The Commentariat -- February 19, 2020

Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "The ninth Democratic presidential debate is set for Wednesday in Las Vegas.... The two-hour debate, which is being hosted by NBC News, MSNBC, Noticias Telemundo and The Nevada Independent, is being held at the Paris Theater in Las Vegas. It's scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET." Mrs. McC: This debate could be crucial, as Mike Bloomberg's fate may be determined by his performance.

** Matt Zapotosky, et al., of the Washington Post: "Attorney General William P. Barr has told people close to President Trump -- both inside and outside the White House -- that he is considering quitting over Trump's tweets about Justice Department investigations, three administration officials said, foreshadowing a possible confrontation between the president and his attorney general over the independence of the Justice Department. So far, Trump has defied Barr's requests, both public and private, to keep quiet on matters of federal law enforcement. It was not immediately clear Tuesday if Barr had made his posture known directly to Trump. The administration officials said Barr seemed to be sharing his position with advisers in hopes the president would get the message that he should stop weighing in publicly on the Justice Department's ongoing criminal investigations." ABC News has a story here. Mrs. McC: Yo, Bill. If you need to get a message to Donald, the only sure way is go on Fox "News." BTW, Bill, we did notice you had this story leaked to nearly every major print & broadcast outlet. Almost makes me feel as if it's fake news. Of course we know what really upsets you, Bill, is that it's harder for you to shill for Trump when he is publicly telegraphing the unethical orders you're carrying out. ~~~

~~~ Summer Concepcion of TPM: "When asked [by a reporter Tuesday] if he makes it hard for Barr to do his job with integrity, Trump said 'oh yeah' given how Barr is 'a man with incredible integrity.' 'Just so you understand, I chose not to be involved,' Trump said. 'I'm allowed to be totally involved. I'm actually, I guess, the chief law enforcement officer of the country. But I've chosen not to be involved. But he is a man of great integrity. But I could be involved if I wanted to be.'"

Sharon LaFraniere of the New York Times: "President Trump renewed his attacks on law enforcement on Tuesday, denouncing the prosecutors, the judge and the jury forewoman in the case of his longtime friend Roger J. Stone Jr. only days after Attorney General William P. Barr warned that the president's criticisms were making it 'impossible' for him to do his job. Undeterred, Mr. Trump kept up his running commentary on the department's criminal cases on Twitter and in comments to reporters before leaving for the West Coast. He reasserted that he had the right to intervene in individual criminal cases but has not done so, appearing to draw a distinction between opining publicly and outright ordering law enforcement officials to take specific actions." Mrs. McC: A good overview article that pulls together the threads of Trump's latest spate of bad behavior. ~~~

     ~~~ This story has been updated & expanded & reporters added to the byline:

"[Bill Barr's] suggestions of resignation came at the end of a day when the president asserted his dominance over a justice system that had long sought to insulate itself from political pressures. Calling himself 'the chief law enforcement officer of the country,' Mr. Trump demanded a new trial for Mr. Stone, urged federal judges to address the 'tremendous' abuse of the special counsel investigation of his campaign and bypassed the traditional pardon process to grant clemency to celebrity convicts recommended by his friends, allies and political donors. ~~~

"Mr. Trump's attacks on Judge [Amy Berman] Jackson generated alarms in the judiciary. The Federal Judges Association, a voluntary organization, scheduled an emergency telephone conference for this week.... Mr. Trump countered that the judges should instead investigate misconduct in the Mueller investigation. 'I hope the Federal Judges Association will discuss the tremendous FISA Court abuse that has taken place with respect to the Mueller Investigation Scam, including the forging of documents and knowingly using the fake and totally discredited Dossier before the Court,' he wrote on Twitter."

~~~ Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to file retaliatory lawsuits 'all over the place' for damages he claims to have incurred as a result of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. In a multi-post morning Twitter screed, the president fiercely criticized the 22-month-long probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and also appeared to weigh in once again on the federal criminal case against his longtime political adviser Roger Stone.... 'These were Mueller prosecutors, and the whole Mueller investigation was illegally set up based on a phony and now fully discredited Fake Dossier, lying and forging documents to the FISA Court, and many other things,' Trump tweeted. 'Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out.' The president went on to accuse Mueller of lying before Congress when he told lawmakers he did not interview with Trump to apply for the job of FBI director, tweeting: 'The whole deal was a total SCAM. If I wasn't President, I'd be suing everyone all over the place. BUT MAYBE I STILL WILL. WITCH HUNT!'" Forgey also covers Trump's tweets about the Stone case. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Tuesday raised the possibility of suing those involved in prosecuting the Roger Stone case after sharing the opinion of a Fox News commentator [Andrew Napolitano] who said it is 'pretty obvious' that Stone, Trump’s longtime political confidant, should get a new trial.... Defense lawyers for Stone demanded a new trial Friday, one day after Trump suggested that the forewoman in the federal case had 'significant bias.'... [In tweets,] Trump quoted Napolitano as saying, 'I think almost any judge in the Country would order a new trial, I’m not so sure about Judge Jackson, I don't know.' Napolitano was referring to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is presiding over Stone's case and who has drawn Trump's ire on Twitter for her treatment of another ally of his, Paul Manafort.... Trump also derided prosecutors in the Stone case as 'Mueller prosecutors'.... All four career prosecutors handling the case against Stone withdrew from the legal proceedings last week -- and one quit his job entirely -- after the Justice Department signaled it planned to undercut their sentencing recommendation. Two of those prosecutors had worked for Mueller." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Yo, Bill Barr. More tweets that "make it impossible for [you] to do your job." Better resign. ~~~

~~~ ** Update. Harper Neidig of the Hill: "A federal judge on Tuesday refused to delay Roger Stone's sentencing amid the fallout over the Trump administration's decision to intervene in the case against the president's longtime ally. The sentencing will move forward on Thursday at its originally scheduled time, the judge said, despite a new effort from Stone's defense team to get a new trial. 'I think that delaying this sentence would not be a prudent thing to do under all of the circumstances,' U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, said during a telephone conference with the two sides.... The new prosecution team, from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., argued in favor of moving forward with the sentencing hearing as planned. Jackson said that she has not decided whether to have a hearing on the defense motion [for a new trial], but said that it would be best to move forward with Thursday's hearing and delay the sentence from going into effect until the motion is decided." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Rachel Weiner & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "Prosecutors on Tuesday filed under seal a motion opposing Stone's request [for a new trial], and the filing was approved by Attorney General William P. Barr, said a Justice Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. That appears to put Barr at odds with Trump, who on Tuesday quoted a Fox News segment arguing that Stone should get a new trial. Trump said last week that the jury forewoman in the case had 'significant bias.'" Mrs. McC: Wow! Barr is so "independent." Or he thought Trump wouldn't hear about the prosecutors' secret filing. (Also linked yesterday.)

Mrs. McCrabbie: In a classic Pot-Calls-Kettle-Black essay, Jim Comey, in a Washington Post op-ed, lectures Bill Barr on his "threatening the reservoir of [apolitical] trust" the DOJ enjoys. Is it because he is so tall that Comey rides such a high horse? If you ever climb down, Jim, you might mosey over to Hillary Clinton's place -- which is not 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- & ask her about that "reservoir of trust." Or you could send her an e-mail. You know her e-mail address.

Trump and Other Crooks. Peter Baker, et al., of the New York Times: "President Trump commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, the Democrat who was convicted of trying to essentially sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat for personal gain, and pardoned the financier Michael R. Milken and Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, the president announced on Tuesday.... The president's decision came the same day that he pardoned Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., a former owner of the San Francisco 49ers who pleaded guilty in 1998 to concealing an extortion attempt and eventually surrendered control of his team.... In conversations with advisers, Mr. Trump has also raised the prospect of commuting the sentence of Roger J. Stone.... Asked about a pardon for Mr. Stone on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said 'I haven't given it any thought.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Dan Mangan & Kevin Breuninger of CNBC: "In all, Trump granted some form of executive clemency to 11 individuals Tuesday, according to the White House.... Pardons were given to former CEO Ariel Friedler, who in 2014 admitted conspiring to hack into his competitors' computer systems; Paul Pogue, who pleaded guilty to underpaying on his taxes over a three-year period; David Safavian, who was convicted of perjury; and Angela Stanton, a Trump-supporting television personality. Trump also granted commutations to Tynice Nicole Hall and Crystal Munoz, both of whom were given lengthy prison sentences for drug-related offenses. He also signed an order granting a commutation for Judith Negron, who was sentenced to 35 years behind bars for Medicare fraud." Mrs. McC: All this, of course is the prep work for pardoning his rogues' gallery of co-conspirators & criminals. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Beth Reinhard & Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "... all but five of the 24 people who have received clemency from Trump had a line into the White House or currency with his political base, according to a review by The Washington Post. As the administration takes its cues from celebrities, political allies and Fox News, thousands of other offenders who followed Justice Department rules are waiting, passed over as cases that were brought directly to Trump leaped to the front of the line. For more than 125 years, the Office of the Pardon Attorney in the Justice Department has quietly served as the key adviser on clemency, one of the most unlimited powers bestowed on the president by the Constitution. Under Trump, the pardon office has become a bureaucratic way station, according to government data and interviews with lawyers, criminal justice advocates, and former pardon and White House officials. Most of Trump's grants of clemency have gone to well-connected offenders who had not filed petitions with the pardon office or did not meet its requirements, The Post review shows." ~~~

