*Fox News (banned) – Page 25

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), in response to Donald Trump’s taunts about her claim to Native American ancestry, released the results of a DNA test she recently took. The report showed evidence of a small percentage of indigenous ancestry (she would be about 1/1024^th Native American). Though Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test proved that her claim to Native American ancestry was not false, does it prove much of anything else at all – and will it hurt her if she runs for the presidency?

Many Native Americans have publicly criticized Elizabeth Warren for claiming Native American (specifically Cherokee) ancestry. Warren does not affiliate culturally or tribally with Native Americans, and her DNA test does not connect her with a specific tribe. Tribal affiliation is what is considered when one wants to demonstrate Native American heritage.

“(Warren’s) types of claims can damage the validity and work of indigenous people who are living their identities every day,” said Twyla Baker, a citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota. “It also lays the groundwork to do serious damage to our sovereignty, as tribes are responsible for defining who is a tribal citizen.”

In acknowledgment of Native Americans’ criticism, Warren said, “There’s a distinction between citizenship and ancestry. I wish I had been more mindful of that distinction. The tribes and only the tribes determine citizenship.”

On the other hand, one North Dakota tribal leader, Jamie Azure, supports Elizabeth Warren’s embracing of the Native American part of her heritage. “It made me feel proud to see her talking about it,” Azure said. “She’s proud to have it in her blood.”

Though Elizabeth Warren was likely hoping to lay Donald Trump’s taunts of “Pocahontas” to rest with the DNA results, she appears to have inspired more criticism than support, from all sides. Her “proof” of Native American ancestry, rather than quieting Trump’s supporters, will likely inspire them to focus on the views put forth by Trump, outlined in the following tweet:

“Pocahontas (the bad version), sometimes referred to as Elizabeth Warren, is getting slammed. She took a bogus DNA test and it showed that she may be 1/1024, far less than the average American. Now Cherokee Nation denies her, ‘DNA test is useless.’ Even they don’t want her. Phony!”

Had Elizabeth Warren continued to ignore Donald Trump’s bullying about her ancestry claims, perhaps she could have turned the focus to her accomplishments and her fitness for office. Had Warren dismissed Trump’s taunts of “Pocahontas,” instead of trying to prove herself with a DNA test, perhaps she would have gotten further in allowing Donald Trump to show himself as petty and racist. Now, however, if Warren decides to run for president in 2020, the Democratic party may have to add damage control of the “Elizabeth Warren Native American DNA Debacle” to its list of items to address.

Cherokee Nation calls Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test “useless” | CBS This Morning [2018-10-16]

Should Warren have released DNA test after midterms? | Fox News [2018-10-15]

The issue of whether Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford is much more complex than a simple “he-said, she-said” situation. For the Republicans, it’s not about what Kavanaugh did or didn’t do…It’s about having their man on the Supreme Court. Indeed, Fifty-four percent of Republicans said that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should be confirmed, “regardless of whether (Christine Blasey) Ford’s allegations are true,” according to a recent NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll.

But putting aside (for a moment) the question of whether Kavanaugh did the things he is accused of (by two women in addition to Blasey Ford), Kavanaugh showed some worrisome traits – traits that are the opposite of those befitting a Supreme Court Justice.

First, he demonstrated an adolescent belligerence at various times during his questioning. When asked by Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, whether he had ever drunk so much that he blacked out, Kavanaugh responded, “You’re asking about black out, I don’t know, have you?”

If he were a teenager and spoke to his parents in that manner, he’d likely be grounded. But he’s an adult who spoke to a U.S. Senator that way, and the Republicans want to reward him with a Supreme Court judgeship.

Second, Kavanaugh lost his temper and general composure at various times during questioning, lashing out at Democrats and accusing them of conspiring against him as revenge “on behalf of the Clintons.” (Kavanaugh was an associate counsel for Ken Starr, the independent counsel who investigated Bill Clinton.) This and other accusations of Democrat conspiracy, along with his warning that he would “threaten the lives of millions of Americans for decades to come,” should alarm us. Not only do Brett Kavanaugh’s statements and manner reveal his ability to maintain calm under pressure, they also underline his clear partisanship.

Third, Kavanaugh has been caught in several “small” lies from his testimony. He claimed that he had no connections to Yale, and that he got in by “working his butt off.” In reality, his grandfather attended Yale, and this makes Kavanaugh a legacy student. When asked about an item on his calendar (“Devil’s Triangle”) from when he was in high school, he claimed it was the name of a drinking game though, in reality, it is the name for a sexual situation with two men and one woman. Since Thursday’s hearing, several classmates of Kavanaugh’s have come forward, saying that he downplayed the degree to which he drank, as well as having lied about never blacking out.

Though the lies in Kavanaugh’s testimony may seem small, they are still lies. Lying under oath is perjury.

As Chad Ludington, a former Yale classmate of Kavanaugh, said, “I do believe that Brett’s actions as a 53-year-old federal judge matter. If he lied about his past actions on national television, and more especially while speaking under oath in front of the United States Senate, I believe those lies should have consequences. It is truth that is at stake, and I believe that the ability to speak the truth, even when it does not reflect well upon oneself, is a paramount quality we seek in our nation’s most powerful judges.”

Kavanaugh has clearly shown himself to be lacking the temperament and integrity that is crucial for one of our country’s highest interpreters of the law. Republicans were willing to put aside one man’s blatant misogyny, proven dishonesty, and lack of respect for others, and elect him president. Should it surprise us, then, that the Republicans maintain their support for Kavanaugh?

Kavanaugh classmate: He has not told the truth | CNN [2018-10-01]

Trump expands scope of FBI probe into Kavanaugh | Fox New [2018-10-01]

Category: *Fox News (banned)

Elizabeth Warren’s DNA Test: Will It Hurt Her if She Runs for President?

Brett Kavanaugh: Judicial Temperament, or Adolescent Temper?