thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Nancy Pelosi Felt 'Very Liberated' After Tearing Up Trump's State Of The Union Speech

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said she felt “ very liberated ” after ripping up President Donald Trump ’ s third State of the Union address earlier this week because she felt she had previously extended him “ every possible courtesy.
” Pelosi , a self-described “ speed reader , ” said she started brainstorming how to make a statement about his speech shortly after Trump handed a copy to her .
She became incensed by the president ’ s many “ misrepresentations ” of the House ’ s work .
( “ Some would say the word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t like to use the word ‘ lie , ’ ” Pelosi said . )
After listening to the first “ quarter or third ” of the address , she said she thought , “ There has to be something that clearly indicates to the American people that this is not the truth.
” “ He shredded the truth in his speech .
He ’ s shredding the Constitution in his conduct .
I shredded his state of mind address , ” the speaker told reporters during her regular Thursday morning press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interpreted by some as an act of resistance and by others as a hollow gesture .
She made clear on Thursday that it had nothing to do with the fact that the president had apparently snubbed her handshake as he approached the lectern .
That “ meant nothing ” to her , she said .
She continued : “ I extended a hand of friendship to him to welcome him as the president of the United States to the People ’ s House .
It was also an act of kindness because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little sedated .
He looked that way last year , too.
” Other Democratic lawmakers expressed their frustrations with Trump ’ s speech by walking out as he delivered it Tuesday night , while a small group refused to attend in the first place .

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she felt “very liberated” after ripping up President Donald Trump’s third State of the Union address earlier this week because she felt she had previously extended him “every possible courtesy.”
Pelosi, a self-described “speed reader,” said she started brainstorming how to make a statement about his speech shortly after Trump handed a copy to her.
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She became incensed by the president’s many “misrepresentations” of the House’s work. (“Some would say the word ‘lie’ — I don’t like to use the word ‘lie,’” Pelosi said.) After listening to the first “quarter or third” of the address, she said she thought, “There has to be something that clearly indicates to the American people that this is not the truth.”
“He shredded the truth in his speech. He’s shredding the Constitution in his conduct. I shredded his state of mind address,” the speaker told reporters during her regular Thursday morning press conference.
Pelosi’s stunt has been interpreted by some as an act of resistance and by others as a hollow gesture.
She made clear on Thursday that it had nothing to do with the fact that the president had apparently snubbed her handshake as he approached the lectern. That “meant nothing” to her, she said.
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“I’ve shown every level of respect,” said Pelosi.
She continued: “I extended a hand of friendship to him to welcome him as the president of the United States to the People’s House. It was also an act of kindness because he looked to me like he was a little sedated. He looked that way last year, too.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--GOP Senators Privately Admit Trump Is Unfit For Office, Sherrod Brown Says

Sen. Sherrod Brown ( D-Ohio ) again lifted the lid on what many of his Republican colleagues in the Senate say about President Donald Trump in private in a column published by The New York Times on Wednesday .
Brown suggested the fear of invoking Trump ’ s wrath was the motivating factor in the GOP-controlled Senate ’ s acquittal of the president on impeachment charges over the Ukraine scandal .
“ In private , many of my colleagues agree that the president is reckless and unfit , ” Brown wrote .
“ They admit his lies .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They know this president has done things Richard Nixon never did .
And they know that more damning evidence is likely to come out.
” Brown warned , however , that “ history does not look kindly on politicians who can not fathom a fate worse than losing an upcoming election.
” In November , Brown told “ The Late Show ” host Stephen Colbert that most Republican senators acknowledged in private that Trump is a racist and misogynist who has trouble telling the truth .
“ They know he doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time .
“ They wonder about his relationship with ( Russian President Vladimir ) Putin because almost all of Trump ’ s foreign policy actions frankly are good for the Russians , and not always good for us.
” Read Brown ’ s full column here and watch his interview with Colbert below :

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Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) again lifted the lid on what many of his Republican colleagues in the Senate say about President Donald Trump in private in a column published by The New York Times on Wednesday.
Brown suggested the fear of invoking Trump’s wrath was the motivating factor in the GOP-controlled Senate’s acquittal of the president on impeachment charges over the Ukraine scandal.
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“In private, many of my colleagues agree that the president is reckless and unfit,” Brown wrote. “They admit his lies. And they acknowledge what he did was wrong. They know this president has done things Richard Nixon never did. And they know that more damning evidence is likely to come out.”
Brown warned, however, that “history does not look kindly on politicians who cannot fathom a fate worse than losing an upcoming election.”
In November, Brown told “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert that most Republican senators acknowledged in private that Trump is a racist and misogynist who has trouble telling the truth.
“They know he doesn’t do his homework,” Brown said at the time. “They wonder about his relationship with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin because almost all of Trump’s foreign policy actions frankly are good for the Russians, and not always good for us.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Trump Finalizes Industry Friendly Plans For Gutted Utah Monuments

TIM PETERSON/BEARS EARS INTER-TRIBAL COALITION The area known as Bears Ears , near Blanding , Utah , was designated a national monument by President Barack Obama in 2016 .
The Interior Department on Wednesday adopted final management plans that allow for mining , drilling and other development on lands that the administration recently removed from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah .
The move comes a little more than two years after Trump signed a pair of proclamations to carve more than 2 million acres from the two protected Utah sites ― the largest rollback of national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast swaths of previously protected federal land to extractive industries .
The resource management plans “ mark an important moment in Utah ’ s history by providing certainty to local communities , business owners , permittees and the recreating public , ” Casey Hammond , Interior ’ s acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management , said in a call with reporters .
The Trump administration has said that shrinking the monuments was about reversing federal overreach and not aimed at boosting energy and mineral development , but reporting by The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The boundary of Bears Ears National Monument , a 1.35 million-acre landscape named after a pair of buttes and home to thousands of Native American archeological and cultural sites , was shrunk roughly 85 percent .
The 1.87 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument , the largest land national monument in the country , was cut roughly in half .
Interior Department officials stressed Wednesday that the administration remains opposed to selling and transferring public lands and that areas removed from monument protection remain safeguarded by multiple federal laws .
“ Any suggestion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adversely impacted by the mere act of being excluded from the monuments is simply not true , ” Hammond said , adding there ’ s been “ very little real interest in mineral development ” on those lands .
Last week , investors representing nearly $ 113 billion in assets warned dozens of drilling and mining companies not to move into public lands that the Trump administration has opened for extraction , including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante .
“ It ’ s the height of arrogance for Trump to rush through final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante while we ’ re fighting his illegal evisceration of these national monuments in court , ” Randi Spivak , public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity , said in a statement .
“ Trump is eroding vital protections for these spectacular landscapes .
We won ’ t rest until all of these public lands are safeguarded for future generations.
” Asked Wednesday why the Interior Department didn ’ t wait to finalize management plans until its legal challenges were settled , Hammond said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece of litigation to be resolved , we would never be able to do much of anything around here .
”

The area known as Bears Ears, near Blanding, Utah, was designated a national monument by President Barack Obama in 2016. TIM PETERSON/BEARS EARS INTER-TRIBAL COALITION
The Interior Department on Wednesday adopted final management plans that allow for mining, drilling and other development on lands that the administration recently removed from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah.
The move comes a little more than two years after Trump signed a pair of proclamations to carve more than 2 million acres from the two protected Utah sites ― the largest rollback of national monuments in U.S. history — opening up vast swaths of previously protected federal land to extractive industries.
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The resource management plans “mark an important moment in Utah’s history by providing certainty to local communities, business owners, permittees and the recreating public,” Casey Hammond, Interior’s acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management, said in a call with reporters.
“We are advancing our goal to restore trust and be a good neighbor,” he said.
The Trump administration has said that shrinking the monuments was about reversing federal overreach and not aimed at boosting energy and mineral development, but reporting by The New York Times and other outlets found otherwise. The boundary of Bears Ears National Monument, a 1.35 million-acre landscape named after a pair of buttes and home to thousands of Native American archeological and cultural sites, was shrunk roughly 85 percent. The 1.87 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the largest land national monument in the country, was cut roughly in half.
Interior Department officials stressed Wednesday that the administration remains opposed to selling and transferring public lands and that areas removed from monument protection remain safeguarded by multiple federal laws.
“Any suggestion that these lands and resources will be adversely impacted by the mere act of being excluded from the monuments is simply not true,” Hammond said, adding there’s been “very little real interest in mineral development” on those lands.
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Last week, investors representing nearly $113 billion in assets warned dozens of drilling and mining companies not to move into public lands that the Trump administration has opened for extraction, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Conservation groups, including those currently suing the administration over the monument rollbacks, slammed Wednesday’s announcement.
“It’s the height of arrogance for Trump to rush through final decisions on what’s left of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante while we’re fighting his illegal evisceration of these national monuments in court,” Randi Spivak, public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “Trump is eroding vital protections for these spectacular landscapes. We won’t rest until all of these public lands are safeguarded for future generations.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--House Managers Nail What Donald Trump Was Denied With Impeachment Acquittal

