Posts Categorized: Politics

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Atlanta Mayor Halts New Construction Around Park to Confront ‘Rapid Gentrification’; Allocates $100M for Affordable Housing

Photo by Paras Griffin#SPORT/Getty Images

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms rushed back to Atlanta after citizens expressed disappointment with her leadership skills on social media.

Citizens and civic leaders complained that Lance Bottoms, 50, was often on the campaign trail with presidential hopeful Joe Biden.

On Monday, Lance Bottoms issued an Administrative Order allocating $100 million to create more affordable housing in Atlanta.

"Building a housing inventory that working families and seniors can afford is a major component of our vision for One Atlanta," she said in a statement. "These new public dollars will further our mission to create a more equitable and affordable city for all those who desire to call Atlanta home."

Also on Monday, Mayor Lance Bottoms issued an executive order cracking down on new construction permits around Westside Park to halt "rapid gentrification" in the area.

The timing of the mayor's orders are no coincidence.

Black leaders complained that gentrification was changing the landscape of Atlanta neighborhoods that have traditionally been overlooked by lenders and real estate investors.

They also complained about the rising crime rate in Atlanta and the surrounding suburbs. They demanded Lance Bottoms leave the Biden campaign trail to deal with the rising crime rate at home.

Fed up with the mayor's frequent absences from the city she was elected to lead, Atlanta activist and businesswoman Sabrina Peterson is organizing an effort to block her reelection.

Mayor Lance Bottoms is pictured above with her husband Derek W. Bottoms at a recent Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

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Stacey Abrams would be ‘honored’ to run for vice president, but ‘no one has asked me’

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Screen grab: YouTube.com

Democrat Stacey Abrams said on "The View" on Monday that she is ready to run for vice president and she hopes to be president of the United States one day.

When asked if she would run for vice president on a Democratic nominee's ticket, she answered, "of course I would be honored to run for vice president with the nominee."

She added it's a "bit disconcerting" to discuss running for vice president because no one in the Democratic field, not even Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, has asked her to team up with them.

"It seems really obnoxious for me to say that out loud since no one has asked me," Abrams said.

"The issue is, as a woman of color, especially as a Black woman, this is an unusual position to be in.... It would be doing a disservice to every woman of color, every woman of ambition, every child who wants to think beyond their known space for me to say 'No,' or to pretend, 'Oh no, I don't want it.' Of course I want it, Of course I want to serve America. Of course I want to be a patriot and do this work, and so I say, 'Yes.'"

Abrams lost the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race to Republican Brian Kemp, and then famously refused to concede the race she lost, questioning the legitimacy of the election results.

She has never held a public office higher than a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives.

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Outrage: Atlantans organize to block Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ reelection while she’s on campaign trail with Biden

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Photos: Getty Images

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has come under fire for hitting the campaign trail with presidential hopeful Joe Biden, while a violent crime wave sweeps the city.

Lance Bottoms made national headlines when she endorsed Biden for president. She hosted Biden's campaign stop in Atlanta, and since then, she has gone on the road to stump for him.

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Screen grab: Instagram.com

A 2019 FBI report shows a spike in the number of violent crimes in Atlanta in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.

Critics blame the Mayor's cash bail reform and her order to end police chases in Atlanta for the spike in violent crimes.

Atlantans question why Lance Bottoms is on the campaign trail with Biden, who is seen as a long run for the Democratic nomination.

Political insiders say Lance Bottoms is on the campaign trail with Biden because her name is on the short list to be Biden's running mate.

Sabrina Peterson, Atlanta socialite and owner of Glam Bar Salon, is organizing volunteers to help block the mayor's reelection. Instagram followers expressed their anger at Lance Bottoms' inaction on crime.

@Kelving2016 wrote: "Still stomping for Biden???? You're going to mess around and lose the mayorship following behind him. I have told you constantly but you refuse to acknowledge. I wish you the best."

And @terrilz wrote "Shouldn't you be governing in Atl. Fixing the enormous crime problem?"

Lance Bottoms narrowly defeated Mary Norwood in a runoff election in 2017.

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Mike Bloomberg Considering Hillary Clinton as His Running Mate

Photo by Mike Coppola/FilmMagic

Mike Bloomberg hopes Hillary Clinton will help give him a leg up in the crowded 2020 Democratic field. Drudgereport.com broke the news that Bloomberg, a tech billionaire and former mayor of NY, is considering picking Clinton as his running mate in the 2020 Democratic race.

Currently, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 78, leads the Democratic field by 10+ points in the polls.

Bloomberg, 77, is said to be considering changing his official residence to one of his homes in Florida or Colorado because the electoral college prevents the president and vice president from residing in the same state.

Photo by Daniel J. Barry/WireImage

Clinton and Bloomberg are pictured attending NY's Gay Pride parade in a photo dated June 2006. Polling indicates the Bloomberg-Clinton ticket would be a "formidable force" in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination, according to London's DailyMail.com.

Clinton is a two-time loser in the presidential elections, having lost to Presidents Obama and Trump in 2008 and 2016 respectively.

Clinton, 72, has previously said she wouldn't rule out being vice president if the Democrats win the election in November.

The ex-first lady and Secretary of State told TV host Ellen Degeneres she would "never say never" to becoming vice president.

Clinton drew a huge round of applause from The Ellen Degeneres Show's audience when she urged voters to kick Trump out of office in November.

