memeorandum: Elizabeth Warren's ‘unity’ pitch clashes with her ‘fighter’ message (NBC News)

10:45 AM ET, February 8, 2020

Top Items:

Exclusive NH Tracking Poll: Buttigieg Takes Lead Over Sanders In Tight New Hampshire Race — BOSTON (CBS) - Pete Buttigieg continued his rise in Friday night's exclusive WBZ/Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll, for the first time taking a narrow lead that falls within the survey's 4.4% margin of error.

Discussion: BuzzFeed News and Washington Post

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:

Bernie Sanders showed us he's a very skilled politician — Sen. Bernie Sanders walks onstage as he arrives for the Democratic debate on February 7, 2020. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images — He's a much savvier operator than the establishment gives him credit for.

Discussion: The Federalist, Politico, Breitbart, Outside the Beltway, ABC News and The Week

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Winners and losers from the New Hampshire Democratic debate — The Democratic presidential primary entered a new phase Friday night, with the Iowa results finally all in and the candidates debating in New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday's primary. — Below, some winners and losers. — Winners

Discussion: Breitbart, The Daily Beast and Bern Notice

The Boston Globe:

Buttigieg opens slight lead over Sanders in N.H., Globe/WBZ/Suffolk poll shows — Former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg has moved slightly ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire, besting the Vermont independent by 1 percentage point among likely Democratic presidential primary voters …

Discussion: Politico

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:

Klobuchar takes aim at Buttigieg in ABC News debate in New Hampshire — “I'm not a political newcomer with no record,” she added. — Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar didn't speak the most among rivals at Friday night's ABC News Democratic debate, but more than anyone else she went after former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Discussion: New York Times and Breitbart

Politico:

Everything you need to know about the 2020 race in New Hampshire today — MANCHESTER, N.H. — The Democratic presidential candidates are fanning out across New Hampshire in force on Saturday, blanketing the state in late campaign activity to go along with a layer of snow that fell this week.

Discussion: The Hill

NBC News:

Elizabeth Warren's ‘unity’ pitch clashes with her ‘fighter’ message — The Democratic presidential candidate has pitched herself as both a warrior for change and a unifying force. Many voters see a fighter — but not a uniter. — DERRY, N.H. — She's been the candidate with “a plan for that.”

Axios:

Bloomberg's big bet on massive campaign spending — Data: Advertising Analytics, FEC; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios — Michael Bloomberg's prolific spending aims to make him as legitimate and familiar as his rivals. It also confronts two realities: President Trump is out-raising …

Discussion: Ballotpedia News, Washington Post and The Hill

Niall Stanage / The Hill:
Five takeaways: Fear of Trump hangs over Democratic debate

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and NBC News

Astead W. Herndon / New York Times:
Elizabeth Warren Has a Pete Buttigieg Problem

Discussion: Mediaite and The Guardian

New York Times:
7 Takeaways From the Democratic Debate in New Hampshire

Discussion: Mother Jones and The Hill

Mark Murray / NBC News:
NBC News/Marist poll: Sanders, Buttigieg continue to lead in New Hampshire

Discussion: Politico, One America News Network, The Hill, Bloomberg and The Boston Globe

New York Times:
How Pete Buttigieg Became the Surprise of the Iowa Caucuses

Discussion: Mediaite

Ryan Teague Beckwith / Bloomberg:
Team Clinton Hits Sanders Ahead of New Hampshire Primary

Discussion: Raw Story, CNN and The Daily Caller

David Weigel / Washington Post:
The Trailer: The stage is set. Will there be zingers?

Discussion: Breitbart, Associated Press, Fox News, The Hill, Axios, Common Dreams and Politico

New York Times:

Trump Fires Impeachment Witnesses Gordon Sondland and Alexander Vindman in Post-Acquittal Purge — Emboldened by his victory and determined to strike back, the president removed Mr. Sondland as ambassador to the European Union after the White House earlier on Friday dismissed Colonel Vindman.

