V25, N19 Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020 It’s showtime for Mayor Buttigieg He appears to be fading in Iowa, but his ground game has him in the mix for Monday’s caucuses By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – Mitch Daniels notes the modern penchant of American voters who have voted for the polar oppo- site of the presidential status quo, whether it is JFK following Ike, or Donald Trump on the heels of Barack Obama. Demo- cratic voters in Iowa face a huge fork in the road next Monday night when they caucus. Do they pass the torch to a new generation, which is the clarion message of Or do they opt for Joe Biden, who has premised former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg? Or do they lend his campaign on the idea that he is best positioned to credence to President Trump’s ideological opposite, the Continued on page 3 socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders? A teachable moment? By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS — With closing arguments com- pleted and Senate jurors in Q&A mode in President Trump’s impeachment trial, we find this a cleaved nation, with the We Ask America Poll in Indiana perfectly framing “By paying off these one-time the situation: 47.4% of Hoo- siers approve of the president, expenditures, we’re ensuring our 47.7% disapprove. A Fox News Poll released Monday has 50% state remains the fiscal envy of supporting Trump’s impeach- the nation by saving Hoosier tax- ment and removal, while 44% oppose. payers more than $135 million in There is little that can borrowing costs.’’ be said from the well of the Senate that will change the - Gov. Eric Holcomb, in sign opinion of these masses, or of ing the surplus spending bill the two major political par- ties, or perhaps even you, dear Page 2 reader. The Senate is poised to acquit whether the president is capable of President Trump. The risks facing what he’s charged with? No one is Republican senators are the recent really making the argument Donald revelations from Lev Parnas and now Trump would never do such a thing, former national security advisor John because of course we know that he Bolton. Will that give them pause prior would, and of course we know that Howey Politics Indiana to their potentially premature verdict? he did. WWWHowey Media, LLC As U.S. Sen. Mike Braun said “Can you have the least bit c/o Business Office Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” of confidence that Donald Trump PO Box 6553 the House impeachment managers will stand up to them and protect “put together a broad, comprehen- our national interest over his own Kokomo, IN, 46904 sive case” but he characterized it as personal interest?” Schiff continued. www.howeypolitics.com “circumstantial in nature.” “You know you can’t, which makes And then came this nugget him dangerous to this country.” Brian A. Howey, Publisher when moderator Chuck Todd took a This is a president who Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Rex Early axiom (“I don’t have to slam dodged prosecution from Special my hand in the car door twice to know Counsel Robert Mueller on July 24, Mary Lou Howey, Editor that it hurts”) and pressed the fresh- and the very next day attempted Susan E. Joiner, Editor man Hoosier senator: “This president, a shakedown of a fellow head of as you know, state, at war with Subscriptions he’s going to the Kremlin. On this take acquittal front, Braun was HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 and think, ‘I asked by a Capitol HPI Weekly, $350 can keep doing Hill reporter if he was Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager this.’” OK with the presi- (765) 452-3936 telephone Braun dent asking a foreign (765) 452-3973 fax responded: “No, leader to investigate [email protected] I don’t think a rival and to with- that. Hopefully it’ll be instructive. I hold foreign aid to coerce him. Braun Contact HPI think he’ll put two and two together. responded, “No, I’m not saying it’s [email protected] In this case, he was taken to the car- OK. I’m not saying it’s appropriate. Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 pet.” I’m saying it didn’t happen.” Todd pressed Braun on But there is more than Washington: 202.256.5822 whether President Trump regrets what circumstantial evidence that it did, Business Office: 765.452.3936 he has repeatedly referred to as that from Ambassador Gordon Sond- “perfect call” with Ukraine President land’s quid pro quo House testimony © 2020, Howey Politics Zelensky on July 25. Braun responded, under oath, from the dubious and Indiana. All rights reserved. “I think he’ll be instructed by what indicted Lev Parnas’s Rachel Mad- has occurred here and certainly any dow interview, acting Chief of Staff Photocopying, Internet forward- individual would want to avoid what- Mick Mulvaney’s “get over it” presser ing, faxing or reproducing in any ever might need to be modified to go last fall, to former national security form, whole or part, is a violation through this again because the threat advisor John Bolton’s leaked book “In of federal law without permission has already been out there that we the Room Where It Happened” which from the publisher. might find something else to impeach states that Trump “wanted to con- on, which I think is a mistake because tinue freezing $391 million in security I think we need to get back to what assistance to Ukraine until officials Jack E. Howey most Americans are interested in, the there helped with investigations into editor emeritus agenda.” Democrats including the Bidens.” 1926-2019 Thus, Sen. Braun dis- On Wednesday, Alan Der- played an incredible leap of faith that showitz said every president con- President Trump just went through flates his own interests with those of a teachable moment. Good luck with the people, declaring, “It cannot be that, senator. impeachable.” As House impeachment This impeachment chapter manager Adam Schiff explained a didn’t begin with the press or even week ago as he summed up the the Democrats investigating, but with case, “Does anybody really question internal administration sources, some Page 3 of whom were Trump appointees working for then National and not the documented actions ... that we know about. Intelligence Director Dan Coats. The danger for Republicans is what appears to be the President Trump’s business and political careers inevitable drip-drip-drip of embarrassing revelations have been built on defiance, prolonged litigation and a that could call into question from a discerning electorate flouting of convention. Much like the Mueller chapter, this whether they were up to the oath they took earlier this was a self-inflicted episode from a president who acts like month. Sens. Young and Braun won’t have to face voters he should be above the law. “They’re here to perpetrate until 2022 and 2024; their colleagues from Maine, Arizona, the most massive interference in an election in American Colorado are on the clock now and simply want this plod- history,” White House counsel Pat Cipollone told senators ding ordeal to end. on Saturday. “They’re asking you to tear up all the ballots What Sens. Young and Braun may have to face across this country on your own initiative, take that deci- comes under the guise of “fool me once, shame on you; sion away from the American people.” fool me twice, shame on me.” And the plausible notion Sen. Braun and 52 of his Republican colleagues that President Trump will ignore this teachable moment; appear prepared to deem the Ukraine saga as not rising that he is more than capable of doing it again. v to impeachment or censure. They’ve attacked the process, Vox Media’s Sean Collins writes: “The good news Buttigieg, from page 1 for Sanders and Warren is that their supporters seem to take out Trump, with the Senate impeachment trial a huge be relatively locked in; Suffolk found about 60% of their Exhibit A in the president’s fear and loathing of the former current supporters said they are sure to caucus for them. vice president? About half, 53%, of Biden’s supporters said they are com- The Real Clear Politics polling composite with mitted to him. Buttigieg had a 48% commitment rate, and Sanders at 24.8%, Biden at 20.6% and Buttigieg at 17% Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 42%. The other polls showed similar appears to make this another three-way showdown. Sen. results, with Warren and Sanders supporters being the Elizabeth Warren, who landed the Des Moines Register most steadfast. Iowa’s system of assessing candidate vi- endorsement last weekend, was at 14.6% while Sen. Amy ability makes Iowans’ second choices of great importance. Klobachar was at a distant 9%. In 2008, Iowa Democrats Essentially, Iowans who caucus for any candidate who narrowly opted for Obama over Hillary Clinton and John does not receive at least 15% support in a given district Edwards. are asked to caucus for their second choice. Warren was There is great volatility in this showdown. An the top second choice in the New York Times poll; Biden in Emerson College Poll this past week found 38% unsure of the CBS survey.” how they’ll vote. A recent Suffolk survey put that number With Sanders, Warren and Klobachar caged in by at 45%, while 13% are truly undecided. President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, Buttigieg and The latest poll of the state, out Wednesday from Monmouth University, showed Biden and Sanders running a close one-two, with the former vice president at 23% and the Vermont senator at 21%.