User-Supported News Commentary Hosted by Craig Crawford
Protect Mueller
NYC crowd supporting Mueller.
Author: craigcrawford
Trail Mix Host. Lapsed journalist, author & retired pundit happily promoting nothing but the truth for Social Security checks.
View all posts by craigcrawford
Firing Mueller would set off a firestorm, and a New Democratic majority in the House would be all over it like white on rice. It would be the prelude to articles of impeachment.
bobby three sticks needs a go fund me account — the new guy won’t give him any money
We just spent the last three hours prepared to evacuate due to a fire near here. It’s been contained and the alert cancelled we were lucky lucky lucky the winds had died down.
According to the Arizona Republic, Sinema now leads McSally by about nine thousand votes in the race for US Senate. Still quite a few votes to be counted. Court challenges already in progress.
No we did not have anything to do with it as we now live in WA, but I still follow AZ politics pretty closely and I like what I see in these numbers. I think that Sinema may pull this one out but it may be next week before we know for sure.
BB, whether you shipped out to VN or not, a pin is the least you are due. As they say, we offer the thanks of a grateful nation. Same to Sturg, Flatus, …. I did not get the “opportunity”. If offered I’m not sure I would have taken it. Regardless, thank you.
Federal judge blocks Keystone Pipeline XL in major blow to Trump administration, citing disregard of climate issues
[…]
The decision, issued by Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, does not permanently block a permit but requires the administration to conduct a more complete review of potential adverse impacts related to climate change, cultural resources and endangered species. It basically ordered a do-over.
Morris hit the administration with a familiar charge, that it disregarded facts, facts established by experts during the Obama administration about “climate-related impacts” from Keystone XL. The Trump administration claimed, with no supporting information, that those impacts “would prove inconsequential.” The State Department “simply discarded prior factual findings related to climate change to support its course reversal.”
It also used “outdated information” about the impact of potential oil spills on endangered species, he said, rather than “’the best scientific and commercial data available.’”
[…]
Morris, a former clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, was appointed to the bench by President Obama. His decision was one of scores of court rebukes to the Trump administration for decisions on the environment,immigration and transgender service in the military, among other issues, made hastily and, in the opinions of dozens of judges, without the “reasoned consideration” required by various federal laws, particularly the Administrative Procedure Act. Also on Thursday, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump cannot immediately end the program, DACA, that shields from deportation young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children.
[…]
Among the judge’s findings:
The State Department, in issuing the permit, failed to “analyze the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions” of the Keystone project and the expanded Alberta Clipper pipeline. It “ignored its duty to take a ‘hard look’ at these two connected actions.
The department “acted on incomplete information regarding” the potential damage to cultural resources in Indian territory along the route. “The Department appears to have jumped the gun.”
The department failed to make a fact-based explanation for its course reversal, “let alone a reasoned explanation….’An agency cannot simply disregard contrary or inconvenient factual determinations that it made in the past, any more than it can ignore inconvenient facts’” in the present,” he wrote, quoting judicial precedents.
The department’s analysis that “climate-related impacts” from Keystone “would prove inconsequential” needed a “reasoned explanation.” It did not provide one.
There is one universal possibility of being in uniform, that is getting to put your body up for your country. There are certain MOS which are guarantees to a shorter life span than others, but as those in Afghanistan headquarters are experiencing, even surrounded by guards and sandbags, someone may try to kill you. I had two interesting jobs in the USAF, primarily I worked in a nice air conditioned laboratory, but it was a prime target for VC rockets; knock the lab out and the Air Force base shuts down. The second was Auxiliary Security Police. That came with orders such as “lay down fire until relieved”.
After WWII the World War II Victory Medal was created:
Authorized by an Act of Congress on July 6, 1945 and awarded to all members of the Armed Forces who served at least one day of honorable, active federal service between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946, inclusive.
The World War II Victory Medal provides deserving recognition to all of America’s veterans who served during World War II.
Congress ordered a pin created for all who served from 1955 to 1975. Not a medal, not a ribbon, a pin.
The vets I talked to yesterday thought it a nice gesture, fifty years after they served. It was something we did not get when we were discharged. Mine was to turn in my ID, operator licenses for the vehicles and equipment I could drive or run, drive out the gate and go home. That was my goodbye and hello to being a citizen. Along with the VA sending my intake records to General Delivery Detroit Michigan Post Office. Not even close to my old home address, so it took six months to get in the VA medical system.
