November 2018 - Page 5 of 8 - Tennessee Star

Ocasio-Cortez, Activists Occupy Nancy Pelosi’s Office And Demand A Green New Deal

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Admin

by Michael Bastash A group of young environmental activists occupied House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office with a list of demands, including one that Democrats support what they’re calling a “Green New Deal.” Activists began their “sit in” at Pelosi’s Capitol Hill office on Tuesday morning, wearing matching t-shirts and holding yellow signs with slogans such as, “We have twelve years. What’s your plan?” The sit in is part of the Sunrise Movement’s plan to create an “army of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs,” according to the group’s Twitter bio. The group is demanding Democrats back their petition to rapidly “green” the economy to fight global warming. BREAKING: we’ve begun a sit in inside @NancyPelosi’s office because @HouseDemocrats have failed our generation time and time again. They offer us a death sentence. We demand a #GreenNewDeal. https://t.co/uSgzfQmLQu pic.twitter.com/eVM92i5hub — Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@sunrisemvmt) November 13, 2018 “How is @NancyPelosi going to respond to the young people occupying her office for a #GreenNewDeal right now?” Sunrise Movement tweeted on Tuesday. This summer, a GOP candidate called 18-year-old Rose #youngandnaive for demanding he refuse fossil fuel money. How is @NancyPelosi going to respond to…

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Trump’s Security Chief Bolton Vows to Squeeze Iran

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Admin

President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton vowed Tuesday to “squeeze” Iran “until the pips squeak,” a week after a tough new round of sanctions came into force. Trump has dramatically increased pressure on Tehran, withdrawing from an international agreement aimed at ending its nuclear program and introducing several rounds of unilateral U.S. sanctions. The latest tranche of measures have been touted as the toughest yet, and aim to significantly reduce Iran’s vital oil exports and cut off its banks from international finance. Speaking in Singapore, Bolton said: “We think the government is under real pressure and it’s our intention to squeeze them very hard.” “As the British say, squeeze them until the pips squeak….We are also going to significantly increase the enforcement of sanctions,” Bolton said. The United States has repeatedly said that humanitarian needs, food and medicine are exempt from the sanctions and the Iranian people are not the targets. But Iran says the sanctions are inhumane and go against international law. The sanctions on banks have meant that few if any international lenders are ready to facilitate transactions for fear of upsetting the United States, even for humanitarian purposes such as medical supplies. Coupled with…

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Governor-Elect Bill Lee Launches New Website To Stay Connected With Tennesseans During Transition

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Laura Baigert

The day after he was elected as the 50th Governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee announced the launch of a new transition website. The website, transition.billlee.com, “seeks to engage Tennesseans to help share ideas to help take our state from good to great,” alluding to the 2001 management book. Lee referenced the book as he made his final campaign stops on the Believe in Tennessee Tour. Lee elaborated during his Believe in Tennessee tour that good can be the enemy of great by inhibiting the ability to move to the next level. Lee would say, “Tennessee should not just be better, but should lead the nation and show how to address the serious problems.” Lee encourages sharing of ideas to “unleash the extraordinary problem-solving potential of Tennessee,” on the website’s landing page where Tennesseans have the opportunity to express “Your Ideas for Your Government.” No doubt, Lee heard lots of ideas as he visited each of the 95 counties on several occasions over the course of the gubernatorial campaign via his and Maria’s used RV, not to mention the tractor tour. Following an introduction to the Governor-Elect, the website features an overview of Lee’s priorities. The list includes topics familiar to…

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Tennessee Lures Amazon to Nashville With $102 Million In Taxpayer-Funded Incentives

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Laura Baigert

Nashville won’t be getting Amazon’s new HQ2, but in a surprise announcement Tuesday the city will get Amazon’s new Operations Center of Excellence in exchange for $102 million in taxpayer-funded performance-based incentives. A press conference held at the State Capital with outgoing Governor Bill Haslam, Economic Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Bob Rolfe, and Nashville Mayor David Briley appeared with Amazon’s Holly Sullivan to make the announcement. While Nashville was considered to be in the hunt as one of the top 20 for Amazon’s HQ2, that distinction was awarded to New York and Virginia. Being a finalist “opened the opportunity for Nashville to be chosen for this significant operation,” according to Ralph Schulz, President and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. The new operation promises 5,000 new jobs with average salaries of $150,000 per year, Haslam said during the press conference. While Amazon’s investment to establish the operation is sited as $230 million, the announcement didn’t address the $102 million in incentives as the trade-off. Incentives from the State include a $65 million grant for capital expenses and allows Amazon seven years to create the 5,000 jobs. A tax credit from the State of Tennessee worth $21.7 million is…

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Scott County Official Denies Stealing From Taxpayers, Despite Report

November 13, 2018November 12, 2018 Chris Butler

The manager for the Scott County Airport doesn’t work all the hours he’s supposed to, and county taxpayers get shortchanged as a result, according to a new audit from the Tennessee Comptrollers’ Office. Scott County Airport Director Hank Duvall, however, told The Tennessee Star the report about him is false. “It is kind of a scary situation for me. It is also kind of embarrassing, because I hate to bring this sort of spotlight on the airport,” Duvall said, adding Comptrollers wouldn’t have gotten involved without someone complaining to them. “I think someone might have a vendetta against me, but I don’t know who.” The Scott County Airport is in Oneida, in northeast Tennessee. The Scott County Commission oversees an airport authority. Duvall answers to that authority, according to the audit. In their report, auditors questioned whether Duvall works at the airport full time. They said he did not consistently clock in between October 26, 2016 through December 19 of last year. County officials later made Duvall’s position a salaried one. After that, Comptrollers said he did not record his hours worked. “A review of airport operational hours, employee work schedules, and interviews with airport staff and the board chairman…

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Commentary: Progressive Politics Are Not Really Progressive

