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Charlie Baker Still Mulling Re-Election Race

November 5, 2021 at 7:58 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Boston Globe: “The question — and it’s the question in Massachusetts politics — of whether Baker runs in 2022 remains the preeminent force in a race he’s yet to even join, keeping donors sidelined, activists guessing, and worried Democrats game-planning.”

“Baker himself has called the decision a ‘very complicated’ mix of personal and professional considerations, saying this week that he’s weighing, among other things, whether he has ‘something productive and helpful to say’ in what would be his fourth run at the governor’s office after successful runs in 2018 and 2014, and a failed bid to unseat Deval Patrick in 2010.”

Democrats Also Did Poorly in Elections No One Noticed

November 5, 2021 at 7:53 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Matthew Yglesias: “Before Tuesday’s elections I warned against overinterpreting the Virginia gubernatorial election as a national bellwether. I stand by that: Governor’s races are the kind of election that shows the least correlation with national politics, and where candidate attributes and issues make the biggest difference.”

“But if you’re a Democrat looking for some good news in the wake of Republican Glenn Youngkin’s triumph over Democrat Terry McAuliffe, I have some bad news: Republicans did well in a bunch of other elections, too.”

White House Walks Back Biden on Migrant Families

November 5, 2021 at 7:51 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Biden is ‘perfectly comfortable’ with his administration paying immigrant families to resolve lawsuits alleging they suffered trauma from being separated after illegally crossing the Mexico border, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday, in a bid to clarify Mr. Biden’s comment a day earlier that such payouts weren’t going to happen,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Remote Work Isn’t Going Away

November 5, 2021 at 7:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Economist: “Most office workers remain steadfastly ‘remote-first,’ spending most of their paid time out of the office. Even though a large share of people have little choice but to physically go to work, 40% of all American working hours are still now spent at home.”

Trump Allies Admit They Never Checked Fraud Claims

November 5, 2021 at 7:21 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Allies of former President Donald Trump testified under oath that they had done little to verify debunked claims of fraud in the 2020 election before spreading them on the national stage,” according to tapes of their depositions obtained by CNN.

“The new footage of sworn testimony from Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell animates the behind-the-scenes movements of the two in their effort to sow doubt about the integrity of the presidential election results.”

Florida No Longer a Swing State?

November 5, 2021 at 7:17 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Democratic Governors Association has no plans to give significant financial help to Florida Democrats as they seek to unseat Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, a major setback that will make it harder for challengers to take on the popular Republican,” Politico reports.

“The DGA, which spent more than $15 million in Florida over the past two gubernatorial election cycles, is starting to deprioritize the state and is expected to have a much smaller footprint during the midterms.”

Pelosi Presses Votes on Biden Agenda

November 5, 2021 at 6:48 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “The planned Friday votes come after Pelosi and her leadership team spent a chaotic Thursday hustling to narrow the number of holdouts on the sweeping bill. Democrats made progress in three key areas: They reached a deal on repealing a Trump-era limit on state and local tax deductions, resolved concerns on immigration reform and convinced moderates to back a slightly altered drug pricing deal.”

“But Democratic leaders are still facing resistance from centrists who’ve raised procedural concerns, such as the lack of cost analysis, with the push for a vote on the sprawling social policy package this week. Pelosi circulated a letter Thursday night that included budgetary details from White House staff, but several Democrats say they want the details from Congress’s independent scorekeepers, not a partisan office.”

The New York Times reports President Biden is fully involved in the whipping effort.

Beto O’Rourke Still Mulling Run for Texas Governor

November 5, 2021 at 6:48 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Beto O’Rourke (D) told the Texas Tribune he is still “very seriously” thinking about running for governor.

Pressed on his decision-making timeline, O’Rourke only said, repeatedly, that he would make up his mind “in the near future.”

Democrats Ramp Up Filibuster Talks

November 5, 2021 at 6:39 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Democrats are ramping up their discussions about changing the Senate’s rules amid growing frustration about the inability to move voting rights legislation,” The Hill reports.

“After months of trying to give space for bipartisan discussions on election legislation, Democrats are planning internal talks about what, if any, rules changes they’ll be able to get through on their own. Those ideas include smaller shifts on nominations or amendments. But altering the filibuster — particularly when it comes to elections bills — is getting the most attention.”

Senate Senses Powell Pick

November 4, 2021 at 10:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The White House is asking Democratic senators to meet with Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell before Thanksgiving — leading some to believe President Biden will renominate him this month,” Axios reports.

House Expected to Vote on Biden Infrastructure Bills

November 4, 2021 at 10:39 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on Friday on the Build Back Better Act, the reconciliation bill devoted to climate change and social programs, and the bipartisan infrastructure bill already passed in the Senate in August,” Reuters reports.

The Hill: “The House Rules Committee is expected to convene late Thursday night to advance the final text of the social spending legislation.”

Biden Begins Twisting Arms

November 4, 2021 at 6:47 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Punchbowl News: “We are sensing some movement — actual movement! — on the Build Back Better Act and $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.”

“President Joe Biden has begun calling undecided House Democrats personally, urging them to support the House’s version of the Build Back Better Act. Biden’s involvement this evening is new. Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent the White House some names, asking for the president to make the calls.”

“Pelosi told us that the House Rules Committee will meet this evening to set floor debate for the BBB. If Democrats can get a rule reported tonight, we imagine they’ll put the rule on the floor tomorrow — if they can pass it.”

Trump-Backed Candidate Appears with Nazi Sympathizer

November 4, 2021 at 6:33 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Kari Lake (R), the Arizona gubernatorial candidate recently endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has embraced fringe far-right figures in her campaign events, including publicly thanking a Nazi sympathizer for his support and appearing with figures linked to the QAnon conspiracy, CNN reports.

Justice Department Sues Texas Over Voting Restrictions

November 4, 2021 at 5:57 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Justice Department on Thursday sued Texas over the state’s new voting law, arguing that the Republican-passed measure would disenfranchise Texans who do not speak English, who have disabilities, who are older or who live outside the United States,” the New York Times reports.

Capitol Rioter Had Contacts with Trump Advisers

November 4, 2021 at 5:54 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Congressional investigators probing the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol are examining the contacts between one of the rioters who breached the Capitol and state-level GOP officials who worked with former President Donald Trump as he attempted to overturn the 2020 election,” Politico reports.

“The rioter, who interviewed with the committee twice in the past week, described knowledge of contacts between GOP officials in a key state Trump lost and allies of the former president in the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 attack.”

Haley Wants Cognitive Tests for U.S. Leaders

November 4, 2021 at 5:47 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Christian Broadcasting Network that older government leaders should undergo a “cognitive test.”

Said Haley: “If you’re gonna have anyone above a certain age in a position of power — whether it’s the House, whether it’s the Senate, whether it’s vice president, whether it’s president — you should have some sort of cognitive test.”

She added: “Let’s face it, we’ve got a lot of people in leadership positions that are old. And that’s not being disrespectful. That’s a fact.”

Cawthorn Warns of Democrats Making Country ‘Sexless’

November 4, 2021 at 5:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) warned on OAN that Democrats were trying to make the country “genderless” and “sexless.”

Said Cawthorn: “When I see the people that are in Washington, DC who are trying to insert their woke politics into our culture, trying to destroy western civilization, trying to take all of our morality away from everyone, trying to make everyone genderless, sexless, and Godless.”

He the issued a threat: “We want our country back, we want our culture back, and if you want to stand in the way that, we will run you over.”

Joe Manchin Will Get the Last Word

November 4, 2021 at 4:02 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “As Speaker Nancy Pelosi furiously worked to unite her caucus around a centerpiece of the party’s domestic agenda, Manchin is making it clear that he’s not paying much attention to what the House is crafting, memorably saying Wednesday that he has ‘no idea’ what they are doing.”

“So even as the House tries to include provisions like paid leave and immigration reform, the West Virginia Democrat is operating on the presumption that the House can do what it wants, and then he will too. Manchin opposes including paid leave in the bill, and the Senate’s nonpartisan rules referee may scrap immigration reform before he has a chance to raise a concern.”