Topline: The Once and Future GOP

Life is busy and filled with distractions. We wanted to make sure you saw these articles about the pressing issues facing our country.

Life is busy and filled with distractions. We wanted to make sure you saw these articles about the pressing issues facing our country.   Sort By: Importance    It’s Mueller Time  Lawfare — Dec. 1, 2017 The Lawfare staff walks us through the Mike Flynn guilty plea, what it means for Mueller’s investigation, and the implications for the Trump team. The upshot: limiting the charges to “lying to the FBI” likely means Flynn is cooperating with the investigation, and Mueller has probably judged he can provide significant help on more high-profile figures. Citizenship   Can It Happen Here?  Slate — Dec. 4, 2017 Yascha Mounk registers some trepidation at what our current political moment says of our ability to reject extremism, should it proceed further. He asks that, if there is so much willingness to go along with Trumpism now when the stakes are relatively low, what happens if the stakes rise? Ideas   The Once and Future GOP  The Washington Post — Dec. 5, 2017 Jen Rubin breaks down the composition of the GOP, and explains the significance of these fractures for the party’s future. There are plenty of Republicans rightly worried about the direction of the party under Trump – what if, Rubin asks, these principled individuals broke off from the GOP and became a voting faction of their own? This could force the GOP to either back away from the extremist ledge to recapture these votes, or face electoral irrelevance. Governance   Where’s the Money?  The Hill — Dec. 4, 2017 Dark money in politics is nearly universally hated by the American public, yet keeps flowing into campaign coffers. The Hill explores the impact of legislation on enabling untraceable and unaccountable funding, and what it might mean for transparency in a representative government. Still No Tax Returns  Vanity Fair — Dec. 2017 Vanity Fair does a deep dive into the finances of Trump Tower, questioning how its patrons have shifted from celebrities and high-profile individuals to a variety of shell corporations and assorted cutouts. Given the Trumps’ murky alleged ties to criminal enterprises and swirling accusations of money laundering, this does raise the question of just how Trump Tower is making money for the president and his family. Rule of Law   Irony is Dead  New York Times — Dec. 5, 2017 Sign of the times: Roy Moore, alleged pedophile and child molester, held a rally this week wherein he cited his support for family values as the primary reason Alabamians should support him. He showed his fiery “conservative” opposition to the “wealthy secular elites” in Hollywood and DC by embracing Steve Bannon, a self-described Leninist and wealthy, secular member of the elite in Hollywood and DC. Unsubscribe