westernjournal--2020-01-29--Fox Contributor: People Are Saying Trump’s a Better Catholic Than Biden – and Trump’s a Protestant

When former Vice President Joe Biden was allegedly denied communion at a Catholic parish in South Carolina last October for his stance in favor of abortion rights , it sparked a debate over the Democratic presidential front-runner ’ s Catholicism .
For conservative Catholics , it was a decision that the pastor in question made correctly .
Edward Peters , an expert in canon law , wrote an opinion piece for The Hill in which he said that “ lest the enormity of abortion under Catholic moral analysis result in the impression that only a politician ’ s support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notion of actionable ‘ grave sin , ’ note that many things can qualify as ‘ grave sin ’ and that , in Biden ’ s case , other misdeeds could figure in a decision to withhold the sacrament .
“ For example , in 2016 Biden capped many years of public support for same-sex marriage by officiating at such a ceremony between White House staffers while vice president , an act perceived as a deliberate thumb in the eye of the church for teaching that marriage can exist only between a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his open conflicts with church teachings.
” While Dolan said he thought “ that priest had a good point ” and that Biden ’ s stance was “ publicly at odds with an issue of substance , critical substance … about life and death in the church , ” he quoted the pope ’ s stance on the matter : “ We also remember Pope Francis : ‘ I personally can never judge the state of a person ’ s soul.
’ So , it ’ s difficult , that ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m not there as a tribunal , as a judge in distributing Holy Communion.
” All of which is to say that , within the church itself , there wasn ’ t any debate as to whether Biden was upholding the tenets of Catholicism — there was just a question as to whether he deserved to receive the sacrament of communion .
I would wager there were plenty of Catholics at the March for Life who would answer that question in the negative , given the fact that Fox News contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest in Washington last week , she found more than a few who thought the current Protestant resident of the White House was a better Catholic than the Catholic running to replace him .
“ Catholics were telling me [ at the March For Life ] that they thought Donald Trump was a better Catholic than Joe Biden , ” Campos-Duffy told Todd Starnes on his radio show Monday .
Biden , for whatever it ’ s worth , doesn ’ t frequently take shelter behind the cross to duck criticism of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be said for South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg , another target of Campos-Duffy ’ s ire .
It seems like no serious presidential candidate since the Rev .
Pat Robertson ’ s one-issue 1988 campaign has invoked the specter of the Almighty so often when answering weighty questions .
The difference is you get the feeling Robertson actually meant it .
Buttigieg ’ s invocation of his religious views comes across more as a challenge to his opponents to question his threadbare beliefs on policies with any kind of moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not abide by Donald Trump ’ s take on < insert controversial policy here > because I have to answer to my Creator , sir.
” Just don ’ t ask him to answer to the deity so unequivocally when it comes to abortion .
At a town hall meeting on Sunday , Buttigieg was asked by the president of Democrats for Life ( yes , Virginia , they do exist — and , as National Review ’ s Alexandra DeSanctis points out , they comprise roughly one-third of the party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more-moderate platform language in the Democratic Party to ensure that the party of diversity , of inclusion , really does include everybody ?
” The best summation of his position is this : “ The best I can offer is that if we can ’ t agree on where to draw the line , the next best thing we can do is agree on who should draw the line .
And in my view , it ’ s the woman who ’ s faced with that decision in her own life.
” Which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , “ Sorry , but inclusion isn ’ t that inclusive.
” “ As a Catholic , I know a lot of Catholics who say they ’ re pro-life , want to be pro-life , but continue to vote Democrat in this fantasy that somehow that tent is big enough for them , ” Campos-Duffy told Starnes .
“ Abortion animates the Democratic Party , and it is why Pete Buttigieg , who says he is a Christian , is willing to ignore the Scriptures that he is often quoting in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within that party.
” This is why , quite frankly , a guy who hasn ’ t even taken first Communion , much less confession , confirmation and matrimony , within the Catholic Church is potentially considered more Catholic than Joe Biden is , at least among a certain crowd .
Personal opposition to abortion is a non-negotiable litmus test for members of the Catholic faith .
It isn ’ t that Biden thinks Roe v. Wade is the law of the land and that , while he finds it immoral , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a necessary constitutional evil .
People who believe that don ’ t tweet stuff like this : They also don ’ t suddenly start supporting the Hyde Amendment , a piece of legislation that prohibits federal funding for abortion .
Biden , under pressure from the ascendant left wing of the party , announced last July he wanted to repeal a law he ’ d supported throughout his political career .
“ We ’ ve seen state after state including Georgia passing extreme laws , ” Biden said , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on when abortions could be performed .
“ It ’ s clear that these folks are going to stop at nothing to get rid of Roe.
” How attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade necessitates taxpayer funding of abortion at the federal level escapes me , and while I don ’ t claim to know the mind of the Almighty , I ’ m pretty sure it escapes His infinite wisdom , as well .
It ’ s no wonder there are plenty of Catholics willing to adopt Donald Trump as their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative .
I have no reason to believe that Biden and Buttigieg are lying about the fact they ’ re men of faith out of matters of convenience .
I also don ’ t think the president is lying about it , either .
At some point , all of us are going to meet the Great Scorer and our lives on earth will be judged accordingly .
I can ’ t even begin to fathom a guess as to how it will go as a holistic matter for any of us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two things , though .
First , when it comes to abortion , I believe the president and I will be on the right side of eternity , and Biden and Buttigieg won ’ t be .
Second , I believe that , deep down , both Biden and Buttigieg know that , too .
If you agree with those two assumptions , I ’ ll leave you with this closing thought : If you ’ re pro-life , especially if you ’ re a Democrat , you should ask yourself why you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would choose party and power over the unborn .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

When former Vice President Joe Biden was allegedly denied communion at a Catholic parish in South Carolina last October for his stance in favor of abortion rights, it sparked a debate over the Democratic presidential front-runner’s Catholicism.
For conservative Catholics, it was a decision that the pastor in question made correctly.
Edward Peters, an expert in canon law, wrote an opinion piece for The Hill in which he said that “lest the enormity of abortion under Catholic moral analysis result in the impression that only a politician’s support for abortion falls within canon law’s notion of actionable ‘grave sin,’ note that many things can qualify as ‘grave sin’ and that, in Biden’s case, other misdeeds could figure in a decision to withhold the sacrament.
“For example, in 2016 Biden capped many years of public support for same-sex marriage by officiating at such a ceremony between White House staffers while vice president, an act perceived as a deliberate thumb in the eye of the church for teaching that marriage can exist only between a man and a woman. Biden thus compounded his open conflicts with church teachings.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan — inarguably America’s pre-eminent Catholic — emphasized the more liberal line.
While Dolan said he thought “that priest had a good point” and that Biden’s stance was “publicly at odds with an issue of substance, critical substance … about life and death in the church,” he quoted the pope’s stance on the matter:
“We also remember Pope Francis: ‘I personally can never judge the state of a person’s soul.’ So, it’s difficult, that’s what I’m saying. I’m not there as a tribunal, as a judge in distributing Holy Communion.”
All of which is to say that, within the church itself, there wasn’t any debate as to whether Biden was upholding the tenets of Catholicism — there was just a question as to whether he deserved to receive the sacrament of communion.
I would wager there were plenty of Catholics at the March for Life who would answer that question in the negative, given the fact that Fox News contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy said, when she attended the anti-abortion protest in Washington last week, she found more than a few who thought the current Protestant resident of the White House was a better Catholic than the Catholic running to replace him.
Do you think the Democratic Party has abandoned its pro-life members? Yes No
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“Catholics were telling me [at the March For Life] that they thought Donald Trump was a better Catholic than Joe Biden,” Campos-Duffy told Todd Starnes on his radio show Monday.
Biden, for whatever it’s worth, doesn’t frequently take shelter behind the cross to duck criticism of his positions. The same can’t be said for South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, another target of Campos-Duffy’s ire.
It seems like no serious presidential candidate since the Rev. Pat Robertson’s one-issue 1988 campaign has invoked the specter of the Almighty so often when answering weighty questions. The difference is you get the feeling Robertson actually meant it.
Buttigieg’s invocation of his religious views comes across more as a challenge to his opponents to question his threadbare beliefs on policies with any kind of moral component to them. “I cannot abide by Donald Trump’s take on because I have to answer to my Creator, sir.”
Just don’t ask him to answer to the deity so unequivocally when it comes to abortion.
At a town hall meeting on Sunday, Buttigieg was asked by the president of Democrats for Life (yes, Virginia, they do exist — and, as National Review’s Alexandra DeSanctis points out, they comprise roughly one-third of the party’s membership) whether he would “support more-moderate platform language in the Democratic Party to ensure that the party of diversity, of inclusion, really does include everybody?”
The best summation of his position is this: “The best I can offer is that if we can’t agree on where to draw the line, the next best thing we can do is agree on who should draw the line. And in my view, it’s the woman who’s faced with that decision in her own life.”
Which sounds like a very roundabout way of saying, “Sorry, but inclusion isn’t that inclusive.”
“As a Catholic, I know a lot of Catholics who say they’re pro-life, want to be pro-life, but continue to vote Democrat in this fantasy that somehow that tent is big enough for them,” Campos-Duffy told Starnes.
“Abortion animates the Democratic Party, and it is why Pete Buttigieg, who says he is a Christian, is willing to ignore the Scriptures that he is often quoting in order to not anger the forces of abortion within that party.”
This is why, quite frankly, a guy who hasn’t even taken first Communion, much less confession, confirmation and matrimony, within the Catholic Church is potentially considered more Catholic than Joe Biden is, at least among a certain crowd.
Personal opposition to abortion is a non-negotiable litmus test for members of the Catholic faith.
It isn’t that Biden thinks Roe v. Wade is the law of the land and that, while he finds it immoral, the 14th Amendment makes it clear that it’s a necessary constitutional evil. People who believe that don’t tweet stuff like this:
Roe v. Wade is the law of the land, and we must fight any and all attempts to overturn it. As president, I will codify Roe into law and ensure this choice remains between a woman and her doctor. https://t.co/kaJbYWcYhL — Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) October 5, 2019
They also don’t suddenly start supporting the Hyde Amendment, a piece of legislation that prohibits federal funding for abortion. Biden, under pressure from the ascendant left wing of the party, announced last July he wanted to repeal a law he’d supported throughout his political career.
“We’ve seen state after state including Georgia passing extreme laws,” Biden said, according to The Washington Post, referring to restrictions on when abortions could be performed. “It’s clear that these folks are going to stop at nothing to get rid of Roe.”
“Circumstances have changed,” he added.
How attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade necessitates taxpayer funding of abortion at the federal level escapes me, and while I don’t claim to know the mind of the Almighty, I’m pretty sure it escapes His infinite wisdom, as well. It’s no wonder there are plenty of Catholics willing to adopt Donald Trump as their own, at least when you consider the alternative.
I have no reason to believe that Biden and Buttigieg are lying about the fact they’re men of faith out of matters of convenience. I also don’t think the president is lying about it, either. At some point, all of us are going to meet the Great Scorer and our lives on earth will be judged accordingly.
I can’t even begin to fathom a guess as to how it will go as a holistic matter for any of us. I’ll venture a guess on two things, though.
First, when it comes to abortion, I believe the president and I will be on the right side of eternity, and Biden and Buttigieg won’t be.
Second, I believe that, deep down, both Biden and Buttigieg know that, too.
If you agree with those two assumptions, I’ll leave you with this closing thought:
If you’re pro-life, especially if you’re a Democrat, you should ask yourself why you would ever consider voting for men who would choose party and power over the unborn.
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westernjournal--2020-01-29--Biden Snaps at Iowa Man Asking About Climate Change: ‘Go Vote for Someone Else’

This must be Joe Biden ’ s idea of a charm offensive : Drop the charm , keep the offensive .
The former vice president has already made headlines by publicly clashing with potential Iowa supporters leading up to the state ’ s Feb. 3 caucuses , but an encounter Tuesday in the Hawkeye State sets a whole new standard for political campaigning .
Biden actually told the man he should “ go vote for someone else.
” After this , there might be more people taking that advice .
The latest incident of Biden potentially alienating voters was captured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Ed Fallon , a former Iowa state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party ’ s gubernatorial nomination in 2006 .
Fallon , who now runs a liberal website called Bold Iowa , is a self-described supporter of billionaire climate change activist Tom Steyer .
So Biden wasn ’ t just being rude to any old voter , he was antagonizing exactly the kind of Democratic voter that ’ s likely to decide the party ’ s primary contest .
If this is Biden ’ s idea of retail politics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t run a store .
“ I ’ m going to support you if you win the nomination because we ’ ve got to get rid of Trump , but what are we going to do about climate change ?
” Fallon asked .
“ You say you ’ re against pipelines , but then you want to replace these gas lines .
That ’ s not going to work.
” The man should “ go vote for someone else , ” Biden answered , before wrongly guessing the man was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rival at the moment , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Now , leave aside the internecine Democratic differences over how to best bankrupt the American economy that ’ s been thriving during President Donald Trump ’ s years in office , just to fight a “ climate change crisis ” that might not even be real .
What comes across from the video is a Joe Biden who doesn ’ t brook dissent easily — which makes him fight right in with the Democratic Party — but also as a man who thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy .
RELATED : Fox Contributor : People Are Saying Trump 's a Better Catholic Than Biden - and Trump 's a Protestant What also comes across is a man who has no compunction about putting his hands on a stranger in what ’ s pretty clearly an unfriendly manner .
And it ’ s obviously not the first time Biden ’ s willingness to get personal with his touching has come up during the campaign .
Fallon ’ s description of the incident on Bold Iowa — with the headline “ Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me ” — would be very bad news for any candidate : “ And despite his repeated calls for unity , Biden rejects my offer to support him in the general election .
That really shocked me , ” Fallon wrote .
“ What was even more shocking was how Biden pushed and poked me , and then took hold of my jacket with both hands as he lectured me .
“ I ’ ve said this before , and I ’ ll say it one more time : Joe Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump .
His demeanor on the stump will inevitably come back to bite him , perhaps repeatedly .
His propensity to violate personal space is a huge non-asset in politics , and his frequent gaffes are prime fodder for opponents and the media.
” The social media reaction is likely giving Biden ’ s campaign heartburn , too : The liberal newspaper the U.K .
Guardian took notice of the occasion with a Twitter thread that asked “ Why does Joe Biden keep losing his cool with voters ?
” And this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it wasn ’ t exactly what a political campaign needs a week before a crucial presidential contest .
According to RealClearPolitics polling average , Sanders is leading the Iowa race with 24.2 percent , followed by Biden at 21 percent , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 16.8 percent , Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 14.7 percent and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar with 9.2 percent .
The rest of the field , including Fallon ’ s man Steyer , was under 5 percent .
So , Biden is clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if this video is anything to go by , he ’ s also withing striking distance of Iowa voters .
Not a lot of charm in that .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

This must be Joe Biden’s idea of a charm offensive:
Drop the charm, keep the offensive.
The former vice president has already made headlines by publicly clashing with potential Iowa supporters leading up to the state’s Feb. 3 caucuses, but an encounter Tuesday in the Hawkeye State sets a whole new standard for political campaigning.
Biden actually told the man he should “go vote for someone else.”
After this, there might be more people taking that advice.
The latest incident of Biden potentially alienating voters was captured on video, as he was challenged by Ed Fallon, a former Iowa state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nomination in 2006.
Unclear if Biden understands how campaigning and elections work… https://t.co/2uPLtLzX22 — Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) January 28, 2020
Fallon, who now runs a liberal website called Bold Iowa, is a self-described supporter of billionaire climate change activist Tom Steyer.
So Biden wasn’t just being rude to any old voter, he was antagonizing exactly the kind of Democratic voter that’s likely to decide the party’s primary contest. If this is Biden’s idea of retail politics, it’s a good thing he doesn’t run a store.
“I’m going to support you if you win the nomination because we’ve got to get rid of Trump, but what are we going to do about climate change?” Fallon asked.
“You say you’re against pipelines, but then you want to replace these gas lines. That’s not going to work.”
The man should “go vote for someone else,” Biden answered, before wrongly guessing the man was a supporter of Biden’s chief rival at the moment, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Now, leave aside the internecine Democratic differences over how to best bankrupt the American economy that’s been thriving during President Donald Trump’s years in office, just to fight a “climate change crisis” that might not even be real.
What comes across from the video is a Joe Biden who doesn’t brook dissent easily — which makes him fight right in with the Democratic Party — but also as a man who thinks repelling potential voters is a winning campaign strategy.
Could videos like this cost Joe Biden the Democratic nomination? Yes No
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What also comes across is a man who has no compunction about putting his hands on a stranger in what’s pretty clearly an unfriendly manner. And it’s obviously not the first time Biden’s willingness to get personal with his touching has come up during the campaign.
Fallon’s description of the incident on Bold Iowa — with the headline “Biden didn’t need to do this to me” — would be very bad news for any candidate:
“And despite his repeated calls for unity, Biden rejects my offer to support him in the general election. That really shocked me,” Fallon wrote. “What was even more shocking was how Biden pushed and poked me, and then took hold of my jacket with both hands as he lectured me.
“I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it one more time: Joe Biden is the Democratic candidate LEAST likely to beat Donald Trump. His demeanor on the stump will inevitably come back to bite him, perhaps repeatedly. His propensity to violate personal space is a huge non-asset in politics, and his frequent gaffes are prime fodder for opponents and the media.”
And that’s a Democrat talking.
The social media reaction is likely giving Biden’s campaign heartburn, too:
Gave him a little bit of that old man attitude. I cringed hard when he grabbed his jacket, would have aggressively brushed his hands off me. — Adam Benoit (@ThatGuyOhHim) January 29, 2020
Someone should tell Biden to stick to handshakes. No more shoves, pokes, or slaps; and definitely no more sniffing and caresssing. — Brownian Motion (@cobrownell) January 29, 2020
The liberal newspaper the U.K. Guardian took notice of the occasion with a Twitter thread that asked “Why does Joe Biden keep losing his cool with voters?”
People with dementia are prone to irritability. — Dominic Snyder (@DominicJSnyder) January 29, 2020
He would not be able to handle the general and definitely not the presidency. He loses his cool at the slightest pushback. Even a simple question sends him into a spiral. #BidenIsUnfit — Bernie Brobody (@AndaleMierda) January 29, 2020
And this one is priceless:
I dunno, Biden 2020 Go Vote for Someone Else is pretty catchy. — Hanlon’s Razor (@MagitekerDev) January 29, 2020
All in all, it wasn’t exactly what a political campaign needs a week before a crucial presidential contest.
According to RealClearPolitics polling average, Sanders is leading the Iowa race with 24.2 percent, followed by Biden at 21 percent, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 16.8 percent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 14.7 percent and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar with 9.2 percent.
The rest of the field, including Fallon’s man Steyer, was under 5 percent.
So, Biden is clearly within striking distance in Iowa — unfortunately, if this video is anything to go by, he’s also withing striking distance of Iowa voters.
Not a lot of charm in that.
But plenty that’s offensive.
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westernjournal--2020-01-29--‘Suspicious’ Fire Breaks Out at 25-Story LA Tower, Helicopters Used To Rescue Residents

