Tag: 2020

Amidst Rocky Campaign Rollout, 2020 Hopeful Beto O’Rourke Comes to Cleveland

Andrew Shirley

Monday, 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke made his first appearance in the Buckeye State. It’s safe to say that former Congressman was hoping the visit could shake off what has been somewhat of a mixed campaign rollout. The Republican National Committee (RNC) Spokesperson Mandi Merritt was quick to note that: It’s been a rough few days for 2020 candidate Beto O’Rourke. From his campaign turning into an apology tour less than 48 hours after announcing, to flip-flopping on the issues and his past GOP ties, O’Rourke is going to have a tough time living up to his party’s litmus tests and convincing the progressive base that he should be their nominee. While the RNC has made their feelings about Beto’s presidential campaign clear, the onetime Senate candidate has now earned bipartisan criticism. Within the first few days of announcing his campaign, Beto committed a litany of gaffes, political faux pas, and some minor scandals. His campaign announcement, coinciding with what was intended to be a glowing Vanity Fair cover story about his intent to run. He stated “I’m just born to be in it,” which was met with widespread criticism from progressive opinion leaders, accusing him of abusing his “privilege.” Many criticized the media for sexist coverage, as he received a far more positive media…

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Klobuchar Campaigns Across Iowa: ‘Everyone Has to Clap for That’

Anthony Gockowski

2020 Democratic contenders descended upon Iowa over the weekend, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who made stops in Dubuque, Waterloo, and Independence. “I followed the Mississippi River down from our snowy announcement and ended up in Dubuque! Great conversations with Iowans who are looking forward to 2020,” the Minnesota senator wrote on Twitter. I followed the Mississippi River down from our snowy announcement and ended up in Dubuque! Great conversations with Iowans who are looking forward to 2020. pic.twitter.com/ut8V71DnKW — Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) March 16, 2019 Politico’s Elena Schneider was on the ground following Klobuchar across the state and reported on a humorous gaffe Klobuchar made while visiting Dubuque. “Everyone has to clap for that,” Klobuchar told a crowd gathered for the campaign stop, immediately prompting comparisons on Twitter to Jeb Bush’s infamous “please clap” moment. Klobuchar started the day by stumping for Eric Giddens, the Democratic candidate in a Tuesday State Senate special election who was also joined by Democrat Beto O’Rourke Saturday. .@amyklobuchar in Waterloo for canvass launch for Eric Giddens, State Senate special election candidate. pic.twitter.com/5DUraIogRs — Elena Schneider (@ec_schneider) March 16, 2019 During a stop at a Pizza Ranch in Independence, Klobuchar was asked about the…

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Announces Plan for 30 New Drug Courts to Combat Opioid Epidemic

Andrew Shirley

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine unveiled the latest aspect of his plan Tuesday to fight opioid addiction by creating more specialty courts statewide. The plan is the latest announced component of his upcoming budget proposal for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.  If approved, it would allocate $2.5 million in 2020 for the creation of “15 specialty dockets” as well as an additional $5 million in 2020 to “support the newly created specialty dockets and fund an additional 15.” Governor DeWine said of the courts: Specialty dockets give judges the flexibility necessary when they encounter someone in the court system who is may benefit more from treatment for substance use disorder rather than serving jail time,…These specialty courts are a proven way to hold those with substance use disorder accountable and ensure participation in mental health and addiction treatment. According to the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, Specialty Courts, often referred to as “Drug Courts,” “specialize in the adjudication and treatment of offenders who use drugs.”  Judges across the state found that they were seeing the same individuals again and again for drug-related offenses. These courts were designed to more effectively address the issues relating to these individuals. The only offenders eligible for these courts are those who have been…

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Ohio Republicans Fight for Current Congressional Map

Andrew Shirley

A week into a trial that will determine if the Ohio congressional districts will be redrawn before the 2020 presidential election,  Ohio Republicans have the opportunity to defend their map. Monday, attorneys representing the Ohio Republicans began calling witnesses to testify that the current congressional map of Ohio was made in good faith and was not gerrymandered. The case, Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute v. Householder was filed on May 23rd, 2018. Per the Brennan Center: The Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, and a group of Ohio residents filed suit contenting Ohio’s 2011 congressional map is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander that violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment and Article I of the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs argue the map was intentionally designed to give Republicans an 12-4 advantage and entrench their power over the course of the decade. This skewed partisan advantage, the suit argues, prevents large segments of Ohio’s voters from having their votes meaningfully reflected in their congressional delegation. In the suit, the referred to the current map as “the most egregious gerrymanders in recent history.” The current district map was drawn by the Republican party in 2011, the majority party at the…

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What Sherrod Brown Refusing to Run Means for 2020 and the Future of Ohio

Andrew Shirley

Ohio’s only potential 2020 contender announced Thursday that he wouldn’t run for president. After taking a three-month tour of key battleground states, dubbed the “Dignity of Work” Tour, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown’s decision shocked many who saw him as one of the best chances to defeat President Trump. No one can say for certain why he chose not to run, but a great deal can be said about what his not running means. As previously reported, Sherrod Brown’s entire campaign strategy revolved around him being able to harmonize a message that would appeal to the blue-collar working class that turned away from Democrats in 2016, with the recent Democratic-Socialist philosophy that currently dominates that 2020 Democratic political conversation. His plan was to reach out to blue-collar workers across America and declared; “dignity of work means hard work should pay off for everyone, no matter who you are or what kind of work you do.” That having a job wasn’t enough; one must have security and prosperity. From here, he inferred that he would tack into Democratic-socialist programs like major healthcare expansions, free college tuition, and a $15 minimum wage. This would give him a cross-base advantage as he would be able to appeal to…

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Klobuchar Regrets Lack of ‘Due Process’ in Al Franken Controversy

Anthony Gockowski

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reflected back on her handling of the sexual harassment allegations against her ex-Senate colleague, Al Franken. Klobuchar, now a presidential candidate, said it “really wasn’t that close a call” when she decided not to speak out against Franken, unlike many of her female colleagues. “We had long talks during that time period, including that day. And I always believed—maybe naively, given what happened—that it would go through the ethics committee. I still believe that was the right thing,” she said. “For some of these things, there should be due process, and I felt like this was one of them.” The three-term Minnesota senator also opened up on her viral exchange with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings, which many now describe as her ticket to the spotlight. “I really just wanted to get him on the record and answer the question, as opposed to just rage,” Klobuchar said, referencing when she asked Kavanaugh if he’d ever blacked out while drinking. “The click that went on in my mind was, ‘I am not going down there with you. I am going to take the keys away from…

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DeWine Breaks from Republicans on Gas Tax

Andrew Shirley

COLUMBUS, Ohio–In Tuesday’s State of the State Address, Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine made it very clear he would not back down on the 18 cent gas tax, leaving many state Republicans in a complicated position. In his Address, DeWine made it clear that, not only was the gas tax absolutely necessary but that an 18 cent per gallon increase (generating an additional $1.2 billion per year) was also the bare minimum necessary to address the needs of the state. “Our local jurisdictions and the state have a combined shortfall this year and for years into the future of at least $1.2 billion dollars per year. It will take this much additional revenue just for us to maintain our roads in their current condition and do only a modest amount of new work,” DeWine said. “Members of the General Assembly, by requesting $1.2 billion dollars to fill the budget hole and meet existing needs, let me assure you that I am taking a minimalist, conservative approach, with this being the absolute bare minimum we need to protect our families and our economy.” Despite his assertion that this is as low as the hike can be, a senior legislator from his…

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Klobuchar Jokes About Eating Salad With ‘a Bit of Scalp Oil and a Pinch of Dandruff’

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke Saturday night at the esteemed Gridiron Club dinner in Washington D.C. where she attempted to joke about the recent stories detailing her abusive behavior towards her staffers. The New York Times reported February 22 that, in one instance, Klobuchar berated a staff member who forgot to bring a fork on board their 2008 flight from D.C. to South Carolina. Fork-less, the Minnesota senator grabbed a comb from her purse and began eating her salad with it. Predictably, conservative Twitter had a field day with the bizarre incident, which Klobuchar tried to joke about during Saturday’s event. “How did everyone like the salad? I thought it was OK, but it needed just a bit of scalp oil and a pinch of dandruff—would be a little better,” she told the crowd, according to CNN. The Times article was just the latest in a series of stories alleging that Klobuchar is a demeaning and abusive boss. The Minnesota Republican Party released a statement in response to the allegations. “The record shows that while Senator Amy Klobuchar represents Minnesota, she clearly doesn’t fit the ‘Minnesota Nice’ persona,” Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan said in early February. “Last year,…

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Sherrod Brown Makes Final Stop in Dignity of Work Tour

Andrew Shirley

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown arrived in South Carolina Friday in the final planned stop on his three-month “Dignity of Work” tour. The official aim of the tour, which began in January, was to share “some of his ideas to make hard work pay off for everyone.” Unofficially, the tour has been an attempt to “test the waters” to see if he would be a viable candidate for a potential 2020 run. The tour took the Senator to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, which are all considered critical battleground states in presidential elections. While it appears he will conclude the tour without announcing his candidacy, the tour did, as far his public statements are concerned, seem to fully convince him that his campaign would have one unassailable advantage over his opponents. In an interview with Buzzfeed, Brown stated: It has surprised us that this many people, including Republicans, that this many people have begun to talk about the dignity of work. I don’t think they flesh it out well enough yet or extensively enough. I think they mean it. I don’t mean there’s any insincerity in it. But I think we can’t do it enough … I carry it better than anybody else…

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Ohio State Democratic Legislator Introduces Bill to Move Presidential Primary From March to May

Andrew Shirley

Ohio Democratic State Rep. Jack Cera (D-96) has introduced a bill that would permanently delay the Ohio presidential primary by two months, a move that could have major implications for Ohio. House Bill 101 (HB 101) would officially move the Ohio primary from March to “the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May.” Currently, Ohio’s early March primary has made it one of a handful of seminal states in several recent presidential primaries. The state has already lost a significant amount of presidential election “clout” with its number of electoral votes dropping to a historical low of 16. The move would also have a significant effect on state revenues just as the amount of money spent on electoral races continues to climb at shocking rates. By delaying the primary, the value of airtime in the state is also delayed. In addition, it could be the death knell of one prominent Ohioan’s presidential aspirations. Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown had long maintained that his resonance in Ohio is one of his key political advantages, should he decide to run in 2020. The Ohio senator was one of the only Democrats to win re-election in the 2018 midterm. Most surprising, he did so by close to…

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Sherrod Brown: If I Run I Will be ‘The Most Pro-Union, Pro-Worker Candidate’

Andrew Shirley

Saturday, before an assembly of the Culinary Union – the most powerful workers union in Las Vegas – Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown declared that should he run, he would be “The Most Pro-Union, Pro-Worker Candidate” out of the entire field. He stated, “I will always fight for workers, I will always be on the side of workers.” Brown also announced that should he become president, he would immediately convene a meeting of key industry leaders and encourage them to pay their workers, at least, a minimum wage of $15. He did not say that he would introduce a $15 minimum wage bill, however, only that he would encourage corporations to pay a minimum wage of $15 per hour. The Ohio Senator is in the middle of his “Dignity of Work” tour and has been traveling to key presidential battleground states to advocate for “workers-first policies.” He stated that he would make his formal decision whether or not to run sometime next month. His declaration to be the most “pro-union” candidate is at odds with his oft-repeated campaign positioning strategy of being a center-progressive who can win moderate votes. By vowing to take pro-union positions that would put him to the left…

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Sherrod Brown Breaks from Beto Signialing a Divide on Border Wall

Andrew Shirley

It appears there’s a new buzzword in the ongoing debate over the border wall. Sunday, when asked how he felt about former congressman, and potential 202o presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s proposal to destroy all existing barriers on the Mexico-US border, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown refused to concur with his potential 2020 opponent, citing the need for border security, just not a “long wall.” The term “long wall” seems to be the latest pivot for Democrats who have vehemently opposed President Donald Trump’s planned border wall, yet concede that border security needs to exist. This could be the beginning of the latest divide from within Democratic ranks. While no “long wall” currently extends over the entire length of the 2,000-mile border between Mexico and the U.S., there are almost 600 miles of fences, walls, and other barriers that are currently standing. Some of these barriers go back to the Clinton Administration. The majority of these walls were built specifically in areas with high concentrations of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal entry and assist the understaffed border security agents. Former congressman O’Rourke has asserted that walls kill more people than they save, noting; We know that walls do not save lives. Walls end lives,…In the last ten years,…

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Klobuchar Campaigns as the ‘Senator Next Door’ During First Stop in Wisconsin

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) made her first campaign stop Saturday morning in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a state 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton skipped visiting. Klobuchar spoke to a crowd of about 300 supporters at SHIFT Cyclery and Coffee Bar where she repeated several themes from her announcement address, but also promised to bridge the rural-urban divide. “That was one of the points I wanted to make by coming to Eau Claire. Eau Claire is a place of a great university and education. It is also in the middle of a rural area,” she said, calling herself the “Senator next door.” Packed house ahead of @amyklobuchar’s first campaign stop at an Eau Claire bicycle and coffee shop pic.twitter.com/i9NiYm4W15 — Torey Van Oot (@toreyvanoot) February 16, 2019 “I came here because I am the ‘Senator next door’ and I will be traveling to every single state in the Midwest,” Klobuchar said, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and touted her family’s roots in Wisconsin. “I am so pleased to be in Wisconsin, the state where my mother was born,” she said. “And my mother’s parents, actually, both came here from Switzerland. My grandma came here when she was three. And what do you…

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Klobuchar Receives Bad Early Poll Numbers After Announcing Candidacy

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced her presidential campaign Sunday, and her early poll numbers don’t look good. According to Morning Consult, Klobuchar is currently in seventh place among potential Democratic candidates with just three percent of the vote. She ranks behind, in order, Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX-16), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). She leads Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who both have just two percent of the vote. Morning Consult surveys 5,000 registered voters each day, and updates its polling on a weekly basis. Its latest numbers come just three days after Klobuchar announced her candidacy. As The Minnesota Sun reported, Klobuchar announced her run for the presidency at a rally Sunday on the banks of the Mississippi River. “So today, on an island in the middle of the mighty Mississippi, in our nation’s heartland, at a time when we must heal the heart of our democracy and renew our commitment to the common good, I stand before you as a granddaughter of an iron-ore miner, as the daughter of a teacher and a newspaper man, as the first woman…

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Klobuchar Says You Have to Go Where it’s ‘Uncomfortable,’ Like ‘Fox News’

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) joined Bret Baier’s Special Report Tuesday night where she said candidates have to go where it’s “uncomfortable,” including Fox News. In response to whether or not she has the temperament to run for president, Klobuchar said that she believes she showed she does “during the Kavanaugh hearings.” “One of the reasons that I came on this show is that I believe that candidates for office, whether Democrat or Republican, have to go not just where it’s comfortable but where it’s unconformable. And, you know, I love you, but Fox may not be always comfortable for Democrats,” she said. Klobuchar discussed a number of other issues, including the Democratic Party’s growing appreciation for socialism. She responded by saying she believes “in capitalism.” “I believe in progress, and that’s being progressive. But what I really also believe in is that we really need to stop governing from chaos and move to opportunity,” she added. On the topic of immigration, Klobuchar said she would like to “see in the long term a path to citizenship.” “So that way if you don’t have people who have a criminal record, they wouldn’t be deported. And what’s bothering me right now, and…

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2020 Presidential Hopeful John Kasich Posts Video Announcing First Yoga Class; Draws Mixed Response

Andrew Shirley

Every politician attempts to be relatable; very few succeed. Erstwhile governor and 2020 presidential hopeful John Kasich posted a video on Saturday, announcing that he had just completed his first day of yoga lessons with his wife, Karen Kasich. He summarized the exercises briefly then discussed the importance of remaining young-minded and looking towards the future. The 66-year-old former Governor of Ohio has never been known for these types of videos or topics and, as such, it drew a significant response. While many of the posts were supportive of his efforts, the consensus seems to be that it has an unflattering resemblance to another 2020 candidates attempt at relatability. On New Year’s Eve, Democratic presidential primary candidate, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren posted a brief video to Instagram in which she said “I’m gonna get myself a beer,” with her husband and promptly had one. The moment felt so disingenuous, awkward, and contrived that even progressive outlets, that have a history of defending her, lampooned the obvious stunt. The most popular comment in response to Kasich’s video made a direct reference to it. Not exactly Elizabeth Warren's drink a beer moment but just as obviously shallow…. — brockasso (@itsmebrock) February 10, 2019 Kasich may also…

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Klobuchar Lays Out Vision for the White House: ‘It’s Time, America’

Anthony Gockowski

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota–Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) officially declared her candidacy for President of the United States Sunday during a snowy rally on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Several of her Minnesotan colleagues spoke before her, including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN). Klobuchar’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), touted Klobuchar’s record of supporting Planned Parenthood, and criticized Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh for his alleged failure to adequately address Klobuchar’s line of questioning during his confirmation process. Prince, naturally, was invoked several times throughout the event and one of his former collaborators, DJ Dudley D, emceed the occasion. https://twitter.com/AGockowski/status/1094671348801175552 “Hey, if Prince could do that halftime show in all that rain, I can do this in this snow,” Klobuchar joked. Despite the blizzard-like conditions, Klobuchar managed to attract a massive crowd that was estimated at around 9,000 people. She began her address by thanking her “amazing and incredible team and staff for putting this together.” Leading up to her announcement, Buzzfeed News and Huffington Post released separate reports detailing Klobuchar’s abusive behavior toward her staff, which included claims that she “yelled, threw papers, and sometimes even hurled objects.” Klobuchar’s speech “We are gathered…

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Commentary: The Fauxcahontas Apology Tour

