January 1, Congress to Check President’s War Powers

This Day in History | 1919

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, dies.

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Good morning Middle Americans.

If I sound like a broken record, it’s because this is important. Over the course of the last 20 years, we’ve seen an unprecedented dereliction of duty from Congress when it comes to the president’s war powers.  What started as solidarity behind President Bush after the 9/11 terror attacks, metastasized under President Obama into cowardice.  This is not something you can hand on Democrats alone though.  Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, simply do not like putting their names on the record when it comes to put the lives of our military members in combat.  Before you make up your mind about being in favor of military action, or against it, please take a moment to re-orientate yourself with the way this is supposed to work.   It’s clear, at least in my humble opinion, President Trump had the authority to strike Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Just like President Obama had the authority to strike Osama Bin Laden.  But these other, never ending military odysseys, that’s a whole other story. 

Read all about it!

• Fraser Dixon

Pelosi Announces War Powers Vote in Attempt to Limit Trump on Iran

(Axios) – Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced in a letter Sunday that the House will this week “introduce and vote on a War Powers Resolution to limit” President Trump’s “military actions regarding Iran.”

Pelosi announced the action as Trump ramped up his rhetoric against Iran and also threatened Iraq with sanctions after Iraqi lawmakers passed a resolution asking the government to expel U.S. troops for the killing last Friday of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and the leader of an Iraqi militia in Baghdad.

Pelosi wrote in her letter, ”Last week, the Trump Administration conducted a provocative and disproportionate military airstrike targeting high-level Iranian military officials. This action endangered our service members, diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran.”

In the letter to Democratic House members, Pelosi thanked her colleagues for their “patriotic leadership” during the Iran crisis as she outlined her plan for the resolution, which will be led by freshman Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a former CIA and Defense Department analyst specializing in Shia militias.

Read more here

Senate Republican Eyes Rule Change to Kick Start Trump Impeachment Trial

(Reuters) – The head of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee said on Sunday he wants the Senate to launch an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump within days and wrap it up this month, even if it means changing Senate rules.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives last month voted to impeach Trump for abuse of power in pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival and for obstructing the House impeachment probe.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, has not yet sent the articles of impeachment to the Republican-led Senate, where the president would be tried, as Democrats have sought to pressure Republicans to call witnesses.

Speaking on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he wants to change the Senate rules to kick start a trial if Pelosi does not send the articles of impeachment.

Read more here

Ricky Gervais Roasts Hollywood at Golden Globes

(The Daily Beast) – The last time Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globe Awards four years ago, he hugged it out with Mel Gibson and made some jokes about Caitlyn Jenner that have haunted him ever since. So how did he top himself when he returned to host for the fifth (and supposedly final) time Sunday night? 

Well, he began, beer in hand, by promising that this would be his last time hosting. “So I don’t care anymore,” he said. “I’m joking, I never did.” As the audience of celebrities grew increasingly more nervous, Gervais offered up a word of advice. “Remember, they’re just jokes, we’re all going to die soon,” he said. “And there’s no sequel.” 

After a few shots at Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy and Joe Pesci, who he referred to as Baby Yoda, Gervais moved on to the lack of diversity among the night’s nominees. “Unfortunately there’s nothing we can do about that,” he said. “The Hollywood Foreign Press are all very, very racist.”

Watch Gervais’ hilarious monologue here