Michael Avenatti Cartoons

Legions of Democrats drawing headlines just by eyeing the White House

It's the easiest layup in Democratic politics.
All a politician needs to do to generate some good press is hint, insinuate, ruminate — or simply not deny — a desire to run for president.
Now some of these people will launch campaigns, others are simply flirting, and still others don't have the faintest possibility of being taken seriously. But it doesn't matter: they all get some ink
The late Russell Baker used to write about the Great Mentioner, how up-and-coming pols would mysteriously be designated by the press as presidential timber. But that no longer matters. In the social media age, they get to mention themselves — and reporters invariably follow.
Maybe the Democrats — figuring hey, Donald Trump did it — will wind up with a field so massive that it will make the GOP's 17 contenders last time look like an elite club.
One reason for the recent wave of stories is that potential candidates feel liberated to show a little leg after the midterms. Before Nov. 6, they engaged in a sanctioned form of lying, saying the idea of a White House bid never crossed their minds, even as journalists and voters alike knew that was basically bull.
Take newly reelected Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who bucked a red tide in his state:
"After insisting for years that a run for president was far off his radar — Mr. Brown has begun wondering aloud if he should have the world’s most important job after all."
And here’s the pitch, in The New York Times:
"Rumpled and unvarnished — with a fondness for sweatshirts, less so for ties — Mr. Brown would in some ways seem uniquely positioned in a party hoping to win back the Midwestern states that flipped to Mr. Trump. Throughout his political career, he has championed populist platitudes like the 'dignity of work' that have resonated with working-class voters in all corners of Ohio while also supporting liberal social causes like women's reproductive rights and L.G.B.T.Q. rights."
The same goes for New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who the Times says has undergone "a notable shift ... Less than three weeks ago, in the lone debate of her re-election campaign, Ms. Gillibrand pledged to serve her full Senate term."
Right after the election, Gillibrand told Stephen Colbert that "the hatred and the division" she said was caused by Trump "has called me to fight as hard as I possibly can to restore the moral compass of this country."
And Elizabeth Warren, after years of denials, said weeks ago she was taking a "hard look" at a presidential run.
What's more, you don't even have to win your race to have your hat thrown into the proverbial ring. Ted Cruz beat Beto O'Rourke by 3 points, but it's the Texas Democrat who's getting the media love. That includes yesterday's Politico piece with this blind-quote headline: "He's Barack Obama, But White."
O’Rourke is “scrambling” the Democratic field, having raised $70 million in the Lone Star State, “his closer-than-expected performance in the largest red state on the map was credited with lifting at least two Democrats to victory over House Republican incumbents.” A Politico/Morning Consult poll had him third among Democratic voters, behind Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
A Boston Globe column was titled "Beto O’Rourke Lost the Election, But He’s Getting the Most Presidential Buzz."
Thanks to the media, of course. O’Rourke says he hasn't made any decisions. I know, Abe Lincoln won the White House after losing a Senate race, but that was a long time ago.
The list goes on. The Washington Examiner says "Kamala Harris will have a digital army behind her if she runs for 2020."
Julian Castro is also being "mentioned." In fact, says the AP, "Castro has spent much of his political career being discussed as a potential presidential candidate since he was elected San Antonio mayor at age 34 ... Julian Castro would be a prominent Latino candidate in the 2020 field."
Mike Bloomberg has been toying with a presidential bid since stepping down as New York mayor, but never quite seems to do it, despite the pundits pining for him. In fact, the Republican-turned-independent recently re-registered as a Democrat. One person in touch with Bloomberg thinks he’ll make the run, but his "centrist" policies are likely to clash with the Democrats’ left wing. Oh, and he’ll be 78 on Election Day.
This Times op-ed in favor of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper sort of captures the anyone-can-try ethos:
"Governor Hickenlooper, an optimistic, pro-business, pragmatic centrist, might seem, at first, like a long shot for the Democratic nomination. But then, in considering a post-Trump era, it is hard to imagine anything."
Nor do you need to be a politician. Politico informs us that "Marianne Williamson — pal of Oprah, spirituality guru and fixture of Hollywood's New Age community" — has been visiting Iowa. If nothing else, this should help her rack up more best-selling books on spirituality.
And I haven't even mentioned those touted in a Washington Post write-up: Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Deval Patrick, John Delaney (don't ask), and Hillary Clinton herself (she's making noises.)
And no handicapping list would be complete without Michael Avenatti, whose nascent bid suffered a tiny setback with his arrest on domestic violence allegations, which if true means he wouldn't even get Stormy Daniels' vote.
Look, you never know who might catch fire. Barack Obama wasn't exactly a leading contender in 2004, and few geniuses saw Trump as president the day he came down the golden escalator.
But one thing is undeniably true: These wannabes and many others know that the press cares far more about any public figure who harbors presidential ambitions. That's why it suddenly seems like every unindicted Democrat is pondering a 2020 campaign.