The Democratic House managers in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump have named the one thing he desperately wanted ― but ended up being denied ― when the GOP-controlled Senate voted to acquit him on Wednesday .
“ By denying the American people a fair trial , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) also deprived the president of something that he desperately sought — exoneration , ” the managers wrote in an op-ed published in The Washington Post .
“ Out of fear of what they would learn , the Senate refused to hold one , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans blocking witnesses from testifying in the trial .
“ The president will not be vindicated , and neither will the Senate , certainly not by history , ” they added .
The op-ed — co-signed by Reps. Adam Schiff ( Calif. ) , Jerrold Nadler ( N.Y. ) , Zoe Lofgren ( Calif. ) , Hakeem Jeffries ( N.Y. ) , Val Demings ( Fla. ) , Sylvia Garcia ( Texas ) and Jason Crow ( Colo. ) ― also said “ no one can seriously argue ” that Trump has learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the first time he solicited foreign interference in his election , nor will it be the last , ” they wrote .
“ As we said during the trial , if left in office , the president will not stop trying to cheat in the next election until he succeeds .
We must make sure he does not.
” “ Republican leadership in the Senate had the power to conceal the president ’ s full misconduct during the trial by disallowing witnesses and documents , ” the managers added .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ugly truth of the president ’ s conduct , and that of all the president ’ s men , from the American people .
Not for long .
”

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The Democratic House managers in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump have named the one thing he desperately wanted ― but ended up being denied ― when the GOP-controlled Senate voted to acquit him on Wednesday.
“By denying the American people a fair trial, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also deprived the president of something that he desperately sought — exoneration,” the managers wrote in an op-ed published in The Washington Post.
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“Out of fear of what they would learn, the Senate refused to hold one,” they said, in reference to Senate Republicans blocking witnesses from testifying in the trial. “The president will not be vindicated, and neither will the Senate, certainly not by history,” they added.
The op-ed — co-signed by Reps. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Val Demings (Fla.), Sylvia Garcia (Texas) and Jason Crow (Colo.) ― also said “no one can seriously argue” that Trump has learned from this experience.
“This was not the first time he solicited foreign interference in his election, nor will it be the last,” they wrote. “As we said during the trial, if left in office, the president will not stop trying to cheat in the next election until he succeeds. We must make sure he does not.”
“Republican leadership in the Senate had the power to conceal the president’s full misconduct during the trial by disallowing witnesses and documents,” the managers added. “But they cannot keep the full, ugly truth of the president’s conduct, and that of all the president’s men, from the American people. Not for long.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Hillary Clinton Reacts To Trump's Impeachment Acquittal On 'Ellen'

Hillary Clinton admits she “ wasn ’ t surprised ” President Donald Trump was acquitted on impeachment charges this week , but is hopeful his trial will have a resounding impact come November .
In a Thursday appearance on “ The Ellen DeGeneres Show , ” the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said she was “ disappointed ” that the impeachment verdict had come down almost entirely along party lines .
Still , she praised Sen. Mitt Romney ( Utah ) for being the sole Republican “ willing to take a stand ” by voting to convict Trump for abuse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear , ” Clinton said .
“ There was no doubt by the time it was all presented that actually the president [ had ] done what he was accused of .
In fact , he admitted that he ’ d done what he was accused of .
He just didn ’ t think anybody would hold him accountable.
” With regard to Romney , she added , “ [ He ] gave an extraordinary speech on the floor of the Senate talking about why he felt the weight of history on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote to convict on one of the articles of impeachment.
” While Clinton suggested she and other Democrats were “ moving on ” after Trump ’ s acquittal , she urged voters to “ pay attention ” and ensure that the president is “ held accountable ” for his actions .
“ Now the way to do that is in the election , ” she said .
Clinton ― who is currently promoting a Hulu docuseries , “ Hillary ” ― also addressed the notion of what she ’ d say if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be vice president .
When DeGeneres pressed further , Clinton pointed to the time when President Barack Obama tapped her to be secretary of state .
“ I never say never , because I do believe in serving my country , ” she said .
“ But it ’ s not going to happen .
”

Hillary Clinton admits she “wasn’t surprised” President Donald Trump was acquitted on impeachment charges this week, but is hopeful his trial will have a resounding impact come November.
In a Thursday appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said she was “disappointed” that the impeachment verdict had come down almost entirely along party lines. Still, she praised Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) for being the sole Republican “willing to take a stand” by voting to convict Trump for abuse of power.
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“The evidence was really clear,” Clinton said. “There was no doubt by the time it was all presented that actually the president [had] done what he was accused of. In fact, he admitted that he’d done what he was accused of. He just didn’t think anybody would hold him accountable.”
With regard to Romney, she added, “[He] gave an extraordinary speech on the floor of the Senate talking about why he felt the weight of history on his shoulders and that he was going to vote to convict on one of the articles of impeachment.”
While Clinton suggested she and other Democrats were “moving on” after Trump’s acquittal, she urged voters to “pay attention” and ensure that the president is “held accountable” for his actions.
“Now the way to do that is in the election,” she said.
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Clinton ― who is currently promoting a Hulu docuseries, “Hillary” ― also addressed the notion of what she’d say if the eventual Democratic presidential candidate asked her to be vice president.
“No, probably no,” she said.
When DeGeneres pressed further, Clinton pointed to the time when President Barack Obama tapped her to be secretary of state.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Marie Yovanovitch: 'It Is The American Way To Speak Up About Wrongdoing'

I have seen dictatorships around the world , where blind obedience is the norm and truth-tellers are threatened with punishment @ @ @ @ @ not allow the United States to become a country where standing up to our government @ @ @ @ @ It has been shocking to experience the storm of criticism , lies and malicious conspiracies @ @ @ @ @ my public testimony , but I have no regrets .
I did — we did @ @ @ @ @ us to do .
We did what the gift of U.S. citizenship requires us to @ @

I have seen dictatorships around the world, where blind obedience is the norm and truth-tellers are threatened with punishment or death. We must not allow the United States to become a country where standing up to our government is a dangerous act. It has been shocking to experience the storm of criticism, lies and malicious conspiracies that have preceded and followed my public testimony, but I have no regrets. I did — we did — what our conscience called us to do. We did what the gift of U.S. citizenship requires us to do.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--After Iowa, The Democratic Party's Prospects For Unity Have Never Been Bleaker

