Tipsheet: GOP anxiety rises over ’18 midterms — Sponsored by The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates

View in your browser     GOP anxiety rises over ’18 midterms By Cristina Marcos, Lisa Hagen and Ben Kamisar      Distressed Republicans say Democratic victories across the country on Tuesday night show their congressional majorities are at risk in next year’s midterm elections. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he “predicted” the rough election night and said the party needs to make changes quickly before the midterms arrive. “Unless we get our act together, we’re going to lose heavily,” he said Read the full story here     Team Trump deflects blame after election losses By Jonathan Easley and Jordan Fabian The White House was in damage control mode on Wednesday as it sought to deflect blame for Tuesday's sweeping electoral losses and reassure Republicans who fear President Trump’s unpopularity will cost them at the polls in 2018. Read the full story here     GOP feels pressure to deliver after election rout By Jordain Carney The Democratic sweep in Tuesday’s elections has raised the pressure on Republicans to make good on their campaign promises. Read the full story here     Despite wins, Dems face an identity crisis By Amie Parnes Even after a stellar day at the polls on Tuesday, Democrats fear their lack of a clear message is a problem in winning over voters in next year’s midterm elections and down the road in 2020. Read the full story here     Senate set for clash with House on tax bill By Alexander Bolton and Jordain Carney Senate Republicans are set to unveil a tax-reform bill that differs significantly from legislation in the House, setting up a battle within the GOP as it tries to hand President Trump his first major legislative victory. Read the full story here     Blue Dog Democrats taking hard line on GOP tax bill By Mike Lillis Blue Dog Democrats are lining up in firm opposition to the Republicans’ tax code overhaul, hoping that Tuesday’s election results will force GOP leaders to reach across the aisle for a bipartisan alternative. Read the full story here     The Hill's Whip List: Where Republicans stand on tax-reform bill By The Hill staff Here is a look at how the votes are stacking up. Read the full story here     Justice, AT&T trade accusations over CNN sale By Harper Neidig and Jordan Fabian The Department of Justice (DOJ) and AT&T traded accusations on Wednesday over whether the company would have to sell off CNN, the cable network frequently feuding with President Trump, as a condition of its merger with Time Warner. Read the full story here     Q&A with Rep. Rodney Davis By Scott Wong In an interview with The Hill this week, Davis explained why he believes there’s room in the crowded Capitol for yet another GOP caucus, whether Main Street will ever band together like the Freedom Caucus to make policy demands to leadership and the biggest difference he sees between Presidents Obama and Trump. Read the full story here     Controversial ‘hack back’ bill gains supporters despite critics By Morgan Chalfant A controversial piece of legislation that would allow companies to retaliate against hackers is gaining traction in Congress even as it sets off alarms with security and legal experts. Read the full story here         SPONSORED CONTENT   Sponsored by The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates Supporting American jobs, UAE Foreign Direct Investment in the US totaled $26 billion last year. This investment drives economic activity from the high-tech sector to logistics. Learn more.         Trump's legacy so far: Totally reshaping how Washington works By Heather Higgins, CEO of Independent Women’s Voice OPINION | The Trump administration, in spite of not logging a major legislative victory, has been able to make significant policy gains with key judicial and administrative appointments, and by aggressively using the executive’s powers to roll back Obama administration regulatory overreach and abuse of executive orders. Read the full story here     The election of Donald Trump will haunt Democrats until we prevail By Michael Starr Hopkins, former member of the Obama and Clinton presidential campaigns OPINION | Unless drastic changes are made, Democrats risk making the same mistakes in 2018 and 2020 as we did in 2016. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Election results set off a blame game among Republicans By Robert Costa and Philip Rucker   The GOP recriminations sparked by Democratic victories in this week’s state and local elections threatened the fragile push for tax cuts and raised deeper questions about Republican identity and fealty to a historically unpopular president. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Losses put new pressure on GOP to act on tax rewrite By Jim Tankersley, Alan Rappeport and Thomas Kaplan   The Senate will break from the House legislation in several key ways, including eliminating the ability to deduct state and local taxes and scaling back, rather than ending, the estate tax. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: In China, Trump cajoles Xi with tough talk, flattery By Michael C. Bender, Jeremy Page and Chun Han Wong   U.S. president blames his predecessors, not Beijing, for unfair trade practices. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump cooperates with Chinese effort to control image By Joe McDonald U.S. President Donald Trump was a cooperative partner for Beijing’s sweeping efforts to control the message of his heavily choreographed visit to China. Read the full story here     Reuters: Trump's $250 billion China 'miracle' adds gloss to 'off-kilter' trade By Matthew Miller and Adam Jourdan   President Donald Trump can return to the United States claiming to have snagged over $250 billion in deals from his maiden trip to Beijing. Whether those deals live up to the lofty price tag is another question altogether. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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