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A fight is brewing over President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump floats a Doug Collins run against Kemp for Georgia governor Defiant Trump insists election was 'rigged' at rally for Georgia Senate Republicans Biden victory, vaccine and an anniversary: good karma for the Mediterranean? MOREs Cabinet picks, in one of the first faceoffs between the long-time dealmaker and Senate Republicans.

Tensions are building on various fronts, from complaints that Bidens team isnt coordinating with Senate Republicans to warnings that he should expect a slower pace of confirmation after years-long frustrations from GOP senators about the treatment of President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump floats a Doug Collins run against Kemp for Georgia governor Defiant Trump insists election was 'rigged' at rally for Georgia Senate Republicans Trump offers condolences to family, friends of Loeffler campaign staffer who died MOREs nominees.

Biden will need GOP buy-in to ensure confirmation of his picks unless Democrats sweep the two Georgia runoff elections next month.

I really am a little surprised ... that there hadnt been at least some consultation. I mean, some of these problems can be avoided and people, you know, saved from the embarrassment if there would simply be some consultation on who theyre thinking about, said Sen. John CornynJohn CornynSenate GOP brushes off long-shot attempt to fight Biden win Why the polls weren't as wrong as you think Lawmakers pressure leaders to reach COVID-19 relief deal MORE (R-Texas), an adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellCongress eyes 1-week stopgap, longer session to reach deal State, local officials plead for vaccine distribution funds On The Money: Unemployment gains lower than expected | Jobs report lights fire under coronavirus relief talks MORE (R-Ky.).

Asked about consulting with Republicans, Sen. Kevin CramerKevin John CramerThe Hill's 12:30 Report Presented by Capital One Pressure builds as UK approves COVID-19 vaccine Republican frustration builds over Cabinet picks Republicans ready to become deficithawks again under a President Biden MORE (R-N.D.) said, Unless youre putting all your eggs in the Were going to win them both in Georgia basket, that would be a wise thing to do.

Sen. Mike RoundsMike RoundsHillicon Valley: Government used Patriot Act to gather website visitor logs in 2019 | Defense bill leaves out Section 230 repeal, includes White House cyber czar position | Officials warn hackers are targeting vaccine supply chain Defense policy bill would create new cyber czar position Trump doubles down on Section 230 repeal after GOP pushback MORE (R-S.D.) added that while there was still time for Biden to do outreach, he should keep in mind the views of Republicans who will be wary of anything that will obliterate work done under the Trump administration.

As Biden is attempting to lay out people that he thinks should be part of his Cabinet, we hope that he takes that into consideration, Rounds said.

McConnell still hasnt directly acknowledged Biden as the president-elect, and the former vice president disclosed on Tuesday that he hadnt spoken with the Senate GOP leader following the election. The two have a decades-long relationship and served together in the Senate, but any overtures between them have been on ice since Nov. 3.

Cornyn predicted Republicans would be open to reasonable nominees. But, he added, the onus was on Bidens team to reach out to McConnell.

Nominations, once largely drama-free, have emerged as lightning rods in the Senate. Democrats changed the rules in 2013 to allow all executive branch picks, and most judicial nominees, to get confirmed with a simple majority. And under a rules change in 2019 by Senate Republicans, most nominations now only require two hours of debate after overcoming a procedural hurdle on the floor, though most Cabinet picks could still face up to 30 hours of additional debate.

Republicans were frustrated in 2017 when Democrats agreed to let just two of Trumps Cabinet picks be confirmed on the first day of his administration, compared to six for then-President Obama and seven for then-President George W. Bush. By Feb. 10, Trump had seven confirmed nominees compared to Obamas 12 and Bushs 14, which was his entire Cabinet.

Democrats are ramping up pressure to quickly confirm Bidens Cabinet picks, including holding hearings before Inauguration Day.

Republican senators often argued that a president deserves broad deference when it comes to their Cabinet and official appointments and blew past controversies that would in almost any other time be disqualifying. President-elect Bidens nominees, of course, are in a different universe, Schumer said.

Well, were already starting to see the switch flip now that President-elect Biden is naming the names, Schumer added.

But Republicans, pointing back to 2017, warn that Democrats should expect delays in getting at least some of Bidens picks through the Senate if they keep control of the majority after the Jan. 5 runoffs.

I dont think theres going to be a great big hurry to confirm a whole lot of individuals right away. ... Its an advice and consenttype issue with the Senate, particularly when youre from different parties, Rounds said.

Cramer said that when it comes to nominations, Democrats have made this bed. They may end up sleeping in it.

If we have the majority ... any one of us can put a hold on somebody. And if we honor that, thats a pretty big problem for him, Cramer said.

Battle lines are already being drawn on key picks like Neera Tanden for director of the Office of Management and Budget and Antony Blinken for secretary of State. Biden has yet to name his picks for more politically controversial agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Cornyn called Tanden radioactive. Sens. Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanWaPo reporter says GOP has less incentive to go big on COVID-19 relief Republican frustration builds over Cabinet picks Senators call for passage of bill to cement alcohol excise tax relief MORE (R-Ohio) and Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamWhy the polls weren't as wrong as you think Graham reports 'record-breaking' 9M haul during 2020 campaign Lawmakers pressure leaders to reach COVID-19 relief deal MORE (R-S.C.), who will oversee the two committees with joint oversight of Tandens nomination, havent committed to giving her a confirmation hearing.

Blinken, a longtime member of the foreign policy establishment, is coming under scrutiny because of his role at WestExec Advisors, a consultancy firm whose clients remain opaque. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (R-Idaho) has brushed off questions from reporters this week about Blinken and about Bidens other national security picks.

Sen. Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonWatch live: Senate panel holds Russia investigation hearing Republican frustration builds over Cabinet picks Grassley returns to Capitol after having coronavirus MORE (R-Wis.) wanted to talk to Blinken as part of his investigation into the Bidens an issue he hinted could come up during Blinkens confirmation process unless he agrees to an interview with Johnsons Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee staff beforehand.

Johnson also didnt rule out that he could keep trying to speak with Blinken as part of the probe even if hes confirmed as secretary of State. Though Johnson is handing over the committee gavel, hes expected to be chairman of the panels Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Its probably important for him to sit down and talk to us now. Hes got some answers that he needs to provide us with, Johnson said, adding that hes not really happy with Blinken.

Even as some GOP senators are sending warning signs over the looming confirmation fights, several have said that as long as Bidens picks are within the mainstream, Republicans would help confirm them.

Graham said he thought there would be a willingness by a lot of us to help confirm Cabinet picks for individuals who are competent, qualified, not over the top.

Pressed if he thought any of his GOP colleagues would use the rules to drag out or delay Bidens picks, Graham demurred, adding: Time will tell.

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Republican frustration builds over Cabinet picks | TheHill - The Hill

When Joe Biden is inaugurated, he will immediately be confronted with an unprecedented challenge and I dont mean the pandemic, although Covid-19 will almost surely be killing thousands of Americans every day. I mean, instead, that hell be the first modern U.S. president trying to govern in the face of an opposition that refuses to accept his legitimacy. And no, Democrats by and large were not claiming Donald Trump was illegitimate, just that he was incompetent and dangerous.

It goes without saying that Donald Trump, whose conspiracy theories are getting wilder and wilder, will never concede, and that millions of his followers will always believe or at least say they believe that the election was stolen.

Most Republicans in Congress certainly know this is a lie, although even on Capitol Hill there are a lot more crazy than wed like to imagine. But it doesnt matter; they still wont accept that Biden has any legitimacy, even though he won the popular vote by a large margin.

And this wont simply be because they fear a backlash from the base if they admit that Trump lost fair and square. At a fundamental level and completely separate from the Trump factor todays G.O.P. doesnt believe that Democrats ever have the right to govern, no matter how many votes they receive.

After all, in recent years weve seen what happens when a state with a Republican legislature elects a Democratic governor: Legislators quickly try to strip away the governors powers. So does anyone doubt that Republicans will do all they can to hobble and sabotage Bidens presidency?

The only real questions are how much harm the G.O.P. can do, and how Biden will respond.

The answer to the first question depends a lot on what happens in the Jan. 5 Georgia Senate runoffs. If Democrats win both seats, theyll have effective though narrow control of both houses of Congress. If they dont, Mitch McConnell will have enormous powers of obstruction and anyone who doubts that hell use those powers to undermine Biden at every turn is living in a fantasy world.

