Political Wire

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The Democratic Party Looks to New York for Answers

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Jonathan Lemire: “There are, of course, risks to drawing national lessons from a local primary election, particularly one in a city where Democrats make up almost two-thirds of the electorate. Moreover, Cuomo had singular, deep flaws and ran a listless campaign. The incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, wasn’t on the ballot, relegated to an independent run after facing allegations of corruption and allying himself with President Donald Trump.”

“But for Democrats desperate to make sense of why their party is so unpopular, Mamdani’s win could at least provide a burst of energy, and a few ideas about how to move forward.

For members: Zohran Mamdani’s Win Isn’t a Fluke

Trump Sues All Federal Judges in Maryland

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“The Justice Department sued all 15 federal district court judges in Maryland on Tuesday over an order that pauses any deportations under legal challenge in the state for 48 hours,” the Washington Post reports.

“Legal experts described the move as an unprecedented attack on judicial independence, while government lawyers said it was necessary to preserve President Donald Trump’s constitutional authority over immigration.”

Senate Leaders Face a Mutiny on GOP Megabill

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“Sen. Thom Tillis warned his colleagues during a closed-door meeting Wednesday that he would not vote to take up the party’s sweeping domestic policy bill without further clarity on Medicaid changes,” Politico reports.

“Multiple other Republican senators warned Majority Leader John Thune during the lunch that they were not ready to vote to launch floor debate on the megabill… But it’s Tillis, who is up for reelection next year, who has emerged as a key vote to watch as Thune moves to try and meet a July 4 target for final passage of the bill.”


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Royal Pomp and Flattery Help Sway Trump on NATO

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“It was a reception fit for a king,” Bloomberg reports.

“The pillows had been fluffed at The House in the Woods, as the royal palace is known. King Willem-Alexander had a special guest staying overnight and a key role to play in the careful choreography unfolding in The Hague for the NATO summit with the singular goal of making sure President Donald Trump didn’t pull the plug on the world’s biggest military alliance.”

Tax Hike Floated for Mega-Millionaires

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“Sen. Susan Collins floated a new proposal Wednesday to increase taxes on Americans making more than $100 million a year, the latest indication that Republicans’ work is far from done on the massive tax and spending bill President Donald Trump wants passed by July 4,” Bloomberg reports.

“Republicans battled as the deadline approached over a range of disagreements including how deeply to cut social safety-net programs, what limit to set on deductions for state and local taxes and how to handle financial fallout for institutions such as rural hospitals.”

Trump Hosts ‘Everyday Americans’ to Squeeze Lawmakers

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President Trump will hold an event at the White House to pressure GOP holdouts to get behind his “big, beautiful bill” ahead of his July 4 deadline, Axios reports.

“The event will highlight Trump’s proposals for increased border security funding and making tips, overtime pay and Social Security tax-free — daring Republicans to vote against popular positions from his campaign.”

Top Aide to Jill Biden Bails on House Investigation

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“Anthony Bernal, the top aide to Jill Biden, abruptly withdrew from his scheduled interview with the House Oversight Committee after President Trump’s White House waived his ability to invoke executive privilege to protect private conversations,” Axios reports.

“Bernal was quietly one of the most powerful people in the Biden White House with regular access to former President Biden as he aged.”

Wall Street Panics Over Prospect of Zohran Mamdani

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“Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s stunning win over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary in the New York City’s mayor race shocked Wall Street,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Some of the world’s most influential and powerful financiers were left grasping to understand what Mamdani’s victory would mean for their industry—and whether they would leave the city.”

Zohran Mamdani is the Democratic Establishment’s Fault

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Garry Kasparov: “Andrew Cuomo positioned himself as just that person—the normalcy candidate. The problem is that the disgraced former governor wasn’t. Normalcy is not having over a dozen sexual harassment allegations to your name. It isn’t massaging coronavirus death counts to burnish your reputation (although the architects of the Chernobyl coverup might be proud). Suddenly returning to politics less than half a decade after ignominiously resigning isn’t normal. A do-nothing, ChatGPT-written campaign from someone who only moved to the city full-time last year reeks of entitlement. We should not be surprised that these things turn voters off.”

“An extremist victory is what happens when the normalcy candidate isn’t actually normal…”

Inside Ron Johnson’s Megabill Talks

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“Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said Wednesday he’s not ready to support Donald Trump’s signature domestic policy bill. But the Wisconsin Republican said that the White House, including the president himself, is helping to move him closer to yes,” Politico reports.

“Johnson shared details of Monday’s one-on-one meeting with Trump in an exclusive interview where he credited the administration for working with him on a push to set up a budget review panel that would force Congress to return to the issue of deficit reduction even after the ‘big, beautiful bill’ is passed.”

Said Johnson: “I’ve got everybody’s attention… they realize I’m serious, so they need to get serious.”

Wake Up, Democrats — Your Base Is Revolting

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Julie Roginsky: “What were voters in New York to do? When I filled out my ballot yesterday, I did not rank either Cuomo or Mamdani — because I won’t vote for a sexual predator and because I won’t vote for a deeply inexperienced candidate who refuses to acknowledge that ‘Globalize the Intifada’ is an offensive term to his Jewish constituents. I knew that my vote was wasted, that the five people I ranked had no shot of winning. And for this, I blame the Democratic establishment.”

“When Cuomo popped up his head to run, all the establishment figures who flocked to him could have said no. They could have looked at other competent leaders, who did not have Cuomo’s baggage. (Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch comes to mind.) Instead, they did what they do best: tried to impose a deeply flawed candidate with a disconnected message on their own voters.”

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.

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