thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--Schiff: Voters shouldn't get to decide 2020

For the sake of his own impeachment dreams , Rep. Adam Schiff , D-California , ought to shut up and stop saying the quiet part out loud .
The House Judiciary chairman began the second day of the Senate 's impeachment trial by admitting the unconscionable .
`` If not remedied by his conviction in the Senate and removal from office , President Trump ’ s abuse of his office and obstruction of Congress will permanently alter the balance of power among the branches of government , '' the lead impeachment manager said .
`` For precisely this reason , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be decided at the ballot box , for we can not be assured that the vote will be fairly won . ''
The case against Trump 's conduct is simple , whether or not you believe that the remedy ought to be impeachment or removal for office .
Presidents should not abuse their power to cajole foreign governments into investigating their domestic political foes .
That Trump likely attempted to do so , with the intention of influencing the 2020 election is , to whatever degree , an unacceptable abuse of power .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But opponents to impeachment have made two valid points .
First and somewhat obviously , the House botched the process by writing up two laughable articles of impeachment .
For their abuse of power article , they failed to obtain the necessary evidence before rushing it off to the Senate .
For their sham `` Obstruction of Congress '' article — that is n't even a thing — it 's the product of their own haste , not of any wrongdoing by Trump .
And a plausible case remains that Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crowdstrike conspiracy theory about 2016 when he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky .
The second argument says that Trump probably did withhold the congressionally approved aid to Ukraine with the intention of gaining an upper hand in the upcoming election , but that the checks and balances in place prevented him in fulfilling his goal , so the public should be left to determine his fate at the ballot box .
It 's a fair argument and a reminder that a nation predicated on the peaceful transfer of power ought to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress to overturn the results of the last election .
Naturally , Schiff just had to go on and admit that his efforts to convict Trump are to , just as he charged Trump with , influence ( in this case , singlehandedly rig ) the results of the 2020 election .
Like the Russia investigation , the impeachment investigation began with righteous cause for concern .
Both were quickly hijacked by bad-faith actors .
Schiff is no longer even hiding the ball — for him , impeachment is all about overriding the @ @ @ @ @

For the sake of his own impeachment dreams, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, ought to shut up and stop saying the quiet part out loud.
The House Judiciary chairman began the second day of the Senate's impeachment trial by admitting the unconscionable.
"If not remedied by his conviction in the Senate and removal from office, President Trump’s abuse of his office and obstruction of Congress will permanently alter the balance of power among the branches of government," the lead impeachment manager said. "For precisely this reason, the president’s misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box, for we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won."
The case against Trump's conduct is simple, whether or not you believe that the remedy ought to be impeachment or removal for office. Presidents should not abuse their power to cajole foreign governments into investigating their domestic political foes. That Trump likely attempted to do so, with the intention of influencing the 2020 election is, to whatever degree, an unacceptable abuse of power. That case should be simple and bipartisan.
But opponents to impeachment have made two valid points. First and somewhat obviously, the House botched the process by writing up two laughable articles of impeachment. For their abuse of power article, they failed to obtain the necessary evidence before rushing it off to the Senate. For their sham "Obstruction of Congress" article — that isn't even a thing — it's the product of their own haste, not of any wrongdoing by Trump. And a plausible case remains that Trump's behavior was genuinely motivated by the crackpot Crowdstrike conspiracy theory about 2016 when he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The second argument says that Trump probably did withhold the congressionally approved aid to Ukraine with the intention of gaining an upper hand in the upcoming election, but that the checks and balances in place prevented him in fulfilling his goal, so the public should be left to determine his fate at the ballot box.
It's a fair argument and a reminder that a nation predicated on the peaceful transfer of power ought to be wary of activating the final power of Congress to overturn the results of the last election. Naturally, Schiff just had to go on and admit that his efforts to convict Trump are to, just as he charged Trump with, influence (in this case, singlehandedly rig) the results of the 2020 election.
Like the Russia investigation, the impeachment investigation began with righteous cause for concern. Both were quickly hijacked by bad-faith actors. Schiff is no longer even hiding the ball — for him, impeachment is all about overriding the will of the people.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--'One of the 10 best speeches I’ve heard:' Schumer heaps praise on Schiff for impeachment trial perfo

'One of the 10 best speeches I’ve heard:' Schumer heaps praise on Schiff for impeachment trial performance

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised House impeachment manager Adam Schiff for a strong delivery as he wrapped up the first day of opening arguments in President Trump 's impeachment trial .
`` The managers did just an incredible , incredible job .
And they were all good .
But particularly Adam Schiff .
His closing speech , which I hope many of your viewers saw , is one of the tour de forces that I have seen in my decades here , '' Schumer said Wednesday night on MSNBC .
`` I ’ d say it ’ s one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve heard . ''
During his remarks , Schiff hammered home points Democrats are highlighting as they fight to sway centrist Senate Republicans to join Democrats in voting to remove Trump from office .
House Democrats passed two articles of impeachment last year , abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , after an intelligence community whistleblower 's report sparked investigations into Trump 's relations with Ukraine .
`` Some courageous people came forward .
Courageous people that risked their entire careers , '' Schiff said as he closed his remarks Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And yes , I know what you 're asked to decide may risk yours too .
But if they could show the courage , so could we . ''
Senate Democrats have been arguing with the Republican majority to allow additional witnesses and documents relating to the Ukraine scandal to be submitted as evidence for senators to consider before voting on whether to convict and remove Trump from office .
Schumer said while on the Senate floor , he has been keeping an eye on other Republicans who have expressed discomfort with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , they saw the whole thing , '' Schumer said .
`` And when Schiff did his last half-hour , his last 45 minutes , they were all intently looking at him .
I look around , and most of the time , they sort of don ’ t want to hear the argument because of the pressure they ’ re under to go along with Trump . ''
He said even some Republicans who will vote to protect Trump from removal `` know in their hearts that he ’ s wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that were laid out tonight . ''
Trump has attacked Schumer , Schiff , and other Democrats leading the impeachment case as `` unhinged '' and `` vindictive . ''
He has dismissed the Ukraine scandal as a `` hoax '' inspired by `` partisan hatred . ''
Schiff also received praise for his presentation from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham , who told him afterward , `` Good job . ''

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised House impeachment manager Adam Schiff for a strong delivery as he wrapped up the first day of opening arguments in President Trump's impeachment trial.
"The managers did just an incredible, incredible job. And they were all good. But particularly Adam Schiff. His closing speech, which I hope many of your viewers saw, is one of the tour de forces that I have seen in my decades here," Schumer said Wednesday night on MSNBC. "I’d say it’s one of the 10 best speeches I’ve heard."
During his remarks, Schiff hammered home points Democrats are highlighting as they fight to sway centrist Senate Republicans to join Democrats in voting to remove Trump from office. House Democrats passed two articles of impeachment last year, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, after an intelligence community whistleblower's report sparked investigations into Trump's relations with Ukraine.
"Some courageous people came forward. Courageous people that risked their entire careers," Schiff said as he closed his remarks Wednesday. "They risked everything, their careers. And yes, I know what you're asked to decide may risk yours too. But if they could show the courage, so could we."
Senate Democrats have been arguing with the Republican majority to allow additional witnesses and documents relating to the Ukraine scandal to be submitted as evidence for senators to consider before voting on whether to convict and remove Trump from office.
Schumer said while on the Senate floor, he has been keeping an eye on other Republicans who have expressed discomfort with Trump.
"Here for the first time, they saw the whole thing," Schumer said. "And when Schiff did his last half-hour, his last 45 minutes, they were all intently looking at him. I look around, and most of the time, they sort of don’t want to hear the argument because of the pressure they’re under to go along with Trump."
He said even some Republicans who will vote to protect Trump from removal "know in their hearts that he’s wrong and that Donald Trump did all the things that were laid out tonight."
Trump has attacked Schumer, Schiff, and other Democrats leading the impeachment case as "unhinged" and "vindictive." He has dismissed the Ukraine scandal as a "hoax" inspired by "partisan hatred."
Schiff also received praise for his presentation from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who told him afterward, "Good job."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--Schumer: There are no bipartisan talks on trial witnesses

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters the two political parties are not discussing a deal to allow witness testimony in President Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
“ No Republicans are talking to us about deals , ” the New York Democrat said Thursday .
Democrats want the Senate to subpoena four Trump administration officials and three sets of documents , all related to their charge that the president abused the power of his office to pressure Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden by withholding critical security aid to the country .
“ We want these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Schumer said .
“ Not a single Republican has approached me and said , 'What about this ?
What about this one ?
What about that ? '
'' Schumer said , calling a media report on Democrats weighing a trade-off involving testimony from Biden ’ s son Hunter “ false , and now everyone is jumping on it.
” The Senate is poised to face a vote on witness testimony by next week , when opening statements and a round of questioning from senators concludes .
Schumer said he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is not part of the governing resolution for the trial and will result in a motion to table by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Kentucky Republican .
Schumer would not disclose whether he has found four GOP senators to side with Democrats and provide the 51 votes needed to summon witnesses and documents .
“ There are a lot of conversations going on , ” Schumer said .
McConnell will likely call up a vote next week on whether the Senate wants to summon witnesses at all or whether they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers and the White House defense team to render judgment on the two articles of impeachment against the president .
In addition to abuse of power , Trump is charged with obstructing Congress .
It would require 51 votes to dismiss the case and 67 votes to convict and remove the president from office .
The Senate is more likely to vote on each of the charges and acquit the president .