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Open Post: Bloomberg: ‘All the Crime’ is in Minority Areas

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Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg wants voters to think he was an unrepentant racist until he decided to run for president of the United States.

Bloomberg is backtracking after he declared minorities were responsible for most of the crime in his jurisdiction when he was mayor.

In recently unearthed audio tapes, the 77-year-old billionaire defended his policy of aggressively policing minority neighborhoods.

In a 2015 speech at the Aspen Institute, Bloomberg said he needed to get guns out of the hands of individuals who are "male, minority, and between the ages of 15 and 25."

He said statistics of violent crimes committed by armed individuals were down during that period because police were ordered to throw young Black males "up against the wall and frisk them."

He admitted "we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods... because that's where all the crime is."

Clips from the speech went viral on Tuesday. President Trump tweeted one of the audio clips, before deleting his tweet. "WOW, BLOOMBERG IS A TOTAL RACIST!" Trump wrote.

Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic

Bloomberg is offering $150 to "influencers", such as pseudo-singer Beyonce, who make positive posts about him on social media and blogs.

"All the money in the world can't undo this," tweeted Trump's re-election campaign manager Brad Parscale, who quoted Bloomberg: "The way you get guns out of the kids' hands is to throw them up against the wall."

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Last week, Bloomberg's camp aired a campaign ad featuring former President Barack Obama endorsing the NY billionaire who, like Obama, favors gun control in minority neighborhoods.

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Trump Deletes Tweet Calling Bloomberg a ‘Total Racist’

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Photos: Getty Images

President Trump deleted a tweet calling presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg a "total racist." Trump posted, then deleted, a tweet along with audio of Bloomberg discussing New York's "stop-and-frisk" policy that reduced violent crimes in his city.

In the war of billionaires, Trump tweeted, then deleted: "WOW, BLOOMBERG IS A TOTAL RACIST!", according to published reports.

Trump rarely ever deletes a tweet. Some political analysts say it is an indication that someone in his inner circle warned him that he went too far.

In a statement to The Wrap, the former New York mayor said, "President Trump's deleted tweet is the latest example of his endless efforts to divide Americans. I inherited the police practice of stop-and-frisk, and as part of our effort to stop gun violence it was overused. By the time I left office, I cut it back by 95%, but I should've done it faster and sooner."

In the audio linked to Trump's tweet, Bloomberg praised the policy and suggested that the majority of the people who were stopped by police were white. He hinted that the perpetrators of violent gun crimes were not white.

"95 percent of your murders, murderers and murder victims, fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops: They are male, minorities 16 to 25. That's true in New York. It's true in virtually every city."

Bloomberg apologized in his statement to The Wrap. "I regret that and I have apologized. I have taken responsibility for taking too long to understand the impact it had on Black and Latino communities."

But Black Twitter noted that Bloomberg, at age 77, is too old to change his racist thought process, now that he is running for president.

Trump's re-election campaign manager, Brad Perscale, also tweeted #BloombergIsaRacist. Perscale did not delete his tweet.

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Student, 21, says Joe Biden insulted her by calling her a ‘lying, dog-faced pony soldier’

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A student says she was humiliated when Joe Biden called her a "lying, dog-faced pony soldier" - an insult that Biden later claimed was a just a joke.

The incident happened during his campaign event in Hampton, New Hampshire on Sunday.

21-year-old Mercer University student Madison Moore asked Biden about his poor performance in last week's Iowa caucus.

Biden, 77, came in third in the voting behind Pete Buttigieg (1) and Bernie Sanders (2).

"How do you explain the performance in Iowa and why should the voters believe that you can win the national election?" Moore asked Biden.

"It's a good question," said Biden. "Number one: Iowa's a Democratic caucus," he said before asking the student, "Have you ever been to a caucus?"

When she nodded yes, Biden said, "No, you haven't. You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier."

Biden's insult was met with nervous laughter from the crowd.

Although Moore is seen laughing in the video footage, she later said she felt humiliated.

"It was kind of humiliating to be called a liar on national TV by the former vice president," the economics student said.

Biden's camp defended their candidate by claiming the line was from a John Wayne film in which an Indian chief turned to Wayne and called him a "lying, dog-faced pony soldier."

But movie historians say no such line was ever uttered in any John Wayne movie.

They think Biden - who likely suffers from dementia - combined several lines from different movies, including 1949's She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and the film Pony Soldier, starring Tyrone Power.

This is just the latest in a long series of goofs and missteps by the Democratic frontrunner.

Biden has been criticized in the past for insulting voters who ask him confrontational questions.

At a campaign event in Iowa in December, Biden called a man a "damn liar" after he brought up his son Hunter's role in the Ukraine scandal.

Iowa was the first state to hold a Democratic caucus.
 

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Senate Votes to ACQUIT Trump in Historic Impeachment Trial

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The Senate acquitted President Trump by a majority vote on both articles of impeachment on Wednesday. The Senate voted 52-48 not guilty on article 1 and 53-47 not guilty on article 2 of impeachment.

Senators stood at their desks and shouted their verdicts during a roll call vote on Wednesday, Feb. 5. It was only the third impeachment of a sitting President in U.S. history. The others, Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson, were both acquitted in the Senate.

Utah Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, switched sides and voted to convict Trump on the 1st article of impeachment.

Saying "I had to follow my conscience," Romney told Chris Wallace on Wednesday that he decided to vote to convict Trump on abuse of power.

"I believe that the act he took, an effort to corrupt an election is as destructive an attachment on the oath of office and our Constitution as I can image," Romney said.

"It is a high crime and misdemeanor within the meaning of the Constitution, and tat is not a decision I take lightly. It is the last decision I want to take."

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Nancy Pelosi Rips Up Trump’s SOTU Speech; Billy Porter Lashes Out at Anti-LGBT President

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered Trump supporters when she ripped up her copy of President Trump's State of the Union Address before he was done speaking last night.

Pelosi, who is still angry over her failed impeachment bid, tore up Trump's speech after he addressed the nation and the two chambers of Congress on Tuesday night.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Afterwards, Pelosi held up the torn papers to cheers from her fellow Democrats.
 

 
"What is wrong with her?" asked Kellyanne Conway, political counselor to the President. "Who mutters to themselves during the State of the Union?" Conway referred to Pelosi as "an incorrigible child" for ripping up Trump's speech.

In response to criticism that Trump "snubbed" Pelosi, who offered a handshake after he had already turned away from her, Conway said Trump simply didn't see Pelosi's hand.
 

 
Among Trump's critics was openly homosexual actor Billy Porter, who labeled Trump's U.S. presidency as "one of the biggest crises of my lifetime" in his LGBT+ State of the Union address on Tuesday.

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The Pose star's speech for Logo's second annual event came just hours before President Trump delivered his third State of the Union address to the nation.

In his hard-hitting speech, Porter targeted topics such as Trump's ban on transgender people enlisting in the U.S. military, and a rule that allows healthcare professionals to refuse medical procedures to LGBT+ people.

"Last year, I told you that the state of our union is strong,” he began. "While it certainly has been battered, our union is far from broken. Now, in 2020, our responsibility as citizens has been more evident," Porter said.

Urging viewers to use their feet to vote in 2020 to bring an end to Trump's time in the White House, Porter continued:

"Donald J. Trump has painted himself as a friend of the LGBTQ community, while revealing his true colors at every malicious turn. This heinous violence against trans people, which disproportionately affects trans women of color is nothing short of an epidemic. We must confront it as a community and as a country, and we must elect officials who recognize it for the crisis that it is."

Porter concluded: "The fate of the entire country is in the balance. I know it sounds dramatic, but if now is not the time for drama, chile, when is?"

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Senator Mitch McConnell Does NOT Have the Votes to Block Witnesses

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dropped a bombshell on Tuesday as the Senate impeachment trial enters the next phase.

McConnell told fellow senators he does not have enough votes to block new witnesses after Trump's high-powered defense team made their closing arguments on Tuesday.

In the next phase of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, senators will submit written questions. The questions phase can last 2 days.

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McConnell, pictured right with Trump, previously said Trump's Senate impeachment trial would end with a quick acquittal this Friday. But now it seems the Democrats will get their wish to call witnesses to give sworn testimony against Trump.

Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them to subpoena witnesses such as former White House aide John Bolton, whose new book supposedly contains evidence that would undermine Trump's defense that he didn't withhold military aid to Ukraine.

Three Republican senators, including Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, have indicated they will cross the aisle to call witnesses.

The Republicans will most certainly call Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden to testify about the work he performed for Ukraine's energy company Burisma in exchange for $3 million.

But some senators don't believe a call for witnesses will happen.

"I believe that on Friday, when we get to a decision whether we're gonna have witnesses, we're not gonna do it," said Florida Senator Rick Scott on Tuesday.

"I don't believe we're gonna have any witnesses. I think we're gonna listen to the questions, we'll see, uh, and after what happens with that, I believe we'll see no witness."

President Trump was impeached in December for abuse of power for allegedly withholding $391 million in military aid to Ukraine.

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Republican Senators RECONSIDER Calling Witnesses After Bombshell Book Undermines Trump’s Impeachment Defense

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Donald Trump and his legal team worked into the night after a bombshell New York Times article quoted a former White House aid who heard Trump say he would withhold aid to the Ukraine.

At least 2 Republican senators appear to be reconsidering their vote to call witnesses during the Senate impeachment trial.

According to the New York Times article, former National Security Advisor John Bolton confirmed there was a quid pro quo by Trump. Bolton said he heard Trump say he would refuse to releases hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Ukraine unless they helped investigate corruption by former VP Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

But Trump accused Bolton (pictured right) of outright lies. Trump sent out a series of late-night tweets insisting he never had that conversation with Bolton or adviser Rudy Giuliani. The president said Bolton made up the allegations to sell books.

House Democrats declined to call Bolton to testify during the House impeachment hearings in December. But House impeachment managers insist Republican senators should call Bolton to hear his crucial testimony.

According to an unpublished manuscript of Bolton's new book, Trump said he would freeze military aid to Ukraine unless it helped investigate the Bidens.

Democrats need at least 4 senators to vote with them to call new witnesses to testify.

Two GOP senators, including Maine Senator Susan Collins, have indicated they will reconsider their decisions not to call witnesses.

The Senate trial was scheduled to wrap up on Friday, but the shocking new developments may extend the trial for weeks.

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Senate Impeachment Trial Day 2 Recap: Schiff Pleads With Senators to Remove ‘Corrupt’ Trump Before He Steals 2020 Election

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

House impeachment managers made their opening statements on day 2 of Donald Trump's impeachment trial on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

The 7 House Democrat impeachment managers are pictured (L-R) Rep. Jason Crow, of Colorado; Val Demings, of Florida; Sen. Adam Schiff, of California; Rep. Sylvia Garcia, of Texas; Rep. Zoe Lofgren, of California; Rep. Jerrold "Jerry" Nadler, of NY; and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, of NY.

