Top Political News provided by The Washington Post©

• ‘There was no Plan B’: Trump scrambles to find chief of staff after top candidate turns him down
  The position has proved to be a particularly thankless task in this White House, and the two people to hold the job have been left with their reputations diminished.
• Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan want to weaken incoming Democratic governors. Here’s what’s the usual partisan politics — and what isn’t.
  There are four key things to know.
• Power Up: Jump Ball: Trump's tough decisions on a border wall and a new chief of staff
  'Chuck and Nancy' come to the White House today.
• The 2020 presidential election could determine whether Trump faces consequences for alleged crimes
  Winning a second term could protect the president against allegations of criminal conduct.
• The 2020 presidential election could determine whether Trump faces consequences for alleged crimes
  Winning a second term could protect the president against allegations of criminal conduct.
• Trump seems to be banking on voters not caring about Mueller findings
  Can Trump survive the Russia investigation by just shrugging it off?
• 5 burning questions about Trump’s legal issues
  Here's where we are -- and where we go from here.
• Mia Love is right. The loss of black Republicans in Congress really could hurt the party with black voters.
  When a party elects a black official, a significant proportion of black voters shift toward that party.
• Fact-checking President Trump’s volley of weekend tweets
  The president's latest tweets mangle the facts on French protests, NATO funding, the cost of the Russia investigation, the hush-money payments to his alleged mistresses, and more.
• Sheriffs group remains unsatisfied with sentencing bill
  Revisions made to win broad support still don’t address concerns, the association says.
• Senators to try formally condemning Saudi crown prince for journalist’s killing
  Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said the measure, while nonbinding, would still send a strong statement — especially for Republicans — that despite Trump’s denials, they hold Mohammed bin Salman responsible for Jamal Khashoggi’s death.
• Pelosi in advanced negotiations with critics about term-limits deal
  An agreement could clear the way for her to be elected speaker next month.
• ‘There was no Plan B’: Trump scrambles to find chief of staff after top candidate turns him down
  The position has proved to be a particularly thankless task in this White House, and the two people to hold the job have been left with their reputations diminished.
• Pelosi, Schumer to meet with Trump, offer $1.3 billion for border as shutdown looms
  The president and some Republicans are insisting on $5 billion for the border wall ahead of a Dec. 21 deadline.
• Orrin Hatch dismisses Trump hush money allegations
  The retiring Utah Republican became the latest lawmaker to defend the president in the wake of a new legal filing directly implicating him in efforts to buy women’s silence.
• If Trump weren’t president, he’d be in ‘serious jeopardy of being charged,’ Comey says
  The former FBI director also said the “giant is awakening” and called on Americans to “hold [Trump] accountable” in 2020.
• It’s not just the number of Trump-Russia contacts. It’s the timing.
  The busiest period for contacts between Russia and Trumpworld? From the primaries to the convention.
• Why fraud allegations throw the results in North Carolina’s 9th District into doubt
  A look at the numbers.
• Trump seems to be banking on voters not caring about Mueller findings
  Can Trump survive the Russia investigation by just shrugging it off?
• Kevin McCarthy says Democrats shouldn’t focus on investigating Trump
  “I think America’s too great of a nation to have such a small agenda,” the House majority leader said. He also cast contacts between Russians and Trump associates as common in an “international city” such as Washington.
• 5 burning questions about Trump’s legal issues
  Here's where we are -- and where we go from here.
• Bloomberg: Democrats are looking for a ‘middle of the road’ strategy
  During an appearance on “The View,” the former New York mayor — and possible 2020 presidential candidate — said the party wants a pragmatic leader.
• The Health 202: Three states to vote on measures to limit abortion rights in the midterms
  Antiabortion ballot measures are gaining steam.
• The Health 202: Trump says GOP wants to protect preexisting conditions. But a Republican lawsuit would eliminate them if successful.
  Protecting preexisting conditions is hugely important to voters.

Roll Call©

• Politically Wounded Trump Complicates Border Talks With Pelosi, Schumer
  Another wild weekend — with federal prosecutors appearing to implicate Donald Trump in a pair of federal crimes and his second chief of staff leaving soon — has only complicated the president’s coming talks with Democratic leaders to avert a partial government shutdown over the holidays. Trump is scheduled to meet in the Oval Office on Tuesday morning with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer less than two weeks before a deadline to pass legislation to keep the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies funded and open beyond 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 21.
• The Future of Ads Is Digital — But Not Quite the Present
  There were plenty of signs that Democrats found success online this election cycle: catchy videos went viral; a burgeoning army of small-dollar donors produced eye-popping fundraising numbers; and voters targeted online showed up at the polls.  But for some in the party, their digital efforts left much to be desired. Television ads still dominated campaigns, and Republican outside groups outpaced Democrats in digital ad spending. 
• Budget Scuffle Stalls ‘Blue Water’ Benefits for Vietnam Vets
  Senators and veterans groups are working to convince a few last holdouts to stop blocking a quick floor vote on a bill to extend benefits for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Advocates are lobbying President Donald Trump to sign the bill if the Senate clears it. But Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has questions about whether science backs up the policy. And Budget Chairman Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming is concerned about its nearly $2.2 billion cost over a decade.
• Democrats Push Back on Plan to Make Green Cards Harder to Obtain
  Democratic lawmakers are joining local health officials, community organizers and immigrant rights groups around the country in opposition to a Trump administration regulatory proposal that would make it harder for foreign nationals to obtain green cards if they have received government assistance. Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Nanette Barragán, both California Democrats, said in a public comment submitted to the Homeland Security Department that the proposed regulation would represent “another misguided step in advancing this administration’s cruel, anti-immigrant agenda.”
• Nearly 150 Activists Arrested in ‘Green New Deal’ Protest
  The group spearheading the effort for House Democrats to move Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal” to the top of their legislative agenda appeared to score a victory on Monday as more than 1,000 demonstrators stormed the Capitol Hill offices of Democratic House leaders to stage sit-ins. Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, emerged from his office to address protesters and promised them that he is “committed to the House Select Committee on a Green New Deal.”
• Supreme Court to Hear Case on Administrative Power
  The Supreme Court will decide whether federal agencies should stop getting such a strong voice when interpreting their own regulations, in a case that could significantly influence how judges decide challenges to environmental, health care, immigration, veterans benefits and other rules. The justices on Monday agreed to hear arguments about overturning two Supreme Court rulings at the heart of administrative law, Bowles v. Seminole Rock & Sand Co. in 1945 and Auer v. Robbins in 1997. In the case, the court could accomplish part of what some conservative members of Congress have sought to do legislatively.
• Supreme Court Will Not Hear Planned Parenthood Defunding Appeal
  The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal by two states that want to cut Medicaid funds from providers like Planned Parenthood, keeping in place lower court opinions that anti-abortion advocates oppose. The states, Kansas and Louisiana, argued that Medicaid does not allow individual patients to sue if state officials refuse to cover a provider’s non-abortion services because the provider sometimes separately performs abortions.
• Shutdown Fears Abound, Despite Temporary Reprieve
  Congressional aides on both sides of the aisle say they don’t see how the appropriations impasse ends without a partial government shutdown just in time for Christmas Eve. President Donald Trump signed a continuing resolution into law Friday that would change the expiration date of the stopgap measure enacted before the midterm elections to Dec. 21. But he wasted little time in taking aim at Democratic leaders for “playing political games” on border security funding, even as he prepares to sit down with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York in the Oval Office Tuesday.
• Rick Scott Spent Record $64 Million of His Own Money in Florida Senate Race
  Florida Gov. Rick Scott will become the most junior member of the Senate next month after the 116th Congress is sworn in after defeating three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. But that victory won without a steep price tag. Scott spent a record $63.6 million of his own money on his campaign to oust Nelson and turn the Florida Senate delegation all red, according to his most recent Federal Elections Commission report.
• Rep. Mark Meadows on Trump’s Short List for Chief of Staff: Reports
  President Donald Trump and his top advisers are considering whether to make Rep. Mark Meadows, the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, his next chief of staff. Axios first reported the president’s consideration of Meadows, one of his fiercest defenders in the House since he took office.
• House Judiciary Democrat Promises ‘In Essence’ Impeachment Hearings
  A leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee referred to the business empire of President Donald Trump as a “criminal enterprise” on Sunday and promised to investigate allegations that he has used his White House office to enrich himself. The Trump Organization is “a criminal enterprise that he and his family has been engaged in, to run for president and once they got the presidency they monetized it,” Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen said in an interview with MSNBC.
