| | | | The sidelining of Bill Clinton | | There was a time -- and it was a loooooong time -- when Bill Clinton was the most sought-after surrogate in the Democratic Party.
The former president could go to almost any congressional district in the country -- urban/rural, Republican/Democrat -- and be an asset to a candidate or congressman. His charisma, brain and speaking abilities ensured that people would leave the town hall/fundraiser/meet-and-greet wowed by him.
Those days appear to have come to an end.
These two paragraphs -- from a terrific story by The New York Times' Alex Burns and Matt Flegenheimer -- are devastating.
"Mrs. Clinton's husband appears far less welcome on the trail, with his unpopularity among Republicans compounded by new skepticism on the left about his treatment of women and allegations of sexual assault.
"Mr. Clinton is said to remain passionately angry about the 2016 election -- more so than his wife -- raising concerns that he could go wildly off message in campaign settings, several people who have spoken with Mr. Clinton said."
That is tough stuff. But it reflects a broader reality, which is that Bill Clinton is simply a man out of this current time and place in politics. His past sexual indiscretions make him a ripe target in our #MeToo moment. His ongoing bitterness toward, among others, Sen. Bernie Sanders, is not only backward looking, but politically problematic due to Sanders' hero status among liberals within the party.
Clinton's sidelining is an especially humbling pill to swallow for someone who is not only widely acknowledged -- by Democrats and Republicans -- as the brightest political talent of his generation but also someone who lives and breathes politics like few others.
Clinton is, of course, nothing if not resilient -- having ridden the waves of public opinion through a series of ups and downs beginning in the 1970s. His own past history suggests that the self-proclaimed "Comeback Kid" should never be counted out entirely.
But, but, but. Clinton's diminished role -- internally and externally -- within his own party marks a moment for Democrats. No figure -- and certainly no family -- in recent memory has been so closely associated with the Democratic Party as Bill Clinton. That he is largely an undesirable figure to the new faces of the party speaks volumes.
The Point: The 2020 Democratic primary fight will be the true marker of what a party that has put Clintonism entirely behind it will look like. At the moment, the energy among Democrats appears to be almost entirely among liberals, while the Third Way/centrist path trod by Clinton feels almost entirely discarded.
-- Chris | | "The Iranian regime should know that this is just the beginning. This sting of sanctions will be painful if the regime does not change its course."
-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a speech, later noting the US will aim to "crush" Iran with economic and military pressure | | | Here are a few things you might have missed from the White House on Monday: - The White House Communications Agency released a commemorative "trip coin" to commemorate the summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (see the tweet from CNN's Jim Acosta above).
- The White House held an event honoring NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., during which Trump called NASCAR a sport for "patriotic Americans," noting that fans of the race stand for the National Anthem.
- Top officials at the Justice Department, the FBI and Office of the Director of National Intelligence met with President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon, according to CNN's Sophie Tatum, Laura Jarrett and Jim Acosta. "Rosenstein, Wray and several other officials were spotted leaving the White House just before 4 p.m. ET. According to Sanders and a source familiar with the meeting, it had been scheduled before -- but took on a heightened public focus after -- a weekend of tweets from the President." Read more in their story here.
| | | Leslie Odom Jr. singing "Without You" from "Rent" will make you feel all the feels. Listen here. | | | Starting every Monday, we'll be asking you -- Point readers -- to ask Chris one question about the news this week that you need more clarity on. Submit your weekly question to saba.hamedy@cnn.com by Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET. Chris will pick one reader's question to answer on Friday, and we'll include the response in the newsletter and on CNN Politics' Instagram story. | | From CNN's Caroline Kenny: Former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander is heading to Iowa tomorrow for the 15th time. Here's a list of all the other trips he has taken to the Hawkeye State since 2016. - May 22, 2018: Kander will join the Polk County Democrats to kick off their newest chapter in Polk City.
- April 26, 2018: Kander headlined the Dallas County Democrats fundraiser in Adel.
