For days we’ve been hearing about the standoff between Chairman Adam Schiff and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence over a whistleblower complaint. Josh Kovensky walked us through some of the details this afternoon. Now The Washington Post has escalated the story dramatically by reporting that the complaint is about President Trump himself and centers on a “promise” he made to foreign leader. The complaint was filed on August 12th. So this is all quite recent.
My big problem with the various plans for free college and university educations is that it starts from the wrong place. Public colleges and universities are run by states, not by the federal government, with a minute number of exceptions. The real problem is that states aren’t committing enough resources to their state colleges and universities. We have had a two generation long process of disinvestment where the deficit is made up by making students pay for a rising portion of their education in loans. Subsidizing these institutions from the federal level just equates to none of the funding or price discipline that is needed at the state level. States need to raise and spend way, way more on higher education for residents in their states.
This is why we want your emails about those things you know that haven’t yet pierced the news cycle. This morning, an anonymous TPM Reader who is a former law firm colleague flagged the fact that Trump’s choice for National Security Advisor, Robert O’Brien, is tight with none other than Hugh Hewitt, famed rightwing yakker. In fact, they’re business and law partners. O’Brien brought Hugh with him when he left the LA office of Arent Fox to set up his own law firm in 2016. And O’Brien Larson, the new firm, has gotten deep into the lobbying business under Trump. Josh Kovensky ran down the story.
Slightly different picture with 95% of ballots counted. BW and Likud each get another seat – 33 for Blue and White, 32 for Likud. Joint List drops from 13 to 12. Yisrael Beiteinu loses one seat and Shas (the ultra-orthodox party of Jews from the Arab World) gains one. This is ever so slightly better for the rightist bloc. But the fundamentals remain the same. Avigdor Lieberman, even with one less seat, remains the kingmaker. The Joint List, with one less seat, still seems primed to lead the opposition.
If you want to think in blocs: Rightist bloc 56, Anti-Bibi bloc 56, Yisrael Beiteinu 8.
Important to remember these numbers could still change, but only slightly at this point.
A month ago, Matt Shuham brought you the story of Donna Arduin, the budgetary grim reaper who’s gone from state to state over the last quarter century, slashing social safety nets in numerous states after they elect Republican governors. She’s also a business partner of Art Laffer and Stephen Moore. Now she’s out as state budget director in Alaska as momentum builds in a recall campaign against the governor.
Important to note that the new National Security Advisor is the same guy President Trump sent to Sweden to arrange the release of rapper A$AP Rocky on the theory that he was “hostage” as opposed to someone who had just been arrested for a crime.
More seriously, it is probably best to see this appointment as the analog to Stephanie Grisham as Communications Director and Press Secretary. After a lot of chaos and firings, Trump works his way to a non-entity who will simply allow him to do the job himself.
A few more observations on the Israeli election. Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu wrecked Netanyahu’s shot at forming a government last time. He bet it all on that and he won big. His seat total went up substantially. If you assume he will again not join a Netanyahu coalition, then Netanyahu really doesn’t appear to have the seats to form a government. If the exit polls are roughly accurate the rightist bloc has 56 seats.
The first exit polls from today’s Israel elections came out almost two hours ago. They show Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party coming two seats behind Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party. They also show the right-wing bloc in a difficult position to form a government. But there is an ocean of tears of Bibi-haters who put their faith in Israeli exit polls. We have seen repeated examples of narrow Likud defeats which overnight turned into narrow victories. This is definitely looking like a tough situation for Netanyahu. But I’ve been Charlie Brown and seen this football teed up far too many times to put much stock in these numbers. If you’re obsessed, keep watching the results. If you just want to know how it all turns out, see where things stand tomorrow morning.
Some of the most important work of government happens down at the city and county level. So it’s no knock on Boards of Supervisors, city councilors and the like. But the latest Republican retirement from the House – Paul Cook (R-CA) – is a remarkable commentary. He’s leaving the House to run for the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. I think you’d have to look pretty long and hard for a similar retirement really anywhere.
This note is for everyone who is a TPM Reader. But it’s particularly for our regular readers who are not members or who maybe were members but lapsed or unsubscribed. We have our annual sign up drive coming up later this month. It is an absolutely critical one. If you’re a regular reader and you value TPM we literally need you to sign up and become a member. I’m going to explain below why it’s so important both in negative and positive terms.