Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Thursday September 26, 2019.
THE DAILY SIGNAL
| Sep 26, 2019 |
| Good morning from Washington, where Democrats are in an impeachment lather over President Trump’s rambling phone call with his counterpart in Ukraine. Fred Lucas sums up a transcript of the conversation and Trump’s criticism of political enemies for stepping on U.N. achievements. With the media spotlight suddenly on Ukraine, our Nolan Peterson tells what’s at stake in a war he is one of the few to cover. Plus: Hans von Spakovsky on how impeachment should unfold, and Victor Davis Hanson on the demise of citizenship. On this date in 1960, Richard Nixon meets John F. Kennedy in the first televised debate in a presidential campaign. |
| News House Democrats Target Tax-Exempt Status of ‘Hate Groups’ as Defined by Left Despite the recent troubles facing the Southern Poverty Law Center, House Democrats are considering stripping tax-exempt status from organizations labeled as “hate groups” by the liberal organization. More Commentary How the Impeachment Process Works Only the House can pass a resolution of impeachment alleging that a president has committed “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Such a resolution, which requires only a simple majority vote, is an unproven list of charges that a president has engaged in actions that warrant his impeachment. More Commentary Why Russia’s War Against Ukraine Matters to America It’s a bit ironic, and tragic, that it takes a political controversy in Washington to finally draw U.S. media attention to a country in which Europe’s only ongoing land war is being fought. More News Trump Slams Democrats for Announcing Impeachment Inquiry During His UN Talks “The witch hunt continues,” says President Trump about Democrats’ impeachment push. More Commentary Problematic Women: Ladies, Know Your Worth Rachel Greszler, Heritage Foundation fellow and working mom of six, discusses the so-called gender wage gap and why celebrities are wrong about it. More News 6 Key Points From Trump’s Call to Ukraine’s President “There’s a lot of talk about [Joe] Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the attorney general would be great,” President Trump tells the Ukrainian president. More Commentary The Death of American Citizenship Tribalism, the erosion of the middle class, and de facto open borders are turning Americans into mere residents of a particular North American region between Mexico and Canada. More | ||
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THE EPOCH TIMES
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“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.” ALBERT EINSTEIN Good morning, The White House yesterday released a transcript of a conversation between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart. The transcript showed that the president did not pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, nor did he make a “promise” as was reported in the media. Zelensky also told reporters that he didn’t feel ‘pushed’ to investigate Biden. Read full article here DNI Joseph Maguire Challenges Washington Post Story About Him Within One Hour, Says It Was False Iran President Warns World: ‘Big Fire’ If Single Mistake Is Made Universal Postal Union Reaches Deal on Rates, Averts Exit by U.S. Director of National Intelligence Provides Whistleblower Complaint to Congress A recent rash of alleged rapes in Maryland’s Montgomery County is magnifying the tension between sanctuary policies and immigration enforcement. Read more Pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma recently filed for bankruptcy as part of an agreement to pay back billions of dollars to communities ravaged by the opioid epidemic, which thousands of lawsuits alleged Purdue helped fuel—but some critics say that’s not enough. Read more The United Nations, during events in Geneva and New York this week, is being urged to investigate the Chinese regime for killing prisoners of conscience for their organs. Read more Apocalyptic climate and environmental catastrophes of global proportions have decimated the world many times over in recent decades—at least based on dozens of predictions made by various scientists, experts, and officials over the past 80 years. Read more There must be something in the water in Iowa that makes Republicans like Sen. Joni Ernst recoil at the thought of a tax dollar being wasted by government bureaucrats. Read more Parents blame legislation signed by Bill Clinton for the rash of Child Protective Services corruption and abuse claims cropping up all over the country. Read more See More Top Stories Attention: If you Currently Own or are Considering Buying Physical Precious Metals for your portfolio, please read carefully. On Sept. 26th, 2016, under the Obama Administration, the American Bankers Association and the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures [CUSIP] announced it started tracking a list of Fungible Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium bars and coins. Simply put: when the failing banking system NEEDS to calculate YOUR ASSETS outside of their financial system, THEY CAN EASILY DO SO! Contact GSI Exchange to acquire the secret documented list of fungible precious metals that are now being tracked by the big banks. Call 833-474-4653 now to speak with a GSI Exchange representative about this new tracking trend. Click here to claim your complimentary copy of our exclusive Bank Failure Survival Guide while supplies last Takeaways From Three Mile Island By Mark Hendrickson On Sept. 20, the notorious Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Middletown, Pennsylvania, generated its last kilowatt of electrical energy. Exelon Generation, the operating company, closed TMI for economic reasons. The closing received widespread media coverage. After all, TMI was, as the media have repeatedly reminded us, the site of “the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history.” Read more How Climate Change Pseudoscience Became Publicly Accepted By Nir Shaviv Political and corporate leaders gathered for the climate week in New York City have urged significant action to fight global warming. But, given the high costs of the suggested solutions, could it be that the suggested cure is worse than the disease? Read more See More Opinions Gold Wins in Three out of Four Scenarios, Says Macquarie Strategist By Valentin Schmid Warren Buffett claims that gold is worthless because it doesn’t produce anything. Fair point, but what if the other sectors of the economy also stop producing? “If you think of gold, the only way gold loses is if normal business and private sector cycles come back. If that is the case, gold goes back 100 dollars per ounce. The other outcomes—deflation, stagflation, hyperinflation—are good for gold,” said Viktor Shvets, global strategist for… Read more Denying China access to U.S. capital markets is now under serious consideration at the highest levels of the federal government. The rationale for doing so is clear and compelling. China has been abusing the system for decades by faking the financial health of listed companies, to the detriment of investors and the capital markets. Will President Trump Kick China out of Financial Markets? Copyright © 2019 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list or remove my account. |
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
LARRY J. SABATO’S CRYSTAL BALL
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IN THIS ISSUE: – 2020 Primary and Caucus Cancellations Through the Lens of Recent History – NC-9: West to the Left, East to the Right 2020 PRIMARY AND CAUCUS CANCELLATIONS THROUGH THE LENS OF RECENT HISTORY By Josh Putnam Guest Columnist, Sabato’s Crystal Ball |
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KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE — Republicans in several states have canceled primaries and caucuses in 2020 as President Trump seeks renomination. — To be sure, the Trump campaign and various state GOP organizations are working to smooth the president’s path to renomination and attempting to reduce any divisiveness within the Republican primary electorate and ultimately the Republican general election coalition. — However, the cancellation of primaries and caucuses is not unprecedented, as a review of the two most recent nomination cycles involving incumbent presidents (George W. Bush in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2012) reveals. Why primaries/caucuses get canceled Much has been made of late about the recent wave of cancellations of Republican primaries and caucuses ahead of primary season in 2020. With three challengers having thrown their hats in the ring to oppose President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, there have been at least a few quiet declarations about the fairness (or necessity) of such maneuvers on the state level. Fairness or necessity aside, however, these sorts of moves are not uncommon throughout the post-reform era of the presidential nomination process. States and state parties routinely hold off on conducting both primaries and caucuses for a variety of reasons: as a means not of protecting an incumbent president, but of instead saving valuable resources a state government could use for other more pressing projects, or that state parties could use elsewhere in party building. But the question that has lingered amid all the state-level maneuvering on the Republican side is whether this 2020 cycle is any different than other cycles involving incumbent presidents seeking renomination? And beyond that consideration, are there any differences across the two major parties? Coming on the heels of President Trump’s victory in the 2016 general election, the Republican Party did what incumbent parties occupying the White House tend to do: They largely stuck with the overarching national party delegate selection rules that got the president nominated in the first place. The only change that took place within the RNC rules was to eliminate a debates commission within the RNC charged with sanctioning presidential primary debates. And that decision was made and finalized in 2017-18 in the context of a constant drumbeat of just how vulnerable the president was to a challenge from within his own party. In other words, despite the potential for threat, the national party made no significant moves within the rules to insulate the president from those possible challenges. While that may be viewed in retrospect as a missed opportunity, in a typical four-year presidential nomination cycle, it often is not the only opportunity for a party to exercise some control over the process. Instead of working through the national party rules to end the proportional allocation requirement for early calendar contests, for example, the national party and the presidential reelection campaign can work with state parties to change rules at that level. That is exactly what the Trump campaign set out to do in early 2019. Changes have been made to increase delegate qualification thresholds (see Michigan), to add winner-take-all triggers (see Massachusetts), to end the direct election of delegates (see West Virginia), and to cancel primaries and caucuses. All had some variation of the same goal: to smooth the president’s path to renomination and attempt to reduce any divisiveness within the Republican primary electorate and ultimately the Republican general election coalition. Obviously, primary rules changes have a clearer, more direct impact on the former, but parties tend not to forget the latter. That is why one sees parties trying to get back to the White House make changes to their rules. But that does not mean that the party in the White House sits idly by waiting for the general election. Much of what guides the two major parties in the United States on these questions is based on the general philosophies of both. The Democratic National Committee has increasingly taken a more top-down approach to rules and rules changes, defining, for example, when states can hold delegate selection events, the method of delegate allocation, and any threshold to qualify for delegates. National Republicans, on the other hand, have tended to take a more hands-off approach. This has changed some in recent cycles, but the RNC has for most of the post-reform era left it up to the state parties to decide how to handle their own delegate selection processes. That philosophical difference has implications for how both parties tackle rules changes in a cycle when they are defending the incumbent in the White House. In the wake of the 2008 election, Democrats still reexamined their rules based on the Democratic Change Commission chartered at the 2008 convention in Denver. There was an effort to reduce the number of superdelegates that came out of that commission and a new bonus incentivizing states to form regional and subregional clusters of contests on the primary calendar. That all happened at the national party level, and states responded by making very limited changes to their delegate selection plans for 2012. Alternatively, the Republican process — the Republican philosophy — empowers state parties. That is not to say that the national party did not make any changes, but it is noteworthy that in cycles prior to 2012, the Republican National Committee could not make changes to the national party rules unless they came out of the quadrennial convention. To the extent, then, that changes were made to the rules, in incumbent cycles or not, they tended to come from the state parties. Cancellations, as a result, have been state party decisions often focused on a financial bottom line rather than out of some perceived need to come to the aid of a potentially embattled Republican president. But those past cancellations, and those occurring on the Republican side for 2020 come in a variety of forms, something that has been lost in the coverage of the recent spate of Republican state party decisions. The focus there — or perhaps the frame — has been on state parties opting out of primaries or caucuses. There is, however, more nuance to this than mere opt outs. Table 1 demonstrates this by filtering these state-level cancellation decisions into more refined categories. Sure, Republican state parties in five states in 2019 have exercised opt outs. And another, Arizona, did the same, but only after the state legislature created that power through their budget negotiations during the 2019 legislative session. Table 1: Primary and caucus cancellation types by year |
| Notes: *Florida had not only a law in place to cancel the primary if only one candidate was on the ballot, but also had a noncompliant January primary, forcing Sunshine State Democrats to use a later caucus instead. **The 2020 total remains in flux as Republican state parties continue to finalize their 2020 rules ahead of an Oct. 1 RNC deadline. Definitions of terms used in Table 1: Ballot Access Law: States with laws in statute to cancel primaries if just one candidate makes the primary ballot. Budgetary/Legislative: State legislatures either decided not to fund a presidential primary or outright canceled the primary. Opt Out (primary): State party opts out of a primary election. Opt Out (caucus): State party opts out of a caucus and/or holds no presidential preference vote. Noncompliance: States with a primary noncompliant under national party rules on timing (too early). Redistricting: States with ongoing redistricting battles that kept the delegate selection process unresolved, forcing states to use a caucus. Sources: Frontloading HQ, The Green Papers, CQ Weekly Report Over the years, state parties have also made the decision to opt out of a primary because the timing of the contest was noncompliant under national party rules. Take Arizona, Florida, and Michigan in 2012. Democrats in those states did not willingly opt out of those primaries. Instead, Republican state legislators made decisions to schedule those primaries early to impact the course of the Republican nomination race. That left Democrats in those states in the lurch. The Democratic state parties could apply for waivers from the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, but given the Florida and Michigan kerfuffle from the 2008 cycle — when those states scheduled their nominating contests earlier than national Democrats allowed — those waivers may not have been forthcoming. Given the choice, Democrats in all three states chose later calendar caucuses in lieu of a primary that would have penalized them absent a waiver. Lingering redistricting concerns can also derail a primary. Unresolved congressional district boundaries affects the allocation of congressional district delegates in both parties. Both Texas in 2012 and North Carolina in 2004 had unsettled redistricting processes stretching into the presidential election year that forced state parties into alternate means of delegate allocation. Finally, one large collection of states contributing to this cancellation trend in years in which an incumbent is seeking renomination is based on state law. In a number of states, there are laws on the books that automatically cancel a primary election if only one candidate appears on the ballot. That was a significant contributor to the total number of cancellations in both of the 21st century cycles when an incumbent was seeking renomination. They accounted for a third of the cancellations on the Republican side in 2004 and almost half of them in the Democratic process in 2012. This is an area that may bump up the total number of 2020 Republican cancellations after the Oct. 1 RNC deadline as Trump’s challengers attempt to make the ballot in those states. Should Mark Sanford, Joe Walsh, and Bill Weld fall short of making the ballot, then Trump being the sole qualifier may automatically end Republican primaries in a number of states. The one thing that stands out in the comparison between parties is the number of opt outs during this century. It is much more prevalent among Republicans, especially in caucus states. Note that in 2004, when George W. Bush was up for renomination, eight state parties held caucuses but had no presidential preference vote tethered to the process. Delegates were selected in that caucus/convention process, but those delegates were either bound to only Bush or remained unbound but committed to the president. Another avenue for Republican state parties in this vein is that under Rule 16(d)(1)(iii) of the Rules of the Republican Party, state committees can select, allocate, and bind delegates to the national convention. In fact, this is what Nevada Republicans have done for 2020. This is not as clearly an option on the Democratic side under DNC rules. That also helps to explain some of the differences across parties. It also suggests that there is room for growth in the number of caucus cancellations on the Republican side as the deadline for state parties to finalize plans for 2020 approaches. So far, 2020 lags behind the 2004 Republican pace, but there is still time (and means) for that to change. Joshua T. Putnam is author of Frontloading HQ, a widely-cited website that tracks the presidential nomination rules for both parties. He has taught political science at a number of North Carolina universities and colleges since receiving his PhD from the University of Georgia. |
| NC-9: WEST TO THE LEFT, EAST TO THE RIGHT |
| By J. Miles Coleman Associate Editor, Sabato’s Crystal Ball |
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Dear Readers: We are delighted to welcome the newest member of the Crystal Ball and Center for Politics team, J. Miles Coleman, who started working with us on Monday. Many readers may already be familiar with Miles’ work on Twitter, where he has built a following thanks to his wonderful election maps. Miles also worked with Decision Desk HQ, which provides live election results on election nights and political analysis. Miles will be writing regularly for the Crystal Ball, and this week he is providing a detailed look at the recent NC-9 do-over special election from earlier this month. — The Editors KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE — Over the course of less than a year, the electoral coalitions in NC-9 shifted along regional lines, despite similar overall outcomes. — Traditionally loyal to Democrats, the Lumbee Indians in North Carolina have emerged as a key swing constituency, and Democrats should not take their votes for granted. — Always remain cautious about projecting special election results to future elections. NC-9: A closer look Earlier this month, the final election of the 2018 midterms was settled, as voters went to the polls, again, in North Carolina’s Ninth Congressional District. While the race drew national attention, largely due to the election fraud allegations and litigation that prompted the do-over election, the overall result was mostly static from 2018 to 2019. In the invalidated 2018 election, veteran Dan McCready (D) came up three-tenths of a point short. In the re-do election, McCready lost another close race, by 2%. Compared to McCready’s 2018 Republican opponent, former pastor Mark Harris (R), state Sen. Dan Bishop (R) was able to make inroads in much of the district. Map 1 shows the changes in the results from the initial, invalidated vote in 2018 and the do-over from two weeks ago. Map 1: NC-9 changes from 2018 to 2019 NC-9 spans a diverse cross-section of the state, but the three counties that most impacted the outcome were Mecklenburg, Union, and Robeson. In 2018, 75.8% of the votes in NC-9 came from this trio; in 2019, they increased their share to 77.8%. As overall turnout in the district dropped by 33%, it meant that these three counties punched above their weight in 2019. In the western corner of the district, the Mecklenburg County part of NC-9 casts about 34% of the votes in the district. Ostensibly, the Mecklenburg electorate seemed full of contradictions; Bishop’s political base was here, but it was, ironically, the only county where McCready improved from 2018. The Mecklenburg County part of NC-9 (outlined in gold) overlaps almost perfectly with Bishop’s state Senate district, SD-39. These suburbs, formerly known as the “Republican wedge” in south Charlotte, served as a launching pad for former GOP Govs. Pat McCrory and Jim Martin. In the Trump era, though, suburban Charlotte has moved left, as the “Clinton Republicans” there have started voting more reliably blue. In 2018, McCready carried SD-39 with 53.6%. Despite losing by a larger margin in 2019, he improved to 55.4% in this area. Just east of Mecklenburg County, Union County serves as the GOP bulwark in NC-9. Union is comparable to counties like Waukesha, WI or Montgomery, TX, as a large suburban county that has remained red even as many other suburban places have trended Democratic. For much of the 20th century, Union County was dominated by the textile industry; aside from an affinity for Richard Nixon, the mill workers here helped color the county blue. By the Reagan era, the Charlotte suburbs were spilling into Union County, bringing an influx of wealthier voters into to the western part of the county. This new constituency, coupled with the rural nature of the eastern part, put the GOP in a position to dominate local politics. Though McCready improved in the parts of the county closer to Charlotte, he performed slightly worse in 2019 than 2018. Union cast 32% of the district-wide vote; Bishop’s 60% share there helped cancel out his losses in Mecklenburg. Robeson County is the most populous county in NC-9’s eastern region and has seen dynamic political trends in recent elections. Western Robeson is home to the Lumbee Indian tribe; once a monolithically Democratic bloc, the Lumbee are now, perhaps, the most overlooked swing voters in the state, and they are a culturally conservative tribe. McCready did well in the Lumbee-majority precincts in 2018, carrying them by 21%. This was quite a turnaround from 2016, when President Trump made major inroads with them. In 2019, though, Bishop won those same precincts by 3%. The Bishop campaign spent the vast majority of its resources courting voters in the eastern area of the district, and it showed in areas like this. In Robeson County, precinct #35 houses the town of Prospect (outlined in gold on the map) and is a prime example of the electoral volatility of the Lumbee country. By registration, the Prospect precinct is about 90% American Indian, making it the most heavily-Lumbee precinct in the county, as North Carolina expert Michael Bitzer of Catawba College notes in the linked tweet thread. In 2012, despite winning statewide in a 12% statewide rout, Gov. Pat McCrory (R) took just 43% there. In 2016, McCrory was defeated, but won Prospect with 76%; meanwhile, looking down the ballot, longtime Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D) managed to take 51% in the precinct (as shown in Map 2). McCready’s share in the Prospect precinct saw a similarly major shift; it fell from 53% to 39% between the two NC-9 elections. Though it may be tempting and easy to attribute these differences to fraud or hacking, especially given Robeson County’s colorful political history, these types of swings have come to characterize the Lumbee vote. Map 2: 2016 results in Robeson County What does this mean for 2020? On one level, the NC-9 saga was very much a continuation of 2016 trends. Mecklenburg County is home to professionals with college degrees and upper-middle class families. This is exactly the type of demographic that has reacted poorly to Trump; they swung against him in 2016, and the leftward lurch continued both in 2018 and in 2019. Meanwhile, going eastward, McCready couldn’t match Barack Obama’s numbers with blue collar whites or with members of rural minority communities. Conversely, as the saying goes, special elections are special. North Carolina is known for its close elections, and NC-9 has been stable. Sen. Thom Tillis (R) won his seat by 1.5% statewide in 2014, while carrying NC-9 by 12%. Two years later, Gov. Pat McCrory (R) was narrowly ousted, but carried NC-9 by the same 12%. If the Democratic nominee loses NC-9 by just 2%, they’re on track for a statewide blowout — something that rarely happens in Tar Heel elections, and something that this result does not necessarily predict for the future. Out Now: The Blue Wave, the UVA Center for Politics’ book on the 2018 election Our new book on the 2018 midterm elections, The Blue Wave: The 2018 Midterms and What They Mean for the 2020 Elections, is now available from Rowman and Littlefield. Edited by University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry J. Sabato and Crystal Ball managing editor Kyle Kondik, The Blue Wave features top journalists, academics, and analysts who explore the 2018 midterm from all angles and look ahead to the monumental presidential election coming in 2020. Use code RLFANDF30 for 30% off at Rowman and Littlefield’s website. The Blue Wave features the following contributors and chapters: — Larry J. Sabato: The Blue Wave: Trump at Midterm — Alan I. Abramowitz: The Trump Effect: The 2018 Midterm Election as a Referendum on a Polarizing President — Rhodes Cook: The Primaries: Democrats Shine in the Shadow of Trump — David Byler: Humpty Dumpty’s Fall: How Trump’s Winning Presidential Coalition Broke Down in 2018 — Kyle Kondik: The House: Where the Blue Wave Hit the Hardest — James Hohmann: The Senate: The Republicans’ Bright Spot — Madelaine Pisani: The Governors: Democratic Wave Falls Short of a Wipeout — Michael Toner and Karen Trainer: The Money Wars: Emerging Campaign Finance Trends and Their Impact on 2018 and Beyond — Emily C. Singer: Women Rule: The Surge of Women in Congress — Theodore R. Johnson: Hindsight in 2020: Black Voting Behavior and the Next Presidential Election — Matt Barreto, Gary Segura, and Albert Morales: The Brown Tide and the Blue Wave in 2018 — Diana Owen: Presidential Media and the Midterm Elections — Joshua T. Putnam: Foresight is 2020: New Features of the Democratic Delegate Selection Rules — Sean Trende: Was 2018 a Wave Election? Read the fine print Learn more about the Crystal Ball and find out how to contact us here. Sign up to receive Crystal Ball e-mails like this one delivered straight to your inbox. Use caution with Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and remember: “He who lives by the Crystal Ball ends up eating ground glass!” |
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THE FLIP SIDE
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Thursday, September 26, 2019 Ukraine Call Revealed On Wednesday, “The White House released a readout of President Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.” Politico From the Left The left sees evidence of a quid pro quo by Trump in order to obtain dirt on a political rival, and believes he should be impeached. “Let’s say this as simply and clearly as possible. Trump was using the inducement of U.S. taxpayer dollars to get a foreign power to intervene in our politics on his behalf. That he didn’t specifically mention aid in the readout of one phone call the White House released Wednesday doesn’t change the message he was sending. Trump was subordinating our country’s national security interests to his selfish needs. He was willing to do anything to smear Joe Biden… [This] is now a clear-cut case involving a deplorable abuse of power.” E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post “Trump was not asking a geopolitical equal for help; he was demanding help from a weakened country situated on the border of an increasingly aggressive Russia; a country part of whose territory has already been illegally annexed by Russia, and whose continued survival as an independent nation depends on military, economic and diplomatic support from the United States and its European allies in NATO. How can the request of ‘a favor’ from the American President to such a country be understood as anything but an extortionate demand?” Frank Bowman III, CNN “The quid pro quo was implicit — rather like the gangster who drops in on a store and offers to provide ‘protection.’ Trump in essence was saying: Such a nice country you have. Shame if anything were to happen to it. By the way, can you do me a favor? Just in case Zelensky was particularly thick, Trump noted that the U.S. had been very helpful to Ukraine, said that Ukraine had not reciprocated, held out the promise of a meeting if Zelensky cooperated, and repeatedly encouraged Zelensky to speak to Barr and to his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani… If that presidential call were set to music, it could be the soundtrack for a ‘Godfather’ movie.” Nicholas Kristof, New York Times “Vladimir Putin considers Ukraine to be his backyard. It shares a nearly 1,500-mile border with Russia, was part of the Soviet Union, and for centuries has been referred to as ‘Little Russia’ by domineering leaders of its northern neighbor… In pushing Ukraine’s new, pro-Western president to investigate his political rival Joe Biden, Trump has taken a page from Putin’s book—treating Ukraine as something like Little Trumpland and its president like a world leader who has to do his bidding… “It’s true that Ukraine relies heavily on U.S. support to defend itself against Russia… At the same time, however, a rift in the Ukraine-U.S. relationship can also hurt America in its own struggle against Russia. Ukraine’s spy services and military forces have become an important U.S. partner in countering Russia—especially in the realm of hybrid warfare, which Moscow has deployed so effectively against America and its allies. Lost amid the accusations that Trump has used U.S. aid as leverage to push Ukraine to do his political bidding is the fact that while Kiev is heavily reliant on America to defend against Russia, America needs help from Kiev too.” Mike Giglio, The Atlantic “The summary, released this morning, is a wild look into the president’s mind-set and approach to his job. It shows a commander in chief consumed by conspiracy theories, strong-arming a foreign government to help him politically, and marshaling the federal government in his schemes… “The call is bizarre on several levels. First, the United States has legitimate interests in Ukraine, but Trump is using his conversation with that country’s president to pursue his pet, unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. Second, Trump appears—as has been alleged—to be engaging in a quid pro quo, asking Zelensky to assist him in pursuing those conspiracy theories, in exchange for help to Ukraine. Trump never puts it in plain terms—he’s too smart, and too experienced in shady business, to do that—but it requires willful blindness to miss what Trump is asking… Third, the call shows how Trump enlists the might of the U.S. government in his weird, personal, political schemes.” David A. Graham, The Atlantic “Trump’s defenders will say this evidence is all circumstantial. But circumstantial evidence is not weak evidence: it’s simply evidence based on the circumstances in which an act of wrongdoing is committed — such as the license plate of a car that speeds away from a bank just after that bank is robbed. Criminals are convicted on such evidence all the time. They will also say that there’s no explicit quid pro quo proposal here. But… ‘even when a corrupt deal is struck implicitly, the government can still prosecute extortion on a quid pro quo basis. Circumstantial evidence can be enough to prove a criminal exchange.’… “In the absence of an explicit quid pro quo over restarting aid, the context and circumstances are what will become the focus of the investigation. There is enough here to support impeachment. Whether it is also enough to convince Republicans and lead to removal is another matter.” Noah Feldman, Bloomberg Some suggest that Congress “remove Trump from office, so that he cannot abuse incumbency to subvert the electoral process, but let the American people make the judgment on whether or not he gets a second term… Removing Trump from office for the remainder of his term would disable him from abusing presidential power again and protect the integrity of the electoral process from inappropriate interference. At the same time, letting him run for a second term would permit the American electorate to decide whether Trump, despite his attempt to subvert the system, should have another chance… “Decoupling removal from disqualification lowers the stakes and changes the constitutional calculus. As long as Trump can run again, Republicans cannot hide behind a claim that they are [the] ones protecting voter choice by opposing impeachment.” Edward B. Foley, Politico From the Right The right finds Trump’s comments to be problematic, but does not believe they are worthy of impeachment. “Trump did encourage the new Ukrainian president to investigate Hunter Biden as part of his new agenda. However, there is no mention at all of a quid pro quo, and in fact it was Zelensky who brought up [Rudy Giuliani] first. Zelensky mentions a recent meeting between Rudy Giuliani and one of his deputies and promised that Giuliani would continue to have access for his investigations in Ukraine… It’s not at all a smoking gun, at least not for the impeachable offense that Democrats first alleged. They will have to look elsewhere for that kind of evidence.” Ed Morrissey, Hot Air “There is nothing wrong with asking a foreign head of state to investigate meddling in U.S elections… [And] the references to the Bidens are in the context of fighting corruption, not as a prerequisite of U.S. aid. Mr. Trump was unwise to mention Mr. Biden, but the tenor of the conversation is congenial. It’s amusing to hear the same critics who call Mr. Trump an oafish thug on a daily basis now say this was all a subtle masterpiece of extortion. When is Mr. Trump ever subtle?… “Is anyone else troubled that this is all it takes to impeach a President? If a bureaucrat who dislikes a President can trigger a complaint based on hearsay that forces the disclosure of presidential diplomacy, the conduct of foreign policy will be severely hampered. Democratic Presidents won’t be spared once Republicans figure out how this works.” Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal “If we are concerned about U.S. officials inappropriately threatening aid to Ukraine, then there are others who have some explaining to do… It got almost no attention, but in May, CNN reported that Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) wrote a letter to Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Yuriy Lutsenko, expressing concern at the closing of four investigations they said were critical to the Mueller probe. In the letter, they implied that their support for U.S. assistance to Ukraine was at stake… “Describing themselves as ‘strong advocates for a robust and close relationship with Ukraine,’ the Democratic senators declared, ‘We have supported [the] capacity-building process and are disappointed that some in Kyiv appear to have cast aside these [democratic] principles to avoid the ire of President Trump.’” Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post “The words of Trump on that call are not worthy of the office of commander-in-chief. But American presidents say and do a lot of things that aren’t worthy of the office, like seducing 19-year-old White House interns, addressing White House reporters while naked on Air Force One, joking about launching nuclear missiles at Russia within five minutes (setting off a red alert in the Soviet military), vomiting on the Japanese prime minister, or losing the nuclear-launch codes… “It’s kind of mind-boggling to think that Trump being his usual self-interested, conspiracy-minded self could lead to the third impeachment in American history, when much more consequential acts, such as the internment of Japanese Americans, the Bay of Pigs invasion, and lying about the real situation on the ground in Vietnam led to no such consequence.” Jim Geraghty, National Review “In truth, the only thing the transcript reveals clearly is that Trump doesn’t understand the necessary proprieties of his job. He is still treating the presidency as if it were his own business, dwelling on minor matters and wielding power to advance his own interests, rather than attending first to the national interest. That is regrettable, which is a long way from saying it should lead to impeachment… “What [Democrats] have now is what they’ve always had — not a smoking gun but a loose cannon in the Oval Office. Trump is reckless and gives ammo to his opponents. He shouldn’t have spoken as he did, but that doesn’t mean what he said is obviously something for which he should be removed from office. Impeachment will stretch lugubriously into next year and the height of the election season, bespattering both the president and many others including, perhaps, the Democratic nominee. Isn’t it best to let voters decide who they want as their leader rather than ousting the one they chose in 2016?” Editorial Board, Washington Examiner Some do support impeachment, arguing that “the transcript bolsters what plenty of supplementary evidence already made evident: The quid and quo were not just vaguely implicit, but very strongly implicit, especially in light of actions preceding and following it. A proverbial ‘offer you can’t refuse’ remains a demand even if it’s not explicitly delineated then and there… the very involvement of the president in urging a foreign government to criminally investigate a U.S. citizen never charged under U.S. law is extremely problematic. When the targeted citizen is his chief political rival, or the rival’s son, it’s worse.” Quin Hillyer, Washington Examiner Others note, “I’d hate to be a Democratic member of Congress trying to convince Joe Sixpack that this is a whole new ballgame. The transcript shows Trump being Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky trying to ingratiate himself with the big dog by, for instance, mentioning that he stays at Trump hotels. Trump’s conversation is typically scattershot, wandering all over the field, leaving a reasonable listener puzzled about what the takeaways are supposed to be… “I think Joe Sixpack’s response is going to be a hearty shrug. After all that has emerged about Trump so far, his approval rating is closely tracking Obama’s approval at the same point in his presidency. To get Mr. Sixpack’s attention you are going to have to do better.” Kyle Smith, National Review On the bright side… Groom loves his cat so much, he made the feline his best man. People Our volunteer team spends hours each night scanning the news, fact-checking, and debating one another, so your 5 minutes each morning can be well spent. If you’ve found value in our work, we welcome you to help sustain our efforts and expand our reach. Any support you can provide is greatly appreciated! Share Tweet Forward Sign Up Here Copyright © 2019 The Flip Side, All rights reserved. You can unsubscribe from this list here. |
THE RESURGENT
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The Resurgent’s Morning Briefing for September 26,2019
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Good morning, Here is all the news conservatives need to know to start their day. At 4pm ET, you can catch me on radio to bring you up to speed on developments throughout the day. You can listen live here. Impeachment is Not Warranted I have no idea what the whistleblower says. I have noted that some Republicans are troubled by it and one source says the person does paint a path forward for impeachment. But I have no idea. What I do know is that Trump on that phone call sounds like Trump anywhere else. I understand why […] The post Impeachment is Not Warranted appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Biden Had No Conflict, Just An Appearance of a Conflict Joe Biden did not have a conflict of interest by going to Ukraine. He certainly had the appearance of a conflict of interest, given his son’s involvement with a company under investigation by that prosecutor. But he had no actual conflict. Biden had no actual conflict because he was not in Ukraine making his own […] The post Biden Had No Conflict, Just An Appearance of a Conflict appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Impeachment Might Be The Only Way (To Save Donald Trump) For those of us living in a sane reality outside Fox News late-night shows, or CNN conspiracies, there’s another reason. If Trump is not called out for the behavior he’s already demonstrated, and he wins a second term (which is absolutely a huge possibility), imagine what we’ll see in Trump Season Two. The post Impeachment Might Be The Only Way (To Save Donald Trump) appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Let Me Be Blunt and Use Some Choice Words Can I be blunt here? I read the transcript of the President’s call with Ukraine’s President. In fact, I read it live on my radio show and you can watch the video and realize my brain was trying to process everything. In part, it was a recognition that the President’s actions were not as bad […] The post Let Me Be Blunt and Use Some Choice Words appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » REPUBLICAN SOURCE: “[The whistleblower] paints a clear path to impeachment.” Speaking on background to a Republican congressional source who has direct knowledge of the whistleblower report, he says it is really bad. He says the GOP can attack it as partisan because, in his words, “this is written by someone who does not like the President” but also that “regardless, the whistleblower is credible.” According […] The post REPUBLICAN SOURCE: “[The whistleblower] paints a clear path to impeachment.” appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » About the Condescending Letter Democrats Sent to Ukraine Demanding Them to Investigate Trump Impeachment for thee, but not for me. The post About the Condescending Letter Democrats Sent to Ukraine Demanding Them to Investigate Trump appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Reading the Transcript v. Hearing Others Describe It You can watch me in real time from show this morning. I first heard everyone buzzing about how bad it was then pulled it up and read it for myself in real time. The moral of the story is: think for yourself and read things for yourself and do not rely on others to think […] The post Reading the Transcript v. Hearing Others Describe It appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » A Few Thoughts On This Mess I think if Obama had done this, Republicans would be demanding impeachment. I don’t think Obama or Trump should be impeached for what is presented. I think this is something to sort out at the ballot box and this should be an issue that defeats Donald Trump. I think if Democrats conduct a proper investigation […] The post A Few Thoughts On This Mess appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Joe and the Giant Impeachment Dems aiming for Trump may hit Joe Biden instead. The post Joe and the Giant Impeachment appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » That’s It? Seriously? It Ain’t Good. But It Isn’t Impeachable. Here is the transcript. The Biden name comes up three times. The President is first convinced the Democrats tried to use Ukraine to get dirt on him. He wants answers. Then, relatedly, he wants the President of Ukraine to talk to the Attorney General to see if Biden improperly used his influence to oust a […] The post That’s It? Seriously? It Ain’t Good. But It Isn’t Impeachable. appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Recent Items: Remember, you can listen to the Erick Erickson Show anytime and anywhere via WSB Radio, iTunes, Stitcher, and Soundcloud. As always, you can find pretty much anything and everything I’m writing about throughout the day via The Resurgent. Thanks for reading and tuning in. Erick Erickson THE RESURGENT Facebook Twitter Instagram Copyright © 2019 The Resurgent Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences |
THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES
| Sign up for this newsletter Read online The morning’s most important stories, curated by Post editors. (EPA) Trump deflects and defies as Democrats speed up impeachment strategy The showdown opened a new phase of the Trump presidency. He and his advisers have scrambled to adjust on the fly and from afar during a week of diplomacy at the United Nations. By Philip Rucker, Rachael Bade and Robert Costa ● Read more » Inside Trump’s frenetic response to the whistleblower complaint and the battle over impeachment After a White House scramble and disagreement over releasing the rough transcript of a call with Ukraine’s leader and the complaint it prompted, President Trump went against the advice of some aides and advisers and gambled that he could overcome the forces and possible evidence arrayed against him. By Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey and Philip Rucker ● Read more » Whistleblower complaint allegedly based on more than July 25 call The complaint also alleges a pattern of obfuscation at the White House, in which officials moved the records of some of the president’s communications with foreign officials onto a separate computer network, a person who has read the complaint said. By Devlin Barrett, Matt Zapotosky, Carol Leonnig and Shane Harris ● Read more » Cracks emerge among Senate Republicans after release of rough transcript of phone call Three GOP senators complained in discussions with The Washington Post that the White House erred by releasing the transcript, arguing that it sets a precedent about disclosure of calls with foreign leaders. By Robert Costa ● Read more » Presidential scholars say call with Ukrainian leader is unlike anything they’ve heard Protocols for foreign leader calls by the president have a traditional format, according to a 30-year U.S. intelligence veteran who managed the White House Situation Room during the Obama years. By Karen DeYoung ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT Opinions The Trump-Zelensky memo is a scathing indictment of our president By Editorial Board ● Read more » Impeachment will define the 2020 election By Karen Tumulty ● Read more » Don’t leave the Afghan peace talks for dead By Stephen Hadley and Michèle Flournoy ● Read more » Why I support Trump’s proposal to lift restrictions in the Tongass By Lisa Murkowski ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT The rough transcript is nothing but an empty vault By Hugh Hewitt ● Read more » We don’t need an impeachment inquiry. Just look at Trump’s hotel. By Dana Milbank ● Read more » More News Impeachment inquiry threatens to overtake Capitol, upend trade and spending talks The White House and lawmakers must agree to a spending deal by Nov. 21. The administration also wants Congress to pass a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada by the end of this autumn, a timeline that could now be impossible to meet. By Erica Werner and David Lynch ● Read more » FAA leaders dispute finding that 737 Max inspectors were underqualified, deny misleading Congress Deputy FAA Administrator Daniel K. Elwell told lawmakers that a watchdog’s conclusion was “simply not accurate.” By Ian Duncan ● Read more » After Supreme Court defeat, Boris Johnson taunts Parliament Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn wants to keep Johnson locked in a kind of limbo. By William Booth and Karla Adam ● Read more » A newspaper reported that a man’s ancestors were slaveholders. He’s suing for defamation. By referencing his family’s slaveholding past in a story about Edward Dickinson Tayloe II’s desire to preserve Confederate monuments, his lawyers argue, a Virginia newspaper implied that their client was a racist. By Hannah Natanson ● Read more » The creator of the labradoodle says he made ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ The Australian man who introduced Labradoodles to the world in 1989 says the breed is his “life’s regret” — the spark for a proliferation of poodle hybrids that he claims has run amok with irresponsible breeding causing health problems. By Hannah Knowles ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletter Check out By The Way for tips and guides that will help you travel better and make you feel like a local wherever you go. Delivered every Thursday. Sign up » |
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POLITICO PLAYBOOK
The Democrats’ impeachment gurus
By JAKE SHERMAN and ANNA PALMER
09/26/2019 05:45 AM EDT
DRIVING THE DAY
WRAPPING YOUR MIND AROUND TODAY … JOSEPH MAGUIRE, the acting DNI who is denying a Washington Post story saying he threatened to quit, will testify in front of the HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE at 9 a.m. in 2154 Rayburn.
THE TITLE OF THE HEARING: Whistleblower Disclosure. Nearly the entire committee will have read the whistleblower report by the hearing, and will be well versed in its contents.
WE SPOKE WITH DEMOCRATS FAMILIAR with the game plan, and here’s the deal:
THIS IS NOT AN IMPEACHMENT HEARING, but rather an oversight hearing of the intelligence community. But obviously, the material here is highly relevant to impeachment. The Democrats’ goal is to understand what the White House and DOJ did to block Congress from getting the whistleblower’s complaint and IG report, and why. Was there a cover-up? Who ordered what, when, why and through what channels? The committee will also be pushing for the DNI to make more information about the complaint public — although there’s skepticism they’ll be able to do that.
NEW: THE ADVISERS … WHO HAS THE LEADERSHIP AND COMMITTEE’S EAR? The Democratic leadership and committee staff are relying on significant outside counsel as they try to keep the impeachment and oversight process on the tracks.
PHIL SCHILIRO, who ran leg affairs for President BARACK OBAMA and was a top Oversight staffer for Rep. HENRY WAXMAN (D-Calif.), is informally advising the Democratic leadership and key committees about the oversight process. He recently started Co-Equal, an organization dedicated to legislating. (The organization has compiled Oversight Committee precedent. So if someone says “No staff member has ever been able to question a witness!” Co-Equal can tell you when it’s happened.) Also advising the Democrats: FRED WERTHEIMER and LAURENCE TRIBE.
— ABOUT THE COUNTS: Every news organization with a major Washington presence — including POLITICO — has kept helpful counts of who is supporting impeachment. The counts have differed, because some people count those who supported an impeachment inquiry, others count people who supported impeachment itself. Several outlets alerted the number 218 last night.
THESE COUNTS don’t matter much in the Democratic leadership — very few people are paying attention to them at this point. LET US EXPLAIN: The House is already in the middle of an impeachment inquiry, so asking whether someone supports that is not exactly the most relevant question. Asking someone if they would vote for impeachment is also not really operative, since we don’t know what the impeachment articles will look like yet. A vote for what?
What you need to know is that the counts are going up. And, frankly, they might be most helpful in determining who is still skittish about impeachment. So don’t worry about the overall number just yet.
BIDEN SPEAKS, via a pool report from NBC’s Marianna Sotomayor in Bel Air, Calif.: “Biden stressed once again that there is no proof to the president’s allegations that he and his son Hunter Biden had conflicts of interest while he served as vice president.
“‘This is not about me and it really isn’t because not a single publication said anything he has ever said about me or my son is true. Everyone has gone and researched it and said it’s not true,’ he said.
“Biden suggested that Trump asked the Ukrainian president to investigate him and his son because ‘70-something polls show that I’ll kick his … toes.’”
Good Thursday morning. JOIN US … QUITE THE MOMENT FOR THIS ONE! JAKE and ANNA will be in Austin this weekend at the Texas Tribune Festival for a Playbook Exchange. We’ll be talking with House Freedom Caucus Founding Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. The full POLITICO lineup
A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association:
No one should have to worry about surprise bills or costly negotiations to settle them. That’s why we’re working to protect patients with simple and predictable payments that will help keep costs down. Separate the myths from the facts. .
THE POLITICO TICK TOCK … “Nancy Pelosi’s long road to impeachment,” by Heather Caygle, John Bresnahan, Sarah Ferris, Andrew Desiderio and Kyle Cheney: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi dialed her long-time deputy, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, on Monday afternoon to let him know she’d come to a momentous decision: she was going to endorse an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
“Pelosi was in New York City for a private dinner with members of the Acela Corridor elite — Fortune 500 executives, politicians and high-profile journalists — to kick off the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting. Hoyer was sitting in a rental car in South Carolina, after attending the funeral of Emily Clyburn, the late wife of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, earlier in the day. …
“While on a plane back to Washington that night, Pelosi scrolled through a Washington Post op-ed that had published minutes earlier from seven vulnerable Democratic freshmen — and long-time impeachment holdouts — backing proceedings to remove Trump from office. … In fact, Pelosi had spoken to the group on a conference call on Monday night, offering guidance before their op-ed went live.
“She then started jotting down notes, the first draft of her own speech endorsing an inquiry — words that would not only formalize the House investigation but potentially change the course of the nation and define her storied career. But there was a hiccup: ‘I put down some notes on the plane at 10 p.m. at night but then I left it on the plane,’ Pelosi said. …
“It was May 22 … That was when Rep. Cheri Bustos, an Illinois moderate who chairs the House Democrats’ campaign arm, made a pronouncement that stunned the room. ‘We just need to let all this Mueller stuff go,’ Bustos said, according to three sources who attended the meeting.” POLITICO
— WAPO TICK TOCK … “Seven days: Inside Trump’s frenetic response to the whistleblower complaint and the battle over impeachment,” by Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey and Phil Rucker: “The helter-skelter way the administration handled the aftermath of the whistleblower complaint could be a harbinger of the coming impeachment fight, with the White House scrambling to respond to a mercurial and frustrated president, who is increasingly sidelining his aides and making decisions based on gut instinct.
“Even some allies of the president worry that his team may not fully understand the potential upheaval that an impeachment fight could wreak on Trump and his administration, especially as he heads into the 2020 election.” WaPo
WHAT MITCH MCCONNELL’S THINKING: “‘Ice in his veins’: McConnell steers GOP through Trump’s Ukraine scandal,” by Burgess Everett: “In the face of an earthshaking political storm, Mitch McConnell seems unmoved. The Senate majority leader has kept a sphynx-like pose during all manner of President Donald Trump controversies. But with an impeachment cloud settling over Washington, McConnell is revealing even less than usual.
“The GOP leader is saying very little to his members about either his mood or his own view of a political threat that could imperil not just Trump but his Senate majority, according to interviews with nearly a dozen senators. But on Wednesday evening McConnell dismissed criticism of the readout of Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president and said it is “laughable to think this is anywhere close to an impeachable offense.”
