White House Slams Rubio Over His Attacks on Cuba Deal
The White House on Thursday hit back against Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's harsh attacks on President Barack Obama's plans to
normalize relations with Cuba, saying he should back the deal because he
supported the confirmation of an ambassador to China earlier this year.
"One of the leading proponents of this strategy of shutting off funding
for the construction of this embassy and appointing an ambassador to
Cuba is Sen.Rubio, of course," White House press secretary Josh Earnest
told reporters at a daily news briefing.
Earnest was responding to a reporter's question about whether a new
embassy would be needed in Havana, since American diplomatic personnel
currently work out of the U.S. Interests Section housed in the former U.S. Embassy on the Malecón.
The spokesman was not asked about Rubio or his criticism of the deal Obama announced on Wednesday.
Citing Rubio's statements from the confirmation hearing of former
Democratic Sen. Max Baucus as Beijing ambassador in January, Earnest
hinted that those comments conflicted with his statements on Wednesday
about Havana.
China has long been under attack for its human-rights abuses. Baucus was
confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which Rubio is a
member.
"In thinking about this," Earnest continued, "it occurs to me that it
seems odd Sen. Rubio would be reluctant and, in fact, actively seeking
to block the appointment of an ambassador to Cuba when earlier this year
he voted to confirm the ambassador to China that the president
nominated."
He then added parenthetically that Baucus was Rubio's "former
colleague," who was "doing an excellent job of representing the United
States in China.
"The other thing I noticed that, in the context of those hearings, Sen.
Rubio said something that this administration wholeheartedly agrees
with," Earnest said. "Let me read it to you."
Psaki: Comedy dropped by Sony after North Korea threats totally different from Muhammad film slammed by State Department
“Psaki: Kim Jong-un Comedy Totally Different from Mohammed Film Slammed by State Dept.,” by Bridget Johnson, PJ Media, December 17, 2014:
Sony Pictures officially decided not to release The Interview on Dec. 25 as planned, citing the major theater chains that refused to show the movie after hackers made 9/11-style threats against screenings.
“We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers,” the Sony statement said.
“Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale — all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like.
We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.”
The Associated Press reported moments ago that federal investigators have connected the hacking to North Korea.
At the State Department earlier today, Jen Psaki said department officials did meet with studio executives during production, as revealed in leaked emails, but disputed reports that they OK’d the picture. “We’re not in the business of signing off on content of movies or things along those lines,” she said.
“As we have — as we’ve noted before, entertainers are free to make movies of their choosing, and we are not involved in that,” she added…..
Psaki said she wouldn’t compare the comedy about the assassination of Kim Jong-un to the Mohammed film initially blamed for the Benghazi attack, a movie heavily criticized by the State Department.
“I would not put them in the same category, which I’m sure does not surprise you,” Psaki said. “We don’t have — it’s a fiction movie. It’s not a documentary about our relationship with the United — with North Korea. It’s not something we backed, supported or necessarily have an opinion on from here.”
After violent reactions to Innocence of Muslims in 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said “the United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.”
“We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of other,” the U.S. Embassy in Cairo said back then….
Falling Gas Prices...a Trend That Will End
By: Diane Sori
And now a gift from Santa has arrived as just in time for Christmas gas prices have fallen to a five-year low...from roughly $3.68 a gallon in June to now down below $2.60 in most markets... saving we purchasers about $60+ a month. But like all good things this gift does come with caveats that the current savings have blinded most to. So while 'We the People' are happy dancing thinking we have triumphed over the likes of OPEC nothing could be further from the truth for as the price of oil falls political instability is increasing within the main oil producing countries. And with that instability comes the fact that reduced prices means less profit for the oil companies, and that is something they will NOT allow to go on for too long for just like any business the oil giants are as profit driven as the next guy.
Also remember, as oil prices per barrel fall...mostly because of a slow-down in demand in Europe and Japan where there are worries about deflation...this just adds to the worries about the ever-increasing demand and need in other countries such as China. And this in turn raises serious concerns for the oil companies NOT just about their earnings, but also about year-end tax selling putting more pressure on them as well...pressure which they will take out on we consumer. And as OPEC continues to manipulate oil prices...but with them NO longer having the sole upper hand in price setting because they failed to stabilize falling prices after their last meeting...it's the 'free market' itself who will now for the most part be setting the global cost of oil.
And even with oil shale production increasing big time out of North Dakota...another good thing...there is still a downside to this because there is a slowdown in production occurring in the Bakken oil fields. And lest we forget that Russia also plays a part in determining the price of oil as Russia supplies the oil for most of Europe. And with the Russian ruble losing its value because of the ongoing drop in oil prices along with its ongoing problems with Ukraine, Putin is putting Russia's economy and military on a war-footing to try and neutralize the hit Russia is taking due to the falling oil prices. So, the stage has now been set and the players are in place NOT for oil prices to continue a long-term drop but for oil prices to actually start rising by the second half of next year and to rise high...very high and within an extremely short period of time.
Also, what most do NOT realize is that there is currently an excess of oil glutting the market and that is the main reason the price of gas has dropped. And while it could possibly take six months or a bit longer to run down the now one million barrels a day of excess oil, it eventually will happen and happen sooner than most think as nations experiencing an industrial boom...nations like China and India for example who are dependent on their ability to import oil...will use up more oil than would normally be using within a given period of time. And that over-consumption of the oil supply...and that includes the excess supply currently on the market...will create the beginnings of the next oil shortage and its always corresponding price increase at the pump.
So, until that excess oil supply is run down...which most assuredly will happen... some larger oil companies have been scaling back plans for future oil drilling and exploration as they wisely wait to see just when that run down happens and by how much the market and OPEC will decide the price per barrel increase will be. And sadly it seems they might NOT be waiting too long for some 'so-called' experts and special analytical reports are predicting prices to start rising and rebounding to $80 or even $90 per barrel in, like I said, the second half of the upcoming year.
And while U.S. crude oil prices did top $100 per barrel last summer they have indeed now dropped to around $60 per barrel as a result of NOT only this oversupply but also because of expanded domestic production. And remember too, today the U.S. produces more oil than it imports...actually we are sitting on more oil reserves than Saudi Arabia...but unfortunately most of the oil we do produce does NOT stay within this country but is exported out, a sad fact that keeps use dependent on foreign...as in Arab...oil.