Friday mailbag

What a week!

We are now 8 days away from a near-certain government shutdown with no (real) plan in sight to avert it. Congress is out of session until next week because, well, Congress.

This morning we got news that New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez has been indicted on federal bribery charges.

The second Republican presidential debate is only days away.

There’s a LOT going on! And you had lots of questions. I want to get right to them.

But first, let me take a minute to make a request: If you aren’t a paid subscriber to this newsletter, make today the day you become one. You get all sorts of bonuses — including this Friday mailbag! — with more benefits on the horizon.

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Alright! Let’s do this!

Q: John Nance Garner, one of FDR's veeps, once said the vice presidency wasn't "worth a bucket of warm 'spit.'" So how can anyone say that Kamala Harris is doing a lousy job as vice president when no one can say what exactly a vice president is supposed to do as a good job? And as a second question, how is it possible for a vice president to freelance, as Republicans say Joe Biden did in the Ukraine? Wouldn't any veep who went off on his own against his president find himself exiled to a political life of attending funerals of low-ranking foreign leaders?