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A week like no other looms in American politics – CNN

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Within the space of three frenetic days this week, a trio of high profile events will unfold with the capacity to shake Washington and influence the course of November’s election.
After a brief respite over the weekend, senators will return to President Donald Trump’s Senate trial on Monday to hear closing arguments from Democratic House impeachment managers and the President’s legal defense team.
Hours later, and after months of exchanges on the campaign trail, Democratic voters finally begin their search for a candidate to make Trump a one-term President in Monday night’s Iowa caucuses.
The commander-in-chief will hit back the next night, weaving a narrative of prosperity at home and strength abroad, as his reelection pitch reaches new intensity in his annual “State of the Union” address.
And then after finally breaking their own enforced silence with speeches from the floor, senators will Wednesday undertake their gravest possible duty in voting on whether to make Trump the first impeached President to be ousted in US history. Spoiler: Republicans will ensure that Trump is acquitted of high crimes and misdemeanors and will leave it up to voters to decide his fate.
In its tumultuous national story, America has endured more consequential political earthquakes, including presidential assassinations, a Civil War brought on by slavery, epic conflicts abroad and the long march towards justice by the civil rights movement.
But it is unusual for three events with the potential to set the tone of a crucial campaign and the political year ahead to unfold in such a compressed time frame — one that encapsulates the sense-scrambling reality of Washington in the bewildering Trump era.
The next three days will reveal the political forces shaping the nation’s present — like Trump’s relentless dominance of the Republican Party and the desperation of Democrats to consign him to a single term.
They will also unleash chain reactions that will shape the run up to November’s election and will reflect divisions widened by impeachment. The identity of the next Democratic nominee and the way that the President behaves in the aftermath of his impeachment drama and up to and including the presidential election also have the possibility to set the country on one of several divergent courses. A Democratic President like Joe Biden might seek to return to a more conventional, bipartisan style of leadership. A President Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders could however take the country as far left as it has been in decades.
A second Trump term could prove just as challenging to the political establishment as his first and would give the President the chance to fundamentally reorder the state of national politics over two terms — especially with his appointment of conservative judges who are transforming American jurisprudence.

Bitter political battles

A fearsome day of pitched political battle Sunday emphasized the brittle political atmosphere and the still uncertain impact of impeachment on Democratic and Republican candidates in November.
Some Republicans reflected the pressure of their looming vote to acquit Trump despite an incriminating evidentiary record of his behavior in Ukraine, offering veiled criticism of his conduct that could anger some GOP voters.
But one prominent Republican however appeared to signal a campaign of revenge against political foes who brought the President to this point.
Democratic presidential candidates, especially senators who must return for the final stages of the Senate trial on Monday, made the most of the dying hours of the Iowa campaign.
Predicting the 5 most likely Iowa scenarios
And Trump appeared agitated by the possible threat posed by billionaire Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg down the road, The former New York mayor was only too happy to join an exchange of insults, jumping at the chance to get into the mix, given that he’s not even competing in the first four Democratic contests.
The President had the first shot at defining a critical week in politics during a softball Super Bowl pre-game network interview with one of his most vocal supporters, Sean Hannity of Fox News.
Trump says he would 'love to run against Bloomberg'Trump says he would 'love to run against Bloomberg'
“There’s a revolution going on in this country,” Trump said. “I made a positive revolution,” he added, expressing optimism about his reelection hopes.

Signs of Republican disquiet

The President has insisted all along that his pressure on Ukraine to dig dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter and other Democrats — for which he was impeached by the House — was an example of “perfect” presidential behavior.
But there were some signs on Sunday that Republican senators who will keep him from office are concerned about the electoral impact of shielding the President among uncommitted swing voters.
Several argued that though his conduct fell short of an impeachable standard, the President shouldn’t have behaved in such a way, or may now have learned not to do so again.
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Trump’s pursued what she called corruption in Ukraine “in the wrong manner.” She added that his now notorious conversation with Ukraine’s President — in which he asked him to “do us a favor” — was “maybe not the perfect call.”
Joni Ernst defends Trump but says President handled Ukraine 'maybe in the wrong manner'Joni Ernst defends Trump but says President handled Ukraine 'maybe in the wrong manner'
Trump’s attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, his potential 2020 general election rival, are at the center of the President’s impeachment trial.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly made unfounded and false claims to allege that the Bidens acted corruptly in Ukraine.
Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee is retiring so he doesn’t have to face voters again, but might have been conscious of history in explaining his planned vote to clear the President.
“I think he shouldn’t have done it. I think it was wrong. Inappropriate was the way I’d say — improper, crossing the line,” Alexander said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
But Alexander added: “I think what he did is a long way from treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors. I don’t think it’s the kind of inappropriate action that the framers would expect the Senate to substitute its judgment for the people in picking a president.”
One of Trump’s most enthusiastic supporters, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, warned that Republicans would start to investigate the Bidens and the intelligence community whistleblower who first raised the alarm about the President’s conduct with Ukraine.
“We’ll deal with the whistleblower … we’ll deal with Joe Biden’s conflicts of interest. (The) Judiciary Committee will deal with all things FISA,” Graham said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“Let me tell Republicans out there — you should expect us to do this. If we don’t we’re letting you down.”
The top House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff argued meanwhile that signs of discomfort with the President’s behavior from some of Graham’s colleagues represented vindication for the Democrats’ impeachment tactics.
“You now have senators on both sides of the aisle admitting the House made its case. And the only question is, should the President be removed for office because he’s been found guilty of these offenses?” Schiff said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“I think it’s enormously important that the country understand exactly what this President did. And we have proved it.”
Schiff would not say whether House Democrats would subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton who according to a New York Times report about his forthcoming book has evidence that incriminates the President in withholding military aid for Ukraine.
Last week, the Senate voted by a narrow margin to decline to hear testimony from Bolton and other witnesses, prompting Democratic accusations that the GOP-led chamb er was indulging in a coverup to save Trump.

Last chance in Iowa

Democratic candidates made their final pitches to Iowa voters ahead of caucuses on Monday night that could help set the tone for their nominating season.
Biden downplayed expectations in a state that is far less diverse than his typical coalition — but left enough space to capitalize on a victory.
It's a cliché because it's true: It all comes down to turnout in IowaIt's a cliché because it's true: It all comes down to turnout in Iowa
“If we get out of Iowa with a win, I think It’s going to be not clear sailing but overwhelmingly smooth sailing from here on,” he said in a call with precinct workers that CNN obtained access to. “But if we get out of here basically viewed as a tie with two or three people at the top of the ticket, I think we’re clearly in the game.”
At and event in Cedar Rapids, Sanders all but predicted a win in a state where he came a narrow second to Hillary Clinton four years ago.
“We are the campaign of excitement and of energy,” Sanders said.

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Opinion: Canada's foreign policy and its domestic politics on Israel's war against Hamas are shifting – The Globe and Mail

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The vote in the House of Commons last week on Israel’s war against Hamas represents a shift in both Canada’s foreign policy and its domestic politics.

The Liberal government is now markedly more supportive of the rights of Palestinians and less supportive of the state of Israel than in the past. That shift mirrors changing demographics, and the increasing importance of Muslim voters within the Liberal coalition.

Both the Liberal and Conservative parties once voiced unqualified support for Israel’s right to defend itself from hostile neighbours. But the Muslim community is growing in Canada. Today it represents 5 per cent of the population, compared with 1 per cent who identify as Jewish.

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Although data is sparse prior to 2015, it is believed that Muslim Canadians tended to prefer the Liberal Party over the Conservative Party. They were also less likely to vote than the general population.

But the Conservative Party under Stephen Harper deeply angered the community with talk about “barbaric cultural practices” and musing during the 2015 election campaign about banning public servants from wearing the niqab. Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau was promising to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada if elected.

These factors galvanized community groups to encourage Muslims to vote. And they did. According to an Environics poll, 79 per cent of eligible Muslims cast a ballot in the 2015 election, compared with an overall turnout of 68 per cent. Sixty-five per cent of Muslim voters cast ballots for the Liberal Party, compared with 10 per cent who voted for the NDP and just 2 per cent for the Conservatives. (Telephone interviews of 600 adults across Canada who self-identified as Muslim, were conducted between Nov. 19, 2015 and Jan. 23, 2016, with an expected margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points 19 times out of 20.)

Muslim Canadians also strongly supported the Liberals in the elections of 2019 and 2021. The party is understandably anxious not to lose that support. I’m told that Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly often mentions the large Muslim community in her Montreal riding. (According to the 2021 census, 18 per cent of the people in Ahuntsic-Cartierville identify as Muslim.)

This is one reason why the Liberal leadership laboured so mightily to find a way to support last week’s NDP motion that would, among other measures, have recognized the state of Palestine. The Liberal caucus was deeply divided on the issue. My colleague Marieke Walsh reports that dozens of Liberal MPs were prepared to vote for the NDP motion.

In the end, almost all Liberal MPs ended up voting for a watered-down version of the motion – statehood recognition was taken off the table – while three Liberal MPs voted against it. One of them, Anthony Housefather, is considering whether to remain inside the Liberal caucus.

This is not simply a question of political calculation. Many Canadians are deeply concerned over the sufferings of the people in Gaza as the Israel Defence Forces seek to root out Hamas fighters.

The Conservatives enjoy the moral clarity of their unreserved support for the state of Israel in this conflict. The NDP place greater emphasis on supporting the rights of Palestinians.

The Liberals have tried to keep both Jewish and Muslim constituencies onside. But as last week’s vote suggests, they increasingly accord a high priority to the rights of Palestinians and to the Muslim community in Canada.

As with other religious communities, Muslims are hardly monolithic. Someone who comes to Canada from Senegal may have different values and priorities than a Canadian who comes from Syria or Pakistan or Indonesia.

And the plight of Palestinians in Gaza may not be the only issue influencing Muslims, who struggle with inflation, interest rates and housing affordability as much as other voters.

