You’ve heard this quite a bit in the House Judiciary Impeachment markup hearing.
The Congressional Research Service notes the phrase, in this context, really just means I’d like to speak now for five minutes.
What Trump Thinks About Impeachment
CNN: “Privately, he’s stewing…. Trump is somewhat taken aback that his actions toward Ukraine are ultimately what led to his likely impeachment.”
Said one close adviser: “Frankly, I think he’s a little surprised it’s the Ukraine thing that’s done it.”
Biden Keeps Getting Questions on His Son, Hunter
Washington Post: “He has addressed the matter on at least five occasions in the past week — at times offering responses that seemed to put more distance between himself and his son’s decision to join the Burisma board.”
“The issue remains an emotionally difficult one for Biden, and he did not do any special preparations regarding what to say in the lead-up to his recent spate of appearances…”
Trump Has an Impeachment War Room After All
New York Times: “The White House impeachment battle begins every day shortly after sunrise, when [Trump’s] press secretary, his acting chief of staff and a group of lawyers crowd into the wood-paneled second-floor office of Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, to synthesize the latest Capitol Hill legalese. An hour or so later, another group convenes downstairs in the office of Stephanie Grisham, the press secretary, to discuss the day’s top stories. Impeachment is usually one of them.”
“Then, in an underground office, two new additions — Tony Sayegh, a former Treasury Department spokesman, and Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general — get to work on the job they were hired last month to do: attack the process.”
Warren Goes After Her Rivals
“Elizabeth Warren came out swinging on Thursday as the Democratic primary slugfest heats up with Iowa on the horizon,” CNN reports..
“Speaking in New Hampshire, the Massachusetts senator ramped up what has been a stop-and-go process of directly criticizing her top moderate rivals, taking a series of unmistakable shots at Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden. Michael Bloomberg, too, came into her crosshairs.”
“The common theme: Their reliance on campaign cash from rich donors — or, in Bloomberg’s case, his own bank account — makes them untrustworthy and unlikely to spend political capital on policies that benefit the working class at the expense of wealthy contributors. Warren herself has sworn off big donors in the primary.”
House Passes Sweeping Bill to Lower Drug Prices
“The House on Thursday passed a sweeping bill aimed at lowering prescription drug prices, a step toward a long-held Democratic goal that was met with sharp Republican resistance,” The Hill reports.
“The bill passed on a largely party-line vote of 230 to 192. The measure, which would allow the government to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs, is one of House Democrats’ top priorities, and is expected to be touted by vulnerable Democrats up for reelection next year.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“It’s not a political party anymore. It’s a cult.”
— Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), quoted by the Quad City Times, on the Republican Party.
California House Race Gets Less Confusing
Palm Springs Desert Sun: “The race to represent California’s 36th District in the U.S. House of Representatives just became much less confusing: Republican challenger Raul Ruiz announced Wednesday he was dropping his challenge against Raul Ruiz, the incumbent Democratic congressman with the same name.”
Deval Patrick Left Off Michigan Ballot
Although former Gov. Deval Patrick’s (D) presidential campaign “is expressing frustration that he will not be listed on Michigan’s Democratic primary ballot,” a state party source tells CNN that Patrick “will not be listed for a simple reason: His campaign didn’t ask.”
The Democrats Most Likely to Vote Against Impeachment
The Democrats rumored as most likely to vote against impeachment on the House floor next week: Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ), Anthony Brindisi (D-NY), and Kendra Horn (D-OK).
DNC Announces Four More Debates Early Next Year
The DNC has announced the plans for the next four presidential primary debates which will occur in each of the first four voting states.
They’re included in our new Political Calendar.
Pelosi Won’t Whip Impeachment Vote
Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters that the Democrats will not be whipping the impeachment vote.
Said Pelosi: “We are not whipping this legislation, nor do we ever whip something like this. People have to come to their own conclusions. They have seen the facts, as presented in the intelligence committee, they’ve seen the constitution – they know it, they take an oath to protect and defend it. They’ve seen the constitutional experts speak about it. They’ll make their own decisions. I don’t say anything.”
She also confirmed the House vote would take place next week.
Quote of the Day
“I’m not in the camp of calling a bunch of witnesses… I think as an American, the best thing we do is deep-six this thing.”
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by Axios, arguing for a short impeachment trial in the Senate.
What’s the Plan for Impeachment?
Playbook: “While lawmakers in the Capitol have settled into a familiar and tested routine — Republicans defending the president, Democrats ripping him to shreds — the president seems to have no strategy. The White House complains about the process, calling it flawed and crooked. And the president’s aides, advisers and surrogates keep saying the Senate process will be fairer, as they look forward to hearing from Hunter and Joe Biden. The Bidens will not be testifying in this trial, senators have said, so the White House is constantly creating a construct in which the GOP Senate will have let down the base.”
“Yet Democrats don’t seem to have a plan, either, for what happens after the Senate acquits Trump. How will Democratic voters process that inevitable result? And how will they respond when Trump claims the Senate vote has vindicated him? And finally, what will they do if he keeps engaging in what they’ve deemed to be impeachable acts?”
Ukraine Extortion Scheme Was Financed by Russia
Jonathan Chait: “President Trump is facing impeachment primarily for abusing his power for political gain, extorting a foreign country to discredit his political rivals. The secondary aspect of the plot is that the target of his extortion is hardly random. Ukraine is the victim of Russian aggression, and Russia’s continuing incursions into Ukrainian territory is the muscle that gave Trump’s threats leverage. Trump’s domestic interests are one intended beneficiary of his scheme. The other is Vladimir Putin…”
“Meanwhile, federal prosecutors charged yesterday evening that Lev Parnas, an associate of President Trump who represented him in Ukraine, was wired $1 million from a Russian bank account weeks before his arrest. Which is to say, Trump’s Ukraine plot appears to have been financed by Russia…”
“Rudy has worked as Trump’s lawyer for ‘free,’ but Parnas paid him half a million dollars for his work. If Parnas himself was being paid by Russian sources, this means the Russians were essentially subsidizing Trump, paying for the work themselves so he didn’t have to lay out a dime of his own money.”
Hawaii GOP Cancels Presidential Primary
“The Hawaii Republican Party has canceled plans for its statewide presidential preference poll and committed all 19 of its national convention delegates to back the reelection of President Trump,” the Honolulu Star Advertiser reports.
The Hill: “Hawaii follows Kansas, Alaska, South Carolina, Arizona and Nevada in canceling a nominating contest.”
Watchdog to Review Contract to Firm Touted by Trump
“The Defense Department’s internal watchdog plans to review a recent Army Corps of Engineers decision to award a $400 million contract for border wall construction to a North Dakota company that has been publicly and privately endorsed by members of the Trump administration, including the president himself,” NBC News reports.
Study Undermines Warren’s Wealth Tax Claims
“A new study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School finds that Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s proposed wealth tax on the richest Americans will generate at least $1 trillion less than what the campaign claims, potentially undermining the key funding source for her plans to expand government-backed health care, education and other programs,” CNBC reports.
“Warren’s tax, if implemented in 2021, would raise $2.3 trillion to $2.7 trillion in additional revenue over 10 years, well below the $3.75 trillion her campaign estimates.”