Tuesday's opening session drew 11 million TV viewers. Republicans seemed uninterested and bored as lead manager Schiff pleaded for help removing "corrupt" President Trump from office on Wednesday.

President Trump is on trial for abuse of power and obstruction of justice. He was impeached by House Democrats in December.

Now it's the Senate's turn to either vote to remove Trump from office or acquit him of all charges.

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff invoked the founding fathers and quoted Alexander Hamilton in his lengthy opening statement.

As Schiff's opening statement dragged on, some Republican Senators left their seats and disappeared into the hall.

According to the NY Daily News, at one point, South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham was gone for 30 minutes. Other senators also disappeared for lengthy coffee breaks while Schiff spoke to empty seats.

Democratic senators who sat and listened to 9 hours of opening statements were dismayed and "disheartened" at the lack of interest shown by their Republican counterparts.

"I don't have any insight into what they're thinking, but there are moments in a trial when people vote with their feet," said Delaware Senator Chris Coons.

"Jurors don't get to do that in a real jury. We are acting as if [we're] a jury, and it is somewhat disconcerting to have folks absent for long periods of time."
But Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy begged to differ.

Cassidy, who took two 20-minute breaks, said it wasn't necessary for him to sit there and listen to the same evidence he has already heard.

"If they say something I've not previously heard I write it down. Just new facts, it helps me focus," Cassidy said.

Screenshot: Senate Television via Getty Images

Hakeem Jeffries, who quoted the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., was interrupted by a heckler during his opening statement.

House Democrats hope to convince at least four Republicans to vote with them to allow subpoenas of records and key witnesses including national security advisor John Bolton and White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

Republicans offered a horse-trading deal to allow testimony by Bolton in exchange for authorizing them to subpoena Joe or Hunter Biden.

But Democrats quickly shot down the deal. "That's off the table," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Joe Biden, who was in Iowa speaking to voters on Wednesday, also said no to the deal.

"The reason I would not make the deal, the bottom line is, this is a constitutional issue," Biden said. "We're not going to turn it into a farce or political theater. I want no part of that."

House managers are expected to continue their opening statements on Thursday and Friday. Each side is given 24 hours for opening statements before Trump's legal team is allowed to rebut.

There are rumors that Trump's lawyers may rest their case without any rebuttal. But Trump's legal team denied the rumors.

"There's a lot of things I'd like to rebut," said Trump's top lawyer Jay Sekulow, "and we will rebut."

After the rebuttal, the Senate will vote to acquit or remove the president without calling any witnesses.

President Trump, who is attending the economic forum in Switzerland, is optimistic of a quick acquittal.

"We have a great case," he told reporters.

Trump said he didn't object to Bolton or other witnesses testifying during the Senate trial, but he claimed "national security" concerns might prevent them from doing so.

Trump blocked Bolton and other key witnesses from testifying during the House impeachment hearings in December.

The Senate trial is expected to wrap up next week.

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Senate Impeachment Trial Day 1 Recap: Trial Adjourns at 1:50 AM; Pelosi Slams McConnell’s Trial Rules as ‘Deliberately Designed to Hide the Truth’

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The first full day of Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial adjourned at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday after 13 hours of intense debates.

In December, House Democrats voted to impeach President Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Now it's the Senate's turn to either vote to remove Trump from office or acquit him of all charges.

The Senate passed Mitch McConnell's impeachment trial rules after heated debates on the Senate floor.

McConnell's rules gives each side 24 hours to argue their cases. Then the Senate will quickly vote to either convict or acquit the President of the United States.

The trial is expected to end next week without calling any witnesses.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left) slammed the rules set by Senate Majority Leader McConnell (right), which she claims are a cover-up attempt by President Trump.

Pelosi criticized McConnell's rules as a "dark of night impeachment trial," claiming that he has "misled the American people."

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

In a statement on Tuesday, Pelosi said: "Leader McConnell's process is deliberately designed to hide the truth from the Senate and from the American people."

All 11 of the amendments introduced by the Democrats on the Senate floor were shot down by Republicans on Tuesday.

The Democrats wanted to subpoena key witnesses who have insider knowledge of the phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president last year.

One of the amendments introduced by the Democrats sparked a heated exchange between House Judiciary Committee chief Jerry Nadler and Trump's high-powered legal team.

Nadler accused Trump's lawyers of attempting a cover-up by blocking key witnesses, including Ambassador John Bolton, NBC News reported.

"Will you bring Ambassador Bolton here?" Nadler asked. "Will you permit us to present you with the entire record of the president's misconduct? Or will you instead choose to be complicit in the president's cover-up?"

Nadler further accused "a lot of senators" of "voting for a cover-up... a treacherous vote."

Nadler said Senate Republicans were traitors who should be embarrassed.

His accusations irked Trump's lead attorney Pat Cippolone, who clapped back, saying it's Nadler who should be embarrassed.

"The only one who should be embarrassed, Mr. Nadler, is you for the way you've addressed [the Senators]. This is the United States Senate. You're not in charge here!"

The heated exchange earned a rebuke from Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, who reminded both parties that they are "addressing the world's greatest deliberative body."

Roberts added: "I do think those addressing the Senate should remember where they are!"
The Senate impeachment trial will resume at 1 p.m. Wednesday with opening arguments from House Democrats.

