The Power To Choose

[rpryor03]

The Power To Choose
A Timeline by Rpryor03

[rpryor03]

KIRSTJEN, YOU'RE FIRED!

November 10, 2018 - In the wake of the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen has resigned the position of Secretary of Homeland Security effective November 15. Nielsen, an ally of Chief of Staff John Kelly, was at odds with President Donald Trump on the issue of immigration along the southern border. According to a senior White House source, "Kelly did all he could to save Nielsen from facing Trump's wrath, but it's clear who really runs the show here." Sources also alluded to Trump feeling boxed in by his advisors like Kelly, Vice President Mike Pence, and Senior Advisor Jared Kushner. Trump has scheduled a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Pence tomorrow to discuss potential replacements for Nielsen and ensuring they get confirmed. Leading candidates include Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, and Representative Michael McCaul.

THREE FOR THREE - KELLY'S OUT AND KOBACH'S IN

November 12, 2018 - Chief of Staff John Kelly, who was reportedly feeling frustrated and sidelined by his boss, President Donald Trump, in the White House, has resigned his position immediately. According to a senior White House source, Kelly's resignation was prompted by the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and his being sidelined in the vetting process for her successor. On Twitter this afternoon, President Trump slammed "no-results John" and announced the appointment of Kris Kobach, Secretary of State of Kansas and a noted Trump ally as Kelly's successor.

MCCAUL, BONDI TO JOIN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

November 14, 2018 - President Trump officially nominated Representative Michael McCaul of Texas and Attorney General of Florida Pam Bondi as Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General, respectively, today. McCaul has represented the people of Texas's 10th congressional district since 2005 and has chaired the House Homeland Security Committee since 2013. He inherits a department that has been through turmoil and change since Trump took office that faces issues in the realm of immigration. He is regarded as a more moderate pick than one would expect. Bondi has been the Attorney General of Florida since 2011 and succeeds Jeff Sessions. Bondi faces a number of issues as well, most notably overseeing the investigation into President Trump led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is currently being overseen by Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker. Both of these picks seem to be signs of the influence of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who believes that McCaul and Bondi would be easier to confirm than Trump's preferred picks, Kris Kobach (who is Trump's new Chief of Staff) and Whitaker (who is being tipped for an advisory role of some sort after the acting period ends.)

[Everything else remains the same up through 12/1/18.]

[rpryor03]

NEW CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP ELECTED

November 20-30 - After 10 days of jockeying for positions, the following people have been elected to leadership in Congress for the 116th Congress.

House Democrats
Speaker-Designate: Nancy Pelosi of California
Majority Leader: Steny Hoyer of Maryland
Majority Whip: Jim Clyburn of South Carolina
Assistant Leader: Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico
Caucus Chair: Hakeem Jeffries of New York
Caucus Vice-Chair: Katherine Clark of Massachusetts
Policy and Communications Chairs: Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, and Ted Lieu of California
Campaign Committee Chair: David Cicilline of Rhode Island
Chief Deputy Whip: John Lewis of Georgia

House Republicans
Minority Leader: Kevin McCarthy of California
Minority Whip: Steve Scalise of Louisiana
Caucus Chair: Mark Walker of North Carolina
Caucus Vice-Chair: Jason Smith of Missouri
Policy Committee Chair: Doug Collins of Georgia
Campaign Committee Chair: Tom Emmer of Minnesota
Chief Deputy Whip: Drew Ferguson of Georgia

Senate Republicans
President Pro Tempore: Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Majority Leader: Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Majority Whip: John Thune of South Dakota
Caucus Chair: John Barrasso of Wyoming
Caucus Vice-Chair: Joni Ernst of Iowa
Policy Committee Chair: Roy Blunt of Missouri
Steering Committee Chair: Mike Lee of Utah
Campaign Committee Chair: Todd Young of Indiana
Chief Deputy Whip: Mike Crapo of Idaho

Senate Democrats
Minority Leader and Caucus Chair: Chuck Schumer of New York
Minority Whip: Dick Durbin of Illinois
Assistant Leader: Patty Murray of Washington
Caucus Vice-Chair: Mark Warner of Virginia and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
Policy Committee Chair: Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
Steering Committee Chair: Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
Outreach Committee Chair: Bernie Sanders of Vermont
Campaign Committee Chair: Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada
Chief Deputy Whip: Jeff Merkley of Oregon

Senate Committee Leadership, 116th Senate

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, Chairman
Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations
Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, Chairman
Senator Pat Leahy of Vermont, Ranking Member

