The Morning Briefing: Grassley Has Had Enough and Much, Much More

Good Wednesday morning.

Here is what’s on the president’s agenda today:

The president participates in a bilateral meeting with the prime minister of the State of Israel
President Trump participates in a United Nations Security Council briefing on counterproliferation
The president participates in a bilateral meeting with the prime minister of Japan
President Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with the prime minister of the United Kingdom
The president hosts a press conference
President Trump participates in a dinner with supporters

Gettin’ ready for the Thursday Kavanaugh inquisition

Is this Ford accuser lady going to show up or not? I don’t think she will and even DiFi doesn’t know. DiFI is upset because the Senate Judiciary Committee is finally acting like these newly discovered victims are a stalling mechanism so the committee won’t move forward and have scheduled a vote. The Democrats are upset because they want to stall. They want to stall by demanding the FBI investigate non-specific, hazy allegations even though the FBI doesn’t investigate sexual assaults. Here’s a call for the FBI to investigate . And another one.

But, as Joe Biden told us all in 1991, “The next person who refers to an FBI report as being worth anything obviously doesn’t understand anything. The FBI explicitly does not in this or any other case reach a conclusion … period. So, judge, there is no reason why you should know this. The reason why we cannot rely on the FBI report — you wouldn’t like it if we did, because it is inconclusive.”

Back to DiFi: “For Republicans to schedule a Friday vote on Brett Kavanaugh today, two days before Dr. Blasey Ford has had a chance to tell her story, is outrageous,” Feinstein said in a statement. “First Republicans demanded Dr. Blasey Ford testify immediately. Now Republicans don’t even need to hear her before they move ahead with a vote.”

All this from the woman who hid these accusations for weeks and weeks. How important was it for people to hear these accusations when you were sitting on them?

The Senate Judiciary GOPers have hired a lady to interview accuser Ford

And boy are the Democrats angry about that.

Mitchell, a career prosecutor from Maricopa County, Arizona, will be interviewing Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a professor who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were high school students in suburban Maryland.

“The majority members have followed the bipartisan recommendation to hire as staff counsel for the committee, an experienced career sex-crimes prosecutor to question the witnesses at Thursday’s hearing,” Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement released Tuesday night. “The goal is to de-politicize the process and get to the truth, instead of grandstanding and giving senators an opportunity to launch their presidential campaigns. I’m very appreciative that Rachel Mitchell has stepped forward to serve in this important and serious role.

“Ms. Mitchell has been recognized in the legal community for her experience and objectivity,” Grassley continued. ‘I’ve worked to give Dr. Ford an opportunity to share serious allegations with committee members in any format she’d like after learning of the allegations.”

Grassley has gone out of his way to accommodate this woman and now, the Democrats won’t get the precious optics of a bunch of old, wrinkled white guys questioning a victimized woman.

Kavanaugh Accuser Issues Another Demand, Wants To Limit Media Present In Hearing

Attorney for second Kavanaugh accuser: This has to be investigated by the FBI

Grassley politely shuts down Feinstein’s latest attempt to stall Kavanaugh confirmation

When Fox News Cuts Away From Kellyanne To Cover Bill Cosby, She Makes Kavanaugh Remark

Schumer: ‘There Is No Presumption Of Innocence Or Guilt’ For Kavanaugh

Red-state Democrats refuse to come out against Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh’s Yale classmate claims Kavanaugh told different story about virginity in college than in Fox News interview

Rosenstein: how much longer will he have a job?

Tomorrow, Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet with President Trump. The meeting will take place after we were told (false alarm?) that Rosenstein had resigned to chief of staff Kelly or that he was on his way to the WH to resign. Will Trump fire him tomorrow? The controversial Rosenstein got in some hot water when a report from the New York Times claimed he offered to wear a wire to gather evidence against Trump to pull a 25th amendment and get rid of him. But Trump might keep him around. (NO, NO, NO. Get rid of him.)

President Trump has reportedly told advisers that he is considering keeping Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on the job, after reports on Monday said Rosenstein was expecting to be fired.

The Wall Street Journal, citing people close to the president with knowledge of the situation, reported Tuesday that Trump is “conflicted” about the possibility of firing the No. 2 Department of Justice (DOJ) official.

Get over it and toss this guy, he’s bad news.

Meanwhile, the House Freedom Caucus is demanding that Rosenstein come to Congress and testify.

“We took an official position that Rod Rosenstein needs to come in and testify before the Judiciary Committee within the week or he should resign,” HFC Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) told The Hill on Tuesday evening, adding that he believes “hearings without consequences are a waste of the American taxpayer dollars.”

Meadows said he’s discussed their call for a hearing with top Republicans in the House, which was met with mixed feedback.

“I approached it with leadership,” he continued. “Obviously there are some leadership that are supportive, there are some there are cautious and I think the American people demand action.”

You can't have the number two official at the Department of Justice making comments about wiring the President and not address it.

Rod Rosenstein must come before Congress this week, under oath, and tell the truth about his alleged statements.

— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) September 25, 2018

Bring it on, freak shows. Steyer would shift funds to Senate races if Rosenstein fired, Kavanaugh confirmed

Historical picture of the day

George “Machine Gun” Kelly and his wife, Kathryn Kelly, are photographed at police headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 26, 1933. They were captured by police and federal agents for the kidnapping of Charles F. Urschel, a wealthy oil executive of Oklahoma City. (AP Photo)

Other morsels:

Bill Cosby, in cuffs, imprisoned for up to 10 years for sexual assault

Bill Cosby’s star on Hollywood Walk of Fame won’t be removed

Mexico disarms entire Acapulco police force over link to drug gangs

Why? Dunkin Donuts dropping “Donuts” from its name

$2B ‘Grand Central of the West’ terminal is shut down over safety concerns

Florence flooding slowly envelops South Carolina homes

Mattis: ‘The jury is out’ on whether women will be successful in combat roles

Trump and John Kelly joked about the suspected drone attack on Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro

Police Report: Polis Pushed Female Employee

Seems important Man who served in U.S. Army Reserves accused of being agent for China

CBS announces interim chairman after Moonves ouster