Why Trump Picking Jeff Sessions for Attorney General Shows He’s Serious About Law and Order

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President-elect Donald Trump intends to appoint Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Al. (C, 78%) as United States attorney general, according to reports Friday morning.

The 69-year-old Sessions has served as U.S. Senator for Alabama for four terms, and has earned a reputation as an unwavering social conservative, stalwart opponent of immigration amnesty, a budget hawk, and an old-school, law-and-order mentality.

The attorney general position is a good fit in this latest Trump-cabinet appointment.

Jeff Sessions was appointed by President Reagan as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama in 1981. After holding this position for 12 years, Reagan nominated Sessions for a lifetime-tenured federal judgeship, but controversial racial remarks prevented his confirmation by the Senate. So he ran a successful campaign for Alabama’ A.G. in 1994, and served for two years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996. He was reelected by substantial majorities in 2002, 2008, and in 2014.

Sen. Sessions currently serves in a number of capacities on Senate committees and subcommittees.

In Congress, Sessions has been a champion for tougher laws targeting criminal illegal aliens. A noteworthy bill introduced by Sen. Sessions in 2015 broadened the definition of criminal aliens for several legal purposes and would have, as Conservative Review’s Daniel Horowitz explained:

Overturned the Zadvydas v. Davis Supreme Court case that Obama is using as an excuse to release criminal aliens after six months of detention

Explicitly deputized the states to enforce federal immigration law

Eliminated sanctuary cities by cutting off DHS and DOJ law enforcement grants

Expedited deportation of gang members

Applied the ramifications of treating illegal aliens as criminal aliens to those convicted of drunk driving

Clamped down on loopholes that allow legal immigrants who commit crimes to continue on the path to citizenship instead of getting deported (this would address cases like the legal immigrant who murdered the family in the Washington, D.C. “mansion murders”)

It is very likely that in his new capacity — should Sessions accept the appointment and be confirmed by the Senate — the Alabama senator will likely lead a 180-degree turn of the Department of Justice, reversing the Obama administration’s policy of enabling sanctuary cities.

As a member on the Senate Judiciary committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions has been an outspoken opponent of several of President Obama’s appointees to the federal bench due to their positions involving the death penalty, immigration, and/or abortion. His leadership on these issues has, at times, led to the withdrawal of Obama’s nominee altogether.

Throughout his career, Sessions has come down on the conservative side of the immigration, abortion, and judicial issues. His appointment to the position of United States attorney general signals that a Donald Trump administration is indeed committed to law and order. (For more from the author of “Why Trump Picking Jeff Sessions for Attorney General Shows He’s Serious About Law and Order” please click HERE)

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Is Anyone NOT Racist? Twitter Spirals out of Control Following Jeff Sessions AG Announcement

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After Senator Jeff Sessions’, R-Al (C, 78%) nomination to the position of Attorney General was announced Friday, the nomination was immediately met with cries of “RACIST!” on social media.

Self-described Republican strategist Ana Navarro (who voted for Hillary Clinton) had a small meltdown on Twitter over Sessions’ appointment.

Now, let’s be honest here, those throwing “-ist” terms around are lacking in the imagination department calling yet another Republican a “racist” for the zillionth time.

While turning a blind eye to the Left’s own controversial figures.

(For more from the author of “Is Anyone NOT Racist? Twitter Spirals out of Control Following Jeff Sessions AG Announcement” please click HERE)

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Obamacare ‘Insurer Bailouts’ Become Less Likely Under President Trump

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Insurance companies hoping for relief in the form of changes to two Obamacare programs may end up disappointed now that President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to take the White House.

Obamacare’s risk corridor and reinsurance programs sunset at the end of the year, but conservative groups are worried that Congress would attempt to give insurers more money through the programs during the lame-duck session.

Insurance companies spent millions lobbying lawmakers on the two programs, which distributed money to insurers that lost money and enrolled populations that were sicker and more costly. But the election of Trump to the presidency makes it less likely that Congress will alter the two programs—referred to as “bailouts” by conservatives—to benefit those insurers.

“The lessons that we’ve learned from the election is people clearly don’t like [Obamacare] and are harmed by the law. They want it repealed,” Nathan Nascimento, a senior policy adviser at Freedom Partners, told The Daily Signal.

“I think President-elect Trump is looking at a bunch of different scenarios, and if he were smart, which I think he is, and he’s trying to be the voice of the people, then he should heed their call and make sure the taxpayers are made whole before giving preferential treatment to insurers,” he continued.

