Five eastern Oregon counties voted Tuesday in favor of considering becoming part of Idaho, the Oregonian reports.
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GOP Governors Facing Trump-Inspired Primaries
The Hill: “Several Republican governors are being threatened by primary challenges from the right ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, with Trump allies within the GOP hitting them for not aligning themselves closely enough with the former president on issues like coronavirus restrictions and last year’s election results.”
‘QAnon Shaman’ Attorney Won’t Apologize
Albert Watkins, the attorney for Jacob Chansley, the Capitol rioter popularly known as the “QAnon Shaman,” refused in a CNN interview to take back the derogatory remarks he made about the mental state of those who participated in the January 6 insurrection.
Said Watkins: “For five months, I acted professionally, I talked to the people that needed to know, I made sure that the Department of Justice had the opportunity firsthand to meet with my client… to have them understand and appreciate the condition, the special needs of my client. I let them talk to my client while he is confined, not once, not twice, but multiple times, and I got nowhere.”
He added: “All I had to do was get vulgar, get vulgar in a short sound bite driven quote that permitted this very issue to come to the fore.”
Another Sign Democratic Enthusiasm Remains High
Dave Weigel on the Philadelphia district attorney primary results:
“Turnout was actually higher in Philadelphia yesterday than it was four years ago, when Krasner’s win was partially attributed to anti-Trump enthusiasm. Turnout was 152,302 in that race, it’s above 158k now and probably goes up a bit after provisionals.”
Brad Raffensperger Will Run for Re-Election
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) announced he is running for re-election, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Raffensperger has faced relentless criticism from former President Donald Trump and the Georgia Republican party, “who all falsely claim the secretary of state somehow stood by while the 2020 elections were rigged against Trump.”
Alaska Brands State as ‘COVID-19 Safe’
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) launched a $5 million tourism marketing campaign to brand the state as COVID-19 safe, the Anchorage Daily News reports.
Said Dunleavy: “We’re inviting you to come to our great state this summer. If you want to see glaciers, bears, pan for gold … you name it, Alaska is the place. Having one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, our people are safe. And you will be too.”
Rand Paul Endorses Mo Brooks for Senate
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), seeking to win a seat in the U.S. Senate next year, received his first endorsement Tuesday from a sitting member of the Senate, Sen Rand Paul (R-KY), AL.com reports.
Quote of the Day
“I want to be clear. I will put the January 6 commission legislation on the floor of the Senate for a vote, period. Republicans can let their constituents know: Are they on the side of truth or do they want to cover up for the insurrectionists and for Donald Trump?”
— Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), at a press briefing.
House GOP Worried About Defections on January 6 Panel
Punchbowl News reports that anywhere between 20 to 50 House Republicans could vote for the proposed January 6 commission, “with the total very fluid.”
Republicans are concerned about a “jailbreak,” in which a flood of lawmakers back the legislation en masse.
Related for members: House Republicans In Turmoil
Biden Reinstates Climate Official Trump Had Removed
The White House said that veteran climate scientist Mike Kuperberg is returning as head of the U.S. Global Change Research Program following his removal from the position under President Trump, Axios reports.
Philly District Attorney Survives Primary Challenge
“Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner easily defeated Democratic primary challenger Carlos Vega on Tuesday, taking a giant step toward winning a second term after campaigning on his record of criminal justice reform,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Pandemic Hit Less-Educated Workers Hardest
A new Federal Reserve survey found the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic was concentrated among minorities, women and workers who hadn’t finished high school, the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Three-fourths of U.S. adults reported doing at least OK financially in November 2020, a share that was unchanged from previous years… But that finding masked significant divergences in economic well-being between workers who retained their jobs and those who were laid off, households with more education and those with less, and those who have children versus those without.”
Meanwhile, Gallup reports that 72% of U.S. white-collar workers are still working remotely — compared to 14% of blue-collar workers.
Republicans Pledge to Roll Back Any Tax Increases
NBC News: “Republicans are sending a pointed warning to congressional Democrats: If you raise taxes on corporations and top earners, we’ll just cut them back when we regain power.”
Said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC): “There’s no doubt in my mind that anybody running next year should be talking about reversing what I think are going to be tax increases at the worst possible time.”
Added Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): “We don’t like the taxes.”
Top Democrat Says Kevin McCarthy Is Hiding Something
House Homeland Security chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) told Morning Joe that he thinks House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is trying to block a commission investigating the January 6 insurrection because he has something to hide.
Said Thompson: “My humble opinion is that there’s some information that he would deem troubling for the Republican Party if it got out, and I think he will do everything possible to prevent that.”
House Republicans In Turmoil
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What Happens to Republicans Now?
FiveThirtyEight: “It’s not clear yet what Cheney’s exile will mean for Republicans like her who are anti-Trump and ready for the party to move forward without the former president at the helm, but the GOP’s breakup with Cheney once again raises the question of whether the party will experience an exodus.”
“A splintering of the Republican Party has long been speculated, and while it’s hard to know whether this is, in fact, a turning point or an isolated incident that will soon recede from the headlines, these four scenarios are possible.”
Whether the Republican party splinters or not is not clear. But Trump’s continued involvement is definitely not broadening the GOP’s appeal.
Liberals Push to End Infrastructure Talks with Republicans
Politico: “House progressives sent their own warning shot Tuesday to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, arguing in a letter that Democrats should pursue a multitrillion-dollar megabill sweeping Biden’s priorities together, ‘a single, ambitious package combining physical and social investments hand in hand.’ It’s the strongest sign yet that a growing number of liberals are done with trying to cut an infrastructure deal with Republicans that costs $800 billion at most and kicks other priorities down the road.”
“If Tuesday was any indication, Biden and Republicans are miles away from a deal.”
Democrats Blame Bad Polling In 2020 Election Autopsy
Washington Post: “The 52-page PowerPoint report, which Maloney presented to the caucus during a Tuesday evening call, splits the difference on the key question of whether Democrats just had bad polling or a bad agenda that turned away voters. Maloney laid out how Democrats simply underestimated the number of hardcore Trump voters and, with more Trump voters in the voting booths, the Republican attacks against the ‘defund the police’ movement proved more potent than Democrats ever anticipated.”
