| | | | Elizabeth Warren's bad week in Washington | | It's hard in the era of Trump to get more attention -- and negative attention -- than the occupant of the White House. But Elizabeth Warren managed to do just that these past five days.
Warren surprised the political world on Monday when she released a five-plus-minute video that featured her traveling back to her hometown of Norman, Oklahoma, to trace her roots.
(The backstory: Warren got into some political hot water in 2012 when the Boston newspapers reported that she had claimed minority status while a professor at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania law schools. Warren initially denied she had ever informed the schools of her belief that she was of Native American heritage but later admitted she had listed herself as a minority on some federal forms. She also said that she believed that she had Native American heritage, because her mother had aways said she did.)
Back to the video, in which Warren speaks on the phone with a renowned geneticist at Stanford University, who tells her that the results of her DNA test "suggest that you absolutely have a Native American ancestor in your pedigree." The estimates of how much Native American heritage Warren possesses ranged from 1/64th to 1/1024th.
That lack of a conclusive finding was manna from heaven for Republicans -- from President Trump on down -- who savaged Warren as even more of a phony than they thought. "The one good thing about her test is that there was so little she had less than the average American," Trump said to applause and laughter at a rally in Montana on Thursday night. "I used to say I have more Indian blood in me than she does and I have none. I used to say that. And I was right.")
Barbs from Trump, Warren could live with. After all, there's a 0% chance Trump was ever going to lay off his "Pocahontas" attack -- no matter what alleged proof Warren produced of her heritage. The bigger problem for Warren is that, outside of her innermost circle of advisers, Democrats were left cold by her attempt to show that she could shore up her one glaring weakness going into 2020.
"Argue the substance all you want, but why 22 days before a crucial election where we MUST win house and senate to save America, why did @SenWarren have to do her announcement now?," asked Jim Messina, former President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign manager. "Why can't Dems ever stay focused???"
Messina was voicing a frustration and bewilderment with Warren that was common in Washington this week. Why now? And why at all, Democrats asked confusedly? Warren didn't have any good answers, ensuring a very, very bad week for her.
The Point: Sometimes trying to get your bad stuff out early -- i.e., before the 2020 cycle starts -- backfires. This is one of those times.
-- Chris
Below, the week in 28 headlines. (For more on Warren's failed DNA gambit, see what I had to say about it on YouTube...)
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: | | "Grab your family, grab your friends, grab your neighbors, and get to the poll, because if not, you are going to have another two or another six years of this craziness."
-- Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen imploring people to vote this November during a brief interview with CNN. Cohen recently announced he would hit the campaign trail in support of Democrats this fall and in 2020. | | | There's always a Mueller connection.
A Russian national has been charged with a federal crime Friday for fanning division between racial minority groups, political radicals and disaffected voters.
More from CNN's Katelyn Polantz:
Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, 44, of St. Petersburg, Russia, has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States for managing the financing of the social media troll operation that included the Internet Research Agency, which special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators charged with crimes earlier this year. | | The new Will Oldham record makes you the perfect kind of sad.
Know what isn't sad? Chris' Mom -- Maryellen -- is having a birthday today. Happy, Happy! | | | Today's topic: The problem with Trump's praise for Greg Gianforte. | | Paul Manafort was wheeled into a Virginia courtroom today and learned he would be sentenced next February.
Manafort appeared in court in a wheelchair, with his right foot raised off the ground and in a sock. He is experiencing a serious medical condition -- inflammation that's related to his diet, a person familiar with Manafort's condition told CNN's Katelyn Polantz.
Manafort was found guilty of eight counts of financial crimes this summer. | | Missed President Trump's rally last night in Montana? Have no fear.
Here's some of the most noteworthy lines, as recapped by Chris:
1. "I love these hangars. I love a hangar. There's nothing like a hangar. You get out of the plane, you walk over, and we have massive crowds."
5. "That was one of those quickies. I love those states. You know, the polls close. Polls have just closed in the state of Montana. Trump has won Montana."
32. "But Greg is smart. And by the way, never wrestle him. You understand that? Never. Any guy that can do a body slam, he's my kind of ... he was my guy."
38. "Remember, he challenged me to a fight, and that was fine. And when I said he wouldn't last long, he'd be down faster than Greg would take him down."
42. "I came up with the name Pocahontas, and they once said you must apologize for that. I said, why? Well, it's not nice what you're doing. I said, OK, I'd like to apologize to the real Pocahontas."
But wait, there's more! Trump continues his campaign swing tonight in Mesa, Arizona. | | | From Brenna: "If your week was going every which way (much like the hands of Chief Justice John Roberts) take a moment to catch up on the big stories with our GIFs of the week. And tell your friends to subscribe to The Point." | | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment