Eyes On Republican Candidate Debbie Lesko

Things are going to get closer and more problematic for the GOP in 8th CD in Arizona.

It might look like Republicans dodged a disaster in Arizona’s 8th District considering former state senator Steve Montenegro didn’t win Tuesday’s primary. But, as we’ve written before, Republicans seem to find new ways to make these special elections competitive, and Democrats everywhere are excited to send a message to President Donald Trump.

Unlike Montenegro, former state Sen. Debbie Lesko, the GOP nominee, has not received a topless photo from a staffer. But she has been accused of violating campaign finance rules by illegally funneling state funds to a federal race.

Lesko’s rise was fueled by Montenegro hemorrhaging support from local conservative activists when the the Arizona Republic published an expose one week ago on an alleged improper sexual relationship the married father had with a legislative aide while he was still a member of the state Senate. One of the most striking details in the report was the allegation that a topless photo was texted to Montenegro.

It’s unclear whether that will be enough to loosen Republicans’ grip on a district that Trump won by 21 points in 2016. But the trend is clear; Democrats are consistently over-performing, and sometimes it’s enough to win in unlikely places.

At a minimum, the trend demonstrates this race will get more competitive in the weeks ahead. We’re changing our Inside Elections rating from Solid Republican to Likely Republican, and somewhat expect it to get more vulnerable between now and the April 24 election.

Is This Fiscal Conservatism? Republican Ben Carson Thinks So

Every hour there is another absurdity from the Trump Administration.  This time we see conservative fiscal management in action!

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (Hud) has agreed to spend $165,000 on “lounge furniture” for its Washington headquarters, in addition to a $31,000 dining set purchased for housing secretary Ben Carson’s office.

The revelations on Tuesday of Carson’s expensive decor spending come as Donald Trump’s administration has proposed a cut of $6.8bn to Hud’s annual budget, or roughly 14% of its total spending, which would lead to reductions in programs aimed at poor and homeless Americans.

Department officials signed a contract last September with an Indiana-based seller for the furniture, according to a federal procurement record.

Raffi Williams, a spokesman for Hud, said in an email Tuesday evening that further records on the lounge furniture contract were not immediately available.

Earlier on Tuesday it emerged that the department had agreed to spend $31,000 on a dining table and accompanying items for Carson’s offices. Last week, Williams falsely denied to the Guardian that such a table had been bought.

Helen Foster said she was told “$5,000 will not even buy a decent chair” after informing her bosses that this was the legal price limit for improvements to Carson’s suite of offices. Her complaint was filed to the office of special counsel (OSC).

Williams made false statements to the Guardian in emails last Friday while an article on Foster’s claims was being prepared.

“When it comes to the secretary’s office, the only money HUD spent was $3,200 to put up new blinds in his office and the deputy secretary’s office,” Williams said in an email, declaring this information to be “on background” without prior agreement.

Asked to confirm, as the Guardian had been told by a source, that “a new dining-room-style table was also purchased”, Williams replied: “Yeah, that’s inaccurate.” After news of Foster’s complaint was followed by US media, Williams confirmed on Tuesday that $31,000 was in fact spent on a new dining set for Carson’s offices.

Political Cartoons Of Trump As ‘Super Bone Spur’ Running To The Sound Of The Guns

Donald Trump continually proves why he is the best fool political cartoonists have had since–well–since Herblock had President Nixon.  Did Trump actually think his words about running to the scene of a school shooting–given his failure to join the military due to his ‘bone spurs’, (which never keeps him off a golf course), would not come back to haunt him.

It has been a gold mine for cartoonists!

 

 

How Rich Is Your Member Of Congress?

This is worth your time.

Roll Call has been examining the finances of members of Congress since 1990 by combing through their annual financial disclosure reports. This Wealth of Congress study comes from compiling more than 28,000 rows of data from the most recent filings — snapshots of the assets and liabilities of every House member and senator just as their service in the 115th Congress began. (For almost every lawmaker, that’s New Year’s Eve 2016; the seven winners of special elections in 2017 filed during their campaigns.)

Below are summaries for the 431 voting members of the House (there are four vacancies) and the nonvoting members from U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, plus 99 of the senators. (As an appointee, Minnesota Democrat Tina Smith has until May to file a disclosure.)

Wisconsin Republican Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner comes in at 39th with a net worth of $11.1 million–and is the richest elected official from the Badger State.

The next Wisconsin official is Republican Senator Ron Johnson in 45th place with $10.4 million net worth.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is listed in 103rd place a t$2.9 million.

I certainly do not bemoan that there are rich people in government–but desire them to seek to work in behalf of the nation as a whole.  The Kennedy family, as an example, are very wealthy.  But their concern for teachers, labor unions, and for middle class citizens are well-noted.  It is the rich Republicans who have hearts like bankers which are so problematic.

 

Proof As To Why Nepotism Laws Matter!

White House staffers operating with interim security clearances — including President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner — were told in a memo Friday that they will no longer have access to highly classified information requiring the highest level of clearance.

Why this matters so very much is the reason that Kushner failed to get such clearance.  He is a security risk.

Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Kushner by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience.

Kusshner is nothing more than someone who scored bedtime with Trump’s daughter and thought that should allow him entry into international policy making.  Among those nations discussing ways to influence Kushner to their advantage were the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico.

Wow!

Presidential Award From Donald Trump—-To Himself

With his famed bone spurs and need for a golf cart to carry his lumpy body around this award seems a bit premature from President Trump.  And then there was Trump’s real life story of the bloody mess on his marble floors….

NBA Championship Team Says No To White House Visit

Well Hot Damn!

Instead of visiting the White House to celebrate their 2017 NBA championship, the Golden State Warriors will tour the National Museum of African-American History and Culture with local Washington students.  That news came from all-star guard Klay Thompson.

“The White House is a great honor, but there are other circumstances that we felt not comfortable going,” Thompson told reporters Monday night, the New York Post reported.

“We’re not going to politicize anything. We’re just going to go hang out with some kids and take them to the African-American Museum and teach them things we learned along the way, life lessons and hopefully give them some great memories,” he added.

Lets Talk About Donald Trump’s ‘Bravery’ About Running Into Florida School

Trump said he would have run into the Florida school to confront the shooter–but on the Howard Stern radio show years ago he presented a far different image of his ‘bravery’.