freebeacon--2020-10-12--Democrats Move To Redefine Court-Packing

In the face of Judge Amy Coney Barrett 's seemingly inevitable confirmation to the Supreme Court , leading Democrats are offering a novel definition of `` court packing '' as many party faithful push for adding justices to the Court .
This new Democratic rhetoric charges that Republicans have effectively been packing the courts for years through procedural gamesmanship .
Adding new judgeships would return a nonpartisan balance to the judiciary , the Democrats say .
A once-fringe group of activists and intellectuals began agitating for major judicial reforms after Justice Brett Kavanaugh 's confirmation , making these precise arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil rights groups circulated to Democrats and progressive allies summarized those views .
Speaking Monday morning on MSNBC , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , N.Y. ) said Republicans have effectively been packing the courts for years by holding open seats that President Donald Trump eventually filled , most notably Justice Antonin Scalia 's on the Supreme Court .
Senate Republicans also held open dozens of vacancies on the lower federal courts after assuming control of the chamber in 2014 , he said .
Some of those vacancies were on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the federal court that struck down a portion of the Affordable Care Act in January .
`` The Fifth Circuit , the very circuit that decided to get rid of the ACA , they held back … all these [ vacancies ] when Obama was there , and then they appointed right-wingers , '' Schumer said .
`` This idea that Democrats are packing the Court— [ Republicans ] have already done it . ''
The only Trump appointee on the three-judge panel Schumer referenced , Judge Kurt Engelhardt , was confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who authored the opinion in question , is a George W. Bush appointee .
The Senate confirmed her by voice vote in 2007 .
Other lawmakers , such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D. , Mass . )
, argue that reforming the High Court by adding seats or term limits would actually depoliticize the institution .
Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock ( D. ) , who is running for Senate , leaned on that argument in a Saturday debate with GOP Sen. Steve Daines .
`` We need to figure out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the Court , '' he said .
`` That 's anything from a judicial standards commission , or we ’ ll look at any other thing that might be suggested , including adding justices . ''
Kavanaugh 's confirmation seeded the court-packing discourse .
Harvard Law School professors Laurence Tribe and Mark Tushnet lent gravitas to the effort , joining the board of a pro-expansion group called Take Back the Court .
Popular neoliberal podcast Pod Save America broached the debate over a full episode in October without reaching a definite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court-expansion proposal in June , rehearsing the arguments Senate Democrats have since adopted wholesale .
`` Republicans completed their takeover of the Supreme Court with an unprecedented power grab , manipulating the size of the Court by refusing to consider President Obama 's nominee for an open seat and indicating that they would leave the seat open if Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election , then promptly changing Senate rules to fill the seat with a bare majority , '' the groups ' memo reads .
Before 2018 , most of the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roosevelt 's 1937 proposal to add up to six seats to the Supreme Court .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , who has repeatedly declined to say whether he supports adding seats to the Court , made the connection explicit in remarks during a 1983 committee hearing .
`` President Roosevelt clearly had the right to send to the United States Senate and Congress a proposal to pack the Court , '' Biden said .
`` It was totally within his right to do that .
He violated no law .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bonehead idea .
It was a terrible , terrible mistake to make . ''

In the face of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's seemingly inevitable confirmation to the Supreme Court, leading Democrats are offering a novel definition of "court packing" as many party faithful push for adding justices to the Court.
This new Democratic rhetoric charges that Republicans have effectively been packing the courts for years through procedural gamesmanship. Adding new judgeships would return a nonpartisan balance to the judiciary, the Democrats say.
A once-fringe group of activists and intellectuals began agitating for major judicial reforms after Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation, making these precise arguments. A June memo that environmental and civil rights groups circulated to Democrats and progressive allies summarized those views.
Speaking Monday morning on MSNBC, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said Republicans have effectively been packing the courts for years by holding open seats that President Donald Trump eventually filled, most notably Justice Antonin Scalia's on the Supreme Court.
Senate Republicans also held open dozens of vacancies on the lower federal courts after assuming control of the chamber in 2014, he said. Some of those vacancies were on the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal court that struck down a portion of the Affordable Care Act in January.
"The Fifth Circuit, the very circuit that decided to get rid of the ACA, they held back ... all these [vacancies] when Obama was there, and then they appointed right-wingers," Schumer said. "This idea that Democrats are packing the Court—[Republicans] have already done it."
The only Trump appointee on the three-judge panel Schumer referenced, Judge Kurt Engelhardt, was confirmed with bipartisan support. Judge Jennifer Elrod, who authored the opinion in question, is a George W. Bush appointee. The Senate confirmed her by voice vote in 2007.
Other lawmakers, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), argue that reforming the High Court by adding seats or term limits would actually depoliticize the institution.
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D.), who is running for Senate, leaned on that argument in a Saturday debate with GOP Sen. Steve Daines.
"We need to figure out the ways to actually get the politics out of the Court," he said. "That's anything from a judicial standards commission, or we’ll look at any other thing that might be suggested, including adding justices."
Kavanaugh's confirmation seeded the court-packing discourse. Harvard Law School professors Laurence Tribe and Mark Tushnet lent gravitas to the effort, joining the board of a pro-expansion group called Take Back the Court.
Popular neoliberal podcast Pod Save America broached the debate over a full episode in October without reaching a definite conclusion.
Left-wing groups coalesced behind a Court-expansion proposal in June, rehearsing the arguments Senate Democrats have since adopted wholesale.
"Republicans completed their takeover of the Supreme Court with an unprecedented power grab, manipulating the size of the Court by refusing to consider President Obama's nominee for an open seat and indicating that they would leave the seat open if Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election, then promptly changing Senate rules to fill the seat with a bare majority," the groups' memo reads.
Before 2018, most of the public associated court packing with Pres. Franklin Roosevelt's 1937 proposal to add up to six seats to the Supreme Court. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who has repeatedly declined to say whether he supports adding seats to the Court, made the connection explicit in remarks during a 1983 committee hearing.
"President Roosevelt clearly had the right to send to the United States Senate and Congress a proposal to pack the Court," Biden said. "It was totally within his right to do that. He violated no law. He was legalistically absolutely correct. But it was a bonehead idea. It was a terrible, terrible mistake to make."


freebeacon--2020-10-12--Coons Dismisses Biden’s Criticism of Court Packing: ‘Joe Does Have a Way With Words’

Delaware senator Chris Coons ( D. ) dismissed Joe Biden 's past criticism of expanding the size of the Supreme Court on Monday .
`` Joe does have a way with words , does n't he ? ''
Coons told Fox News anchor Dana Perino .
In 1983 , Biden called expanding the court a `` bonehead idea . ''
Coons , a longtime Biden ally , pivoted from Biden 's criticism to advocating for the postponement of Amy Coney Barrett 's Supreme Court nomination hearing until after the election .
Coons said Sunday that confirming Barrett to the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bader Ginsberg 's death `` constitutes court packing . ''
Some Democrats have called for expanding the Supreme Court as retaliation for Barrett 's confirmation .
Despite his past opposition , Biden has refused to say in recent weeks whether he would support the idea as president .
Along with his 1983 criticism , Biden said he opposed the practice last year during the Democratic primary .
`` I would not get into court packing .
We add three justices , the next time around , we lose control , they add three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We begin to lose any credibility the court has at all . ''
Biden said Friday that voters do not `` deserve '' to know his stance before the election .
He called it a `` distraction '' during the first presidential debate with President Donald Trump , and he said voters would find out his stance when the election is over .
Biden 's running mate Sen. Kamala Harris ( D. , Calif. ) also refused to say whether she supported court packing during last week 's vice presidential debate .
Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her failed presidential run last year .

Delaware senator Chris Coons (D.) dismissed Joe Biden's past criticism of expanding the size of the Supreme Court on Monday.
"Joe does have a way with words, doesn't he?" Coons told Fox News anchor Dana Perino. In 1983, Biden called expanding the court a "bonehead idea."
Coons, a longtime Biden ally, pivoted from Biden's criticism to advocating for the postponement of Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination hearing until after the election.
Coons said Sunday that confirming Barrett to the Supreme Court seat left vacant by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death "constitutes court packing."
Some Democrats have called for expanding the Supreme Court as retaliation for Barrett's confirmation. Despite his past opposition, Biden has refused to say in recent weeks whether he would support the idea as president.
Along with his 1983 criticism, Biden said he opposed the practice last year during the Democratic primary.
"I would not get into court packing. We add three justices, the next time around, we lose control, they add three justices," he said. "We begin to lose any credibility the court has at all."
Biden said Friday that voters do not "deserve" to know his stance before the election. He called it a "distraction" during the first presidential debate with President Donald Trump, and he said voters would find out his stance when the election is over.
Biden's running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) also refused to say whether she supported court packing during last week's vice presidential debate. Harris said she was open to it during her failed presidential run last year.


freebeacon--2020-10-12--Court Declines to Reinstate Student President Removed From Post for Catholic Beliefs

