memeorandum: Cruz, cadre of other GOP senators vow not to certify Biden win without probe of baseless voter fraud claims (Washington Post)

3:40 PM ET, January 2, 2021

Top Items:

Alayna Treene / Axios:

Multiple senators plan to oppose certifying election results — A growing number of Republican senators — led by Ted Cruz — are set to announce today they also will object to certifying state Electoral College votes on Wednesday, congressional sources familiar with their conversations tell Axios.

Discussion: Business Insider, Washington Examiner, POLITICUSUSA, The Western Journal, Forbes, Townhall, The Week, Mock Paper Scissors, Mother Jones, We Love Trump, Disrn, Florida Politics and Tennessee Star

Axios:

Trump is torching his own party and its leaders on his way out of power — President Trump is torching his own party and its leaders on his way out of power — and tossing gas on the fire with a public call for mass protest next week and a vote to overturn his defeat.

Discussion: CNN, Raw Story, CBS News, No More Mister Nice Blog, NBC News, The Hill, Washington Times, New York Post, New York Magazine and Los Angeles Times

Politico:

At least 12 GOP senators to challenge Biden's win — Nearly a quarter of Senate Republicans are officially preparing to challenge President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College win on Jan. 6, a stunning development that demonstrates just how far some in the GOP will go to align themselves …

Discussion: The Sun, DNyuz, CNBC, The Carpentariat, justoneminute.typepad.com and Washington Times

Adam Shaw / Fox News:

GOP senators, led by Cruz, to object to Electoral College certification, demand emergency audit — The lawmakers call for an electoral commission to be established to audit results. — Democrats push back on electoral college night — A group of GOP senators led by Sen. Ted Cruz …

Discussion: RedState, Mediaite and POLITICUSUSA

The Daily Beast:

Trump Plans to Fight the Election Even After ‘Stop the Steal’ Rally Ends — The president has told advisers he isn't deterred by the setbacks in the courts and won't be deterred by Congress certifying Joe Biden's win. — Many of Donald Trump's most dogmatic supporters see a mass protest in Washington …

Discussion: Raw Story, Breitbart, The Sun, Lawyers, Guns & Money, CANNONFIRE, emptywheel, Reason, Off the Kuff, The Last Refuge, WTOP and Washington Post

Luke Broadwater / New York Times:

11 Republican Senators Plan to Back Futile Bid to Overturn Biden's Election — A group of senators and senators-elect, led by Ted Cruz of Texas, said that they would object to the outcome of the election, while conceding that the effort would be unsuccessful.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Business Insider, KDFX-TV, TheGrio, DNyuz, Forbes, WWLP-TV and Associated Press

Ted Cruz:

Joint Statement from Senators Cruz, Johnson, Lankford, Daines, Kennedy, Blackburn, Braun, Senators-Elect Lummis, Marshall, Hagerty, Tuberville — WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Kennedy (R-La.) …

Discussion: New York Post, The Guardian, Breitbart, The Texas Tribune, Patterico's Pontifications, UPI, ABC7, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze and The Week

Washington Post:

Cruz, cadre of other GOP senators vow not to certify Biden win without probe of baseless voter fraud claims — Nearly a dozen Republican senators and senators-elect led by Sen Ted Cruz of Texas said Saturday they will reject electors from certain states won by President-elect Joe Biden …

Discussion: NBC News, New York Times, Politico, The Federalist, CNN, Alabama Political Reporter and Mediaite

John McCormack / National Review:
Cruz Letter Calls for Rejection of Electoral College Results

Discussion: ABC News, Mother Jones and Conservative News Today

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee:
Blackburn, Hagerty and Colleagues Will Vote to Oppose Electoral College Results

Discussion: Tennessee Star and The Gateway Pundit

Jordain Carney / The Hill:
11 Senate Republicans say they will oppose Electoral College results Wednesday

Discussion: Raw Story, The Sun and Zandar Versus The Stupid

Edward Helmore / The Guardian:
Republican plan to challenge election signals ‘cult of Trump’ will live on in Biden era

Discussion: CBS News, Bloomberg, The Wrap, Vanity Fair and Raw Story

Ben Tobin / Courier-Journal:

Mitch McConnell's Louisville home vandalized following his blockage of $2,000 stimulus checks — LOUISVILLE, Ky. — United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's Louisville home has been vandalized following his blocking of $2,000 stimulus checks to most Americans.

Discussion: Fox News, Slate, Raw Story, The Sun, USA Today, NewsNation Now and The US Sun

WDRB:

Sen. Mitch McConnell's Louisville home vandalized — LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's home in the Highlands area of Louisville was vandalized overnight. — Messages were written on the front of the home in red and white spray paint.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, New York Times, Washington Times and WRIC-TV

USA Today:

Pelosi, McConnell homes vandalized after Congress adjourns without securing $2,000 stimulus checks — LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The homes of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were vandalized over the weekend after Congress adjourned Friday without securing $2,000 stimulus checks.

Discussion: Axios, The Hill and Associated Press

Kayla Galloway / ABC7:
Nancy Pelosi's home vandalized with graffiti, fake blood on New Year's Day

Discussion: ABC7, Breitbart and CBS San Francisco

New York Times:

As Understanding of Russian Hacking Grows, So Does Alarm — Those behind the widespread intrusion into government and corporate networks exploited seams in U.S. defenses and gave away nothing to American monitoring of their systems. — On Election Day, General Paul M. Nakasone …

Discussion: The Week, more at Techmeme »

Wall Street Journal: How Russia's ‘Info Warrior’ Hackers Let Kremlin Play Geopolitics on the Cheap

Marissa Lang / Washington Post:

D.C. is becoming a protest battleground. In a polarized nation, experts say that's unlikely to change. — For years, West Coast cities have borne the brunt of violent confrontations between far-right extremists and counterprotesters who come to meet them.

Kaelan Deese / The Hill: Proud Boys to attend Jan. 6 DC rallies ‘incognito’

Axios:
D.C. becomes hotbed for violent protests

Discussion: Raw Story and Forbes

Michael Laris / Washington Post:

Sneezed on, cussed at, ignored: Airline workers battle mask resistance with scant government backup — As the man returned from the lavatory with a mask dangling from one ear, a flight attendant asked him to put it on properly. — “Why? Is something going on that I should know about?” …

Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times:
Evangelist singer draws a crowd of 2,500 to New Year's Eve gathering, ignoring risk of COVID-19 spread

Discussion: The Savage Nation, The Hill and KTLA

Hugo Martín / Los Angeles Times: Coughing, sneezing, vomiting: Visibly ill people aren't being kept off planes

Slater Teague / WRIC-TV:

Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin dies from COVID-19 complications — LEBANON, Va. (WJHL) — Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin (R-Lebanon) died Friday from COVID-19 complications, the senator's office confirmed Friday night. — Chafin had been hospitalized at VCU Medical Center for two weeks, according to a news release.

Discussion: Fox News, New York Post and Blue Virginia

Celine Castronuovo / The Hill:
Virginia state senator dies from COVID-19

Discussion: Richmond Times-Dispatch, WTVR-TV, The Daily Caller, Raw Story and Associated Press

Virginia Governor / Virginia Governor Ralph Northam:
Governor Northam Statement on the Passing of Senator A. Benton Chafin, Jr.

Discussion: New York Times, Business Insider, The Daily Dot, Talking Points Memo, DNyuz, USA Today, CNN, Washington Examiner, UPI and WTOP

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:

The Risky Wager of Betting on Trump — NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE W ere the anti-Trumpers right all along? — They point to the president's performance over the last two months, ranging from the bizarre to the shameful, and point out that this Trump is the only Trump there has ever been.

Discussion: Salon and Washington Post

The Times of Israel:

Iran says killers of top general Soleimani, including Trump, ‘not safe on Earth’ — Meanwhile successor to assassinated Quds force chief threatens ‘severe revenge’ — which may come from within the United States — 1,235 shares — TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's judiciary chief warned Friday …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Washington Examiner, Conservative News Today and Townhall

Eric Schmitt / New York Times:
In Abrupt Reversal of Iran Strategy, Pentagon Orders Aircraft Carrier Home

Discussion: Vox, Al Jazeera, New York Post, CNN, Forbes and The Daily Caller

Tal Axelrod / The Hill:
Iran plans 20% uranium enrichment in rebuke of nuclear deal

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Reuters, Associated Press and Radio Free Europe/Radio …

Martyn McLaughlin / Scotsman:

Donald Trump's Turnberry resort posts losses of £2.3 million — Donald Trump's flagship overseas property at Turnberry has posted annual losses of £2.3 million, marking the sixth year in a row it has failed to turn a profit under his ownership. — The property, the jewel …

Discussion: The Intellectualist