COUNTERPROGRAMMING? … THE DEMOCRATICdebate is tonight in Houston. You know what’s also tonight? PresidentDONALD TRUMP’Sspeech to a room full of House Republicans at the party’s retreat in Baltimore. Trump’s speech will be pooled at 7: 10 pm Eastern.
ON THE IMPEACHMENT DUMPSTER FIRE THAT’S SMOLDERING… OUR HILL TEAM COLLEAGUESHeather Caygle , Andrew Desiderio, Sarah Ferris, Melanie Zanona and Kyle Cheney have been doing terrific work laying out how House Democrats’ impeachment process is a complete mess. They also laid out how Democrats have tried to clean it up in the last 12 or so hours.
IF YOU ‘ VE MISSED IT,here’s the crux of it all:HOUSE DEMOCRATShave been all over the map on what they are trying to do when it comes to impeachment. They can’t decide if they’re impeaching the president, let alone where they are in said process.
THE STATED THEORY BEHIND THIS NON-IMPEACHMENT-IMPEACHMENT PLAYis that so-called frontline Democratic lawmakers – those with tough races in Trump districts – don’t want to have to be a part of an impeachment proceeding .
SO, THIS GOT US THINKING TWO THINGS…
– HOW DO DEMOCRATS FEEL ABOUT THEIR LEADERSHIP’S STRATEGY?We asked a bunch of smart House Democratic lawmakers and aides, and here was the best answer, via one of those aides: “If upper leadership took a clear stance on what was going on, people could get on board or publicly part ways with leadership – which for many is good for their politics. Frontliners don’t need space, they need clear info so they can make a decision for their district. ”
– AND HOW CAN DEMOCRATS UP THE PRESSURE?Remember this: Any Democrat can go to the House floor and demand a vote on impeaching the president. Lawmakers could do it daily, if they wanted to. Letters from caucuses clearly aren’t going to cut it. Democrats haven’t even scratched the surface of the pressure they can exert on their leadership.
ON GUNS… WHAT MOST WHITE HOUSEaides think is thatTRUMPwill not back background checks, but will instead throw together a mental health package with some other popular items and ask for its passage.
– NYT: “Divided Democrats Step Back From Assault Weapons Ban,”by Sheryl Gay Stolberg: “As Democrats make an aggressive push for new gun control legislation, they have made a calculated decision to stop short of pursuing their most ambitious goal: an assault weapons ban.
“The overwhelming majority of House Democrats – 211,seven shy of the 218 needed for passage – are co-sponsoring legislation to ban military-style semiautomatic weapons, similar to the ban in effect from 1994 to 2004. But some centrist Democrats remain skittish about any proposal that keeps firearms from law-abiding citizens – a frequent charge against Democrats by Republicans and gun rights groups – making any such ban politically risky for moderates in Trump-friendly districts.
“The split reveals just how complicated gun politics remain inside the Democratic Party,even as mass shootings are terrorizing the nation and the Twitter hashtag #DoSomething has captured the mounting public demands for Congress to act. ”NYT
– BREAKING THIS AM … NYT’S ANDREW ROSS SORKIN:“Business Leaders to Call on Congress to Act on Gun Violence:‘Doing nothing about America’s gun violence crisis is simply unacceptable,’ the heads of 145 companies tell senators in a letter. ”
– VICE’S ELIZABETH LANDERS:“He Used to Work at the NRA. Now He’s Shaping Gun Policy at the White House. ”
TRUMP’S PLAN FOR THE HOMELESS… WAPO: “Trump officials tour unused FAA facility in California in search for place to relocate homeless people,”by Jeff Stein, Josh Dawsey and Tracy Jan: “A team of Trump administration officials toured a California facility once used by the Federal Aviation Administration this week as they searched for a potential site to relocate homeless people, according to three government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private tour. …
“Trump is expected to visit California on Tuesday and Wednesday. One administration official with knowledge of Trump’s visit to California said there were discussions about an announcement related to California’s growing homeless problem next week, but a second official said that any decision could be premature and that it was not on the current schedule for the trip. ”WaPo
Good Thursday morning.
CHANNEL 13 / AXIOS ‘@BarakRavid :“BREAKING: Netanyahu says before flying to Moscow he conveyed all the needed messages on possible talks with Iran in the proper [direct] channels to President Trump and his advisers.”
KNOWING TRUMP… WAPO’S ASHLEY PARKERandPHIL RUCKER: “’You ‘re a prop in the back’: Advisers struggle to obey Trump’s Kafkaesque rules ”:“In President Trump’s renegade orbit, there are unspoken rules he expects his advisers to follow. He tolerates a modicum of dissent, so long as it remains private; expects advisers to fall in line and defend his decisions; and demands absolute fealty at all times. These rules and more were broken by John Bolton, the national security adviser who left the White House suddenly Tuesday on acrimonious terms.
“The rupture between Trump and Bolton, as chronicledin public and in private accounts of administration officials, is a case study of the president’s sometimes Kafkaesque management style – an unusual set of demands and expectations he sets for those in his direct employ. The episode also illustrates the varied forces that propel advisers into the president’s inner circle – and often churn them out with similar velocity. ”WaPo
BREAKING WEDNESDAY NIGHT… “DCCC taps new executive director after summer staff upheaval,”by Heather Caygle, Laura Barrón-López and Jake Sherman: “House Democrats’ embattled campaign arm has tapped a former staffer and well-known Democratic fundraiser as its executive director following a massive upheaval in its top ranks earlier this summer .
“Lucinda Guinn, a former executive at EMILY’S List,will serve as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s top staffer, according to multiple sources. DCCC Chair Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) Was expected to inform members of the decision on Thursday, those sources said.
“Guinn, who is Hispanic, comes into the roleafter more than a month-long search following a mass exodus of senior staffers in July, including the former executive director Allison Jaslow. The upheaval followed outcry from Democrats over a lack of diversity at the campaign arm. The DCCC reviewed 40 resumes from around the country and interviewed 13 candidates, more than half were people of color and more than half were women. ”POLITICO
– BUSTOS, a former journalist, sent a staff note Wednesday night noting that she “had hoped to share [Guinn’s hire] in person tomorrow, but because a story is breaking prematurely, I wanted you to be the first to know” that the DCCC had hired Guinn. MELANIE ZANONA:“Ominous signs could sink Republicans’ chances of retaking the House ”
A WIN FOR TRUMP – “Supreme Court hands Trump a victory on asylum restriction,”by Josh Gerstein and Ted Hesson: “President Donald Trump scored a major legal victory on immigration on Wednesday as the Supreme Court gave him the go-ahead to proceed with a new policy barring asylum for migrants who pass through another country en route to the US The high court order allows the policy, which is expected to drastically reduce asylum granted to Central American migrants, to be implemented across the US-Mexico border as court challenges over its legality play out.
“While the Supreme Court’s emergency stayis technically an interim one, it appears unlikely that the justices would hear arguments on the dispute this term , creating the prospect that Trump’s policy could be in effect through next year election regardless of how the high court ultimately rules. ”POLITICO
REMEMBER: THEY CONTROL THE PURSE STRINGS! – “Trump agency to halt House oversight trips amid complaint over staff behavior,”by NBC’s Jon Allen: “The Department of the Interior has decided to halt its sponsorship of all House trips to various agency sites around the country until a resolution can be found to a dispute over the rules of engagement between congressional staff and the career and political officials who facilitate the oversight visits, according to a senior department official.
“The Interior Department overseesthe Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and several other agencies.
