CNN: “Trump has spent the last several days on the phone and in conversation with aides and allies discussing Mueller’s upcoming testimony… Instead of anxiety, the President has expressed irritation at having to watch the man who has shadowed his presidency sit down before two congressional committees Wednesday.”
Bill Barr Already Won
The Atlantic: “Garnaat’s words are worth considering ahead of tomorrow morning, when Mueller is scheduled to testify publicly before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. Her words represent a perception gap distilled, a tidy summary of how many Americans navigated the space between commentary on the Mueller report and the report itself. They underscore just how successfully Attorney General William Barr exploited that space, harnessing the power of television to set the narrative of the report, knowing most people were unlikely to read it themselves. And they affirm the challenge Democrats face tomorrow in their attempt to make Mueller’s words resonate when, in an era defined by the laws of entertainment, they may well have missed their moment.”
“Indeed, it was not so much what Barr said those days as it was that he was the first to say it. In the Trump era, most stories have a day- or even an hour-long shelf life, meaning the immediate spin on the most crucial of events is often the one most likely to stick.”
Flynn Associate Found Guilty of Secret Lobbying for Turkey
“A business associate of the former national security adviser Michael Flynn was convicted on Tuesday in Northern Virginia of secretly lobbying for Turkey, a victory for the government after the judge considered dismissing the case because prosecutors lacked evidence,” the New York Times reports.
Trump Sues to Keep State Tax Returns Private
“President Trump sued the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and New York state officials on Tuesday, seeking to protect his state tax returns from being turned over to the congressional committee,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, seeks an injunction that would block the application of a new New York state law, which enables the Ways and Means Committee chairman to obtain Mr. Trump’s state tax records.”
Domestic Terrorist Says He Was Radicalized By Fox News
“Cesar Sayoc pleaded guilty in March to mailing improvised explosive devices to 13 people, including many prominent Democratic figures…And now his lawyers have filed a sentencing memo citing one of the sources of his radicalization: Fox News,” the Washington Post reports.
It Came from Something Awful
Out soon: It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office by Dale Beran.
“During the recession of the late 2000’s, the memes became political. 4chan was the online hub of a leftist hacker collective known as Anonymous and a prominent supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement. But within a few short years, the site’s ideology spun on its axis; it became the birthplace and breeding ground of the alt-right.”
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Beran, Dale (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 290 Pages - 07/30/2019 (Publication Date) - All Points Books (Publisher)
Mueller Asks for Aide to Appear as Witness
“Robert Mueller has asked that his longtime right-hand aide be sworn in as a witness during Wednesday’s hearing with the House Judiciary Committee about the special counsel’s investigation,” the New York Times reports.
“Democrats have yet to agree to the request, and Mr. Mueller is the only witness listed for the hearing… It was unclear if Mr. Mueller had made a similar request to the House Intelligence Committee, the panel holding the second of two highly anticipated hearings on Wednesday where Mr. Mueller is scheduled to testify.”
“If the aide, Aaron Zebley, were to take an oath to testify, he could be questioned by lawmakers on the panel, taking pressure off Mr. Mueller to respond to questions he may not be able or want to answer. But his presence would upend carefully laid plans by Democrats and Republicans over how to use their scant time with Mr. Mueller, a reluctant witness known for his concision while under oath.”
Democratic Super PAC Predicts Close Race
A new forecast from Priorities USA, the largest Democratic super PAC, finds the eventual Democratic candidate would beat President Trump narrowly in the Electoral College, 278 to 260.
“Trump won 306 electoral votes in 2016, compared to Hillary Clinton’s 260, by carrying traditionally blue states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The Priorities USA model moves those states back into the Democratic column, but not by much, and if Trump were to hang on to only one of those three states, he’d win the Electoral College.”
Test your own forecast on the interactive Electoral Vote Map.
Americans Continue to Support Puerto Rico Statehood
A new Gallup poll finds 66% of Americans are in favor admitting Puerto Rico, now a U.S. territory, as a U.S. state.
This is consistent with the 59% to 65% range of public support Gallup has recorded for Puerto Rico statehood since 1962.
The GOP Retreats Again
John Harwood: “Having failed to repeal Obamacare, President Trump and his party now plan to surrender their own achievement: budget caps Republicans once forced on President Barack Obama.”
“Neither their retreat nor the customary conservative protests surprise anyone. Republicans have backed away from those caps repeatedly in recent years because, when translated from numbers on a page to actual reductions in government services, they repel decision-makers of both parties.”
“But this latest concession tells the same story that Obamacare’s resilience does: of a 21st century GOP publicly-wedded to ideological commitments it lacks the political support to fulfill. Democratic leaders keep prevailing in budget negotiations by defending things that Americans want.”
Super PAC Launches Online Barrage Against Trump
A Democratic super PAC is starting to spend at least $1 million a month online attacking President Trump’s record on the economy, Politico reports.
Priorities USA will focus the campaign on four states that Democrats see as crucial to winning back the White House: Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Esper Confirmed as Defense Secretary
“The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to confirm Mark Esper as defense secretary, ending a months-long vacancy created when Jim Mattis resigned last year over policy disagreements with President Trump,” the Washington Post reports.
“The vote reflected broad bipartisan support for Esper — who has spent most of his career in the military and in government — at a time when the country is confronting disparate national security threats and contemplating military engagement with Iran.”
Trump Has Accomplished Little for Working Class
New York Times: “History will record last week as a moment when President Trump turned to raw racial appeals to attack a group of nonwhite lawmakers, but his attacks also underscored a remarkable fact of his first term: His rhetorical appeals to white working-class voters have not been matched by legislative accomplishments aimed at their economic interests.”
“Since he became president, Mr. Trump has largely operated as a conventional Republican, signing taxes that benefit high-end earners and companies, rolling back regulations on corporations and appointing administration officials and judges with deep roots in the conservative movement. His approach has delighted much of the political right.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“I am not a cult leader. I am not anti-science (that one is almost funny, given how much I quote Einstein). And I am not an anti-vaxxer.”
— Marianne Williamson, on Twitter, hoping to dispel rumors about her professional past.
All the Powers of Earth
Out this fall: All the Powers of Earth: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln by Sidney Blumenthal.
From a Kirkus starred review: “As essential as any political biography is likely to be.”
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Blumenthal, Sidney (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 1138 Pages - 09/03/2019 (Publication Date) - Simon & Schuster (Publisher)
Why Democrats Shouldn’t Worry About Veering Left
Walter Shapiro: “These Democrats-in-disarray columns invariably point out that only with sensible moderation can Donald Trump be defeated in 2020. As for Democratic congressional candidates, particularly first-term House members elected in the 2018 Democratic sweep, their political futures are jeopardized by the extreme antics of ‘the squad’ and the unreasonable demands of these left-wing activists with safe seats.”
“These are fine arguments — and I would probably accept them in a normal political climate. I remember the wipeout years for the Democrats, like 1972 and 1984, when the party was crushed by veering too far from the center in an increasingly conservative political environment.”
“But that was a different era when objective facts still mattered and hyperbole rather than outright lies still ruled political discourse… Trump’s contempt for anything resembling truth has erased this traditional political equation.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“The president doesn’t make things up.”
— White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, quoted by The Hill., dismissing suggestions President Trump fabricated his claim that he was asked to mediate the decades-long dispute between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir territory.
What the Electoral Map Will Look Like In 2024
New York Magazine: “So we have a pretty clear idea of which states will be winners and losers in congressional reapportionment, based on Census estimates and projections.”
“According to a late-December 2018 analysis from Election Data Services, Texas will pick up three House seats and Florida two; while Arizona, Colorado, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon will gain one each. New York is projected to lose two seats, while Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia are expected to lose one. California and Minnesota are thought to be on the bubble for possibly losing one seat.”
Here’s the 2024 map based on 2016 election results.