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Adam Schiff says Trump has the right to call witnesses at his impeachment trial – EXCEPT Joe or Hunter Biden

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Photos: Getty Images

President Trump's long-awaited Senate trial is underway on Capitol Hill. After dispensing of pre-trial procedures last week, the Senate opened Trump's impeachment trial on Tuesday. The trial is expected to wrap up as soon as next week.

Trump was impeached by Nancy Pelosi's House Democrats in December for asking the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden for corruption and interfering in the 2016 elections.

High-powered attorneys Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr head Trump's legal team. Starr prosecuted Bill Clinton during his impeachment.

Adam Schiff said Trump has the right to call witnesses, but Schiff warned Trump's high-powered defense team not to call Hunter Biden as a witness.

Schiff, who heads the Democratic managers for the House, insisted that calling Biden as a witness would amount to "abuse".

Republicans accused Biden of using his power to enrich his sons who earned tens of millions of dollars while Biden was vice president to Barack Obama.

"It would not be appropriate for the president to seek to call witnesses merely to try to perpetuate the same smear campaign that was foiled when his plot was discovered," Schiff said in an interview on the CBS Evening News.

"Hunter Biden, for example, can't tell us anything about whether the president withheld military aid, whether he withheld that aid to coerce Ukraine to conduct political investigations or how he wouldn't meet with the president of Ukraine."

Schiff added: That's an illegitimate abuse of the trial. The chief justice, who may have an opportunity to rule on material witnesses, as well as senators should not permit that kind of abuse."

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Bernie Sanders Says Congresswoman Cardi B Would Be Great for America

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Photo: Bernie Sanders campaign

Bernie Sanders is endorsing rapper Cardi B for Congress. The Vermont Senator praised Cardi and said "it would be great" for her to run for Congress.

"Cardi B is deeply concerned about what's happening in the country," Sanders said, according to TMZ.

"She knows what it's like to live in poverty and struggle, and it would be great for her to bring that experience to politics."

Cardi shocked her social media followers when she announced her plans to go back to school and run for Congress.

"I think I want to be a politician," she tweeted on Jan. 12. "I really love government even tho I don't agree with Government."

The "Bodak Yellow" rapper followed up with another tweet:

"I do feel like if I go back to school and focus up I can be part of Congress, I deadass have sooo much ideas that make sense. I just need a couple of years of school and I can shake the table."

Twitter's response to Cardi's post was a mix of ridicule and disbelief. Some Twitter users believe no amount of schooling can help Cardi achieve her political goals.

One teacher corrected the poor grammar and spelling errors in Cardi's tweet.

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Cardi B, 27, is inspired by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 30-year-old former bartender who was elected to Congress in 2018 because most voters in her district stayed home.

Cardi, who was born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, doesn't expect to have that kind of luck, but she thinks she has a chance - and so does her close friend, Sanders, 78.

One roadblock in Cardi's path to Capitol Hill is an assault charge in NYC. Cardi faces prison time for assaulting 2 female bartenders at a strip club in August 2018.

If she is convicted and sentenced to prison - and IF Sanders is elected president - Cardi will need a full presidential pardon in order to run for Congress.

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Cory Booker drops out of presidential race; ‘Now he and Rosario can stop pretending’

Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/POOL

Cory Booker dropped out of the presidential race after former NY mayor Mike Bloomberg passed him in the national polls.

"It's with a full heart that I share this news-- I'm suspending my campaign for president," Booker tweeted on Monday morning.

Booker, 50, withdrew from the race after he learned he was polling at less than 2 percent among Democratic voters. Bloomberg is polling at 6 percent after spending nearly a quarter of his fortune on television advertising. Bloomberg recently dropped $8 million on a 30-second Super Bowl commercial.

President Trump couldn't resist mocking the New Jersey senator in a tweet following Booker's announcement.

"Really Big Breaking News (Kidding)," Trump wrote. "Booker, who is in zero polling territory, just dropped out of the Democrat Presidential Primacy race. Now I can rest easy tonight. I was sooo concerned that I would someday have to go head to head with him!"

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Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images

Twitter users didn't go easy on the senator or his girlfriend, actress Rosario Dawson, 40.

Many Twitter users believe Dawson is Booker's beard. They claim Booker is on the down low and Rosario agreed to help improve his public image as a heterosexual.

"Now they can stop pretending," tweeted one user.

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Nancy Pelosi is ready to transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is ready to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, after sitting on the documents for three weeks. Pelosi said she will transmit the articles next week.

The House Democrats voted unanimously to impeach President Donald Trump in December. But Pelosi delayed sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate for the second phase of the impeachment process - the trial.

In a letter to her Democratic colleagues on Friday, Pelosi said she asked Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler to prepare a resolution to appoint managers to transmit the articles of impeachment next week.

Pelosi was under increasing pressure from both sides of the aisle to transmit the articles, after she claimed impeaching Trump was "urgent" and "necessary" to preserve the legitimacy of the 2020 elections.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

The House has no control over the Senate trial, but Pelosi refused to send the documents until Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell advised her of the steps he would take to try Trump. Pelosi is pictured with McConnell in a photo dated Dec. 8, 2016.

"Every Senator now faces a choice: to be loyal to the President or to the Constitution," Pelosi wrote in the letter to her colleagues. "No one is above the law, not even the President."