Although I was frozen in place awaiting orders to go to VN those never were received by me, preparing to go to a combat zone is disconcerting the first time. You do your will, you sign the body return form, if you have a spouse you prepare for them to go somewhere to live while you are gone, you requalify on weapons and even train with new weapons and you pack to leave in twenty-four to forty-eight hours. You mentally get ready for a crummy thirteen months.
The Conway’s reasonably sane spouse George has written that Whitaker is not qualified AG because he has never been confirmed by the Senate. Any actions he might take would be deemed illegal if challenged. Bobby three sticks should be able to withstand any confrontations on that front.
If they’re gonna do a pin for something it should be for those who actually served in the country of viet nam, instead of being for those who served in some kind of military somewhere else during that time. As proud as I am of the USCG, being in the CG at that time was closer to being a viet nam era hippie than being a veteran who served in Vietnam .
NRA Slams ‘Self-important Anti-gun Doctors’ Hours Before Thousand Oaks Bar Mass Shooting
[…]
The NRA was responding to recent articles published by Annals of Internal Medicine, including one written by the American College of Physicians (ACP) describing firearm-related injuries and deaths in the U.S. as a “public health crisis.”
“Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control. Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted NO ONE but themselves,” the pro-gun lobby group complained.
[…]
The tweet was widely criticized by doctors and medical officials pushing for stricter gun control laws in the wake of the latest mass shooting in the U.S., believing gun violence is their area of expertise as they are directly involved with the victims.
“We are not anti-gun: we are anti-bullet holes in our patients,” wrote Dr. Esther Choo of Oregon Health & Science University in response to the NRA’s tweet. “We consult with everyone but extremists. Most upsetting, actually, is death and disability from gun violence that is unparalleled in the world.”
“Doctors are the ones who work feverishly to staunch the bleeding and SAVE THE LIVES of those who are shot by the guns that the NRA loves so much. Gun violence literally *is* medicine’s lane,” said Dr Dena Grayson.
[….continues…]
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) — After announcing late Thursday that his campaign has filed lawsuits against elections supervisors in Broward and Palm Beach counties, Republican Gov. Rick Scott held a 15,074-vote lead Friday morning in his bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, according to numbers posted on the state Division of Elections website.
With 8,174,460 votes tallied, Scott had 4,094,767 to 4,079,693 for Nelson as of 7 a.m. Friday.
That narrow margin, 50.09 percent to 49.91 percent, would trigger an automatic recount.
Counties have until noon Saturday to submit unofficial results to the state Division of Elections.
Scott held a news conference Thursday night to announce that his campaign has filed lawsuits over the way Broward and Palm Beach elections supervisors are handling the ballot-counting process.
During that news conference, he lashed saying both elections supervisors are “incompetent” and part of an effort to “thwart the will of the people,” as the margin of his apparent U.S. Senate victory narrows and will likely require a recount.
The lawsuit in Broward, against Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, seeks an immediate hearing, contends her office continues to withhold crucial voter information and has blocked access to the office.
The second lawsuit against Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, accuses her of refusing to allow Scott’s representatives to personally witness the ballot counting. The suit also accuses Bucher of keeping the county canvassing board from performing its duties.
and a new twist in ga: ATLANTA (WSAV) – After Brian Kemp’s resignation Thursday, Gov. Nathan Deal on Thursday appointed Robyn Crittenden to serve as secretary of state.
Kemp’s resignation took effect at 11:59 a.m. and Crittenden was sworn in in the afternoon. She will serve the remainder of Kemp’s term.
Crittenden is the first African-American woman to serve as a statewide constitutional officer in Georgia history. Prior to this new role, she served as the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS).
[…continues…]
My Army outfit left for Vietnam on a troopship in Nov ’65. Because I was part of the small advance party, my group left shortly after Thanksgiving arriving early in December. It was a godforsaken place. They can keep my pin. I was in the Regular Army on my second enlistment doing what I had signed-up to do.
Every draftee and every kid who enlisted straight out of school should step forward and claim, and wear that pin with pride. At the bottom of every soldier’s job description was a single sentence, “To fight as Infantry when required.” Parallel language is in the mission statements of the other Services. So, Coastie, grab your pin; you did your part to make-up the entirety of our effort.
I am mightily surprised by the county-level failures of well indoctrinated voting procedures in Florida. My only first-hand experience is in Pinellas County (St Pete/Clearwater). There, the supervisor of elections did a marvelous job of overseeing the separate balloting in the more than two-dozen cities within the county as well as the unincorporated areas. Her counting area was in a large glass enclosed room outside of which visitors were encouraged to observe the sanctified process. The Supervisor said she was doing her part to achieve “glass-nose”.
I was glad to serve my community by being a Supervisor for many years and many elections. I am now equally glad that I retired a few yrs ago. When people starting accusing us of registering outsiders during Obama’s term, I knew it was time to get the hell out.
ps… it looks like I can’t stop making popcorn anytime soon…
The republican play book seems to be do everything you can to keep every ballot from being counted. Hopefully the court will toss Scott’s suit out with out a hearing.
AZrepublicans are worried. A lot of votes still to count and most of them are from areas that favor the democrat. As of this morning the Arizona Republic reports that Sinema has a 9600 vote lead. Look for that lead to increase as the votes from Maricopa County are counted.
usatoday:
WASHINGTON – A panel of a federal appeals court asked Friday for the Justice Department and lawyers challenging the legitimacy of special counsel Robert Mueller to argue whether the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions affects their case.
The case focuses on whether Congress has authorized Mueller’s office and whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had the authority to appoint him to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election. Rosenstein appointed Mueller after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017.
Sessions recused himself because he worked on Trump’s campaign. Trump fired Sessions on Wednesday and replaced him with Acting Attorney Matthew Whitaker, who has been critical of Mueller’s investigation. Democratic lawmakers have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from the Mueller probe.
The case involved Andrew Miller, an associate of Roger Stone, a longtime friend of Trump, who was cited for contempt in refusing to testify before Mueller’s grand jury. Miller appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
After a hearing Thursday, the three-judge panel – Karen Henderson, Sri Srinivasan and Judith Rogers – asked Friday for lawyers on both sides whether the change from Sessions to Whitaker had any impact on the case. Briefs are due Nov. 19.
Neal Katyal, a former solicitor general who argued government cases before the Supreme Court, tweeted that it’s possible that the court could rule that Rosenstein is the proper person to oversee the Mueller investigation, despite Whitaker’s appointment.
@neal_katyal
Wow. The Court of Appeals, in a case challenging Mueller, now orders briefing on impact of the Sessions firing & installation of Whittaker. It is possible for parties to take the view that his boss is the legitimate Rosenstein, not the pretend-Attorney General Trump wants to have
AZcentral:
Sen. Jeff Flake will not go gentle into that (political) good night.
And that really, really, REALLY bugs President Donald Trump. In a way that is really, really, REALLY good for the country.
On Thursday, the day after Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Flake announced on Twitter that he and Democratic Sen. Jeff Coons will reintroduce a bill they co-authored to protect the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller.
Flake tweeted:
When the Senate convenes next week, @ChrisCoons and I will ask for unanimous consent to bring S.2644, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, to a vote on the Senate floor. After the firing of The AG, it is more important than ever to protect the Special Counsel.
At a press conference Trump had boasted about being the impetus for Flake leaving the Senate. He said of Flake, “I retired him. I’m very proud of it, I did the country a great service.”
The bill that Flake is proposing would make it difficult to fire a special counsel for purely political reasons and would give the counsel the ability to appeal the firing in federal court.
Trump doesn’t like that.
But instead of arguing the issue (which clearly troubles him) he attacked Flake, tweeting:
Jeff Flake(y) doesn’t want to protect the Non-Senate confirmed Special Counsel, he wants to protect his future after being unelectable in Arizona for the “crime” of doing a terrible job! A weak and ineffective guy!
Weird.
If Flake is so “weak and ineffective” why would the president spend so much time obsessing about him?
Why would he feel the need to attack him?
Or, is the president actually afraid – very, very afraid – that Flake’s determination to protect the investigation of the special counsel might work?
I bet that it.
Because when you think about it – and I’m guessing Trump does – the president has not “retired” Flake … yet.
Friday, Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson instructed attorneys to disregard Sessions’ removal and treat the hearing “as if it were argued yesterday morning.” The hearing largely involved whether Mueller’s appointment as special counsel was constitutionally lawful, but also included a demand by the court for comments about the change in leadership.
politicususa:
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is going to block a bill to protect Robert Mueller by not allowing it to come up for a vote. McConnell said of the bill to protect Mueller, “It’s not necessary. The Mueller investigation is not under threat. The president’s said repeatedly he’s not going to dismiss the Mueller investigation. He’s said repeatedly it’s going to be allowed to finish. That also happens to be my view. As you can imagine, we speak frequently, and there’s never been any indication that he wants to dismiss Mueller or the investigation. It’s going to be allowed to finish.”