The results of the Iowa caucuses are , incredibly , still in limbo , awaiting the result of a recanvassing ordered by the Democratic National Committee after three humiliating days of disarray .
But this much is clear : Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Pete Buttigieg did very well , while the previous national front-runner Joe Biden almost certainly finished no better than a catastrophic fourth place .
With Buttigieg ’ s national numbers still weak , Sanders has replaced Biden as the man to beat , with the hedge-funder wing of the party split between Buttigieg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Only a few short months ago , Sanders appeared dead in the water .
His campaign was struggling to eclipse 15 % nationwide and Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
had surged to roughly even with Biden , prompting the Democratic Party establishment to target her , and not Sanders , as the biggest progressive threat in the race .
Buttigieg and Sens .
Amy Klobuchar ( D-Minn. ) and Cory Booker ( D-N.J. ) ganged up on Warren in debates to paint her as an unrealistic extremist , while Never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D-Calif. ) pooh-poohed her health care plan .
For the establishment , this can only be described as a disastrous tactical mistake .
While they were raining down attacks on Warren , Sanders was retooling his operation and hiring new staff .
His campaign sharpened its focus , and Sanders himself became noticeably more relaxed on camera .
His popularity began a steady upward ascent , peeling off voters not only from Warren , but Biden too .
Things can change quickly in American politics , but at the moment it sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegates by the time the convention rolls around .
It ’ s easy to see why candidates put so much stock in Iowa .
In 2016 , Sanders was considered a novelty candidate even within his own campaign until he came within spitting distance of defeating Clinton in Iowa .
In 2004 and 2008 , candidates who had trailed badly for much of the race ― John Kerry and Barack Obama ― won surprise victories , rocketed into the lead and won over the party faithful .
In many ways , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wisdom , Sanders actually has many of the trappings of a unity candidate ― he ’ s well known , he ’ s well liked by the rank-and-file , and his unwavering message has become a staple of party rhetoric even in the boardroom wing of the party .
Most important of all , he actually has a message .
Of everyone else in the race , only Warren has offered an actual reason for running .
The two make similar cases : The U.S. economy and the U.S. political system are stacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good message , because it ’ s true .
Everyone else in the field , meanwhile , is offering an increasingly unpersuasive version of “ I alone can beat Trump !
” These candidates have little to say , because they aren ’ t targeting voters , they ’ re auditioning for donors .
The real message isn ’ t “ I can win , ” it ’ s “ I ’ ll make sure you ’ re still in charge.
” The ideological divide between the old guard and the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But most Democrats aren ’ t ideologues .
They like other Democrats and they get uncomfortable when Democrats fight with one another .
With the caucus mess , however , the Iowa Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee risk alienating Sanders supporters from everyone else in the field .
You don ’ t have to believe in some elaborate conspiracy theory to think Sanders is getting a raw deal .
If Sanders does in fact pull out a win in Iowa , the big story won ’ t be his victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa Democratic Party .
The various candidates vying for billionaire support are busy engaging in their own outrages , with Buttigieg declaring victory before votes had even been counted , and Biden ’ s press team going around telling everyone that the whole thing was a sham .
Then , just as Sanders appeared to be pulling ahead in the official metrics on Thursday afternoon , DNC Chair Tom Perez stepped in to demand a recount .
Recanvassing the results is the only responsible thing to do after such a disastrous event ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the data , and the results are very close .
But by waiting to step in until the very moment when Sanders was taking the lead , Perez offered fuel for a thousand conspiracy theories .
And let ’ s face it .
Sanders backers aren ’ t wrong that party leaders and party money want to see ( almost ) anyone but him win the nomination .
Michael Bloomberg is spending an unprecedented amount of his own fortune for the express purpose of stopping Sanders and Warren .
After Hillary Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic leaders in Washington recognized it was time to change the party ’ s internal power dynamics .
Over the course of Obama ’ s presidency , they ’ d lost nearly a thousand seats in state legislatures , a dozen governorships , both chambers of Congress and then the White House .
The party was quite literally in its weakest position since the Civil War .
So then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid ( D-Nevada ) and Sens .
Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) , Warren and Sanders collectively backed someone new to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton or Obama alum , they got behind then-Rep. Keith Ellison ( D-Minn. ) , a favorite of the American left and one of Sanders ’ few endorsers in Washington .
The reasoning was pretty simple ― the old guard had failed pretty badly , and they would need to embrace younger , more progressive wing of the party to maintain a coalition with any hope of remaining competitive with Republicans .
This has been the dynamic in Washington ever since , from candidate recruitment in 2018 to committee assignments , leadership races @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Squad : Big Money Democrats exercise power , and progressives are supposed to keep quiet and go along in the name of party unity .

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The results of the Iowa caucuses are, incredibly, still in limbo, awaiting the result of a recanvassing ordered by the Democratic National Committee after three humiliating days of disarray. But this much is clear: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Pete Buttigieg did very well, while the previous national front-runner Joe Biden almost certainly finished no better than a catastrophic fourth place. With Buttigieg’s national numbers still weak, Sanders has replaced Biden as the man to beat, with the hedge-funder wing of the party split between Buttigieg, Biden and recently Republican billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
Only a few short months ago, Sanders appeared dead in the water. His campaign was struggling to eclipse 15% nationwide and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) had surged to roughly even with Biden, prompting the Democratic Party establishment to target her, and not Sanders, as the biggest progressive threat in the race. Buttigieg and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) ganged up on Warren in debates to paint her as an unrealistic extremist, while Never Trumpers and even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pooh-poohed her health care plan.
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For the establishment, this can only be described as a disastrous tactical mistake. While they were raining down attacks on Warren, Sanders was retooling his operation and hiring new staff. His campaign sharpened its focus, and Sanders himself became noticeably more relaxed on camera. His popularity began a steady upward ascent, peeling off voters not only from Warren, but Biden too. Things can change quickly in American politics, but at the moment it sure seems like Sanders will command the most delegates by the time the convention rolls around.
It’s easy to see why candidates put so much stock in Iowa. In 2016, Sanders was considered a novelty candidate even within his own campaign until he came within spitting distance of defeating Clinton in Iowa. In 2004 and 2008, candidates who had trailed badly for much of the race ― John Kerry and Barack Obama ― won surprise victories, rocketed into the lead and won over the party faithful.
But after the debacle in Iowa, the prospects for party unification have never seemed more remote.
Democratic presidential hopefuls Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg (left) and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont (right) speak during the third Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season on Sept. 12, 2019. ROBYN BECK via Getty Images
In many ways, this is a perplexing development, because contra conventional wisdom, Sanders actually has many of the trappings of a unity candidate ― he’s well known, he’s well liked by the rank-and-file, and his unwavering message has become a staple of party rhetoric even in the boardroom wing of the party. Most important of all, he actually has a message. Of everyone else in the race, only Warren has offered an actual reason for running. The two make similar cases: The U.S. economy and the U.S. political system are stacked against working people. It’s a good message, because it’s true.
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Everyone else in the field, meanwhile, is offering an increasingly unpersuasive version of “I alone can beat Trump!” These candidates have little to say, because they aren’t targeting voters, they’re auditioning for donors. The real message isn’t “I can win,” it’s “I’ll make sure you’re still in charge.”
The ideological divide between the old guard and the next generation was real and deepening before Iowa. But most Democrats aren’t ideologues. They like other Democrats and they get uncomfortable when Democrats fight with one another.
With the caucus mess, however, the Iowa Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee risk alienating Sanders supporters from everyone else in the field. You don’t have to believe in some elaborate conspiracy theory to think Sanders is getting a raw deal.
If Sanders does in fact pull out a win in Iowa, the big story won’t be his victory, but the shocking incompetence of the Iowa Democratic Party. The various candidates vying for billionaire support are busy engaging in their own outrages, with Buttigieg declaring victory before votes had even been counted, and Biden’s press team going around telling everyone that the whole thing was a sham. Then, just as Sanders appeared to be pulling ahead in the official metrics on Thursday afternoon, DNC Chair Tom Perez stepped in to demand a recount.
Recanvassing the results is the only responsible thing to do after such a disastrous event ― there really are a ton of errors in the data, and the results are very close. But by waiting to step in until the very moment when Sanders was taking the lead, Perez offered fuel for a thousand conspiracy theories.
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And let’s face it. Sanders backers aren’t wrong that party leaders and party money want to see (almost) anyone but him win the nomination. Michael Bloomberg is spending an unprecedented amount of his own fortune for the express purpose of stopping Sanders and Warren.
After Hillary Clinton’s shocking defeat in 2016, Democratic leaders in Washington recognized it was time to change the party’s internal power dynamics. Over the course of Obama’s presidency, they’d lost nearly a thousand seats in state legislatures, a dozen governorships, both chambers of Congress and then the White House. The party was quite literally in its weakest position since the Civil War.
So then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Warren and Sanders collectively backed someone new to run the DNC. Instead of another Clinton or Obama alum, they got behind then-Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a favorite of the American left and one of Sanders’ few endorsers in Washington. The reasoning was pretty simple ― the old guard had failed pretty badly, and they would need to embrace younger, more progressive wing of the party to maintain a coalition with any hope of remaining competitive with Republicans.
Ellison, famously, lost. Obama stepped in and endorsed Perez, and the voting members of the DNC followed his lead.
This has been the dynamic in Washington ever since, from candidate recruitment in 2018 to committee assignments, leadership races and Pelosi’s summerlong feud with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Squad: Big Money Democrats exercise power, and progressives are supposed to keep quiet and go along in the name of party unity.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Patrick Crusius Faces Federal Hate Crimes Charges In El Paso Terrorist Attack

Nearly six months after a gunman slaughtered 22 people inside a Walmart in El Paso , Texas , a federal grand jury has indicted 21-year-old white supremacist Patrick Crusius on 90 counts , including hate crimes charges .
Taking note of Crusius ’ manifesto , the government alleges that Crusius killed the victims because of their actual or perceived national origin .
Denver-based attorney David Lane will reportedly represent him in federal court .
The suspected gunman was already facing state capital murder charges in connection with the Aug. 3 shooting .
Crusius allegedly posted a four-page anti-immigrant manifesto before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police that he ’ d been targeting Mexicans .
The shooting clearly meets the federal definition of domestic terrorism , and John Bash , the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas , previously said his office was treating it as an act of domestic terrorism .
But there ’ s no federal criminal statute that broadly outlaws acts of domestic terrorism , which means that Crusius ― like the killers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston , South Carolina ; at the “ Unite The Right ” rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh ― isn ’ t facing specific terrorism-related charges .
A group of FBI agents is urging Congress to pass a domestic terrorism statute , but the effort faces opposition from civil liberties organizations who worry that federal law enforcement would use such authority to improperly target members of disfavored political groups .
Crusius , who lived about 10 hours away from El Paso , allegedly ranted about the “ Hispanic invasion of Texas ” in his manifesto , mentioning the “ great replacement ” conspiracy theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white people with nonwhite immigrants .
Victims of the El Paso shooting ranged from 15 to 90 years old and included a young couple who died protecting their two-month-old baby .
The infant suffered a bullet graze .
The FBI saw a “ significant ” rise in white supremacist violence and a spike in domestic terrorism-related arrests in fiscal year 2019 , though it ’ s not always clear based on the public charges that certain cases were domestic terrorism-related .
Last week , white supremacist Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Hasson ― whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic terror attack ― was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison on gun charges .

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Nearly six months after a gunman slaughtered 22 people inside a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, a federal grand jury has indicted 21-year-old white supremacist Patrick Crusius on 90 counts, including hate crimes charges.
Taking note of Crusius’ manifesto, the government alleges that Crusius killed the victims because of their actual or perceived national origin. Denver-based attorney David Lane will reportedly represent him in federal court. The suspected gunman was already facing state capital murder charges in connection with the Aug. 3 shooting. Crusius allegedly posted a four-page anti-immigrant manifesto before the attack and after his arrest told police that he’d been targeting Mexicans.
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The shooting clearly meets the federal definition of domestic terrorism, and John Bash, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, previously said his office was treating it as an act of domestic terrorism. But there’s no federal criminal statute that broadly outlaws acts of domestic terrorism, which means that Crusius ― like the killers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina; at the “Unite The Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia; and at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh ― isn’t facing specific terrorism-related charges.
A group of FBI agents is urging Congress to pass a domestic terrorism statute, but the effort faces opposition from civil liberties organizations who worry that federal law enforcement would use such authority to improperly target members of disfavored political groups.
Shooting suspect Patrick Crusius in a photo released by El Paso, Texas, police on Aug. 5, 2019. El Paso Police Department/Handout via REUTERS
Crusius, who lived about 10 hours away from El Paso, allegedly ranted about the “Hispanic invasion of Texas” in his manifesto, mentioning the “great replacement” conspiracy theory that contends elites are trying to replace white people with nonwhite immigrants.
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Victims of the El Paso shooting ranged from 15 to 90 years old and included a young couple who died protecting their two-month-old baby. The infant suffered a bullet graze.
The FBI saw a “significant” rise in white supremacist violence and a spike in domestic terrorism-related arrests in fiscal year 2019, though it’s not always clear based on the public charges that certain cases were domestic terrorism-related.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Bernie Sanders Campaign Says It Raised $25 Million In January

The presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) announced Thursday that it had raised $ 25 million in the month of January , making the final month before the Iowa caucuses its most lucrative fundraising month to date in this election cycle .
Sanders ’ s operation is immediately plowing the new funds into television and digital ads worth $ 5.5 million in early primary and caucus states , as well as new campaign staff hires .
The ad investments will build on existing efforts in California and Texas , and buy ad spots in eight Super Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign had not yet begun advertising : Arkansas , Colorado , Massachusetts , Minnesota , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee and Utah .
The campaign touted its strong support from Americans of relatively modest means , noting that teachers were the most common occupation of donors once again in January .
The five most common employers of Sanders ’ s January donors were Amazon , Starbucks , Walmart , the U.S .
Postal Service and Target , according to the campaign .
The average donation was $ 18.72 .
To date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraiser in the Democratic presidential field with a total haul of more than $ 121 million , including January , according to the campaign .
In the final quarter of 2019 , Sanders raised $ 34.5 million .
What two of Sanders ’ s rivals lack in direct fundraising , however , is offset by the support of super PACs capable of raising and spending unlimited sums to support them , so long as the outside groups do not coordinate with the candidates ’ campaigns .
Unite the Country , a super PAC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent at least $ 3.8 million on his behalf .
The liberal veterans group VoteVets PAC has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on ads that favor former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg ― an effort that a campaign aide apparently found a way to encourage on Wednesday within the notoriously porous letter of campaign finance law .
Sanders said he has rejected outside help .
He has nonetheless received nearly $ 280,000 in support from the super PAC operated by the National Nurses United labor union .
The union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent the funds on radio ads and text messaging to boost his campaign .
At least one outside group has used big-dollar donations to finance attacks against Sanders .
A pro-Israel super PAC affiliated with Democratic Majority for Israel spent nearly $ 700,000 on a last-minute TV ad campaign in Iowa that questioned Sanders ’ s ability to defeat President Donald Trump in November .
Sanders responded to the effort with fundraising appeals to supporters that netted more than $ 1.3 million in 24 hours .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign has criticized Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of corrupt campaign finance practices , calling him out in fundraising emails for receiving the support of “ dark money ” groups .
But a political nonprofit affiliated with the left-wing group Justice Democrats , which does not have to disclose donors , has not endorsed Sanders .
It is spending $ 500,000 on a digital ad campaign slamming his rivals Buttigieg and Biden .
A coalition of nine pro-Sanders progressive groups announced plans last week to mount an independent spending effort on Sanders ’ s behalf .
But the coalition , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use a vehicle that does not require it to disclose donors , has yet to provide a dollar figure estimate for its investment or clarify whether it will disclose donor identities voluntarily .
( The NNU ’ s super PAC has to disclose its donors and is thus not considered a “ dark money ” group . )
But the complexity of Iowa ’ s delegate allotment system means that a candidate can win the final popular vote , which Sanders was leading in as of Wednesday night , without prevailing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college .
As a result , the raw data from those precincts showed Sanders winning both the first and second rounds of the statewide popular vote ― or final realignment forged after supporters of candidates who did not meet a “ viability ” threshold of votes went to other candidates ’ camps .
Though the Iowa Democratic Party ’ s results reporting fiasco denied either Buttigieg or Sanders the opportunity to claim an unalloyed win on Monday night , both camps have sought to shape the narrative in their favor , with Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sanders campaign releasing internal data showing the Vermont senator leading in all aspects of the caucus .
In a letter to Sanders staff , volunteers and surrogates in Iowa , Misty Rebik , Sanders ’ s Iowa state director , highlighted the campaign ’ s success in some of the most youthful and racially diverse precincts in cities like Des Moines , as well as its success in rural areas like Buena Vista County .
The campaign won 11 out of the 12 precincts released thus far where Latinos make up over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Sanders campaign ’ s analysis of official data .

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The presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced Thursday that it had raised $25 million in the month of January, making the final month before the Iowa caucuses its most lucrative fundraising month to date in this election cycle.
The enormous cash haul consisted of more than 1.3 million donations from 648,000 individual donors, 219,000 of whom were new, according to the campaign.
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Sanders’s operation is immediately plowing the new funds into television and digital ads worth $5.5 million in early primary and caucus states, as well as new campaign staff hires. The ad investments will build on existing efforts in California and Texas, and buy ad spots in eight Super Tuesday (March 3) states where the campaign had not yet begun advertising: Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.
The campaign touted its strong support from Americans of relatively modest means, noting that teachers were the most common occupation of donors once again in January. The five most common employers of Sanders’s January donors were Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, the U.S. Postal Service and Target, according to the campaign. The average donation was $18.72.
“Working class Americans giving $18 at a time are putting our campaign in a strong position to compete in states all over the map,” campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a statement.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks to voters in Derry, New Hampshire, on Wednesday. He remains the polling favorite days before the state's primary on Tuesday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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To date, Sanders has been the most prodigious fundraiser in the Democratic presidential field with a total haul of more than $121 million, including January, according to the campaign. In the final quarter of 2019, Sanders raised $34.5 million.
What two of Sanders’s rivals lack in direct fundraising, however, is offset by the support of super PACs capable of raising and spending unlimited sums to support them, so long as the outside groups do not coordinate with the candidates’ campaigns. Unite the Country, a super PAC supporting former Vice President Joe Biden, spent at least $3.8 million on his behalf. The liberal veterans group VoteVets PAC has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on ads that favor former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg ― an effort that a campaign aide apparently found a way to encourage on Wednesday within the notoriously porous letter of campaign finance law.
Sanders said he has rejected outside help. He has nonetheless received nearly $280,000 in support from the super PAC operated by the National Nurses United labor union. The union, which endorsed Sanders in November, spent the funds on radio ads and text messaging to boost his campaign.
At least one outside group has used big-dollar donations to finance attacks against Sanders. A pro-Israel super PAC affiliated with Democratic Majority for Israel spent nearly $700,000 on a last-minute TV ad campaign in Iowa that questioned Sanders’s ability to defeat President Donald Trump in November. Sanders responded to the effort with fundraising appeals to supporters that netted more than $1.3 million in 24 hours.
Buttigieg’s campaign has criticized Sanders’s self-styled image as a foe of corrupt campaign finance practices, calling him out in fundraising emails for receiving the support of “dark money” groups. But a political nonprofit affiliated with the left-wing group Justice Democrats, which does not have to disclose donors, has not endorsed Sanders. It is spending $500,000 on a digital ad campaign slamming his rivals Buttigieg and Biden.
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A coalition of nine pro-Sanders progressive groups announced plans last week to mount an independent spending effort on Sanders’s behalf. But the coalition, called People Power for Bernie, which would use a vehicle that does not require it to disclose donors, has yet to provide a dollar figure estimate for its investment or clarify whether it will disclose donor identities voluntarily. (The NNU’s super PAC has to disclose its donors and is thus not considered a “dark money” group.)
Sanders heads into the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday with a significant lead in the average of public polls.
His campaign’s announcement of the January haul is nonetheless an effort to generate more momentum after Monday’s Iowa caucuses.
As of late Wednesday, with 97% of Iowa precincts reporting, Buttigieg held a razor-thin lead over Sanders in the state convention delegate count that the Iowa Democratic Party has historically used to determine a caucus winner.
But the complexity of Iowa’s delegate allotment system means that a candidate can win the final popular vote, which Sanders was leading in as of Wednesday night, without prevailing in the state’s version of an electoral college.
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As a result, the raw data from those precincts showed Sanders winning both the first and second rounds of the statewide popular vote ― or final realignment forged after supporters of candidates who did not meet a “viability” threshold of votes went to other candidates’ camps.
Though the Iowa Democratic Party’s results reporting fiasco denied either Buttigieg or Sanders the opportunity to claim an unalloyed win on Monday night, both camps have sought to shape the narrative in their favor, with Buttigieg initially declaring himself “victorious” and the Sanders campaign releasing internal data showing the Vermont senator leading in all aspects of the caucus.
In a letter to Sanders staff, volunteers and surrogates in Iowa, Misty Rebik, Sanders’s Iowa state director, highlighted the campaign’s success in some of the most youthful and racially diverse precincts in cities like Des Moines, as well as its success in rural areas like Buena Vista County. The campaign won 11 out of the 12 precincts released thus far where Latinos make up over 20% of registered voters, according to the Sanders campaign’s analysis of official data.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-05--DHS Bans New Yorkers From Global Entry Applications, Punishing State For Sanctuary Laws

The Department of Homeland Security banned New Yorkers from taking part in trusted traveler programs , including the popular Global Entry , on Wednesday , a retaliatory move the agency ’ s chief said came after state lawmakers enacted protections for undocumented immigrants .
Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said Wednesday on Fox News that , effective immediately , all New Yorkers would be barred from enrolling or re-enrolling in the programs , which are meant to expedite entry into the United States for low-risk travelers .
The programs , including Global Entry , NEXUS , SENTRI and FAST , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often touted at airports as a means to bypass long customs and border protection lines .
Wolf sent a letter to state officials explaining that the agency had taken the step after New York passed its so-called Green Light Law , which allows undocumented residents to obtain a driver ’ s license .
The measure also prohibits personal information held by the Department of Motor Vehicles to be used by DHS or its agencies , including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection .
“ Today we sent a letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures , New York residents are no longer eligible to enroll in these trusted traveler programs , ” Wolf told Fox News host Tucker Carlson .
“ They can ’ t enroll or re-enroll in these trusted traveler programs that CBP offers because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those program requirements .
We need to do our job.
” The Green Light Law , which went into effect in December , has already been incredibly popular .
Lines outside state DMV offices stretched for blocks on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply for driver ’ s licenses .
Advocates had long argued that expanding the benefit to all residents would increase public safety and access to public services for the estimated 940,000 undocumented immigrants in New York .
Wolf ’ s decision came just a day after President Donald Trump ’ s State of the Union address , in which he attacked “ sanctuary cities ” that have passed laws meant to protect undocumented people and limited local cooperation with federal officials .
The issue is popular with the president ’ s base , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his campaign rallies .
“ The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans , not criminal aliens , ” Trump declared Tuesday , adding details about two violent crimes in an effort to bolster his case .
Wolf echoed that sentiment in his letter this week , saying the Green Light Law “ prevents DHS from accessing relevant information that only New York DMV maintains , including some aspects of an individual ’ s criminal history.
” “ Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these critical homeland security initiatives , this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS ’ s efforts to protect the Homeland are not compromised , ” Wolf wrote .
He said the changes , which also prohibit vehicle exports , would go into immediate effect .

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The Department of Homeland Security banned New Yorkers from taking part in trusted traveler programs, including the popular Global Entry, on Wednesday, a retaliatory move the agency’s chief said came after state lawmakers enacted protections for undocumented immigrants.
Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said Wednesday on Fox News that, effective immediately, all New Yorkers would be barred from enrolling or re-enrolling in the programs, which are meant to expedite entry into the United States for low-risk travelers. The programs, including Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST, have millions of members nationwide and are often touted at airports as a means to bypass long customs and border protection lines.
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Wolf sent a letter to state officials explaining that the agency had taken the step after New York passed its so-called Green Light Law, which allows undocumented residents to obtain a driver’s license. The measure also prohibits personal information held by the Department of Motor Vehicles to be used by DHS or its agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
“Today we sent a letter to New York indicating because they took these measures, New York residents are no longer eligible to enroll in these trusted traveler programs,” Wolf told Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “They can’t enroll or re-enroll in these trusted traveler programs that CBP offers because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those program requirements. We need to do our job.”
DHS directed HuffPost to Wolf’s remarks on Fox News but did not provide any additional comment.
The Green Light Law, which went into effect in December, has already been incredibly popular. Lines outside state DMV offices stretched for blocks on the first day that people were able to apply for driver’s licenses. Advocates had long argued that expanding the benefit to all residents would increase public safety and access to public services for the estimated 940,000 undocumented immigrants in New York.
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Wolf’s decision came just a day after President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, in which he attacked “sanctuary cities” that have passed laws meant to protect undocumented people and limited local cooperation with federal officials. The issue is popular with the president’s base, and the anti-immigrant rhetoric is often featured in his campaign rallies.
“The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans, not criminal aliens,” Trump declared Tuesday, adding details about two violent crimes in an effort to bolster his case.
Wolf echoed that sentiment in his letter this week, saying the Green Light Law “prevents DHS from accessing relevant information that only New York DMV maintains, including some aspects of an individual’s criminal history.”
“Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS’s efforts to protect the Homeland are not compromised,” Wolf wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Democratic National Committee Launches New Climate Council Months After Debate Feud

The move comes months after party leaders weathered blistering criticism from activists and even some White House hopefuls for refusing to host a presidential primary debate on global warming amid a spate of natural disasters and mounting calls from scientists to prioritize radical political changes in the near future .
The so-called Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis will operate as an independent body within the DNC to advocate as ambitious a policy platform as the party will support .
Michelle Deatrick , a surrogate for Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders in both 2016 and 2020 , will serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board ― made up of activists , West Coast party officials and one scientist ― is set to kick off a national listening tour in New Hampshire next week as its members start assembling a list of policy goals for the Democrats ’ main party organ to ratify at its presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee this July .
“ The time for incrementalism is long past and the longer we wait , the faster we have to move , ” Deatrick , a Michigan farmer and poet who ran unsuccessfully for the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone interview .
“ The house is on fire.
” Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee , then making a White House bid as the climate candidate , sparred repeatedly with the party over rules that discouraged presidential hopefuls from participating in unofficial debates .
Sunrise Movement , the influential youth campaigners behind the Green New Deal movement , staged protests aimed at embarrassing DNC leaders , whom they accused of kowtowing to fossil fuel interests and misunderstanding the magnitude of the looming climate threat .
In July , the DNC caved to pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a range of climate resolutions , including those in favor of hosting a debate and creating a council to focus on the issue .
DNC members voted down the debate resolution at a meeting in San Francisco in August .
But the council won approval .
Since then , Deatrick assembled a diverse team to sit on the council , including : vice chair David Green , a Washington state party official ; youth director D Garcia , a Latina activist who worked with Sunrise Movement , the influential campaigners behind the Green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephens , an education and public health expert ; Asian American and Pacific Islander engagement director Pete Lee , a former Republican who abandoned conservatism , began grassroots organizing and now serves as vice chair of Oregon ’ s Democratic Party ; Native American engagement director Paulette Jordan , an environmental crusader and 2018 Democratic nominee for governor of Idaho ; Latinx engagement director Elly Zaragoza , a Green New Deal activist and former university administrator ; and science officer Jennifer Burney , a University of California , San Diego , researcher who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food security .
In 2018 , the DNC quietly adopted , then reversed , a ban on fossil fuel donations under pressure from labor unions who depend on lucrative pipeline work .
A week ago , DNC Chairman Tom Perez announced a governing committee stacked with business-friendly Democrats , including some with fossil fuel interests who oppose the Green New Deal movement .
Anyone who ’ s paying attention can see at this point that climate change and environmental issues have been given nothing more than lip service from Tom Perez ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal voters routinely list electability as a foremost priority for the 2020 election , Democratic leadership seems to see its best pathway to the White House as one that maintains what remains of a calm status quo following three chaotic years under President Donald Trump .
( Sanders , who has proposed a transformative $ 16.3 trillion Green New Deal , and his progressive rival Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren are among the only candidates who consistently ranked at the top of environmental groups ’ lists of 2020 contenders . )
“ Anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point that climate change and environmental issues have been given nothing more than lip service from Tom Perez ’ s DNC up until now , ” Evan Weber , Sunrise Movement ’ s political director , said by phone Wednesday .
For Deatrick , making climate change the Democrats ’ electoral priority is a personal fight .
For the past two years , she and her family could not plant on half her 80-acre farm in southeast Michigan due to flooding from unusually intense rainfall .
In 2016 , she ran for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a three-time Republican incumbent for a seat on the Washtenaw County commission .
It was one of only six red-to-blue victories in the entire Great Lake State that year .