Los Angeles firefighters rescued terrified residents from the rooftop of a 25-story high-rise apartment building where a fire broke out on a sixth-floor balcony and sent choking smoke billowing through the upper levels .
One person was critically injured , authorities said .
Officials said early reports that some people may have jumped were not true .
A helicopter crew member on the roof helped attach each person to line and they were hoisted into the hovering chopper one by one .
At one point firefighters lifted a small white dog into the helicopter .
“ We have rarely done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said , adding that the strategy was “ very effective.
” Deputy Fire Chief Armando Hogan said the fire was put out shortly before 10 a.m. , about 90 minutes after firefighters responded .
Two people were taken to hospitals and six others had smoke inhalation , he said .
Hogan said the cause of the fire is under investigation , with firefighters looking into the possibility it was deliberately set .
“ Arson is on the scene doing an investigation , ” he said .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jumped from the building after flames began raging through the sixth floor , but Hogan said that wasn ’ t true .
He said one man was hanging onto the edge of the building contemplating jumping when firefighters managed to reach him and talk him out of it , then pull him to safety .
With the flames , doused firefighters were going through the building ’ s 25 floors to check on occupants .
“ Right now we ’ re doing a floor-to-floor search to make sure people are OK , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Firefighters Die While Fighting Wildfires in Australia A fire also broke out at the Barrington Plaza high-rise in 2013 , injuring several people and displacing more than 100 , the Los Angeles Times reported .
Fire officials said then that the building was not equipped with a sprinkler system , the newspaper reported .
It was built in 1961 and wasn ’ t required to have one under state regulations saying buildings taller than 75 feet include such fire-suppression systems unless granted an exemption .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press story prior to publication .
Therefore , it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards .
It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Los Angeles firefighters rescued terrified residents from the rooftop of a 25-story high-rise apartment building where a fire broke out on a sixth-floor balcony and sent choking smoke billowing through the upper levels.
One person was critically injured, authorities said.
Officials said early reports that some people may have jumped were not true. A helicopter crew member on the roof helped attach each person to line and they were hoisted into the hovering chopper one by one.
At one point firefighters lifted a small white dog into the helicopter.
“We have rarely done rooftop evacuations for medical purposes. Rarely,” Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said, adding that the strategy was “very effective.”
Deputy Fire Chief Armando Hogan said the fire was put out shortly before 10 a.m., about 90 minutes after firefighters responded.
Two people were taken to hospitals and six others had smoke inhalation, he said.
Hogan said the cause of the fire is under investigation, with firefighters looking into the possibility it was deliberately set.
“Arson is on the scene doing an investigation,” he said.
“It is suspicious right now,” Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas added.
There were early reports that some people had jumped from the building after flames began raging through the sixth floor, but Hogan said that wasn’t true.
He said one man was hanging onto the edge of the building contemplating jumping when firefighters managed to reach him and talk him out of it, then pull him to safety.
With the flames, doused firefighters were going through the building’s 25 floors to check on occupants.
“Right now we’re doing a floor-to-floor search to make sure people are OK,” Hogan said.
A fire also broke out at the Barrington Plaza high-rise in 2013, injuring several people and displacing more than 100, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Fire officials said then that the building was not equipped with a sprinkler system, the newspaper reported.
It was built in 1961 and wasn’t required to have one under state regulations saying buildings taller than 75 feet include such fire-suppression systems unless granted an exemption.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
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Aldi opened its first store in the U.S. in 1976 after it was founded a decade earlier in Germany by two brothers.


westernjournal--2020-01-29--Rand Paul: The Only People Here Making Money Off Politics Are John Bolton & the Bidens

Sen. Rand Paul is not happy about impeachment , particularly when it comes to rhetoric involving who ’ s making money off of access to power .
The libertarian-leaning Republican from Kentucky appeared Tuesday on Fox News , the same day that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer held a news conference in which he accused both Donald Trump and his children of making money off of the presidency .
The accusations had to do with former National Security Advisor John Bolton ’ s upcoming tell-all in which he reportedly claims he was concerned about the president granting favors to leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known for their dedication to democracy .
The book isn ’ t out yet and the accusations , while serious , still seem a bit more like a promotional campaign than something the Democrats ought to be basing their hopes on .
Schumer was willing to extrapolate much further , however , speculating that the president and his family had used the deals to profit from the office .
“ Now , just look at the other New York Times report last night about Ambassador Bolton ’ s book , ” Schumer said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the administration had concerns about the president ’ s dealings with autocrats.
” As Fox News reported , Bolton ’ s new book “ claims the former adviser wrote that the president told him in August that he wanted to continue to freeze almost $ 400 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats , including the Biden family.
” “ However , the Department of Justice said in a statement Monday night that the Times report ‘ grossly ’ mischaracterized the exchange.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy the DOJ ’ s claim .
On the other hand , nobody expected him to insinuate the president and his family were somehow making money off of despots .
“ Did the president have financial interests at stake when he was talking to [ Turkish President Recep Tayyip ] Erdogan or … [ Chinese President ] Xi [ Jinping ] and others ?
” Schumer said .
“ Maybe his kids had some economic interest at stake .
And , did it impact our nation ’ s foreign policy with those countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions are not the subject of the president ’ s impeachment trial , but this report should be a warning sign to any Republican.
” Given the strangeness of certain aspects of the statement , it was difficult to tell what one was to infer about Schumer ’ s remarks .
If the line about Trump ’ s kids was partially sarcasm designed to minimize Hunter Biden ’ s Burisma connections , it fell flat with the same kind of leaden thud that Adam Schiff ’ s “ parody ” version of President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainian president did .
If it wasn ’ t sarcasm , this is indeed a curious charge , given the fact that no one has yet accused Trump or his children of doing this .
RELATED : Fiery Rand Paul Blisters Schumer 's 'Scurrilous ' Remarks in Real Time , Says Trump Should Sue for Defamation That makes this seem a bit less like spitballing and a bit more like defamation of character .
Whatever the case , Paul has a slightly more plausible theory of who ’ s making money off of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Bolton and the Bidens : “ You know , I ’ m offended and shocked that Schumer would be so scurrilous as to accuse the president and his children of making money illegally off of politics when the only people we know who have actually made money off this have been Hunter Biden and Joe Biden , ” a visibly irritated Paul said on “ America ’ s Newsroom.
” “ So Hunter Biden makes a million dollars a year , that ’ s documented , but Schumer simply creates and makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe the president ’ s kids are making money , ’ ” he continued .
This is indeed an interesting point inasmuch as Hunter Biden would be nigh unemployable if he didn ’ t share a last name with one of the most powerful individuals in American politics .
It ’ s not just Ukrainian natural gas concerns that have curiously offered Hunter Biden employment despite the fact his qualifications were dubious at best .
In fact , plenty of his jobs seemed curiously tied to interests close to Joe Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a non-fiction novella here so I can ’ t possibly include every single instance of suspicious synchronicity between Hunter Biden ’ s employment history and Joe Biden ’ s legislative interests , but consider the fact that Hunter was on the payroll of credit card giant MBNA at the same time Joe Biden , in his role as a Democratic senator from Delaware , was aggressively promoting legislation which would make it more difficult to discharge credit card debt in bankruptcy .
Another person making money from politics , according to Paul , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisor .
“ Look , a month ago , he didn ’ t want to testify in the House .
Why ?
Maybe his book wasn ’ t finished .
Now his book is finished .
He wants to testify , ” he said .
“ John Bolton is making money as we speak .
He ’ s probably already gotten a several million dollar advance for this book .
He ’ s making money by testifying against the president , ” Paul said .
“ The only people we know that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now John Bolton .
And , they ’ re not objective .
John Bolton ’ s not objective in any way now that he ’ s been cashing million-dollar checks .
To have Schumer come up and say out of the blue , ‘ Maybe the president ’ s kids are making money , ’ with no evidence at all , that ’ s defamation and they ought to sue him , ” Paul added .
“ There ’ s nothing in the record about the president ’ s kids , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just has created this whole thing out of whole cloth and said , ‘ Oh , well why don ’ t we go after the president ’ s kids ?
We don ’ t know yet whether or not the president ’ s dealings with the Chinese president have something to do with the Trumps making money.
’ He just made it up .
Completely made it up !
That is defamation of character , and he ought to go to court and be sued for it.
” There ’ s zero chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frankly , if Trump decided to go with that strategy , I think we might finally have some evidence he used his office to get some money .
Instead of getting it from Xi or Erdogan , however , he ’ d be getting it from Chuck Schumer .
Hunter Biden and Burisma might not be the most egregious example of corruption in Ukraine , but give any Democrat a polygraph and ask them a ) whether they thought Hunter Biden had any qualifications to serve on the board of Burisma and b @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict of interest in calling for the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor who once investigated Burisma , however corrupt said prosecutor may be , and you ’ d either have a demonstrably lying Democrat or a demonstrably faulty polygraph machine .
As for John Bolton , there are plenty of conservatives who have held him in high respect , including this writer .
He also left the Trump administration under the saltiest of circumstances and is currently promoting an inside-the-Beltway tell-all with a very felicitous release date .
As these tell-alls go , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the vaguest of terms to the publications most inclined to make the biggest deal out of them .
Are the accusations inaccurate or exaggerated ?
Nobody can be sure , but they ’ re certainly making John Bolton money .
Considering cui bono , one might be well advised to engage in a bit of caveat lector .
But that ’ s the great thing about Schumer ’ s remarks .
Is there any evidence Hunter Biden benefited financially from his surname ?
Is there any evidence John Bolton is benefiting from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supuesto !
Is there any evidence the Trump family is benefiting from politics .
Guess which one of these Schumer decided to accuse of abusing their office to make money ?
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Sen. Rand Paul is not happy about impeachment, particularly when it comes to rhetoric involving who’s making money off of access to power.
The libertarian-leaning Republican from Kentucky appeared Tuesday on Fox News, the same day that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer held a news conference in which he accused both Donald Trump and his children of making money off of the presidency.
The accusations had to do with former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s upcoming tell-all in which he reportedly claims he was concerned about the president granting favors to leaders in China and Turkey, countries not known for their dedication to democracy.
The book isn’t out yet and the accusations, while serious, still seem a bit more like a promotional campaign than something the Democrats ought to be basing their hopes on.
Schumer was willing to extrapolate much further, however, speculating that the president and his family had used the deals to profit from the office.
“Now, just look at the other New York Times report last night about Ambassador Bolton’s book,” Schumer said at the news conference. “Several members of the administration had concerns about the president’s dealings with autocrats.”
As Fox News reported, Bolton’s new book “claims the former adviser wrote that the president told him in August that he wanted to continue to freeze almost $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats, including the Biden family.”
“However, the Department of Justice said in a statement Monday night that the Times report ‘grossly’ mischaracterized the exchange.”
On one hand, nobody expected Schumer to buy the DOJ’s claim. On the other hand, nobody expected him to insinuate the president and his family were somehow making money off of despots.
Do you think Chuck Schumer was out of line with his remarks? Yes No
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“Did the president have financial interests at stake when he was talking to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan or … [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] and others?” Schumer said.
“Maybe his kids had some economic interest at stake. And, did it impact our nation’s foreign policy with those countries?” he added. “Those questions are not the subject of the president’s impeachment trial, but this report should be a warning sign to any Republican.”
Given the strangeness of certain aspects of the statement, it was difficult to tell what one was to infer about Schumer’s remarks.
If the line about Trump’s kids was partially sarcasm designed to minimize Hunter Biden’s Burisma connections, it fell flat with the same kind of leaden thud that Adam Schiff’s “parody” version of President Trump’s phone call with the Ukrainian president did.
If it wasn’t sarcasm, this is indeed a curious charge, given the fact that no one has yet accused Trump or his children of doing this.
That makes this seem a bit less like spitballing and a bit more like defamation of character.
Whatever the case, Paul has a slightly more plausible theory of who’s making money off of politics, at least in this situation: Bolton and the Bidens:
“You know, I’m offended and shocked that Schumer would be so scurrilous as to accuse the president and his children of making money illegally off of politics when the only people we know who have actually made money off this have been Hunter Biden and Joe Biden,” a visibly irritated Paul said on “America’s Newsroom.”
“So Hunter Biden makes a million dollars a year, that’s documented, but Schumer simply creates and makes up and says, ‘Oh, maybe the president’s kids are making money,’” he continued.
This is indeed an interesting point inasmuch as Hunter Biden would be nigh unemployable if he didn’t share a last name with one of the most powerful individuals in American politics.
It’s not just Ukrainian natural gas concerns that have curiously offered Hunter Biden employment despite the fact his qualifications were dubious at best. In fact, plenty of his jobs seemed curiously tied to interests close to Joe Biden’s career.
I’m not writing a non-fiction novella here so I can’t possibly include every single instance of suspicious synchronicity between Hunter Biden’s employment history and Joe Biden’s legislative interests, but consider the fact that Hunter was on the payroll of credit card giant MBNA at the same time Joe Biden, in his role as a Democratic senator from Delaware, was aggressively promoting legislation which would make it more difficult to discharge credit card debt in bankruptcy.
(In fact, Joe Biden’s fealty to the Delaware-based banking titan was so notorious he was derisively known for many years as “the senator from MBNA,” meaning Hunter could perhaps have been considered a legislative assistant.)
Another person making money from politics, according to Paul, is Trump’s former national security advisor.
“Look, a month ago, he didn’t want to testify in the House. Why? Maybe his book wasn’t finished. Now his book is finished. He wants to testify,” he said.
“John Bolton is making money as we speak. He’s probably already gotten a several million dollar advance for this book. He’s making money by testifying against the president,” Paul said.
“The only people we know that have actually made money: Hunter Biden and now John Bolton. And, they’re not objective. John Bolton’s not objective in any way now that he’s been cashing million-dollar checks. To have Schumer come up and say out of the blue, ‘Maybe the president’s kids are making money,’ with no evidence at all, that’s defamation and they ought to sue him,” Paul added.
“There’s nothing in the record about the president’s kids,” the Kentucky Republican said.
“So Schumer just has created this whole thing out of whole cloth and said, ‘Oh, well why don’t we go after the president’s kids? We don’t know yet whether or not the president’s dealings with the Chinese president have something to do with the Trumps making money.’ He just made it up. Completely made it up! That is defamation of character, and he ought to go to court and be sued for it.”
There’s zero chance of that happening — although, quite frankly, if Trump decided to go with that strategy, I think we might finally have some evidence he used his office to get some money.
Instead of getting it from Xi or Erdogan, however, he’d be getting it from Chuck Schumer.
Hunter Biden and Burisma might not be the most egregious example of corruption in Ukraine, but give any Democrat a polygraph and ask them a) whether they thought Hunter Biden had any qualifications to serve on the board of Burisma and b) whether Joe Biden had a clear conflict of interest in calling for the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor who once investigated Burisma, however corrupt said prosecutor may be, and you’d either have a demonstrably lying Democrat or a demonstrably faulty polygraph machine.
As for John Bolton, there are plenty of conservatives who have held him in high respect, including this writer.
He’s had an admirable career.
He also left the Trump administration under the saltiest of circumstances and is currently promoting an inside-the-Beltway tell-all with a very felicitous release date.
As these tell-alls go, the most salacious allegations are always leaked in the vaguest of terms to the publications most inclined to make the biggest deal out of them.
Are the accusations inaccurate or exaggerated? Nobody can be sure, but they’re certainly making John Bolton money.
Considering cui bono, one might be well advised to engage in a bit of caveat lector.
But that’s the great thing about Schumer’s remarks.
Is there any evidence Hunter Biden benefited financially from his surname?
Of course!
Is there any evidence John Bolton is benefiting from the controversy surrounding his book? ¡Por supuesto!
Is there any evidence the Trump family is benefiting from politics.
Um, nope.
Guess which one of these Schumer decided to accuse of abusing their office to make money?
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westernjournal--2020-01-29--Elizabeth Warren Points Blame for Disease Outbreaks Like Coronavirus at Trump, Climate Change

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts threw shade Tuesday at President Donald Trump over the spread of diseases such as the coronavirus coming out of China .
“ To effectively beat infectious diseases like coronavirus , we need all hands on deck , ” Warren tweeted .
“ But like so much else , Trump ’ s approach to keeping us safe from disease outbreaks is a mess .
When he ’ s gone , we must fix the damage he ’ s done — and I ’ ve got a plan for that.
” As of Wednesday , Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus and about 6,000 cases had been confirmed , according to The New York Times .
To date , all deaths from the virus have taken place in China .
There have been five confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. Warren ’ s plan was released less than a week before the Iowa caucuses , where the first votes will be cast for the Democratic candidates hoping to be the party ’ s presidential nominee .
The Massachusetts progressive is currently fourth in the RealClearPolitics average of polls in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
In her plan to stop the spread of infectious diseases , Warren hit at Trump for failing to fill all positions in the sprawling federal bureaucracy as well as for not falling in line with the Paris accords aimed at responding to climate change .
“ Trump has repeatedly tried to nickel and dime federal programs essential to health security , ” Warren charged in her plan , also claiming that Trump ’ s “ response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious outbreaks , like hurricanes in Puerto Rico , has been basically non-existent .
“ “ On the global stage , his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement demonstrates reckless denial about the role of climate change in fueling epidemics .
His foreign policy has damaged long-standing alliances with partners like the U.K. and France , who are critical partners in responding to global health crises , ” she said .
Warren ’ s plan said a collection of approaches that puts more money into the State Department and global health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and invests in the Green Climate Fund will reduce the spread of infectious diseases .
RELATED : Elizabeth Warren Announces Support for Kim Foxx , Prosecutor Who Let Jussie Smollett Skate She also said that as president , she will be the champion of those who others ignored .
“ Underserved and disadvantaged populations are hit harder by outbreaks , ” she said .
“ Adding insult to injury , vulnerable populations are often scapegoated for spreading disease .
Outbreak responses must ensure that everyone can get the help they need.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter : “ Diseases like coronavirus remind us why we need robust international institutions , strong investments in public health , and a government that is prepared to jump into action at a moment ’ s notice , ” Warren said in her plan .
“ When we prepare and effectively collaborate to address common threats that don ’ t stop at borders , the international community can stop these diseases in their tracks.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts threw shade Tuesday at President Donald Trump over the spread of diseases such as the coronavirus coming out of China.
“To effectively beat infectious diseases like coronavirus, we need all hands on deck,” Warren tweeted.
“But like so much else, Trump’s approach to keeping us safe from disease outbreaks is a mess. When he’s gone, we must fix the damage he’s done — and I’ve got a plan for that.”
To effectively beat infectious diseases like coronavirus, we need all hands on deck. But like so much else, Trump’s approach to keeping us safe from disease outbreaks is a mess. When he’s gone, we must fix the damage he’s done—and I’ve got a plan for that. https://t.co/Ud6G53iCNv — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 28, 2020
As of Wednesday, Chinese officials said 132 people had died from the virus and about 6,000 cases had been confirmed, according to The New York Times.
To date, all deaths from the virus have taken place in China. There have been five confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Tuesday the U.S. offered on Jan. 6 to send a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team to China to help deal with the outbreak. China never accepted the offer, but on Tuesday agreed to accept a World Health Organization team, according to The Washington Post.
Warren’s plan was released less than a week before the Iowa caucuses, where the first votes will be cast for the Democratic candidates hoping to be the party’s presidential nominee.
Do you think Elizabeth Warren is qualified to be president? Yes No
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The Massachusetts progressive is currently fourth in the RealClearPolitics average of polls in that state, trailing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
In her plan to stop the spread of infectious diseases, Warren hit at Trump for failing to fill all positions in the sprawling federal bureaucracy as well as for not falling in line with the Paris accords aimed at responding to climate change.
“Trump has repeatedly tried to nickel and dime federal programs essential to health security,” Warren charged in her plan, also claiming that Trump’s “response to natural disasters that could lead to serious outbreaks, like hurricanes in Puerto Rico, has been basically non-existent. “
“On the global stage, his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement demonstrates reckless denial about the role of climate change in fueling epidemics. His foreign policy has damaged long-standing alliances with partners like the U.K. and France, who are critical partners in responding to global health crises,” she said.
Warren’s plan said a collection of approaches that puts more money into the State Department and global health organizations, embraces “Medicare for All” and invests in the Green Climate Fund will reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
She also said that as president, she will be the champion of those who others ignored.
“Underserved and disadvantaged populations are hit harder by outbreaks,” she said. “Adding insult to injury, vulnerable populations are often scapegoated for spreading disease. Outbreak responses must ensure that everyone can get the help they need.”
The plan ran into some headwinds on Twitter:
Name one thing that democrats haven’t blamed on Trump. — Vance Murphy (@vancemurphy) January 28, 2020
Your plan of open borders will bring infectious diseases, this cannot be blamed on Trump. The CDC, NIH are Fully funded please consult with these agencies about this disease. — Sandy (@Sandy91844051) January 28, 2020
“Diseases like coronavirus remind us why we need robust international institutions, strong investments in public health, and a government that is prepared to jump into action at a moment’s notice,” Warren said in her plan.
“When we prepare and effectively collaborate to address common threats that don’t stop at borders, the international community can stop these diseases in their tracks.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-29--Blood Libel: Tlaib Shares Tweet Falsely Accusing Jews of Murder Just Before Holocaust Remembrance Da

Blood Libel: Tlaib Shares Tweet Falsely Accusing Jews of Murder Just Before Holocaust Remembrance Day

Seemingly unable to help herself , radically left Rep. Rashida Tlaib landed in a bit of hot water over the weekend with an unfortunately characteristic misstep .
No stranger to controversy regarding anti-Semitic rhetoric , the Michigan Democrat was in less than rare form Saturday , according to The Times of Israel , retweeting shocking and unfounded claims that a missing Palestinian boy had just been murdered by a group of Israeli settlers .
Eight-year-old Qais Abu Ramila was found dead Saturday in a rainwater reservoir in East Jerusalem .
Local authorities reportedly have reason to believe the boy accidentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drowned .
That did not , however , stop a handful of opportunistic Twitter users and Palestinian leaders from using the event to gin up anti-Israeli sentiment among the masses .
And as one would expect , the uncorroborated claims of a few anonymous social media profiles and fringe regional leaders were excuse enough for Tlaib , a proud Palestinian-American herself , to dive headlong into the narrative .
Retweeting without comment a weekend expression of condolences from top Palestinian official and terror apologist Hanan Ashrawi — who wrote of the manufactured event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pain is unbearable .
No words.
” — the Michigan Democrat seemed to endorse claims Ramila had been “ KIDNAPPED & EXECUTED ” by a “ Herd of violent ” Israelis .
Eventually met with the facts of the matter , Tlaib would go on to scrub the tweet from her account in short order , according to The Times .
But the damage had been done — and a number of outlets were , rightly , quick to point out the freshman representative had in fact been party to the circulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by scholars of history as “ blood libel , ” conspiracy theories alleging local Jews are secretly to blame for the disappearances of small children are unfortunately a disgusting trend dating back centuries , Ricochet editor Bethany Mandel wrote in the Washington Examiner .
“ This virulently anti-Semitic tradition of blood libel made famous in the Middle Ages in Europe has continued in the modern Middle East , ” Mandel wrote .
“ Often , when a child passes away in the Palestinian territories , those around the child will look for ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dead children are used as props .
Sadly , we ’ ve come to expect it.
” Until now , the peddling of blood libel was understood to be just as Mandel said — a sad propaganda tool employed by illegitimate Middle Eastern terror states or the fascist regimes of bygone eras .
Tlaib ’ s off-the-cuff decision to engage with the Ramila blood libel over the weekend , however , proves the intersectionalists of the modern cultural left are either so ignorant as to fall victim to such propaganda or , worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their own political gain .
RELATED : Video Catches Ilhan Omar Giggling as US Iraq War Deaths Are Being Discussed And what ’ s worse is Tlaib ’ s decision to engage with the tactic also came on , of all days , the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day — a day people the world over are called on to bear witness to the unspeakable atrocities committed when falsehoods are used to justify the release of widespread public rage on a specific population .
Of course , all this still didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything remotely resembling an apology .
That Tlaib left to the resident terror sympathizer , waiting to address the issue until Ashrawi first fessed up .
“ My apologies for retweeting something that ’ s not fully verified , ” the Palestinian official wrote in lackluster fashion Saturday morning on Twitter .
“ It seems that the news of [ Ramila ] being kidnapped is not certain.
” Only then would the Michigan Democrat follow up , retweeting Ashrawi once again , this time with a comment .
“ In this era of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also strive to hold myself to the highest standards for what I share , ” Tlaib wrote .
“ Know that I always seek truth as we uplift the oppressed and fight for equality , justice , and freedom.
” Ironically , however , only one instance of news manipulation exists here — and it involves the left-wing establishment media ’ s blanket unwillingness to cover this controversy for even one second .
In their view , Tlaib ’ s self-described willingness to “ uplift the oppressed and fight for equality , justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important voice for the marginalized , one worthy of celebration .
As left-wing orthodoxy now dictates , this also means Tlaib gets a free pass to fall short of the truth from time to time , even when further dividing the culture along ethnic and racial fault lines with baseless criminal allegations .
Such is the price the American left apparently is willing to pay in pursuit of what it calls “ social justice.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Seemingly unable to help herself, radically left Rep. Rashida Tlaib landed in a bit of hot water over the weekend with an unfortunately characteristic misstep.
No stranger to controversy regarding anti-Semitic rhetoric, the Michigan Democrat was in less than rare form Saturday, according to The Times of Israel, retweeting shocking and unfounded claims that a missing Palestinian boy had just been murdered by a group of Israeli settlers.
Eight-year-old Qais Abu Ramila was found dead Saturday in a rainwater reservoir in East Jerusalem.
Local authorities reportedly have reason to believe the boy accidentally fell into an uncovered water well and drowned.
That did not, however, stop a handful of opportunistic Twitter users and Palestinian leaders from using the event to gin up anti-Israeli sentiment among the masses.
And as one would expect, the uncorroborated claims of a few anonymous social media profiles and fringe regional leaders were excuse enough for Tlaib, a proud Palestinian-American herself, to dive headlong into the narrative.
Retweeting without comment a weekend expression of condolences from top Palestinian official and terror apologist Hanan Ashrawi — who wrote of the manufactured event, “The heart just shatters. The pain is unbearable. No words.” — the Michigan Democrat seemed to endorse claims Ramila had been “KIDNAPPED & EXECUTED” by a “Herd of violent” Israelis.
A shame to see a US Congresswoman amplifying this claim @RashidaTlaib pic.twitter.com/6ZfRewsKaW — Ben Hartman (@Benhartman) January 25, 2020
Eventually met with the facts of the matter, Tlaib would go on to scrub the tweet from her account in short order, according to The Times.
But the damage had been done — and a number of outlets were, rightly, quick to point out the freshman representative had in fact been party to the circulation of an age-old anti-Semitic conspiracy.
Known by scholars of history as “blood libel,” conspiracy theories alleging local Jews are secretly to blame for the disappearances of small children are unfortunately a disgusting trend dating back centuries, Ricochet editor Bethany Mandel wrote in the Washington Examiner.
“This virulently anti-Semitic tradition of blood libel made famous in the Middle Ages in Europe has continued in the modern Middle East,” Mandel wrote. “Often, when a child passes away in the Palestinian territories, those around the child will look for ways to blame Israel in some capacity. Dead children are used as props. Sadly, we’ve come to expect it.”
Until now, the peddling of blood libel was understood to be just as Mandel said — a sad propaganda tool employed by illegitimate Middle Eastern terror states or the fascist regimes of bygone eras.
Tlaib’s off-the-cuff decision to engage with the Ramila blood libel over the weekend, however, proves the intersectionalists of the modern cultural left are either so ignorant as to fall victim to such propaganda or, worse, so malicious as to forward it for their own political gain.
And what’s worse is Tlaib’s decision to engage with the tactic also came on, of all days, the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day — a day people the world over are called on to bear witness to the unspeakable atrocities committed when falsehoods are used to justify the release of widespread public rage on a specific population.
Of course, all this still didn’t lead the freshman congresswoman to anything remotely resembling an apology.
That Tlaib left to the resident terror sympathizer, waiting to address the issue until Ashrawi first fessed up.
“My apologies for retweeting something that’s not fully verified,” the Palestinian official wrote in lackluster fashion Saturday morning on Twitter. “It seems that the news of [Ramila] being kidnapped is not certain.”
Only then would the Michigan Democrat follow up, retweeting Ashrawi once again, this time with a comment.
“In this era of inaccurate and manipulative news, I will also strive to hold myself to the highest standards for what I share,” Tlaib wrote. “Know that I always seek truth as we uplift the oppressed and fight for equality, justice, and freedom.”
In this era of inaccurate and manipulative news, I will also strive to hold myself to the highest standards for what I share. Know that I always seek truth as we uplift the oppressed and fight for equality, justice, and freedom. https://t.co/wma0ykjZbF — Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 28, 2020
Ironically, however, only one instance of news manipulation exists here — and it involves the left-wing establishment media’s blanket unwillingness to cover this controversy for even one second.
Do you think the American left has made room for anti-Semitism in recent years? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 95% (468 Votes) No: 5% (23 Votes)
In their view, Tlaib’s self-described willingness to “uplift the oppressed and fight for equality, justice, and freedom” makes her an important voice for the marginalized, one worthy of celebration.
As left-wing orthodoxy now dictates, this also means Tlaib gets a free pass to fall short of the truth from time to time, even when further dividing the culture along ethnic and racial fault lines with baseless criminal allegations.
Such is the price the American left apparently is willing to pay in pursuit of what it calls “social justice.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-29--Don Lemon Tries To Explain Video Mocking Trump Supporters, Instead Makes It Worse

