Democrats...

On a tip from Ed Kilbane

Democrats...

Eric (Contempt of Congress) Holder says he's interested in being president

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Cincinnati Democrats wasted no time with Eric Holder.

"Do you at least have any interest in being president of the United States?" City Councilman Wendell Young asked him Friday — the first question to the former US attorney general as a who's who of Democrats in the Cincinnati area sat in a cramped law office conference room.

After his standard caveats -- he says it's something he needs to talk about with his family and won't actually decide on until early 2019 -- a confident Holder leaned in.

"Am I interested in it?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm interested!"

Holder, the nation's top law enforcement official for six years under former President Barack Obama, has been publicly ruminating about a presidential run for months. His standard stump speech is littered with criticism of the Republicans in power, and with the Democratic field to take on President Donald Trump in 2020 wide open, Holder -- along with former Vice President Joe Biden -- could credibly claim the closest ties to the last Democratic president, a potent rallying point for a party in search of a standard-bearer.

Holder, who has traveled the country as head of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and raised money for Democrats in about a dozen states, has been up front about a potential presidential run, and his busy schedule has Democrats taking notice -- especially when his travels take him to states key to a presidential election.

Holder's travels have taken him to Arizona, Indiana and Ohio for state Democratic Party dinners, as well as Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida and Georgia for events and meetings with local activists. Holder's meetings generally focus on combating gerrymandering, his cause célèbre since leaving the Obama administration, but his events are often peppered with politics and -- invariably -- comments about his future.

Few Democrats want to draw the scrutiny that will come with being out in front of the 2020 race, and Holder is no different. While he often acknowledges his aspirations when he gets asked about 2020, he also says he is more focused on what he thinks a presidential candidate needs than on his own future.

"(We need) somebody who has the vision for the job, somebody who has got the necessary experience, somebody who has the capacity, physical as well as mental," Holder told CNN during a trip to New Hampshire in June. "Somebody who also has the ability to inspire people, to make people believe government can be the force for good and make people believe in this thing we call America. (They) have to be able to move people, to bring up together in ways this President has clearly not done."

And that somebody ain't gonna be you!

Over the last two months, though, Holder has appeared to move closer to running. And on Thursday in Columbus, Ohio, the former attorney general bluntly told CNN that he thinks he has what it takes.

"I think that I am OK when it comes to those five criteria where I set up," Holder said with a confidence that friends and former colleagues says is a trademark. "But there is a personal component to it as well. People say it, but it really is true. It is a familial thing: I have kids; I have got a wife who is going to help be a part of this decision. That is for next year."

The question Democrats are now asking: Is Holder the best person to take on Trump?

Yes, he is...and since liberals have taken to hating ICE I think this would be a great campaign slogan.

In early states Holder has visited, like New Hampshire and Ohio, Democrats have been impressed with his fundraising ability (his redistricting organization has raised $29 million since it was founded in 2017), his charisma in small events and the staff he has assembled around him.

"There are certainly a significant number of folks that would like to see him run," New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley said after his June visit. "It will be a tough decision by the 24, 36 of them because how do you differentiate yourself from the crowd? What we learned from Trump is that you really have to stand out or you risk not being recognized."

Rob Richardson, the Democratic candidate for Ohio treasurer, said Holder is "laying the groundwork" and, most notably, not knocking down speculation.

"He hasn't said no," Richardson said. "That usually is the clearest indication."

Holder's run would undoubtedly be unique -- no US attorney general has gone on to be President -- and the former Obama official knows he would likely face a field of possibly two dozen other Democrats competing to take on Trump

"I wouldn't be involved or do something simply to make a statement," he said. "I would only decide to get involved if I thought I could win."

And it was clear on Thursday during a criminal justice reform roundtable that Holder sees that any path to victory goes directly through his record and ties to the Obama administration.

"I am very proud of the work I have done in the Obama administration, and I think that will galvanize a lot of support, were I to make that decision," Holder said. "And I think it is the work that I did in the Obama administration (that) will hopefully give me a platform to support candidates."

This is the work he is proud of.

