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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · 6d

Don’t expect the shutdown to end soon with Dems caving. Not with polls like our WaPo version showing the public blames Trump and Rs for this by 17 points.
17!
(Caveat: let’s see over next couple days what other polls show.)

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...

We asked 1,000 Americans who is to blame for the shutdown. Here’s what they said.

More Americans blame Trump and Republicans than Democrats for shutdown, poll finds.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · 16d

Here’s that Sunday column she copy edited, about an incredibly shrinking Congress at a time of global and domestic crisis.

t.co/K4gGqUPbZJ

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/20/congress-legislation-censure/

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · 16d

Copy editing is so essential to what we do. For many, many weekend PKCap columns, I’ve been blessed to have Kathryn Wenner catching my mistakes.
She retired yesterday, my column one of her last edits. It was my privilege. And yes, she fixed a few things.
What a career.

t.co/D8wxHj4Wb6

https://merrill.umd.edu/directory/kathryn-s-wenner

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · 18d

Here’s link to discharge petition :

clerk.house.gov/DischargePet...

Discharge Petition No. 9, Bill Number: H.Res. 581, 119th Congress

SPONSOR: Thomas Massie DESCRIPTION: Pursuant to clause 2 of rule XV, I, Thomas Massie, move to discharge the Committee on Rules from the consideration of the resolution entitled, a resolution providi...

clerk.house.gov

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · 18d

Epstein discharge petition still sits at 217, one shy of Magic Number, which begins to force vote.
Johnson adjourned House until at least Oct 1 - motive might not be just CR/shutdown showdown.
On Tuesday Grijalva will win her father’s seat in AZ special.
He wants to delay signature No 218.

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · 25d

… Trump does lotsa press events & world leader meetings inside White House.
He’s otherwise pretty sedentary.
Since signing big bill, he’s been to Trump DC course 12 times, to Bedminster 6-plus times, to Kennedy Center twice. 7 days no public schedule.
Rs want more travel.

t.co/6ILZDMAhnN

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · 25d

Weekend @PKCapitol column: The missing man from GOP’s sales pitch for their proclaimed Big Beautiful Bill:
Donald Trump.

Since signing bill July 4, Trump hasn’t traveled outside DC for event promoting the bill one time.
Other presidents (including Trump 1.0 & Biden) did lots more.
t.co/6ILZDMAhnN

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/13/trump-has-been-missing-campaign-sell-big-bill-voters/

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Sep 6

... Not some RINO who is now a Dem, DHE can't believe Rs won't stand up for conservative policy.

“The fire wall is the American people. He was elected with the simple job of delivering better economic performance, growth in the standard of living with low inflation. And he’s on track to fail.”

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Sep 6

For Rs, the call is coming from inside the house:
One of most renowned GOP economists serves up sharp critiques of Trump econ policy every morning.
And Friday's jobs report only confirmed his writing about the economy for months:

"Dead in the water,” Doug Holtz-Eakin told me.

t.co/yegylJbgSV

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/06/republican-economist-who-says-trump-is-wrong-about-almost-everything/?utm_campaign=wp_follow_paul_kane&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Sep 3

Colom was on glide path to be federal judge after Biden nominated him (GOP Sen. Wicker happily supported him) until Sen. Hyde Smith blocked him single handed.
Now, Colom is gonna run against her for Senate. It’s a long shot, with reverse echoes of Sessions winning “Judge” Hefflin seat in ‘96.

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Sep 3

Any path Democrats have toward a durable Senate majority requires them to make Mississippi a swing state. Yes, Mississippi.

Trump won there by almost 21%, but its population is 38% Black (with lower voter turnout).

Maybe not 2026, but this is their starting point.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r_5...

Mississippi Matters

YouTube video by Scott Colom

www.youtube.com

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Sep 1

Best lede you’ll read today, maybe all year. Via NYT obits:

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/b...

