The Commentariat -- February 11, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Time for Some Traffic Problems in Manchester, N.H. AP: "Eager to put on a show of force in a general-election battleground state..., Donald Trump tried to rattle Democrats on Monday with a rally in New Hampshire on the eve of the state's first-in-the-nation primaries.... Before leaving Washington, Trump said he had planned the rally to rattle Democrats and demonstrate his strength in the state before the primary vote.... Advisers also hoped that Secret Service moves in downtown Manchester to secure the area for the president's arrival would also make it harder for Democratic candidates and their supporters to transverse the state's largest city in the hours before the primary's first votes are cast, according to Trump campaign officials not authorized to discuss internal deliberations publicly." Emphasis added.

Kate Brannen of Just Security: Just Security obtained a number of unredacted emails from the Office of Budget & Management previously released on Jan. 22 in highly-redacted form, "under the condition that they not be reprinted. Similar to the unredacted emails Just Security reported on in January, these new emails shed further light on the standoff that took place between the Pentagon and OMB over Trump's hold on Ukraine funding. They confirm that OMB, including the general counsel's office, was fully in the loop about the Pentagon's concerns and took active steps to bury them. They also expose the extent to which OMB misled, and even lied to, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a congressional investigative body, as the GAO tried to understand the circumstances surrounding the funding hold. To this day, and through these redacted documents, OMB is continuing its efforts to keep its knowledge of the Pentagon's legal worries a secret, blacking out the portions of the emails where DoD officials voiced their concerns and where OMB staffers acknowledged them. The Washington Post reported earlier this month that [OMB general counsel Mark] Paoletta reviewed the redactions before the documents were released.

Blackburn Blocks Election Bill to Rein in Trump's Cheating. Jordain Carney of the Hill: "Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats to unanimously pass three election security-related bills Tuesday, marking the latest attempt to clear legislation ahead of the November elections. Democrats tried to get consent to pass two bills that require campaigns to alert the FBI and Federal Election Commission (FEC) about foreign offers of assistance, as well as legislation to provide more election funding and ban voting machines from being connected to the internet. But Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) opposed each of the requests. Under the Senate's rules, any one senator can ask for unanimous consent to pass a bill, but any one senator can object and block their requests."

Trump Has Learned His Lesson, Ctd.

Prosecutor Proposes, Trump Disposes. Matt Zapotosky, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department plans to reduce its sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of President Trump, after top officials professed to be blindsided by the seven-to-nine-year penalty prosecutors urged a judge to impose, a senior Justice Department official said Tuesday. In a stunning rebuke of career prosecutors that immediately raised questions about political interference in the case, a senior Justice Department official said the department 'was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation in the Roger Stone case last night. That recommendation is not what had been briefed to the department,' the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.... The statement came hours after Trump tweeted about the sentence prosecutors recommended, saying: 'This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!' The senior Justice Department official, though, said the decision to revise prosecutors' recommendation came before Trump's tweet." Mrs. McC: Yeah, right. So what now? Thirty days of home detention. ~~~

~~~ Dan Friedman of Mother Jones: "Following news of the Justice Department's plan to reduce its recommendation, Aaron Zelinsky, who investigated Stone under special counsel Robert Mueller and helped to prosecute the case, filed a 'notice of withdrawal' as government counsel in the case. A footnote the filing says that Zelinsky .... 'has resigned effective immediately' from his job as Special Assistant United States Attorney for District of Columbia." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: According to the New York Times, Zelinsky "withdrew from the case. He also resigned from a special assignment with the United States attorney's office in Washington, though he will continue to work for the Justice Department in Baltimore." CNN is reporting @ about 5 pm ET, that two other prosecutors have resigned from the case and the DOJ has filed a brief with the court recommending a lesser sentence but not specifying that new recommended sentence. Former Govs. Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.) & John Kasich (R-Ohio) expressed outrage on a CNN roundtable. ~~~

     ~~~ John Kruzel of the Hill: "Three of the four Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors who recommended Roger Stone be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison left the case Tuesday after top officials sought to reduce their sentencing request. In a one-sentence filing to the U.S. District Court, prosecutor Timothy J. Shea withdrew from the case. He followed two others, lawyer Jonathan Kravis and prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky. Kravis left the DOJ entirely, announcing his resignation as an assistant U.S. attorney. The three were involved in providing the initial sentencing guidance for Stone. But in a rebuke to the career prosecutors, the DOJ on Tuesday told the judge in the case to apply 'far less' to Stone's sentence. 'The government respectfully submits that a sentence of incarceration far less than 87 to 108 months' imprisonment would be reasonable under the circumstances,' the DOJ wrote in a memo late Tuesday afternoon." Update: According to CNN, now all four federal prosecutors have resigned from the case. ~~~

~~~ Marcy Wheeler: "... after DOJ recommended what Roger Stone's own memo makes clear is a a guidelines sentence yesterday, top DOJ officials almost certainly named Bill Barr have objected and announced they're going to lower the recommendation. I believe the brazenness of this fight may be a reflection of the damaging information Roger Stone may have about Trump's own conduct.... Bill Barr was brought in as AG to bury abundant evidence that Trump was personally involved in efforts to maximize the Russian operation, to deny all the ways that Trump did cheat to win. From his initial misleading claims in the wake of the report's release, he was always suppressing the centrality of Roger Stone in all this." ~~~

~~~ Other experts react with horror. ~~~

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: The Great Thing about Trump's America is that you no longer have to go through the hassles of travel to visit a banana republic. You don't have to learn Useful Phrases for Travelers in another language. You don't need shots. You can drink the water (presuming you don't live in Flint, Newark or near a fracking operation). Just sit back, look out the window & behold your very own slice of banana republic.

Stop and Smash. Alexandra Jaffe of the AP: "Mike Bloomberg is under fire for resurfaced comments in which he says the way to bring down murder rates is to 'put a lot of cops' in minority neighborhoods because that's where 'all the crime is.' The billionaire and former New York mayor made the comments at a 2015 appearance at the Aspen Institute, as part of an overall defense of his support for the controversial 'stop and frisk' policing tactic that has been found to disproportionately affect minorities. Bloomberg launched his Democratic presidential bid late last year with an apology for his support for the policy_and on Tuesday, after the comments resurfaced, he reiterated his apology and said his 2015 remarks 'do not reflect my commitment to criminal justice reform and racial equity.'... [In the taped speech,] Bloomberg says that '95 percent of murders and murder victims are young male minorities.... And to 'get the guns out of the kids hands,' Bloomberg says, police must 'throw 'em against the wall and frisk 'em.'" ~~~

~~~ "Total Racist" Calls Out Racist. Kevin Brueninger of CNBC: "... Donald Trump slammed Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday as a 'TOTAL RACIST' over a 2015 audio clip in which Bloomberg defended the 'stop and frisk' police practice. In reply to Trump's tweet, Bloomberg said, 'I am not afraid of you and I will not let you bully me or anyone else in America.' Bloomberg made his comments defending stop and frisk in 2015, years before the three-term former New York mayor disavowed the policy in advance of launching his presidential bid in November."

