Check out Wednesday’s newsletter!
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From The Reporter’s Notebook
There has been a lot of discussion in recent days about whether Maine’s Gov. Paul LePage will stay in office much longer. While LePage hinted Tuesday morning that he was looking at all options—potentially even resignation—the state legislature could also take its own action to censure or impeach LePage. David Farmer, a Democratic strategist, told TPM’s Lauren Fox that there was also another, more unlikely option. According to Farmer, Maine’s secretary of state could potentially go to the Supreme Court with a statement that LePage was incapacitated. That, of course, would be a long shot.
Agree or Disagree?
Josh Marshall: “Put those factors together and Peña Nieto has massive and overlapping reasons to want to embarrass Trump. At a minimum since he’s probably not eager to create a true international incident, he has zero interest in appearing in any way accommodating or helpful. The calculus might be different if Trump seemed likely to be the next US President. Mexico is a minor power with the world colossus on its doorstep. But a Trump presidency seems unlikely. Far likelier, Peña Nieto will need to build a relationship with Hillary Clinton. These factors combined make for an inherently dangerous political situation for Donald Trump, especially since the atmospherics of this meeting will be the backdrop for Trump’s evening speech which is itself an incredibly important moment and one in which he has set for himself what is likely an impossible challenge. And there’s more!“
Say What?!
“I never took him seriously on this.”
– Rush Limbaugh tried to defend Trump by arguing he hasn’t shifted much on the issue of mass deportation, but then changed tactics.
BUZZING: Today in the Hive
From a TPM Prime member: “I experimented here with a topic exploring people’s thoughts about electronic balloting, and it seems that not enough people understand, or trust, computers (or applied cryptography) to allow their use in solving this problem, which I see as technologically quite simple. There’s also a strong, irrational aversion to giving your government your identity along with your vote. I understand the basis for this concern, but it is a position completely at odds with the other decisions we make to cede our private info to corporations (like Facebook or Apple or Google or your insurance company).”
Related: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) asked the FBI on Monday to probe evidence that suggests Russia may be using cyber attacks in an effort to influence the U.S. presidential election.
Have something to add? Become a Prime member and join the discussion here.
What We’re Reading
What it’s like to be Trump’s most prominent public defender. (Vice)
The fall of a high-end wine scammer. (Bloomberg)
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