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I, too, appreciate the Star Democrats presenting columnists of opposing viewpoints. I want to hear what both the right and the left have to say. How else can we come to agree on issues?

But please, not Ann Coulter. Her over-long Aug. 14 piece was an undisciplined rant full of graceless invective. I agree that the media pay too much attention to the presidential tweet and not enough to what Congress is doing, or undoing, on our behalf. Ms. Coulter could have made up for the failure of the media by explaining whats in the bill in plain language, with relevant statistics. Instead, she writes of often specious family ties and idiotic family reunification laws. Mean, sloppy writing.

She didnt do her homework not even long ago in English class when she was supposed to learn verb moods and tenses, such as how you use the conditional tense (I, you, he, she, it would) in a clause following an if clause of condition contrary to fact in which the verb takes the subjunctive mood. Ms. Coulter wants her idol, President Trump, to talk about the RAISE Act and nothing else. Great idea! Lets hear all about it! So she writes, If he were smart, hed [he would] talk about nothing else. In her last line the punch line she inadvertently implied that her idol is not smart.

I hope for her sake the president doesnt read her column.

She should have written, If hes smart, he will talk about nothing else. But maybe the fact is that shes thinking, like much of humankind these days, that President Trump is not so smart.

One more thing this is too delicious. Next to Coulters website, she is quoted as saying, I love to engage in repartee with people who are stupider than I am.

Reader, she called herself stupid. Star Democrat, my newspaper of record, spare me the work of stupid pundits. This is fun, but in the weeks and months to come, we need earnest columnists sincere in their zeal to help us learn from the heartbreak of Charlottesville. And we need someone who can sort out the RAISE Act.

MARGARET BARTON DRIGGS

Easton

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Please, not Ann Coulter - The Star Democrat

The MP for Derby North blasted the European Union's "neoliberal ideology" for having forced the UK to outsource public-sector organisations to the private sector.

RT presenter Sam Delaney was surprised by the politician's statement, asking him: "Secretly you already did hate the EU, didn't you? You see it as a capitalist boysclub."

He strongly agreed with the assertion, saying: "It is, it is.

"Let's not forget that there was this presumption inside the European Union, because the neoliberal ideology does kind of hold sway across the European Union, for public-sector organisations to be externalised to the private sector.

RT/GETTY

"We gotta move away from that, we gotta move towards a society that works for everybody, that works for the 99%."

In the run-up to the Brexit referendum, the Labour Party campaigned to remain inside the European Union.

But according to Mr. Williamson, the party will now take the chance to use Brexit to promote some key pledges of its electoral manifesto.

Discussing the elections of 2022, the politician said: "What will play, I think, is what we were putting forward at the last general election.

"De-privatising the National Health Service and our public sectororganisationswhich have been used as a cash cow for the private sector. "

Mr. Williamson's comment comes after months of uncertainty within the Labour Party over its MPs stance on Brexit.

He said: "On the balance, you gotta accept the democratic will of the public when they voted."

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn's distaste for the European Union has spanned several decades and but he repeatedly confirmed his party will work to deliver Brexit to the British public.

Ray Bassett, the former ambassador to Jamaica, Canada and the Bahamas, told Express.co.uk that Mr Corbyn was "massively" helping the Government on Brexit.

He said: "He's a backstop. Under Labour, they may quibble on detail but he has accepted the result on the referendum.

"I think Corbyn has been a plus for Theresa May saying he won't argue. He's [Theresa May's] saviour, along with the DUP>"

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UK needs out of EU's 'capitalist BOYS CLUB' to respect will of the people, says Labour MP - Express.co.uk

David Davis has warned EU chiefs "the clock ticking" in Brexit negotiations in a bid to pushtalks towards discussions on a future trade deal.

The Brexit Secretary will publish five position papers further setting out Britain's negotiating strategy this week in an attempt to speed up the talks.

Brussels stated at the start of negotiations that discussionswould take place in two stages, with the first phase concentrating on the UKs withdrawal and the second on a new trade deal.

But Mr Davis is expected to approach EU chiefs and argue the talks should take place in parallel.

A key document is expected on the Government's favoured approaches to enforcing rights outside the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Disagreement over the ECJ's role was a major sticking point during July's round of talks, with the UK aghast at Brussels' insistence that EU citizens' rights should be enforced by the court after Brexit.

Next week's paper will set out different possible approaches to end the "direct jurisdiction" of the ECJ but still enforce individuals' and businesses' rights after Brexit.

Big Ben should bong Britain out of EU, Brexit-backing MPs say

But first, a document on goods will emphasise the Government is seeking a deal to ensure the freest and most friction-less trade possible in goods and services.

At present, the EU's position is that only goods should be discussed in "phase one" of the negotiations, in which "sufficient progress" must be made before talks on a future trade deal can begin.

But Britain believes the goods and services sectors are impossible to separate and so wants to discuss them together.

Mr Davis said: "With the clock ticking, it wouldn't be in either of our interests to run aspects of the negotiations twice."

David Davis

Reuters

Michel Barnier

AP

Tim Barrow

AFP/Getty Images

Oliver Robbins

Sabine Weyand

Didier Seeuws

AFP/Getty Images

He went on: "This week we set out more detail of the future relationship we want with the European Union, putting forward imaginative and creative solutions to build a deep and special partnership with our closest neighbours and allies.

"In the coming days we will demonstrate our thinking even further, with five new papers - all part of our work to drive the talks forward, and make sure we can show beyond doubt that we have made sufficient progress on withdrawal issues by October so that we can move on to discuss our future relationship."

Another position paper on confidentiality will make clear the Government's intentions on ensuring official documents and information exchanged between the UK, EU and other member states remain protected after Brexit.

A document will also be published on civil judicial co-operation to reassure the domestic legal sector and with an eye on August's talks.

And a paper on data will seek to ensure that it continues to be passed between the UK and EU without disruption.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Mr Davis said some early discussion of the future trading relationship would help progress on the Irish border, a key issue in phase one of withdrawal talks.

"It is simply not possible to reach a near final agreement on the border issue until we've begun to talk about how our broader future customs arrangement will work," he said.

"Furthermore, if we get the comprehensive free trade agreement we're seeking as part of our future partnership, solutions in Northern Ireland are easier to deliver."

Meanwhile, Sir Paul Jenkins, who was the Government's most senior legal official for eight years until 2014, said Britain would have to replicate EU rules and submit to the ECJ "in all but name" if it wants to remove the need for hard borders.

Last week the Government published a paper setting out its wish for close customs arrangements with the EU and no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

"If the UK is to be part of something close enough to a customs union or the single market to remove the need for hard borders, it will only work if the rules are identical to the EU's own internal rules," Sir Paul told the Observer.

"Not only must they be the same but there must be consistent policing of those rules. If Theresa May's red line means we cannot be tied to the ECJ, the Brexit treaty will need to provide a parallel policing system.

"That may be a new court but, in reality, any new court will have to follow what the ECJ says about the EU's own rules, otherwise the new system won't work. So, never mind Theresa May's foolish red line; we will have the ECJ in all but name."

Additional reporting by Press Association

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David Davis: Trade talks with European Union must begin with 'clock ticking' over Brexit - Evening Standard

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has said the continent cannot rely on American military support in the long run, reiterating his previous calls for establishing Europes own integrated military.

It becomes clear that we cannot rely on American defense support in the long run, Juncker told the Austrian Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper.

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Speaking about the current state of European affairs, he said Europe only became stronger and more inclined to stick together after the British voted to leave the EU in their landmark 2016 referendum.

The 27-member bloc, he said, is steadily recovering from the crises it has faced since 2015, including the mass influx of refugees and the surprise election of Donald Trump as US president.

The veteran politician has consistently suggested that Europe become less dependent on its transatlantic ally in terms of military support. In June, he argued the European Union should cease outsourcing defense matters.

The protection of Europe can no longer be outsourced. Even our biggest military powers and I could count them on one, maximum two cannot combat all the challenges and threats alone, he said at the Prague Defense and Security Conference.

