Dems taking heat from allies for fixation on slamming tax cuts, Trump

Washington Democrats are taking heat from some of their biggest financial supporters over a midterm-election strategy still focused on bashing President Trump and the Republican tax cut plan – as recent polls suggest the party's candidates could be losing their edge. 

Congressional Democrats, just a couple months ago, thought they had a winning plan for taking control of the chamber by arguing the tax cuts were a gift to corporate supporters at the expense of the American worker. Within hours of the bill's passage, Democrats returned to their districts for the holidays, ready to trumpet the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s message of “House Republicans Sign Away Their Seats.”

However, the extra money in employee paychecks since early January, and bonuses related to the cuts, apparently are winning over voters.
Those outside the Capitol Hill bubble are taking note, and urging Democrats to reconsider their message.
“If we spend all of our cycle running against the tax bill, it’s probably going to be a mistake,” Julie Greene, a former Democratic National Committee aide who now leads midterm campaign efforts for the AFL-CIO, recently said.
The most recent RealClearPolitics average of “generic” ballot polls -- asking voters which party they prefer in congressional races -- shows Democrats with a roughly 7-percentage-point lead over Republicans, compared with 13 points the day after Congress approved the tax law.
And a new Morning Consult/Politico poll showed Republicans leading by 1 percentage point, after trailing for three months.
Trump also has taken note of the polls, as Democrats try to win a total two-dozen seats to retake the House majority they lost in 2010.
“Republicans are now leading the Generic Poll, perhaps because of the popular Tax Cuts which the Dems want to take away. Actually, they want to raise you taxes, substantially,” the president tweeted Tuesday.
Gallup, meanwhile, announced that Americans’ satisfaction with the direction of the country was its highest since before Trump became president in November 2016, saying the impact of the cuts -- as seen on employees’ “first pay stubs” -- was a potential factor.
“This is a terrible idea for Democrats to run on,” Rory McShane, a Republican political media consultant, said Tuesday. “The tax plan is benefitting most Americans. Everybody knew it was going to be like an extra 50 bucks in each paycheck. But that pays a cellphone bill. That just shows you the world in which Democratic leadership doesn’t live.”
Republicans already are trying to tie 2018 Democratic candidates to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s recent comment that employee bonuses as a result of the tax cuts amount to “crumbs.”
McShane speculated that by Election Day, the cuts likely won’t impact the well-paid, well-educated “suburban” swing voters that pollsters frequently say decide elections. “But they will likely make Trump’s base happy that they put him in office and make them want to vote the same way in 2018,” he said.
Meanwhile, Priorities USA, the major Democratic super PAC that backed Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns, issued a memo last week raising concerns about whether the party has become too focused -- or perhaps too refocused -- on reacting to Trump, according to Politico.
Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan told Politico the memo was "spot on."
"There are some real issues that we need to pound -- and I mean pound relentlessly -- if we are going to win the districts we need to win in," said Ryan, who has been critiical of House leadership.

The offices for House Democratic leaders and the DCCC, whose mission is to get the chamber's Democratic candidates elected and reelected, have not responded to requests for comment for this report.
Washington Democrats acknowledge that their failures in 2016 to keep the White House or retake the House were in large part the result of a campaign platform relying too much on opposing Trump and failing to connect with Middle America voters.
The party last year announced its “Better Deal” platform, an effort to create more better-paying, full-time jobs for Americans. This past fall, House Democratic leaders announced their related “Jobs for America Task Force,” though the idea of attacking Trump still appeared to be on their minds.
“We all know our agenda just can’t be against Donald Trump, as alluring as that may be,”’ said New York Rep. Joe Crowley, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. “We will create a jobs package that our members can advocate for in this Congress and beyond.”

William Shatner shames Texas Dem for using his photo in campaign newslettter

Actor William Shatner demanded a photo of him and a Texas House candidate be removed after she used it for a campaign newsletter.

A Democrat running for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives may have recently learned a valuable lesson: Don't mess with Captain Kirk.

Texas House candidate Brandy Chambers.  (Facebook)

Candidate Brandy K. Chambers apparently stoked the ire of William Shatner when she sent out a campaign newsletter featuring a photo of herself with the "Star Trek" actor that was snapped at a Comic-Con event, the Dallas Morning News reported.  

