Dem introduces bills to eliminate Electoral College, stop presidents from pardoning themselves

Was Hillary Clinton really worth committing violence to the Constitution?

The Constitutional provision for the Electoral College  Article II

Section 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector. . . .

The Hill

Weasel Zippers

"Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), a vocal critic of President Trump, on Thursday introduced two bills to eliminate the Electoral College and prevent presidents from pardoning themselves or their family members.

"Cohen introduced the constitutional amendments on the first night of the 116th Congress, both digs at Trump. 

Cohen of Tennessee

“ 'Presidents should not pardon themselves, their families, their administration or campaign staff," Cohen said in a statement. "This constitutional amendment would expressly prohibit this and any future president, from abusing the pardon power.”

"The amendments are unlikely to pass since they require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress and then must be ratified by three-fourths of the states." . . .

"More than a century ago, we amended our Constitution to provide for the direct election of U.S. Senators," he added. "It is past time to directly elect our President and Vice President.”

Because each Senator represents only their own state. A President represents each and every state and this politician knows that. He appears to want every president elected by the liberal coasts, placing every legislative branch under the rule of coastal elites.
The Electoral College makes the President the choice of the entire nation, from coast to coast. TD

In defense of the Electoral College
"If anything, it was the Electoral College that made it possible to end slavery, since Abraham Lincoln earned only 39 percent of the popular vote in the election of 1860, but won a crushing victory in the Electoral College. This, in large measure, was why Southern slaveholders stampeded to secession in 1860-61. They could do the numbers as well as anyone, and realized that the electoral college would only produce more anti-slavery Northern presidents.' "  Refute that, if you can.

Democrats Acted in ‘Evil Way Unworthy of’ U.S., Gingrich Says

Lifezette

'This has been the most despicable behavior by a major party in modern history,' former speaker of the House insisted

Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), the former speaker of the House, excoriated Senate Democrats Thursday night on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” for behaving “in an evil way unworthy of the United States” against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (pictured above right) in the 11th hour of his confirmation process.

"“This has been the most despicable behavior by a major party in modern history. This is a deliberate, vicious, character assassination — hurt the guy’s daughters, hurt his mother, hurt his wife, hurt his reputation — they didn’t care,” Gingrich said of the Thursday hearing, in which Kavanaugh testified in the afternoon and his chief accuser, Christine Blasey Ford . . . , appeared in the morning.

"Ford, who became the first woman on September 16 to accuse Kavanaugh publicly of sexually assaulting her, 36 years ago during a high school gathering, testified first before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

"But Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who received Ford’s allegations in July, did nothing publicly with those charges until last week, days before the committee was scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the high court.

"Two other women — Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick — also came forward with sexual assault accusations against Kavanaugh.

"Kavanaugh, who has denied all of the sexual assault allegations against him unequivocally, issued a passionate and defiant defense of his good name and character after Ford’s participation in the hearing concluded.

"“You’re watching people in that panel, Democrats in that panel, who know it’s a lie — they know it’s a lie — they know the way Feinstein did this was utterly, totally despicable. And they went along,” Gingrich lamented. “My big question is, is there a single Democrat with the guts to stand up and vote for this judge because they know this is sickening?' ” . . .

What Is It about Massachusetts Politicians?

How odd that this article does not mention the former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney.

Steve Feinstein  . . . "Warren is just another in a long line of sanctimonious, condescending, out-of-touch Massachusetts politicians who lurched onto the national stage with a sense of unfounded entitlement and misplaced assuredness that the punitive rules they are gleefully willing to impose on others would never actually apply to them.

"Who can forget how Ted Kennedy sidestepping any accountability at Chappaquiddick for the 1969 death of Mary Joe Kopechne, a young campaign staffer? Or his unmitigated hubris in assuming that the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination was his -- over incumbent President Jimmy Carter -- simply because he wanted it? Unable to answer the softball-esque question posed by sympathetic ABC reporter Roger Mudd of, “Why do you want to be President?” Kennedy’s stark lack of quick improvisational thinking ability and his political tone deafness ran headlong into reality and his supposedly ineluctable march to the Presidency -- his birthright -- was unceremoniously halted in its tracks. His own stunning lack of natural political adroitness notwithstanding, the more significant aspect of this is that Kennedy felt he deserved it simply by virtue of being a Kennedy, that being awarded the nomination was a mere formality.

"And of course, there is John Kerry, perhaps the gold standard of the politician who is smarter than you are . . ."

Mitt has kicked over a hornet's nest

"Sorry Mitt, your current virtue signaling, coming where and when it took place, isn’t noble, it’s just sad and pathetic." William A. Jacobson

You can be sure CNN loves him.

Romney still backtracking, but maybe that's because he's got a more malevolent plan

. . . "Oh, give us a break.

"An attack like that, targeting President Trump right down to his character, isn't a thing about agreeing and disagreeing.

"Where were Romney's character criticisms against President Obama, who spied on reporters, sent the IRS to target Tea Party dissidents, and then used the FBI and a phony foreign dossier paid for by the Democrats to try to derail candidate Donald Trump? Where were Romney's character scoldings on Obama officials' unmaskings of innocent Americans caught up in spy dragnets, or Hillary Clinton's illegal private server, set up to evade Freedom of Information Act public record requirements? Where was Romney when James Comey was laying out his hypocrisies all over the place as he touted his virtue? He seems to only get excited when the target is Trump."  "And that puts his credibility at zero." . . .

. . . But now, after reading his Washington Post jihad against Trump, I finally figured what Mitt Romney really is … an idiot. 

 . . . "Romney might have a high IQ, but he’s a political moron."Let’s first dispel with the idea that Romney wrote this op-ed out of some pressing moral need to condemn Trump’s supposed indecency. Decent people don’t contribute to the far-left Washington Post*, a news outlet that published a countless number of lies to sabotage Romney, that attacks the children of Republicans, that tells almost as many lies as CNN."Secondly, decent people sure as hell do not then run to a blacklisting, violence-promoting gangster outfit like CNN to promote that op-ed" . . .

  " . . .I think Romney actually believes two things…

1) Sucking up to the media by backstabbing the sitting Republican president is a path to another shot at the Oval Office.
2) When he does run for president again, the same media that relentlessly tarred him as a sexist, racist, plutocrat, job-killing corporate raider who tortures dogs, bullies gays, and gives women cancer, will appreciate him this time.

* Speaking of the WaPo:  Mitt Romney’s op-ed crystallizes all the reasons the old GOP establishment has been pushed aside  "Mitt Romney’s op-ed Wednesday in The Post is being widely praised by the usual suspects in Never-Trump Land. This should be your first clue as to how wildly out of touch the senator-elect is with Republican voters." . . .

It's only a matter of time before Mitt is honored on The View or some late-night talk show, especially one cheap-shot artist whose name I do not even like to use. TD

Et Tu, Mitt?  . . . "Running your campaign like you are running for class president is a losing strategy for presidential politics. Running one like you are in a bar fight for the future of this nation as Trump did is a winner. I want Trump on my side in a bar fight. If I need to figure out which fork to use at dinner, I’ll ask Mitt Romney." . . .

Stuck in the Middle with Mitt  "If there’s one thing about Donald Trump all right-thinking folks can wholeheartedly celebrate, it’s the way he’s made the masks slip on so many alleged conservatives. First to go were the #NeverTrumpumpkins (no names, please!), as their magazines foundered and their reputations declined along with the quality of their shticks. Also out the door are many, if not most, of the “neocons” (Max Boot, Jennifer Rubin, et al.) who have abandoned their alliance of convenience with the post-9/11 War Department and have returned to their progressive roots." . . .

"Clowns to the left of us, jokers to the right, here we are, stuck in the middle with Mitt."

Mitt Romney casts a pathetic shadow in his WaPo Op-Ed attacking Trump
"Romney, the putative Boy Scout, was turned into a monster by Democrats and the media. And he blames Donald Trump for our divisive politics?" . . .
"Romney had a chance to reject Trump when Romney was running for President, but instead he courted his endorsement. Romney had a chance to reject Trump after Trump was elected, but instead he lobbied to be Secretary of State. Romney had yet a third chance to reject Trump when Romney was running for Senate, but instead he embraced the endorsement." . . .  Leave the self-righteous virtue-signaling to Hollywood.

Here is Mitt Romney denouncing... Ronald Reagan!  "That was in 1994 when he tried to out-liberal Ted Kennedy in their Senate race."

Ann Coulter discusses Mitt Romney's recent remarks on Trump's presidency, and more.

