What's going on with the Executive Departments

[AmazonGrace]

 

[fraurosena]

Well now, this is interesting.

Trump-appointed regulators reject plan to rescue coal and nuclear plants

Quote

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday unanimously rejected a proposal by Energy Secretary Rick Perry that would have propped up nuclear and coal power struggling in competitive electricity markets.

The independent five-member commission includes four people appointed by President Trump, three of them Republicans. 

At the same time, the commission said that it shared Perry’s stated goal of strengthening the “resilience” of the electricity grid and it directed regional transmission operators to provide information to help the commission examine the matter “holistically.” The operators have 60 days to submit materials. At that time the agency can issue another order.

Perry’s proposal favored power plants able to store 90 days fuel supply on site, unlike renewable energy or natural gas plants.

The plan, however, was widely seen as an effort to alter the balance of competitive electricity markets that federal regulators have been cultivating since the late 1980s. And critics said that it would have largely helped a handful of coal and nuclear companies, including the utility FirstEnergy and coal mining firm Murray Energy.

“The Commission’s endorsement of markets does not conflict with its oversight of reliability, and the Commission has been able to focus on both without compromising its commitment to either,” FERC said in an order.

FERC said that while it had not used the term “resilience,”  it had pursued policies that would “ensure the uninterrupted supply of electricity in the face of fuel disruptions or extreme weather threats.”

Perry issued a statement saying “as intended, my proposal initiated a national debate on the resiliency of our electric system.”

But most analysts saw it as a setback for the administration.

“This outright rejection of subsidies for coal and nuclear shows that Commissioners of both parties have little interest in manipulating electricity markets in favor of any fuel source,” said Paul Bledsoe, a former consultant at the Obama-era Energy Department, now a lecturer at American University’s Center for Environmental Policy.

“The law and common sense prevailed over special interests today,” John Moore, director of the Sustainable FERC Project Coalition, said in a statement. “The FERC correctly found that the Department of Energy’s proposal violated the basic requirements of the Federal Power Act. Secretary Perry’s plan would have subsidized coal and nuclear plants with a 90-day fuel supply yet Perry never explained why those plants were inherently more reliable or resilient.”

Although FERC could issue a new order after submissions by regional grid operators, the language in the current order suggested it would stand by the trend toward free competitive electricity markets.

“This is really FERC saying that any change we make to the grid is going to be grounded in fact,” Greg Wetstone, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy, said in an interview. “This is shifting to a real world process based on what’s actually happening to the nation’s grid and that’s great news for renewable energy.”

Perry had argued that coal and nuclear power plants would fare better in extreme weather conditions such as the Polar Vortex that gripped large parts of the nation just four years ago. Yet opponents of Perry’s plan said that the current bout of extreme cold undercut Perry’s argument as regional grids had excess power on hand and many power plants switched from natural gas to oil largely because of cheaper prices. One of the few major outages was the result of a failed transmission line that took a New England nuclear plant off-line.

The FERC order issued Monday included three members’ concurring comments that revealed some difference of opinion beneath the unanimous vote. Cheryl LaFleur, a Democrat, said “even had a resilience issue been demonstrated, I have serious concerns about the nature of the proposed remedy, which would address the issue not through market rules but through out-of-market payments to certain designated resources.” She said that Perry’s proposal “sought to freeze yesterday’s resources in place indefinitely.”

3

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Oh, HELL no: "White House considering Puzder for administration job"

Spoiler

The #MeToo movement has created an atmosphere of zero tolerance for any claims of sexual harassment involving prominent men in entertainment, the media, business and Congress—but so far it seems that rule doesn’t apply in the Trump administration.

Latest case in point: the White House is considering finding a role for Andy Puzder, President Donald Trump’s first pick for labor secretary, who withdrew his nomination in February amid allegations of domestic abuse, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

It’s not clear what role Puzder might take in the administration, these people said, though it would have to be a non-Senate-confirmed slot given his withdrawal as labor secretary. Puzder, who denied the abuse allegations made by his ex-wife in a 1990 appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” also acknowledged employing an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper before dropping out.