“I’ve read the summary of the call. If this is the ‘launching point’ for House Democrats’ impeachment process, they’ve already overplayed their hand. It’s clear there is no quid pro quo that the Democrats were desperately praying for,’ McConnell said in a statement for this story.” POLITICO
IMPEACHMENT CLIP PACKET …
— NYT: “Whistle-Blower Is Said to Allege Concerns About White House Handling of Ukraine Call,” by Charlie Savage, Mike Schmidt and Julian Barnes: “The intelligence officer who filed a whistle-blower complaint about President Trump’s interactions with the leader of Ukraine raised alarms not only about what the two men said in a phone call, but also about how the White House handled records of the conversation, according to two people briefed on the complaint.
“The whistle-blower, moreover, identified multiple White House officials as witnesses to potential presidential misconduct who could corroborate the complaint, the people said — adding that the inspector general for the intelligence community, Michael Atkinson, interviewed witnesses.
“Mr. Atkinson eventually concluded that there was reason to believe that the president might have illegally solicited a foreign campaign contribution — and that his potential misconduct created a national security risk, according to a newly disclosed Justice Department memo.” NYT
— THE APRIL PHONE CALL … NYT: “When Ukraine elected its new leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, on April 21, Mr. Trump seized on the moment as an opportunity to press his case. Within hours of Mr. Zelensky’s victory, Mr. Trump placed a congratulatory call as he was en route from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to Washington.
“He urged Mr. Zelensky to coordinate with Mr. Giuliani and to pursue investigations of ‘corruption,’ according to people familiar with the call, the details of which have not previously been reported.” NYT
— WAPO: “Justice Dept. rejected investigation of Trump phone call just weeks after it began examining the matter,” by Matt Zapotosky and Devlin Barrett: “Justice Department officials took less than a month to abandon an inquiry into President Trump’s communications with his Ukrainian counterpart about investigating former vice president Joe Biden — reigniting concerns among Democrats and legal observers that the law enforcement agency is serving as a shield for the commander in chief.
“Just weeks after intelligence leaders asked the Justice Department and FBI to consider examining a summer phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the head of the department’s criminal division determined there was not sufficient cause even to launch an investigation, senior Justice Department officials said.
“Department officials and career public integrity prosecutors reviewed a rough transcript of the call and verified its authenticity, but — because a case was not opened — took no other steps, such as conducting interviews, the officials said. They looked only at whether Trump might have violated campaign finance laws, not federal corruption statutes, even though some legal analysts said there seemed to be evidence of both.” WaPo
— CNN: “Whistleblower tentatively agrees to testify, attorneys say, as long as they get appropriate clearances to attend hearing,” by Zachary Cohen, Pamela Brown, Paul LeBlanc and Manu Raju: “The anonymous whistleblower who filed a complaint with the intelligence community inspector general, which includes allegations about President Donald Trump’s conduct, has tentatively agreed to meet with congressional lawmakers, according to correspondence obtained by CNN.
“The meeting could take place on the condition that acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire approves appropriate security clearances for the individual’s legal counsel so that they can accompany their client, the correspondence showed. Rep. Chris Stewart, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said on Twitter late Wednesday night that the complaint had been declassified but the document was not immediately available publicly.” CNN
NEW … NBC’S JOSH LEDERMAN and KRISTEN WELKER: “After President Donald Trump asked Ukraine’s president to work with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, on a possible corruption investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, the Ukrainians turned to another American to facilitate the introduction: Ambassador Kurt Volker, Trump’s part-time envoy for Ukraine.
“‘Ambassador Volker called me,’ Giuliani told NBC News in an interview Wednesday night. Although Volker has mostly stayed under the radar since taking the job in 2017, his unusual arrangement as Trump’s special representative for Ukraine negotiations is attracting new attention amid revelations of his role in the ongoing Ukraine saga.
“An unpaid volunteer, Volker spends most of his time engaged in outside projects, including his work at a Washington lobbying firm that continued to represent the Government of Ukraine for almost two years after Volker started as special envoy.” NBC
OPINIONATORS …
— THE RIGHT … WSJ: “The Ukraine Transcript Fizzle”: “The White House on Wednesday released the transcript of President Trump’s July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the news is that Mr. Trump was telling the truth about it. The conversation was largely routine diplomacy, and even the reference to Joe Biden was less than promoted by the press. Good luck persuading Americans that this is an impeachable offense. …
“The references to the Bidens are in the context of fighting corruption, not as a prerequisite of U.S. aid. Mr. Trump was unwise to mention Mr. Biden, but the tenor of the conversation is congenial. It’s amusing to hear the same critics who call Mr. Trump an oafish thug on a daily basis now say this was all a subtle masterpiece of extortion. When is Mr. Trump ever subtle?
“Democrats are making much of Mr. Trump’s references to Attorney General Barr, which were also imprudent in the Biden context. But the Justice Department says nothing came of it, that Mr. Trump never asked Mr. Barr to make that call, and Mr. Barr has never communicated with Ukraine, or with Mr. Giuliani about Ukraine.” WSJ
— THE LEFT … NYT: “Nancy Pelosi Is Sending a Message: Lots of them, in fact”: “The message for Mr. Trump is the most straightforward: Enough. After months of watching the president ravage democratic norms and taunt lawmakers about their inability to hold him accountable, Congress is making clear that there are lines that cannot be crossed without repercussion.” NYT
TRUMP’S THURSDAY — The president will leave Trump Tower at 9:05 a.m. en route to the InterContinental New York Barclay, where he’ll participate in a meet-and-greet with the U.S. Mission to the U.N. He will then head to a breakfast fundraiser at 10:40 a.m. at Cipriani. Afterward, the president will fly back to Washington.
PLAYBOOK READS
MUCK READ … BEN SCHRECKINGER: “Joe Biden’s brother told executives at a healthcare firm that the former vice president’s cancer initiative would promote their business, according to a participant in the conversation, who said the promise came as part of a pitch on behalf of potential investors in the firm. …
“Biden’s brother, James, made the promise to executives at Florida-based Integrate Oral Care during a phone call on or around November 8, 2018, according to Michael Frey, CEO of Diverse Medical Management, a health-care firm that is suing James Biden. At the time, James Biden’s business partners were pursuing a potential investment in Integrate, according to Frey and court records. Frey, who had a business relationship with James Biden and his associates, had introduced the group to Integrate.
“James Biden told the Integrate executives that he would get the Biden Cancer Initiative to promote an oral rinse made by the firm and used by cancer patients, Frey, who said he participated in the call, told POLITICO. He added that James Biden directly invoked the former vice president on the call. ‘He said his brother would be very excited about this product,’ Frey said. A spokesman for James Biden disputed Frey’s account.” POLITICO
SCOOP — “Trump Turnberry resort singled out in airport’s pitch to U.S. military,” by The Scotsman’s Martyn McLaughlin: “Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort is the only hotel named by Glasgow Prestwick Airport in promotional material distributed at private meetings with US military aircrews in an attempt to win their custom, The Scotsman can reveal.
“The document, prepared by the Scottish Government owned airport and handed out at ‘closed’ meetings with US Armed Forces personnel, emphasises the ‘five star’ status of the US president’s flagship Scottish property, even noting how it has been ‘newly refurbished.’
“Two sources familiar with the gatherings said Prestwick staff also delivered presentations in which they offered to arrange rounds of golf at Turnberry for visiting US Air Force (USAF) crews as part of their layovers.” The Scotsman
BIBI’S BACK, MAYBE … AP/JERUSALEM: “Israel’s Netanyahu begins coalition hunt amid deadlock”: “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began Thursday the daunting task of trying to cobble together a coalition government amid political deadlock that emerged from this month’s repeat elections, which had no clear winner.
“He now has up to six weeks to attempt to resolve the political impasse, but his odds appear slim. Even with the support of smaller allies, both Netanyahu and his main challenger, Blue and White party leader and former army chief Benny Gantz, lack the support for the required 61-seat parliamentary majority needed to establish a government. That’s including the support of Netanyahu’s traditional ultra-Orthodox and religious-nationalist allies.” AP
— NOTE: Trump has been uncharacteristically silent about all this, aside from a rather cold Sept. 18 comment that the U.S. relationship is with the state of Israel, rather than any one leader.
WHAT THE PENTAGON IS READING — @SenatorDurbin: “I’m calling on the DoD OIG to investigate the withholding of Ukraine military aid appropriated by Congress, allegedly at the direction of the White House. The delay raises questions about whether DoD officials were involved in any scheme to target a political opponent.” The letter … Wes Morgan on how a rudderless Pentagon bobbled the Ukraine aid freeze
PIC DU JOUR — KCMO’s @PeteMundo: “Stopped by Kris Kobach’s fundraiser tonight in DC hosted by Steve Bannon. Very good crowd. #kssen” Pic of Kobach with Bannon from inside the ‘Breitbart Embassy’
R.I.P. — “Elizabeth Warren campaign volunteer dies in western Iowa traffic accident,” by the Des Moines Register’s Kim Norvell: “A volunteer for Elizabeth Warren’s campaign in Iowa was killed in a car crash on Monday, the campaign said.
“Zachary Crombie Presberg, 22, died in a collision involving his car and two semitrailer trucks at about 9:25 p.m. Monday in Pottawattamie County, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
“‘Zac’ Presberg joined the campaign in Iowa as a summer organizing fellow and chose to continue as a volunteer after his fellowship concluded, the campaign said.” DMR
MEDIAWATCH — “Al Franken Moves Back Into the Public Eye With a SiriusXM Talk Show,” by NYT’s Ben Sisario: “SiriusXM announced on Wednesday that the former United States senator from Minnesota will host a weekly program, ‘The Al Franken Show,’ starting Saturday. He will also contribute to 2020 election coverage on the broadcaster’s left-wing political channel, SiriusXM Progress.” NYT
— ON THE DRUDGE BEAT … CNN’S OLIVER DARCY: “Notably, the influential Drudge Report has continued to spotlight news critical of the Trump administration. The website, operated by recluse Matt Drudge, who was at one point extremely supportive of the president, highlighted critical commentary on Wednesday from George Conway and Judge Napolitano.” CNN
— HIGHBROW/DESPICABLE … VANITY FAIR’S JOE POMPEO: “Agita at New York Magazine as Pam Wasserstein sells to Vox” … WSJ: “New York Media Valued at About $105 Million in Vox Media Merger”
— “Revealed: how TikTok censors videos that do not please Beijing,” by The Guardian’s Alex Hern: “TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned social network, instructs its moderators to censor videos that mention Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, or the banned religious group Falun Gong, according to leaked documents detailing the site’s moderation guidelines.
“The documents, revealed by the Guardian for the first time, lay out how ByteDance, the Beijing-headquartered technology company that owns TikTok, is advancing Chinese foreign policy aims abroad through the app.” Guardian
— Francesca Chambers is joining McClatchy as a White House reporter. She previously was senior White House correspondent for the Daily Mail.
PLAYBOOKERS
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.
SPOTTED: Common at Kith and Kin on Wednesday night. … Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) at the Lizzo concert at the Anthem on Wednesday night.
SPOTTED at the Republican Attorneys General Association’s 20th-anniversary celebration, featuring a reception, dinner and “(After) Party like it’s 1999,” at the Mayflower Hotel on Tuesday night: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Jeff Sessions, Luther Strange, Tom Corbett, Bob McDonnell, Haley Barbour, Adam Piper, Ken Paxton, Charlie Condon, Jane Brady, Alan Wilson, Kevin Clarkson and Leonard Leo.
SPOTTED at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year gala Wednesday night, which coincided with the launch of their “Agenda for America’s Youth”: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Reps. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) and Greg Pence (R-Ind.), Misty Copeland and Taraji P. Henson.
SPOTTED at the third annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York on Wednesday: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Indian PM Narendra Modi, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, Colombian President Iván Duque, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Carney, Michael Corbat, Jamie Dimon, Bob Iger, Christine Lagarde, Cecilia Malmström, Hiro Mizuno, Hank Paulson, David M. Solomon …
… Dara Khosrowshahi, Federica Mogherini, Pharrell Williams,Tidjane Thiam, Andreas Utermann, Shemara Wikramanayake, Xie Zhenhua, David Rubenstein, Ruth Porat, Steve Schwarzman, Brian Moynihan, Anand Mahindra, Luis Alberto Moreno, Kevin Sheekey, Patti Harris, Kate Bolduan, Zanny Minton Beddoes, John Micklethwait, Francine Lacqua, Will Marshall and Mary Nichols.
TRANSITION — Catherine Costakos is joining Edelman’s financial communications team. She most recently was communications director for Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) and is a House Financial Services alum.
WEEKEND WEDDING — Dale Bishop, chief of staff and senior director at Everfi, and Mike Stockert, senior manager of custom insights at 2U, got married Saturday at the Fells Historic Estate and Gardens in Lake Sunapee, N.H. The couple met while working at POLITICO in 2013. Guests spent the weekend boating around the lake, dancing and eating Texas barbecue, an homage to the groom and his family’s home state. Pic… Another pic
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Kathleen Parker, syndicated columnist for The Washington Post. How she’s celebrating: “I’m at the beach (Pawleys Island, S.C.) celebrating birthday week with a group of great women by eating and drinking too much and saying only true things.” Playbook Plus Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Beto O’Rourke is 47 … WaPo’s Dave Weigel is 38 … Doug Sosnik is 63 … John Norris … John Law (hat tips: Teresa Vilmain) … former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is 75 … Elizabeth Arzt … Julia Slingsby … POLITICO’s Patterson Clark and Casey Miles … Jessica Bakeman … Nick Pompeo … Alexis Barranca … Josie Martin, SVP of corporate affairs and comms at Purdue Pharma … Bloomberg’s Henry Seltzer and Lucas Shaw … former Rep. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.) is 49 … Bill Scher is 47 … Jordan Cohen, NYT’s director of comms … Risa Heller, CEO of Risa Heller Communications … Ben Freed … Sam Myers Sr. is 69 … Missy Edwards, founding principal of Missy Edwards Strategies … Jon Rosborough … Evan Hollander, comms director for the House Appropriations Committee, is 27 (h/t Eli Yokley) …
… Robert Kagan is 61 … photographer Stephen Voss is 41 … former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman is 73 … Goli Ameri … Hudson Institute Chair Emeritus Wally Stern is 91 … David Javdan … Kris Perry … Jeff Eshelman, SVP for operations and public affairs at IPAA (h/t Chris Tucker) … Tom Gannon, VP of public policy at Mastercard … Jen Chung, executive editor of Gothamist.com at WNYC Radio … Miguel Santana … Wells Thorne … Edelman’s Rebecca Herrigel … Parag Mehta … Stacy England … Mark Isakowitz … Greg Lorjuste … Erin Cunningham … Ian Rose … Mackenzie Smith … Alexander Howe … Sarah Crawford Stewart … Sam Drzymala … Matt McKillip … John Fitzpatrick … Dayne Cutrell
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THE HILL
| Presented by National Association of Manufacturers |
| © Getty Images Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. Happy Thursday! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the up-early co-creators. Find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and CLICK HERE to subscribe! |
|
House Democrats on Wednesday got their first look at a whistleblower complaint detailing President Trump’s
actions and a summary of the president’s conversation in July with
Ukraine’s president and said a day-old impeachment inquiry raised many
more questions.
Trump on Wednesday denied any “quid pro quo” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when
he interjected a request for “a favor” involving information about the
hacking of the Democratic National Committee in 2016 and mentioned
political rival Joe Biden. The president rejected the
House impeachment probe as a “tremendous hoax” and described it as a
left-wing effort to avenge the Democratic Party’s loss in 2016.
