Category Archives: Democrat

The assault on democracy didnt start when Donald Trump fired up a mob of fanatics on the National Mall last Jan. 6. High ranking Republicans have been trashing the legitimacy of elections for years, priming supporters to believe that they have to literally fight for their freedom.

At some point, the party went from hating Democrats to hating democracy, and that gave Trump all the fuel needed to light a fire.

In Maine, you can find these unfounded attacks going back a decade or more, and not just from anonymous cranks or marginal legislators. The rigged-election fantasies come straight from the top: from party leaders, a secretary of state and twice-elected Gov. Paul LePage, who wants to recapture his old office this November.

When Republicans took control of the Maine House, Maine Senate and governors office in 2011, they seemed poised to pass some of the voting restrictions used in other Republican-controlled states, which disproportionately affect minority and young voters. They installed as secretary of state Charlie Summers, who announced an investigation into widespread voter fraud, based, he claimed, on records proving that hundreds of out-of-staters were illegally voting in Maine elections.

He turned up exactly one noncitizen, who had voted a single time in Maine, nine years earlier. Those suspicious voters on his list turned out to be people who had moved to Maine and registered to vote here after voting elsewhere in a previous election.

Technically, its not a violation of the law, Summers admitted, adding, Im not sure exactly how patriotic it is when people are moving from one state to the next state and one state to the next state, like that. Summers, who himself had moved to Maine from another state, was not punished for the embarrassing report. He went on to be his partys nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012.

When Republicans lost their majorities in the House and Senate that fall, state Republican Party Chair Charlie Webster went on television to say he smelled a rat.

In some parts of rural Maine, there were dozens, dozens of Black people who came in and voted on Election Day, he fumed. Everybody has a right to vote, but nobody in (these) towns knows anyone whos Black. How did that happen? I dont know. Were going to find out.

If Webster ever did find out, he never told us, but the damage was done. It was neither the first nor the last time that a Maine Republican made clear that when they say fraudulent voting, they mean Black voting.

LePage took antidemocratic trutherism to a new level. Weeks before Election Day in 2016, Maines then-governor claimed without evidence that Im not confident of a clean election in Maine.

After the votes were counted, he sent a formal letter to legislators whod won their races, writing with no supporting evidence I maintain strong concerns regarding the integrity of Maines ballot and accuracy of Maines election results and I cannot attest to the accuracy of the tabulation certified by the Secretary of State.

He was more succinct in 2018 when Republican Bruce Poliquin lost his congressional race to Jared Golden. In the official document certifying the results, LePage scribbled stolen election.

His lack of support for democratic ideals followed him out of office. In a talk radio appearance in 2019, LePage said that we need the Electoral College, which gives a voter in Wyoming four times as much influence in a presidential race as a voter in California, to maintain white political power. Without it, white people will not have anything to say, he explained. Its only going to be the minorities who would elect.

You could write these off as mean, petty or stupid comments that dont really matter in a nation of laws. But if you wonder how so many Republicans believe that Trump won the 2020 election, or why thousands of them stormed the Capitol last year to take back what they thought was rightfully theirs, these mean, petty and stupid statements add up.

It didnt end with LePage. In the days after the 2020 election, Maine Republicans joined the Trump administration in claiming that the election had been stolen.

We will not rest until the truth about the 2020 election is revealed and we return trust to American elections, wrote state Republican Chairwoman Demi Kouzounas in an email seeking donations for a dubious Trump legal fund.

The vote had been crooked, illegal and unconstitutional, claimed Oxford County Republican Peter LaVerdiere, as he cast Trumps one Electoral College vote in the State House on Dec. 14, 2020.

On Jan. 4, two days before the insurrection, state Republican Vice Chair Nick Isgro claimed that the election had been hijacked by the Chinese Communist Party. I dont think theres any circumstance right now where (Trump) should step out of office.

Are they lying or delusional? Does it really matter?

Between their attacks on the legitimacy of elections and the meek silence of other Republicans who ought to know better, we have an authoritarian movement in this country thats not going away.

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The View From Here: From hating Democrats to hating democracy - Press Herald

OPINION:

The wheels of justice sometimes grind very slowly.

Or not at all.

In our current system, it appears that the only thing that matters is which party you belong to.

Corrupt Democrats almost never face punishment for their crimes. It doesnt matter how glaring the evidence.

IRS official Lois Lerner retired with full benefits after getting caught using the IRS to target conservative groups such as tea parties during the Obama years. Likewise, FBI officials who pushed the false Russian collusion hoax against former President Donald Trump before and after the 2016 election have never faced justice. Nor have congressional Democrats like Adam Schiff, who got caught in blatant lies, saying he had proof of Russian collusion when he did not. Or Hillary Clinton for her 33,000 lost emails and smashed cellphones.

No one in the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, which paid for the fake dossier that launched the first impeachment of Mr. Trump, is facing any serious charges.

Republicans, on the other hand, such as former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn, who a politicized FBI entrapped, are guilty before they are proven innocent.

This past week, the Manhattan District Attorneys Office dropped its investigation of Democrat former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over thousands of deaths in his states nursing homes. Cuomos state Health Department had issued March 25, 2020, directive ordering nursing homes to take in COVID-19-positive patients.