[…]
Mitch McConnell already knows that Trump isn’t going to try to fire Mueller, but that the endgame is to put Whitaker in place to smother the investigation so that it grinds to a halt.
The best course of action to get legislation to protect Mueller though Congress appears to be the path that House Democrats are considering, and that is to block the government funding bill that has to be passed by December 7 unless it contains legislation to protect the Special Counsel investigation.
Mitch McConnell has already shown over and over again that he places country last, so if members of Congress are going to save the investigation, they are going to have to overcome the Senate Majority Leader.
another charge to list in the articles of impeachment
alternet:
President Donald Trump had a “central role” in the hush money payout schemes that have already led to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, pleading guilty to federal campaign finance crimes, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal.
Cohen has pleaded guilty to buying the silence of former model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels, both of whom say they had affairs with Trump before he became president. All contributions to a candidates’ campaign for president must be reported as such. In concealing these payments, prosecutors charged, Cohen violated these laws.
Cohen said when he was sentenced that he was directed by the candidate — Trump himself — to carry out these acts. And according to the Wall Street Journal, federal prosecutors have extensive evidence that Trump was indeed a central figure in coordinating the hush money schemes, despite his previous denials.
The report explains:
Taken together, the accounts refute a two-year pattern of denials by Mr. Trump, his legal team and his advisers that he was involved in payoffs to Ms. McDougal and a former adult-film star. They also raise the possibility that the president of the United States violated federal campaign-finance laws. The Wall Street Journal found that Mr. Trump was involved in or briefed on nearly every step of the agreements. He directed deals in phone calls and meetings with his self-described fixer, Michael Cohen, and others. The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan has gathered evidence of Mr. Trump’s participation in the transactions.
The accolades for Sessions over at WaPo make me want to puke. While I think he was part of the last line of defense against SFB and his new flimflam acting AG, there was very little else good I could ever say about Sessions. That IMPOTUS found someone more despicable to replace him, at least temporarily, is almost shocking.
patd, lying to the American people, as opposed to a court when under oath, would certainly not lead to an impeachment conviction in the Senate that SFB will have – and I really don’t want to see a Clinton impeachment effect happen for SFB.
The only thing that Sessions did to make a “good” name for himself was stick with recusal. The rest of it is he is complicit with removing protections for people, except for white rich male republicans. He is behind much of the effort to make the “freedom of religion” BS law of the land. LGBTQ, especially T, are left in the gutter. Women, he and that freak pence, are nuts, possibly both are gay and in the closet doing the down low on top of that.
So I have a serious question. Why would Prevagen feature itself as a brain support supplement with an ingredient originally found in jellyfish-an organism WITHOUT A BRAIN. Just asking
If a hurricane hits Mexico Beach, Florida, the neighborhood is obliterated……..If, in a neighborhood of ten houses, one house burns to the ground, the neighborhood has been decimated.
We often hear the phrase: Every vote matters. And the #AZSen race is proof. So let’s get this right. All legally cast votes MUST be counted. Lawful votes in EVERY county in the state MUST be counted.
Ok , AZ goes back on the list. “Places I could tolerate when we retire”
KGC …glad you are safe. This latest fire seems to be the fastest most explosive fire I have ever seen. Malibu mansions, poof, up and gone in ten minutes time…Paradise, CA now is hell. It’s devil’s work alright. It is insanely consuming everything.
pogo, it wasn’t that he lied to us mere citizens why I mention the I-word, it is that there is evidence on record that he committed a federal offence (i.e. election law violation).
Mueller holds all the cards.
He’s standing pat.
It’s not Mueller who must fear. Direct the focus.
Firing Mueller would set off a firestorm, and a New Democratic majority in the House would be all over it like white on rice. It would be the prelude to articles of impeachment.
bobby three sticks needs a go fund me account — the new guy won’t give him any money
We just spent the last three hours prepared to evacuate due to a fire near here. It’s been contained and the alert cancelled we were lucky lucky lucky the winds had died down.
KGC,
Glad you did not have to evacuate. Stay safe.
According to the Arizona Republic, Sinema now leads McSally by about nine thousand votes in the race for US Senate. Still quite a few votes to be counted. Court challenges already in progress.
it looks like they both might have some pockets of strength still to be counted but I think Sinema might have an edge
I can’t figure out what is going on in Florida and Georgia’s numbers don’t really add up in the gov race
So far, so good :
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/dem-sinema-pulls-ahead-of-mcsally-in-arizona-senate-race/ar-BBPv7Fw?ocid=spartanntp
Mr Jace, Did you and your best half have anything to do with this ?
