Daily Archives

January 29, 2018

34 posts · Monday

Millennials Say Country Is On the Wrong Track

January 29, 2018 at 11:19 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new NBC News/GenForward survey finds that 63% of millennials think things in this country are off on the wrong track. Only 18% think the country is generally headed in the right direction, and another 18% aren’t sure.

Sixty-three percent of millennials also disapprove of the way President Trump is handling his job, with 46% saying they strongly disapprove. Only 19% approve of Trump.

Even among those millennials who said they voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, 22% disapprove of him now.

How This Is Different Than Watergate

January 29, 2018 at 10:53 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Greg Sargent points out “an important way that the current moment is different from Watergate — a difference that may point to the possibility of a more alarming endgame. The Nunes memo shows there is a massive propaganda apparatus out there — one that reaches deep into right wing media and into the Congress that has been pushing the alt-narrative and would back up Trump if he does take drastic steps — that didn’t really exist in Nixon’s time.”

He quotes journalist Tim Weiner: “You certainly had very influential columnists who were diehard Nixon men. But you did not have a Devin Nunes. You did not have a Sean Hannity. And you did not have an alternate universe of conspiracy theories, in which the FBI was painted as the equivalent of the Weather Underground.”

Meehan Ignored Advice Against Interviews

January 29, 2018 at 10:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Patrick Meehan’s (R-PA) “decision to do wrenching interviews with nine news outlets Tuesday bucked the advice of congressional and campaign aides who argued against it,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“Usually cautious in his public comments and often clumsy in his syntax, the Delaware County Republican also declined offers to help prepare for the high-pressure interviews… By the end of it, Meehan’s own words — especially his use of the phrase soul mate to describe the younger aide who had accused him of harassment — turned the story from another Washington scandal into a viral moment ridiculed on cable news and late-night talk shows.”

Trump Likes Controversy, But Not Conflict

January 29, 2018 at 9:57 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Gerald Seib: “That might seem like a contradiction, but it actually isn’t. The distinction is important, and is woven through Mr. Trump’s operating style during his first year in office.”

“He relishes stirring up controversy, and, in fact, believes stirring the pot advances his reputation as an outside agitator and improves his position by keeping adversaries off balance. But he usually keeps controversy at arm’s length, using his Twitter feed or offhand comments to attack and posture.”

“By contrast, when he finally comes face-to-face with both friends and foes, his actual positions are often less contentious and rigid than his public posturing suggests. His Twitter bark is worse than his personal bite.”

Quote of the Day

January 29, 2018 at 9:53 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The evangelical base is about as solid as I’ve seen for any sitting president. By and large, they’re focused on results, and they’re willing to overlook any perceived imperfections in the president.”

— Republican consultant Marc Rotterman, quoted by the Washington Post.

Omarosa Heads Back to Reality TV

January 29, 2018 at 9:46 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Omarosa Manigault, who left the White House under dramatic circumstances at the tail end of last year, is set to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

‘Halfway Across the World’

January 29, 2018 at 9:34 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Emails like this make my day:

I am delighted to renew my subscription to Political Wire. This is by far one of the best websites I visit, and I visit multiple times a day. It helps me sort out the grain from the chaff, and gives me context that is lacking almost everywhere else I look. I particularly want to express my gratitude for the incredible hours you have put in over this last year. We are living in epic times and your chronicling of it has been, well, epic. I live halfway across the world from you — 12 time zones to be precise — and therefore can see exactly when you start posting and when you end. Your dedication is truly inspirational. Thank you! Please keep it up.

And this one:

I have renewed and please don’t change a freaking thing about Political Wire. Love what you cover, love the layout, and thoroughly enjoy the member’s only analysis.

Thanks to everyone who supports Political Wire. I really appreciate it.

If you’re not yet a member, join for just $5 a month or $50 a year.

An Article of Impeachment Against Donald Trump

January 29, 2018 at 9:26 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

David Leonhardt: “There are good reasons to be wary of impeachment talk. Congressional Republicans show zero interest, and they’re the ones in charge. Democrats, for their part, need to focus on retaking Congress, and railing about impeachment probably won’t help them win votes.”

