buzzfeed--2020-02-01--Joe Biden’s Campaign Gave Supporters A Long List Of Hunter Biden Talking Points

DES MOINES — Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign has advised supporters to shoot down questions about his son Hunter Biden , whose business dealings overseas have become a distracting subplot of Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial and the former vice president ’ s presidential bid .
A 19-page list of talking points obtained by BuzzFeed News — dated Wednesday and intended for use by surrogates who represent Biden on TV and in other media — includes guidance on Hunter Biden and questions about whether he might testify at the Senate trial .
“ This whole discussion was cooked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his own wrongdoing , ” reads one of the talking points , which also direct surrogates to say that the idea of a deal to hear testimony from the former vice president ’ s son “ makes no sense.
” “ What reason would there be , ” one talking point asks , “ to call someone to testify who has no knowledge of whether Donald Trump did or didn ’ t do the acts he is being charged with ?
” Such questions are now likely moot , with the Republican-controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnesses , including those who might be damaging to Trump .
But the Biden team ’ s attention to the matter signals how sensitive the questions are with the Iowa caucuses days away and provides a glimpse into how the campaign might handle Hunter-related queries in the future .
Biden , whose other adult son died of cancer in 2015 , has begun attacking Republicans for going after “ my surviving son ” and has gotten testy with reporters who 've asked about him .
The charges against Trump stem from his request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who worked at a Ukrainian gas company while his father was the Obama administration ’ s point person on Ukrainian policy .
There is no evidence either Biden did anything unlawful — one Republican theory surrounding the Bidens and Ukraine has been debunked — and Joe Biden frames Trump ’ s request as an effort to tear down the Democratic candidate he most fears facing in the general election .
Until Thursday night , there had been speculation about a deal in which Trump administration officials would testify at the impeachment trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also testifying .
Among the other talking points : • None “ Donald Trump and Republicans are just trying to divert attention from the issue at hand : This President indicted himself and coerced a foreign government to interfere in our elections.
” • None “ I think we all know what ’ s going on here , and Joe isn ’ t going to play that game .
It ’ s the Senate ’ s job now to try the President .
Our job is to beat him.
” • None “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make that deal is , bottom line : This is a constitutional issue .
And we ’ re not going to turn it into a farce , into some kind of political theater.
” Biden himself made that final point very similarly at a town hall forum last week in Osage , Iowa , where a voter who had driven from Arizona asked about the possibilities of such a deal .
`` As Vice President Biden and our supporters and surrogates have said many times , this impeachment trial is about how Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attempt to spread debunked and discredited smears about Joe Biden — the candidate he fears the most — and we can not let Trump or his cronies distract us from that fact , '' Biden spokesperson Mike Gwin said in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
`` Amid all of Trump 's lies , one thing is crystal clear : Trump is petrified of facing Joe Biden this November , that 's why Trump 's sycophantic allies like Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Joni Ernst have admitted openly that Republicans are hoping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden in an attempt to sway caucusgoers . ''
As the impeachment trial has stretched on over the last week in Washington , the Democratic National Committee has also sent around guidance defending the former vice president , his son , and the Obama administration ’ s handling of foreign policy in Ukraine , including in emails to reporters and a private list of Democratic allies who regularly appear on television .
The emails about impeachment , part of a regular effort by the DNC “ War Room ” to push back on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the awkward position of having to effectively defend a leading presidential candidate while also remaining neutral in the ongoing primary process .
The Biden talking points circulated this week also cover a broad range of other potential questions Biden and his surrogates are likely to face before Monday ’ s caucuses .
“ Why is Joe going negative on Bernie ?
” reads one prospective question about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , who has raised Biden ’ s past openness to cutting social security , a position he now opposes .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderate record on gun control .
“ Joe did n't go negative on Bernie — he 's responding to attacks on his record , ” reads one suggested answer .
“ Joe 's campaign is correcting the record to clarify his position on Social Security , not attacking Bernie , ” reads another .
“ It ’ s … making clear what Joe has committed : as president , he 'll not only protect and defend Social Security , but boost benefits for the most vulnerable.
” There also are signs the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The billionaire former mayor of New York has spent tens of millions of dollars to promote a presidential campaign that is skipping Iowa and other early states and could emerge as a threat to Biden in the Super Tuesday states that vote in March .
“ Mike Bloomberg has spent nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on ads alone , and Joe Biden is still in the lead , nationally and in Super Tuesday states , ” one talking point reads .
As for Iowa , where polls have shown a close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Elizabeth Warren , and former mayor Pete Buttigieg , surrogates were advised to set somewhat vague and conflicting expectations .
“ Joe ’ s campaign is competing to win in Iowa , ” one talking point suggests .
“ I ’ m going to work hard , ” reads another , “ to ensure that Joe leaves Iowa in a place of strength .
”

DES MOINES — Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has advised supporters to shoot down questions about his son Hunter Biden, whose business dealings overseas have become a distracting subplot of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial and the former vice president’s presidential bid.
A 19-page list of talking points obtained by BuzzFeed News — dated Wednesday and intended for use by surrogates who represent Biden on TV and in other media — includes guidance on Hunter Biden and questions about whether he might testify at the Senate trial.
“This whole discussion was cooked up by Trump, to divert attention from his own wrongdoing,” reads one of the talking points, which also direct surrogates to say that the idea of a deal to hear testimony from the former vice president’s son “makes no sense.”
“What reason would there be,” one talking point asks, “to call someone to testify who has no knowledge of whether Donald Trump did or didn’t do the acts he is being charged with?”
Such questions are now likely moot, with the Republican-controlled Senate prepared to vote against hearing from witnesses, including those who might be damaging to Trump. But the Biden team’s attention to the matter signals how sensitive the questions are with the Iowa caucuses days away and provides a glimpse into how the campaign might handle Hunter-related queries in the future.
Biden, whose other adult son died of cancer in 2015, has begun attacking Republicans for going after “my surviving son” and has gotten testy with reporters who've asked about him.
The charges against Trump stem from his request that Ukraine investigate Joe and Hunter Biden, who worked at a Ukrainian gas company while his father was the Obama administration’s point person on Ukrainian policy. There is no evidence either Biden did anything unlawful — one Republican theory surrounding the Bidens and Ukraine has been debunked — and Joe Biden frames Trump’s request as an effort to tear down the Democratic candidate he most fears facing in the general election. Until Thursday night, there had been speculation about a deal in which Trump administration officials would testify at the impeachment trial in exchange for Joe and Hunter Biden also testifying.
Among the other talking points:
“Donald Trump and Republicans are just trying to divert attention from the issue at hand: This President indicted himself and coerced a foreign government to interfere in our elections.”
“I think we all know what’s going on here, and Joe isn’t going to play that game. It’s the Senate’s job now to try the President. Our job is to beat him.”
“The reason why he wouldn’t make that deal is, bottom line: This is a constitutional issue. And we’re not going to turn it into a farce, into some kind of political theater.”
Biden himself made that final point very similarly at a town hall forum last week in Osage, Iowa, where a voter who had driven from Arizona asked about the possibilities of such a deal.
"As Vice President Biden and our supporters and surrogates have said many times, this impeachment trial is about how Donald Trump violated his oath of office in an attempt to spread debunked and discredited smears about Joe Biden — the candidate he fears the most — and we cannot let Trump or his cronies distract us from that fact," Biden spokesperson Mike Gwin said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. "Amid all of Trump's lies, one thing is crystal clear: Trump is petrified of facing Joe Biden this November, that's why Trump's sycophantic allies like Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Joni Ernst have admitted openly that Republicans are hoping to use this trial to lie about Biden in an attempt to sway caucusgoers."
As the impeachment trial has stretched on over the last week in Washington, the Democratic National Committee has also sent around guidance defending the former vice president, his son, and the Obama administration’s handling of foreign policy in Ukraine, including in emails to reporters and a private list of Democratic allies who regularly appear on television.
The emails about impeachment, part of a regular effort by the DNC “War Room” to push back on the Trump administration, put the DNC in the awkward position of having to effectively defend a leading presidential candidate while also remaining neutral in the ongoing primary process.
The Biden talking points circulated this week also cover a broad range of other potential questions Biden and his surrogates are likely to face before Monday’s caucuses.
“Why is Joe going negative on Bernie?” reads one prospective question about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has raised Biden’s past openness to cutting social security, a position he now opposes. Biden in kind has scrutinized Sanders’ formerly moderate record on gun control.
“Joe didn't go negative on Bernie — he's responding to attacks on his record,” reads one suggested answer.
“Joe's campaign is correcting the record to clarify his position on Social Security, not attacking Bernie,” reads another. “It’s … making clear what Joe has committed: as president, he'll not only protect and defend Social Security, but boost benefits for the most vulnerable.”
There also are signs the Biden camp is concerned about Michael Bloomberg. The billionaire former mayor of New York has spent tens of millions of dollars to promote a presidential campaign that is skipping Iowa and other early states and could emerge as a threat to Biden in the Super Tuesday states that vote in March.
“Mike Bloomberg has spent nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on ads alone, and Joe Biden is still in the lead, nationally and in Super Tuesday states,” one talking point reads.
As for Iowa, where polls have shown a close race between Biden, Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and former mayor Pete Buttigieg, surrogates were advised to set somewhat vague and conflicting expectations.
“Joe’s campaign is competing to win in Iowa,” one talking point suggests.
“I’m going to work hard,” reads another, “to ensure that Joe leaves Iowa in a place of strength.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-01--Pete Buttigieg Wants To Win Iowa By Winning Republicans

