Remembering Bob Dole, Giant Of The Senate

A man of compromise who would not compromise his principles, Bob Dole knew the importance of "calling a thing what it is."

Watch: 'Awkward' moment House GOP leaders take opposite stances on Trump at presser



House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (Wyo.) are not on the same page when it comes to former President Donald Trump, as evidenced by them taking opposite stances at the end of a press conference several outlets have described as "awkward."

What are the details?

McCarthy did not hesitate when asked whether Trump should be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference this weekend, replying definitively, "Yes he should."

When asked for her own response to the question, Cheney, the No. 3 GOP House leader replied, "That's up to CPAC."

"I've been clear on my views about President Trump," Cheney continued. "I don't believe that he should be playing a role in the future of the party or the country."

As Cheney replied, No. 2 GOP House leader Steve Scalise (La.), could be seen shaking his head.

A brief silence ensued, before McCarthy joked, "On that high note, thank you all very much," ending the presser.

Watch: GOP's McCarthy And Cheney Disagree At Press Conference Over Trump At CPAC | NBC News NOW www.youtube.com

McCarthy has remained a loyal defender of President Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which Democrats — and some Republicans, including Cheney — hold the former president responsible for inciting.

But McCarthy has also remained a loyal defender of Cheney, pushing back against fellow Republicans' calls for her to be removed from leadership after she voted to impeach Trump along with a handful of other GOP House members.

Cheney survived a vote threatening to boot her leadership following her vote, and has dismissed censure from her state party as well as calls for her to resign her seat entirely in the aftermath.

Cheney stays firm on Trump

Meanwhile, Cheney has held her ground on her position that Trump should have no part in the GOP moving forward.

On Tuesday, the Wyoming congresswoman took aim at Trump during an interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, saying:

"[It's] incumbent upon everybody who takes an oath of office and swears to protect and defend the Constitution that we recognize what happened on Jan. 6, that we commit ourselves that it must never happen again, that we recognize the damage that was done by the president, President Trump, saying that somehow the election was stolen, making those claims for months and summoning the mob and provoking them then in the attack on the Capitol. And also, and very importantly, in refusing, despite multiple requests from people to ask him to stop what was happening to ask him to stop the violence to protect the Capitol to protect the counting of electoral votes — he didn't do so."

Hong Kong leaders must pledge loyalty to — and show 'love' for — China's communist party to stay in office



Hong Kong leaders must pledge loyalty to — and demonstrate "love" for — China's communist party in order to stay in office, Reuters reported.

What are the details?

Community-level district councils must pledge the oath of allegiance to Hong Kong's mini-constitution, according to a bill the Chinese-ruled city is announcing this week, the outlet said.

Secretary for Mainland and Constitutional Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said politicians viewed as insincere would be barred from office, Reuters reported.

"You cannot say that you are patriotic, but you do not love the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, or you do not respect it — this does not make sense," Tsang said, according to the outlet. "Patriotism is holistic love."

The district councils are the only fully democratic institution in Hong Kong, the outlet noted, adding that the city's Legislative Council is "stacked with pro-Beijing figures, while its chief executive is not directly elected."

More from Reuters:

Any district councillor suspended from office after failing the loyalty test would be sent to court for formal disqualification, and banned from contesting elections for five years.

The bill potentially paves the way for the mass disqualification of pro-democracy politicians who took almost ninety percent of 452 district council seats in Hong Kong in the 2019 elections, humiliating the pro-Beijing camp.

While district councils decide little beyond community-level issues, such as garbage collection and bus stops, Beijing and Hong Kong authorities are determined that all public institutions in the city must be run by people loyal to Beijing.

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council, on Monday said Hong Kong can only be ruled by "patriots," the outlet reported. As for who qualifies as "patriots," Baolong told Reuters they include those who love China, its constitution, and the Communist Party. But anti-China "troublemakers" do not qualify as "patriots," he added to the outlet.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday endorsed Beijing's stance, the outlet said, and added that the loyalty oath is necessary to halt hatred of China and sustain the "one country, two systems" of government model.

Henry Wong, a pro-democracy councillor, told Reuters he's still deciding whether to take the oath: "This is just an act to legalize their brutal force in destroying democracy voices."

Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been battling against communist China's takeover since last year. Three of them were sentenced to serve jail time in December for involvement in demonstrations.