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters the two political parties are not discussing a deal to allow witness testimony in President Trump’s impeachment trial.
“No Republicans are talking to us about deals,” the New York Democrat said Thursday.
Democrats want the Senate to subpoena four Trump administration officials and three sets of documents, all related to their charge that the president abused the power of his office to pressure Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden by withholding critical security aid to the country.
“We want these four witnesses and these sets of documents,” Schumer said. “Not a single Republican has approached me and said, 'What about this? What about this one? What about that?'" Schumer said, calling a media report on Democrats weighing a trade-off involving testimony from Biden’s son Hunter “false, and now everyone is jumping on it.”
The Senate is poised to face a vote on witness testimony by next week, when opening statements and a round of questioning from senators concludes. Schumer said he’ll force votes on the four witnesses, which is not part of the governing resolution for the trial and will result in a motion to table by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican.
[Read: House impeachment managers reject 'fantasy football' witness trade-off]
Schumer would not disclose whether he has found four GOP senators to side with Democrats and provide the 51 votes needed to summon witnesses and documents.
“There are a lot of conversations going on,” Schumer said.
McConnell will likely call up a vote next week on whether the Senate wants to summon witnesses at all or whether they have heard enough information from House impeachment managers and the White House defense team to render judgment on the two articles of impeachment against the president.
In addition to abuse of power, Trump is charged with obstructing Congress. It would require 51 votes to dismiss the case and 67 votes to convict and remove the president from office. The Senate is more likely to vote on each of the charges and acquit the president.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--New danger: Younger voters not jazzed about Democrats, Yang 8%, Buttigieg 3%

The 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are falling short of former President Barack Obama ’ s support among younger voters , raising a new hurdle to the party ’ s bid to dump President Trump .
A new poll of voters under 30 — millennials and Generation Z — have also abandoned younger candidates in the race , such as former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg , favoring the oldest in the race , Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden .
The Forbes Under 30 Poll , conducted by John Zogby Strategies , found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 32 % .
Biden is second at 16 % .
Andrew Yang is at 8 % .
Buttigieg is last at 3 % , tied with Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard .
The analysis included a warning about the level of support younger voters have for the Democrats .
“ Any of these candidates is going to need to shore up young , undecided voters if he or she is going to beat Trump : Barack Obama carried 66 % and 60 % of young voters in 2008 and 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
The survey conducted candidate matchups with Trump , and Sanders came close to Obama , beating Trump 58 % to 34 % .
It ’ s a pattern that played out in the 2016 election with Hillary Clinton , winning 55 % of the younger vote .

The 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are falling short of former President Barack Obama’s support among younger voters, raising a new hurdle to the party’s bid to dump President Trump.
A new poll of voters under 30 — millennials and Generation Z — have also abandoned younger candidates in the race, such as former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, favoring the oldest in the race, Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Forbes/Zogby poll
The Forbes Under 30 Poll, conducted by John Zogby Strategies, found that Sanders is the favorite of younger voters at 32%. Biden is second at 16%. Andrew Yang is at 8%. Buttigieg is last at 3%, tied with Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
The analysis included a warning about the level of support younger voters have for the Democrats. “Any of these candidates is going to need to shore up young, undecided voters if he or she is going to beat Trump: Barack Obama carried 66% and 60% of young voters in 2008 and 2012, respectively,” said the Forbes report.
The survey conducted candidate matchups with Trump, and Sanders came close to Obama, beating Trump 58% to 34%.
It’s a pattern that played out in the 2016 election with Hillary Clinton, winning 55% of the younger vote.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--Group of New Hampshire political insiders and former rival operatives back Biden

Joe Biden received endorsements from high-profile New Hampshire Democratic political operatives , including the husband of a New Hampshire senator and former operatives for rival campaigns .
Bill Shaheen , the husband of Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen , leads the group of operatives in endorsing the former vice president .
`` We need a president and a Senate who can bring dignity back to our country and immediately command respect on the world stage .
Joe Biden can do both , '' Shaheen said .
Shaheen has a colorful past in New Hampshire politics , having stepped down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 campaign in 2007 after he suggested Barack Obama 's past drug use could pose a problem for him in a general election .
`` It 'll be , 'When was the last time ?
Did you ever give drugs to anyone ?
Did you sell them to anyone ? '
There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks .
It 's hard to overcome , '' Shaheen said at the time .
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is up for reelection in 2020 and has said she will not endorse a candidate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on keeping her seat as Republicans aim to flip it and increase their majority in the Senate .
Jim Demers , a longtime New Hampshire campaign operative who was a co-chairman of Barack Obama 's campaigns in 2008 and 2012 , also endorsed Biden .
Demers was a senior adviser for New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker 's 2020 presidential bid until he dropped out earlier this month .
“ One of the major motivating reasons I went with Cory Booker so early was I always felt his message and career were built on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Demers told WMUR .
“ That became a central question I looked at after he dropped out , and I believe Joe Biden checks that box as well .
He ’ s demonstrated he can work with a lot of different factions and different people .
Unifying the country is a goal of his as well.
” Former U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes was the state campaign director for spiritual author Marianne Williamson 's campaign until she also exited the race this month .
Hodes , a Democratic House member from 2007-11 , joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The new Biden endorsements include two Manchester elected officials who previously backed Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan for president , who has since dropped out of the race and also endorsed Biden : Alderman-at-Large Dan O ’ Neil and Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry .
Former state Senate President Sylvia Larsen , former state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Keefe , former state Sen. Peggy Gilmour , former Carroll County Democratic Chairman Chris Meier , and Manchester attorney and former New Hampshire Democratic Party Vice Chairwoman Maureen Manning also endorsed Biden on Thursday .

Joe Biden received endorsements from high-profile New Hampshire Democratic political operatives, including the husband of a New Hampshire senator and former operatives for rival campaigns.
Bill Shaheen, the husband of Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, leads the group of operatives in endorsing the former vice president.
"We need a president and a Senate who can bring dignity back to our country and immediately command respect on the world stage. Joe Biden can do both," Shaheen said.
Shaheen has a colorful past in New Hampshire politics, having stepped down as an adviser of Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign in 2007 after he suggested Barack Obama's past drug use could pose a problem for him in a general election.
"It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?' There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome," Shaheen said at the time.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is up for reelection in 2020 and has said she will not endorse a candidate in the Democratic presidential primary, instead focusing on keeping her seat as Republicans aim to flip it and increase their majority in the Senate.
Jim Demers, a longtime New Hampshire campaign operative who was a co-chairman of Barack Obama's campaigns in 2008 and 2012, also endorsed Biden. Demers was a senior adviser for New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker's 2020 presidential bid until he dropped out earlier this month.
“One of the major motivating reasons I went with Cory Booker so early was I always felt his message and career were built on unity and bringing people together,” Demers told WMUR. “That became a central question I looked at after he dropped out, and I believe Joe Biden checks that box as well. He’s demonstrated he can work with a lot of different factions and different people. Unifying the country is a goal of his as well.”
Former U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes was the state campaign director for spiritual author Marianne Williamson's campaign until she also exited the race this month. Hodes, a Democratic House member from 2007-11, joined in endorsing the former vice president.
The new Biden endorsements include two Manchester elected officials who previously backed Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan for president, who has since dropped out of the race and also endorsed Biden: Alderman-at-Large Dan O’Neil and Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry.
Former state Senate President Sylvia Larsen, former state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Keefe, former state Sen. Peggy Gilmour, former Carroll County Democratic Chairman Chris Meier, and Manchester attorney and former New Hampshire Democratic Party Vice Chairwoman Maureen Manning also endorsed Biden on Thursday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--Soros-linked group spends record $48 million lobbying in 2019

An advocacy group with ties to George Soros spent a record amount of money on lobbying during the 2019 calendar year , according to filings .
The Open Society Policy Center spent $ 24 million into lobbying efforts during the fourth quarter of 2019 , according to disclosures filed Monday .
Since President Trump 's election , the Soros-connected lobbying group has spent nearly $ 100 million — $ 48 million in 2019 alone — which amounts to $ 40 million more than the previous 14 years of spending combined , according to the Washington Free Beacon .
Soros has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his money to push left-wing causes .
Soros money has been tied to elections all across the country , including Philadelphia , where it ’ s believed the Hungarian-born billionaire was a a liberal district attorney .
Late last year , Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani of funding groups who want to “ destroy the Jewish homeland.
” '' Soros has funded many enemies to the State of Israel , including groups that support BDS , who 's ultimate goal is to destroy the Jewish homeland , '' Giuliani said .
`` Those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jews , but better people than him .
Most certainly not anti-Semitic . ''
The Washington Examiner reached out to OSPC for a comment on these figures and was referred back to a quote from OSPC director Tom Perriello , who said , `` Too often , powerful corporate interests have a seat at the table in Washington , while workers , consumers , and patients are excluded from the political process .
OSPC 's grantees help give voice to those who need to be heard at this unprecedented moment in America .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with our grantees , to stand against hate , bigotry , and anti-Semitism ; corporate greed ; presidential overreach and more . ''

