The Commentariat -- April 2, 2016

CW: Okay. You're on your own!

Mark Landler of the New York Times: "President Obama on Friday questioned Donald J. Trump's fitness for office after statements from the Republican front-runner that the United States and its allies should move away from decades of constraints on the use of nuclear weapons. 'We don't want somebody in the Oval Office who doesn't recognize how important that is,' Mr. Obama said. Speaking to reporters at the end of a summit meeting devoted to nuclear security, the president said the comments by Mr. Trump reflected a person who 'doesn't know much about foreign policy or nuclear policy or the Korean Peninsula or the world in general'": -- CW

... Harper Neidig of the Hill: "President Obama on Friday called out Turkish President Recep Erdogan, saying his policies toward journalists have been 'troubling.'" -- CW

Josh Lederman & Darlene Superville of the AP: "President Barack Obama urged global leaders Friday not to be complacent in the face of an evolving threat from terrorists who he said are eager to unleash a devastating nuclear attack. 'It would change our world,' he declared." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Nelson Schwartz & Neil Irwin of the New York Times: "The 215,000 jump in payrolls in March reported by the Labor Department on Friday capped the best two-year period for hiring since the late 1990s, while the proportion of Americans in the labor force -- which had been on a downward trajectory since 2001 and an even steeper slide since 2008 -- hit a two-year high. 'It's really a best-case scenario,' said Michelle Meyer, deputy head of United States economics at Bank of America Merrill Lynch." -- CW

Sarah Wheaton of Politico: "White House Counsel Neil Eggleston ... has promised to pick up the pace [of granting presidential pardons & clemency], but so far, acceleration has been halting. That's about to change, Eggleston said on Friday at a Politico Playbook Breakfast." -- CW

** Gail Collins on abortion, contraception, Donald Trump, & Republicans' deep respect for women. "In reality, the anti-abortion movement is grounded on the idea that sex outside of marriage is a sin, and the only choice a woman should have is between abstinence and the possibility of imminent parenthood. It may be politically unwise to say that the sinner ought to pay, but she should at minimum have to carry an unwanted child to term. Look at it this way and it's easy to understand why abortion opponents have shown virtually no interest in working to make contraceptives and family planning universally available. It's the sex, at bottom, that they oppose...." -- CW

Matt Apuzzo & Alan Blinder of the New York Times: "The Obama administration is considering whether North Carolina's new law on gay and transgender rights makes the state ineligible for billions of dollars in federal aid for schools, highways and housing, officials said Friday. Cutting off any federal money -- or even simply threatening to do so -- would put major new pressure on North Carolina to repeal the law, which eliminated local protections for gay and transgender people and restricted which bathrooms transgender people can use.... Experts said such a drastic step was unlikely, at least immediately.... Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina had assured residents that the law would not jeopardize federal money for education." -- CW

Guardian: "Company CEOs and city officials have joined other government and business leaders in opposition to North Carolina's new law that prevents specific anti-discrimination rules for LGBT people for restroom use. The Human Rights Campaign and Equality North Carolina on Friday released the names of another 10 company executives that have signed on to a letter criticizing the law and seeking its repeal, bringing the number of names to more than 120. New executives include those from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Qualcomm and EMC Corp." -- CaptRuss

Max Ehrenfreund & Roberto Ferdman of the Washington Post: "As many as 1 million Americans will stop receiving food stamps over the course of this year beginning on Friday, the consequence of a controversial work mandate that has been reinstated in 22 states as the economy improves. The 20-year-old rule -- which was suspended in many states during the economic recession -- requires that adults without children or disabilities must have a job in order to receive food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for more than three months, with some exceptions." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: Iowa teen Jake Smith, in a letter published by the Des Moines Register, asks Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to step down as head of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Grassley argues that President Obama cannot appoint a Supreme Court Justice because the "people" in the next presidential election must decide who gets to make the appointment. Smith reasons, "... since you, too, are in an election year, how can you possess the authority to make a decision that will affect the future of our country if 'the people have not yet spoken?"' Smith told Bendery, 'I know he's not going to read this letter from an 18-year-old and say, "Oh crap. I have to step down now," But I'm just trying to kind of match his ridiculous statements about this issue with another ridiculous statement." -- CW

Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The international hacker who allegedly accessed personal emails and photographs belonging to the family of former president George W. Bush and whose cyber-mischief revealed that Hillary Clinton was using a private email address appeared in a U.S. court for the first time Friday. Marcel Lehel Lazar -- better known by the moniker 'Guccifer' that he is said to have affixed to the materials he stole -- is charged with cyber-stalking, aggravated identity theft and unauthorized access of a protected computer in a nine-count indictment filed in 2014 in federal district court in Alexandria, Va. He was extradited to the United States recently from Romania, his home country, where he had been serving a sentence for hacking.

Lazar claimed to have compromised the email account of former Bill Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal and released memos Blumenthal sent to Hillary Clinton. Gawker noticed that the notes were directed to a private, nongovernmental email account. The New York Times later reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal account to conduct government business. -- CW

... CW: In all of the bazillion words I've read or heard about "the damned e-mails," I never knew that a hacker was partially responsible for bringing to light Hillary's use of a private account for State business. How'd I miss that? The news (to me) is both fascinating & troubling. If a guy whose hacking "system" relies on Kabballah, numerology, the occult & Jung's archetypes, among other things, can hack the U.S. Secretary of State's e-mail account, you can bet that Israel, Russia, China & official eavesdroppers everywhere were reading her e-mails, too.

Presidential Race

Ari Berman of the Nation: "... 300,000 registered voters in Wisconsin, 9 percent of the electorate..., do not have a government-issued photo ID and could be disenfranchised by the state's new voter-ID law, which is in effect for the first time in 2016." CW: Bernie Sanders is ahead of Hillary Clinton by several points in polls of Wisconsin voters. If he loses, it's likely the voter ID law will be the reason: students are among those most likely not to have the requisite IDs.

** "Soften Your Tone" and Other Bronx Cheers. Eric Levitz of New York: "On Thursday night..., [Bernie Sanders] drew 18,500 raucous supporters to St. Mary's Park in the South Bronx. Although the senator's campaign has often been portrayed as the whitest thing since sliced Wonder Bread, the crowd in Mott Haven was a rainbow coalition: Among the Caucasian Sandersistas were significant numbers of African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and even a smattering of Hasidic Jews. BernieBros and BernieBroads were out in roughly equal numbers. The only demographic that went underrepresented was 'people who were alive when Ronald Reagan was in office.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Maryalice Parks of ABC News: "Speaking to a packed house [in] eastern Wisconsin, Sanders twice said Clinton owed his campaign an apology. 'We were not lying, we were telling the truth,' the presidential hopeful said after bringing up an incident yesterday in which an activist asked Clinton if she would stop taking money from the fossil fuel industry. Clinton responded aggressively and accused the Sanders' campaign of lying." -- CW ...

... Paul Krugman says Bernie needs to cut that out & start playing nice. He also says Clinton is raising money for down-ballot candidates which Sanders is not. CW: What he doesn't say is that Clinton's little fundraising deal with the states is a mighty sleazy scheme. It is certainly not the point in her favor that Krugman pretends it is. -- CW

...Michael Tomasky of The Daily Beast on why he's voting for Hillary: "...I vote for other people's interests...economic welfare, of course, but voting rights, rights for immigrants, all the rest. The things the Republican Party wants to yank away from people. And you know what? I actually just think that Hillary Clinton will do a better job of defending those interests than Bernie Sanders will. Nobody makes me say that. Chelsea isn't sending me secret messages. I just think it." -- unwashed

... Jeff Stein of Vox explains the hoohah over Hillary Clinton's acceptance of campaign contributions from employees of oil-and-gas companies. Hey, Bernie Sanders has a accepted a teensy number, too. -- CW

Rosie Gray of BuzzFeed: "Roger Stone, the longtime Republican political operative and current ally of Donald Trump, says he's trying to organize protests at the Republican convention in Cleveland this summer to disrupt any effort by the party to 'steal' the nomination from the frontrunner. Stone tweeted several times on Friday evening about his plans, announcing a 'Stop the Steal March on Cleveland' and calling on supporters to get to Cleveland for the convention in July. Stone told BuzzFeed News over email that he is planning '#DaysofRage,' a seeming reference to the Weatherman-organized Days of Rage protests that took place in Chicago in 1969." ...