The risk corridor and reinsurance programs were intended to help mitigate insurers’ risks during the first few years of Obamacare’s implementation. The programs haven’t been as successful for insurers, which caused some small companies to close their doors and others to leave Obamacare’s exchanges.

In response to action from Republicans in 2014 and 2015, which left insurers with less money in risk corridor payments than anticipated, more than a dozen insurers sued the Obama administration over the program.

Conservative groups like Freedom Partners and Republican lawmakers have cautioned that the Justice Department could attempt to settle with insurance companies and tap into the Judgment Fund, an indefinite appropriation created by Congress and administered by the Treasury Department, to pay out those settlements.

In an effort to prevent that from happening, Republican Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Mike Lee of Utah, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Ben Sasse of Nebraska introduced legislation Friday prohibiting the government from using the Judgment Fund or other federal funds to pay settlements related to the risk corridor program.

“We are going to repeal and replace Obamacare, but in the meantime, the last thing Americans need is for the Obama administration to sneak in one last bailout on its way out the door,” Sasse said in a statement Friday.

With Trump in the White House next year, health policy experts say it is doubtful the president-elect will settle with insurers.

I would imagine once the Trump administration takes office, settlement would be very unlikely,” Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law and a supporter of the Affordable Care Act, told The Daily Signal.

Still, Trump won’t be inaugurated until Jan. 20, so there remains a possibility that the Obama administration would attempt to settle with insurers before leaving office.

“It’s still a legitimate threat,” Nascimento said. “There are lawsuits that are pending, and the concern is whether or not the Obama administration will still move forward with trying to settle out of court claims.”

Like the risk corridor program, Obamacare’s reinsurance program transferred money from insurers that enrolled sicker populations to those that enrolled healthier populations.

Over the last few months, insurance companies and related organizations have pushed lawmakers to extend the reinsurance program beyond 2016, which would provide insurance companies with costly customers with an infusion of cash.

Under the reinsurance program, the Obama administration was supposed to prioritize payments to the Treasury over the insurance companies. But GOP lawmakers have accused the White House of diverting $5 billion intended for the Treasury to those insurers.

A September legal decision from the Government Accountability Office found the Department of Health and Human Services broke the law in giving this money to insurers before the Treasury.

Republicans in the House and Senate, led by Sasse and Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina, are urging the government to repay the $5 billion to the Treasury, and a bill from Sasse and Walker would cut the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget if the money isn’t recouped.

Insurers, though, are lobbying Congress to oppose the bill, and America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group, said changes need to be made to both the reinsurance and risk corridor programs.

With Republicans maintaining control of the House and the Senate, Nascimento said Congress should attempt to recover the $5 billion in 2017.

“That’s where Trump really should throw down a marker,” he said, “and say, ‘Look, we’re not bailing out insurance companies. We’re not doing the sue-and-settle, and these dollars need to go back into the Treasury, and we’re going to make sure it goes back there.’”

“Those dollars need to go back into the Treasury. They were illegal given, and the Treasury needs to be made whole,” Nascimento continued.

Insurance companies haven’t received their reinsurance payments for 2016—they will be disbursed in 2017—and if Congress or the Trump administration forced the Department of Health and Human Services to repay the $5 billion to the Treasury, insurers would lose out, Jost said.

“The effect is going to vary from insurer to insurers,” he said. “It’s possible some will go insolvent and for most, it’ll be a big loss. For some, it might make it less likely they’ll continue to participate in the program for 2018, which is a decision they’ll have to make.” (For more from the author of “Obamacare ‘Insurer Bailouts’ Become Less Likely Under President Trump” please click HERE)

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Why Jeff Sessions, ‘an Advocate for the Constitution,’ Has Conservatives So Excited

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As attorney general, Jeff Sessions could go a long way toward reversing the politicization of the Justice Department that occurred under the Obama administration, Republican senators and conservative activists said Friday, after President-elect Donald Trump announced he is nominating the Alabama Republican senator for the nation’s top law enforcement job.

“Sen. Sessions’ solid understanding of the Constitution and firm commitment to the rule of law is exactly what the Justice Department needs,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “I have worked closely with Sen. Sessions on the Judiciary Committee over these past six years and I have every confidence that he will make a great attorney general for all Americans.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, commended the Sessions nomination and excoriated the Justice Department under the controversial leadership of Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch.

“A principled and good man, he will restore honor to a department that, under President [Barack] Obama, perpetually pushed a political agenda while neglecting to enforce the law,” Cornyn said in a statement.

“For nearly eight years the Justice Department has twisted the Constitution and the laws passed by Congress to further the president’s liberal agenda, eroding our liberty in the process,” said Cornyn, also a Judiciary member. “It has put politics ahead of national security, and demonized those who protect us. It’s time to end the politicization of the Justice Department and start defending the rule of law, and I’m confident that as our top law enforcement official Senator Sessions will do that.”

During the Obama administration, Holder fended off an investigation into the Operation Fast and Furious gunwalking program, and was found in contempt of Congress for refusing to provide thousands of documents to congressional investigators.

Holder and Lynch also launched controversial investigations into police departments across the country. More recently, Republicans questioned potential Justice Department interference into the investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

Bumpy Confirmation Ahead?

In the 1980s, Sessions was a U.S. attorney and was nominated but not confirmed to a federal judgeship. So, this will be the third time Sessions will face a Senate confirmation.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is “confident he would be reported favorably out of the committee” because of his legal background.

“Sen. Sessions is a respected member and former ranking member of the Judiciary Committee who has worked across the aisle on major legislation,” Grassley said. “He knows the Justice Department as a former U.S. attorney, which would serve him very well in this position.”

However, this time it still might not be easy.

Among the liberal groups opposing the nomination is the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

“This nomination is deeply troubling to Americans who care about equal protection under the law,” the organization’s president Wade Henderson said in a statement. “Throughout his tenure in the Senate, Sen. Sessions has been one of the chamber’s leading antagonists of immigrants and the LGBT community, continuing his long record of obstructing civil rights that began in his tenure as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama.”

The confirmation hearing will be missing one Republican on the Judiciary panel—Sessions.

The committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the hearing is of particular importance because Trump “has proposed religious tests, a return to torture, and a deportation force that threatens to remove millions of immigrants.”

“Sen. Sessions and I have had significant disagreements over the years, particularly on civil rights, voting rights, immigration, and criminal justice issues,” Leahy said. “But unlike Republicans’ practice of unprecedented obstruction of President Obama’s nominees, I believe nominees deserve a full and fair process before the Senate. The American people deserve to learn about Sen. Sessions’ record at the public Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.”

The confirmation should be swift, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who asserted he strongly supports Trump’s nomination, and noted Sessions’ record of working with Democrats such as Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, and the late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy on major legislation.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was rumored to be under consideration for the attorney general’s job. However, Trump’s leading Republican presidential primary opponent expressed strong support for Sessions.

“Sen. Jeff Sessions’ nomination as attorney general is great news for all of us who revere the Constitution and the rule of law,” Cruz, a Judiciary member, said in a statement. “I have been honored to work with Sen. Sessions on many of our nation’s most important issues over the last four years. Sen. Sessions has had an extraordinary career in government and law enforcement. He has been an exemplary senator for the state of Alabama, and I am confident that he will be an exceptional United States attorney general.”

Conservative Activists Excited

A former Sessions colleague, Jim DeMint, now president of The Heritage Foundation, said Sessions will defend the freedom and safety of Americans as attorney general.

“No one will work harder than Jeff Sessions to defend the freedoms and safety of all Americans as attorney general. He is not intimidated by the liberal media or the Washington establishment,” DeMint said in a statement. “He has the courage and the proven record to take on special interests. He is passionate about defending the Constitution and the rule of law to protect the rights of everyone. Jeff has been such a great friend to me and many others, becoming one of the most respected leaders in the Senate and should easily be confirmed.”

Conservative activists, such as Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin, were also excited by the news, noting the DOJ’s leftward shift under the Obama administration.

“For eight years under President Obama, the Justice Department prioritized politics over the rule of law,” Martin said. “Under Sen. Sessions, we know the rule of law will finally be paramount again with our nation’s highest-ranking law enforcement officer. We look forward to supporting Sen. Sessions during his confirmation process and working with him once he takes the oath of office as our next attorney general.”

Sessions’ record as U.S. attorney, Alabama attorney general, and in the Senate makes him a strong nominee, said Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America. She added the nomination speaks well to Trump’s commitment to conservative principles.

“The thousands of members of Concerned Women for America around the country will urge senators to move quickly in the new year to confirm Sen. Sessions as the next attorney general, so that we may start rectifying many of the asphyxiating policies pursued by Attorney General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch,” Nance said in a statement. “The attacks on religious freedom and freedom of conscience in general, for example, must be atop of the list.”

Sessions has been a strong conservative advocate and is an indicator potential future appointments, said Frank Cannon, president at American Principles Project.

