Saudi prince bragged that Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was "in his pocket."

Courtesy of The Intercept:

In June, Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman ousted his cousin, then-Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, and took his place as next in line to the throne, upending the established line of succession. In the months that followed, the President’s Daily Brief contained information on Saudi Arabia’s evolving political situation, including a handful of names of royal family members opposed to the crown prince’s power grab, according to the former White House official and two U.S. government officials with knowledge of the report. Like many others interviewed for this story, they declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak about sensitive matters to the press. 

In late October, Jared Kushner made an unannounced trip to Riyadh, catching some intelligence officials off guard. “The two princes are said to have stayed up until nearly 4 a.m. several nights, swapping stories and planning strategy,” the Washington Post’s David Ignatius reported at the time. 

What exactly Kushner and the Saudi royal talked about in Riyadh may be known only to them, but after the meeting, Crown Prince Mohammed told confidants that Kushner had discussed the names of Saudis disloyal to the crown prince, according to three sources who have been in contact with members of the Saudi and Emirati royal families since the crackdown. Kushner, through his attorney’s spokesperson, denies having done so.

On November 4, a week after Kushner returned to the U.S., the crown prince, known in official Washington by his initials MBS, launched what he called an anti-corruption crackdown. The Saudi government arrested dozens of members of the Saudi royal family and imprisoned them in the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, which was first reported in English by The Intercept. The Saudi figures named in the President’s Daily Brief were among those rounded up; at least one was reportedly tortured. 

And then there was this:

One of the people MBS told about the discussion with Kushner was UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, according to a source who talks frequently to confidants of the Saudi and Emirati rulers. MBS bragged to the Emirati crown prince and others that Kushner was “in his pocket,” the source told The Intercept.

So is it possible that Jared Kushner shared top secret information, that he is not even cleared to access, with a Saudi prince which allowed him to move on his potential enemies/family members and grab power?

Is that even really a question?

What's more the Trump Administration's support for the UAE over Qatar might have something to do with Kushner's financial situation:

Kushner's support for Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Qatar in the Gulf crisis has raised questions about a possible conflict of interest. Kushner backed the blockade a month after Qatar’s ministry of finance rebuffed an attempt by Kushner’s real estate firm, Kushner Companies, to extract financing for the firm’s troubled flagship property at 666 Fifth Avenue.

The story is that Kusher's dad made a pitch to Qatar to gain financing for a Kushner property that is about to go under, when that deal fell through the Trump Administration suddenly sided with the UAE in setting up a blockade of Qatar.

Remember this photo?

This was the meeting that precipitated that blockade.

So to put it bluntly, diplomacy with other countries is apparently being determined by how they might benefit Trump and Kushner businesses.

And none of it has anything to do with what is good for America. 

Oh goody.

So about that meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Apparently the stupid hair club is negotiating a nuclear disarmament.

Courtesy of CNN: 

President Donald Trump's stunning decision to meet Kim Jong Un sets up the prospect of the most mind-boggling diplomatic summit in modern history. 

Trump, a reality star turned convention busting President, has dubbed Kim "Little Rocket Man" and threatened to rain fire and fury over North Korea, raising fears of a devastating war across the world's last Cold War frontier. 

Kim, a portly 30-something whose state media recently blasted Trump as a "lunatic mean old trickster and human reject" presides over a prison state, purges his foes and has vowed to obliterate the US in a nuclear cloud. 

The meeting, announced by a South Korean delegation at the White House on Thursday night, would, if it goes ahead, mark an unmatched moment of history in the 70-year standoff between the US and the isolated state. 

In the short term, a meeting could defuse the spiraling tensions between the US and North Korea that have raised fears the two nations are on an accelerating slide to a clash that could kill millions on the Korean peninsula.

Now if I had not been observing Doanld Trump carefully these last two years, and only knew him from his reality show and appearances on the Howard Stern Show, I would not think he had a chance of pulling this off.

But having paid close attention since well before he announced his intention to run for president, I KNOW he cannot pull this off. 

Kim Jong Un is a man who has murdered members of his own family, and engaged in literally every human rights violation known to man, including starvation, torture, and slavery.

Donald Trump is an arrogant man child, with no diplomatic experience, and a penchant for impulsivity.

North Korea has entered into talks before about doing away with their nuclear program and they stalled almost immediately.