His withdrawal, one of the first personnel missteps for the young administration, was especially sensitive because of harassment allegations that Trump faced during the campaign—most infamously the “Access Hollywood” tape in which he was heard bragging about groping women.

Since Puzder stepped back from his nomination, reports that film mogul Harvey Weinstein systematically abused young actresses have unleashed a wave of revelations about predatory behavior by prominent men in many industries, costing many their careers.

But the White House still doesn’t appear to view Puzder’s past as a deal-breaker, even in this newly hyper-aware environment.

“It shows an utter disregard to the awakening around sexual harassment and abuse,” said Vicki Shabo, vice president of the National Partnership for Women and Families. “The whole idea that somebody who has potentially abused, harassed and objectified women is put in a position of power in the White House is quite distasteful.”

Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of the women’s advocacy group UltraViolet, agreed, saying that allegations of domestic abuse against Puzder disqualified him from serving in the administration. She added that “only a person with a history like Donald Trump could fail to see this.”

Democrats wasted little time in bashing any consideration of Puzder for a new role. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in a written statement that “at a time when so many women are speaking up about sexual harassment and discrimination on the job, empowering someone with a history of objectifying women...would be shocking if it wasn’t par for the course under President Trump.”

Puzder, the former chief executive of CKE Restaurants — the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s — is generally well-liked inside the West Wing and has maintained a strong relationship with the president, forged through their shared experiences as businessmen.

Steve Moore, an economist at the Heritage Foundation and informal economic advisor to the Trump administration, told POLITICO that Puzder “would be a great economic policy spokesman for Trump.” He said that Puzder “got railroaded very unfairly by the political process” and noted that his ex-wife withdrew the allegations of domestic abuse after they were initially made decades ago. [cutting the ‘phony’ quote since it’s just not clear]

As senior advisers and policy experts announce their departures from the administration at the one-year mark, the White House is casting a wide net for replacements. Given Trump’s non-traditional 2016 presidential campaign, the turmoil in the early days of the administration, and the ongoing Russia investigation, the White House has had a tough time attracting Republican job prospects into key slots.

When asked whether he was under consideration for a position in the administration, Puzder replied in an email to POLITICO on Monday: “I haven’t heard anything other than your email.”

He did not respond when asked whether he would accept a job if offered.

On Monday morning, the White House press shop blasted out a Wall Street Journal op-ed penned by Puzder. The article extolled the benefits of the White House’s rollback of regulations and its tax bill as moves that ultimately will help Americans workers: a favorite administration talking point.

“President Trump’s regulatory rollback is driving an economic surge few anticipated,” Puzder said in the piece.

Lately Puzder has raised his public profile by working as an unpaid policy adviser to America First Policies, a position he took on in October, according to the organization’s spokesperson, and by tweeting comments that flatter or bolster the administration’s message.

Over the weekend, Puzder praised the performance of White House senior policy adviser, Stephen Miller, during his combative interview on Sunday with CNN’s Jake Tapper. Miller laid into his onetime ally, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, amid the ongoing fall-out over Michael Wolff’s White House tell-all, “Fire and Fury.”

Puzder called Miller the “2nd smartest guy in the White House,” a message seemingly intended to both flatter the president and stick to the White House’s party line of bashing Bannon.

Puzder withdrew his nomination for labor secretary in February, less than 24 hours after POLITICO published a 1990 excerpt from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in which Puzder’s ex-wife Lisa Fierstein appeared in disguise and leveled allegations of domestic abuse against him.

Fierstein retracted those allegations eight months after appearing on the show as part of a child custody agreement. She reiterated her retraction in a letter to the Senate HELP Committee in January 2017, prior to Puzder’s withdrawal.

The allegations of domestic abuse weren’t the only strike against Puzder’s nomination. Puzder also came under fire after the Huffington Post reported that he’d employed an undocumented worker for many years. He did not pay back taxes for the worker until after his nomination for labor secretary in December 2016.

Even before his nomination for labor secretary, Puzder incited controversy by approving Carl’s Jr. ads that featured scantily clad female models eating burgers in bikinis.

