Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: Racist congressional GOP takes a hit, but still impeaches Mayorkas

[Brexiter]

The New York Times:

On Capitol Hill, Republicans Use Bigoted Attacks Against Political Foes


House and Senate Republicans have denigrated fellow lawmakers, Biden officials and witnesses in racist ways, both in casual comments and in official settings.

The racist discourse by Republican members of Congress, both in casual comments and in official statements, has become so commonplace that it now often slips by without any real condemnation from the G.O.P. Democrats frequently call for apologies but no longer expect any response, and those futile denunciations quickly disappear into a morass of polarized content on social media.

So the Senate passing foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel (and humanitarian aid for Palestinians) puts tremendous pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson, who’s in over his head. And the special election in New York to replace expelled Rep. George Santos doesn’t help much (Tom Suozzi, the Democrat, won). But, hey, their stunt bill impeaching Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas passed by one vote on their second try. So there’s that.

Dominating the news. Top of the AP's afternoon alert. pic.twitter.com/9TSvb2e5lc

— The Editorial Board (@johnastoehr) February 13, 2024

POLITICO:

All 4 of Trump’s criminal cases reach inflection points this week


Judges will face choices that affect when, and whether, Trump stands trial.


In Trump’s New York case, a judge is slated to finalize the timetable for his trial on charges that he falsified business records to cover up an affair with a porn star in the closing weeks of the 2016 election.


In his Washington, D.C., case, the Supreme Court may signal whether it will quickly resolve Trump’s claim that he is “immune” from federal charges stemming from his effort to subvert the 2020 election.

In his Georgia case, where Trump is also facing state charges related to the 2020 election, a judge has scheduled a Thursday hearing to examine an effort by Trump and several co-defendants to disqualify the prosecutors.

And in his Florida case, a judge is weighing Trump’s latest motion to postpone key deadlines — a likely precursor to delaying the May 20 trial on charges of hoarding classified records at his Mar-a-Lago home.

- The GOP has yet to find a position on abortion rights that will save them - AAPI voters, key to Dem victories in 2020, clearly helped deliver this seat

— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) February 14, 2024

NOTUS:

Trump’s Trials Are on a Collision Course With November

Almost every decision puts judges in a “damned if I do, damned if I don’t” situation.

“Going forward with the regular criminal justice process starts to feel like some kind of thumb on the voting process,” former Department of Justice counsel John Q. Barrett said. “The flip side, of course, is the problem: Deferring to the political process, not going forward to a trial because it would taint or affect the candidacy of Trump, is a version of helping Trump’s candidacy.”

This week, two key moments could help determine how the courts’ timelines will intertwine with Trump’s fate. In Washington, Trump asked the Supreme Court on Monday to pause a recent lower court ruling that denied his request for immunity from criminal prosecution as a former president. And in New York, a judge is slated to rule on Trump’s motion to toss out the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, possibly clearing the way for it to proceed in court. No matter what moves these courts make, it’s nearly impossible for them to remain above the political fray.

Reporter: I talked to voters today who voted for Donald Trump previously and now voted Democratic because they think Republicans can’t govern pic.twitter.com/MVmkAZrkp5

— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) February 14, 2024

Reuters:

Biden, Trump remain locked in tight rematch after special counsel report: Reuters/Ipsos poll

The finding showed a closer race than a poll last month that found Trump holding a 6 percentage point lead.
It also showed that one potential major political liability facing Trump is the ongoing four criminal prosecutions he faces. One in four self-identified Republicans and about half of independents responding said they would not vote for Trump if he was convicted of a felony crime by a jury.

President Joe Biden’s picked up a few points and the campaign isn’t really in full gear yet.Yet with so many concerned voters, Biden’s age can’t be ignored. So, go with it.

Like Derek Thompson/X via Threadreader:

Biden 2024 We’re both very old; only one of us wants Putin to conquer Europe.
Biden '24 sure, we've both had more than 70 birthdays; but only one of us has more than 90 criminal indictment counts
Biden '24 We're both super old dudes with daughters and granddaughters. Only one of us is directly responsible for the overturning of Roe v Wade and the rolling back of women's rights across the country.

With 100% of precincts reporting, the (tentative) final results for PA HD-140 are as follows: Jim Prokopiak: 67.3% (6,462) Candace Cabanas: 32.1% (3,079) D+35.2 in the end. An absolutely astonishing overperformance in this Biden+10 seat by roughly ~25 points.

— Joshua Smithley (@blockedfreq) February 14, 2024

And the Biden campaign is all in. See Jake Lahut/Daily Beast:

The Biden Campaign’s Plan to Counter Trump’s Age Attacks

Democrats hope they can change the narrative about Biden's age and cognition by going on offense about Trump’s own tangents and missteps.

But the president’s re-election team isn’t just complaining. They’re preparing to ramp up their attacks on Trump’s capabilities by pushing out video clips online and reframing one of the central concerns of the 2024 campaign around the idea of “fitness” for office instead of mental acuity, according to a source familiar with the campaign’s plans.

The Biden campaign wants to make the case that the president’s missteps are innocuous and consistent for his gaffe-prone political career, while Trump’s are far more sinister and have grave, potentially life-and-death consequences.

Across social media platforms, the Biden-Harris HQ accounts will lead the charge on this front, increasing their use of video clips showing Trump saying outlandish or menacing things on the campaign trail, such as his comments over the weekend encouraging Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries who don’t pay enough on defense spending.

Per @NBCNews, Judge Engoron’s ruling in the New York Attorney General’s civil fraud suit against Donald Trump, his sons Don Jr. and Eric, former CFO Allen Weisselberg and others is expected Friday.

— Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) February 13, 2024

Cliff Schecter on fighting back:

YouTube Video