State officials then withheld data on the full number of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents, and aides to Mr. Cuomo successfully pushed to use a lower tally in a Health Department report on the matter, reported The Wall Street Journal. Nothing to see here.

Democrat state health officials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania also issued disastrous orders to nursing homes and have faced no consequences. This includes the celebrated transgender now-Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Rachel Levine, who moved her mother out of a Pennsylvania facility before her order took effect.

Mr. Cuomo also ducked more bullets when prosecutors in Albany and Rochester dropped charges related to his alleged groping and sexual harassment of aides. He had been threatened with impeachment and resigned in August after New York State Attorney General Letitia James issued a report accusing him of harassing 11 women.

Still, Mr. Cuomo is out and about doing whatever. While Mr. Cuomo celebrates his good fortune to be a Democrat, Ms. James is still pursuing a four-year inquiry against Mr. Trump, his businesses and even the business dealings of his children.

Another glaring difference that defies the concept of equal justice is the treatment of hundreds of Trump supporters in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as opposed to the thousands of left-wing peaceful protesters who committed crimes during the Black Lives Matter/Antifa race riots that ripped through more than 140 cities in 2020.

An updated tally sheet at realclearinvestigations.com reveals the blatant disparities in destruction, crimes, costs and consequences.The 2020 race riots, with 574 instances of violent acts, resulted in some 15 times more injured police officers, 23 times as many arrests, and estimated damages in dollar terms up to 1,300 times more costly than those of the Capitol riot.

In most of a dozen major jurisdictions, more than 90% of charges/citations were dropped or not filed, even though the crimes included explosions, shootings, arsons, assaults and looting. In Minneapolis, rioters burned down a police station. In Seattle, terrorists blocked exits while trying to burn down a police facility with people inside. Overall, at least 20 people were killed in the urban riots. The only person actually killed in the Capitol riot was unarmed Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot to death by a Capitol Hill Police officer.

The Capitol riot cost an estimated $1.5 million in damages, whereas the leftist riots backed by Democrats (Vice President Kamala Harris actually raised bail for rioters) cost $1 billion to $2 billion. The vast majority of charges against 16,241 defendants were dismissed. Similarly, few faced sentencing after the violent left-wing riots in Washington during Mr. Trumps 2017 inauguration. Somehow, that didnt count as an insurrection. Neither was St. Johns Churchs burning near the White House in May 2020 nor the subsequent riot in which 50 Secret Service agents were injured, and Mr. Trump was moved to a secure bunker.

A year after the Jan. 6 riot, which was condemned from all quarters, more than 725 people have been arrested. About 40 are still languishing in the District of Columbia jail system, according to the office of Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert.

As of Jan. 1, some 71 defendants from Jan. 6 have been sentenced, 64 of whom were convicted of misdemeanors.

With no evidence of violence of any kind, and no criminal record, the Buffalo Hat Guy, Jacob Chansley, also known as the QAnon Shaman, was slapped with a 41-month prison sentence after serving most of 317 days in solitary confinement for one count of obstruction of an official proceeding.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland gave a speech promising an endless pursuit of charges involving Jan. 6. He actually claimed this central norm in our criminal investigations: There cannot be different rules depending on ones political party or affiliation. There cannot be different rules for friends and foes. We follow the facts and enforce the law in a way that respects the Constitution and protects civil liberties.

Sure, they do. Thats why Mr. Garlands DOJ is investigating Texas for gerrymandering while ignoring Maryland, where Democrats are openly eliminating the last Republican congressional district.

The outsized reaction about the Jan. 6 insurrection smacks of political desperation on the part of a Democrat Party that will face voters in November. They are desperately trying to nationalize elections, get rid of voter ID laws and hype Jan. 6 as an attack on our democracy. Ms. Harris even compared it to Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

With massive illegal immigration, 7% inflation, an endless COVID-19 nightmare, the return of energy dependency and foreign disasters like the Afghanistan surrender, what else do they have going?

Oh, right. Their fake justice system.

Robert Knight is a columnist for The Washington Times. His website is roberthknight.com.

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Corrupt Democrats and their fake 'justice' - Washington Times

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Sunday said the Democratic Party has to be radically practical if it wants to win Novembers midterm elections.

Asked by co-anchor Jake TapperJacob (Jake) Paul TapperEx-McCarthy staffer: GOP leader's strategy dictated by 'most extreme' wings of party The Hill's 12:30 Report: Capitol Hill marks dark anniversary of Jan. 6 attacks COVID-19 cases in UK exceed 100K for first time MORE on CNNs State of the Union about comments Adams made in June critiquing theparty's strategy, the New York City mayor saidDemocrats should focus on kitchen table issues that everyday individuals care about in the upcoming midterm races.

I think we can reset the message and we can put the ship on its right course. We have to be radically practical, radically practical. We need to deal with those kitchen table issues that are important to everyday Americans and New Yorkers, Adams said.

I strongly feel that we can't allow social media to dictate what happens. I say it all the time, its people on social security we need to be focusing on and they're focusing on healthcare, educating their grandchildren and children, theyre focused on affordable housing and jobs. These are the issues that we are, we must be looking at and ensuring that we are living in a safe city and a safe country, he added.

Adams made headlines in June for offering commentary on his party as his lead in the mayoral race was growing.

The then-Brooklyn borough president told reporters that he was "the face of the new Democratic Party, adding, If the Democratic Party fails to recognize what he did here in New York, then theyre going to have a problem in the midterm elections, and theyre going to have a problem in the presidential elections.

