| | | | Cory Booker needs a non-'Spartacus' moment |  | | When Cory Booker steps on stage tonight for a CNN-sponsored town hall in Orangeburg, South Carolina, he'll be searching for a moment from which he can build real momentum for his so-far-quiet 2020 Democratic presidential bid.
What Booker needs is a real and genuine moment. And he knows what an inauthentic one looks like because, well, he's been there and done that.
During Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearings last fall, Booker, with much fanfare, released a series of emails from Kavanaugh's time in the Bush administration that were marked "committee confidential." Of the move, he said: "I understand the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate. ... This is about the closest I'll probably ever have in my life to an 'I am Spartacus' moment."
Except ... it became clear later that same day that the emails in question had been OK'd for public release the night before -- at the request of Booker. OOMPH.
Booker became, almost instantly, a figure of open mockery among Republicans and more private eye-rollery from Democrats. An ambitious politician so desperate to build momentum for his inevitable 2020 candidacy that he got WAY too far over his skis and crashed.
That swing-and-a-miss had the opposite effect, raising questions about whether Booker was anything more than ambition personified -- whether he had substance behind his style or not. Booker, perhaps because of that "Spartacus" moment, has largely stayed low-profile in the months since, or at least as low-profile as you can be when you are announcing and running for president.
Tonight's town hall will be Booker's best chance since last fall to change lots of peoples' minds about him. Or, at a minimum, to begin to open their minds to the possibility of backing him. But any attempt to create a memorable moment will likely be viewed skeptically, given the empty theatrics of his move during the Kavanaugh hearings.
The Point: Booker's challenge is significant -- try to create a memorable moment without looking like you are trying to.
-- Chris | | "Beautiful day in Alabama! No, not now. War Eagle!"
-- Former AG Jeff Sessions' text message to reporter Elaina Plott, when asked if he wanted to comment on AG Bill Barr's assessment of the Mueller probe. | | |
FROM THE RUSSIA REPORT, WITH LOVE | | How did the Russia investigation impact the Trump train?
Here's how the public feels about Attorney General Bill Barr's assessment of the Mueller report, according to CNN polling pro Grace Sparks, who zeroed in on that key metric for The Point:
"The Mueller report aftermath hasn't changed peoples' stances on Donald Trump's re-election, according to a new CNN/SSRS poll out today. - 86% of Americans said the findings of the Mueller investigation will not impact their decision about who to vote for in the 2020 election, according to the new CNN/SSRS poll. That includes half who said they were already going to vote against President Donald Trump regardless of the findings, and 1 in 5 who said they were already going to vote for Trump.
"We're already seeing this play out on the campaign trail. Not many candidates are campaigning on the Russia issue right now, which makes sense, seeing as most Americans' opinions on re-electing Trump aren't very flexible, as this poll shows."
Read on for more on how the Mueller report has been received. | | | Smallpools' "Passenger Side" has Lauren dreaming of sweet summertime road trips. | |  | How both parties will spin the Mueller report in 2020 | | | The Mueller report has been delivered, but we're not done hearing about it. Though it may not be issue No. 1 on voters' minds, Chris explains how the candidates will spin it on the 2020 campaign trail. | |
LAUREN'S LATEST ON THE TRAIL | | Cory Booker: Takes his spin through CNN's Town Hall tonight from Orangeburg, South Carolina. The event starts at 10 p.m. Eastern.
Elizabeth Warren: Has released a detailed policy proposal to go after consolidation in agribusiness.
Terry McAuliffe: Is leaning toward jumping into the 2020 fray, CNN reports.
Joe Biden: Criticizes "white man's culture" as he discusses violence against women.
Seth Moulton: Is headed to Iowa on Friday as he considers a presidential run.
Mike Gravel: Is considering a 2020 run -- and some of the former senator's biggest supporters are a pair of teenagers who want the Democratic party to track further to the left. | | Pete Buttigieg has weighed in on an important (if deep fried) cultural touchstone: Chick-fil-A.
"I do not approve" of Chick-fil-A's politics, but "I kind of approve of their chicken," Buttigieg said in a Tuesday interview with "The Breakfast Club."
In 2012, Chick-fil-A's president said the company was supportive of "the biblical definition of the family unit" and that society was "inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.'"
Buttigieg, who is gay and married, added that perhaps he could bridge the gap between the gay community and the fried chicken fast food restaurant: "Maybe I'll become in a position to broker that peace deal."
| | | CORRECTION: In Monday's edition of The Point, we identified Sen. Tom Udall as a Rep., not a Sen. Sorry, senator! | | | | | | |
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