Democrats Reject Trump’s Amnesty Framework, Seek Alliance With GOP’s Business Wing

Democratic Senators are rejecting President Donald Trump’s four-part amnesty-and-immigration reform, and are instead working with business-first GOP Senators to pass an amnesty with only token reforms.

“There is not likely to be a DACA deal, though we’re working every single day, on telephone calls and person to person, to try to reach this bipartisan agreement,” Sen. Dick Durbin told Jake Tapper on the February 4 edition of CNN’s State of the Union. Durbin said the Democrats would not stage another shutdown, but declared:

I think we’re making real progress. I want to salute the moderates in both the Republicans and Democratic caucuses in the Senate. They have really been a positive voice, Democrats and Republicans sitting in the same room working to try to solve this problem.

The Democrats’ sharp-elbowed rejection of Trump’s four-part plan — including an amnesty for at least 1.8 million illegals — explains Trump’s Friday complaints that Democrats are not bargaining over his four-part framework offer. The offer trades the amnesty in exchange for a border wall with legal upgrades, plus ending the diversity lottery and winding down the chain migration program over the next 10 years.

On Friday, February 2, Trump told reporters:

I would say we want to make a deal.  I think they want to use it for political purposes, for elections.  I really don’t — I really am not happy with the way it’s going from the standpoint of the Democrats negotiating.

Trump does not seem to be dropping any of his three asks in the closed-door talks. On January 2, for example, Trump attending a public briefing on border security issues, where officials described the legal loopholes used by migrants to get through the border. Trump responded:

These are things you can’t even negotiate.  I mean, you can’t negotiate this with the Democrats, because this is stuff for safety.  And it’s not like, “Oh, gee, let’s, you know, work a halfway deal.”  You have such bad — you have such bad [border] procedures.  You’re forced to do everything that you people were taught not to do, when you think about it.

If Trump wants to keep his proposal on track, he should promise to veto the Democrats’ push to pass an amnesty with token “border security” upgrades, said Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations at NumbersUSA.

“President Trump needs to say he will veto [an amensty] deal that is weaker than his framework,” he said. 

Without his veto threat, many GOP Senators will decide that Trump is caving, and then ally with Democrats to vote for a business-backed amnesty bill — which House Speaker Paul Ryan may then shove through the House, she said, adding:

Without the President’s leadership, we’ll get the typical amnesty bill that we always get, and it will be totally unacceptable to Americans, and he is the only person who has the ability to stop that …

If the Republicans screw up immigration, the impact in November will be tremendous. This is the issue that could sink the Republicans’ majorities. I hope they realize how much is riding on it.

The bottom line is President Trump ran and won on this, and who can make sure there is a good deal or if no deal, then the Republicans can say [to voters] very easily at this point: “We offered the most generous plan ever seen and the Democrats refused it … we are willing to give pass an amnesty if we could get an overall immigration policy serves the national interests and the Democrats don’t want that.”

The Democrats’ refusal to deal suggests they hope to split the GOP by pushing business-first Republicans to betray populist voters by backing a pre-election amnesty deal opposed by Trump. That win would provide the Democrats with a big win and morale booster before November while splitting the GOP elite from their voters.

Likely Democratic allies include Sen. Susan Collins whose home-state of Maine has been losing investment and people as legal immigrants spur growth in other states. Other potential allies include retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, liberal Sen. Lindsey Graham as well as business-first GOP members, such as Sens. John Thune and Lisa Murkowski.

Pushing for a bigger win also helps the Democrats avoid paying the painful price of Trump’s offer, which requires them to approve a border wall, legal reforms to block migrants, ending the visa lottery program and agreeing to end the chain migration system in 10 years. All of those Trump demands are viscerally opposed by some or many of the Democrats’ diverse and fractious interest groups.

Also, the Democrats’ maximalist strategy still allows the Democrats to later take Trump’s offer — or else decide to use the amnesty impasse to help goose their turnout in November.