The ads prompted accusations of sexism. But Puzder defended the ads in a 2015 interview with Entrepreneur. “I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis,” he said. “I think it’s very American. …I used to hear [that] brands take on the personality of the CEO. And I rarely thought that was true, but I think this one, in this case, it kind of did take on my personality.”

Puzder stepped down as CKE chief in April after withdrawing from his nomination for Labor.

One trade group said his entry into the West Wing would be a good thing.

“Andy’s ability to bring people together to develop policies that help small and large employers grow, while ensuring employees’ wages increase, would be an asset to any organization,” said Matthew Haller, senior vice president of government relations and public affairs for the International Franchise Association. “If he’s under consideration for any positions, IFA and our members would be fully supportive.”

It's like this administration has to find the worst people out there.

[AmazonGrace]

From the Department of Dr. Stablegenius or How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb:

https://www.cdc.gov/cdcgrandrounds/archives/2018/January2018.htm
 

Quote

 

Public Health Response to a Nuclear Detonation

January 16, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)

While a nuclear detonation is unlikely, it would have devastating results and there would be limited time to take critical protection steps. Despite the fear surrounding such an event, planning and preparation can lessen deaths and illness.  For instance, most people don’t realize that sheltering in place for at least 24 hours is crucial to saving lives and reducing exposure to radiation. While federal, state, and local agencies will lead the immediate response efforts, public health will play a key role in responding.

Join us for this session of Grand Rounds to learn what public health programs have done on a federal, state, and local level to prepare for a nuclear detonation. Learn how planning and preparation efforts for a nuclear detonation are similar and different from other emergency response planning efforts.

 

[AmazonGrace]

These people are evil toads.

[AmazonGrace]

Did someone say corruption?

 

[GrumpyGran]

18 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

These people are evil toads.

I'm particularly fond of it for people who commit treason, Lil' Possum.

[47of74]

Then there's this guy who just endangered our soldiers and sunk the US to the level of ISIS.

Quote

The U.S. military’s top enlisted leader warned ISIS militants fighting in Iraq and Syria on social media they will be shot in the face or beaten to death with shovels if they do not surrender.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Troxell, senior enlisted adviser to Joint Chiefs chairman Joseph Dunford, spoke of the brutal violence Tuesday in posts on Twitter and Facebook that featured a photo of a faceless U.S. service member wielding a small shovel, known as an “entrenching tool” in the military.

“ISIS needs to understand that the Joint Force is on orders to annihilate them,” he posted. “So, they have two options should they decide to come up against the United States, our allies and partners: surrender or die!”

Yeah, that will really convince them to surrender to us.  And what does this idiot think will happen when a US soldier is captured on the battle field if we act like this?

 

[fraurosena]

Feds resume accepting renewals from 'Dreamers'

Quote

The Trump administration announced Saturday that it is complying with a federal court order by again allowing so-called 'Dreamers' to renew their quasi-legal status and work permits they enjoyed under a program that started in 2012.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, posted an update on its website Saturday evening saying that the renewal process for recipients of Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals will resume effective immediately, despite the administration's announcement in September that it was winding down the Obama-era initiative.

"Due to a federal court order, USCIS has resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA," the announcement said.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup issued a preliminary injunction effectively blocking the decision to end the program. The judge, who's based in San Francisco, said Attorney General Jeff Sessions' conclusion that DACA was illegal was "based on a flawed legal premise."

President Donald Trump slammed the decision on Twitter Wednesday, suggesting it was part of a pattern of anti-administration rulings from judges in the West.

"It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts," Trump wrote.

Alsup issued another ruling in the dispute Friday, saying plaintiffs in some of the five suits he is overseeing can proceed with legal claims that the cancellation of the program was driven by racism Trump expressed on the campaign trail in 2016.

Despite Trump's complaints about the judge's order, the Justice Department has yet to file an appeal or request a stay of the four-day-old injunction.

USCIS had no immediate comment beyond the post. Spokespeople for the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to questions about Saturday's announcement.

Some immigrant-rights advocates urged those eligible to renew their DACA status to move quickly.

