what that entails or envisions how this might implicate the current freedom of the internet.

Like this quote of the Executive Order:

Section1. Cybersecurity of Federal Networks.

(a) Policy. The executive branch operates its information technology (IT) on behalf of the American people. Its IT and data should be secured responsibly using all United States Government capabilities. The President will hold heads of executive departments and agencies (agency heads) accountable for managing cybersecurity risk to their enterprises. In addition, because risk management decisions made by agency heads can affect the risk to the executive branch as a whole, and to national security, it is also the policy of the United States to manage cybersecurity risk as an executive branch enterprise” (…) “Sec. 2. Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure.

(a) Policy. It is the policy of the executive branch to use its authorities and capabilities to support the cybersecurity risk management efforts of the owners and operators of the Nation’s critical infrastructure (as defined in section 5195c(e) of title 42, United States Code) (critical infrastructure entities), as appropriate” (…)

Sec. 3. Cybersecurity for the Nation.

(a) Policy. To ensure that the internet remains valuable for future generations, it is the policy of the executive branch to promote an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet that fosters efficiency, innovation, communication, and economic prosperity, while respecting privacy and guarding against disruption, fraud, and theft. Further, the United States seeks to support the growth and sustainment of a workforce that is skilled in cybersecurity and related fields as the foundation for achieving our objectives in cyberspace” (Executive Order – Strengthening the cybersecurity of Federal Network and Critical Infrastructure, 2017).

For a person like me, this seem like a tactic for President Trump to get the discussions being on the Executive Orders, instead of the Russian Probe. Like people will forget that he is investigated by the FBI. Since he trying to get other people to look into the elections and the issues created by the election. Therefore, he now on the same day after the sacking, has to do all of this. Not build roads or anything constructive for the Republic. Instead, he has to gain attention on the other problems that was also during the election. Some that was only in his mind and imagination. So don’t expect any deep findings of irregularities, because I don’t expect them to look into the laws in the different states that often disqualify minorities and people who is not well-informed about the laws on how to register to be voter.

Still, the President Trump will lie, he will not accept the probe and subpoenas, which is about Michael Flynn and other Trump Campaign associates. We will not know for a long while the end-game of this. But there will be more documentation and more findings of the connections between Moscow and Trump. He can blindly lie to the fans of him and the Republican party. Still, the rest of us doesn’t have faith in a man, who cannot speak truthful or act reasonable.

President Trump are really in trouble, still not discussing legislation or trying to get it passed through the House of Representatives or the Senate. Only the Paul Ryan’s draconian health care bill. Therefore, he has to write Executive Orders, since he lack ability to work with others or even trust others. Since he knows and the world knows, he is under investigation by the FBI. That will continue, but don’t believe the hype of these orders today. They are used as pawns to try to change the agenda and questioning the firing of Comey, the Sally Yates revelations and the Russian probe. Peace.

Reference:

NBC News exclusive interview with Donald Trump – Partial transcript – (May 11, 2017)

Donald J. Trump – Executive Order: ‘ESTABLISHMENT OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ELECTION INTEGRITY’ (11.05.2017)

Donald J. Trump – Executive Order: ‘STRENGTHENING THE CYBERSECURITY OF FEDERAL NETWORKS AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE’ (11.05.2017)

Jason Chaffetz letter to Inspector General Michael Horowitz of DOJ on the FBI Probe into Russia and Clinton (10.05.2017)

Opinion: Jubilee and President Kenyatta hires Cambridge Analytica to ‘Big Data’ massage their Campaign message!

Today there we’re revealed that the International ‘Big Data’ Company Cambridge Analytica, the offspring of Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL), who has appeared and even had now Presidential Adviser Steve Bannon on their board. This company is famous for using their techniques to manipulate and make sure the message of the Trump campaign got spread to the masses. This through the big data collection and through the algorithms that the social media sites produces. So that the election cycle can produce stories and messages, that are positive in favor of the ones that are trying to get elected and are the clients of the Cambridge Analytica or SCL.

Therefore, the news of Jubilee Alliance Party, that President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto hired the company to alter the big data traffic in Kenya. Proves that they will use any method, except the righteous ones to win. Because Jubilee knows they are trading in shallow waters, with a IEBC, rising food prices and inflation, together with missed promises from the last campaign. Therefore, the Jubilee are now sticking to the expensive tricks of the trade from the United Kingdom and United States. Certainly, the chicken-gate will not be replicated, but might tried to be deflected as people are not finding out about quick enough. Take a look!

