Category: US Politics

Trump on Putina s response to U.S. sanctions: a I always knew he was very smarta

After President Barack Obama on Thursday announced retaliatory measures against the Russian government for what the U.S. has concluded were efforts to interfere in the election, President-elect Donald Trump’s response was terse and dismissive, saying it was time to “move on to bigger and better things.” But after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he would not respond in kind to the U.S. actions – preferring to wait until the new administration takes office – Trump weighed in with high praise.

Trump: Putin ‘very smart’ for decision to withhold sanctions

Earlier, Putin discarded a recommendation from his government to impose restrictions on the US in retaliation of President Barack Obama’s decision to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the US presidential election. Trump immediately pinned the tweet to the top of his profile, meaning it is the first thing those visiting his page will see.

Politico: Putin Move on US Diplomats Poses Test for Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to not retaliate against the United States for President Barack Obama’s decision to expel 35 diplomats and close two compounds over hacking may prove to be a test for President-elect Donald Trump, experts say. Will Trump reduce or rescind Obama’s orders, as Moscow wants, after his inauguration next month, or will he risk angering Putin by keeping – if not strengthening – the sanctions? “If Trump doesn’t do what Putin wants, then we are where we are today – and, frankly, it’s a place where I believe we haven’t been firm enough with Russia,” Evelyn Farkas, a former Obama administration Pentagon official, told Politico.

Ex-CIA Officer: Putin Not Retaliating Against US an ‘Opportunity’ for Trump

The mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the United States is a calculated political move by President Barack Obama – but it is also a solid one, retired CIA operations officer Scott Uehlinger tells Newsmax TV. “This may surprise you, but I actually believe the sanctions are appropriate given basically Russian espionage activity in this country that’s been going on for more than 10 years,” Uehlinger said Friday to Miranda Khan on “Newsmax Prime.”

Trump praises Putin’s response to sanctions, calls Russian leader ‘very smart!’

President-elect Donald Trump on Friday expressed his appreciation to Vladimir Putin over the Russian president’s announcement that he would not expel American diplomats in response to new U.S. hacking sanctions as a gesture to the incoming administration.  The tweet is Trump’s latest nod to Putin, whom he has praised as a strong leader – inspiring considerable backlash from American politicians from both parties who call the Russian president an authoritarian leader who poses a danger to U.S. interests.

Continue reading Netanyahu makes Trump his chump

For those of you confused over the latest fight between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel, let me make it simple: Barack Obama and John Kerry admire and want to preserve Israel as a Jewish and democratic state in the Land of Israel. I have covered this issue my entire adult life and have never met two U.S. leaders more committed to Israel as a Jewish democracy.

Mexican man charged with rape had 19 deportations, removals

This undated photo provided by the Geary County Detention Center In Junction City, Kan., shows Tomas Martinez-Maldonado. Records obtained by The Associated Press show that Martinez-Maldonado a Mexican national accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. nine times since 2003.

With Putin, the Danger Isn’t a Non-Response

The New York Times editorial board is pleased that President Obama has taken some retaliatory actions against Vladimir Putin, but I found part of their reasoning very interesting. While it is definitely too late, and may also be too little, there should be no doubt about the correctness of President Obama ‘s decision to retaliate against Russia for hacking American computers and trying to influence the 2016 presidential election.

House Dems Promise War Over Paul Ryan’s Proposal

U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi applauds as Rep. John Lewis waves to supporters along with House Democrats after their sit-in over gun-control law on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 23, 2016. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas House Democrats are prepared to go to war over a new rule proposed by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, according to a letter sent to Ryan late Thursday.

Is Middle East Instability An Opportunity To Apply Leverage?

A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter launches mortar shells towards Zummar, controlled by Islamic State , near Mosul September 15, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah – RTR46B59 As I have written , even without ISIS, the Middle East, the epicenter of radical Islam, is a complex political-military environment dominated by the Sunni-Shia religious conflict, but influenced by ethnic aspirations, tribal rivalries, regional hegemony, superpower competition and ever-shifting allegiances.

The uncertainties of 2017

A place for the writings and the ideas of the people in and around the Ridenbaugh Press. A new administration is about to take office in Washington, but anyone certain about what exactly that will mean – other than something a lot different from the last eight years – is kidding themselves.

