The Note: Democrats churn new policy -- and pique Trump’s interest
It makes for a fertile environment for President Donald Trump.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
The proposals are coming quickly and boldly from a field of Democratic contenders anxious to break through.
There's a proposal for federal gun licenses (Sen. Cory Booker); one for college-debt forgiveness (Sen. Elizabeth Warren); an abortion-rights litmus test for federal judges (Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand); 100% clean energy inside of 15 years (Gov. Jay Inslee); and universal voting rights for convicted felons (Sen. Bernie Sanders).
It makes for a fertile environment for President Donald Trump, who returns to the campaign trail Wednesday night in Florida, a day after another school shooting in Colorado.
For the 2020ers, ambitious policy pronouncements lean into the yearning for details they're hearing about, particularly from younger voters. Being progressive on guns or the environment doesn't have an apparent downside inside the universe of the Democratic primary.
But Trump has been eager to choose his own rivals, and has already pounced on cherry-picked -- and sometimes misconstrued -- details to mock potential opponents.
There's a whole lot of potential damage he could do by just being honest about what Democrats are proposing.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Wednesday to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt.
As dramatic as that sounds, it's not unprecedented. Eric Holder, President Barack Obama's attorney general, was held in contempt by Congress in 2012 for not releasing documents that Republicans hoped to see. And as embarrassing as a vote this week might be for Barr, it's unlikely to change his day-to-day operations.
House Democrats on the committee have demanded to see the full, unredacted report from special counsel Robert Mueller. Barr so far as not complied with that request, though he has offered lawmakers access to a less-redacted version than that made public.
In theory, this first contempt charge could compel law enforcement to help Congress obtain the desired documents, but in this case, it's the head law-enforcement officer who's not budging. So, it is unlikely that Washington prosecutors will take up the case. Down the road, Democrats could force the issue in the courts, though that process could take years.
Big picture: Democrats want to open up the Mueller report for a deeper dig, while Republicans are saying, "Case closed."
The TIP with Will Steakin
Florida was a crucial victory for Trump in 2016, and while the campaign got a slow start there on the ground last time, staffers are already making moves to build out the local apparatus.
The reelection campaign is working to appoint "Neighborhood Team" leaders all across the country. These volunteers will help get the message out and recruit other voters in their communities.
And this time, the campaign is already holding voter registration workshops with Sunshine State staffers who are doing the training, a campaign official told ABC News ahead of Trump's campaign rally in Panama City, Florida on Wednesday.
"This is a big part of the process in determining who our ‘Neighborhood Team' leaders will be in Florida," the official said.
ONE MORE THING
Has the attorney general always been so partisan? It's a question ABC News Political Commentator Cokie Roberts has been hearing a lot since William Barr's testimony in the Senate last week followed by his showdown with the Democratic House.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Wednesday morning's episode features ABC News Senior Editorial Producer John Santucci, who tells us how the White House continues to stonewall Democratic investigations in the wake of the Mueller report. Then ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce previews the committee vote on holding Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress. http://apple.co/2HPocUL
ABC News' "Powerhouse Politics" podcast. As Trump's war with House Democrats intensifies, former Rep. Tom Davis weighs in as a former Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee. Davis shares insights on the battle plan and potential fallout. https://apple.co/2Zfz5nD
ABC News' "The Investigation" podcast. In an "Investigation" exclusive, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders sits down with ABC News Correspondent Kyra Phillips, Senior Executive Producer Chris Vlasto and Senior Producer John Santucci. This wide-ranging interview touches upon the aftermath of the Mueller report and the next steps for the Trump administration -- including the decision to bar former White House counsel Don McGahn from complying with a congressional subpoena by turning over requested documents. Sanders also talks to "The Investigation" about her future as press secretary, and why, even amid harsh scrutiny, she still feels "comfortable" with her credibility. https://apple.co/2GjL25N
FiveThirtyEight's "Politics Podcast." In a live taping of the FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast in Austin, Texas, the crew debates whether the Lone Star State will be a battleground in 2020. Special guest Ashley Lopez, a senior politics reporter at Austin's NPR station KUT, joins the debate. The team also faces off with the audience in a round of political trivia and asks why Texas' presidential contenders aren't faring better in the Democratic primary so far. https://apple.co/2mKrhcF
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
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Download the ABC News app and select "The Note" as an item of interest to receive it every weekday.