Top Items:
Daniel Bice / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Bice: Milwaukee law firm ‘concerned’ by attorney's role in Trump call trying to upend Georgia election results — A Milwaukee-based law firm is distancing itself from one of the attorneys involved in President Donald Trump's disturbing call trying to overturn the results of the Georgia election.
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Dan Primack / Axios:
Dominion plans to sue Sidney Powell, doesn't rule out Trump — Dominion Voting Systems plans to sue attorney Sidney Powell “imminently” for defamation, and is continuing to explore similar suits against President Trump and others, company founder and CEO John Poulos told the Axios Re:Cap podcast on Monday.
Discussion:
Mock Paper Scissors, IJR and Raw Story
Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:
EXCLUSIVE: Atlanta-Based U.S. Attorney Abruptly Departs Office Sooner Than Expected — The U.S. attorney in Atlanta departed his post Monday, TPM has learned, after previously indicating that he would not leave until Inauguration Day. — The reason for U.S. Attorney Byung “BJay” Pak's change of plans are not clear.
Discussion:
Raw Story and Political Wire
Richard L. Hasen / Slate:
Donald Trump Should Be Prosecuted for His Shakedown of Georgia's Brad Raffensperger — President Donald Trump likely broke both federal and state law in a Saturday phone call during which he encouraged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the state's election results.
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post, Fox News, Axios, Bloomberg, USA Today, The Atlantic, HuffPost, American Greatness, Vox, Arizona Republic, The Guardian, NPR, DNyuz, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Washington Times, Raw Story, Reuters, Business Insider, Just Security, POLITICUSUSA, The Nation, The American Independent, Reason, Washington Examiner, The Week, Daily Kos, Eschaton and The Dispatch
Marc Caputo / Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: The backstory of Trump's Georgia call — DRIVING THE DAY — Good morning from Atlanta, Gateway to the South and the pulsing center of Tuesday's two U.S. Senate runoffs that will determine partisan control of the upper chamber and the success of Joe Biden's first term as president.
NBC News:
Democrats ask FBI Director Wray to open criminal probe into Trump after leaked phone call — A pair of House Democrats are asking FBI Director Christopher Wray to open a criminal probe into President Donald Trump after a leaked phone call showed him pleading with Georgia Secretary …
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Occupy Democrats, The National Interest, Washington Times, TheGrio, Mediaite, UPI, POLITICUSUSA, DNyuz and CNN
Hans Nichols / Axios:
New Republican poll shows statistical tie in Georgia — The Democratic and Republican Senate candidates in Georgia are in a statistical tie heading into Tuesday's pair of runoff elections, according to a new poll conducted for a Republican super PAC. — Why it matters: In both elections …
Discussion:
Fox News, Washington Examiner, OpenSecrets.org, CNN, The Daily Beast and The Guardian
David A. Graham / The Atlantic:
This Is the Cost of a Failed Impeachment — When the Senate failed to remove Trump last year, it all but guaranteed his future attempts to overturn the election. — Staff writer at The Atlantic — If your memory can reach back to the time before COVID-19—no shame if it can't …
Discussion:
HuffPost, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Fox News, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, DNyuz, Crooks and Liars and Common Dreams
NBC News:
Trump pushed QAnon and 4chan-created conspiracy theories in Georgia call — President Donald Trump cataloged a series of false conspiracy theories during an hourlong call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Saturday in which he sought to overturn the state's election results …
Discussion:
Law & Crime, CNN, UPI and NBC New York
Nick Niedzwiadek / Politico:
‘Disgusting’: Perdue hammers Georgia secretary of state for recording Trump call — Sen. David Perdue tore into Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Monday for recording a phone call with President Donald Trump over the weekend, calling it “disgusting” to do so.
