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House Republicans Vote To Gut Independent Ethics Office

In a secret, anonymous, behind closed doors vote, House Republicans made one of their very first actions in the new Congress changing the Office of Congressional Ethics, removing the entity’s independence and barring it from investigating anonymous complaints.

Via Huffington Post:

Specifically, the amendment would place the OCE under the “oversight” of the lenient Ethics Committee and rename it the Office of Congressional Complaint Review. The new group would no longer be able to release information to the public, employ anyone “for a position involving communications with the public,” or directly contact law enforcement without approval. It would also be prohibited from investigating anonymous complaints.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the change would “functionally destroy” the office.

“Republicans claim they want to ‘drain the swamp,’ but the night before the new Congress gets sworn in, the House GOP has eliminated the only independent ethics oversight of their actions,” Pelosi said. “Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress.”

Republicans themselves defended the changes as necessary adjustments to protect members from political witch hunts.

Trump called for “draining the swamp” but his GOP House pals are setting up a system with which they can’t be investigated for ethical wrongdoing.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement saying, “Republicans claim they want to ‘drain the swamp,’ but the night before the new Congress gets sworn in, the House GOP has eliminated the only independent ethics oversight of their actions. Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress,” the House Democratic leader said.

See the report below from CNN.

While not commenting on the content of the vote, it appears the Trumpster thinks the timing of the backroom shenanigans wasn’t all that great:

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DNC Calls Trump Spokesman A “Shill For Putin”

The Democratic National Committee has had enough of Team Trump’s denial of the Russian cyber-hacking that took place.

After White House press secretary Sean Spicer took a spin on the morning political shows saying there is “zero evidence” of Russian involvement, the DNC knocked Spicer for being a “shill” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Via The Hill:

In an email, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) called Spicer’s comments false and pointed to an interview where several former White House press secretaries suggested President-elect Donald Trump often creates his own facts.

“Right on cue, Trump’s incoming White House press secretary was on the morning shows today spinning the falsehood that there is ‘zero evidence’ that Russia influenced the election through their hacking of DNC and Clinton campaign officials,” the DNC email stated. The email was sent under a subject line arguing that the incoming White House press secretary “shills for Putin.”

On Fox News on Monday, Spicer claimed there was “zero evidence” of Russian interference in the 2016 election, despite intelligence agencies’s reports about the hacking campaign leading up to Trump’s electoral win.

The fact of the matter is all 17 of the US intelligence agencies agree “with confidence” that Russia not only hacked into American email servers but did so with the purpose of interfering in the presidential election.

All 17 agencies.

Team Trump’s denials are based on fears that his electoral “win” might somehow be delegitimized if the Russian’s efforts are acknowledged.

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Out Pro Soccer Player Robbie Rogers Engaged To TV Producer Greg Berlanti

Over the weekend, out pro soccer player Robbie Rogers (currently with the LA Galaxy) announced his engagement to longtime boyfriend Greg Herlanti, writer/producer/director of Dawson’s Creek, Brothers & Sisters, Green Lantern, Everwood, Political Animals, Arrow, The Flash.

Thank you to everyone before us that made this moment possible… I feel extremely lucky and blessed to end 2016 engaged to the love of my life. ❤ Happy New Year!

And Berlanti made his own announcement as well:

2016 was memorable for many reasons, for me it as the year my heart doubled in size. First, when my son Caleb was born. And second, a few days ago, when I got engaged to my soulmate ❤️ though I dreamed of both those things happening, i’m not sure I truly believed they were possible. Thanks to the friends and family who helped me find my way to this moment in my blessed life. a happy and healthy 2017 to all.

The couple has been together since 2013.

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Trump “Struggles” To Pay Transition Team

Congressman Chris Collins, an early Donald Trump supporter, told NPR’s Buffalo affiliate that Trump’s transition team is “struggling” to raise the private funds necessary to pay those working for Trump leading up to his inauguration.

“Mr. Trump held a fundraiser down in New York City a few weeks back and did raise some money, but they have – I would use the word – ‘struggled’ to raise the private funds needed to pay these individuals who are working on behalf of the taxpayers but not being paid by the government,” said Collins.

Communications Counselor Kellyanne Conway will host a $5,000 per person fundraiser in Buffalo this Thursday at the Westin Buffalo hotel. The event will help cover the costs of Trump’s transition team, including their salaries.

Election campaign funds cannot be used to cover the expenses of the President-elect’s transition team.

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Former NC Gov. Pat McCrory Named “Phobie Of The Year”

“Phobie of the Year” – Former NC Gov. Pat McCrory

North Carolina thankfully has a new governor as former State Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) was sworn in just after the stroke of midnight last night.

He replaces The Advocates‘ “Phobie of the Year,” now former Gov. Pat McCrory.

Although the competition was tough picking the biggest hater of 2016, McCrory wins the title for his atrocious support and passage of North Carolina’s anti-LGBT “bathroom bill,” HB2.

Here’s how The Advocate frames McCrory’s despicable stance:

Even as jobs left the state and performers canceled concerts and millions piled up in lost revenue, McCrory and Republicans refused to rethink what they passed in House Bill 2.

Lawmakers hadn’t approved a RFRA exactly. Instead, they passed a law banning any locality from including LGBT people in antidiscrimination ordinances. In other words, they wanted to ensure that discrimination against LGBT people remains legal no matter where you go in North Carolina. They also barred transgender people from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity in any government building, without citing a single incident caused in North Carolina by letting transgender people use the bathroom of their choice.

McCrory owns responsibility for the law, having called a special session to pass it. But he also sued the Obama administration to make the case that there’s no legal basis for protecting transgender people.

Republicans sided heavily with McCrory, who was just so sure he’d win by demagoguing transgender people that he went on Meet the Press to make the case nationally. The state GOP senatorial committee launched a Stand With McCrory website that was basically a fan site for HB 2. McCrory actually ran a campaign ad touting his transphobia as a major selling point. He invented a story about how liberals supposedly want boys to shower with girls in a TV commercial ironically titled “Common Sense.” He even had transphobic bumper stickers printed up.

“You know, when we were raising average teacher pay, creating new jobs, and cutting taxes, other folks were actually pushing to make our schools allow boys to use the girls’ locker rooms and showers,” said McCrory. “Are we really talking about this? Does the desire to be politically correct outweigh our children’s privacy and safety? Not on my watch.”

And with that, North Carolinians voted him out of office.

Come election night, the folks of North Carolina decided they had seen enough business leave their state over the hateful legislation that McCrory championed.

He didn’t go quietly though. McCrory drew out the certification of the election results for weeks trying to toss the decision to the Republican controlled state legislature.

But to no avail.

Ever the sore loser, McCrory couldn’t help but take potshots at his critics on his way out the door.

From The Raleigh News & Observer:

He said HB2 likely played a major role in his election defeat, and he blamed the Charlotte City Council – which passed a nondiscrimination ordinance that prompted HB2 – as well as the LGBT advocacy groups that backed economic boycotts of the state. He called it a “manufactured crisis.”

“I wish I would have been successful in convincing Charlotte not to start this masquerade of an issue, that no doubt had an impact on my future election and on North Carolina in a very unfair way,” he says in the video, adding that he was “unsuccessful in convincing the legislature maybe not to overreact.”

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Sunday Singalong: Billy Joel “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)”

Well, Billy Joel – looks like we finally made it to 2017. We’ll see how your 41 year old prediction plays out.

Released in 1976 on Billy Joel’s Turnstiles album, the piano man wrote “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” about a New Yorker-turned-Floridian in 2017 reflecting on the dear city they once called home.

In 2001, it was widely viewed as an eerily accurate ballad prophesying the the events of 9/11 and the dark days that followed.

Now with 2017 actually here, the song takes on a different meaning, moving from prophecy to a tribute to a great city that is constantly reinventing itself while struggling to keep its soul in the midst of a dissolving middle-class and artist exodus.

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Trump Spokesman: When Trump Tweets He Gets Results

Upon winning the presidency, President-elect Donald Trump said that he would probably pull back from his now infamous tweeting on social media.

But now, it’s a new year and a new perspective from the incoming administration.

Donald Trump spokesman Sean Spicer on ABC’s “This Week:”

“You know, with all due respect, I think it freaks the mainstream media out that he has this following of over 45 plus million people that follow him on social media, that he can have a direct conversation. He doesn’t have to have it funneled through the media.”

“’Business as usual’ is over. There’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s going to do things first and foremost for the American people.

“Absolutely you’re going to see Twitter. The fact of the matter is that when he tweets he gets results. So whether it’s Twitter, holding a news conference, picking up the phone, having a meeting, he is going to make sure that he continues to fight for the American people every single day.”

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Mariah Carey’s New Year’s Eve Performance More ‘Rocky’ Than ‘Rocking’

(image via screen capture)

Just before the ball dropped in Times Square on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve last night, Mariah Carey took to the stage for a “live” performance of two of her hits, “Emotions” and “We Belong Together.”

But things turned out a bit more ‘rocky’ than ‘rockin.’

Seconds after making her entrance, Carey seem out of sync or having technical problems with the sound.

At first, it appeared that the music was off, and she was supposed to be lip synching. Soon though, Carey almost seemed to give up saying she couldn’t hear.

So the audience was left with La Carey walking the stage as her dancers continued on. At one point, Carey announced that she was just going to let the crowd sing instead as she tried to explain she couldn’t hear.

Along the way, Carey put on her game face trying to just survive the debacle saying, “I’m trying to be a good sport here.”

When the cringeworthy six minutes were up, Carey exited the stage saying, “Guess it doesn’t get better than this.”

The Hollywood Reporter shares from a backstage source:

The singer had suffered from a tight and difficult rehearsal schedule earlier in the night was unable to hear through her in-ear monitor … She didn’t have the kind of time that she usually gets for her “Mariah-ness.’

Not so sure about all that. When you’re making a major, national TV appearance how “tight” can your schedule be?

I think what was more off-putting was Mariah’s cavalier attitude throughout the “performance.” She didn’t seem to attempt any kind of effort to put something out there.

And if she couldn’t hear, why were her dancers having no problem being in sync? I’m guessing they could hear something?

I’m not going to crucify Carey, but I will say this: if you get paid millions of dollars to perform before a national TV audience minutes before the New Year, perhaps you could make time to do your due diligence and show up for a 10 minute sound check?

If you can cash the check, do the sound check.

In the end, it’s not really very important in the big scheme of things.

A short time after, Mimi tweeted “Shit happens 😩 Have a happy and healthy new year everybody!🎉 Here’s to making more headlines in 2017”

Of course, the Twitterverse couldn’t wait to chime in: