Live political reporting continues in Monday’s blog:
Summary
Tonight’s recap:
- The White House declined an invitation to partake in the House impeachment inquiry. “House Democrats have wasted enough of America’s time with this charade,” wrote White House lawyer Pat Cipollone in a letter to the House Judiciary chairman. “You should end this inquiry now.”
- The Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s request to restart federal executions on Monday and granted Trump’s request for a temporary delay in the enforcement of a subpoena for his financial records.
- The House passed a voting rights bill, with all but one Republican opposing the measure. The Guardian spoke to Alabama representative Terri Sewell, who represents Selma and parts of Montgomery and Birmingham, about why she’s prioritizing voting rights.
- Duncan Hunter, the California Republican who pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds for personal expenses said he’s resigning for Congress.
2020 Tidbits
- Pete Buttigieg released some details about his work at McKinsey amidst growing scrutiny of his time there.
- Michael Bloomberg apologized after he called Cory Booker “well-spoken”.
-
Elizabeth Warren was the first candidate to release her medical records, including a note from her doctor saying she was “in excellent health”.
Here’s the full story on the White House declining its impeachment hearing invitation:
Updated
Pete Buttigieg has released some details about his work at the consulting firm McKinsey but did not disclose the names of his clients.
The South Bend, Indiana mayor, and 2020 presidential candidate worked at McKinsey for three years. In response to criticism that he hasn’t been forthcoming about his time there, Buttigieg said he has signed a non-disclosure agreement preventing him from sharing more details.
McKinsey has come under increased scrutiny this week after a New York Times/ProPublica investigation found that the firm helped Immigration and Customs Enforcement find “detention savings opportunities” that included cutting spending on food and medical care for detained migrants. Earlier reports found that the firm worked with authoritarian governments counter to US interests.
In a statement, Buttigieg called for “McKinsey to do the right thing in the name of transparency” and release the names of his clients.
He provided some details about his work, writing that in 2007, he “served a nonprofit health insurance provider for approximately three months, undertaking on-the-job training and performing analytical work as part of a team identifying savings in administration and overhead costs.”
In 2008, he worked for a grocery chain in Toronto, “analyzing the effects of price cuts” and a consumer goods retailer in Chicago “to investigate opportunities for selling more energy-efficient home products in their stores”.
Subsequently, he researched ‘opportunities to combat climate change through energy efficiency” for a group of organizations that included the US Environmental Protection Agency, and later did similar work for a non-profit in California.
Finally, he said he worked with the US government researching ways to increase employment and entrepreneurship in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Buttigieg has previously touted his work with McKinsey as an asset, and a way to show that he understands business.
Updated
House passes bill to reinstate key portions of the Voting Rights Act
The House passed a bill to grant greater federal oversight over state elections, restoring a key provision of the 1956 Voting Rights Act which was weakened by a 2013 Supreme Court decision.
The legislation was approved 228-187, along party lines -- with all the House Republicans, bar one, opposed to it. The Voting Rights Advancement Act charges the Justice Department with greater oversight in states that repeatedly violate voting rights. It’s unlikely that the measure will pass into law given Republican opposition in the Senate.
Still, Democrats who have long-advocated for voting rights, and who are looking to demonstrate that they can still legislate while overseeing the impeachment inquiry, are celebrating today’s incremental victory. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, who was beaten while demonstrating for voting rights in 1965, banged the gavel to mark the bill’s passage.
Alabama representative Terri Sewell, who introduced the bill, recently spoke with The Guardian about why voting rights are a priority.
In what ways is the issue of voting rights personal for you, especially as someone who is from Selma?
SEWELL: Growing up in Selma, Alabama, there was never a moment that I was not keenly aware of the sacrifice of those who came before me, and the pivotal role of my home in our nation’s struggle for civil rights. Those stories did not have to be taught, as they are interwoven into the fabric of Selma. Their lessons of strength, resilience and deep patriotism have shaped me and opened doors of opportunity, for me and for so many others. For all of these reasons, voting rights are deeply personal to me. H.R. 4, which seeks to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965, remains my signature piece of legislation, and I will continue to fight tirelessly until it is passed.
In what ways are voting rights especially relevant now?
During this deeply sobering moment in our nation’s history, as we protect against further foreign interference in our elections, I believe it is more important than ever that we, as elected officials, are doing everything possible to ensure that our elections are conducted fairly and that every single American is given equal opportunity to cast their vote. Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and we must continue to invest in infrastructure and policies that help ensure that every single American can make their voice heard at the ballot box.
