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Russian Agents Sought Records on Clinton Backers

December 20, 2018 at 1:33 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“US Treasury Department officials used a Gmail back channel with the Russian government as the Kremlin sought sensitive financial information on its enemies in America and across the globe,” BuzzFeed News reports.

“The extraordinary unofficial line of communication arose in the final year of the Obama administration — in the midst of what multiple US intelligence agencies have said was a secret campaign by the Kremlin to interfere in the US election. Russian agents ostensibly trying to track ISIS instead pressed their American counterparts for private financial documents on at least two dozen dissidents, academics, private investigators, and American citizens.”

Democrats Announce a Dozen Debates

December 20, 2018 at 12:14 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Democratic presidential candidates will meet in June for the first of at least 12 planned primary debates of the 2020 election cycle under a plan released Thursday by party officials who said they were determined to create large debate audiences with broad candidate participation,” the Washington Post reports.

“A ticket to the early debate stages will be determined by a combination of polling, grass roots financial support and other factors, in an effort to include candidates who are not registering nationally in public opinion surveys.”

Trump Opposes Deal to Avert Shutdown

December 20, 2018 at 11:57 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump “will not commit to signing legislation that would avoid a partial government shutdown on Saturday, his press secretary said, further roiling a chaotic debate that is splintering the Republican Party,” the Washington Post reports.

Said press secretary Sarah Sanders: “At this moment, the President does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall. The President is continuing to weigh his options.”

New York Times: “House Republicans emerged from a conference meeting Thursday morning disgruntled and without a guarantee from the leadership that the president would support a bill that would extend the government funding for nine federal departments past the Friday midnight deadline and into early February. The White House called an emergency meeting with House Republicans for noon.”


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Whitaker Doesn’t Need to Recuse from Probe

December 20, 2018 at 11:35 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has been advised by Justice Department ethics officials that he does not need to recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel’s Russia probe, the AP reports.

Trump’s Lame Duck Debacle

December 20, 2018 at 11:09 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump has botched the six weeks since the midterms, repeatedly making unforced errors that have produced weaker markets and political standing as he heads into next year’s divided government and his re-election race,” Axios reports.

“All of this has happened before Democrats take over the House and get subpoena power.”

Paul Ryan Was Unusually Dishonest

December 20, 2018 at 10:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jonathan Bernstein: “Paul Ryan gave a farewell speech to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. He won’t be missed. Ryan was badly cast as speaker of the House from the start, and failed to ever really grow into the job. But that wasn’t the worst of it.”

“One problem for Ryan was honesty. For me, the core example was his convention speech in 2012 as a vice-presidential candidate. That Ryan acted as an attack dog and exaggerated some facts was no big deal. But what was unusually dishonest was a particular attack on President Barack Obama: ‘He created a bipartisan debt commission,’ Ryan said. ‘They came back with an urgent report. He thanked them, sent them on their way, and then did exactly nothing.'”

“This was extraordinary. Ryan himself was not only on that bipartisan commission, he was the one who torpedoed the ‘urgent report,’ which never reached the president because of Ryan’s own actions. It’s one thing to push the boundaries of the truth or to engage in clever spin, but Ryan’s attack was pure fantasy that transferred his own actions to his opponent.”

Louise Linton Is Back on Instagram

December 20, 2018 at 10:19 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s wife, Louise Linton, is back on Instagram, according to Page Six.

“Linton — something of a Marie Antoinette of the digital age — took a sabbatical from the site after she caused an uproar in August 2017 for listing the many designers she was wearing in a picture of her getting off a government plane.”

“Her new Instagram account is clearly a brand overhaul — featuring posts about her charity endeavors.”

Trump Unfollows Ann Coulter

December 20, 2018 at 9:55 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump is no longer following Ann Coulter on Twitter “after the conservative firebrand declared she would no longer support his re-election if no progress has been made on the border wall by 2020,” The Hill reports.

Coulter told the Daily Caller that Trump’s presidency was “a joke” that will leave “no legacy whatsoever.”

U.S. and Allies Condemn China for Economic Espionage

December 20, 2018 at 9:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration and more than a dozen international allies are expected to simultaneously call out Beijing on Thursday for what they say are China’s persistent efforts to steal other countries’ trade secrets and advanced technologies and to compromise sensitive government and corporate computers,” the Washington Post reports.

“The mass condemnation marks a significant effort to hold China to account for its alleged malign acts. It represents a growing consensus that Beijing is flouting international norms of fair play to become the world’s predominant economic and technological power.”

