ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - As he’s reeled from twin scandals over his treatment of women and COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has had to confront a once-unthinkable question: Could enough rogue Democrats combine with Republicans to force him out of office?
The Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest is compiled by David Nir, Jeff Singer, Stephen Wolf, Carolyn Fiddler, and Matt Booker, with additional contributions from David Jarman, Steve Singiser, Daniel Donner, James Lambert, David Beard, and Arjun Jaikumar.
Leading Off
●NE-Gov, NE-02: Rep. Don Bacon, who is one of just nine House Republicans to represent a Biden district, confirmed to the Omaha World-Herald over the weekend that he was considering running to succeed termed-out GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts. Bacon, who previously served in the Air Force as a brigadier general, said he would "be very cautious" as he mulls whether to run statewide, but he did not give a timeline for when he'd decide.
Republicans have held Nebraska's governorship since the 1998 elections, and that streak is likely to continue no matter who wins next year's primary. The bigger consequence of a Bacon gubernatorial campaign, though, would likely be in the battle for the House. The Omaha-based 2nd District swung from 48-46 Trump to 52-46 Biden last year, but Bacon ran far ahead of the ticket and won his third term 51-46.
It also remains to be seen if Republican mapmakers will get the chance to gerrymander Nebraska's congressional map to ensure that they can easily hold the 2nd District with or without Bacon. That's because Nebraska's unicameral legislature, which is formally nonpartisan but run by the GOP, offers lawmakers an uncommonly strong filibuster. Republicans weren't able to win the two-thirds majority it would need to overcome a Democratic filibuster aimed at stopping new maps (a job that would then likely fall to the courts), but the GOP retains the ability to end the filibuster rule with a simple majority.
●IA-Sen: CNN mentions a few Democrats as possible candidates for the Senate seat currently held by Chuck Grassley, who has not yet said if he'll seek an eighth term next year:
Former Gov. Chet Culver
2020 candidate Mike Franken
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart
State Sen. Liz Mathis
State Auditor Rob Sand
State Rep. Ras Smith
There is no word yet if any of these people are interested.
The only notable Democrat who has publicly talked about a Senate run is Rep. Cindy Axne, who said in January that she wasn't ruling out a bid for the upper chamber or for governor.
●MO-Sen: Several more Republicans have expressed interest in running to succeed Sen. Roy Blunt, who surprised observers Monday when he announced he would not seek a third term in this conservative seat. Former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in disgrace in 2018, had been talking about challenging the incumbent for renomination before this week, and a spokesperson said Tuesday that Greitens was mulling a bid for this now-open seat.
Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Reps. Billy Long and Vicky Hartzler additionally confirmed they were thinking about entering the contest. Former U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison also did not rule it out, saying, "I think I'm going to keep my powder dry for the moment. I may have more to say a little bit later."
No notable Republicans have announced yet, but one might make the first move soon. Scott Charton, a former reporter who now runs a communications firm, tweeted that party sources have relayed that Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft "will run." Ashcroft is the son of John Ashcroft, a former governor and senator who was George W. Bush's first attorney general.
On the Democratic side, Marine veteran Lucas Kunce announced his bid Tuesday. The Huffington Post's Kevin Robillard writes that Kunce "now works at a think tank dedicated to battling corporate monopolies." Kunce joins former state Sen. Scott Sifton, who was already running before Blunt made his plans known.
Meanwhile, a prominent Democrat also is showing some interest in another campaign. Rep. Cori Bush tweeted Monday, "I was surprised to learn of Sen. Blunt's retirement. I'm grateful to everyone reaching out. As always, I'm focused on how best to deliver for St. Louis." Bush actually ran in the 2016 primary for this seat but brought in little money or outside attention and lost to establishment favorite Jason Kander 70-13. Bush went on to run an unexpectedly strong 2018 primary campaign against Rep. Lacy Clay before defeating him two years later.