Weird News. Trump's DOJ Favors Hookers for Jesus over Catholic Charities. Sarah Lynch of Reuters: "A U.S. Justice Department anti-human trafficking grant program is facing internal complaints, after two nonprofits were denied funding in favor of two less established groups whose applications were not recommended by career DOJ officials. The awarding of more than $1 million total to the two groups, Hookers for Jesus in Nevada and the Lincoln Tubman Foundation in South Carolina, has triggered a whistleblower complaint filed by the Justice Department's employee union to the department's Inspector General. An internal department memo seen by Reuters shows that as of September 12, two long-established nonprofits -- the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach and Chicanos Por La Causa of Phoenix -- were originally on the list of recommended grant winners after receiving high marks from outside contractors hired to review applications. The annual grants help nonprofits and local governments aid human trafficking victims. Later that month, those two organizations were replaced as recommended recipients by Hookers for Jesus and the Lincoln Tubman Foundation, which both received lower rankings from the outside reviewers."

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In case you missed it, it's primary day in New Hampshire. Mark Murray & Carrie Dann of NBC News: "'Undeclared' voters may vote in either a state or a presidential primary. They have to choose a Democratic or a Republican ballot at their polling places. After choosing a ballot, voters will become registered members of that party unless they specifically fill out a form confirming that they want to return to 'undeclared' status. While 'undeclared' voters can vote in either the Republican or the Democratic primary, registered Republicans can't vote in the Democratic primary and vice versa." According to a tool on Pete Buttigieg's Website, "You can register to vote on Primary Day. It makes it easier to do so if you bring proof of identity and age (photo ID), citizenship (passport), and domicile (a driver's license, a piece of mail, a lease). If you can't bring any of these documents, don't worry! You can still sign a simple statement to register and vote on Election Day."

The New York Times' liveblog of New Hampshire primary developments for today is here.

The New York Times' liveblog of New Hampshire pre-primary events Monday is here.

CNN: "Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar won the most votes when a little more than two dozen New Hampshire residents in three tiny townships cast their ballots shortly after midnight in Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary. Dixville Notch in the state's northern tip, nearby Millsfield, and Hart's Location, further south and tucked in the White Mountains, are the first places to declare primary results because voters cast ballots so early.... [Michael] Bloomberg, who isn't on the ballot in New Hampshire, won the first votes of Tuesday's Democratic and Republican primaries as a write-in candidate in the township of Dixville Notch."

Jon Keller of CBS Boston: "This New Hampshire primary has been a rollercoaster ride, with one last hairpin turn in the final night of the exclusive WBZ/Boston Globe/Suffolk University tracking poll. Bernie Sanders appears to be cementing his hold on first place with 27 percent, while Pete Buttigieg, who had surged into a virtual tie with Sanders as the week ended, in second with 19 percent. And Amy Klobuchar continues her momentum from last night with a 14 percent showing, good for third place. However, she is still within the poll's 4.4 percent margin of error of Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, who placed within a fraction of each other in fourth and fifth place." Mrs. McC: Yes, but it's boring Donald Trump. (Also linked yesterday.)

"Did a Debate Actually Make a Difference for a Change?" Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "By the end of [Friday night's Democratic presidential debate], Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) had left little doubt as to the candidate she most wants to undercut: Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Ind.... Since then? Well, Klobuchar and Buttigieg have moved in exactly the directions that she would have hoped, given her attacks." As Bump ticks off Klobuchar's debate attacks on Buttigieg, it's clear she threw the book at him. Oh wait, maybe that's not the metaphor I want to use.

Indecision 2020. Ryan Lizza of Politico: "The same dynamic that led to [Joe Biden's] underwhelming showing [in Iowa] is starting to define the race: Democrats don&'t have an obvious candidate who they can rally around. Indecision is the most common theme I encountered among voters at more than a dozen events in New Hampshire since Friday. (Perhaps this should have been more obvious when even The New York Times editorial board couldn't pick a single candidate.) There's no reason to think the choice will get easier after Tuesday. What's driving the indecision is not a plethora of great choices, but the fact that there are seven candidates in the mix, each of whom has at least one very serious flaw." And Lizza is happy to tell you what those flaws are. Mrs. McC: Fortunately for Republicans, the Democratic nominee's opponent in the general election is like totally flawless.

Quinnipiac University: "In the wake of the Iowa caucuses and heading into the New Hampshire primary, there is a dramatic shift in the Democratic primary race for president as Senator Bernie Sanders claims frontrunner status for the first time, overtaking former Vice President Joe Biden, according to a Quinnipiac ... University national poll released today. Sanders gets 25 percent of the vote among Democratic voters and independent voters who lean Democratic, while Biden gets 17 percent, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg receives 15 percent, Senator Elizabeth Warren gets 14 percent, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg receives 10 percent, and Senator Amy Klobuchar gets 4 percent. No other candidate tops 2 percent." Via Steve M. ~~~

~~~ Billionaires Bump off Biden. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "... the [Quinnipiac] poll suggests that Biden's support is being cannibalized by former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg. At the same time, Biden's planned path to resurrection may have been largely cut off by another billionaire, businessman Tom Steyer."

Our country has a rich history of presidents who respected the power, decorum, and influence of their office.

Unfortunately, that rich history ended the day Trump became president. pic.twitter.com/3QEncsTiNA

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) February 9, 2020

Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Clearly, it doesn't matter who opposes Trump in the 2020 election; he will spread lies about that person. (See Tina Nyugen's report, linked below, on Trump's latest Ukraine conspiracy theory -- Romney is implicated!) The trick is to know how to turn those lies against Trump & makes Trump's lies a lie-ability. We know Biden can't do it, and we know that early on Trump's attacks upended Warren's campaign. So far, it looks as if Bloomberg is most effective against Trump's attacks. Klobuchar did well when Trump mocked her snowy kickoff rally, and Buttigieg did okay, too. So far Sanders hasn't had much to fend off because Trump is promoting him, hoping Sanders will win the nomination and Trump can attack, among other things, Bernie's socialist label.

Jim Tankersley, et al., of the New York Times: "President Trump released a $4.8 trillion budget proposal on Monday that includes a familiar list of deep cuts to student loan assistance, affordable housing efforts, food stamps and Medicaid, reflecting Mr. Trump's election-year effort to continue shrinking the federal safety net. The proposal, which must be approved by Congress, includes additional spending for the military, national defense and border enforcement, along with money for Mr. Trump's Space Force initiative and an extension of the individual income tax cuts that were set to expire in 2025. Its biggest reduction is an annual 2 percent decrease in spending on discretionary domestic programs, like education and environmental protection." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Aaron Rupar of Vox: "... Donald Trump posted a tweet on Saturday vowing, 'We will not be touching your Social Security and Medicare in Fiscal 2021 Budget.' One day later, the Wall Street Journal published a report indicating that Trump is doing exactly that with his budget proposal.... That Trump is proposing cuts to these programs isn't surprising -- his 2020 budget cut all three as well. It&'s a long-running contradiction for the president. He often says he won't touch these entitlement programs, but he's continued to employ Republican party officials who make cutting these programs center to their work.... The president is either brazenly lying about his 2021 budget or doesn't know what's in it."

S.V. Date of the Huffington Post: Donald Trump "created 1.5 million fewer jobs in his first three years in office than predecessor Barack Obama did in his final three. Newly revised figures from Trump's own Department of Labor show that 6.6 million new jobs were created in the first 36 months of Trump's tenure, compared with 8.1 million in the final 36 months of Obama's ― a decline of 19% under Trump, according to a HuffPost analysis.... [Despite the fact that jobs-growth numbers can be misleading as economic indicators,] the statistics belie Trump's frequent claims that he turned around Obama's poor management of the economy."

Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Oliver Darcy of CNN: "The publisher of Stars and Stripes, the military's editorially independent newspaper which covers issues relevant to members of the armed forces, said he was notified on Monday that the Department of Defense intends to eliminate some of the publication's funding starting in 2021.... Stars and Stripes was first produced during the Civil War by Union soldiers. It was later revived during the first World War and has printed regularly since World War II. Stars and Stripes said it distributed more than 7 million copies of its US Weekly edition in 2019 and served an online audience of 18.8 million unique visitors.... According to a story published Monday about the proposed funding cuts, Stars and Stripes receives most of its funding from sales, subscriptions, and advertising, but relies on government funding to back overseas reporting and distribution."

"Thanks Obama." Jordan Weissman of Slate: "... Donald Trump has always exaggerated the strength of his jobs record.... But it turns out, the reality of it was even weaker than the official data let on.... On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest batch of employment numbers, along with its annual benchmark revisions adjusting its estimates from prior months.... In the end, the economy has added fewer jobs in every year of his presidency than it did during Obama's final one. There never was much of a Trump bump." --s

Kylie Atwood & Vivian Salama of CNN: "President Donald Trump has told top foreign policy advisers that he does not want another summit with Kim Jong Un before the presidential election in November, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.... One official familiar with the administration's efforts with North Korea bluntly described the negotiations as 'dead.'... Last month, a top adviser to Kim said North Korea has no intention of engaging in talks this year." --s

Impeachment Fallout, Ctd.

Rebecca Klar of the Hill: "Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday said he will still aim to work with President Trump on some items even after the president attacked him with a slew of insults following the senator's vote to remove him from office.... Trump ramped up his attacks on Manchin over the weekend, calling the Democrat a 'puppet' on Saturday, and referring to him as 'Senator Joe Munchkin' in a subsequent Sunday morning tweet.... 'Do you think names bother me?' Manchin said in an appearance on MSNBC. 'Do I look like I'm small and fragile? Names don't bother me and the president knows he can't get to me that way.' Manchin said he is not 'going to retaliate' against Trump and called the president's remarks 'immature.'" ~~~

~~~ Besides, It's Trump Who Is Short & Fat. David Knowles of Yahoo! News: "As for Trump's insult nickname ['Joe Munchkin'], Manchin observed, 'I'm taller than him and a little bit bigger than he is, not heavier. He's much heavier than me, but I'm a little bit taller than him, so I guess he got that a little bit off.'"

Barr Tries to Suggest Giuliani Is Like Any Crackpot Phoning in Tips to the FBI. Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Attorney General Bill Barr went out of his way Monday to express skepticism about information ... Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is offering on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, but Barr also made clear the Justice Department is open to receiving whatever Giuliani wants to share. Addressing comments by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that he'd arranged for Giuliani to present Justice officials with fruits of his on-the-ground research into the Bidens and Ukraine, Barr said information originating in Ukraine must be treated with caution. 'The Department of Justice has the obligation to have an open door to anybody who wishes to provide us information that they think is relevant,' Barr said in response to a reporter's question at a news conference on unrelated database hacking charges..... Barr left the news conference Monday without taking any follow-up questions, but FBI Deputy Director David Bowditch said any report from Giuliani would be handled in the usual course. 'We're taking information as we would in any case. We will evaluate it appropriately,' Bowditch said." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ A Washington Post story by Matt Zapotosky & Devlin Barrett is here. "A Justice Department official said Giuliani had 'recently' shared information with federal law enforcement officials through the process described by Barr. Two people familiar with the matter said the information is being routed to the U.S. attorney's office in Pittsburgh.... That Giuliani would have a direct pipeline to the Justice Department for providing information on a political rival of Trump raised fears among some legal analysts that federal law enforcement was being conscripted into doing campaign work for the president.... The House Judiciary Committee chairman, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), wrote to Barr on Monday saying that 'any official relationship between Mr. Giuliani and the Department raises serious questions about conflicts of interest -- both for the Department, generally, and for you, specifically.'... The matter is complicated, too, because Giuliani is under investigation by the Justice Department." Related stories linked yesterday. Everybody but Trump is treating Rudy like the avaricious, publicity-hounding nutter he is. ~~~

~~~ "Lindsey Graham Implicates William Barr in Massive Scandal, on Live Television." Jonathan Chait: "[Sunday], Senator Lindsey Graham appeared on Face the Nation and blurted out an apparent confession of what, if true, would be a scandal of Nixonian proportions. Graham reported he had spoken with Attorney General William Barr that morning. 'The Department of Justice is receiving information coming out of the Ukraine from Rudy,' he reported, explaining that Barr 'told me that they've created a process that Rudy could give information and they would see if it's verified.'... Graham defends this on the grounds that Giuliani is a 'crime fighter,' a label Trump himself has used. But there is no 'crime fighter' badge that lets you go into private practice with a bunch of crooks, and have your allegations given special attention by the authorities.... Normally, people who are being investigated by the DOJ don't have a special back channel that lets them feed allegations of their own to th attorney general.... Barr confirmed today that the Department has 'established an intake process,' because it 'has an obligation to have an open door to anybody.' But if it has an obligation to have an open door to anybody, hasn't that open door always existed? Why did Barr have to establish a new one?" ~~~

~~~ Lindsey Smears Vindman. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) gave his first Sunday show interview in the post-impeachment era of Donald Trump's presidency. And it was something.... Now that the [Ukraine conspiracy] theories don't need to be vouched for in the name of defending Trump, Graham appears to be distancing himself from them. (He even entertained the idea that Trump's own lawyer might be getting manipulated by Russia, which it bears emphasizing is extraordinary.) But the most interesting exchange might have come toward the end, when Graham defended Trump's retaliatory removal of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.... Graham speculated that Vindman might have been part of some kind of plot against Trump.... '... He's never been asked questions, did you leak to the whistleblower?' Graham said. 'People in his chain of command have been suspicious of him regarding his political point of view.'... Vindman ... said he does not know who the whistleblower is. In other words, he is saying he was not knowingly part of any plot to blow the whistle.... Vindman said explicitly that the [intelligence] person he spoke with was cleared to receive such information."

Marianne Levine of Politico: "Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is asking that every agency inspector general investigate retaliation against whistleblowers who report presidential misconduct, after the firing of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman from the National Security Council. Schumer's letter [is] to 74 inspectors general.... In a letter to Acting Inspector General Glenn Fine at the Defense Department, Schumer described the NSC firings [of Vindman & his brother Yevgeny] as 'part of a dangerous, growing pattern of retaliation against those who report wrongdoing only to find themselves targeted by the President and subject to his wrath and vindictiveness.'"

Ryan Goodman & Joshua Geltzer of Just Security, republished in Slate: "What has been labelled the 'Friday Night Massacre' should be understood as an escalation in ... Donald Trump's ongoing efforts that threaten American democratic institutions.... The broader pattern in which the Friday events fit leads us to a far more ominous conclusion. These recent purges of U.S. officials are a direct extension of Trump's three-year project of politicization of the executive branch, an early move generally taken by autocrats who seek to exploit their election by consolidating power. It is important to take a step back and diagnose, as precisely as possible, the threat to American democracy and the broader pattern."

Tina Nguyen of Politico: "The MAGA machine is attempting to turn President Donald Trump's latest nemesis -- Sen. Mitt Romney -- into the next Hunter Biden. Trump in recent days took a new turn in his attacks on the Utah senator, veering from assailing his character and loyalty and tossing him into the wilds of Ukraine. Trump over the weekend retweeted several conservative personalities and stories attempting to connect the Republican senator to the Ukrainian energy company Burisma and its former board member Hunter Biden.... The allegation was featured in several far-right blog posts [that Donald retweeted]: A senior adviser from Romney's 2012 presidential campaign was on Burisma's board of directors, and that by voting to impeach Trump last week, Romney was covering for his fellow swamp crony. At one point, the president retweeted a random follower's newfound suspicion: 'Romney is covering up his part in corruption in Ukraine. This has nothing to do with truth or God. He is a desperate man. The truth will come out.'" --s

Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has faced a bitter GOP backlash after casting the lone Republican vote for President Trump's impeachment. There have been angry tweets and calls for the party to expel the man it once nominated to lead the country. On Sunday, one influential conservative went so far as to say he could not be sure of Romney's safety at a major right-wing gathering, alarming some of the Utah senator's defenders and -- in some critics' eyes -- crossing a line from outrage to threat. Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference [CPAC], made the controversial comments Sunday as he explained why Romney would be excluded from this year's four-day event.... 'This year, I would actually be afraid for his physical safety, people are so mad at him.'" A TPM story is here. --s ~~~

~~~ Married to the Mob. Mrs. McCrabbie: Matt Schlapp is married to Mercedes Schlapp, a former Trump White House communications honcho who is currently working on Trump's 2020 campaign.

Leah Litman in Slate: The conservatives on the Supreme Court are as complicit in Trump's abuses of office as are GOP senators. By blessing Trump's thinly-disguised Muslim ban. "the justices ... acknowledged that the entry ban may very well have been motivated by anti-Muslim animus. But they claimed that, in light of the president's expansive powers over immigration, the court would uphold the entry ban so long as someone could think that the ban had a valid purpose.... It does not take a genius to see how that decision signals that the court is unwilling to stop the president from making policy based on bigoted, thinly veiled Islamophobia or racism. The president received the message and has run with it.... Neither the Senate nor the Supreme Court has been willing to stand up to the president for abusing the powers of his office for personal benefit or to stoke bigotry for partisan ends.... It is unclear what, if anything, can stop him now."

Spencer Hsu, et al., of the Washington Post: "Federal prosecutors on Monday said longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone deserves a sentence of 7 to 9 years in prison for lying to Congress and tampering with a witness related to his efforts to learn about hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The sentencing filing came after days of tense debate within the U.S. attorney's office in Washington about the proper prison term for the sixth Trump associate convicted and last person indicted in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation. Frontline prosecutors, some previously with Mueller's team, argued for a sentence on the higher end for Stone than some of their supervisors were comfortable with, according to two people familiar with the discussions." A CNN story is here. Mrs. McC: It's sort of a moot point. You know Trump will pardon Roger within a week of the November election -- unless Trump (a) loses AND (b) refuses to concede.

Matt O'Brien of the AP: "Amazon wants ... Donald Trump to submit to questioning over the tech company' losing bid for a $10 billion military contract. The Pentagon awarded the cloud computing project to Microsoft in October. Amazon later sued, arguing that Trump's interference and bias against the company harmed Amazon's chances.... The Pentagon was preparing to announce its decision between finalists Amazon and Microsoft when Trump publicly waded into the fray in July. Trump said then that other companies told him the contract 'wasn't competitively bid,' and he said the administration would 'take a very long look.'... Amazon is looking for more information about what happened before and after Trump ordered the review. Amazon's court filing cites an alleged comment that surfaced in a recent book that said Trump in 2018 privately told then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to 'screw Amazon' out of the contract.... Besides seeking Trump's deposition, Amazon is also asking to depose Mattis, current Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other government officials. Amazon said it wants more information about the 'unusual timing' of Esper recusing himself from the decision-making process because of his son's work for IBM. That came in October, long after IBM was no longer in the running for the contract and despite Esper earlier pledging to take a 'hard look' at the bids after Trump ordered the review."

Matt Zapotosky & Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Attorney General William P. Barr announced Monday that the Justice Department would sue two so-called 'sanctuary' jurisdictions ... over policies he considers overly friendly to those in the country unlawfully, as part of a renewed effort to get cities and states on board with the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. In separate complaints filed in federal court, the Justice Department sought to block a New Jersey policy that limits how state and local authorities can share information with federal immigration officials and to stop a King County, Wash., directive that prevents immigration authorities from using an international airport there for deportations. King County includes the city of Seattle."

Eric Geller of Politico: "Federal prosecutors announced charges Monday against four Chinese intelligence officers for hacking the credit-reporting giant Equifax in one of the largest data breaches in history. Officials said the massive hack by the members of China's People's Liberation Army underscored Beijing's aggressive pattern of stealing private data to improve its intelligence operations and boost the performance of its domestic companies.... FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich described the Equifax breach as 'the largest theft of sensitive [personally identifying information] by state-sponsored hackers ever recorded.'"

Travis Gettys in Salon: "The nation's leading manufacturing group [The National Association of Manufacturers] announced an award to Ivanka Trump with language sounding an awful lot like one of the president's glib banalities.... NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons ... [laid it on thick]. 'Like no one in government has ever done, she has provided singular leadership and shown an unwavering commitment to modern manufacturing in America.'" --s

Michael Hobbes of the Huffington Post has a long article on today's Golden Age of White Collar Crime in America --s Thanks to unwashed for the link.

Way Beyond the Beltway

China. Keith Bradsher of the New York Times: "More than two weeks after China locked down a major city to stop a dangerous viral outbreak, one of the world's largest economies remains largely idle. Much of the country was supposed to have reopened by now, but its empty streets, quiet factories and legions of inactive workers suggest that weeks or months could pass before this vital motor of global growth is humming again. The global economy could suffer the longer China stays in low gear. It has been hampered by both the outbreak and its own containment efforts, a process that has cut off workers from their jobs and factories from their raw materials.... 'It's like Europe in medieval times,' said Jörg Wuttke, the president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, 'where each city has its checks and crosschecks.'" ~~~

~~~ Ben Dooley & Motoko Rich of the New York Times: "As coronavirus cases rapidly multiply on the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, the more than 2,500 passengers on board live in effective isolation. They receive meals in their cabins. They keep an officially mandated distance of six feet from each other for the few minutes each day when they are allowed on deck for walks. Below decks..., hundreds of crew members are eating, living and working elbow to elbow as they try to keep life as comfortable as possible for those above. They line up for simple buffet meals and then sit down together to eat. Bathrooms are shared by up to four people, and cabins often by two. These conditions have raised fears that a quarantine meant to halt the virus's spread on board, and keep the contagion from expanding on Japan's shores, is endangering the health and safety of the crew."

