The following is an excerpt taken from the new book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668046075?tag=simonsayscom">Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris In The White House</a>,” by Charlie Spiering (Threshold Editions/Simon &amp; Schuster).
<h4>Kamala The Cop</h4>
“We recognized &#8230; as a prosecutor in law enforcement I have a huge stick.” — Kamala Harris, January 14, 2010
Kamala Harris made history as the first black district attorney elected in San Francisco. The inaugural ceremony showcased her multicultural background. Harris took her oath of office on a bound copy of the Bill of Rights instead of the Bible, held proudly by her mother. The Black National Anthem was performed at the ceremony as well as the traditional National Anthem. A Hindu priest, Pandit Nageshwara Subramaniam Shastri, performed an ashirvadam ritual blessing and a Christian minister also offered a prayer. A traditional Asian dragon dance was performed by the Kei Lun Martial Arts group. Harris delivered her inaugural speech with her canned campaign slogan.
“Let’s put an end, right here, to the question of whether we are tough on crime or soft on crime. Let us be smart on crime,” she said.
As district attorney, Harris’s vow to be “smart on crime” appeared more like “smart on politics,” as she carefully threaded her narrative to appear competent but progressive. It had mixed results. Often vowing personal and hands-on attention to important issues, Harris typically allowed issues to fade out when public attention waned. Rather than tackle monumental change, she appeared better at proposing and promoting new ideas rather than achieving results. When things went wrong in her office she feigned ignorance, blaming her staff for not keeping her informed. She became an expert at pandering to activists but also finding new ways to burnish her role as a tough law enforcement figure in California as she prepared to further her political career.
<div id="attachment_683051" style="width: 392px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-683051" class="size-large wp-image-683051" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/AH-382x576.jpg" alt="Book cover for Amateur Hour. Credit: Simon &amp; Schuster/Threshold Editions" width="382" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/AH-382x576.jpg 382w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/AH-199x300.jpg 199w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/AH-768x1159.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/AH-1018x1536.jpg 1018w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/AH-1357x2048.jpg 1357w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/AH.jpg 1400w" sizes=" (max-width: 382px) 100vw, 382px" />Credit: Simon &amp; Schuster/Threshold Editions</div>
Despite running a campaign to the right of Hallinan, Harris began as a progressive. After just four months on the job, Harris took one of the toughest public stands of her career with a decision that damaged her relationship with law enforcement officers for years afterward. On the evening of April 10, 2004, two police officers approached two men acting suspiciously. One of them, a gang member, turned around and shot twenty-nine-year-old undercover police officer Isaac Espinoza with fourteen rounds from an AK-47. Police officers were heartbroken as they watched Espinoza’s wife and three-year-old daughter at the funeral, and demanded the death penalty for his killer. But Harris had vowed to oppose the death penalty during her campaign and planned to stick with her position. She tried to win over the law enforcement community and the Espinoza family by issuing a statement.
“Today I want to be very clear: in the city and county of San Francisco, anyone who murders a police officer engaged in his or her duties will be met with the most severe consequences,” Harris said. The most severe consequence, however, was ruled out. Harris was not going to change her mind on the death penalty, not even after a police officer was shot in the streets. The police union was furious as officers would turn their backs to Harris when she appeared in public. Espinoza’s mother was devastated. “She made the decision after just three days. My son wasn’t even in the ground yet,’’ Carol Espinoza said afterward.
Former mayor of San Francisco and now Senator Dianne Feinstein felt differently. She appeared at Espinoza’s funeral at St. Mary’s Cathedral and berated Harris’s decision while she sat in the audience. “This is not only the definition of tragedy, it’s the special circumstance called for by the death penalty law,” Feinstein said as the police officers gave her a standing ovation. After the service, Feinstein dug the knife in deeper, telling reporters she would have never endorsed Harris if she had known she would be so rigid on opposing the death penalty. Harris felt betrayed, but her commitment to opposing the death penalty was firm.
