Day: October 30, 2017
Northam Leading by Wide Margin in Virginia
17 points
A new Quinnipiac poll in Virginia finds Ralph Northam (D) holds a 17-pointlead over Ed Gillespie (R) in the race for governor, 53% to 36%.
Boehner: Congress Is a “Slice of America”
“We’ve got some of the smartest people in America who serve in the Congress, and we’ve got some of the dumbest. We have some of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet, and some that are Nazis. Congress is nothing more than a slice of America.”
— Former Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), quoted by Politico.
Over Half of Trump Appointees Have Conflicts of Interest
179
The Daily Beast looked at all 341 people President Trump has nominated for administration positions and found that 179 — more than half — have some sort of a conflict of interest. “One hundred and five nominees worked in the industries that they were being tasked with regulating; 63 lobbied for, were lawyers for, or otherwise represented industry members that they were being tasked with regulating; and 11 received payments or campaign donations from members of the industry that they were being tasked with regulating.”
Clapper: Russia Stole the U.S. Election
“The Russians have succeeded beyond their wildest expectations.”
— Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, telling Politico that no matter how much President Trump rants about the “Russia hoax,” the 2016 hacking was not only real and aimed at electing Trump but constituted a major victory for a dangerous foreign adversary.
How Low Can Trump Go?
38% to 58%
A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds President Trump’s job approval rating has declined to the lowest point of his presidency, 38% to 58%. “Looking ahead to the 2018 midterm elections, which take place a year from now, 48% of registered voters in the poll say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, while 41% want a Republican-controlled Congress.”
Sex Toys for Tories
From Britain, we’re used to seeing some naughty bits,
And it’s easy to portray Parliament as a gaggle of twits.
But asking your assistant to buy sex toys
Is not just being “one of the boys,”
And neither is referring to her as “sugar tits.”
American Politics Hits a New Low
71%
A new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll finds 71% of Americans say the nation’s politics have reached a dangerous low point, and a majority of those believe the situation is a “new normal” rather than temporary. “The poll finds that 7 in 10 Americans view the Trump administration as dysfunctional. But dissatisfaction extends well beyond the executive branch: Even more Americans, 8 in 10, say Congress is dysfunctional, and there is limited trust in other institutions, including the media.”
Boehner Unloads on Former Colleagues
“[Rep. Trey] Gowdy — that’s my guy, even though he doesn’t know how to dress. Fuck [Rep. Jim] Jordan. Fuck [former Rep. Jason] Chaffetz. They’re both assholes.”
– Former House Speaker John Boehner, who should know.
Trump Campaign Chair Indicted on 12 Counts
Special Report: Paul Manafort and associate indicted https://t.co/OwEiwczj8l
— Pensito (@PensitoReview) October 30, 2017
President Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort turned himself in to the FBI on Monday after being indicted on 12 counts, including conspiracy against the United States.
Other counts in the indictment include conspiracy to launder money, false statements and seven counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts…
The indictments were reportedly returned by a grand jury on Friday, and were unsealed after the defendents were permitted to surrender themselves, according to a statement from the FBI.