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Paul Ryan quit in frustration, but that hardly means Republicans are doomed

Paul Ryan is one of those rare politicians who really does want to spend more time with his family. But there's more to his decision to relinquish power than that.
His frustration in trying to work with President Trump, despite their clashing agendas, was in my view a significant factor in yesterday's announcement that he isn't running for reelection, essentially abdicating as House speaker.
Ryan never wanted the job, as he made clear to reporters. He was drafted by his colleagues. And with little prospect of being able to achieve more of his agenda, Ryan decided to declare victory after helping to pass the tax cuts and stop being a "weekend dad" back in Janesville, Wis.
The pundits raced to read a whole lot more into his decision.
Ryan was "signaling the peril that the Republican majority faces in the midterm elections," The New York Times says.
Ryan is "adding further uncertainty about whether embattled Republicans can maintain control of the House," says The Washington Post.
Now I'm sure the GOP's challenging prospects in the midterms crossed the congressman's mind, despite his demurral yesterday. But he’s not the typical power-hungry pol, so I don't think that's his main motivation. Nor do I believe Ryan's absence on the ballot will hurt other Republican candidates, except perhaps for the loss of his fundraising prowess.
CNBC's John Harwood goes a step further. "Ryan’s retirement from the House increases the chance that President Donald Trump will be impeached," he says.
Because "there's little doubt that a Democratic-controlled House would seek to impeach the president."
Wait, so Nancy Pelosi and company are lying when they say they’re not pursuing impeachment?
Harwood sees it as a runaway train. Still, a pretty sweeping conclusion based on one lawmaker giving up his seat.
It became awkward watching Ryan at his news conferences, deflecting reporters' questions about the latest Trump scandal or tweet and struggling to talk about policy.
What strikes me is how some Trump loyalists are trashing Ryan online, even calling him a RINO. That shows how much the party's center of gravity has shifted.
Ryan was long viewed as a dogged crusader for smaller government. When Mitt Romney picked him as his running mate, the right cheered at such a conservative choice.
But Ryan's devotion to entitlement reform was utterly at odds with Trump's vow to protect Medicare and Social Security. And the $1.3-trillion bill that Trump signed (after briefly threatening to veto it) was the epitome of the bloated, out-of-control federal spending that Ryan had vowed to stop.
Some commentators, stepping away from the horse race, are branding Ryan a failure:
"Who can blame him for not wanting to be the man standing between a volatile caucus, and a president whom he doesn't like, who doesn't respect him, and who doesn't care a whit for the kind of conservatism that has motivated Ryan throughout his long career in government?" The Atlantic asks.
"Faced with an out-of-control president of his own party, the speaker has decided he'd rather quit than deal with it"
And Politico points out that "Paul Ryan Deficit Hawk has never behaved like a deficit hawk. In his two decades in Washington, Ryan has consistently supported tax cuts and spending hikes that have boosted deficits, while consistently trashing Democrats for failing to cut deficits."
But National Review’s Jim Geraghty gives Ryan a respectful sendoff: "He was civil, well-informed, polite, and firm, the opposite of a table-pounding, demagogic extremist, and that probably just aggravated his critics on the left even more."
The larger question is whether anyone can run the fractious House GOP. Three years ago, John Boehner quit in frustration. Now Paul Ryan is quitting in frustration. The party's divide is so deep that speaker—or if they lose, minority leader—may be the ultimate thankless job.
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m.). He is the author "Media Madness: Donald Trump, The Press and the War Over the Truth." Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.

Rosenstein lets Nunes, Gowdy review FBI memo that kick-started Russia probe

After threatening contempt of Congress, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee met with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and viewed a copy of the two-page FBI memo that kick-started the Russia investigation; chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge reports from Washington.
Facing legal action, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein allowed House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., to view the FBI memo that instigated the bureau's counterintelligence investigation of contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign, Nunes confirmed on Wednesday.
The meeting came a day after Nunes threatened to take legal action -- including contempt proceedings and impeachment -- against Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray for failing to produce a clean copy of the memo, known as an electronic communication or EC, that was responsive to an August 2017 committee subpoena.
"Although the subpoenas issued by this Committee in August 2017 remain in effect, I’d like to thank Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein for his cooperation today," Nunes responded.
When asked on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" Tuesday if he would hold the officials in contempt of Congress, Nunes said, "we're not going to just hold in contempt. We will have a plan to hold in contempt and to impeach ... we're not messing around here."
A government source told Fox News that Nunes, Gowdy and committee Republican staff were able to view the two-page memo with relatively few redactions. The source described those redactions as "minimal and justified."
Fox News has previously reported that the memo was either drafted by or had significant input from FBI agent Peter Strzok, who was removed from special counsel Robert Mueller's probe after the discovery of anti-Trump text messages between him and another FBI official, Lisa Page.
Despite Rosenstein making the minimally redacted version of the memo available, the government source said committee Republicans remained concerned about the memo’s underlying intelligence and the credibility of the sources which would require further investigation.
A Justice Department official told Fox News that the memo's redactions had been "narrowly tailored to protect the name of a foreign country and the name of a foreign agent... These words must remain redacted after determining that revealing the words could harm the national security of the American people by undermining the trust we have with this foreign nation."
The official added that the words "appear only a limited number of times, and do no [sic] obstruct the underlying meaning of the document."
"With this production, in conjunction with the 1,000 pages of classified materials—much of which is now being provided to entire [House Intelligence] committee membership—we believe we have substantially satisfied Chairman Nunes August subpoena in an appropriate fashion," said the official. "The Department will be pleased to continue to work with the Committee on other, related requests for information."

Ex-Obama official mocks Sen. Paul for getting 'beat up' by neighbor

Looks like a Democrat :-)

Former Obama national security spokesman Tommy Vietor was forced to apologize after mocking Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul for being assaulted by his neighbor.  (Fox News)

A former Obama administration national security spokesman apologized Wednesday after mocking U.S. Sen. Rand Paul for being assaulted by a neighbor in an attack that left Paul seriously injured.
Tommy Vietor lashed out at the Kentucky Republican after the senator shared a letter from the FBI confirming that Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, the love couple removed from Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation over bias against President Donald Trump, still have top security clearances.
"You are a shameless hack and an idiot. Stop attacking public servants. Start doing a better job not getting beat up by your neighbor," Vietor wrote to Paul in a since-deleted tweet.

Tommy Vietor, former Obama national security spokesman, attacked Sen. Rand Paul for getting 'beat up' by his neighbor.  (Twitter)

The former official, who now co-hosts the “Pod Save America” podcast with other former Obama administration staffers, was referring to the incident last year when the senator’s neighbor entered his property and tackled him from behind, forcing him to the ground. Paul had problems breathing as the incident left him with six broken ribs.
Backlash shortly followed Vietor’s distasteful remark, with many criticizing him for blaming the senator for being assaulted.
“Really bad look for @TVietor08, and almost inexplicably so -- how is it Rand Paul's fault that his crazed neighbor brutally assaulted and injured him?” one Twitter user wrote.
“Is it cool for a former Obama national security spokesman to taunt a senator about getting attacked, or nah? The internet is forever,” seconded James Hasson, a contributor to the Federalist.
In the wake of the criticism, Vietor deleted the comment and issued an apology to the senator, reading: “I shouldn't have made fun of you getting assaulted by your neighbor. It was classless and I apologize.”
But the second part of the half-hearted apology that called Paul “pathetic” and “hackish” made people question whether Vietor actually meant to apologize, prompting another round of backlash.
“Once you use the word ‘but’ it confirms this is not an apology,” wrote a Twitter user, slamming Vietor.
“A sincere apology does not include any rationalization for the incident requiring said apology,” wrote another.

Mike Pompeo, Trump's pick for secretary of state, to tell senators years of soft US policy toward Russia 'now over'

Mike Pompeo, whom President Trump chose for his next secretary of state, is expected to tell the Senate during his confirmation hearing Thursday that years of soft policy toward Russian aggression are “now over.”
According to his prepared remarks obtained Wednesday by Fox News from a senior Trump administration official, Pompeo will chastise Russia for acting “aggressively” and emphasize that the national security strategy of the Trump administration considers Russia “a danger to our country.”
He also will say that diplomatic efforts with Moscow, while challenging, “must continue.”
Pompeo, currently the CIA director, will vow to promote democracy and human rights while stressing America’s “duty to lead,” according to the remarks, despite Trump’s vows to put “America first.”
“If we do not lead the calls for democracy, prosperity and human rights around the world, who will?” Pompeo plans to say. “No other nation is equipped with the same blend of power and principle.”
Pompeo’s remarks Thursday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be the first chance for lawmakers and the public to hear directly from the former Kansas congressman about his approach to diplomacy and the role of the State Department, should he be confirmed to replace Rex Tillerson.
Pompeo’s views on global issues are well known — he was questioned extensively by senators for his confirmation to run the CIA — but Democratic senators have raised questions about his fitness to be the top American diplomat, given some of his past comments.
“When journalists, most of whom have never met me, label me — or any of you — as ‘hawks,’ ‘war hardliners,’ or worse, I shake my head,” the former Army officer is expected to say. “There are few who dread war more than those of us who have served in uniform.”
The remarks continue, “War is always the last resort.”
GEN. ZINNI, ADM. STAVRIDIS: WHAT POMPEO MUST DO FIRST IF CONFIRMED
Pompeo’s chief goal Thursday is said to be convincing senators that he intends to strengthen the State Department.
Pompeo wants to ensure the State Department is a relevant player in national security policy, a source close to him told Fox News. The source, who wasn’t authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity, said Pompeo promises a relevant State Department that will find “its swagger once again.”
Pompeo is expected to say that as he met with State Department workers recently, they all said they wanted to be “empowered in their roles” and clear about Trump’s mission.
“They also shared how demoralizing it is to have so many vacancies and frankly, not to feel relevant. I’ll do my part to end the vacancies, but I’ll need your help.”
Since being nominated last month, Pompeo has spent much of his time at the State Department immersing himself in briefing books and undergoing mock hearings and prep meetings on key issues like Iran, Syria and North Korea, as well as the inner workings of the State Department, a person close to Pompeo said.
He’s also spoken to all eight living former secretaries — including Hillary Clinton, whom he famously criticized over the deadly 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya.
Pompeo’s questioning by senators comes amid spiraling tensions with Russia over Syria and China over trade; concerns about the planned summit between Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un; and uncertainty over the administration’s international agenda.
He’ll tell the Senate that he’s read CIA histories of past talks with North Korea and is confident that Trump won’t repeat past mistakes, according to the remarks.
“President Trump isn’t one to play games at the negotiating table, and I won’t be either,” he plans to say.
The Republican also is expected to pledge to make it “an immediate personal priority” to work with U.S. allies to try to “fix” the Iran nuclear deal.
Pompeo plans to say: “The stakes are high for everyone, but especially Tehran. If confirmed in time, I look forward to engaging key Allies on this crucial and time-sensitive topic at the G7 Ministerial Meeting on April 22, and the NATO Ministerial Meeting later that week.”
Trump has vowed to withdraw from the accord if agreement with European allies to revamp the deal can’t be reached by May 12.
Trump announced Pompeo’s nomination to become the 70th secretary of state in the same March 13 tweet in which he dumped Tillerson. “He will do a fantastic job,” Trump said at the time, confirming months of speculation that the largely sidelined Tillerson was out of a job and would be replaced by Pompeo, who is known to have the president’s ear and respect and shares his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal.
Pompeo, who was confirmed for the CIA job by a 66-32 vote, developed a reputation for being more outwardly political than many past directors of the traditionally apolitical agency. He developed a visibly close relationship with the president, traveling to the White House on most days to deliver the highly classified President’s Daily Brief in person rather than leaving the task to other intelligence officials. Often Trump would have the CIA director stay in the West Wing after the briefing to accompany him to other meetings.

Liberal Teacher Cartoons

Oklahoma Republicans refuse to bow to teachers' demands

As the Oklahoma teachers’ strike enters its second week, Republican lawmakers said Tuesday that they have no plans to further concede to the groups’ demands of eliminating a capital gains tax break as a way to increase school funding.
Meanwhile, the teachers' walkout has been costing taxpayers about $15,000 per day, Oklahoma City's FOX 25 reported.
Last month, Oklahoma’s Republican-led Legislature approved $450 million in new taxes, a move intended to raise about $6,100 for teachers’ salaries, textbooks, and classroom equipment, the Oklahoman reported. The Legislature also approved $2.9 billion for public schools – an increase of nearly 20 percent over last year’s spending.

Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, speaks to a crowd of teachers and supporters following the arrival of a group that walked 110 miles from Tulsa to the state Capitol as protests continue over school funding, in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, April 10, 2018.  (Associated Press)

Gov. Mary Fallin, a Republican, signed both bills.
But teachers say their salary increases were not enough after a decade without raises.
The capital gains deduction has become a target for teachers in because it reportedly benefits few Oklahomans and would generate about $120 million annually. An analyst hired by a state commission looking into Oklahoma's variety of tax incentives for businesses and industries recommended last year that the deduction be eliminated.

