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Voters Head to the Polls Today in Los Angeles

June 6, 2017 at 10:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Los Angeles Times: “With a handful of competitive special elections underway across the country, the race to replace Xavier Becerra in the 34th Congressional District has gotten far less attention since the April primary winnowed a field of two dozen candidates to two.”

“But the runoff between Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and attorney Robert Lee Ahn, both Democrats, will either continue a decades-old tradition of Latino representation or hand a political milestone to the district’s Korean American minority. If elected, Ahn would become the first Korean American Democrat elected to Congress and only the second ever.”

Four Top Law Firms Rebuffed Trump

June 6, 2017 at 9:36 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Top lawyers with at least four major law firms rebuffed White House overtures to represent President Trump in the Russia investigations, in part over concerns that the president would be unwilling to listen to their advice,” Yahoo News reports.

“The unwillingness of some of the country’s most prestigious attorneys and their law firms to represent Trump has complicated the administration’s efforts to mount a coherent defense strategy to deal with probes being conducted by four congressional committees as well as Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller.”

Nevada Just Passed a Public Health Insurance Option

June 6, 2017 at 9:14 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Nevada, with little fanfare or notice, is inching toward a massive health insurance expansion — one that would give the state’s 2.8 million residents access to a public health insurance option,” Vox reports.

“The Nevada legislature passed a bill Friday that would allow anyone to buy into Medicaid, the public program that covers low-income Americans. It would be the first state to open the government-run program to all Nevada residents, regardless of their income or health status.”

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) did not respond to an inquiry about whether he would sign the bill or veto it.

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Comey’s Testimony Will Be a National Event

June 6, 2017 at 8:56 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

There have only been a few times when the entire country stops to watch a congressional hearing. It happened in 1973 with John Dean’s testimony in the Watergate scandal, in 1987 when Oliver North explained his role in the Iran-contra deal and in 1991 when Anita Hill testified against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.

It will happen again on Thursday morning when former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Variety reports the broadcast networks will interrupt their programming to bring the hearings live:

The decision to break into regularly scheduled programming for a Congressional hearing is unusual for broadcasters, indicating the incredibly high level of public interest in what Comey may or may not say regarding his interactions with President Donald Trump. Comey is expected to address whether Trump tried to influence the FBI’s investigation of Russian influence into the 2016 election, including a probe of Michael Flynn, who resigned as Trump’s national security adviser in February.

While Comey reportedly insisted on testifying in a public forum, it’s still not clear how much he’ll be able to say. He’ll likely refuse to answer questions that might interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. His public testimony will also be followed by a closed session.

But for most Americans, it will be their first chance to hear Comey speak and that’s a big deal.

The story of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia has so far been advanced mainly by print reporters. But television has lacked the compelling character until now.

Comey’s testimony could take the story to a whole new level.

There Is No $110 Billion Arms Deal with Saudi Arabia

June 6, 2017 at 8:22 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Bruce Riedel: “Last month, President Trump visited Saudi Arabia and his administration announced that he had concluded a $110 billion arms deal with the kingdom. Only problem is that there is no deal. It’s fake news.”

“I’ve spoken to contacts in the defense business and on the Hill, and all of them say the same thing: There is no $110 billion deal. Instead, there are a bunch of letters of interest or intent, but not contracts. Many are offers that the defense industry thinks the Saudis will be interested in someday. So far nothing has been notified to the Senate for review. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the arms sales wing of the Pentagon, calls them ‘intended sales.’ None of the deals identified so far are new, all began in the Obama administration.”

House Republicans Grow Angry with Senate

June 6, 2017 at 8:11 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

David Nather: “The Senate’s indecision over the health care bill isn’t going over well with the House, where Republicans are watching senators’ pessimistic statements with frustration, given all the work they went through to pass a bill. They’re getting more worried that the whole health care effort could just die in the Senate, and the House will have gone through the risky vote for nothing.”

Everything Is Coming In Two Weeks

June 6, 2017 at 7:55 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump has a plan. It’ll be ready in two weeks. From overhauling the tax code to releasing an infrastructure package to making decisions on NAFTA and the Paris climate agreement, Trump has a common refrain: A big announcement is coming in just ‘two weeks.’ It rarely does,” Bloomberg reports.

“Trump’s habit of self-imposing — then missing — two-week deadlines for major announcements has become a staple of his administration as it’s struggled to amass policy wins. The president has used two-week timelines to sidestep questions from reporters or brag to CEOs at the White House. But his pronouncements have also flummoxed investors, Congress and occasionally even members of his staff.”

Russia Investigation Has Derailed Trump’s Agenda

June 6, 2017 at 7:52 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, admitted to Politico that the Russia investigation was overwhelming his agenda.

Said Short: “There’s no doubt that keeping members focused on investigations detracts from our legislative agenda, detracts from what we’re trying to deliver for the American people.”

