Welcome to the beat. I'm Ari Melbaugh, and consider this.

Yes, you can take your shot. That is, of course, from the Broadway star, Lynn Manuel Miranda, Hamilton, you know it.

He invented an entire political language through that hit, and he has many insights right now about

campaigns, immigration, culture, and really America's long choppy relationship with all the things

that we are always debating about. Progress, optimism, division, our diversity.

I'm telling you this at the very top of the program, because I want you to know,

Lynn Manuel Miranda is our special guest tonight. He's making his beat debut by the end of the hour.

I invite you to stick around for that. So that's pretty big. While the big story in Washington

is a test case for what President-elect Trump can do, Republicans say the Senate confirmation of his AG pick is in jeopardy.

And here's what was happening outside the House Ethics Committee.

Late today, Republicans struggling to face and release the facts that they gathered about one of their own, Attorney General nominee Matt Gates.

Republicans basically now trying to see if they

can get away with hiding their report regarding allegations against him. He's up for the most

powerful law enforcement post in the country. You could see the press and the interest and the

intrigue here today. The meeting was in secret. The Republican chair then told reporters some

of the details, and that apparently breaches the protocol

when the process is supposed to be fully confidential until and unless these written

materials about Gates are themselves released. Are you going to leave it or release it for the

Senate? Before there has been no agreement to release the reform.

But it has come to my attention that the chairman has since betrayed the process by disclosing

our deliberations within moments after walking out of the committee.

When she says that the chairman guest betrayed the committee,

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