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We’re Witnessing the Corruption of Justice

February 12, 2020 at 11:55 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Lawfare: “Corruption of the justice system has two major elements. The first—at issue in the Ukraine scandal—is the use of state power to go after one’s enemies. The other is the ability to restrain government power to reward one’s friends and allies.”

“A dramatic display of this latter power took place today, Feb. 11, when the U.S. Department of Justice, having articulated in court its view of an appropriate sentence for President Trump’s associate Roger Stone—convicted recently on multiple felony counts—confronted an angry presidential tweet and then meekly reversed course in a second filing.”

Kim Wehle: “Of course, this president’s abuse of the massive powers of his office will continue because he knows that there is no one within the federal government who is able or willing to stop him.”

For members: How we’ll lose our democracy.

Quote of the Day

February 12, 2020 at 11:25 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“There haven’t been very strong indicators this week that he has.”

— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), quoted by the New York Times, when asked by reporters if President Trump had learned a lesson from impeachment.

Political Wire Straw Poll

February 12, 2020 at 11:19 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This poll is only open to Political Wire members.

Once again, there are three questions. I’ve limited the field to 7 candidates.

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Klobuchar Raised $2.5 Million Overnight

February 12, 2020 at 11:02 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s presidential campaign said it had raked in over $2.5 million since polls closed in New Hampshire’s primary Tuesday night, The Hill reports.

Ex-Wrestling Captain Says Jordan Engaged In Cover Up

February 12, 2020 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Adam DiSabato, a former captain of the Ohio State wrestling team during the late 80s and early 90s, told state lawmakers that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and other team officials “knew about open-shower team facilities that facilitated sexual harassment and abuse of team wrestlers​, an allegation Jordan has denied,” the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

“He also said Jordan called him repeatedly in July 2018, after media outlets quoted his brother, Michael DiSabato, saying Strauss’ abuse was common knowledge to those surrounding the wrestling program, including Jordan.”

Said DiSabato: “Jim Jordan called me crying, groveling… begging me to go against my brother…That’s the kind of cover-up that’s going on there.”

Why It’s Tough to Evaluate Bloomberg’s Chances

February 12, 2020 at 10:16 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

Michael Bloomberg’s unorthodox decision to skip the first four states in the Democratic nominating process has created a huge element of uncertainty in evaluating the presidential race.

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Tight GOP Primary for Alabama Senate

February 12, 2020 at 10:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Alabama Daily News/Mason-Dixon poll finds Jeff Sessions leading the Republican primary for U.S. Senarw with 31%, followed by Tommy Tuberville at 29%, Bradley Byrne at 17% and Roy Moore at 5%.

If no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote in a primary election, the contest goes to a runoff between the candidates with the top two vote totals.

In general election match ups with incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), Sessions wins 54% to 41%, Tuberville wind 50% to 42% and Byrne wind 51% to 42%.

Bernie’s Super Tuesday Edge

February 12, 2020 at 10:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Top Democrats tell Axios that if the split 2020 field persists through Super Tuesday, Bernie Sanders could build an insurmountable delegate lead while the moderates eat each other up.

Three scenarios:

1. Bernie’s Super Tuesday vote share is five points ahead of the second candidate (say, 30% to 25%). Bernie would net 96 delegates more than the next-highest-performing candidate. At that point, it would be possible but difficult to overtake Sanders: To become the nominee, that survivor would need to beat Bernie by an average of 53% to 47% in in remaining contests.

2.​ Bernie’s Super Tuesday vote share is 10​ points ahead of the second candidate (say, 30% to 20%). Bernie would net 198 delegates more than the next-highest-performing candidate. Overtaking Sanders would be unlikely: The field would need to clear, the and survivor would need to win each remaining contest on average 55% to 45% over Bernie.

3. Bernie’s Super Tuesday vote share is by 15 points ahead of the second candidate (say, 35% to 20%). Bernie would net 328 delegates more than the next-highest-performing candidate. The race would be all but over.

The FiveThirtyEight forecast now gives Sanders a 37% chance to win the majority of delegates.

The Polarization of Reality

February 12, 2020 at 10:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Harvard study finds growing evidence that Americans are polarized not only in their views on policy issues and attitudes toward government and society, but also in their perceptions of the same, factual reality.

The differences in perception of reality between Trump and non-Trump voters “are wider than between Democrats and Republicans overall.”

Amy Klobuchar’s Opening

February 12, 2020 at 9:40 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar is a very good politician. She’s an excellent debater. Her stump speech is probably the best of the Democratic field. And she’s a relentless campaigner.

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Former FBI Lawyer Warns Prosecutors

February 12, 2020 at 9:16 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who has been firmly in President Trump’s sights over the last few months, tweeted to the four federal prosecutors who stepped aside from the Roger Stone case after the president’s interference.

Said Page: “I am sorry for the agony you are about to endure, and for the pain and betrayal you will feel at the hands of your beloved Department. Know that you are on the right side of history and that we are so very proud of you for defending the rule of law.”

The Delegate Race

February 12, 2020 at 9:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

First Read: “Two contests down, and here’s the pledged delegate scoreboard: Buttigieg 23, Sanders 21, Warren 8, Klobuchar 7, and Biden 6. No other candidate has received a single delegate.”

“Remember, Democratic delegates are awarded proportionately, so to rack up big delegate hauls over the competition, you have to win big. (It’s why Sanders’ 1.5-point victory over Buttigieg netted the two men the same number of delegates from New Hampshire – 9. And it’s why Super Tuesday looms big.) Also remember, you need to hit at least 15 percent – either statewide or in congressional districts – to qualify for delegates. (Which is why both Warren and Biden came out of New Hampshire with zilch.)”

“Oh, and don’t forget the magic numbers. The first is 1,991. That’s the majority of total pledged delegates it will take to win the Democratic nomination on the first ballot at the Milwaukee convention.”

“The second (for now) is 2,376. That’s when the party’s 771 superdelegates get added to the mix for the second ballot and beyond, and that becomes your majority for all total delegates.”

The FiveThirtyEight forecast now shows a 34% chance at a contested convention.

Winners and Losers In New Hampshire

February 12, 2020 at 8:48 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

There are three tickets out of New Hampshire: One for Bernie Sanders, because he got the most votes. Another for Pete Buttigieg, because he came close in a state that Sanders won with 60% four years ago. And a final one for Amy Klobuchar, because she surprised many with a last-minute surge.

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O’Brien Insists Vindman Removal Wasn’t Retaliation

February 12, 2020 at 8:28 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“National security adviser Robert O’Brien said it was his decision to remove Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman from the National Security Council and rejected critics’ charge that the move marked retaliation for his testimony during the House impeachment investigation,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Said O’Brien: “I can absolutely tell you they were not retaliated against.”

Powell Says Fed May Lack Ammo to Combat Recession

February 12, 2020 at 8:21 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell came close to acknowledging that the central bank may not have the firepower to fight the next recession and called on Congress to get ready to help, Bloomberg reports.

Trump Praises Bill Barr

February 12, 2020 at 8:16 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump congratulated Attorney General Bill Barr for “taking charge” of the case against Roger Stone.

Said Trump: “Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought. Evidence now clearly shows that the Mueller Scam was improperly brought & tainted. Even Bob Mueller lied to Congress!”

Georgia Race Devolves Into Nasty GOP Fight

February 12, 2020 at 8:12 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Doug Collins’ (R-GA) Senate campaign in Georgia has prompted a raging intraparty fight leading to the departure of some of his top political advisers and recriminations with the Senate GOP’s main campaign arm, CNN reports.

“The National Republican Senatorial Committee is accusing Collins of running against Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), a Republican incumbent appointed by the governor, out of his own ‘selfish’ interests — while raising alarms that the bid has jeopardized the party’s chances to hold onto two GOP seats and made it harder for President Donald Trump to carry the Peach State in the fall.”

The move hasn’t dissuaded Collins from running. His spokesman told Playbook the “result is a positive one. Instead of a bunch of suits like the cast of ‘Law & Order’” working for the campaign, Collins has amassed a “colorful cast of characters who all have an aversion to authority.”

Bloomberg’s Path Still Not Clear

February 12, 2020 at 7:34 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Dan Balz: “All of this could be good news for Mike Bloomberg, the former New York mayor, who has chosen to skip the first four contests and begin his campaign in the states that vote March 3.”

“But it is good news for Bloomberg only if he can quickly make himself the principal alternative to Sanders. With Buttigieg and now possibly Klobuchar in the mix, that won’t be easy.”

Playbook: “What does this moderate surge do to Mike Bloomberg’s argument? Does it slow his rise — because a Bernie alternative is on the march — or halt it altogether? Or does it bolster his case that people are looking for a well-funded, tested alternative to Sanders?

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan 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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