This article provides an overview of the status of redistricting fights in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and Michigan. Maryland is the only state in that group that had a map that was gerrymandered to help Democrats. Sad!
PA redistricting
The US Supreme Court did not approve a Republican request to put a stay on the new congressional map. Columns like this are spinning it as a win for Democrats but it’s really a win for fairness. On a practical basis, it does help Democrats but that was not the purpose of the map. The intent of the map was to draw representative congressional districts.
The Republicans were unwilling to produce a map that was fair to both parties so the State Supreme Court stepped in. The new map is more favorable for Democrats than the old one but that’s because the old one was so pro-Republican.
I am sure Republicans will continue to protest, with Trump’s approval. If the elections are held under the new map and it helps Democrats take the House, I expect Republicans to challenge the results. Sad!
Trump is out of control
Trump and McCabe
It appears that there was a valid non-political reason for the firing of Andrew McCabe. I think Trump would have been better off just to let that part of it play out and be the story. This article reviews what McCabe and Trump have said.
However, Trump is gloating about the firing and making it political as part of his efforts to undermine the Russia investigation. Sad!
Trump campaign consultants misused data on Facebook users
The New York Times published a very thorough examination of how Cambridge Analytica, which was used by the Trump campaign, misused data from 50 million Facebook users.
Will Trump fire Mueller part 2?
I’m convinced that Trump’s rants are a trial balloon to see if Republicans will let Trump fire Mueller.
So far, few Republicans in Congress have reacted.
Congressional efforts to protect the special counsel are not going forward now.
If Trump is innocent, it would be in his interest to let the Mueller investigation proceed and clear him. I don’t believe it when Trump says there was no collusion but I’ll believe it if Mueller says it.
I think Trump will get the Justice Department to fire Mueller because it appears Republicans in Congress won’t do anything if he does. Sad!
Trump’s non-disclosure agreements
Trump has had high-level staff members sign non-disclosure agreements.
These do not appear to be constitutional. From a USA Today article “Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said in an email Sunday night, “Public employees can’t be gagged by private agreements. These so-called NDAs are unconstitutional and unenforceable.””
Sad!
Trump’s lies about the Mueller investigation
Trump is getting more unhinged as he realizes nobody will stop him. He announced tariffs and accepted the North Korea meeting on his own. Now, he is bolder in fighting the Mueller investigation. He tweeted lots of lies about the Mueller investigation. Sad!
Deja Vu?
Trump’s rants about the Mueller investigation sound familiar.
It’s hypocritical to be concerned about NFL players and politics but ignore NFL owners actions.
This is an excellent column by Jemele Hill. Bucs owner Ed Glazer recently hosted a Trump fundraiser. As Hill states “The political motives of players always are under scrutiny. The owners? Almost never.”
Sad!
