The Commentariat -- March 5, 2016

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked a Louisiana law that its opponents say would leave the state with only one abortion clinic. The court gave no reasons, though it did say that its order was 'consistent with' one last June that blocked part of a Texas abortion law.... Only Justice Clarence Thomas noted a dissent from the order Friday, suggesting that the vote had been 7 to 1, but justices do not always disclose their dissenting votes on such orders. In the order blocking the Texas law in June, the court's four most conservative members noted their dissents, making it clear that the vote had been 5 to 4."

Presidential Race

The Louisiana primary for Democrats & Republicans is today. Both parties are holding caucuses in Kansas. Democrats caucus in Nebraska, too, & Republicans also caucus in Kentucky & Maine. ...

... Ed Kilgore has more on the weekend's primaries & caucuses.

Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "Hillary Clinton will join Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont at a town hall event hosted by Fox News on Monday night in Detroit, the network announced.... Her campaign initially said she would not be able to make the event, citing travel restrictions, but on Friday reversed course."

Dana Milbank: "Hillary Clinton has a knack for turning triumph into tedium.... But there is, in this case, a silver bullet for Clinton: She can make Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) her running mate. Though formal deliberations have yet to begin, the notion of a Clinton-Warren dream team has already been contemplated at Clinton's campaign headquarters in Brooklyn.... Trump will portray Clinton as a status-quo candidate out of touch with the common man. Warren, better than anybody, refutes that charge."

Eliza Collins of Politico: "Former Democratic presidential candidate Jim Webb won't be voting for Hillary Clinton, but he hasn't ruled out casting his ballot for Donald Trump." CW: Oh, go home & wave your Confederate flag, Jim.

All the GOP Presidential Candidates Suck. Orlando Sun-Sentinel Editors: "The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board is not going to make an endorsement in Florida's March 15 Republican presidential primary because the kind of person who should be running is not in the race. We cannot endorse businessman Donald Trump, hometown Sen. Marco Rubio or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz because they are unqualified to be president. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is the best of the bunch, but if you measure a candidate by the caliber of his campaign, Kasich's lack of traction and organization make a vote for him count for little."

Kendall Breitman of Bloomberg: "Mitt Romney ... said he would support an effort to deny Donald Trump the nomination at the party's convention in July if Trump doesn't have enough delegates to win on the first ballot." ...

... Michael Barbaro, et al., of the New York Times: "The furious campaign now underway to stop Mr. Trump and the equally forceful rebellion against it captured the essence of the party's breakdown over the past several weeks: Its most prominent guardians, misunderstanding their own voters, antagonize them as they try to reason with them, driving them even more energetically to Mr. Trump's side." ...

... Paul Krugman: "... protectionism was the only reason [Mitt Romney] gave for believing that Trump would cause a recession, which I think is kind of telling: the GOP's supposedly well-informed, responsible adult, trying to save the party, can't get basic economics right at the one place where economics is central to his argument."

The Donald's Latest Gymnastic Feat: Flipflop on a Waterboard. Allegra Kirkland of TPM: "Donald Trump acknowledged Friday that he would have to adhere to international laws on torture if he became the next U.S. president. In a statement sent to the Wall Street Journal, Trump said he understands that 'the United States is bound by laws and treaties and I will not order our military or other officials to violate those laws and will seek their advice on such matters. I will not order a military officer to disobey the law.' The GOP frontrunner previously had a much more enthusiastic attitude towards the extrajudicial treatment of terrorism suspects. As recently as Thursday night's Republican debate in Detroit, Trump said, 'Can you imagine these people, these animals over in the Middle East that chop off heads, sitting around talking and seeing that we're having a hard problem with waterboarding? We should go for waterboarding and tougher than waterboarding.' He also said he would 'take out' the families of terrorists in a December interview with Fox News.... Trump said during Thursday's debate that military leaders would not 'refuse' him if he ordered them to commit war crimes...." ...

... Nick Gass of Politico: "Donald Trump has pulled out of the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, opting to campaign in Kansas and Florida instead.... While Trump had spoken at past CPAC events, his speaking slot this time drew backlash from conservative critics who had accused event organizers of being in the tank for [him].... Politico reported Wednesday that Trump has donated more than $100,000 to the ACU [which sponsors CPAC], including a $50,000 check in 2015.... On Thursday, National Review reported on efforts to stage a walkout during Trump's speech, coming from a tri-corn hat-wearing CPAC attendee from Georgia named William Temple." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Ken Vogel of Politico: "Donald Trump spent five years building a mutually beneficial relationship with the organization that hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, filling its coffers with at least $150,000 in cash and scoring coveted speaking slots that started him on a course towards winning the Republican presidential nomination. But he ended up canceling what would have been his biggest CPAC speech at the last minute amid plans for protest and disruptions.... Trump also bristled at their insistence that he answer questions from a journalist of their choosing onstage after his speech, according to sources familiar with the planning." ...

... Max Ehrenfreud of the Washington Post: "Whatever critics might say about failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney, everyone at least agrees that he has done well for himself as a businessman. There is no such consensus regarding Donald Trump.... A recent analysis suggests the extent of Trump's underperformance is vastly greater than previously recognized. The new results emphasize the degree to which Trump has relied on his family's wealth and connections in order to create his fortune." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: "In an interview on NBC's 'Today' show, [Marco Rubio] said he didn't feel bad about introducing penis jokes into the presidential race. 'Oh, no. Please,' Rubio said. 'I mean, Donald Trump has now spent a year doing this on a regular basis. In fact, there was not a speech or debate that Donald Trump does that he doesn't personally offend or try to offend somebody.' Besides, he said, he only made the comment 'one time, to a guy who needs to be stood up to.' And because it was in response to another attack from Trump, it was fair to defend himself." ...

... For one thing, Trump steaks weren't all that tasty; for another, they cost upwards of $50/pound.

Nick Gass: "Ben Carson is suspending his bid for the presidency, the retired neurosurgeon announced Friday, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. 'Even though I might be leaving the campaign trail, you know there's a lot of people who love me, they just won't vote for me. But I will still continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation,' he said." CW: Very reassuring. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Eliza Collins: "Ben Carson has a new job. During his Conservative Political Action Conference address today, the retired neurosurgeon will announce he will serve as national chairman of My Faith Votes, a nonpartisan organization focused on getting Christian Americans to the polls, according to a statement...."

... The quality of the GOP presidential debate last night was such that Charles Pierce thought it best to begin the discussion with a photo of some Klansmen on a Ferris wheel. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Margaret Hartmann provides video of some of of the more newsworthy moments of the debate, with commentary. Here Marco shows he can be fast on his feet, riffing off Trump's answers to questions about his flipflopping wherein he extolled the importance of "flexibility." (Also linked yesterday.):

Beyond the Beltway

The Legacy of Bobby Jindal. Chico Harlan of the Washington Post: "Louisiana now stands at the brink of economic disaster. Without sharp and painful tax increases in the coming weeks, the government will cease to offer many of its vital services, including education opportunities and certain programs for the needy.... Many of the state's economic analysts say a structural budget deficit emerged and then grew under former governor Bobby Jindal, who, during his eight years in office, reduced the state's revenue by offering tax breaks to the middle class and wealthy. He also created new subsidies that aim to lure and keep businesses. Those policies, state data shows, didn't deliver their hoped-for economic growth." ...

