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Donald Trump has been president for about a month. And already, a sizable majority of Democrats say he should be impeached.

A new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute shows 58 percent of Democrats are onboard with the idea of impeaching Trump.

That's not an unthinkable number in our polarized political climate, but it is extraordinarily early in a presidency for such a high level of support for impeachment. As PRRI notes, as late as 2014 in the sixth year of Barack Obama's presidency a similar proportion of Republicans supported impeachment: 56 percent. And even as the case for the Iraq War was being picked apart in 2006, Democratic support for impeaching George W. Bush was only at 48 percent lower than it is today for Trump.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she hasn't called for President Trump's impeachment yet, but added "when and if he breaks the law, this is when something like that will come up." Pelosi made the comments at a news conference on Monday, Feb. 6 at the Capitol after California Rep. Maxine Waters said, "eventually we've got to do something about him." (Reuters)

Overall support for Trump's impeachment (27 percent) is still slightly lower than it was for Obama in 2014 (30 percent) and Bush in 2006 (30 percent). But the support for impeachment among Democrats appears to be what is keeping the overall number for Trump in the same ballpark.

It's a testament to just how insatiable Democrats' appetite is for opposing Trump something we've seen in other polling as well. A Pew poll this week showed 72 percent of Democrats were more worried their leaders would do too little to oppose Trump vs. 20 percent who were worried they would do too much.

And according to this new poll, the vast majority of that 72 percent doesn'tthink impeaching Trump even at this early juncture is going too far. That's not exactly a recipe for bipartisanship going forward.

The grounds for impeaching Trump or any other president, it bears noting, are laid out in the Constitution, which says a president shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota recently joked that such a situation was months and months away, since Republicans control Congress and would have to support impeachment. And that's a key point: Congress is always reluctant to move toward impeachment especially since it can backfire, as it did late in Bill Clinton's presidency. But in the case of Trump, it's even more unlikely given Republicans control the House, which would initiate any impeachment proceedings if it got to that point.

Some Democrats and ethics groups havesued alleging Trump is already in violation of the law specifically, the emoluments clause, which prohibits a politician from accepting any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State. (The Post's Allison Michaels and David Fahrenthold have much more on this in this week's version of the Can He Do That? podcast.)

And there already are very real grass-roots efforts to push for impeachment. A petition with 850,000 signatures on it was delivered to Congress last week. And Democratic leaders are trying to beat back the growing calls for impeachmentfrom their base.

Good luck with that.

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Impeach Trump? Most Democrats already say 'yes.' - The ... - Washington Post

WASHINGTON

Democrats have invited immigrants and foreigners to President Donald Trump's first address to Congress in an effort to put a face on those who could be hurt by the Republican's policies.

Lawmakers typically get one guest ticket apiece for presidential addresses, as they will for Tuesday's prime-time speech, and the invites often go to family, friends or someone from back home. To send a message to Trump, Democrats have invited the Iraqi-American doctor who discovered elevated levels of lead in the blood of many children living in Flint, Michigan; a Pakistani-born doctor who delivers critical care to patients in Rhode Island; and an American-born daughter of Palestinian refugees who aids people like her family in their quest to come to the United States.

"I want Trump to see the face of a woman, the face of a Muslim, and the face of someone whose family has enriched and contributed to this country despite starting out as refugees," said Rep. Luis Gutirrez, D-Ill., whose guest Tuesday will be Fidaa Rashid, a Chicago immigration attorney.

Soon after taking office, Trump issued an executive order temporarily banning all entry to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority nations and pausing the entire U.S. refugee program. The order sparked worldwide confusion about who was covered by the edict, with thousands gathering at airports and in other settings to protest. An appeals court blocked the order.

Trump has said he will issue another order along similar lines. Trump has also expanded the range of immigrants living in the country illegally who have become a priority for removal. The president has argued that the steps are necessary to protect the nation.