A U.S. district judge ruled that Florida State University does not have to reinstate its former student senate president Jack Denton , who was removed from his position for espousing Catholic teachings .
District judge Allen Winsor ruled that while the university had chilled Denton 's speech , it was under no obligation to reinstate him .
Denton 's `` unqualified reinstatement '' would not `` serve the public interest , '' the judge said , because students ' `` extreme and emotional '' responses to his views had precluded `` effective leadership . ''
`` One need not defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court order returning Denton to his leadership position could produce tumult and chaos , '' Winsor added .
Even so , the judge did order the university to resume paying Denton the salary from his former position— $ 54 a week until the end of the fall semester .
He also said that Denton 's speech fell under the purview of the First Amendment and that by removing a sitting student senate president , the university had discouraged other students from expressing themselves .
Alliance Defending Freedom , the religious liberty law firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Free Beacon that it is hopeful this preliminary decision will lead to an ultimate victory in court .
`` While [ Denton ] was not reinstated to his position … his rights were vindicated , and we are hopeful that we will achieve full justice for [ Denton ] , '' an ADF spokesperson said .
`` Universities can not discriminate against someone for expressing their religious beliefs , and the court has affirmed that . ''
In June , the student senate voted 38-3 to remove Denton from his position after text @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups for taking `` explicitly anti-Catholic '' stances , such as supporting abortion and transgenderism .
`` I do n't mean to anger anyone .
… It is important to know what you 're supporting when you 're Catholic .
If I stay silent while my brothers and sisters may be supporting an organization that promotes grave evils , I have sinned through my silence , '' Denton said in a GroupMe for Catholic students .
`` I love you all , and I want us all to be aware of the truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daraldik , a Palestinian-American student who has a history of anti-Semitic posts on social media , including `` f— Israel '' and `` stupid Jew . ''
Daraldik also created a website connecting the `` occupation of Palestine '' to the Holocaust , claiming that `` the Holocaust never ended , it just moved to Palestine . ''
A Florida State University spokeswoman told the Free Beacon that the university is reviewing the court 's decision and `` considering its options . ''

A U.S. district judge ruled that Florida State University does not have to reinstate its former student senate president Jack Denton, who was removed from his position for espousing Catholic teachings.
District judge Allen Winsor ruled that while the university had chilled Denton's speech, it was under no obligation to reinstate him. Denton's "unqualified reinstatement" would not "serve the public interest," the judge said, because students' "extreme and emotional" responses to his views had precluded "effective leadership." "One need not defend these reactions to recognize that a federal court order returning Denton to his leadership position could produce tumult and chaos," Winsor added.
Even so, the judge did order the university to resume paying Denton the salary from his former position—$54 a week until the end of the fall semester. He also said that Denton's speech fell under the purview of the First Amendment and that by removing a sitting student senate president, the university had discouraged other students from expressing themselves.
Alliance Defending Freedom, the religious liberty law firm that represents Denton, told the Washington Free Beacon that it is hopeful this preliminary decision will lead to an ultimate victory in court. "While [Denton] was not reinstated to his position ... his rights were vindicated, and we are hopeful that we will achieve full justice for [Denton]," an ADF spokesperson said. "Universities cannot discriminate against someone for expressing their religious beliefs, and the court has affirmed that."
In June, the student senate voted 38-3 to remove Denton from his position after text messages surfaced in which Denton criticized left-wing groups for taking "explicitly anti-Catholic" stances, such as supporting abortion and transgenderism.
"I don't mean to anger anyone. … It is important to know what you're supporting when you're Catholic. If I stay silent while my brothers and sisters may be supporting an organization that promotes grave evils, I have sinned through my silence," Denton said in a GroupMe for Catholic students. "I love you all, and I want us all to be aware of the truth."
Denton was replaced by Ahmad Daraldik, a Palestinian-American student who has a history of anti-Semitic posts on social media, including "f— Israel" and "stupid Jew." Daraldik also created a website connecting the "occupation of Palestine" to the Holocaust, claiming that "the Holocaust never ended, it just moved to Palestine."
A Florida State University spokeswoman told the Free Beacon that the university is reviewing the court's decision and "considering its options."


freebeacon--2020-10-12--FOREIGN MEDDLING: Prominent Swedish Scofflaw Endorses Biden

Foreign meddling in the U.S. presidential election escalated over the weekend when a prominent Swedish national urged Americans to `` get organized and get everyone to vote '' for Joe Biden , the Democratic candidate .
Greta Thunberg , the notorious child scofflaw who oversees an international network of radical truants , announced her support for Biden on Saturday despite being legally barred from participating in U.S. elections .
`` I never engage in party politics , '' the 17-year-old Swede said on Twitter .
`` But the upcoming US elections is above and beyond all that .
From a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from enough and many of you of course supported other candidates .
But , I mean…you know…damn ! ''
In actively seeking to influence the outcome of the U.S. election in Biden 's favor , Thunberg has made common cause with the governments of Iran and China , who are also seeking to sabotage President Donald J. Trump 's reelection campaign , according to intelligence reports .
Given Thunberg 's environmental fanaticism , her alliance with China is a curious one .
According to science , the communist country emitted almost 14 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 , or nearly three times as much as the United States .
It 's possible that Thunberg 's pro-Biden meddling—which the candidate has yet to disavow—was inspired by the selection of Sen. Kamala Harris ( D. , Calif. ) as his running mate .
As attorney general of California , Harris launched a brutal crackdown on absentee schoolchildren as part of her campaign pledge to get tough on truancy .
Perhaps Thunberg , who rose to prominence by skipping school to protest `` climate change , '' is seeking to avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Democrats are heavily favored to win back the White House in 2020 , but given the egregious amount of foreign meddling it would be hard to view such a victory as anything other than tainted , if not illegal .

Foreign meddling in the U.S. presidential election escalated over the weekend when a prominent Swedish national urged Americans to "get organized and get everyone to vote" for Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate.
Greta Thunberg, the notorious child scofflaw who oversees an international network of radical truants, announced her support for Biden on Saturday despite being legally barred from participating in U.S. elections.
"I never engage in party politics," the 17-year-old Swede said on Twitter. "But the upcoming US elections is above and beyond all that. From a climate perspective it’s very far from enough and many of you of course supported other candidates. But, I mean…you know…damn!"
In actively seeking to influence the outcome of the U.S. election in Biden's favor, Thunberg has made common cause with the governments of Iran and China, who are also seeking to sabotage President Donald J. Trump's reelection campaign, according to intelligence reports.
Given Thunberg's environmental fanaticism, her alliance with China is a curious one. According to science, the communist country emitted almost 14 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2019, or nearly three times as much as the United States.
It's possible that Thunberg's pro-Biden meddling—which the candidate has yet to disavow—was inspired by the selection of Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) as his running mate. As attorney general of California, Harris launched a brutal crackdown on absentee schoolchildren as part of her campaign pledge to get tough on truancy.
Perhaps Thunberg, who rose to prominence by skipping school to protest "climate change," is seeking to avoid legal consequences by embracing the Biden-Harris ticket. Democrats are heavily favored to win back the White House in 2020, but given the egregious amount of foreign meddling it would be hard to view such a victory as anything other than tainted, if not illegal.


freebeacon--2020-10-12--BEASTMODE: Kennedy Calls Kavanaugh Hearings a ‘Freak Show’

Sen. John Kennedy ( R. , La . )
on Monday called Brett Kavanaugh 's 2018 Supreme Court confirmation process @ @ @ @ @ '' comparing it to Star Wars ‘ cantina scene .
Kennedy 's comments came during @ @ @ @ @ Court confirmation hearing .
He told Barrett he hoped the hearings would focus on her @ @ @ @ @ noting that things can `` turn sour real fast . ''

Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.) on Monday called Brett Kavanaugh's 2018 Supreme Court confirmation process a "freak show," comparing it to Star Wars' cantina scene.
Kennedy's comments came during Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing. He told Barrett he hoped the hearings would focus on her judicial philosophy and temperament while noting that things can "turn sour real fast."


freebeacon--2020-10-12--Order Restored: USA Shakes Off ‘Obama Curse’ to Reclaim NBA Title from Canada on Trump’s Watch

Thanks to President Donald J. Trump 's courageous leadership , the United States of America has reclaimed its rightful position as basketball hegemon .
The U.S.-based Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship on Sunday , reclaiming the title from the Toronto Raptors of Canada , whose 2019 victory was tainted by the suspected meddling of disgraced former president Barack Obama .
The Raptors , who failed to advance beyond the conference semifinals in 2020 , upset the Golden State Warriors last year after the American team lost star players to injuries in Game 2 of the finals—while Obama looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which took place in Toronto , the former U.S. president was seen laughing and sharing a beer with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau , who months later would be embroiled in an embarrassing blackface scandal that almost cost him reelection .
The Lakers ' victory over the Miami Heat is just the latest sports-related triumph the United States has enjoyed on President Trump 's watch .
In 2019 , the U.S. men 's soccer team claimed second place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament , while the U.S. women 's team also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That same year , golf legend Tiger Woods ended his `` Obama drought '' by winning his first major championship since 2008 .

Thanks to President Donald J. Trump's courageous leadership, the United States of America has reclaimed its rightful position as basketball hegemon. The U.S.-based Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship on Sunday, reclaiming the title from the Toronto Raptors of Canada, whose 2019 victory was tainted by the suspected meddling of disgraced former president Barack Obama.
The Raptors, who failed to advance beyond the conference semifinals in 2020, upset the Golden State Warriors last year after the American team lost star players to injuries in Game 2 of the finals—while Obama looked on. Prior to that fateful game, which took place in Toronto, the former U.S. president was seen laughing and sharing a beer with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, who months later would be embroiled in an embarrassing blackface scandal that almost cost him reelection.
The Lakers' victory over the Miami Heat is just the latest sports-related triumph the United States has enjoyed on President Trump's watch. In 2019, the U.S. men's soccer team claimed second place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, while the U.S. women's team also found success at a tournament in France. That same year, golf legend Tiger Woods ended his "Obama drought" by winning his first major championship since 2008.


freebeacon--2020-10-12--New York Supreme Court Dismisses Fordham First Amendment Case

The New York Supreme Court has dismissed a case against Fordham University alleging the school violated the First Amendment rights of a student .
Fordham senior Austin Tong filed a lawsuit against the university in July for disciplining him for posing with a legally owned firearm on social media .
Judge Carol R. Edmead dismissed the suit as `` meritless , '' as private universities reserve the right to restrict free expression .
`` It 's a ridiculously odd and unseen court decision , '' Tong told the Washington Free-Beacon .
`` Despite the disappointing amount of political bias , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will come soon . ''
Despite its name , the New York Supreme Court is not the state 's highest court , so Tong and his legal team can appeal the decision .
In June , Tong posted two photos on Instagram that sparked blowback from his peers .
The first photo was an image of retired police captain David Dorn , who was shot dead in riots following George Floyd 's death .
The second showed Tong , a Chinese immigrant , holding an AR-15 with the caption , `` Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre .
After Fordham students complained that the posts made them feel unsafe , university public safety officers arrived at Tong 's Long Island residence late at night to confirm that he would not use the AR-15 to harm students .
Dean of students Keith Eldredge then sanctioned Tong for the photos , arguing they ran afoul of the school 's commitment to combating bias and hate crimes .
Sanctions included restricted access to the university , completion of an `` implicit bias '' program , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Free Beacon he would not apologize for the photos , as they did not pose a threat to his peers .
Fordham University did not respond to requests for comment .

