Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are encouraged that six months before the midterms, DNC Vice Chairman Keith Ellison is promising that people will die if Democrats don’t win. It’s an indication that Democrats don’t have much of an agenda to run on other than fear and opposing President Trump. They also throw up their hands as congressional Republicans reportedly have no plans to try to pass a budget this year because it will be really hard to pass in the Senate. They react to Sean Hannity being named as one of Michael Cohen’s clients, and while there may be no legal scandal, Hannity is definitely wrong to have not disclosed this connection. And Jim has some theories about the man in the sketch released by Stormy Daniels.
National Review
Guns & Midterms, Comey’s Endless Vanity, Lower the Voting Age?
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America welcome a new poll showing that the edge for Democrats is shrinking ahead of the midterm elections and that support for the GOP among gun rights supporters is ahead of support for Democrats among gun control activists. They also roll their eyes as former Clinton staffer George Stephanopoulos interviews James Comey for ABC News and Comey sanctimoniously concludes he always did the right things for the right reasons and never got obsessed with his own virtue. And they reject a Washington Post editorial calling for the voting age to be lowered to 16 years old, but they do offer some creative tips for tweaking the voting age.
Scooter Libby Pardon Coming? Comey & Trump Trade Insults, Comey’s 2016 Admission
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America welcome the news that Scooter Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, may soon be pardoned by President Trump and have his convictions from the Valerie Plame fiasco scrubbed from the record. Jim and Greg don’t excuse Libby’s conduct in the investigation but point out there never should have been an investigation since there was no underlying crime. They also roll their eyes as excerpts from James Comey’s new book slam Trump as being shorter than expected, wearing his ties too long and using tanning goggles, while Trump tweets that Comey is an “untruthful slimeball.” And they react to Comey’s admission that he revealed the re-opening of the Hillary Clinton email probe because he was sure she would win the election anyway and might not have done so if he thought Trump could actually win.
Pompeo in Peril? Americans Clueless on Holocaust, RNC’s Lame Anti-Comey Campaign
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America shake their heads as the Republican National Committee furiously tries to line up a few Democrats to push Mike Pompeo over the finish line as the next Secretary of State. They also hang their heads as large percentages of Americans demonstrate very poor knowledge about the Holocaust, including 41 percent of Americans and 66 percent of millennials who have no idea what Auschwitz was. And they throw up their hands, as the Republican National Committee tries to discredit the upcoming media blitz from former FBI Director James Comey by favorable quoting Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Maxine Waters.
Zuckerberg Gets Grilled, Ryan to Retire, London’s Anti-Knife Nonsense
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are happy to Republicans senators like Ted Cruz, Ben Sasse, and John Kennedy pin down Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on critical issues like censorship, free speech, and user policies that actually benefit Facebook members. They also react to House Speaker Paul Ryan announcing his retirement, looking both at his record and the increased likelihood that Democrats will take back the House this year. And they have fun with London’s ridiculous new knife control push after 50 stabbing deaths in the city this year, including police confiscating scissors and pliers as deadly weapons.
China Blinks on Trade, Feds vs. Cohen, FBI Vets Sour on Comey
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are glad to see China made some minor concessions on auto tariffs and intellectual property issues in the wake of tariff battles with the U.S. They also discuss the FBI raid on Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and what it means, if anything, for the larger Mueller probe. And Jim discusses his new column, which reveals that former FBI personnel who once thought well of former director James Comey are now very critical of Comey’s embrace of a political role that casts him as a hero and a martyr.
Florida Senate Slugfest, Twitter CEO’s Real Agenda? Seeing Government as Parents
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America have fun with three different headlines, starting with the news that Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott will run for U.S. Senate this year, possibly giving Republicans their best chance of winning that race. They also scratch their heads as Twitter CEO and supposed free speech champion Jack Dorsey describes a Medium article as a “great read” after it calls for all of America to follow the progressive path of California, says that conservatism must be thoroughly defeated, and labels Republicans as “bad guys on the wrong side of history.” And they fume after former First Lady Michelle Obama likens the presidencies of her husband and Donald Trump to parenting children. They also get a kick out of Mrs. Obama saying we shouldn’t look to make someone president just because they give a good speech.
No Nonsense Nikki Haley, More Trash Talk Over Trade, Pawlenty Rides Again
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America salute UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for her clear language and strong defense of American priorities on the world stage. After briefly condemning The Atlantic’s firing of Kevin Williamson, hey also groan as President Trump and China exchange threats of even more aggressive trade action against one another. And they scratch their heads as former two-term Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty runs for the job again.
Beefing Up the Border, Mark Warner Is No Moderate, Indiana Joan?
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America welcome President Trump’s order sending National Guard personnel to the southern border. They explain why questions about whether Trump has such power are ridiculous but also hope the forces are not needed for long if lawmakers address the problem quickly and effectively. They also get a kick out of “moderate” Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner suddenly supporting some kind of “assault weapons” ban, proving once again Warner talks like a moderate but always ends up toeing the liberal line on virtually every issue. And they shake their heads as Steven Spielberg suggests Indiana Jones could be a female character in future installments of the series. Jim makes the point that it’s a bad idea to recast roles so closely identified with a certain actor, and they both vent about the unmitigated garbage heap that was the fourth film in the Indiana Jones franchise.
Ugly Midterm Omen, Tariff Train Wreck, You Tube Shooting & Media Bias
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America shake their heads as Democrats win another high-profile special election. By itself, it may not mean much, but Democrats have won a string of races where Republicans were expected to be competitive or heavily favored. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is openly concerned about a “Blue Wave” in 2018 and Jim and Greg discuss why he’s right to sound the alarm. They also sigh as the Trump administration and China swap tariffs, leading to stock market drops and higher prices. And they shake their heads as the media go wall-to-wall with coverage of the shootings at You Tube headquarters, only to drop the story when the shooter does not fit the media stereotype of a mass shooter.