• With Opponents Dug In, Pelosi Has Little Room to Negotiate on Speaker Votes
  At least 15 Democrats resisting Nancy Pelosi’s speaker bid are holding firm in their opposition and say they plan to vote for someone other than the California Democrat during the Jan. 3 speaker election, providing Pelosi with little room to negotiate a victory. With the House poised to have 235 Democrats seated on the opening day of the 116th Congress when the speaker election takes place, Pelosi can only afford to have 17 Democrats vote and say a name that is not hers to meet the 218-vote majority threshold. 
• Voting Rights Piece May Take More Time in Ethics Overhaul
  House Democrats who are preparing an overhaul of political and ethics laws, a top priority of the incoming majority, have acknowledged that a component aimed at restoring a key section of the Voting Rights Act may take longer than their speedy timeline for the bill. Other pieces of the overhaul, which Democratic leaders have said they will designate as House bill 1 in the new Congress, could also run parallel to the main package as a way to garner bipartisan support in the Senate, said Rep. John Sarbanes, the Maryland Democrat who is crafting the bill.
• Russell Building Evacuated After Fire
  Fire and smoke in the Russell Senate Office Building prompted an evacuation Saturday night. The building remains closed Sunday morning. Capitol Police and the Architect of the Capitol personnel are conducting an investigation and all other personnel will be restricted from entering the building.
• John Kelly Out as White House Chief of Staff, Trump Says
  President Donald Trump said Saturday White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will leave his post at the end of the year, concluding a rocky tenure during which he clashed with his boss. “A great guy,” Trump said of the retired Marine Corps general as he left the White House for the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia.
• 3 Takeaways for Trump as Mueller Details Russia’s ‘Political Synergy’ Offer
  President Donald Trump was watching television Friday evening when he reached for his phone after a subdued trip to Kansas City. Though federal court documents did not name him, he felt the need to declare his innocence. “Totally clears the President. Thank you!” Trump wrote.
• Trump to Nominate Top Army General for Joint Chiefs Chairman
  President Donald Trump said Saturday he intends to nominate Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to replace Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The commander-in-chief hinted Friday he intended to make the personnel announcement during the Army-Navy football game he will attend in Philadelphia Saturday.
• Mark Harris Open to ‘New Election’ in North Carolina’s 9th District
  North Carolina Republican Mark Harris said Friday he’s open to a new election in the 9th District, where allegations of election fraud have thrown his victory into question. The state board of elections is investigating absentee voting irregularities and confirmed Friday that a contractor for the Harris campaign is a person of interest in connection with an alleged absentee ballot operation. 
• Harvard Tradition Agitates Democrats’ Left Wing
  A prestigious, 50-year-old orientation for new members of Congress at Harvard University predicated on the virtues of bipartisanship and civility has drawn intense criticism this week for the presence of lobbyists and business executives — evidence of the growing influence of the left wing of the Democratic Party that has abstained from corporate PAC money. Most incoming members of Congress attend the storied Bipartisan Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress, which ran from Tuesday to Thursday. Since 1972, the Harvard Institute of Politics has hosted more than 700 current and former representatives, according to the school’s website.
• Why Trump’s Call for ‘Overwhelming Bipartisan’ Vote for Barr Seems Unlikely
  Donald Trump and acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker on Friday gave a full-throated endorsement to the president’s pick to fill the post, former Attorney General William Barr,  but Democratic senators and civil rights advocates are sounding alarms. William Barr “deserves” from the Senate “overwhelming bipartisan support,” Trump said while addressing a law enforcement conference in Kansas City. “There’s no one more capable or qualified for this position,” he claimed.
• Retiring Kansas Lawmaker Opens Lobbying Shop While Still in Office
  Retiring Kansas Rep. Lynn Jenkins launched a new lobbying firm in her home state weeks before she officially steps out of public office, according to a local media report published Friday. Lawmakers are restricted from working as lobbyists until they have been out of office for a year. But the federal law that restricts their activities is porous, and former lawmakers routinely find ways to trade their influence before the prohibition expires.
• Scott Fairchild Named DSCC Executive Director
  Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is bringing her chief of staff over to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, naming Scott Fairchild on Friday as the committee’s new executive director. Democrats are largely on offense in the 2020 cycle, but they will have to protect vulnerable incumbents including Alabama Sen. Doug Jones. Democrats are defending 12 seats while Republicans are defending 22.
• Trump Signs Spending Bill, Setting Up High-Stakes Oval Office Showdown
  President Donald Trump signed a two-week spending measure Friday that will avert a partial government shutdown, setting up a high-stakes meeting with congressional Democratic leaders who are opposed to his $5 billion border wall funding demand. The House Appropriations Committee — not the White House — announced in a tweet that the Homeland Security Department and other unfunded agencies would not shut down later Friday. White House press aides had been unable to clearly state when their boss would put pen to paper.
• Trump Nominates William Barr as Attorney General
  President Donald Trump said he expects William Barr will be quickly confirmed by the Senate to lead the Justice Department. He called the former attorney general “a terrific person” and a “brilliant man.” Trump said he did not know Barr, saying he is “respected by Republicans, respected by Democrats.”
• Three Takeaways as Trump Picks Former Fox Anchor for UN Envoy Post
  By selecting State Department spokeswoman and former Fox News anchor Heather Nauert as his next UN ambassador, President Donald Trump has further consolidated his control of America’s foreign policy. “Heather Nauert will be nominated for the ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump told reporters on his way to Marine One on Friday.
• Expect Two Wildly Different Stories After James Comey’s House Testimony
  Former FBI Director James B. Comey is speaking with lawmakers behind closed doors Friday after reaching a compromise with House Republicans who subpoenaed him to testify about his recommendation in July 2016 not to prosecute Hillary Clinton for using a private email server to conduct official government business. But unlike all previous witnesses who interviewed with the joint panel of House Judiciary Committee and Oversight and Government Reform Committee members for their probe into potential bias at the FBI and Justice Department in 2016, Comey will not be bound to silence by a confidentiality agreement after the meeting.
• Sen.-elect Josh Hawley Faces Misuse of Taxpayer Money Investigation
  The Missouri Secretary of State’s office will investigate allegations that incoming Sen. Josh Hawley improperly tapped state resources to boost his public profile ahead of his campaign to unseat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.  Within days of Hawley becoming the state attorney general, two political consultants based in Washington began instructing his taxpayer-paid staff on how to shape his image ahead of a campaign for the Senate, according to a Kansas City Star report shortly before Election Day.
• Roger Ailes, the Connection Between Bushworld and Trumpworld
  For all of the contrasts drawn this week between President Donald Trump and President George H.W. Bush, and there are many, the two chief executives did share one thing in common that helped assure their electoral successes: Roger Ailes. This week’s tributes to Bush, with their emphasis on his gentlemanly public service, optimism and affability, diverge sharply with the current president’s dark, transactional demeanor and outlook. But for all their superficial and substantive differences, they both were aided greatly by Ailes: Bush as an employer of his skills as a strategist and political ad man in the 1988 race and Trump as a recipient of his authority to provide a ready platform on the country’s premiere conservative news channel: Fox News.
• Trump Lashes Out at Mueller Ahead of Potentially Damaging Court Filings
  Updated 8:55 a.m. | President Donald Trump launched what amounted to a preemptive strike in his fight to shape public opinion about Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia probe just hours before the special counsel is expected to release telling documents about his findings. Trump's approval rating is back around 40 percent and could take a further hit when the documents are released if they show Mueller and other federal prosecutors are turning their sights on him. Legal experts have said in recent days that as more and more evidence comes out in official documents, the more it appears Mueller and others are looking hard at “Individual 1,” legal parlance they say clearly refers to Trump.
• 9 New Members Who Previously Served at the Pleasure of a President
  A group of newcomers to Capitol Hill is bringing experience from the executive branch to the 116th Congress.  They draw from a cast of former White House or Cabinet staffers and high-ranking officials from the administrations of the past two Democratic presidents. These new members, who once had to defend their administration’s policies, now find themselves on the other side of the table, promising oversight of the executive branch. 
• Congress Lauds Amazon HQ2, But Staffers Worry About Making Rent
  Amazon received a warm reception on Capitol Hill when it announced a new major outpost in the Washington area, with senators lauding the online retail giant’s entry just across the Potomac. But privately, some congressional staffers fume that “HQ2” will further escalate rents. Congressional staffers have already been crushed by stagnating wages and climbing housing costs. And they worry Amazon’s new headquarters will mean they’ll have to allocate a larger chunk of their paycheck to their landlords. Some have taken up second jobs, and anticipate tough decisions about the future.
• Flashback Friday: Christmas Tree Bill
  For less astute observers of Capitol Hill, the term “Christmas tree bill” might conjure up festive images of twinkling lights and tinsel, candy canes and cookies. But in reality, the term refers to seasonal indulgence of a different sort. A Christmas tree bill is a piece of legislation, loaded with “ornaments” — unrelated, and often, excessive amendments. The term is said to date back to a March 1956 Time magazine article on the debate over the farm bill. New Mexico Sen. Clinton P. Anderson, frustrated by the number of amendments added to the measure, was quoted as saying, “This bill gets more and more like a Christmas tree; there’s something on it for nearly everyone.”
• House Could Go Its Own Way on Sexual Harassment Policy, Says Pelosi
  Nancy Pelosi has a plan to move forward on the proposals to overhaul sexual harassment policies on Capitol Hill before year’s end, but House Republicans say they’re still working on a strong compromise. Senators, meanwhile, are looking past negotiations and toward getting a final bill passed. The House minority leader signaled Thursday that House negotiators may be willing to accept some of the Senate language that they’ve been rejecting for being less stringent. 
• Democrats Complete California Sweep as Valadao Concedes Central Valley Race
  California Republican Rep. David Valadao has conceded his re-election race to Democratic businessman TJ Cox, with the final vote count showing Cox ahead by 862 votes in the Central Valley district.  Cox’s victory means Democrats have swept all seven GOP-held seats in California that Hillary Clinton carried in 2016. Clinton won the 21st District by more than 15 points two years ago, while Valadao was winning re-election by 13 points. 
• Why the Senate Yemen Debate Might Not Include Response to Khashoggi Murder
  The Senate is likely to proceed to a war powers resolution on U.S. involvement in Yemen next week, but the broader debate on policy toward Saudi Arabia may be short-circuited. The Senate has not defined rules for floor debate on resolutions like the one that was recently discharged from the Foreign Relations Committee, and the chairman of that Senate panel intends to ask the chamber to set restrictive rules for amendments to war powers resolutions.
• The Dingell-est Things John Dingell Said in His #AMA
  Former Rep. John Dingell, the longest-ever serving member of Congress, is known for his frankness and wit. The former Michigan lawmaker lived up to that reputation in a refreshingly honest Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) session Thursday, dishing on President Donald Trump, the inanity of term limits, and how the Senate and Electoral College are inherently undemocratic institutions.
• Congress Passes Two-Week Funding Extension to Avert Shutdown
  An extension of temporary appropriations for nine Cabinet departments and dozens of smaller agencies through Dec. 21 is on its way to the president’s desk after the House and Senate passed the measure Thursday. The legislation would extend current funding levels for two weeks and buy time to reach final agreement on outstanding spending issues, including President Donald Trump’s $5 billion southern border wall funding request. It also extends a number of expiring authorizations including Violence Against Women Act programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the National Flood Insurance Program for the duration of the stopgap measure.
• Ayanna Pressley’s ‘Squad’ Attends Tearful City Council Farewell
  As Rep.-elect Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., bid a touching goodbye to her colleagues on the Boston City Council Wednesday, her fellow members-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., observed from the gallery — a show of kinship between the women of color at the forefront of the Democratic Party’s newly emboldened left flank. Council members were effusive in their praise of Pressley, who was the first woman of color to be elected to the council in 2009 and has in the years since championed diversifying its makeup. 
• To Seat or Not to Seat, For North Carolina Race, Pelosi Says That is The House’s Call
  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, when asked Thursday about allegations of election fraud in North Carolina’s 9th District, said deciding whom is seated is up to the House itself, not an outside authority or state election board.  “The House still retains the right to decide who is seated,” she said. “Any member-elect can object to the seating or the swearing in of another member-elect, and we’ll see how that goes.”
• House Democrats to Discuss Term Limits on Committee Chairs, Pelosi Says
  House Democrats will soon have a discussion about whether to subject their committee chairs to term limits, an idea that has long divided the caucus, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.  “That’s a matter before the caucus,“ the California Democrat told reporters during her weekly news conference. “I’ve always been sympathetic to the concerns that have been expressed by our members on that subject Actually I tried to do that when I became speaker in ’07 but the caucus did not support that.”
• Pelosi: Pass Other Spending Bills But Punt Homeland Security Funding
  Updated 1:36 a.m. | House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, suggesting she doesn’t see a resolution to the partisan impasse over border wall funding, said Thursday she’d like to see the Department of Homeland Security funded on a continuing resolution through the remainder of fiscal 2019. Seven of the 12 annual appropriations bills, including the DHS measure, are currently running on a continuing resolution that expires Friday. The House and Senate Thursday passed another stopgap to extend the funding deadline to Dec. 21. 
• Louisiana’s Ralph Abraham Running for Governor
  Louisiana Rep. Ralph Abraham is running for governor in 2019. “I’m running for governor and I intend to win,” the Republican lawmaker tweeted Thursday morning. 
• Markets Tumble Again But White House Not Guaranteeing China Deal
  U.S. markets plunged again Thursday amid doubts the Trump administration and China can strike a legitimate trade deal that would avoid an escalation of tensions and economic turbulence as the White House urges patience — and few guarantees of success. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ and S&P 500 Index all were closed Wednesday as part of a national day of mourning for the late President George H.W. Bush following a Tuesday sell off. But the one-day break did little to calm spooked markets.
• Sen. Kamala Harris Aide Resigns After $400,000 Sexual Harassment Settlement Emerges
  A longtime aide to Sen. Kamala Harris resigned Wednesday after another news publication asked about a $400,000 sexual harassment and retaliation settlement stemming from his time working for the California Department of Justice. The Sacramento Bee first reported this story.
• Democrats: Campaign Finance Admission Should ‘Disqualify’ Incoming Congressman
  Revelations that GOP Rep.-elect Ross Spano violated campaign finance law by taking out personal loans and directing approximately the same amount to his campaign should disqualify him from serving in Congress, Florida Democrats say. Spano “knew exactly what he was doing when he took personal loans and used them as campaign funds, which is against the law,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo said in a statement earlier this week. “This matter needs to be fully investigated, and appropriate actions taken.”
• McHenry Chief of Staff Moves to NRCC as Executive Director
  Parker Hamilton Poling will serve as executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 2020 cycle.  She most recently served as chief of staff to North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry, the chief deputy whip during the 115th Congress. 
• Where Republicans, Democrats Stand Heading Into 2019
  As we enter a two-year presidential cycle, the parties stand at very different places. Republicans appear unified behind President Donald Trump, while Democrats are about to begin a contest for a 2020 nominee that will inevitably degenerate into Democrats attacking Democrats. But while the GOP is unified, the party just suffered a stunning rebuke and has painted itself into an unenviable demographic corner. Its leader ends 2018 with a trainload of political baggage and is seemingly uninterested in expanding a political coalition that lost 40 House seats and half a dozen governorships.
• Bob Corker’s Quieter Foreign Policy Legacy
  As Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker prepares to yield his gavel and leave the Senate, he has advice for newly elected senators: gain expertise and actually listen to your colleagues. “Some of these people obviously are coming in with large platforms. I mean, they’ve been significant figures prior to coming here,” the Tennessee Republican, first elected in 2006, said in a recent interview. “Still though, they’re going to be freshman senators and they’re going to be sitting at the end of the dais in most cases in whatever the committee.”
• With Orrin Hatch Retiring, Supreme Court Loses an Active ’Friend’
  One of this year’s highest-profile Supreme Court cases gave retiring Sen. Orrin G. Hatch a final chance to broadcast his views beyond the Capitol building to the nine justices across the street. In a criminal law case set for oral arguments Thursday, the Utah Republican filed a brief known as an amicus curiae — or a “friend of the court” who is not a party in a case. He gave them what he called “an experienced legislator’s perspective on the constitutional and practical issues at play.”
