GOP lame ducks in House need to move fast before their wings are clipped

In Washington, power is fleeting. Elected and appointed officials know they better use it before they lose it.
In the House of Representatives, Republicans are going to lose it Jan. 3 when they become the minority party. The change in power that GOP representatives will experience will be dramatic – like Superman turning into Clark Kent or Wonder Woman turning into Diana Prince.
Voters elected a Democratic majority to the House in the Nov. 6 midterm elections, ending uninterrupted Republican control of the chamber that last began in 2011. With a few races still undecided, Democrats have flipped at least 35 seats held by Republicans. This gives the Democrats the ability to elect a new speaker of the House and install Democratic chairs to head every committee.
While the Senate will remain under Republican control in January, legislation needs to be approved in both the Senate and House to become law. So Republicans have only a short time left to pass bills during their lame duck session and get them to President Trump so he can sign them.
This task is more complicated than it sounds, because Republicans have plenty of disagreements with each other. But they would be foolish to let their differences prevent them from making progress on important measures in the next few weeks.
Republicans need to play chess and not Russian roulette with the Democrats. There is an opportunity to horse trade or to jam Democrats if Republicans adopt the ancient advice that “united we stand, divided we fall” and think strategically.

I urge Republicans to work long days and into the night for the remainder of this year to pass as many measures as they can, not kicking the can down the road to the next Congress where Democrats will be empowered.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., may need Republican votes to be elected speaker of the House, because some Democratic insurgents are saying they won’t support her bid.
The Democratic rebels are giving Republicans leverage over Pelosi to demand that she agree to some GOP priorities – like funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as other spending measures – in return for their support.
The idea is that it is better to deal with the devil you know than what could come next.
I urge Republicans to work long days and into the night for the remainder of this year to pass as many measures as they can, not kicking the can down the road to the next Congress where Democrats will be empowered.
Republicans should be able to get bipartisan support for measures like a budget resolution needed to avoid a government shutdown, permanent repeal of the medical device tax, and a multibillion-dollar program to fund infrastructure expansion and improvement projects.
Then there are heavier lifts like immigration reform, border wall funding, tax cut 2.0 to target the middle class, and the Holy Grail – a full and complete repeal and replacement of ObamaCare.
Republicans should not squander the opportunity to lead – the sand is almost through the hourglass. For many representatives who lost their seats in the midterm elections, action and results could be a great legacy as they exit stage right.
Republicans should have no regrets as this year ends and not give up the fight in 2019. Democrats cannot govern alone next year.
If Democrats act in good faith and heed the electorate that is sick and tired of bitter partisanship they will get things done. Democrats would be wise to resist the temptation to get even for past grievances and the urge to engage in endless, pointless and fruitless investigations.
What Democrats need to realize and accept is that President Trump is transactional – not an entrenched ideologue. He wants to make deals and say he is winning, but on the other hand he will not be taken advantage of.
So the choice is clear. Republicans need to lead in the lame-duck session and Democrats need to help where they can or get out of the way.
Then when a new Congress arrives in January, Democrats need to reach across the aisle to advance legislation for the good of the country.
Democrats should remember that when President Clinton and President Obama suffered heavy midterm loses they still managed to get re-elected, in part because of the behavior of the opposition party and the way Republicans obstructed instead of governed.
Many Democrats in Congress have tied themselves to the delusional and obsessive anti-Trump “resistance” movement. They need to remember that they weren’t elected to come to Washington to stage protests and reflexively oppose everything the president and GOP lawmakers propose.
This is especially true for some of the young and far-left Democrats who call themselves democratic socialists and who support massive increases in government spending to fund a laundry list of expensive government programs. Voting for these measures means voting for big tax increases or unsustainable deficits that are likely to anger voters in 2020.
I believe President Trump can lead Republicans to compromise with Democrats in the House and Senate for the remainder of this year and in 2019, but it will take three to tango – the House, Senate and White House.
The lame-duck session should operate under the motto of “Lead or get out of the way.” The 2019 congressional session should operate under the motto of “Let’s make a deal.”
And Republicans who Pelosi turns to for support should ask: “What’s in it for us?”