Harris the progressive also turned a blind eye to violent protesters. For the first anniversary of the war in Iraq, Harris was faced with the problem of antiwar protesters who were arrested for violent disruptive behavior. San Francisco police arrested 124 of them for breaking the law, including some that had assaulted police officers. Whereas Hallinan, a year earlier, famously dragged his feet and ultimately dismissed the charges against violent protesters, Harris vowed to personally review each case. It did not matter. Days later, Harris dropped the charges, asserting that the burden of proof could not be met in any of the cases, despite detailed evidence captured on video.
After campaigning on competence and commitment, Harris looked even more “smart on crime” as she began manipulating the numbers on conviction. If the district attorney prosecutes fewer cases and brings them to trial, the conviction rate goes up. The conviction rate also goes up when the prosecutor offers plea deals instead of taking it to court. Although she vowed to personally engage the backlog of murder cases, she gradually dismissed them at an astonishing rate. Harris began offering generous plea bargain deals to defendants, even those arrested for murder. Of the backlog of 73 homicide cases on Hallinan’s watch, Harris cut a deal for 32 of them and only convicted 15 of the defendants for murder. As a result, Harris boasted higher conviction rates even though she was bringing fewer cases to trial. Harris was also offering plea deals to gun offenders. During her first three years as district attorney, San Francisco’s conviction rate jumped from 52 to 67 percent, which looked good on paper but baffled police officers. Police officers making the arrests and filing casework found their efforts abandoned by a prosecutor who appeared less committed to justice than she was to her political future. It worked. By 2005, Oprah Winfrey featured “superstar prosecutor Kamala Harris” on her morning show, boasting of her “90 percent conviction rate” and praising her as California’s “first African American female district attorney.” (Harris boasted about her “90 percent conviction rate” but it was only her record in homicide cases, not all criminal cases.)
Harris was quietly in the middle on most issues important to San Francisco residents. In 2004, she refused to prosecute a series of high-publicized police arrests for prostitution at a local strip club but went on the record in 2008 to oppose Proposition K, a ballot measure put to voters that would decriminalize prostitution in the city of San Francisco. “I think it’s completely ridiculous, just in case there’s any ambiguity about my position,” Harris said about the proposition. “It would put a welcome mat out for pimps and prostitutes to come on into San Francisco.”
Harris also publicly promoted an advertising campaign for San Francisco’s sanctuary city status in 2008, reminding illegal immigrants they would not be treated as criminals for their immigration status, but she used the law to deport violent criminals. Harris defended a ballot proposition to legalize medical marijuana but defended federal raids on some of the “out of control” distributors in the city. Her cautious strategy worked. In 2007, Harris ran for reelection without a challenger — the first time that had happened in San Francisco since 1991 — after collecting more than $500,000 in donations and lining up her endorsements. It was the kind of victory that encouraged her to dream about higher office.
* * *
Charlie Spiering began his career as a political journalist fifteen years ago as a reporter for Washington Post columnist Robert D. Novak. He was a political writer for the Washington Examiner before moving to Breitbart News as a White House correspondent covering the Obama Administration, the Trump Administration, and the Biden Administration. He lives in Virginia with his wife and six children.
This excerpt is taken from the new book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668046075?tag=simonsayscom">Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris In The White House</a>,” by Charlie Spiering. Copyright © 2024 by Charlie Spiering. Threshold Editions, an imprint of Simon &amp; Schuster, Inc. Reprinted by permission.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

San Francisco Ballot Initiative Calls For Legalizing Prostitution

‘Let Us Be Smart On Crime.’ When Kamala Harris Became San Francisco’s Top Cop

Books

California

Dianne Feinstein

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

Presidency

Readers Pass

San Francisco

White House

Former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> news anchor Christina Pascucci announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday morning in a bid against career politicians to fill the seat left by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
&#8220;This election will be a choice between how it&#8217;s been done, and how it can be,&#8221; Pascucci said in a video statement on X.
&#8220;Voters are disappointed by the polarization and partisan fighting they see in California, and across the nation. We need aspirational leaders now who will bring America back to its ideals. Washington is in dire need of a heavy dose of truth. I am the person to bring it,&#8221; she said, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/la-news-reporter-christina-pascucci-announces-run-for-us-senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS</a>.
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I have some breaking news: I am running for U.S. Senate. 
It’s time to stop the fighting in Washington, and focus on reaching across the aisle to put people over politics. 
I believe in the promise of California. I hope you do too. Join my fight: <a href="https://t.co/XycFXEHJYn">https://t.co/XycFXEHJYn</a> <a href="https://t.co/zhwX1n8TC4">pic.twitter.com/zhwX1n8TC4</a>
&mdash; Christina Pascucci (@Pascucci2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pascucci2024/status/1714705605410385929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Pascucci, 38, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/18/christina-pascucci-senate-california-00122166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> POLITICO she is running as an independent Democrat to appeal to California&#8217;s 40% Latino population and undecided voters while positioning herself as a moderate consensus builder.
She spent over a decade reporting for KTLA-TV and Fox 11 before joining California&#8217;s 2024 Senate contest. The former anchor described herself as a &#8220;lifelong Californian, a tireless community activist,&#8221; and a &#8220;renowned journalist&#8221; after reporting in more than 100 countries worldwide, including war zones in Ukraine and other &#8220;conflict areas around the globe.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been covering the most pressing issues of California for the past 15 years and watching this race closely, as well as covering it and interviewing some of the candidates,&#8221; Pascucci said in the interview on Tuesday with the outlet. &#8220;And the more I watched it, the more closely I studied it, I honestly felt dismayed by how it was shaping up. I spoke to a lot of others who felt the same way. Like, this is our future — more of the same.&#8221;
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Pascucci joins top Democrats in the race, including Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Barbara Lee, and former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey, who is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-baseball-mvp-running-for-senate-in-california-as-republican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">running as a Republican</a>.
California Governor Gavin Newsom selected Laphonza Butler to become the newest U.S. Senator after Feinstein&#8217;s death in late September to serve in her place for the remainder of the current term, which ends in 2025.
Butler hasn&#8217;t announced if she plans to seek the position in the next election.
Pascucci reportedly admitted her bid for Congress is a long shot.
&#8220;The only thing crazier than not jumping in this late would be not jumping in at all, because I have to fight for what I believe is possible for California and for this country,&#8221; she said.
The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-10-18/los-angeles-newscaster-christina-pascucci-senate-schiff-porter-lee-garvey-feinstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> she would need to raise several million dollars to finance campaign ads throughout California&#8217;s expensive media market. She reportedly faces a financial challenge in her campaign compared to others already plugged into the race.
According to the Times report, the Federal Election Commission showed Schiff&#8217;s September bank records had about $32 million, Porter had $12 million, and Lee had $1.3 million.
The primary election for the seat is scheduled for March 5 in California, NBC <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/decision-2024/los-angeles-tv-newscaster-christina-pascucci-joins-2024-race-for-u-s-senate/3246558/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election.

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Former Los Angeles TV News Anchor Announces Bid For U.S. Senate

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Laphonza Butler became <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a>&#8216;s newest U.S. Senator on Tuesday, succeeding the late <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dianne-feinstein">Dianne Feinstein</a> (D-CA).
Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>, herself a former senator from California, administered the oath of office on the Senate floor. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) stood behind Butler as she was sworn into the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate">Senate</a>.
&#8220;Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you am about to enter? So help you God,&#8221; Harris said.
Butler, who was raising her right hand, said, &#8220;I will.&#8221;
People in the chamber applauded and cheered as Harris said, &#8220;Congratulations&#8221; and shook hands with Butler.
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Laphonza Butler sworn in as U.S. Senator, succeeding the late Dianne Feinstein <a href="https://t.co/iuETj68lqF">pic.twitter.com/iuETj68lqF</a>
&mdash; BNO News (@BNONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1709287937890832695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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As noted by CSPAN producer Craig Caplan, Butler also <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1709284861452673329">signed the oath book</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a> Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a> selected Butler, president of the pro-abortion group EMILY’s List, after Feinstein <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-dianne-feinstein-dies-at-90">died</a> at the age of 90 last week. Butler is set to serve out the remainder of Feinstein&#8217;s term through 2024.
The governor had been under pressure to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-commits-to-nominating-black-woman-to-replace-feinstein-should-she-retire">appoint</a> a black woman to the role after pledging in 2021 that he would pick one to take the seat if Feinstein had retired early.
In announcing the replacement pick, Newsom&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/10/01/governor-gavin-newsom-appoints-laphonza-butler-senate/">touted</a> how Butler was a longtime senior adviser to Harris and, among other things, would be the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate and the first black lesbian to openly serve in Congress.
Some pointed out records showing Butler <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/02/maryland-resident-laphonza-butler-to-be-california-senator/">lived in Maryland</a>, but a spokesperson for Newsom <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/02/maryland-resident-laphonza-butler-to-be-california-senator/">said</a> Butler was a longtime California resident, had moved to the D.C. area when she became president of Emily&#8217;s List, and had already re-registered to vote in California.
Meanwhile, as Feinstein had said months ago she would not seek re-election next year, a 2024 Senate race continues. Three House Democrats — Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barbara-lee-announces-bid-for-dianne-feinsteins-senate-seat">Barbara Lee</a>, Adam Schiff, and Katie Porter — are campaigning for the seat. Though Newsom indicated there would be no restriction against her joining the race, Butler told the Los Angeles Times on Monday that she has &#8220;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-10-03/laphonza-butler-sworn-in-californias-senator-kamala-harris-gavin-newsom-barbara-lee">no idea</a>&#8221; if she will campaign for a full term.

Senator Laphonza Butler

Butler Sworn In As Replacement For The Late Senator Feinstein

Congress

U.S.

California Governor Gavin Newsom will reportedly appoint Laphonza Butler, the president of far-left EMILY&#8217;s List, to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in the U.S. Senate after Feinstein passed away last week.
Politico broke the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/01/newsom-senate-pick-butler-00119360">news</a> on Sunday evening, which comes after Feinstein <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-dianne-feinstein-dies-at-90">died</a> Thursday night at 90 years old, noting that the appointment comes &#8220;without putting limitations or preconditions on his pick running for the seat in 2024.&#8221; This means that Butler can join the existing field of contenders for the party&#8217;s nominee in 2024.
The current contenders for the 2024 include Democrat Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee.
Various reports published on Sunday, before Newsom&#8217;s selection was revealed, indicated that Feinstein&#8217;s replacement was expected to be sworn in this week.
&#8220;This means that California will not only get a Black woman Senator but also its first openly lesbian Senator,&#8221; noted journalist Yashar Ali. &#8220;Laphonza will be the second lesbian to serve in the Senate.&#8221;
Journalists online noted that Butler listed her state of residence on her X account as Maryland.
&#8220;FEC filings from EMILY&#8217;s List record Laphonza Butler&#8217;s residence as Silver Springs, Maryland as recently as 31 days ago,&#8221; said FEC analyst Rob Pyers. &#8220;FPPC and FEC filings indicate that soon-to-be California Senator Laphonza Butler hasn&#8217;t been a resident of the state for over two years.&#8221;
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FPPC and FEC filings indicate that soon-to-be California Senator Laphonza Butler hasn&#39;t been a resident of the state for over two years. <a href="https://t.co/IejF3ndnPO">pic.twitter.com/IejF3ndnPO</a>
&mdash; Rob Pyers (@rpyers) <a href="https://twitter.com/rpyers/status/1708683693206974765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Pyers noted that EMILY&#8217;s List was already cleaning up their website to hide where Butler allegedly lives. The organization <a href="https://twitter.com/rpyers/status/1708689675341451297">removed</a> the following line from their website: &#8220;She lives in Maryland with her partner Neneki Lee and their daughter Nylah.&#8221;
EMILY&#8217;s List is a political action committee that helps elect pro-abortion activists to political offices across the country.
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Republican Debate at Ronald Reagan Library

Gavin Newsom Selects Replacement For Dianne Feinstein

Gavin Newsom

Lesbian

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich — who went to prison on corruption charges after he was charged with attempting to “sell” former President Barack Obama’s Senate seat — had something to say about Governor Gavin Newsom.
Blagojevich took to X to weigh in on the predicament in which Newsom currently finds himself — needing to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated on Friday when the news broke that Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-dianne-feinstein-dies-at-90" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dianne Feinstein</a> (D-CA) had died at the age of 90.
“Blago” shared a photo of himself with Obama, asking in the caption, “Will DOJ criminalize the back room wheeling and dealing that’s begun to fill Feinstein’s vacant seat?”
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Will DOJ criminalize the back room wheeling &amp; dealing that’s begun to fill Feinstein’s vacant seat? I got 14 years for merely talking after Obama sent an emissary to discuss possible political deals. He did 8 years in the White House while I did 8 years in the Big House.… <a href="https://t.co/WUcSCNqqzB">pic.twitter.com/WUcSCNqqzB</a>
&mdash; Rod Blagojevich (@realBlagojevich) <a href="https://twitter.com/realBlagojevich/status/1707807450026459625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“I got 14 years for merely talking after Obama sent an emissary to discuss possible political deals,” Blagojevich continued. “He did 8 years in the White House while I did 8 years in the Big House. Hopefully Newsom goes to NEITHER.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-a-trumpocrat-rod-blagojevich-thanks-president-in-first-interview-after-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blagojevich</a> was a Democrat when he was elected to serve as Illinois governor, but declared himself a “Trumpocrat” after former President Donald Trump stepped in and had his sentence commuted.
“President Trump is the one who did this and I’m profoundly grateful,” Blagojevich said at the time. “He’s got, obviously, a big fan in me, and if you’re asking me what my party affiliation is, I’m a Trumpocrat.”
Since then, the former governor has spoken out on a number of issues — including the prosecution of former Trump National Security Advisor Mike Flynn — saying that the FBI had used the playbook on him first.
“What they succeeded in doing at the Triple-A level to a Democratic governor, they tried to do at the Major League level to a Republican President,” <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2020/05/08/exclusive-rod-blagojevich-fbi-did-michael-flynn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blagojevich</a> told The Daily Caller in 2020.
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He went on to say that the ultimate goal in both cases was to undo the results of a free and fair election, thus undermining the will of the people.
“This cannot be a Democratic or Republican issue. It is far too important,” he declared. “What these corrupt prosecutors and FBI agents are doing threatens the fundamental rights of the American people to choose their own leaders through free elections.”

