Smart politics: Marco Rubio horns in on Trump's action, introduces legislation against non-compete agreements

Rubio Debuts Bill to Block Non-Competes in Low-Skill Industries

Speaking of Michigan's clusterf*ck of white trash and wealthy white trash . . .

Libertarian Michigan, USA, where's it's still not OK to say "black trash" and "poor black trash"

George W. Bush finally delivers on something, too bad it's not The Wall

Bush calls for end to shutdown, delivers pizza to Secret Service

There were just 7 votes in the House against making the deep state permanent

The 7 Republicans who voted against back pay for furloughed workers:

But seven lawmakers — all House Republicans — opposed the measure. Those "no" votes came from Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Glen Grothman (Wis.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Chip Roy (Texas) and Ted Yoho (Fla.). ... Gosar issued a statement after the vote saying the bill removes an incentive to resolve the shutdown swiftly. "This ill-conceived legislation takes away a useful tool in holding government accountable," he said. "Shutdowns have historically served to push both parties to compromise and resolution.  This bill eliminates the impact and urgency a shutdown creates and rewards bureaucrats and swamp dwellers." Massie made similar remarks in a statement saying the bill "guarantees retroactive pay for every possible future shutdown, which will only make it easier for politicians to cause future shutdowns." "This is irresponsible and I want to prevent future shutdowns from happening," he said.

Despite the shutdown, divided Congress and Trump agree to guarantee 2.8 million federal paychecks, but not The Wall

The Deep State takes care of its own.

Congress approves back pay for workers affected by current shutdown, future ones :

The House on Friday [1-11-19] cleared a bill that would ensure back pay for federal workers missing paychecks as a result of the partial government shutdown, as well as guarantee payment for employees affected by any future closures. The measure passed with broad bipartisan support, 411-7 [in the US House]. ... President Trump has indicated he would sign the bill, which the Senate passed unanimously on Thursday.

Laugh of the Day: Trump really blew it canceling Pelosi's government flights

He should have waited until she was IN Afghanistan.

And since Nancy's House is never going to agree with McConnell's Senate, Trump should adjourn them both . . .

. . . indefinitely.

As president Trump can convene both houses of Congress whenever the hell he wants

The caller to Mark Steyn is correct.

Article II, Section 3, Constitution of the United States:

"He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper;" 

Nanny Nanny Boo Boo.

Our so-called friends the Israelis sold management of Haifa to China for 25 years for $2 billion

Israel-China port deal triggers U.S. Navy pushback:

While the Israeli Transportation Ministry struck the agreement with SIPG — a company in which the Chinese government has a majority stake — back in 2015, the Jerusalem Post reported Saturday that the deal is now coming under interagency review.

Citing Chinese state-run media reports, the Post noted the deal granted SIPG control over Haifa for 25 years in exchange for a commitment by the company to invest $2 billion in a project to transform Haifa’s bay terminal into the largest harbor in Israel.

The catch is that Haifa, Israel’s largest port city, regularly hosts joint U.S.-Israeli naval drills and visits from American vessels — a situation the Post claimed has triggered concern among U.S. officials.

 

Federal employment is the same in Dec 2018 as it was when Trump was elected

Actually it's up 1,000.

Cry me a shutdown river: Average federal salary was $84,913 in 2017, 76% more than the average W-2 employee at $48,251.57

Office of Personnel Management here, Social Security here.

Mark Levin goes nuclear . . .

. . . calls AIPAC a bunch of quislings.

Pat Buchanan call your office.

Trump gave away 75% of federal spending as a shutdown bargaining chip over immigration in Sept. 2018, so before Sept. 2019 his only other chip is the debt ceiling

Flashback to September 28, 2018:

Trump signs spending bill, preventing shutdown:

President Trump on Friday signed an $854 billion spending package that will avert a shutdown by keeping the federal government open into the new fiscal year, which begins Monday.

The measure fully funds most parts of the federal government through fiscal 2019, pushing off a deadline for a partial shutdown — and showdown over funding for Trump's proposed border wall — until early December. 

“The signing of this legislation marks a drastic turnaround in the way we have funded the government in recent years," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) in a statement announcing the signing. "As of today, 75 percent of the government is funded — on time and through an open, bipartisan process.” ...

As Shutdown Stretches on, Debt Ceiling Questions Loom:

[A]fter March 1, the government will need to take "extraordinary measures" to avoid defaulting, and those measures will last for a few months. Ordinary investors should be aware that in 2013, the last time it looked as though Congress might not raise the limit, the market avoided Treasury securities that matured around the dates when the government projected it would exhaust the extraordinary measures.

So, looking ahead, ordinary investors shouldn't be surprised if we see an increase in rates and a decline in liquidity if it looks like the debt ceiling fight is going to be dramatic again. The current state of the shutdown may presage such drama.

Hm, just after the nick of time 1.5 million ineligible voters removed from LA County rolls

Let's see. Hillary won California with 8.75 million votes, minus 1.5 million = 7.25 million. Rinse and repeat for every other California county and see how many it takes to erase the other 2.75 million votes Hillary stole the election by in that state.

Muslim Ilhan Omar gets elected to MN-5 and homophobia runs rampant on Capitol Hill

We need a General Sherman to march on Minneapolis/St. Paul and burn the place down.

Laugh of the Day No. 2: Pelosi cancels Trump's State of the Union, Trump cancels government flights for Pelosi

Laugh of the Day: German industrial production tanks 4.7% in November, Reuters calls it a tentative sign of slowing growth momentum

The signs were tentative in H1 and worrisome since then. November was a disaster.

Global economy is headed for recession:

[T]here were tentative signs of slackening momentum in the United States and Germany in November.

FBI arrest of White House terrorist is just public relations, another case of standard M/O of entrapment and inducement

They never catch the real threats. The FBI has to help these marks become terrorists by using an agent to pose as another terrorist. The FBI suborns terrorism. Otherwise neither the terrorist mark nor the FBI would "succeed". They had been working on this guy for nine months. Meanwhile the real threats have no resources committed to them because that rarely results in anything, including no press conference where the FBI can pat itself on the back.

Total PR for the low IQ crowd, which is lapping it up like milk.

Georgia man plotted attack on White House, authorities say:

“All potential threats have been neutralized and were under control from the inception of this case,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak, who added that authorities would take no questions on the investigation, which is ongoing.

Contra Richard Spencer, it's not a question of the efficacy of the constitution but of the efficacy of its heirs

The constitution's heirs clearly aren't worthy of it. To slaves it is meaningless, a trifle to be dispensed with. Only already free people could write it, and only still free people can love it.