Politics

Former GOP House Speaker Dennis Haster will plead guilty to charges that arose after he lied to the FBI about the nature of large cash withdrawals he was allegedly using as payoffs to keep a decades-old sexual misconduct accusation from becoming public. NBC News reports: The politician, who was not in the Chicago federal courtroom where the agreement was announced …

Closeted Fox News host Shepard Smith this afternoon ripped into NBC for handing Donald Trump an SNL hosting gig after breaking all business ties with Trump over the Mexican rapists debacle. Mediaite recaps the clip below: Smith mock-applauded NBC for standing on principle and cutting all ties to Trump and deciding they don’t want him on NBC anymore… at least …

A Fox News poll out today shows Hillary Clinton losing to all of the GOP frontrunners in head-to-head matchups: In hypothetical 2016 matchups with top-tier Republicans, Clinton trails all the Republicans tested. She trails Ben Carson by 11 points and Donald Trump by 5 points. Jeb Bush has a 4-point edge over Clinton, while Carly Fiorina is up by 3 …

Tomorrow’s Democratic presidential debate will be held in Las Vegas, therefore CNN logically invited famed bookmaker Jimmy Vaccaro to offer his odds on who will take the nomination in each party. Vaccaro says his money will be on Marco Rubio, although he currently places Rubio in a dead heat with Trump and Bush.

A fake presidential candidate with a hilarious campaign video has beaten Jeb Bush in New Hampshire straw poll. TIME reports: “Honest Gil” Fulbright’s presidential campaign is literally a joke, but that didn’t stop him from beating Jeb Bush and Lindsey Graham in a New Hampshire straw poll over the weekend. Played by actor Frank Ridley, Fulbright is a mock-candidate who …

GOP Sen. Tom Cotton says he’s serious about making Dick Cheney the next Speaker of the House. Via Politico: Yep, Sen. Tom Cotton told us in an interview that with all the instability in the House leadership, it’s time to turn to the former vice president. “Look, these are trying times for our nation. It’s important to have a steady …

One day ahead of the first Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton is holding a strong lead in new polls out of South Carolina and Nevada. CNN reports: Clinton has the support of 50% of those who say they are likely to attend the Democratic caucus scheduled for February 20 in Nevada — which plays host to the first debate among the …

Over the weekend a Republican whistleblower earned national headlines with his declaration that the Benghazi investigation is meant to derail Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. This morning the GOP is attempting some damage control with yet another ad which calls Clinton a liar.

Hillary Clinton will be center stage, literally, at tomorrow’s Democratic debate. CNN reports: The position of the five candidates on the stage at the CNN Facebook Democratic Debate in Las Vegas is based on polls since Aug. 1 and was announced on CNN’s “State of the Union.” On either side of Clinton, the highest-polling candidate, are Bernie Sanders (to Clinton’s right) …

With some swipes at Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Via the Hollywood Reporter: Fox & Friends took a look at the Planned Parenthood controversy during Saturday Night Live‘s cold open. In the segment, Steve Doocy (Taran Killam), Elisabeth Hasselbeck (Vanessa Bayer) and Brian Kilmeade (Bobby Moynihan) discussed the opening for the Speaker of the House. “I don’t know why they don’t let them …

At a Georgia press conference today Donald Trump was asked about the secret to his popularity. Trump: “Honestly, it’s my looks. I’m very handsome.”

Andrew Sullivan appeared last night on Real Time With Bill Maher where he declared Hillary Clinton to “unbelievably useless” and a “talent-free hack.” More from Mediaite: Sullivan argued as Clinton’s fiercest critic, and frequently drew disapproving jeers from Bill Maher’s audience. Sullivan tore into Clinton’s time at the State Department, identifying the “disastrous Libya invasion which repeated every mistake that …

This afternoon Breitbart is running a live poll of its readers, asking for their pick to be the next House Speaker. Unsurprisingly the current leader is Tea Party favorite Trey Gowdy. The poll is open to all so if you have any suggestions of your own, here’s the link. Heh.

President Obama reportedly may circumvent Congress and issue an executive order requiring expanded background checks for gun purchases from high-volume dealers. The Washington Post reports: The proposed executive action aims to impose background checks on individuals who buy from dealers who sell a significant number of guns each year. The current federal statute dictates that those who are “engaged in …

The Log Cabin Republicans today salute GOP members of Congress whom they consider to be allies of LGBT movement. Named in the animated “Superfriends” clip: Rep. Mike Coffman, Sen. Susan Collins, Rep. Carlos Curbelo, Rep. Charlie Dent, Rep. Bob Dold, Rep. Chris Gibson, Rep. Richard Hanna, Sen. Mark Kirk, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Rob Portman, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The Hill reports: Newt Gingrich said he would consider taking up the Speaker’s gavel again if called upon to by House Republicans. The former Speaker initially denied any interest in a return to Congress, but when pressed in an interview with radio show host Sean Hannity on Thursday, admitted he would consider it if he had the votes. “If you …

Mediaite recaps: Maddow suggested that since none of the remaining candidates may be able to get 218 votes and the chances of conservatives compromising is low, she suggested either Nancy Reagan or Ted Cruz or the Duck Dynasty guy or even returning champion Newt Gingrich because apparently that’s a thing now. But then she warned about the “ominous” option: what …

Move over Brian Brown, Donald Trump says that HE is the reason for for Kevin McCarthy’s unexpected withdrawal from the House Speaker race. Because of course. Business Insider reports: Trump, the Republican front-runner, said McCarthy made the right decision because he wasn’t tough enough. “Great, Kevin McCarthy drops out of SPEAKER race. We need a really smart and really tough …

At a hastily organized press conference, Rep. Kevin McCarthy today conceded that he has dropped out of the House Speaker race partially due to his accidentally telling the truth about the Benghazi investigation. In so many words, that is. Rachel Maddow will be tickled that McCarthy had one of his famous mouth-fumbling moments right off the bat. Watch below.

Murdoch’s tweet is not going over well. CNN reports: Murdoch’s use of the word “real” flabbergasted many online onlookers, some of whom concluded that the media mogul was questioning Obama’s race and identity. Obama, the first black president of the United States, has also been dogged by false accusations that he isn’t a U.S. citizen. What did Murdoch mean? “We …