David Cameron, the former British prime minister whose memoirs will be released this week, reportedly went on a hunting vacation to the Scottish island of Jura last month, during which he is said to have “shot a stag and named him Boris,” the Times of London reports.
Sean Spicer Embarrasses Himself Again
Daily Beast: “Despite its best efforts, America could not shame Sean Spicer out of joining Dancing With the Stars. So there was the former White House press secretary on the ABC reality show’s 28th season premiere on Monday night, wearing a frilly yellow shirt that evoked Big Bird and a pair of tight-fitting white pants.”
“It didn’t get any better after that.”
Trump’s Scottish Resort Hosted Military for Longer Stays
Politico: “Air Force officers who have earned medals for their tours of combat theaters can pick up some more brass with a short pitstop in Southwest Scotland. As part of its relationship with the Air Force, President Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort occasionally gifts high-ranking officers a version of its ‘Pride Pin,’ a lapel pin featuring the property’s iconic lighthouse — an honor reserved for VIPs — upon their arrival, according a resort staffer familiar with the practice. Rank-and-file members can expect a more basic welcome package in their rooms, featuring goodies like Scottish shortbread.”
“A five-day visit to Turnberry and the surrounding region revealed that the regular visits from Air Force crews on layovers from Prestwick Airport have become a major facet of the life of the resort. It also revealed that, rather than being restricted to single-night refueling stops, some visits last multiple nights, expanding the known dimensions of the relationship between the president’s luxury resort and the U.S. military.”
Michael Bennet Releases New Ads In Iowa
Politico: “The Colorado Democrat didn’t appear on the primary debate stage last week, after failing to reach the criteria set by the Democratic National Committee. But Bennet is doubling down on his commitment to Iowa with a seven-figure TV and digital ad push over the next several weeks, starting Tuesday.”
Israel Votes In Repeat Election
“Israelis vote Tuesday in an unprecedented repeat election that will decide whether longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stays in power despite a looming indictment on corruption charges,” the AP reports.
“Netanyahu, the longest serving leader in Israeli history, is seeking a fourth consecutive term in office, and fifth overall. But he faces a stiff challenge from retired military chief Benny Gantz, whose centrist Blue and White party is running even with Netanyahu’s Likud. Both parties could struggle to form a majority coalition with smaller allies, though, forcing them into a potential unity government.”
Trump’s Dual Instincts on Iran
Washington Post: “Trump’s dual approach on Iran is premised on the idea that by walking out of the 2015 international nuclear deal with Tehran and replacing the pact’s concessions with new sanctions, Trump can both please the hawks and force Iran to the bargaining table for a deal that would carry the Trump brand.”
“Trump would be the first U.S. president to meet an Iranian president since the 1970s, an idea that appeals to him, said advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the president’s views. He has made an offer that has no precedent since the Islamic republic was born out of a bitterly anti-American revolution in 1979, saying repeatedly that he would sit down with ‘no conditions.’”
House Democrats Cave on Farm Bailout Money
“House Democrats, amid a backlash from moderates, are backing away from a plan to block President Trump from extending new farm bailout funds,” the Washington Post reports.
“The shift comes days after Democrats had sought to prevent the White House from expanding a major component of their farm bailout plan, which the White House has estimated could cost close to $30 billion. Trump had authorized the bailout funds in response to an outcry from farmers who claimed they were caught in the middle of his trade war with China. Democrats are likely to include legislation that would expedite payment of these funds as part of a must-pass spending bill as soon as this week.”
Warren Pitches Corruption Attack as Campaign Theme
“Elizabeth Warren cemented a fight against corruption as the argument underpinning her presidential campaign, telling thousands gathered in this liberal bastion that ‘giant corporations have bought off our government,'” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Earlier on Monday, Ms. Warren released an anticorruption proposal on the blog site Medium that built on legislation she announced last year. It adds new lobbying restrictions including a federal ban on all fundraising activities hosted by lobbyists. But the evening speech at Washington Square Park in Manhattan, the splashiest event of Ms. Warren’s presidential campaign, gave her a prominent forum to emphasize anticorruption policies.”
Warren Draws 20K to New York City Rally
BuzzFeed News: “At the marble arches that stand atop this lower Manhattan landmark, a crowd of an estimated 20,000 people on Monday night wielded signs about ‘big structural change.’ Introductory speakers told the crowd that Democrats didn’t just need the energy of a ‘blue wave’ — but ‘a plan.'”
