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Congress ushers in new era of all-Republican rule

ASSOCIATED PRESS

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. spoke during a Nov. 15 news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congress ushers in a new era of all-Republican rule, with a tight GOP grip on the House, a slim majority in the Senate and a newfound ally in the White House in Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON >> On Tuesday at noon, with plenty of pomp and pageantry, members of the 115th Congress will be sworn in, with an emboldened GOP intent on unraveling eight years of President Barack Obama’s Democratic agenda and targeting massive legacy programs from Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson such as Social Security and Medicare.

In the election, Republicans kept their tight grip on the House and outmaneuvered the Democrats for a slim majority in the Senate. In less than three weeks, on the West Front of the Capitol, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the presidential oath to Donald Trump, the GOP’s newfound ally.

First up for Republicans is repeal and delay of the health care law, expediting the process for scrapping Obama’s major overhaul but holding off on some changes for up to four years. The tax code is in the cross-hairs. Conservatives want to scuttle rules on the environment and undo financial regulations created in the aftermath of the 2008 economic meltdown, arguing they are too onerous for businesses to thrive.

The only obstacle to the far-reaching conservative agenda will be Senate Democrats who hold the power to filibuster legislation, but even that has its political limitations. Twenty-three Democrats are up for re-election in 2018, including 10 from states Trump won, and they could break ranks and side with the GOP.

Here are a few things to know about Congress:

BY THE NUMBERS

Vice President Joe Biden, in one of his final official acts, will administer the oath to 27 returning senators and seven new ones. Republicans will have a 52-48 advantage in the Senate, which remains predominantly a bastion of white men.

There will be 21 women, of whom 16 are Democrats and five, Republicans; three African Americans, including California’s new Democratic senator Kamala Harris, and four Hispanics, including Nevada’s new Democratic senator Catherine Cortez Masto.

Across the Capitol, the House is expected to re-elect Rep. Paul Ryan as Speaker, with all the campaign-season recriminations involving the Wisconsin Republican and Trump largely erased by GOP wins. Once sworn in, Ryan will then administer the oath to the House members.

The GOP will hold a hefty 241-194 majority in the House, including 52 freshmen — 27 Republicans, including Wyoming’s Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and 25 Democrats.

CONFIRMING THE CABINET

The Senate will exercise its advice and consent role and consider nominations of 15 department secretaries and six people tapped by Trump to lead agencies or serve in roles with Cabinet-level status, such as the EPA and U.N. ambassador.

Democrats won’t make it easy.

Several in the party have been highly critical of several of Trump’s choices, from Rick Perry, who forgot during the 2012 presidential campaign that the Energy Department was the one he wanted to eliminate, to Treasury pick Steve Mnuchin, the former Goldman Sachs executive whom Democrats have dubbed the “foreclosure king” for his stake in OneWest Bank that profited from the foreclosure crisis.

Others nominees, such as retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis for defense secretary, should easily win confirmation. First, though, Congress must pass a law allowing the former military man to serve in a civilian post.

There is a limit to what Democrats can do. Rules changes in 2013 allow some nominees, including Cabinet picks, to be confirmed with a simple majority, preventing Democrats from demanding 60 votes to move forward.

SUPREME COURT VACANCY

Adding to the drama of the new Congress will be high-profile confirmation hearings for Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court.

Justice Antonin Scalia died last February and Republicans refused to consider Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, insisting that the next president should fill the high court vacancy that’s now lasted more than 10 months.

Trump released a list of potential choices during the campaign that included Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who clerked for Justice Samuel Alito. Since the election, the president-elect also has met with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who clerked for former Chief Justice William Rehnquist, prompting talk about a possible nomination for the onetime presidential rival.

Trump has said he wants to nominate a justice who would help overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion. Cruz and Lee would fulfill that pledge.

NEW FACE IN LEADERSHIP

The point man for Senate Democrats is Brooklyn-born Chuck Schumer, who will be a chief antagonist to fellow New Yorker Trump.

