Johnny Depp Cartoons

Just your average spoiled ass Liberal.

Just your average spoiled ass Liberal.

Just your average spoiled ass Liberal.

Just your average spoiled ass Liberal.

Mueller's team have donated to Democrats

Three members of the legal team known to have been hired so far by special counsel Robert Mueller to handle the Russia investigation have given political donations almost exclusively to Democrats, according to a CNN analysis of Federal Election Commission records.

More than half of the more than $56,000 came from just one lawyer and more than half of it was donated before the 2016 election, but two of the lawyers gave the maximum $2,700 donation to Hillary Clinton last year.

Over the weekend, news outlets including CNN identified five attorneys that Mueller has already brought on board to help investigate potential collusion between associates of President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia.

The group includes seasoned attorneys who worked on cases ranging from Watergate to the Enron fraud scandal and have represented major American companies in court. While only five attorneys have been publicly identified as working on the Russia probe, there could be more on Mueller's team.

Three of the five lawyers have donations in FEC records. They gave overwhelmingly to Democrats, totaling more than $53,000 since 1988. More than half of the donations came from just one of the lawyers, James Quarles, whom Mueller brought over from his old firm, WilmerHale.

Quarles has given nearly $33,000 to political campaigns over the years. He gave money to Democratic presidential candidates Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. In addition, Quarles gave more than $10,000 to help Democrats get elected to the House and another $10,000 on the Senate side, including money to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

But Quarles is also the only lawyer among Mueller's team for which records were available who ever donated to Republicans. He gave $2,500 to Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz in 2015 and gave $250 to then-Sen. George Allen of Virginia in 2005.

Only about 30% of the donations were for elections in 2016. But Quarles and Jeannie Rhee, who also left WilmerHale to work on the Russia probe, gave the maximum contribution of $2,700 to Clinton's campaign last year.

Rhee was the second-largest donor among Mueller's known team. Rhee has donated more than $16,000 since 2008, all to Democrats. She maxed out to the Clinton campaign in 2016 and 2015, totaling $5,400. She also gave a total of $7,300 to Obama's two presidential campaigns. She has already received attention for representing the Clinton Foundation in a racketeering lawsuit brought by a conservative advocacy group, and also represented Clinton herself in a lawsuit seeking access to her private emails.

Mueller, who was appointed to be FBI director by Republican President George W. Bush, also hired Andrew Weissmann to join his team. Weissmann, who led the Enron investigation, previously gave $2,300 to Obama's first presidential campaign in 2008 and $2,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 2006, the same year Democrats won control of Congress.

FEC records do not show any donations by Weissman in the 2016 election cycle.

There also are no FEC records for Aaron Zebley, who left WilmerHale to work on the Russia investigation. Zebley once represented former Hillary Clinton aide Justin Cooper, who helped manager her private email server.

Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben has also joined Mueller's team. While there is a Michael Dreeben in the FEC database, who is identified as a deputy solicitor with the Justice Department and who gave $1000 to Hillary Clinton's senate campaign in 2006, a spokesman for Mueller's team told CNN late Monday that that is not the same person.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who endorsed Trump and was on his vice-presidential shortlist, suggested Monday that Mueller's team can't be impartial because of their past donations.

"Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair," Gingrich tweeted, reversing his previous praise for Mueller. "Look who he is hiring. Check FEC reports. Time to rethink."

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller as special counsel, told senators on Tuesday that he doesn't see any problems with the political donations from some members of Mueller's legal team.

Asked by Sen. Lindsey Graham whether political donations should prevent attorneys from working on the investigation, Rosenstein replied, "no, senator, it is not a disqualification. It is not."

Even with the questions about Mueller's team, former independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who led investigations into President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, said he has confidence in the team.

"He has his head down, he's doing his job, he's assembled a fantastic team," Starr said Monday to ABC News. "That is a great, great team of complete professionals, so let's let him do his job."

There aren't any records of political donations from Mueller himself. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment Monday afternoon about the political donations from his legal team and the criticism some of the team were partisan.

Mueller received near-universal praise since taking over the investigation on May 17. But with the investigation ramping up, Trump's legal team is looking for new ways to go on the offensive. In a TV appearance over the weekend, one of Trump's lawyers wouldn't rule out the possibility of firing Mueller.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the Mueller team spokesman telling CNN that the Dreeben identified in FEC records as a deputy solicitor with the Justice Department who donated to Clinton in 2006 is not the same person working for Mueller.

CNN's Evan Perez contributed to this report.

 

Trump says Comey-Mueller friendship 'bothersome'

Fair investigation by Mueller?

Comey-Mueller friendship

President Trump on Friday called the investigation into allegations of Russia collusion and claims he obstructed justice “ridiculous” while saying special counsel Robert Mueller’s friendship with fired FBI Director James Comey “is very bothersome,” during a wide-ranging interview on “Fox & Friends” that also touched on his stalled legislative agenda and the health care debate.
“Robert Mueller is an honorable man and hopefully he’ll come up with an honorable conclusion,” Trump said, though he noted that Mueller and Comey were “very, very good friends” and also criticized the makeup of Mueller’s growing team of attorneys involved in the investigation.
“I can say that the people that have been hired are all Hillary Clinton supporters, some of them worked for Hillary Clinton,” Trump said. “I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous if you want to know the truth.”
A day earlier, Trump revealed on Twitter that he had not taped conversations between himself and Comey – addressing a question he helped raise in the first place – but on Friday he said his strategy in suggesting possible recordings was all about keeping Comey honest.
NO TAPES: TRUMP SAID HE DIDN'T RECORD COMEY
“When he found out that there may be tapes out there…I think his story may have changed,” Trump said. “I mean you’ll have to take a look at that because then he has to tell what actually happened at the events.”
He added: “[The suggestion] wasn’t very stupid. He did admit that what I said was right and, if you look further back before he heard about that, maybe he wasn’t admitting that.”
Comey had been reluctant to say in public what he later revealed he told Trump three times in private – that the president was not the subject of any FBI investigation. But after Trump’s “tapes” tweet, Comey leaked to The New York Times the contents of highly-detailed memos regarding his one-on-one meetings with Trump, a development that eventually spurred congressional testimony and ultimately led Comey to admit he assured Trump multiple times he wasn’t the subject of a federal probe.
Trump claimed a victory in getting Comey to confess the personal reassurances he’d given him – and also in instigating the testimony during which Comey stunningly revealed he engineered the post-firing leak to The Times.
“There has been no obstruction, there has been no collusion – there has been leaking, by Comey,” Trump said on Friday.
Of course, Comey’s revelations also prompted the eventual appointment of Mueller to oversee the investigation, which reportedly began focusing on if Trump obstructed the Russia investigation by firing Comey on May 9.
GOP SENATORS UNVEIL OBAMACARE OVERHAUL
Turning to the contentious battle to pass a new health care legislation, Trump said the four Republican senators -- Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ron Johnson -- who on Thursday said they weren't yet ready to vote "yes" for the GOP's Senate bill were "four good guys and four friends of mine." He expressed optimism the quartet would eventually drop their opposition.
"I think we're going to get there, we have four very good people..and we'll see if we can take care of them," Trump said.
The president also stressed how quickly the GOP has been able to send a health care overhaul package to the Senate, even if the process has been messy at times.
"I've done in five months what other people haven't done in years," Trump said.
FOUR KEY REPUBLICANS COME OUT AGAINST GOP HEALTH BILL
And though it appeared the bill would eventually have to pass with little or no Democratic support, Trump expressed hope Democrats would eventually decide to work with Republicans on issues ranging from infrastructure funding to tax reform.
“They are, right now, obstructionists,” Trump said. “All they wanna do is obstruct. I think they’d do much better as a party if they tried to get along with us."
He added: “I think the American public is tired of obstructionists.
“Boy, would the people love to see the two parties getting together and coming up with the perfect health care plan."

Trudeau: Trump does listen, NAFTA will remain

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said that--contrary to public perception-- President Trump does in fact listen to opposing views.
Once the crowd in Toronto stopped laughing, Trudeau continued, "No, I can understand the laughter but there's a lot of politicians who have a deep, vested interest in being right all the time and therefore close themselves off sometimes to facts or evidence or differing opinions."
He continued, “What I’ve found from this president is he will listen to arguments made. He will look at the ensemble of facts and proposals of impacts you put together, and he will be open to shifting his position.”
Perhaps being labeled a politician who "shifts positions" falls short of praise in the U.S., Trudeau appears to show a willingness to engage in meaningful dialog with his southern neighbor.
Trudeau, 45, and former President Obama, 55, got along famously. There was speculation early on in Trump's presidency that he and Trudeau would clash. To be sure, if there is a major international topic, they disagree: trade, immigration and climate.
Trudeau is a liberal who champions free trade and has welcomed 40,000 Syrian refugees. He calls himself a feminist and women make up half his Cabinet.
He made the comments in Toronto at an event co-sponsored by The New York Times.
Perhaps the most important issue facing the two countries are Trump's plans for the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Trump has called the deal "the worst" trade deal in history and threatened to back out. Trump has since agreed to renegotiate.
Trudeau told the audience that he is “100 percent” certain that NAFTA will be in place by 2018.
“NAFTA will remain a hugely important and successful trade deal for both our countries,” Trudeau said.
Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian prime minister, said in an interview in February that he believes that Trump and Trudeau will have a fine relationship.
“I know both of them. I know their skills and some of their attributes and their talents,” Mulroney said. “I think they are going to find a lot to be happy about.”

Rep. Gowdy Condemns Leaks From Meeting with Intelligence Director

Bailey Comment: All of this crap coming from the liberal left will continue until the traitors are put in jail instead of being protected by the government.