... Kevin Litten of the New Orleans Times-Picayune: "The Louisiana Senate set the table on Friday (March 4) for the House to raise $147 million in revenue or make more budget cuts after a tumultuous day in the Capitol that exposed fissures of distrust among the two chambers. A communication breakdown between the House and Senate initially caused gridlock over the Legislature's state budget resolution. The Senate only agreed to pass a controversial budget cuts bill after the House made it clear it wouldn't pass any more tax increases until the cuts were approved." ...

... CW: Undaunted by (or trying to deflect attention from) his disgraceful, irresponsible performance as governor & his laughable presidential bid, Jindal wrote an op-ed that appeared in Thursday's Wall Street Journal in which he blamed President Obama is to blame for Donald Trump's dominance in the Republican presidential primary: "After seven years of the cool, weak and endlessly nuanced 'no drama Obama,' voters are looking for a strong leader who speaks in short, declarative sentences.... Without President Obama, there is no Donald Trump." Yep. Everything is Obama's fault, Bobby. Why, you would be our next president if President Obama hadn't ruined it for you. Then you could bankrupt the whole country instead of just one little state. ...

... "Bobby Jindal: President Obama Caused Trump by Being Too Intellectual and Mature." Jonathan Chait: "This is your fault, Democrats. If you had elected a red-faced, racist bullying lout as president, then Republicans would be reacting today by rallying around somebody who's intellectual, humble, and non-abusive, and we'd all be in fine shape. But nooooooo. You had to nominate a wonkish, emotionally controlled law professor, forcing Republicans to turn to an unhinged racist reality-television star in response." CW: I'm feeling so ashamed.

Charles Pierce: Wisconsin Gov. "Scott Walker ... got together with his pet legislature and blew up the state's non-partisan Government Accountability Board in favor of a terrarium for political cronies. The first inhabitants were installed this week and, boy howdy, one of them is a real pip.... It's a measure of what Scott Walker has wrought in Wisconsin that Martha Mitchell's former minder has a job policing the state's political ethics."

Ian Millhiser: "The Supreme Court of Alabama dismissed a so-called 'Motion for Clarification and Reaffirmation of the Court's Orders Upholding and Enforcing Alabama's Marriage Laws' on Friday, effectively reaching the unremarkable conclusion that they cannot halt the Supreme Court of the United States' decision that marriage equality is the law of the law. It took them 170 pages to explain this conclusion."

Katherine Krueger of TPM: "A Tea Party lawmaker who once demanded Muslim visitors to her Capitol office pledge allegiance to the U.S. and renounce terrorism lost her re-election bid by just over 100 votes this week, The Dallas Morning News reported. Texas state Rep. Molly White wrote on Facebook that 'after prayers and conversations' with supporters, she plans to request a recount of Tuesday's Republican primary race, which she lost by just 118 votes.... As a freshman lawmaker, White was also named the worst Texas House member on LGBT issues, a distinction she bragged about on Facebook."

TMZ: "A construction worker found a knife buried on the perimeter of the former O.J. Simpson estate ... and it's currently being tested by the LAPD in a top secret investigation ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.... We're told a construction worker found the knife years ago.... The weapon is a folding buck knife. Our law enforcement sources say the construction worker took the knife to the street, where he saw an LAPD cop. He told the officer where he found the knife and the cop took it. Turns out the cop -- who worked in the traffic division -- was off duty at the time, working security for a movie shoot at a house across the street.... Our sources say the officer took the knife home and kept it ... for years." Read on. Via New York. (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Richard Winton & Joseph Serna of the Los Angeles Times: "At a news conference at LAPD headquarters Friday morning, Capt. Andy Neiman ... told reporters that it was unclear why the officer waited nearly two decades to hand over the knife. 'I don't know why that didn't happen or if that's entirely accurate or if this whole story is possibly bogus from the get-go,' he said." ...

... The Washington Post story is here. ...

... Never Mind. Andrew Blankstein of NBC News: "A knife found over a dozen years ago on land where O.J. Simpson once lived appears to be inconsistent with the 1994 murders of the former football star's wife and her friend, multiple law enforcement sources told NBC News."

News Lede

New York Times: "Pat Conroy, whose tortured family life and the scenic marshlands of coastal South Carolina served as unending sources of inspiration for his fiction, notably the novels 'The Great Santini,' 'The Lords of Discipline' and 'The Prince of Tides,' died on Friday. He was 70." ...

     ... CW: Most underappreciated writer in the U.S. Don't see the movies. Read the books.

The Commentariat -- March 4, 2016

Afternoon Update:

Nick Gass of Politico: "Ben Carson is suspending his bid for the presidency, the retired neurosurgeon announced Friday, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. 'Even though I might be leaving the campaign trail, you know there's a lot of people who love me, they just won't vote for me. But I will still continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation,' he said." CW: Very reassuring.

Nick Gass: "Donald Trump has pulled out of the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, opting to campaign in Kansas and Florida instead.... While Trump had spoken at past CPAC events, his speaking slot this time drew backlash from conservative critics who had accused event organizers of being in the tank for the Manhattan real-estate magnate.... Politico reported Wednesday that Trump has donated more than $100,000 to the ACU [which sponsors CPAC], including a $50,000 check in 2015.... On Thursday, National Review reported on efforts to stage a walkout during Trump's speech, coming from a tri-corn hat-wearing CPAC attendee from Georgia named William Temple."

Max Ehrenfreud of the Washington Post: "Whatever critics might say about failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney, everyone at least agrees that he has done well for himself as a businessman. There is no such consensus regarding Donald Trump.... A recent analysis suggests the extent of Trump's underperformance is vastly greater than previously recognized. The new results emphasize the degree to which Trump has relied on his family's wealth and connections in order to create his fortune."

... The quality of the GOP presidential debate last night was such that Charles Pierce thought it best to begin the discussion with a photo of some Klansmen on a Ferris wheel. ...

... Margaret Hartmann provides video of some of of the more newsworthy moments of the debate, with commentary. Here Marco shows he can be fast on his feet, riffing off Trump's answers to questions about his flipflopping wherein he extolled the importance of "flexibility":

TMZ: "A construction worker found a knife buried on the perimeter of the former O.J. Simpson estate ... and it's currently being tested by the LAPD in a top secret investigation ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.... We're told a construction worker found the knife years ago.... The weapon is a folding buck knife. Our law enforcement sources say the construction worker took the knife to the street, where he saw an LAPD cop. He told the officer where he found the knife and the cop took it. Turns out the cop -- who worked in the traffic division -- was off duty at the time, working security for a movie shoot at a house across the street on Rockingham. Our sources say the officer took the knife home and kept it ... for years." Read on. Via New York.

*****

Presidential Race

The Big Dick Debate. Patrick Healy & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, fighting for their political lives, relentlessly demeaned and denounced Donald J. Trump at Thursday's debate, all but pleading with Republicans to reconsider nominating a candidate with a long history of business failures, deep ties to the Democratic Party and a taste for personal insults.... But the debate in Detroit also deteriorated at times into the kind of junior high school taunts that have startled many Republican elders but done little to dent Mr. Trump's broad appeal. At one point, as Mr. Trump and Mr. Rubio traded insults over their manhood, Mr. Trump recalled Mr. Rubio's innuendo that Mr. Trump's 'small hands' correlated with another part of his anatomy. Mr. Trump, who has boasted about his sexual exploits, insisted that nothing was small about him. 'I guarantee you,' Mr. Trump continued with little subtlety, 'there's no problem. I guarantee you.'" ...

History Timeout. [He is] a hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman. -- Thomas Jefferson, disparaging opponent John Adams' manhood, 1800 presidential election

The original intent of the Founders was to render dick jokes in elegant prose with references to Greek mythology. -- Constant Weader

... CW: Still, in my lifetime, I've never seen a headline akin to this one at CNN: "Donald Trump defends size of his penis." ...

... Greg Sargent argues that Trump's big schlong moment is the essence of his campaign -- and his success. ...

... Adam Peck of the New Republic: "The remaining candidates on stage -- who have openly begun plotting ways to derail Trump's campaign at a brokered convention -- all pledged to support the Republican nominee, even if that nominee is ultimately Trump." ...

... Nick Gass of Politico: "Donald Trump's GOP primary rivals on Thursday night said that the billionaire businessman is unfit to be president. Then they pledged they would support his run for president if he's the Republican nominee." ...

... Ed Kilgore: "For long, long minutes Rubio beat up on the Donald as a con man and Cruz savaged him as a crypto-Democrat, the two lines of attack regularly reinforced by the moderators and converging in the impression that Trump's a terrible gamble, even for the people who are most attracted to him. From long experience during this campaign, it would be foolish to assume the debate damaged Trump's standing significantly. But if it didn't, perhaps the man is indeed bulletproof. He did seem uncharacteristically flustered at times. It's unlikely Rubio -- who for the second debate in a row got into long insult-laden cross-talk exchanges with Trump -- or Cruz helped themselves that much.... Meanwhile, Kasich was either smart or lucky enough to ignore the carnage and speak for himself, though if he loses Ohio, he will be dumped from the convention cabal unceremoniously for failure to bring delegates to the table." ...

... Driftglass liveblogs the debate. Another classic. ...

... Here's the Guardian's liveblog of the Republican presidential debate. The New York Times' liveblog is here. ...

... Alan Rappeport of the New York Times on where you can watch/hear Thursday's GOP debate.

Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He's playing members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat. -- Mitt Romney, at the University of Utah, Thursday ...

... The Farce Be With Us. Steve M.: "Almost overnight, the response of Republican establishmentarians to the Donald Trump threat has changed from deer-in-the-headlights catatonia to bouncing-off-the-walls frenzy; denial wasn't working, so now, probably too late, the party insiders are going all in on a 'stop Trump by any means necessary' strategy.... I'm shocked that this seems to be the GOP plan -- not just because it's going to enrage the already angry (and occasionally violent) Trump mobs, but also because it would require the party to do something it couldn't do even though it needed doing months ago: make a freaking decision. So Trump is probably safe." ...

... John Cassidy of the New Yorker: "The dump-Trump movement has a clear and convincing message -- he's a dangerous charlatan -- but it doesn't have a candidate." Neither does it have a platform that can appeal to the pitchforks crowd drawn to Trump.

... Alexander Burns & Michael Barbaro of the New York Times: "A divided Republican Party erupted into open and bitter warfare on Thursday as its two previous presidential nominees delivered an extraordinary rebuke of its current front-runner, Donald J. Trump, warning that his election could put the United States and its democratic system in peril.... The mounting hostility between Mr. Trump and traditional party leaders has pushed the party to the edge of rupture.... [Mitt Romney] evoked the specter of totalitarianism, saying Mr. Trump embodied a 'brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss.'" ...

... Ed O'Keefe of the Washington Post: "Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, delivered a sweeping point-by-point indictment of Donald Trump on Thursday and implored Republicans to reject the businessman's candidacy in an election 'that will have profound consequences for the Republican Party and, more importantly, for the country.'" ...

... The New York Times has the full text of Romney's speech, as delivered, here. If you want to watch the speech, PBS has video here. ...

... Jamie Gangel & Eric Bradner of CNN: "Mitt Romney has instructed his closest advisers to explore the possibility of stopping Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, a source close to Romney's inner circle says.... 'It sounds like the plan is to lock the convention,' said the source." CW: The video that currently accompanies the story is good; it juxtaposes Romney's & Trump's remarks about each other in 2012 with their remarks today. ...

     ... Josh Marshall of TPM has the full video of "a gushing Mitt accepted Trump's endorsement and praised him to the stars" in 2012. ...

... They Just Don't Get It. Paul Waldman: "If Donald Trump could have asked for one person to attack him, the person whose criticism would reinforce all the arguments Trump makes for his own campaign, he could hardly have done better than Mitt Romney. Romney's speech today, no matter what the merits of its particulars, is a microcosm of the entire effort now underway by party insiders to find some way to get rid of Trump. Too little, too late, and offered by precisely the wrong people, it will probably produce the exact opposite of its intended effect." ...

... Shane Goldmacher of Politico: Romney "made startlingly clear how hopelessly divided the Republican Party remains in terms of actually slowing the Manhattan billionaire's march to the nomination.... [Romney] would not endorse any of Trump's three remaining opponents.... In failing to back a single Trump alternative, Romney essentially called for a Republican civil war to wage through this summer, a retrenchment for an irreparably divided GOP in hopes of outmaneuvering Trump at a contested convention where party elites still control some levers of power.... Moments after he finished speaking, Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, seconded Romney's speech. 'I share the concerns about Donald Trump that my friend and former Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, described,' McCain said in a statement." ...

     ... McCain's full statement is here. ...

... Clash of the Moguls. Charles Pierce: "Far be it from me to minimize the entertainment value inherent in watching two legacy multi-millionnaires going to the mattresses, each trying to out Common Man the other in the public square. And let me also say in fairness that most of what Willard Romney said about He, Trump in his Declaration of Disapproval Thursday morning was smack on the button. This is the speech that will launch 1000 attack ads from now until the first week in November." (CW: Also, too, John McCain, legacy Navy man, on accounta marrying up, couldn't remember how many houses he owned.) ...

... Jonathan Chait: "While depicting Trump’s business career as a fraud, Romney failed to mention or explain why he had solicited and accepted Trump's endorsement four years before. (If his business career was not the credential, then was it Trump's birtherism that attracted Romney?) More importantly and incoherently, Romney [[ even while assailing Trump as an authoritarian goon -- declined to rule out supporting him if he gets the nomination.... This is an awful prospect for the party -- professional Republicans conspiring to deny the nomination to the popular choice, who would storm out and bring his supporters with him." ...

... Paul Krugman: "Yes, [Trump is] a con man, but they all are. So why is this con job different from any other? The answer, I'd suggest, is that the establishment's problem with Mr. Trump isn't the con he brings; it's the cons he disrupts.... I find the prospect of a Trump administration terrifying, and so should you. But you should also be terrified by the prospect of a President Rubio, sitting in the White House with his circle of warmongers, or a President Cruz, whom one suspects would love to bring back the Spanish Inquisition." ...