Anti-Trump mayor of Portland, Ore., mutters he 'can't wait' to leave office

Ted Wheeler

Being mayor of Portland, Ore., may have gotten to Ted Wheeler.
On Thursday, after finishing a speech at the Oregon Health Forum in which he was heckled, Wheeler mumbled, “I can’t wait for the next 24 months to be over,” indicating he may not seek re-election, the Oregonian reported.
"If you know me, you know I mutter quite a bit,” Wheeler said in a statement issued later in the day. “Not one of my most redeeming qualities. I will make a decision next year with my family if I am running for re-election."

"If you know me, you know I mutter quite a bit. Not one of my most redeeming qualities. I will make a decision next year with my family if I am running for re-election."
— Ted Wheeler, mayor of Portland, Ore.

In previous media interviews, Wheeler has complained about the job, calling it “no fun.”
The comment came a day after the City Council rejected his proposal to expand his powers to regulate protests. At the same meeting, the first-term mayor criticized a half-dozen people who regularly attended the meetings and subjected Wheeler to taunts and jeers.
Last month, Wheeler faced harsh criticism from a union that represents personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding his handling of a 38-day protest in the city last summer by a group calling itself Occupy ICE.
The National ICE Council sent letters to state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, asking them to look into whether Wheeler committed misconduct when he directed the city's police officers to not respond to certain calls for service during the protest in front of the local ICE field office, the Oregonian reported.
In July, the city drew negative attention after the Occupy ICE protesters were forced to vacate their camp because they left piles of trash and debris behind.
That same month, the leader of Portland's police union slammed Wheeler for his response to the city's homelessness crisis,
"Our city has become a cesspool," Officer Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, wrote on Facebook. "Livability that once made Portland a unique and vibrant city is now replaced with human feces in businesses doorways, in our parks, and on our streets.
In August, Wheeler's handling of the Occupy ICE protests drew attention from President Trump.
"Last month, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, shamefully ordered local police to stand down, leaving federal law enforcement officers to face an angry mob of violent people," Trump said during a speech honoring Border Patrol officers.
After Trump's remarks, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called for Wheeler to resign in a resolution that took aim at anti-ICE rhetoric by some Democrats.
Wheeler responded to Trump: "We want an administration that represents us," Wheeler wrote on Facebook. "We want a president that we can be proud of."
Portland hasn’t had a mayor seek a second term since Vera Katz, whose third term ended in 2004, the Willamette Week reported.
The incident brings back memories of previous Portland mayors. Katz’s successor, Tom Potter, once declared during a City Council “I’m irrelevant” and stormed off the dais.

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President Trump responds to Acosta ruling

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:47 AM PT — Fri. Nov. 16, 2018

President Donald Trump listens to a question during a signing ceremony of the “Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act,” in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Trump has responded to Friday’s ruling to reinstate CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass.
During a bill signing in the Oval Office, the president said “we have to practice decorum…we want total freedom of the press.”
He said this White House will be “setting up a certain standard” for press briefings in the future.
This comes after Press Secretary Sarah Sanders blasted the decision by saying the court made it clear there is no absolute First Amendment right to access the White House. She said the administration will develop rules to ensure fair and orderly press conferences.

President Trump to visit California to view impact of raging wildfires

President Trump will be joined by California’s current governor, and governor-elect when he visits areas ravaged by ongoing wildfires.
In a joint statement Friday, Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom said they “welcome the President’s visit to California,” and are “grateful” for the quick response to their aid requests.
They also called for unity over the wildfires.
This comes as President Trump’s planned visit to Paradise on Saturday.
The White House says the President will visit with people impacted by the deadly wildfires, along with first responders.

