A new 6 News poll in Michigan finds Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in a dead heat with challenger John James (R), 39% to 39%.
This is the second poll in a week to show the race essentially a toss up.
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“He’s been a piece of shit. He’s a piece of shit.”
— Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, on Pod Save America, about Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Probe Into Giuliani Associates Widens
“A federal grand jury investigating activities surrounding Rudy Giuliani’s back-channel campaign in Ukraine has demanded legal documents that include records of extravagant spending at Trump hotels and millions of dollars in financial transfers by Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two key operatives who carried out the plan,” BuzzFeed News reports.
“The documents requested by a subpoena that was issued in Florida last week could shed light on whether other people, including foreign nationals, were trying to influence the top levels of government and impact the 2020 presidential campaign.”
Biden Once Called Clinton Impeachment a ‘Lynching’
Joe Biden denounced President Trump’s comparison of the ongoing impeachment inquiry to a “lynching,” but in a 1998 interview, the then-senator from Delaware also invoked the term in reference to impeachment, calling it a “partisan lynching,” CNN reports.
Indicted Giuliani Associate Using Manafort Lawyer
“Igor Fruman, one of the two associates of President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani who are facing criminal charges in New York, has retained a defense lawyer who is also representing former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort,” Politico reports.
Trump Donor Guilty of Hiding Work as Foreign Agent
“A prolific political fundraiser who donated large sums to President Trump’s inaugural committee is expected to plead guilty to federal criminal charges.” the AP reports.
“The Justice Department says Imaad Zuberi will admit in federal court in Los Angeles that he falsified records to conceal his work as a foreign agent while lobbying high-level U.S. government officials.”
Nielsen Resigned Because Saying No Wasn’t Working
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says she resigned from her post earlier this year because “it became clear that saying no” to policies she disagreed with “was not going to be enough,” The Hill reports.
Trump Floats Conway, Mnuchin as Mulvaney Replacements
“President Trump has for weeks been privately testing the idea of replacing his chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, who’s swiftly fallen out of favor with some of the president’s allies after high-profile stumbles handling the House impeachment inquiry,” Bloomberg reports.
“About a month ago, Trump said to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in front of a roomful of staff: You have such great ideas, why don’t you be my chief? He has made similar remarks about Chris Liddell, a deputy chief of staff at the White House… He’s also asked advisers whether his counselor Kellyanne Conway would be a good chief of staff.”
Taylor’s Opening Statement
The Washington Post has obtained a copy of Ambassador Bill Taylor’s opening statement to the House committees investigating impeachment.
It’s a brutal indictment of the Trump administration’s efforts to tie Ukraine military aid for political favors.
Matt Viser summarizes: “President Trump insisted, over and over there was not a ‘quid pro quo.’ But there was a quid. Followed by a pro. And then, finally, a quo.”
Anonymous Op-Ed Writer Has Written a Book
“The author of an anonymous column in the New York Times in 2018, who was identified as a senior Trump administration official acting as part of the ‘resistance’ inside the government, has written a tell-all book to be published next month,” the Washington Post reports.
The book, titled, A Warning is being promoted as “an unprecedented behind-the-scenes portrait of the Trump presidency” that expands upon the Times column, which ricocheted around the world and stoked the president’s rage because of its devastating portrayal of Trump in office.
According to CNN, the literary agency representing the author declined to comment on whether the person still worked in the administration.
Sale
A Warning
- Hardcover Book
- Anonymous (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 272 Pages - 11/19/2019 (Publication Date) - Twelve (Publisher)
McConnell Denies Discussing Ukraine Call with Trump
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) denied in a CBS News interview ever telling President Trump that his Ukraine call was “perfect” or “innocent,” as the president has claimed.
Asked whether Trump was lying, the Kentucky Republican replied: “You’d have to ask him.”
Taylor Confirms Trump Sought Ukraine Quid Pro Quo
“President Trump’s top envoy to Ukraine told House impeachment investigators on Tuesday of intense efforts by administration officials to secure investigations of Trump’s political rivals in exchange for a White House meeting with Ukraine’s president and critical military aid,” Politico reports.
“William Taylor prompted sighs and gasps when he read a lengthy 15-page opening statement… Another person in the room said Taylor’s statement described ‘how pervasive the efforts were’ among Trump’s allies to convince Ukrainian officials to launch an investigation targeting former Vice President Joe Biden and another probe centering on a debunked conspiracy theory regarding the 2016 election.”
The New York Times says Taylor provided an “excruciatingly detailed” opening statement that described the quid-pro-quo pressure campaign that Trump and his allies have been denying.
The Washington Post describes the testimony as “damning.”
Parliament Rejects Boris Johnson’s Brexit Deal
The British Parliament voted to reject the government’s timetable for the passage of the bill that would implement Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, The Guardian reports.
They voted against the measure by 322 to 308.
Johnson suggested earlier he would seek a general election if he lost.
Russia Wins Joint Control of Northern Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin played host to Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for more than six hours of talks on how they and other regional players will divide control of Syria, a land devastated by eight years of civil war, the New York Times reports.
“The negotiations ended with a victory for Mr. Putin: Russian and Turkish troops will take joint control over a vast swath of formerly Kurdish-held territory in northern Syria, in a move that cements the rapid expansion of Russian influence in Syria at the expense of the United States and its Kurdish former allies.”
Trying to Change Trump’s Mind on Syria
“In the days after President Donald Trump paved the way for Turkey to invade Syria, several of his closest allies went to the White House — twice — to try to change his mind,” NBC News reports.
“Retired Gen. Jack Keane, a Fox News analyst, first walked the president through a map showing Syria, Turkey and Iraq on Oct. 8, pointing out the locations of oil fields in northern Syria that have been under the control of the U.S. and its Kurdish allies, two people familiar with the discussion said. That oil, they said Keane explained, would fall into Iran’s hands if Trump withdrew all U.S. troops from the country. Keane went through the same exercise with Trump again on Oct. 14, this time with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at his side.”
Katie Hill Denies Improper Relationship with Aide
Freshman Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA) is denying allegations that she had an improper relationship with a congressional staffer, and blamed the controversy on an “abusive husband” that she is the midst of divorcing, Politico reports.
Said Hill: “The fact is I am going through a divorce from an abusive husband who seems determined to try to humiliate me.”
Red State recently published intimate photographs and text messages that show Hill was involved in a long-term sexual relationship with a female campaign staffer.
How the Trump Campaign Sucks Up Data at Rallies
Wall Street Journal: “Trump rallies are more meticulously produced than the loose and thinly staffed events of four years ago. And while the events don’t earn nearly as much free media as in 2016—cable networks stopped airing them at full length months ago—the campaign has turned them into giant, roving field offices that vacuum up personal data from rallygoers, register new voters and sign up his most enthusiastic supporters as volunteers.”
“Mr. Parscale discussed with political operatives the possibility of using facial recognition at rallies to help analyze reactions from supporters, but was told by at least one company that the technology wasn’t reliable yet.”
Playbook: “Breathe that in for a second. The Trump campaign was considering using facial recognition technology to identify its rally-goers. Republicans have been skeptical of the government using it because many consider it obtrusive and untested. A private entity — the Trump campaign — was considering it. This is a huge scoop that gives us a unique view into the president’s campaign.”
‘The Biggest Story of the Century’
While pushing false Hunter Biden conspiracies, President Trump told Sean Hannity that if his sons Donald Jr. and Eric accepted payments from questionable foreign sources “it would be the biggest story of the century,” Vox reports.
Of course, the Trump Organization does in fact take payments from many questionable foreign sources.