The only risk for Democrats is that Trump may refuse to compromise and then make the November elections all about amnesty, the visa lottery, and chain migration — even while Trump’s low-immigration policies are forcing companies to offer higher wages to Americans.

Trump’s statements have suggested he is willing to focus the 2018 midterm on his pro-American immigration policies and the resulting rise in wages. On February 2, for example, Trump said:

Really, [the November election] is another way of doing it. And based on the [election related] numbers we just saw, we have a real chance of doing that …  [Immigration] is now an election issue that will go to our benefit, not their benefit.

You know ’18 is going to be very interesting. But we’ve got to do one or the other – either they’re going to have to come on board — because they talk a good game with DACA, but they don’t produce — … either they come on board or we’re just going to have to really work and we’re going to have to get more people so we can get the kind of numbers that we need to pass in a much easier fashion legislation [in 2019].

He added:

The Republican position on immigration is the center, mainstream view of the American people, with some extra strength at the border and security at the border added in.  What we’re asking for and what the American people are pleading for is sanity and common sense in our immigration system.  We want immigration rules that protect our communities, defend our security, and admit people who will love our country and contribute to our society.

The Democrats’ diverse political coalition may not be capable of accepting Trump’s amnesty offer but would rather pick a fight prior to the November elections. For example, Durbin suggested to Tapper that Trump’s immigration policies are racist, not pro-American.

Understand what they are proposing. They want to cut legal immigration into the United States of family members, some of whom who have waited 20 years or months to join up with their families here.

This is no longer about the security of the United States. It is not about competition for American jobs. It is an effort by them to make a different immigration policy in the future, one that envisions an America that is much different than it is today. This is not an acceptable premise.

Durbin’s statement is the third time that Democrats have personally stiffed Trump in the negotiations.

First, Durbin leaked Trump’s “shithole” comments in a closed-door negotiation to portray him as racist, and then Schumer promised January 18 to fund a wall for $25 billion but quickly told a New York Times interviewer that he did not think the wall would ever get built.

Durbin also touted the Democrats’s take-no-prisoners negotiating tactics by claiming the Democrats’ budget-shutdown prompted House Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell to schedule an immigration debate after February 8. Durbin said:

 I don’t see a government shutdown coming, but I do see a promise by Senator McConnell to finally bring this critical issue that affects the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in America, finally bringing it to a full debate in the Senate.

That’s what we were looking for when there was a shutdown. We have achieved that goal. We’re moving forward.

Donald Trump’s immigration poicies are very popular.

Polls show that President Donald Trump’s American-first immigration policy is very popular. For example, a December poll of likely 2018 voters shows two-to-one voter support for Trump’s pro-American immigration policies, and a lopsided four-to-one opposition against the cheap-labor, mass-immigration, economic policy pushed by bipartisan establishment-backed D.C. interest-groups.

A January poll showed:

more than 80 percent of Americans support curbing legal immigration levels, a plan that Trump has endorsed to raise the wages of working and middle-class Americans and stem the current never-ending flow of cheaper, foreign competition that burdens the country’s blue-collar workers the most.

Business groups and Democrats tout the misleading, industry-funded “Nation of Immigrants” polls which pressure Americans to say they welcome migrants, including the roughly 670,000 ‘DACA’ illegals and the roughly 3.25 million ‘dreamer’ illegals.

Four million Americans turn 18 each year and begin looking for good jobs in the free market.

But the federal government inflates the supply of new labor by annually accepting roughly 1.1 million new legal immigrants, by providing work-permits to roughly 3 million resident foreigners, and by doing little to block the employment of roughly 8 million illegal immigrants.

The Washington-imposed economic policy of economic growth via mass-immigration floods the market with foreign laborspikes profits and Wall Street values by cutting salaries for manual and skilled labor offered by blue-collar and white-collar employees. It also drives up real estate priceswidens wealth-gaps, reduces high-tech investment, increases state and local tax burdens, hurts kids’ schools and college education, pushes Americans away from high-tech careers, and sidelines at least 5 million marginalized Americans and their families, including many who are now struggling with opioid addictions.