One of the people caught up in Trump's executive order was Sara Yarjani, a 35-year-old Iranian graduate student studying in California. She was held at Los Angeles International Airport for nearly 23 hours before being sent back to Vienna, Austria, where she had been visiting family. She was able to resume her studies at the California Institute for Human Sciences after a judge halted implementation of Trump's order. She'll attend Trump's speech as a guest of Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.

"Mr. Trump needs to see the people he has hurt," Chu said.

The focus on welcoming immigrants will also extend to the response that Democratic leaders plan for Trump's speech. Astrid Silva, who was brought into the United States as a young child, will provide the Spanish-language rebuttal; former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear will give the standard opposition-party response. Under President Barack Obama, hundreds of thousands of unauthorized youth brought into the country as children were given a reprieve from deportation.

While Trump vowed to immediately end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program during the campaign, he has kept it in place as president.

All will be on high alert for any Joe Wilson moments in Trump's first speech to a joint session of Congress since his inaugural address. Wilson, a longtime Republican congressman from South Carolina, shouted, "You lie!" as Obama addressed Congress in 2009 about his health care plan. The debate over "Obamacare" sparked strong emotions on both sides of the aisle, much as Trump's executive order and statements on immigration have done.

Trump's comments on immigration play well with his supporters, but unnerve some Republicans who represent congressional districts with quickly growing immigrant populations.

Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., invited a constituent he describes as a hero for helping to expose the Flint water crisis. He said Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha came to the United States with her Iraqi parents, who were fleeing the regime of Saddam Hussein. She has recently questioned whether her family would have been allowed into the country under the policies of the Trump administration.

A group of Democratic lawmakers recently wrote a letter to colleagues earlier this month urging them to invite guests who have, despite discrimination, made positive impacts on their communities. One of the leaders of that effort, Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., asked Dr. Ehsun Mirza, the Pakistani-born doctor, to be his guest.

"I am proud to call Dr. Mirza a friend, and I hope that his presence on February 28th will serve as a reminder to the president that true Americans come in every color and creed - and not all are born here," Langevin said.

___

This version of the story deletes a description of Mona Hanna-Attisha as Iraqi-born. Hanna-Attisha was born to Iraqi immigrants.

Originally posted here:
Democrats inviting immigrants to Trump's speech to Congress - WTAE Pittsburgh

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats join activists at a gun control rally at the Capitol last year. A new liberal group, Swing Left, is working to help House Democrats pick up seats in the 2018 midterm elections. Photo by REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Ethan Todras-Whitehall was disappointed when Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. After his victory, sitting on your hands and just reading the news was intolerable, said Todras-Whitehall, a 36-year-old freelance writer and GMAT tutor from Amherst, Massachusetts. It still is.

So in the weeks after the election, Todras-Whitehall called two friends, Joshua Krafchin and Miriam Stone, and proposed a plan of action: creating a grassroots organization aimed at helping Democrats win back control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections.

The result is Swing Left, part of a loosely-connected network of liberal groups, like Indivisible, that pundits across the political spectrum are calling the lefts answer to the conservative Tea Party movement that emerged after President Barack Obamas victory in 2008.

Democrats havent been as focused on the House because weve held the presidency, Todras-Whitehall said. But now that Republicans control the White House along with both chambers of Congress, he said, regaining control of the House went from the last thing [liberal activists] think about to being a top priority.

To that end, Swing Left was specifically designed to target competitive House races, while leaving safe Democratic seats alone. Volunteers sign up by entering their ZIP code. From there, Swing Left points them to the closest swing district, in the hopes of boosting engagement in areas where Democrats have the most potential to pick up seats.

The model is based on the idea that its easier for people to volunteer close to home, where they feel they can make a difference on a regular basis, Todras-Whitehall said.

The group is targeting 52 House districts where the winners margin of victory in 2016 was 15 points or less. If the party wins 80 percent of those races, Democrats can regain a majority in the House, the group says.