“But let’s set aside realpolitik for a few minutes and ask a different question: Is serious consideration of impeachment fair? I think the answer is yes. The evidence is now quite strong that Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice. Many legal scholars believe a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. So the proper remedy for a president credibly accused of obstructing justice is impeachment.”

The Real State of the Union

January 29, 2018 at 9:23 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET.

Join now to continue reading.

Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

O’Rourke Outraises Cruz Again

January 29, 2018 at 8:28 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) raised $2.4 million last quarter in his effort to oust Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Dallas Morning News reports.

“It’s the second time O’Rourke has out-raised the Republican favorite in a single fundraising quarter. Following O’Rourke’s news, the Cruz campaign announced it brought in $1.9 million in the final quarter of 2017.”

Also interesting: “O’Rourke has sworn off the help of political action committees. According to the campaign, more than 70 percent of the last quarter’s donations came from Texas, and none of the funds came from loans.”

All Signs Point to Big Democratic Wins in 2018

January 29, 2018 at 7:47 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“An analysis by Bloomberg Government of historical data, election maps and public polling points to sweeping Democratic gains in the November election, when all 435 House seats and one-third of the Senate are on the ballot.”

“Since the end of World War II, the party in control of the White House has, on average, had a net loss of 26 House seats in midterm elections. Democrats can win control of the House with a net gain of 24 seats in November. They’d need to win two seats to gain a majority in the Senate.”

“Adding to that, Trump’s approval rating at this stage of his presidency, 36 percent, is lower than any of his predecessors going back to Harry Truman, according to Gallup polling data. The less popular the president, the more seats his party tends to lose.”

Secret Empires

January 29, 2018 at 7:45 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Out in March: Secret Empires: How Our Politicians Hide Corruption and Enrich Their Families and Friends by Peter Schweizer.

Axios: “The book is under a strict embargo, however sources reveal members of both parties will get a full Schweizer drill-down, including current members of Congress, high-ranking Obama officials, and the Trump family.”

Warner Says Investigation Has New Information

January 29, 2018 at 7:17 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) told Politico that Congress late last year received “extraordinarily important new documents” in its investigation of President Trump and his campaign’s possible collusion with the 2016 Russian election hacking, opening up significant new lines of inquiry in the Senate Intelligence Committee’s probe of the president.

Warner says “end-of-the-year document dumps” produced “very significant” revelations that “opened a lot of new questions” that Senate investigators are now looking into, meaning the inquiry into Trump and the Russia hacking—already nearly a year old—will not be finished for months longer.

Two Rising Stars Collide In Shadow Primary

January 29, 2018 at 7:13 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “Two rising stars in California are about to collide: Sen. Kamala Harris of San Francisco and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. As potential Democratic presidential candidates in 2020, the pair might soon be asking the activists and donors who have known them their entire political careers to finally choose sides. It’s a thorny dilemma for California Democrats, but one that could be commonplace over the next two years. At least eight states have multiple Democrats considering national bids, an unprecedented development that threatens to fracture the party in some of the bluest states in the nation.”

Schumer’s New Mood

January 29, 2018 at 7:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Until the government shutdown last week, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer believed cutting a deal with President Trump was his best chance to protect ‘dreamers,’ the more than 1 million undocumented immigrants who had arrived in this country as children,” the Washington Post reports.

“Now the faith has been broken, and the Democratic leader says he is charting a new path.”

Said Schumer: “Unless Donald Trump realizes that the kind of deal I offered is good for him, it’s better that he stays away. If he disappears, we still, I think, have a very good chance to pass things, as long as he doesn’t mess it all up, which could very well happen.”

Republicans May Go After Rod Rosenstein

January 29, 2018 at 7:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “A secret, highly contentious Republican memo reveals that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein approved an application to extend surveillance of a former Trump campaign associate shortly after taking office last spring, according to three people familiar with it. The renewal shows that the Justice Department under President Trump saw reason to believe that the associate, Carter Page, was acting as a Russian agent.”

“But the reference to Mr. Rosenstein’s actions in the memo — a much-disputed document that paints the investigation into Russian election meddling as tainted from the start — indicates that Republicans may be moving to seize on his role as they seek to undermine the inquiry.”