Legal drama threatens construction of Obama Presidential Center

A federal judge on Wednesday said he will make a decision for a trial date in December regarding the construction of the Obama Presidential Center. (Associated Press)

A federal judge in Chicago announced Wednesday that a trial date regarding a lawsuit delaying construction of the Obama Presidential Center in the city will be made in December, further shelving the project and potential hopes of breaking ground any time soon.
The federal judge said at the hearing that both attorneys will continue gathering information, according to Chicago's WGN-TV.
Proponents of the Obama center are currently embroiled in a lawsuit with an environment group called Protect Our Parks, which contends the project should not be built in Jackson Park in the South Side neighborhood of Chicago.

Obama Presidential Center model. (Obama Foundation)

The group is citing a principle known as the public trust doctrine, which protects some public land from development, but is generally applied to waterfront land, according to the Chicago Tribune. The city argues the center does not violate state law.
Another group of environmentalists argues that if the center were to be built on parkland, it would violate Park District code and state law by transferring the parkland to a private entity, the Tribune reported.
The Obama Foundation, which is managing the project, said the keys would be handed over to the city upon completion, thus making it publicly owned, according to the paper.
Another hurdle lies with the impending departure of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, who has been a proponent of the center but announced he will not be seeking reelection.
A similar incident happened with film director George Lucas, who decided to build his Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles after a legal battle in Chicago over the use of parkland, the Tribune reported.

Democrat doublespeak -- Senate hopeful Jacky Rosen of Nevada slams Pelosi in English ads, attacks Trump in Spanish

Rep. Jacky Rosen is hoping to unseat incumbent Sen. Dean Heller in Nevada. (Associated Press)

U.S. Senate hopeful Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, is looking to have it both ways -- slamming House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in English-language campaign ads while taking shots at President Trump in Spanish.
The Democrat’s political ads in English tout her bipartisan record in the House and portray her as a check on Pelosi, despite her voting with the top House Democrat 89 percent of the time in the 115th Congress.
“Jacky Rosen wrote legislation to improve veterans’ health care, and President Trump signed it into law,” a man in Rosen’s English ad says. “Rosen stood up to Nancy Pelosi to reform the VA.”
It adds: “Rosen gets things done because she works with both parties.”
But Rosen, who’s running to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Dean Heller, has a radically different message in her Spanish-language ad that doesn’t mention Pelosi or bipartisanship and instead attacks Trump.
The ad shows fans of the Mexico national soccer team and a red card with the president’s face on it. The ad then declares that Rosen will stand up to Trump.
The stark difference between the ads was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Rosen told the outlet that the ads targeted different communities that care about different issues.
“In different communities, you go in and you try to meet people where they are and talk to them about issues they care about the most,” she said.
Another Spanish ad produced by Rosen’s campaign shows her Republican opponent as a friend to Trump who supports the plan to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico.
“Trump orders and Heller obeys,” the ad says in Spanish.
Rosen is in a dead-heat race to unseat Heller, who’s been consistently leading in the polls, though only by a small margin. The race is deemed a toss-up.
The race in Nevada is considered one of the key contests this election cycle, with Democrats doing their best to boost Rosen’s chances, considering Hillary Clinton won the state in 2016.
Former President Barack Obama campaigned with Rosen on Monday, just days after Trump visited the state to campaign for Heller. Former Vice President Joe Biden also visited Nevada to boost Rosen over the weekend.

GOP candidate received letter threatening his 7 children, reports say

Republican congressional candidate Jay Webber speaks at a reception in Wayne, N.J. (Associated Press)

A Republican running for Congress in New Jersey received a written threat that mentioned his seven children, his campaign said Wednesday, around the same time suspicious packages were reported sent to former President Barack Obama, the Clintons and CNN.
In a letter sent Tuesday to candidate Jay Webber’s law office in Whippany, he was warned to drop out of the race, Politico reported.
“What the f--- is wrong with you … s---bag?” the typed letter said. “You BETTER hope that you don’t win! Or else. How many kids do you have… 7? Unlucky 7. This is what we think of you. Time to get out of politics.”
The letter also accused Republicans of stealing from Social Security and Medicare and running up the national debt.
Webber, a five-term state assemblyman, has integrated his wife Johanna and their seven children into his campaign, even featuring them in campaign ads, NJ.com reported. The letter was reported to the New Jersey State Police for investigation.
"Criticizing a candidate on the issues is part of politics,” Webber tweeted Wednesday. “Threatening my children is not. We are thankful for the support of law enforcement as we work to find whoever is behind this gutless act. We will not be intimidated as we work to make #NJ11 better for everyone.”
The letter arrived a day after Webber’s campaign tweeted that the political left is “unhinged.” A video that accompanies the tweet shows defaced Webber campaign signs and prominent Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Maxine Waters advocating pushback against Republicans.
Webber is locked in a competitive race against Democrat Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and former federal prosecutor, in a bid to replace retiring Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen.
His conservative record has earned him the support of President Trump, NorthJersey.com reported.
Sherrill called the incident “absolutely appalling.”
“This is absolutely appalling,” she said in a statement. “No one who decides to run for public office should feel that, by doing so, they are putting their family in danger. I condemn this in the strongest terms and hope law enforcement determines who was behind this and holds them accountable.”
The letter comes amid a rash of suspicious packages sent to Democratic figures.
CNN's New York City bureau was evacuated Wednesday when "a live explosive device" was found in its mailroom. Others who received packages include liberal billionaire George Soros and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