     ... CW: According to a New York Times report (linked on the Commentariat yesterday), Trump conceded to RNC brass that his campaign had failed to mount a delegate outreach effort, which is SOP for presidential campaigns. (The whole idea of schmoozing delegates seemed to come as a surprise to Trump, which in itself is pretty amazing.) That is, candidates & their campaigns try to get committed delegates to stick with them thru multiple roll calls, to get uncommitted delegates to support them, & to get those committed to other candidates to move to them on a second roll call. But that's not the Trump plan. No, the Trump plan is "rage" & violence. If this was the only thing you knew about the great businessman & his management style, it should be enough to tell you he isn't qualified to be president.

Descent of the Zombie. Alexander Burns of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump ... may have surrendered any remaining chance to rally Republicans strongly around him before the party's July convention in Cleveland. At a moment when a more traditional front-runner might have sought to smooth over divisions within his party and turn his attention to the general election, Mr. Trump has only intensified his slash-and-burn, no-apologies approach to the campaign.... Republicans who once worried that Mr. Trump might gain overwhelming momentum in the primaries are now becoming preoccupied with a different grim prospect: that Mr. Trump might become a kind of zombie candidate -- damaged beyond the point of repair, but too late for any of his rivals to stop him." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... CW: Funniest part of Burns' article: where he turns to Newt Gingrich to provide advice on how to be presidential.

Dana Milbank: "... it's impossible to ignore a growing volume of public-opinion data showing that a large number of [Donald Trump's] supporters are indeed driven by racial animus." -- CW

Bully of Week: Trump's Hells Angels. The Daily Beast's Mak & Suebaeng are scaring me with "Donald Trump has a new line of defense in his ongoing war against protesters: hundreds, if not thousands, of pro-Trump bikers ready and willing to provide extra security at his rallies...Trump has embraced his biker supporters with gusto...'My biker friends,' Trump said during a Q&A at a recent Wisconsin Rally. His new friends aren't just fans and are now pledging to provide ad hoc security at for their new hero, using violence if necessary." (I wonder if Scott Walker will show up with truncheons on his Harley?) -- unwashed

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. The Fourth Estate thinks about growing a pair. Jonathan Easley of The Hill: "The trio of controversies that have trailed [Donald] Trump over the last week -- dragging Ted Cruz's wife into the spotlight, his campaign manager's battery charge against a reporter and his statement on punishment for illegal abortions -- all had key media components.... 'Part of this is malice on the media's part,' said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell .. 'He's been able to outfox them at every turn, and now that he's backed into a corner you see some of the latent aggression coming out here as they try and make up for past instances where he's gotten the better of them...,' O'Connell said. 'It got away from him this week. If Trump loses the nomination, I think this is the week we'll look back on as when the bottom fell out.'" -- CaptRuss -- Could this be blood in the water that hastens a feeding frenzy?

Katherine Krueger of TPM: "Republican operative Karl Rove said Thursday that based on the GOP's current crop of candidates, the party might be better off picking a 'fresh face' for the best chance of winning the White House. 'Donald Trump excites a lot of enthusiasm,' Rove said about the Republican frontrunner. 'But he also excites a lot of anger within the Republican Party and outside of the Republican Party. And a fresh face might be the thing that could give us a chance to turn this election and win in November against Hillary.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Scott Wartman of Cincinatti.com: "Former presidential candidate Rand Paul said Friday he would still support Donald Trump if the controversial real estate tycoon ends up as the Republican nominee. Paul's statement, in response to an Enquirer reporter's question, puts him at odds with other Republicans, including Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Donald Trump. Those three candidates have backed off from earlier pledges to support the Republican nominee no matter what." CW: Yo, Karl, there's your "fresh face"! (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

...Holger Stark's essay in Der Spiegel provides a German perspective on how our lame-stream media is loosing the battle against Drumpf's successful use of social media. He concludes: "If Trump actually becomes his party's candidate or, even worse, becomes the next president of the United States of America, the damage to democracy would be significant not only because it would turn America into an autocratic nation, but because it would mean that, in this election, the principle of public scrutiny and thus democracy would have failed." -- unwashed

Beyond the Beltway

Richard Winton of the Los Angeles Times: "The knife reportedly found at the former home of O.J. Simpson is not connected to the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, Los Angeles police confirmed Friday."

Ashley Southall of the New York Times: "A lieutenant with the New York Police Department who oversaw the arrest of an on-duty mail carrier in Brooklyn has been stripped of his gun and badge and placed on administrative duty. The police commissioner, William J. Bratton, said on Friday that Lt. Luis D. Machado would remain in the modified assignment until the internal investigation of the episode is completed.... The Postal Service's office of inspector general is investigating whether any federal laws were violated." -- CW

Way Beyond

Mathieu Rosemain of Reuters ; "Salah Abdeslam, the Paris attacks suspect who was arrested in Brussels last month, refused to blow himself up on the day of the attacks, his brother Mohamed told French news channel BFM TV ... 'There would have been more victims had I done it,' Salah Abdeslam told his brother. 'Luckily, I couldn't go through with it.'" CaptRuss: This story doesn't mention that the members of the Brussels "terrorist" cell were known to Belgian police as criminals, not as militants from the DAESH network. The crazies who are willing to blow themselves up are encouraged by those unwilling to do the same. Kinda like the right-wingers who harp on the "good guy with a gun" illogical fantasy while wanting their own Republican National Convention to be a gun-free zone. The parallels between DAESH and the American Taliban never cease to amaze me.

The Commentariat -- April 1, 2016

Note to Readers: I've sent e-mails to the lucky contributors who have volunteered to do the heavy lifting here. If you volunteered & didn't get two e-mails from me this morning, please contact me via e-mail here. Either I mistyped your e-mail address, or I overlooked your generous offer. We'll go live tomorrow with contributor links & perhaps there will be a few in today's Commentariat. -- Constant Weader

Afternoon Update:

** "Soften Your Tone" and Other Bronx Cheers. Eric Levitz of New York: "On Thursday night..., [Bernie Sanders] drew 18,500 raucous supporters to St. Mary's Park in the South Bronx. Although the senator's campaign has often been portrayed as the whitest thing since sliced Wonder Bread, the crowd in Mott Haven was a rainbow coalition: Among the Caucasian Sandersistas were significant numbers of African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and even a smattering of Hasidic Jews. BernieBros and BernieBroads were out in roughly equal numbers. The only demographic that went underrepresented was 'people who were alive when Ronald Reagan was in office.'"

Josh Lederman & Darlene Superville of the AP: "President Barack Obama urged global leaders Friday not to be complacent in the face of an evolving threat from terrorists who he said are eager to unleash a devastating nuclear attack. 'It would change our world,' he declared":

Max Ehrenfreund & Roberto Ferdman of the Washington Post: "As many as 1 million Americans will stop receiving food stamps over the course of this year beginning on Friday, the consequence of a controversial work mandate that has been reinstated in 22 states as the economy improves. The 20-year-old rule -- which was suspended in many states during the economic recession -- requires that adults without children or disabilities must have a job in order to receive food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for more than three months, with some exceptions."