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The Democratic National Committee has launched an internal council to serve as its climate ombudsman and set a sweeping new policy agenda on the issue, HuffPost has learned.
The move comes months after party leaders weathered blistering criticism from activists and even some White House hopefuls for refusing to host a presidential primary debate on global warming amid a spate of natural disasters and mounting calls from scientists to prioritize radical political changes in the near future.
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The so-called Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis will operate as an independent body within the DNC to advocate as ambitious a policy platform as the party will support. Michelle Deatrick, a surrogate for Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders in both 2016 and 2020, will serve as its national chairwoman. The eight-member board ― made up of activists, West Coast party officials and one scientist ― is set to kick off a national listening tour in New Hampshire next week as its members start assembling a list of policy goals for the Democrats’ main party organ to ratify at its presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee this July.
“The time for incrementalism is long past and the longer we wait, the faster we have to move,” Deatrick, a Michigan farmer and poet who ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate in 2018, said in a phone interview. “The house is on fire.”
Protests calling on the DNC to host a climate debate last summer. Sarah Silbiger via Getty Images
The panel was born out of internal strife in the party, when Democrats’ ascendant climate wing publicly lobbied DNC leaders to schedule a presidential debate focused exclusively on global warming.
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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, then making a White House bid as the climate candidate, sparred repeatedly with the party over rules that discouraged presidential hopefuls from participating in unofficial debates. Sunrise Movement, the influential youth campaigners behind the Green New Deal movement, staged protests aimed at embarrassing DNC leaders, whom they accused of kowtowing to fossil fuel interests and misunderstanding the magnitude of the looming climate threat.
In July, the DNC caved to pressure and agreed to hold a vote on a range of climate resolutions, including those in favor of hosting a debate and creating a council to focus on the issue. DNC members voted down the debate resolution at a meeting in San Francisco in August. But the council won approval.
Since then, Deatrick assembled a diverse team to sit on the council, including: vice chair David Green, a Washington state party official; youth director D Garcia, a Latina activist who worked with Sunrise Movement, the influential campaigners behind the Green New Deal; Black engagement director Allison Stephens, an education and public health expert; Asian American and Pacific Islander engagement director Pete Lee, a former Republican who abandoned conservatism, began grassroots organizing and now serves as vice chair of Oregon’s Democratic Party; Native American engagement director Paulette Jordan, an environmental crusader and 2018 Democratic nominee for governor of Idaho; Latinx engagement director Elly Zaragoza, a Green New Deal activist and former university administrator; and science officer Jennifer Burney, a University of California, San Diego, researcher who studies climate change’s impact on food security.
The group faces steep obstacles to bringing the Democratic Party on board with the kind of sweeping economic and industrial policy scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic warming.
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In 2018, the DNC quietly adopted, then reversed, a ban on fossil fuel donations under pressure from labor unions who depend on lucrative pipeline work. A week ago, DNC Chairman Tom Perez announced a governing committee stacked with business-friendly Democrats, including some with fossil fuel interests who oppose the Green New Deal movement.
The party’s presidential field remains split on issues like fracking, the pollution-heavy drilling technique that spurred the American oil and gas boom, and nuclear energy, the nation’s top source of zero-emissions electricity.
“Anyone who’s paying attention can see at this point that climate change and environmental issues have been given nothing more than lip service from Tom Perez’s DNC up until now.” - Evan Weber, Sunrise Movement’s political director
And as liberal voters routinely list electability as a foremost priority for the 2020 election, Democratic leadership seems to see its best pathway to the White House as one that maintains what remains of a calm status quo following three chaotic years under President Donald Trump. (Sanders, who has proposed a transformative $16.3 trillion Green New Deal, and his progressive rival Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren are among the only candidates who consistently ranked at the top of environmental groups’ lists of 2020 contenders.)
“Anyone who’s paying attention can see at this point that climate change and environmental issues have been given nothing more than lip service from Tom Perez’s DNC up until now,” Evan Weber, Sunrise Movement’s political director, said by phone Wednesday.
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He called the council “incredibly valuable” but warned that “there’s going to be a fight” over what Deatrick can propose for the party’s climate platform in Milwaukee.
Those challenges, of course, say nothing of the party’s own lack of internal infrastructure on climate change. Deatrick said the council plans to survey parties in all 50 states and seven territories to make sure that each one includes a caucus devoted to climate and environmental issues. Asked how many already exist, she couldn’t say, which she said illustrates how far behind the national party is on organizing around an issue most Democratic voters rank as a top concern.
“The fact that that knowledge is not well-known points to part of the reason why we are necessary,” Deatrick said.
For Deatrick, making climate change the Democrats’ electoral priority is a personal fight. For the past two years, she and her family could not plant on half her 80-acre farm in southeast Michigan due to flooding from unusually intense rainfall. In 2016, she ran for office for the first time and beat a three-time Republican incumbent for a seat on the Washtenaw County commission. It was one of only six red-to-blue victories in the entire Great Lake State that year.
“We’re a big-tent party, and this is an issue that affects people everywhere,” Deatrick said. “I see this as a huge opportunity for the Democratic Party.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Treasury Department Hands Over Hunter Biden Info After Withholding Trump's Tax Records

Yahoo News first reported Thursday that the Treasury Department handed over highly confidential information in response to a November request from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley ( R-Iowa ) and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson ( R-Wis. ) for suspicious activity reports filed with the department by financial institutions .
“ The legal implications of this request could affect protections for all Americans against politically-motivated disclosures of personal tax information , regardless of which party is in power , ” Mnuchin said in an April 2019 letter .
Apparently , that same standard did not apply when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pertain to the son of former Vice President Joe Biden , a Trump political rival .
“ The administration told House Democrats to go pound sand when their oversight authority was mandatory while voluntarily cooperating with the Senate Republicans ’ sideshow at lightning speed , ” Ashley Schapitl , a spokeswoman for Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) , the highest-ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee , said in a statement .
Senate Republicans are investigating Hunter Biden as part of an inquiry designed to bolster Trump ’ s unfounded claim that Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his son , who served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while his father was involved in setting U.S. foreign policy in Eastern Europe .
The inquiry , which includes at least a half dozen records requests to various organizations and executive branch agencies , has proceeded since fall with relatively little notice .
It picks up where Trump left off last summer when he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate whether Biden had improperly recommended the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor .
Zelensky never followed through because Democrats learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which launched their impeachment inquiry and prompted the White House to release a secret hold on military assistance to Ukraine .
The House impeached Trump on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges in December .
In the Senate trial last month , the president ’ s lawyers said Hunter Biden ’ s board membership created the appearance of a conflict of interest , but they stopped short of alleging any actual illegality .
As the Senate Republicans ’ records requests show , the quest for corroboration continues .
In their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden and various associates , Republicans cited an internal Senate rule authorizing the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to investigate the effectiveness of “ all agencies and departments ” of the federal government .
Financial institutions are required to file suspicious activity reports with the Treasury Department if they reasonably suspect customer transactions may be connected to money laundering .
Democrats based their request for Trump ’ s tax records on a federal tax disclosure law granting congressional committees access to private tax information by request .
Mnuchin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to embarrass the president , so they refused to comply .
Now the request is tied up in court .
It ’ s hypocritical for the Treasury Department to stonewall Democrats ’ request while granting Republicans access to material on Hunter Biden , said Steve Rosenthal , a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center .
He said it ’ s hard to see what legislative purpose Republicans are after with regard to Hunter Biden .
A spokesman for Grassley wouldn ’ t say if the Finance Committee is also seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee generally doesn ’ t disclose whether it has sought someone ’ s private tax information ; Grassley has used the tax disclosure law to obtain the returns of tax-exempt organizations , such as nonprofit hospitals , and to investigate ACORN , an organization that registered low-income voters , who tend to be Democrats .

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WASHINGTON ― The Treasury Department has given congressional Republicans sensitive financial information related to Hunter Biden after having refused to give Democrats President Donald Trump’s tax returns.
Yahoo News first reported Thursday that the Treasury Department handed over highly confidential information in response to a November request from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) for suspicious activity reports filed with the department by financial institutions.
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Last year, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin blocked a Democratic request for the president’s tax filings, saying Democrats had no legitimate legislative purpose for seeking the documents.
“The legal implications of this request could affect protections for all Americans against politically-motivated disclosures of personal tax information, regardless of which party is in power,” Mnuchin said in an April 2019 letter.
Apparently, that same standard did not apply when it came to non-tax financial information that may pertain to the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, a Trump political rival.
“The administration told House Democrats to go pound sand when their oversight authority was mandatory while voluntarily cooperating with the Senate Republicans’ sideshow at lightning speed,” Ashley Schapitl, a spokeswoman for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the highest-ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, said in a statement.
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Senate Republicans are investigating Hunter Biden as part of an inquiry designed to bolster Trump’s unfounded claim that Joe Biden used the vice presidency to benefit his son, who served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while his father was involved in setting U.S. foreign policy in Eastern Europe.
“For [Treasury] to go willy-nilly handing out financial information of private citizens … is simply outrageous.” - Steve Rosenthal, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
The inquiry, which includes at least a half dozen records requests to various organizations and executive branch agencies, has proceeded since fall with relatively little notice. It picks up where Trump left off last summer when he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate whether Biden had improperly recommended the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor.
Zelensky never followed through because Democrats learned of the scheme from a whistleblower report, which launched their impeachment inquiry and prompted the White House to release a secret hold on military assistance to Ukraine. The House impeached Trump on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges in December.
In the Senate trial last month, the president’s lawyers said Hunter Biden’s board membership created the appearance of a conflict of interest, but they stopped short of alleging any actual illegality. As the Senate Republicans’ records requests show, the quest for corroboration continues.
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In their letter seeking suspicious activity reports related to Hunter Biden and various associates, Republicans cited an internal Senate rule authorizing the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to investigate the effectiveness of “all agencies and departments” of the federal government. Financial institutions are required to file suspicious activity reports with the Treasury Department if they reasonably suspect customer transactions may be connected to money laundering.
Democrats based their request for Trump’s tax records on a federal tax disclosure law granting congressional committees access to private tax information by request. Mnuchin and the Justice Department claimed that Democrats only wanted to embarrass the president, so they refused to comply. Now the request is tied up in court.
It’s hypocritical for the Treasury Department to stonewall Democrats’ request while granting Republicans access to material on Hunter Biden, said Steve Rosenthal, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. He said it’s hard to see what legislative purpose Republicans are after with regard to Hunter Biden.
“For [Treasury] to go willy-nilly handing out financial information of private citizens… is simply outrageous,” Rosenthal said.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is one of the Senate leaders who has requested information about Hunter Biden from the Treasury Department. Alex Wong via Getty Images
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A spokesman for Grassley wouldn’t say if the Finance Committee is also seeking Biden’s tax returns. The committee generally doesn’t disclose whether it has sought someone’s private tax information; Grassley has used the tax disclosure law to obtain the returns of tax-exempt organizations, such as nonprofit hospitals, and to investigate ACORN, an organization that registered low-income voters, who tend to be Democrats.
The Treasury Department declined to comment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Trump Struggles With Basic Christian Teaching At National Prayer Breakfast

In his Sermon on the Mount , Jesus gave his followers a set of counterintuitive teachings , telling them that the meek will inherit the earth , to be glad when people persecute them , to turn the other cheek and , most importantly , to love their enemies .
During Thursday ’ s National Prayer Breakfast , Trump used his time at the lectern to condemn the impeachment proceedings , rally for his own reelection and disparage the sincerity of his opponents ’ faith .
The president ’ s speech at the Washington Hilton hotel was a jarring departure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an annual event that traditionally seeks to promote bipartisanship and unity .
Brooks asked members of the audience to raise their hands if they loved someone whom they disagreed with politically .
Hands shot up around the room , but Trump didn ’ t raise his , according to the Religion News Service .
“ As everybody knows , my family , our great country and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people , ” Trump said .
“ They have done everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so doing , very badly hurt our nation.
” The president lashed out at Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , who broke with his Republican colleagues on Wednesday by voting to convict Trump of abuse of power .
The president attacked Romney for pointing to his faith as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to explain his vote .
“ I ’ m sorry .
I apologize .
I ’ m trying to learn .
It ’ s not easy .
It ’ s not easy , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ When they impeach you for nothing , then you ’ re supposed to like them ?
It ’ s not easy , folks .
I do my best.
” Trump was very publicly wrestling with core Christian teaching .
It ’ s not the first time he ’ s done so .
During his 2016 election campaign , he was repeatedly asked if he repented his sins , something many Christians believe is a key part of their spiritual journey .
At first , Trump said he doesn ’ t ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he does seek forgiveness but hopes he doesn ’ t have to do it often .
“ We won ’ t let that happen .
We are going to protect our religions .
We are going to protect Christianity , ” he said .
“ We are going to protect our great ministers and pastors and rabbis and all of the people that we so cherish and that we so respect.
” “ At the heart of the believer ’ s relationship with God is a profound humility before the Lord .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s relationship with Jesus Christ is a profound reverence for his teachings , including , ‘ Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you , ’ ” Martin wrote on Twitter .
“ Humility is central to Christian discipleship , ” Gehring told HuffPost .
“ President Trump seems to have no interest in stepping outside himself and learning that there is nothing Christian about worshipping your own ego.
” “ You can love and pray for a change in Donald Trump ’ s heart and mind , but we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simultaneously , ” Wallis said .
“ We must learn what it means to love Donald Trump while rejecting Trumpism .
”

