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Ad will collapse in seconds CLOSE August 18, 2017 08/18/2017 6:28 pm By Ed Kilgore Share

With Stephen Bannons departure from the White House dominating the news today, a lot of political observers may have missed a story that appeared to show a machiavellian White House scheme falling flat:

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is quashing speculation that hell leave the Senate to become President Trumps Energy secretary.

The Democratic senator, who is facing a tough 2018 reelection bid, said at a town hall that he would not be jumping to the Trump administration.

Observers who can remember all the way back to the beginning of the Trump administration (a long time in Twitter years) may recall Manchins name came up for the Energy gig during the transition. But he was passed over for former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The Manchin talk didnt even continue long enough for it to become clear whether the West Virginian was interested.

But three unrelated developments revived it, at least in the media: the failure of Senate Republicans to enact health care legislation; the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to become White House Chief of Staff; and a party-switch by previously Democratic West Virginia governor Jim Justice.

It was pretty easy to design a razzle-dazzle play that would get Republicans a health care bill, and sure enough, it was reported at Bloomberg as a work in progress:

Some White House and Republican officials are exploring the idea of putting West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin in charge of the Energy Department, according to four people familiar with the discussions, a move that could boost President Donald Trumps stalled legislative agenda.

If Manchin were offered and accepted the position, that would allow West Virginias Governor Jim Justice a newly minted Republican to appoint a GOP successor and bring the party a vote closer in the Senate to being able to repeal Obamacare.

For this to transpire, of course, Rick Perry would have to agree to give up Energy for Homeland Security, and he quickly made noises that he was happy right where he was. Media folk pointed out that Perry and Trump had not exactly seen eye to eye on immigration enforcement in the past. And others fretted about the precision timing required to get Manchin confirmed and areliable vote for skinny repeal sworn into the Senate.

In the end, its not clear if Perry balked, or Manchin passed, or Justice wanted to appoint himself to the hypothetical open seat, or if the whole thing was a Republican fantasy from the get-go. But this particular game of musical chairs ended before it began.

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The departure of Trumps nationalist id, Steve Bannon, after a week in which he alienated other allies, will only increase attacks on the White House.

Another Trump ally is gone.

While Bannons rivals in the administration will be happy to see him go, he could cause the White House immense problems as a free agent.

A rumored game of musical chairs had Perry going to DHS, Manchin to Energy, and a West Virginia Republican to the Senate. But in the end nobody moved.

We definitely didnt recycle a video about Anthony Scaramucci.

Sebastian Gorka and Julia Hahn could be the next staffers on their way out of the White House.

Bollards, strategically deployed, can foil terrorist techniques.

President Trumps controversial senior strategist is planning his next act.

A strategists one brilliant insight had become obsolete.

Under President Trump, infrastructure cant catch a break.

The 2012 GOP nominee unambiguously condemns Trumps remarks about Charlottesville and calls for an extremely unlikely retraction and apology.

The First Lady reportedly operates her Twitter account herself.

In 2017 alone, there have been at least nine such attacks around the world, resulting in nearly 40 deaths.

Its a pretty long list.

He is, if nothing else, a genius at playing to Americas most alarming tendencies.

The carbon tax actually stands a better chance of happening now than ever before.

Mattis and Tillerson tried to clean up after his gaffe. But despite Trumps bluster, opening fire would be catastrophic.

Attackers plowed into crowds in Barcelona and Cambrils in Spains worst attack in a more than a decade.

The 21st Century Fox CEO and son of Rupert Murdoch says Trumps reaction was concerning.

Republicans need the president to focus on their daunting fall agenda, not stirring up a new controversy.

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Scheme To Get Republicans a 53d Senate Seat Collapses As Manchin Stays Put - New York Magazine

Miami Herald (blog)

Republicans have courted racists for years. Why are they cringing now? Miami Herald (blog) Republicans have also employed so-called dog whistle politics, coded words, policies and imagery that preserve deniability while speaking with implicit clarity to white racial and cultural fears. From the Willie Horton ad that helped George H.W. Bush ... and more »

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Republicans have courted racists for years. Why are they cringing now? - Miami Herald (blog)

President Trump has drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike over his response to the violence in Charlottesville, Va., between white supremacists and counter-protesters.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee delivered one of the most stinging reviews Thursday when he said the president had yet to show the stability and competence needed to achieve success.

