#if all politicians support Israel maybe vote for the ones who will at least keep our rights in tact here

[donnieisaprettyboy]

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Signs Universal Free School Meals Into Law

he also owns no stocks, bonds, or real estate.

his net worth (together with his wife) is only $330,000.

the median net worth of politicians in congress is just over $1 million.

you will never find a politician who agrees with you on everything. and you will unfortunately never find a politician with a clean slate. but tim walz is not the guy y’all are painting him out to be.

go vote in november, guys. as far as politicians go, Harris/Walz are pretty fucking good.

Not to be a debbie downer but Tim Walz was in the military for 24 years, including during the Iraq war. He called the national guard on protestors following the George Floyd murder. He supports Israel. He's approved an oil pipeline across indigenous lands that break treaties.

It's weird to celebrate a man who goes against all leftist values

[captainjonnitkessler]

a vote for a candidate is an endorsement of that candidate and they will correctly view it as such. if you keep voting for that candidate no matter what they do because the alternative is worse, they will have no motivation to change what they're doing

I disagree that a vote is an endorsement but I think you're right that they will view it as one, which is why the vast, vast majority of the work needs to be done between elections. It's voting in primaries, educating and talking to your friends and family about important issues, voting in local elections, campaigning for politicians you actually do endorse, etc. By the time an election year rolls around your time for getting a better candidate is up - the only thing you can do is choose the best of the two options you have.

The problem with using this reasoning to conclude that you shouldn't vote in any election where you don't endorse any candidate is twofold:

They might view a vote as an endorsement, but they don't view a lack of vote as an indictment. Young leftists, the people most likely to be pro-Palestine, have historically voted in much smaller numbers than other demographics. Young leftists withholding their votes isn't going to make Democrats think they need to move left, it's going to make them think they need to work even harder to court the centrists because at least they actually show up to the polls, and they're more likely to vote Republican if they're unhappy, making their loss a double whammy. And most older centrist Democrats support Israel. It's not in Biden's best political interest to risk losing those voters to try to court a group who historically never votes anyway. Basically - if leftists had enough numbers to make withholding our votes worth it, we'd have enough numbers to just vote in a better candidate to begin with.

2. Even if we were to grant that withholding our votes would push the Democrat party left, that comes at the cost of four more years of Republican rule. Only you can decide if that would be morally worth it. But in my view, four years of increased support to Israel and the possibility of the American military getting involved in the genocide, increasingly violent legislation against queer people in America, conservative federal judges appointed across the board, and repeals of all the progress we've made on the climate change and labor fronts is not worth the possibility that Democrats could maybe be pushed a little to the left.

And that's setting aside the fact that Republicans are pretty openly announcing their intent to dismantle the federal government to force it to serve conservative interests. I'm hoping they can't actually accomplish that, but having a more progressive Democratic party four years from now isn't going to help much if Republicans get free rein to lock in voter suppression and gerrymandering tactics and stack the courts with Republican judges in the meantime.

[candiedcatnip]

Watching the split on my dash between people who keep yelling to vote blue and people who criticize it grow starker with each month is truly something. I've seen maybe one POC I follow push the vote for Biden/Kamala schtick at all but there's a handful of white people I follow who insist on reblogging posts about it like at least once every few days if not more. A Black user posts about not wanting to vote for Biden and the comments turn into a mess of white people insulting them. Another reminds people Kamala is no better than Biden in regards to Palestine and gets chewed out for it like they've committed some grievous sin. I check the notes of random posts, tags here and on twitter, and it's the same thing.

It's almost like there's a connection. As if there may be a reason for this split. Damn if only we could puzzle out why a group of people infamously known for throwing others under the bus to potentially benefit ourselves might be the majority supporting this decision to vote blue no matter what the candidate's policy is on Israel/Palestine. If only we could figure out what this says about the subconscious priorities steering people away from taking action which might actually lead to politicians changing their stance. Well, guess we'll never know!

[newsnigeria]

Check out New Post published on Ọmọ Oòduà

New Post has been published on http://ooduarere.com/news-from-nigeria/world-news/the-ukrainian-elections/

The Ukrainian elections – a short preview of the coming attraction

Mommy! Daddy!  Look at the circus that came to town! 🙂

Well, it sure looks like the Ukrainian elections will be very interesting after all.  No, they probably won’t change anything truly important, but what is taking place is most interesting indeed.  I just want to mention a few things bullet-point style, not a real analysis (that will be for after the election), but maybe somewhat of a preview.  So, here’s what’s on my list:

The total collapse of Poroshenko:  I just don’t have the time to go into all the (admittedly sexy) details, but I can tell you that Poroshenko’s campaign is in total disarray, every move he has made so far has been stupid and even counter-productive and after each one of this moves, his popularity score went even further down, without Zelenskii having to say a single word.  At this point, the supporters of Poro (they are called the “Porokhobots” in Russian) are desperate and most of them are switching sides as fast as they can (betraying just at the right moment, not too early and not too late, is a Ukrainian specialty and a skillset which Ukie political leaders have honed to perfection over the centuries!). Another very worrying development for Poro is that his political opponents (including the quite charismatic, if rather brutish, Nadezhna Savchenko) are being let go free from the jails they were being held in.  Furthermore, there are rumors (unconfirmed so far) that the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigations is prosecuting pretty much the entire Urkonazi regime for various crimes, which is also a pretty good indicator that the ship is sinking and the rats running for their lives…

Frankly, at this point I don’t even think that Poro has the resources to pull off something significant as even his allies and aides are now abandoning him and refusing to carry out this orders.  He had a chance to try to pull-off some false flag or provocation, and he missed it.  Now it appears to be too late even for that.