For members: Why Trump’s Legislative Agenda Is Essentially Dead

The Buck Stops Somewhere Else

June 6, 2017 at 7:25 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A brutal Wall Street Journal editorial:

Some people with a propensity for self-destructive behavior can’t seem to help themselves, President Trump apparently among them. Over the weekend and into Monday he indulged in another cycle of Twitter outbursts and pointless personal feuding that may damage his agenda and the powers of the Presidency…

In other words, in 140-character increments, Mr. Trump diminished his own standing by causing a minor international incident, demonstrated that the loyalty he demands of the people who work for him isn’t reciprocal, set back his policy goals and wasted time that he could have devoted to health care, tax reform or “infrastructure week.” Mark it all down as further evidence that the most effective opponent of the Trump Presidency is Donald J. Trump.

Trump’s War Room Has No Staff

June 6, 2017 at 7:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Mike Allen: “I’m told that the inside-outside machinery, as envisioned by aides who frantically planned it while Trump finished his overseas trip, may never exist. Top Republicans say the White House has been unable to lure some of the legal and rapid-response talent they had been counting on.”

Said a person involved in the conversations: “They had a pretty good structure, but they’re not able to close the deal.”

“Reasons include some power lawyers’ reluctance to work with/for lead Trump lawyer Marc Kasowitz; resistance by Kasowitz to more cooks in his kitchen; and lack of confidence that Trump would stick to advice. Some prospects worry about possible personal legal bills, and are skeptical Trump can right the ship.”

Graham Says It’s Unlikely Senate Will Pass Health Care

June 6, 2017 at 6:42 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Bloomberg he doesn’t see much chance for a GOP health care bill passing the Senate this year.

Said Graham: “I don’t think there will be. I just don’t think we can put it together among ourselves.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to Politico: “Just listening to the debate over the past few weeks, I think cobbling together a bill that could get 50 votes is going to be a challenge, but you never know.”

Quote of the Day

June 6, 2017 at 6:30 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I’ve been in motorcades for a couple of years now… I’ve never seen so many people flip the bird at an American motorcade as I saw today.”

— New York Times reporter Gardiner Harris, quoted by Stuff, on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit to New Zealand.

Trump Blames Sessions for White House Turmoil

June 6, 2017 at 6:15 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Few Republicans were quicker to embrace President Trump’s campaign last year than Jeff Sessions, and his reward was one of the most prestigious jobs in America. But more than four months into his presidency, Mr. Trump has grown sour on Mr. Sessions, now his attorney general, blaming him for various troubles that have plagued the White House,” the New York Times reports.

“In private, the president’s exasperation has been even sharper. He has intermittently fumed for months over Mr. Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election, according to people close to Mr. Trump who insisted on anonymity to describe internal conversations. In Mr. Trump’s view, they said, it was that recusal that eventually led to the appointment of a special counsel who took over the investigation.”

Playbook: “Imagine if you’re Sessions and gave up a safe Senate seat you held for 20 years — and could’ve held for 20 more — only to work for a president who became frustrated with you after five months on the job.”

Trump Is Stalling His Own Nominees

June 6, 2017 at 6:14 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump “is lashing out at Democrats for allegedly stalling his appointments and agenda, but it’s his own administration that is frequently sitting on the necessary paperwork for nominees,” Politico reports.

“It’s unclear exactly why the Trump White House has been so slow to officially submit some nominees’ paperwork, but it comes amid broader struggles by the new president to vet senior officials and staff his administration.”

Republicans Grow Uneasy as Trump Lashes Out

June 6, 2017 at 6:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump, after days of lashing out angrily at the London mayor and federal courts in the wake of the London Bridge terrorist attack, faces a convergence of challenges this week that threatens to exacerbate the fury that has gripped him — and that could further hobble a Republican agenda that has slowed to a crawl on Capitol Hill,” the Washington Post reports.

“Instead of hunkering down and delicately navigating the legal and political thicket — as some White House aides have suggested — Trump spent much of Monday launching volleys on Twitter, unable to resist continuing, in effect, as his own lawyer, spokesman, cheerleader and media watchdog.”

Mueller Brings On Experienced Prosecutors

June 6, 2017 at 6:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Special counsel Robert Mueller “is assembling a prosecution team with decades of experience going after everything from Watergate to the Mafia to Enron as he digs in for a lengthy probe into possible collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign,” Politico reports.

“Mueller brings a wealth of national security experience from his time leading the FBI in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Veteran prosecutors say he has assembled a potent team with backgrounds handling everyone from politicians to mobsters and who know how to work potential witnesses if it helps them land bigger fish.”

Trump Hotel Received $270K from Saudi Lobbying

June 5, 2017 at 7:23 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump’s Washington hotel “received roughly $270,000 in payments linked to Saudi Arabia as part of a lobbying campaign by the Gulf kingdom against a controversial piece of terrorism legislation last year,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The payments—for catering, lodging and parking—were disclosed by the public relations firm MSLGroup last week in paperwork filed with the Justice Department documenting foreign lobbying work on behalf of Saudi Arabia and other clients.”

Financial Disclosures for 349 Trump Appointees

June 5, 2017 at 7:15 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

ProPublica has posted the financial disclosure forms for 349 officials that President Trump has appointed to government positions.

“The disclosures are crucial to understanding potential conflicts. Many lobbyists and political consultants now work at the agencies they sought to influence.”