Former IL Governor Blagojevich Files Suit In Order To Run For State Office Again

Former Illinois Governor And Ex-Con Torches Newsom Over Potential Senate Pick

Former IL Governor And Ex-Con Torches Newsom Over Potential Senate Pick

Illinois

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-dianne-feinstein-dies-at-90" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed away</a>, and while there is plenty in her decades-long senatorial career to scrutinize, there’s one shining moment that deserves special attention: The time she put a bunch of global warming-indoctrinated kids in their place. 
In <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-far-left-group-uses-kids-pressure-feinstein-ryan-saavedra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February of 2019</a>, the far-Left Sunrise Movement paid a visit to Feinstein’s office in hopes of convincing California’s senior senator to support Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey’s Green New Deal. It didn’t quite go the way the group expected. 
While protesting to Feinstein that only 12 years remained to take bold action against climate change, the group of youngsters demanded that she vote according to their wishes. Feinstein stood with her arms crossed and gave those kids a wake-up call. 
“You know what’s interesting about this group?” Feinstein said to them while standing defiant. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I know what I’m doing. You come in here and you say it has to be my way or the highway. I don’t respond to that.”
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This is how <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFeinstein?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenFeinstein</a> reacted to children asking her to support the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreenNewDeal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreenNewDeal</a> resolution &#8212; with smugness + disrespect.
This is a fight for our generation&#39;s survival. Her reaction is why young people desperately want new leadership in Congress. <a href="https://t.co/0zAkaxruMI">pic.twitter.com/0zAkaxruMI</a>
&mdash; Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@sunrisemvmt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt/status/1099075460649107458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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You can see the kids’ faces change from a look of exuberance to melancholy as they realize that Feinstein won’t budge. 
At one point, a teenager said, &#8220;I hear what you are saying, but we&#8217;re the people who voted for you. You&#8217;re supposed to listen to us.&#8221;
“How old are you?” Feinstein calmly said back.
“Sixteen, I can’t vote,” the teenager replied.
“Well, you didn’t vote for me,” the elected official responded. 
An older woman in the group tried to appeal to Feinstein’s position as a grandmother in a whiny monologue claiming that Feinstein’s alternative to the Green New Deal didn’t go far enough in protecting future generations.
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“You know better than I do, so I think one day you should run for the Senate and then you do it your way,” Feinstein said. 
In watching the video, it seems that this was the first time many of these kids had ever heard the word “no” before. Indeed, Feinstein provided a master class on how to deal with leftists. May she rest in peace.
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The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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FLASHBACK: The Late Dianne Feinstein Gives It To Global Warming-Indoctrinated Kids