Big Data on the Kenyan Election:

According to sources in the Office of the President cited by The Star newspaper, the Jubilee coalition contracted Cambridge Analytica, which “uses data to change audience behaviour” (…) “Based on a Guardian expose, The Star newspaper writes that in the Kenyan context, Cambridge Analytica is expected “to pay Facebook and other third-party data companies for information about Kenya’s undecided voters whom it will then bombard with social media posts and adverts” (…) “Cambridge Analytica, which has already dispatched a small team to Kenya, will work alongside BTP Advisers. The latter has already commenced campaign planning” (Buchanan, 2017).

Methods:

Cambridge Analytica has marketed itself as classifying voters using five personality traits known as OCEAN — Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism — the same model used by University of Cambridge researchers for in-house, non-commercial research. The question of whether OCEAN made a difference in the presidential election remains unanswered. Some have argued that big data analytics is a magic bullet for drilling into the psychology of individual voters; others are more skeptical. The predictive power of Facebook likes is not in dispute. A 2013 study by three of Kogan’s former colleagues at the University of Cambridge showed that likes alone could predict race with 95 percent accuracy and political party with 85 percent accuracy. Less clear is their power as a tool for targeted persuasion; Cambridge Analytica has claimed that OCEAN scores can be used to drive voter and consumer behavior through “microtargeting,” meaning narrowly tailored messages. Nix has said that neurotic voters tend to be moved by “rational and fear-based” arguments, while introverted, agreeable voters are more susceptible to “tradition and habits and family and community.” (Schwartz, 2017).

We don’t consider ourselves a ‘big data’ company, we are a data analytics company. Many organization out there want to serve as the database of record for their clients. We aim to be the layer on top of that, which provides our clients with actionable insights – essentially acting as the brain behind the decision-making process. We’ve come a long way, but there is still a lot of work to be done on the side of automation. Campaigns move so quickly that often it’s difficult to keep up. The more automation we can bring to the process outside of the campaign HQ will greatly increase our speed in delivering insights to the decision makers” (Patterson, 2017).

Privacy International on CA:

It’s one thing to profile people, and another to say that because of that profiling you are able to effectively change behaviour on a mass scale. Cambridge Analytica clearly does the former, but only claims (!) to succeed in the latter. Even before the company was in the news, their methods raised a lot of eyebrows amongst experts on data-driven campaigning, with one consultant claiming that “everyone universally agrees that their sales operation is better than their fulfilment product” (Kaltheuner, 2017).

So even if Privacy International are saying that the CA are not as all powerful as they claim they are. This might be relief, even if the idea of all power Big Data collective and possible manipulation of electoral process. This being the sales pitch of the CA and SCL. That the company will micro-targeting the Kenyan electorate with big data and five personality traits on their OCEAN program. We can officially question their motives and if the Jubilee will believe in it. If so, they are smug and thinking they can rig the whole spectrum news and sharing of information ahead of the last months of campaigning. They can certainly need to circle their message and deliver on inflation and on the food prices.

“‘The impressive bit,’ says Nix, is to expand the findings from those who took the personality tests to the entire American electorate of 230 million. They can do this because Cambridge Analytica also has ‘4,000–5,000 data points’ — pieces of information — on every single adult in the US. This can be anything from age, gender and ethnicity to what magazines they buy, which TV programmes they watch, the food they eat, the cars they drive, even the golf clubs they belong to. This is indeed impressive — and a little bit creepy. Regardless, the data is for sale; Cambridge Analytica take it and (they have persuaded their clients) spin it into gold. There are two assumptions: first that people who buy the same things and have the same habits — the same ‘data points’ — have similar personalities; secondly that your personality will help predict, say, whether you go for Coke or Pepsi, Clinton or Trump. ‘Behaviour is driven by personality,’ Nix said” (…) “A Republican data scientist for a rival firm said he did not use psychographics. ‘If you get a voter on the phone, why are you asking them what their favourite ice cream is or what their favourite colour is — why don’t you just ask them who they’re going to vote for?’ He added: ‘They’ve got a smooth-talking Brit wearing Savile Row suits who gives you a great pitch and wows you a little bit; they’ve got a great PR operation, but with psychographic profiling, there’s nothing there. They’re really, really smart people. It’s like they’re a bunch of board-certified doctors who decided to make a lot more money selling snake oil’” (Wood, 2016).