What are your biggest concerns going into the 2020 elections when it comes to voting rights, and what, if anything, do you anticipate can be done going into the upcoming election?
I am certainly concerned by the possibility of foreign interference and the Senate must take up the bills the House has passed to protect our election infrastructure from outside interference. I am equally concerned by the steps state legislatures across the country have taken — both before and since the November 2018 midterm elections — to limit access to the ballot box. Voting is a right, not a privilege, and it is paramount that we ensure access to all Americans, without allowing economic indicators or other challenging circumstances be a barrier.
Do you foresee the VRAA passing in time to take effect before the 2020 election?
Historically, the VRA has been supported by both parties; President Bush was proud to sign an extension into law in 2006. My hope is that history will extend to the VRAA, too.
***
Follow The Guardian’s special coverage of the systemic ways that voting rights are denied to so many Americans and how this will impact the US presidential elections:
Updated
Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's request to restart federal executions
On Monday, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the federal government to carry out four scheduled executions by reinstating the federal death penalty after a 16-year old.
The Supreme Court just rejected the request — which means there won’t be an execution on Monday.
More context from The AP:
Attorney General William Barr announced during the summer that federal executions would resume using a single drug, pentobarbital, to put inmates to death. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, D.C., temporarily halted the executions after some of the chosen inmates challenged the new execution procedures in court. Chutkan ruled that the procedure approved by Barr likely violates the Federal Death Penalty Act.
The federal appeals court in Washington had earlier denied the administration’s emergency plea to put Chutkan’s ruling on hold and allow the executions to proceed.
Federal executions are likely to remain on hold at least for several months, while the appeals court in Washington undertakes a full review of Chutkan’s ruling.
Updated
Supreme court grants Trump's request to temporarily block subpoena for financial records
The Supreme Court has granted Donald Trump’s request to block a congressional subpoena for his financial records from Deutsche Bank. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg delayed an appellate court’s decision ordering Deutsche Bank and Capitol One to comply with subpoenas until 5pm on Friday, Dec. 13, giving the court considers granting an even longer delay and Trump’s lawyers time to prepare a formal appeal.
Trump has gone to great lengths to keep his financial records private. In a separate case, he’s appealing to prevent the House Oversight Committee from obtaining financial records from his longtime accounting firm Mazars.
Duncan Hunter to resign from Congress
Duncan Hunter, the Republican representative from California who plead guilty to misusing campaign funds, has announced he will be resigning from Congress.
“Shortly after the Holidays, I will resign from Congress. It has been an honor to serve the people of California’s 50th District, and I greatly appreciate the trust they have put in me over these last 11 years,” Hunter said in a statement.
Yesterday, the House Ethics Committee informed Hunter that he “should refrain from voting” in the House of Representatives “unless or until judicial or executive proceedings result in reinstatement of the presumption of innocence … or until the Member is reelected to the House after the date of such conviction.”
Hunter and his wife were charged with spending more $250,000 in campaign funds on personal costs including vacations, groceries and other bills.
Updated
Michael Bloomberg apologized for calling Cory Booker “well-spoken”.
The late entrant to the 2020 presidential primaries said, “I probably shouldn’t have used the word, but I could just tell you he is a friend of mine. He is a Rhodes Scholar, which is much more impressive than my academic background. I envy him.”
In an interview with CBS This Morning’s Gayle King, Bloomberg said, “Cory Booker endorsed me a number of times and I endorsed Cory Booker a number of times,” Bloomberg told King. “He’s very well-spoken. He’s got some good ideas. It would be better the more diverse any group is. But the public is out there picking and choosing and narrowing down this field.”
Updated
Evening summary
That’s it from me on the blog today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- The White House announced it would not participate in Monday’s impeachment hearing conducted by the House judiciary committee, slamming the inquiry as “completely baseless.”
- Trump said he spoke to the Saudi king about the shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, which left four people dead. Authorities said the shooter was a Saudi national studying aviation at the naval base, raising potential terrorism concerns.
- Trump asked the Supreme Court to block a court ruling ordering Deutsche Bank and Capitol One to hand over the president’s financial records to congressional investigators.
- Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House intelligence committee, said in a New Yorker interview that Trump “doesn’t give a shit about what’s good for our country” as Democratic leadership moves toward drafting articles of impeachment.
