The Commentariat -- February 6, 2020

Afternoon Update:

Nolan McCaskill & Zack Motellaro of Politico: "The leader of the Democratic National Committee called for an immediate recanvass of the Iowa caucuses Thursday, dealing another blow to Iowa's reputation and further extending an already delayed process to tally votes from Monday night. DNC Chairman Tom Perez's announcement came shortly before Bernie Sanders claimed victory Thursday in a race that officially remains too close to call. 'Enough is enough,' Perez tweeted. 'In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass.' The parallel developments underscored the chaos that has gripped the party in the aftermath of Iowa's caucus debacle.... In a defiant statement, however, the Iowa Democratic Party made no mention of the the DNC's request for a recanvass. 'While I fully acknowledge that the reporting circumstances on Monday night were unacceptable, we owe it to the thousands of Iowa Democratic volunteers and caucusgoers to remain focused on collecting and reviewing incoming results,' said Troy Price, the state party chairman. 'Should any presidential campaign in compliance with the Iowa Delegate Selection Plan request a recanvass, the IDP [Iowa Democratic Party] ... will audit the paper records of report, as provided by the precinct chairs and signed by representatives of presidential campaigns.'"

Mrs. McCrabbie: I saw only three minutes of Trump's victory speech. I thought he sounded NUTS even though he wasn't drooling and screaming in that moment. Then I read this by unwashed in today's Comments: "Made myself watch the display by the Orange Menace. All I can say is Oh-My-Geebus.... It'll likely be used in training future mental health experts." So I guess any sample snippet will do. Okay, let's see if the pros clean up Trump's act, as they usually do. ~~~

~~~ Peter Baker of the New York Times: "At a jampacked ceremony in the East Room of the White House that veered back and forth between celebration and condemnation, the president complained about the 'crooked politics' that had resulted in his impeachment and trial on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. In addition to Democrats and other favorite targets, he singled out Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, the only Republican to vote for conviction. 'It was evil,' Mr. Trump told the roomful of supporters from Congress and his administration in a long, rambling, stream-of-consciousness talk, tossing aside the text that had been so carefully prepared for him by his staff.... He reviewed the long litany of investigations against him over the last three years, dismissing them all as nothing more than partisan efforts to take him down and suggesting that the 'top scum' at the F.B.I. had plotted to stop him from serving as president." ~~~

~~~ Caitlin Oprysko of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Thursday unloaded on his perceived political enemies, declaring that the investigations into him have been 'all bullshit' in a sprawling and teleprompter-free address at the White House less than a day after senators acquitted him on two articles of impeachment.... He lit into his antagonizers from the opulent East Room, lobbing verbal attacks at everyone from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), and calling them 'some very evil and sick people.' He singled out Utah Sen. Mitt Romney ... and Hunter Biden, the son of the former vice president.... The hourlong stemwinder was also littered with doting anecdotes and praise for the president's allies, including at one point a reenactment of the 2017 shooting of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and a compliment of GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik's appearance." ~~~

~~~ John Wagner, et al., of the Washington Post have numerous entries on what-all Trump said. This is an update of a report linked earlier.

Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "An indignant Nancy Pelosi signaled Thursday she was in no mood to reconcile with President Trump and his congressional Republican allies a day after the Senate voted to acquit him of impeachment charges. Instead, the House speaker launched into a fierce attack on Trump's State of the Union address, his record on the economy and health care, his response to the months-long impeachment process and the swipes he leveled Thursday morning at the National Prayer Breakfast targeting the faith of his political enemies. And the California Democrat defended her decision to publicly tear up a copy of Trump's speech Tuesday night in the moments after he concluded his speech, saying she did not 'need any lessons from anybody, especially the president of the United States, about dignity.'"

Nate Cohn, et al., of the New York Times: "The results released by the Iowa Democratic Party on Wednesday were riddled with inconsistencies and other flaws. According to a New York Times analysis, more than 100 precincts reported results that were internally inconsistent, that were missing data or that were not possible under the complex rules of the Iowa caucuses. In some cases, vote tallies do not add up. In others, precincts are shown allotting the wrong number of delegates to certain candidates. And in at least a few cases, the Iowa Democratic Party's reported results do not match those reported by the precincts.... Not all of the errors are minor, and they raise questions about whether the public will ever get a completely precise account of the Iowa results." ~~~