Jeff Bernthal of St. Louis' Fox affiliate also writes that state Sen. Brian Williams is one of the Democrats who “shared messages indicating they will examine how they can best serve the state," though there's no quote from Williams.
Governors
●KS-Gov: On Tuesday, Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced that he would seek the Republican nomination to take on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Schmidt is the first major Republican to say he's in, though former Gov. Jeff Colyer began raising money last week for a very likely campaign.
Schmidt, who was elected to his third term 59-41 in 2018, entered the campaign with Trumpian rhetoric claiming, "The intolerant left with its cancel culture and big tech censorship is trying to shame and silence conservative voices." Schmidt has also spent the last year shoring up his far-right credentials with more than just words. As the pandemic worsened last spring, Schmidt told police not to enforce Kelly's executive order limiting the size of indoor religious services. In December, Schmidt also supported a lawsuit to overturn Joe Biden's victory.
However, Colyer already began working to portray his would-be foe as too close to moderates with a statement reading, "I started my public service working for President Reagan, a conservative hero. Derek Schmidt worked for two US Senators – one of whom served in the Obama Cabinet and the other endorsed Barbara Bollier last year and Laura Kelly before that."
As the Kansas City Star notes, those are references to former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, who did indeed support Democrat Barbara Bollier's unsuccessful 2020 campaign for her old Senate seat, and former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, who went on to serve as Barack Obama's secretary of defense and backed Biden over Donald Trump. Schmidt, for his part, responded to Colyer's jabs by saying that "it's time to move forward, not backwards."
P.S. Despite the common joke that "A.G." actually stands for "aspiring governor" (we didn't say the joke was funny), the last Kansas attorney general to successfully make the jump to the top office was Republican John Anderson in 1960.
●MN-Gov: Former state Sen. Scott Jensen, who made a name for himself last year by suggesting that medical authorities were exaggerating the threat of COVID-19, revealed Tuesday that he would campaign for the Republican nomination to face Democratic incumbent Tim Walz.
That declaration came a bit sooner than he planned, though: The Star Tribune's Briana Bierschbach wrote, "Jensen announced his campaign for governor in a news release embargoed for next week, but the Star Tribune did not agree to the embargo. His campaign said he will not be commenting at this time." The only other declared contender is Mike Murphy, the mayor of the small community of Lexington, though a number of other Republicans are considering.
Jensen, who worked as a family physician, attracted the wrong kind of attention last year even before COVID-19 became serious in the United States when he came out in opposition to mandatory vaccinations for children. Jensen went on to national infamy in April when he argued that health officials were inflating the death toll of the pandemic: When a radio host asked him why they would "skew" mortality figures, Jensen responded, "Well, fear is a great way to control people."
Jensen revealed months later that his comments had prompted an investigation by the Minnesota State Board of Medical Practice for spreading misinformation and providing "reckless advice," but he later said the complaints against him were dismissed. That hardly stopped Jensen from spreading more conspiracy theories, though: Jensen has released TikTok videos captioned, "Family doctor EXPOSES double masking craziness," and "You are being played (by the CDC and WHO)."
What Republicans may care more about, though, is Jensen's past support for gun safety measures. In 2018, Jensen joined his Democratic colleagues to support bills to increase background checks and require any firearm owners to report lost or stolen weapons.
●NY-Gov: A sixth woman has accused Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, saying he inappropriately touched her last year. According to the Albany Times Union's Brendan Lyons, the woman, whose name the paper is currently withholding, is a state government employee and alleges the incident took place at the governor's mansion in Albany, where she'd been "summoned to do work." Other staffers also reported the matter to Cuomo's counsel, says Lyons. Cuomo denied the allegations, saying at a Tuesday press conference, "I never touched anyone inappropriately."
At the same press event, when PBS reporter Dan Clark asked Cuomo if he would still run for a fourth term next year, Cuomo dodged the question. "Today is not a day for politics. I'm focusing on my job—my job is vaccines, getting a budget done,” he said. "You know allegations. You don't know facts. Let's operate on facts." That stands in contrast with remarks he made in 2019 when he said simply, "I plan to run for a fourth term."
