8 U.S. Code § 1182 Gives President the Power to Stop or Suspend Classes of People From Entering the United States Under Certain Conditions: Trump Administration’s Interpretation Will Probably Have to Undergo Court Test

It appears that President Trump’s 90-day travel ban Executive Order is based in part on a federal law-- 8 U.S. Code § 1182 which is titled  “Inadmissible Aliens.”  The part of the federal law being discussed is in Section 3 of that code.

It’s an open question as to whether this federal law can be applied to what President Trump wants to do.  Detecting someone who might be a terrorist simply because they’re from a country that has known terror affiliates in their territory may not pass Constitutional muster.  The courts will have to determine it.

The link above leads to the law in question.  Here is the link to President Trump’s Executive Order.

President Should Probably Dispose of Any Leftover Obama Appointees: He’s Firing Away at Pillars of Obama Legacy So Rapidly That Anyone With Loyalty to President Obama Will Not Be Able to Take It

Word broke tonight that the President fired the Acting Attorney General and appointed a new one after the former Acting AG refused to do her duty which she swore to do. 

All political appointees serve at the pleasure of the President, and if they can’t follow Presidential directives, they should resign immediately.   President Trump didn’t wait very long to make his move.

This probably isn’t the last quick termination that we’ll see.

Openly defying the President by ordering her subordinates to not defend the policy was the wrong way to go about making her point.  

What next? 

Trump’s Travel Ban Seems to Rely on “Winging It”: Nice Theory, But This Should Have Been Implemented in Stages, Rather Than Everything at the Same Time

President Trump signed a 90-day immigration ban via Executive Order on Friday, which took effect immediately.  And shortly afterwards, people began to be detained, especially from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

The result was immediate chaos and confusion, and the filing of at least one lawsuit, which resulted in a partial injunction against the order.  Protests were quickly organized at many airports, which compounded the airport problems.

I’m not sure that the White House alerted the Customs and Immigration people that this was in the pipeline.   The rank and file appear to have been taken by surprise, which is never a good thing.

A roll-out of this immigration policy should have been done in smaller steps, such as Trump’s first order against Obamacare.

I’m looking at the other issues. 

It’s amazing how a page and a half Executive Order can wreak so much havoc almost instantly across the country. 

Before He Authorizes Torture, President Trump Should Follow the Example of Others and Voluntarily Undergo Waterboarding Himself; He May Not Want Others to Go Through It After That

Veterans who have undergone waterboarding at the hands of enemy nations have told us for a long time that the technique is torture.   Navy SEALs undergo waterboarding as part of their survival training; some former SEALs like Jesse Ventura are adamantly opposed to it, as are war veterans like John McCain who were brutally tortured by the North Vietnamese.

Journalists such as Christopher Hitchens have voluntarily undergone waterboarding to have firsthand experience on what it’s actually like.   Here’s the video of him being waterboarded.  So did Steve Harrigan of Fox News.

I’m of the opinion that if a politician who has not served time in the military and has not been captured and tortured by the enemy should not order torture without undergoing a brief torture session themselves, so that they understand what they’re ordering done to others.

I think President Trump should voluntarily undergo a brief waterboarding so that he can see the consequences of what his executive order authorizing torture really entails.  He may sing a different tune afterwards.

Liberal Outlets Zero In on Trump’s Unsubstantiated Claims Again: Still Waiting for Trump Administration to Knock It Off

Sources: CNN.com, ABCNews.com, CBSNews.com, NBCNews.com

These stories were at or near the top of the news sites listed above this evening, with CNN’s lead story remaining unchanged for most of the day today.   They continued with a “Breaking News” theme on their evening TV shows, even though they carried the story throughout the entire day and it wasn’t the dramatic “Breaking News” that they crave.

Rehashing these stories isn’t helping President Trump build support or confidence in his Presidency. 

I really don’t know if Trump’s Press Secretary is helping or hurting him.   In any case, Trump or anyone in the Administration mentioning any of his more controversial/incorrect statements ends up dominating another news cycle, as it did today.

The Administration needs to settle down and focus on what the President is currently doing, not rehashing past controversies that President Trump hasn’t got time to fight. 

Trump Administration Needs to Stop Giving the Media Ammunition and Tell It Like It Is: Obama’s Inaugurations Were More Well Attended, But In the End, Who Cares? This is a HUGE Distraction, Which is Exactly What the Media Wants

The Trump Administration needs to get rid of the “Whose Inauguration Was Bigger” issue, and they need to do so now.

President Trump needs to accept that Obama’s inauguration was bigger, because President Obama had access to a portion of the population that didn’t vote for Trump, and he needs to state it publicly.   This is a serious non-issue that is providing ammo to an openly hostile press that is gleefully firing it right back at President Trump and his Administration.

His Press Secretary is seriously damaged and may need to be replaced.  “Alternative facts?”  I think not.   That notion needs to be permanently banned from White House communications and President Trump should set the example.   His press conference statement that he’s not sure that he’ll get along with Russia’s President Putin was open and honest and he needs to be like that all the time.  So does his Press Secretary.

He’s thinking like an entertainer and he needs to shift gears, and fast.  Ratings and turnouts to parties don’t matter.

Trump Has Four Thousand Appointments to Make: They’ve Got a Lot of Work to Do

I wasn’t kidding on my last post when I said that the Trump Administration needs time to get set up before getting entangled in various foreign policy entanglements.  Here is the updated list of appointments, and it’s breathtaking. 

Look at all the ambassadors who need to be named, Senate confirmation hearings scheduled, and votes taken.  

It will be some time before full ambassadors are sent to nations around the world, so it’ll be up to the career diplomats in the State Department to keep things together until that happens.

As for the other positions, hopefully wise choices are made, votes are taken and appointees are able to take up their positions very soon.

Senate Needs to Decline Tillerson and DeVos Nominations and Trump Needs Better Choices: Tillerson Will Tempt China to Take Radical Military Action Before New Administration is Ready and DeVos is Heralding a Failed System

The Senate should reject Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State and Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education.

I know the new President wants his choices confirmed, but I think he’s made a major mistake with Tillerson and another with DeVos.
   
The more that the Senate interviews Tillerson, the more I think he’ll provoke the Chinese into taking precipitous military action in the South China Sea before the new government is ready to take them on in a military confrontation, which China thinks it can win.  (It can’t.)

The new Administration needs time to get on its feet and formulate American foreign policy, and the last thing President Trump needs is another military situation at the beginning of his term.  If Tillerson is going to make statements like “we should deny China access to their man-made islands!” then we should prepare to fight for them.  His lack of foreign policy experience is on full display.

If China uses those island bases to close critical international shipping lanes, that’s different, but egging China on before the Trump Administration is fully set up to deal with an international aggressor?   Not a particularly good idea.

I am encouraged that the Senate is expected to approve his choices for Homeland Security and the Department of Defense either shortly before or after President Trump’s inauguration tomorrow.  That will take care of the noise coming out of CNN and other outlets.

With Betsy DeVos, she’s made one mistake after another, and her results have been less than stellar.  Her Great Lakes Educational Project model is inferior to other private school models and is also inferior to that of many public school districts in the state.   At a time when private schools have been very popular in parts of the state, the state’s overall scores on core subjects have declined, and private school scores have been worse than comparable public schools.

Private school competition to public schools is good ONLY if it shows results, and the DeVos model hasn’t.  If a model is failing, it should not be shared nationally, which is partially why I am opposed to the DeVos nomination.

I’m hoping the Senate rejects  both nominees so that President Trump can pick better candidates.  I have no objections to any of his other nominees so far.

It’s OK for Democratic Lawmakers to Criticize Trump, But When He Responds in Kind, It Isn’t OK? Snowflake Hypocrites Are Their Own Worst Enemy

Georgia Congressman John Lewis took a shot at President-elect Trump on the eve of MLK observances across the country but had the unmitigated gall to act surprised when Trump returned fire, regardless of the timing.

Haven’t we all learned by now that if Trump feels like taking to Twitter at 3am in the morning to comment on something, that’s exactly what he will do?  And that he’ll step (stomp) on toes across the political spectrum to get his two cents (and then some) in?

Lewis deliberately timed his pronouncement so that Trump would come under criticism for firing back during civil rights observances being done prior to Monday.

If Lewis wants to stay away from the inauguration, that’s his choice.  I’m staying away from it too, but for my own reasons which are not political.  The way I’m looking at it, there will already be enough of a cross-section of American society that I feel like I’m already represented there.  And it’s going to be a zoo.

As of this morning, 25 others have joined Congressman Lewis in his boycott.  Good, we won’t have to put up with them crying in public next Friday.

