NFL Take a Knee Cartoons

The NFL's proposed $100 million in donations is a foolish political stunt

The NFL, beleaguered by player protests during playing of the national anthem that have angered many fans and lowered TV ratings for its games, has doubled down on liberal politics.

As you’ve probably heard by now, the league proposed last week to join players in donating nearly $100 million to what ESPN called “causes important to African-American communities.”

But in reality, the proposal is  nothing more than a political stunt designed to score brownie points with the mainstream media – from ESPN and Sports Illustrated, to the New York Times.
The NFL wants to partner with the Players Coalition, which represents players “protesting social injustices and racism,” along with a pair of liberal nonprofits – the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and Dream Corps.
According to ESPN: “The NFL hopes this effort will effectively end the peaceful-yet-controversial movement that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started when he refused to stand for the national anthem last season.”

Don’t be fooled. The NFL’s donation isn’t about “social causes” or “racial equality.” It’s about America’s favorite football league caving to left-wing activists.

Both the UNCF and Dream Corps, which have been critical of President Trump, would each receive $25 million under the NFL proposal. The Players Coalition would get the rest of the money to make charitable contributions to other organizations.
As soon as the news broke, ESPN praised the “donation to social justice organizations” in the enduring “push for racial equality.” Sports Illustrated claimed the plan would “address social justice issues” that will “help in African-American communities.” The New York Times seized on the proposal, saying it will “aid social causes.”
Don’t be fooled. The NFL’s donation isn’t about “social causes” or “racial equality.” It’s about America’s favorite football league caving to left-wing activists.
Just follow the money, which would ironically come from the NFL owners who many liberals have vilified as “racist” for denying Kaepernick a job he doesn’t deserve. Kaepernick has not been hired by another team this season, after leaving the 49ers. 
The UNCF has criticized President Trump’s education budget in recent months. The Dream Corps is a nonprofit advocacy group founded by CNN commentator Van Jones, who called President Trump’s election victory a “whitelash.”
Dream Corps is essentially a promotional vehicle for Jones, featuring his new book and other racially charged political commentary. One of the group’s top issues is an “inclusive green economy” to “lift people out of poverty” – because there’s nothing low-income Americans need more, of course, than stricter environmental regulations.
Moreover, Dream Corps sponsored the anti-Trump “We Rise Tour” and provides catchy posters for its ongoing “Anti-Fascist War.” One reads: “Real Men Rep the F-Word #Feminist.” Another proclaims: “No Ban. No Wall. Sanctuary for All.”
You get the picture. Instead of bringing Americans together around a national pastime, the NFL is standing with multimillionaire anthem kneelers and funding the anti-Trump resistance movement. Some way to market to President Trump’s 63 million supporters!
The NFL would be better off appeasing its loyal fans than liberal activists. All three of the league’s Thanksgiving games saw double-digit drops in viewership from the previous year. Meanwhile, NFL merchandise sales have fallen by 20 percent in recent years. People are changing the channel and their shopping habits.
The same goes for ESPN, which has inundated Americans with pro-Kaepernick and anti-Trump coverage for months. The network recently laid off 150 more employees, bringing the total number of 2017 layoffs to 250 workers.
Memo to the sports industry: Stick to sports – or face extinction.

After Steinle verdict, rep unveils bill to imprison officials who shelter illegal immigrants

A Republican congressman plans to introduce a bill Monday that would threaten huge fines and prison time for elected officials accused of sheltering illegal immigrant criminals from deportation, in the wake of the not-guilty verdict in the Kate Steinle murder trial. 

Indiana Rep. Todd Rokita’s bill is one of the most aggressive pieces of legislation to date aimed at sanctuary city policies, going beyond the Justice Department’s threat to cut off grants to those jurisdictions. 

“Politicians don’t get to pick and choose what laws to comply with,” Rokita told Fox News. “Americans are dying because politicians sworn to uphold the law refuse to do so.”
His “Stopping Lawless Actions of Politicians (SLAP) Act” would hold state and local lawmakers criminally responsible for refusing to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The Republican’s bill would subject violators to a $1 million fine and up to five years in prison if they are convicted.
“It’s time the federal government gets serious about enforcing immigration laws and holding politicians accountable who conspire to break them,” said Rokita.
Rokita also supported “Kate’s Law” – legislation that would boost penalties for illegal immigrants who were previously deported and that was named after Steinle.
On Thursday, Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an illegal immigrant who already had been deported back to Mexico five times, was acquitted in the 2015 murder of Steinle on a San Francisco pier.
Zarate’s attorneys argued Zarate had found a gun that accidentally discharged, and the bullet ricocheted off the ground before hitting Steinle. Prosecutors argued Zarate intentionally shot 32-year-old Steinle.
The killing revived a national debate over sanctuary city policies, as some lawmakers as well as Steinle’s family faulted San Francisco for releasing the suspect from a local jail without notifying federal immigration officials. 
President Trump, who frequently cited Steinle’s case on the campaign trail, called the not-guilty verdict “disgraceful” and a “complete travesty of justice.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions took direct aim at the city, saying San Francisco’s “decision to protect criminal aliens led to the preventable and heartbreaking death of Kate Steinle.” 
In an interview prior to Thursday’s verdict, Steinle’s family said they wanted the case out of the national spotlight. “We just want to get this over with and move on with our lives, and think about Kate on our terms,” Jim Steinle, Kate’s father, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Following the verdict, he said his family was shocked Zarate was convicted only of firearm possession.
On Friday, the DOJ released an amended arrest warrant for Zarate for a supervised release violation.
Rokita’s bill follows a similar attempt in Texas to punish local officials who ignore federal requests to hold and then potentially turn over suspects for possible deportation. That law is the subject of a federal court challenge.