Republicans currently hold 238 seats in the House, the GOPs largest majority in eight decades. Democrats control 198 seats; there are four vacancies.

Given those numbers, flipping control in the House is a tall order for groups like Swing Left, whose founders dont have much political organizing experience. Krafchin and Stone have never worked on a campaign; Todras-Whitehill did some phone banking for John Kerrys presidential campaign in 2004 and ran a small get-out-the-vote campaign in Ohio in 2008.

Most political experts agree the Democrats chances of regaining control of the House and Senate next year are slim.

No one thinks they can take back the House or the Senate in 2018, Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser, a former Tea Party organizer, said.

Congressional Republicans have taken note of the energy on the left since Trumps election, said Matt Gorman, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOPs campaign arm.

But House Republicans plan to stick to their agenda in the face of the top-down effort from liberal activists to oppose Trumps presidency and make gains in Congress, Gorman said.

Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event last August in Ashburn, Virginia, a town in GOP Rep. Barbara Comstocks district. Swing Left is targeting swing districts like Comstocks in the 2018 midterms. Photo by REUTERS/Eric Thayer

Despite Swing Lefts long odds, the group is gaining traction. Roughly 300,000 volunteers have signed up with the group, Todras-Whitehall said.

Linda Keuntje said when she saw an advertisement for Swing Left on her Facebook newsfeed after the election, she immediately signed up to volunteer in Virginias 10th congressional district, a swing seat now held by Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock.

My coping strategy is to act, said Keuntje, a Democrat who lives in Arlington, Virginia. I feel like Im doing something to improve the situation.

Experienced organizers including some former Clinton campaign staffers have also signed up with Swing Left, Todras-Whitehall said.

Swing Left is helping volunteers plan house meetings next week so activists can meet in person and start organizing. After that, Todras-Whitehall said he hopes volunteers will begin canvassing, knocking on doors and registering voters in swing communities.

I want people to know their local swing district better than they know their own [district], he said.

In addition to targeting swing districts, Swing Left also plans to play defense in Democratic seats where voters shifted right and voted for Trump, like Rep. Matt Cartwrights district in eastern Pennsylvania. Obama carried the district in 2008 and 2012. But in 2016, Trump won the district and Cartwright was narrowly re-elected by a 7.6 percent margin.

Voters in his district are desperate for economic change and backed Trump because he effectively painted himself as the economic candidate, Cartwright said in a phone interview.

Nevertheless, I dont intend to change my messaging one iota, Cartwright said. Those are core values for me, and theyre not going to change cause the wind changed directions.

Political observers said it was too early to tell if liberal groups had the kind of organizing Democrats need to defend districts like Cartwrights and make further gains in the House.

Its really easy to join a march, sign a petition, said Emily Ekins, a research fellow at the right-leaning Cato Institute. Its quite another [thing] to do the hard tedious work of local and political activism.

But Steinhauser, the Republican strategist, said he saw some similarities between the Tea Party movement and the grassroots activism growing on the left today.

When [voters think they] see a disaster coming, you fight like hell to say no, Steinhauser said.

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How one liberal group is trying to help Democrats win back the House in 2018 - PBS NewsHour

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On the roster: - How broken are Democrats? - White House pushed FBI to stifle reports on Russia ties - AnnnnndTrump responds to report slamming FBI in tweets - Power Play: CPAC pop quiz! - We used to call this childhood

HOW BROKEN ARE DEMOCRATS? What kind of party do Democrats want to have?

Simple: One that stops losing elections.

As the members of the Democratic National Committee gather this weekend in Atlanta to choose a new leader, much as been said about the paths forward for the party.

One, personified by Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., is maximal confrontation. Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, urges his party to face down Trump as not just wicked but also criminal.

It was at least three years before Republicans in the Obama era had to deal with bleating from their base about impeachment, but Ellison & Co. are already there.