Chambers, who is hoping to unseat Republican Angie Chen Button, said she included the photo as a way to endear herself to voters.
“If you think a grown woman going to Comic-Con and getting geeked out when she sees Captain Kirk is not what you want in a leader, that’s fine, too. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not for everybody,” she wrote in her newsletter.
The image circulated until it reached Shatner on Saturday. The 86-year-old actor tweeted at Chambers that her use of the convention photo misleadingly suggests an “endorsement” on his part. He then told her to “remove my photo” and “destroy all copies of whatever this is immediately.”

A Twitter exchange between Chambers and Shatner.  (Twitter)

"Am I clear?" Shatner added.
Chambers apologized from her personal account saying “it was clear from the context of the photo” that she wasn’t trying to imply his endorsement, merely her respect for the actor. She added that she doesn’t remember signing any waivers or disclosure agreements when she bought the photo.
Chambers deleted a tweet linking to the newsletter, calling the ordeal “distracting” and “stressful,” the Dallas Morning News reported.

Gun Free Zone Cartoons

Colorado state rep, Columbine survivor, pushes to end gun-free zones in schools

Colorado House Minority Leader Patrick Neville, a survivor of the Columbine massacre in 1999, is attempting — again — to introduce legislation to remove limitations on concealed carry in schools. (Patrick For Colorado)

Colorado House Minority Leader Patrick Neville, who was a Columbine High School sophomore at the time of the 1999 mass shooting, is pushing legislation that he says would protect students — by getting rid of gun restrictions in schools.

He has introduced the bill annually since he was elected in 2014, The Washington Times reported. Previous attempts have been turned down.

Neville, a Republican, told The Times the current law “creates a so-called gun free zone in every K-12 public school.”
Under Colorado law, concealed-carry permit holders may bring firearms onto school property, according to The Times, but must keep them locked inside their vehicles.
“Time and time again we point to the one common theme with mass shootings, they occur in gun-free zones,” Neville told The Times.
He added law-abiding citizens should be able “to defend themselves and most importantly our children from the worst-case scenarios.”
The massacre on Valentine’s Day of last week in Florida has renewed a nationwide debate about gun violence and how to prevent mass shootings.
Nikolas Cruz, 19, was suspected of opening fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where he was a former student, killing 17 people and injuring more than a dozen others.
Neville has contended, according to The Times, that more of his classmates would have survived the attack if faculty had been armed. In April 1999, two teens killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before killing themselves inside Columbine High School, in Littleton, Colorado.
The congressman’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

Facebook top executive's comments on Russian meddling sparks fury

A top executive at Facebook came under fire Friday after tweeting that it takes a “well educated citizenry” to fight off Russian election meddling attempts and claimed the main goal of the Russian online disinformation campaign was not to sway the 2016 presidential election, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“Most of the coverage of Russian meddling involves their attempt to affect the outcome of the 2016 US election,” Rob Goldman, Facebook’s head of advertising, tweeted on Friday. “I have seen all of the Russian ads and I can say very definitively that swaying the election was *NOT* the main goal.”

Goldman’s comments came shortly after a federal grand jury indicted 13 Russians and three Russian companies for allegedly meddling in the 2016 presidential election, in a case brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
The indictment described how an organization called the Internet Research Agency allegedly used social media, including Facebook, to create division and tried to influence U.S. public opinion. The company allegedly set up hundreds of social media accounts using stolen or fictitious identities to give an impression that real people are behind the activism online.
The defendants are also accused of starting a disinformation campaign in 2014 and spreading derogatory information about Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, attacking Republican candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and expressing support for then-Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.
13 RUSSIANS NATIONALS INDICTED FOR INTERFERING IN US ELECTIONS
But Goldman, who was “excited to see the Mueller indictment” on Friday, said that despite the common view, “the majority of the Russian ad spend happened AFTER the election.” Part of the reason for lack of awareness is that “very few outlets have covered it because it doesn’t align with the main media narrative of Trump and the election.”
“44% of total ad impressions (number of times ads were displayed) were before the US election on November 8, 2016; 56% were after the election,” read a factoid released by Facebook in October 2017.
“The main goal of the Russian propaganda and misinformation effort is to divide America by using our institutions, like free speech and social media, against us. It has stoked fear and hatred amongst Americans.  It is working incredibly well. We are quite divided as a nation," he said.
He added: “There are easy ways to fight this. Disinformation is ineffective against a well-educated citizenry.  Finland, Sweden and Holland have all taught digital literacy and critical thinking about misinformation to great effect.”
But Goldman’s tweets caused a fury on social media and accusations of sowing confusion and diminishing the problem of Russian interference.
“You really are not in a position to preach and your astonishing tweets have created confusion and anger,” Mainardo de Nardis, a senior executive at advertising giant Omnicom Group Inc., said in a tweet Sunday. “Enough damage done over the past 2+ years. In the absence of real actions silence would be appreciated.”
The backlash was further amplified after President Donald Trump cited Goldman’s tweets. “The Fake News Media never fails. Hard to ignore this fact from the Vice President of Facebook Ads, Rob Goldman!” Trump tweeted.
“Mr. Goldman should have stayed silent,” Clint Watts, a fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute who studied the Russian influence campaign, told The Wall Street Journal. He notes that minimizing the impact of the Russian efforts to influence the election risked further angering Americans.
“The public is upset that they got duped on Facebook’s platform. Facebook got duped,” he added. “It makes it seem like they don’t get it.”
Facebook’s vice president of global public policy Joel Kaplan released a statement on Sunday regarding Goldman’s tweets, saying that “Nothing we found contradicts the Special Counsel’s indictments. Any suggestion otherwise is wrong.”
After the onslaught of criticism, Goldman later expanded on some of the claims, tweeting that “the Russian campaign was certainly in favor of Mr. Trump.”
He also issued a caveat about his assertions: “I am only speaking here about the Russian behavior on Facebook. That is the only aspect that I observed directly.”