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 Admin

by Victor Davis Hanson Some progressives lamented the apparent defeat of radical progressive African-American candidates such as gubernatorial nominees Stacey Abrams of Georgia and Florida’s Andrew Gillum by blaming allegedly treasonous white women. Apparently white women did not vote sufficiently en bloc in accordance with approved notions of identity politics tribalism. According to this progressive orthodoxy, being female, gay, or minority trumps everything else. But, of course, no one believes in such mythical notions of solidarity, least of all progressives themselves. White women were expected in Michigan, for example, to vote against a sterling African-American senatorial candidate John James, whose résumé was far more impressive than his victorious opponent, incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow. There was no such thing as minorities on the collective barricades when it was a matter of defeating California congressional candidate Elizabeth Heng, first-generation child of refugees, Asian, female, former Stanford student body president, and Yale MBA in her singular bid to unseat a seven-term white male Democratic incumbent. The outraged identity politics industry has entered the realm of insanity when it screams at the “treason” of white women while bragging that 95 percent of black women voted for a white male Robert O’Rourke against Latino…

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Commentary: What The U.S. Constitution Really Says On The Subject Of Impeachment And Trial Removal Of The President

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 Gregory Watson

Before then-President-elect Donald Trump could even take the official oath of office on January 20, 2017, his critics were already chattering about the possibility of Trump’s tenure in the White House being truncated by means of involuntary removal. Throughout 2017 and 2018, there has been, and continues to be, spirited discussion by the President’s detractors of the possibility of expelling him from office by means of the impeachment-and-trial process that is found in separate parts of the U.S. Constitution. One of the most ardent advocates of ousting President Trump has been U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-California). Another has been her colleague, U.S. Representative Al Green (D-Texas) who actually went so far as to offer articles of impeachment against the President only to be soundly rebuffed, as recently as January 19, 2018, by a procedural motion-to-table Green’s House Resolution No. 705 with 355 yeas, 66 nays, 3 “present”, and 6 “not voting”. Prior to the recent November 6, 2018, general election, some members of the U.S. House of Representatives vowed that, if the partisan composition of that body would flip from majority Republican to majority Democrat — which it certainly did on November 6th — efforts to impeach the President would…

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CNN and Jim Acosta File Lawsuit Against Trump Administration

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 Admin

by Joe Simonson CNN and Jim Acosta are allegedly suing the Trump administration for removing the press credentials of the controversial reporter following a tense incident Wednesday during a news conference at the White House. According to ABC’s former White House correspondent Sam Donaldson, Acosta and his employer filed a lawsuit and are expecting a court hearing in the upcoming week. The news came during an episode of CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” when Donaldson told host Brian Stelter that he had been asked by the network to give an affidavit in support of Acosta. Yet a CNN spokesperson would not say that it was going ahead with any legal action against the Trump administration, telling The Hill that “no decisions have been made.” The White House decided to revoke Acosta’s credentials after a back-and-forth between Acosta and President Donald Trump erupted when the reporter refused to hand a microphone back to a staffer when the president told Acosta he would no longer be answering questions from him. [ RELATED: Trump Addresses Revocation Of Jim Acosta’s Press Pass: ‘Acosta’s A Very Unprofessional Man’ ] Trump then referred to Acosta as a “rude” and “horrible” individual in the latest episode of a growing feud between the White House and CNN.…

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Democrat Stacey Abrams Files Lawsuit in Georgia Governor Race as Runoff Looks Out of Reach

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 Admin

by Evie Fordham Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams’s campaign filed a lawsuit pertaining to the state’s gubernatorial race Sunday, still hoping to force a runoff election against Republican Brian Kemp. The latest suit could extend Georgia counties’ vote certification deadline from Tuesday to Wednesday, reported The Washington Post. Abrams’s team also seeks to compel two counties to take a second look at absentee ballots that were rejected for minor mistakes, like writing the date a ballot was filled out in the date of birth slot, according to WaPo. Kemp has a lead over Abrams, taking 50.3 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting, according to The Associated Press Monday. Abrams received 48.8 percent of the vote. Kemp needs to maintain more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff before results are certified Nov. 13, reported CNN. Kemp declared victory Nov. 7 even though the race has not been called. Abrams has not conceded and gained a few thousand votes this weekend, according to WaPo. The two counties at the center of the suit Abrams filed Sunday are Gwinnett and DeKalb, which are “large Democratic-leaning jurisdictions” according to WaPo. “Stacey Abrams and her radical backers have moved…

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Fed Board Run by Obama Holdovers is Hemorrhaging Taxpayer Money on Legal Fees

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 Admin

by Tim Pearce A federal board tasked with investigating chemical accidents is “hemorrhaging” taxpayer money on a years-long personnel case that has not yet gone to trial, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). PEER attorneys are representing Daniel Horowitz, former managing director of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), in a legal challenge against the agency for firing Horowitz. Members of the CSB are scheduled to attend a closed-door meeting Tuesday to discuss a “legal services support contract” worth $300,000. The new contract would be with the law firm Shaw, Bransford & Roth and be worth nearly double a 2015 retainer with the law firm worth $157,000, according to PEER. “This law firm has found a cash cow in this tiny troubled agency,” PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch said in a statement. “For an agency charged with responding to chemical disasters to divert its limited resources for legal expenses in a needless personnel dispute shows how badly misplaced its current priorities are.” Former CSB Chair Vanessa Sutherland placed Horowitz on paid administrative leave in June 2015. Horowitz continued to receive his full salary of $161,000 a year while his case remained in limbo for three…

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Majority of Likely US Voters Are Against Impeaching Kavanaugh

