Welcome to The Now

 

  There's a reason that the Navy and Air Force have been preferred military options; it rhymes with "people think that 'boots on the ground' is a bad idea." Sadly, the number of proponents for that idea is growing smaller.  

 

 

  Why are some people concerned about Harp in particular? Keep in mind no one was really paying attention to her until Jon Ossoff brought her up, but she's been in the Trump camp's orbit:

 

 

 

  Case in Point : "mass deportations" is OUT and "removing violent criminals" is IN: The Trump White House is reportedly urging House Republicans to cease touting the mass deportation strategy it has championed ahead of this fall’s midterm elections. According to Axios’s Katie Santaliz and Marc Caputo, “White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair privately urged House Republicans on Tuesday to stop emphasizing ‘mass deportations’ and instead focus their messaging on removing violent criminals.” President Donald Trump and his allies have long touted immigration and border security as one of his top priorities, and Trump moved back into the White House last year after promising to initiate a mass deportation program on the campaign trail. His advantage on the issue has shrunk, however, amid a rash of controversial stories, and especially the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both of whom were shot by federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. Trump decided...

 

 This is one of those, "possible versus probable" stories:

 

  The White House wants interest rates lowered, as soon and as low as possible . Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, doesn't look like he's going to budge . Enter the Federal Reserve's renovation project for their headquarters, which by accounts is self-funded . Word is that President Trump is trying to use the renovation ( the argument being it's gone overbudget ) as an excuse to kick Powell out before he retires from the position. The Fed has historically tried to stay away from the politics of the moment, but Trump has never met an institution that he didn't want to make bend to his will, and the idea of having the country's central banking system at his beck and call is too tempting of a prospect to pass up. 

Find out what you might loose .

What didn't the Bush Twins due while Dad was in Office ? Couple of thoughts on other tidbits from that story: I think all ex-presidents should have some kind of protection for at least five years after office. Not for life, but just long enough for people to leave them alone. Some may frown at Obama beefing up Cheney's security, but if any guy needs to be protected, from his haters, it's this guy. Most people just thought Bush was dumb, but a lot of people hate Dick Cheney. Hate him. The story does show that as wild as they were, they eventually calmed down. And unlike McCain and Cheney's kids, they have enough sense to not go online and on TV yapping it up like they were elected officials.

Every little bit helps , especially in this economy: Like so many people who move into a new home, Barack and Michelle Obama have decided to do a bit of redecorating. And, as the occupants of the nation’s most famous residence, the White House, the president and First Lady are given a tax-backed budget of $100,000 to make the house their own. The first couple, however, isn’t having it and announced that they’ll be paying for everything out-of-pocket.

Heh.

What a difference an election makes. The new site definitely has the feel of Obama's campaign website as well as his transition site. I think I understand why the guy is fighting to keep his Blackberry. Anyway the new White House Blog (say what?) has thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak. Here's what they have to say about how the Obama Administration is gonna do things: Just like your new government, WhiteHouse.gov and the rest of the Administration's online programs will put citizens first. Our initial new media efforts will center around three priorities: Communication -- Americans are eager for information about the state of the economy, national security and a host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the briefing room , keep tabs on the blog ( RSS feed ) and take a moment to sign up for e-mail updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know about ma...

TPMuckraker on the useless Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board .

Gen. Petraeus is worried : "We can never sink to the level of the enemy," Petraeus said by video link from Baghdad. "We have done that at times in theater and it has cost us enormously" — referring specifically to the torture and humiliation of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib facility west of Baghdad. Petraeus said he was drafting a memo that would closer examine issues of battlefield ethics and ways pre-empt possible problems, adding that he was "greatly concerned by the results" of a Pentagon report last week by a special mental health advisory team assessing forces serving in Iraq. "So the first step is that we've got... make sure that folks remember that that's a foundation for our moral compass... anything we do that violates that is done at considerable peril," he said. And the White House is warning : The White House warning came on a day when 25 people were killed near Ramadi in two suicide bombings police blamed on al Qaeda. They we...