Looks like he'd fit right in with the current FBI.

Obama and Holder speak regularly about the redistricting committee, an effort that the former President has championed since leaving the White House, aides to both men say. 

Whether Obama has advised Holder to run for President is another question -- and something Holder wouldn't disclose.

"Let's just say that my conversations with the President are my conversations with the President," he said. "We have talked."

Although the two are personally close and Democrats who meet Holder invariably compare the two, their styles are markedly different. Where Obama became well known for sweeping rhetoric, Holder's appearances are more muted, wonky and a far cry from the fiery rhetoric and brash partisanship that has played out in Washington. Obama also burst onto the scene with little history but some electoral victories, while Holder has spent most of his life as a government official who, especially while working under Obama, incensed Republicans.

Holder, who has a constant self-confidence about him, seems to relish the fact that his mere presence annoys some on the right and admitted that a hypothetical run would send some on the right spinning. And it seems likely that he hopes he could provoke Trump as he did House Republicans.

During his two days in Ohio, Holder accused Trump of not moving the country forward, rolling back priorities solely because they had an association with the Obama administration and using his campaign to bring out latent "misogyny, homophobia, racism."

"Let's be frank about this. There is a racial component to this," he said of Trump. "A lot of the issues that Trump presented as economic issues were actually economic issues with a racial core."

Holder often does far more listening than speaking at events, including one where he gathered with Ohio gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray, lieutenant governor candidate Betty Sutton and a dozen African-American activists to discuss criminal justice reform. And his answers generally focus more on policy than politics.

But his wonkiness at times makes way for a playfulness about Trump and a 2020 run.

"Two guys from Queens," Holder said earlier this year, setting up a rhetorical race against Trump. "That would be interesting. New Yorkers know how to talk to other New Yorkers."

And when a member of the Hamilton County Young Democrats asked Holder about motivating young people, he joked about his age -- he's 67 years old -- and what motivated Obama supporters.

"You should be the most concerned, because the reality is I am in the end of the third quarter of this thing we call life," he said to laughs, before reminiscing about "magical" 2008, when Obama and his "beautiful" family was seen as "hip" and "cool" before they won the White House.

After the event, as he made his way to raise money for yet another Democratic hopeful, Holder -- bravado fully apparent -- joked that he was just as cool, if not cooler, than his close friend.

"I am definitely cool, and I am definitely hip and I am from New York City," he said to laughs from his aides. "So I check all those boxes."

Eric (Contempt of Congress) Holder says he's interested in being president

'We must ask our white selves, how ''decent'' are we really?' Anne Hathaway slams white privilege in a passionate post honoring a black teen woman who was stabbed to death in a random subway attack

The bitch is deranged. 

As usual, they brush the facts aside to get to the bullshit. How many times have we read a white man stabbed a black woman? Isn’t it usually the other way around? I could ask Nichole Brown but don't think I'd get an answer.


Carjacking
Smash and grab
Knockout punch
Flashmob

Who comes to mind?

According to the FBI crime-reporting data, 90.1 percent of black victims of homicide were killed by other blacks. But why focus on this when Hathaway and BLM can get more bang for the buck by directing their attention on the .9% who were not black?

(If they did she wouldn't have been here to protest)

One thing I got to give black people a lot of credit for. They can make gullible dumbass liberals despise their own race.

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Anne Hathaway has slammed white privilege in an emotional Instagram post about the death of black teenager Nia Wilson.

The 18-year-old was killed on a train over the weekend after her and her sister were stabbed in the neck in Oakland, California, with a suspect, John Lee Cowell, now in custody.

While officials have said it is unclear if race played a role (via BBC News), Hathaway asked "how 'decent' are we really?" in a post accompanied by a picture of Nia.

"The murder of Nia Wilson- may she rest in the power and peace she was denied here- is unspeakable AND MUST NOT be met with silence," the actress began. "She is not a hashtag; she was a black woman and she was murdered in cold blood by a white man.

"White people- including me, including you- must take into the marrow of our privileged bones the truth that ALL black people fear for their lives DAILY in America and have done so for GENERATIONS.

