Joe Biden: ‘I Sure Would Like Michelle to Be the Vice President’

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Guest Author

On Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden said that he would “love” for former first lady Michelle Obama to become his vice president.

While campaigning in Muscatine, Iowa, Biden was asked by a voter if he would think about appointing Barack Obama to the Supreme Court.

‘I sure would like Michelle to be the vice president’

“Yeah, I would, but I don’t think he’d do it,” Biden responded, referring to the former president. “He’d be a great Supreme Court justice.”

The voter shot back at Biden, “Second question is — which Obama?”

“Well I sure would like Michelle to be the vice president,” Biden replied.

Man: "Would you consider appointing Obama for the Supreme Court?"

Joe Biden: "Yeah, I would, but I don’t think he’d do it. He'd be a great Supreme Court Justice."

Man: "Second question is – which Obama?"

Joe Biden: "I sure would like Michelle to be the Vice President." pic.twitter.com/4OYIsEcNQn

— The Hill (@thehill) January 28, 2020

Not the First Time Biden Has Floated Michelle Obama’s Name as Potential VP

This was not the first time Biden has said he would like Michelle to be his VP. During an appearance on “The Late Show” in September 2019, host Stephen Colbert asked Biden if he had “asked Michelle Obama for advice.”

“Only to be my vice president,” Biden replied.

He then quickly added, “I’m only joking. Michelle, I’m joking.”

Michelle Obama has repeatedly said she does not intend to run for office nor does she have any interest in doing so.

Biden has mentioned other women as possible running mates. In November, he said former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates could be a good vice presidential pick. Biden has also mentioned former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and New Hampshire Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan.

Last month, Biden told Axios that senator and current 2020 Democratic competitor Elizabeth Warren is someone he could imagine in that role.

Congrats @MichelleObama on winning a Grammy for telling your story with strength — and with grace. Jill and I are so thrilled for you. Just beat Barack to an EGOT, will ya? https://t.co/EpDsGz4KYj

— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) January 27, 2020

During the event Tuesday, Biden also took shots at President Trump’s defense attorneys for his Senate impeachment trial. Trump’s team defended him against charges of abusing his power in relations with Ukraine on Monday, arguing that Obama had abused his own power in his relationship with Russia.

“They’re both incredibly qualified people. I mean and such decent, honorable people. I found it strange yesterday that in that Republican presentation, they talked about maybe Obama should have been impeached,” Biden added.

According to a RealClearPolitics polling average, Biden is currently in second place behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Iowa caucuses, which happen Monday.

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Rand Paul Slams Chuck Schumer, Says Trump Should Sue Him for Defamation

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Guest Author

During an interview on Fox News Tuesday, Senator Rand Paul became incensed over Senator Chuck Schumer’s recent comments, advocating for President Donald Trump to sue the New York Democrat for defamation.

“You know, I’m offended and shocked that Schumer would be so scurrilous as to accuse the president and his children of making money illegally off of politics when the only people we know have made money off of this have been Hunter Biden and Joe Biden,” Paul said.

Rand Paul: We Know Hunter Biden Has Made Millions

“So Hunter Biden makes a million dollars a year, that’s documented, but Schumer simply creates and makes up and says, ‘Oh, maybe the president’s kids are making money,’” Paul went on. “John Bolton is making money as we speak. He has probably already gotten the several million dollar advance for this book. He’s making money by testifying against the president.”

We Know John Bolton is Making Money

“The only people we know who have actually made money? Hunter Biden and now John Bolton,” Paul continued. “And they’re not objective–John Bolton is not objective in any way now that he’s cashing million dollar checks. To have Schumer come up and say out of the blue, ‘Maybe the president’s kids are making money,’ with no evidence at all, that’s defamation and they ought to sue him.”

Paul is correct that Sen. Schumer has suggested–with zero evidence–that President Trump’s family may have been making money abroad.