Michael Moore participated in anti-Trump rally allegedly organized by Russians

Michael Moore, the polemical filmmaker who has long accused President Trump of colluding with Russians, posted videos and pictures of himself participating in a protest in Manhattan that was allegedly organized by Russians in November 2016.
Prosecutors said Friday that the Russians indicted for meddling in the presidential campaign were also behind anti-Trump rallies that occured after the election.
The government alleged in an indictment signed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that the defendants organized a Nov. 12 “Trump is NOT my President” rally in New York. Their “strategic goal” was to “sow discord in the U.S. political system,” the indictment said.
On Nov. 12, Moore tweeted: "At today's Trump Tower protest. He wouldn't come down."
He attached a picture of himself posing with a large number of protesters.
Moore also posted a lengthy video on Facebook Nov. 12, in which he joined the protest and debated voters at Trump Tower.
Approximately 25,000 protesters turned out in New York on Nov. 12, chanting slogans rejecting the then-president-elect, NBC News reported at the time, citing New York Police Department officials.
Amid heavy police presence, protesters marched from Union Square to Trump Tower, the Guardian reported.
Moore has repeatedly claimed that President Trump inappropriately colluded with Russians.
Last year, Moore wrote on Facebook: "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on: TRUMP COLLUDING WITH THE RUSSIANS TO THROW THE ELECTION TO HIM."

Trump endorses recent GOP foe Mitt Romney for Utah Senate

President Trump gave his full backing to 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Monday, saying Romney's bid for a Senate seat from Utah "has my full support and endorsement!"

The president's tweet suggested he may have buried the hatchet, at least temporarily, with the GOP foe who called Trump a "phony" and a "fraud" in 2016. Trump wrote Monday evening that Romney "will make a great Senator and worthy successor" to the retiring Orrin Hatch.

In response, Romney tweeted, "Thank you Mr. President for the support. I hope that over the course of the campaign I also earn the support and endorsement of the people of Utah."
Romney, who served as Massachusetts governor from 2003 to 2007, announced his Senate run on Friday. The 70-year-old is a heavy favorite to hold the seat for the Republicans.
Trump's endorsement of Romney marked another twist in the complex relationship between the two men. Romney was a vocal critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, labeling the businessman "a phony [and] a fraud [whose] promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University."
In response, Trump tweeted reminders that Romney had sought his endorsement during Romney's failed run for the presidency four years earlier. In June of that year, Trump tweeted that Romney had "choked like a dog" in losing to former President Barack Obama.
After Trump's victory, Romney was rumored to be a contender to be secretary of state. In an unusually public interview process, Romney was seen dining with Trump in New York City and visiting the president-elect at his golf club in suburban New Jersey. Ultimately, Trump tapped Rex Tillerson for the post of America's top diplomat.
Since then, Romney has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration, particularly after Trump's response to the actions of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., last summer. Among the president's comments: "Especially in light of the advent of Antifa, if you look at what’s going on there, you know, you have some pretty bad dudes on the other side also."
Romney also broke with the White House over Trump's endorsement of Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore amid accusations of sexual misconduct against him. In the run-up to the December special election, Romney stated that Moore's election "would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation."
Members of both political parties have suggested that Romney, if elected to the Senate, would continue to call out Trump if he believed the president warranted criticism. However, Romney did not mention Trump in his campaign announcement on Friday, focusing instead on how his adopted state of Utah could be a model for better government in Washington.