So, if this is true, than President Kenyatta has bought into the CA tricks and that people believes in the companies sales pitch. Something that cannot claim at this point. If so, wouldn’t more people be direct afraid, also PI for instance who is always talking about the possibility of what CA is promising. Therefore, the British sales pitch is bought by the Jubilee, but the public should be aware of the misuse of funds to pay the foreign political data enterprise, who clearly see a naive bunch of Kenyans. Kenyans who has money to spend on something cannot be proven. President Kenyatta and DP Ruto really wants to make sure they win, even if they micro-targeting the public.

Therefore, this will really see more marketing stunts and more that fits the paradigm of the OCEAN quizzes that deliver the target CA sets for Jubilee. CA has said they we’re behind the Trump victory, but there many counterclaims, even some who questions investors of SLC and CA. Even some thinks the Mercer family is behind it and therefore, first supported Cruz campaign, than later Trump. Which the CA did! So they wasn’t as perfect and brilliant since they didn’t help Cruz much.

So we can hope they can promise the same stats and the same services to Kenyatta and Ruto. After looking into it, the matter seem less powerful, but in the future some companies might have the power to really manipulate the electorate. Something, the CA doesn’t have yet, but the fear of might overpower the crowds. Since, this sort of tactic is not yet proven. Even if CA says so, but that is their sales pitch that clearly got Jubilee tricked as well. Peace.

Reference:

Buchanan, Elsa – ‘How Kenya’s Jubilee party is using UK ‘big data’ firm linked to Trump and Brexit victories’ (10.05.2017) link:http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-kenyas-jubilee-party-using-uk-big-data-firm-linked-trump-brexit-victories-1620923

Kaltheuner, Frederike – ‘Cambridge Analytica Explained: Data and Elections’ (13.03.2017) link: https://www.privacyinternational.org/node/1440

Patterson, Dan – ‘Cambridge Analytica: The future of political data is in the enterprise’ (13.03.2017) link: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/cambridge-analytica-the-future-of-political-data-is-in-the-enterprise/

Schwartz, Mattathias – ‘FACEBOOK FAILED TO PROTECT 30 MILLION USERS FROM HAVING THEIR DATA HARVESTED BY TRUMP CAMPAIGN AFFILIATE’ (30.03.2017) link: https://theintercept.com/2017/03/30/facebook-failed-to-protect-30-million-users-from-having-their-data-harvested-by-trump-campaign-affiliate/

Wood, Paul – ‘The British data-crunchers who say they helped Donald Trump to win’ (03.12.2016) link: https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/12/the-british-data-crunchers-who-say-they-helped-donald-trump-to-win/

Opinion: Trump’s Russian ghost doesn’t disappear with the axing of Comey!

“For Carter, it was as if the ghosts of Watergate stalked the halls of the White House. As with most ghosts, he wasn’t sure they existed, where they were or how to exorcise them.” Bob Woodward

President Donald J. Trump neither the wisest men of all; neither does he have the tact to look smart. He is just vicious and mean; he does not have character or have any grudges, except for when demeaning his wealth. Yesterday’s sacking of Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director James Comey is now on long list of people sacked by him.

Before the FBI director got the axe, several others legislators and security leaders has gotten the axe, that was the former Federal Prosecutor Preet Bharara and Acting Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates. House Intelligence Chairman David Nunes also stepped down from his position in the midst of the growing allegations. Therefore, it is not the first time President Trump clear the house of men and woman who looks into his chambers and his paper trail. Certainly, Trump think this is a wise decisions and thinks he can get people working directly for him, instead of people who investigate wrongdoings.

That the Trump Administration thinks this is brilliant and defending it is evident. As all spokespeople and all of the hired spin control are put into ALERT and trying to deflect the obvious reasons for the sudden axing. Suddenly the shadow of Moscow and the friendly Vlad are not going away. Like a pre-historical relic, it is figuratively the monument in the way for the legitimacy of President Trump.

It is very clear that President Trump want to deflect the matter, as the monster that overshadows his presidency. That is evident with his whiny tweets, and his digressions concerning the matter. Certainly, his manners and his acts towards fellow legislators who are in dismay proves the vulnerable position he has put himself into.