Russian foreign minister proposes expulsion of 35 US diplomats

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has recommended that the Kremlin expel 35 US diplomats from Russia in response to sanctions announced by Washington, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday. Lavrov said his ministry proposed the removal of 31 staff members from the US Embassy in Moscow and four from the US consulate in St Petersburg.

President Obama warns Russia after announcing sanctions: “Such…

The United States is unleashing a string of sanctions and other punitive measures against Russia amid allegations that it engaged in cyber-meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign, putting pressure on President-elect Donald Trump not to let Moscow off the hook after he takes office. Russia’s government threatened retaliation and continued to deny U.S. accusations that it hacked and stole emails to try to help Trump win.

Putin says Russia won’t oust US diplomats in hacking flap

President Vladimir Putin has condemned a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia but said Moscow will not retaliate by expelling American diplomats. U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts.

U.S. evicts Russians for spying, imposes sanctions after election hacks

President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election. The measures, taken during the last days of Obama’s presidency, mark a new post-Cold War low in U.S.-Russian ties and set up a potential flashpoint between incoming President-elect Donald Trump and fellow Republicans in Congress over how to deal with Moscow.

Where suburban precincts changed from the GOP to Clinton

Five out of six Chicago-area counties voted for Hillary Clinton for president on Nov. 8, but our analysis of unofficial returns shows that many precincts in those counties had more Republican votes cast in the March primary. We took our analysis of primary election results — which showed whether a precinct had more Democratic or Republican voters — and compared that to unofficial precinct results from the general election in November.

US levels sanctions against Russia over election hacking

This image provided by the FBI shows the wanted poster for Evgeniy Bogachev. In a sweeping response to election hacking, President Barack Obama sanctioned Russian intelligence services and their top officials, kicked out 35 Russian officials and shuttered two Russian-owned compounds in the U.S. It was the strongest action the Obama administration has taken to date to retaliate for a cyberattack.

The Latest: Russia FM suggests expelling US diplomats

Russia’s foreign minister has suggested expelling 35 U.S. diplomats in response to a new round of U.S. sanctions against Moscow. U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, as American political sites and email accounts were hacked.

Learn From The Bible Mr. Kerry

In Philadelphia, the Gold Star Khizr Kahn told Trump t and wondered aloud whether President-Elect Trump had ever read the Constitution, pulling his own pocket-sized copy from his jacket for emphasis. Now I wonder has John Kerry ever read the Bible or Koran? Barack Obama and John Kerry’s stance is unbelievable by not vetoing the resolution.

A convoy of vehicles with diplomatic plates drives

Sanctions and the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the United States in response to attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election are a rare physical response to ongoing and growing cyber conflicts between nations. Sanctions mark rare window into cyberwar Sanctions and the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the United States in response to attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election are a rare physical response to ongoing and growing cyber conflicts between nations.

Trump ally who said he wished President Obama would die of ‘cow…

Trump ally who said he wished President Obama would die of ‘cow disease’ and wanted Michelle to ‘return to being a male in the outback’ is told to resign In an email to a magazine, Paladino said he hoped President Obama died of mad cow disease after ‘having relations with a Hereford’ He said he wanted Michelle Obama to ‘return to being a male’ so she could live with a ‘gorilla in the outback of Zimbabwe’ A controversial Trump ally has been told to resign his school board job a week after shocking comments about Barack and Michelle Obama. Carl Paladino said he wished the president would die of mad cow disease while the first lady should ‘return to being a male’ in the ‘Zimbabwean outback’ in an extraordinary outburst.

With Trump’s victory, GOP hopes to overhaul Medicaid

In this Jan. 13, 2015 file photo, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., left, joined by Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., heads to a meeting of House Republicans on Capitol Hill in Washington. When President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, Republicans will have the opportunity to do something they have desired for years – overhaul Medicaid, the program that provides health care to millions of lower-income and disabled Americans.

U.S. punishes Russia for hacking campaign

HONOLULU – The U.S. struck back Thursday at Russia for hacking the U.S. presidential campaign with a sweeping set of punishments targeting Russia’s spy agencies and diplomats. The U.S. said Russia must bear costs for its actions, but Moscow called the Obama administration “losers” and threatened retaliation.

Trump Dismisses Russia Sanctions: – Time for Our Country to Move On’

President-elect Donald Trump appeared to dismiss the sanctions imposed against Russia for its alleged cyberattack on the U.S., saying it was “time for our country to move on” and still not acknowledging the Kremlin’s role in meddling in the presidential election. “It’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things,” Trump said in a statement.