The Commentariat -- July 26, 2016

Democratic National Convention & Presidential Race

See also yesterday's Afternoon Update.

Dan Roberts & Sabrina Siddiqui of the Guardian: "A stormy opening night of the Democratic convention battered the Philadelphia arena on Monday as defiant Bernie Sanders supporters resisted attempts to persuade them to embrace Hillary Clinton. Impassioned pleas for unity from a trio of Democratic women led by Michelle Obama raised hopes that the tumultuous first day of the convention may provide catharsis. But despite a direct plea for calm from Sanders, many of his 1,846 delegates in the arena repeatedly jeered at mentions of the party's presumptive nominee for the first hour or two of the evening." -- CW

Abby Phillip & Sean Sullivan of the Washington Post: "Bernie Sanders closed out the first day of the Democratic party's convention with a forceful plea for his supporters to get behind ... Hillary Clinton.... Sanders stood, taking in the adulation for several long minutes before launching into what would prove to be a challenging task: finally bringing his supporters into Clinton's fold. 'If you think you can sit it out, take a moment to think about the Supreme Court justices that Donald Trump would nominate and what that would mean to civil liberties, equal rights and the future of our country,' Sanders warned":

     ... Here's the text of Sanders' speech, as prepared, via Politico. -- CW ...

Paul Kane of the Washington Post: "... as she took the stage in prime time Monday night at the Democratic National Convention for perhaps the most anticipated speech of her career, [Sen. Elizabeth] Warren positioned herself to wield singular power over Democratic politics and the party's policy agenda from her perch in the Senate, no matter who wins the presidency":

Abby Phillip & Sean Sullivan: "First lady Michelle Obama delivered a powerful character witness on behalf of the Democratic Party's nominee, Hillary Clinton, and urged her party to not be complacent":

... CW: Copy that, Melania. ...

... Gail Collins: "O.K., Michelle Obama stole the show. It would be hard to beat an African-American first lady saying that she woke up every morning: 'in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.' But she went further than that -- further, really, in lambasting the opposition than is traditional for someone in the Official Wife position. And it worked very, very well." (CW: You may want to scroll on down the page; there are several other short takes on the convention, but there is no way to isolate them.) ...

... Rebecca Traister of New York: "... it was not an elected official, but one of the most brilliant and inspiring first ladies in American history, Michelle Obama, who lit up the room, silenced the booing throngs, and opened up a can of elegant whoop-ass on everyone who has been behaving poorly, all without mentioning any offenders by name." -- CW

Brian Beutler: "... by the end of the evening, the disarray story became impossible to credit.... The basic competence, and occasional brilliance, of the stagecraft left no room for anyone other than the most partisan operatives to pretend the two conventions and parties are equally broken.... Clinton's convention lineup wasn't designed to contrast with Trump's brigade of C-list celebrities and agitators, though it did do that. It was instead meant to serve as a demonstration that Clinton is widely respected in the Democratic Party, which is much less divided than a handful of Sanders delegates would have you believe. Where Trump insists to the public that Republicans are unified, Clinton and her supporters showed that they are." -- CW ...

... NEW. Greg Sargent: "What last night really showed is that there will be a profound, fundamental imbalance between the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaigns when it comes to the wattage of surrogates out there making the case this fall.The biggest speeches of the night, from New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders, projected a tone that seemed designed to contrast sharply with the hate-and-rage-fest otherwise known as the GOP convention.... this is also another way in which there is simply no equivalence between the degree of disunity that is afflicting the two parties." -- CW

The New York Times' "live briefing" of the convention is here. ...

     ... 6 pm ET: "Hundreds of Bernie Sanders supporters drowned out the Vermont senator with boos Monday as he tried to make the case that his fans would need to vote for Hillary Clinton to defeat Donald J. Trump." CW: I'd say they're not Sanders "supporters" if they booed him. More like brats & malcontents.

... Sean Sullivan & Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "Debbie Wasserman Schultz excused herself from gaveling in the convention, bowing to heavy pressure from party activists. It was one of many dramatic developments during a day of discord that threatened to distract from high-profile speeches meant to convey Democratic unity on the first day of the convention.... The floor of the Democratic National Convention was awash with anti-Hillary Clinton sentiment and sporadic protests as it opened Monday afternoon. Every mention of her name drew boos from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders's supporters, who toted signs railing against trade pacts and distracting from the speakers on stage. Televisions news cameras and anchors swarmed each uprising, broadcasting it live and furiously tweeting the latest chants. The barrage of activity and Klieg lights only seemed to encourage the rabble rousing, which continued on for more than an hour." -- CW ...

... "Mayhem Breaks Out"! Nick Gass of Politico: "Democrats on Monday struggled to contain the chaos that threatened to take hold in Philadelphia, as Debbie Wasserman Schultz bowed out of plans to gavel in the Democratic National Convention and restless Bernie Sanders' supporters lashed out.... Clinton's campaign insisted Monday that Sanders would 'double down' on his endorsement of Clinton weeks ago in New Hampshire, 'in contrast to Ted Cruz,' who caused an uproar in Cleveland by telling Americans to 'vote your conscience' rather than explicitly endorsing Trump." -- CW ...

... Ruby Kramer of BuzzFeed: "Bernie Sanders' campaign manager repudiated a fledgling grassroots effort by progressive activists at the Democratic National Convention to challenge Sen. Tim Kaine as the party's vice presidential nominee. 'It's very divisive,' said Jeff Weaver, the top strategist.... 'She's the presidential nominee. If Bernie were the nominee, would you want the conservatives trying to nominate our vice president?'" -- CW ...

