Today’s edition of quick hits:
* I’m looking for Republicans who might oppose Barr, and I’m not finding any: “In a terse back-and-forth with Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., a potential 2020 presidential contender, Attorney General nominee William Barr said on Tuesday that if he was advised by career ethics officials to recuse himself from the Russia probe, he would not heed the recommendation if he disagreed with it.”
* A failed Brexit deal in the UK: “Theresa May suffered the biggest parliamentary defeat of any British prime minister in history Tuesday as lawmakers of all stripes crushed her plan to leave the European Union.”
* This vote was not close: “The House overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Tuesday disapproving of racist remarks by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, amid a wave of bipartisan denunciation.” (Democrat Bobby Rush was the only “no” vote. He said the resolution didn’t go far enough.)
* Afghanistan: “A truck bomb exploded near a heavily fortified complex in eastern Kabul frequented by foreigners, killing four people and wounding scores of others, authorities said, as the U.S. pressed to get negotiations under way to end the 17-year war.”
* Coast Guard: “The nation’s 42,000 active-duty Coast Guard members missed their scheduled paycheck Tuesday, as the only military branch to work without pay during the government shutdown.”
* An avoidable mess: “The government shutdown has led to the cancellation of nearly 43,000 immigration hearings as of last week, burdening an already backlogged system, according to data from researchers tracking immigration statistics.”
* I guess a new “gang” in the Senate was inevitable: “A bipartisan group of rank-and-file senators is holding discussions on how to end the weeks-long government shutdown, with talks between congressional leaders and the White House at a standstill.”
* Los Angeles: “A strike by tens of thousands of Los Angeles teachers will continue for a second day on Tuesday as district officials called in substitute teachers, certified administrators and other staffers in their effort to keep the nation’s second-largest district open.” * This is such a strange story: “Members of the U.S. Congress have slammed a decision by the Trump administration to downgrade the diplomatic status of the EU embassy in Washington, saying the move and the way it was carried out ‘needlessly denigrate transatlantic relations.’” * I often find myself wondering what the reaction would be if this were Chelsea Clinton: “Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s daughter and senior White House adviser, will help Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney lead the process of selecting the next World Bank president.” Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