Student disciplined for posing with a legally owned firearm says he won't give up legal fight
The New York Supreme Court has dismissed a case against Fordham University alleging the school violated the First Amendment rights of a student.
Fordham senior Austin Tong filed a lawsuit against the university in July for disciplining him for posing with a legally owned firearm on social media. Judge Carol R. Edmead dismissed the suit as "meritless," as private universities reserve the right to restrict free expression.
"It's a ridiculously odd and unseen court decision," Tong told the Washington Free-Beacon. "Despite the disappointing amount of political bias, we're optimistic about the steps ahead that will come soon."
Despite its name, the New York Supreme Court is not the state's highest court, so Tong and his legal team can appeal the decision.
In June, Tong posted two photos on Instagram that sparked blowback from his peers. The first photo was an image of retired police captain David Dorn, who was shot dead in riots following George Floyd's death.
The second showed Tong, a Chinese immigrant, holding an AR-15 with the caption, "Don't tread on me," in commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
After Fordham students complained that the posts made them feel unsafe, university public safety officers arrived at Tong's Long Island residence late at night to confirm that he would not use the AR-15 to harm students.
Dean of students Keith Eldredge then sanctioned Tong for the photos, arguing they ran afoul of the school's commitment to combating bias and hate crimes. Sanctions included restricted access to the university, completion of an "implicit bias" program, and a written letter of apology.
Tong previously told the Free Beacon he would not apologize for the photos, as they did not pose a threat to his peers.
Fordham University did not respond to requests for comment.


freebeacon--2020-10-12--Kim Jong Un Cries Unveiling New Ballistic Missile

North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un shed tears Saturday at a military parade where the regime revealed a new ballistic missile , the Guardian reported .
The leader ’ s speech touched on the failures in political leadership that have led Pyongyang to an economic meltdown , as well as the external threats North Korea faces .
`` Our people have placed trust , as high as the sky and as deep as the sea , in me , but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily , '' he said in tears , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times .
`` I am really sorry for that . ''
In recent months , Kim ’ s veneer of infallibility has collapsed in the face of the twin challenges of a failed economy and international pressure during the coronavirus pandemic .
Under Kim ’ s leadership , the regime has permitted North Korean propaganda to display more `` realistic '' messaging , no longer claiming that Kim 's grandfather , Kim Il Sung , had the power to levitate , or that Kim Jong Un could drive a car by age three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In recent months , Kim has even admitted to his failure to meet party expectations for the economy , and urged North Korean elites to hand over their pet dogs , a move some suspect was motivated by the country 's sparse food supply .
Experts say Kim ’ s tears were indicative of the growing pressure on him from party elites .
`` It is important to look at why he has come to shed tears at such an occasion , '' Hong Min , director of the North Korea division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told the Korea Times .
`` Underneath his message , one can sense that Kim is feeling a lot of pressure on his leadership . ''
There is also concern , however , that as Kim ’ s posture weakens , the potential for violently lashing out against Washington increases .
By displaying a long-range and lethal missile at the military parade , North Korea may be looking for better terms to negotiate with the West , using displays of force for leverage .
`` We are standing by while they deploy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis , a scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey .

North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un shed tears Saturday at a military parade where the regime revealed a new ballistic missile, the Guardian reported.
The leader’s speech touched on the failures in political leadership that have led Pyongyang to an economic meltdown, as well as the external threats North Korea faces.
"Our people have placed trust, as high as the sky and as deep as the sea, in me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily," he said in tears, according to a translation of his comments in the Korea Times. "I am really sorry for that."
In recent months, Kim’s veneer of infallibility has collapsed in the face of the twin challenges of a failed economy and international pressure during the coronavirus pandemic.
Under Kim’s leadership, the regime has permitted North Korean propaganda to display more "realistic" messaging, no longer claiming that Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, had the power to levitate, or that Kim Jong Un could drive a car by age three and won yacht races by age nine. In recent months, Kim has even admitted to his failure to meet party expectations for the economy, and urged North Korean elites to hand over their pet dogs, a move some suspect was motivated by the country's sparse food supply.
Experts say Kim’s tears were indicative of the growing pressure on him from party elites.
"It is important to look at why he has come to shed tears at such an occasion," Hong Min, director of the North Korea division at the Korean Institute for National Unification, told the Korea Times. "Underneath his message, one can sense that Kim is feeling a lot of pressure on his leadership."
There is also concern, however, that as Kim’s posture weakens, the potential for violently lashing out against Washington increases. By displaying a long-range and lethal missile at the military parade, North Korea may be looking for better terms to negotiate with the West, using displays of force for leverage."We are standing by while they deploy very destabilizing capabilities," said Jeffrey Lewis, a scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.


freebeacon--2020-10-12--Iran Wants ‘Strategic Partnership’ with China

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani recently called for a `` strategic partnership '' with the similarly anti-American regime in China , the Economist reported Saturday .
Rouhani remarked October 1 that Tehran and Beijing had taken a `` major step '' forward in its 25-year partnership .
The two countries have deepened security , technological , and economic ties in recent months , though many details of a potential breakthrough agreement remain unclear .
A partnership with China gives Iran an opportunity to revive its shattered export regime .
Foreign investment in Iran 's oil trade has ground to a halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a historic low in light of American sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic .
Tehran , therefore , sees China as a vital partner .
The countries have already made some overtures .
Tehran and Beijing share an abiding interest in challenging an American-led world order .
Iranian foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif arrived in China Friday to deepen bilateral ties , citing anti-American sentiment as a major building block in the countries ' relationship .
Iran and China `` share views on important spheres such as the fight against the U.S. unilateralism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said .
Iran engaged in a campaign of executions this summer to flatten any political opposition to its Islamist regime , while China regularly places religious and ethnic minorities in concentration camps and has consolidated power in formerly democratic Hong Kong .
China has used its membership in multilateral organizations to help Iran and oppose American interests .
As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council , the country has lobbied against western sanctions on Iran .
As a member of the U.N. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aim at Israel , an Iranian enemy .
While China continues to trade with historic rivals of Iran , some experts warn that China will continue peripheral investment in Iran .
Beijing will `` build a power station or a highway '' but likely will not send more heavy-handed forms of aid , argued one diplomat .

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani recently called for a "strategic partnership" with the similarly anti-American regime in China, the Economist reported Saturday.
Rouhani remarked October 1 that Tehran and Beijing had taken a "major step" forward in its 25-year partnership. The two countries have deepened security, technological, and economic ties in recent months, though many details of a potential breakthrough agreement remain unclear.
A partnership with China gives Iran an opportunity to revive its shattered export regime. Foreign investment in Iran's oil trade has ground to a halt, while the Iranian currency has hit a historic low in light of American sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. Tehran, therefore, sees China as a vital partner.
The countries have already made some overtures. Tehran and Beijing share an abiding interest in challenging an American-led world order. Iranian foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif arrived in China Friday to deepen bilateral ties, citing anti-American sentiment as a major building block in the countries' relationship.
Iran and China "share views on important spheres such as the fight against the U.S. unilateralism and interference in the internal affairs of countries," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
Iran engaged in a campaign of executions this summer to flatten any political opposition to its Islamist regime, while China regularly places religious and ethnic minorities in concentration camps and has consolidated power in formerly democratic Hong Kong.
China has used its membership in multilateral organizations to help Iran and oppose American interests. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the country has lobbied against western sanctions on Iran. As a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council, it has taken aim at Israel, an Iranian enemy.
While China continues to trade with historic rivals of Iran, some experts warn that China will continue peripheral investment in Iran.
Beijing will "build a power station or a highway" but likely will not send more heavy-handed forms of aid, argued one diplomat.