~~~ Ben Collins, et al., of NBC News: "The phone number to report Iowa caucus results was posted on a fringe internet message board on Monday night along with encouragement to 'clog the lines,' an indication that jammed phone lines that left some caucus managers on hold for hours may have in part been due to prank calls. An Iowa Democratic Party official said the influx of calls to the reporting hotline included 'supporters of President Trump who called to express their displeasure with the Democratic Party.' The party official's comment were first reported late Wednesday by Bloomberg News. Users on a politics-focused section of the fringe 4chan message board repeatedly posted the phone number for the Iowa Democratic Party, which was found by a simple Google search, both as screenshots and in plain text, alongside instructions." Related stories linked below.

Jon Keller of CBS Boston: "Bernie Sanders continues to lead the field [in New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary] with 25%, but [Pete] Buttigieg is closing in with a 19% showing, his best yet in our poll. Joe Biden dropped three points from last night to 12%, and Elizabeth Warren is holding steady at 11%. Looking deeper into the crosstabs, Buttigieg appears to be siphoning voters away from Biden in a couple of key areas. He's up by four among women while Biden is down by four, with a similar scenario among registered Democrats, a crucial demo for Biden. Sanders continues to hold steady but is showing no signs of growth.... Keep in mind that this poll has a margin of error of 4.4% and the race remains quite fluid, with 14% undecided and 43% saying they could change their minds before voting day next Tuesday...."

Hunter Moyler of Newsweek: "New poll results from Morning Consult released Monday showed all five of the leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination defeating ... Donald Trump in hypothetical match-ups. Mike Bloomberg ... had the greatest lead over Trump. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they would vote for him if he were nominated to run against Trump, while 40 percent said they would vote for Trump and 13 percent were undecided." Mrs. McC: What this poll means to me is that Bloomberg, because he has been advertising in a lot of states, has higher name recognition than some of the other Democratic candidates.

~~~~~~~~~~

It's 4:42. How long before tweets start claiming total exoneration? -- unwashed, in yesterday's Comments

Today, the sham impeachment attempt concocted by Democrats ended in the full vindication and exoneration of President Donald J. Trump. -- White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, in a statement issued Wednesday at about 5:20 pm ET (Emphasis added.)

So less than an hour. -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie

The President has been impeached forever. -- Nancy Pelosi, in a statement Wednesday

God's Will. John Wagner of the Washington Post @9:20 am ET: "Trump used his remarks to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington to attack Democrats responsible for his impeachment and to praise Senate Republicans who voted to acquit him Wednesday. 'As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president has been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people,' Trump said, as [Nancy] Pelosi sat on the dais at an annual event that draws lawmakers and others in the spirit of reconciliation and bridge-building. 'They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing very badly hurt our nation. They know what they are doing is wrong, but they put themselves far ahead of our great country.'...Trump seemed to target both Pelosi, who has said on several occasions that she prays for him, and [Mitt] Romney, who cited his faith as a factor in voting to remove Trump from office. '"I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong,' Trump said. 'Nor do I like people who say, "I pray for you," when they know that that's not so.'"

Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump boasted of his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial during an appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, showing off newspaper headlines that blared the news. As Trump entered the room at the Washington Hilton and went to take his seat, he smiled and held up copies of USA Today and The Washington Post, each bearing headlines about the Senate's verdict." Mrs. McC: This is shocking. How did Trump get a copy of the WashPo? I thought he cancelled his subscription & banned federal agencies from subscribing, too.

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "The Senate acquitted President Trump on Wednesday of charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress, as Republicans turned back an election-year attempt by House Democrats to remove him from office for pressuring a foreign power to incriminate his political rivals. The tally for conviction fell far below the 67-vote threshold necessary for removal and neither article of impeachment garnered even a simple majority. The first article, abuse of power, was rejected 48 to 52, and the second, obstruction of Congress, was defeated 47 to 53. Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, was the only member to break with his party, voting to remove Mr. Trump from office." The Guardian's story, by Tom McCarthy, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Neal Katyal & Joshua Geltzer in a New York Times op-ed: "The vote to acquit President Trump was a dark day for the Senate. Uninterested in hearing from witnesses (and likely scared by what they would say), uncritical of outrageous legal arguments made by the president's lawyers and apparently unconcerned about the damage Mr. Trump has done to the integrity of America's elections, a majority of senators insisted on looking the other way and letting him off the hook for a classic impeachable offense: abuse of public office for private gain.... But ... This impeachment ... was a process, and that process yielded a public education of extraordinary value." (Also linked yesterday.)

Andrew Napolitano of Fox "News": "The Senate impeachment trial of President Trump ended not with a bang but a whimper.... And in its wake is a Congress ceding power to the presidency, almost as if the states had ratified a constitutional amendment redefining the impeachment language to permit a president to engage in high crimes and misdemeanors so long as he believes that they are in the national interest and so long as his party has an iron-clad grip on the Senate.... Trump will luxuriate in his victory. But the personal victory for him is a legal assault on the Constitution. The president has taken an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. Instead, he has trashed it." --s

nbsp;    ~~~ Thanks to PD Pepe for the link. ~~~

~~~ Mitt Stands Alone -- the Sole Republican Patriot. Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said he would vote to convict President Trump on the impeachment charge of abuse of power, describing his actions as an 'appalling abuse of public trust.' In a stunning break with his party, Romney became the first Republican to say that he would find Trump guilty of an impeachment charge, with his remarks coming just hours before the Senate was set to vote. 'The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did,' Romney said in remarks on the Senate floor. Not a single GOP senator was in attendance for Romney's somber remarks on the floor and only a few Democrats were on hand in the chamber." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Burgess Everett of Politico: "Mitt Romney brought a stunning twist to the end of ... Donald Trump's impeachment trial: A bipartisan vote to convict the president on charges of abuse of power. The Wednesday announcement by the Utah Republican made him the only member of the GOP to break with the president and his party on the crucial question of whether Trump deserved to be removed from office. The 2012 Republican nominee said he was left with no other options, regardless of the volcanic reaction instantly delivered by some of the president's supporters." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Sonam Sheth of Business Insider: "Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah caught the White House -- and the rest of Washington -- by surprise when he announced Wednesday that he will vote to convict ... Donald Trump of one of the two charges against him following a bitter impeachment trial.... Within minutes of [Romney's] Senate floor speech, the White House canceled a closed-door meeting between Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido in the Oval Office that reporters were invited to attend. Romney also did several media interviews about his decision to convict Trump that dropped right after he made the announcement. But The Los Angeles Times' Eli Stokols reported that the White House was not informed of any of the interviews before they were published." ~~~

     ~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "No senator ever voted to remove a president of his party from office. Until Mitt Romney.... What's particularly remarkable about Romney's decision is the political environment in which it comes. Congress is much more polarized now than it was for the Johnson or Clinton impeachments. So is the electorate: Data from Gallup released on the day Trump's impeachment trial began show that the gap in approval of Trump between the parties is wider than it has been for any president on record.... Also noteworthy: The total in favor of Trump's acquittal is itself entirely partisan. Only Republicans voted Trump not guilty on the impeachment charges -- the first time no members of the opposing party have voted with the president. The votes to convict will come from Democrats, independents and a Republican." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ You can watch Romney's full speech here. ~~~

     ~~~ Adam Schiff, Jerrold Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Hakeem Jeffries, Val Demings, Sylvia Garcia & Jason Crow in a Washington Post op-ed: "... the president's defenders resorted to a radical theory that would validate his worst, most authoritarian instincts. They argued that a president cannot abuse his power, no matter how corrupt his conduct, if he believes it will benefit his reelection.... When we made our final arguments to the Senate, we asked whether there was one Republican senator who would say enough, do impartial justice as their oath required, and convict the president. And there was. Mitt Romney. The senator from Utah showed a level of moral courage that validated the Founders' faith that we were up to the rigors of self-governance."

Alexander Bolton: "Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat whose home state of West Virginia gave President Trump his biggest margin of victory in 2016, said he would vote Wednesday with other Senate Democrats to convict the president on two articles of impeachment. 'The charges brought against President Trump are serious and carry grave consequences for our nation,' he said. 'The evidence presented by the House Managers, including video testimony of witnesses under oath in the House of Representatives, clearly supports the charges brought against the President in the articles of impeachment,' he added. Manchin's decision is a setback for Trump who was hoping to be able to point to a bipartisan acquittal in the Senate trial." (Also linked yesterday.)

Rebecca Klar of the Hill: "Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) said she would vote to to convict President Trump on both House impeachment charges, stating shortly before the Senate vote that the facts were clear that Trump had withheld security aid from Ukraine for personal gain. 'Today, I vote to approve both articles, as my highest duty, and my greatest love, is to our nation's Constitution,' Sinema said in a statement first shared with The Arizona Republic." (Also linked yesterday.)

Profile in Courage (Even though Jones Says It Isn't). Jordain Carney of the Hill: "Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), viewed as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat running in November, said on Wednesday that he will vote to convict President Trump on both articles of impeachment. 'After many sleepless nights, I have reluctantly concluded that the evidence is sufficient to convict the President for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress,' he said in a statement. Jones's announcement comes hours before the Senate's votes on the two House-passed articles of impeachment: abuse of power over the delayed Ukraine aid and obstructing Congress's investigations into those actions." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Ryan Goodman of Just Security: "A bipartisan majority of senators -- including at least six Republicans -- concluded that the House Managers proved their central case and that what the president did was wrong. As a result, Trump's claim of 'Exoneration!' should ring hollow.... That includes: Senators Lamar Alexander, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman, Mitt Romney, and Ben Sasse." As evidence, Goodman republishes statements these senators made. He adds, Mitch's backroom coordination with the White House throughout the trial has been revealed.... If this were a regular courtroom, it would be deemed a mistrial and the verdict void." Emphasis original. ~~~

~~~ Seung Min Kim of the Washington Post: "In a lunch with news anchors Tuesday, Trump was asked about [Sen. Susan] Collins's contention that he had learned a lesson during impeachment. The president insisted that he had done nothing wrong: 'It was a perfect call.'"

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in a New York Times op-ed: "In private, many of my [Republican] colleagues agree that the president is reckless and unfit. They admit his lies. And they acknowledge what he did was wrong. They know this president has done things Richard Nixon never did. And they know that more damning evidence is likely to come out.... I have asked some of them, 'If the Senate votes to acquit, what will you do to keep this president from getting worse?' Their responses have been shrugs and sheepish looks. They will not say that they are afraid.... But history does not look kindly on politicians who cannot fathom a fate worse than losing an upcoming election. They might claim fealty to their cause -- those tax cuts -- but often it's a simple attachment to power that keeps them captured by fear." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Forgotten 69 Million Americans. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "Over the course of the impeachment trial of President Trump, one figure was frequently invoked by his defenders: 63 million.... Those 63 million people, the people who backed Trump in the 2016 presidential contest, were presented as being at risk of having their presidential vote thrown out. For the Senate to vote to convict Trump on the charges presented by the House would be nothing short of an undoing of the election that brought Trump to power, his attorneys argued.... What that calculus ignores, of course, is that Trump is not the only person who serves with a mandate of voters.... Nearly 69 million votes were cast for senators who supported removing Trump from office based on that first article of impeachment, about 12 million more votes than were received by senators who opposed his removal." Mrs. McC: And for some reason the nearly 66 million who voted for Hillary Clinton never get a mention either.

Cristina Marcos of the Hill: "House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that it is 'likely' that the House will issue a subpoena to President Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton>." (Also linked yesterday.)

"I Believe." George Conway, in a Washington Post op-ed, proves he has a sense of humor: "I believe the Senate is right to acquit the president. I believe a fair trial is one with no witnesses, and that the trial was therefore fair. I believe the House was unfair because it found evidence against him. I believe that if the president does something that he believes will get himself reelected, that's in the public interest and can't be the kind of thing that results in impeachment. I believe former national security adviser John Bolton has no relevant testimony because he didn't leave the White House on good terms. I believe the president's call was perfect. I believe he is deeply concerned about corruption in Ukraine. I believe the president can find Ukraine on a map." And so forth. Worth a read. Thanks to MAG for the link.

Some Emoluments of Impeachment. Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "Well, where else were they going to go?One mile from the scene of President Trump's acquittal in his impeachment trial, members of his defense team, family and administration gathered Wednesday evening at the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington."

Caroline Kelly of CNN: "Two Republican Senate committee chairmen requested Hunter Biden's travel information from when his father, Joe Biden, was vice president from the Secret Service director on Wednesday following the Senate's vote to acquit in the impeachment trial of ... Donald Trump. Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, announced in a letter to Secret Service Director James Murray that their panels 'are reviewing potential conflicts of interest posed by the business activities of Hunter Biden and his associates during the Obama administration.'"

Anne Gearan & Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post: "White House national security adviser Robert C. O'Brien asserted Wednesday that President Trump had not sought Ukrainian help investigating former vice president Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, despite evidence to the contrary. Trump expressly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to 'look into' the Biden family during the July 25 phone call that played a central role in House Democrats decision to impeach the president for allegedly pressuring a foreign ally to investigate his domestic political rival.... 'Look, I'm not aware of any request the president made to investigate the Bidens per se. I think what the president wanted done was he wanted the Ukrainians to investigate corruption in the Ukraine and he made that very clear,' O'Brien said before an audience of ambassadors and reporters at the Meridian International Center."

Matt Gertz of Media Matters: "It is ... revealing that it was Trump who awarded [Rush] Limbaugh the medal [of freedom]. You can draw a straight line between Limbaugh's rise to prominence and his acceptance by the Republican establishment and the president's own conquest of the party.... Limbaugh's career shows that by relying on a toxic slurry of bigotry, conspiracy theories, smears, and right-wing talking points, you can win a massive audience of devoted fans who will shower you with lucre and hang on your every word.... Once that standard was set in right-wing media, it was only a matter of time before a political entrepreneur tested the same mix in a national political context." --s

Scott Wong & Christina Marcos of the Hill: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday trashed President Trump's raucous State of the Union address while huddling with rank-and-file Democrats, and explained why she dramatically ripped up his speech as he wrapped up his remarks. 'He shredded the truth so I shredded his speech,' Pelosi told House Democrats during a closed-door caucus meeting, according to sources in the room. Like she did the night before, she called his 90-minute address 'a manifesto of mistruths.' 'You are supposed to talk about the State of the Union,' Pelosi continued, 'not the State of your alleged mind.' Trump, Pelosi said, 'disrespected' the House chamber and used it as a 'backdrop for a reality show ... to give a speech that had no connection with reality.... 'About a quarter through [the speech] I thought, "You know -- he's selling a bill of goods like a snake oil salesman. We cannot let this stand,"' she said. 'So, somewhere along the way realizing what was coming, I started to stack my papers in a way that were tear-able.'" ~~~

On #LSSC tonight: Nancy Pelosi figured out what to do with the ripped up State of the Union speech. pic.twitter.com/Uv0CWdCPMS

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) February 6, 2020

