Axios Sneak Peek: Scoop - Inside the GOP’s "crazy" Greene debate ... Senate Mischief Makers

1 big thing: Scoop ... GOP ignored its early fears about Greene | Thursday, January 28, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios Sneak Peek By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Kadia Goba ·Jan 28, 2021 ⚡ Situational Awareness: The Republican National Committee is planning to invite former President Trump to address its spring donor meeting, Politico scoops. Today's newsletter — edited by Glen Johnson — is 617 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: Scoop ... GOP ignored its early fears about Greene Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images   During previously unreported meetings last summer, House Republican leaders discussed — but then largely set aside — fears QAnon-supporting conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene would end up a flaming trainwreck for their party, Axios' Jonathan Swan and Alayna Treene report. Why it matters: Greene has emerged not just as an embarrassment but a challenge for the GOP, with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy now forced to weigh whether to maintain his policy of sanctioning members who make dangerous statements. In a series of conversations described to Axios by sources with direct knowledge of their contents, former Rep. Mark Walker was especially vocal about the "crazy" Greene. Reps. Liz Cheney and Steve Scalise also spoke up. But McCarthy and others ultimately did little to stop her. A spokesperson for Greene did not respond to a call or email from Axios. Behind the scenes: John Cowan, Greene's opponent in August's primary runoff for Georgia's 14th District seat, recalls separate conversations he had with McCarthy and Scalise, the House GOP whip, in which both men acknowledged Greene was a serious problem for the party. "I said, 'She's bad for the party,'" Cowan told Axios during a 30-minute interview today. "I said she has real problems and does not represent, at least what I think of as, someone who would be allowed even in a big-tented party. I mean, at some point, you have to say, 'No shoes, no shirt, no service.'" Go deeper.     2. Robinhood has stacked policy team - it will need Photo Illustration: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images   The stock-trading app Robinhood has an arsenal of political power brokers it can deploy on its behalf as it faces congressional inquiries over its role in an internet-fueled market manipulation frenzy, Axios' Lachlan Markay writes. Why it matters: The populist, discount trading platform is going to need that firepower because its decision to suspend trading of stock in GameStop and a number of other companies today has sparked criticism and promised inquiries from both sides of the aisle. Robinhood's chief legal officer Daniel Gallagher, who joined the company last year, is a former SEC commissioner. In mid-2019, Robinhood hired former SEC chief of staff Lucas Moskowitz to oversee regulatory and government affairs. In November, the company brought on Beth Zorc, the former senior counsel for the Senate Banking Committee. Since last summer, Robinhood has hired lobbyists from four firms, including former officials at the SEC as well as the Senate Banking and House Financial Services committees. It's not the only politically connected company wrapped up in the GameStop saga. Citadel, a hedge fund that provided an emergency cash infusion to one of the biggest losers from GameStop's stock surge, paid more than $800,000 in speaking fees in 2019 and 2020 to Janet Yellen, the new U.S. Treasury secretary. Go deeper.     3. Mischief Makers Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   In a closely divided Congress, the Senate's Mischief Makers could thwart their leaders' best-laid plans with their own agendas, write Alayna and Axios' Kadia Goba. Why it matters: On Wednesday night, we shared a list of House members who our leadership sources on the Hill consider some of the top troublemakers. But their Senate counterparts may be even more impactful in a 50-50 chamber, where Vice President Kamala Harris holds the tiebreaking vote. Not all are created equal. Democrats often contend with an outspoken, very progressive wing of their caucus and try to keep centrists from crossing party lines. Republicans have senators who led efforts to invalidate the 2020 election results and flirted with the same conspiracy theories that fueled groups involved in the Capitol siege. Republicans: Rand Paul (Kentucky) Ted Cruz (Texas) Josh Hawley (Missouri) Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) Democrats/Independents: Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) Joe Manchin (West Virginia) Bernie Sanders (Vermont) Go deeper.     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. Top aisle-crossers in the Senate Data: Quorum; Note: Angus King caucuses with Democrats, votes against party are votes against Dems; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios These are the top senators to vote with the opposing party during their careers, Axios' Stef Kight writes based on data crunched by Quorum. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has sided with the Democrats nearly a quarter of the time. We did not include freshmen senators, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), because of the very low number of votes they've taken to date.     5. Tweet du jour Via Twitter   Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: "There should be both, safety and the right to access the building. Let's see what they propose."     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   🎉 We've completed another Sneak week. We'll be back Sunday evening. A reminder: Axios Local has launched. You can sign up for those newsletters and the others from Axios here.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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