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House Votes to Approve Resolution Restricting Trump’s War Powers in Iran

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The House voted unanimously on Thursday to approve a war powers resolution that, at least in theory, limits President Trump's use of military force in Iran.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 224-194 to pass the resolution which would restrict Trump's ability to start a war against Iran unless he receives approval from Congress.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drafted the resolution in response to the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at the Baghdad Airport on Jan. 3.

Pelosi and other Democratic lawmakers were furious that Trump didn't inform them before he ordered the strike.

The House resolution is non-binding meaning even if it is approved by the Senate, it would not go to Trump's desk for a signature.

"This is a statement of the Congress of the United States. I will not have that statement diminished by having a president veto it or not," said Pelosi during a press conference on Thursday.

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BREAKING: Mitch McConnell Says Senate Impeachment Trial Will Go Forward Without Pelosi’s Articles of Impeachment

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The Senate will go forward with the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (right) announced Tuesday.

McConnell said 51 Senators voted to move forward with the trial without the articles of impeachment, which House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (left) has refused to send to the Senate after House Democrats voted to impeach Trump last month.

"We have the votes," McConnell said in a press conference on Tuesday.

McConnell said the Senate will follow the precedent set by the Clinton impeachment trial 22 years ago.

"What's good for President Clinton is good for President Trump," McConnell said in response to a question about the Senate vote to call witnesses.

"We'll get around to discussion of witnesses," he added. "51 Senators determine what we do."

Pelosi previously said she would turn over the articles of impeachment to the Senate when she was assured there would be a fair trial.

During a meeting with the visiting Greek Prime Minister on Tuesday afternoon, Trump said he is ready for the Senate trial.

"It's a hoax; the impeachment is a big hoax," he said. "It's become a laughing stock all over the world... In many ways, it's one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on our country," he told reporters.

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Donald Trump Jr. is the 2nd Most Popular Republican Candidate for 2024

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Photos: Instagram.com/@donaldtrumpjr

The Republicans are already looking forward to the 2024 presidential race. President Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. is 2nd most popular on the list of potential presidential candidates in 2024.

GOP strategist and - fierce Trump critic - Rick Wilson told the L.A. Times that a Trump could occupy the White House well into 2030.

"I honestly think Don Jr. or Ivanka will be the nominee in 2024," Wilson said. "The party doesn't care about any of the issues that used to drive the party. Now they care about Trump."

According to a recent SurveyMonkey poll, Republican voters chose one of the President's kids - Donald Jr., 42, or Ivanka, 38, as two of their top contenders for 2024.

Don Jr. angered some of his 2.2 million Instagram followers when he posted photos from a recent outing at the gun range. He showed off an AR15 rifle with a custom magazine that features a cartoon of Hillary Clinton behind prison bars.

Don Jr. captioned the images:

"Nice day at the range. @rarebreedfirearms and @spikes_tactical adding a little extra awesome to my AR and that mag..."

Don Jr's followers were not amused with the artwork.

One IG user wrote: "Take that gun and join the service. Go fight your daddy's war he's starting."

Another wrote: "I see Dtjr wore his designer army fatigues , so he can play army while his daddy sends less affluent real men to fight for his money."

Question: Will you vote for Donald Jr. or Ivanka if they run for president in 2024?
 


 

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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to Seek Reelection in 2021; Named 2020 Georgian of the Year

Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will seek a second term in 2021, her spokesperson confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday.

Bottoms narrowly defeated Mary Norwood in a December, 2017 runoff election by less than 1,000 votes.

"I don't have any reaction at all," Norwood told the AJC. "Good for her."

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Photo by @ATLien/StraightfromtheA.com

Bottoms is pictured with her husband, Derek W. Bottoms, at last month's UNCF Mayor's Masked Ball in Atlanta.

The mayor's accomplishments in 2019 include announcing a comprehensive plan to build affordable housing, creation of a housing innovation lab, eliminating cash bail bonds for low level offenders, restricting the use of city-issued credit cards for personal expenditures, and establishing "Open Checkbook" online so the public can review the city's spending.

In an interview with GeorgiaTrend magazine last month, which named her 2020 Georgian of the Year, Bottoms said she gave historic pay increases to the city's police and fire department employees.

Atlanta City Councilman Julian Bond praised Bottoms and said the announcement that she plans to seek reelection is "comforting." He said he doesn't think anyone can beat her.

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Trump NOT Impeached; Pelosi Delays Sending Articles of Impeachment to Senate Until 2020

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is sitting on the documents required to impeach President Donald Trump until 2020. In an unprecedented move, Pelosi is refusing to send over the articles until next year.

The House Democrats voted to approve 2 articles of impeachment against Trump on Wednesday night. The 2 articles accuse Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of justice.

But Trump is not officially impeached until Pelosi transmits the articles to the Senate - which she has refused to do.

The articles of impeachment are typically transmitted electronically immediately after the vote to impeach. If Pelosi doesn't send over the articles, it would mean Trump is not officially impeached.

The Democrats have a lot to lose if Pelosi sends over the articles, and Trump gets the long Senate trial that he wants.

A long Senate trial would give Trump the opportunity to call witnesses to testify under oath.

Trump's list would include presidential candidate Joe Biden, disgraced ex-FBI agent James Comey, and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Republicans were quick to respond with laughter and ridicule on Thursday. They accused Pelosi of obstructing justice herself by not handing over the articles.

GOP members say Pelosi is holding onto the articles because she knows she has a "weak case" against Trump, and she is concerned that Trump will have the upper hand.

