The Commentariat -- February 25, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Pam Belluck & Noah Weiland of the New York Times: "The coronavirus almost certainly will begin spreading in communities in the United States, and Americans should begin preparations now, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. 'It's not so much of a question of if this will happen anymore but rather more of a question of exactly when this will happen,' Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a news briefing. In the event of an outbreak, communities should plan for 'social distancing measures,' like dividing school classes into smaller groups of students, closing schools, canceling meetings and conferences, and arranging for employees to work from home."

Thou Shalt Not Disagrees with the Lord Donald. Eli Okun of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, saying both should recuse themselves from cases involving him or his administration. His comments at a press conference in India -- and previous tweets to the same effect -- came after Sotomayor criticized the court's conservative majority for granting a number of the administration's emergency stay requests.... Riffing off Laura Ingraham's commentary on her Fox News show, Trump used Sotomayor's dissent as a jumping-off point to hit the pair of liberal justices." ~~~

~~~ Jim Acosta Is Tired of Trying to Reason with Donald Trump:

Mr. President, I think our record on delivering the truth is a lot better than yours sometimes. -- Jim Acosta of CNN, to Donald Trump, after Trump questioned CNN's credibility ~~~

~~~ Eli Okun: "... Donald Trump was half a world away from his usual Washington fights on Thursday but couldn't resist a press conference spat with an old standby from back home: CNN's Jim Acosta. A question from Acosta at Tuesday' news conference in New Delhi about foreign electoral interference and Trump's new acting director of national intelligence quickly degenerated into a splatter of cross-talk once the president took aim at CNN's credibility." The exchanges starts at 30:05 minutes in this video. Trump seems quite low-energy throughout the presser.

~~~~~~~~~~

CBS News: "Seven Democratic candidates for president have qualified for Tuesday's debate in Charleston, South Carolina, to be hosted by CBS News. It's the last opportunity candidates will have to make their pitch on a national stage before Saturday's critical South Carolina primary -- and the last one before voters in 16 states and territories go to the polls on Super Tuesday, March 3." The debate will air from 8 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. ET. The debate will air on CBS & will stream on this page (I think) and on various devices like Roku & on CBS All Access.

Piling on Bernie. (1) Brian Schwartz of CNBC: "Mike Bloomberg's presidential campaign plans to unleash its cash-flush media operation against Bernie Sanders in the wake of the Vermont senator's resounding victory in the Nevada caucuses. Senior aides to Bloomberg's campaign have been discussing how they are going to use some of their resources against Sanders, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter who declined to be named because these decisions were made in private. Already, the campaign has spent over $500 million on media ad buys, according to Advertising Analytics. The campaign plans a multipronged attack, including the publication of opposition research on Sanders, these people said. It will also push out digital attack ads focused on Sanders' record. On Monday, the Bloomberg campaign attempted to paint Sanders as a past ally of the National Rifle Association, a gun advocacy group that Bloomberg has fought for over a decade." ~~~

~~~ (2) Natasha Korecki of Politico: "Joe Biden's campaign is airing a new digital ad in South Carolina accusing Bernie Sanders of trying to undermine Barack Obama's 2012 reelection by threatening to primary him. 'When it comes to building on Barack Obama's legacy, Bernie Sanders just can't be trusted,' the new ad ... warns." ~~~

Rebecca Klar of the Hill: "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the leading Democratic presidential candidate, said in an new interview that it's 'unfair' to classify everything as being 'bad' in Cuba under the authoritarian rule of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro. 'We're very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba, but you know it's unfair to simply say everything is bad,' Sanders told '60 Minutes' in an interview that aired late Sunday. 'You know, when Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing? Even though Fidel Castro did it?' he added." ~~~

~~~ Marc Caputo of Politico: "Bernie Sanders says he's the Democrat best-equipped to defeat Donald Trump in November. But Florida Democrats insist he's the worst-equipped after Sanders's refusal Sunday night to thoroughly condemn the Cuban Revolution. His comments on 60 Minutes sent shockwaves through the nation's biggest battleground state, where Democratic members of Congress, state legislators and party leaders warned that his nomination -- and Sanders's self-described "Democratic socialism" -- will cost them the biggest battleground state of them all. 'Donald Trump wins Florida if Bernie is our nominee,' said state Rep. Javier Fernandez, a Democratic candidate in a majority-Hispanic state Senate district. 'If Bernie Sanders is atop the ticket, it's going to make it tougher for all of us to win in Florida,' said Fernandez, who has endorsed ... Joe Biden." ~~~

~~~ Eric Levitz of New York: "If offering an (accurately) positive assessment of any aspect of an authoritarian communist regime's record is tantamount to endorsing its form of rule, then Barack Obama is an authoritarian communist[.]... Every modern U.S. president -- and a wide array of liberal commentators -- has found positive things to say about an absolutist Saudi regime that beheads gays, suppresses all dissent, and had ties to 9/11."

Extreme Bernie Bro. Scott Bixby of the Daily Beast: "... at least some of [Bernie Sanders]' most toxic support is coming from inside the house. Using the account @perma_ben, Ben Mora, a regional field director for Sanders' campaign based in Michigan, has attacked other Democrats in the field -- as well as their family members, surrogates, journalists, and politically active celebrities -- in deeply personal terms, mocking their physical appearance, gender, and sexuality, among other things. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mora has tweeted, 'looks like her name: pained, chunky, [and] confused origin/purpose.' Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg 'is what happens when the therapist botches the conversion,' and his husband, Chasten, Mora predicts, will be 'busted for running a meth racket' in 10 years. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a frequent subject of Mora's private account, is called a 'dumb Okie,' 'an adult diaper fetishist' who 'looks like shit' and who lied about having Native American ancestry 'to get into Harvard.'... After this story was published, Mike Casca, the Sanders campaign's communications director, told The Daily Beast that 'we are running a multiracial, multigenerational campaign for justice where disgusting behavior and ugly personal attacks by our staff will not be tolerated.' Mora, the Sanders campaign confirmed, has been fired." Read on. ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Bear in mind that Mora -- had he not been caught out -- would get at least a low-level job in a Sanders administration. I doubt he's the only person with this sort of sick, disgusting mindset who has found a place in Bernie's campaign. Bernie bros are not all sweet-faced idealists singing Kumbaya while hoping to make sure the kids get tuition-free PhDs and all the free doctors' visits a hypochondriac could desire. ~~~

~~~ A Wake-up Call from Jonathan Chait: "At the heart of [Bernie] Sanders's campaign is a hard-core socialist vanguard which is indifferent to the Democratic Party except as a potential vessel for the Bernie revolution.... What makes Bernie's profile uniquely toxic is the way his liabilities all reinforce each other. He combines discrete, deeply unpopular policy positions with an unpopular socialist label, which in turn reinforce the fact that his campaign is premised on radically changing the economy, the one thing most voters believe Trump has done well. His historic statements praising various leftist dictators reinforce the impression of kookery.... Satisfaction with economic conditions has risen to the highest level in two decades.... [Sanders' supporters] have every incentive to imagine away his many flaws and seize on the real but unlikely possibility he can defy the odds and win. What is shocking is observing how many other progressives have joined in this fantasy with them."

Christina Carrega of ABC News: "A Minneapolis inmate [Myron Burrell] who spent more than half his life so far behind bars says he was wrongfully convicted for murder and blames presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, in part, for standing by what he calls an injustice.... In early February, an Associated Press report claimed there were several flaws with Burrell's case at the time of the investigation -- flaws that Burrell claims should lead to his exoneration. With no weapon found, the case against Burrell largely relied on testimony from a teen rival who according to the AP changed his story several times about who he said he saw at the crime scene. He has since died. The AP investigation also questioned police tactics caught on camera...."

One of the Many Terrible "Traditions" Trump Started. Matt Viser & Lenny Bernstein of the Washington Post: "A little over three years ago, at age 70, Donald Trump became the oldest person to win the presidency after a campaign in which he released only a letter from his doctor attesting to his 'astonishingly excellent' health. Now, the contenders for the Democratic nomination -- the oldest field in U.S. history -- are following his lead. Four of the six major Democratic candidates are 70 or older, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, the polling leader, suffered a heart attack about five months ago -- an episode he at first failed to disclose. But the candidates, for the most part, have declined to release full dossiers on their health, relying instead on the Trumpian physician testimonial. Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, for example, has released a single page from his doctor declaring the 78-year-old in 'great physical shape' and noting that he 'plays golf avidly' and has a pilot's license."

Here's the Problem. Gabriel Debenedetti of New York: "... the day after a decisive Sanders victory in Nevada, his rivals are all intent on staying in. Given the general agreement among anti-Sanders moderates that the field needs to shrink, why won't anyone drop out?" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Here's something I can see happening: Bernie gets about 40 percent of the delegates in the primaries & caucuses. Barack Obama & Nancy Pelosi & maybe a few other éminences grises get together & pick a consensus candidate. Then they strongarm all the other "moderate" candidates to pledge their delegates to their chosen candidate. And let's hope their choice is not Hillary Clinton.

Mrs. McCrabbie: At the top of his show Monday, Chris Matthews made a fullthroated & appropriate apology to Bernie Sanders for the very inappropriate remarks he made Saturday, comparing Sander's decisive win in Nevada to the Nazis' invasion of France in 1940. ~~~

~~~ Joe Pompeo of Vanity Fair (via Steve M.): "After Matthews's comments on Saturday night, [MSNBC president Phil] Griffin's phone blew up with an angry reaction from the campaign. Griffin quickly discussed the matter with Matthews, who then interviewed campaign cochair Nina Turner on air minutes later. Sources also noted that MSNBC took Sanders's El Paso and San Antonio rallies live on Saturday, and that Sanders people like campaign manager Faiz Shakir and former campaign manager Jeff Weaver both received airtime on Monday. 'The Sanders team is in contact with our senior management,' one source said, 'and they are heard. Phil is doing his best to give Bernie his due.'"

The (South Carolina) State Editors endorse Pete Buttigieg for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Keith Collins, et al., of the New York Times: "The final results of the Nevada Democratic caucuses were released on Monday, and the data appears to contain errors and inconsistencies similar to those that plagued the contests in Iowa a few weeks ago. An analysis by The New York Times found flaws in the results of at least 9 percent of precincts, including some instances in which delegates appeared to have been given to the wrong candidates.... Shortly after the final caucus results were released, the Nevada State Democratic Party chairman, William McCurdy, said in a statement that the state should consider abandoning caucuses." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times has the final results of Nevada's Democratic caucuses here. Politico has the results here.

Benjamin Fearnow of Newsweek: "Regardless of whether or not Americans are voting for ... Donald Trump, almost two-thirds of nationwide registered voters say they think he'll most likely win re-election in November. About 65 percent of U.S. registered voters of all political affiliations say Trump will 'definitely' or 'probably will' defeat whoever the ultimate Democratic challenger is against him in the general election.... Republicans are far more confident than Democrats, with 90 percent of GOP registered voters expecting Trump to win re-election." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Nancy Cook & Caitlin Emma of Politico: "The Trump administration sent to Capitol Hill on Monday night its $2.5 billion supplemental budget request for additional money to fight the coronavirus, but House Democrats immediately labeled it as insufficient, indicating a battle ahead in Congress over the emergency aid. The administration's request would require enhanced authority to move around federal funds -- a non-starter with Democrats, who are already livid over White House moves to reshuffle existing federal funds toward the border wall. The package proposes using untouched money, including hundreds of millions of dollars in fiscal 2020 cash to fight Ebola. In total, the administration is seeking just $1.25 billion in new funding, relying on extra flexibility to unlock the rest. More than $1 billion would go toward vaccine development, and the other funds would go toward stockpiling protective equipment like masks, according to the Office of Management and Budget. While the money is meant to be spent in 2020, the request contains language that would allow the spending to continue through 2021 if needed."

Another Trumpian Flop. Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Trump said Tuesday that he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India had made progress toward what he hopes will be a landmark trade agreement between the two economic giants. But there was no breakthrough to announce after formal talks on the second and final day of the president's visit. A joint public appearance between the two leaders was long on florid language about the strength of their relationship and short on concrete results. While Mr. Trump had said before departing the United States that 'we may make a tremendous deal there,' the two sides appeared far apart on major points of a trade pact." A CNN story is here. ~~~

~~~ Modi Rolls out the Red Carpet for Trump. Anita Kumar of Politico: "Standing alongside Modi, Trump on Monday inaugurated the brand-new Motera Stadium, lined with 110,000 orange, yellow and blue seats -- all filled. Trump is ostensibly in India to help mitigate a long-standing trade dispute while tightening U.S.-Indian relations, but Monday's mega-rally was also designed to appeal to Indian-American voters as Trump heads into his reelection campaign.... It was a political-style rally like no other. Even Trump's popular MAGA rallies couldn't compare to the size and scope of the 'Namaste Trump' rally.&" Mrs. McC: The world's oldest former democracy & the world's largest former democracy keep pretending they're still democracies. Sweet. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: A Daily Beast item headline: "Trump Speaks to Massive Indian Crowd, Mispronounces Almost Everything." It's easy to mispronounce words: put the accent on the wrong syllable, mangle vowel combos, fail to roll Rs, etc. But Trump makes these mistakes because he can't read. Really. For instance, he pronounced "Vedas" as "Vestas." There are a few ways to mispronounce "Vedas," but "Vestas" isn't one of them. There's no "ST" sound in "Vedas," and a soft D doesn't sound like ST. The other reason Trump mispronounces words is that he's an arrogant SOB. When my husband -- who was a native Italian -- taught at NYU, he was friends with the university's then-president, who did not speak Italian. The president would call my husband before he had to make remarks that included Italian words or names to make sure he could pronounce them correctly. The president made this effort because he was polite and didn't want to insult his Italian-speaking guests. Trump doesn't care whom he insults. So Vestas. In front of 100,000 people, plus media listeners. ~~~

~~~ Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump and first lady Melania Trump visited the Taj Mahal on Monday, posing for photos and getting a private tour of the iconic monument to cap his first day in India." Mrs. McC: I guess Trump enjoyed seeing a Taj that didn't send one of his companies into bankruptcy and later sold for 4 cents on the dollar. (Also linked yesterday.)

Anita Kumar of Politico: "... Donald Trump arrives Monday in a country featuring the most Trump properties outside the U.S. The White House hopes the visit will advance trade talks and bolster the president's standing with Indian-Americans ahead of the 2020 election. But it's also a trip that will create attention that could help Trump-branded properties amid a slumping real estate market and slowing economy in India." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "President Trump's ongoing purge of his administration is rapidly getting worse.... The real driver here is that Trump is removing officials who committed the sin of trying to defend the rule of law from his efforts to corrupt it. This is forward-looking: It clears the way for more such corruption of the rule of law and sends a message to others about what awaits them if they stand in the way of this as it continues to devolve. Two new reports about Trump's ongoing purge underscore this with great clarity. First, Axios reports that in the view of Trump's aides, the president has 'crossed a psychological line' regarding the 'deep state.' He has concluded multiple agencies are filled with 'snakes,' and he wants them rooted out.... A second report [is] a deep New York Times dive into tensions roiling the Justice Department amid Attorney General William Barr's intervention on behalf of Trump confidant Roger Stone.... Trump is raging at officials who constitute an obstacle to his own active, ongoing corruption of the rule of law. And it's working: The Justice Department actually is carrying out his corrupt bidding in many ways." (Also linked yesterday, as was the linked Axios story.) ~~~

~~~ Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "For the past 18 months, Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, and other conservatives have plied the White House with memos and suggestions about which people to fire -- and who should replace them. President Trump has generally treated Ms. Thomas's suggestions coolly, passing them off to advisers, according to people familiar with Ms. Thomas's efforts. But since the end of the Senate impeachment trial, the president has become more distrustful of the people filling the ranks of government and has been giving those recommendations a closer look.... Some administration aides have long been suspicious that people like Ms. Thomas ... are less interested in pro-Trump purity than in appointments for their own networks of friends. White House officials have privately questioned Ms. Thomas's lobbying on personnel, and have said Mr. Trump -- who is facing several decisions before the Supreme Court personally and in terms of administration policy -- has made clear he is conscious of whom she is married to.... Administration officials have routinely sent aides to attend weekly Groundswell meetings held at the offices of Judicial Watch, another conservative group led by a vocal defender of the president, Tom Fitton." See also Akhilleus's related comment in yesterday's thread. ~~~

~~~ Summer Concepcion of TPM: "White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley and counselor Kellyanne Conway seemed to add more fuel to the fire that has emerged from Axios' Sunday evening report detailing the Trump administration's list of officials that it's looking to oust." Mrs. McC: When questioned on-air by hard-hitting Fox "News" personalities, neither Gidley nor Conway even bothered to issue non-denial denials, as Concepcion reports.

Spencer Hsu & Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "The federal judge who oversaw Roger Stone's trial and sentenced him last week to 40 months in prison has scheduled a closed-door hearing for Tuesday afternoon regarding his request for a new trial based on allegations of juror misconduct, preceded by a public hearing about his motion to make the matter public.... The order came one day after [Judge Amy Berman] Jackson dismissed Stone's demand that she be taken off the case as a baseless smear." Update: Politico has the story here.

