“A Justice Department inquiry launched more than two years ago to mollify conservatives clamoring for more investigations of Hillary Clinton has effectively ended with no tangible results, and current and former law enforcement officials said they never expected the effort to produce much of anything,” the Washington Post reports.
Biden Leads as Steyer Surges In South Carolina
A new Fox News poll in South Carolina finds Joe Biden leading with 36%, followed by Tom Steyer at 15%, Bernie Sanders at 14%, Elizabeth Warren at 10% and Pete Buttigieg at 4%.
Politico reports Steyer has now qualified for next week’s debate.
Biden Leads In Nevada
A new Fox News poll in Nevada shows Joe Biden leading with 23%, followed by Bernie Sanders at 17%, Tom Steyer at 12%, Elizabeth Warren at 12%, Pete Buttigieg at 6% and Andrew Yang at 4%.
Peters Holds Narrow Lead In Michigan
A new Glangariff Group poll in Michigan finds Sen. Gary Peters (D) with a narrow lead over challenger John James (R), 44% to 40%.
House Votes to Restrain Trump’s War Powers
“The House voted on Thursday to force President Trump to go to Congress for authorization before taking further military action against Iran, in a sharp rebuke of his decision to ratchet up hostilities with Tehran without the explicit approval of the legislative branch,” the New York Times reports.
“The vote was 224 to 194, almost entirely along party lines, to curtail Mr. Trump’s war-making power. It followed a bitterly partisan debate in which Democrats insisted that the president must involve Congress in any escalation against Iran, and Republicans — following Mr. Trump’s lead — accused Democrats of coddling the enemy by questioning the commander in chief at a dangerous moment.”
Axios: “Three Republicans and independent Rep. Justin Amash voted in favor of the House bill. Eight Democrats, mostly moderates, voted against it.”
Iran Isn’t Done Retaliating
Andrew McCabe: “Iran’s measured response to the general’s killing has many people believing the worst of this crisis has passed. Should we be relieved? By limiting its response to U.S. military targets, Iran sent a powerful message to its own people that Soleimani’s killing would not go unavenged. Tehran managed to accomplish this without escalating a military conflict with the United States.”
“However, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials would be well-advised to remember that Iran’s most provocative actions have often been asymmetric attacks conducted through proxy forces and terrorist elements. It is those deniable, civilian-focused attacks we should be looking for as this situation unfolds. As a counterterrorism leader for the FBI, it was my job to figure out how events abroad would impact us here. And I am afraid the saga of Soleimani is far from over.”
Earlier for members: Are You Sure That Was an Off-Ramp?
Super PAC Makes $2 Million Ad Buy for Deval Patrick
“A new PAC created to support Deval Patrick’s presidential run announced a $2 million ad buy in early primary states, beginning with New Hampshire,” Politico reports.
Eric Garcetti Backs Biden
“Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who flirted with the idea of running for president but skipped the 2020 campaign, endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Garcetti will be one of Biden’s highest-profile supporters in California’s March 3 primary, but the endorsement is unlikely to have any practical impact on the highly competitive race.”
House Won’t Subpoena Bolton
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff told CNN that his committee has no plans to hear testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton before President Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate, arguing there’s “little to be gained” by going that route at this moment.
Pompeo Convinced Trump to Kill Iranian General
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was a driving force behind President Trump’s decision to kill a top Iranian general, a high-stakes move that demonstrates Pompeo’s status as the most influential national security official in the Trump administration,” CNN reports.
“According to multiple sources close to Pompeo, the secretary of state has believed throughout his career that Iran is at the root of all the Middle East’s problems and has focused on Soleimani, Iran’s ‘shadow commander,’ as the mastermind behind the country’s state sponsored terrorism throughout the region.”
McConnell May Change Rules Over Impeachment Delay
“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signed onto a resolution by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) seeking to change the rules of the Senate to dismiss articles of impeachment if they are not transmitted within 25 days of their approval — in this case, January 12,” Axios reports.
“The constitutionality of such a move is not clear.”
The Hill: “Changing the rules would either require a two-thirds vote or for Republicans to deploy the ‘nuclear’ option.”
McConnell Expects Impeachment Trial Next Week
“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republican senators that he expects Speaker Nancy Pelosi to transmit to the articles of impeachment to the Senate as soon as Friday, setting up an impeachment trial that begins early next week,” Politico reports.
“While senators and aides cautioned that McConnell does not have inside intelligence, the remarks serve as key scheduling advice for senators.”
Biden’s Campaign Manager Slams Facebook
Greg Schultz, campaign manager for Joe Biden, ripped Facebook after the social media giant said it would continue to allow political candidates to lie in advertisements on its platform.
Said Schultz: “Purposefully allowing and profiting off of the spreading of lies is a serious threat to the democratic process.”
The Durability Advantage
Amy Walter: “For a party that counts on women, people of color and young folks for votes, it is a bit ironic that the leading candidates in the national polls are two old white guys…”
“The durability of these two candidates is a testament to some important political truths. First, even in this day and age of ‘viral celebrity,’ it is tough to build an enduring political brand. The second is that having experience running for president is a bigger deal than many people appreciate.”
“Biden and Sanders are not just the best-known candidates in the race, but they also have the most defined identities. You know what you get with them. And, that means they have a more stable base than anyone else in the field.”
Biden Picks Up Key Fundraiser
Joe Biden is on the verge of picking up a key fundraiser who was Sen. Kamala Harris’ national finance chairman when she was running for the White House, CNBC reports.
“Jon Henes, a partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, has indicated to friends and Biden’s close allies that he’s looking to move ahead with opening his extensive donor network to the former vice president.”
Bloomberg Won’t Release Women from Hush Agreements
Mike Bloomberg told ABC News this week he will not take any steps to release women who have signed confidentiality agreements with his company to speak publicly about past allegations that the former New York City mayor fostered a hostile work environment for some female employees.
Brexit Is Happening
The U.K.’s House of Commons voted 330-231 in favor of the European Union withdrawal agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Axios reports.
The bill must still be passed by the House of Lords, but the Commons’ approval essentially ensures that Brexit will happen on January 31.
Trump Claims Iran Was Seeking to Attack U.S. Embassy
President Trump made a new claim on the intelligence that prompted him to order the assassination of Iranian Gen. Soleimani: “We did it because they were looking to blow up our embassy.”
He added: “We also did it for other reasons that were very obvious… We had a shot at him and I took it.”