Asked Friday if he would seek or accept Trump's endorsement, Romney demurred but said they had talked on the phone two or three times in recent months and had a cordial and respectful relationship.

MeToo Cartoons

Trump backs efforts to improve federal gun background checks, White House says

The White House revealed on Sunday that President Trump would support a push to improve the nation's system of background checks for would-be gun buyers, days after the shooting massacre at the high school in Parkland, Florida.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump spoke on Friday to Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn about a bill the Texas Republican had introduced alongside Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., which would “improve federal compliance with criminal background check legislation.”

Sanders continued, “While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered, the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system.”
The massacre on Valentine’s Day of last week has renewed debate across the political spectrum in America about gun violence and how to prevent mass shootings.
Nikolas Cruz, 19, is suspected of opening fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where he was a former student, killing 17 people and injuring more than a dozen others.
One day after the shooting, Trump singled out mental health as a possible factor. “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!” the president tweeted.
Trump will hold a listening session with high school students this week following the deadly school shooting in Florida.
A White House schedule says Trump will host students and teachers Wednesday. He also will meet with state and local officials on school safety on Thursday.
Trump was last seen publicly Friday night when he visited the Florida community reeling from the massacre, which gave rise to a student-led push for more gun control.
Late Saturday, after reports had emerged that federal investigators failed to act on warnings about Cruz, Trump tweeted: “Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable.”

California Democrat, and #MeToo activist, allegedly urged staffers to play 'spin the bottle': report

California Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, a leader of the #MeToo movement, allegedly stroked a then-25-year-old staffer’s back, tried to squeeze his buttocks and attempted to grab his crotch as he walked away from her.  (AP)

A California Democrat who was featured in Time magazine’s Person of the Year issue for her role in the anti-sexual harassment “#MeToo” movement allegedly urged staffers to play the grade-school classic, “spin the bottle,” after a night of heavy drinking at a fundraiser, Politico reported Sunday.

David John Kernick, 38, who worked in Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia’s office for five months in 2014, filed a formal complaint with the state, claiming that he was dismissed from his job for questioning the game.

Kernick told Politico that they played the game after an evening of heavy drinking. Garcia sat on a floor in a hotel room with about six people that included staff, he told the magazine.

What is #consent? How do we bridge the gap between varying definitions? No matter your answer, I really recommend you watch the whole video. pic.twitter.com/Ign8oTgKCt

— Cristina Garcia (@AsmGarcia) February 8, 2018

“It was definitely uncomfortable,’’ Kernick said. “But I realized it’s different for a man than for a woman. … You know it’s inappropriate, but at the same time you may wonder, ‘How many women do you work for that act like that?’ You think … ’Maybe she’s just really cool.’’’
Last week, Garcia was hit with fresh allegations of misconduct in her office, including frequent discussions about sex and alcohol consumption at the Capitol.
San Diego lawyer Dan Gilleon filed a formal complaint with the Legislature detailing the allegations on behalf of four anonymous former employees in Garcia’s office.
He said they will cooperate with an investigation but do not want their names to be public at this time for fear of retribution.
The complainants allege that Garcia regularly talked about her sexual activity, including with other members, in front of staff. They also allege Garcia drank alcohol while doing official Assembly business and pressured staff to join her in drinking at the office or at bars.
The allegations came as Garcia is on a leave of absence following news she is being investigated in the groping of a former male legislative staff member in 2014.
None of the new complaints involve sexual misconduct, but Gilleon said the former employees considered Garcia’s frequent talk about sex a form sexual harassment.
“My clients will vigorously defend what they have said, but I will insist that the Assembly takes serious steps to ensure their protection against reprisal,” Gilleon said in a letter he delivered to the Assembly Rules Committee after a press conference on the Capitol steps.
Garcia, in a Facebook post, said she will address each of the issues individually once an investigation has been completed. But she said the claims don’t square with the atmosphere she worked to create. Her current and former chiefs of staff denied the behaviors described in the letter.
“I am confident I have consistently treated my staff fairly and respectfully. In a fast-paced legislative office, not everyone is the right fit for every position, and I do understand how a normal employment decision could be misinterpreted by the individual involved in that decision,” Garcia wrote.
Garcia took a leave of absence Friday after news broke that Daniel Fierro, a former staffer in another office, alleged she rubbed his back, grabbed his buttocks and tried to grab his groin at a legislative softball game in 2014. She denies the claims.
The allegations against Garcia mark a stunning twist to the California Legislature’s widening sexual harassment scandal that first broke open last fall and prompted two male assemblymen to resign. Garcia, a Democrat who represents southeast Los Angeles, chaired the Legislative Women’s Caucus until Wednesday, when her colleagues installed Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Eggman of Stockton, as the interim chair.
Garcia has been one of the most vocal critics against her colleagues and a staunch advocate of the #MeToo movement. She has authored numerous bills about sexual assault, activity and consent.
Tim Reardon, Garcia’s former chief of staff, said he never heard or was told that Garcia was discussing her sexual activities in the office. He said alcohol is occasionally present at the Capitol but drinking is never excessive.
“There are times in a lot of offices where someone will have wine or that nature,” he said. “But there has never been excessive drinking like it’s some kind of drinking party.”
The letter also alleges Garcia asked her staff to perform personal duties, such as taking care of her dogs, as well as campaign activities for her and other lawmakers. It alleges Garcia was “vindictive” toward staff and frequently disparaged other lawmakers.
Ashley Labar, her current chief of staff, denied the allegations.
“I’ve never seen the member engage in the behavior listed in the letter by Mr. Gilleon,” she said.