Garrett Graff of Wired: "As Richard Grenell, the current US ambassador to Germany, starts his ... job as the nation's acting director of national intelligence, his arrival also marks the ouster of not only his predecessor, Joseph Maguire, but reportedly also of DNI principal executive Andrew Hallman. By the end of the day, almost all of the roles created after 9/11 literally to prevent the next 9/11 will be either vacant or lack permanent appointees.... There will soon be no Senate-confirmed director of the National Counterterrorism Center, director of national intelligence, principal deputy director of national intelligence, homeland security secretary, deputy homeland security secretary, nor leaders of any of the three main border security and immigration agencies.... No department is in worse shape than the Department of Homeland Security, itself a post-9/11 creation meant to bring together under one roof the key agencies that protect the nation's infrastructure, transportation, and borders." --s (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Emma Brown, et al., of the Washington Post: "Two years before President Trump nominated him to become ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell wrote an op-ed about Nigeria's highly charged 2015 presidential race.... A year later, Grenell defended the government of Moldova against corruption allegations from a whistleblower who, Grenell argued, was a Russian operative bent on destabilizing an Eastern European country trying to move toward the West. And Grenell's public relations firm was paid to do work for a U.S. nonprofit funded almost entirely by the Hungarian government led by far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban.... [Grenell's] promotion is drawing fresh scrutiny to [his] past, including his foreign affairs commentary and consulting work.... [It] is the type of activity that, in other cases, has drawn the attention of Justice Department investigators tasked with enforcing the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).... Grenell also represented people based in countries such as Iran, Kazakhstan, Somalia and China..., [including ]the ex-girlfriend of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, the drug kingpin..., according to an archived version of his personal website." The Raw Story has a summary report here. ~~~

~~~ Natasha Bertrand of Politico: "Attorneys for Julian Assange, who is fighting a U.S. extradition request on espionage and computer hacking charges, plan to introduce evidence in the WikiLeaks founder's extradition hearing involving ... Donald Trump's new intel chief Richard Grenell.... At the heart of the Assange team's argument is an ABC News report from last April alleging that, while serving as Trump's ambassador to Germany, Grenell told Assange's Ecuadorean hosts that the U.S. government would not pursue the death penalty for Assange if Ecuador allowed British officials to enter its embassy in London and arrest him. Assange's legal team will claim that Grenell's role was more extensive than previously known, and that it corrupted the extradition process early on."

Will Bunch of The Philadelphia Inquirer: "It's hard not to believe that ... we are missing the most alarming and important trend of the last decade. That would be the rise of violent, brownshirt-style, right-wing global extremism and the concurrent era of authoritarian-style rulers on every continent, whose angry rhetoric toward migrants, ethnic minorities or women inspires these terrorists.... I'm thinking about the tragic and shocking events that took place on Wednesday night ... in the German community of Hanau.... In all, nine people were slaughtered..., most of Turkish descent.... A German killer ... was fascinated by the rise of Donald Trump and what that said about white supremacy. In addition to supporting ... a wall between the U.S. and Mexico..., he also cited off-the-wall conspiracy theories..., like the internet fake-scandal called QAnon or its cousin, the invented Pizzagate affair.... It's the kind of thinking that screams out for mental health treatment but which, in 2020, might get one, in his or her 'Q' T-shirt, a front-row seat at a Trump campaign rally." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Brian Naylor of NPR: "Historians and activists charge that the White House has failed to keep notes of the president's meetings with foreign leaders, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that other papers, including records of alleged abuses of undocumented immigrants, could be destroyed.... The American Immigration Council, an advocacy organization, along with three other groups last week filed Freedom of Information Act requests with ICE asking for the documents, as a way to keep them intact. Emily Creighton, [an attorney for the council..., calls it 'mind boggling' that some documents detailing detention conditions could be destroyed in 10, 20 or 30 years. 'It's almost as though we are, you know, erasing our nation's conscience,' she says.... Historians are fighting on another front with the Trump administration: over the preservation or, in some cases, the creation of presidential records. President Trump is reportedly averse to having note-takers present at his meetings with foreign leaders and is said to have torn up some notes, in violation of the Presidential Records Act." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Congressional Races

Arizona. Ronald Hansen of the Arizona Republic: "Chris Taylor, a Safford[, Arizona,] city councilman who is running for Congress, overdosed on heroin last week and since has suspended his campaign. The Wednesday incident was a relapse for Taylor, a combat veteran who has battled opioid addiction since high school. In a written statement, Taylor said he was seeking treatment and not backing away from what happened."

Texas. Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Dr. [Ronny L.] Jackson left the West Wing i December after rising from President Trump's physician to his unlikely pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs to Trump administration roadkill when he was forced to withdraw his name from consideration amid allegations related to his professional conduct. Now he's running for Congress in Texas' 13th District, one of the most conservative in the country, and his argument is simple.... [His] access [to Trump], he said, would make him an unusually powerful replacement for Representative Mac Thornberry, the Republican who announced last fall he would not seek re-election after representing his district for more than a quarter of a century. But it is not clear if that connection, combined with his background as a Navy rear admiral, will be enough to help Dr. Jackson overcome some rookie mistakes as a candidate. There have been more than a few.... Mr. Trump ... has been silent about Dr. Jackson's campaign.... Dr. Jackson is now facing an uphill battle against two well-funded and connected [primary] opponents...."

Mrs. McCrabbie: I seldom link Fox "News" stories, but the headline here made me laugh out loud: "In Supreme Court dissent, Thomas cites Thomas in arguing to overturn decision authored by Thomas." The post is by Tyler Olson, who "covers politics for FoxNews.com." Really, only Thomas's opinions matter -- even when he disagrees with them.

Keith Bradsher & Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Stocks on Wall Street plummeted on Monday, following sharp declines in global markets after spreading coronavirus outbreaks in Italy and in South Korea stoked concern among investors about the potential damage they might inflict on the global economy. The S&P 500 dropped nearly 3 percent at the start of trading, after European markets recorded their worst day since 2016 and major benchmarks in Asia closed sharply lower. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 900 points. The number of people infected with the virus has ballooned to more than 79,000 people in Asia, crippling China's economy. Rapidly spreading outbreaks have now been reported in Italy, Iran and South Korea." This is a liveblog of developments related to the coronavirus pandemic. A Politico story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) Update at 6:37 pm ET: "The S&P 500 fell more than 3.3 percent, its biggest daily decline since February 2018, while the Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 1,000 points."

Zack Whittaker of Tech Crunch: "A spyware app designed to 'monitor everything' on a victim's phone has been secretly installed on thousands of phones. The app, KidsGuard, claims it can 'access all the information' on a target device, including its real-time location, text messages, browser history, access to its photos, videos and app activities, and recordings of phone calls. But a misconfigured server meant the app was also spilling out the secretly uploaded contents of victims' devices to the internet.... Although many of these apps are marketed toward parents to monitor their child's activities, many have repurposed the apps to spy on their spouses. That's prompted privacy groups and security firms to work together to help better identify stalkerware." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Daniel Arkin & Adam Reiss of NBC News: "Harvey Weinstein, the once-powerful Hollywood mogul, was found guilty of rape in the third degree Monday but acquitted on the two most serious criminal charges, capping a landmark trial of the #MeToo era. The jury in New York convicted Weinstein, 67, of third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actress, as well as a count of criminal sexual act in the first degree against Mimi Haley, a former 'Project Runway' production assistant. But the jury found him not guilty on two counts of predatory sexual assault, which could have resulted in a life sentence. He was also acquitted on a count of first-degree rape against Mann." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ A New York Times story, comprised of live updates, is here. "Harvey Weinstein is being sent immediately to jail to await his sentencing." Update: The Times' main story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) Update 2: "After the verdict was read, Justice James M. Burke thanked the jurors... [and] announced that Mr. Weinstein would immediately be sent to jail to await his sentencing. But as court officers approached him, the producer seemed stunned and refused to move. Moments later, he was handcuffed and removed from the room, limping with two officers standing by his side. His lawyers said that Mr. Weinstein left the courthouse in an ambulance at about 4:30 p.m. and was taken to an infirmary on Rikers Island, the city's sprawling jail complex. Donna Rotunno, the lead defense lawyer, said he was 'fine,' but would not elaborate on the producer's condition."

Beyond the Beltway

Illinois. Judy Wang & Sean Lewis of WGN-TV: "Actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty Monday to restored charges that accuse him of staging an attack against himself last year. Smollett plead not guilty to six counts of disorderly conduct after special prosecutor Dan Webb announced the charges earlier this month. They stemmed from the alleged staging of a hate crime outside his streeterville apartment last year."

Way Beyond

Egypt. Michael Slackman of the New York Times: "Hosni Mubarak, the former autocratic president of Egypt, whose hold on power was broken and place in history upended by a public uprising against the poverty, corruption and repressive police tactics that came to define his 30 years in office, died on Tuesday. He was 91. His death was confirmed by state TV." CNN's obituary of Mubarak is here.

News Lede

The New York Times' live updates on developments in the coronavirus epidemic are here. "Iraj Harirchi, the Iranian health official who has been leading his country's response to the outbreak, has the virus, according to the government.... An Italian doctor staying at a resort in the Canary Islands was also feared to have the virus. New outbreaks in Europe, Asia and the Middle East are renewing fears of a coming global pandemic."

The Commentariat -- February 24, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Will Bunch of The Philadelphia Inquirer: "It's hard not to believe that -- with our ADD-addled ability to focus only on the latest outrage of the last hour -- we are missing the most alarming and important trend of the last decade. That would be the rise of violent, brownshirt-style, right-wing global extremism and the concurrent era of authoritarian-style rulers on every continent, whose angry rhetoric toward migrants, ethnic minorities or women inspires these terrorists.... I'm thinking about the tragic and shocking events that took place on Wednesday night ... in the German community of Hanau.... In all, nine people were slaughtered..., most of Turkish descent.... A German killer ... was fascinated by the rise of Donald Trump and what that said about white supremacy. In addition to supporting ... a wall between the U.S. and Mexico..., he also cited off-the-wall conspiracy theories..., like the internet fake-scandal called QAnon or its cousin, the invented Pizzagate affair.... It's the kind of thinking that screams out for mental health treatment but which, in 2020, might get one, in his or her 'Q' T-shirt, a front-row seat at a Trump campaign rally." --s

Anita Kumar of Politico: "... Donald Trump arrives Monday in a country featuring the most Trump properties outside the U.S. The White House hopes the visit will advance trade talks and bolster the president's standing with Indian-Americans ahead of the 2020 election. But it's also a trip that will create attention that could help Trump-branded properties amid a slumping real estate market and slowing economy in India." --s

Benjamin Fearnow of Newsweek: "Regardless of whether or not Americans are voting for...Donald Trump, almost two-thirds of nationwide registered voters say they think he'll most likely win re-election in November. About 65 percent of U.S. registered voters of all political affiliations say Trump will 'definitely' or 'probably will' defeat whoever the ultimate Democratic challenger is against him in the general election...Republicans are far more confident than Democrats, with 90 percent of GOP registered voters expecting Trump to win re-election." --s

Garrett Graff of Wired: "As Richard Grenell, the current US ambassador to Germany, starts his ... job as the nation's acting director of national intelligence, his arrival also marks the ouster of not only his predecessor, Joseph Maguire, but reportedly also of DNI principal executive Andrew Hallman. By the end of the day, almost all of the roles created after 9/11 literally to prevent the next 9/11 will be either vacant or lack permanent appointees.... There will soon be no Senate-confirmed director of the National Counterterrorism Center, director of national intelligence, principal deputy director of national intelligence, homeland security secretary, deputy homeland security secretary, nor leaders of any of the three main border security and immigration agencies.... No department is in worse shape than the Department of Homeland Security, itself a post-9/11 creation meant to bring together under one roof the key agencies that protect the nation's infrastructure, transportation, and borders." --s

Zack Whittaker of Tech Crunch: "A spyware app designed to 'monitor everything' on a victim's phone has been secretly installed on thousands of phones. The app, KidsGuard, claims it can 'access all the information' on a target device, including its real-time location, text messages, browser history, access to its photos, videos and app activities, and recordings of phone calls. But a misconfigured server meant the app was also spilling out the secretly uploaded contents of victims' devices to the internet.... Although many of these apps are marketed toward parents to monitor their child's activities, many have repurposed the apps to spy on their spouses. That's prompted privacy groups and security firms to work together to help better identify stalkerware." --s

Brian Naylor of NPR: "Historians and activists charge that the White House has failed to keep notes of the president's meetings with foreign leaders, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that other papers, including records of alleged abuses of undocumented immigrants, could be destroyed.... The American Immigration Council, an advocacy organization, along with three other groups last week filed Freedom of Information Act requests with ICE asking for the documents, as a way to keep them intact. Emily Creighton, [an attorney for the council..., calls it 'mind boggling' that some documents detailing detention conditions could be destroyed in 10, 20 or 30 years. 'It's almost as though we are, you know, erasing our nation's conscience,' she says.... Historians are fighting on another front with the Trump administration: over the preservation or, in some cases, the creation of presidential records. President Trump is reportedly averse to having note-takers present at his meetings with foreign leaders and is said to have torn up some notes, in violation of the Presidential Records Act." --s

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "President Trump's ongoing purge of his administration is rapidly getting worse.... The real driver here is that Trump is removing officials who committed the sin of trying to defend the rule of law from his efforts to corrupt it. This is forward-looking: It clears the way for more such corruption of the rule of law and sends a message to others about what awaits them if they stand in the way of this as it continues to devolve. Two new reports about Trump's ongoing purge underscore this with great clarity. First, Axios reports that in the view of Trump's aides, the president has 'crossed a psychological line' regarding the 'deep state.' (Axios story also linked below.) He has concluded multiple agencies are filled with 'snakes,' and he wants them rooted out.... A second report [is] a deep New York Times dive into tensions roiling the Justice Department amid Attorney General William Barr's intervention on behalf of Trump confidant Roger Stone.... Trump is raging at officials who constitute an obstacle to his own active, ongoing corruption of the rule of law. And it's working: The Justice Department actually is carrying out his corrupt bidding in many ways."

Daniel Arkin & Adam Reiss of NBC News: "Harvey Weinstein, the once-powerful Hollywood mogul, was found guilty of rape in the third degree Monday but acquitted on the two most serious criminal charges, capping a landmark trial of the #MeToo era. The jury in New York convicted Weinstein, 67, of third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actress, as well as a count of criminal sexual act in the first degree against Mimi Haley, a former 'Project Runway' production assistant. But the jury found him not guilty on two counts of predatory sexual assault, which could have resulted in a life sentence. He was also acquitted on a count of first-degree rape against Mann." ~~~

     ~~~ A New York Times story, comprised of live updates, is here. "Harvey Weinstein is being sent immediately to jail to await his sentencing." Update: The Times' main story is here.

Here's the Problem. Gabriel Debenedetti of New York: "... the day after a decisive Sanders victory in Nevada, his rivals are all intent on staying in. Given the general agreement among anti-Sanders moderates that the field needs to shrink, why won't anyone drop out?" ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Here's something I can see happening: Bernie gets about 40 percent of the delegates in the primaries & caucuses. Barack Obama & Nancy Pelosi & maybe a few other éminences grises get together & pick a consensus candidate. Then they strongarm all the other "moderate" candidates to pledge their delegates to their chosen candidate. And let's hope their choice is not Hillary Clinton.

Modi Rolls out the Red Carpet for Trump. Anita Kumar of Politico: “Standing alongside Modi, Trump on Monday inaugurated the brand-new Motera Stadium, lined with 110,000 orange, yellow and blue seats -- all filled. Trump is ostensibly in India to help mitigate a long-standing trade dispute while tightening U.S.-Indian relations, but Monday's mega-rally was also designed to appeal to Indian-American voters as Trump heads into his reelection campaign.... It was a political-style rally like no other. Even Trump's popular MAGA rallies couldn't compare to the size and scope of the 'Namaste Trump rally." Mrs. McC: The world's oldest former democracy & the world's largest former democracy keep pretending they're still democracies. Sweet. ~~~