 

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: http://www.breitbart.com

Donald Trump Super Bowl Message: ‘We Proudly Stand for the National Anthem’

Donald Trump Super Bowl Message: ‘We Proudly Stand for the National Anthem’



President Donald Trump issued a Super Bowl statement supporting the country’s Armed Forces and the decision to stand for the national anthem.

“Their sacrifice is stitched into each star and every stripe of our Star-Spangled Banner,” he wrote. “We hold them in our hearts and thank them for our freedom as we proudly stand for the National Anthem.”

The president specifically noted that Americans were coming together to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, pointing out that the men and women of the military made it possible.

“Though many of our Nation’s service members are unable to be home with family and friends to enjoy this evening’s American tradition, they are always in our thoughts and prayers,” he wrote. “We owe these heroes the greatest respect for defending our liberty and our American way of life. ”

Trump declined to participate in the tradition of a Super Bowl interview with NBC, the network broadcasting the game.  In 2017, he did an interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.

“We send our best wishes for an enjoyable Super Bowl Sunday,” he concluded. “May God bless and protect our troops, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.”

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: http://www.breitbart.com

Heisman Winner Walker: NFL Gave “Hush Money” to Players During Anthem Controversy

Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker says the NFL gave money to social justice organizations to stop players from kneeling for the national anthem.

Fox News Insider reported that Walker appeared on “Fox and Friends” Friday to talk about Super Bowl LII.

While on the show, Walker explained that the NFL gave money to social justice organizations in an effort to stop players from kneeling and to boost the NFL’s failing ratings.

“The league gave the players a large sum of money toward their cause. That’s hush money,” Walker said.

According to Sports Illustrated, the NFL shifted charitable money from breast cancer awareness and the military to fund a new social justice initiative.

TRENDING: Report: When McCabe Messed Up, Trump Called Him and Insulted His Wife

It all started when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started sitting for the national anthem in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“When you have an idle mind, you start doing things,” Walker mocked on “Fox & Friends.”

Walker continued to explain that he does not support the anthem protests and salutes the men and women who serve in the United States military.

“Yet you have guys who want to kneel, want to talk about their First Amendment rights. Well, your First Amendment right should be, ‘I want to stand for our military,’” Walker said.

Will you be watching the Super Bowl?

According to Newsweek, the TV ratings for the Super Bowl are not expected to break any records amid the anthem controversy.

The American people are well aware of the NFL’s corruption.

According to the New York Post, NFL TV viewers dropped by more than 9 percent in 2016-2017.

The TV audience was about 14.9 million, a number which previously was at 17.9 million in 2015.

RELATED: State Residents Looking at $147 Mil in Energy Savings Thanks to Trump Tax Cut

It’s no surprise that the NFL is doing whatever it can to save its dwindling ratings.

It’s only a matter of time before the NFL loses its pro sports dominance, unless the league makes a radical change to acknowledge the U.S. military and properly thank service members for their dedication to our great country.

Share this story on Facebook and Twitter if you agree that the NFL should give money to the U.S. military.

What are other ways the NFL could have stopped players from kneeling? Scroll down to comment below!

via Conservative Tribune

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://conservativetribune.com

Trudeau compares ISIS fighters to Greek, Italian, Portuguese immigrants

This was bad. Even for him.

Trudeau compares ISIS fighters to Greek, Italian, Portuguese immigrants
On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held one of his town hall meetings. The PM is currently crisscrossing the country in an attempt to bolster his sinking popularity. While many things coming out of the mouth of the most unqualified prime minister in history are bad, this comment was particularly disgusting.

via CanadaFreePress.Com

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: http://canadafreepress.com

Previously Deported Mexican National Convicted of Raping 9-Year-Old Girl in Sanctuary City

An Oregon jury convicted a previously deported Mexican national of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl. The convicted child-rapist has a history of crimes in the U.S.

