All the president's men
As House Democrats continue to salivate over the prospects of impeaching President Donald Trump, Trump's Republican allies are standing strong and countering the Pelosi-led "witch hunt" inquiry witness statements being release to hurt the president.
"I think that time and again, you'll see the individuals testifying this coming week fit into the category of people who had a substantive policy disagreement with the administration, and the administration that they themselves were a part of. You see, time and again, people as a part of the diplomatic corps push back on any administration that comes in and tries to change things up."- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R)
Gaetz is seen as the first line of defense when it comes to defending the president, as the popular congressman from Florida's panhandle has become a constant on Fox News, preaching the "witch hunt" gospel being espoused by the Trump administration.
House Republicans have submitted the subpoena Christmas list for the upcoming public hearings, but House Democrats have rejected the list, which includes Hunter Biden and the whistleblower.
Only a handful of Republicans, including Rep. Brian Mast, have openly expressed their support to subpoena the Bidens and the whistleblower.
But as House Republicans like Reps. Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan, Lee Zeldin, and others, continue to push back against the Democratic-controlled House, Senate Republicans like Sens. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz, all know what is at stake with impeachment.
If the House passes impeachment, the measure will be Dead on Arrival (DOA) in the U.S. Senate. The Senate is tasked to conduct removal proceedings, and Senate Republicans have already signaled that they would not vote against removing President Trump.
In the end, Democrats may not even vote to impeach the president. Why? Well, this is politics, and if the hearings go bad for them, and polling shows that Americans are turning on them, Democrats will refrain from taking an actual impeachment vote.
“I’m not spending a lot of attention to it right now because that’s going to come over to Senate or it doesn’t, and if it does, we’ll have ample time to hear the evidence and then we’ll have time to make our decision...I’ll make my decision on what’s in the best interest of America, you know. This is not a criminal trial, it’s a removal trial of the president of the United States. That’s a really big deal."- Sen. Marco Rubio (READ MORE HERE)
“The Sunshine Skyway goes red, white and blue” by Tampa Bay Times’ Brandon Meyer – I
f you were within sight of the Sunshine Skyway bridge last night or this morning, you couldn’t have missed it. And if you weren’t in the area, you should have been. The columns shimmered in red and white, while the deck was cast in blue. White lights twinkled along the roadway.
The Florida Department of Transportation used its new, $15 million lighting system on the bridge to commemorate Veterans Day. The agency installed about 1,800 colored LED light fixtures on the bridge earlier this year.
This isn’t the first time FDOT has given a nod to a special day — the bridge was illuminated in pink for breast cancer awareness month in October.
The Floridian salutes Reps. Anthony Sabatini and Byran Avila for putting on the uniform. Both men are currently enlisted in the U.S. military. Sabatini is part of the Florida National Guard, while Avila is an Army Reservist
DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says he has made it "a priority" to keep 'Florida Great for Veterans' and is pushing Visit Florida's new "military travel hub" to build on the "bond between Florida and our nation's heroes.
"Florida is the most veteran and military-friendly state in the nation, and we are proud to spearhead efforts such as Forward March and GI LAW to support our heroes."- Gov. Ron DeSantis
Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis will join USDOT Secretary Elaine Chao in Orlando to announce Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grant recipients from Florida.
Veterans Day sightings of DeSantis' cabinet.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried was serving up some grub at an American Legion Post 13 in Tallahassee. Both Attorney General Ashley Moody and CFO Jimmy Patronis took to social media to make a statement on the day, but don't appear to have made any stops throughout the day
Big news coming?
With Rep. Dane Eagle (R) already having jumped into the GOP congressional primary race in district 19, Rep. Byron Donald's is checking off all the right boxes leading up to what could be another congressional campaign announcement for the popular conservative legislators. Donalds with recently in Atlanta and D.C. rubbing elbow with President Trump and other members of the reelection team.
Rep. Donald's best bud in he FL house and bunkmate, Rep. Bob Rommel (R) is also seriously considering a run for U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney's congressional seat.