Gone with the wind…

Zelenskii sitting very pretty: amazing, Zelenskii is both 1) doing great and 2) doing nothing.  How is that for a winning strategy?!  Really, I am not kidding, Poro’s Ukronazis are so busy committing political seppuku that all Zelenskii has to do is watch, laugh and wait.  It is quite an amazing sight to hear Zelenskii limit himself to short telephone calls, short video messages and a few off the cuff comments.  The guy is not even really campaigning at all!  Yet, barring the unthinkable, he will win with a huge margin on Sunday.  You can credit Kolomoiskii’s money and advisors if you want, but the truth is that Zelenskii’s “non-campaign” has been a devastatingly effective (not to mention cheap and easy) way to campaign.

Considering how clueless and non-presidential Zelenskii looks (and sounds every time he opens his mouth), I think that keeping him basically silent was not only the most effective technique, it was the only possible one.

The hotly debated question: which outcome is better for Russia? Well, Poroshenko is not only an Ukronazi, alcoholic and war criminal, he is also the Uber-loser guy who  literally FUBARed everything he ever did, at least since he is in politics (Roshen chocolates are actually pretty good!).  If Poro steals the election, which is the ONLY way he is going to stay in power, then Russia will have a perfect pretext to 1) not recognize the outcome of this election and 2) the opportunity to have the Ukies further destroy what is left of their sorry Banderastan without Russia having to do anything at all.  Zelenskii is far more intelligent (not to mention sober) and he is much less likely to be an easy opponent.  Furthermore, Zelenskii is Kolomoiskii’s puppet, and the latter is both VERY evil and VERY smart.  A most dangerous opponent for Russia.  And then, we can be sure the the Zelenskii-Kolomoiskii duo will have the full support of the Zionists (thanks to Kolomoiskii’s very close ties to Israel).

So while many in the Ukraine and Russia understandably hate Poroshenko with all their souls, I am not at all so sure that Zelenskii will be better for the Ukraine or for Russia.  Somewhere, Poro would definitely be easier to handle.

This being said, I also understand that for the people of the Ukraine there is only one way to express their hatred and contempt for that Uber-loser Poroshenko.  Voting Zelenskii in the presidential election followed by a vote for pro-Zelenskii parties in the Rada might be just what is needed to begin jailing various Nazis and other nutcases (I don’t expect either Zelenskii or Kolomoiskii to have any patience with the Ukronazis, especially now that they have become a much bigger problem for the Ukraine than they have ever been for Russia).

As I said before, choosing between Zelenskii and Poro is about as meaningful as choosing between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola.  Having said that, Poro is the weaker, dumber, more isolated and more inept of the two, so he is probably a lesser evil for Russia.

A very merry puppet indeed!

What about the Donbass and the DNR/LNR People’s Republics – what outcome is better for them? For the same reasons, I think that Poroshenko is probably the lesser evil for the Novorussians.  Again, Poro and Zelenskii are both equally bad and even evil (Zelenskii has openly supported the Nazi death-squads and called the Novorussians “scum” – so have NO illusions on this account!) but Zelenskii and his backers are the more dangerous and sophisticated actors.  The truth is that the Novorussians must first and foremost count on their own courage and military acumen, then they can count on Russia not only to stop any (theoretically possible) Ukronazi offensive, but also to keep these two republics alive economically and politically.  Russia has done a lot, but not nearly enough and much more aid (both military and civilian) is needed by the suffering people of the Donbass.

The show *will* go on, and the “Ukie Queen” Oleg Liashko will be part of it

So could *anything* good come from the election of Zelenskii? Yes, but it is not very likely.  First, history is full of puppets who have broken away from their puppet masters.  Don’t necessarily think Obama or Trump here – these were both weak and cowardly people!  Think Putin, for example.  The US has a long and distinguished experience is losing control of its own puppets (Bin Laden, Saddam, Noriega, etc. etc. etc).  So I would never say never.  Especially since Zelenskii is young, clearly smart, and possibly courageous (dunno, too early to tell). In theory, Zelenskii could begin purging the most notorious Ukronazis.  He could also pardon the thousands of Ukrainian political prisoners who are kept incommunicado and who are held in secret jails all over the country.  By freeing them he could even make space for a lot of armed and dangerous Ukronazis nutcases who are roaming around the country freely and who represent a very real danger to Zelenskii (a group of west Ukrainian terrorists was recently caught near one of Zelenskii’s residences; they had guns and even a DShK heavy machine gun mounted inside a car!).  Again, in theory, Zelenskii might agree to some form of decentralization/federation which, by now, even the western Ukrainians want in increasing numbers.  Finally, he might decide to cut his losses and make some kind of deal with Putin directly.  Obviously, this would not be “Zelenskii’s deal” with Putin, but the entire AngloZionist Hegemony telling Kolomoiskii what he can allow Zelenskii to say or do.  How likely is that to produce any meaningful results?