Ms Cracker, We’re glad that you are safe. Congrats to you & Mr C.
FL and GA vote corruption to be exposed. Take a seat.
Craig,
I hope you are right.
XR,
No we did not have anything to do with it as we now live in WA, but I still follow AZ politics pretty closely and I like what I see in these numbers. I think that Sinema may pull this one out but it may be next week before we know for sure.
Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch. There are 53 days between now and 1/1/19.
BB, whether you shipped out to VN or not, a pin is the least you are due. As they say, we offer the thanks of a grateful nation. Same to Sturg, Flatus, …. I did not get the “opportunity”. If offered I’m not sure I would have taken it. Regardless, thank you.
wapo:
Federal judge blocks Keystone Pipeline XL in major blow to Trump administration, citing disregard of climate issues
[…]
The decision, issued by Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, does not permanently block a permit but requires the administration to conduct a more complete review of potential adverse impacts related to climate change, cultural resources and endangered species. It basically ordered a do-over.
Morris hit the administration with a familiar charge, that it disregarded facts, facts established by experts during the Obama administration about “climate-related impacts” from Keystone XL. The Trump administration claimed, with no supporting information, that those impacts “would prove inconsequential.” The State Department “simply discarded prior factual findings related to climate change to support its course reversal.”
It also used “outdated information” about the impact of potential oil spills on endangered species, he said, rather than “’the best scientific and commercial data available.’”
[…]
Morris, a former clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, was appointed to the bench by President Obama. His decision was one of scores of court rebukes to the Trump administration for decisions on the environment, immigration and transgender service in the military, among other issues, made hastily and, in the opinions of dozens of judges, without the “reasoned consideration” required by various federal laws, particularly the Administrative Procedure Act. Also on Thursday, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump cannot immediately end the program, DACA, that shields from deportation young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children.
[…]
Among the judge’s findings:
The State Department, in issuing the permit, failed to “analyze the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions” of the Keystone project and the expanded Alberta Clipper pipeline. It “ignored its duty to take a ‘hard look’ at these two connected actions.
The department “acted on incomplete information regarding” the potential damage to cultural resources in Indian territory along the route. “The Department appears to have jumped the gun.”
The department failed to make a fact-based explanation for its course reversal, “let alone a reasoned explanation….’An agency cannot simply disregard contrary or inconvenient factual determinations that it made in the past, any more than it can ignore inconvenient facts’” in the present,” he wrote, quoting judicial precedents.
The department’s analysis that “climate-related impacts” from Keystone “would prove inconsequential” needed a “reasoned explanation.” It did not provide one.
[…continues…]
.
There is one universal possibility of being in uniform, that is getting to put your body up for your country. There are certain MOS which are guarantees to a shorter life span than others, but as those in Afghanistan headquarters are experiencing, even surrounded by guards and sandbags, someone may try to kill you. I had two interesting jobs in the USAF, primarily I worked in a nice air conditioned laboratory, but it was a prime target for VC rockets; knock the lab out and the Air Force base shuts down. The second was Auxiliary Security Police. That came with orders such as “lay down fire until relieved”.
After WWII the World War II Victory Medal was created:
Congress ordered a pin created for all who served from 1955 to 1975. Not a medal, not a ribbon, a pin.
The vets I talked to yesterday thought it a nice gesture, fifty years after they served. It was something we did not get when we were discharged. Mine was to turn in my ID, operator licenses for the vehicles and equipment I could drive or run, drive out the gate and go home. That was my goodbye and hello to being a citizen. Along with the VA sending my intake records to General Delivery Detroit Michigan Post Office. Not even close to my old home address, so it took six months to get in the VA medical system.
Although I was frozen in place awaiting orders to go to VN those never were received by me, preparing to go to a combat zone is disconcerting the first time. You do your will, you sign the body return form, if you have a spouse you prepare for them to go somewhere to live while you are gone, you requalify on weapons and even train with new weapons and you pack to leave in twenty-four to forty-eight hours. You mentally get ready for a crummy thirteen months.
The Conway’s reasonably sane spouse George has written that Whitaker is not qualified AG because he has never been confirmed by the Senate. Any actions he might take would be deemed illegal if challenged. Bobby three sticks should be able to withstand any confrontations on that front.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/11/08/george-conway-jeff-sessions-firing/1931996002/
Of course the money grubbing branch of that family, Kellyanne, disagrees in her usual kiss ass fashion:
If they’re gonna do a pin for something it should be for those who actually served in the country of viet nam, instead of being for those who served in some kind of military somewhere else during that time. As proud as I am of the USCG, being in the CG at that time was closer to being a viet nam era hippie than being a veteran who served in Vietnam .
This is interesting: The AZ GOP is suing to NOT count absentee ballots. Cindy McCain is not pleased:
“@AZGOP I am one of those mail in ballots. I was under the impression my vote was always counted.”
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-11-08/arizona-gop-sues-to-change-how-mail-in-ballots-are-counted-in-sinema-mcsally-race
look who shot themselves in the foot 🙂
newsweek:
NRA Slams ‘Self-important Anti-gun Doctors’ Hours Before Thousand Oaks Bar Mass Shooting
[…]
The NRA was responding to recent articles published by Annals of Internal Medicine, including one written by the American College of Physicians (ACP) describing firearm-related injuries and deaths in the U.S. as a “public health crisis.”
“Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control. Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted NO ONE but themselves,” the pro-gun lobby group complained.
[…]
The tweet was widely criticized by doctors and medical officials pushing for stricter gun control laws in the wake of the latest mass shooting in the U.S., believing gun violence is their area of expertise as they are directly involved with the victims.
“We are not anti-gun: we are anti-bullet holes in our patients,” wrote Dr. Esther Choo of Oregon Health & Science University in response to the NRA’s tweet. “We consult with everyone but extremists. Most upsetting, actually, is death and disability from gun violence that is unparalleled in the world.”
“Doctors are the ones who work feverishly to staunch the bleeding and SAVE THE LIVES of those who are shot by the guns that the NRA loves so much. Gun violence literally *is* medicine’s lane,” said Dr Dena Grayson.
[….continues…]
Jamie, same thing in floriduh:
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) — After announcing late Thursday that his campaign has filed lawsuits against elections supervisors in Broward and Palm Beach counties, Republican Gov. Rick Scott held a 15,074-vote lead Friday morning in his bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, according to numbers posted on the state Division of Elections website.
With 8,174,460 votes tallied, Scott had 4,094,767 to 4,079,693 for Nelson as of 7 a.m. Friday.
That narrow margin, 50.09 percent to 49.91 percent, would trigger an automatic recount.
Counties have until noon Saturday to submit unofficial results to the state Division of Elections.
Scott held a news conference Thursday night to announce that his campaign has filed lawsuits over the way Broward and Palm Beach elections supervisors are handling the ballot-counting process.
During that news conference, he lashed saying both elections supervisors are “incompetent” and part of an effort to “thwart the will of the people,” as the margin of his apparent U.S. Senate victory narrows and will likely require a recount.
The lawsuit in Broward, against Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, seeks an immediate hearing, contends her office continues to withhold crucial voter information and has blocked access to the office.
The second lawsuit against Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, accuses her of refusing to allow Scott’s representatives to personally witness the ballot counting. The suit also accuses Bucher of keeping the county canvassing board from performing its duties.
(©2018 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.)
and a new twist in ga:
ATLANTA (WSAV) – After Brian Kemp’s resignation Thursday, Gov. Nathan Deal on Thursday appointed Robyn Crittenden to serve as secretary of state.
Kemp’s resignation took effect at 11:59 a.m. and Crittenden was sworn in in the afternoon. She will serve the remainder of Kemp’s term.
Crittenden is the first African-American woman to serve as a statewide constitutional officer in Georgia history. Prior to this new role, she served as the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS).
[…continues…]
My Army outfit left for Vietnam on a troopship in Nov ’65. Because I was part of the small advance party, my group left shortly after Thanksgiving arriving early in December. It was a godforsaken place. They can keep my pin. I was in the Regular Army on my second enlistment doing what I had signed-up to do.
Every draftee and every kid who enlisted straight out of school should step forward and claim, and wear that pin with pride. At the bottom of every soldier’s job description was a single sentence, “To fight as Infantry when required.” Parallel language is in the mission statements of the other Services. So, Coastie, grab your pin; you did your part to make-up the entirety of our effort.
I am mightily surprised by the county-level failures of well indoctrinated voting procedures in Florida. My only first-hand experience is in Pinellas County (St Pete/Clearwater). There, the supervisor of elections did a marvelous job of overseeing the separate balloting in the more than two-dozen cities within the county as well as the unincorporated areas. Her counting area was in a large glass enclosed room outside of which visitors were encouraged to observe the sanctified process. The Supervisor said she was doing her part to achieve “glass-nose”.
Something I like about this holiday is that it has to put a burr in SFB diaper to know that military veterans are the focus, not orange cowards.