He went on to say at the time that the mayoral race results showed that America wanted to have justice, safety and end inequality, before evaluating the type of candidates constituentswere looking to support.

We dont want fancy candidates; that nails are not polished, they have calluses on their hands and theyre blue-collared people that understand a blue-collared country, Adams said. Thats what we want.

The newly minted mayor on Sunday said that if his party focuses onkitchen table issues and letsthem cascade throughout this entire country, Democrats will flock to the polls in November.

And we have that message homed in and let it cascade throughout this entire country, you're going to see those Democrats come to the polls, polling places, because they understand we're dealing with those real issues that impact them, Adams said.

On the campaign train in the Big Apple, Adamsportrayed himself as a moderate candidate who would work to tame the citys increasing violent crime. He did not, however, embrace, calls to defund the police, which have been touted by some more liberalmembers of the party.

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Adams says Democratic Party has to be 'radically practical' in midterms | TheHill - The Hill

AUSTIN (KXAN) Gov. Greg Abbott officially announced Saturday during the Hispanic Leadership Summit that he will run to keep his job as governor of Texas. Several vocal Republicans have already stepped up to challenge him, so has Democrat Beto ORourke.

Brian Smith, a professor of political science at St. Edwards University, expects Abbott and former El Paso Congressman ORourke will end up on top of their respective parties, which could make Texas the center of national political attention down the road.

If things get close, and ORourke and Abbott are close like Cruz and ORourke were (in their 2018 Senate race), thats going to get a lot of attention and a lot of outside money, Smith said. There would nothing better for the Democrats in terms of boosting their morale than saying we flipped Texas at the governor level.

Texas has not had a Democratic governor since 1994, when then-gubernatorial candidate George W. Bush outed incumbent Democratic governor Ann Richards.

Heres a look at everyone in the race for Gov. Abbotts job.

This list is the people currently certified by the Secretary of State to appear on the primary ballot, in the order they appear on the states website.

Gov. Greg Abbott

The current governor of Texas officially announced Saturday that he will run for re-election. On Monday the governor will launch his statewide media blitz where he plans to appear at 60 campaign events with an objective to raise the turnout in the GOP primary.

During his term, the governor advocated for a stronger southern border, staunchly opposed vaccine and mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, instead pursuing testing and monoclonal antibody treatment centers, and signed into law one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

A poll published in November by the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation found that despite the crowded Republican primary, Gov. Abbott is poised to win the GOP race by a significant margin. The same poll showed that Abbott and ORourke are virtually tied among voters.

Meanwhile, the University of Texas and KXANs partners at the Texas Tribune found that Abbott leads ORourke by a larger margin than that, 9 percentage points, despite only 48% of respondents saying they thought the governor was doing a good job. You can read more about that poll on the Texas Tribunes website.

Paul Belew

A lifelong criminal defense attorney from Wise County in north Texas says hes running to make Texas more Texas again. On Belews campaign website, he says he wants to see the state cut ties with the federal government and pursue revenue from other sources, including from the legalization of marijuana and from gambling at casinos.

Belew says he wants to make Texas a destination state again, which he believes has not been the case over the past couple years as a product of the pandemic. His website says Texas needs someone who can say whats on their mind.

Danny Harrison

Harrison, a north Texas landscape business owner, is running on the platform, defending Texas first. As for core issues, Harrison is running on incentives and protections for small businesses, defending Texas property rights, keeping Texas beaches open despite the pandemic and securing the southern border.

Harrisons campaign website doesnt pull punches when it comes to how Harrison thinks Gov. Abbott has led the state of Texas.

Where was Greg Abbott on January 6, 2021? He was hiding from the issues. He was not out there defending the President or democracy. He remained silent. Where was Governor Abbott when the election was stolen from back in November? Again, he was silent, his campaign website says in part.

Kandy Kaye Horn

Horn, a Houston-area woman who lists her occupation in election filings as a philanthropist, does not appear to have an official campaign website or social media pages.

According to the Baroness Kandy Kaye Horn Foundations website, which Horn is listed as chairman and founder of, she attended and graduated from Texas Christian University and received her MBA from UT in Arlington. The foundation is a Christian organization which aims to improve the world, according to that website.

Don Huffines

Arguably Abbotts most vocal contender, Huffines has made a lot of noise on social media, during interviews and even during an advertisement which aired during a Dallas Cowboys game. Smith says during this race, the governor isnt likely to bite back against Huffines, or Allen West, another vocal Republican candidate.

He goes after them it legitimizes one of those two candidates and turns it from a three-person race into a two-person race, explained Smith.

During a Sunday night Cowboys game, viewers in Texas saw an ad paid for by the Don Huffines Campaign, where Huffines himself promises a Super Bowl win for the Cowboys if hes elected Governor.

When Im your Republican Governor, Texas will stop the illegal invasion at our border. And Im not asking permission from the federal government. We will put prayer back in our schools, restore our culture, and that Cowboys would get another ring, Huffinessaid in the ad.

The Huffines ad saying the Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl was fantastic in terms of getting a lot of attention, but neither of them have the credentials or experience in the Republican party that Greg Abbott does, Smith said.