- The House passed a measure endorsing a two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution, implicitly rebuking Trump’s policies toward Israel.
I will be away from the blog next week, so enjoy coverage from some of my wonderful Guardian colleagues. And stay tuned for more updates from Maanvi.
The letter from White House counsel Pat Cipollone to the House judiciary committee does not explicitly say Trump will not participate in Monday’s impeachment hearing, but an administration official reportedly confirmed he would not be sending a representative.
Senior admin official acknowledges the letter doesn't specifically state the WH won't participate. But that's what the letter means, according to a senior administration official. "The letter communicates that we will not participate in this process," the official said. https://t.co/AL569ghbNp
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) December 6, 2019
In his letter notifying the House judiciary committee of Trump’s decision not to send a representative to Monday’s hearing, White House counsel Pat Cipollone slammed the impeachment inquiry as “completely baseless.”
White House responds to @HouseJudiciary ...No participation in House impeachment. pic.twitter.com/NGp6Y3GfGC
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) December 6, 2019
The letter concludes, “Whatever course you choose, as the President has recently stated: ‘if you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business.’”
White House announces it will not participate in Monday impeachment hearing
The White House has decided it will not send a representative to the House judiciary committee’s next impeachment hearing, which is scheduled for Monday. Trump’s legal team was facing a 5 p.m. ET deadline to notify the committee of its decision.
From colleague John Roberts. WH announces it won't participate in impeachment process: “We don’t see any reason to participate because the process is unfair. Speaker Pelosi has already announced the predetermined result. They will not give us the ability to call any witnesses"
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 6, 2019
If the president had sent a representative, the lawyer would have been allowed to pose questions to those presenting the findings of the House intelligence committee, but some of Trump’s allies have expressed concern about adding credibility to the proceedings.
White House faces 5 p.m. deadline to alert judiciary committee
The White House is abour half an hour away from a 5 p.m. ET deadline to notify the House judiciary committee about whether Trump intends to send a representative to the panel’s next impeachment hearing, which is taking place Monday.
The hearing will allow the House intelligence committee to present the findings contained in its impeachment report, as well as the minority report compiled by the panel’s Republican members.
If Trump sends a representative, that lawyer would be allowed to pose questions to the staffers presenting the committee’s findings. But sending a representative could also add credibility to the hearing, which the president is desperately trying to avoid.
Trump was given the opportunity to send a lawyer to Wednesday’s hearing featuring testimony from four legal experts, but he declined.
House passes measure backing two-state solution
As House Democrats move toward drafting articles of impeachment against Trump, the chamber’s Democratic leadership is also advancing other measures, including a vote today on endorsing a two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution.
The Washington Post reports:
The measure was the latest example of House Democrats wading into the divisive realm of U.S.-Israel relations, an outgrowth of a broader controversy over the party’s weakening support for Israel’s right-wing government and its willingness to police seemingly anti-Semitic remarks by members of its ranks.
The vote was 226 to 188, with five Republicans breaking ranks and joining Democrats in backing the resolution.
The legislation declares that “only the outcome of a two-state solution . . . can both ensure the state of Israel’s survival as a Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own.”
The vote serves as an implicit rebuke of Trump’s policies on Israel, coming a month after the president’s administration announced the US would no longer consider Israeli settlements in the west bank to be illegal.
But the vote was also notable for the four Democrats who opposed the measure from the left: congresswomen Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley, the four freshman lawmakers known as “the Squad.”
Earlier today, Elizabeth Warren became the first Democratic presidential candidate to release her medical records, which included a note from her longtime doctor saying she was “in excellent health.”
“In summary, Senator Elizabeth Warren is a very healthy 70 year old woman,” Dr Beverly Woo wrote. “There are no medical conditions or health problems that would keep her from fulfilling the duties of the President of the United States.”
According to Woo, Warren is 5’8” and weighs 129 pounds. Her only medical condition is hypothyroidism, which is treated with daily medication. “She exercises regularly and follows a healthy diet despite her very busy schedule,” Woo wrote, adding that Warren doesn’t have a history of smoking or drug use.
The health of the Democratic presidential candidates has come under renewed scrutiny since Bernie Sanders, 78, suffered a heart attack in October. Sanders has returned to the campaign trail, but the episode raised questions about the wisdom of nominating a candidate in their 70’s -- as Sanders, Warren and Joe Biden all are.
