Inside the Beltway: Even the press is rooting for Mike Pompeo

NEWS AND OPINION:

Democrats have concocted some fancy footwork when it comes to the upcoming Senate vote on CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s nomination for secretary of state later this week. Their strategery involves a refusal to release Mr. Pompeo from the clandestine agency and a possible filibuster to block the nominee.

Political sages agree that in the long term, this could be a risky business as the midterms loom. Already jittery about global affairs, voters could get annoyed. They are also fatigued by a persistent, passive-aggressive “do-nothing” attitude among certain lawmakers who appear to put their political party ahead of the nation’s best interests.

“Senate Democrats playing political games with our country’s national security may be popular with far-left activists, but red-state voters won’t take kindly to such partisan stunts,” says Katie Martin, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee “If red-state Democrats refuse to stand up to their liberal colleagues on national security, it only proves to voters they’re unfit to continue serving in office.”

Meanwhile, a growing number of news organizations are skeptical about such political theater. The editorial boards of major newspapers appear leery of the possibility that Mr. Pompeo will not be confirmed in his new role. Their take away message in the last 24 hours: Get on with it, already.

“Confirm Mike Pompeo to fill the void at State,” urges USA Today while the New York Daily News notes “Pompeo also has solid knowledge of the world, the discipline to oversee complex diplomacy and — a double-edged sword, we admit — the trust of a President who seems to believe in almost no one.”

From the Chicago Tribune: “Presidents are entitled to choose their own advisers, and nothing that has emerged about Pompeo is disqualifying. The State Department could use a secretary equipped for the job of advancing U.S. interests in concert with the president — and the sooner the better.” And from The Wall Street Journal: “Senate Democrats have stalled nearly every Trump nominee in government, but their growing opposition to Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State suggests they don’t want the president to have even his top national security officials. Their new standard seems to be that any nominee who agrees with the elected president is disqualified.”

DISTRUST OF POLITICAL NEWS HITS NEW HIGH

“Voter distrust in the political news they see every day is continuing to grow,” says a new Rasmussen Reports survey which finds that 54 percent of likely U.S. voters now say they do not trust the political news they are getting — up from a previous high of 46 percent in a similar poll conducted 10 months ago.

Only one-third now trust the political news they encounter; 15 percent are not sure how they feel. The national survey of 1,000 likely U.S. voters was conducted April 18-19.

FOR THE LEXICON

“Saboteur conservative.”

The handy phrase is from a Brietbart.com headline, heralding a story about action-thriller author Brad Thor’s sudden announcement Sunday that he planned to run for president in 2020. The complete headline explains all: “#NeverTrump floats first saboteur ’conservative’ candidate for 2020.”

Nothing has happened yet, though.

“Although Thor announced his intent to run against Trump, he has not yet filed with the Federal Election Commission,” writes Breitbart analyst Katherine Rodriguez. “It is also unclear whether he will launch a political action committee or begin fundraising anytime soon.”

LIGHTS, CAMERA, DINNER

We know that the White House state dinner Tuesday will be visually stunning and likely delicious. Consider there will be tender variegated lettuces from the White House garden topped with buttermilk biscuit crumbles, tomato jam and goat cheese; perfectly prepared rack of spring lamb with fancy rice; plus a nectarine pastry with honey and a subtly flavored creme fraiche ice cream.

Before Inside the Beltway gets carried away, though, consider that C-SPAN will carry at least part of the event, and lots of the lead-up to it. The public affairs network will cover the President Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s official greeting of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, at 9 a.m. EDT. Then there’s a joint press conference with the two at 11:45 a.m.

Dinnerwise, the cameras begin to roll at 6:30 p.m.

“Our coverage will include arrivals and the toast,” a spokesperson advises — and possibly some footage from the White House foyer.

CHER SHARES

On Sunday, pop diva Cher tweeted that President Trump was a “cancer ravaging our nation, a malignant tumor eating its way through our Constitution” to some 3.5 million of her followers. It’s a complicated world, though.

Within hours, Cher walked back the commentary. Sort of.

“I say what I feel, but there’s a responsibility that goes with that. I walk the knife edge, but sometimes it’s too far. This is not an apology it’s a reprimand. Just because I can say anything doesn’t mean I should. Sometimes I learn the hard way, over & over. Humans are fallible,” the chanteuse tweeted the second time around.

A BIDEN SERENADE

Former Vice President Joe Biden, a Pennsylvania native, journeys to a historic hotel in Philadelphia for the “Only in America Gala” on Tuesday, to be honored by the National Museum of American Jewish History for his support and embrace of the nation’s Jewish communities, organizers say.

And on hand to sing during the evening: Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel, best known for voicing the character of Elsa and singing “Let It Go” in Disney’s “Frozen.” Ms. Menzel also portrayed of Elphaba in the Broadway production of “Wicked.”

POLL DU JOUR

• 78 percent of Americans say public school teachers get paid too little for the work they do.

• 64 percent blame the teacher’s union for walkouts and strikes which disrupt education.

• 63 percent blame state government for the walkouts and strikes, 59 percent blame local government.

• 57 percent blame the teachers themselves.

• 50 percent would support an increase in their own taxes to raise teacher pay and school funding.

Source: An AP/NORC poll of 1,140 U.S. adults conducted April 11-16.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin