Political Wire

Pennsylvania Senate Primary Could Get Rough

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“A super PAC backing Pennsylvania Senate candidate Conor Lamb is warning prospective donors that he is trailing frontrunner John Fetterman by 30 percentage points in the Democratic primary — and that the public’s perception of his opponent’s ideology must change for Lamb to have a shot,” Politico reports.

“Unlike the bloodbath taking place in Pennsylvania’s Republican primary, the contest on the Democratic side has been a relatively tame affair. Fetterman and Lamb haven’t laid a finger on each other on TV, and no outside Democratic groups have aired attack ads on television either.”

“The nine-page slide deck disseminated by Penn Progress after a recent fundraising call with donors suggests that could soon change.”

It Wasn’t Always This Way

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Charlie Sykes offers a reminder that Supreme Court nominations were not always partisan fights.

“Once upon a time, conservative Antonin Scalia was confirmed by the senate on a 98-0 vote; RBG was confirmed 96-3. The justice that Judge Jackson will replace, Stephen Breyer was confirmed by a margin of 87-9.”

“The first woman on the Court, Sandra Day O’Connor was confirmed by the senate 99-0. The first African-American on the Court, Thurgood Marshall received 69 votes when he was confirmed in 1967.”

The Note: Confirmation hearings test the vanishing middle.

Can the Supreme Court Hearings Break Thru?

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Playbook: “With war raging in Ukraine and President Joe Biden headed to Brussels on Wednesday for an emergency NATO summit (more on both of these topics below), Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s four-day hearing marathon, which starts today at 11 a.m., may well be below-the-fold news. It’s not just outside events dampening the suspense: With her confirmation all but assured and the balance of the court not in play, the likelihood of major surprises is pretty low.”

“While that bodes well for Jackson’s prospects, it’s not necessarily good for the administration politically. The near-certainty of seating the first Black woman on the high court would normally be the closest thing to a slam-dunk, attention-grabbing victory the White House could ask for. No red flags have been raised about Jackson’s record that would jeopardize her prospects, and a new WSJ poll shows a majority of Americans think she is qualified for the high court.”

“But these aren’t normal times. The White House is on course to notch the win, but the media’s gaze is largely elsewhere.”

The Washington Post has a live blog covering the hearings.

The Republicans to Watch on the Judiciary Committee

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Punchbowl News: “GOP Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ted Cruz (T-TX) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) are all on the Judiciary Committee, and they’re all considered possible Republican presidential hopefuls in 2024. That means they’ll use this week’s confirmation hearings to try to garner national attention.”

“There won’t be any questioning of Jackson today; that begins tomorrow and will last into Wednesday.”

China Has Fully Militarized Three Islands

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“China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and antiaircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Adm. John Aquilino, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander, said the hostile actions were in stark contrast to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s past assurances that Beijing would not transform the artificial islands in contested waters into military bases.”

Mo Brooks Calls for McConnell to Be Ousted

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Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) “is calling for Mitch McConnell to be ousted as Senate GOP leader, making him the party’s third major Senate candidate to come out in favor of booting the Kentucky Republican,” Politico reports.

Said Brooks, in a new ad: “America can’t afford a Senate leader who is a weak-kneed, debt junkie, open-border RINO Republican and who, worse yet, sells out America for special interest group cash.”

“Brooks joins two other Republican candidates — Eric Greitens of Missouri and Kelly Tshibaka of Alaska — in pushing for McConnell’s removal. All three are running staunchly anti-establishment campaigns and are aligning themselves with former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly laced into McConnell over the past year.”

Russia’s Push for Self-Sufficient Economy Fails

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“Russia spent years trying to wean itself off imported goods to fortify its economy against Western sanctions,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Now, the impact of sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made it clear that Moscow’s efforts didn’t work. Russia’s continued dependence on imports means it is facing a painful economic readjustment.”

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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