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02/28/2017 by The Doctor Of Common Sense

President Trump Will Have A Showdown With Liberals In The GOP In First Address

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will issue a broad call for overhauling the nation’s health care system and revving up the U.S. economy when he delivers his first address to Congress Tuesday night. But he could leave anxious lawmakers with few specific guidelines for tackling the complicated legislative priorities that have divided his own Republican Party.

In one surprise, Trump may also voice support for immigration legislation, a senior administration official said ahead of the address. During a traditional pre-speech lunch with news anchors, Trump said he was open to a “compromise” bill that could include legalization for some of the millions of people living in the U.S. illegally and a pathway to citizenship for the “Dreamers” – people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. A person with knowledge of the meeting confirmed Trump’s comments on the condition of anonymity in order to reveal the private discussion.

Trump, who spent much of his election campaign railing against illegal immigration, has condemned previous legislative efforts that included a path to citizenship as amounting to amnesty.

The White House would not expand on Trump’s comments beyond spokeswoman Sarah Sanders saying that the president was “open to having conversations about that moving forward.”

Trump’s address comes at a pivotal moment for a new president elected on pledges to swiftly shake up Washington and follow through on the failed promises of career politicians.

The president spent his opening weeks in office flexing his executive power but has yet to push into the complex legislative battles over health care and tax reform. The White House bungled the rollout of a sweeping immigration and refugee ban and has been plagued by persistent questions about Trump campaign advisers’ contacts with Russia during the election. The president has picked fights with the media and the intelligence community, blaming agencies he now oversees for leaking classified information that put him in a negative light.

Trump’s turbulent start has left him saddled with historically low approval ratings for a new president. Just 44 percent of Americans approve of his job performance, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey.

Trump advisers say parts of Tuesday’s prime-time speech will amount to a defense of his early actions. He’s expected to tout his decisions to withdraw the U.S. from a sweeping Pacific Rim trade pact and to order the government to start working on a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Republicans, impatient to begin making headway on legislation, hope Trump arrives on Capitol Hill armed with specifics on replacing the “Obamacare” health care law and overhauling the nation’s tax system, two issues he’s so far talked about in mostly general terms. GOP lawmakers want to act on both this year but are divided over how to proceed.

More broadly, some Republicans are anxious for the president to set aside his feuds with the media, the intelligence community and the courts, which have overshadowed party policy priorities.

“It would be nice to see a speech that kind of brought us together,” said Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho. “I’m not talking about the far left or the far right. The independents out there, middle of the roaders, those kind of people who want to see government work.”

Trump will be standing before Democrats appalled by his politics and policies, and many Republicans who were barely more supportive during the presidential campaign. However, most Republican lawmakers have rallied around him since the election, hopeful that he will act on the domestic priorities they saw blocked during President Barack Obama’s eight years in office.

Trump’s speech is technically not a State of the Union address, though newly sworn-in presidents do often address a joint session of Congress in their first weeks in office. The Supreme Court justices and members of Trump’s Cabinet will be on hand for the televised event.

First lady Melania Trump will be sitting with special guests on hand to amplify the president’s agenda, including the widows of two California police officers killed by a man living in the country illegally. The widow of former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will also sit alongside Mrs. Trump, a reminder of the president’s well-received nomination of federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill Scalia’s seat.

In public, Trump has spoken about his presidency’s early days with his usual confident bluster, declaring that there’s “never been a presidency that’s done so much in such a short period of time.” But he’s privately vented frustrations to friends and associates.

In the Fox interview Tuesday, Trump gave himself an overall “A plus” for effort, but conceded, “In terms of messaging, I would give myself a C or a C plus.”

Trump recently complained to one associate that the White House was trying to do too many things at once and none of it was breaking through. He told another associate that the White House had lost control of the story surrounding Michael Flynn, who was fired as national security adviser after misleading Vice President Mike Pence and others about his contacts with Russia.

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Associated Press writers Vivian Salama and Erica Werner contributed to this report.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TRUMP_SPEECH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-02-27-17-0854

02/28/2017 by The Doctor Of Common Sense

Demon Witches Are Casting A Spell On Donald Trump

There have been Women’s Marches, the Day Without Immigrants and fiery town hall meetings all aimed at protesting the new president. Now, witches are galvanizing too.

