Dem 'cannabis candidate' accused of abusing women, overstating 'Iraq veteran' claim

A Democrat seeking a U.S. House seat in Illinois – who attracted attention for a campaign ad showing him smoking pot – now faces accusations that he has abused women and misleadingly described himself as an “Iraq veteran" and "former FBI agent."

Benjamin Thomas Wolf, who is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, came under fire after an ex-girlfriend alleged he acted abusively and intentionally revealed her name and home address on social media, a practice called “doxing.”

“He actually hit me, threw me to the ground, put his foot on my chest. He was really angry. He grabbed my face,” Katarina Coates, who interned for Wolf’s campaign, told Politico.

"He actually hit me, threw me to the ground, put his foot on my chest. He was really angry. He grabbed my face."

She added: “I thought it was normal. I cannot explain the logic. It seemed like he cared about me when he did that. After that time he stood on my chest, he went and took me for chocolate cake. I kind of associated it with his caring.
"There were times I would ask him, 'Do you ever regret hitting me?' He would say: 'No, but I'm relieved when you put your head down so I don't have to do it again.'"
DEM CANDIDATE WHO SMOKED POT IN CAMPAIGN AD SAYS HE’LL ‘DEFINITELY’ GET HIGH IF HE WINS
The woman said she did not report Wolf to police, but reached out to officials at both DePaul University, where she was studying, and Roosevelt University, where Wolf claims to be an adjunct professor.
Coates said that after she contacted DePaul campus security regarding Wolf in April 2017, a security officer told her Wolf was banned from campus.
“Ben is not allowed in campus. He does know that as I told him that personally,” Michael Dohm, deputy director of public safety at DePaul, told the woman via email, Politico reported.
But the ban was not prompted by Coates’ allegations. Instead, it reportedly was imposed after a DePaul professor named Jason Hill heard another student's accusation about an encounter with Wolf.
Hill told Politico that Wolf later sent him a number of threatening messages. “He wrote a lot of nasty letters to me encouraging me to kill myself. He said: ‘You should just commit suicide,’” Hill said.
Another ex-girlfriend, Kari Fitzgerald, also made accusations against Wolf, saying that although he was not violent toward her, he showed “abusive, escalating behavior.”
Wolf told Politico he denies the accusations of abuse. However, the Democrat also faces scrutiny over alleged claims of being an “Iraq veteran” and “former FBI agent.”
The candidate has reportedly never been a member of the armed forces, but says on his website that he has been a diplomat in the Foreign Service under the State Department during the Iraq war. One tweet from him reportedly read: "Wolf served multiple terms in Africa and Iraq. Wolf for Congress."
The candidate contends that one does not have to be in the military to call oneself a veteran.

"People in the military get upset when I say I served in Iraq. The military doesn't have a patent on the word 'served.'"

- Benjamin Thomas Wolf, Democrat running for a U.S. House seat in Illinois

“People in the military get upset when I say I served in Iraq. The military doesn't have a patent on the word 'served,’” he told Politico.
In a news release last week, Wolf’s campaign also identified him as a “former FBI agent,” despite contrary claims by the agency.
A spokesperson for the FBI told the Chicago Tribune that the candidate worked at the agency as “a non-special agent professional support employee” rather than an agent.
Wolf confirmed to the outlet that he failed the FBI’s agent test but denied he ever identifies himself as such, adding that there is a small difference between his role at the agency and that of actual FBI agents.

Sessions blasts ‘radical’ move by California to block ICE raids, says move akin to ‘open borders’

Jeff Sessions, the U.S. attorney general, on Wednesday told Fox News that California is “not entitled” to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and vowed that the federal government will not allow the Golden State to flout immigration laws.

Sessions called the state’s actions “radical," and reminded other sanctuary city states that “federal law determines immigration policy,” not states.

He told Shannon Bream, the host of “Fox News @ Night,” he is not happy with comments by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who on Wednesday slammed the ICE raids in the state last week as "unjust and cruel."

"Why do we have ICE officers? Are they just going to sit in their offices and do nothing?"

