Axios Sneak Peek: Scoop - Conservative group puts $700K behind Hawley ... The (House) Mischief Makers

1 big thing: Scoop - Conservative group puts $700K behind Hawley | Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios Sneak Peek By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Kadia Goba ·Jan 27, 2021 🚨 Breaking: Major stocks suffered their largest single-day drop since October, the New York Times reports. Apple announced its most profitable quarter ever, on $111.4 billion in sales, the Wall Street Journal reports. (Subscriptions required.) ⚡ Situational Awareness: Bostonians John Kerry and Gina McCarthy, who we're branding "the Dunkin'® Duo," today outlined President Biden's domestic and international vision for battling climate change. Today's newsletter — edited by Glen Johnson — is 481 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: Scoop - Conservative group puts $700K behind Hawley Sen. Josh Hawley explains his objection to certifying the 2020 election results hours after the U.S. Capitol siege. Photo: Congress.gov via Getty Images   A Republican group is raising and spending huge amounts of money defending Sen. Josh Hawley after he was ostracized for this month's attack on the U.S. Capitol, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports. Why it matters: The Senate Conservatives Fund is plugging Hawley's ideological bona fides and backfilling lost corporate cash with needed political and financial support, helping inoculate him as he weighs reelection or a possible presidential campaign in 2024. What's happening: The SCF, a political action committee that backs Senate candidates on the right, has paid $397,782.53 since Jan. 12 to send "text marketing" and "email marketing" blasts in support of Hawley. The spam-blocking service RoboKiller estimates SCF has sent out 2 million pro-Hawley text messages this month. The group also is raising money for Hawley directly. Its executive director told Axios that SCF has "bundled" roughly $310,000 for the senator's campaign committee. Go deeper.     2. The Mischief Makers Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   Several Republican and Democratic lawmakers are emerging as troublemakers within their parties, political thorns for their leadership, Axios' Alayna Treene and Kadia Goba write. Why it matters: We're calling this group "The Mischief Makers" — the members who threaten to upend party unity — the theme eclipsing Washington at the moment — and potentially jeopardize the Democrats' or Republicans' position heading into the 2022 midterms. Axios spoke with a number of congressional sources about whom they find to be the most unpredictable and headache-inducing. Here's what they said: Republicans: Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia) Matt Gaetz (Florida) Thomas Massie (Kentucky) Louie Gohmert (Texas) Mo Brooks (Alabama) Democrats: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) and the other members of "The Squad": Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), Rashida Tlaib (Michigan) and Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts) Jamaal Bowman (New York) Cori Bush (Missouri) Jared Golden (Maine) Conor Lamb (Pennsylvania) Go deeper.     3. Top aisle-crossers in the House Data: Quorum; Chart: Michelle McGhee/Axios Partisanship is strong, but some members of Congress have been more likely to vote across the aisle than others during their careers, Axios' Stef Kight writes based on data crunched by Quorum. With razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate, party leaders will be relying on party loyalty even more to achieve their goals — even as Biden calls for accommodation across the aisle. Tonight, the House. Tomorrow, the Senate.     A message from Facebook We support updated internet regulations     We support updated internet regulations to set clear rules for addressing today's toughest challenges including: Protecting people's privacy. Enabling safe and easy data portability between platforms. Preventing election interference. Reforming Section 230. Learn More     4. Obama speechwriter fears Biden unity drive one-sided Cody Keenan (right) is shown heading to Marine One in December 2009. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images   President Obama's former speechwriter tells Alayna he's "preemptively frustrated" with Biden's effort to find unity with Republicans. What they're saying: Cody Keenan says Biden's messaging team has "struck all the right chords" but at some point, "they're gonna have to answer questions like, 'Why didn't you achieve unity?' when there's an entire political party that's already acting to stop it." Keenan spent 14 years writing for Obama, which included working alongside Biden for eight of those years. He acknowledged being embittered by his own experience, especially after Sen. Mitch McConnell pledged to make his former boss a one-term president. "Until the Republican Party steps up and tells their own voters what's really happening with the truth, it's going to be elusive," Keenan said. "It's not up to [Biden] alone to deliver. He can't." Go deeper.     5. Pic du jour President Biden speaks today beneath the portrait of Abraham Lincoln painted in 1869 by George Peter Alexander Healy. Photo: Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images   A new president, in dramatic, historic settings, gives photographers a fresh lens for their creativity.     A message from Facebook We support updated internet regulations     We're taking action to keep our communities safe. We've tripled our safety and security teams, built new privacy tools, and invested billions to keep our platforms safe. What comes next? We support updated internet regulations that set clear rules for addressing today's challenges. Learn More   👏 Thanks for reading. We'll be back tomorrow night — and we hope you are, too.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: