Democratic rep's bill would give 'poor' pols crashing in their offices cheap housing

Rep. Dan Donovan, R-NY, is one of several representatives who bunk overnight in their offices.  (Congress)

A Democratic congressman wants to create affordable housing in Washington, DC — for members of the House.
As the nation’s capital struggles with a homeless crisis, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson plans to introduce legislation as soon as this week calling for a study into converting a vacant residence hall blocks from the US Capitol into cheap housing for the well-paid politicians.
“I think that building should be available to members of Congress who have found housing costs to be prohibitive,” Thompson told The Post — referring to House members who rake in at least $174,000 a year.
“It can be the affordable-housing-availability option,” he said.
The move follows a recent Post exposé about the scores of House members — including Reps. Gregory Meeks, D-NY, and Dan Donovan, R-NY — who bunk overnight in their offices, claiming they can’t afford DC apartments in addition to their homes.
The average monthly rent on a studio apartment in Washington is $1,591, down 3 percent over the past year, according to a report this month from Rentcafe.com.
Meanwhile, DC — which has an estimated homeless population of 6,904 people — is spending $80,000 a night to house 600 families in hotels.
But Thompson has his eye on a two-story brick building for House members. It was built in the 1940s as a dormitory for nurses and sits in what’s now a posh neighborhood of pricey townhouses.
The government-owned property was most recently occupied by high-school students who were working as House pages. But it’s been empty since that program was shut down in 2011, following the scandal that forced Rep. Mark Foley, R- Fla., to resign in disgrace for sending lewd online messages to several former male pages.

Sarah Sanders says whining kids best practice for dealing with CNN's Jim Acosta

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says dealing with her small children has helped her deal with CNN's Jim Acosta.

While White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders cherishes her role as a mother to three children 6 years and under, she doesn’t shy away from the fact that there are difficult motherhood days – similar to dealing with CNN’s Jim Acosta.

“Both of them whine pretty regularly. They both like to ask the same questions and sometimes their tone needs to be adjusted a little bit. So I think that having kids has prepared me for the job that I have right now,” Sanders responded to the Daily Caller question: “What’s more difficult: Dealing with your children on an onerous day or dealing with [CNN reporter] Jim Acosta?”

“In all seriousness, I think that having kids is great preparation for anything – especially a job you need patience for and they have certainly prepared me for this one,” said Sanders, in the Mother's Day interview that also included White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway and White House Strategic Communications Director Mercedes Schlapp.
The 35-year-old Sanders also expressed gratitude that her children are still too young to read “some of the negative stories that exist out there,” and that she tries to protect them from such backlash as much as possible – while offering some words of wisdom for other working moms.
“I try to make sure I’m very intentional with the time that I have with my kids,” Sanders continued. “I’m gonna miss some of the moments, but the ones that I do have, I really try to focus on them, put my phone aside, block out some of the stress of work and really focus my time and attention on what they want to talk about and really zero in on them.”
And as much as the prominent White House figure values working with the Trump administration, she emphasized that it was not the most crucial role in her life.
“I love my job. It’s an honor to work for the president, but there are a lot of people that have had this job before and there are a lot of people who are going to have it after,” Sanders added. “The most important, influential job I have is being a mom. There are a number of people who can do the job I have. Only one person can be the mom to my kids. So that’s certainly the most important and influential role I’ll ever have. I’m trying hard not to screw it up.”