"White people DO NOT have equivalence for this fear of violence. Given those givens, we must ask our (white)selves- how 'decent' are we really?

"Not in our intent, but in our actions? In our lack of action? Peace and prayers and JUSTICE for Nia and the Wilson family xx".

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff said that while the attacker's motivation was yet to be determined, "the fact that his victims were both young African-American women stirs deep pain and palpable fear in all of us who acknowledge the reality that our country still suffers from a tragic and deeply racist history."

'We must ask our white selves, how ''decent'' are we really?' Anne Hathaway slams white privilege in a passionate post honoring a black teen woman who was stabbed to death in a random subway attack

Democratic candidate for NC legislature drops out after 'Mexicans' rant resurfaces

A Democratic candidate for North Carolina's House of Representatives withdrew from her race Wednesday after a 12-year-old blog rant about immigrants resurfaced last week.

"After having time to reflect and talk to my family, friends and community leaders I have decided it is in the best interest of not only the constituents of House District 64 but also my family that I step aside," Cathy von Hassel-Davies said in a Facebook post.

On April 10, 2006, blog post, she lambasted "Mexicans" and U.S. immigration policy.

"Okay what don't they understand -- they are illegals, do they not know what the word ILLEGAL means?" she wrote. "Oh you know what, they might not since the US [sic] bends over backwards to kiss their ... ass and spends how much of our tax dollars putting up signs in Spanish and American."

"Okay we live in ... America people we speak English," added the post, which also suggested that von Hassel-Davies' sons were passed over for jobs at McDonald's in favor of "Mexicans."

According to her campaign website, she was a member of the Republican Party for 30 years, but switched to the Democratic Party after Barack Obama was nominated for president in 2008. Her campaign also touted her parents' story of coming to the U.S. "by taking advantage of chain immigration."

I had to laugh. Not only is she a traitor to the Republican party but the words she used sound quite similar to something Trump would say which propelled him to the presidency!

"I believe that we are a land of immigrants and should not forget that," her campaign website says. "We should not be enacting laws that hurt our immigrants and immigration, instead we should be looking for ways to make them citizens and keeping them here as a vital part of our community."

The North Carolina Democratic Party initially declined to cut ties with the candidate after the post was made public, with spokesman Robert Howard telling The Raleigh News & Observer: "North Carolina Democrats believe in building a welcoming and inclusive state, and this candidate’s past views do not reflect the views of the party.

"Republicans must really be worried if they’re drudging up blog posts from more than a decade ago in a district Trump won by 16 points," he added.

Von Hassel-Davies posted a statement in English and Spanish on her campaign website Thursday saying her "racist rant" was "extremely thoughtless and callous."

"Over the last 12 years I have continued to grow, change and learn for the better," she said. "I truly pray that we can move forward from here and perhaps help someone else to grow and learn the same way I have.

Grow and Change defined:

"Okay what don't they understand -- they are illegals, do they not know what the word ILLEGAL means?" 

She is now in the same category.

However, state Democratic Party chairperson Wayne Goodwin said Wednesday that "following several conversations last week between Cathy and members of the Hispanic community, the Hispanic caucus and the Democratic Party, it became clear that she could not restore trust with the Hispanic community and it was best for her to step aside."

Republicans hold a supermajority in both houses of North Carolina's General Assembly, enabling to override vetoes issued by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

Democratic candidate for NC legislature drops out after 'Mexicans' rant resurfaces

OK and Not OK

On a tip from Ed Kilbane 

Oh...and then there's this:

 And Trump is being investigated for Russian Collusion?

Kislyak also has a long history of meeting with Democratic lawmakers. On one occasion in 2013, the envoy met with seven then-Democratic senators. Kislyak also reportedly visited the Obama White House at least 22 times.

Check out this video.

If Trump is involved in Russian collusion... what in the hell do you call the red reset button and Barry telling Medevev on a hot mic  "Tell Vlad I can be more flexible after the election."

Video 415

Coming soon.

OK and Not OK