Many new Canadians come from societies that are socially conservative. Some Muslim voters may be uncomfortable with the Liberal Party’s strong support for the rights of LGBTQ Canadians.

Finally, Muslim voters for whom supporting the rights of Palestinians is the ballot question may be drawn more to the NDP than the Liberals.

Regardless, the days of Liberal/Conservative bipartisan consensus in support of Israel are over. This is the new lay of the land.

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Recall Gondek group planned to launch its own petition before political novice did – CBC.ca

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The third-party group helping promote the recall campaign against Mayor Jyoti Gondek had devised plans to launch its own petition drive, as part of a broader mission to make Calgary council more conservative.

Project YYC had planned with other conservative political organizations to gather signatures demanding Calgary’s mayor be removed, says group leader Roy Beyer. But their drive would have begun later in the year, when nicer weather made for easier canvassing for supporters, he said.

Those efforts were stymied when Landon Johnston, an HVAC contractor largely unknown in local politics, applied at city hall to launch his own recall drive in early February. Since provincial recall laws allow only one recall attempt per politician per term, Project YYC chose to lend support to Johnston’s bid.

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“Now we have to try to do door-knocking in the winter, and there’s a lot of preparation that you have to contemplate prior to starting. And Landon didn’t do that,” Beyer told CBC News in an interview.

Project YYC has helped gather signatures, created a website and erected large, anti-Gondek signs around town. It has supplied organizational heft that Johnston admits to lacking.

Their task is daunting.

According to provincial law, in order to force a recall plebiscite to oust the mayor before the term is up, they have two months to gather more than 514,000 signatures, an amount equal to 40 per cent of Calgary’s population in 2019.

They have until April 4 to collect that many signatures, and by March 21 had only 42,000.

Beyer criticizes the victory threshold for recall petition as so high that it’s “a joke,” and the province may as well not have politician recall laws.

So if he thinks it’s an impossible pursuit, why is he involved with this?

“You can send a message to the mayor that she should be sitting down and resigning … without achieving those numbers,” Beyer said.

Project YYC founder Roy Beyer, from a Take Back Alberta video in 2022. He is no longer with that provincial activist group. (royjbeyer screenshot/Rumble)

He likened it to former premier Jason Kenney getting 52 per cent support in a UCP leadership review — enough to technically continue as leader, but a lousy enough show of confidence that he announced immediately he would step down.

Gondek has given no indication she’ll voluntarily leave before her term is up next year. But she did emerge from a meeting last week with Johnston to admit the petition has resonated with many Calgarians and is a signal she must work harder to listen to public concerns and explain council’s decisions.

The mayor also told the Calgary Sun this week that she’s undecided about running for re-election in 2025. 

“There used to be this thing where if you’re the mayor, of course you’re going to run for another term because there’s unfinished business,” Gondek told the newspaper.

“And yes, there will be unfinished business, but the times are not what they were. You need to make sure you’re the right leader for the times you’re in.”

The last several Calgary mayors have enjoyed multiple terms in office, going back to Ralph Klein in the 1980s. The last one-term mayor was Ross Alger, the man Klein defeated in 1980.

Beyer and fellow conservative organizers launched Project YYC before the recall campaign. The goal was to elect a conservative mayor and councillors — “a common-sense city council, instead of what we currently have,” he said.

Beyer is one of a few former activists with the provincial pressure group Take Back Alberta to have latched themselves to the recall bid and Project YYC, along with some United Conservative Party riding officials in Calgary. 

Beyer’s acknowledgment of his group’s broader mission comes as Premier Danielle Smith and her cabinet ministers have said they want to introduce political party politics in large municipalities — even though most civic politicians have said they don’t want to bring clear partisanship into city halls.

Although Beyer admits Project YYC’s own recall campaign would have been a coalition effort with other conservative groups, he wouldn’t specify which ones. He did insist that Take Back Alberta wasn’t one of them.

A man in a grey baseball cap speaks to reporters.
Calgary business owner Landon Johnston speaks to reporters at City Hall on March 22 following his 15-minute conversation with Mayor Jyoti Gondek. (Laurence Taschereau/CBC)

Johnston says he was approached by Beyer’s group shortly after applying to recall Gondek, and gave them $3,000 from donations he’d raised.

He initially denied any knowledge of Project YYC when documents first emerged about that group’s role in the recall, but later said he didn’t initially realize that was the organizational name of his campaign allies.

“They said they could get me signatures, so I said, ‘OK, if you can do it by the book, here’s some money.’ And it’s worked,” he said.

Johnston has said he’s new to politics but simply wants to remove Gondek because of policies he’s disagreed with, like the soon-to-be-ended ban on single-use plastics and bags at restaurant takeouts and drive-thrus.

He’s no steadfast conservative, either. He told CBC’s Calgary Eyeopener that he voted for Rachel Notley’s NDP because one of its green-renovation incentives helped his HVAC business.

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Larry David shares how he feels about Trump – CNN

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Larry David shares how he feels about Trump

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Larry David shares how he feels about former President Donald Trump and the 2020 election. Watch the full episode of “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace,” streaming March 29 on Max.


03:21

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