Holder, Comey fight Trump's FBI slam: 'Not letting this go'

Agencies accused of withholding key documents, FBI witness that could shed light on whether U.S. officials relied on anti-Trump 'dossier' to justify surveillance against associates of Donald Trump; chief Washington correspondent James Rosen reports.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder and ex-FBI Director James Comey fired back Sunday at President Trump, who claimed the FBI’s reputation is in “tatters” after its handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

“Nope. Not letting this go. The FBI’s reputation is not in 'tatters,'” Holder, who served as attorney general under President Obama, tweeted. “It’s composed of the same dedicated men and women who have always worked there and who do a great, apolitical job.”

Holder added, “You’ll find integrity and honesty at FBI headquarters and not at 1600 Penn Ave right now,” referring to the White House.
Trump earlier Sunday said that “after years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters – worst in history! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness.”
The president’s tweet followed news that FBI agent Peter Strzok was removed from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia because of anti-Trump text messages he may have sent.
Meanwhile, Comey tweeted what seemed to be a response of his own, quoting a statement he gave to the Senate Intelligence Committee last June: “I want the American people to know this truth: The FBI is honest. The FBI is strong. And the FBI is, and always will be, independent.”
The FBI Agents Association also chimed in. FBIAA President Thomas O’Connor said: “Every day, FBI Special Agents put their lives on the line to protect the American public from national security and criminal threats. Agents perform these duties with unwavering integrity and professionalism and a focus on complying with the law and the Constitution.”
O’Connor continued, ”This is why the FBI continues to be the premier law enforcement agency in the world. FBI Agents are dedicated to their mission; suggesting otherwise is simply false.”
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who was fired by Trump after she sent a memo instructing Justice Department attorneys not to defend the administration's refugee ban, tweeted Sunday night: "The FBI is in 'tatters?' No. The only thing in tatters is the President’s respect for the rule of law. The dedicated men and women of the FBI deserve better."
TRUMP RELOADS ON FBI'S CLINTON EMAIL PROBE, AFTER REPORTS OF 'TAINTED' ANTI-TRUMP AGENT
Trump frequently has asked why the FBI and the Justice Department haven’t filed criminal charges against Clinton.
Later Sunday, he tweeted, “Now it all starts to make sense!” in response to word that the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General is reviewing the role Strzok played in the Clinton email investigation.

Graham warns Trump about tweeting during Russia probe

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on Sunday warned President Trump to use caution before tweeting about the ongoing investigation into contacts between his campaign and Russia.

Sen. Lindsey Graham told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the president could be wading into “peril” by tweeting on the Russia probe.

“I would just say this with the president: There’s an ongoing criminal investigation. You tweet and comment regarding ongoing criminal investigations at your own peril,” he said.
Trump has long maintained that his use of social media gives him the opportunity to bypass the media and speak directly to the country. He credits Twitter for -- at least in part -- helping him defeat Hillary Clinton.
Trump is focusing renewed attacks on the FBI, and on the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, two days after his former national security adviser Michael Flynn agreed to cooperate with the probe as part of a plea agreement.
But recent posts have raised eyebrows, namely the tweet that claimed that he never asked then-FBI Director James Comey to stop investigating Flynn. A position that Reuters pointed out is at odds with Comey’s account.
Trump tweeted Saturday that he fired Flynn “because he lied to the Vice President (Mike Pence) and the FBI.”
The timing of when Trump learned of Flynn lying to the FBI is important in the investigation. Legal experts told Reuters that if Trump called off Comey’s investigation after learning about Flynn's action, it could support an obstruction of justice charge for Trump.
John Dowd, Trump’s attorney, told Reuters that the first time Trump learned that Flynn lied to the FBI was when Flynn was charged.
Dowd said he crafted wording in the tweet and it was botched. Dowd said it was the first and last time he would craft a tweet for Trump and said “sorry” for misleading people.
“The mistake was I should have put the lying to the FBI in a separate line referencing his plea,” he told Reuters. “Instead, I put it together and it made all you guys go crazy. A tweet is shorthand.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that evidence is coming partly from "the continual tweets" from the White House.
Feinstein said she believes Trump's firing of Comey came "directly because he did not agree to lift the cloud of the Russia investigation." She said, "That's obstruction of justice."