... Liz Goodwin of Yahoo! News: "Sen. Bernie Sanders sent a text message to the leaders of his delegation pleading with them not to protest on the Democratic convention floor Monday night. 'I ask you as a personal courtesy to me to not engage in any kind of protest on the floor,' he wrote in the text message to his delegate whips. 'Its of utmost importance you explain this to your delegations.'" -- CW ...

... Jonathan Swan of the Hill: "Bernie Sanders supporters should stop calling for Hillary Clinton to be put in prison, Jeff Weaver said Monday ahead of the start of the Democratic National Convention. 'I know emotions are running high right now, but I think people really have to consider the implications of what a [Donald] Trump presidency would mean for those of us who support the kind of agenda that Bernie Sanders has laid out for the country,' Weaver, who served as campaign manager for Sanders's presidential bid, told The Hill.... On Sunday, immediately preceding the opening of the Democratic convention, supporters of the Vermont senator reportedly marched through the streets of Philadelphia, chanting, 'Lock her up.'" -- CW ...

... "Fart-in, Smoke-in and Actual Crowds Come to Philly After Boring RNC Protests." Steven Nelson of US News: "After surprisingly few people took to the streets of Cleveland last week to protest Donald Trump's nomination at the Republican National Convention, this week's Democratic convention will prove activism isn't dead.... The number of participants opposing or seeking to influence Hillary Clinton on Sunday alone -- before the convention began -- easily exceeded the number of protesters targeting Trump in an entire week.... Along for the ride will be at least one -- maybe two -- enormous fan-operated inflatable joints, which cannabis activists led by the D.C. Cannabis Campaign will march south toward the convention center.... Some Sanders delegates will participate in the anti-Clinton 'fart in.'..." CW: Let's feed 'em beans. ...

... Those Protesters (Including Some Delegates) Aren't Democrats. Paul Waldman: "The Democratic Party isn't being torn apart from the inside; it's being attacked from the outside.... For a certain kind of activist on the left, the real enemy is never the right; it's always the liberals who are insufficiently committed to their brand of revolution.... For some of [Sanders'] most ardent followers, joining the Democratic Party was never part of the deal. Many of the ones now protesting are quite open about the fact that their goal is to destroy the party.... This is a real contrast with the conflicts we saw highlighted in Cleveland...." -- CW ...

... Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "Pew asked ... consistent Sanders supporters whom they support in the general election. Ninety percent said they back Hillary Clinton.... Last week, as the Republican convention was going on, Pew offered similar research about the Republicans. Of the 44 percent of the party that never supported Donald Trump, 79 percent were planning on backing him in the general election -- lower than the percentage of Sanders supporters backing Clinton, but still nearly 8 in 10. So why so much outrage in Philadelphia? Delegates to party conventions are not normal members of political parties." -- CW ...

** Why Are Sanders Delegates Such Jerks? Blame the Clinton Establishment. Matt Yglesias of Vox: "Sanders had little control over his delegates.... This was in part a matter of sloppiness on the part of Sanders's team in selecting delegates. But as one operative told me, there was another reason Sanders's delegation was so unruly: Everyone was so afraid to cross Clinton by serving as a Sanders delegate that he couldn't convince the kind of party loyalists who normally take the job to do it.... Many Sanders delegates come from the world of left-wing protest culture rather than party politics." -- CW

Lose the Air Quotes, Donald Donaldovich. Katherine Krueger of TPM: "Donald Trump on Monday attributed the Democratic National Committee hack that led to the ouster of its chair to 'one of our many, many "friends"' in Russia or China.... 'Little did [Wasserman Schultz] know, Russia, China, one of our many, many "friends"' -- Trump emphasized with air quotes -- 'came in and hacked the hell out of us.'" -- CW ...

... ** Thomas Rid in Vice: "The forensic evidence linking the DNC breach to known Russian operations is very strong. On June 20, two competing cybersecurity companies, Mandiant (part of FireEye) and Fidelis, confirmed CrowdStrike's initial findings that Russian intelligence indeed hacked Clinton's campaign.... The larger operation, with its manipulative traits, fits well into the wider framework of Russia's evolving military doctrine, known as New Generation Warfare or the 'Gerasimov Doctrine,' named after Valery Gerasimov, the current Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.... The operation is not over." -- CW ...

... Shane Harris & Nancy Youssef of the Daily Beast: "The theory that Moscow orchestrated the leaks to help Trump, who has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and practically called for the end of NATO, is fast gaining currency within the Obama administration because of the timing of the leaks and Trump's own connections to the Russian government.... Two U.S. officials told The Daily Beast that while hacking is a crime, and therefore falls under the FBI's jurisdiction, trying to manipulate an election is not. That may limit what the FBI can investigate...." -- CW ...

Dana Houle in the New Republic: "The main problem with the notion that the DNC rigged the results for Clinton is that it requires one to assume the improbable. The DNC had no role or authority in primary contests, which are run by state governments. Clinton dominated the primaries. The DNC, through state parties, had a bit more influence over caucuses ... where Sanders dominated Clinton.... Furthermore, if it is true that last fall Clinton campaign chair John Podesta tried but failed to have DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz sacked, the underlying premise of the entire WikiLeaks dump -- that Wasserman Schultz machinated to deliver Clinton the nomination -- is hard to believe." ...

     ... Houle identifies the real threat to the party that the Russian DNC hacks signalled: just as "Republican operatives jammed the phone lines of Democratic phone banks in New Hampshire, possibly costing them a seat in the U.S. Senate," so could Drumpovich-leaning hackers mess up "the digital and data infrastructure of the Democratic Party and its allies in organized labor and liberal interest groups." -- CW ...

... CW: Echoing what I wrote yesterday, Paul Waldman writes: "... the fact that Russia is trying to swing the outcome of an American presidential election is about a million times more important than the fact that some DNC staffers talked trash about Bernie Sanders in emails to one another."

Prognostications on the Trumpinproletariat: "How Rousseau Predicted Trump." Pankaj Mishra in the New Yorker: "No Enlightenment thinker observing our current predicament from the afterlife would be able to say 'I told you so' as confidently as Jean-Jacques Rousseau..., who was memorably described by Isaiah Berlin as the 'greatest militant lowbrow in history.' In his major writings, beginning in the seventeen-fifties, Rousseau thrived on his loathing of metropolitan vanity, his distrust of technocrats and of international trade, and his advocacy of traditional mores.... Against today's backdrop of political rage, however, Rousseau seems to have grasped, and embodied, better than anyone the incendiary appeal of victimhood in societies built around the pursuit of wealth and power." -- CW

Annals of "Journalism" & Journalism, Ctd. New York invites media luminaries to critique the media. -- CW

Beyond the Beltway

Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (July 22): "Gov. Scott Walker on Friday named a little-known Waukesha lawyer with no judicial experience to the state Supreme Court, putting Daniel Kelly on the bench and keeping in place the high court's 5-2 conservative majority. Kelly -- who in his application called affirmative action and slavery the same morally -- will replace retiring Justice David Prosser on Aug. 1, the start of the court's new term. Kelly, 52, initially applied for the appointment in secret, but his name became public in June.... Kelly took just one question from reporters after Walker announced the appointment in the state Capitol, but he declined to discuss his writings opposing affirmative action and gay marriage." -- CW ...

... OR, as Charles Pierce put it, Walker "is hard at work still putting the bananas in his banana republic...." -- CW

The Commentariat -- July 25, 2016

Afternoon Update:

Sean Sullivan & Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "... the FBI said it was investigating an email breach that triggered much of the friction [within the Democratic party] over the weekend.... National security officials are increasingly concerned about possible efforts by Russia to meddle in the election, according to several individuals familiar with the situation.... Outgoing Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz faced an angry backlash at a meeting of her home state activists Monday morning. And liberal delegates stood ready to shower her with boos the moment she steps onto the stage at the convention, according to a top Democrat familiar with their plans." -- CW ...

... CW: Nick Gass & Daniel Strauss of Politico describe Wasserman Schultz's reception at the breakfast as "chaos" and "bedlam." Well, it's Politico. The shouters were wearing Sanders t-shirts. ...

... Patrick Tucker of Defense One on "How Putin Weaponized Wikileaks to Influence the Election of an American President. Evidence suggests that a Russian intelligence group was the source of the most recent Wikileaks intel dump, which was aimed to influence the U.S. election." Tucker lays out, more-or-less in layman's terms, the evidence which various cybersecurity firms have found. Via David Graham of the Atlantic. -- CW ...

... Again, via Graham, this was Jeff Goldberg of the Atlantic last week (before the Wikileaks dump), in a post titled, "It's Official: Hillary Clinton Is Running Against Vladimir Putin.... I am not suggesting that Donald Trump is employed by Putin - though his campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was for many years on the payroll of the Putin-backed former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych. I am arguing that Trump's understanding of America's role in the world aligns with Russia's geostrategic interests; that his critique of American democracy is in accord with the Kremlin's critique of American democracy; and that he shares numerous ideological and dispositional proclivities with Putin -- for one thing, an obsession with the sort of 'strength' often associated with dictators. Trump is making it clear that, as president, he would allow Russia to advance its hegemonic interests across Europe and the Middle East. His election would immediately trigger a wave of global instability ... because America's allies understand that Trump would likely dismantle the post-World War II U.S.-created international order. Many of these countries, feeling abandoned, would likely pursue nuclear weapons programs on their own...." -- CW ...

... John Schindler of the New York Observer: "Russian hackers working for the Kremlin cyber-pilfered the DNC then passed the purloined data, including thousands of unflattering emails, to Wikileaks, which has shown them to the world.This, of course, means that Wikileaks is doing Moscow's bidding and has placed itself in bed with Vladimir Putin. In response to the data-dump, the DNC has said as much and the Clinton campaign has endorsed the view that Moscow prefers Donald Trump in this election, and it's using Wikileaks to harm Hillary. This view, considered bizarre by most people as late as last week, is being taken seriously by the White House -- as it should be.... ...It's obvious that Moscow prefers Trump over Clinton in this election, which ought not surprise given the important role of Putin-friendly advisors in the Trump campaign, and what better way to help is there than to discredit Team Clinton?" ...

