Brett Kavanaugh responds to 1,287 written questions from senators, nearly all from Dems

In this Sept. 5, 2018, photo, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington.  (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday released Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s responses to over 1,200 questions submitted by mostly Senate Democrats following his four-day hearings earlier this month.
Kavanaugh’s responses, which amounted to more than 260 pages, answered the senators’ questions on topics that ranged from abortion, executive power and his personal finances.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., took to questioning Kavanaugh’s stance on abortion after he reportedly said in a 2003 email that he considered Roe v. Wade to be “settled law,” an answer she considered to be too vague.
“If confirmed, I would respect the law of precedent given its centrality to stability, predictability, impartiality, and public confidence in the rule of law,” he said in his response.

FILE PHOTO: The father of a student who was killed in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla., left, attempted to shake hands with Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, right, as he leaves for a lunch break while appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington.  (AP)

He also addressed a similar question to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, saying that the email “commented on the views of legal scholars. It did not describe my own views.”
Kavanaugh was also asked about an incident during the hearing when he turned away from the father of shooting victim that approached him during a recess.

If I had known who he was, I would have shaken his hand, talked to him, and expressed my sympathy.
- Brett Kavanaugh

Kavanaugh said that after a day packed with demonstrators, and not realizing who the man was, “I assumed he was a protestor.”
“I unfortunately did not realize that the man was the father of a shooting victim from Parkland, Florida. Mr. Guttenberg has suffered an incalculable loss. If I had known who he was, I would have shaken his hand, talked to him, and expressed my sympathy.”
Kavanaugh was also asked about the tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt he amassed after regularly buying Washington National tickets for years. He said he split the tickets with a “group of old friends.”
“We would usually divide the tickets in a ‘ticket draft’ at my house. Everyone in the group paid me for their tickets based on the cost of the tickets, to the dollar. No one overpaid or underpaid me for tickets. No loans were given in either direction,” he said.
Kavanaugh described himself as a “huge sports fan” who has attended “a couple of hundred regular season games.”
Kavanaugh’s responses come ahead of the Judiciary Committee’s scheduled Thursday meeting to consider his confirmation. A vote is expected later this month.

Debra Messing tells fellow actress Susan Sarandon to 'shut the f--- up' over Trump

Debra Messing, right, and Susan Sarandon, both veteran actors, have again gotten into it over political differences.  (Getty Images)

Debra Messing and Susan Sarandon's political feud has reignited. 

On Wednesday, Messing, of "Will & Grace" fame, took to social media, slamming Sarandon in a series of tweets over a Variety interview headlined, "Donald Trump has, if anything, inspired more women and people of color to run for office, says actress Susan Sarandon." 

"STFU SUSAN," wrote Messing, 50. "Oh yes, PLEASE let’s give Trump CREDIT. I mean how else are you able to walk out on the street."
She continued: "Convince yourself that that this CATASTROPHE of a President who you said was better that HRC IS NOT ripping children away from parents seeking asylum, holding children... INDEFINITELY in internment camps with their new policy, DESTROYING all attempts to protect our environment (yes the water you properted to care about), endangered animals, taking away women’s ACCESS to health care and legal abortion, trying to block POC from Voting with extreme... Judges who will support jerrymandering efforts, not to mention destroying ALL good will and allied relationships across the Globe.

STFU SUSAN. Oh yes, PLEASE let’s give Trump CREDIT. I mean how else are you able to walk out on the street. Convince yourself that that this CATASTROPHE of a President who you said was better that HRC IS NOT ripping children away from parents seeking asylum, holding children https://t.co/UuXLLdahaB

— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) September 12, 2018

"Oh, and lest you forget Syria, Crimea, and putting PRO-RUSSIA agenda BEFORE the United States best interests. YES, do go on... And LAUD the effect Trump has had. Out of DESPERATION & PANIC for the DESTRUCTION of the Soul of our country," added Messing.
"But you don’t want to look at THAT part of the equation. Because then you’d have to admit you were dead WRONG running around bellowing that HRC was more dangerous than... Trump."