Arizona troopers' union pulls support from Democrat opposing GOP's McSally in Senate race

U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., goes over the rules in a television studio prior to a televised debate with U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz. (Associated Press)

An Arizona union that represents state public safety employees withdrew its endorsement of U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema this week after its members said the executive board voted on the endorsement without their input.
Sinema, a Democrat, is locked in a tight U.S. Senate race against U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, a Republican, for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake.
After members objected to the board's actions, the Arizona State Troopers Association polled its members in an email Monday, asking whether they wanted to endorse Sinema or stay neutral, the Arizona Republic reported.
The poll indicated “the membership has indicated a preference to stay neutral."
"All members are encouraged to vote for the candidate they personally support," the email said. "AZTroopers will refrain from any political statements concerning the race until the conclusion of the election."

U.S. Senate candidates, U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., left, and U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., prepare their remarks in a television studio prior to a televised debate. (Associated Press)

Dave McDowell, an association member and retired lieutenant, told the paper that members hadn’t been consulted prior to the Sinema endorsement.
“That displeased a number of members, including myself,” McDowell said.
McDowell said he supports McSally, but doesn’t think the union should be endorsing candidates at all.
"The Troopers have spoken," a McSally campaign spokeswoman said in a text message to the Republic.
Sinema, whose brother is a Tucson police officer, received the union's endorsement in her past three campaigns.
In an email to the paper, the Sinema campaign said it respects the association’s decision.
"We respect the association's decision to remain neutral given the divisive tone of the race and appreciate their support for Kyrsten's past three elections, as well as continued support from members and law enforcement officers across the state," a spokeswoman said.
The campaign touted the association’s endorsement in an ad spotlighting law enforcement and border issues. The ad is no longer running, the campaign said, because it had run its course and a change was ordered Friday.
President Trump recently endorsed McSally during a campaign rally earlier this month, calling her a “great veteran” and a “great fighter,” while describing Sinema as a far-left extremist.
The race has gotten ugly in recent weeks, with McSally asking Sinema to apologize for comments she made during a 2003 radio interview about American intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan at the end of a contentious Oct. 15 debate.
The radio host made a comment about joining the Taliban, to which Sinema responded, "I don't care if you want to do that, go ahead." McSally, a former fighter pilot, accused Sinema of supporting treason and asked her to apologize.
Sinema responded by accusing her opponent of playing dirty.
Recent polls show the two candidates in a dead heat, according to the Washington Times.

Caravan Immigration Cartoons

Fire alarm sounds during Georgia gubernatorial debate just as candidate tells people to 'get another job'

A fire alarm sounded toward the beginning of Georgia's gubernatorial debate on Tuesday evening, serving to punctuate an already-awkward exhortation by Libertarian candidate Ted Metz to government employees put out of work by his plans to "get another job."
The debate came just one day after it was revealed that Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams had torched the state's flag in 1992 because it contained Confederate battle flag markings.
“Mr. Metz, you’ve promised to cut spending by slashing what you call ‘obsolete, inefficient, unnecessary and unconstitutional agencies.'” Greg Bluestein, a political reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, began. “What specifically would you eliminate and what do you say to Georgians who might depend on their services?”
“Get another job,” Metz responded, before the insistent dull buzz of a fire alarm sounded.
"What is that noise?" Metz asked. A moderator remarked: "The beauty of live TV."
Also during the debate, Metz, who has no realistic chance of prevailing in the gubernatorial contest, acknowledged halfway into his answer on a question about scholarships for illegal immigrants that he was not sure what the question actually entailed.
"I, uh, missed the question, I suppose," Metz said, as he proceeded to outline some general comments about his plans for immigration.
Metz was joined on stage by Abrams and the Republican nominee, two-term Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who are in a neck-and-neck race.
GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE TORCHED STATE FLAG IN 1992, PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW
On Monday night, it emerged that Abrams had helped light a state flag on fire on the steps of the state's Capitol in June 1992, as part of a protest that her campaign on Monday night characterized as an effort to "overcome racially divisive issues." The flag at the time incorporated designs from the Confederate battle flag, and Abrams, then a freshman at Spelman College in Atlanta, was one of about a dozen demonstrators involved, according to newspaper accounts.
The issue came up swiftly on Tuesday. Asked about the issue, Abrams responded that she and others “were deeply disturbed” by the flag, and noted that Kemp had also voted to remove the Confederate battle flag symbols.
"I'm fighting now for Georgia values," Abrams said.
Kemp, who as secretary of state oversees elections in Georgia, then responded to a question regarding whether he should resign because of potential conflicts of interest.
"It's our county elections officials that are actually holding the election that is going on right now," Kemp said, adding that "local, bipartisan election boards" are responsible for keeping the voting tallies.
Kemp also said he would not recuse himself if the race came down to a recount.

