Virginia's Public Square
Virginia's Public Square
The bill from Delegate Margaret Ransone (R-Westmoreland) would direct the State Board of Elections to appoint a commissioner that oversees the Department of Elections, eliminate two additional senior-level political appointees made by the governor, establishing a one full-time director of operations, and increase the term lengths for board members from four to six years.
On Tuesday morning, Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) Nikki Haley is reported to be planning on leaving her position next year as top U.S. diplomat following an announcement by President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office. The former South Carolina governor did not give an exact reason as to why she is leaving the Trump Administration, but rumors of a 2020 run for the presidency were quashed.
Although she is speculated to have ambitions to hold higher office, Haley said at the White House, “No I’m not running in 2020.”
In front of reporters, President Trump said that Haley told him “six months ago” that she wanted to “take a little time off.”
“She’s been very successful,” Trump said. “She’s done a fantastic job and we’ve done a fantastic job.” The President reiterated the efforts to solve the issues with North Korea as well as leading strong on the international stage.
Speaking to Haley’s strengths as a solid leader, Trump said, “That was really the thing I think she did best at the United Nations – she got to know the players. She got to know China, Russia, India, she knows everybody on a very first-name basis. They like her.”
President Trump added that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “thinks the world” of Haley.
“Hopefully you’ll be coming back at some point,” Trump said to her. “You can have your pick.”
“It has been an honor of a lifetime,” Haley said, addressing a packed room in the Oval Office. She added that she felt “lucky” to have been able to “lead a state that raised me and serve a country I love so very much.”
Looking back on her career, Haley said:
“Look at two years, look at what has happened in two years with the United States on foreign policy. Now the United States is respected. Countries may not like what we do, but they respect what we do. They know that if we’re going to do something, we follow it through, and the President proved that. Whether it was with the chemical weapons in Syria, whether its with NATO…whether it’s the trade deals…they get that the President means business.”
Haley also remarked on cutting $1.3 billion out of the U.N. budget. “We’ve made it stronger, we’ve made it more efficient,” she said.
Explaining actions taken on behalf of the U.S. on sanctioning North Korea for their testing and of building nuclear weapons, rescinding the Iran Nuclear Deal, and getting an embargo on South Sudan, Haley said, “you can’t overlook the bad things their doing, you have to see them for the threat they are.”
During her time at the U.N., she also spearheaded the Trump Administration’s effort to push back against anti-Israel bias within the international governmental body. Speaking to the controversial embassy relocation in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Haley said, “we will put our embassy where we want to put our embassy.”
She explained that her decision to resign at the end of the year was not based on personal developments, but rather that, “It’s very important for government officials to understand when it’s time to step aside.” Haley added, “It was a blessing to go into the U.N. with body armor everyday and defend America…I will never step aside from fighting for our country.”
A successor to U.N. Ambassador Haley is said to be announced in two to three weeks, whom will begin their tenure at the international body in 2019.
“I didn’t know Rod before,” President Donald Trump said Monday leaving the White House. “I’ve gotten to know him, and I get along very well with him.” He added at a previous press conference, “My preference would be to keep him and to let him finish up.”
“Six years ago, a national group of liberal donors began a systematic effort to attack the bipartisan redistricting plan adopted by the House, despite pre-approval by President Barack Obama’s Justice Department and overwhelming support from the African American members of the House. This coordinated, partisan effort cost taxpayers millions of dollars and is culminating with an overt attempt to install a court-drawn plan more politically favorable to Democrats than any politically-neutral plan that might emerge from a legislative compromise,” said Speaker of the House Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights).
“Economic development. As a socialist elected to public office, no other phrase gives me more heartburn,” said the Virginia House of Delegates representative from Manassas. Subservience to the state brings booming economies, Delegate Lee Carter believes.
The balance now stands 51-49 in favor of the Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh after weeks of allegations of decades-old sexual assault and an unprecedented agenda from Democrats to derail the confirmation hearings. Though, if either Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), or Joe Manchin (D-WV) decide to change their vote for Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence would cast the first ever tiebreaker vote, sending Trump’s pick to the high court.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took to the floor this morning in an excoriating reprimand on part of the Democrat’s handling of the Judge Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, which included an FBI investigation into accusations of sexual assault from 36 years ago.
“For a few weeks their tactics played out…gross distortions about Kavanaugh’s record,” McConnell said, charging that the left has used “apocalyptic announcements,” falsely accusing that the Supreme Court nominee is “hostile to women, hostile to vulnerable people, and hostile to workers.” T
he Kentucky Republican, however, alluded to the formation of a pattern on part of the Democratic agenda, determining the vicious attacks were from the “same ol’ play book.”
“Distortions drowned out the facts,” McConnell said, who was recently on the receiving end of a left-wing intimidation attack at an airport.
Judge Kavanaugh has been asked, both verbal and in writing, more questions than have ever been asked of a Supreme Court nominee in history, combined. As an author of 300 legal opinions during his decade on the D.C. Federal Court, Judge Kavanaugh had enough to substantiate his position in terms of ruling on high court cases.
But, McConnell said the “resistance demanded more.”
He said the Democrats then formulated “uncorroborated allegations of the most obscene, sensitive sort,” having Judge Kavanaugh and his family living through “hell” for the last three weeks, according to Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Graham also called the way in which the process has been handled by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee a “sham.”
The Senate majority leader said he found there was “no corroborating evidence from the FBI, or anywhere else.”
“The facts were not the point after all, we get that now,” McConnell said.
“The Democrats moved the whole goalpost yet again,” he added.
For the senator, “[Democrats] harmed a good man and his family, tarnished the dignity of this institutions,” and “the Senate stands on the threshold of a golden opportunity…to a post that demands such excellence.”
“But, we have to opportunity to do more,” he added.
McConnell wants Republicans, and any Democrats who are willing to after this debacle of a bitterly divided confirmation hearing process to, “send a message to the American people…facts matter, fairness matters, the presumption of innocence is sacrosanct.”
“The Senate should look back on these things with “shame,” he said.
Afterwards, Senate Republicans had enough votes to advance the Kavanaugh confirmation, setting up a vote for Saturday.
Reportedly, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has confirmed that she will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court just 24 hours before the critical vote, still making Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) a wild card. Republicans can rely on Vice President Mike Pence to break a potential tie vote, with move being unprecedented.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta forecasts GDP growth at 4.1 percent in Q3 as chairman of the U.S. central bank Jerome Powell said at a conference that more economic growth is in store after half century-low jobless claims and a target goal of two percent inflation.
As Virginia’s $25 billion tourism industry is now the fifth largest employer, big production companies like Netflix and looking to make the Commonwealth their next home for their expansive production plans.
Following Governor Ralph Northam’s call to veto the GOP plan for legislative redistricting, Speaker of the House of Delegates Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) said, “After weeks of feigning interest, the governor has admitted at last that he wants federal judges appointed by President Obama to draw a redistricting map to deliver a Democratic majority in the House of Delegates.”