An advocacy group with ties to George Soros spent a record amount of money on lobbying during the 2019 calendar year, according to filings.
The Open Society Policy Center spent $24 million into lobbying efforts during the fourth quarter of 2019, according to disclosures filed Monday.
Since President Trump's election, the Soros-connected lobbying group has spent nearly $100 million — $48 million in 2019 alone — which amounts to $40 million more than the previous 14 years of spending combined, according to the Washington Free Beacon .
Soros has long been criticized by Republicans for using his money to push left-wing causes.
Soros money has been tied to elections all across the country, including Philadelphia, where it’s believed the Hungarian-born billionaire was a key force in electing a liberal district attorney.
Late last year, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani accused Soros of funding groups who want to “destroy the Jewish homeland.”
"Soros has funded many enemies to the State of Israel, including groups that support BDS, who's ultimate goal is to destroy the Jewish homeland," Giuliani said. "Those who oppose these groups are not only better Jews, but better people than him. Most certainly not anti-Semitic."
The Washington Examiner reached out to OSPC for a comment on these figures and was referred back to a quote from OSPC director Tom Perriello, who said, "Too often, powerful corporate interests have a seat at the table in Washington, while workers, consumers, and patients are excluded from the political process. OSPC's grantees help give voice to those who need to be heard at this unprecedented moment in America. We are proud to do our part, along with our grantees, to stand against hate, bigotry, and anti-Semitism; corporate greed; presidential overreach and more."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--Anti-establishment voters find bigger hero in Tulsi Gabbard than Bernie Sanders

CHARLESTOWN , New Hampshire — For many voters seeking to buck the Democratic establishment at the ballot box , Tulsi Gabbard has the anti-insider credentials that Bernie Sanders lost .
“ Even though I live in Vermont , I don ’ t necessarily believe Bernie has the ability as a candidate , ” said Michele Ohayan , a semi-retired small business owner from Rockingham , on Wednesday .
“ He ’ s been in the Establishment for so long , I think he ’ s lost touch.
” “ She has the touch , ” Ohayan , 55 , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Army Nation Guard veteran is largely known for her sharp anti-war stance and criticism of “ new Cold War ” foreign policy .
Her willingness to confront longtime leaders who hold attitudes that exasperate voters was on display Wednesday when she filed a against former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton .
Clinton said Gabbard was “ a favorite of the Russians ” and suggested she is being “ groomed ” to run as a third-party spoiler candidate .
Gabbard has repeatedly said she would not run third-party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential nominee .
“ I will not stand quietly by as Hillary Clinton or anyone else tries to smear my character and my loyalty and dedication to serving our country , ” Gabbard , 38 , told a crowd of around 50 at a town hall in Charlestown , New Hampshire , on Wednesday .
That fire-in-the-belly is something her supporters think Sanders lacks this time around .
“ He 's afraid of the DNC , or something happened to him at the end of 2016 , ” retired Keene resident Joseph Mirzeoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this week for a column a Sanders endorser wrote that called Biden “ corrupt.
” That , he indicated , felt like throwing his supporter under the bus , similar to when Sanders endorsed Clinton .
“ I feel that that 's what Bernie did to us in 2016 , ” said Mirzoeff , 65 , who has attended multiple Gabbard town halls and intends to vote for her .
“ He goes and supports Hillary , who everybody hated because she 's corrupt.
” Though the voters are frustrated by Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support in a New Hampshire released Thursday that Sanders led , does not criticize the Vermont senator and in some ways continues to align herself with him .
She has not endorsed many of the policy proposals that put Sanders on the left fringe of the Democratic field , such as eliminating student loan debt or implementing a tax on wealth .
But her campaign continuously notes that she resigned as vice-chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee in 2016 in order to endorse Sanders in the presidential primary , cementing her dissident image @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stated that “ nobody likes him ” and that she was not ready to support him if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination .
“ This isn ’ t high school , ” Gabbard said Tuesday , after tweeting “ I like Bernie ” earlier in the day .
A political operative who introduced her at an event in Keene said that Sanders `` joined the exclusive club in this 2020 primary with Tulsi , being attacked by a former secretary of state that will not be named.
” After Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private 2018 conversation that he did not think a woman could win the presidency in 2020 , which Sanders denied , Gabbard shared that she also had a one-on-one conversation with him before announcing her candidacy .
“ He showed me the greatest respect and encouragement , just as he always has , ” of her conversation with Sanders .
Gabbard ’ s warmth toward Sanders helps reel in those who liked him in 2016 but worry he has capitulated too much .
Alan Littlefield , a landscaper in Charlestown , no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best person to take on political elites .
“ I ’ m being nice about it , I could say more about it , ” said Littlefield , 55 .
“ Somehow , they shoved him away so he didn ’ t have a chance , ” he said , adding : “ I ’ m concerned about his health.
” Many political insiders criticize Gabbard ’ s lawsuit and fiery rhetoric against Clinton as a ploy for attention , but voters who attend her evens see the move as self-defense and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a retired counselor in Charlestown who is active in the local Democratic Party group , had considered voting Sanders , but the campaign spats entangling him in recent weeks , such as the between him and Warren and Social Security record , turned her off .
“ He ’ s not doing things that I like , ” Yakovleff said .
But after seeing Gabbard on Wednesday , she was impressed .
“ I think I ’ m going to vote for her .
”

CHARLESTOWN, New Hampshire — For many voters seeking to buck the Democratic establishment at the ballot box, Tulsi Gabbard has the anti-insider credentials that Bernie Sanders lost.
“Even though I live in Vermont, I don’t necessarily believe Bernie has the ability as a candidate,” said Michele Ohayan, a semi-retired small business owner from Rockingham, on Wednesday. “He’s been in the Establishment for so long, I think he’s lost touch.”
“She has the touch,” Ohayan, 55, said of Gabbard.
The Hawaii Democrat congresswoman and Army Nation Guard veteran is largely known for her sharp anti-war stance and criticism of “new Cold War” foreign policy. Her willingness to confront longtime leaders who hold attitudes that exasperate voters was on display Wednesday when she filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
Clinton in October said Gabbard was “a favorite of the Russians” and suggested she is being “groomed” to run as a third-party spoiler candidate. Gabbard has repeatedly said she would not run third-party in 2020 and will support the Democratic presidential nominee.
“I will not stand quietly by as Hillary Clinton or anyone else tries to smear my character and my loyalty and dedication to serving our country,” Gabbard, 38, told a crowd of around 50 at a town hall in Charlestown, New Hampshire, on Wednesday.
That fire-in-the-belly is something her supporters think Sanders lacks this time around.
“He's afraid of the DNC, or something happened to him at the end of 2016,” retired Keene resident Joseph Mirzeoff said of Sanders.
Mirzeoff took issue with Sanders’s apology to former Vice President Joe Biden this week for a column a Sanders endorser wrote that called Biden “corrupt.” That, he indicated, felt like throwing his supporter under the bus, similar to when Sanders endorsed Clinton.
“I feel that that's what Bernie did to us in 2016,” said Mirzoeff, 65, who has attended multiple Gabbard town halls and intends to vote for her. “He goes and supports Hillary, who everybody hated because she's corrupt.”
Though the voters are frustrated by Sanders, Gabbard, who received 5% support in a New Hampshire poll released Thursday that Sanders led, does not criticize the Vermont senator and in some ways continues to align herself with him.
She has not endorsed many of the policy proposals that put Sanders on the left fringe of the Democratic field, such as eliminating student loan debt or implementing a tax on wealth. But her campaign continuously notes that she resigned as vice-chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee in 2016 in order to endorse Sanders in the presidential primary, cementing her dissident image.
Gabbard defended Sanders this week after Clinton stated that “nobody likes him” and that she was not ready to support him if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination.
“This isn’t high school,” Gabbard said Tuesday, after tweeting “I like Bernie” earlier in the day. A political operative who introduced her at an event in Keene said that Sanders "joined the exclusive club in this 2020 primary with Tulsi, being attacked by a former secretary of state that will not be named.”
After Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren alleged that Sanders told her in a private 2018 conversation that he did not think a woman could win the presidency in 2020, which Sanders denied, Gabbard shared that she also had a one-on-one conversation with him before announcing her candidacy.
“He showed me the greatest respect and encouragement, just as he always has,” Gabbard said of her conversation with Sanders.
Gabbard’s warmth toward Sanders helps reel in those who liked him in 2016 but worry he has capitulated too much.
Alan Littlefield, a landscaper in Charlestown, no longer thinks the 78-year-old senator is not the best person to take on political elites.
“I’m being nice about it, I could say more about it,” said Littlefield, 55. “Somehow, they shoved him away so he didn’t have a chance,” he said, adding: “I’m concerned about his health.”
Many political insiders criticize Gabbard’s lawsuit and fiery rhetoric against Clinton as a ploy for attention, but voters who attend her evens see the move as self-defense and a rebuke of negative campaigning.
Kendra Yakovleff, a retired counselor in Charlestown who is active in the local Democratic Party group, had considered voting Sanders, but the campaign spats entangling him in recent weeks, such as the “he said, she said” dispute between him and Warren and Sanders’s attacks on Biden’s Social Security record, turned her off.
“He’s not doing things that I like,” Yakovleff said. But after seeing Gabbard on Wednesday, she was impressed. “I think I’m going to vote for her.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--One father reminds Warren why her student loan debt forgiveness plan won't work

Elizabeth Warren ’ s plan for student loan debt forgiveness sounds great in theory .
But it neglects one very important group of people : those who already paid back their student loans .
One father reminded Warren of this during a face-to-face conversation at a presidential campaign town hall event in Iowa this week : `` I just wanted to ask one question , ” he said , “ My daughter is getting out of school .
I 've saved all my money .
She does n't have any student loans .
Am I going to get my money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to pay for people who didn ’ t save any money and those of us who did the right thing get screwed ?
” he asked .
A large percentage of Americans , including this father , worked to pay back their student loan debt without government assistance .
Now they ’ re being told by Warren and several other Democratic presidential candidates that had they waited just a few more years , they could have saved thousands — maybe even tens of thousands — of dollars .
“ My buddy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went on vacations , ” the father explained to Warren .
“ I saved my money .
He made more than I did .
But I worked a double shift , worked extra — my daughter worked since she was 10 … We did the right thing , and we get screwed.
” Warren ’ s plan is a slap in the face to hard-working , responsible adults such as this man .
And in application , student loan debt forgiveness is nothing more than a Band-Aid , a temporary fix that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high demand for , and the coinciding high cost of , higher education .
We can ’ t just “ hit the reset button , ” as Bernie Sanders has said , and expect this problem to be solved seamlessly .
Warren ’ s plan ( and Sanders ’ s , too ) would benefit only one group : people with debt on the day she signs an executive order .
Those with future loans would get nothing .
And those who had already paid back their loans would get nothing .
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upset ?

