Media furor over Trump trashing Mueller probe as 'absolutely nuts'

Donald Trump is so ticked off at Robert Mueller that he's calling him an Obama guy.
The special counsel is actually a registered Republican.
The president's eruption on Twitter yesterday fueled all kinds of media chatter about whether Mueller, who seems to be in the final phases of his Russia investigation, is about to drop some major indictment.
Maybe the president is just worked up because, according to news accounts, he's spent the last several days with his lawyers, hammering out written answers to Mueller's questions. (Does this mean there won’t be a face-to-face interview? Who knows?)
What I'm hearing from the White House is that the president is simply sick of the long-running investigation and, after conferring with his lawyers, wants to bring it to a head.
Trump has made his "witch hunt" allegations for much of the Mueller probe.And by the way, it’s hardly unprecedented to try to investigate those who are investigating you. Bill Clinton and his allies mounted a sustained campaign to demonize Ken Starr.
But Trump's attacks yesterday may be his harshest yet.
"The inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess," Trump tweeted. "They have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts. They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to come up with the answers they want.
"They are a disgrace to our Nation and don't care how many lives the [sic] ruin. These are Angry People, including the highly conflicted Bob Mueller, who worked for Obama for 8 years. They won't even look at all of the bad acts and crimes on the other side. A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY!"
The all-caps was just for emphasis.
The president can certainly argue that Mueller, even with his charges against Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn and others, has come up with no evidence of collusion with Russia.
But keep in mind that it was Trump's own appointee, Rod Rosenstein, who named Mueller as special counsel, and the deputy attorney general says he's doing a good job.
What's more, it was George W. Bush who tapped Mueller as FBI director. Obama just let him finish out his 10-year term, and tacked on an additional two years. So to suggest that Mueller is some kind of Obama loyalist is just wrong.
One aspect that the pundits are focusing on is that the latest attack on Mueller comes after the president replaced Jeff Sessions with Matt Whitaker, who has a history of criticizing the special counsel. But whether the acting attorney general will take any steps to curtail the probe remains to be seen.
By outward appearances, Mueller seems to be down to third-level players. The Wall Street Journal reports that he is investigating whether veteran GOP operative Roger Stone tried to intimidate a witness who is contradicting his insistence he had no pipeline to WikiLeaks on the hacked Democratic emails. In emails to his former friend, Randy Credico, the Journal says, Stone threatened to "sue the f---" out of him and called Credico "a loser a liar and a rat." But this is pretty small potatoes.
The president also weighed in on the press yesterday, as he is wont to do. I reported yesterday on a spate of stories (The Washington Post, L.A. Times, Politico) about how Trump has been angry, furious and lashing out since the midterms as he mulls another White House shakeup.
Insiders tell me that many of the leaks likely emanate from places such as the Homeland Security Department and National Security Council, where people's jobs are threatened (such as Kirstjen Nielsen and deputy NSC director Mira Ricardel, who's being transferred after Melania Trump called for her firing). The president often discusses job changes with advisers and doesn't mind the rumors that float around and hit the press.
Trump tweeted yesterday: "The White House is running very smoothly and the results for our Nation are obviously very good. We are the envy of the world. But anytime I even think about making changes, the FAKE NEWS MEDIA goes crazy, always seeking to make us look as bad as possible! Very dishonest!"
I mean, why would anyone think he's angry?
But the president does have a point that routine personnel moves after an election are getting the media’s "chaos" treatment — even if "running very smoothly" is not the most apt description of this White House.

Across US, tax dollars being poured into 'legal defense fund for illegals'

