**Written by Doug Powers

All hands on deck for another Sunday open thread & news recount. A few things to kick it off…

Is there anything funnier than watching the people who applauded the Iran deal, approved sending over a billion in cash to the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism and powder-puffed the life of a brutal communist dictator freak out over Trump accepting a phone call from the president of Taiwan?

Over the past two decades, Taiwan has slipped from its position atop the list of flash points in the complex relationship between the United States and China. In meetings between President Obama and President Xi Jinping of China, it has typically come up after half a dozen more pressing issues, like trade, cyberattacks and Beijing’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea.

Now, though, in a single protocol-shattering phone call with the president of Taiwan, President-elect Donald J. Trump has thrust it back on the table. Not since President Richard M. Nixon met with Mao Zedong in 1972 — when the two issued the Shanghai Communiqué clarifying the status of Taiwan — has an American leader so shaken up the diplomatic status quo on the issue.
[…]
In the short run, Mr. Trump has rattled the entire region. Representatives of several Asian countries contacted the White House on Saturday to express concern, according to a senior administration official.

The DNC said Trump’s Taiwan call threatens national security, and Josh Earnest urged Trump to first seek advice from the State Department that thinks the Iran deal and normalizing relations with communist Cuba is a good idea before acting so rashly again:

“Donald Trump is either too incompetent to understand that his foolish phone call threatens our national security, or he’s doing it deliberately because he reportedly wants to build hotels in Taiwan to pad his own pockets,” said DNC spokesman Eric Walker.
[…]
White House press secretary Josh Earnest urged Trump to take advantage of diplomatic know-how as he contacts foreign leaders ahead of his inauguration in January.

“I’m confident that as President-elect Trump takes office, those same State Department employees will stand ready to offer him advice as he conducts the business of the United States overseas,” Earnest said. “Hopefully he’ll take it.”

Trump’s call with Taiwan also had the Hollywood Left shedding tears all over their Che t-shirts and Hugo Chavez signature bed sheets in fear that Trump’s talk might have ticked off some communist China leaders.

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If Trump really wants to send some people over the edge, his next conversation will be a call to some national figures with a huge following who are now accused of being a threat to human rights everywhere. I’m referring of course to HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” couple Chip and Joanna Gaines. Buzzfeed had quite the scoop earlier in the week:

If the Gaines’ ever called the president of Taiwan the headquarters of Buzzfeed would collapse. Come to think of it, would make for the funniest “Fixer Upper” episode ever.

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Jill Stein’s finally raised enough money and padded her 2020 email list for the Green Party under the guise of attempting to ensure “election integrity” that she’s ready to accept the results and move on. JUST KIDDING:

If this pace keeps up each extra Hillary vote discovered in the recount will cost about a million bucks each.

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Jennifer Granholm has helpfully pointed out how even Democrats in Michigan didn’t like Hillary, though that’s probably not what she had in mind:

Granholm doesn’t give herself nearly enough credit for creating a lot of disenchanted Michigan voters as she should.

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Nancy Pelosi, who House Dems elected as their leader again, was on Face the Nation this morning discussing the future of the Democratic Party.

If what the Democrats have done the last several years were a stage play, the following announcement would be heard before each performance: “Due to an illness in the cast of ‘DNC: A Night To Remember,’ Rep. Pelosi will be playing the roles of Titanic AND Iceberg this evening.”

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It sounds like Anthony Weiner’s having financial trouble, but at least now he has his phone back:

Anthony Weiner is apparently so broke that he had to cut short his rehabilitation for sexting addiction at a Tennessee ranch.

“His family wanted him to stay 90 days, but he had to leave because he ran out of money,” one source told me.

It is believed Weiner — known as Carlos Danger by some crotch-shot recipients — was billed $25,000 for the 35-day program at the Recovery Ranch.

“His parents took out a mortgage on their house to pay for his rehab,” my source said.

What are the odds that Hillary will loan him some money?

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Meanwhile, the NY Times is breaking the stories that matter:

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The Hunt for Hill:

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Need a good Christmas gift idea? Keep looking:

The scent is a rich mixture of chai tea, maple and a hint of Castro’s Cohiba.

Have a good Sunday all!

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe