Kansas Gov. Colyer hires lawyer for contested GOP primary

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer dug in for a legal fight over this past week’s Republican gubernatorial primary, hiring an outside lawyer for the vote-counting process with Secretary of State Kris Kobach leading the incumbent by less than a tenth of a percentage point.
The Colyer campaign has hired Todd Graves, a Kansas City attorney who works on election law.
“Governor Colyer is confident that Todd Graves’ experience as a U.S. Attorney and, in particular, his expertise in election law will be a valuable asset as we navigate this process,” Kendall Marr, a spokesperson for Mr. Colyer, wrote in an email.
Mr. Colyer has ramped up pressure on Mr. Kobach as election officials continue to review the vote count and tally the remaining ballots. Mr. Colyer in a letter Thursday asked Mr. Kobach to recuse himself from advising county election officials on the matter, saying it had come to his attention that Mr. Kobach was making statements that “may serve to suppress the vote.”
Mr. Kobach, who was endorsed by President Trump, formally recused himself Friday from his duties as secretary of state until the end of the primary process and designated assistant secretary of state Erick Rucker to fulfill his election responsibilities—a move that the Colyer campaign said was still insufficient. Mr. Kobach declined Mr. Colyer’s request to transfer responsibility for the election to the Kansas attorney general.

Newt Gingrich: The Trump Republican Party is arising out of a political revolution

The biggest takeaway message from Tuesday’s primaries and the Ohio special election is that the Republican Party is becoming President Trump’s party.
In fact, the degree to which pro-Trump Republicans prevailed is the fifth major achievement of the Trump presidency so far.
First, the president and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., placed a record number of conservative, constitutionally minded judges on the federal bench.
Second, President Trump moved power out of Washington and liberated businesses to accelerate economic growth through his historic deregulation effort.
Third, the president succeeded in working with congressional Republicans to pass a massive tax cut that has created jobs and grown the economy much faster than any of the elites thought possible.
Fourth, the president began to rebuild the American military after the Obama administration spent eight years deliberately undermining it.
Now President Trump has begun to grow a Trump Republican Party. The examples from Tuesday are striking, but this growth started earlier. In primary after primary, President Trump has proved to be a decisive voice.
I saw this firsthand in Georgia, when his endorsement of Secretary of State Brian Kemp turned what was expected to be a close primary race into a one-sided victory for the Trump candidate. Similarly, on Tuesday the Trump-endorsed candidates won GOP nominations.
This is a very important long-term development because it means that in 2019 and beyond the president will have a Republican Party substantially more favorable to his policies. It also means that the never-Trumpers will gradually decline into a less noisy, less relevant part of American politics.
The never-Trumpers are like the Bourbon monarchy, which “had learned nothing and forgotten nothing” (an apocryphal quote from Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord describing the Bourbons’ behavior after the abdication of Napoleon). Because of their inability to change, the Bourbons gradually disappeared as the French Republics created new patterns.
This shrinking and then disappearing process is nothing new.
When former President Theodore Roosevelt left the Republican Party in 1912, he took a generation of progressives with him. The conservatives consolidated their grip on the Republican Party, and many of the progressives became Franklin Delano Roosevelt Democrats.
Likewise, when President Franklin Roosevelt turned out to be much more liberal than expected, his close friend and ally Al Smith – the former governor of New York and Democratic presidential nominee of 1928 – started supporting Republicans in opposition of the New Deal.
In more recent times, President Ronald Reagan dominated the GOP in the 1980s and dissenters like Sen. Bob Packwood or Oregon, who started off skeptical, came on board. Packwood was convinced to lead the tax reform fight.
Similarly, loyal Democrats like former Sens. Zell Miller of Georgia and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut found the increasing radicalism of the left so unacceptable that they became very pro-Republican. Miller endorsed President George W. Bush at the 2004 Republic National Convention and Lieberman seriously considered running as the vice presidential candidate with Sen. John McCain of Arizona in 2008.
In addition to dominating the primaries, President Trump proved to be very effective in turning out the Republican vote in the Ohio special election. There were a lot of Washington’s so-called experts questioning whether he would help or hurt turnout. While there are still provisional and absentee ballots to count to finalize the result, the results so far indicate that the Republican vote surged in the days leading up to the election and the GOP nominee leads in the current vote count.
The warning to Democrats and the media for the November elections should be pretty direct: If President Trump spends September and October defining the election on his terms, the outcome in November might be as shocking to the left as 2016’s was.
The most amazing thing about the Trump effect is how efficient it is.
Simple tweets have helped nominate the GOP candidates for governor and congressional seats in state after state. With this kind of economy of effort, it is no wonder President Trump is doing so many things in parallel.
In the process, the president is growing a Trump Republican Party that will turn the never-Trumpers into a fossilized remnant of bitter-enders that attract smaller and smaller audiences who pay less and less attention.
In short, this is what a political revolution looks like.
Newt Gingrich is a Fox News contributor. A Republican, he was speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. Follow him on Twitter @NewtGingrich. His latest book is "Trump’s America: The Truth About Our Nation’s Great Comeback.”

