The Corrupted, Leaderless, Spineless, Senate Republicans. They Talk Big But Fold Like A 50 Cent Umbrella

SENATE REPUBLICANS BEGIN DANCE WITH GARLAND

Grassley signals willingness to consider sending nominee standard questionnaire

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Judge Merrick Garland is President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court (Photo: Twitter)

WASHINGTON – Signaling a potential crack in the Senate GOP roadblock against considering Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, Senator Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has indicated he would accept submission from the White House of the standard questionnaire for nominees.

On Friday, Grassley’s spokesperson, Beth Levine, told BuzzFeed News that the Republicans “assume the administration will fill out the standard questionnaire submitted for judicial nominations.” Levine reiterated, reported Buzzfeed, Republican leadership’s position that “a majority of the Senate has made clear that the American people should have an opportunity to weigh in on this vacancy.”

It was welcomed as a breakthrough by the White House.

“It appears that Chairman Grassley is prepared to accept a questionnaire from Judge Garland,” White House spokesperson Brandi Hoffine told BuzzFeed News Saturday. “We are heartened by this development and look forward to the Committee making this request directly to the nominee as well as to the White House, as is standard practice.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said, unequivocally, that no nominee of Obama’s to replace Justice Antonin Scalia will receive a vote. And both McConnell and Grassley have said there will not be hearings for Garland’s nomination.

Yet on Tuesday, Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois is scheduled to be the first Republican senator to meet with Garland, the senator’s office announced Friday. A day earlier, Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said that, while he doesn’t support Garland, he believes Obama’s nominee deserves a hearing. And, for her part, Maine Sen. Susan Collins has said she will meet with Garland — and has been pushing colleagues to do so and hold hearings as well.

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Political News

AAN Political Intel Report: Mississippi,

 Illinois, Virginia

• Mar 31, 2015
 
• Source: American Action News
 
• by: Jim Ellis

MS-1

Candidate filing closed last Friday for the MS-1 

 special election, which Rep. Alan Nunnelee’s (R) 

death made necessary.  Twelve Republicans and 

one Democrat will be on the May 12th jungle primary

 ballot.  With so many candidates qualifying, a June 

2nd run-off between the top two finishers is a virtual 

certainty, since it would be very difficult for any 

one contender to attract a majority of the vote.

One prominent name missing from the list is former Rep. Travis Childers (D), who won the last 

special election held here, and then claimed a full term later in 2008.  He was unseated in 2010,

 and then lost to Sen. Thad Cochran (R) last November in a statewide general election contest.  

Though it is always possible lightning could have again struck for him in a special election, the

 chance of Mr. Childers holding this strongly Republican northern Mississippi district for a long 

duration is an unlikely one, at best.  Hence, his decision not to run.

The lone Democrat running is former Jackson mayoral aide Walter Zinn.  His prospects of

 qualifying for the run-off are somewhat realistic because the Republican vote will be split literally

 a dozen ways.  His prospects are thin, however, to capture the seat in the run-off.  Aside from 

being a prohibitive underdog against a Republican in a one-on-one battle, Zinn’s Jackson

 political base is not even in the 1st District.

The state transportation commissioner, two local prosecutors, a state legislator, an ex-Mayor, 

and a former Jackson City Councilman – having the same geographical problem as Zinn – 

comprise the major part of the Republican field.

Illinois Senate

As predicted last week, Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL-8) did officially announce her 

Senatorial candidacy yesterday, but she may not have a clean primary.  Three other 

US House delegation members earlier expressed interest in running statewide, and

 two of them are still not ruling out entering the Democratic primary.  The winner faces 

first-term Sen. Mark Kirk (R), who may well be the most vulnerable Republican standing

 for re-election in 2016.

Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) has virtually taken herself out of consideration, saying she 

entering the Senatorial contest is “highly unlikely.”  Rep. Bustos came one step short of

 endorsing Ms. Duckworth.

Reps. Robin Kelly (D-IL-2) and Bill Foster (D-IL-11), however, did not commit to stepping

 aside, with both leaving the door very much open for their potential candidacies.

In the end, it will probably be Rep. Duckworth standing alone in her quest for the nomination,

 but it will be several interesting weeks before these two federal officeholders, and maybe

 others, finally agree to step aside.

Virginia Redistricting

The Commonwealth of Virginia is one of three states that were waiting for the Supreme 

Court to rule on the Alabama state legislative case, a decision made public last week.  

It became clear even before making the final ruling that the high court was using the 

Alabama case as a benchmark for issuing a directive about minority congressional districts.  

The three states, Florida and Texas in addition to Virginia, had previously declared certain 

congressional districts as unconstitutional.  The Supreme Court took action in relation to 

the Virginia case yesterday and we may see redrawing action coming much sooner, 

rather than later.

