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In my lifetime, I dont recall vice presidential picks being such a big deal since the Nixon administration. Thats reaching back a bit.

For those of you too young to remember, Spiro Agnew was Nixons vice president and resigned, just as Nixon was looking down the barrel of the Watergate scandal.

Nixon then tapped Gerald Ford who went on to be an unelected President and arguably the most bitter, resentful man in United States history. He was not re-elected, but had logged enough assassination attempts during his short term to retain substantial Secret Service protection for the rest of his life at taxpayer expense.

Flash forward to current events. Lets face it. On one side we have a loose cannon who keeps putting his foot in his mouth. I am not a fan of Donald Trump personally. I like most of his policies, but his divisiveness has kept him from getting things done. We have no immigration reform. We have no healthcare reform. Im not tired of winning.

The alternative is a guy who has been in government for half a century, yet he wants to tell us whats wrong and that hes the guy to fix it. His own team is having conversations about when to take Dads car keys away. The choices arent great.

By the time you see this in print, circumstances may well have changed, but as of this writing, Mr. Biden has not named a running mate. My bet has always been on Kamala Harris, because she is mathematically the best political choice. Hes old, white, male and from the east coast. Shes young, black, female and from the west coast.

Thats a winning combination. It doesnt hurt that she took a chunk out of his rear at one of the primary debates either. That was a good strategic decision on her part.

Susan Rice has also been named as a contender. Shes all about the pedigree. Stanford, Oxford, Rhoades Scholar, PhD. in philosophy, National Security Advisor and Assistant Secretary of State, shes got the resume to beat the rest. The Albatross around her neck is the role she played in the Benghazi attack that killed US Ambassador Christopher Stevens. As qualified as she is, if she runs, expect to hear about it.

Elizabeth Warren, AKA Pocahontas, I actually like. I dont agree with her on much of any current policy at all, but there was a time that she went after the banks for unconscionable credit card policies and she was quite articulate about that. I also harbor a bit of sympathy over the Pocahontas thing.

I had an uncle who convinced me that my great grandfather had charged up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt. My great grandfather had indeed taken part in the Philipine police action, but he was not one of the Rough Riders.

He wasnt even on the same island, but I went around repeating that notion for several years before my dad straightened me out and told me that Uncle Ted was joking. I can forgive Pocahontas for having a relative tell her that she was Native American, but I also think she mishandled the situation.

For now, my money is on Mike Pence, who is by any measure, a class act. Hes measured, he speaks well, he is reserved and he is photogenic. Yes, he is to the right of me. He has held some unfortunate positions on same-sex marriage with which I do not agree. For the record, I dont care who marries whom. Well, I should probably clarify that. I dont think dog people should marry cat people, but beyond that I dont care. Its not my business. Its not yours either.

Putting that aside, Pence is the best Veep we have had in a while. I would not be unhappy to see him in the drivers seat. In political science 101, they teach us that in the British system of government, the ceremonial head of state and the functional head of state are two different humans.

In our form of government, both are invested in one individual. Thats where the current president disappoints me, but we can always look to our vice presidential pick as a fall-back.

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Column: : Surveying the field of vice presidential possibilities (8/7/20) - McCook Daily Gazette

An estimated 18,000 ballots remain to be counted in the Aug. 4 primary, the Skagit County Auditor Elections Department reported Thursday.

Voter turnout thus far is 31.55%, the elections department reported. That could change as overseas ballots and ballots mailed out on Election Day trickle in. Some 80,709 ballots were mailed out; 25,465 ballots had been counted as of Thursday, according to the elections department.

An updated vote count will be posted at 5 p.m. Friday by the elections department. Final election results will be certified on Aug. 18 with the two top finishers, regardless of political party, advancing to the Nov. 3 general election.

Heres how the results stand as of Thursdays update.

U.S. House of Representatives, District 2

Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, one of two Democrats in a field of eight candidates, had received 88,058 votes, or 50.27%, district-wide in updated results posted Thursday. Updated ballot counts will determine whether Republican Tim Hazelo, 25,733 votes (14.69%), or Democrat Jason Call, 23,756 votes (13.56%), also advance to the general election.

Larsen is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He co-chairs or co-founded congressional working groups dealing with issues related to U.S.-China relations and U.S. policy related to the Arctic. He is seeking a 10th term.

Call is a former math teacher and a member of the state Democratic Central Committee. He supports Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and criminal justice reform. Hazelo, a retired Navy flight engineer, supports reduction in regulations, immigration reform, and opening health insurance across state lines.

Skagit County Board of County Commissioners

Burlington Chamber of Commerce CEO Peter Browning and Mount Vernon City Council member Mary Hudson were leading Thursday in their bids for County Commission, District 2.

In updated results posted Thursday, Browning, who stated no political party preference, was leading with 2,983 votes (41.04%). Hudson, a Democrat, had 2,250 votes (30.95%). Incumbent Kenneth A. Dahlstedt, Democrat, had 1,980 votes (27.24%).

For County Commission, District 1, incumbent Ron Wesen and county Planning Commissioner Mark Lundsten advanced to the general election. Lundsten, a Democrat, was leading Thursday with 5,430 votes (51.44%); Wesen, a Republican, had 4,538 votes (42.99%); and former Anacortes City Council member Johnny Archibald had 566 votes (5.36%).

Skagit County Superior Court, Position 3

Former county prosecuting attorney Tom Seguine likely advanced to the general election; he had 10,243 votes, or 45.65%, in updated results posted Thursday. Later vote counts will determine the other candidate that will advance: senior deputy public defender Elizabeth Yost Neidzwski, who received 6,330 votes (28.21%), as of Thursday; or court commissioner Heather D. Shand-Perkins, who received 5,776 votes (25.74%).

Skagit County Public Utility District Commissioner

Kenneth Goodwin, a Port of Anacortes commissioner who once served as a water district commissioner in Woodinville, was leading in his bid to become Skagit County PUD commissioner from District 1. Goodwin had 2,261 votes, or 26.88%, in updated results posted Thursday. Entrepreneur Andrew Miller had 2,089 votes (24.84%); Wim Houppermans, a mechanical engineer, had 1,948 votes (23.16%); attorney Rick Pitt had 1,459 votes (17.35%); and postgraduate student Bryce Nickel had 598 votes (7.11%).

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Here's who's leading in updated election results | 2020 Primary - goskagit.com

The announcement, which comes more than a month after the Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, seems intended to buy time while the administration decides its next steps.

Trump has repeatedly railed against DACA as part of his anti-immigration agenda but three years into his administration has been unable to end the program as promised following a series of lawsuits. The latest attempt to place limits on the program in the run-up to the 2020 election is likely to fuel uncertainty in the lives of thousands of immigrants who are beneficiaries of the program or planned to apply for it.

Trump claimed at a news briefing that he's going to "going to work with a lot of people on DACA," when asked about Tuesday's announcement.

"We are going to make DACA happy and the DACA people and representatives happy and we're also going to end up with a fantastic merit-based immigration system," Trump said.

But the decision outlined by the administration Tuesday would place limits on people already in the program and exclude those who may be eligible but have not yet applied.

"The administration is now undertaking a comprehensive review of the DACA program and the justifications that have been offered for winding DACA down, including its illegality and the negative effects the program has on what I call 'immigration behavior,' including smuggling and illegal crossings," a senior administration official told reporters.

The White House arranged a phone briefing with reporters under the condition the official be granted anonymity.

"When the administration next acts on DACA, it will be the basis of the comprehensive review of the substantive legal and legal policy justifications offered for winding down the program," the official added.

In the meantime, the administration will reject all initial requests and application fees for new filings "without prejudice" to future applications.

The administration will adjudicate all applications for renewal on a "case-by-case basis" consistent with immigration law, but will provide renewals for one year, rather than the current two years. And all applications for advanced parole "will be rejected absent extraordinary circumstances"

The delay has since left thousands of immigrants who are eligible for the program in limbo and has sparked outrage among lawyers who allege the government is defying court orders.