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 Admin

by Neetu Chandak A majority of likely U.S. voters are against impeachment attempts against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, according to a survey released Monday. Rasmussen Reports conducted the poll on Nov. 7 and found 56 percent of the 1,000 likely U.S. voters surveyed were against attempts to press formal charges against Kavanaugh. Thirty percent supported the move while 14 percent were unsure, according to the poll. Respondents were asked whether House Democrats should try to impeach Kavanaugh. The poll comes as Democrats regained the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections and New York Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler suggested opening an investigation into Kavanaugh. Nadler is in line to becoming the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. President Donald Trump gave a warning to House Democrats who may try to use their power to investigate his administration a day after the election. If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018 “If the Democrats think…

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Commentary: The Myth of Trump and the Women’s Vote

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 Admin

Tennessee Star - Pres Trump visits Nashville

by Christopher Roach It’s a good thing President Trump is not an expert. During the midterms, big-brained Republican strategists, such as Bill Kristol, Paul Ryan, and Jeff Flake, advised him with their censorious disapproval to tone it down and stick to economic issues. But Trump just kept on keeping on . . . and winning. In my home state of Florida—with Trump’s help and presuming Democrat shenanigans in the coming recount are foiled—Republicans won every statewide race. This includes Rick Scott’s election to the U.S. Senate (unseating long-time incumbent Bill Nelson) and Trump acolyte Ron DeSantis’ victory in the governor’s race, where he faced the well-funded and charismatic progressive, Andrew Gillum. While these presumed victories were accomplished with only razor-thin margins, they were minor miracles in light of the full court press of the media and big donor money deployed against Trump and Republicans more generally. The usual line of criticism against Trump is familiar: he is destroying the Republican Party’s core support by by alienating women, particularly educated “suburban” women. Suburban is code here for married middle and upper-middle-class white women. They are supposed to be bolting from the party, offended by Trump’s crude remarks, his divisive rhetoric…

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Florida’s Recount Begins Amid Allegations Officials Tampered With Ballots

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 Admin

by Chris White Florida’s secretary of state announced Saturday afternoon that the races for governor and senator would will be reviewed through a recount as Republicans allege officials tinkered with the results. Republican Gov. Rick Scott leads incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by more than 12,500 votes. Former Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis leads his opponent, Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, by nearly 34,000 votes in the Senate race. The paper-thin margin prompted the recount. Votes will now be recounted by machine after both races fell under the .5 percent margin. Races within .25 percent will then go to a hand recount. Scott’s campaign is calling on the Nelson to accept the official tally. “It’s time for Senator Nelson to accept reality and spare the state of the Florida the time, expense and discord of a recount,” the Florida Republican’s spokesman Chris Hartline said in a press statement following the news. Nelson shows no signs of giving up, telling reporters in a statement: “We have every expectation the recount will be full and fair and will continue taking action to ensure every vote is counted without interference or efforts to undermine the democratic process.” Scott initially won the open seat,…

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Registration Is Open for the 2020 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee, Which Will Be Held on April 25

November 12, 2018March 9, 2020 Admin

Constitution Bee April, 2018

The 2020 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee is open for registration! If you have a secondary school-level student enrolled in a public or private school, or an accredited home school program, they are eligible to participate in the 2020 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee, a one-day event to be held Saturday, April 25, 2020 at Metro Christian Academy in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. The top three finishers will earn college scholarships of $3,000, $1,000, and $500 respectively. In addition, they will win a free trip to Washington, D.C. for themselves and a parent to participate in the inaugural 2020 National Constitution Bee, where the winner will earn a $25,000 college scholarship! The questions in the 2020 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee will be based on the 2019 edition of The Star News Digital Media Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students, which is now available for purchase at a price of $30 here. The guide is written at the level for 11th and 12th grade students who are taking the half semester course in Government, but can also be used as a self-study guide by any student in grades 8 through 12. Students in grades 8 through 12 are eligible to participate. The questions and…

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Commentary: Midterms Prove the Left’s #MeToo Was More About Partisanship Than Protecting Women

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 Admin

by Natalia Castro One of the real losers in this week’s midterms was not the right or the left — it was the #MeToo movement. This week’s midterms proved two things — that the Democrats only care about women when it is Republicans on the chopping block and that due process must prevail. What many have dubbed the “Kavanaugh Effect” is the wave of voters who voted against red-state Democrats who voted against Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation in the Senate. While it is good these obstructers are out of office, this whole process has only de-legitimized the real #MeToo movement and taken attention away from real abusers — four of which are now in office representing the Democratic Party. Senators in Florida, Indiana, North Dakota and Missouri who voted against Kavanaugh have all been voted out of office in favor or Republicans. As Senator Lindsey Graham noted in a press release: “Their constituents held them responsible for being part of a despicable smear campaign orchestrated by the left… These Democrats showed more allegiance to the left than to their constituents who support qualified, conservative judges like Brett Kavanaugh. Their votes against Kavanaugh crystallized how out of touch they had become…

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Veterans Respond to Effort in Supreme Court to Remove War Memorial

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 Admin

by Troy Worden When Jake Hill heard that an atheist activist group had sued to have a historic World War I memorial pulled down because some people were offended by the monument’s Christian symbolism, the Marine got angry. “Americans of all faith backgrounds should be outraged,” Hill, a lance corporal in the Marine Corps, said. Hill, of Madison, Wisconsin, was awarded the Silver Star during the Afghanistan War for his valor in leading his squad through enemy fire in 2010 to rescue a wounded fellow Marine. He also received a Purple Heart after being wounded in action during his service from 2008 to 2013. But back home, another battle is brewing at the Supreme Court. Hill sees the latest effort to remove the 40-foot-tall Peace Cross in Bladensburg, Maryland, as one more step in a long war against religious liberty in America. “Where will this end?” Hill, 28, asked in an email to The Daily Signal. “Will they begin chiseling the crosses and stars of David off gravestones in Arlington National Cemetery next?” Another Marine Corps veteran told The Daily Signal that he would not find a broad Supreme Court ruling against religious-themed memorials appealing. “I hope that in…

