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Another Government Shutdown Looms

February 11, 2019 at 6:45 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Playbook: “Negotiations between Republicans and Democrats have broken down, and they are on the brink of being beyond repair.”

“Democrats are pushing for a statutory cap of 16,500 detention beds for people detained in the U.S., which is what they believe is a mechanism to focus the Trump administration’s interior enforcement policies.”

“There is also disagreement on how much to spend on border barriers, and where such structures should go.”

“The is quickly becoming December all over again. Nothing has changed.”

Democrats Not Convinced Joe Biden Can Win

February 11, 2019 at 6:33 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“McClatchy interviewed 31 Democratic strategists — pollsters, opposition research experts, media consultants, ex-party officials, and communications specialists — from across the country about a potential Biden campaign. Nine agreed to speak on the record; all others quoted anonymously do not plan to be affiliated with any candidate running in the presidential primary.”

“Strikingly, these conversations yielded a similar view: The Democratic political community is more broadly and deeply pessimistic about Biden’s potential candidacy than is commonly known. While these strategists said they respect Biden, they cited significant disadvantages for his campaign — from the increasingly liberal and non-white Democratic electorate to policy baggage from his years in the Senate and a field of rivals that includes new, fresh-faced candidates.”

Trump Sending More Troops to the Border

February 11, 2019 at 6:26 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “The Trump administration was moving on its own to fortify the southwestern border with thousands of active-duty military troops. The number of deployed troops on the Mexican border was set to exceed the high of 5,900 reached around the November elections, as about 3,700 active-duty troops were being sent to assist with the Department of Homeland Security’s border patrol efforts.”

“Senior officers are voicing greater worries that the deployed troops are not conducting the training needed for their regular missions, while other military units must now pick up the routine duties on behalf of their deployed colleagues.”

Democrats Mull Impeaching Fairfax

February 11, 2019 at 5:49 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A draft resolution calling for the impeachment of Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) has been circulating among Virginia Democrats over allegations of sexual assault, and might be introduced as soon as Monday, Reuters reports.

Government Funding Negotiations Fall Apart

February 10, 2019 at 7:21 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jonathan Swan: “If the talks are dead, Trump is so dug in he has only two options: shut down the government again or use his emergency powers to get the money.”

“Both options are horrible. The first would herald a return to chaos, depleted government services and federal workers being deprived of pay. The second would mean an instant court fight and a backlash from Congress.”

A Sneak Peek at a New Site

February 10, 2019 at 6:51 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

In two of the last five presidential elections, the winner of the popular vote did not become president. That’s because it’s not the voters who elect the president, it’s the electoral college.

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Trump May Hold Summit with Xi

February 10, 2019 at 6:18 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump’s advisers have informally discussed holding a summit at his Mar-a-Lago resort next month with Chinese President Xi Jinping to try to end the U.S.-China trade war, Axios reports.

“It doesn’t appear that the U.S. and China have made much progress, so far, on the biggest structural issues that Trump has promised to conquer. These include China’s rampant theft of U.S. intellectual property, forced transfer of U.S. technology and trade abuses that China’s leaders have used to grow their economy at America’s expense.”

Walter Jones Is Dead

February 10, 2019 at 6:14 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Walter Jones Jr. (R-NC), who made it his mission to atone for his vote sending U.S. troops into Iraq in the early 2000s, died Sunday on his 76th birthday, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

Washington Post: “Jones began his tenure on Capitol Hill as a staunch conservative and voted in 2002 to authorize military action against Iraq. He came to view the invasion as a mistake, and sought to do his penance by writing to the relatives of every deceased U.S. service member, one heart-wrenching letter at a time.”

Steve Schmidt Stormed Off His Own Podcast

February 10, 2019 at 6:03 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Steve Schmidt, who is advising former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on an independent presidential bid, abruptly walked off his own podcast when co-host Adam Levine pressed him on how Schultz could actually get the 270 electoral votes he needed to win, the Daily Beast reports.

SCHMIDT: This is bullshit. I’m not doing this.

