The Banter Brief: Billionaire Bullshit, Pelosi On Fire, And The Violent Irishman
The best politics news letter on the interwebs.
Happy Friday everyone, and welcome to another issue of The Banter Brief, your weekly run down of the most important stories of the week. We cover what you should be reading and watching, what the polls are saying, the best quote of the week, and positive news stories that hopefully make you feel a bit better going into the weekend!
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We published some really great pieces for Banter Members this week that are definitely worth reading. You can check them out below The Brief (and get a 30 day free trial too).
1. Most Important Story of The Week
On Thursday, Nancy Pelosi made the impeachment of Donald Trump official. The House of Representatives will vote to impeach Trump, and the House Judiciary Committee gave the president a 5 p.m. deadline on Friday (today) to give notice as to whether he and/or his lawyers will take part in upcoming hearings.
We knew this day was coming, but the speed of it has been noteworthy. The Democrats have seemingly settled on an impeachment strategy: keep it simple, move quickly, and act professionally. They have kept the theatrics to a minimum, invited compelling witnesses to testify, and squashed Republican attempts to turn the process into a circus.
While the Senate is unlikely to vote to remove Trump, the Democrats in Congress have done what they were elected to do: hold the president to account for his actions while in office.
"I pray for the President all the time," Nancy Pelosi said after being asked by Sinclair reporter James Rosen whether she “hates” Donald Trump. "So don't mess with me when it comes to words like that."
2. Poll Analysis
Democrats: The race is still completely open. Biden and Warren have slipped, while Buttigieg and Sanders are gaining ground. All eyes are on Iowa.
Unsurprisingly, billionaire Michael Bloomberg has been unable to gain meaningful traction in the race, proving money doesn’t buy everything.
Better than Lincoln!: A new poll shows that a majority of Republicans voters believe Trump is a better president than Abraham Lincoln. Yes, you read that correctly.
The Real World: Trump’s approval rating is still at 41.7%, a number that has barely budged for months.
Impeachment: The numbers on impeachment aren’t budging much - more Americans want Trump impeached than do not, but the trends aren’t moving.
Go Deeper: We covered a very telling poll about impeachment earlier this week for Banter Subscribers:
This Impeachment Poll Reflects The Terrifying State Of The US Media - by Ben Cohen. Blame the right wing media for this absolutely tragic episode in American history…
3. Quote Of The Week
“Michael Bloomberg, who is worth more than $50bn, is running for president. He will not win. Still, his candidacy is unsurprising. A cadre of political consultants who will get rich if he runs have urged him to run, and a potential wealth tax under President Warren or Sanders would cost him a much greater portion of his fortune than the relatively small sliver he’ll spend on his doomed campaign. If nothing else, he hopes to be able to pull the scary socialist discourse back in the direction of the more capital-friendly wing of the Democratic party. Fine. Let the rich man have his fun. Perhaps a few weeks being forced to kiss pigs in middle American farm stalls will do his shriveled soul some good.”
-Hamilton Nolan on former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s decision to run for President
4. What to Watch
The Irishman
Martin Scorsese’s latest epic is now out on Netflix and most definitely worth watching. The film, set in the 1960’s and 70’s, details the real life confessions of Frank Sheeran, (Robert De Niro), a mafia hitman and right-hand man to notorious union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).
Like all of Scorsese’s films, it is a cautionary tale about grotesque men reaching the heights of power and their painful descent thereafter. In The Irishman, we see Sheeran, a working class union man climb the Mafia ranks after befriending the ruthless Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). Sheeran is loyal, willing to meter out extreme violence, and completely unquestioning. He is trapped in a world of male violence and gangsterism that he is unable to see outside of, and is ultimately destroyed by after everyone he knows and loves either dies or will not speak to him.
Most poignantly, Scorsese shows us Sheeran’s life through the lens of his sensitive daughter, Peggy Sheeran (Anna Paquin). From an early age, Peggy is disgusted and frightened by her father’s violence, and while her character says little, the contrast between them speaks volumes. Peggy and Hoffman provide a glimpse into a world outside of Frank’s appalling violence — a world Frank yearns to be accepted by but cannot fully understand.
Good News
Carbon taxes are becoming more popular than ever. Why? Because they work. As the IMF has stated, if implemented properly, carbon taxes are the single most effective way of fighting global warming. Democratic presidential candidates have pledged to implement a carbon tax when in office, and it seems the idea is really taking off in the corporate world too. This week, giant tech corporation IBM joined the fight against global warming, asking for a federally backed carbon tax:
This week, IBM became the latest major U.S. company to publicly advocate for the federal government to levy a carbon tax, pledging to push Congress, state, and local officials to back the plan.
"We thought the time was right, as we head into an election campaign [in 2020], where the issue is more front-of-mind," said Christopher Padilla, vice president for government and regulatory affairs at IBM. "We as a company think there should be a tax, and we will pay a tax."
The more major corporations signing up to this idea, the more likely it is to happen. And that is exactly what is happening.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Make sure to read the latest for Banter Members! Get a 30 day free trial and risk absolutely nothing:
‘Barron-Gate’ And The Triggered Trumpers - by Bob Cesca
You’d think the professor tossed Barron Trump in a steel cage at the border….
This Impeachment Poll Reflects The Terrifying State Of The US Media - by Ben Cohen
Blame the right wing media for this absolutely tragic episode in American history….
Pete Buttigieg Considers My Family Rich. Is He Serious? - by Justin Rosario
For a family of four in a metropolitan area, 100k means we're three missed paychecks away from disaster…
"A new poll shows that a majority of Republicans voters believe Trump is a better president than Abraham Lincoln. Yes, you read that correctly."
No, that's not what the poll shows. What it shows it that Republicans are lawless, too stupid to know when they're harming themselves, and will answer any question in whatever way they think makes Trump look good.
Question: "Do you think Donald Trump, with his numerous wives, affairs and scandals, would be a better role model and President than someone who is scandal-free and has been married to the same woman for over 20 years?"
Republican: "Absofukin' lutely."