Global Warming

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) died Thursday night at the age of 90, her office confirmed.
Feinstein, who represented California in the Senate since 1992, was the oldest member of the Senate and said earlier this year that she planned to retire at the end of her term as she battled health issues and faced calls for her resignation. The California Democrat was at the Capitol on Wednesday where she cast a vote just before noon. She later missed two votes that took place Wednesday afternoon, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-senator-dianne-feinstein-dead-90" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
&#8220;Sadly, Senator Feinstein passed away last night at her home in Washington, D.C.,&#8221; her office said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1707755426996011079/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> Friday morning. &#8220;Her passing is a great loss for so many, from those who loved and cared for her to the people of California that she dedicated her life to serving.&#8221;
Feinstein battled the shingles virus earlier this year, missing work on Capitol Hill for 10 weeks. The senator was then briefly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feinstein-briefly-hospitalized-after-fall-senators-office-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hospitalized</a> last month after a fall. During her final months in the Senate, Feinstein was pushed around the Capitol in a wheelchair and appeared to be <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/28/dianne-feinstein-confused-senate-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confused</a> at times about where she was and what she was supposed to do as she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feinstein-appears-to-have-awkward-moment-reads-speech-during-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read</a> a speech during a vote. The senator also appeared to have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feinstein-doesnt-recall-being-absent-from-the-senate-she-was-gone-for-10-weeks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no recollection</a> of her recent — and lengthy — absence from Washington, D.C., telling a reporter she had been “here, voting.”
After an April 2022 <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/dianne-feinstein-senate-17079487.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> in the San Francisco Chronicle reported several of her political colleagues thought her mentally unfit to serve, Feinstein retorted in a statement, “I remain committed to do what I said I would when I was re-elected in 2018: fight for Californians, especially on the economy and the key issues for California of water and fire. While I have focused for much of the past year on my husband’s health and ultimate passing, I have remained committed to achieving results and I’d put my record up against anyone’s.”
Throughout Feinstein&#8217;s political career, she made her mark as a staunch gun-control advocate. In 1984, as mayor of San Francisco, Feinstein proposed banning handguns in San Francisco; she authored the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban.
In 2003, she voted against a proposal to ban partial-birth abortion. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, she supported lifting the Senate filibuster rule to permit legislation protecting abortion rights. Feinstein also opposed President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; in 2022, she sponsored the Respect for Marriage Act, which required the federal government and all state governments to recognize same-sex marriages.
Feinstein was praised by President Joe Biden, who served alongside her in the Senate, after she announced in February that should would retire at the end of her term.
“I’ve served with more U.S. Senators than just about anyone,” Biden said in a statement. “I can honestly say that Dianne Feinstein is one of the very best.&#8221;
Hank Berrien contributed to this report.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dies At 90

Senate

Matt Walsh 5 (1)

Our Country Is Run By Senile Half-Dead Zombies

John Fetterman

Matt Walsh

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barbara-lee-announces-bid-for-dianne-feinsteins-senate-seat">Barbara Lee</a> (D-CA) fired back at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a> Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a> on Sunday after he indicated he would pick another black woman to step in as interim caretaker if Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dianne-feinstein">Dianne Feinstein</a> (D-CA) is unable to complete her term.
In a statement posted to X, Lee, who is one of three House Democrats running to succeed Feinstein in 2024, said she is &#8220;troubled&#8221; by Newsom stating that he would stick to his plan of appointing a black woman — but in a way that would not give any particular candidate an edge in the upcoming election.
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I am troubled by the Governor’s remarks. The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election. <a href="https://t.co/Q5Q3jznuFd">https://t.co/Q5Q3jznuFd</a>
&mdash; Barbara Lee&#39;s One Voice PAC (@OneVoicePAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/OneVoicePAC/status/1701041279839375670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election,&#8221; Lee said from her <a href="https://twitter.com/BarbaraLeeForCA/status/1701041279839375670">campaign account</a>.
&#8220;If the Governor intends to keep his promise and appoint a Black woman to the Senate, the people of California deserve the best possible person for that job. Not a token appointment,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Black women deserve more than a participation trophy. We need a seat at the table.&#8221;
Newsom pledged in March 2021 that he would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-commits-to-nominating-black-woman-to-replace-feinstein-should-she-retire">appoint</a> a black woman to sit in for Feinstein if the senator retired early, which has led some Democrats to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/18/politics/california-senate-vacancy-bass-lee-newsom-cnntv/index.html">advocate for Lee</a> to get chosen. Feinstein, the oldest sitting senator at the age of 90, has faced health issues over the past few years and calls to step down. Feinstein refuses to retire but announced in February she would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dianne-feinstein-not-running-for-re-election-in-2024">not seek re-election in 2024</a>.
During an interview on <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-september-10-2023-n1307144">NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221;</a> that aired on Sunday, Newsom said he did not want to make &#8220;another&#8221; appointment after he picked Alex Padilla to replace <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> as senator when she left that office to become vice president. Padilla went on to be <a href="https://fox40.com/news/your-local-election-headquarters/california-united-states-senator-election-results-2022/">elected in 2022</a> to finish the term he was dealt and to serve a full term that ends in 2029.
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When pressed on whether he would commit to his pledge related to Feinstein, Newsom said he would stick to his promise with an &#8220;interim appointment&#8221; and insisted that he did not &#8220;want to get involved&#8221; in his party&#8217;s primary contest. &#8220;It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off. That primary is just a matter of months away. I don&#8217;t want to tip the balance of that,&#8221; he added.
Three prominent House Democrats announced campaigns to replace Feinstein in the Senate after she announced her plan to retire at the end of her current term: Reps. Lee, Adam Schiff, and Katie Porter. Lee is the only black woman among them. <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4192751-schiff-porter-atop-field-in-new-california-senate-survey/">Recent polling shows</a> Schiff and Porter ahead of Lee and others in the contest.
&#8220;There are currently no Black women serving in the Senate. Since 1789, there have only been two Black woman Senators, who have served a total of 10 years,&#8221; Lee said in her post to X. &#8220;The perspective of Black women in the US Senate is sorely needed — and needed for more than a few months. Governor Newsom knows this, which is why he made the pledge in the first place.&#8221;

