The Note: Biden faces fresh 2020 pressures
Biden is countering talk about his past, saying he’d rather discuss the future.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
Former special counsel Robert Mueller didn’t change any games. And the new game looks much like the old game, as far as Joe Biden is concerned.
The former vice president is signaling a sharper approach when faced with attacks from his rivals going forward.
He is likely to need it. Biden is being hit from some distance on questions of ideology and identity, with next week’s second Democratic debate looming as an opportunity to bring the arguments closer still.
Even amid a week dominated by Mueller, Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker made clear in recent days that they will press Biden on issues of race and social justice. They will flank Biden next week at the CNN debate in Detroit.
And this weekend, Sen. Bernie Sanders heads to Canada with a group of diabetes patients to hammer home a point about prescription drug prices. This comes as Sanders and his campaign suggest that Biden is protecting the status quo to help health insurance and drug companies.
Biden is countering talk about his past by saying he’d rather discuss the future. But as the Mueller dust settles, the polling front-runner won’t always be in a position to define what he’s talking about.
The RUNDOWN with Ben Siegel
Mueller didn’t give Democrats a made-for-TV moment to instantly ignite new calls for President Donald Trump’s impeachment, but support continues to grow, with at least five House Democrats calling for an inquiry since the former special counsel’s testimony.
While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged the party to focus on their investigations and lawsuits - “It’s about the Congress, the Constitution, and the courts,” she said Wednesday – some of the 97 House Democrats calling for impeachment say it’s time for a course correction.
“I deeply respect the committee work of House Democrats to hold the President accountable, including hearings, subpoenas and lawsuits. All of our efforts to put the facts before the American people, however, have been met with unprecedented stonewalling and obstruction,” Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., a member of Pelosi’s leadership team, said in a statement supporting impeachment Thursday.
With Congress now beginning a six-week recess that could cool support for impeachment, some Democrats believe the window is closing – and that the internal party debate overshadows the party’s kitchen-table agenda.
"If we do not have consensus by the first of September when we return, then the impeachment process is basically null and void until the election," Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told ABC News.
"I want us to do what's necessary," she added. "But if we're not going to do what's necessary, to keep giving the impression that we're thinking about it is not productive."
The TIP with Adam Kelsey
As the wide field of Democratic presidential hopefuls finalize their travel plans to Detroit for the second round of presidential debates, at least one candidate is arriving early and bringing his passport with him: Sen. Bernie Sanders.
On Sunday, Sanders will embark on a trip across the border with a group of people with Type 1 diabetes as they visit a Windsor, Ontario, pharmacy to purchase insulin at prices cheaper than can be found in the U.S. The journey is similar to one the senator organized to call attention to the pricing discrepancy two decades ago while a member of the House and is a component of a broader message routinely publicized by his presidential campaign -- that he's been the race's most consistent advocate for health care reform.
Beyond the attention the trip is sure to garner over the weekend, expect Sanders to invoke it from the debate stage Tuesday as he continues to pitch himself as the field's leader on health care and tout his signature "Medicare for All" plan as the most direct path to universal coverage and cost-savings. Despite opponents like Biden attacking the expected tax increases the policy would bring forth, the senator's math calculates a net savings when premiums are wholly eliminated and drug costs slashed.
Plus, once he returns from Canada on Sunday, Sanders will be able to produce the receipts. Literally.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Friday morning’s episode features ABC News’ Trish Turner and tech journalist Laurie Segall as they examine election security in the wake of Robert Mueller’s testimony and how Facebook’s recent settlement with the FTC plays into the efforts. Then, ABC News’ Elizabeth McLaughlin tells us why 16 Marines were arrested Thursday while in formation. http://apple.co/2HPocUL
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
Download the ABC News app and select "The Note" as an item of interest to receive the day's sharpest political analysis every weekday.
The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back Monday for the latest.
Related Topics
Related Stories
ABC News Live