In defiance of President Trump's hardline stands on immigration, more jurisdictions are going beyond "sanctuary city" policies and actively using taxpayer dollars to pay for legal representation for immigrants facing deportation.
This week Denver officials announced plans to set aside $385,000 to expand an immigrant legal defense program, Mayor Michael Hancock said.
“There is no greater responsibility that I have as mayor than to keep all residents of Denver, undocumented or not, safe and secure and when we have challenging language that comes out of Washington that threatens that very covenant that we have with all of our residents it makes it doubly difficult for us to help people feel safe in their city,” he said.
Others committing to designating public dollars for attorneys in immigration courts include lawmakers in Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, D.C.; New York; Austin, Texas; Atlanta, San Francisco and Portland, Ore.
"We are proud to be a sanctuary city," said former San Francisco Supervisor David Campos when he introduced the proposal to fund legal assistance. "And we're not only proud to stand up for that, but we're going to invest the resources needed to make sure that the 44,000 undocumented people who live in the city and county of San Francisco have, at a minimum, legal representation if they're taken into immigration court."
One Chicago public official, Alderman Nicholas Sposato, called it "the legal defense fund for the illegals," the Chicago Tribune reported. He was the only city Budget Committee member to vote against a $1.3 million plan in 2016 to assist immigrants who were facing deportation.
In September, Portland approved a $500,000 grant toward legal defense for potential deportees and Baltimore approved $200,000 for its own defense fund.
Some cities and states -- California, Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia and Maryland -- have joined up with the Vera Institute of Justice facilitate their programs.
The New York-based nonprofit spearheads the coalition, known as the Safety and Fairness for Everyone Network (SAFE).
People accused of being in the country illegally are not required to have a lawyer, unlike those facing criminal proceedings, where they must be represented by a public defender if they cannot afford an attorney. The government is not required to pay for an immigration court lawyer.
California has been providing attorney's to immigrants before Trump's election, but other SAFE members had not done so until the formation of the network, said network director Annie Chen.
Last year, Seattle passed a measure to put $1 million toward legal defense for immigrants and refugees. The money will be administered by community groups.
City leaders in Santa Ana, Calif., directed $65,000 last year toward its newly created legal defense fund and New York created the first statewide immigrant defense fund.
While immigration advocates have praised the initiatives, those who prefer stricter immigration laws have criticized them.
“It is simply bad public policy to be spending public funds at a time when everyone is strapped for cash and cannot fund the money for vital services," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in an interview last year. "Even if they are relatively small funders, they are directing much-needed resources from schools and roads to meet the political desires of lawmakers."

“It is simply bad public policy to be spending public funds at a time when everyone is strapped for cash and cannot fund the money for vital services."
— Ira Mehlman, spokesman, Federation for American Immigration Reform

Some cities have faced opposition over its attempts to create similar programs.
A 2015 study published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review reported that detained immigrants with access to legal counsel were 10 times more likely to be granted legal residency than those without.
In a statement just after his city approved financial support for legal representation to immigrants, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said it was a matter of safety.
“Providing legal representation to those facing deportation maintains trust in law enforcement and our local institutions and keeps us all safe," Pugh said. "If our residents don’t feel safe – for example, coming forward to report crimes and cooperating with law enforcement – all of us are at more risk.”

Anti-Trump theatergoer allegedly yells, ‘Heil Hitler, Heil Trump’ during play: cops

Some audience members at a performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Baltimore were sent scrambling out of their seats Wednesday when a theatergoer shouted “Heil Hitler, Heil Trump” and made the Nazi salute during intermission, according to police.
Anthony Derlunas, 58, allegedly told police he was motivated by his hatred of President Trump and had been heavily drinking before the outburst from his balcony seat at the Hippodrome Theatre, the Baltimore Sun reported.
“People started running,” audience member Rich Scherr told the Sun. “I’ll be honest, I was waiting to hear a gunshot. I thought, ‘Here we go.’”
About 1,000 people were in attendance during the show.
GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
"Everything just got really, really quiet. And then I heard this guy screaming: "Heil Hitler! Heil Trump!," he said.
Samit Verma was seated in the balcony when he saw a man mimicking a Nazi salute.
“The people around me appeared to be quite shaken by the incident,” Verma said. “There were some people in tears.”
Derlunas allegedly told investigators he was reminded of Trump during the play’s final scene before the break. He was escorted out the venue by security a few minutes later and has been banned from the theatre for life.
He did not respond to the Sun’s requests for comment.
He was not arrested but was issued a stop ticket, which is the least-severe measure taken by the police when responding to a complaint. It does not carry fines and doesn’t require a follow-up from the recipient.
“As reprehensible as those words are, they are considered protected free speech because nobody was directly threatened,” police spokesman Matt Jablow said in an email.
In a Facebook post, the theatre said Derlunas behavior "will not be tolerated" and that the "venue has a proud tradition of providing shared experiences to people from all walks of life."
Authorities could have charged Derlunas with disorderly conduct, said Dana Vickers Shelley, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland. They instead gave him “what sounds like a ticket for jaywalking or less,” she said.
Uniformed police will be stationed at the Hippodrome for the remaining “Fiddler” shows through Sunday, Jablow said, adding that the extra security measure was not requested by the theatre.
“Fiddler” tells the story of a Jewish family facing persecution in Russia.
“It is a story inherently about Jews being made not to feel welcome, and here is this bozo who decided to express that he felt we should not be welcome here either,” said audience member Theodore Casser.
The incident comes in the midst of a rise in anti-Semitism and hate crimes nationwide and weeks after a gunman killed 11 people inside a Pittsburgh synagogue in October.
A recently released FBI report shows a 37 percent spike in anti-Semitic hate crimes in the U.S. and a 17 percent increase in hate crimes overall.