I was glad to serve my community by being a Supervisor for many years and many elections. I am now equally glad that I retired a few yrs ago. When people starting accusing us of registering outsiders during Obama’s term, I knew it was time to get the hell out.
ps… it looks like I can’t stop making popcorn anytime soon…
Justice Ginsburg is doing well and has been discharged from GWU Hospital.
I heard people sayin’ Brett pushed her
The republican play book seems to be do everything you can to keep every ballot from being counted. Hopefully the court will toss Scott’s suit out with out a hearing.
AZrepublicans are worried. A lot of votes still to count and most of them are from areas that favor the democrat. As of this morning the Arizona Republic reports that Sinema has a 9600 vote lead. Look for that lead to increase as the votes from Maricopa County are counted.
usatoday:
WASHINGTON – A panel of a federal appeals court asked Friday for the Justice Department and lawyers challenging the legitimacy of special counsel Robert Mueller to argue whether the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions affects their case.
The case focuses on whether Congress has authorized Mueller’s office and whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had the authority to appoint him to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election. Rosenstein appointed Mueller after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017.
Sessions recused himself because he worked on Trump’s campaign. Trump fired Sessions on Wednesday and replaced him with Acting Attorney Matthew Whitaker, who has been critical of Mueller’s investigation. Democratic lawmakers have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from the Mueller probe.
The case involved Andrew Miller, an associate of Roger Stone, a longtime friend of Trump, who was cited for contempt in refusing to testify before Mueller’s grand jury. Miller appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
After a hearing Thursday, the three-judge panel – Karen Henderson, Sri Srinivasan and Judith Rogers – asked Friday for lawyers on both sides whether the change from Sessions to Whitaker had any impact on the case. Briefs are due Nov. 19.
Neal Katyal, a former solicitor general who argued government cases before the Supreme Court, tweeted that it’s possible that the court could rule that Rosenstein is the proper person to oversee the Mueller investigation, despite Whitaker’s appointment.
@neal_katyal
Wow. The Court of Appeals, in a case challenging Mueller, now orders briefing on impact of the Sessions firing & installation of Whittaker. It is possible for parties to take the view that his boss is the legitimate Rosenstein, not the pretend-Attorney General Trump wants to have
5,428
10:28 AM – Nov 9, 2018
AZcentral:
Sen. Jeff Flake will not go gentle into that (political) good night.
And that really, really, REALLY bugs President Donald Trump. In a way that is really, really, REALLY good for the country.
On Thursday, the day after Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Flake announced on Twitter that he and Democratic Sen. Jeff Coons will reintroduce a bill they co-authored to protect the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller.
Flake tweeted:
When the Senate convenes next week, @ChrisCoons and I will ask for unanimous consent to bring S.2644, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, to a vote on the Senate floor. After the firing of The AG, it is more important than ever to protect the Special Counsel.
87.7K
3:43 PM – Nov 8, 2018
At a press conference Trump had boasted about being the impetus for Flake leaving the Senate. He said of Flake, “I retired him. I’m very proud of it, I did the country a great service.”
The bill that Flake is proposing would make it difficult to fire a special counsel for purely political reasons and would give the counsel the ability to appeal the firing in federal court.
Trump doesn’t like that.
But instead of arguing the issue (which clearly troubles him) he attacked Flake, tweeting:
Jeff Flake(y) doesn’t want to protect the Non-Senate confirmed Special Counsel, he wants to protect his future after being unelectable in Arizona for the “crime” of doing a terrible job! A weak and ineffective guy!
39.1K
12:10 PM – Nov 9, 2018
Weird.
If Flake is so “weak and ineffective” why would the president spend so much time obsessing about him?
Why would he feel the need to attack him?
Or, is the president actually afraid – very, very afraid – that Flake’s determination to protect the investigation of the special counsel might work?
I bet that it.
Because when you think about it – and I’m guessing Trump does – the president has not “retired” Flake … yet.
The court could take a narrow view of this matter, and merely rule on andrew miller’s bleating.
Ordinarily, appellate courts shy away from getting involved with administration structure.
upi usnews:
[….]
Friday, Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson instructed attorneys to disregard Sessions’ removal and treat the hearing “as if it were argued yesterday morning.” The hearing largely involved whether Mueller’s appointment as special counsel was constitutionally lawful, but also included a demand by the court for comments about the change in leadership.
[…continues…]
politicususa:
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is going to block a bill to protect Robert Mueller by not allowing it to come up for a vote.