Dem Senate Hopeful Slams Newsom Over Feinstein Plan

2024 Election

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a> Governor Gavin Newsom declined to call on 90-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to resign from her office amid continued health problems and her apparent inability to fully function as a senator.
Newsom made the remarks during an interview with Chuck Todd that aired Sunday on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press.&#8221;
&#8220;The senior senator here has – her daughter apparently has power of attorney,&#8221; Todd said. &#8220;She as an elected official has power of attorney over 40 million people&#8217;s representation in Washington, D.C. Why should she still be serving as a senator?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I leave it to her,&#8221; Newsom responded. &#8220;I told you, I&#8217;m – I’m the most subjective human being in the world on this topic. I have no objectivity whatsoever. I&#8217;ve known Dianne Feinstein since I was a kid. I interned with her in college. I still have a signed book from my days when she was mayor.&#8221;
Newsom defended Feinstein, saying that it &#8220;wasn&#8217;t that long ago&#8221; where she would call him to read laws to him &#8220;related to forest management, vegetation management, what we&#8217;re doing in the central valley on drought and water issues. Again, that wasn&#8217;t the black-and-white movie days. That was not too long ago.&#8221;
Newsom then suggested that her staff are the ones who are really running the show, saying that they are &#8220;extraordinarily active.&#8221;
He said that he is confident that her staff was fulfilling her duties. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think it, I know it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;re working extraordinarily closely together.&#8221;
Newsom said that he does not want to make the another appointment for a U.S. Senate seat in the state after he had to do so with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) leaving to become vice president.
&#8220;It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That primary is just a matter of months away. I don&#8217;t want to tip the balance of that.&#8221;
WATCH:
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WATCH: Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) says Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) should decide her future, saying, “I leave it to her.”<a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a>: “I don’t want to make another [Senate] appointment, and I don’t think the people of California want me to make another appointment.” <a href="https://t.co/4uzbDiwz23">pic.twitter.com/4uzbDiwz23</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1700876430970617996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Senator Dianne Feinstein Returns To The Senate Judiciary Committee

Gavin Newsom Weighs In On Dianne Feinstein Not Stepping Down: ‘I Leave It To Her’

Media

Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of &#8220;The Breakfast Club,&#8221; praised Republican presidential candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nikki-haley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikki Haley</a> for pushing for age limits and mental competency tests for elected officials.
Haley&#8217;s push for age limits and mental competency tests comes after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had another episode last week where he froze in front of cameras while speaking to reporters.
During a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation,&#8221; Haley <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nikki-haley-floats-having-mental-competency-tests-for-the-entire-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>: “I think there should be mental competency tests. And I don’t care if they’re for everybody 50 and older. I don’t care if they’re for the entire Congress.”
Haley also said, “They should also give a notice from the doctor that tells about their mental capacity.”
Charlamagne praised Haley on Tuesday for her position on the issue, saying: “Nikki is absolutely right. She ain’t say one damn thing wrong.”
“I’ll stop her when she stops telling the truth,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We need term limits. And, you know, if you are going to stay in, you definitely need mental competency tests over the age of whatever.&#8221;
Co-host Tezlyn Figaro was also impressed by Haley, saying: “I like Nikki Haley. I like the fact that she made sure she included Democrats and Republicans in, you know, in her comments so that it was even across the board. And I just think she’s a smart lady and she’s also going up in the polls as well on the Republican side.”
“And we wouldn’t be having these conversations if there wasn&#8217;t an obvious cognitive decline,&#8221; Charlamagne added. &#8220;Folks aren’t just saying this because these people are older. It’s because it’s obvious something is wrong.&#8221;
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WATCH:
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Charlamagne praises Nikki Haley pushing for age limits in politics
READ: <a href="https://t.co/5OfTk0H5dc">https://t.co/5OfTk0H5dc</a> <a href="https://t.co/OU0AGALWh8">pic.twitter.com/OU0AGALWh8</a>
&mdash; Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) <a href="https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1699059783981297673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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2023 Black Effect Podcast Festival

