Axios Sneak Peek: Cuomo scandal snares Dems on #MeToo ... Border Democrat warns Biden

Plus: CPAC Republicans choose conservatism over constituents | Sunday, February 28, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios Sneak Peek By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Kadia Goba ·Feb 28, 2021 Welcome back to Sneak. A new month starts tomorrow — a great time to kick off new routines. We'll be buckling down for beach season! 🚨 Breaking: Donald Trump trotted out his familiar attacks on immigrants, the "fake-news media" and Democrats this evening during his first post-presidential speech, telling CPAC he won't launch a third party but, looking to 2024, "I may even decide to beat them for a third time." The conference held two straw polls and Trump won only 55% of the vote he was included in — barely a vote of confidence. Today's newsletter — edited by Glen Johnson — is 731 words, a 2.5-minute read.     1 big thing: Cuomo scandal snares Dems on #MeToo Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images     The searing sexual harassment allegations made against Gov. Andrew Cuomo are trouble for Democrats far beyond Albany and New York, Axios' Kadia Goba, Alexi McCammond and Alayna Treene report. Why it matters: They hammered Donald Trump after the "Access Hollywood" tape. Pilloried Brett Kavanaugh over Christine Blasey Ford. Defended President Biden when he was accused of inappropriate touching. Now, Democrats have to show whether they walk the "#MeToo" talk. White House press secretary Jen Psaki treaded the narrow line this morning. She displayed empathy by referring to Cuomo's accusers as "Charlotte" and "Lindsey," and told CNN: "It was hard to read that story, as a woman." Psaki also previewed the line adopted by most Democrats: They support an investigation into the contentions, a version of which Cuomo also has endorsed. The backstory: The biggest critics are facing pressure to treat Cuomo the same way they aggressively went after the Republicans. Then-Sen. Kamala Harris called for Kavanaugh's impeachment a year after his nomination hearings, when two New York Times reporters wrote they found new corroborating evidence to support previous sexual misconduct allegations.  Several other then-2020 contenders also called for his impeachment, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rep. Julián Castro (D-Texas) and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Biden, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also said the new allegations warranted further investigation. Cory Booker, who, as a New Jersey senator, has close ties to Cuomo, was celebrated by his Democratic colleagues for daring Republicans to try to expel him from the Senate. He publicly revealed some of Kavanaugh's emails the then-GOP majority had ruled confidential. Breaking: Team Cuomo issued its third statement of the day, saying the governor had asked state Attorney General Letitia James to select an independent attorney of her choosing to investigate. Go deeper.     2. Border Democrat warns Biden about immigrant fallout Henry Cuellar (right). Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images   A Democratic lawmaker representing a border district warned the Biden administration against easing up too much on unauthorized immigrants, citing their impact on his constituents, local hospitals and their potential to spread the coronavirus, Axios' Stef Kight reports. Why it matters: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) told Axios he supports Biden. But the moderate said he sees the downsides of efforts to placate pro-immigrant groups, an effort that threatens to blow up on the administration. "You just can't say, 'Yeah, yeah, let everybody in' — because then we're affected down there at the border," Cuellar told Axios on Saturday. The big picture: Border crossings are rising. Hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley area are already busy. The U.S. Border Patrol has less capacity than normal. Cuellar hopes the administration continues using a Trump-era public health order to quickly expel migrant adults and families, at least during the pandemic. Activists have called for Biden to end the use of the policy, called Title 42. He said smugglers will likely use the shift in immigration tactics from the Trump to the Biden administration immigration tactics to convince migrants to come to the U.S. "The bad guys know how to market this," Cuellar said. Some immigrants are being allowed into the country without getting a COVID-19 test first — a concern for some non-governmental organizations caring for them, Cuellar said. Go deeper.     3. CPAC Republicans choose conservatism over constituents Rep. Matt Gaetz. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images   CPAC proved such a draw, conservative Republicans chose the conference over their constituents, Kadia writes. Why it matters: More than a dozen House Republicans voted by proxy on the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill in Washington so they could speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC. And Sen. Ted Cruz skipped an Air Force One flight as President Biden flew to Cruz's hometown of Houston to survey storm damage. The proxy votes were particularly strident, given the GOP sued to stop the practice when Democrats created it to allow safe voting during the coronavirus pandemic. And Cruz's diversion to Florida — which, he joked, wasn't as nice as his much-maligned trip to Cancún — cost him the same facetime that Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) got when he flew with the president to Texas. Cruz's office did not respond to a request for comment. Go deeper.     A message from Facebook It's time to update internet regulations     The internet has changed a lot in 25 years. But the last time comprehensive internet regulations were passed was in 1996. We support updated internet regulations to set clear guidelines for addressing today's toughest challenges. Learn More     4. Ex-tobacco exec bankrolls centrist third party Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios   A new centrist political party is gaining steam, but records show it's being largely financed by a single man: a former Philip Morris executive who helped steer the company through the tobacco wars of the 1990s, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports. Why it matters: The Serve America Movement is running candidates in a handful of states, banking on the appeal of a non-ideological party. The outsized financial influence of donor Charles W. Wall underscores the challenge of overcoming extreme partisan rancor with a process-focused political movement. Nearly three of every four dollars SAM's national office has raised, roughly $3.4 million, has come from Wall, according to Internal Revenue Service filings, including more than 93% of the group's funding last year. Between the lines: Centrist political movements generally draw more backing from wealthy and corporate interests than grassroots donors, who tend to be more ideologically driven. Go deeper.     5. Tan, rested and ready Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images   Former President Donald J. Trump.     A message from Facebook Internet regulations need an update     It's been 25 years since comprehensive internet regulations were passed. But a lot has changed since 1996. We support updated regulations to set clear guidelines for protecting people's privacy, enabling safe and easy data portability between platforms and more. Learn More   🙏 Thanks for reading. A reminder that you can sign up for email delivery of Sneak and all of Axios' other free newsletters through this link.   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: