Political Wire

Archives for 2019

Congress Could Block Much of Trump’s ‘Emergency’ Fund

By Leave a Comment

Roll Call: “More than one-third of the money President Trump wants to redirect from other federal programs to build a border barrier is likely to be unavailable from the sources he has identified. As a result, it may be difficult for the president to circumvent Congress, even if a resolution disapproving of his ’emergency’ moves is never enacted.”

“Trump announced Feb. 15 that, using emergency powers, he wants to divert as much as $6.7 billion from other programs to finance the construction of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. That includes $3.6 billion from unspent military construction money, $2.5 billion in unspent Pentagon counterdrug funds and $600 million from a Treasury Department asset forfeiture account.”

“But the Defense Department has told lawmakers that only $85 million remains unspent in the counterdrug account… The Pentagon is planning to ask Congress for authority to reprogram more than $2.4 billion from other military programs into the counterdrug account in order to then take it right back out and move it to the wall project.”

Portraying Trump as ‘Mean’ Is a Losing Message

By Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

A new Priorities USA (D) poll finds that Americans are nearly equally divided between those who say President Trump’s rhetoric is “mean-spirited and divisive” and those who say Trump just “tells it like it is,” 46% to 43%.

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.

The Last Redo of a Congressional Election

By Leave a Comment

With a new election called in North Carolina due to fraud allegations, Ally Munick points out that last redo of a congressional election was in January 1975 in Louisiana’s 6th congressional district.

The New York Times reports Henson Moore (R) led Jeff LaCaze (D) led by 44 votes on Election Night 1974, but it was determined that “a malfunctioning voting machine could have changed the outcome.” After a state court ordered a new election, Moore won easily.

Kim’s Game Plan for His Summit with Trump

By Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

If Kim Jong Un has been paying attention over the last two years, his strategy for next week’s summit should be to get President Trump into a private discussion.

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.

Mueller Could Tell All About Manafort In Court Filing

By Leave a Comment

CNN: “It is the last major requisite court filing in Mueller’s longest running case, a sprawling prosecution of the former Trump campaign manager that led investigators to gather exhaustive information about his hidden Cypriot bank accounts, Ukrainian political efforts in Europe and the U.S. and into Manafort’s time on the 2016 presidential campaign.”

“Prosecutors are set to outline all facts they believe the judge should consider at his sentencing, now set for March 13. That will likely include Manafort’s criminal business schemes, his attempt to reach out to key contacts after his arrest and the lies he told to prosecutors and a grand jury after he agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation.”

Roger Stone Says He’s Stressed and Broke

By Leave a Comment

At his court hearing yesterday, Roger Stone “said he was suffering from extreme emotional and financial stress. His savings were exhausted, he said, and his business as a public commentator and consultant, which once earned him $47,000 a month, had dwindled badly,” the New York Times reports.

Said Stone: ‘I am having trouble putting food on the table and paying the rent.”

Howard Schultz Skips Another Election

By Leave a Comment

“Even after facing public criticism over his spotty voting record, Howard Schultz failed to vote in this month’s Seattle school-levy election,” the Seattle Times reports.

“King County Elections records show a postage-paid ballot for the Feb. 12 special election was mailed to the billionaire former Starbucks CEO and potential presidential candidate on Jan. 23, but never returned.”

“The no-show was in line with Schultz’s pattern of ignoring many elections over the decades, even while urging increased civic and political involvement by Americans.”

Sanders Starts Out Way Ahead of Warren

By Leave a Comment

“The Bernie Sanders vs. Elizabeth Warren primary is on. The run-up to their presidential announcements sparked concern on the left that having both of them in the race would split the activist base and clear the way for a more moderate nominee. Now that they’re both in, the competition between the two promises to be one of the more intriguing subplots of the primary,” Politico reports.