Schumer succeeds Nevada’s Harry Reid, who retired after five terms, and joins Congress’ top leaders — Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Speaker Ryan — in what is certain to be tough negotiations next year on spending and policies.

RUSSIAN HACKING

The first public hearing on the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered in the U.S. election is Thursday in the Senate Armed Services Committee, with James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, set to testify. Expect individual panels to investigate, but not a special, high-profile select committee. McConnell has rejected that bipartisan call.

106 responses to “Congress ushers in new era of all-Republican rule”

  1. klastri says:

    The problem for Mr. Ryan and the rest of the Republicans in Washington is that they are not capable of governing. They are quite expert at saying NO to things, but they can’t compromise – even with each other.

    It won’t help that they have an out of control psychotic at the top of their pyramid. This is going to be a very painful time for the people who voted for Mr. Trump. Good for them.

    • Allaha says:

      For klastri any opinion other than his own is always a sign of mental illness. Come up with something new you bore.

      • klastri says:

        You’re lying, of course, as you always do here. I only write about the mental illness of someone when they are obviously mentally ill – like Mr. Trump is. People disagree with me all the time – I’m a trial litigator – and they are generally talented folks who simply have a different informed view.

        Lying doesn’t help build a case.

        • 9ronboz says:

          IRT klastri & allie, say aloha to the free ride and handouts. start working and pay your taxes.

        • lespark says:

          Klastri and the Losers are poor losers. Once a loser always a loser.
          Lose, lose, lose, lose.

        • klastri says:

          9ronboz – I probably pay more in federal taxes each quarter than you earn in a year. I get the same free handouts (like not having to pay in nearly enough Social Security & Medicare taxes) as other high income folks.

          Thanks, Republicans!

        • Keolu says:

          If you earned that much, you’d want tax cuts for the rich.

        • Boots says:

          9ronboz, how much do you pay in taxes? Or are you like the Donald and pay none? Inquiring minds would like to know. So what minimum wage job are you looking forward to?

      • OldDiver says:

        Republicans will revert to their tired old excuses for failure. Blame Bill Clinton for everything.

        • sarge22 says:

          Republicans are doing a great job. America is on the road to recovery. Enjoy the ride. The biggest failure in American history will soon vacate the White House.

        • allie says:

          Ryan’s gloating face scares me. Scares anyone who cares about the frail and vulnerable….We are about to enter an era of massive corruption and give- aways to the rich. I tremble for America.

        • Keolu says:

          And 8 years into O’bama’s presidency, boots etal and blaming GW Bush.

        • Boots says:

          Yes Sarge, spoken by one who has sucked off government for most of his life. So Sarge how have republicans been doing a great job? Can you be specific? I doubt it as republicans haven’t done anything since Eisenhower who gave us the interstate highway system or Nixon who first thought of Obama care. So Sarge will you answer? America has been on the road to recovery for the past 8 years. Now if it remains on this road or leaves it like it did 8 or so years ago,….remains to be seen.

        • sarge22 says:

          Take it easy Bootsie we have just begun. I know it’s hard for you to accept defeat but in four years maybe if you try harder you will do better. Until then stop whining even though you are a loser. Not really enjoying my .3% SS increase offset by 10% increase in health insurance. Thanks to your idol Obummer.

        • Boots says:

          Except now it will be Obama and Hillary. Republicans are so predictable.

        • Boots says:

          What are you most proud of with republicans sarge? Can you be specific? For some reason republicans haven’t answered this simple question when I have asked it. Perhaps it is because republicans have no record of achievement since Eisenhower?

        • Boots says:

          Sarge, I am used to the democrats losing. But I can never get used to people backing a party that has abandoned its values and today believe in deficits don’t matter and socialism for the rich. Enjoy your victory while you can, They might come for you next and cut off your gravy train. lol

      • lespark says:

        I agree, klastri is the most boring man in the World. He hasn’t been right on anything.

        • klastri says:

          It’s sad that you still have not been able to muster up the discipline to avoid reading my comments.

          How about making that effort your 2017 resolution?

