Archives for September 14, 2017 at 7:19 am EDT

Clinton Says McConnell Suppressed Russian Hacking

September 14, 2017 at 7:19 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New Yorker: “When the C.I.A. first told Obama, in August, that the Russians had been meddling in the Presidential race, the agency shared the information with the Gang of Eight—the congressional leadership and the chairs and the ranking members of the intelligence committees. The Administration asked for a bipartisan statement of warning. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, adamantly refused, muffling for weeks any sense of national alarm.”

Said Clinton: “McConnell, in what I think of as a not only unpatriotic but despicable act of partisan politics, made it clear that if the Obama Administration spoke publicly about what they knew, he would accuse them of partisan politics, of trying to tip the balance toward me… McConnell basically threatened the White House.”

Why a DACA Deal Could Be a Problem for Republicans

September 14, 2017 at 7:09 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Playbook: “John Boehner and Eric Cantor were thrown to the wolves a few years ago for even toying with some sort of immigration reform package. Paul Ryan promised conservatives when he won the speakership in 2015 that he would not pursue and immigration package unless it had the support of the majority of Republicans. That means whatever deal Trump cut — or will cut — with Schumer and Pelosi needs to have the support of 121 House Republicans.”

“Remember: Paul Ryan is always under the threat of an immediate referendum vote of his speakership. Immigration isn’t like touching the third rail. It’s like hugging an electrified pole while wearing soaking wet clothing.”

House GOP Worries About ‘Mass Exodus’ of Members

September 14, 2017 at 6:59 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Following a rash of retirements, House Republican leaders are scrambling to get something done legislatively to convince other frustrated members not to toss in the towel in a tough political environment,” TPM reports.

“It’s not much fun to be a House Republican these days. President Trump has repeatedly taken potshots at their conference. Primary challenges burble on the right. Congress has been unable to pass much meaningful legislation in spite of unified control of Washington. Every trip home means an earful both from liberals furious at their support of the president and conservatives irate they’re not doing enough to support his agenda. And members who haven’t seen real competition for years face tough races due to Trump’s deep unpopularity.”

“That weighs heavily on Republicans who are on the fence about returning.”

Trump Denies He Made Deal on Dreamers

September 14, 2017 at 6:49 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump said early this morning that “no deal was made last night on DACA,” after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi declared they agreed with President Trump to pursue to a legislative fix on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Daily Beast reports.

In a pre-dawn tweet, Trump wrote “Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. Would be subject to vote” and said his border wall with Mexico “would be built.”

The statement comes after Rep. Steve King (R-IA) tweeted that if Trump had made such a deal his base is “blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is credible.”

Playbook: “Behind the scenes, Washington started to explode. The White House legislative affairs team was sending text messages and emails to Republican Hill staff, saying the president had only agreed to work on fixing DACA soon. He didn’t give up on the wall funding, but the White House conceded he said he wouldn’t insist it be part of this package.”

White House Not Seeking Bipartisan Tax Reform Deal

September 14, 2017 at 6:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jonathan Swan: “President Trump got a lot of attention for his Tuesday night dinner with three red-state Democratic senators, where he tried to win their support for tax reform. But here’s the thing: This was not the start of a bipartisan tax reform effort. This was the White House’s attempt to give Republicans a cushion in case they lose a few votes.”

“The White House did learn one lesson from the health care failure: It’s a mistake to rely on Republican votes alone. But the administration’s solution for tax reform is to give itself a little breathing room — not open the door to a broader bipartisan effort that would compromise what it wants to do. “

Weiner Asks for Leniency In Sexting Case

September 14, 2017 at 6:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), “whose career and personal life were wrecked in a series of sexting scandals, blamed a ‘deep sickness’ combined with the ‘profit-seeking curiosity’ of his 15-year-old victim for his legal troubles, as he asked a judge for leniency when he’s sentenced later this month,” Bloomberg reports.

The New York Times quoted Weiner saying, “My continued acting out over years crushed the aspirations of my wife and ruined our marriage.” He added that his young son “will forever have to answer questions about the public and private failings of his father.”

Anonymous Gifts to Staffers’ Legal Funds Approved

September 14, 2017 at 6:45 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has quietly reversed its own internal policy prohibiting anonymous donations from lobbyists to White House staffers who have legal defense funds,” Politico reports.

“The little-noticed change could help President Trump’s aides raise the money they need to pay attorneys as the Russia probe expands — but raises the potential for hidden conflicts of interest or other ethics trouble.”

Many Americans Express Troubling Racial Attitudes

September 14, 2017 at 6:38 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics poll finds 31% of Americans strongly or somewhat agreed that the country needs to “protect and preserve its White European heritage.” Another 34% strongly or somewhat disagreed with the statement, and 29% neither agreed nor disagreed.

Notably, 14% of all respondents both agreed that white people are under attack and disagreed with the statement that nonwhites are under attack.

Also interesting is that 16% agreed with the statement that “marriage should only be allowed between two people of the same race” and an additional 14% neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement, while 4% said they didn’t know. In total, about a third failed to express tolerance of interracial marriage.