Inside the Beltway: Who’s at the AIPAC Policy Conference?

NEWS AND OPINION:

Noise and turmoil may still engulf in the nation’s capital following revelations about Robert Mueller’s investigation of President Trump. There is work and productivity underway across town at the AIPAC Policy Conference, the largest gathering of the nation’s pro-Israel community staged by American Israel Public Affairs Committee — AIPAC. The three-day event is deemed a “celebration” of the U.S.-Israel partnership, and it draws a bipartisan crowd.

“We are honored that the leaders of both houses from both parties will be joining us during the course of this conference, affirming their commitment to this great cause,” AIPAC CEO Howard Kohr told the audience on Sunday.

“Israel’s antagonists have decided to mount a political assault on us. In return, they must get a political response. That response must be large; it must be sweeping; and it must define our movement for years to come. Our detractors think we’re vulnerable, that we will fold when we’re pushed. But they don’t know what we are made of,” Mr. Kohr later added.

Attendees include lawmakers, elected officials, government leaders, clergy, attorneys, students, business strategists and members of military, academic and diplomatic circles. Without further ado, just a few names on the vast speaker roster:

From the GOP: Vice President Mike Pence; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; Sens. Ted Cruz, Rob Portman, James Risch and Dan Sullivan; House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy; and Reps. Liz Cheney, Dan Crenshaw, French Hill, Kay Granger, David Kustoff, Doug Lamborn, Michael McCaul, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Mark Meadows, Carol Miller, Denver Riggleman, Mac Thornberry, Michael Waltz and Lee Zeldin.

And onto the Democrats: Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer; Sens. Ben Cardin, Tammy Duckworth, Robert Menendez, James Risch and Kyrsten Sinema; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer; and Reps. Angie Craig, Ted Deutch, Eliot Engel, Josh Gottheimer, Hakeem Jeffries, Susie Lee, Elaine Luria, Lucy McBath, Grace Meng, Stephanie Murphy, Chris Pappas, Max Rose, Brad Schneider, Brad Sherman, Darren Soto, Adam Smith, David Trone and Juan Vargas.

Also at the podium: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman; former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer; Danny Danon, Israel’s permanent representative to the U.N.; and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser. Faith and Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed, Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Matthew Continetti, and columnist Salena Zito will also address the crowd — which will number about 18,000, according to organizers.

THE MUELLER PRESS

How did the media come to terms with the evolving status of the aforementioned Mueller report? A few headlines:

“Mueller did not find Trump conspired with Russia” (CNN); “Trump declares victory but report stops short of exonerating him” (The New York Times); “Mueller leaves question of obstruction ’unresolved’” (MSNBC); “Democrats ’absolutely willing’ to go to the Supreme Court if full report not released” (The Washington Post); “Probe finds no proof of Trump campaign collusion with Russia: Barr letter” (Fox News); “Mueller probe did not find Trump campaign ’conspired or coordinated’ with Russia” (CBS); “Attorney general’s letter on the Mueller report: No conclusion on obstruction of justice” (ABC); “Attorney General William Barr says Mueller found no proof of Trump collusion with Russia” (Politico).

HINT FOR TODAY

“Spring cleaning can help manage stress, according to psychologists,” advises House Beautiful, which reports that 70 percent of all Americans feel more relaxed and de-stressed when they do some cleaning.

“Devoting any amount of time to cleaning and decluttering — even 10 minutes per day — can help minimize anxiety,” the publication advises, noting that repetitive but productive cleaning tasks offer a sense of accomplishment, distract an unsettled mind, and ease the stress of a disorderly house.

AND NOW, SOME HISTORY

“The 2020 cycle has thus far produced major party presidential candidates from a dozen states,” says Eric J. Ostermeier, a University of Minnesota research fellow, and founder of Smart Politics, a non-partisan news site.

“Six hail from the Northeast (President Trump and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, John Delaney of Maryland, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Bernie Sanders of Vermont); two from the South (Julian Castro of Texas and now-withdrawn Richard Ojeda of West Virginia); one from the Midwest (Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota), and four from the West (Kamala Harris of California, John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, and Jay Inslee of Washington,” writes Mr. Ostermeier.

He says that at least one prominent Democrat or Republican from 45 states has officially launched a presidential campaign since 1972 — the dawn of the “modern primary era.” Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada and North Dakota are the states which did not produce a candidate.

Among the analyst’s meticulous details:

Oregon’s most recent presidential hopeful was Democratic Sen. Wayne Morse in 1960. In Montana, it was Democratic Sen. James Murray, who won 12 votes during the party’s 1952 convention. Wyoming’s last candidate was Democratic Sen. John Kendrick, who received six votes at a “chaotic” convention in 1924.

“Nevada and North Dakota have never produced a non-fringe major party candidate for the White House. Former Nevada GOP governor and U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt formed an exploratory committee in the 1988 cycle, but in August 1987, after 121 days, he chose not to run,” Mr. Ostermeier explains.

Three states just can’t out of the White House derby, though. Since 1972, there have been 16 major party presidential candidacies from California, 14 from Texas, and 13 from New York.

POLL DU JOUR

• 88 percent of likely Democratic primary voters would “very much” or “somewhat” support a presidential candidate who backs “Medicare for all.”

• 73 percent of the likely primary voters would support a candidate who favors a 70 percent tax rate on household incomes over $10 million.

• 61 percent of the party’s primary voters would support a candidate who favors the Green New Deal.

• 57 percent of those voters would support a candidate who backs abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

• 54 percent of those voters would support a candidate who favors paying reparations to descendents of slaves.

Source: A Fox News poll of 403 registered Democratic voters conducted March 17-20.

• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.