        • sarge22 says:

          Still here eh cricket. I didn’t read your comment just saw your name.

    • Ronin006 says:

      Mr. Ryan and the rest of the Republicans in Washington have not yet had their day in court to prove themselves and you already have convicted them of not being capable of governing. That is odd, coming from a trial litigator. You will be amazed of the great things the Republican-controlled Congress will do with a Republican President.

      • klastri says:

        It’s not odd at all. The fact that I’m well educated makes me capable of understanding what the Republicans already said they’re going to do. If you can’t understand that, then that’s your problem.

        They’ve already explained in detail what they’re going to do and it adds up to a total disaster for Trump voters. This is what Trump voters wanted. They won’t like it when it happens.

        • sarge22 says:

          Cricket klastri the over educated know nothing will be suffering for the next eight years. Enjoy his whining every day.

        • klastri says:

          sarge22 – I’m never going to suffer. I’m in the 1%, so suffering is not on the menu for my family and me.

          However, I am concerned about the Constitution. Mr. Trump is a racist and bigot, and he has the temperament of a spoiled 12 year old.

        • Windward_Side says:

          I read somewhere that a person who must continually boast of their abilities may be suffering from low self-esteem. True or not, trying to convince people you don’t know of your intelligent makes me think of how deeply insecure you really are.

          You truly are as narcissistic as Trump himself.

        • deepdiver311 says:

          oh, i got it!!! klastri is the brightest bulb in the room..
          you no believe me? go ask him!
          hui’o manama nui

        • lespark says:

          Klastri has a certificate of completion. Not a diploma but acknowledgement that he attended school and ate lunch. It should be noted he had perfect attendance. Anybody duped by Democrats can’t be very educated.

        • Ronin006 says:

          Windward_Side, Klastri reminds me of guys who claim to have served in the US military in combat and who talk and brag endlessly about their accomplishments and heroic exploits. Such guys typically are exposed as fake soldiers because guys who have actually been in combat rarely talk about their horrible experiences. Could it be that Klastri is a fake lawyer or former lawyer?

        • sarge22 says:

          Swift Boat John Kerry comes to mind.

        • cajaybird says:

          A well educated person would not insult people and resort to name calling the way you do. You seem to be a very angry individual with disdain toward those who don’t agree with you politically.

        • saywhatyouthink says:

          Why do you feed the troll?

        • sarge22 says:

          The football game is over.

        • klastri says:

          Ronin006 – Sooner or later, you’re bound to write a comment that makes sense. Keep trying!

        • Ronin006 says:

          Klastri, my comment made sense to everyone but you.

      • South76 says:

        What do most lawyers good at? They will defend their client, no matter how guilty that client may be; and that is what Klastri is doing. They will say anything to make their client more palatable to the audience they are entertaining to. Remember Grubber, Obamacare was sold on the gullibility/stupidity of the American electorate.

        • Boots says:

          lol, South, as if you republicans have offered anything during the past 8 years. Just remember Obama care was a republican invention. Shame you have rejected your past leaders.

    • kuroiwaj says:

      IRT Klastri, the GOP is very capable of governing, for they on January 20, 2017 will have the President of the United States; 52/100 U.S. Senators; 241/435 U.S. House of Representatives; 31/50 Governors; 1,126/1972 State Senates; 3,038/5411 State of Representatives; the Associate Justice nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court (w/2 – 3 additional) and some 100 Federal Judges, with a growing presence of Conservative ideology. As compared to the disarray of leadership and organization among the liberal progressive democrats. A very Happy New Year to you and your family.

      • Keonigohan says:

        @ kuroiwaj
        KaBOOM

        #MAGA

      • Boots says:

        So how exactly will republicans make America great again? I know, more tax cuts for the rich and lets prohibit those pesky regulations. Who cares if water gets a little polluted like it did in Flynt Michigan. Right Kuroiwaj?

        • Keolu says:

          What’s wrong with tax cuts for the rich? The rich pay more taxes than those on the dole.