“The decision, which had not officially been renderedto Capitol Hill as of early Wednesday evening, was driven by Interior Department chief of staff Todd Willens, according to the official, who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of internal deliberations. ” (NBC) **********
KENNEDY VS. MARKEY HEATS UP – “’I would tell Joe to wait’: Democrats warn Kennedy against challenging Markey,”by Burgess Everett and Heather Caygle: “Joe Kennedy doesn’t just have to beat incumbent Ed Markey to win a Senate seat. He’ll also have to trounce Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, Senate Democrats campaign arm – and maybe AOC.
“The 38 – year-old congressman and grandson of Robert F. Kennedywill confront a buzzsaw of Washington Democrats if he takes the leap to challenge Markey in Massachusetts, which would create a massive distraction for the party in a safe Democratic seat amid a battle for both the White House and the Senate majority. …
“With Kennedy flirting with the race and leading early polls,Markey has moved quickly to shore up support from both the DC establishment and prominent progressives. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) Has endorsed him and Schumer said the party is ‘fully behind Senator Ed Markey.’ Kennedy called Schumer about the race but the Senate minority leader didn’t divulge what was said. ”POLITICO
– SEN. KYRSTEN SINEMA ENDORSES:“Joe Kennedy is an outstanding champion for his state. He will make a terrific U.S. Senator and I couldn’t be more proud to support my friend. ”Statement
2020 WATCH… ALEX THOMPSON (inPOLITICO MAGAZINE:“Inside Warren’s War With the Obama Team”
– ON KAMALA HARRIS:“Big money donors consider staying away from Kamala Harris if she fails to perform at the next debate,”by CNBC’s Brian Schwartz…NYT:“What Kamala Harris Needs to Do Tonight,”by Astead Herndon
– COMING IN HOT… BIDEN SURROGATE ED RENDELL SWINGS AT WARREN: “I like Elizabeth Warren. Too bad she’s a hypocrite. ”:“ Warren didn’t seem to have any trouble taking our money in 2018, but suddenly we were power brokers and influence peddlers in 2019. The year before, we were wonderful. I co-chaired one of the events for the senator and received a glowing, handwritten thank-you letter from her for my hard work.
“It seemed odd to some of us who gave her moneythat Warren was experiencing an epiphany less than 12 months later. It’s one thing to fashion a campaign that relies on grass-roots fundraising, but it’s another to go out of your way to characterize as power-brokers and influence-peddlers the very people whose support you have previously courted. ”WaPo
– YEP! … BOSTON GLOBE:“After a summer surge, Elizabeth Warren could be a target in Thursday’s debate,”by Laura Krantz in Austin, Texas
TRUMP’S THURSDAY –The president will have lunch with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at 12: 30 PM in the private dining room. He will leave the White House at 5: 35 PM en route to Baltimore, where he will attend a fundraiser and speak at the House Republican Conference retreat. Afterward, Trump will return to the White House.
SCOOP – “Israel accused of planting mysterious D.C. spy devices, ”by Daniel Lippman:“ The U.S. government concluded within the last two years that Israel was most likely behind the placement of cell-phone surveillance devices that were found near the White House and other sensitive locations around Washington, D.C., according to three former senior U.S.
“But unlike most other occasionswhen flagrant incidents of foreign spying have been discovered on American soil, the Trump administration did not rebuke the Israeli government, and there were no consequences for Israeli behavior, one of the former officials said.
“The miniature surveillance devices…mimic regular cell towers to fool cell phones into giving them their locations and identity information… they also can capture the contents of calls and data use.
“The devices were likely intended to spy on President Donald Trump,one of the former officials said, as well as his top aides and closest associates – though it’s not clear whether the Israeli efforts were successful. … An Israeli Embassy spokesperson, Elad Strohmayer, denied that Israel placed the devices and said: ‘These allegations are absolute nonsense. Israel doesn’t conduct espionage operations in the United States, period. ”POLITICO
MUCK READ – THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY:“You donated to kids with cancer. This Vegas telemarketer cashed in, ”by Sarah Kleiner and Chris Zubak-Skees
YES, THIS REALLY HAPPENED… ARTIST KENNETH GOLDSMITH (@kg_ubu):“Hillary Clinton spent an hour yesterday reading her emails at my exhibition of all 62, 000 pages of them in Venice. She is pictured here at a replica of the Oval Office Resolute Desk, stacked with her emails. ”Pics
– HUFFPOST’S JENNA AMATULLI:“Goldsmith told HuffPost via email that Clinton’s visit ‘was a surprise,’ while curator Francesco Urbano Ragazzi said organizers thought the possibility of her visiting was a joke
“’Someone close to Mrs. Clinton contacted usvery informally a few days before her visit. We realized that it wasn’t a joke only when we saw the security service inside the exhibition space at 9 am on Tuesday, ‘they told HuffPost via email. ”HuffPost
NYT’S ANDREW HIGGINSin Moscow:“What Spy? Kremlin Mocks Aide Recruited by C.I.A. as a Boozy Nobody ”
WHAT THE OBAMAS ARE UP TO… NYT’S NANCY COLEMAN:“Hanisya Massey, the owner of Higher Ground Enterprises in Covina, Calif., First heard from a lawyer for Higher Ground Productions early this summer.
“Barack and Michelle Obama wanted to trademark their company’s name,but the United States Patent and Trademark Office had deemed it too similar to the mark Ms. Massey registered in 2017 for her computer training company. Higher **** Productions was looking to strike a deal.
“So began the dispute,which escalated from an initial note sent by the Obamas’ lawyer to requests by Ms. Massey for onscreen roles in their productions and, now, an attempt by the former president and first lady’s company to have Ms. Massey’s trademark wiped off the books. ”NYT
FOR THE RECORD:“Trump pushed staff to deal with NOAA tweet that contradicted his inaccurate Alabama hurricane claim, officials say,”by WaPo’s Andrew Freedman, Josh Dawsey, Juliet Eilperin and Jason Samenow…NYTandmatching
BOOK WATCH –FIRST IN PLAYBOOK:Peter Bergenis writing a book aboutTRUMP’Srelationship with the generals: Jim Mattis, HR McMaster, John Kelly and Mike Flynn. It’s called “Trump and his Generals: The Cost of Chaos.” It will come out Dec. 10.Details from Penguin Random House
– Michael Germanis out with a new book, “Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy” ($ 25. 19 on Amazon), examining how the FBI has changed since 9 / 11. German, who is now a fellow at NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice, is a former FBI agent and whistleblower who left the agency under Robert Mueller.
MEDIAWATCH – Robby MookandTerry Sullivanare now political contributors at CBS. Mook was Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign manager and is now president of the House Majority PAC. Sullivan was Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign manager and is a founding partner at Firehouse Strategies.
–Vice’sElspeth Reeveis joining CNN as a correspondent.The announcement
– FOR YOUR RADAR:The Anti-Defamation League and the Aspen Institute announced their inaugural Civil Society Fellowship class, including CNN’s Nia-Malika Henderson and Rev. Adam Taylor.The announcement
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at[email protected]
SPOTTED:Seb Gorka grabbing a late lunch at Potbelly in Rosslyn. … Cardinal Timothy Dolan on the 2: 50 pm Acela from D.C. to New York City.
SPOTTEDat the seventh annual “Girls Night Out CBC Kick -Off Reception ”Wednesday night, hosted by the Black Girl Magic Network, a group of female lobbyists of color: House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.), Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) And Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), Yebbie Watkins, Maia Estes, Véronique Pluviose, Hope Goins and Omarosa Manigault Newman. BGM Network members included: Nicole Venable, Kimberly Afoakwah, Shanetta Paskel, Pamela Alexander, Jacqueline Ayers, Melanie Newman, Michelle Persaud and Tiffany Moore.
