Daily Archives

November 16, 2018

30 posts · Friday

Nelson Running Out of Time and Votes

November 16, 2018 at 11:01 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) “has run out of time, run out of favorable court rulings and is about to officially run out of votes,” Politico reports.

“After losing to Gov. Rick Scott (R) on Election Day, losing after an automatic recount and appearing to not make up the gap following a manual recount Friday, Nelson’s campaign was dealt a mortal blow later that evening by U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who crushed the Democrat’s last major hope by upholding a Florida law that forbids county election offices from counting vote-by-mail ballots received after 7 p.m. Election Day.”

Mia Love Jumps Ahead of McAdams

November 16, 2018 at 8:29 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) is winning her re-election for the first time since Election Day after an updated vote count in Utah County pushed her narrowly over challenger Ben McAdams (D), the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

“Love is currently ahead by 419 votes, reversing Thursday’s 1,002-vote lead for McAdams, who has spent the past week in Washington going to House orientation meetings and appearing in the freshman class photo with new lawmakers from across the country.”

Kelly Works to Save Nielsen from Firing

November 16, 2018 at 7:22 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“White House chief of staff John Kelly is fighting to save Kirstjen Nielsen, the Homeland Security chief whom the president has lashed out at for the rise in border apprehensions over the past several months,” Politico reports.

“Kelly, whose fate in the administration is also unclear, is working to convince the president that she is not to blame for a recent surge in arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border that has enraged him.”

CIA Concludes Crown Prince Ordered Killing

November 16, 2018 at 6:20 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi… The CIA’s assessment is the most definitive to date linking Mohammed to the operation,” the Washington Post reports.

“The CIA’s conclusion about Mohammed’s role was based on multiple sources of intelligence as well as the agency’s assessment of the prince as the country’s de facto ruler who oversees even minor affairs in the kingdom.”

Abrams Ends Her Campaign But Won’t Concede

November 16, 2018 at 5:41 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Stacey Abrams (D) ended her run for Georgia governor as the state prepared to certify the election, but she said she would not concede the contest to Brian Kemp (R), the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

Saying the law “allows no further viable remedy” for her bid for governor against Kemp, Abrams announced a new voting rights group that will file “major” litigation against the state over electoral issues.

Abrams laced her speech with critiques of Kemp, a former secretary of state who she said was “deliberate and intentional in his actions” to suppress the vote.

Trump Balks at Post-2016 Election Questions from Mueller

November 16, 2018 at 4:59 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump and his legal team “have taken issue with some of the questions from special counsel Robert Mueller that cover the transition period after the 2016 election, believing it could be off limits under executive privilege as they pertain to the presidency,” CNN reports.

“The source would not explicitly say whether the President answered those questions other than to say that there are ‘responses’ to all of the questions that were asked.”

Tenney Falls Further Behind as New Ballots Are Counted

November 16, 2018 at 3:39 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Anthony Brindisi (D) increased his lead over Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) as counties begin to report unofficial absentee ballot counts, the Binghamton Press reports.

With four counties unofficial absentee ballots counted Brindisi is ahead by 3,227 votes.

Accused Russian Spy Seeking Plea Deal

November 16, 2018 at 1:15 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Lawyers for alleged Russian spy Mariia Butina have entered into negotiations with federal prosecutors,” NBC News reports.

“The two sides requested to postpone the next hearing in the case because they are currently ‘in negotiations regarding a potential resolution of this matter,’ indicating that they are working towards a plea agreement.”

Trump Says He’s Answered Mueller’s Questions

November 16, 2018 at 1:11 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump said “he hasn’t submitted his answers yet and emphasized that he wrote them, not his lawyers,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Trump: “You always have to be careful answering questions for people who have bad intentions.”

Trump Questions Pence’s Loyalty

November 16, 2018 at 12:43 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

At a news conference last week, President Trump publicly asked Mike Pence to be his running mate again in 2020. But in private, the New York Times reports, Trump doesn’t seem so sure.