BOOM:@RandPaul drops the hammer on Chuck Schumer for his reckless defamation of the Trump family

It is a FACT that Hunter Biden profited off his dad's name

To suggest any of the president's children have done that while in office is a flat-out lie

Chuck should be ashamed. pic.twitter.com/j6OKdexZYF

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 28, 2020

Trump SHOULD Sue Schumer!

“There is nothing in the record about the president’s kids,” Paul said. “So Schumer has just created this whole thing out of whole cloth and said, ‘Oh, why don’t we go after the president’s kids?’ We don’t know yet whether or not the president’s dealings with the Chinese president have something to do with the Trumps making money.’ He just made it up! Completely made it up! That’s defamation of character and he ought to go to court and be sued for it.”

Rand Paul has been a staunch defender of President Trump throughout the impeachment process, even going so far as to threaten forcing a vote to have Hunter Biden and the CIA whistleblower testify.

Who knows? That could happen.

Donald Trump could even eventually sue Chuck Schumer, too.

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Watch: Ted Cruz Rips ‘Nasty’ Reporter Who Suggested Jailing His Kids

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Rusty Weiss

Ted Cruz eviscerated a reporter covering the impeachment trial for playing a “nasty game” after the latter suggested the senator’s children should be in jail.

The reporter clearly thought he was making a witty retort to Cruz’ insistence that Hunter Biden, son of former vice president Joe Biden, may be involved in corruption with a Ukrainian gas company.

The journalist dismissed Hunter’s involvement with the company and his father’s quid pro quo in demanding a prosecutor investigating them be fired under the threat of withholding aid.

“Hunter Biden got a job,” they said. “His dad was Vice President. If that’s a crime, shouldn’t half of your children be in prison?”

Cue the sad trombone. We’re sure when he wrote it down, this hack thought he was delivering an epic rebuttal. Until you realize Cruz’s children are 9 and 11-years-old.

Ted Cruz just went beastmode shredding Hunter Biden and Joe and the journos went bonkers!!! LMAOOOOO pic.twitter.com/ySrSZ936iO

— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) January 27, 2020

Cruz Shreds Democrats

Republican senators have been threatening to haul Hunter in with a subpoena during the impeachment trial as a means to understand more about President Trump’s desire to investigate corruption in Ukraine.

“We’ve just seen two hours of evidence and at a minimum, it was not only reasonable and justified but the president, I think had an obligation to investigate corruption that potentially extended to the very highest levels of government,” Cruz told reporters.

Cruz shrugged off the latest alleged ‘bombshell‘ involving former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s book and instead suggested it is Biden who is the more crucial witness.

“I get that the press loves to obsess over the latest bombshell,” Cruz responded. “Listen, I don’t know what John Bolton’s book says or doesn’t say. I’ve seen the New York Times coverage but at the end of the day, it doesn’t impact the legal issue before this Senate.”

“The legal issue before this Senate is whether a president has the authority to investigate corruption,” he continued. “So the House managers built their entire case on the proposition that investigating Burisma corruption, investigating the Bidens for corruption, was baseless and a sham. The proposition is absurd.”

Not as absurd as the media suggesting his children should be in jail if they had jobs. Which they don’t. Again, because they’re 9 and 11.

Look at these journos!!! They want to lock up Ted Cruz’s 9 year old child to protect Hunter Biden and Burisma Joe!!! pic.twitter.com/7NTfKn1D76

— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) January 27, 2020

Comparing Hunter to a 9-Year-Old

To his credit, Cruz keeps his cool when being confronted with such an asinine analogy that everybody surrounding him and the reporter bursts into laughter.

‘Shouldn’t half your children be in prison?’

The reporter actually had to write this down in his little journal or rehearse the question in his head and then actually said it out loud.

“My children are 9 and 11, I’m sorry you want to throw a 9-year-old in prison, but at this point, my third-grader plays basketball and softball at her school so stop playing the nasty Washington game,” Cruz shot back.

“It’s not a nasty Washington game,” came the reporter’s response.

“Attacking a 9-year-old?” Cruz scoffed, giving a slight wave of the hand and moving on to people more serious about their careers.

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GOP Brings Out Three Big Guns in Senate Trial of Trump

Posted on January 28, 2020 by LifeZette

By David Kamioner | January 28, 2020

Monday was a banner day for the GOP in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump as three members of the Republican legal team, even by some liberal estimations, ran circles around the Democrat case for removal of the president.

Pam Bondi handled the myriad legitimate allegations against Joe and Hunter Biden. Eric Herschmann focused on the massive double standard being applied against Trump in this case.

Batting cleanup the famed Alan Dershowitz engaged in a historical tour de force and urged senators, some of them his former students, to rise above partisan concerns and do what is right for the country. Clinton impeachment figure Ken Starr also spoke for the defense, as did Patrick Philbin.

The low key Starr made a workmanlike appeal against a partisan impeachment, using his work in and knowledge of the Clinton drama to make his case.

Then it was Bondi’s turn and the extremely telegenic former Florida Attorney General point by point laid out the corruption at the heart of the Burisma affair. She detailed how the cozy relationship between the then veep’s son and other scions of wealth and power enabled Hunter Biden to leverage his status into a position he was completely unqualified for with Burisma. By the end of her time at the podium she had eviscerated both Bidens.

This was bound to happen when the Democrats opened the door to this line of attack on Friday.

Bondi will be heard from again on the national scene.

She was followed by the powerful arguments of Eric Herschmann, who launched a devastating strike on the double standards involved in the Trump impeachment. He showed graphic evidence of past misdeeds by Democrat presidents, most notably the infamous Obama hot mike moment with Russian leader Medvedev, that rose to the level of impeachment. Yet Democrats never uttered a peep about those. Fancy that.

Herschmann made a point of using the Democrat’s own words against them and when he was done their obvious hypocrisy was laid bare.

Alan Dershowitz then made the day’s final detailed presentation. Dershowitz used his brilliant knowledge of history and impressive courtroom manner to nail down the historical precedent against impeachment.

Citing the vague nature of the charges against the president, he noted that the Founders had made the bar for impeachment high, lest the president, as in the British parliamentary model, serve at the will of the lower house and be subject to removal from office by a virtual vote of no confidence.

At the day wrapped up, many noted the last day of the GOP case on Tuesday looks to be the finale of a very good defense for the president.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on impeachment trial witnesses, Iowa polls

Posted on January 27, 2020 by PBS NewsHour - Politics

NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including whether enough Senate Republicans will vote to hear witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Trump and how 2020 presidential candidates are polling and campaigning in Iowa as its Democratic caucuses approach.

Iowa’s Des Moines Register Endorses Elizabeth Warren as the Democrat Candidate

Posted on January 27, 2020 by LifeZette

By PoliZette Staff | January 27, 2020

While Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has surged to the tops of the polls in New Hampshire, a much tighter race abounds in Iowa. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sanders have battled for the lead with Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg remaining relevant parties in the polls.

Those latest polls have the Massachusetts Senator in fourth place with 15 percent support, trailing South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg by 4 points. Biden and Sanders share the lead and are in a statistical dead heat at 22 percent.

However, despite recent figures, the big news this week was the Des Moines Register’s endorsement of Elizabeth Warren.

After interviewing nine Democrat presidential candidates, the editorial board at Iowa’s top newspaper chose Warren, stating she is “the best leader for these times.”

While describing the reasoning behind their choice they stated, “the senior U.S. senator from Massachusetts is not the radical some perceive her to be. She was a registered Republican until 1996. She is a capitalist.”

However, despite a mostly glowing review and ultimately their prized endorsement. The Register did qualify some of their statements and pushback against some of Warren’s ideas.

A qualification: Some of her ideas for “big, structural change” go too far. This board could not endorse the wholesale overhaul of corporate governance or cumulative levels of taxation she proposes. While the board has long supported single-payer health insurance, it believes a gradual transition is the more realistic approach. But Warren is pushing in the right direction. [Des Moines Register]

Still, despite the endorsement, as indicated with the aforementioned poll numbers, Warren has a long way to go in order to be more statistically relevant in Iowa. However, such a climb – though unlikely – is not out of the realm of possibility.

As reported by Geoffrey Skelley at FiveThirtyEight, a great deal of Iowans have not made up their minds and new data from a New York Times Upshot/ Siena College poll found that 39 percent would be willing to change candidates. Time, however, is not on Warren’s side though as the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses will take place on February 3, 2020.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Senator Hawley Preparing Motions to Subpoena Schiff, Bidens, Whistleblower in Impeachment Trial

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Rusty Weiss

Senator Josh Hawley revealed he plans to draft motions to subpoena House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, and the alleged ‘whistleblower.’

The move would be especially urgent due to new revelations that moderate Republican senators are threatening to join Democrats in their call for new witnesses in the impeachment trial.

“If the witness vote succeeds, Hawley aims to force votes on subpoenas for House Intelligence Chairman Schiff (D-Calif.), Vice President Biden, Hunter Biden, Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, the still-unnamed whistleblower,” Politico reported over the weekend.

“If the Senate calls witnesses, I will ask for votes on all these next week,” Hawley tweeted.

I have drafted motions to subpoena Adam Schiff, the “whistleblower,” Hunter Biden, and Joe Biden to testify. If the Senate calls witnesses, I will ask for votes on all these next week https://t.co/NW1fuyYVF4

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 25, 2020

An Urgent Move

Hawley’s proposal is pivotal considering a New York Times report on suspiciously leaked manuscript details involving a book from former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

The report – from anonymous sources – indicates that Bolton accuses President Trump of withholding military aid to Ukraine until Joe Biden and his son Hunter were properly investigated.

While the media hit job smacks of a replay of that carried out against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it is enough to cause weak-kneed senators to crumble and attempt to completely re-litigate the impeachment articles in the Senate.

Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has admitted, “I think it’s very likely I’ll be in favor of witnesses.”

Susan Collins, Senator from Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, Senator from Alaska, are also reportedly flaking. Meaning Democrats would need just one other Republican colleague to tuck their tail between their legs and join them in the impeachment hit job.

Should they succeed, Hawley’s measure would present the impeachment managers with a difficult double-edged sword, raising the specter that Schiff, Biden and the whistleblower could all be called to testify.

All of the facts remain unchanged and uncontested.

Senator Josh Hawley:

“I know [Bolton’s] book is apparently on sale today—up for pre-order.

“It’s all a bunch of hearsay and clearly it’s an attempt to try to influence the course of the trial.” pic.twitter.com/THxlcwIcgb

— Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) January 27, 2020

Activate the Kill Switch

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finalized rules for the impeachment trial, adding what some defined as a ‘kill switch’ in which the President’s legal team could either move to judgment or move to dismiss at a meaningful time.

The House failed to do their homework and call Bolton to testify in the first place. Bolton’s claims in a book he is setting up for online pre-order contradict the reality behind the transcripts of the telephone call. So, they’re not a game-changer by any stretch. That said, perhaps it’s time to implement the ‘kill switch.’

Seeing Schiff, the Biden’s, and the whistleblower dragged in to testify would be an interesting prospect sure, but the longer this gets dragged out, the longer Democrats and the media will have to continually manufacture new evidence – just as they did with Kavanaugh.

It’s time to stop the madness.

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Bolton revelations increase pressure for impeachment trial witnesses

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Eric Tucker, Associated Press

Sen. Mitt Romney told reporters it's "increasingly likely" that other Republican senators will now join the push for former national security adviser John Bolton to testify after the revelations from his book about Trump's reasoning for withholding Ukraine aid.

