Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that Utah’s top federal prosecutor, John Huber, “has been examining a cluster of Republican-driven accusations against the FBI and has decided that no second special counsel is needed — at least for now,” CNN reports.
State Senator’s Husband Indicted for Sexual Assault
A grand jury indicted Bryon Hefner, the husband of Massachusetts state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D), on multiple charges of sexual assault, criminal lewdness, and distributing nude photographs without consent, the Boston Globe reports.
Walker Reluctantly Calls Two Special Elections
“After a three-month delay, a lightning-quick lawsuit and three orders from as many judges, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) called two special elections Thursday and GOP senators dropped legislation to block the contests,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“Republican efforts collapsed following a Wednesday ruling by an appellate judge ordering the governor to call the May primary and June general elections. In less than a day, Walker abandoned a state Supreme Court appeal to overturn the ruling and lawmakers in both the Senate and Assembly canceled plans to vote to leave the seats vacant.”
Trump Says U.S. Leaving Syria Soon
President Trump said the United States would leave Syria “very soon” and “let the other people take care of it,” the Washington Examiner reports.
He added: “We’re going to be coming out of there real soon, going back to our country where we belong, where we want to be.”
Swing District Dems Must Be Willing to Work with Trump
A new Greenberg Quinlan Rosner poll suggests that Democratic candidates running in swing districts “must express a willingness to work with President Trump when his agenda might help the district.”
The survey also recommends that Democrats “not appear out of sync with what people believe about the economy.”
Axios: “President Trump’s election unleashed the far-left wing of the Democratic Party, but moderate Democrats are the party’s likely path to the majority. This new polling warns Democrats away from campaigning specifically against Trump and, instead, toward embracing the improving economy with a message focused on the middle class.”
Judge Denies Stormy Daniels Attempt to Expedite Case
“A federal judge on Thursday denied a request from Stormy Daniels, who says she was paid to remain silent about an affair with President Trump, to expedite a jury trial in her lawsuit against the president,” the Washington Post reports.
“The request for an expedited jury trial and limited discovery — including a deposition of Trump and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen — was deemed ‘premature and must be denied’ because some questions may wind up being answered by a future petition from Trump and Cohen… The ruling is a temporary setback for Daniels’s case and comes as it is unclear how the high-profile lawsuit will proceed.”
Most Americans Think Trump Will Lose Re-Election
A new CNN poll finds that 54% of Americans think that President Trump will lose his re-election bid in 2020, the exact same number who said Barack Obama would lose the 2012 election at this point in his first term.
Only 40% of Americans think Trump will win in 2020, similar to the 44% who said the same for Obama.
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“Be 91 and able to say whatever you want.”
— Former Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), quoted by the Detroit News, on how he gained his Twitter following.
When Fascism Looms
Coming soon: Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright.
House Exodus Gives Democrats a Huge Opportunity
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “As of this writing, just 379 of 435 House districts will have incumbents running in them this November. That’s the second-lowest total of the post-World War II era.”
“The 56 total open districts include 37 open Republican-held seats and 19 open Democratic seats.”
“Since our last open seat update, the Democratic potential in these seats has grown: It’s possible the Democrats could get a third or more of the way toward flipping the House just through netting gains among the open seats.”
Comey Book Tour Tickets Selling for $850
Former FBI director James Comey already has a best seller through preorders with his book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, the New York Post reports.
“Comey, who is also taping an audio version, will make promotional appearances on ABC and CBS and launch a 10-city tour. In five of those cities, Comey is giving lectures and commanding Broadway-like prices.”
“Tickets for Comey’s appearance at Town Hall on April 19 (two days after the book’s publication) are going for as much as $850 on StubHub — $95 is the top face value.”
Tom Steyer Is Building a Political Death Star
Daily Beast: “Ask a professional Democrat for his or her opinion on billionaire political donor Tom Steyer, and the answer you often get is a variation of the following: Why would someone with so much money spend it all on a fruitless attempt to impeach Donald Trump?”
“Press them for their thoughts in private, however, and many concede that the man funding a $40 million campaign to get rid of the current president is not just a gifted self-promoter, but is, in fact, building one of the true powerhouse entities within the Democratic ecosystem. Steyer is poised to play a massive role in the midterms and pull the party in the direction of his choosing. He’s also set himself up incredibly well—perhaps better than any other potential aspirant—for a serious presidential bid in 2020.”
Said one Democratic strategist: “If I were a rich person and I wanted to run for president. I would be doing exactly what he’s doing.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“It’s like Richard Nixon going to China, but if Nixon were a moron.”
— Jeffrey Lewis, writing in Foreign Policy, about the promised meeting between President Trump and Kim Jung Un.
Runoff In Mississippi Is Very Possible
The Washington Post reports that Mississippi Senate appointee Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) sat down yesterday with White House officials, who weren’t too keen on her when Gov. Phil Bryant (R) named her for the seat last week.
First Read: “At issue, among other things, is Hyde-Smith’s past as a former Democrat, which some Republicans worry could hamper her run against conservative firebrand Chris McDaniel, who’s also seeking the seat. Keep in mind that, if no candidate between Hyde-Smith, McDaniel and Democratic candidate Mike Espy gets to 50% of the vote on Election Day, we’ll be in for a runoff.”
McDaniel tweets: “It sounds like the WH is on the right track in refusing to endorse Cindy Hyde-Smith but this should help them make a final decision.”
Loyalty to Trump Becomes the Issue in GOP Primaries
James Hohmann: “Fealty to Trump has become more of a litmus test than ever for Republicans. Emboldened by private polling and focus groups that show the president is incredibly popular with the base, GOP candidates are stepping up attacks on their rivals over any daylight they’ve shown with Trump, even if it stemmed from his personal conduct toward women or apostasy on traditional conservative orthodoxy. It’s another illustration of the degree to which Trumpism has come to define the Republican Party. This is no longer the party of Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush. It’s the party of Donald J. Trump.”
‘Seeking Lead Attorney for Difficult Client’
Someone is using Craigslist to help find President Trump a new lawyer.
Is the Trump Bump Real?
Amy Walter: “What’s remarkable about Trump’s approval ratings during the course of his presidency, is how volatile and totally stable they are at the same time.”
“Since early March, Trump’s job approval has ticked up, but it is not any higher than it has been at previous points in his presidency. We will know things are really different this time around if Trump’s approval ratings break through – or at least continue to stay at — his current polling ceiling. However, it seems as if Trump’s floor and his ceiling are well-established with little, it seems, that can fundamentally move them.”
“The more pressing question, especially for Republicans going into 2018, is if Trump’s approval ratings will be on the higher end of the range (say 42-45%) than on the lower end (like 33-38%). While both are empirically pretty terrible numbers for any president, GOP members could have a fighting chance at preserving their House majority if Trump is on the higher end, while the lower end is likely to produce a tsunami-like wipeout.”
Earlier for members: Trump’s Approval Rate in Perspective
Trump Congratulates Roseanne Barr
“President Trump made a personal phone call to a political supporter with a huge megaphone — Roseanne Barr,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Trump called Ms. Barr to congratulate her on the revival of her comedy, Roseanne, and to thank her for her support.”
“The revival of the vintage ABC sitcom got off to an enormously strong start on Tuesday night, drawing 18.2 million viewers and a 5.1 rating among adults under 50, according to Nielsen.”
