Month: February 2019

Lamar Alexander Talks with The Tennessee Star Report About SOTU and Congressional Research Service Report That Says President Could Build Border Wall Without Declaring National Emergency

Julie Carr

On Wednesday’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 – Gill and Leahy talked to Senator Lamar Alexander and discussed President Trump’s SOTU address on Tuesday evening and the behavior displayed by the Democrats. As the segment moved to a close, the conversation became heated in a debate about a recent Congressional Research Service report that says President Trump can build the border wall without declaring a national emergency and how the President could appropriate funds to build the wall at the southern border and where those funds would come from. Gill: Good morning glad to have you with us. Alexander: I don’t think it was either. But I have a question for you. Were you watching the State of the Union or the Tennessee basketball game? Gill: To be honest, I was flipping back and forth. (Laughter) Also I had my ESPN box score up, so I was, even when I was momentarily watching the President I was keeping up with the Vols who got another big victory. (Inaudible talk) Alexander: I checked the score a couple of times.…

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Gregory Watson Commentary: U.S. House of Representatives’ Quiet Procedural Snub of President Trump’s 2019 SOTU Address

Gregory Watson

When any American President formally speaks before a joint session of the two houses of the U.S. Congress, it is considered a matter of great importance to our nation — and certainly ought to be viewed as quite significant by members of Congress. The State-of-the-Union (SOTU) address — regardless of which President is delivering it, and irrespective of his or her party affiliation — is never trivial. When a President gives his or her remarks, both houses of Congress are officially in session at that point and — just as at any other such time — the words spoken to those persons present within the House chamber are to be reduced to writing and spread upon the Congressional Record. This, of course, is to preserve for posterity such historic comments and to make them more widely available to anyone desiring to reflect back upon them. Hence, it is with some surprise that the full and complete verbatim text of President Donald Trump’s February 5, 2019 speech — and, as it turns out, likewise his February 28, 2017 as well as his January 30, 2018 SOTU addresses – are all completely missing from the Congressional Record. So, I did some investigating.…

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Commentary: Murray Rothbard Explains the Progressive Roots of the Deep State

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by Silvio Simonetti   More than 20 years after his death, Murray Rothbard continues to surprise us with his unique interpretations and insights that go far beyond the realm of economics. Rothbard’s The Progressive Era, (Mises Institute, 2017) is the latest example of this genial mind ranging over U.S. history. Rothbard’s book is a series of different studies, some already published and others not, written over decades, which focus on the Progressive Era and its direct consequence, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Over some 550 pages, Rothbard shows us how, at the end of the 19th century, the United States underwent intense political and social transformations that reshaped the intellectual horizons of the nation and opened the doors to the creation of an administrative state equidistant from both democratic control and the legal framework established by the Founding Fathers. The progressive movement was undoubtedly full of nuances, with various tendencies that sometimes overlapped and other times repelled each other. The populist progressivism of the Midwest, for example, was isolationist and suspicious of big corporations and the Federal government’s bureaucracy. On the other hand, West Coast progressives were more determined to advance a radical agenda of social reforms. What united…

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Stonewalling on Clinton Emails Continues Under Trump, Watchdog Says

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by Kevin Mooney   Federal bureaucrats, defying President Donald Trump, are resisting requests for information about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email account while secretary of state and how that may have compromised national security, the head of a legal watchdog group told The Daily Signal in an interview. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said Obama administration officials originally declined to assess the extent to which Clinton’s email practices damaged national security. But later, Fitton said, “President Trump’s appointees got in the way of us doing it.” U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled Jan. 17 that Judicial Watch could begin the process of discovery in the Clinton email case. That means former Obama administration officials and Clinton aides must respond to questions from the organization under oath and in writing. “Obviously, Mrs. Clinton’s conduct is an issue here, but we are also talking about the conduct of the Justice Department and the State Department,” Fitton said in the Jan. 31 phone interview with The Daily Signal, adding: The email scandal is not just a Hillary Clinton scandal. It’s a State Department scandal and it’s a Justice Department scandal. There’s a lot of powerful agencies and deep state…

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David Malpass, Sharp Critic of World Bank, Could be its Next Leader

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David Malpass has been a sharp critic of the World Bank, the Washington-based lending institution for impoverished nations, and now he could be its next leader. Malpass, the undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury for international affairs, is U.S. President Donald Trump’s choice to head the agency, which has always been headed by an American. But the selection, which has to be ratified by the bank’s board, could draw opposing candidates supported by poor nations that are the institution’s chief funding beneficiaries. Malpass helped push through a $13 billion funding increase for the bank last year, but he has railed against continued lending to China, the world’s second-biggest economy after the United States. He says Beijing no longer needs the bank’s support, which has amounted to nearly $62 billion in development loans since China joined the World Bank in 1980. “The World Bank’s biggest borrower is China,” Malpass said at a 2017 forum sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations. “Well, China has plenty of resources.” Malpass, a Trump loyalist, has argued, much like the president, that “multilateralism has gone substantially too far,” through international agreements that largely have been described as part of the liberal world order of agencies and…

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Adam Schiff Expands House Intel’s Trump Investigation

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by Chuck Ross   House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on Wednesday revealed a sweeping plan to investigate President Donald Trump, including whether foreign actors have leverage over the Republican, his family or associates. Schiff laid out five areas the Democrat-controlled committee plans to investigate. The California Democrat made the announcement after the committee voted to provide the special counsel’s office with transcripts of interviews conducted as part of an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. “The President’s actions and posture towards Russia during the campaign, transition, and administration have only heightened fears of foreign financial or other leverage over President Trump and underscore the need to determine whether he or those in his Administration have acted in service of foreign interests since taking office,” Schiff said in a statement announcing the expanded investigation. The committee in September, then under Republican control, also voted to provide the interview transcripts to the Justice Department. Devin Nunes, Schiff’s Republican counterpart, called on the committee Wednesday to make public all unclassified interview transcripts from the investigation. Schiff has long pledged under his control, the House Intelligence Committee would aggressively investigate Trump’s campaign activities, as well as his finances. Schiff has said…

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UN Calls for Ending Female Genital Mutilation by 2030

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Wednesday marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. Coinciding with the day, the United Nations is calling for action to eliminate the procedure by 2030. The U.N. estimates at least 200 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to female genital mutilation, a procedure that partially or totally removes female genital organs. In addition, more than 3 million girls between infancy and age 15 are at risk of being subjected to the harmful practice every year. While FGM mainly occurs in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, it is a global problem, with some migrant communities carrying on the traditional practice in Western countries. The World Health Organization says FGM has no medical justification and leads to long-term physical, psychological and social consequences. WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic says awareness of the harmful effects of FGM is growing and progress is being made toward banning it in some communities. He tells VOA that given the rate of population growth in countries where FGM is prevalent, action must be accelerated to reduce the number of girls at risk of undergoing the procedure. “There was an analysis that was done by our colleagues in…