But how much damage would obstructionism inflict? In terms of economic policy which is all Ill talk about in this column the near future can be divided into two eras, pre- and post-vaccine (or more accurately, after wide dissemination of a vaccine).

For the next few months, as the pandemic continues to run wild, tens of millions of Americans will be in desperate straits unless the federal government steps up to help. Unfortunately, Republicans may be in a position to block this help.

The good news about the very near future, such as it is, is that Americans will probably (and correctly) blame Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, for the misery theyre experiencing and this very fact may make Republicans willing to cough up at least some money.

What about the post-vaccine economy? Here again theres potentially some good news: Once a vaccine becomes widely available, well probably see a spontaneous economic recovery, one that wont depend on Republican cooperation. And there will also be a vast national sense of relief.

So Biden might do OK for a while even in the face of scorched-earth Republican opposition. But we cant be sure of that. Republicans might refuse to confirm anyone for key economic positions. Theres always the possibility of another financial crisis and outgoing Trump officials have been systematically undermining the incoming administrations ability to deal with such a crisis if it happens. And America desperately needs action on issues from infrastructure, to climate change, to tax enforcement that wont happen if Republicans retain blocking power.

So what can Biden do?

First, he needs to start talking about immediate policy actions to help ordinary Americans, if only to make it clear to Georgia voters how much damage will be done if they dont elect Democrats to those two Senate seats.

If Democrats dont get those seats, Biden will need to use executive action to accomplish as much as possible despite Republican obstruction although I worry that the Trump-stacked Supreme Court will try to block him when he does.

Finally, although Biden is still talking in a comforting way about unity and reaching across the aisle, at some point hell need to stop reassuring us that hes nothing like Trump and start making Republicans pay a political price for their attempts to prevent him from governing.

Now, I dont mean that he should sound like Trump, demanding retribution against his enemies although the Justice Department should be allowed to do its job and prosecute whatever Trump-era crimes it finds.

No, what Biden needs to do is what Harry Truman did in 1948, when he built political support by running against do-nothing Republicans. And hell have a better case than Truman ever did, because todays Republicans are infinitely more corrupt and less patriotic than the Republicans Truman faced.

The results of this years election, with a solid Biden win but Republicans doing well down-ballot, tells us that American voters dont fully understand what the modern G.O.P. is really about. Biden needs to get that point across, and make Republicans pay for the sabotage we all know is coming.

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How Will Biden Deal With Republican Sabotage? - The New York Times

A group of incoming Republican congresspeople intends to counter the radical agenda of the Democratic party, with the self-professed goal of becoming the Republican partys alternative to the Squad a group of progressive congresswomen of color including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

Calling themselves the Freedom Force, the Republicans say they will combat the evil of socialism and Marxism.

We love our nation. This group will be talking against and giving a contrast to the hard left. We have the Freedom Force versus Squad; we have a group of people who believe in our country, believe in God, family, respect for women and authority, and another group who hates everything I just mentioned, the Utah congressman-elect Burgess Owens told the Fox News host Laura Ingraham, speaking as a representative of the Freedom Force.

Owens said the group would aim to protect small business owners and the middle class. Business ownership is the foundation of our freedom, he said on Fox & Friends Weekend. Its where our middle class comes from. He added that the middle class got its power from small businesses, while the left got its power from misery.

During the interview, Owens a former Super Bowl champion also railed against NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem and against the Green New Deal.

He pointed to the diversity within his new coalition. South Korea, Cuba, Iran, Greece, I grew up in Tallahassee, Florida Weve all dealt with the harshness, the evil of socialism and Marxism, and so we can talk from experience, he said.

As a final warning to Democrats, he added: Youre collateral damage if you run a business and you want to go to church and you want to put your kids in school; youre collateral damage thats the way the evil Marxists and socialists roll.

The coalition of Republican lawmakers includes New Yorks Nicole Malliotakis; Michelle Steel of California; Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma; Victoria Spartz of Indiana; and Carlos Gimnez, Maria Elvira Salazar and Byron Donalds of Florida.

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The 'Freedom Force': Republican group takes on the Squad and 'evil' socialism - The Guardian

With the delayed transition to a Biden administration now underway, Americans have only modest expectations that the partisanship that has dominated Washington in recent years will ease in 2021. However, Democrats are much more optimistic than Republicans that relations between the two parties will improve.