"I have concluded that the DACA policy, at a minimum, presents serious policy concerns that may warrant its full rescission," Wolf wrote, adding that the onus remains on Congress to act.

Wolf justified the decision to reject new applicants by arguing that any reasons to keep the program are "significantly lessened, if not entirely lacking" with regard to people not already enrolled.

Legal and legislative challenges

Pezzi said at the time that new applications are being held -- not rejected -- while the policy is being considered and that the Justice Department is unable to "get ahead" of the Department of Homeland Security.

DACA-eligible immigrants have been waiting in the wings for the go-ahead to apply after the Supreme Court ruling and related ruling from Maryland.

Arlette Morales sent in her DACA application weeks ago. "I have a lot of hope that they'll accept it ... but I also have to be careful, because they might not," she told CNN. "It's really hard. It's really unpredictable."

Congress is the only body that can provide a permanent solution for DACA recipients through legislation. Last year, the House of Representatives introduced and passed the "Dream and Promise Act" that would, in part, provide a pathway to citizenship for beneficiaries of the DACA program. The Senate has not taken it up.

For years, Democratic and Republican lawmakers have tried -- and failed -- to pass legislation addressing this slice of the undocumented population.

In 2001, Sens. Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah, and Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, introduced the "Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act," also known as the DREAM Act. It sought to provide young undocumented immigrants a pathway to legal status and earned the group of undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children the moniker "Dreamers."

Since then, there have been several iterations of the measure that -- while different to some degree -- seek to put the group on a path toward legal status. But the give-and-take between Democrats and Republicans over "Dreamers" has made it difficult to achieve a bipartisan compromise.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already indicated she's unwilling to negotiate on certain points.

"Our advocates for comprehensive immigration reform do not want us yielding on any of those points. We should have comprehensive immigration reform. We will move in that direction," Pelosi told reporters in early June. "But we are not going to endanger families or have increased surveillance in our country."

This story has been updated with comments from President Donald Trump.

CNN's Ariane de Vogue contributed to this report.

Original post:
Trump administration to review DACA and reject new applications - CNN

New JerseyDemocraticGov. Phil Murphyis expected to sign legislation passed in the State Assembly Thursday that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain professional and occupational licenses in the state, raising concerns about the supply of jobs during a pandemic.

Approved by the State Assembly, the bill wouldimmediately take effect if signed by Murphy. It would maintain all other requirements for licensesbut allow immigrants to obtain them regardless of their status, NorthJersey.com reported.

Alyana Alfaro, a spokesperson for Murphy, told the outletthe governor "believes that immigrants are a critical part of the fabric of life in New Jersey, and that they should not face unnecessary barriers as they seek to participate in our society and economy."

The bill would presumably open the floodgates for illegal immigrants to enter into a variety of professions -- including as accountants, cosmetologists and pharmacists.

NEW JERSEY GOV. PHIL MURPHY SIGNS LAW LETTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS GET DRIVER'S LICENSES

It came at a time when Americans faced heightened unemployment and economic turmoil due to coronavirus-related restrictions.The issue flared when two New Jersey gym owners defied authorities by kicking down the barricade that blocked the entrance to their business. The incident, gym owner Ian Smith said, showed the "lengths we have to go to just to make a living for our families."

The bill could have wideranging implications for the state's economy. In June, New Jersey countiesalready saw unemployment rates ranging from around 12 percent up to 34.3 percent in Atlantic City.

The Federation for Immigration Reform, which supports greater restrictions, argued that the proposal would cost American jobs.

"Allowing those in the country illegally to get occupational or professional licenses takes jobs away from American citizens and legal immigrants," saidFAIR State and Local Engagement DirectorShari Randall.

"Already there are more than 1.3 million unemployed individuals in New Jersey who are suffering as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns. Providing occupational or professional licenses to those in the country illegally incentivizes more illegal immigration. With high unemployment, the legislative focus should have been targeted to unemployed citizens and legal immigrants in New Jersey who desperately need to go back to work, instead of encouraging more illegal immigration."

She added that the bill flouts federal law. "Under 8 U.S.C. 1621 illegal aliens are precluded from receiving commercial and professional licenses. Illegal aliens have no legal right to remain in the United States and are prohibited from being employed," she said.

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But Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic,reportedly said it would help address labor shortages among essential workers. Our immigrant community has been indispensable throughout this crisis,"Schaer reportedly said. "By lifting this obstacle we can utilize the abilities of every single resident."

The bill toucheson a long-standing issue surrounding Democratic states taking steps that make it easier for illegal immigrants to participate in the economy. Like other states, New Jersey approved a bill that allowed illegal immigrants to obtain drivers' licenses.

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New Jersey passes bill that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain professional licenses - Fox News

The self-declared "law and order" president isnt following the law. Not when it comes to extending legal protections to the undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children, the group known as Dreamers and which includes more than 100,000 young people in Texas alone.

President Donald Trumps administration said Tuesday it will continue rejecting new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which allows these young immigrants to live and work in this country or join the military. This despite a federal court decision in July ordering the administration to resume accepting new applications. The order followed a June 18 U.S. Supreme Court ruling blocking White House efforts to rescind DACA.

Critics seized on the White House move as another attempt to dismantle the program. In announcing it would not take new applications, however, the administration said it would limit renewals for current DACA recipients to one year, rather than typical two-year extensions, while it reviews the Supreme Courts ruling.

Like the Obama administration before it -- it enacted DACA in 2012 via executive memorandum -- the Trump administration is working in a space provided for decades by a Congress unable or unwilling to fix an immigration system most Americans agree isnt working. In that vacuum, the administration is implementing immigration policy by executive order in unprecedented and sweeping scale. A report released Friday by the Migration Policy Institute details how the Trump presidency has put immigration at the forefront of its policy agenda like no previous administration, issuing more than 400 immigration-related executive actions since 2017. These cover everything from the travel ban on visitors from Muslim-majority nations to curbs on legal immigration, deploying military personnel to the border and restricting asylum channels.

Trump is creating immigration policy while the representatives we elect to Congress sit on the sidelines or, worse, use the countrys immigration wars in a calculated political exercise that seems intended to keep this cruel game going in perpetuity. Americans want immigration policy that makes sense, not political gamesmanship.

Polling consistently shows most Americans support extending legal protections to undocumented immigrants brought here as children and who know no other country but this one. They see protections as in line with American values of compassion and rewarding hard work. Unfairly caught up in the countrys cultural wars, these young people are wage earners, taxpayers and contributors to the economy. In Texas, Dreamers eligible for DACA earned more than $3 billion in 2015 and paid more than $470 million in taxes, according to research by the New American Economy think tank. Many have begun professional careers. Nearly half of the almost 1.2 million DACA-eligible immigrants in the country are considered essential workers.

They are people like Ana Laura Gonzalez, an ICU trauma/surgical nurse at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, one of about 62,000 Dreamers nationwide who are health care workers.

"I typically work the night shift, and with more limited staff overnight, were the first line of defense before the doctor arrives," Gonzalez wrote in an op-ed for this newspaper in June. "With no visitors allowed, nurses like me step in to listen to a patients fears, hold their hand, and provide comfort. During this difficult time, helping someone smile is the least I can do."

Though heartened by the Supreme Courts decision, she said the administration was still intent on terminating DACA, putting her and hundreds of thousands of Dreamers potentially in danger of deportation. Dreamers, she said, are depending on Congress to provide a pathway to citizenship.

Advocates for immigration reform have long pushed for a legislative solution for DACA recipients. But attempts to forge bipartisan legislation by tying a DACA solution to broader border security and immigration reforms have collapsed amid squabbling over what a bill should look like.

With broad support among Americans for legislative solutions to help undocumented young immigrants, and with ample evidence that they are vital for the economy, Dreamers shouldnt have to be held hostage to intransigence and stalemates in Congress.

Our elected representatives shouldnt be content to let President Trump dictate immigration policy. They should do their job and find bipartisan answers to our border and immigration issues.

Continue reading here:
Editorial: Enough with the politics and restrictions. Protect Dreamers. - Austin American-Statesman