Scene:

You're a GOP Senator, privately concerned about the actions of President Trump. In your darker moments, you think what you've seen is worthy of his removal from office. You also really like being a Senator and don't want to "spend more time with your family" just yet.

This is a dilemma!

When the Senate trial happens, you can vote against removal. This keeps you in good standing with the GOP base. Bonus points if you give a bunch of fiery bullshit speeches about the process! Sure, you have to lie a lot and maybe that stings your conscience a little. And you run the risk of another four years of Trump. But you get to keep your job!

On the other hand, if you defect - vote for Trump's removal - you might succeed in removing Trump from office. Principles FTW! You will also utterly infuriate the GOP base, who will mount a primary challenge against you the next time you're up for election (and flood you with death threats until then). And you will probably lose - no Democrats are coming to your rescue, and there's a good chance unaffiliated voters can't vote in GOP primaries. So, voting for removal is likely a career killing move.

What do you do?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Obviously, you vote against removal. Before that, you work to derail the House impeachment process before it gets to the Senate - to avoid a Senate vote altogether. If you really want to win, you get in line behind Lindsey Graham and start kissing Trump's ass, hoping he loses in 2020. Because you want to keep your job, not sink your career for something as unprofitable as principles.

And yet, countless op-ed writers keep predicting that GOP Senators are getting ready to fall on their swords any day now. It's baffling.

This week in 2007, Rudy Giuliani was leading polling for the 2008 Republican Party Presidential nomination. He'd keep that lead through all of November and some of December.

Reduce the field of pundits by about 75%?

There's an endless stream of breathless editorials whining that the Democratic field is too big and that it needs to get cut down really quickly or... the world will end.

Here's one of today's, from Donna Edwards:

It’s time for the Democratic field to start getting smaller

It’s after Labor Day and the race for the Democratic nomination is now well underway. Despite the fact that it’s a long road trip, the field seems determined to use the byways instead of the highways. Democrats know where they’re headed, but they aren’t so sure when they’ll get there. And at this point, they might be better off with fewer passengers along for the ride.

...

Whether by natural selection or volunteerism (and whether they know it or not), time is up for most of the field. Just because the rules allow you to continue to breathe shallow breaths into your campaign does not mean you should.

Are we there yet? It’s time to get on the interstate.

That's all true; most of these candidates have no chance. And they should really just get out of the way and let those who do have a chance get more speaking time.

But you know what?

In 2008, there were eight Democrats going into the Iowa caucuses - January 3rd! Gasp! And the world didn't end! By the end of January, five of them had dropped out, including Joe Biden. That left Clinton, Obama and not-a-chance-in-hell Mike Gravel (who changed parties in March).

Patience, pundits. I know this preliminary round stuff is boring, but that's how the tournament works.

Several senior White House officials have begun discussing whether to push for a temporary payroll tax cut as a way to arrest an economic slowdown, three people familiar with the discussions said, revealing the growing concerns by President Trump’s top economic aides.

The talks are still in their early stages, and the officials have not decided whether to formally push Congress to approve the cut, these people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose internal discussions. But the White House in recent days has begun searching for proposals that could halt a slowing economy

Fiscal responsibility? That's for suckers.

Actual Washington Post headline:

Two women in a Michigan cul-de-sac fret over the Democrats’ leftward lurch and another Trump term

Next up: The Two Guys Sitting On That Stoop Over There Think Trump's Pretty Good

I'm pretty flexible about whoever gets to run against Trump next year. Really, any of them would be better.

But, still, can it not be Joe Biden ?

We don't need an old white guy who makes the exact same gaffes and ridiculous boasts as the current old white guy.

I can't believe I missed this at the time.

Turns out that the people in the crowd at Trump's weird 2015 campaign launch announcement (when he descended the gold escalator) were paid actors. Well, since this is Trump we're talking about, the actors were not paid until they filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, four months later.

Trump is off the hook.

I never thought it would turn out otherwise. He's just not smart enough to have collaborated, nor would he be able to keep his mouth shut about it if he did.

Oh well. We'll have to get rid of him the hard way... one vote at a time.

FALL RIVER, Mass. — Jasiel Correia, 27, will remain the mayor of Fall River after being recalled and re-elected by voters Tuesday night, according to unofficial ballot results.

"We're going to be right at City Hall tomorrow to keep doing the people's business," Correia said to supporters following the election.

Voters were given a two-part ballot. They first voted to recall the incumbent Correia by a 61 percent vote. Unofficial results show 7,829 voted in favor of the recall, while 4,911 opposed it.

Voters then chose between five mayoral candidates, including Correia. He appears to have won the election by 241 votes.

Wiki:

As of December 2018; 136 individuals have filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for President in the Democratic Party primary.

I hope that's a made-up number.