... New York Times Editors: "Holy Mitt, what a meltdown. Add this one to Donald Trump's lengthening list of firsts: He's forced a Republican Party reckoning overdue for years, all in a few days. It took the Trump-dominated Super Tuesday contests to awaken Republican leaders to the fact that the darkest elements of the party's base, which many of them have embraced or exploited, are now threatening their party. Last week, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, elected to the Senate partly on their appeal to extremists, seemed to realize that they weren't attractive enough to win Mr. Trump's crowd.... It is an excellent thing that the Republican leaders have noticed the problem they've fostered, now embodied in the Trump candidacy. But until they see the need to alter the views and policies they have promoted for years, removing Mr. Trump will not end the party's crisis." ...

... Danny Vinik of Politico: "'If Donald Trump's plans were ever implemented, the country would sink into a prolonged recession,' Romney said. He then rattled off a list of domestic policies, from Trump's tax plan to his health care proposals, that would hurt the economy.... But as a policy argument it is closer to surreal: the policies Romney is complaining about, if you look at them closely, are strikingly similar to a candidate the mainstream GOP proudly stood behind just 4 years ago. His name was Mitt Romney." ...

... Paul Waldman (at CNN): In 2012, "Romney ran a campaign that was utterly demagogic and dishonest. It may not have been quite as appalling as what Trump is doing now, but in many ways it was similar, the only difference being that Trump says out loud what Republicans such as Romney prefer to imply.... [Romney] may not have charged that Obama's birth certificate was fake, but he spent an awful lot of time trying to convince people that the President just wasn't really one of us.... Romney aired a stunningly dishonest ad charging falsely that Obama had removed work requirements from welfare.... ('You wouldn't have to work. They just send you your welfare check.')... That kind of rhetoric always has plausible deniability.... What they find so disturbing about Trump [is that] he doesn't bother with subtlety, or try to find ways to activate voters' prejudices while being able to claim he doesn't know what's going on." ...

... CW: What the GOP "establishment" & Trump's opponents really object to his style, not his "substance." It isn't just that he's crude; the calibre of attacks on President Obama & Secretary Clinton by Republicans across the board are evidence of that. It isn't just that he's a bigot; almost every elected Republican has his ways of signaling the bigot class that he's one of them. It isn't just that he's an outsider; Mitt was happy to embrace the Birther-in-Chief in 2012. It isn't just that from time-to-time he espouses some "liberal" ideas; when convenient, Republicans all pay lip service to ideals Democrats share -- look how riled they became (after a couple of days of hemming & hawing) over the Confederate flag in the wake of the mass murder of black South Carolinians. It isn't that they object to the few policy positions he has put in writing; these proposals are boilerplate-Republican. And so forth. Nope, it's that Trump portrays Republican values & policies in a manner that exposes them for what they are. He is a living, breathing cartoon of the GOP, a farcical, telltale personification of the heart of the party of Reagan. The Republican party is Dorian Gray, & Trump is the picture in the attic, dusted off & brought out into the light of day. ...

... ** Francis Wilkinson of Bloomberg: "Trump proves racism no longer needs to be subtle.... [Former Speaker of the House John] Boehner and other Republicans were not averse to stirring up racial resentment. But they did so in a manner that racially aggrieved whites had come to accept -- with a subtlety that implicitly respected the 'norm of equality' even as it undermined it. Trump's success may signal a new frontier.... Trump represents a clear preference for tribalism over outreach and integration. Yet much of the party's agenda appears to mimic that preference." ...

... Stephen Stromberg of the Washington Post: "... even though [Romney] said the right things about Trump, he dignified a series of Republican pathologies, many of which play into the Trump phenomenon.... Romney also essentially endorsed a strategy to defeat Trump.... Even if [the strategy] does work, however, Romney and everyone else in the GOP 'establishment' would not have washed away the moral stain that Trump has already left on the party. They would have to contemplate their role in encouraging the forces that have boosted him. Even as Romney condemned Trump as a fundamental threat to the nation, he gave credence to Republicans' wide-ranging hysteria about Hillary Clinton." ...

... McKay Coppins of BuzzFeed reports on what led Romney to decide to launch a major attack against Trump. ...

... Tom Levenson in Balloon Juice: "R-Money being who he is, the reason he gave for the urgency in stopping Trump was not for The Donald's sin of describing Republican views and gut-feelings accurately, but because it would ensure a Clinton presidency -- and that family is, of course, simply too gauche, too nouveau for true representatives of better-established dishonest money to accept. But thanks anyway, [former] Governor! Plenty of good stuff there for ads in the fall. Or, as the man said: please proceed." ...

... Tara Golshan of Vox: "Looking back to when Romney sought his endorsement in 2012, Trump quipped to a crowd in Maine on Thursday: 'I could've said, "Mitt, drop to your knees," and he would've dropped to his knees." ...

... CW: Several pundits, including one cited in Golshan's piece, called the "drop to your knees" remark "a blow job reference." It could be, but I don't think so. Trump said Mitt "begged" him for an endorsement in 2012. Dropping to one's knees is the gesture of a supplicant, consistent with begging. In the vernacular of people of a certain age (like Trump), it would not connote preparation for felatio. Trump is a straightforward vulgarian; we need not look for implied vulgarities. Update: A couple of minutes into the debate, Trump boasted that his penis was yuuuuge. ...

... Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times: "When Donald Trump talks about health care, he sounds as if he wants to do something different from the rest of the Republican field. But his health care plan, released Wednesday night, looks a lot like what his competitors have already presented.... [His] policies, which are quite similar to those proposed by Mr. Trump's rivals Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, would mean millions of Americans would lose their health insurance, especially the low-income people whom Mr. Trump talks about wanting to protect. There is no bullet point for helping the people who fall through the cracks, or for preventing Americans from dying 'on the sidewalk.'... He may describe himself as more compassionate and generous on health care than his rivals, but there's a huge gulf between that rhetoric and the practical consequences of his policies." ...

     ... CW: This is similar to his economic "plan," which is just as bad as all the other Republican candidates' "plans" & would devastate the economy. ...

     ... Update: Greg Sargent expands on Romney's unintended indictment of Republican economic plans: "Romney faulted Trump's plan for ballooning the deficit while 'refusing to reform entitlements.' This is apparently a reference to Trump's promise not to cut entitlements. Translating Romney's argument, what he's really doing is attacking Trump as irresponsible for promising deficit-busting tax cuts for the rich without proposing to pay for them by cutting social insurance for the elderly."

Tim Egan: "Trump has unleashed the beast that has long resided not far from the American hearth, from those who started a Civil War to preserve the right to enslave a fellow human to the Know-Nothing mobs who burned Irish-Catholic churches out of fear of immigrants.... Trump's people ... are sick and tired of tolerance." ...

... CW BTW: Trump now has a spokeswoman who goes by the name of Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I refuse to believe this is her real name. She must be a pseudonymic character in the manner of Dickens (a la Master Bates of Oliver Twist), whose nom-de-campaign is designed to portray the candidate as a person-of-the-people in the mold of Sarah Palin, an evangelical pop-politician following in the footsteps of Mike Huckabee, but, in the end, a true populist like Bernie Sanders. Nobody knows branding like Trump knows branding. ...

