Hillary Clinton was once the face of the Democratic Party, a celebrity name who could draw thousands to rallies and was the all-but-certain first female president of the United States. Now, she is viewed as "the kiss of death" for candidates.
As the midterm election campaigns enter the home stretch, the former secretary of state, first lady, senator, and 2016 Democratic nominee is almost completely absent from the campaign trail. Most Democrats are keen to keep it that way, fearing that her reappearance could cost them a golden opportunity of winning back control of Congress.
Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, are due to go back on the road next month, embarking on a 13-city tour in which they will conduct “one-of-a-kind conversations" about "the most impactful moments in modern history". But Democratic strategists are relieved that their first event will be 12 days after Americans go to the polls on Nov 6.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, October 15, 2018
Navy Mom's Tweet Makes #HimToo Mockery Go Viral
"This is MY son. He graduated #1 in boot camp. He was awarded the USO award. He was #1 in A school. He is a gentleman who respects women. He won't go on solo dates due to the current climate of false sexual accusations by radical feminists with an axe to grind. I VOTE. #HimToo," the tweet read.
She posted the now-deleted tweet on the day Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, after a confirmation process that featured accusations of sexual misconduct. Twitter's response was rife with mockery, spawning a variety of "This is MY son" memes. And her sons had plenty to say, too.
Pieter Hanson, the son featured posing in his Navy uniform in the tweet, created an account in the early hours of Tuesday morning called @thatwasmymom. The first post?
"That was my Mom. Sometimes the people we love do things that hurt us without realizing it. Let's turn this around. I respect and #BelieveWomen. I never have and never will support #HimToo. I'm a proud Navy vet, Cat Dad and Ally. Also, Twitter, your meme game is on point," he tweeted.
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Retirees, Disabled Vets Get Biggest Raise in 7 Years for 2019
Military retirees, those who receive disability or other benefits from theDepartment of Veterans Affairs, federal retirees, and social security recipients will see a 2.8 percent pay raise in their monthly checks in 2019.
It is the biggest Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) increase in seven years, equaling as much as $369 a month for those at the top of the retirement paycharts.
Each year military retirement pay, Survivor Benefit Plan Annuities, VA Compensation and Pensions, and Social Security benefits are adjusted for the rate of inflation.
Retirement Pay Increase
Thanks to the increase, the average military retirement check for an E-7 with 20 years of service will go up by $67 a month, while an O-5 with the same time in uniform will see a $126 monthly increase.
Retirees who entered military service on or after Aug. 1, 1986 and opted in for the Career Status Bonus (CSB/Redux retirement plan), have any COLA increases reduced by 1 percent, so they will see a 2019 increase of 1.8 percent or $42 monthly for an E-7 with 20 years of service, or $81 each month for an O-5 with 20 years of service.
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It is the biggest Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) increase in seven years, equaling as much as $369 a month for those at the top of the retirement paycharts.
Each year military retirement pay, Survivor Benefit Plan Annuities, VA Compensation and Pensions, and Social Security benefits are adjusted for the rate of inflation.
Retirement Pay Increase
Thanks to the increase, the average military retirement check for an E-7 with 20 years of service will go up by $67 a month, while an O-5 with the same time in uniform will see a $126 monthly increase.
Retirees who entered military service on or after Aug. 1, 1986 and opted in for the Career Status Bonus (CSB/Redux retirement plan), have any COLA increases reduced by 1 percent, so they will see a 2019 increase of 1.8 percent or $42 monthly for an E-7 with 20 years of service, or $81 each month for an O-5 with 20 years of service.
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Bolton Warns Chinese Military to Halt Dangerous Naval Encounters
White House National Security Adviser John Bolton bluntly warned China this week that the U.S. military will not ignore threatening naval actions near U.S. warships in international waters.
Doubling down on the Trump administration's tough policies toward China, Bolton also renewed criticism of Beijing for meddling in U.S. elections and stealing American technology.
Commenting on the harassment of the guided missile destroyer USS Decatur by Chinese warship that nearly caused a collision in the South China Sea recently, Bolton said the threatening maneuver was unacceptable.
Navy commanders have rules of engagement that allow them to defend their ships, he said.
"The commanders have the authority we need," Bolton said in an interview with radio commentator Hugh Hewitt.
"We will not tolerate threats to American service members. We're determined to keep international sea lanes open. This is something the Chinese need to understand. Their behavior has been unnecessarily provocative for far too long."
More here
Doubling down on the Trump administration's tough policies toward China, Bolton also renewed criticism of Beijing for meddling in U.S. elections and stealing American technology.
Commenting on the harassment of the guided missile destroyer USS Decatur by Chinese warship that nearly caused a collision in the South China Sea recently, Bolton said the threatening maneuver was unacceptable.
Navy commanders have rules of engagement that allow them to defend their ships, he said.
"The commanders have the authority we need," Bolton said in an interview with radio commentator Hugh Hewitt.
"We will not tolerate threats to American service members. We're determined to keep international sea lanes open. This is something the Chinese need to understand. Their behavior has been unnecessarily provocative for far too long."
More here
Smartphones and Young People: Three Troubling Impacts
Smartphones clearly have much to offer us today.
They allow nearly instant communication with just about anybody.
They’ve got a convenient camera installed — so we don’t need to sling a separate gadget over our shoulders ever again.
And smartphones offer a plethora of helpful apps, various forms of entertainment, and a world’s worth of information at a moment’s notice.
But there’s plenty of evidence out there that there are other issues to beware of — here are a few that parents, families, and all of us, no matter who we are or where we are in our lives, must know.
1.) Depression and anxiety. Since 2013, there’s been a 33 percent increase in depression diagnoses.
The diagnoses for teens aged 12-17, along with millennials, are even more shocking, with an increase of 63 percent and 47 percent respectively.
The instant and unwavering social media access provided by smartphones all but forces people, especially teens and young adults, to compare themselves constantly to others. Instagram, in particular, has become a popularity contest, as users stress over the quality of their postings in pursuit of likes and followers.
Many new studies are showing that adolescents are increasingly experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. This apparent sudden increase came in 2012, eerily enough, right about the time smartphones shot up in popularity.
More here
They allow nearly instant communication with just about anybody.
They’ve got a convenient camera installed — so we don’t need to sling a separate gadget over our shoulders ever again.
And smartphones offer a plethora of helpful apps, various forms of entertainment, and a world’s worth of information at a moment’s notice.
But there’s plenty of evidence out there that there are other issues to beware of — here are a few that parents, families, and all of us, no matter who we are or where we are in our lives, must know.
1.) Depression and anxiety. Since 2013, there’s been a 33 percent increase in depression diagnoses.
The diagnoses for teens aged 12-17, along with millennials, are even more shocking, with an increase of 63 percent and 47 percent respectively.
The instant and unwavering social media access provided by smartphones all but forces people, especially teens and young adults, to compare themselves constantly to others. Instagram, in particular, has become a popularity contest, as users stress over the quality of their postings in pursuit of likes and followers.
Many new studies are showing that adolescents are increasingly experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. This apparent sudden increase came in 2012, eerily enough, right about the time smartphones shot up in popularity.
More here
Menendez Blames Trump for Not Filling Diplomatic Posts, Then Blocks Them
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo turned the tables on Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) this week, blaming the New Jersey Democrat for blocking at least a dozen qualified candidates for key diplomatic posts.
Over the last year, Menendez has repeatedly blasted President Trump for jeopardizing U.S. foreign policy by failing to nominate candidates for key foreign policy posts.
Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took the administration to task in a Senate floor speech in March for failing "to nominate critical high-level positions—undersecretaries, assistant secretaries—leaving a void of empowered voices."
Menendez continued the same line of criticism this week. While reacting to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley's resignation, the New Jersey Democrat argued that the administration's "inability to adequately or appropriately fill key national security positions puts our nation at risk."
The statement angered Pompeo, who tangled with Menendez during his own Senate confirmation process and several times since...
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Over the last year, Menendez has repeatedly blasted President Trump for jeopardizing U.S. foreign policy by failing to nominate candidates for key foreign policy posts.
Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took the administration to task in a Senate floor speech in March for failing "to nominate critical high-level positions—undersecretaries, assistant secretaries—leaving a void of empowered voices."
Menendez continued the same line of criticism this week. While reacting to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley's resignation, the New Jersey Democrat argued that the administration's "inability to adequately or appropriately fill key national security positions puts our nation at risk."
The statement angered Pompeo, who tangled with Menendez during his own Senate confirmation process and several times since...
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Breaking News: Report: Saudi Arabia will admit to killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Saudi Arabia is prepared to admit that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed during an interrogation that went wrong, according to reports on Monday.
The kingdom is readying a report that will say Khashoggi’s death happened during an interrogation before being removed from Turkey, CNN reported.
The report will conclude that the operation was carried out “without clearance” and that those involved will be held responsible, the network said, but cautioned that it could still change.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Khashoggi was killed during a botched interrogation.
Separately, the New York Times reported that Saudi Arabian officials were developing a scenario that would shield Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman from any involvement.
It said that version would accuse a friend of the prince for carrying out the killing.