Congratulations and Questions for Our Two New Muslim Congresswomen

Of course, no matter what they say, we must remember that Muhammad was quoted in Sahih Bukhari, the most authoritative Hadith collection, at 52:269 -- “War is deceit."  Lying is permitted to deceive an "enemy."  The Qur'an defines the "enemy" as "disbelievers."  Ahh, what to believe? Who to believe?

Frank Hawkins

Frank Hawkins is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, Associated Press foreign correspondent, international businessman, senior newspaper company executive, founder and owner of several marketing companies and published novelist.

"Congratulations to the first Muslim women elected to Congress, Rashida Tlaib (who wrapped herself in a Palestinian flag on election night) and Somali-born Ilhan Omar, (who allegedly married and divorced her brother to help him illegally gain entry to the US, which would make her guilty of immigration/marriage fraud and bigamy.) The two women have just been sworn in as members of the 116th U.S. Congress. Here is the oath of office they were required to take."  . . .
Their oath of office:  

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

. . .  "We wish them every success as newly-elected American leaders.  But because our politically correct, left-leaning media will likely never ask, we feel obligated to pose several questions for these new congresspersons. I am confident they will want their fellow Americans to know how they stand on a number of important issues."
. . . "One of the nastiest aspects of Islam is the tradition in some places of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a gruesome practice used to suppress female sexuality, typically found in African or fundamentalist Islamic societies. Genital mutilation of girls involves cutting out all or part of the clitoris. This disgusting practice is a common cultural or religious practice in some African countries including Sudan, Egypt, and Ilhan Omar’s country of birth, Somalia, although it has been outlawed by several international treaties. Even so, in 2017 two Muslim doctors in Michigan were arrested for carrying out this barbaric religious “rite of passage.”  

What is Omar’s position on this? Will she campaign to have it stopped? Will she denounce its use in Africa and the Middle East?  What about Tlaib?

"Other women’s issues are important to Americans. The Qur’an says a husband has the right to “beat” a “disobedient wife.” (Qur’an 4:34). Have the two women ever been beaten by their husbands? Would they willingly accept it? Do they agree that Muslims wives are required to be “obedient?” Or, will Omar and Tlaib openly denounce this aspect of Islam?

"Under Islamic Sharia law, homosexuals are oppressed and killed." . . .

“ 'We’re going to impeach the motherfu*ker,” says the newly elected, foul-mouthed Palestinian Congressmuslim"

Even before being sworn into Congress on a quran – the antithesis of the US Constitution – new Somali Congressmuslim has made the House sharia-compliant

. . . "Omar, a Minnesotastan Democrat, who married, then divorced her own brother to get him a green card, said on Twitter that wearing a religious symbol of Islamic supremacy is her First Amendment right. And that’s not the only change she is going to try and force down lawmakers throats." . . .

Democrats Taking Over House Plan Massive Government Expansion, Higher Taxes, While Promising Free Everything For Everybody

While the socialist ideas have always existed in the Democratic Party, they are now moving from the fringe to the mainstream. Several of the party's 2020 hopefuls, including Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) are embracing them.

Daily Wire  "Here come the Democrats, and they're dragging behind them a big bag of socialism.
"At noon on Thursday, Democrats officially take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. A short time later, the new majority will pick a Speaker, expected to be (once again) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Californistan).
"And a little while after that, they'll start work on a bold "new" agenda to expand government, blanket business with new regulations, raise taxes on all Americans and push a new socialism that will deliver "free" health care and college tuition.
"In fact, socialism is literally coming to the new House as democratic socialists, such as outspoken Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Muslim Rashida Harbi Tlaib, join the 116th Congress. Their platform is increasingly similar to that of rank-and-file Democrats, including a “Medicare-for-all” program and "guaranteed jobs" programs, along with demands for a $15-an-hour minimum wage. Democrats will also push a “Green New Deal," which would create hundreds of new regulations on businesses and the energy sector.
"Some, like Ocasio-Cortez, want to see the end of capitalism. "I do think right now we have this no holds barred, wild west hyper-capitalism," she said in July. "What that means is profit at any cost. Capitalism has not always existed in the world and will not always exist in the world.' "  . . . 

Maxine Waters Busted Talking With Russians Hackers… “Impeachable Offense”

The Truth Division  Published  2 years ago on  February 16, 2017

"This may be the wildest thing you’ve seen in a long while.

"The mainstream media — or any media, really — has yet to report on the fact that California Democrat Maxine Waters was called by Russian hackers and one of which posed as the Ukrainian Prime Minister “Vladimir Groysman'” — which is a fake name.