A top GOP congressman warns fellow lawmakers about leaking information from closed meetings after details emerge from the director of national intelligence’s private congressional testimony.
South Carolina lawmaker Trey Gowdy appeared outraged after he says his Thursday meeting with Dan Coats wouldn’t be leaked, but just hours later specific details from the meeting were given to the press.
It comes after Coats met with House investigators, reportedly about the probe into President Trump and Russia.
While Gowdy made it clear he wouldn’t leak information, others didn’t follow suit.
Gowdy said he doesn’t know who leaked the information because their were eight other people in the room.

White House wants more ‘outrage’ over Johnny Depp comments

WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday complained about a “lack of outrage” towards violent language aimed at President Trump, “Julius Caesar” in which the assassinated Roman emperor is dressed and made up to look like Trump.

“I think it’s troubling, whether it’s that or Johnny Depp’s comments,” Spicer told reporters. “It is, frankly, my belief, real troubling the lack of outrage that we’ve seen in some of these instances where people have said what they have said with respect to the president and the actions that should be taken.”

Earlier, Depp apologized for controversial remarks he made Thursday at England’s Glastonbury Festival, during which he asked the audience, “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” The “21 Jump Street” actor described it as a “bad joke.”

Spicer continued, “The president’s made it clear we should denounce violence in all of its forms. And I think if we’re going to hold to that standard, then we should all agree that that standard should be universally called out.”

The spokesman also said, “It’s concerning when you see a pattern that these comments get made, these actions get depicted, and the lack of attention that they get when it’s on our side.Spicer’s comments came after Trump signed a bill designed to help fix the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Asked about the apparent disconnect, Spicer said it was important to “condemn” all calls to political violence but said he was “not aware” of Baldasaro’s comments.

“But again, I’ll say right now that I don’t think that we should be resorting to that kind of language with respect to anybody in our country,” Spicer said.

The Secret Service is “aware” of Depp’s comments, according to spokesperson Mason Brayman. But Brayman declined to say whether the remarks would rate a visit from agency officers. “For operational security reasons, we do not discuss specifically or in general terms the means and methods of how we conduct our protective responsibilities,” Brayman said.

Robert Mueller Cartoons

Gregg Jarrett: Will Mueller & Comey use a false case of obstruction to trigger impeachment?

“The indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would unconstitutionally undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions.”  -- DOJ opinion, October 16, 2000
The Department of Justice has long held that it would be unconstitutional to criminally charge and prosecute a sitting president. The Constitution itself expressly states that “indictment, trial, judgment and punishment” can occur only after a president is convicted upon impeachment (Article 1, Section 3).
However, there is nothing to prevent a special counsel from investigating a president and leveling an accusation with no formal charge. The accusation could be completely manufactured and meritless. Proving it in a court of law would be irrelevant because impeachment is a political act, not a legal one.
A similar scenario has played out before. Independent Counsel Ken Starr investigated President Bill Clinton and leveled accusations of obstruction and perjury which then triggered Clinton’s impeachment.  After he was acquitted and left office, Clinton was never indicted because prosecutors knew the case lacked the kind of proof needed in court.
So, is this what special counsel Robert Mueller and fired FBI Director James Comey have in mind? Are they now acting in concert to conjure a case of obstruction where none exists … for the sole purpose of precipitating possible impeachment proceedings? There is nothing to stop them from doing it.
It is a legitimate question, given their cozy relationship. They also have a motive to harm President Trump – retaliation for the firing of Comey.
Mueller Has Unfettered Discretion
Mueller, as special counsel, has unlimited latitude and unchecked discretion.  Because he cannot indict the president, he is unconstrained by the usual burden of proof to which prosecutors must adhere in bringing a case.    
The Washington Post reports that Mueller is investigating whether Trump obstructed justice during a White House meeting with Comey and in his subsequent termination. If the Post story is true, the president should be concerned that he may not be treated fairly. Why?

Is Mueller determined to exact retribution for the firing of his good friend? Will he be tempted to ignore the law, the paucity of evidence, and the normal requirements of proof in order to bring a specious case of obstruction against the president?

