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President Trumps nomination of Michigan billionaire Betsy DeVos to be secretary of education might be the most controversial of his Cabinet picks, and one that Democrats had hopes of blocking in the Senate. But sources in the Senate say that it doesnt look like the Democrats will be able to get enough votes to stop her.

DeVos is seen as a champion of school choice to supporters but as a radical who wants to privatize public education to critics, someone who once called Americas public schools a dead end. Even some school reformers who support education views that are similar to DeVoss have come out against her, questioning her stated desire to help traditional public schools improve.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions had a confirmation hearing for DeVos nearly two weeks ago, which only fueled the opposition to her because she displayed a lack of understanding of some key education issues, including what the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was (though she later sent a letter to a senator trying to clarify her position).

Senate offices have been swamped with calls, emails and letters; the National Education Association said more than a million emails opposing DeVos went to senators through a recent campaign. There are petitions and there have been protests, including Sunday on Capitol Hill. Hundreds of alumni and students from her alma mater, Calvin College, wrote a letter to legislators saying she is unqualified to be education secretary.

On Thursday night, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) told Rachel Maddow on her MSNBC show that no Democrat will vote to confirm her, and that Democrats were courting Republican votes. As he noted, the Democrats believe they have 48 solid votes; they need 51 to win, a pickup of three Republicans.

But Democratic and Republican sources in the Senate, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of negotiations about the vote, say that DeVos is expected to win approval by the education committee when it votes on Tuesday, and that she will prevail on the floor of the Senate whenever that vote happens.

The sources said that Republican Senate leaders have worked to keep Republicans in the fold to confirm DeVos. There were some Democratic hopes that some Republicans would switch sides on this one confirmation vote.

For example, during the confirmation hearing, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said that DeVoss vision of expanding school choice charter schools and voucher/voucher-like programs that use public funds to pay for private schools doesnt work well in rural areas where there arent other options besides traditional public schools to provide choices other than traditional public schools.

Trumps education nominee and her family members are major donors to the senators who will vote on her confirmation[/interstitial_link]

Murkowski hasnt said how she will vote, nor has Maines senior senator, Susan Collins, who is often said to be more moderate than other Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Murkowski is one of five Republican senators on the committee to whom DeVos and family members have given donations; the other four are Sens. Richard Burr, Tim Scott, Bill Cassidy and Todd C. Young.

Democrats had asked Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the education committee, for a second hearing before the confirmation vote. During the first hearing, every Democrat asked for more than the allotted five minutes to ask her questions and Alexander refused.

Democrats sent questions to DeVos more than 800, with several hundred sub-questions but as of Sunday night had not yet received the responses, sources said. They also had not received questions that Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the committee, had asked about what she believes is missing information in the DeVoss financial paperwork that she submitted to the panel.

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Can Democrats stop DeVos's confirmation as education secretary? Not likely, sources say. - Washington Post

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined 150 UFW members, faith leaders and a huge gaggle of press in front of Fresnos Robert E. Coyle Federal Building to protest against President Trumps threat to move forward with honoring his campaign promises to build That Wall,according to the Fresno Bee.

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Kennedy host of the Ring of Fireradio show, environmental activist, author and environmental law attorney moved from New York to California in 2014 after marrying actress Cheryl Hines. The couple bought the Malibu mansion of eight-time Emmy winning composer David Kurtz just before the 2014 elections for what Trulia real estate advisors estimates was $4,995,000. The four-bedroom and three-bathroom craftsman home sits on an acre estate in the exclusive Point Dume enclave.

As the last scion of the storied political family, Robert F. Kennedy is fully aware that Hillary Clintons stunning presidential loss, despite the full backing of President Obama, has left the Democrat Party in what the Washington Post calls disarray and without an obvious leader.

Shortly after President Barack Obama took office in 2009, the Democrats obtaineda filibuster-proof majority of 60 Senate seats, a 37-seat majority in the House, and 28 governorships. Eight years later, the Republicans hold the presidency, a majority with 52 seats in the Senate, a 47-seat majority in the House, and 33 governorships. Republicans also control both legislative chambers in 32 states, including 17 with veto-proof majorities.

Kennedys father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Los Angeles as he was on the verge of winning the 1968 Democratic nomination for president. Senator Hubert Humphrey would win the Democrat nomination and lose to Republican Richard Nixon, marking the beginning of the end of Democrats dominating U.S. politics for four decades.

Kennedy Jr.s father had a long history of supporting Cesar Chavez and the rise of the UFW as a union. Kennedy Sr. supported Chavezs 25-day fast and bitter first union organizing strike in Delano. He was rewarded with farmworker support that provided the crucial vote margin to win the 1968 California Democrat Primary.

With literally more press than UFW protestors, Kennedy Jr. told the rally that undocumented workers and their families should not get caught up in Trumps hate. He looked directly into the cameras and said that love and compassion, These are the ideals that are going to make America great again.

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Democrat Leadership Battle: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Protests with UFW - Breitbart News

Rep. Seth Moulton found a perhaps unexpected ally Sunday in his outspoken criticism ofPresident Donald Trumps executive order temporarily banning refugees from entering the United States.

Bill Kristol, founder of the conservative magazineThe Weekly Standard and a prominent Republican, said in a tweet Sunday that it was the Massachusetts Democrat, who spoke for him in opposing the ban, rather than GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Trumps order bans refugees from entering the United States for 120 days, indefinitely suspends refugees from Syria from entering the United States, and blocks citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the country for 90 days. It also effectively prioritizes Christian refugees over Muslims refugees.

In a statement Friday, Moulton said the executive action made him ashamed [Trump] is our president.

His policies literally put our troops lives at riskIve heard this loud and clear when I have visited them overseas, said Moulton, a Salem resident and Iraq War veteran. They also prove he has zero understanding of our countrys values and no intention of defending our Constitution.

In an interview Sunday morning, Moulton told ABC News Martha Raddatzthat Trumps so-called Muslim ban was fundamentally unAmerican. He also said it made Americans less safe, because ISIS could use the order to radicalize sympathizers.

Theres nothing in his executive order that improves the vetting process, he said. Hes just putting across a blanket ban that will be used against us.

Appearing on the same show Sunday morning, McConnell told Raddatz he thought it was generally a good idea to tighten the vetting process, but said he thought it was important to remember that some of our best sources in the war against radical Islamic terrorism are Muslims, both in this country and overseas. But the top Senate Republican refrained from condemningTrumps executive action.

The president has a lot of latitude to try to secure the country, McConnell said. And Im not going to make a blanket criticism of this effort. However, I think its important to remember, as I said, a lot of Muslims are our best sources in the war against terror.

Kristol, who has been a longtime critic of Trump, followed up his aforementionedtweet by calling for more Republicans to stand up to Trump on the order, which resulted in widespread confusion and protest over the weekend.

In turn, Moulton thanked Kristol for his support and called for a bipartisan effort against Trumps immigration order.

Indeed, several Republicans particularly Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham have questioned the effectiveness of Trumps order. But, according to a count by Vox.com, it is a small minority of the GOPs membership in Congress.

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Prominent conservative Bill Kristol praises Democrat Seth Moulton for speaking out against Trump refugee ban - Boston.com

A Democratic congressman from Maryland is accusing President Trump of starting a "Cold War of sorts" with Mexico after Trump signed executive orders this week authorizing enhanced border security enforcement and the construction of a border wall.

"For reasons that defy rational explanation, President Trump has decided to start a Cold War of sorts with Mexico," wrote Rep. John Delaney on Facebook on Saturday.

The lawmakers went on to lament Trump's decision to focus first on his campaign promise to secure the border rather than focus on matters of national security and election integrity.

"I would have thought terrorism generally and ISIS specifically, or the tragedy in Syria, or Russian interfering in our elections, or the nuclear ambitions of North Korea would have been higher priorities, but no, he chooses to destroy what has otherwise been a good and productive relationship with our ally on our southern border," Delaney added.

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After signing the executive orders, Trump's upcoming meeting with Mexico's president, Enrique Pena Nieto, was cancelled after Pena again asserted that Mexico will not pay for the wall, as Trump has repeatedly said would happen.

The two then talked over the phone Friday for over an hour to discuss the wall. Trump described the call as being "very, very friendly."

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Some of President Trump's executive actions have sparked immediate action in the federal government.

01/29/17 5:22 PM

Original post:
Democrat: Trump started a 'Cold War of sorts' with Mexico - Washington Examiner (blog)

When Bill Maher asks if youve changed political parties, youd better have a good answer ready. On Fridays Real Time with Bill Maher, independent commentator, journalist and prolific author Fipp Avlon joined his desk. Im outraged by it, said Avlon, referring to the current administrations war on journalism, and Steve Bannons comments in particular, when he said that the media was conducting a war on America. The media here is the opposition party. They dont understand this country, said Bannon, asking journalists to quote him.

The Constitution mentions journalists. It mentions citizens. Weve got truth and facts on our side, and the Constitution, and I remind them that the majority of Americans voted for somebody elsetruth wins that war. To audience applause, Maher smiled. You just said we', he said slyly, referring to Avlons use of a unifying term to describe parties coming together against the declarations of the Trump White House that journalists be limited by sanctions and threats.

Youre an jndependent! said Maher gleefully. He just made you say we! as though Avlon had become a Democrat. Avlon protested, maintaining that he is indeed an independent, but stopped to explain, Thats actually what demagogues do. They always do us against them, and this administration keeps doing us against them. The real push-back is to refuse that! When I said we, I meant journalists, I meant citizens, I meant Americans!

With one week under its collective belt, the Trump administration is creating unity between people of different opinions in a way that seldom happens, and certainly in a way it didnt intend.

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WATCH: Bill Maher asks Fipp Avlon if he's suddenly become a Democrat An error occurred. - Salon