     ... Update/Correction: Contributor P.D. Pepe informs us Sarah Huckabee Sanders is not only a real person, she comes by the Huckabee honestly: she's Mike Huckabee's daughter. Here's more on that. Still, Dickens lives!

... Here's an anti-Trump ad produced by the conservative Our Principles superPac, launched & partially funded by the Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs. Trump has threatened to air the family's dirty linens.

Shane Goldmacher: "Marco Rubio's path to the Republican nomination short of a contested convention has narrowed to nearly nothing as his campaign and allies reboot their strategy to prepare for months of guerrilla warfare to deny Donald Trump a clean, pre-convention victory. The math for Rubio is daunting. After getting thoroughly routed on Super Tuesday, Rubio is in so deep a delegate hole that he would now need to win roughly two-thirds of all the remaining delegates to guarantee his nomination ahead of Cleveland...."

Hostage Crisis Resolved. Eric Levitz of New York: "Chris Christie said at a press conference Thursday that he is not being held hostage by Donald Trump.... Of course, when you think about it, isn't that exactly what a hostage would say?"

Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "A day before the Michigan primary on Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders will be the focus of a live one-hour, prime-time event in Detroit. The host? Fox News. Bret Baier announced ... on Thursday night that the Sanders campaign had agreed to the town-hall-style broadcast. The Clinton campaign was invited, but 'is unable to attend due to a conflict in her campaign schedule,' according to a release from the network."

Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The revelation that the Justice Department has granted immunity to a former State Department staff member who worked on Hillary Clinton's private email server is a likely indication that the investigation is nearing a conclusion, but should not be read as a sign that the leading Democratic presidential candidate is going to face criminal charges, legal experts said." ...

... Matt Apuzzo of the New York Times: "A former aide to Hillary Clinton has turned over to the F.B.I. computer security logs from Mrs. Clinton's private server, records that showed no evidence of foreign hacking, according to people close to a federal investigation.... The security logs bolster Mrs. Clinton's assertion that her use of a personal email account to conduct State Department business ... did not put American secrets into the hands of hackers or foreign governments."

Senate Race

Jennifer Steinhauer of the New York Times: "With Senator Charles E. Grassley [R-Iowa] under attack for his handling of the Supreme Court nomination process, a formidable Democratic challenger will run against him this November, the most significant sign yet that Democrats see the court and the candidacy of Donald J. Trump as twin liabilities for Republicans. Patty Judge, a former Iowa lieutenant governor and state agriculture secretary, is expected to announce her challenge this weekend to Mr. Grassley, who is seeking a seventh Senate term and had previously been seen as having little opposition to re-election." ...

... Jason Noble of the Des Moines Register: "Judge, 72, is a rural Democrat with a long electoral history in Iowa. She would enter what is expected to be a four-way Democratic primary, with the winner almost certain to face Grassley in the November general election.... Judge told The Des Moines Register late last week that she was considering a run, largely because of Grassley's stance on the court vacancy. 'I don't like this deliberate obstruction of the process,' she told the Register last week. 'I think Chuck Grassley owes us better. He's been with us a long time. Maybe he's been with us too long.'"

Other News & Views

Adam Liptak & Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "In a significant victory for the Obama administration, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Thursday refused to block an Environmental Protection Agency regulation limiting emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants. The decision comes three weeks after the full Supreme Court, in a highly unusual move, blocked another major Obama administration rule that would limit planet-warming greenhouse gas pollution from coal plants.... The order was issued solely by Chief Justice Roberts, who did not refer the question to the full court.... Thursday's decision is an indication that Justice Scalia's death has altered the balance of power on the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had voted, 5 to 4, on the climate change stay, issued Feb. 9. Justice Scalia was in the majority, and his vote in that case was one of the last he cast before he died."

Joe Biden, in a New York Times op-ed: "... I was so surprised and saddened to see Republican leaders tell President Obama and me that they would not even consider a Supreme Court nominee this year. No meetings. No hearings. No votes. Nothing. It is an unprecedented act of obstruction.... If they love the Senate as much as I do, they need to act."

Tracy Wilkinson of the Chicago Tribune, in the Miami Herald: "Secretary of State John F. Kerry has canceled a trip to Cuba two weeks before President Barack Obama visits the communist-ruled nation as diplomats haggle over which Cuban dissidents the president will be allowed to meet."

History Timeout. Glenn Garvin of the Miami Herald: That time President Calvin Coolidge went to Cuba, a tale of "drunken debauchery, inebriated idiocy, salacious smuggling and even unnatural acts with Key lime pies." And botched diplomacy.

Greg Jaffe & Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post: "Over lunch with a small group in Milwaukee, President Obama on Thursday said he plans to stay in Washington for a couple of years after his presidency so that his youngest daughter can finish high school."

Tim Mak of the Daily Beast: "As Republican presidential hopefuls gather in Detroit for a critical post-Super Tuesday debate, Sen. Mike Lee [RTP-Utah] is stalling plans to alleviate [Flint, Michigan]'s drinking water crisis -- a disaster that has a disproportionate and devastating impact on the poor and the young. Lee is using a Senate tactic used to gum up the works known as a 'hold,' which is generally kept secret so the lawmaker can remain anonymous. But two senior Senate sources confirmed to The Daily Beast that Lee is behind the maneuver to stall an utterly uncontroversial provision." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. As Akhilleus pointed out, Lee is Ted Cruz's only buddy in the Senate.

Michelle Boorstein & Julie Zauzmer of the Washington Post: "A Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania announced Thursday that it will post the names online of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children, a decision that came two days after a dramatic grand jury report alleged a decades-long cover-up.... The report relied on a secret archive at the Altoona-Johnstown diocese, which dates back to the 1950s and was opened up this summer when authorities obtained a search warrant. The grand jury interviewed surviving priests and their alleged victims, and compiled a 147-page account detailing accusations against more than 50 religious leaders including priests and teachers."

Beyond the Beltway

Sam Levin of the Guardian: "The FBI escalated its investigation into Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy's 2014 standoff with the federal government Thursday with sweeping raids across the country that resulted in 12 arrests, including that of a Donald Trump campaign coalition co-chair in New Hampshire[: Jerry DeLemus]. Two of Bundy's sons were also among those arrested, amid signs that federal authorities are ramping up their efforts against the ultra-conservative, anti-government movement that also inspired the armed standoff in Oregon earlier this year.... The latest arrests mean five members of the Bundy family, Cliven included, are in jail awaiting trial." Thanks to Haley S. for the lead. ...

... CW: Jerry DeLemus, & his wife Susan, a state representative, are well-known New Hampshire kooks. No reputable candidate for state or national office would have anything to do with either of them.

Oliver Milman of the Guardian: "Oregon has become the first US state to pass laws to rid itself of coal, committing to eliminate the use of coal-fired power by 2035 and to double the amount of renewable energy in the state by 2040. Legislation passed by the state's assembly, which will need to be signed into law by Governor Kate Brown, will transition Oregon away from coal, which currently provides around a third of the state's electricity supply. At the same time, the state will also require its two largest utilities to increase their share of clean energy, such as solar and wind, to 50% by 2040. Combined with Oregon's current hydroelectric output, the state will be overwhelmingly powered by low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels."

Michael Wines of the New York Times: "The poisoning of Flint[, Michigan]'s children outraged the nation. But too much lead in children's blood has long been an everyday fact in Cleveland[, Ohio,] and scores of other cities -- not because of bungled decisions about drinking water, but largely because a decades-long attack on lead in household paint has faltered. It is a tragic reminder that one of the great public health crusades of the 20th century remains unfinished.... In most cities, the lead threat is confined largely to poor neighborhoods with scant political clout. There is little official urgency -- and increasingly, little money -- to address it." New York City is a notable exception.

States of Execution. Mark Berman of the Washington Post: "Lawmakers in Florida voted on Thursday to revamp the state's death penalty statute, a move that came nearly two months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down its current capital punishment statute as unconstitutional.... Meanwhile, a judge in Alabama also ruled that her state's capital sentencing setup was unconstitutional, citing the same Supreme Court ruling that struck down Florida's death penalty."

Educating Texans. Yanan Wang of the Washington Post: "A Texan who called [President] Obama a gay prostitute may soon control what goes in children's textbooks." Mary Lou Bruner, a retired teacher who has published many wacko views on her Facebook account, is likely to win election to the Texas State Board of Education.

News Lede

Bloomberg: "Employers added more workers in February than projected but wages unexpectedly declined, dashing hopes that reduced slack in the labor market was starting to benefit all Americans. The 242,000 gain followed a 172,000 rise in January that was larger than previously estimated, a Labor Department report showed Friday. The jobless rate held at 4.9 percent as people entered the labor force and found work. Average hourly earnings dropped, the first monthly decline in more than a year."

The Commentariat -- March 3, 2016

Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court's liberal justices united Wednesday to attack Texas's abortion regulations as an unconstitutional burden on a woman's rights, but the justice who holds the key vote [-- Anthony Kennedy --] left the court's ultimate resolution of the issue in doubt." ...

... Ian Millhiser of Think Progress: "There is a very real procedural complication in this case that could delay its ultimate resolution, possibly for a couple of years. But if he has to reach the merits of this case, Kennedy appeared inclined to strike down the law." ...

... ** Dahlia Lithwick of Slate provides a superb account of yesterday's proceedings: "It felt as if, for the first time in history, the gender playing field at the high court was finally leveled, and as a consequence the court's female justices were emboldened to just ignore the rules." Thanks to Victoria D. for the link. ...

... Mark Stern of Slate zeroes in on the exchange between Justice Ginsburg & Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller regarding the state's assertion that women seeking abortions in the El Paso area could zip over to New Mexico, which does not have the same requirements for abortion clinics that the Texas law imposes. CW: It must have been awfully sad to see Keller lose both his swagger & his fake drawl at the hands of a little old lady from New Yawk City. (Keller is a native of the Midwest. He used to work for Ted Cruz.)

... Dana Milbank: "If Wednesday's argument was an indication, the Republicans appeared to have fired up the other side more than their own with this revival of the culture wars. About 80 percent of the few thousand people braving the cold and wind outside the court were abortion rights supporters. Inside the courtroom, the liberal justices, who are now in a 4-to-4 tie with the conservatives, were unusually feisty as they considered abortion restrictions in Texas that cut the number of clinics nearly in half and the abortion capacity by about 80 percent.... Putting the court's composition to a popular referendum [-- as Republicans want to do --] will, inevitably, bring the atmosphere inside the court ever closer to the coarse displays outside." ...

... Linda Greenhouse: Absent Justice Scalia, the Supreme Court is a new and different institution now. Litigants are accommodating the change, & so are the justices themselves. ...

... Julie Davis & David Herszenhorn of the New York Times: "President Obama is vetting Jane L. Kelly, a federal appellate judge in Iowa, as a potential nominee for the Supreme Court, weighing a selection that could pose an awkward dilemma for her home-state senator Charles E. Grassley, who has vowed to block the president from filling a vacancy.... In a Senate floor speech in 2013, Mr. Grassley effusively praised Judge Kelly, a longtime public defender, just before she won unanimous confirmation to her current post on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.... He said in an interview on Wednesday that he would not change his position even for a fellow Iowan." ...

... "The Party of Chaos." Greg Sargent ties the GOP's anti-Trump efforts to Senate Republicans' refusal to consider an Obama nominee to the Supreme Court. If TrumpsSoBad, why are Senate Republicans insisting they won't do their jobs to hear Obama's candidate only to allow Trump to pick the nominee replace Justice Scalia? CW: There's a teensy inconsistency in their stance that might make the skeptic suspect racism is part of the equation. ...

... Sam Biddle of Gawker (March 1): "According to some of [Justice Antonin Scalia's] former law students..., a younger Scalia also went out of his way to undermine young legal scholars, simply because they were black." ...

     ... CW: Although the allegations are shocking enough in their own right, it seems likely that Scalia would never have been confirmed had these stories come to light before or during Scalia's confirmation hearings. You could ask Judge Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions about that. In 1986 -- the same year the Senate confirmed Scalia's nomination to the Supreme Court -- the Senate rejected Sessions' nomination to a District Court judgeship because of charges of less-blatant racial discrimination. P.S. Thanks, President Reagan!

Elana Schor of Politico: "Former Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon, one of the leading forces behind the nation's natural gas boom, died Wednesday in a one-vehicle car wreck, Oklahoma City police said -- one day after his indictment on federal conspiracy charges.... 'He pretty much drove straight into the wall,' police Capt. Paco Balderrama said, according to CNBC.... The Justice Department described the indictment -- involving an alleged scheme to rig competitive oil and gas leases in northwest Oklahoma -- as the first step in 'an ongoing federal antitrust investigation' into the petroleum industry."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

James Poniewozik of the New York Times loved the CNN on-air battle between Van Jones & Jeffrey Lord, who called the KKK "the terrorist arm of the Democratic party" which killed people "to further the progressive agenda." When Jones pointed out that that was the Democratic party of a century ago, Lord argued that, no, it was "the Democratic party of today" which "divides people by race." Delusional. But, you know, riveting teevee. One does have to wonder why, if the KKK is a "liberal" organization, Lord's favored candidate has so much trouble denouncing it.

Frank Pallotta of CNN: "ESPN baseball analyst Curt Schilling appeared to violate the network's guidelines when he told a radio station that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton should be 'buried under a jail.' ESPN said Wednesday, 'We are addressing it' and would not go into further details."

Presidential Race

Nicholas Confessore of the New York Times: "... buried beneath Mrs. Clinton's wide-ranging and commanding victories on Tuesday night were troubling signs of a party that has not yet rallied to her call. Democratic turnout has fallen drastically since 2008, the last time the party had a contested primary, with roughly three million fewer Democrats voting in the 15 states that have held caucuses or primaries through Tuesday.... It stands in sharp contrast to the flood of energized new voters showing up at the polls to vote for Donald J. Trump in the Republican contest.... And despite the seemingly inexorable demographic rise of Hispanic voters, the American electorate is still overwhelmingly white." ...

