The Commentariat -- January 3, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Heather Caygle & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "Nancy Pelosi was elected speaker of the House for the 117th Congress, clinching the gavel for the fourth and potentially final time. Pelosi won 216 votes to secure the speakership with five Democrats breaking ranks to support someone else or vote present. All Republicans voted for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Pelosi remains the only woman to ever lead the House."

** Lordy, There's a Tape.* Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "President Trump urged fellow Republican Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, to 'find' enough votes to overturn his defeat in an extraordinary one-hour phone call Saturday that election experts said raised legal questions. The Washington Post obtained a recording of the conversation in which Trump alternately berated Raffensperger, tried to flatter him, begged him to act and threatened him with vague criminal consequences if the secretary of state refused to pursue his false claims, at one point warning that Raffensperger was taking 'a big risk.' Throughout the call, Raffensperger and his office's general counsel rejected his assertions, explaining that Trump is relying on debunked conspiracy theories and that President-elect Joe Biden's 11,779-vote victory in Georgia was fair and accurate. Trump dismissed their arguments.... At [one] point, Trump said: 'So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.' The rambling, at times incoherent conversation, offered a remarkable glimpse of how consumed and desperate the president remains about his loss, unwilling or unable to let the matter go and still believing he can reverse the results in enough battleground states to remain in office. 'There's no way I lost Georgia,' Trump said, a phrase he repeated again and again on the call." *Thanks to Shakezula for the headline. ~~~

     ~~~ Mother Jones has a summary report here. The Guardian's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is astounding. One of the most powerful people in the world is threatening a relatively insignificant state official that if he doesn't manufacture votes to throw an important election, he and his attorney will suffer dire consequences. This smoking gun is a fitting end to Trump's thoroughly corrupt presidency*. Another perfect call, one that will go down in history. ~~~

     ~~~ Leading up to the WashPo Report. Ryan Nobles of CNN: "Just days before the crucial Georgia runoffs that will determine control of the US Senate, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger delivered a strong message to Donald Trump as the President persists in attacking the Peach State's electoral process and the Republican leaders in charge of administering the system. 'Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true. The truth will come out,' Raffensperger tweeted. Raffensperger's comment was in response to a tweet Sunday morning by the President, in which Trump said he spoke to Raffensperger on the phone in an attempt to convince Raffensperger to look into unfounded conspiracy theories about the vote in November. According to Trump, Raffensperger refused to do so. 'I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the 'ballots under table' scam, ballot destruction, out of state 'voters,' dead voters, and more. He has no clue!' Trump wrote." MB: Sure enough, the truth did come out.

The New York Times' live updates of the federal government's transition Sunday are here: "Lawmakers of the 117th Congress will take the oath of office on Sunday, officially convening for the first time as the capital prepares for a new president, feuds over the mendacious claims of victory by the departing one and continues to battle a deadly pandemic.In the House, Democrats are poised to re-elect Nancy Pelosi of California as speaker, handing her control of an exceedingly narrow majority for what may be her final term."

Jemima McEvoy of Forbes: "As the U.S. hit its latest grim milestone early Sunday morning in the coronavirus pandemic -- 350,000 Americans dead -- PresidentTrump claimed the country's high numbers of cases and deaths have been 'exaggerated,' maligning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's statistics.... 'The number of cases and deaths of the China Virus is far exaggerated in the United States because of @CDCgov's ridiculous method of determination compared to other countries, many of whom report, purposely, very inaccurately and low. "When in doubt, call it Covid." Fake News!,' [Trump tweeted Sunday morning]." ~~~

~~~ Devan Cole of CNN: "US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams on Sunday said he has 'no reason to doubt' the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Covid-19 death toll, contradicting ... Donald Trump's claim that the agency has 'exaggerated' its numbers.... 'And I think people need to be very aware that it's not just about the deaths...," he added. "It's about the hospitalizations, the capacity. These cases are having an impact in an array of ways...,' [Adams said on CNN Sunday]." ~~~

~~~ Zack Budryk of the Hill: "Appearing on ABC's 'This Week,' [Dr. Anthony] Fauci was asked by ... host Martha Raddatz about a tweet by the president calling the coronavirus case and death toll 'fake news' and blaming it on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention methodology. 'Well, the deaths are real deaths. I mean, all you need to do is to go out into the trenches, go to the hospitals, see what the health care workers are dealing with. They are under very stressed situations in many areas of the country. The hospital beds are stretched,' Fauci responded." MB: Of course, Trump has not been "in the trenches." He doesn't give a rat's ass about the loss of life, the devastating illness, the strain on medical workers and on the rest of us whose lives have been put on hold, or worse.

How Many Africans have Succumbed to Covid-19? We'll Never Know. Ruth Maclean of the New York Times: "As the coronavirus pandemic swept across the world in 2020, it became increasingly evident that in the vast majority of countries on the African continent, most deaths are never formally registered.... Covid-19 is often said to have largely bypassed Africa.... But like other diseases, its true toll here will probably never be known.... In 2017, only 10 percent of deaths were registered in Nigeria, by far Africa's biggest country by population -- down from 13.5 percent a decade before. In other African countries, like Niger, the percentage is even lower." MB: Well, see, Trump was right about African countries like Namibia.