Admin

by CHQ Staff   Sen. Elizabeth Warren, (D-MA), who announced her campaign for President this weekend on Wednesday found herself apologizing – again – for identifying herself as an “American Indian,” and more broadly for not being “mindful of the distinction with tribal citizenship and tribal sovereignty.” The latest document to surface showing that Warren tried to advantage herself through phony claims of Native American ancestry came on a 1986 registration card for the State Bar of Texas, and after the revelation of that document she would not or could not clarify whether there were additional documents where she declared Native American status, NBC News reported. The Washington Post on February 5, 2019 reported on Warren’s registration card disclosure for the State Bar of Texas. The Texas bar registration card is significant, says Solange Reyner of NewsMax, because it removes any doubt Warren directly claimed Native American identity. And let’s be clear about Senator Warren’s long-claimed Native American ancestry and how she clearly benefited professionally and politically from that claim: She listed herself in professional directories as a Native American and was touted as Harvard Law School’s first “woman of color” professor. However, when Warren entered politics her story gained deeper…

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Klobuchar 2020 Preview: All Signs Point to Running as State Media Give Pass

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) advance crew was busy prepping Saturday afternoon for her “big announcement” scheduled for Sunday. An early visit to Boom Island Park showed staffers moving in and out of heated tents while they erected a stage with the Minneapolis skyline as a backdrop. Temperatures were slightly above zero early Saturday and those on the scene were decked out in snow gear, making it unlikely that Klobuchar would subject her staff to freezing wintry weather to announce that she isn’t in fact entering the 2020 race. Plus, Klobuchar’s daughter flew in from New York City for Sunday’s event, and posted a video from Boom Island Park Saturday afternoon. “My mom invited me to this big announcement happening Sunday, but she forgot to tell me it was happening outside,” she said. Abigail here! I'm taking over mom's Twitter for a second with a message about tomorrow. Go to https://t.co/Hz91NGmwT1 for more details! pic.twitter.com/dmk4l54EDD — Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) February 9, 2019 Klobuchar boasted that the event will have hot “cocoa,” “camp fires,” “music”—”the whole bit.” The Sunday announcement will come amid multiple reports that Klobuchar runs an abusive and demeaning office, as The Minnesota Sun reported. It’s widely known that the…

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National Media Hit Klobuchar With More Reports of Running Abusive Office

Anthony Gockowski

It’s been just three days since Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) teased her upcoming “big announcement” and the national media have already released two damning reports about the Minnesota senator’s behavior toward her staffers. Earlier this week, Huffington Post reported that at least three people declined jobs on Klobuchar’s prospective presidential campaign because of her poor reputation with her staff. Now, Buzzfeed News has reviewed dozens of emails and spoken with anonymous ex-staffers to find that Klobuchar “ran a workplace controlled by fear, anger, and shame.” According to that report, Klobuchar “yelled, threw papers, and sometimes even hurled objects,” often leaving employees in tears. Klobuchar would allegedly berate employees in emails sent in the middle of the night over “minor mistakes, misunderstandings, and misplaced commas.” “Anything could set her temper off, they said, and it was often unpredictable. Among the things that staffers said had prompted outbursts from Klobuchar: minor grammar mistakes, the use of the word ‘community’ in press releases, forgetting to pack the proper coat in her suitcase, failing to charge her iPad, and using staples,” Buzzfeed News reports. One former staffer said that when she hears “the descriptors of our current president and how he lacks responsibility and…

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Sherrod Brown Calls Howard Schultz a ‘Total Idiot’ After Announcing Independent Run

Andrew Shirley

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is not mincing words when it comes to former Starbucks CEO, and 2020 independent candidate hopeful, Howard Schultz. Within 24 hours of launching his “Dignity of Work” tour, Brown told a group of voters that Schultz was a “total idiot.” Strangely, the Senator was not prompted, in any way, as to what his opinion on Schultz was. The broadside came on Friday during a farmers roundtable in Perry, Iowa. When a voter expressed his concern with dark money and PACs during the 2020 cycle, Brown interjected: “Yeah, I mean you got this idiot Schultz running, maybe. He’s an idiot, I mean, he’s a total idiot.” Schultz has neither formally launched his candidacy, nor has established a disproportionate amount of PACs supporting him at this point. It can be inferred that Senator Brown was referencing the fact that Schultz is the first billionaire to enter the race. When the voter continued his question, directly asking the Ohio senator  if he would accept PAC money, he replied: “Well, I have not decided yet.” He then intimated that it doesn’t matter where the money comes from as his record speaks for itself. The issue of PAC money is already proving to…

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Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s ‘Dignity of Work’ Tour Slammed by RNC

Andrew Shirley

Republican National Committee Spokesperson Mandi Merritt issued a blistering broadside Wednesday against Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and his “Dignity of Work” tour. She stated: As Sherrod Brown takes his phony pro-workers’ agenda to the early primary states, he risks abandoning his own Ohio constituents. Ohio didn’t sign up for a part-time Senator, and by partaking in the Democrats’ turbocharged race to the left, Brown is bound to leave Ohio voters in the dust. Brown’s ‘Dignity of Work’ tour has nothing to do with fighting for hard-working families, and everything to do with Brown’s own political ambitions. Senator Brown’s “Dignity of Work” tour is scheduled to take him from Iowa, to New Hampshire, South Carolina, and then Nevada. As previously reported, much of his political platform hinges appealing to the populist blue-collar, politically moderate, working class and far-left democratic-socialist progressives. He intends to see if his many democratic-socialist positions will appeal to voters in these key battleground states. In 2016, many of those blue-collar moderates ended up siding with President Trump. In 2018, Brown was the only Democratic legislator in the Buckeye State to win or maintain his seat. Next year in what promises to be a highly-charged (and very crowded) presidential election cycle, Brown will be in…

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Commentary: The Census Fight Is About Dollars and Votes

Admin

by Rachael Bovard   While the national debate continues over how secure our border will be, another aspect of illegal immigration continues to snake its way through the courts. In 2017, the Trump Administration added a question about citizenship to the upcoming 2020 census; simply, “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” Predictably, the administration was besieged by lawsuits from the Left, calling such a question unconstitutional, illegal, “a direct attack on our constitutional democracy,” and predicting it would “inject fear and distrust into vulnerable communities.” Never mind that questions about citizenship appeared on every long form census from 1820 to 1950. On the short form census, questions about citizenship were asked through 2000, and continue to be asked on the American Community Survey, which goes out to one in 38 households annually (go figure, the Left has not raised ire about the citizenship question on the ACS). Moreover, countries around the world, including Australia, Germany, and Canada, ask about citizenship—maybe because the United Nations recommends it. Also glossed over in the foamy outrage on the Left is the rank and hypocritical irony that census documents ask about race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, homeownership status, electricity bills, job status, age, and even the number of toilets in each house—but…

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Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown: I Can Beat Trump in Ohio and New York

Andrew Shirley

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown may not be officially running, but that’s not stopping him from making some bold predictions. In a surprisingly aggressive statement, the third term senator declared: I would say that I will beat Trump in Ohio, where they know me best. I’ll beat him in my home state and I’ll beat him in his home state of New York, where they know him best. Brown made the statement during a wide-ranging interview on CNN’s “The Van Jones Show.” The senator has not officially declared that he is entering the race. He is presently in the middle of a listening tour that he has dubbed the “Dignity of Work” Tour. He will be visiting Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. While declaring that he is capable of winning both his home state as well as one of the most progressive states in the country would leave him two-hundred and twenty-three electoral votes short of winning the presidency, the statement suggests something broader than just those two states. It can be inferred by his approach that Brown is attempting to execute on a rather unique campaign strategy. Brown believes that he is capable of harmonizing a Democratic-Socialist platform with a moderate, populist…

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Minnesota High School Basketball Team Can’t Play in Tournament After Fans Hoisted Trump Flag at Game

Anthony Gockowski

The superintendent of a rural Minnesota school district cancelled a high school basketball team’s scheduled participation in a Monday tournament because a few student fans recently brought a Trump flag to a game. Last week, students at Jordan High School showed up to a game with a flag that said: “Trump 2020: Keep America Great.” A coach for the opposing team, Minneapolis Roosevelt, took a picture of the students holding the flag and wrote about it on Facebook. “I coach a predominantly black inner city high school team. We go out to a rural area in Jordan, MN and this is there. Please explain how and why this is appropriate at a high school basketball game?” Michael Walker wrote. One person commented on his post to explain that she lent the flag to students to be used as part of a planned USA-themed night. But on Sunday, Jordan School District Superintendent Matthew Helgerson announced that he wouldn’t be allowing the Jordan High School basketball team to participate in an MLK-day tournament. “Given recent events, we believe the participation of our team in the event will detract from the hard work of the athletes and the upbeat focus of the MLK…

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Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown Makes Early Moves for 2020 Presidential Bid

Andrew Shirley

The only Ohio Democrat to hold or win office in the 2018 midterm elections appears to have his sights set on the White House. Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown announced that he will tour four early, and key, presidential primary states. His team refers to the trip as the “Dignity of Work” tour and will travel to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. Concurrent with this announcement was the launch of his new website, “DignityOfWork.com.” The website is funded by America Works PAC, the senator’s personal political action committee. As of now the site only lists some of his key issues, an email registration link, and a donation page. The crux of this early campaign appears to be an appeal to the blue-collar working class that largely abandoned the Democratic party in the 2016 election in favor of President Donald Trump. He emphasizes that “dignity of work means hard work should pay off for everyone, no matter who you are or what kind of work you do.” The campaign revolves around the point that it’s not enough to have a job, but rather a well-paying job. This is a clever messaging manipulation that both emphasizes the bipartisan call for a strong…