Think about that for a second. A sitting member of Congress potentially in line to lead a major political party is calling for the impeachment of a president who has been in office for five weeks. Whatever you think of Donald Trump, thats gonzo stuff.

The other way forward is being cast in the press as a more moderate choice, that of former Labor Secretary Tom Perez.

The very fact that Perez, a staunch uber-liberal, is being depicted as some sort of squish tells you how bad off the Democrats are now.

If you thought John Boehner and Reince Priebus had it bad keeping Republicans from swallowing their tongues in the Obama era, Perez and other basically normal Democrats are about to walk through a hellscape even more diabolical in nature.

Where Republicans had Obamas supposedly forged birth certificate, Democrats have Vladimir Putin rigging the election. The Democrats conspiracy theory is less insane sounding, but will be equally damaging to the party and its mental health if not more so.

From a practical point of view, dealing with Trump for Democrats would be a pretty straightforward matter. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has basically said as much:Find the points on which Trump, no conservative, agrees with Democrats -- especially on stimulus spending, labor policy and trade -- and then jam the GOP.

One of the advantages of having a non-ideological president was supposed to be all the deal-making that would get done. But instead, Washington is still stuck.

Yes, that is in part because Trump and his fellow Republicans cant quite get the signal calling down on moving the big legislation still in the discussion phase, but also because no Democrat other than those from bright-red states feel free to work with Trump on anything.

If Schumer really wanted to be in Majority Leader Mitch McConnells head, the Democrat would be paying multiple visits to his fellow New Yorker at the White House.

But Schumer knows that he cant because his partys base doesnt even consider Trump the legitimate president, just as some Republicans, including Trump, felt about Obama.

If Perez wins this weekend, his task of leading a political party, not a resistance, will be daunting to say the least. It would be easier for him than it is for Schumer since the party isnt concerned with policy so much as fundraising and organizing.

Even so, dealing with the frothiest parts of his party is a task no prospective Democratic chairman, save perhaps Ellison, could relish.

The last time Democrats were in the wilderness like this was 13 years ago after the emotionally devastating defeat of John Kerry by incumbent president George W. Bush. Obama proved an unlikely but effective Mosesfor his party by effectively absorbing the energy the kooks of the far left and channeling it into more productive aims.

Right now, there is no one on the horizon with the potential exception of California Sen. Kamala Harris who could unite this angry, broken party.

This weekend we will find out just how angry and broken it is. THE RULEBOOK: CODEPENDENT Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 10 TIME OUT: SACKED Smithsonian Magazine: The fate of Greenlands Vikingswho never numbered more than 2,500 has intrigued and confounded generations of archaeologists [O]ver the last decade a radically different picture of Viking life in Greenland has started to emerge from the remains of the old settlements [I]n the 13th century, after three centuries, [the Vikings] world changed profoundly. First, the climate cooled because of the volcanic eruption in Indonesia. Sea ice increased, and so did ocean stormsSecond, the market for walrus ivory collapsed, partly because Portugal and other countries started to open trade routes into sub-Saharan Africa, which brought elephant ivory to the European marketAnd finally, the Black Death devastated EuropeThe Norse probably could have survived any one of those calamities separatelyBut all three blows must have left them reelingThe Greenland Vikings were essentially victims of globalization and a pandemic.

Flag on the play? -Email us atHALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COMwith your tips, comments or questions.

WHITE HOUSE PUSHED FBI TO STIFLE REPORTS ON RUSSIA TIES AP: White House chief of staff Reince Priebus asked a top FBI official to dispute media reports that President Donald Trump's campaign advisers were frequently in touch with Russian intelligence agents during the election, a White House official said. The official said that Priebus' request came as the White House sought to discredit a New York Times report about the contacts last week. As of Thursday, the FBI had not commented publicly on the report and there was no indication it planned to. The New York Times reported that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Trump's 2016 campaign team. Priebus' discussion with FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe sparked outrage among some Democrats, who said that the chief of staff was violating policies intended to limit communications between the law enforcement agency and the White House on pending investigations.

AnnnnndTrump responds to report slamming FBI in tweets - Fox News: President Trump, after a brief hiatus, returned to throwing Twitter bombs Friday morning to accuse his own FBI of failing to crack down on leaks on the heels of reports about a conversationhis chief of staff had with the bureau about Russia-related allegationsThe White House pushed back, claiming in response that while Priebus did speak with FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, McCabe initiated the contact to inform Priebus that The New York Times report about campaign contacts with Russia was incorrect[Trump tweeted] The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security leakers that have permeated our government for a long time. They can't even. find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW.

POWER PLAY: CPAC POP QUIZ! Chris Stirewalt headed over to CPAC with a little pop quiz for attendees all in good fun. Answers range from weird to wacky to thoughtful to hilarious. WATCH HERE.

AUDIBLE: PASS Sooner or later, I'm going to eat your ass. Gov. Jim Justice, D-W.Va. in an interview with radio host Hoppy Kercheval in which Justice was describing himself as a grizzly bear and a Republican state senator with whom he is feuding as a barking poodle.

PLAY-BY-PLAY Pence at CPAC: ObamaCare nightmare close to being over - Fox News

Trump transition team raised $6.5 million through mid-February in part through cabinet members families, corporations - USA Today Bannon talk at CPAC meant to reassure conservatives nervous about Trump - NYT

Trump says the U.S. needs to step up its nuclear arsenal - Retuers Ivanka, Jared Kushner pushed to strike critical language on climate change from executive order - The Hill

McCaul says we dont need a 2,000-mile wall - Politico

Poll: Large majority think Russian communications should be investigated - CBS News

ObamaCare reaches highest approval rating yet - Pew Research Center

Fla. Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz calls on Trump to release tax returns - WaPo

Montana GOP leader opposes mail-in ballots in election to replace Zinke - Great Falls [Mont.] Tribune

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY As the nations governors prepare to gather in Washington for their annual meeting two chief executives at the forefront of major policy fights, Wisconsin Republican Scott Walker and Virginia Democrat Terry McAuliffe sit down with Mr. Sunday to forecast the fights ahead. Watch Fox News Sunday withChrisWallace.Check local listingsfor broadcast times in your area.

#mediabuzz -HostHowardKurtzhas the latest take onthe weeks media coverage. Watch #mediabuzzSundays at 11 a.m. ET.

ITYW: Sunday, funday - Did you miss your fix of this weeks Ill Tell You What podcast? Well, you can always listen and subscribehereOR tune in to Fox News Channel on Sirius XM channel 450 or onFox News TalkSundays at 8 a.m. ET starting this weekend. FROM THE BLEACHERS Why isnt anyone talking about the two countries responsible for 50% of the industrial worlds CO2 emissions in 2013? Two countries with 45% of the worlds population but little in environmental controls. If you want to stop rising CO2 levels, how is it done without huge efforts by China and India? Two countries identified as emerging industrial economies. Les Pappas, Scottsdale, Ariz. [Ed. note: Well, some people are talking about it, but the fact is it seems highly unlikely that any action will be taken on that front anytime in the next four years. And while your point is well taken, we also remember that if Britain and Germany had told the U.S. to scale back our industrial revolution in the 1880s, we would have scoffed too.] Your estimate that perhaps ten percent of the country is illegal seems way too high. Pew puts it 3.5 percent. Brien Downes, Delmar, N.Y.

[Ed. Note: I was told there would be no math! No, you are quite right. That was my simple sloppy calculation. The Pew estimate of 11 million illegal immigrants out of a total population of 318 million is as close to authoritative as we are likely to get. Good catch.]

Shareyour color commentary:Email us at HALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COMand please make sure to include your name and hometown.

