Mediaboss Marketing

Vice President Pence met with Egypts President Abdel Fattah Sisi on Saturday in a 2 1/2-hour session that focused, in part, on Egypts anger over President Trumps abrupt decision last month to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

We heard Al Sisi out, Pence, who is making his first official trip to the Middle East, told reporters after the meeting. He described the Egyptian leaders complaints as a disagreement between friends.

Last month, Egypt urged the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution rejecting Trumps decision on Jerusalem, which upended hopes for a negotiated peace deal with Palestinians. The U.S. vetoed the resolution, but the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a similar nonbinding resolution.

Pence is likely to hear similar concerns about Trumps Middle East policies at his next stop, in Amman, Jordan, where he arrived Saturday night for meetings with King Abdullah on Sunday. He goes to Israel after that but will not meet any Palestinian officials.

During their conversation, Pence said he told Sisi that the Trump administration would support a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians if both parties agree, long the basis for a proposed resolution of the conflict. My perception was that he was encouraged by that message, Pence said.

Pence is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Cairo since before the 2011 Arab Spring uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak, a longtime U.S.-backed strongman. Sisi, a former Army general, became president in 2014 after he helped lead a military coup in 2013 that ousted a democratically elected leader.

Pence said he and Sisi spoke about joint efforts to combat terrorism, including Egypts battle with Al Qaeda-linked insurgents in the Sinai.

The United States stands shoulder to shoulder with Egypt in their fight against terrorism in this country, he told reporters.

Pence also said he brought up U.S. concerns about religious freedom in Egypt and said Sisi assured him that he wants to promote religious diversity in Egypt.

Despite warming ties between Cairo and Washington, Sisi did not release any jailed journalists, human rights activists or other political prisoners as a goodwill gesture for Pences visit.

Pence said he had raised the plight of two Americans, Ahmed Etiwy and Moustafa Kassem, who are imprisoned in Egypt. He said Sisi assured him he would give very serious attention to both cases, although he did not offer to release them.

Etiwy, a 27-year-old student from New York, and Kassem, 52, an auto parts dealer from New York, were arrested along with hundreds of Egyptians after the 2013 military coup.

U.S. lawmakers have complained that at least 18 Americans are imprisoned in Egypt and its unclear why Pence focused on only those two.

Sisis authoritarian government has effectively banned protests and freedom of expression, jailed political opponents and conducted anti-gay persecution. In September, Human Rights Watch denounced what it called widespread and systematic use of torture by Egypts security forces.

Egyptian security blocked a dozen American reporters who had accompanied Pence from Washington from getting out of their bus when Pence arrived for his meeting with Sisi at the Al Etehadiya Palace. After prolonged negotiations by Pences aides, the media was escorted in after 90 minutes.

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

brian.bennett@latimes.com

Read the rest here:
Vice President Mike Pence gets an earful in Cairo on his ...

SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Rachel Axon breaks down how North Korea may participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. USA TODAY Sports

Adam Rippon is believed to be the first openly gay U.S. Winter Olympian.(Photo: Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)

Adam Rippon, the 2016 U.S. mens figure skating champion who is believed to be the first openly gay U.S. Winter Olympian, criticized the White Houses selection of Vice President Mike Pence to lead the 2018 U.S. Olympic delegation to South Korea in a phone interview with USA TODAY Sports Tuesday night.

You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? Rippon said. Im not buying it.

Rippon, 28, who was selected to his first Olympic team earlier this month after finishing fourth at the U.S. national championships, said that he would prefer not to meet Pence during the traditional meet-and-greet between the official delegation and U.S. athletes in the hours leading to the opening ceremony. Its possible Rippon would have to miss that event anyway to be part of the team figure skating competition.

More: Coming out changes the game for Olympian Gus Kenworthy

More: North and South Korea agree to form first unified Olympic team

If it were before my event, I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they arent a friend of a gay person but that they think that theyre sick, Rippon said. I wouldnt go out of my way to meet somebody like that.

I dont think he has a real concept of reality, Rippon said of Pence. To stand by some of the things that Donald Trump has said and for Mike Pence to say hes a devout Christian man is completely contradictory.If hes okay with whats being said about people and Americans and foreigners and about different countries that are being called shitholes,'I think he should really go to church."

The widespread belief that Pence supports gay conversion therapy comes from a statement he made in 2000 on his congressional campaign website: Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior. While he didnt explicitly mention gay conversion therapy, leaders in the LGBT community have said they believe thats what Pence meant in light of his long-standing opposition to gay rights. In November 2016, the New York Times reported that Pence's spokesman at the time, Marc Lotter, denied thatPence supports the practice.

After publication of this story Wednesday,Pence's press secretary Alyssa Farah emaileda statement to USA TODAY Sports:The vice president is proud to lead the U.S. delegation to the Olympics and support Americas incredible athletes. This accusation is totally false and has no basis in fact. Despite these misinformed claims, the vice president will be enthusiastically supporting all the U.S. athletes competing next month in Pyeongchang.

Rippon did say in his Tuesday night interviewthat if given a chance to meet Pence after competing (unlikely considering the relatively short length of any delegations visit to the Games), he would consider it.

If I had the chance to meet him afterwards, after Im finished competing, there might be a possibility to have an open conversation, Rippon said. He seems more mild-mannered than Donald Trump. But I dont think the current administration represents the values that I was taught growing up. Mike Pence doesnt stand for anything that I really believe in.Four years ago, President Barack Obama asked several openly-gay athletes to serve on the U.S. delegations to the opening and closing ceremonies in Sochi, including tennis legend Billie Jean King, Olympic figure skating gold medalist Brian Boitano and two-time Olympic hockey medalist Caitlin Cahow.

I think the move that President Obama made was very poignant and it was right in the midst of the huge controversy of gay propaganda being illegal in Russia, Rippon said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putins anti-gay efforts.

Rippon, who said he was bullied and teased as a boy growing up in Scranton, Pa., came out publicly as being gay in October 2015. He often talks about how he hopes his story can help others, especially young people who might be struggling with their sexuality.

Always outspoken, Rippon said recently he will not go to the White House for a post-Olympic celebration hosted by President Trump."I said no," he reiterated Tuesday. Legendary skier Lindsey Vonn has said she will not attend as well.

But Rippon also said he will not protest for gay rights or against the Trump administration in any way during the Olympics themselves.

No, Im a U.S. athlete representing my country. I will continue to share my story, but I will participate in no form of protest. Im representing myself and my country on the world stage. I have a lot of respect for this opportunity. What makes America great is that were all so different. Its 2018 and being an openly gay man and an athlete, that is part of the face of America now.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read the original:
Gay Olympian Adam Rippon doesn't want to meet Mike Pence at Games

The pastor at the church the vice-president attended in Maryland on Sunday said using the word shithole was dehumanizing and ugly

A Maryland pastor denounced Donald Trumps alleged vulgar description of African nations from the pulpit on Sunday while Mike Pence, the vice-president, was sitting in the pews of his church.

Maurice Watson, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist church in Largo, said remarks in which Trump reportedly used the word shithole to describe Haiti, El Salvador and African nations were dehumanizing and ugly.

WUSA-TV reported that Pence became red-faced at times during the sermon. In an email to the Associated Press on Monday, Pences office denied that.

Trump has denied using the word during an immigration discussion with congressional leaders in the Oval Office. On Sunday night he claimed to be the least racist person.

A Democratic senator who was in the room described Trumps choice of words. Two Republicans who also attended the meeting contested that version of events.

Dick Durbin of Illinois told reporters on Monday: I know what happened. I stand behind every word that I said.

Trump tweeted: Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military.

In his sermon on Sunday, Watson said whoever made such a statement was wrong and should be held accountable, and said he had felt led by God to speak up. Many of his congregants come from African nations, he said.

Worshippers stood and applauded.

View post:
Pastor denounces Donald Trump, with Mike Pence in the ...

In a triumphant turn of events last month, voters elected Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama over accused sexual predator and known homophobe Roy Moore. Shortly after the win, Joness son Carson Jones who at the time said he couldnt be prouder of his dad, confirmed to The Advocate that he's gay.

On Wednesday, Carson Jones stood side-by-side with his dad as his father took the Senate oath of office, administered by virulently homophobic VP Mike Pence. Shortly after, Carson Jones, who goes by TheDapperZookeeper on his Instagram page which includes celebratory photos of the day his father won the election, Pride photos, and a picture of him meeting Lance Bass at a gay bar posted a photo at the oath-taking in which he appears to be staring pointedly at Pence.

#nocaptionneeded is one of the hashtags Carson Jones invoked to describe the photo.

As governor of Indiana, Pence signed a license to discriminate law (later amended), which would have allowed businesses to refuse service to LGBT people, and pushed for his state to amend its constitution to ban marriage equality.

At the time of his fathers win, Carson Jones said, "I am obviously thrilled with my dads victory. We have been overwhelmed by the support of so many people that made this happen. Alabama made a really big statement that unity wins out. I couldnt be prouder of him or my home state!"

He also hashtagged the photo of the swearing-in with #wemadeit.

See the original post here:
Mike Pence Swears In Doug Jones as Gay Son Looks On ...

This weeks passage of the Republicans tax bill was largely seen as a major legislative victory forPresident Trump. In a meeting of Cabinet members Wednesday, Vice President Pence got right down to business singing his bosss praises.

In a three-minute speech, the vice president gushed about Trumps accomplishments once every 12 seconds, as The Washington Post pointed out.Pences pep talk included memorable praise such as telling Trump that he has unleashed American energy, signed more bills rolling back federal red tape than any president in American history, restored American credibility on the world stage and got Congress to do what they couldnt do for seven years, in repealing the individual mandate in Obamacare.

Pences speech was fodder for plenty of eye-rolling and jokes online, including from an unlikely source Dictionary.com.

Theres a word for a person who would praise someone every 12 seconds, the sites Twitter account posted Thursday, before linking to the dictionarys entry for sycophant.The tweet ended with the hashtags VP and Pence.

Sycophant, according to Dictionary.com, is a noun referring to a self-seeking, servile flatterer;fawning parasite. Synonyms, it said, include toady, yes man, flunky, fawner, flatterer.

Dictionary.com which bills itself asthe worlds leading digital dictionary has actually been a fairly regular and occasionally snarky critic of the Trump administration and the presidents own word choice. In late November, the site jokingly announced the word of the year would be covfefe, the confusing non-word Trump tweeted out in May.JUST KIDDING! the Dictionary.com tweet added, before announcing complicit as the actual 2017 winner a choice with its own political overtones.

The web sites Twitter account often bounces off the latest news, parsing the word choice of the president and administration officials.

More here:
Sycophant: Mike Pence provides teachable moment for ...