Katherine Krueger of TPM: "Republican operative Karl Rove said Thursday that based on the GOP's current crop of candidates, the party might be better off picking a 'fresh face' for the best chance of winning the White House. 'Donald Trump excites a lot of enthusiasm,' Rove said about the Republican frontrunner. 'But he also excites a lot of anger within the Republican Party and outside of the Republican Party. And a fresh face might be the thing that could give us a chance to turn this election and win in November against Hillary.'" ...

... Scott Wartman of Cincinatti.com: "Former presidential candidate Rand Paul said Friday he would still support Donald Trump if the controversial real estate tycoon ends up as the Republican nominee. Paul's statement, in response to an Enquirer reporter's question, puts him at odds with other Republicans, including Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Donald Trump. Those three candidates have backed off from earlier pledges to support the Republican nominee no matter what." CW: Yo, Karl, there's your "fresh face"!

Descent of the Zombie. Alexander Burns of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump ... may have surrendered any remaining chance to rally Republicans strongly around him before the party's July convention in Cleveland. At a moment when a more traditional front-runner might have sought to smooth over divisions within his party and turn his attention to the general election, Mr. Trump has only intensified his slash-and-burn, no-apologies approach to the campaign.... Republicans who once worried that Mr. Trump might gain overwhelming momentum in the primaries are now becoming preoccupied with a different grim prospect: that Mr. Trump might become a kind of zombie candidate -- damaged beyond the point of repair, but too late for any of his rivals to stop him." ...

     ... CW: Funniest part of Burns' article: where he turns to Newt Gingrich to provide advice on how to be presidential.

*****

Paul Krugman reminds us that President Obama has been a pretty, pretty good president.

Brian Fung of the Washington Post: "Federal regulators have approved a historic expansion of subsidies for the poor, fleshing out for the first time a set of Reagan-era discounts on phone service to include home Internet access. The 3-2 vote by the Federal Communications Commission Thursday will let roughly 40 million Americans on food stamps, Medicaid or other federal assistance register for and use an existing benefit worth $9.25 a month to purchase broadband service...."

Timothy Cama of the Hill: "The United States and China are pledging to sign last year's Paris climate change agreement as early as possible. President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Thursday that their representatives will approve the deal on April 22, Earth Day. It's also the earliest date on which countries can sign it. Though the agreement was crafted in December, it does not enter into force until 55 countries with at least 55 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are on board." (Also linked yesterday.)

Nahal Toosi of Politico: "Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy [D] and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in a war of words over the Democrat's request that the State Department investigate alleged human rights violations by Israeli and Egyptian security forces. Leahy and 10 House members sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry on Feb. 17 that lists several examples of alleged Egyptian and Israeli 'gross violations of human rights,' including extrajudicial killings, that should be examined.... Leahy's signature drew special attention because his name is on a law that conditions U.S. military aid to foreign countries on those countries' human rights records. 'In light of these reports (of suspected abuses) we request that you act promptly to determine their credibility and whether they trigger the Leahy Law and, if so, take appropriate action called for under the law,' the letter states." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Clarence Williams & Moriah Balingit of the Washington Post: "The CIA left 'explosive training material' under the hood of a Loudoun County[, Virginia,] school bus after a training exercise last week, a bus that was used to ferry elementary and high school students to and from school on Monday and Tuesday with the material still sitting in the engine compartment.... CIA officials said in a statement that the material 'did not pose a danger to passengers on the bus.'" CW: Good to know.

Today's Factoid. Richard Wolf of USA Today: "Long before they made headlines, President Obama's embattled Supreme Court nominee and Donald Trump's beleaguered campaign manager had a legal altercation over a gun. Merrick Garland was one of three federal appeals court judges who denied Corey Lewandowski's effort to get his pistol back after his arrest in 1999 for carrying it into a House office building. Garland, who is under fire from gun-rights groups for two other rulings that supporters say have been misrepresented, was joined in ruling against Lewandowski in 2003 by two conservative judges."

Annals of "Journalism," CTD. Charles Pierce: A few days ago, the WashPo published a story about the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's e-mails (linked on the Commentariat), which claimed 147 agents were dedicated to the investigation. [CW: After the Internets went nuts,] the Post published a correction saying the number of agents was fewer than 50. Turns out the number may be more like 12. "That 'lawmaker briefed by FBI director James Comey' [who gave the post the 147 figure] is obviously a ratfcker with an agenda that has nothing to do with anything except political sabotage. That, by the way, is a helluva story."

Presidential Race

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) at a Congressional hearing on energy issues in 2011. He's perfectly normal, people.Beware Hillary & Bernie: Judd Legum of Think Progress: "Congressman Don Young (R-AK) ... told WFQD on Wednesday that ... Republicans [should support] whoever is the [GOP] nominee.... Young goes on to earnestly explain that Sanders or Clinton would mandate 'when to get up, what to eat, what you are thinking, what school you are going to go to and what you are going to believe.'... While Young is not a fan of Trump, he has participated in a style of bombastic, factually unencumbered and incendiary commentary that has paved the way for his rise." CW: Young has been Alaska's only representative in the House since 1973. I hope Hillary will order me to get up later & think about chocolate cake.

Alexander Cohen of the Center for Public Integrity, in Politico: "... Hillary Clinton has collected more money than any other candidate in the 2016 race from employees tied to the 50 largest contractors with the Department of Defense -- at least $454,994 in campaign funds over a 14-month period ending in February.... Clinton's haul is ... only one-third higher than the amount defense contractors gave to the campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.... Despite advocating steep cuts in defense spending, Sanders' campaign has accepted at least $310,055 in defense-related donations -- more than any Republican presidential candidate -- since the start of the 2016 campaign cycle." Cohen has some suggestions as to why defense contractors like Democrats better.

Hillary Loses It. Harper Neidig of the Hill: "Hillary Clinton on Thursday accused Bernie Sanders's campaign of lying about her in a heated exchange with an environmental activist. 'I am so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about me. I'm sick of it,' the visibly angry Democratic presidential hopeful said, pointing a finger in a woman's face, in a video posted by Greenpeace":

... Nolan McCaskill of Politico: "According to a fact check [by FactCheck.org]. it is true that Clinton's campaign hasn't accepted donations directly from the industry -- doing so would violate campaign law -- and she hadn't gotten contributions from PACs affiliated with the industry, either. But she has received more than $330,000 from oil and gas industry employees. Sanders' campaign said Thursday evening that Clinton has relied heavily on donations from oil and gas lobbyists.... Eva Resnick-Day, the activist who questioned Clinton on Thursday, works with Greenpeace USA, an organization that has tracked Clinton receiving more than $4.5 million in funding this cycle -- in the form of her campaign and allied super PAC -- from lobbyists, bundlers and donors with ties to the industry. Greenpeace tallied 57 fossil fuel lobbyists who have given to Clinton -- 43 gave the maximum $2,700 contribution to her campaign, and 11 bundled $1.1 million." ...

... Abby Phillip of the Washington Post: "... [Eva] Resnick-Day [of Greenpeace] said in an interview with The Washington Post that she has no ties to the Sanders campaign and has not committed to any candidate in the race.... Resnick-Day said Greenpeace has asked all of the presidential candidates to sign a pledge to reject money from the fossil-fuel industry and to pursue campaign finance reform. Sanders has signed the pledge but Clinton has not." ...

... Sara Jerde of TPM: "Sanders had tied Clinton to Wall Street and the fossil fuel industry earlier in the day at a rally in Wisconsin, according to local TV station WGRZ." ...

... Greg Sargent takes an on-the-one-hand/on-the-other-hand approach to the Clinton-Sanders tiff. CW: But, hey, what about all that defense-contractor money, Hillary & Bernie?

Nick Gass of Politico: "Bernie Sanders broke his monthly fundraising record in March, pulling in more than $44 million, his campaign announced Friday following the midnight filing deadline with the Federal Election Commission."