        • Boots says:

          Nothing is wrong unless there are budget deficits. You might remember what the last republican president gave us? Left with a trillion dollar deficit. You forgot already? Just love the fiscal responsibility of republicans. Shame republicans are no longer conservative.

  2. reamesr1 says:

    Then you piece of ka ka Paul Ryan there should NOT BE A PROBLEM fixing what ales us taxpayer bank accounts. With Trump as president. NO EXCUSES

    • Boots says:

      Yes, no excuses. Lets see the Donald increase employment options in this country beyond minimum wage jobs. Lets see if he can continue reducing the budget deficit like Obama has or will he be like the previous republican president and the hell with deficits? Finally lets see if he has any vision for America beyond welfare for the rich.

      • sarge22 says:

        Just watch.

      • Ronin006 says:

        Boots, you continually spew the nonsense about Obama reducing the budget deficit. Here are the Obama and Bush deficits by year:
        President Barack Obama: Total Projected Plus Actual Deficits = $6.616 trillion, a 57 percent increase.
        • FY 2017 – $441 billion projected.
        • FY 2016 – $600 billion expected.
        • FY 2015 – $438 billion.
        • FY 2014 – $485 billion.
        • FY 2013 – $679 billion.
        • FY 2012 – $1.087 trillion.
        • FY 2011 – $1.300 trillion.
        • FY 2010 – $1.587 ($1.294 trillion plus $253 billion from the Obama Stimulus Act that was attached to the FY 2009 budget).
        President George W. Bush: Total = $3.293 trillion, a 57 percent increase.
        • FY 2009 – $1.16 trillion. ($1.413 trillion minus $253 billion from Obama’s Stimulus Act)
        • FY 2008 – $459 billion.
        • FY 2007 – $161 billion.
        • FY 2006 – $248 billion.
        • FY 2005 – $318 billion.
        • FY 2004 – $413 billion.
        • FY 2003 – $378 billion.
        • FY 2002 – $158 billion.
        Please carefully compare the two and then say which president had the greatest deficits year after year.

        https://www.thebalance.com/deficit-by-president-what-budget-deficits-hide-3306151

        • hapaguy says:

          If Obama inherited a healthy economy, like Bush did from Clinton, then you would have a case. You and other short memoried righties always conveniently leave out the fact that Obama inherited George W. Bush’s economy, the 2nd worse economic catastrophe to befall our nation in its history.

        • kuroiwaj says:

          Hey HapaGuy, the Democrats controlled Congress, Senate and House from Jan 2007 through Jan 2010 with the Dodd-Frank Law creating most of the financial problems of the Country from the Summer of 2008. By October of 2008, Sen. McCain’s campaign for President was done.

        • klastri says:

          kuroiwaj – Are you able to explain by presenting supporting evidence – anything at all – that explains how the Dodd-Frank legislation created “most of the financial problems of the Country from the Summer of 2008?”

          Take your time. You won’t be able to provide anything of course, but the attempt should be entertaining.

        • sarge22 says:

          Here you go…EDITORIALS
          Dodd-Frank’s Failure Reconfirmed
          Larry Summers co-authored “Have Big Banks Gotten Safer?” We can add this report to the mountain of evidence proving the failure of Dodd-Frank. (Valeriano DiDomenico/Photoshot/Newscom)
          Larry Summers co-authored “Have Big Banks Gotten Safer?” We can add this report to the mountain of evidence proving the failure of Dodd-Frank. (Valeriano DiDomenico/Photoshot/Newscom)
          9/16/2016
          FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrintShare Reprints
          Financial Crisis: Was Dodd-Frank worth it? A new paper argues the post-2008 financial reforms failed to make the banking system safer. To anyone paying attention to the economy, that comes as no surprise.

          But what is a surprise is that one of the paper’s authors is Larry Summers, President Obama’s former National Economic Council director who helped shape the administration’s response to the crisis and, according to some, is now a likely candidate to be Treasury Secretary in a Hillary Clinton administration.