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The kingdom is readying a report that will say Khashoggi’s death happened during an interrogation before being removed from Turkey, CNN reported.
The report will conclude that the operation was carried out “without clearance” and that those involved will be held responsible, the network said, but cautioned that it could still change.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Khashoggi was killed during a botched interrogation.
Separately, the New York Times reported that Saudi Arabian officials were developing a scenario that would shield Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman from any involvement.
It said that version would accuse a friend of the prince for carrying out the killing.
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Drones swamp US-Mexico border but federal agents powerless to stop them
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI identified this week unmanned aerial systems, or drones, as one of the greatest national security threats to America — rating it as severe a concern as cybersecurity hacks, critical infrastructure attacks, and terrorism.
While drones are often thought of as techie toys, officials are becoming increasingly worried about the threat they pose and are warning it's only a matter of time until the devices are used to drop a bomb or fentanyl powder on people in a populated area. Drones are already used by transnational criminal syndicates and drug cartels. The technology is readily available to terrorist groups.
Incidents that have gained public attention in recent years have largely involved inexperienced fliers losing control of the aircraft, but the military and law enforcement officers are already dealing with cases of drones being used for illicit purposes.
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While drones are often thought of as techie toys, officials are becoming increasingly worried about the threat they pose and are warning it's only a matter of time until the devices are used to drop a bomb or fentanyl powder on people in a populated area. Drones are already used by transnational criminal syndicates and drug cartels. The technology is readily available to terrorist groups.
Incidents that have gained public attention in recent years have largely involved inexperienced fliers losing control of the aircraft, but the military and law enforcement officers are already dealing with cases of drones being used for illicit purposes.
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House GOP leader announces get-tough immigration bill
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced Friday a new get-tough immigration bill that would build the rest of President Trump’s border wall, punish sanctuary cities and stiffen penalties on repeat-illegal immigrants.
The bill is unlikely to see action in the near future but instead serves as a marker for House Republicans as they prepare for what’s likely to be a renewed immigration debate in December or, should Democrats win control of the House, early next year.
“Maintaining strong borders is one of the basic responsibilities of any nation. For too long, America has failed in this responsibility,” Mr. McCarthy said in announcing the bill.
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The bill is unlikely to see action in the near future but instead serves as a marker for House Republicans as they prepare for what’s likely to be a renewed immigration debate in December or, should Democrats win control of the House, early next year.
“Maintaining strong borders is one of the basic responsibilities of any nation. For too long, America has failed in this responsibility,” Mr. McCarthy said in announcing the bill.
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Italy's Salvini Deports Islamist Wanting to Kill ‘White Tourists,’ ‘Christians’
The Italian government has announced the deportation of three African migrants suspected of close ties with Islamist terrorist groups, including one who had expressed the desire to kill “white tourists” and “Christians”.
The Ministry of the Interior led by Matteo Salvini released a statement on Friday with a brief description of the three men, adding that they had been identified as linked to “Islamic extremism”, were judged to be “a danger for national security”, and therefore “repatriated.”
The first was a 22-year-old Moroccan man with “numerous precedents” for common crimes, drunkenness, and disorderly behaviour. In October 2017, the man had threatened passers-by outside the synagogue in Florence brandishing a kitchen knife and shouting “Allah Akbar” (God is Greatest).
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The Ministry of the Interior led by Matteo Salvini released a statement on Friday with a brief description of the three men, adding that they had been identified as linked to “Islamic extremism”, were judged to be “a danger for national security”, and therefore “repatriated.”
The first was a 22-year-old Moroccan man with “numerous precedents” for common crimes, drunkenness, and disorderly behaviour. In October 2017, the man had threatened passers-by outside the synagogue in Florence brandishing a kitchen knife and shouting “Allah Akbar” (God is Greatest).
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Migrant with Multiple Convictions Arrested for Murder After Prison Release
A migrant from Lebanon with a long record of convictions has been arrested for murder after being released from prison following appeals against a prior conviction.
Omar A. is accused of murdering 54-year-old Detlev L. after he was confronted during a burglary in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, stabbing the victim with a folding knife in the upper body before fleeing from the scene, Focus reports.
The 54-year-old victim, described as a family man, died in a local hospital from his wounds the next day.
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Omar A. is accused of murdering 54-year-old Detlev L. after he was confronted during a burglary in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, stabbing the victim with a folding knife in the upper body before fleeing from the scene, Focus reports.
The 54-year-old victim, described as a family man, died in a local hospital from his wounds the next day.
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Looter Shot Dead While Trying to Steal Police Car in Panama City
WPMI quotes witness Landon Swett, who said the suspect told him he was looting then “opened the door to the police officer’s SUV with the lights going, got in it and shut the door.”