Committee on Armed Services
Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Chairman
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Ranking Member

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho, Chairman
Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Ranking Member

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Chairman
Senator Jon Tester of Montana, Ranking Member

Committee on Energy and National Resources
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Chairman
Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, Ranking Member

Committee on Environment and Public Works
Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, Chairman
Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, Ranking Member

Committee on Finance
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Chairman
Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ranking Member

Committee on Foreign Relations
Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, Chairman
Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Ranking Member

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, Chairman
Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, Ranking Member

Committee on Judiciary
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Chairman
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, Ranking Member

Committee on Health, Environment, Labor, and Pensions
Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Chairman
Senator Patty Murray of Washington, Ranking Member

Committee on Budget
Senator Michael Enzi of Wyoming, Chairman
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Ranking Member

Committee on Rules
Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, Chairman
Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Ranking Member

Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Chairman
Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, Ranking Member

Committee on Veterans Affairs
Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Chairman
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Ranking Member

Select Committee on Intelligence
Senator John Cornyn of Texas, Chairman
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, Vice-Chair

Special Committee on Aging
Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Chairman
Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Ranking Member

Committee on Indian Affairs
Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, Chairman
Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico, Ranking Member

Select Committee on Ethics
Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Chairman
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Vice-Chair

Caucus on International Narcotics Control
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Chairman
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Co-Chair

Freshman Senator Committee Assignments:
Blackburn (R-TN) - Budget, Energy, Narcotics
Braun (R-IN) - Banking, Environment, Finance, Judiciary
Cramer (R-ND) - Armed Services, Banking, Aging, Narcotics
Hawley (R-MO) - Banking, HELP, Homeland, Judiciary
Romney (R-UT) - Appropriations, Banking, Budget, Foreign
Rosen (D-NV) - Agriculture, Armed Services, Banking, HELP, Small Business
Scott (R-FL) - Banking, Finance, Narcotics
Sinema (D-AZ) - Agriculture, Armed Services, Banking, Finance, Indians

[rpryor03]

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL FIELD
in order of announcement











October 2019 Polling
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) - 24.7%
Cory Booker (D-NJ) - 18.6%
Kamala Harris (D-CA) - 9.9%
Sherrod Brown (D-OH) - 8.3%
Howard Schultz (D-CA) - 7.5%
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) - 7.1%
Martin Heinrich (D-NM) - 4.0%
Undecided - 19.9%

[UWS]

Interesting TL. When is the next update?

[DeSantis4Prez]

Interesting TL. When is the next update?

[erſatz-york]

Interesting TL. When is the next update?

[rpryor03]

THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL FIELD
in order of announcement







October 2019 Polling
President Donald Trump - 64.7%
Senator Ben Sasse - 5.5%
Fmr. Ambassador Jon Huntsman - 4.0%
Undecided - 25.8%

[rpryor03]

The next update won't be until after Christmas so I can finish one thing I need for the future of this TL. But until then, I'd love to hear predictions on who you think will win!

[UWS]

The next update won't be until after Christmas so I can finish one thing I need for the future of this TL. But until then, I'd love to hear predictions on who you think will win!

On the Democratic side, I say that the Iowa caucuses could be a three-way race or a four-way race between Booker, Warren, Harris and possibly Brown too. When it comes to New Hampshire, I predict a Warren victory while South Carolina would go to either Booker or Harris as they are both African-Americans, which can give them the advantage in such a state with large African-American population like South Carolina. But anything can happen, though.

On the Republican side, Trump surely wins as he is the incumbent.

[rpryor03]

OCTOBER 2018 NEWS

The Lodestar Is Gone

October 4 - In an announcement from One Observatory Circle today, Vice President Mike Pence announced that he would not run for Vice President on the ticket with President Trump next year. Said Pence, "It has been the honor of my life to have served as Vice President of this wonderful country. However, in discussions with my beloved wife, Karen, and President Trump, I have discerned that my next calling is not another four years as Vice President. Upon the conclusion of my term, Karen and I will look to serve our country in other ways."

In a tweet, President Trump confirmed the news, writing "Thank you to MIKE PENCE, who has been a great VP and a true TRUMP FRIEND. Who could our next VP be? If you have ideas, tweet them to @realdonaldtrump! Anything the FAKE NEWS says about tension in the White House is WRONG. SAD!" Analysts suggest that Trump's pick for VP, should he win re-nomination, will most likely be an ally who has not been involved in Trump's White House and/or the Mueller probe, such as former Governor Chris Christie or former Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Warren Stakes Claim on Progressive Credentials and Insults Rivals in Leaked Speech

October 9 - In a private speech to the leadership of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Senator Elizabeth Warren, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for President, lambasted her opponents for the nomination in a bid to earn the endorsement and/or approval of the organization, which has over 12 million members. Warren noted that "You've got two people from Wall Street's home area, a guy who literally started a big business, and corporate Democrats galore! I'm the only person with the record of protecting workers that you need as your nominee."

