| | | | Jeff Sessions' Russia story keeps changing | | Attorney General Jeff Sessions struggled to keep his story straight on what he knew about Russia when asked during more than four hours of testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
He contradicted himself -- and his past testimony regarding Russia -- several times during the course of the hearing.
Here are the main contradictions:
1. Sessions said he recalls not only the March 31, 2016 meeting with Trump, foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos and others, but also now remembers that he was the person who spoke up in opposition to Papadopoulos' proposal that he could arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin.
Previously -- as in, last month -- Sessions said he could recall no such meeting with a campaign surrogate in which relationships with Russia were mentioned. He changed that story on Tuesday -- insisting his memory had been jogged by Papadopoulos' guilty plea -- announced last month by special counsel Bob Mueller.
2. Sessions again acknowledged he met with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on two occasions in 2016 -- once on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention and once in his Senate office in September of last year.
Sessions, back during his confirmation hearing in January, had told the Senate Judiciary Committee he had never met with any Russian officials during the campaign. He has said he forgot about the first meeting -- Sessions described it Tuesday as a brief "encounter" -- and didn't think the second meeting was relevant because it was in his capacity as a senator as opposed to as a Trump surrogate.
Sessions argued Tuesday that these errors were honest memory mistakes or misunderstandings and vociferously defended himself against Democratic suggestions that he had lied under oath.
"I have always told the truth, and I have answered every question as I understood them and to the best of my recollection," Sessions said.
Whether you believe Sessions or not, the fact remains: His story on Russia and the Trump campaign changed on Tuesday. Again.
-- Chris | | #METOO: WOMEN OF CONGRESS SPEAK UP | | CNN's MJ Lee, Sunlen Serfaty, Sara Ganim and Juana Summers interviewed more than 50 lawmakers, current and former Hill aides, and political veterans who have worked in Congress about their experiences with sexual harassment on Capitol Hill.
Those interviewed described a "'creep list' -- an informal roster passed along by word-of-mouth, consisting of the male members most notorious for inappropriate behavior, ranging from making sexually suggestive comments or gestures to seeking physical relations with younger employees and interns."
Their story is a timely must-read. Also today: The House committee held a hearing examining the chamber's sexual harassment policies. House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Tuesday that there will be a new mandatory anti-harassment and discrimination training for all House members and staff. The Senate last week passed a resolution making sexual harassment training mandatory for senators, staff and interns. | | | Chris went to Jammin' Java on Friday night to see a band called The Accidentals. They are terrific; check out their latest album "Odyssey." | | President Trump returned to the States Tuesday after his five-country trip through Asia. CNN's Dan Merica outlined six takeaways from his trip. Here are some of his observations: - "What became clear during Trump's time abroad is that Trump's hard-line economic nationalism -- the "America First" rhetoric that got him elected president -- could lead the United States to be left behind."
- "Trump urged Asian leaders to focus on their own countries and people, and to answer to no one outside their borders."
- "Asian leaders banked on the fact that flattery works -- and they were right. To Trump, one of the biggest takeaways of the trip was how well he has been received."
- "Trump's argument in the region was that though countries in the region have differences, issues like North Korea ... will provide the nations with a focal point they can work on together."
- "While in Asia, Trump embraced some of the unique aspects of summits like APEC and ASEAN by sporting the traditional dress each host nation provides the world leaders."
- "Russia continued to loom over Trump's trip to Asia. Trump talked with Putin three times during the APEC summit in Vietnam, but the significance of the encounters outweighs their brevity."
Read Dan's full story here. And in case you were wondering how Trump felt about the trip, he said this to pool reporters: "I'm very proud of it from a standpoint of security and safety, military very proud, and trade, you will see numbers you won't believe over the years. Over a period of years they will be treating us much different than they have in the past."
Trump also tweeted: "THANK YOU ASIA! #USA" with a video highlighting his travels. | | CNN's Greg Krieg writes:
"When the coffee maker company Keurig revealed plans to pull its advertising dollars from Fox News host Sean Hannity's show, the online backlash was instant. The decision, made in response to the conservative talker's suggestion that the women accusing Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct were lying or on the take, set off a now-familiar chain reaction of partisan outrage -- and by early Sunday another round of odd and, given the coffee pods' $100 (and up) ticket price, apparently self-defeating protests.
Keurig is now having its turn in the barrel, but it is the barrel -- not the company's flapping -- that is the distinct and recurring phenomenon worth watching. Once this latest round of indignation hits a boil, Keurig, in its role as liberal bogeyman, will be drained and ditched by its enemies. For the next few days, though -- and perhaps longer if the company backs down; trolls don't let up at signs of weakness -- Keurig will have to weather this weird indignity."
Read more in Krieg's story here. | |  | | H/T CNN's Eli Watkins | | | Water break! Just a reminder to tell everyone you know to subscribe to The Point. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | | | | |
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