Esquire: “In the ‘90s, John F. Kennedy Jr. founded and edited a revolutionary magazine called George, which covered politics like it was pop culture. Was it folly—or a glimpse of the Trumpian future?”
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Richard Lugar Is Dead
Washington Post: “Richard Lugar, a six-term Indiana senator who became one of the foremost voices on U.S. foreign policy — championing efforts to end apartheid in South Africa, oust Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos and secure the former Soviet Union’s weapons of mass destruction — and whose primary defeat in 2012 by a tea party candidate shocked the political establishment, died. He was 87.”
“The cause was complications from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a neurological disorder.”
Democrats Feel Little Pressure to Impeach
New York Times: “As House Democrats return this week to Washington after a two-week recess, they will find a Capitol consumed by the report of Mr. Mueller, the special counsel. A private meeting of the House Democratic caucus on Tuesday promises to be heated, as do Senate and House hearings on Wednesday and Thursday with Attorney General William P. Barr.”
“But rank-and-file Democrats are not being propelled by their constituents into a headlong confrontation over impeaching the president. In town hall-style meetings and meet-and-greets across the country last week, constituents bemoaned Mr. Trump’s policies, groaned at his refusal to heed congressional subpoenas and fretted over what they saw as an erosion of the rule of law.”
“But there were few signs of an uprising to demand a quick judgment that the misdeeds laid out in the special counsel’s report constituted the kinds of “high crimes and misdemeanors” worthy of trying to remove the president from office.”
Quote of the Day
“The fact of the matter is, Robert E. Lee was a great tactician. Was not a great person. Robert E. Lee was a slave owner and a brutal slave master. Thankfully, he lost that war. And I find it kind of interesting that the president is now glorifying a loser. He always said that he hated losers. Robert E. Lee was a loser.”
— Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), on This Week.
Trump Warns Sanders Is Being Cheated Again
President Trump claimed the Democratic Party is again trying to manipulate its presidential primary elections, Politico reports.
Said Trump: “The Democratic National Committee, sometimes referred to as the DNC, is again working its magic in its quest to destroy Crazy Bernie Sanders… for the more traditional, but not very bright, Sleepy Joe Biden. Here we go again Bernie, but this time please show a little more anger and indignation when you get screwed!”
Trump Says He’s Sending Migrants to Sanctuary Cities
President Trump told a Wisconsin rally that his administration is sending undocumented migrants to sanctuary cities.
Said Trump: “Last month alone, 100,000 illegal immigrants arrived at our borders, placing a massive strain on communities … and public resources, like nobody has ever seen before. Now we’re sending many of them to sanctuary cities, thank you very much. They ain’t too happy about it.”
He added: “I’m proud to tell you that was actually my sick idea.”
Barr Threatens to Not Show Up for Hearing
“Attorney General William Barr has warned Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee he won’t show up to this week’s highly anticipated hearing if they stick to the format the chairman has proposed for the questioning,” CNN reports.
“Skipping this week’s hearing would amount to a dramatic escalation in the growing fight between the Trump administration and House Democrats over a range of oversight requests, including over access to the unredacted report from special counsel Robert Mueller, the subject of Thursday’s hearing.”
Fighting Oversight Is a Dictatorial Move
Robert Reich: “Such a blanket edict fits a dictator of a banana republic, not the president of a constitutional republic founded on separation of powers.”
“If Congress cannot question the people who are making policy, or obtain critical documents, Congress cannot function as a coequal branch of government.”
“If Congress cannot get information about the executive branch, there is no longer any separation of powers, as sanctified in the US constitution.”
“There is only one power – the power of the president to rule as he wishes. Which is what Donald Trump has sought all along.”
Democratic Race Is Wide Open
“After four months of campaigning, the Democratic presidential race remains wide open, with the bulk of the electorate still uncommitted,” according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
“Asked to name the candidate they currently support, 54% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents did not volunteer anyone. That figure is little changed from 56% in January, despite a slew of candidate announcements, vigorous campaigning in the early primary and caucus states, multiple cable television town halls and interviews and constant fundraising appeals.”
“Among the minority who expressed a preference, former vice president Joe Biden holds a tenuous advantage over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).”