~~~ OR, as this Daily Beast headline puts it, "Trump Grants Clemency to Another Round of Convicts He Saw on Fox News." Justin Baragona & Asawin Suebsaeng: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday granted clemency to 11 people, including several convicted felons who are either Fox News regulars or have been championed by the president's favorite cable-news network.... Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump made the Fox News connection abundantly clear, telling reporters that he decided to commute the rest of Rod Blagojevich's sentence because he'd seen the ex-governor's wife Patti Blagojevich pleading her husband's case on Fox." Read on, if you can stand it. ~~~

~~~ Kindred Crooks. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "Trump's flurry of presidential acts of clemency on Tuesday truly makes clear how indifferent he is about misbehavior by public officials -- particularly when considered alongside his past pardons and commutations.... The highest-profile charge on which Rod Blagojevich was convicted was his effort to leverage the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama's election to the White House for his own benefit. But it wasn't the only charge. His efforts to leverage ... $8 million in funding for the hospital [in exchange for a $50,000 contribution to his campaign] were among more than a dozen corruption-related charges for which Blagojevich was convicted in 2011.... Earlier this month, Trump himself stood accused of having tried to leverage his official position to benefit himself, facing trial in the Senate on charges that he tried to strong-arm Ukraine into launching politically useful investigations by similarly withholding funds from that country.... Trump also pardoned strong> Edward DeBartolo Jr., probably at least in part because of DeBartolo's ties to the politically important region of northeastern Ohio. DeBartolo's crime? Agreeing to a bribe solicited by a former governor of Louisiana and not reporting it. He pardoned David Safavian, convicted of obstruction of justice and making false statements in connection with the sprawling corruption investigation into former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Trump also pardoned former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, convicted of making false statements about a bribe he took while working in Iraq."

Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department revealed Tuesday that law enforcement officials running Ukraine-related investigations must seek approval before expanding their inquiries -- a move that could have implications for Rudolph W. Giuliani, as President Trump's personal attorney pushes for scrutiny of the president's political foes while facing a federal probe into his own conduct. The directive from Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen was disclosed in a response to Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) after the House Judiciary Committee chairman demanded clarity on how the Justice Department is reviewing information from Giuliani, who has urged law enforcement to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son for their dealings in Ukraine.... [the] move could be viewed as putting another layer of approval in place if prosecutors wanted to widen their Giuliani probe...." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: As nearly as I can understand this report, the extra approval layers are meant to go both ways; that is, investigators need permission to accept fake information from Rudy as well as information about Rudy that might incriminate him in some criminal ops. Update: Rachel Maddow got hold of the DOJ memo, and it confirms my understanding -- Barr's handpicked henchmen will control every matter which touches in any way upon Ukraine. Maddow also recalled this Feb. 5 report by Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Attorney General William P. Barr issued new restrictions on Wednesday over the opening of politically sensitive investigations...." As I wrote at the time, "This might be all right if Barr were not a partisan hack. But you know he'll approve investigations into Democratic candidates and disapprove any investigations into Article II Man who can do anything he wants."

Andrew Desiderio of Politico: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a trio of U.S. senators last week that he would continue to steer clear of ... Rudy Giuliani, according to one of the senators. 'Zelensky clearly doesn't really want to talk about this, and I don't blame him,' Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote in a Medium post detailing his meeting in Kyiv on Friday with Zelensky and two Republican senators, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and John Barrasso of Wyoming."

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The top lawyer for the intelligence community, whose decision to block a whistleblower's complaint about ... Donald Trump and Ukraine from reaching Congress helped jumpstart the impeachment inquiry, is resigning from his post, officials confirmed. Jason Klitenic, the general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will depart early next month, according to an agency spokeswoman. His exit comes as the acting DNI, Joseph Maguire, nears a March 11 deadline to depart as well. Federal law prevents Maguire from serving in an acting capacity beyond that date, meaning a new director must be nominated and confirmed by then, or Trump must pick a new acting official." (Also linked yesterday.)

Leo Shane of the Military Times: "A coalition of more than 1,100 veterans on Tuesday condemned ... Donald Trump for his continued attacks on an Army officer [Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman] who testified against him in the impeachment inquiry, noting that military rules bar the service member from defending himself publicly. 'The president should know that, despite taking aim at one Army officer, he has targeted anyone who currently wears -- or has worn -- the uniform,' the group stated in an open letter."

Alex Henderson of Alternet: "Democrats have been seeking President Donald Trump&'s tax returns at both the federal and state levels; one of the federal efforts has been a lawsuit by the House Ways and Means Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts. And on February 15, House Democrats asked [Trump-appointed] U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to lift a stay on that lawsuit -- using, reporter Jerry Lambe notes in Law & Crime, 'arguments put forth by Trump's impeachment legal team.'... McFadden put a stay on House Ways and Means' lawsuit in January." --s

Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "On Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported that advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who accused ... Donald Trump of raping her in a department store two decades ago, is asking a judge to deny a request from his lawyers to stay discovery in her lawsuit against him.... Trump's attorneys are attempting to put the case on hold while they argue to the New York Court of Appeals that a sitting president cannot be sued. That court will also consider this issue in the defamation suit of Summer Zervos, a contestant on Trump's reality shows who claims Trump sexually assaulted her." The Bloomberg report is here.

Elliot Spagat of the AP: "The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will waive federal contracting laws to speed construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security said waiving procurement regulations will allow 177 miles (283 kilometers) of wall to be built more quickly in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The 10 waived laws include requirements for having open competition, justifying selections and receiving all bonding from a contractor before any work can begin. The acting Homeland Security secretary, Chad Wolf, is exercising authority under a 2005 law that gives him sweeping powers to waive laws for building border barriers." Mrs. McC: But I'm sure all the contracts let will be on the up-and-up.(Also linked yesterday.)

Chris Quintana & Shelly Conlon of USA Today: "Reagan National University was supposed to be a place of higher learning, but it was unclear how it awarded degrees. By all appearances, at present, it has no students, no faculty and no classrooms. An agency meant to serve as a gatekeeper for federal money gave the university approval to operate anyway.... The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools, has a history of approving questionable colleges, with devastating consequences. It accredited ITT Tech, Corinthian Colleges and Brightwood College, massive for-profit universities whose sudden closures last decade left thousands of students without degrees and undermined the value of the education of those who did graduate. Those closures led President Barack Obama's Education Department to strip ACICS' powers in 2016. After a federal court decision, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and President Donald Trump's administration reinstated the accrediting agency." --s

Geneva Sands of CNN (Feb. 12): "Chad Mizelle, a Trump administration official who is viewed as an ally of senior White House policy adviser and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller, has been tapped to be the Department of Homeland Security's top attorney.... Mizelle has less than 10 years' experience as an attorney and will now run the DHS Office of the General Counsel, which oversees 2,500 attorneys and is ultimately responsible for all of the department's legal determinations.... Mizelle will be replacing a career official, who filled the void left after the previous Senate-confirmed general counsel, John Mitnick, was fired in September -- months after Miller wanted him out. It is unclear if Mizelle will be nominated for the role, but the President has said he likes to have officials in acting capacities." --s

AND for you romantics, contributor Hattie points us to this lovely wedding registry for newlyweds Stephen Miller & Katie Waldman. Samantha Bee helped Stephen & Katie create the registry, which includes some sweet vignettes about the couple's relationship. For instance, Katie tells us about their first date: "... when I walked into my office I found a card from Stephen asking me out. He signed it with his name and an acronym that I believe stood for 'Katie, Katie, Katie.' Since that day, unlike migrant families at the border, we became inseparable." ~~~