Rick Perry

Its Rick Perry, but its probably not the Rick Perry youre thinking of. Rick Lynn Perry, a computer engineer from Springtown, drew eyebrows by throwing his name in the hat.

The Texas Republican Initiative, a political organization that formed last year in response to party infighting, took to Twitter to imply Perrys campaign is a political trick from detractors of Abbott.

The Abbott Derangement Syndrome crowd has spent many months and millions of dollars making bogus attacks against Governor@GregAbbott_TXand has gotten absolutely nowhere, the groups tweet read. Now, out of desperation, theyre resorting to gamesmanship in a pathetic attempt to confuse voters.

Chad Prather

Prather, a conservative YouTube talk show host, lists his top issues as election integrity, human trafficking, and right to life among other issues listed on Prathers official campaign website.

Prather has been outspoken about the countrys response to the COVID-19 pandemic and says on his website that we cant kill an economy over a virus with a 99% survival rate. He also addressed his lack of political experience on his website.

Do you know that I pastored three churches? Do you know that I spent over a decade in third world countries doing mission, humanitarian, and medical work? Do you know that I was an executive with a Fortune 300 company?

I could continue but I think you get the point. For a guy thats never done anything and has no experienceIve done a few things.

Allen West

West, another top Republican contender to Abbotts seat, said in his campaign announcement that even though he hasnt held a political seat for around a decade he can no longer sit on the sidelines and see what has happened in these United States of America andthe place that I call home.

Wests campaign launch came about a month after he announced his resignation as state party chairman, a position where West regularly criticized Abbotts response to the COVID-19 pandemic and his unwillingness to push the states legislative agenda further to the right.

Abbott has mostly ignored Wests attacks, though Smith says Abbott has appeared to cater more to his right flanks over the past few months.

Theyll [West and Huffines] be interesting and they might open up some avenues of attack for ORourke, but I dont see either of them being able to take it to a runoff or beating Greg Abbott head-to-head right now, Smith said.

Again, this list is the people currently certified by the Secretary of State to appear on the primary ballot, in the order they appear on the states website.

Inocencio (Inno) Barrientez

Aside from being listed as a candidate on the Texas Secretary of State website, and being named in a Texas Democratic Party candidate congratulations news release, Barrientez does not appear to have an official campaign website or official social media channels.

Michael Cooper

The Beaumont native, pastor and father of seven is running on education, climate change, and criminal justice reform, among other platforms listed on Coopers official campaign website.

In his campaign announcement, Cooper talked about helping teachers, making their profession a calling again and said education was his top priority.

Cooper, who has a masters degree in psychology, has been an automobile executive for decades, according to his website. Cooper is also the chapter president for his local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Cooper has run as a democrat in other high-level races in Texas including previous runs for the senate and for Lieutenant Governor.

Joy Diaz

In former public radio journalist Joy Diaz announcement video, she said there are three issues that would be top of mind for her campaign: the border, public education and state preparedness.

Our current leadership has forgotten that their mission is to serve us, she said in her video announcement. Yes, conventional wisdom may say that its unlikely for an average person even a qualified one, even one with expertise, even one with a huge heart to become the next governor of this great state, but Texans dont solely rely on conventional wisdom. We believe in miracles.

Diazs voice may sound familiar to many Texans since she worked for KUT in Austin and would often guest host the statewide Texas Standard radio news program. Thepublic radio station announced in Novemberthat Diaz would leave to run for public office, but at that time she did not disclose which position she would seek.

Beto ORourke

Former El Paso Congressman Beto ORourkeofficially announced his bid for governor in November. He is the only major Democrat with political experience to challenge Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott.

ORourke previously came within two percentage points of the incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. He then jumped into the crowded Democratic presidential primary in March 2019, before suspending his campaign eight months later.

What Beto ORourke needs to do is try to reassemble some of that 2018 coalition that almost defeated Ted Cruz. So that means going after younger voters, going after people with more education, going after the big cities, Smith said. He also said ORourke will need to swing independents if he wants to beat Abbott.

Hes got to find new voters and convince people that Governor Abbott isnt right for Texas.

ORourke sat down with Nexstars Maggie Glynn for his first TV interview to discuss his bid. You can find the full transcript here.

Rich Wakeland

Aside from being listed as a candidate on the Texas Secretary of State website, and being named in a Texas Democratic Party candidate congratulations news release, Wakeland does not appear to have an official campaign website or official social media channels.

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Meet the candidates for Texas governor 2022 - KXAN.com

Former Nassau leader criticizes her own party

In November, Laura Curran, a Democrat, lost her bid to be reelected Nassau County executive. Now she is taking aim at her own party and even took a swipe at the White House.

NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. - Former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat, criticized her own party in a Fox News interview over the weekend.

Curran attributed her election loss to the so-called red wave that swept many Dems out of office on Long Island. She has been highly critical of her party and its progressive policies, even going as far as comparing the Biden administration to "elder abuse."

"[Biden] has a hard time putting a sentence together," she said in an interview. "I think everyone gets nervous listening to him talk, that he's going to mess up."

Political consultant Michael Dawidziak called the ousted county exec's move a rallying cry and said she paid the price for the Democrats who drifted too far to the left on a Washington and Albany level.

"They're clearly heading into the midterm elections in crisis mode and there's no leadership at the top to make the party more successful," Dawidziak said.