I agree with all of the pundits that this is a positive step, and far better than that whole threat of nuclear annihilation that Trump was trumpeting previously.

However only the dimmest Trump supporters will actually have faith that this will end the potential threat from North Korea.

Apparently Secretary of State Rex Tillerson may soon be on his way out as well.

Courtesy of WaPo: 

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed focused this week on rebooting his image as a beleaguered Cabinet member on the outs with his boss and his own employees — holding a rare town hall with employees, promising foreign trips into 2018 and saying he is “learning” to enjoy his job. 

But then he went off script by offering another invitation for diplomatic talks with nuclear-armed North Korea, putting him at odds once again with President Trump and senior White House officials, who are increasingly exasperated with the secretary of state and say he cannot remain in his job for the long term. 

The episode highlights the deep distrust between the White House and Tillerson and suggests how difficult it will be for the relationship to continue. While Trump and Tillerson have clashed on several policy issues — including negotiating with North Korea, the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and planning to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem — much of the distance between them seems personal and probably irreversible, White House officials said. 

Tillerson, one White House official said, “had not learned his lesson from the last time,” when Trump publicly rebuked his top diplomat on Twitter over the wisdom of talking to North Korea. 

A senior U.S. official said foreign diplomats and leaders often ask if Tillerson is speaking for the administration and when he will depart. Another White House aide said White House officials, diplomats and other Cabinet secretaries largely deem the former ExxonMobil chief executive “irrelevant.”

Inside the White House, this person said, there are fairly regular conversations about who will replace Tillerson even as he remains in the job. CIA Director Mike Pompeo, for example, may no longer be the leading choice because it means he would not brief Trump every day, and the president likes him in that role, the official said. 

“I think our allies know at this point he’s not really speaking for the administration,” this Trump official said — a particularly sharp slap given that Tillerson has sought to be a buffer and interpreter for allies angry or bewildered by some of Trump’s actions.

Tillerson "had not learned his lesson."

Yeah, how dare this guy to continue trying to do his job.

At some point it seems possible that Trump will have replaced every single original member of his administration and White House staff. 

However he should keep in mind that rearranging the deck chairs did not keep the Titanic from sinking to an icy grave.

Defense Secretary Mattis tells military leaders to prepare for war.

Courtesy of Politico:  

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday urged military leaders "to be ready" with military options for President Donald Trump to deal with North Korea should diplomacy fail -- after Trump reprimanded his top brass last week for not providing him contingency plans quickly enough. 

"Right now it is a diplomatically led, economic sanctions-buttressed effort to try to turn North Korea off this path,” Mattis said following a speech at the annual convention of the Association of the United States Army in Washington. “Now, what does the future hold? Neither you nor I can say, so there’s one thing the U.S. Army can do, and that is we have got to be ready to ensure that we have military options that our president can employ if needed.”

On Thursday, Trump told Mattis and his top generals in a White House meeting that he wanted military options at a “much faster pace.” The president subsequently suggested to reporters that “maybe it’s the calm before the storm," sparking widespread speculation that the cryptic reference was to Korea war plans. 

Before Mattis' remarks Monday, Trump tweeted, “Our country has been unsuccessfully dealing with North Korea for 25 years, giving billions of dollars & getting nothing. Policy didn't work!”

I am at the point right now where I am just assuming that Trump is going to attack North Korea.

In some ways I think he feels he has no other choice.

He understands NOTHING about diplomacy, and does not care about the long term affects of anything that he does.

What's more he desperately needs to shut down this Russia investigation, and since he cannot fire Robert Mueller without making things worse, he has to do something huge to pull attention away from it and insulate himself from further investigations.

Just ask yourself, which Republicans are going to support trying to remove the president while he is in the middle of conducting a brand new war?

Putin welcomes Jon Huntsman as the new US Ambassador to Russia and warned him to follow a policy of “noninterference.” You know, like Russia does for us.

I expect you to be my little bitch just like you president.

Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal: 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday told the new U.S. ambassador to Moscow he hoped Washington would follow a policy of “noninterference” in the country’s domestic affairs, amid the ongoing controversy over alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. 

Mr. Putin accepted credentials from U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, a former Utah governor and envoy to China and Singapore, in a ceremony at the Kremlin. In remarks to newly arriving diplomats, Mr. Putin said the basis for cooperation between Moscow and Washington should be “strict adherence to the principles of equality, respect of national interests and noninterference in domestic affairs.” 

Allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race have roiled Washington for months. During Amb. Huntsman’s Senate confirmation hearings last month, he said there was “no question—underline no question—that the Russian government interfered in the U.S. election last year.”

Yes, please do not attempt to interfere in the running of our country, like we interfered in the running of yours.

In other words, do as I say, not as I do.

I used to kind of like Jon Huntsman as one of the least hypocritical of the Republican politicians, but I have lost some respect since the 2008 primaries.

And if he bends over and let's Putin screw him over, I will have lost any residual respect that remains.

We need an ambassador that will call Putin out on his shenanigans, not one that will make nice and ask him pretty please not to interfere in our democracy.

Did Donald Trump just tweet his intention of going to war with North Korea?

I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017

...Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017

I'm sorry but if you have stopped negotiating with North Korea then what is left besides a military response?

People are counting on General Mattis to be the stop gap that keeps Trump from impulsively attacking North Korea, but a recent Newsweek article suggests that Mattis may not actually have the power to do that.

Courtesy of Newsweek: 

"POTUS doesn't need to call the SecDef at all to do this,” says Stephen Schwartz, editor and co-author of Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940. “Although he’d presumably be included on the conference call if this weren't a middle-of-the-night, spur-of-the-moment thing.” And as nuclear weapons historian Alex Wellerstein discovered in a 2015 U.S. Air Force document last spring, the president can bypass the secretary of defense altogether and “direct the use of nuclear weapons through…the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the combatant commanders and, ultimately, to the forces in the field exercising direct control of the weapons."

I am a lover of horror movies, and have watched literally hundreds, but NOTHING has frightened me as much as having this man in the White House. 

I used to stay up night's worrying about what Bush and Cheney, might unleash on the world, but at least they appeared to be sane.

There is no telling where this lunatic might take us.

Donald Trump actually thanks Vladimir Putin for kicking out American diplomats.

Courtesy of Politico: 

President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling American diplomats from Russia on the grounds that “we’re going to save a lot of money,” prompting dismay among many of the rank-and-file at the State Department. 

“I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down our payroll, and as far as I’m concerned I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll,” Trump told reporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to a pool report.

“There’s no real reason for them to go back,” he added. “I greatly appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We’re going to save a lot of money.”

I watched this yesterday and my jaw just about hit the floor.

Seriously, WTF?

First off these diplomats are not off the payroll, they will simply be assigned to other posts.

And secondly since when does our commander-in-chief thank another world leader for ejecting American diplomats?

As you can imagine this did not go over well with people working in that field: 

A senior U.S. diplomat serving overseas called Trump's remarks "outrageous" and said it could lead more State Department staffers to head for the exits. 

"This is so incredibly demoralizing and disrespectful to people serving their country in harm's way," the diplomat said. 

"I kid you not, I have heard from three different people in the last five minutes," one State Department official told POLITICO shortly after Trump's comments. "Everyone seems pretty amazed. This statement is naive and shortsighted. It sends a terrible signal to local employees everywhere." 

"THANK Putin?" another bewildered State Department official responded. "I don't have words that are printable to describe my reaction."

It should be noted that this was yet another opportunity that Trump had to criticize Putin and he refused to take it. Instead he took to Twitter and attacked Mitch McConnell.

This led Joe Scarborough to suggest the following:

“The only person that I certainly can think of that he has never insulted, that he has never attacked is Vladimir Putin, which, again, raises the question, and I will ask it again on TV: What does Vladimir Putin have on Donald Trump?” Scarborough said. “Because whatever it is, it must be extraordinary.”

Yeah, I think at this point this is an unavoidable question. 

Donald Trump is so reckless that he is even scaring the Pope.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Pope Francis said Saturday he worries that rising tensions between the United States and North Korea could lead to a wide military conflict that would wipe out a "large part of humanity." 

He called for renewed diplomacy using third-party intermediaries and for the United Nations to take a lead role in de-escalating tensions. 

The Pope, while returning to Italy from Egypt, took several questions from reporters and one asked him what he would say to world leaders at this critical moment. 

Francis said in Italian that the situation "has heated up too much. I always appeal for a solution through diplomatic means." 

The pontiff, who has spoken of a "piecemeal third world war" for several years, said increased conflict would be devastating. 