"Use this weekend to get well-informed re requirements & prepare your renewal #DACA application. Remember new applicants aren’t eligible," Marielena Hincapie of the National Immigration Law Center wrote on Twitter Saturday night. "This might also be a short window to file #DACA renewals given feds are likely to appeal."

Trump has said he supports legislation to allow so-called Dreamers to remain in the U.S. legally, but he has insisted that such a bill include funding to expand the wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and to rein in laws that allow U.S. citizens and legal residents to petition for legal status for their relatives overseas.

Trump has held at least two meetings with legislators in the past week to discuss potential DACA legislation, but at the moment the talks appear to be at an impasse.

"I don’t believe the Democrats really want to see a deal on DACA. They are all talk and no action," the president wrote on Twitter Saturday morning. "This is the time but, day by day, they are blowing the one great opportunity they have. Too bad!"

1

Good news, for once. 

[AmazonGrace]

You don't have to know anything to work for Trump

[Audrey2]

I'm curious about the kind of mind eraser the Trump administration uses to obliterate everything their employees know. 

I can see it now. Washington gets hit by a snowstorm, snarling traffic and covering sidewalks. When someone comments on the difficulty of getting around in the snow, the Trump person says, "We don't know that!"

[fraurosena]

14 minutes ago, Audrey2 said:

I'm curious about the kind of mind eraser the Trump administration uses to obliterate everything their employees know. 

I can see it now. Washington gets hit by a snowstorm, snarling traffic and covering sidewalks. When someone comments on the difficulty of getting around in the snow, the Trump person says, "We don't know that!"

I think they might have got a hand on a couple of these....

[AmazonGrace]

You sorta would expect a blonde with a somewhat Danish sounding name to be vaguely aware of Scandinavian countries.

[GrumpyGran]

55 minutes ago, Audrey2 said:

I'm curious about the kind of mind eraser the Trump administration uses to obliterate everything their employees know. 

I can see it now. Washington gets hit by a snowstorm, snarling traffic and covering sidewalks. When someone comments on the difficulty of getting around in the snow, the Trump person says, "We don't know that!"

No,no, they ALL know every single illegal think that Hillary, Bill and Obama have done. Top-secret info, only they have it. There's no room in their pea-brains to know anything else.

[nvmbr02]

A good read. For the record, I do believe Secretary Nielsen did intentionally mislead congress. I just can't understand why she would do it to cover for Trump. Or anyone in the administration really. 

Secretary Nielsen, look in the mirror and ask yourself these questions by Jennifer Rubin

Spoiler

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen confirmed that President Trump used “tough language” in an Oval Office meeting last week over immigration policy, but she said she did not hear him describe some African countries and Haiti as “shithole countries,” as has been reported.

Nielsen confirmed Trump’s tone while testifying under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) asked Nielsen whether Trump had used the vulgarity to describe the countries “or a substantially similar word.”

“I did not hear that word used,” Nielsen told members of the committee.

When Leahy asked again, Nielsen said, “The conversation was very impassioned. I don’t dispute that the president was using tough language. Others in the room were also using tough language.”

“The president used tough language in general, as did other congressmen in the room, yes sir,” she said later, when Leahy pressed her again.

It is almost inconceivable that the president used such damning language, and yet Nielsen does not recall what he said. She remembers “tough language” but not the words, or something close, to the words that were said? This is as preposterous as her response to a question that she was unaware Norway is a predominantly white country.

When her ordeal is over she should go back to her office, think long and hard about what she said and perhaps call a good lawyer. Here are the questions she needs to ask herself:

Did I just lie or mislead Congress? When you say under oath you don’t remember something when you do, that is lying under oath. Depending on the circumstances, it may amount to a criminal offense such as perjury or a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Ben Wittes’s Lawfare blog reminds us that this makes it illegal to “knowingly and willfully . . . make any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation. . . . [regarding] any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch.” Recall:

In the Iran-Contra prosecutions, several federal district judges assumed. . . .  that executive branch officers could be held to have violated § 1001 when they lied in unsworn statements to Congress, even on matters unrelated to collecting federal benefits. Though the Iran-Contra indictments largely centered on perjury and withholding evidence, this was an analytically significant expansion — to cover interbranch unsworn lying. . . . In its present form, § 1001 sweeps incredibly broadly: just about any material statement to an official of any branch of the federal government on a matter they are investigating.