Less than three percent of Europes troops are combat-ready and fit for deployment, he said, while alluding to the creation of European Defense Fund to conduct defense-related research.

Juncker said Washington now believes they are shouldering too much of the burden for their wealthy European allies, which in turn should make Europe more pro-active in defending their interests.

Calls for a greater European military integration have also been voiced by other senior officials. Hans-Peter Bartels, the German parliaments Commissioner for the Armed Forces, said in June there will be a European army in the end, destined to unite disorganized, technically fragmented and duplicate structures.

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also championed the move to create a joint defense force on a number of occasions. "We should list the issue of security as a priority, and we should start setting up a common European army," he said last August at a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Polish, Czech and Slovak leaders in Warsaw.

Though the Treaty on European Union provides for substantial defense integration among member states, Europes own military structures remain embryonic.

There are several joint military formations operating under the auspices of the EU, including Eurocorps, formed by a Franco-German brigade, and a number of smaller battlegroups formed by specific countries across the continent.

The EU Military Staff (EUMS), which is attached to the office of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, oversees external deployments but does not act as a fully-fledged military HQ.

In June this year, the Council of Europe moved to create the so-called Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) to strengthen the EUMS. The new body will assume responsibility at the strategic level for the operational planning and conduct of the EUs non-executive military missions, the council said.

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Europe cannot rely on US support to defend itself EU Commission chief - RT

President Trump isset to address U.S. troops and the nation about the war in Afghanistan Monday night, the White House announced on Sunday, as the president considers whether to take a new approach to the conflict that has stretched on for 16 years.

Trump will "provide an update on the path forward for Americas engagement in Afghanistan and South Asia" at 9 p.m. ET, the White House said. The president is scheduled to speak from Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia.

The president hinted Saturday that he and top U.S. generals have agreed on a new strategy for America's longest war, after huddling Friday at the presidential Camp David retreat.

"Important day spent at Camp David with our very talented Generals and military leaders," Trump tweeted. "Many decisions made, including on Afghanistan."

Since taking office, Trump has considered several options for Afghanistan, from sending in additional troops to walking away from the war, an unlikely move considering U.S. concerns about thwarting Islamic terrorism.

Solutions for Afghanistan, which include ending the longest war in American history, eluded the Obama administration and have not come easily to Trump.

The challenge is largely how to step up the fight against terrorism in a way that advances peace prospects -- in large part because the Taliban have gained ground and show no interest in peace negotiations.

Trump met at the presidential retreat, in nearby western Maryland, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, top intelligence agency officials and other top military and diplomatic aides.

Mattis said earlier this week the administration was "very close" to finalizing a new approach, after the defense secretary presented the president with "several" options.

"I'm very comfortable that the strategic process wassufficiently rigorous," Mattis added, saying Trump asked questions about each option.

Months ago the Pentagon settled on a plan to send about 3,800 additional troops to strengthen the Afghan army, which is stuck in what some call a deteriorating situation with the Taliban insurgency. Within in the White House, questions persist about the wisdom of investing further resources in the war. Even if the administration decides to add more troops, it's unclear whether they could get there quickly enough to make a difference in the current Afghan fighting season, which winds down in autumn.

The administration has said its Afghanistan strategy will be informed by a review of its approach to the broader region, including Pakistan and India. The Taliban have long used Pakistan as a sanctuary, complicating efforts to defeat the insurgency in Afghanistan and stabilize the country. The region includes other actors who pose political problems for Washington, including Iran, which has influence in western Afghanistan.

Government forces also are battling an Islamic State affiliate that has carved out a foothold mostly in the east. Trump has vowed to crush ISIS, so its expansion in Afghanistan poses an additional challenge with no immediate solution. Just this week, a U.S. soldier was killed and nearly a dozen were wounded in combat with ISIS fighters.

The U.S. has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Their primary roles are to train and advise Afghan forces and to hunt down and kill members of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups.

Fox News' Kristin Brown, Joseph Weber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Trump to address nation on Afghanistan | Fox News