Political Wire

Josh Hawley Writing a Book on Manhood

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Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is writing a book called Manhood: The Masculine Virtues Americans Need, building off a speech he gave at a conservative conference claiming the political left is waging a war on masculinity, the Kansas City Star reports.

“The book’s announcement comes after Hawley was mocked by the U.S. House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which showed a video of him running out of the U.S. Senate chamber as lawmakers, reporters and staff were being evacuated.”

Brett Kavanaugh Stalker Hope to Kill Other Justices Too

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“The California man accused of plotting to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh had been researching his alleged scheme on the internet, Googling things such as ‘assassin skills’ ‘how to be stealthy,’ and ‘Reagan assassination attempt,’ and was allegedly hoping to eliminate two additional justices, as well,” the Daily Beast reports.

Where Do Trump’s Donations Go?

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Karl Rove: “So what can Mr. Trump use his existing cash stash for? Well, financially supporting other candidates, but he hasn’t shown much interest in that so far. Save America, the former president’s leadership PAC, has given $5,000 each—the maximum by law—to 60 House and 13 Senate candidates. This $365,000 is a pittance, and it’s impossible for him to use up Save America’s remaining $103.1 million this year simply with direct contributions. If Republicans were running candidates for every House and Senate seat this year and Mr. Trump gave each $5,000, that would amount to only $2.35 million.”

“One way to use more of this money is through independent expenditures on behalf of candidates, but Mr. Trump hasn’t devoted much cash to that either.”

Committee Sharing Evidence with Justice Department

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Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) told Politico that the January 6 Committee “has formalized a path to share witness transcripts and evidence with the Justice Department.”

“Federal investigators have sought to access the congressional committee’s 1,000-plus witness interview transcripts since April, but the select panel has resisted as its probe continued to generate extraordinary new evidence and witness testimony.”

“Now, though, as DOJ delves even more deeply into the former president’s inner circle and the select committee’s most significant round of public hearings has concluded, there appears to be greater urgency for prosecutors to obtain evidence the select committee has gathered.”

Georgia Voters Oppose New Abortion Restrictions

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“Most Georgia voters oppose a new restrictive abortion law that took effect last week, and many say a candidate’s support or opposition to the procedure will have an impact on who gets their vote,” according to a new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll.

Also interesting: “About 42% of likely voters said they’re more likely to vote for a candidate who wants to protect abortion rights. About 26% said they’re motivated to vote for candidates who want to limit access to the procedure. About one-quarter said it makes no difference.”

New Yorkers Have Just Two Choices for Governor

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“New York voters who dislike the Democrat or Republican candidates for governor have traditionally been able to cast their ballots for a long-shot candidate from any number of so-called third parties,” the New York Times reports.

“But this year, for the first time in over 75 years, the state ballot appears destined to offer only two choices: Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, and Representative Lee Zeldin, a Republican.”

“The paucity of options is largely due to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who championed changes in election law two years ago that made it far more difficult for third parties to get on the ballot. The changes to ballot access law tripled the number of voter signatures required for groups to get on the November ballot and forced political parties to qualify every two years instead of four.”

Will Biden Get a Bounce from Legislative Success?

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Jonathan Bernstein: “Normally, I’d warn against expecting improvement in Biden’s approval ratings as a consequence of legislative success. Voters don’t judge presidents based on how many of their initiatives succeed in Congress — nor, for the most part, should they. Voters care most about big-picture and highly visible policy outcomes, not bills signed or policies implemented.”

“That said, Biden’s ratings are so low that there are probably some easy pickings available, especially among younger, liberal voters who have soured on him. It’s also possible that if there’s other good news, perhaps positive reports about Biden and Congress could contribute a bit to lifting the generally grumpy mood of the nation.”

Immigration Shortfall Is an Economic Problem for the U.S.

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The Economist: “This border crisis has come to dominate media coverage and political debate about immigration in America. All the while, another crisis of the opposite sort is brewing: a broader decline in immigration.”

“The resulting shortfall in the population is already making it harder for companies to find workers and threatens to do more damage to the economy. But whereas unauthorized border crossings are a perennial controversy, the drop in overall immigration has barely registered in Congress.”

January 6 Committee Deepens Probe Into Trump Cabinet

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“The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is working to secure testimony from a growing number of officials in former President Donald Trump’s Cabinet,” ABC News reports.

“Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who reportedly discussed the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, recently sat with committee investigators for a transcribed interview.”

“Among the officials actively negotiating with the committee are the former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and the former acting secretary for the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf.”

Climate Hawks Cheer Deal with Joe Manchin

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Politico: “Mere weeks after urging President Joe Biden to go all-out to push the limits of his executive powers on climate change, progressives — many of whom have spent their careers imploring Congress to act — hailed an agreement that would see $369 billion in climate and energy investments as the biggest ever.”

About Political Wire

Taegan 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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