| | | | What Joe Biden's 'personal space' moment means |  | | Joe Biden expressed regret and pledged to rethink his definition of personal space on Wednesday afternoon amid the first major crisis of his (still unannounced) 2020 campaign.
Here's the key bit, via a two-minute video of Biden talking that was tweeted from his account:
"I've never thought of politics as cold and antiseptic, I've always thought it about connecting with people, as I said, shaking hands, hands on the shoulder, a hug, encouragement, and now, it's all about taking selfies together. You know, social norms have begun to change, they've shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it, I get it. I hear what they're saying, I understand it, and I'll be much more mindful, that's my responsibility."
That mea culpa of sorts will, Biden and his team hope, stop the bleeding on a story that has been percolating for the last week as several women have come forward -- most notably former Nevada Democratic state legislator Lucy Flores -- saying that Biden's behavior around them (Flores said he kissed her on the top of the head and smelled her hair) made them feel uncomfortable.
So his campaign-in-waiting put forward what they believe to be their best asset: The former vice president himself. Dressed in a suit but without a tie, the goal was to portray Biden as serious if not alarmed -- someone who understood the gravity of the situation, knew that times have changed and that he needed to change with them. The key line in Biden's statement was this one: "I hear what they're saying, I understand it, and I'll be much more mindful."
Flores responded to Biden's comments on Wednesday afternoon, writing that while she was "glad" that he "acknowledges that he made women feel uncomfortable," Biden still "hasn't apologized."
The Point: Biden's decision to talk directly to the camera about these allegations and what they have taught him speaks to the danger he and his campaign see here. This is the sort of thing that, if it goes any more sideways, could inflict real damage on his 2020 prospects.
-- Chris | | "I didn't come to Congress to argue with a thermometer."
-- Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, criticizing some in his own party for ignoring climate change science. Gaetz, one of the President's top supporters in Congress, introduced a "Green Real Deal" in response to Democrats' climate efforts. | | |
HOUSE CHAIR ASKS FOR TRUMP'S TAXES | | House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Richard Neal has formally requested President Donald Trump's tax returns from the IRS today.
Neal, in a letter to the IRS, cited a little-known tax code in his request for six years of Trump's taxes -- from 2013 to 2018, reports CNN's Lauren Fox, who broke this story.
Neal said the IRS has until April 10 to comply with his request. The battle over Trump's tax returns will likely head to court. | | Biden is reportedly close to announcing his presidential bid, and seemed to nod to that in today's video, saying: "In the coming month I'm expecting to be talking to you about a whole lot of issues, and I'll always be direct with you."
On Friday, Biden is scheduled to speak at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction and Maintenance Conference at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. | | A stunning piece of journalism by Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg about the reach of Rupert Murdoch
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How the hell did Texas Tech get good at basketball? Rodger Sherman has the answer. | | | If you've never heard Third Coast Percussion, you need to remedy that right now. This is their newest one "Perpetulum." | |  | | Today's topic: Voter fraud is still one of President Trump's favorite topics. | | CALIFORNIA'S LATEST TRAVEL BAN | | California's taxpayers will no longer foot the bill for state officials' trips to South Carolina after April 15.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced a ban on travel to South Carolina on Tuesday because of South Carolina's newly passed law that allows faith-based child-placement agencies to bar gay foster parents. Becerra says the law allows discrimination.
The Palmetto State is now the 10th on California's official no-travel list for state employees and college students (though there are multiple exceptions).
South Carolina's governor called the ban an effort to score "cheap political points." | |
LAUREN'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL LATEST | | Beto O'Rourke: Raised $9.4 million in the first 18 days of his presidential campaign, according to numbers just released by his campaign.
Bernie Sanders: Is participating in a town hall with Fox News on April 15 focused on the economy and jobs.
Elizabeth Warren: Is proposing a new law that will make it easier for an "executive who intentionally breaks criminal laws" to face jail time.
Kamala Harris: Fought public defenders in push for higher bails for gun crimes while district attorney of San Francisco, KFile reports.
Bernie Sanders: Will release his tax returns "soon," his team continues to say. TBD on when that actually will be...
Julián Castro: Will hold his first California rally on Saturday in Los Angeles. | | Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has put pen to paper for a book to be released in September.
"A Republic, if you can keep it," will be a collection of Gorsuch's insights into his journey to the Supreme Court as well as his thoughts on the role of a judge. "This book is about my faith in America and our Constitution," Gorsuch said in a press release.
The 51-year-old Gorsuch was President Trump's first Supreme Court nominee. This is also Gorsuch's first book. | | | | | | |
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