Political Wire

U.S. Exposes Details of Russian Hacking Campaign

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Two weeks after President Biden met Russian President Vladimir Putin of Russia, American and British intelligence agencies “exposed the details of what they called a global effort by Russia’s military intelligence organization to break into government organizations, defense contractors, universities and media companies,” the New York Times reports.

A statement described the operation as crude but broad and “almost certainly ongoing.”

“Thursday’s revelation is an attempt to expose Russian hacking techniques, rather than any specific new attacks, and it includes pages of technical detail to enable potential targets to identify that a breach is underway… But the political significance of the statement is larger: It is a first challenge to Mr. Putin since the summit in Geneva.”

The Coming Elections Will Be Competitive and Bitter

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Ron Brownstein on the new validated voter surveys: “The cumulative message from these studies is that we should brace for more years of grueling trench warfare between two coalitions that are becoming more and more inimical in both their demographic composition and vision of America. And to top it off? They appear to be about evenly matched.”

“While the Democratic coalition is clearly numerically larger—having won the popular vote in an unprecedented seven of the past eight presidential elections—Republicans have some offsetting advantages, some structural, others manufactured, that could allow them to control Washington nonetheless.”

Rumsfeld’s Legacy as Secretary of Defense

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George Packer: “Rumsfeld was the worst secretary of defense in American history. Being newly dead shouldn’t spare him this distinction. He was worse than the closest contender, Robert McNamara, and that is not a competition to judge lightly.”

“Rumsfeld was the chief advocate of every disaster in the years after September 11. Wherever the United States government contemplated a wrong turn, Rumsfeld was there first with his hard smile—squinting, mocking the cautious, shoving his country deeper into a hole. His fatal judgment was equaled only by his absolute self-assurance. He lacked the courage to doubt himself. He lacked the wisdom to change his mind.”

Top Wisconsin Newspaper Slams Ron Johnson

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The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board called Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) “the most irresponsible representative of Wisconsin citizens since the infamous Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy in the 1950s.”

“Johnson’s proclamations, most uttered in the safe bubble of conservative media, served a purpose: He ingratiated himself with Trump loyalists in Wisconsin, voters he will need if he breaks his promise and runs for a third term next year.”

“Whether or not Johnson believes the nonsense he spews, there is little doubt he seeks to benefit politically from this cynical theater.”

Pelosi Picks Liz Cheney for January 6 Committee

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced the Democrats and sole Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who she’s chosen to serve on the select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) serving as the committee’s chairman, the Washington Post reports.

Pelosi’s other picks: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA).

Pelosi said that she hopes Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) doesn’t slow walk appointing Republicans to the committee. But if he does or refuses to seat members, Pelosi hints she won’t wait to get started.

Liz Cheney: “I’m honored to serve on the January 6th select committee. Our oath to the Constitution must be above partisan politics.“

Justices Strike Down Disclosure Laws for Political Donors

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The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a California law that required nonprofits to hand over a list of their biggest donors.

Axios: “In a 6-3 ruling authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court said California had subjected donors to the threat of public harassment and intimidation, undermining their First Amendment right to free association.”

Quote of the Day

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“I’ve told Mark Zuckerberg directly that when we gather groups of people who are not vaccinated, and we ask them, ‘Why aren’t you vaccinated?’ and they tell us things that are wrong, tell us things that are untrue, and we ask them where they’ve heard that. The most common answer is Facebook.”

— White House chief of Staff Ron Klain, on Kara Swisher’s Sway podcast.

An In-Depth Look at How a Mob Stormed the Capitol

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The New York Times has compiled an amazing video of the riots at the Capitol on January 6.

“We filed motions to unseal police body-camera footage, scoured law enforcement radio communications, and synchronized and mapped the visual evidence.”

“What we have come up with is a 40-minute panoramic take on Jan. 6, the most complete visual depiction of the Capitol riot to date. In putting it together, we gained critical insights into the character and motivation of rioters by experiencing the events of the day often through their own words and video recordings. We found evidence of members of extremist groups inciting others to riot and assault police officers. And we learned how Donald Trump’s own words resonated with the mob in real time as they staged the attack.”

Spoiler: It was not just a bunch of tourists.

Republicans Go All-In on Immigration as Weapon

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Politico: “Five years after Trump rallied Republican primary voters with his chants of ‘Build that wall!’ the election of a Democratic president coupled with the recent increase of migrants from Latin America has afforded Republicans a new opening on border security. It’s gaining traction in advertising in Republican campaigns across the country, and it has turned the southern border into a destination for candidates seeking to burnish their conservative bona fides at home.”

Said GOP strategist John Thomas: “It’s off the Richter scale in terms of importance for the Republican electorate. It transcends jurisdictions. So, it goes from the suburbs of Orange County to statewide in Nevada.”

Only One-Third Say Cuomo Should Run for Re-Election

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A new Siena poll in New York finds 23% of voters say Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) should resign immediately, 39% say he should serve out his term but not seek re-election, and 33% say he should continue to serve and run for re-election.

Separately, 35% say they are prepared to re-elect Cuomo if he runs, while 56% would prefer “someone else.”

McCarthy Issues Threat

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Punchbowl News: “During a closed-door meeting with freshman House Republicans Wednesday, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had a stark warning.”

“If any Republican accepts an appointment from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the Jan. 6 select committee, they better be ready to get all their committee assignments from her.”

“Republicans, McCarthy said, get their committee assignments from Republicans — not from Democrats. Or else.”

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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