On a phone call with The Floridian, Donald's said that he will be making a congressional announcement in... Ha! You are going to have to wait. Our lips are sealed.
A Bill to watch.
Sen. Lauren Book (D) filed Alyssa's law bill, a measure that would mandate panic buttons in schools to alert local police of any emergency, especially an active shooter situation. The bill seems to have fallen of deaf Republican ears. Why is that?
Where do Florida legislators stand on this important piece of legislation? Calling on Senators Bill Galvano, Rob Bradley, Elizabeth Benacquisto, Dennis Baxley, Aaron Bean, Debbie Mayfield, Doug Broxson, Manny Diaz, Joe Gruters, Gayle Harrell, Ed Hooper, Travis Hutson, Tom Lee, Kathleen Passidomo, Keith Perry, David Simmons, Tom Wright, and Anitere Flores. Hello? Hello?
“Florida’s GOP-led legislature should pass “no-brainer” school safety bill” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – The tragic school shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida should have been prevented if the glaring warning signs were addressed by school officials and law enforcement, but unfortunately, these signs were ignored and 17 teachers and students were lost.Parents and students that were directly affected by the shooting decided to take action and have started several national organizations focused on addressing gun violence and school safety.Several of these groups have focused on the controversial and divisive issue of gun control, a movement that caught fire in the weeks and months after the shooting but has since cooled off.
“Assault weapons ban faces tough political test” by TC Palms’ Bill Cotterell – There’s something very strange about trying to come up with a businesslike assessment of the potential costs and benefits of banning “assault weapons” in Florida.How can we estimate how many lives won’t be lost, how many people won’t be crippled, if the pending petition drive succeeds in putting a constitutional amendment on next year’s ballot, and it passes? Should we include the unknowable future earnings potential of an unknowable number of people who won’t get shot? Or just the hospital and law-enforcement costs?
What’s a reasonable estimate of how much taxpayers will have to spend on a gun-registration system for law-abiding owners whose rifles would be “grandfathered in” next year? And what about the costs of catching, trying and imprisoning those who deliberately defy the ban — do we deduct from that figure whatever income the state might derive from fines they’ll pay?
“‘Final notice’ alarms voters who can’t see why their right to vote is being questioned” by the Sun-Sentinel’s Larry Barszewski – Ken Evans has voted in every election for as long as he can remember. Imagine his surprise then, when the Broward elections office sent him a “final notice” threatening to label him an inactive voter.Evans isn’t alone. Other voters say they’ve also received notices that question the accuracy of addresses on their voter registrations, even though they have lived at the same addresses for years.The elections office erroneously thought Evans had moved without changing his voter registration information. Evans is still at the same Lauderdale-by-the-Sea home he has lived in for 20 years.
“Florida GOP congressional candidate says he believes QAnon pedophile conspiracy” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Lemongello – The lone Republican running against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Al Lawson says he is a believer of the conspiracy called QAnon, which theorizes President Trump has been secretly fighting against international pedophile rings.
Matthew Lusk, of Jacksonville, said in an email to the Orlando Sentinel on Monday that “Q candidates are taking over the Republican Party in order to clean it up. The days of the smoke-filled Masonic Lodge meetings are over. Average Joe and Jane citizen are taking our Country back. Globalist beware, you are no longer welcomed in the Republican Party.”
“President Trump to discuss Israeli-American relations at South Florida event” by the Sun-Sentinel’s Dan Sweeney – President Donald Trump will headline a convention on Israeli-American relations at The Diplomat in Hollywood on Dec. 7 during what could be a tumultuous time in his administration.
The Israeli-American Council, which calls itself the fastest-growing American-Jewish organization in the United States, expanded rapidly in 2013 following heavy investment by Sheldon Adelson, the casino billionaire and major backer of Republican and conservative Israeli causes. Despite that, the organization bills itself as nonpartisan. Last year’s conference, also held in South Florida, featured appearances by Vice President Mike Pence as well as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
“It is an honor for us to host the President of the United States, who is addressing a nonpolitical Jewish organization for the first time,” said Shoham Nicolet, co-founder and CEO of the Israeli-American Council. “This is great news not only for our organization but for the entire pro-Israel community in America, which supports unwavering ties between the United States and Israel.”