INDEFINITELY in internment camps with their new policy, DESTROYING all attempts to protect our environment (yes the water you properted to care about), endangered animals, taking away women’s ACCESS to health care and legal abortion, trying to block POC from Voting with extreme

— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) September 12, 2018

She concluded: "Only a self righteous, narcissist would continue to spout off and not - in the face of Americans’ pain and agony -be contrite and apologize for your part in this catastrophe. But, you do you Susan."
Responding to Messing, Sarandon, 71, said: “Debs, before you get yourself all self-righteous try clicking on the video and listening to what I actually say, not @Variety's clickbait headline, which btw has no quotation marks. That’s a clue..."

And LAUD the effect Trump has had. Out of DESPERATION & PANIC for the DESTRUCTION of the Soul of our country. But you don’t want to look at THAT part of the equation. Because then you’d have to admit you were dead WRONG running around bellowing that HRC was more dangerous than

— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) September 12, 2018

Trump. Only a self righteous, narcissist would continue to spout off and not - in the face of Americans’ pain and agony -be contrite and apologize for your part in this catastrophe. But, you do you Susan.

— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) September 12, 2018

In a two-minute video, the interviewer asked Sarandon what “grade” she would give President Trump, to which the actress replied: "I'd tell him to start all over again." Without giving Trump a grade, Sarandon went on to give an overview of the political landscape.
During her explanation, Sarandon, who recently played Bette Davis in "Feud,"  briefly mentioned how more women and people of color are running for office, but did not seem to directly credit Trump.

Debs, before you get yourself all self-righteous try clicking on the video and listening to what I actually say, not @Variety's clickbait headline, which btw has no quotation marks. That’s a clue... https://t.co/pAIxBDNW5G

— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) September 12, 2018

This wasn't the first time Sarandon and Messing have had a heated exchange about politics.
According to People magazine, Messing, who supported Hillary Clinton, and Sarandon, who backed Bernie Sanders, got into it in 2016 after Sarandon seemed to suggest she would vote for Trump over Clinton during an appearance on MSNBC’s "All In With Chris Hayes."

Media batter Trump with storm criticism as Hurricane Florence looms

As the media blast out dire warnings about the destructive power of Hurricane Florence, they are also beginning a familiar ritual involving President Trump.
That is, the charge that he's not very good at handling these things.
The storm hasn't even made landfall, and once again we're hearing that Trump is lousy at emergency management and that he's tone deaf when it comes to providing aid and comfort.
As this Politico headline put it yesterday, "Trump Struggles to Embrace Consoler-in-Chief Role."
Now this was a major narrative last year. While FEMA was credited with doing an excellent job after monster hurricanes in Texas and Florida, there was constant carping that Trump didn't show the proper degree of empathy, that he didn't wade into crowds and hug people. That, of course, is not his style—he's not a feel-your-pain guy like Bill Clinton or Barack Obama—and doesn't fit the traditional conception of how a politician should behave. (And, of course, there was the media tantrum about Melania taking off in stilettos to flood-ravaged Houston.)
But then came Puerto Rico, which was absolutely devastated by a hurricane that so thoroughly destroyed the power grid that electricity wasn't fully restored until recently. Trump was lambasted for tossing paper towels into a crowd there. And while it's a fair criticism that the administration didn't focus as much attention on the Puerto Rican disaster, neither did the media—until they turned it into a Trump-is-screwing-up.
CNN's Jeff Toobin even turned it into a racism argument: "They're not white people, and they don't count to Donald Trump as much as the deaths of white people." So why did the deaths of Puerto Ricans—who are of course Americans—get a small fraction of the coverage as those in Florida and Texas? And by the way, any administration would have struggled with the wreckage on the poverty-stricken territory.
What triggered the latest round of criticism was a FEMA briefing on Florence at which Trump boasted about that situation. "I think Puerto Rico was an incredible unsung success," said the president, who also tweeted that his administration did an "unappreciated great job" on the island.
Well, it didn't take long for journalists to point out that nearly 3,000 people died from that storm, a tragic figure that was only recently officially confirmed after the ludicrous early estimate of less than 100. And the president kind of stepped in it by not pointing that out.
That, in turn, revived a feud from last year, with San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz ripping Trump for "despicable" comments and "lack of understanding of reality."
And The Washington Post highlighted a Democratic senator's charge that the Trump administration transferred $10 million from FEMA to the immigration agency's detention program—a sensitive matter with Florence about the strike the Carolinas.
That is fair game for debate, but the Politico piece raised the broader question of the president's demeanor by citing his Sept. 11 visit to Shanksville, Pa., where a plane hijacked by terrorists was forced down 17 years ago.
The story noted that "a news photographer snapped a photograph of him giving supporters a celebratory-looking double-fist-pump on the tarmac as he exited Air Force One — an image that quickly went viral."
And: "The contrasting messages continued a pattern for this president, whose attempts to offer unifying messages to a polarized nation have often been laced with elements of discord."
Trump actually delivered a beautifully written speech at Shanksville. But those two seconds came to define the day because it fit the narrative.
Look, this is a career businessman, and he doesn't have the hand-holding instincts of polished politicians. And if the White House does a lousy job with Florence, journalists should aggressively report that.
It's just telling that the media are awash with these stories before the storm even makes landfall.
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.

