Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered service members to “immediately begin” receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, The Hill reports.
Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!
Moderates Just Won More Leverage Over Biden’s Agenda
Join now to continue reading.
Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.
New Census Numbers Give Democrats a Lifeline
Nathaniel Rakich: “The good news for Democrats came in which parts of the country gained and lost population since the 2010 census. Despite the country’s overall population increasing by 7.4 percent, rural areas — the reddest parts of the country — have steadily lost residents over the past 10 years.”
“Overall, the average county that voted for Biden boosted its population by 3.4 percent between 2010 and 2020, while the average Trump county grew by just 0.2 percent. Strikingly, 370 out of the 538 Biden counties (69 percent) gained population, while 1,468 out of the 2,574 Trump counties (57 percent) lost residents.”
Quote of the Day
“When President Trump was President, you didn’t see crisis after crisis. You just didn’t see it.”
— Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, on Fox News.
A Bad Poll for Ron DeSantis
A new Quinnipiac poll finds a plurality of Florida residents believe Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is hurting efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the state, 46% to 41%.
Key takeaway: 63% say the issue of wearing masks is primarily about public health, while only 33% say it’s about personal freedom. Meanwhile, 64% say they’re effective in slowing Covid spread.
Greg Sargent: “Large majorities reject just about every aspect of DeSantis’s framing of this public debate.”
How Donald Trump Turned Off Swing Voters In 2020
Alan Abromowitz: “Trump was perceived as far more conservative in 2020 than in 2016. In 2016, Trump was viewed as the least conservative Republican presidential candidate since Gerald Ford in 1976. In 2020, however, he was viewed as the most conservative Republican candidate in the history of this question in the ANES survey going back to 1972.”
“This shift was significant in that it placed Trump farther from the average voter than Joe Biden, while in 2016 Trump was considerably closer to the average voter than Hillary Clinton was.”
McCarthy Squeezed by Hardline Members on Infrastructure
Washington Examiner: “House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy faces pressure from hard-line conservative Republicans to whip votes against the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan.”
“It is not just the Freedom Caucus messaging against the bill. The Republican Study Committee distributed talking points against the infrastructure bill, calling it a ‘Trojan horse for the radical Pelosi/Biden agenda.’”
“Centrist Republican support for the infrastructure proposal complicates McCarthy’s position. He does not want to endanger members who will face tough elections to win competitive seats.”
Private Rescue Efforts Cash In
Wall Street Journal: “Erik Prince, the American defense contractor, said he is offering people seats on a chartered plane out of Kabul for $6,500 per person.”
Democrats Not In Disarray
Jonathan Bernstein: “Standard reports of Democratic disarray turned out to be off the mark. Only 10 moderate liberals made any trouble at this stage of the process. One reason why is that there just aren’t that many policy differences within the House Democratic caucus. Another reason is that pundits keep expecting the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wing of the party to ruin things for everyone else, and it keeps not happening.”
“That’s mainly because the most liberal Democrats, who are in fact ideological outliers, appear to be generally pragmatic, not radical, in their approach to politics. That is, they’re willing to bargain for the best deal rather than insisting on getting their way no matter what the consequences… By contrast, House Freedom Caucus Republicans and many others in both chambers are radicals without necessarily being policy outliers, at least within their party.”
Another important reason is Nancy Pelosi. She’s very good at her job.
Arkansas Runs Out of Intensive Care Beds
Associated Press: “Arkansas on Tuesday ran out of intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) announced, as a surge in cases continued overwhelming hospitals in the state.”
Biden’s Approval Sinks In New Hampshire
A new University of New Hampshire poll in New Hampshire gives President Joe Biden a 44% to 54% approval rating, down from 50% to 49% just last month.
China Peddles Conspiracy Theories Blaming the U.S.
New York Times: “When a conspiracy theory started circulating in China suggesting that the coronavirus escaped from an American military lab, it had largely stayed on the fringe. Now, the ruling Communist Party has propelled the idea firmly into the mainstream.”
“This week, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman repeatedly used an official podium to elevate unproven ideas that the coronavirus may have first leaked from a research facility in Fort Detrick, Md.”
Paxton Tries to Clear Himself of Wrongdoing
Dallas Morning News: “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office released a report Tuesday claiming to clear him of allegations that he repeatedly misused his power to help a campaign donor.”
“The report is not signed and its author is unknown. It is unclear why Paxton’s agency did not seek outside lawyers to undertake the investigation in order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
Afghanistan’s Falling Man
The Wall Street Journal profiles 17-year-old Zaki Anwari, who fell from a U.S. military jet as he tried to escape Afghanistan.
Biden Gets Inconclusive Report on Coronavirus Origins
“President Biden on Tuesday received a classified report from the intelligence community that was inconclusive about the origins of the novel coronavirus, including whether the pathogen jumped from an animal to a human as part of a natural process, or escaped from a lab in central China,” the Washington Post reports.
Bloomberg: “China threatened retaliation against those questioning whether the coronavirus leaked from its labs, a warning that comes days before the U.S. releases findings from an intelligence investigation into the pandemic’s origins.”
Delta Surge Pushes Texas Into Uncharted Territory
“More Texas hospitals are reporting a shortage of ICU beds than at any other time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the state 18 months ago — just one sign among many that the health crisis is on track to reach its most dangerous phase yet,” the Texas Tribune reports.
Axios reports the National Rifle Association has canceled its annual meeting in Houston because of concerns about the rising rate of COVID-19 infections in Texas.
A Brutal September Ahead
Wall Street Journal: “Tuesday’s agreement stacks up many legislative deadlines in late September. In addition to the budget package and a House infrastructure vote by Sept. 27, lawmakers will have to contend with the expiration of the government’s current funding by the end of September by passing new spending bills or an extension of current funding to avoid a partial government shutdown—either of which would require bipartisan support.”
“Congress also has to tackle how to raise the federal borrowing limit, or debt ceiling, before the government runs out of money to pay its bills some time over the coming months. The debt limit was reinstated on Aug. 1 after a previous deal to suspend it expired.”
Punchbowl News: “As we’ve pointed out repeatedly, the number of high-profile political and policy issues that hit in September is stunning.”
Biden’s Ugly Exit
“With the Afghan government and military no longer able to provide cover, President Biden risks the ugliest of exits from Kabul if he blows past his promise to leave Aug. 31,” Axios reports.
“The Taliban now controls the area around Kabul’s airport. As the U.S. removes its final 5,800 troops — and shrinks the security perimeter they’ve been providing — the surest way to ensure the last soldiers and diplomats get out safely is through the grace of a grisly enemy.”
“A Taliban spokesman on Tuesday repeated the group’s stance that it will not recognize any extension past Aug. 31. That cold reality explains why Biden is sticking to his timetable, despite pleas from allies like the United Kingdom, combat veterans and outside groups trying to evacuate Afghans.”
Washington Post: Lawmakers to Biden advisers: Don’t leave Afghanistan by Aug. 31 if evacuation mission isn’t complete.
