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No Spin News Summary – October 15, 2018

Donald Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ Interview

Lesley Stahl interviewed President Trump on CBS’ “60 minutes” which aired on Sunday, October 14, at 7:00 p.m. Trump taped the interview with Lesley Stahl on Thursday at the White House.

The three main topics that were covered were: Global Warming, Saudi Arabia, and Justice Kavanaugh. 

Donald Trump’s later tweeted: “I will be interviewed on “60 Minutes” tonight at 7:00 P.M., after NFL game. Enjoy!”

Election Outlook

There are 51 seats needed to get win the Senate majority. There are 35 seats up in 2018 - including special elections in Minnesota and Mississippi of which 26 are held by Democrats. The Democratic party will need to gain 2 seats to take control of the Senate.

Politico: Senate Ratings and Predictions

Democratic Total: 22 seats (45 DEM TOTAL)

• Solid Seats: 14
• Likely Seats: 4
• Lean Seats: 4

Republican Total: 8 seats (50 GOP TOTAL)

• Solid Seats: 4
• Likely Seats: 1
• Lean Seats: 3

Toss-Up Seats: 5

Real Clear Politics Average: 2018 Generic Congressional Vote (9/27-10/11)

• Democrats:      48.6%
• Republicans:   41.3% 

Bill’s First Wave Theory

In the race for the Democratic nomination to face Trump, former Vice President Biden leads a massive potential field. The poll asked Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents to choose their preferred presidential nominee among 16 possible candidates.

Biden tops the list with 33% support, followed by independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the 2016 runner-up, at 13%. Sen. Kamala Harris of California follows at 9%, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at 8%. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry garnered 5% support.

GOP VS. Dem Overview:

Americans are becoming more likely to think President Donald Trump will win a second term in office, while Joe Biden stands atop a crowded field of Democrats perhaps looking to replace him, according to a new CNN Poll.

Americans are split on whether Trump will win reelection in 2020

• Think Trump will win:     46%
• Think Trump will lose:     47%

‘Very Soon’: House Chairman plans to Subpoena Rod Rosenstein

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) said Saturday on “Fox and Friends” that he will subpoena Rod Rosenstein “very soon” if the deputy attorney general does not agree to an on-the-record interview with Congress.

“[Rosenstein] has not agreed to come for a transcribed interview on the record. He needs to agree to do that. If he does not agree to do that very soon, I will issue a subpoena for him to appear,” GOP Rep. Bob Goodlatte said.

Rosenstein was expected to testify to Congress on Thursday, but rejected the initial invitation because he did not want to sit for a transcribed interview. Rosenstein said he’d be willing to appear for a more informal briefing and the Judiciary Committee is still negotiating with him.

One Republican lawmaker seeking Rosenstein’s testimony said that the Department of Justice official likely feels emboldened after a meeting he had last Monday with Trump. Trump said after the meeting that he has no plans to fire Rosenstein over reports that he offered to wear a wire. Rosenstein has said that he was joking about spying on Trump. A House Judiciary Committee aide told The Hill that the panel does not have a time confirmed for Rosenstein to appear on Capitol Hill.

Why does the House Judiciary & Oversight Committees want to Subpeona Rod Rosenstein?

Rep. Goodlatte and other Republicans on the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform Committees want to interview Rosenstein about reports that in May 2017 he suggested wearing a wire during meetings with President Donald Trump. 

Republicans on both committees also want to ask Rosenstein about the FBI’s handling of the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government. Republican lawmakers believe that the FBI misled judges on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court by relying heavily on the unverified Steele dossier to obtain warrants to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Rosenstein signed off on the fourth and final surveillance warrant in June 2017.

Right-wing protesters clash with Antifa in Portland

Right-wing and left-wing protesters brawled on the streets of Portland Saturday October 13, during a "law and order" march by the conservative Patriot Prayer group. Patriot Prayer members fought black clad members of Antifa on Southwest Washington Street, reported the Oregonian using batons, bear spray and fists to attack each other before being dispersed by police in riot gear using pepper balls.

Videos posted on social media appear to show members of rival groups beating each other in skirmishes in the city, with police clearing the streets after 7:30pm local time to break down the clashes, reported the Portland Tribune. 

In a statement released Saturday night, Portland Police said that officers observed "people in possession of hard-knuckled gloves, firearms, batons and knives. Officers also observed people use pepper spray." 

Four people were treated for injuries on the scene by emergency medics during the protests. Police were not aware of anyone being hospitalized as a result of the clashes, according to the statement. Police said they used rubber bullet to disperse protesters, and that no arrests were made.  

The Patriot Prayer had launched the "law and order" protest following last Saturday’s demonstration against police brutality by left-wing activists, where an elderly man’s car was battered by protesters as he attempted to drive through downtown Portland. Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson, a former Republican senate candidate, has accused police and Portland's mayor of failing to control last week’s protest.

Former NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly Apologizes for Praising 'Racist' Winston Churchill

Former NASA astronaut and Navy veteran Scott Kelly apologized Sunday, October 7, after facing backlash for a tweet praising Winston Churchill. 

The original tweet said: “One of the greatest leaders of modern times, Sir Winston Churchill said, ‘in victory, magnanimity.’ I guess those days are over,” Mr. Kelly, a veteran of four space flights, tweeted to his 5.76 million followers. The tweet received some backlash, with users blaming Churchill for the Bengal famine of 1943 and comparing the late British prime minister to the genocidal dictator he helped defeat, Adolf Hitler. 

Seven hours later, Mr. Kelly apologized for the quote, saying he would work on educating himself on Churchill’s purported misdeeds. “Did not mean to offend by quoting Churchill. My apologies. I will go and educate myself further on his atrocities, racist views which I do not support. My point was we need to come together as one nation. We are all Americans. That should transcend partisan politics.”

Churchill led the U.K. effort in the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Mr. Kelly toured the Auschwitz concentration camp just last month.

Did Obama remove the Churchill bust in the Oval Office?

There are two busts of Winston Churchill, virtually identical, which for the sake of simplicity we will call Bust A and Bust B.

Bust A was made by the English sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein. It was given to President Lyndon B. Johnson on Oct. 6, 1965. So that bust has been in the White House for more than five decades. 

Bust B also was made by Epstein. It was provided in July 2001 by then Prime Minister Tony Blair, via the British ambassador, as a loan to President George W. Bush because Bust A was being repaired. Bush said he would keep it in the Oval Office, and various news reports at the time said the bust would be returned once Bush left office.

According to a 2010 interview with White House curator William Allman, the decision to return the bust had been made even before Obama arrived, as the loan was scheduled to last only as long as Bush’s presidency. Bust B was shipped back to the library of the British ambassador’s residence.

In 2016, Obama admitted he had decided to remove the bust of Churchill in the Oval Office to make room for one of Martin Luther King Jr. “There are only so many tables where you can put busts — otherwise it starts looking a little cluttered,” he said.

In January 2017, President Trump moved Bust A back into the Oval office. He also kept the Martin Luther King bust in the Oval office as well. 

Mail Time!

• Bill on last night's airing I found it interesting that you suggested to Tom Jipping of the Heritage Foundation, that Amy Barrett, who is by all accounts the leading contender for the next open Supreme Court position, would have been the better pick then Brett Kavanaugh due to her being a female and more difficult to accuse of misconduct. I was surprised by that position. I don't ever want such a highly important Judicial appointment influenced by the mob. Then they win.

• Good day Bill, have you heard Ms. Ford complain about her letter being leaked? Of course, you haven't Bill she's a hired hit woman who was in on the fix all along that's why she has zero evidence and zero witnesses, and everyone knows that but you? Is it really that difficult to grasp or are you afraid to call it like it is unlike president Trump? Stop tip toeing thru the sludge Bill it's the SWAMP!

• Bill, In your message of the day you ask why TV pundits care what Kanye West says. I believe they are desperate to continue the narrative that supporting Trump is NOT acceptable behavior and they fear that Kanye's bold outspokenness could catch on among African Americans who may be realizing they really are better off under Trump's policies. I think it's that simple and they instinctively squash him like a bug so his words won't infest the liberal masses.

Word of the Day: Pawky