January 1, Impeachment: House Dems Pivot to Abuse of Power

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This Day in History | 1962

President John F. Kennedy announces on October 22, 196 that U.S. spy planes have discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba.

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Good Morning Middle Americans, 

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Democrats are shifting the focus of their impeachment efforts to something other than what they said they were focusing on last week.  Now, it looks like they are moving on from the quid pro quo of the Ukraine phone call to the more general term ‘abuse of power’.  It’s more proof that this whole impeachment inquiry is more political than legal.  And it gives the White House along with Trump allies more cover to call the process illegitimate.  

Also this morning, Democrats are starting to realize what they are up against when it comes to the fundraising prowess of President Trump and the Republican party.  You’ve heard of money bombs, right? If we are using the money = might anologies, the Trump 2020 campaign along with the RNC are sitting on top of nuclear arsenal. And Democrats are nervous. 

And… Mark Zuckerberg appears to be advising the campaign of South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Depends who you ask. 

Read all about it!

– Fraser Dixon

House Democrats Zero In On ‘Abuse of Power’ in Trump Impeachment Inquiry

(NBC News) – House Democrats are zeroing in on a framework for their impeachment case against President Donald Trump that will center on a simple “abuse of power” narrative involving the president’s actions regarding Ukraine, according to multiple people familiar with the deliberations.

As Democrats continue closed-door depositions with critical witnesses and prepare to move to the next phase of public hearings, they are wrestling over which elements and evidence to bring in, which to leave out. The goal is to explain to the public the reasoning and relevance of any eventual impeachment charges.

Find out more from NBC News here

Trump Rips Media for Doral Criticism

(Axios) – “You people with this phony emoluments clause, ” the president said.

In lengthy public comments at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, President Trump railed against media criticism of his decision — which he has since walked back — to hold next year’s G7 summit at his Doral resort in Miami.

Throughout his presidency, Trump has faced allegations that he and his family have abused the office of the presidency to enrich themselves. His G7 decision drew bipartisan scrutiny at a time when Trump needs Republicans in Congress to remain loyal as he weathers an impeachment inquiry.

Read more from Axios here

‘It’s Too Much’: Democrats Shudder at Trump’s Money Machine

(Politico) – Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have raised more than $300 million this year for his reelection — more than any other sitting president in history at this point in the campaign.

Trump has nearly twice as much cash on hand — $158 million, between his campaign account and the RNC — as Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee had at this time in his successful re-election run.

Read more from Politico

Mark Zuckerberg Quietly Advising Pete Buttigieg

(Bloomberg) – Facebook Inc. chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has privately recommended several potential hires to Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign, a rare example of direct political involvement from one of tech’s most powerful executives.

Earlier this year, Zuckerberg sent multiple emails to Mike Schmuhl, Buttigieg’s campaign manager, with names of individuals that he might consider hiring, campaign spokesman Chris Meagher confirmed. Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg’s wife, also sent multiple emails to Schmuhl with staff recommendations. Ultimately, two of the people recommended were hired.

Read more from Bloomberg here