Zelensky, who met with Trump at the United Nations on
Wednesday, told reporters the president did not push him to investigate
Biden. The transcript shows Zelensky assenting to Trump’s requests in
July. “I think you read everything,” he said. “I think you
read [the] text. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be involved to
democratic, open elections, elections of U.S.A. … Nobody pushed me.”
House and Senate Intelligence committee members, who made
their way to classified rooms in the Capitol to read the complaint by a
still-unidentified whistleblower, expect today to question acting
Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire and
the intelligence community’s inspector general about their handling of
the intelligence official’s information following its filing last month.
The document was declassified late on Wednesday after
members of the House Intelligence Committee reviewed its contents.
Public release or leaks are anticipated this morning (The Hill).
After reading the complaint, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters that he was, “even
more worried about what happened than when I read the memorandum of the
conversation. There are so many facts that have to be examined. It’s
very troubling” (The Hill).
In the edited notes presented as a five-page transcript of the phone call with Zelensky, Trump asked the new president to contact Attorney General William Barr and Rudy Giuliani, one of his lawyers, to discuss information he sought about the former vice president’s activities in Ukraine, and about Hunter Biden, who had been a board member with a Ukrainian energy company at the time his father served in the Obama administration.
“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that
Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about
that, so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great,” Trump told Zelensky, according to the notes of the call. “Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it… It sounds horrible to me,” Trump added (The Hill). A Justice Department spokeswoman said the president, at the time of the call, had “not spoken with [Barr] about having Ukraine investigate anything related to former Vice President Biden or his son,” nor had the attorney general discussed Ukraine with Giuliani (The Washington Post). The president’s advisers invited a select group of House and Senate GOP lawmakers to the White House Wednesday morning to preview the transcript before its release, and Trump called in from New York. Later, the White House mistakenly distributed its written talking points for Republicans to the offices of Democratic lawmakers, and the spin quickly emerged on Twitter. Trump’s decision to release the Zelensky transcript to Congress, which he said was necessary because “I was getting such fake news, and I just thought it would be better,” astonished Democratic lawmakers, worried those who safeguard such conversations between world leaders, and prompted some uncomfortable shrugs from Republican members. The Washington Post reported that Maguire threatened to resign this summer when he was told by higher-ups in August not to forward the whistleblower’s complaint to Congress. He denied the report on Wednesday, and Trump read Maguire’s statement aloud to reporters during a United Nations event that at times sounded like a subdued version of Trump’s customary boasts about the economy and his election victory, along with criticisms of Democrats and news outlets. “There was no quid pro quo, but there was with Biden and with these senators,” the president said, reading from notes to name Democratic senators he claimed had “threatened” Ukraine to curb corruption. Pelosi told a group of lawmakers the focus of the impeachment inquiry should remain on matters related to Ukraine. Some House Democrats want the probe to encompass a broader range of issues, which they also believe to be impeachable offenses supported by evidence (The Washington Post). The Hill: Democrats debate scope of Trump impeachment inquiry. The Hill: Whip List – Majority of House members now back the impeachment inquiry. Trump said he asked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to press for “transparency,” not only to release the whistleblower’s complaint but also to seek disclosures “from Joe Biden and his son Hunter, on the millions of dollars that have been quickly and easily taken out of Ukraine and China.” The president told reporters he was somewhat taken aback that his dealings with Ukraine cascaded into an impeachment battle after the two-year Russia probe conducted by former special counsel Robert Mueller ended. “I thought we won. I thought it was dead,” Trump said. The president volunteered that he’s prepared to release to Congress additional transcripts, including one of an earlier conversation with Zelensky and even Vice President Pence’s conversations with Ukrainian leaders to demonstrate he and his administration did nothing wrong. “They were all perfect,” Trump said. The New York Times: Whistleblower is said to allege concerns about the White House handling of the Ukraine call; intelligence community watchdog interviewed witnesses. As Mike Lillis and Scott Wong report, House and Senate centrist Democrats are embarked on a significant political gamble before next year’s election. After months of hand-wringing, disagreements and second-guessing, Democrats remain nervous about impeachment, which polls this week show is unpopular with most Americans. Republicans who recall their own party’s woes after trying and failing to remove former President Clinton from office, believe Democrats could lose their House majority. Senators from both parties said they expect the impeachment probe to further polarize the electorate. The deep partisan fractures could spell trouble for key Republicans running in states that went heavily for Democrats in 2018 and supported Hillary Clinton in 2016, such as Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), Alexander Bolton reports. However, the inquiry could mobilize Trump voters and benefit candidates in states where the president maintains high levels of support, including Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), David Perdue (R-Ga.), and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who would pull the strings on the Senate operation if a vote ever takes place in the House. The Washington Post: Cracks emerge among Senate Republicans over Trump’s request to Zelensky to investigate Biden. The New York Times: Trump meets with Ukraine’s president and denies pressuring him. The Hill: GOP senators talk of launching a Biden probe. The Hill: Senate Democrats ask the Pentagon to investigate delays in delivery of U.S. military aid to Ukraine. The Hill: Acting intel chief Maguire inherited plenty of challenges. The Associated Press and The New York Times: Attorney General Barr again in the political fray. NBC News: Kurt Volker, an unpaid, part-time U.S. special envoy to Ukraine played a role in outreach to Giuliani, according to the former New York mayor and the State Department. Paul Kane: “The speaker speaks for us now”: How reluctant freshman Democrats endorsed impeachment of Trump. |
| © Getty Images |
| LEADING THE DAY |
| POLITICS: Presidential candidate former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) celebrates his 47th birthday on the campaign trail. > Impeachment addendum: Biden’s placement at the center of the president’s impeachment inquiry poses serious risks for his presidential campaign as he continues to try to maintain his frontrunner status along with the surging Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). As Jonathan Easley and Amie Parnes report, despite his recent slip in the polls, Biden finds himself in direct conflict with Trump, a position he has relished in the past and one allies say puts him in a great spot, elevating him above the other challengers for the nomination and putting his fighting spirit on display. However, as the impeachment situation unfolds, it ensures that conservatives will take shot after shot and will keep his son’s business dealings front and center in the media. While there is no evidence of wrongdoing on behalf of Joe or Hunter Biden, Trump’s team is eager to press on with its own investigations and will be muddying the waters where they can in hopes of turning the issue into an anchor on his campaign. Allies of the former vice president have been aggressive in parrying the story away, taking shots at reporters they believe have given too much credence to allegations of impropriety. But some Democrats worry Biden’s issue could turn into the 2020 version of Clinton’s emails at a key moment in the campaign when he’s never seemed so vulnerable. The New York Times: Biden’s strategy for managing the Ukraine story. The Associated Press: GOP on political tightrope as impeachment talk heats up. |
| © Getty Images > Polling: With impeachment in full view, Warren has eclipsed Biden in the 2020 Democratic race, according to a new poll released on Wednesday. A new national poll by Quinnipiac University shows Warren leading Biden narrowly, 27 percent to 25 percent, another sign that the race has turned into a two-horse contest. “After trailing Biden by double digits since March in the race for the Democratic nomination, Warren catches Biden,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement. “We now have a race with two candidates at the top of the field, and they’re leaving the rest of the pack behind.” The poll comes after a week showing Warren ahead of the former vice president in both Iowa and New Hampshire by narrow margins (Politico). In addition to her lead on Biden in the key early states, Warren also holds a substantial lead in California. The Massachusetts senator leads by 9 points over Biden, but perhaps more notably, she leads by more than 20 points over Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the home state lawmaker who has seen her poll numbers tank over the past two months. |
| IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES |
|
CONGRESS: The Senate voted on Wednesday to
end Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S. southern
border to build a wall with reprogrammed federal funds, a prominent
challenge to the president during a politically fraught week, and one
that teed up a veto showdown.
Senators voted 54–41 for a resolution to
end Trump’s action, which he used as a way to shift billions of dollars
from military appropriations to funding for wall construction. Eleven
Republican senators voted to end the president’s declaration. Under the National Emergencies Act, the resolution on Wednesday needed only a simple majority to clear the Senate, making it likely to be approved. And Democrats can bring it up every six months, much to Republicans’ chagrin. Democrats urged GOP senators to support the resolution but were realistic about the chances of picking up more Republican votes. Republicans were able to keep the majority below 67, the amount needed to override a veto. “Let me be clear: The question before us is not whether to support or oppose the wall, or to support or oppose the President. Rather, it is: Do we want the executive branch — now or in the future — to hold a power that the Founders deliberately entrusted to Congress?” said Collins, a co-sponsor of the resolution and a senator facing voters next year, said recently. > Trade and the Senate: The preoccupation in the House with impeachment this fall promises to swamp other legislative issues, including Trump’s U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. The signed deal, nicknamed NAFTA 2.0, if ratified by Congress, would hand the president and congressional Republicans a policy win. Pence will again be on the road this week to try to urge its adoption. GOP senators, however, think the narrow opening for the hemispheric trade pact has slammed shut, at least before the presidential election. Trump, during a news conference on Wednesday, offered no assurances of its ratification. “That’s going to be a very interesting question,” he said (The Hill). |
| OPINION |
| Pelosi’s impeachment conundrum, by Albert Hunt, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2nitC0R Trump’s Ukraine transcript: Unwise words but no proof of a crime, by Jonathan Turley, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2mGl6Zj |
| WHERE AND WHEN |
| Hill.TV’s “Rising” at 9 a.m. ET features presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii); news analysis from Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.); and Tom LoBianco, author of “Piety & Power: Mike Pence and the Taking of the White House.” Find Hill.TV programming at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10 a.m. The House meets at 10 a.m. The House Intelligence Committee meets at 9 a.m. to hear from Maguire about a whistleblower complaint involving the president. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. The Senate Intelligence Committee meets at 11 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. behind closed doors. The committee expects to question Maguire and Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson regarding the whistleblower complaint, officially filed in August and shared with Congress on Wednesday. The president headlines a political fundraising breakfast in New York City at 10:40 a.m. He departs New York at 12:15 p.m. to return to Washington. Pence travels to Indianapolis to tout the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement at 1:10 p.m. He is scheduled to remain in Indiana overnight. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosts a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono at 8:30 a.m. at the Palace Hotel in New York City. At 10 a.m., the secretary speaks at a New York event hosted by his department’s Energy Resources Governance Initiative. Pompeo will hold a press conference at 12:15 p.m. at the Palace Hotel. The Hill hosts a “Future of Mobility Summit” from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington. The roster of speakers includes transportation experts; corporate leaders; state and local officials; and Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), ranking member of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), co-chairwoman of the House Women’s High-Tech Coalition. From the administration: Paul Dabbar, under secretary for science at the Department of Energy, and Finch Fulton, Transportation Department assistant secretary for policy. Information is HERE. The Library of Congress has a calendar of Hispanic Heritage Month events, which wrap up on Oct. 15. Information about author readings, mural making and exhibits HERE. |
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| ELSEWHERE |
| ➔ Israel: President Reuven Rivlin of Israel tapped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the country’s next government, setting off weeks of political jockeying as Netanyahu tries to hold onto power. Rivlin’s announcement came as Netanyahu and rival Benny Gantz failed to make progress to form a broad unity government after last week’s inconclusive election. Rivlin met again on Wednesday with Gantz and Netanyahu to try to pressure them into reaching a power-sharing pact by an Oct. 24 deadline (The Wall Street Journal). ➔ E-cigarettes: Juul Labs, the dominant e-cigarette company and target of public and regulatory criticism, said on Wednesday it will not fight the Trump administration’s proposal to ban flavored vaping products. Chief executive Kevin Burns stepped down and will be replaced by K.C. Crosthwaite, an executive from tobacco company Altria, which owns a 35 percent stake in Juul. The company said it would end one of its campaigns, “Make the Switch,” which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criticized as an effort to portray its e-cigarettes as safer than traditional cigarettes (The New York Times). … The FDA chief told House lawmakers on Wednesday his agency “should have acted sooner” to try to halt the spread of the trend. Teen vaping rates doubled in the past two years, according to recent preliminary federal data, and 25 percent of U.S. high school students reported they had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days (The Hill). … The nationwide death toll attributed to vaping rose to 11 people on Wednesday (CNN). ➔ Genius grants: The recipients of John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowships, who each year appear shocked when $625,000 with no strings attached falls out of the sky and into their bank accounts, this year include visual artist Jeffrey Gibson, poet and novelist Ocean Vuong, landscape and public artist Walter Hood, choreographer Sarah Michelson, composer and jazz guitarist Mary Halvorson, theater director Annie Dorsen, and writer Valeria Luiselli (The Washington Post). A complete list of 2019 awardees, including lawyers, academics and scientists, is HERE. |
| THE CLOSER |
| And finally … It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Inspired by the 25th anniversary of “Friends,” we’re eager for some smart guesses about the award-winning NBC sitcom that ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. Email your responses to asimendinger@thehill.com and please add “Quiz” to subject lines. Winners who submit correct answers will be showered with newsletter fame on Friday. The show made the most of comic guest performances over the years. Which of these actors did NOT make an appearance on “Friends”? Sean Penn George Clooney David Bowie Susan Sarandon What was the occupation of “Friends” character Phoebe Buffay, played for all 236 episodes by Lisa Kudrow? Newsstand clerk Coffee shop waitress Masseuse and Central Perk musician Cat sitter Character Ross Geller was known for his multiple marriages throughout the series. Who was his first wife? Susan Bunch Carol Willick Rachel Greene Emily Waltham How many sisters did character Joey Tribbiani have? 1 3 5 7 Phoebe gave birth to triplets on “Friends.” After which character did Phoebe name one of the babies? Monica Geller Rachel Greene Joey Tribbiani Chandler Bing |
| © Getty Images The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! To view past editions of The Hill’s Morning Report CLICK HERE To receive The Hill’s Morning Report in your inbox SIGN UP HERE Morning Report Sign Up FORWARD Morning Report Privacy Policy | Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe Email to a friend | Sign Up for Other Newsletters The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc. |
LIBERTY NATION
| Daily Briefing Conservative News | Libertarian News | Commentary VISIT LibertyNation.com FROM OUR NEWSROOM Why AOC Doesn’t Want Trump Impeached By Jeff Charles Are the radical Justice Democrats playing both sides? Click Here What America’s Thinking 55% of Likely U.S. Voters believe blacks and other minorities are better off in America than in most of the rest of the world. Just 15% think they’re worse off here. A survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters think Biden is likely to be the Democrats’ presidential candidate next year, although only 23% consider that Very Likely. To read more on this story, click here. Only 43% now think it’s more important to create new jobs than to protect the environment. Just as many (43%) disagree and say it’s more important to protect the environment. 59% of Likely U.S. Voters disagree with the following statement – “Vote for Donald Trump, and you are a racist.” Twenty-nine percent (29%) agree. Illegals Crime Report: Assault on Women and Children By Kelli Ballard These undocumented men use the opportunity to prey on the most vulnerable in society. Click Here Washington Whispers Coming down the pipeline: Now that the released transcript shows no Quid Pro Quo, Democrats appear to be pinning impeachment hopes on the Whistleblower complaint. With Senators voting 54–41 on a resolution to end the emergency declaration on the border wall, it looks more likely that the president will use his veto powers to overturn the decision. Moderate Democrats are sounding alarm bells over Pelosi’s drive for impeachment suggesting that this move could alienate the voter base they most need for 2020. The media narrative keeps on repeating that the claims of impropriety against the Biden family are “debunked” and “unfounded.” But is this sparking the rise in demands for a full investigation? Read One of Our Books By Liberty Nation Staff Sic Semper Tyrannis: The Uprising of the Common Man Click Here News Roundup We’ve Surfed The Web for You AOC: Impeachment Inquiry Needed to Prevent ‘Potential Meddling’ in 2020 Election Former Rep. Darrell Issa expected to announce primary challenge to embattled GOP congressman New Countries at Sea By John Stossel Watch–Warren: ‘I Don’t Know’ If I Would Ban My Vice President’s Children from Working for Foreign Companies Whistleblower complaint has been declassified and contains no ‘surprises,’ GOP lawmaker says Liberty Nation On The Go: Listen to Today’s Top News 9.26.19 By Liberty Nation Staff Conservative News – Hot Off The Press – Audio Playlist Click Here WATCH NOW FEATURED LNTV |
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ROLL CALL
Morning Headlines
Why some Democrats aren’t calling for an impeachment probe
A cascade of Democrats facing competitive races backed an impeachment inquiry this week. A few other vulnerable incumbents, however, are not using the “I” word, and the Republican-leaning districts they represent help explain why. Read More…
Diversity fuels biggest population growth in country’s suburbs
Increasing ethnic diversity has fueled population growth in the country’s fastest-expanding congressional districts, particularly in suburban Texas, according to census data released Thursday. Read More…
Democrats focusing impeachment inquiry on Trump pressuring Ukraine
House Democrats are focusing their impeachment inquiry on President Donald Trump pressuring Ukraine to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, shifting the investigatory spotlight from the Judiciary Committee to the Intelligence Committee. Read More…Click here to subscribe to Fintech Beat for the latest market and regulatory developments in finance and financial technology.