~~~ Hayley Miller (presumably no relation) of the Huffington Post: "David Glosser, a retired neuropsychologist and [Stephen] Miller's maternal uncle, on Monday posted a link on Facebook to a spoof online wedding registry created by comedian Samantha Bee in December. The site, 'MatchMadeInHate.com,' contains wish-list items from U.S.-based charities that assist asylum-seekers and immigrants ― such as mittens, underwear and LED night lights.... Glosser, an outspoken critic of Miller's anti-immigrant agenda, wrote on his Facebook post that he planned to donate to HIAS, a Jewish American nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees."

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge in Kansas who was reprimanded last year by his colleagues over sexual harassment, an extramarital affair with a felon, and chronic tardiness has announced his plans to resign from the bench. The move by Kansas City-based U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Murguia came as members of Congress were demanding answers from the judiciary about why Murguia had not faced more severe consequences than the public admonishment delivered September by the 10th Circuit Judicial Council." Bill Clinton appointed Murguia.

Presidential Race

Mark Murray of NBC News: "Sen. Bernie Sanders has jumped out to a double-digit national lead in the Democratic presidential contest after his victory in New Hampshire's primary and his second-place finish for delegates in Iowa's disorganized caucuses, while former Vice President Joe Biden has seen his support drop by 11 points since his disappointing finishes in both contests, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday. The survey also shows former New York City Mayor strong> Mike Bloomberg gaining ground in the Democratic race in the past month, confirming the findings of an earlier NPR/PBS/Marist poll that allowed him to qualify for Wednesday night's NBC News and MSNBC Democratic debate in Las Vegas. And the poll has ... Donald Trump's approval rating tied for his all-time high in the NBC News/WSJ survey, while also finding that the most unpopular candidate qualities in a general election are being a socialist, being older than 75 years of age and having a heart attack in the past year."

Mike Bloomberg Says Remarkably Stupid Stuff, Ctd. Dominic Holden of BuzzFeed News: "A newly uncovered video shows Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg in 2019 describing transgender people as 'he, she, or it' and 'some guy in a dress' who enters girls locker rooms -- invoking a conservative cliché as he argued that transgender rights are toxic for presidential candidates trying to reach Middle America. And yet, Bloomberg's campaign published a new video on Tuesday that pledged the former New York City mayor believed in 'inclusivity' for 'LGBTQ+ youth,' featuring fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi declaring, 'Mike is so incredibly sensitive to this issue.'"

The Bickersons. Nolan McCaskill of Politico: Amy Klobuchar "was stumped last week when asked by Telemundo if she could name the president of Mexico. 'No,' she said. Prompted with the same question, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer said, 'I forget.' Only Pete Buttigieg was able to name him. Given a do-over Tuesday at a CNN town hall in Las Vegas, Klobuchar ... gave her greetings to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.... Buttigieg seized on Klobuchar's gaffe Sunday, telling supporters in Nevada 'that there is more to being prepared than how many years you spent in Washington.' Klobuchar told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday that she had been in the Senate 'all day' on the day she did the interview. She noted ... that her flight landed in Nevada 'at midnight my time,' then she 'had a fast interview and then did two forums after that,' not wrapping up her day until 2 or 3 a.m.... 'And I would say to the mayor, this isn't like a game of "Jeopardy."'" Mrs. McC: You're supposed to pose that in the form of a question, Amy: "Do you think this is a game of 'Jeopardy,' Pete?"

The Iowa Caucuses, Ctd. Maggie Astor of the New York Times: "The Iowa Democratic Party announced on Tuesday that it had completed its partial recanvass, changing results in 29 precincts but shifting no national delegates. But the Epic of Iowa still isn't over. The recanvass drastically narrowed Pete Buttigieg's small lead over Senator Bernie Sanders in state delegate equivalents: Mr. Buttigieg now has 563.207 to Mr. Sanders's 563.127. The campaigns can now request a recount, which is a much more intensive process. And Mr. Sanders's campaign said it would do just that."

Justine Coleman & Joe Concha of the Hill: "Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said President Trump advised him to 'never apologize' for his comments on Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's sexuality. Limbaugh said on his Monday show that Trump called him to talk about his comments last week that 'America's still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage.'"

Chris Francescani of ABC News: "After hearing from 35 witnesses over more than two weeks of testimony, the New York City jury in Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault case will begin deliberations this morning. Weinstein is facing five felony counts of rape and sexual assault, based on the testimony of two complaining witnesses: former 'Project Runway' production assistant Miriam 'Mimi' Haleyi -- who claims the Hollywood producer sexually assaulted her in 2006, and an accuser who claims Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel suite in 2013. ABC News is not naming the rape accuser because she has never publicly identified herself. The other five women either did so, or their lawyers gave ABC permission to name them[.] The account of a third accuser, Annabella Sciorra, is too old to prosecute, but a judge allowed her to testify in support of two predatory sexual assault charges -- which require prosecutors to prove that Weinstein attacked at least three women." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Jan Ransom of the New York Times: "Over the weekend, just days before jurors in the Harvey Weinstein case were set to begin deliberations, his lead defense lawyer, Donna Rotunno, wrote an opinion piece imploring them 'to do what they know is right.'The article in Newsweek magazine infuriated the Manhattan district attorney's office, and on Tuesday the lead prosecutor, Joan Illuzzi, called Ms. Rotunno's behavior 'inappropriate,' and tantamount to jury tampering. The judge ordered the defense team not to speak to the news media until after a verdict is reached. 'Defense team you are ordered to refrain from communicating with the press until there is a verdict in the case,' Justice James M. Burke told Mr. Weinstein's lawyers. 'I would caution you about the tentacles of your public relations juggernaut.' The jurors were not in the courtroom at the time. As in many high-profile cases, jurors have been reminded every day by the judge not to follow any news media coverage of the case." (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

Massachusetts. Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "A longtime Massachusetts state lawmaker was arrested Tuesday on more than two dozen fraud and tax evasion charges after the authorities accused him of stealing thousands of dollars in campaign funds to support his gambling habit and to pay for his lavish lifestyle. The lawmaker, Representative David M. Nangle, 59, a Democrat from Lowell who serves on the House Ethics Committee, was also accused of falsifying bank loan applications to obtain nearly $400,000, and of claiming fraudulent deductions on his tax returns, according to a 28-count indictment.... Prosecutors said that as a former Ethics Committee chairman whose campaign had been audited several times, Mr. Nangle knew full well that his actions were wrong. They said he had filed false campaign finance reports to try to cover his tracks." Mrs. McC: Fraud & tax evasion? Meh. Luckily for Dave there, he was arrested on federal charges. So all he has to do is go on Fox "News" and the Crook-in-Chief will pardon him. And another Trumpocrat is born.

North Carolina. Will Doran of the Raleigh News & Observer: "North Carolina's new voter ID law appears to have been enacted with racially discriminatory intent and will be at least temporarily blocked during the 2020 elections, the N.C. Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. A federal court has already blocked the voter ID mandate at least through the 2020 primary elections, which are underway now. Tuesday's decision -- in a separate lawsuit in state courts rather than federal courts -- could also extend that block until the general election in November. The voter ID law was written after voters passed a new constitutional amendment in 2018 requiring photo ID to vote. However, this is now the second court to rule that African-American voters could be harmed by the way the Republican-led legislature wrote the law behind the amendment."

Way Beyond the Beltway

U.K. Lisa O'Carroll, et al. of the Guardian: "Britain is to close its borders to unskilled workers and those who can't speak English as part of a fundamental overhaul of immigration laws that will end the era of cheap EU labour in factories, warehouses, hotels and restaurants. Unveiling its Australian-style points system on Wednesday, the government will say it is grasping a unique opportunity to take 'full control' of British borders 'for the first time in decades' and eliminate the 'distortion' caused by EU freedom of movement. But industry leaders immediately accused the government of an assault on the economy warning of 'disastrous' consequences with job losses and closures in factories and the high street." --s

News Lede

The New York Times' live updates of developments in the coronavirus epidemic are here.

The Commentariat -- February 18, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon & TrumperTantrum Update:

Peter Baker, et al., of the New York Times: "President Trump commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, the Democrat who was convicted of trying to essentially sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat for personal gain, and pardoned the financier Michael R. Milken and Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, the president announced on Tuesday.... The president's decision came the same day that he pardoned Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., a former owner of the San Francisco 49ers who pleaded guilty in 1998 to concealing an extortion attempt and eventually surrendered control of his team.... In conversations with advisers, Mr. Trump has also raised the prospect of commuting the sentence of Roger J. Stone.... Asked about a pardon for Mr. Stone on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said 'I haven't given it any thought.'" ~~~

~~~ Dan Mangan & Kevin Breuninger of CNBC: "In all, Trump granted some form of executive clemency to 11 individuals Tuesday, according to the White House.... Pardons were given to former CEO Ariel Friedler, who in 2014 admitted conspiring to hack into his competitors' computer systems; Paul Pogue, who pleaded guilty to underpaying on his taxes over a three-year period; David Safavian, who was convicted of perjury; and Angela Stanton, a Trump-supporting television personality. Trump also granted commutations to Tynice Nicole Hall and Crystal Munoz, both of whom were given lengthy prison sentences for drug-related offenses. He also signed an order granting a commutation for Judith Negron, who was sentenced to 35 years behind bars for Medicare fraud." Mrs. McC: All this, of course is the prep work for pardoning his rogues' gallary of co-conspirators & criminals.

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The top lawyer for the intelligence community, whose decision to block a whistleblower's complaint about ... Donald Trump and Ukraine from reaching Congress helped jumpstart the impeachment inquiry, is resigning from his post, officials confirmed. Jason Klitenic, the general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will depart early next month, according to an agency spokeswoman. His exit comes as the acting DNI, Joseph Maguire, nears a March 11 deadline to depart as well. Federal law prevents Maguire from serving in an acting capacity beyond that date, meaning a new director must be nominated and confirmed by then, or Trump must pick a new acting official."

Elliot Spagat of the AP: "The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will waive federal contracting laws to speed construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security said waiving procurement regulations will allow 177 miles (283 kilometers) of wall to be built more quickly in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The 10 waived laws include requirements for having open competition, justifying selections and receiving all bonding from a contractor before any work can begin. The acting Homeland Security secretary, Chad Wolf, is exercising authority under a 2005 law that gives him sweeping powers to waive laws for building border barriers." Mrs. McC: But I'm sure all the contracts let will be on the up-and-up.

Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to file retaliatory lawsuits 'all over the place' for damages he claims to have incurred as a result of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. In a multi-post morning Twitter screed, the president fiercely criticized the 22-month-long probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and also appeared to weigh in once again on the federal criminal case against his longtime political adviser Roger Stone.... 'These were Mueller prosecutors, and the whole Mueller investigation was illegally set up based on a phony and now fully discredited Fake Dossier, lying and forging documents to the FISA Court, and many other things,' Trump tweeted. 'Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out.' The president went on to accuse Mueller of lying before Congress when he told lawmakers he did not interview with Trump to apply for the job of FBI director, tweeting: 'The whole deal was a total SCAM. If I wasn't President, I'd be suing everyone all over the place. BUT MAYBE I STILL WILL. WITCH HUNT!'" Forgey also covers Trump's tweets about the Stone case. ~~~

~~~ John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Tuesday raised the possibility of suing those involved in prosecuting the Roger Stone case after sharing the opinion of a Fox News commentator [Andrew Napolitano] who said it is 'pretty obvious' that Stone, Trump's longtime political confidant, should get a new trial.... Defense lawyers for Stone demanded a new trial Friday, one day after Trump suggested that the forewoman in the federal case had 'significant bias.'... [In tweets,] Trump quoted Napolitano as saying, 'I think almost any judge in the Country would order a new trial, I'm not so sure about Judge Jackson, I don't know.' Napolitano was referring to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is presiding over Stone's case and who has drawn Trump's ire on Twitter for her treatment of another ally of his, Paul Manafort.... Trump also derided prosecutors in the Stone case as 'Mueller prosecutors'.... All four career prosecutors handling the case against Stone withdrew from the legal proceedings last week -- and one quit his job entirely -- after the Justice Department signaled it planned to undercut their sentencing recommendation. Two of those prosecutors had worked for Mueller." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Yo, Bill Barr. More tweets that "make it impossible for [you] to do your job." Better resign. ~~~

~~~ ** Update. Harper Neidig of the Hill: "A federal judge on Tuesday refused to delay Roger Stone's sentencing amid the fallout over the Trump administration's decision to intervene in the case against the president's longtime ally. The sentencing will move forward on Thursday at its originally scheduled time, the judge said, despite a new effort from Stone's defense team to get a new trial. 'I think that delaying this sentence would not be a prudent thing to do under all of the circumstances,' U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, said during a telephone conference with the two sides.... The new prosecution team, from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., argued in favor of moving forward with the sentencing hearing as planned. Jackson said that she has not decided whether to have a hearing on the defense motion [for a new trial], but said that it would be best to move forward with Thursday's hearing and delay the sentence from going into effect until the motion is decided." ~~~

     ~~~ Rachel Weiner & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "Prosecutors on Tuesday filed under seal a motion opposing Stone's request [for a new trial], and the filing was approved by Attorney General William P. Barr, said a Justice Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. That appears to put Barr at odds with Trump, who on Tuesday quoted a Fox News segment arguing that Stone should get a new trial. Trump said last week that the jury forewoman in the case had 'significant bias.'" Mrs. McC: Wow! Barr is so "independent." Or he thought Trump wouldn't hear about the prosecutors' secret filing.

Chris Francescani of ABC News: "After hearing from 35 witnesses over more than two weeks of testimony, the New York City jury in Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault case will begin deliberations this morning. Weinstein is facing five felony counts of rape and sexual assault, based on the testimony of two complaining witnesses: former 'Project Runway' production assistant Miriam 'Mimi' Haleyi -- who claims the Hollywood producer sexually assaulted her in 2006, and an accuser who claims Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel suite in 2013. ABC News is not naming the rape accuser because she has never publicly identified herself. The other five women either did so, or their lawyers gave ABC permission to name them[.] The account of a third accuser, Annabella Sciorra, is too old to prosecute, but a judge allowed her to testify in support of two predatory sexual assault charges -- which require prosecutors to prove that Weinstein attacked at least three women." ~~~

~~~ Jan Ransom of the New York Times: "Over the weekend, just days before jurors in the Harvey Weinstein case were set to begin deliberations, his lead defense lawyer, Donna Rotunno, wrote an opinion piece imploring them 'to do what they know is right.'The article in Newsweek magazine infuriated the Manhattan district attorney's office, and on Tuesday the lead prosecutor, Joan Illuzzi, called Ms. Rotunno's behavior 'inappropriate,' and tantamount to jury tampering. The judge ordered the defense team not to speak to the news media until after a verdict is reached. 'Defense team you are ordered to refrain from communicating with the press until there is a verdict in the case,' Justice James M. Burke told Mr. Weinstein's lawyers. 'I would caution you about the tentacles of your public relations juggernaut.' The jurors were not in the courtroom at the time. As in many high-profile cases, jurors have been reminded every day by the judge not to follow any news media coverage of the case."

~~~~~~~~~~

Aw, Everybody's Picking on Bill Barr*

*OR, as Ian Bassin of Protect Democracy puts it, Wow. After more than 2,000 former DOJ expressed alarm about challenges to rule of law, now the Federal Judges' Association has called an emergency meeting re concerns around independent law enforcement. Our institutions are sounding alarms.

Kevin Johnson of USA Today: "A national association of federal judges has called an emergency meeting Tuesday to address growing concerns about the intervention of Justice Department officials and President Donald Trump in politically sensitive cases, the group's president said Monday. Philadelphia U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, who heads the independent Federal Judges Association, said the group 'could not wait' until its spring conference to weigh in on a deepening crisis that has enveloped the Justice Department and Attorney General William Barr."

** Donald Ayer, U.S. Deputy Attorney General under Bush I, in the Atlantic assembles a long & helpful list of the many ways Bill Barr has interfered, on Trump's behalf & often at Trump's behest, to pervert the even-handed administration of justice. "All of this conduct -- including Barr's personal interventions to influence or negate independent investigations or the pursuit of criminal cases, and his use of the department's resources to frustrate the checks and balances provided by other branches -- is incompatible with the rule of law.... Under Barr, the Department of Justice is actively engaged on many fronts in helping realize Trump's stated goal of being able to do whatever he wants, free from interference from any branch of government.... For whatever twisted reasons, he believes that the president should be above the law, and he has as his foil in pursuit of that goal a president who, uniquely in our history, actually aspires to that status. And Barr has acted repeatedly on those beliefs in ways that are more damaging at every turn. Presently he is moving forward with active misuse of the criminal sanction, as one more tool of the president's personal interests. Bill Barr's America ... is a banana republic where all are subject to the whims of a dictatorial president and his henchmen. To prevent that, we need a public uprising demanding that Bill Barr resign immediately, or failing that, be impeached."

Get Out! Ctd. Luke Barr (no relation, we presume) of ABC News: "More than 2,000 former Department of Justice officials are calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign, according to the group Protect Democracy. 'Political interference in the conduct of a criminal prosecution is anathema to the Department's core mission and to its sacred obligation to ensure equal justice under the law,' according to the group, which has been critical of the administration in the past. The nonpartisan, nonprofit group said that the attorney general has 'flouted' that fundamental principal. The former DOJ officials said it is 'outrageous' the way Barr interfered in the Roger Stone case."

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "The judge handling the criminal case that set off a white-hot, national political controversy last week -- the prosecution of ... Donald Trump's longtime adviser Roger Stone -- has ordered both sides to take part in a telephone hearing Tuesday to discuss the status of the case. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued the unusual Sunday order after the entire four-person prosecution team withdrew from the case following Attorney General Bill Barr's intervention to rescind their recommendation of a seven-to-nine year sentence for Stone.... Defense attorneys for Stone also filed a second motion for a new trial last week, after Jackson rejected one such motion filed last year.... Stone is currently set to be sentenced Thursday morning in Washington on the seven felony counts that a jury convicted him on last November.... It's unclear whether the judge will decide to proceed with the sentencing as scheduled...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Mary Papenfuss of the Huffington Post: "Attorney General William Barr attempted to block U.S. prosecution of a Turkish bank last year after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Donald Trump for help in the matter, according to a new CNN report that supports earlier accounts. Barr personally attempted to head off prosecution of Halkbank in a suspected multibillion-dollar scheme to evade sanctions against Iran, CNN reported, citing 'a person familiar with the discussions.' He reportedly tried to steer a settlement that would have allowed the bank to dodge an indictment shortly after Erdogan pressed  Trump for help last spring. Barr ultimately failed to stop an indictment, however. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman of the Southern District of New York insisted on criminal prosecution, CNN reported. Barr faces increasing criticism for appearing to do Trump's bidding to manipulate Justice Department cases to punish the president's enemies or help his allies. In this situation, Barr's reported efforts seemed aimed at attempting to satisfy the request of an authoritarian foreign leader."

Karen Scannell & Erica Orden of CNN: "Federal prosecutors are weighing new charges against associates of Rudy Giuliani in connection with a company that paid him $500,000, according to people familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors with the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York are considering whether to charge Giuliani associate Lev Parnas and at least one of his business partners with misleading potential investors for Fraud Guarantee, the Florida-based company that paid Giuliani.... Parnas co-founded Fraud Guarantee with the idea of providing insurance to companies to protect against fraud. The scrutiny of Fraud Guarantee brings the investigation closer to Giuliani ... and raises questions about what role the former mayor played, if any, in the marketing of the company. A lawyer for Giuliani said his client never had any conversations about investor pitches or marketing with Parnas or his business partner David Correia." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Karen DeYoung & Kirk Ross of the Washington Post: "Former White House national security adviser John Bolton on Monday questioned whether it was 'fair' that President Trump has called him a liar on the subject of Ukraine, but 'I can't talk about it.' In his first public remarks since Trump was impeached by the House and acquitted by the Senate, Bolton said his own views of national security policies, and descriptions of interactions with Trump on Ukraine and other issues, risk being 'suppressed' and censored by the administration.... In a 90-minute question-and-answer session before students, faculty and members of the public at Duke University, Bolton voiced familiar hard-line views on North Korea, Iran and other issues. He said he viewed Ukraine and the impeachment 'as sprinkles on the ice cream sundae' compared with other subjects he deals with in the book. Asked whether he agreed with the president's assessment that Trump's July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was 'perfect,' Bolton said 'You'll love Chapter 14.'" A CNN story is here. ~~~

~~~ Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Mr. Bolton refused to go into the details of the Ukraine matter that led to Mr. Trump's impeachment, and he did not offer an opinion about the outcome of the trial that acquitted the president. At various points, he instead offered coy answers, suggesting it would all come out in his book if he is allowed to publish it.... His reluctance to speak out more explicitly has been enormously frustrating for months to Democrats who say that he could simply tell what he knows without waiting for a subpoena or White House permission. Indeed, the Duke audience applauded twice at suggestions that he should have testified in the House or simply given a news conference telling what he knew."

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: IOW, this was an event in which Bolton said nothing about the matter of greatest interest, and for which he probably was paid (I can't confirm this), to promote sales of his book which he "hints" covers what people came to hear. Capitalism is awesome. I watched part of the History Channel's "Washington" show last night. Benedict Arnold betrayed the nation for money, too.