Ben Kamisar of the Hill: "The Washington D.C. City Council will meet as early as next week for an emergency vote after a mistake by the city's Democratic Party threatened to leave Bernie Sanders off the presidential primary ballot in June. NBC News4 is reporting that D.C. council member and Democratic Party Chairwoman Anita Bonds will propose emergency legislation to ensure Sanders's name makes it on the ballot after the party accidentally submitted its slate to the Election Board late. Hillary Clinton also appeared on the late submission, but only Sanders received a challenge over the error."

Rebecca Fishbein of the Gothamist: "Ben & Jerry's founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield love fellow native Brooklynite and Vermont transplant Bernie Sanders so much, they made him his own ice cream, a mint chocolate chip flavor where 'all the chips have somehow floated to the top.' And lucky fans of ice cream and single-payer healthcare alike [could] get a taste of 'Bernie's Yearning' [Thursday] -- both Ben and Jerry [were] in [New York City's] Union Square handing out free sundaes starting at 5 p.m...."

Josh Barro of Business Insider: "Republicans would be screwed without racist voters.... A healthy chunk of Republican voters don't have a broad objection to big government, but an objection to big government for the wrong people.... Trump correctly realized he could win this kind of white Republican voter by becoming a demented version of Richard Nixon, turning the dial up on ethnocentric appeals ('they're rapists,' 'Islam hates us') and turning the dial down on the government-slashing (no Social Security cuts....

Nick Gass: "A political accountability group backed by Hillary Clinton supporters this week filed a complaint to the Justice Department alleging that Donald Trump illegally promised Ben Carson a position in his administration in exchange for his endorsement, according to a document provided to Politico on Thursday. 'It has recently come to light that Mr. Donald Trump may have willfully offered Dr. Ben Carson an appointment to his administration should he become president in return for supporting his candidacy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 599,' wrote Brad Woodhouse, the head of the David Brock-backed American Democracy Legal Fund. The letter is dated March 29 and addressed to Raymond Hulser, the head of the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section." After suggesting in an interview that there was a quid pro quo in his talks with Trump, Carson later denied it.

Larry Buchanan & Alicia Parlapiano in the New York Times on "how votes for Trump could become delegates for someone else. The rules for how Republican delegates are selected -- which differ in every state -- could end up turning votes for one candidate into delegates who will support another candidate at the convention." ...

... NEW. Kyle Cheney & Ben Schreckinger of Politico: "If Trump heads into the convention without the magic number of 1,237, already more than a hundred delegates are poised to break with him on a second ballot, according to interviews with dozens of delegates, delegate candidates, operatives and party leaders."

David Smith & Molly Redden of the Guardian: "Donald Trump was facing the biggest crisis of his bid for the White House on Thursday, after his comment that women should be punished for having an abortion produced a fierce backlash from both left and right.... In what was described as the worst week of his campaign so far, his team swung into damage-limitation mode. Spokesperson Katrina Pierson told CNN his initial comments were a 'simple misspeak' and said Trump did not support penalising women for having abortions, even if they were illegal.... [Ted] Cruz has voted to approve several abortion bans with no exception for rape victims, and [John] Kasich has signed 16 abortion restrictions as governor of Ohio, including a measure to ban abortion after 20 weeks."

Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "With a looming loss in Wisconsin vastly increasing the odds of a contested convention, [Donald] Trump trekked to Capitol Hill to meet with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, with whom he has had a lukewarm relationship.... He also convened a meeting with members of his newly established foreign policy team and rolled out his U.S. House Leadership Committee." ...

     ... Update. Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Outwardly, Donald J. Trump called it a 'unity meeting' -- a closed-door session in Washington on Thursday involving his own inner circle and the Republican National Committee's high command. Inside, however, it was more of a clearing of the air, according to three people briefed in detail on the discussion. And the candid remarks included some by Mr. Trump directed at his own team. There was plenty of tension to defuse...." ...

     ... digby: "I'm a little disappointed. The Great Negotiator should have emerged from any meeting with the RNC giving him the nomination by acclamation, amirite? Shouldn't Preibus have come out and stood behind Trump at a press conference like the newest Trump butler?"

... Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post: "Remember the Republican 'autopsy' report from the 2012 campaign, the GOP's 100-page investigation into why it lost the last presidential election and what it had to do to resurrect itself? Donald Trump has essentially set fire to that report. He's done the exact opposite of almost every recommendation Republican analysts said the party needed to adopt if the party wanted to survive."

Zeke Miller of Time: "Donald Trump's announcement that he no longer stands by a pledge to support the GOP has thrown his hold on South Carolina's 50 delegates in doubt. The Palmetto State was one of several that required candidates to pledge their loyalty to the party's eventual nominee in order to secure a slot on the primary ballot. Though Trump won all of the state's delegates in the Feb. 20 primary, anti-Trump forces are plotting to contest their binding to Trump because of his threat on the pledge Tuesday."

John Cassidy of the New Yorker: "Some of the Republicans trying to prevent [Donald Trump] from becoming the Party's Presidential nominee believe that they're finally making progress.... The Never Trump folks are harrying the front-runner constantly. With the spotlight on him, the cracks in his candidacy are becoming all too visible.... He is still in a strong strategic position and remains the firm favorite, even as cracks are showing."

** The Banana Republic of Trump. Brian Beutler muses on the various ways a Trump presidency might play out. Well-worth reading. CW: What struck me, though Beutler doesn't directly mention it, is how our governmental institutions offer little protection against a single unstable individual -- if the electorate first gives him/her the means to do so -- could take over & destroy the entire system. It's a flawed system, one that's easily exploited by people of bad faith. This isn't a surprise; it's been evident at least since Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House. (Also linked yesterday.)

We're Still Checking. Toby Eckert of Politico: "Donald Trump's campaign released a letter from his tax attorneys Wednesday night saying Trump's personal tax returns 'have been under continuous examination by the Internal Revenue Service since 2002,' a reason the GOP presidential candidate has cited for not releasing his returns. The March 7 letter from Sheri A. Dillon and William F. Nelson says audits of Trump's returns for 2009 'and forward' are ongoing and says all of the audits are 'consistent with the IRS' practice for large and complex businesses.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... CW: What is "consistent with IRS practices" is that the agency will repeatedly audit an individual whose earlier audits have found the taxpayer had underpaid his taxes. This letter doesn't help Trump except with his base; rather, it suggests he consistently cheats on his taxes. Big surprise.

Back to the Future. Michael Barbaro of the New York Times: "Bookended by advertisements for Trojan condoms and Malibu Ultra Light cigarettes, [a 1990] interview in Playboy magazine is a remarkably prophetic document.... Donald J. Trump sat down with Glenn Plaskin, a celebrity columnist, and ... enumerated a grievance-filled economic agenda, a searing denunciation of weak-kneed American leadership and a keen understanding of his appeal to blue-collar Americans that uncannily resemble the White House campaign he is waging today...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Nolan McCaskill: "Donald Trump won't be able to mount a third-party bid for president if he loses the Republican nomination, Ted Cruz said Thursday. 'He doesn't have the option of running as a third-party [candidate],' the Texas senator told Wisconsin radio host Charlie Sykes. 'Quite a few states across the country have what are called sore-loser laws, that once you run as a Republican and lose, you don't get to then turn around and file on the ballot as an independent, so that will not be an option available to him.'" ...

... CW: If Politico had better reporters, they would have rebutted Cruz in their story. Ballotpedia, ca. October 2015: "Some states bar candidates who sought, but failed, to secure the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. Ballot access expert Richard Winger has noted that, generally speaking, 'sore loser laws have been construed not to apply to presidential primaries.' In August 2015, Winger compiled a list of precedents supporting this interpretation. According to Winger, 45 states have sore loser laws on the books, but in 43 of these states the laws do not seem to apply to presidential candidates. Sore loser laws apply to presidential candidates in only two states: South Dakota and Texas." ...

     ... CW Update: McCaskill wrote to me, "It seems like there's a bit of a split on the application of the laws, though. Someone tweeted me a story from Conservative Review after it contacted every state, and 15 said they have sore-loser laws that apply to presidential candidates. Here's a link to that: https://www.conservativereview.com/commentary/2016/03/trump-independent-bid-all-but-impossible But I certainly agree with your point that it would have enhanced the story to have more context regarding the veracity of Sen. Cruz's claim." Now I feel bad for dissing his reporting."

Dave Weigel of the Washington Post: "With growing confidence about a big potential win in Wisconsin, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) is trying to discredit Ohio Gov. John Kasich's campaign before it gets to more favorable ground. In interviews this week, Cruz has repeatedly invoked the RNC's rule 40b, which allows candidates to be nominated only if they've won total delegate majorities in eight states or more. That rule, hastily written in 2012 after then-Rep. Ron Paul of Texas nearly grabbed enough wins to be nominated, is now favored by allies of both Cruz and Donald Trump as a way of making Kasich -- or any establishment 'savior' -- irrelevant." ...

... AP: "Ted Cruz's presidential campaign is trying to knock opponent John Kasich off Montana's primary by questioning signatures the Ohio governor's campaign submitted to qualify for the ballot - another subplot in the unfolding political drama to derail Donald Trump's presidential bid." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling: "PPP's newest national poll finds that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan wouldn't exactly be the solution to the GOP's Donald Trump problem.... Romney is incredibly unpopular nationally now- his 23/65 favorability rating is even worse than the 29/63 Trump comes in at. Clinton (45/32) and Sanders (48/31) each lead Romney by double digit margins. Ryan would trail Clinton 44/39 and Sanders 45/38, numbers not terribly dissimilar to how Trump polls against each of them."

Beyond the Beltway

Jesse McKinley & Vivian Yee of the New York Times: "Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state legislative leaders announced on Thursday that they had reached a budget agreement that would raise the minimum wage in New York City to $15 by the end of 2018, but initiate slower increases elsewhere, even in the city's wealthy suburbs. For Mr. Cuomo, the wage agreement came with clear concessions, as some lawmakers outside the city won a softer phase-in period. Long Island and Westchester County will not reach a $15 wage for nearly six years; areas north of Westchester are assured only of reaching $12.50 by 2021."

AP: "A federal judge has overturned Mississippi's ban on allowing same-sex couples to adopt. US district judge Daniel Jordan, in a preliminary injunction issued Thursday, ruled for four couples who had sued, saying the ban is unconstitutional after recent US supreme court decisions legalizing gay marriage and benefits for gay couples."

Liam Dillon & Patrick McGreevy of the Los Angeles Times: "In a move that puts California at the forefront of efforts to raise wages for low-income workers across the country, the Legislature approved a sweeping plan Thursday to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next six years, boosting the future paychecks of millions of the state's workers. The Senate voted 26 to 12 -- with loud cheers of [Si se puede' from the gallery above -- to give final approval and send the measure to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk less than one week after a legislative compromise. Brown will sign the wage hike into law in Los Angeles on Monday."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: "Virginia State Police Superintendent W. Steven Flaherty said Thursday night that a state trooper shot by a man at Richmond's Greyhound bus station has died from his wounds.... [The shooter] was then fatally wounded as two troopers returned fire. Two civilians were injured in the gunfire that erupted about 2:45 p.m."

Amber Phillips of the Washington Post: "Anyone who has doubts about the importance of journalists in 2016 need [sic!] be acquainted only with the reporting team at AL.com, the largest statewide news organization in Alabama. The group's reporters cracked open a scandal involving their governor's alleged infidelity last week and have been covering the unpredictable fallout aggressively ever since.... Alabama lawmakers, led by Republicans, are looking at ways to impeach [Gov. Robert Bentley (R)] or set up a recall.... The story stretches far beyond sex, though. It's also connected to an ethics trial of the House speaker and a shadowy nonprofit that paid [Bentley paramour Rebekah] Mason's communications firm about $320,000 at the time of her resignation. As AL.com reporter Leada Gore said: 'It's got every part of a scandal you could want.'"

Nathaniel Rich in the New York Times Magazine: "Over the course of 4 months, 97,100 metric tons of methane quietly leaked out of a single well into California's sky. Scientists and residents are still trying to figure out just how much damage was done."

Patrick McGeehan of the New York Times: "A new round of testing has found high levels of lead in water at more schools in Newark, including at least two charter schools, according to results the school district released on Thursday. Nearly a quarter of the water samples collected in the school buildings tested last week had lead concentrations above 15 parts per billion, which is the federal Environmental Protection Agency's threshold for taking action."

What's the Matter with Kansas?, Ctd. Erik Eckholm of the New York Times: "... in Kansas. Gov. Sam Brownback and other conservative Republicans have expressed outrage over State Supreme Court decisions that overturned death penalty verdicts, blocked anti-abortion laws and hampered Mr. Brownback's efforts to slash taxes and spending, and they are seeking to reshape a body they call unaccountable to the right-tilting public. At one point, the Legislature threatened to suspend all funding for the courts. The Supreme Court, in turn, ruled in February that the state's public schools must shut down altogether if poorer districts do not get more money.... Partisan conflict over courts has erupted in many of the 38 states where justices are either directly elected or, as in Kansas, face periodic retention elections...."

Susan Svrulga of the Washington Post: "The George Mason School of Law will be renamed in honor of the late U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia.... The university announced Thursday that it has received $30 million in combined gifts to the George Mason Foundation to support the law school, the largest gift in the university’s history.... Twenty million dollars came from an anonymous donor, and $10 million came from the Charles Koch Foundation.... Leonard A. Leo..., who was close with Scalia and his family, was approached by a donor who asked that the university name the law school in honor of the late justice, and offered a $20 million donation." CW: I'll bet it will be one of those "slower-track" schools Scalia liked so much. ...

... Elie Mystal of Above the Law: "Good lord. You are deemphasizing the name of a founding father to honor a man who fetishisized the beliefs held at the founding? A guy who didn't go there, or have any connection to the school, who wouldn't have hired a George Mason law student as a bathroom attendant, much less a Supreme Court clerk? That's the guy you are renaming your law school after? Your Twitter hashtag is now #ASSLaw (Antonin Scalia School of Law). Who was in second place, Donald Trump?" ...

... Gabrielle Bluestone of Gawker: "'By and large,' Scalia told an American University of Law student in 2009, 'I'm going to be picking from the law schools that basically are the hardest to get into. They admit the best and the brightest, and they may not teach very well, but you can't make a sow's ear out of a silk purse. If they come in the best and the brightest, they're probably going to leave the best and the brightest, OK?' At the time, American was ranked 45th. George Mason is currently ranked 45th." CW: Yup. Slower-track.

News Ledes

Bloomberg: "Employment in the U.S. climbed and wages picked up in March, signs of labor-market durability in the face of lethargic global growth. The 215,000 gain in payrolls followed a revised 245,000 February advance, a Labor Department report showed Friday. Average hourly earnings increased 0.3 percent from a month earlier, while the jobless rate crept up to 5 percent as more people entered the labor force."

Washington Post: "In several Latin American nations hit hard by the Zika epidemic, the transmission of the virus appears to have peaked, with the number of infections declining in recent weeks...."

Hill: "The State Department issued a new travel warning on Syria to U.S. citizens Thursday, saying that 'fighting still persists' and advising against visiting the war-torn country." CW: Drat! Here I was planning a nice visit to Damascus with a side trip to Palmyra.