Because on its face, there is no obstruction of justice. Trump’s alleged statement to Comey bears no resemblance to the requirements of the statute.  “Hoping” that “a good guy” will be cleared is not a “corrupt act” as the law defines it and as the U.S. Supreme Court interprets it. There must be a lie, threat or bribe.  Comey alleges none.  
Moreover, the act must be, as the high court said, “immoral, depraved or evil.”  An expression of compassion is the antithesis of that. Therefore, under no legal interpretation could the president have obstructed justice.
Forgotten in all of this is the fact that the president denies he ever uttered the words ascribed to him. With no known witnesses, no reasonable prosecutor would ever consider bringing such a case based on one person’s word.  It is the definition of reasonable doubt.
As for Comey’s firing, it is evidence of nothing. Comey admitted this himself when he wrote, “A president can fire an FBI Director for any reason, or no reason at all.” He reiterated the point during his Senate testimony.
Indeed, the president has the constitutional authority to end an investigation, which Comey also admitted, albeit reluctantly.
Even if Trump canned Comey out of frustration because the Director refused to tell the public that the president was not suspected of Russian collusion, it is still not the corrupt act required for obstruction of justice.
Why, then, would an obstruction investigation be undertaken at all?
Mueller Has Not Recused Himself
The special counsel’s failure to disqualify himself as the law demands invites suspicion that any desire to bring an obstruction case rests not in the law and the facts, but in something else.
As explained before, the special counsel statute requires Mueller to step down if he has a “personal relationship with any person substantially involved in the investigation or prosecution.”  It then defines personal relationship as a “friendship… normally viewed as likely to induce partiality” (28 CFR 45.2).  
The Mueller-Comey friendship is well-documented and indisputable. They have long been friends, allies and partners.  Their bond is driven by a mentor-protégé relationship which makes the likelihood of favoritism and partiality self-evident.    
Yet Mueller shows no sign of disqualifying himself from the case in which his close friend is the pivotal witness. It is an acute conflict of interest. Even the appearance of a conflict merits mandatory recusal.
Perhaps this means that the special counsel is not investigating an obstruction charge against the president, as the Post claims. Maybe the reporting based on anonymous sources is erroneous.
But if there is such a probe, then Americans are entitled to wonder why Mueller has not recused himself.
Is he determined to exact retribution for the firing of his good friend?  Will he be tempted to ignore the law, the paucity of evidence, and the normal requirements of proof in order to bring a specious case of obstruction against the president - knowing full well that Congress might take it up as grounds for impeachment once the accusation is made?
It is also suspicious that the Acting Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, has not recused himself.  As Mueller’s boss, he oversees the investigation.  If obstruction is, in fact, being examined, then Rosenstein is a key witness in the firing of Comey.  It is inconceivable that Rosenstein could serve in the capacity of both prosecutor and witness without rendering the entire matter a charade.
Trump has referred to Mueller as “conflicted” and has questioned the objectivity of Rosenstein.  But the president and his legal team have yet to mount a strong public case that both men should be allowed nowhere near the investigation.
If it becomes clear that obstruction of justice is the subject of the special counsel’s probe, President Trump should not fire Mueller and Rosenstein.  Instead, he should demand they resign so that a fair and impartial special counsel can be appointed to preside.
Anything less might permit a false case of obstruction to trigger a debate in Congress over impeachment.
Gregg Jarrett is a Fox News Anchor and former defense attorney.

California bans state travel to Texas, 3 other states over anti-LGBT laws

But that's good for Texas because Texans are tire of Californians bringing their crappy ways to Texas.

California's attorney general blocked state-funded travel to Texas and three other states on Thursday in response to what he considers anti-LGBT rights laws enacted this year.
Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra added Texas, Alabama, South Dakota and Kentucky to the list of places where state employee travel is restricted. Lawmakers passed legislation last year banning non-essential travel to states with laws that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. North Carolina, Kansas, Mississippi and Tennessee are already on the list.
California taxpayers' money "will not be used to let people travel to states who chose to discriminate," Becerra said.
It's unclear what practical effect California's travel ban will have. The state law contains exemptions for some trips, such as travel needed to enforce California law and to honor contracts made before 2017. Travel to conferences or out-of-state trainings are examples of trips that could be blocked. Becerra's office couldn't provide information about how often state employees have visited the newly banned states.
Texas was added to the list because of a law that lets child welfare organizations deny services and adoptions to families because of "sincerely held religious beliefs" that Becerra's office says would allow LGBT discrimination. Similar laws were enacted in Alabama and South Dakota. Kentucky's new law could allow LGBT discrimination in schools, according to Becerra's office.
"California may be able to stop their state employees, but they can't stop all the businesses that are fleeing over taxation and regulation and relocating to Texas," said John Wittman, a spokesman for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican.
Fresno State, a public California university, is scheduled to play football against the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa this fall. A request for a legal opinion on whether public university sports' travel is exempt from the ban has been filed with Becerra's office, but no ruling has been issued.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's press office did not have an immediate comment.

Tom Price: ObamaCare replacement 'has to be done'

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price told Fox News Thursday night that repealing and replacing ObamaCare "has to be done."
"We’ve got prices going up, we’ve got deductibles going up, premiums going up," said Price, a former Republican congressman. "We’ve got people who have an insurance card but they don’t have any care because they can’t afford the deductible. So, where we are right now is in a terrible place in the individual and small group market. That’s what we’re trying to fix."
Price spoke to Fox News' "Hannity" hours after Senate Republicans released a draft of their bill to undo former President Barack Obama's signature domestic legislation.
"We’ll make certain that every single American has the opportunity to purchase the kind of coverage that they want," Price vowed. "The American people are going to be appreciative of the fact that they’re going to be the ones in charge, not Washington D.C."
The Senate bill was criticized by four Republican senators who said they would not vote for it in its current form: Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.
"Is it everything that everybody wants? Absolutely not," Price said. "But we’ve got 52 senators and we’re working to try to make certain that it is able to pass the Senate and then have the House support it."