Summer Concepcion of TPM: "Living in complete denial that President Trump's one-term presidency is coming to a close, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro took to Fox News on Saturday night to falsely proclaim that President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20 can be delayed. The loyal Trump foot soldier pushed the President's voter fraud delusions while appearing on Fox News on Saturday night as he piled onto the Trumpworld's meltdown over baseless assertions of Democrats 'stealing' the election.... When Fox News anchor Jeanine Pirro cited the Constitution -- which clearly states that the term of the outgoing president ends on Jan. 20 -- while mentioning that Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20 can't be change, Navarro continued being in denial of reality. 'Well it can be changed, actually. We can go past that date, we can go past that date if we need to,' Navarro said. Pirro, who has a law degree, did not challenge Navarro's unsubstantiated claims as she raised her brows and quipped: 'Oh, okay.'" MB: Navarro, who has a Ph.D. in econ, thinks a doctorate in one field makes him an expert on everything from Covid to the Constitution.

Israel. Racist AND Stupid. Oliver Holmes & Hazem Balousha of the Guardian: "Israel is celebrating an impressive, record-setting vaccination drive, having given initial jabs of coronavirus shots to more than a 10th of the population. But Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza can only watch and wait. As the world ramps up what is already on track to become a highly unequal vaccination push -- with people in richer nations first to be inoculated -- the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories provides a stark example of the divide. Israel transports batches of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine deep inside the West Bank. But they are only distributed to Jewish settlers, and not the roughly 2.7 million Palestinians living around them who may have to wait for weeks or months.... Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israelis that the country could be the first to emerge from the pandemic. As well as a highly advanced healthcare system, part of the reason for the speed could be economics. A health ministry official said the country had paid $62 a dose, compared with the $19.50 the US is paying."

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Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: A new Congress convenes for the first time today. "The House meets at noon, and after the vote for speaker, members of the 117th Congress will be sworn in. Across the Capitol, Vice President Pence will administer the oath to the senators reelected on Nov. 3 and the newest members -- four Republicans and two Democrats. Two runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday will decide the final contests of 2020."

Will Sommer & Asawin Suebsaeng of the Daily Beast: "Many of Donald Trump's most dogmatic supporters see a mass protest in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 ... as their last chance to disrupt President-elect Joe Biden's win.... 'Be there, will be wild!' Trump tweeted on Dec. 19.... 'I'm thinking it will be literal war on that day,' one popular comment posted last Wednesday read. 'Where we'll storm offices and physically remove and even kill all the D.C. traitors and reclaim the country.'... Two people familiar with the matter say that in recent days, Trump has told advisers and close associates that he wants to keep fighting in court past Jan. 6 if members of Congress, as expected, end up certifying the electoral college results." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Dirty Dozen. Alayna Treene of Axios: "A growing number of Republican senators -- led by Ted Cruz -- announced [Saturday] they also will object to certifying state Electoral College votes on Wednesday and called for resurrecting an Electoral Commission to conduct an emergency audit of the results.... Republicans involved include Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), as well as Sens.-elect Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)." Plus Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) who began this stunt among senators. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Colby Itkowitz & Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "Nearly a dozen Republican senators and senators-elect led by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said Saturday they will reject electors from certain states won by President-elect Joe Biden, citing unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud and calling for an emergency 10-day audit of the results, an unprecedented attempt to thwart the democratic process. The senators contend they are not trying to reverse the election results, but rather give voice to those who don't believe it was conducted fairly, despite no investigation nor court finding any evidence of wrongdoing." ~~~

     ~~~ Mikey Likes It. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Vice President Mike Pence signaled support on Saturday for a futile Republican bid to overturn the election in Congress next week, after 11 Republican senators and senators-elect said that they would vote to reject President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s victory when the House and Senate meet to formally certify it. The announcement by the senators -- and Mr. Pence's move to endorse it -- reflected a groundswell among Republicans to defy the unambiguous results of the election and indulge President Trump's attempts to remain in power with false claims of voting fraud. Every state in the country has certified the election results after verifying their accuracy, many following postelection audits or hand counts. Judges across the country, and a Supreme Court with a conservative majority, have rejected nearly 60 attempts by Mr. Trump and his allies to challenge the results. And neither Mr. Pence nor any of the senators who said they would vote to invalidate the election has made a specific allegation of fraud, instead offering vague suggestions that some wrongdoing might have occurred and asserting that many of their supporters believe that it has."~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Anyone surprised that mike has joined the suck-up senators has not been listening to mike. Akhilleus, invoking Sherlock Holmes, writes appropriate commentary on mike's character in today's thread. ~~~

     ~~~ Jordain Carney of the Hill: "Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Saturday offered blistering criticism of a plan by at least 12 Republican senators to challenge the results of the election next week, warning that they 'imperil' public trust. 'The egregious ploy to reject electors may enhance the political ambition of some, but dangerously threatens our Democratic Republic. The congressional power to reject electors is reserved for the most extreme and unusual circumstances. These are far from it,' Romney said in a statement." MB: Frankly, Mitt did a better job of belittling the Dirty Dozen than these guys did: ~~~

     ~~~Tal Axelrod of the Hill: "Senate Democrats criticized their GOP colleagues after a group of 11 Republicans announced they would oppose the Electoral College results when Congress meets on Wednesday."

John Kruzel of the Hill: "A federal appeals court on Saturday dismissed a lawsuit by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and other Republicans that sought to expand Vice President Pence's legal authority to effectively overturn President-elect Joe Biden's electoral win. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a lower court judge's decision from Friday that the GOP plaintiffs lacked a legal right to sue."

Gillian Brockell of the Washington Post: When Vice Presidents Richard Nixon & Al Gore presided over a joint session of Congress to announce their own defeats. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Trumpidemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here: "As distribution of Covid-19 vaccines begins to open up to wider segments of the United States population, there have been scenes of chaos across the country. The initial vaccine deliveries were mostly for frontline medical workers and nursing home staff members and residents. But there was less of a clear consensus on how to distribute the second round of doses, and public health and elected officials had warned the process would become messier. Those warnings appear to have been borne out, leaving the U.S. inoculation campaign behind schedule and raising fears about how quickly the country will be able to tame the epidemic."