Demonstrators in Oklahoma on the final leg of a 110-mile trip from Tulsa to the state Capitol as protests continue over school funding, in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, April 10, 2018.  (Associated Press)

"The incentive overall cannot, with the data available, be credibly shown to have significant economic impact or a positive return on investment for the state," the analyst wrote.
Nevertheless, state Rep. John Pfeiffer, a House majority floor leader and top Republican lawmaker, said Tuesday that the Legislature has no plans to eliminate a capital gains tax break, nor are lawmakers likely to consider any other revenue bills this session.
"As far as this year, we've accomplished a whole lot, and I just don't know how much more we can get done this session," Pfeiffer said.

Leaders of Oklahoma's largest teacher's union have demanded a repeal of a capital gains tax exemption and for the governor to veto a repeal of a proposed lodging tax as they push for more education funding in massive demonstrations at the state Capitol, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Oklahoma City.  (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Fallin also defied striking teachers Tuesday, signing a bill to repeal a tax on hotel stays that teachers had called on her to veto. Fallin encouraged lawmakers to turn their attention to other issues.
As teachers descended on the Oklahoma state Capitol again Tuesday, the crowds were notably smaller. The House and Senate this week returned to more routine work, holding committee meetings and considering bills unrelated to revenue or education.
The crowds at the Capitol are costing the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) about $15,000 a day, FOX 25 reported.
“The $15,000 goes into basically repairing the grounds, the janitorial service, and having to pull additional staff from other parts of the Capitol complex and bring them in to aid the normal staff we have here,” a spokeswoman for OMES said.
According to FOX 25, the Oklahoma Education Association is footing most of the bill.
The OEA has called for the walkout to continue until the Legislature comes up with more money for schools. Several districts have announced plans to close Wednesday for an eighth consecutive day. Classes remain canceled in Oklahoma's biggest school districts.

Arizona court says Dreamers no longer eligible for in-state tuition

Darian Cruz, right, wipes away tears as she and Jasmin Lopez, left, listen to a friend talk about the Arizona Supreme Court ruling against young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, during a demonstration at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix, April 9, 2018.  (Associated Press)

College students in Arizona who participate in the Obama-era DACA program are no longer eligible for cheaper “in-state” tuition, the state’s Supreme Court ruled this week.
The ruling affects so-called Dreamers who attend Arizona’s three state universities and its largest community college.
The unanimous ruling Monday will affect at least 2,000 students who participate in DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which began in 2012 and which President Donald Trump has been looking to scrap or change since taking office in 2017.
The court said it would issue a written opinion explaining its reasoning by May 14.
The high court heard arguments last week in connection with the case.
The Arizona Supreme Court said it was making its decision known quickly to give the district and its students, as well as the state, as much time as possible for planning.
The case was filed under former Attorney General Tom Horne and continued by current Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who issued a statement saying his duty was to uphold the law.
"While people can disagree what the law should be, I hope we all can agree that the attorney general must enforce the law as it is, not as we want it to be," the statement said.

"While people can disagree what the law should be, I hope we all can agree that the attorney general must enforce the law as it is, not as we want it to be."

Matt Hasson, spokesman for the Maricopa County Community Colleges District, said the district was disappointing.
"This ruling is troubling for the 2,000 DACA students currently enrolled in Maricopa Community Colleges," he said in a statement. "During the past five years, more than 600 DACA students earned an associate's degree or a certificate from one of our colleges and are making valuable contributions to the health of our economy."
The chair of the state Board of Regents also lamented the decision, which came in a case pursued by the attorney general after the community college district began allowing DACA students to pay in-state tuition several years ago.

Carlos Yanez, front right, gets a hug from a friend after Yanez spoke during a news conference to protest the Arizona Supreme Court ruling against young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, during a demonstration at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix, April 9, 2018.  (Associated Press)

A lower court in 2015 rejected the attorney general's contention that lower tuition violated a voter-approved 2006 law known as Proposition 300 that prohibits public benefits for anyone living in Arizona without legal immigration status.
The university system used that ruling to offer lower tuition and continued the practice when the Court of Appeals ruled last year that federal and state law don't allow lower tuition for DACA students.
A current community college student taking a full-time course load would see tuition go from about $2,580 a year to about $8,900 a year. The state's three universities have a policy of charging residents without citizenship 150 percent of in-state tuition, moving tuition from about $10,000 a year to $15,000 per year.
Many young people covered by the DACA program, who are known as Dreamers, had said their school plans would be derailed if they lost access to lower in-state fees.
"Not only does this put education out of reach for most students, many will simply drop out from this disappointing decision," said Edder Diaz Martinez, a DACA recipient himself and a founding member of Undocumented Students for Education Equity, a group representing immigrant students at Arizona State University.