Bernie Sanders Doubles Down on Defense of Fidel Castro, Communism

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‘He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing? ‘…

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders doubled down on comments he made in the 1980s when he praised the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, arguing he still supports some elements of Cuba’s communist regime.

In an interview with “60 Minutes,” Sanders admitted his campaign is “very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba,” before adding: “But it’s unfair to say that everything is bad.”

“When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing? Even though Fidel Castro did it?” Sanders explained.

Sanders’s comments were made in response to a question about a speech he made in 1986, in which he blasted the U.S.’s efforts to prevent the spread of communism in Cuba.

“I remember, for some reason or another, being very excited when [former Cuban dictator] Fidel Castro made the revolution in Cuba,” he said, while speaking at the University of Vermont in 1986. “I was a kid … and it just seemed right and appropriate that poor people were rising up against rather ugly rich people.”

Sanders added in his speech that he wanted to “puke” when former President John F. Kennedy and his Republican opponent, former President Richard Nixon, both said the U.S. should be tougher on Cuba.

“For the first time in my adult life, what I was seeing is the Democrats and Republicans … clearly that there really wasn’t a whole lot of difference between the two,” Sanders said at the time.

Republicans were quick to condemn Sanders’s open defense of Castro’s brutal and totalitarian regime.

ICE Chief Decries NY Law That Blocks Access to DMV Database

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‘I can think of no law that would be more dangerous to our officers and our agents…’

High-Tax Blue States LOSE Lawsuit Over GOP Federal Tax Reform
Andrew Cuomo/Photo by zrs_one (CC)

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) The Trump administration’s top immigration official implored the State of New York to reverse its Green Light Law, which prohibits state and local law enforcement officials from sharing motor vehicle data with immigration authorities.

The Green Light Law puts on-the-ground agents in danger, said Matthew Albence, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Joined by dozens of state and local law enforcement officials, Albence urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers to reverse the law.

“It is dangerous to the public, and it is dangerous to our officers and agents who are currently at a greater risk of harm because they lack access to this data,” Albence said during a press conference. “In fact, short of taking our guns away, I can think of no law that would be more dangerous to our officers and our agents.”

The law also allows illegal immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses, which unnecessarily endangers lawful citizens, Albence said, according to the Democrat & Chronicle.

Albence explained that access to motor vehicle information can make all the difference when an officer or agent is tracking a suspect and needs real time data.

Immigration officials aren’t asking New York to hand over a list of illegal immigrants, Albence said.

“We do targeted enforcement actions,” he continued. “I don’t need the state of New York to tell me who is here illegally and who is not. That’s what we’re trained to do, that’s what our jobs are.”

In response to Cuomo’s refusal to take action, the Department of Homeland Security blocked New York residents from applying for Trusted Traveler programs, which allow vetted citizens to quickly pass through security check lanes at border checkpoints and in airports.

Cuomo then turned around and accused the federal government of trying to “extort” New York into changing its law.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY, issued a statement in support of Albence and the federal immigration officials “who continue to share their concerns” about Cuomo’s Green Light Law.

“Today, law enforcement officers were extremely clear,” she said. “The Green Light Law will result in injury or worse to ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol officers who are trying to do their job to keep our communities safe by stopping human and drug trafficking across our border and heinous crimes against children.”

Rashida Tlaib Rants About Census’ Ethnic Options: ‘I Am Not White’

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‘Director, we need to get it right because I am not white…’

Could Pelosi Pick 'Squad' Member as Next Oversight Committee Chair?
Rashida Tlaib / IMAGE: Time via Youtube

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., accused the U.S. Census Bureau and its director, Steven Dillingham, of “erasing” Middle Eastern and North African immigrants.

During a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, Tlaib asked Dillingham why the 2020 census does not include a “Middle Eastern/North African” option as an ethnic category.

“Do I look white to you?” Tlaib, who is Palestinian American, exclaimed.

Dillingham began to explain that there is a write-in option for those who can’t find their ethnicity among the listed categories, but Tlaib quickly cut him off and said that forcing minorities to “circle white” on the census diminishes their “lived experience as a person of color.”

