Ann Coulter: Hush Little Porn Star, Don’t Say a Word…

Breitbart

"Trump won the presidency not because he touted himself as a man of character, but because he said he was someone who could get things done. Like build the wall. If you’re going to impeach him, impeach him for that."

"I gather I was supposed to gasp when Michael Cohen said during his testimony before Congress on Wednesday, “The president of the United States thus wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws.”
"If that’s the best he’s got, Trump should demand we hold the election this coming Tuesday.
"Cohen was referring to Trump’s 2017 reimbursement of the $130,000 hush money he paid to porn star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about her claim that she’d had sex with Trump, aka Cohen’s client — meaning much of Cohen’s testimony is barred by attorney-client privilege. But who cares about this sacred legal privilege? We’re trying to get Trump!
"Neither the media nor Cohen seem to realize that Cohen wasn’t doing anything illegal when he paid the “hush money.” (Just because Trump thinks every Jewish lawyer is Roy Cohn doesn’t mean you have to, too, New York Times.)
"Words like “hush money” and “porn star” make the payments sound unsavory — especially to The New York Times, known during the Clinton era as Defender of Inappropriate Presidential Sex — but there’s nothing criminal about paying money to suppress embarrassing information, even in the middle of a political campaign.
"If it wasn’t illegal for Cohen to pay the hush money, it’s certainly not illegal for Trump to reimburse him for it. Cohen was, after all, Trump’s lawyer. He got reimbursed for a lot of things.
"But we have to have days of hearings in hopes of establishing that Trump violated the campaign finance reporting requirements with these payments, in which case, OH MY GOSH, HE’D HAVE TO PAY A FINE.
"I’d be more impressed if they got Trump on a jaywalking charge.
"President Obama had to pay $375,000 in fines for actual campaign violations during his 2008 run, and I don’t think we needed 16 prosecutors, half of Congress, and the entire media on the case." . . .

Supreme Court justices appear to favor allowing memorial shaped like a cross to remain on public land

Washington Examiner  "A majority of Supreme Court justices appeared inclined to allow a nearly century-old, 40-foot Latin cross honoring 49 men who died in World War I to remain in place on public land as they questioned litigants contesting whether the memorial's presence on public lands violates the separation of church and state. 

"But during the 70-minute-long argument, the court appeared more divided on the question of when a religious display located on public land is permissible. The dispute may jeopardize other cross-shaped war memorials around the country. 

"The Peace Cross, which is part of the Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial located in Prince George’s County, Md., was erected by bereaved mothers whose sons died in the war. Several of the justices noted that while the cross is the preeminent symbol of Christianity, Latin crosses were often used to memorialize service members killed during World War I. Additionally, the cross bears no religious writings and is part of a larger park with other monuments for past armed conflicts. 

"But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the lead member of the court's liberal wing, stressed the prominence of crosses in the Christian faith, noting that “people wear crosses” to show their devotion to Christianity.

"In one exchange, Chief Justice John Roberts, who often sides with conservatives, questioned American Humanist Association attorney Monica Miller, who challenged the constitutionality of the cross, whether a Native American totem erected on property owned by the federal government would have to be taken down. Ginsburg, meanwhile, asked Neal Katyal, representing the Maryland commission that owns the monument, whether a cross-shaped memorial honoring those killed during a school shooting would be permissible." . . . 

SCOTUS Blog: Argument analysis: Peace cross appears safe, if not stable

"For nearly a century, a 40-foot-tall stone and concrete cross has stood on a traffic median in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, just a few miles from the Supreme Court. But seven years ago, a group of local residents filed a lawsuit seeking to have the cross removed. They argue that the presence of the cross on public land violates the Constitution, which bars the government from establishing an official religion and favoring one religion over another. The state of Maryland, which owns and maintains the cross, and the American Legion, which built it, counter that the cross – which is badly in need of repair – is simply a secular war memorial. Today the justices heard oral argument in the dispute, and it seemed likely that the cross will survive the challenge, even if the court’s ruling proves to be a relatively narrow one that allows the peace cross and other historical monuments to stand while making clear that new religious symbols may not pass muster in the future." . . .

The Cohen hearings, first day

The Three Times When Michael Cohen's Testimony Accidentally Exonerated President Trump   "Because attorney-client privilege is apparently no longer a thing, Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer, is on Capitol Hill this week testifying against his old employer. The media tells us that his testimony is like a carpet bomb on the Trump Administration, full of explosive and damning revelations that will surely spell doom for the President. Something closer to the opposite is the case, I think.

Cohen Testimony: No Evidence of Trump Colluding with Russia, But Lots of Dirt

Michael Cohen testifies about Trump, Roger Stone-WikiLeaks plot at House hearing -- live blog  "Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia," Cohen testified. "I do not. I want to be clear. But, I have my suspicions."

Meadows confronts Cohen in testy exchange on Trump racism accusations 
"Rep. Mark Meadows on Wednesday brought in Trump administration staffer Lynne Patton, who is black, to push back against Michael Cohen's allegations during testimony before a House panel that the president is a racist.

"You made some very demeaning comments about the president that Ms. Patton doesn’t agree with. In fact, it has to do with your claim of racism," Meadows said.

"She says that, as a daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Ala., that there is no way that she would work for an individual who was racist," the conservative Republican added.

"Patton, who serves in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, provided a statement to the House Oversight and Reform Committee that was entered into the record but not read aloud during the hearing.

"Cohen during his testimony noted that he is responsible for Patton joining the Trump Organization and for "the job she currently holds."

"Meadows said he's spoken with Trump "over 300 times" and has not heard any racist comments from the president. He pressed Cohen for proof of his allegation, including whether he had recordings. 

" 'No, sir," Cohen responded, acknowledging that he has recorded other conversations." . . .

Rashida Tlaib goes off on ‘racist’ Mark Meadows inviting Lynne Patton — and outs herself as a flaming racist [video]   . . . "We expected Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib to make an ass of herself at Michael Cohen’s congressional hearing, and she did not disappoint.
"As Twitchy told you earlier, Lynne Patton, who worked for the Trump Organization and currently serves as a senior HUD official, was a guest of GOP Rep. Mark Meadows at today’s hearing. And, according to Tlaib, that’s “in itself a racist act”:"....Video

Michael Cohen Admits Discussing ‘Topics’ with Adam Schiff Before Testimony. . . "Schiff, who is expected to question Cohen Thursday when the former Trump attorney testifies before the House Intelligence Committee Thursday, said earlier Wednesday that the president engaged in illegal activity while in office if this testimony is factual.
 “If Mr. Cohen’s allegations are correct, it means the president, while in office, literally while in the Oval Office was engaged in criminal activity, and that is furthering this campaign fraud scheme,” Schiff, chair of the House intelligence panel, told CNN’s New Day Wednesday morning." . . . CNN, of course!

Cohen Admits He Can’t Corroborate His Allegations Against Trump  . . . “ 'How can we corroborate what you’re saying?” Democratic Rep. Deborah Wasserman Schultz of Florida asked Cohen, referring to the former Trump confidant’s allegations that the president was aware of Stone’s contact with WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange.

"She is among a slew of Democrats and Republicans grilling Cohen during a congressional hearing.

“ 'I don’t know, but I suspect the special counsel’s office and other government agencies have the information that you’re seeking,” Cohen said in reply." . . .

UPDATED: Spike Lee Is an Ass

Kyle Smith

"His public tantrum was unseemly, ungracious, and embarrassing — but it may pay off."

. . . "A man who acts like a churl in his late 30s is liable to remain one forever. You may correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Lee made Oscar history Sunday night. As far as I know, he was the first Academy Award loser ever to throw a public tantrum right there in the auditorium.
"'ABC’s cameras didn’t catch it, but showbiz trades reported what happened in the audience after Best Picture was predictably awarded to Green Book instead of Lee’s film, BlacKkKlansman. Deadline noted that a “furious” Lee left his seat, stalked back toward the rear of the theater, then turned back and appeared to get into an intense conversation with Get Out writer-director Jordan Peele, who was behind him. Then he paced in the aisle and headed for the back of the theater again. When he got back to his seat he pointedly turned his back to the stage as Green Book producer-director Peter Farrelly gave an acceptance speech.

Lloyd Marcus: Spike Lee's disservice to black America . . . "In his speech, Lee cited that slavery in America began 400 years ago.  And yet, while standing on stage, receiving an Oscar, Lee, a black man, acts as if slavery continues today.  Lee said his grandmother funded his college education.  He said his grandmother was the daughter of a slave and a college graduate.  Doesn't Spike Lee's and his grandmother's success confirm the truth that America is the greatest land of opportunity on the planet for all who choose to go for it?
"As I watched Spike Lee, I thought, what is wrong with this man?  Does he actually believe his anti-American garbage, or is it simply his niche to make movies?  Promoting her movie, Selma, billionaire black woman Oprah Winfrey spread the lie that blacks are still suffering the 1965 racism featured in her movie.  White moviegoers have made black actor Samuel L. Jackson worth $220 million.  Like Spike Lee, Jackson whines about how blacks can't catch a break in racist America." . . .

Update:

GOP Rep.: Michael Cohen Is a ‘Fake Witness’ and His Testimony Is a ‘Travesty’

National Review

"Representative Mark Green (R., Tenn.) labeled President Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen a “fake witness” during Cohen’s appearance before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday and suggested there was no value to hearing the testimony of a proven liar.

“ 'Ladies and gentlemen, how on earth is this witness credible?” Green asked. “With all the lies and deception, the self-serving fraud. It begs the question: What is the majority party doing here? No one can see this guy as credible. He will say whatever he wants to accomplish his own personal goals. He’s a fake witness. His presence here is a travesty.”

"Green criticized Representative Elijah Cummings (D., Md.), the chairman of the Oversight Committee, for restricting the topics that lawmakers are permitted to question Cohen about, listing each approved topic and arguing in detail that Cohen’s testimony on those matters lacked credibility.“Mr. Chairman the first topic in your limited scope that I can ask Mr. Cohen is about the president’s debts. 

" 'Mr. Chairman the first topic in your limited scope that I can ask Mr. Cohen is about the president’s debts. But Mr. Chairman, didn’t Mr. Cohen plead guilty to lying to banks about his personal finances? So we’re asking a guy going to jail for lying about his debts to comment about the president’s debts. He’s the expert,” Green said." . . .