That Trump knows his concerning position on the Russian affairs, should be worrying. If he thinks people and investigators are stupid, than he underestimate the porous and fragile state he is in. President Trump already hired a sacked National Security Advisor, that even President Obama warned him about, but Trump did not care and hired Michael Flynn anyways. Only about 20 days later, because he was lying to Vice-President Mike Pence and later sacked as well.

That was because General Flynn gotten payments without authorization and without consent of the State Department by Russian affiliated groups and by Turkish interests. This was something he did not disclose and his reckless behavior with these foreign entities should have worried Trump, but it did not. Just like it did not matter for Trump during his campaign that the second campaign manager Paul Manafort clearly had contact and been paid by both Ukrainian interest and Russian affiliates. Just like has not mattered to Trump that his daughter Ivanka Trump and now advisor has been on vacation in August 2016 with the one of the supposed “girlfriends” of Vlad. The same as Jared Kushner, the son-in-law’s secret meetings with Russian ambassador and Alfa Bank, as well as the revelation of Eric Trump that it wise to do business in Russia, as reported in 2014.

There are a bit too many straws and too little time to maneuver them. He has hired people like former ExxonMobile executive Rex Tillerson who was enjoying a favorable relationship with Russia and was trying to giant business, even pursuing while in corporate to whine-down the sanctions against Russia. Since he wanted to do a massive oil-deal with the government there. Therefore, getting the job and getting the State Department proves how little effort the President Trump tries to conceal the apparent connection.

He must think people or the American people are stupid with the latest firing of James Comey, that the monster of the past and of the election suddenly disappear. No sorry brother, it will not be that easy. President Trump has mixed feelings, because he knows and therefore he have not been transparent. Certainly, some signs and evidence would be out there if the cash flow of wealth and business was looked into, the apparent profits and trades with Russia would appear. In addition, the IRS Tax Return would certainly establish the real value and the concentrated transactions of his personal wealth and his Trump Organization. Therefore, the world would see his inner-works and not just the image he likes to play.

That President Trump has connections and done activity with Russian is clear, to what extent and what effort, is still not disclosed to the world. We can know that it is something there, if it was not then he would not gone to the step of firing yet another individual looking into his business and the possible interference from a foreign power, in this regard, the Russians.

So even as the subpoenas are against Michael Flynn and on-going Probe in the Russian connections happens, and that Kremlin confirm a coming meeting between President Trump and Sergey Lavrov. Apparently, this all just happen simultaneously and co-existing. While President Trump thinks, it can be a castaway. You can throw a donut, but you cannot get rid of shadows and ghosts. Especially in the oval-office and while being President. The Commander-in-Chief should not have to worry about foreign interference, as he is a sovereign. However, I doubt President Trump knows the definition of sovereign. Peace.

Republican’s loved the filibuster as minority, but as Majority in the Senate: they killed it!

In Federalist Papers No. 22, Alexander Hamilton seemed to anticipate the modern day Republican party, writing of the concept of a supermajority, “(I)ts real operation is to embarrass the administration, to destroy the energy of government and to substitute the pleasure, caprice or artifices of an insignificant, turbulent or corrupt junta, to the regular deliberations and decisions of a respectable majority.” (Jones, 2009).

As of today we know that Mitch McConnell and other Republicans do not value their own internal laws for bi-partisanship, neither the value of a silent minority when creating laws. That can be said in the days after the Senate used the ‘Nuclear Option’ to circumvent and have a second vote to secure the newly made nominee for the Supreme Court Judge Neil Gorsuch appointed by them. Even as the Democrats had earlier filibuster move and blocked the appointment. Just as the Republican Party did for a year, when the then elected President Barrack Obama, nominated Merrick Garland for the same slot in the Supreme Court.

This here is pivotal to the ideas of the Senate, as the Republicans clearly now proves that the laws are only mattering when they are in opposition, because when they get in power they will use it to silent the opposition. The reality is that the Democratic Party, is losing more ground quicker than they could anticipate. The Senate are now filled with corporate stooges who could not care about the laws and the true conservative measures, as the filibuster might have stopped processes, but has been there as a safeguard against regulations who might hurt the Republic. That is something the Republicans should care about, but apparently they are hooked on power.