After all, any Ukrainian politician in touch with reality will understand that making the Ukraine a monolithic state is a dead end, especially after many years of bloody civil war.  As for any discussions about the future of Crimea – they are a total waste of time.  Finally, I bet you that deep inside themselves the Ukrainian politicians understand that the Donbass, the LDNR, Novorussia – call it what you want – is gone forever and will never return under the control of Kiev (unless the regime in power in Kiev is one put into power by the Novorussians themselves).

Conclusion: it will be pretty easy to tell what will happen next

How long will it take until they all get it

If Poro steals the election, Russia will not recognize this election and the Ukraine will sink further into chaos, misery and violence.

Furthermore, Russia has (finally!) introduced some meaningful economic sanctions against the Ukraine, including a ban on the export of Russian oil and oil derivatives (a special government authorization can be requested for specific, special, cases).

If Zelenskii gets elected, one of two things will happen:

Option A: Zelenskii will rapidly and energetically resume all the rabid russophobic policies of his predecessor.  The topics of the Donbass and Crimea will be front and center of Ukie propaganda.  At this point, Russia might as well recognize the outcome of the election (I don’t see a point in pretending that Zelenskii did not “kinda” get a popular mandate) and, in the same breath, recognize the two Novorussian Republics and let them conduct a referendum on their future.

Option B: Zelenskii will rapidly and energetically try to stop (or, at least, “freeze”) the conflict with Russia and with the Donbass.  If he does that, the Kremlin will see that Zelenskii is trying to cut  his losses and gain political credibility by stopping the war in the Donbass and the (utterly stupid and self-defeating) confrontation with Russia.  At this point, Russia is likely not only to recognize the outcome of the election, but also serve as a mediator between the Novorussians and the Zelenskii government in Kiev to offer some kind of compromise centered around a de factoindependence of the two republics combined with some kind of de jure (only!) Ukrainian sovereignty over these republics, even if only symbolical.

At least so far, all the signs are that Zelenskii will go with Option A and resume Poro’s antirussian policies which, considering that Zelenskii is a puppet of Kolomoiskii, who himself is a puppet of the AngloZionist Empire (with, in his case, the stress of the “Zionist” part of the name) certainly makes sense.

Last minute updates:

Thursday April 18th: Poroshenko recorded an address to the Ukrainian people in which he 1) apologizes for this mistakes and 2) blames all his mistakes on Putin.  Go figure Ukronazi “logic”….

Thursday April 18th: Zelenskii did end up giving one real interview, in which he said that Putin was an enemy and that the Donbass should not have any special status. He also said that the fact that Stepan Bandera is a hero for many Ukrainians is “awesome/cool” (класно).  Having a Russian-speaking Jew say this about a guy who pledged allegiance to Hitler and who massacred scores of Jews is rather amazing, especially on the eve of the Jewish Passover is quite a sight.  But then again, the Nazi-occupied Ukraine is the kind of Banderastan were you find Nazis and Jews happily joining forces against their common foe: Russia in general and Orthodox Russia especially.  So forget the (comparatively nicer looking) Zelenskii and think Kolomoiskii.  In other words, lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch’entrate…

Friday April 19th:  (1300 UTC) a debate between Poroshenko and Zelenskii is supposed to take place in a soccer stadium in Kiev.  There will be two stages, one for each candidate – this makes it easier to kill one and not the other; that, at least, is the explanations given by many in Kiev.  Rumors about some kind of bomb, or sniper attack, or riots are circulating in the Ukrainian social media and tensions are very high.  One of the main Ukronazi journalists has even begged Zelenskii not to go to this debate and asked him “do you want to be killed”?  These rumors are all helping Zelenskii who is presenting himself like the young, innocent and sincere candidate facing the evil and corrupt state machine controlled by Poroshenko.

Friday April 19th: (1600 UTC) the much expected debate has begun.  First surprise, Poro walked over to the Zelenskii stage.  First Zelenskii spoke pretty poorly.  Then Poro took the floor and immediately jumped on his favorite horse: Putin and Russia.  He also pointed out that he is experienced whereas Zelenskii is a noob.  After that, the debate became outright boring and of very low quality: the two candidates did not answer each other’s question, Zelenskii offered Poro to together stand on their knees before all the suffering Ukrainians, which Zelenskii himself proceeded to immediately do; Poro instead turned his back and kissed the Ukie flag (see screenshot of that bizarre moment on the right)

Friday April 19th: (1700 UTC) the debate is over.  Frankly, both Poroshenko and Zelenskii did very poorly.  Both tried a few cheap tricks, which mostly failed to elicit any major reaction, and now the “democratic charade” is over.

Barring something truly major and earth-shattering, Zelenskii will win.  After that, we can expect Kolomoiskii to take control of most of the government within 30 days or less.  Thus the AngloZionist Empire will re-take control of a FUBARed country the control of which it has been slowly but inexorably losing.  I don’t expect the elections to the Rada to change much to the new power configuration in the Ukraine.