Warren has since released a statement apologizing for her remarks.

Sasse Thumps Trump In Debate

October 10 - In their first debate, held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and moderated by Fox News's Chris Wallace and Shep Smith, Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska was seen by post-debate polling as the winner of the debate. Sasse capitalized on the recent announcement by Vice President Pence that he would not be running for a second term with President Trump, making claims that the loss of the Vice President from the ticket should be seen by "level-headed" conservatives as a loss of confidence in the President. Former Ambassador Jon Huntsman, who was on the other side of President Trump was seen as an afterthought compared to the two main candidates.

Positions on the Platform
Sasse - Trump - Huntsman

Who Won the First GOP Debate?
Senator Ben Sasse - 50%
President Donald Trump - 39%
Fmr. Ambassador Jon Huntsman - 11%

Schultz-affiliatted PAC Sends Push Poll, Warren and others denounce it

October 13 - Senator Elizabeth Warren, the current frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for President, was the target of a push poll released by the MakeAmericaGrandeAgain PAC, which is ostensibly connected to one of her primary opponents, businessman Howard Schultz. In the midst of what seems to be a normal polling questionnaire, those that picked up were asked - "What did you think about Senator Warren's derogatory remarks towards her primary opponents?," followed by "How does your opinion of her and that choice change when you learn that she was a Republican and big business supporter before she became nationally prominent?"

Warren released a tweet once the poll became public knowledge, writing "Yes, I was a Republican. But I haven't been one for over 20 years because I recognized which party reflected my views better. I am shocked that others in this race have dragged it down to this level and profoundly condemn it."

Booker and Brown Seen As Top in Debate

October 15 - In the first Democratic Primary Debate, held at Emory University in Atlanta and moderated by CBS's Elaine Quijano and Margaret Brennan, the discussion, planned to be about a wide range of domestic issues, pivoted sharply towards discussions of the economy in relation to the recent push polling scandal. Senators Cory Booker and Sherrod Brown stood out as the two top candidates in the debate, both for being well-versed on economic policy and because Brown seemed like "the adult in the room" or "the actual human on the stage" depending on who you talked to.

Positions on the Platform
Gillibrand - Brown - Booker - Warren - Harris - Schultz - Heinrich

Who Won the First Democratic Debate?
Senator Sherrod Brown - 24%
Senator Cory Booker - 22%
Senator Kamala Harris - 16%
Senator Elizabeth Warren - 14%
Businessman Howard Schultz - 12%
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand - 10%
Senator Martin Heinrich - 2%

[rpryor03]

NOVEMBER 2019 POLLING
Republicans
President Donald Trump (R-NY) - 73.3% (+8.6%)
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) - 8.9% (+3.4%)
Fmr. Ambassador Jon Huntsman (R-UT) - 7.0 (+3.0%)
Undecided - 10.8% (-15.0%)
MoE - +/- 3%

Democrats
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) - 19.8% (+1.2%)
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) - 19.3% (-5.4%)
Businessman Howard Schultz (D-CA) - 10.6% (+3.1%)
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) - 10.5% (+2.2%)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) - 9.8% (+2.7%)
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) - 9.7% (-0.2%)
Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) - 5.0% (+1.0%)
Undecided - 15.3% (-4.6%)
MoE - +/- 3%

[rpryor03]

NOVEMBER 2019 NEWS

Is ISIS Done?

November 1 - In a tweet at 5am EDT this morning, President Trump announced "The War on ISIS is Over! Thank you to the GREAT Mike Pompeo and all our wonderful US MILITARY! #MakeTheWorldGreatAgain." Despite this tweet, members of the Foreign Policy community aren't entirely sure what's going on. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said in a statement that "As far as I'm concerned, ISIS isn't defeated yet." Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-NJ) tweeted - "The recent announcement by POTUS is false. ISIS is still a threat in the Middle East that we need to combat." Secretary Pompeo has yet to comment.

