Tipsheet: GOP argues whistleblower's name must be public

View in your browser     GOP argues whistleblower's name must be public BY SCOTT WONG AND MIKE LILLIS As the evidence mounts of a quid pro quo in President Trump's dealings with Ukraine, the president's allies in Congress are increasingly hopeful they’ll find exoneration in a singular figure: the government whistleblower they're fighting to expose. The clash over the whistleblower's identity — and that person’s right to anonymity — has emerged as a frontline battle in the partisan war over the Trump impeachment inquiry. Read the full story here     O'Rourke ends presidential bid BY MAX GREENWOOD Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) announced Friday that he would drop out of the presidential race, ending what was once thought to be a potential leading 2020 Democratic bid that failed to garner the same enthusiasm that surrounded his Senate campaign last year. Read the full story here     Five things to know about Warren's 'Medicare for All' funding plan BY JESSIE HELLMANN,NAOMI JAGODA AND PETER SULLIVAN  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Friday unveiled her long-awaited plan for funding “Medicare for All,” as she seeks to ease concerns about middle class taxes. Here are five things to know about the plan. Read the full story here     Trump at rally says impeachment an 'attack on democracy itself' BY BRETT SAMUELS President Trump on Friday painted himself as the victim of an impeachment effort years in the making. The president portrayed the investigation in harsh terms during a rally in Tupelo, Miss., equating it to a clandestine plot by his Democratic detractors.  Read the full story here       Pelosi suggests impeachment inquiry could expand beyond Ukraine BY CRISTINA MARCOS Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday it's possible that controversies beyond Ukraine could be part of the impeachment case against President Trump. Read the full story here     White House 'prepared' for Trump to be impeached BY MORGAN CHALFANT   White House aides said Friday that they are prepared for President Trump to be impeached by the House. Read the full story here     Economy adds 128K jobs in October, exceeding expectations BY SYLVAN LANE The Pentagon announced Friday that it has awarded its $10 billion "war cloud" computing contract to Microsoft over rival Amazon, which was viewed as the favorite to win the contract amid an increasingly political lobbying battle. Read the full story here     Trump taps Chad Wolf as new acting DHS secretary BY BRETT SAMUELS President Trump on Friday announced Chad Wolf as the new acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), elevating him from his undersecretary position within the agency. Read the full story here     US debt surpasses $23 trillion for first time BY NIV ELIS The federal government's outstanding public debt has surpassed $23 trillion for the first time in history, according to data from the Treasury Department released on Friday. Read the full story here     Progressives urge end to mass phone data collection program BY EMILY BIRNBAUM A group of 20 Democratic lawmakers on Thursday called for an end to the government's mass phone data collection, staking out their position in an upcoming fight around the bill that could reauthorize the controversial program. Read the full story here     A partisan impeachment vote is exactly what the framers feared BY ALAN DERSHOWITZ Opinion | The House vote to establish procedures for a possible impeachment of President Trump, along party lines with two Democrats opposing and no Republicans favoring, was exactly was Alexander Hamilton feared in discussing the impeachment provisions laid out in the Constitution. Read the full story here     After al-Baghdadi: Strategic vacuum threatens the US and allies in the Middle East BY ARIEL COHEN Opinion | Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead following a U.S. Special Operation Forces raid. This is a huge blow to violent Sunni extremist groups in the Middle East, one that reconfirms the importance of an American presence in the region. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: White House official who heard Trump’s Ukraine call testified that he was told to keep quiet BY TOM HAMBURGER, CAROL D. LEONNIG, GREG MILLER AND ELLEN NAKASHIMA Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testified that he received the directive from John Eisenberg, the top legal adviser for the National Security Council, after White House lawyers learned that a CIA employee had raised concerns about the phone call, according to people familiar with Vindman's testimony. Read the full story here     Reuters: Democrats' decision to televise Trump impeachment hearings could prove politically perilous BY JAMES OLIPHANT AND CHRIS KAHN Democrats in the U.S. Congress took a major step toward impeaching President Donald Trump this week when they agreed on the rules for publicly televised hearings after weeks of testimony behind closed doors. But it is also a step onto more politically perilous terrain for a party seeking to persuade Americans that their cause to remove Republican Trump, who they accuse of abusing his power, is just. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Trump’s opposition to ‘endless wars’ appeals to those who fought them BY JENNIFER STEINHAUER Polls show that a majority of veterans regret the wars fought after Sept. 11, even as both political parties press for a military presence in the Middle East. The shifting attitudes of so many who served in the wars help explain why President Trump has support among veterans as he brings troops home. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: In hyperpartisan era, Trump’s GOP support is solid BY LISA MASCARO The more concrete the testimony in the impeachment inquiry, the more solidly Republicans are sticking with President Donald Trump. Read the full story here     NBC News: How Warren's plan changes the terms of the 'Medicare for All' debate BY BENJY SARLIN The war over "Medicare for All" is only getting started, but by putting out a plan Friday that she says will pay for it, Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren may be better positioned to head off some of the more immediate political threats it poses to her campaign. Read the full story here   Did a friend forward you this email? 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