“I have not been commenting on Mr. Trump and I will continue not to comment on Mr. Trump.”
— Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), when asked by CNN about Donald Trump’s call to revoke citizenship for flag-burners.
The Favorable Politics of Repealing and Never Replacing Obamacare
Join now to continue reading.
Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.
Pelosi Agrees to Changes In Democratic Leadership
“Just hours after fending off the first real challenge to her control in years, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has decided to support changes to the leadership that will loosen — somewhat — her grip on the Democratic hierarchy,” Politico reports.
“Pelosi will back the election of the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee… The California Democrat will also throw her weight behind plans to add five new leadership spots, including two for junior members.”
Earlier for members: Pelosi Must Groom Future Party Leaders
Becerra Quits to Become California Attorney General
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has tapped House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (D-CA) to be the next attorney general of California, the Los Angeles Times reports.
He will succeed Kamala Harris, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November.
A Battle Over Medicare Is Coming
First Read: “An interesting thing happened in the 2016 presidential race: There was no big fight over the politics of Medicare, seniors, and entitlements — like there was in 2010, 2012, and 2014. (The reason why was due to Donald Trump’s promise not to touch entitlements, as well as the Clinton campaign’s effort to go after Trump on temperament, not policy.)”
“But with Republicans in charge of the White House and Congress come Jan. 20, and with House Speaker Paul Ryan’s long-awaited effort to privatize/voucherize/restructure Medicare, entitlement politics are coming back… The biggest unknown, however, is whether President-elect Trump goes along with Ryan’s plans.”
Key takeaway: “Trump joining Ryan’s Medicare efforts could achieve a long-standing conservative goal, but open up the GOP to some mighty political attacks from Democrats in 2018 (including that Trump broke his promise on Medicare and entitlements). Or Trump blocking Ryan could uphold his promise on entitlements, especially with the kinds of voters who won him the election, but it would produce a significant fissure inside the GOP and conservative movement (which Democrats could still exploit). This will be one of the most important storylines to watch next year.”
Trump Management Style May Not Work In White House
“It has proven one of Donald Trump’s greatest strengths in building a worldwide luxury brand: An obsessive attention to detail, down to the curtains hanging in hotel rooms and the marble lining the lobby floor. As president, it may prove one of his major liabilities, presidential historians warn,” Reuters reports.
“Interviews with a dozen people familiar with how Trump conducts business reveal the president-elect as a micromanager who regularly spars over details about decor in projects across his real estate and branding empire.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“You have never, ever in your career seen a serious adult who’s wealthy, independent, has been a presidential nominee, suck up at the rate that Mitt Romney is sucking up.”
— Newt Gingrich, quoted by the Daily Beast.
The Wealthiest Administration In History
Washington Post: “His announced nominees for top positions include several multimillionaires, an heir to a family mega-fortune and two Forbes-certified billionaires, one of whose family is worth as much as industrial tycoon Andrew Mellon was when he served as treasury secretary nearly a century ago. Rumored candidates for other positions suggest Trump could add more ultra-rich appointees soon.”
“Many of the Trump appointees were born wealthy, attended elite schools and went on to amass even larger fortunes as adults. As a group, they have much more experience funding political candidates than they do running government agencies.”
“Their collective wealth in many ways defies Trump’s populist campaign promises. Their business ties, particularly to Wall Street, have drawn rebukes from Democrats. But the group also amplifies Trump’s own campaign pitch: that Washington outsiders who know how to navigate and exploit a ‘rigged’ system are best able to fix that system for the working class.”
New York Times: Trump cabinet choices signal embrace of Wall Street elite
Ivanka Trump Will Champion Liberal Causes
Ivanka Trump “is now poised to be the first ‘first daughter’ in modern history to play a larger public role than the first lady. And she’s positioning herself exactly as she did that weekend — as a bridge to moderates and liberals disgusted and depressed with the tone and tenor of the new leader of the free world,” Politico reports.
