Minnesota Republican arrested Saturday for trespassing.

Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, was arrested for trespassing Saturday morning, according to Ramsey County jail records.

The retired Clearwater County sheriff’s deputy was arrested by St. Paul police officers about 3:30 a.m. He was released at 5:21 a.m. on his own recognizance.

Grossell released the following statement Saturday afternoon: “Saturday morning, I received a citation in St. Paul. I apologize to my family, my constituents, my colleagues, and my friends. As a retired Deputy Sheriff, I will fully cooperate with any next steps.”

The circumstances surrounding the arrest are unclear.

Grossell, 53, was elected in 2016 and is serving his second term. He is single with three grown children.

Grossell’s background in law enforcement is relevant to his work and stature at the Capitol, where he could be considered a law-and-order conservative.


https://www.twincities.com/2019/05/04/mn-republican-representative-matt-grossell-arrested-saturday-in-st-paul-for-trespassing/

Lindsey Graham: If Gay Marriage Is A Constitutional Right, Why Not Polygamy?

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch to explain Wednesday at her confirmation hearing why polygamy wouldn’t also become a constitutional right if if the Supreme Court decided that same-sex marriage was protected by the Constitution.

“If the Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional — that it violates the Constitution to try to limit marriage between a man and a woman, that’s clearly the law of the land unless there’s a constitutional amendment to change it — what legal rationale would be in play that would prohibit polygamy?” Graham asked. “What’s the legal difference between a state ban on same-sex marriage being unconstitutional but a ban on polygamy being constitutional?”

“Could you try to articulate how one could be banned under the Constitution and the other not?”

Lynch declined to discuss the legal question.

“Senator, I have not been involved in the argument or the analysis of the cases that have gone before the Supreme Court,” she said. “So I’m not comfortable undertaking legal analysis without having had the ability to undertake a review of the relevant facts and the precedent there. So I certainly would not be able to provide you with that analysis at this point, but I look forward to continuing the discussions with you.”


https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/lindsey-graham-same-sex-marriage-polygamy

Marvel What If TV Series Imagines Peggy Carter As Captain America

The first episode of Marvel's What If series for Disney+ will imagine a world where Peggy Carter becomes Captain America and Steve Rogers turns into the original Iron Man. Thanks to popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Marvel Studios has brought many now iconic characters to life on the big screen. The closely tied continuity has helped build an incredible universe, one that fans have latched on to.

But, the canon of the MCU can also prevent some stories from possibly ever being told. While Marvel Comics has alternate universes to play with, the MCU has not yet explored this concept fully. With the help of Disney's streaming service though, it was revealed that Marvel Studios now will have an avenue to get even more creative through a What If animated series. Based on the comic idea of the same name, the show will change one moment in the MCU and show what could've happened in this instance.

During Disney's Investor Day that debuted the first look at Disney+, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige took the stage to discuss what his brand of the Mouse House would be bringing to the service. He confirmed reports that a What If series is in development, but also shared details on the very first episode. The debut episode will show a world in which Peggy Carter became a super soldier instead of Steve Rogers, which allows Steve to become the first ever Iron Man with a suit made by Howard Stark. The original actors - Hayley Atwell, Chris Evans, and Dominic Cooper - are likely to return to voice their roles.

?q=50&fit=crop&w=798&h=407&dpr=1.5




https://screenrant.com/marvel-what-if-peggy-carter-captain-america-steve-rogers-iron-man/

What Traits Are Democrats Looking For In Their Nominee?

A new CBS News/YouGov survey gave Democratic voters a series of match ups between hypothetical candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. The survey randomly varied several traits for each candidate and respondents were asked to choose between Candidate A and Candidate B.

The results were fascinating:

GENDER: When given one male and one female, voters selected the female 59% of the time. Men and women both preferred female candidates, but women were especially likely to pick females over males – by over 20 percentage points.

RACE: Voters picked people of color more frequently than whites, by 57% to 43%. Voters had a slight preference for Latino candidates and a strong preference for black candidates.

AGE: Overall, voters strongly preferred younger and middle-aged candidates to candidates in their 70s.

JOB TITLE: Voters had a strong preference for elected officials, choosing them in match ups with a businessperson 63% of the time.

SOCIAL CLASS: Voters of all education and income levels preferred working class and middle class background to wealthy ones.

REGION: There were not big differences by the candidate’s home region.

Matching these results against the 21 actual Democrats running for president suggests that Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) is probably the best fit.


https://politicalwire.com/2019/05/04/what-traits-are-democrats-looking-for-in-their-nominee/

Tweet of the Day

WY-SEN: Senator Enzi rumored to announce his retirement tomorrow.

If a Democratic senator is elected POTUS, who appoints their successor?

Bernie's offensive against Biden could end badly.

This is not 2016 and Bernie's attack-minded strategy doesn't work so well in a multi-candidate field. Sure, he may score some points, but I'm willing to bet a lot of Sanders's softer supporters have fond memories of Obama/Biden and may not take kindly to any nastiness. And while these supporters run to Joe, Elizabeth Warren is running in Bernie's lane and could be seen as the more agreeable alternative.

Mar-a-Lago sent White House a $1,000 liquor bill after aides helped themselves to bar

Staff at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., reportedly billed the White House about $1,000 after aides helped themselves to drinks at one of the resort's bars while Secret Service asked the bartender to leave.

A ProPublica investigation published Wednesday found that a group including at least two former White House aides, then-chief strategist Stephen Bannon and then-deputy chief of staff Joe Hagin, on an April 2017 trip met at a private bar on the resort's premises before Secret Service agents ushered the bartender away for them to drink in private.

After the group left, staff at the Trump Organization property tallied up the alcoholic drinks consumed, which totaled just over $800, according to ProPublica. A 20 percent service charge pushed the final bill to $1,076.

The two men have since left the Trump administration. When contacted by ProPublica, Hagin reportedly did not respond to requests for comment and Bannon denied drinking at Mar-a-Lago and said he did not recall the episode. An email obtained by ProPublica from Brooke Watson, Mar-a-Lago's catering director, confirmed the aides by name as being in attendance.




https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mar-a-lago-sent-white-house-a-dollar1000-liquor-bill-after-aides-helped-themselves-to-bar-report/ar-AAAMbkr?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout

Colorado equal pay bill passes General Assembly after years of trying

Equal pay legislation has gained momentum as Democratic numbers have increased in the Capitol, further evidence of what Democratic control of the Colorado Senate means. In 2016, there was an equal pay bill that only would have applied to companies of more than 50 employees that receive state contracts. It passed the House on a narrow vote but died in the Senate. So, too, did an equal pay bill introduced last year. Both times, Republicans controlled the upper chamber.

“I have daughters,” Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, a Denver Democrat and sponsor of the latest bill, told reporters this week. “And we’re really hopeful we’re not having this conversation in another 30 years when they’re my age. We’re doing this for our future generations.”

The bill allows employees who believe they are being paid less due to their gender to file a civil lawsuit within two years. Employers found to have paid someone less due to their gender must pay the amount of money the employee would have made the past three years if there had not been discrimination.

The bill also prevents employers from asking job applicants for their salary history.

“It’s not so much of a woman thing,” said Rep. Perry Buck, a Windsor Republican and opponent of the bill, during House debate Friday. “I don’t believe in the women as being victims. You look at how many are graduating with degrees. Women are on a movement and look at the legislature. There is absolutely, definitely equal pay here.”



https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/27/equal-pay-legislature-polis-colorado/