Elizabeth Warren’s plan for student loan debt forgiveness sounds great in theory. But it neglects one very important group of people: those who already paid back their student loans.
One father reminded Warren of this during a face-to-face conversation at a presidential campaign event in Iowa this week: "I just wanted to ask one question,” he said, “My daughter is getting out of school. I've saved all my money. She doesn't have any student loans. Am I going to get my money back?"
“Of course not,” Warren responded.
“So, you’re going to pay for people who didn’t save any money and those of us who did the right thing get screwed?” he asked.
"I've saved all my money. [My daughter] doesn't have any student loans. Am I going to get my money back?"@eWarren: "Of course not."
"So you're going to pay for people who didn't save any money and those of us who did the right thing get screwed." pic.twitter.com/eqK7o4Cl9Q — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 23, 2020
A large percentage of people, including this father, worked to pay back their student loan debt without government assistance. Now, they’re being told by Warren and several other Democratic presidential candidates that had they waited just a few more years, they could have saved thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, of dollars.
“My buddy had fun, bought a car, went on vacations,” the father explained to Warren. “I saved my money. He made more than I did. But I worked a double shift, worked extra — my daughter worked since she was 10 … We did the right thing, and we get screwed.”
Warren’s plan is a slap in the face to hard-working, responsible adults such as this man. And in application, student loan debt forgiveness is nothing more than a Band-Aid, a temporary fix that will not repair the underlying problem: the high demand for, and the coinciding high cost of, higher education.
We can’t just “hit the reset button,” as Bernie Sanders has said, and expect this problem to be solved seamlessly. Warren’s plan (and Sanders’s, too) would benefit only one group: people with debt on the day she signs an executive order. Those with future loans would get nothing. And those who had already paid back their loans would get nothing. Is it any wonder this father was so upset?


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--‘The worst candidate’: Former Obama campaign manager rips Bernie Sanders

The former campaign manager for President Barack Obama believes Sen. Bernie Sanders is `` the worst candidate '' for the Democrats to select as their 2020 nominee .
Speaking Thursday on Morning Joe , Jim Messina acknowledged Sanders 's rise in polling over the past month but warned that his brand of politics could spell disaster for Democrats in the general election .
“ What do you make of Bernie Sanders leaping nearly double in the space of a month ?
” asked Morning Joe co-anchor Willie Geist .
“ He ’ s beginning to consolidate the Left in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a relationship with these voters , he ’ s been campaigning with these voters for now six years , he knows New Hampshire voters really well , and people are beginning to come to him.
” The panel dissected Sen. Elizabeth Warren 's flailing campaign before turning back to Sanders 's surprise bump in a New Hampshire poll , released Thursday morning , showing the Vermont senator far ahead of the field in the early primary state .
`` What is interesting and understandable , I think , about those numbers among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders is clearly understandable , in large part , I think , because of his consistency over the years on issues , '' said Morning Joe contributor Mike Barnicle .
`` They value consistency . ''
`` Makes him unlike other , in their minds , politicians , and don ’ t underestimate the fact that Bernie , a lot of what he says , the messages , basically , 'You can live your life for free , we 'll have free college tuition , we 'll have free this , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a powerful message , '' he added .
`` But in the general election , it 's a message that I think is going to get him killed .
I think he ’ s the worst candidate in a general election for exactly that reason , '' Messina countered .
`` You think Bernie is the worst candidate ? ''
asked Geist .
`` I don ’ t think there ’ s a question about it , '' replied Messina .
`` I think it 's very clear to me that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about , the Trump-Obama voters in Midwestern states , Bernie Sanders is not the candidate we need to beat Donald Trump in November . ''
Sanders 's campaign has slammed media attacks against the candidate in the past , recently criticizing the December Democratic debate over a moderator 's question , which appeared to assume Sanders was lying about a private 2018 meeting in which Warren claimed he said a woman could not win the presidency .
His team called the moment `` cringe-worthy . ''
[ Read more : 2020 Democrats tiptoe @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The former campaign manager for President Barack Obama believes Sen. Bernie Sanders is "the worst candidate" for the Democrats to select as their 2020 nominee.
Speaking Thursday on Morning Joe, Jim Messina acknowledged Sanders's rise in polling over the past month but warned that his brand of politics could spell disaster for Democrats in the general election.
“What do you make of Bernie Sanders leaping nearly double in the space of a month?” asked Morning Joe co-anchor Willie Geist.
“He’s beginning to consolidate the Left in his party, said Messina. “He has a relationship with these voters, he’s been campaigning with these voters for now six years, he knows New Hampshire voters really well, and people are beginning to come to him.”
The panel dissected Sen. Elizabeth Warren's flailing campaign before turning back to Sanders's surprise bump in a New Hampshire poll, released Thursday morning, showing the Vermont senator far ahead of the field in the early primary state.
"What is interesting and understandable, I think, about those numbers among millennials, is the devotion to Bernie Sanders is clearly understandable, in large part, I think, because of his consistency over the years on issues," said Morning Joe contributor Mike Barnicle. "They value consistency."
"Makes him unlike other, in their minds, politicians, and don’t underestimate the fact that Bernie, a lot of what he says, the messages, basically, 'You can live your life for free, we'll have free college tuition, we'll have free this, we’ll forgive your student debts,' it's a powerful message," he added.
"But in the general election, it's a message that I think is going to get him killed. I think he’s the worst candidate in a general election for exactly that reason," Messina countered.
"You think Bernie is the worst candidate?" asked Geist.
"I don’t think there’s a question about it," replied Messina. "I think it's very clear to me that these swing voters, that I care about, the Trump-Obama voters in Midwestern states, Bernie Sanders is not the candidate we need to beat Donald Trump in November."
Sanders's campaign has slammed media attacks against the candidate in the past, recently criticizing the December Democratic debate over a moderator's question, which appeared to assume Sanders was lying about a private 2018 meeting in which Warren claimed he said a woman could not win the presidency. His team called the moment "cringe-worthy."
[Read more: 2020 Democrats tiptoe around fraught history with Bernie Sanders]


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--'Those of us who did the right thing get screwed': Father confronts Warren on student loan plan

A father confronted Elizabeth Warren about her plan to forgive student loan debt in a tense face-to-face conversation , asserting that those who paid for college tuition themselves would get `` screwed '' under her proposal .
He spoke to the Massachusetts Democratic senator in a photo line after a presidential campaign town hall event in Grimes , Iowa , on Monday .
`` I just wanted to ask one question .
My daughter is getting out of school .
I 've saved all my money .
She does n't have any student loans .
Am I going to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an embroidered leather jacket asked Warren .
`` Of course not , '' the Massachusetts senator , 70 , responded .
`` So you 're going to pay for people who did n't save any money and those of us who did the right thing get screwed , '' he said .
Warren has staked her campaign on a plethora of bold left-wing policy proposals , giving her campaign the rallying cry , `` I have a plan for that . ''
One of her plans calls for eliminating student loan debt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making under $ 100,000 , which would apply to about 95 % of borrowers and wipe out student loan debt entirely for 75 % of borrowers .
Last week , Warren promised to implement her plan through executive action , bypassing Congress .
During the confrontation Monday , Warren protested , communicating that no one would get `` screwed . ''
`` Of course we did .
My buddy had fun , bought a car , went on vacations .
I saved my money , '' he said .
`` He made more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a double shift , worked extra — my daughter worked since she was 10 .
So , you 're laughing . ''
`` No , I 'm not , '' Warren said .
`` Yeah , that 's exactly what you 're doing , '' he said .
`` We did the right thing , and we get screwed , '' he added , before walking away from the photo line without a photo .
`` I appreciate your time , '' Warren said .
Warren was long seen as a more palatable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and saw a bump in Democratic presidential primary polls in late summer and early fall of 2019 .
But she has faded as Sanders regained popularity and sits in third place in the RealClearPolitics average of national primary polls with 14.8 % support , while Sanders has 22 % and former Vice President Joe Biden has 28.7 % .
The Massachusetts senator had a fiery confrontation with Sanders in a `` hot mic '' moment after a Democratic presidential debate last week .
She had alleged that Sanders told her in a private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman could win the presidency in 2020 , but Sanders denied making that statement .
Although Warren said she wanted to move on from the dispute , she told Sanders after the debate , `` I think you just called me a liar on national TV . ''