Jonathan Swan & Margaret Talev of Axios: "Top Trump administration officials are in discussions to reassign deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates to the Department of Energy from the National Security Council, per two sources familiar with the planning.... Coates' working relationship with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, who elevated her to the deputy role only months ago, has strained amid an effort by some people inside the administration to tag her as 'Anonymous' -- a charge she has vehemently denied to colleagues.... As Politico first reported, Coates has been the target of a whisper campaign in recent weeks making a circumstantial case that she was the identity behind an op-ed in the New York Times and later a bestselling book describing a resistance movement against President Trump in his own White House. One of the literary agents behind Anonymous' book, 'A Warning,' went so far as to release a statement saying explicitly that Coates is not the author, did not edit the book, did not see it in advance and did not know about it."

I have some information ... about the Obama administration -- which will be disclosed in a lawsuit at some point, but I'm not prepared to disclose it now -- about how President Obama personally asked the FBI to investigate somebody on behalf of George Soros, who was a close ally of his. -- Alan Dershowitz to Breitbart News

This citation comes via a right-wing source, so I can't verify it. If Dershowitz really said this, he's nuttier than I thought. -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "... Harvard Law school graduate Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) descended into sheer quackery and decided to perpetrate conspiracies about the origin of the coronavirus.... It is not as if anti-intellectualism suddenly appeared with the election of President Trump. The habitual rejection of expertise on everything from climate change to the economic impact of immigration has been rampant in the Republican Party for some time.... [Add to this,] Trump's authoritarian contempt for truth [which] sets the tone, forcing military hawks such as Cotton to remain mum when Trump dismisses traumatic brain injuries as 'headaches' and former Cold Warriors such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) to parrot Russian propaganda on Ukraine. Their know-nothingism is sustained and hardened inside the right-wing media loop.... Know-nothingism and authoritarianism are mutually reinforcing. A dictator commandeers reality...."

Presidential Race

Dareh Gregorian, et al., of NBC News: "Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg on Tuesday qualified for his first appearance in a Democratic presidential primary debate.... The DNC announced last month that it was doing away with the grassroots donor threshold that had been used in the qualifications for the previous eight debates. The campaign of [Bernie] Sanders -- who leads in national polls, according to a RealClearPolitics average -- has accused the DNC of doing Bloomberg's bidding with the rule change. Bloomberg had not qualified for earlier debates because he was not accepting campaign donations." Other candidates who have qualified for the upcoming debate, by NBC's calculation are Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. Tom Steyer, who appeared in the last debate, has not qualified. ~~~

~~~ Christopher Cadelago & Sally Goldenberg of Politico: "... making the debate stage threatens to lay bare one vulnerability Bloomberg's wealth cannot guard against: himself.... His rivals, who have been piling on in recent days, will try to rattle him by attacking his record, campaign aides have told Politico.... So Bloomberg has spent weeks getting ready. 'You know me: I like a fight, and so I think it'd be fun to go and compete,' he said during an interview in Detroit earlier this month. Likening it to his sometimes contentious press conferences during his 12 years as mayor, he added, 'I always thought that was fun to joust.'... Bloomberg has a history of losing his cool in public. He once grew visibly annoyed at a reporter in a wheelchair who interrupted his press conference when he dropped a recording device. More recently, he urged a reporter to 'get on with it' when he was pressed about his controversial stop-and-frisk policing tactic."

Thomas Kaplan, et al., of the New York Times: "Former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's presidential campaign, which has largely focused its attacks on President Trump, on Monday mounted a frontal offensive against one of his Democratic rivals for the first time, comparing Senator Bernie Sanders's campaign tactics with those employed by the president. Mr. Sanders struck back at a campaign rally later in the afternoon, drawing comparisons between Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Trump. But Mr. Bloomberg was not alone in targeting the Vermont liberal: Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., in a television interview, called on Mr. Sanders to disavow attacks by some of his supporters on officials at a Nevada labor union, behavior that Mr. Biden said was 'Trump-like.'... Mr. Bloomberg's campaign began the day by posting a video cataloging instances of online aggression and threats from Sanders supporters toward rival Democrats, then followed with a statement offering an unflattering comparison of Mr. Sanders and Mr. Trump."

Meredith McGraw of Politico: "... Donald Trump's reelection machine took full advantage of the millions of NASCAR eyeballs watching on race day by airing an ad on Fox and flying a bright red 'KEEP AMERICA GREAT!' banner near the track. Fox carried the event live on television, and Fox News commentator and Trump stalwart Judge Jeanine Pirro, Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle watched from a VIP section of the track. Trump's President's Day weekend in Florida demonstrated how Trump plans to approach his 2020 campaign -- showcasing the presidency to his MAGA base and raising money with high dollar donors across the country. Before heading to Daytona, Trump raised $10 million for his reelection and the Republican National Committee with a small private dinner of 40 of his wealthiest supporters." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ David Edwards of the Raw Story: "The FOX broadcast network seemingly snubbed the president of the United States on Sunday when it cut to commercial while he was speaking. Viewers complained on Twitter that FOX Sports cut away prior to ... Donald Trump's campaign-style speech at the Daytona 500, where he was named grand marshal. FOX's cameras were also criticized for cutting away from Trump's lap at the Daytona 500 in his presidential limo. Instead, fans were treated to a commercial from Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg." One view complained that Fox network cut away because "Communists own the media." (Also linked yesterday.)

Mike Baker of the New York Times: "The Boy Scouts of America, an iconic presence in the nation's experience for more than a century, filed for bankruptcy protection early Tuesday, succumbing to financial pressures that included a surge in legal costs over its handling of sexual abuse allegations. Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts have long maintained internal files at their headquarters in Texas detailing decades of allegations involving nearly 8,000 'perpetrators,' according to an expert hired by the organization. Lawyers have said in recent months that former scouts have come forward to identify hundreds of other abusers not included in those files. The bankruptcy filing, in Delaware, is expected to disrupt continuing litigation and establish a deadline for when former scouts can pursue claims.... The Boy Scouts' troubles have lingered for decades. In a 1935 article in The New York Times, the organization described having files on hundreds of people who had been leaders in the scouts but had been labeled 'degenerates.'" An NBC News story is here.

The Rich Are Different from You and Me. If you have enough money, your little horse can ride first-class air, at least for now.

Beyond the Beltway

AP & WJLA (Washington, D.C.): "Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's push to ban the sale of assault weapons failed on Monday after some of his fellow Democrats balked at the proposal. Senators voted to shelve the bill for the year and ask the state crime commission to study the issue, an outcome that drew cheers from a committee room packed with gun advocates. Four moderate Democrats joined Republicans in Monday's committee vote, rejecting legislation that would have prohibited the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms, including popular AR-15 style rifles, and banned the possession of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds." (Also linked yesterday.)

News Ledes

The New York Times' live updates of developments in the coronavirus epidemic are here. ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates are here. "A respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan died Tuesday after contracting the novel coronavirus, despite a 'full-effort rescue,' according to Wuhan's municipal health commission. Liu Zhiming, 51, became the most prominent victim of the outbreak since another doctor, whistleblower Li Wenliang, died Feb 7, sparking an outpouring of public anger and grief. Liu's death follows that last week of a nurse, Liu Fan, from the same hospital. A total of eight front-line health workers have died, while as many as 3,000 have been infected with the coronavirus."

The Commentariat -- February 17, 2020

Afternoon Update:

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "The judge handling the criminal case that set off a white-hot, national political controversy last week -- the prosecution of ... Donald Trump's longtime adviser Roger Stone -- has ordered both sides to take part in a telephone hearing Tuesday to discuss the status of the case. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued the unusual Sunday order after the entire four-person prosecution team withdrew from the case following Attorney General Bill Barr's intervention to rescind their recommendation of a seven-to-nine year sentence for Stone.... Defense attorneys for Stone also filed a second motion for a new trial last week, after Jackson rejected one such motion filed last year.... Stone is currently set to be sentenced Thursday morning in Washington on the seven felony counts that a jury convicted him on last November.... It's unclear whether the judge will decide to proceed with the sentencing as scheduled...."

Karen Scannell & Erica Orden of CNN: "Federal prosecutors are weighing new charges against associates of Rudy Giuliani in connection with a company that paid him $500,000, according to people familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors with the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York are considering whether to charge Giuliani associate Lev Parnas and at least one of his business partners with misleading potential investors for Fraud Guarantee, the Florida-based company that paid Giuliani.... Parnas co-founded Fraud Guarantee with the idea of providing insurance to companies to protect against fraud. The scrutiny of Fraud Guarantee brings the investigation closer to Giuliani ... and raises questions about what role the former mayor played, if any, in the marketing of the company. A lawyer for Giuliani said his client never had any conversations about investor pitches or marketing with Parnas or his business partner David Correia."

Meredith McGraw of Politico: "... Donald Trump's reelection machine took full advantage of the millions of NASCAR eyeballs watching on race day by airing an ad on Fox and flying a bright red 'KEEP AMERICA GREAT!' banner near the track. Fox carried the event live on television, and Fox News commentator and Trump stalwart Judge Jeanine Pirro, Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle watched from a VIP section of the track. Trump's President's Day weekend in Florida demonstrated how Trump plans to approach his 2020 campaign -- showcasing the presidency to his MAGA base and raising money with high dollar donors across the country. Before heading to Daytona, Trump raised $10 million for his reelection and the Republican National Committee with a small private dinner of 40 of his wealthiest supporters." ~~~

