Tom Steyer’s Impeachment Push Has Some Dems Running Scared

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California financier Tom Steyer’s $20 million ad campaign to impeach President Donald Trump has alienated some of the Democratic leaders with the influence to make impeachment a reality.

Some within the Democratic leadership fear that aggressively pursuing impeachment will only serve to turn Republican and independents against the party and jeopardize their opportunity to flip Congress in 2018.

“I’ve been a very harsh critic of this president….But the impeachment message right now is not helpful to the possibility of retaking the House,” Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, chairman of the fiscally moderate New Democratic Coalition, told The Wall Street Journal . . .

The ads have run on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, local broadcast stations, Times Square and Twitter. The segments, which cast Trump’s firing of former FBI director James Comey as obstruction, direct viewers to a virtual impeachment petition website, that 2.6 million people have signed in the month since the campaign began.

Steyer, who has spent over $170 million to support Democratic causes and candidates over the last three years, claims the ad campaign is designed to put sufficient public pressure on lawmakers that they secure the necessary coalition to impeach. (Read more from “Tom Steyer’s Impeachment Push Has Some Dems Running Scared” HERE)

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Trump to Troops on Thanksgiving: ‘You’re Fighting for Something Good’

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By Miles Parks. President Trump spoke to U.S. troops Thursday from his private Florida club Mar-a-Lago, telling them “we’re really winning” in the fight against ISIS and in Afghanistan — all thanks to his administration’s leadership.

“They say we’ve made more progress against ISIS than they did in years of the previous administration, and that’s because I’m letting you do your job,” Trump said, in a video call to branches of the U.S. armed forces . . .

Trump also pointed to the economy in the speech, telling the service members that “when you come back, you’re going to see with the jobs and the companies coming back into our country and the stock market just hit a record high. Unemployment is the lowest its been in 17 years.”

“So you’re fighting for something real,” he said. “You’re fighting for something good.”

The president spent the holiday at Mar-A-Lago, but made a visit to a local Coast Guard station as well. He and first lady Melania Trump provided turkey sandwiches, giant muffins, fruit, chips and cookies to the men and women on duty there, according to the Associated Press. The president also thanked them for their help in providing hurricane relief. (Read more from “Trump to Troops on Thanksgiving: ‘You’re Fighting for Something Good'” HERE)

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Thanksgiving Help for the Homeless: ‘We Haven’t Seen Numbers Like This Since the Great Depression’

By City News Service. Thanksgiving meals will be served to thousands of homeless and near-homeless individuals today on Skid Row and in Pasadena and Canoga Park amid calls for donations and volunteers for the rest of the year.

The Midnight Mission will serve Thanksgiving brunch to nearly 2,500 homeless and near-homeless men, women and children, according to Georgia Berkovich, its director of public affairs.

Scheduled volunteer servers include gubernatorial candidate and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, entertainer Dick Van Dyke and actress Nicolette Sheridan.

The Midnight Mission is seeking donations of $5 to $10 to help it cover the costs of the meals. Donations can be made by texting “Meals” to 71777, Berkovich said. The mission serves meals seven days a week, distributes hygiene kits after its meal service and conducts drives for food and clothing to distribute to its guests.

“We haven’t seen numbers like this since the Great Depression,” she said. (Read more from “Thanksgiving Help for the Homeless: ‘We Haven’t Seen Numbers Like This Since the Great Depression'” HERE)

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Roy Moore Opponent Defended Man With Ties to KKK, Holocaust Deniers

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The Democratic nominee in the heated Alabama Senate race once defended a man in court who has ties to the Ku Klux Klan and Holocaust deniers, complicating his record on the campaign trail as a civil rights champion.

Former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones is running against Republican candidate Roy Moore for the Senate seat, which was long occupied by now-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions . . .

But the 63-year-old Democrat has built his campaign largely on his personal history and legal record during his stint as a U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, where he successfully prosecuted two KKK members linked to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 that left four African-American children dead . . .

But while Jones and the media tout his prosecution of the KKK members, his lesser-known record as a private defense attorney in the 1980s is often overlooked. In one case, he defended Tom Posey, the infamous figure during the Iran-Contra scandal, who had ties with the KKK and Holocaust deniers . . .