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, BizPac Review, The Wrap, Mediaite, The Minnesota Sun, The Gateway Pundit, Mother Jones, Financial Times, The Week, The Guardian, Axios, The Last Refuge, Press Herald, New York Post and New Republic

Washington Post:

Trump ousts Vindman and Sondland, punishing key impeachment witnesses in post-acquittal campaign of retribution — President Trump on Friday punished two witnesses who testified in the investigation that led to his impeachment, removing them from their posts in an apparent campaign …

Discussion: Mother Jones, Raw Story and The Hill

David Rothkopf / The Daily Beast:
Friday Night Massacre's Just the Beginning for Acquitted Trump

Discussion: Raw Story

Alex Pappas / Fox News:
Trump ousts key impeachment figures Sondland, Vindman days after Senate acquittal

Discussion: Redstate and Townhall

Washington Post:
Trump fires Gordon Sondland, the second impeachment witness to be removed from his post Friday

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and The Hill

NBC News:
Vindman, who provided key impeachment testimony, ‘escorted’ from White House, attorney says

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Hill, New York Daily News, Slate, Axios, Associated Press, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly, New York Post, Washington Post and Newsy

CNN:
Trump fires two major impeachment figures — Alexander Vindman and Gordon Sondland

Discussion: NPR, Raw Story, Contemptor, Rolling Stone, PJ Media Home, East Bay Times, The Gateway Pundit, Reuters, Common Dreams, The Federalist Papers, Law & Crime, POLITICUSUSA, Task & Purpose, Daily Kos, New York Post, The Guardian and Patterico's Pontifications

Eric Russell / Press Herald:
Sen. Collins says retribution against witnesses in impeachment process is inappropriate

Discussion: Raw Story, The Brussels Times, Vox, Mediaite, The Week, New York Times, The Daily Caller, Mother Jones, Daily Kos, Unprecedented, Jezebel and POLITICUSUSA

Politico:
Impeachment witnesses ousted amid fears of Trump revenge campaign

Discussion: Axios, Vox, HuffPost, Raw Story, UPI, The Hill, The Resurgent, Washington Post, The Last Refuge, Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, Newsy and ABC News

Shannon Pettypiece / NBC News:
Trump warns on impeachment payback: 'You'll see'

Discussion: The Hill, BizPac Review, Associated Press, Lawyers, Guns & Money, No More Mister Nice Blog, Bloomberg, Vanity Fair and Breitbart

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Collins says it would not be appropriate for Trump to retaliate against impeachment witnesses — Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), one of two Republicans to vote last week to subpoena additional witnesses and extend the impeachment trial, said Friday that she would disapprove of President Trump retaliating …

Andrew Feinberg / The Independent: Trump is now free to take revenge against those who wronged him during impeachment.

Elizabeth Spiers / Washington Post:
Trump is the ultimate sore winner. Now he'll seek revenge.

Discussion: VTDigger, Law & Crime and The Daily Caller

The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Trump used Philly girl's story to attack ‘failing government schools.’ But she's at one of the city's most desired charters. — President Donald Trump turned a Philadelphia fourth grader into a poster child for the school-choice movement Tuesday when he told the nation that thousands of students were …

Coral Davenport / New York Times:

Justice Department Drops Antitrust Probe Against Automakers That Sided With California on Emissions — WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has dropped its antitrust inquiry into four automakers that had sided with California in its dispute with the Trump administration over reducing climate …

Discussion: Axios, The Verge and Newsy

Politico:
DOJ drops probe of carmakers that aligned with California on pollution

Discussion: Associated Press and The Hill

New York Times:

Amy Klobuchar — Jamelle Bouie (7/10) — Klobuchar sounded confident and aggressive, willing and able to go after her competitors. Her defense of experience, in particular, was strong. More and more, she looks like a real alternative for moderate Democrats.

Nancy Pelosi / Washington Post:

McConnell and the GOP Senate are accomplices to Trump's wrongdoing — Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, is speaker of the House of Representatives. — For more than 200 years, our republic has endured, not only because of the wisdom of our Founders and the brilliance of our Constitution …

Discussion: Raw Story, Mediaite, The Hill, HuffPost and Contemptor

Riham Feshir / MPR News:

Thousands of Hmong and Lao Americans face deportation under Trump proposal — In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Rep. Betty McCollum calls the plan ‘unconscionable’ — Advocates warn that a Trump administration proposal to deport thousands of Hmong and Lao Americans back to Laos …

Week / Al-Monitor:

Rouhani faces winter of Iran's discontent — Iran's hard-liners have already secured a takeover of the parliament in elections this month; Trump says any negotiations are totally up to Iran. — Charly Triballeau/Pool via REUTERS — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meets Japanese Prime …

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Another Scandal at the DNC — Because of other disasters afflicting the Democratic Party in recent days, this story, from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, hasn't gotten a lot of attention. But it fits with other recent instances of Democratic Party incompetence and worse: “Leaders of 2020 DNC Host Committee fired.”

Discussion: Fox News