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Eric Bolling Commentary: The State of the Union Is Stronger Than Ever

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by Eric Bolling   President Trump had plenty to brag about at this year’s State of the Union address — despite fierce partisan resistance, he’s managed to compile an impressive list of accomplishments since his last report to Congress and the American people. Unlike establishment politicians who make grandiose promises on the campaign trail and then forget about those pledges once they’re in office, Donald Trump set a genuine goal of delivering on every pledge that he made to the American people. The Democrats tend to forget that voters elected President Trump to repair the damage that liberal policies did to our country during President Obama’s administration and before — and to completely overturn the political establishment in Washington that values power more than the needs of the people. Donald Trump stood out from his opponents in both the primary and general elections in 2016 because he was willing to address issues that other politicians avoided like the plague. His one and only goal has always been to restore America’s greatness, even if that means going to war with the political elite or enduring relentless criticism from the mainstream media. Over the past year, that determination has resulted in numerous…

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Angel Family Who Lost Their Son Shortly After Christmas Day Praises Trump’s Immigration Push

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by Nick Givas   D.J. and Wendy Corcoran, who lost their son to an illegal immigrant, appeared on “Fox & Friends” alongside GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn to praise President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. “The Corcorans have stepped forward and they are working so diligently and lovingly to remember their son, Pierce, to honor his life, and to come around other angel families and individuals that have been adversely impacted, Ainsley [Earhardt], by drugs, human trafficking, gangs, sex trafficking and they fully realize that until we secure that southern border, that every state’s a border state,” Blackburn said Wednesday.  “Every town’s a border town because of the impact of illegal entry into our country and onto our streets of our neighborhoods and communities,” the Tennessee senator continued. Pierce Corcoran, 22, was killed on Dec. 29 in an auto accident. The driver was an illegal immigrant who’d been in the country illegally for 14 years, according to Fox News. He was charged with criminally negligent homicide. Wendy Corcoran endorsed Trump’s border wall proposal and pushed for Congress to come together to achieve bipartisan immigration reform. “I thought it was exactly what we had hoped to hear,” she said. “I thought that he…

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Former State Representative Tilman Goins Named Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs

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Conservative Tilman Goins, who served as a Republican State Representative from Morristown for three terms ending in 2018, has been named as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer for the State Department of Veterans Affairs. Goins will report to another former legislator, Courtney Rogers from Sumner County, who was appointed as Commissioner of Veterans Affairs by Governor Bill Lee late last year. Rogers was one of only a couple of grassroots-connected conservatives who was selected to serve in Governor Lee’s Cabinet. Her appointment was cheered by conservative Republicans at the time as an indication that Lee was perhaps responding to criticism of his early appointment of moderate Republicans, anti-Trumpers, and Democrats to top spots in his Administration. Nevertheless, those who saw Rogers’ selection as a positive sign were disappointed when there were no other solid and consistent conservatives who “made the cut” as Lee rounded out his Cabinet-level appointments. Goins announced that he would not seek reelection in February of 2018. Goins has a long history of public service, having served on active duty in both the US Marine Corps and the US Army, and as a Hamblen County Commissioner before being elected to the State Legislature. Goins was first…

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Democrats’ Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Is ‘Micromanaging’ That Would ‘Seize Control of Elections in Tennessee,’ Rep. Green Says

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) on Wednesday morning gave Democrats a tongue-lashing over legislation designed to force Tennessee and other states to offer voter registration the same day of elections. Green made the remarks during an Oversight and Reform Committee hearing over the Democrats’ H.R. 1 bill, “For the People Act of 2019.” The bill’s language and other information is available here. Green said the bill should be called the “Fill the Swamp Act.” He added, “It seems every year that passes more and more power is shifted away from the people and into the hands of a wealthy, elite few in Washington. These politicians and bureaucrats can’t help themselves from micromanaging more and more of our everyday lives. “From our roads and bridges, our firearms, the relationship with our doctors, our elementary schools, our farms, and even our toilets, these freedom and federalism hating politicians can’t help themselves. “And now … now you want to decide how we run our elections?” Green did not finish there. He said, “The fact remains there is no constitutional authority for the federal government to come down and seize control of elections in Tennessee. The Constitution creates a federalist system with power…

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Trump’s 2020 Democratic Rivals Pounce to Criticize State of the Union

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Democrats vying to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 election moved quickly to attack his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, saying it lacked substance and did nothing to unite the country. About 10 Democrats have already launched campaigns to challenge Trump, and a dozen more could enter the race for their party’s nomination. U.S. Senator Cory Booker, who announced his own bid last Friday, said Trump’s call for unity on Tuesday was hollow. “It takes more than a nod to unity at the top of a speech to bring our country together. Our president has spent the last 2 years trying to drive us apart,” he wrote on Twitter. “Actions speak louder than words.” Stacey Abrams, who fell just short in her bid last year to become the first African-American and first woman governor of Georgia, delivered the official Democratic response to Trump’s speech. Sponsored But many of the party’s presidential hopefuls chimed in afterward with their own critiques. “He wasn’t moving us forward and rising to the challenges of the day,” Senator Amy Klobuchar said on MSNBC. She also hinted at a likely run for president, saying she would hold a rally in Minnesota…

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Commentary: The Rise of People Who Actually Say Things

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by Karl Notturno   Over the past two weeks, Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have both announced they will run for president in 2020. These announcements and the media’s reaction to them were as predictable as the well written but vapid speeches and well produced but fluffy videos that accompanied them. We knew that Harris and Booker would jump into the race together from the moment we watched them trying to out-president each other in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room last fall. And we knew they would give impassioned sermons on progressive values, filled with empty platitudes and tired rhetorical devices. We also knew the media would hang on their every word and cover them in continuous (if manufactured) glory. Predictable narratives are predictable. So, it also shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Mika Brzezinski and the other clowns at “Morning Joe” would interrogate potential independent candidate Howard Schultz on the price of a box of Cheerios. It’s possible that they were still upset that Starbucks stopped sponsoring their show in 2013, but it’s more likely that they were trying to produce another “What is Aleppo?” moment. Even though Schultz handled himself much better than Gary…

