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Scott Walker to strip powers from incoming Wisconsin Democrats – live Trump on US-North Korea relations: 'We are doing just fine!' – live
(35 minutes later)
Andrew Stiles at the Washington Free Beacon has some quirky ideas for the next chief of staff.
Stiles was one of the writers to envision a Trump inauguration in 2015.
In ex-chief of staff news, Reince Priebus is joining the Navy.
Priebus, with lobbying from Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, appears to be on course to become a naval reserve officer.
Priebus’s press secretary Sean Spicer, has long been a naval reserve officer.
Losing Senate candidate and potential 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke doesn’t know if he’s progressive.
Asked if he’s a progressive, @BetoORourke says, ‘I don’t know.’ He’s not big on labels, he says pic.twitter.com/gDczpTZ2Bb
Congressional Republicans will be short one vote in any funding fight.Congressional Republicans will be short one vote in any funding fight.
Walter Jones, an iconoclastic Republican from North Carolina, will not be returning to Washington for the rest of the year for health reasons.Walter Jones, an iconoclastic Republican from North Carolina, will not be returning to Washington for the rest of the year for health reasons.
Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., won't be coming back to the Capitol for the rest of the year due to illness, according to a statement in the Congressional Record.That's one more House Republican vote that leaders won't have.https://t.co/xHBqpeFSKhRep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., won't be coming back to the Capitol for the rest of the year due to illness, according to a statement in the Congressional Record.That's one more House Republican vote that leaders won't have.https://t.co/xHBqpeFSKh
President Donald Trump has just tweeted about U.S. relations with North Korea where he says “we are in no hurry” to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and deal with Kim Jong Un’s rogue regime.President Donald Trump has just tweeted about U.S. relations with North Korea where he says “we are in no hurry” to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and deal with Kim Jong Un’s rogue regime.
Many people have asked how we are doing in our negotiations with North Korea - I always reply by saying we are in no hurry, there is wonderful potential for great economic success for that country.... ....Kim Jong Un sees it better than anyone and will fully take advantage of it for his people. We are doing just fine!
NBC News just reported that North Korea continues to flout international sanctions.NBC News just reported that North Korea continues to flout international sanctions.
Outgoing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker just announced he will sign all of the legislation passed by the Republican state legislature to limit the power of the incoming governor and attorney general as well as to limit early voting in the state.Outgoing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker just announced he will sign all of the legislation passed by the Republican state legislature to limit the power of the incoming governor and attorney general as well as to limit early voting in the state.
Democrats have decried the move as a power grab and have threatened litigation.Democrats have decried the move as a power grab and have threatened litigation.
And here it is...Walker: “I’ll be signing each of these three bills in their entirety.”And here it is...Walker: “I’ll be signing each of these three bills in their entirety.”
Fresh out of jail, George Papadopoulos has told the Daily Telegraph that he is considering a congressional run in Orange County, California. The longtime Republican bastion was swept by Democrats in the 2018 midterms.Fresh out of jail, George Papadopoulos has told the Daily Telegraph that he is considering a congressional run in Orange County, California. The longtime Republican bastion was swept by Democrats in the 2018 midterms.
NEW: George Papadopoulos, the Trump adviser jailed over Russia meddling probe, wants to run for Congress in 2020.He tells me he is looking at seats in Orange County (Nixon’s birthplace) and is already taking to donors.Full interview: https://t.co/bUmOuO6uyE pic.twitter.com/6roXm6RccUNEW: George Papadopoulos, the Trump adviser jailed over Russia meddling probe, wants to run for Congress in 2020.He tells me he is looking at seats in Orange County (Nixon’s birthplace) and is already taking to donors.Full interview: https://t.co/bUmOuO6uyE pic.twitter.com/6roXm6RccU
Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein is sitting on $164,000 after raising millions of dollars for doomed presidential campaign recounts. However, she’s not using any of it to pay the $53,000 in outstanding fines levied against her campaign by the Federal Election Commission.Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein is sitting on $164,000 after raising millions of dollars for doomed presidential campaign recounts. However, she’s not using any of it to pay the $53,000 in outstanding fines levied against her campaign by the Federal Election Commission.
Dave Levinthal at the Center for Public Integrity reports:Dave Levinthal at the Center for Public Integrity reports:
The oldest Stein fine is from February 2015, the most recent from November, according to FEC records. Two are five-figure penalties: a $14,587 fine from November 2017 and an $11,162 fine from October 2018, both past the FEC’s 40-day payment deadline. (Stein’s 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns have paid off nine separate fines totaling about $30,000.)The oldest Stein fine is from February 2015, the most recent from November, according to FEC records. Two are five-figure penalties: a $14,587 fine from November 2017 and an $11,162 fine from October 2018, both past the FEC’s 40-day payment deadline. (Stein’s 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns have paid off nine separate fines totaling about $30,000.)
Asked about their scofflaw status, the Stein campaign basically said it’s racking up fines faster than it can manage to deal with them.Asked about their scofflaw status, the Stein campaign basically said it’s racking up fines faster than it can manage to deal with them.
“The campaign typically considers these kinds of items collectively, which can cause delay while awaiting the documentation from more recent penalties,” Stein spokesman David Schwab said. “Given our limited staff and operations under these kinds of activity, it can further delay the process while staff is tasked with other responsibilities.”“The campaign typically considers these kinds of items collectively, which can cause delay while awaiting the documentation from more recent penalties,” Stein spokesman David Schwab said. “Given our limited staff and operations under these kinds of activity, it can further delay the process while staff is tasked with other responsibilities.”
The Weekly Standard is requiring employees to sign a strict nondisclosure agreement to receive any severance.The Weekly Standard is requiring employees to sign a strict nondisclosure agreement to receive any severance.
The NDAs presented to @weeklystandard staffers forbid "false, disparaging, derogatory, critical, insulting, offensive, deprecating or belittling comment in public or in private" for two years, per copy of agreement sent to me. (Caps my own.)The NDAs presented to @weeklystandard staffers forbid "false, disparaging, derogatory, critical, insulting, offensive, deprecating or belittling comment in public or in private" for two years, per copy of agreement sent to me. (Caps my own.)
Chris Christie has bowed out from the chief of staff hunt. In a statement he has asked to be withdrawn from consideration.Chris Christie has bowed out from the chief of staff hunt. In a statement he has asked to be withdrawn from consideration.
Christie declines the chief of staff role. His statement: pic.twitter.com/DiZb5r01z0Christie declines the chief of staff role. His statement: pic.twitter.com/DiZb5r01z0
A top lawyer at the Department of Interior made sexist remarks on the Internet several years ago.A top lawyer at the Department of Interior made sexist remarks on the Internet several years ago.
The Hill reports that James Voyles wrote like that the NFL should not allow “power tripping woman with a case of PMS” to be a referee in the league. He apologized when contacted for comment about the remarks.The Hill reports that James Voyles wrote like that the NFL should not allow “power tripping woman with a case of PMS” to be a referee in the league. He apologized when contacted for comment about the remarks.
Scooplet: Top lawyer at Interior once said women shouldn’t be NFL referees because they PMShttps://t.co/JnmSAtZn8lScooplet: Top lawyer at Interior once said women shouldn’t be NFL referees because they PMShttps://t.co/JnmSAtZn8l
In an interview with MSNBC, Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar just said that she is “considering” a presidential bid.In an interview with MSNBC, Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar just said that she is “considering” a presidential bid.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar on @msnbc: "I'm considering this," running for president in 2020. Adds: "Whoever we put up has to have an understanding of those voices those that weren't heard in 2016, in the Midwest."Sen. Amy Klobuchar on @msnbc: "I'm considering this," running for president in 2020. Adds: "Whoever we put up has to have an understanding of those voices those that weren't heard in 2016, in the Midwest."
Another potential chief of staff candidate, David Bossie, just walked into the West Wing with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. The two have written two pro-Trump books together.
Just spotted: David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski walking into the West Wing. I shouted, “you two here for a job interview?Lewandowski: “I don’t know, you got a job?”
CNN has a new national poll of Democratic 2020 presidential candidates. Polls this early tend to just measure name ID. However, the most noteworthy aspect is the drop in support since October for both Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.
Most noteworthy in the CNN national poll of Dems in 2020 (which basically just tests national name ID right now) are drops for Harris and Warren pic.twitter.com/JOwv3rcUiC
Bloomberg reports that Chris Christie is currently the top candidate to be the next White House chief of staff. However, these things always have a way of changing rapidly.
BREAKING: CHRIS CHRISTIE is leading candidate for Trump’s next chief of staff.Trump met with Christie last night upstairs in the residence after remarks at one of the White House Christmas parties. I’m told the mtg went very well.(BUT as always, Trump could change mind.)
Elizabeth Warren gave the commencement speech today at Morgan State University, a historically black college in Baltimore.
From ⁦@SenWarren⁩’s commencement speech at Morgan State University today > pic.twitter.com/vcv4fcI7sC
Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and a potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, has weighed on the closing of the Weekly Standard.
This is disappointing news. While I did not share the ideology of @weeklystandard, there is no question that we are all worse off without this venue for robust intellectual debate on the right. https://t.co/WYSsPKtsAV
The first 2020 presidential poll in Iowa is being released tomorrow.
🚨🚨🚨 IOWA POLL of the 2020 caucus field coming TOMORROW at 7 p.m. https://t.co/OwKXuBL6hS via ⁦@DMRegister #iacaucus ⁩
The White House canceled the traditional Christmas party for reporters.
However, in lieu of shrimp cocktail, egg nog and other fancy hors d’oeuvres, reporters are still having a party today in the basement of the White House press area.
The White House may have canceled the traditional Christmas party with the press, but @realDonaldTrump is more than welcome to join us in the basement for sandwiches, Popeyes and an assortment of other snacks and desserts!
It seems the President of the United States has just showed up to work today.
A Marine just positioned himself outside the West Wing doors, meaning that POTUS got to the Oval today at 11:43 a.m.
The Trump administration has been uninterested so far in taking control of Voice of America, the government funded broadcaster available across the globe.
However, they may change as the Los Angeles Times reports:
After a six-month stall, the Senate could give a hearing early in the new year to Trump’s nominee to lead the agency, Michael Pack, an ally and former filmmaking collaborator of the president’s past strategist and provocateur, Stephen K. Bannon.
And Trump recently tweeted that “something has to be done” to counter the international influence of CNN, his media nemesis, “including the possibility of the United States starting our own Worldwide Network to show the World the way we really are, GREAT!”
On one side of the emerging fight are Trump allies, led by Bannon, who are eager to shed some of the Voice of America’s hard-won independence and use the service more overtly to further Trump’s “America first” agenda.
“VOA is a rotten fish from top to bottom,” Bannon, the former leader of the conservative Breitbart news site, said in an interview. “It’s now totally controlled by the deep-state apparatus.”
Bill Kristol, one of the founders of the Weekly Standard, tweets an elegy to the magazine.
All good things come to an end. And so, after 23 years, does The Weekly Standard. I want to express my gratitude to our readers and my admiration for my colleagues. We worked hard to put out a quality magazine, and we had a good time doing so. And we have much more to do. Onward!
Alice Lloyd at the magazine also wrote a lovely piece about “Last Lines” that was published this morning.