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Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, may have President Donald Trumps back when it comes to his baseless claimthat he would have won the popular vote if it hadnt been for undocumented immigrants voting. Many of the Republican Partys other prominent politicians, though, are being much more cautious.

There is sample data from two counties in Virginia and other counties scattered around the country and I took that article when I first saw it come out a couple, three months ago, and did an extrapolation calculation on how many illegals could have or could be voting in the United States,King told MSNBCs Hallie Jackson on Tuesday.The number I came up with off of that extrapolation is 2.4 million. So its plausible. 3 million sounds like a plausible number to me.

King provided no evidence to back up any of his assertions, and when Jackson pointed out that independent fact-checkers have overwhelmingly rejected Trumps claim, King simply replied, sometimes the fact-checkers have a political agenda.

King even targeted the National Voter Registration Act, which helps low-income voters register by allowing them to do so at government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles.

There are many people who will go in for motor-voter, giving drivers licenses to illegals. They ask them if they want to sign up under Motor-Voter and register to vote. Maybe they dont understand the language, maybe they understand, they can be signed up anyway, King said.

Other prominent Republican politicians have been much more circumspect in responding to Trumps voter fraud spin. Ive seen no evidence to that effect. Ive made that very, very clear,House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters on Tuesday. Herepeated that claim to several congressmen on Monday.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina went a step further than Ryan. I am begging the president, share with us the information you have about this or please stop saying it, Graham told NBC Nightly News on Monday. As a matter of fact, Id like you do more than stop saying it, Id like you to come forward and say, Having looked at it, I am confident the election was fair and accurate and people who voted voted legally. Cause if he doesnt do that, this is going to undermine his ability to govern this country.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee joined in the chorus of Republicans pouring cold water on Trumps popular vote conspiracy theory. I have no evidence whatsoever, and I dont know that anyone does, that there are that many illegal people who voted. And frankly it doesnt matter. Hes the president and whether 20 million people voted, it doesnt matter anymore,Huckabee told Fox Business Network on Tuesday. Im not sure why he brought it up.

Huckabee also added, as a jab at Clinton supporters upset that Trump was elected without the popular vote, that when people keep arguing this thing about the popular vote, theyre missing the point. The founders created a system, the electoral college, and the people who are whining about it, they have a way to change it if they want to, they can change the Constitution.

Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump in the popular vote,65,844,954 to62,979,879 (48.0 percent to 46.0 percent).

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Steve King is one of the few Republican leaders standing by Donald Trump's claims about illegal voters - Salon

Today, an attorney takes to the pages of a national publication to declare loudly and for all to hear that she is dumb, easily persuadable, and lacking in any genuine moral foundation whatsoever.

If you just saw Barbara Smith, a well-dressed attorney, walking down the street, you might assume that she is a rational person who makes important decisions about political philosophy by thoughtfully considering policy positions. This is not so. And Barbara Smith feels strongly that everyone in the world must know how shallow and self-serving her personal decisionmaking process is. So she quite naturally wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal to explain in detail.

After the inauguration of Donald Trump, Barbara Smith got all dressed up and set out to attend an inaugural ball. As she was walking down the street, someone threw an egg at her. An unpleasant but ultimately minor occurrence attributable to a lone bad actor? Not at all. For Barbara Smith, this egging incident was a reason to boldly valorize herself and reform her world view to embrace an entire chaotic political philosophy. And she wants you to know it.

At best, I had been a lukewarm and silent Trump supporter, a Goldwater-Reagan-George W. Bush girl who had decided to attend the ball mostly for the opportunity to wear a fancy dress. But when my heels hit the sidewalk that second time, I committed: I would now back President Trump.

I dont expect to agree with all of his administrations policies or even the rhetoric that Mr. Trump employs to make his case. But being assaulted based on an assumption that I supported him had a way of breaking through my reservations.

I choose to stand with the ridiculed, the insulted, the belittled. I stand with those who voted for something new and different and a little scary. I stand with people who are tarred as bigots and misogynistsor even eggedsimply because of their views on taxes, health-care reform or government entitlements.

Wow.

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Republican: I Am Dumb - Deadspin

President Trump is naming Republican Ajit Pai, a foe of the Obama administrations net neutrality rules, to become chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

Mr. Pai, a Republican commissioner for the agency since 2012, confirmed the move in a statement Monday.

I am deeply grateful to the president of the United States for designating me the 34th Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Mr. Pai said. I look forward to working with the new administration, my colleagues at the commission, members of Congress, and the American public to bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans.

He will replace Democratic Chairman Tom Wheeler, and Republicans will have a majority on the commission under Mr. Trump.

Mr. Pai has opposed Mr. Wheelers net neutrality rules, saying the policy would lead to utility-style regulation, new taxes and less consumer choice. He is likely to review the policy.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden, Oregon Republican, and Communications and Technology subcommittee Chairwoman Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican, said Mr. Pai has served with great distinction as a Commissioner over the past four and a half years, and has demonstrated that he is highly qualified to lead the commission.

Rep. Darrell Issa, California Republican, called the selection a welcome sign of change that shows a long-overdue turnaround at the FCC is now ensured in our new administration.

I look forward to working with him on solutions that will encourage investment, promote consumer choice, foster innovation and bring fresh thinking that will encourage creative disruption across the FCCs broad jurisdiction, Mr. Issa said.

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Donald Trump names Republican Ajit Pai to head FCC - Washington Times

Wichita Eagle

Kansas Republican featured on 'This American Life' Wichita Eagle The Republicans have been fighting for all of my lifetime for an opportunity such as this, Pahls said. And it obviously did not come in the package most of us thought it would but it's here and here is our audition. And we best not screw it up or it ...

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Kansas Republican featured on 'This American Life' - Wichita Eagle

Ben Carson, President Trumps nominee for secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), listens during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing in Washington on Jan. 12, 2017.

The Republican-led Senate is hastening a drive to install President Donald Trumps Cabinet, with committees approving four more of his nominees on Tuesday and Senate Democrats holding out the prospect that some could get a vote in the full Senate later in the day.

The Senate Banking Committee affirmed Ben Carson, a retired surgeon and 2016 Republican presidential contender, to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development on a voice vote. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed South Carolina Governor Nikki Haleys elevation to U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, also on a voice vote.

Two other nominees cleared the Senate Commerce panel. Billionaire Wilbur Ross, a private equity investor and Trumps pick to lead the Commerce Department, will now go before the full Senate. Former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, who served eight years in President George W. Bushs Cabinet and is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, was approved to lead the Transportation Department.

The votes come despite delays for some of Trumps picks requested by Democrats who want more time to examine their potential conflicts of interest, qualifications and policy positions.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday delayed for a week a vote on Republican Senator Jeff Sessions nomination to serve as attorney general after Democrats -- some of whom have criticized racially tinged comments he made years ago -- asked for more time. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee delayed votes on former Texas Governor Rick Perrys nomination for Energy secretary and Republican Representative Ryan Zinkes nomination for Interior secretary.

Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the energy panel, said Democrats never agreed to hold votes Tuesday on Perry and Zinke, citing unanswered questions about Trumps plans for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. She added that the votes will likely take place next week.

Republicans control 52 votes in the Senate, and Democrats can do little to block Trumps nominees if GOP lawmakers hold together. Each of Trumps executive-branch picks will require only 51 votes. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, on Monday dismissed as hot air Democratic complaints about some of the selections and predicted all will be installed in their top jobs soon.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said yesterday its possible that Democrats wont object to speedy votes this week on non-controversial nominees, although he declined to say how many. The Senate is in session Tuesday, but out the rest of the week so Republicans can leave town to attend an annual retreat in Philadelphia.

The full Senate has approved three new Cabinet secretaries: James Mattis to head the Pentagon, John Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and Mike Pompeo to run the Central Intelligence Agency. Former Exxon Mobil Corp. CEO Rex Tillerson won the Senate Foreign Relations Committees approval on a narrow 11-10 vote yesterday, setting his nomination up for full Senate action.

All four of the nominees approved by committees Tuesday are seen as likely to win easy confirmation, although Carson still faces persistent questions about his qualifications to lead a vast and complex housing agency.

Dr. Carson is not the nominee I would have chosen to lead HUD, due to both his lack of experience and his often troubling public statements over the last three years, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, the ranking Democrat on the Banking Committee, said in a statement Tuesday. But despite my reservations, and my disagreements with some of his positions, I will give Dr. Carson the benefit of the doubt based on commitments he has made to me in person and to this Committee in his testimony and written responses.

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Price, in a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Finance Committee, was defending himself against tough questions about some of his stock investments in health-care companies. Democrats and some outside watchdog groups are calling for an ethics investigation into his trades in health-care stocks while handling legislation that could affect the shares.

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the panels top Democrat, asked Price if he had used bad judgment by participating in a private placement at below-market rates.

Price denied that he had and said that everything I did was above-board" and that his actions were legal and transparent.

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Trump's Cabinet Picks Gather Steam in Republican-Led Senate - Bloomberg