Schiff hedges on Trump impeachment, says instead, 'Vote his a-- out of office'

He is the one that needs to be thrown out of office.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a vocal critic of President Trump, said Friday night that he had “no expectations” that Trump would be indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller at the conclusion of the Russia investigation.
“Even if the evidence supported it, because [Mueller] is fundamentally conservative -- and I don’t mean left-right conservative -- but he was going to follow the established policy. He was not going to make new ground," Schiff said during an appearance on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher.
"So I didn't think it was realistic to expect that [Mueller] would indict the president," Schiff continued, "and those that did, I think, were unrealistic in their expectations."
Last week Attorney General William Barr released a redacted version of the full Mueller report that cleared the president of collusion with Russia. Nevertheless, House Democrats are continuing their investigations into the president's actions -- while Republicans want answers about how the investigation began.
Schiff argued that the report ultimately did prove that Trump was “unfit for the presidency.”
“I do think [Mueller] laid out what we needed to see, which is that the Russians were engaged in a systemic effort to interfere in our election, that the Trump campaign welcomed it, embraced it, built it into their plan, made full use of it, lied about it, covered it up and then obstructed the investigation into it,” Schiff said.
“And if we had any doubt before about this president's fitness for office there was no doubt remaining. He is unfit for the presidency.”
Maher pressed Schiff on the Democratic Party’s continued focus on the Mueller report.
"Now, it looks like you’re stalking him,” before bringing up impeachment, Maher said.
Schiff hesitated to commit to impeachment, focusing instead on the 2020 election.
“”I’m not there yet on impeachment. I may get there. He may get me there,” Schiff said. “At the end of the day, Bill, there's only one way to deal with this problem, whether we impeach him or not. And that is to vote his a-- out of office.”

"At the end of the day, Bill, there's only one way to deal with this problem, whether we impeach him or not. And that is to vote his a-- out of office."
— U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

Schiff told Maher he is advising his colleagues as well as the Democratic Party's presidential candidates to not talk about Russia. He also began making his case for whom he'll support in 2020 -- anyone except President Trump.
“And I'll tell you who I'm behind in 2020 and I'm behind them the heart and soul," Schiff said. "Any living adult 2020. Anyone who gets the nomination. We all need to get behind them whether we were for them or not for them."

Rashida Tlaib says she was 'afraid' of Americans after 9/11 -- and that fear pushed her into politics

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., once said her fear of Americans after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks pushed her to be more involved in politics and her community.
Tlaib, a Palestinian-American lawmaker who first drew national attention with a profane call for the impeachment of President Trump soon after she took office in January, made her comments in a clip filmed for Makers, a media company that tries to “accelerate the women’s movement through stories of real-life experiences that ignite passion and action.”
In the video, filmed months ago as part of the “Maker of the week” segment which is currently featured prominently on the outlet's homepage, Tlaib said she was “afraid” of her fellow Americans after the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
“I was probably my second year in law school when 9/11 happened. And I was -- I was really terrified of what was going to happen to my husband, who's only a green card holder at the time,” she said.
“I immediately called my brothers and told them to be very careful who you hang out with, telling my sisters, you know, just be real careful out there, and being really afraid of my fellow Americans.”

“I immediately called my brothers and told them to be very careful who you hang out with, telling my sisters, you know, just be real careful out there, and being really afraid of my fellow Americans.”
— Rashida Tlaib

She added that the attack and the fear pushed her toward public service and becoming more involved in her community.
“It really pushed me to be more involved, and I got really curious and really angry. And I think that combination got me, you know, in front of a number of issues in the city of Detroit,” she said.
Tlaib has been facing criticism not only for her calls for Trump’s impeachment but also for making troubling comments concerning Israel, with some comments perceived as anti-Semitic, and associating with far-left figures that have endorsed Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorist groups.
One of America’s oldest Jewish organizations, the Zionist Organization of America, called on Wednesday for Tlaib's removal from congressional committees and from the Democratic Party for her “anti-Israel record” and ties to “terrorists, anti-Semites and conspiracy theorists.”
“Rashida Tlaib’s anti-Israel record was already well-known before she was elected in last year’s midterm elections,” the ZOA editorial article says.
“She calls Israel a ‘racist country’ on the basis of the lie that Israel discriminates against those ‘darker skinned,’ supports the destruction of Israel in favor of an Arab-dominated state (‘It has to be one state’), ‘absolutely’ backs withholding U.S. aid from Israel, and openly supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is committed to international ostracism and weakening of Israel with a view to its eventual elimination.”
The same article includes a list of people with whom Tlaib has been photographed, or about whom Tlaib has posted social media messages, and includes information about their alleged links to bombings or other crimes.
“It is perfectly clear that Rashida Tlaib is not in the smallest degree ashamed, and has not the slightest inhibition about, being publicly being associated with these anti-Semites, terrorists and glorifiers of Jew-murderers," ZOA National President Morton A. Klein and Chairman Mark Levenson said in a joint statement.
“The Democratic Party must do the only honorable thing," they continued, "which is to expel her from the party and remove her from Congressional committees."
Fox News’ Dom Calicchio contributed to this report.