A father confronted Elizabeth Warren about her plan to forgive student loan debt in a tense face-to-face conversation, asserting that those who paid for college tuition themselves would get "screwed" under her proposal.
He spoke to the Massachusetts Democratic senator in a photo line after a presidential campaign town hall event in Grimes, Iowa, on Monday.
"I just wanted to ask one question. My daughter is getting out of school. I've saved all my money. She doesn't have any student loans. Am I going to get my money back?" the man in an embroidered leather jacket asked Warren.
"Of course not," the Massachusetts senator, 70, responded.
"So you're going to pay for people who didn't save any money and those of us who did the right thing get screwed," he said.
Warren has staked her campaign on a plethora of bold left-wing policy proposals, giving her campaign the rallying cry, "I have a plan for that." One of her plans calls for eliminating student loan debt of up to $50,000 for households making under $100,000, which would apply to about 95% of borrowers and wipe out student loan debt entirely for 75% of borrowers. Last week, Warren promised to implement her plan through executive action, bypassing Congress.
During the confrontation Monday, Warren protested, communicating that no one would get "screwed."
"Of course we did. My buddy had fun, bought a car, went on vacations. I saved my money," he said. "He made more than I did. But I worked a double shift, worked extra — my daughter worked since she was 10. So, you're laughing."
"No, I'm not," Warren said.
"Yeah, that's exactly what you're doing," he said. "We did the right thing, and we get screwed," he added, before walking away from the photo line without a photo.
"I appreciate your time," Warren said.
Warren was long seen as a more palatable left-wing alternative to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and saw a bump in Democratic presidential primary polls in late summer and early fall of 2019. But she has faded as Sanders regained popularity and sits in third place in the RealClearPolitics average of national primary polls with 14.8% support, while Sanders has 22% and former Vice President Joe Biden has 28.7%.
The Massachusetts senator had a fiery confrontation with Sanders in a "hot mic" moment after a Democratic presidential debate last week. She had alleged that Sanders told her in a private 2018 conversation that he did not think a woman could win the presidency in 2020, but Sanders denied making that statement. Although Warren said she wanted to move on from the dispute, she told Sanders after the debate, "I think you just called me a liar on national TV."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--Bernie Sanders jumps to double-digit lead in New Hampshire

Bernie Sanders dominates the latest poll of likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters , 12 points ahead of his closest competitor with just three weeks until the state 's presidential nominating contest .
The Vermont senator got 29 % support in a WBUR poll released Friday , a 15-point jump from a December WBUR New Hampshire poll .
Former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg was in second place with 17 % , down 1 percentage point since he led with 18 % in December .
Former Vice President Joe Biden was nearly tied with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 % and 13 % , respectively .
That is a 3-point decline for Biden compared to the December poll , while Warren increased her standing by 1 point .
The poll surveyed 426 likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters from Jan. 17-19 through phone interviews and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points .
While Sanders commands a large lead in the poll , it is an outlier compared to other surveys testing the waters in the first-in-the-nation primary state .
A Boston Globe/Suffolk poll released earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one point , and the RealClearPolitics average of New Hampshire primary polls finds he has 21.6 % support while Biden is at 17.6 % , Buttigieg is at 14.8 % , and Warren sits at 14 % .
`` I would n't take these numbers to the bank , '' said Steve Koczela , president of MassINC Polling Group , which conducted the poll .
`` But you 've got to be feeling pretty good about where you stand right at this moment if you 're the Sanders campaign . ''
Thursday 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a distant fifth place with 6 % , and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and entrepreneur Andrew Yang are tied at 5 % .
The Senate trial for President Trump 's impeachment has complicated the campaign schedule for the senators in the race , causing Klobuchar , Warren , and Sanders to deploy creative campaign tactics and lean on family members and endorsements more than usual .

Bernie Sanders dominates the latest poll of likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters, 12 points ahead of his closest competitor with just three weeks until the state's presidential nominating contest.
The Vermont senator got 29% support in a WBUR poll released Friday, a 15-point jump from a December WBUR New Hampshire poll. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was in second place with 17%, down 1 percentage point since he led with 18% in December.
Former Vice President Joe Biden was nearly tied with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, with the two candidates receiving 14% and 13%, respectively. That is a 3-point decline for Biden compared to the December poll, while Warren increased her standing by 1 point.
The poll surveyed 426 likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters from Jan. 17-19 through phone interviews and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.
While Sanders commands a large lead in the poll, it is an outlier compared to other surveys testing the waters in the first-in-the-nation primary state. A Boston Globe/Suffolk poll released earlier this week found he led by just one point, and the RealClearPolitics average of New Hampshire primary polls finds he has 21.6% support while Biden is at 17.6%, Buttigieg is at 14.8%, and Warren sits at 14%.
"I wouldn't take these numbers to the bank," said Steve Koczela, president of MassINC Polling Group, which conducted the poll. "But you've got to be feeling pretty good about where you stand right at this moment if you're the Sanders campaign."
Thursday's WBUR poll finds Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar in a distant fifth place with 6%, and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and entrepreneur Andrew Yang are tied at 5%.
The Senate trial for President Trump's impeachment has complicated the campaign schedule for the senators in the race, causing Klobuchar, Warren, and Sanders to deploy creative campaign tactics and lean on family members and endorsements more than usual.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-23--Michael Moore a stand-in for Bernie Sanders in Iowa during Trump impeachment trial

IOWA CITY , Iowa — With Bernie Sanders stuck in Washington for President Trump 's Senate impeachment trial , liberal filmmaker Michael Moore is camping out in Iowa to campaign for the Vermont senator 's presidential bid .
With the Iowa caucuses looming on Feb. 3 , Sanders , 78 , has no in-person events scheduled through Sunday .
Instead , top supporters speaking for him include Moore and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , the firebrand Democratic freshman House member from New York .
Both will make stops at two colleges on Thursday and Sunday .
The two have campaigned for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Moore accurately predicted that Trump would beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the general election , citing anxiety from white , working-class voters .
He has also said that Trump could win reelection should the Democrats not nominate a sufficiently progressive candidate .
The race for Iowa remains close , with a RealClearPolitics average of recent polls showing a number of the candidates within striking distance of each other .
Recent surveys have Joe Biden leading at 21 % support , Sanders at 17.3 % , Elizabeth Warren at 16.7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Amy Klobuchar at 8.3 % .
Democratic senators running for president have been hamstrung by the impeachment trial and are relying on backers to speak for them at Iowa events .
On Sunday , Klobuchar will be hosting three events in the eastern portion of the state while Warren will hold two .
The senators announced the schedules earlier in the week in an effort to show Iowa voters that they remain committed to a last-minute push in the state despite the impeachment trial in the Senate handing a huge advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more : Senate Democrats use creative campaigning to work around impeachment ahead of 2020 contests ]

IOWA CITY, Iowa — With Bernie Sanders stuck in Washington for President Trump's Senate impeachment trial, liberal filmmaker Michael Moore is camping out in Iowa to campaign for the Vermont senator's presidential bid.
With the Iowa caucuses looming on Feb. 3, Sanders, 78, has no in-person events scheduled through Sunday. Instead, top supporters speaking for him include Moore and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the firebrand Democratic freshman House member from New York. Both will make stops at two colleges on Thursday and Sunday. The two have campaigned for Sanders in the past.
In 2016, Moore accurately predicted that Trump would beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the general election, citing anxiety from white, working-class voters. He has also said that Trump could win reelection should the Democrats not nominate a sufficiently progressive candidate.
The race for Iowa remains close, with a RealClearPolitics average of recent polls showing a number of the candidates within striking distance of each other. Recent surveys have Joe Biden leading at 21% support, Sanders at 17.3%, Elizabeth Warren at 16.7%, Pete Buttigieg at 16.3%, and Amy Klobuchar at 8.3%.
Democratic senators running for president have been hamstrung by the impeachment trial and are relying on backers to speak for them at Iowa events. On Sunday, Klobuchar will be hosting three events in the eastern portion of the state while Warren will hold two.
The senators announced the schedules earlier in the week in an effort to show Iowa voters that they remain committed to a last-minute push in the state despite the impeachment trial in the Senate handing a huge advantage to Buttigieg and Biden.
[Read more: Senate Democrats use creative campaigning to work around impeachment ahead of 2020 contests]


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-24--In Guantanamo courtroom, interrogator says he denounced abusive interrogations at CIA black sites