News Lede

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

The Commentariat -- February 10, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Jim Tankersley, et al., of the New York Times: "President Trump released a $4.8 trillion budget proposal on Monday that includes a familiar list of deep cuts to student loan assistance, affordable housing efforts, food stamps and Medicaid, reflecting Mr. Trump's election-year effort to continue shrinking the federal safety net. The proposal, which must be approved by Congress, includes additional spending for the military, national defense and border enforcement, along with money for Mr. Trump's Space Force initiative and an extension of the individual income tax cuts that were set to expire in 2025. Its biggest reduction is an annual 2 percent decrease in spending on discretionary domestic programs, like education and environmental protection."

Jon Keller of CBS Boston: "This New Hampshire primary has been a rollercoaster ride, with one last hairpin turn in the final night of the exclusive WBZ/Boston Globe/Suffolk University tracking poll. Bernie Sanders appears to be cementing his hold on first place with 27 percent, while Pete Buttigieg, who had surged into a virtual tie with Sanders as the week ended, in second with 19 percent. And Amy Klobuchar continues her momentum from last night with a 14 percent showing, good for third place. However, she is still within the poll's 4.4 percent margin of error of Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, who placed within a fraction of each other in fourth and fifth place." Mrs. McC: Yes, but it's boring Donald Trump.

Barr Suggests Giuliani Is Like Any Crackpot Phoning in Tips to the DOJ. Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Attorney General Bill Barr went out of his way Monday to express skepticism about information ... Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is offering on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, but Barr also made clear the Justice Department is open to receiving whatever Giuliani wants to share. Addressing comments by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that he'd arranged for Giuliani to present Justice officials with fruits of his on-the-ground research into the Bidens and Ukraine, Barr said information originating in Ukraine must be treated with caution. 'The Department of Justice has the obligation to have an open door to anybody who wishes to provide us information that they think is relevant,' Barr said in response to a reporter's question at a news conference on unrelated database hacking charges..... Barr left the news conference Monday without taking any follow-up questions, but FBI Deputy Director David Bowditch said any report from Giuliani would be handled in the usual course. 'We're taking information as we would in any case. We will evaluate it appropriately,' Bowditch said." ~~~

     ~~~ Related stories linked below. Everybody but Trump is treating Rudy like the avaricious, publicity-hounding nutter he is.

~~~~~~~~~~

Will be in Manchester, New Hampshire, tonight for a big Rally. Want to shake up the Dems a little bit - they have a really boring deal going on. Still waiting for the Iowa results, votes were fried. Big crowds in Manchester! -- Donald Trump, in a tweet this morning

Zach Montellaro of Politico: "Pete Buttigieg has narrowly edged out Bernie Sanders for delegates from last week's Iowa caucuses, according to an announcement late Sunday by the state Democratic Party. Updated results from the party show Buttigieg with 26.2 percent of state delegate equivalents, compared to 26.1 percent for Sanders. Elizabeth Warren (18 percent) was third, and Joe Biden (15.8 percent) was fourth. According to the state Democratic Party, Buttigieg is projected to win 14 delegates to the national convention this summer in Milwaukee, while Sanders will get 12 delegates. Warren will receive eight delegates, Joe Biden will get six, and Amy Klobuchar will receive a single delegate. Sanders did have the support of more caucus-goers, both on the first and final alignments. But because of the caucus rules, he will receive slightly fewer delegates. The announcement came after a review by the party of precincts with apparent mistakes in their results." The page includes a graph of the delegate count & second-round vote totals. A Washington Post story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Trip Gabriel of the New York Times: "... errors in the result tabulations have led several news organizations, including The New York Times, to refrain from calling the race. And shortly after the party's announcement, Senator Bernie Sanders's campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, said the campaign would be calling for a partial recanvass of the results.... The Associated Press, which historically verifies election results and makes calls on the outcome of races, has not allotted the final delegate to Mr. Buttigieg because of the errors in the caucus results-counting, nor has The A.P. declared a winner in the Iowa race."

~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: There's a front-page story in today's New York Times titled, "How the Iowa Caucuses Became an Epic Fiasco for Democrats." It's a lo-o-ong story with four writers on the byline. And the story is hardly unique: it's one of dozens of such stories that have appeared in news outlets over the past six days. Really? Now let's get on the way-back machine and see how the NYT treated the Iowa Republican caucuses of 2012, when the winner of the caucus -- Mitt Romney -- was declared, only to be demoted to second place when a recount put Rick Santorum in the top spot. There's a blogpost -- that is, a post that doesn't appear in the print version of the Times -- dated more than two weeks after the announcement of Mitt's victory, about Santorum's "claiming a belated victory" and the Iowa Republican party saying there would be no official winner. There's another blogpost saying that other GOP primary news "overshadowed" Santorum's win. Finally, a third blogpost by Andrew Rosenthal (I think he headed the NYT editorial page at the time) titled "And the Official Winner in Iowa Is ... Who Cares?" and a fourth post by statistician Nate Silver (which I can't access) also saying that Santorum's win isn't likely to change anything. Why is it that the Democrats' screw-up is an "epic fiasco" and the Republicans' miscount gets a "meh"?

Grumpy Old Man. Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post: "Madison Moore..., [a] student at Mercer University in Georgia..., [asked Joe Biden] ... a version of what's been asked of the former vice president since his disappointing fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses: 'How do you explain the performance in Iowa, and why should voters believe that you can win the national election?' What happened next left her a little shaken, Moore said. Biden said it was legitimate question, but then turned the spotlight back on her, asking: 'Iowa's a caucus. Have you ever been to a caucus?' When she indicated yes, he rebuked her 'No, you haven't. You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier.'" Emphasis added. A video of the exchange accompanies the story, so it's definitely true. ~~~

     ~~~ Matthew Dessem of Slate has more on the "origins" of the insult.

Jon Keller of CBS Boston: "All week long, the story has been the rise of Pete Buttigieg to co-frontrunner status with Bernie Sanders. The latest exclusive WBZ/Boston Globe/Suffolk University tracking poll shows they're still co-leaders within the poll's 4.4% margin of error, with Sanders holding steady at 24% and Buttigieg slipping a bit to 22%. Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden remain static in third and fourth places with 13% and 10% respectively. But now there's another candidate on a bit of a roll. Amy Klobuchar is right behind Biden now at 9%, up three points over Friday night. She appears to be the only candidate to get a boost from Friday's debate, with two-thirds of the poll taken during and after that event."

Here's Politico's summary of Sunday's events in New Hampshire's Democratic primaries. New York Times live updates are here. The whole final sprint reminds me of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign speech when he asked New Hampshire voters to give him a second chance, in exchange for which he promised to be with them "till the last dog dies." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

David Masciotra in Salon: "The recent events of Trump's acquittal in the Senate, his State of the Union address and his spiteful, rambling monologue at the White House on Thursday have collectively acted as the flatline on the heart monitor of decency. As decency dies, American life becomes ever more precarious." Thanks to NJC for the link. Mrs. McC: What Masciotra is talking about here is what conventional pundits were calling "institutional norms" after Trump's inauguration. But, at bottom, Trump violates those norms because, as Masciotra writes, he has "no sense of decency." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THESE PEOPLE. Sabrina Tavernise of the New York Times: "Republicans in Wisconsin did not immediately warm to Mr. Trump.... But in about two dozen interviews over three days, many Republicans said that while they voted for Mr. Trump reluctantly in 2016, they no longer felt hesitant.... 'He's from New York, and I thought nothing good could come out of New York,' said Marge Ingold, a retired business owner who voted for Mr. Cruz in the primary. She is now a firm Trump supporter. 'He believes what we believe,' she said. 'He is standing up for the people.'" Mrs. McC: Assuming Tavernise did some or all of her own field interviews (there's no joint credit for the article) & that she IDed herself as a NYT reporter, Marge there knew she was talking to a New Yorker when she said nothing good could come out of New York.

Jon Haworth of ABC News: "A man has been arrested after allegedly deliberately driving a van into a tent full of Trump supporters who were working to register new voters at a shopping center parking lot [in Jacksonville, Florida].... The driver narrowly missed several people in the tent and fled the scene after the incident by car." Donald Trump threatened "tough guys"; RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel & both Florida Senators Marco Rubio & Rick Scott, tweeted assertions that the attack was politically motivated. Mrs. McC: However, the article does not indicate a motive. It's certainly possible, but the driver could just be a nut.

Caitlin Emma of Politico: "... Donald Trump's budget request on Monday will pitch billions of dollars in cuts to non-defense spending despite a budget deal he already negotiated with Congress, in addition to seeking major savings by targeting the federal safety net, a senior administration official told Politico on Sunday. Trump also will ask Congress for a slight spending increase for the Pentagon as he releases his $4.8 trillion budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year -- all proposals sure to be rejected by Democrats who control the House.... The president's budget plan once again assumes more robust economic growth than what most economists predict at 3 percent over the next decade, driven by the implementation of his policies. And as with his previous budget proposals, Trump is once again seeking deep and unrealistic cuts to a number of federal agency budgets, and the cuts are unlikely to be embraced by Congress." Emphasis added. ~~~