“And Warren, invoking the story of the nearby factory fire that set off a wave of feminist activism in 1911 and helped lead to the New Deal, outlined a theory of change that combines movement-driven pressure ‘from the outside’ with the tactical power of a leader working the system ‘from the inside.'”
Intelligence Chief Told to Turn Over Complaint
“Acting director of national intelligence Joseph Maguire has until Tuesday to turn over a whistleblower complaint regarding a ‘serious or flagrant’ abuse involving an intelligence activity and possibly the White House,” the Washington Post reports.
“If he fails to do so, he will be ordered by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-CA) to explain publicly on Thursday his reasons for refusing.”
Democrats Shut Down Kavanaugh Impeachment Push
“Senior Democrats are moving quickly to snuff out calls to impeach Brett Kavanaugh, arguing those tactics are unrealistic and politically harmful,” Politico reports.
“Democrats are already wrestling with whether to try to oust President Donald Trump, and leadership sees little room for the party to take on a second divisive impeachment saga barely a year before the presidential election. So the demands by 2020 presidential contenders to remove the Supreme Court justice, on the heels of new reporting about allegations of sexual misconduct, are getting panned.”
Lewandowski Cleared to Testify in House Inquiry
“The White House on Monday blocked two more former aides to President Trump from testifying in House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, but cleared a third witness, Corey Lewandowski, to appear publicly on Tuesday and answer questions about potential obstruction of justice by the president,” the New York Times reports.
“The White House decisions amounted to mixed news for the House Judiciary Committee as it tries to crank up the intensity of an investigation devised to determine whether to recommend Mr. Trump’s impeachment for obstruction of justice and abuse of power — and to convince the public that such action is warranted.”
Bolton Already Contacting Literary Agents
“Following his acrimonious departure from the White House, former National Security Adviser John Bolton has insisted that he will have his ‘say in due course,'” the Daily Beast reports.
“It hasn’t yet been a full week, but it appears he’s found a vehicle for clearing the air. According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Bolton has already expressed interest in writing a book on his time in the Trump administration, and has been in contact in recent days with literary agents interested in making that happen.”
Said one source: “He has a lot to dish.”
Elaine Chao Investigated for Possible Conflicts
“The House Oversight and Reform Committee asked Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Monday to turn over documents related to communication with her family’s shipping company as the panel stepped up an investigation into whether any actions taken by Ms. Chao amount to a conflict of interest,” the New York Times reports.
“The request by the committee in the Democratic-controlled House relates to actions Ms. Chao has taken that potentially benefited Foremost Group, a New York-based shipping company owned by her family. Foremost has received hundreds of millions of dollars in loan commitments from a bank run by the Chinese government to help build ships that Foremost has purchased from government-owned shipyards there.”
Early-State Democrats Await Decisive Primary Blow
Politico: “Deep into the 2020 primary campaign — post-Labor Day and with three rounds of debates and fundraising quarters past — caution, patience and stasis have emerged as the defining traits of the Democratic contest.”
“Even as three candidates have pulled away from the rest of the field, early-state Democrats say it’s remarkable how none of them have truly taken command of the primary. They’re not seeing bold strategic strokes designed to distinguish their campaigns or sustained attempts to strike a decisive blow against rivals. And they don’t see an obvious front-runner with just 140 days until the Iowa caucuses.”
8 Years of Trump Tax Returns Subpoenaed
“State prosecutors in Manhattan have subpoenaed President Trump’s accounting firm to demand eight years of his personal and corporate tax returns,” the New York Times reports.
“The subpoena opens a new front in a wide-ranging effort to obtain copies of the president’s tax returns, which Mr. Trump initially said he would make public during the 2016 campaign but has since refused to disclose.”
Hillary Clinton’s Zombie Impeachment Memo Lives
Politico: “A document Hillary Clinton helped write nearly a half century ago has returned from the dead to threaten the man she couldn’t vanquish in 2016. The bizarre, only-in-D.C. twist centers on a congressional report penned by a bipartisan team of young attorneys that included Hillary before she was a Clinton and written in the throes of Watergate.”
“The 45-year-old report has become a handbook House Democratic lawmakers and aides say they are using to help determine whether they have the goods to mount a full-scale impeachment effort against President Donald Trump, the same man who three years ago upended Hillary Clinton’s bid for a return trip to the White House.”