~~~ David Edwards of the Raw Story: "The FOX broadcast network seemingly snubbed the president of the United States on Sunday when it cut to commercial while he was speaking. Viewers complained on Twitter that FOX Sports cut away prior to ... Donald Trump's campaign-style speech at the Daytona 500, where he was named grand marshal. FOX's cameras were also criticized for cutting away from Trump's lap at the Daytona 500 in his presidential limo. Instead, fans were treated to a commercial from Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg." One view complained that Fox network cut away because "Communists own the media."

AP & WJLA (Washington, D.C.): "Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's push to ban the sale of assault weapons failed on Monday after some of his fellow Democrats balked at the proposal. Senators voted to shelve the bill for the year and ask the state crime commission to study the issue, an outcome that drew cheers from a committee room packed with gun advocates. Four moderate Democrats joined Republicans in Monday's committee vote, rejecting legislation that would have prohibited the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms, including popular AR-15 style rifles, and banned the possession of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds."

~~~~~~~~~~

Russia, Russia, Russia. Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: "Seven months after [Robert] Mueller's marathon testimony brought finality to the Russia investigation, Trump is actively seeking to rewrite the narrative that had been meticulously documented by federal law enforcement and intelligence officials, both for immediate political gain and for history. Turbocharged by his acquittal in the Senate's impeachment trial and confident that he has acquired the fealty of nearly every Republican in Congress, Trump is claiming vindication and exoneration not only over his conduct with Ukraine -- for which the House voted to impeach him -- but also from the other investigations that have dogged his presidency.... Last week alone, Trump called the Russia investigation 'tainted' 'dirty,' 'rotten,' 'illegal,' 'phony,' a 'disgrace,' a 'shakedown,' a 'scam,' 'a fixed hoax' and 'the biggest political crime in American History, by far.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Daniel Chaitin of the Washington Examiner: "One of Robert Mueller's former top prosecutors said the outside prosecutor picked [by AG Bill Barr] to review the case against retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn is a ruse to investigate President Trump's perceived enemies. Andrew Weissmann, a former Justice Department official who was known as Mueller's 'pit bull' during the Russia investigation, said the Justice Department swapped out the 'loser case' of Andrew McCabe, who escaped criminal charges on Friday for allegedly lying to investigators about authorizing media disclosures, for a fresh one targeting top former FBI officials, including McCabe, led by Jeffrey Jensen, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. 'All they did was swapped out a loser case for starting an investigation that is going to be of Comey, McCabe, Pete Strzok,' Weissmann told MSNBC host Chuck Todd.... [Weissmann] said Jensen's appointment was 'interesting' considering that the judge presiding over the Flynn case rejected claims that Flynn was set up by the FBI after seeing the facts about the underlying investigation."

Scott Pelley of CBS News reprises how Trump's fake Crowdstrike conspiracy theory evolved, with help from Vladimir Putin. A "60 Minutes" segment is embedded in the article; Mrs McC: I can't get the video to start.

Get Out! Justin Wise of the Hill: "More than 1,100 former Justice Department (DOJ) officials are calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign in the wake of the DOJ's decision to ask for a shorter prison sentence for Roger Stone.... 'Barr's actions in doing the President's personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words,' the group of ex-officials wrote in a letter shared on Sunday by Protect Democracy, a nonprofit advocacy group. 'Those actions, and the damage they have done to the Department of Justice's reputation for integrity and the rule of law, require Mr. Barr to resign.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Nothing could be more destructive of our system of government, of the rule of law, or Department of Justice as an institution, than any toleration of political interference with the enforcement of the law. -- William Barr, 1991 and 2019 confirmation hearings

~~~ Joyce Vance, in a Time opinion piece: "The President has plainly stated that he does not believe DOJ's criminal work should be free from improper political interference.... So if Barr in fact disagrees with Trump's claim that a President can intervene in criminal prosecutions, including and especially those of his own close friends and associates, he must say so. Silence in the face of so egregious a claim signals agreement.... If Barr truly believes in the rule of law, this is his moment. He can resign to show the country the President is not above the law, but in the more than 48 hours since Trump's tweet [asserting his right to interfere in criminal cases], we've heard nothing from Barr."