John Kelly, Chinese officials caused commotion over nuclear football in Beijing, report says

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arriving for a state dinner last November with China's President Xi Jinping and China's first lady Peng Liyuan in Beijing.  (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst, File)

President Donald Trump has boasted repeatedly about his big and powerful “nuclear button” — but according to a new report, it almost got away from him last year in China.

According to Axios, five sources said that on Nov. 9, during Trump’s visit to Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Chief of Staff John Kelly and a U.S. Secret Service agent had a “skirmish” with Chinese security officials over the so-called nuclear “football,” which helps set a nuclear strike order in motion.

When the U.S. military aide carrying the football entered the Great Hall, Axios reported, Chinese security officials blocked his entry.
Kelly, in the adjoining room, was told, and the former United States Marine Corps general rushed over and told U.S. officials to keep walking, according to Axios.
“We’re moving in,” Kelly said — and his team all started moving.
A Chinese security official then grabbed Kelly, and Kelly shoved the man’s hand off of his body, according to Axios. Then a U.S. Secret Service agent grabbed that Chinese security official, and tackled him to the ground.
Axios reported that at no point did the Chinese have the nuclear football in their possession or even touch the briefcase.
The process for launching a nuclear strike is secret and complex. The nuclear football is carried by a rotating group of military officers everywhere the president goes and is equipped with communication tools and a book with prepared war plans.
If the president were to order a strike, he would identify himself to military officials at the Pentagon with codes unique to him. Those codes are recorded on a card known as the “biscuit” that is carried by the president at all times. He then would transmit the launch order to the Pentagon and Strategic Command.

Trump slams Oprah, hopes to see her 2020 run to 'expose and defeat'

President Donald Trump went after “very insecure” Oprah Winfrey on Sunday, tweeting that he hopes to see her run for president so “she can be exposed and defeated.”

"Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes," Trump tweeted Sunday night. "The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!"

Winfrey appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes” leading a discussion with 14 people from Grand Rapids, Mich. Half of people from the group voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, the other half did not. The same group was interviewed on the program last year.
"One year into Donald Trump's presidency, Americans remain divided, often unwilling to listen to what the other side has to say," Winfrey said.
Winfrey’s potential run for presidency was the subject of speculations following her speech at the Golden Globes last month. Her longtime boyfriend Stedman Graham said, “It's up to the people” whether she runs, but added that “she would absolutely do it."
Winfrey, for her part, denied considering a run in 2020. She recently told CBS’ “60 Minutes Overtime” that God has not yet told her to run for president. “If God actually wanted me to run, wouldn't God kinda tell me? And I haven't heard that," Winfrey said.
Trump said last month that if Winfrey runs, he would beat her. “Yeah, I’ll beat Oprah. Oprah would be a lot of fun,” he said, although adding that “I know her very well. I like Oprah. I don’t think she’s going to run.”

Welfare Medicaid Cartoons

Kentucky bill would motivate jobless to find work, proponents say

A bill in the Kentucky Legislature would link the weeks a person may receive unemployment benefits to the state's jobless rate.