Tlaib then cited an Obama-era study which suggested the census include a “Middle Eastern/North African” option, and accused the Trump administration of trying to make her “invisible” by ignoring that recommendation.

“They went through the process, and they got it approved. And this administration decided to ignore them and make them invisible again,” she said. “Right? That is what you are doing, you’re making us invisible. No, the continued absence of this ethnic category contributes to erasing us.”

Tlaib then reiterated that she is not white.

“Director, we need to get it right because I am not white. I’m not. And I don’t try to say to others that you should be this or that. But when I sit on this form and I look at it, I don’t see myself represented on this form. And I think that’s a huge issue for people like me.”

When Dillingham suggested that her concerns could be taken into consideration for the 2030 census, Tlaib snapped: “It’s too late.”

Harry Reid: Democratic Nominee Must Win a Majority, Not a Plurality

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‘I think that we have to let the system work its way out…’

Former Sen. Harry Reid has Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer
Harry Reid/Photo by Center for American Progress Action Fund (CC)

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pushed back on Bernie Sanders’s argument that a “plurality” of pledged delegates would be enough to win the Democratic Party’s nomination.

“Here is how I feel about this: I do not think that anybody — Bernie Sanders or anyone else — should simply get the nomination because they have 30 percent of the delegates and no one else has that many,” Reid told the Washington Post.

The Democratic nominee must win 50% of the vote, or at least 1,991 delegates, Reid said. The longtime Democrat admitted last week that this might prove difficult given the many candidates still in the running, but then suggested that a brokered convention, in which party bosses or delegates decide the nominee in floor fights or negotiations, wouldn’t be “the end of the world.”

“Let’s say that [Sanders] has 35%. Well, 65% he doesn’t have, or that person doesn’t have. I think that we have to let the system work its way out,” Reid explained. “I do not believe anyone should get the nomination unless they have 50%-plus-one.”

Reid maintained that a brokered convention is still unlikely.

“A lot of this will work its way out. A lot people in the race still, but they’ll be dropping off quick, because the money is running out. So I think you’re going to have the field winnowing fairly quickly,” he said.

Reid also suggested that the Democratic candidates might team up with each other at some point.

“And you have most of the people who are not Bernie Sanders, are people who are moderates, and maybe they’ll work something out to get together and try to find that one person who can come up with the number of delegates. Maybe that’s one way to do it,” he said.

Hillary Clinton Presents Lifetime Achievement Award to ‘God-Like’ RBG

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‘How can you not choose her?’…

Justice Ginsburg, Recovering From Surgery, Misses Her 1st Oral Argument at Supreme Court
Ruth Bader Ginsburg/IMAGE: CBS via YouTube

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was awarded the DVF Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award this week for promoting gender equality and supporting women’s issues, and she was given the award by none other than failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The event is normally held in New York City, but they transferred the location so Ginsburg could attend the ceremony.

“I was so excited to give the lifetime award to Justice Ginsburg that I thought we should make the effort and we should go do it in D.C.,” Diane von Furstenberg told The Hollywood Reporter. Furstenberg later added: “I’m so happy we did; it’s the least we can do. It’s actually given us the idea that we can make these awards travel; they don’t have to only be in New York.”

When asked why she decided to honor Ginsburg, the designer said, “How can you not choose her? It’s like choosing God. I’ve always respected her and admired her and loved her, and we all pray for her to live a really long time.”

When presenting the award to Ginsburg, Clinton praised the Supreme Court Justice for “advancing the rights of women and girls,” which she said is “the great unfinished business of the 21st century.”

“Every step of the way throughout her career, she has sent a clear message that women belong in all places that decisions are being made,” Clinton said.

Clinton also claimed that she had been the subject of gender discrimination and that Ginsburg’s work helped her get through the roadblocks she faced.

“I couldn’t get a credit card in my name, even though I made more money than my husband — a common experience throughout our marriage,” Clinton quipped.

Ginsburg later addressed the event and said she is “an optimist for the future.”

“Change comes from a groundswell of ordinary people, like-minded people who join together to get things done,” she said. “And men have to be part of the effort.”