“In recent weeks, with his electoral prospects two years from now much on his mind, Mr. Trump has focused on the person who has most publicly tethered his fortunes to him. In one conversation after another he has asked aides and advisers a pointed question: Is Mike Pence loyal?”

“Mr. Trump has repeated the question so many times that he has alarmed some of his advisers. The president has not openly suggested dropping Mr. Pence from the ticket and picking another running mate, but the advisers say those kinds of questions usually indicate that he has grown irritated with someone.”

Pelosi Huddles with Potential Challenger

November 16, 2018 at 12:40 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) huddled Friday with a potential rival for Speaker, Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), The Hill reports.

“Neither Pelosi nor Fudge disclosed details of their 45-minute conversation, which took place in Pelosi’s office in the Capitol. The meeting was brokered by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), among the most powerful figures in the Congressional Black Caucus and a strong supporter of Pelosi.”

Another White House Tell-All Book Coming

November 16, 2018 at 12:04 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Cliff Sims, a Trump adviser who joined the West Wing staff on Day One as a special assistant to the president after working on the campaign, is writing a memoir about his time working for the president. The book is set to be published in January,” Politico reports.

“Sims’ book, according to people familiar with the project, has been in the works for months and was described as a thoughtful and introspective portrayal of his time serving in the Trump White House. The book is modeled, those people said, on George Stephanopoulos’ tell-all memoir All Too Human, a personal account of his time serving as communications director in the Clinton White House.”

Trump Offered to Nominate Aide as Ambassador to Estonia

November 16, 2018 at 11:59 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump offered to nominate Mira Ricardel as ambassador to Estonia after First Lady Melania Trump forced the deputy national security adviser out of the White House,” Bloomberg reports.

“Ricardel turned down the posting to the Baltic state… The president wants to find her a good position, and she’s been presented nearly a dozen jobs from which to choose.”

Grassley to Trade Judiciary for Finance

November 16, 2018 at 11:40 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) plans to trade his Senate Judiciary Committee gavel to lead the Finance Committee next year, he said on Friday — leaving Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in line to replace him as chairman, Politico reports.

“Grassley’s move to Finance wasn’t a given, since the Judiciary panel has played an outsized role in the successful confirmation of more than 80 of President Trump’s nominees to lifetime appointments on the federal bench. That number could include future Supreme Court justices beyond Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh in the next Congress, heightening the influence of the Judiciary chairman.”

McClatchy: “Graham is poised to become the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress, giving him both influence and exposure — and a new, politically risky stature as a Democratic target.”

New Jersey Elections Official Charged with Voter Fraud

November 16, 2018 at 10:58 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Andrea Palmucci-McGillicuddy, a former chief investigator of Mercer County elections, was charged with voter fraud after officials learned she resides in Pennsylvania, yet has voted in New Jersey since at least 2012, the Trentonian reports.

Quote of the Day

November 16, 2018 at 10:51 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I’m watching this thing and you know it’s like, the administration is like a shit show in a dumpster fire.”

— George Conway, husband of Kellyanne, on the Skullduggery podcast.

White House Ordered to Return Acosta’s Press Pass

November 16, 2018 at 10:43 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A federal judge granted CNN’s request for a court order that would temporarily reinstate network correspondent Jim Acosta’s White House press pass, which had been suspended indefinitely in the wake of a fiery exchange between the reporter and President Trump a week earlier, CNBC reports.

Axios: “In his ruling, Judge Timothy Kelly is setting a precedent that future White House administrations and other elected officials need clear evidence of a security threat or operational burden created by reporters’ actions in order to have the justification to revoke a press pass.”

Lou Dobbs Claims Many ‘Illegal Immigrants’ Voted

November 16, 2018 at 10:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Fox Business host Lou Dobbs falsely claimed that “millions of illegal immigrants cross our borders” and that “many” voted in this year’s midterm elections, The Hill reports.

Said Dobbs: “Are we just sitting here, helpless against anyone who wants to cross that border, and to have their way with the American way?”