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Fairfax Accuser Hires Law Firm That Represented Christine Blasey Ford

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by Grace Carr   A woman accusing Democratic Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault reportedly hired the attorneys who represented Christine Blasey Ford in hearings regarding allegations brought against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The woman hired Washington, D.C., law firm Katz, Marshall and Banks, National Public Radio reported Tuesday. The law firm represented Ford after she accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. The woman claims the alleged assault occurred while at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) conference in 2004. The individual did not name Fairfax, but was referring to him, according to Big League Politics, a right-wing blog, which obtained the alleged claim. “Imagine you were sexually assaulted during the DNC Convention in Boston in 2004 by a campaign staffer. You spend the next 13 years trying to forget it ever happened. Until one day you find out he’s the Democratic candidate for statewide office in a state some 3000 miles away, and he wins that election in November 2017,” reads a message by Fairfax’s alleged accuser, according to BLP. “Then, by strange, horrible luck, it seems increasingly likely that he’ll get a VERY BIG promotion.” The Daily Caller News Foundation was unable to corroborate the claim. Fairfax…

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In-Depth Analysis of Trump’s Policy Proposals in State of the Union Address

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by Daniel Davis   President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday night, and Heritage Foundation experts weighed in with analysis of the president’s policy proposals. Here’s what they had to say. Immigration Economy Law Defense & Foreign Policy Life Energy & Infrastructure Health Care Education Immigration A Call for Robust Border Security President Donald Trump’s remarks on immigration tonight reflected a commonsense, principled approach to the immigration problem that his opponents refuse to acknowledge in their obsession with opposing anything he does. Trump also made a fundamental point that his opponents refuse to recognize when he said, “We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens.” He pointed out the sharp divide that exists between the public and the Washington establishment when he said, “No issue better illustrates the divide between America’s working class and America’s political class than illegal immigration. Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards.” Referring to the impasse between the president and Congress over border security, Trump was right when he said this was a “moral” issue and that “the lawless…

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CNN Airs Video of Sherrod Brown Endorsing Positions That He Called the President ‘Racist’ for Supporting

Andrew Shirley

The man who many Democrats consider to be the best hope to defeat President Donald Trump may have more in common with him than he’d like to admit. On Monday, during CNN’s OutFront with Erin Burnett, Ohio Senator, and 2002 presidential hopeful, Sherrod Brown was shown a short montage that showed just how much the Senator’s past rhetoric has echoed President Trump’s. In 2006, while running for office, Brown released campaign ads that ended with the tagline “America First.” He also recently argued that a lack of “fair trade” was crippling to American workers. Lastly, he argued that the U.S. “has not done globalization well.” Each one of these points was juxtaposed with a statement from Trump that was almost identical to Brown’s. This poses a significant problem to the Ohio Senator. Many Democrats have aggressively argued that much of Trump’s rhetoric is a series of “dog whistles” and coded calls for racism. One of the most consistent criticisms is that one of Trump’s most prominent slogans; “America First” is steeped deeply in bigotry and nationalism. Recently, Democrats have also argued that critics of globalization, trade deals and most forms of isolationist rhetoric are inherently xenophobic, bigoted and racist. Even when Senator Bernie…

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Ilhan Omar Asks Keith Ellison to Investigate ‘Unscientific’ Ban of Trans Woman from Powerlifting Competition

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is asking Attorney General Keith Ellison for an investigation after one of her transgender constituents was barred from participating in a USA Powerlifting competition. In late January, the organization released a statement to explain its policy that prevented JayCee Cooper from partaking in one of its competitions. “Two areas of policy impact such participation: the first has to do with the use of testosterone or other androgens, commonly used to assist in transition from female to male. By virtue of the anabolic nature of these compounds, they are not allowed, nor is a Therapeutic Use Exemption granted for such use for anyone,” USA Powerlifting’s statement reads. “The second area involves the participation of male to female competitors. Through analysis the impact of maturation in the presence [of] naturally occurring androgens as the level necessary for male development, significant advantages are had, including but not limited to increased body and muscle mass, bone density, bone structure, and connective tissue,” the organization said. It is under this second policy that Cooper, a biological male, was prevented from competing as a woman in a USA Powerlifting event in Minnesota. “The IPF [International Powerlifting Federation] Medical Committee, while respecting the rights…

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Trump to Hold First Rally of 2019 in Border City of El Paso

Anthony Gockowski

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign announced Wednesday that it will be holding its first rally of 2019 in El Paso, Texas on February 11. According to the Trump campaign, the rally will mark the president’s first in El Paso and seventh in the state of Texas. “We are please to announced the Make America Great Again rally on Monday, February 11 in El Paso, Texas, featuring President Donald Trump,” said Michael Glassner, chief operating officer of Donald J. Trump for President Inc. “As the president continues his fight to secure our border, there’s no better place to demonstrate that walls work than in El Paso. President Trump looks forward to visiting with the patriots of Texas who are on the front lines of the struggle against open-border Democrats who allow drugs, crime, and sex trafficking all along our border every day,” Glassner added. During his Tuesday night State of the Union address, Trump pointed to El Paso as shining proof that his border wall would work. “The border city of El Paso, Texas, used to have extremely high rates of violent crime—one of the highest in the country, and was considered one of our nation’s most dangerous cities. Now, with…

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Virginia Attorney General Outs Himself for Wearing Blackface in College

Anthony Gockowski

Attorney General Mark Herring (D-VA) outed himself in a Wednesday morning statement by revealing that he dressed up in blackface when he was an “undergraduate in college.” “In 1980, when I was a 19-year-old undergraduate in college, some friends suggested we attend a party dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and perform a song. It sounds ridiculous even now writing it. But because of our ignorance and glib attitudes—and because we did not have an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of others—we dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup,” Herring said in a statement. Herring has freely added himself to a growing list of embattled Democrats in the state. Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) is trying to save his political career after a now-viral yearbook photo was leaked of him wearing blackface next to a person in a KKK robe. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D-VA) is fending off accusations that he forced a woman to perform oral sex on him at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. “This was a onetime occurrence and I accept full responsibility for my conduct. That conduct clearly shows that, as a young man, I had a callous…

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North Carolina Leaked Commission Email: It’s Not False to Call Police ‘Home-Grown Terrorists’

A.P. Dillon

Charlotte City Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield, who called police “home-grown terrorists,” was notified by Governor Cooper’s office on Wednesday that she is off the North Carolina’s Human Relations Commission (HRC). A short letter was sent to Mayfield from William McKinney, Cooper’s Chief Legal Counsel informing the councilwoman that her appointment was rescinded immediately so that the commission could do its work “without distraction.” “Spox for Gov. Cooper:  The Governor values law enforcement and recognizes that more must be done to build meaningful respect and understanding between law enforcement and communities,” tweeted Joe Bruno, a reporter with WSOC9. But the problems with Roy Cooper’s appointments to the HRC aren’t ending with Mayfield. In an email leaked exclusively to Battleground State News, a member of North Carolina’s HRC says that fellow Commissioner LaWana Mayfield isn’t wrong to call police “home-grown terrorists.” The HRC is tasked by state statute with the promotion of “understanding, respect, and goodwill among all citizens.” The email discusses calls for Governor Cooper to reconsider LaWana Mayfield’s appointment to the HRC due to her past comments where she called police officers “home-grown terrorists.” The calls for Mayfield’s removal are “partisan-bullying attack for a statement that no one is calling false regarding…

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North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District Still Undecided, Hearing Set for February 19

A.P. Dillon

New members of the North Carolina State Board of Elections are now in place, but the state’s 9th Congressional District winner has still not been made official. A winner may be named soon, as the newly appointed North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) members announced they will hold a hearing on the 9th Congressional issue on Monday, February 18th. The new NCSBE members, which were confirmed by the state legislature, are Stella Anderson (D), David Black (R), Jeff Carmon III (D), Bob Cordle (D), and Ken Raymond (R). The NC Republican Party had originally put forth the names of Colonel Francis Deluca, Eldon ‘Buck’ Newton III, Stacy Eggers IV, and Edwin Woodhouse, Jr. Governor Cooper said that two of the NC GOP’s picks, Deluca and Newton, needed to be disqualified due to engaging in electioneering within a 48-month window of their nomination. Governor Cooper’s original list included Democrats Greg Flynn and Valerie Johnson. Both were disqualified for the same reason Cooper had used to removed two Republican candidates – electioneering. Democrats Bill Bell and Jeff Carmon replaced Flynn and Johnson. NEW: Yesterday NCDP was notified two of their nominees are not eligible to serve on the new NCSBE– Valerie…

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Report: Nashville Schools Director Shawn Joseph Gave Favored Company No-Bid Contract

Chris Butler

A software company got a no-bid $1.8 million contract, courtesy of the Metro Nashville Public Schools and, more specifically, Director of Schools Shawn Joseph, according to NewsChannel 5 of Nashville. Joseph, according to the report, had already done business with this company, the Utah-based Performance Matters, in the past. In doing so, the school system violated state purchasing laws, according to NewsChannel 5. “Our exclusive investigation also uncovered evidence that, in doing so, Joseph and his team repeatedly misled members of the Metro School Board about key aspects of the deals,” the station went on to say. Metro Schools told NewsChannel 5 they made mistakes “in good faith.” Performance Matters markets student assessment software. The goal is to allow educators to track student progress and professional development software to monitor training that teachers must complete, the station said. “Joseph, who took control over the Nashville school system in July 2016, had appeared in a slickly produced video that touted how Performance Matters’ student assessment software had been utilized in his previous job in Prince George’s County, Maryland,” NewsChannel 5 reported. “A complimentary quote from Joseph was included in the company’s promotions. He had even been the keynote speaker at a Performance Matters…

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Two Proposed Amendments to the Tennessee Constitution Passed the First Hurdle in the Senate

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Two proposed amendments to the Constitution of The State of Tennessee easily passed the first hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday. The Senate State and Local Government Committee voted to advance two resolutions, which is the initial step in the Constitutional Amendment process, SJR0001 by Senator Ken Yager (R-Kingston) and SJR0003 by Senator Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains). Senator Yager’s resolution will amend Article VI, Section 5 of the Tennessee Constitution such that the selection of the State’s Attorney General and Reporter would be nominated by the Supreme Court and confirmed by the General Assembly. As currently provided for in the State Constitution, the Attorney General and Reporter is appointed by the judges of the Supreme Court. As Senator Yager explained to the Committee, his Amendment would provide more transparency by having the Attorney General and Reporter nominated by the Supreme Court in an open court with a recorded vote. Following the Supreme Court’s nomination, the Tennessee General Assembly would have 60 days to confirm. The confirmation must be in both the Senate and the House, separately and with a majority vote. In the event, the General Assembly is not in session when a nomination is made, the…

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Commentary: Nine Big Questions To Ask the Democratic Socialist in Your Life

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by Hunter Baker   Democratic socialism is hot in the United States right now. Both the American media and young people seem to be enamored of the thought of steeply progressive, redistributive tax rates designed to achieve some vision of justice. As with most public policy ideas, we tend to get pretty far down the road before we ask basic questions related to the project. In other words, we imagine a result that appeals to us before we’ve really considered whether other effects are likely and whether the proposal is morally right in the first place. Accordingly, I encourage anyone thinking about democratic socialism to ask the following questions: 1. What is the moral basis for taxing some incomes at higher rates than others? 2. Do we imagine that incomes are entirely the result of some random process? While John Rawls makes an argument along those lines — essentially, that no one really deserves their money because they didn’t control the family they were born into, their genes, etc. — there is a reasonable argument to be made that many people with such advantages seem to fail, while others who lack those advantages seem to succeed. In other words, attributes…

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Ginsburg Makes First Public Appearance Since Cancer Surgery

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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made her first public appearance since undergoing lung cancer surgery, attending a concert in her honor given by her daughter-in-law and other musicians. Ginsburg, 85, had surgery in New York on Dec. 21. She missed arguments at the court in January, her first illness-related absence in more than 25 years as a justice, and has been recuperating at her home in Washington. On Monday night, Ginsburg attended a concert at a museum a few blocks from the White House. It was given by Patrice Michaels, who is married to Ginsburg’s son, James. Michaels is a soprano and composer. The concert was dedicated to Ginsburg’s life in the law. The justice sat in the back of the darkened auditorium at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The National Constitution Center, which sponsored the concert, did not permit photography. The performance concluded with a song set to Ginsburg’s answers to questions. In introducing the last song, Michaels said, “bring our show to a close, but not the epic and notorious story of RBG.” Ginsburg had two previous bouts with cancer. She had colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009. James Ginsburg said…

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Commentary: A Liberty Movement Is Growing in Putin’s Russia

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by Lawrence W. Reed   Except for a fishing trip to northern Canada in the 1960s, my first visit to a foreign country was to the old Soviet Union in March 1985. It was the month in which Soviet leadership passed from the aging old guard of communist hardliners into the hands of a younger and less rigid generation personified by Mikhail Gorbachev. Almost immediately, life loosened up. The Fall of Communism Between 1985 and 1991, I traveled four more times to the USSR. On my fifth visit, two weeks before the August 1991 failed coup against Gorbachev, I stopped in Kiev, Ukraine, and participated in a mass demonstration for Ukrainian independence from the Evil Empire. Other former satellites from Poland to Romania had already liberated themselves, and in December 1991, the USSR itself ceased to exist. Ukraine and 14 other constituent parts of the USSR became independent nations again. Those were heady days. Transformative ideas, circumstances, and personalities—the three elements that must be aligned to produce big changes—assembled in an extraordinary constellation. It yielded the most explosive geopolitical alterations of my lifetime. As a person whose first appreciation of liberty sprung from a teenage aversion to communist tyranny, witnessing…

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Sexual Assault Accusation Against Virginia Lt. Gov. Draws Comparison to Kavanaugh Claims

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by Peter Hasson   The uncorroborated sexual assault allegation against Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat, has drawn comparisons to the uncorroborated allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Fairfax issued a statement early Monday morning disputing a report by the right-wing blog Big League Politics, which linked Fairfax to an accusation of sexual assault at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Fairfax said at a press conference Monday that he had a consensual encounter with the woman, but denied that he sexually assaulted her. Fairfax is poised to succeed embattled Gov. Ralph Northam if the Virginia Democrat resigns over a racist photo on his yearbook page that showed a man wearing blackface and another wearing a Klu Klux Klan robe. Northam first admitted to being one of the people in the photo, before backtracking and saying he wore blackface on a different occasion, but not in the photo. The Washington Post reported on Monday that it had been aware of the allegation against Fairfax for over a year, but was unable to corroborate it. Fairfax “incorrectly” claimed the Post declined to publish the claim because it found “red flags” regarding the woman’s story, according to the paper. “Fairfax and…

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Dr. Carol M. Swain Commentary: Progressives’ Duplicitous Use of Abortion Activism to ‘Cull’ the Black Population

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by Dr. Carol M. Swain   Do black lives matter to progressives? The most obvious answer is “No.” The lives of marginalized populations have never mattered to progressives. A hint about how progressive elites think and operate is found in Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 2009 interview with The New York Times. When asked about the Roe v. Wade ruling and the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal dollars for abortion, Ginsburg casually said: “Frankly, I had thought that, at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth, and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion.” This Ginsburg quote about Roe v. Wade was as startling as her recommendation that the age of consent for children having sex with adults should be lowered to 12. Ginsburg’s attitude toward undesirables brings to mind the proclamation of the governing pigs in “Animal Farm”: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Feminists Have Duped Black Women Black women stood and celebrated with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo when he recently signed one of the most liberal…

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Federal District Judges Have Blocked Trump Actions 30 Times, a Record Rate

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by Fred Lucas   Federal district judges who preside over a portion of a single state have been able to block President Donald Trump’s actions 30 times through nationwide injunctions—far more than any other administration in history, according to the Justice Department. The trend has prompted the Trump administration’s Justice Department to seek an end to nationwide injunctions, following a similar argument made by the Obama administration. “The core problem, in other words, is not so much the geographic scope of the injunction, but its reach far beyond the confines of the case or controversy before the court,” Beth Williams, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy, said Monday at a forum at The Heritage Foundation. “Injunctive relief should be no broader than necessary to provide complete relief to the party,” Williams said. Judges on the lower federal courts issued injunctions against Trump administration policies providing extreme vetting of immigrants from countries deemed to be failed states; denying funding to sanctuary cities that won’t cooperate with federal law enforcement on immigration law; and tightening the asylum process for illegal immigrants, among other issues. Lower courts issued these injunctions far in excess of previous administrations, according to…

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Progressive Nonprofit Refuses to Say If It Fired DC Antifa Leader

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by Andrew Kerr   The progressive nonprofit that employed Washington, D.C. Antifa leader Joseph “Jose” Alcoff is refusing to say whether he was fired following his arrest in connection to a mob attack against two Marines in November who were mistaken for being members of a white supremacist group. One of the victims identified Alcoff, also known as “Chepe,” as the man who “punched him several times about his face, and called him a ‘wet back,’” according to an affidavit filed in Alcoff’s case. Alcoff faces 17 charges, including multiple counts of aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation and terroristic threats. The Daily Caller News Foundation unmasked Alcoff in a Dec. 19 report as an organizer of Smash Racism DC, the Antifa group responsible for mobbing Fox News host and DCNF co-founder Tucker Carlson’s house in November. The report was an integral factor leading to Alcoff’s arrest, according to the affidavit. Carter Dougherty, the communications director for Americans for Financial Reform (AFR), the nonprofit organization where Alcoff worked as a campaign organizer and rubbed shoulders with high-profile Democratic lawmakers, told TheDCNF on Tuesday that “as of December, Mr. Alcoff no longer works for AFR.” Thank you @MaxineWaters for standing up for @CFPB…

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Democrat Senator Patty Murray Blocks Infanticide Ban

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by Katrina Trinko   Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., blocked Monday night Republican Sen. Ben Sasse’s push to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act by unanimous consent. “We’re actually talking about babies that have been born,” Sasse, who represents Nebraska, said in a Senate floor speech Monday. “The only debate on the floor tonight is about infanticide.” The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act states that “If an abortion results in the live birth of an infant, the infant is a legal person for all purposes under the laws of the United States, and entitled to all the protections of such laws” and would require health care professionals to care for the child and take the child to a hospital. “We have laws against infanticide in this country. This is a gross misinterpretation of the actual language of the bill that is being asked to be considered and therefore, I object,” said Murray, per The Hill. When speaking about the need for legislation, Sasse mentioned Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia, who is now under fire following the discovery of his medical school yearbook page including a picture featuring two men, one in blackface and one in a Ku Klux Klan costume. Northam suggested…

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Elizabeth Warren Has Been Caught Calling Herself ‘American Indian’ Again

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by Chuck Ross   As a young lawyer in the 1980s, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren described herself as “American Indian” on a registration form for the State Bar of Texas, even though the 2020 presidential hopeful has scant Native American ancestry. The Washington Post obtained a form that Warren filled out in April 1986 for a legal license in Texas which showed that the Democrat signed the form and, in her own handwriting, wrote that she was “American Indian.” Warren was working at the time for the University of Texas law school in Austin. “She is sorry that she was not more mindful of this earlier in her career,” Kristin Orthman, a spokeswoman for Warren’s campaign, told The Post. The newspaper buried the lede of the story, which is headlined “Elizabeth Warren apologizes for calling herself Native American.” Warren, who was born in Oklahoma, has been plagued by revelations that she falsely claimed minority and Native American status throughout her professional career. When Warren began working at Harvard University in 1995, she approved being listed as Native American. The Ivy League school included Warren in its tally of minority faculty from 1995 through 2004, The Post notes. Warren, who has…