Leaked Recordings Show Trump Supports Abortion - For Mistresses

November 7 - In a recording leaked on Twitter by Omarosa Manigault Newman, former White House staffer turned Trump enemy, and supported by outside analysts, President Donald Trump is heard advising First Son Eric Trump about his infidelity in preparation for the birth of his son, E. Luke. Trump says, "Eric, if you get any of those girls pregnant, just pay for the abortions and send them away. It's that simple. As long as nothing's confirmed, you can keep doing it forever." Much of the reaction from Evangelicals has been positive for the President, with people like Jerry Falwell, Jr. claiming that the recording is fake. On NBC Nightly News, in response to a question from Lester Holt about what he would think if the recording was real, Falwell commented, "It's probably just a joke. President Trump loves self-deprecating humor."

Trump Wins Debate By Talking

November 10 - In the second Republican debate hosted by ABC's Martha Raddatz and hosted at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, one of the hot topics of discussion was the recently released recording of the President supporting abortions. While both former Ambassador Huntsman and Senator Sasse attempted to make coherent statements on the matter, President Trump continually spoke over them and interjected their statements with such phrases as "Fake News," ensuring that he was the most-focused on candidates. His supporters seemed pleased with that tactic, with West Virginian Chuck Wood informing CNN that "He's being who he is. He's not trying to be a politician - he's the same maverick businessman that he always was."

Positions on the Platform
Sasse - Trump - Huntsman

Who Won the Second GOP Debate?
President Donald Trump - 40%
Senator Ben Sasse - 35%
Fmr. Ambassador Jon Huntsman - 15%

The Return of a Chinese Trade War

November 14 - In response to actions taken by China that the President saw as "threatening Japan,"  President Trump has announced a new set of sanctions to be placed on Chinese imports to the US, adding on to those placed by the Administration in 2018. In response to the President's news, the stock market fell, and a number of leading political figures from the left and the right denounced the President's move, including former Secretary of State John Kerry and former Governor John Kasich, who, when interviewed on Hannity, said "I'm not sure that the President's actually a Republican anymore." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has not commented but reportedly has called the President and is angry about the move.

Heinrich Suprises at Debate

November 15 - In the second Democratic debate, moderated by NBC's Lester Holt and YouTube's Phil DeFranco and hosted at the YouTube Space in New York, while there was no clear winner in the discussions relating to trade, China, foreign policy, and the economy, one candidate proved why they were in the race - Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. Off to the side, Heinrich, the youngest candidate in the race, proved to be at ease and authentic answering questions in the realms of technology and snuck in some pop culture references that he picked up watching videos with his two sons, who are 15 and 19.

Positions on the Platform
Harris - Brown - Warren - Booker - Schultz - Gillibrand - Heinrich

Who Won the Second Democratic Debate?
Senator Cory Booker - 18%
Senator Sherrod Brown - 18%
Senator Kamala Harris - 17%
Senator Elizabeth Warren - 17%
Senator Martin Heinrich - 16%
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand - 11%
Businessman Howard Schultz - 1%

China Begins To Move Against US

November 18 - In many moves that are making observers wonder if he is going to move soon against the United States in their trade war, Chinese President Xi Jinping commanded more military forces to go into the South China Sea, which Japan and the US have been historically opposed to. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Jinping today in Beijing, sparking worry amongst American leaders outside of the White House that Russia might join China in placing economic sanctions on the United States.

[rpryor03]

DECEMBER 2019 POLLING
Republicans
President Donald Trump (R-NY) - 58.4% (-14.9%)
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) - 10.7% (+1.8%)
Fmr. Ambassador Jon Huntsman (R-UT) - 9.6% (+2.6%)
Undecided - 21.3% (+10.5%)
MoE - +/- 3%

Democrats
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) - 20.3% (+0.5%)
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) - 18.4% (-0.7%)
Businessman Howard Schultz (D-CA) - 13.5% (+2.9%)
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) - 12% (+1.5%)
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) - 9.7% (=0.0%)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) - 9.3% (-0.3%)
Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) - 9.1% (+4.1%)
Undecided - 7.7% (-7.6%)
MoE - +/- 3%

[rpryor03]

KENTUCKY GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION
Andy Beshear/Jacqueline Coleman - 52.5%
Matt Bevin/Jenean Hampton - 47.5%

LOUISIANA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION
General Election
John Bel Edwards - 43%
Ralph Abraham - 31%
Eric Skrmetta - 12%
Sharon Hewitt - 10%
Eddie Rispone - 4%

Runoff
John Bel Edwards - 54%
Ralph Abraham - 46%

MISSISSIPPI GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION
Tate Reeves - 50.2%
Jim Hood - 49.8%

[rpryor03]