New York Jewish leaders sue Gov. Cuomo alleging 'blatantly anti-Semitic' coronavirus restrictions



Three New York rabbis have filed suit against their state and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) over his recent executive order mandating targeted coronavirus restrictions in Jewish communities, calling it "blatantly anti-Semitic."

What are the details?

Last week, Cuomo issued major new restrictions on schools, businesses, and houses of worship in 20 COVID-19 "hotspots" in New York, after a rise in cases that he referred to as mainly an "ultra-Orthodox" Jewish problem, according to the New York Post.

The restrictions came just ahead of celebration of Jewish holidays Hoshanah Rabbah, Shmini Atzerees and Simchas Torah, and led to protests in the streets of Brooklyn.

In a lawsuit filed in the Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, Rabbis Moshe Rosner, Samuel Teitelbaum, and Chaim Leibish Rottenberg — representing their respective congregations — claim that the governor's new order was "blatantly anti-Semitic, creating religious-observance based color coded 'hot-spot' zones directed towards particular Jewish communities."

The defendants went on to argue that Cuomo's order "specifically singles out the Orthodox Jewish community in what has proven to be the latest extension of Governor Cuomo's streak of anti-Semitic discrimination."

The Center for American Liberty, the group representing the congregations, say that his move is unconstitutional on several grounds, writing that the governor's actions "violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment, the Freedom of Assembly Clause of the First Amendment, Substantive and Procedural Due Process Rights under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment, and the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause."

According to the Associated Press, "Cuomo, who has said he has 'respect and love' for the Orthodox community, told reporters Thursday that he was not targeting Orthodox Jewish communities. He said red zones are based on addresses of residences where more individuals are testing positive for Covid-19."

In reaction to a similar lawsuit from separate Jewish group last week, a senior advisor to Cuomo told The Post, "We've been sued virtually every day for every action taken." He added, "We're concentrating on reducing the virus in these hot spots and saving lives, period."


(READY) Utah BLM and Proud Boys leaders hold joint press conference calling for unity in America Sub: The proud boys said they ‘denounce white supremacy’



The leader of a northern Utah Black Lives Matter chapter held a press conference with local Proud Boys leaders in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, defending the group which has been labeled by critics as white supremacists.

But the leaders from both activist organizations — who have been meeting together to find common ground — called on Americans to come together in unity after months of unrest and divisiveness in the country.

What are the details?

In video taken by KUTV-TV, Jacarri Kelley, the leader of Black Lives Matter, Northern Utah, told the press that she called the conference because she wanted to set the record straight after the Proud Boys were mentioned during the first presidential debate and accused of being "white supremacists."

Kelley was flanked by Proud Boys local president Seth, and chief Thad, both of whom only provided their first names.

The BLM leader explained that she has been meeting with Seth and Thad for the past several weeks to learn more about their views, after she spoke with a few Proud Boys members during a protest who reassured her that they were just there "to make sure nothing goes down."

"We sat down and had a conversation about each others' myths that we heard about the Black Lives Matter movement and about the Proud Boys," Kelley said about her first meeting with the leaders. "And we came to realize we had more in common than not. And in order to combat evil and racism and hatred in this country, we do need to be able to reach across the aisle and have these tough conversations."

"They're not white supremacists. These are proud American men," Kelley said, before adding that both groups "have an issue with the media" because they feel their organizations are not fairly portrayed.

On their website, the Proud boys tout themselves as "Western chauvinists," who believe "the West is the best," and state that they "do not discriminate based upon race or sexual orientation/preference." Seth told KUTV, "Don't get it wrong, like male chauvinism or anything like that. Those are two different things."

A KSTU-TV reporter shared a clip on Twitter of Thad saying during the press conference, "I will go out and say that the #ProudBoys as a whole, I will say this on behalf of the entire national organization, denounce white supremacy."

“I will go out and say that the #ProudBoys as a whole, I will say this on behalf of the entire national organizatio… https://t.co/cFvJrBxStJ
— 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐞 (@𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐞)1601518120.0

The group has been involved in several clashes with left-leaning activists in Portland and elsewhere. Last week, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) declared a state of emergency ahead of a planned Proud Boys rally in riot-plagued Portland on Saturday, saying the group was "looking for a fight."

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden invoked the group's name during the presidential debate when he and moderator Chris Wallace called on President Donald Trump to denounce white supremacy. The president was met with backlash when we called for the group to "stand back and stand by."

The next day, the president told the press he did not know who the Proud Boys are, and clarified that "they have to stand down, let law enforcement do its work."

(H/T: The Washington Times)