Those who voted for Donald Trump because they thought he might not be as hawkish as Hillary Clinton may be in for some disappointment. The New York Times reports that Trump is looking for ways to dismantle Obama-era constraints on civilian deaths in drone strikes and other counterterrorism attacks. Was this his secret plan to defeat ISIS?
Nevada’s Dean Heller is the latest GOP senator to voice skepticism about Paul Ryan’s House bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. If the bill passes the House, Republicans can afford to lose no more than two of their 52 senators to get the bill to Donald Trump’s desk. To this point, seven Republican senators have criticized the bill. Via Politico.
The big fight about the Ryan health care plan could be as much about Medicaid as it is about Obamacare. Via The Washington Post.
David Remnick: There is no deep state. There is no conspiracy. There is only Donald Trump and Trump only. Via The New Yorker.
If you’re filling out your March Madness brackets, be sure to leave space for Trump vs. Yellen. Trump wants the economy to speed up. Janet Yellen and the Fed are worried that it might be time for it to slow down. Via The New York Times.
From The National Review: Firing all Obama-appointed U.S. Attorneys is no scandal. Trump can look to Bill Clinton for precedent. But the big winner here, writes New York magazine, just might be Rupert Murdoch.
Immigration-law expert Nolan Rappaport writes in The Hill that the Donald Trump do-over on the travel ban is definitely constitutional. Over at Slate, Dahlia Lithwick is not so sure.
An early shot fired in the coming reapportionment wars: A Texas federal judge rules that three Texas congressional districts are unconstitutional and must be redrawn. Via the Austin American-Statesman.
Sure, Scott Pruitt’s take on climate science at the EPA was pretty disturbing. But the GOP war on science is just beginning. Via The New Republic.
Photo of MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle via United States Air Force
Does the new feminism embrace all American women? Not if you’re pro-life. Via The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/opinion/how-the-new-feminist-resistance-leaves-out-american-women.html?_r=0
History suggests the 2018 midterm elections should be good for Democrats. Right? Not so fast! Via The Boston Globe
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/03/09/for-democrats-won-easy/UwXqnHIC3uqrhkaSbSsouN/story.html
Do Democrats have a clear and compelling economic message that will give liberals a reason to believe? Not yet, according to Democrat pollsters Allan and Sheri Rivlin. Via prospect.org
http://prospect.org/article/qa-democrats-must-deliver-economic-message