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Commentary: The Left’s Fatal Attraction to Crazy

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 Admin

by Bill Thomas How much crazier can the progressive Left get? The short answer is a lot. After their victory in the midterms, Democrats can assume the two-year psychodrama they inflicted upon the nation actually worked. So why stop. Hillary Clinton’s been saying that “civility can start again” when her party regains both the House and Senate. Since that’s not going to happen for at least another election cycle, it’s a matter of public safety to wonder what the next level of crazy might be. With President Donald Trump still in office it doesn’t take a genius to predict that the other side’s removal effort is about to shift into high gear. Democratic strategy usually calls for mau-mauing political opponents with insults and agitation. But what happens this time around if things get out of hand? Suppose the anti-Trump resistance redoubles its investment in the deranged and turns into something like the Weather Underground. For those who may have missed the late 1960s, that was the group led by Bill Ayers, best remembered for setting off bombs in the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol Building. After finally surrendering to authorities, Ayers later in life was the domestic terrorist said to…

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Living in the Forest and Risking Their Lives: The Extreme Measures Enviros Will Take to Stop a Crude Oil Pipeline

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 Admin

by Jason Hopkins ST. MARTINVILLE, La. — Deep in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, the largest swamp in the United States, a group of protesters has seemingly stopped at nothing to scuttle completion of a legal pipeline. The construction project in question, the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, is an 163-mile crude oil pipeline that extends across southern Louisiana. The pipeline will carry up to 480,000 barrels off crude oil a day when completed — taking a lot of oil off more hazardous means of transportation, such as road and train lines. Despite the pipeline being overwhelmingly welcomed by locals and Louisiana politicians across the partisan spectrum, construction efforts have attracted an inordinate amount of pushback from national environmental groups. Organizations such as Sierra Club, EarthJustice, Waterkeeper Alliance and others have continually tried to torpedo the pipeline with lawsuits. However, it’s the opposition happening outside the courtroom that is attracting some of the most extreme elements against Bayou Bridge. Groups such as Louisiana Bucket Brigade and 350 New Orleans have assembled protests at construction sites, temporarily preventing employees from working. The most active group on the ground is L’eau Est La Vie (French for “water is life”), a traveling camp within the Atchafalaya Basin that…

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Judicial Commissioner Who Went Soft on Justin Jones Made Another Mistake in 2014

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 Chris Butler

Four years ago, Nashville Judicial Commissioner Carolyn Piphus reportedly allowed a hate crime suspect to leave jail even though the man allegedly violated his parole and was supposed to remain behind bars. Piphus, of course, is the same judicial commissioner who refused to issue an arrest warrant to Justin Jones, the man who disrupted an October 28 Marsha Blackburn rally in Nashville. Subsequently, the office of Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk asked a judge to issue an arrest warrant for Jones on charges of criminal trespassing and resisting arrest. Jones was arrested and faces a December court date. According to the June 4, 2014 edition of The Tennessean, the suspect in the earlier case, William Eugene Massey, went missing after posting bail. Authorities charged Massey with beating a gay man at a convenience store on Dickerson Pike. According to the paper, the beating was caught on video. The victim reportedly needed 13 stitches and was likely to have a permanent scar. Massey had a lengthy arrest record, with convictions for drug, firearm, and aggravated assault offenses. Massey was still on parole when he attacked the unidentified gay man, the paper reported. Police reportedly tracked him down four days later…

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Democrats Escalate Push for Matt Whitaker’s Recusal from Mueller Probe

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 Admin

by Chuck Ross Top Democrats in the House and Senate continued Sunday to press for acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker’s recusal from the Mueller investigation over his remarks criticizing the probe. In a letter sent to the Department of Justice’s top ethics official, California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and five leading committee Democrats asked whether Whitaker was advised to recuse himself from the investigation. “There are serious ethical considerations that require Mr. Whitaker’s immediate recusal from any involvement with the Special Counsel investigation of the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election,” reads the letter, which was sent to Assistant Attorney General Lee J. Lofthus. “Regrettably, Mr. Whitaker’s statements indicate a clear bias against the investigation that would cause a reasonable person to question his impartiality.” The Democrats pointed to remarks that Whitaker made in 2017 when he ran the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a conservative non-profit group. Whitaker was hired as Jeff Sessions’s chief of staff, reportedly after President Donald Trump saw him on CNN criticizing the Mueller investigation. “The official supervising the Special Counsel investigation must be — in both fact and appearance — independent and impartial,” reads the letter, which…

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Broward County Elections Supervisor Mixes Over a Dozen Rejected Ballots in with Valid Ones, Raising New Charges of Incompetence

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Broward County, Florida’s elections supervisor accidentally mixed more than a dozen rejected ballots with nearly 200 valid ones, a circumstance that is unlikely to help Brenda Snipes push back against Republican allegations of incompetence, the Miami Herald reported. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) is locked in a virtual dead heat with Republican challenger Gov. Rick Scott. Scott’s lead shrunk to 12,562 votes out of nearly 8.2 million cast, a 0.15 percent margin, The Washington Post said. President Donald Trump’s reaction to the situation was: “Trying to STEAL two big elections in Florida! We are watching closely!” Trying to STEAL two big elections in Florida! We are watching closely! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018 The mistake – for which no one had a solution Friday night – was discovered after Snipes agreed to present 205 provisional ballots to the Broward County canvassing board for inspection. She had initially intended to handle the ballots administratively, but agreed to present them to the canvassing board after Republican attorneys objected. America Rising raised concerns about Snipes’ competence, saying, “It’s important to note past criticism of the official at the helm of this process there. As recently as June 2018, The Sun…

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JC Bowman Commentary: Thoughts on Veterans Day 2018

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 JC Bowman

Tennessee is the Volunteer State. It is called the Volunteer State because in the times of crisis that our nation found itself, whether a natural crisis or in defense of our country, our citizens were the first to respond. Members of my family have fought, and some even died, for the defense of our country. I am proud to have served in the Marine Corps and appreciate my fellow veterans. Anyone who has served will tell you it was an honor to wear the uniform of our nation and take the vows to defend our citizens, our country and our Constitution. Military enlistment has no expiration date. This Veterans Day, in the year 2018, we must do more than repeat the well-deserved praises of the bravery and patriotism that our veterans embody. That was established the day they put on the uniform. Rather, we should reflect on how we are treating our veterans. We know that the average number of veterans who commit suicide remains at 20 a day. We know that younger veterans are among that number. Suicide is a complex issue, and veterans are not getting the help they need. Why is this not a national priority? It…

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Willie Nelson to be Honored With a Tribute Show at Bridgestone Arena

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Bethany Bowman

Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw will feature star-studded performances by Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, The Avett Brothers, George Strait, Jack Johnson, John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, Lyle Lovett, Norah Jones and The Little Willies, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, and Vince Gill.

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Google Search Says Republican Women Are Enablers

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Peter Hasson Republican women are “enablers,” according to Google search results. Google’s search results for the National Federation of Republican Women, the nation’s largest Republican women’s group, displayed the organization’s name instead as the “National Federation of Republican Enablers.” Google cited Wikipedia for the disparaging description, though Wikipedia’s page for the women’s group doesn’t contain that description. Wikipedia’s edit history shows on October 19 someone replaced the word “women” in the group’s name with “enablers.” The change lasted about five hours on Wikipedia before it was reversed. But three weeks after the digital vandalism was reversed on Wikipedia, Google’s “knowledge panel” about the Republican women’s group still described them as “enablers.” [ RELATED: Google Employees Sought To Manipulate Search Results To Fight Trump’s Travel Ban ] Google removed the knowledge panel after this article was published. Liberal writers and activists in recent months have attacked Republican women — and “white women” in particular — as gender traitors in league with the patriarchy. “There are tens of millions of American women who believe in the Republican Party’s values of individual liberty, personal responsibility and limited government,” NFRW President Jody Rushton told TheDCNF in a statement. “The notion that women…

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Trump Lands in Paris, Attacks Macron’s Call for European Military As Very Insulting

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Steve Herman The moment Air Force One touched down Friday at Orly airport, U.S. President Donald Trump blasted a caustic message for his host, terming French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for a European military “very insulting.” In the touchdown tweet, Trump suggested Europe first pay “its fair share” of NATO before contemplating a Europe-wide force. As he stepped off his plane, accompanied by the first lady, Melania Trump, a group of White House reporters shouted questions at him about the Twitter message. Trump stared at the journalists but did not respond before entering the presidential limousine. The fresh dispute between the two leaders, who have had a hot and cold relationship, threatens to cast a pall on Sunday’s ceremony here marking the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, in which 40 million people died. The United States and France were allies in both world wars and partners in the post-World War II security structure for Western Europe: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is composed of separate forces of varying strengths and capabilities of the member nations. Trump, however, since taking office nearly two years ago, has repeatedly questioned the mutual defense pact and…

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Commentary: Jim Jordan – Wartime Leader for the House GOP

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

Jim Jordan

Democrats have made it clear that once they take over the House in January 2019 that their “Resistance” will ramp-up to an all-out war on President Trump and the conservative agenda that won him the presidency in 2016 and grew the Republican Senate majority in 2018. House Republicans are faced with a problem all too many of them never really thought about going into the 2018 election: Who should lead us in the war Democrats have declared on President Trump and traditional America? Should it be the current House leadership whose failures and broken promises cost us the majority, who stymied President Trump’s agenda and, in many cases, stood silent or even joined in when President Trump was attacked? Or should it be someone who kept their promises, fought for the conservative agenda and traditional values and defended President Trump when he was attacked? From our perspective if the House Republican Conference wants to fight their way back to the majority, then a wartime leader is needed, and that wartime leader is Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio. For many conservatives the fact that Jordan is not a member of the failed Paul Ryan – Kevin McCarthy leadership team may…

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Incoming Members of Congress Want Medicare for All

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

Ocasio

by Evie Fordham The House Medicare for All Caucus could count some new members when the 116th Congress convenes in January, although progressive candidates on the whole had a less than stellar performance on Election Day Tuesday. Democratic Rep.-elects Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Deb Haaland of New Mexico and more winning progressive candidates campaigned on “Medicare for all.” The idea came to national attention because of Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who introduced a Medicare-for-all bill in Congress in September 2017, but there’s still no hard and fast definition of Medicare for all. Candidates like Ocasio Cortez and Haaland touted iterations of the proposed single-payer system that caused many critics to question how it would be funded. “People often say, like, ‘how are you going to pay for it?’ And I find the question so puzzling, because, how do you pay for something that’s more affordable?” Ocasio-Cortez said during an interview Nov. 1. [RELATED: FDA To Ban In-Store Sales Of Many Flavored E-Cigarettes To Keep Them Away From Teens] I believe in Medicare for all. Access to quality and affordable healthcare is a right, one that too many of our fellow North Texans have been denied for too…

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Stacey Abrams Allegedly Attempts to Run Illegal Ads in Support of a Non-Existent Gubernatorial Run-Off

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

Stacey Abrams

by Molly Prince The Democratic Party of Georgia tried purchasing airtime on Friday to run campaign ads on a local Atlanta channel on behalf of gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Abrams and the Democratic Party attempted to buy a $250,000 advertisement on Atlanta-based WSB-TV in order to promote a gubernatorial runoff despite her Republican challenger, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, winning over 50 percent of the vote. In the state of Georgia, a runoff is only triggered if neither candidate reaches at least half of the total votes. The ad request, which was reportedly approved by Abrams and would have been paid for through her campaign funds, may have violated campaign finance laws since a runoff election has not been declared and is thereby not a sanctioned election. “Stacey Abrams’ ambitions of getting a TV talk show or running for office again as an aggrieved member of our victim culture are leading her to make reckless and illegal decisions,” said John Watson, chairman of the Georgia GOP. “Her actions are harmful to Georgians who want to come together and work for the future. She is putting herself above the will of Georgians and is damaging to our state.” Abrams’ campaign argued…

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Commentary: Why is America Divided?