"While they’re hackers, they’re also pranksters, putting their 11-minute conversation with the congresswoman online, showing the entire world how badly she was duped by a simple Ukrainian accent.

"It’s very embarrassing, yet very entertaining — however, a congressional member talking with foreign nationals about U.S. national security issues is an impeachable offense, making this video as damning as it is funny.  

"Take a look:

Hear her call Lindsey Graham "Senator Lindsey".

New Cali Gov to Strip Border Defenses

Dimwit Politics  "The 2018 United States midterm election dust has barely settled, but California’s Governor-elect Gavin Newsom is already rolling out his proposed post-inauguration agenda. At the top of his list is recalling 1,800 National Guards from the state’s southern border with Mexico.

"Come January 2019, Newsom plans to announce the formal withdrawal of the military personnel whose presence is helping to keep out the illegal entry into the U.S. by thousands of Central Americans who continue to arrive in droves. The future Golden State governor said the Guards’ participation in this effort “seems pretty trivial.”

"In true politician style, Newsom allowed for the possibility that he might not keep his promise:

“ 'I have every desire to pull those Guardsmen back and assist in other capacities. It’s my intention today, but common conditions change, and so I want to caveat that with that understanding.”

"Newsom called the dispatch of almost two thousand National Guards merely “a stunt on the President’s part.” For months on the campaign trail, the prospective governor had opposed deploying the Guard to assist federal border patrol agents and troop members.

" 'According to Newsom, California is a “state of refuge.” This means that the new state administration plans to welcome each and every immigrant with open arms and open borders.

"The governor-elect plans to visit Mexico in the near future to meet with officials there to discuss the “humanitarian crisis” underway at the U.S.-Mexico border.


"Putting illegal aliens and caravan invasions above national security may prove to be a dangerous course. Newsom also proposed that financial assistance for illegal aliens and the caravan invaders in Tijuana should come from the state, local, and the federal governments." . . .

Polish government: wind turbines will be scrapped within 17 years

Watts Up With That?

"All wind farms operating today in Poland will be scrapped by 2035, with no new turbines built to replace them, stipulates draft “Energy Policy of Poland until 2040” presented by Ministry of Energy on Friday. This is a political decision, the Minister explained.

"On Wednesday the government contracted with investors the construction of several hundred new wind turbines (with a capacity of approximately 1 GW). The average prices offered by investors, at which they committed to sell electricity, barely reached 197 PLN/MWh. This is less than the current market price (250 PLN/MWh) and much less that the total production cost in new coal-fired power plants (350 PLN/MWh).

"However, on Friday Ministry of Energy presented the draft Energy Policy of Poland, which reads that all existing wind turbines will be scrapped by 2035, with the ones just contracted by the government a few years later. No new wind farms will be built to replace them.
. . . 

"Ministry missed technological progress?

“ 'The practice demonstrates that onshore wind turbines are available only 20 percent of the time, whereas offshore this is 40-45 percent,” Minster Krzysztof Tchórzewski explained on Friday." . . .  Full story here.

"A Republic, If You Can Keep It."

QuotesGram

The National Constitution Center  . . . "If there is a lesson in all of this it is that our Constitution is neither a self-actuating nor a self-correcting document. It requires the constant attention and devotion of all citizens. There is a story, often told, that upon exiting the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of citizens asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: "A republic, if you can keep it." The brevity of that response should not cause us to under-value its essential meaning: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people, they are also absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health."

Dr. Richard Beeman is professor of history and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. The University is NCC's academic partner, and for the year 1997 – 98. Dr. Beeman serves as vice chair of our Distinguished Scholars Advisory Panel.

Romney's last chance to make a first impression didn't go well

From Dec. 31: How Mitt Romney Is Plotting His Revenge On Trump "I know! I'll hit him with an anti-Trump editorial! That'll put me in fat city with the terrifying left and their media!"

Mitt Romney backtracks after Trump-hating op-ed attack bombs  "Arriving in Washington for his new gig as Utah's junior Senator, Mitt Romney jumped right in to revert to form, putting out a Washington Post attack op-ed decrying President Trump's lack of 'character,' and calling on Republicans to reach across the aisle." . . .

"It's also very unwelcome. Here Trump has given us the best economy in decades, and Mitt has almost nothing to say about it other than he agrees with it. Trump also never wavered on the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and fought like a lion to get more constitutionally-minded judges appointed. Trump chipped away at the nightmare of Obamacare, starting with an end to its vile poverty tax slapped onto the Americans who cannot afford its costly one-size-fits-all offerings." . . .