SPOTTEDat a reception for Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne’s new book, “Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age” ($ 22. 05 on Amazon), at David and Katherine Bradley’s home Wednesday night: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Fred Humphries, Frank Shaw, Michael Kratsios, Chris Liddell, Margaret Carlson, Michael Chertoff, Don Baer, Roy Schwartz, Robert and Dr. Elena Allbritton, Matt Kaminski, John Harris, Steve Clemons, Valerie Jarrett, Lisa Monaco, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Sally Quinn, Ruth Marcus and David Sanger.
SPOTTEDat the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s gala Wednesday night at the American Council of Life Insurers’ office: Susan K. Neely, Mary Landrieu, Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) And Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Brian Graff, Mike Sommers, Jay Timmons and Rick Olson, McLane Layton, Kim Carver, Rick Spielman, Rita Lewis, Russ Sullivan, Susan Hirschmann, David Bartlett, Brian Adkins, Brian Rice, Greg Castanias, Joyce Meyer, Allison Shuster, Jennifer Webb, Seaver Sowers, Randy Russell, K. Dane Snowden, Joanna McIntosh, Michael Dean, Christen Glickman and Jane Castanias.
WEEKEND WEDDING – Hayden Haynes,COS for Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), AndJennifer Lauterbach,senior legislative assistant for Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), Got married Saturday night at the Mount Ida Farm outside of Charlottesville, Va.Pic…(Another pic
BIRTHWEEK (was Tuesday):Joe Kabourek, deputy national political director for Michael Bennet’s campaign ( hat tip: Samantha Greene)
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Max D’Onofrio,communications director for Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Is 3-0.A trend that he thinks doesn’t get enough attention:“I don’t know if this is supposed to be about politics, but I am here to take a stand against the total obsession of the craft beer world and the American people with the India pale ale (IPA). At about 25 % of the craft beer market, the creativeness of local breweries is being hamstrung by our cultural obsession in this hoppy haze. We can do better, people! It is time to branch out and support your local Scottish ale, German bock, milk porter, Russian imperial stout or Flanders red ale. Support your local brewery taking a chance and breaking the mold! ”Playbook Plus Q&A
BIRTHDAYS:Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) Is 36… Matt Lewis, senior columnist at The Daily Beast and CNN political commentator… Andrea DeVito of “Fox News Sunday”… POLITICO’s Ben Schreckinger, Walt Houseknecht and Adam Banks… Don Fowler, former DNC chairman, is 84… former Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) Is 8-0… Greg Wetstone… Dave Willett… Johnny Enterline of the Sierra Club… Andrew Whalen… West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Evan Jenkins is 59… former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, now U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, is 63… Maria Roumel… Desiree Sayle… Emily Lampkin… Liz Wroe of Leavitt Partners… Melissa Schulman, SVP of government and public affairs at CVS Health… Ethan Klapper, senior audience development editor at Yahoo News… US Ambassador to New ZealandScott Brown is 6-0…
… Max Bootis 5-0… Ed Moy, former director of the US Mint, is 62… Bryan Langley… Richard Thaler is 74… Jerry Abramson… Jill Jackson… Natalie Raps… Kimberly Breier… Brett Thompson … NYT’s Kim Severson … Derek Robertson … VOA’s John Lippman … Kelsi Browning… Allison Ramiller … Alex Botting of the US Chamber of Commerce … Pam Stevens … Peter Robbio, SVP at CRC … Zach Pohl, communications director for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (h / t Mitchell Rivard) … Paul Kanan … Fred Schuster … Jason Stverak … James Faeh … Khan Shoieb … Gavin Mathis… Edelman’s Mariana Cotlear … Jason O’Malley … Amazon’s Allison Marshall … Joseph Voss … Anne Johnson … Erin Hood … Russel Wade… Ali Siciliano … Microsoft’s Nate Yohannes … Jill Alper (h / t Teresa Vilmain)… John Stanford , managing partner at Prism Group (h / t Jay Perron)… David Meis
- Jake Sherman@ JakeSherman
- Anna Palmer @ apalmerdc
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