Wine Caves

Democrats:  With impeachment the story of the week it’s not clear that many people were watching December’s episode of How the Democrats Spin. To be honest, count me among those who focused on the recaps rather than the entire debate but then again maybe it’s the recaps and the press impressions that matter since they are what gets played over and over again.  Most of the pundits, particularly those who lean moderate rather than progressive, thought that Senator Amy Klobuchar had a really good night and that former VP Joe Biden did as well, noting that he is finally benefiting from all the practice.  As expected Mayor Pete Buttigieg took hits from both sides, with Klobuchar knocking his experience by highlighting her rivals comparative accomplishments and experience and with Senator Elizabeth Warren calling him out for holding a fundraiser for millionaire investors in a California wine cave. Buttigieg hit back at Warren, pointing out that she, unlike him, is actually a millionaire and as such anyone accepting some of her largesse could accurately be called out for taking money from rich people.  He also noted that she was still benefiting from money raised during her recent senatorial campaign and that some of that money came from rich people and most importantly that beating Trump will require candidates to get off their high horses and accept money from billionaires.  His response was spot on but that wine cave thing is going to haunt him because it’s both catchy and elitist; he’d be wise to hold his next fundraiser in a beer pub.  Senator Bernie Sanders was his usual loud and lively self, his fans aren’t going anywhere though it’s not clear that his performance will earn him any new ones.  Though Klobuchar had a lot of good quips, the award for best comeback of the night went to Warren who, after one of the moderator’s pointed out that if elected she’d be the oldest president ever inaugurated, responded that she’d be the “youngest woman.”  Snap!  Andrew Yang who, with Julian Castro and Cory Booker failing to qualify and Kamala Harris out of the race, was last night’s designated minority, got some compliments for his performance but at this point in the process, both he and Bill Steyer seem superfluous.  Biden’s acknowledgement and discussion of his stutter, a possible reason for some of his “gaffes,” got extra attention after former Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders mocked him for it.  It’s impossible to understand why she thought that was a good idea but then nothing she says or does is all that explicable. Biden responded to her heartless slight by tweeting “I’ve worked my whole life to overcome a stutter. And it’s my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same. It’s called empathy. Look it up.” After being trashed mercilessly on twitter, the former press secretary kind of/not really apologized tweeting back "to be clear was not trying to make fun of anyone with a speech impediment. Simply pointing out I can't follow much of anything Biden is talking about."  She really is deplorable and will also probably be the Governor of Arkansas someday.

#IMPOTUS:   Though he’s calling it impeachment light, Trump is clearly not happy about joining the impeached club.  Senator Lindsey Graham says that he is “mad as hell” and “demanding his day in court.”  He also can’t be all that happy with his newest and trending nickname #IMPOTUS, the one bestowed on him by Kellyanne’s hubby George Conway.  It’s not clear when Trump will get his day in court.  Speaker Pelosi has not sent the articles of impeachment on to the Senate yet nor did she appoint any of her impeachment managers before heading home for the holiday recess; she says she waiting until Senate Leader Mitch McConnell establishes the Senate rules and so far he’s still playing hardball.  Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says that with somewhere around 70% of the country wanting to hear from witnesses such as Mick Mulvaney and John Bolton he’s fairly confident that he will be able to get the four Republicans he needs to join his Democrats in voting for them to be called.  Notably he says that all of his Democratic Senators are on board for that, implying that even Joe Manchin, who might ultimately decide to vote against impeachment, is with him on the witness issue. For now the timing of the Senate hearing remains in limbo and given the holidays it could stay that way until Congress returns in January.  As to #IMPOTUS, the Washington Post reports that a bunch of their anonymous White House sources say that he was spoon fed the shift the blame for the 2016 election interference from Russia to Ukraine crap by none other than Putin himself with one former senior White House official saying Trump even stated so explicitly at one point, saying he knew Ukraine was the real culprit because “Putin told me.”  We kind of suspected this but still it’s disturbing to hear it and it’s equally disturbing that these former White House denizens are still hiding behind the veil of anonymity.  At least one group is speaking out, Christianity Today, a prominent evangelical newspaper magazine founded by Billy Graham, is now calling for Trump to be removed from office.  As evangelicals go, the magazine’s editorial board is viewed as moderate so it's not clear that any of Trump’s most fanatical religious supporters will care but still the scathing editorial is notable.  Their words: “The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.”  On Wednesday some of Trump’s Republicans abettors compared his treatment to the crucifixion of Christ.  Wonder if any of them are Christianity Today subscribers?            

Human Resources:  Well it’s looking more and more likely that Congressman Mark Meadows is Trump’s Chief of Staff-in-waiting.  Apparently, acting Chief of Staff Mulvaney has been sidelined and is expected to depart once the impeachment trial is over, whenever that may be.  Also, yesterday the Senate confirmed Stephen Biegun, the State Department’s North Korea envoy, as the Deputy Secretary of State, setting him up to become Trump’s next Secretary of State in the event that Mike Pompeo resigns to run for the Senate.  Then there’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort who at last report was recovering from a cardiac related event in an unnamed prison hospital.  He got some good news on Wednesday after a New York judge threw out state fraud charges against him. The Judge, Justice Maxwell Wiley of the State Supreme Court, ruled that the indictments violated a state law against double jeopardy. So, unless something else sticks, or the judge gets overruled by a higher Appellate Court, if that's even possible, Manafort could walk free if Trump decides to pardon him and that “cardiac event” could be just the justification that the oh so empathetic Trump needs to do so.  

Happy Holidays!