~~~ Medicare, Too! Inae Oh of Mother Jones: "The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday..., 'The White House proposes to cut spending by $4.4 trillion over a decade. Of that, it targets $2 trillion in savings from mandatory spending programs, including $130 billion from changes to Medicare prescription-drug pricing, $292 billion from safety-net cuts -- such as work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps -- and $70 billion from tightening eligibility access to federal disability benefits.'... If Trump does unveil his budget tomorrow as expected, it will have been less than a week since his State of the Union address where he vowed to protect Medicare and Social Security. That itself was a galling shift from what he had said just two weeks before, when he publicly threatened to go after those very programs." ~~~

~~~ Social Security, Too! Matt Stieb of New York: "In addition to the targeting of Medicare prescription-drug pricing, the budget also intends to cut the Social Security Disability Insurance program providing benefits to disabled members of the workforce; last year, the administration recommended a $10 billion cut to the program. Shortly after reports on the budget emerged, Trump doled out some low-effort PR management to save face: 'We will not be touching your Social Security or Medicare in Fiscal 2021 Budget. Only the Democrats will destroy them by destroying our Country's greatest ever Economy!' [Trump tweet-lied.]"

Paulina Ferozi of the Washington Post: "Construction crews began blasting sites within Arizona's Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument as part of the construction of President Trump's border barrier, and the affected areas include sites sacred to Native American groups, according to a congressman from Arizona and advocates. The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is an internationally recognized biosphere reserve -- meaning it has plants and animals so rare that the United Nations has given it a special designation. It includes about 330,000 acres of designated wilderness and is home to ancestral grounds sacred to the Tohono O'odham Nation, one of at least a dozen Native American groups that claim connections to grounds within the monument." Mrs. McC: This is similar to an Intercept story linked last week, with more emphasis here on the Native American sacred sites.

Another Scam from Trump's "Reality" Show SOTU: "Failing Government Schools." Maddie Hanna & Kristen Graham of the Philadelphia Inquirer: "... Donald Trump turned a Philadelphia fourth grader into a poster child for the school-choice movement Tuesday when he told the nation that thousands of students were 'trapped in failing government schools' and announced that the girl was at last getting a scholarship to attend the school of her choice.... Because of a scholarship personally paid for by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the president told Janiyah Tuesday night, 'you will soon be headed to the school of your choice.' But Janiyah Davis already attends one of the city's most sought-after charter schools, The Inquirer has learned. In September, months before she was an honored guest at Trump's State of the Union address, she entered Math, Science and Technology Community Charter School III ... -- meaning

Lindsey Backs Off the Crazy, Leaves It to Bill Barr. Paul Kane of the Washington Post: "Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) ... appeared to back away [Sunday] from his assertions in recent weeks that he would lead a probe into former vice president Joe Biden's time overseeing Ukraine policy.... [Graham] said Sunday that the Justice Department is vetting information that President Trump's personal attorney has delivered regarding Hunter Biden's work on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Graham, citing an early-morning conversation with Attorney General William P. Barr, said that Rudolph W. Giuliani is giving his information to national security experts.... He warned that Giuliani might be getting bad information from his trips to Ukraine as part of a disinformation campaign by Russian security experts.... Graham said he called Barr and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Sunday morning after hearing about Giuliani's interview Saturday night on Fox News's 'Watters' World.'... 'Lindsey, get started. Yes, I have -- I have what I used to call when I was U.S. attorney, a smoking gun,' Giuliani said. Then, just as 'Face the Nation' started Sunday morning, Trump sent out a tweet urging Graham to launch an undefined investigations..., which CBS's Margaret Brennan read to the senator on air." ~~~

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Lest you think this is Lindsey suddenly exhibiting a profile in courage, let me remind you of this story we linked Friday afternoon: Jordain Carney of the Hill: "A pledge to investigate the Bidens and Ukraine once the impeachment trial wraps is sparking divisions among Senate Republicans.... Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a vocal ally of Trump's, is pledging 'oversight.' Other GOP senators are warning that it's time for the Senate to move on after a weeks-long divisive fight that left scars on the chamber's normally clubby atmosphere. 'I know there's been some discussion about the Judiciary Committee taking a look at that. I think what I would like to see happen around here is a return to normalcy,' said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Republican senator...." IOW, Lindsey got told.

Mr. Romney Goes to Washington. Eliot Cohen in the Atlantic: "Viewed from [the] perspective [of 50 years], the most important thing about the impeachment of Donald Trump will probably be Mitt Romney's speech explaining his vote to convict the president of abuse of power. In the near term, that speech will do neither Romney nor his cause any good. The armies of trolls and sneering louts will come after him, their jeers all the louder because they emanate from a terrified emptiness within. Shambling, tongueless, and invertebrate politicians who deep down know better will resent Romney for having the courage to say what they believed, but dared not utter. But that speech will last. When future anthologies of great American political speeches are published by the Library of America, Romney's remarks will be there." Mrs. McC: Personally, I thought Adam Schiff's closing argument was more eloquent than Romney's, but it didn't take the moral grit Romney's did.

AP: "A man carrying a knife was arrested outside the White House after he told a U.S. Secret Service officer that he was there to kill the president, police said. Roger Hedgpeth ... approached a Secret Service officer who was patrolling outside the White House and said he was there to 'assassinate' ... Donald Trump and 'I have a knife to do it with,' according to a police report obtained by The Associated Press. Police found a 3 1/2-inch knife in a sheath on his left hip, and Hedgpeth also had an empty pistol holster on his right hip, authorities said." Mrs. McC: Possibly not the most carefully thought-through plan.

Way Beyond the Beltway

Ireland. Rory Carroll of the Guardian: "Sinn Féin will try to form a government in Ireland after apparently winning more votes than any other party in Saturday's general election -- a historic result that upended the political system.... Sinn Féin, once a pariah for its IRA links, won almost a quarter of first-preference votes, possibly pipping Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, two centrist rivals that have taken turns ruling Ireland for a century. It rode a wave of anger over homelessness, soaring rents and hospital waiting lists as well as disillusionment with the traditional political duopoly."

Israel. Now, This Is an "Epic Fiasco." Emma Tucker of the Daily Beast: "The personal information of over six million citizens was leaked after Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party uploaded the full register of Israeli voters to an app, Haaretz reported Sunday. The information includes full names, identity card numbers, addresses, genders, phone numbers, and other personal details.... The vulnerability in the application reportedly allowed for anyone to easily download the entire voter registry on a computer.... Israeli political parties receive the information of voters before the elections and vow to protect their privacy.... The data [include] ... users in countries abroad such as the United States, Russia, and China...." Emphasis added.

News Ledes

AP: "Mainland China's death toll from the new virus outbreak has risen to 811, surpassing the number of fatalities in the 2002-2003 SARS pandemic. However, the number of new cases reported over the last 24 hours on Sunday fell significantly from the previous period, something experts see as a sign the spread of the virus may be slowing. Another 89 deaths were reported, while 2,656 new cases were added for a total of 37,198. On Saturday, 3,399 cases were reported for the previous 24 hours. SARS is widely considered to have killed 774 people and sickened 8,098, mainly in mainland China and Hong Kong. The response this time has been much quicker and countries around the world are enforcing stricter measures to contain the spread."

AP: "A gunman described as a soldier angry over a financial dispute killed two people and then went on a far bloodier rampage Saturday in northeastern Thailand, shooting as he drove to a busy mall where shoppers fled in terror. At least 21 people were killed in all, 31 were injured and others were believed to be still inside the building as more gunshots rang out early Sunday."

AP: "Robert Conrad, the rugged, contentious actor who starred in the hugely popular 1960s television series 'Hawaiian Eye' and 'The Wild, Wild West,' died Saturday. He was 84."

AP: "Orson Bean, the witty actor and comedian who enlivened the game show 'To Tell the Truth' and played a crotchety merchant on 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,' was hit and killed by a car in Los Angeles, authorities said. He was 91."

New York: Friday "the National Transport Safety Board released its preliminary report into the January 26 helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others. For the first time, it revealed that moments before impact the pilot deliberately broke FAA regulations meant to prevent just such kinds of accidents. As previously reported, in the minutes prior to the crash, pilot Ara Zobayan was flying just a few hundred feet over the floor of the San Fernando Valley, which lies at an elevation of 800 feet. An opaque layer of overcast clouds covered the area at an altitude of 1,900 feet. As Zobayan reached the southwestern edge of the valley and crossed into Calabasas, the ground below him climbed higher until he was zooming 150 mph over the road at scarcely more than 100 feet...."

The Commentariat -- February 9, 2020

Afternoon Update:

Here's Politico's summary of today's events in New Hampshire's Democratic primaries. New York Times live updates are here. The whole sprint reminds me of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign speech when he asked New Hampshire voters to give him a second chance, in exchange for which he promised to be with them "till the last dog dies."

David Masciotra in Salon: "The recent events of Trump's acquittal in the Senate, his State of the Union address and his spiteful, rambling monologue at the White House on Thursday have collectively acted as the flatline on the heart monitor of decency. As decency dies, American life becomes ever more precarious." Thanks to NJC for the link. Mrs. McC: What Masciotra is talking about here is what conventional pundits were calling "institutional norms" after Trump's inauguration. But, at bottom, Trump violates those norms because, as Masciotra writes, he has "no sense of decency."