WE USED TO CALL THIS CHILDHOOD Travel and Leisure: A new school has opened in Maine with the intent to teach millennials how to do things like manage taxes, eat nutritionally, and balance relationshipsAKA how to be an adult. The Adulting Schooloffers classes and events around Portland, Maine to teach beginner adults how to become pros at folding a fitted sheet or actually meeting people at networking events. It also hosts social media groups and webinars to instruct on adulting from afar. Although the courses may seem like mundane experiences everyone must struggle through once in their life (The Adulting Schoolhas been criticized for coddlingmillennials), the idea for the school sprung from the mind of a psychotherapist. Co-founder Rachel Weinstein noticed that large groups of millennials she worked with were grappling with many of the same issuespaying bills on time, cooking nutritional dinners, etc.

AND NOW, A WORD FROM CHARLES The border tax is complicated, difficult to understand, and incredibly intrusive. It's about as intrusive a step as you can imagine for government to step in. Charles Krauthammer on Special Report with Bret Baier. ChrisStirewaltis the politics editor for Fox News.SallyPersonscontributed to this report. Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign uphere.

Chris Stirewalt joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in July of 2010 and serves as digital politics editor based in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he authors the daily "Fox News First" political news note and hosts "Power Play," a feature video series, on FoxNews.com. Stirewalt makes frequent appearances on the network, including "The Kelly File," "Special Report with Bret Baier," and "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace." He also provides expert political analysis for Fox News coverage of state, congressional and presidential elections.

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How broken are Democrats? - Fox News

Democrats in control of the House advance their preferred plan to fully fund Washingtons K-12 system, as school-district leaders warn Republicans about pending layoffs without action on a levy cliff.

Seattle Times staff reporter

As the Washington Legislature approaches the halfway mark of its 105-day session next week, lawmakers have made incremental progress in a five-year-long effort to finally resolve the landmark McCleary school-funding case.

Democrats in charge of the House passed their preferred fix, which now goes to the GOP-led Senate.

Republicans, meanwhile, continue to ignore calls to delay a so-called levy cliff that school officials warn could trigger layoffs.

And some lawmakers even crossed party lines accidentally in a mistaken vote for the opposing sides legislation.

Heres a roundup of the McCleary action over the past week:

On Monday, a broad array of advocacy groups took advantage of the Presidents Day holiday to storm the Capitol grounds.

Educators, health-care workers, abortion-rights activists, Teamsters, parents, students hundreds gathered outside the statehouse to call for a fully funded education system but not at the cost of other public services.

Inside the Capitol, Republicans criticized Democrats for their proposed McCleary solution.

GOP lawmakers have argued that plan doesnt offer a specific way to pay for Democrats wish list of higher teacher salaries, smaller class sizes and more.

Democrats didnt take the political punches lying down.

On Tuesday, they urged Senate Republicans to pass a bill to delay the levy cliff that next year would automatically lower local property-tax rates for schools.

That could cost districts about $350 million if the state doesnt increase its education spending by that amount.

But some in the GOP have balked at the proposal and argue the threat of a cliff will persuade lawmakers to settle McCleary with more urgency.

Keeping track of all the twist and turns of the debate seems to even confuse lawmakers themselves.

On Wednesday, The News Tribune reported two Republicans mistakenly voted for the Democratic plan.

A quick revote ensured that bill passed along party lines.

Also Wednesday, legislative staffers released new numbers that corrected mistakes in estimates of how much the GOPs proposed McCleary fix would cost homeowners.

In Seattle, the revised numbers show the average property-tax bill would rise by $628 in 2019 and $686 in 2021, wrote Joseph OSullivan for The Seattle Times. The original estimate was $250.

As for next week, educators in Seattle could begin to feel the impact of the impending levy cliff.

Unsure if theyll be able to count on collecting as much as they have been from local taxpayers, districts like Seattle are planning for the worst.

Seattle Public Schools plans to notify principals by Feb. 28 of possible staffing reductions.

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McCleary roundup: House Democrats approve bill; no movement on ... - The Seattle Times