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Appearing as a guest on Morning Joe Wednesday, liberal Rev. Jim Wallis discussed his book Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus. Not surprisingly, it did not take long for Wallis to begin trashing President Trump and white evangelical Christians. Another member of the panel, the incendiary Al Sharpton, accused white evangelicals of submitting to white nationalism and to Trump, a point that Wallis seemed to agree with.

After mentioning that Lincoln said our leaders should appeal to our better angels, Wallis contrasted him with President Trump, whom he described as appealsto our worst demons. Wallis recycled a phrase coined by absent host Joe Scarborough as he made the case that Trumps policies, words, and practices are antithetical to Jesus. According to Wallis, the policies, words, and practices of the President include white nationalism, abuse and harassment of women, and the dehumanization of immigrants.

Walliss commentary surely came as music to the ears of the anti-Trump panel. Guest host Willie Geist asked Wallis what do you say to those (evangelicals) who stay at the side of Donald Trump through all of it? Wallis instead elected to go on a tirade accusing white evangelicals of racism: this population, white evangelicals, is the most resistant to a multiracial future...when the operative phrase in white evangelical isnt evangelical but white, we have a problem...Is racial bigotry a deal-breaker for the gospel when it isnt for white evangelicals?

PoliticsNation host Rev. Al Sharpton also participated in the discussion and seemed to agree with Walliss characterization of white evangelicals as racist, claiming that most of the evangelical leaders have submitted to white nationalism and to Trump. Wallis also made the ridiculous claim that if Jesus were here today, hed be celebrating the Black Lives Matter movement, apparently forgetting that BLM activists have chanted phrases such as What do we want? Dead cops! and pigs in a blanket, fry em like bacon. Those phrases do not exactly epitomize Christian behavior.

In addition to portraying Jesus Christ as a Black Lives Matter sympathizer, Wallis surmised that he would be furiously defending the planet from global warming. Strangely, Wallis had stressed that our faith and values should shape our politics and not the other way around just moments earlier. Yet, Wallis decided to ignore his own rule of thumb in an effort to paint Jesus as a left-wing activist.

Morning Joes embrace of Wallis should not come as that much of a surprise since they love to roll out the red carpet for self-proclaimed Christians with contempt for evangelicals who supported Trump. The MSNBC morning program has brought on New York Times contributing opinion writer and self-described evangelical Peter Wehner multiple times to trash Trump-supporting evangelicals for selling their soul for judges and claim theyve degraded themselves and the movement so badly.

As the conversation came to a close, Wallis reiterated the importance of not wrapping our ideology and politics around our faith. It looks like he has no intention to practice what he preaches anytime soon.

A transcript of the relevant portion of Wednesdays edition of Morning Joe is below. Click expand to read more.

Morning Joe

11/27/19

08:51 AM

WILLIE GEIST: Our next guest says we are in a moment of great moral, political, and constitutional crisis; which largely stems from how weve become disconnected from the teachings of Christ. Joining us now, best-selling author and founder of Sojourners, Jim Wallis. His new book is out now entitled Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus. Mike Barnicle, Karine Jean-Pierre, and Reverend Al Sharpton with us as well. Jim, good morning. Good to see you.

JIM WALLIS: Good morning.

GEIST: Many questions for you, but I want to start with your thesis that Christ is in crisis. How so?

WALLIS: Well, the crisis as you all have been talking about every day is political, constitutional, its also a moral crisis, and I think a spiritual one. Lincoln said our leaders should appeal to our better angels, but we have a leader who appeals to our worst demons, and those demons go very deep. So, my evangelical tradition, in crisis, you go back to Jesus. So, Im saying we have to go back to who Jesus was and what he said, and I wouldJoe often says on this show, what do you do when policies, words, and practices are antithetical to Jesus? Which is happening now all the time. So, I have to say, to be blunt and maybe irreverent, white nationalism is not just racist, its antichrist. To demonize, dehumanize immigrants, it isnt just lack of compassion, its antichrist. To mistreat women, abuse, harassment. This is not just sexist, its antichrist. So, we have to name this for what it is. And so, Im trying to say, lets look at what Jesus asked us, and his questions, maybe the most important one is who is my neighbor? That may be the most important question in this political seasonwho is my neighbor? Because the one that Jesus says is our neighbor is the one whos being targeted by this administration. So, to me, these are faith issues and not just political ones.

GEIST: You write about something in the book weve talked about a lot on this show

WALLIS: Yeah.