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Scott DesJarlais, Marsha Blackburn, Voice Support for Donald Trump After State of the Union

Chris Butler

U.S. Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District said Tuesday night that he supported the remarks U.S. Republican President Donald Trump made at this year’s State of the Union. DesJarlais attended the president’s speech, delivered Tuesday. DesJarlais, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement in support of conservative economic policies, stronger border security and other elements of Trump’s speech: “More than 90 percent of the media coverage of President Trump is negative, despite our successful work to rejuvenate the economy, which has produced fantastic jobs reports recently. This State of the Union Address was an opportunity for him to address the American people directly, although millions, especially in Tennessee, are experiencing for themselves the power of conservative policies placing middle-class families and small businesses first,” DesJarlais said. “Lower taxes, lighter regulation, and energy independence have helped to create a surging manufacturing sector, rising wages and economic growth, which the prior Administration claimed would never return.” Trump is “also returning the U.S. military to its dominant status, necessary to defend the United States against foreign adversaries, including Mexican cartels,” DesJarlais said. DesJarlais said he, like Trump, is…

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Gavin McInnes Sues SPLC for Defamation Over Hate Group Label

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Gavin McInnes

by Grace Carr   Political commentator and writer Gavin McInnes filed a Monday lawsuit against a group dedicated to combating intolerance, alleging that its actions have contributed to his loss of employment and slandering on social media. McInnes sued the U.S. Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for its label of the Proud Boys as a hate group. The Proud Boys is made up of “western chauvinists who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world,” according to its website. SPLC lists the Proud Boys’ ideology as “general hate,” describing the group as a white nationalist organization known for anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric. McInnes equates the description with defamation. He is a Vice Media co-founder and founded the Proud Boys in 2016. The Proud Boys allows and has members from multiple races. SPLC “combats hate, intolerance, and discrimination through education and litigation,” according to its Twitter handle. It was founded in 1971. McInnes filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Reuters reported. “They [SPLC] have harassed me, my family, and my friends to a level of tortious interference that goes well into sabotage,” McInnes said in a statement, according to Reuters. “I am doing…

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New Private School to Open in Chattanooga

Chris Butler

This fall, Chattanooga Christian School and Olivet Baptist are scheduled to launch a new private school that will cater to students in kindergarten through the fifth grades, according to The Chattanooga Times Free Press. According to the paper, officials will call it the King School, and they will have it on church grounds, the paper said. This, the paper said, is “a new education option for students in the city’s worst-performing schools.” “The venture, leaders say, is meant to provide more quality education options to students for whom a private school education is unattainable and to increase educational equity in Chattanooga,” according to The Times Free Press. Chad Dirkse, president of Chattanooga Christian School, told the paper that “families desire educational equity and that the more options they have, the better off they are.” The school’s tuition is $6,500 per year and is designed so low-income families may more easily access the school, according to The Times Free Press. The school will start year one with two classes of 12 students each, for kindergarten and another for the first-grade, the paper said. The school plans “small class sizes, low student-to-faculty ratios, engaging curriculum and extracurricular opportunities,” according to The Chattanooga…

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Community Oversight Now Tries to Frighten Athletes Away from Tennessee

Chris Butler

Members of the group Community Oversight Now say they have an unorthodox way to keep state legislators from tinkering with Tennessee’s community oversight boards. Those boards, of course, exist, to monitor police. Members of the Tennessee General Assembly want to place guardrails on those boards, which some people say have too much authority and might exist to retaliate against police. Community Oversight Now, not surprisingly, is suiting up for battle. The group’s strategy — discourage as many talented high school athletes as possible from eventually playing sports at Tennessee’s colleges and universities. This, according to a press release members of the organization released Tuesday on their Facebook page. The campaign will target the top-ranked football and basketball high school athletes in the classes of 2020 and 2021. This includes the top 300 football players and top 100 basketball players in the country that rank in recruitment sites such as ESPN 300 and Rivals.com. They also include first and second team all-state athletes in Tennessee and other Mid-South states, the press release said. “The withdrawal of support means we are making a vigorous effort to steer these athletes away from Tennessee institutions and to accept athletic scholarships elsewhere,” according to the press…

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The Tennessee Star Report Discusses Legislation to Put Guardrails on Community Oversight Boards with Special Guest State Rep. Mike Curcio

Julie Carr

On Tuesday’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 – Gill and Leahy talked about the current oversight boards and the need for ‘guard rails’ to prevent mismanagement by unelected officials that may wield political power fueled by an axe to grind. The three men went into more detail towards the end of the segment touching upon the importance of police officers maintaining the same rights as citizens who are entitled the element of due process… “innocent until proven guilty.” Gill: Michael Curcio is a state representative. He’s a chairman of the judiciary committee of the state house and he and his fellow legislators are trying to put some guard rails on this new community oversight board process that the city of Nashville is trying to impose. And Representative Curcio good to have you with us my friend! Curcio: Hey glad to be here this morning. Thanks for having me. Gill: You know, we are already seeing a lot of reports of police officers in Nashville deciding that they are going to retire if they’re at a certain age or…

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Line 3 Protesters Arrested for Putting People’s Lives ‘at Risk’ After Turning Off Enbridge Pipeline

Anthony Gockowski

A group of four protesters seemingly affiliated with the Catholic Workers Movement were arrested Monday after video showed them disabling an Enbridge pipeline in northern Minnesota. The protesters, calling themselves “Four Necessity Valve Turners,” say they were left with no choice but to take “direct action” in the ongoing fight over reconstructing Enbridge’s aging Line 3 pipeline. In a live-stream of their demonstration, the protesters claim that they “succeeded in shutting down Enbridge Line 4.” Enbridge wouldn’t confirm whether or not this is true in a statement to Duluth News-Tribune, but video of the incident clearly shows the protesters using wrenches to tamper with a pipeline in a fenced-off area. “We’re back on. We heard some sirens but they weren’t for us. We’re going to keep trying to get this thing off,” one of the protesters says in the video while another asks if it seems “too dangerous to wedge something in here.” Duluth News-Tribune reported that the four were ultimately arrested and an Enbridge spokeswoman later said that the company supports “the prosecution of all those involved.” “The recent scientific study on climate change presented to the UN indicates that the threat of irreversible damage and destruction to our…