AP: "The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has surpassed 350,000 as experts anticipate another surge in coronavirus cases and deaths stemming from holiday gatherings over Christmas and New Year's. Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows the U.S. passed the threshold early Sunday morning. More than 20 million people in the country have been infected."

Ben Tobin of the Louisville Courier Journal: "United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's Louisville home has been vandalized following his blocking of $2,000 stimulus checks to most Americans. As of Saturday morning, messages like 'where's my money' and other expletives were written with spray paint across the front door and bricks of the Kentucky Republican's Highlands residence." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Kayla Galloway of ABC-7 Los Angeles: "A home in San Francisco belonging to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was vandalized early Friday morning with an apparent reference to lawmakers' failed efforts to provide Americans with $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks. The graffiti was found on the garage door of Pelosi's home overnight with the phrases '$2K', 'Cancel rent!' and 'We want everything.' As of early Friday afternoon, the garage door was covered with black garbage bags. The vandals also left fake blood and what appears to be a pig head outside the House Speaker's San Francisco home." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: "Three weeks after the [Russian hacking] intrusion came to light, American officials are still trying to understand whether what the Russians pulled off was simply an espionage operation inside the systems of the American bureaucracy or something more sinister, inserting 'backdoor' access into government agencies, major corporations, the electric grid and laboratories developing and transporting new generations of nuclear weapons. At a minimum it has set off alarms about the vulnerability of government and private sector networks in the United States to attack and raised questions about how and why the nation's cyberdefenses failed so spectacularly.... The breach was not detected by any of the government agencies that share responsibility for cyberdefense -- the military's Cyber Command and the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security -- but by a private cybersecurity company, FireEye." (Also linked yesterday.)

** Diane Francis of The Atlantic Council: "The US Senate began 2021 by delivering a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin by passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes sanctions designed to kill off the Kremlin's strategically important Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. The geopolitical significance of this legislation cannot be overstated. It means almost certain doom for Putin's most important energy project and prevents Russia from tightening its control over EU natural gas supplies.... In fall 2020, a proposed round of additional Nord Stream 2 sanctions received overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress and was included in the NDAA for consideration in December. In mid-December, both the House and Senate gave final approval, but President Trump then vetoed it. This required the House and Senate to override the veto by a two-thirds majority, which was finally accomplished on January 1, 2021." --s

Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Thursday steered clear of the controversy concerning President Trump's reelection loss and his continued demands for Supreme Court intervention, instead using his annual report to thank the judiciary for its performance during the pandemic..... 'This year, more than ever,' he wrote, 'I am privileged and honored to thank all of the judges, court staff, and other judicial branch personnel throughout the Nation for their outstanding service.'"

Andrew Latham in Informed Comment: "People are beginning to understand that the little changes COVID-19 has already ushered in or accelerated -- telemedicine, remote work, social distancing, the death of the handshake, online shopping, the virtual disappearance of cash and so on -- have begun to change their way of life.... Three previous plagues could yield some clues about the way COVID-19 might bend the arc of history As I teach in my course 'Plagues, Pandemics and Politics,' pandemics tend to shape human affairs in three ways. First, they can profoundly alter a society's fundamental worldview. Second, they can upend core economic structures. And, finally, they can sway power struggles among nations." --s (First published in the Conversation, Oct. 1, 2020.)

Way Beyond the Beltway

Iran. AFP: "The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, has vowed to respond to any 'action the enemy takes' during a visit to a strategic Gulf island amid tensions with the US. Salami was speaking on Saturday, on the eve of the first anniversary of the US killing of top Iranian military commander Qassem Suleimani in a Baghdad drone strike. In the Iraqi capital, a mock funeral procession was held, with mourners visiting the site of the attack. Salami inspected troops stationed on Abu Musa island, accompanied by the Revolutionary Guard Corps navy commander, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri."

U.K. Jamie Howard of the Guardian: "The government is under pressure to explain why a series of air strikes in Yemen, many involving civilian casualties, have not been recorded in its confidential log of alleged breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL). The existence of the database, which has been kept by the Ministry of Defence since 2015, emerged only when the government became embroiled in a legal challenge over its decision to grant UK arms manufacturers export licences to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen.... By last July more than 500 possible breaches had been recorded in the database. But human rights groups allege that the true number of breaches in a conflict in which Saudi-led forces have conducted more than 20,000 air strikes must be much higher." --s

The Commentariat -- January 2, 2021

Afternoon Update:

David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: "Three weeks after the [Russian hacking] intrusion came to light, American officials are still trying to understand whether what the Russians pulled off was simply an espionage operation inside the systems of the American bureaucracy or something more sinister, inserting 'backdoor' access into government agencies, major corporations, the electric grid and laboratories developing and transporting new generations of nuclear weapons. At a minimum it has set off alarms about the vulnerability of government and private sector networks in the United States to attack and raised questions about how and why the nation's cyberdefenses failed so spectacularly.... The breach was not detected by any of the government agencies that share responsibility for cyberdefense -- the military's Cyber Command and the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security -- but by a private cybersecurity company, FireEye."

Will Sommer & Asawin Suebsaeng of the Daily Beast: "Many of Donald Trump's most dogmatic supporters see a mass protest in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 ... as their last chance to disrupt President-elect Joe Biden's win.... 'Be there, will be wild!' Trump tweeted on Dec. 19.... 'I'm thinking it will be literal war on that day,' one popular comment posted last Wednesday read. 'Where we'll storm offices and physically remove and even kill all the D.C. traitors and reclaim the country.'... Two people familiar with the matter say that in recent days, Trump has told advisers and close associates that he wants to keep fighting in court past Jan. 6 if members of Congress, as expected, end up certifying the electoral college results."