ANKENY , Iowa — Pete Buttigieg isn ’ t a Republican .
But he ’ s thinking like one as his presidential campaign tries to engineer a strong finish next week in the first Democratic caucuses .
His closing schedule is heavy on Iowa counties that four years ago flipped from Barack Obama to Donald Trump .
His closing argument is an assurance that Bernie Sanders is too liberal for his taste , combined with a pitch for “ future former Republicans.
” His team on the ground counts at least 45 precinct captains as recent Republican converts and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trumpian flair — about the big crowds Buttigieg is drawing in small Republican towns .
“ It ’ s a demonstrable example of the general election candidate Pete would be , ” Michael Halle , a senior adviser to Buttigieg ’ s campaign , told BuzzFeed News in an interview .
“ The notion that we have a candidate who could go to and be at home in the Des Moines suburbs the same way he ’ s at home in Tama or Vinton or Keokuk is required to beat Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing real results , ” Halle added .
“ At every single event we go to there is at least one interaction where someone goes up to our organizers and says they were a Republican.
” A core part of Sanders ’ argument is that the Vermont senator can expand the Democratic electorate — pull in nonvoters or people who may have fallen for Trump ’ s anti-establishment promises .
Buttigieg is taking a different tack and suggesting that his candidacy and platform could expand out the party ’ s electorate on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of South Bend , Indiana , is also trying to win back voters who may have fled to Trump in 2016 and is not alone in advocating a more moderate course .
Former vice president Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar — his two closest ideological rivals in the race — emphasize their crossover appeal and bipartisan backgrounds in Washington .
And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who ’ s been more ideologically aligned with Sanders , is making a new electability case by highlighting Trump voters who now back her .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strategy .
At a town hall forum Thursday night in Ankeny — the Des Moines suburb that Republican Marco Rubio memorably made the base of his Iowa operation four years ago — questions from the audience , as they often are , were submitted in writing before disappearing in a fishbowl .
When the fishbowl appeared on stage later in the hands of a volunteer , the questions tied neatly into Buttigieg ’ s message and the audience he hopes will hear it .
One allowed him to talk about his military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appeal to evangelical voters .
“ I think there ’ s a historic opportunity to engage voters of faith , ” Buttigieg said on the latter .
“ We should reach out , because I think there ’ s a lot of folks sitting in the pews right now looking around wondering , ‘ Wait a minute , is my faith supposed to mean that I support this ?
’ What about , I was hungry and you fed me ?
What about , I was a stranger and you welcomed me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Republicans , ” Buttigieg has been testing variations on that theme since at least last fall , when he offered the line during the Democratic debate in Atlanta .
He sharpened the message this week , first by returning to Fox News — the cable network partial to Trump and the Republican Party — for a town hall forum televised from Iowa .
Both Sanders and Klobuchar have participated in a Fox News town hall , but Buttigieg is the only Democratic candidate to do one twice .
And by scheduling one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he signaled how important the network ’ s conservative viewers — and moderates who just may like the idea that he ’ s trying to reach those viewers — are to his campaign in the state .
“ I am convinced , ” Buttigieg said in a closing argument that conveyed an everything-to-everyone pragmatism , “ that we are going to — beginning right here in Iowa — change what people think is possible .
That we can send a message to people who are telling us that we have to choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have to choose between what it takes to govern and what it takes to win , or that we have to choose between unity and boldness in this country .
I don ’ t think we have to choose .
I do n't think we can choose , because I do n't think we can get any one of those things unless we get all of them , and this is our chance to turn the page.
” That line has since been a staple in Buttigieg ’ s stump speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to paint Biden and Sanders , for different reasons , as poor choices to take on Trump in the fall .
After weeks of issuing subtle , no-names rebukes of an older generation of politicians , including during his Fox News appearance , Buttigieg graduated to a pointed critique of Biden ’ s play-it-safe style and Sanders ’ doctrinaire brand of democratic socialism .
“ We ’ ve got some respectful but serious differences about what it ’ s going to take , ” Buttigieg said in Decorah .
“ I hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no time to take a risk on someone new .
But history has shown us that the biggest risk we could take with a very important election coming up is to look to the same Washington playbook and recycle the same arguments and expect that to work against a president like Donald Trump who is new in kind.
” “ Then I hear Sen. Sanders calling for a kind of politics that says you 've got to go all the way here and nothing else counts .
And it 's coming at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historic majority , not just aligned around what it is we 're against , but agreeing on what it is we 're for .
A majority ready to make sure that the public sector steps up and delivers health care — just not so sure about the idea of forcing everybody onto that public plan .
A majority that 's ready for a game-changing transformation in the affordability of college , but not so sure about the idea of covering every last penny for the tuition of the children of millionaires and billionaires.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged voters to “ leave the politics of the past in the past.
” Kurt Meyer , who chairs the Mitchell County Democratic Party and recently announced his plan to caucus for Warren , questioned a strategy that relies on Republican defectors .
“ Many [ a ] campaign has theorized that success would be brought about by all the new , previously unheard-from people who would show up at the right time and do the right thing , ” Meyer wrote in an email .
“ Very , very few people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Knowing that the Super Bowl is on Sunday , it ’ s a bit akin to saying ‘ my team doesn ’ t have to block or tackle…we have a NEW strategy that will make those old essentials obsolete.
’ “ To which I say , oh really ?
!
?
”