Federal immigration agents arrested more than 150 people in California in the days after Oakland's mayor gave early warning of the raids over the weekend late last month.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf warned residents that "credible sources" had told her a sweep was imminent, calling it her "duty and moral obligation" to warn families.
California lawmakers from Gov. Jerry Brown down to local mayors have resisted a Trump administration immigration crackdown that they contend is arbitrarily hauling in otherwise law-abiding people and splitting up families that include U.S.-born children.
“We wanted a healthy and good relationship with [California], but federal law determines immigration policy," he said. "The state of California is not entitled to block that activity. Somebody needs to stand up and say no, you’ve gone too far, you cannot do this, this is not reasonable.  It’s radical, really.”
The attorney general said California's position essentially amounted to adopting "open borders." He denied that the federal government wants to commandeer state authorities.
"People have tried to spin this as somehow we're demanding that state and local officials go out and do the work of the federal government," Sessions said. "We just cannot allow them to obstruct or block" federal officers, he said.
"We cannot accept this," he reiterated.
PELOSI SLAMS 'UNJUST AND CRUEL' ICE RAID
Sessions said there is "nothing wrong" with ICE raids.
"Why do we have ICE officers?" Sessions asked. "Are they just going to sit in their offices and do nothing?"
Sessions also spoke to the recent calls for a second Special Counsel, saying he has “a responsibility to ensure the integrity of the FISA process” and that he will “consider their request.
 “I have great respect for Mr. Gowdy and Chairman Goodlatte, and we're going to consider seriously their recommendations.”          
Sessions also cooled off rumors about tension between the president and himself, saying that he “believes in the policies he’s advancing.”
“I think President Trump moves the ball.  He can get things done that I’m not sure any other person in America could get done,” he said.

Hollywood Politician Cartoons

Bernie Sanders' stepdaughter loses bid for mayor of Burlington, Vermont

Carina Driscoll, stepdaughter of Sen. Bernie Sanders, lost her bid for mayor of Burlington, Vermont.  (AP)

The stepdaughter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has lost her bid to become mayor of Vermont’s largest city, the same city where her stepfather launched his political career.

Carina Driscoll, a former state legislator, lost Tuesday’s election for Burlington mayor to the incumbent, Miro Weinberger. This will be Weinberger’s third three-year term as mayor.   

Driscoll, who ran as an independent, claimed on the campaign trail that Weinberger, a Democrat, catered private investors instead of advocating for the voters.
However, Driscoll’s campaign was surrounded by controversy early on.
She was slammed for payments her business received from a college her mother used to run.
According to a report, Driscoll’s Vermont Woodworking School received $500,000 from Burlington College between 2009 and 2012. Her mother, Jane O’Meara Sanders, was president of the college from 2004-2011.
Driscoll was endorsed by Vermont’s Progressive Party.

'Sex and the City' star considers run against New York's Cuomo

Actress Cynthia Nixon arrives at the 31st Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., Feb. 27, 2016.  (Reuters)

Cynthia Nixon, who played Miranda Hobbes on HBO's “Sex and the City,” is reportedly considering challenging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his bid for re-election this year.

Cuomo, a Democrat, is still popular, but is viewed as vulnerable because of his his frayed relationship with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and because of the city's constant transit issues.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Cuomo brushed off the possible challenge from Nixon in September's Democratic primary, saying, "You can’t let these things bother you. Otherwise you won’t last long."

"You can’t let these things bother you. Otherwise you won’t last long."

Nixon, an education activist, has been openly critical of Cuomo. The paper reported that she once said the Cuomo was “shortchanging the children of New York.”
Nixon told NBC's “Today” show in August that there were “a lot of people who would like me to run.”
NY1 reported that Nixon has started to build a campaign staff, which includes two people who worked on de Blasio’s first mayoral campaign.
“Many concerned New Yorkers have been encouraging Cynthia to run for office, and as she has said previously, she will continue to explore it,” Rebecca Capellan, Nixon’s publicist, told the Times in a statement. “If and when such a decision is made, Cynthia will be sure to make her plans public.”
Cuomo has already announced he will seek a third term in November and is a potential 2020 presidential candidate. Nixon would be the state’s first female and openly gay governor, the Times reported.
A recent poll suggests a growing dissatisfaction with Cuomo among liberals. The Siena College poll released last month found 53 percent of voters view Cuomo favorably, while 40 percent said they don't. That compares to 62-30 percent in January's Siena poll.
Arthur Schwartz, an organizer for the New York Progressive Action Network, told the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester that he hopes someone comes forward to challenge Cuomo.

Cynthia Nixon, second from right, starred on "Sex and the City" from 1998 to 2004.

He said, "We’re hoping that either Stephanie or Cynthia Nixon run, but neither one has indicated to us that they are near a decision."
Schwartz was referring to former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner. 

Gary Cohn, WH chief economic adviser, announces resignation hours after signaling he won't back tariffs

White House national economic council director Gary Cohn will resign from his post, the White House confirmed Tuesday, in yet another high-profile departure from the Trump administration in recent weeks.

Cohn, who served as President Trump’s chief economic adviser since the beginning of the administration, opposed Trump's planned tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, first announced last week, and reportedly tried getting the president to change course. Hours before his resignation was announced, Trump set a “line in the sand” asking Cohn if he would support the tariffs -- and Cohn did not answer, a White House official and an outside adviser to the president told Fox News.

Cohn had been discussing with the president his transition out of the White House for several weeks.
“It has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people, in particular the passage of historic tax reform,” Cohn said in a statement to Fox News. “I am grateful to the President for giving me this opportunity and wish him and the Administration great success in the future.”
White House officials told Fox News that Cohn's departure date is to be determined, but it's expected to be a few weeks from now. Trump tweeted Tuesday night: “Will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. Many people wanting the job - will choose wisely!”
Trump's questioning of Cohn earlier Tuesday was reported first by Bloomberg.

Cohn opposed Trump's planned tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, first announced last week.  (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly, File)

Cohn’s policy portfolio included tax and retirement, infrastructure, the financial system, energy and environment, healthcare, agriculture, global economics, international trade and development, and technology, telecommunications and cybersecurity.
Cohn helped to advance the president’s deregulatory agenda, and to organize his participation in the World Economic Forum in January 2018.
“Gary has been my chief economic advisor and did a superb job in driving our agenda, helping to deliver historic tax cuts and reforms and unleashing the American economy once again,” Trump said in a statement. “He is a rare talent, and I thank him for his dedicated service to the American people.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said Cohn served his country with “great distinction” and dedicated his “skill and leadership to grow the U.S. economy” and “pass historic tax reform.”
“I will miss having him as a partner in the White House, but he departs having made a real impact in the lives of the American people,” Kelly said in a statement Tuesday.
Over the summer, Cohn reportedly drafted a resignation letter, following the president's response to the violence in Charlottesville, Va.
Cohn’s White House departure comes just one week after White House Communications Director Hope Hicks resigned from her post, after serving for several months.
Tuesday afternoon, the president pushed back against news reports of a dysfunctional West Wing, saying that "everybody wants to work in the White House."
"I like conflict," Trump said in a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, noting that the West Wing has "tremendous energy" and that the White House is a "great place to be working."
TRUMP ON TURBULENCE IN THE WEST WING: 'I LIKE CONFLICT' 
"Many, many people want every single job," Trump said, adding that "there will be people that change," but said, "Believe me, everybody wants to work in the White House. They want a piece of the Oval Office, they want a piece of the West Wing."
The Trump administration has seen plenty of turnover in its first 14 months. Last month, Hicks stepped down; a senior communications official who worked closely with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Josh Raffel left his post. Earlier in February, White House staff secretary Rob Porter, and White House speechwriter David Sorenson, left the administration after domestic abuse allegations.

Trump DOJ sues California over 'interference' with immigration enforcement

The Trump Justice Department filed a lawsuit Tuesday night against California, saying three recently-passed state laws were deliberately interfering with federal immigration policies.

It marked the latest legal and political confrontation with the nation's most populous state, which the federal government says has repeatedly stood in the way of its plans to step up enforcement actions in the workplace and against criminal aliens.