Kentucky’s Legislature is considering a bill that would cut in half the number of weeks a person can receive unemployment benefits.

Under Kentucky’s current labor law, a person laid off for any reason other than misconduct is eligible to receive a portion of their paycheck for a maximum of 26 weeks. But under House Bill 252, the maximum number of weeks would change in accordance with the state’s unemployment rate.   

So if Kentucky’s unemployment rate climbs above 9.4 percent, the number of weeks for benefits caps at 26 weeks. But if the unemployment rate dips below 5.4 percent, unemployment insurance would cap at 14 weeks, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported. Kentucky’s current unemployment rate is 4.4 percent.
Proponents say the bill would help employers, who bare the burden of paying unemployment insurance, and incentivize jobless people to search for work.
“It’s strictly economic development,” the bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Phillip Pratt, R-Georgetown, told the Lexington Herald-Ledger. “Make sure businesses come in and we’re competitive with our surrounding states.”

"It’s strictly economic development. Make sure businesses come in and we’re competitive with our surrounding states."

But opponents argue that cutting off benefits sooner could mean that some workers would not endure an employment crisis.
“People would end up losing their house, they could go bankrupt or have any other financial hardship,” warned Bill Londrigan, president of the Kentucky chapter of the AFL-CIO.
According to the Herald-Ledger, the average number of weeks Kentuckians collect unemployment benefits is 19.
The House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee is currently considering the bill. A decision will be made next week.
In January, Kentucky became the first state in the nation to add a work requirement for collecting Medicaid benefits, Fox News reported.

Son of George Soros donated $650G to Dem campaigns, groups last year, data show

Alexander Soros

George Soros

The son of liberal billionaire financier George Soros donated $650,000 to Democratic campaigns and committees last year, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Alexander Soros, Soros's son and managing partner of Soros Brothers Investments, has quietly stepped up as a major liberal donor but has remained relatively obscure due to his father garnering much of the media attention in the family.
Alex's generous contributions spanned across a number of liberal party committees and campaigns, including two donations totaling $203,400 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) recount and building funds, while providing an additional $33,900 to the committee during the primary period.
Alex also gave large amounts to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). Like his contributions to the DCCC, Soros gave the DSCC $203,400 for its recount and headquarters account, with another $33,900 going towards the primaries.
The Democratic National Committee's (DNC) building account additionally received six figures from Soros. Alex poured $101,700 into the DNC's headquarters account and $33,900 was provided to the committee for the general election.
Soros also gave thousands to the campaigns of Democratic Sens. Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Jon Tester (Mont.), and Chris Murphy (Conn.), among others.
Alex has posted pictures of himself on social media day drinking with Democratic leadership, including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), the Daily Caller reported last year.
"Always great to catch up with senator @chuckschumer who has seized the moment as the head of the #democrats in the #senate and masterfully helped preserve the assault on our nations values and #democracy! Thank you Chuck! #chuckschumer #legend #opposition  #dumptrump,", Soros's Instagram caption reads.

More friends of Alex Soros pic.twitter.com/D6oTW9xGjY

— TVisme🇺🇸 (@TVismeuc) February 10, 2018

During the 2016 election cycle, Alex increased his contributions to Democrats by millions of dollars by pouring $4.5 million into liberal committees. This was a drastic shift from the 2014 election cycle, when Soros gave $88,000 to Democratic committees.
Alex did not return a request for comment on his contributions by press time.

NBC still going for the gold in on-air blunders

Medalists in the women's super-G, from left: Austria's Anna Veith, silver; Czech Republic's Ester Ledecka, gold; and Liechtenstein's Tina Weirather, bronze, are seen at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, Feb. 17, 2018.  (Associated Press)

NBC continues vying for the gold medal in broadcasting blunders during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Most recently, sportscaster Dan Hicks doubled down on a gaffe Saturday night while covering the women’s super-G skiing event, and ski analyst Bode Miller and hockey analyst Mike Milbury faced backlash for some on-air comments.

Hicks covered an Alpine race in which little-known Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic beat Austria's Anna Veith, and won the gold medal.
Ledecka, who ranked No. 43 in the world, was considered to have so little chance to win that Hicks declared Veith the winner and NBC switched away.
“Four straight Olympic golds in the women’s super G for the skiing powerhouse of Austria. I just about can’t believe it!” Hicks reportedly said.
But the race wasn’t over. And rather than laugh off their mistake or own up to making a wrong call, ski announcers Hicks and Miller seemed intent on justifying their cut-away to the next event.