Swett moved his family away from the scene to keep them safe and looked back to see that an official was sitting in the passenger side of the SUV. Swett said, “Then…I heard the shot.”
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Stacey Abrams: ‘Blue Wave’ Is ‘Comprised of Those Who Are Documented and Undocumented’
Georgia’s Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said Tuesday the Democrats’ "blue wave" in November would be comprised of those who are "documented and undocumented."
Abrams was speaking with supporters at the Clayton County campaign office during an event with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.). She touted the diversity of the coming "blue wave" that she thinks will sweep Democrats into office nationwide.
"The thing of it is, the blue wave is African American. It is white. It is Latino. It is Asian-Pacific Islander," she said, going through a diverse list of groups.
"It is made up of those who've been told that they are not worthy of being here. It is comprised of those who are documented and undocumented," she said.
The Washington Free Beacon emailed Abrams’ campaign to ask what role undocumented immigrants will play in the midterms if they are not legal voters.
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Abrams was speaking with supporters at the Clayton County campaign office during an event with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.). She touted the diversity of the coming "blue wave" that she thinks will sweep Democrats into office nationwide.
"The thing of it is, the blue wave is African American. It is white. It is Latino. It is Asian-Pacific Islander," she said, going through a diverse list of groups.
"It is made up of those who've been told that they are not worthy of being here. It is comprised of those who are documented and undocumented," she said.
The Washington Free Beacon emailed Abrams’ campaign to ask what role undocumented immigrants will play in the midterms if they are not legal voters.
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IDF: We thwarted mass breach of the security fence
Israeli Defense Forces Major Ben Halel, who serves as Deputy Commander of the 101st Paratrooper Battalion, described the attack thwarted on Friday in central Gaza.
"In the Battalion area of responsibility in front of the riots in Bureij, a number of assailants hurled explosive devices at the security fence and breached a hole in the security fence," Halel explained. "From that moment, Battalion troops and additional forces, including Special Unit troops, operated in order to prevent a mass crossing of the security fence and fired warning shots towards the assailants."
"Most of the rioters returned to Gaza as a result of the live fire.
"During their retreat to the Gaza Strip, a report from field intelligence was received informing that one of the assailants had remained in Israeli territory, right under our location. An IDF soldier positioned near the location identified an assailant who approached him with a knife.
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"In the Battalion area of responsibility in front of the riots in Bureij, a number of assailants hurled explosive devices at the security fence and breached a hole in the security fence," Halel explained. "From that moment, Battalion troops and additional forces, including Special Unit troops, operated in order to prevent a mass crossing of the security fence and fired warning shots towards the assailants."
"Most of the rioters returned to Gaza as a result of the live fire.
"During their retreat to the Gaza Strip, a report from field intelligence was received informing that one of the assailants had remained in Israeli territory, right under our location. An IDF soldier positioned near the location identified an assailant who approached him with a knife.
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US Pastor Freed from Turkey Prays with Trump in Oval Office
Trump welcomed Brunson to the White House to celebrate his release from nearly two years of confinement in Turkey, which had sparked a diplomatic row with a key ally and outcry from U.S. evangelical groups.
Brunson returned to the U.S. aboard a military jet shortly before meeting the president. He was detained in October 2016, formally arrested that December and placed under house arrest on July 25 for health reasons.
"From a Turkish prison to the White House in 24 hours, that's not bad," Trump said.
More here
Resisting the Fraud of the Progressive Narrative
It's high time to reject the clichéd analysis of how women think and vote.
During the hearings on the nomination of Justice Kavanaugh, the Democrats’ vile tactics and lust for power were widely exposed. Though Kavanaugh’s confirmation thwarted the Dems aggression, that victory should be the catalyst for a wholesale rejection of the leftist and identity politics narratives that too many Republicans accept and even practice. The first step to recovering our political health is to purge our public discourse of the illiberal and ideologically loaded ideas, and the language that assumes they are the moral norm.
During the hearings we saw Republicans ceding legitimacy to feminist ideology the minute Christine Ford appeared. The circumstances of her charges being made public at that particular moment were suspect enough to sow doubt about her claims and the propriety of giving her a public forum. It was suspiciously convenient that Ford’s charges regarding an event 36 years ago were made public six years after she revealed them to a therapist, that Dianne Feinstein sat on them for six weeks, and that they were leaked at the moment Kavanaugh’s confirmation appeared certain.
What was it Goldfinger said about chance events? Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, the third time is enemy action. If the Democrats were on the up-and-up, they would have had Ford, allegedly anxious about protecting her privacy, give testimony to the committee in camera. Even a dull Occam’s Razor could detect the self-serving, partisan machinations behind Ford’s testimony.