●TX-Gov: Former state Sen. Don Huffines recently told the Houston Chronicle that he is considering challenging Gov. Greg Abbott in next year's Republican primary. Huffines has spent the past year attacking the pandemic restrictions from the man he's labeled "King Abbott," and he was hardly appeased by Abbott's decision last week to end Texas' mask mandate and business capacity limits. "It'll be great to have our freedoms back next week," Huffines tweeted before adding, "Unfortunately, we still live in a dictatorship where @GregAbbott_TX can yank those the next time it's politically convenient to him."
The wealthy Huffines, though, has flirted with running for higher office a few times in the past but never gone for it. In 2015, Huffines didn't rule out a primary bid against Rep. Pete Sessions in the 32nd Congressional District in the Dallas suburbs. Huffines decided instead to remain in the legislature, but his constituents weren't so willing to keep him around: Huffines ran for re-election in 2018 in a seat that had swung from 57-42 Romney to 50-45 Clinton, and he lost 54-46. (His identical twin brother, Phillip Huffines, was defeated in a primary that same year for another state Senate seat.)
Sessions also lost re-election after the 32nd District made a similar lurch to the left, but Huffines still mulled a 2020 bid against the new incumbent, Democrat Colin Allred. Huffines sat this contest out, though, while Sessions successfully returned to Congress by winning the far more conservative 17th District.
The Houston Chronicle, meanwhile, also mentions another vocal Abbott critic, 2020 state Senate candidate Shelley Luther, as a possible primary contender, but there's no word if she's interested.
House
●LA-02: Campaign finance reports are in for the time from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28 for the March 20 all-party primary to succeed former Rep. Cedric Richmond, and Democratic state Sen. Troy Carter had a modest financial advantage over his colleague and main intra-party foe, Karen Carter Peterson.
Carter, who is backed by Richmond, outraised Peterson about $500,000 to $450,000 while outspending her $585,000 to $515,000; Carter also enjoyed a $290,000 to $210,000 cash-on-hand edge at the end of February. A third Democratic candidate, activist Gary Chambers, hauled in $305,000, spent $265,000, and had $115,000 left. In the very likely event that no one wins a majority of the vote later this month, a runoff would take place April 24 between the top two contenders.
Clancy DuBos of the New Orleans weekly The Gambit also recently took a look at the divisions between the main Democratic candidates in this safely blue seat. DuBos wrote that Peterson, Chambers, and businesswoman Desiree Ontiveros, who has brought in little money so far, have been campaigning as ardent progressives, while Carter "offers general but nuanced support — depending on the issue."
Notably, while the other contenders have called for a Green New Deal, Carter called it "a good blueprint" that won't be in place for a long time. Peterson has also run commercials pledging to "make Medicare for all a reality," though she and Carter used similar language when talking about healthcare in interviews with the Gambit: Peterson acknowledged that she was "okay with it being phased in," while Carter said, "I'm for a public option and healthcare for all."
DuBos also notes that, while both Carter and Peterson are veteran New Orleans elected officials (Chambers hails from Baton Rouge at the other side of the district), they represent conflicting factions in local Democratic politics. Peterson is a leader in the Black Organization for Leadership Development (BOLD), a longtime power player in the Crescent City that has clashed with Richmond and his allies. Each side scored some big wins and losses in the 2019 legislative elections, and DuBos writes, "Many see this contest as the latest bout between BOLD and Richmond."
●LA-05: University of Louisiana Monroe official Julia Letlow has always looked like the heavy favorite to succeed her late husband, Republican Luke Letlow, in this very red seat, and new campaign finance reports only underscore her advantage in the March 20 all-party primary. Letlow brought in $680,000 during the first two months of 2021, while Democrat Candy Christophe was a distant second with $70,000.
There are a total of 12 candidates on the ballot, though, so it's still very possible that Letlow won't be able to win the majority she'd need to avert an April runoff.
●MD-05, MD-Sen: Greenbelt Mayor Colin Byrd announced Monday that he was ending his Democratic primary campaign against House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and would instead try to deny renomination to Sen. Chris Van Hollen.
●NY-19, NY-Gov: Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said this week that he was mulling over a bid for Congress in addition to a second campaign for governor. House Republicans, though, may not be content to wait for him to make up his mind after the debacle they experienced last year when they tried to recruit him to take on Democratic Rep. Antonio Delgado.
Molinaro was the 2018 Republican nominee against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a race he lost by a brutal 60-36 margin statewide. Molinaro, though, did carry the Hudson Valley-based 19th District by a wide 53-42 even as Delgado was unseating Republican Rep. John Faso, which made the county executive an attractive prospect for the NRCC.
The committee hoped that Molinaro would launch a House campaign after he was re-elected in November of 2019 as leader of Dutchess County, but it didn't have a viable backup candidate when he announced two months later that he would stay put. The nominee the GOP ended up with, Kyle Van De Water, raised very little money, and major outside groups on both sides ended up focusing their efforts elsewhere instead. Delgado ultimately won by a solid 54-43 as Joe Biden was carrying his seat by a much smaller 50-48 spread.
●TX-06: This week, Republican state Rep. Jake Ellzey earned an endorsement from his old ally, former Gov. Rick Perry, ahead of the May 1 all-party primary. Perry backed Ellzey during each of his previous campaigns, including his 2018 run for this seat.
●New York City, NY Comptroller: City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced Tuesday that he was joining the crowded June Democratic primary for this open seat, which will be conducted using instant runoff voting.
Johnson, who is the first gay man to lead the New York City Council, was universally expected to run for mayor until he announced in September that he'd skip the contest in order to focus on his mental health. Johnson, though, began showing interest this year in campaigning for comptroller, a post that also has plenty of influence over the nation's largest city. Johnson said Tuesday, "I feel great. I feel better … Where I was in September is not where I am today."
Johnson raised $859,000 ahead of his anticipated mayoral bid, money that he can now use for the comptroller's race. WNYC's Gwynne Hogan reports that this puts him ahead of City Councilman Brad Lander, whose $816,000 haul had made him the fundraising leader in the contest.
●SD-AG: On Monday, the state House overwhelmingly passed a resolution pausing impeachment proceedings against Republican Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg as the criminal case against him proceeds. Ravnsborg was charged last month for striking and killing a man with his car in September.
Twelve districts went Romney/Clinton/Biden and 12 more went Romney/Trump/Biden; these, for the most part, are well-educated suburban districts. There are another 16 Obama/Trump/Trump districts, all in the Midwest or Northeast, many of which have below-median levels of college education.
There are also five perpetually swingy districts that went Obama/Trump/Biden. Finally, there are two interesting outliers: Florida's 26th went Obama/Clinton/Trump while Texas's 23rd went Romney/Clinton/Trump. These two seats are mostly-Latino districts where 2020's pro-Trump trend among Latino voters narrowly made the difference. You can find more on these seats, as well as some great maps, in Jarman’s post.
Note: In Cheers and Jeers you no longer have to wash your hands. Chet lost a bet yesterday, so for the next two weeks he'll wash them for you. Add 50 cents and he’ll toss in a dab of lotion.
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By the Numbers:
25 days!!!
Days 'til Easter: 25
Percent of Americans polled by Monmouth University who say they're satisfied with the way the vaccines are being rolled out: 60%
Percent in the same poll who have confidence that Joe Biden can put the country on the road to recovery from the pandemic: 73%
Increase in the Dow Industrials the Monday after the Covid relief bill passed the Senate, reaching an all-time record thanks to Joe Biden's leadership: 306 points
Expected unemployment rate by the end of the year, according to a Goldman Sachs forecast released this week: 4% or lower
Average cost of a gallon of gas: $2.77
Number of post-election challenges on behalf of Trump that are still pending in the Supreme Court after they booted one Monday: 0
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Mid-weekRapture Index: 189 (including 5 food supply threats and 1"respected prophet" who was a bit off the mark). Soul Protection Factor 24 lotion is recommended if you’ll be walking amongst the heathen today.