ANKENY, Iowa — Pete Buttigieg isn’t a Republican. But he’s thinking like one as his presidential campaign tries to engineer a strong finish next week in the first Democratic caucuses.
His closing schedule is heavy on Iowa counties that four years ago flipped from Barack Obama to Donald Trump. His closing argument is an assurance that Bernie Sanders is too liberal for his taste, combined with a pitch for “future former Republicans.” His team on the ground counts at least 45 precinct captains as recent Republican converts and is quick to brag — with a bit of Trumpian flair — about the big crowds Buttigieg is drawing in small Republican towns.
“It’s a demonstrable example of the general election candidate Pete would be,” Michael Halle, a senior adviser to Buttigieg’s campaign, told BuzzFeed News in an interview. “The notion that we have a candidate who could go to and be at home in the Des Moines suburbs the same way he’s at home in Tama or Vinton or Keokuk is required to beat Trump in the fall.”
“We’re seeing real results,” Halle added. “At every single event we go to there is at least one interaction where someone goes up to our organizers and says they were a Republican.”
A core part of Sanders’ argument is that the Vermont senator can expand the Democratic electorate — pull in nonvoters or people who may have fallen for Trump’s anti-establishment promises. Buttigieg is taking a different tack and suggesting that his candidacy and platform could expand out the party’s electorate on the right.
Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is also trying to win back voters who may have fled to Trump in 2016 and is not alone in advocating a more moderate course. Former vice president Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar — his two closest ideological rivals in the race — emphasize their crossover appeal and bipartisan backgrounds in Washington.
And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who’s been more ideologically aligned with Sanders, is making a new electability case by highlighting Trump voters who now back her.
But Buttigieg has been most explicit with the strategy. At a town hall forum Thursday night in Ankeny — the Des Moines suburb that Republican Marco Rubio memorably made the base of his Iowa operation four years ago — questions from the audience, as they often are, were submitted in writing before disappearing in a fishbowl. When the fishbowl appeared on stage later in the hands of a volunteer, the questions tied neatly into Buttigieg’s message and the audience he hopes will hear it. One allowed him to talk about his military experience, another to discuss his plans to appeal to evangelical voters.
“I think there’s a historic opportunity to engage voters of faith,” Buttigieg said on the latter. “We should reach out, because I think there’s a lot of folks sitting in the pews right now looking around wondering, ‘Wait a minute, is my faith supposed to mean that I support this?’ What about, I was hungry and you fed me? What about, I was a stranger and you welcomed me?”
As for the “future former Republicans,” Buttigieg has been testing variations on that theme since at least last fall, when he offered the line during the Democratic debate in Atlanta. He sharpened the message this week, first by returning to Fox News — the cable network partial to Trump and the Republican Party — for a town hall forum televised from Iowa. Both Sanders and Klobuchar have participated in a Fox News town hall, but Buttigieg is the only Democratic candidate to do one twice. And by scheduling one in the final days before the caucuses, he signaled how important the network’s conservative viewers — and moderates who just may like the idea that he’s trying to reach those viewers — are to his campaign in the state.
“I am convinced,” Buttigieg said in a closing argument that conveyed an everything-to-everyone pragmatism, “that we are going to — beginning right here in Iowa — change what people think is possible. That we can send a message to people who are telling us that we have to choose between our head and our heart, that we have to choose between what it takes to govern and what it takes to win, or that we have to choose between unity and boldness in this country. I don’t think we have to choose. I don't think we can choose, because I don't think we can get any one of those things unless we get all of them, and this is our chance to turn the page.”
That line has since been a staple in Buttigieg’s stump speech. And Thursday brought a new escalation meant to paint Biden and Sanders, for different reasons, as poor choices to take on Trump in the fall. After weeks of issuing subtle, no-names rebukes of an older generation of politicians, including during his Fox News appearance, Buttigieg graduated to a pointed critique of Biden’s play-it-safe style and Sanders’ doctrinaire brand of democratic socialism.
“We’ve got some respectful but serious differences about what it’s going to take,” Buttigieg said in Decorah. “I hear Vice President Biden saying that this is no time to take a risk on someone new. But history has shown us that the biggest risk we could take with a very important election coming up is to look to the same Washington playbook and recycle the same arguments and expect that to work against a president like Donald Trump who is new in kind.”
“Then I hear Sen. Sanders calling for a kind of politics that says you've got to go all the way here and nothing else counts. And it's coming at the very moment when we actually have a historic majority, not just aligned around what it is we're against, but agreeing on what it is we're for. A majority ready to make sure that the public sector steps up and delivers health care — just not so sure about the idea of forcing everybody onto that public plan. A majority that's ready for a game-changing transformation in the affordability of college, but not so sure about the idea of covering every last penny for the tuition of the children of millionaires and billionaires.”
Later, in Ankeny, Buttigieg urged voters to “leave the politics of the past in the past.”
Kurt Meyer, who chairs the Mitchell County Democratic Party and recently announced his plan to caucus for Warren, questioned a strategy that relies on Republican defectors.
“Many [a] campaign has theorized that success would be brought about by all the new, previously unheard-from people who would show up at the right time and do the right thing,” Meyer wrote in an email. “Very, very few people have ridden such a strategy successfully into office. Knowing that the Super Bowl is on Sunday, it’s a bit akin to saying ‘my team doesn’t have to block or tackle…we have a NEW strategy that will make those old essentials obsolete.’
“To which I say, oh really?!?”


buzzfeed--2020-02-01--Senators Are Likely To Vote To Acquit Trump On Wednesday After Voting Against Calling Witnesses

The deal , which passed the Senate Friday nights , means Trump will not be acquitted until after his State of the Union address on Tuesday .
The vote means Republicans will soon move to end the trial , signaling an acquittal for Trump on Wednesday .
A deal between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will set up that vote , on whether Trump should be removed from office , for 4 p.m. WASHINGTON — After nearly 40 hours of opening arguments and a two-day Q & A session , senators voted Friday against calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s impeachment trial .
The Impeachment Today podcast gets you up to date with the day ’ s most important impeachment news .
Catch up on all the episodes , or subscribe on the iHeartRadio app , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you listen to your favorite shows .
Senators ended 16 hours of questions on Thursday night , mostly debating whether the president ’ s decision to ask a foreign country , Ukraine , to investigate a political rival is an impeachable offense .
House Democrats have argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his family by holding up military aid to the country .
Trump ’ s lawyers , however , have said it ’ s not impeachable for a president to request dirt on a political opponent from a foreign country .
Republicans largely seem to be buying that argument , now saying that while they believe Trump did hold up the aid in exchange for Ukraine announcing investigations to help the president in 2020 , they do n't think his actions are impeachable .
Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with up to four hours of debate on whether the Senate should call witnesses before senators actually vote on the issue .
But the vote appeared likely to fail after two key Republicans announced they will vote against it : Sens .
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee .
Democrats fell short of the 51 votes they needed for the Senate to allow witnesses in the trial , with just Sens .
Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah joining them .
The vote failed 49–51 .
Late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope , releasing a statement that she would vote to request witnesses .
But the statements from Alexander and Murkowski mean the vote is likely to fail .
Alexander , a Tennessee Republican who is retiring at the end of the year , called Trump ’ s handling of Ukraine “ inappropriate ” but ultimately decided to side with his Republican colleagues in blocking witnesses .
Murkowski , by contrast , did n't address the allegations against Trump directly ; she instead said the House 's case against the president was `` rushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout , I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate .
I don ’ t believe the continuation of this process will change anything .
It is sad for me to admit that , as an institution , the Congress has failed , '' she said .
Democrats had called for witnesses , including former national security adviser John Bolton , who reportedly wrote in an unpublished draft of his upcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was withholding aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into the Bidens .
Democrats had also discussed calling to testify acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney , Mulvaney adviser Robert Blair , and Michael Duffey , an official with the Office of Management and Budget who was told to hold up aid to Ukraine .
Republicans argued Democrats should have introduced all witnesses during the House ’ s impeachment inquiry and that there is insufficient evidence for additional witnesses .
Conversely , Democrats say the president stonewalled the witnesses invoking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to get Bolton and other witnesses to testify in the trial , Republicans had discussed calling Biden , his son Hunter , and others to speak .
Democrats forced additional votes Friday evening , again calling on the Senate to subpoena Bolton and other witnesses , but those measure also failed .
Republicans appeared certain at the end of this week that the trial would wrap up on Friday .
but anticipated that Democrats would introduce a slew of amendments that could push the proceedings well into the morning .
Wanting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached a deal .
The new plan means that the Senate will take the weekend off and return to the trial on Monday at 11 a.m. for four hours total of closing arguments from both legal teams .
The Senate will then take Tuesday off for Trump 's State of the Union that night and will resume the trial on Wednesday at 4 p.m. with a vote on whether Trump should be removed from office .
House Democrats impeached Trump on Dec. 18 on charges of abuse of power , for his role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Congress , for preventing members of his administration from testifying or turning over documents in the House ’ s investigation .
As per the rules , senators are required to sit silently in the chambers without their phones throughout the trial , which has gone late into the night .
By week two , senators on both sides of the aisle were visibly restless , taking standing breaks , having open conversations off to the side of the Senate floor , and applying eye drops while seated .
The exhaustion was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tongue from Sen. Roy Blunt , who referred to Republican colleague Sen. Martha McSally as Claire McCaskill , a Democratic senator no longer in office .

Senators ended 16 hours of questions on Thursday night, mostly debating whether the president’s decision to ask a foreign country, Ukraine, to investigate a political rival is an impeachable offense.
House Democrats have argued that Trump abused his power when he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his family by holding up military aid to the country. Trump’s lawyers, however, have said it’s not impeachable for a president to request dirt on a political opponent from a foreign country.
Republicans largely seem to be buying that argument, now saying that while they believe Trump did hold up the aid in exchange for Ukraine announcing investigations to help the president in 2020, they don't think his actions are impeachable.
Friday’s session began at 1 p.m. with up to four hours of debate on whether the Senate should call witnesses before senators actually vote on the issue. But the vote appeared likely to fail after two key Republicans announced they will vote against it: Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
Democrats fell short of the 51 votes they needed for the Senate to allow witnesses in the trial, with just Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah joining them. The vote failed 49–51.
Late Thursday night, Collins gave Democrats some hope, releasing a statement that she would vote to request witnesses. But the statements from Alexander and Murkowski mean the vote is likely to fail. Alexander, a Tennessee Republican who is retiring at the end of the year, called Trump’s handling of Ukraine “inappropriate” but ultimately decided to side with his Republican colleagues in blocking witnesses.
Murkowski, by contrast, didn't address the allegations against Trump directly; she instead said the House's case against the president was "rushed and flawed" and railing against partisanship.
“Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don’t believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed," she said.
Democrats had called for witnesses, including former national security adviser John Bolton, who reportedly wrote in an unpublished draft of his upcoming book that Trump told him directly he was withholding aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into the Bidens.
Democrats had also discussed calling to testify acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Mulvaney adviser Robert Blair, and Michael Duffey, an official with the Office of Management and Budget who was told to hold up aid to Ukraine.
Republicans argued Democrats should have introduced all witnesses during the House’s impeachment inquiry and that there is insufficient evidence for additional witnesses. Conversely, Democrats say the president stonewalled the witnesses invoking executive privilege.
But if Democrats were able to get Bolton and other witnesses to testify in the trial, Republicans had discussed calling Biden, his son Hunter, and others to speak.
Democrats forced additional votes Friday evening, again calling on the Senate to subpoena Bolton and other witnesses, but those measure also failed.
Republicans appeared certain at the end of this week that the trial would wrap up on Friday. but anticipated that Democrats would introduce a slew of amendments that could push the proceedings well into the morning. Wanting to avoid another very late night, senators reached a deal.
The new plan means that the Senate will take the weekend off and return to the trial on Monday at 11 a.m. for four hours total of closing arguments from both legal teams. The Senate will then take Tuesday off for Trump's State of the Union that night and will resume the trial on Wednesday at 4 p.m. with a vote on whether Trump should be removed from office.
House Democrats impeached Trump on Dec. 18 on charges of abuse of power, for his role in the Ukraine saga, and obstruction of Congress, for preventing members of his administration from testifying or turning over documents in the House’s investigation.
As per the rules, senators are required to sit silently in the chambers without their phones throughout the trial, which has gone late into the night. By week two, senators on both sides of the aisle were visibly restless, taking standing breaks, having open conversations off to the side of the Senate floor, and applying eye drops while seated.
The exhaustion was also on display in a slip of the tongue from Sen. Roy Blunt, who referred to Republican colleague Sen. Martha McSally as Claire McCaskill, a Democratic senator no longer in office.


