21 days since the National Day of Patriotic Devotion
(Evening Edition)
“On Thursday night, two Republican members of Congress – Reps. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Diane Black of Tennessee – were each confronted with impassioned constituents during simultaneous events. The shouted questions, emotional pleas and raucous protesters of the evening crystalized the GOP’s tough political road ahead as it forges ahead with rolling back Obama’s accomplishments, including the Affordable Care Act.” CNN 10 Feburary 2017
“[Education Secretary Betsy] DeVos was prevented by protesters from entering a Washington public school on Friday morning. After the demonstrators blocked the staircase she was trying to use and shouted at her, DeVos returned to her car, escorted by an aide. She later used another school entrance and went about her work. DeVos, due to her support for school vouchers and her wealth (which she previously spread around to the senators who later confirmed her), has found herself singled out as someone the left will try to make life very difficult for going forward.” The Washington Post 10 February 2017
The top Federal Reserve official charged with financial regulation said on Friday that he would resign, just a week after the new administration of President Donald Trump said it would undertake a review of what it sees as onerous bank rules. Daniel Tarullo, who had served at the Fed since 2009 and helped shape its response to the 2008-2009 financial crisis, said in a letter to Trump on Friday he would leave the central bank “on or around April 5.” Both Tarullo and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen have said the Dodd-Frank financial regulations, introduced in the wake of the 2008 crisis should not be watered down, saying they had reduced the risks in the financial system.” Reuters, 10 February 2017
“Bilateral auto trade likely loomed large in Friday’s meeting here between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a time of American demands for more domestic production to create jobs and narrow the trade deficit with Japan. The U.S. has pushed not only for Japanese automakers to expand American production, but also for the Japanese government to rework environmental regulations to lower barriers to sales of American vehicles there. A hard line by Washington would force Tokyo to take a more combative posture with such demands as immediate elimination of tariffs on Japanese autos. If the two sides cannot see eye to eye here, cooperation on other issues such as investment rules will become trickier.” Nikkei Asian Review 10 February 2017
“[A]t a press conference in the east room, Trump welcomed Abe to the “very famous White House” … Although he nodded along and seemed to be listening intently, Trump was not wearing a translation earpiece during Abe’s remarks. Asked if Trump had worn an earpiece, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House deputy press secretary, said: “I don’t believe during that time. But he did see the text and they spoke quite extensively before the remarks.” The Guardian, 10 February 2017
“On Thursday, during a meeting with 10 senators … the president … suggest[ed] again that he was a victim of widespread voter fraud … Trump began to talk about the election … triggered by the presence of former New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who lost her reelection bid … The president claimed that he and Ayotte both would have been victorious in the Granite State if not for the “thousands” of people who were “brought in on buses” from neighboring Massachusetts to “illegally” vote in New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton narrowly won New Hampshire’s four electoral votes over Trump by nearly 3,000 votes.” Politico, 10 February 2017
“When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets on Friday with U.S. President Donald Trump, Japan’s bulging automotive trade surplus will be a sore spot, but the path to balancing auto exports and imports will be no easier than it was in the 1980s. Many Japanese consumers, faced with congested cities, favor tiny domestically-made vehicles, called kei cars, which make up more than a third of the market. Priced from around 1.1 million yen, or about $9,800, these cars have engines most Americans would consider inadequate for a motorcycle. Even Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co cannot convince Japanese consumers to buy models that are popular in the United States. Small sport utility vehicles such as the Toyota RAV4 and Honda’s CR-V are seen by Japanese consumers as too big.” Reuters, 10 February 2017
This Is Drivel 