The Note: Democrats confront familiar demons in Virginia and beyond
The 2020 race got a whole lot more interesting and complicated this week.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
The 2020 race got a whole lot more interesting -- and a whole lot more complicated -- in the space of this week.
Ongoing turmoil has offered challenges on familiar fronts, with questions of sex, race and identity at the forefront.
Democrats who have grown used to moral clarity in opposing President Donald Trump, now have three Virginia state officials of their own whose conduct or alleged conduct have made easy questions hard to answer. A potential 2020 candidate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, again had questions of her own ethnic self-identification on uncomfortable display.
Meanwhile, as Democrats dig in for the new legislative days ahead, Trump has chosen some of his own battle lines -- positioning himself as ready for battle against socialism and abortion, for starters.
The field of candidates is expected to expand again over the weekend. Fresh moves from former Rep. Beto O'Rourke and former Vice President Joe Biden suggest that the list of contenders could be shaken up even more in the weeks to come.
But the last few days have shown how presidential campaigns are far less about how candidates launch and plan than they are about how they adjust and respond.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
Congressional House Democrats meanwhile seemed to be on offense this week, even while ceding their floor to the president for his second State of the Union address.
At that annual speech, Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave some serious -- albeit quiet -- shade. Memes of her clapping, which seemed full of attitude, were still making the rounds online.
On a more substantive front, a group of progressives Thursday introduced a sweeping resolution aimed at combating climate change and investing renewable energy. The same day, lawmakers grilled government officials and learned that the Trump team first floated the idea of separating children from families at the border only one month after taking office.
The caucus will close the week Friday with a bit of a showdown between the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and the Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker on full display. Threats of subpoenas on one side and deflection on the other, were setting up a possible legal battle about whether Democrats could compel cabinet members to talk about the special counsel or the president.
The TIP with Adam Kelsey
After months of speculation, midterm-related visits, exploratory committees and dances around seemingly inevitable campaigns, the upcoming weekend is shaping up to be the most substantial yet of the 2020 cycle.
Five serious candidates and potential competitors will visit early voting states on Saturday and Sunday. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be in Iowa. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., will visit New Hampshire. And Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., will be in South Carolina. Warren is scheduled to make an announcement on Saturday in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is set to disclose her future plans in Minneapolis Sunday.
Though the announcements have come fast and furious so far in 2019, the players have mostly been dipping their toes in the water one at a time, jetting off to disparate locations where they can individually command the local news cycle before ceding the spotlight to the next entrant to parachute in.
But now, with major names attending events so close they could carpool, the pressure to make a splash will almost certainly ramp up. Among a group that has -- thus far -- been exceptionally cordial, it could be time for the gloves to come off.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News' "Start Here" Podcast.
Friday morning's episode features ABC News' Mike Levine, who explains the contentious back and forth between acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and congressional Democrats, leading up to his scheduled appearance Friday on Capitol Hill. Then, ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett and Stephanie Ebbs explain the "Green New Deal." http://apple.co/2HPocUL
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
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