buzzfeed--2020-01-31--John Delaney Is Dropping Out Of The 2020 Presidential Race

“ It has been a privilege to campaign for the Democratic nomination for President , but it is clear that God has a different purpose for me at this moment in time , '' he said in a statement .
`` I leave this race with a profound sense of gratitude to the voters who shared with me their hopes and concerns for our magnificent country , in admiration for the other contenders for the nomination and proud of the work we did to change the debate . ''
lt has been a privilege to campaign for the Democratic nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that God has a different purpose for me at this moment in time .
Read my full statement here : 1/19 https : //t.co/DWaQWegVzJ Delaney , a Maryland Democrat , jumped into the race way earlier than most ; he spent millions of his own money campaigning in Iowa .
He ran as a center-left moderate , focused on public–private , technical solutions to major issues like climate change and improving the health care system — making implicit , and sometimes explicit , critiques of the ascendant left .
In his statement announcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race , he thanked his staff and supporters and then said the Democratic party needs to `` restore a sense of unity and common purpose in our nation . ''
While the center of the national political conversation around health care has shifted left , into what 's often framed as a choice between Obamacare and a much more expansive single-payer system , Delaney criticized Medicare for All .
`` Let ’ s stop the nonsense of unrealistic and divisive campaign promises and be the party the American people need — a decent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And please don ’ t listen to the cynics , the naysayers and the dividers ; while we have significant challenges and too many Americans are struggling , the world gets better every year and the United States of America has driven much of this progress — let ’ s keep it that way , '' he said .

Delaney, a Maryland Democrat, jumped into the race way earlier than most; he spent millions of his own money campaigning in Iowa. He ran as a center-left moderate, focused on public–private, technical solutions to major issues like climate change and improving the health care system — making implicit, and sometimes explicit, critiques of the ascendant left.
In his statement announcing he's dropping out of the 2020 race, he thanked his staff and supporters and then said the Democratic party needs to "restore a sense of unity and common purpose in our nation."
While the center of the national political conversation around health care has shifted left, into what's often framed as a choice between Obamacare and a much more expansive single-payer system, Delaney criticized Medicare for All.
"Let’s stop the nonsense of unrealistic and divisive campaign promises and be the party the American people need — a decent, unifying, future-focused and common-sense party. And please don’t listen to the cynics, the naysayers and the dividers; while we have significant challenges and too many Americans are struggling, the world gets better every year and the United States of America has driven much of this progress — let’s keep it that way," he said.


buzzfeed--2020-02-04--Trumpworld Is Crashing The Iowa Caucus And Can't Stop Talking About Bernie Sanders

DES MOINES , Iowa — While the eyes of the country are on the Democratic caucus in Iowa tonight , the Trump campaign is holed up in a Sheraton in West Des Moines , dozens of famous supporters and officials in tow , to flex their muscle and grab some of the spotlight .
Their message is unified — that they ’ re here to show Iowans that the president ’ s reelection campaign hasn ’ t forgotten them , that Trump is eager for November , that he can take on whichever nominee Democrats eventually choose .
But scratch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the unmistakable rise of Bernie Sanders .
It could be easy to think of the concern as disingenuous .
What better competitor could Trump face than an avowed socialist , the epitome of the demonic “ Far Left ” that he ’ s been screaming about — at rallies , on Twitter , in interviews — for months ?
And don ’ t Trump and his people lie all the time anyway ?
Maybe they ’ re just saying that because he ’ s the competitor they actually want .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the passion of Bernie followers is concerning , ” Rep. Mark Meadows said here , before listing the attributes of other candidates that could pose a challenge for the Trump campaign — Joe Biden ’ s “ moderate policy , ” Mike Bloomberg ’ s money , Pete Buttigieg ’ s “ more direct policy conversations.
” “ Bernie Sanders ’ followers are more of a concern to me than anybody else , ” he said .
“ They have a passion and , in a way , they tap into what Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the left .
It ’ s an anti-establishment , we-want-to-mix-things-up kind of environment .
That ’ s why Sanders will continue to be a factor and it ’ s why a lot of people see him not just as a legitimate contender but the contender to beat .
So if I had to pick one person I ’ m most concerned about it would be Bernie Sanders.
” Meadows was one of dozens of surrogates flown into Iowa by the Trump campaign to fan across the state and rally caucus-goers in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Joe Walsh and Bill Weld ) .
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross sat quiet and alone in the shadow of the Sheraton ’ s vast indoor waterfall , apparently willing himself to stay awake .
Corey Lewandowski , Trump ’ s first campaign manager in 2016 who has rejoined his re-elect effort , was inseparable from David Bossie , another once fired aide who has also rejoined .
Firebrand pastor Paula White , who last week publicly prayed for women to miscarry if they were carrying “ Satanic babies , ” milled around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump ’ s acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former energy secretary Rick Perry .
Mike Lindell , better known as the My Pillow Guy , said the Trump campaign had called him last week to join the effort .
The campaign only announced the push — not a thing reelection campaigns normally do — last Monday , a week before the caucus .
Before they fanned out across the state , the guests of honor took the three front rows in what was billed as a press conference at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brad Parscale , his sons Eric and Don Jr. , and their partners Lara Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle .
It felt better suited to a Trump rally .
There was an introductory soundtrack — Adele , Guns n Roses , Britney Spears , Aerosmith .
When the five took to the stage , arranged behind a podium that read “ Keep Iowa Great , ” the surrogates leapt to their feet and broke into applause .
Parscale said the Trump campaign had built the “ largest grassroots army we ’ ve ever seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ kick the training wheels off and see how it ’ s going.
” “ We ’ ve built a well-oiled machine , and tonight will be the first test of that machine.
” Lara Trump said they “ don ’ t take a single vote for granted ... We ’ re here in Iowa to show the people that we take the election seriously.
” Kimberly Guilfoyle went into attack mode , saying “ the liberals , the Democrats , the socialists , the communists — that ’ s the other side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have lost their minds but we have not lost our way , and with the help of God we will get this done.
” Eric Trump lauded the campaign ’ s huge coffers — nearly $ 200 million cash on hand — and Don Jr. did his thing , making sure to promote his book Triggered several times , including when he was interrupted by a protester accusing the president and his family of spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and prompting the rise in anti-Semitic attacks around the country .
Asked who Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both Parscale and Don Jr. launched into conspiracy mode , hinting that the Democratic machine was mobilizing to “ rig the primary ” to make sure that Sanders didn ’ t get the nomination .
“ I think Bernie will do well , ” Parscale went on to say , before being quietly tapped by Don Jr. and moving on .
“ The president is a fighter .
I ’ ve never sat with him , one time , and he goes — ’ that ’ s the guy I want , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of them on.
” Don Jr. took the mic to shift the focus to Biden , a candidate the campaign has long been concerned about , to the degree that impeachment is unfolding the same time as the Iowa caucus .
“ I think one thing that should be pointed out — while obviously it seems like there ’ s a good surge in Bernie and obviously a lot of support , I mean — Joe Biden had Iowa to himself for what , three weeks ?
Because of the impeachment sham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an example of “ Nancy Pelosi actively trying to keep Bernie off the trail , ” while failing to mention that Sens .
Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar were also confined to DC while the Senate deliberated whether to remove Trump .
Biden wasn ’ t exactly alone either , with Buttigieg and Andrew Yang storming Iowa at the same time .
Don Jr. continued : “ If Biden doesn ’ t win big , I mean , he ’ s probably in a lot of trouble , right ?
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in a field of 17 , it ’ s another to try to hide Joe when he ’ s running alone against Trump for six months and that ’ s a fight I would pay a lot of money to see.
” He ended by saying : “ It ’ ll be a lot of fun and I promise you one thing : Over the next 10 months , Donald Trump will make this very entertaining for you all.
” Maybe it depends on your definition of entertaining .