CHEERS to the graph that saved a nation. Want to see what the United States of America gets for electing a Demon Rat president and a Demon Rat House and a Demon Rat Senate? With final House passage (today?) of the American Rescue Act of 2021 and President Biden's signature (Friday?) on it, the full force of the federal government's purse—aka the taxpayers' money—will finally, finally goddammit, usher in an era of trickle-up economics. Paul, would you please be so kind as to remind us...
As the Nobel Prize-winning Krugman told Chris Hayes Monday night: “I’m pinching myself wondering if this is some kind of dream, because we really are responding more or less adequately to the crisis at hand." Thus explaining, in one sentence, why Republicans ran away from it as fast as they could.
CHEERS to lowering the bar (but not inside actual bars, please). The CDC, now back on its feet doing sciency stuff after the previous president turned it into a propaganda outlet for snake oil, has deemed the pandemic to be just under control enough to issue new guidelines that allow a bit more socializing:
People who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 may safely gather with small groups from other households without wearing masks or physically distancing, even if those people have not yet had their shots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
Joe and Kamala: making America safe for hugs again.
It is the first federal public health guidance aimed at resuming some kind of normal activity for people who have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna shots or one shot of the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the final dose, giving the body time to build antibodies against the virus. […]
"this is very welcome guidance," said a former acting director of the CDC, Dr. Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "This opens the door for grandparents to meet with their children and grandchildren without masks, indoors, for a nice group hug."
And here's more good news: CDC says that if you're vaccinated you can now go back to punching Nazis with your bare fists as long as you wash your hands afterward. (But, as always, don’t let 'em bite ya or you'll need a tetanus shot.)
CHEERS to reaching out and touching someone. 5 Exeter Place. Boston, Massachusetts. March 10, 1876. Thomas Watson receives the first telephone call. On the other end: Alexander Graham Bell. On Watson's next credit card statement: five magazine subscriptions, a life insurance policy, and a dozen MyPillows. Smooth operator, that Alex.
CHEERS to another rat fleeing the ship. Well, this is a new headache the red-hatted cult doesn’t want or need:
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2022, becoming the fifth Republican senator to announce plans to retire at the end of the current Congress.
Oops. Wrong blunt. But, hey, since it’s lit…..
Blunt’s decision to retire comes as members of the Republican Party struggle to figure out their next steps in the wake of Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020presidential election. It also follows the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and Blunt’s vote to acquit the former president following the House’s second impeachment of him.
Democrats, of course, are salivating at the opportunity to pick up an unexpected seat next year. The search for a candidate will start in earnest after both Claire McCaskill and Jason Kander bowed out of the running. As for the Republicans, they plan to go in a completely different direction this time around. Instead of a bigoted, obstructionist, fact-averse Trump suckup, the Missouri GOP machine will look for a bigoted, obstructionist, fact-averse Trump suckup who wears a different brand of socks. My god, I wonder if they'll survive all the infighting without leaving teeth all over the floor.
JEERS to magic tricks of yore. On March 10, 1629—it seems like only yesterday, doesn't it?—England’s King Charles I dissolved Parliament. Innocent mistake, really. He thought he was opening the fridge for some chilled kippers and it turned out to be the Ark of the Covenant. Thoughts and prayers.
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Ten years ago in C&J: March 10, 2011
JEERS to going after them that's different. Popcorn alert! Rep. Peter King (R-NY) will hold hearings tomorrow to figure out why the scary Muslims in America feel the need to be so gosh darn scary, brown, and Muslim. Ooh! Ooh! I think I know the answer! Because scary, white, and Christian was already taken?
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And just one more…
CHEERS to hole foods, part deux. Last month we brought you the latest list of the best doughnuts on Planet America. Now it's the bagel makers' turn in the spotlight, and once again Maine is right in the thick of it:
Forage, which has locations in Lewiston and Portland, is on the list, as are Scratch Baking Co. in South Portland and Rover Bagel, which returned to Biddeford in late January after being closed for about a year.
The list of 39 bagel shops includes spots in New York, of course, but also places in Ohio, Texas, and even North Dakota. But the magazine said Mainers are “absolutely spoiled” with good bagels, adding that there “probably should have been more” Maine bakeries on its list.
You'll notice that not a single Trump resort or hotel restaurant made it on the list, and there's some disagreement as to why. The tasters say it's because their bagels kinda suck. Trump, of course, tells a different story: he thinks he's the a victim of a Schmear campaign.
Have a happy humpday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
Ignore What Potential 2024 Presidential Candidates Say. Watch What Bill in Portland Maine Does.
After slow early progress on approving President Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees, the Senate is finally on track to catch up to its pace of confirmations at the beginning of the Trump and Obama administrations.
With Donald Trump's impeachment trial over and Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package passed, the Senate is spending this week on a confirmation blitz. The chamber is set to approve Biden’s picks to lead the Justice Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Remember, we didn’t have a majority until three weeks later" than usual thanks to the Georgia Senate runoffs, noted Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the No. 3 Democratic leader. "There wasn't much of a transition. So I think we're doing pretty good."
The Senate voted Tuesday evening to advance the nominations of Judge Merrick Garland for attorney general and Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) for secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Fudge was confirmed Wednesday on a 66-34 vote, with Garland's final approval to follow. North Carolina environmental regulator Michael Regan is expected to win confirmation as EPA administrator this week, while Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) appears on track for a final vote to become Interior secretary next week.
Thirteen members of Biden’s Cabinet have been confirmed so far this year, but that number is expected to increase to 16 by the end of the week. That brings this Congress close to the 18 Cabinet nominees confirmed under former President Trump during the same time period and equal to the 16 under former President Barack Obama in the equivalent timeframe. (The number of total Cabinet positions varies based on administration.)
But Biden came to the White House under different circumstances. Senate Democrats didn’t officially take the majority until Jan. 20, after winning Georgia's two run-off races. And only after Democrats effectively won the Senate on Jan. 6 did Biden announce he would nominate Garland for attorney general.
It also took weeks for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to hammer out an agreement for governing the evenly split Senate, leaving Democrats without full control of the chamber's committees until early February. On top of that, Trump's impeachment trial in mid-February halted floor activity for about a week.
Considering those obstacles, Senate Democrats were confident in their progress toward giving Biden a Cabinet.
The catch-up effect on confirmations is due to "McConnell’s stalling the rules," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said, but also a "cascading effect of delay" because of Democrats winning the majority in January as opposed to November.
“It’s proceeding,” agreed Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). “Obviously there was some time lost in the impeachment week."
So far, Biden’s cabinet picks have all been confirmed with bipartisan backing and that trend is expected to continue this week. Multiple Republicans voted Monday evening to move forward on Garland, including McConnell, who blocked the judge's nomination to the Supreme Court in 2016. Fudge drew 19 Republican votes for advancing her nod. Regan, meanwhile, was voted out of the Environment and Public Works Committee with bipartisan support.
McConnell touted Republican support for Biden’s “mainstream nominees” on Monday and suggested GOP senators were more cooperative with Biden than Democrats were with Trump. The Kentucky Republican has supported every Biden nominee, except Alejandro Mayorkas for Department of Homeland Security, though he announced Wednesday that he plans to vote against Haaland and Regan.
“Frankly, the president and his team must be thrilled that Senate Republicans are proving to be more fair and more principled on personnel matters than the Democratic minority’s behavior just four years ago," McConnell said.
Democrats counter that Biden had more qualified nominees than Trump did, not to mention that Republican senators slapped holds on several Biden nominees — including Garland.