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State Representative Bruce Griffey Makes Official Statement On Congressman Steve Cohen’s Boycott of State of The Union Address

Laura Baigert

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — On Tuesday, newly-elected State Representative Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) made an official statement to The Tennessee Star in response to Democrat U.S. Representative Steve Cohen’s (TN-09) boycott of President Trump’s State of the Union address scheduled for that evening. As reported by several news outlets on Monday, Cohen was the third Democrat to make such an announcement, telling The Hill, “I will not attend the State of the Union once again this year.” Cohen continued, “I’ll come to the House Chamber for the State of the Union the next time I can hear from a president who will tell the truth about the State of the Union.” In response to Cohen’s boycott announcement, Griffey told The Star, “I’m thrilled, elated, excited and happy for all Tennesseans, because I think Steve Cohen would be an embarrassment to Tennessee.” Not only did he boycott President Trump’s State of the Union address last year, but in November 2017 Cohen filed articles of impeachment against President Trump. Griffey is a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. His conclusion about Cohen, “He’s an embarrassment currently for Tennesseans.” — Laura Baigert is a senior reporter with The Tennessee Star.        …

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Ilhan Omar’s State of the Union Guest Says Trump Should be ‘Ashamed of Himself’

Anthony Gockowski

Every member of Congress gets one guest ticket for the annual State of the Union address, and it’s often used to score quick political points. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), for instance, invited Linda Clark, an immigrant from Liberia who is at risk of deportation because of President Donald Trump’s decision to terminate the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program. “Clark came to the United States in 2000, after fleeing Civil War in her home country of Liberia,” a press release from Omar’s office explains. “As a result of Trump’s decision, thousands of Liberian Americans could be removed from the U.S. at the end of March if DED is not renewed. Minnesota is home to the largest community of Liberian Americans of any state in the nation.” Omar said that Clark is “exactly the type of Americans success story we should celebrate,” calling her “someone who came to this country seeking a better life, played by the rules, and built a life for herself.” “I am pleased to have her join me at the State of the Union and urge the Trump Administration to renew DED status for Liberian Americans,” Omar said. “The president himself has expressed open hatred towards people fleeing…

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Trump in State of the Union Address: ‘We Must Choose Between Greatness and Gridlock’

Anthony Gockowski

President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union address Tuesday night in front of a bitterly divided Congress. His address touched on a number of sensitive issues, including the southern border wall, and the recent pro-abortion legislation passed in New York. He began, however, with a call for unity, urging Congress to “govern not as two parties, but as one nation.” “The agenda I’m laying out this evening is not a Republican agenda, or a Democrat agenda. It’s the agenda of the American people,” Trump said. “Victory is not winning for our party. Victory is winning for our country.” Trump called illegal immigration a “moral issue,” saying the “lawless state of our southern border is a threat to the safety, security, and financial well-being of all Americans.” “We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens. This includes our obligation to the millions of immigrants living here today who follow the rules and respected our laws. Legal immigrants enrich our nation and strengthen our society in countless ways,” Trump said. He went on to claim that the issue of illegal immigration “illustrates the divide between America’s working class…

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Gov. Bill Lee Hikes Salaries for ‘Lowest’ Paid Cabinet Members to Minimum of $161,905

Jason M. Reynolds

Working as a Cabinet member for new Gov. Bill Lee has its perks – 15 of the department heads are getting raises, the Associated Press reports. AP reporter Kimberlee Kruesi on Monday tweeted, “Lee gives some pay raises to cabinet members #tnpol”. Lee gives some pay raises to cabinet members #tnpol https://t.co/Mnt4uvkTDd — Kimberlee Kruesi (@kkruesi) February 4, 2019 It may be some slight consolation that the top eight paid Cabinet members are not getting a salary bump. Gabe Roberts, the TennCare commissioner, is at the top of the list at $300,000 per year, where he will stay. Other top paid officials include the education and finance heads, the AP said. The story is here. However, the other 15 Cabinet members will be paid $161,905 annually, an increase from the administration of former Gov. Bill Haslam. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill questioned the size of the Cabinet members’ pay raises. “It appears that many of Governor Lee’s political appointees are receiving the biggest paychecks they have ever received in their lives, plus significant benefits that most taxpayers are not provided,” Gill said. “Hopefully they will all prove themselves to be worth it, but the big salaries these officials are…

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Tennessee Star Report EXCLUSIVE: Virginia State Senator Bryce Reeves Talks Northam Black Face Scandal and Abortion Bill

Julie Carr

On Wednesday’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 duo spoke with Virginia State Senator Bryce Reeves regarding the current state of affairs surrounding Governor Ralph Northam’s “racist” yearbook photos and his most recent “awkward” press conference. As the conversation deepened, the men also touched upon the current abortion bill and how the Republican’s may have a political advantage due to the extreme nature of the bill which is technically pushing infanticide and genocide. Gill: Bryce Reeves is a state Senator from Virginia he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor. Nearly lost that race in a three person race as Jill Vogel went on to lose to Justin Fairfax who now is apparently under some scrutiny himself as he may poised to take over the governor’s office in Virginia. And Bryce good to have you with us! Reeves: Steve and Michael, great to be with you. And looking forward to another crazy day down here in the General Assembly. Gill: When I first called you it was to talk about this whole infanticide bill…

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TBI Agents Arrest Former Vanderbilt Nurse, Charge Her with Reckless Homicide of Patient

Chris Butler

Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Monday they had arrested a registered nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and charged her with patient abuse and reckless homicide in December 2017. As The Tennessee Star reported last year, a Vanderbilt nurse administered a paralyzing anesthetic to a patient by mistake this same month. The patient later died. TBI Agents put out a press release Monday saying that they began investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Charlene Murphey, 75 at the time she died. “On December 26, 2017, Mrs. Murphey was a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Radonda Vaught was a registered nurse who was part of the team providing treatment,” according to the press release. “During the course of the investigation, Agents determined that the actions taken by Radonda Vaught were responsible for the abuse of Mrs. Murphey, and her ultimate death. Vaught is no longer an employee of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.” The Davidson County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Vaught, 35, with one count of impaired adult abuse and one count of reckless homicide. Vaught was arrested Monday and booked into the Davidson County Jail on a $50,000 bond. Medical malpractice A Nashville medical malpractice…

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Despite Current Tariffs, the US Can Expect a Trade Deficit of $410 Billion with China