GUANTANAMO BAY , Cuba — The man widely seen as the architect of the CIA ’ s enhanced interrogation techniques used in the wake of 9/11 testified about the existence of what he viewed as abusive CIA interrogation operations outside his control .
James Mitchell , 67 , a clinical psychologist formerly of the Air Force Survival School , was hired as a contractor by the CIA in 2002 .
The agency asked him to apply his experiences as a survival , evasion , resistance , and escape instructor toward developing an interrogation program .
The program was formed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11 , 2001 .
Mitchell appeared this week before a military court in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , to give dayslong testimony in a 9/11 death penalty case this week .
Mitchell and a partner , psychologist John `` Bruce '' Jessen , once ran a Spokane , Washington state-based consulting firm , Mitchell Jessen and Associates , and are credited with developing enhanced interrogation techniques including sleep deprivation and stress positions .
The two were referenced in a 2008 Senate Armed Services Committee report , Inquiry Into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Custody .
The headquarters of their now-defunct business previously drew protesters who staged an anti-torture rally .
While on the stand at Guantanamo Bay , Mitchell harshly criticized how , in 2002 and 2003 , other CIA interrogators at black sites did not follow what the psychologist viewed as the careful guidelines he ’ d laid out for ensuring interrogations were safe .
The other interrogators also violated some of the Justice Department ’ s authorized techniques , he said .
Mitchell personally waterboarded alleged al Qaeda facilitator Abu Zubaydah , 9/11 mastermind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the USS Cole bombing Abd al Rahim al Nashiri .
Mitchell described a “ poorly run ” black site believed to be in Afghanistan in late 2002 , where “ they left indigenous guards there overnight.
” Mitchell said , “ It was colder than it should ’ ve been ” with “ prisoners with various states of clothing ” who were “ chained in what appeared to be horse stalls.
” Mitchell said he questioned Nashiri there in an interrogation room .
Mitchell pointed to the death in custody of suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his partner , Jessen , sent a cable to the CIA to “ get him some heaters , blankets , and food.
” “ I would ’ ve gotten him a physician , ” Mitchell said , and he said a CIA official cursed him when he brought up the issue .
But he focused most of his ire on the now-deceased and unnamed chief interrogator for the CIA ’ s then-newly formed rendition , detention , and interrogation group of the Counterterrorism Center ’ s special missions department .
The chief interrogator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the military court proceedings , though Mitchell referred to him as “ The New Sheriff ” in his 2016 book , Enhanced Interrogations , and during his testimony this week .
“ There is a new sheriff in town .
I ’ m calling the shots now .
Your services as an interrogator are no longer needed , but you can ’ t leave , ” Mitchell quoted `` NX2 '' as saying when they first met in December 2002 at a black site in what is believed to be Poland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t do unless you ’ re here , because you ’ re the only one authorized to do them , ” Mitchell said `` NX2 '' told him , adding , “ I had no idea what he was talking about , and to this day I still don ’ t know.
” Mitchell said he was disturbed by how `` NX2 '' treated Nashiri , 55 , and described how `` NX2 '' and his “ acolytes ” forced Nashiri into painful stress positions .
“ He was rabid about getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mitchell said .
“ Everything that happened to Nashiri was because he wouldn ’ t call him 'sir . '
” “ What bothered me about what they taught and what I ’ d observed earlier with Nashiri is that they pushed his body back past the 45-degree angle with his shoulders touching the floor , ” Mitchell said , describing how the interrogators jammed a broomstick behind Nashiri ’ s knees and two men pushed the terrorist ’ s body to the ground .
“ And he was screaming … and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dislocate his knees.
” Mitchell “ worried that [ the interrogators ] were gon na sprain Nashiri ’ s neck ” when they put the man 's head against a wall during another stress position .
Mitchell testified that he saw them cinch Nashiri 's elbows together behind his back , bend his waist , and raise his arms above his head .
“ That ’ s when I interrupted , ” Mitchell said , getting in a shouting match with `` NX2 . ''
“ If people are unable to — or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too far , you can get abusive drift.
” “ You ’ ll never work again in the agency , and you ’ ll never work in the interrogation program again , ” Mitchell said he was told .
“ And I said , 'Thank God . '
” Mitchell said he reported the chief interrogator ’ s behavior up the chain of command and that his superior ’ s deputy called Mitchell a “ pussy ” and a “ bleeding heart.
” Mitchell said the chief interrogator told him he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Contras and that he planned to “ use an approach he had learned in Latin America.
” James Connell , the defense attorney for Ammar al Baluchi , Mohammed ’ s nephew and an alleged facilitator of the 9/11 terrorist plot , asked Mitchell about multiple CIA cables detailing harsh interrogation tactics used by `` NX2 '' and others .
One report on Baluchi , 42 , from May 2003 , described sleep deprivation , three facial grabs , 20 facial slaps , 10 belly slaps , one round of walling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a stress position with his head against a wall , and 25 minutes of a stress position kneeling .
“ The thing that stands out to me is 20 facial slaps — that seems excessive , ” Mitchell testified .
“ That ’ s a lot of them .
At my most contentious time with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , when he was looking at me like he wanted to cut my head off , I slapped him only three times .
… So , that seems like a lot.
” Connell read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report wherein CIA interrogators described the harsh interrogation of Baluchi as a “ training session ” where “ the new guys trained on him.
” “ Is using a real human being as a training prop something you would do ?
” Connell asked .
“ We had them practice on themselves so they would know what it felt like , ” Mitchell answered .
“ We didn ’ t have them practice on detainees.
” A staff psychologist later saw the chief interrogator use a broomstick on a detainee .
Back at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Mitchell , who recommended that the incident be reported .
In 2005 , Mitchell and Jessen formed a company that was paid $ 81 million over four years to manage most of the CIA ’ s black site interrogations .

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — The man widely seen as the architect of the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques used in the wake of 9/11 testified about the existence of what he viewed as abusive CIA interrogation operations outside his control.
James Mitchell, 67, a clinical psychologist formerly of the Air Force Survival School, was hired as a contractor by the CIA in 2002. The agency asked him to apply his experiences as a survival, evasion, resistance, and escape instructor toward developing an interrogation program. The program was formed in response to al Qaeda attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11, 2001. Mitchell appeared this week before a military court in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to give dayslong testimony in a 9/11 death penalty case this week.
Mitchell and a partner, psychologist John "Bruce" Jessen, once ran a Spokane, Washington state-based consulting firm, Mitchell Jessen and Associates, and are credited with developing enhanced interrogation techniques including sleep deprivation and stress positions. The two were referenced in a 2008 Senate Armed Services Committee report, Inquiry Into the Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody. The headquarters of their now-defunct business previously drew protesters who staged an anti-torture rally.
While on the stand at Guantanamo Bay, Mitchell harshly criticized how, in 2002 and 2003, other CIA interrogators at black sites did not follow what the psychologist viewed as the careful guidelines he’d laid out for ensuring interrogations were safe. The other interrogators also violated some of the Justice Department’s authorized techniques, he said. Mitchell personally waterboarded alleged al Qaeda facilitator Abu Zubaydah, 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and alleged plotter of the USS Cole bombing Abd al Rahim al Nashiri.
Mitchell described a “poorly run” black site believed to be in Afghanistan in late 2002, where “they left indigenous guards there overnight.” Mitchell said, “It was colder than it should’ve been” with “prisoners with various states of clothing” who were “chained in what appeared to be horse stalls.” Mitchell said he questioned Nashiri there in an interrogation room.
Mitchell pointed to the death in custody of suspect Gul Rahman, about whom he said his partner, Jessen, sent a cable to the CIA to “get him some heaters, blankets, and food.”
“I would’ve gotten him a physician,” Mitchell said, and he said a CIA official cursed him when he brought up the issue.
But he focused most of his ire on the now-deceased and unnamed chief interrogator for the CIA’s then-newly formed rendition, detention, and interrogation group of the Counterterrorism Center’s special missions department.
The chief interrogator was referred to as “NX2” throughout the military court proceedings, though Mitchell referred to him as “The New Sheriff” in his 2016 book, Enhanced Interrogations, and during his testimony this week.
“There is a new sheriff in town. I’m calling the shots now. Your services as an interrogator are no longer needed, but you can’t leave,” Mitchell quoted "NX2" as saying when they first met in December 2002 at a black site in what is believed to be Poland.
“There are some things we can’t do unless you’re here, because you’re the only one authorized to do them,” Mitchell said "NX2" told him, adding, “I had no idea what he was talking about, and to this day I still don’t know.”
Mitchell said he was disturbed by how "NX2" treated Nashiri, 55, and described how "NX2" and his “acolytes” forced Nashiri into painful stress positions.
“He was rabid about getting people to call him 'sir,'” Mitchell said. “Everything that happened to Nashiri was because he wouldn’t call him 'sir.'”
“What bothered me about what they taught and what I’d observed earlier with Nashiri is that they pushed his body back past the 45-degree angle with his shoulders touching the floor,” Mitchell said, describing how the interrogators jammed a broomstick behind Nashiri’s knees and two men pushed the terrorist’s body to the ground. “And he was screaming … and I was concerned they were gonna dislocate his knees.”
Mitchell “worried that [the interrogators] were gonna sprain Nashiri’s neck” when they put the man's head against a wall during another stress position. Mitchell testified that he saw them cinch Nashiri's elbows together behind his back, bend his waist, and raise his arms above his head.
“That’s when I interrupted,” Mitchell said, getting in a shouting match with "NX2." “If people are unable to — or afraid to — stop someone from going too far, you can get abusive drift.”
“You’ll never work again in the agency, and you’ll never work in the interrogation program again,” Mitchell said he was told. “And I said, 'Thank God.'”
Mitchell said he reported the chief interrogator’s behavior up the chain of command and that his superior’s deputy called Mitchell a “pussy” and a “bleeding heart.”
Mitchell said the chief interrogator told him he’d aided in interrogations alongside anti-communist rebels such as the Contras and that he planned to “use an approach he had learned in Latin America.”
James Connell, the defense attorney for Ammar al Baluchi, Mohammed’s nephew and an alleged facilitator of the 9/11 terrorist plot, asked Mitchell about multiple CIA cables detailing harsh interrogation tactics used by "NX2" and others.
One report on Baluchi, 42, from May 2003, described sleep deprivation, three facial grabs, 20 facial slaps, 10 belly slaps, one round of walling, one water dousing, 30 minutes of a stress position with his head against a wall, and 25 minutes of a stress position kneeling.
“The thing that stands out to me is 20 facial slaps — that seems excessive,” Mitchell testified. “That’s a lot of them. At my most contentious time with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, when he was looking at me like he wanted to cut my head off, I slapped him only three times. … So, that seems like a lot.”
Connell read to Mitchell from a CIA inspector general report wherein CIA interrogators described the harsh interrogation of Baluchi as a “training session” where “the new guys trained on him.”
“Is using a real human being as a training prop something you would do?” Connell asked.
“We had them practice on themselves so they would know what it felt like,” Mitchell answered. “We didn’t have them practice on detainees.”
A staff psychologist later saw the chief interrogator use a broomstick on a detainee. Back at CIA headquarters, the psychologist asked advice from Mitchell, who recommended that the incident be reported.
“Almost immediately, 'NX2' was removed,” Mitchell said.
In 2005, Mitchell and Jessen formed a company that was paid $81 million over four years to manage most of the CIA’s black site interrogations.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-24--Where our trust in news lives