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Martin Cothran In one sense political divisiveness has always been with us. The United States was birthed in political animosity. If you doubt it, go read about the contention between figures such as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, or between Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. And, of course, there was that little matter between Hamilton and Aaron Burr that resulted in a duel–a fatal one for Hamilton. So why do we think the divisiveness of modern politics is so historically unique? How can some people say that the debates of our own time are worse than those which not infrequently consummated in two men firing pistols at each other? Is there some sense in which contemporary political debates are divisive in a way the older ones were not? How exactly does the attack on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s home differ from a duel? Although the debates of the founding era were indeed divisive, their worst excesses were largely the result of personal animosities, many of them cases in which confidences were broken or in which there was a personal insult that required satisfaction. The political debates too–whether there should be a national bank, or what kind of relations…

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Commentary: The Democratic Party’s Reckless Disregard for the Nation’s Institutions

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Jarrett Stepman Sometimes progressives do a great job of becoming caricatures of themselves. The progressive worldview is marked by a tendency to embrace utopian dreams, and a general disregard for tried and true traditions and institutions. Ted Kennedy captured this instinct in 1968 when he said, quoting George Bernard Shaw: “Some men see things as they are and say, why; I dream things that never were and say, why not.” But while laws and norms sometimes need to be changed, there is something to be said for recklessly overturning a system that has been at the heart of the strongest and freest country that’s ever existed. This progressive instinct for change at any cost has gone off the rails. Historically, progressives have sought to bring about a radical social transformation, and in order to achieve it, they have indulged a tendency to try to upend the constitutional system put in place by the Founding Fathers. But more pathetically, in recent days, they have sought to upend the Constitution for short-term political gain. When President Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, the left wanted to abolish the Electoral College. When Trump nominated now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme…

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California Governor-Elect: Gun Culture Has Become Normalized

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

“I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts,” said a mother whose son died this week when a lone gunman opened fire in a bar in California. Susan Schmidt-Orfanos’ son Telemachus had already survived the onslaught of another lone gunman at a music festival in Las Vegas last year. This week, he went to the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, along with other survivors of the Las Vegas massacre. Schmidt-Orfanos’ son died Wednesday less than 10 minutes away from home. He was at the bar when a shooter fired into the crowd, killing 12 people. Schmidt-Orfanos said Congress needs “to pass gun control so no one else has a child that doesn’t come home.” The shooter, Marine Corps veteran Ian David Long, 28, apparently killed himself after gunning down customers in the bar. Investigators are looking for clues to Long’s “state of mind” before Wednesday’s late-night shooting. “It’s a gun culture,” California’s Democratic Governor-elect Gavin Newsom lamented Thursday. “You can’t go to a bar or a nightclub? You can’t go to church or a synagogue? It’s insane is the only way to describe it. The normalization, that’s the only I can describe it. It’s become normalized.” Paul…

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Andrew Gillum May Retract Concession as Recount Looms in Florida Governor Race

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Chuck Ross Andrew Gillum may retract his concession in the Florida governor’s race. Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, conceded the race in a speech on Tuesday, after polls showed him down one percentage point to Republican Ron DeSantis, a former congressman who is close to President Trump. But DeSantis’ vote margin dwindled on Wednesday as absentee and provisional ballots continued to be counted. “On Tuesday night, the Gillum for Governor campaign operated with the best information available about the number of outstanding ballots left to count. Since that time, it has become clear there are many more uncounted ballots than was originally reported,” Gillum campaign spokeswoman Johanna Cervona said in a statement. “Our campaign, along with our attorney Barry Richard, is monitoring the situation closely and is ready for any outcome, including a state-mandated recount. Mayor Gillum started his campaign for the people, and we are committed to ensuring every single vote in Florida is counted.” Gillum trailed DeSantis by 43,000 votes on Thursday. According to the Orlando Sentinel, that is just 0.02 percentage points from the threshold that will trigger a machine recount. Florida’s Senate battle is even closer than the gubernatorial race. Gov. Rick Scott, a…

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Commentary: Democrats Will Investigate, Not Legislate

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Julie Kelly In a column published the day after the election, former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell warned his fellow Democrats to proceed cautiously after winning the House of Representatives. “Our most fervent supporters hope that we will use our newly found control to investigate almost everything that the Trump administration has done,” he wrote. “Though I understand what has fed this emotion, that would be a grievous mistake if investigations were all we did and we made no attempt to meet the challenges facing everyday Americans.” But that advice likely will be ignored by a party that has no more use for relatively moderate, older, white men like Rendell. Despite election season slogans about protecting health care and migrant children, Democrats really only care about one thing: Retribution for Trump winning the White House. Their base wants it, too. Exit polls showed a plurality of voters used their ballot to protest President Trump; two-thirds of voters who supported a Democratic House candidate said they want Congress to begin impeachment proceedings and remove Trump from office, an idea supported by key Democratic lawmakers poised to take over powerful committees. Revenge-seeking henchmen in the 116th Congress will be more interested…

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OFF THE RECORD: ‘W’ #Winning – Counties Hold Strong for Blackburn and Lee

November 10, 2018November 9, 2018 Admin

A Tennessee Journal analysis of the midterm election results of Tennessee’s Senate battle between Marsha Blackburn and Phil Bredesen focused on the fact that Bredesen won in the state’s ten largest counties by a 55-45 margin. Former Tennessean Reporter Jim O’Hara noted that the Bredesen vote total in the largest population counties was nevertheless overcome by the 69-31 margin Blackburn racked up in the other 85 counties in the state. (The analysis did not extend to Bill Lee’s 20% margin over Democrat Karl Dean, nor Donald Trump’s 26% margin of victory in 2016.) The point was, apparently, that while the vast majority of the state’s voters, as well as the overwhelming geographic territory of the state, swung heavily for Blackburn the glimmer of hope for Democrats is some doubt about whether Republicans can keep running up the score in the 85 smaller counties while losing to a heavily funded Democrat in the largest and growing counties. Putting aside for a moment that the “growth” in Shelby has actually been a steady population decline in the past 5 years — and that dark blue Davidson County is growing at a much slower pace than the surrounding red suburban counties — we…

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ICE: Mexican National Released by Sanctuary County in New Jersey Went on to Commit Triple Murder

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Will Racke A Mexican national charged with killing three people in Missouri in early November was released from a New Jersey county jail in 2017, despite being the subject an active immigration detention request, federal authorities said Friday. Luis Perez, 23, allegedly killed two of his ex-roommates in Springfield, Missouri, on Nov. 1 and then, a day later, shot and killed a woman who had accompanied him to the first two murders. Perez had been kicked out of his apartment by the roommates, Steven Marler, 38, and Aaron Hampton, 23, The Associated Press reported, citing a Springfield police probable cause affidavit. The charging documents further stated the Perez was a recent arrival to Missouri and that his immigration status was in question. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Perez’s illegal status in a statement Friday and added that he had previously been released by authorities in Middlesex County, New Jersey, despite a detainer request. “Luis Rodrigo Perez was being held at Middlesex County Jail in December of last year on domestic violence charges,” the agency said. “ICE issued a detainer and requested notification prior to his release, so that he may be taken into ICE custody and placed in removal proceedings. In…

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Trump Issues Proclamation Revoking Asylum Eligibility From Migrants Who Cross Southwest Border Illegally

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Will Racke President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Friday that makes anyone caught crossing the southwest border illegally ineligible for asylum, a major change to U.S. immigration policy that seeks to reverse the rising tide of migration from Central America. The order, which takes effect midnight Saturday, suspends for 90 days the entry of any alien across the U.S.-Mexico border, with broad exceptions for people who present themselves for inspection at ports of entry and legal permanent residents. When combined with a new asylum regulation issued Thursday, the practical effect of the proclamation is to limits asylum protections to only those migrants who present themselves at U.S. ports of entry. Administration officials say the ultimate aim of the policy is to channel asylum seekers away from illegal border crossings, which have surged this year amid a wave of Central American migrants. Migrants who present themselves at the ports of entry will still be eligible to pursue asylum claims under the new policy. Additionally, migrants already in the U.S. will still be able to seek humanitarian protections pursuant to “withholding” of removal and convention against torture provisions, which use a higher “reasonable fear” standard. [ RELATED: ‘Non-Meritorious’ Central…

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Rubio Warns: Dems Are Actively Trying to Steal the Florida Election

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Admin

by Luke Rosiak Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is warning that the fate of his state’s governorship could hang in the hands of Florida’s Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, whom he’s called incompetent for violating state and federal laws. A liberal candidate similarly painted her as incompetent and corrupt. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum initially conceded the Florida race to Republican Ron DeSantis, but backtracked after vote totals changed Thursday, narrowing the gap to less than half a percent in both the gubernatorial and senatorial races. Broward County is often the slowest of the state’s 67 counties to count votes, and its election department has repeatedly been faulted for wrongdoing. Now, Perkins Coie lawyer Marc Elias has been enlisted in a recount effort. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is retaining Elias, who said it’s “not plausible” that, as Broward statistics suggest, 14,000 people voted in sometimes-obscure state-level races but left the Senate one blank. Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who, by initial appearances, beat Nelson in a race for Senate, said Elias will use aggressive techniques to “steal” the election. Elias worked for both the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC during the 2016 election, even before the 2016 presidential candidate became the Democratic…

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Lamberth, Sexton and Williams Are the Three Declared Candidates to Become the Next State House Majority Leader

November 10, 2018November 9, 2018 Laura Baigert

On the November 9 deadline for Republican members to declare an intention to run for a State House leadership position, the Majority Leader selection just turned from a two-way into a three-way race. As The Tennessee Star reported, the Tennessee House leadership selections will be held this year on November 20, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving as required by the House Republican Caucus Bylaws. The most important and Constitutional positions in the House, Speaker and Speaker Pro-Tempore, will be selected by the Republican Caucus members and voted on by the entire House of Representatives at a January organizational meeting. As the chief officer of the Republican Party in the State House, it is the most important Caucus leadership role. The duties of the Republican (Majority) Leader are largely related to coordinating, negotiating and representing the legislative interests of the House Caucus to the Senate and Executive Branch and vice versa. As with any election, the candidates appeal to the electorate for their vote. In this case, the candidates ask for votes from their fellow Republican House members. The candidates for House Majority (Republican) Leader are William Lamberth (Cottontown), Jerry Sexton (Bean Station) and Ryan Williams (Cookeville), with Sexton the latest to…

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Commentary: To All the Disillusioned Bredesen Supporters, Illinois Awaits

November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 Admin

by Marshall Towe One of the enduring beauties of America is our freedom of movement. Citizens easily migrate between States, unregulated, for things such as schooling, employment, retirement or just better weather. After reading the November 8th, 2018 article in The Tennessee Star by Chris Butler chronicling many Bredesen supporters taking to social media with threats of leaving Tennessee, there is a clear message to be conveyed: Illinois wants you! For years now, hundreds of people per day immigrate to Tennessee, one of the fastest growing States, while Chicago, in Cook County, in the State of Illinois have topped the list of most population lost in each the these category for years. For those Bredesen supporters upset with the election result and the direction of Tennessee, nothing can beat a debt-ridden Illinois, where its $225 billion debt is tops in the country, with the added benefit of a bond rating one notch above junk. Tennessee, with its constitutionally mandated balanced budget and State Government with the fiscal responsibility to manage its budget to an annual surplus while accumulating a rainy day fund, is not for you. It is a guarantee that Chicago will welcome and embrace you with open arms,…