Trump Explains Golan Heights Decision
President Trump claimed the Golan Heights is “important strategically” for Israel because “heights… you’re up high,” Vox reports.
He explained: “So that’s been under consideration for 52 years, for 52 years they told me they’d been studying it. This is very important strategically for victory, heights, because you’re up high, very important. Fifty-two years ago this started and I did it quickly. Done. It’s all done.”
Sanders Unveils New Organizing App
Sen. Bernie Sanders “flaunted his ground operation Saturday with what he called the ‘largest distributed day of action ever in a presidential campaign’ and announced a new online organizing tool called BERN,” NBC News reports.
“The app allows everyday supporters to contribute to the campaign’s voter database by logging names and background information of anyone from a family member to a stranger met at a bus stop. It matches each name to a voter record before noting their level of support, priority issue and even union membership.”
Beto O’Rourke Switches His Tone and Style
Washington Post: “Over the past weeks, O’Rourke has subtly adjusted his campaign style and tone in ways that counteract the criticism and mockery he has faced.”
“O’Rourke’s handling of many Democratic voters’ needs for a rhetorically different approach has developed in full view. In his 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, O’Rourke favored a sunny, optimistic pitch, only rarely castigating his Republican opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz.”
“He has tried to stay true to that approach, but he now calls the president ‘racist’ and regularly compares his rhetoric to Hitler’s, an escalation of his prior criticism of Trump and his administration.”
Clinton Warns About Russian Interference
Hillary Clinton warned the Democratic candidates ahead of 2020 to be wary of interference in the presidential election, CNN reports.
Said Clinton: “You could work your heart out, you could get the nomination, and there would still be factors that would undermine a legitimate election.”
Trump Promises to Be ‘Very Happy’ with 6 More Years
President Trump promised supporters at a campaign rally on Saturday night that he would “be very happy” if he was able to serve six more years in the White House, The Hill reports
Said Trump: “I promise at the end of six years, I’ll be very happy. But you’re going to be left with the strongest country you’ve ever had.”
He added: “They don’t believe I’m leaving in six years.”
Nevada May Be Wildcard for Democratic Race
HuffPost: “Nevada, the westernmost state of the early-voting states in presidential primaries, can often feel like the neglected kid brother of New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa. The other three states have decades’ worth of traditions and earn mounds of media attention, with Jefferson-Jackson dinners and fish fries that candidates and reporters seemingly have no choice but to attend. But Nevada, which is three time zones away from the glare of the D.C.-to-New York media corridor, only earned early-state status in 2008.”
“But in 2020, the Silver State could play a decisive role because Nevada lacks a clear favorite among the Democratic contenders. Certain candidates, however, are the early favorites in the other three states – In Iowa, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg are polling well; in New Hampshire, Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, a fellow New Englander, have a leg up; and in South Carolina, Biden, along with Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, is expected to perform well among the state’s African American voters.”
Oliver North Steps Down as NRA President
“Retired U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North will step down as president of the National Rifle Association, North said on Saturday, adding he was being forced out due to his allegations that NRA leaders engaged in financial improprieties,” Reuters reports.
White House Narrows Hunt for Schedule Leaker
New York Times: “It was emailed to 388 administration officials every night as an attachment: a copy of President Trump’s private daily schedule, outlining his upcoming meetings and their locations, helping the White House staff plan around his day.”
“But since that schedule — which revealed that Mr. Trump’s day was often made up of large blocks of unstructured and unscheduled ‘executive time’ — began regularly turning up in the hands of journalists, the White House has instituted a new system to crack down on unsanctioned ‘leaks.’”
“There are no more email attachments, according to two officials. Instead, the president’s daily private schedule is now shared on SharePoint, a Microsoft product that allows an administrator to monitor who has viewed the document. Based on how often people view the schedule, and when its contents become public, the White House has narrowed down its search for the schedule ‘leaker’ to three potential culprits.”
Moore Hires Public Relations Firm to Guide Nomination
“Stephen Moore, President Trump’s embattled pick for the Federal Reserve, is getting help from a conservative-leaning public relations firm in navigating his controversial effort to land a seat on the central bank’s board,” Politico reports.