Long arc of history guides John Lewis in his call for impeachment inquiry
OPINION — No one can accuse Rep. John Lewis of lacking patience. The Georgia Democrat showed plenty, as well as steely resolve, as he changed millions of minds — and history — over a life spent working for equal rights for all. So when he speaks, especially about justice, a cause from which he has never wavered, all would do well to listen. Read More…
Lawmakers express concern after reading whistleblower report
Some lawmakers expressed concerns Wednesday evening after reading a divisive whistleblower report that House and Senate Intelligence committee members were allowed to review in secure Capitol rooms. Read More…
Crime or ‘high crime?’ Trump’s Ukraine call spurs legal debate
The Justice Department sparked fresh debate Wednesday about when seeking foreign assistance in an election becomes a federal crime, with officials deciding President Donald Trump did not cross a legal line in his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy now at the center of a Democratic push toward impeachment. Read More…
Chris Murphy will still work with White House on gun background checks, even after Trump attack
Sen. Christopher S. Murphy was not entirely surprised when President Donald Trump attacked him Wednesday, even as administration officials were trying to make sure the Connecticut Democrat was still open to a deal on expanded background checks for gun sales. Read More…
Ukraine Caucus Democrats call for release of full Zelenskiy transcript, reiterate support for Kiev
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the Democratic co-chairwoman of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, called for the White House to release a longer version of the transcript of President Donald Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Watch the video here…
Ex-Rep. Darrell Issa to challenge Duncan Hunter, who is awaiting trial
Former California Rep. Darrell Issa is expected to run against fellow Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, a onetime colleague facing trial on corruption charges, sources familiar with the ex-congressman’s thinking confirmed to CQ Roll Call on Wednesday. Read More…
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CDN Daily News Blast
09/26/2019
Excerpts:
President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Thursday, September 26, 2019
By R. Mitchell –
President Donald Trump will attend a series of meetings with foreign
leaders, hold a press conference, and then attend a fundraising event.
Keep up with Trump on Our President’s Schedule Page. President Trump’s
Itinerary for 9/26/19 – note: this page will be updated during the day
if events warrant All …
President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Thursday, September 26, 2019 is original content from Conservative
Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary
they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political
Cartoons and more.
Read on » Liz Warren Stammers When Asked If She Would Allow Her VP’s Son to Sit On Foreign Company’s Board By Chris White – Sen. Elizabeth Warren appeared to stammer and waffle Wednesday when a reporter asked her if it would be ethical if her hypothetical vice president’s son served on the board of a foreign company. “No,” Warren told a reporter at a campaign stop in New Hampshire before pausing to reconsider her … Liz Warren Stammers When Asked If She Would Allow Her VP’s Son to Sit On Foreign Company’s Board is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » House Democrats Reach Major Milestone In Impeachment Push By Chuck Ross – More than half of the members of the House of Representatives support an inquiry into whether to impeachment President Donald Trump, after Democratic Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids announced her support Wednesday. Politico and The Washington Post, which have tracked which lawmakers support impeachment, reported that Davids is the 218th House … House Democrats Reach Major Milestone In Impeachment Push is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » As Democrats Prepare For Impeachment, Senate GOP Tees Up More Judicial Confirmations By Kevin Daley – As House Democrats moved forward with an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened confirmation hearings for five judicial nominees. Wednesday’s candidates include two appeals court nominees and three trial court nominees. Sarah Pitlyk, a trial court nominee who litigated for pro-life groups and clerked … As Democrats Prepare For Impeachment, Senate GOP Tees Up More Judicial Confirmations is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Senate Lawmakers, Including 10 Republicans, Vote Again To Stop President Trump’s Border Emergency By Jason Hopkins – The Senate on Wednesday voted for the second time to end President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration for the U.S.-Mexico border, which was made possible by several Republicans breaking ranks. In a 54-41 vote, the upper of chamber of Congress approved a resolution on Wednesday that would terminate the Trump’s southern … Senate Lawmakers, Including 10 Republicans, Vote Again To Stop President Trump’s Border Emergency is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Trump Phone Call Transcript Undercuts Two ‘Bombshell’ Reports About Whistleblower Complaint By Chuck Ross – A rough transcript of President Trump’s phone call undercuts two major news stories that helped fuel interest in a whistleblower complaint against the Republican The Washington Post reported last week that Trump made a ‘promise’ to the Ukrainian president during a phone call central to the complaint. The Wall Street … Trump Phone Call Transcript Undercuts Two ‘Bombshell’ Reports About Whistleblower Complaint is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Election 2020 Will Be a Referendum on Freedom By Nicholas Wishek – “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.” No one knows for sure who said it first, but truer words were never spoken. And that, a government big enough to give you everything you want, is exactly what the 2020 … Election 2020 Will Be a Referendum on Freedom is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Have You Noticed Nancy Pelosi’s Lips Are Moving Again? By Amanda Alverez – A statement about Democrats has been running around Capital Hill for more years than I have been around. It’s “If you notice a Democrat’s lips moving, it’ll just be another lie!” Well, we can’t paint that picture with such a broad brush because there may still be a few … Have You Noticed Nancy Pelosi’s Lips Are Moving Again? is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Montgomery County Named One Of The Worst ‘Sanctuary Communities’ In The US By Jason Hopkins – Montgomery County, Maryland, a jurisdiction that has witnessed a string of rapes by illegal aliens, has just been placed on a list of “worst sanctuary communities” in the entire United States. The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), a legal organization that works to reduce illegal immigration into the country, released … Montgomery County Named One Of The Worst ‘Sanctuary Communities’ In The US is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Warren Takes Slight Lead, Passes Biden In National Poll By Mary Margaret Olohan – Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has taken a slight lead over former vice president Joe Biden among Democratic voters, a national poll shows. A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found 27% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents would vote for Warren, while 25% said they would vote for Biden. Her lead … Warren Takes Slight Lead, Passes Biden In National Poll is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Blue Plight Special – A.F. Branco Cartoon By A.F. Branco – The Democrats keep trying to bring down Trump but keep failing like Wylie Coyote in the cartoon Roadrunner. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2019. See more Branco toons HERE Blue Plight Special – A.F. Branco Cartoon is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » On the Trail of Tears With Federal Bureaucrats By Michael R Shannon – Breitbart News reports 80 percent of the female migrants to the USA’s heartland are sexually assaulted during the trip. Yet the heartless Trump administration remains relentless and will continue with its plan to force the USDA’s Economic Research Service to move to Missouri. Wait. I’ve mistakenly conflated two stories. The … On the Trail of Tears With Federal Bureaucrats is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » President Trump’s Call with Ukraine President Zelensky [Full Text] By R. Mitchell – The White House on Wednesday released the unredacted full text of a transcript of the call between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky that Democrats assert requires impeachment. Trump-call-with-Volodymyr-Zelensky-Ukraine The portion of the call that talks about Hunter Biden does not appear to request anything untoward. The President: … President Trump’s Call with Ukraine President Zelensky [Full Text] is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » The Trump Trap – Grrr Graphics – Ben Garrison Cartoon By Ben Garrison – The Democrats have walked into a trap set by the Trump administration. Today Trump will release of the transcripts of his conversation with Ukraine’s president. No matter what Trump said, the Democrats will fan the flames and make it appear as if Trump is an arch criminal who must be … The Trump Trap – Grrr Graphics – Ben Garrison Cartoon is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » 7 Great Websites for Teen Writers By Thomas Anderson – For many writers, there is a struggle to find a community to belong to. This is especially true of those who are young. Thankfully, there are many websites for young writers to provide that sense of belonging and to help when you get stuck in a rough patch. And we’re … 7 Great Websites for Teen Writers is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » See all breaking news, conservative commentary, political cartoons and more posted to CDN at our Home Page. Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Add on Google Plus Copyright © 2019 Conservative Daily News, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list |
CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
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“But
you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and
praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life,”
(Jude 20-21, ESV).
(Video) David French Discusses Free Speech
By Shane Vander Hart on Sep 26, 2019 01:09 am Attorney, author, and commentator David French discussed free speech at an event sponsored by the Show-Me Institute and National Review Institute. Read in browser » Fall Out From The Des Moines Register’s Twitter Trolling By Shane Vander Hart on Sep 25, 2019 04:17 pm The Des Moines Register received a pile on from the right, the left, and local and national media for their Twitter trolling of Carson King. Read in browser » Recent Articles: The Des Moines Register’s Irresponsible Twitter Trolling of Carson King Trump Calls For Ending Religious Persecution Ernst, Grassley Respond to Pelosi’s Impeachment Announcement To Impeach or Not To Impeach Trump? Pointing Out Democrat Support for Extreme Gender Policies Could Be a Winning GOP Strategy Launched in 2006, Caffeinated Thoughts reports news and shares commentary about culture, current events, faith and state and national politics from a Christian and conservative point of view. Caffeinated Thoughts P.O. Box 57184 Des Moines, IA 50317 (515) 321-5077 Editor, Shane Vander Hart Connect: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Share Tweet Share Forward Copyright © 2019 Caffeinated Thoughts, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
| MORNING EDITION |
| Thursday, September 26, 2019 |
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THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING MIX
| Sign up for this newsletter Read online Stories from all over. Dulce María Alavez A 5-year-old girl vanished from a New Jersey playground. One teacher blamed ‘Mexican’ culture. “They’re Mexican, it’s their culture,” Jennifer Hewitt Bishop wrote on Facebook. “They don’t supervise their children like we do.” By Antonia Farzan ● Read more » Biden says rough transcript suggests Trump likely committed ‘an impeachable offense’ “Based on the material that they acknowledged today, it seems to me it’s awful hard to avoid the conclusion that it is an impeachable offense and a violation of constitutional responsibility,” Biden said Wednesday during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” By Allyson Chiu ● Read more » ‘Outrage is a commodity’: Director Todd Phillips bashes ‘far left’ criticism of ‘Joker’ “Joker” director Todd Phillips compared criticism of gun violence in his new film to far-right extremism in an interview published Wednesday afternoon. By Katie Shepherd ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT ‘Mind-boggling’: Parkland parents protest recommendation to reinstate sheriff behind shooting response Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) had suspended Scott Israel, charging that the former Broward County sheriff had “egregiously failed” in his handling of the Parkland school shooting. By Teo Armus ● Read more » Iowa reporter who found a viral star’s racist tweets slammed when critics find his own offensive posts Carson King’s thirst for beer made him a national hero. His old tweets made him a milkshake duck. By Katie Shepherd ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT There are likely no tapes — but plenty of witnesses in the rough transcript of Trump’s Ukrainian call To some critics, Trump’s willingness to turn over the transcript of the call, but not the whistleblower complaint it generated, sounds a lot like President Richard M. Nixon’s agreement to turn over the transcripts but not the tapes. By Meagan Flynn ● Read more » A college student died in his dorm room. It took almost two months for anyone to notice. New Zealand police say they are investigating the student’s death, and the University of Canterbury said it will commission an independent investigation. By Teo Armus ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletter Check out Must Reads for a curated selection of our best journalism in your inbox every Saturday, plus a peek behind the scenes into how one story came together. Sign up » |
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THE BLAZE
DESERET NEWS
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
| View In BrowserSeptember 26, 2019chicagotribune.comDaywatch1How a Chicago college student ended up in the middle of an FBI investigation into Chinese spyingTHURSDAY, SEPT 26Months
after Ji Chaoqun began his studies at the Illinois Institute of
Technology, Chinese intelligence officers reached out and tasked him
with gathering biographical data on eight Chinese nationals working in
the U.S. as scientists and engineers.Ji, 28, pleaded not guilty to charges of being a foreign agent of the People’s Republic of China.2White
House-released summary of call with Ukraine president shows Trump
repeatedly prodded the new leader to investigate Joe BidenTHURSDAY, SEPT 26President Donald Trump repeatedly prodded Ukraine’s new leader to
work with the U.S. attorney general and lawyer Rudy Giuliani to
investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden, according to a rough transcript summarizing the call released Wednesday.The
conversation between the two leaders is one piece of a whistleblower’s
complaint, which followed the July 25 call. The complaint is central to the formal impeachment inquiry launched by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.Column: Get ready for a nasty fight. Impeachment is a battle Donald Trump can’t afford to lose.Column: Trump betrayed U.S. in Ukraine call and deserves impeachment: “Sometimes the act is in plain sight”Column: Democrats make a decision on Trump impeachment. Is it real or just more natural gas? 3A
suburban man was seen on a viral video berating a woman wearing a
Puerto Rican flag shirt. Now he’s been found guilty of a hate crime.THURSDAY, SEPT 26A Des Plaines man was found guilty on two felony hate crime counts for
berating and questioning the citizenship of a woman who was wearing a
shirt emblazoned with a design of the Puerto Rican flag while preparing
to celebrate her birthday at a Cook County forest preserve. A jury
deliberated for about 3½ hours before finding Timothy Trybus guilty.Trybus
hung his head and wept after the verdict was read, a demeanor
strikingly different than the one portrayed in a video that his victim,
Mia Irizarry, captured during their encounter last year.4A bright future cut short: Family and friends remember girl shot inside Harvey home as she planned 12th birthday partyTHURSDAY, SEPT 26Kentayvia
Blackful had a desire to succeed, a passion for serving others and a
smile that could light up a room, people who knew her well said. A
leader in the classroom and on the basketball court, the star sixth
grade student-athlete at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in Harvey died Tuesday, on her 12th birthday, the day after she was shot in the head while sitting at home making birthday party invitations for an upcoming skating party. 5As
marijuana legalization approaches in Illinois, industry observers
predict potential for corruption, shortages of weed and lots of work for
lawyersTHURSDAY, SEPT 26When
Illinois allows legal commercial marijuana sales next year, it could
face more widespread shortages of the product and corruption related to
licensing than other states, at least one industry observer believes.As
co-founder and CEO of Marijuana Business Daily, Cassandra Farrington
has seen shortages of cannabis almost every time a state or country
launches a recreational cannabis program. But Illinois faces special constraints.When
Illinois lawmakers acted to legalize marijuana sales, they included
provisions to wipe out lower-level cannabis convictions. But the process can be more complicated than it is supposed to be for some.Marijuana company Cresco Labs got the OK to move its medical dispensary into the John Barleycorn building near Wrigley Field.6Jimmy John’s to be sold to the owner of Arby’s and Buffalo Wild Wings, as competition for lunch dollars heats upTHURSDAY, SEPT 26Jimmy John’s Sandwiches, which has grown to more than 2,800 shops since its founding in Charleston, Ill., 36 years ago, is getting sold to the owner of Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In and Rusty Taco. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.The
sale comes as Jimmy John’s faces intense competition for consumers’
lunch dollars in a fast-casual sector crowded not only with sandwich
shops but also salad, burrito, pizza and poke chains. 7Here are 2019′s MacArthur ‘genius grant’ winners, including cartoonist Lynda Barry and Chicago urban designer Emmanuel PrattTHURSDAY, SEPT 26 Urban designer Emmanuel Pratt and cartoonist Lynda Barry are two of the 26 winners of the 2019 MacArthur Foundation “genius grants,” the
no-strings-attached $625,000 prizes given annually to artists, scholars
and other creative thinkers, the Chicago-based philanthropy announced
Wednesday.A handful of this year’s MacArthur Fellows, as the program is formally known, have Chicago ties. Here’s a complete list of the winners.8Planning to attend Open House Chicago? Here are Blair Kamin’s top 10 picks.THURSDAY, SEPT 26The underlying theme of Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin’s 10 picks for this year’s Open House Chicago is superlatives:
the world’s tallest church building, the former world’s largest post
office, and the original Sears Tower, from which radio station WLS (the
letters stand for “World’s Largest Store”) once broadcast. Here’s his full list.advertisement Unsubscribe | Newsletters | Privacy Policy | Terms of ServiceCopyright © 2019 | Chicago Tribune | 160 N. Stetson Ave., Third Floor, Chicago, IL 60601ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this email because you are following the Daywatch newsletter. |
AMERICAN THINKER
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Recent Articles
Greta the Angry
Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am Greta Thunberg knows very little, and what she thinks she knows makes her very angry. Read More… When Hillary Clinton Colluded with Ukraine Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am Where are the congressional hearings on Hillary’s collusion with Ukraine? Read More… The Agonies of the Patriotic Democrat Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am Like distracted grazers in lion country, patriotic Democrats like my cousin won’t realize what happened until it’s too late. Read More… Angela Merkel’s Toll on Germany Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am There is one ray of hope in all the gloom for Germany. Read More… US Oil Is Key Weapon against Iran Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am Because we no longer are dependent on Middle East oil, we have more options in responding to this international crisis. Read More… Did Slavery Create American Prosperity? Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am A political agenda that only creates more conflict and division at a time that has already become one of the most divisive in the U.S. since the Civil War. Read More… Recent Blog Posts Mitt Romney adviser sits on Burisma board of directors Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am One of an amazing series of coincidences. If you believe in coincidences when the CIA is involved. Read more… Air war breaks out between Fox News Channel hosts Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am The foil for pouring gasoline on the long simmering fire between the Fox News opinion and news department sides is prominent Washington, D.C. Republican attorney Joseph diGenova. Read more… Communist newspaper drops a truth bomb about impeaching Trump Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am The official newspaper of the Communist Party U.S.A. reveals the Democrats’ real game plan. Read more… Elizabeth Warren visibly flustered over question on Biden’s son Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am Elizabeth Warren seems to have a plan for everything, but apparently, she hasn’t given much thought to Hunter Biden’s acquisition of wealth from overseas Read more… President Trump right on target about Cuba and Venezuela Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am The Dems want this stopped, too. Read more… The unbearable cost of a unity government Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am Coalition governments are always a bad idea, but in Israel, it would be disastrous. Read more… Trump’s UN speeches really beat Obama’s, don’t they? Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am We know on whose side the current president is. Read more… Pelosi’s impeachment scheme: Fool’s gold for radical Democrats Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am What Pelosi promised her radical members was the gold they have waited three years for. But that’s not what they’ll get. Read more… A simple solution for the logjam in Israel Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am Something’s got to give in the chaotic Knesset. Read more… Impeachment complaint of the day Sep 26, 2019 01:00 am Nancy Pelosi now says there is no choice but to start an impeachment inquiry because no one is above the law. As far as I can tell Pelosi has never said which law Trump broke but that doesn’t matter. Read more… The once-great Democratic Party is kaput Sep 25, 2019 01:00 am Donald Trump has broken the Democrats. Read more… Rudy Giuliani tells Dems they’ve walked into a trap Sep 25, 2019 01:00 am Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer and old friend from New York, was on fire last night, clearly ecstatic over what lies ahead for the Democrats. Read more… Transcript of Trump-Zelensky call released, impeachment now likely Sep 25, 2019 01:00 am With the release this morning of the unredacted transcript of President Trump’s July 25 call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, the bait has been set in a trap, and the House Democrats are very likely to vote to begin impeachment proceedings Read more… The speech they’re trying to hide: President Trump’s stellar UN speech Sep 25, 2019 01:00 am His speech was anything but “sleepy.” Read more… The Democrats’ Ukraine hoax Sep 25, 2019 01:00 am Spooky, deer-in-the-headlights Pelosi’s incoherent “announcement” Tuesday was a hilarious jumble of nonsense. Read more… View this email in your browser American Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans. |
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THE FEDERALIST
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Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray September 26, 2019 How The House Plans To Use Its ‘Inquiry’ To Instigate Impeachment By Adam Mill Democrats want to force the president into defying a court order upholding a House document request in order to justify a full-blown impeachment proceeding. Full article Study: No. 1 Topic For College Students’ Mandatory Summer Reading Is Racism By Joy Pullmann ‘The themes register most strongly the common reading genre’s continuing obsession with race, as well as its infantilization of its students, its middlebrow taste, and its progressive politics,’ says the study of summer book assignments in 2018. Full article Carson King Doesn’t Need Our Forgiveness, But The Des Moines Register Owes Him An Apology By Hans Fiene While researching internet sensation philanthropist Carson King for a profile in the Des Moines Register, writer Aaron Calvin unearthed unsavory tweets King authored when he was 16. Full article It’s High Time To Reassess The United States’ Relationship With Ukraine By Ted Galen Carpenter Lost in all the partisan bickering is a more important issue: Washington’s overall relationship with Ukraine and whether that relationship really serves America’s best interests. Full article New York Times, Washington Post Front Pages Deceptively Slice Ukraine Call Transcript To Implicate Trump By Tristan Justice The New York Times and the Washington Post sliced up the transcript of a call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president to fit a false media narrative. Full article It’s Not A Free Market When Consumers Are Addicts. That Goes For Big Vape, Too By Katy French Talento Until recently, I was the White House public health policy advisor to President Trump, hearing Juul’s grandiose claims of being a global white-hat on a mission to save the world from Big Tobacco. Full article Climate Worship Is Nothing More Than Rebranded Paganism By Sumantra Maitra We’re seeing sexualized dances, hallucinogens, worshiping nature, confessing sins in pagan animism, worshiping purified teen saints, all to promote a supposedly greater cause. Full article By Underscoring Its Failures, Trump Has Outlined The Republican Party’s Future By Nathanael Blake There are many ways in which post-Trump conservatism could go wrong. But there is no way in which the anti-Trump remains of the old GOP can go right. Full article Why Women Love The Home But Not Being A Homemaker By Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering While the return to the craft of domesticity can help a homemaker’s sense of fulfillment, ultimately undervaluing motherhood is the more persistent issue. Full article Trump’s Tweets Are Far Less Crazy Than Today’s Democratic Party By Auguste Meyrat Despite our new political reality, many conservative writers and commentators will still urge Donald Trump to just stop tweeting and let these things go. Full article Dems’ Transgender, Sexual Assault Policies Wage War On Both Sexes By Frank Miniter Identity-fueled policies are showing up wherever Democrats are now in charge, and athletes and employees are getting sick of them. Full article Elizabeth Warren Doesn’t Know If Biden’s Corruption Would Violate Her Ethics Plan By Tristan Justice Elizabeth Warren was unsure whether her new ethics proposal would prohibit her vice president’s son from serving on the board of a foreign company. Full article CNN Just Yadda-Yadda-Yadda’d 540 Words To Frame Trump For ‘Favor’ He Never Requested By Tristan Justice In their ‘reporting,’ CNN and other outlets skipped an entire section of the released and unredacted transcript of a phone call between Trump and the Ukrainian president. Full article Sarah Silverman’s Curious Takedown Of The ‘Righteousness Porn’ Fueling ‘Cancel Culture’ By Emily Jashinsky Silverman’s claim that comedians don’t want hosting gigs anymore carries some weight coming from her. She has earnestly and famously revamped her brand to meet the left’s new standards of acceptable speech. Full article Democrats Asked Ukraine To Investigate Trump In 2018 By Tristan Justice Senate Democrats wrote to Ukraine’s prosecutor general last year urging Ukrainian officials to investigate President Donald Trump. Full article Here Are A Bunch Of Charts That Prove The World Is Better Than Ever By David Harsanyi The retreat of socialism has led to extraordinary gains in the most important aspects of human existence over the past 30-40 years. Full article GOP Politicians Aren’t Falling For Ukraine Hysteria Like They Did Russia By Mollie Hemingway Unlike how they handled the Russia collusion conspiracy theory, Republican politicians have shown themselves less likely to fall for the Ukraine story being peddled through leaks to the same sympathetic reporters from anonymous partisan sources. Full article Impeachment Is A Winning Strategy For Trump — Fundraising Dollars Show It By Chrissy Clark Democrats moved forward with impeachment proceedings against Trump, helping the RNC and Trump’s reelection campaign net $1 million in fundraising Tuesday. Full article Podcast: A Year Of Dying Gracefully By The Federalist Staff Publisher Ben Domenech reflects on a year of both loss and new beginnings on a special episode of The Federalist Radio Hour. Full article Bernie Says Billionaires Shouldn’t Exist. New Survey Finds Americans Heartily Disagree By Tristan Justice A new study from the Cato Institute shows that 82 percent of Americans believe that people ‘should be allowed to become billionaires.’ Full article FAMILY MAKEUP DRIVING INEQUALITY A quarter of US parents are unmarried – and that changes how much they invest in their kids. http://vlt.tc/3rau “Family structure in America is sharply divided by class and race. While 84% of children whose mothers have a bachelor’s degree or higher-level education live with married parents, only 58% of children whose mothers have a high school degree or less do so. And while 75% of white children live with married parents, just 38% of black children do so. Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2019 The Federalist, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences |
LEGAL INSURRECTION
Share This  Legal Insurrection Foundation Fall 2019 Fundraiser — Investigations, Research, Outreach Trump Ukraine Transcript: Asked for Biden Review, But Made No Mention of Withholding Military Aid FLASHBACK: Biden Brags About Getting Ukrainian Prosecutor Investigating Son Fired and Democrats Wrote Ukraine, Asking for Investigation of Trump OLC Memo Says Whistleblower Complaint Not an ‘Urgent Concern,’ Hands it Over to Congress VIDEO: Knife Up, Don’t Shoot? ====  University of California System Announces Divestment from Fossil Fuels U. St. Thomas Student Charged With Allegedly Making Hoax Bomb Threats to School 70 Percent of Wisconsin’s Highest Paid Public Employees Work for State University System  William Jacobson: “SEE YOU IN HOUSTON? Legal Insurrection Reader Reception.” Kemberlee Kaye: “It’s the hypocrisy of it all, really.” Leslie Eastman: “I view all the drama surrounding Ukraine as the next version of #SharpieGate! At this point, anyone who is calling for Trump’s impeachment must be viewed as completely devoid, of logic, reason, and an understanding of the US Constitution. All Nancy Pelosi has done is drive donations to President Trump’s re-election campaign through the roof.” Stacey Matthews: “While Sen. Bernie Sanders is still abiding by his mutual agreement with Elizabeth Warren for the two not to attack each other, his campaign surrogates are showing no such restraint.” David Gerstman: “Oh so Joe Biden boasted about getting Ukraine to fire its prosecutor when said official was investigating the company on which his sat on the board? I don’t object to holding officials to accountability, but when it’s applied one-sidedly, I find it unconvincing.” Samantha Mandeles: “The New York Times Reported yesterday that the United States has announced “new economic penalties” for Chinese companies importing Iranian oil. Good; I am hopeful that the sanctions will further restrict the amount of money the ayatollahs can donate to the terrorists in Hamas and Hezbollah.” Legal Insurrection Foundation is a Rhode Island tax-exempt corporation established exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to educate and inform the public on legal, historical, economic, academic, and cultural issues related to the Constitution, liberty, and world events. For more information about the Foundation, CLICK HERE. Donate Here! Legal Insurrection Foundation 18 Maple Avenue #280 Barrington, Rhode Island 02806 info@legalinsurrection.com Follow Us Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser Unsubscribe |
SCOTT RASMUSSEN
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ScottRasmussen.com Launch – Check Out My All New Website
No Images? Click here
Good morning,We
are in the field right now with our first survey asking specifically
about President Trump’s conversation with the Ukranian president. The
interviews will continue until about noon eastern and we’ll release the
data later today.In the race for the Democratic nomination, Joe Biden continues to lead, but Elizabeth Warren is surging
and Bernie Sanders fading. Among “Definite” voters, it’s Biden 32%,
Warren 21%, and Sanders 13%. That’s Warren’s highest total to date and
her largest margin over Sanders. Next update tonight at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.In the performance of its duties, 71% of voters believe the FBI should be allowed to use facial recognition technologies.
A ScottRasmussen.com national survey found that 69% said the same about
the CIA and 59% think local law enforcement should be able to use that
technology. However, just 32% believe tech companies should be allowed
to do so.However,
voters recognize the risks involved. More than six-out-of-ten believe
that each of those groups might regularly abuse their power while using
facial recognition technology. Forty-two percent (42%) are Very
Concerned that tech companies would abuse that power and 34% have that
fear about local law enforcement. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are Very
Concerned about FBI abuse and 26% about CIA abuse.When
it comes to the use of new technology in general, 23% fear the federal
government more than tech companies. Twenty percent (20%) are more
afraid of the tech companies while 37% are equally afraid of both. Just 12% are not afraid of either group.Republicans
are a bit more fearful of the
tech companies while Democrats are more fearful of the federal
government. Given a wide range of other polling data, it is likely those
dynamics would shift with a Democrat in the White House.Finally, 30% of major league baseball fans think the New York Yankees will win the 2019 World Series. Twenty percent (20%) believe the Houston Astros will come home with the title and 18% believe it will be the Dodgers.Twenty-two
percent (22%) of fans want the Yankees to win it all this year while
11% are rooting for the Dodgers. The Astros and Cleveland Indians are
each the favorite for 10%.In the interests of full disclosure, I am a lifelong Yankees’ fan!Have a great day,Scott
Stay Informed Up To The Minute and Share ContentDeeper CurrentsScott Rasmussen offers his personal insight, analysis, and opinion on current political races, issues, and controversy.