University staff told not to use ‘don’t’ or ‘frightening’ capital letters

Journalism professors at Leeds Trinity University have been told not to use "don't" or "frightening" capitals, according to reports. (Leeds Trinity University via Facebook)

Journalism professors at Leeds Trinity University in the UK have been instructed not to use certain words — in case they frighten sensitive students.
According to UK media reports, the use of capital letters has been banned as well as the “overuse” of the words “do” and “don’t”.
In an internal staff memo obtained by the Express, staff are told students’ “anxiety” can lead to academic failure.
“Despite our best attempts to explain assessment tasks, any lack of clarity can generate anxiety and even discourage students from attempting the assessment at all,” it reads.
“Generally, avoid using capital letters for emphasis and the overuse of ‘do’, and, especially, ‘DON’T’.
It also urged staff to be “explicit about any inexplicitness” in assignment requirements and to be aware that “misconceptions or misunderstandings quickly spread” among students.
“This can lead to further confusion and students may even then decide that the assessment is too difficult and not attempt it,” the statement reads.
The story quickly spread across the UK media as well as on social media, with many members of the public slamming it as extreme “political correctness” pandering to the “snowflake generation.”
It follows similar news in September, when The University of Manchester’s student union made global headlines after voting to ban clapping and cheering at certain events in order to avoid triggering those with anxiety or sensory issues.
Instead, students were urged to use “jazz hands”.
“It was argued that the loud noise of traditional clapping and whooping pose an issue to students with anxiety or sensory issues. BSL clapping — or, jazz hands — would be a more inclusive form of expression,” student newspaper the Mancunion reported.
In a bizarre twist, Leeds Trinity University released a statement claiming it had not banned capital letters — but confirmed “it is best practice not to write in all capital letters.”
But many social media users pointed out there was little difference between “banning” words and capital letters and asking staff not to use them.
In a statement, vice-chancellor Margaret House said the university was committed to supporting students to be “the very best they can be”.
“We’re proud to offer a personal and inclusive university experience that gives every student the support to realise their potential,” she said.
“We follow national best practice teaching guidelines and the memo cited in the press is guidance from a course leader to academic staff, sharing best practice from the latest teaching research to inform their teaching.
“For every assignment, academic staff have an ‘unpacking’ session with students so the students are clear on what is expected. The majority of universities do this. It is also about good communication and consistent style. For example, it is best practice not to write in all capital letters regardless of the sector.
“We are absolutely committed to enhancing and enriching the student learning experience at Leeds Trinity, where staff and students are a name not a number.”
The public university is located near Leeds in England’s West Yorkshire.
It has a student population of more than 3625 and offers foundation, undergraduate, and postgraduate degrees in a range of humanities and social sciences.

Actress files restraining order against Avenatti, court records show

An aspiring film actress on Monday filed a restraining order against lawyer Michael Avenatti – just days after he was detained by police on domestic violence charges, according to court records obtained by The Blast.
Mareli Miniutti, an actress who appeared in Ocean’s 8, filed the domestic violence restraining order Monday in Los Angeles, the report said. It wasn’t immediately clear if Miniutti was the woman who accused Avenatti of domestic violence last week.
Miniutti did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
"I have NEVER abused a woman or committed domestic violence," Avenatti tweeted after the restraining order was first reported. "Any claim to the contrary is completely bogus and fabricated. I am a target. And I will be exonerated.”
AVENATTI BAILED OUT AFTER BEING ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF FELONY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SAYS HE'LL BE 'EXONERATED'
Avenatti was formally charged Wednesday with felony domestic violence, LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera told Fox News.
Police didn't immediately disclose details about the arrest incident but Officer Tony Im, an LAPD spokesman, said the victim has visible injuries.
TMZ, which first reported the domestic violence allegations, cited an unnamed law enforcement source who said the woman's face was "swollen and bruised."
"I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night," Avenatti said after his release from custody. "Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation."
Avenatti, an outspoken critic of President Trump and the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels, was considered a rising star in the Democratic party as he weighed a presidential run in the 2020 election.
The Vermont Democratic Party canceled events planned for Friday and Saturday, where Avenatti was scheduled to speak, and is refunding ticket sales.
A hearing for the restraining order will be held in Santa Monica next month, according to the court records.

Judge bars US from enforcing Trump administration’s asylum ban

U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar, who was nominated by President Obama in 2012

A federal judge in San Francisco on Monday barred the Trump administration from refusing asylum to immigrants who cross the southern border illegally, likely prompting a legal challenge from the White House.
Trump issued a proclamation on Nov. 9 that said anyone who crossed the southern border would be ineligible for asylum.
U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar, who was nominated by President Obama in 2012 to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, issued a temporary restraining order after hearing arguments in San Francisco.
The request was made by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights, which quickly sued after President Trump issued the ban this month in response to the caravans of migrants that have started to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Baher Azmy, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights, said, "Individuals are entitled to asylum if they cross between ports of entry. It couldn't be clearer."
Migrants who cross illegally are generally arrested and often seek asylum or some other form of protection.
On Monday, the U.S. closed off northbound traffic for several hours at the busiest border crossing with Mexico to install new security barriers, and also closed one of two pedestrian crossings at the San Ysidro crossing in a move apparently aimed at preventing any mass rush of migrants across the border.
U.S. border inspectors are processing only about 100 asylum claims a day at Tijuana’s main crossing to San Diego. Asylum seekers register their names in a tattered notebook managed by migrants themselves that had more than 3,000 names even before the caravan arrived.