At an Iowa campaign event yesterday, an elderly voter pressed Biden on his age. “I’m not sedentary,” the former vice president angrily replied. “And you want to check my shape, man, let’s do push-ups together here, man. Let’s run. Let’s do whatever you want to do. Let’s take an IQ test. Okay?”
Warren on Native American ancestry claims: 'I shouldn't have done it'
Taking questions from voters at a campaign event in New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren addressed her past claims of Native American ancestry, which have sparked criticism from the president and others.
Warren gets a question in NH town hall from a voter asking what she shud tell relatives about the past claims of Native American ancestry. “I shouldn’t have done it. I am not a person of color, I am not a citizen of a tribe. And I have apologized for confusion I have caused” pic.twitter.com/ASUWovTK5c
— Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) December 6, 2019
Warren began by saying she had learned about her family history from her parents, who had told her about her alleged Native American ancestry. The Massachusetts senators also directed voters to a Boston Globe investigation that found Warren’s ethnicity claims were not a factor in her successful legal career.
But the presidential candidate acknowledged she regretted the mistake. “I shouldn’t have done it,” Warren said. “I am not a person of color, I am not a citizen of a tribe. And I have apologized for confusion I have caused.”
In addition to his complaints about water pressure, Trump also took aim at energy-efficient lightbulbs, which he said gave people an “orange look.” “I don’t want an orange look,” the president said.
President Trump joking about why he doesn’t like the new light bulbs: “It doesn’t make you look as good. Being a vain person, that’s very important to me. It gives you an orange look, I don’t want an orange look.”
— Eamon Javers (@EamonJavers) December 6, 2019
During Trump’s roundtable on small businesses, the president also inexplicably touched on the issue of water pressure and complained about toilets not properly flushing.
Trump expresses frustration about water efficiency, says sinks don’t have enough pressure and people have to flush toilets multiple times. He says he has directed the EPA to look at opening up water standards. It’s called rain, he says, referring to states with lots of water. pic.twitter.com/pwvzqULeGB
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) December 6, 2019
“People are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times as opposed to once,” Trump said. “They end up using more water.” The president added he had asked the EPA to look into water standards.
Trump says shooting being 'studied' for potential terrorism and ignores impeachment questions
During Trump’s roundtable on small businesses and his adminsitration’s deregulation efforts, the president answered one question about the Naval Air Station shooting, declining to say whether authorities believed the incident was terrorism-related.
“That’s all being studied now,” Trump said. “We will be talking about it very soon. ...It will be a report and the report will come out very soon.”
The president ignored shouted questions about his response to the House judiciary committee on the impeachment inquiry, as his legal team faces a 5 p.m. ET deadline to let the panel know about participating in its Monday hearing.
Asked Trump several times how he plans to respond to a 5pm deadline for the White House participating in House Judiciary hearings, but he was not in the mood to talk impeachment.
— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) December 6, 2019
Trump asks SCOTUS to block handover of bank records
Donald Trump, fighting to keep details of his finances secret, asked the US Supreme Court this afternoon to prevent records held by Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp from being handed over to Democratic-led congressional panels.
Trump’s lawyers asked the high court to put a hold a December 3 ruling by the Manhattan-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals directing the two banks to comply with April subpoenas by the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee and Intelligence Committee for the financial records, Reuters writes.
The record requests relate to the president, three of his children and the Trump Organization. Lawmakers have said the requests are part of a wider investigation into money laundering and foreign influence over US politics, especially relating to Trump-owned hotels.
Deutsche Bank has long been a principal lender for Trump’s real estate business. A 2017 disclosure form showed that Trump had at least $130 million of liabilities to the bank.
Congressional investigators have already identified possible failures in Deutsche Bank’s money laundering controls in its dealings with Russian oligarchs, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters.
Trump has sought to keep his financial and tax records private. He broke with tradition by not releasing his tax returns as a candidate in 2016 and as president.
Updated
Trump began his roundtable discussion on small businesses and his administration’s deregulation efforts by echoing his tweet about having just spoken to the Saudi king regarding the shooting in Pensacola.
“It’s a horrible thing that took place, and we’re getting to the bottom of it,” the president told White House pool reporters.
Authorities have said the attacker, who killed three people before being shot himself, was a Saudi national studying aviation at the naval base, raising possible terrorism concerns.
Trump says he spoke to Saudi king after Naval Air Station shooting
Trump has just tweeted that he spoke to the king of Saudi Arabia following the shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, which officials said was carried out by a Saudi aviation student at the base.