If the timeline of the ongoing impeachment inquiry follows current assumptions, it’s possible that Trump will appear in Hollywood in the same week that a House committee votes on impeachment. That would clear the way for a vote by the whole House of Representatives.
Defending Socialism isn’t all that popular in America, so when House Socialist Democrats openly support the former socialist president of Bolivia, we take notice. This is the same bunch of yahoos that support Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro and his murdering crime family.
“AOC, Squad support Socialist Evo Morales, condemn alleged military “coup” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – When the Socialist President from Bolivia, Evo Morales, was forced to resign after he was reelected under questionable circumstances, both American and pro-Democracy Latin American legislators welcomed Morales resignation as a win for free and fair elections in that country, and hopefully the end of Socialism.
American socialist Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez (D), who has expressed her support for Venezuela’s Dictator Nicolas Maduro, took issue with Morales’ resignation, calling it “a coup” and a “violent” seizure of power in Bolivia.
“Leaderless Bolivia remains in chaos as uncertainty rattles the region” by the Miami Herald’s Jim Wyss – Bolivia remained in a chaotic power vacuum on Monday as its congress struggled to convene and appoint an interim president amid continued violence on both sides of the political divide. As of Monday, it remained unclear who would replace Evo Morales, who resigned on Sunday amid mass protests, allegations of electoral fraud and pressure from the military. But even as Bolivia was trying to pick up the pieces of its democracy, the region was scrambling to come to terms with a new reality: The absence of Morales, who had been in power since 2006 and was seen as a pillar of political and economic stability even by those who opposed his brand of Latin American socialism.
“Calling Pelosi “dumb” is sexist, but calling Trump a “motherf*cker” isn’t” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – The dictionary states that the term “sexism” means the “prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex,” but House Democrats seem to have their own definition for the word.When Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) called Speaker Nancy Pelosi “dumb” and later doubled-down on the remark and defended his initial statement, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D) took to Twitter to call Kennedy sexist form making the remark.
DACA on Trial
With the U.S. Supreme Court set to make a ruling on DACA, both illegal and legal immigrants look on to see what Justice John Roberts will do.
“Dreamers hold their breath as Supreme Court takes up future of 800,000” by the NBC News’ Gwen Avilas – Arisaid Gonzalez Porras, 20, is one of hundreds of young adults who will gather in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday to express her support for a program that she says has transformed her life — but the Trump administration is trying to put on the chopping block."With DACA, there was an immediate sense of relief, knowing that I'd be able to go to college and apply to scholarships," Gonzalez Porras, a junior majoring in American Studies at Georgetown University, told NBC News. "I remember getting my first paycheck at Georgetown and not having to think twice about inserting a social security number, which was a major consideration before DACA."The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, was established in 2012 by former President Barack Obama and allowed teens over 16 and adults younger than 30 who were brought to the United States when they were children to work and study without fear of deportation. Gonzalez Porras is one of more than 800,000 young immigrants who have enrolled.
"Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from “angels.” Some are very tough, hardened criminals. President Obama said he had no legal right to sign order, but would anyway. If Supreme Court remedies with overturn, a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!"- President Donald Trump
What you missed in yesterday’s morning Juice >>>
More Democratic Witchery?
“Federal health contract funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump allies” by the POLITICO’s Dan Diamond and Adam Cancryn – At campaign officials for President Donald Trump were hired as outside contractors to the federal health department at the cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, according to documents newly obtained by POLITICO.They were among at least 40 consultants who worked on a one-year, $2.25 million contract directed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma. The contractors were hired to burnish Verma’s personal brand and provide “strategic communications” support. They charged up to $380 per hour for work traditionally handled by dozens of career civil servants in CMS's communications department.
“Trump rips 'No Due Process Scam' as public impeachment hearings loom” by The Hill’s Kyle Balluck – President Trump early Tuesday ripped “2nd and 3rd hand witnesses” one day before the start of public impeachment hearings, labeling the Democratic effort a “No Due Process Scam!”
“Why is such a focus put on 2nd and 3rd hand witnesses, many of whom are Never Trumpers, or whose lawyers are Never Trumpers, when all you have to do is read the phone call (transcript) with the Ukrainian President and see first hand?” Trump asked.
“He and others also stated that there was ‘no pressure’ put on him to investigate Sleepy Joe Biden even though, as President, I have an 'obligation' to look into corruption, and Biden’s actions, on tape, about firing the prosecutor, and his son’s taking millions of dollars, with no knowledge or talent, from a Ukrainian energy company, and more millions taken from China, and now reports of other companies and countries also giving him big money, are certainly looking very corrupt (to put it mildly!) to me,” he added
@realDonaldTrump -Economy is BOOMING. Seems set to have yet another record day!
@RepAdamSchiff Far from transparent, Trump has engaged in unprecedented obstruction. He‘s blocking more than a dozen witnesses from testifying His White House, State Dept, DOD, OMB, and Energy Dept are defying subpoenas for thousands of documents. The American people see through this.
@RepValDemings Impeachment inquiry moving to open hearings next week. Joining @TheRevAl right now to discuss.
-@SenRickScott -Our veterans fought to defend the values that make America great. These values can & should be part of our country’s future.
Unfortunately, there are many that want to discredit and undermine these values. We can’t let that happen.
-@MarcoRubio Dangerously tense situation in #HongKong. Just a few days after #Beijing announced the Communist Party of #China would take a “firmer hand” the police recklessly escalated the violence against protestors. The world is witnessing the true nature of the Chinese government.
-@RepDMP The OAS audit discovered clear manipulation of the elections in #Bolivia leading to @evoespueblo 's resignation. The reports of violence in the streets are disturbing. I urge civility in this time of transition. I stand w/the Bolivian ppl who are fighting for a peaceful democracy.
-@USRepKCastor Every day is Veterans Day in our patriotic Tampa Bay community! I was happy to represent you in the salute to our veterans and their families at the Hillsborough County’s Annual Veterans Day Tribute.
-@GwenGraham Legendary Journalist Bill Moyers Says He Fears For The Nation For The First Time In His Life
-@AndrewGillum Seeing as the whistleblower simply repeated what you alreready admitted to - YOU might be HIM.
-@BallardFirm Thank you to all our great servicemen and women who sacrifice so much! #VeteransDay2019
-@mattgaetz
·Great seeing so many scouts out to honor our most patriotic Americans, our Veterans!
And The Lord! Didn't say rise up (or get a rise) like this. Sick!
“Florida Sex Offender Arrested After Using Popular Bible App to Contact Girls” by Sarabeth Caplin – The most popular Bible app in the world is made by a company called YouVersion. The Bible App has nearly 400 million downloads and allows users to form “study groups” within the app itself.Apparently, a registered sex offender in Florida used his profile to befriend underage girls, join their Bible groups, and chat with them outside the purview of authorities.
Disney Park Princess 'Ariel' Allegedly Groped by Sex Offender
(Orlando, FL) -- A Florida man is accused of groping a Disney World princess. The victim was dressed as one of the royal characters last weekend at Magic Kingdom in Orlando.
Deputies say 51-year-old Brian Sherman and his wife were taking photos with characters in the park when Sherman suddenly touched the woman's breast. Sherman reportedly said she was his "favorite character" excitedly as they got ready to take the picture and as he cupped her bra.
One employee says Sherman continued to grope her even after he was asked to move his hand.
The man, who is facing a battery charge, is a registered sex offender. He was arrested Saturday evening at his Orlando residence. Sherman was released from the county jail Monday night after posting $500 bond.
He was convicted in 1991 on four felonies related to the sexual abuse of victims under the age of 12. Sherman was sentenced to a two-year “house arrest program” and placed on probation for 15 years. His probation supervision was terminated in 2006 but according to court documents, Sherman is still subject to registration as a sex offender.