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But Jay Jacobs disagrees. The Democratic chair of New York state and Nassau County said he believes the party is going to come back strong. While he wasn't surprised by Curran's tone, he called what she said inappropriate.

"I don't think the voters really voted against Laura Curran particularly in this election," he said. "I think they stayed home."

Jacobs is also hoping to convince Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi into staying where he is instead of challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul in the Democratic primary. Jacobs said Suozzi's campaign would ultimately give Republicans a chance to take a swing seat they've been vying for.

While there are more Democrats than Republicans across Long Island, experts say it is a meaningless statistic if they don't turn out to vote.

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Ousted Long Island Democrat slams her own party - FOX 5 NY

Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, a Democrat, said on Tuesday he fears the far lefts impact on midterms this November.

"It has nothing to do with being Republican or Democrat. Its about selling a product and knowing your customer," Levine told "Fox & Friends" host Ainsley Earhardt.

2022 MIDTERMS: WILL A RED WAVE OVERCOME A BLUE WALL?

In an op-ed published by the New York Post, Levine pointed to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, arguing his campaign is an example of a successful model for Democrats.

"Eric Adams ran a very progressive primary yet he ran as a radical centrist. I love that term. He came out and he said listen Im pro-police and pro-business and pro-people, but Im not going to live in a city thats running wild, and he won. He won the primary, and now he is moving forward. I think he serves as a model for Democrats across the country," said Levine.

Mayor-elect Eric Adams speaks during an announcement at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Adams announced his appointments of Lisa Flores as director of the Mayor's Office of Contract Services and Marjorie Landa as director of the newly-created Mayor's Office of Risk Management and Compliance. He also said that new COVID pandemic policy will be announced after he takes office on January 1, 2022. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Meantime, the chairs of the two GOP congressional reelection committees sound very confident that Republicans will win back majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate in the 2022 midterms.

"Were going to take back the Senate, absolutely," Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, vowed in an interview with Fox News two months ago.

And National Republican Congressional Committee chair Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota told Fox News a couple months ago, "Mark my words: Republicans will enter the 118th Congress with a majority and a record-breaking class of diverse members."

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Democrats are hoping to defend their razor-thin majorities in both chambers in this years midterm elections, but theyre facing historical headwinds and are dealing with an unfavorable political environment accentuated by President Bidens flagging poll numbers.

Levine, who was mayor from 2013 to 2017 and ran for governor in 2018, said the Democrats need to sell a product that appeals to the center of the party.

"We dont want the Democratic Party to go the way of Blockbuster Video. We need to get back to really truly being in the middle of the road for all Americans in order to win. Progressives can win districts but centrists win states and in order to become president, or to win statewide, you need to win a state."

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Democrat former mayor warns left of 2022 election wipeout: 'Don't want to go the way of Blockbuster Video' - Fox News

This year, theBiden administration joined manyin the United States in criticizing the mass disqualification of 583 candidates in Iran by the Guardian Council. The Iranian elections (like elections in other countries likeChinaandVenezuela) are democratic only in the most artificial sense: You can freely vote from a pre-selected list of candidates.

Electoral disqualification systems are generally anathema to democratic values, but some in the United States are now toying with the idea for the 2022 or 2024 elections. While more modest than the Iranian model, the Democratic calls for disqualification are just as dangerous. What is most maddening is that this anti-democratic effort is cloaked in democratic doublespeak.

This week, Democratic lawyer Marc Eliaspredictedthat 2022 would bring a renewed interest in qualifying Republican members from office based on an obscure Civil War-era provision. Elias the former Hilary Clinton campaign general counsel is awell-known figure in Washington. Elias has founded aself-described pro-democracy groupthat challenges Republican voting laws and pledges that will shape our elections and democratic institutions for years to come.

In the age of rage, nothing says democracy like preventing people from running for office.

Elias and others are suggesting that rather than defeat Republicans at the polls Democrats in Congress could disqualify the Republicans for supporting or encouraging the Jan. 6 insurrection. Last year, Democratic members called for the disqualification of dozens of Republicans. One,Rep. Bill PascrellWilliam (Bill) James PascrellDemocrats' loose talk of 'disqualification' still dangerous Ukraine president, US lawmakers huddle amid tensions with Russia Democrats gain edge from New Jersey Redistricting Commission-approved maps MORE (D-N.J.)demanded the disqualification of the120 House Republicans including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthyCheney: Republicans who stuck by Trump 'will not be judged well by history' Twitter's Marjorie Taylor Greene ban fuels GOP attackson 'Big Tech' Democrats' loose talk of 'disqualification' still dangerous MORE(R-Calif.) for simply signing a Friend of the Court brief (oramicus brief) in support of an election challenge from Texas.

These members and activists have latched upon the long-dormant provision in Section 3 of the 14thAmendment the disqualification clause which was written after the39th Congress convened in December 1865 and many members were shocked to see Alexander Stephens, the Confederate vice president, waiting to take a seat with an array of other former Confederate senators and military officers.

Justin Reade of the North Carolina Supreme Court laterexplained, [t]he idea [was] that one who had taken an oath to support the Constitution and violated it, ought to be excluded from taking it again.So, members drafted a provision that declared that No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.

