The TAKE with Rick Klein
Two new U.S. senators get sworn in today from Alabama and Minnesota, providing some punctuation to close out a few of the bigger storylines of 2017.
But one of the biggest stories of 2018 is only now just developing. Mitt Romney’s expected candidacy in the now-open Utah Senate race – former aides and advisers do expect him to take the plunge – sets up a defining battle for the Republican Party in the midterm election year.
It’s not just that the former Massachusetts governor and two-time presidential contender would come to the race with virtually unmatched celebrity and credibility. It’s not just that Romney has found fit to speak his mind about President Donald Trump, during the long campaign and during key points of his presidency.
It’s that Romney is the antithesis of Trump - in style, behavior, and political instincts. Romney and his establishment bona fides represented what Trump sought to destroy in his rise to power; to the minds of many people who call themselves Romney supporters, Trump embodies the worst of the modern GOP’s instincts.
Yes, Trump endorsed Romney in 2012, and yes, Romney came close to serving as Trump’s secretary of state. But say Romney’s name at a Trump rally – or dial Steve Bannon up on the subject, as a few Senate challengers might – and the chasm between the two men and what they represent becomes evident.
The Utah Senate race is unlikely to determine control of the Senate. But it just might go a long way toward determining control of the Republican Party in the era of Trump.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
Welfare reform, infrastructure, immigration and health care.
Those are the White House’s stated, top four legislative priorities for the New Year, and, interestingly, each one of them holds the potential for a bipartisan deal.
All the ingredients are there. Stated desire to work across the aisle? Check.
Middle-of-the road proposals already vetted and available? Check.
Urgency? Check.
Necessity? Yea, probably.
Democrats have shown an ability to stick together in the last year, whereas Republicans, until the latest tax vote, struggled to rein in everyone in their party.
Now, with midterms on the horizon and the president’s approval ratings what they are, getting all GOPers to vote together is likely to get even harder. Add in the fact that the Republicans’ Senate majority is about to shrink this week and the likelihood that the White House will need Democratic votes to get anything done – skyrockets.
Democrats may hold enormous negotiating power in the coming weeks, if Republicans let them. How they chose to wield that power – which red lines they set, which policies they prioritize – will be key.
The TIP with Arlette Saenz and Meridith McGraw
Julián Castro, the former Obama administration Secretary of Housing and Urban Development who’s often mentioned as a potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, launched his Opportunity First PAC Tuesday focusing on supporting young progressive candidates for federal, state and local offices.
The PAC’s other goals are to flip the House in 2018 and take control of key state legislatures before redistricting happens based on the 2020 U.S. Census.
The Opportunity First PAC has already thrown its support behind former NFL player Colin Allred who’s one of several Democratic candidates vying for Texas Republican Pete Sessions’ seat in Congress and two successful candidates for Virginia state legislature, Kathy Tran and Lee Carter.
Castro plans to travel and campaign for the candidates his PAC supports.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves.” — Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in a video posted on his Twitter announcing he will not seek re-election.
NEED TO READ
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