Where our trust in news lives

LEXINGTON , Virginia — Every Wednesday morning , James McDaniel sits along the South Main Street portion of U.S. 11 with a healthy stack of the News-Gazette beside him .
He wears a neat , white apron with the newspaper ’ s moniker stitched across the top .
He keeps a small , folded tarp tucked away in case of rain to protect the paper , even if there isn ’ t a cloud in the sky — “ You just never know , '' he says .
He also keeps a broad , never-failing smile on his face and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for everyone who passes in the street , whether they buy a paper or not .
During the semester I taught at Washington and Lee this past spring , I would buy a couple dozen copies of the weekly newspaper and bring them to my students to read as part of their curriculum .
Perhaps it was an odd choice for young people with never-ending access to information on their smartphones .
But I wanted the students to understand the importance of localism and community in the digital age .
It 's something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you choose what to read or see , rather than being shown what you might otherwise miss .
Take , for example , the weekly Lexington Farmers ' Market in McCrum 's parking lot , behind the iconic Southern Inn .
They found out about it by reading the paper , despite its having gone on for weeks under their very noses , less than two blocks from our classroom .
As they put it , before seeing it in the local paper , they had n't even known to look for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first news-writing assignment .
They all spread out and interviewed people , like the lilac farmer who produces her own soaps and candles , the quiet Amish family with the abundance of homemade doughy baked goods , the woodworker , the beekeeper with jars of fresh honey and beeswax , and several local organic farmers .
The lesson was that the most trusted news stories come from reporters who are actually part of the localities they are reporting on .
This is something News-Gazette publisher Matt Paxton emphasizes .
It 's the reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than they do the national news .
“ That is why community newspapers like ours have a good trust factor with our readership , ” said Paxton , whose paper can trace its lineage to 1801 .
His family has now run it for four generations .
Last week , Edelman released its annual Trust Barometer study and found once again a steep decline for national media , with 57 % of those surveyed globally believing that the media they use is `` contaminated with untrustworthy information . ''
The vast majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information or fake news being used as a weapon .
“ I think that much of the distrust of national media revolves around the general polarization of national politics , ” explained Paxton .
It 's something community newspapers avoid by simply being as fair as possible .
`` We all have the experience of writing a story and then walking down the street and running into the person that we just wrote about , '' he explained .
`` And when you write a story , you keep that in the back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be scrupulously fair and not just throwing arrows . ''
The problem is that people in places far from New York and Washington newsrooms are being forced more and more to read or view the national news because sometimes it is their only option .
More and more local newspapers in cities and towns and counties across the country are closing .
There is no one left to report on lacrosse games or water authority decisions or city councils or police forces .
In 2016 , a study by the School of Media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina showed that hundreds of newspapers have closed across the country .
Thousands of journalists have lost their jobs , leaving local news deserts for millions .
People in these news deserts end up getting their news from someone not from their community who does not share their values or worldview .
They end up seeing bias and a lack of balance in the reporting .
National newsrooms often have no one working there who is like them .
“ This is a real interesting issue , '' Paxton remarked to me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Celebration ; we had people who dressed up in Confederate dress , waving Confederate flags , and all over the place .
Monday was MLK Day .
We had , even in the freezing weather , a big parade and some neat observances around the community .
We covered both of those very thoroughly .
I ca n't think of two things that are so diametrically opposed , and yet everybody seemed to get along .
There was no real issues .
Covered by the national news it would have definitely been sensational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even the only game in town ; there is also the Rockbridge Advocate , with its quirky slogan , “ Independent As A Hog On Ice . ''
Paxton , who was once the president of the National Newspaper Association , is bullish on the future of community newspapers in spite of all the bad news nationally .
“ No doubt they are always needed and critical , '' he said .
`` They are the heart of where the trust in news lives .
”

LEXINGTON, Virginia — Every Wednesday morning, James McDaniel sits along the South Main Street portion of U.S. 11 with a healthy stack of the News-Gazette beside him. He wears a neat, white apron with the newspaper’s moniker stitched across the top.
He keeps a small, folded tarp tucked away in case of rain to protect the paper, even if there isn’t a cloud in the sky — “You just never know," he says. He also keeps a broad, never-failing smile on his face and a "hello" on his lips for everyone who passes in the street, whether they buy a paper or not.
During the semester I taught at Washington and Lee this past spring, I would buy a couple dozen copies of the weekly newspaper and bring them to my students to read as part of their curriculum. Perhaps it was an odd choice for young people with never-ending access to information on their smartphones. But I wanted the students to understand the importance of localism and community in the digital age. It's something you don’t always get when you choose what to read or see, rather than being shown what you might otherwise miss.
Take, for example, the weekly Lexington Farmers' Market in McCrum's parking lot, behind the iconic Southern Inn. They found out about it by reading the paper, despite its having gone on for weeks under their very noses, less than two blocks from our classroom. As they put it, before seeing it in the local paper, they hadn't even known to look for it.
The trip ended up becoming their first news-writing assignment. They all spread out and interviewed people, like the lilac farmer who produces her own soaps and candles, the quiet Amish family with the abundance of homemade doughy baked goods, the woodworker, the beekeeper with jars of fresh honey and beeswax, and several local organic farmers.
The lesson was that the most trusted news stories come from reporters who are actually part of the localities they are reporting on. This is something News-Gazette publisher Matt Paxton emphasizes. It's the reason people in Rockbridge County trust his newsroom more than they do the national news.
“That is why community newspapers like ours have a good trust factor with our readership,” said Paxton, whose paper can trace its lineage to 1801. His family has now run it for four generations.
Last week, Edelman released its annual Trust Barometer study and found once again a steep decline for national media, with 57% of those surveyed globally believing that the media they use is "contaminated with untrustworthy information." The vast majority (76%) worry about false information or fake news being used as a weapon.
“I think that much of the distrust of national media revolves around the general polarization of national politics,” explained Paxton. It's something community newspapers avoid by simply being as fair as possible. "We all have the experience of writing a story and then walking down the street and running into the person that we just wrote about," he explained. "And when you write a story, you keep that in the back of your mind. You want to be scrupulously fair and not just throwing arrows."
The problem is that people in places far from New York and Washington newsrooms are being forced more and more to read or view the national news because sometimes it is their only option. More and more local newspapers in cities and towns and counties across the country are closing. There is no one left to report on lacrosse games or water authority decisions or city councils or police forces.
In 2016, a study by the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina showed that hundreds of newspapers have closed across the country. Thousands of journalists have lost their jobs, leaving local news deserts for millions.
People in these news deserts end up getting their news from someone not from their community who does not share their values or worldview. They end up seeing bias and a lack of balance in the reporting. National newsrooms often have no one working there who is like them.
“This is a real interesting issue," Paxton remarked to me. "Last Friday was the Lee-Jackson Day Celebration; we had people who dressed up in Confederate dress, waving Confederate flags, and all over the place. Monday was MLK Day. We had, even in the freezing weather, a big parade and some neat observances around the community. We covered both of those very thoroughly. I can't think of two things that are so diametrically opposed, and yet everybody seemed to get along. There was no real issues. Covered by the national news it would have definitely been sensational."
The News-Gazette isn’t even the only game in town; there is also the Rockbridge Advocate, with its quirky slogan, “Independent As A Hog On Ice."
Paxton, who was once the president of the National Newspaper Association, is bullish on the future of community newspapers in spite of all the bad news nationally. “No doubt they are always needed and critical," he said. "They are the heart of where the trust in news lives.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-24--Trump collects wins on economy while Democrats focus on impeachment

AUSTIN , Texas — For 20 minutes , President Trump led a metaphorical victory lap in front of thousands of Texas farmers , detailing the benefits of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement for agriculture and the impact of a recently signed agreement with China .
`` My administration is fighting for the American farmer and has been fighting for the farmer and the rancher every single day .
And together , we 've achieved something truly stunning , '' he said to whoops and cheers in a cavernous conference hall dotted with cowboy hats .
Air Force One had traveled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way on a Sunday evening to carry Trump from Palm Beach , Florida , to Texas , before returning to Washington after a Mar-a-Lago weekend .
At the 20-minute mark , he interrupted his list of policy victories , bringing up events on Capitol Hill .
`` We 're achieving what no administration has ever achieved before , '' he said .
`` And what do I get out of it ?
Tell me .
I get impeached ! ''
The line brought the biggest cheer of the night from an overwhelmingly supportive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public relations strategy for beating impeachment in the court of public opinion .
For a while , senators were resuming their deliberations , and the president embarked on a string of public appearances designed to show that his administration is hard at work delivering on promises and tackling the issues that matter to voters .
There was the China deal signed in the East Room a fortnight ago when Trump surrounded himself with chief executives .
By the time you read this , he may have put pen to paper and inked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And to underscore his productivity , he spent two days last week rubbing shoulders with world leaders , business titans , and charity leaders at the annual get-together of the megarich and megamotivated in the alpine resort of Davos .
At times , the president 's Twitter feed has suggested he 's distracted by impeachment .
`` Read the transcript , '' read one message posted while he was in Davos .
But at other times , he 's managed to stay on message , telling an interviewer that he could n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trial proper , his schedule being too full .
`` I had a busy day yesterday , as you know , '' he said in a CNBC interview .
`` You were there .
And we had the speech , and we had lots of meetings with different leaders , including Pakistan and others . ''
With a Senate acquittal all but assured by the Republican majority , the real battle is one of perception .
Trump 's aides are intent on portraying a president hard at work .
`` Real Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , do n't care about the impeachment hoax , '' said a senior administration official .
`` They are thinking about their 401 ( k ) s and their investments , how to pay for college for their kids .
The president is showing that he is in tune with them better than the people who want to waste time in Congress . ''
The president 's press secretary , Stephanie Grisham , said there was more work to be done after the two trade deals .
`` The president has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment charade has been dragged out by the Dems , and that will not change , '' she said .
The latest polls suggest it could be a profitable way to navigate the political storm before November 's election , even if some of the headline numbers are not favorable .
Take a CNN poll published last week , a day before the trial got underway .
News reports focused on the majority of respondents who supported a Senate vote to remove the president from office — at 51 % to 45 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow witnesses to appear .
Those figures do n't sound good for Trump or the Republicans trying to hurry the impeachment trial through the Senate as fast as possible to acquittal and a victorious State of the Union appearance on Feb. 4 .
Yet other numbers offer a more attractive picture .
Despite the best efforts of Trump 's media critics , his job approval rating is running at 43 % .
Although that might not be stellar , it marks his highest rating by this particular poll in almost three years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voters approve of his handling of the economy , the best result of his presidency .
And , as Trump 's pollsters frequently point out , surveys such as CNN 's that look at the adult population , rather than likely voters , tend to underestimate support for the president systematically .
So expect more economic announcements and trade talks from a White House and president thinking that much of America remains unmoved by politicking on Capitol Hill .

