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The Last Time The Parliamentarian Made Life Hard In An Evenly Split Senate, He Got Canned Prime Badge
4 Times Trump Admin Buddied Up With The Saudis After Khashoggi’s Murder Prime Badge
The Politics of the Tug of War over the Minimum Wage Prime Badge

I want to take a moment to unpack the positioning, politics and parliamentary rules behind this confrontation over including the minimum wage hike in the COVID relief bill. It’s quite complicated. And at least some of the advocacy is significantly misleading.

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that the minimum wage hike doesn’t qualify to include in a reconciliation bill – i.e., one that cannot be filibustered. Parliamentarians can be fired or overruled. But there’s a major hitch. At least two Senators – Manchin and Sinema – say they don’t support overruling the parliamentarian or including the minimum wage in the COVID relief bill. Indeed, neither currently supports hiking the minimum to $15 at all. (There’s some question about that with Sinema. But Manchin is clear and he’s enough.)

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 08:  Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice John Carlin testifies as his wife Sarah listens during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee January 8, 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Carlin has been nominated by President Barack Obama to become the next Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) DOJ Signals Desire To Elevate Efforts On Domestic Terrorism, After Weird Dance Of Trump Era Prime Badge
Where Things Stand: Hit-And-Run AG Was Reading A Right-Wing Website While Driving, Investigators Say Prime Badge

We’ve been following closely this week as new details have emerged about a hit-and-run by South Dakota’s attorney general. A Republican politician, who was charged with a mere misdemeanor after being involved in the fatal accident, is now facing a bipartisan impeachment push as it starts to look as if his “I thought I hit a deer” story might be Swiss cheese.

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Is This The Year Congress Finally Eliminates The USPS’ Multi-Billion Dollar ‘Pre-Funding’ Debt? Prime Badge
What Does Endemic COVID Mean? Prime Badge
Damning Details Throw Hit-And-Run AG’s Account Of Fatal Crash Into Serious Doubt Prime Badge
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 18: Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) questions Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz during a Senate Committee On Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs hearing at the US Capitol on December 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. Last week the Inspector General released a report on the origins of the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's possible ties with Russia during the 2016 Presidential elections. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ron Johnson Where Things Stand: The Value Of Playing The Antifa Card Prime Badge
This is your TPM afternoon briefing.

The antifa card has been dealt repeatedly this week. And it’s only picking up more steam among the GOP as a vague but ready excuse for all manner of things.

Tucked into a recent Politico report on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to push back on the House’s bid to conduct a bipartisan review of the Jan. 6 insurrection was a clue as to the staying power the actually-it-was-antifa lie will have.

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The Voting Rights Veterans Biden Has Picked To Lead DOJ Have Their Work Cut Out For Them Prime Badge
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