Instead of hearing the Virginia case, since they returned the Alabama case back to that

 state last week, the high court sent back the Virginia map to the jurisdictional three-judge

 panel and told them to reconsider their previous ruling based upon the new Alabama

 decision.  SCOTUS’ latest action appears to further weaken the Voting Rights Act, 

which means minority retrogression could practically become less important if minority 

voters have a stronger say in a greater number of districts.

If the special judicial panel responds, and sends the map to the legislature for a redraw

 or manipulates the lines themselves, several districts in addition to Rep. Bobby Scott’s 

(D-VA-3) CD will be affected.  Mr. Scott’s district, declared unconstitutional last year, 

stretches from Richmond into the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area.  It is this latter region

 where we will see the most significant boundary changes.  The members most likely

 affected, in addition to Rep. Scott, are Reps. Scott Rigell (R-VA-2) and Randy Forbes

 (R-VA-4). Source: American Action News

- See more at: http://americanactionnews.com/articles/aan-political-intel-report-
mississippi-illinois-virginia#sthash.ywexfbGg.dpuf

Israel Finds Support In Congress

Lindsey Graham assures Netanyahu that Congress works for Israel

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Sam Rolley

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) promised that the U.S. Congress will be at the beck and call of Israel’s leadership with regard to Iran in remarks he made alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to the Middle Eastern country over the weekend.

“No. 1: I wanted to come here in the most desperate way before the new Congress reconvenes, to let you and the people of Israel know that the United States Congress, above all entities in America, has your back in a very bipartisan way,” Graham said.

“The Republican Party now runs the House and the Senate, and things will be a bit different,” the GOP lawmaker said before vowing that the U.S. will take action against Iran.

Graham noted that the Senate is scheduled to vote on legislation that would strengthen sanctions against Iran if the country violates an interim nuclear agreement or walks away from talks soon after Congress reconvenes in January. The legislation was drafted by Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).

“Mr. Prime Minister, of all the leaders in the entire world, you’ve had the most consistent message regarding Iran: Beware of the Iranians — they lie, they cheat. To those who believe the Iranians have not been trying to develop a nuclear weapon, if you come to America, you should not be allowed to drive on our highways. Clearly, this regime for years has been deceiving the international community, has been trying to pursuit, in my view, a nuclear weapon,” Graham said to Netanyahu.

The GOP lawmaker went on to say that he believes heightened sanctions are a better course of action than the diplomatic solutions being explored by the Obama administration.

“I’m here to tell you, Mr. Prime Minister, that the Congress will follow your lead,” Graham said.

In the coming months, Graham said, Congress will impose sanctions that “are real and will be re-imposed at the drop of a hat.”

“The fate of one country determines the fate of the other,” the lawmaker said.

While Graham’s remarks were certainly crafted to endear him to the Israelis and war hawks at home, he has drawn criticism from others who believe the U.S. could work with Iran in other ways.

One writer for former Congressman Ron Paul’s Institute for Peace and Prosperity wrote of Graham’s speech: “Imagine the reaction if a sitting United States Senator travelled to France, or Russia, or Saudi Arabia and assured the foreign leader that the U.S. lawmaking body would ‘follow your lead’ when it comes to a decision on whether ‘more sanctions, and stronger sanctions’ should be placed on a third country. That a U.S. government official would openly subject his own country’s policies to the national interest of another country seems to be unpatriotic by definition.”

Can You Imagine Anything Worse Than Hillary As President And Michelle Obama As A Senator? Would This Mean The End Of The Country?

Senator Michelle Obama: Who’s Ready For Another Liberal Political Dynasty?

June 9, 2014 by Sam Rolley 

 19 10

 

 1 83

If you’ve enjoyed watching the Clinton Dynasty become a permanent fixture in liberal politics, you’re going to love this: Senator Michelle Obama.

Reuters published a column last week by White House Dossier editor Keith Koffler in which he speculates that the first lady has her eye on Illinois Republican Senator Mark Kirk’s seat in 2016.

Koffler’s assertion that Obama could be headed in a Hillary-esque direction stems from observations of her recent attacks on Republican lawmakers who have dared to attempt to roll back her wildly unpopular school lunch nutrition standards.

Here’s a little background via a May 27 Associated Press report:

An agriculture spending bill approved by a House subcommittee last week would allow schools to waive the standards if they have a net loss on school food programs for a six-month period. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., who wrote the bill, said he was responding to requests from school food directors.

The standards championed by the first lady have been phased in over the past two school years, with more changes coming in 2014. The rules set fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits on foods in the lunch line and beyond.