Just 21% of Americans say relations between Republicans and Democrats will get better in the coming year. Far more (37%) expect relations to worsen, while 41% say they will stay about the same.

To understand Americans views about partisanship and the political parties after the presidential election, we surveyed 11,818 U.S. adults, including 10,399 registered voters who say they voted in the presidential election, between Nov. 12 to 17. Everyone who took part is a member of Pew Research Centers American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATPs methodology.

Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

Following Joe Bidens victory and his post-election call for partisan unity, significantly more Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (35%) than Republicans and Republican leaners (7%) say relations between the two parties in Washington will improve.

To be sure, more Democrats say partisan relations will stay the same (44%) or get worse (20%) than predict they will improve. But Democrats are far more optimistic than Republicans, a majority of whom (54%) say relations will get worse in the coming year, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Nov. 12 to 17.

The share of Americans who expect relations between Republicans and Democrats in Washington to improve, while low, has more than doubled from 9% to 21% since shortly after the 2018 midterm election, when Democrats gained a majority in the House of Representatives. Since then, the share of Democrats who anticipate improved partisan relations has increased 22 percentage points, from 13% to 35%, while remaining virtually unchanged among Republicans at 6%.

Meanwhile, the public continues to have largely negative views about the state of partisan divisions in the country. A majority of Americans (69%) say that divisions between Republicans and Democrats today are increasing, while just 8% say they are decreasing and 23% say they are staying the same.

Majorities of both Republicans (74%) and Democrats (65%) say partisan divisions are increasing. Only about one-in-ten in both parties say they are decreasing, while 26% of Democrats and 20% of Republicans say they are staying about the same.

While Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say partisan divisions are increasing, Democrats are more likely to be very concerned about partisan divides in the country.

Sizable majorities in both parties (80% of Republicans, 83% of Democrats) say they are very or somewhat concerned about divisions between Republicans and Democrats. While 40% of Republicans are very concerned by this, a somewhat larger share of Democrats (48%) say the same.

Following the 2020 elections, members of both parties are generally optimistic about the future of their parties. More than eight-in-ten Democrats (83%) today say that they are either very or somewhat optimistic about the future of the Democratic Party, and nearly three-quarters of Republicans (74%) say the same about their party.

Partisans typically express optimism about the futures of their parties. But more Democrats are optimistic today, after Bidens win, than after Hillary Clintons loss in 2016 (83% now, 61% in November 2016). Republicans are nearly as optimistic about the GOP as they were in 2016 (74% now, 79% then).

Note: Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

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Democrats more optimistic that partisanship will improve in 2021 - Pew Research Center

"The fact that a pandemic may or may not be occurring changes nothing about the meaning or intent of state's constitution and the preservation of our inalienable rights," says Karey Hanks, who is running unopposed for a state House seat, in the video.

McGeachin, who has repeatedly clashed with Republican Gov. Brad Little over what she believes to be his onerous response to the pandemic, is featured in the video holding a Bible -- and then placing a gun on said Bible -- as she reads from the state's Constitution.

Despite those numbers, McGeachin immediately criticized Little's move.

McGeachin has clashed with Little repeatedly since the start of the pandemic.

Earlier this year, the Idaho Statesman's Cynthia Sewell reported that the two top Republican elected officials hadn't spoken to each other in weeks, and that McGeachin had personally defied Little's executive orders to control the spread of the coronavirus in the Gem State.

"She left the Legislature's 2020 session early the lieutenant governor presides over the Senate to attend to her family business, a restaurant and pub in Idaho Falls. She has attended or supported rallies opposing Little's stay-home order and has been urging him to let businesses re-open. She defied his state order earlier this month to attend an event at a North Idaho brewery that re-opened despite Little's order."

McGeachin's high-profile critique of Little is explained by, you guessed it, politics! The governor and lieutenant governor in Idaho are not elected as a ticket, meaning that McGeachin holds no real loyalty to Little despite the fact that they are both Republicans.

While he spent a decade as lieutenant governor, she is a former state representative and small business owner. He represents the establishment within the GOP; she stands for the Trump wing.

The tension could well come to a head in 2022, when Little will be up for a second term and McGeachin will have the right of refusal when it comes to challenging him.

The rest is here:
Republican infighting in Idaho over the coronavirus has reached a new low - CNN