~~~ Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump and first lady Melania Trump visited the Taj Mahal on Monday, posing for photos and getting a private tour of the iconic monument to cap his first day in India." Mrs. McC: I guess Trump enjoyed seeing a Taj that didn't send one of his companies into bankruptcy and later sold for 4 cents on the dollar.

Keith Bradsher & Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Stocks on Wall Street plummeted on Monday, following sharp declines in global markets after spreading coronavirus outbreaks in Italy and in South Korea stoked concern among investors about the potential damage they might inflict on the global economy. The S&P 500 dropped nearly 3 percent at the start of trading, after European markets recorded their worst day since 2016 and major benchmarks in Asia closed sharply lower. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 900 points. The number of people infected with the virus has ballooned to more than 79,000 people in Asia, crippling China's economy. Rapidly spreading outbreaks have now been reported in Italy, Iran and South Korea." This is a liveblog of developments related to the coronavirus pandemic. A Politico story is here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Sunday made a veiled threat toward House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff, claiming without evidence that the California Democrat had leaked information from a classified briefing in which a senior U.S. intelligence official told lawmakers that Russia wants to see Trump reelected. 'Somebody please tell incompetent (thanks for my high poll numbers) & corrupt politician Adam "Shifty" Schiff to stop leaking Classified information or, even worse, made up information, to the Fake News Media,' Trump tweeted. 'Someday he will be caught, & that will be a very unpleasant experience!'" Mrs. McC: Um, how is that "veiled" exactly? Seems like a pretty straightforward threat. ~~~

~~~ David Sanger of the New York Times: "As accusations swirled Sunday about Russia's efforts to interfere with the 2020 election, President Trump's national security adviser and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. could not agree on what Moscow is, or is not, doing. Their disagreement came as intelligence officials disputed reports that emerged last week about a briefing of the House Intelligence Committee. The officials now maintain that the House members either misheard or misinterpreted a key part of the briefing, and that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not mean to say that it believes the Russians are currently intervening in the election explicitly to help President Trump. They do believe that Russia is intervening in the election, and that Moscow prefers Mr. Trump, a deal maker it knows well. But at least for now, those two objectives may not be linked. The differing interpretations only made it easier for the Trump administration and Democrats to put forward their own version of what the Russians are doing. As the national security adviser, Robert C. O'Brien, defended Mr. Trump and intimated that the Russians favored the Democratic presidential front-runner, Senator Bernie Sanders, Mr. Biden blamed the president and other Republicans for allowing Russia to continue to interfere in the election."

He's Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty or Nice. Jonathan Swan of Axios writes an uncharacteristically long story on Trump's hit list: "The Trump White House and its allies, over the past 18 months, assembled detailed lists of disloyal government officials to oust -- and trusted pro-Trump people to replace them -- according to more than a dozen sources familiar with the effort who spoke to Axios.... By the time President Trump instructed his 29-year-old former body man and new head of presidential personnel to rid his government of anti-Trump officials, he'd gathered reams of material to support his suspicions.... A well-connected network of conservative activists with close ties to Trump and top administration officials is quietly helping develop these 'Never Trump'/pro-Trump lists, and some sent memos to Trump to shape his views, per sources with direct knowledge. Members of this network include Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Republican Senate staffer Barbara Ledeen."

Former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) in a New York Times op-ed: "With acting cabinet secretaries everywhere, the Departments of Homeland Security and State hollowed out, and the recent departure of high-profile, nonpolitical appointees on the National Security Council staff (the Vindman brothers and Victoria Coates), the judgment and experience about who wants to attack us and where is basically gone. This creates an enormous risk to our country.... Allied services also won't trust us if our own officers face constant pressure to politicize intelligence. That means reporting streams will dry up, we won't get early warning on planned attacks and we will lose critical knowledge about the decisions adversaries are making that may not have consequences today, but could have huge ones in the next decade."

Washington Post: "President Trump arrived in India for his first official visit on Monday, the beginning of a whirlwind 36-hour tour that includes a mega-rally expected to draw more than 100,000 people, a visit to the Taj Mahal, and a day of ceremonies and meetings in Delhi. Trump was greeted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom Trump recently described as 'a friend of mine.'... Trump's visit to India comes as the two countries continue to deepen their security cooperation but face stubborn tensions over trade. The Modi government has faced considerable international criticism -- including from members of Congress -- over its crackdown in Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state, and the passage of a controversial religion-based citizenship bill that has led to protests across the country. In the run-up to the trip, a senior White House official said Trump would raise the issue of religious freedom with Modi in private. Before leaving for India, Trump told reporters the trip would be 'very exciting,' and the 'biggest event' India had ever held." This is a liveblog, so you can check back to catch up on what-all else Trump says or does to embarrass us. ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: "Biggest event," my ass. Apparently our Ignoramus-in-Chief did not read his briefing book where it described the huge protests against Modi way last month. ~~~

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson swiftly and scathingly told ... Roger Stone there's no legal reason he should be able to remove her from his criminal case, two days after he accused her of bias because she said jurors who found him guilty served with integrity.... 'There is no rule and no case law that would justify the recusal of a judge for bias simply because he or she says something about an issue on the docket, on the record, at some point before a reply has been filed, or before a hearing -- which may or may not be required in the Court's discretion -- has concluded. If parties could move to disqualify every judge who furrows his brow at one side or the other before ruling, the entire court system would come to a standstill,' according to Jackson. The judge also defended her impartiality, noting on Sunday that she has insured fairness for Stone throughout his case, including after he posted a threatening photo on Instagram about her as he awaited trial."

Presidential Race

The New York Times has Nevada's Democratic presidential caucus results here. Politico's caucus results are here. It appears only Bernie Sanders & Joe Biden will earn delegates from Nevada, as a candidate must receive at least 15 percent of the vote to do so, and they are likely to be the only candidates to do so.

Natasha Korecki & David Siders of Politico: "Moderate Democrats watched in horror as Bernie Sanders soared to a landslide victory in Nevada. It wasn't the win that was surprising -- it was the walloping Sanders gave his opponents, his ability to dominate among Latino voters, and the momentum he gained moving into South Carolina and Super Tuesday. The performance sent already worried Democrats into a full-blown panic."

Annie Grayer of CNN: "Former Democratic hopeful Marianne Williamson made a surprise appearance at Sen. Bernie Sanders' rally Sunday in Austin, Texas, to announce her endorsement of the Democratic front-runner.... Ahead of the Iowa caucuses in January, Williamson, who had already dropped out, had said she would campaign for Andrew Yang in Iowa, hoping to keep him in the race, but stopping short of an outright endorsement." She said Bernie has been "consistent" and "convicted," whatever that means.

Rick Klein of ABC News explains the various dynamics that increase the likelihood Sanders will walk away with the Democratic nomination.

News Ledes

NBC News: "Katherine Johnson, one of the NASA mathematicians depicted in 'Hidden Figures,' died Monday, the administrator of NASA said. She was 101." Johnson's New York Times obituary is here. ~~~

