COLLINS’ ABSURD CLAIM THAT TRUMP LEARNED A “PRETTY BIG LESSON” BACKFIRES SPECTACULARLY. After voting a dozen times against allowing firsthand witnesses and evidence in the impeachment trial, Senator Susan Collins attempted to justify her vote to acquit the president with the inexplicable claim that at least Donald Trump had learned a “pretty big lesson.” Within hours, Trump had doubled down on his argument that he’d in fact done nothing wrong because it was a perfect call, and Senator Collins was left struggling to walk back her comments as the bad stories piled up. Take a look:
VULNERABLE GOP SENATORS GET DRAGGED AFTER PUTTING POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY AHEAD OF UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW. Vulnerable Senate Republicans faced bruising criticism for their vote to acquit, after spending weeks blocking firsthand witnesses and key documents from the Senate impeachment trial. From Arizona to Maine, GOP Senators on the ballot this year were panned for refusing to honor their oath to do impartial justice, and for choosing political expediency over their the fair trial their constituents demanded.
AZ – Arizona Republic’s Laurie Roberts: Sen. Martha McSally morphs from ‘no quid pro quo’ to no harm no foul in Trump impeachment
CO – 9News’ Kyle Clark: “The whole impeachment has come and gone without Senator Cory Gardner having the basic courage to directly answer that question” of whether Trump’s conduct was wrong
CO – Denver Post: Editorial: Cory Gardner must think what Trump did was fine. But it’s hard to tell.
IA – Storm Lake Times Editorial Board: “Sen. Joni Ernst discredits the Senate, Iowa and herself through her active participation in President Trump’s attempted cover-up… She looks like a fool… Ernst participated in a cover-up and is spreading lies that already have been shown to be false. She refused to let Iowans hear from important witnesses such as Bolton. Voters want the full story. They expect their senators to seek the truth, and not spread lies. They expect their senators to uphold their Constitutional oversight authority and not to kneel before a bloated monarch. Joni Ernst does not respect or deserve the office. She has proven it in the last week.”
ME – Portland Press Herald Editorial Board: Our View: Collins, Republicans vote to enable Trump — “Collins will have to answer for every future act of the president that she has voted to enable”
NC – WRAL Editorial: “Tillis seems to forget that Trump stopped witnesses and documents in the House proceedings. How can anyone conclude that there is a ‘lack of evidence’ when you vote to not hear it? […] Burr and Tillis, jurors who are sworn to ‘do impartial justice,’ voted NOT to hear any witnesses… Burr and Tillis have violated their oaths. This is a trial without evidence.”
NC – Fayetteville Observer Editorial: “It is one reason we have seen our own senator, Thom Tillis, transform from occasional heretic on Trump into lead conductor of the Trump Train. He has groused repeatedly that the impeachment trial is a waste of time and that the Senate needs to get back to its work. (Though he did manage to find time to tweet birthday wishes to Eric Trump, the president’s son, and encouraged others to add their name to Eric’s birthday card.)”
TRUMP’S PANTS-ON-FIRE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS CLAIM PUTS REPUBLICANS’ TOXIC HEALTH CARE RECORDS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT. In his State of the Union address this week, President Trump falsely claimed the GOP “will always protect patients with pre-existing conditions” — and in doing so, put vulnerable Republicans back on defense for their record of voting against their constituents’ health care protections. Senate Republicans have spent years trying to tear down the health care law, including its coverage protections for pre-existing conditions, and every Republican Senator voted for the GOP tax giveaway that sparked the toxic lawsuit now threatening to overturn the health care law and end these protections entirely.
PERDUE SKIPPED KEY OVERSIGHT HEARING TO MEET WITH BIG DONORS. A damning new report from WXIA in Atlanta this week reveals that last year, Senator David Perdue skipped a critical oversight hearing on substandard housing conditions on military bases — including Georgia’s Fort Benning — to attend a closed-door event with big money donors. Read for yourself why Senator Perdue’s decision to put ultra-wealthy political donors ahead of Georgia’s military families was “probably not a smart idea”:
11Alive: Sen. Perdue attends donor event, skips hearing on military families
GARY PETERS LAUNCHES FIRST TV AD IN MICHIGAN. Senator Gary Peters launched his first TV ad of the cycle in Michigan, highlighting his own military service and his work on legislation to aid veterans struggling with PTSD. Senator Peters’ bipartisan leadership, and his commitment to putting service before himself, have have helped him become one of the most effective members of the Senate. The ad will debut Saturday during the Michigan State University and University of Michigan men’s basketball game. Read more about Senator Peters’ new ad here and watch the ad below:
2019 FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS
As the books close on 2019 fundraising numbers, take a look at Democrats’ historic fundraising strength heading into 2020, outpacing Republicans and breaking fundraising records:
Here are more highlights from the states on Democrats’ record-breaking Q4 fundraising:
Democratic incumbents also continued to show fundraising strength heading into 2020:
IN THE STATES
AZ – Tucson.com: Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly has raised about $8M more than Sen. Martha McSally, so far
IA – Greenfield for Iowa: New Numbers: Big Pharma Corporate PACs Give Even More to Senator Ernst While She Refused to Support Plan to Cap Drug Prices
ME – Portland Press Herald: Gideon campaign first to turn in voter signatures in Maine’s 2020 U.S. Senate race
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Lauren Passalacqua
Stewart Boss
Helen Kalla
Izzi Levy
Regina Anderson