The filibuster, long seen by its proponents as a necessary check on power and by its critics as a frustrating waste of time, has been around since the mid-19th century. A filibuster simply allows the minority political party to choose to endlessly debate a bill, stalling — and sometimes preventing — an actual vote. The word comes from the Dutch term vrijbuiter (pirate), in addition to the Spanish word filibustero (freebooting). The origins of filibuster use trace back to ancient Rome, and the practice has been common in several other countries including England and Australia. In the U.S., the tactic became known as a label for a Senator who held his colleagues hostage by overtalking legislation” (…) “The first filibuster in U.S. Senate history began on March 5, 1841, over the issue of the firing of Senate printers, and lasted six days. Ever since, politicians have loved filibusters or hated them — depending which side of the fight they were on. Proponents argue the filibuster protects the right to free speech and prevents the Senate majority from steamrolling the minority, thus ensuring that critical legislation gets a sufficient airing before being pushed through. Others contend the practice has gotten out of hand, leaving bills gridlocked in an oft-feuding Senate and stalling important votes for purely partisan gain. Peter Fenn, GOP consultant and former Senate aide, called filibusters the “tyranny of the minority.” (Oloffson, 2009).

The reality of what they have done is that after the first vote on the 4th April voted a majority Republicans to hold an Executive Session to consider Gorsuch as Supreme Court Judge. Than the Senate tried to fill in a clout on the 6th April 2017, but that got rejected by the minority after the filibuster rule. Therefore, Majority leader McConnell came with the good idea of using the Reed Rule and overrule the Filibuster through reconsidering the motion and change the rules on how many that needs to vote “yay” to win legislation victory in the senate. So late after a long debate on the 6th April, the Senate got the amount of votes to get the “On the Cloture Motion” that gave way for the majority in the Senate. So with the new rules, yesterday with 54 Yay over 45 Nay, the victory of the Republicans and the Trump nominee for the Court.

GovTrack explains it perfectly: “A vote on cloture is a vote to limit further debate and move to an up-or-down vote, in other words to prevent a filibuster. With only 55 votes in favor, 5 short of the 60 required, the Democrats blocked cloture so that they could filibuster the nomination. Following this vote, in Senate vote #109, the rule for cloture on Supreme Court nominations was changed to a simple majority. In Senate vote #110, the cloture vote was retaken under the new rules and with 55 votes again, 4 more than was needed on the second attempt, cloture was approved and further debate was limited. Gorsuch was confirmed in the final vote the following day” (GovTrack, 2017).

So with this change, the Majority knows totally control the Senate as the Filibuster is now gone away. It is ironic that the Republicans voting for this week, has as a minority proclaimed their love for the filibuster rule and it value in the Senate. So when themselves needs to circumvent it, it was easy to vote and change so their man could have a slot in the court. But they could use the same rule to stop laws and nominations from Obama.

A few recent times the Republican’s have filibuster themselves:

In 2013: “Ted Cruz called in the doctor to knock down ObamaCare — Dr. Seuss, that is.
The Republican senator from Texas recited Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” during a wide-ranging, 21- hour quasi-filibuster to blast the health-care law(Miller, 2013).

In 2012: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) wants to change the filibuster rule in the Senate because Republicans have been abusing it. He pointed out in Politico this September, “Since Democrats took control of the Senate in 2006, Republicans have mounted 380 filibusters. This far exceeds anything we’ve seen before in the Senate. By comparison, in Lyndon B. Johnson’s six years as Senate majority leader, he faced just one filibuster.” (…) “But Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claims that the 60 supermajority vote rule is ordinary procedure. McConnell huffed at Reid’s filibuster reform, “What these Democrats have in mind is a fundamental change to the way the Senate operates.” (Jones, 2012).

In 2010: “Senate Republicans proved their fortitude today when they voted to filibuster the Zadroga bill, the measure to provide health insurance to 9/11 workers. The measure failed by a vote of 57-42. Under the leadership of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Republicans vowed to filibuster any legislation introduced in the Senate until a settlement is reached on the Bush tax cuts and federal funding” (Clabough, 2010).

So there is a precedence and a history of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use the filibuster on his own grounds and stop the Democratic Party from getting through legislation, as much as 380 times at least since 2006 alone. So it is not like the Republican Party doesn’t know how obstructive they have been in opposition. Nevertheless, when they got in power they used the tools possible to not respect the way the Democratic Majority Leader Reid did, but instead overrule the filibuster to get in the Trump nominee. The Nobel men of the Republican party who, has said they care about the sacred laws of the Senate, we’re lying all these years. Since the minute they get into power and get majority inside the Senate, they use the clouts and the roads not used. To make sure their will get passed. No bi-partisanship, but instead close the gate and says “our will rule them all”.