Warren blasts Biden's 'swanky private fundraiser' with lobbyists after launch of his WH bid

Democrats eat their own.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren slammed fellow candidate Joe Biden for attending a “swanky private fundraiser” after he announced his candidacy and raised staggering sums for his campaign.
Warren, who has made a point in the 2020 race of shunning donations from corporate PACs or lobbyists, took a swipe at Biden in a campaign email sent to her supporters, noting that the fundraiser he attended featured Comcast executive David Cohen and health insurance executive Daniel Hilferty.
“In the first 24 hours of his presidential campaign (welcome to the race!), Joe Biden raised $6.3 million,” Warren’s email read wrote.
“How did Joe Biden raise so much money in one day? Well, it helps that he hosted a swanky private fundraiser for wealthy donors at the home of the guy who runs Comcast's lobbying shop.”

“How did Joe Biden raise so much money in one day? Well, it helps that he hosted a swanky private fundraiser for wealthy donors at the home of the guy who runs Comcast's lobbying shop.”
— U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

“Elizabeth is building a grassroots movement without holding any big-money private fundraisers where you can only talk to her if you write a big check first. Without taking a dime from federally registered lobbyists or PACs of any kind. It’s the right thing to do,” the email added.
The attack also comes amid reports that Biden’s campaign raised a massive $6.3 million in the first 24 hours, beating his opponents' first-day fundraising efforts, though about $700,000 came from the fundraiser he attended, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Biden beat former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s $6.1 million pull on his first day and Sen. Bernie Sanders’ $5.9 million.
But Warren’s swipe at the fundraiser attendance shows the uphill battle awaiting the former vice president to shake off criticism that he’s not running a genuine grassroots campaign and is instead being propped up by wealthy Democratic donors.
Yet the data appear to support the concerns of Warren and others. Figures show Biden raising money from 97,000 unique donors – significantly fewer than Sanders’ 225,000 contributors and O’Rourke’s 128,000 donors.

Ocasio-Cortez, Omar fire back after NRA official says 'real America' will reject socialist policies

U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar attacked NRA lobbyist Chris Cox on Friday after he warned of the “socialist wave” engulfing America and promised there will be a “rude awakening” when “real America” votes against those espousing far-left ideas.
“The socialist wave we warned was coming is here. And it’s not just the two coasts that are underwater, the wave is hitting the heartland of America. But as this circus goes on, millions of Americans will see how far outside the mainstream these socialists have become,” Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action (ILA), said Friday during a speech at the Second Amendment advocacy group’s annual convention in Indianapolis.
“Friends, do you think Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are mainstream in the United States of America? Are they in for a rude awakening in November of next year when the real America goes to the polls? I’m talking about the America you and I know,” he added.

“Friends, do you think Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are mainstream in the United States of America? Are they in for a rude awakening in November of next year when the real America goes to the polls? I’m talking about the America you and I know.”
— NRA lobbyist Chris Cox

“The one where hardworking people put their heads down, mind their own business, raise their families, and do the right thing. That’s the America the NRA fights for every single day. It’s who we are.”
Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, went Twitter to fire back against the NRA official, lambasting Cox for suggesting residents in her district aren’t part of the real America.
“Civics lesson for the NRA: As much as they may not like it, the Bronx and Queens are part of ‘the real America,’ too,” she tweeted. “Wild that the NRA is suggesting the voters of NY-14 aren’t ‘real Americans’ bc they don’t think assault weapons in school classrooms is a good idea.”
In March, Ocasio-Cortez floated a four-point plan in which she suggested banning semi-automatic firearms, which make up the vast majority of legally owned firearms in the country. She also called for passing “Universal Background checks” and other policies.

Omar chimes in

Omar, the embattled Minnesota Democrat, who has long decried the influence of the NRA, also jumped on the official’s remarks, tweeting: “Can “the real America” please stand up...This Ain't It, Chief!”
Cox pointed out earlier during the speech that there’s a leftward shift among the Democrats that is putting the party further out of the mainstream and on the fringes.
“It used to be that everybody knew that campaigning as a gun-banning socialist was a surefire way to ship your own sink, I mean sink your own ship before it left harbor,” he said.
“But this year, if you aren’t willing to openly attack the Second Amendment, if you don’t angrily call for every gun ban scheme imaginable including complete disarmament, you will be booed off the Democrat debate stage.”

Liberal Vanity Fair Cartoons (Trashy Magazine)

Vanity Fair use to be good reading but now it has turned into a left leaning, America bashing piece of trash.