Kamala Harris compares ICE to KKK, gets slammed for 'disgusting,' 'horrifying' remarks

California Democrat and likely 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris drew fury after comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Ku Klux Klan during a hearing on Capitol Hill.
She asked Ronald Vitiello, President Trump's nominee to lead ICE, whether he shares what she said was the public’s view that ICE was spreading fear and mistrust, in particular among immigrant communities, the same way the KKK did.
“Are you aware of the perception of many about how the power and the discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws and do you see any parallels [with the KKK]?,” she asked.

"Are you aware of the perception of many about how the power and the discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws and do you see any parallels [with the KKK]?"
— Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.

The comparison prompted outrage, with RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel slamming Harris for “disgusting” partisanship. “Kamala Harris is trying to launch her 2020 campaign off of comparing ICE officers to the KKK, and it's absolutely disgusting,” she tweeted.
“What utter, complete & horrifying disrespect for our law enforcement officers. I get she’s auditioning for 2020, but come on...,” wrote GOP spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany.
‏Harris pointed out to Vitiello’s controversial tweet from 2015 in which he said the Democratic Party was comparable to a “liberal-cratic” or “neo-Klanist” entity. The nominee apologized and admitted that those words were offensive.
“What is the history that would then make those words wrong?” the Democrat then asked, prompting Vitiello to say that the KKK would be labeled as a domestic terrorist group by today’s standards and was motivated by race and ethnicity.
But Vitiello pushed back against Harris’ line of questioning, saying “I do not see any parallels” between the immigration enforcement agency and the white supremacist group and inquired whether she was asking him if the two were in the same category.
“No, I'm very specific in what I'm asking you. Are you aware of a perception that the way that they ..." Harris went on, before the nominee snapped back saying, “I see none.”
“Are you aware that there is a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?” she asked again.

“Are you aware that there is a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?”
— Sen. Kamala Harris

Harris ended her questioning asking whether Vitiello can lead the agency if he’s not aware of the negative views toward it.
“It seems to me that you would understand that when you use words like the words you used just three short years ago, that that would contribute to that perception,” Harris said. “And it's harmful then, it's harmful, in terms of the mission of the agency and the work of the individuals there. And it is harmful in terms of leading — innocent people arriving at our border fleeing harm, it is harmful to them.”
Harris is widely rumored to be considering a run for Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination. She recently visited Iowa, one of the first primary states, and swing states such as Ohio, raising speculation that she’s building her national image before the election.

Angry Democrat Cartoons

Whitaker said to angrily demand website remove posts about patent firm

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, right, speaks to state and local law enforcement officials at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in Des Moines, Iowa.

In early 2015, an anonymous comment accusing a Florida company of being a scam was posted on a consumer website called RipoffReport.com.
Around that time, the publication’s phone rang. The caller said he was Matthew Whitaker—now the acting attorney general—and he was angry, said Ed Magedson, owner of Ripoff Report. Using profanity, Mr. Whitaker demanded the removal of all negative reports about the company, World Patent Marketing Inc., Mr. Magedson said.
“He threatened me using a lot of foul language,” said Mr. Magedson, who added he had reviewed notes he made at the time. “He threatened to ruin my business if I didn’t remove the reports. He [said he] would have the government shut me down under some homeland security law.”
Ripoff Report itself has been subject to criticism, with detractors saying it has profited from the negative reports posted on its website.
Since President Trump appointed Mr. Whitaker last week, the acting attorney general has faced questions about the extent of his involvement with World Patent Marketing, where he was a paid advisory-board member until at least 2016. The company was shut down last year by the Federal Trade Commission after it accused the firm of scamming $26 million.
The threatening phone call recalled by Mr. Magedson suggests Mr. Whitaker took a more active role than previously known in shielding World Patent Marketing from outside criticism. He also wrote an August 2015 email threatening an unhappy customer, court documents show.
The call also suggests Mr. Whitaker was aware of allegations of fraudulent activity against the company, which was later confirmed by the FTC in its accusations.
On Wednesday, top Democrats in the House of Representatives, who will take control of the chamber in January, sent letters to Mr. Whitaker, the FTC, the founder of World Patent Marketing and others requesting more information about Mr. Whitaker’s role.
A Justice Department spokeswoman has said: “Acting attorney general Matt Whitaker has said he is not aware of any fraudulent activity. Any stories suggesting otherwise are false.”
On Wednesday, the Justice Department declined to offer a new comment and referred to the previous statement.
World Patent Marketing, which started in early 2014 and was run from Miami Beach, Fla., offered to patent and promote ideas from would-be inventors. The FTC said the company delivered little and threatened customers who complained.
Ripoff Report, of Tempe, Ariz., lets people post anonymous complaints about companies on its website. It has been frequently sued and accused of profiting from the negative reports by offering a paid service to clean up the reputational damage. Mr. Magedson said his firm tries to verify some comments and helps companies deliver better customer service.