- April 3, 2018: Kander held a Let America Vote reception for legislators in Des Moines.
- March 23 and 24, 2018: Kander headlined an event for Zach Wahls for Iowa Senate District 37 in Coralville, visited county conventions in North Liberty, Hiawatha and Tama, and attended the March for Our Lives rally in Des Moines.
- March 13, 2018: Kander spoke at an Iowa Democrats' Back To Blue event in Sioux City.
- March 6, 2018: Kander spoke at an Iowa Democrats' Back To Blue event in Burlington.
- February 12, 2018: Kander spoke at a University of Iowa Democrats event in Iowa City.
- February 7, 2018: Kander campaigned with state auditor candidate Rob Sand in Ottumwa for and held a fundraiser in Des Moines.
- November 30, 2017: Kander headlined a fundraiser for Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker in Cedar Rapids.
- October 21, 2017: Kander headlined Democratic events in Des Moines, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
- October 13, 2017: Kander spoke at a New Democracy event in Des Moines.
- October 10, 2017: Kander spoke at American Constitution Society events at Drake University in Des Moines and the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
- August 11, 2017: Kander headlined the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding Dinner in Clear Lake.
- June 17, 2017: Kander headlined the 2nd District Democrats Hall of Fame event in Ottumwa.
- December 20, 2016: Kander headlined a Progress Iowa fundraiser in Des Moines.
2020 on the mind? Maybe. | | HE'S RUNNING -- FOR RE-ELECTION | | Speaking of #2020... Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced he will seek re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2018. Sanders will formally kick off his campaign in June with a series of rallies around the state.
"Serving the people of Vermont and fighting for working families across the country is the honor of a lifetime," he said in a statement. "Working together over the past few years we have accomplished a great deal -- but much, much more remains to be done. Our struggle to create a government which represents all of us and not just the one percent -- a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice -- must continue. And that is why I'm running for reelection." Read more in CNN's story here.
Sanders, a former Democratic presidential candidate, is also on the not-so-short list of potential 2020 presidential candidates for the Democratic party. A CNN poll, conducted by SSRS in March, suggested large majorities of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said they are likely to support Sanders (75%) and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (68%). Most Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents -- 84% -- who were polled said they are likely to support former Vice President Joe Biden bid for the Democratic nomination. | | BARACK-UMENTARIES HEADED TO NETFLIX | | It's official. A few months after reports that the Obamas would be making #content for Netflix, the streaming giant confirmed the news in a tweet.
"President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series for Netflix, potentially including scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features," Netflix tweeted.
Earlier this year, Obama appeared as a guest on Netflix's "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman."
Read more about Netflix's new deal in CNN Money's story here. | | FIVE THINGS ON CONGRESS' TO-DO LIST | | Members of our kick-butt Congress team -- CNN's Ashley Killough, Elizabeth Landers and Sunlen Serfaty -- put together this great list of some things Congress has to get done ahead of the long Memorial Day recess. From their story:
1. Put a veterans health care bill on the President's desk ...
2. ... and meet the new VA secretary nominee. The Senate also has a new Veterans Affairs nominee to consider, three weeks after the previous nominee, Adm. Ronny Jackson, pulled his name from consideration.
3. Clear (or try to clear) a legislative backlog in the House.
4. Grill two key Cabinet secretaries. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be on the Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, to testify on their agencies and will likely face politically charged questions from lawmakers.
5. Figure out how the Senate will address sexual harassment.
We hope Congress' to-do list makes you feel better about yours. Read CNN's full story here. | | | From Brenna: "I love a good prop, and so, too, (apparently) does Hillary Clinton. She was speaking at Yale's Senior Class Day over the weekend and whipped out this ushanka hat -- you know, THE Russian hat -- and said, 'If you can't beat them, join them.' Okay. Cool. Great. Happy graduation." Happy Monday! We hope you tell people 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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