Feinstein's shameful Kavanaugh Hail Mary pass

Feinstein’s Hail Mary pass came exactly one week before the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of the highly qualified judge, who now sits on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Feinstein is leaving it to the media to fill in the facts about her vague and unsubstantiated claims about Kavanaugh, who was nominated by President Trump. She clearly is counting on Trump’s many opponents in the media to help her keep the president’s nominee off the Supreme Court – as they would seek to do for anyone nominated by Trump.
Feinstein said in a statement: “I have received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities.”
What the heck does that mean? (Translation: I got nothing).
OK – Feinstein is claiming she knows something – but she’s not saying what that mystery something is. How on Earth is anyone supposed to evaluate that? How would any of you reading this like someone to make a cryptic charge like the one Feinstein has thrown out about you, without presenting a shred of evidence?
Fox News reported that two sources said Feinstein got a letter from Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., in July making the allegations against Kavanaugh – although the senator never spoke about it publicly before Thursday. That’s the way Hail Mary passes work – you don’t throw one until you’re desperate and headed for a loss on the football field.
The mystery letter wasn’t even concerning enough for Feinstein to show to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
The Intercept reported the letter was sent by someone associated with Stanford University and involved a woman and Kavanaugh when she and the 53-year-old judge were both in high school.
The New York Times reported that, according to two sources it did not identify, the letter referenced possible sexual misconduct between Kavanaugh the unidentified woman. Possible, but that is awfully vague for this late stage of a U.S. Supreme Court confirmation.
With so little information, how is anyone supposed to figure out what is going on?
If Feinstein knows something, she should say something. If Kavanaugh is being accused of sexual misconduct then we all have a right to know.
So much about this just smells like a political skunk, not the least of which is the timing of Feinstein’s public non-release of this new information.
If this is an 11th hour power play by Feinstein – and there’s no “there” there – then the senator is playing politics with an otherwise respectable man’s reputation. Kavanaugh has a wife and two young daughters and as far as we know has been an upstanding member of his community.
The White House also hit back at Feinstein, questioning the timing of her new claim.
“Throughout his confirmation process, Judge Kavanaugh has had 65 meetings with senators – including with Senator Feinstein – sat through over 30 hours of testimony, addressed over 2,000 questions in a public setting and additional questions in a confidential session,” White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec said in a statement. “Not until the eve of his confirmation has Sen. Feinstein or anyone raised the specter of new ‘information’ about him."
If this is all a political game, then shame on you Sen. Feinstein. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what it looks like.
Washington Post White House reporter Seung Min Kim tweeted Thursday: "New – FBI does not now plan to launch a criminal investigation of the Kavanaugh matter; instead the bureau passed the material to the White House as an update to Kavanaugh's background check, via @mattzap"
It looks as though Feinstein was saving this “new” allegations for the last minute and then counting on her smear to keep Kavanaugh from being confirmed. But now that the FBI is saying it has no plans to investigate, it seems like her Hail Mary pass may get intercepted.
Lauren DeBellis Appell, a freelance writer in Fairfax, Virginia, was deputy press secretary for then-Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., in his successful 2000 re-election campaign, as well as assistant communications director for the Senate Republican Policy Committee (2001-2003).

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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.”

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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.”