freebeacon--2020-10-12--In Barrett, the Chief Justice Has a Critic

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett 's confirmation may elevate a critic of Chief Justice John Roberts to the High Court .
Democrats are concentrating on Barrett 's apparent criticisms of Roberts 's Affordable Care Act opinions ahead of her confirmation hearings , which begin Monday .
Yet Barrett 's scholarly writings hint at a much deeper disagreement with the chief justice 's stewardship of the Court .
In a pair of law review articles , she questioned whether judges can effectively protect the legitimacy of the courts by deciding cases with an eye toward public confidence .
Though Roberts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critiques straightforwardly apply to the man whose career on the Court is most defined by reputation-burnishing .
The articles portend the challenges awaiting the chief justice should Barrett join the Court .
Anthony Kennedy 's retirement momentarily made Roberts the most powerful chief justice of modern times .
He holds together the fifth vote in divisive cases , the right to assign majority opinions , and the power to set the terms of practically every consequential decision .
In Barrett , he may soon have a colleague whose written record seeds doubts about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
The Supreme Court will hear another constitutional challenge to the ACA on Nov. 10 .
Senate Democrats are casting Barrett as an opponent of the law , based on her remarks in a 2016 review of a libertarian law professor 's book .
Barrett cited a 2015 Roberts opinion about the ACA as a `` creative '' example of a case in which the chief justice ignored the plain text of the law in favor of a restrained approach that respects Congress 's intent and ducks hard questions .
That kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at odds with textualism and originalism , the legal approaches to which she openly subscribes .
`` For Justice Scalia and those who share his commitment to uphold text , the measure of a court is its fair-minded application of the rule of law , which means going where the law leads , '' Barrett 's review reads .
`` By this measure , it is illegitimate for the Court to distort either the Constitution or a statute to achieve what it deems a preferable result . ''
In another section of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning '' when he upheld the mandate to buy health insurance on tax grounds , though it 's unclear whether she was referring to the book 's argument or her own .
Barrett has explored judicial legitimacy in other scholarly pieces .
In a 2013 article in the Texas Law Review about the power of precedent , she appeared to reject arguments that judges should stick with past decisions to protect public confidence in the courts .
That kind of reputation-conscious approach is often attributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find it patronizing .
`` The ‘ protecting public confidence ' argument seems to assume that the public would be shaken to learn that a justice 's judicial philosophy can affect the way she decides a case and that justices do not all share the same judicial philosophy , '' Barrett wrote .
`` This , however , is not news to the citizenry . ''
`` That Americans—and thus Supreme Court justices—disagree about how to interpret the Constitution is a fact of our political culture , '' she added .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , turns on honest consideration of the arguments for and against overturning a past decision .
That means giving precedent significant deference but not reflexive obedience .
`` Basic confidence in the Supreme Court requires the assumption that , as a general matter , justices decide cases based on their honestly held beliefs about how the Constitution should be interpreted , '' Barrett wrote .
Noting that controversy over past Supreme Court decisions has never abated , she added that the public itself does not seem to believe precedent can `` declare a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whatever her criticisms , it does n't seem likely that Barrett would needle Roberts as her mentor occasionally did .
Neither her scholarly writings nor her judicial opinions reflect the piquant style of Antonin Scalia , for whom she clerked in 1998 .
And she will sound distinctly collegial notes in her opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee .
`` If confirmed , it would be the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside the chief justice and seven associate justices , '' her statement reads .
`` I admire them all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation may elevate a critic of Chief Justice John Roberts to the High Court.
Democrats are concentrating on Barrett's apparent criticisms of Roberts's Affordable Care Act opinions ahead of her confirmation hearings, which begin Monday. Yet Barrett's scholarly writings hint at a much deeper disagreement with the chief justice's stewardship of the Court. In a pair of law review articles, she questioned whether judges can effectively protect the legitimacy of the courts by deciding cases with an eye toward public confidence.
Though Roberts is never mentioned by name, her critiques straightforwardly apply to the man whose career on the Court is most defined by reputation-burnishing.
The articles portend the challenges awaiting the chief justice should Barrett join the Court. Anthony Kennedy's retirement momentarily made Roberts the most powerful chief justice of modern times. He holds together the fifth vote in divisive cases, the right to assign majority opinions, and the power to set the terms of practically every consequential decision. In Barrett, he may soon have a colleague whose written record seeds doubts about the equilibrium he has carefully curated for years.
The Supreme Court will hear another constitutional challenge to the ACA on Nov. 10. Senate Democrats are casting Barrett as an opponent of the law, based on her remarks in a 2016 review of a libertarian law professor's book. Barrett cited a 2015 Roberts opinion about the ACA as a "creative" example of a case in which the chief justice ignored the plain text of the law in favor of a restrained approach that respects Congress's intent and ducks hard questions. That kind of decision-making, she wrote, is at odds with textualism and originalism, the legal approaches to which she openly subscribes.
"For Justice Scalia and those who share his commitment to uphold text, the measure of a court is its fair-minded application of the rule of law, which means going where the law leads," Barrett's review reads. "By this measure, it is illegitimate for the Court to distort either the Constitution or a statute to achieve what it deems a preferable result."
In another section of the review, Barrett wrote that Roberts "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning" when he upheld the mandate to buy health insurance on tax grounds, though it's unclear whether she was referring to the book's argument or her own.
Barrett has explored judicial legitimacy in other scholarly pieces. In a 2013 article in the Texas Law Review about the power of precedent, she appeared to reject arguments that judges should stick with past decisions to protect public confidence in the courts. That kind of reputation-conscious approach is often attributed to the chief justice. Barrett seems to find it patronizing.
"The 'protecting public confidence' argument seems to assume that the public would be shaken to learn that a justice's judicial philosophy can affect the way she decides a case and that justices do not all share the same judicial philosophy," Barrett wrote. "This, however, is not news to the citizenry."
"That Americans—and thus Supreme Court justices—disagree about how to interpret the Constitution is a fact of our political culture," she added.
The Court's actual legitimacy, Barrett said, turns on honest consideration of the arguments for and against overturning a past decision. That means giving precedent significant deference but not reflexive obedience.
"Basic confidence in the Supreme Court requires the assumption that, as a general matter, justices decide cases based on their honestly held beliefs about how the Constitution should be interpreted," Barrett wrote. Noting that controversy over past Supreme Court decisions has never abated, she added that the public itself does not seem to believe precedent can "declare a permanent victor" in constitutional disputes.
Whatever her criticisms, it doesn't seem likely that Barrett would needle Roberts as her mentor occasionally did. Neither her scholarly writings nor her judicial opinions reflect the piquant style of Antonin Scalia, for whom she clerked in 1998. And she will sound distinctly collegial notes in her opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"If confirmed, it would be the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside the chief justice and seven associate justices," her statement reads. "I admire them all and would consider each a valued colleague."


freebeacon--2020-10-12--Biden: Barrett’s Faith Should Not Be Questioned

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Monday that Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett 's Catholic faith should not be questioned during her confirmation hearings .
`` No , faith should not be considered , '' Biden said when asked whether Senate Democrats should pursue questions about Barrett 's faith .
`` No one 's faith should be questioned . ''
During her nomination in 2017 to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals , Barrett faced criticism for her Catholic beliefs from Senate Democrats who believed her religious views would conflict with her duties .
`` The dogma lives loudly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D. , Calif. ) told Barrett in one of the hearings .
Sen. Dick Durbin ( D. , Ill. ) asked if she considered herself an `` orthodox Catholic . ''
Since Barrett 's nomination to the Supreme Court , Feinstein and other Senate Democrats have opposed her confirmation .
They have yet to attack her faith as directly as they did three years ago .
Political and court appointees have frequently faced questions from Democratic senators about how their beliefs would prohibit them from carrying out their duties .
In 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Hawaii ) and Kamala Harris ( Calif. ) opposed federal judge nominee Brian Buescher for belonging to a Catholic group .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) also opposed Russell Vought , Trump 's nominee for Office of Management and Budget director , over his evangelical Christian faith .
Since President Donald Trump nominated Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month , Democrats have often pivoted from questions about her faith to saying a Barrett confirmation would end the Affordable Care Act .
Barrett has assured lawmakers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from fulfilling her duties as a jurist .
Sen. Ben Sasse ( R. , Neb . )
has been the most outspoken critic of any attacks on Barrett 's faith since her nomination .
He warned his Democratic colleagues they would be `` playing with fire '' if they pursued attacks on her Catholic faith during the hearings .
Biden is also a Catholic and would be only the second Catholic president if elected .
He has also received scrutiny for his religious beliefs , which rather than putting them at odds with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at odds with his fellow believers .
He was denied communion last year at a Catholic church in South Carolina for his support of abortion rights .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Monday that Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's Catholic faith should not be questioned during her confirmation hearings.
"No, faith should not be considered," Biden said when asked whether Senate Democrats should pursue questions about Barrett's faith. "No one's faith should be questioned."
During her nomination in 2017 to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Barrett faced criticism for her Catholic beliefs from Senate Democrats who believed her religious views would conflict with her duties.
"The dogma lives loudly within you," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) told Barrett in one of the hearings. Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) asked if she considered herself an "orthodox Catholic."
Since Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, Feinstein and other Senate Democrats have opposed her confirmation. They have yet to attack her faith as directly as they did three years ago.
Political and court appointees have frequently faced questions from Democratic senators about how their beliefs would prohibit them from carrying out their duties. In 2017, Feinstein and Sens. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Kamala Harris (Calif.) opposed federal judge nominee Brian Buescher for belonging to a Catholic group. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) also opposed Russell Vought, Trump's nominee for Office of Management and Budget director, over his evangelical Christian faith.
Since President Donald Trump nominated Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month, Democrats have often pivoted from questions about her faith to saying a Barrett confirmation would end the Affordable Care Act. Barrett has assured lawmakers that her religious beliefs will not prevent her from fulfilling her duties as a jurist.
Sen. Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) has been the most outspoken critic of any attacks on Barrett's faith since her nomination. He warned his Democratic colleagues they would be "playing with fire" if they pursued attacks on her Catholic faith during the hearings.
Biden is also a Catholic and would be only the second Catholic president if elected. He has also received scrutiny for his religious beliefs, which rather than putting them at odds with his political party more often put him at odds with his fellow believers. He was denied communion last year at a Catholic church in South Carolina for his support of abortion rights.


freebeacon--2020-10-12--DEA Seizes 1.5 Tons of Meth in Second-Largest Bust Ever

Federal agents have seized over 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine , as well as large volumes of fentanyl and heroin , at the southwestern border , the Drug Enforcement Administration announced Sunday .
Customs and Border Protection officers seized the drugs on Friday morning from a tractor trailer attempting to cross into the United States at the Otay Mesa port of entry in Southern California .
The truck 's contents were listed as medical supplies , but when officers inspected it they found nearly 2,000 packages , containing 3,014 pounds of methamphetamine , 64 pounds of heroin , 29 pounds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fentanyl pills .
In total , the DEA said , the drugs were worth an estimated $ 7.2 million .
Friday 's bust is the second-largest methamphetamine seizure since CBP was formed in 2003 .
`` This massive seizure is a testament of what law enforcement agencies can do when we combine forces—prevent over $ 7 million worth of deadly drugs from entering our country , thus saving countless lives from addiction and overdose deaths , '' said DEA official John W. Callery .
`` DEA cherishes our great law enforcement partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work tirelessly to protect our nation ’ s borders .
We will continue to work together to disrupt drug trafficking organizations at every opportunity we are given . ''
Although Friday 's bust was massive , it represents just a small fraction of the drugs that regularly flow across the southwestern border .
According to official CBP statistics , agents seized over 140,000 pounds of methamphetamine between September 2019 and August 2020 .
That represents a 106 percent increase compared with FY 2019 , and an over 600 percent increase since FY 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mass production across the border in Mexico , has become a quiet killer of thousands of Americans a year .
Preliminary CDC data indicate some 16,000 people died from meth overdoses in 2019 alone , up from 14,000 in 2018 and just 2,300 in 2010 .
As of the most recent data , methamphetamine is officially the second-deadliest contributor to America 's polydrug crisis , following only the ultrapotent synthetic opioid fentanyl and its analogs .

Federal agents have seized over 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine, as well as large volumes of fentanyl and heroin, at the southwestern border, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced Sunday.
Customs and Border Protection officers seized the drugs on Friday morning from a tractor trailer attempting to cross into the United States at the Otay Mesa port of entry in Southern California. The truck's contents were listed as medical supplies, but when officers inspected it they found nearly 2,000 packages, containing 3,014 pounds of methamphetamine, 64 pounds of heroin, 29 pounds of fentanyl powder, and almost 37 pounds of fentanyl pills.
In total, the DEA said, the drugs were worth an estimated $7.2 million. Friday's bust is the second-largest methamphetamine seizure since CBP was formed in 2003.
"This massive seizure is a testament of what law enforcement agencies can do when we combine forces—prevent over $7 million worth of deadly drugs from entering our country, thus saving countless lives from addiction and overdose deaths," said DEA official John W. Callery. "DEA cherishes our great law enforcement partners in San Diego, especially those who work tirelessly to protect our nation’s borders. We will continue to work together to disrupt drug trafficking organizations at every opportunity we are given."
Although Friday's bust was massive, it represents just a small fraction of the drugs that regularly flow across the southwestern border. According to official CBP statistics, agents seized over 140,000 pounds of methamphetamine between September 2019 and August 2020. That represents a 106 percent increase compared with FY 2019, and an over 600 percent increase since FY 2014.
This wave of methamphetamine, driven by mass production across the border in Mexico, has become a quiet killer of thousands of Americans a year. Preliminary CDC data indicate some 16,000 people died from meth overdoses in 2019 alone, up from 14,000 in 2018 and just 2,300 in 2010. As of the most recent data, methamphetamine is officially the second-deadliest contributor to America's polydrug crisis, following only the ultrapotent synthetic opioid fentanyl and its analogs.


freebeacon--2020-10-12--Happy Columbus Day! Honoring an Immigrant Entrepreneur Who Risked It All to Change The World

Happy Columbus Day , everybody !
Today we honor the immigrant entrepreneur who founded America , the most disruptive startup in the history of the human race .
Christopher Columbus , aka Cristoforo Colombo , the son of a cheese salesman , worked his way up from humble beginnings to become the most famous explorer the world has ever known .
Centuries later , President Donald J. Trump would follow a similar path to success .
A devout believer in Christianity as well as science , Columbus sailed the ocean blue with nothing but a dream in his Atlantic-sized heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Italian-born hero , who at one point in history would have been considered a person of color , risked everything for a better life in parts unknown .
More importantly , Columbus delivered for his investors .
On October 12 , 1492 , more than two months after setting sail from Spain , the immigrant explorer set foot on San Salvador , less than 300 miles from what would eventually become the U.S. military detention camp at Guantanamo Bay .
In recent years , Columbus has been the victim of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the success of some hardworking immigrants—Alexander Hamilton , for example , who was of Anglo-Saxon heritage—but not others .
Henry Kissinger , Rafael Cruz , and Melania Trump have also been targeted by libs .
That 's regrettable .
America truly is a nation of immigrant entrepreneurs , a progressive legacy that started with Columbus , whose daring voyage not only changed the course of human history but also ensured a better life for his family as well as his business partners .
His courage should be celebrated , not `` put into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then .
Celebrate !

Happy Columbus Day, everybody! Today we honor the immigrant entrepreneur who founded America, the most disruptive startup in the history of the human race.
Christopher Columbus, aka Cristoforo Colombo, the son of a cheese salesman, worked his way up from humble beginnings to become the most famous explorer the world has ever known. Centuries later, President Donald J. Trump would follow a similar path to success. A devout believer in Christianity as well as science, Columbus sailed the ocean blue with nothing but a dream in his Atlantic-sized heart, and found the Promised Land itself.
The Italian-born hero, who at one point in history would have been considered a person of color, risked everything for a better life in parts unknown. More importantly, Columbus delivered for his investors. On October 12, 1492, more than two months after setting sail from Spain, the immigrant explorer set foot on San Salvador, less than 300 miles from what would eventually become the U.S. military detention camp at Guantanamo Bay.
In recent years, Columbus has been the victim of a smear campaign by radical leftists who applaud the success of some hardworking immigrants—Alexander Hamilton, for example, who was of Anglo-Saxon heritage—but not others. Henry Kissinger, Rafael Cruz, and Melania Trump have also been targeted by libs.
That's regrettable. America truly is a nation of immigrant entrepreneurs, a progressive legacy that started with Columbus, whose daring voyage not only changed the course of human history but also ensured a better life for his family as well as his business partners. His courage should be celebrated, not "put into proper context." Go on, then. Celebrate!


freebeacon--2020-10-12--Biden Talked of Attending Black Church As a Teen, But Members Don’t Recall It

On the campaign trail , Joe Biden has talked frequently about his early years in the civil rights movement .
As a teenager , he says , he regularly attended a black church in Wilmington , Del.
, where he was involved in organizing anti-segregation protests in the early 1960s .
`` I got raised in the black church , '' Biden said in a speech to Jesse Jackson 's Rainbow PUSH coalition last year .
`` We would go sit in Rev .
Herring 's church , sit there before we 'd go out , and try to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college and in high school . ''
The church Biden referenced , Union Baptist Church , was a prominent African-American church in Wilmington run by Rev .
Otis Herring , an acclaimed pastor who passed away in 1996 .
But Biden has made comments that seem to contradict the account .
When reporters questioned Biden 's claim in 1987 that he marched in the civil rights movement , he acknowledged that he `` was n't an activist '' and that his most significant experience with civil rights as a youth was when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a college sophomore in 1962 .
Now , interviews with long-time church members are raising questions about his story .
Biden befriended Herring as an adult , they say , but they do not recall him attending the church as a teenager .
Phyllis Drummond , Herring 's longtime assistant who attended Union Baptist for 39 years , said she was not involved with the church in the early 1960s but does not think Biden attended at that time .
`` No .
Not at our building .
I think he was probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ or ] in Pennsylvania then , '' Drummond told the Washington Free Beacon .
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
Juanita Matthew , who joined Union Baptist in the 1970s and has run its affiliated day-care center for decades , said she was n't aware of Biden 's attendance as a teenager .
Herring , she said , befriended Biden after the newly elected senator 's wife and daughter were killed in a car accident in 1972 , and Biden became `` a great friend of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's biographical claims have raised eyebrows since his first presidential run over three decades ago , when he was forced to drop out of the race after falsely claiming that he was the first in his family to attend college and that he was the descendant of coal miners .
In February , Biden repeatedly told a story about getting arrested while trying to visit Nelson Mandela in South Africa in the late 1970s .
But the campaign later acknowledged this was not true following a New York Times report that challenged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Nations ambassador who traveled with Biden to South Africa , told the Times , `` I was never arrested and I do n't think [ Biden ] was , either . ''
The former vice president has also made dubious claims in the past few years about having his helicopter `` forced down '' down outside Osama bin Laden 's hideout in Afghanistan and getting shot at in Iraq .
Biden also claimed to have participated in anti-segregation sit-ins along Route 40 when he was just 18 years old , which could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , his claims about Herring and his involvement with the church are coming under scrutiny .
Biden said over the summer that he had been `` involved with the civil rights movement , the African-American community since I was a junior in high school , desegregating movie theaters . ''
But Biden said previously he `` did n't know any black people '' until he started working at the majority-black pool in Wilmington in 1962 .
`` It was an incredible awakening to me , '' he told the Morning News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assumed everybody treated everyone fairly . ''
Biden 's claims about Union Baptist have prompted skepticism from progressives .
Shaun King , a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement , reported in January that he spoke to unnamed `` former members '' of Union Baptist and people close to the Herring family and was told Biden 's stories about attending the church as a youth were untrue .
`` Four different people in Wilmington expressed to me that these claims of Biden are so outrageous and dishonest that it caused them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he wrote .
King , who has tempered his criticism of the candidate since Biden became the Democratic nominee , did not respond to a request for comment .
In an Intercept article in February , reporter Robert Mackey also challenged Biden 's account , noting that the former vice president 's 2007 memoir Promises to Keep made no mention of these stories .
`` Given that the memoir describes his time in high school and college in detail , it seems odd that Biden failed to make any mention at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiences : the picketing of the segregated Rialto movie theater and attending civil rights organizing sessions at Rev .
Otis Herring 's Union Baptist Church , '' wrote Mackey .
`` Asked about the discrepancy … Biden 's spokesperson argued that the book was written as something of a manifesto for his 2007 campaign and was not intended to be an exhaustive autobiography . ''
Herring—a devoted religious and community leader , blind since young adulthood , and admired as a `` visionary '' by his parishioners—was first installed as the pastor at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to news reports from the time .
At the time , Biden was a college sophomore at the University of Delaware .
Biden gave a tribute to Herring on the Senate floor after his death in 1996 , praising his `` legacy that endures because he lived his faith . ''
The tribute did not mention Biden attending his church as a teenager or helping organize civil rights protests .