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Donald Trump, Xi Jinping

by Robert Romano   Last month, China reported growth of its economy in 2018 at 6.6 percent, the lowest in 28 years. The slowdown is real enough but whether it results in a grand trade deal by the U.S. and China may depend on how much pain China is really feeling at the moment. Is Beijing feeling the pinch? Currently, the U.S. is levying 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods shipped to the U.S. that came atop a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods from China. While the talks were ongoing, Trump gave China a 90-day reprieve from the 10 percent tariff also rising to 25 percent, which was supposed to happen at the beginning of the year. That’s the U.S. leverage. If the U.S. and China do not reach an agreement, then the tariff will more than double. On the other hand, 2017 set a record for the trade deficit in goods with China at $377 billion according to the Census Bureau. 2018 will be even worse. Excluding November and December data not yet available for 2018, the goods trade deficit from Jan. 2017 to Oct. 2017 was $309.3 billion. For Jan. 2018 to Oct. 2018, it…

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OFF THE RECORD: Lee Administration Waves the White Flag?

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Governor Bill Lee’s Legislative Director Brent Easley has advised Tennessee legislators that the Administration will abandon the practice of previous Governor’s in “flagging” bills they didn’t like. In a letter dated February 1, Easley advised legislators that: “In the past, you have received “flag letters” from the Governor’s Office or departments when they have noted an issue, concern or opposition to legislation that has been filed. This transparency is critical, but we believe there is a more effective way to communicate these positions.” Under the new Lee Administration policy, a representative of the Governor’s Office (or a state department or agency) will personally contact Legislators individually to express “opposition or concern” about a particular bill. If the Legislator cannot be reached, then the Administration will seek to contact them by phone or email. The Administration will then provide a weekly list of bills that have been “flagged” to House and Senate leadership that will be available to Legislators (and presumably the public) in their offices. Speaker Glen Casada has expressed his opposition to Governors “flagging” bills in the past, and sees it as an interference in the legislative process and encroachment on the powers of the Legislative Branch of government.…

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Biography Reveals New Details Of Roberts’ Obamacare Vote

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by Kevin Daley   A forthcoming biography of Chief Justice John Roberts contains the first account of the Supreme Court’s internal politicking over the 2012 NFIB v. Sebelius decision, in which Roberts joined with the Court’s four liberals to uphold the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. A review of the much anticipated book — the first major Roberts biography — will appear in the March edition of the Atlantic, which disseminates new details of the chief’s scheming in advance of the book’s release. The book relates that in the weeks following the March 2012 arguments, Roberts voted with the conservative bloc to strike down the individual mandate, finding Congress had exceeded its power under the commerce clause by compelling people to buy insurance. Roberts elected to keep the majority opinion for himself — one of the few formal powers of the chief justice is the duty to assign opinions. As time progressed, Roberts grew uneasy and sought a third way. Initially, he hoped Justice Anthony Kennedy — the vaunted swing justice who had negotiated compromise decisions in seminal cases before — would be amenable to such negotiations. Whatever his reputation, Kennedy was not a moderate but an idiosyncratic ideologue, and he was convinced the ACA was unconstitutional.…

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New PAC to Honor Legacy of Late State Rep. Charles Sargent of Williamson County

Jason M. Reynolds
State Rep Charles Sargent

The late State Rep. Charles Sargent’s legacy will be kept alive through the creation of a political action committee. The Franklin Republican died of cancer last November at the age of 73. The former House Finance, Ways and Means Committee chairman had announced that fall he would not seek re-election after two decades of service. Now, the Sargent Legacy Fund has been formed by his friends to continue his service to the community and the legislature, the Williamson Herald reports. The Sargent Legacy Fund held a kickoff breakfast last Saturday at Columbia State Community College’s Franklin campus – inside the Charles M. Sargent Building. According to the Herald: The PAC reflects Sargent’s prior focus on three things: limited government, excellent education and fiscal conservatism. The Sargent Legacy Fund was “created to support local candidates who embody Charles Sargent’s character and share his political philosophy of lower taxes, limited government and support for education.” Founders of the PAC include Erin Westrich, Sargent’s previous campaign manager and lifelong family friend; friends Helen and (attorney) Jeff Moseley; Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson; and Sargent’s wife, Nancy. Anderson will serve as treasurer of the PAC. Two Williamson County Republicans shared their thoughts about Sargent with…

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Ocasio-Cortez Names Her State Of The Union Guest

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by Molly Prince   Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed on Monday that she will be bringing the left-wing activist who notably cornered and shouted down former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake in an elevator as her guest to the State of the Union. “I’m proud to announce that my #StateOfTheUnion guest will be [Ana Maria Archila],” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “Ana Maria is the NY14-er who famously jumped into the elevator with Sen. Flake to elevate the stories of survivors everywhere.” I’m proud to announce that my #StateOfTheUnion guest will be @AnaMariaArchil2. Ana Maria is the NY14-er who famously jumped into the elevator with Sen. Flake to elevate the stories of survivors everywhere. She‘s living proof that the courage within all of us can change the 🌎. https://t.co/OLSeNbP4Z2 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2019 “She’s living proof that the courage within all of us can chance the [world],” Ocasio-Cortez continued. Archila is a co-executive director for the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD), a left-wing advocacy group that promotes progressive politics. The Open Society Foundation, which was founded and funded by George Soros, is one of CPD’s largest funders, giving millions to the organization over the past few years. CPD rose to prominence…

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Trump To Announce 10-Year Plan To Fight HIV During State Of The Union: Report

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by Evie Fordham   President Donald Trump will announce a 10-year plan to fight HIV in the U.S. during his State of the Union speech Tuesday, according to four unnamed sources cited by Politico. The Trump administration’s strategy would “target the U.S. communities with the most HIV infections and work to reduce transmissions by 2030,” reported Politico Monday. Because of modern medicine, an HIV/AIDS diagnosis is no longer a death sentence, but the epidemic still affects roughly 40,000 new patients each year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. Trump’s reported announcement may seem out of the blue, but it is not that surprising given that the CDC’s relatively new director, Robert Redfield, had an extensive career researching HIV/AIDS, reported Politico. Redfield took over the CDC in March 2018 and has predicted the HIV/AIDS epidemic could be over by 2025. “Ending the AIDS epidemic in America? It’s possible. I think it could be done in the next three to seven years, if we put our mind to it,” Redfield said at a CDC staff meeting on his second day at the agency in 2018, reported STAT News. The 10-year HIV plan has a lofty goal: stopping all new infections within the…

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