Petersen had this to say about Ashcroft possibly running for Governor, “Exciting news to see… I don’t like many politicians – very, very few – and I like the Ashcrofts. Jay Ashcroft seems to be a little bit more fiscally conservative then the senior.” This was in reference to Jay Ashcroft being the son of former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Petersen’s co-host, John Marsh, mentioned that Jay Ashcroft has not discussed future plans since last year when Ashcroft said, “After intense, prayerful consideration we have decided to remain devoted to the work Missouri voters have entrusted me as secretary of state” in regards to running for United States Senate, to replace the senior senator from Missouri, Senator Roy Blunt.

Petersen and Marsh also discussed Ashcroft’s recent conservative positions, many posted on the KWOS website, including being opposed to the gas tax increase that the Missouri Legislature passed last year. Current Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed that gas tax increase into law.

Jay Ashcroft has yet to release a public statement regarding the breaking news yesterday morning.

The full segment from the show can be listened to below.

The post Is Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft Laying Groundwork for 2024 Gubernatorial Run? appeared first on The Libertarian Republic.

Mary Margaret Olohan on September 26, 2019

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said losing to President Donald Trump was like losing to a “corrupt human tornado.”

Clinton spoke about losing the 2016 presidential election in a CBS interview that will air Sunday morning.

“It was like applying for a job and getting 66 million letters of recommendation and losing to a corrupt human tornado,” Clinton told CBS’s Jane Pauley.

WATCH:

Coming up this #SundayMorning

“It was like…losing to a corrupt human tornado.”

Jane Pauley catches up with former First Lady Hillary Clinton and former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton about the book they co-authored, “The Book of Gutsy Women” https://t.co/pnSCfkDZAR pic.twitter.com/C1vSWQPabl

— CBS Sunday Morning ???? (@CBSSunday) September 26, 2019

The interview will also feature Chelsea Clinton as the mother and daughter discuss the book they co-authored, “The Book of Gutsy Women,” set to publish Oct. 1.

The book will tell the stories of women who have inspired the Clinton women – “women with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done.”

“This book is the continuation of a conversation the two of us have been having since I was little,” wrote Chelsea Clinton, according to the book’s Amazon description. “For me, too, my mom was a hero; so were my grandmothers. My early teachers were also women.”

“But I grew up in a world very different from theirs,” the Clinton daughter added. “My pediatrician was a woman, and so was the first mayor of Little Rock who I remember from my childhood. Most of my close friends’ moms worked outside the home as nurses, doctors, teachers, professors, and in business. And women were going into space and breaking records here on Earth.”

The post Hillary Says Losing To Trump Was Like Losing To A ‘Corrupt Human Tornado’ appeared first on The Libertarian Republic.

By Chris White

ExxonMobil was ordered Wednesday to disclose a trove of missing emails from an alias once used by the company’s former CEO for communicating with the oil producer’s other executives.

A judge directed Exxon to hand over the communications to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat who has been investigating the company’s climate research since the beginning of 2015.  He publicized U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s use of the alias “Wayne Tracker” along with his professional email.

Schneiderman also claimed the alias was used to discuss ways the company could hide research on climate change from the public, and should be disclosed as part of the New York Democrat’s probe. The New York lawman gained access to the company’s documents nearly 8 months ago, but has yet to disclose evidence Exxon violated any laws.

The oil producer’s legal representatives, meanwhile, are accusing Schneiderman of manufacturing an email scandal to provide a rationale for his investigation, according to court documents filed in early March.

“To date, Exxon Mobil has produced more than 2.4 million pages of documents in connection with the [New York attorney general’s] climate-change investigation and has worked diligently to respond to [Schneiderman’s] extraordinarily broad and, in our view, often unreasonable and improper, investigative demands,” the lawyers wrote in a letter to the Supreme Court of New York last week.

The court’s decision to force Exxon to disclose the alias emails, as they are now known, comes on the heels of revelations that Schneiderman’s own staff has used private email channels to conduct his legal work.

Discoveries show that Lem Srolovic, the assistant attorney general at the New York Attorney General’s Office, used his personal email account in 2012 to prepare for a meeting with various environmental organizations, according to documents obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Srolovic used his personal Gmail account in November of 2012 to send PowerPoint presentations to his colleagues in the attorney genera’s office in preparation for a meeting with “environmental organizations.”

His email raises questions about how often Schneiderman’s office uses personal emails for professional meetings, which would be a violation of New York law if done while gathering information for the Exxon probe.

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By Will Racke

President Donald Trump entered office promising to avoid costly nation-building efforts overseas, but his administration appears willing to deploy significant military resources to “stabilization” in Iraq after the Islamic State is driven from the country.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday U.S. forces will remain in Iraq following the military defeat of ISIS, whenever that happens, the Washington Examiner reported. Troops would stay in place in to prevent ISIS militants from re-establishing a foothold in the country.

“The military power of the coalition will remain where this fraudulent caliphate has existed in order to set the conditions for a full recovery from the tyranny of ISIS,” Tillerson said at the Department of State.

Many Republicans and national security hawks criticized former President Barack Obama for withdrawing troops from Iraq in 2011, which they said allowed ISIS to emerge and overrun large swathes of the politically fragile country. Trump has hit his predecessor for the same reason, but has also characterized the decision to invade Iraq in the first place as one of the worst U.S. foreign policy blunders ever.

Tillerson’s announcement signals yet another change of course for the administration’s long-term plans in Iraq, though the secretary emphasized that post-ISIS operations would not constitute “nation-building,” a term that has fallen out of favor in the wake of U.S.-led military quagmires in the greater Middle East.

“Local leaders and local governments will take on the process of restoring their communities in the wake of ISIS with our support,” Tillerson said. “The development of a rejuvenated civil society in these places will lead to a disenfranchisement of ISIS and the emergence of stability and peace where there was once chaos and suffering.” (RELATED: Trump Won’t Work With Russia Against ISIS in Syria)

The commitment to a long-term troop presence in Iraq comes as the administration is stepping up force deployment to Syria to combat ISIS in that country. A comprehensive strategy has not been announced publicly, but the White House and Defense Department are reportedly considering sending 1,000 troops to support an offensive against the ISIS-held city of Raqqa.

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The post Tillerson Admits Iraq War Actually Going To Last A Long Time appeared first on The Libertarian Republic.

By Andrew Follett

Environmentalists were in panic mode Wednesday as the Senate confirmed former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.

Environmentalists opposed Tillerson before and after his nomination, citing his career in oil and natural gas and Russian business ties. It may be unsurprising then that every major environmental group put out a statement denouncing Tillerson within minutes of his confirmation.

“[T]hey’re letting Trump hand the State department over to the oil and gas industry,” Naomi Ages, a spokesperson for Greenpeace, said in a press statement. “Tillerson was complicit in Exxon’s decades-long denial of climate science, and he used his company’s deep pockets to silence and intimidate anyone who was critical of its disregard for the public good.”

“Welcome to the United States of Exxon, where Big Oil no longer has to buy off the government because it now actually is the government,” Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth, said in a statement. “Trump and Tillerson are cut from the same cloth — driven by greed and devoid of a moral compass. Only a morally bankrupt president would want his secretary of state to be a man who made his career and his many millions off of vast human suffering, environmental destruction, and climate denial.”

The Senate approved Tillerson in a 56-43 vote Wednesday. Democratic Sens. Mark Warner of Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia voted to confirm Tillerson. Maine Sen. Angus King, an Independent, also voted to confirm Tillerson.

Friends of the Earth called on all “citizens of the world” to resit Tillerson and Trump as much as possible, but other environmentalists were a bit more tongue-and-cheek about the new Secretary of State.

“I, for one, welcome our new fossil fuel overlords,”  Stephen Kretzmann, executive director of Oil Change International, said in an emailed statement. “Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State makes it perfectly obvious who the rest of the world, and all of us, are dealing with. America appears clearly today on the world stage as a country that is sadly of, by, and for the oil industry.”

