| | | | | | | Presented By Facebook | | | | Axios Sneak Peek | | By the Axios Politics team ·Feb 27, 2022 | | Welcome back to Sneak. ⚡Situational awareness: "Scoop: Truth Social verifies white nationalist Nick Fuentes," writes Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,145 words ... 4.5 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson. | | | | | | 1 big thing: How left could win if Dems lose |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | House progressives see a route to expanding their power over the next year, even though they're being accused of dragging down other Democrats by pushing the party's image too far left, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. Why it matters: If Democrats lose their majority in the midterms, a strengthened left could emerge more influential in a diluted, disillusioned Democratic Party. What we're watching: Tuesday's primaries in Texas will be a first big test of progressive's midterms strategy. - The Congressional Progressive Caucus' political action committee has endorsed two leading candidates in open primaries, Greg Casar in Austin and Jasmine Crockett in Dallas.
- In the 28th Congressional District, which runs from San Antonio south to the U.S.-Mexico border, progressive Jessica Cisneros is mounting another primary challenge to centrist Rep. Henry Cuellar, whose house was recently raided by the FBI.
- Cisneros came within four points in the 2020 primary.
Why it matters: If the midterms cost the party in power its congressional majority, as history suggests, a strengthened left could emerge more influential than ever inside a diluted Democratic Party. - That would come even as centrists worry the politics pushed by progressives weaken the Democrats' general election appeal to swing voters.
The big picture: A wave of Democratic retirements has given progressives multiple openings to target seats for a shift left. - In New York, moderate Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) is running for governor and progressive state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi has announced a bid to succeed him.
- In Pennsylvania, progressives including state Rep. Summer Lee are running to replace retiring Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.).
Keep reading. |     | | | | | | 2. First look - Jackson's Republican backers |  | | | Judge Thomas R. Griffith. Photo: Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images | | | | Judge Thomas R. Griffith, a retired Bush appointee to the D.C. Circuit of Appeals, endorsed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court in a letter written to the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Axios' Sophia Cai has learned. Why it matters: Jackson's nomination kicks off a monthlong process to confirm what would be the first Black woman to sit on the nation's highest court. The Biden administration has been trying to court Republican votes in the 50-50 Senate, with uncertain success. What we're watching: Griffith is the first of several Republican legal luminaries who'll be speaking out this week in favor of Jackson, a person familiar with the matter told Axios. - Griffith was nominated in 2004 by Republican President George W. Bush to serve on the same appellate court on which Jackson now sits. He's a graduate of Brigham Young University and has been active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the same faith as a Republican courted by Democrats, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).
- President Biden gave him a shoutout during his speech last week announcing Jackson's nomination.
Griffith wrote: "Judge Jackson has a demonstrated record of excellence, and I believe, based upon her work as a trial judge when I served on the Court of Appeals, that she will adjudicate based on the facts and the law and not as a partisan." - In his letter addressed to Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Griffith goes on to highlight Jackson's "careful approach, extraordinary judicial understanding and collegial manner."
- Notably, Jackson — whose uncles and brother have worked in policing — also has the support of the country's largest policing organization, the Fraternal Order of Police.
Keep reading. | | | | | | | | 3. Charted: Russia's sales pitch |  Data: OpenSecrets; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios Reported Russian spending on its influence efforts in the United States skyrocketed during the years before its invasion of Ukraine last week, according to records reviewed by Axios' Lachlan Markay. Why it matters: The numbers show the growth and scale of a lobbying-and-propaganda apparatus now crumbling under the weight of U.S. sanctions and intense internal pressure to punish Russian aggression. By the numbers: Russia shot up the list of top spenders on U.S. influence efforts largely due to Justice Department demands that its state-run media organs register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. - In 2014, FARA-registered firms representing Russian interests got less than $800,000 for that work, according to OpenSecrets data.
- By 2019, that number had increased 5,774%, to more than $45 million, before scaling back to $35 million last year.
- In 2016, Russia was just the 73rd-largest spender on U.S. foreign influence. It was the third-largest in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Be smart: Those numbers only account for a portion of the country's influence efforts, which also include lobbying by Russian companies on ostensibly apolitical commercial matters. - A trio of U.S. firms, for instance, pulled in millions lobbying for the embattled Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. But that spending was reported through standard domestic disclosure channels, rather than FARA.
| | | | | | | | A message from Facebook | | Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations | | |  | | | | Paige is one of many experts working on privacy at Facebook — to give you more control over your information. Hear more from Paige on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet's most pressing challenges, including federal privacy legislation. | | | | | | 4. Worthy of your time |  | | | Fencing around the Capitol has returned in advance of the State of the Union address. Photo: Sophia Cai/Axios | | | | 🐘 Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) referred to Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) as "morons" during a CNN "State of the Union" interview after the two right-wing lawmakers attended a white nationalist conference this weekend, Andrew also reports in today's Sneak roundup. - "I don't know them, but I'm reminded of that old line from the 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' movie, where one character says: 'Morons. I have got morons on my team,'" Romney said.
🗳️ Former President Trump all but confirmed in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference he's running again in 2024, stating, "We did it twice, and we'll do it again. We're going to be doing it again, a third time." - Trump also defended his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting "of course he's smart," and calling NATO countries "not so smart ... the opposite of smart."
📊 Trump once again dominated the unscientific CPAC straw poll, with 59% picking him as their first choice for president in 2024, compared to 28% for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at 2%. - A poll without Trump running had DeSantis at 61%, Pompeo and Donald Trump Jr. at 6%, and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem all at 3%.
💨 Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) repeatedly dodged questions about whether he condemns Trump's rhetoric on Putin, telling ABC News' "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos, "I don't speak on behalf of other politicians." - Cotton also declined to say whether he'd support Trump in 2024, stating, "I'm not worried about this fall's election right now, much less an election two years from now."
📊 Republicans have a 7-point advantage over Democrats in new midterm polling from ABC News and the Washington Post of registered voters. It grows to a 10-point lead among those who are certain to vote in November. - Not helping matters for Democrats is that President Biden's approval rating is at a new low of 37% in the poll, down from 41% in an ABC/Post poll from November.
| | | | | | | | 5. Tweets du jour |  | | | Via Twitter | | | | The European Union continued to put the hammer down on Russia and the select few with some influence over President Vladimir Putin. | | | | | | | | A message from Facebook | | Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations | | | | | | | | Paige is one of many experts working on privacy at Facebook — to give you more control over your information. Hear more from Paige on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet's most pressing challenges, including federal privacy legislation. | | | | 📬 Thanks for starting another important week with us. Please tell your family, friends and colleagues they can subscribe to Sneak or any of Axios' other free local and national newsletters through this link. |  | Bring the strength of Smart Brevity® to your team — more effective communications, powered by Axios HQ. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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