Political debate Ukronazi style: in a stadium with folks in battle fatigues on the stage

It is high time now for Russia to pull the plug on this Ukronazi experiment in “russophobic independence”.  That does not necessarily mean rejecting the outcome of the election, but it does mean that it is high time for Russia to recognize the two republics.  I don’t hold much hope for negotiations with Zelenskii because such negotiations are essentially negotiations with the Zelenskii’s AngloZionist puppet masters with whom negotiations have been made impossible since early 2014.  Simply put: there is no point in negotiating anything with anybody for Russia as long as there are no halfway “agreement capable” partners to negotiate with.  As of now, I see no such partners.  Hence, Russia must embark on policy of unilateral actions.  If the 5th columnists don’t prevail, I expect that that is exactly what Russia will do from now on.

So who will win on Sunday?  Will it be the Big Crook or the Little Crook?

Nobody know, but I can give a a firm prediction: it will be a crook.

The Saker

[everettwilkinson]

POLITICO Playbook: STATE DEPT issues ‘worldwide caution’ after Trump announcement

THE STATE DEPARTMENT has issued a “worldwide caution” for U.S. citizens traveling the world. MATT LEE, the AP’s longtime diplomatic correspondent (@APDiploWriter), says: “The last time the @StateDept issued a ‘Worldwide Caution’ because of a US policy decision was March 2003 at the start of the Iraq war.” The State Department memo http://bit.ly/2B0IFkY

AP/GAZA CITY, at 4:18 a.m.: “GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Hamas leader calls for new uprising against Israel in wake of US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”

Story Continued Below

— ADELSON’S PAPER — ISRAEL HAYOM FRONT PAGE: In English: “Thank you, Mr. President! Jerusalem” (the “usa” in Jerusalem is colored with the American flag). In Hebrew: “The capital of Israel” http://bit.ly/2jYPwAZ

WSJ EDITORIAL — “The Reality of Jerusalem���: “Arab leaders denounced the Embassy move, but we wonder how long the fury will last. The Sunni Arabs also confront the threats of Islamic terrorism and Iranian imperialism, and the Palestinians are a third order concern. If the movement of an American Embassy that was signaled more than 20 years ago is enough to scuttle peace talks, then maybe the basis for peace doesn’t yet exist.” http://on.wsj.com/2AZOrU3

Good Thursday morning. EXPECTED TODAY: House Republican leaders tell us they feel confident they will pass a bill to fund government for two weeks. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is widely expected to resign. And Congressional leaders head to the White House for fiscal talks.

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TRUTH BOMB: THE NEXT MONTH IS GOING TO BE A MESS — It looks like Congress is going to avoid a government shutdown this week. But this is only the beginning of a very, very messy month for Republican leaders. Top GOP lawmakers, at the moment, are not completely certain how they’ll fund the government when funding expires on Dec. 22. One idea bouncing around is for the House to send the Senate a bill it won’t even be able to take up — a yearlong bill that increases military spending but doesn’t bump domestic spending. Conservatives are itching for House Republican leaders to stand firm when the Senate rejects its opening funding salvo later this month.

— ALSO TOUGH: Republicans and Democrats are almost certain to cut a deal to boost spending, renew CHIP — the massive children’s health program and bolster Obamacare. Some of that could come at the end of the month, or next month, on the back of an omnibus spending package, which will lump together 12 spending bills. The mood isn’t good at the moment, and it only seems to be getting worse. Optimists hope tax reform makes all Republicans happy. Color us a tad skeptical.

AROUND THE TAX REFORM HORN …

— HOUSE/SENATE DIFFERENCES: “Tax Bill Is Likely to Undo Health Insurance Mandate, Republicans Say,” by NYT’s Robert Pear and Tom Kaplan: “House and Senate negotiators thrashing out differences over a major tax bill are likely to eliminate the insurance coverage mandate at the heart of the Affordable Care Act, lawmakers say.

“But a deal struck by Senate Republican leaders and Senator Susan Collins of Maine to mitigate the effect of the repeal has been all but rejected by House Republicans, potentially jeopardizing Ms. Collins’s final yes vote. ‘I don’t think the American people voted for bailing out big insurance,’ said Representative Dave Brat, Republican of Virginia, who opposes a separate measure to lower insurance premiums that Ms. Collins thought she had secured.” http://nyti.ms/2AZIhU0

— THE FIGHT OVER 20 PERCENT: “Corporate rate cut in tax bill could change as GOP hunts for votes,” by Seung Min Kim, Nancy Cook and Bernie Becker: “In a closed-door meeting Wednesday with CEOs from the Business Roundtable, Republican Sen. Pat Toomey and White House economic adviser Gary Cohn in separate sessions told the crowd their strong preference was to keep the corporate rate at 20 percent, where it is now in the legislation, even as lawmakers were under intense pressure to find new revenue, according to three people familiar with the meeting.

“Both men left the crowd with the impression that the corporate rate was a target in the hunt for that revenue and could rise as a result. … Each percentage point the corporate rate increases is worth about $100 billion over a decade. The top corporate rate is now 35 percent. …

“Boosting the corporate tax rate could open a floodgate of other demands from lawmakers seeking to get provisions in the tax bill. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for instance, told POLITICO on Wednesday that if the rate goes up to 22 percent ‘and they don’t use some portion of it to help’ boost the child tax credit, ‘I’m going to have a big problem.’” http://politi.co/2nARInh

— K STREET INC.: “Lawmakers face pressure to save deductions for mortgage interest and state and local taxes,” by Theo Meyer, Aaron Lorenzo and Colin Wilhelm: “Lobbyists have launched an all-out effort to save tax breaks and protect powerful industries as the Republicans’ tax overhaul lurches toward President Donald Trump’s desk. Builders and real estate interests are pushing to save the mortgage interest deduction. Businesses are fighting to strip out a last-minute provision inserted into the Senate bill that would preserve the corporate alternative minimum tax. And a coalition of trade groups and local government leaders is urging Republicans not to cut the state and local tax deduction.