Why I Stopped Watching Football Cartoons

North Korea threatens to stall denuclearization in warning to US

North Korea on Thursday threatened to stall the denuclearization of its missile program if the U.S. continues to abide by an "outdated acting script" amid Washington's calls to enforce sanctions against the regime.
A statement from the nation's Foreign Ministry said that following President Trump's June summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the North has worked to improve relations between the two countries and "make active contributions to peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and over the world."
The foreign ministry said that despite their efforts to work with the U.S. — by stopping their missile launches and nuclear tests — America continues to insist on "denuclearization first," and continues to encourage international sanctions against the North.
U.S. officials, according to North Korea, "are making baseless allegations against us and making desperate attempts at intensifying the international sanctions," against what they believe to be Trump's intentions to better relations between the two countries.
"As long as the U.S. denies even the basic decorum for its dialogue partner and clings to the outdated acting script which the previous administrations have all tried and failed, one cannot expect any progress in the implementation of the DPRK-U.S. joint statement including the denuclearization," the statement read.
The North noted that they returned remains of U.S. soldiers who fought in the Korean War to the U.S. last week.
The foreign ministry said actions taken by the U.S. equate to "throwing cold water" over their efforts, calling it an "indeed foolish act that amounts to waiting to see a boiled egg hatch out."
At Trump and Kim's historic summit, the two signed a document stating that Pyongyang would work toward "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
But, following the meeting, U.S. intelligence officials said they believed North Korea was "deceiving" the U.S., saying the regime was bolstering production for nuclear weapons at "multiple secret sites" in recent months.

Ben Shapiro, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spar after he offers $10,000 to debate her democratic socialist beliefs

Ben Shapiro wants to have a discussion with Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro challenged democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a debate, offering to donate $10,000 to her campaign if she accepted -- but it triggered a sparring match online.
Shapiro initially tweeted a video on Wednesday in which he mocked Democratic National Committee chairperson Tom Perez for calling Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congressional candidate, the “future of the Democratic Party,” before issuing his challenge.
“Miss Ocasio-Cortez, I’m really excited that you’ve been elevated to that position and I would love to have a real conversation with you about the issues. You’ve noted that you think Republicans are afraid to debate you or talk to you or discuss the issues with you,” Shapiro said.
“Not only am I eager to discuss the issues with you, I’m willing to offer $10,000 to your campaign, today, for you to come on our Sunday special,” he continued. “We can have an hour long conversation about all the topics under the sun, really probe your belief system.”
Shapiro said he would also debate Ocasio-Cortez for charity.
“However you want to do it, I am more than willing to talk to you,” Shapiro said. “Let’s make this happen.”
Shapiro, Daily Wire editor-in-chief, said that he wants to make “America a more civil and interesting place,” and feels a conversation with Ocasio-Cortez could do just that.
Thursday night, Ocasio-Cortez compared Shapiro's offer to "catcalling" on Twitter.
"Just like catcalling, I don’t owe a response to unsolicited requests from men with bad intentions," she wrote. "And also like catcalling, for some reason they feel entitled to one."
Shapiro responded: "Discussion and debate are not 'bad intentions.' Slandering someone as a sexist catcaller without reason or evidence does demonstrate cowardice and bad intent, however."
Ocasio-Cortez’s unanticipated victory over veteran Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary over Crowley's New York seat put her in a national spotlight earlier this year.
Ocasio-Cortez lit up social media on Wednesday night when she appeared on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” and stumbled when discussing Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the House minority leader. 
“This is painful. It’s Miss South Carolina on maps bad,” Shapiro tweeted in response to her interview.
Donald Trump Jr. captioned video of her interview with, “OMG this is insane and yet the liberal campaign to make her the rockstar face of the left will continue ... let’s face it, I guess they don’t have much else.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s talk with Cuomo isn’t her first media appearance to whip up criticism since her upset victory over Crowley. She has struggled to explain how many of her platforms -- such as Medicare for all and a federal jobs guarantee -- would be funded.
Still, she has emerged as a liberal darling since bursting onto the scene – though not everyone is a fan.
Comedian Lewis Black, who also considers himself a socialist, told The Daily Beast in a recent interview that Ocasio-Cortez isn't the answer. 
“The one thing I’ve learned in my lifetime is that we’ve got to get to the middle before we start pushing things in other directions. We’ve gotta get to the middle, and they have to sit down and decide how to do things,” Black said when asked if Ocasio-Cortez provides a “glimmer of hope.”

Elizabeth Warren shares in blame for suspect's alleged $500 bounty on ICE agents, Republican says

Just hours after a Massachusetts man was arrested for allegedly offering $500 bounties for killing ICE agents, a Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in the state said his Democratic opponent shared in the blame.
GOP candidate Geoff Diehl demanded Thursday that incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren “both retract and apologize” for the criticism that he said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have taken from her and other Democrats in recent months, the Boston Herald reported.
“We now have a man putting a bounty on the heads of ICE agents,” Diehl said in a statement. “Senator Warren’s irresponsible statements are partially to blame. She has a responsibility to support our law enforcement officials. Her call to abolish ICE and painting the entire criminal justice system racists are reckless and dangerous.”