OMG! We take time out from our regularly-featured political news & commentary to bring you disturbing news from the society page: ~~~

~~~ New York Times: "Katie Rose Waldman and Stephen Miller, who both work in the Trump White House, were married Feb. 16 at Trump International Hotel in Washington. Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, who is a senior adviser to David Friedman, the United States ambassador to Israel, officiated. Mrs. Miller, 28, is a special assistant to President Trump and the press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence. From November 2017 to February 2019, she served as a spokeswoman for the United States Department of Homeland Security during the tenure of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Mr. Miller 34, is a senior White House adviser, which includes serving as Mr. Trump's top immigration adviser, directly shaping policies that aim to restrict the number of immigrants coming to the country." ~~~

     ~~~ Rishika Dugyala of Politico: "... Donald Trump attended the wedding.... Waldman was also the spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, where she defended the administration's family separations policy and made some controversial comments about immigrants." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: "Controversial comments"? New York Times (Jan. 3, 2019): "Early Tuesday, American border officers sent tear gas, pepper spray and smoke into Mexico when a group of about 150 migrants tried to cross a border barrier.... In an interview, Fernando Duarte, a 22-year-old Honduran, said the tear gas had affected small children, among others. 'That's when people got furious and started throwing rocks, and I joined them,' he said. 'I was so mad they were throwing that gas when they know there were children with us.'... The Associated Press reported that women, children and journalists were affected by the tear gas, and that its journalists saw rocks thrown only after the tear gas was launched." AP (Jan 1, 2019): "'Once again we have had a violent mob of migrants attempt to enter the United States illegally by attacking our agents with projectiles,' said Katie Waldman, a Homeland Security spokeswoman.... Ms. Waldman said the migrants appeared to be trying to stage a photo-op of their actions in front of 'conveniently invited media.'"

Tom Cotton Pushes Chinese Conspiracy Theory. David Edwards of RawStory: "Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) suggested on Sunday the coronavirus, which has killed over 1,000 Chinese citizens, is a biological weapon developed by the Chinese military.... Cotton admitted that he has no evidence that the disease originated [in a] laboratory.... 'We have such laboratories ourselves in the United States, run by our military,' Cotton explained. 'The burden of proof is on the Chinese Communist Party... we do want to err on the side of caution.'" --s (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Cotton has been pushing this "lab-produced" coronavirus conspiracy theory for a couple of weeks, including during a Senate committee hearing. I hope the committee is looking into how Hunter Biden is behind the coronavirus pandemic plot. Cotton has two degrees from Harvard. I wonder if the Harvard poobahs are figuring out that wrapping wingers in sheepskins is hurting the university's reputation as a serious educational institution. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Paulina Firozi of the Washington Post: "... Cotton acknowledged there is no evidence that the disease originated at the lab. Instead, he suggested it's necessary to ask Chinese authorities about the possibility, fanning the embers of a conspiracy theory that has been repeatedly debunked by experts.... Numerous experts dismissed the possibility the coronavirus may be man-made." Firozi cites other instances in which Cotton cited the conspiracy theory & demanded the "communists" disprove it -- even though the theory has effectively been disproved.

Presidential Race

The Houston Chronicle Editors endorse Amy Klobuchar for the Democratic presidential nomination. They cite her exchange with nasty-boy Brett Kavanaugh: "There in that exchange, we see some of what plagues American political discourse and one thing that can save it: a strong leader who can outwit anger, rise above contempt and exercise the good sense to walk us back from the edge rather than push us closer to it.... Above all, Klobuchar has the secret sauce many Democrats prize most: electability. A candidate whose presidential election would make history, her crossover appeal in and of itself packs a powerful punch. Democrats need someone who can stare down a bully while keeping an eye out for the little guy, someone who can grow the ranks, not divide them. Klobuchar is the woman for the job."

Mrs. McCrabbie: I can't access the Dallas Morning News page, but the paper's editors are declining to endorse any presidential candidate in 2020. They say they're endorsing "policy ideas" instead.

Evan Semones of Politico: "... Joe Biden suggested on Sunday that winning South Carolina's primary is of the utmost importance for continuing his beleaguered campaign. Biden was asked by NBC's Chuck Todd on' Meet the Press' whether South Carolina is the former vice president's last chance to make up ground in the 2020 presidential race after he suffered lopsided losses in Iowa and New Hampshire. 'Well, I think I have to do really well in it, but right,' Biden said. Biden added that then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton endured a string of primary losses in 1992 before picking up his first win, saying that upcoming delegate-rich states with demographics that are favorable to him will help make him the frontrunner before the end of March. Clinton lost in Iowa, New Hampshire Maine and South Dakota before securing his first win in Georgia."

David Leonhardt of the New York Times: "Every Democrat to be elected president in the past half century -- Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter -- started as a long shot, as did a couple of Republicans (Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan).... [In this race,] The problem wasn't Biden. It was the way other Democrats overreacted to him."

Got Milk? Shant Shahrigian of the New York Daily News: In Carson City, Nevada, Sen. Bernie Sanders "had just finished introducing his wife Jane O'Meara Sanders as 'the next First Lady' when a woman walked up to the mic and started rambling about subsidies for the dairy industry, video posted to social media showed.... Two topless kindred spirits hopped onstage to join her. They poured milk on themselves and preened around the podium for just a few moments before security took the protesters away.... The presidential candidate seemed to take the interruption in stride, quipping, 'This is Nevada, there's always a little bit of excitement at no extra cost.' [New York City Mayor Bill] de Blasio, who had introduced Sanders minutes earlier..., was seen on video averting his gaze from the stage and walking away as the scene unfolded."

Devan Cole of CNN: "... Pete Buttigieg responded Sunday to Rush Limbaugh's recent homophobic remarks, saying he doesn't take 'lectures on family values' from the conservative radio host...." Mrs. McC: Limbaugh has been married four times and divorced three times. (Also linked yesterday.)

Mrs. McCrabbie: Mike Bloomberg has a remarkable record of saying stupid stuff. Here are a few to add to the list: ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Kaczynski & Em Steck of CNN: "Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg said the final Obamacare bill would do 'absolutely nothing to fix the big health care problems' and also called the program 'a disgrace' in comments made in 2010, just months after the law's passage. Speaking at Dartmouth College in July of that year, Bloomberg added that law was just 'another program that's going to cost a lot more money.'It is just one of several comments from Bloomberg identified by CNN's KFile criticizing the landmark Affordable Care Act in the years following its passage, including saying the bill was 'really dysfunctional' and did nothing to solve rising health care costs. Now, a decade later, as he hopes to become the Democratic presidential nominee, Bloomberg has fully embraced the Affordable Care Act, even proposing an additional 'Medicare-like public option' that builds on the law." ~~~

     ~~~ Natasha Korecki of Politico: "In his final year as New York mayor, Bloomberg compared two groups core to the Democratic base -- a local faction of the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York City teachers union -- to the NRA. 'We don't need extremists on the left or the right running our police department, whether it's the NRA or the NYCLU,' the then-mayor Bloomberg said of the New York Civil Liberties Union, in a 2013 speech in which he defended the city's controversial stop-and-frisk policy." ~~~

     ~~~ In case you missed it over the weekend, here's an edifying Washington Post story by Michael Kranish on Bloomberg's sexist remarks & actions, also linked Sunday & late Saturday. ~~~

~~~ Charles Blow of the New York Times: "It is truly a devastating sight to watch liberals who have winced for years at Donald Trump's issues on wealth, race and women allow fear, propaganda and influence mercenaries to push them into supporting a man who has his own issues concerning wealth, women and race.... It's not as if Democrats don't have viable candidates to choose from, none of whom even come close to the scale of Bloomberg's transgressions.... Many voters have bought into the hopeful, cheerful Bloomberg shown in his barrage of ads.... He has done some admirable work as a private citizen. A private citizen is what he should remain." ~~~

~~~ Evan Semones of Politico: "White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday slammed sexist remarks Michael Bloomberg reportedly made to women who worked for him, saying they are 'far worse' than what ... Donald Trump said on the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tapes." Mrs. McC: For more on the Conway family's opinion of Donald Trump, see what George has to say in the op-ed linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.)

A Florida Man Opens Daytona 500. Michelle Martinelli of USA Today: "... Donald Trump participated in the ceremonial pre-race events at Sunday's Daytona 500, the biggest NASCAR race of the year.... The President was greeted with loud cheers during a pre-race speech.... Trump then served as the race's grand marshal -- only the fourth sitting president to do so for a race at Daytona International Speedway -- giving what's commonly described as the most famous words in motor sports: 'Gentlemen, start your engines.' In recent years, the command traditionally has started with the gender-neutral address 'Drivers,' but there were no women competing in the Daytona 500 this year. After fulfilling this grand marshal duties, the motorcade drove down pit road and around the iconic 2.5-mile race track, with the 40-car field and the pace car behind it, which was a first for a sitting president." ~~~

~~~ Daniel Dale of CNN: "... Donald Trump's campaign manager deleted a tweet featuring a dramatic photo of Air Force One at the Daytona 500 after users pointed out that the shot was from President George W. Bush's visit to the NASCAR race in 2004, not from Trump's visit on Sunday. Brad Parscale tweeted the 2004 photo, which shows Air Force One rising above packed stands at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, and wrote, '.@realDonaldTrump won the #Daytona500 before the race even started.'" Mrs. McC: Yeah, 16 years before the race event started.

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