“With Trump pressing Congress to send him a bill before Christmas, lobbyists must decide where they want to focus their efforts over the next week. Some are working the senators and representatives who will make up the conference committee charged with ironing out the differences between the House and Senate bill. Others are working to persuade Republican leaders or leaning on the members of Congress whose constituents may see their taxes go up if changes aren’t made to the bill.” http://politi.co/2nCatqu

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — TAX AIR WARS IN NEW YORK – 45Committee, a group backed by the Adelson and Ricketts families, is launching ads against House GOP members who opposed both the tax bill and Obamacare repeal. The first ad — on which the group says it’s spending six figures — criticizes Rep. Dan Donovan (R-N.Y.) for saying he is opposed to Obamacare and supports a tax overhaul, but voting against them. It’s part of 45Committee’s $10 million effort on tax reform, a representative of the group said. The ad’s narrator ends the spot by saying “If he won’t keep his word and support tax reform, how can we ever trust him again?” The ad http://bit.ly/2Ah695L

— SCOOP: AMERICAN ACTION NETWORK is putting $2 million on TV, explaining what they believe the tax bill would do for 24 districts across the country. The ad http://bit.ly/2joVCeo

WSJ’S KRISTINA PETERSON and KATE DAVIDSON: “House Republicans Weigh Linking Debt Ceiling Increase to Spending Bill”: “Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, a member of House GOP leadership and the head of a working group of House Republicans on the debt limit, said lawmakers were considering increasing the debt ceiling as part of the bill funding the government for the rest of the fiscal year, known as an omnibus.

“GOP leaders are likely to seek to raise the debt limit enough to last at least through next November’s midterm elections, lawmakers and aides said. They will have to act, likely by March, to avoid a default.

“‘There’s just going to be an omnibus at some point, probably after the first of the year,’ Mr. Collins said in an interview this week. ‘Probably there’ll be some debt ceiling discussions with the White House [going] into that bigger omnibus bill,’ he said, but noted that the group of 23 House Republicans hadn’t reached a final decision.” http://on.wsj.com/2nBwOoh

****** A message from PhRMA: A medicine’s path from the biopharmaceutical company to the patient involves many entities across the supply chain. A new report examines how money flows through this system – which includes wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacies and insurers – and how that impacts what patients pay at the pharmacy. Read more. http://onphr.ma/2kgd6Nu ******

IF YOU READ ONE THING – POLITICO MAGAZINE INVESTIGATION: “The Environmental Scandal in Scott Pruitt’s Backyard: It’s one of the dirtiest places in America. Former residents of Tar Creek, Oklahoma, want to know why Trump’s EPA chief didn’t prosecute allegations of wrongdoing during a federal buyout program,” by Malcolm Burnley in Picher, Oklahoma: “Tar Creek, Oklahoma, is breathtaking in a terrible way: At one time the world’s deepest source of lead and zinc, the three-town region is now a cratered landscape so poisonous that no one, aside from 10 holdouts, can live there. Mountains of ashlike ‘chat,’ a toxic residue from lead-zinc milling, rise majestically among the remains of homes torn from their foundations. Abandoned pets forage around the ruins. A child’s teddy bear lies sprawled in a ghostly living room. A gorilla statue fronts an empty high school, atop a sign proclaiming ‘1A Football State Champs, 1984.’

“Tar Creek is also part of the environmental legacy of one of the state’s—and nation’s—leading politicians, Senator Jim Inhofe, and his longtime ally, Scott Pruitt, the former Oklahoma attorney general who is now head of President Donald Trump’s [EPA]. After the EPA struggled to clean up the area, in 2006, Inhofe endorsed a plan in which a trust overseen by local citizens would use federal dollars to purchase homes and businesses in the toxic region so residents could move elsewhere. Then, when the plan proved so problematic that it spawned more than a half-dozen civil lawsuits and an audit into possible criminal wrongdoing, Pruitt, as the state’s attorney general, invoked an exception to state freedom-of-information laws to keep the audit from being an open public record.

“Now, that decision is coming into new light as many Oklahomans clamor for the audit to be released, suggesting that its revelations will prove embarrassing to Inhofe, who played a key role in designing the buyout plan, and cast doubt on Pruitt’s decision not to move forward with charges.” http://politi.co/2kuwKFw

ATTN. DETROIT — “John Conyers III was arrested for domestic abuse but not prosecuted,” by NBC News’ Andrew Blankstein in LA: “John Conyers III, a Detroit hedge fund manager named as a possible successor to his scandal-rocked father, Rep. John Conyers, was arrested in Los Angeles this year on suspicion of domestic violence, but prosecutors declined to charge him, according to documents obtained by NBC News. … Conyers III, 27, was arrested on Feb. 15 at a Los Angeles residence on suspicion of violence against his girlfriend after the alleged victim called police. … The girlfriend said that Conyers III suspected her of cheating after he went through her computer. She told police that he ‘body slammed her on the bed and then on the floor where he pinned her down and spit on her,’ the report says.” http://nbcnews.to/2zUliWp

FOR YOUR RADAR — “N. Korea says war is inevitable as allies continue war games,” by AP’s Kim Tong-Hyung in Seoul, South Korea: “North Korea says a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula has become a matter of when, not if, as it continued to lash out at a massive joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea involving hundreds of advanced warplanes. In comments attributed to an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman, North Korea also claimed high-ranked U.S. officials, including CIA Director Mike Pompeo, have further confirmed American intent for war with a series of ‘bellicose remarks.’” http://bit.ly/2iznFXY

JARED WATCH — “Kushner bets he can have it both ways on Jerusalem move,” by Annie Karni: “Jared Kushner is betting the house on a risky strategy that Middle East experts worry will derail any future Israeli-Palestinian peace deal — as well as what remains of the powerful son-in-law’s shrinking West Wing portfolio. He privately encouraged President Donald Trump’s announcement Wednesday that ‘Jerusalem is Israel’s capital,’ which was seen by some experts in the region as a setback for peace efforts led by Kushner and his small team.

“The group has made dozens of trips to the region and spent hours on listening tours, working to gain the trust of the Palestinians and the broader Arab world. ‘It is very, very hard to imagine how that peace effort can be continued,’ said Ghaith al-Omari, who served as an adviser to the Palestinian Authority’s negotiating team from 1999 to 2002. ‘All the Arab leaders who have been cultivating relations with the new administration will be forced to come out very strongly against this.’ But a person close to Kushner said he was forceful in his backing of the move. ‘Encouraging would be an understatement,’ the person said. ‘It was him.’” http://politi.co/2k3bEdr

THE BACK STORY — “Inside the demise of Al Franken,” by Elana Schor and Seung Min Kim: “Al Franken weathered six women’s sexual misconduct allegations without hearing a single resignation call from his fellow Democratic senators. No. 7 broke the dam. The Democratic women of the Senate had been talking among themselves about the Franken allegations for weeks, one Democratic aide said. None, however, went further than to call for a Senate Ethics Committee probe of the Minnesota senator, who many of them had considered a close friend.

“That stance became increasingly untenable as the accusations against Franken piled up. In calls and texts, the female senators eventually came to an unstated agreement, according to another aide familiar with their discussions: The next credible story of misconduct in a credible news outlet would would prompt them to call for Franken’s resignation. When POLITICO reported Wednesday that a former Democratic congressional aide said Franken tried to forcibly kiss her in 2006, the aide said, it ‘was the tipping point.’

“The first public resignation nudge came from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a champion for reform of Capitol Hill’s sexual harassment policy who one day earlier publicly declined to push Franken. Six more Senate Democratic women followed, with head-snapping speed. ‘I think many people have been talking about this for some time. And we all responded with what we had been feeling today,’ Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said after she said Franken should step aside. ‘It wasn’t coordinated, it just happened.’” http://politi.co/2iXZ2bb

THE REPLACEMENT — “Female lieutenant governor expected to replace Franken if he resigns,” by Maggie Severns: “Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to appoint his lieutenant governor and close ally, Tina Smith, to Al Franken’s seat if the Democratic senator resigns on Thursday, three people familiar with the Democratic governor’s thinking said. But that appointment would be just the start of a huge upheaval in Minnesota.

“Part of the reason Smith could be heading to the Senate, the sources said, is because she has indicated no interest in running for Congress in the past and would not run for the remainder of Franken’s term, which expires in 2020, in a 2018 special election. That would clear the way for a wide-open Democratic primary next year if Franken steps down.” http://politi.co/2BQf7UM

FIRST PERSON – TINA DUPUY in The Atlantic, “I Believe Franken’s Accusers Because He Groped Me, Too: The Democratic Party needs to stand with women who have been harassed—and not defend the politicians who abused them.” http://theatln.tc/2iZhZu9

RUSSIA WATCH — “Trump Jr. cites attorney-client privilege in not answering panel’s questions about discussions with his father,” by Kyle Cheney: “Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday cited attorney-client privilege to avoid telling lawmakers about a conversation he had with his father, President Donald Trump, after news broke this summer that the younger Trump — and top campaign brass — had met with Russia-connected individuals in Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.

“Though neither Trump Jr. nor the president is an attorney, Trump Jr. told the House Intelligence Committee that there was a lawyer in the room during the discussion, according to the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California. Schiff said he didn’t think it was a legitimate invocation of attorney-client privilege. ‘I don’t believe you can shield communications between individuals merely by having an attorney present,’ he said, after the committee’s lengthy interview with Trump Jr. ‘That’s not the purpose of attorney-client privilege.’” http://politi.co/2kusF43

TRUMP’S THURSDAY — The president is meeting with Republican senators and RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel. He is also signing a proclamation for National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. In the afternoon he will meet with congressional leaders and former Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. He and the First Lady will also host a Hanukkah reception.

THE JUICE…

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK – TOM LOBIANCO, an AP White House reporter, has signed a deal to write a book on Vice President Mike Pence. LoBianco has covered the former governor of Indiana for multiple news organizations, including the AP and the Indianapolis Star, since 2011. The book was sold by Bridget Matzie of Aevitas Creative Management to Julia Cheiffetz of Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

— JUSTIN MYERS has been hired as the CEO of For Our Future and For Our Future Action Fund. For Our Future was founded in 2016, when it ran a $60 million ground operation to help progressive candidates. He most recently has been SVP at the Pivot Group and is an alum of DCCC, Kay Hagan and the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, where he was ED.

— THE WING, a New York-based women’s co-working and social club, held a “welcome” dinner at 1789 last night. It is opening its D.C. outpost in Georgetown early next year. SPOTTED: Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Audrey Gelman, Giovanna Lockhart, Dayna Grayson, Alyssa Mastromonaco, Edith Gregson, Juleanna Glover, Kasie Hunt, Kristen Welker, Annie Karni, Pia Carusone, Susan Tynan, Tammy Haddad and Katie Glueck.

FUN VIDEO — @TheDailyShow: “Trump’s Best Words of 2017” – 1-min. video http://bit.ly/2kvGTSs (h/t Matt Negrin)

HAPPENING TONIGHT — Our first live podcast taping is TONIGHT at 7 p.m. at Sixth and I. Our inaugural guests: MICHAEL BARBARO, host of the New York Times’ hit podcast “The Daily,” DCCC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAN SENA and NRCC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOHN ROGERS. And a panel of POLITICO stars: RACHAEL BADE, SEUNG MIN KIM and ANNIE KARNI. Get your tickets now! http://bit.ly/2hWK7tF

PHOTO DU JOUR: A motorist on Highway 101 watches flames from the Thomas fire leap above the roadway north of Ventura, Calif., on Dec. 6. | Noah Berger/AP Photo

THE LATEST ON THE BAN — “Appeals court considers legality of latest Trump travel ban,” by Josh Gerstein: “A federal appeals court gave a somewhat friendlier reception Wednesday to President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban order, just two days after the Supreme Court allowed the policy to be implemented in full for the first time. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals met in Seattle to hear arguments over an injunction against varied travel restrictions Trump issued in September on citizens of six majority Muslim countries, as well as North Korea and Venezuela.” http://politi.co/2jm0bWL

JUST POSTED — “The surgeon general and his brother: A family’s painful reckoning with addiction,” by Andrew Joseph in STAT News: http://bit.ly/2j0ZYvw

HMM – “VA cuts program for homeless vets after touting Trump’s commitment,” by Arthur Allen and Lorraine Woellert: “Four days after Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin held a big Washington event to tout the Trump administration’s promise to house all homeless vets, the agency did an about-face, telling advocates it was pulling resources from a major housing program. The VA said it was essentially ending a special $460 million program that has dramatically reduced homelessness among chronically sick and vulnerable veterans.

“Instead, the money would go to local VA hospitals that can use it as they like, as long as they show evidence of dealing with homelessness. Anger exploded on a Dec. 1 call that was arranged by Shulkin’s Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans to explain the move. Advocates for veterans, state officials and even officials from HUD, which co-sponsors the program, attacked the decision, according to five people who were on the call.” http://politi.co/2nCuQ6L

VALLEY TALK — “Silicon Valley Investor Shervin Pishevar Accused Of Spreading False Information To Cover Up Alleged Sexual Misconduct,” by BuzzFeed’s Ryan Mac: “Venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, who has been accused by multiple unnamed women of sexual misconduct in a recent news report, is now being accused by a Republican-affiliated opposition research firm of spreading false information about it in an attempt to cover up his alleged wrongdoings. In a bizarre twist on Wednesday, Definers Public Affairs — which Pishevar is suing for allegedly helping to spread a false police report that accuses him of rape — filed a motion to dismiss the investor’s suit in full.

“That motion, made in San Francisco Superior Court, argues that Pishevar’s lawsuit should be thrown out under California’s anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (anti-SLAPP) law, which was designed to prevent litigation that is simply meant to silence or intimidate critics by burying them under legal costs.” http://bzfd.it/2BH5Rl2

ZACK STANTON in POLITICO Magazine: “John Conyers Was An Icon. Then He Lost His Way: It’s time to reckon with the legacy of a man who saw so much and stayed too long”: http://politi.co/2B8OgX3

****** A message from PhRMA: A medicine’s path from the biopharmaceutical company to the patient involves many entities across the supply chain. A new report examines how money flows through this system – which includes wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacies and insurers – and how that impacts what patients pay at the pharmacy. Read more. http://onphr.ma/2kgd6Nu ******

DESSERT — “A history of the final dying days of the power suit,” by WaPo’s Robin Givhan: “Douglas Heye wears suits. Like a lot of men, he gives a fair amount of consideration to the way those suits are styled. Unlike a lot of men, he is willing and able to break down those considerations into specifics. ‘I like a pocket square, but I generally don’t wear one with a tie,’ says Heye, a former Republican strategist, now a CNN contributor. ‘If I’m wearing a tie, three out of four times it’s blue. I like blue and I’ve been told it works for me. … If I’m wearing a jacket and no tie, I always like a pocket square. I think it’s a little bit more dressy. It shows a little bit of effort.’

“Effort is important. The whole reason for wearing the suit, he says, is to set a tone. He recently attended a meeting where he knew everyone else would be casual. But he couldn’t bring himself to show up in khakis and a golf shirt. A suit, he reasoned, signaled a certain seriousness. ‘But I don’t know,’ he says. ‘Maybe it means something to me and not the viewer.’” http://wapo.st/2Akck9h

MEDIAWATCH — “ABC reprimands producer for giving data to Trump campaign,” by Michael Calderone: “In their new book ‘Let Trump Be Trump,’ campaign insiders Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie wrote that Chris Vlasto — then-executive producer of ‘Good Morning America’ and now senior executive producer for investigative reporting — called Bossie, Trump’s deputy campaign manager, at 5:01 p.m. on election night with information being shared within a consortium of the Associated Press and the major TV networks. …

“Bossie had known Vlasto for decades, going back to when Bossie was a Republican House investigator in the 1990s and Vlasto was covering the Clinton Whitewater investigations, according to the book. Vlasto was considered for a senior communications position in the Trump White House in the weeks after the election before pulling himself out of consideration.” http://politi.co/2BayJWQ

–PER MICHAEL CALDERONE IN MORNING MEDIA: “Doyle McManus is taking a buyout from the Los Angeles Times after 39 years with the paper. He said in a note to friends that he’ll write occasional op-ed columns for the paper as a contributing writer, and that he plans to do more long-form pieces — and possibly a book.”

SPOTTED: Donald Rumsfeld in Farragut Square yesterday after getting a haircut

SPOTTED at the annual American Defense International holiday party at the Hotel George hosted by defense lobbyists Van Hipp and Michael Herson: Rick Harrison, star of History Channel’s “Pawn Stars,” Ed Nixon, brother of former President Richard Nixon, former Virginia Governor, RNC Chair and presidential candidate Jim Gilmore, Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Scott Taylor (R-Va.), Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.), Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), and Mike Turner (R-Ohio).

TRANSITIONS — “Cruz chief of staff leaves Capitol Hill,” by Seung Min Kim: “Sen. Ted Cruz’s chief of staff is leaving Capitol Hill after more than a year leading the Texas Republican’s congressional operation in Washington and in his home state. David Polyansky, 46, came on board as Cruz’s chief of staff following the Republican National Convention in 2016 at a time when the senator re-focused his energies on Texas following his unsuccessful presidential campaign.

“Now, Polyansky is returning to Houston, where his family resides, and staying on as a senior adviser for Cruz’s re-election campaign in 2018. … Pre Shah, currently Cruz’s chief counsel, will take over for Polyansky as the senator’s chief of staff. Cruz’s legislative director, Steve Chartan, will become deputy chief of staff while keeping his legislative duties.” http://politi.co/2AyC0Ou

— SPOTTED: Cruz, Polyansky and Scott Reed in a booth at Capital Grille last night – also seen there: Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) chatting with Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) were also at the restaurant.

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Suhail Khan, Microsoft director of external affairs. A fun fact about Suhail: “I was a nanny in college, have ridden a ‘61 Harley Davidson since high school and am currently restoring a ‘67 Shelby Mustang GT500. I was also front row for Metallica three times this summer.” Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2AzrXss

BIRTHDAYS: Carole Simpson is 76 … Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is 65 … Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is 8-0 … CNN’s Ashley Killough (hat tip: Kevin Cirilli) … Emily Hamilton, director at Hamilton Place Strategies … Kate Tummarello, policy analyst at Electronic Frontier Foundation … Allie Grasgreen Ciaramella, comms manager at the National College Access Network … Nicolás Luis Rosero … Larisa Alexandrovna Horton … Oath’s Sarindee Wickramasuriya … former Amb. Michael Punke, VP of global public policy for Amazon Web Services and author of “The Revenant” … Scott Greene … Kenny Fried … Patrick Lee Plaisance is 54 … Molly Block, newly-hired press secretary at EPA … Ben Fallon … Maria Fuentes … Jeannie Lough … Doug Henwood … Dafna Tapiero … Adam Culbertson … Michael Steinhardt is 77 … Jonathan Tisch is 64 … Edelman’s Erika Reyes … NYT’s Dean Chang …

… Priya Dayananda of KPMG … Anne MacMillan of Invariant … Sam Runyon, deputy press secretary for Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), celebrating over three days (h/t Jonathan Kott) … Christina Freundlich … Olivia Wenk (h/t Dad, Christopher) … Tyler Prell … Robert Cresanti, pres. and CEO of Int’l Franchise Association … Mary Heitman, EVP at IFA … Illinois State Sen. Dan McConchie … Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) is 41 (h/t Robb Watters) … Tom Frieden … Mike Klein … Deloitte’s Sam Schofield, a State alum (h/t Nihal Krishan, “his fellow Fessenden Fiefdom housemate”) … Jenny Kordick … Amanda Faulkner, public policy and government relations at Google (h/t Ben Khouri) … Lisa Sun … Raj Peter Bhakta … Tim Andrews … Kim Bradford … Peter Truell is 62 … Brian Mosteller … Mike Meece … Cristina Beato … Noam Chomsky is 89 … Alice Parker … Ruthanne Buck … Sachin Chheda … Antha Williams … Jeff Blum (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

****** A message from PhRMA: In the competitive marketplace for medicines, negotiations between pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and biopharmaceutical companies result in substantial rebates and fees. According to a new report, in many cases, this system often creates incentives for PBMs to prefer medicines with higher list prices and higher rebates. Read more about how money flows through the supply chain here: http://onphr.ma/2kgd6Nu ******

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