The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability, nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful," the Republican lawmaker told reporters in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Corker repeated himself later, as if to stress those words.

"We should hope that he aspires, does some self-reflection, does what is necessary to demonstrate stability, to demonstrate competence, to demonstrate that he understands the character of our nation and works daily to bring out the best of the people in our nation," he said.

Corker did not stumble over those carefully chosen words.

I will say we are at a point where there needs to be radical changes that take place at the White House. I think the president needs to take stock of the role he plays in our nation and move beyond himself, move way beyond himself, and move to a place where daily, hes waking up and thinking about whats best for our nation, he continued.

Corker didn't elaborate on what changes he was talking about. But he did indicate that he believes Trump pushes his personal agenda first, before thinking of the country as a whole.

Corker has been generally supportive of Trump. Hes voiced his approval of the president's agenda on immigration reform, the fight against Islamic State and the decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

Even in October, when a now-infamous Access Hollywood tape was released showing Trump making lewd remarks about women in 2005, Corker criticized Trumps comments then as inappropriate. But he was not one of the Republican senators who withdrew his support for Trump's candidacy.

Now a new dilemma has arisenwithinthe GOP over Trumps responses to the violence in Charlottesville, Va. Two days after the deadly unrest, Trump gave a scripted speech that condemned white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis. But the next day, he referred both to white supremacist protesters and counter-demonstrators who had confronted them, saying that "both sides" were responsible for the mayhem. The back-and-forth statementsprompted many Republicans to publicly chastise Trump for not placing greater blame on the racist marchers.

When asked whetherTrump had done enough to denounce these groups, Corker did not mince words.

"White supremacy groups, neo-Nazi groups, KKK groups are not whats good about our nation. They are to be called out for what they are, and that is repugnant," he said, adding, I dont think the president has appropriately spoken to the nation on this issue.

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Leading Republican says Trump lacks the stability and competence needed for success - Los Angeles Times

The California Republican Partys board voted Friday evening to urge Chad Mayes to step down from his position as leader of the partys Assembly caucus, continuing the bitter fallout over last months vote to extend the state cap-and-trade program.

Mayes was one of eight Republicans, seven of them in the Assembly, who helped extend Californias premierprogram on climate change. He defended his decision as a necessary step to increase support for Republicansin a state wherevoters overwhelmingly back taking action against global warming, but he angered conservative members of the party who viewed the legislation as bad policy and bad politics.

Harmeet Dhillon, one of two of the states representatives to the Republican National Committee, said Mayes had failed to protect the integrity of the partys position on taxation and overregulation in California.

Thirteen members of the party board, including Chairman Jim Brulte, voted in favor of the motion calling on the Yucca Valley Republican to resign as caucus leader. Seven voted against, and there was one abstention.

Mayes said he has no intention of stepping down, and he believes he has enough support to remain in his position.

I am not going to capitulate," he said. "Im going to continue to keep pushing forward.

While Mayes can be removed from his post only by a vote of his caucus, Friday nights decision by the state board continues an extraordinary rift between party leadership and one of its top lawmakers over the politics of climate change.

Party officials in two dozen counties have already taken similar steps, representing a groundswell of opposition to Mayes.

The Assembly Republican caucus could meet as early as Monday, when lawmakers return from their summer recess. Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) announced her candidacy on Thursday, and Assemblyman Jim Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake) has privately expressed interest.

Most of the 25 caucus members contacted by The Times did not respond to questions about the leadership struggle, making it difficult to determine the level of support for Mayes or his challengers.

Before Friday night's vote, Mayes made a presentation to the state party board saying his decision helped prevent worse regulations on California businesses and could even undermine the bullet train, a priority of Gov. Jerry Brown that's opposed by Republicans The final deal on cap and trade, which requires companies to pay to pollute,included a proposal for next year's ballotthat would allow Republicans to gain more control over how the program's revenue is spent.

Mayes has also insisted that reaching out to non-Republican voters is important in California if the party is going to return to power in the Legislature.

Change is not an option, his presentation said. It is an imperative.

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California politics updates: Assembly Republicans asked to choose a new leader on Monday, a new plan to split ... - Los Angeles Times

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signaled support for state legislation that would protect immigrants in the country illegally from being detained solely because of their immigration status, but he held off on promising to sign the bill.

The governor's comments during a Friday radio appearance were the first time he's publicly offered his views of the measure. Rauner said he would be making an announcement about the bill "in the next couple days," and that he was "very excited."

"I think it seems very reasonable," Rauner said of the legislation, which would prohibit state and local police in Illinois from arresting or detaining a person solely because of their immigration status, or based on a federal immigration detainer. The law would, however, allow law enforcement officials to hold someone if a judge has issued a warrant.

Supporters of the legislation, including immigrant advocates and the business community, have been pushing Rauner to sign the bill, which has been on his desk since late June. But the governor also has faced intense lobbying in opposition from Republican Party's conservative wing.

Retired Exelon Chairman John Rowe, who heads the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, said he had spoken with the governor Thursday to push for his signature.

"The governor said, 'I want to sign this bill, I believe in this bill but I need to see enough support from the law enforcement community so it doesn't provoke the whole sanctuary city issue,'" Rowe said during a Friday news conference with Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

Appearing on WBEZ 91.5-FM's "Morning Shift," Rauner noted that the bill is "supported by law enforcement, it's supported by the business community, it's supported by the immigration community. I think it seems very reasonable."

The immigration issue has been a tricky one for Rauner, who has tended to stay away from national political issues that could attract the attention of or link him to President Donald Trump.

Rauner has consistently avoided directly responding to reporters' questions about Chicago's "sanctuary city" status, highlighted most recently in criticism raised by Attorney General Jeff Sessions as well as by Mayor Rahm Emanuel's efforts to sue the Justice Department to ensure the city would not be denied certain federal grants because of its declaration on immigration.

Instead, Rauner has said the nation as a whole should have a comprehensive immigration policy rather than having the country dotted by municipalities setting up their own rules and procedures.

The issue could figure into Rauner's 2018 re-election bid, as the governor will need the support of Downstate voters, some of whom want to see immigration policy that cracks down on those who are in the country illegally.

Rick Pearson and Monique Garcia

State Sen. Kyle McCarter, a Republican from Lebanon outside St. Louis, said that if Rauner does not veto the bill "this could be the last straw" for Downstate voters who have backed the governor.

"There was a reason the president won so big in downstate Illinois, this is one of those issues that we stood with the president on," McCarter said. "I understand it's a difficult decision for the governor to make, but he's going to have to decide if this should be the priority, or meeting the basic needs of the legal citizens of Illinois."

McCarter said he has reached out to the governor's chief of staff to encourage Rauner to veto the bill.

"I think I can speak for downstate Illinois and most Trump supporters, this isn't the direction that I want the country to go or the state to go," he said. "We are a country founded by immigrants, but those were legal immigrants, and I think the last thing Illinois wants is to see a sanctuary state, and this moves us in that direction."

There are also concerns that the legislation could put Illinois crosswise with the federal government and in the crosshairs of the Trump administration's attempted crack down on sanctuary cities.

Also critical of the bill is Rep. John Cabello, a Republican of Mexican heritage who is a Rockford police detective and also co-chair of the Illinois Trump Victory fund. Cabello said the measure puts police in the position of choosing whether to uphold federal law or state law.

"We can't cherry-pick which laws we are going to enforce, it doesn't matter if this bill is signed into law or not, law enforcement will do what we have to do," he said. "I think this bill is symbolic, no law enforcement officer is going to follow this bill."

The bill passed with mostly Democratic support. In the Senate, five Republicans voted for the Trust Act. In the House, only one Republican voted for the bill.

Supporters of the legislation argue that it will help build trust between police and the immigrant community, and will give immigrants confidence that they can come forward to help police solve crimes without having to worry about being punished because of their immigration status. Cabello disputed that notion.

"If people can't trust law enforcement without this bill, they are not going to trust law enforcement with this bill," he said.

mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

Excerpt from:
Rauner facing pressure from Downstate Republicans to veto 'very reasonable' immigration bill - Chicago Tribune