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Tennessee Star Report Exclusive: State House Majority Leader Glen Casada Says GOP Caucus ‘Will Take a Look At’ Nashville’s Amendment One

November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 Julie Carr

On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the morning duo spoke to “soon to be” Speaker of the Tennessee House Glen Casada about the mid-term elections here in the state of Tennessee, how the Speaker of the House election works, and what he see’s as a primary legislative agenda for the state. Gill: Well we thought we’d go right to the source and find out what Republicans have planned next as the house majority leader Glen Casada who’s now the punitive head of the Republican party of the house because you have Beth Harwell whose moved on running for Governor and the speaker is moving out. Glen Casada also preparing a bid for the speakership in Tennnessee and Glen Casada on our NewsMakers line this morning Glen good morning! Casada: Good morning Steve, Patrick great show as always, really informative, enjoyable show thank you guys. Gill: The blue wave wiped you guys out (laughter) man, you go seventy seven to seventy six out of the ninety nine members in the state house? Casada: So statistically speaking they…

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Congressman-Elect Mark Green Appoints Stephen Siao as Chief of Staff

November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Congressman-elect Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced his appointment of Stephen Siao as his chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives. Siao will lead the transition over the next two months and lead the congressional office starting in January. Green will succeed Marsha Blackburn in the 7th Congressional District as she moves over to the U.S. Senate. Green was elected to the 22nd Tennessee State Senate in 2012. “I’m excited to announce Stephen Siao as my chief of staff,” said Congressman-elect Green. “A well-respected leader in his own right, Stephen led my campaign team flawlessly and will help me serve the people of the Seventh District well. Our paths first crossed the night I announced my first campaign seven years ago, and since then, he has become a trusted advisor and friend to Camie and me.” A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Siao was previously state director for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) presidential campaign, grassroots manager at Heritage Action, and started his career in Washington, D.C. at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Siao has served a total of nine years on the executive committees of four different Republican Parties and auxiliary organizations, including five years as chairman or…

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New Tennessee State Rep. London Lamar Says State Full of Racists

November 9, 2018November 10, 2018 Chris Butler

UPDATE: The Tennessee Star has retrieved the video – see more details here. – – – The newly elected state representative for Tennessee’s 91st district livestreamed a 15-minute rant on Facebook Wednesday and, said, among other things, Tennessee is a racist state and full of uneducated Republicans. That newly-elected representative, London Lamar, a Democrat from Memphis, also reprimanded white men for wanting to keep more of the money they earn. Lamar also suggested allowing felons to vote will help elect more Democrats. “Looking here at Tennessee, let’s just call a spade a spade,” Lamar said in the video. “Tennessee is racist, period. Period. And if you for one moment thought that white people in Tennessee were going to leave their own to jump over here and give us more access, they just told you last night it’s not happening.” Lamar said her video was also “a letter to all our statewide political consultants and candidates.” She warned against “catering to Republicans.” “If we look at some of the numbers last night, white men voted Republican well over 60 or 70 percent,” Lamar said. “Obviously, that is a particular base of people who believe in superiority. They don’t believe in sharing their…

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Leftist Groups Have Meltdown Over Whitaker Appointment as Acting Attorney General, Organize Protests Around Nation, Including Tennessee Cities

November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 Admin

Leftist groups organized protests in hundreds of cities across the nation, including Tennessee, Thursday to protest the appointment of Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, citing fears he might interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Many protests used similar words and slogans. Demonstrators marched on Nashville, Chattanooga and Murfreesboro, among other cities. They packed the streets of Nashville Thursday night in support of Mueller, NewsChannel 5 reported. Whitaker has assumed the role of overseeing Mueller. In Murfreesboro, the Women’s March descended on downtown with signs bearing such slogans as “TIME TO IMPEACH.” The Women’s March on Nashville Facebook page called the protest “Nobody Trumps the Law” and “Rod Rosenstein Removal Protest.” Crowds also turned out in Chicago; Greensboro, North Carolina; Chattanooga, WRCB said, citing the Associated Press. Breitbart reported that Public Citizen tweeted “In firing Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump has crossed a red line and started a constitutional crisis. We are activating our rapid-response network, launching mass protests nationwide TOMORROW (11/8) at 5pm local time.” (Sessions actually resigned by President Trump’s request.) In firing Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump has crossed a red line and started a constitutional crisis. We are activating our rapid-response network, launching mass protests nationwide TOMORROW…

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Commentary: The Migrant ‘Caravan’ Marching Northbound To Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, and What The U.S. Constitution Has To Say About It

November 9, 2018November 8, 2018 Gregory Watson

The United States Constitution does contain a few references relative to immigration and naturalization as well as to persons seeking to enter the United States in contravention of its laws — whether violently or non-violently and whether singly or in the form of a human tsunami. In its Article I, Section 8, Clause 4, the Constitution specifically grants Congress the power “To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization….” By expressly allocating this capacity to Congress, the Constitution seeks to prevent the confusion which would inevitably result if an individual state could itself bestow U.S. citizenship upon a person not born within the boundaries of that — or any other — state. Construing Clause 4, the United States Supreme Court, in the 1892 case of Boyd v. Nebraska ex rel. Thayer, defined “naturalization” as “…the act of adopting a foreigner, and clothing him with the privileges of a native [U.S.] citizen.” In Clause 11 of that same Article I, Section 8, the Constitution authorizes Congress “To declare War…and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water….” Interpreting Clause 11, the High Court ruled in the 1795 case of Penhallow v. Doane that the war power of the United States government is…

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