California governor to reduce National Guard presence at border

Show Boat

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at the California Legislative Black Caucus Martin Luther King Jr., Breakfast, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is slated to pull several hundred National Guard troops from the state’s border with Mexico on Monday in an apparent rebuff to President Donald Trump’s characterization of the region being under siege by Central American refugees and migrants, according to reports.
The move comes despite his predecessor’s agreement – along with other past and current border state governors – to send troops to the border at the Trump administration’s request. Former California Gov. Jerry Brown originally approved the mission through the end of March, but qualified that the state’s troops “will not be enforcing federal immigration laws.”
Newsom’s plan will require the National Guard to immediately begin withdrawing troops but still give it until the end of March to do so. According to excerpts from his Tuesday State of the State address, he will call the “border emergency” a “manufactured crisis,” and will say that “California will not be part of this political theater.”
Newsom's order will require around 110 National Guard troops to help the state prepare for its next wildfire season while another 100 members will be deployed to focus specifically on combating transnational crime, according to excerpts from his speech. A spokesman for Newsom said his office will separately request federal funds for the expansion of the state's counterdrug task force program, The Los Angeles Times reported.
California has repeatedly styled itself as the flagship resistance state to the Trump administration’s policies. Newsom, who is just a month into his governorship, has held up the state as an antidote to what he’s characterized as a corrupt Washington, a message he will likely try to convey in his State of the State speech on Tuesday.

Pennsylvania paper drops syndicated cartoon over Trump insult

At least one newspaper says it has dropped the syndicated cartoon "Non Sequitur" after a vulgar message to President Donald Trump appeared in it.
The Butler Eagle in Pennsylvania reported Sunday that the "shot at President Donald Trump" will cost cartoonist Wiley Miller "his place in the Eagle's Sunday comics."
A scribbled message in one panel of that day's cartoon appears to begin with "We fondly say go ..." followed by the message to Trump.
Ron Vodenichar, Eagle publisher and general manager, said in the paper that the paper was alerted about the message by a reader and included a syndicated comic strip.
"Neither the Butler Eagle nor any other newspaper that includes this strip had an opportunity to remove it even if they had discovered it before distribution. We apologize that such a disgusting trick was perpetuated on the reading public. The Butler Eagle will discontinue that comic immediately," he said.
The paper’s article was titled, “Lose Lips Sink Strips.”
It's not clear whether other publications have dropped the strip, distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication. The company's website says "Non Sequitur" appears in more than 700 newspapers.
Miller appeared to acknowledge the message in a tweet that said "some of my sharp-eyed readers have spotted a little Easter egg. ... Can you find it?"
Emails seeking comment from the Associated Press were left with the syndicate and with Miller.

Ilhan Omar's AIPAC tweet sparks condemnation, including from Chelsea Clinton

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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., sparked backlash for her Israel tweets. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., sparked backlash Sunday evening from members of both parties -- including former first daughter Chelsea Clinton -- after she accused a prominent lobbying group of paying members of Congress to support Israel.
Omar, who became the first Somali-American woman elected to Congress in November, responded to a Twitter post by journalist Glenn Greenwald criticizing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., for threatening to take action against Omar and another freshman lawmaker, Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over allegedly anti-Semitic remarks.
"There’s situations in our conference where a member does something that is wrong — I think you’ve seen from my own actions that I take action about it," McCarthy told reporters Friday, making an apparent reference to Republican congressman Steve King of Iowa. "I think when they stay silent, they are just as guilty ... I think this will not be the end of this, and if they do not take action then I think you will see action from myself. It’s unacceptable in this country, especially when you sit back and think about and listen to what this country went through in World War II."
MCCARTHY ASKS DEMS TO DENOUNCE ALLEGED ANTI-SEMITIC REMARKS: 'THIS WILL NOT BE THE END OF THIS'
Greenwald accused McCarthy of targeting Omar and Tlaib for their numerous criticisms of Israel, to which Omar chimed in "It's all about the Benjamins, baby," quoting a 1997 rap song by Puff Daddy. She then doubled down when challenged by Batya Ungar-Sargon, the opinion editor of The Forward newspaper.
"Would love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess," Ungar-Sargon tweeted. "Bad form, Congresswoman. That's the second anti-Semitic trope you've tweeted."
In response, Omar tweeted "AIPAC!" referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which regularly has been accused by progressives of agitating for a conflict with Iran.
"We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship," AIPAC tweeted Sunday evening. "Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests. We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work."
Another freshman Democrat, Max Rose of New York, tweeted that Omar's statements "are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself."
"When someone uses hateful and offensive tropes and words against people of my faith, I will not be silent," Rose said in a statement. "... At a time when anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise, our leaders should not be invoking hurtful stereotypes and caricatures of Jewish people to dismiss those who support Israel. In the Democratic Party - and in the United States of America - we celebrate the diversity of our people, and the Gods we pray to, as a strength. The congresswoman's statements do not live up to that cherished ideal."
JEWISH GROUPS CONDEMN REP. RASHIDA TLAIB OVER TIES TO RADICAL PRO-HEZBOLLAH, ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST
The Republican Jewish Coalition called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to take action against Omar and asked rhetorically if other House Democrats would "care to comment on the outrageous anti-Semitism being spewed by one of your fêted members?"
"[House Majority] Leader [Steny] Hoyer [D-Md.] - you've led many AIPAC trips to Israel," RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks tweeted. "Will you speak out against this??"
McCarthy himself tweeted: "Anti-Semitic tropes have no place in the halls of Congress. It is dangerous for Democrat leadership to stay silent on this reckless language."
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who repeatedly accused the global body of anti-Israel bias during her tenure, tweeted that Omar's statements "CANNOT be tolerated in our own Congress by anyone of either party. In a time of increased anti semitism, we all must be held to account. No excuses."
Chelsea Clinton tweeted: "We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism."
Left-wing historian and Politico Magazine contributing editor Joshua Zeitz tweeted: "I'm one of those American Jews who opposes the occupation [of the West Bank and Gaza Strip], laments Israel's anti-democratic drift, and doesn't regard the country as especially central to my Jewish identity. And I knew exactly what the congresswoman meant. She might as well call us hook-nosed."
Clinton later promised that she would "reach out" to Omar Monday after another user said she was "disappointed" that Clinton was "piling on."
"I would be happy to talk," Omar tweeted at Clinton in response. "We must call out smears from the GOP and their allies. And I believe we can do that without criticizing people for their faith. I look forward to building an inclusive movement for justice with you."
Sunday marked the latest in a long line of statements by Omar that critics have slammed as anti-Semitic. In 2012, she tweeted that "Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. #Gaza #Palestine#Israel.” She did not apologize for posting the tweet until last month.
In January, Omar argued in a Yahoo! News interview that Israel could not be considered a democracy and compared it to the Islamic theocracy in Iran.
"When I see Israel institute laws that recognize it as a Jewish state and does not recognize the other religions that are living in it, and we still uphold it as a democracy in the Middle East I almost chuckle because I know that if we see that any other society we would criticize it, call it out," she said. "We do that to Iran, we do that to any other place that sort of upholds its religion. And I see that now happening with Saudi Arabia and so I am aggravated, truly, in those contradictions."