~~~ You can rent or buy "Hidden Figures" on YouTube & Amazon Prime.

CNN: "The restaurateur, model and author B. Smith died on Saturday after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, her husband Dan Gasby said in a statement. She was 70 years old."

The Commentariat -- February 23, 2020

Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: I don't usually carry forward videos I've linked later on the day before, but this one was so clever & well-executed I thought it was worth it. Besides, "American Pie" is one of my all-time favorite pop songs. It was popular when my son was a toddler, and I overheard him walking around singing, "Bye, bye, Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee 'cause ... my horse was dead." Many thanks to PD Pepe for the link. ~~~

Jonathan Martin & Alexander Burns of the New York Times: "Senator Bernie Sanders claimed a major victory in the Nevada caucuses on Saturday that demonstrated his broad appeal in the first racially diverse state in the presidential primary race and established him as the clear front-runner for the Democratic nomination. In a significant show of force, Mr. Sanders, a liberal from Vermont, had a lead that was more than double his nearest rivals with 50 percent of the precincts reporting, and The Associated Press named him the winner on Saturday evening." ~~~

~~~ Ryan Lizza of Politico: "On Saturday in Nevada, Bernie Sanders laid waste not just to his five main rivals but also to every shard of conventional wisdom about the Democratic presidential primaries. You could see the dominoes of punditry cliches falling inside the caucus rooms." The page includes the latest vote & delegate count. Pete Buttigieg, as of 1:40 am ET, came in a distant second in the popular vote, and Joe Biden a distant second in the delegate count. ~~~

~~~ The New York Times has Nevada's Democratic presidential caucus results here. Politico's caucus results are here. Early returns show Sanders having more support than all other candidates combined. ~~~

~~~ The New York Times has live updates of the Nevada Democratic caucuses here. The Washington Post's live updates are here. NPR's caucus liveblog is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) NBC News has declared Bernie Sanders the winner with about 4 percent of precincts reporting.

For the first time in American history, a Jewish person may become the presidential nominee of a major political party. So, as returns from a stunning state victory trickled in, ~~~

     ~~~ Joe Concha of the Hill: "MSNBC's Chris Matthews is under fire after comparing Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) decisive win in the Nevada caucuses to the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, with some on social media calling for the 'Hardball' host to resign. 'I was reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940,' Matthews said during MSNBC's live coverage of the caucuses on Saturday. 'And the general, Reynaud, calls up Churchill and says, "It's over." And Churchill says, ?How can that be? You've got the greatest army in Europe. How can it be over?" He said, "It's over."' Criticism quickly poured in on social media over Matthews using the analogy. Sanders, who is Jewish, had most of his family killed in the Holocaust." Mrs. McC: Wait for Matthews to issue an "apology" where he says he wasn't comparing Sanders to Hitler and he's sorry if anyone might have been offended. ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: A couple of days ago, there was news that Sanders blew up at NBC News execs before the Nevada debate for the coverage he gets on MSNBC. Among the criticisms, the New York Post reported, according to Tommy Christopher of Mediaite, ... Sanders vented at moderator Chuck Todd over comments he'd made on the air, uncritically citing a column that compared Sanders' supporters to Nazis. 'I do not appreciate your comment about my supporters,' Sanders reportedly told Todd, calling the remark 'offensive.'"

Holly Otterbein of Politico: "Nevada is a notoriously tough place for presidential candidates to attract volunteers. But Bernie Sanders has somehow amassed an army. Thousands of the Vermont senator's volunteers and aides in the state have knocked on 500,000-plus doors, two-thirds of which took place in February, according to his campaign. Those mega-fans helped propel his strong grassroots performances in Iowa and New Hampshire -- and now appear poised to help him turn out the vote and cinch a victory in Nevada." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Clint Eastwood has backed Mike Bloomberg for president, breaking with the Republican party he has supported for decades and even served in elected office." Mrs. McC: I'm beginning to wonder if Bloomberg's diabolical plot is to turn the Democratic party Republican.

Animal Cruelty Masquerading as Satire. Anita Hassan & David Li of NBC News: "Pigeons with tiny Make American Great Again hats glued to their heads were released in downtown Las Vegas this week in what appears to be a sarcastic statement of loyalty to ... Donald Trump and a mock protest of Nevada's coming Democratic presidential caucuses. A group calling itself P.U.T.I.N., Pigeons United To Interfere Now, claimed responsibility for the stunt. The pigeons were set loose Tuesday, according to the group." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Congressional Races. Mike DeBonis & Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "As [Bernie] Sanders builds what could eventually be an insurmountable delegate lead, many Democratic House and Senate candidates are approaching a dramatic shift in their campaigns, as they recalibrate to include praise of capitalism and distance themselves from the national party. Top campaign strategists from both parties view Sanders's success as a potentially tectonic event, which could narrow the party's already slim hopes of retaking the Senate majority and fuel GOP dreams of reclaiming the House, which it lost amid a Democratic romp in 2018.... With an emphatic victory in Saturday's Nevada caucuses, Sanders has won two of the first three contests, and lost the third -- the Iowa caucuses -- in a squeaker. He also holds leads in polls in many of the Super Tuesday states that vote March 3 -- a point by which nearly 4 in 10 delegates nationally will have been chosen."

Trump's Kiss-Ass Policy Running Full Force. Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Even for an administration that has been a revolving door since Day 1, this has become a season of turmoil. At a moment when first-term presidents are typically seeking a stable team to focus on their re-election, President Trump has embarked on a systematic attempt to sweep out officials perceived to be disloyal." Baker runs down a list of prominent personnel Trump has sacked. "Johnny McEntee, a 29-year-old loyalist just installed to take over the Office of Presidential Personnel and reporting directly to Mr. Trump, has ordered a freeze on all political appointments across the government. He also convened a meeting to instruct departments to search for people not devoted to the president so they can be removed, according to people briefed about the session, and informed colleagues that he planned to tell cabinet secretaries that the White House would be choosing their deputies from now on." According to Baker, "career professionals" are to be purged, too. ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: That would seem to include civil servants. I don't see how Trump can get away with that, as the Civil Service Reform Act should protect at least some of them from adverse reassignments, demotions, suspensions or dismissals.

Shane Harris, et al., of the Washington Post: "Trump's tendency to shoot the messenger puts the people working for him in a precarious position..... There is talk [among intelligence officials] of 'trying to hide' stuff, one of the former officials said, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions. 'Some people believe the president can't be trusted with this politically sensitive information anymore. There's a sense that he's installing his guy [(Ric) Grenell] and they're going to come in and try to look for stuff, and they're not trustworthy.'... The decision to move another Trump loyalist, Kash Patel, into a senior advisory position at the intelligence director's office further cemented that impression. Patel, a former aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and most recently the top counterterrorism official on the National Security Council, has infuriated CIA and FBI personnel over his efforts to prove a conspiracy in the intelligence community to bring down the president by investigating his campaign's possible ties to Russia in 2016."

This Is Astonishing. Elizabeth Thomas & Ashley Brown of ABC News: "White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien is denying new U.S. intelligence reports that Russian actors are interfering to help ... Donald Trump win a second term, but he admitted he has not looked at or sought out materials surrounding those reports. 'I haven't seen any intelligence that Russia is doing anything to attempt to get President Trump reelected,' O'Brien told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Saturday, saying it amounted to 'a non-story.'... The interview came on the heels of recent reports that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told lawmakers that Russia is meddling in the 2020 race, with a preference for the Trump campaign. O'Brien characterized the reporting on the classified briefing as 'leaks.'" Mrs. McC: AND if you wonder how this astounding claim is possible, read Crowley & Sanger, linked next. ~~~