"Senator Warren ... has a responsibility to support our law enforcement officials. Her call to abolish ICE and painting the entire criminal justice system racists are reckless and dangerous.”
- Geoff Diehl, Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Massachusetts

The suspect, identified as Brandon Ziobrowski, 33, of Cambridge, Mass., was arrested Thursday in New York, charged with one count of use of interstate and foreign commerce to transmit a threat and injure another person.
MASSACHUSETTS MAN SOLICITED KILLING ICE AGENTS FOR $500, TWEETED DESIRE TO SLIT THROAT OF McCAIN, FEDS SAY
On July 2, Ziobrowski allegedly tweeted: “I am broke but will scrounge and literally give $500 to anyone who kills ICE agent. @me seriously who else can pledge get in on this lets make this work.”
Federal officials also said Ziabrowski had tweeted a desire to slit the throat of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
“He appears to be very much against ICE and its mission. He appears to have a violent dislike for at least one Republican senator and law enforcement," U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said at a news conference announcing Ziabrowski’s arrest.
Diehl, meanwhile, suggested that Warren, too, seemed opposed to ICE and its mission.
“We need a Senator who will support our police and not throw (ICE) under the bus to score political points,” Diehl’s statement continued. “Warren should be putting public safety first. Instead she is prioritizing her White House political ambitions to the detriment of law enforcement.”
Speaking at a rally in Boston on June 30, Warren slammed President Trump’s immigration policies, saying “we need to rebuild our immigration system from top to bottom, starting by replacing ICE with something that reflects our morality and that works.”
Other top Democrats who’ve called for ICE to be abolished include U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders of Vermont and congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
DEMOCRATS CALLING FOR ICE TO BE ABOLISHED INCLUDE KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, ELIZABETH WARREN, OTHERS
But in a response to Diehl’s comments, Warren’s office told the Herald that the senator opposes any form of violence against law enforcement officers.
“We can have respectful discussions and civil discourse on policy while working together to improve lives,” the senator’s office said in a statement.
Diehl, 49, currently serves in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 7^th Plymouth District.
Warren, 69, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013.

Why I stopped watching football.

NFL preseason sees kneeling, raised fists, during national anthem

Miami Dolphins defensive end Robert Quinn (94) raises his right fist during the singing of the national anthem, before the team's NFL preseason football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla.  (Associated Press)

NFL players continued to protest during the national anthem on Thursday night as the league began the first full week of its 2018 preseason.
Some players held their fists in the air, while others decided to kneel, despite the controversy surrounding the action.
Wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, both of the Miami Dolphins, knelt during "The Star-Spangled Banner," ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Miami Herald reported.
Robert Quinn, a defensive end for the Dolphins, raised his fist. Philadelphia Eagles Malcolm Jenkins, who plays safety, and De'Vante Bausby, a cornerback, also raised their fists prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Defensive end Michael Bennett walked out of the tunnel as the anthem played and "spent the anthem walking toward the bench," the news outlet reported. Teammate Chris Long reportedly "placed his arm around Jenkins' shoulder" during the song.
The NFL released a statement on the preseason protests.
“The NFL has been engaged in constructive discussions with the NFL Players Association regarding the anthem and issues of equality and social justice that are of concern to many Americans,” the statement said. “While those discussions continue, the NFL has agreed to delay implementing or enforcing any club work rules that could result in players being disciplined for their conduct during the performance of the anthem.”
The statement went on to say that the league's national anthem policy remained unchanged: it will continue to be played before each game, and all players and team staff on the field are expected to stand for the flag and the anthem. Those who choose not to stand must remain in the locker rooms.
“We remain committed to working with the players to identify solutions and to continue making progress on important social issues affecting our communities,” the statement concluded.

Wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, both of the Miami Dolphins, kneeled during The Star-Spangled Banner, ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.  (Associated Press)

Across the NFL, players followed former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem last season in protest of social injustice and racial inequality.
It sparked a national discussion about patriotism, and drew sharp vitriol from President Trump, who condemned those who knelt as disrespectful to America.
Trump in June uninvited the Eagles from visiting the White House in honor of their Super Bowl win months earlier. He said the team didn't agree with his belief that NFL players should stand during the anthem.
The NFL modified its national anthem protocol in May, prohibiting any sort of demonstrations for the 2018 season, but allowing players to remain in the locker room during the anthem if they chose to. Individual teams would be responsible for disciplining any demonstrators.
The players' union filed a grievance about the policy change, and late last month, the new policy was put on hold while the NFL and NFL Players Association work on a resolution.
Following Stills and Wilson's reported protests Thursday, Kaepernick tweeted: "My brother @kstills continued his protest of systemic oppression tonight by taking a knee. Albert Wilson @iThinkIsee12 joined him in protest. Stay strong brothers!"

 

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