If Nielsen did lie or mislead, she still can go back to correct the record (unlike Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had to be dragooned back to explain his misstatements to the Senate Judiciary Committee).

If I really do recall what was said, will I be contradicted by other reliable evidence?This could be other White House officials, members of Congress or persons outside of government. They might recall her relaying what the president said, or perhaps expressing concern about what she would say. In addition, either her own email communications or someone else’s could provide contemporaneous evidence she knew exactly what was said during the meeting with the president.

Do I want to risk my career and personal reputation by lying about a racist comment from the president? Sometimes it is important to pull back from the moment. Consider how hard she has worked and the praise she has received from friends and family. Understand that she will have to explain this incident to those very same people later on. Understand that any professional career she would hope to have would likely be ruined if it is determined she lied under oath.

What am I doing here? For the sake of argument, let’s say she doesn’t personally recall the president’s statements. By now, she is aware that both Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) know what was said. She now has to consider — not from a legal sense, but from an ethical one — whether she wants to serve a president who plainly prefers white Europeans to black and brown people, and is prepared to lie to the public about his statements and views. Public service is honorable, but not when you are enabling elected officials to lie and to pursue racist ends.

In a nutshell, this is why you cannot serve a president who is racist, dishonest or personally corrupt. You inevitably wind up enabling racism, dishonesty and corruption. If you thought you could remain untainted, you were wrong. And now, you need to either quit or face the legal and personal consequences.

 

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

(What happens to the elf's jaw in the picture?)

[GrumpyGran]

7 hours ago, nvmbr02 said:

A good read. For the record, I do believe Secretary Nielsen did intentionally mislead congress. I just can't understand why she would do it to cover for Trump. Or anyone in the administration really. 

Secretary Nielsen, look in the mirror and ask yourself these questions by Jennifer Rubin

  Reveal hidden contents

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen confirmed that President Trump used “tough language” in an Oval Office meeting last week over immigration policy, but she said she did not hear him describe some African countries and Haiti as “shithole countries,” as has been reported.

Nielsen confirmed Trump’s tone while testifying under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) asked Nielsen whether Trump had used the vulgarity to describe the countries “or a substantially similar word.”

“I did not hear that word used,” Nielsen told members of the committee.

When Leahy asked again, Nielsen said, “The conversation was very impassioned. I don’t dispute that the president was using tough language. Others in the room were also using tough language.”

“The president used tough language in general, as did other congressmen in the room, yes sir,” she said later, when Leahy pressed her again.

It is almost inconceivable that the president used such damning language, and yet Nielsen does not recall what he said. She remembers “tough language” but not the words, or something close, to the words that were said? This is as preposterous as her response to a question that she was unaware Norway is a predominantly white country.

When her ordeal is over she should go back to her office, think long and hard about what she said and perhaps call a good lawyer. Here are the questions she needs to ask herself:

Did I just lie or mislead Congress? When you say under oath you don’t remember something when you do, that is lying under oath. Depending on the circumstances, it may amount to a criminal offense such as perjury or a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Ben Wittes’s Lawfare blog reminds us that this makes it illegal to “knowingly and willfully . . . make any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation. . . . [regarding] any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch.” Recall:

In the Iran-Contra prosecutions, several federal district judges assumed. . . .  that executive branch officers could be held to have violated § 1001 when they lied in unsworn statements to Congress, even on matters unrelated to collecting federal benefits. Though the Iran-Contra indictments largely centered on perjury and withholding evidence, this was an analytically significant expansion — to cover interbranch unsworn lying. . . . In its present form, § 1001 sweeps incredibly broadly: just about any material statement to an official of any branch of the federal government on a matter they are investigating.

If Nielsen did lie or mislead, she still can go back to correct the record (unlike Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had to be dragooned back to explain his misstatements to the Senate Judiciary Committee).