By declaring the Jan. 6thriot an insurrection, some Democratic members of Congress and liberal activists hope to bar incumbent Republicans from running. Even support for court filings is now being declared an act of rebellion. HouseSpeaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiHillicon Valley Twitter's Greene ban boosts GOP attacks Cheney: Republicans who stuck by Trump 'will not be judged well by history' Capitol Police chief says he doesn't expect security threats on Jan. 6 anniversary MORE (D-Calif.) helped fuel this movement before Jan. 6 even occurred by declaring thatthe Republicans supporting election challenges were subverting the Constitution by their reckless and fruitless assault on our democracy which threatens to seriously erode public trust in our most sacred democratic institutions, and to set back our progress on the urgent challenges ahead.

Jan. 6was a national tragedy. Ipublicly condemnedPresident TrumpDonald TrumpMissouri state GOP lawmaker resigns for Florida consulting job Trump to attend fundraiser for midterm candidates Biden meatpacking reforms lack punch, say critics MOREs speech that day while it was being given and I denounced the riot as a constitutional desecration. However, it has not been treated legally as an insurrection. Those charged for their role in the attack that day are largelyfacing trespass and other less serious charges rather than insurrection or sedition. Thats because this was a riot that was allowed to get out of control by grossly negligent preparations by Capitol Police and congressional officials. While the FBI launched a massive national investigation, itdid not find evidence of an insurrection.

With an ominous mid-term election approaching, much of the effort among Democrats on the Hill and in the media has been to keep the enmity alive from Jan. 6. In what seemed almost a hopeful plea, the New York Times recently declared Every Day is Now Jan. 6. It made this tragedy sound like the political equivalent of a year-round Christmas store: Every day should involve a renewed gift ofreminiscenceand rage.

The saddest aspect of this politicization of the Jan. 6 riotis that many of us wanted a full, transparent, and apolitical investigation. House Republicans rejected that idea, but there remain many questions to be answered which has not happened. Instead, we have an effort to encode the notion of an actual insurrection through mantra-like repetition.

The Constitution fortunately demands more than proof by repetition. In this case, it requires an actual rebellion. The clause Democrats are citing was created in reference to a real Civil War in whichover 750,000 people died in combat. The confederacy formed a government, an army, a currency, and carried out diplomatic missions.

Conversely, Jan. 6was a protest that became a riot.

That is not meant to diminish the legitimate outrage over the day. It was reprehensible but only a rebellion in the most rhetorical sense.

More importantly, even if you adopt a dangerously broad definition of insurrection or rebellion, members of Congress who supported challenging the electoral votes (as Democrats have done in prior years) were exercising constitutionally protected speech.

Moreover, the Democrats cannot simply use their razor-thin majority to disqualify opponents willy-nilly. Punishments likeexpulsions take two-thirds votes, and any disqualifications can be challenged in the court.

Indeed, not long after ratificationin 1869, Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase ruled in acircuit opinion that the clause was not self-executing. He suggested that allowing Congress to simply bar political opponents from office would be a form of punishment without due process and would likely violate the prohibition on bills of attainder.

As Democrats push to federalize elections and negate the laws in a couple dozen states, figures like Elias are now suggesting that Republicans could also be listed as rebels and barred from the ballot. Congress would then control not just how states conduct their elections but even who can appear on such ballots.

The renewed calls for disqualifications may be simply reckless rhetoric timed for the anniversary of the riot. After all, every day would not be Jan. 6without the requisite rage. However, it is reason not rage that we need right now.

A recent poll showed thatone in three Americansbelieves that violence against the government can be justified. It often seems like some want to trigger an actual rebellion by disenfranchising parts of our population. The fact is that there are people who traffic and profit in rage, and we are all the poorer for it.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. You can find his updates on Twitter@JonathanTurley.

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Democrats' loose talk of 'disqualification' still dangerous | TheHill - The Hill

Lawmakers are set to return to Washington with a full legislative plate after punting some of their biggest priorities into 2022.

Democrats are poised to dive directly into two big fights President Bidens sweeping spending plan and voting rights legislation putting a spotlight back on intraparty divisions that dominated the end of last year.

Other deadlines, like funding the government, are also looming. And coloring all of the legislative fights is the growingpull of the midterm elections, which typically dampen the chances for major legislation. Democrats are under pressure to pass big priorities amid uncertaintyover who will control Congress after this year.

Here are five things on Congresss to-do list for the start of 2022:

Build Back Better revival

Democrats are vowing to find a way to resuscitate at least part of a roughly $2 trillion climate and social spending bill after Sen. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinManchin floats modest Senate rules changes Overnight Energy & Environment Manchin raises hopes on climate spending Joe Manchin stood up for West Virginia values MORE (D-W.Va.) put it in the deep freeze.

Manchin after weeks of signaling concerns about the House-passed bill but refusing to give it a direct cut announced his opposition during a Fox News Sunday interview on Dec. 19 and then doubled down during a West Virginia radio interview warning that Democrats had miscalculated if they though they could pressure him into supporting the sweeping legislation.

I'm not from where they're from, and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they'll be submissive, period," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerThe Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Altria - Winter is here for Democrats Schumer ramps up filibuster fight ahead of Jan. 6 anniversary Corporations, politicians and new tax incentives support carbon mitigation investments MORE (D-N.Y.), facing pressure from within his own caucus, is pledging to force a vote in early January on a revised version of the House-passed bill. Democrats are using the budget rules to avoid a GOP filibuster, but theyll still need total unity from all 50 of their members, including Manchin, in order to start a debate.