~~~ Michael Crowley & David Sanger of the New York Times: "When President Trump's national security adviser, Robert C. O'Brien, convenes meetings with top National Security Council officials at the White House, he sometimes opens by distributing printouts of Mr. Trump's latest tweets on the subject at hand. The gesture amounts to an implicit challenge for those present. Their job is to find ways of justifying, enacting or explaining Mr. Trump's policy, not to advise the president on what it should be. That is the reverse of what the National Security Council was created to do at the Cold War's dawn -- to inform and advise the president on national security decisions. But under Mr. O'Brien, the White House's hostage negotiator when Mr. Trump chose him to succeed John R. Bolton in September, that dynamic has often been turned on its head.... In the fourth year of his presidency and in his fourth national security adviser, Mr. Trump has finally gotten what he wants -- a loyalist who enables his ideas instead of challenging them." Mrs. McC: We're paying these goombahs not to do their jobs but to stroke Trump & push his Fox-generated "ideas." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Maureen Dowd: "This was another bad, crazy week trapped in Trump's psychopathology. No sooner was the president acquitted than he put scare quotes around the words justice and Justice Department and sought to rewrite the narrative of the Mueller report, whose author warned that Russia was going to try to meddle in the U.S. election again.... Trump, who moved from a Fifth Avenue penthouse to the White House, is sinking deeper into his poor-little-me complex, convinced that he is being persecuted.... Now, in a frightening new twist, the president is angry at his own intelligence team for trying to protect the national interest. He would rather hide actual intelligence from Congress than have Adam Schiff know something that Trump thinks would make him look bad politically."

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "... Roger Stone, sentenced to 40 months in prison this week for impeding the congressional investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, moved Friday to disqualify the judge in his case, claiming her remarks at his sentencing rendered her unable to fairly rule on his bid for a new trial. Stone's lawyers say, in particular, that Judge Amy Berman Jackson's decision to assert that jurors in the case 'served with integrity' strikes at the heart of Stone's motion for a new trial, which they indicated is largely based on whether at least one juror was inappropriately biased against him.... Stone's latest motion appears to be a last-ditch, longshot bid to forestall his imminent prison sentence. But it will also likely reach the receptive ears of the president, who has repeatedly amplified criticism of Jackson and repeated false claims about the nature of the charges against Stone." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Mrs. McCrabbie: I am impressed at the lengths to which wingers will go to criticize Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Dean Balsamini of the New York Post: "The lefty darling set tongues wagging when she donned a luxe designer dress for her Wednesday appearance on 'The View.'" After seeing the Post's story, AOC tweeted, "Yep! I rent, borrow, and thrift my clothes. (It's also environmentally sustainable!)"

Mark Stern of Slate: "On Friday evening, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration's wealth test for immigrants to take effect in Illinois. All four liberal justices dissented from the order, which changes relatively little.... What's most remarkable about the decision is Justice Sonia Sotomayor's withering dissent, which calls out -- with startling candor -- a distressing pattern: The court's Republican appointees have a clear bias toward the Trump administration.... Put simply: When some of the most despised and powerless among us ask the Supreme Court to spare their lives, the conservative justices turn a cold shoulder. When the Trump administration demands permission to implement some cruel, nativist, and potentially unlawful immigration restrictions, the conservatives bend over backward to give it everything it wants. There is nothing 'fair and balanced' about the court's double standard that favors the government over everyone else. And, as Sotomayor implies, this flagrant bias creates the disturbing impression that the Trump administration has a majority of the court in its pocket." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)