Google bosses upset over Trump election victory, leaked video shows

Google co-founder Sergey Brin and CFO Ruth Porat were both upset following Donald Trump's general election victory, newly released video shows.  (Getty Images)

Not long after Donald Trump won the general election in 2016, the executives of Google held a company meeting in which they expressed their disappointment at the result, newly released video has revealed.
The recording, which was provided anonymously to and reported by Breitbart News, was made by the tech giant and showed several of the company’s leaders.
At the top of the video, co-founder Sergey Brin said that he’s aware "this is probably not the most joyous TGIF we have had."
“You know, let’s face it, most people here are pretty upset and pretty sad for … because of the election," Brin said. “Myself, as an immigrant and a refugee, I certainly find this election deeply offensive and I know many of you do, too. And I think it’s a very stressful time and it conflicts with many of our values.”
The video also showed that a vice president, Kent Walker, described the outcome of the election as “a shock to all of us."
“It was a shock to all of us, the results of the election. It was a fair and democratic process and we honor that,” Walker said. “But at the same time it showed an incredible level of division among Americans and that’s something that gives us pause and focuses on how did we misunderstand that, what can we do to reach out to people whose perspective we have a hard time understanding.”
“But it’s not just a challenge for America. It’s a challenge that goes well beyond America,” he continued. “The implications for the rest of the world are vast. And the echoes around the world are significant. This is not the first sign we’ve seen of this rising tide of nationalism, populism and concern.”
CFO Ruth Porat later took the stage and told the group that though she was a “longtime Hillary supporter,” she respected “the outcome of the democratic process.”
“Who any one of us voted for is really not the point, because the values that are held dear at this company transcend politics, because we’re going to constantly fight to preserve them,” she said.
In a statement provided to Fox News, a Google spokesperson confirmed that at a previously planned meeting, some company employees shared “their own personal views” following the presidential election. However, the spokesperson said, none of the comments indicated “that any political bias ever influences” how their products are constructed or designed to perform.
“Nothing was said at that meeting, or any other meeting, to suggest that any political bias ever influences the way we build or operate our products. To the contrary, our products are built for everyone, and we design them with extraordinary care to be a trustworthy source of information for everyone, without regard to political viewpoint,” the statement continued.
LEAKED GOOGLE EMPLOYEE’S EMAIL REVEALS EFFORT TO BOOST LATINO VOTE, SURPRISE THAT SOME VOTED FOR TRUMP
Media Research Center President Brent Bozell, in a statement to Fox News, slammed the comments in the video.
“This video is the smoking gun. Google’s leadership is decidedly anti-Trump and there is no doubt that their company practices reflect that,” Bozell said. “We need hearings now. Google cannot continue to run and hide.”
The video revelation comes on the heels of accusations of political bias leveled against Google after an employee’s leaked email mentioned the company’s efforts with a Latino nonprofit prior to the 2016 election.
The email, written by Google’s former head of multicultural marketing and obtained exclusively by Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” details various ways the company worked to increase voter turnout.
However, a spokesperson for Google fired back at the claims Wednesday, saying that “the employee’s email is an expression of her personal political views about the outcome of the 2016 election and those views do not reflect any official stance by the company.”