DECEMBER 2019 NEWS

Huntsman Gets His Time To Shine

December 3 - In the final Republican Debate of 2019, hosted at the University of Miami in Florida and moderated by PBS's Judy Woodruff, former Ambassador Jon Huntsman stood out as the leading candidate from the debate. With President Trump embattled by a scandal on abortion, a gaffe on ISIS, and the continuing issues with trade, both Senator Ben Sasse and Huntsman took the fight to Trump, with Huntsman saying in his closing statement, the last of the night, "If you oppose what the President's done to blue-collar workers with his trade shenanigans, vote for me. If you are appalled by how he violates the decency of immigrants and refugees, vote for me. If you oppose any number of the policies that this President has spewed forth that have harmed this nation and this world, vote for me. If we work together, we can stop him." Polls found that for those that watched the debate, a majority of them saw Huntsman as the winner. However, this is not expected to figure into national polling too much, as ratings were low and polling shows that those who plan to vote for the President in the primary are more committed to him as a candidate than those who plan to vote for Sasse or Huntsman.

Positions on the Platform
Sasse - Trump - Huntsman

Who Won the Third GOP Debate?
President Donald Trump - 52%
Senator Ben Sasse - 35%
Fmr. Ambassador Jon Huntsman - 13%

Jones and Stone Endorse Sasse

December 4 - In a surprising, convoluted, and all-around mess of a segment, InfoWars host Alex Jones and former Trump advisor Roger Stone announced their endorsements of Senator Ben Sasse for President on today's episode of InfoWars. Said Jones, "President Trump promised to drain the swamp, instead, he has become the swamp. In a statement, Senator Sasse said that “while I welcome supporters from across the ideological spectrum, I have never supported the vile causes peddled by Mr. Jones and Mr. Stone.”

Brown's Populist Tones Win Debate

December 12 - In a debate held at the University of Michigan-Flint and hosted by CNN's Jake Tapper, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio was seen as the winning participant due to his comprehensive populist answers on issues relating to trade, the economy, and unions. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz was also seen as having vastly improved since the last debate and having been prepared for economic issues, touting his populist platform.

Positions on the Platform
Gillibrand - Brown - Warren - Booker - Schultz - Harris - Heinrich

Who Won the Third Democratic Debate?
Senator Sherrod Brown - 22%
Senator Cory Booker - 16%
Businessman Howard Schultz - 16%
Senator Kamala Harris - 14%
Senator Elizabeth Warren - 14%
Senator Martin Heinrich - 10%
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand - 8%

AMLO and Trump Come To Blows

December 15 - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) and President Donald Trump have come to public blows via press releases and Twitter this week. Trump tweeted that "Next month, I am going to go and confront Mexico - they WILL PAY for the Wall! They OWE US for all the ILLEGALS they allow to stream across the border!" Lopez Obrador, in a press release, stated that "Mexico will never pay for a border wall. The sooner President Trump comes to realize this, the sooner we can work together on actual issues." The President's opponents have all warned that pissing AMLO off might not be the best idea for the future of US-Mexican relations.

Cory Booker - Can't Stop, Won't Stop

December 23 - Traditionally, candidates take a break during the Christmas season to spend time with their families. However, the traditionally available and personable Cory Booker has been active on his social media on the days leading up to Christmas, including his participation in multiple New Jersey Christmas toy drives, encouraging his followers on Twitter and Instagram to do the same. Said the Senator in a tweet - "In a time where there are Scrooges in the White House, use your time and energy this year to give to those who have less!"

Pope Francis "Subtweets" President Trump

December 24 - In his Christmas Eve homily, Pope Francis, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, referenced the current fight in America over a border wall. Discussing the Incarnation of Christ, Francis proclaimed that "Christ comes during a census to remind us that there is a power and nation beyond the powers and nations of this world. Joseph and Mary remind us that we are not just citizens of this earth, but citizens of the Kingdom of God, which is a principality which defies all earthly powers and where there are no borders or censuses - just love." President Trump, after attending services at Bethseda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church by Mar-a-Lago, tweeted that "Maybe Pope Francis is senile! There are borders to heaven - that's why there's hell!"

[UWS]

As we are approaching the beginning of the primary season, what do the polls in the early states (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina) look like?

[UWS]

Here are my predictions for the early states, if they are right :

For Iowa, I guess it's a 3-way race between Booker, Warren and Brown. For New Hampshire, Warren has strong advantage there due to regional connection. And for South Carolina it could be a showdown between Harris and Booker.