Discussion:
RedState, National Review, Washington Times, Raw Story, The Hill, Daily Kos, Breitbart, HotAir and Business Insider
Summer Concepcion / Talking Points Memo:
Trump Tried 18 Times To Get Ahold Of GA Sec Of State Before Bullying Him In Irate Call
Trump Tried 18 Times To Get Ahold Of GA Sec Of State Before Bullying Him In Irate Call
Discussion:
CNN, CBS News, Reuters, Fox News, Axios, The Hill, Washington Post, IJR, Law & Crime, Florida Phoenix, Mediaite, Occupy Democrats, UPI, Business Insider, Mother Jones, National Review and Towleroad Gay News
Quint Forgey / Politico:
Raffensperger: Trump could face investigation over election call
Raffensperger: Trump could face investigation over election call
Discussion:
New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, NBC News, The Daily Beast, Media Matters for America, ABC News, Mediaite, CBS News, Business Insider, HotAir, Talking Points Memo, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Daily Caller, National Review, The American Independent, Patterico's Pontifications, IJR, HuffPost, The Wrap, Disrn, Axios, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, Daily Kos, Bloomberg and Mother Jones
Nicholas Wu / USA Today:
Liz Cheney, a top House Republican, says Trump Georgia call is ‘deeply troubling,’ says everyone should listen to full audiotape
Liz Cheney, a top House Republican, says Trump Georgia call is ‘deeply troubling,’ says everyone should listen to full audiotape
Discussion:
New York Magazine, New York Times, Boston Herald, The Guardian, TheBlaze and Political Wire
Richard L. Hasen / The Atlantic:
We Can't Let Our Elections Be This Vulnerable Again
We Can't Let Our Elections Be This Vulnerable Again
Discussion:
Occupy Democrats, Wall Street Journal, Vox, Fox News, DNyuz, We Love Trump, Reason, Mother Jones, KRON4, Daily Kos, The American Independent and Black America Web
Jessica Taylor / The Cook Political Report:
One Day Out: Will Trump Torpedo Republican Chances in the Georgia Runoffs?
One Day Out: Will Trump Torpedo Republican Chances in the Georgia Runoffs?
Discussion:
CBS News, American Prospect, Bloomberg, DNyuz, Raw Story, Sara A. Carter, Liberty Unyielding, The Daily Caller and New York Times
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
A leading historian of U.S. democracy issues an urgent warning
A leading historian of U.S. democracy issues an urgent warning
Discussion:
VICE, Fox News, Greenville News, Sun-Sentinel, Common Dreams, Big League Politics, Axios and USA Today
Alexis Stevens / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
BREAKING: U.S. Attorney for North Georgia resigns, effective immediately — U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak resigned his position Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.In October 2017, Pak was sworn into office after being appointed …
Josh Dawsey / Washington Post:
Business leaders urge Congress to certify Biden win — Almost 200 of the country's top business leaders urged Congress to certify the electoral results for President-elect Joe Biden in a letter Monday, arguing that “attempts to thwart or delay this process run counter to the essential tenets of our democracy.”
Discussion:
CNBC, POLITICUSUSA and Political Wire
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Katy Feinberg / Partnership for New York City:
Business Leaders Call on Congress to Accept the Electoral College Results
Business Leaders Call on Congress to Accept the Electoral College Results
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Politico, Raw Story, The Guardian and Election Law Blog
Peter Baker / New York Times:
An Insurgency From Inside the Oval Office — President Trump's effort to overturn the election he lost has gone beyond mere venting of grievances at the risk of damaging the very American democracy he is charged with defending. — WASHINGTON — President Trump's relentless effort to overturn …
Discussion:
Fox News, Associated Press, DNyuz, The Nation, Politico, Florida Phoenix, TheBlaze, Raw Story, Washington Post and The Week
Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
Worse Than Treason — “We are what we pretend to be,” Kurt Vonnegut wrote in the opening of his 1962 novel, Mother Night, “and so we must be careful what we pretend to be.” Republicans in Congress are pretending to be seditionists—and so they have become, in fact, seditionists.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, ABC News and abc7NY
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Brad Reed / Raw Story:
Trump seethes at GOP ‘surrender caucus’ that won't back his coup attempt
Trump seethes at GOP ‘surrender caucus’ that won't back his coup attempt
Discussion:
NBC News
Peter Swindon / The Sunday Post:
Donald Trump could be planning Turnberry trip as Scots airport told to expect a high-flyer the day before Joe Biden's inauguration … © Robert Perry/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock — US President Donald Trump could be planning a trip to Scotland to avoid attending his successor Joe Biden's inauguration, according to aviation sources.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Towleroad Gay News, Raw Story, The Intellectualist and Mock Paper Scissors
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Jody Harrison / HeraldScotland:
Could Donald Trump be planning to snub Joe Biden with trip to Scotland?
Could Donald Trump be planning to snub Joe Biden with trip to Scotland?