If I really do recall what was said, will I be contradicted by other reliable evidence?This could be other White House officials, members of Congress or persons outside of government. They might recall her relaying what the president said, or perhaps expressing concern about what she would say. In addition, either her own email communications or someone else’s could provide contemporaneous evidence she knew exactly what was said during the meeting with the president.

Do I want to risk my career and personal reputation by lying about a racist comment from the president? Sometimes it is important to pull back from the moment. Consider how hard she has worked and the praise she has received from friends and family. Understand that she will have to explain this incident to those very same people later on. Understand that any professional career she would hope to have would likely be ruined if it is determined she lied under oath.

What am I doing here? For the sake of argument, let’s say she doesn’t personally recall the president’s statements. By now, she is aware that both Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) know what was said. She now has to consider — not from a legal sense, but from an ethical one — whether she wants to serve a president who plainly prefers white Europeans to black and brown people, and is prepared to lie to the public about his statements and views. Public service is honorable, but not when you are enabling elected officials to lie and to pursue racist ends.

In a nutshell, this is why you cannot serve a president who is racist, dishonest or personally corrupt. You inevitably wind up enabling racism, dishonesty and corruption. If you thought you could remain untainted, you were wrong. And now, you need to either quit or face the legal and personal consequences.

 

 

Another example of how most Republicans are only concerned about their next paycheck and staying in the boat. This forgetful woman figures it works for Sessions, it can work for her. They truly feel they are entitled to the taxpayers' money while they dismantle our country and they will do anything to make the party leadership happy. She would stand on a stage in front of 100,000 people and lie, lie,lie so she can stay in the tribe.

It's pointless to bring up honor and ethics to her, she has none of either one.

27 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

(What happens to the elf's jaw in the picture?)

I don't know but it appears he's swallowed his entire bottom lip, probably a result of lying so much. I think he's morphing into a Gremlin.

[Botkinetti]

@GrumpyGran it is posts like yours that I find it hard to choose my reaction for. I first wanted to hit the agree button. Then because I laughed out loud at the gremlin comment I wanted to hit the laugh button. I settled for the up button bit if I could have posted multiple reactions.

[AmazonGrace]

My question is, if you're having clandestine meetings that must remain secret, safe from the public eye, why on earth would you invite a photographer in the room?`

[GrumpyGran]

59 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

My question is, if you're having clandestine meetings that must remain secret, safe from the public eye, why on earth would you invite a photographer in the room?

Well, it is Rick Perry. I honestly think he doesn't believe he's doing anything unethical. He's not driving the truck at DOE, somebody else is. He's too stupid to be able to run a department. His job is probably to be the face and go-between for the oil and coal companies who show up with their big bags of cash and the demon who actually runs the department.

[JMarie]

This one's a big ball of hate (CAUTION:  POTENTIAL TRIGGERS IN THE QUOTES BELOW!)

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/18/politics/kfile-carl-higbie-on-the-radio/index.html

Quote

Trump administration appointee Carl Higbie resigned Thursday as chief of external affairs for the federal government's volunteer service organization after a CNN KFile review of racist, sexist, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT comments he made on the radio.

Quote

In one of the comments unearthed by KFile, Higbie said you could "guess the color" of a family he described that lived in his condo association.

"I told this story the other day on my show. Somebody who lives in my condo association that has five kids, and it's her and her husband with the five kids and the mother, the grandmother of the kids, and they don't have jobs, they're there all the time -- I bet you can guess what color they are -- and they have no job," he said.

Quote

He added later, "We're promoting birth control to a black woman because of the incredibly high rate of children born out of wedlock that are under-cared for or not cared for at all. The taxpayers are tired of supporting government checks going to these people who think that breeding is a form of employment. I'm sorry if black people are the majority of the targeted audience. They are, statistically they are."

Quote

"Go back to your Muslim shithole and go crap in your hands and bang little boys on Thursday nights," Higbie said. "I just don't like Muslim people. People always rip me a new one for that. Carl, you're racist, you can't, you're sexist. I'm like Jesus Christ. I just don't like Muslim people because their ideology sucks."