Some green groups were just furious however, but not surprised about the confirmation.

“It’s unconscionable that the Senate confirmed an oil executive to be America’s ambassador to the world,” Michael Brune, the executive director of The Sierra Club, said in a press statement. “And yet, that’s exactly what they have done. Perhaps it’s no surprise, since so many of those voting in favor of Rex Tillerson have benefitted from Exxon’s political contributions over the years.”

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By Russ Read

Russia signed a new defense agreement with Syria Friday, allowing Russian forces to stay in Syria for another 50 years.

The new agreement will not only secure Russia’s newfound position in the Middle East, but it will also drastically expand Russian military capabilities in the region. Russia’s temporary Latakia air base will become permanent and its naval station at Tartus will be expanded, allowing it to permanently host 11 ships, including Russia’s Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and nuclear submarines, reported Foreign Policy Saturday.

The Latakia air base was the primary operating base for Russia’s onslaught of air strikes which are believed to have killed thousands of Syrian civilians and rebels. The updated Tartus port will allow Russia’s fleet to deploy in the region for extended periods beyond current capability.

Russia’s new defense agreement comes as a new round of Syrian peace talks co-hosted with Iran and Turkey begin Monday. Moscow extended an invitation to President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn to join the talks, however, the administration decided against attending the conference as it continues to fill diplomatic positions. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson has yet to be confirmed by the Senate, although he is believed to have secured enough votes to be sworn in after the Monday afternoon vote.

President Donald Trump expressed interest in working with Russian President Vladimir Putin to combat Islamic State forces in Syria during his campaign and there is dispute as to whether Russian forces are even targeting ISIS. Most Russian strikes in Syria target rebel groups or civilian areas, according to Middle East consulting group Prime Source.

Several of Trump’s cabinet picks have expressed concern over the Russian threat, including Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson.

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton showed up at the Department of State Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the U.S. Diplomacy Center where she has an exhibit named after her.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be the “Hillary Clinton Pavilion” without a glass ceiling. Politico notes Clinton’s pavilion “serves as a glass entrance (including its ceiling) to the Diplomacy Center.”

Clinton hoped to break the metaphorical “glass ceiling” by becoming the first woman U.S. president, but her dreams were shattered by President-elect Donald Trump’s unexpected win in November.

“I’m thrilled to be here at the new Hillary Clinton Pavilion,” Clinton said at the Diplomacy Center’s opening ceremony in one of her few public appearances since her election loss. “I’m sure you will notice it is the most transparent part of the entire project.”

The Diplomacy Center has exhibit halls named after four secretaries of state, John Kerry, Henry Kissinger, James Baker and Clinton, according to Politico. Others will get exhibit halls named after them in the 40,000-square-foot museum and education center.

Politico notes the Diplomacy Center was conceived by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, but Clinton “revived the project after George W. Bush’s administration, tapping Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley to help raise the lion’s share of $50 million when she led the State Department.”

“I’m excited about the historic artifacts and the cutting-edge exhibits that will be here to teach and inspire future generations about the work of our country’s diplomats,” Clinton said.

“Students and visitors alike will be able to simulate high-stakes diplomatic negotiation, learn more about resolving disputes in our increasingly interconnected and interdependent world,” she said.

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President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination for secretary of state said U.S. leaders must think about the future before engaging in regime change in foreign countries.

In an exchange with Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky during his confirmation hearing, former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson noted that leadership change in places like Iraq and Libya did not achieve the security goals of the U.S. in the Middle East.

Leadership changes in Iraq and Libya “did not achieve those objectives,” Tillerson told Paul. He added that any change of leadership must be followed by the question “what comes next?”

“My job is to make sure we never get there,” said Tillerson, regarding regime change. He added that, as secretary of state, he would use diplomatic measures to attempt to guide foreign leaders into a policy preferable to U.S. foreign policy goals.

