January 1, Bernie Sanders Opens Up Massive Lead in Dem Race

This Day in History | 1884

Theodore Roosevelt’s mother and wife die within hours of each other. His mother, Mittie, did from typhoid fever. His wife of four years, Alice Lee, died from complications due to a severe kidney problem just hours later.

Good morning Middle Americans, 

The wind is at Bernie Sanders’s back right now in the Democratic Presidential Primary. He clearly has the most support based on the latest polls, but winds can change direction pretty quickly.  Just ask Joe Biden.  Top financiers on Wall Street are telling Biden to drop out, so Mike Bloomberg has a better chance to be the nominee.  That creates an interesting dynamic and should Bloomberg or Sanders actually win. It’s very hard to imagine either supporting the other after the nomination is actually secured.  

Also today, Attorney General William Barr sat down for an exclusive interview with ABC News, in which Barr scolds President Trump for his tweets. Barr actually said it make it “impossible to do his job”.  Of course, in today cynical America, many people were quick to suspect it was a contrived media play to make it look like the president didn’t interfere with the Roger Stone case. 

Meanwhile, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is facing some friendly fire from his former boss. Kelly recently came out to defend Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman – who testified against the president during the House impeachment inquiry of the Ukraine scandal. Trump says Kelly should keep his mouth shut. 

Read all about it!

– Fraser Dixon

Bernie Sanders Cements Front-Runner Status

(Morning Consult) – Following his narrow victory in New Hampshire’s Democratic presidential primary — his second successive strong showing in the party’s first nominating contests — Sen. Bernie Sanders opened up a double-digit lead over former Vice President Joe Biden and entrenched himself as the best-positioned candidate heading into next week’s Nevada caucuses.

According to a Morning Consult poll conducted Wednesday, the Vermont independent is the first choice for 29 percent of Democratic primary voters, up 4 percentage points since polling conducted Feb. 4-9. Biden’s support fell 3 points during that time to 19 percent, leaving him 1 point ahead of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. 

See the results here

Top Financiers Want Biden to Drop Out So Bloomberg Can Win

(Fox Business) -Is it over for Uncle Joe?

Former Vice President Joe Biden is in New York City Thursday night mingling with Wall Street Democratic fundraisers who he hopes will give him enough cash to fuel his sputtering campaign and help him clinch the party’s 2020 presidential nomination. The back-to-back fundraisers are expected to gin up a solid $1 million in campaign cash.

But behind the scenes, the word from the party’s fat-cat set is that the Biden campaign may already be lost despite the Wall Street C-suite names attending the events because former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is poised to take sole control of the party’s moderate wing.

“I feel sorry for Biden,” said Leon Cooperman, a billionaire hedge fund investor who has supported Democrats in the past despite being critical of President Obama. “He should withdraw; he has no chance.”

Read more here

A.G. Barr Blasts Trump’s Tweets on Stone Case: ‘Impossible for Me to Do My Job’

(ABC News) -In an exclusive interview, Attorney General Bill Barr told ABC News on Thursday that President Donald Trump “has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case” but should stop tweeting about the Justice Department because his tweets “make it impossible for me to do my job.”

Barr’s comments are a rare break with a president who the attorney general has aligned himself with and fiercely defended. But it also puts Barr in line with many of Trump’s supporters on Capitol Hill who say they support the president but wish he’d cut back on his tweets.

Watch the interview here

Trump Say Ex-Chief of Staff John Kelly Needs to “Keep His Mouth Shut”

(NBC News) – President Donald Trump blasted his former chief of staff John Kelly on Thursday after the ex-top aide said Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman did the right thing in reporting his concerns about Trump’s July 25 call with Ukraine’s president.

“When I terminated John Kelly, which I couldn’t do fast enough, he knew full well that he was way over his head,” Trump tweeted. “Being Chief of Staff just wasn’t for him. He came in with a bang, went out with a whimper, but like so many X’s, he misses the action & just can’t keep his mouth shut, which he actually has a military and legal obligation to do.”

“His incredible wife, Karen, who I have a lot of respect for, once pulled me aside & said strongly that ‘John respects you greatly. When we are no longer here, he will only speak well of you,”’ Trump continued. “Wrong!”