“On life, education, religious freedom, sound money—really, across the board—Sen. Jeff Sessions has proven himself to be an advocate for the Constitution and for the hardworking people of this great nation. We expect he will do an excellent job as attorney general,” Cannon said. (For more from the author of “Why Jeff Sessions, ‘an Advocate for the Constitution,’ Has Conservatives So Excited” please click HERE)

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Trump Considers Two Former Generals for Defense Secretary

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Two former generals are in contention for defense secretary in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration: James Mattis and Jack Keane, who served as an informal adviser to Hillary Clinton, according to a person involved in the transition.

Trump is seeking to build out his national security team, having offered the job of national security adviser to retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and a key military surrogate throughout his campaign, according to the person.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani remains the leading contender for secretary of state but Trump is considering others, including South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, the person said on Tuesday.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is being considered for a range of positions, including agriculture secretary, energy secretary and secretary of veterans affairs, the person said.

Trump’s top strategists are trying to recruit leaders from across the Republican Party who represent a range of perspectives, including some who made negative remarks about Trump before he was elected. Trump’s deliberations will continue this weekend as he holds back-to-back meetings with potential candidates for posts in his administration at his home on his private golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, the person said. (Read more from “Trump Considers Two Former Generals for Defense Secretary” HERE)

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TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME: Democrats Believe in Democracy Only Until They Lose an Election

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Like all dictators, the Democrats believe in democracy only until they lose an election.

And then they lose their minds.

The last time a national mental breakdown this severe happened was sixteen years ago when Bush beat Gore. The Democrats reacted gracefully to their defeat by insisting that they didn’t really lose because Bush stole the election. Psychiatrists were soon tending to lefties suffering from depression. Others protested outside the Florida Supreme Court, President Bush’s home and their parents’ basement.

Jesse Jackson accused Republicans of a “coup.” Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson warned that “without justice there will be no peace.” Thousands protested Bush’s inauguration waving signs like, “We want Bush out of D.C.” and “You’re not our president.”

The Congressional Black Caucus tried to obstruct the certification of the Electoral College vote. Then when Bush won again in the next election, they did it all over again. Expect them to try it one more time.

Because they don’t believe in democracy. They believe in their own absolute entitlement to power. Any election that they win is legitimate. Any election that they lose is illegitimate.

But if Bush Derangement Syndrome was bad, Trump Derangement Syndrome is even worse.

#NotOurPresident on Twitter quickly gave way to riots in major cities. Democrats in the affected cities decided that the riots were a great idea even though it was their own police that were being attacked.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City’s radical leftist boss, claimed that “more disruption… will change the trajectory of things”. Even though the only trajectory that the protests have changed thus far is New York City traffic. “The more people fight back, the more it takes away his power,” he insisted.

Wiser heads on the left recognized that messing up Manhattan traffic wouldn’t stop Trump from taking office. Instead they decided to abolish the Electoral College. Senator Boxer will introduce a bill to that effect. Bernie Sanders mumbled that it’s time to rethink it. Michael Dukakis fired off an angry email insisting that Hillary Clinton had won and that abolishing it should be a top Democratic priority.

Since Hillary lost, the Electoral College is, according to Slate, an “Instrument of White Supremacy—and Sexism”. And probably Islamophobic and Homophobic too. Time Magazine defaulted to the default lefty attack on anything by accusing the Electoral College of being racist. But if Hillary had won, then any attack on the Electoral College would be racist, sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic and claustrophobic.

Rank and filers weren’t interested in waiting to abolish it tomorrow. They skipped right to trying to rig it today. Over 4 million people have signed a petition titled, “Electoral College: Make Hillary Clinton President on December 19”. Because that’s just how they think elections should work.

Efforts were made to contact Electors directly urging them to hijack the election. Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney said that the Electors were being harassed with “insults”, “vulgar language” and “threats”. One Elector reported that his cell, home phone, email and Facebook were targeted.

“They’re just trying to steal this thing,” he said.

The Electoral College is undemocratic. Unless you’re a Democrat asking it to undemocratically hijack the results of a state election while depriving its voters of political representation.

Some Democrats despaired of stealing the election and tried to steal the Supreme Court instead. There were revived calls for a Supreme Court recess appointment. There’s a petition, a Saturday Night Live punch line and a bizarre effort by Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley to move the nomination forward.

Merkley claimed that Trump has “no right to fill” that seat and that the Supreme Court seat was stolen. “We need to do everything we possibly can to block it,” he insisted.

What does that mean? How about a permanently deadlocked Supreme Court?

A Slate writer urged that, “the only way to answer nihilism is with nihilism of our own.”