          In “Have Big Banks Gotten Safer?”, published by the Brookings Institution, Summers, now a Harvard professor, and Harvard Ph.D. candidate Natasha Sarin, looked at a variety of market measures of risk — including “stock price volatility, option-based estimates of future volatility, beta, credit default swaps, earnings-price ratios, and preferred stock yields.”

          In short, everything but the kitchen sink. The market is very good at winnowing out risk from stocks. Investors and portfolio managers, after all, have everything to lose if they’re wrong. After reviewing data on the biggest financial institutions — Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo — Sarin and Summers found “no evidence that markets regard banks as safer today than they were before the crisis, despite large decreases in leverage.”

          In fact, by some measures big banks are more risky, not less. There are many possible reasons for this, but three stick out.

          One is the zero-rate interest policy by the Fed, which has made it difficult for banks to make a profit on routine lending — even as the federal government continues to force them to lend to less-than-creditworthy borrowers, one of the main causes of the financial crisis.

          Another is competition from new “shadow banks,” unregulated, nontraditional lenders and deposit takers that have sprung up to compete with banks. They include companies like Amazon and, believe it or not, Starbucks.

          But probably the No. 1 culprit is what the authors call “regulatory restrictions” and “uncertainty about future regulatory actions.” New layers of control on banks and the creation of a new class of “too-big-to-fail” financial institutions have led to an unstable financial system.

          The authors go out of their way to praise Dodd-Frank, saying the system would be “much more fragile without it.” But that’s just political boilerplate. This paper is in fact a scathing indictment of the post-crisis regulations.

          The truth is, Dodd-Frank was sold to the American people as a fix for the financial system. Democrats shoved it through in 2010 without any Republican input. It’s been a disaster, a major reason why the economy continues to stumble along at a 2% growth rate, well below the 3% norm.

          As the evidence piles up even among Dodd-Frank supporters, it should be clear that the next step is to get rid of this odious law. And we’re not the only ones who believe this, by the way.

          American Enterprise Institute Fellow Peter Wallison was a member of the official financial crisis investigation committee. He recently wrote: “It is likely that, without the repeal or substantial reform of Dodd-Frank, the U.S. economy will continue to grow only slowly into the future.”

        • klastri says:

          sarge22 – You are just so sad. You spent a lot of time proving my case. I asked for some kind of proof that the Dodd Frank law CREATED the problems claimed by the writer. You seem compelled to step into arguments when you are not prepared to do that.

          Your cutting and pasting didn’t contain one even small comment about the law causing any problems.

          Are you really prepared to debate anything? Sooner or later, you need to consider just giving up.

        • kuroiwaj says:

          IRT Serge22, mahalo for your post. Yes, I work with Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, besides our local Hawaiian Banks. My take is Dodd-Frank will be either repealed or heavily amended.

        • sarge22 says:

          “The supposed remedy, the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, was a cover for continued pervasive fraud and the institutional “capture” of government by the banking industry and its handmaidens, really a fascist melding of banking and government, a swindle machine in which anything goes and nothing matters. The frauds have only been rechanneled since 2008 into college loans, car loans, corporate stock buyback monkey business, currency arbitrage shenanigans, private equity asset-stripping, and the gigantic black box of derivatives trading.”..Kunstler–2017–when the wheels come off

        • sarge22 says:

          But probably the No. 1 culprit is what the authors call “regulatory restrictions” and “uncertainty about future regulatory actions.” New layers of control on banks and the creation of a new class of “too-big-to-fail” financial institutions have led to an unstable financial system.

        • Boots says:

          Fact is your hero GW crashed the economy into the worse recession since the great depression. This is an accomplishment you can be proud of. I wouldn’t but obviously you are. It wasn’t that long ago when we had balanced budgets. You might remember the Clinton presidency? Then you republicans blew a surplus and gave us nothing but red ink, all to support never ending wars.

          Fortunately the Donald doesn’t sound like he would be all that in favor of military adventures but that sadly could change.