Chief Elizabeth Warren Cartoons

Border-security advocates form 'human wall' along US-Mexico border

Supporters of U.S. border security make a human wall to demonstrate their support for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, at Sunland Park, N.M., Feb. 9, 2019. (Hericka Martinez/AFP/Getty Images)

Just days after President Trump said his administration was prepared to “build a Human Wall if necessary” to protect the nation from illegal immigration, a group of his supporters in New Mexico joined hands along the U.S.-Mexico border in support of the construction of a border wall.
Waving American flags and holding handmade signs, advocates for tougher border security formed a human shield along the partially fenced border at Sunland Park, N.M., just across the line from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico's Chihuahua state.
AS BORDER WALL FUNDING DIVIDES WASHINGTON, NEW MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR BARRIER WILL SOON BREAK GROUND IN TEXAS

Supporters of U.S. border security make a human wall to demonstrate their support for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, at Sunland Park, N.M., Feb. 9, 2019. (Hericka Martinez/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump cited “Tremendous numbers” of people entering the U.S. through Mexico as the reason for his "human wall" pledge in a Tuesday tweet.
Last Sunday, the Pentagon announced nearly 4,000 additional active duty troops will be deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border. Congress has wrangled over Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to construct a border wall. The impasse led to a 35-day partial government shutdown.
Congress is reportedly nearing a deal that would include far less money for the wall -- about $1.6 billion. But whether Trump would accept the plan, which would also avoid another government shutdown, is unknown.
In January, Trump signed a resolution to temporally reopen the government while lawmakers negotiate over border security funding. He has said he may declare a national emergency to avoid another shutdown when the resolution ends on Feb. 15.

Rob Lowe deletes Elizabeth Warren 'chief' joke after Hollywood backlash

Your next Commander in Chief :-)

Rob Lowe's tweet about Sen. Elizabeth Warren was not well-received by some in Hollywood. (Reuters)

Actor Rob Lowe removed a Twitter post that poked fun at U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Saturday out of concern that “some peeps got upset.”
Earlier in the day, Lowe responded on the social media platform after the Massachusetts Democrat officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign with a kickoff event in Lawrence, Mass.
“Elizabeth Warren would bring a whole new meaning to Commander in ‘Chief,’” Lowe wrote in the now-deleted post, in an apparent reference to the controversy over Warren’s claims of Native American heritage.

