Going Nuclear
Chairman Nunes, Leaving So Soon-es?
Yup, hot off the presses - just now Chairman of the Intel Committee has decided to take himself out of the Russia probe, citing something about being a 'distraction'. He's not stepping down from the committee all together thought and made clear that this 'step down' is 'temporary'.
Adam Schiff, ranking member on House Intel and Nunes' co-chair, expressed "appreciation for what the chairman decided to do," and expressed confidence in his new partner, Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) going forward. Schiff took care to note that, "..the investigation never went into hiatus, continuing to work on witness list...continue to go through documents," and that the "...documents that Chairman viewed will now be available to whole committee."
Pick Your Battles, Pick Your [SCOTUS] Seat.
Is anyone else tired of hearing this phrase? IMO, pick your battles is an insufferable cliche. I've seen my share of battles. And let me tell you, if you've let it come so far as to get to the point of 'battle' you might as well fight it because there's going to be fallout either way.
And that's exactly what the Dems are doing today. And last night. And the night before. They're going to lose, but they were going to lose anyway. At least going down swinging, their base can still have faith in the and maybe save them the primary that some of them are dreading in 2018.
Here's what I can piece together from my knowledge of the whole situation: The whole 'Nuclear Option' thing was going to happen eventually, if not now then when another seat opened up on the Supreme Court (please hold on RBG you can do it!!!). As I type this, Republicans are getting ready to vote to change the rules to end the filibuster with just 51 votes instead of the usual 60 that, theoretically created 'consensus' SCOTUS nominees that could then sail through an up or down vote. That all ends today.
So was this a long time coming? What does it all mean? Here's a nice NYT opinion piece from someone who knows a little more than I do to help calm some of your 'nuclear-democracy-is-ending' fears. Or exacerbate them. Who knows.
Bye Bye, Bannon?
As you may or may not know, Steve Bannon has been taken off the National Security Council principals list. This was a list he never should have been on. The NSC is traditoinally a place free of political views and advisors because, well, there's some scary shit that the committee deals with that affects all political factions. So he's out. Why? Some are speculating that Mike "Ruski" Flynn's replacement as Secretary of Defense, H.R. McMaster, is finally taking control (like in this great WaPo read).
So Bannon is out, and the statements yesterday cited things like 'he was just there to be a check on Mike Flynn and now that Flynn is gone, no need for him there' and that it wasn't a power struggle, 'everything is fine here, this was planned, we are all a big family team synergy White House no infighting, phenomenal, unprecedented.' But today sources are singing a different tune. Unconfirmed, but there are comments floating around from some familiar with the situation that Bannon threatened to "take his talents elsewhere" after being ousted from the NSC yesterday.
This infighting isn't too hard to believe seeing as cable news seems to eat it up. I literally just got a CNN alert reading "A source who speaks with Trump privately says he has begun asking friends: "What do you think of my team?" Inspires confidence, doesn't it?