Quote

"Yeah I'm a gonna go out on limb here and say, a lot of people are going to disagree with this comment," Higbie said on Sound of Freedom in February 2013. "But severe PTSD, where guys are bugging out and doing violent acts, is a trait of a weak mind. Now things like (military member) Brandon, where he was legitimately blown up and a loud noise makes him on edge -- completely understandable, but when someone performs an act of violence that is a, it is a weak mind. That is a crazy person, and the fact that they're trying to hide it behind PTSD makes me want to vomit."

Quote

In a February 2013 episode of "Sound of Freedom," Higbie said American citizens with guns should be allowed to go to the border to shoot undocumented immigrants crossing into the US.

"What's so wrong with wanting to put up a fence and saying, 'hey, everybody with a gun, if you want to go shoot people coming across our border illegally, you can do it fo' free,'" Higbie said. "And you can do it on your own, and you'll be under the command of the, you know, National Guard unit or a Border Patrol, I think stick a fence six feet high with signs on it in both English and Spanish and it says 'if you cross this border, this is the American border, you cross it, we're going to shoot you.'"

Quote

In June 2013 on Sound of Freedom, Higbie called California Sen. Dianne Feinstein a "bitch" whose head he would like to smack into House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's.

"Nothing gets me going like Ted Cruz, when he went off on the Feinstein Bitch about the Second Amendment and he put her in her place," Higbie said. "That was just fantastic. I can't stand that woman. She's another one. Her and Pelosi. I'd love to just take both their heads and smack them together a couple of times."

Quote

"Rhode Island, land of more liberals, has just OK'ed, gay marriage," Higbie said. "Congratuf'in'lations, you suck, Rhode Island. Why would you do that? Go ahead and twist the knife a little, little bit more. I mean, you are breaking the morals, the moral fiber of our country. You know, I don't like gay people. I just don't."

Quote

Higbie frequently questioned the authenticity of President Barack Obama's birth certificate. Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961.

In 2015, Higbie spoke for nearly an hour with "Where's Obama's Birth Certificate" radio.

"This birth certificate thing," Higbie said. "Sure, absolutely legitimate claim. You want to know if this, where was this guy born. That's a legitimate question." Higbie added later that Obama's birth certificate was "pixelated."

Quote

In June 2016, while appearing as a guest on Global Patriot Radio, Higbie said people who receive government assistance shouldn't be allowed to vote in the subsequent election.

"If you have taken any benefit, if you have elected to take any benefit from the government at any given time during any election cycle, you do not get to vote at the subsequent election," he said. "Because now you have people voting for a living. They don't have to work, and if you want to solve them now -- it's very hard to get something like this past, I'll be honest -- but if you pass something like that, what you would see is, you would see people who aren't contributing to the system, not voting for the system and you'll have a massive slide to the right in this country."

 

[CTRLZero]

14 minutes ago, JMarie said:

Trump administration appointee Carl Higbie resigned Thursday

I read about him earlier.  How do these guys get appointed in the first place?  Don't answer, I know, I know.  Horrible excuse for a human being, so a perfect fit for the Trump administration.  Sigh.  Glad he's gone.  Who's next?

[AmazonGrace]

Pentagon wants licence to nuke more people:

http://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/18/politics/pentagon-nuclear-posture-review-draft/index.html?sr=twCNNp011818pentagon-nuclear-posture-review-draft0302PMVODtop&CNNPolitics=Tw

[GrumpyGran]

10 hours ago, JMarie said:

This one's a big ball of hate (CAUTION:  POTENTIAL TRIGGERS IN THE QUOTES BELOW!)

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/18/politics/kfile-carl-higbie-on-the-radio/index.html

 

Well, I think he managed to insult just about every group there but white men. And he may have picked up a few of them with his PTSD rant. He'll need to be careful about using that as an excuse when he goes on his inevitable rampage. Wife will divorce him because he no longer has a job, he'll go ballistic on her, possible hostage situation, but because he's white, he won't get gunned down. Then the PTSD card will be played.

I'm glad he's given us plenty of ammo to put him in prison with all of those awful people he hates. This is the scenario I'm putting my money on.