“Obstruct the nomination and seating of any Trump nominee to fill Scalia’s seat,” she urged. “We will lose. But that’s not the point now… If Democrats can muster the energy to fight about nothing else, it should be this.”

A permanently deadlocked Supreme Court doesn’t sound like much of a plan. But Trump Derangement Syndrome means embracing nihilism. And it’s downright rational compared to the celebrity meltdowns as TMZ’s finest cope with the blow to their egos of an election that showed they didn’t matter.

Lady Gaga has been yelling at Trump on and off Twitter. Constitutional scholar George Takei demanded that Obama just appoint Garland. Honorary feminist Joss Whedon declared, “This is simple: Trump cannot CANNOT be allowed a term in office. It’s not about 2018. It’s about RIGHT NOW.”

What does that mean? It’s a tantrum. It means that baby wants his power and he wants it now.

And it only gets crazier from there.

The outer reaches of Trump Derangement Syndrome include calls to boycott three brands of toilet paper because they’re allegedly made by the Koch Brothers. Never mind that the Koch Brothers weren’t supporting Trump. Facts, like democracy, only matter when they happen to be on your side.

Then there are the ritual burnings of New Balance sneakers on YouTube and Instagram. Not to mention support for the secession of California from the United States of America.

A man has sued Donald Trump for $1 billion for having inflicted “great emotional pain, fear and anxiety on Election Day and beyond.” Students at Cornell held a “cry-in” to mourn the results of the election. The University of Kansas offered students therapy dogs. At the University of Michigan’s multi-ethnic student affairs center students took comfort in regressing to childhood with coloring books and Play-Doh.

John Hopkins recommended a healing circle. Stanford urged students to “take care of yourselves and to give support to those who need it.” Vanderbilt encouraged them “to take advantage of the outstanding mental health support the university offers.”

At the University of Maryland, an astronomy test was canceled to help students cope with “a personally threatening election result.” A Yale economics professor made his test optional because students were “in shock” over losing an election. A dozen midterms were rescheduled at Columbia.

One student complained, “Instead of studying for my exam, I was glued to the election update. It’s not fair to have a test the following day when something so monumental is taking place, especially when this event is threatening so many groups of people in our country.”

Under all the outraged rhetoric is a narcissistic sense of entitlement. Frustrate it and tantrums happen.

Trump Derangement Syndrome is the tantrum that happens when that sense of entitlement bursts. It’s not a new phenomenon. We saw it with Bush and with previous Republican presidents before him. But as the left’s power has grown, its insular ivory towers have become unable to imagine ever losing it.

Obama maintained the illusion that the opposition didn’t matter by ruling unilaterally. Then in one election the illusion collapsed. The left wasn’t really in charge. There were millions of people across the country in places they had never visited or even heard of who got to decide on all these issues.

That warm comfortable safe space of John Oliver and Samantha Bee viral videos, Buzzfeed stories and social media feeds filled with carefully curated people who agreed with them wasn’t reality. It had been an illusion all along. It was an elitist island that had little in common with that vast geography of people who get their say through the Electoral College. After two terms of getting their way on everything, they woke to a world in which they didn’t matter and which was suddenly no longer catering to their whims.

They don’t really want to abolish the Electoral College, to put Garland on the Supreme Court or to burn New Balance sneakers. What they really want is to get rid of democracy and replace it with a dictatorship. Trump Derangement Syndrome is the tantrum of tyrants.

It’s a real threat to democracy. But that’s what the left has always been.

The hysteria of Trump Derangement Syndrome is the flip side of Obama worship. Both reject democracy and embrace power. They are the illiberal attitudes of a totalitarian movement at odds with America. (For more from the author of “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME: Democrats Believe in Democracy Only Until They Lose an Election” please click HERE)

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Who Died and Made Facebook and Google Arbiters of ‘Fake’ News? Oh, Yeah, the MSM

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For those who navigated the online minefield of 2016, there is no doubt that fake news sites have multiplied. Many are apparently run by teens in Macedonia looking to score a quick buck. Facebook, and Google have announced plans to rid the web of the scourge, but that opens a whole door to new problems. Including social justice warriors who think that opinion and facts they disagree with are “fake.” The Los Angeles Times unwittingly highlighted a Massachusetts assistant professor who doing just that. And that’s a problem.

Here’s what the LA Times wrote:

Melissa Zimdars, an assistant professor of communication at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, put together a publicly available Google doc cataloging “False, misleading, clickbait-y and satirical ‘news’ sources.” It’s been making the rounds on social media as people seek to cleanse their newsfeeds of misinformation.