          The bottom line was that you republicans blew the hell out of the federal budget. If GW had read his daily briefing memos instead of using them as TP, 9/11 could have been avoided. Now we will have a new president who also thinks they should be ignored. Good luck with that. Don’t blame Obama when Trump tower is attacked.

      • Keolu says:

        O’bama didn’t reduce the deficit. The majority republicans did it.

      • 64hoo says:

        boots what a liar, like all the other libs with mental disorder when nerobama took office the debt was at 9 trillion he has increased it to 20 trillion you call that reducing the budget. where are you at in outer space dumbest comment I heard yet about our deficit.

  3. allie says:

    If you are middle or working class elderly, hold on to your wallet. The Republicans are a direct threat to your health and well-being as they shovel more money to the rich. America’s prosperity is at risk.

    • Allaha says:

      Money to the poor should only be shoveled in the form of birth control. In time poverty will die out and the rich will have to pay the poor more to do their work since there is a scarcity of labor. .. just took to blogging today because the stock market is closed.

    • klastri says:

      allie – You’re right, of course. Trump’s base is going to get pounded by the policies that are on the way, but those poor folks aren’t capable of figuring that out. It’s not going to be a good time for them.

      • sarge22 says:

        Losers just won’t be quiet. klastri the failed lawyer can’t handle defeat and is whining like a spoiled child. Grow up cricket. Mt Trump and his fellow Republicans are doing GREAT.

      • allie says:

        agree with Klastri. As the prominent economist Krugman has said in the NYT, the working class voted against their own self-interest. Again. They will soon realize how dangerous Trump is to America and to our collective well-being. Watch him shovel more middle-class tax money to the rich while whining about social security and Medicare. Republicans should join with Democrats to protect our middle class, our working class and our elderly.

        • sarge22 says:

          Krugman? You must be kidding. Democrats have only hurt our middle class, our working class and our elderly.

        • Keolu says:

          Agree Sarge. The democrat think they’re helping people by giving away free food stamps an entitlements, but when the majoroty of taxes come from the middle class, they are the ones hurt most by useless government spending.

        • lespark says:

          Agree sarge. Working class? Look what he did to the blacks and browns. Open borders, drugs streaming across the borders. Terrorist in hiding waiting for the opportunity to strike.

    • Tita Girl says:

      allie, everyone should hang on to their wallets. See klastri’s comment below re:good choices.

    • cajaybird says:

      allie, right now the middle class, as you put it, are being killed by the ACA. That’s one of the prime reasons Trump was elected.

  4. nalogirl says:

    I hope that things will be different and that all will work together in the interest of our country. Having a negative outlook does no one any good. Calling Trump a psychotic does nothing to bring people together. Also, ifthis is going to be a painful time, believe me, it won’t just be The Trump voters that will suffer, so turn that frown upside down Klastri and enjoy 2017.

    • klastri says:

      Folks who made good choices and have a solid education and money will be much less affected by the changes coming.

    • Boots says:

      You are right the entire country will be affected. Now it is up to the republicans to continue to reduce the deficit while maintaining job growth, and a growing economy. Will be hard to do if they just concentrate on tax cuts for the rich. Finally they have done nothing but complain about Obamacare or more properly Nixon care, but what are they going to replace it with? An increase in health fairs?

      Sad to say the republicans are not interested in the interest of the country and haven’t really cared for the country as a whole since Eisenhower, the president who gave us the interstate highway system. What have they done during the past 8 years except complain about a black man as president? Pretty sad.

    • DannoBoy says:

      Nalogirl: “Having a negative outlook does no one any good. Calling Trump a psychotic does nothing to bring people together.”

      Why hasn’t NaloGirl been making the same comment to the other little Trumpettes who constantly stink up the SA comments section with foul comments about President Obama. Some would consider this hypocrisy. Bigotry, ignorance, lies and hypocrisy don’t bring people together.

      I do agree that if Republicans fail to deliver, this will be painful for all but the one-percenters.

      • nalogirl says:

        There are a few that post here that I do not approve of their comments about Obama. I think using the twenty(?) posters on this comment section does not indicate the majority of the public opinion.