She has said she will not turn over the articles until she knows McConnell will proceed with a "fair" trial.

"It's beyond me how [Pelosi] and [Hoyer] think withholding the articles of impeachment and not sending them over gives them leverage," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters on Thursday.

McConnell has the only say on whether Trump gets a trial in the Senate. He has previously indicated that he will acquit Trump without a trial and without calling any witnesses.

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Nancy Pelosi Delays Handing Over Articles of Impeachment to Senate

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

House Democrats impeached President Donald Trump by a majority vote on Wednesday, making him only the 3rd President to be impeached in U.S. history.

Millions of Americans who rejoiced the impeachment last night are waking up this morning to find Trump is still their President.

House Democrats insisted impeachment was necessary to protect the election process. But now House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is attempting to delay the process.

Sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate would signal the start of Trump's impeachment trial. The articles normally would be sent immediately after the impeachment vote.

When asked whether she planned to send over the articles of impeachment on Wednesday night, Pelosi said she wants to see if the Republican-controlled Senate would play "fair" with the rules.

She also declined to name her "trial managers" to present their case for convicting Trump.

"We can't name managers until we see what the process is on the Senate side and I would hope that would be soon," she told reporters. "So far, we haven't seen anything that looks fair to us," she added.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Pelosi has no control over the Senate which is led by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), pictured with Pelosi in 2016.

President Trump has said he wants a long trial so he can call witnesses to testify under oath. His list includes ex-FBI director James Comey and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

But McConnell, who has the final say, won't allow Trump to call any witnesses. McConnell wants a quick end to the impeachment trial.

Pelosi appears to be delaying the impeachment trial to prevent the Republicans from abruptly acquitting Trump.

Pelosi referenced McConnell's recent remarks - that he is coordinating with the White House - as proof that McConnell plans to hand Trump a quick victory.

"This is what I don't consider a fair trial," she said. "That leader McConnell has stated that he's not an impartial juror, that he's going to take his cues, in quotes, from the White House, and he's working in total coordination with the White House's counsel's office."

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President Trump ImPEACHed by Majority Vote

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President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, making him the third President to be impeached in U.S. history.

Only 2 Democrats opposed the 2 articles of impeachment, and every Republican voted against the resolution.

Black Twitter celebrated Trump's impeachment on Wednesday night. Many were blissfully unaware that Trump is still their president.

Photo: Lev Radin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Trump hosted a campaign rally in Michigan, while the Democrats debated on Capitol Hill. The Trump campaign released a tersely-worded statement condemning the Democrats for their "cold, calculated, and concocted 3-year impeachment sham."

"The President is just getting stronger while support for the Democrats' political theater has faded," the statement continued.

The next step in the impeachment process is a hearing in the Senate, where the Republicans hold the majority.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he will move to dismiss the trial without hearing any witnesses.

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Obama drops another hint he will endorse Hillary Clinton if she enters 2020 race

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Former U.S. President Barack Obama dropped another hint that he may back a woman - most likely Hillary Clinton - for the Democratic nomination.

In June 2016, Obama endorsed Clinton for president, saying, "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office."

Obama believed strongly that Clinton would beat Donald Trump in 2016. He reportedly said there was "no way Americans would turn on him" and "his legacy was in safe hands."

But after Trump won the election, Obama took Clinton's loss as a "personal insult."

On Monday, Obama again tried to warm voters up to the idea that a woman can lead the country.

During an appearance this week at the Singapore Expo, Obama said women were "indisputably better" as world leaders than men.

Addressing women directly, Obama said, "Now women, I just want you to know; you are not perfect, but what I can say pretty indisputably is that you're better than us [men]."

He said the world's problems are caused by "old men" "not getting out of the way.”

"If you look at the world and look at the problems it's usually old people, usually old men, not getting out of the way."

Many took his remark as a jab at his former vice president Joe Biden, who Obama previously said "doesn't have it".

Obama went on to say he believes "every nation" should be led by women.

"I'm absolutely confident," he said, "That for two years if every nation on earth was run by women, you would see a significant improvement across the board on just about everything... living standards and outcomes."

It's no secret that Obama wants access to the White House. His office is located in Washington D.C. - just a stone's throw from his former address.

Meanwhile, Clinton is also dropping hints that she is ready to enter the race.

On Dec. 12, she tweeted a link to a website with information in support of impeaching President Trump. She urged her followers to spread the information to friends and family.

And a new poll shows Clinton comfortably ahead of all Democratic candidates.

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James Comey admits he was wrong about the FBI’s ‘misconduct’ after Trump threatened ‘years in jail’

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Photo by NurPhoto via Getty Images

After taking a victory lap last week, James Comey shocked everyone by apologizing for the FBI's "gross misconduct" in obtaining FISA warrants to spy on President Donald Trump's campaign.

Comey headed the FBI from 2013 until he was fired by incoming President Donald Trump in 2017.

After inspector general Michael Horowitz released his long-awaited report last week, Comey called the report "ridiculous" and claimed it vindicated him of any bias toward Trump.

But the inspector general's report found 17 "significant errors and omissions" by the FBI who presented this falsified info to a judge in order to obtain FISA warrants to spy on Trump's 2016 campaign.

Comey was still claiming victory for himself until he sat down for an interview with Fox News Sunday on Dec. 15. He suddenly remembered being responsible for "real sloppiness" over the handling of the FISA warrant to spy on a Trump campaign adviser.

He said his earlier defense of the FBI was "wrong", and that inspector general Horowitz "was right."

