Politico

Some advisers are salivating over running against a socialist. Others say they need to be careful what they wish for.

By ALEX ISENSTADT

01/28/2020 06:59 PM EST

President Donald Trump and his top political advisers were huddling in the Oval Office earlier this month discussing the state of the Democratic primary when they arrived at an increasingly pressing topic: What to do about Bernie Sanders?

Sanders was surging, and some of the Trump advisers were salivating at the thought of a self-described democratic socialist as their general election opponent. As the president listened, they argued for taking steps to elevate him in the primary to boost his prospects.

But others warned that Sanders wouldn’t necessarily be the pushover he might seem. They told the president, who was joined in the meeting by top officials including campaign manager Brad Parscale and pollster Tony Fabrizio, that the Vermont senator’s authenticity and populist appeal could draw some of the blue-collar voters who propelled the president to the White House.

With the Iowa caucuses less than a week away, Trump advisers and supporters are split over whether to wage an effort to bolster Sanders. While proponents think Sanders would be an ideal opponent, others are wary that the liberal firebrand could make for a dynamic challenger — with the ability to make inroads in the Rust Belt states likely to decide the outcome of the election.

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Mediaite

By Josh FeldmanJan 27th, 2020, 8:57 pm

The New York Times has dropped another big detail from John Bolton’s new book concerning the president’s interactions with foreign leaders.

Per the Times, in his book Bolton details how he spoke directly to Attorney General Bill Barr about his concerns that President Donald Trump was doing “personal favors” for the leaders of Turkey and China — Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Xi Jinping.

And Barr responded, apparently, “pointing to a pair of Justice Department investigations of companies in those countries and said he was worried that Mr. Trump had created the appearance that he had undue influence over what would typically be independent inquiries.”

Bolton’s book reportedly features details of what Barr laid out:

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York Dispatch

Liz Evans Scolforo, York DispatchPublished 4:58 p.m. ET Jan. 24, 2020 | Updated 4:26 p.m. ET Jan. 26, 2020

A York County man who was stopped from filming York County Prison while standing on the public sidewalk in front of the facility said his goal is to educate people about the importance of the First Amendment.

Tom Shirey, 58, of the East Prospect area, said he conducts First Amendment audits by going to public areas and filming, to see if he's challenged.

"Some people say that First Amendment activists are just there to bait the police ... and to see how far they can take it," he said, adding he agrees that happens sometimes. "Others believe in the Constitution and our God-given right (to free speech)."

Shirey considers himself to be in the latter category. He posts his videos on YouTube under the name First Capital Transparency.

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more at link

Politico

His traveling festival of celebrity surrogates aims to attract young and unlikely voters to his campaign events.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN

01/27/2020 07:09 PM EST

Updated: 01/27/2020 08:17 PM EST

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Inside the campaign, some aides call it “Bernchella."

As Bernie Sanders attempts to surge to a first-place finish in Iowa, the Vermont senator is tapping famous politicians and celebrities to campaign for him in one final star-studded week before the caucuses.

The luminaries cut across the culture, from politics to music to movies and more. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, filmmaker and liberal stalwart Michael Moore, actor Kendrick Sampson, and recording artists Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend — who inspired the Coachella-derived nickname — are among those who have or will be stumping for him.

The roster of celebrity surrogates is designed to bring out young and unlikely voters to events: A Friday rally featuring Ocasio-Cortez and Moore, which Sanders couldn’t attend because he was in Washington for the impeachment trial, drew an estimated 800-plus people. Overall, nearly 6,000 attended events in Iowa held by Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Moore over the last few days, according to the campaign.

Their support comes after the Sanders team courted backing from people such as rapper Cardi B and other stars of color for months.

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