"It's piecemeal but the pieces are getting larger, and are concentrated in places which were already hot," Pope Francis said. "Today a wider war would destroy, I won't say half of humanity, but a large part of humanity and culture. It would be terrible. I don't think humanity today could bear it."

You know when a guy who firmly believes in an afterlife, and that he absolutely has a reserved parking place in that afterlife, expresses great concern about the possibility of a war, I think he deserves our attention.

And the Pontiff is right, Trump's ignorance and lack of preparedness for the job of president puts the entire world at risk.

If I were working for the FBI, I would be working around the clock to prove Trump's ties to Russia and get him removed from office before it is simply too late.

Donald Trump takes to Twitter to threaten North Korea. Because Apparently that's how things are done in 2017.

North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2017

In an earlier tweet Trump also bragged that he told the President of China that he would be willing to make a "better" trade deal with him if he would help deal with North Korea.

Is this Trump's version of "making an offer that you cannot refuse."

By the way it is probably worth mentioning that we have now sent an aircraft carrier and a bunch of warships toward the Korean peninsula as a "show of force by the Trump Administration."  

Hey remember when diplomacy was accomplished behind closed doors, and it actually utilized...you know...diplomacy?

The British have decided that there is no way that Donald Trump will be addressing Parliament during his visit.

You know what? I didn't want to talk to that stupid old Parliament anyhow.

Courtesy of The Guardian: 

The government has abandoned the idea of Donald Trump addressing the joint Houses of Parliament when he comes to Britain for a state visit later this year after objections by MPs led by the Commons Speaker John Bercow. 

The US president’s controversial visit is now expected to run from a Thursday to a Sunday in late summer or early autumn, with officials trying to ensure that Trump is not in London at a time when parliament is sitting, in order to avoid a formal snub.

According to Westminster sources, a weekend visit at the very end of August or in September is now under discussion between the government, Buckingham Palace and the White House. A source described such a plan as “the preferred option at our end”. Parliament will be in summer recess until 5 September and adjourns again for the party conferences on 15 September for nearly a month. 

Such an arrangement would mean that Trump would not be invited to address parliament at all. The approach follows Bercow’s statement this week that he would not give his consent either to a speech by the president in Westminster Hall or in the royal gallery, both of which have traditionally been used for addresses by visiting statesmen and women.

However this decision does NOT guarantee that Trump will not be met with protests.

Actually quite substantial protests:

Donald Trump’s state visit will be greeted by the biggest anti-racism protest in British history no matter where in the country the Government moves it to, campaigners have said. 

Local politicians and activists in Birmingham reacted with anger to suggestions that the trip could be relocated to their city – and pledged to flood the streets with protesters to greet the “hateful” President.

 Let's face it perhaps there are enough ignorant Americans to help Doanld Trump gain access to the White House, but the rest of the world is not so easily manipulated by the Russian government.

Sure there are some leaders who seem to like and respect him, but they, much like Benjamin Netanyahu, are invariably corrupt and ethically challenged as well.

Donald Trump wishes a happy new year to all of his enemies while rubbing their faces in the fact that he won. Gee, how magnanimous of him.

Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do. Love!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2016

Just exactly what he would expect a megalomaniac with the maturity of a twelve year old boy to tweet.

I think I have coined a new term for how Trump interacts with people, "Dickplomacy."

It is kind of like "diplomacy" except that there is none of that, and instead Trump just acts like a dick.

He is not even the president yet and already Donald Trump has China making threats against the United States.

Courtesy of The Guardian: 

US president-elect Donald Trump would be a “naive” fool to launch an all-out trade war against China, a Communist party-controlled newspaper has claimed. 

During the acrimonious race for the White House Trump repeatedly lashed out at China, vowing to punish Beijing with “defensive” 45% tariffs on Chinese imports and to officially declare it a currency manipulator. 

On Monday the state-run Global Times warned that such measures would be a grave mistake. 

“If Trump wrecks Sino-US trade, a number of US industries will be impaired. Finally the new president will be condemned for his recklessness, ignorance and incompetence,” the newspaper said in an editorial. 

The Global Times claimed any new tariffs would trigger immediate “countermeasures” and “tit-for-tat approach” from Beijing. 

“A batch of Boeing orders will be replaced by Airbus. US auto and iPhone sales in China will suffer a setback, and US soybean and maize imports will be halted. China can also limit the number of Chinese students studying in the US.” 