~~~ Cease & Desist. Morgan Gstalter of the Hill: "A former writer for 'The Simpsons' on Wednesday ripped Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for using a snapshot from the show to knock Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saying 'please do not ever ever ever use Simpsons material in your twitter or watch the show or refer to it in any way.' Bill Oakley, along with his writing partner Josh Weinstein, was the executive producer and showrunner during the seventh and eighth seasons of the long-running animated sitcom. He took to Twitter after President Trump's State of the Union to make the request of Pompeo, who tweeted an image of Lisa Simpson tearfully ripping up a sheet of paper -- an apparent dig at Pelosi after the Speaker tore a copy of the president's speech at the end of the address Tuesday night."

Nina Lakhani of the Guardian: "At least 200 Salvadoran migrants and asylum seekers have been killed, raped or tortured after being deported back to El Salvador by the United States government which is turning a blind eye to widely known dangers, a new investigation reveals. Human Rights Watch has documented 138 deported Salvadorans murdered by gang members, police, soldiers, death squads and ex-partners between 2013 and 2019. The majority were killed within two years of deportation by the same perpetrators they had tried to escape by seeking safety in the US.... Amid widespread terror and impunity [in El Salvador], the number of Salvadorans fleeing has soared, with asylum applicants in the US increasing by almost 1,000% in five years to 60,000 in 2017, according to UN figures." --s

The New York Times has the latest results of the Iowa caucuses here. As of about 11:45 pm ET Wednesday, with 97% reported, "A new batch of results from the Iowa Democrats has almost eliminated Pete Buttigieg's narrow lead over Bernie Sanders in state delegate equivalents.... The margin between Buttigieg and Sanders [in the delegate apportionment] is now one-tenth of a percentage point." Sanders has expanded his lead in the actual vote counts, too; he is nearly 6,000 votes ahead in the "first vote" count & more than 2,500 ahead in the "final vote" count. The AP is still calling the race too close to call.

We are in the process of waiting for the mail to arrive. -- Troy Price, Iowa Democratic party chair, explaining how caucus votes were being tallied

Exactly how does that process work, Troy? Does it mean sitting on a stool by the mailbox? Occasionally sending clerks to the post office? How much staff did you allocate to the process? What sort of job training is required for the process? Or are you leaving this important process to untrained volunteers? -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie ~~~

~~~ Trip Gabriel & Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "Iowa Democratic officials said on a private conference call on Wednesday night that nearly all the much-delayed results of Monday's caucuses would be released by Thursday, although a few precincts might remain outstanding. The reason? Tally sheets had been dropped into snail mail. Party leaders revealed new details of how the reporting process went calamitously awry.... Besides an untested, buggy smartphone app that was used for the first time, a backup hotline number for caucus organizers to call in results was flooded with nuisance calls after the number was disseminated on social media, party leaders said. 'All the Trump people from around the country started calling and tearing everybody a new one,' Ken Sager, the Iowa Democratic Party treasurer, told members of the party's central committee...." ~~~

~~~ Tyler Pager & Jennifer Epstein of Bloomberg: "Supporters of President Donald Trump flooded a hotline used by Iowa precinct chairs to report Democratic caucus results after the telephone number was posted online, worsening delays in the statewide tally, a top state Democrat told party leaders on a conference call Wednesday night.... The phone number became public after people posted photos of caucus paperwork that included the hotline number, one of the people on the call said." (article firewalled) --s

     ~~~ A Daily Beast summary report is here.