But many social media users – including fellow Hollywood actors -- were not amused.
“What a raw blow!” “Star Wars” star Mark Hamill wrote.
“That’s not funny,” actor Vincent D’Onofrio added.
“Don’t. Jesus,” “Hot in Cleveland” star Valerie Bertinelli chimed in.
“Just when I was liking Rob Lowe after his moving comments about being his mom’s caretaker — he takes a page from Trump. Ick,” former NBC correspondent Soledad O’Brien wrote.
ROB LOWE DEFENDS PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, CALLS CALIFORNIA COLLEGE'S INITIAL BAN 'IDIOCY'
Other users defended Lowe.
“Rob Lowe was just joking,” one user wrote. “Everybody is so sensitive these days. Just a bunch of snowflakes! #ElizabethWarren2020 is the person who lied about her race for votes.”
"Rob Lowe has no f---ing rights," another commented. "he isn't protected under the constitution. i said what i said."
Another user retweeted the image of the State Bar of Texas registration card, on which Warren had identified herself as “American Indian.”
The senator recently apologized for claiming Native American ancestry on the 1986 card, hinting that other documents with a similar claim may exist.
Ultimately, Lowe decided it was best to remove the post.
"I deleted my Elizabeth Warren tweet," he wrote. "It was a joke and some peeps got upset, and that’s never my intention. On the GOOD side: I just got to use the Oxford comma!"

Kimberley Strassel: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -- The secret Republican weapon for 2020

Looking fairly normal, because the leftist media are now picking the photos of her acting less crazy.

But photos posted on the net never go away, especially the ones here and below.

The True Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez :-)

The Republican Party has a secret weapon for 2020. It’s especially effective because it’s stealthy: The Democrats seem oblivious to its power. And the GOP needn’t lift a finger for it to work. All Republicans have to do is sit back and watch 29-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez . . . exist.
AOC, as she’s better known, today exists largely in front of the cameras. In a few months she’s gone from an unknown New York bartender to the democratic socialist darling of the left and its media hordes. Her megaphone is so loud that she rivals Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the face of the Democratic Party.
Republicans don’t know whether to applaud or laugh. Most do both.
GREEN NEW DEAL: OCASIO-CORTEZ AIMS TO MAKE AIR TRAVEL OBSOLETE, AID THOSE ‘UNWILLING’ TO WORK

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez is a freight train gaining speed by the day—and helping Republicans with every passing minute.

For them, what’s not to love? She’s set off a fratricidal war on the left, with her chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, this week slamming the “radical conservatives” among the Democrats holding the party “hostage.” She’s made friends with Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain’s Labour Party, who has been accused of anti-Semitism. She’s called the American system of wealth creation “immoral” and believes government has a duty to provide “economic security” to people who are “unwilling to work.” As a representative of New York, she’s making California look sensible.
On Thursday Ms. Ocasio-Cortez unveiled her vaunted Green New Deal, complete with the details of how Democrats plan to reach climate nirvana in a mere 10 years. It came in the form of a resolution, sponsored in the Senate by Massachusetts’ Edward Markey, on which AOC is determined to force a full House vote. That means every Democrat in Washington will get to go on the record in favor of abolishing air travel, outlawing steaks, forcing all American homeowners to retrofit their houses, putting every miner, oil rigger, livestock rancher and gas-station attendant out of a job, and spending trillions and trillions more tax money. Oh, also for government-run health care, which is somehow a prerequisite for a clean economy.
Keep reading Kimberley Strassel's column in the Wall Street Journal.

Nearly 60 percent of Virginia's African-Americans want Gov. Northam to remain in office: poll

Nearly 60 percent of African-Americans in Virginia want Gov. Ralph Northam to remain in office despite the recent scandal surrounding a racist photo on the Democrat's 1984 medical school yearbook page, according to a poll released Saturday.
The Washington Post-Schar School poll, conducted Wednesday through Friday, found Virginia's broader population to be split evenly about Northam’s fate, with 47 percent wanting him to stay and the same percentage wanting him to resign.
African-Americans, however, prefer that the Democrat remain in office, 58 percent to 37 percent. Whites are more evenly divided.
The poll also found that 11 percent of Virginia residents have either worn blackface or known someone who has. Northam has denied that he is one of two men shown on his yearbook page, backtracking an earlier admission. The photo shows one person in blackface and the other dressed in a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe.
“Initially, I could have forgiven him, and I think he could have gotten past it. It was something that was 35 years ago,” David Hughes, an African-American sheriff's deputy in Newport News, told the Post. “What really bothered me was the change in story.”
Hughes, 54, thinks the governor should resign.
Louise Butler, 76, of Richmond, grew up during segregation and was bothered by the Klan costume, which she said brought back memories of violence and discrimination directed at African-Americans before the Civil Rights Movement.
She told the paper she believed Northam was committed to racial equality despite whatever views he may have held in 1984.

This image shows Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s page in his 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook. (Eastern Virginia Medical School via AP)

“He’s been a good governor, and he’s been good, as far as I know, to black people,” Butler said.
In an interview Saturday, Northam said he wants to heal the wounds that some feel after the racist photo emerged.
"There are still some very deep wounds in Virginia, and especially in the area of equity. ... There are ongoing inequities to access to things like education, health care, mortgages, capital, entre­pre­neur­ship," he said. "And so this has been a real, I think, an awakening for Virginia. It has really raised the level of awareness for racial issues in Virginia. And so we’re ready to learn from our mistakes.”
Other results from the poll revealed about a third of Virginians think Attorney General Mark Herring should resign after he admitted to wearing blackface at a party in college. Most residents are still undecided – 65 percent – on the future of Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who is accused of sexual assault by two women. Fairfax denies the accusations.
Respondents were not asked about the second allegation against him, that was made public Friday after the poll began.