#NBC just had another Heidi moment (this time, in #AlpineSkiing), and arguably worse than the original, since Dan Hicks at least implied that Anna Veith had won, when another skiier posted a faster time after NBC switched to #figureskating. #NBColympics #NBCfail

— Aaron Camp (@ProgMid) February 17, 2018

“In everyone’s opinion, the race was over. It was one of the most incredible upsets I’ve seen in any sport,” Miller, a five-time Olympic medalist, said.
Some viewers may recall that Hicks also took heat during the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janiero, after he said Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu's husband Shane Tusup, who was also her coach, was "the man responsible" for her world-record-breaking gold medal performance in the 400 meter individual medley.
'Might be her husband's fault'
Earlier last week, Miller jokingly said that in addition to Veith’s knee injury, her recent struggles were due to her marriage. Veith got married after winning the Giant Slalom at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where she suffered a knee injury.
“The knee is certainly an issue,” Miller said. “I want to point out, she also got married. It’s historically very challenging to race on World Cup with a family or after being married. You know, not to blame the spouses, but I just want to toss that out there that it might be her husband’s fault.”

To be clear I was not seriously blaming Anna Veith's lack of results on her husband. It's a changing of priorities that is historically hard, male or female.

— Bode Miller (@MillerBode) February 15, 2018

After receiving backlash on social media, Miller apologized, calling his remarks, “an ill-advised attempt at a joke.”
'Unfortunate incident'
In another NBC-related blunder, hockey analyst Milbury, while commentating on the U.S.-Russia hockey game, described Slava Voynov's expulsion from the NHL -- after being jailed for kicking and choking his wife -- as an "unfortunate incident" that hurt the Los Angeles Kings. His choice of words earned NBC some online criticism for insensitivity.

Mike Milbury saying Voynov trying to kill his girlfriend is “an unfortunate incident that cost the kings a good player” is exactly whats wrong with NBC, hockey culture, and the world, honestly

— Ally "Letangier" Letangier (@letangier) February 17, 2018

Milbury said his intention was to discuss the impact of the incident on hockey after partner Kenny Albert outlined the domestic violence charges.
"As I said at the time he was suspended, the league made the right call, 100 percent," he said.

Trump slams FBI over 'missed signals' on Florida shooting, asserts Russia was distraction

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have been sharply critical of the FBI in recent months. The agency is led by Director Christopher Wray, right, whom Trump appointed to succeed the fired James Comey.

President Donald Trump urged the FBI to “get back to the basics” Saturday night after an embarrassing series of mistakes in connection with the Parkland, Fla., massacre.

“Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter,” the president tweeted late Saturday. “This is not acceptable.”

The president then asserted that the agency was perhaps distracted by the investigation into possible Trump administration ties to Russia.
“They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign,” the president wrote. “There is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!”
On Friday, America’s top law enforcement agency admitted that it failed to act on information that alleged Florida shooter Nikolas Cruz had a “desire to kill people,” had written a series of alarming social media posts and had access to a gun.
Cruz, 19, is suspected of opening fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where he was a former student, killing 17 people and injuring more than a dozen others.
Previously, the FBI acknowleged that it failed to follow up on a September tip flagging a YouTube comment posted by a “Nikolas Cruz,” which said “Im going to be a professional school shooter.” The FBI said it could not identify the user who made the comment.
In response to the FBI gaffes, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered a review of FBI procedures, and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has urged Congress to launch an investigation into the agency’s operations.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, meanwhile, has called for FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign.
Trump and other Republicans have heavily criticized the FBI in recent months. They are still dissatisfied with its decision not to charge Hillary Clinton with crimes related to her use of a private email server, and they see signs of bias in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of possible Trump campaign ties to Russia.

russian investigation cartoons (again)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: the Supreme Court's outspoken justice

Asleep at the Wheel :-)

Photo taken in California October 26, 2010

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is more than just a member of the Supreme Court -- she’s become a liberal icon and, even more improbably, a celebrity.

Her likeness appears on T-shirts. A book about her, “Notorious RBG,” is a big seller. Kate McKinnon does an impression of her on “Saturday Night Live” (“You’ve been Ginsburned!”).