     ... CW: Schindler's column is all the more remarkable because his boss is Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law.ti

Tim Canova, who is challenging Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the Democratic primary: "Our lawyers are preparing a complaint against Wasserman Schultz that we will file with the FEC for her wrongful use of DNC resources in her campaign against me, based on the wikileaks disclosures." Via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. -- CW

Some Sandersistas as Stupid as Trumpbots. Alex Griswold of Mediaite: "During a Sunday night MSNBC interview with Hillary Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon, supporters of Clinton's primary opponent Bernie Sanders began chanting his name and 'Lock her up!' in the background." -- CW

Frank Rich on the media: "... when Democrats throw up their hands in frustration and complain that the press is giving Trump a free ride, they are missing the point about Trump. The problem is not that the press is failing to do due diligence; the problem is that many of his adherents are impervious to that diligence.... Logic, empiricism, and the other niceties of civilized discourse have nothing to do with his ascendance, a reality that eluded the press for too long during his rise." -- CW

*****

Democratic Convention & Presidential Race

George Back of Yahoo! News: "Tim Kaine and Hillary Clinton sat down with 60 Minutes reporter Scott Pelley for their first joint interview since it was announced that Kaine will be Clinton's vice presidential pick.... 'I often feel like there's the Hillary standard and then there's the standard for everybody else, said [Clinton].... She elaborated on the 'Hillary Standard' saying, 'As you saw at the Republican convention - unfounded, inaccurate, mean-spirited attacks with no basis in truth, reality, which take on a life of their own.'... Tim Kaine ... prais[ed] Republican Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan [for trying to work through Washington gridlock.]." CW: Good grief! The full interview is here. ...

... Brian Beutler on the implication of "Lock her up!": "The impropriety of the rhetoric and the frankly unsettling mob-like mentality that inspired it ... [left] Republicans ... broadly untroubled by any of it.... [But] on top of all the troubling democratic implications of a major political party believing the opposition party's leader belongs in prison, Republicans may have successfully damaged Clinton with a false but powerful narrative. And if that's the case, she will need to be prepared to deal with it." -- CW

** Jonathan Martin & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "... Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, abruptly said she was resigning that position after a trove of leaked emails showed the party conspiring to sabotage the campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The revelation, along with sizable pro-Sanders protests in the streets [of Philadelphia] to greet arriving delegates, threatened to undermine the delicate healing process that followed the contentious fight between Mr. Sanders and Hillary Clinton. And they raised the prospect that a convention that was intended to showcase the Democratic Party's optimism and unity, in contrast to the Republicans, could be marred by dissension and disorder.... Donna Brazile, the D.N.C. said, will be the interim chairwoman through the election." -- CW ...

... Abby Phillip of the Washington Post: "The release of thousands of embarrassing internal email exchanges among Democratic officials threatens to overshadow the party's message of unity on the eve of the its convention in Philadelphia. A trove of messages released by hackers on the website WikiLeaks apparently show party officials working to boost Hillary Clinton's candidacy during the primary.... On Sunday, [Bernie] Sanders renewed his call for [Debbie] Wasserman Schultz to resign and said that the emails vindicate his claims during the primary that party officials were actively working to undermine his candidacy." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Jeff Zeleny & Eric Bradner of CNN: "Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz will not have a major speaking role or preside over daily convention proceedings this week, a decision reached by party officials Saturday after emails surfaced raising questions about the committee's impartiality during the Democratic primary. The DNC Rules Committee has named Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, as permanent chair of the convention, according to a DNC source. She will gavel each session to order and will gavel each session closed. 'She's been quarantined,' another top Democrat said of Wasserman Schultz, following a meeting Saturday night. Wasserman Schultz faced intense pressure Sunday to resign her post as head of the DNC, several party leaders told CNN, urging her to quell a growing controversy threatening to disrupt Hillary Clinton's nominating convention. David Axelrod, a former top adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaigns and a CNN senior political commentator, said Wasserman Schultz should resign." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Glenn Thrush & others at Politico claim to have the inside scoop on "the scramble to oust Debbie Wasserman Schultz." From President Obama & Hillary Clinton on down, party poobahs have wanted to deep-six Debbie for some time, but nobody wanted to take on the task because it was "a pain in the ass." CW: Speaking of which, there seems to be some major ass-covering in all the "I never liked Debbie" claims that have surfaced over the past 24 hours. (Say, Mr. President, if you thought Debbie was such a bad DNC chair, why did you & Joe Biden endorse her over her primary challenger?) ...

... Marc Caputo & Daniel Strauss of Politico: "Wasserman Schultz spent Sunday afternoon hiding from reporters and huddling with advisers and Democrats connected to Clinton who urged her to quit, sources said." "The Sanders people have a right to be angry because these emails convey their worst suspicions -- that Wasserman Schultz is to Democratic dirty tricks what Richard Nixon was for Republican dirty tricks,' said John Morgan, a Florida donor & Clinton backer who has clashed with Wasserman Schultz before. Rep. Wasserman Schultz's primary opponent, Tim Canova, "said it appeared DNC staff was acting like an arm of Wasserman Schultz's reelection effort and might have violated campaign-finance laws." -- CW ...

... Hillary Super-Shocked by DNC Collusion, Distances Herself from Debbie the Disgraced. Jon Queally of Common Dreams: "Following Sunday's news, however Clinton responded with a statement thanking her 'longtime friend' for her service to the party and, seemingly without irony, announced that Wasserman Schultz would now serve as her campaign's honorary chair." -- CW ...

... Charles Pierce: "So thus does ideologically aligned press get a Dems In Disarray narrative to write, the ostensibly non-aligned press gets the Both Sides In Chaos story of its dreams, and the DNC under DWS demonstrates, for possibly the last time, that it would screw up a two-car funeral if you spotted it the hearse. These are the people standing between the Republic and El Caudillo de Mar-A-Lago." CW: So, it's all good for Ron Fournier. ...

... CW: Having written that, I decided to check to see what Ron Fournier himself did in fact have to say about all this. He doesn't disappoint: "The email dump jeopardizes Clinton's ability to unify the party in Philadelphia and avoid the public fratricide that spoiled Donald Trump's convention in Cleveland. [Clinton campaign manager Robby] Mook's attack [see story linked below] is brazenly hypocritical, given the fact that Clinton herself exposed U.S. secrets to electronic theft by running an off-the-books email system in violation of administration policy.... The emails suggest the Republican Party doesn't have a monopoly on intolerance.... Trump flunked his test in Cleveland last week. Clinton is off to a poor start." -- CW ...

... Amber Phillips of the Washington Post: “Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook, indicated that he believes 'Russian state actors' had some involvement in the leaked Democratic National Committee emails that show top Democrats writing off Sen. Bernie Sanders's chances during the primaries. 'There's evidence Russian state actors broke into the DNC, stole those emails, and there are experts saying they are releasing these emails for the purpose of helping Donald Trump,' Mook told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview that aired Sunday.... 'I don't think it's coincidental these emails were released on the eve of our convention here.... We need to be concerned Trump and his allies made changes to the platform to make it more pro-Russian, and we saw him talking about how NATO shouldn't intervene [in Russian disputes]. So I think when you put it all together, it's a disturbing picture,' he said." CW: See Also Josh Marshall's commentary, linked below. ...

... CW: No, this is not a crazy conspiracy theory, as the Trump camp claims. (And it's pretty rich when the Trumpettes think other people are as loony as Donald.) ...

... ** David Sanger & Nicole Perlroth of the New York Times: "... researchers have concluded that the national committee was breached by two Russian intelligence agencies, which were the same attackers behind previous Russian cyberoperations at the White House, the State Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff last year.... The release to WikiLeaks adds another strange element, because it suggests that the intelligence findings are being 'weaponized' -- used to influence the election.... Whether the thefts were ordered by Mr. Putin, or just carried out by apparatchiks who thought they might please him, is anyone's guess." ...

     ... CW: Sanger & Perlroth call it "remarkable" that the Clinton campaign had accused Trump of "essentially secretly doing the bidding of a key American adversary." No, what's remarkable is that there's a pile of evidence that the charge is true. The big story here is not the Debbie & Bernie spat -- we already knew quite a lot about that -- but the likelihood that Donald Trump's oppo research team is funded & run by Russian oligarchs. ...

... ** Josh Marshall of TPM (July 23): "... many believe Trump is an admirer and would-be emulator of Putin's increasingly autocratic and illiberal rule. But there's quite a bit more to the story. At a minimum, Trump appears to have a deep financial dependence on Russian money from persons close to Putin. And this is matched to a conspicuous solicitousness to Russian foreign policy interests where they come into conflict with US policies which go back decades through administrations of both parties. There is also something between a non-trivial and a substantial amount of evidence suggesting Putin-backed financial support for Trump or a non-tacit alliance between the two men.... Trump's financial empire is heavily leveraged and has a deep reliance on capital infusions from oligarchs and other sources of wealth aligned with Putin." -- CW ...

... Charles Pierce: "Marshall presents a judicious but comprehensive bill of indictment as regards He, Trump's relationship with Putin. He doesn't allege direct complicity, only a mutuality of interest that should alarm anyone concerned about the stability of American democracy.... This should be the only story about the Trump campaign until he comes clean. It should be the only question anybody asks him." -- CW ...

... AND Forrest M. points out in today's Comments that this Trump logo makes sense now.

... CW: Commenter Nancy says today, "Why aren't we reading more about this. If Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama were involved in something like this, I can assure you it would be front page 24/7." ...

... ** Kevin Drum agrees: "The weirdest part is (a) Clinton's campaign might be right, and (b) this is not really getting an awful lot of attention from the media. Let that sink in: the Clinton campaign has explicitly accused the Russians of being on Team Trump and suggested that Trump might be on Team Russia. And although the media is covering it, it's not the top story anywhere. Seriously. WTF does it take these days to lead the news?... [Trump's remarks about Russia & Putin, as well as his insistence] on gutting a plank that said the US should provide weapons to Ukraine... add up to a suspiciously large number of positions that are not just pro-Russia, but unusually pro-Russia." CW Note: As if to answer Drum & Nancy, Sanger & Perlroth's story is the top story at the Times online today.

CW: A commenter writes in today's thread: "I haven't seen anything to-date to suggest that HRC had anything to do with what was going on inside the DNC." But there is evidence:

     ... Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "When the Sanders campaign alleged that the Clinton campaign was improperly using its joint fundraising committee with the DNC to benefit itself, Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias offered the DNC guidance on how to respond." Elias was responding "to an email about the issue sent by [DNC] communications director Luis Miranda to other DNC stuff [CW: probably "staff"] that copied Elias and another lawyer at his firm, Perkins Coie.... The fact that he was talking to the DNC about how to respond would appear to suggest coordination between the DNC and Clinton campaign against Sanders...." That is, the DNC was copying Clinton's lawyer on internal emails about Sanders, & Clinton's lawyer was advising them. That's a conspiracy. Blake has more on "the most damaging things in the DNC's leaked emails." ...

... Charles Blow: "No matter whom one supported during the primaries, or even what party one aligns with, [the DNC e-mails] should turn the stomach. This kind of collusion is precisely what is poisoning faith in our politics. This reinforced the feeling of many that the system was rigged from the beginning." -- CW ...

... Matea Gold of the Washington Post: "The DNC emails show how the party has tried to leverage its greatest weapon -- the president -- as it entices wealthy backers to bankroll the convention and other needs. At times, DNC staffers used language in their pitches to donors that went beyond what lawyers said was permissible under a White House policy designed to prevent any perception that special interests have access to the president.... The emails show several instances in which DNC fundraisers pitched donors with promises of a 'roundtable' chat with Obama.... Top [White House] aides also get involved in wooing contributors, according to the emails." -- CW ...