Read more
Scott’s ColumnsPresident
Trump has perfected the art of antagonizing his opponents with
provocative tweets. He demonstrated this skill recently in declaring
that the tax reform act,…
Read more
SCOTT RASMUSSEN info@scottrasmussen.com https://www.scottrasmussen.com 142 W 57th Street, 11 Floor New York, NY 10023 ScottRasmussen.com Launch – Check Out My All New Website Like Tweet Share Forward Preferences | Unsubscribe |
NBC
From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann
FIRST READ: Here’s what’s so troubling about Trump’s call with Ukraine’s president
For all the attention on a possible quid pro quo, Crowdstrike or the mention of Trump’s Central Park hotel, there’s a much bigger problem at the root of President Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukraine’s president.
The president of the United States appeared to be using his office and powers in asking another world leader – explicitly – to help him against the Democratic frontrunner (now co-frontrunner) he might face in next year’s election.
“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General [William Barr] would be great,” Trump said to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, per the unclassified memo of their conversation.
Trump then added, “Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it… It sounds horrible to me.”
(In fact, Joe Biden didn’t stop the prosecution; it was already dormant when Biden, the Obama administration and much of the western world sought the ouster of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor.)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
If you cover or work in electoral politics for a living, there’s maybe nothing more important than free and fair elections – and their integrity.
Otherwise, why count the votes on Election Night? Or examine the exit polls? Or have the losing side accept the results?
If you don’t take our word for it, then listen to Sen. Lindsey Graham from back in January 2017, right before Trump took office.
“Our lives are built around the idea that we’re free people. That we go to the ballot box. That we, you know, have political contests outside of foreign interference,” he said on “Meet the Press,” discussing Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
“You can’t go on with your life as a democracy when a foreign entity is trying to compromise the election process,” he added.
But yesterday, Graham yesterday dismissed the uproar over the memo of Trump’s July 25 phone call.
REPORTER: Is it appropriate for the president to be asking a foreign leader for dirt on a political rival?
GRAHAM: Yeah, I don’t think you read the same thing I did.
But here’s the question for Graham and everyone else: What happens if it’s an American president – in a conversation with another world leader – compromising the election process?
Even if he isn’t successful?
Brace yourselves for another crazy day in Washington
If you thought yesterday was a crazy day in Washington – the release of the memo on the July 25 phone call, Trump’s press conference at the United Nations – you might want to get ready for today.
NBC’s Geoff Bennet reports that the whistleblower complaint has been declassified, and that it’s expected to be released this morning.
Here’s the reaction among those who have seen the complaint: “Really troubling things here,” said Republican Sen. Ben Sasse. “Republicans ought not just circle the wagons, and democrats ought not have been using words like impeachment before they knew anything about the actual substance.”
Here’s Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff: “I found the allegations deeply disturbing. I also found them very credible.”
And if the expected release of that whistleblower complaint isn’t enough for you, acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire testifies before the House Intelligence Committee at 9:00 am ET.
DATA DOWNLOAD: And the number of the day is … 42
42.
That’s the number of days that acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire has been on the job.
Maguire officially assumed the role on August 16 of this year after serving as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
Questions about Attorney General Barr’s role in this controversy
“The Trump administration’s release of notes documenting President Donald Trump’s conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has raised questions about Trump’s relationship with Attorney General William Barr and whether he views Barr as someone whose job includes advocating for him on personal matters,” NBC’s Julia Ainsley writes.
“Repeatedly over the course of the call, Trump told Zelenskiy that his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and Barr will be contacting Ukrainian prosecutors on two investigations: one related to an email server tied to Trump’s former political rival, Hillary Clinton, and the other related to his potential future political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.”
Ainsley also writes that the Justice Department ultimately decided that Trump’s conduct in the whistleblower complaint did not rise to a criminal level – but that they relied solely on the notes of the call and didn’t interview witnesses.
Our question: How/why isn’t Barr recusing himself from this entire matter?
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
2020 VISION: Deep freeze
Earlier this week, we told you that the impeachment storyline could freeze the 2020 Democratic race.
And guess what…
Examining 10 major newspapers across the country yesterday, only one (the Los Angeles Times) had a front page article about the Dem 2020 race, per NBC’s Sami Sparber.
The same was true about the websites of major network and cable news channels: The home pages of NBC News, ABC, CNN, or Fox had little to no front-page 2020 coverage, Sparber adds.
On the campaign trail today: Beto O’Rourke holds a town hall in Erie, Pa… Andrew Yang stumps in New Hampshire… Steve Bullock joins a United Auto Workers picket line in Arlington, Texas… And Bernie Sanders appears on Stephen Colbert.
Dispatches from NBC’s embeds: Elizabeth Warren held a town hall yesterday in New Hampshire, where she again called for the House of Representatives to impeach President Trump. After those remarks, Warren took questions on her Medicare for All plan and was asked how her plan would affect those in unions who negotiated plans from their employers – this has been a standard call from Democrats in the field who don’t support Medicare for All.
NBC’s Benjamin Pu reports Warren’s response that when the law changes, “You can also say people get cash equivalence or money equivalence for whatever it is that they had to give up when the law changes,” and, “nobody’s doing this without the unions.”
And Kamala Harris has a new addition to her plan for student loans and debts. During a tele-town hall, per NBC’s Deepa Shivaram, Harris said, “we’re going to forgive student debt for families making under $100k.” She added, “we will have debt free college, free community college and this is an important piece, interest free student loans.”
TWEET OF THE DAY: That was, um, some kind of press conference yesterday
THE LID: Unpopularity contest
Don’t miss the pod from yesterday, when we looked back at how impeachment hasn’t historically been popular — even when the past presidents facing it had big public opinion problems.
ICYMI: News clips you shouldn’t miss
Here’s Geoff Bennett and Phil Helsel on what to expect from the declassification of the whistleblower complaint.
A majority of Democratic House members now support some kind of impeachment action against Trump.
Need a briefer on how exactly impeachment works? Pete Williams has you covered.
Trump allies are starting to be more vocal about concerns regarding Rudy Giuliani’s role.
Kurt Volker, Trump’s part-time Ukraine envoy, played a role in Giuliani’s outreach.
Does impeachment help Biden or Warren? Neither?
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We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions.
Thanks,
Chuck, Mark, and Carrie
IJR
NOQ REPORT
| NOQ Report Daily |
- ‘A Just Society’: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s big idea for American socialism
- The big disconnect
- Democrat Jeff Van Drew: ‘At the end of the day I’m afraid all we’re going to have is a failed impeachment’
- Andy Biggs points to the real obstruction happening in DC
- Students want Trump impeached, because… reasons
- Will Ricciardella on OAN: Hurting presidential confidentiality hurts America going forward
- Today was AOC’s big policy unveil. Then the transcript happened.
- The three narrative lies the left is using to keep impeachment alive
- Netanyahu tapped to take first shot at forming Israel’s coalition government
- Parscale: Trump campaign ‘blows out’ fundraising since Pelosi announced impeachment
| ‘A Just Society’: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s big idea for American socialism Posted: 26 Sep 2019 04:54 AM PDT True socialism will not come to America in bits and pieces, as many are predicting. Such predictions make sense because the legislation being pushed by the radical progressive wing of the Democratic Party have been broken up into individual components. They will do this for the Green New Deal. They are doing it with gun […] The post ‘A Just Society’: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s big idea for American socialism appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| The big disconnect Posted: 26 Sep 2019 04:24 AM PDT THE ISSUE The United States of America is so wrapped up with internal politics that we cannot see through the fog that is rolling in from Asia over the Golden Gate. We are completely oblivious to the hidden dangers that it may bring. If you follow the media in Australia and in Japan you will […] The post The big disconnect appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Democrat Jeff Van Drew: ‘At the end of the day I’m afraid all we’re going to have is a failed impeachment’ Posted: 25 Sep 2019 11:38 PM PDT It’s easy to lump all Democrats together in the Trump take down scheme known as impeachment, but there are still many Democratic lawmakers (and millions of Democratic voters) who oppose pushing forward with impeachment. Their reasons vary, but one of the most common is the notion that spending so much time on impeachment and dividing […] The post Democrat Jeff Van Drew: ‘At the end of the day I’m afraid all we’re going to have is a failed impeachment’ appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Andy Biggs points to the real obstruction happening in DC Posted: 25 Sep 2019 11:05 PM PDT For over two years, we head all about collusion by President Trump. When that was debunked, the narrative from the left quickly shifted from “collusion” to “obstruction,” which became their new mantra. But even that couldn’t stick. Now that we’re getting a taste of what their impeachment plans are regarding the call between President Trump […] The post Andy Biggs points to the real obstruction happening in DC appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Students want Trump impeached, because… reasons Posted: 25 Sep 2019 09:58 PM PDT Leave it to students in America to have an opinion without being able to back it up with facts. Such is the case when Campus Reform’s Cabot Phillips asked students in Virginia about whether or not President Trump should be impeached. The formula was universal as it played out with each student asked. Should President […] The post Students want Trump impeached, because… reasons appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Will Ricciardella on OAN: Hurting presidential confidentiality hurts America going forward Posted: 25 Sep 2019 09:39 PM PDT There has been much made of the release of the Trump-Zelensky transcript yesterday in which the private conversation between the two world leaders was released to quell calls for impeachment by the Democrats. And while it put Republicans at ease knowing nothing much was said while sending Democrats scrambling to turn nothing into something, there’s […] The post Will Ricciardella on OAN: Hurting presidential confidentiality hurts America going forward appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Today was AOC’s big policy unveil. Then the transcript happened. Posted: 25 Sep 2019 09:11 PM PDT For maximum effect, politicians often choose Wednesday to unveil something big. There’s less competition in the news cycle than Monday’s catch up from the weekend and less noise than Tuesday when other big news is usually released. Thursday is decent for small releases, but allows only a day to percolate in the news cycle before the […] The post Today was AOC’s big policy unveil. Then the transcript happened. appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| The three narrative lies the left is using to keep impeachment alive Posted: 25 Sep 2019 02:28 PM PDT The Trump-Zelensky transcript is out and and it showed no impeachable offenses such as quid pro quo with Ukraine in an “aid for Biden dirt” trade. But as far as Democrats and most in mainstream media are concerned, the transcript is just enough to form their narrative lies that would justify impeaching President Trump if true. […] The post The three narrative lies the left is using to keep impeachment alive appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Netanyahu tapped to take first shot at forming Israel’s coalition government Posted: 25 Sep 2019 01:24 PM PDT It’s April all over again in Israel as President Reuven Rivlin has formally tasked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with forming the government. He now has 42 days to get 61 Members of the Knesset to support him to keep his job. The news follows the final election results that had center-left Blue and White beating Netanyahu’s […] The post Netanyahu tapped to take first shot at forming Israel’s coalition government appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Parscale: Trump campaign ‘blows out’ fundraising since Pelosi announced impeachment Posted: 25 Sep 2019 12:52 PM PDT Democrats have a tendency to achieve the opposite of what they intended with many of their actions. When they tried to reduce healthcare costs, they ended up raising them dramatically through Obamacare. Every time they push harder for gun control, gun sales hit record levels. Today we learned from Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale that when […] The post Parscale: Trump campaign ‘blows out’ fundraising since Pelosi announced impeachment appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
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SEAN HANNITY
| Thu, September 26 |
|
WHISTLEBLOWER UPDATE // NEW GREEN DEAL? |
|
Trump did nothing wrong – Still, Pelosi and her colleagues will do anything to undo 2016
Without having seen or read the released transcript of President Trump’s telephone conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped before cameras and microphones on Wednesday morning and boldly condemned President Trump for using a foreign nation to help his forthcoming presidential campaign. But that’s not quite what the conversation revealed. No matter… |
| ANOTHER NEW DEAL? AOC Introduces Bundle of Progressive Proposals Called ‘A Just Society’ Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will soon introduce a new package of legislation titled a “Just Society” in the coming weeks; expanding her already massive ‘Green New Deal’ program to combat climate change.“Well I think that one of the things we can get done is build popular support in acknowledging how bad the problem already… |
| UKRAINE PRESIDENT ON TRUMP: ‘We Had a Great Phone Call, Nobody Pushed Me, It Was Normal’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with reporters at the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday; saying he had a “great phone call” with President Trump and “there was no pressure.”“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a meeting in New York with President Trump, told reporters Wednesday that he was not pressured to investigate the Biden… |
| BUSTED: Director of National Intelligence Says Washington Post Story on Resignation TOTALLY FALSE The Director of National Intelligence directly rebuked a recent story published by the Washington Post Wednesday afternoon; saying he has never considered “quitting” his post regarding the President’s personal phone call with Ukraine.“Trump’s intelligence chief threatened to quit if White House forced him to stonewall Congress on whistleblower, officials say,” posted the Washington… |
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NATIONAL REVIEW
| September 26 2019 |
| VISIT NATIONALREVIEW.COM |
|
The Impeachment Fervor Isn’t Going Anywhere
Jim Geraghty
Making the click-through worthwhile: Why a Democratic attempt to
impeach President Trump was destined from the beginning; why Democrats
suddenly get awkward and tongue-tied when asked to bar children of
high-ranking officials from serving on foreign corporate boards; and
Alexander Hamilton’s warning about how impeachment efforts will always
reflect partisan divisions.
A Democratic House Was Always Destined to Impeach President Trump
More than 218 of the 235 House Democrats are now unified in support
of an impeachment “inquiry,” and when push comes to shove sometime in
the coming months, the overwhelming majority of House Democrats will
vote to impeach the president.
The previous resistance to impeachment from Nancy Pelosi was perhaps
the right call in terms of long-term political advantage, but also was
fundamentally phony. A significant chunk of the Democratic party has
wanted to impeach Trump since early in his presidency, in some cases
literally making the argument the day he took office. Liberal activist
groups set up an online petition calling for …
Read More
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Top Stories
Time Is on Taiwan’s Side — but It Needs U.S. Support
George Will
U.S. practices should respond to Beijing’s pressure
on Taiwan with a reciprocal defiance worthy of a great nation friendly
to a small nation that has few friends.
The Missing Word in Trump’s Call: ‘Russia’
Jim Geraghty
Democrats want to impeach Trump over what he said
about the Bidens. And yet after two years of furious allegations about
Russian influence, they don’t care that during a lengthy conversation
with the Ukrainian president, Trump didn’t say a single thing about
Russia.
Whistleblower Complaint Claims White House Moved to ‘Lock Down’ Ukraine Call Transcript
Mairead McArdle
According
to the complaint, White House officials were “deeply disturbed” by
Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Elizabeth Warren Is Wrong about Payday Lenders
Kevin D. Williamson
On Saab guys and scrubs.
Elizabeth Warren’s Strange, Shifting Identities
Kyle Smith
Conservative; liberal; white; Cherokee; Harvard prof; tribune of the people; possibly extraterrestrial.
The Death of American Citizenship
Victor Davis Hanson
We still have a Bill of Rights, but many of our constitutional protections are being rendered impotent by activist judges.
A Family Quarrel
Ramesh Ponnuru
A new proposal for supporting families is inferior to building on the successful policies we already have.
Texas Google Anti-Trust Probe Includes Ex-Microsoft Lawyer
Zachary Evans
Eugene Burrus, who was formerly assistant general counsel at Microsoft, was hired by Texas from May 29 through August 31.
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