Jones represented Posey in 1987 amid allegations of illegal arms shipping to the Nicaraguan rebels fighting the socialist government at a time when such activity was prohibited as the U.S. was not officially at war with Nicaragua. He got off the charges thanks to Jones’ representation. (Read more from “Roy Moore Opponent Defended Man With Ties to KKK, Holocaust Deniers” HERE)

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Holiday Hugs Under Fire From Girl Scouts

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Holidays may be a time for family members to hug each other, but when it comes to kids hugging relatives, the Girl Scouts of America are urging parents not to force the issue.

The Girl Scouts published a blog post this week stating that forcing children to hug relatives and family friends during the holidays could cause confusion about consent for those children later.

The blog came from the national office, but Amy Mountain, spokeswoman for the Harrisburg-based Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, said, “We’re always trying to help girls find their voice and determine what makes them comfortable. If someone decides doing a fist bump or high five makes them more comfortable, we suggest the family support the girl in that.”

“The main message is children should be given a choice if they want to give a hug,” said Susan Mathias, chief executive officer of Transitions, Lewisburg, which provides services to victims of sexual assault and other crimes. “It’s empowering for girls — and boys — to learn its OK to say no, they don’t want to give a hug or a kiss.”

If a relative, especially one the child barely knows, insists on hugging or kissing the child, “I think it’s appropriate for the parent to nicely intervene if it’s not comfortable for the child,” Mathias said. (Read more from “Holiday Hugs Under Fire From Girl Scouts” HERE)

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Cabela’s Giving Away Free Guns for Black Friday

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One outdoor retailing giant is kicking off the Christmas shopping season by giving away free guns for Black Friday in Texas.

Cabela’s, is giving away “mystery envelopes” containing free guns at its Fort Worth location in Texas Friday. The store which opens at 5 a.m. will give away free guns among other merchandise for the first 600 customers above the age of 18, reported Dallas News.

“All gifts will be distributed randomly and could include outdoor products, firearms, Cabela’s gift cards and much more,” said Cabela’s Fort Worth in the promotion, adding that,”Firearm winners will be required to complete and pass a standard federal background check to take ownership of the firearm,” reported the Star-Telegram.

Some possible guns available include a Ruger LC9 Pistol, Browning BPS Hunter Pump-Action Shotgun, Badlands Release Day Pack or a Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite 30″ Window Smoker. (Read more from “Cabela’s Giving Away Free Guns for Black Friday” HERE)

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Homeless Vet Spends Last $20 to Keep Woman Safe

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Kate McClure didn’t expect to run out of gas on her drive to Philadelphia last month.

And she definitely didn’t expect that her misfortune would give her the opportunity to change someone else’s life.

Pulled over on the side of I-95, McClure, 27, was approached by a homeless man named Johnny. She was apprehensive at first, but Johnny told her to get back into her car and to lock the doors while he walked to get her help. He went to a nearby gas station, used his last $20 fill a can and brought it back to fill up her car.

Grateful, but without a dollar to repay him, McClure promised she would come back with something.

In the weeks since, she’s returned to the spot along I-95 where Johnny stays with cash, snacks and Wawa gift cards. Each time she’s stopped by with her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, they’ve learned a bit more about Johnny’s story, and become humbled by his gratitude. (Read more from “Homeless Vet Spends Last $20 to Keep Woman Safe” HERE)

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North Korean Defector Escapes Through Hail of Bullets

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By Alicia Powe. North Korea typically claims defections from the oppressed, tightly controlled hermit country are actually kidnappings by South Koreans.

But stunning footage was released by the American-led United Nations Command showing a disease-ridden North Korean soldier risking his life to escape the rogue regime and fleeing across the border into South Korea while being shot by his former comrades.

The footage, released Wednesday, marks the first time the U.N. Command disclosed security footage of a defection across the heavily fortified demilitarized zone, or DMZ, that divides North and South Korea, said Hochong Song, a public affairs officer for U.S. Forces Korea.

The 24-year old soldier can be seen speeding on the North Korean side of the DMZ toward the border in a vehicle as his fellow military officers fire at him.

The wounded defector then crawls across the border, finally emerging on South Korean territory before collapsing and being pulled into safety by border guards. (Read more from “North Korean Defector Escapes Through Hail of Bullets” HERE)

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North Korean Defector’s Daring Escape Caught on Video

By Justin McCurry. Dramatic footage has emerged showing a North Korean military defector fleeing across the border to South Korea as he is pursued and shot at by his compatriots before being hauled to safety by troops from the other side.

The video, released on Wednesday by the UN command in the South, shows the soldier, who defected last week, racing towards the border village of Panmunjom in a military vehicle before crashing it and continuing his escape on foot.