Trump Undermines His Case for a Border Wall

December 20, 2018 at 9:02 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump on Twitter: “With so much talk about the Wall, people are losing sight of the great job being done on our Southern Border by Border Patrol, ICE and our great Military. Remember the Caravans? Well, they didn’t get through and none are forming or on their way. Border is tight. Fake News silent!”

First Read: “So if the border is tight, why the wall?”

Population Boom Could Remake 2020 Map

December 20, 2018 at 7:45 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “Those population shifts are poised to have a tangible impact in 2020 — with demographic shifts cementing Florida’s premier swing-state status, vaulting Arizona onto the list of 2020 swing states and perhaps putting Nevada further out of reach for President Trump’s reelection campaign.”

Democrats and Republicans Don’t Agree on Much

December 20, 2018 at 7:23 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

In a USA Today/Suffolk University Poll, Republican voters “worry that newly empowered congressional Democrats will go too far in investigating Trump and his administration. Democrats worry they won’t go far enough. Republicans want Congress to start the year by reducing illegal immigration and funding Trump’s border wall. Democrats want Congress to begin by addressing health care.”

Said pollster David Paleologos: “It’s the framework for gridlock.”

Barr Criticized Mueller Probe In Memo to Justice Dept

December 20, 2018 at 7:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“William Barr, President Trump’s choice for attorney general, sent an unsolicited memo earlier this year to the Justice Department that excoriated special counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry into potential obstruction of justice by Mr. Trump, saying it is based on a ‘fatally misconceived’ theory that would cause lasting damage to the presidency and the executive branch,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The 20-page document… provides the first in-depth look at Mr. Barr’s views on the special counsel’s Russia investigation, which he would likely oversee if confirmed.”

Mulvaney Will Let Trump Be Trump

December 20, 2018 at 7:12 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly tried and failed to bring a military discipline to the West Wing. Mick Mulvaney doesn’t plan to try. Mulvaney will approach the job far differently than Kelly… Most notably, he intends to give Trump more leeway to act as he chooses — a recognition that trying to control Trump is a futile approach,” Politico reports.

“Mulvaney will adopt a much larger role in politics and messaging, and plans to take a more laissez faire approach to some quirks of the Trump White House that irked Kelly — like non-essential staffers attending meetings, or the president frequently reaching out to longtime friends, Republican lawmakers and advisers for advice or dinners in the White House residence.”

Putin Praises Trump’s Decision on Syria

December 20, 2018 at 7:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Russian President Vladimir Putin praised President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, describing the American presence there as illegitimate and the Islamic State as largely defeated on the ground,” the Washington Post reports.

“Putin told journalists at his annual year-end news conference that the Islamic State has suffered ‘serious blows’ in Syria.”

Said Putin: “On this, Donald is right. I agree with him.”

Conservatives Angry Over Short Term Spending Bill

December 20, 2018 at 7:06 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Playbook: “Late last night, the Senate passed the short-term government funding bill by a unanimous voice vote just after 10 p.m… House Republicans have not decided whether to pass this bill today — they put off a decision last night. They have a party meeting at 10 a.m., but they had a rough night last night. The whip team surveyed House Republicans last night and found out that southern lawmakers were peeved the short-term spending bill included no disaster money. To be sure, the stopgap spending bill would likely still pass, being carried mostly by Democrats.”

“Conservative in the House Freedom Caucus are livid, and they took to the floor last night to rap Republicans for not building the wall as part of this spending bill. The topic took up the first 10 minutes of Fox News’ “Hannity” last night. Expect to see Freedom Caucus folks all day today on Fox News to try to tell the president he shouldn’t fold.”

Allies Were Not Told of Trump’s Syria Decision

December 20, 2018 at 7:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “A number of close U.S. allies who are members of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State said they were not consulted and were given no prior warning.”

“One European defense secretary put in a call Tuesday to Jim Mattis after hearing rumors of the decision and received a late-night call back from the defense secretary with confirmation. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not participate in the meeting with Trump and was in the dark until after it took place.”

Republicans Condemn Trump’s Surprise Syria Decision

December 20, 2018 at 7:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

GOP senators leveled “blistering criticism” at Vice President Mike Pence for President Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria, “with multiple Republican senators expressing outrage and frustration,” Politico reports.

“Pence was dispatched to the Hill as the administration began absorbing a torrent of condemnation from hawkish Republicans, who blasted the White House announcement that the U.S. and its allies have defeated the Islamic State in Syria and that some of the 2,000 U.S. troops battling the terrorist group will begin coming home.”

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Pence he was ‘personally offended’ to read about the decision in the news rather than hearing from the president or his aides.”

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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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