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Alexander Statement on Impeachment Witness Vote — “I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitution's high bar …
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Washington Post, National Review, Law & Crime, The American Independent, Politico, The Hill, IJR, Raw Story, The Week, NPR, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall, Slate and BuzzFeed News
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Senator Collins' Statement on Vote on Witnesses and Documents — Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement on the next stage of the impeachment trial process: — “We have heard the cases argued and the questions answered.
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NPR, PJ Media Home, Wall Street Journal, Axios, IJR, UPI, HuffPost, Redstate, Breitbart, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, FOX 61, ABC7, Daily Kos, Financial Times and Raw Story


The Senate Can Stop Pretending Now — Lamar Alexander and the end of Donald Trump's impeachment trial. — Just like that, at precisely 11 p.m. on Thursday, minutes after the end of the ninth day of the Senate trial of Donald John Trump, Senator Lamar Alexander ended it.
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HuffPost


Three ways the end of the impeachment trial could play out — Friday will be a make-or-break moment in President Trump's impeachment trial, as Republicans try to bring the proceedings to a close. — Senators will hold a crucial vote on whether or not to call new witnesses or compel documents as part of the Senate's proceeding.
Discussion:
Politico, UPI, JONATHAN TURLEY, Washington Free Beacon and New York Times


POLITICO Playbook: Alexander narrows the path to witnesses — DRIVING THE DAY — “IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation. When elected officials inappropriately interfere …
Discussion:
Common Dreams, Daily Kos and Twitchy


Trump headed for fast acquittal — President Trump is poised to win his long-expected acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial as soon as tonight, after Sen. Lamar Alexander's dramatic 11th-hour announcement that he'll vote against calling new witnesses. — The state of play …


The End of Impeachment? — On the menu today: With Tennessee …
Discussion:
Washington Post, NB Blog and The Week

GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander, key impeachment vote, to reveal decision on witnesses tonight
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No More Mister Nice Blog, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The American Independent and CNN

Dozens protest Sen. Collins' ‘lack of moral leadership’ in impeachment trial
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Common Dreams, Bangor Daily News and The Hill

‘A Shameful Episode in Our History’: Carl Bernstein Scorches Senate for ‘Cover-up’ …
Discussion:
HuffPost


Sanders, Biden are neck-and-neck in new NBC/WSJ national poll — The two Democratic presidential contenders are statistically tied but Sanders has an edge in loyalty of his supporters. — DES MOINES, Iowa — Just days before the first votes are counted in the Democratic primary …
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Breitbart, Financial Times, Common Dreams, Mediaite, The Hill and CNN
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Bernie Sanders leads Donald Trump in polls, even when you remind people he's a socialist — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) walks through the Capitol during the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on January 29, 2020. Zach Gibson/Getty Images — Socialism is unpopular, but America's leading socialist isn't.



Sanders surges, Biden plateaus in latest NBC/WSJ poll of 2020 Democratic primary voters
Discussion:
The Hill

Bloomberg surges past Warren into third place in new national poll
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NBC News, Politico, Spectator USA, The Daily Caller and Townhall

Whatever Happened to the Democratic Primary?
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times


John Delaney Announces Decision to Withdraw From 2020 Race — DES MOINES, IA - Today, 2020 Presidential candidate John Delaney announces his decision to withdraw from the 2020 race. This decision is informed by internal analyses indicating John's support is not sufficient to meet …
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Townhall, BuzzFeed News, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Wall Street Journal, CNN, HuffPost, DCist, PJ Media Home, The Daily Caller, UPI, Outside the Beltway, Disrn, Mediaite, FOX 61, PBS NewsHour and CBS Baltimore
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John Delaney says he's dropping out of presidential race
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Axios, The Smoke Eater and The Week


In Austin, John Bolton voices support for officials called in impeachment hearing — AUSTIN (KXAN) — Speaking at a private event in Austin Thursday, Former National Security Advisor John Bolton defended government officials who testified in front of the U.S. House impeachment inquiry.


Dershowitz's Dangerous Game — His defense of Trump threatens the checks and balances at the heart of Congress's impeachment power. — I will not try to convince you how to vote in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. I won't even lecture you about the need for witnesses …
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Trump's border wall, vulnerable to flash floods, needs large storm gates left open for months — NACO, Ariz. — President Trump's border wall likely will require the installation of hundreds of storm gates to prevent flash floods from undermining or knocking it over, gates that must be left open …
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Vanity Fair, Slate, The Hill and Raw Story
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The Republican Cover-up Will Backfire. The House Can Keep Investigating Trump. — Toward the end, the impeachment trial's strategic purpose narrowed into an obsessive quest to produce evidence. Democrats have defined victory not as removal, but as winning a procedural vote to allow more testimony, especially by John Bolton.


Republicans prove they refuse to defy Trump under almost any circumstance — Sen. Lamar Alexander shares his decision on witness vote — Washington (CNN)Republican hopes of blocking former national security adviser John Bolton's impeachment testimony highlight the Trump-era GOP's defining characteristic …
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On the impeachment of President Donald Trump — My layman's approach to the impeachment of President Trump is somewhat simplistic. — We American citizens have the right to choose our leaders by voting in elections. Exercising that right requires that our elections be fair, especially the one for president.


Senate investigators interview IRS whistleblower about alleged interference with Trump or Pence audit — Senate investigators have conducted an extensive interview of a whistleblower at the Internal Revenue Service who has alleged improper political interference in the audit of the president …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Raw Story


Most feel good about the economy but not the state of the country - CBS News poll — Ahead of President Trump's State of the Union address, more Americans feel positive about the state of the economy than they do about the state of the country overall. As Mr. Trump gets record high approval ratings …


Biden argued against witnesses in 1999 impeachment trial memo — In January 1999, then-Sen. Joe Biden argued strongly against the need to depose additional witnesses or seek new evidence in a memo sent to fellow Democrats ahead of President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial.


Michael Bloomberg to visit Sacramento, Fresno on Monday: ‘Our Iowa is California’ — Michael Bloomberg will visit Sacramento and Fresno during his fourth California trip since declaring his candidacy in late-November. — According to his campaign, the former New York City mayor …


U.S. farm bankruptcies hit an eight-year high: court data — CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. farm bankruptcy rates jumped 20% in 2019 - to an eight-year high - as financial woes in the U.S. agricultural economy continued in spite of massive federal bail-out funding, according to federal court data.


64 US troops suffered traumatic brain injuries from Iranian missile attack, as casualty total continues to balloon — WASHINGTON — The Pentagon announced Thursday that 64 American troops sustained mild traumatic brain injuries as a result of the Iranian missile strikes on two military bases in Iraq …
Discussion:
VICE


The Dispatch Wants to Be the Anti-Breitbart — The new outlet is trying to sell serious, fact-based stories to conservatives. Do they want them? — Jonah goldberg, the conservative author and longtime fixture at National Review, used to have a go-to metaphor he'd deploy whenever …


Bloomberg and Biden barrel toward Super Tuesday collision — Mike Bloomberg's presidential campaign is predicated on Joe Biden's collapse. — But Biden has steadied his wobbly bid heading into the Iowa caucuses, sending the two moderates toward a likely Super Tuesday collision.


Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy: What is it? — The real question is about Netanyahu's strategy. What is it? While Netanyahu always seems to be a step ahead of his adversaries, this time there is no clear idea where he is going. — It was an impressive show of force.

Iowa's Unpredictable Politics Cast Their Shadow Farther Than the Caucuses — With varied economic interests and relatively balanced partisan strength, the Hawkeye State is often one of the most likely to swing in November. — Iowa's Unpredictable Politics