“Sanders starts out indisputably ahead. Bolstered by the grassroots army he amassed in 2016, the Vermont senator easily outraised Warren in the first 24 hours of their campaigns. He’s far ahead of her in the polls, too, trailing only former Vice President Joe Biden, who hasn’t announced whether he’ll run.”

The North Korea Summit Nobody Wanted

By Leave a Comment

Politico: “Many, including several of the president’s top advisers, are less excited. Some have expressed trepidation not only that the summit, scheduled to take place next week in Hanoi, may not yield big results. They worry, too, that Trump, eager to declare victory on the world stage, could make big concessions in exchange for empty promises of denuclearization.”

“Inside the administration, concern about the upcoming summit has come from predictable skeptics, including national security adviser John Bolton, a longtime opponent of diplomacy with North Korea, but also from unexpected corners. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the man charged with leading the negotiations, has expressed frustration to allies about the lack of diplomatic progress and voiced concern that his boss will get outmaneuvered, according to a source with direct knowledge of the conversations.”

Risch Tries to Calm Furious Republicans

By Leave a Comment

“Sen. Jim Risch was on the verge of facing down an insurgency from his GOP colleagues,” Politico reports.

“Top Senate Republicans were fuming at the Trump administration last week for ignoring congressional demands to further investigate the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”

“But Risch, the newly minted chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wasn’t eager to preside over an intraparty fight. And so he quickly began working to calm GOP senators — even giving potentially misleading information.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

By Leave a Comment

“I think that our decisions at the end of the Clinton email investigation, particularly the decision to make that announcement in October to Congress about the re-opening of the case as a result of the emails on the Anthony Weiner laptop, I think its undeniable that those actions at an impact on the election.”

— Former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, in an interview on MSNBC.

Hogan Says He Won’t Challenge Trump In Primary

By Leave a Comment

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said that he’s not launching a primary challenge against President Trump unless the president’s political standing within his own party weakens dramatically, the AP reports.

Said Hogan: “My goal is not to just make the incumbent president lose in the general election. I’m not going to do that. If they’re looking for someone just to be a spoiler or to throw myself on a grenade to help someone else, that’s not me. Somebody else might be motivated that way. But I’ve got a state to run.”

Schiff Writes Open Letter to GOP Lawmakers

By Leave a Comment

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): “To my Republican colleagues: When the president attacked the independence of the Justice Department by intervening in a case in which he is implicated, you did not speak out. When he attacked the press as the enemy of the people, you again were silent. When he targeted the judiciary, labeling judges and decisions he didn’t like as illegitimate, we heard not a word. And now he comes for Congress, the first branch of government, seeking to strip it of its greatest power, that of the purse.”

“Many of you have acknowledged your deep misgivings about the president in quiet conversations over the past two years. You have bemoaned his lack of decency, character and integrity. You have deplored his fundamental inability to tell the truth. But for reasons that are all too easy to comprehend, you have chosen to keep your misgivings and your rising alarm private.”

“That must end. The time for silent disagreement is over. You must speak out.”

North Carolina Seat Stays a Toss Up

By Leave a Comment

After the North Carolina state board of elections unanimously ordered a new election in the state’s 9th congressional district, the Cook Political Report says the seat remains a Toss Up.

“Meanwhile, Republicans are likely headed for a crowded primary, with or without Mark Harris. And things could get even worse for Republicans: under state law, a runoff will be held if no candidate gets 30 percent of the primary vote, further threatening to drain the party’s time and resources (the legislature lowered the threshold from 40 percent to 30 percent back in fall 2017, marginally reducing the chances this would occur).”

Another Manhattan Building Removes Trump Name

By Leave a Comment

“For the second time in four months, the name ‘Trump Place’ will come down from a New York building’s facade after condo owners at 120 Riverside Blvd. voted to have the name removed,” the Washington Post reports.

“The building’s condominium board announced the decision Thursday… The email said that, after a vote of the building’s condo owners, the tally was about 55 percent in favor of removing the large sign over the front door.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.