Utah Republicans Send Thank-You Note to Trump as Rebuke of Romney

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‘As elected representatives of Utah’s citizens, we commend the President for his accomplishments…’

Trump Trolls Dems Debating in Nev. at His Own Arizona Rally
Donald Trump in Phoenix/IMAGE: YouTube

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Utah’s state House and Senate issued a citation thanking President Trump on behalf of the state’s citizens, just weeks after Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, voted to impeach Trump.

The citation was sent directly to the White House and did not require a presentation on the floor of the House or Senate, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, and it was intended to be a direct response to Romney’s vote.

Some Utah Republicans originally considered censuring Romney, but both chambers decided a subtle rebuke would be better placed. A citation is similar to a resolution, but it doesn’t require debate or amendment.

The citation states the U.S. economy has “grown steadily” under Trump’s administration, and specifically notes how Utah’s economy “has greatly benefited from the Trump administration’s economic policies,” according to KSL.com.

Trump’s tax cuts were also mentioned, as well as his “tenacious” appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal judges “whose judicial philosophy is consistent with Utah values.”

“Now therefore be it resolved the Utah State Legislature expresses appreciation and gratitude for President Trump’s many accomplishments during his first term as President of the United States,” the citation states. “As elected representatives of Utah’s citizens, we commend the President for his accomplishments.”

Utah Democrats, however, were critical of the citation and blasted the Republicans for sending it to Trump without a debate or vote in the state’s legislature first.

“The citation fails to mention the Administration’s many problematic issues, policies, and attitudes that have hurt Utahns, particularly around issues dealing with air quality, refugees, immigrants, education, disregarding the protection of our public lands, and growing our national deficit,” the House Minority Caucus said in a statement, according to Fox-13.

Democrats went so far as to accuse the Utah GOP of breaking House rules. But the state’s Republicans remain unconcerned with the Democrats’ complaints.

“I think he’s a great president,” the state’s Senate President Stuart Adams said of Trump. “I hope we can move forward.”

Pocahontas Flip-Flops, Accepts Super PAC Help in Desperate Attempt to Save Campaign

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‘It can’t be the case that a bunch of people keep them and only one or two don’t…’

Elizabeth Warren Lost for Words When Stephen Colbert Asks about Middle-Class Tax Hike
Elizabeth Warren/IMAGE: CBS via YouTube

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Elizabeth Warren suddenly reversed her opposition to super PACs this week as she struggles to keep her presidential campaign afloat.

Warren, who publicly denounced big money donations and super PACs earlier in the campaign, admitted this week that she is accepting help from them.

When confronted about the flip-flop, Warren suggested that sexism is to blame.

“We reached the point a few weeks ago that all the men who were still in this race and on the debate stage all had either super PACs or they were multibillionaires and could just, you know, rummage around in their sock drawers to find enough money to be able to fund a campaign,” Warren admitted.

Earlier this month, however, Warren blasted her Democratic opponents for tapping into “unlimited spending.”

“Yeah, except everyone on this stage except Amy [Klobuchar] and me is either a billionaire or is receiving help from PACs that can do unlimited spending,” she said during the New Hampshire presidential debate. “So if you really want to live where you say, then put your money where your mouth is, and say no to the PACs.”

Warren’s campaign website still says she “rejects the help of Super PACs and would disavow any Super PAC formed to support her in the Democratic primary.”

Yet she did not resist the Persist PAC’s $800,000 media buy in Nevada on Tuesday, in large part because of her campaign’s failure to make a strong showing in the first two primary states.


“If all the candidates want to get rid of super PACs, count me in. I’ll lead the charge. But that’s how it has to be. It can’t be the case that a bunch of people keep them and only one or two don’t,” she said.

Former ‘Throuple’ Rep. Katie Hill Blames ‘Biphobia’ for Pushing Her Out of Office

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‘A huge part of it — there’s a fantasy element of it…’

REPORT: Freshman Democrat Cheated on Husband w/ Multiple Staffers
Katie Hill/Photo by Gage Skidmore (CC)

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Former Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., who resigned after it was discovered that she had a sexual relationship with a subordinate in violation of House ethics rules, blamed “biphobia” for pushing her out of office.

Hill told ABC News that she “made the right call” by stepping down from Congress, but claimed that the reaction to her alleged affair would not have been as negative if she was a straight man.

“The bisexuality is a huge part of it — there’s a fantasy element of it,” Hill said. “There’s biphobia that is rampant still, and certainly a misunderstanding of what bisexuality is.”

Hill once again denied that she engaged in a sexual relationship with a staffer while in office, but admitted she had an “inappropriate” relationship with a campaign staffer before being elected to Congress.

After she initially resigned from Congress, Hill said she was the victim of a “horrible smear campaign” coordinated by “the right-wig media and Republican opponents” and blasted the media publications that published the nude photos released by her ex-husband.

“Many people have nightmares in which they’re naked in public, trapped and trying to escape. In the days leading up to my resignation, my life was just like everyone’s worst nightmare. Millions of people had seen pictures of me naked,” Hill wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times.

Hill told ABC News that it was the circulation of those photos that compelled her to step down more than anything else.

“I did not want to be a liability to my colleagues,” she said. “We knew from the people who had obtained the [explicit] photos that there were hundreds more images and text messages out there that I had no idea what they could be, or taken out of context.”

Ilhan Omar Says Claim She Married Her Brother is ‘Fake News’

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‘The same people who chastise the progressive movement regularly traffic in anti-Muslim smears…’

(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) After a man who claimed to be an old family friend accused Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., of marrying her brother, the Muslim congresswoman slammed the accusation as “fake news” and an “anti-Muslim smear.”

“Paying people to generate fake news stories in order to delegitimize me and those I represent isn’t a good look,” Omar continued. “Desperation is a sad mobilizing tool.”

The Daily Mail reported this week that the man who went on to become Omar’s second husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, was in fact her brother.

Omar wanted to get her brother papers so he could stay in the U.S., explained Abdihakim Osman, a resident of Minneapolis’s Somali community who said he was familiar with Omar’s marriage to Elmi.

“No one knew there had been a wedding until the media turned up the marriage certificate years later,” Osman said.

Omar has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them “disgusting lies.”

But as of January, the FBI was reviewing the claims, according to the New York Post.

Two FBI agents held an hours-long meeting in Minnesota in mid-October with a concerned party who handed over a trove of documents regarding Omar’s 2009 marriage to Elmi, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting.

If Omar did marry her brother, she could be found guilty of committing marriage fraud — a felony offense punishable with a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

Judges Who Blocked NC's Voter ID Law Exhibited Bias, Should Have Recused Themselves

Joshua Paladino
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‘Judges are explicitly prohibited from doing this, according to their own rules…’

U.S. court puts Obamacare case on hold until Trump takes office
Photo by bloomsberries (CC)

(Joshua Paladino, Liberty Headlines) After a three-judge panel of the North Carolina Court of Appeals blocked enforcement of the state’s voter ID law on Feb. 18, a conservative group filed an ethics complaint that claims two biased judges should have recused themselves from the case.
The Raleigh-based Civitas Institute said judges Tobias Hampson and John Arrowood explicitly stated their political opposition to voter ID laws in 2018, ABC11 reported.
Before Arrowood and Hampson became judges on the Court of Appeals, they filled out a questionnaire from the People’s Alliance PAC and answered questions regarding four Constitutional amendments that North Carolina’s voters were considering. One of the amendments was a voter ID law.
“I intend to vote against the Voter ID and Judicial Vacancy amendments,” Arrowood responded on the questionnaire.
“I intend to vote no on each of the proposed amendments,” Hampson likewise responded.
Civitas President Donald Bryson said the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission should find that the judges were compromised in their ability to fairly decide the case.
“Judges are explicitly prohibited from doing this, according to their own rules,” he said. “Voters already feel like their voice at the ballot box has been nullified by these judges, now they know they did not even get the fair hearing that the law demands.”
The people of North Carolina decisively approved the Constitutional amendment in 2018 on a ballot referendrum, but both a federal and a state court have overturned that decision because it would allegedly “disproportionately impact African American voters to their detriment.”
North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin said the three-judge panel sided “with democracy,” though the court explicitly rejected the outcome of the democratic process.
All three judges who decided to block the people’s vote are Democrats.
This is the second setback for the voter ID amendment, after a federal court decided that North Carolina could not require voter ID in the state’s March primary elections.

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