Alayna Treene of Axios: "A growing number of Republican senators -- led by Ted Cruz — announced [Saturday] they also will object to certifying state Electoral College votes on Wednesday and called for resurrecting an Electoral Commission to conduct an emergency audit of the results.... Republicans involved include Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), as well as Sens.-elect Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)."

Gillian Brockell of the Washington Post: When Vice Presidents Richard Nixon & Al Gore presided over a joint session of Congress to announce their own defeats.

Ben Tobin of the Louisville Courier Journal: ... Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's Louisville home has been vandalized following his blocking of $2,000 stimulus checks to most Americans. As of Saturday morning, messages like 'where's my money' and other expletives were written with spray paint across the front door and bricks of the Kentucky Republican's Highlands residence." ~~~

~~~ Kayla Galloway of ABC-7 Los Angeles: "A home in San Francisco belonging to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was vandalized early Friday morning with an apparent reference to lawmakers' failed efforts to provide Americans with $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks. The graffiti was found on the garage door of Pelosi's home overnight with the phrases '$2K', 'Cancel rent!' and 'We want everything.' As of early Friday afternoon, the garage door was covered with black garbage bags. The vandals also left fake blood and what appears to be a pig head outside the House Speaker's San Francisco home."

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Joanna Walters of the Guardian: "... in dueling New Year's Eve declarations, [Donald] Trump boasted of accomplishments in office, calling them 'historic victories' despite his resounding loss in November's election and a pandemic that has never been under control and is entering its darkest phase with record deaths in parallel with chaotic early vaccine distribution. [Joe] Biden praised healthcare workers on the front lines and looked ahead to his prospects of delivering what he has promised will be a transformative first 100 days in office in terms of dealing with the coronavirus, the battered economy, global re-engagement by the US and taking action on the climate crisis."

The Last Days of the Mad Kaiser

Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "President Trump took to Twitter Friday evening to make the unfounded assertion that Georgia's two Senate races are 'illegal and invalid,' an argument that could complicate his efforts to convince his supporters to turn out for Republican candidates in the two runoff races that will determine which party controls the Senate.... Mr. Trump made his assertion about the Senate races in a Twitter thread in which he also made the baseless claim that 'massive corruption' took place in the general election, 'which gives us far more votes than is necessary to win all of the Swing States.'"' The Hill's story is here.

Betsy Klein, et al., of CNN: "... Donald Trump is spending his final days in office attacking leadership within his own party, this time the second-highest ranking Republican in the Senate.... Trump, back at the White House after his Mar-a-Lago holiday with no public events on his schedule, attacked Sen. John Thune, a South Dakotan who is the No. 2 Senate Republican, in an afternoon tweet on New Year's Day. 'I hope to see the great Governor of South Dakota @KristiNoem, run against RINO @SenJohnThune, in the upcoming 2022 Primary. She would do a fantastic job in the U.S. Senate, but if not Kristi, others are already lining up. South Dakota wants strong leadership, NOW!' he wrote in a tweet. Trump has railed against Republican leadership broadly multiple times this week, but this time is naming names.... 'Yeah, well, finally an attack tweet. What took him so long?' a calm and soft-spoken Thune told reporters as he was leaving the Capitol after the vote to override Trump's veto of the defense bill. 'It's fine, that's the way he communicates.'"

** Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The Senate on Friday voted overwhelmingly to override President Trump's veto of the annual military policy bill as most Republicans joined Democrats to rebuke Mr. Trump in the final days of his presidency. The 81-to-13 vote was the first time lawmakers have overridden one of Mr. Trump's vetoes. It reflected the sweeping popularity of a measure that authorized a pay raise for the nation's military. The margin surpassed the two-thirds majority needed to force enactment of the bill over Mr. Trump's objections, and only seven Republicans voted to sustain the veto. The House passed the legislation on Monday in a similarly lopsided 322-to-87 vote that also mustered the two-thirds majority required. The vote ended a devastating legislative week for Mr. Trump, effectively denying him two of the last demands of his presidency. Senate Republican leaders on Wednesday had declared that there was 'no realistic path' for a vote on increasing stimulus checks to $2,000 from the current $600, a measure Mr. Trump had pressed lawmakers to take up." Politico's story is here.

Burgess Everett of Politico: "Multiple Senate Republicans unloaded on an effort led by Sen. Josh Hawley to challenge Joe Biden's election victory as the party hurtles toward its most consequential confrontation with Donald Trump of his entire presidency.... 'I think it's awful. I am going to support my oath to the Constitution. That's the loyalty test here,' said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called Hawley's move 'disappointing and destructive. And borrowing from Ben Sasse it's ambition pointing a gun at the head of democracy.' Sasse (R-Neb.) said this week that 'adults don't point a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-government.' 'I'm going to vote to certify the election,' said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) of Hawley's effort. 'I don't think it's a good idea and I don't understand his reasoning.'"

Catie Edmondson & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit led by President Trump's allies in Congress that aimed to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the results of the election, dealing a blow to lawmakers' last-ditch effort to challenge President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s victory. Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle [-- a Trump appointee --] of the Eastern District of Texas ruled that Republican lawmakers, led by Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas, lacked the proper standing to sue Mr. Pence in the matter.... Mr. Gohmert said in an interview with Newsmax that his lawyers would appeal.... [MB: And now for some euphamistic understatement:] The president was unhappy when he learned that the Justice Department was representing Mr. Pence in a suit that his supporters had filed, and he reached out to the vice president on Friday morning to discuss it, three people briefed on the discussion said.... Mr. Trump was more vocal to advisers than to Mr. Pence about his frustrations over the Justice Department's involvement." An NPR story is here. ~~~