GEIST: and its, which is the sustained support from evangelicals for President Trump, through everything, through Stormy Daniels, through the separation of families at the border, through all of it. Evangelical support has remained relatively strong. To some people, that exposes a hypocrisy that puts politics before faith andand teachings of the bible and morality and everything else. What do you say to those who stay at the side of Donald Trump through all of it?

WALLIS: Heres a radical ideaour faith and values should shape our politics and not the other way around. And Jesus has somehow survived all of us Christians. So, the interest in this brown-skin rabbi who was born in Palestinian territory, what hes saying and doing, the interest is way outside the church. Theres a whole lot of young people saying what did he say? What did he do? The poll that is the most shameful and damaging for white evangelicals says, this population, white evangelicals, is the most resistant to a multiracial future. Thats a devastating poll. So, here is the questionwhen the operative phrase in white evangelical isnt evangelical, but white, we have a problem. So, weve got to get to that. Is the gospel clear here? Is racial bigotry a deal-breaker for the gospel, when it isnt for white evangelicals? Thats something weve got to deal with.

AL SHARPTON: One of the things that intrigues me about reading your new book, andand the best-seller youve already written is you are very active. Youre not just one of these guys that writes books orand even though you are a theologian, and youre active in it. What has happened to the activism of white Christian progressives we dont see? I mean, you are out there with Sojourners, but you dont see a lot of people that we did see when I was a kid growing up in Operation Breadbasketyou see a lot of the white ministers out there. And youre out there sometimes with just a few leaders, good following, but just a few leaders, where most of the evangelical leaders have submitted to white nationalism and to Trump.

WALLIS: This is an opportunity. Crisis is a danger; danger for the most marginalized. Its also an opportunity. What if, indeed, this brought us back to what Jesus said and did? So, I am encouraged out there about what I see happening around the country. There are pastors, there areI mean, ifif Jesus were here today, hed be celebrating the Black Lives Matter movement. He would be standing alongside our neighbors, especially who are immigrants and refugees. He would be furiously defending the planet from global warming. So, I want to see us go back, what the evangelicals say, go back to Jesus. So, the word evangelical is interesting. To call yourself one today is tough these days, but Jesus defined it in Nazareth, his first sermon, his Nazareth manifesto. The spirit of the Lord is upon me, he says, because hes anointed me to bring good news to the poor. And the word for good news there is evangel. So, if it our gospel isnt good news of the poor, it simply isnt the gospel of Jesus Christ, period.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Jim, II dont think you have enough time to answer the question Im about to ask is how do we get out of this moral crisis? You talkedyou started off the conversation talking about that; especially in a time where were in a country where its incredibly divided. You have

WALLIS: Yeah.

JEAN-PIERRE: a President, as we mentioned, as you mentioned, who is dividing us with hate and, you know, bigotry and racism and xenophobia. How do you get out of this moral crisis? What do we need to be doing?

WALLIS: I think weve got to not just go left and right but go deeper. How do we go deeper here? And this crisis makes an opportunity for that. So, Ive talked aboutIve wrestled with Jesus questions here. Who is our neighbor? And its clear in the good Samaritan parable, our neighbor is the one whos different than us. Gustavo Gutierrez, a Peruvian theologian, says youve got to go outside your path to find your neighbor. So, in this season coming up, until we find our neighbors again, were in serious trouble. If we do that, though, and askhe says, What is the truth? The problem isnt just all the lies you always talk about here. Hes saying there is no truth. Wash your hands. Fake memedia. Jesus says, youll know the truth. The truth will set you free. Fear. Be not afraid, Jesus says, eight times. Well, theyre running on fear. Theyre running against the immigrant, running against our neighbor. So, I think this could bring us back to what Jesus said and did. So, maybe America needs a reintroduction to the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. Im hoping that goes deeper and can bring somepolitics by itself, even an election by itself, as you know so well, isnt going to heal this nation. So, how do we go back to something that can bring us together again?

BARNICLE: So, the reintroduction of Jesus into the politics of this country or into the country itself, how is it going to happen? If you look at the field now, there are several people in the race for President of the United States who are people of deep faith.

WALLIS: Mm-hmm.

BARNICLE: II know that Vice President Biden carries a rosary with him every single day in his pocket, okay? And yet, you listen to not just Joe Biden, but most of the candidates on the stump, they never, ever mention God and faith. What is up with that?

WALLIS: You know, the narrative on religion in politics has been bad for a long time, where Republicans claim to own religion

BARNICLE: Yeah.

WALLIS: Own God. And Democrats, interesting. The base of the Democratic Party is African-American women. So, the base is the most religious population

SHARPTON: Thats right.

WALLIS: in the country. Yet, Democrats are reluctant to talk about faith, which is ironic.

JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

WALLIS: The good news is I know some of these candidates, and they aresome of their bibles are underlined. They want to talk about faith. Were having some conversations about faith. But I want the Democrats not to create a religious left, like Republicans have created a religious right; wrapping our ideology and politics around our faith. Faith should hold us accountable. For example, in the book, the last test of discipleship is when Jesus talks about the least of these. Were to be tested by how we treat the least of these. Jesus didnt say, well, I was going to talk about the hungry and thirsty and naked and strangerstranger is e the immigrant of course, but Im afraid that will be politically divisive. So, I dont want to talk about that. No, he said, I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was naked, I was sick, I was a stranger, I was in purpose. As you did to the least of these, you have done to me. That text, how we treat the least of these, holds all parties accountable.

GEIST: This ought to be mandatory reading for all the candidates and the President of the United States, I might add, too. The new book is Christ in Crisis. Jim Wallis calls it a spiritual field guide.

Originally posted here:
Wallis, Sharpton Accuse Evangelicals of 'Submitting to White Nationalism' - NewsBusters

If only he were still here. If only she had answers.

This Monday, Nov. 25, marked the 13th anniversary of Sean Bells death at the hands of police. With anti-police brutality activism more visible via online advocates, Bells death reminds people of a time when the internet didnt have as much of an impact on these events.

But for Nicole Paultre-Bell, former fiance of Sean Bell, it just reminds her of a time of pain.

Thirteen years after Seans death the pain hasnt subsided and Im still seeking solace following so many unanswered questions about a criminal justice system that failed our daughters and took away their father, said Bell in a statement. With the negligence, the assault, the civil rights violations, and the egregious misconduct all pointing to guilt, the police officers are still acquitted.

Bell and a few friends were leaving a strip club in Queens as part of his bachelor party. Members of the New York Police Department fired 50 shots in total with fewer than half of them hitting their intended targets. Bell was struck in the neck and arm and was pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital. His friend, Joseph Guzman, was left in critical condition after being hit 11 times and another friend, Tent Benefield, arrived in stable condition.

The latter two were shackled to their beds by police drawing outcry from activists. None of the three men had a weapon despite police reporting that they heard one of the three men mention a gun.

National Action Network President the Rev. Al Sharpton said that it was another death in a long line of deaths where police fatally shot an unarmed Black person.

When Sean Bell lost his life 13 years ago at the hands of New York City police officers, we organized and marched to fight for justice for his widow and family, said Sharpton in a statement. We held massive protests outside police headquarters and stopped traffic from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Triborough Bridge. It was a tragedy for yet another family to bury a young man whose life was cut short by those hired to protect and serve him.

Police were staking out the strip club due to allegations of drug dealing and prostitution. An undercover officer called out to other officers staking out the place telling them to get ready for a possible encounter. The officer thought one of the men mentioned a gun. Then police commissioner Ray Kelly said that Bells car went in reverse when an officer approached the front of the car. The car then hit a police minivan and drove onto the sidewalk when the shooting commenced. All of the officers involved in the shooting were acquitted.

Our young Black men continue to be targeted by this broken criminal justice system across the country at a disproportionate rate, said Sharpton. NAN will continue to fight for young Black and Brown men whose contact with law enforcement too often leads to death, whether theyve committed a crime or not.

Despite the anti-police brutality fight, many Black men and women continue to meet their deaths via police encounters. Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Sandra Bland and others have become household names for all of the wrong reasons. Bell said that shell continue to push back against police violence no matter how long the road and how bleak the outlook.

Since Seans death, there has been some effort on changing criminal justice policies, but Seans story keeps repeating itself, and the results are the samepolice officers were cleared of negligence and sometimes murder, said Bell. I will continue to fight for a society where officers of the law can be trusted and I have joined a transition team that believes in this fight for criminal justice reform for the incoming Queens D.A. Melinda Katz because I believe she will push for criminal justice reform NOW.

See more here:
Sean Bell died at the hands of police 13 years ago - Amsterdam News

Theres no doubt that Meghan Markle has garnered a number of celebrity supporters. From George Clooney and Serena Williams to Priyanka Chopra and Elton John, Markle has a roster of celeb besties that have spoken out to the press in her defense.

However, one of her most high-profile defenders is someone that no royal fan would have suspected: a former presidential hopeful who has experienced her own misfortune with the press. Markles latest fan is none other than Hillary Clinton.

Keep reading to learn how Markle and Clinton are connected, what Clinton said in Markles defense, and why royal fans think that the former First Lady is obsessed with Markle.

Long before she was a member of the royal family, Markle was heavily involved in world politics. From the time she was a preteen, Markle had a strong social conscience.

When she was eleven years old, Markle saw a commercial on television for dishwashing soap that was marketed directly to women. The young woman had a problem with the commercials phrasing, and wrote letters to some powerful women, including then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, asking that the commercial be changed to reflect feminist ideals.

Throughout the years, Markle remained a staunch supporter of Clinton and in 2016, when Clinton was running for president, Markle was a vocal proponent for her campaign. She spoke out several times in support of Clinton and even shared her views on her since-deleted Instagram account.

These days, Markle isnt really allowed to voice her support for any particular political candidate, but it is clear that the women still have a great deal of mutual respect for each other.

View this post on Instagram

As a young reader, I absolutely adored Nancy Drew, the intrepid sixteen-year-old high school graduate who solved mysteries. My friends and I all wanted to be more like Nancy: smart, brave, and independent. (In particular, I admired the way she would sometimes do her detective work wearing sensible pants.) That's why I was absolutely delighted to come face-to-face with one of my old Nancy Drew mysteriesThe Hidden Window Mysterywhile in my hometown of Park Ridge, Illinois last week. It had been donated to my old school's used book sale, and enjoyed by another local family, the Machons, who noticed that I'd signed my name on the inside cover. Nancy Drew was the first literary hero that I shared with both my mother, Dorothy, and my daughter, Chelsea. She's one of the heroes we write about in "The Book of Gutsy Women." I love that we shared her with the Machons and countless other families, too. #GutsyWomen

A post shared by Hillary Clinton (@hillaryclinton) on Oct 14, 2019 at 1:23pm PDT

The Duchess of Sussex has been experiencing a lot of negativity from the British tabloids, and it has caused many of Markles fans stateside to sit up and take notice. Clinton has voiced her concern for Markle several times within the past several months.

Most recently, when speaking withBBC Radio 5 in mid-November, Clinton vocalized support for the duchess. When asked what Clinton thought about the way the press has treated Markle, Clinton stated: oh my God, I want to hug her!

She also said that as a mother she just wants to put her arms around her and that she wants to pass along the message of dont let those bad guys get you down. Clinton also raved about how Markle should be given a break and said that the Duchess of Sussex deserves a lot better.

She has made her own way in the world, Clinton told The BBC. Then she falls in love, and he falls in love with her, and everybody should be celebrating that because it is a true love story. You can just look at them and see that.

Clinton added: You know, its not easy. And there are some techniques that can be learned along the way, some humor, some deflection, whatever, which Im sure she will come to. But it is tough what she is going through. And I think she deserves a lot better.

Its clear that Clinton is firmly in Markles corner, and ready to defend the former actress whenever the occasion calls for it.

Clintons public show of support was rewarded when reportedly, she met with Markle and Baby Archie Harrison at Frogmore Cottage earlier this November. The report claims that Clinton and Markle discussed the letter that Markle wrote when she was eleven and womens issues that are important to them both.

This ongoing show of mutual respect has caused many royal fans to wonder if Clinton is truly obsessed with Markle. It certainly seems as though she is on Markles side in the war of the press, and that the two have several things in common.

The BBC interview isnt the first time Clinton vocalized support for Markle.

She reportedly vouched for the Duchess of Sussex in aninterview withThe Sunday Times. Clinton said, the way [Markle has] been treated [by the British media] is inexplicable.

If the explanation is that shes biracial, then shame on everybody, added Clinton, saying Markles race is certainly part of it.

Still, it seems unlikely that the two will ever be able to become very close friends, considering members of the royal family are not supposed to take sides politically, and Markle would get lambasted in the press if she ever voiced support for Clintons politics again. Still, Markle is clearly ready to accept support from wherever she can, especially when it is from public figures that she has shown an affinity for in the past.

Original post:
Royal Fans Thinks Hillary Clinton Is Obsessed With Meghan Markle - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Hillary Clinton claimed Republicans would affirm that President Trump is above the law if they do not vote to impeach.

Clinton chastised Republicans and questioned if they would use their power to check Trumps impeachable offenses and remove him from office. She took to Twitter to claim the only question remaining regarding impeachment is whether Republicans will protect Trump, not whether he committed acts deemed impeachable by the Constitution.

The question is not whether Trump has committed impeachable crimes. He has, Clinton tweeted. The question is whether Republicans in Congress will affirm that an American president is not above the law.

She also took an impeachment victory lap by retweeting a post that said, Do yall ever sit back and think about how much [Hillary Clinton] was actually right about? She added the caption, Occasionally.

Although Clinton may believe there is no question on impeachment, most Republicans disagree. Republican Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, who has been a Trump critic, called Trumps actions misguided but not impeachable.

"An impeachable offense should be compelling, overwhelmingly clear, and unambiguous, and its not something to be rushed or taken lightly," Hurd explained during Thursdays hearing. "I have not heard evidence proving the president committed bribery or extortion."

Clinton, 72, was accused of being above the law herself because she used a private email server, putting classified State Department documents at risk. The decision haunted her presidential campaign. In July 2016, then-FBI Director James Comey announced that he would not recommend charging anyone in relation to Clinton's email server, despite calling her private email use "extremely careless."

Comey's last-minute decision to reopen the investigation into the server was highly criticized after Clinton's defeat in 2016. She lost the election by 77 electoral votes. Many believe her failure to campaign in swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin cost her the election.

See original here:
Clinton says Republicans will 'affirm' Trump is 'above the law' if they vote against impeachment - Washington Examiner

Former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon touched on several topics during a recent Fox Business interview, including the 2020 race, which he says is Donald Trumps to lose and that Michael Bloombergs candidacy will open the door for Hillary Clinton to save the Democratic Party.

Bannon said the Democrats voting base will soon throw former Vice President Joe Biden away (though, you keep hearing this a lot as he continues to lead in pretty much every major poll), opening the door for Bloomberg and the return of Clinton.

Theyll throw Biden away to get to Trump and hope Elizabeth Warren or I even think Hillary Clinton or Bloomberg or some centrist comes in here, he said. All these other people that could have been the centrist candidate for whatever reason havent materialized. And that leaves a huge opportunity for two people, I believe: Michael Bloomberg and Hillary Clinton.

Its quite evident that, look, the ratings and President Trump follows this; like the ratings for the impeachment started to drop off. The ratings for the Democratic primaries are dropping off. Theres a lack of interest. Theres no star power. And more importantly, there doesnt seem like a fighter that can take on Trump.

Bannon then discussed what Bloomberg brings to the table, particularly capital. Bloomberg, of course, is worth north of $50 billion, far more than even Trump, so he has more than enough money to throw around. Bloomberg has said hell spend up to $100 million on his campaign, and has already doled out $20 million on an anti-Trump voting registration drive in five swing states.

Hes very smart in applying his capital to politics. Remember, one of the reasons we have this impeachment going on is because Nancy Pelosi took the House on the shoulders of Mike Michael Bloomberg Bloombergs money, Bannon said. It was $100 million of Bloombergs capital that went in. I think they focused on 25 House races and won 23 of them. So to a large extent, Nancy Pelosi owes her job to Michael Bloomberg. Hes been hes been moving these chess pieces around for a while. He hopes to use his capital to blow a hole because he sees Mayor Pete (Buttigieg), Biden, Cory Booker, the other centrists are just not getting traction.

And I believe he thinks the Wall Street faction of the Democratic Party is not going to have a coronation for Elizabeth Warren. So hes going to come in, I think is going to totally disrupt the race. And I believe Hillary Clinton is going to look and say, Im going to step in to save the Democratic Party. And so dont count Im only 2-for-2 on this. I think Hillary Clinton is taking a hard look and seeing what Bloomberg is doing and seeing how Bloomberg is trying to position himself. I think the Democratic race is wide open.

Ultimately, Bannon said, no one can beat Trump other than Trump himself in the 2020 election.

The only person who can beat Donald Trump is Donald Trump. Nobody Michael is not going to beat theres nobody out there that can beat him. I think, look, if you see where the economys going, if you see how hes sorting out the national security situation. If you see how people are now focused on prosperity and they get around the Thanksgiving table at the end of the year, University of Michigans consumer report came out. I think its the 30th month in the row. Its been over ninety five. And we havent had optimism like this from the consumer since the 1990s and the Internet and when the Internet stocks were on fire.

Continue reading here:
Steve Bannon: Bloomberg Will Open Door for Hillary to Save Dem Party - Money and Markets