Poll: Hillary Clinton as Unpopular Today as She Was Last Year

A new Gallup poll reveals former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is still as unpopular now as she was around this same time last year.
For the past 25 years, losing presidential candidates typically see at least a four-percent increase in approval ratings, but that’s not the case for Clinton.
Data from a survey released Wednesday shows the former Secretary of State’s popularity has remained in the low 40’s.
The poll also reveals nearly 60-percent of Americans view her as unfavorable.
Clinton kept a low profile after losing the election, but has recently reemerged.

Pres. Trump Says Border Wall Could Pay for Itself if Solar

President Trump says his border wall will pay for itself if it’s solar powered.
He made this announcement during a campaign-style rally in Iowa on Wednesday.
He also said that if it had solar panels Mexico would get to pay less, however; even with a lower price tag Mexico has long said it will not pay for the wall.
The president floated the idea of covering it with solar panels earlier this month in a meeting with congressional leaders.
Congress has yet to give any money toward the administration’s plans for the U.S.-Mexico border.

Anti-American Cartoons

Professor's profane, anti-white messages cause campus controversy

Trinity College Professor Johnny Eric Williams

A Connecticut college is facing national outrage after a professor posted a series of Facebook messages attacking white people – along with a link to an essay that suggested first responders to last week’s congressional shootings should’ve let the lawmakers “f***ing” die.
Trinity College Professor Johnny Eric Williams also reportedly shared an essay posted on Medium that included a photograph of Majority Leader Steve Scalise, titled, “Let Them F***ing Die.”
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The anonymous essayist opined that the Capitol police officers should’ve let Rep. Scalise and other  Republican lawmakers die in last week’s ball park attack.
“Saving the life of those that would kill you is the opposite of virtuous,” the essayist wrote. “Let. Them. F***ing. Die. And smile a bit when you do. For you have done the universe a great service.”
The professor’s incredibly offensive Facebook postings and hashtags were originally reported by Campus Reform.
“I’m fed the f**k up with self identified ‘white’s’ daily violence directed at immigrants, Muslim, and sexually and racially oppressed people. The time is now to confront these inhuman a**holes and end this now,” the professor wrote.
Ironically, Professor Williams teaches about race and racism.
Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney said in a prepared statement that she does not “condone hate speech or calls to incite violence.”
“I told Professor Williams that in my opinion his use of the hashtag was reprehensible and, at the very least, in poor judgment,” the president said. “No matter its intent, it goes against our fundamental values as an institution, and I believe its effect is to close minds rather than open them.”
Instead of me trying to interpret the essay written on Medium – I’m going to let the college president describe that smoldering piece of garbage disguised as thoughtful prose.
“The Medium piece went on to explore broader issues concerning race and the relationship between ‘victims of bigotry’ and ‘bigots,’” Berger-Sweeney said. “The piece culminated with a call to show indifference to the lives of bigots. That call was reprehensible, and any such suggestion is abhorrent and wholly contrary to Trinity’s values.”
Williams told the Hartford Courant that Campus Reform twisted his words and he denied endorsing the essay. He also said the postings were not meant to be made public.
So what did the professor mean when he wrote, “It is past time for the racially oppressed to do what people who believe themselves to be ‘white’ will not do, put an end to the vectors of their destructive mythology of whiteness and their white supremacy system. #LetThemF***ingDie”?
He told the newspaper his point was that people should “confront these people who are racists.”
“This is about free speech as well as academic freedom,” he said. “From my perspective, I’m considering whether I should file a defamation against these guys.”
The college has been inundated with so many threats they had to shut down the campus Wednesday – out of an abundance of caution.
“This incident has caused distress on our campus and beyond; threats of violence have been directed to Professor Williams and to our campus community, neither of which is an acceptable response,” Berger-Sweeney said.
President Berger-Sweeny is absolutely correct. Violence is never an acceptable response. And neither is letting someone be massacred just because of their skin color.
Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary. His latest book is “The Deplorables’ Guide to Making America Great Again.” Follow him on Twitter @ToddStarnes and find him on Facebook.

Trump in Iowa: President calls for barring immigrants from welfare for five years

President Trump announced Wednesday night that he will soon ask Congress to pass legislation banning immigrants from accessing public assistance within five years of entering the U.S.
“The time has come for new immigration rules that say ... those seeking immigration into our country must be able to support themselves financially and should not use welfare for a period of at least five years," Trump told a campaign-style rally in Grand Rapids, Iowa.
Trump's proposal would build on the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which allows federal authorities to deport immigrants who become public dependents within five years of their arrival. Many of that law’s provisions were rolled back during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, but Trump's proposal would make more categories of federal benefits off-limits to immigrants.
Currently,states typically have the authority to determine eligibility for local public assistance programs.
Foreigners with non-immigrant visas and those who don't have legal status are generally prohibited from those benefits altogether.
Trump's proposal would also prevent the admission of people who are likely to become so-called "public charges" within five years of their arrival. The concept of "public charge" has been part of U.S. immigration law for over a century. It allows the government to bar entry to individuals who are likely to seek public assistance. Trump is expected to propose toughening up the rules regarding “public charge” and ensuring that they are enforced.
The administration circulated a draft executive order to make Trump's proposed changes earlier this year. However, Trump's remarks Wednesday indicated that he wants Congress to codify his plan into law.
In requesting these changes, the White House will cite a 2015 report from the Center for Immigration Studies that found 51 percent of households headed by an immigrant are using some form of public assistance, compared to 30 percent among non-immigrant families. That report has been disputed by critics who say it does not take into account the nuances of many immigrant families.