~~~ Earlier. Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Vice President Mike Pence has the unilateral power to decide the outcome of the 2020 election, according to the latest filing in a lawsuit brought by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and other Republicans mounting a last-ditch bid to overturn the results of the 2020 election. 'Under the Constitution, he has the authority to conduct that proceeding as he sees fit,' Gohmert argues. 'He may count elector votes certified by a state's executive, or he can prefer a competing slate of duly qualified electors. He may ignore all electors from a certain state. That is the power bestowed upon him by the Constitution.'" The Washington Post's story is here; the WashPo story has been updated to report the dismissal of the case. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yeah, that's definitely the plan, Louie. Which makes it hard to understand why Al Gore didn't pick himself to be the next president in 2000 (especially since he won the popular vote), and why Joe Biden didn't pick Hillary Clinton in 2016 (who also won the popular vote). I guess Al & Joe are just not the Constitutional scholars you are, Louie. ~~~

     ~~~ Matt Haham of Law & Crime: "Election law experts rapidly responded [to] the Gohmert reply by calling its core aim 'breathtaking' and 'preposterous.'"

The Trumpidemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here.

Christina Maxouris & Jason Hanna of CNN: "The US surpassed 20 million total recorded Covid-19 cases on Friday, hours after the country ushered in 2021 and left behind its deadliest month of the pandemic. The nation also has set a Covid-19 hospitalization record for four straight days. The high counts are a grim reminder that even with 2020 behind us, the pandemic continues to ravage parts of the country. And some leaders warn the worst is still ahead.... More than 125,370 coronavirus patients were in US hospitals Thursday, Covid Tracking Project data shows."

Jeremy Herb & Rachel Janfaza of CNN: "Republican Sen. Mitt Romney on Friday warned the process of distributing vaccines is 'falling behind' in a statement blasting the plan for getting Americans vaccinated, as the critical vaccination roll out process lags. 'That comprehensive vaccination plans have not been developed at the federal level and sent to the states as models is as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable,' Romney ... said in a statement Friday. Romney said the plan to rely on hospitals and pharmacies that are already overburdened was 'unrealistic.' Romney's statement comes as the federal government's Operation Warp Speed had promised that 20 million doses would be administered before January 1. Yet data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from earlier this week shows that just over 12.4 million doses have been distributed, and only 2.79 million have actually been administered."