The little girl’s mother told law enforcement officials in Clackamas County last year that a man broke into their 9 and 5-year-old daughters’ bedroom. The man came through the window of their apartment at night on February 25 and sexually assaulted their daughter. Although he escaped through a window, law enforcement officials were able to find his fingerprints, KATU2 in Portland, Oregon reported.

Breitbart Texas reported that federal officers arrested 48-year-old Santiago Flores-Martinez when he was trying to cross back into Mexico in late April. The port’s Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team (A-TCET) apprehended the Mexican national at the San Ysidro port of entry. San Ysidro is a district within the City of San Diego and is on the California-Mexico border near Tijuana.

Officials identified Flores-Martinez when they retrieved biometric information on him via the “Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System” (IAFIS).

Police began searching for the accused child rapist on April 25.

Fox 12 Oregon reported the jury found Flores-Martinez guilty on charges that include first-degree sex abuse, attempted rape, burglary, and coercion. His sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on Monday.

The convicted child rapist has used the aliases “Felipe Coeto” and “Isidro Ramos Flores.”

The previously deported Mexican national has a criminal record in the U.S. that dates back to 1994. Immigration officers deported him in 2001 after serving two years in prison in Oregon.

Clackamas County is located just southeast of Portland, Oregon. The county is listed by the Center for Immigration Studies as being a sanctuary jurisdiction that has policies prohibiting local law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration officers.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTXGab, and Facebook.

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: http://www.breitbart.com

Dems go despicable as the Russia Collusion plot to impeach Trump explodes in their faces

Clarice Feldman’s must-read column today explains the trap-of-their-own-making that FBI and DOJ officials and their media allies have fallen into. They know well that the Nunes memo is only the first step in exposing the illegal, unconstitutional, and regime-altering steps taken under President Barack Obama’s presidency to fix a presidential election, and failing that, to oust a duly elected president not to their liking.


As Clarice notes,



Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley is about to release his report on Steele, the FBI, and the dossier. 


The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General is about to release his report on the FBI and DOJ handling of the Clinton investigation. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has referred the allegations about the DOJ and FBI officials to the Inspector General for further investigation.


Their panic that is developing is leading people in responsible positions to expose themselves as not merely deplorable, but actually despicable in their responses. Here are three examples, but rest assured there will more people issuing what amount to threats of civil unrest or subversion.


Donny Deutsch is an advertising executive of some repute, and formerly enjoyed his own television show on MSNBC, but now is confined to serving as a commentator on that network. His response to the release of the Nunes memo was to call for a revolution. Not a metaphorical revolution, but a take-to-the-streets revolution.  Watch it for yourself. I believe that this is called “sedition.”



Note that Deutsch lately has taken to using dehumanizing language to describe Republicans, calling them “cockroaches” – creatures that ought to be exterminated. It echoes the slogan of the Symbionese Liberation Army: “Death to the fascist insect.”




The second example comes from Congressman Eric Swalwell, who appeared Friday night on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program, in one of the most remarkable segments in cable news history. Not only did the United States Congressman refuse to answer the apt questions Carlson posed, and not only did he obnoxiously talk over Carlson when he attempted to ask him direct questions on topic, he actually accused the Fox News host of serving Vadimir Putin.



The blogger Imperator Rex makes the point that this was not mere rudeness:


The scumbag is sane and knows exactly what he is doing, which is whipping up a truly crazed base.


But even worse – chilling, actually — than these two is the threat issued on CNN air by a deep stater, former CIA counterintelligence agent, Phil Mudd. Via Gateway Pundit:


Phil Mudd: The workforce is going to look and this and say, this is an attack on our ability to conduct an investigation with integrity… The FBI people, I’m going to tell you, “are ticked” and they’re going to be saying, I guarantee you, “You think you can push this off this?”… You better think again, Mr. President. You’ve been around for 13 months. We’ve been around since 1908. I know how this game is going to be played. We’re going to win.


CNN was so proud of this moment that it tweeted it:



Mudd is quite a piece of work:




I think that these three prominent people make it quite clear that they are happy to change the nature of our regime from a constitutional republic to something else – a revolutionary government, perhaps with guillotines or gulags – or a government run by and for the secret police bureaucrats.


Clarice Feldman’s must-read column today explains the trap-of-their-own-making that FBI and DOJ officials and their media allies have fallen into. They know well that the Nunes memo is only the first step in exposing the illegal, unconstitutional, and regime-altering steps taken under President Barack Obama’s presidency to fix a presidential election, and failing that, to oust a duly elected president not to their liking.


As Clarice notes,


Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley is about to release his report on Steele, the FBI, and the dossier. 


The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General is about to release his report on the FBI and DOJ handling of the Clinton investigation. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has referred the allegations about the DOJ and FBI officials to the Inspector General for further investigation.


Their panic that is developing is leading people in responsible positions to expose themselves as not merely deplorable, but actually despicable in their responses. Here are three examples, but rest assured there will more people issuing what amount to threats of civil unrest or subversion.


Donny Deutsch is an advertising executive of some repute, and formerly enjoyed his own television show on MSNBC, but now is confined to serving as a commentator on that network. His response to the release of the Nunes memo was to call for a revolution. Not a metaphorical revolution, but a take-to-the-streets revolution.  Watch it for yourself. I believe that this is called “sedition.”



Note that Deutsch lately has taken to using dehumanizing language to describe Republicans, calling them “cockroaches” – creatures that ought to be exterminated. It echoes the slogan of the Symbionese Liberation Army: “Death to the fascist insect.”




The second example comes from Congressman Eric Swalwell, who appeared Friday night on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program, in one of the most remarkable segments in cable news history. Not only did the United States Congressman refuse to answer the apt questions Carlson posed, and not only did he obnoxiously talk over Carlson when he attempted to ask him direct questions on topic, he actually accused the Fox News host of serving Vadimir Putin.



The blogger Imperator Rex makes the point that this was not mere rudeness:


The scumbag is sane and knows exactly what he is doing, which is whipping up a truly crazed base.


But even worse – chilling, actually — than these two is the threat issued on CNN air by a deep stater, former CIA counterintelligence agent, Phil Mudd. Via Gateway Pundit:


Phil Mudd: The workforce is going to look and this and say, this is an attack on our ability to conduct an investigation with integrity… The FBI people, I’m going to tell you, “are ticked” and they’re going to be saying, I guarantee you, “You think you can push this off this?”… You better think again, Mr. President. You’ve been around for 13 months. We’ve been around since 1908. I know how this game is going to be played. We’re going to win.


CNN was so proud of this moment that it tweeted it:



Mudd is quite a piece of work:




I think that these three prominent people make it quite clear that they are happy to change the nature of our regime from a constitutional republic to something else – a revolutionary government, perhaps with guillotines or gulags – or a government run by and for the secret police bureaucrats.






via American Thinker Blog

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/

NFL Includes Convicted Murderer Aaron Hernandez in Pre-Super Bowl ‘In Memoriam’ Video

NFL Includes Convicted Murderer Aaron Hernandez in Pre-Super Bowl ‘In Memoriam’ Video



As part of its pre-game festivities, the NFL treated fans to a video in memory of those players who passed away in 2017. Perhaps shockingly, that video included convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez.

As the videoboard flashed photos of those players who died last year, Hernandez was one of the featured players, according to several shocked reporters at U.S. Bank Stadium, For The Win reported.

Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murder in 2015. He was also being prosecuted for another murder case when he committed suicide in prison in 2017.

