| | | | What we don't know about Mueller probe > What we do | | In politics, there's a tendency to assume that what is publicly known is everything there is to know. Twitter, cable TV and lots and lots of ambitious politicians ensure that no strategy gets left unexplored, no thought gets left unvoiced.
That assumption of knowledge has infected how the political world approaches the ongoing special counsel probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Russians and the campaign of Donald Trump.
But that frame fails when it comes to understanding what exactly special counsel Robert Mueller is doing in regard to the investigation. Mueller and his team are the rarest of rare commodities in modern Washington -- a closed universe without leaks.
We were reminded of that fact Wednesday afternoon when ABC reported that the special counsel had investigated -- and is no longer investigating -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions for possible perjury over his description during confirmation hearings of interactions with Russian officials in the course of the 2016 campaign.
Wait, what? We didn't even know Sessions was under any sort of investigation -- much less that he may have been cleared!
That's been the pattern time and time again with the Mueller probe. Most people -- even in politics -- had never heard of George Papadapoulos before Mueller's team filed documents detailing the plea deal in which the former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and agreed to cooperate with the Mueller probe. Ditto the plea deals for former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and former deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates as well as the indictment of a baker's dozen of Russians allegedly involved in a broad-scale effort to interfere in the 2016 election.
The Point: Mueller is operating a criminal probe, not a political campaign. The rules are different. He and his team know a whole heck of a lot more than is publicly known. All of the rest of us are just trying to piece together the tidbits, but Mueller sees something much closer to the full picture.
-- Chris | | "They asked me if I'd like to debate this gentleman, and I said 'no.' I said, 'If we were in high school, I'd take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.'"
-Former Vice President Joe Biden, on President Donald Trump | | | SNOW DAY -- BUT NOT ON THE HILL | | It may be a snow day for many in the Beltway, but on the Hill, it's business as usual, CNN's Daniella Diaz reports. From her story: "The government may be closed for snow, but Capitol Hill is still working at keeping it open."
"The federal government is closed Wednesday due to snow, according to the Office of Personnel Management, a government agency that manages the federal workforce.
"But lawmakers on Capitol Hill are still attending hearings and working on an omnibus spending bill that would keep the federal government running through September. If Congress doesn't pass a spending bill by Friday, it's likely there will be a third shutdown this year -- so there are no snow days when there's a funding deadline." Read more here.
And to catch up, read this shutdown watch story by CNN's Phil Mattingly. | | | Since it's SNOWING, Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Happy Spring. | | Check out the interactive version of this CNN map here | | Rep. Dan Lipinski, a centrist, anti-abortion rights Democrat, survived a progressive primary challenge from Marie Newman on Tuesday for his Chicago-area House seat, CNN projects. Read more about the race in CNN's Eric Bradner article here.
Speaking of Illinois, CNN's Aaron Kessler writes: "Lipinski survived a fierce primary battle Tuesday night thanks largely to the traditionally working class, moderate-to-conservative-minded voters who live around Midway airport.
"District-wide Lipinski ran neck and neck with liberal challenger Marie Newman, winning by only 51% to 49% -- about 2,100 votes separating the two. If you look ward-by-ward in the city of Chicago, it becomes clear that Newman did remarkably well in some of the closer neighborhoods to downtown.
"But Lipinski's domination of the wards surrounding Midway – and the big vote hauls that came with them to the tune of several thousand votes – got the incumbent over the goal line. Check out the map (above)." | | ICYMI: TRUMP'S FUNDRAISER SPEECH | | On Tuesday night -- amid the leak of his phone call with Vladimir Putin, mounting legal problems and the ongoing Russia investigation -- President Donald Trump delivered a speech at a fundraiser in Washington for House Republicans' campaign arm.
Chris highlighted the 35 most startling lines from the speech, including: "The one thing [Democrats] do great is obstruct. They're great at obstruction."
Speaking of Trump, CNN's Dan Merica reported that the President told Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant in a phone call this week that he would be sitting out the state's special election. | | SHE'S BRINGING SCRUNCHIES BACK | | CNN's Caroline Kenny reports that 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is bringing scrunchies -- the quintessential '90s accessory -- back.
"I have been wearing scrunchies for years," she said during a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal about her go-to hair accessory.
Read more in Caroline's story here. | | THE OBAMAS PEN LETTER TO PARKLAND STUDENTS | | CNN's Betsy Klein reported: "Barack and Michelle Obama penned a letter to the 'inspiring' students of Parkland, Florida, in the wake of the tragic school shooting last month that left 17 dead.
"In the letter, dated March 10, the former President and first lady wrote that the students' leadership has 'helped awaken the conscience of the nation.' A source familiar with the letter, previously reported by Mic, confirmed its authenticity.
"Many of the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and students around the country have channeled their grief into fighting the gun lobby, making impassioned pleas on television, meeting with lawmakers and preparing for a nationwide protest dubbed 'March for our Lives,' which will take place in Washington this Saturday."
Read more in CNN's story here. | |  | | H/T Brenna | | | Hope you had a great Wednesday (a snow day for some!). Please 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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