....The King said that the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter, and that this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2019
Speaking to reporters moments ago, Florida governor Ron DeSantis said, “The government of Saudi Arabia needs to make things better for these victims. I think they’re gonna owe a debt here given that this is one of their individuals.” The shooting left at least four dead, including the gunman.
Gov. DeSantis says he spoke to President Trump on the NAS Pensacola shooting:
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 6, 2019
"The government of Saudi Arabia needs to make things better for these victims. I think they're gonna owe a debt here given that this is one of their individuals." pic.twitter.com/pNzSE6x48f
Three Republican senators -- Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson -- have sent a letter requesting “staff-led transcribed interviews” with former DNC consultant Alexandra Chalupa and Andrii Telizhenko, who was a political officer in the Ukrainian embassy.
The letter includes requests for interviews with DNC contractor Alexandra Chalupa and Andrii Telizhenko, who was a political officer in the Ukrainian embassy pic.twitter.com/Uwg1D2Qe3n
— Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) December 6, 2019
Chalupa’s name came up repeatedly during the House intelligence committee’s public impeachment trials because some of the president’s Republican allies have tried to equate her work researching former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, which was aided by a handful of Ukrainian officials, with Russia’s widespread efforts to meddle in the 2016 election.
Trump’s allies have pointed to Chalupa’s work to bolster the baseless theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, despite the testimony from Fiona Hill, the former top White House expert on Russia, that the allegations against Ukraine are a “fictional narrative” peddled by the Kremlin.
Taking questions from reporters, White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley said he believes Rudy Giuliani is still the president’s personal lawyer, even as the former New York mayor traveled to Europe this week to meet with former Ukrainian officials who helped spread baseless corruption allegations against Joe Biden.
Hogan Gidley says as far as he knows, Rudy Giuliani is still the president’s personal attorney. Despite enormous scrutiny, Giuliani recently traveled to Ukraine for meetings.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) December 6, 2019
As reports emerged that the shooter at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola was a Saudi aviation student, raising possible concerns of terrorism, Trump said he had just received a briefing on the situation and had spoken to the governor of Florida.
But the president offered no additional details on the possible motivation for the attack. “We are continuing to monitor the situation as the investigation is ongoing,” Trump said in a tweet.
Just received a full briefing on the tragic shooting at NAS Pensacola in Florida, and spoke to @GovRonDeSantis. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult time. We are continuing to monitor the situation as the investigation is ongoing.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2019
Afternoon summary
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- A shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, left at least four dead, including the gunman. Authorities believe the attacker was a Saudi aviation student at the base, sparking concerns that the shooting was terrorism-related.
- Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, said in a New Yorker interview that he believes Trump “doesn’t give a shit about what’s good for our country” as Democratic leadership moves toward drafting articles of impeachment.
- Michael Bloomberg was criticized for referring to fellow Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker as “well spoken,” which many commentators said promoted a racist trope and belittled the New Jersey senator’s intelligence.
The blog will have much more coming up, so stay tuned.
Naval Air Station shooting being investigated for possible terrorism link
The gunman who killed at least three people at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, was reportedly a Saudi national, which has sparked concerns that the attack may have been terrorism-related.
BREAKING//WASHINGTON (AP) _ US official: Naval Station shooting suspect was Saudi aviation student; authorities investigating if terrorism-related.
— Julie Pace (@jpaceDC) December 6, 2019
Updated
Giuliani calls for joint US-Ukrainian investigation into corruption
Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer who has become a key figure in the impeachment inquiry, is now proposing a joint US-Ukrainian probe to investigate potential corruption by officials from both countries.
In reviewing my notes, it seems to me that a large scale joint investigation into Ukraine and the US would uncover and recover billions stolen by crooks, from both countries, at the highest levels.
— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) December 6, 2019
This would be the most effective way to bring our two countries together.
The tweet, which is unlikely to generate any legitimate interest, comes the same week that Giuliani traveled to Europe to meet with former Ukrainian officials who helped spread baseless corruption allegations against Joe Biden.
Democratic congressman says Democrats want to 'move as expeditiously as possible' on impeachment
Congressman Eric Swalwell, a Democratic member of the House judiciary and intelligence committees, said Democrats don’t have a timeline for impeachment but want to “move as expeditiously as possible.”
“There’s no timeline, and that’s intentional,” Swalwell said. “We want to move based on the evidence and what our duty calls us to do. And we don’t want to set artificial timelines. But because the upcoming elections and to make sure the process is fair, we’re trying to move as expeditiously as possible and give the president an opportunity to participate.”
But Democrats seem on track to hold an impeachment vote before recessing for Christmas, as they have reportedly intended since formally launching the inquiry.
On which articles of impeachment Democrats will pursue, Swalwell said, “We have to consider the best articles to tell the American people, ‘This president needs to be held accountable.’”
Congressman Justin Amash, an independent from Michigan who left the Republican Party over his opposition to Trump, said he was ready to vote for three articles of impeachment against the president.
Michigan Rep. Justin Amash told me he’s ready to vote for three articles of impeachment: obstruction of Congress, obstruction of justice and abuse of power. He says he wants to see final language before ultimately deciding.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 6, 2019
At least one House Democrat, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, has said he plans to vote against the articles of impeachment, so Republicans will likely boast about their stance attracting (barely) bipartisan support.
Joe Biden’s super PAC, which just announced plans to air its first ad in Iowa this week, was formed in October as the former vice president struggled to keep up with the fundraising of fellow frontrunners like Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg.
When Biden’s campaign announced it was no longer opposed to supporters forming super PACs, the reversal was quickly denounced by some of the former veep’s opponents, who have relied on grassroots donations to finance their operations.
“I don’t need a super PAC,” Sanders said at an Iowa town hall shortly after Biden announced the change. “I am not going to be controlled by a handful of wealthy people. I will be controlled by the working people of this country.”
Unite the Country, the super PAC backing Joe Biden’s presidential bid, plans to air its first ad in Iowa this week. The ad, entitled “Courage,” touts the former senator’s work on the Violence Against Women Act and an assault weapons ban.
“My mother had an expression. She used to say, ‘Remember Joey, you’re defined by your courage,’” Biden says in the ad.
”The right to be educated. The right to marry who you choose. The right to live free from the threat of violence and fear. These are basic fundamental, universal human rights. Imagine. Imagine what we could build.”
The super PAC is spending at least $650,000 to air the ad in four major Iowa markets, with more buys expected later this month.
Former secretary of state John Kerry, who endorsed Joe Biden’s White House bid yesterday, is introducing the former vice president at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“The only team that’s worked more closely than us is Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin,” Kerry joked.
John Kerry introducing Biden in Cedar Rapids. Says they worked together for 24 years in the senate.
— Alexi McCammond (@alexi) December 6, 2019
“The only team that’s worked more closely than us is Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.” pic.twitter.com/9kQZJWStws
In his endorsement of Biden yesterday, Kerry argued the former veep had the character and experience needed to defeat Trump and reunite the country.
“The world is broken. Our politics are broken. The country faces extraordinary challenges,” Kerry told the Washington Post.
“And I believe very deeply that Joe Biden’s character, his ability to persevere, his decency and the experiences that he brings to the table are critical to the moment. The world has to be put back together, the world that Donald Trump has smashed apart.”
More than 500 law professors have signed on to a letter accusing Trump of committing “impeachable conduct” in his actions toward Ukraine.
The Washington Post reports:
The signers are law professors and other academics from universities across the country, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Michigan and many others. The open letter was published online Friday by the nonprofit advocacy group Protect Democracy.
‘There is overwhelming evidence that President Trump betrayed his oath of office by seeking to use presidential power to pressure a foreign government to help him distort an American election, for his personal and political benefit, at the direct expense of national security interests as determined by Congress,’ the group of professors wrote. ‘His conduct is precisely the type of threat to our democracy that the Founders feared when they included the remedy of impeachment in the Constitution.’
The letter comes two days after three legal experts testified to the House judiciary committee that Trump’s actions met the constitutional standard for impeachment, although a law professor called by the panel’s Republicans disagreed with them on that point.
House Republican announces retirement after redistricting
Congressman George Holding, a Republican on North Carolina, announced he would not seek reeelection next year, citing the state’s newly redrawn congressional map as one reason for his departure.
JUST IN: George Holding (R-NC) announces he's leaving Congress after redrawn map leaves him with a heavily Democratic district. pic.twitter.com/yX3tfxK1Sg
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 6, 2019
“It has also been gratifying to work for the ideals and values that I, like many other Americans, believe in,” Holding said in a statement. “And so it is with regret that I announce I will not be a candidate for Congress this election.”