In January, Ginsburg appeared before an adoring crowd at the Sundance Film Festival premiere of “RBG,” a documentary about her life. The movie went over big, and should soon be appearing at a theater near you.
Part of this rise may be attributable, ironically, to the man who presently sits in the White House. As one of the Supreme Court’s most stalwart liberals, Ginsburg, in recent years, has been defined to a certain extent by her opposition to Donald Trump.
Most justices stay out of political battles, but not Ginsburg. In the midst of the presidential race in 2016, she told “The New York Times” “I can’t imagine what this place would be — I can’t imagine what this country would be — with Donald Trump as our president.”
She wasn’t done. She later added, “He’s a faker. He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego....How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that.” For someone whose job is following precedent, this sort of talk was almost unprecedented.
Trump responded in kind, tweeting: “Justice Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot — resign!”
Many felt she’d crossed a line, and she expressed regret for her criticism. (Later that year she criticized Colin Kaepernick for refusing to stand for the national anthem, and ended up apologizing for that, as well.)
Trump, probably to the surprise of Ginsburg, was elected. And Ginsburg, to the surprise of no one, did not resign as Trump had demanded. She also did not stop talking politics.
Earlier this year, she spoke of her fear that the federal judiciary, in Washington’s partisan climate, would be seen as just another political branch. But not too long after, she showed she was still willing to wade into political battles herself, repeating charges she’d made in 2017 that sexism was a major factor in Hillary Clinton’s loss, noting the candidate had a tough time getting by “the macho atmosphere prevailing during that campaign.”
And if that wasn’t enough to keep her name out there, she also made a stir with her #MeToo story of sexual harassment from a teaching assistant when she was a student in a Cornell chemistry class.
When all is said and done, though, what matters most are not the things she says to the media, but the official opinions she expresses as one of the nine most powerful judges in the land.
At 84, she’s the oldest member of the Court, and though she’s had health issues — twice she’s undergone cancer surgery — she has no plans to retire. (Some on the left had hoped she’d leave the court while a Democrat was in the White House, but that wish has been put on hold.) In fact, Ginsburg’s health regimen is well known — there’s a book out by her personal trainer Bryant Johnson, “The RBG Workout.”
Unlike her colleague and second-oldest justice, Anthony Kennedy — the court’s most important swing vote -- Ginsburg’s jurisprudence tends to be less in doubt on controversial cases. Certainly many of her beliefs were clear before she was nominated by President Clinton, as she had worked for the ACLU and specialized in gender discrimination.
Nevertheless, court watchers pay close attention to Ginsburg. Sitting on a court that leans conservative, many see her as the best at making the liberal argument in high profile cases.
Among her most famous opinions are “United States v. Virginia” (1996), striking down the Virginia Military Institute’s male-only policy; “Ring v. Arizona” (2002), limiting the circumstances where a defendant can receive the death penalty; and “Eldred v. Ashcroft” (2003), stating that extending copyright protection doesn’t violate the First Amendment or the Constitution’s Copyright Clause.
But it’s her dissents where many think she’s most compelling.
In “Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.” (2007), Ginsburg wrote for the minority in a 5-4 case about the proper deadline for filing a claim of sexual discrimination.
Apparently troubled, even offended, by the decision from the Court’s conservatives, she took the unusual step of reading her dissent from the bench. Ginsburg argued that the Court had a “cramped interpretation” of the “broad remedial purpose” of civil rights law. Her argument, in a way, won out when, in 2009, Congress passed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, effectively overturning the majority’s decision.
She also dissented in “Gonzalez v. Carhart” (2007), a case that upheld, 5-4, a partial-birth abortion ban.
Ginsburg would have none of it, writing “Today’s decision is alarming...for the first time since ‘Roe,’ the Court blesses a prohibition with no exception safeguarding a woman’s health.” She didn’t hold back: “In candor, the Act, and the Court’s defense of it, cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this Court — and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women’s lives.”
Then there’s her dissent in yet another 5-4 case, “Burwell v. Hobby Lobby” (2014), where the Court struck down, for certain companies, the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act.
She wrote “mindful of the havoc the Court’s judgment can introduce, I dissent.” She claims the Court, in looking at relevant law and precedent, “falters at each step of its analysis.” She also states “The Court, I fear, has ventured into a minefield” in trying to determine which religious objections to laws are worthy.
In the upcoming months, there will be decisions on a number of potentially game-changing cases — issues regarding the First Amendment, states’ right, labor law and gerrymandering, for example. It’s possible Justice Ginsburg will write some of these opinions.
It’s even more likely, many believe, she’ll be writing more dissents. If that happens, expect fireworks.