Democrats

From a profile published today by Vanity Fair: Beto O’Rourke seems, in this moment, like a cliff diver trying to psych himself into the jump. And after playing coy all afternoon about whether he’ll run, he finally can’t deny the pull of his own gifts. “You can probably tell that I want to run,” he finally confides, smiling. “I do. …

Rep. Seth Moulton writes for the Washington Post: The electoral college. We all know the obvious reason this needs to be replaced with a popular-vote system: In 2016, approximately 3 million more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump, and yet, Trump is the president. This is not wrong because Trump is a bad president; it’s wrong because it’s …

Politico reports: Democratic Rep. Al Green vowed Tuesday to continue his push to impeach President Donald Trump, saying he would force a floor vote on the issue despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s opposition. In a news conference held in his office, Green (D-Texas) rebuked those who would put “political expediency ahead of moral imperative,” but did not disparage Pelosi, who …

The Hill reports: Former Vice President Joe Biden hinted at a 2020 presidential bid on Tuesday, telling a crowd in Washington to save their energy because he “may need it in a few weeks.” Biden’s comments came at a conference of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the union representing firefighters and emergency services workers, where he delivered the keynote …

Politico reports: Facebook has removed several ads placed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign that called for the breakup of Facebook and other tech giants. The ads, which had identical images and text, touted Warren’s recently announced plan to unwind “anti-competitive” tech mergers, including Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram. A message on the three ads reads: “This ad was …

CNN reports: Stacey Abrams, a rising star in the Democratic Party, said Monday it was possible she could seek her party’s presidential nomination next year. Abrams’ comment came after an interview at the South by Southwest conference in Texas, where Abrams reportedly said she previously thought 2028 would be the earliest she could run for president, but over Twitter, she …

The Hill reports: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is selling t-shirts and tote bags that say “Patron Saint of Shade” on them, referring to the image that went viral of her applauding President Trump at his latest State of the Union address. Pelosi’s pointed clap in response to Trump calling for an end to “revenge politics” quickly became …

From the campaign site of former Rep. John Delaney: They may look like typical pink erasers, but these are no ordinary school supplies. Simply place one eraser beneath your pillow before falling asleep and by morning you’ll have forgotten all of the pain, invective, division, and incoherent ramblings of our 45th president. You’ll wake refreshed and ready to set about …

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: Milwaukee’s political moment has arrived. The city will host the 2020 Democratic National Convention, edging out two large and deep-pocketed rivals over a months-long campaign waged behind the scenes through phone calls, contract negotiations and quiet lobbying by some of the most powerful political figures in the country. The announcement comes after weeks of decision …

CNN reports: Presidential hopeful Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sought to explain her shift away from advocating anti-gay policies in the early 2000s on Sunday, saying her time in the military caused her to “go through some soul-searching.” “I was raised in a very socially conservative home. My father is Catholic, he was a leading voice against gay marriage in Hawaii …

Openly gay South Bend, Indiana mayor and 2020 presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg tore into Mike Pence during his town hall on CNN last night. NBC News reports: Buttigieg said that while he’s always disagreed “ferociously” with Pence on the key issues, he also thought the vice president always believed in “our institutions” and wasn’t “personally corrupt.” Buttigieg wondered when it …

The Washington Post reports: Debate on gun legislation reached a crescendo at the Arkansas State Capitol on Wednesday when a senator fervently denounced a bill that would make it easier to use lethal force in the name of self-defense. The bill, sponsored by three Republican state senators, would remove a clause from the current law that required a “duty to …

Politico reports: Sen. Kamala Harris on Friday held up Paul Manafort’s relatively lenient prison sentence as evidence that the criminal justice system is “broken in America.” The California Democrat said during a presidential campaign stop in South Carolina that the former Trump campaign chairman’s four-year sentence for tax and bank fraud was emblematic of major discrepancies in the justice system …

New Hampshire’s ABC affiliate reports: As Beto O’Rourke continues to hold off on an announcement about his political plans, people working closely with him have begun making inquiries in New Hampshire about matters that would be central to a mounting a presidential campaign in the leadoff primary state. Key Democratic sources — who are not involved in any effort to …

Cleveland.com reports: Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown announced Thursday he would not enter the race for president to challenge Republican Donald Trump in 2020. “As you’ve heard me say many times, when you love this country, you fight for the people who make it work. I fight best when I bring joy to the battle,” Brown said during a call …

Politico reports: The House will vote Thursday on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism, an indirect rebuke of controversial comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar that has inflamed the Democratic Caucus and which party leaders are eager to put behind them. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) made the announcement in a closed-door meeting Thursday morning. “It’s going to say that we are …

The New York Times reports: The pieces for a Joseph R. Biden Jr. presidential campaign are falling into place: His nucleus of advisers has begun offering campaign positions to seasoned Democratic strategists. They are eyeing a headquarters in Delaware or nearby Philadelphia and a launch date in the beginning of April. Mr. Biden’s family is on board — his wife, …

Axios reports: The House Committee on Education and Labor voted along party lines Wednesday to advance a bill raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2024. Democrats argue the bill would provide wage hikes to nearly 40 million Americans. Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to bring the legislation to the House floor for a vote, where it will …