“Making things difficult for China politically will do him no good,” the newspaper warned.

You know it's called diplomacy, and presidents who don't learn it end up starting wars and damaging our relations with other countries.

I predict that by the time Trump finishes his four years in the White House we will no longer be on speaking terms with any other nation on earth.

Except Russia of course. 

President Obama secures release of American pastor. Bristol Palin aka Nancy French thanks "God," suggests that prayer was what REALLY did it.

Pastor Saeed Abedini

Courtesy of Brancy's blog:  

Praise the Lord! I woke up to the best news this morning. American Pastor Saeed Abedini was just released from the Iranian prison where he had been arrested and held for his Christian faith for over three years! 

Readers of this blog have followed his horrible situation since September of 2013 when I first found out about this travesty of justice. Since then, I’ve posted about this American who’d been jailed for his faith many many times. I honestly wondered if I’d ever get to write this post I’m doing now. 

But, finally, he’s out.

Yes, finally he is out.

But it had NOTHING to do with a superstitious belief in prayer, because while these idiots were on their knees doing nothing of any consequence, our President was getting shit done!

Courtesy of CNN: 

Iran has freed four U.S. prisoners as part of a prisoner swap, including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, Marine veteran Amir Hekmati and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, senior U.S. administration officials said Saturday, confirming reports first published in Iranian media. 

A fifth man -- described as a recently detained student named Matthew Trevithick -- was separately released, U.S. officials said. 

The announcement comes on a day when the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, announced Iran is in compliance with a July deal to restrict its nuclear program. 

As a result, at least some international economic sanctions against Iran were lifted. As part of the deal, Iran agreed to release of Rezaian, Hekmati, Abedini and a fourth detainee identified by U.S. officials as Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari in exchange for the release of seven Iranians held by the United States for sanctions violations, the officials confirmed.

That's right these prisoners were released as a direct result of the Iranian nuclear deal that President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated in the face of harsh criticisms, and even attempts to block it, by the Republicans.

God did not get these men released, this guy did.

No seriously don't thank me. Just doing my job.

And the hits just keep on coming.

boom. IAEA verifies that Iran completed its side of the nuke deal Statement: pic.twitter.com/B3SOQH91Ni

— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) January 16, 2016

You see THAT is how problems are solved and peace is achieved.

Remember when George W. Bush said that he consulted his heavenly father before making decisions?

Remember the devastating terrorist attack and two stupid wars that resulted from that advice?

Well THIS President clearly spends less time on his knees and more time using his intellect and consulting with advisers who actually know what in the hell they are talking about.

My advice to Nancy French/Bristol Palin, her employer/mother, and all of the dimwits who listen to them, is get up off of their knees and start sending thanks to the deity who REALLY saved the day.

That's right, our savior Barack Hussein Obama.

So this is a picture which was making the rounds on cable news and social media yesterday.

I think we all know that President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are not exactly chummy.

However somebody on Twitter reminded us that there has been at least one American President that Putin was quite chummy with.

pic.twitter.com/msBfqNWV4x

— Jeff Gauvin (@JeffersonObama) September 29, 2015

Yeah, you know I actually feel a lot better having a President in office who is repelled by a man who has invaded neighboring countries at will and mistreated his own people.

So I have no problem with President Obama giving Putin the stink eye.

Especially since he seems to be getting along so well with so many others.

President Obama with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Obama with Raul Castro

President Obama gives almost an hour long speech slamming opponents of the Iran nuclear deal, and reminding his audience that these critics were the same warmongers who supported Iraq war.

Courtesy of CNN: 

President Barack Obama issued a blistering rebuttal to opponents of the Iran nuclear deal as he sought to bolster congressional support for the agreement with a major speech on Wednesday. 

He declared that lawmakers risk damaging American credibility if they vote to scuttle the deal and equated them with those who pushed for war with Iraq -- and with the mullahs in Iran. 

"It's those hardliners chanting 'death to America' who have been most opposed to the deal. They're making common cause with the Republican caucus," Obama said. 

"If Congress kills this is deal, we will lose more than just constraints on Iran's nuclear program or the sanctions we have painstakingly built," Obama said. "We will have lost something more precious: America's credibility as a leader of diplomacy. America's credibility as the anchor of the international system."

