memeorandum: Inside the Senate trial: McConnell stops rebel push in GOP for witnesses (Washington Post)

10:15 PM ET, February 1, 2020

Top Items:

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Trump, Unrepentant and Unleashed — The diabolical duo of Donald and Mitch, serving their own interests, not the national one. — WASHINGTON — During a meeting with Donald Trump at Trump Tower in June of 2016, with the opéra bouffe builder improbably heading toward the nomination despite …

Discussion: Raw Story

Ben Kamisar / NBC News:

Lamar Alexander says Senate should not ‘substitute its judgment’ for that of the voters — In an exclusive interview with “Meet the Press,” the Tennessee senator explains his key vote against witnesses in the impeachment trial. — DES MOINES, Iowa — Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, CNN and Breitbart

Max Boot / Washington Post:
The GOP doesn't deserve to survive this debacle

Discussion: Breitbart, CNN and Daily Kos

CNN:
Trump not expected to apologize or admit any wrongdoing after anticipated acquittal

Discussion: Twitchy and POLITICUSUSA

Paul Kane / Washington Post: Senate to emerge from impeachment trial guilty of extreme partisanship

Des Moines Register:

Des Moines Register, partners cancel release of Iowa Poll over respondent concerns — The Des Moines Register, CNN and Selzer & Co. have made the decision to not release the final installment of the CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll as planned this evening.

Discussion: Axios, The Hill, Raw Story, WHOTV and Politico

New York Times:

Des Moines Register Poll of Iowa Caucusgoers Abruptly Shelved — The release of the highly anticipated survey was canceled after complaints from Pete Buttigieg's campaign that he was not included in at least one phone call. — DES MOINES — A highly anticipated poll of Iowa Democrats …

Discussion: Politico, Associated Press and New York Times

Ryan Lizza / Politico:
Bernie backers unleash their anger at a folk concert in Iowa

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, National Review, Esquire, The Guardian, Breitbart, No More Mister Nice Blog and Jezebel

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:

Trump administration reveals it's blocking dozens of emails about Ukraine aid freeze, including President's role — Washington (CNN)The Department of Justice revealed in a court filing late Friday that it has two dozen emails related to the President Donald Trump's involvement in the withholding …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Occupy Democrats, UPI, Daily Kos, Raw Story, The Week and New York Post

Washington Post:

Inside the Senate trial: McConnell stops rebel push in GOP for witnesses — Inside the Mansfield Room at the Capitol, where Senate Republicans have held daily strategy sessions during President Trump's impeachment trial, senators began walking through their arguments on why they should block witnesses …

Colby Itkowitz / Washington Post:

Justice Department acknowledges 24 emails reveal Trump's thinking on Ukraine — Hours after the Senate voted against seeking new evidence in the impeachment case against President Trump, the administration acknowledged in a midnight court filing Friday the existence of two dozen emails …

Discussion: Associated Press, Politico, Slate and Center for Public Integrity

Jonathan Turley / The Hill: How the House lost the witness battle along with impeachment

Lisa Lerer / New York Times:

Live Coverage of the Final Weekend Before the 2020 Iowa Caucuses — With the Senate impeachment trial adjourned for the weekend, the top Democratic candidates are all on the ground, sprinting to the finish line before Monday's Iowa caucuses. — The candidates are honing or recalibrating …

Alexandra Jaffe / Associated Press:
‘Zombie’ campaigns could pick up support in Iowa caucuses

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Post, Fox News and The Hill

Alexi McCammond / Axios:
Pete Buttigieg's campaign doesn't think he needs to win Iowa

Discussion: Associated Press and The Hill

Geoffrey Skelley / FiveThirtyEight:
Election Update: Is Klobuchar Having A Last-Minute Surge In Iowa?

Discussion: Revolving Door Project …, Axios, The Guardian and Politico

BuzzFeed News:

“HELP!!!” Internal #SharpieGate Emails Show Government Officials Freaked Out Over Trump's “Doctored” Hurricane Map — “HELP!!!” wrote one federal official. “Yep, crazy,” said another. — President Trump's fake hurricane map triggered panic, outrage, and an internal revolt among top officials …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mother Jones

Washington Post:
New emails show how President Trump roiled NOAA during Hurricane Dorian

Discussion: Bloomberg, New York Times, Earther and Law & Crime

New York Times:

Bloomberg Proposes $5 Trillion in Taxes on the Rich and Corporations — Michael R. Bloomberg, the billionaire presidential hopeful, is including more new taxes in his plan than his moderate rival Joe Biden but less than Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. — WASHINGTON — Former Mayor …

Discussion: Denver Post

Brian Faler / Politico:
Bloomberg targets the rich with his tax plan, but more gently than some rivals

Discussion: Axios and Associated Press

Tal Axelrod / The Hill:
Sanders campaign hits DNC over new debate criteria: ‘The definition of a rigged system’

Discussion: Politico, Vox, Grabien News, Axios, Talking Points Memo and Althouse

Julia Manchester / The Hill:
Bloomberg, Steyer spend combined $340 million in fourth quarter

Discussion: Breitbart, New York Times and Politico

Wall Street Journal: Bloomberg Offers Trillions in Tax Increases to Pay for His Agenda

Washington Post:

Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster — BEIJING — It was almost the Lunar New Year and Pan Chuntao was feeling festive. — He knew there were reports of a virus in his city, Wuhan. But local officials urged calmness.

Discussion: theepochtimes.com, New York Times and UPI

New York Times:

As New Virus Spread, China's Old Habits Delayed Fight — At critical turning points, Chinese authorities put secrecy and order ahead of openly confronting the growing crisis and risking public alarm or political embarrassment. — WUHAN, China — A mysterious illness had stricken seven patients …

Discussion: Northeastern

Salena Zito / New York Post:

Wisconsin voters are warming to Trump, despite impeachment — PEWAUKEE, Wis. — Katrina Goetz is fully invested in her community. A wife, mother of three and volunteer, she is also an executive overseeing 65 employees at TLX Technologies in suburban Milwaukee.

New York Times:

‘Angels’ in Hell: The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria's Secret — A Times investigation found widespread bullying and harassment of employees and models. The company expresses “regret.” — Victoria's Secret defined femininity for millions of women. Its catalog and fashion shows were popular touchstones.

Discussion: Law & Crime

Peter Baker / New York Times:

While Stained in History, Trump Will Emerge From Trial Triumphant and Unshackled — His acquittal in the Senate assured, the emboldened president will take his victory and grievance to the campaign trail, no longer worried about congressional constraint. — WASHINGTON — Ralph Waldo Emerson seemed …

Discussion: Raw Story

Ian Schwartz / RealClearPolitics:

Rand Paul: Alleged Whistleblower, Friend Plotted For Over A Year To Bring Down Trump — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) explains why he thinks Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read aloud a question he submitted to the entire body of Senators in an interview with One America's John Hines.

Clare Malone / New York Magazine:

Lis Left Standing Win or lose, Pete Buttigieg's senior adviser Lis Smith has turned an unknown mayor into a serious contender. — A couple of months back, I was in New Hampshire, bumping along on a tricked-out campaign bus stocked with SkinnyPop and White Claw hard seltzer …

Joseph Simonson / Washington Examiner:

‘Our own people are out of work’: Bernie Sanders railed against US guest workers from Jamaica — Bernie Sanders touts an immigration plan that would broaden access to jobs in the United States for those living across the world. But he didn't always feel that way.