THE WITNESS-CURIOUS … MITT LETS IT FLY A BIT … Sen. MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah) has been fairly clear about his want to listen to from JOHN BOLTON. And this morning, talking on the Senate subways, he mentioned a bit extra about simply why he thinks it’s essential to get sworn testimony from the previous nationwide safety adviser:
“I BELIEVE HE MAY HAVE ANSWERS to questions that I’d prefer to have proof on. As a as an example: I’d prefer to know, on the time the president determined to not instantly present navy support to Ukraine, what was the rationale he defined at that time?
“IN ADDITION, I’d prefer to know afterward: Was there any effort on the a part of the president to speak to Ukraine that support was being held up, and for what cause, or was that one thing they only realized from the media? So these are questions that might relate to essential points that I’d prefer to get the solutions to.”
NYT’S NICK FANDOS (@npfandos): “[Sen. Lisa] Murkowski met with McConnell for 20-30 minutes this morning. She declined afterward to debate their dialog or her present pondering in witnesses. ‘I’m not going to share my private ideas with you this morning.’”
THE PRESIDENT TWEETS at 7:28 a.m.: “For a man who couldn’t get accredited for the Ambassador to the U.N. years in the past, couldn’t get accredited for something since, ‘begged’ me for a non Senate accredited job, which I gave him regardless of many saying ‘Don’t do it, sir,’ takes the job, mistakenly says ‘Libyan Mannequin’ on T.V., and..”
“….many extra errors of judgement, will get fired as a result of frankly, if I listened to him, we might be in World Battle Six by now, and goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & unfaithful ebook. All Categorized Nationwide Safety. Who would do that?”
AND NOW THIS FROM CNN’S JAKE TAPPER: “The White Home has issued a proper menace to former nationwide safety adviser John Bolton to maintain him from publishing his ebook, ‘The Room The place It Occurred: A White Home Memoir,’ sources accustomed to the matter inform CNN.” CNN
SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER mentioned LEV PARNAS’ lawyer referred to as his workplace for tickets to the impeachment trial, and he mentioned he gave him a ticket identical to he would give them to any New Yorker. However, he added, “I’m undecided Parnas could be allowed in due to the electronics round his ankle.” And, certainly, we noticed his lawyer within the Capitol, and Parnas had disappeared.
WE REPORTED IN PLAYBOOK ON TUESDAY that the White Home was freezing Democrats out of the USMCA signing ceremony this morning. None had been there. The White Home maintains it invited some, together with Minnesota Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson. He didn’t attend.
THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD: “Perhaps I’m being simply good to them as a result of I would like their vote,” Trump mentioned at present earlier than ticking off a listing of Republican senators in attendance and who labored on the deal. “Does that make sense? I don’t need to depart anyone out.”
AFTER THE REMARKS from Trump, VP Mike Pence and USTR Robert Lighthizer, Trump referred to as the senators within the crowd as much as the stage for the signing. “We’re gonna deal with the senators,” he mentioned. As he handed out ceremonial pens to these round him, he mentioned, “See how good I’m treating the senators? I don’t care about anybody else. I solely care about them.” Extra from Sabrina Rodríguez
Good Wednesday afternoon. FOX NEWS’ JAY WALLACE and SUZANNE SCOTT despatched a memo Tuesday about “reaching 18 consecutive years at primary.” The memo
SPOTTED: Paul Ryan — who is popping 50 at present — and Roger Zakheim on the Willard Resort on Tuesday afternoon. … Karen Pence within the Glover Park USPS retailer on Wisconsin Avenue.
SCOOP … NAHAL TOOSI received her palms on the Center East peace plan speaking factors the State Division despatched to U.S. diplomats around the globe. These are the directions to American officers as they attempt to clarify and promote the president’s concepts to their overseas counterparts, together with, “We thank President Trump for his efforts to make progress on this longstanding battle.” Learn them right here
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE PRESIDENT’S MIND — @realDonaldTrump at 10:33 a.m.: “On the Iraq Battle Decision being voted on tomorrow within the Home of Represenatives, we’re right down to 5000 troopers, and taking place, and I would like everybody, Republican and Democrat, to vote their HEART!”
HOW IT’S PLAYING … “Ballot: Practically 6 in 10 oppose Trump’s use of govt privilege to muzzle witnesses,” by Caitlin Oprysko: “The brand new ballot reveals that simply over 1 / 4 of voters, 26 %, assume the president ought to be allowed to make use of govt privilege to muzzle potential bombshell witnesses like former nationwide safety adviser John Bolton. That’s in contrast with 57 % who say Trump shouldn’t be allowed to invoke the powers of the presidency to dam sure witnesses.” POLITICO … The ballot
THE LATEST UKRAINE TWISTS — “Dutch Trump superfan who claimed he surveilled Ambassador Yovanovitch informed individuals he was DEA,” by NBC’s Josh Lederman and Anna Schecter
— THE DAILY BEAST: “Parnas Lawyer: Giuliani Delivered Graham Letter Calling for Sanctions on Ukrainian Officers,” by Betsy Swan and Erin Banco: “In late 2018, Rudy Giuliani mentioned he delivered an uncommon missive to Sen. Lindsey Graham, in keeping with the lawyer of one in all his ex-associates: a letter calling for sanctions on a bunch of Ukrainian authorities officers, together with one extensively considered within the West as a courageous reformer and one other who helmed the corporate the place Hunter Biden was a board member.
“Joseph Bondy, the lawyer for Lev Parnas, an indicted Florida businessman concerned within the U.S.-Ukraine saga, informed The Day by day Beast that Giuliani confirmed his shopper the letter and informed him he delivered it to Sen. Graham (the letter misspelled the South Carolina Republican’s first identify as ‘Lingsey’). Bondy mentioned Giuliani additionally confirmed Parnas a second, comparable letter addressed to Sigal Mandelker, who on the time was a high official on the Treasury Division.” Day by day Beast
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE … AP’S ADAM SCHRECK and ELAINE KURTENBACH in Bangkok: “British Airways mentioned Wednesday it’s halting all flights to China, becoming a member of a number of Asian carriers which can be both suspending or considerably slicing again service there as fears unfold a couple of new virus that has killed greater than 130 individuals.
“Air India and South Korean funds service Seoul Air are additionally halting all flights to the nation, and Indonesia’s Lion Air plans to do the identical. Different carriers together with Finnair, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, and Singapore-based Jetstar Asia are slashing service.” AP
— WSJ’S JENNIFER CALFAS: “People Evacuated From Wuhan Move Preliminary Well being Screens for Coronavirus”
— NYT: “Coronavirus Outbreak Assessments World’s Dependence on China,” by Alexandra Stevenson in Hong Kong: “Ford and Toyota will idle a few of their huge Chinese language meeting crops for an additional week. Apple is rerouting provide chains. Starbucks has closed 1000’s of shops and is warning of a monetary blow. … The total extent of the hit to the broader enterprise world just isn’t but clear.” NYT
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION — “Inside Division Adopts Restrictions Aimed toward Chinese language Drones,” by WSJ’s Katy Stech Ferek: “Inside Division officers plan to formally undertake a no-fly rule aimed toward drones made in China or with Chinese language components, however will grant exceptions when drones are wanted to assist reply to pure disasters and different emergencies. The brand new coverage, which shall be issued in an order Wednesday, follows the momentary grounding of the division’s drone fleet final yr amid rising issues that the units might be used for espionage.
“Inside officers have acknowledged that all the division’s roughly 800 drones are made in China or with Chinese language components. In an interview with The Wall Avenue Journal, Inside Secretary David Bernhardt mentioned his division will grant exceptions for monitoring wildfires by air and for emergencies the place human security or property harm are in danger, similar to search-and-rescue operations.” WSJ
— DAN DIAMOND and RACHEL ROUBEIN: “The Trump administration will rebrand its Medicaid block grant program and look to safeguard the coverage in opposition to an anticipated wave of authorized challenges from affected person advocates, in keeping with two officers with information of the plan set for launch Thursday.
“The forthcoming block grant program comes with a brand new identify — ‘Wholesome Grownup Alternative’ — however retains the unique mission lengthy sought by conservatives: permitting states to cap a portion of their spending on Medicaid, a radical change in how the security internet well being program is financed.” POLITICO
REALITY CHECK from NYT’S ASTEAD HERNDON in Des Moines: “The One About Iowa, Black Voters and Barack Obama”: “It has develop into political lore, repeated on cable airwaves and by Democratic marketing campaign consultants, even presidential candidates. In 2008, because the story goes, black voters had been unsure about Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy till he gained the Iowa caucuses, after which they rallied round him over the onetime front-runner, Hillary Clinton.
“Some Democrats had steered {that a} win in subsequent Monday’s Iowa caucuses may have an analogous affect amongst black voters in South Carolina and elsewhere, to the detriment of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who leads amongst African-People in polls. However in actuality, in keeping with historic polling information and interviews with some advisers from the Obama marketing campaign, Mr. Obama’s political power with black voters was stronger than many keep in mind.” NYT
KEEP AN EYE ON THIS — “Dems Are Shopping for ‘Tens of Thousands and thousands’ of Cellphone Numbers in Enormous Voter Contact Push,” by The Day by day Beast’s Lachlan Markay and Sam Stein: “The Democratic Nationwide Committee is dropping ‘six figures’ to amass ‘tens of tens of millions’ of cellphone numbers by a wide range of distributors, the group solely informed The Day by day Beast. [Its] plan is to spice up Democratic voter outreach, fundraising, and information assortment …
“The cellphone purchase marks the primary time that the DNC has bought a bulk file of nationwide cellphone numbers throughout a presidential election cycle. … In 2016, the DNC was centered on buying numbers strictly in battleground states.” Day by day Beast
MAKING IT OFFICIAL — “Collins launches Georgia Senate bid, organising GOP conflict,” by James Arkin
2024 WATCH — AP’S MARC LEVY (@timelywriter): “Pennsylvania desires to be a participant within the presidential main, as an alternative of an afterthought. The state Senate on Wednesday unanimously accredited a invoice that might transfer up Pennsylvania’s presidential main election by 5 weeks, beginning in 2024.”
INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK!! — “Home Democrats unfurl climate-tinged infrastructure plan, however GOP help unsure,” by Kathy Wolfe: “Home Democratic management unveiled Wednesday the outlines for a $760 billion, five-year infrastructure bundle, an amalgamation of recurring freeway and transit and water measures in addition to an formidable local weather agenda meant to ship a message as Congress pivots away from impeachment and towards the election. …
“However thus far Democrats haven’t any said approach to pay for the spending. It’s a difficult difficulty, particularly contemplating the best possibility — a hike to the gasoline tax, which hasn’t been raised since 1993 — is taken into account a political non-starter.” POLITICO
HOW BEZOS GOT HACKED — “Jeff Bezos’s iPhone had Apple’s state-of-the-art safety, and that will have helped its alleged hackers,” by WaPo’s Reed Albergotti, Craig Timberg and Jay Greene: “A safety report final week alleged that Bezos, who additionally owns The Washington Publish, acquired a WhatsApp message laden with code that secretly snatched reams of non-public information from his iPhone X. …
“Safety researchers say Bezos most likely fell sufferer to the iPhone’s Achilles’ heel: Its defenses are so troublesome to penetrate that when refined attackers are in, they’ll go largely undetected. … That’s partially as a result of Apple employs a secretive method to discovering and fixing safety flaws, researchers say, one thing that has generated debate within the safety neighborhood.” WaPo
MEDIAWATCH — “Warren Buffett Throws within the Towel on His Newspaper Empire,” by Bloomberg’s Katherine Chiglinsky: “Berkshire Hathaway Inc. bought its BH Media unit and its 30 each day newspapers to Lee Enterprises Inc., which owns papers together with the St. Louis Publish-Dispatch, for $140 million in money. Lee had been managing the papers for Buffett’s firm since 2018, and Berkshire lent Lee the cash for the acquisition.
“Buffett, who received a job delivering papers as a young person and invested within the business to capitalize on its one-time native promoting monopoly, lamented final yr that the majority newspapers are ‘toast.’ … The sale will embrace Buffett’s hometown Omaha World-Herald, together with 49 weekly publications and a lot of different print merchandise.” Bloomberg
— CNN’S HADAS GOLD in London: “BBC slashes 450 newsroom jobs in shift to digital”: “The BBC mentioned it will cancel one in all its flagship packages, and cut back the variety of movies produced for Newsnight, its late night each day information present. Cuts will even be made to the BBC World Service, and the variety of anchors shall be reviewed. … The BBC mentioned its newsrooms will in future deal with fewer tales and reorganize round a ‘story-led’ mannequin, with extra journalists based mostly outdoors of London.” CNN
— Amber Athey is becoming a member of The Spectator as Washington editor. She most not too long ago has been White Home correspondent at The Day by day Caller.
TRANSITIONS — Doug Bibby, longtime president of the Nationwide Multifamily Housing Council, will step down in 2021. … Scott Luginbill is becoming a member of the Republican Nationwide Conference in Charlotte to deal with congressional affairs. He presently is COS to Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.).
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Marguerite Bowling, senior communications supervisor on the Heritage Basis, and Justin Bowling, an Anne Arundel County firefighter, welcomed Ian James Bowling on Saturday evening. He got here in at eight lbs, three ozand 20 inches. Pic
BIRTHWEEK (was Friday): Abigail Disney
BONUS BIRTHDAY: Susie McKinley
The post POLITICO Playbook PM: What Mitt Romney wants to know appeared first on Down The Middle News.
source https://downthemiddlenews.com/politico-playbook-pm-what-mitt-romney-wants-to-know/
No comments:
Post a Comment