Gov Jerry Brown Cartoons

Activists raise $1M to pressure Sen. Collins to vote against Kavanaugh, report says

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh at her office, before a private meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Aug. 21, 2018.  (Associated Press)

A crowdfunding campaign has raised over $1 million as of Tuesday for the opponent of Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, if she votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, a move she likened to bribery.
Liberal activist groups have posted the campaign on the platform Crowdpac, drawing supporters and critics.
“Senator Collins votes NO on Kavanaugh and you will not be charged, and no money will go to fund her future opponent,” the platform wrote. “Senator Collins votes YES on Kavanaugh and your pledge will go to her opponent's campaign, once that opponent has been identified.”
Collins called it an attempt at extortion in a response through a spokeswoman, according to The Washington Post.
“And anybody who thinks these tactics would work on Senator Collins obviously doesn’t know her,” spokeswoman Annie Clark said in a statement. “Senator Collins will make up her mind based on the merits of the nomination. Threats or other attempts to bully her will not play a factor in her decision making whatsoever.”
An ethics expert told The Post that “it may very well violate federal bribery statutes.”
But Jordan Libowitz, a spokesman for the Citizens for Ethics and Responsibilities, told the Post it doesn’t rise to the level of bribery, “because there’s no agreement.”
“It’s just the way money and politics tend to work these days,” he said.
Meanwhile, supporter Julie B endorsed the campaign, saying “women will stand together to protect our rights and what is right.”
“The people of Maine are asking you to be a hero, Senator Collins,” the campaign wrote. “… to stand up for the people of Maine and for Americans across the country, every dollar donated to this campaign will go to your eventual Democratic opponent in 2020. We will get you out of office.”

California's Gov. Brown gets choir director pal six-figure job at government agency: report

California Gov. Jerry Brown got a long-time a six-figure job at a government agency despite not exactly having the experience for the role, the friend admitted.
Juan Pedro Gaffney, a former Bay Area choir director, admitted his friendship with the outgoing governor landed him the job at the state Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, a position populated mostly by lawyers, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“What shall I do, should I not plead guilty? Yeah, I’m a friend of Jerry’s. We go way back. Jerry knew me when I was active in social action and politics. He didn’t forget that part of me,” Gaffney said when asked whether his friendship with Brown got him the job.

"What shall I do, should I not plead guilty? Yeah, I’m a friend of Jerry’s. We go way back. Jerry knew me when I was active in social action and politics. He didn’t forget that part of me."
- Juan Pedro Gaffney

Gaffney attended St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco with Brown. He said that he knows that “that “people who have served long in the field look with raised eyebrows” over his appointment to the board.
The job involves deciding whether people who they claim they were injured in the workplace should receive workers’ compensation. The board meets once a week to decide which cases to divide between themselves. All members of the board are paid $147,778-a-year during their six-year term.
“I did not understand this to be a plum. I did not go after it as a plum,” Gaffney continued. “To me it is hard work and I am glad to do the hard work, but others have given me to understand that they were passed by to accommodate this appointment or at least that this appointment passed them by. I am aware of that. What can I say? I’m sensitive to it. I realize it’s a legitimate sentiment, a legitimate reaction.”