"The Department of Justice and the Trump Administration are going to fight these unjust, unfair, and unconstitutional policies," Attorney General Jeff Sessions was expected to tell California law enforcement officers on Wednesday. "We are fighting to make your jobs safer and to help you reduce crime in America."
The state's Democratic governor, Jerry Brown, fired back: “At a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Jeff Sessions has come to California to further divide and polarize America. Jeff, these political stunts may be the norm in Washington, but they don’t work here. SAD!!!”
Federal officials are seeking an injunction to immediately block enforcement of the three California laws, each enacted within the past year.
One of those laws offers additional worker protections against federal immigration enforcement actions. Senior Justice Department officials have said it's prevented companies from voluntarily cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
Employers are mandated under the law to demand ICE agents present a warrant or subpoena before entering certain areas of the premises, or when accessing some employee records.
Some companies have complained they've felt torn between trying to comply with seemingly contradictory state and federal statutes, since penalties for non-compliance can be steep from both entities.
Another state law dubbed known by critics as the "sanctuary state" bill protects immigrants without legal residency by limiting state and municipal cooperation with the feds, including what information can be shared about illegal-immigrant inmates.
A third law gives state officials the power to monitor and inspect immigrant detention facilities either run directly by, or contracted through, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Justice Department has said it's confident the Constitution's Supremacy Clause gives it broad authority to supersede state laws that it says interfere with its immigration enforcement obligations.
Still, state officials in the past have cited the 10th Amendment’s guarantee of states not being compelled to enforce federal laws.
“We’ve seen this B-rated movie before. So we’re not totally surprised,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in response to the new lawsuit. 
The Justice Department is also reviewing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's decision to warn of an immigration sweep in advance, which ICE said allowed hundreds of immigrants to escape detention. “Oakland is a city of immigrants. We will continue to exercise our legal right to exist as a sanctuary city. We will continue to inform all residents about their Constitutional rights, and we will continue to support California’s sanctuary status,” the Democratic mayor responded.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH SEX, ROBBERY CONVICTIONS AMONG THOSE WHO EVADED CAPTURE AFTER OAKLAND MAYOR'S WARNING
An estimated 2.5 million immigrants are believed to be in California illegally. In the most recent figures, ICE has reported about 16 percent of its enforcement apprehensions take place in that state.
The latest legal action by the Trump administration is part of an aggressive push to enforce existing immigration laws, with Sessions in previous remarks citing a porous U.S. border with Mexico, and the threat of criminal activity by immigrant gangs.
Federal officials repeatedly have cited the case of Kate Steinle, shot to death by an illegal alien and seven-time felon in San Francisco, one of 35 communities in the state declaring itself a "sanctuary city."
The Justice Department in January threatened California and other states with subpoenas and a loss of grant money for repeatedly failing to respond to requests for immigration compliance under a federal law known as Section 1373.
Federal officials would not say whether other states were at risk of similar lawsuits over their alleged non-compliance with immigration laws.
A coordinated ICE enforcement action last month on businesses in the Los Angeles area netted 212 people arrested for violating federal immigration laws, 88 percent of whom were convicted criminals, officials said.

Liberal Cartoons

Netanyahu gets VIP treatment from Trump after years of frosty relations with Obama

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted one another warmly Monday at the White House, touting U.S.-Israeli relations as “the best” they have ever been, in a sharp departure from the famously strained relations the Jewish State’s leader had with former President Barack Obama.

Trump hosted Netanyahu in the Oval Office in what was their first meeting since the U.S. announced its commitment to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“We have the best relationship right now with Israel that we’ve ever had."

“We have the best relationship right now with Israel that we’ve ever had,” Trump said.
During President Obama's two terms, he and Netanyahu had a tense relationship characterized by stiff body language and terse remarks when they met before the press. Obama's White House even sent out a press photo of the then-commander-in-chief on the Oval Office phone with Netanyahu in September, 2013, with his feet on the desk in what some saw as an intentional show of disrespect.
The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz fumed over the image.
“The president is seen with his legs up on the table, his face stern and his fist clenched, as though he were dictating to Netanyahu,” Ha'aretz wrote. “As an enthusiast of Muslim culture, Obama surely knows there is no greater insult in the Middle East than pointing the soles of one’s shoes at another person. Indeed, photos of other presidential phone calls depict Obama leaning on his desk, with his feet on the floor.”
Trump and Netanyahu’s friendship is a major shift from the chilly relations between the Israeli prime minister and Obama – who was even accused of helping to fund opposition to oust Netanyahu during his re-election bid in 2015.
The relationship was further strained during the Obama administration’s decision to move forward with the Iran nuclear deal. Netanyahu and Obama also were at odds towards the end of the Obama administration—when the U.S. allowed for the passage of a resolution condemning Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.
On Monday, Trump noted his intent to attend the opening of the embassy at the newly-recognized capital in mid-May. “Israel is very special to me—special country, special people, and I look forward to being there.”
“What better to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” Trump said, noting the embassy move gives “a real opportunity for peace.” “We’ll see how it works out. The Palestinians are wanting to come back to the table. Very badly.”
Trump added: “If they don’t, you don’t have peace. And that’s a possibility also.”
Netanyahu praised Trump's “leadership and friendship,” noting that “under your leadership, [U.S.-Israeli relations] have never been stronger.”
Neither addressed the swirling corruption scandal engulfing Netanyahu's administration, or the ongoing Russia probe that has hindered Trump's time in the White House.