DES MOINES — While the eyes of the country are on the Democratic caucus in Iowa tonight, the Trump campaign is holed up in a Sheraton in West Des Moines with dozens of famous supporters and officials in tow to flex their muscle and grab some of the spotlight.
Their message is unified: They’re here to show Iowans that the president’s reelection campaign hasn’t forgotten them, that Trump is eager for November, and that he can take on whichever nominee Democrats eventually choose.
But scratch the surface and you find growing concern over the unmistakable rise of Sen. Bernie Sanders. It would be easy to think of the concern as disingenuous. What better competitor could Trump face than an avowed socialist, the epitome of the demonic “far left” that he’s been screaming about — at rallies, on Twitter, in interviews — for months? And don’t Trump and his people lie all the time anyway? Maybe they’re just saying that because he’s the competitor they actually want.
“If you pick one candidate right now, the passion of Bernie followers is concerning,” Rep. Mark Meadows said here before listing the attributes of other candidates who could pose a challenge for the Trump campaign — Joe Biden’s “moderate policy,” Mike Bloomberg’s money, Pete Buttigieg’s “more direct policy conversations.”
“Bernie Sanders’ followers are more of a concern to me than anybody else,” he said. “They have a passion and, in a way, they tap into what Donald Trump tapped into, but they do it on the left. It’s an antiestablishment, 'we want to mix things up' kind of environment. That’s why Sanders will continue to be a factor, and it’s why a lot of people see him not just as a legitimate contender but the contender to beat. So if I had to pick one person I’m most concerned about, it would be Bernie Sanders.”
Meadows was one of dozens of surrogates flown into Iowa by the Trump campaign to fan across the state and rally caucusgoers in a race that is totally meaningless (apologies to Joe Walsh and Bill Weld). Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross sat, quiet and alone, in the shadow of the Sheraton’s vast indoor waterfall, apparently willing himself to stay awake. Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s first campaign manager in 2016, has rejoined the reelection effort and was inseparable from David Bossie, another once-fired aide who has also rejoined. Firebrand pastor Paula White, who last week publicly prayed for women to miscarry if they were carrying “Satanic babies,” milled around, as did pastor Jerry Falwell Jr., Trump’s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and former Energy secretary Rick Perry. Mike Lindell, better known as the My Pillow guy, said the Trump campaign had called him last week to join the effort. The campaign only announced the push — not a thing reelection campaigns normally do — last Monday, a week before the caucus.
Before they fanned out across the state, the guests of honor took the three front rows in what was billed as a press conference at the hotel by campaign manager Brad Parscale, the president's sons Eric and Don Jr., and their partners, Lara Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle.
The event felt better suited to a Trump rally. There was an introductory soundtrack — Adele, Guns n' Roses, Britney Spears, Aerosmith. When the five took the stage and arranged behind a lectern that read “Keep Iowa Great,” the surrogates leaped to their feet and broke into applause.
Parscale said the Trump campaign had built the “largest grassroots army we’ve ever seen” and that it was time to “kick the training wheels off and see how it’s going.”
“We’ve built a well-oiled machine,” he said, “and tonight will be the first test of that machine.”
Lara said they “don’t take a single vote for granted. ... We’re here in Iowa to show the people that we take the election seriously.” Guilfoyle went into attack mode, saying “the liberals, the Democrats, the socialists, the communists — that’s the other side, that’s the juxtaposition — have lost their minds but we have not lost our way. And with the help of God, we will get this done.” Eric lauded the campaign’s huge coffers — nearly $200 million cash on hand — and Don Jr. did his thing, making sure to promote his book, Triggered, several times, including when he was interrupted by a protester accusing the president and his family of spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and prompting the rise in anti-Semitic attacks around the country.
Asked whom Trump was eager to fight against in the general, both Parscale and Don Jr. launched into conspiracy mode, hinting that the Democratic machine was mobilizing to “rig the primary” to make sure that Sanders didn’t get the nomination.
“I think Bernie will do well,” Parscale went on to say before being quietly tapped by Don Jr. and moving on. “The president is a fighter. I’ve never sat with him, one time, and he goes 'That’s the guy I want—’ or woman. He can take all of them on.”
Don Jr. took the mic to shift the focus to Biden — a candidate the campaign has long been concerned about, to the degree that impeachment is unfolding the same time as the Iowa caucus.
“I think one thing that should be pointed out — while obviously it seems like there’s a good surge in Bernie and obviously a lot of support, I mean — Joe Biden had Iowa to himself for what, three weeks? Because of the impeachment sham,” he said, saying it was an example of “Nancy Pelosi actively trying to keep Bernie off the trail,” while failing to mention that Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar were also confined to DC while the Senate deliberated whether to remove Trump. Biden wasn’t exactly alone either, with Buttigieg and Andrew Yang storming Iowa at the same time. Don Jr. continued: “If Biden doesn’t win big, I mean, he’s probably in a lot of trouble, right?”
“It’s one thing to hide him in a field of 17, it’s another to try to hide Joe when he’s running alone against Trump for six months," he said, "and that’s a fight I would pay a lot of money to see.”
He ended by saying: “It’ll be a lot of fun and I promise you one thing: Over the next 10 months, Donald Trump will make this very entertaining for you all.” Maybe it depends on your definition of "entertaining."


buzzfeed--2020-02-04--Biden Vs. Sanders: How One Latino Family In Iowa Is Thinking About Tonight’s Democratic Caucus

The family is deciding between Sanders and Biden , the two candidates who have been neck and neck in recent polls , and who most members of the family believe seem most likely to defeat Donald Trump .
“ That ’ s what they said about Trump !
” his sister Jacqueline Correa , 27 , shot back .
“ You donated to [ Sanders ] !
You ’ ve literally put your money where your mouth is !
” “ I want [ Sanders ] to win , ” said Raymond Correa , 31 , who attended both Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother the previous weekend , adding that he had his doubts about whether Sanders could win and actually get anything done .
“ It ’ s one ’ s responsibility to be able to talk about these things , ” she said with her family gathered around her kitchen table .
“ We need to be assertive people .
We need to be strong , mentally and physically.
” Lopez , 61 , was always determined her children would be “ good people with a sense of responsibility to the community.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between her children with pride while devouring homemade guacamole , salsas , rice and beans , and two types of carne asada , making sure no one 's plate was empty for long .
MARSHALLTOWN , Iowa — Three days before the caucuses , Ramona Lopez gathered much of her extended family — she has 7 children , 17 grandchildren , as well as sons- and daughters-in-law — at her warm yellow house in Marshalltown , Iowa , to have a spirited discussion about whom they each plan to support on Monday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are keenly aware of what ’ s at stake in a presidential election that will almost certainly include vitriol around immigration and racist rhetoric .
Iowa ’ s Latino population has grown to 6.2 % , more than double what it was 20 years ago .
Groups like the League of United Latin American Citizens have been working on turnout ahead of the caucuses — the group says it has registered 10,000 new Latino voters this year .
The Lopez family is one of the oldest Latino families in Marshalltown , where Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .
Ramona moved here in the late ’ 80s from Jalisco , Mexico , and started working at the meatpacking factory in town .
In the late ’ 80s and ’ 90s , she protested the factory 's working conditions and led protests against police brutality that targeted Latinos .
Ramona and her family say they ’ re thinking this decision through not just for themselves but for the good of their community and all the people who come to Ramona as a community leader for her guidance .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie is a socialist .
Joe Biden is middle-class and represents the richer people .
We ’ re not those people , ” Ramona said .
“ I love Joe Biden because I have a lot of friends in richer positions , people in power , and I like his presentation .
He ’ s calmer and everything — exactly what represents the middle class , not the lower class , ” she said .
“ I think the candidate for us is Bernie Sanders .
He ’ s more of a dreamer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , both candidates and all Democratic voters have this in common : They all want to defeat Donald Trump .
And while she thinks Biden may have a slight edge in that area , she ’ s decided on Sanders as a candidate who has detailed , clear plans for climate change , immigration , labor , and education , among other issues .
The family has been visited by canvassers for almost every candidate .
They ’ ve welcomed them all in to sit at the kitchen table and talk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the stove .
On Saturday , a canvasser for the Biden campaign came by .
Soon after , Texas Rep. Filemon Vela stopped in to visit the family on behalf of the Biden campaign .
( The family said no other campaign has actually sent a high-profile supporter to visit . )
The following day , a Sanders canvasser dropped by .
Above the kitchen table , there are two “ Bernie ” signs — and on a door in the living room , a “ Todos con Biden ” door hanger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the campaigns .
I tell them : ' I ’ m 60 years old .
I have 30 years ’ involvement in politics .
I make my own decisions , ' ” Ramona said .
She said she spoke to Sanders when he was in Iowa in 2016 and pressed him to do more on immigration .
“ Last time he was here , I talked to him and I told him he needs to come up with answers , with plans for immigration .
‘ I know it ’ s hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win , you or anyone else , if you don ’ t have an answer for this , ’ ” she said she told Sanders .
After seeing him with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez last Saturday , she said , she was more confident that he had a solid plan around immigration .
The following day , Ramona went to see Biden with her son Raymond , who was impressed with the former vice president 's plan to invest resources in Central American countries and his emphasis on foreign policy .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right after meeting and taking a photo with Biden last Sunday .

