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Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former contestant on President Trump’s “The Apprentice,” was fired and forcibly removed from the White House after Secret Service agents blocked her path to his office, according to reports. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement saying Manigault Newman resigned as director of communications in the Office of Public Liaison “to pursue other opportunities.” “Her departure will not be effective until Jan. 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service,” Sanders said.

In a shocking political earthquake, the Republican Party has lost a Senate election in Alabama.  For perspective on how difficult that feat was, the closest previous Senate contest in that state over the last two decades was a...19-point GOP victory.  Just three years ago, Jeff Sessions ran unopposed.  Donald Trump carried 'Bama by 28 points last fall.  In my election preview post yesterday, I wrote that an upset by liberal Doug Jones was improbably plausible, due exclusively to the disastrously awful candidate Republicans had nominated.  Apologies for quoting myself, but here you go:

In a political environment as volatile as this, his power as the Court’s swing vote is at its maximum. It seems counter intuitive that he would retire as his influence reaches its apex. What’s more, Kennedy has a high opinion of the Court’s capacity to bear moral clarity for a restless nation, making his continued service a matter of duty. However true this may be, the justice is 81 and he is, after all, a Republican. Given his age and political inclinations, it is reasonable to assume he would like to retire and would prefer to do so under a...

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said on Wednesday that he is "relieved" GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore lost the Alabama race and won't be representing the Republican party in Congress. "Relieved? Yes that's a good word. I'm relieved and I believe a lot of Republicans are relieved that Roy Moore and some of his people aren't the face of the Republican party," he told reporters when asked if he was feeling any relief over Tuesday's election results.

RUSH: Man, oh, man, a lot of crabby people out there. And I’m hearing from I don’t know how many, but it’s more than I can count. And I’ll share with you some of the crabbiness today. And there’s other stuff out there besides the crabbiness of the election. Here’s the phone number if you want to be on the program. 800-282-2882. Email address, ElRushbo@eibnet.us. The first crabby email. “Dear Rush: You know everybody’s blaming McConnell and everybody’s blaming Bannon, but I blame you. I don’t recall you ever endorsing Roy Moore. I don’t recall you ever urging people to...

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is demanding that Republicans delay a vote on their tax plan following Tuesday's special election in Alabama. "We Senate Democrats are calling on Mitch McConnell to hit pause on his tax bill and not hold a final vote until Doug Jones is sworn in to the Senate," he told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday. He added that "it would be wrong for Senate Republicans to jam through this tax bill without giving the newly elected senator from Alabama the opportunity to cast his vote." Democrat Doug Jones won the special election, defeating...

There is plenty of Republican hand-wringing and media gloating this morning over the dramatic loss of a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in the deepest red Alabama yesterday — the first time since a conservative Democrat won in 24 years. It is mostly much ado about nothing. It had nothing to do with the very liberal Democrat running, Doug Jones, who was originally just a “D” set up as a lamb to the slaughter in a state Republicans typically win by 25 to 30 points. Trump won Alabama by 28 points. It had everything to do with Republican Roy Moore being...

As we all know by now, Judge Roy Moore wound up getting fewer votes than his opponent yesterday. A lot of people today are calling Moore a loser. On first appearances, not knowing the background to yesterday's election, that might seem reasoned. It isn't. Knowing what I know, I have a reaction I'm not seeing others have. I'm sorry to realize that. Judge Roy Moore deserves our thanks for putting his neck on the line, trying to carry the mantle of our ideals into the Senate of the United States. It was an honorable thing to do, and it was...

Dec 13 (Reuters) - Minnesota's Democratic Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith was appointed as U.S. senator on Wednesday to replace Al Franken, who resigned after being accused of sexual harassment, the state's governor said at a news conference. Governor Mark Dayton said that Smith will serve a one-year term in the Senate, concluding in January 2019. Smith, 59, will run in a special election for the seat next year. Smith became lieutenant governor in January 2015. The Star Tribune said she previously worked as Dayton's chief of staff and held positions at General Mills and Planned Parenthood. Last week Franken, 66,...

...after AP Calls Alabama Race for Democrat Doug Jones

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Google+ Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said Wednesday that Doug Jones’s Senate win in Alabama is “good day for America” because it was a blow to Steve Bannon. Bannon, a former White House chief strategist, campaigned for Jones’s GOP challenger, Roy Moore, who lost the race for the vacant Senate seat after weeks of mounting accusations that he sexually molested teenage girls. “That was a good day for America yesterday in the sense that Bannon lost,” Scaramucci told Bloomberg News. “I don’t think it was a great day for the...

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) did not mince words when asked to comment on Tuesday night's election results in Alabama. When asked what he believed the "message" from last night was, Johnson said that "Alabamians didn't want somebody who dated 14-year-old girls." He then said that Steve Bannon should learn that the GOP needs better candidates in order to win Senate races before going into an office away from the camera. NBC News tweeted a video of the exchange. Watch the video here:  Reporter: "What message did the election send last night?" Sen. Johnson: "Alabamians didn't want somebody who dated 14-year-old girls." pic.twitter.com/tmWDDxIw0G— NBC...

There will be many explanations for Democrat Doug Jones’s victory over Republican Roy Moore in Alabama’s special election Tuesday....... .....But there is another factor: Doug Jones simply worked very hard. According to his own campaign, Jones held well over 200 campaign events over two months — an average of more than three per day....... Yet there will be questions about the way Moore decided to spend his time doing things other than campaigning — for example, leaving the state to catch the Army-Navy game...........

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) responded to Democrat Doug Jones’s victory Tuesday in the Alabama Senate race by saying “Decency wins.” Flake, who has announced he will not seek reelection in 2018, was a vocal critic of Republican candidate Roy Moore. Moore was plagued during the campaign by allegations of sexual misconduct, including accusations that he made advances on teenagers when he was in his 30s. Flake wrote Jones’s campaign a $100 check, writing “Country over Party” in the memo line. Flake pointed to Moore’s past remarks that Muslims should not serve in Congress as an indicator he is “unfit” for...

Shawn Hannity did a number on Judge Roy Moore Senatorial campaign. Candidate Roy Moore allowed himself to be bushwhacked in a telephone interrogation on national television. Hannnity acted as a prosecutor during the interview. How many Democrats when faced with a sexual scandal, encountered a prosecutorial styled interview? I cannot think of any. Do you remember Steve Kroft's interview of the Clinton's, which was later called the "Stand by Your Man" interview because of Hillary's defense of Bill Clinton? They were all soft ball questions with no follow up. I wanted to smash my television! I wanted to smash my...

DEMOCRATS HAVE MASSIVE TURNOUT IN 2017 SPECIAL ELECTION–   In 2016 Republican Donald Trump won Alabama with 62% of the vote. Trump had 1,318,255 votes Hillary had 729,547 votes On Tuesday night Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in the Alabama special election for US senate. In 2017 Democrat Doug Jones won the Alabama senate seat with 49.9% of the vote to 48.4% of the vote. Democrat Doug Jones had 671,151 votes Republican Roy Moore had 650,436 votes Via The New York Times: Republicans (Roy Moore) lost 667,819 votes — or 50% of 2016 vote Democrats (Doug Jones) lost...

Meghan McCain, the daughter of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), blasted former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon on Tuesday night following the results of the Alabama Senate special election. “Suck it, Bannon,” McCain tweeted just after the Alabama race was called for Democratic candidate Doug Jones.

Furious Trump says Republicans will eventually 'have another shot' at Alabama's Senate seat as shell-shocked White House blames Steve Bannon for stunning loss Donald Trump fired off a conciliatory tweet Tuesday night shortly after Roy Moore, the candidate he endorsed in the Alabama Senate race, was knocked off his high horse by Democrat Doug Jones. But the tone of his words didn't capture the rage that filled the White House residence, according to two sources with knowledge of the president's mood. 'Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a...

Several establishment Republicans cheered as the Alabama Senate Republican candidate Judge Roy Moore lost to his Democratic opponent Doug Jones. Here are some of the establishment Republicans who praised Roy Moore’s loss in the Alabama Senate race on Tuesday: National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Cory Gardner (R-CO) said in a statement, “Tonight’s results are clear – the people of Alabama deemed Roy Moore unfit to serve in the U.S. Senate. I hope Senator-elect Doug Jones will do the right thing and truly represent Alabama by choosing to vote with the Senate Republican Majority.”

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, on Wednesday congratulated "Doug Moore" for winning Alabama's special election, in a race that featured Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones."Sweet home Alabama. Thank you Alabamians and Doug Moore. Good has prevailed and our country is on the way to a new day #ikneel," Jackson Lee mistakenly tweeted Tuesday morning. Jones won the seat for Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a close election that was called late Tuesday.