The Commentariat -- March 31, 2016

Afternoon Update:

Timothy Cama of the Hill: "The United States and China are pledging to sign last year's Paris climate change agreement as early as possible. President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Thursday that their representatives will approve the deal on April 22, Earth Day. It's also the earliest date on which countries can sign it. Though the agreement was crafted in December, it does not enter into force until 55 countries with at least 55 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are on board."

Nahal Toosi of Politico: "Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy [D] and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in a war of words over the Democrat's request that the State Department investigate alleged human rights violations by Israeli and Egyptian security forces. Leahy and 10 House members sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry on Feb. 17 that lists several examples of alleged Egyptian and Israeli 'gross violations of human rights,' including extrajudicial killings, that should be examined.... Leahy's signature drew special attention because his name is on a law that conditions U.S. military aid to foreign countries on those countries' human rights records. 'In light of these reports (of suspected abuses) we request that you act promptly to determine their credibility and whether they trigger the Leahy Law and, if so, take appropriate action called for under the law,' the letter states."

AP: "Ted Cruz's presidential campaign is trying to knock opponent John Kasich off Montana's primary by questioning signatures the Ohio governor's campaign submitted to qualify for the ballot - another subplot in the unfolding political drama to derail Donald Trump's presidential bid."

** The Banana Republic of Trump. Brian Beutler muses on the various ways a Trump presidency might play out. Well-worth reading. CW: What struck me, though Beutler doesn't directly mention it, is how our governmental institutions offer little protection against a single unstable individual -- if the electorate first gives him/her the means to do so -- could take over & destroy the entire system. It's a flawed system, one that's easily exploited by people of bad faith. This isn't a surprise; it's been evident at least since Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House.

Back to the Future. Michael Barbaro of the New York Times: "Bookended by advertisements for Trojan condoms and Malibu Ultra Light cigarettes, [a 1990] interview in Playboy magazine is a remarkably prophetic document.... Donald J. Trump sat down with Glenn Plaskin, a celebrity columnist, and ... enumerated a grievance-filled economic agenda, a searing denunciation of weak-kneed American leadership and a keen understanding of his appeal to blue-collar Americans that uncannily resemble the White House campaign he is waging today...."

We're Still Checking. Toby Eckert of Politico: "Donald Trump's campaign released a letter from his tax attorneys Wednesday night saying Trump's personal tax returns 'have been under continuous examination by the Internal Revenue Service since 2002,' a reason the GOP presidential candidate has cited for not releasing his returns. The March 7 letter from Sheri A. Dillon and William F. Nelson says audits of Trump's returns for 2009 'and forward' are ongoing and says all of the audits are 'consistent with the IRS' practice for large and complex businesses.'" ...

     ... CW: What is "consistent with IRS practices" is that the agency will repeatedly audit an individual whose earlier audits have found the taxpayer had underpaid his taxes. This letter doesn't help Trump except with his base; rather, it suggests he consistently cheats on his taxes. Big surprise.

... CW: The dramatic doomsday music is awful, even if we are in for a dramatic doomsday. Amy Chozick of the New York Times: "Priorities USA Action, the main 'super PAC' bolstering Mrs. Clinton's bid, worked with Planned Parenthood, whose political action arm has also endorsed Mrs. Clinton, on the ad.... The 30-second online spot, directed at female women voters in Florida, Ohio and Washington, D.C., uses Mr. Trump's remark to MSNBC, which he later backed away from, as an impetus to attack his longer history of comments about women."

Daniel Strauss of Politico: "In a statement, the Sanders campaign said it expected to get on the ballot [in the June 14 Washington, D.C. primary]. 'We did what the D.C. law requires in order to get Bernie on the ballot and we are confident he will be on the ballot,' communications director Michael Briggs said." See related stories under Presidential Race.

*****

David Nakamura & Steven Mufson of the Washington Post: "President Obama welcomes world leaders to Washington on Thursday for a two-day summit on nuclear security that aims to refocus global attention on an issue he has called a top priority but on which his administration has had limited success." ...

... President Obama, in a Washington Post op-ed: "Of all the threats to global security and peace, the most dangerous is the proliferation and potential use of nuclear weapons. That's why, seven years ago in Prague, I committed the United States to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and to seeking a world without them. This vision builds on the policies of presidents before me, Democrat and Republican, including Ronald Reagan, who said 'we seek the total elimination one day of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth.'"

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Obama on Wednesday commuted the sentences of 61 federal prisoners convicted of drug and firearm crimes, extending his efforts to reshape a criminal justice sentencing system he has said is unduly harsh, unfair to minorities and outdated. More than a third of the prisoners who will soon be released were serving life in prison as a result of federal sentencing laws that imposed severe punishments for the distribution of cocaine and other drugs." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... ** New York Times Editors: "While that's better than nothing, it is nowhere near the action needed to rectify the injustice suffered by thousands of low-level, nonviolent inmates who still languish in federal prison, serving sentences far longer than what would be imposed under today's laws. Keeping people like this locked up for years costs not only taxpayers, but society as a whole.... If Attorney General Loretta Lynch is interested in meaningful pardon reform, she should support moving the process out of the Justice Department." ...

... Gregory Korte of USA Today (March 28): "The Obama administration instructed Justice Department attorneys to neglect applications for presidential pardons to give priority to the Justice Department's initiative to release low-level offenders from prison, the former pardon attorney said in her resignation letter early this year. That inaction was one of several issues that former Pardon Attorney Deborah Leff cited in her letter, which was obtained by USA TODAY after making a Freedom of Information Act request. Leff resigned in January after less than two years as the official responsible for making clemency recommendations for the president."

Sabrina Tavernise of the New York Times: "The Food and Drug Administration ... relax[ed] the requirements for taking a medication that induces abortion, a move that is expected to expand access to the procedure. The move was a victory for abortion rights advocates who had been fighting laws in states like Texas, North Dakota and Ohio that required providers to follow the requirements on the original F.D.A. labels for the drug when conducting abortions by medication." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Washington Post Editors: "Tuesday's news ... showed why keeping the court understaffed for any significant length of time would be bad for the law, the court and the country. Even if we might agree with some of the results, a quarter of a presidential term is a long time to go without a full Supreme Court. Senate Republicans should consider Merrick Garland's nomination immediately." ...

... Linda Greenhouse: "At its core..., Zubik v. Burwell, is a case about religion's role in civil society. The plaintiffs are betting on an expansive interpretation of a federal statute, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. And here's where hijacking comes in. What's being hijacked is not the religious objectors' insurance plans, but the Religious Freedom Restoration Act itself."

James Queally & Richard Winton of the Los Angeles Times: "The FBI has agreed to help prosecutors gain access to an iPhone 6 and an iPod that might hold evidence in an Arkansas murder trial, just days after the agency managed to hack an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino terror attacks, a local prosecutor said Wednesday." CW: If you thought the feds would limit their knowledge of de-encryption technology -- whether obtained from the manufacturer, from hackers or from their own techies -- to terrorism cases or suspected terrorist activity, you can now put that thought in your deep memory bank of "Things I Once Believed." ...

... Rich McCormick of the Verge: "The FBI originally argued that if Apple complied and helped it access Farook's phone, it would not use the method again, but in figuring out another way into the device the FBI can now theoretically help unlock other iPhones of the same family, up to and including the 5s."

James Downie of the Washington Post: "... even if Obamacare were the train wreck that Republicans claim it has been, their failure to unite around a replacement would then be all the more incredible. Two thousand and two hundred days after Obamacare became law, there have been zero Republican votes on a replacement."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. E.J. Dionne: "... the demography of [President] Obama's support explains why a relentless media focus on Trump and the Republican primaries entirely warps the message coming from Americans as a whole. Obama's approval rating is at 89 percent with Democrats and 50 percent among independents. But it stands at only 12 percent with Republicans and 9 percent among conservative Republicans. Yet the voices of conservative Republicans are being amplified beyond all reason by the obsession with Trump and the GOP's struggles."

Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Al Jazeera America is closing down. Tony Karon delivers the network's valedictory address. CW: the layout of the Website was part of the problem. Early on, I tried to patronize the site & seldom found any timely stories. They later changed the layout format, but they didn't make articles or videos more accessible. In fact, this morning I was looking for an Al Jazeera story I knew about from another source, & absolutely couldn't find the story on Al Jazeera's site.

Presidential Race

The Republican party is coming apart at the seams, & Dan Balz of the Washington Post is here to tell you all about it. CW: "Boo-hoo," says Balz; "Boo-fucking-hoo," say I. (Actually, this is a pretty good summary of where the party is -- or are, since they're all over the place. ...

... Jesse Byrnes of the Hill: "Instead of helping to unify the GOP behind a candidate, as the primary process typically does, the race has instead created deep wounds between the candidates that are unlikely to heal." CW: Yeah, we're all having a sad.

** Arden Farhi of CBS News tracked down the originator of the petition to allow attendees to carry arms into the Republican convention. His name is Jim, and he's "a self-described liberal Democrat who intends to vote for Hillary Clinton should she become the Democratic nominee. He isn't affiliated with a campaign or any advocacy group.... Jim says he wrote the petition knowing it was somewhat preposterous -- that law enforcement would never allow the Republican presidential candidates inside an arena with potentially thousands of armed individuals." CW: Do read the petition if you haven't already, & you'll see what 52,000+ Americans think is logical. Well, no wonder; it's what politicians & the NRA have been telling them for decades. Jim's original goal was 50,000 signatories; I see he's upped it to 75,000. ...

     ... Update: Nora Kelly of the Atlantic has more on the petition & the originator of the petition, whose name is Jim Ryan. "He got some rave reviews: One commenter called it 'one of the best satirical pieces since "A Modest Proposal,"' the seminal Jonathan Swift work that criticizes anti-Irish sentiment in Great Britain." CW: It is impossible to forget that we're dealing in the politics of the absurd, & no group is more absurd than the NRA, though many of its supporters try to match or best them; to-wit: ...

You know what? If I'm in that room and let's say we have two or five or 40 people with guns, we're going to do a lot better because there's going to be a shootout. -- Donald Trump ...

... Gail Collins: "Two important points here: Even in the confines of Second Amendment aficionados, you don't normally hear the term 'we’re going to do a lot better because there's going to be a shootout.' Plus, note the suggestion that people would be safer with an armed Donald Trump in the building.... If you want to know where [Ted] Cruz stands on a reasoned approach to handling weapons, I suggest you take a look at the video in which he demonstrates how to cook bacon by wrapping it around the barrel of an assault rifle. ('Mmmm, machine gun bacon.')

Trip Gabriel of the New York Times: "The danger signs are mounting for Donald J. Trump in Wisconsin: Right-wing radio hosts are flaying him, Gov. Scott Walker and other elected Republicans have endorsed Senator Ted Cruz, and a new poll showed Mr. Cruz with a 10 percentage-point lead in the state before Tuesday's primary. The Stop Trump movement may never have another opportunity like the one here, where resistance to Mr. Trump was running high even before his campaign became consumed by a new round of controversies, from his mocking of Mr. Cruz's wife to the arrest of his campaign manager to his comments in favor of punishing women who get abortions."

Philip Rucker & Robert Costa of the Washington Post: "If Donald Trump secures the Republican presidential nomination, he would start the general election campaign as the least-popular candidate to represent either party in modern times. Three-quarters of women view him unfavorably. So do nearly two-thirds of independents, 80 percent of young adults, 85 percent of Hispanics and nearly half of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.... His success among a segment of the Republican electorate stands in contrast to his weaknesses in a general election decided by all voters."

"Dangerous Donald." Dana Milbank: "Trump is accustomed to steamrolling bankers, employees and reality-show contestants alike. But what explosion might result if this unpredictable man were president and world leaders, or Congress, told him 'No'?" ...

... Freedom of the Press. CW: Milbank adds a tidbit I missed: "Trump defended Lewandowski by saying the reporter's pen could have been 'a little bomb' or a knife." The next thing you know those reporters Trump likes to keep in a pen will be deprived of their writing & recording devices, any one of which might contain "a little bomb." ...

... Here's another disturbing tidbit that's fallout from the Lewandowski case. Margaret Hartmann: "Former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields ... tells the Blaze that she's moved out of her apartment because she's been receiving threats and no longer feels safe. Fox News and BuzzFeed inadvertently published her address and phone number along with Lewandowski's arrest report, and while the outlets have redacted her personal information she's still getting disturbing messages on her phone. It's like a real-life version of a pro-Trump comments section, but scarier and harder to ignore." Emphasis added.

Michael Finnegan of the Los Angeles Times: "Donald Trump was merciless Wednesday in his portrayal of how poorly Wisconsin has fared under its Republican governor, Scott Walker.... It was an unlikely approach for Trump to take just as Marquette Law School was releasing a poll that found 80% of likely voters in Wisconsin's Republican presidential primary on Tuesday approve of Walker's job performance. 'I wouldn't do this, except that he endorsed this guy Cruz, and Cruz would be a terrible president,' Trump told the crowd in a theater at St. Norbert College.... Trump recalled Walker visiting him at his Manhattan office and giving him a plaque to show gratitude for giving him at least $50,000 in campaign contributions. 'We're trying to find it; it's on the bottom of a pile of plaques.'..."

Jordan Fabian of the Hill: "White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Wednesday condemned ... Donald Trump for standing by his campaign manager after he was charged with battery.... 'I am confident that neither President Obama nor President Bush would tolerate someone on their staff being accused of physically assaulting a reporter, lying about it and then blaming the victim,' Earnest told reporters.Earnest said Trump's response to the Lewandowski incident, as well his other controversial actions, is 'completely outside the realm of acceptable behavior.... I am also confident in telling you nobody is particularly surprised that that's behavior that Mr. Trump doesn't just seem to tolerate, he seems to encourage,' he added." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Nick Gass of Politico: "Karl Rove, David Axelrod and David Plouffe are not taking kindly to Donald Trump's speculation that they roughed up reporters worse than his own campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. The three former strategists told Politico Wednesday morning that Trump is not only flat-out wrong, he's also irresponsible.... During a telephone interview with 'Fox and Friends,' co-anchor Brian Kilmeade asserted that campaign managers "should not be putting their hands on reporters," remarking, "Karl Rove didn’t do it. David Plouffe didn't do it, David Axelrod didn't do it. That's why you have Secret Service and that's why you have your own security.' 'OK and you don't know that they didn't do it, because I guarantee you they did, probably did stuff that was more physical than this,' Trump replied. 'More physical, because this is not even physical. And frankly, she shouldn't have her hands on me. Nobody says that. But she shouldn't have her hands on me.'" Emphasis added. ...

     ... CW: No, Nick, that wasn't "speculation" on Trump's part. That was an out-and-out accusation that Rove, Plouffe & Axelrod physically, severely abused reporters. Even though those guys are public figures, they have grounds to sue Trump. Since Trump likes lawsuits so much, they should sue his ass for defamation. ...

** Dara Lind of Vox writes an excellent piece on how Trump's handling of the Lewandowski case demonstrates why he would be a terrible -- or as Dana Milbank writes, "dangerous" -- president. CW: BTW, Lind includes a Trump tweet with a photo I hadn't seen before: a close-up of Michelle Fields' hand that is holding that pen-bomb. In the photo, it appears the side of her pen-bomb hand may be grazing Trump's suit sleeve. Trump later said she "grabbed" him, & after that said she "hit" him.