The video shows the man collapsed on the ground after being shot just south of the demilitarised zone [DMZ].

Later three members of South Korea’s security battalion security forces crawl to the wounded defector and drag him away to safety.

The release of the footage came amid news that the unnamed soldier, who was shot at least five times during his escape, was showing signs of recovery. (Read more from “North Korean Defector’s Daring Escape Caught on Video” HERE)

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CNN Blackout on House Democrat Under FBI Investigation

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By Peter Hasson. It has been 24 hours since news broke that Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Bob Brady is under FBI investigation for allegedly paying his primary opponent to drop out of the race, but CNN has published zero articles and devoted zero airtime to the story.

The FBI was granted a search warrant for Brady’s campaign email, [email protected], as part of its investigation into payments Brady’s campaign allegedly made to 2012 primary opponent Jimmie Moore. Two of Brady’s political consultants have already been charged in connection with the investigation.

A search of CNN’s website shows the news outlet has yet to publish an article acknowledging the investigation into the congressman.

And while CNN devoted plenty of coverage to President Trump’s feud with Lavar Ball, the father of UCLA basketball player LiAngelo Ball, the network has yet to even acknowledge the investigation into Brady on-air since the news broke, according to broadcast monitoring service TVEyes.

CNN isn’t the only major network keeping its viewers in the dark about the Brady investigation. MSNBC also has yet to mention the story on-air since it broke. (Read more from “CNN Blackout on House Democrat Under FBI Investigation” HERE)

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FBI Investigates Congressman for His Campaign Paying Opponent to Quit

By The Daily Beast. The FBI said it is investigating Rep. Bob Brady (D-PA) for an alleged scheme to pay his primary opponent to drop out of a 2012 race against him and for allegedly lying to investigators.

The revelation came from a search warrant application unsealed in a Pennsylvania federal court on Monday, which was first reported by Seamus Hughes. An FBI agent asked a judge to authorize access to Brady’s personal email account on the belief it holds evidence contradicting an anticipated defense about the campaign payments. The judge approved the warrant and the FBI said it got one CD worth of data from the email account.

Brady’s congressional office in Washington, D.C., could not be reached for comment. Brady has not been charged with a crime.

Jimmie Moore ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination in February 2012 after allegedly receiving $90,000 from the Brady campaign. The FBI said the payments were routed from the Brady campaign to businesses owned by his aides. Then the money was transferred to one of Moore’s aides, who used it to pay for services rendered to the Moore campaign. (Read more from “FBI Investigates Congressman for His Campaign Paying Opponent to Quit” HERE)

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Nude Photo Circulating of Republican Congressman

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Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton confirmed that he did send a photo of himself in the nude, which has been circulating online, and apologized for the indiscretion.

“While separated from my second wife, prior to the divorce, I had sexual relationships with other mature adult women,” Barton, said in a statement, first reported by the Texas Tribune. “Each was consensual. Those relationships have ended. I am sorry I did not use better judgment during those days. I am sorry that I let my constituents down.”

A censored image of Barton was originally posted by an anonymous twitter user, and has since been passed around, along with a message apparently from Barton that said “I want u soo bad [sic]. Right now. Deep and hard.”

Others have retweeted the image with various comments. (Read more from “Nude Photo Circulating of Republican Congressman” HERE)

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Fed Officials Fear Financial Market ‘Imbalances’ and Possibility of ‘Sharp Reversal’ in Prices

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Federal Reserve officials expressed largely optimistic views of economic growth at their most recent meeting but also started to worry that financial market prices are getting out of hand and posing a danger to the economy.

Minutes from the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Federal Open Market Committee meeting indicate members with almost universally positive views on growth — the labor market, consumer spending and manufacturing all were showing solid gains. While there were disagreements on the pace of inflation, and even a discussion about changing the Fed’s approach to price stability, the sentiment otherwise was largely positive.

Moreover, they said the picture could get even better if Congress lowers corporate taxes as part of the reform plan making its way through the Senate . . .

Stocks have been on a tear throughout 2017, setting a series of record highs and adding trillions in value. That’s come both on the heels of stronger corporate earnings and hopes that the tax reform plan, which would take the corporate rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, becomes a reality . . .

Some members feared what would happen if the market suddenly took a hit . . .

Concerns about the surge in stocks are not new at the Fed, but most officials have downplayed the idea that the market is in a bubble. Wall Street also has been at odds about the market, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch warning of a market top coming in 2018 though Goldman Sachs has predicted another big year.
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