On this week’s episode of Beyond the Bubble, campaign strategists assess the political fallout of Jim Comey’s allegations against President Donald Trump while Democrats wonder whether the liberal left is overplaying its hand.
Joining co-hosts Kristin Roberts of McClatchy and Pati Mazzei of the Miami Herald to share the view from battleground states are Republican political strategist Chris Wilson, Bryan Lowry of the Kansas City Star, Chris Cadelago of the Sacramento Bee and McClatchy Senior Political Correspondent Katie Glueck.
In this episode:
- GOP strategist Chris Wilson says allegations made by fired FBI Director James Comey against President Donald Trump will not hurt Republican candidates in the special House elections coming up this month in Georgia and South Carolina. Those contests are already “baked,” he said.
- California liberals are fighting over how hard to push DC Democrats to take up the call for Trump’s impeachment after Comey’s testimony suggested the president improperly urged him to end part of his Russian influence investigation. Billionaire donor Tom Steyer has weighed in, supporting a move to impeach.
- In Kansas, Sen. Jerry Moran is under pressure to convince Senate Republican colleagues to end the secrecy surrounding their draft healthcare bill and hold public hearings after Sen. Claire McCaskill of neighboring Missouri lambasted GOP leaders for refusing to share details about the legislation. Moran refused to promise that he would vote against the bill if it remains in the shadows.
- In Florida, Republican Marco Rubio is working the White House to win at least a partial reversal of the Obama administration’s policy on Cuba, and close Trump advisers think he’ll go at least part of the way to cooling ties so that he can tell America he kept another campaign promise.
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