McConnell said of the bill to protect Mueller, “It’s not necessary. The Mueller investigation is not under threat. The president’s said repeatedly he’s not going to dismiss the Mueller investigation. He’s said repeatedly it’s going to be allowed to finish. That also happens to be my view. As you can imagine, we speak frequently, and there’s never been any indication that he wants to dismiss Mueller or the investigation. It’s going to be allowed to finish.”
[…]
Mitch McConnell already knows that Trump isn’t going to try to fire Mueller, but that the endgame is to put Whitaker in place to smother the investigation so that it grinds to a halt.
The best course of action to get legislation to protect Mueller though Congress appears to be the path that House Democrats are considering, and that is to block the government funding bill that has to be passed by December 7 unless it contains legislation to protect the Special Counsel investigation.
Mitch McConnell has already shown over and over again that he places country last, so if members of Congress are going to save the investigation, they are going to have to overcome the Senate Majority Leader.
another charge to list in the articles of impeachment
alternet:
President Donald Trump had a “central role” in the hush money payout schemes that have already led to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, pleading guilty to federal campaign finance crimes, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal.
Cohen has pleaded guilty to buying the silence of former model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels, both of whom say they had affairs with Trump before he became president. All contributions to a candidates’ campaign for president must be reported as such. In concealing these payments, prosecutors charged, Cohen violated these laws.
Cohen said when he was sentenced that he was directed by the candidate — Trump himself — to carry out these acts. And according to the Wall Street Journal, federal prosecutors have extensive evidence that Trump was indeed a central figure in coordinating the hush money schemes, despite his previous denials.
The report explains:
*
The accolades for Sessions over at WaPo make me want to puke. While I think he was part of the last line of defense against SFB and his new flimflam acting AG, there was very little else good I could ever say about Sessions. That IMPOTUS found someone more despicable to replace him, at least temporarily, is almost shocking.
patd, lying to the American people, as opposed to a court when under oath, would certainly not lead to an impeachment conviction in the Senate that SFB will have – and I really don’t want to see a Clinton impeachment effect happen for SFB.
The only thing that Sessions did to make a “good” name for himself was stick with recusal. The rest of it is he is complicit with removing protections for people, except for white rich male republicans. He is behind much of the effort to make the “freedom of religion” BS law of the land. LGBTQ, especially T, are left in the gutter. Women, he and that freak pence, are nuts, possibly both are gay and in the closet doing the down low on top of that.
Mad Whittaker.
Trump knows him, but he doesn’t know him.
A lie detector machine would probably explode if was hooked up to the Orange-Catastrophe -In-Chief.
So Trump retired Jeff Flake, and in so doing probably flipped tha AZ senate seat blue. Will he take credit for thattoo
Ari Melber gets it…actual news instead of speculation
I really like Ari Melber.
I Will Only Help Countries Who Like Me.
My smile turns into a frown when I realize that someone doesn’t know what “decimated” means.
I say that because I saw a common-tater use it wrong, and it rubbed me the wrong way.
I think I understand the Gooper approach to voting
Make it really hard to register
Make it really hard to vote
Don’t count all the votes — just estimate
The goober approach to voting is: “We can’t let them bastards vote, cause if we do there goes all our goodies.”
Sturg, how can decimated be used wrong?
Never forget that voter fraud only occurs in races that dems are winning.
So I have a serious question. Why would Prevagen feature itself as a brain support supplement with an ingredient originally found in jellyfish-an organism WITHOUT A BRAIN. Just asking
If a hurricane hits Mexico Beach, Florida, the neighborhood is obliterated……..If, in a neighborhood of ten houses, one house burns to the ground, the neighborhood has been decimated.
Viola.
Is there anybody more slimy and loathsome than RickScott? WTF is wrong with Florida?
Rick Scott’s self-righteous post-election speech was ridiculous so very Trump
Rick Scott – sets a high bar for slime.
Sinema’s lead over McSally increases to twenty thousand votes according to the Arizona Republic. Not over yet but looking very good for dems.
Ok I’ll write tommorow’s post. Sure could use more help.
Arizona’s governor
Ok , AZ goes back on the list. “Places I could tolerate when we retire”
Jack
KGC …glad you are safe. This latest fire seems to be the fastest most explosive fire I have ever seen. Malibu mansions, poof, up and gone in ten minutes time…Paradise, CA now is hell. It’s devil’s work alright. It is insanely consuming everything.
pogo, it wasn’t that he lied to us mere citizens why I mention the I-word, it is that there is evidence on record that he committed a federal offence (i.e. election law violation).