I watched this speech today and was struck by just how detailed Obama was in itemizing exactly what makes the Iran deal so good for maintaining peace.

But what made me actually sit up and applaud was when the President reminded folks that the politician who are the biggest critics of this deal, are also the ones who beat the war drums the loudest for the idea of invading Iraq.


The 2002 Iraq vote, which spawned foreign policy headaches for the past two administrations, was driven by war-hungry politicians, Obama claimed. He said Wednesday that opponents of his agreement with Iran were deploying similar arguments ahead of the September vote in Congress. 

"None of these arguments hold up. They didn't back in 2002 and 2003 and they shouldn't now," Obama said. "The same mind-set, in many cases offered by the same people who seem to have no compunction with being repeatedly wrong, led to a war that did more to strengthen Iran, more to isolate the United States, than anything we have done in the decades before or since."

Now that's how I like to hear my President deal with his critics. By publicly spanking them over the fact that every problem they see they want to solve with the blood of our American service men and women.

The President also mentioned that literally EVERY other country who has commented publicly supports this deal, with the exception of Israel of course. Who have their own reasons for wanting to keep their people frightened and focused on the Iranian bogeyman.

It is a good speech, and extremely informative speech. (If you do not have time to listen to the entire thing here is a transcript.)

Of course the speech did not go over very well with the conservatives.

In fact Breitbart got their panties in a wad over the President's assertion that the conservative critics of the deal over here were "making common cause" with the hardliners in Iran.

Yep that truth really stings doesn't it?

Stars come out in support of Iran nuclear deal.

Courtesy of The Guardian: 

The actors Morgan Freeman, Jack Black and Natasha Lyonne have leant their support to Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran. 

 The stars feature in a new video designed to help persuade legislators to get the agreement through Congress when it goes to the vote in September. Alongside them are an eclectic mix of camera-friendly experts including ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame, Queen Noor of Jordan and retired US Ambassador Thomas R Pickering, who urge Americans to support the agreement lest they wind up “super dead”.

Okay well Morgan Freeman played the only god that I kind of believed in so  if he says it's a good deal than who am I to argue?

Oh and there is also support from most American Jews, 100 former American Ambassadors, and 60 national security leaders.

But who needs them, when you have Morgan "freaking" Freeman?

President Obama speaks out against anti-gay policies in Kenya.

Courtesy of the Obama Diary.

Courtesy of CNN:  

President Barack Obama on Saturday lectured Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta about his country's gay rights record. 

"When you start treating people differently not because of any harm they are doing to anybody, but because they are different, that's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode," Obama said at a joint press conference with the Kenyan leader in Nairobi. "And bad things happen." 

Under Kenyan law, sexual activity between men is illegal and punishable with a maximum imprisonment of 14 years. Many Kenyan leaders had encouraged Obama not to discuss gay rights on his first trip to the country as President. 

But Obama equated legalized discrimination of gays to legalized racism in America. 

"And when a government gets in a habit of people treating people differently, those habits can spread," Obama continued. "As an African-American, I am painfully aware of what happens when people are treated differently under the law."

The president of Kenya did not exactly welcome these remarks, saying in effect  "It is very difficult for us to be able to impose on people that which they themselves do not accept."

However the fact is that President Obama undoubtedly feels a great deal of responsibility for the anti-LGBT sentiment in the continent since much of it is due to American evangelicals coming over and spreading their hatred among the people of Africa.

The President also visited with some of his family members while in Kenya which will quite likely start a whole new round of "Obama was born in Africa" conspiracy talk among conservatives.

By the way here is President Obama doing a little dancing in Nairobi.

And for those who doubted President @barackobama 's step - the #LipalaDance #SuraYangu is his new favorite Kenyan dance! Thanks @ukenyatta and First Lady Kenyatta for joining in the dance! Our performance at State House is Everything!!! @fancy_fingers @iamchimano @fancy_fingers @bienaimesol #ObamainKenya #ObamaReturns Tag the world!!!

A video posted by BEST GROUP NOMINEE 2015 MAMAs (@sautisol) on Jul 25, 2015 at 12:00pm PDT

Damn I am going to miss this man!

Story of the day: Historic nuclear deal struck with Iran.

Secretary of State John Kerry with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

Courtesy of NBC News:  

Iran and world powers capped a decade-long dispute by reaching a historic deal early Tuesday for Tehran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions. 

The Islamic republic has been negotiating with the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China for years, with diplomats most recently extending numerous deadlines in hopes of arriving at a workable and comprehensive plan. 

President Barack Obama said the deal with Tehran ensures that "every pathway to a nuclear weapon" had been cut off. 

"We have stopped the spread of nuclear weapons in this region," he said in an early-morning statement which — in a rare move — was carried on Iranian television.

Joe Biden called the Affordable Care Act a "big fucking deal."

Well this is a really, REALLY big fucking deal!

Of course Israel and Saudi Arabia are vocally speaking out against this deal, and insisting that Iran will never honor any agreement. But that is to be expected.

However there is language in the agreement that the sanctions now removed will "snap back" if Iran defies any of the provisions and that would put them back to square one, with very little hope of negotiating anything new for decades afterward.

It is also worth noting that America and Iran did not reach this deal on their own. They were joined by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the European Union.

Which means that if Iran tries to pull anything underhanded they will have destroyed their relationship with just about every potential ally they could possibly have in the world.

I don't care how arrogant you might be, pissing off the entire world and turning them against you is never the smart thing to do.

Man that Obama legacy thing is looking more impressive every day.

Cuban leader Raul Castro calls President Obama "an honest man" and absolves him of any blame for US blockade.

President Obama shakes hand of Cuban leader Raul Castro.

Courtesy of HuffPo:

President Barack Obama on Saturday declared his refusal to refight the Cold War battles while Cuban President Raul Castro rallied to his defense, absolving Obama of fault for the U.S. blockade in a stunning reversal of more than 50 years of animosity between the United States and Cuba. 

"In my opinion, President Obama is an honest man," Castro said - a remarkable vote of confidence from the Cuban leader, who praised Obama's life and his "humble background." 

Turning the page on the longstanding U.S. policy of isolation, Castro and Obama were expected to meet later Saturday on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas - the first substantial meeting between a U.S. and Cuban president in more than five decades. 

The flurry of diplomacy, which kicked off Friday evening with an historic handshake between Obama and Castro, was aimed at injecting fresh momentum into their months-old plan to restore normal relations between their countries. 

"The Cold War has been over for a long time," Obama said. "And I'm not interested in having battles frankly that started before I was born."

This must be making Marco Rubio's freaking head explode. 

Not to mention the other Republicans who absolutely need to have some enemy to rail against while they campaign.

If Obama manages to get a good nuclear deal with Iran as well I think the Republicans might start jumping off of tall buildings in frustration.

Which is by the way yet another reason to support the President's efforts.

President Obama restores diplomatic relations with Cuba. Republican heads to explode in 3..2..1 Update!

Courtesy of Reuters: 

The United States will restore diplomatic relations it severed with Cuba more than 50 years ago, a major policy shift ending decades of hostile ties with the communist-ruled island, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday. 

Announcing the end of what he called a "rigid" policy of isolation of Cuba that had been ineffective, Obama said the United States would move toward normal ties and would open an embassy in Cuba. 

Obama discussed the changes with Cuban President Raul Castro on Tuesday in a nearly hour-long telephone call. Castro spoke in Cuba as Obama made his announcement on a policy shift made possible by the release of American Alan Gross, 65, who had been imprisoned in Cuba for five years.

At the end of this article the reporter writes this:

Obama will likely face resistance on this.

Gee, ya think?

Republicans are going to lose their freaking minds over this. Especially since he is doing it on his own, and without working with Congress.

In fact Hillary's 2016 opposition has already expressed his displeasure.

Here is a timeline of US relations with Cuba just to give you an idea as to how big of a deal this will be.

Update: Oh yeah Marco Rubio is throwing quite the hissy fit over this:  

"This entire policy shift announced today is based on an illusion, based on a lie,” Rubio, who is the son of Cuban immigrants, told reporters on Capitol Hill. 

"The White House has conceded everything and gained little." "I’m committed to doing everything I can to unravel as many of these changes as possible," he added. 

"This Congress is not going to lift the embargo," Rubio declared at the end of his news conference.

You know I think Rubio is just pissed that Obama undermined his base with this decision, and is making all of the Republicans look like obstructionists on ending an embargo that has gone on for far too long.

I think he just needs to take a drink of water and calm down.

Better?