Nathan Worcester

Capitol Hill reporter

[Kevin Landrigan @KlandriganUL]

Chris Pappas on Maine's Graham Platner: “The allegations that have come out including last week are deeply concerning and he’s got to answer some tough questions from the voters of Maine. And really, they’re the only ones that can render a verdict on whether he’s fit to serve..."

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

June 6: Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner was less than eager to talk to reporters as he hit campaign events on the Maine coast near his hometown of Sullivan.

This is Platner country.

[Israel Defense Forces @IDF]

The Israeli Air Force struck military targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran a short while ago.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

June 6: Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner was less than eager to talk to reporters as he hit campaign events on the Maine coast near his hometown of Sullivan.

This is Platner country.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Bangor, Maine: A man at the International Cryptozoology Museum tells me he could imagine voting for Graham Platner, but he needs to do his own research on the candidates.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

NEW: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he met with Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner today.

When reporters question him on Platner’s baggage, he repeats variations on, “We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate,” apparently confirming he backs Platner.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

@Bliobleheris Oh yes.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Bangor, Maine: A man at the International Cryptozoology Museum tells me he could imagine voting for Graham Platner, but he needs to do his own research on the candidates.

[Andrew Desiderio @AndrewDesiderio]

SCOOP — Sens. Cotton & Grassley ask Rubio to “plan for a potential significant gap in foreign intelligence collection” as Senate Dems block FISA 702 extension over Pulte appointment as acting DNI. Deadline is next Friday.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

I had no idea Maud Gonne was Firish

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Amidst the Graham Platner reporting, Rep. Jared Golden tells me and another reporter he’s not interested in running for Senate.

[Chad Pergram @ChadPergram]

Pre-dawn development: The Senate just blocked a procedural vote to renew FISA for 3 years, 52 noes to 47 yeas.

GOPers Tuberville, Rick Scott, Paul, Schmitt, Lee, Hawley and Kennedy voted nay.

The installation of Bill Pulte as Acting DNI torched a bipartisan deal on FISA. The GOP needed Dem help on this. But Pulte blew that up as Dems weren’t willing to help.

Current FISA authorization expires in a little more than a week

[Laura Weiss @LauraEWeiss16]

THUNE also took a swipe at GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy and Dems after 18-hour vote-a-rama. Cassidy spent hours & hours trying to find amendment language on "anti-weaponization fund" at 50-vote threshold

"They spend -- wasted 15 hours doing it. So you guys got to stay here for a long time and so did we. I mean, all these votes could have been held 12, 15 hours ago but that’s what drug this thing out for that long."

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Vote-a-rama update: After walking to the threshold of the chamber to vote on an amendment, Sen. John Fetterman does a dance move before returning to a nearby bench.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Rep. Ocasio Cortez declines to comment on the new NYT story and allegations about Platner, saying she doesn’t yet know the details after her time on the floor.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Amidst the Graham Platner reporting, Rep. Jared Golden tells me and another reporter he’s not interested in running for Senate.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Amidst the Graham Platner reporting, Rep. Jared Golden tells me and another reporter he’s not interested in running for Senate.

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

I asked Sen. Warner, who introduced an amendment aimed at Pulte at DNI, if he expects anything to change in the reconciliation package as a result of this vote-a-rama:

“I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Sen. Tuberville tells me the Tillis amendment to kill the anti-weaponization fund “stinks.”

“I think it’s all against President Trump wants to do something, and he doesn’t want to do it.”

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Sen. Slotkin tells me she’s “supportive of the intent” of the Tillis amendment.

She isn’t tracking the House vote on Ukraine funding and Russia sanctions—initially advanced yesterday against most GOP votes.

“I’m happy to get educated.”

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Overheard at the Capitol: “The Richard Nixon Presidential Library has had an interesting social media strategy lately.”

[Nathan Worcester @nnworcester]

Vote-a-rama update: After walking to the threshold of the chamber to vote on an amendment, Sen. John Fetterman does a dance move before returning to a nearby bench.

[Burgess Everett @burgessev]

NYT: "Three other women who had been romantically involved with Mr. Platner offered a far more complicated assessment, describing volatile and toxic' relationships that were unsettling and at times emotionally wrenching"

....

"in a statement to The Times, Mr. Platner said he had 'too often self medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend' during what he described as a 'very dark period of my life.'"

https://t.co/h3KXwt1cgY