So far, so good. Until you actually look at the list of sites. There are definite fake news sites, like The Onion (an aside if you believe The Onion you should probably just shut your computer and never get on the internet again), The Borowitz Report, MegynKelly.us, among others, on the list. But there are also real news and opinion sites that mad Zimdars list. These sites include, Glenn Beck’s The Blaze, Salem Media’s RedState, and Independent Journal Review (IJR). While these sites contain some clickbaity headlines from time to time — quite frankly what website doesn’t including the LA Times — they are certainly not “fake news sites.”

That is the problem people like Facebook and Google are going to face. Whom do you listen to when compiling your list of ‘fake news sites?’ Do you listen to your customers, or some panel of academics who believe that all opinions that are different from theirs, or facts that don’t feed into their own confirmation bias, are ‘fake?’ It is going to be a real problem.

I had a conversation with a very liberal relative of mine about this topic yesterday. The relative believes that only main stream media outlets should be allowed to proffer news. That partisan outlets, or those “spewing propaganda” should be throttled. Here’s the problem. To people that share the same ideological bend as my relative, a place like Conservative Review “spews propaganda,” but to a vast part of the nation — those that voted for Trump — the Main Stream Media is just a propaganda arm of the Left. One man’s facts are what another man sees as blatant partisan propaganda.

The 2016 campaign showed that in spades. Supposed “non-partisan” media fact checking sites often used the opinions of experts as fact. To those living in the Northeast Megalopolis and the West Coast, those opinions are fact. They can’t see how anything else but that can be true.

There’s another name for that, it’s propaganda.

While it is important to weed out the truly fake news sources that have proliferated, Facebook, Google, Twitter, et. Al. need to be open and transparent about how they are categorizing websites, and offer real meaningful avenues for people to challenge classifications.

One of the greatest developments of the past 15 years has been the rise of citizen journalism. As Andrew Breitbart was fond of saying, anyone with a smartphone is a reporter. Many significant stories have been broken by everyday people who have become fed up with what is going on in their own communities. We must all be vigilant that those who wish to classify those with whom they disagree as “fake” don’t succeed in sanitizing the internet of differing views. (For more from the author of “Who Died and Made Facebook and Google Arbiters of ‘Fake’ News? Oh, Yeah, the MSM” please click HERE)

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Media Hand-Wringing Over Trump’s Lack of Appointments Lacks Credibility

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For days, the press has been expressing serious concern about the difficulties of the Trump transition team. The transition was “stalled,” according to The Hill, there’s “turmoil” and “splintering” reported by NBC, “infighting” reported by CNN and “discord” from The New York Times. CNBC highlighted the “settling” of an alleged “score” by President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law against New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

Yet for all of the hand-wringing over alleged delays in naming Cabinet members and other positions, a look at history makes it clear that the media is simply continuing its anti-Trump narrative into the post-election season . . .

Bret Baier notes that it took President-elect Barack Obama nearly three weeks to name his first Cabinet member. Every President-elect going back to Jimmy Carter has taken longer, with the exception of George H.W. Bush. Yet nine days after Trump’s election, the press is trying to say that we must be really worried because he hasn’t appointed anyone yet!

A few other outlets haven’t fully fallen into the trap. A Hollywood Reporter journalist told CNN’s Brian Stelter that the Times’ story was wrong. CBS has an article comparing different transition teams (though a video report at the same link says the transition isn’t smooth), and Politico has a succinct comparison to the Obama transition efforts.

But even Politico is going along with the narrative. An article published Thursday says Vice President-elect and Indiana Governor Mike Pence fulfilled a ban on lobbyists. According to Politico, the ban has “hobbled” the transition team. (On December 4, 2009, Politico published an article highlighting the “5 best jobs” left in the then-upcoming administration, though it has been one of the top media groups reporting on lobbyist ban violations and loopholes by the Obama administration.)

It may be that Trump’s team is in shambles, and that the reports are accurate. But without evidence of such, this reporting simply makes the mainstream press look desperately out of touch with what Americans care about, as well as full of self-indulgent naval-gazing. (For more from the author of “Media Hand-Wringing Over Trump’s Lack of Appointments Lacks Credibility” please click HERE)

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Conservatives Hopeful Pence Will Play Big Role in New Administration

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Vice President-elect Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, asked nearly two dozen fellow GOP governors gathered in Orlando to directly reach out to him on policy matters in the course of the coming Donald Trump administration.