Trump assesses 2020 Dems; takes swipes at Biden, Sanders; dismisses Harris, O'Rourke; says he's rooting for Buttigieg

President Trump in a phone interview on “Hannity” Thursday talked about a handful of Democratic contenders for the 2020 presidential election, disparaging some of them, including former Vice President Joe Biden.
"I think we are calling him 'Sleepy Joe' 'cause I've known him for a while. Is he a pretty sleepy guy. He won't be able to deal with [Chinese] President Xi, I will tell you. That's a different level of energy and, frankly, intelligence. So I sort refer to him as 'Sleepy Joe.' A lot of people wanted me to change the word 'sleepy' to something else that rhymes with it," Trump told host Sean Hannity. "I thought it was too nasty.
"He's not going to be able to do the job," Trump added.
Biden officially announced his candidacy in a video Thursday morning, going directly after Trump.
"If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen," Biden says in the video.
When asked about frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Trump criticized his record, saying Sanders had "misguided energy" and asserting that Sanders "talks a lot" but hasn't accomplished anything.
The president didn't seem to think too much of the rest of the field, referring to former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas as "a fluke" and mentioning the lack of attention the former media darling has received recently.
"He is fading very fast, he is fading very, very fast. It looks like he will be a thing of the past very soon. He was a hot item," Trump said.
Trump outright dismissed Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, although he said he was "rooting" for Buttigieg.
"I don't see either of them. I think she has got a little bit of a nasty wit but that might be it. And Mayor Pete is not going to make it. I would hope he would. I'm rooting for him but he is not going to make it," Trump said.

Rosenstein slams Obama administration for choosing ‘not to publicize full story’ of Russia hacking

Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. deputy attorney general who supervised the Mueller investigation, spoke publically on Thursday for the first time since the report was released, taking a swipe at the Obama administration’s real-time reaction to Russian hacking and its decision "not publicize the full story" to the American people.
Rosenstein, who was speaking in New York at the Public Servants Dinner of the Armenian Bar Association, defended his handling of the probe and criticized former officials in the process. He called out former FBI Director James Comey for alerting Congress about the investigation into Russian collusion at the height of the 2016 presidential campaign.
“The FBI disclosed classified evidence about the investigation to ranking legislators and their staffers,” he said. “Someone selectively leaked details to the news media. The FBI director [Comey] announced at a congressional hearing that there was a counterintelligence investigation that might result in criminal charges. Then the former FBI director alleged that the president pressured him to close the investigation, and the president denied that the conversation occurred.
"So that happened,” he joked.
The Obama administration has been criticized for its handling of the Russian interference. Trump has blamed Obama for not acting quickly enough to stem Russia’s influence during the campaign.
In 2016, NBC News, citing unnamed high-level officials, reported that the Obama administration did not respond more forcefully because it did not want to appear to be interfering with the election. One official told the network at the time, "They thought [Hillary Clinton] was going to win, so they were willing to kick the can down the road."
A reporter for NPR said the Obama administration debated how to handle the information and decided that Obama should deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin privately about the matter.
The Rosenstein speech touched on a lot of topics.
He blasted “mercenary critics” who benefit financially by expressing “passionate opinions about any topic, often with little or no information. They do not just express disagreement. They launch ad hominem attacks unrestricted by truth or morality. They make threats, spread fake stories and even attack your relatives.”
Rosenstein has maintained a tenuous relationship with Trump. Congressional Republicans have also accused him of withholding documents and not investigating aggressively enough what they contend was political bias within the FBI.
Former FBI General Counsel James Baker, in closed-door testimony before congressional committees last October, provided detail about internal discussions concerning Rosenstein's reported offer to wear a wire to tape the president in the tumultuous days following James Comey’s firing as FBI director in May 2017.
Fox News has confirmed portions of the transcript to the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees.
"At my confirmation hearing in March 2017, a Republican senator asked me to make a commitment," he recalled. "He said: “You’re going to be in charge of this [Russia] investigation. I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you’ll do it right, that you’ll take it to its conclusion and you’ll report [your results] to the American people.
"I did pledge to do it right and take it to the appropriate conclusion. I did not promise to report all results to the public, because grand jury investigations are ex parte proceedings. It is not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges."
Rosenstein is leaving his post in two months. He had some fun with his speech and answered the question that so many on social media were asking after watching him standing stoically behind Attorney General William Barr during the lead-up to the Mueller report release.
“Last week, the big topic of discussion was, ‘What were you thinking when you stood behind Bill Barr at that press conference, with a deadpan expression?’ The answer is: I was thinking, “My job is to stand here with a deadpan expression.’"
Fox News' Catherine Herridge and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Twitter CEO personally calls Omar to explain policy after Trump tweet: report

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey reportedly called Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Tuesday, the same day he met with President Trump at the White House, to explain to her why Twitter didn’t take down a tweet from the president that she said resulted in threats against her, the Washington Post reported.
Trump's tweet, posted April 12, showed a clip of Omar at a CAIR event, saying “some people did something” about the September 11 hijackers spliced with images of the Twin Towers burning. Omar’s sound bite was a short clip from a speech she made about CAIR’s response to Islamophobia after the attacks.
Omar reportedly asked Dorsey during the call why the company didn’t immediately remove the tweet. Dorsey said Trump hadn't violated Twitter’s terms, however, he did admit Twitter needed to do a better job in keeping harassing and hateful posts off the site, according to the Washington Post.
Twitter confirmed the call in a statement to the Washington Post. “During their conversation, [Dorsey] emphasized that death threats, incitement to violence, and hateful conduct are not allowed on Twitter,” it read in part. The statement also said the company has stayed in contact with Omar’s office.
Omar’s “some people did something” comment sparked its own controversy last month with some suggesting she was minimizing the tragedy that killed nearly 3,000 people.