... Peter King for Feminist of the Year. Christopher Massie of BuzzFeed: "Republican Rep. Peter King of New York defended Corey Lewandowski on Tuesday after new video emerged from the incident showing Lewandowski grabbing a reporter's arm and pulling her backwards at a Donald Trump event in early March.... 'This thing with Corey Lewandowski,' King said on Imus in the Morning. '... You know, before I saw the video yesterday, I thought he had hit her with a baseball bat or something. I haven't practiced law in a while but I never heard of somebody being charged for touching someone on the arm, unless you're talking about some kind of a sexual thing.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... No, No, Donald Trump for Feminist of the Year. Nolan McCaskill of Politico: "Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that women should be punished for seeking abortions if the procedure is outlawed." CW: I can't tell from the reporting (here or elsewhere) whether or not Trump said abortion would be illegal, but he seems to imply it. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Update 1: Becca Andrews of Mother Jones: "Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants to ban abortions, and that women who get abortions illegally should be punished. At a taping of an MSNBC town hall that will air later, host Chris Matthews pressed the Republican presidential front-runner Trump for his thoughts on abortion policy. Trump said he's in favor of an abortion ban, explaining, 'Well, you go back to a position like they had where they would perhaps go to illegal places, but we have to ban it,' according to a partial transcript from Bloomberg Politics."

     ... Update 2: Matt Flegenheimer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "The comment, which Mr. Trump later recanted, attracted instant, bipartisan criticism -- the latest in a series of high-profile episodes that have shined a light on Mr. Trump's feeble approval ratings among women nationally. In this case, Mr. Trump also ran afoul of conservative doctrine, with opponents of abortion rights immediately castigating him for suggesting that those who receive abortions -- and not merely those who perform them -- should be punished if the practice is outlawed." ...

     ... An amazing turnabout for someone who's never wrong because he "talks mostly with himself" & "has a very good brain." Ed Kilgore recounts & explains the instant evolution of Trump's position on "punishing women." Worth a read. ...

     ... AND this is humorous. Margaret Hartmann: "Two Trump surrogates rallied to the candidates' defense. Chris Christie said Trump 'obviously misspoke,' though it's unclear how he knew this since he claimed he didn't see the ubiquitous video of Trump's remark. Dr. Ben Carson, who's been too honest for his own good recently, explained that Trump was just caught off guard and forgot to dodge the question. 'What you develop with experience is how to answer that in a way that is not definitive,' he told CNN's Erin Burnett."

... Tim Murphy of Mother Jones: Donald Trump's Muslim ban "just got worse." He told Chris Matthews of MSNBC that he'd allow exceptions for his rich Muslim friends. ...

... Wherein Donald Trump tells Chris Matthews the U.S. might have to nuke Paris or London or Berlin or some other European place(s). Hey, he already dislikes Angela Merkel -- but not because she's a woman! -- so what the hell? Ka-boom!

Priscilla Alvarez of the Atlantic: "In an unprecedented move Wednesday, the National Border Patrol Council announced that it is endorsing Donald Trump, a candidate it touts as 'bold and outspoken as other world leaders who put their country's interests ahead of all else.' The National Border Patrol Council, a labor union representing 16,500 agents, has refrained in the past from making such endorsements, but cited the 'lives and security of the American people' as reason enough to break with precedent." CW: Lunkheads. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

John Rollert, for the Atlantic, reads Trump's 1987 book The Art of the Deal: "For almost nine months now, the national negotiation for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been underway, and it bears the signal traits of so many of Trump's commercial endeavors: It is long on instincts, short on details, and subject to a remarkable amount of turmoil." Thanks to P.D. Pepe for the link.

Oliver Laughland of the Guardian: Protesters try to outmaneuver the Trump camp, so far with minimal success. In Janesville, Wisconsin, one "group was photographed and aggressively questioned by supporters in the line, who then tipped security off about their presence. The fact the group had a single black member, who stuck out in the overwhelmingly white crowd, appeared to have alerted suspicions, [a protester] said. 'It's like people are little vigilantes.'"

T. A. Frank writes an amusing piece for Vanity Fair on Paul Ryan's non-candidacy for the nomination. ...

... Just how could the Reluctant Ryan -- or any Not-Trump -- become the nominee? Sasha Issenberg of Bloomberg explains "how to steal a nomination from Donald Trump. Donald Trump has spent much of his campaign selling himself as a maker of great deals. But in the next phase of the campaign, the author of The Art of the Deal may be confronted with the ultimate dealmaking challenge, gaming the rulebook and horse-trading for delegates at what could be a contested convention. And if that situation comes to pass, it's one in which his opponents have a distinct advantage going in." CW: Paul Ryan is running the convention. How conveeeenient.

Victor Morton of the (right-wing) Washington Times story: "Because of an error by the D.C. Democratic Party, Sen. Bernard Sanders' name is not on the ballot, according to a report by WRC-TV, the local NBC affiliate." Thanks to Ophelia M. for the lead. I don't know if Morton got his facts straight, but he has definitely done some reporting on it. ...

... A blogpost by Hannah Wise in the Dallas Morning News tells the same story.

Eric Levitz of New York: Hillary Clinton kicked off her New York primary campaign at the "live at the Apollo.... New York offers Clinton a chance to effectively end Sanders's hopes in April.... She then outlined her case against Sanders, or as she insisted on calling him throughout her speech, 'my opponent.'... Clinton doesn't have a better platform for combating bigotry than her opponent. But she has a rhetorical dexterity that Sanders has often lacked. Her elucidation of bigotry's evils spurred some tears and much cheering at the Apollo. Sanders has three weeks to gin up an enthusiasm gap in the Empire State. He's going to need all the time he can get."

Senate Race

Lisa Hagen of the Hill: "President Obama and Vice President Biden on Wednesday endorsed Democratic Senate candidate Katie McGinty, another sign that the party's establishment is coalescing behind her in a contentious Pennsylvania primary battle. The endorsements give the former gubernatorial chief of staff a huge boost ahead of the April 26 primary, where the candidates will vie for the chance to take on Republican Sen. Pat Toomey." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Alan Blinder of the New York Times: "'I have no intentions of resigning,' said [Alabama Gov. Robert] Bentley, a Republican in his second term.... Within hours, Rebekah C. Mason, the governor's senior political adviser and the woman with whom he engaged in suggestive conversations, captured on tape, said she had quit. And by day's end, it was uncertain whether it would be politically feasible for Mr. Bentley, 73, to remain in office in this state, which has a gaudy history of scandal but has been in something of a morals-driven meltdown since the governor's admission last Wednesday. Some lawmakers are talking of impeaching Mr. Bentley. The governor's former pastor spoke of 'church discipline' and said that Mr. Bentley was no longer a member of the Tuscaloosa congregation where he was once a deacon."

WGN-TV: "She could have reached out and touched it. That's how close Tina Dorschel was to the Florida panther that nearly brushed her leg as it charged past, speeding down a boardwalk in Florida's 13,000-acre Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary."

... CW: I've embedded this video only because (a) it made the news & got lots of hits after Dorschel posted it to her Facebook page, (b) it happened close to my home -- Corkscrew Swamp is east of Naples, Florida, (c) nature walks frighten me because nature; (d) I'm a short-timer here. The new editorial staff could rightly delete it. It wouldn't hurt my feelings any.

     ... CW: Ha ha. The video itself was deleted by the user. Serves me right.

News Ledes

New York Times: "Dame Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-born British architect whose soaring structures left a mark on skylines and imaginations around the world and in the process reshaped architecture for the modern age, died in Miami on Thursday. She was 65."

Washington Post: "Five key members of the U.S. women's soccer team have filed a federal complaint against the U.S. Soccer Federation to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging wage discrimination. In the complaint, the players cite USSF figures from last year showing that they were paid nearly four times less than men's players despite generating much more revenue."