~~~~~~~~~~~

David Siders & Trent Spiner of Politico: "Three days before the still-unsettled New Hampshire primary, 10 candidates shared a stage in the state for the final time at the annual McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner in Manchester. Here are our six takeaways from the shindig."

The New York Times is live-updating Saturday events in New Hampshire. "Tensions in the Democratic presidential primary reached new heights on Saturday as the candidates launched new and sometimes personal attacks on their rivals on the last weekend before the New Hampshire primary. Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Pete Buttigieg clashed over experience in their most pointed confrontation to date, with Mr. Biden calling Mr. Buttigieg 'not a Barack Obama' and releasing a video belittling his mayoral experience.... [Bernie] Sanders slammed both Mr. Buttigieg and Michael R. Bloomberg over the influence of money in politics. Amy Klobuchar drew a big crowd in Durham, and her campaign announced she had raised $2 million since Friday night's debate. Elizabeth Warren, who admitted that she 'didn't fight hard enough' in the debate, told her supporters she was betting big on them." ~~~

~~~ Politico's liveblog of Saturday's events is here.

Jon Keller of CBS Boston: "Pete Buttigieg continued his rise in Friday night' exclusive WBZ/Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll, for the first time taking a narrow lead that falls within the survey's 4.4% margin of error. Buttigieg pulled in 25 percent, up two points from Thursday night, while Bernie Sanders held steady at 24 percent. Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden also rose by two percentage points, placing Warren third with 14 percent and Biden fourth with 11. These slight changes seem to be driven by a four-point drop in the number of undecided voters climbing off the fence, a process likely to be enhanced by Friday night's televised debate."

New York Times opinion writers rate & comment on the Democratic presidential candidates' debate performances.

Reid Wilson of the Hill: "Former New York City Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg paid a quiet visit to a gathering of Democratic governors Saturday morning in what some guests took as an early outreach effort to party leaders who are growing increasingly nervous about the presidential nominating contest. Eight governors sat down with Bloomberg at a breakfast hosted by the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), two sources with knowledge of the meeting told The Hill. The sources said he did not make a hard pitch seeking support, but he sketched an overview of his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination."

Jordan Freiman of CBS News: "The Iowa Democratic party on Saturday announced they are reviewing reported inconsistencies in 95 precincts from Monday's caucuses. Any corrections will be made by 12 p.m. CT Monday, the party announced.... The stated timing ensures the Iowa results will be officially announced prior to the New Hampshire Democratic primary, which will take place February 11." The IDP will announce allocation of delegates Monday.

Peter Baker, et al., of the New York Times: "A handful of Republican senators tried to stop President Trump from firing Gordon D. Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union who testified in the House impeachment hearings, but the president relieved the diplomat of his post anyway, according to people briefed on the discussions. The senators were concerned that it would look bad for Mr. Trump to dismiss Mr. Sondland and argued that it was unnecessary, since the ambassador was already talking with senior officials about leaving after the Senate trial.... But Mr. Trump [chose] ... to make a point by forcing Mr. Sondland out before the ambassador was ready to go. When State Department officials called Mr. Sondland on Friday to tell him that he had to resign that day, he resisted, saying that he did not want to be included in what seemed like a larger purge of impeachment witnesses.... Mr. Sondland conveyed to the State Department officials that if they wanted him gone that day, they would have to fire him. And so the president did, ordering the ambassador recalled from his post effective immediately.... Among the Republicans who warned the White House was Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who after voting to acquit Mr. Trump said she thought he had learned a lesson." ~~~

     ~~~ A CNN summary of the NYT report is here. ~~~