Bolton Manuscript Leaked, Romney and Collins May Vote Against the President

Posted on January 27, 2020 by LifeZette

By David Kamioner | January 27, 2020

Reports out of DC, on the heels of the selective leaking of John Bolton’s new book, is that Republican Senators Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine are likely to go south on the GOP trial process and vote to bring in witnesses.

If that happens the trial won’t be over by late this week/early next week. It could go on for weeks. If the duo votes against the president’s trial agenda the Dems would still need two more votes to win on the subject. They are targeting GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.

The pressure to vote for witnesses was ratcheted up over the weekend with leaks from John Bolton’s new book that claim that the president directly told Bolton that the delay in military aid to Ukraine was tied to Biden.

Bolton is using the same team and strategy as has James Comey and the leak was coordinated to coincide with the impeachment trial, a vote on witnesses and, most importantly to Bolton, the availability to preorder his book online.

But bringing on witnesses is a two-edged sword for the Dems. Yes, the Dems may get Bolton. But the GOP could call Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Adam Schiff, and Eric Ciaramella. As spiritually satisfying at it would be to watch Jay Sekulow munch on their still warm legal carcasses for lunch, the sooner this charade is over is the sooner the president can get back to undistracted work and the Congress can get back to whatever it does on a daily basis aside from fundraisers and hitting on lobbyists.

Bolton’s move can not only be seen as revenge for being fired by Trump, but as another chapter in the intramural GOP fight over a Cold War national security stance or the America First approach of the president.

If Collins and Murkowski vote for witnesses it is likely to throw some meat to their moderate supporters. Alexander is a lame duck and can vote the way he chooses without electoral repercussions.

Though if he desires an appointment in a second Trump administration this would not be the way to get it. And then there’s Mittens.

This would be a way for him to play to the press and shiv Trump at the same time. Given Romney’s notorious sanctimony and ego, it may be a temptation he is unable to resist.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Trump Defense Goes for Broke on Monday

Posted on January 27, 2020 by LifeZette

By David Kamioner | January 27, 2020

Saturday saw the Trump defense team embarrass the Democrat House managers. With a carefully devised message and personality calibration they laid out their case in a concise yet powerful manner.

But Jay Sekulow, the Trump attack dog, said Saturday was but a mere preview. That sets a serious expectation level. What’s the movie going to look like? Here are some possible PR and legal scenarios.

The kitchen sink- The Democrats want it? They get it. After bringing up Hunter Biden and his dad repeatedly on Friday the Democrats have left the door open for the GOP team to walk right through it. Is it a trap? Will they pull a Battle of Cowpens? Unlikely.

It very well could be an invitation from the hard left of the Democrat party to do their dirty work for them and implicate Biden just before the Iowa caucuses.

Just as there are those who say the Pelosi delay was an effort to help Biden by keeping Sanders and Warren out of Iowa close to the election. Either way, Team Trump has said they’re going for it and the possible consequences are devastating for the Democrat legal team.

It will not be too hard to prove that this impeachment effort is but a distraction operation to set aside notice from a myriad number of Democrat scandals, the Bidens among them.

There is no there, there- Pat Cipollone’s team has already shown us this in an entertaining trailer. The main feature looks quite popcorn worthy. The basic premise is, where’s the crime? A phone call? A missed meeting? As Mike Purpura said, “There can’t be a quid pro quo without a quo.”

They could expose the big lie behind the entire Democrat case, that this is a political operation and not a legal argument. It is an attempt to refight the 2016 election by way of impeachment and Senate trial.

It will likely have the same outcome as that election: Donald Trump is the president.

Where is the victim? – If the Ukrainians say they felt no pressure and they didn’t even know about the defense aid delay during the time in question, just who exactly was victimized?

These and other gambits will be featured on Monday by Team Trump. It promises to be a good day for the president’s defense.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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