Happy Hour Roundup

* Rebecca Ballhaus and Peter Nicholas report that President Trump’s legal team thinks they’re in a much more powerful position than they are:

President Donald Trump’s lawyers are seeking to negotiate a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller that uses an interview with the president as leverage to spur a conclusion to the Russia investigation, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The president’s legal team is considering telling Mr. Mueller that Mr. Trump would agree to a sit-down interview based on multiple considerations, including that the special counsel commit to a date for concluding at least the Trump-related portion of the investigation. One idea is to suggest a deadline of 60 days from the date of the interview, the person said.

Another consideration for the legal team is reaching an agreement with Mr. Mueller on the scope of his questioning of the president, which they expect to focus largely on his decision to fire former national security adviser Mike Flynn and former FBI director James Comey, according to people familiar with the matter.

To which Mueller could reply, “Or how about I give your client a subpoena and he brings his behind down to the grand jury, and I ask him whatever I want and then take as long as I need to conclude my investigation?” Because he has the authority to do that.

* Sarah Fitzpatrick and Tracy Connor report a new wrinkle in the Stormy Daniels story:

President Donald Trump’s personal attorney used his Trump Organization email while arranging to transfer money into an account at a Manhattan bank before he wired $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence.

The lawyer, Michael Cohen, also regularly used the same email account during 2016 negotiations with the actress — whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford — before she signed a nondisclosure agreement, a source familiar with the discussions told NBC News.

And Clifford’s attorney at the time addressed correspondence to Cohen in his capacity at the Trump Organization and as “Special Counsel to Donald J. Trump,” the source said.

If Trump organization resources were used to arrange payment to Daniels, that’s potentially another violation of campaign finance law. Also, I’m beginning to suspect Michael Cohen isn’t a very skilled attorney.

* Jeff Stein reports that the bill moving through Congress to loosen regulations on banks would significantly reduce the funds even big banks would have to hold as a bulwark against collapse.

* Jennie Willoughby, Rob Porter’s second wife, explains what John Kelly doesn’t understand about domestic abuse.

* Francis Wilkinson reports on the farcical voter fraud trial that is exposing what a clown Kris Kobach is.

* Sean McElwee explains why Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is out of control and needs to be shut down. Keep an eye out for more Democrats treating this as a key agenda item.

* Jennifer Rubin meditates on what the cultural shift underway on guns shows about the power of social movements.

* Tom Nichols explains how President Trump is falling right into North Korea’s trap.

* Jamil Smith, in his debut column at Rolling Stone (congrats!), explains why as a Californian he’s glad Jeff Sessions is suing his state.

* Catherine Rampell lists the ways President Trump is playing right into China’s hands.

* Julian Zelizer brings us an interesting range of assessments of the Obama presidency, served up by some of the nation’s leading historians.

* The Not One Penny campaign is up with a radio ad in PA-18 attacking Republican Rick Saccone for supporting the Trump tax plan. Even if Dem Conor Lamb loses and it’s close, this will show the GOP tax plan isn’t the savior Republicans hoped.

* At The Week, I ran down the completely insane things President Trump wants us to believe about the Stormy Daniels affair.

* And Kurt Bardella explains how Steph Curry and Kevin Durant are making Trump look like a chump.