During the Republican Governors Association meeting Tuesday in Orlando, Pence reiterated Trump’s plan to repeal Obamacare, improve infrastructure, and provide more flexibility on education.

Before serving a term as the Indiana governor, Pence served a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives, prompting his former colleagues to hope he’ll play a paramount role in Trump’s administration.

On Thursday, Pence was back on Capitol Hill where he met with the House Republican Conference as well as Senate Democratic Charles Schumer of New York and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

Speaking to the Republican conference Thursday, Pence said the Trump administration would pursue tax reform, repealing Obamacare and strengthening border security, according to a news release from the presidential transition team.

“The biggest role Mike Pence could play is going to be good for America,” Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who sat next to Pence on the House Judiciary Committee, told The Daily Signal.

Pence’s experience on Capitol Hill and working with governors across the country would have duel value for the political outsider Trump, who has already indicated Pence could be a prominent vice president after putting him in charge of the presidential transition team last week.

Pence replaced New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who remains on the transition committee as vice chairman.

Pence was also involved with Trump in speaking to 29 other world leaders, according to the transition team’s news release Wednesday.

Beyond Pence’s political connections, he has served as a bridge to conservative voters. Some conservatives didn’t trust Trump in the Republican presidential primary, and backed his leading opponent Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas—whom Pence endorsed ahead of the Indiana primary.

“Mike [Pence] is a constitutionalist. He’s a fiscal conservative. He’s for a balanced budget,” King told The Daily Signal in an interview on Capitol Hill. “He’s a social conservative. He’s pro-life. He defends natural marriage. You add that all up. His foreign policy credentials are good. He sat on the Foreign Affairs Committee for about eight years.”

Trump should be aware that Pence is likely responsible for a good share of votes from wary conservatives, said author and presidential historian Craig Shirley.

“Pence reassured a lot of conservatives about Trump,” Shirley said.

Pence was likely the wisest choice Trump could have made for a vice president, said Lee Edwards, distinguished fellow in conservative thought at The Heritage Foundation.

“He has checked all the boxes for conservatives,” Edwards told The Daily Signal. “He’s been in talk radio, was a House conservative and a governor. He will be important for implementing Trump’s agenda with Congress. He knows these guys, certainly in the House, and will be a point man.”

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, asserted during The Heritage Foundation’s Conversation With Conservatives event Wednesday that the House would continue to serve as a check on executive power during the Trump administration.

Jordan had kind words about the incoming vice president, though he declined to speculate how powerful Pence might be in a Trump administration.

“That’s between him and Donald Trump,” Jordan told The Daily Signal in an interview on Capitol Hill. “Mike [Pence] is a wonderful guy. He was a friend when he worked here. He was a mentor when he was here, a very talented guy.”

Vice presidents have played historically different roles, Shirley said.

For example, Vice President Thomas Marshall was in office for more than a year before getting an appointment to meet with President Woodrow Wilson, Shirley said. President Dwight Eisenhower didn’t give a lot of responsibility to Vice President Richard Nixon, and President John F. Kennedy did not include Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in many of his administration’s decisions.

“I would expect Mike Pence will have a big role as evidenced by the fact that he has taken over the transition team, that is the biggest job facing a Trump administration now,” Shirley told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. “Trump, because he’s a newcomer, will need Pence, someone experienced in government.” (For more from the author of “Conservatives Hopeful Pence Will Play Big Role in New Administration” please click HERE)

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Trump Cabinet Timing in Line With Past Presidents

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An article in Time called President-elect Donald Trump’s transition “chaotic,” while The New York Times asserted that Trump’s transition team is plagued by “discord” and “disarray.”

Politico quoted an anonymous insider saying the transition team was having a “knife fight” when it comes to filling Cabinet posts.

If very recent history is a guide, it might be too early to tell whether the Trump transition is any more or less organized than that of other president-elects, since nearly all recent presidents going back to at least Jimmy Carter made Cabinet announcements in December, with a handful of exceptions.

During a conference call with reporters Thursday, Trump transition team spokesman Jason Miller said the incoming administration isn’t rushing the Cabinet decisions.

“The president-elect will be announcing specific Cabinet positions, as well as key administration staff, when those decisions are made,” Miller said. “The focus of the administration is putting together the best team. It is not an arbitrary time table. It is about getting it right.”

In response to some of the media coverage, Trump tweeted the transition was a “Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!”

The Associated Press reported late Thursday that Trump had offered retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn the job of national security adviser. The position is not a cabinet post, but has traditionally been one of the highest ranking jobs in any administration.