"To me it is hard work and I am glad to do the hard work, but others have given me to understand that they were passed by to accommodate this appointment or at least that this appointment passed them by."
- Juan Pedro Gaffney

The confession raises ethical concerns about the legacy of Brown, who will now be replaced by either Democrat Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom or Republican businessman John Cox, who’s been trailing his opponent by mere 5 points, according to the latest poll.
“This is not a thing that brings down democracy or forces state government to crumble, but it is what it looks like, a favor to a friend,” Los Angeles’ Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson told the Chronicle.
“And it’s not a victimless favor, because there could be someone with a resume that is better suited who was passed over. And this position serves the public. Does the public get the benefit of having the best people serving in this position?” she asked.
The outgoing governor defended the decision to appoint Gaffney, saying workers and businesses will “certainly benefit from Mr. Gaffney’s diverse background and experience.”
Though Gaffney’s position should mostly be occupied by lawyers licensed in California, according to the rules, two of the seven commissioners don’t have to meet any minimum qualifications.
Gaffney said that although he doesn’t have the exact expertise to hear workers’ compensation cases, his “intelligence” makes him qualified for the job.
 “If you aren’t a lawyer, you quickly learn to be in this game,” he told the Chronicle. “My Lord, I’m stuffing my eyes, ears, nose and throat with all things legal since I’ve come on board. My days there are 10 hours. I’m making it my business to educate myself.”
This is the second time Gaffney’s relationship with Brown helped him. Last year, he was appointed to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board. He was paid just over $25,000 a year and his position involved meeting once a month to analyze decisions made by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Chronicle reported.

Chicago sets up universal income task force as city seeks ways to tackle poverty

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will form a task force that will consider implementing the so-called “universal basic income” program in the city, as the embattled mayor seeks to cement his progressive legacy after promising not to run for another term.
The idea for the program, which would make monthly payments to a number of Chicago families without any conditions, has been floated around in the city for months now.
Back in June, Chicago’s North Side Ald. Ameya Pawar introduced a resolution calling upon the mayor to launch the pilot of the program and pay 1,000 families $500 every month.
The new task force set up by Emanuel, according to the Chicago Tribune, will have a panel that will decide whether such welfare initiative could work in the city.
Pawar, who will be part of the panel, claims universal basic income is a way to tackle poverty amid the loss of jobs due to automation and the offshoring of industries.
RAHM EMANUEL LEAVES BEHIND TAINTED LEGACY AS CHICAGO MURDER RATE, CRIME AND CORRUPTION SURE ON HIS WATCH
But the creation of the task force may open Emmanuel for criticism, as it comes just less than a week after he announced that he won’t run for a third term. The decision to implement a potentially costly program will rest on the shoulders of another mayor.
Pawar told the Tribune that he doesn’t believe Emanuel is creating the task force only to claim credit for it without actually implementing.
“Chicago would be the largest city in the country to take this step,” he said. “I think the mayor sees this as a chance to lead the way as cities try to grapple with poverty and income inequality at a time the federal government is not addressing those things. This would be a legacy issue [for Emanuel].”

"I think the mayor sees this as a chance to lead the way as cities try to grapple with poverty and income inequality at a time the federal government is not addressing those things. This would be a legacy issue [for Emanuel]."
- Chicago’s North Side Ald. Ameya Pawar

A number of cities in the U.S. have either discussed or adopted a similar version of the program. The city of Stockton, California will begin paying 100 fortunate residents $500 a month without any conditions in 2019.
The city, which was once known as America's foreclosure capital, has recently fallen on hard times, with 1-in-4 residents living below the poverty line and the median household income at nearly $8,000 lower than the national median.
In Oakland, California, Y Combinator, a startup incubator, is giving out $1,500 a month to randomly selected residents. It’s expected the money will soon be distributed to 100 recipients with a prospect of expanding the program to 1,000 people who will receive $1,000 monthly.