The British student explaining Washington to Washington
Ringwiss, an influential X account, is changing how the public understands Congress, and how members understand their own power.
@ringwiss on X is a parliamentary obsessive. He’s become a go-to resource for congressional staffers, thanks to his breadth of knowledge on arcane congressional rules and history. His followers range from chiefs of staff to committee staff directors, and Republican lobbyist Liam Donovan even calls himself a @ringwiss “evangelist.”
He’s also a 20-year-old economics student at Durham University in England.
Politico Magazine is the first to reveal the unlikely identity of Kacper Surdy, who keeps live feeds of the House and Senate on in the background from the moment he returns from classes. Not many people would have guessed he’s never laid foot in the Capitol (Hill staffers had been convinced he was one of them). But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s become a helpful narrator during a time of Congressional chaos prompted by weak leadership.
“No, I will not miss Sen. Sinema.”
Can you guess who said this about Sen. Kyrsten Sinema after her retirement announcement? Scroll to the bottom for the answer.**
Office Dysfunction That Would Please Putin … The Helsinki Commission is a Washington bulwark against Putin — but during a moment when they’re most needed, the bipartisan organization seems to be fracturing due to infighting. The former and current directors — who are respectively Democratic and Republican — have been making incendiary claims about each other, including allegations of being a national security risk and a toxic manager. Michael Schaffer dives into the unraveling of the commission, one of the last Congressional organizations to have exhibited bipartisan camaraderie.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump won big on Super Tuesday, with no big upsets — but most people already know that. Here are our tips for sounding like a regular Steve Kornacki at the Big Board as you talk about Super Tuesday results this weekend. (From POLITICO’s Adam Wren.)
— That know-it-all friend who makes a joke that this Super Tuesday wasn’t so super this week because of uncompetitive contests at the top of the ticket? Chide them about all the important things that happened down ballot, like how the House GOP actually inched to the right with candidates like Rep. Barry Moore in Alabama’s 1st Congressional District or Brandon Gill in Texas’ 26th District winning their primaries.
— Mention warning signs for Donald Trump in swing-state North Carolina, including the counties surrounding Raleigh and Charlotte.
— Both-sides that by saying: “Yes, but Biden also lost nearly 20 percent of the vote to ‘Uncommitted’ in Minnesota, the heart of the Blue Wall Democrats’ will need in November.”
— Make a joke about no-name Baltimore businessman Jason Palmer winning American Samoa, beating Biden — and spending fractions less than Michael Bloomberg, who did the same in 2020 while spending $500 million to do it.
Styling Trump … Trump’s new sneaker merch — metallic gold and featuring both an American flag and a stitched T — might not be the most fashionable footwear, but fear not: Politico Magazine’s resident style expert Derek Guy has some ideas about how to actually pull off the sneakers. From the classic 1980s hip-hop look to leopard shirts, the right items can turn even the most over-the-top MAGA merch into a wardrobe staple.
Heckling History … Bad behavior during State of the Union speeches isn’t new, but it’s gotten worse in recent years. No need to point fingers though: History shows that such behavior is a bipartisan affair (the desire to make a political point and a name for yourself crosses party lines). Read through this list of the worst-behaved moments during SOTU speeches.
Take it from Truman … Harry Truman’s re-election story is a hopeful tale for Joe Biden. Truman’s legacy as an incumbent was tainted by an economy recovering from inflation, military problems abroad and fatigue from Democratic governance. (Sound familiar?) A 47-page memo drafted by his aides helped him win, and the blueprint serves lessons for Biden, a similarly underestimated candidate.
**Who Dissed answer: It was Sen. Bernie Sanders, who appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He criticized Sinema for her lack of support for the Build Back Better plan.