While many schools have had success putting the rules in place, others have said they are too restrictive and costly. Schools pushing for changes say limits on sodium and requirements for more whole grains are particularly challenging, while some school officials say kids are throwing away fruits and vegetables that are required.

Obama penned a New York Times column last month accusing Republicans of attempting to “override science” by doing away with nutrition standards that are leaving school kids dissatisfied with lunch options and costing schools money.

“…[S]ome members of the House of Representatives are now threatening to roll back these new standards and lower the quality of food our kids get in school,” Obama wrote. “They want to make it optional, not mandatory, for schools to serve fruits and vegetables to our kids. They also want to allow more sodium and fewer whole grains than recommended into school lunches.”

The first lady’s increasingly antagonistic — and unachievable, if not for political nepotism — relationship with Congress isn’t the only thing that makes her a prime suspect for a Democratic challenger to the GOP Senator in 2016.

Kirk is a Republican in a heavily Democratic State. But Koffler wagers that the Senator’s brave recovery from a stroke that he suffered in 2012 could help him to curry favor with voters, making it a tough race for a challenger. That is, unless the lawmaker opts to retire at the end of his term — which, perhaps, would give Democrats even more incentive to find an unbeatable candidate to hedge against the uncertainty of an open race.

Either way, Obama’s “star power” and fundraising ability enabled by what Americans already recognize as an extremely efficient Obama campaign apparatus would stack the cards in the first lady’s favor. Furthermore, she’d be running in a heavily Chicago-centric district where her community organizer husband is still fondly remembered.

“She could represent the Democrats’ best chance to pick up a desperately needed — and winnable — seat,” Koffler wrote.

Iran Continues To Lie About Nuclear Talks. Who Would Believe Them? Only Obama!

Deal or no deal in Iran nuclear talks?

By Chelsea J. Carter and Jim Sciutto, CNN

updated 4:40 PM EST, Fri January 10, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Iran's lead negotiator say a plan will be announced within two weeks, state-run media reports
• Announcement comes the end of two days of talks in Geneva between the two sides
• The United States says progress was made, but the talks are ongoing
• The U.S. Senate has moved toward a veto-proof majority to authorize new sanctions

(CNN) -- Iran's lead nuclear negotiator announced a tentative agreement was reached Friday over the implementation of plan that requires Tehran to limit its nuclear program, even as U.S. officials described the talks as ongoing.

The conflicting reports came as Iran wrapped up two days of talks in Geneva with the European Union, the United States, China and Russia over how put in place a deal that calls for Tehran to limit its nuclear activities in exchange or a softening of sanctions that have crippled its economy.

Negotiators from both sides appeared to make progress, with Iran's lead negotiator -- Abbas Araqchi -- telling state-run Press TV that the two sides reached a tentative deal. Neither Araqchi nor the top negotiator for the six world powers detailed the agreement.

If all sides accept the plan, an official announcement will be made within two weeks, Araqchi said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

But U.S. officials say while progress has been made, the agreement still needs to be finalized.

"The accurate description would be that they are ongoing. The negotiations are ongoing," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said during a briefing in Washington.

The nuclear deal struck in November has been widely hailed as a successful interim measure to stave off an unwanted conflict over Tehran's nuclear program.

But after initially celebrating a diplomatic success, Iran has reportedly lashed out at the United States for making public a modified version of the agreement that they say does not reflect Tehran's interpretation.

Late last month, Iranian lawmakers drafted a bill that would force the government to enrich uranium up to 60% if new sanctions are imposed, state media reported.

The move came only days after bipartisan legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would authorize new economic sanctions on Iran if it breaches an interim agreement to limit its nuclear program or fails to strike a final accord terminating those ambitions.

On Friday, the Senate moved toward a veto-proof majority supporting legislation authorizing new economic sanctions on Iran.

The bipartisan proposal introduced by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, now has 59 senators who have formally committed to support it, a senior Senate aide told CNN.

The aide said that the current informal count is even higher -- at 77 yes votes -- and that more are expected to come on board once the undecided are forced to vote. A two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives is necessary to override a presidential veto.

President Barack Obama has threatened to veto any legislation that would authorize new economic sanctions on Iran, saying such a bill at this time would undermine delicate efforts to forge a lasting deal with Tehran.

The bill could come to the Senate floor for consideration during the week of Obama's State of the Union address on January 28 or the following week, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

The proposal would give Obama more than a year to engage in further diplomacy before any new sanctions would kick in against Iran's oil exports and other key areas of its economy, but sanctions would hit sooner if Iran cheats on the interim deal or fails to reach a final accord.

The United States and other Western powers believe Iran is attempting to build a bomb through uranium enrichment. But Tehran says its nuclear intentions are peaceful.