        • klastri says:

          Plus, a lot of folks don’t want to unite with racists and bigots. I’m never going to “come together” with them – not under any circumstances. They deserve to be marginalized and shunned – not be joined with. They need to be fought at every turn.

          Fortunately for the sad Trump voters, Democrats and other groups like the ACLU are going to obstruct the Republicans and Mr. Trump to the extent possible when he tries to harm his voter base. They may not understand what’s going on, but others do.

        • sarge22 says:

          klastri is lying again. America will be united with President Trump and become great again. Your landslide victory for HiLIARy has proved your incompetence. So now everyone who doesn’t agree with you is a bigot, racist and uneducated. You appear to be the biggest fool.

        • klastri says:

          sarge22 – Like America isn’t great now? Good grief … can’t you just once write something that makes sense?

        • klastri says:

          sarge22 – This is why I feel really sorry for you. You think that being able to predict an election is somehow the same thing as knowing facts and being able to think critically in a professional specialty.

          You never know what you’re talking about here. Never.

    • allie says:

      odd statement as trump, who has nothing but disdain for Hawaii and Waimanalo, is about to deliver a major blow to our state. Many in Nalo count on federal programs, disability, social security, Medicare, Obamacare and other federal and state programs to survive. I teach for KS and KS graciously gives out millions in scholarships to windward Oahu residents. We support federal and state programs for young children and families KS cannot do tia lone.

  5. st1d says:

    mahalo, mr obama. your transparent administration of hope and change made it clear to the american people that democrats needed to be weeded out of government. your narcissistic presidency and the democrats’ arrogant culture of corruption paved the way for trump’s winning the fall elections, for republicans attaining the majority in congress, for republicans gaining the majority in state governors and for republicans gaining the majority in state legislatures.

    mahalo, mr obama, and remember, aloha also means goodbye.

    • klastri says:

      You’re always so entertaining. Calling Mr. Obama a narcissist, when Mr. Trump illegally funnels money from his “charitable foundation” to buy giant portraits of himself doesn’t seem to prompt irony for you. Nor does his desire to sit on actual golden thrones in his penthouse. The penthouse that is filled with portraits of himself. In the building with the gigantic gold TRUMP letters all over it.

      Odd.

      • Boots says:

        Funny isn’t it? The Donald has to be the most narcissist president we ever had. I will miss Obama as president. While I didn’t always agree with him, at least he worked for something more than just fattening his own wallet.

        • allie says:

          Obama was scandal free and his family was an elegant, ideal White House family. I am very proud of his relationship to Hawaii and deeply resent those who claimed he was an alien “outsider” who did not look like or act like “mainlanders.” Those claiming Trump looks “normal”
          are further insulting Hawaii’s proud legacy of a multi-racial, multi-ethnic population.

      • Keolu says:

        “funnels money to his charitable foundtation”

        Like the Clinton foundation?

        • klastri says:

          No. You missed the word illegally. That was the operative word in that sentence.

          You might want to ask a literate friend to read my comment to you.

      • scuddrunner says:

        The Clinton Foundation is a giant vampire squid with its filaments wrapped around the world and its blood funnel jamming relentlessly into anything that smells like money. That’s OK, people say, it’s a charity. They might be right on paper, but make no mistake – the main beneficiaries of the Clinton Foundation are the Clintons.
        What percentage of Clinton Foundation money goes to real and actual charities? If you define “actual charities not controlled by the Clintons” as “programmatic grants,” then it appears the number is 15%.

        • nalogirl says:

          6. Paid ransom forAllie, scandal free, what rock have you been under?
          1. Fast and Furious
          2. Behghazi
          3.IRS targeting conservatives
          4.DOJ steals AP phone recorda
          5.NSA mass surveillance of Americans without a warrant
          6. Paying ransom for Iranian hostages and lying about it.
          Sec of State Clinton’s email server
          There’s more!