Comey's confession sent the liberal news media reeling on Sunday.

According to the Guardian.com, Comey may have changed his tune after President Trump threatened "years in jail."

"I was overconfident in the procedures that the FBI had built over 20 years," Comey said on Sunday. "I thought they were robust enough. It's incredibly hard to get a Fisa and [Horowitz] was right: there was real sloppiness. It was not acceptable."

According to the Guardian, Comey's sudden change of heart gives Trump and the Republicans the fuel they need to continue to attack the FBI as the heart of the "deep state".

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Open Post: Don Lemon OUTRAGED as Trump trolls Democrats in video

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Photo: Screengrab via YouTube.com

Don Lemon nearly had a mental breakdown on the air, after President Donald Trump retweeted a video of himself as Thanos trolling House Democrats.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced articles of impeachment against the president on Tuesday, alleging abuse of power and obstruction of justice.

In the video, Trump's face is Photoshopped on the body of Marvel Supervillain Thanos, who says, "I am inevitable".

Then a black dust cloud blows Pelosi and the other Democrats off the podium during their press conference.

The video left Don Lemon momentarily speechless and in disbelief. The CNN anchor was apparently furious that Trump took the articles of impeachment so lightly.

“Uh... what are we, in junior high school?" he stammered.

"What the hell. What is this? Like, what? WHAT?! I cannot believe that I'm even having to report this on the news!"

CNN viewers mocked the "drama queen" anchor for reporting the video as news in the first place.

"Slow news day, Don?" one Twitter user wrote.
 

 

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House Democrats Officially Announce Articles of Impeachment Alleging Trump Abused His Power

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Screengrab: YouTube

House Democrats officially announced two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, alleging abuse of power and obstruction.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Committee chairpersons announced the articles of impeachment in a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

“The framers of the Constitution prescribed a clear remedy for presidents who so violate their oath of office,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. "No one, not even the president, is above the law."

The Democrats claim Trump tried to enlist a foreign power to investigate corruption by presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in the Ukraine.

This makes the third time the Democrats have tried to impeach the president in the last 2 years. The previous two times they were unable to get the votes necessary to proceed with impeachment. But this time they might get lucky.

Nadler said the articles of impeachment meet the Constitutional requirements to charge "the president with high crimes and misdemeanors."

"Trump has engaged in unprecedented, categorical, and indiscriminate defiance of the impeachment inquiry," Nadler said.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. called impeachment "an extraordinary remedy" that needed to be done.

"He has given us no choice," Schiff said of Trump. "To do nothing would make ourselves complicit in the president's abuse of his high office."

Nadler added that Trump interfered in the 2016 elections, and now the 2020 election.

Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images

As usual, Trump fired back with both barrels blasting the inquiry as a "WITCH HUNT".

"Nadler just said that I 'pressured Ukraine to interfere in our 2020 Election.' Ridiculous, and he knows that is not true. Both the President & Foreign Minister of Ukraine said, many times, that there 'WAS NO PRESSURE.' Nadler and the Dems know this, but refuse to acknowledge!" Trump tweeted.

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Open Post: Kamala Harris Drops Out of 2020 Presidential Race

Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images

California Senator Kamala Harris has dropped out of the 2020 presidential race. Harris dropped out after her campaign failed to raise enough donations to pay her staff.

Harris reportedly held a conference call with her campaign staff earlier Tuesday in Iowa where she explained that the campaign was having financial struggles.

Her campaign hadn't bought TV ads in months and she was forced to advertise on social media. Last month she laid off most of her campaign staff.

Photo by Mason Trinca/Getty Images

Harris, 55, polled poorly with Black voters who criticized her criminal justice record in California. Harris claimed she fought for criminal justice reform, but her critics say, as a prosecutor, she sent many Black men to prison.

Harris was former President Barack Obama's early choice for the Democratic nomination.

Harris' announcement on Tuesday comes after a disgruntled former staffer wrote a letter saying Harris treated her campaign staff like runaway slaves.

In the letter, obtained by The New York Times, Kelly Mehlenbacher wrote, "This is my third presidential campaign and I have never seen an organization treat its staff so poorly."

Mehlenbacher added that she resigned from Harris' campaign because she saw no hope of Harris winning the nomination.

"With less than 90 days until Iowa we still do not have a real plan to win... We have refused to confront our mistakes, foster an environment of critical thinking and honest feedback, or trust the expertise of talented staff."

Harris is married to attorney Douglas Emhoff. They have no children.

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Obama: ‘Joe Biden doesn’t bond with voters’

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Former President Barack Obama reportedly told a Democratic candidate that Joe Biden "really doesn't have" a bond with the voters.

According to Politico's Ryan Lizza, Obama held meetings for Democratic candidates in his Washington, D.C. office earlier this year. The candidates were there seeking advice on how to evict President Donald Trump from the White House in 2020.

Lizza reported that Obama provided advice to candidates he met with. The meetings also gave him a chance to get to know each candidate to determine who is most likely to defeat Trump in next year's election.

According to Lizza's source, Obama offered the candidates advice about their strengths and weaknesses. Obama was reportedly "blunt" and honest with weaker candidates who didn't have what it took to defeat Trump.

"And you know who really doesn't have it? Joe Biden," Obama allegedly said.

Obama repeatedly declined to endorse Biden for President in the past, and he has kept his distance from his former vice president who has insurmountable issues that will weigh him down if he is nominated.