The inclusion of Hernandez surprised many reporters.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: http://www.breitbart.com

Americans nationwide are boycotting the Super Bowl to stand with military, law enforcement

The Philadelphia Eagles square off against the New England Patriots on Sunday in Super Bowl 52. Most Americans will tune into the big game, which is the most watched television event each year.

But hundreds of thousands of others, even millions, won’t be watching in protest.

What’s going on?

People are planning to boycott the big game because of many players’ ongoing national anthem protest, which began last season by former San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

According to a Fox News report, VFWs, American Legions, sports bars and other sports-watching venues nationwide will not be airing the Super Bowl “out of respect for veterans and law enforcement.”

One veterans’ club in New York posted a sign outside its building that read: “Closed Super Bowl Sunday in honor of our country, our flag, our veterans.”

Meanwhile, a New Jersey sports bar that began an NFL blackout in November vowed to continue the boycott on Sunday. Woody’s Roadside Tavern in Farmington closed their doors at 4 p.m. on Sunday, losing out on lots of potential business, all in an effort to stand in solidarity with the military and law enforcement.

A Knights of Columbus chapter in Longview, Texas, also cancelled their Super Bowl watching party.

“For the reasons that they were disgusted with protests with the national anthem and the flag during the seasons football games. The Knights of Columbus are a men’s charitable and religious organization. You watch football on television to get away from politics you see on the networks. And I’ll be darn if they don’t throw it right back in your face in a football game. I quit watching,” the group’s leader told KLTV-TV.

In recent days a petition circulated online that garnered more than 200,000 signatures. The signers of that petition said they were boycotting the big game because of the national anthem protests.

A poll found last week that the number of Americans who plan to watch the Super Bowl dropped 14 percent compared to last year.

via TheBlaze.com – Stories

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.theblaze.com

Heck of a Job Roger! NFL Now Third Most Hated Company in America

On this less than festive Super Bowl Sunday, it could be that the biggest football game of the year will take a ratings hit that would have been unthinkable in past years.

By the time that either the New England Patriots or Philadelphia Eagles will be awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy at around 10 pm ET, the door will finally close on a tumultuous and rotten season during which the NFL chose the wrong side in a controversial social battle.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell may have gotten his $40 million a year contract extension thanks to greedy and gullible owners but its hard to see how the league that he heads up hasn’t undergone permanent and irreparable damage by siding with malcontents with racial grievances.

Ratings have fallen throughout the year which is largely attributable to the disrespect shown to the flag, veterans and the military by pampered and privileged multimillionaires who chose the wrong place to protest. By kneeling, fist-thrusting or sitting on their asses during the national anthem, a small number of SJW militants successfully hijacked the league and alienated millions.

Yesterday we reported on a recent poll that 16 percent of fans planned on just saying no to this year’s pageant of wretched excess gussied up as a championship game and yet another survey has even worse news for Goodell, owners, and sponsors.

The NFL is the THIRD most hated company in America, surpassed only by the credit reporting giant Equifax and Fox (which televises NFL games) in what should be a sign that fans aren’t just going to forgive and forget come next year.

According to 24/7 Wall Street “America’s Most Hated Companies”:

A company can live or die by its reputation. Year after year, the vast majority of familiar companies and brands maintain — or build — their bond with the American consumer by offering dependable products and services and by cultivating a clean image.

Maintaining the public’s confidence is not a foregone conclusion. A single misstep — such as a price hike or tone-deaf tweet — can be enough to keep corporate public relations departments scrambling.

In other cases, corporate blunders rise above the threshold of an honest mistake. Public perceptions of an internal scandal, a toxic work environment, lax security, or unethical business practices can be enough to garner disdain from a large segment of American consumers — and in recent months there was no shortage of such revelations in the business world.

Reviewing a range of information, including major news events from the last year, customer survey results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, employee reviews on Glassdoor, as well as our own annual customer satisfaction survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified America’s most hated companies.