Charlamagne Tha God Praises Nikki Haley’s Push For Mental Competency Tests, Age Limits For Elected Officials

Charlamagne Tha God Praises Nikki Haley's Push For Mental Competency Tests, Age Limits For Elected Officials

Charlamagne Tha God

Mitch McConnell

Nikki Haley

Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley raised the alarm over the aging U.S. Senate, calling it “the most privileged nursing home in the country.”
Haley’s comments on the Senate came during a Thursday <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nikki-haley-calls-senate-most-privileged-nursing-home-country-mcconnell-freeze-sad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Fox News, one day after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) froze for nearly 30 seconds during a press conference. McConnell’s freeze on Wednesday was the second time in the last month the GOP leader has had a health episode while speaking in front of the press. 
Haley praised McConnell’s leadership, saying he has “done some great things,” but added, “you have to know when to leave.” 
“No one should feel good about seeing that, any more than we should feel good about seeing [California Democratic Sen.] Dianne Feinstein, any more than we should feel good about a lot of what’s happening or seeing [President] Joe Biden’s decline,” Haley <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4182440-haley-the-senate-is-the-most-privileged-nursing-home-in-the-country/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “What I will say is, right now, the Senate is the most privileged nursing home in the country.”
The 51-year-old presidential candidate said she supports mental competency tests for politicians who are 75 years old and above, and said she &#8220;wouldn’t care if they did them over the age of 50.”
“[T]hese are people making decisions on our national security. They’re making decisions on our economy, on the border,” Haley said. “We need to know they’re at the top of their game.&#8221;
A video clip posted to X from NBC affiliate WLWT on Wednesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-appears-to-freeze-again-during-presser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> the 81-year-old McConnell struggling to respond to a question about his thoughts on running for re-election in 2026.
“That’s uh…” he began to say in response before going silent for a few moments. A woman rushed to McConnell’s side and asked if he heard the question.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We&#39;ll have the full video on <a href="https://twitter.com/WLWT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WLWT</a> <a href="https://t.co/q9ex5MHxLV">pic.twitter.com/q9ex5MHxLV</a>
&mdash; Hannah Thomas (@HannahPThomas) <a href="https://twitter.com/HannahPThomas/status/1696936240040321474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Republican leader was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/physician-releases-mcconnell-evaluation-after-second-freeze-up-scare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleared</a> by a doctor to continue working the next day. The physician said, “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration.” 
McConnell sustained a concussion after a fall earlier this year, and reports came out after the top Republican’s news conference freeze in late July that he had fallen at least two other times in the preceding months.
Feinstein, who recently turned 90, was away from the Senate for 10 weeks earlier this year as she recovered from the shingles virus. The Democratic senator must now be pushed around Capitol Hill in a wheelchair, and immediately following her return to the Senate, Feinstein <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feinstein-doesnt-recall-being-absent-from-the-senate-she-was-gone-for-10-weeks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn’t recall</a> her 10-week absence. 
“I haven’t been gone. You should … I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working,” Feinstein told a Los Angeles Times reporter.
“You’ve been working from home is what you’re saying?” the reporter asked.
“No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting. Please, either know or don’t know,” Feinstein said.
President Biden, 80, has also worried voters and members of Congress about his mental capacity. Biden has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-falls-on-stage-at-air-force-graduation-ceremony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fallen</a>, appeared <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1572698287974776832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1572698287974776832%7Ctwgr%5Eafbfe49109693b3a874a53908f50046eaa71be19%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fvideo-why-does-biden-constantly-wander-around-aimlessly-after-speeches" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a>, and said <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/joe-biden-just-described-america-in-a-single-word-asufutimaehaehfutbw-5423917.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">undistinguishable words</a> multiple times while appearing in front of crowds and the press.   
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Nikki Haley Calls Senate ‘Most Privileged Nursing Home In The Country,’ Says Politicians Need To ‘Know When To Leave’

Nikki Haley Calls Senate 'Most Privileged Nursing Home In The Country,' Says Politicians Need To 'Know When To Leave'

2024 Primaries

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