Katie Glueck, et al., of the New York Times: Joe "Biden's performance in the Iowa caucuses on Monday dealt a damaging blow to the former vice president; with over 90 percent of the results counted by Wednesday night, he trailed Pete Buttigieg and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, with Senator Amy Klobuchar not far behind. 'I am not going to sugarcoat it,' Mr. Biden said Wednesday as he campaigned in New Hampshire. 'We took a gut punch in Iowa.'... He now faces jittery donors, an uncertain landscape in upcoming Democratic contests and a sharp challenge to the central argument of his campaign message: that he is the party's strongest candidate to win a general election.... Mr. Biden spent ... weeks grappling with the best way to respond to the Ukraine controversy. And party officials continued to describe his Iowa organization as scattershot...." ~~~

~~~ Natasha Korecki & Marc Caputo of Politico: "Joe Biden's campaign has parted ways with its Iowa field director, two days after the former vice president came in an embarrassing fourth place in the primary caucus state. Adrienne Bogen, who headed field operations for Biden, will not stay on the campaign, even as other members of senior leadership were asked to head to other early states or to assist in Super Tuesday operations. According to several sources within the campaign, Bogen is the first staff casualty following Biden's disappointing showing in the state."

Ted Nesi of WPRI Providence, R.I.: "Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Bloomberg and [Rhode Island] Gov. Gina Raimondo played it coy Wednesday about whether she could be his running mate, after she became the first governor in the country to endorse the former New York City mayor. Bloomberg traveled to Providence to join Raimondo at a well-attended rally in the Wexford Innovation Complex, where she announced she will serve as a co-chair of his campaign. The two began their morning at the vegan eatery Plant City, then walked to the event across Providence's new pedestrian bridge -- giving Bloomberg's campaign ad team a made-for-TV visual."

** Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Attorney General William P. Barr issued new restrictions on Wednesday over the opening of politically sensitive investigations, an effort meant to avoid upending the presidential election as the F.B.I. inadvertently did in 2016 when its campaign inquiries shaped the outcome of the race. The order by Mr. Barr, announced in a memo reviewed by The New York Times, comes after a scathing report by the inspector general that showed how F.B.I. agents did not follow protocols and falsified information in their bid to investigate Carter Page, a former Trump campaign associate.... The memo said that the F.B.I. and all other divisions under the department's purview must get Mr. Barr's approval before investigating any of the 2020 presidential candidates.... He previewed the new policy at a news conference in January, when he said his approval would be required in future investigations involving presidential candidates or campaigns.... Mr. Barr is the first [attorney general] to require that the F.B.I. consult with the Justice Department before opening politically charged investigations." ~~~

     ~~~ A Hill summary report is here. Rachel Maddow had the story first. ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: 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.

All that said, here's most of what you have to know of the news of the week:

Way Beyond the Beltway

Juan Cole: "Nothing could have been a better gift to Iran in the region than the Kushner Apartheid.... In fact, since Iran stands so forcefully for the Palestinians, and the entire Arab League voted to reject the Kushner Apartheid entirely, this issue was a godsend for Iran in the Middle East generally. It put the Saudis, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt -- all foes of Iran whose populations are very pro-Palestinian, in a very difficult population. As American allies, they look as though they are helping Jared Kushner screw over their own people." --s

Comments

[safari]

Why can't the House drag Bill Barr in and have him explain all of his fingers and so many cookie jars? He's gone way beyomd the "appearance" of conflicts of interests in multiple affairs, and Dems are....shrugging? WTF? Why? He's literally the bag man.

[Procopius]

Good Grief! As if Bloomberg doesn't have enough in his past record (stop and frisk), surely some people remember who Gina Raimondo is (Pension allegations against R.I. Gov. Raimondo have nine lives) If you think Hunter Biden (and the rest of the family) is a problem for his father, just imagine those old charges of conflict of interest being dredged up.

When the head of the Iowa Democratic Party announced that the results of the caucuses would not be announced "because of discrepancies in the data," my first thought was of Karl Rove melting down because the vote in Ohio was not coming out the way it was supposed to. Then it turned out Bernie supporters at every single precinct had made a copy of the results at that precinct, and were going to compare the results the IDP posted to their copies. Suddenly, it's going to take three days to collect and analyze the data. Is it any wonder people lack confidence in out electoral systems?

[PD Pepe]

Our "Mittens"of yore has become the hero out-standing alone in his field of dunces knee high to an ass-grabbing, fatuous, fat Fart.

His father would be proud––George Romney stood for that something we call honor and integrity before it got lost in the shuffle.

It has been reported by Chris Murphy who was one of only three others listening to Mitt's speech that he and another wept openly–-"we were that moved."

And I wonder––does Mitt ever think of that dinner (frog legs on the menu) he had with Trump who was toying with Mitt re: a Vice position; a real in your face kind of maneuver. Much for Mitt is because of his "deeply religious" faith but way down deep I hope the memory of that frog leg operation pops up now and again.