A Facebook page with more than 2,000 followers said that the ritual will be the first of many “to be performed at midnight on every waning crescent moon until Donald Trump is removed from office.”

The group, which used the hashtag #magical resistance, plans to gather a minute before midnight on Friday at Trump Tower in New York, according to its event page.

But Michael M. Hughes, “an eclectic magician” who wrote the binding spell for the event, said he’s heard from people across the country who want to participate, and he’s also received messages from South Africa, Portugal, Denmark and Mexico. He said it’s difficult to estimate turnout but suggested it could reach into the thousands.

Hughes said the ritual is not a curse and is not intended to harm Trump or his administration. Instead, it’s “a way of restraining him from doing further harm,” as well as a way of helping people feel powerful against him.

Hughes said he practices a variety of magical traditions, including Greco-Egyptian, folk, African-allied and contemporary rituals. The binding spell he crafted for this event, which is making the rounds online, involves an awkward Trump photo, a Tower tarot card, orange and white candles, a pin or nail, water, salt, feathers, fire and an ashtray or a dish of sand. The instructions also include an incantation.

Some parts of the spell—like the ones referencing the four elements—are traditional. Others, like the Tower tarot card, Hughes chose for symbolic effect. “The orange stubby candle—I think that goes without saying,” he said.

Hughes said that magic is partially symbolic, and that in that sense, the spell is already working, if the interest in this week’s rituals serves as any indication. He compared Friday’s gatherings to the Yippies’ 1967 effort to levitate the Pentagon. But Hughes said it could also have real-life effects.

“Trump could get stuck in Air Force Once, where the door won’t open or something,” Hughes said, also suggesting maybe the spell would result in a court ruling or an ACLU lawsuit.

Heat Street called Enchantments, known as the oldest witchcraft store in New York City to get their take on Hughes’ binding spell. A sales rep said that although the store wasn’t “doing anything in particular to bind Donald Trump,” they have had several people coming in seeking supplies for the weekend’s ritual.

Catland, “Brooklyn’s premier metaphysical boutique,” is hosting an anti-Trump ritual Thursday night. The shop invites people to “join us in binding this monolith of hatred.” Catland said on its Facebook page that although anyone can attend, including first-timers, “this is not a spectator ritual. Anyone attending that portion of the evening will be expected to participate.” Catland suggests a $5 donation, saying that half of its proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood.

When a feminist coven and performance collective called W.I.T.C.H. gathered in Chicago last weekend, they gathered in a circle, holding hands.

Video shows the feminist coven and performance collective called W.I.T.C.H. Chicago gathered in a circle. They carried signs reading, “We usher in the demise of imperialism” and “we usher in the demise of white supremacy,” according to a Facebook post for the group.

http://heatst.com/politics/witches-gather-in-new-york-to-cast-a-spell-on-trump/

02/27/2017 by The Doctor Of Common Sense

Common Sense Is Back! Under Trump, ICE Agents Actually Feel Free To Do Their Jobs

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents say that under the new Trump administration, they’ve been empowered to carry out their jobs, instead of being punished for insubordination and told not to arrest illegals.

The New York Times interviewed 17 ICE agents across the country to talk about how the new atmosphere created under the Trump administration has allowed them to properly deport illegals. The Times described the agency under Trump as a “whirlwind of activity.”

“Before, we used to be told, ‘You can’t arrest those people,’ and we’d be disciplined for being insubordinate if we did,” said one ICE agent, who had worked with the agency for 10 years. “Now those people are priorities again. And there are a lot of them here.”

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that the Trump administration’s goal was to “take the shackles off” agents.

02/27/2017 by The Doctor Of Common Sense

No $15 an Hour At Wendy’s! 1000 Self-Ordering Kiosks Being Installed

DUBLIN, Ohio —

Wendy’s says it plans to install self-ordering kiosks at about 1,000 locations by the end of the year.

A typical location would have three kiosks, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Higher-volume restaurants will be given priority for the kiosks.

Wendy’s chief information officer, David Trimm, said the kiosks are intended to appeal to younger customers and reduce labor costs. Kiosks also allow customers of the fast food giant to circumvent long lines during peak dining hours while increasing kitchen production.

Trim estimates the company will see a return on its investment in less than two years.