Sore Loser Democrat Cartoons

Defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams won't call Brian Kemp legitimate Georgia gov-elect

Defeated Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams, who admitted last week that she could not beat Republican Brian Kemp, on Sunday refused to call Kemp the legitimate governor-elect and said democracy had "failed" in the state.
In an interview with CNN, Abrams said only that Kemp, Georgia's former secretary of state, had "won an adequate number of votes to become the governor of Georgia" and would become the "legal governor of Georgia" when he takes the oath of office.
"But we know sometimes the law does not do what it should, and something being legal does not make it right," Abrams told Tapper. "What you are looking for me to say is that there was no compromise of our democracy and that there should be some political compromise in the language that I use. And that's not right. ... Will I say that this election was not tainted, was not a disinvestment and a disenfranchisement of thousands of voters? I will not say that."
Abrams maintained that "it began eight years ago with the systematic disenfranchisement of more than a million voters and continued with the underfunding and disinvestment in polling places and training and in the management of the county delivery of services, and I think it had its pinnacle in this race."
Tapper pointed out that while 1.5 million voters were removed from Georgia's voter rolls from 2012 to 2016 if they did not vote for three years, many other states -- as well as heavily liberal Washington, D.C. -- also strike inactive voters from the rolls as a matter of course.
"Maintaining clean voter rolls is absolutely appropriate," Abrams acknowledged. She then criticized the "vigor with which [Kemp] did so -- and the mismanagement with which he did so." She cited the unverified case of 92-year-old Christine Jordan, who was reportedly denied at the polls despite voting regularly.
With 100 percent of precincts tallied, Georgia's official election website showed Kemp had won 50.22% of total votes cast, or 1,978,408 votes. Abrams, by comparison, had 48.83 percent, or 1,923,685 -- meaning Kemp leads by approximately 55,000 votes. A runoff would have automatically triggered if neither candidate had won 50 percent of the vote.
HOURS BEFORE ELECTION DAY, SECRETARY OF STATE KEMP ANNOUNCES VOTER HACKING PROBE INTO GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Other top Democrats echoed Abrams' rhetoric. "Democracy did not win in Georgia," former Attorney General Eric Holder tweeted Sunday morning.
Abrams insisted her complaints were based on "facts," and pointed specifically to "four different federal judges in the course of a week" who "forced better behavior" among Georgia election officials prior to the midterms.
In one instance, shortly before Election Day, a federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross, ruled that the state's "exact match" law as a potential source of disenfranchisement and ordered the state to change its protocols.
Kemp had touted the law, which flags discrepancies between voter registrations and official identification documents. If there are any differences -- such as a missing hyphen -- voters had to clear the matter up with a state official before voting.
But those restrictions were estimated to affect only approximately 3,000 voters -- far short of the 55,000-vote margin that Kemp obtained on his way to victory.
Abrams also pointed to Kemp's decision to initiate a hacking investigation into the Georgia Democratic Party with just hours to go before Election Day.

Guardsman charged with smuggling migrants into US

U.S. Border Patrol agents and members of the military pass concertina wire during a tour of the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego. (Associated Press)

A California National Guardsman was arrested earlier this month for allegedly smuggling migrants into the United States for money.
Private First Class Edward Jair Acosta-Avila was pulled over in San Diego, about two miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, USA Today reported.
SECTION OF TRUMP'S BORDER WALL UNVEILED IN CALIFORNIA AS CARAVAN ADVANCES NORTH THROUGH MEXICO
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials arrested Acosta-Avila and four other individuals – including a U.S. citizen and three undocumented Mexican nationals who were hiding under a blanket in the back seat, the report said.
Acosta-Avila told authorities that he and the U.S. citizen were going to split $400 for shuttling the three Mexican nationals into the U.S., according to the report. But the three men told authorities they agreed to pay between $6,000 and $7,000 each to enter the U.S., the report said.
Acosta-Avila and the U.S. citizen were charged in federal court with human trafficking. The Mexican nationals will serve as witnesses in the case, San Diego’s Fox 5 reported.
MIGRANT CARAVAN FACES OPPOSITION FROM ANGRY TIJUANA RESIDENTS
Acosta-Avila was reportedly not part of the 7,000 troops that President Trump ordered to various points at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Army Times reported.
The bulk of the troops are currently in Texas -- hundreds of miles away from the caravan that started arriving this week in Tijuana on Mexico's border with California -- after walking and hitching rides for the past month.