Latino voters in places like Marshalltown are keenly aware of what’s at stake in a presidential election that will almost certainly include vitriol around immigration and racist rhetoric.
Iowa’s Latino population has grown to 6.2%, more than double what it was 20 years ago. Groups like the League of United Latin American Citizens have been working on turnout ahead of the caucuses — the group says it has registered 10,000 new Latino voters this year.
The Lopez family is one of the oldest Latino families in Marshalltown, where Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by seven points in 2016. Ramona moved here in the late ’80s from Jalisco, Mexico, and started working at the meatpacking factory in town. In the late ’80s and ’90s, she protested the factory's working conditions and led protests against police brutality that targeted Latinos. Ramona and her family say they’re thinking this decision through not just for themselves but for the good of their community and all the people who come to Ramona as a community leader for her guidance.
“This is what I know for sure: Bernie is a socialist. Joe Biden is middle-class and represents the richer people. We’re not those people,” Ramona said.
“I love Joe Biden because I have a lot of friends in richer positions, people in power, and I like his presentation. He’s calmer and everything — exactly what represents the middle class, not the lower class,” she said. “I think the candidate for us is Bernie Sanders. He’s more of a dreamer, like me.”
Ultimately, she said, both candidates and all Democratic voters have this in common: They all want to defeat Donald Trump. And while she thinks Biden may have a slight edge in that area, she’s decided on Sanders as a candidate who has detailed, clear plans for climate change, immigration, labor, and education, among other issues.
The family has been visited by canvassers for almost every candidate. They’ve welcomed them all in to sit at the kitchen table and talk, and shared with them whatever’s on the stove. On Saturday, a canvasser for the Biden campaign came by. Soon after, Texas Rep. Filemon Vela stopped in to visit the family on behalf of the Biden campaign. (The family said no other campaign has actually sent a high-profile supporter to visit.) The following day, a Sanders canvasser dropped by. Above the kitchen table, there are two “Bernie” signs — and on a door in the living room, a “Todos con Biden” door hanger.
“We’ve received everyone from the campaigns. I tell them: 'I’m 60 years old. I have 30 years’ involvement in politics. I make my own decisions,'” Ramona said.
She said she spoke to Sanders when he was in Iowa in 2016 and pressed him to do more on immigration.
“Last time he was here, I talked to him and I told him he needs to come up with answers, with plans for immigration. ‘I know it’s hard. You’re not going to win, you or anyone else, if you don’t have an answer for this,’” she said she told Sanders. After seeing him with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez last Saturday, she said, she was more confident that he had a solid plan around immigration.
The following day, Ramona went to see Biden with her son Raymond, who was impressed with the former vice president's plan to invest resources in Central American countries and his emphasis on foreign policy.
“I think Bernie is stronger,” Ramona whispered right after meeting and taking a photo with Biden last Sunday.


buzzfeed--2020-02-03--Mueller Memos Part 5: Hundreds of Pages of FBI Witness Interviews Declassified

The Justice Department and FBI have turned over to BuzzFeed News and CNN another batch of highly secretive interview summaries from former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russia ’ s interference in the 2016 election and President Trump ’ s attempts to obstruct the inquiry .
The agencies turned over a summary of Jared Kushner 's December 2017 interview with the FBI , the contents of which are almost entirely redacted .
Other interview summaries in this installment include former White House press secretary Sean Spicer ; White House chief of staff Reince Priebus ; Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department attorney Jody Hunt ; former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe ; Mark Corallo , who was a spokesman for Trump 's legal team ; real estate mogul Tom Barrack who served as chairman of Trump 's inaugural committee and more than a dozen others .
Excerpts from some of the interview summaries , known as FBI 302s , are sprinkled throughout Mueller ’ s report , but many details were omitted .
For example , interview summaries released to BuzzFeed News last month included the news that after the FBI raided the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager Paul Manafort , he used Fox News host Sean Hannity as a “ back channel ” to President Trump .
Those documents also included what might be the earliest reference yet , from the summer of 2016 , to the conspiracy theory that Ukraine , rather than Russia , hacked the Democratic National Committee ’ s emails .
That theory has been at the heart of Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
Since last November , the government has released about 100 interview summaries — nearly 1,100 pages — representing roughly 42 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke to Mueller ’ s investigators .
However , the majority of the documents released thus far have been heavily redacted .
This month , BuzzFeed News began a legal challenge to one particular category of exemption from the Freedom of Information Act .
The Mueller report was the most hotly anticipated prosecutorial document in a generation , laying out the evidence of Russia 's interference in the 2016 election and Trump ’ s attempts to obstruct the investigation .
But at 448 pages , it reflected only a tiny fraction of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amassed over the course of its investigation .
Last May , BuzzFeed News , and later CNN , filed Freedom of Information Act lawsuits against the FBI and Justice Department to gain access to the thousands of pages of interview summaries of all the witnesses who spoke to FBI agents and investigators .
BuzzFeed News is now pursuing five separate lawsuits to pry loose all the subpoenas and search warrants that Mueller ’ s team executed , as well as all the emails , memos , letters , talking points , legal opinions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In short , we are seeking all communications of any kind that passed through the special counsel ’ s office .
We also requested all the documents that would reveal the discussions among Attorney General William Barr , former deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein , and other high-ranking officials about whether to charge Trump with obstruction .
In response , Justice Department lawyers claimed the volume of records requested could total 18 billion pages and take centuries to produce .