North Carolina’s new congressional map, which was approved this week by a three-judge panel after the previous map was thrown out for violating the state constitution, has made Holding’s distruct a likely pick-up opportunity for Democrats next year.
GOP Rep. George Holding, whose gerrymandered district was recently made much bluer, has announced his retirement. Per @DKElections' calculations, #NC02 went from 53-44 Trump to 60-36 Clinton https://t.co/XYebEebMW0 @Donnermaps' maps below show how the district lines have changed pic.twitter.com/CdpWsdspbM
— Daily Kos Elections (@DKElections) December 6, 2019
Holding becomes the 22nd House Republican to announce his departure amid a wave of retirements and campaigns for higher office. Fellow congressman Tom Graves, a Republican of Georgia, just announced his own retirement yesterday.
Booker says he was 'taken aback' by Bloomberg's 'well spoken' comment
Cory Booker said he was “taken aback” by fellow Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg’s comment that the New Jersey senator was “well spoken,” which was wildly criticized for promoting a racist trope.
Mike Bloomberg called @CoryBooker "well-spoken," which drew criticisms from voters of color.
— Signal Boost (@SignalBoostShow) December 6, 2019
Here's the US Senator's response to @ZerlinaMaxwell & @jess_mc this morning.
📻FULL CHAT: https://t.co/SOW8B2mbjo pic.twitter.com/2JCYAU2M8E
“Mike and I have known each other for a long time,” Booker told the podcast “Signal Boost,” adding that he has a “great deal of regard” for the former New York mayor.
But Booker added, “It’s sort of stunning at times that we are still revisiting these sort of tired tropes.” The senator expressed hope Bloomberg would revisit the comments, but he said it was “problematic” that so many people still did not see what was wrong with such language.
Booker also made a point to return to his concerns about the Democratic Party taking black voters for granted, particularly in the wake of Kamala Harris’ withdrawal from the presidential race. “We can’t win without the enthusastic support of black voters, and we saw that between 2016 and 2012,” Booker said.
Schiff: Trump 'doesn’t give a shit about what’s good for our country'
In an interview with the New Yorker, Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, said Trump “doesn’t give a shit about what’s good for our country”.
The New Yorker’s Susan B Glasser asked Schiff whether he “hated” Trump after the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, shouted down a reporter who asked her the same question. “No,” Schiff replied, “but I do hate what he is doing to the country.”
The California Democrat argued Trump’s alleged actions toward Ukraine demonstrate an alarming tendency to prioritize his own interests over those of the nation. “The president doesn’t give a shit about what’s good for our country, what’s good for Ukraine,” Schiff said. “It’s all about what’s in it for him personally and for his re-election campaign.”
Schiff also justified House Democrats’ timeline for moving forward with articles of impeachment, despite some Republicans’ demands that they wait until courts rule on whether administration officials must comply with congressional subpoenas.
“The long and the short of it is, though, given that the president is today trying to get foreign interference in the next election to help him, we do not feel that when we already have overwhelming evidence, we should wait any longer,” Schiff said.
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Michael Bloomberg’s ill-advised use of the phrase “well spoken” to describe fellow Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker reminded some commentators of another controversy from the 2008 election involving Joe Biden.
Running against future president Barack Obama, Biden said he believed voters were gravitating toward the then-senator beacuse of his “aticulate” and “clean” image.
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” Biden said in February 2007. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
Biden later released a statement apologizing for the remark, and Obama, who went on to choose Biden as his running mate, said he didn’t take the comment personally.
But Obama also released a statement saying, “I didn’t take Sen. Biden’s comments personally, but obviously they were historically inaccurate. African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns, and no one would call them inarticulate.”
Bloomberg criticized for describing Booker as 'well spoken'
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is receiving criticism for describing fellow Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker as “well spoken” in an interview with CBS News.
.@MikeBloomberg on candidates' diversity: "Don't complain to me that you're not in the race" https://t.co/WBIekwdeZh pic.twitter.com/Ca0QlMn6DH
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) December 6, 2019
Bloomberg was asked about Booker’s complaint that there are “more billionaires than Black people who’ve made the December debate stage” following the withdrawal of Kamala Harris.
“Cory Booker endorsed me a number of times, and I endorsed Cory Booker a number of times,” Bloomberg told Gayle King. “He’s very well spoken; he’s got some very good ideas. It would be better the more diverse any group is, but the public is out there picking and choosing and narrowing down this field.”