Calif. Govornor, State Lawmakers Get 3% Pay Raise

FILE – In this May 31, 2017 file photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during an interview in Sacramento, Calif. Brown and Democratic legislative leaders said Tuesday, June 13, 2017, that they have reached a deal on the state budget for the next fiscal year and that the budget will keep California on a sound fiscal path. (AP Photo/Rich Pedronce Sign in lli, file)

As it gets increasingly more expensive to live in California, top lawmakers in the golden state are not feeling the pressure — they’re getting a raise instead.
Governor Jerry Brown along with a handful of other state legislators and elected officials received a three-percent pay increase on Monday.
Brown’s salary will go up to more than $195,000, making him the highest paid governor in the country.
The other legislators will also be making more than $100,000, and they will get a $183 per day tax-free credit to pay for expenses every day they are in session in Sacramento.

Pres. Trump Congratulates Republicans for Special Election Wins

President Trump touts GOP victories in special elections, saying republicans are now “5-0” despite “fake news” and money spent by democrats.
In a series of tweets Tuesday night, the president congratulated Karen Handel for her big win in Georgia, while commending Ralph Norman for running a fantastic race in South Carolina.
He also gave advice to democrats, saying they would do much better if they got together with republicans on health care, tax cuts, and security.

Russian Colluding Cartoons

Rep. Gowdy slams Dems over 'reckless, baseless allegations' about Russia probe

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., criticized congressional Democrats Tuesday for making what he called "reckless, baseless allegations" about President Trump's involvement in Russian activities during the 2016 election campaign.
"There are members of both the House and the Senate who [say] 'I’ve seen evidence that is more than circumstantial, but not direct,'" Gowdy told Fox News. "There is no way it can be more than circumstantial but not direct."
Gowdy, who serves on the House intelligence committee investigating possible connections between Russian officials and members of the Trump campaign, said a member of the panel "said this week that he has seen evidence [but] he can’t tell us what it is [and] it’s not beyond a reasonable doubt.
"There’s no way to defend yourself against those kinds of baseless, reckless accusations."
Gowdy was likely referring to the committee's ranking member, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who told ABC's "This Week" that "I think there is evidence" of Trump colluding with Moscow.
"I can’t go into the particulars of our closed investigation," Schiff said, "but I also think there is evidence of obstruction [of justice]. But in both cases, I would say, whether there is some evidence doesn’t mean there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Gowdy also told host Tucker Carlson that he hoped the House intelligence committee's investigation would be wrapped up by Labor Day "in a perfect world."