But the Republicans reflexively went into a defensive crouch to avoid charges of sexism and insensitivity to the alleged epidemic of sexual assault, now redefined to include a decades-old encounter the details of which were all a blur except for the perpetrator’s name, which happened to be that of the nominee to the Supreme Court whom Democrats had already publicly rejected and sworn to derail.
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During the hearings on the nomination of Justice Kavanaugh, the Democrats’ vile tactics and lust for power were widely exposed. Though Kavanaugh’s confirmation thwarted the Dems aggression, that victory should be the catalyst for a wholesale rejection of the leftist and identity politics narratives that too many Republicans accept and even practice. The first step to recovering our political health is to purge our public discourse of the illiberal and ideologically loaded ideas, and the language that assumes they are the moral norm.
During the hearings we saw Republicans ceding legitimacy to feminist ideology the minute Christine Ford appeared. The circumstances of her charges being made public at that particular moment were suspect enough to sow doubt about her claims and the propriety of giving her a public forum. It was suspiciously convenient that Ford’s charges regarding an event 36 years ago were made public six years after she revealed them to a therapist, that Dianne Feinstein sat on them for six weeks, and that they were leaked at the moment Kavanaugh’s confirmation appeared certain.
What was it Goldfinger said about chance events? Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, the third time is enemy action. If the Democrats were on the up-and-up, they would have had Ford, allegedly anxious about protecting her privacy, give testimony to the committee in camera. Even a dull Occam’s Razor could detect the self-serving, partisan machinations behind Ford’s testimony.
But the Republicans reflexively went into a defensive crouch to avoid charges of sexism and insensitivity to the alleged epidemic of sexual assault, now redefined to include a decades-old encounter the details of which were all a blur except for the perpetrator’s name, which happened to be that of the nominee to the Supreme Court whom Democrats had already publicly rejected and sworn to derail.
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Family of Pakistani Christian Mother Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy Prays for Deliverance
The family of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother who faces execution for blasphemy in Pakistan, said they hoped the Supreme Court would free her.
But in any case they feared for their future living in Pakistan under the blasphemy laws, they told AFP.
Bibi, who has been on death row since 2010, is at the centre of the high-profile case that has divided Pakistan and drawn prayers from the Vatican.
On Monday the Supreme Court heard her last appeal and said it had reached a judgement, which it has yet to reveal.
“We are hopeful that whatever the court proceedings are it will come out as positive for us,” her husband Ashiq Mesih told AFP.
Bibi, a labourer, was accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed in 2009 by Muslim women she was working with in a field.
The charge is punishable by death under legislation that rights groups say is routinely abused to settle personal vendettas.
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But in any case they feared for their future living in Pakistan under the blasphemy laws, they told AFP.
Bibi, who has been on death row since 2010, is at the centre of the high-profile case that has divided Pakistan and drawn prayers from the Vatican.
On Monday the Supreme Court heard her last appeal and said it had reached a judgement, which it has yet to reveal.
“We are hopeful that whatever the court proceedings are it will come out as positive for us,” her husband Ashiq Mesih told AFP.
Bibi, a labourer, was accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed in 2009 by Muslim women she was working with in a field.
The charge is punishable by death under legislation that rights groups say is routinely abused to settle personal vendettas.
More
McConnell Makes Senate Confirm 15 More Judges Before Going Home
The Senate approved a package of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees Thursday, notching another 15 confirmations just days after Justice Brett Kavanaugh was installed on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The confirmations came as half a dozen Democrat lawmakers, particularly those in red states, were pressed to return home to defend their Senate seats for the final stretch before the November midterm elections.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., seized on the opportunity and made Democrats an offer: The Senate would adjourn until after the midterm elections, provided Democrats don’t force the full 30 hours of debate allowed for each nominee.
Democrat leaders were left at an impasse: They could keep their caucus in the Capitol to oppose the nominees—effectively ceding the campaign trail to Republican challengers—or confirm Trump’s judges briskly and risk alienating their supporters.
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The confirmations came as half a dozen Democrat lawmakers, particularly those in red states, were pressed to return home to defend their Senate seats for the final stretch before the November midterm elections.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., seized on the opportunity and made Democrats an offer: The Senate would adjourn until after the midterm elections, provided Democrats don’t force the full 30 hours of debate allowed for each nominee.
Democrat leaders were left at an impasse: They could keep their caucus in the Capitol to oppose the nominees—effectively ceding the campaign trail to Republican challengers—or confirm Trump’s judges briskly and risk alienating their supporters.
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