Comey’s chief of staff, James Rybicki, provided investigators with additional details related to the immediate aftermath of his boss’s firing in May 2017. The day after firing Comey, Trump reportedly called Andrew McCabe, then the deputy director of the FBI, to complain that Comey was allowed to use an FBI airplane to return to Washington, DC, from Los Angeles, where he had been on official business. The call is recounted in the Mueller report, which says Trump told McCabe “that Comey should not have been permitted to travel back to Washington, D.C. on the FBI's airplane."
Rybicki’s interview dates Trump’s anger about the plane ride to the night of Comey’s firing, when McCabe returned from a meeting with Trump at the White House and told Rybicki that the president “was upset.”
“Before permitting Comey to return on the FBI airplane, Rybicki and others consulted with the FBI's Office of General Counsel and determined Comey's use of the airplane was de minimus given the need for the pilots, Director's detail, and the airplane itself to return to Washington,” Rybicki’s interview summary says.
In another interview, Rybicki discussed the fallout of a one-on-one conversation between the president and Comey in February 2017. The subject of the conversation was Flynn, who had been fired the day before because of contacts with Russians and who was being scrutinized by the FBI. The 2017 Valentine’s Day meeting, during which Trump told Comey that Flynn “was a good guy” and asked the FBI director to “let this go,” was a pillar of Mueller’s obstruction of justice probe.
The Mueller report states that after the discussion in the Oval Office, Comey requested a meeting with then–attorney general Jeff Sessions and asked “that Sessions not leave Comey alone with the President again.” A June 22 interview with Rybicki provides new information about that meeting with Sessions, including Rybicki’s impression that the attorney general didn’t understand Comey’s concerns.
Comey asked Rybicki to contact Jody Hunt, Sessions’ chief of staff, the day after the conversation with Trump to schedule the meeting, Rybicki told investigators. “Hunt agreed to the meeting and added Sessions wanted to talk with Corney about another matter, possibly media leaks,” the interview summary says.
“Rybicki accompanied Comey and was present for the meeting,” it continues. “Comey told Sessions, ‘I work for you, and you should not be asked to leave meetings like that’ and leave me alone with Trump, or words to that effect.”
But Rybicki wasn’t convinced that Sessions had gotten the message. “After the meeting, on the way back to FBIHQ either in the car or elevator at FBIHQ, Rybicki expressed to Comey his concern that he didn't think Sessions really understood the point of Comey's message,” the summary says. Rybicki then asked Comey if he should follow up with Hunt “to reiterate this concern.” The summary does not say whether that happened.
“Rybicki does not remember anything in particular as to why he thought Sessions did not understand Comey's concern, but just did not think Sessions fully comprehended the importance of being there when Trump and Comey were together,” the summary reads. Rybicki then started telling Hunt about any contact between Comey and the president, “or would make sure such meetings were scheduled so Sessions could attend.” Though the documents released Monday include an interview with Hunt, that summary is heavily redacted.
Rybicki’s June 22 interview also shed light on a conversation with Dana Boente, a senior Justice Department official who was overseeing the Russia investigation at the time. During an April 11, 2017, phone call, Rybicki told Boente that the White House counsel might call him because Comey had previously told Trump to go that route when seeking information about the probe.
"Boente said something along line [sic] of, 'I was hoping he had forgotten about that', or words to that effect," Rybicki told investigators.
In an earlier interview, Rybicki provided details about how senior FBI officials prepared for a meeting in January 2017 in which Comey briefed Trump, then the president-elect, on allegations contained in the document now known as the Steele dossier. Though the June 9, 2017, interview summary doesn’t cite the dossier by name, it says that the “principal leaders of the intelligence community had discussed who would deliver the information that would be presented” at the Trump Tower meeting in early January, and they agreed that it should be Comey. The former FBI director later testified that the meeting was about the dossier.
“The FBI team agreed that Comey should memorialize his exchange with Trump because of the sensitive subject matter, the fact it would be their first meeting together, and because Comey anticipated he and Trump would be alone,” Rybicki’s interview summary states. Comey had a “classified laptop” in his vehicle so that immediately after the meeting at Trump Tower ended, he could write a memo about it.
“Rybicki could not recall how far in advance the FBI team discussed Comey's meeting with Trump, but opined it was at least a few days,” the summary adds.
That interview with Rybicki shows how he and Comey kept track of the FBI director’s conversations with the president, which Comey memorialized in writing. Rybicki said he had printed copies of his written accounts, which Comey signed or initialed “in blue ink.” Rybicki kept them in folders in his desk drawer, he told investigators. He even got a menu card from Comey after his dinner with the president at the White House on Jan. 27, 2017, where he said Trump asked him for loyalty. Rybicki also said that they referred to calls from the White House switchboard as calls from “the Royal Crown.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-03--This Iowa Poll Was Never Published. It’s Still Influencing What You Read.

DES MOINES — The Des Moines Register spiked its poll Saturday night , but by the next day it seemed most reporters here had seen the numbers — or something purporting to be the numbers .
Here ’ s what happened : As the Des Moines Register readied a cover story and CNN prepped for an hourlong special about the time-honored poll , Pete Buttigieg ’ s campaign complained that his name hadn ’ t been offered to some poll recipients .
The pollster , Ann Selzer , quickly discovered the glitch in a Florida call center that triggered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a minor error — but everyone involved cares about their reputation for trustworthiness , and they quickly decided to pull the poll rather than publish with doubts .
But the news organizations had already been preparing to publish the numbers , and a version of them began to circulate almost instantly .
I won ’ t print those numbers : I have n't been able to confirm that the numbers I ’ ve seen are the already-questionable official ones .
And yet , most veterans of coverage here trust Selzer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last night that they ’ d quietly taken the unreleased and possibly wrong numbers into account .
“ Nobody was talking about Elizabeth Warren and now everybody thinks she has a shot because of those numbers , ” said Rebecca Katz , a progressive political consultant who supports Warren .
( It ’ s not the only reason , I should note : Other polls this week also showed Warren in a strong position , as did the last published Selzer poll in January . )
I won ’ t point to specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to speak to me off the record about their thinking and decisions .
And I should note that some reporters hadn ’ t seen the poll , or genuinely don ’ t incorporate polling into their reporting , or didn ’ t think the numbers they saw changed the way they were already seeing the race .
Indeed , the numbers widely circulating aren ’ t that different from last month ’ s edition of the same poll , or some other recent polls .
But to other people , both journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Des Moines Marriott Sunday night , the impact had been obvious .
Here are what some reporters told me about how the poll affected their work : • One reporter for a major newspaper told me they inserted a few paragraphs into a story to anticipate results predicted by the poll .
• A reporter for another major national outlet said they covered an Elizabeth Warren event in part because she looked strong in the secret poll .
• Another outlet had been trying to figure out whether Amy Klobuchar was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar to other recent polling , steered coverage away from that conclusion .
• “ You can ’ t help it affecting how you ’ re thinking , ” said another reporter .
The numbers bled into the opinion-making Twitter conversation .
Right-wing figure Mike Cernovich tweeted a version that matched what some journalists had seen .
Yang supporters — as skeptical of the media as Trump ’ s acolytes — shared a claim that the secret survey showed a Yang surge , which doesn ’ t match what reporters saw .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News with a top Biden aide and Chris Dodd , the former senator and a Biden supporter , reporters pressed them aggressively on what they planned to do after a catastrophic collapse , questions that seemed to attendees to be based on poll numbers nobody mentioned .
Biden is “ anything but doomed , ” Dodd protested .
Some argued that bad polls for Biden ( who has not done well in Selzer ’ s recent polls , unlike other Iowa polls ) paradoxically help him by setting expectations low .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaked poll that nobody knows but everybody knows and it ’ s going to be like , ‘ Wow !
He ’ s back !
’ ” griped a senior aide to a rival campaign .
” The Biden campaign should send Lis a fruit basket , ” said a reporter , referring to the aide to Pete Buttigieg whose complaint led the poll to be spiked in the first place .
Read the coverage , or watch the television commentary , and you ’ ll see hints here and there .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairly homogenous pack of journalists who still tilt heavily white and male , in the final weeks , especially , as editors and noncampaign reporters descend on Des Moines — has always favored groupthink anyway .
One politico who doesn ’ t fit that demographic looked around the Marriott last night and told me how discouraging it was to think of the disadvantage she has in shaping that consensus .
The state of American primary politics — a state it ’ s reached after a decadeslong slide — is that the media has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the unusual neutrality of American media means that most media won ’ t embrace that role the way factional European media does , or the way the growing number of more overtly ideological American outlets do .
Polls guide media reporting ; the media influences voters ; the circle continues .
And the Democratic National Committee , weak and scared of its own shadow , now defers to those same polls in putting candidates on stage .
It ’ s a rapidly spinning circle that seems to be approaching a kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Register poll did a kind of service in exposing a bit more clearly how the whole thing works .
The participants , too , feel trapped in a frustrating cycle .
“ I can ’ t excise [ the numbers ] from my mind , but I also know they might not be true , and they ’ re not that far from the conventional wisdom before , ” said Politico cofounder John Harris .
“ And the conventional wisdom is wrong all the time anyway .
”

DES MOINES — The Des Moines Register spiked its poll Saturday night, but by the next day it seemed most reporters here had seen the numbers — or something purporting to be the numbers.
Here’s what happened: As the Des Moines Register readied a cover story and CNN prepped for an hourlong special about the time-honored poll, Pete Buttigieg’s campaign complained that his name hadn’t been offered to some poll recipients. The pollster, Ann Selzer, quickly discovered the glitch in a Florida call center that triggered the error. It seemed likely to be just a minor error — but everyone involved cares about their reputation for trustworthiness, and they quickly decided to pull the poll rather than publish with doubts.
But the news organizations had already been preparing to publish the numbers, and a version of them began to circulate almost instantly. I won’t print those numbers: I haven't been able to confirm that the numbers I’ve seen are the already-questionable official ones.
And yet, most veterans of coverage here trust Selzer’s surveys. So many acknowledged to me last night that they’d quietly taken the unreleased and possibly wrong numbers into account.
“Nobody was talking about Elizabeth Warren and now everybody thinks she has a shot because of those numbers,” said Rebecca Katz, a progressive political consultant who supports Warren. (It’s not the only reason, I should note: Other polls this week also showed Warren in a strong position, as did the last published Selzer poll in January.)
I won’t point to specific coverage here, because reporters were kind enough to speak to me off the record about their thinking and decisions. And I should note that some reporters hadn’t seen the poll, or genuinely don’t incorporate polling into their reporting, or didn’t think the numbers they saw changed the way they were already seeing the race. Indeed, the numbers widely circulating aren’t that different from last month’s edition of the same poll, or some other recent polls. But to other people, both journalists and operatives, milling around the lobby of the Des Moines Marriott Sunday night, the impact had been obvious.
Here are what some reporters told me about how the poll affected their work:
• One reporter for a major newspaper told me they inserted a few paragraphs into a story to anticipate results predicted by the poll.
• A reporter for another major national outlet said they covered an Elizabeth Warren event in part because she looked strong in the secret poll.
• Another outlet had been trying to figure out whether Amy Klobuchar was surging; the poll, which looked similar to other recent polling, steered coverage away from that conclusion.
• “You can’t help it affecting how you’re thinking,” said another reporter.
The numbers bled into the opinion-making Twitter conversation. Right-wing figure Mike Cernovich tweeted a version that matched what some journalists had seen. Yang supporters — as skeptical of the media as Trump’s acolytes — shared a claim that the secret survey showed a Yang surge, which doesn’t match what reporters saw.
At a breakfast Sunday morning hosted by Bloomberg News with a top Biden aide and Chris Dodd, the former senator and a Biden supporter, reporters pressed them aggressively on what they planned to do after a catastrophic collapse, questions that seemed to attendees to be based on poll numbers nobody mentioned. Biden is “anything but doomed,” Dodd protested.
Some argued that bad polls for Biden (who has not done well in Selzer’s recent polls, unlike other Iowa polls) paradoxically help him by setting expectations low.
“He gets one percentage point better than the leaked poll that nobody knows but everybody knows and it’s going to be like, ‘Wow! He’s back!’” griped a senior aide to a rival campaign.
”The Biden campaign should send Lis a fruit basket,” said a reporter, referring to the aide to Pete Buttigieg whose complaint led the poll to be spiked in the first place.
Read the coverage, or watch the television commentary, and you’ll see hints here and there. The way Iowa is covered — by a fairly homogenous pack of journalists who still tilt heavily white and male, in the final weeks, especially, as editors and noncampaign reporters descend on Des Moines — has always favored groupthink anyway. One politico who doesn’t fit that demographic looked around the Marriott last night and told me how discouraging it was to think of the disadvantage she has in shaping that consensus.
The state of American primary politics — a state it’s reached after a decadeslong slide — is that the media has replaced any party apparatus in selecting candidates. But the unusual neutrality of American media means that most media won’t embrace that role the way factional European media does, or the way the growing number of more overtly ideological American outlets do. Polls guide media reporting; the media influences voters; the circle continues. And the Democratic National Committee, weak and scared of its own shadow, now defers to those same polls in putting candidates on stage.
It’s a rapidly spinning circle that seems to be approaching a kind of breaking point, and the spiked Register poll did a kind of service in exposing a bit more clearly how the whole thing works. The participants, too, feel trapped in a frustrating cycle.
“I can’t excise [the numbers] from my mind, but I also know they might not be true, and they’re not that far from the conventional wisdom before,” said Politico cofounder John Harris. “And the conventional wisdom is wrong all the time anyway.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-03--Democrats And Trump’s Lawyers Make Their Final Arguments In Trump’s Impeachment Trial

House Democrats and Trump ’ s lawyers had a total of four hours to make their cases on Monday before the trial wraps up .
Though Trump had hoped to have the trial ended quickly — and before his State of the Union address Tuesday night — senators will take Tuesday off of their trial duties and vote on whether to remove him from office on Wednesday at 4 p.m .
The Impeachment Today podcast gets you up to date with the day ’ s most important impeachment news .
Catch up on all the episodes , or subscribe on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spotify , or wherever you listen to your favorite shows .
At this point in the trial , senators from both parties largely agree on the facts of the case — that Trump withheld the Ukraine aid in exchange for help in his reelection campaign — but while Democrats say he is a danger to the country and interfering in the 2020 election , Republicans believe his are not impeachable , though some concede they were inappropriate .
The decision of whether to remove Trump from office , Republicans argue , is better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate .
Trump was charged with two articles of impeachment by the House in December : abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
The charges relate to Trump ’ s decision to withhold vital military aid from Ukraine , until the country agreed to open investigations into one of his political rivals , Joe Biden , largely based on conspiracy theories .
Trump then stonewalled Congress ’ investigation of the Ukraine affair , preventing members of his administration from testifying and refusing to hand over documents to the House , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already starting to make their cases for how impeachment will look in the history books .
In his closing statement , Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff argued that history will judge the Senate harshly if they let Trump stay in office without punishment .
Republican Sen. Roy Blunt said that kind of perspective will only become clear after the 2020 election .
`` I think a lot of it will be impacted by how voters react to President Trump this coming November , and that 's not many months away , '' said Blunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that presidents are not judged solely on whether or not they win re-election .
`` That 's not the sole metric of success as a president , '' he said .
House Democrats spoke for just over an hour Monday morning , concluding with Schiff urging senators to remove Trump from office .
`` Today we urge you in the face of overwhelming evidence of the president 's guilt and knowing that if left in office he will continue to seek foreign interference in the next election , to vote to convict on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office Donald J. Trump , the 45th president of the United States , '' he said .
White House lawyers then began their presentation after a lunch break , starting off with Ken Starr , the prosecutor who headed the investigation into former president Bill Clinton , which led to his impeachment .
White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrapped up their arguments by urging senators to vote against removing Trump from office and leave the decision to voters in November .
`` I urge you ... on behalf of all of your constituents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Cipollone told senators .
`` It 's the right thing for our country , the president has done nothing wrong , and these types of impeachment must end .
You will vindicate the right to vote , you will vindicate the Constitution , you will vindicate the rule of law by rejecting these articles . ''
Democrats held onto some of their time in order to get the last word in .
Schiff ended the day 's arguments by citing the Founding Fathers , telling senators that they put impeachment into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We have proven Donald Trump guilty .
Now , do impartial justice and convict him , '' he implored them .
Monday 's closing arguments come after Republicans voted on Friday against calling any witnesses or subpoenaing more documents in the trial .
Democrats had wanted to call former national security adviser John Bolton , among others , to present evidence to the Senate .
Bolton is the only potential witness in the impeachment inquiry who heard directly from Trump that was withholding aid from Ukraine specifically to force the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpublished manuscript of his forthcoming book which was brought to light by the New York Times .
Sens .
Mitt Romney and Susan Collins were the only two Republicans to vote in favor of calling witnesses , specifically saying they wanted to hear from Bolton .
Their support was not enough , however , to get Democrats to the 51 votes they needed to call witnesses .

Politicians are already starting to make their cases for how impeachment will look in the history books. In his closing statement, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff argued that history will judge the Senate harshly if it lets Trump stay in office without punishment. Republican Sen. Roy Blunt said that kind of perspective will only become clear after the 2020 election.
"I think a lot of it will be impacted by how voters react to President Trump this coming November, and that's not many months away," said Blunt.
But Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said that presidents are not judged solely on whether they win reelection. "That's not the sole metric of success as a president," he said.
House Democrats spoke for just over an hour Monday morning, concluding with Schiff urging senators to remove Trump from office.
"Today we urge you in the face of overwhelming evidence of the president's guilt — and knowing that, if left in office, he will continue to seek foreign interference in the next election — to vote to convict on both articles of impeachment and remove from office Donald J. Trump, the 45th president of the United States," he said.
White House lawyers then began their presentation after a lunch break, starting off with Ken Starr, the prosecutor who headed the investigation into former president Bill Clinton, which led to his impeachment. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone wrapped up their arguments by urging senators to vote against removing Trump from office and leave the decision to voters in November.
"I urge you ... on behalf of all of your constituents to reject these articles of impeachment," Cipollone told senators. "It's the right thing for our country. The president has done nothing wrong, and these types of impeachment must end. You will vindicate the right to vote, you will vindicate the Constitution, you will vindicate the rule of law by rejecting these articles."
Democrats held on to some of their time in order to get the last word in. Schiff ended the day's arguments by citing the Founding Fathers, telling senators that they put impeachment into the Constitution for exactly this kind of scenario. "We have proven Donald Trump guilty. Now do impartial justice and convict him," he implored them.
Monday's closing arguments followed Republicans voting on Friday against calling any witnesses or subpoenaing more documents in the trial. Democrats had wanted to call John Bolton, among others, to present evidence to the Senate; the former national security adviser is the only potential witness in the impeachment inquiry who heard directly from Trump that the president was withholding aid from Ukraine specifically to force the country to investigate Biden, according to an unpublished manuscript of his forthcoming book, which was brought to light by the New York Times.
Sens. Mitt Romney and Susan Collins were the only two Republicans to vote in favor of calling witnesses, specifically saying they wanted to hear from Bolton. Their support was not enough, however, to get Democrats to the 51 votes they needed to call witnesses.