Louisiana GOP Rep. Johnson announces bid for House speaker

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, lost three bids for speaker and is no longer the GOP speaker nominee.

By Charlotte Hazard

House Republican Vice Chair Mike Johnson, R-La., announced his candidacy for House speaker in a letter on Saturday addressed to his colleagues.

“I have been humbled to have so many Members from across our Conference reach out to encourage me to seek the nomination for Speaker,” Johnson wrote in a letter obtained by The Hill. “Until yesterday, I had never contacted one person about this, and I have never before aspired to the office. However, after much prayer and deliberation, I am stepping forward now.”

Others who have declared their candidacies include House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Tx.

The House has been without a speaker for more than two weeks since the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., by eight Republicans.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, lost three bids for speaker and is no longer the GOP speaker nominee.

In Johnson's letter, addressed to his colleagues, he expressed the importance of tackling the national debt and being strong on foreign policy.

“As Israel is viciously attacked, Russia, China and our other adversaries are becoming more emboldened," Johnson wrote. "Our national debt has surpassed $33.5 trillion, our southern border is overrun, violent crime is rampant, and the rising cost of living is crushing our constituents."

“The complex role of Speaker at this time requires a team player and a bridge-builder with endless energy and a unique mix of skills and experiences,” he added. “My extensive background in law, policy, strategic analysis, messaging, managing, networking, and building coalitions happens to have served as an uncommon preparation for the extraordinary demands of this day.”

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/gop-louisiana-rep-johnson-announces-bid-house-speaker

(I’d vote for Johnson)

Trump wins three-way race with Biden, RFK Jr.: poll

"Trump’s polling continues to defy gravity both in the primary and the general election," poll co-director Mark Penn said.

By Ben Whedon

Former President Donald Trump would emerge as the victor of a three-way presidential race including President Joe Biden and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a recent survey has revealed.

Trump claimed 39% support in a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey, originally published by The Hill. Biden trailed with 33% to Kennedy's 19%. A further 9% were undecided. Of those, 42% would back Trump if they had to make a decision, 36% would choose Biden, and 22% would opt for Kennedy.

Kennedy originally announced his campaign as a Democratic challenger to President Joe Biden, but in October dropped that bid in favor of an independent run amid frustrations with the party. The Democratic National Committee chose not to hold primary debates despite the presence of two challengers to Biden: Kennedy and Hollywood author Marianne Williamson.

Removing Kennedy from the contest, Trump remains the clear leader in the White House race, taking 5% lead over Biden, 46% to 41%. On average, Trump leads by 0.6%, according to RealClearPolitics.

"Trump’s polling continues to defy gravity both in the primary and the general election. Kennedy right now doesn’t change the result — an election held today would elect Donald Trump," poll co-director Mark Penn said.

In the Republican primary, Trump remains the front runner, earning 60% support to nearest rival Ron DeSantis's 11%. Conducted Oct. 18-19, the survey questioned 2,116 registered voters.

Kennedy's candidacy has attracted considerable attention as a potential spoiler for either candidate, though his bid is not the only campaign outside of the two traditional parties. Left-wing intellectual Cornel West has also declared his candidacy.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/trump-wins-three-way-race-biden-rfk-jr-poll

The shine is wearing off on RFKjr

Amid indictment, 70% of New Jerseyans want Sen. Menendez to resign: poll

Just 16% of New Jerseyans say Menendez should serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2025.

By Ben Whedon

Updated: October 20, 2023 6:15pm

An overwhelming majority of New Jerseyans want Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to resign amid his indictment for alleged bribery and Foreign Agents Registration Acts (FARA) violations, a recent survey has shown.

Menendez pleaded not guilty to fraud, bribery, and extortion charges in late September. Prosecutors said that they discovered gold bars and large sums of cash at his home. The New Jersey Democrat was hit with a superseding indictment this month, alleging his acted as foreign agent for Egypt.

He has thus far resisted calls to resign, though polling data shows him to be at odds with his constituents on the matter. A recent survey from Farleigh Dickinson University indicated that 70% of residents want him out of the Senate.

That figure includes 80% of Republicans, 67% of independents, and 71% of Democrats.

FDU professor Dan Cassino highlighted the lawmaker's prior run-ins with the law, which featured heavily during his last campaign, and opined that the public appeared weary of him in light of the latest charges.

"Menendez has been able to weather charges in the past," he said. "But this time, it just doesn’t seem like he has any real support left."

Just 16% of New Jerseyans say Menendez should serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2025.

While he has refused to leave office, he did step down from his post as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in accordance with Democratic conference rules.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/amid-indictment-70-new-jerseyans-want-sen-menendez-resign-poll

(Stop Voting Democrat Jersey, otherwise nothing will be fixed)

23 Oct, 2023 17:47

Hamas refuses to prove ‘Israeli strike’ on Gaza hospital – NYT

There is nothing left of the missile that struck Ahli Arab Hospital, the Palestinian group has said

The projectile that struck the parking lot of the Baptist Hospital in Gaza cannot be inspected, a Hamas spokesperson has told the New York Times. Israel has denied responsibility for last week’s deadly strike, claiming it was a misfired rocket by another Palestinian group.

“The missile has dissolved like salt in the water,” Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official, told the US outlet in a phone interview on Sunday. “It’s vaporized. Nothing is left.”

“Who says we’re obligated to present the remnants of every rocket that kills our people?In general, you can come and research and confirm for yourself from the evidence we possess,” Salama Maroof, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run government in Gaza, said in a text message. (They are using the Ukraine excuse for all they do, it’s Russia)

Al Ahli Arab, also known as the Baptist Hospital, is one of the oldest medical facilities in Gaza. Last Tuesday’s explosion damaged the building and killed a number of Palestinian civilians seeking shelter from Israeli airstrikes.

By Wednesday, Israel was blaming Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), saying one of their missiles malfunctioned and struck the hospital compound. Israel claims that more than 550 rockets launched by Hamas and PIJ during the current conflict have struck their own territory.

When asked by the Times to provide logs of Israel Defense Force (IDF) activity in the area at the time, as well as other evidence supporting their claim of Palestinian responsibility, the Israeli government declined.

“We have made mistakes, I am not going to deny it,” Musab Al-Breim, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad told the Times in an interview last Wednesday. “However, not mistakes of this size.”

Any remnants of the munition that struck the hospital’s parking lot appeared to have been removed by the time Western reporters arrived on the site the following morning, according to the Times.

Gaza authorities have initially estimated up to 833 deaths from the blast, before revising that number to 471. However, the Hamas-run health ministry has declined to release further details about the victims, saying that not all of them have been identified. According to a local doctor quoted by Reuters, more than 3,000 people were sheltering inside the hospital compound at the time, many of them residents displaced by Israeli airstrikes.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the October 7 attacks by the Gaza-based group on nearby villages, towns and military bases, in which an estimated 1,400 Israelis have died. Israeli artillery and air strikes have since killed over 4,300 Palestinians, 40% of them children, Gaza health authorities have said. According to the New York Times, this “high reported death toll has undermined international support for Israel’s counterattack.”

Last week’s hospital attack was condemned by the Arab League, the African Union, the EU, UN, and World Health Organization, as well as Russia, China, India, and Türkiye. Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, and Türkiye blamed Israel. Canada, Brazil, France, and Germany denounced the attack but did not name the culprit. US President Joe Biden said he was “outraged and deeply saddened by the explosion” but endorsed Israel’s version of events.

https://www.rt.com/news/585611-israel-hamas-hospital-evidence/