• Trump Presence Felt During Poignant Moments of Bush 41’s Funeral
  President George H.W. Bush’s funeral, by design, was not about the sitting commander in chief, but there were moments when Donald Trump’s presence was paramount. The 41st president’s son, George W. Bush, never mentioned the 45th president by name during his humorous and emotional eulogy for his father. But there were moments during his remarks that made clear the deep differences between the elder Bush and Trump.

McClatchy©

• Miami’s ‘big bad she-wolf’ finishes a 29-year run in Congress
  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen wasn’t sure what to do. The first Latina in Congress was scheduled to give a speech in front of a prominent Washington think tank in less than 10 … Click to Continue »
• My unforgettable lunch with President George H.W. Bush in the White House
  President George H.W Bush didn’t like to be asked political questions during lunch, I and the five other journalists who would be seated at his table were warned by the … Click to Continue »
• ‘End times:’ Rand Paul, Lindsey Graham find common ground on Saudi Arabia
  Lindsey Graham laughingly says his sudden embrace of of Rand Paul is a sign of what the Bible calls “end times.” Rand Paul jokes that their mind meld first needed … Click to Continue »
• Bladen counted early votes too soon in 2018. Witness alleges numbers were leaked.
  Bladen County election workers tallied the results of early voting before Election Day in violation of state rules and are accused of allowing outsiders to view them, a precinct worker … Click to Continue »
• Meadows would bring political skill to chief of staff job. But can he control Trump?
  North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows has emerged as a top pick for White House chief of staff as President Donald Trump’s has struggled to find someone to fill what has … Click to Continue »
• Tim Scott wants his party to get smarter on race. His colleagues are making it tough.
  Sen. Tim Scott wants fellow Republicans to get smarter about judicial nominees — specifically, to stop nominating judges with questionable records on race. The South Carolina Republican earlier this month … Click to Continue »
• Trump: ‘John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year’
  Before departing for the Army-Navy football game on Dec. 8., President Trump announced that Chief of Staff John Kelly will leave his job by the end of 2018. … Click to Continue »
• John Kelly’s legacy now tied to Trump’s policies and “worst impulses”
  President Donald Trump is losing his chief of staff, John Kelly, after a difficult — some say failed — 16-month stint to try and bring order to a chaotic West … Click to Continue »
• Health care was a big reason Calif. Democrats won. But don’t expect major changes
  The promise of better health care options was a big reason Democrats did so well in California, and they’re pledging to move quickly to vote on major legislation. But they’re … Click to Continue »
• Republican Mark Harris open to new election if fraud could have changed outcome
  Mark Harris, the congressional candidate at the center of the unfolding election fraud scandal in North Carolina’s 9th District, said Friday that he would “wholeheartedly support” a new vote if … Click to Continue »
• Lynn Jenkins sets up lobbying business — but she’s still a Kansas congresswoman
  Lynn Jenkins hasn’t left Congress yet, but the Kansas Republican has already launched a new lobbying firm. Jenkins’ term in the U.S. House doesn’t officially end until the first week … Click to Continue »
• Peña Nieto leaves office as 1st Mexican leader in decades not to get a U.S. state visit
  Standing in front of both nations’ flags, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto stood shoulder-to-shoulder with President Donald Trump, smiling for the cameras and shaking hands before sitting down to sign … Click to Continue »
• ‘A troubled history’: Bladen County has faced five elections investigations since 2010
  This story was corrected on Dec. 7 at 2:07 p.m. See story for details. The investigation into voting irregularities in the 2018 election in Bladen County is, at least, the … Click to Continue »
• Kamala Harris aide resigns after harassment, retaliation settlement surfaces
  A longtime top staff member of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris resigned Wednesday after The Sacramento Bee inquired about a $400,000 harassment and retaliation settlement resulting from his time working for … Click to Continue »
• Ted Cruz rallies conservatives with changes to criminal justice reform plan
  Sen. Ted Cruz is proposing expanding the list of violent offenders who wouldn’t be eligible for early release programs under the criminal justice plan now being pushed by the White … Click to Continue »
• Senators want broader probe of FEMA contracts in Puerto Rico
  Four prominent Democratic senators on Thursday asked the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security to broaden an ongoing investigation into contracting and hurricane relief problems in Puerto Rico. … Click to Continue »
• Josh Hawley’s war against Big Tech could bring down small startups
  Josh Hawley wants to be seen as the U.S. Senate’s watchdog of tech giants. But his efforts could actually result in the big companies, which he says he wants to … Click to Continue »
• FEMA mishandled contracts for California wildfire victims, audit says
  The federal government continues to mishandle contracts with private companies during disasters such as California’s wildfires, according to a report published Thursday by the Government Accountability Office. The advance contracts … Click to Continue »
• House Democrats seek voting rights fixes. Senate GOP says it’s already dead
  House Democrats are launching an ambitious effort to repair the landmark voting rights law that was fractured by the Supreme Court in 2013, with leaders eying field hearings in North … Click to Continue »
• ‘Trumpism isn’t the future.’ Ousted Miami Republican reflects on election loss
  Carlos Curbelo couldn’t win a two-front war. National Democrats spent more money in Curbelo’s district than any other across the country on a healthcare-centric TV campaign. Donald Trump spent the … Click to Continue »
• Republicans’ Way Forward: Is the White House mired in chaos or just full of enemies?
  Subscribe to McClatchy’s Beyond the Bubble and catch all three episodes of the Republicans’ Way Forward on iTunes here or Stitcher. Beyond the Bubble_GOP 3_autoplay Many people — mostly critics … Click to Continue »
• Bush casket arrives at National Cathedral for funeral service
  The casket of former president George H.W. Bush made its way from the U.S. Capitol Rotunda past the White House and to the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. on December 5, 2018 for the funeral service. … Click to Continue »
• Felons may be back in the hemp farming business
  People with felony drug convictions may be able to grow hemp after all. A controversial provision in the Senate farm bill that bars felons from growing hemp, even as it … Click to Continue »
• George W Bush celebrates father’s life with praise, humor in eulogy
  George W. Bush spoke at the funeral celebrating the life of his father, former president George H.W. Bush, on December 5, 2018. The speech was filled with a trait he credits to dad: humor. … Click to Continue »
• Memorable moments from George H.W. Bush funeral
  The National Cathedral was filled as people around the world watched the funeral of the 41st president of the United States. … Click to Continue »
• Blunt knocks Republicans for talking about CIA briefing on murder of Saudi journalist
  Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt is annoyed with his fellow Republicans, after several walked out of a classified briefing on Tuesday and blasted the Trump administration for willfully ignoring evidence linking … Click to Continue »
• Republicans’ Way Forward: The White House faces an onslaught of investigations
  Subscribe to McClatchy’s Beyond the Bubble and catch all three episodes of the Republicans’ Way Forward on iTunes here or Stitcher. The Trump White House is about to find out … Click to Continue »
• Understanding the election fraud allegations in North Carolina’s 9th district
  This story was updated with the latest developments at 2:13 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7. One month after Election Day, all eyes are on North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. Republican Mark … Click to Continue »
• President, First Lady pay respects to George H.W. Bush
  President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pay their respects to former President George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3, 2018 in the Rotunda of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. … Click to Continue »
• ‘Khashoggi Way’ sign placed outside Saudi embassy in Washington DC
  Activists put up a fake “Khashoggi Way” road sign outside Washington’s Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia on December 4 in protest of the US government’s handling of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death. … Click to Continue »

Politico©

• DNC chair praises George H.W. Bush: He 'put country over party every day'
• How will Trump take Amazon move? 'He will think Bezos made this decision to stick it to him.'
• Kasich: ‘A pox on both houses’ for Kavanaugh confirmation process
• Avenatti stars in ‘avenging angel’ role
  For the third time this year, the attorney and 2020 presidential prospect has rolled a grenade into the Trump White House.
• The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
  Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here’s an offering of the best of this week’s crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.
• Behind the scenes as the Kavanaugh nomination hit the rocks
• Former Trump aides break their silence on Woodward book
  Rob Porter, Gary Cohn and Chris Christie are accusing the veteran journalist of creating a misleading portrait of the West Wing.
• New sexual misconduct allegations emerge against CBS boss
• Booker heading to Iowa in October
• Obama vs. Trump: The clash everyone's waited for arrives
  But on Friday, at least, the current president barely mustered a response to the blistering critique leveled against him by his predecessor.