Breitbart has tipped the balance scale. Listing seven reasons TrumpCare is no good.
Now people know TrumpCare would stick the average Montanan with $3,600 more annual ACA premium. And transfer some $274 billion to the elite 1%-ers. TrumpCare does not fare well with the majority of votes in the US House.
Good deal, now Congress has time to improve national security against hacking by the Russian government.
Putin’s #1 goal is to sell more crude oil. Putin’s #1 objective is that economic sanctions against Russian commerce are removed. Stripped away to allow American know how and capital to develop producing oil wells in Russia. #2 objective is to weaken NATO. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry both opposed both of Putin’s objectives.
During the Clinton campaign the Russian government funded two successful hacking operations into 19,000 emails and 8,000 attachments exposing secret financial dealings of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Secret dealings of DNC head Debbie Wasserman Schulz undermining the Bernie Sanders campaign. USA intelligence agencies agree with “high confidence” that “previously known” Russian operative teams were responsible for the mid-year 2016 hacks of the DNC.
Last week Roger Stone, Trump friend and business partner since the 70’s and early on a Trump campaign adviser, up front said he exchanged Twitter comments with a Russian operative who had done a lot of the DNC hacking.
There are now three Trump friends being investigated by multiple U.S. intelligence agencies. Roger Stone. Paul Manafort, ex-campaign manager for Trump campaign. Carter Page, former adviser to Team Trump. If Page comes out clean he may be on glide path to becoming U.S. ambassador to Russia.
President Trump and Secretary Tillerson are in position to argue in favor of removing the economic sanctions. (The sanctions imposed by nations after the Russian Federation annexed strategic Crimea. Sanctions that triggered reverse sanctions which closed the door to Montana selling wheat within the Russian Federation.)
Putin knew full well he was making inroads with Tillerson and the Trump organization. Putin knew that Jeff Sessions talked with the Russian Ambassador in July and September of 2016. The Trump transition team was OK that General Michael Flynn might be registering as a foreign agent. OK with lightly questioning and lightly vetting Flynn. Who took the hint and decided to not disclose his meeting with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. Putin knew his General Michael Flynn inroad was bound to be a highway.
Sure enough, Michael Flynn was appointed as National Security Adviser. But then fired, in part for not being up front truthful with V.P. Mike Pence.
Consider how the following might make Putin feel tickled pink.
Recently, news broke about the Russian potash fertilizer king who paid DJT $100 million, for a mansion in Florida that Donald Trump purchased for $40 million.
Then news broke that in July of 2016, a Putin agent got the GOP to rip out the adversarial, anti-Russian party plank. And nail in place a brand new pro-Russian plank.
Then, Southern District New York Attorney Preet Bharara was told to resign, and the next day he was fired. That’s U.S. attorney Bharara who recently busted the three Russian spies.
AG Bharara who was investigating Russian money laundering funds in U.S. investments.
Attorney Preet Bharara, widely respected for busting dozens of insider traders, and a dozen corrupted political officials, was told by DOJ AG Sessions to drop hot cases, walk out the door, and do not come back. If there are subpoenas about Trump team links to Russians, forget them and your replacement will review them.
Last week it appeared that DJT is acting Secretary of State while the past Exxon CEO is Acting Head of the State Department.
Last week the Trump Administration changed guard the Soviet way. Attorney General Sessions overnight purged out 56 Attorneys General.
Putin must be tickled pink that the Trump Administration has installed climate deniers in places of power. Tickled pink while Ryan Bichols, Megan Bloomgren and Melissa Simpson are installed under Secretary of the Interior.
Putin’s gotta be tickled pink watching the new administration blow off federal regulation of clean air and water, while diverting to federated states the responsibility of regulating their statewide pollution of air and water.
Meanwhile, in Montana chances may be that AG Sessions will appoint as Montana U.S. Attorney, tried and true oil and gas man Rep. Austin Knudsen.
Meanwhile, in the middle of a Montana budget crisis, one group gets not a burden, but a tax break. The Montana Senate passes SB 86 which would appropriate the favorable tax rates of WTI equivalent $30 and below crude oil. Appropriate them to apply right here and now for Montana crude oil produced when WTI crude oil sells below $50 per barrel. Appropriates them up to $54 per 42-gallon refinery barrel.
Amazing, just like with the Soviet style fiat economics, no cost study presented for public participation and consent. SB 86 has cleared the Montana House, and now awaits signature by Governor Bullock.
Bob Williams
Stevensville