The policy wonk loses his inhibition about scandal.
.. The speaker’s office is even considering offering a House companion measure to a Senate proposal that would revoke security clearance for Clinton and her closest staffers, according to senior GOP leadership aides.
While the idea is mostly symbolic — President Barack Obama would never sign such legislation into law — Ryan’s actions amount to a sea change in tone and posture for the Wisconsin Republican, who tends to favor white papers and budget charts over partisan finger-pointing and scandal-hunting.
.. While Ryan said he wasn’t sure if Congress has the authority to prevent officials from briefing Clinton before the election — that’s probably something only intelligence officials can do — his office is looking at the Senate proposal closely.
Trump’s Capitol Hill doubters unmoved after face-to-face meetings Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/donald-trump-capitol-hill-225262#ixzz4DmBgOjQ9 Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook
But as details about the meetings leaked out, it became clear that the gatherings did little but paper over deep internal GOP divisions that show no signs of abating.
.. House members already wary of Trump were even more skeptical after seeing him in person, their concerns about his standing among Latinos and praise for Saddam Hussein undiminished. It was even worse with senators, as Trump seemed more intent at times on settling scores than mending fences, calling out his critics in front of the bulk of the Senate GOP Conference.
.. He called Trump’s attacks on fellow Republicans an example of “the bully side of him. Unnecessary red-on-red violence there.”
.. That “wasn’t what I saw. I didn’t hear the word ‘loser’ used,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) of a Washington Post account of Trump’s disses of Flake and Kirk.
.. Despite the insistence that everything was fine, all anyone was talking about on Capitol Hill after the meeting was Trump’s attempts to put his critics in their place, after being granted a golden opportunity to show the likes of Flake and Sasse an olive branch.
.. Trump’s praise for Saddam as an expert killer of terrorists, though, was hard for many Republicans to swallow, particularly veterans.
“Not helping me to get there,” said Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, an Air Force veteran. “I have a hard time getting there because I’m an American before I’m a Republican.”
.. When one House Republican asked Trump if he understood that his comments about Hispanics were “not helpful,” he responded that “Hispanics love him,” according to moderate Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania.
If Donald Trump Lost, Would He Concede?
If he loses to Clinton, how will he and his supporters take it?
Nate Oh, that’s a great question. Do you think he’d concede?
Toni It’s traditional for the loser to congratulate the winner on election night. If he lost, I could see him taking his sweet time.
And then we may hear some interesting theories.
Nate Clinton could go down as the first candidate to win both the nomination and the presidency — perhaps even decisively — without a proper concession.
Donald Trump: If I acted presidential, I can guarantee you this morning I wouldn’t be here
“If I acted presidential, I can guarantee you this morning I wouldn’t be here,” Trump told a capacity crowd of more than 3,000 at Crosby High School, where others stood outside, listening to audio provided for the unlucky.
The gym rocked.
“My wife tells me, ‘Be more presidential.’ My daughter tells me to be more presidential. And Paul Manafort and Corey [Lewandowski, another top aide] and a lot of them say, ‘Be more presidential,’” Trump said. “And now people are starting to say, ‘You know, look what got you here.”