But Democrats are also in negotiations and floating ways to potentially scale back the bill so that it would include a smaller number of programs that would be funded for a longer period of time.

If Democrats go smaller, theyll need to make painful decisions about jettisoning some of their pet priorities that are likely to hit serious roadblocks outside of the budget rules, given the 60-vote threshold required for most legislation.

One of the biggest sticking points is over the child tax credit. Democrats, as part of a coronavirus relief bill passed in March, included a beefed-up child tax credit through 2021.

Manchins recent offer to the White House didnt include the child tax credit, which is viewed as a must-have for both the administration and many of his colleagues.

Voting rights and filibuster reform

After months of grumbling over the rules, and growing pressure from both activists and Senate Democrats, Schumer is poised to bring a fight over voting rights and changing the Senates filibuster rule to a head.

In a letter to his caucus, the Senate Democratic leader said he would bring voting legislation to the floor in January and that if it is blocked by Republicans, the Senate will then consider changes to any rules which prevent us from debating and reaching final conclusion on important legislation.

Republicans have used the 60-vote legislative filibuster to block several voting and election bills, arguing that they would federalize elections. Thats fueled frustration from outside groups and members of Schumers own caucus who want the majority leader to outline a plan for how Democrats will pass legislation as state legislatures debate new voting rules.

Schumer hasnt publicly endorsed specific rules changes, but hes made it increasingly clear that hes ready to make changes in an effort to restore the Senate.

A group within the Senate Democratic Caucus, including Sens. Angus KingAngus KingSchumer ramps up filibuster fight ahead of Jan. 6 anniversary Schumer vows Senate rules change vote by Jan. 17 if GOP blocks voting rights Democratsreturn with lengthy to-do list MORE (I-Maine), Jon TesterJonathan (Jon) TesterSchumer ramps up filibuster fight ahead of Jan. 6 anniversary Schumer vows Senate rules change vote by Jan. 17 if GOP blocks voting rights Democratsreturn with lengthy to-do list MORE (D-Mont.) and Tim KaineTimothy (Tim) Michael KaineOvernight Health Care Presented by AstraZeneca and Friends of Cancer Research Biden seeks to alleviate omicron concerns On the Money Dems pivot from Biden spending plan Tim Kaine reaches Capitol after being stranded on I-95 for nearly 27 hours MORE (D-Va.), have been working on a proposal for how to change the Senates filibuster rule. Those ideas include implementing a talking filibuster, creating a carveout from the filibuster for voting rights legislation or changing the number of votes required to break a filibuster from 60 yes votes to 41 no votes.

But to change the rules without GOP support, Democrats would need total unity from within their 50-member caucus, and so far they dont have it. Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaManchin floats modest Senate rules changes On the Money Dems pivot from Biden spending plan Schumer vows Senate rules change vote despite 'uphill fight' MORE (D-Ariz.) have backed keeping the 60-vote hurdle, though Manchin has been taking part in private talks and Sinema has called for a public debate on the rules.

Schumer, however, is warning that he could make the Senate vote on a rules change even if it is destined to fail, a pressure tactic that would put senators on the record and fire up his partys base.

I believe our constituents deserve to know which Senators choose to hide behind ill-conceived and abused rules and which Senators prefer to restore Senate floor procedures to better align with the Founders intentions, he wrote.

Nord Stream 2 sanctions

As part of a deal struck with Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzCruz: GOP will have 'multiple grounds to consider' for Biden impeachment if it wins House Judge blocks Pentagon from taking 'any adverse action' against sailors who have refused vaccine Will Putin sink Biden? MORE (R-Texas) to clear dozens of Biden nominees before Christmas, the Senate will vote on sanctions related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which carries natural gas from Russia to Germany.

The pipeline has sparked bipartisan pushback in Congress, but also headaches for the administration as Cruz kept holds for months on Bidens State Department nominees.

Senators discussed three potential options: a vote on Cruzs bill at 60 votes, a vote on Cruzs bill as an amendment to a larger bill from Sen. Bob MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezThe Hill's Morning Report - Presented by National Industries for the Blind - Manchin says no; White House fires back Democrats mull hardball tactics to leapfrog parliamentarian on immigration Rick Scott says White House hung up on him MORE (D-N.J.) that touches on Nord Stream 2 or competing and separate votes on the Menendez and Cruz bills.

In the end, the Senate agreed to vote on Cruzs bill by Jan. 14, where it will need 60 votes to advance. That means Cruz needs to peel off at least 10 Democrats.

The administration previously pressured Democrats to help block Cruzs amendment when it was offered to a sweeping defense bill in November. But Cruz, according to a source familiar with his thinking, believes he wins the January vote even with the higher threshold.

The vote comes at a precarious time for the administration, as Russia has beefed up its military presence along its border with Ukraine, raising fears of another invasion.

Funding the government

After Congress clears its January schedule, they will run almost immediately into another deadline to fund the government and preventa Valentine's week shutdown.

Lawmakers have until Feb. 18 to fund the government after passing a short-term stopgap bill in early December.