~~~ Sarah Westwood & Jason Hoffman of CNN: "... Donald Trump on Saturday defended the firing of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman from the National Security Council. The President complained about news coverage of the firing in a tweet, saying reporting was done 'as though I should think only how wonderful he was. Actually, I don't know him, never spoke to him, or met him (I don't believe!).'... Trump on Saturday claimed that Vindman 'reported contents of my "perfect" calls incorrectly,' which those close to Vindman have disputed. Vindman reported concerns about Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to other officials with the National Security Council. The President also attacked Vindman's work performance, claiming he was given a 'horrendous' report by his superior that he had problems with judgment and leaking information." ~~~

~~~ David Badash of the New Civil Rights Movement, republished in the Raw Story: "... Donald Trump late Friday afternoon and evening ended the week by firing three administration and White House officials, he blames for his impeachment in a campaign of retribution that some experts are calling illegal.... The hashtag #FridayNightMasacre is trending on Twitter right now. CNN Legal Analyst and former federal and state prosecutor Elie Honig says Trump's actions today are 'criminal.'"

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "What could be more flamboyantly offensive than the anti-bullying advocate, Melania, hanging a Presidential Medal of Freedom around the neck of one of the biggest bullies and hate preachers of all time, Rush Limbaugh? Talk about the bully pulpit."

Evan Semones of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Saturday launched a vitriolic attack on his perceived enemies.... Trump took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon to heap scorn on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), the widow of the late Rep. John Dingell, among others.... He also attacked Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the NSC official who testified about the president's actions on Ukraine, drawing a furious response from Vindman's lawyers, who called Trump's attacks a 'campaign of intimidation.' Later Saturday, Trump also assailed Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) for their votes to convict him, in an echo of attacks he'd leveled against the senators on Friday." Then there was this: ~~~

~~~ Orange Man. Daniel Politi of Slate: "... Donald Trump took time out of his day Saturday to comment on a photo that had gone viral. The photo showed Trump walking across the south lawn of the White House with his hair swept back by the wind and appeared to show a very distinct tan line around the president's face.... Some argued that maybe the stark contrast between the president's orange hue and his very white skin bordering his hair may have been the result of poor makeup blending. The president, however, insisted it was none of those. 'More Fake News,' Trump wrote as he shared the black-and-white version of the photo. 'This was photoshopped, obviously, but the wind was strong and the hair looks good? Anything to demean!'" ~~~

~~~ James West of Mother Jones: "... there's been some debate about whether or not the Twitter poster enhanced the coloring on this photo.... The version I've used as the main photo for this article was taken by Associated Press photographer, Manuel Balce Ceneta, as the president returned to the White House, from a trip to Charlotte, N.C. on Friday; I haven't adjusted it at all, aside from cropping it to size." West also embeds a tweet by Chris Sorenson who writes, "Here's an official Reuters pic and they don't allow photoshop or retouching." The Reuters photo shows the same make-up/"tan" line. Mrs. McC: I don't know why Trump bothers to lie. It's obvious he tints his pasty-white face. ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Chait: "It is of course hilarious that Trump would complain that he is being demeaned on the basis of his appearance. He has spent his entire career as a celebrity put-down artist, sexual harasser, and politician who relentlessly demeans his targets based on their bodies.... Trump himself places more importance on appearance than any president in history, and perhaps any powerful person who does not work in modeling, television, or film. He staffs his administration in large part based on their appearance.... That a president would bully others based on their appearance, and select his aides on their looks, is one of his many utterly disqualifying character traits. But ... what tips it from the infuriating to the absurd is the fact that the body-shamer-in-chief is also quite possibly the most ridiculous-looking president in American history."

AND Ben Carson says, in prepared remarks at a North Carolina event, that Trump "is not a racist" because the people (of color, we presume) who park cars & wash dishes at Mar-a-Lago "love him ... because he's kind and compassionate." Mrs. McC: Okay, I'm convinced.

Lisa Rein of the Washington Post: "The Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general is reviewing a request from a top House leader to investigate allegations that VA Secretary Robert Wilkie sought to dig up dirt on one of the congressman's aides after she said she was sexually assaulted at VA's Washington hospital. The appeal late Friday from House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) came after he received information from a senior VA official, confirmed by The Washington Post, that Wilkie worked to discredit the credibility of the aide, senior policy adviser Andrea Goldstein. Wilkie, who led the Pentagon's vast personnel and readiness operation before his VA appointment, quietly began inquiring with military officials last fall about Goldstein's past, according to three people with knowledge of his efforts. That is when Goldstein said a man groped and propositioned her in the main lobby of VA Medical Center in Washington. Over several months, Wilkie shared his findings with his senior staff at morning meetings on at least six occasions, three current or former senior VA officials confirmed." Mrs. McC: If this is true, what a creep Wilkie is.

Barbara Starr of CNN: "Initial reports indicate there are multiple US casualties after an attack on a joint US-Afghanistan operation in the Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, one defense official told CNN. The official cannot say how many US service members may be dead or wounded. And as is often the case early in these incidents, information could change as more details are learned. The US military is saying very little officially." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Susannah George & Sharif Hassan of the Washington Post: "Two U.S. service members were killed and six were wounded in the attack according to a statement from the U.S. military command. The incident is under investigation, but some Afghan officials say the attacker was a member of the Afghan security forces." Reuters has a story here.

No Accounting for Taste. Amanda Hurley in the Atlantic: "As first reported by Architectural Record and confirmed by The New York Times, the Trump administration is considering an executive order that will direct that U.S. government buildings with budgets greater than $50 million be designed in classical and other traditional styles. A draft document retains [Daniel Patrick] Moynihan's ringing phrase about 'dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability,' but stipulates that 'the classical architectural style shall be the preferred and default style.' All federal courthouses and federal buildings in and around Washington, D.C., would have to follow the work of Greek and Roman architects and their emulators in subsequent centuries." Hurley argues why this is a bad idea in practically, esthetically and politically. ~~~

~~~ New York Times Editors: "The proposed executive order reflects a broader inclination in some parts of American society to substitute an imagined past for the complexities and possibilities of the present. It embodies a belief that diversity is a problem and uniformity is a virtue. It is advocating for an un-American approach to architecture." As the editors demonstrate, the new "traditional" guidelines are already having their effects on federal building designs throughout the country.

** Jeffrey Ostler in the Atlantic: "The opening words of the Declaration of Independence -- and easily its most remembered part -- are widely celebrated as signifying the beginning of an exceptional American history, one characterized, despite setbacks, by a progressive expansion of rights. The closing words of the Declaration are far less known. The last of a list of 27 grievances against King George III, they read as follows: 'He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.'... The 27th grievance reveals that the original sin at America's founding was twofold. America was built by the labor of enslaved people. It was also built on stolen lands and the genocide of indigenous peoples.... The revolution wasn't only an effort to establish independence from the British -- it was also a push to preserve slavery and suppress Native American resistance." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Of course, not being a man, I have always been leery of a document that declares as its cardinal principle that "all men are created equal," but now I understand that this founding document also specifically targets people of color. I don't know what's going on in elementary public education these days, but it would be a good idea if their little textbooks quit falsely aggrandizing and idealizing the rapacious colonists and "Founding Fathers." Four hundred years to the year after English Pilgrims first set foot on Cape Cod, we are still a "Christian nation" of, by and for white men.