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GOP Slams Klobuchar for Backtracking on Promise to Complete Senate Term

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Republican Party called out Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Tuesday after she indicated that she is leaning towards launching a presidential campaign. But during her 2018 Senate reelection campaign, Klobuchar promised to finish her full six-year term if reelected. “Of course I will. I think my track record shows that. I love working in the Senate. I love representing Minnesota,” she said during a debate with opponent Jim Newberger. Klobuchar has repeatedly indicated that she’s considering a run for the White House, and during a Tuesday interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe all but announced that she’s running. “I also said I wanted to talk to my family, so big news today—my family is on board, including my in-laws, showing some momentum. But I will make this decision on my own course, regardless of what other candidates are doing,” she said. “I think what America wants is someone that is going to make their own decisions, that’s not going to be influenced by every tweet out from the White House or what happens every single day in the news. I think they need a president that’s there for them in the long haul,” she added. The Minnesota GOP responded in…

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Scott Walker Will Help Chair Trump’s Reelection Campaign in Wisconsin

Anthony Gockowski

Former Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), who officially left office this week after eight years, announced Wednesday that he plans to help chair President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign in Wisconsin. “I’m going to help chair his and Vice President Pence’s campaign here in Wisconsin,” Walker said on Fox and Friends. “I want to be a part of making sure that we keep this president and this administration intact.” Thanks to @foxandfriends for having me on this morning to talk about how we ended our term with a $588 million surplus, our plans for the future and more. https://t.co/ZKimBBHRFy — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) January 9, 2019 While Walker plans to work in the private sector for a few years, he’s repeatedly expressed interest in running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 if Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) decides against seeking reelection, which some believe is likely since Johnson has imposed term limits on himself. “My friend, Ron Johnson, has said that he wouldn’t be running again but I’m going to defer to him. If he wants to run again, I think he’s a good and effective United States Senator. If he didn’t, well I’ll think about it,” Walker said on The Jay Weber…

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Kasich Launches Broadside Against Trump After President’s Prime-Time Speech

Andrew Shirley

Following President Donald Trump’s prime-time address to the nation Tuesday, Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) issued a blistering rebuttal of the president over his handling of the current government shutdown.  Though he was also critical of Democrats and Republicans, he specifically stated the problem was the result of a lack of “leadership.” The President needs to put the country ahead of politics. pic.twitter.com/ZyXZilJdfs — John Kasich (@JohnKasich) January 9, 2019 Kasich began by noting: The President and the Democrats need to learn how to compromise and put the American people first. It starts with the President putting the country ahead of his politics and being more flexible with his goals. The majority of media outlets have interpreted these comments as a direct attack on Trump. Though Kasich does go on to reaffirm his commitment to having “a secure border,” he ends his statement by saying that “our country needs real leadership to solve our problems. Right now it doesn’t look like that leadership exists in Washington, DC.” The president’s Tuesday night address was a brief and direct appeal to the American people to support his effort to secure funding for a border wall. He outlined the many lives that have been affected by illegal…

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Elizabeth Warren Looped Video of Line Outside Iowa Rally to Create ‘Overflow’ Impression

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) campaigned in Iowa over the weekend after announcing an exploratory committee for a 2020 presidential campaign. Her first stop was in Council Bluffs where she posted a video of an “overflow line” of supporters gathered outside the event. The video, however, was sped up and looped, meaning it begins playing again from the beginning of the line once it reaches the end. “First event in Iowa, first overflow line in Iowa,” Warren tweeted on Friday. First event in Iowa, first overflow line in Iowa! pic.twitter.com/VGLKONVxoJ — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 4, 2019 One twitter user slowed down the video and showed that about 85 people were standing in line for Warren’s event. Here is the video slowed down 1/1024 speed. As you can see there's about 86 people. pic.twitter.com/tbjpaS8NQx — Mike (@Fuctupmind) January 5, 2019 As Battleground State News reported, Warren was asked at one event about her 2018 DNA test that contradicted her claims of Native American heritage. “I’m glad for us to have a chance to talk about it. I am not a person of color. I am not a citizen of a tribe,” she responded. “Tribal citizenship is very different from ancestry. Tribes…

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Elizabeth Warren Admits She’s ‘Not a Person of Color’ at Iowa Campaign Rally

Anthony Gockowski

The 2020 race for the White House began in earnest Friday when Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) hosted multiple campaign rallies in Iowa, the first in the nation caucus state. On Saturday morning, Warren continued her campaign across the state, but was asked about her infamous DNA test during a Sioux City stop. “Why did you undergo the DNA testing and give Donald Trump more fodder to be a bully?” one Iowan in attendance asked Warren, who said she was “glad” the question was asked. “I genuinely am, and I’m glad for us to have a chance to talk about it. I am not a person of color. I am not a citizen of a tribe. Tribal citizenship is very different from ancestry. Tribes and only tribes determine tribal citizenship, and I respect that difference,” Warren acknowledged. “I’m just gonna put it all out there.” Senator Elizabeth Warren explains why she took a DNA test to determine her heritage #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/dqQTpRHeXw — Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) January 5, 2019 She explained that while growing up in Oklahoma she heard “the family stories of our ancestry,” and said that her claim to Native American ancestry was used against her when she first ran…

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St. Paul DFL Rep Promises to Fight ‘All Other Isms’ While Calling Trump a ‘Piece of S***’

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota State Rep.-elect Jay Xiong (D-St. Paul) hasn’t been sworn into office yet, but he’s already vowing to oppose the nation’s “vile president” and stand against “bigotry and racism, sexism and all other isms.” On Friday, Xiong released a statement discussing the actions of President Donald Trump as well as the 2020 census, which could cause significant changes to Minnesota’s congressional districting. Xiong pledged to support any Minnesota House bills that condemn “racist, sexist and hateful presidential executive orders,” such as H.R. 1—a resolution introduced by now Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) condemning Trump’s travel ban. “We stand united against a single idea that we all must fight til the end: hate. It is the vile bigotry and racism, sexism and all other isms that spew from the horrid mouth of an unqualified and unfit president,” Xiong said Friday. He claimed he will do his part at the Minnesota Capitol to oppose “hateful presidential executive orders which have one clear intention: to keep black and brown people out of the process, the polls, and the political and physical body politic of this country, which was founded on immigration.” https://twitter.com/RepJayXiong/status/1081159724710719488 In a subsequent tweet, Xiong mocked Republicans as “snowflakes” after they criticized…

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As Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown Plans 2020 Run, High Dollar Backers Complicate His Future

Andrew Shirley

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has made it very clear that the Oval Office is in his sights. Coming off a six-point reelection victory, the only nonjudicial Democrat to win in Ohio in 2018, Brown has been working behind the scenes to build the infrastructure, support, and endorsements necessary to mount a challenge to President Donald Trump in 2020. However, the third-term Democrat’s presidential campaign may already be over before its even been announced. With as many as 30 Democrats reportedly considering 2020 presidential runs, some of the most visible progressive legislators have inadvertently sent stringent political litmus tests that will leave many contenders in a difficult position. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and other assertively progressive candidates have made public overtures about the evil and corrupting nature of high dollar fundraising, special interest group funds, PAC’s, Super PAC’s, and other forms of corporate backing. Most of these candidates tout their reelection successes through only small individual donations as evidence of how unnecessary these election tools are. These candidates are now condemning any candidate, Democrat or Republican, who accepts funding from these entities. In 2016, a major talking point for Sanders’ presidential campaign was that his average campaign donation was $27,…

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Census Bureau Has Been Co-Opted by Leftist Ideologues

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U.S. Census Bldg

by Mike Gonzales   “Are you an American or not?” It’s a simple question, one that every U.S. census should include, especially when the survey already contains nonsensical and intrusive inquiries into one’s ethnic DNA composition and whether one co-habits with someone of the opposite sex or one’s own. Whether you are a citizen or not is a valid question in a civic-minded constitutional democracy. Whether your parents are ethnic Chinese born in Peru or you are a nonpracticing heterosexual, not so much. And yet, the inclusion of a citizenship question and other changes rightly being made by the Trump administration to the 2020 census caused a lamentably predictable furor on Thursday, at the first day of the spring 2018 meeting of the Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations. The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >> If anything, it was a case study in how the relationship between the bureau and its outside advisers has become dysfunctional. From the start, nearly all the advisory committee’s members bitterly protested the changes, while bureaucrats implored them not to let their frustration prevent them…

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ACLU Sues over Plans for Citizenship Question on 2020 Census

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Citizenship question returns in 2020 Census

Civil rights lawyers sued the U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday to try to stop plans to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The Manhattan federal court lawsuit on behalf of immigrants’ rights groups says racial animus was behind a recent announcement that the census will include a citizenship question for the first time since 1950. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and others, claims the question intentionally discriminates against immigrants and will increase fear in their communities. It alleges census participation will be depressed, diluting the economic and political power of residents. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the plan in March, saying the question was needed in part to help the government enforce the Voting Rights Act, a 1965 law meant to protect political representation of minority groups. The Commerce Department is responsible for the census. The plan has resulted in several lawsuits, including one in California, the nation’s most populous state with the highest concentration of foreign-born residents, and another in New York brought by 17 Democratic attorneys general, the District of Columbia, six cities and the bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors. Donna Lieberman, head of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said…

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