But not every Cabinet confirmation has gone smoothly. Biden’s pick to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, Neera Tanden, last week withdrew from consideration after facing opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and moderate Republicans, highlighting Democrats’ razor-thin majority and the ability of a single senator to torpedo a nominee.
Democrats can confirm Biden’s nominees without Republican support, but they need full caucus unity in order for Vice President Kamala Harris to cast the tie-breaking vote.
It’s not unusual for at least one Cabinet nominee to go down during a new president’s term. Andy Puzder, Trump’s nominee for Labor secretary, withdrew after video surfaced of his wife alleging domestic abuse and after he admitted he did not pay taxes on the services of an undocumented immigrant. Obama saw three of his picks withdraw: Tom Daschle for secretary of Health and Human Services, and both Bill Richardson and Judd Gregg for Commerce secretary.
While Haaland sparked initial concern about centrist Democratic buy-in given her progressive background, she appears headed toward a smooth confirmation after Manchin, along with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), announced their support.
Manchin has yet to say whether he will support Xavier Becerra for secretary of health and human services. During his confirmation hearings, Becerra faced questions from Republicans about his experience in public health, his views on abortion and lawsuits he filed as attorney general of California. He was the first Biden nominee to be reported out of committee along party lines.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) expressed confidence that Becerra would be confirmed Monday with the full support of the Democratic caucus.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) spoke out on Monday to blast Andrew Cuomo as the “worst governor in America” as calls continue to grow for him to step down.
Earlier on Monday, Republicans in the New York State Assembly launched an impeachment resolution against Cuomo, saying that he has lost “credibility and trust” and has an “inability to lead” the state after multiple aides accused him of sexual misconduct and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was called into question.
Stefanik Attacks Cuomo
In an interview with Fox News, Stefanik stood by dubbing him the “worst governor in America.”
“Well, he has earned that title,” she said. “Governor Cuomo has been enveloped by multiple scandals. First, you have the nursing home scandal and the cover-up, which I believe is a criminal. It’s a crime, a federal crime and an obstruction of justice.”
“You have his most senior aide admit to withholding information from the Department of Justice when they requested information on the numbers of deaths,” Stefanik continued. “And we now know that it’s over 15,000 vulnerable seniors who died because of Governor Cuomo’s nursing home edict forcing positive covid patients into nursing homes.”
“You also have these sexual harassment scandals, not one, not two, but five women have come forward and have shared their personal, horrific experiences of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual grooming,” Stefanik added.
“It’s not just Republicans who are speaking out for his resignation,” she said. “It’s Democrats as well. And if they really want to take action on behalf of everyday New Yorkers, they need to join Republicans to start impeachment proceedings.”
Not stopping there, Stefanik pointed out that she has been pushing for Cuomo to be investigated for months.
“The Democrats had to really be pushed to call for an investigation,” Stefanik said. “I was the first member of Congress, the first senior elected official to call for an investigation on December 14th when the first victim, Ms. Boylan, came forward. We now know there are multiple accounts. And what’s really interesting is they’re all very similar.
“This is about the governor preying on vulnerable, much less powerful individuals, oftentimes very young, in their 20s, alone in his office on state government property,” she continued.
“We should take these women’s personal experiences very seriously and I call for his resignation,” Stefanik concluded. “If you look at the governor’s own statement. He has called for fellow elected officials for much less to immediately resign. He’s not following his own words.”
At the time of this writing, Cuomo has still refused to step down, despite bipartisan calls for him to do so.
This piece was written by James Samson on March 9, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell lambasted Democrats on Tuesday for suggesting the GOP was being unfair in holding up President Biden’s nominees.
“Even with the time spent on impeachment, [several of Mr. Biden’s nominees] were confirmed faster than President Trump’s nominees,” Mr. McConnell said from the floor of the Senate. ...
Former President Trump lauded Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) for defending him during the impeachment trial. Blunt was one of 43 GOP senators who voted against convicting Trump. "I very much appreciate and respect the career of Senator Roy Blunt of...
On Monday, President Trump’s leadership political action committee, Save America PAC, sent out a notice warning the Republican Party that neither he nor his PAC will endorse ‘RINOs,’ or ‘Republicans In Name Only.’
The former President has been busy since leaving office.
Also on Monday, legal counsel for Trump sent cease-and-desist letters to the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee that orders them to stop using Trump’s name for their fundraising activities.
In the RINOs statement, Trump declared, “No more money for RINOS period. They do nothing but hurt the Republican Party and our great voting base – they will never lead us to Greatness. Send your donation to Save America PAC at DonaldJTrump.com. We will bring it all back stronger than ever before.”
INBOX: Trump releases statement saying: “No more money for RINOS. They do nothing but hurt the Republican Party and our great voting base—they will never lead us to Greatness. Send your donation to Save America PAC…” and more. pic.twitter.com/6E7xRPcTSy
In a report from Politico, the RNC is apparently refusing any such cease-and-desist order, and RNC Chief Counsel Justin Reimer stated that the committee “has every right to refer to public figures as it engages in core, First-Amendment protected political speech, and it will continue to do so in pursuit of these common goals.”
Essentially they claim that they are allowed to use Trump’s likeness and name because he is a public figure.
While none of the committees who received cease-and-desist letters commented, some who work closely on GOP campaigns say that it is “impossible not to use Trump’s name because his policies are popular with the base.”
Knowing that ‘RINOs’ will likely use Trump’s policies as mere campaign rhetoric, while governing as establishment Republicans, could be Trump’s impetus for his statements.
The response comes after Mr Trump’s counsel sent a cease-and-desist letter to Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee last week. https://t.co/U1oZppb1yh
Republicans surely know that the one endorsement GOP candidates will want is that of Donald Trump.
He has already begun endorsing candidates for 2022 such as South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR).
He has also given an early endorsement to former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has announced a run for Governor in Arkansas, and the re-election of Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas.
But he’s not just bringing endorsements.
Trump stated on Saturday that he would be campaigning against Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of seven Republican Senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial.
She is the only one of the seven that is up for re-election in 2022.
“On the day of the riots, President Trump’s words incited violence, which led to the injury and deaths of Americans — including a Capitol Police officer — the desecration of the Capitol, and briefly interfered with the government’s ability to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.”
“Such unlawful actions cannot go without consequence and the House has responded swiftly, and I believe, appropriately, with impeachment.”
Trump fired back in the way his supporters expect:
“I will not be endorsing, under any circumstances, the failed candidate from the great State of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski. She represents her state badly and her country even worse. I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be — in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.”
Trump also went on to criticize Murkowski’s vote to confirm President Joe Biden’s pick for Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
“Her vote to advance radical left Democrat Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior is yet another example of Murkowski not standing up for Alaska.”
“I don’t know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be—in Alaska campaigning against a… Senator,” Trump reportedly said.
The next election cycle could be a tricky one for Republicans. Currently, there are only five seats separating them from taking back control of the House.
But in the Senate, there are several who have decided against running for re-election, and Democrats are most certainly eying those seats.
Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) have already announced they will not be seeking re-election. Toomey had voted for convict Trump.
On Monday, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) also announced he would not seek another term. Blunt holds several Republican leadership positions and is a close ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
In addition, Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) are also retiring. This could give the United States Senate a very different look after 2022.
Trump and his PAC would most likely be involved in endorsing candidates for those seats.
More Trump-endorsed Senators may be at odds with more moderate Republicans like Sens. Mitt Romney and Susan Collins.
It is an illustration that for many long-time GOP Senators, the Republican Party may no longer be their domain.
— All American Girl (@AIIAmericanGirI) March 9, 2021
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's top attorney is leaving his administration in the middle of scandals that have resulted in calls for Cuomo's impeachment and resignation.