“And the ambitious daughter, who once plotted her career around international brand domination, is planning to take on an even heavier lift. Ivanka wants to make climate change — which her father has called a hoax perpetuated by the Chinese — one of her signature issues, a source close to her told Politico. The source said Ivanka is in the early stages of exploring how to use her spotlight to speak out on the issue.”
Republicans May Delay Obamacare Replacement
Politico: “Congressional Republicans are setting up their own, self-imposed deadline to make good on their vow to replace the Affordable Care Act. With buy-in from Donald Trump’s transition team, GOP leaders on both sides of the Capitol are coalescing around a plan to vote to repeal the law in early 2017 — but delay the effective date for that repeal for as long as three years.”
“They’re crossing their fingers that the delay will help them get their own house in order, as well as pressure a handful of Senate Democrats — who would likely be needed to pass replacement legislation — to come onboard before the clock runs out and 20 million Americans lose their health insurance. The idea is to satisfy conservative critics who want President Obama’s signature initiative gone now, but reassure Americans that Republicans won’t upend the entire health care system without a viable alternative that preserves the law’s popular provisions.”
Quote of the Day
“Donald Trump promised that he was not going to have a government that was going to work for Wall Street. He promised that he was not going to have a revolving door. And then he turns around in his first big economic appointment is to appoint a Wall Street insider.”
— Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), quoted by Politico.
Ethics Office Advised Trump to Divest His Holdings
“The Office of Government Ethics has informed lawyers for President-elect Donald J. Trump that only a divestiture of his financial stake in his sprawling real estate business will resolve ethical concerns about conflicts of interest as he assumes the office of the presidency,” the New York Times reports.
“The revelation from the normally secretive federal agency came Wednesday in a bizarre series of oddly informal postings on its Twitter account after officials apparently concluded, erroneously, that Mr. Trump had committed on his own Twitter account to divesting his assets.”
Conway May Take Role Outside Administration
“Kellyanne Conway is considering taking the helm of the external political operation that will support Donald Trump during his tenure as president,” The Hill reports.
“Just as President Obama’s outside organization became a powerful force in progressive politics, Trump’s infrastructure could become a dominant force on the right. What becomes of this group — and who runs it — is one of the hottest topics of conversation circulating the D.C. Republican scene.”
More Americans Want to Keep Obamacare
A new Kaiser Health poll finds just a quarter of Americans say they wanted to scrap the Affordable Care Act, down from nearly a third in October.
By contrast, nearly half say they want the law expanded or implemented as it is. Another 17% say they want the law scaled back.
Democratic Donors Feel Burned
“Democratic donors stung by Hillary Clinton’s upset loss in the presidential race feel like they just set their money on fire,” The Hill reports.
“The sore feelings are a huge problem for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which is trying to rebuild its image and reinvigorate a defeated party in time for challenging midterm elections in 2018.”
Petraeus Would Have to Notify Probation Officer
If David Petraeus is picked as the next Secretary of State, he’ll have three days to notify his probation officer, The Hill reports.
From his court judgment after being sentenced to two years: “The defendant shall not leave the Western District of North Carolina without the permission of the Court or probation officer. Travel allowed for work as approved by U.S. probation office.”
“In addition to those guidelines, Petraeus could also be subject to warrantless searches if he was appointed to Trump’s cabinet. His probation officer would be able to access and review his computer and phone data at any point in time until the end of his sentence.”
Clinton Now Leads By 2.5 Million Votes
Hillary Clinton’s popular vote lead over Donald Trump just passed 2.5 million, or 1.9%, according to the Cook Political Report tally.
Russia Helped Spread Fake News Before Election
U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia helped disseminate fake and propagandized news as part of a broader effort to influence and undermine the presidential election, BuzzFeed News reports.
Said one: “This is beyond propaganda, that’s my understanding.”
New Yorker: Solving the problem of fake news