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Aug 31

My Sunday column: The diploma divide among voters has a new wrinkle.
Almost all members of Congress attended college, but over last 50 years Rs have shunned Ivy/elite universities as Dems have slightly increased their tenure there.

A fascinating project from 3 brilliant academics.
t.co/tDMpCAKwRy

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/30/political-diploma-divide-now-applies-members-congress/

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Reposted by Paul Kane

Kristin Wilson 📎 @kristin-wilson.bsky.social · Aug 27

www.politico.com/news/magazin...

The Mystery Social Media Account Schooling Congress on How to Do Its Job

Ringwiss, an influential X account, is changing how the public understands Congress, and how members understand their own power.

www.politico.com

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Aug 26

If a president can fire a Fed board member “for cause,” as determined by him, why couldn’t a president fire Supreme Court justices?

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Aug 10

We haven’t seen a flood of real retirements in the House & all this redistricting might delay some of that, too, as members wait to see if they’ve still got a district they can win in.

My weekend column.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Analysis | Why it’s been such a slow congressional retirement season

Rather than rushing for the retirement door, House incumbents in swing districts are waiting for the environment to clear up and potential redistricting to settle.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Aug 4

Missed a key line in that screen shot of Jeff’s work.
Despite 48% of Midwestern seats in the House, Dems don’t have a single Midwesterner in a real leadership post.

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Aug 4

A really smart Sunday Nightcap column from @dcdufour.bsky.social about how Congressional Democrats have abandoned the Midwest & only pick leaders/chairs from the coasts.

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Aug 2

… Dems aren’t sold on any real, long-term Trump shift on Ukraine.

“It’s a bad bet,” Peter Welch told me.

Welch attended McConnell speech to McCain Institute crowd. As freshman in ‘23-‘24, Welch presided over many MM speeches.
PW calls MM “a leader” on Ukraine.

Link:

t.co/8TwevRmNqG

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/02/mcconnell-trump-republicans-foreign-policy/

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Aug 2

Weekend column:
McConnell & other R national security hawks feel momentum, after brutal winter/early spring left them reeling.
They’re hoping to isolate nativists in Trump orbit.
“Let’s hope the president continues to move in the direction he has,” McConnell told @mccaininstitute.bsky.social …

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Jul 29

One story:

“This is the story of how skepticism & stubbornness of a Government physician prevented what could have been an appalling American tragedy, birth of hundreds or indeed thousands of armless & legless children … What she did was refuse to be hurried. … She regarded its safety as unproved.”

Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Jul 29

Just a wonderful obit about one of the OG investigative reporters at WashPost, Morton Mintz, who exposed corp greed in PhRMA and Big Auto.
He retired 37 years ago! Lived to 103, both challenging entrenched powers & raising up smart bureaucrats who saved lives ….

t.co/O5aRjdEhIl

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2025/07/28/morton-mintz-dead-investigative-reporter/

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Reposted by Paul Kane

Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · Jul 19

Another reason to always read @pkcapitol.bsky.social -- Texas goes back to future with controversial congressional redistricting wapo.st/3UiJmgC

Column | Texas goes back to future with controversial congressional redistricting

More than 20 years after launching mid-decade redistricting, the Lone Star State is back in the middle again.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Paul Kane

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez @yvonnewingett.bsky.social · Jul 19

Texas Republicans successfully carried out mid-decade redistricting in 2004. Here's how it could play this time, via @pkcapitol.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Column | Texas goes back to future with controversial congressional redistricting

More than 20 years after launching mid-decade redistricting, the Lone Star State is back in the middle again.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Paul Kane @pkcapitol.bsky.social · Jul 19

…. That 2003 bid featured a young TX AG (Abbott) who appointed young Ted Cruz as solicitor. It played out like a political opera.
It ended with Rs converting 17-15 edge for Dems to 21-11 Rs.
And the Frost and DeLay never made peace.
“Absolutely not.”

t.co/RmPlAFnu8K

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/19/texas-redistricting-republicans/

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