LEVINE: Steve, you’ve got to answer the questions.

SCHMIDT: I’m not.

And with that, Schmidt slammed down his headset and abruptly ended the interview.

“He threatened legal action against the studio if the interview airs, according to a source involved in the discussion. When his legal threat failed, he offered to buy the recording… The studio refused.”

Many Stunned to Get Smaller Tax Refunds

February 10, 2019 at 5:24 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Millions of Americans filling out their 2018 taxes will probably be surprised to learn that their refund is less than expected or that they owe money to the Internal Revenue Service after years of receiving refunds,” the Washington Post reports.

“People have already taken to social media, using the hashtag #GOPTaxScam, to vent their anger… The uproar comes after President Trump and congressional Republicans passed a major overhaul of the tax code in December 2017, the biggest legislative achievement of the president’s first year.”

Klobuchar Admits She Can Be Tough on Staff

February 10, 2019 at 5:19 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Shortly after announcing her presidential bid on Sunday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) offered a defense against the recent reports that she has consistently mistreated members of her staff, the HuffPost reports.

Said Klobuchar: “Yes, I can be tough, and yes I can push people. I have high expectations for myself, I have high expectations for the people that work for me, but I have high expectations for this country.”

Mulvaney Expects Schedule Leaker to Be Caught Soon

February 10, 2019 at 5:18 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News that he expects to know who leaked three months of President Trump‘s daily schedule by as early as the end of this week. But that doesn’t mean anybody will be fired.

Said Mulvaney: “When we find that person or persons, and it’s likely to be a career staffer, you’re going learn a lot about how hard it is to fire federal workers.”

Klobuchar Jumps Into Presidential Race

February 10, 2019 at 4:13 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) “leapt into the 2020 presidential race Sunday, becoming the first Midwestern state official to join the field taking on President Trump,” Politico reports.

Washington Post: “Klobuchar took pains to portray herself as someone who, with experience at the local and federal levels, would bring competence to the White House, contrasting that with the current environment of chaos and shutdowns in Washington.”

Nate Silver: “As compared to candidates such as Harris and O’Rourke, who might hope to blitz their way to victory on the basis of strong fundraising and early delegate accumulation in California and Texas, Klobuchar is probably playing a long game. But doing so requires hitting two important mile markers. First, success in the debates. And then a strong performance in the Iowa caucuses.”

Mulvaney Says Wall Will Be Built Regardless of Congress

February 10, 2019 at 2:45 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said that, whatever Congress may or may not propose in a border security compromise, President Trump will get his wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, USA Today reports.

Said Mulvaney: “The president is going to build the wall… this is going to get built with or without Congress.”

The congressional negotiations on border security are currently stalled as another government shutdown looms.

Warren Suggests Trump Might Be In Prison Before Election

February 10, 2019 at 2:42 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) told voters that President Trump might be unable to finish his term, firing back at him for the first time since his reelection campaign attacked her rollout, the Washington Post reports.

Said Warren: “By the time we get to 2020, Donald Trump may not be president. In fact, he may not even be a free person.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

February 10, 2019 at 2:30 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I think he’s clinging to a rhetorical strategy that was very powerful when he was coming of age 50 years ago, but it’s just a little bit different right now,”

— South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, on CNN, dismissing President Trump’s efforts to portray Democratic policies as “socialist.”

Trump Says He Works More than Past Presidents

February 10, 2019 at 2:25 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump defended his use of “Executive Time,” arguing that it’s “a positive” and he works “very long hours.”

Said Trump: “When the term Executive Time is used, I am generally working, not relaxing. In fact, I probably work more hours than almost any past President.”

Bennet Hints He’ll Join Presidential Race

February 10, 2019 at 12:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) “had a message for fellow Democrats this weekend as two more White House contenders formally jumped into the 2020 presidential race: Don’t forget about me,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Bennet: “We’ve got a million people that are going to run, which I think is great. I think having one more voice in that conversation that’s focused on America’s future, I don’t think would hurt.”