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President Trumps strategy for South Asia will undo the failed policies of the past and put the safety and security of the American people first.

Mike Pence: Donald Trumps new American strategy for Afghanistan will undo past failures Editorial USA Today August 21, 2017

President Trump has no higher priority than the safety and security of the American people. Since the very first day of our administration, he has taken decisive action to protect our citizens, our country and our very way of life and on Monday, President Trump announced a new strategy for addressing threats from Afghanistan and South Asia that will enhance the security of our homeland and protect our people from those who would do us harm.

The president has authorized our armed forces to directly target the terrorists and militant networks that sow violence and chaos throughout Afghanistan, who put our soldiers at risk and destabilize the region. He has lifted the restrictions that prevented our commanders in the field from fully using their judgment and expertise to carry out their critical missions.

Achieving this goal requires that both the Afghan authorities and the Taliban demonstrate political will to participate in a meaningful dialogue.

To be clear: Americas goal in Afghanistan is not to impose democracy or a strong central government that runs counter to Afghanistans tradition of local autonomy. Nonetheless, we insist that the Afghan government reduce corruption, implement reforms, and continue to strengthen its security forces, which have repeatedly proved their courage and resolve on the field of battle.

The previous administration alerted our enemies ahead of time by announcing troop numbers and timelines, something President Trump has wisely refused to do.

A stable Afghanistan will mean a safer America. To achieve this goal, President Trumps new strategy for South Asia also calls for a shift in Americas policy towards Pakistan, a place he refuses to ignore.

Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much more to lose by supporting terrorists. The president has put them on notice.

Finally, the president's strategy for South Asia involves a stronger strategic partnership with India the worlds largest democracy and a key security and economic partner.

President Trumps strategy for South Asia will undo the failed policies of the past and put the safety and security of the American people first.

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VPOTUS Mike Pence Editorial: Donald Trump's New American Strategy for Afghanistan Will Undo Past Failures - Whitehouse.gov (press release)

The answer to what we should do with all these troublesome Confederate monuments?

Just build more statues of other people!

Thats according to Vice President Mike Pence, who told Fox & Friends on Tuesday hed like to see the U.S.erect more statues for heroes instead of tearing down Confederate monumentsthat have graced our cities.

Obviously, I think that should always be a local decision, Pence said.But Im someone who believes in more monuments, not less monuments. What we ought to do is, we ought to remember our history, but we also ought to celebrate the progress that weve made since that history.

He added: Rather than tearing down monuments that have graced our cities all across this country for years, we ought to be building more monuments.

We ought to be celebrating the men and women who have helped our nation move toward a more perfect union and tell the whole story of America.

The debate over Confederate statues most of which were actually built during the Jim Crow era, decades after the Civil War has taken on renewed urgency after a white supremacist and neo-Nazi rally this month in Charlottesville, Virginia, left one dead and 19 injured.

The racist gathering, ostensibly to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, has inspired numerous other cities to consider removing their Confederate monuments.

Language in this story has been amended to clarify Pences remarks.

America does not do a good job of tracking incidents of hate and bias. We need your help to create a database of such incidents across the country, so we all know whats going on. Tell us your story.

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Mike Pence's Answer On Confederate Statues? Build More ...

(DORAL, Fla.) Vice President Mike Pence addressed a sympathetic crowd of Venezuelans in South Florida on Wednesday and pledged the U.S. will use its economic and diplomatic power to push for free elections.

Pence spoke at a church in the city of Doral, the exile enclave, to a crowd of about 300. They occasionally shouted "freedom, freedom" and cheered every time the vice president spoke of President Donald Trump's interest in Venezuela, a socialist nation that has been undergoing an economic crisis .

"Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the United States of America will continue to bring the full measure of American economic and diplomatic power to bear until democracy is restored in Venezuela," Pence said, threatening there were more sanctions to come against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

As other countries in Latin America have improved their economies, Venezuela has gone downhill, Pence said, calling Maduro's presidency, a "dictatorship."

"We hear you, we stand with you. We will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles," Pence said.

A woman held a sign at the event that read, "Venezuelan resistance asks for military resistance. We can't do it alone," an apparent reference to Trump's remarks earlier this month that there was a possibility for the U.S. to invade Venezuela.