Caravan clash: Press accusing president of 'fear' and 'falsehoods'

President Trump has declared war on the Central American caravan, and the media have declared war on the president for doing so.
That sounds stark, but I can't reach any other conclusion.
It's quite obvious that Trump has seized upon the roughly 7,000 Honduran migrants who are heading north through Mexico, and using them to rouse his base on the issue of illegal immigration.
But press accounts have gone well beyond that in slamming Trump just two weeks before the election, setting up the kind of classic confrontation that has come to define his presidency.
Here is The Washington Post's coverage of the issue, starting with the main news story:
"Trump and Republicans Settle on Fear — And Falsehoods — As a Midterm Strategy."
And here's a Post analysis:
"Trump's Embrace of a Fraught Term — 'Nationalist' — Could Cement a Dangerous Racial Divide."
Another Post analysis:
"Trump is Even More Hyperbolic About Immigration Now Than in 2016."
And here's the New York Times news story:
"Trump and GOP Candidates Escalate Race and Fear as Election Ploys."
It's perfectly legitimate for the media to point out that the president has offered no proof for his claims that the caravan includes gang members and "unknown Middle Easterners." The Times story called that "a dark and factually baseless warning," saying that "the unsubstantiated charge marked an escalation of Mr. Trump's efforts to stoke fears about foreigners and crime."
In a related vein, the Post jumped on Trump for calling himself a "nationalist" at a Texas rally, while saying that "a globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly not caring about our country so much."
The piece added: "A racially overt version of it — white nationalism — has been publicly ascendant since Trump launched his 2016 campaign by attacking undocumented Mexican immigrants as 'rapists' and 'criminals' and later proposed a Muslim immigration ban."
CNN host Don Lemon went further, calling nationalist "a favorite of the alt-right and is loaded with nativist and racial undertones. And globalist. Well, globalist has been used as a slur of sorts, sometimes even against those in the administration, often with anti-Semitic overtones."
That’s reading a lot into two words.
Look, immigration is one of the hottest of hot-button issues. And Politico says the Democrats are "spooked" by the daily images of marching Honduran migrants as the president's rhetoric has boosted the caravan into a major story.
Look at this Trump tweet: "Every time you see a Caravan, or people illegally coming, or attempting to come, into our Country illegally, think of and blame the Democrats for not giving us the votes to change our pathetic Immigration Laws! Remember the Midterms!"
Except the GOP controls the White House, the Senate and the House. If the immigration laws are so pathetic, why haven't they changed them?
But the broader point is this: the use of fear as a weapon comes from a very old political playbook. When Barack Obama or Bill Clinton and the Democrats were in charge, they would warn ominously that the Republicans want to take away your Medicare, slash your Social Security, shred the safety net, "turn back the clock" on civil rights or women's rights or gay rights.
That, too, is the politics of fear. And while it was covered, it was rarely called out as fear-mongering because many journalists believed those push-granny-off-a-cliff charges were basically on target.
Trump deserves great scrutiny over his use of the immigration issue, especially when he can't back up his claims. But he's hardly the first president to try to scare voters at election time.

Corey Lewandowski plays down altercation with John Kelly, makes midterm prediction

Corey Lewandowski, President Trump's former campaign manager, on Tuesday played down recent reports that he got into a physical altercation last winter with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, saying "John and I have a great relationship."
Lewandowski told Fox News' ‘The Ingraham Angle,' that whatever happened between Kelly and him is "completely irrelevant."
"What may or may not have taken place, ten months ago, eight months ago, is completely irrelevant to where we are today," he said.
The apparent scrape between the two men was recounted Monday in a New York Times article which quoted a "half-dozen people familiar with the events."
The report said Kelly supposedly grabbed Lewandowski “by the collar” amid an argument just outside the Oval Office, prompting the intervention of the Secret Service.
Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci told Fox News' 'Fox & Friends' he was "very confident" that the incident occurred.
But Lewandowski ridiculed the report's attempt to use the incident as illustrative of Trump's supposedly "chaotic" White House.
"It didn't come to a 'near-brawl' by any stretch of the imagination," he said.
Lewandowski concluded his appearance on the program with a prediction of the post-midterm election results.
"We’re actually going to gain seats in the Senate (and) hold the House majority. That's because of the leadership of the Trump-Pence team," he said.