Cyrus Vance, New York DA, just took possession of Trump's financial information.

Vance later suggested the probe had broadened and could focus on potential bank, tax and insurance fraud, as well as falsification of business records.

I guess we're about to find out how "leak proof" his offices are.

Grab the RINOs and primary the DINOs.

Interestingly, here are the ranking and relative Ideology scores for the other two GOP Senators who will not seek reelection:

#49 0.64 Portman [R-OH]

#52 0.56 Shelby [R-AL]

No doubt that the retirement of four incumbent Repug Senators will complicate their efforts to retake the majority. If we can "flip" either Murkowski or more likely Collins we'd be in better shape. Perhaps Elizabeth Miller's Joecrush is rubbing off on me, but I find myself becoming more confident of his political acumen. Go, Joe!

Whoops! Sasse [NE] is NOT retiring.

#31 0.76 Cassidy [R-LA]

#36 0.74 **Sasse [R-NE]

#39 0.72 Romney [R-UT]

#41 0.71 **Toomey [R-PA]

#50 0.62 **Burr [R-NC]

#51 0.56 Collins [R-ME]

#53 0.50 Murkowski [R-AK]

**Toomey [PA] and Burr [NC] are not seeking reelection

[Key: the numbers rank each in Conservatism, within the GOP. The lower each rank and the lower the Ideology score the less Conservative.]

Here are the facts on this same subject:

Per govtrack.com here are the 10 least Liberal Dem Senators:

#1 0.69 Sen. Sinema [D-AZ]
#2 0.64 Sen. Jones [D-AL]
#3 0.59 Sen. Manchin [D-WV]
#4 0.48 Sen. Tester [D-MT]
#5 0.44 Sen. Coons [D-DE]
#6 0.42 Sen. Peters [D-MI]
#7 0.42 Sen. Hassan [D-NH]
#8 0.40 Sen. Warner [D-VA]
#9 0.34 Sen. Shaheen [D-NH]
#10 0.34 Sen. Carper [D-DE]

And here are the 10 least Conservative GOP Senators:

#44 0.70 Sen. Lee [R-UT]
#45 0.70 Sen. Graham [R-SC]
#46 0.69 Sen. Alexander [R-TN]
#47 0.65 Sen. Paul [R-KY]
#48 0.64 Sen. McConnell [R-KY]
#49 0.64 Sen. Portman [R-OH]
#50 0.62 Sen. Burr [R-NC]
#51 0.56 Sen. Collins [R-ME]
#52 0.56 Sen. Shelby [R-AL]
#53 0.50 Sen. Murkowski [R-AK]

Jones is gone in Alabama (where's Roy Moore when you need him?) so that leaves Sinema [AZ] and Manchin [WV] the least Lefty. And there you have Collins [ME] and Murkowski [AZ] as the least Righty.

Joe's Covid Relief plan has overwhelming public support. This could give these Senators the political cover they need to support the Democratic agenda. But they have to want it, obviously. Collins and Murkowski should constantly be wooed into jumping parties, methinks.

What would Harry Reid do?

I don't think that you can overdo reminding us of this reality, nosiree.

That imaginary conversation between a Dem and Repug Congressperson was a "Talking Points" approach that really appeals due to the brevity of each one.

But aren't Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and the other
Repug Senators who voted to Impeach in the same boat?

Trump's gonna try to Primary them so unless Mitch can protect them it seems maybe we can find a vote or three amongst them, especially for solidly popular legislation like Joe's Covid Relief.

Okay, I'm officially joining the #DeathToManchin faction. And we're not going to be able to Primary his sorry ass until 2024.*yeesh*

Is he a regular politician - ambitious, self-centered, public minded when possible, in hock to various interest groups, basically honest in a political sense? Or is he a jerk politician - difficult, hypocritical, insensitive to colleagues, polarizing in his home state, not particularly liked by those who work with him?

In other words, how bad is this going to get? Or how good could it be, if he and the president and the Senate leadership can get to understand one another and what each needs to get through the next two years without blowing up their respective careers and constituencies?