On the campaign trail, Joe Biden has talked frequently about his early years in the civil rights movement. As a teenager, he says, he regularly attended a black church in Wilmington, Del., where he was involved in organizing anti-segregation protests in the early 1960s.
"I got raised in the black church," Biden said in a speech to Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH coalition last year. "We would go sit in Rev. Herring's church, sit there before we'd go out, and try to change things when I was a kid in college and in high school."
The church Biden referenced, Union Baptist Church, was a prominent African-American church in Wilmington run by Rev. Otis Herring, an acclaimed pastor who passed away in 1996. But Biden has made comments that seem to contradict the account. When reporters questioned Biden's claim in 1987 that he marched in the civil rights movement, he acknowledged that he "wasn't an activist" and that his most significant experience with civil rights as a youth was when he worked at a majority-black swimming pool as a college sophomore in 1962.
Now, interviews with long-time church members are raising questions about his story. Biden befriended Herring as an adult, they say, but they do not recall him attending the church as a teenager.
Phyllis Drummond, Herring's longtime assistant who attended Union Baptist for 39 years, said she was not involved with the church in the early 1960s but does not think Biden attended at that time. "No. Not at our building. I think he was probably in Claymont, [Del.,] [or] in Pennsylvania then," Drummond told the Washington Free Beacon.
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Juanita Matthew, who joined Union Baptist in the 1970s and has run its affiliated day-care center for decades, said she wasn't aware of Biden's attendance as a teenager. Herring, she said, befriended Biden after the newly elected senator's wife and daughter were killed in a car accident in 1972, and Biden became "a great friend of the church and the pastor."
Biden's biographical claims have raised eyebrows since his first presidential run over three decades ago, when he was forced to drop out of the race after falsely claiming that he was the first in his family to attend college and that he was the descendant of coal miners. In February, Biden repeatedly told a story about getting arrested while trying to visit Nelson Mandela in South Africa in the late 1970s. But the campaign later acknowledged this was not true following a New York Times report that challenged the claim. Andrew Young, a United Nations ambassador who traveled with Biden to South Africa, told the Times, "I was never arrested and I don't think [Biden] was, either."
The former vice president has also made dubious claims in the past few years about having his helicopter "forced down" down outside Osama bin Laden's hideout in Afghanistan and getting shot at in Iraq.
Biden also claimed to have participated in anti-segregation sit-ins along Route 40 when he was just 18 years old, which could not be corroborated by participants and historians.
Now, his claims about Herring and his involvement with the church are coming under scrutiny. Biden said over the summer that he had been "involved with the civil rights movement, the African-American community since I was a junior in high school, desegregating movie theaters."
But Biden said previously he "didn't know any black people" until he started working at the majority-black pool in Wilmington in 1962. "It was an incredible awakening to me," he told the Morning News in 1986. "I had just assumed everybody treated everyone fairly."
Biden's claims about Union Baptist have prompted skepticism from progressives. Shaun King, a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement, reported in January that he spoke to unnamed "former members" of Union Baptist and people close to the Herring family and was told Biden's stories about attending the church as a youth were untrue.
"Four different people in Wilmington expressed to me that these claims of Biden are so outrageous and dishonest that it caused them to truly worry for his mental health," he wrote. King, who has tempered his criticism of the candidate since Biden became the Democratic nominee, did not respond to a request for comment.
In an Intercept article in February, reporter Robert Mackey also challenged Biden's account, noting that the former vice president's 2007 memoir Promises to Keep made no mention of these stories.
"Given that the memoir describes his time in high school and college in detail, it seems odd that Biden failed to make any mention at all of what he now describes as formative experiences: the picketing of the segregated Rialto movie theater and attending civil rights organizing sessions at Rev. Otis Herring's Union Baptist Church," wrote Mackey. "Asked about the discrepancy … Biden's spokesperson argued that the book was written as something of a manifesto for his 2007 campaign and was not intended to be an exhaustive autobiography."
Herring—a devoted religious and community leader, blind since young adulthood, and admired as a "visionary" by his parishioners—was first installed as the pastor at Union Baptist in September 1962, according to news reports from the time. At the time, Biden was a college sophomore at the University of Delaware.
Biden gave a tribute to Herring on the Senate floor after his death in 1996, praising his "legacy that endures because he lived his faith." The tribute did not mention Biden attending his church as a teenager or helping organize civil rights protests.


freebeacon--2020-10-13--State Department to Crack Down on Foreign Influence at U.S. Think Tanks

The State Department on Tuesday will move to crack down on the foreign funding of American think tanks , which has skyrocketed over the past decade .
Though disclosure is not a legal requirement , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is requesting that think tanks reveal their foreign donors , according to prepared remarks obtained by the Washington Free Beacon .
`` To protect the integrity of civil society institutions , the Department requests henceforth that think tanks and other foreign policy organizations that wish to engage with the Department disclose prominently on their websites funding they receive from foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entities , '' Pompeo will say in a statement .
The move from Foggy Bottom comes as some of the country 's most prominent think tanks , including the Atlantic Council and the Brooking Institution , have been dogged by reports detailing the influence of foreign money on their scholarship .
A Free Beacon report earlier this year detailed the influence of the Turkish government at the Atlantic Council , which has removed experts from panels at the behest of the Erdogan government .
A 2014 New York Times report cited experts testifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small Middle East nation , had gained at the organization with a $ 14.8 million donation .
Those reports made clear how foreign governments and state-controlled enterprises use their financial support for American think tanks to gin up favorable news coverage and suppress criticism — and to launder their reputations and those of key business interests through partnerships with well-respected U.S. organizations .
Pompeo is expected to home in on the attempts by American adversaries Russia and China to gain a foothold in the U.S. through donations to U.S. think tanks , arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over U.S. foreign policy through lobbyists , external experts , and think tanks . ''
`` We hope one day soon that U.S. efforts to promote free and open dialogue about economic and personal liberty , equal citizenship , the rule of law , and authentic civil society , will be possible in places such as China and Russia , '' Pompeo is expected to say .

The State Department on Tuesday will move to crack down on the foreign funding of American think tanks, which has skyrocketed over the past decade.
Though disclosure is not a legal requirement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is requesting that think tanks reveal their foreign donors, according to prepared remarks obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
"To protect the integrity of civil society institutions, the Department requests henceforth that think tanks and other foreign policy organizations that wish to engage with the Department disclose prominently on their websites funding they receive from foreign governments, including state-owned or state-operated subsidiary entities," Pompeo will say in a statement.
The move from Foggy Bottom comes as some of the country's most prominent think tanks, including the Atlantic Council and the Brookings Institution, have been dogged by reports detailing the influence of foreign money on their scholarship. A Free Beacon report earlier this year detailed the influence of the Turkish government at the Atlantic Council, which has removed experts from panels at the behest of the Erdogan government. A 2014 New York Times report cited experts testifying to the influence that Qatar, the small Middle East nation, had gained at the Brookings Institution with a $14.8 million donation.
Those reports made clear how foreign governments and state-controlled enterprises use their financial support for American think tanks to gin up favorable news coverage and suppress criticism—and to launder their reputations and those of key business interests through partnerships with well-respected U.S. organizations.
Pompeo is expected to home in on the attempts by American adversaries Russia and China to gain a foothold in the United States through donations to U.S. think tanks, arguing that they "seek to exert influence over U.S. foreign policy through lobbyists, external experts, and think tanks."
"We hope one day soon that U.S. efforts to promote free and open dialogue about economic and personal liberty, equal citizenship, the rule of law, and authentic civil society, will be possible in places such as China and Russia," Pompeo is expected to say.
CORRECTION: This article has been modified to reflect that it was the Brookings Institution, not the Atlantic Council, that received a $14.8 million donation from Qatar.


freebeacon--2020-10-13--Ernst Preaches Law and Order from Harley

DES MOINES—A horde of motorcycles roared toward Carroll , Iowa , on Saturday .
The sight and sound of 80 Harley-Davidsons was once the stuff of nightmares in small-town America , with lawlessness and anarchy sure to follow .
But the head of this convoy was no outlaw ; in fact , she was there to reassure Iowans that if they send her back to the Senate , law and order will follow .
Sen. Joni Ernst ( R. , Iowa ) made six campaign stops on Saturday and Sunday with 80 bikers in tow surrounding her `` Joni for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The GOP incumbent has cruised the Hawkeye State each year since 2015 to raise money for veterans organizations and disaster relief , but this year 's cruise has also served as a barnstorming run in one of the closest Senate elections in the country .
Ernst railed against national liberals throughout the weekend , painting the Democratic Party as a group that wants to `` fundamentally change who we are as the United States of America . ''
`` I have the path to the right , which is a path of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of freedom , it 's a path of unlimited opportunity , '' Ernst said during a Saturday event in Des Moines while sporting leather riding gear .
`` Now the path on the left … this is a path of defunding the police , this is a path of higher taxes , this is a path of rolling back our Second Amendment gun rights , this is a path of extreme abortion with no restrictions .
This is a path Americans are less likely to choose—unless they hide it as something else .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ life in a race considered a must-win for Republicans to retain their Senate majority through 2022 .
Ernst , who became the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate in 2015 , pitched herself as a `` fighter '' during a Sunday afternoon stop in Cedar Rapids .
`` I may be a little bit bloodied .
I may be a little bit bruised coming through this .
I may have a few broken ribs come November 3rd , '' Ernst said .
`` But because I am a fighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that finish line first . ''
The ride across Iowa came as polling averages show Ernst slightly trailing her Democratic opponent , former real estate executive Theresa Greenfield .
The Republican spent the weekend tying Greenfield to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D. , N.Y. ) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) .
She pitched her reelection as a `` firewall '' to the Democratic Party 's `` extreme '' agenda .
Her bid to lay out the stakes of a unified Democratic government resonated with Iowa residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iowa , agreed with Ernst 's message , saying `` American freedoms '' are on the line in November .
`` The Constitution is under attack by the left , '' Law told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` Senators like Joni Ernst and a president like Donald Trump are going to protect our freedoms . ''
The events helped to turn out hundreds of GOP supporters , a strong showing even as Biden and Greenfield have risen in national and state polls .
Attendees showed no shortage of enthusiasm for Ernst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon campaign stop in Carroll included more than 100 supporters , a `` Keep America Great '' limousine , and a military tank complete with a turret gun and a `` Trump 2020 No More Bulls— '' flag .
A large group of Marshalltown supporters also lined a highway overpass with American flags and campaign signs to welcome her caravan of riders en route to a Cedar Rapids event .
Ernst lauded the on-the-ground energy on Saturday morning during the tour 's first stop in Sioux City .
`` We 've got so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of energy and enthusiasm , that 's what 's going to carry me through the day , '' Ernst said .
`` I know we are going to win this race , and … it 's going to be done by getting out and interacting with people . ''
A who ’ s who of Iowa Republicans joined Ernst throughout the weekend , with guest speakers including Sen. Chuck Grassley , Governor Kim Reynolds , former governor and U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad , and congressional hopeful Ashley Hinson .
Ernst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message while appearing with Reynolds in Des Moines , telling reporters that suburban women across the state are `` really concerned '' with the national uptick in violence .
`` Whether it 's happening in Kenosha , Minneapolis , Kansas City , Omaha , St. Louis—when they see that happening in other communities , they start thinking , ‘ What 's going to happen to us here ? '
'' Ernst said .
`` They 're worried about their small business , they 're worried about their children . ''
Ernst also used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of access to voters on the trail .
The Republican repeatedly touted her record of appearing in all of Iowa 's 99 counties .
Greenfield , meanwhile , opted to skip an August debate in rural Clay County , which she has yet to visit .
`` We have not seen her around the state , '' Bill Law told the Free Beacon .
`` How does she expect to get any support if she 's not willing to come out and meet face to face with the people ? ''
Ernst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon after the tour concluded to attend the Senate Judiciary Committee 's confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett , Trump 's pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
She said Barrett ’ s confirmation was `` likely '' to occur before Election Day and promised to `` do her duty '' on the committee regardless of potential political backlash .
That said , she identified the confirmation battle as a winning issue for her campaign , telling reporters that the impending Supreme Court battle would inspire Iowa voters who `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will uphold our Constitution . ''
Ernst acknowledged the hectic timeline of the confirmation process and upcoming election , calling 2020 a `` tough , tough , tough '' election year in Carroll .
She credited her military experience , including tours of duty in Kuwait and southern Iraq in 2003 and 2004 , respectively , with preparing her for the contentious battles that have defined the 2020 election cycle .
`` I am always going to support our veterans and our men and women in the armed forces , because I 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ernst said as she spoke from the bed of a Ford pickup .
`` I will go toe to toe with anyone who tries to take our freedoms , our opportunities , and our prosperities away from us . ''

DES MOINES—A horde of motorcycles roared toward Carroll, Iowa, on Saturday. The sight and sound of 80 Harley-Davidsons was once the stuff of nightmares in small-town America, with lawlessness and anarchy sure to follow. But the head of this convoy was no outlaw; in fact, she was there to reassure Iowans that if they send her back to the Senate, law and order will follow.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) made six campaign stops on Saturday and Sunday with 80 bikers in tow surrounding her "Joni for Iowa" tour bus at each event. The GOP incumbent has cruised the Hawkeye State each year since 2015 to raise money for veterans organizations and disaster relief, but this year's cruise has also served as a barnstorming run in one of the closest Senate elections in the country. Ernst railed against national liberals throughout the weekend, painting the Democratic Party as a group that wants to "fundamentally change who we are as the United States of America."
"I have the path to the right, which is a path of economic prosperity, it's a path of freedom, it's a path of unlimited opportunity," Ernst said during a Saturday event in Des Moines while sporting leather riding gear. "Now the path on the left … this is a path of defunding the police, this is a path of higher taxes, this is a path of rolling back our Second Amendment gun rights, this is a path of extreme abortion with no restrictions. This is a path Americans are less likely to choose—unless they hide it as something else."
Ernst is battling for her political life in a race considered a must-win for Republicans to retain their Senate majority through 2022. Ernst, who became the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate in 2015, pitched herself as a "fighter" during a Sunday afternoon stop in Cedar Rapids.
"I may be a little bit bloodied. I may be a little bit bruised coming through this. I may have a few broken ribs come November 3rd," Ernst said. "But because I am a fighter, I am going to crawl across that finish line first."
The ride across Iowa came as polling averages show Ernst slightly trailing her Democratic opponent, former real estate executive Theresa Greenfield. The Republican spent the weekend tying Greenfield to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). She pitched her reelection as a "firewall" to the Democratic Party's "extreme" agenda.
Her bid to lay out the stakes of a unified Democratic government resonated with Iowa residents in attendance. Bill Law of Fruitland, Iowa, agreed with Ernst's message, saying "American freedoms" are on the line in November.
"The Constitution is under attack by the left," Law told the Washington Free Beacon. "Senators like Joni Ernst and a president like Donald Trump are going to protect our freedoms."
The events helped to turn out hundreds of GOP supporters, a strong showing even as Biden and Greenfield have risen in national and state polls. Attendees showed no shortage of enthusiasm for Ernst and President Donald Trump.
A Saturday afternoon campaign stop in Carroll included more than 100 supporters, a "Keep America Great" limousine, and a military tank complete with a turret gun and a "Trump 2020 No More Bulls—" flag.
A large group of Marshalltown supporters also lined a highway overpass with American flags and campaign signs to welcome her caravan of riders en route to a Cedar Rapids event.
Ernst lauded the on-the-ground energy on Saturday morning during the tour's first stop in Sioux City.
"We've got so many great supporters out there. That level of energy and enthusiasm, that's what's going to carry me through the day," Ernst said. "I know we are going to win this race, and … it's going to be done by getting out and interacting with people."
A who’s who of Iowa Republicans joined Ernst throughout the weekend, with guest speakers including Sen. Chuck Grassley, Governor Kim Reynolds, former governor and U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad, and congressional hopeful Ashley Hinson. Ernst reinforced her "law and order" message while appearing with Reynolds in Des Moines, telling reporters that suburban women across the state are "really concerned" with the national uptick in violence.
"Whether it's happening in Kenosha, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis—when they see that happening in other communities, they start thinking, 'What's going to happen to us here?'" Ernst said. "They're worried about their small business, they're worried about their children."
Ernst also used the tour to criticize her Greenfield's lack of access to voters on the trail. The Republican repeatedly touted her record of appearing in all of Iowa's 99 counties. Greenfield, meanwhile, opted to skip an August debate in rural Clay County, which she has yet to visit.
"We have not seen her around the state," Bill Law told the Free Beacon. "How does she expect to get any support if she's not willing to come out and meet face to face with the people?"
Ernst left Iowa for Washington, D.C., soon after the tour concluded to attend the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, Trump's pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She said Barrett’s confirmation was "likely" to occur before Election Day and promised to "do her duty" on the committee regardless of potential political backlash.
That said, she identified the confirmation battle as a winning issue for her campaign, telling reporters that the impending Supreme Court battle would inspire Iowa voters who "really do want to see someone who will uphold our Constitution."
Ernst acknowledged the hectic timeline of the confirmation process and upcoming election, calling 2020 a "tough, tough, tough" election year in Carroll. She credited her military experience, including tours of duty in Kuwait and southern Iraq in 2003 and 2004, respectively, with preparing her for the contentious battles that have defined the 2020 election cycle.
"I am always going to support our veterans and our men and women in the armed forces, because I've had my boots in that sand," Ernst said as she spoke from the bed of a Ford pickup. "I will go toe to toe with anyone who tries to take our freedoms, our opportunities, and our prosperities away from us."


freebeacon--2020-10-13--Harris’s Ties to Leading Anti-Israel Group Draw Scrutiny

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris ’ s ties to a leading anti-Israel group are generating scrutiny among Jewish voters , particularly in Florida , a perennial swing state populated by a large number of staunchly pro-Israel voters .
As California ’ s attorney general and then as U.S. senator , Harris forged a relationship with the Council on American-Islamic Relations ( CAIR ) , one of the nation ’ s top anti-Israel groups and advocates for boycotts of the Jewish state .
CAIR advised Harris on community issues during her time in California politics , and she later offered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a 2018 personal letter to the group .
Harris ’ s association with CAIR is drawing scrutiny ahead of the 2020 presidential election .
While Jewish voters overwhelmingly lean Democratic , the party ’ s recent embrace of anti-Israel causes and activists could make the critical voting bloc think twice .
Biden has promised to be a mainstream pro-Israel president , but the Democratic Party ’ s alliance with anti-Israel leaders threatens to pull the candidate leftward , as evidenced by Biden ’ s campaign pledge to confront Israel over its continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Recent national polls show around 30 percent support for Trump among Jewish voters , a number that ranks on the high end historically .
And CAIR ’ s support for the Democratic ticket could prove to be a lightning rod for team Biden in states such as Florida , local GOP officials say .
`` Every Jewish American should be concerned about a potential vice president who aligns herself with groups that support terrorists , '' said Randy Fine , a former Republican Florida state politician who went toe-to-toe with CAIR on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think we want people in the White House to invite anti-Semites to have a seat at the table . ''
As California ’ s top cop , Harris partnered with local CAIR officials and relied on them to advise her about community matters .
In 2015 , for instance , Harris hosted CAIR for an interfaith community event following a deadly terrorist attack in San Bernardino .
In 2016 , as Harris ran for the Senate , CAIR ’ s political action committee donated $ 1,750 to boost her campaign .
CAIR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voices such as Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D. , Minn. ) .
Hussam Ayloush , executive director of CAIR ’ s Los Angeles office , praised Harris in 2015 for including the group in an interfaith meeting with law enforcement officials .
Harris , he said , `` exemplified leadership '' by vowing to tackle Islamophobia at a time when the state ’ s Jewish institutions were facing threats .
Harris ’ s relationship with CAIR carried over into her Senate career .
In 2018 , Harris was one of several lawmakers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 24th anniversary .
`` Please accept my gratitude and admiration for your tireless work to promote peace , justice , and mutual understanding , '' Harris wrote in that letter , according to a copy obtained by the Washington Free Beacon .
CAIR has been at the forefront of anti-Israel activism since its creation in 1994 .
While the group touts itself as a civic and community outreach group , `` antipathy towards Israel has been a CAIR staple since the group was founded … by several leaders of the Islamic Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was once described by the U.S. government as part of ‘ Hamas ’ propaganda apparatus , ' '' according to the Anti-Defamation League , which combats anti-Israel bias .
CAIR is also known for its involvement in a fundraising effort tied to the Muslim Brotherhood that sought to support the Hamas terror organization .
That case , known as the Holy Land Foundation trial , presented evidence that CAIR and its founders sought to financially boost the U.S.-designated terror group Hamas , which continues to wage war on Israel .
CAIR ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has often been at odds with the Jewish community .
CAIR lobbied against legislation that would have increased security funding for Jewish day schools and other institutions threatened by anti-Semites .
It also opposed a widely supported bill denouncing boycotts of the Jewish state , known as the Boycott , Divestment , and Sanctions movement .
Republican political operatives view Harris ’ s work with CAIR as an example of the Democratic Party ’ s very public embrace of anti-Israel activists .
`` Senator Harris 's longstanding relationship with an anti-Semitic group like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guest , the Republican National Committee ’ s rapid response director .
`` Today 's Democrat Party is under tremendous influence of anti-Semites like Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib .
It is clear that in a Biden-Harris administration , anti-Semitic groups such as CAIR will be running the show the same way [ Reps. Ilhan ] Omar and [ Rashida ] Tlaib do in the Democrat caucus . ''
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Harris ’ s work with CAIR .

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s ties to a leading anti-Israel group are generating scrutiny among Jewish voters, particularly in Florida, a perennial swing state populated by a large number of staunchly pro-Israel voters.
As California’s attorney general and then as U.S. senator, Harris forged a relationship with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the nation’s top anti-Israel groups and advocates for boycotts of the Jewish state. CAIR advised Harris on community issues during her time in California politics, and she later offered the group her "gratitude and admiration" in a 2018 personal letter to the group.
Harris’s association with CAIR is drawing scrutiny ahead of the 2020 presidential election. While Jewish voters overwhelmingly lean Democratic, the party’s recent embrace of anti-Israel causes and activists could make the critical voting bloc think twice. Biden has promised to be a mainstream pro-Israel president, but the Democratic Party’s alliance with anti-Israel leaders threatens to pull the candidate leftward, as evidenced by Biden’s campaign pledge to confront Israel over its continued building of Jewish homes in disputed areas. Recent national polls show around 30 percent support for Trump among Jewish voters, a number that ranks on the high end historically. And CAIR’s support for the Democratic ticket could prove to be a lightning rod for team Biden in states such as Florida, local GOP officials say.
"Every Jewish American should be concerned about a potential vice president who aligns herself with groups that support terrorists," said Randy Fine, a Republican Florida state politician who went toe-to-toe with CAIR on several initiatives. "I don’t think we want people in the White House to invite anti-Semites to have a seat at the table."
As California’s top cop, Harris partnered with local CAIR officials and relied on them to advise her about community matters. In 2015, for instance, Harris hosted CAIR for an interfaith community event following a deadly terrorist attack in San Bernardino. In 2016, as Harris ran for the Senate, CAIR’s political action committee donated $1,750 to boost her campaign. CAIR PAC also has donated to prominent anti-Israel voices such as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.).
Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR’s Los Angeles office, praised Harris in 2015 for including the group in an interfaith meeting with law enforcement officials. Harris, he said, "exemplified leadership" by vowing to tackle Islamophobia at a time when the state’s Jewish institutions were facing threats.
Harris’s relationship with CAIR carried over into her Senate career. In 2018, Harris was one of several lawmakers who penned letters of support to CAIR on its 24th anniversary.
"Please accept my gratitude and admiration for your tireless work to promote peace, justice, and mutual understanding," Harris wrote in that letter, according to a copy obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
CAIR has been at the forefront of anti-Israel activism since its creation in 1994. While the group touts itself as a civic and community outreach group, "antipathy towards Israel has been a CAIR staple since the group was founded ... by several leaders of the Islamic Association for Palestine, a now-defunct organization that was once described by the U.S. government as part of 'Hamas’ propaganda apparatus,'" according to the Anti-Defamation League, which combats anti-Israel bias.
CAIR is also known for its involvement in a fundraising effort tied to the Muslim Brotherhood that sought to support the Hamas terror organization. That case, known as the Holy Land Foundation trial, presented evidence that CAIR and its founders sought to financially boost the U.S.-designated terror group Hamas, which continues to wage war on Israel.
CAIR’s advocacy work in states such as Florida has often been at odds with the Jewish community.
CAIR lobbied against legislation that would have increased security funding for Jewish day schools and other institutions threatened by anti-Semites. It also opposed a widely supported bill denouncing boycotts of the Jewish state, known as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.
Republican political operatives view Harris’s work with CAIR as an example of the Democratic Party’s very public embrace of anti-Israel activists.
"Senator Harris's longstanding relationship with an anti-Semitic group like CAIR is disturbing," said Steve Guest, the Republican National Committee’s rapid response director. "Today's Democrat Party is under tremendous influence of anti-Semites like Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. It is clear that in a Biden-Harris administration, anti-Semitic groups such as CAIR will be running the show the same way [Reps. Ilhan] Omar and [Rashida] Tlaib do in the Democrat caucus."
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Harris’s work with CAIR.


freebeacon--2020-10-13--Biden Forgets Mitt Romney’s Name

Biden Forgets Mitt Romney’s Name

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden could not recall Utah senator Mitt Romney 's ( R. ) name during a campaign @ @ @ @ @ may remember , I got in trouble when we were running against the senator who @ @ @ @ @ governor , OK ? ''
Biden said before boarding his campaign plane .
Romney served @ @ @ @ @ 2003 to 2007 .
He ran as the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 , losing @ @ @ @ @ Obama .
The gaffe drew the attention of President Donld Trump on Twitter , who @ @ @ @ @ was typical of `` Sleepy Joe . ''

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden could not recall Utah senator Mitt Romney's (R.) name during a campaign stop Monday.
"You may remember, I got in trouble when we were running against the senator who was a Mormon, the governor, OK?" Biden said before boarding his campaign plane.
Romney served as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. He ran as the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, losing to Biden and President Barack Obama.
The gaffe drew the attention of President Donld Trump on Twitter, who said the lapse in memory was typical of "Sleepy Joe."


freebeacon--2020-10-13--Pelosi Loses It During CNN Interview on Coronavirus Relief

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) exploded on CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer in an interview @ @ @ @ @ .
Pelosi accused Blitzer of being a Republican apologist after he suggested meeting President Donald @ @ @ @ @ and not letting `` the perfect be the enemy of the good . ''
She @ @ @ @ @ respect '' for her work on COVID relief , and the testy exchange ended with @ @ @ @ @ 's San Francisco district begging for food .
`` Have you fed them ?
We @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` We feed them . ''

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) exploded on CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer in an interview Tuesday about coronavirus stimulus negotiations.
Pelosi accused Blitzer of being a Republican apologist after he suggested meeting President Donald Trump halfway on a deal and not letting "the perfect be the enemy of the good." She demanded he show proper "respect" for her work on COVID relief, and the testy exchange ended with Blitzer noting citizens in Pelosi's San Francisco district begging for food.
"Have you fed them? We feed them," she said. "We feed them."