“It does need to come to the Senate floor, and I think it’s worth using a little leverage here,” Flake said.
David Kurtz
We learned late yesterday that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had been secretly charged by the U.S. government with… something. What, exactly, remains unclear, but what is clear was that we weren’t supposed to learn about the charges in this way.
Here’s what happened.
John LightThe midterms are over and the White House seems to be on edge. Russia probe-related developments — specifically, indictments — tend to come on Friday. And so we’re all waiting to see if Mueller does something today.
I wanted to point your attention to an interview Rep. Marcia Fudge (D) did yesterday with Huffpo. Fudge is seen by many – I think accurately – as basically a stalking horse for a handful of anti-Pelosi members on the right of the Democratic caucus. Reps. Moulton, Ryan, Lynch, et al. Her interview gives a taste of the kind of slashing contest Pelosi’s most vocal opponents have in mind.
Avowed neo-Nazi who praised Pittsburgh synagogue shooter cited the “migrant caravan” as justification in interview with FBI, according to new filing by prosecutors.
Lot more detail on Jeffrey Clark Jr, the DC neo-nazi tied to the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter.
Former federal public corruption prosecutor speculates on why Trump’s going particularly nuts this week …
It is hard to say what’s causing Trump’s current Mueller meltdown. But if reports are true that he and his lawyers are working on answering written questions from the Special Counsel, that probably has him especially on edge. One question in particular poses a huge dilemma for Trump: Did you know in advance about Don Jr.’s Trump Tower meeting with the Russians? Obviously, he did. He likely authorized the meeting and got a read out right after it. Why else would he have dictated the bogus “adoption” cover story? Why else, in the days prior to the meeting, would he have promised explosive information about Hillary to come out shortly after it? And Mueller no doubt has additional evidence of Trump’s foreknowledge (from Gates, Manafort, Cohen, phone records, etc.).
Last night I wrote up my take on whether Nancy Pelosi should be the next Speaker of the House under the incoming Democratic majority. Short answer: Yes. For the longer answer, click here. But the day so far as even more convinced me of a point that was partly implicit in what I wrote last night: that any question about Pelosi is quickly resolved when you look at the folks leading the charge to replace her.
John LightThe Democrats are convening on Capitol Hill today as the party considers who should lead it in its battle against Trump for the next two years. Here’s more on that and other stories we’re following.
I wanted to share a few thoughts about the House Democrats’ leadership election. First, I’m ambivalent about Nancy Pelosi becoming Speaker again. Turnovers in leadership are good. The dozens of new House Democrats converging on Capitol Hill this week visibly shows the power of generational succession. The Democrats’ current House leadership has been in place for more than 15 years, an extraordinary length of time by historical standards.
John LightWe’re digging into the bizarre story of two Washington, DC-based brothers and avowed neo-Nazis who interacted with Pittsburgh synagogue shooter Robert Bowers on social media. Here’s more on that and other stories we’re following.
Democrat Stacey Abrams, who acknowledged defeat Friday in her bid to be Georgia’s next governor, refused to say Sunday that her Republican opponent, Brian Kemp, was the “legitimate” governor-elect.
After initially conceding and then un-conceding as the race to be Florida’s next governor entered a recount due to its close margin, Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded the race for good on Saturday.
I want to congratulate @RonDeSantisFL on becoming the next Governor of the great state of Florida. My wife R. Jai and I could not be prouder of the way we ran this race. We could not be more thankful to my running mate, @ChrisKingFL and his wife Kristen.
— Andrew Gillum (@AndrewGillum) November 17, 2018
Everything points to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, MbS, ordering @washingtonpost journalist Jamal #Khashoggi's killing. The Trump administration should make a credible determination of responsibility before MbS executes the men who apparently carried out his orders.
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) November 17, 2018
Trump: "This would be a very good time to do a shutdown" over border wall funding. pic.twitter.com/Dmu5AcBmwj
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 17, 2018
As House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) continues to count votes for her bid to regain her former title of Speaker of the House when Democrats occupy a majority in that chamber next year, President Donald Trump said repeatedly Saturday that he “would help” Pelosi by urging some House Republicans to vote for her if necessary.
He not-to-subtly used the offer as an opportunity to talk about “presidential harassment.”
Though President Donald Trump has been forced to restore Jim Acosta’s press credentials, he’s already threatening to boot the CNN reporter if he “misbehaves.”
“If he misbehaves, we’ll throw him out,” Trump told Fox News’ Chris Wallace. “If I think somebody is acting out of sorts, I will leave and say thank you very much…Those reporters will not be too friendly to whoever it is that is acting up.”
Watch here:
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 16, 2018
President Donald Trump said Friday that if reporters echo Jim Acosta’s aggression in the press room, he’s instructed his staff to “just leave any time you want.”
“We always have the option of just leaving. You know?” Trump said in a quick press conference after CNN won their lawsuit against the White House. “If we feel that things aren’t being treated properly, that people aren’t being treated properly, we always have the right to leave…I’ve instructed my people, when they’re not treated properly, you have the right to just leave any time you want.”
Watch here:
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 16, 2018
President Trump on Friday reacted to a judge’s ruling to reinstate CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials, saying, “We have to practice decorum.”
“We want total freedom of the press … we’re setting up a certain standard, which is what the court is requesting,” Trump said, according to a White House pool report.
After a judge ordered in an initial ruling that the White House must restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass, the White House said it would “temporarily” do so but maintained that Acosta does not have a right to access the White House.
The White House also called for “decorum” during press conferences.
The right-wing cable outlet One America News Network announced Thursday that it will be filing an amicus brief in CNN’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over reporter Jim Acosta’s suspended press pass “in favor of the White House.” Several other media companies and news outlets, including Fox News, have filed amicus briefs on CNN’s side.
(2) Can’t believe Fox is on the other side, but they have direct communication to the President. We are lucky if we get a five minute interview once a quarter. @OANN #CNNvsWhiteHouse
— Robert Herring (@RobHerring) November 15, 2018