Bloomberg argued those who are complaining about the lack of diversity among the Democratic frontrunners should have fielded their own candidate. “Lots of people can enter,” the former New York mayor said. “If you wanted to enter and run for president of the United States, you could have done that. But don’t complain to me that you’re not in the race. It’s up to you.”
But Bloomberg’s comments about Booker specifically quickly kicked off a round of criticism that he had promoted a racist trope that belittled the New Jersey senator’s intelligence.
Cory Booker is “well spoken” (!) Bloomberg says. Ask yourself how many times you hear a POC say the same of a white person https://t.co/8St6Hp4o6n
— Alexi McCammond (@alexi) December 6, 2019
Bloomberg calls Cory Booker, a Rhodes Scholar, “well spoken” https://t.co/wUYZZ5d72L
— Dartunorro D. Clark (@DartDClark) December 6, 2019
Oh dear. Cory Booker is “well-spoken”? Bloomberg is old enough (aka older than maybe 15) to know what a trope this is https://t.co/diTgMGw1bF
— Jessica Shortall 🧂 (@jessicashortall) December 6, 2019
The White House said in a statement that Trump was monitoring the situation at the naval air station in Pensacola after a shooter opened fired on multiple people.
“The President has been briefed on the shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station/Forest Sherman Field and is monitoring the situation,” the statement said.
According to the AP, at least one person was killed in addition to the shooter.
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House speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional Democrats who traveled to Madrid for an international climate meeting are insisting that their presence proved the US is still committed to its pledges.
“Not only are we saying that we as Democrats in the Congress are still in--America is saying that we are still in,” Pelosi said in a press conference this morning.
The United Nations, Chile and Spain are pushing countries to commit to new 2020 plans and goals to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Most of the Democrats running for president have set similar targets, although to achieve them they would have to usher politically contentious climate proposals through a possibly divided Congress.
Under Donald Trump, the federal government has fallen behind on its previous climate commitments, and advocates, states and localities have sought to fill the gap.
US jobs report exceeds expectations
The November jobs report was out this morning, and it showed the US economy created 266,000 jobs last month -- far excceeding the 186,000 forecasted by economists. Wage growth in some sectors has also hit its highest level since the financial crisis.
The end of the General Motors strike certainly helped boost job creation, but the numbers are solid overall, indicating the US economy is strengthening despite Trump’s trade war with China.
For more analysis on the jobs numbers, follow the Guardian’s business live blog.
Shooter dead at naval air station in Pensacola
Authorities said a shooter who opened fire on multiple people at the naval air station in Pensacola, Florida, is now dead.
The AP reports:
News outlets are reporting that 10 people have been taken to area hospitals.
Pensacola Police spokesman Mike Wood has confirmed that law enforcement responded to the active shooter. Base spokesman Jason Bortz said both gates are closed and the base is on lockdown.
NAS Pensacola employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel, according to its website. One of the Navy’s most historic and storied bases, it sprawls along the waterfront southwest of downtown Pensacola. The base dominates the economy of the surrounding area and includes the National Naval Aviation Museum, a popular regional tourist attraction.
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Pelosi dubiously claims impeachment 'isn't about politics'
Good morning, live blog readers!
After a historic day on Capitol Hill, Nancy Pelosi took questions from audience members last night at a CNN town hall, where the House speaker dubiously claimed the impeachment inquiry isn’t political.
“This isn’t about politics at all. This is about patriotism,” Pelosi said hours after announcing that Democratic leadership would move forward with drafting articles of impeachment. “It’s not about partisanship. It’s about honoring our oath of office.”
Pelosi is fond of saying that Democrats are pursuing impeachment because, as Thomas Paine once wrote, “the time has found us”, but it’s undeniable that Americans have strong and opposing beliefs on Donald Trump’s potential removal from office.
According to the FiveThirtyEight polling average, 47.8% of Americans support impeachment, while 44% oppose it. Those numbers could affect Democrats’ ability to maintain control of the House next year – and their hopes of taking back the White House.
Here’s what else is going on today:
- Trump will hold a roundtable on administraiton accomplishments for small businesses at 2.15pm ET and then speak at a White House Christmas reception.
- Nancy Pelosi and the congressional delegation that travelled to Madrid for the UN climate conference will hold a press conference at 9am ET.
- House Democrats will hold a press event at 10.30am ET to tout their bill that would restore the full strength of the Voting Rights Act.
The blog has more coming up, so stay tuned.
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