White House leaks portray Trump as angry and lashing out (WRONG)

It's like we're back in the spring of 2017: Looming staff shakeups! The chief of staff may be out! The White House is in chaos. Nobody can rein in Donald Trump!
And once again, those surrounding Trump are leaking like crazy.
But a bit of perspective here: Presidents usually shake up their teams after midterm elections — especially losing midterm elections — and some officials naturally decide it's time to move on.
With the exception of the firing of Jeff Sessions — given the controversial pick of his anti-Mueller interim replacement, Matt Whitaker — I don't know why the press needs to treat every rumor of a White House or Cabinet change as the coming of the apocalypse.
But the planned staff moves are morphing into a larger narrative of an angry president lashing out and blowing off some of his duties while his staff is steaming, according to reports in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Politico.
There's not much question that Trump has seemed more aggressive and aggrieved since the Democrats captured the House (their haul is now up to 33 seats and counting). Even Melania has gotten in on the shakeup action.
Insiders tell me the president is unhappy, disappointed in some top aides, and ready to make changes. He has also, in my view, made some missteps in the process.
But does this add up to a portrait of an out-of-control leader?
When The Washington Post quotes historian Doug Brinkley as saying "he's just a bull carrying his own china shop with him," is that bull?
The Post piece on "five days of fury" ranges from a testy Trump call with Theresa May to skipping a planned World War I remembrance at a cemetery in France. "Trump quickly grew infuriated by a torrent of tweets and media coverage suggesting that the president was afraid of the rain and did not respect veterans ... "The president also was angry and resentful over French President Emmanuel Macron's public rebuke of rising nationalism, which Trump considered a personal attack."
It also ranges from Trump tweeting about "FRAUD" in the Florida elections to the revoking of Jim Acosta's credentials to the president telling CNN reporter Abby Phillip that she asks "stupid questions."
The L.A. Times has a similar story about a "brooding" Trump: "The president has lashed out at several aides, from junior press assistants to senior officials. 'He's furious,' said one administration official. 'Most staffers are trying to avoid him.'"
Politico, like the other outlets, deals with possible personnel moves, zeroing in on "bottled-up hostility" and "a fresh round of backbiting" among the staff.
The president has told others he wants to dump Kirstjen Nielsen, the Homeland Security chief, which has been obvious as he has blamed her for problems at the border.
And he is once again said to be weighing the departure of John Kelly (in favor of Mike Pence's top aide Nick Ayers). We have been through endless rounds of chatter about Kelly, which seemed to end when the president announced he's staying through 2020. So it's not clear whether this will blow over.
But then came what is truly a bizarre spectacle. Melania Trump took on deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel with this public statement: "It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House." (The Wall Street Journal reported that Ricardel was gone, then retracted it, and the situation is now unclear.)
Many first ladies, including Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton, have obviously had a strong influence on their husband and gotten staffers fired. But to put out a statement is beyond unusual, prompting speculation that Melania was trying to accomplish privately what she failed to do behind the scenes.
So it's a tumultuous time for the president, no question. But keep in mind that those leaking all these anecdotes to journalists may have their own agendas.

Florida voters have until Saturday to fix signature issue, federal judge says

Democrats are trying to win the race no matter what!

Federal Judge Mark Walker nominated by former President Barack Obama in 2012

 

 

 And you thought this recount was going to be honest??

A federal judge ruled early Thursday that thousands of voters who’ve had their ballots rejected due to issues with their signatures will have until Saturday to resolve the issue and possibly get a chance to have their votes counted, according to a report.
The Washington Post linked to the court's ruling and reported that the decision affects more than 4,000 ballots across 45 counties in the state that were set aside, according to the judge’s opinion. It is unclear how many other ballots were affected in other counties.
Uzoma Nkwonta, a lawyer for Sen. Bill Nelson, argued that the state should delay deadlines.
“There’s zero reason why this election and the recount and the certification of votes needs to occur on Nov. 20,” Nkwonta argued, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
Democrats asked U.S. District Judge Mark Walker to throw out the state’s existing signature match law. They say untrained experts should not be allowed to decide if someone’s signature on a mail-in ballot doesn’t match the signature included on a registration form that could be years old.
The lawsuit is one of a half-dozen related to Florida’s ongoing recount that involves three statewide races including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s race against Gov. Rick Scott. Nelson, a Democrat, trails Scott, a Republican, by about 12,500 votes, down from Scott’s 56,000-vote lead on election night, Fox Orlando reported.
The paper reported that the ruling gives Nelson a chance to chip away at Scott's lead, but would be unlikely to change the race's outcome.
Scott's campaign is expected to appeal, the report said.