Stacey Abrams says she can’t defeat Brian Kemp in Georgia governor race; will sue over mismanagement of state's election

Stacey Abrams, the Democrat in Georgia’s governor race, acknowledged Friday that she cannot defeat her Republican opponent, Brian Kemp, but she vowed to file a federal lawsuit challenging the “gross mismanagement” of the state’s elections.
Abrams’ address to her supporters essentially concluded her bid for the governor’s mansion, the final result of which had been in doubt since Election Day, but she noted that she was not officially conceding the race.
While describing a variety of issues at the polls, Abrams said that "the state failed its voters."
"I acknowledge that former Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified as the victor in the 2018 gubernatorial election. But to watch an elected official – who claims to represent the people in this state, baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people’s democratic right to vote – has been truly appalling," Abrams said. "So let's be clear, this is not a speech of concession."
"Because concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper. As a woman of conscience and faith, I cannot concede that. But my assessment is the law currently allows no further viable remedy," she continued, before adding that although she could fight to keep the election going, she doesn't "want to hold public office if I need to scheme my way into the post."
Abrams had hoped to become the first black governor of Georgia and the first black female governor of any state.

Stacey Abrams acknowledged Friday that she could not defeat her GOP opponent in Georgia's gubernatorial election. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Unofficial returns in the state put Kemp ahead of Abrams with roughly 50.2 percent of more than 3.9 million votes. This standing gave him about 18,000 votes above the threshold required to win by a majority and avoid a Dec. 4 runoff.
Kemp issued a statement following his opponent's announcement, saying she "conceded the race and officially ended her campaign for governor."
"I appreciate her passion, hard work, and commitment to public service," the statement said. "The election is over and hardworking Georgians are ready to move forward. We can no longer dwell on the divisive politics of the past but must focus on Georgia’s bright and promising future."
He went on to request that people in Georgia "stand with me in the days ahead."
"Together, we will realize the opportunities and tackle the challenges to come," the statement said. "We will be a state that puts hardworking Georgians – no matter their zip code or political preference - first!”
Kemp, Georgia's former secretary of state, had received the endorsement of President Trump, who tweeted congratulations to Kemp on Friday evening.
"Congratulations to Brian Kemp on becoming the new Governor of Georgia," the president wrote. "Stacey Abrams fought brilliantly and hard - she will have a terrific political future! Brian was unrelenting and will become a great Governor for the truly Wonderful People of Georgia!"
Abrams gave her speech, where she also announced her intent to fight back legally," just after 5 p.m. That was the earliest state officials could certify the results after a court-ordered review of absentee, provisional and other uncounted ballots. Abrams' campaign had contended there were potentially enough uncounted votes to force a runoff.
"In the coming days, we will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect future elections," she said.
Following her announcement, Abrams' campaign sent out a news release that reiterated her comments.
"In her remarks, Abrams outlined the gross injustices Georgians faced when trying to cast their ballots during this election and launched Fair Fight Georgia," the news release said. "This new PAC will pursue accountability in Georgia’s elections and integrity in the process of maintaining our voting rolls."
"In the coming days, Fair Fight Georgia will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect future elections from unconstitutional actions," it continued.
After Abrams' announcement, Hillary Clinton posted a message of support via Twitter.
"Thank you, @StaceyAbrams, for fighting for Georgia and for the integrity of our elections," Clinton wrote. "Everyone should be able to exercise their right to vote. Every vote should be counted."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News' David Lewkowict, Alex Pappas and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

GOP's Mia Love takes lead in Utah House race as count continues

Rep. Mia Love now leads Democratic challenger Ben McAdams as vote-counting continues in a Utah race that remained too close to call. (Associated Press)

A Republican incumbent congresswoman from Utah pulled ahead of her Democratic opponent by several hundred votes Friday, gaining her first lead in the House contest since Election Day.
After the latest tally, U.S. Rep. Mia Love, 42, held a razor-thin 419-vote lead over Democratic challenger and Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams for the state’s 4th Congressional District, FOX13 Utah reported.
The two-term incumbent had previously trailed McAdams early Friday afternoon by 1,169 votes before the release of updated numbers from Utah County, the station reported.
McAdam’s campaign has called the Utah County results “unsurprising,” saying they track with earlier voter trends.
“We’re optimistic that when final numbers are reported Monday, Ben McAdams will again be winning,” McAdams’ campaign manager, Andrew Roberts, told the Salt Lake Tribune.
McAdams, confident of victory, had spent the past week in Washington, attending House orientation meetings and even appearing in the freshman class photo, the paper reported.

Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, Democratic candidate for Utah's 4th Congressional District, speaks to supporters during an election night party, in Salt Lake City on Nov. 6. (Associated Press)

The lingering doubt over the vote’s outcome didn’t stop President Trump from calling out Love by name in a news conference last week where he bashed other fellow Republicans. trump said Love and others lost because they didn't fully embrace him.
Love "showed me no love," Trump told reporters.
But with thousands of provisional ballots still to be counted, the race for the 4th District’s House seat remained closer than ever.
Love, who became the first black Republican woman elected to Congress in 2014, maintains a 0.16 percent spread over McAdams, well within Utah’s margin for a recount, which is 0.25 percent, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
“This is just the start of Mia’s victory,” said Dave Hansen, Love’s campaign manager. “We will continue to closely monitor the election results.”
Earlier Friday, a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Love, which sought to block counting ballots in Salt Lake County by challenging the signature verification conducted by the county clerk, FOX13 reported.

Power Hungry Democrats Cartoons

Biggest Joke of All!

Media furor over Trump trashing Mueller probe as 'absolutely nuts'

Donald Trump is so ticked off at Robert Mueller that he's calling him an Obama guy.
The special counsel is actually a registered Republican.
The president's eruption on Twitter yesterday fueled all kinds of media chatter about whether Mueller, who seems to be in the final phases of his Russia investigation, is about to drop some major indictment.
Maybe the president is just worked up because, according to news accounts, he's spent the last several days with his lawyers, hammering out written answers to Mueller's questions. (Does this mean there won’t be a face-to-face interview? Who knows?)
What I'm hearing from the White House is that the president is simply sick of the long-running investigation and, after conferring with his lawyers, wants to bring it to a head.
Trump has made his "witch hunt" allegations for much of the Mueller probe.And by the way, it’s hardly unprecedented to try to investigate those who are investigating you. Bill Clinton and his allies mounted a sustained campaign to demonize Ken Starr.
But Trump's attacks yesterday may be his harshest yet.
"The inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess," Trump tweeted. "They have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts. They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to come up with the answers they want.
"They are a disgrace to our Nation and don't care how many lives the [sic] ruin. These are Angry People, including the highly conflicted Bob Mueller, who worked for Obama for 8 years. They won't even look at all of the bad acts and crimes on the other side. A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY!"
The all-caps was just for emphasis.
The president can certainly argue that Mueller, even with his charges against Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn and others, has come up with no evidence of collusion with Russia.
But keep in mind that it was Trump's own appointee, Rod Rosenstein, who named Mueller as special counsel, and the deputy attorney general says he's doing a good job.
What's more, it was George W. Bush who tapped Mueller as FBI director. Obama just let him finish out his 10-year term, and tacked on an additional two years. So to suggest that Mueller is some kind of Obama loyalist is just wrong.
One aspect that the pundits are focusing on is that the latest attack on Mueller comes after the president replaced Jeff Sessions with Matt Whitaker, who has a history of criticizing the special counsel. But whether the acting attorney general will take any steps to curtail the probe remains to be seen.
By outward appearances, Mueller seems to be down to third-level players. The Wall Street Journal reports that he is investigating whether veteran GOP operative Roger Stone tried to intimidate a witness who is contradicting his insistence he had no pipeline to WikiLeaks on the hacked Democratic emails. In emails to his former friend, Randy Credico, the Journal says, Stone threatened to "sue the f---" out of him and called Credico "a loser a liar and a rat." But this is pretty small potatoes.
The president also weighed in on the press yesterday, as he is wont to do. I reported yesterday on a spate of stories (The Washington Post, L.A. Times, Politico) about how Trump has been angry, furious and lashing out since the midterms as he mulls another White House shakeup.
Insiders tell me that many of the leaks likely emanate from places such as the Homeland Security Department and National Security Council, where people's jobs are threatened (such as Kirstjen Nielsen and deputy NSC director Mira Ricardel, who's being transferred after Melania Trump called for her firing). The president often discusses job changes with advisers and doesn't mind the rumors that float around and hit the press.
Trump tweeted yesterday: "The White House is running very smoothly and the results for our Nation are obviously very good. We are the envy of the world. But anytime I even think about making changes, the FAKE NEWS MEDIA goes crazy, always seeking to make us look as bad as possible! Very dishonest!"
I mean, why would anyone think he's angry?
But the president does have a point that routine personnel moves after an election are getting the media’s "chaos" treatment — even if "running very smoothly" is not the most apt description of this White House.