The White House in 2013 sent out a photo of then-President Obama on the Oval Office phone with Netanyahu with his feet on the desk.  (White House)

“President Trump underscored his goal of countering Iran's malign influence. The President also emphasized his commitment to achieving a lasting peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians,” the White House said.

Cal Thomas: Trump boldly wades into cutting federal government down to size -- will it work?

President Donald Trump gestures as he walks as he leaves the White House, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, in Washington. 

Of all the promises candidate Donald Trump made during the 2016 presidential campaign, none will be more difficult to fulfill than cutting the size and cost of the federal government. That’s because Congress, which must decide whether to keep a federal agency, has the final word in such matters and spending – especially spending in one’s home state or district – is what keeps so many of them in office. Who doubts that self-preservation is the primary objective of most members of Congress?

Ronald Reagan made similar promises about reducing the size of the bloated federal government, but was unable to fulfill them because of congressional intransigence. Perhaps his most notable failure was attempting to eliminate the Department of Education, an unnecessary Cabinet-level agency created by Jimmy Carter, reportedly as the fulfillment of a campaign promise to the National Education Association (NEA), the largest labor union in the United States, which backed him in the 1976 and 1980 elections. This pithy statement by Reagan got to the heart of the issue: “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!”

President Trump has asked every federal agency to submit a reorganization plan to the White House. Some programs, like the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Biological Survey Unit (BSU), are decades old. The BSU was established in 1885, and among its tasks is the preservation of the whooping crane. Last I checked those birds seemed to be doing OK, but why is this, along with so many other things, a responsibility of the federal government?
Reorganization of these outmoded and unnecessary programs and agencies should not be the goal. Elimination should be the goal. Unless they are killed off, the risk of their return is likely.
What’s needed is a strategy that shames Congress, which sometimes seems beyond shame, for misspending the people’s money. What will help in that shaming is for the president to establish an independent commission made up of retired Republicans, Democrats and average citizens. This commission would conduct a top-to-bottom audit of the federal government and present its findings to Congress, while simultaneously releasing them to the public, which would then apply pressure on Congress to adopt them.

Congressional budget-cutters spared the $440,000 spent annually to have attendants push buttons on the fully automated Capitol Hill elevators used by representatives and senators.

The commission would be modeled after the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) of the ’80s, which eliminated military bases that were no longer needed for the defense of the country. Some members of Congress complained about BRAC, but in the end they could not justify maintaining the bases.
The president might want to start with some of these ridiculous programs recently highlighted by Thomas A. Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose mission it is “to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement in government.”
“Without authorization,” notes Schatz, “the feds spent $19.6 million annually on the International Fund for Ireland. Sounds like a noble cause, but the money went for projects like pony-trekking centers and golf videos.
“Congressional budget-cutters spared the $440,000 spent annually to have attendants push buttons on the fully automated Capitol Hill elevators used by representatives and senators.
“Last year, the National Endowment for the Humanities spent $4.2 million to conduct a nebulous ‘National Conversation on Pluralism and Identity.’ Obviously, talk radio wasn’t considered good enough.
“The Pentagon and Central Intelligence Agency channeled some $11 million to psychics who might provide special insights about various foreign threats. This was the disappointing ‘Stargate’ program.”
The list goes on and on. Go to cagw.org, read all about it and remember it’s our money paying for these boondoggles (definition: “a project funded by the federal government out of political favoritism that is of no real value to the community or the nation”) that helps keep our free-spending career politicians in office where they get benefits the rest of us can only dream about.
Yes, entitlements are the main drivers of debt and they, too, need reform. But starting with programs most people would find outrageous and worthy of elimination is a good way to build confidence and make the tackling of entitlements more palatable.

Cal Thomas is America's most widely syndicated op-ed columnist. His latest book is "What Works: Common Sense Solutions for a Stronger America". Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribune.com.