[Akhilleus]

The Emperor Fatty, shortly, shall deign to speak to the plebeians and his vassals in the Trumpy controlled senate which has redefined the word “quisling”. If the liar sports a lyre, watch out. He’s getting ready to burn down the parts of the empire that displease his Royal person, if so, McTurtle will hand him the match. Lackey Graham will offer his backside on which to strike the match into flaming existence. They shall look upon the burning embers of the Republic and chortle with glee as the emperor plots his revenge against those who would force him to acknowledge that he is not a god on the throne. If this sounds overly hyperbolic, it’s not.

[Akhilleus]

Meantime, Democrats still have not learned how to count.

Americus delenda est?

[Ken Winkes]

To distract from today's awfulness (the fourth day of soaking rains here adding their load of depression to the news), read a little about Kirk Douglas in the NYTimes.

Of course reading often provokes reflection and reflection, comments, so sent this:

"Much I didn't know here, and as I just learned much to admire in a life about which I knew nothing but the image projected on the screen.

That's always the way it is. As we hurry through the years, we miss much of the background of those fleeting images, on screen and off, that flicker past our otherwise occupied lives. Thanks for filling in some of the blanks.

Much to admire here, the actor and man, and much to ponder about how things have changed. Was particularly taken by that Presidential Medal of Freedom President Carter awarded him and couldn't help but contrast it with the "Freee-dumb"* awards handed out by our current president and speculate about what that contrast means.

On the one hand, Douglas, a man with a lifetime of real accomplishment, who spent many of his last years sharing the fruits of his success with others not so fortunate.

On the other, Rush Limbaugh, who made his good living being loud, dishonest and mean. Can't help but think there''s a lesson in here somewhere."

And now I'm back where I started and it's still raining.

*thanks Bea and others.

[Bobby Lee]

In reaction to the horrors we have just committed on an innocent man Bald Ricky, aka Sen Rick Scott, PoT Fl) wants to amend the constitution so as to make impeachment more difficult.

[Ken Winkes]

More comments on Kirk Douglas have been posted responding to the NYTimes article I read, some reporting his his alleged rape of a teen Natalie Wood. Hooboy! Heros are hard to come by.

As I said, we miss so much. Sometimes I wish I missed more.

Now I'm even more depressed, and since you asked, yes, it's still raining.

[Akhilleus]

During impeachment proceedings, Fatty and his confederate guards complained mightily that he wasn’t be given the proper consideration he should be in a courtroom trial. Even though it was nothing of the sort, they all kept up this whiny complaint.

Okay then. Courtroom trial it is.

In which case there was a hung jury. There is no acquittal, complete and total or otherwise. It’s a mistrial. No decision.

How you like that, you fat fuck?

But calling these cherry picking chiselers and traitors intellectually dishonest is like calling the voyage of the Pequod less than successful.

May these sleazy cowards all be pulled down by the fat Moby Dickless they fawn over so obsequiously.

And calling this an acquittal is like Napoleon graciously accepting the title of emperor. Which he offered himself. If he had to, Fatty would have invaded the Senate chamber and pronounced himself “not guilty”.

[unwashed]

Made myself watch the display by the Orange Menace. All I can say is Oh-My-Geebus. If you haven't, do so just to see it for yourself - kinda like forcing yourself to watch Pink Flamingoes.

It'll likely be used in training future mental health experts.

[Ken Winkes]

Lashed out yesterday at quisling Rob Portman's NYTimes piece.

The Sherrod Brown piece followed later in in the day and I thanked him with this:

"Thank you, Senator Brown. What a refreshing contrast you offer to your junior Ohio colleague, Senator Portman. Unlike him, you did the right thing, so you don't have to offer lame excuses for perfidy as he did in this morning's Times.

The truth you tell is, of course, undeniable. You mention absence of spine, but I'm guessing there will also be many downcast eyes when you meet some of these Senate cowards face to face in the next few weeks.

BTW, I'm sure you had good reason to stay out of the presidential fray, but I wanted you to know that had you jumped in, you would have had my support from the get go."

Interestingly, the comment was just posted, and I can see why. More than 4500 heaped praise in Senator Brown.

A bottleneck of well-deserved encomium.

[Ken Winkes]

The Pretender, running for re-election in North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, etc.

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/06/803351058/trump-administration-suspends-new-yorkers-from-trusted-traveler-programs

If you're asking how low can he go, he still has ten months...

[PD Pepe]

I watched the whole of Trump's congratulatory session to all who helped him get away with impeachable actions. He's an expert at drawing these morally deficient, desperately needy people under his umbrella. How they smile and clap and when recognized for their prowess stand up and take a bow. This man, Trump, is a masterful monster of high end manipulation and for the first time I felt we don't have a chance. He and his goon squad are going to destroy Sanders, Warren, Pete and Biden they'll have for lunch. We no longer have anything resembling a normal ways and means––it's mean and it's their way and it's gonna be dirty.

So I hate to say this––but Bloomberg might just be the one person who could––with all his money and clout and connections––save the day.

and Ken––it was raining here, too––all day.