CNN ’ s Don Lemon might not be the “ dumbest man on television , ” but he sure must think viewers are stupid .
Faced with an outpouring of outrage over a video that showed him doubled over his desk with laughter as two guests on his show mocked the intelligence of President Donald Trump supporters , the Trump-hating host tried to backpedal Tuesday night , but only ended up making things worse .
Not only did his explanation lack even the semblance of an apology , Lemon actually tried to plead ignorance about what was said clearly on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embarrassed himself before on TV before ( public drunkenness isn ’ t even the worst of it ) but this was close to a new bottom .
And it was so bad , the Republican National Committee is already using it for an advertisement .
Lemon ’ s latest problem started Monday , when a video went viral showing his Saturday panel discussion featuring anti-Trump author and political strategist Rick Wilson and New York Times contributing opinion writer Wajahat Ali pouring scorn on the supposed ignorance of Trump supporters .
The exchange lasted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lemon actually wiping tears of laughter from his eyes .
But on Tuesday night , faced with well-deserved backlash , Lemon tried to claim he meant no offense .
“ During an interview on Saturday night , one of my guests said something that made me laugh .
And while in the moment , I found that joke humorous .
And I didn ’ t catch everything that was said , ” Lemon said .
“ Just to make this perfectly clear , I was laughing at the joke and not at any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched the video , it ’ s tough to believe he didn ’ t catch “ everything that was said.
” Wilson ’ s original joke referred to Trump specifically , but that was only 20 seconds in .
The remainder of the time featured Wilson and Ali making fun of the “ credulous boomer-rube demo ” that makes up the president ’ s base .
Just as a reminder , here ’ s the video in full .
( You ’ ll see why Trump captioned his tweet about it “ Don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) Americans who reject the far-left insanity of the modern Democratic Party – with its distaste for American tradition , embrace of illegal aliens and bizarre obsession with “ transgender ” issues – got a stark demonstration of how little the liberal media actually thinks of them .
And considering the mainstream media is essentially a subsidiary of the Democratic Party , it ’ s not too far a jump to take it as an indication of what the Democratic leadership thinks of them , too .
The RNC wasted no time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an advertisement combining segments from the Lemon clip with statements made by prominent Democrats — Joe Biden , Hillary Clinton , Pete Buttigieg — to make the point clear .
The ad is titled “ They Think You ’ re a Joke , ” and it ’ s tough to deny .
There ’ s no question that it strikes a nerve .
That last one puts it almost perfectly .
Yes , it ’ s shameful that liberals and Democrats put their contempt for their fellow citizens on full display — without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that isn ’ t all .
What ’ s even more shameful is behavior like Lemon ’ s — when confronted about his video , he tried to backpedal to tell viewers that what they plainly saw , they didn ’ t see .
If Lemon had outright apologized for laughing at the offensive “ jokes ” by his guests , his sorry excuse that he didn ’ t hear “ everything that was said ” might have held water .
As it was , he was defiant , claiming that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ” — when two panelists on his show viciously mocked 63 million Americans while Lemon wiped tears of laughter from his eyes .
The Saturday night video showed that liberal commentators think Trump supporters are ignorant .
Lemon ’ s statement Tuesday night showed he must think his own viewers are stupid , too .
This was one backpedal that only made things worse .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

CNN’s Don Lemon might not be the “dumbest man on television,” but he sure must think viewers are stupid.
Faced with an outpouring of outrage over a video that showed him doubled over his desk with laughter as two guests on his show mocked the intelligence of President Donald Trump supporters, the Trump-hating host tried to backpedal Tuesday night, but only ended up making things worse.
Not only did his explanation lack even the semblance of an apology, Lemon actually tried to plead ignorance about what was said clearly on his own television show.
Lemon has embarrassed himself before on TV before (public drunkenness isn’t even the worst of it) but this was close to a new bottom.
And it was so bad, the Republican National Committee is already using it for an advertisement.
Lemon’s latest problem started Monday, when a video went viral showing his Saturday panel discussion featuring anti-Trump author and political strategist Rick Wilson and New York Times contributing opinion writer Wajahat Ali pouring scorn on the supposed ignorance of Trump supporters.
The exchange lasted more than a minute, and included Lemon actually wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. But on Tuesday night, faced with well-deserved backlash, Lemon tried to claim he meant no offense.
“During an interview on Saturday night, one of my guests said something that made me laugh. And while in the moment, I found that joke humorous. And I didn’t catch everything that was said,” Lemon said.
“Just to make this perfectly clear, I was laughing at the joke and not at any group of people.”
#BREAKING: @DonLemon addressing the now-viral Saturday @CNNTonight segment mocking and showing such venom toward Trump supporters. Not surprisingly, Lemon deflected: “I don’t believe in belittling people….In the moment…I didn’t catch everything that was said.” pic.twitter.com/oI4eNz7rkR — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 29, 2020
For anyone who watched the video, it’s tough to believe he didn’t catch “everything that was said.”
Wilson’s original joke referred to Trump specifically, but that was only 20 seconds in. The remainder of the time featured Wilson and Ali making fun of the “credulous boomer-rube demo” that makes up the president’s base.
Just as a reminder, here’s the video in full. (You’ll see why Trump captioned his tweet about it “Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television.”)
America, this is what CNN thinks of you…
pic.twitter.com/puuVjRLlw1 — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 28, 2020
Americans who reject the far-left insanity of the modern Democratic Party – with its distaste for American tradition, embrace of illegal aliens and bizarre obsession with “transgender” issues – got a stark demonstration of how little the liberal media actually thinks of them.
And considering the mainstream media is essentially a subsidiary of the Democratic Party, it’s not too far a jump to take it as an indication of what the Democratic leadership thinks of them, too.
The RNC wasted no time in putting that perception to use with an advertisement combining segments from the Lemon clip with statements made by prominent Democrats — Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg — to make the point clear.
The ad is titled “They Think You’re a Joke,” and it’s tough to deny.
There’s no question that it strikes a nerve.
This will get more viewers than @donlemon gets. — Laura (@LauraL2126) January 29, 2020
They laughed when he said he would run, they laughed when he became the nominee, & they laughed all the way to election night 2016. THEN THEY CRIED! And haven’t stopped whining or trying to take down a legitimate president! They still DON’T UNDERSTAND TRUMP! They will CRY AGAIN! — LoveToWin! (@BRNordgren) January 29, 2020
It’s shameful that Democrats openly parade their disdain for half of the Citizens of our country. More importantly, what do you think they will do if they regain control of the executive branch? It will make the IRS scandal look like child’s play. — Matthew Kolken (@mkolken) January 29, 2020
That last one puts it almost perfectly.
Yes, it’s shameful that liberals and Democrats put their contempt for their fellow citizens on full display — without apparent regard for the consequences.
Do you think this ad is effective? Yes No
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But that isn’t all. What’s even more shameful is behavior like Lemon’s — when confronted about his video, he tried to backpedal to tell viewers that what they plainly saw, they didn’t see.
If Lemon had outright apologized for laughing at the offensive “jokes” by his guests, his sorry excuse that he didn’t hear “everything that was said” might have held water.
As it was, he was defiant, claiming that he would never laugh at “any group of people” — when two panelists on his show viciously mocked 63 million Americans while Lemon wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.
The Saturday night video showed that liberal commentators think Trump supporters are ignorant. Lemon’s statement Tuesday night showed he must think his own viewers are stupid, too.
This was one backpedal that only made things worse.
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westernjournal--2020-01-29--Elizabeth Warren Announces Support for Kim Foxx, Prosecutor Who Let Jussie Smollett Skate