It’s a shame that Congressman Lewis chose to use the MLK weekend to make his political statement.  It’s not unparalleled; Democrats have turned funerals, such as Muhammed Ali’s funeral and Paul Wellstone’s (from Minnesota) funeral, into political rallies.

Then-Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura walked out of the Wellstone funeral and then appointed an independent to Senator Wellstone’s seat instead of a Democrat.    The Democrats then lost big in the state and national elections that happened six days after the Wellstone funeral.

By all means, boycott the inauguration.  They should institute a rule that says a work stoppage in Congress means a paycheck stoppage too, just like it is for everybody else.

News Media Can No Longer Use Three Sources: With the Power That Fake News Now Wields, They Need to Have More Non-Web Sources to Confirm a Story

Throughout 2016, there were many fake news stories that have been directed at our political candidates and others.  Some of the more memorable headlines (I left off some of the more disgusting ones) :

“Russians Have Dirt on President-Elect Trump”

"Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge Of Allegiance In Schools Nationwide"

"Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for President, Releases Statement"

"Trump Offering Free One-Way Tickets to Africa; Mexico for Those Who Wanna Leave America"

"Florida man dies in meth-lab explosion after lighting farts on fire"

"FBI Agent Suspected in Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide"

"RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE To Reunite And Release Anti Donald Trump Album"

"Police Find 19 White Female Bodies In Freezers With “Black Lives Matter” Carved Into Skin"

"ISIS Leader Calls for American Muslim Voters to Support Hillary Clinton"

Hillary Clinton In 2013: “I Would Like To See People Like Donald Trump Run For Office; They’re Honest And Can’t Be Bought”

"Woman murders college roommate for sending too many Candy Crush requests"

"Donald Trump Protester Speaks Out: "I Was Paid $3,500 To Protest Trump's Rally"

“Obama passed law for grandparents to get all their grandchildren every weekend”

"President Obama Confirms He Will Refuse To Leave Office If Trump Is Elected"

"Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy – 'We Don’t Like The Blacks Either'"

"Security Detail Tackles Homeless Man On Oscars Red Carpet, Turned Out To Be Rob Zombie"

Pence: “Michelle Obama Is The Most Vulgar First Lady We’ve Ever Had”

“African Billionaire Will Give $1 Million To Anyone Who Wants To Leave America if Donald Trump is Elected President”

“Obama Signs Executive Order Declaring Investigation Into Election Results; Revote Planned For Dec. 19th”

“Graham Says Christians Must Support Trump or Face Death Camps”

“BREAKING Romanian Hacker With Access To Clinton Emails Found Dead In Jail Cell”

“The United States Revokes Scientology's Tax-Exempt Status - ABC News”

“Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Hillary Clinton for President, Releases Statement”

“Trump Claims America Should Never Have Given Canada Its Independence”

-----------------
Many who should know better have been suckered in.  All the news networks, both party candidates, members of the House and Senate, including one from today during the DHS secretary confirmation hearings, have been taken. 

Does anyone remember Rathergate?  The Stephen Glass scandal?  There used to be a time when reporters who used unconfirmed stories (or in the case of Glass, falsified ones) in their reporting were punished.   Brian Williams is still paying the price for his part in embellishing his stories.  

Get it together, news media.

Liberal Meltdown Continues Unabated: Libs Took to Stage at Golden Globes Last Night (As Expected) and Turned It Into a Democratic Pity Party Again

I decided that I wasn’t going to watch the Golden Globes again, as I knew it was going to be a Democratic pity party and liberal meltdown scene again, which it was.   Actors took to the stage and cried about mean Mr. Trump being the president. 

Organizers failed to stem the tide, even with their very expensive participation handouts.  Guess that only works with the college students, not with over-emotional actors who do raise a few valid concerns about Trump’s vicious streak but manage to insult voters at the same time. 

I found in watching the recaps that I focused more on what they said about Trump voters more than what they were actually talking about.  Good job. 

I’m hoping that once Trump takes office he’ll tone it down (a lot) and act presidential, as he’s done in some of his more recent speeches.

Biden Did His Constitutional Duty and Kept Joint Session of Congress On-Track in Verifying Electoral College Results

I was impressed with Vice-President Biden’s presiding over a joint session of Congress to verify the Electoral College votes.

He really stuck to the rules and shut down 15 objections because they were not in order.  Here is the entire session; it’s very interesting.