“They are looking to improve their automation and their labor costs, and this is a good way to do it,” said Darren Tristano, vice president with Technomic, a food-service research and consulting firm. “They are also trying to enhance the customer experience. Younger customers prefer to use a kiosk.”

Kiosks are also valued by the Dublin, Ohio-based company for their ability to provide data about customers.

“This move puts them at the forefront of the kiosk and tech movement,” Tristano said.

http://www.wmur.com/article/wendy-s-plans-self-ordering-kiosks-at-1-000-locations/8982165

02/27/2017 by The Doctor Of Common Sense

Botox Nancy Pelosi Says Trump Has Done Nothing In 1st Month Of Office

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said that President Trump will have no positive achievements to point to when he gives his first address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.

“He has nothing to show for it but fear in every way,” Pelosi told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos Sunday on “This Week.” “To people who are sick — fear, to people who are immigrants — fear, to people who are concerned about the greed on Wall Street — taking us back to where we were.”

Pelosi also said she doesn’t believe Republicans will be able to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature health care law, as many in the GOP have promised.

“How can they do it?” she said. “They do not have the votes.”

“They’ve been baying at the moon that they had a better idea” than the health care act known as Obamacare, the Democratic leader said of Republicans. “They’ve come up with nothing … They don’t have a replacement. What they have put forth and outlined will cost more to consumers. It will cover fewer people. It will give tax breaks to the wealthiest people.”

The Democratic Party‘s response to the President Trump’s speech to Congress on Tuesday will be delivered by former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Beshear’s work in Kentucky is “proof positive that the Affordable Care Act works,” indicating he was selected to counter Republican’s plans to repeal and replace the law. In addition, Nevada immigration activist and “dreamer” Astrid Silva will give the Democrats’ Spanish-language response.

Stephanopoulos also asked Pelosi her view on whether Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from overseeing the FBI and Justice Department‘s investigation of Russia’s alleged interference in the presidential election.

A leading GOP member of Congress, Rep. Darrell Issa of California, said on Bill Maher‘s show, “Real Time,” on Friday that a special prosecutor is needed.

“You cannot have somebody — a friend of mine, Jeff Sessions — who was on the [Trump] campaign and who is an appointee,” Issa told Maher. “You’re going to need to use the special prosecutor’s statute and office.”

Pelosi told Stephanopoulos, “The attorney general must recuse himself … You have seen a flurry of activities that are completely inappropriate — encouraging lawmakers, encouraging intelligence officials to say that something is one way or another [about the Russia probe]. Let’s have the investigation and find out the truth.”

The California Democrat was referring to news that White House staff spoke to both the FBI and the leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees about rebutting reports that Trump associates had contact with Russian officials during the presidential campaign.

http://6abc.com/news/pelosi-trump-has-nothing-to-show-for-1st-month-in-office-except-fear/1774160/

02/26/2017 by The Doctor Of Common Sense

Philadelphia Jewish Cemetery Headstones damaged by a Bunch of Heathens

Where is the outrage from the damn media?

Dozens of headstones at a Jewish cemetery in the Wissinoming section of Philadelphia have been broken and overturned.

The Philadelphia police say this was an act of vandalism at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery on the corner of Frankford and Cheltenham avenues.

Aaron Mallin of North Jersey made the disturbing discovery Sunday when he came to visit his father’s grave.

“It’s just very disheartening that such a thing would take place,” Mallin said.

He says he knows this doesn’t look good, but is hoping that somehow this wasn’t an anti-Semitic attack.

“I’m hoping it was maybe just some drunk kids. But the fact that there’s so many, it leads one to think it could have been targeted,” Mallin said.

The damage is widespread all across the cemetery with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of headstones affected.

Who would try to wake the dead but a bunch of dumb liberals?

Mallin just doesn’t understand how someone could do this.

“It’s just very heartbreaking,” Mallin said.

Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon released a statement on Twitter saying, “#Philadelphia Jewish cemetery desecration is shocking and a source of worry . Full confidence #US authorities catch and punish culprits.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia tells Action News they will be opening a mailbox at jewishphilly.org later Sunday to begin raising money to help speed up the repairs of the cemetery.

http://6abc.com/news/headstones-damaged-at-philadelphia-jewish-cemetery-/1774127/

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