Trump calls for 'changes to our thought process on terror' after Paris attack

President Trump tweeted Sunday night, “Changes to our thought process on terror must be made,” following the latest attack linked to the Islamic State in France after less than two months of calm.
“At some point countries will have to open their eyes & see what is really going on. This kind of sickness & hatred is not compatible with a loving, peaceful, & successful country!” Trump wrote.
A 20-year-old Frenchman born in Chechnya rampaged through a festive Paris neighborhood Saturday evening slashing passers-by with a knife, investigators said. The man, identified as Khamzat Azimov, killed one person and wounded four others in a festive area near Paris’ old opera house. Police shot him to death as he charged them, witnesses said.
ISIS quickly claimed responsibility for the Saturday night attack via its Amaq news agency, saying Azimov was a “soldier” of the terror group.
In a video before the attacks, as Fox News reported, Azimov apparently called on ISIS supporters living in the West to immigrate to the group’s so-called “caliphate,” or else carry out attacks locally.
“They have closed the doors of immigration in our faces, so let’s strike them in the center of their homes,” the man said in French, adding, “We are on the truth ... despite the alliance of all these unbelievers against us, they will not fulfill their goal.”
Trump often has made the case that Europe ought to respond more to terrorism like the U.S. does.
In early May to the National Rifle Association, Trump claimed that gun-toting Parisians could have thwarted Islamic State attackers at Paris’ Bataclan concert hall.
Trump sparked controversy as some in France took offense at his "trigger-firing" hand gesture imitating the Bataclan attackers. Multiple extremists with explosive belts and assault weapons killed 130 people in the 2015 attacks on the Bataclan, Paris cafes and the national stadium.
Laying out his case for dropping the Iran nuclear deal, Trump contended, "If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen. In just a short period of time, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons."
Along those lines, Trump is set to host NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House Thursday to discuss NATO’s role in the international fight against terrorism.
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron professed a sunny, best-friends relationship, telling Trump that together the U.S. and France would defeat terrorism, curtail weapons of mass destruction in North Korea and Iran, and act together on behalf of the planet.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would lend a hand in the Paris investigation.
“The French authorities with all the intelligence help the United States can provide will do our best to unpack this in the coming hours,” Pompeo said on “Fox News Sunday.”
In a statement released Sunday evening, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders added: “Acts like this only strengthen the resolve of the global coalition to defeat ISIS and drive it out of existence.”

Mother's Day Cartoons

Bloomberg slams pols for 'epidemic of dishonesty,' calls it a greater threat than terrorism

During a commencement speech at Rice University in Texas, the 76-year-old millionaire criticized politicians for their “extreme partisanship,” claiming that it has led to an unprecedented tolerance for dishonesty in politics.  (AP)

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg took aim at Washington on Saturday, asserting that Americans are facing an “epidemic of dishonesty” that poses a greater threat to U.S. democracy than terrorism or communism.
During a commencement speech at Rice University in Texas, the 76-year-old billionaire criticized politicians for their “extreme partisanship,” claiming that it has led to an unprecedented tolerance for dishonesty in politics.
"The greatest threat to American democracy isn't communism, jihadism or any other external force or foreign power," he said. "It's our own willingness to tolerate dishonesty in service of party, and in pursuit of power."
Bloomberg referenced the 1990s, when Democrats staunchly defended then-President Bill Clinton against charges of misconduct and dishonesty, all while Republicans joined together to attack his ethics and personal morality. He said that just the reverse is happening in today’s White House.
He also talked about climate change as another example of “alternate realities” created by politicians’ “endless barrage of lies.”
"If 99 percent of scientists whose research has been peer-reviewed reach the same general conclusion about a theory, then we ought to accept it as the best available information — even if it's not a 100 percent certainty," Bloomberg said.
“How did we go from a president who could not tell a lie to politicians who cannot tell the truth?"
He added that a climate of tolerance for “dishonest politicians” has been made worse by “a chorus of enablers who defend their every lie.”
“When we tolerate dishonesty, we get criminality. Sometimes, it's in the form of corruption. Sometimes, it's abuse of power. And sometimes, it's both,” Bloomberg said.

Minnesota Democrats wage war on God, faith and American history

A bill in the Minnesota Senate that would allow schools in the state to voluntarily display the national motto “In God We Trust” has state Democrats spiraling into fits of outrage, because God offends them.
By waging war on God, they are showing contempt for people of faith and disregard for the history of our country.
On the floor of the Minnesota Senate, Democratic Sen. Scott Dibble suggested using “Allah” in place of “God” – as in “In Allah We Trust.” Dibble wondered how the bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Dan Hall, would react, since the words “God” and “Allah” (an Arabic word) mean the same thing.
Here’s a little history lesson for Dibble.
“In God We Trust” was recognized as our nation’s motto more than 200 years ago when Francis Scott Key penned it in “The Star Spangled Banner” as he watched the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. He wrote: “And this be our motto – ‘In God is our trust.’
So this motto goes almost as far back as the founding of our country. It’s very much ingrained in our heritage.
Note the humility of this statement. Key was saying that the United States – a very young country at war again with the nation from which it won its independence – defers its destiny to a higher power.
God is one of the most unifying and inclusive aspects of America. The term is used by many religions to reference the Supreme Being. Christians, Jews and Muslims all refer to the higher power they worship as “God,” with variants in different languages all having the identical meaning.
The Democratic Party has been completely hijacked by political correctness, which is one of the reasons Donald Trump was elected president. Voters saw the assault on their religious freedoms and the war on God and people of faith by the Democrats. That’s why the faith community has rallied behind this president so intently.
There is something very dangerous about having to attack people of faith or any expression of faith, and yet Democrats continue to travel down this road, abandoning a large portion of their voting base in the process.
Who can forget when God was literally booed at the Democratic National Convention in 2012? The Democrats removed recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and God from their party platform and then moved to add the references back in after concerns about losing Jewish voters and Christian independent voters. However, when they added the references back in a voice vote, the move was met with loud boos on the floor of the convention.
It’s worth noting that Charlotte, North Carolina – where the 2012 Democratic National Convention was held – is the same city where we recently saw the funeral service for the Rev. Billy Graham, who spoke at President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration in 1993.
It’s a sad commentary on the Democratic Party that it went from welcoming one of the most influential religious figures in America at the Clinton inaugural to booing God at its convention just 19 years later.
The more Democrats want to take God out of our daily lives, and our children’s lives, the more they expose themselves as extremists who want to take our country down a very destructive path. This is where they completely lose honest, hard-working, law-abiding people of faith.
Protesting the bill to allow display of the “In God We Trust” national motto, Democratic state Sen. John Marty said: “The money in my wallet has to say 'In God We Trust.' I think that's offensive.”
Marty could certainly make a donation to any number of good causes that wouldn’t find his money offensive. Perhaps he should start with his local school. Teachers are underpaid and always forced to reach into their own wallets for classroom supplies, which add up quickly. I’m sure they would welcome the generosity of the money that so offends the senator.
What many parents find offensive are politicians like Marty, whose salaries and office staff are paid for by the taxpayers. With the many problems plaguing our public schools – safety and security being the biggest – why are Democrats like Marty working overtime trying to keep God out of schools rather than focusing on keeping kids safe in schools?
Republican Sen. Hall said he sponsored the “In God We Trust” legislation to bring back respect, which has been lost.
Hall said: “We’ve lost a lot of respect for those things in life that we should be respecting. I only assume that if you take those things out of government, if you take the things that are respectful out, you're going to put in something different.”
That’s exactly what has happened. The further we’ve moved away from God in our schools, the more he’s been replaced by the extreme indoctrination of our kids with teaching and programs that completely undercut what families teach their children at home.
Nobody seems to care that parents are offended that many schools are no longer interested in partnering with them and instead are undermining them as the primary authority in the lives of their children.
Political correctness has infected schools to the point where priorities are out of whack. Our schools lack the security they desperately need, teachers are underpaid, and yet politicians ignore these real issues and, instead, pick fights with people of faith.
As the Democrats’ war on God wages on, the political consequences for them will only be secondary to what this will say about us as a nation.
Openly attacking God or people of faith is the only form of acceptable bigotry left in this country.
If God is our problem, what is the answer?

A Mother's Day thank you from a Green Beret

Greg Stube spent 19 of his 23 years in service as a Green Beret on the Special Forces’ A-Teams.

This may be in sharp contrast to what popular culture expects from a career Green Beret, but over and over in my life I’ve found that love and compassion are the basis for just action – this includes all that our Special Forces are tasked to do.
This means, first and foremost, our actions must be predicated on what our mothers taught us, or should have, by loving and protecting us.
For America, this has mostly been the case. America has fought around the world and throughout its history mostly in support of freedom. Americans love freedom and we show great compassion for the human condition.
You’d be hard pressed to prove to me that our motivations have been lesser ones, as I have spent 23 years as a warrior in our Army. I spent years in many countries around the world in pursuit of foreign policy interests. I’ve risked my life many times to pursue these ends. I have an extremely honorable feeling about my service to the United States of America. I am proud of our pursuits for freedom, security and stability around the world, and I’ve seen the positive effects on populations that had not previously experienced such blessings before.

We are better and we even fight better when we are strong enough to love in any environment, just as our mothers, when at their best, show us.

As a Special Forces Medical Sergeant, I’ve rendered care to people in lesser-developed places who had never seen a doctor or a dentist in their lives. I’ve pulled teeth for people who were miserable with dental pain. I’ve handed out prenatal vitamins and made small but real contributions toward reducing infant mortality rates, and even delivered babies in the absence of medical facilities. I’ve provided trauma management for the seriously injured and wounded. Even if we were handing out blankets or digging wells for hygienic water sources, I have always felt like we were doing great things to influence populations with love and compassion.
I attribute so much of this to a maternal nature that compels us to love, support and to protect – to what mothers provide. This is why I dedicated “Conquer Anything – A Green Beret’s Guide to Building Your A-Team" to mothers.

 (Greg Stube)

The beauty in a mother’s love is that her fight to safeguard her child is a justified one. She won’t have to regret what she did, and she will certainly win the fight with whatever resources are available. A mother will tend to make decisions less in favor of herself and more in favor of us.
In contrast, if anger, vengeance, reputation, identity, competition or any of these lesser and selfish reasons are our chief motivating force, we are likely to regret what we do.
This is why, as a nation, if we pursue our goals out of love and compassion in an unselfish way, we’ll never have to regret what we do. This is why I resolve to attach myself to feminine virtues, rather than resist them.
In contrast, I’ve too often witnessed ugly outcomes as a result of people being too macho. Testosterone is very necessary, but it must be tempered with a mother’s love and compassion. We are better and we even fight better when we are strong enough to love in any environment, just as our mothers, when at their best, show us.
This must be said because popular culture today too often defines soldiers, or even manliness itself, in a simplistic and even boyish ways that only concentrate on stoicism and tough-guy combat skills. As a soldier who spent a year recovering in a hospital, let me tell you, if I’d developed that other side of myself, I would have had an easier time recovering, as my perspective of myself would have been more well-rounded.
As it was, my warrior persona had been blown away and I was left empty. I didn’t know the rest of myself. I didn’t even realize I wasn’t well rounded. If you’re only an alpha man or woman who charges forward without looking left, right or behind, then, sooner or later, you’re going to trip, and no one will give you cover or help you up.
It took a horrifying year in a hospital to make me aware that I have been supported more than I’ve supported others.
As I try to make up for that, I want to say today and always, God bless mothers everywhere.
Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Stube (ret.) is from Covington, Tennessee. He joined the Army in 1988 as an infantryman and spent 19 of his 23 years in service as a Green Beret on the Special Forces’ A-Teams. He was seriously wounded during Operation Medusa in Afghanistan in September 2006 and spent a year in a hospital recovering from his wounds. He went on to serve as the first spokesperson for the Green Berets. Today he is a well-known public speaker with a focus on leadership, character development and helping other veterans succeed in civilian life. His awards include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and multiple Army Commendation Medals.

Trump thanks North Korea for plan to dismantle nuke site

President Donald Trump responded Saturday to North Korea’s announcement that it plans to dismantle its nuclear test site in less than two weeks, meaning the job would be finished before Trump’s planned summit with Kim Jong Un next month.
“Thank you,” the president tweeted in reaction to the news, adding the move was “a very smart and gracious gesture!”
Earlier in the day, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the hermit Kingdom plans to destroy all of the tunnels at the country's northeastern testing ground by an explosion, as well as remove the observation and research facilities and guard units at the site.
In the same announcement, North Korea invited journalists from the U.S., South Korea, China, Britain and Russia to witness the event.
Kim had already revealed plans to shut the test site by the end of May during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in last month. But analysts say the plan doesn't represent a material step toward full denuclearization.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – who recently returned from North Korea after helping to free three American citizens detained by Kim’s regime – said he and Kim had held “substantive” talks during his visit, and was confident that he and Kim “have a pretty good understanding between our two countries about what the shared objectives are.”
But Pompeo added that a “robust verification program” was essential to ensure the success of any agreements that Trump and Kim reach during their planned summit.
On Thursday, Trump tweeted that the "highly anticipated meeting" between himself and Kim, scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, represents a potentially "very special moment for World Peace!"
Previously, Moon anfd Kim, during their meeting at a border truce village, vaguely promised to work toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, but made no references to verification or timetables.
North Korea has invited the outside world to witness the dismantling of its nuclear facilities before. In June 2008, international broadcasters were allowed to show the demolishing of a cooling tower at the Nyongbyon reactor site, a year after the North reached an agreement with the U.S. and four other nations to disable its nuclear facilities in return for an aid package worth about $400 million.
But in September 2008, the North declared that it would resume reprocessing plutonium, complaining that Washington wasn't fulfilling its promise to remove the country from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The administration of George W. Bush removed North Korea from the list in October 2008 after the country agreed to continue disabling its nuclear plant. However, a final attempt by Bush to complete an agreement to fully dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program collapsed that December when the North refused to accept U.S.-proposed verification methods.
The North went on to conduct its second nuclear test in May 2009.