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In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave his followers a set of counterintuitive teachings, telling them that the meek will inherit the earth, to be glad when people persecute them, to turn the other cheek and, most importantly, to love their enemies.
President Donald Trump, a self-described Presbyterian, is having a tough time following that last command.
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During Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast, Trump used his time at the lectern to condemn the impeachment proceedings, rally for his own reelection and disparage the sincerity of his opponents’ faith. The president’s speech at the Washington Hilton hotel was a jarring departure from the tone set by other speakers at an annual event that traditionally seeks to promote bipartisanship and unity.
Trump spoke shortly after a keynote delivered by Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor and president of a conservative think tank, who lamented the country’s increasing polarization.
“Some people say we need more civility and tolerance. I say, nonsense,” Brooks said. “Why? Because civility and tolerance are a low standard. Jesus didn’t say, ‘Tolerate your enemies.’ He said, ‘Love your enemies.’ Answer hatred with love.”
Brooks asked members of the audience to raise their hands if they loved someone whom they disagreed with politically. Hands shot up around the room, but Trump didn’t raise his, according to the Religion News Service.
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Just now: "How many of you love someone with whom you disagree politically?" pic.twitter.com/zf3kD739fV — Jack Jenkins (@jackmjenkins) February 6, 2020
Moments later, the president got the chance to share his thoughts out loud and he publicly wrestled with a core Christian teaching.
“Arthur, I don’t know if I agree with you,” Trump said as he took the microphone.
“As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people,” Trump said. “They have done everything possible to destroy us and, by so doing, very badly hurt our nation.”
The president lashed out at Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who broke with his Republican colleagues on Wednesday by voting to convict Trump of abuse of power. The president attacked Romney for pointing to his faith as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to explain his vote.
“I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong,” Trump said.
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The president also seemed to take a jab at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a Catholic who has said she often prays for Trump.
“Nor do I like people who say, ‘I pray for you,’ when they know that that’s not so,” Trump said.
Near the end of his speech, the president appeared to return to Brooks’ challenge to “love your enemies,” pointing out that religious people are sometimes guilty of hate.
“I’m sorry. I apologize. I’m trying to learn. It’s not easy. It’s not easy,” he said, prompting laughter in the audience. “When they impeach you for nothing, then you’re supposed to like them? It’s not easy, folks. I do my best.”
President Donald Trump holds up a copy of USA Today showing news of his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, as he arrives to address the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Feb. 6, 2020. Leah Millis / Reuters
Trump was very publicly wrestling with core Christian teaching. It’s not the first time he’s done so. During his 2016 election campaign, he was repeatedly asked if he repented his sins, something many Christians believe is a key part of their spiritual journey. At first, Trump said he doesn’t ask God for forgiveness. He later said he does seek forgiveness but hopes he doesn’t have to do it often.
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Despite his shifting theological positions and other moral missteps, Trump still enjoys strong support from his conservative Christian base, particularly from white evangelical Protestants who are thrilled by his defense of issues important to them.
On Thursday, he warned attendees at the National Prayer Breakfast that “certain religions in particular” are “under siege.”
“We won’t let that happen. We are going to protect our religions. We are going to protect Christianity,” he said. “We are going to protect our great ministers and pastors and rabbis and all of the people that we so cherish and that we so respect.”
The Rev. James Martin, editor at large of the Catholic magazine America, called Trump’s speech “disgusting,” “self-serving” and “mean-spirited.”
“At the heart of the believer’s relationship with God is a profound humility before the Lord. And at the heart of the Christian’s relationship with Jesus Christ is a profound reverence for his teachings, including, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,’” Martin wrote on Twitter.
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“The last place that one should flaunt one’s vanity or ignore Jesus’s teachings is in the setting of prayer,” Martin added.
Catholic leaders should boycott this event in the future if it continues in this vein. Because it is no longer the occasion for prayer with the President, and is no longer prayer in any meaningful way, but is an exercise in spite, contempt and vanity. — James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) February 6, 2020
John Fea, a history professor at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, wrote that Trump used the National Prayer Breakfast as his “shooting range,” while his evangelical supporters “cheered.”
“Trump loves Christianity as long it props up his corrupt presidency,” Fea wrote for USA Today. “He claims to be a defender of religious freedom, but gets angry when people exercise that freedom in a manner that exposes his depravity.”
John Gehring, Catholic program director at the progressive advocacy group Faith in Public Life, said that even at a prayer breakfast, Trump appeared to be treating faith as a “crude tool to further his own agenda.”
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“Humility is central to Christian discipleship,” Gehring told HuffPost. “President Trump seems to have no interest in stepping outside himself and learning that there is nothing Christian about worshipping your own ego.”
Other Christians chimed in on Twitter:
This prayer breakfast is not about honoring God & being a prophetic voice, but an attempt to use religious activities as cover for irreligious politics & policy actions. — Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (@RevDrBarber) February 6, 2020
Is there a prophet like Nathan in the room? “Thou art the man.” https://t.co/P12nMfKdw6 — Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (@wilsonhartgrove) February 6, 2020
American nationalism camouflaged as Christianity is on full display today at the #NationalPrayerBreakfast. Some Christians are more committed to Trump than to Christ. But this is nothing new. In Ancient Rome many deserted Christ and said, “We have no King but Caesar.” pic.twitter.com/0z9XC6myks — Shane Claiborne (@ShaneClaiborne) February 6, 2020
Good morning!
White Christian supremacy was on full display this morning at the #NationalPrayerBreakfast.
Remember, Jesus is Lord. If you’re Christian and declare someone else as lord, please check your Christianity.
Have a blessed day! — Tuhina Verma Rasche (@tvrasche) February 6, 2020
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Trump's comments showed a “level of candor” when he insinuated he would not love all his enemies, according to @sr_simone.
"He is the total antithesis of what it means to follow Jesus,” @GuthrieGF added. @thehill's @JustineColeman8 reports: https://t.co/XlHRhzd1OI — CAPfaith (@CAPfaith) February 6, 2020
Jim Wallis, leader of the progressive Christian organization Sojourners, told HuffPost that loving your neighbor and your enemies are core values for Christians.
“Trump is in direct contempt with this central Christian teaching,” he said.
But Wallis also noted that loving your neighbors doesn’t mean submitting to them.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--California Gov. Gavin Newsom Dings Trump's $3 Trillion Pricetag For His 'Booming' Economy

California Gov .
Gavin Newsom stacked up his state ’ s financials against America ’ s and mocked Donald Trump for racking up an extra $ 3 trillion in debt for what the president characterizes as a “ booming ” national economy .
Trump promised to balance the budget when he was campaigning , but the national debt has now reached a record of more than $ 23 trillion .
( “ Who the hell cares about the budget ?
” Trump asked donors at a fundraiser last month . )
California , meanwhile , is reporting “ record surpluses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth , the Democratic governor tweeted Thursday .
“ Progressive policies and economic growth DO go hand-in-hand.
” REMINDER : while Trump claims credit for a “ booming economy ” he has actually DOUBLED the deficit and created over $ 3 TRILLION of new debt .
MEANWHILE IN CA : Record surpluses .
Record low unemployment .
Record job growth .
Progressive policies and economic growth DO go hand-in-hand .
— Gavin Newsom ( @ GavinNewsom ) February 6 , 2020 The health of the U.S. economy is drawing new scrutiny after it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of the Union address Tuesday .
“ Our country is vibrant and our economy is thriving like never before , ” Trump said .
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) agreed that the economy is booming — “ for Trump and his billionaire friends .
The wealthiest people in our country have never , ever had it so good.
” Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer also fired back at Trump ’ s economy boast in her Democratic response to the State of the Union speech .
“ All over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO pay has skyrocketed , ” she said .
“ So when the president says the economy is strong , my question is : Strong for whom ?
Strong for the wealthy , who are reaping the rewards from tax cuts they don ’ t need ?
” The jobless rate is low , but Trump inherited a strong economy that is largely continuing a trajectory begun during the Obama administration after the nation was pulled out of a major recession .
The economy has added an average of 191,000 jobs per month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage points while Trump has been president .
But during Barack Obama ’ s last 35 months in the White House , the number of jobs increased an average of 227,000 a month , and the unemployment rate dropped by 2 percentage points .
The wealth gap among Americans is the largest since data was collected beginning more than a half-century ago , and college education , child care and health care costs are increasing .
Economic growth slowed to 2.3 % in 2019 , the lowest rate of Trump ’ s presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the growth rate to at least 3 % and possibly as high as 6 % .

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Trump promised to balance the budget when he was campaigning, but the national debt has now reached a record of more than $23 trillion. (“Who the hell cares about the budget?” Trump asked donors at a fundraiser last month.)
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California, meanwhile, is reporting “record surpluses,” low unemployment and high job growth, the Democratic governor tweeted Thursday. “Progressive policies and economic growth DO go hand-in-hand.”
REMINDER: while Trump claims credit for a “booming economy” he has actually DOUBLED the deficit and created over $3 TRILLION of new debt.
MEANWHILE IN CA: Record surpluses. Record low unemployment. Record job growth.
Progressive policies and economic growth DO go hand-in-hand. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 6, 2020
The health of the U.S. economy is drawing new scrutiny after it was thoroughly touted by Trump in his State of the Union address Tuesday. “Our country is vibrant and our economy is thriving like never before,” Trump said.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) agreed that the economy is booming — “for Trump and his billionaire friends. The wealthiest people in our country have never, ever had it so good.”
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also fired back at Trump’s economy boast in her Democratic response to the State of the Union speech.
“All over the country, wages have stagnated while CEO pay has skyrocketed,” she said. “So when the president says the economy is strong, my question is: Strong for whom? Strong for the wealthy, who are reaping the rewards from tax cuts they don’t need?”
The jobless rate is low, but Trump inherited a strong economy that is largely continuing a trajectory begun during the Obama administration after the nation was pulled out of a major recession.
The economy has added an average of 191,000 jobs per month and the unemployment rate has fallen 1.2 percentage points while Trump has been president. But during Barack Obama’s last 35 months in the White House, the number of jobs increased an average of 227,000 a month, and the unemployment rate dropped by 2 percentage points.
The wealth gap among Americans is the largest since data was collected beginning more than a half-century ago, and college education, child care and health care costs are increasing.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Donald Trump Jr. Throws Bible Reference At Nancy Pelosi, Totally Screws Up Scripture

`` The devil ... said to him , 'If you are the Son of God , throw yourself down ; @ @ @ @ @ in the Scriptures ] , `` He will give his angels charge of you , @ @ @ @ @ hands they will bear you up , lest you strike your foot against a stone @ @ @ @ @ 4:5-6 https : //t.co/zd2TbLXuPI

"The devil... said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written [in the Scriptures], "He will give his angels charge of you," and "On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."'" -Matthew 4:5-6 https://t.co/zd2TbLXuPI