Cook County State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx , who is facing a stiff re-election battle from opponents critical of her handling of the Jussie Smollett case , has been endorsed by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts .
“ When Cook County first elected Kim Foxx to the State ’ s Attorney office , it not only gained a seasoned advocate but a champion invested in rethinking the county ’ s approach to criminal justice reform , ” Warren said in a statement , according to the Chicago Sun-Times .
“ Kim is an effective public servant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m confident that when reelected , Kim Foxx will continue to bring those qualities to the office.
” Foxx issued a statement of her own saying Warren ’ s endorsement is proof she should be re-elected .
“ We know our working communities stand to lose the most when exposed to a broken criminal justice system , ” Foxx said .
“ Our reform on bond , conviction integrity and cannabis have undoubtedly helped bring more equitable justice to these communities .
Having Sen. Warren ’ s endorsement is a testament to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started on here in Cook County , ” she added .
Warren ’ s support for Foxx turned some heads on social media : Although Foxx pointed to other issues , her rivals in the Democratic primary , which is set for March , have focused on the Smollett case .
Late last January , Smollett , a gay and black actor , claimed he was attacked in a racist and homophobic crime that he linked to President Donald Trump by alleging the attackers , who he said put a noose around his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MAGA country !
” RELATED : Elizabeth Warren Points Blame for Disease Outbreaks Like Coronavirus at Trump , Climate Change The story eventually unraveled , and Smollett was charged with filing a false report in a case that shook Chicago .
The criminal case against Smollett ended when Foxx ’ s office dropped the charges against Smollett in exchange for community service and forfeiture of his $ 10,000 bond .
Foxx had recused herself from the matter , but the investigation went through her office , eventually leading to a follow-up investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that her office was looking into the Smollett case .
Foxx ’ s conduct was criticized by her rivals .
“ This case got special treatment because of who he was and who he was connected to , ” Donna More , a former prosecutor , told the Chicago Tribune .
“ As state ’ s attorney , you are judged by how you handle the big cases , whether they be violent or not .
If you blow a big case , the public questions your judgment , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have a sitting state ’ s attorney that herself is under investigation.
” Foxx said her office ” dropped the ball ” when it came to communication .
“ We have a standard of transparency that our office would love to hold itself to that we fell short of , ” she said .
“ The results , the outcome of that case left many people not understanding why … which then questions the legitimacy of the outcome.
” “ Where we dropped the ball is not being able to explain to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were doing it and why we were doing it.
” Her opponents did not buy that .
“ What upsets me most is the unequal justice , ” former Assistant State ’ s Attorney Bill Conway told the Tribune .
“ A phone call helped make the investigation , ” former Chicago Alderman Bob Fioretti said .
“ When we look at it , Jussie Smollett was treated differently — everybody can admit that .
When she said it was a high-visibility case , who made it a high-visibility case ?
Jussie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who is facing a stiff re-election battle from opponents critical of her handling of the Jussie Smollett case, has been endorsed by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
“When Cook County first elected Kim Foxx to the State’s Attorney office, it not only gained a seasoned advocate but a champion invested in rethinking the county’s approach to criminal justice reform,” Warren said in a statement, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“Kim is an effective public servant who leads with compassion, and I’m confident that when reelected, Kim Foxx will continue to bring those qualities to the office.”
Foxx issued a statement of her own saying Warren’s endorsement is proof she should be re-elected.
“We know our working communities stand to lose the most when exposed to a broken criminal justice system,” Foxx said.
“Our reform on bond, conviction integrity and cannabis have undoubtedly helped bring more equitable justice to these communities. Having Sen. Warren’s endorsement is a testament to the work we’ve only just started on here in Cook County,” she added.
Warren’s support for Foxx turned some heads on social media:
Elizabeth Warren backs Kim Foxx, calls prosecutor ‘a champion … who leads with compassion’ https://t.co/tweVg0TX2T. @SenWarren No offense Ms Warren but YOU CANT BE SERIOUS ENDORSING FOXX!!!! Do more homework please!! — debbie (@debbie58992477) January 28, 2020
Two of the most dishonest politicians in America come together. We can do better in Cook County. #twill #OBrienForCook Elizabeth Warren backs Kim Foxx, calls prosecutor ‘a champion … who leads with compassion’ https://t.co/23866BPcq6 — Pat O’Brien (@OBrienforSA) January 28, 2020
Is Warren trying to lose? Yesterday she endorsed Kim Foxx, the prosecutor who dropped the charges against Jussie Smollett. She has worst political instincts I’ve ever seen and a campaign filled with former Hillary/Kamala staffers. Her whole campaign is a dumpster fire. pic.twitter.com/Rc5XwBr82U — GearFox? (@GearFox1) January 29, 2020
Although Foxx pointed to other issues, her rivals in the Democratic primary, which is set for March, have focused on the Smollett case.
Late last January, Smollett, a gay and black actor, claimed he was attacked in a racist and homophobic crime that he linked to President Donald Trump by alleging the attackers, who he said put a noose around his neck, shouted, “This is MAGA country!”
Do you think Elizabeth Warren is trying to grab support out of desperation? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 100% (249 Votes) No: 0% (0 Votes)
The story eventually unraveled, and Smollett was charged with filing a false report in a case that shook Chicago.
The criminal case against Smollett ended when Foxx’s office dropped the charges against Smollett in exchange for community service and forfeiture of his $10,000 bond.
Foxx had recused herself from the matter, but the investigation went through her office, eventually leading to a follow-up investigation into what really went on during the time that her office was looking into the Smollett case.
Foxx’s conduct was criticized by her rivals.
“This case got special treatment because of who he was and who he was connected to,” Donna More, a former prosecutor, told the Chicago Tribune.
“As state’s attorney, you are judged by how you handle the big cases, whether they be violent or not. If you blow a big case, the public questions your judgment,” she said. “It’s hard to believe we have a sitting state’s attorney that herself is under investigation.”
Foxx said her office”dropped the ball” when it came to communication.
“We have a standard of transparency that our office would love to hold itself to that we fell short of,” she said. “The results, the outcome of that case left many people not understanding why … which then questions the legitimacy of the outcome.”
“Where we dropped the ball is not being able to explain to people what we were doing, how we were doing it and why we were doing it.”
Her opponents did not buy that.
“What upsets me most is the unequal justice,” former Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Conway told the Tribune.
“A phone call helped make the investigation,” former Chicago Alderman Bob Fioretti said.
“When we look at it, Jussie Smollett was treated differently — everybody can admit that. When she said it was a high-visibility case, who made it a high-visibility case? Jussie Smollett went on television talking about the attack.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-29--Dershowitz Shames Dems by Listing Each Pres. Who Should Have Been Impeached Using Their Logic

Harvard law professor and famed attorney Alan Dershowitz , a lifelong Democrat , dropped a nuclear bomb on the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump .
According to the House Democrats ’ argument , the president engaged in an abuse of power by requesting that Ukraine open an investigation into the dealings of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter , who was paid handsomely to serve on the board of the Ukraine energy company Burisma Holdings while his father was vice president .
This argument is patently ridiculous .
By that logic , all anyone would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigated for a crime is to announce a campaign for president .
Heck , maybe if Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen simply announced runs for the White House , they would be free men today .
Dershowitz made the case powerfully during his address Monday .
“ In our long history , many presidents have been accused of abusing their power , ” he told the Senate .
“ I will now give you a list of presidents who in our history have been accused of abusing their power , who would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s view of the Constitution .
“ George Washington , refusal to turn over documents related to the Jay Treaty .
“ John Adams , signing and enforcing the alien and sedition laws .
Thomas Jefferson , purchasing Louisiana without congressional authorization .
“ I ’ ll go on .
John Quincy Adams , Martin Van Buren , John Tyler , arbitrary despotic and corrupt use of the veto power .
James Polk , here I quote Abraham Lincoln — Abraham Lincoln accused Polk of abusing his power of his office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of Congress and assuming the role of dictator .
He didn ’ t seek to impeach him .
He just sought to defeat him .
“ Abraham Lincoln .
Abraham Lincoln was accused of abusing his power for suspending the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War .
“ Ronald Reagan , concerning Iran-contra — and now I say professor Laurence Tribe said the following , ‘ Therein lies what appears to be the most serious breach of duty by the president , a breach that may well entail an impeachable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bush .
‘ The following was released today by the Clinton Gore campaign .
In the past weeks , Americans had begun to learn the extent to which George Bush and his administration have abused their governmental power for political purposes.
’ “ That ’ s how abuse of power should be used , as campaign rhetoric .
It should be in statements issued by one political party against the other .
That ’ s the nature of the term .
Abuse of power is a political weapon , and it should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public decide.
” Dershowitz then went on to one of the Democratic Party ’ s favorites , Barack Obama , pointing out that the House Judiciary Committee had an entire hearing under the title of “ Obama Administration ’ s abuse of power.
” RELATED : Warren Said Dershowitz Argument Was 'Nonsensical , ' He Takes Her Back to Law 101 The professor , a noted constitutional scholar , is 100 percent correct .
The term “ abuse of power ” could be used by any opposing party against any sitting president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is almost entirely subjective and , if used in this manner , could result in the impeachment of every president going forward who has a House majority of the opposing party .
Forget witnesses , forget documents , forget this entire sham .
It is time for the Senate to vote and for this president to be acquitted and allowed to do his job .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Harvard law professor and famed attorney Alan Dershowitz, a lifelong Democrat, dropped a nuclear bomb on the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
According to the House Democrats’ argument, the president engaged in an abuse of power by requesting that Ukraine open an investigation into the dealings of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who was paid handsomely to serve on the board of the Ukraine energy company Burisma Holdings while his father was vice president.
This argument is patently ridiculous. By that logic, all anyone would have to do in order to avoid being investigated for a crime is to announce a campaign for president. Heck, maybe if Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen simply announced runs for the White House, they would be free men today.
Dershowitz made the case powerfully during his address Monday.
“In our long history, many presidents have been accused of abusing their power,” he told the Senate. “I will now give you a list of presidents who in our history have been accused of abusing their power, who would be subject to impeachment under the House manager’s view of the Constitution.
“George Washington, refusal to turn over documents related to the Jay Treaty.
“John Adams, signing and enforcing the alien and sedition laws. Thomas Jefferson, purchasing Louisiana without congressional authorization.
“I’ll go on. John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, arbitrary despotic and corrupt use of the veto power. James Polk, here I quote Abraham Lincoln — Abraham Lincoln accused Polk of abusing his power of his office, contemptuously disregarding the Constitution, usurping the role of Congress and assuming the role of dictator. He didn’t seek to impeach him. He just sought to defeat him.
“Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was accused of abusing his power for suspending the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War.
He continued: “President Grant, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter.
“Ronald Reagan, concerning Iran-contra — and now I say professor Laurence Tribe said the following, ‘Therein lies what appears to be the most serious breach of duty by the president, a breach that may well entail an impeachable abuse of power.’
“George H.W. Bush. ‘The following was released today by the Clinton Gore campaign. In the past weeks, Americans had begun to learn the extent to which George Bush and his administration have abused their governmental power for political purposes.’
“That’s how abuse of power should be used, as campaign rhetoric. It should be in statements issued by one political party against the other. That’s the nature of the term. Abuse of power is a political weapon, and it should be leveled against political opponents. Let the public decide.”
Dershowitz then went on to one of the Democratic Party’s favorites, Barack Obama, pointing out that the House Judiciary Committee had an entire hearing under the title of “Obama Administration’s abuse of power.”
Do you agree with Dershowitz's argument? Yes No
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The professor, a noted constitutional scholar, is 100 percent correct. The term “abuse of power” could be used by any opposing party against any sitting president.
It is a catch-all term that is almost entirely subjective and, if used in this manner, could result in the impeachment of every president going forward who has a House majority of the opposing party.
Forget witnesses, forget documents, forget this entire sham. It is time for the Senate to vote and for this president to be acquitted and allowed to do his job.
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westernjournal--2020-01-29--Ted Cruz Blasts Reporter for Bringing Up His Daughters: ‘Stop Playing the Nasty Washington Game’

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Monday angrily shut down a reporter who dragged Cruz ’ s daughters into the impeachment debate .
Cruz was speaking to the media during a break in the opening arguments from President Donald Trump ’ s defense team when reporter Brian Karem , who covers the White House for Playboy , sought to poke holes in the president ’ s defense that had been presented at Trump ’ s impeachment trial in the Senate .
“ None of the president ’ s attorneys mentioned one single possible crime that Hunter or Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Basically , what they said is Hunter Biden got a job , his dad was vice president .
If that ’ s a crime , I mean , shouldn ’ t half of your children be in prison ?
” He then followed up with an angry rebuttal over the apparent attack on his children .
“ I ’ m sorry you want to throw a 9-year-old in prison , ” Cruz said .
“ But at this point , my third-grader plays basketball and softball at her school , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He then continued to speak to the media , but did not engage with Karem .
Cruz also said that he has no concern over the reported claims in a new book from former National Security Advisor John Bolton .
In his book , Bolton alleges that Trump did delay aid to Ukraine until it investigated issues regarding corruption , including the case of Hunter Biden , who was employed by the Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was vice president , according to The New York Times .
“ I get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest bombshell , ” Cruz said Monday .
“ Listen , I don ’ t know what John Bolton ’ s book says or doesn ’ t say , ” he added .
“ I ’ ve seen The New York Times coverage , but at the end of the day , it doesn ’ t impact the legal issue before this Senate .
The legal issue before this Senate is whether a president has the authority to investigate corruption.
” “ So the House managers built their entire case on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bidens for corruption , was baseless and a sham .
The proposition is absurd.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Monday angrily shut down a reporter who dragged Cruz’s daughters into the impeachment debate.
Cruz was speaking to the media during a break in the opening arguments from President Donald Trump’s defense team when reporter Brian Karem, who covers the White House for Playboy, sought to poke holes in the president’s defense that had been presented at Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate.
“None of the president’s attorneys mentioned one single possible crime that Hunter or Joe Biden are accused of,” Karem said.
“Basically, what they said is Hunter Biden got a job, his dad was vice president. If that’s a crime, I mean, shouldn’t half of your children be in prison?”
“My children are 9 and 11,” Cruz replied.
He then followed up with an angry rebuttal over the apparent attack on his children.
“I’m sorry you want to throw a 9-year-old in prison,” Cruz said. “But at this point, my third-grader plays basketball and softball at her school, so stop playing the nasty Washington game.”
Was this a low blow from Karem? Yes No
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“That’s not a nasty Washington game,” Karem responded.
“Attacking a 9-year-old?” Cruz shot back.
He then continued to speak to the media, but did not engage with Karem.
Many on Twitter supported Cruz:
A reporter of the Media just attacked US Senator Ted Cruz’s children, particularly both his 9 year old and a 11 year old. What is it with these media hacks and attacking children?
US Senator Martha McSally was right. — Christian Lamar (@christianllamar) January 27, 2020
Ted Cruz’s children should be off-limits to attacks. This is despicable. https://t.co/eXRDDlnEeS — ThePoliticalInsider (@TPInsidr) January 28, 2020
Senator Ted Cruz was awesome dealing with disrespectful Fake News reporter bringing up his children. https://t.co/oPLTYN4l7W — brooklynborn (@bklynborn1210) January 28, 2020
Cruz also said that he has no concern over the reported claims in a new book from former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
In his book, Bolton alleges that Trump did delay aid to Ukraine until it investigated issues regarding corruption, including the case of Hunter Biden, who was employed by the Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was vice president, according to The New York Times.
Senator why shouldn’t Bolton testify? The answer: pic.twitter.com/RfWVvWbGnw — Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) January 27, 2020
“I get that the press loves to obsess over the latest bombshell,” Cruz said Monday.
“Listen, I don’t know what John Bolton’s book says or doesn’t say,” he added. “I’ve seen The New York Times coverage, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t impact the legal issue before this Senate. The legal issue before this Senate is whether a president has the authority to investigate corruption.”
“So the House managers built their entire case on the proposition that investigating Burisma corruption, investigating the Bidens for corruption, was baseless and a sham. The proposition is absurd.”
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