South Dakota. Danielle Ferguson of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader: "A federal judge says a state court can't use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to delay a Codington County trial and in the same breath criticized South Dakota's response to the pandemic, saying it has done 'little, if anything,' to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann ordered that unless the Codington County state court resolves Matthew Kurtenbach's May 2019 case by January 15, 2021, Kurtenbach will win a federal petition he filed claiming wrongful imprisonment and a violation of his right to a speedy trial.... Kornmann harshly criticized the state and Gov. Kristi Noem's response to the pandemic and said some state courts could have done more to keep cases moving while protecting parties.... 'South Dakota cannot "take advantage" of its own failures to follow scientific facts and safeguards in entering blanket denials of the rights of speedy trials.'... ~~~

~~~ "An excerpt from the filing: 'The Governor has steadfastly refused to impose a statewide mask mandate. She has often questioned publicly the scientific fact that mask wearing prevents the virus from spreading. she appeared at a dedication ceremony for a large 3M Company in Aberdeen manufacturing plant expansion -- to allow 3M to produce even more N95 respirators needed by front-line healthcare workers -- as the only public official not wearing a mask. Her example significantly encourages south Dakotans to not wear masks. South Dakota is now a very dangerous place in which to live due to the spread of COVID-19. Even a casual observer must note the failure of most residents of South Dakota to wear masks and maintain social distancing.'" MB: Kornmann is a Clinton appointee.

Virginia. Celine Castronuovo of the Hill: "Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin (R) has died from complications due to COVID-19, his office announced Friday. He was 60. Gov. \Ralph Northam (D) and the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus confirmed the passing of Chafin, who represented the state's 38th district for the past six years.... Northam has reportedly ordered the Virginia state flag to be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of Chafin's interment."

Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "The Pentagon has abruptly sent the aircraft carrier Nimitz home from the Middle East and Africa over the objections of top military advisers, marking a reversal of a weekslong muscle-flexing strategy aimed at deterring Iran from attacking American troops and diplomats in the Persian Gulf. Officials said on Friday that the acting defense secretary, Christopher C. Miller, had ordered the redeployment of the ship in part as a 'de-escalatory' signal to Tehran to avoid stumbling into a crisis in President Trump's waning days in office. American intelligence reports indicate that Iran and its proxies may be preparing a strike as early as this weekend to avenge the death of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Senior Pentagon officials said that Mr. Miller assessed that dispatching the Nimitz now, before the first anniversary this Sunday of General Suleimani's death in an American drone strike in Iraq, could remove what Iranian hard-liners see as a provocation that justifies their threats against American military targets." MB: The Nimitz is one old aircraft carrier: it was launched in 1972.

Michael Balsamo of the AP: "A federal appeals court has cleared the way for the only woman on federal death row to be executed before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. The ruling, handed down Friday by a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, concluded that a lower court judge erred when he vacated Lisa Montgomery's execution date in an order last week.... Meaghan VerGow, an attorney for Montgomery, said her legal team would ask for the full appeals court to review the case and said Montgomery should not be executed on Jan. 12."

The Commentariat -- January 1, 2021

Kate Sullivan of CNN: "On Joe Biden's first day as President, his White House will issue a memo to halt or delay midnight regulations and actions taken by the Trump administration that will not have taken effect by Inauguration Day, Biden transition spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday. Psaki noted that issuing a regulatory freeze is standard practice for an incoming administration, 'but this freeze will apply not only to regulations but also guidance documents -- documents that can have enormous consequences on the lives of the American people.' The memo will take effect after noon ET on January 20, Psaki said, after Biden is inaugurated. The memo is part of a broader push the Biden transition team has previewed to immediately undo several of outgoing ... Donald Trump's policies." (Also linked yesterday.)

Mike Allen of Axios: "To set the tone for his inauguration the next day, President-elect Biden will lead a memorial to remember and honor lives lost to COVID-19, with church-bell ringings and light shows across the country on Tue., Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m. ET. The Presidential Inauguration Committee is announcing Thursday morning that a D.C. ceremony, led by Biden, will feature lights around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool -- the first time lighting around the Reflecting Pool has memorialized American lives lost."

The Trumpidemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here: "... logistical problems in clinics across the country have put the campaign to vaccinate the United States against Covid-19 far behind schedule in its third week, raising fears about how quickly the country will be able to tame the epidemic." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Rich Get Richer & the Poor Get Poorer. Hamza Shaban & Heather Long of the Washington Post: "The U.S. stock market ended 2020 at all-time highs, enriching the wealthy and capping off a soaring comeback despite a deadly pandemic that has killed more than 340,000 Americans and left millions jobless and hungry. The S&P 500-stock index, the most widely watched gauge, is finishing the year up more than 16 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 7.25 percent and 43.6 percent, respectively. The Dow and S&P 500 finished at record levels despite the public health and economic crises. Wall Street's resurgence has been fueled by the largest federal government stimulus ever, historic support from the Federal Reserve and optimism about how quickly the economy is likely to bounce back next year as coronavirus vaccines become widely distributed. Investors have largely ignored the pain on Main Street, including pronounced unemployment, overrun hospitals and battered small businesses. On the eve of the new year, nearly 20 million people remained on unemployment, a jobs crisis worse than during the Great Recession."

Fred Imbert of CNBC: "The number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time unexpectedly fell last week, marking its second straight decline. Initial jobless claims declined by 19,000 to 787,000 in the week ended Dec. 26, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected initial jobless claims to rise to 828,000. The previous week's total for initial claims was upwardly revised by 3,000 to 806,000. Continuing claims, which include those who have received unemployment benefits for at least two straight weeks, fell by 103,000 to 5.219 million for the week of Dec. 19. Data on continuing claims runs on a one-week lag to the initial claims numbers." (Also linked yesterday.)

Tal Axelrod of the Hill: "Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) announced Thursday that he will quarantine after being exposed to someone infected with COVID-19, taking him off the campaign trail just days before his crucial Senate runoff.... While Perdue and his wife tested negative for COVID-19 Thursday, they will still quarantine based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their doctor's recommendation." (Also linked yesterday.) More on Perdue linked below.

Rachel Janfaza of CNN: "Florida Congresswoman-elect María Elvira Salazar said Thursday that she has tested positive for Covid-19 and will be unable to attend the congressional swearing-in ceremony at the US Capitol on Sunday. Salazar, a Republican, said on Twitter she was admitted to a local hospital with heart arrhythmia, commonly known as an irregular heartbeat, on December 23, before being tested for Covid-19. That test came back positive, she said." (Also linked yesterday.)

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. Coral Murphy of USA Today: "Distilleries across the U.S. received a surprise fee from the Food and Drug Administration after using their facilities to make hand sanitizer amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 cases began surging in March, distilleries started making hand sanitizer by switching their alcohol production to antiseptic, undrinkable alcohol and giving away bottles to members of their communities. The efforts rose after the country faced a shortage in hand sanitizer.... The CARES Act ... established these facilities must pay user fees under the over the counter monograph drug user fee program.... [Late] Thursday, however, the Department of Health and Human Services appeared to have struck down the FDA fees. 'Small businesses who stepped up to fight COVID-19 should be applauded by their government, not taxed for doing so,' HHS chief of staff Brian Harrison said in a statement posted on Twitter. 'I'm pleased to announce we have directed FDA to cease enforcement of these arbitrary, surprise user fees,' he said. 'Happy New Year, distilleries, and cheers to you for helping keep us safe!'"

Indiana. Bill Hutchinson of ABC News: "The president and CEO of an Indiana hospital has prompted backlash for releasing what medical professionals and health care advocates described as a 'blame the victim' statement about a Black physician who died of COVID-19 after alleging she was mistreated by a doctor and nurses at his medical facility because of the color of her skin. In a press release, Indiana University Hospital president and CEO Dennis M. Murphy described Dr. Susan Moore as a 'complex patient' and said that during her stay at the IU Health North facility in Carmel, Indiana, the nursing staff treating her for coronavirus 'may have been intimidated by a knowledgeable patient who was using social media to voice her concerns and critique the care they were delivering.' Moore, 52, who operated her own family practice, died at another hospital she went to a day after being discharged from IU Health North, her 19-year-old son, Henry Muhammed, told ABC News. Before being sent home from IU Health North, Moore recorded a scathing review of her treatment and posted the video on her Facebook page, saying, 'I put forth, and I maintain, if I was white, I wouldn't have to go through that.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Wisconsin. Andrea Secedo & Isaac Stanley-Becker of the Washington Post: "An employee at a hospital outside Milwaukee deliberately spoiled more than 500 doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing 57 vials from a pharmacy refrigerator, hospital officials announced Wednesday, as local police said they were investigating the incident with the help of federal authorities.... Each vial has enough for 10 vaccinations but can sit at room temperature for only 12 hours.... The employee acknowledged having 'intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration,' the system, Aurora Health Care [of Grafton, Wis.], said in a statement late Wednesday. The employee, who has not been identified, was fired, Aurora Health said. Its statement did not address the worker's motive but said 'appropriate authorities' were promptly notified." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Todd Richmond of the AP: "Authorities arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist Thursday suspected of deliberately ruining hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing them from refrigeration for two nights.... Police in Grafton, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Milwaukee, said the Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property, all felonies. The pharmacist has been fired and police said in a news release that he was in jail. Police did not identify the pharmacist, saying he has not yet been formally charged. His motive remains unclear."

The Last Days of the Mad Kaiser

Michael Shear, et al., of the New York Times: "Throughout late summer and fall, in the heat of a re-election campaign that he would go on to lose, and in the face of mounting evidence of a surge in infections and deaths far worse than in the spring, Mr. Trump's management of the crisis == unsteady, unscientific and colored by politics all year -- was in effect reduced to a single question: What would it mean for him?... Mr. Trump's unwillingness to put aside his political self-centeredness as Americans died by the thousands each day or to embrace the steps necessary to deal with the crisis remains confounding even to some administration officials. 'Making masks a culture war issue was the dumbest thing imaginable,' one former senior adviser said." This is a longish piece with five reporters on the byline; it oulines Trump's -- and his aides' -- many missteps re: Covid-19. ~~~