... Adam Goldman of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department has granted immunity to a former State Department staffer, who worked on Hillary Clinton's private email server, as part of a criminal investigation into the possible mishandling of classified information, according to a senior law enforcement official.... As the FBI looks to wrap up its investigation in the coming months, agents are likely to want to interview Clinton and her senior aides.... 'There was wrongdoing,' said a former senior law enforcement official. 'But was it criminal wrongdoing?'" CW: Just the kind of story a political candidate wants: a former employee is granted immunity from criminal prosecution so he can testify in a case involving your own "wrongdoing." ...

... Steven Myers & Matt Apuzzo of the New York Times: "As Hillary Clinton moves toward the Democratic presidential nomination, she faces legal hurdles from her use of a private computer server as secretary of state that could jar her campaign's momentum in the months ahead.... It is commonplace for the F.B.I. to try to interview key figures before closing an investigation, and doing so is not an indication the bureau thinks a person broke the law." CW: On the other hand, watching your candidate do the perp walk, handcuffed, is a bummer.

The Lineup. Marcobot Rubio, Don Stubby Fingers Trump, Ted Napoleon Cruz & John "How Am I Losing to These Guys?" Kasich. ... Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "Fresh off a Super Tuesday that reordered the Republican field of presidential hopefuls, the remaining four candidates will gather in Detroit Thursday at 9 p.m. ET for a debate that could prove to be the most consequential of the 2016 race.... It will be the first time this year that Mr. Trump will face Megyn Kelly, the Fox News anchor with whom he feuded last year.... Democrats will hold their own debate in Flint, Mich., on Sunday." CW: You know, when we'll all be watching the final episode of "Downton Abbey." Well done, Debbie!

Kevin Drum: "In the mysteriously mumbly style we've come to expect from him, Ben Carson has dropped out of the presidential race without actually saying that he's dropping out of the presidential race:"

... Back to Pyramid Theories & Pyramid Schemes. Trip Gabriel of the New York Times: "Ben Carson, the only Republican to have once threatened the lead of Donald J. Trump in national polls, said on Wednesday that he saw no path forward and would skip a debate on Thursday in his hometown, Detroit, signaling an end to his candidacy after paltry performances in the nominating contests. Mr. Carson stopped short of suspending his campaign and said he would provide more details in a speech on Friday, but after his dismal showing in the Super Tuesday states, his campaign is effectively over."

Adele Stan of the American Prospect: "Win or lose, Trump has unleashed a beast that has long lived in limited captivity amid the American electorate. Outward expression of contempt for those one resents -- whether through epithets, violence, or mere coarseness -- is no longer a pursuit reserved for those on the fringe of American politics. It's gone mainstream, thanks to Trump, each baldly stated prejudice now packaged as a legitimate political position." ...

... Brendan O'Connor of Gawker: "If Donald Trump Jr. had known that the radio host he was speaking to was pro-slavery, Bloomberg Politics reports, he would not have consented to the interview: 'This is clearly the mainstream media trying to turn a story into nothing,' he said. Pardon? The interview, recorded at a campaign event in Tennessee and to be aired this weekend, was conducted with the white supremacist James Edwards, who has said that 'slavery is the greatest thing that ever happened to' black Americans and that 'interracial sex is white genocide.' Edwards has received media credentials from the Trump campaign." ...

... Eric Levitz of New York: "The Trump campaign, however, denies that any such interview took place. The campaign told The Hill that Donald Jr. was not in attendance at Saturday's rally, and did not 'to his knowledge' grant Edwards an interview this past week." ...

... Joan McCarter of Daily Kos: "Trump rallies are now apparently a key feature for Edwards' program -- he and his colleagues have been to three rallies where they are fully credentialed and say they are treated as 'every bit as legit' as the traditional media. They are more legit, apparently, in the Trump campaign's eyes than the Huffington Post, the Des Moines Register, and Fusion which have all previously been denied credentials to Trump rallies. And yes, Edwards is really a white supremacist and his show is most definitely about white supremacy. The Anti-Defamation League has written ... that Edwards has used the platform to interview 'a variety of anti-Semites, white supremacists, Holocaust deniers, conspiracy theorists and anti-immigrant leaders.' The Southern Poverty Law Center adds 'James Edwards has probably done more than any of his contemporaries on the American radical right to publicly promote neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, raging anti-Semites and other extremists.' And he's a VIP in Trumpland."

Ah, Who Will Be the Third-Party Candidate?

Nolan McCaskill of Politico: "Donald Trump said Thursday he is being treated unfairly by the Republican establishment and may run as an independent. 'I am watching television and I am seeing ad after ad after ad put in by the establishment knocking the hell out of me, and it's really unfair,' Trump said on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.' 'But if I leave, if I go, regardless of independent, which I may do -- I mean, may or may not. But if I go, I will tell you, these millions of people that joined, they're all coming with me'." ...

... Alexander Burns of the New York Times: "Spurred by Donald J. Trump's mounting victories, a small but influential -- and growing -- group of conservative leaders are calling for a third-party option to spare voters a wrenching general election choice between a Republican they consider completely unacceptable and Hillary Clinton.... Two top Republicans, Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, said this week that they would not vote for Mr. Trump in November." ...

     ... CW: If you're wondering how well this conspiracy of confederates will work, read on: "William Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard magazine, said he would work actively to put forward an 'independent Republican' ticket if Mr. Trump was the nominee, and floated Mr. Sasse as a recruit." Kristol has been on this horse for quite some time. His earlier choices for a third-party candidate, via Driftglass, who was not making this up: Dick Cheney or Tom Cotton. ...

... Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "... even as the anti-Trump groups begin to coordinate, some Republicans are throwing their hands in the air, convinced that a TV advertising campaign won't succeed; Trump is already carrying a double-digit lead over Rubio in Florida, where thousands of voters will have cast absentee ballots before election day. 'The "Stop Trump" campaign is now officially a fantasy, about as real as "the campaign to stop yesterday,"' said Alex Castellanos, a veteran Republican strategist who tried unsuccessfully to launch an anti-Trump group." ...

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Wednesday:

... Michael Bender & Justin Sink of Bloomberg: "The rapidly intensifying effort by the Republican establishment to dislodge Donald Trump from the top of the party's presidential nominating race will star 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, who is preparing a speech for Thursday when he'll lay out his case against the front-runner.... While making the case against Trump at the Hinckley Institute of Politics Student Forum at the University of Utah, Romney will not endorse one of his opponents...." ...

... Jonathan Stearns & Toluse Olorunnipa of Bloomberg: "Donald Trump took to the airwaves Thursday with a barrage of name-calling in response to news that ... Mitt Romney was trying to torpedo the billionaire real-estate developer's chances in this year's contest. 'Mitt Romney is a stiff,' Trump said on NBC's 'Today Show.'... Romney is planning a speech later Thursday in a bid to dislodge Trump from leading the party's presidential nominating race, branding the New York mogul as untrustworthy and saying he'd be a boon to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. 'Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,' Romney will say later Thursday at the University of Utah, according to a transcript provided to Bloomberg News by a person familiar with his remarks. 'He's playing the American public for suckers.'" ...