Among names to being considered for the Cabinet are either former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump loyalist, and Trump critic former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are being considered for secretary of state, while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump’s chief GOP primary opponent, is reportedly under consideration for attorney general.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama state attorney general and U.S. attorney, met with Trump on Thursday, and a transition team press release said Trump is “unbelievably impressed” with his record.

Richard Nixon was the last president to name his entire Cabinet during the first six weeks after being elected, according to Fox News.

Winning an election amid a financial crisis in 2008, President-elect Barack Obama made his first cabinet announcement, Timothy Geithner for secretary of treasury, on Nov. 24.

Aside from that, Obama’s earliest announcements came on Dec. 1, with Hillary Clinton as secretary of state pick, Janet Napolitano as his selection secretary of homeland security, and Eric Holder as his choice for attorney general. Obama also announced that same day he would keep Bush Defense Secretary Robert Gates on board.

Obama abandoned later December announcements, such as plans to name Tom Daschle to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and making Bill Richardson commerce secretary. Announcements for those jobs came in early 2009 after controversies—demonstrating a less than smooth transition.

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod tweeted, “Lots of reasons to be concerned about @realDonaldTrump transition but the pace of announcements isn’t one of them. That’s not fair.” After some reaction, Axelrod later tweeted Thursday, “We hadn’t made any major appointments at this point in 2008. I don’t remember being criticized for it.”

December announcements for president-elects have been the general rule for Cabinet announcements for all recent presidents going back to at least Carter, according to the U.S. Senate.

There were other rare exceptions.

President-elect George H.W. Bush, having been vice president for eight years, announced Nov. 9, 1988, that his longtime confidante James Baker would be secretary of state.

Later that month, Bush also announced that Ronald Reagan’s Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, Reagan Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady, and Reagan Education Secretary Lauro Cavazos Jr. would remain in their posts. This made for an easier transition than most.

“All changes and all transitions are in disarray,” Craig Shirley, a presidential historian and bestselling author, told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. “This is a big job to change governments. Ronald Reagan had a rocky transition. Bill Clinton had a very rough transition. John F. Kennedy’s transition was very controversial after he announced his brother would be attorney general.”

Nevertheless, CBS News noted, “The White House is still waiting to receive a list of relevant names from Mr. Trump’s transition office so that individuals can begin interfacing with relevant agencies between now and January 20.”

While another New York Times piece remarked, “He may not yet have nominated a single Cabinet member, or sent emissaries to the federal agencies, or held a news conference as president-elect, but Mr. Trump does have a presidential inaugural committee lined up.”

The Trump campaign planned less before the election than 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, whose preemptively transition plotting didn’t work out, Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, told reporters Wednesday.

During a Conversation With Conservatives gathering sponsored by The Heritage Foundation, Labrador said:

Donald Trump wanted to win the election rather than spend all his time talking about the transition. In fact, I was with him when one of his team members started talking about the transition and he said, ‘I don’t want to talk about this, I don’t want to jinx this. I want to move forward and talk about how we’re going to win this election.’ I appreciate that. It does mean it delays the transition by a little bit. But it does make me laugh at all the stories you guys are writing about, ‘Oh, the transition team is in disarray. Blah, blah, blah.’ It’s a difficult job to transition from a campaign to being the chief executive of the United States. Let’s give him an opportunity to be successful.

President George W. Bush announced his first Cabinet secretary nominations on Dec. 16, 2000, somewhat later than previous presidents because of the prolonged post-election that year, with the news that Colin Powell was his choice for secretary of state.

On Dec. 20, 2000, Bush made four more announcements, including Paul O’Neil as his pick to be treasury secretary, and others before the end of the year. Bush finished with three more announcements on Jan. 2, 2001.

President-elect Bill Clinton announced his first Cabinet pick, Lloyd Bentsen as treasury secretary, on Dec. 10, 1992. A day later, he announced Donna Shalala as his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and Robert Reich to be labor secretary.

On Dec. 11, 1980, Reagan announced his choices of William French Smith to be attorney general, Caspar Weinberger as defense secretary, Richard Schweiker as secretary of health and human services, Malcolm Baldridge to be commerce secretary, Andrew Lewis as transportation secretary, and Donald Regan as treasury secretary.

On the same day, Reagan also announced his choice of William Casey to lead the CIA and David Stockman to be the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Carter announced that Cyrus Vance was his choice for secretary of state on Dec. 3, 1976, and made subsequent announcements later in the month. (For more from the author of “Trump Cabinet Timing in Line With Past Presidents” please click HERE)

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