AUSTIN, Texas — For 20 minutes, President Trump led a metaphorical victory lap in front of thousands of Texas farmers, detailing the benefits of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement for agriculture and the impact of a recently signed agreement with China.
"My administration is fighting for the American farmer and has been fighting for the farmer and the rancher every single day. And together, we've achieved something truly stunning," he said to whoops and cheers in a cavernous conference hall dotted with cowboy hats.
Air Force One had traveled more than 1,000 miles out of its way on a Sunday evening to carry Trump from Palm Beach, Florida, to Texas, before returning to Washington after a Mar-a-Lago weekend.
At the 20-minute mark, he interrupted his list of policy victories, bringing up events on Capitol Hill.
"We're achieving what no administration has ever achieved before," he said. "And what do I get out of it? Tell me. I get impeached!"
The line brought the biggest cheer of the night from an overwhelmingly supportive audience, revealing the White House's public relations strategy for beating impeachment in the court of public opinion. For a while, senators were resuming their deliberations, and the president embarked on a string of public appearances designed to show that his administration is hard at work delivering on promises and tackling the issues that matter to voters.
There was the China deal signed in the East Room a fortnight ago when Trump surrounded himself with chief executives. By the time you read this, he may have put pen to paper and inked the new North American trade deal into law. And to underscore his productivity, he spent two days last week rubbing shoulders with world leaders, business titans, and charity leaders at the annual get-together of the megarich and megamotivated in the alpine resort of Davos.
At times, the president's Twitter feed has suggested he's distracted by impeachment. "Read the transcript," read one message posted while he was in Davos.
But at other times, he's managed to stay on message, telling an interviewer that he couldn't watch much of the first day of the trial proper, his schedule being too full.
"I had a busy day yesterday, as you know," he said in a CNBC interview. "You were there. And we had the speech, and we had lots of meetings with different leaders, including Pakistan and others."
With a Senate acquittal all but assured by the Republican majority, the real battle is one of perception. Trump's aides are intent on portraying a president hard at work.
"Real Americans, people that don't live in Washington, don't care about the impeachment hoax," said a senior administration official. "They are thinking about their 401(k)s and their investments, how to pay for college for their kids. The president is showing that he is in tune with them better than the people who want to waste time in Congress."
The president's press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, said there was more work to be done after the two trade deals. "The president has been working hard for this country while this impeachment charade has been dragged out by the Dems, and that will not change," she said.
The latest polls suggest it could be a profitable way to navigate the political storm before November's election, even if some of the headline numbers are not favorable.
Take a CNN poll published last week, a day before the trial got underway. News reports focused on the majority of respondents who supported a Senate vote to remove the president from office — at 51% to 45%. Some two-thirds said they supported moves to allow witnesses to appear.
Those figures don't sound good for Trump or the Republicans trying to hurry the impeachment trial through the Senate as fast as possible to acquittal and a victorious State of the Union appearance on Feb. 4.
Yet other numbers offer a more attractive picture. Despite the best efforts of Trump's media critics, his job approval rating is running at 43%. Although that might not be stellar, it marks his highest rating by this particular poll in almost three years.
More importantly, some 55% of voters approve of his handling of the economy, the best result of his presidency.
And, as Trump's pollsters frequently point out, surveys such as CNN's that look at the adult population, rather than likely voters, tend to underestimate support for the president systematically.
So expect more economic announcements and trade talks from a White House and president thinking that much of America remains unmoved by politicking on Capitol Hill.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-24--'The other Iowa caucuses': Trump focuses on GOP contest in bid to run up the score

The Trump campaign is quietly accelerating robust field and data programs across Iowa to generate a show of force in the Feb. 3 caucuses by crushing his opponents while working the kinks out of its state political operation .
President Trump faces marginal opposition , and the outcome is not in doubt .
But Trump is heading to Des Moines for a Jan. 30 rally , and Vice President Mike Pence is being deployed to conservative western Iowa to energize Republican turnout .
“ The caucuses will be a good workout for our ground game as we prepare to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman Tim Murtaugh told the Washington Examiner on Thursday .
With Democrats hogging the Iowa spotlight , the campaign 's Iowa activities also represent an effort to seize some attention away from Trump 's rivals .
Turnout in the Democratic caucuses should be sky high , motivated by a furious , up-for-grabs competition for the nomination being waged by a handful of top contenders .
The Republican caucuses are expected to be a sleepy affair , typical when an incumbent popular with his party is running and there is no meaningful primary challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruz of Texas in the contentious 2016 Iowa caucuses , will easily defeat his challengers , former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh and ex-Massachusetts Gov .
Bill Weld .
The Iowa Republican Party is holding caucuses despite overwhelming support for Trump among GOP voters .
Other state parties have decided to cancel their nominating contests .
In coordination with the Republican National Committee , the Iowa GOP , and county affiliates across the state , Trump ’ s team is mobilizing prominent supporters , paid campaign staff , and a network of volunteers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test operations .
In Iowa , impressed Republican officials described the effort as a dry run in the state for November .
“ We are all marching to the same drum , ” said Jeff Kaufmann , Iowa ’ s Republican chairman .
In 2016 , Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Iowa by a comfortable 9 percentage points .
Two years later , the state reverted to its swings state roots .
Republican Gov .
Kim Reynolds won narrowly while Democrats flipped two GOP-held House seats .
Republicans are bullish on Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , although they are predicting a close finish .
The Trump campaign is taking precautions by scheduling one of its first rallies of 2020 in Iowa .
Among the other crucial states Trump and his top supporters have traveled to for rallies and events this month include Florida , Ohio , and Wisconsin .
The president ’ s signature concert-style rally is more than encouragement for his loyal base or a messaging megaphone .
The event is an organizing tool around which the campaign revolves , like the hub and spokes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of requests for rally tickets to supplement its voter file and recruit grassroots volunteers .
“ I don ’ t think anyone is expecting Republican turnout in the caucuses to be anywhere near close to the Democrats , ” said Jimmy Centers , a GOP operative in Des Moines .
“ But the Trump campaign is doing all of the right things to position themselves going forward .
”

The Trump campaign is quietly accelerating robust field and data programs across Iowa to generate a show of force in the Feb. 3 caucuses by crushing his opponents while working the kinks out of its state political operation.
President Trump faces marginal opposition, and the outcome is not in doubt. But Trump is heading to Des Moines for a Jan. 30 rally, and Vice President Mike Pence is being deployed to conservative western Iowa to energize Republican turnout.
“The caucuses will be a good workout for our ground game as we prepare to win Iowa in November,” Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh told the Washington Examiner on Thursday.
With Democrats hogging the Iowa spotlight, the campaign's Iowa activities also represent an effort to seize some attention away from Trump's rivals.
Turnout in the Democratic caucuses should be sky high, motivated by a furious, up-for-grabs competition for the nomination being waged by a handful of top contenders. The Republican caucuses are expected to be a sleepy affair, typical when an incumbent popular with his party is running and there is no meaningful primary challenge. Trump, runner-up to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the contentious 2016 Iowa caucuses, will easily defeat his challengers, former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.
The Iowa Republican Party is holding caucuses despite overwhelming support for Trump among GOP voters. Other state parties have decided to cancel their nominating contests.
In coordination with the Republican National Committee, the Iowa GOP, and county affiliates across the state, Trump’s team is mobilizing prominent supporters, paid campaign staff, and a network of volunteers to maximize voter turnout for Trump and to test operations. In Iowa, impressed Republican officials described the effort as a dry run in the state for November.
“We are all marching to the same drum,” said Jeff Kaufmann, Iowa’s Republican chairman.
In 2016, Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Iowa by a comfortable 9 percentage points. Two years later, the state reverted to its swing state roots. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds won narrowly, while Democrats flipped two GOP-held House seats. Republicans are bullish on Trump’s prospects for a repeat victory this year, although they are predicting a close finish.
The Trump campaign is taking precautions by scheduling one of its first rallies of 2020 in Iowa. Among the other crucial states Trump and his top supporters have traveled to for rallies and events this month include Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
The president’s signature concert-style rally is more than encouragement for his loyal base or a messaging megaphone. The event is an organizing tool around which the campaign revolves, like the hub and spokes of a wheel. Trump uses the thousands of requests for rally tickets to supplement its voter file and recruit grassroots volunteers.
“I don’t think anyone is expecting Republican turnout in the caucuses to be anywhere near close to the Democrats,” said Jimmy Centers, a GOP operative in Des Moines. “But the Trump campaign is doing all of the right things to position themselves going forward.”