“We were very disappointed by a couple of senators, Republican senators I must say, we were very disappointed that they would take the attitude that they did. But we are disappointed in certain so-called Republicans.”
President Trump, quoted by The Hill, on the latest failed GOP attempt to repeal Obamacare.
“The Environmental Protection Agency is spending nearly $25,000 to construct a secure, soundproof communications booth in the office of Administrator Scott Pruitt,” the Washington Post reports.
“Typically, such soundproof booths are used to conduct hearing tests. But the EPA sought a customized version — one that eventually would cost almost several times more than a typical model — that Pruitt can use to communicate without fear of being monitored.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “is laying down the same marker on tax legislation as he did on health care, demanding regular order and support from both parties — a stance that has proved pivotal in thwarting Senate Republican efforts to undo Obamacare,” Bloomberg reports.
Said McCain: “We need to do it in a bipartisan fashion. I am committed, as I’ve said before, to a bipartisan approach, such as we’ve been doing in the Armed Services Committee for the last 53 years.”
The U.S. Senate will not vote on the latest Republican bill to repeal Obamacare, sources tell CNN.
“The decision is another blow to President Trump’s attempts to repeal Obamacare, a long-time Republican campaign promise and a centerpiece of his legislative agenda. Trump is now also floating the idea of working with Democrats on changes to the health care law, repeating his budget deal he reached earlier this month.”
Washington Post: “Top Republicans, however, also indicated they have little interest in shoring up the existing insurance market operating under the 2010 law. Instead, they suggested, the ongoing instability would backfire on Democrats and build momentum for the ACA’s eventual repeal.”
For members: Obamacare Isn’t Safe Yet
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said that criminal charges against former Trump advisers Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn are virtually certain, Politico reports.
Said Blumenthal, a former U.S. attorney: “I’m about 99% sure there will be some criminal charges from this investigation.”
He added that he is less certain Trump himself would end up facing charges “but there may well be others.”
“The tax plan being presented to GOP members over the next couple of days — as soon as this afternoon to senators — isn’t likely to include tough policy decisions about revenue raisers,” according to Axios.
Said one GOP lobbyist: “All of the goodies and none of the vegetables.”
“Although there’s disagreement about how much individual and corporate tax rates should be lowered, almost every Republican is going to be happy with tax cuts and lower rates. The painful decisions come in when members are forced to decide about revenue-raising policies — for example, whether to eliminate or reduce the state and local tax deduction, which Bloomberg reported this morning is already hitting blue-state Republican resistance.”
A new Monmouth poll in Virginia finds Ralph Northam (D) just five points ahead of Ed Gillespie (R) in the race for governor, 49% to 44%.
“North Korean government officials have been quietly trying to arrange talks with Republican-linked analysts in Washington, in an apparent attempt to make sense of President Trump and his confusing messages to Kim Jong Un’s regime,” the Washington Post reports.
“The outreach began before the current eruption of threats between the two leaders but will probably become only more urgent as Trump and Kim have descended into name-calling that, many analysts worry, sharply increases the chances of potentially catastrophic misunderstandings.”
Said one Republican: “Their number one concern is Trump. They can’t figure him out.”
“There are communities under Sharia law right now in our country.”
— Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore (R), quoted by Vox.
“Top Washington lawyer Abbe Lowell engaged in an email exchange with a prankster posing as client Jared Kushner on Monday, at one point telling the prankster that he needed ‘to see all emails’ sent and received from a private email account the president’s son-in-law had set up in December,” Business Insider reports.
The prankster wrote to Lowell from the email address “kushner.jared@mail.com” asking what he should do with “some correspondence on my private email … featuring adult content.”
He added: “I’m so embarrassed. It’s fairly specialist stuff, half naked women on a trampoline, standing on legoscenes, the tag for the movie was #standingOnTheLittlePeople :(”
Lowell replied: “Don’t delete. Don’t send to anyone. Let’s chat in a bit.”
“Senate Republicans are on track to fall short in their last-ditch attempt to repeal Obamacare this week — now they’re just debating how best to fail on their seven-year campaign pledge,” Politico reports.
“The discussion will take place at the Senate GOP’s weekly party lunch later Tuesday, Republicans said. McConnell could go ahead and schedule a vote, in order to show the conservative grass roots and the broader party that the Senate GOP did all it could to dismantle the law. But there is also concern about the optics of going ahead with a failed vote.”
“Republicans are also privately worried that President Trump could continue to attack them if they give up on the effort publicly.”
A new USA Today/Suffolk poll in New Jersey finds Phil Murphy (D) with a nearly 20 percent point lead over Kim Guadagno (R) in the race for governor, 44% to 25%.
Meanwhile, Gov. Chris Christie (R) continues to suffer from a historic low 16% approval rating while 74% disapprove.
First Read: “If Roy Moore is victorious tonight – and if he wins the general in December – that will only strengthen the Steve Bannon/Breitbart/Nigel Farage forces in future GOP primaries. Think Arizona (where Sen. Jeff Flake is incredibly vulnerable), Nevada (ditto Sen. Dean Heller) and even Colorado (where Rep. Mike Coffman has dared Tom Tancredo to primary him).”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) says doctors have given him a “very, very serious prognosis” as he battles brain cancer, CNBC reports.
Of his chances for survival, McCain says: “Some say 3 percent, some say 14 percent.”
“McCain underwent surgery in July for a brain tumor that was later found to be a form of glioblastoma, the same type of cancer that took the life of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in 2009. McCain said that he thinks about Kennedy a lot. He says Kennedy continued to work despite the diagnosis and ‘never gave up because he loved the engagement.'”
“Everybody knows that’s going to fail.”
— Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), quoted by the Washington Post, on a planned vote on the GOP’s latest health care plan.
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that 65% of Americans feel large corporations pay too little in taxes.
“Given what the public knows about it, they opposes Trump’s tax plan by 44% to 28%, with a substantial 28% undecided. Half of those polled expect the administration’s plan to reduce taxes on the wealthy, while just 10% think it’ll reduce taxes on the middle class. A quarter expect equal treatment.”
Taegan 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.