The Republican Party and their Senate leader will surely be remembered for their ill-will and take control of the Senate, rewrite the rules for their donors and their corporate partners, instead of serving the public will. The Republican Party and their leader can be remembered for not caring that they we’re ones using a 200 year old rule for their benefit, but when they entered the gates as majority. They couldn’t care less. Peace.

Reference:

Clabough, Raven – ‘Republican Filibuster Blocks 9/11 Bill’ (09.12.2010) link: https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/3577-republican-filibuster-blocks-9-11-bill

Miller, S.A. – ‘Cruz reads ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ in marathon filibuster’ (23.09.2013) link: http://nypost.com/2013/09/25/cruz-vows-to-speak-till-he-cant-against-obamacare/

Jones, Sarah – ‘Since Democrats took control of the Senate in 2006, Republicans Have Mounted 380 Filibusters’ (09.12.2009) link: http://www.politicususa.com/2012/12/09/block-blame-successful-republican-filibuster-strategy.html

GovTrack – ‘Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States’ (06.04.2017) link: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2017/s105?utm_campaign=govtrack_feed&utm_source=govtrack/feed&utm_medium=rss

Oloffson, Kristi – ‘A BRIEF HISTORY OF Filibusters’ (02.11.2009) link: http://content.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1933802,00.html

EU’s new regulation plans to scrap imports of conflict minerals by 2021!

The people back home wouldn’t buy a ring if they knew it cost someone else their hand”Maddy Brown (Blood Diamond, 2006).

The European Union are acting out of care and thinking of transparency for the industrial imports and mineral exporters. This is happening just a little month after the United States opened up their legislation for importing more from conflict zones. While the European Union plans to close the gate from areas and from sources that export Conflict minerals.

So the EU laws are becoming more stricter than the United States, even if the law they have enacted in the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, will be effective from 2021. So it is 4 years until it has giant effect and gives time to refinery and importers to change behavior. Something that is necessary, as well as the public have to grow concern of the affects of buying conflict minerals. Even as the conflict minerals still come into the market of Europe and into the refineries so the consumers doesn’t know and cannot follow where their products who contain minerals comes from war-zones.

That the European Union takes this serious and acts upon this Nobel, and proves that they does not want to support militias and guerrillas that keeps control of mineral rich areas and their exports to supply weapons and continue warfare in for instance the African Great Lakes Region. Take a look!

Background of new rule:

This Regulation, by controlling trade in minerals from conflict areas, is one of the ways of eliminating the financing of armed groups. The Union’s foreign and development policy action also contributes to fighting local corruption, to the strengthening of borders and to providing training for local populations and their representatives in order to help them highlight abuses” (EU, P: 8, 2017).

Conflict Minerals from Great Lakes Region:

The Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy should regularly review their financial assistance to and political commitments with regard to conflict-affected and high-risk areas where tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold are mined, in particular in the African Great Lakes Region, in order to ensure policy coherence, and in order to incentivise and strengthen the respect for good governance, the rule of law and ethical mining” (EU, P: 16, 2017).

Trade of Minerals funds armed conflicts:

Preventing the profits from the trade in minerals and metals being used to fund armed conflict through due diligence and transparency will promote good governance and sustainable economic development. Therefore, this Regulation incidentally covers areas falling within the Union policy in the field of development cooperation in addition to the predominant area covered which falls under the common commercial policy of the Union” (EU, P:17, 2017).

Important Article:

Article 3: Compliance of Union importers with supply chain due diligence obligations

1. Union importers of minerals or metals shall comply with the supply chain due diligence obligations set out in this Regulation and shall keep documentation demonstrating their respective compliance with those obligations, including the results of the independent third-party audits” (EU, P: 23, 2017).

Date of Application:

Articles 1(5), 3(1), 3(2), Articles 4 to 7, Articles 8(6), 8(7), 10(3), 11(1), 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), Articles 12 and 13, Article 16(3), and Article 17 shall apply from 1 January 2021” (EU, P: 51, 2017).

What the statements on the law:

The Commission will consider making additional legislative proposals targeted at EU companies with products containing tin, tantalum, and tungsten and gold in their supply chain should it conclude that the aggregate efforts of the EU market on the responsible global supply chain of minerals are insufficient to leverage responsible supply behaviour in producer countries, or should it assess that the buy-in of downstream operators that have in place supply chain due diligence systems in line with the OECD guidance is insufficient” (…) “In the exercise of its empowerment to adopt delegated acts pursuant to Article 1(5), the Commission will take due account of the objectives of this Regulation, notably as set out in recitals (1), (7), (10) and (17). In doing so, the Commission will, in particular, consider the specific risks associated with the operation of upstream gold supply chains in conflict affected and high-risk areas and taking into account the position of Union micro and small enterprises importing gold in the EU” (…) “In response to the request of the European Parliament for specific guidelines, the Commission is willing to develop performance indicators specific to the responsible sourcing of conflict minerals. By means of such guidelines, relevant companies with more than 500 employees that are required to disclose non-financial information in conformity with Directive 2014/95/EU would be encouraged to disclose specific information in relation to products containing tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold” (EU, P: 57-58, 2017).

The European Union is doing something positive with this. That they show effort and care for the imports and what affects the export has locally, so if the minerals export is shady, the export will cease. So if the due diligence regulation works and the industry complies, the effect can be enormous. The consumer will also know that there are not supporting by third party purchase to pay for ammunition rebels, warlords or guerrillas in far away lands. This should all be seen as step of making a better world and honorable society. Where the money is where the mouth is! Peace.

Reference:

Council of the European Union – ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union system for supply chain due diligence self-certification of responsible importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating in conflict-affected and high-risk areas – Outcome of the European Parliament’s first reading (Strasbourg, 13 to 16 March 2017) – (20.03.2017).

Judge Garland’s ghost will now follow the vacant Supreme Court seat!

I said I would take this process seriously — and I did. I chose a serious man and an exemplary judge, Merrick Garland. Over my seven years as President, in all my conversations with senators from both parties in which I asked their views on qualified Supreme Court nominees — this includes the previous two seats that I had to fill — the one name that has come up repeatedly, from Republicans and Democrats alike, is Merrick Garland” (…) “Now, I recognize that we have entered the political season — or perhaps, these days it never ends — a political season that is even noisier and more volatile than usual. I know that Republicans will point to Democrats who’ve made it hard for Republican Presidents to get their nominees confirmed. And they’re not wrong about that. There’s been politics involved in nominations in the past. Although it should be pointed out that, in each of those instances, Democrats ultimately confirmed a nominee put forward by a Republican President” – Barrack Obama (16.03.2016 – White House – Rose Garden – from the Obama Archives).

I hate to say it, it doesn’t matter how the creature and individual judge Neil Gorsuch, the nominated person to fill the empty seat in the Supreme Court of the United States. Why I don’t care? It is because of the process he has been entangled into, that has been created by the Republican Party taking away the Executive right for former President Barrack Obama. So, there is certainly no will to give that the new President Donald Trump, as he is just a new politician and President Obama was in his second term as the Executive. There haven’t even gone a 100 days of his presidency, it should take more time, as it soon is election and primary season for the Senate election in 2018. That is if I stand by the same rules the Republicans used against Obama, to not nominate and hired someone to the last remaining seat in the Supreme Court.

I don’t care if is Neil Gorsuch is a mix of Mother Theresa, Pope Francis and Baby Jesus. He can be the best American since John Wayne, he can be mix Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes, still not be the man for the Supreme Court seat. To me he is just the trick of the Republican party, to thief away a spot from the Democratic Party elected President. Therefore, I see nothing else than a theft.

The Republicans like Lindsay Graham, the Senator of South Carolina can talk the game he wants about the judge and his profound knowledge of judgment. Still, Sen. Graham doesn’t consider the constitutional rights of Obama, as he neglect the preposterous attempts of filibustering and stopping the sessions at play for months, to give way to Trump so he could nominate someone. The Republicans are hereby saying they are entitled to elected who they please, but other parties has to beg to do so. The Republic can only have Presidents who has the love of the Republican party, if not they are not constitutional. That is the state that Sen. Graham profess to.

Mitch McConnell, Senator of Kentucky and the Majority Leader of the Senate, has said that he does not accept that the Democratic Party representatives to Block Gorsuch, but my initial problem with that sort of statement from a Majority leader is that he blocked Garland all through the 2016 year and until President Trump got into office. Not like he didn’t use all sorts of tricks and pushed the buttons to stop the process of getting an Obama nominated fellow inside the Supreme Court. That is because Obama was not righteous enough, but the pussy-grabbing, shallow-snake-oil-salesman and the fake University owner Trump has the legal mind to pick someone. McConnell himself by October 2016, than suspending the nomination of Garland, said it was a lame-duck, that was only 7 months after vacancy was open.