Across US, tax dollars being poured into 'legal defense fund for illegals'

In defiance of President Trump's hardline stands on immigration, more jurisdictions are going beyond "sanctuary city" policies and actively using taxpayer dollars to pay for legal representation for immigrants facing deportation.
This week Denver officials announced plans to set aside $385,000 to expand an immigrant legal defense program, Mayor Michael Hancock said.
“There is no greater responsibility that I have as mayor than to keep all residents of Denver, undocumented or not, safe and secure and when we have challenging language that comes out of Washington that threatens that very covenant that we have with all of our residents it makes it doubly difficult for us to help people feel safe in their city,” he said.
Others committing to designating public dollars for attorneys in immigration courts include lawmakers in Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, D.C.; New York; Austin, Texas; Atlanta, San Francisco and Portland, Ore.
"We are proud to be a sanctuary city," said former San Francisco Supervisor David Campos when he introduced the proposal to fund legal assistance. "And we're not only proud to stand up for that, but we're going to invest the resources needed to make sure that the 44,000 undocumented people who live in the city and county of San Francisco have, at a minimum, legal representation if they're taken into immigration court."
One Chicago public official, Alderman Nicholas Sposato, called it "the legal defense fund for the illegals," the Chicago Tribune reported. He was the only city Budget Committee member to vote against a $1.3 million plan in 2016 to assist immigrants who were facing deportation.
In September, Portland approved a $500,000 grant toward legal defense for potential deportees and Baltimore approved $200,000 for its own defense fund.
Some cities and states -- California, Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia and Maryland -- have joined up with the Vera Institute of Justice facilitate their programs.
The New York-based nonprofit spearheads the coalition, known as the Safety and Fairness for Everyone Network (SAFE).
People accused of being in the country illegally are not required to have a lawyer, unlike those facing criminal proceedings, where they must be represented by a public defender if they cannot afford an attorney. The government is not required to pay for an immigration court lawyer.
California has been providing attorney's to immigrants before Trump's election, but other SAFE members had not done so until the formation of the network, said network director Annie Chen.
Last year, Seattle passed a measure to put $1 million toward legal defense for immigrants and refugees. The money will be administered by community groups.
City leaders in Santa Ana, Calif., directed $65,000 last year toward its newly created legal defense fund and New York created the first statewide immigrant defense fund.
While immigration advocates have praised the initiatives, those who prefer stricter immigration laws have criticized them.
“It is simply bad public policy to be spending public funds at a time when everyone is strapped for cash and cannot fund the money for vital services," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in an interview last year. "Even if they are relatively small funders, they are directing much-needed resources from schools and roads to meet the political desires of lawmakers."

“It is simply bad public policy to be spending public funds at a time when everyone is strapped for cash and cannot fund the money for vital services."
— Ira Mehlman, spokesman, Federation for American Immigration Reform

Some cities have faced opposition over its attempts to create similar programs.
A 2015 study published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review reported that detained immigrants with access to legal counsel were 10 times more likely to be granted legal residency than those without.
In a statement just after his city approved financial support for legal representation to immigrants, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said it was a matter of safety.
“Providing legal representation to those facing deportation maintains trust in law enforcement and our local institutions and keeps us all safe," Pugh said. "If our residents don’t feel safe – for example, coming forward to report crimes and cooperating with law enforcement – all of us are at more risk.”