Last week, Pence visited Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Panama in an attempt to rally the region against Venezuela, but because of Trump's comments, the vice president switched to damage control to soothe fears in a region scarred by past U.S. invasions.

In South Florida, Pence found a supportive and grateful crowd.

Earlier in the day, Pence met with 15 Venezuelan exiles in South Florida who said more help is needed to restore democracy in the socialist regime.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, and Republicans Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart joined Pence in listening to testimonies of established leaders of the Venezuelan diaspora and recently exiled politicians and judges.

Ramon Muchacho was the mayor of the municipality of Chacao since 2013 but fled in July, saying he was being persecuted by the government.

"There is no way to get (the government) out by democratic means," Muchacho said, pleading for more help from Latin America, the U.S. and Europe.

Two other mayors told Pence the U.S. government should impose more sanctions.

Carlos Vecchio, a well-known leader of an opposition party, said that Venezuela is a failed state that criminals had taken control of.

"It is a criminal state," Vecchio said. "It is led by a mafia involved in drug trafficking and close to terrorist groups."

Alejandro Jesus Rebolledo, a Venezuelan judge who fled the country recently, also accused the government of crimes such as money laundering and drug trafficking.

The country's vice president Tareck El Aissami was sanctioned by the Trump administration in February after being accused of running a drug trafficking network of corrupt officials in Venezuela. More recently, Washington slapped sanctions on Maduro and other top officials involved in the installation of a new, all-powerful constitutional assembly.

During the meeting, Ernesto Ackerman, a local leader of Venezuelan-Americans, approached Pence and gave him a black hat with the colors of the Venezuelan flag. It read, "Make Venezuela Great Again."

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'We Will Not Stand By as Venezuela Crumbles:' Mike Pence Tells Venezuelans - TIME

Mike Pence for president, I say president of the US Senate. Its just the assignment for a pickle like this, when President Trump isnt on speaking terms with his own partys leader in the upper house.

Trump is understandably upset at the failure of the Senate to pass health-care and tax reforms. Its gotten so bad with Mitch McConnell, according to CNN, that the two Republican titans have been cussing each other out.

Privately, The New York Times claims, McConnell has even been voicing doubts that the Trump presidency can be salvaged (not that the majority leaders own approval rating in Kentucky is, at 18 percent, so hot).

In Phoenix Tuesday, Trump mercilessly mocked the states senior senator, John McCain, a lion of the presidents own Republican Party. Thats because McCain cast the deciding vote against ObamaCare repeal.

Trump also tore into Arizonas other senator, Jeff Flake, another Republican. Plus, Trump has been feuding with GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

One might think that a president who is facing at least the possibility of impeachment would be more solicitous of such senators. If Trump were impeached, remember, the Senate would be the jury.

Thats not the Trump way, though. Heaven forfend. And this is where the tough but affable vice president ought to be able to help and, as a bonus, make a long overdue constitutional correction.

You can even argue that, technically, the vice president isnt even part of the executive branch. Unless the president quits, is ousted or dies, the veeps only enumerated constitutional duty is to preside over the Senate.

So why does Pence need two offices in the White House or even one? Why does he play the prop to Trump, introducing him at political rallies like he were a valet?

The point is not to distance Pence from Trump. Rather, to position him so he could play the most effective and constitutional role in helping the Trump presidency.

Pence could move his base out of the White House and Executive Office Building. He could set himself up in the Capitol, where the vice presidents room is one of Americas most magnificent offices.

The vice president doesnt need anyones permission to do this though, to be clear, he would certainly need Trumps assent for such a tack to be successful.

So why doesnt he re-base himself on the Hill and get to work shoring up support for the presidents program? And restoring the vice presidency to its original and sole constitutional duty.

The plain language of the Constitution suggests the VP doesnt have much choice. It says he shall be president of the Senate. He may get to vote only when theres a tie, but can preside when he wants. (Its only when hes absent that the Senate gets to pick a temporary president.)

Whats so attractive about Pence moving to the Senate is that hes perfect for the job. Hes a policy and principles person whos four-square for the GOP platform. And hes got experience on the Hill he was a six-term congressman before becoming governor of Indiana, and in his last term he served as chair of the Republican Caucus, a leadership position.

True, the Senate isnt the House but legislative experience and a history of working with Hill colleagues should be much in demand in the Trump administration.

Its not just health care and taxes. In Phoenix, Trump talked about the importance of the Second Amendment. Yet national gun-permit reciprocity is stalled in the Senate. The president will also need Congress on board if military action against North Korea becomes necessary.

The Senates floundering on ObamaCare repeal shocked the 30 states that voted to make Trump president and Pence vice president. If the Republican senators cant get it done, why not try the vice president?

No doubt the vice presidency has been much derided. John Nance Garner said it wasnt worth a bucket of warm spit (or some other liquid). Vice President Hannibal Hamlin took work as a cook for the Coast Guard.

Maybe, though, Pence could make something of it. It wasnt until Richard Nixon became vice president that veeps insinuated themselves into the executive branch in the first place. Pence could lead the counter-revolution.

The Hoosier could give a daily press briefing in his majestic office in the Capitol. He could try presiding vocally from the chair and working the corridors when he wasnt presiding.

Trump could certainly use the help. It might not work. But its hard to see how it could hurt. Its not as if the current leadership of the Senate has got a lot to show for itself.

The rest is here:
Trump should send in Pence to get the Senate moving - New York Post

Vice-president Mike Pence enjoyed Monday's solar eclipse from atop the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, alongside students from the Cornerstone Christian School, who joined him for the 'Great American Eclipse' viewing event. (Aug. 21) AP

Vice President Mike Pence, watches the solar eclipse, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington.(Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP)

WASHINGTON During the nation's last solar eclipse in 1979, Vice President Pence figureshe was probably standing in his back yard in Columbus, Ind., using a piece of cardboard with a pinhole to view the sun.

Thats the way we did it back then, he told students from the Cornerstone Christian Schools invited Monday to watch the eclipse with him. I didnt have these really cool glasses.

Pence also had a better viewing platform this time, the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory, one of the nations oldest academic and scientific institutions as well as the location of the vice presidents home.

Its the perfect spot for the lifelong NASA fan, who said he caught space fever as a young boy. As vice president, Pence is heading the National Space Council recently re-established by President Trump.

As Trump glances at solar eclipse without glasses, aide yells, 'Dont look!'

Eclipse-viewing party in the air; special airline flight had a sky-high look

After former astronaut Pam Melroy introduced Pence to the students as a true space enthusiast, he encouraged her to stay by his side.

I like to be seen with astronauts, he said.

The students were gathered in the Naval Observatorys circular library where the portraitsof astronomers such as Asaph Hall who discovered the moons of Mars looked down on them.

Brad Bailey, associate director for science at NASA, explained that eclipses have led to hundreds of scientific discoveries, including helium and proving that Albert Einstein was correct that mass warps space time.

But in ancient times, Bailey said, people thought eclipses were caused by sky jaguars chasing the sun and slowly devouring it. The only way to stop them was for everyone to scream.

So maybe well have to go out and yell at the sky a little bit later, he said.

But first, Pence led the students into the observatorys circular telescope room. A filter had been placed on the end of the more than 130-year-old telescope to make viewing the sun safe for the eyes.

Thats amazing, Pence said of the partial eclipse as he peered in the lens.

He helped a student get in position for a peek.

Youve got to shut one eye, he explained.

In Washington, the moon would cover only 81.12 percent "give-or-take" of the sun, Bailey explained.

As it reached that point, Pence led the students onto the balcony, reminding them not to look at the sun without their glasses.

Youve got to have the shades on, he said, asking one of them: Is this a good look for me or not?

One student asked Bailey what would happen if he looked at the sun without glasses.

I wouldnt recommend it, Bailey said.

The students alternated between gazingat the eclipse, posing for photos with Pence, and being asked if they wanted to become astronomers or astronauts. Melroy had already told them they are exactly the right age to be the first person to set foot on Mars, if thats what you want to do.

What Jordan Battle, 16, wanted to do was yell at the sky jaguars to get the sun to come back.

Count down: 3 2 1! Bailey said, prompting a group yell.

Its working! Battle said.

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Vice President Mike Pence shares space enthusiasm with students at eclipse viewing party - USA TODAY