~~~ Trump Says He Did a Great Job, & Everybody Is Calling to Thank Him. Amanda Macias of CNBC: "December was the deadliest month for America during the pandemic. Yet ... Donald Trump barely uttered a word about Covid-19's tragic toll. Instead, the president spent the month obsessing over unfounded claims of a stolen election, delaying relief legislation before signing it, weighing in on cable news broadcasts and lashing out at members of his own party. And, on Thursday, the last day of the month and the year, Trump tweeted a video in which he boasted about his administration's response to the pandemic.... In a recorded message released Thursday, Trump took the lion's share of the credit for the unprecedented speed in the development of vaccines calling the feat a 'medical miracle.' 'Thanks to Operation Warp Speed we developed a vaccine in just nine months, we've already begun a nationwide vaccination program, and we're sending the vaccine all over the world. The world will benefit we'll benefit, and everybody's calling to thank me,' the president said. Trump also took a moment to praise his work on the economy, saying that his administration 'built the greatest economy in the history of the world.'"

Hmm. John Kruzel of the Hill: "Vice President Pence on Thursday asked a federal judge to reject a bid by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and other Republicans to broaden Pence's powers in a manner that would effectively allow him to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's electoral win.... In a Thursday brief to Texas-based U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle, a Trump appointee, Pence said he was not a proper defendant to the suit. 'A suit to establish that the Vice President has discretion over the count, filed against the Vice President, is a walking legal contradiction,' a Department of Justice attorney representing Pence wrote in the filing. Typically, the vice president's role in presiding over the Jan. 6 meeting is a largely ceremonial one governed by an 1887 federal law known as the Electoral Count Act." ~~~

     ~~~ Maggie Haberman & Katie Benner of the New York Times: "The [Justice D]epartment, acting on behalf of Mr. Pence, said that Republican lawmakers, led by Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas, could not invalidate the more than century-old law that governs the Electoral College process to expand an otherwise ceremonial role into one that has the power to reject electoral votes that were cast for Mr. Biden.... The Justice Department also made clear in its filing that it welcomed any comments from the federal judge ... that would clarify that Mr. Pence's role in the election was purely procedural. The White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, and the chief of staff, Mark Meadows, were aware the Justice Department was filing on Mr. Pence's behalf before it happened, according to two people briefed on the discussions.... The Justice Department's move to squash an 11th-hour attempt to undo Mr. Biden's victory could put it more at odds with Mr. Trump.... the department under [Acting AG Jeffrey] Rosen has taken a step that Mr. Trump may see as an overt act intended to thwart one of his allies, opening it up to possible retaliation." MB: It does seem that pence is trying to wriggle out of taking any responsibility for Trump's (and of course his own) loss in the vote-counting procedure. If so, Trump surely will dub him a traitor. ~~~

~~~ House Republicans to Vote Against Democracy, Constitution. Jake Tapper of CNN: "Two Republican members of the House of Representatives tell CNN that they expect at least 140 of their GOP colleagues in the House to vote against counting the electoral votes on January 6 when Congress is expected to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory.... Donald Trump's Republican allies have virtually zero chance of changing the result, only to delay by a few hours the inevitable affirmation of Biden as the Electoral College winner and the next president. There have been no credible allegations of any issues with voting that would have impacted the election, as affirmed by dozens of judges, governors, election officials, the Electoral College, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the US Supreme Court. But Trump is determined to claim he didn't lose -- which he did, significantly -- and many GOP politicians either share his delusion or fear provoking his wrath -- even if that means voting to undermine democracy. Both a House member and senator are required to mount an objection when Congress counts the votes. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said Wednesday he will object, which will force lawmakers in both the House and Senate to vote on whether to accept the results of Biden's victory. Trump has been pushing for Congress to try to overturn the election result as his campaign's attempts to overturn the election through the courts have been repeatedly rejected." MB: Tapper has said on-air that a "handful" of senators are likely to join Hawley. ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Swan of Axios: "In an extraordinary conference call this morning with fellow Senate Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his Jan. 6 vote certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election will be 'the most consequential I have ever cast,' according to a source on a call and two other sources briefed on the private remarks.... The conference call came in the wake of Sen. Josh Hawley defying McConnell's wishes and publicly declaring that he'll object to certifying the electoral votes in Pennsylvania and perhaps in other states as well.... A source paraphrased McConnell as saying, 'I'm finishing 36 years in the Senate and I've cast a lot of big votes.' including over war and impeachment. 'And in my view, just my view,' McConnell said, 'this is will be the most consequential I have ever cast.' 'The context was McConnell saying we're being asked to overturn the results after a guy didn't get as many electoral votes and lost by 7 million popular votes,' the source said.... His remarks to his conference are likely to escalate President Trump's anger with him for daring acknowledge Trump's defeat.... Many Republican senators are furious at Hawley for forcing them to take what Trump is setting up as the ultimate loyalty test on January 6th." ~~~

