January 1, ‘Obamagate’ Divides Republicans

This Day In History | 1932

The body of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh’s baby is found, more than two months after he was kidnapped from his family’s Hopewell, New Jersey, mansion.

Good morning Middle Americans!

How far back and how deep are you willing to go to expose the “deep state” and “Obamagate?” One of our favorite political philosophers, Thomas Sowell from Stanford University, says that in politics, “there are no solutions, only trade offs. So if the goal of the “Obamagate” investigation is a solution to the FBI’s egregious deviation from the norms of legal criminal investigations, let us stop you right there. We have no doubt there are good people working to expose the misdeeds of former FBI Director James Comey, his deputy Andrew McCabe, and others. And there very well may be criminal charges for some of them. But the political trade-offs for this are also severe. And this is where it’s going to get uncomfortable for people who want vengeance. 

And it’s why Professor Sowell’s cold dose of political reality is important. 

Were the investigation to happen in a vacuum, one could clearly justify spending a lot of time and money going after former president Barack Obama for whatever crime President Trump thinks he committed. There’s also certainly a case to be made for leverage the former president’s leaked audio and his defense of the Michael Flynn investigation to rally the MAGA folks. It’s already happening.

Meanwhile, according to Politico, Senate Republicans are starting to show signs of cracking when it comes to their support of President Trump. And here’s one reason why “Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the presumptive Democratic nominee, in a recent Morning Consult poll held a 10-point advantage over Mr. Trump among voters who are 65 and older,” the New York Times reported today. No matter what a GOP Senator says in support of Trump publically, none of them will stay on board with the president for long, if they think he’s taking on too much water.

Can you imagine if President Obama were running against President Trump right now? That’s basically what’s going to happen. You can start to see the Democrats falling back on what will become their blessed campaign trinity for 2020. Praying for a miracle. Except in this bizarro scenario the father – is Biden, the son (daughter in this case) is the soon to be named VP nominee, and the “holy” spirit is former President Obama. He’s still the closest thing to god in the Democratic party. 

Keep your eyes on California today – Elon Musk is planning on opening up his Tesla plant in defiance of Gov. Gavin Newsom. He says he’s ready to go to jail for the right to work. We’ll keep you posted. 

Read all about it. 

-Fraser Dixon 

Senate Republicans break with Trump over ‘Obamagate’

(Politico) – President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign to encourage sweeping investigations of his predecessor Barack Obama met a unanimous response from Senate Republicans: No thanks.

Trump’s Senate allies on Monday stopped short of echoing Trump’s frenetic and unsubstantiated claim that Obama acted illegally when the Justice Department began probing incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn in late 2016. And they indicated that the Senate would pass on investigating the former president as they conduct their own investigations that could soon ensnare other senior Obama administration officials.

“I’m not anticipating calling President Obama,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), whose panel is investigating the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation, even as he vowed to bring in former senior Obama administration officials as witnesses. Those ex-officials include former FBI Director James Comey and former acting Attorney General Sally Yates.

Read more here

Related: Watergate Prosecutor: Barr Dropping Flynn Case ‘A Clear Coverup’

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Biden Slams Trump for Not Giving Americans the ‘Same Necessary Protections he Has Gotten for Himself’

(The Week) – Former Vice President Joe Biden has penned an op-ed calling for ramped up coronavirus testing and condemning the White House as those around President Trump are tested for COVID-19 daily.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post published on Monday, Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, argues Trump “isn’t up to the task” of providing states with “the tools, resources and guidance they need from the federal government to reopen safely and sustainably,” saying “we need widespread testing” to do so.

Biden noted that Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and White House officials are now receiving COVID-19 tests every day, writing, “They knew exactly how to make the Oval Office safe and operational, and they put in the work to do it. They just haven’t put in that same work for the rest of us.” He says Trump “should be working to get Americans the same necessary protections he has gotten for himself.”

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Elon Musk Risks Arrest to Open CA Auto Plant

(CNET) – The factory in Fremont, California, has been offline since March, but CEO Elon Musk isn’t waiting any longer — and doesn’t care if he ends up in handcuffs.

Tesla officially restarted production on Monday at its plant in Fremont, California, albeit not on the local government’s terms. CEO Elon Musk confirmed workers are back on the job and specifically said the decision goes against Alameda County’s stay-at-home order. In fact, Musk said he’s willing to be placed under arrest as the factory restarts.

Find out more here