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Rumors Of A Resignation, Aftermath of An Expulsion

Only in Albany. This past Friday the New York blogosphere was abuzz with bombshell rumors that Governor David Paterson was about to resign, amid a sex scandal, mirroring his predecessor’s fall from grace — and office. On Monday the resignation still hadn’t happened, but the ante had been “upped” to a sex and drug scandal. Still, the Governor has only acknowledged the existence of a New York Times article that’s reportedly ready to roll, although it hasn’t.

So, perhaps to fill the anticipated bombshell void, the New York State Senate decided after years of abusing New Yorkers, and acting in a most selfish and despicably narcissistic manner, they would actually do one good thing: last night they voted to expel Senator Hiram Monserrate.

The now-former-Senator Monserrate was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend in 2008. As the story goes, they got into an argument, he slashed her face with a broken bottle, then dragged her by her hair through the lobby of his apartment building — caught on tape — and drove her way out of the way to a hospital not in his district — so no one would recognize him.

Monserrate earned the special hatred of New York voters this summer when he became one of two Democratic senators who shifted their allegiance — and the majority — to the Republicans, creating a standoff that lasted over a month, during which no business was actually accomplished, and costing New York City $600 million. (To be fair, and balanced, the Senate a few times tried to convene, and passed some bills, but due to their poor understanding of parliamentary procedural issues, all their work became null and void.)

Then, to further himself with his adoring public, who by this point were really hoping his conviction would have been at the felony level, thereby requiring his expulsion, Monserrate, who had supported a same-sex marriage bill, after being financially supported by the LGBTQ community, actually had the temerity to vote against it. He became one of the most hated men in New York Senate history: one of the “Hate 38.” And the gays didn’t much care for him, either.

But wait, there’s more!

As we said, only in Albany.

Governor Paterson, despite rumors of the state police being banned from the Governor’s Mansion after discovering the Governor with a woman — not his wife — in a broom closet, has insisted he still will run for election in the fall. In fact, to prove his virtue, he appeared on shock-jock Don Imus’s show this morning. Nothing like hanging out with someone whose own record is so controversial (“nappy-headed hos” comment for starters) to make you look like an angel. Or, at least, not quite as bad as the public may be thinking you are.

Paterson has announced that he will announce his bid for the governorship on February 24, despite rumors of “womanizing,” drug-use, and — the one part most news outlets have forgotten to mention over the past week: the governor is possibly the least-popular governor in New York State history. The rumors of inappropriate behavior actually are helping him, as they’re taking the focus away from the fact that he’s doing a terrible job and the state’s in financial crisis. Oh, and that the public just doesn’t like him.

As we said, only in Albany.

To replace now-former-Senator Monserrate (I do like saying that,) Governor Paterson announced that a special election will be held March 16. Despite his conviction and subsequent expulsion from the Senate, guess who has vowed to run for his former senate seat?

Now-former-Senator Hiram Monserrate.

Only in Albany.

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‘Gun Grabbers’: Trump DOJ Blasted for Weighing ‘Legally Illiterate’ Trans Gun Ban

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The Trump Department of Justice is reportedly weighing how to ban transgender individuals from owning firearms — despite Second Amendment protections — after two mass shootings this year involved suspects believed to be transgender. Transgender people are linked to fewer than one percent of all mass shootings.

“The Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings in which four or more people (not including the shooter) are shot or killed, estimated last year that fewer than 1 percent of the shootings it reviewed in the last decade were carried out by trans individuals,” according to Mother Jones. The media outlet added that “to blame the unnerving prevalence of mass shootings in America on the existence of trans people here isn’t just a dangerously stigmatizing, politically motivated take. It’s also bad math.”

President Donald Trump has already banned transgender people from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, claiming gender dysphoria is incompatible with military service.

READ MORE: ‘Deeply Concerned’: Top Republicans Scorch RFK Jr. Over Vaccines

Banning transgender people from owning firearms “would represent a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s fight against the rights of transgender Americans,” CNN reports, noting that “senior Justice Department officials are weighing proposals to limit transgender people’s right to possess firearms.”

DOJ leadership “is seriously considering whether it can use its rulemaking authority to follow on to Trump’s determination to bar military service by transgender people and declare that people who are transgender are mentally ill and can lose their Second Amendment rights to possess firearms, according to one Justice official.”

Doing so would likely require classifying people with gender dysphoria as not mentally ill, but “mentally defective,” CNN reports, if any such ban were to be legal under federal law.

Critics are blasting the Trump administration.

“Well, there it is. The Trump administration is exploring a ban on trans people owning firearms. Trans people have accounted for less than a tenth of a percent of mass shootings over the past decade, but Trump is predictably seizing the opportunity to further oppress trans people,” lamented writer Charlotte Clymer.

Clymer added: “The firearms ownership ban for trans people is patently unconstitutional, and I’m willing to risk sounding naive in saying the courts will immediately reject it, including SCOTUS. But meanwhile, this signals where the Trump admin is moving on trans people. And it’s terrifying.”

READ MORE: ‘What You Said Were Lies’: Democrat Shreds RFK Jr. in Fiery Exchange

“In a totally unsurprising twist, MAGA are the gun grabbers they’ve warned us about,” wrote Joshua Reed Eakle, executive director of Project Liberal.

“Republicans are coming for your guns!!!” declared political analyst and strategist Rachel Bitecofer.

“This is an overtly discriminatory civil rights violation. Trans people have the same legal rights as other Americans — end of story. There are lots of good reasons to keep certain people from owning guns. Being trans isn’t one of them,” wrote Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh.

Reason magazine’s Billy Binion called it “legally illiterate.”

“Any court would laugh it out in 30 seconds,” he added. “We have something called ‘the Second Amendment’—which I thought conservatives supported.”

Even President Trump admits most mass shooters are not transgender. In an interview with the right-wing Daily Caller on Monday, the president was asked about transgender suspected mass shooters.

“I do say it’s also taking place with people that were not transgender, you know?” Trump said, adding, “generally it’s people that aren’t transgender, so you know.”

READ MORE: Rubio Says US Blew Up Alleged Drug Boat ‘On the President’s Orders’ — Legality Questioned

 

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‘Deeply Concerned’: Top Republicans Scorch RFK Jr. Over Vaccines

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The Senate’s second-highest ranking Republican, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY)—a physician—delivered a blistering rebuke of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing him of advancing vaccine policies that undermine public health. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy—also a physician—also harshly questioned the HHS chief.

“Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines,” Senator  Barrasso began. “Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned.”

READ MORE: ‘What You Said Were Lies’: Democrat Shreds RFK Jr. in Fiery Exchange

“The public has seen measles outbreaks, leadership with the National Institutes of Health questioning the use of mRNA vaccines, the recently confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fired. Americans don’t know who to rely on,” Barrasso exclaimed.

The Wyoming Republican noted that 89% of voters and 81% of Trump voters agree that “vaccine recommendations should come from trained physicians, scientists, public health experts.”

“If we’re going to make America healthy again, we can’t allow public health to be undermined,” Barrasso charged. “So could you explain what steps you’re going to be taking to ensure vaccine guidance is clear, evidence based, and trustworthy?”

READ MORE: Rubio Says US Blew Up Alleged Drug Boat ‘On the President’s Orders’ — Legality Questioned

Kennedy responded: “We’re going to make it clear, evidence based, and trustworthy for the first time in history.”

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who has faced harsh criticism from Democrats who consider him the pivotal vote in confirming Kennedy to HHS, also blasted RFK Jr.

The New York Times, which described Thursday’s hearing with RFK Jr. as a “withering barrage of questioning from a Senate committee on his vaccine policy and his record as President Trump’s health secretary,” reported that Senator Cassidy had “voted to confirm Kennedy on the condition that he wouldn’t disrupt access to vaccines.” But Cassidy “said that he believes Kennedy is in fact doing so through his actions as secretary.”

“We’re denying people vaccine,” Cassidy told Kennedy.

“You’re wrong,” Kennedy replied.

Watch the video below or at this link.

 

READ MORE: Judges Slam SCOTUS as Trump Demands High Court Reverse His Tariff Defeats

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‘What You Said Were Lies’: Democrat Shreds RFK Jr. in Fiery Exchange

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U.S. Senator Michael Bennet dismantled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony in a blistering Senate Finance Committee hearing Thursday, accusing him of peddling “lies.”

In the heated debate, Senator Bennet, saying he quoted manufacturers on vaccine safety, blasted Kennedy.

“I quoted them today. What I said was accurate. What you said were lies,” Bennet charged.

The conversation got more heated, with Kennedy demanding Bennet answer his questions, a tactic the HHS chief has used before.

“You’re evading the question,” Kennedy said.

READ MORE: Judges Slam SCOTUS as Trump Demands High Court Reverse His Tariff Defeats

“No, I’m asking the questions here,” Bennet declared.

“You’re evading that question,” Kennedy repeated. “I asked you a question.”

“I’m asking the questions, Mr. Kennedy, on behalf of parents and schools and teachers all over the United States of America who deserve so much better than your leadership,” Bennet said, blasting Kennedy.

“That’s what this conversation is about,” he added.

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: Rubio Says US Blew Up Alleged Drug Boat ‘On the President’s Orders’ — Legality Questioned

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