Republican Handel wins Georgia special House election

Republican Karen Handel on Tuesday night defeated rival Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s record-spending, special-election congressional race, keeping yet another House seat in GOP hands and denying Democrats a chance to deliver a rebuke to President Trump.
With all precincts reporting, Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state, led Ossoff 52 percent to 48 percent -- a margin of nearly 11,000 votes out of more than 250,000 ballots cast.
The race smashed fundraising records for a House contest -- with both campaigns and outside groups combining to spend a record $50 million.
Ossoff’s defeat was another setback for Democrats hoping to capitalize on President Trump’s low approval ratings to win a long-standing Republican seat.
It was the party’s fourth straight defeat this year in attempts to win a Republican seat and take the momentum into the 2018 midterms. They now must win 24 GOP House seats to retake control of the chamber next year.
“This race was going to require all hands on deck, and that’s what we had,” Handel said at her victory party. “Tonight’s victory is for you. It’s for every citizen in the 6th (Congressional) District.”
To be sure, the contest was close since Handel and Ossoff were the top finishers in April's first balloting, which sent them to Tuesday’s runoff.
Ossoff lead by nearly 5 percentage points as recently as June 12, before the race deadlocked in the final days, according to the RealClearPolitics.com polls average.
The 30-year-old Ossoff, whose campaign was hurt by revelations that he didn’t live in the suburban Atlanta district, thanked his campaign team and voters in a short concession speech.
“Thank you for the most extraordinary process that I have ever been a part of,” Ossoff said. “The fight goes on. Hope is still alive.”
The House seat has been occupied by Republicans since 1979. GOP Rep. Tom Price gave up the seat in February to become Health and Human Services secretary.
President Trump didn’t campaign in Georgia for Handel. But he attacked Ossoff on Twitter for living outside the district and warned voters that he would increase taxes and be soft on national security.
Handel supporters chanted “Trump, Trump, Trump” at her victory party. And the president tweeted his own message of congratulations.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also congratulated Handel, saying, “Karen is all business. I’ve campaigned with her, and I know how eager she is to get to work. I’m excited to have her as a partner in the House.”
Ossoff tried to thread the needle in the conservative-leaning Georgia district by vowing to cut taxes for small businesses, while championing equal rights for women and minorities, which earned him the support of civil rights icon and Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis.
Handel touted her experience as a state and local elected official and argued that outside forces were trying to buy a win.
Voters “are not interested in Hollywood and California coming in and buying this seat,” she said Tuesday morning on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis showed just 3.5 percent of Ossoff’s donations between the end of March and May came from Georgia.
Still, Handel also benefited from outside spending, though most didn’t go directly to her campaign.
Groups like the Congressional Leadership Fund, a political action committee backed by Ryan, have spent millions on her behalf.
Also on Tuesday, Republicans held onto the House seat in South Carolina that was vacated in February by Mick Mulvaney so he could become the White House budget director. Millionaire developer Ralph Norman, the Republican, defeated former Goldman Sachs tax adviser Archie Parnell, the Democrat, in a closer-than-expected contest.
The other two special-election races this year in which Democrats failed to win a GOP House seat were in Kansas and Montana.
In Kansas, Republicans held onto the seat of Mike Pompeo, now the CIA director, and they kept the Montana seat of Ryan Zinke, who became Trump’s secretary of Interior.
Democrats have one last outside chance to win a GOP House seat, Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s in a conservative Utah. The special election is on August 15. Democrats won one special House election this year, holding onto the California seat vacated by Xavier Becerra.
While Republicans have held the Georgia seat since former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took it from Democrats nearly four decades ago, the district does not appear as conservative as in years past.
Trump won the district over Democrat Hillary Clinton last year by just 1.5 percent, compared to 2008 when Republican presidential nominee Arizona Sen. John McCain won by 18.9 percent.
The race attracted national attention and record money, but Georgia voters also took a big interest in the outcome.
More than 40,000 people voted early, including 36,000 who didn't vote in the April contest.

Speaker Paul Ryan Renews Push for Tax Reform

Speaker Paul Ryan says we will fix the tax code once and for all.
He made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking to the National Association of Manufacturer’s in D.C.
The president recently proposed a reform to the nation’s tax code with the House planning to lower taxes, and simplify the process.
Ryan said these changes will create more jobs for Americans and grow our economy.
The speaker also discussed the possibility of a border adjustment tax, which would tax imports and encourage exports all in an effort to discourage U.S. companies from moving abroad.

Rep. Committee Speaks Out on Dem’s Alleged Running for Nev. Senate

The National Republican Committee speaks out against a democrat’s reported running for a Nevada Senate seat.
The committee called Representative Jacky Rosen’s alleged bid for Dean Heller’s spot a “long shot.”
Its chairman said Rosen would rather run for a statewide position than be re-elected in her district, which was won by the president.
Heller is considered the most vulnerable republican up for re-election in 2018.
He’s the only GOP senator this cycle who represents a state won by Clinton.
The committee said they’re recruiting candidates to take Rosen’s district if she wins.

Liberal Hatred Cartoons

Georgia special election: Voters to settle most expensive congressional race in history

With campaign spending expected to top $50 million, the race to fill the suburban Atlanta congressional district, vacated when Tom Price was named Health and Human Services Secretary, is the most expensive in U.S. history. Both candidates in the 6th District are calling on heavy hitters with Georgia roots to get out the vote on Tuesday.
“It’s time to be knocking on those doors. It’s time to be making those calls. It’s time to be sending those emails,” Secretary Price told supporters at a weekend rally for Republican Karen Handel. “It’s time to be making certain that you are asking every single individual that you see within the 6th District, ‘Have you voted?’”
Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, also stumped for Handel over the weekend, while Democrat Jon Ossoff enlisted the support of Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia congressman and civil rights icon.
TRUMP CABINET OFFICERS URGE ON REPUBLICANS IN GEORGIA RACE
“With this election, it would indicate that people are prepared to change,” Lewis said at a weekend campaign event. “I think that many people will see the handwriting on the wall.”
The Real Clear Politics Average of polls shows Ossoff with a slight lead of 49.6 percent to Handel’s 47 percent in a district that normally favors establishment Republicans.
“This is exactly the type of district (Democrats) hope they can win if they can retake the House in 2018,” said Greg Bluestein, a political reporter with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There’s 24 seats they need to win. A lot of them are going to be these fast-changing suburban districts that Republicans have long held.”
The GOP has held Georgia’s 6th District for nearly four decades. Ossoff hopes to fulfill a campaign slogan to “flip the 6th” from red to blue by appealing to moderate Republicans and independents.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: GEORGIA SPECIAL ELECTION
“I think this is an opportunity for Georgia to elect some fresh leadership that’s focused on delivering results for folks at home, focus on holding people accountable in Washington,” Ossoff told reporters while campaigning over the weekend.
In a district that Secretary Price won with 62 percent of the vote, but that President Trump won by less than 2 percentage points in November, Handel is rallying the conservative base by linking her opponent to left-wing Democrats.
The candidate won loud cheers at a weekend rally when she told the crowd: “We are gonna rock Nancy Pelosi’s world.”
Both campaigns have beefed up security after receiving threats, including letters with a white powder mailed to Handel and some of her neighbors.
Although voter turnout is typically low in special runoffs, that has not been the case in Georgia’s 6th District.
Voters have already cast 140,308 early ballots, according to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. That’s more than double the 56,830 early ballots cast in the April 18 special election.

