A new Fabrizio Lee (R) poll tested House Democrats running in districts carried by President Trump in the 2016 election and found the race within the margin of error.
The poll was conducted for the Trump campaign.
The GOP’s New Defense Is Denying Basic Facts
Aaron Blake: “It’s often been said that the two sides in the current impeachment debate can’t even agree on basic facts. But increasingly for the GOP, that’s also true of well-established and indisputable facts.”
Why Impeachment Polls Are Misleading
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Nadler Reminds Republicans Who Would Become President
With Republicans suggesting Democrats were just trying to overturn the 2016 election by impeaching President Trump, House Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler reminded his Republican colleagues during the debate that Mike Pence would become president if Trump were impeached, not Hillary Clinton.
This acknowledgement was met by laughs and then cheers by Republicans.
Impeachment Unlikely to Impact 2020 House Races
“When the dust clears, the result is most likely to look more like a draw than a victory, say political strategists from both sides,” the Washington Post reports.
Democratic pollster Geoff Garin: “I am confident that not a single Democrat anywhere in the country next year will lose their seat because they voted for impeachment.”
Republican pollster Glen Bolger: “I am not convinced that anybody is in significant danger but the small number that represent the other team’s area, and there are a lot fewer than there used to be.”
The Gerrymandering Game
Very cool: Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game.
A nice last-minute gift for the political junkie on your shopping list.
No products found.
Convicted Russian Spy Will Host TV Show
Maria Butina, recently released from a U.S. prison, will become the host of a program for Russia’s state-owned propaganda network RT, CNN reports.
“Butina, who was convicted of conspiring to act as an agent for a foreign state in the United States, was deported to Russia in October after serving more than 15 months behind bars in Florida.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“It is a matter of fact that the president is an ongoing threat to our national security and the integrity of our elections, the basis of our democracy.”
— Speaker Nancy Pelosi, quoted by Axios, calling for the impeachment of President Trump.
House Begins Debate on Impeaching Trump
“The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday open debate on articles of impeachment against President Trump, clearing a key procedural hurdle that moved Democrats a step closer to final votes to charge the president with committing high crimes and misdemeanors,” the New York Times reports.
“The vote paved the way for six hours of what promises to be fierce debate about whether Mr. Trump should be impeached on two articles accusing him of abuse of power and obstructing Congress.”
The Washington Post notes the measure passed, 228 to 197, with two Democrats breaking with their party: Reps. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ), who has signaled he is about to become a Republican, and Collin Peterson (D-MN). Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI), a former Republican, voted with the Democrats.
If the debate goes according to schedule — which is a big if — the final vote should take place around 7:30 p.m. ET.
More Staff Resign from Van Drew’s Office
Eight staffers, two advisors and the entire re-election campaign team serving freshman Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) have resigned ahead of his expected switch to the Republican Party over the impeachment inquiry, Axios reports.
Trump Didn’t Help Himself Sending That Letter
When CNN asked “a senior GOP official” whether it was a good idea for President Trump to send his letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the official responded: “Of course not.”
The official also acknowledged it didn’t go over well among some Republican senators.
Exchange of the Day
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg implied in an interview with the Razia Iqbal of the BBC that senators who have already expressed their verdict in the president’s likely impeachment trial should be disqualified.
GINSBURG: Should a trial be impartial? Of course. That’s the job of a judge to be impartial.
IQBAL: So if a senator says, ‘I’ve already made up my mind and the trial doesn’t exist at the moment,’ there is no accountability, is there?
GINSBURG: If a judge said that, a judge would be disqualified from the case.
Impeachment Is Not Exactly the Salem Witch Trials
In his 6-page letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Trump claimed those accused in the Salem Witch Trials had “more due process” than him.
Let’s fact check that with History.com:
Twenty people were eventually executed as witches, but contrary to popular belief, none of the condemned was burned at the stake. In accordance with English law, 19 of the victims of the Salem Witch Trials were instead taken to the infamous Gallows Hill to die by hanging. The elderly Giles Corey, meanwhile, was pressed to death with heavy stones after he refused to enter an innocent or guilty plea. Still more accused sorcerers died in jail while awaiting trial.
As bad as impeachment is, it appears Trump is still getting a better deal than the accused witches.
Manafort’s Fraud Case Dismissed In New York
Paul Manafort’s fraud case in New York was dismissed, blocking local prosecutors’ effort to undercut a potential pardon from President Trump, the Washington Post reports.
New York Times: “Mr. Manafort had been charged in Manhattan with mortgage fraud and more than a dozen other state felonies. But Justice Maxwell Wiley of State Supreme Court dismissed the indictment, saying the charges violated the legal principle of double jeopardy, which holds that a defendant may not be tried twice for the same conduct.”
Pelosi Says She’s ‘Sad’ About Impeaching Trump
Walking to House of Representatives chamber, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’s feeling “sad” about the upcoming impeachment vote but wouldn’t comment further, telling ABC News that she will be taking the highly unusual step of speaking on the House floor.
Katie Hill Suggests She’ll Run for Office Again
Former Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA) told Playboy she wouldn’t rule out running for office again.
Said Hill: “Obviously I’m going to need some time away, but it’s almost something I want to do on principle.”
She added: “Every single bit of my dirty laundry will be out there – the most private things I didn’t ever think would come out. I’ll be quite literally fully exposed to the voters. So judge me for what I’ve got.”
Flashback Quote of the Day
“When Pelosi first got in and was named speaker, I met her. And I’m very impressed by her. I think she’s a very impressive person, I like her a lot. But I was surprised that she didn’t do more in terms of Bush and going after Bush. It just seemed like she was really going to look to impeach Bush and get him out of office. Which personally I think would have been a wonderful thing.”
— Donald Trump, in a 2008 CNN interview.
Why You Should Read Trump’s Letter
Quinta Jurecic on President Trump’s 6-page letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
“Reading the full letter vs. reading the news alerts and headlines is as good a demonstration as any of the distance between what Trump actually sounds like vs. the massively more coherent person media coverage makes him out to be.”