Though he expressed skepticism regarding regime change, Tillerson also said the U.S. must be “clear-eyed” regarding the Iranian threat.

Prior to the exchange with Paul, Tillerson noted that the U.S. must be “reengaged in the region” before security can be achieved in the Middle East. He said that the U.S. must reassure its traditional allies in the region as a first step.

“We have cast American leadership into doubt, in some instances we have withdrawn from the world,” Tillerson warned in his opening remarks.

Tillerson specifically pointed to Turkey, noting that the U.S. has to “re-engage with President Erdogan” as he continues to find an ally in Russia. Russia is not a “sustainable ally” for Turkey, according to Tillerson, and Erdogan must be reminded that his interests are best served by maintaining his alliance with the U.S.

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Anti-fossil fuel activists lined up outside confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state nominee wearing campy dinosaur costumes and protesting against Exxon Mobil.

Demonstrators associated with environmentalists group 350.org gathered in Washington, D.C, Wednesday to protest Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson’s appearance in front of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

“Hey, hey, ho, ho, Rex Tillerson has got to go,” the protesters shouted as the hearings began. The Tyrannosaurus Rex outfits were a play on the secretary of state nominee’s initials.

Protests against the oil man have ratcheted up recently as Democrats voice concern about Tillerson’s relationship with Russia — and anti-fossil fuel activists, for their part, believe Exxon was part of a decades-long campaign to hide climate research on climate change.

Our foreign policy & future can’t be in the hands of a Big Oil exec. like Rex Tillerson. We’re at the Senate urging Senators to #RejectRex pic.twitter.com/rhC55VCkDy

— 350 dot org (@350) January 11, 2017

Almost to the Senate building where Rex Tillerson of ExxonMobil is here for confirmation hearing. Our Senators must #rejectREX pic.twitter.com/BLO9sOWR7h

— 350 dot org (@350) January 11, 2017

People in the Senate there for Rex Tillerson’s confirmation hearing can surely hear us. #RejectRex Say no to Exxon and climate deniers pic.twitter.com/L5DFYXjs3A

— 350 dot org (@350) January 11, 2017

Campaigns against Exxon began last year when environmentalist media outlet Inside Climate News (ICN) reported about Exxon’s research. ICN, widely considered a environmentalist public relations firm, also alleges that Amoco, Phillips, Texaco, Shell, and others joined Exxon in misleading the public about the supposed effects global warming has on sea levels.

Th anti-Exxon protests have stumbled recently as anti-Exxon demonstrators pushed to link every weather disaster to Exxon. They associated mud slides in California to the oil company’s actions; Exxon was responsible for hurricane-related flooding in far gone parts of the world, according to these protesters.

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Secretary of State John Kerry claims President Barack Obama did not retreat from his chemical weapons red line, even as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crossed it several times.

Kerry’s contention, laid out in a Tuesday talk at the U.S. Institute of Peace in D.C., is that Obama did not retreat because he was “always ready to bomb” the Syrian government if it did not comply with the 2013 deal struck to get chemical weapons out of Syria.

Kerry conceded to the audience that the notion that the U.S. did uphold the red line has taken hold as a narrative and hurt the credibility of the U.S. in future negotiations on Syria. “Its just not accurate,” Kerry lamented.

The terms of the deal contradict Kerry’s claims.

“We have been very clear to the Assad regime … that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized,” Obama told reporters in August 2012. A year later, definitive reports confirmed widespread chemical weapons use by the Assad regime against civilians, including sarin gas.

Despite pressure from his own advisors, the international community, NATO, and U.S. allies, Obama demurred on his “red line.” Obama instead opted for a Russian-brokered deal with the Assad regime, in which Assad would give up his chemical weapons arsenal. “I’m very proud of this moment,” Obama told Jeffery Goldberg of The Atlantic. Obama elaborated, “I believe ultimately it was the right decision to make.”

The United Nations Organization on Chemical Weapons confirmed in 2016 that the chemical weapons deal has been repeatedly violated by the Syrian regime, in a major rebuke to Kerry’s claim.

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