The seat of the Supreme Court in the total months that Barrack Obama was president was about 12, that is a year, that is one fourth of his last term. That means that the Republican Senators and Representatives suspended and postponed the vacancy through major parts of his presidency. So that they could claim the seat as the Election was on horizon. Because they feared a liberal or a progressive candidate filling Judge Scalia’s place. It is clear this is ignorance and disregard of the ones electing President Obama, that they could not spare him his duty as the Executive or understand his judgment for the picking of Garland.

So if Speaker Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell feels they are disrespected and feels that the Democratic representatives isn’t working within the perimeter of the Constitution and the rights of the Republican President Trump. If they conduct such behavior and claims that the Democratic Party is dissolving the Supreme court vacancy. Than, they are hypocrites.

As Paul Ryan himself stated on the 16th March 2016:

This has never been about who the nominee is. It is about a basic principle. Under our Constitution, the president has every right to make this nomination, and the Senate has every right not to confirm a nominee. I fully support Leader McConnell and Chairman Grassley’s decision not to move forward with the confirmation process. We should let the American people decide the direction of the court.” (Paul Ryan, 16.03.2016).

Therefore, if the Republicans can suspend hearings and voting for Garland, why cannot Democrats do it now? The Tea Party representatives and Freedom Caucus representatives have had no issues with stifling the process of Capitol Hill. So if the resistance and the Democrats decides to stop Gorsuch nomination, that would be filibustering and stopping Trumps will. If they would accept it, is it like Republicans only have rights to nominate and the only ones who knows how to pick people for important positions?

Since President Trump has already hired his son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump, so it not like we can question his own methods of picking Gorsuch. The Education Minister Betty De Vos family has been a big donor to the Republican Party and also Trump Campaign. So it not like the donations from big spenders change the ethical perspective of appointments under the Trump Era. It isn’t all white-supremacist and right-wing representatives, more on the financial backdrop and who’s favor Trump has gotten or hoping to get.

Than, with this in mind, what sort of favors has Gorsuch promised to do for Trump? Let’s be clear I don’t care if he is the softest most gentle judge ever existing, if he is the Marvin Gaye of judges. Still, he is the man stealing the possible seat of Garland. Ghost of Merrick will always follow Neil. No matter what happens, the one taking the seat now in the Supreme Court will always have the illegitimate picked person working in the most important legal job of the republic. That shows how low the legal system and the elected representatives of the United States has sunk down too.

President Obama wasn’t given the right to appoint because of people like Senator McConnell and Representative Ryan are the leadership that put forward reasoning for stopping the nominations. So now that they have Republican President and he has made a nomination, which happens to be Gorsuch.

We could talk fair and justice, but this is a sinister political ploy from the Republican party and using the laws to cherry-pick the ones supporting their will. The reality of it all is that the Obama administration was weaken by the control of the senate and the representatives house. The chambers did what they could to silence and stop his policies. Instead of building by bi-partisan ways. Now the Republican party want that from the Democratic Party and their members in the chambers. That train has left the station and hasn’t a plan to return.

The Ghost of Garland, even as he never entered the Supreme Court as an official judge or gotten the seat. Still, the will of President Obama and the denial of process of the appointment has proven that the Congress, the house or the senate didn’t want to fill the seat. The reality cannot be swayed away from this and the current state of affairs. That Trump should fill this seat is justified, as much as he can have ability to fill more if their time on earth stops. That is the rules. So Trump can fill even more in his time. They would have been correct! The appointment of possibly Gorsuch isn’t, and the Republican Party senators and representatives knows this perfectly well. All of them and most of them know they we’re part of the theft.

The grand theft and the perfect crime was orchestrated all through an election year, though all sorts of display and disregard of the President Obama and the Constitution, that they are supposed to keep in high regard. Instead they are propping up all tools and spin-control to let the Democrats leave it alone. That they did not to lose face during the Presidential Election, but here we are and we should know that the ghost of Garland will now overshadow the Supreme Court. Peace.

Alfa Bank letter retort on Trump Organization allegations (17.03.2017)