The top four appropriators Sens. Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph LeahyThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Sen. Kaine, drivers stranded in I-95 backup Senate delays vote as DC hit by snowstorm Democratsreturn with lengthy to-do list MORE (D-Vt.) and Richard ShelbyRichard Craig ShelbyJessica Taylor drops out of Alabama Senate race Republicans say Mayorkas failed to deliver report on evacuated Afghans Democratsreturn with lengthy to-do list MORE (R-Ala.) and Reps. Rosa DeLauroRosa DeLauroDemocratsreturn with lengthy to-do list With soaring demand for meat, it's time to fund animal-free protein research Manchin undercuts Biden, leaving his agenda in limbo MORE (D-Conn.) and Kay GrangerNorvell (Kay) Kay GrangerDemocratsreturn with lengthy to-do list Lobbying world Two women could lead a powerful Senate spending panel for first time in history MORE (R-Texas) have met or spoken recently about how to break a months-long stalemate and make progress on full-year funding bills.

But so far theyve yet to hit a breakthrough, raising the prospect that Congress could need to use another stopgap, which continues funding at current levels, to get them deeper into 2022.

Republicans have warned that without a deal, Congress could need to accept a full-year continuing resolution, which would fund the government through Sept. 30. But Democrats have been loath to put that option on the table and, in a bid to talk down Republicans, warned that it would negatively impact the Pentagon.

Iraq War authorization

The Senate is expected to turn back to a years-long push to nix the military authorizations for the Iraq wars after hopes of a vote this year hit procedural stumbling blocks.

Kaine and Sen. Todd YoungTodd Christopher YoungDemocratsreturn with lengthy to-do list Don't just delay student debt, prevent it Senate confirms Rahm Emanuel to be ambassador to Japan MORE (R-Ind.) had expected to get a vote on their proposal which would repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force as part of a sweeping defense bill.

But amendment votes ran directly into a brick wall when Sen. Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioTesla criticized for opening showroom in China's Xinjiang province Will Putin sink Biden? Democratsreturn with lengthy to-do list MORE (R-Fla.) blocked votes on a package of 25 amendments, including the Kaine-Young one, over a push to get his own legislation either voted on as an amendment or passed in the House.

Amid the stalemate, the Senate scrapped passing its own version of the defense bill and instead took up a compromise worked out between leaders on the House and Senate Armed Services committees. That did not include the repeal of the Iraq War authorizations.

Schumer hasnt yet said how he will bring the bill to the floor, but Kaine and Young have the 60 votes needed to break a likely GOP filibuster.

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Democrats return with lengthy to-do list | TheHill - The Hill

Laura Ingraham outlined the three-step plan that the left is following to sell the narrative that the Republican Party threatens democracy in Tuesday's opening monologue of "The Ingraham Angle."

Democrats have "decided to run on only one thing: Jan. 6," Ingraham said. "Now, unless Trump and others are put in handcuffs, democracy as we know it will end."

TRUMP CANCELS JAN. 6 PRESS CONFERENCE, WILL SPEAK AT JAN. 15 ARIZONA RALLY INSTEAD

To that end, the left follows a three-step plan, beginning with "releas[ing] the media hounds," Ingraham said. Its second step is to "frame any future GOP election wins as proof that democracy is in peril."

The plan's third step is to "change the rules," she added.

As for the first step, Ingraham noted liberal mainstream media's remembrance of Jan. 6, such as The New York Times' recent opinion piece, "Every Day Is Jan. 6 Now."

Ingraham mocked the plan's second step of portraying Republican victories as anti-democratic.

"The party opposed to lockdowns, COVID mandates and our continued dependence on the brutal Chinese regime that's the tyrannical party," she said. "Nice try."

The left's third step, to "change the rules," has a new action item, with Ingraham saying lawyer Marc Elias "is actually floating the possibility of already using an obscure Civil War-era law to disqualify any Republican candidate who questioned the 2020 election results."

"But this would require establishing that such individuals supported an actual insurrection," Ingraham added.

Left-wing politicians have also advocated ballot harvesting, vote-by-mail, early voting, no voter identification requirements and changing the filibuster.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., whose constituents include Big Tech in Silicon Valley, said: "We need to do much better in terms of regulations on misinformation and disinformation."

"So the party of democracy, ladies and gentlemen, you just heard it," Ingraham replied. "They're going to let you say whatever you want so long as it doesn't contradict them in any way."

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The host noted the irony of an anti-American party that has defamed the United States branding itself as a "[defender] of American democracy."

"They're not afraid of losing democracy," she concluded. "They're afraid of losing power. It's all a big lie, and it's designed to scare you."

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Democrats harping on Jan. 6 to push lie that GOP threatening democracy: Ingraham - Fox News

Cher said Tuesday that she is desperate for Democrats to go on full-tilt and just run around with their hair on fire.

I know its not the nice thing to do or the genteel thing to do. But, you know, times a wasting, guys, and somebodys got to light a fire, the Grammy Award-winning music icon told MSNBC anchor Lawrence ODonnell.

Cher also had some criticism for former President Donald Trump, who shes frequently taken to task on Twitter.

When asked if shed ever encountered anyone like Trump, Cher replied:

Well, babe, Ive encountered some junk people and some people just the worst things, just think of a whole bunch of adjectives. But Ive never encountered anyone (like Trump). They pale in comparison. You know, the people I know, they couldnt even Hes like a horse of a different color.

Watch the interview here:

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Cher Really Doesn't Think Democrats Are Being Strong Enough, No - HuffPost