... Thomas Gibbons-Neff of the Washington Post: "In a last-ditch effort to stop Donald Trump's likely nomination as the Republican Party's candidate for president, a group of more than 50 conservative foreign policy experts have banded together in an open letter condemning the real estate magnate as unfit for the office.... The letter was published Wednesday night on the foreign policy site War on the Rocks." CW: Yeah, that really will get the attention of Trump voters, who are probably lifetime subscribers to War on the Rocks. Should stop Trump in his tracks. ...

... Michelle Conlin of Reuters: "The Koch brothers, the most powerful conservative mega donors in the United States, will not use their $400 million political arsenal to try to block Republican front-runner Donald Trump's path to the presidential nomination, a spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday. The decision by the billionaire industrialists is another setback to Republican establishment efforts to derail the New York real estate mogul's bid for the White House, and follows speculation the Kochs would soon launch a 'Trump Intervention.'"

An Academic Theory of Drumpf. Amanda Taub of Vox: "... authoritarianism -- not actual dictators, but rather a psychological profile of individual voters ... is characterized by a desire for order and a fear of outsiders. People who score high in authoritarianism, when they feel threatened, look for strong leaders who promise to take whatever action necessary to protect them from outsiders and prevent the changes they fear.... The GOP, by positioning itself as the party of traditional values and law and order, had unknowingly attracted what would turn out to be a vast and previously bipartisan population of Americans with authoritarian tendencies.... If you were to read every word these theorists ever wrote on authoritarians, and then try to design a hypothetical candidate to match their predictions of what would appeal to authoritarian voters, the result would look a lot like Donald Trump." ...

Welcome Back, Jim Crow. Brent Staples of the New York Times: "Donald Trump's flirtation with the Ku Klux Klan should come as no surprise. He has functioned for years as a rallying point for 'birthers,' conspiracy theorists, extremists and racists who are apoplectic about the fact that the country elected a black man president. These groups have driven the Republican Party steadily rightward, helping to create a national discourse that now permits a presidential candidate to court racist support without paying a political price.... The [era] that is still unfolding in the wake of Barack Obama's presidency bears a striking resemblance in tone to the reaction that swept the South after Reconstruction...." ...

... Gail Collins thinks "Mister Trump" and the other GOP presidential candidates are pretty hilarious. CW: I'm not laughing. For one reason, see today's Beyond the Beltway. ...

... CW: I read about this incident yesterday but wasn't able to find video until now. Here is video of white supremacists & other thugs at a Trump rally repeatedly shoving and roughing up a young black woman:

... Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "White supremacists hurled racist and sexist slurs Tuesday afternoon as they pushed a black protester out of a Donald Trump rally in Kentucky.... 'I was called a n****r and a c*nt and got kicked out,' said Shiya Nwanguma, a University of Louisville student. 'They were pushing and shoving at me, cursing at me, yelling at me, called me every name in the book.... The hat-wearing Trump supporter appears to be white nationalist Matthew Heimbach, head of the Traditionalist Worker Party...."

... CW: That's right. The person who got kicked out of the rally was the victim of physical & verbal abuse. The white supremacists? They stayed on. Welcome to Trump's Amerika. It's great again. And remember, it's "liberals" who are "dividing people by race." Not funny, Gail. ...

     ... I'm with Collins' colleague, Charles Blow: "Stop thinking that it's all a joke, a hoax, a game. It's not. Maybe [Trump] began this quest as a branding exercise, but it has morphed into something quite real: a challenge to the collective moral character of the republic. The success of his candidacy so far calls into question the very definition and direction of America." ...

... Excuse of the Day. Eric Levitz of New York: "Donald Trump Says He Didn't Denounce the KKK on CNN Because He Didn't Want to Risk Offending Jewish Philanthropies." CW: Trump's concern, as I understand it, was that he was afraid "KKK" might stand for something like Kabbalah, Kibbutz & Knish.

Ken Vogel of Politico: "Donald Trump's speaking slot at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday is prompting an acrimonious backlash from the conservative critics desperately trying to mount a last-ditch campaign to block the GOP presidential front-runner from winning the party's nomination. A top aide to Trump rival Marco Rubio has accused CPAC organizers of being in the tank for Trump and clearing the way for his acceptance into mainstream conservatism, while an anti-Trump super PAC is pressuring organizers to rescind their invitation to the surging GOP front-runner.... Sources tell Politico that Trump has made multiple donations totaling more than $100,000 ― including a $50,000 check last year ― to the American Conservative Union, the group that organizes CPAC. That dwarfs the amounts donated in recent years by allies of Trump's rivals...."

Adios, Marco. Gabriel Sherman of New York: "Throughout the primary, Fox provided Rubio with friendly interviews and key bookings, including the first prime-time response to Barack Obama's Oval Office address on ISIS.... But this alliance now seems to be over. According to three Fox sources, Fox chief Roger Ailes has told people he's lost confidence in Rubio's ability to win. 'We're finished with Rubio,' Ailes recently told a Fox host. 'We can't do the Rubio thing anymore.'" CW: Who now, Roger? ...

... BUT, the Miami Herald, probably Florida's most influential newspaper, has endorsed Rubio for the GOP nomination ahead of the state's primary.

Beyond the Beltway

Today in Republican Party Leadership. Jordan Rudner of the Texas Tribune: Robert Morrow, "the newly elected chair of the Republican Party in the county that includes the Texas Capitol, spent most of election night tweeting about former Gov. Rick Perry's sexual orientation and former President Bill Clinton's penis, and insisting that members of the Bush family should be in jail. He also found time to call Hillary Clinton an 'angry bull dyke' and accuse his county vice chair of betraying the values of the Republican Party." When told that other members of the Travis County party were plotting to unseat him, Morrow told the Tribune, "Tell them they can go fuck themselves." "Morrow, who's also tweeted that Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is 'very likely a gayman who got married,' said he supports the brand of Republican politics he most closely associates with Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz.... Last week, he tweeted that the Republican National Committee was just a 'gay foam party.'... For years, he has alleged that Perry is secretly bisexual.... Though Morrow has tweeted often about sexually explicit acts involving Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton and his last several Facebook profile pictures were of scantily clad women, he said he denies any charge that he is sexist.... When the Tribune asked about the content of some of Morrow's social media posts, without using the specific racial slur Morrow had employed, Morrow seized on the omission as an example of corruption within the media." ...

... Eric Hananoki of Media Matters has a nice collection of Robert Morrow's "writings." Morrow bills himself as an "alternative historian." CW: So a gentleman AND a scholar. ...

... "Two Degrees of Separation from Trump." Steve M.: "... when Roger Stone -- dirty trickster, Nixon tattoo bearer, founder of the interestingly acronymed anti-Hillary 'organization' Citizens United Not Timid, and once (and future?) Donald Trump campaign surrogate -- wanted a co-author for his book The Clintons' War on Women, Morrow ... was his choice." ...

... CW: This information has been out there for a long time. Hananoki raised it last September as did Mother Jones & Daily Kos. And not one major media outlet, not one of Trump's rivals, brought it up in profiles or political attacks on Trump & Friends. AND CNN employed Stone until he attacked fellow commentators in racist, sexist tweets. But they hired him knowing he was "a Holocaust denier who blames a 'Jewish plot' for the 9/11 attacks. Stone's history includes forming an anti-Hillary Clinton group named 'C.U.N.T.' during the 2008 election." Sorry, but that's malpractice all around.