Otto Warmbier dead: Trump condemns 'brutal' North Korea regime

President Trump slammed North Korea's "brutal regime" Monday after the death of college student Otto Warmbier, who was released by the communist nation in a coma last week.
"Lot of bad things happened," Trump said during a White House meeting with technology CEOs, “but at least we got him home to be with his parents."
"It's a brutal regime," Trump went on, "and we'll be able to handle it."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States held North Korea accountable for Warmbier's "unjust imprisonment" and demanded that the country release three other Americans it is holding prisoner for alleged crimes against the state. The U.S. government has previously accused North Korea of using such detainees as political pawns.
Warmbier was held by North Korea for more than 17 months before he was medically evacuated June 13. He died Monday at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, near where he grew up in suburban Wyoming.
Warmbier’s family said in a statement that "the awful torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans" meant that "no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today."
In a written statement, Trump said that "Otto's fate deepens my Administration's determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency."
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who has led the charge for tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear missile program, said "Countless innocent men and women have died at the hand of the North Korean criminals, but the singular case of Otto Warmbier touches the American heart like no other.
"While Otto Warmbier's memory will always be a blessing to his loved ones," Haley added, "it will also serve as an indelible reminder to us of the barbaric nature of the North Korean dictatorship."
Warmbier had traveled to North Korea as part of a tour group when he was detained at Pyongyang's airport in January 2016. The company that organized the trip, Young Pioneer Tours, announced after Warmbier's death that it would no longer organize tours of North Korea for U.S. citizens.
"The assessment of risk for Americans visiting North Korea has become too high," said the company, which has also offered tours to Iran, Iraq and former Soviet republicans and boasted of booking "budget tours to destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from."
The State Department warns against travel to North Korea, but does not explicitly forbid it. While nearly all Americans who have been there have left without incident, visitors can be suddenly seized and face lengthy incarceration for what might seem like minor infractions.
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, called for the U.S. to ban all tourist travel to North Korea.
"Travel propaganda lures far too many people to North Korea," Royce said. "This is a regime that regularly kidnaps foreign citizens and keeps 120,000 North Koreans in barbaric gulags."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Warmbier was "murdered by the [North Korean dictator] Kim Jong-un[sic] regime."
"In the final year of his life, he lived the nightmare in which the North Korean people have been trapped for 70 years: forced labor, mass starvation, systematic cruelty, torture, and murder," McCain said, later adding, "The United States of America cannot and should not tolerate the murder of its citizens by hostile powers."
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said North Korea should be "universally condemned for its abhorrent behavior.” He added that Warmbier’s family "had to endure more than any family should have to bear."
Ohio’s other senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, said the country's "despicable actions ... must be condemned."
“Our hearts are broken for Otto’s family and everyone who knew and loved him,” Brown added.
The state's governor, John Kasich, described Warmbier as "a young man of exceptional spirit."
"This horrendous situation further underscores the evil, oppressive nature of the North Korean regime that has such disregard for human life," Kasich says.

Poll: Majority of Americans Believe Govt. Will Protect Them From Terror Attack

A new poll reveals a majority of Americans are confident the government will protect U.S. citizens from a terror attack.
Monday’s Gallup poll shows 70-percent of those surveyed have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the government’s ability to defend against future acts of terrorism.
However, it also shows 6-in-10 people believe an attack in the U.S. is either “very” or “somewhat likely” to occur in the near future.
The survey was conducted earlier this month, shortly after two terror attacks hit the U.K.
Gallup says trust in the government remained high following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, but dropped to a record low after the San Bernardino attack 2015.

Washington Dems Plot to Slow Down GOP Healthcare Vote

Democrats in Washington D.C. are conspiring to stall the GOP’s effort to hold a vote on the repeal and replacement of Obamacare.
Senate republicans have been working on the House GOP’s healthcare plan after representatives voted for the repeal bill back in May.
Democrats have been complaining because GOP senators will not allow them to be involved in redrafting the bill.
Reports say democrats are planning to slow down the process with extended speeches on the chamber floor leading up to vote.
The republicans self-imposed deadline for the repeal bill vote is set for July 4th.