Number Three: NFL

Despite growing concerns and evidence, it has taken the NFL more than two decades to finally acknowledge the link between head injuries and their long-term effects — and to initiate concussion protocol policy. The NFL’s conduct in this matter has garnered significant criticism from the American public. The growing politicization during games this season gave even more Americans a reason to dislike the organization. President Donald Trump tweeted in September 2017 that the league should fire or suspend players who kneel during the national anthem — a trend that started in 2016 by now unsigned quarterback Colin Kaepernick to raise awareness of racial inequality in the United States. The act of kneeling is itself controversial, garnering support from some who claim it is a protected form of free speech in support of a righteous cause, while others claim it is disrespectful to the flag.

Though it remains the most popular professional sports league in the United States, the NFL’s viewership dipped considerably in 2017, due in part to boycott movements driven by the kneeling controversy. Nationally televised games in the current season averaged only 15.1 million viewers, down from 16.6 million last season.

The rest of the list can be viewed HERE.

The good news for the NFL? They have a helluva good shot at Number One in 2018 now that they have Goodell under contract.

 

 

via Downtrend.com

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://downtrend.com

Report: Adam Schiff may have leaked classified information to discredit FISA memo

Did Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, leak classified information in an effort to discredit committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and the controversial “FISA memo?” According to a new report, he may have.

What happened?

After saying the memo’s release would trigger a “constitutional crisis” because of the sensitive information contained in the memo, Law&Crime reported that Schiff may have leaked classified information to reporters on Friday when discrediting the memo.

According to a CNN report, Schiff told reporters on Friday that the memo’s central claim — that the Department of Justice and FBI didn’t disclose the political biases of a source when seeking a FISA warrant on Carter Page — is “unfounded.”

Schiff told the media the memo’s claims were “not accurate” and the FISA court was made aware of the “likely political motivation” behind the Steele dossier. The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times all reported this, citing anonymous sources, on Friday, CNN noted.

It was Schiff’s comments about whether or not the FISA court was aware of Steele’s political motivations that represent a potential leak of classified information, according to Law&Crime.

Why would that amount to leaking classified information?

Because, as Law&Crime noted, President Donald Trump only authorized the declassification of the FISA memo, not information about the FISA warrant on Page, which remains classified.

Legal experts agreed that Schiff may have gone beyond what was in the public record to discredit the memo, potentially leaking classified information. But they said it would be difficult to find many objections to Schiff’s comments.

Steven Aftergood, director of the government secrecy project at the Federation of American Scientists, told the Washington Examiner: “In the abstract they could be problematic since they go beyond the official public record. But under current circumstances, it is hard for me to imagine anyone objecting.”

Mark Zaid, an attorney who has worked national security cases dealing with classified information, told the Examiner Schiff’s comments likely fall into a “gray area.”

“At first blush I would have some concerns about the details in this statement as to whether it crosses a classification line, but it is possible Rep. Schiff, having had access to the underlying classified information, knows these points are in unclassified paragraphs. So much of these back and forths about the memo are in a gray area on classification,” he said.

Meanwhile, Robert Litt, who served as general counsel for the Office of the Director of National from 2009-2017, said Schiff likely didn’t leak classified information. He explained to the Examiner:

I guess it is hard for me to wrap my mind around the concept that, if it’s not classified to say, “The FBI didn’t tell the FISA Court about Steele’s bias,” it’s classified to say, “That’s false.” I don’t think that you could release what was actually in the [still-classified court] filing. But you could say that what Nunes says is wrong.

Schiff didn’t say what the FISA application said – he said only that what Nunes said isn’t what the application said. If he had gone further and said what the FISA application said, or if he had been talking about different statements in the Nunes memo such that his response would necessarily reveal what the application actually said, it might be different.

“It depends on the circumstances,” he added. “I could see circumstances where you might be violating classification like that. But not in this case.”

via TheBlaze.com – Stories

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.theblaze.com