Discussion:
Occupy Democrats
Jonathan Rauch / Persuasion:
The Made-Up Conspiracy — A Republican bid to deny Biden's victory is another worrying Trumpist disinformation ploy — When Republican senators attempt to block congressional confirmation of Joe Biden's presidential victory this week, they will not succeed in reversing the outcome of the election.
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Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
We must stop calling Trump's enablers ‘conservative.’ They are the radical right.
We must stop calling Trump's enablers ‘conservative.’ They are the radical right.
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press and Daily Kos
Washington Post:
National Guard activated for D.C. protests, with more restraints than in June, officials say — The District has mobilized the National Guard and will have every city police officer on duty Tuesday and Wednesday to handle protests of the November presidential election, which Mayor Muriel E. Bowser …
Discussion:
CNN and Big League Politics
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Yuval Levin / National Review:
Failures of Leadership in a Populist Age — For many years now, an important segment of the Republican electorate has been increasingly frustrated with the elites who lead our core institutions. The political outlook of these voters has come to be defined by that frustration …
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
D.C. Police to contact GOP Rep. Boebert about plans to bring Glock to work — “That Congresswoman will be subjected to the same penalties as anyone else that's caught on the D.C. streets carrying a firearm,” said police chief Robert Contee III. — GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert smiles …
Discussion:
The Hill, Washingtonian and Townhall
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Mona Charen / The Bulwark:
The Wall Street Journal Epitomizes the Failure of Elite Conservatism — Once the paper of record for conservative opinion-makers, the Journal's editorial page has betrayed its readers. — The Wall Street Journal editorial page is probably the most influential elite conservative outlet in the country.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and The Hill
The Intercept:
FBI Questioned a Michigan Senate Staffer After Zoom Call About Banning Tear Gas … Two officers with an FBI task force showed up at the home of a Michigan state senator's chief of staff and aggressively questioned her about a draft bill she had discussed on a private legislative Zoom call.
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas:
Cotton Statement on Joint Session of Congress — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Contact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 734-0430 — Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on the joint session of Congress later this week:
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Axios, Vox, HuffPost, CBS News, National Review, Mediaite, Lawyers, Guns & Money, IJR, New York Magazine, RedState, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, DNyuz, Law & Crime, The American Independent, NewsNation Now, The Week, HotAir, Patterico's Pontifications, Political Wire, Townhall, Business Insider and Salt Lake Tribune
Nicholson Baker / New York Magazine:
The Lab-Leak Hypothesis For decades, scientists have been hot-wiring viruses in hopes of preventing a pandemic, not causing one. But what if ...? … What happened was fairly simple, I've come to believe. It was an accident. A virus spent some time in a laboratory, and eventually it got out.
Discussion:
National Review, New York Post, Twitchy and We Love Trump
The White House:
Medal of Freedom — Established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, this prestigious award is the Nation's highest civilian honor. It is awarded by the President of the United States to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America …
Discussion:
NPR, CBS News, KDFX-TV, Conservative News Today, Washington Examiner and UPI
Chris Stirewalt / Fox News:
The story of the great Republican crackup — GOP Senators call for audit of election results … - C.S. Lewis, “On living in an atomic age,” 1948. — It's amazing to write, but the biggest political story in Georgia today is not about Tuesday's white-knuckle, two-seat runoff election with control of the Senate on the line.
Lara Seligman / Politico:
Trump keeps carrier in Middle East, overruling his Pentagon chief — President Donald Trump was behind the abrupt decision announced on Sunday night to reverse course and keep the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Middle East due to Iranian threats against top U.S. officials, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
Discussion:
New York Times, Business Insider, Common Dreams, New York Post, The Daily Caller, KDFX-TV, ABC News, Wall Street Journal and Political Wire
David Holt / The Bulwark:
In Praise of Those Who Resist Temptation — The job of elected officials is to tell people the truth. Even when they want to hear lies. — The greatest, most dangerous, and most frequent temptation faced by an elected official is the temptation to tell your constituents what they want to hear.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Guardian and The Week
Newsmax:
Trump Ga. Transcript Shows Case for Vote Fraud, President Acted Properly — The Washington Post on Sunday released audio of a Saturday phone call between President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which the two can be heard discussing election results.
Merrill Matthews / The Hill:
Biden should retain these Trump policies to keep America great in 2021 — President-elect Joe Biden won by running as the antithesis of President Donald Trump. But that doesn't mean that everything Trump did was bad. Prior to the pandemic, the U.S. economy was experiencing solid growth …