    • Boots says:

      Be careful what you wish for st. Now your side will have to perform. If the stock market is not at 25000 in 4 years, the deficit down under 300 billion, and a continual growth of the economy, you republicans will not be considered a success. Rather if the dow is at 15,000, the deficit has risen to a trillion, and the economy is shrinking, I think you republicans will have to be considered total failures.

    • dkuranag says:

      Republican control of the House and many state legislatures are a result of the redistricting campaign started back in the 90’same. In other words, gerrymandering. Many places now, a Democratic vote is worth much less than a Republican vote.

  6. wrightj says:

    I can see for many miles.

  7. CloudForest says:

    Thank you President Obama!
    In your vanity you have performed one excellent task – forced America to take a good hard look at of the systemic troubles the established Democratic Party has hoisted upon a weary nation. Bravo! Now we” have adults in positions of power and the freedom provided by repealing mandate after mandate upon us as a nation. Thank God, we as a nation would have drowned under four more years of insipid imperialism is Hillary would have won.
    This is about to get interesting as the economy explodes in growth and our enemies tremble at the mere thought of provoking a re-awakened USA.

    • CEI says:

      Excellent post. Vanity. You hit the nail on the head. Remember Barry speaking in a mockup of a Greek temple complete with fake columns. Or the speech he made proclaiming “this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal” Then he gets the Nobel Peace Prize for reasons still unknown. In the final analysis Barry al-Hussein’s outsize ego and vanity reduced the democratic party to rubble.

      • klastri says:

        Again, you seem to completely miss the irony regarding your criticism of vanity while at the same time supporting Trump.

        Trump is a man who illegally used charitable funds to buy gigantic portraits of himself, that he hangs in buildings that feature his name in giant gold letters on every side.

        You’re funny!

        • CEI says:

          Point taken. The Donald has an ego that outdoes even Barry Hussein. Ding, ding, ding. There’s the school bell ringing, take your seat, pay attention and take notes.

          The difference is that Trump has a record of accomplishment in the private sector. He actually employs people and makes a payroll. Trump has more knowledge about economics in one of his orange hairs than Barry Hussein will ever know. Barry’s claim to fame is “community organizing”. Or to put it plainly, he was little more than a street corner agitator. Not unlike Lenin’s Bolsheviks and Mao’s Red Guards he leveraged racial and class grievances to divide and conquer. And that’s not funny.

        • klastri says:

          CEI – Ding, ding, ding. You don’t know what you’re talking about.

          When a business Mr. Trump mismanages fails, he doesn’t pay employees and contractors for a while, and then declares bankruptcy. He has used both of those tactics over and over again – in the case of not paying workers and contractors, many hundreds of times.

          You can make up whatever fiction you want about Mr. Obama. You’ve made it clear over and over again that your real beef against him was his color.

        • CEI says:

          You are right about one thing. I do oppose Barry Hussein because of his skin color. I see Barry as an evil white man who used white privilege to get to where he is. Last time I checked Barry’s mom was a white gal. It’s still okay to disparage white folks isn’t it? Yes, of course it is. In fact it’s mandatory in the twisted mind of progressive democrats.

          I give his black half a lot of leeway in order to stay on the correct side of the political correctness fence.

  8. ready2go says:

    It’s getting close to the real game. The Duterte and Kim from N. Korea meetings will be interesting to watch.

  9. WizardOfMoa says:

    Think America made a mistake by electing the Trump! The person here seem to be the top candidate for President! Self-declared high educated and seemingly rich enough to live without being paid a presidential income. Klastri, how did America miss putting you on the ballot! Tsk,tsk! How dare them!! You would have been the “perfect “President!

  10. justmyview371 says:

    In other words. Trump lied throughout the campaign as to his intentions on Social Security and Medicare. Thanks.

  11. seaborn says:

    Before running for office, Trump said the economy does better with a Democrat President. We’ll see what happens in the next four years.
    If the inauguration with the pitiful, pathetic entertainment being The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Rockettes, and a talent show runner-up contestant, is any example of how the next four years will be, then it’s going to be a very lame, insufferable mess.

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