The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Dems’ 2024 Senate chances increase
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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*
*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.
TALK OF THE MORNING
Did you hear that? That big sigh of relief coming from Democrats?:
Montana Sen. Jon Tester (D) announced this morning that he will run for reelection in 2024, giving Democrats a sigh of relief as they try to hold onto their narrow Senate majority.
Why this seat matters — the overall 2024 map: “In 2024, Democrats are defending several Senate seats in states that were won by former President Trump in the 2020 election. In addition to the Montana seat, Democrats are playing defense in Ohio and West Virginia.”
A few other key races to watch: “Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has said he will run for reelection; Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has not announced his plans. Democrats also face potentially tough races in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan and Wisconsin.”
It’s Wednesday, Ash Wednesday in fact! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
🏃♂️ 2024
Biden is making some of his allies pretty nervous:
Politico’s Christopher Cadelago, Jonathan Lemire, Eli Stokols, Holly Otterbein and Elena Schneider report that “[President Biden] no longer seems absolutely certain to go for a second term, leaving the party, his top aides and potential candidates unsure about ‘24 and very quietly mulling plan B.”
Biden’s timeframe had been February, but now it’s looking like April: “But even that target is less than definitive. People in the president’s orbit say there is no hard deadline or formal process in place for arriving at a launch date decision.”
Keep in mind — most allies think Biden will ultimately run, but in the meantime: “The delay has resulted in an awkward deep-freeze across the party — in which some potential presidential aspirants and scores of major donors are strategizing and even developing a Plan B while trying to remain respectful and publicly supportive of the 80-year-old president.”
Why Biden hasn’t been in a big rush
Walking a fine, fine line:
“When Nikki Haley announced her candidacy for president, she made sure to highlight her Indian heritage in her announcement video. But immediately after, she laid emphasis on the rejection of what she referred to as ‘identity politics’ that she said was dividing the nation.”
Why this matters: “Haley has a tricky balancing act ahead of her — one where she highlights the importance of her heritage, a tactic Democrats are known for employing as they push their party’s diversity, without overplaying her hand at what Republicans will often label as ‘identity politics.’”
How this could play out for Haley’s campaign, via The Hill’s Cheyanne M. Daniels and Sarakshi Rai
📍 The latest with Ukraine
Peeking into the mind of Vladimir Putin:
The Hill’s Colin Meyn pointed out that most of the headlines from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Tuesday address were centered on Putin’s withdrawal from the last remaining nuclear treaty with the U.S.
But that’s not necessarily the most important component: “The speech also offered indications of how the Russian leader might handle the second year of the war he started on Feb. 24, 2022, and how he is seeking to shape the narrative to his domestic audience and the world.”
This is key (!): “Putin is no longer framing his fight as a special operation to liberate Ukraine, he is now casting it as an existential war against Western civilization.”
What we know about Putin’s strategy going forward
^ BUT, SPEAKING OF PUTIN’S ANNOUNCEMENT:
President Biden slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to pull out of the New START nuclear treaty as a “big mistake.”
Where the GOP stands with aid to Ukraine:
“While President Biden projected that the U.S. is united in backing Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday and in Poland on Tuesday, the Republican response to his trip exposed division in the party on Ukraine support as the war fighting off Russian invasion hits the one-year mark this week.”
Politically: “That forecasts tricky political dynamics for Republicans when getting any future aid for Ukraine through a divided Congress and GOP majority, as some polls show public support for major U.S. involvement in the war ticking down.”
On one side of the GOP: “Firebrand Republicans criticized Biden for visiting Ukraine and called for an end to Ukraine funding.”
And on the other side of the GOP: “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) echoed Biden in projecting support for Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last week … GOP leaders on top committees have also been pressing Biden to provide heavier weapons to Ukraine and emphasizing the strong bipartisan backing for the country.”
The full story from The Hill’s Emily Brooks
‘YEAR OF WAR: FOLLOW THE 600-MILE FRONT LINE BETWEEN UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN FORCES’:
🧍♂️ In other news
‘Most young men are single. Most young women are not.’:
The Hill’s Daniel De Visé writes that “more than 60 percent of young men are single, nearly twice the rate of unattached young women, signaling a larger breakdown in the social, romantic and sexual life of the American male.”
What this means for society — and how societal changes have reshaped the dynamic
TIDBIT — THESE ARE THE TOP 10 HAPPIEST CITIES:
Arlington, Va., made the list! List of the 10 cities with the happiest Americans
🦠 The COVID-19 numbers
Cases to date: 102.9 million
Death toll: 1,113,254
Current hospitalizations: 17,490
Shots administered: 670 million
Fully vaccinated: 69.2 percent of Americans
🐥Notable tweets
Uncle Bernie is at it again:
@taylorchamp filmed a TikTok dance in Manhattan and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stumbled into the frame. Watch — it’s very funny and *very* on brand
^ Back story on the video, via Insider’s Mara Leighton
Um, this is incredible:
Capital Weather Gang retweeted a photo from Twitter user @SashaSinclair11 with the caption, “On a clear spring like evening in NW DC, I spotted from my kitchen window, from top to bottom: Jupiter, Venus, and a bright crescent moon.” Photo
⏱On tap
The House and Senate are out. President Biden left Warsaw, Poland, and is on his way back to Washington, D.C.
- 11:15 a.m.: Biden left Warsaw en route to Washington, D.C.
- 9 p.m.: Biden returns to the White House.
- March 1-4: The Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., right outside of Washington, D.C. Details
All times Eastern.
📺What to watch
- 8:45 a.m.: Biden met with leaders from the Bucharest Nine and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Watch Biden’s remarks
- 3:40 p.m.: Harris delivers remarks at Bowie State University on lowering costs for homebuyers. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge also attends.
- March 19: MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki” launches with the former White House press secretary.
🍹 In lighter news
Today is National Margarita Day! I gotchu — here’s a list of margarita deals to celebrate, from USA Today
I realize this is controversial, but if the rigatoni is truly that good … :
Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman reports that President Biden and first lady Jill Biden ate at Red Hen in Washington, D.C., last weekend. Lots of Twitter users found it controversial that they both ordered the rigatoni with fennel sausage ragu. Read some of the tweets
Because I’m hungry — wanna know their full orders?: “Chef and co-owner Mike Friedman tells Washingtonian that POTUS and FLOTUS ordered a couple glasses of Barbera, grilled bread with cultured butter, chicory salad, and two orders of rigatoni with fennel sausage ragu.”
And to leave you on a happy note, here are dogs with no attachment issues at all.
^ Make sure your sound is on!
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