Here’s what caught our attention.
Story Of The Day
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a trove of emails this morning that laid out how Trump persistently tried to pressure then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to take up the legal challenge to the 2020 election results on the basis of MAGAland’s ridiculous conspiracy theories.
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- The big reveal: Trump directly put the squeeze on Rosen to get the DOJ involved in making bogus election fraud claims, and it started even before Attorney General Barr’s departure was announced.
- What one of the emails shows: A private attorney reaching out to Rosen’s top aide requesting a meeting to discuss a draft complaint that Trump wanted the DOJ to file in court. “The President of the United States has seen this complaint, and he directed me last night to brief AG Rosen in person today to discuss bringing this action,” the lawyer wrote. “I have been instructed to report back to the President this afternoon after the meeting.”
What’s next? Democrats are demanding that ex-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and top DOJ officials involved in the pressure campaign to appear for a transcribed interview.
Infrastructure Theater Act 2
There’s “momentum” building for the watered-down infrastructure proposal being crafted by a bipartisan group of 10 senators, according to CNN … but how much is there, really?
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)’s not-so-ringing endorsement of the proposal: It’s “very, very paltry and disappointing” but he might be able to vote for it if there’s “irrevocable commitment” from fellow Democrats on using reconciliation for the next package.
- Senate Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) isn’t having it, period, and says he wouldn’t vote for the bill. “The bottom line is there are a lot of needs facing this country. Now is the time to address those needs, and it has to be paid for in a progressive way, given the fact that we have massive income and wealth inequality in America,” he said.
Protecting The Vote
Arizona Secretary of State and Democratic 2022 gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post urging Senate Democrats to pass the For The People Act.
- She called out the senator in her state who’s been a prominent obstacle to passing the sweeping legislation, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). “Sinema and I serve the same state. We both know that if we do nothing now, Arizonans’ access to the ballot will be stripped away by Republican legislators,” Hobbs wrote.
Leading voting rights advocate Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II is hinting that he and his fellow activists could soon be holding “non-violent sit-ins” at Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) office after the West Virginia Democrat came out against the bill.
Investigating Jan. 6
The House will be holding two hearings on the Capitol insurrection where Capitol Police IG Michael Bolton and FBI Director Christopher Wray will testify before the Oversight Committee and the Administration Committee, respectively.
Rs In Dis-R-ray
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is against the chamber’s Judiciary Committee investigating the Trump-era DOJ’s seizing of House Democrats’ data, calling it “a partisan circus” on the Senate floor yesterday.
- Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), on the other hand, says that the matter “obviously” warrants “further review and investigation.”
GOP AZ Audit Tourists
Josh Mandel, one of Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) GOP challengers, made a trip to the sketchy Maricopa County vote audit and posted this bizarre video about it:
I guess Mandel's comms team didn't make the trip out west https://t.co/8oAXQBD3oJ
— Tyler Buchanan (@Tylerjoelb) June 14, 2021
Rainbow Capitalism FTW
“These 25 rainbow flag-waving corporations donated more than $10 million to anti-gay politicians in the last two years” – Popular Information
Protect And (Being) Serve (-d Lawsuits For Your Bullshit)
A Shake Shack manager is suing several NYPD police officers and unions over the cops’ bogus claims that they had been served milkshakes that had been spiked with bleach.
Check out how each of the officers get described in the court doc:
(SDNY) – Manhattan Shake Shack manager sues NYPD unions for defamation over last summer's false allegations of poisoning officers with bleach contaminated milk shakes last summer. pic.twitter.com/UW9y8oinvy
— JOSH RUSSELL (@jruss_jruss) June 15, 2021
Bold Ideas
After visiting the Holocaust Museum yesterday, far-right conspiracy theorist and open racist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-SC) announced yesterday that the Holocaust was bad and that “it happened.”
- She apologized for her “offensive” remarks comparing face mask policies with Nazism. She did not apologize for comparing Democrats with Nazis.
Sad Trombone
Trump’s having a tough time finding someone who’ll publish his book.
Delete Your Account
This didn’t use to be controversial. #flagday pic.twitter.com/azsUwItMGp
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) June 14, 2021
Meanwhile, Over At Fox Studios
Joe Biden is going to seize your refrigerator. pic.twitter.com/Dtb408kW67
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) June 15, 2021
please help me pic.twitter.com/Z7pJmaDQ7m
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) June 15, 2021
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