Associated Press: “In what is quickly emerging as one of the most closely watched Senate races of the 2024 campaign, Slotkin is aggressively acting on Stabenow’s call for ‘the next generation of leadership.’ The 46-year-old former CIA intelligence officer is taking steps to prepare for a Senate run, including forming a national campaign team.”
Forthcoming Book Would Violate Prosecutor’s NDA
“The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is warning that a tell-all book about its stalled investigation into former President Donald Trump could derail the office’s probe and leave the author of the book, a former top prosecutor there, in legal jeopardy for violating a secretive nondisclosure agreement,” the Daily Beast reports.
“The NDA warns that ‘any work performed for the office’ is ‘privileged and confidential.’ That clause appears to directly conflict with a memoir that promises juicy details in what has so far been a failed effort to indict Trump.”
Adam Schiff Says He Has Dianne Feinstein’s Blessing
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told KQED that he made his Senate campaign announcement after talking to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Said Schiff: “I wouldn’t be doing this without her blessing.”
Virginia Democrats Defeat 15-Week Abortion Ban
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) push for a 15-week abortion ban died late Wednesday evening when a state Senate subcommittee blocked the ban along with two other restrictions, the HuffPost reports.
Ron DeSantis and the War on Woke
Richard Thau: “DeSantis has a choice to make as he inches towards a presidential run: Either consume a lot of time and resources educating voters on the evils of ‘wokeism,’ or stress another issue position that would more intuitively bring swing voters to his side. Attacking the woke may stir the base, but our evidence indicates it may not be that helpful in winning the center.”
“When Governor DeSantis declares, ‘Florida is where woke goes to die,’ many of these swing voters have no clue what ideology he’s trying to bury.”
Washington Post: Backlash grows against DeSantis decision to block AP African American studies class.
Candidate’s Son Under Investigation for Drug Death
The son of Wisconsin state Supreme Court candidate Jennifer Dorow is under police investigation for dealing drugs to an 18-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman who died of fentanyl poisoning, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Trump’s RNC Backs Away from Him
“As Donald Trump prepares for his first public events since announcing his presidential campaign, dozens of members of the Republican Party’s governing body are expressing doubts about his ability to win back the White House and are calling for a competitive primary to produce a stronger nominee in 2024,” the New York Times reports.
“The 168 members of the Republican National Committee are gathering in Southern California to select their own leader on Friday, and interviews this week with 59 of them — more than one-third of the committee’s membership — found few eager to crown Mr. Trump their nominee for a third time. While they praised his policies and accomplishments as president, many expressed deep concerns about his age (he’s 76), temperament and ability to win a general election, often in unusually blunt terms.”
The Biggest, Most Unusual Race in 2023
New York Times: “In 10 weeks, Wisconsin will hold an election that carries bigger policy stakes than any other contest in America in 2023.”
“The April race, for a seat on the state’s evenly divided Supreme Court, will determine the fate of abortion rights, gerrymandered legislative maps and the Wisconsin governor’s appointment powers — and perhaps even influence the state’s 2024 presidential election…”
“The contest will almost certainly shatter spending records for a judicial election in any state, and could even double the current most expensive race. Wisconsinites are set to be inundated by a barrage of advertising, turning a typically sleepy spring election into the latest marker in the state’s nonstop political season. The seat is nonpartisan in name only, with officials from both parties lining up behind chosen candidates.”
“Indeed, the clash for the court is striking because of how nakedly political it is.”
Republicans Grab the Third Rail
Washington Post: “In a pledge to cut spending, House Republicans have considered proposals targeting Social Security, Medicare and other programs, something that is deeply unpopular. Just 17 percent of Americans in the Economist/YouGov poll said they supported Congress reducing spending on Social Security and Medicare; 70 percent opposed this. A meager 22 percent of Republicans supported cutting Social Security and Medicare spending, along with even fewer Democrats and independents.”
The GOP Is a Circus, Not a Caucus
Tom Nichols: “Now controlled by its most unhinged members, the Republican Party has returned to power in the People’s House. Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the ringmaster of this circus, is happily paying off his debts by engaging in petty payback, conjuring up inane committees, threatening to crash the U.S. economy, and protecting a walking monument to fraud named George Santos, who may or may not actually be named George Santos.”
“In the enduring words of Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.”
Biden Mulls Trip to Europe to Support Ukraine
President Biden is considering a trip to Europe next month to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NBC News reports.
Adam Schiff to Run for Senate
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has announced he is running for U.S. Senate in 2024, joining a growing field of Democrats who are seeking to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who has not explicitly said she would run for reelection, the Washington Post reports.
Andy Beshear Leads All Challengers in Kentucky
A new Mason-Dixon poll indicates Gov. Andy Beshear “still gets a thumbs-up from most Kentuckians for his work and also leads four notable Republican opponents as he seeks a second term in office, while Attorney General Daniel Cameron has a sizable edge over his competitors in the GOP’s upcoming gubernatorial primary.”
“Beshear’s job approval rating remains high, at 61%, while just 29% of respondents disapproved of his performance and 10% weren’t sure how they feel.”
U.S. Economy Grew 2.9% Last Quarter
“The U.S. economy finished 2022 in solid shape even as questions persist over whether growth will turn negative in the year ahead,” CNBC reports.
“Fourth-quarter gross domestic product, the sum of all goods and services produced for the October-to-December period, rose at a 2.9% annualized pace.”
Politico: Biden’s economy dodges recession.
McCarthy May Not Have the Votes to Block Omar
Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) vow to block Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN.) from sitting on the House Foreign Affairs Committee has hit an early snag: he may not have the votes to do it, The Hill reports.
Kevin McCarthy’s Concessions Already Backfiring
Washington Post: “Republicans knew he was giving up a lot, and some of those concessions are already causing problems for the House GOP. Three of the 11 bills House Republican leaders promised would go straight to the floor to kick off the year have been pulled back because of opposition within the party — a sign of the growing pains of a new majority.”
Why This Debt Ceiling Showdown Is Different
Veterans of the 2011 debt ceiling standoff worry that “this time feels different” because of the slim House GOP majority and the lack of agreement among Republicans on what they actually want out of a negotiation, Politico reports.
Ramesh Ponnuru: The scariest part of the debt ceiling impasse: Washington isn’t scared.
McCarthy and Jeffries Are Getting Along
“Something unusual is happening in the Capitol: Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are getting along,” Punchbowl News reports.
“Let’s be clear: It’s very early in the new Congress. And these two will be at each other’s throats for the foreseeable future over politics, policy, personnel and morals.”
“But the New York Democrat and the California Republican have found an initial good vibe, according to multiple sources close to both men. The rapport has surprised aides on McCarthy and Jeffries’ teams.”