"It shows that his potshot against Trump bombed, particularly with Republicans, who were all out there and ready to be his friend, but can now see that he's got other priorities, such as filling the towering boots of ... Jeff Flake.

"And man, that is making him unpopular." . . .

Well, now Romney's made himself unpopular. And now he's backtracking. President Trump has said that if Romney had fought President Obama as hard as he fights against Trump, he'd be president today. It's true enough, but the backtrack is obviously Romney's style, proof that he never would have made a good president. With this latest failed attack, we now we know why he didn't win. He doesn't 'get' winning.

Let's call Mitt Romney 'Mitt McCain Flake'  . . . "Romney showed no fight against Obama in 2012.  He selected Paul Ryan as his V.P. running mate, who had absolutely no fight as the V.P. candidate in 2012 and did his best to sabotage President Trump's efforts to secure funding for the southern border wall. 

"Romney did not fight back when Harry Reid falsely accused him of not paying his income taxes."

Lou Dobbs: “I can’t believe the people of Utah elected this creep.”  

“He’s a fool, and he is also absolutely a treacherous fool,” said Dobbs. “He’s an embarrassment to the state of Utah. That’s the way it’s going to be because he’s obviously committed to his role as the smallest man in the Senate. It’s disgusting.”

Mitt Romney’s Counterproductive Op-Ed Romney's niece pretty much agreed
Mitt Romney Says He Will Not Run against Trump in 2020
Rich Lowry on The Romney Op-ed

Lindsey Graham, Other Republicans Attack Mitt Romney For Anti-Trump Op-Ed
. . . "Graham concluded by issuing a dire warning to Romney about the fleeting praise of the media and urged him to learn from what happened to Brett Kavanaugh." . . .

"If he's going to be the critic from Utah, it's going to hurt him and Utah," Graham said in an interview with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio.  . . . " 'Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast! Question will be, is he a Flake? I hope not. " . . .

@RandPaul  Like other Big Government Republicans who never liked Reagan, Mitt Romney wants to signal how virtuous he is in comparison to the President. Well, I’m most concerned and pleased with the actual conservative reform agenda @realDonaldTrump has achieved.

"Virtue-signalling" is what media people do.  

Cavuto Reminds Rand He Said 'Worse Things' About Trump Than Romney. Rand Explains Why That's Different

. . . "But, as soon as Trump stepped foot in the Oval Office, Paul cooled it with the character assassinations. Sure he has disagreements with the president and votes against him from time to time, but personal attacks are out of bounds" . . .

Reflections on Romney  . . . "Romney’s pledge to speak out against “significant statements or actions that are divisive” is pathetic. Any statement or action of a conservative-leaning Republican president is going to be “divisive.' ” . . .

HOWDY DO FELLOW KIDS! Internet Tees Off On Elizabeth Warren’s Beer-Chugging Video

Legal Insurrection

Daily Wire  "Talk about a cringe.
"On New Year's Eve, Sen. Elizabeth Warren live streamed on Instagram shortly after announcing that she is forming an exploratory committee to ponder a run for president in 2020 (we're going to go out on a limb here and say she's 100% in).
"The session was just, uh, weird.
"The scene opened in a kitchen. "If you hear gnawing in the background, that's because Bailey is in the kitchen," Warren said and swung the camera toward a dog on the floor. "Say hello, yeah, yeah," she said, petting the dog. "He said something with his tail, that's who he is. Yes. Sweet boy. That's our Bailey. That's our Bailey. And Bailey wags his tail."
"Warren, 69, said, "Hold on a second, I'm going to get me, um —" Then she pointed off screen to the refrigerator "— a beer." The Massachusetts Democrat slapped her thigh then disappeared. Bottles clanked, then she returned with a brown bottle, twisting off the top. "My husband Bruce is now here. You want a beer?" she asks. He passes.
"Then she takes a quaff of brew and leans into the camera. "Who do we have here. Skyler? And 14 others? Hello? Denise? Hi."
"Ugh. The whole escapade seemed an obvious attempt to "get hip," to follow some younger stars of the Democratic Party, like 29-year-old former bartender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Texas Rep. Robert "Beto" O'Rourke, cast by the mainstream media as the second coming of JFK." . . .