~~~ John Wagner & Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) called the effort in Congress to reverse President-elect Joe Biden's electoral college victory a 'dangerous ploy,' underscoring the challenge President Trump faces in persuading even members of his own party to join it. In an open letter to constituents, Sasse wrote that there is no evidence of fraud so widespread that it could change the results and said he has urged his colleagues to reject 'a project to overturn the election.' 'All the clever arguments and rhetorical gymnastics in the world wo't change the fact that this January 6th effort is designed to disenfranchise millions of Americans simply because they voted for someone in a different party,' Sasse wrote on Facebook shortly before midnight on Wednesday.... His letter followed Wednesday's announcement by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) that he will object next week when Congress convenes to certify the electoral college vote, a move that will force a contentious floor debate that top Senate Republicans had hoped to avoid." (Also linked yesterday.)

Kevin Brueninger of CNBC: "The head of the White House budget office on Thursday refused to direct staff and resources to help with the incoming Biden administration's spending plans, in an escalating dispute over what the office's responsibilities are during the transition process. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought pushed back on accusations of obstruction raised by President-elect Joe Biden's transition team, adding that his agency will not cooperate with alleged efforts to 'dismantle' Trump administration policies.... The letter from Vought, shared publicly on his Twitter account, turns up the heat in the simmering dispute between ... Donald Trump's administration and the incoming Biden team.... Biden spokesman Andrew Bates in a statement called it 'indefensible,' in the midst of a time of economic hardship, 'to hamstring the United States government's ability to prepare a budget and efficiently deliver help to those who need it most, particularly out of explicit, declared partisanship.'" Bates makes clear Vought's letter makes no sense: he claims not to be obstructing the transition while he vows to obstruct the transition.

Brian Fung of CNN: "Microsoft said Thursday that the suspected Russian hackers behind a massive US government security breach also viewed some of the company's source code. The unauthorized access does not appear to have compromised any Microsoft ... services or customer data, the company said in a blog post. But an investigation showed that the attackers took advantage of their access to Microsoft's systems to view company code.... The disclosure highlights the broad reach of the attackers, whom investigators have described as extremely sophisticated and well-resourced. And it suggests that corporate espionage may have been as much a motive as a hunt for government secrets.... But Microsoft said its security practices begin by preemptively assuming that hackers already have access to the company's source code, and protects its services accordingly."

Matthew Choi of Politico: "The Census Bureau will miss a Dec. 31 deadline for reporting data used to determine congressional seats, the agency announced Wednesday. The delay could hinder ... Donald Trump's effort to exclude some undocumented immigrants from the figures used to apportion House seats.... It will be the first time the bureau will miss the deadline since its 1976 implementation.... Census Bureau documents released by the House Oversight Committee earlier this month show the data may not be delivered until late January -- after President-elect Joe Biden gets inaugurated. That would give the Democratic president an opening to cease Trump's efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count." (Also linked yesterday.)

Georgia Senate Race. Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: '... at an October rally in Macon with Trump[, Sen. David] Perdue did not mention specifics about his career, telling the crowd, 'I'm just a dumb business guy from right over that hill. That was followed by Trump promising to make the United States 'the manufacturing superpower of the world. And we will end our reliance on China once and for all.' Trump made no reference to the fact that Perdue, whom he called a 'very successful man,' made much of his fortune by heading Asian operations for a number of companies that relied on Chinese manufacturing of products sold in the United States.... Perdue was a top executive at some of the country's best-known consumer brands, spending years in Hong Kong and Singapore, which he used as bases to travel across Asia to take advantage of the region's lower-cost workforces." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ David Perdue, a Real-Life Simon Legree. Jessica Goodheart of Capital & Main: "Dollar General, which [Sen. David Perdue] ran between 2003 and 2007, rests on a business model of offering low-cost goods at rock-bottom prices while paying workers poorly.... The corporate dictum that wages remain at 5% of gross sales 'placed us at the bottom of a low-paying industry,' Cal Turner Jr., the son of Dollar General's founder, told ProPublica. Perdue presided over a more than 30-fold increase in the number of employee lawsuits filed against the company.... That vast increase mostly appears due to more than 2,000 wage theft cases filed in 2006 by Dollar General managers who claimed they were classified as managers only so that the company could circumvent federal law, which required hourly employees to be paid overtime when working over 40 hours in a single week.... Capital & Main has uncovered new evidence of allegedly discriminatory practices at the company while Perdue was at the helm, including those that singled out pregnant women and African Americans." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There were plenty of poor white Republican voters in Georgia. I'm surprised that, as far as I know, Ossoff hasn't hammered Perdue for his cruelty to workers.

Way Beyond the Beltway

U.K. Reuters: "The father of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday he was in the process of applying for a French passport to maintain his ties with the European Union after Brexit. Stanley Johnson, a former member of the European Parliament who voted Remain in Britain's 2016 referendum, told RTL radio he wanted to become a French citizen because of strong family links to France." (Also linked yesterday.)