... Dan Balz of the Washington Post: "It has been an open secret for some time that one of the weakest elements of the extended Democratic Party family under President Obama has been the Democratic National Committee.... The cascade of internal DNC emails released Friday by WikiLeaks underscore what Sen. Bernie Sanders and his advisers have long claimed: The DNC appeared to have its finger on the scale for rival Hillary Clinton through the long nominating contest.... The national committee's role is to maintain strict neutrality during the primaries, and the emails indicate that did not happen.... The problems at the DNC date back years.... A long-standing problem that could have been dealt with before has emerged as a disruptive force at a moment of maximum visibility." -- CW

Alexander Burns of the New York Times: "Michael R. Bloomberg, who bypassed his own run for the presidency this election cycle, will endorse Hillary Clinton in a prime-time address at the Democratic convention and make the case for Mrs. Clinton as the best choice for moderate voters in 2016, an adviser to Mr. Bloomberg said. The news is an unexpected move from Mr. Bloomberg, who has not been a member of the Democratic Party since 2000; was elected the mayor of New York City as a Republican; and later became an independent." -- CW (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Steve M.: "Does it make sense for Bloomberg to speak at the convention? Most people would say yes -- but I don't see the point.... Trump isn't running as just a businessman -- he's (dishonestly) running as a businessman who's also a class traitor. He's pretending to be a champion of the common people... If you want to counter Trump, you don't counter him with a businessman who's uncritical of the rich.... Warren Buffett might have been effective in this slot -- deserved or not, he has a reputation as a billionaire with the common touch." -- CW

Still Feeling the Bern. Matt Pearce of the Los Angeles Times, on the ground, Sunday afternoon: "If anyone was wondering if the brutal heat forecast for Philadelphia [97 degrees] would deter Bernie Sanders supporters from marching and rallying outside the Democratic National Convention this week, I can tell you the answer already appears to be no. For almost an hour now, hundreds of pro-Sanders protesters (and possibly more, I can't even see the back of the crowd) have been parading -- slowly -- from City Hall toward the heart of the DNC's events in south Philadelphia." -- CW

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

Driftglass reflects on the amazing journalistic talents of Chuck Todd, who remarked on-air Sunday, "I'm in one of the [DNC] emails just-- I'm the complaint department here sometimes at NBC. Somebody was complaining about coverage. And I said, 'Okay, let's talk on the phone,' or whatever. But we didn't do anything about it, because I get complaints about coverage every hour, every day." CW: See also Saturday's Commentariat on Todd's interactions with the DNC when Debbie complained Mika was way too mean.

Driftglass reveals all to those of you who may have wondered, "Whatever happened to Ed Schultz?" Make that "Comrade Schultz," because it turns out that the former MSNBC host has been working for the Russia-funded network RT America. And, um, he likes Trump now. CW: This shocks even me.

Speaking of hacks, the GOP's Top Twitterbird, #RealDonaldTrump comments on the DNC e-mail hack (via Caputo & Strauss, linked above):

Leaked e-mails of DNC show plans to destroy Bernie Sanders. Mock his heritage and much more. On-line from Wikileakes, really vicious. RIGGED -- Friday

The WikiLeaks e-mail release today was so bad to Sanders that it will make it impossible for him to support her, unless he is a fraud! -- Saturday

Today proves what I have always known, that @Reince Priebus is the tough one and the smart one, not Debbie Wasserman Shultz -- Sunday

I always said that Debbie Wasserman Schultz was overrated. The Dems convention is cracking up and Bernie is exhausted, no energy left! -- Sunday

Caitlin Yilek of the Hill: "... Reince Priebus on Sunday defended ... Donald Trump, who again linked Sen. Ted Cruz's father to President Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald last week. 'He's got a right to talk about whatever he wants to talk about, however, I don't think he was every saying this was some of factual information,' Priebus said at a Sunday press conference in Philadelphia...." CW: Yes, yes, we all have a right to say stupid things, but that doesn't make it prudent for a presidential nominee to spread unsubstantiated rumors about family members of a rival candidate. ...

... Kevin Cirilli of Bloomberg: "... Donald Trump said he prevented Ted Cruz from being ripped off the stage by entering Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena as hundreds of angry delegates lashed out at the Texas senator. 'You know what, he's lucky I did it,' Trump told Bloomberg Politics' ... Mark Halperin in an interview to air Sunday night.... 'I walked in and the arena went crazy. Because there's great unity in the Republican Party and people don't know it,' Trump said. 'Had I not walked in, I think that audience would have ripped him off the stage. I think I did him a big favor.' When asked point blank if he entered the arena at the conclusion of Cruz's speech on Wednesday to 'tweak' his former primary rival, Trump responded: "Tweak him? I would never do a thing like that. But yes.'" -- CW

** Alexander Burns: "... consciously or not, Mr. Trump has followed a path trod for more than a century by nationalist outsiders who coveted the presidency, from [newspaperman William Randolph] Hearst to Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Ross Perot. Like them, he has presented himself as an archetype of American ingenuity and grit -- a tough, patriotic businessman -- and offered himself as a champion against swirling international forces that he describes, in conspiratorial terms, as undermining the United States.... Historians see in Mr. Trump's candidacy the winding together of different strains in reactionary politics under a single banner.... To the extent that he has an ideology, it is a kind of fortress conservatism...." -- CW ...

... digby: "... the salient point about all of these previous examples of similar strong men types is that none of them actually got the nomination of one of America's two main political parties. It's much closer to actual reality than it's ever been before." -- CW

Imaginary Chaos. Paul Krugman: "... it's hard to see how anyone who walks around with open eyes could believe in the blood-soaked dystopian vision Mr. Trump laid out [in his acceptance speech]. Yet there's no question that many voters -- including, almost surely, a majority of white men -- will indeed buy into that vision.... When Mr. Trump talks about making America great again, you can be sure that many of his supporters are imagining a return to the (partly imagined) days of male breadwinners and stay-at-home wives. Not incidentally, Mike Pence ... used to fulminate about the damage done by working mothers...." -- CW ...

... David Remnick of the New Yorker: "The Ailes-Trump relationship has been turbulent, roiled by the differences of large narcissisms -- two immense egos competing for the same ideological berth.... For the unconverted, the Convention was a disaster that will not likely broaden Trump's appeal.... Still, Ailes could take paternal pride in Trump's acceptance speech [which echoed some of Richard Nixon's 1968 speech. Ailes was Nixon's "media advisor."] What heightened the drama was that, just hours before, Ailes's long career had come to an ignominious end, amid multiple accusations of sexual harassment." -- CW

Dan Barry of the New York Times: American ranchers at the U.S.-Arizona border say the Great Wall of Trump is "idiotic ... and it's not going to change anything." While the number of migrants who cross the border has "plummeted" because the U.S. has stepped up border security, ranchers say the number of drug traffickers, usually armed, has increased." CW: BTW, these old boys are not Democrats.

Beyond the Beltway

The News from My Neighborhood. Dan DeLuca, et al., of the (Fort Myers, Florida) News-Press: "Two people are dead and up to 16 are injured following a deadly shooting during a teen night at Club Blu in Fort Myers. At about 12:30 a.m. Monday, Fort Myers police responded to the club at 3580 Evans Ave. after a shooting in the parking lot. Officers found several victims suffering from gunshots wounds with injuries ranging from minor to life threatening. All victims, reported to be between the ages of 12 and 27, were transported from the scene by Lee County Emergency Medical Services to area hospitals." CW: The NYT calls this a "mass shooting," which is accurate. It's yet another iteration of Second Amendment America.

News Lede

New York Times: Verizon, seeking to bolster its meager digital content for consumers, announced on Monday that it was acquiring Yahoo's core internet business for $4.83 billion in cash." -- CW

The Commentariat -- July 24, 2016

Afternoon Update:

Alexander Burns of the New York Times: "Michael R. Bloomberg, who bypassed his own run for the presidency this election cycle, will endorse Hillary Clinton in a prime-time address at the Democratic convention and make the case for Mrs. Clinton as the best choice for moderate voters in 2016, an adviser to Mr. Bloomberg said. The news is an unexpected move from Mr. Bloomberg, who has not been a member of the Democratic Party since 2000; was elected the mayor of New York City as a Republican; and later became an independent."

Abby Phillip of the Washington Post: "The release of thousands of embarrassing internal email exchanges among Democratic officials threatens to overshadow the party's message of unity on the eve of the its convention in Philadelphia. A trove of messages released by hackers on the website WikiLeaks apparently show party officials working to boost Hillary Clinton's candidacy during the primary.... On Sunday, [Bernie] Sanders renewed his call for [Debbie] Wasserman Schultz to resign and said that the emails vindicate his claims during the primary that party officials were actively working to undermine his candidacy." -- CW ...

... Jeff Zeleny & Eric Bradner of CNN: "Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz will not have a major speaking role or preside over daily convention proceedings this week, a decision reached by party officials Saturday after emails surfaced raising questions about the committee's impartiality during the Democratic primary. The DNC Rules Committee has named Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, as permanent chair of the convention, according to a DNC source. She will gavel each session to order and will gavel each session closed. 'She's been quarantined,' another top Democrat said of Wasserman Schultz, following a meeting Saturday night. Wasserman Schultz faced intense pressure Sunday to resign her post as head of the DNC, several party leaders told CNN, urging her to quell a growing controversy threatening to disrupt Hillary Clinton's nominating convention. David Axelrod, a former top adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaigns and a CNN senior political commentator, said Wasserman Schultz should resign."

*****

Presidential Race

AP: "Hundreds of neighbors and other well-wishers greeted ... Sen. Tim Kaine, when Kaine and his wife returned to their home in Richmond, Virginia.... Cheers erupted when Kaine and wife Anne Holton arrived at their home in the tree-lined Ginter Park neighborhood on Richmond's north side about 10:30 p.m." -- CW ...

... Amy Chozick & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "Hillary Clinton debuted her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, to boisterous and bilingual cheers [in Miami, Florida,] on Saturday, calling him a 'progressive who likes to get things done' even as some liberal Democrats began making clear that they were disappointed with her choice.... Mr. Kaine bounded up to the microphone, appearing immediately comfortable in his brand new role as Mrs. Clinton's top cheerleader.... He slipped easily between English and Spanish, animating the receptive and mostly Latino crowd at Florida International University by mixing political rhetoric with homey reflections on his own life story." -- CW ...

     ... C-SPAN has video of the full program here. Tune in at 19:30 min. for Sen. Kaine's speech. ...

... Michael Tomasky of the Daily Beast: "Holy crap. He killed it. I'm not trying to spin you.... Tim Kaine was unbelievable. He was natural. He was smart. He was relaxed and funny, and he was serious. He was proud of himself and his wife and family but never arrogant. He was humble without ever being cloying in that way the politically humble can often be. He was genuine. He was unbelievable.... He is the perfect choice for her because he comes across as so at ease and so real. These are two things, as we know, that Hillary Clinton has a lot of trouble with." -- CW

Binders Full of Candidates. Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post: "When Hillary Clinton delivered the news to Tim Kaine that he was her pick for running mate, the senator from Virginia was in Rhode Island ... raising money for his colleague Jack Reed at the Newport Shipyard. The call came through at 7:32 p.m. Friday. Clinton offered the job, Kaine accepted and then the former secretary of state said: 'Now, I don't want to alarm you, but John Podesta is outside your building right now.' So it was that a process begun in secret more than three months ago -- which had remained a mystery throughout, even to those who were being vetted -- came to its cloak-and-dagger conclusion." -- CW ...

... Edward-Issac Dovere & Gabriel Debenedetti of Politico: "For the finalists in the hunt to be Hillary Clinton's running mate, it was five weeks of questions and follow-up, and follow-up to the follow-up questions, starting from when they were summoned one-by-one to meet with campaign chairman John Podesta and lawyer Jim Hamilton and told to bring along just one trusted person who'd serve as the point of contact.... They had to turn over every password for every social media account for every member of their families. They had to list every piece of property they'd ever owned, and copies of every résumé that they'd put out for the past 10 years. Every business partner. Every gift they'd ever received, according to those familiar with the details of the vetting process." -- CW

Steve M.: "Clinton can certainly win the election with Kaine, but he won't help her with [white working-class men]." -- CW

Sheryl Gay Stolberg & Thomas Kaplan of the New York Times: "For [Tim] Kaine..., no issue has been as fraught politically or personally as the death penalty. His handling of capital punishment reveals a central truth about Mr. Kaine: He is both a man of conviction and very much a politician, a man of unshakable faith who nonetheless recognizes -- and expediently bends to, his critics suggest -- the reality of the Democratic Party and the state he represents.... He opposes both abortion and the death penalty, he has said, because 'my faith teaches life is sacred.' Yet he strongly supports a woman's right to choose and has a 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood. And Mr. Kaine presided over 11 executions as governor, delaying some but granting clemency only once. He cast his decisions in simple terms: As Virginia's governor, he was sworn to uphold the law -- a message that helped him get elected governor." -- CW

Stephen Braun & Eileen Sullivan of the AP: "... Kaine's cautious, left-leaning political profile in a closely contested state is blurred by his ties to energy industry interests and his personal qualms over abortion.... Oil and gas interests rank with law firms and investment and technology companies among Kaine's strong campaign financiers.... Some state environmentalists said Kaine, as governor, helped undermine clean-coal and other anti-pollution efforts in Virginia.... [BUT] Leaders of two national environmental groups, the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, voiced approval of Clinton's choice of Kaine, who backs Obama on climate change and opposed construction of the Keystone XL pipeline." -- CW

Moriah Balingit & Emma Brown of the Washington Post: "In tapping Sen. Timothy M. Kaine (D-Va.) as her running mate, Hillary Clinton ... also chose one half of a Virginia power couple with a history of public service and advocacy on issues related to child welfare and education.... Anne Holton, his wife -- who serves as Virginia's secretary of education -- has an even more extensive record [than her husband] when it comes to advocating for children, particularly foster youth. As a schoolgirl in 1970, she was on the front lines of the fight to desegregate Virginia's public schools. Holton is the daughter of Virginia Gov. A. Linwood Holton (R), who championed integration in a state that was known for its vigorous efforts to resist it." -- CW

Washington Post Editors: "In choosing Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, [Hillary Clinton] has picked someone not only supremely capable of serving as her No. 2 but also fully prepared -- from day one -- to be president.... In every office he has held -- from Richmond mayor to Virginia governor to U.S. senator -- he has shown a steady hand marked by a mastery of policy details and politics." -- CW

New York Times Editors: "Hillary Clinton's choice of Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate is a safe and solid choice.... His political success as a liberal Democrat -- with a perfect score from Planned Parenthood and an F rating from the National Rifle Association -- in a state with a deeply conservative tradition shows an ability to retain his principles while being pragmatic enough to work with Republicans." -- CW

Gail Collins has a brief profile of Hillary Clinton. Collins suggests that Clinton is relaxed and "natural" when she isn't the center of attention. CW: For the rest of her life Clinton, who is about to become the Leader of the Free World, will find herself the center of attention, so I guess relaxed, natural Hillary can be seen only thru a rear-view mirror. ...

Karen Tumulty writes a long profile of Hillary Clinton. -- CW

Catherine Lucey of the AP: "Efforts by Bernie Sanders supporters to eliminate or reduce the influence of superdelegates failed at a meeting of the Democratic National Convention rules committee Saturday. At the gathering in a Philadelphia conference room Saturday, an amendment to get rid of superdelegates -- party insiders who can vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention -- was defeated, as were a number of efforts to limit the power of super delegates. The proposals did win enough support to potentially move on to the convention floor for votes next week, though compromise plans were still being discussed by the Democratic campaigns." -- CW

Maryclaire Dale of the AP: "Protesters, party leaders and city officials were making final plans as Philadelphia prepared to host the four-day Democratic National Convention that starts Monday. More than 5,000 delegates are among the 50,000 people set to attend the gathering at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, which is expected to culminate with Hillary Clinton being named the party's official nominee for president." -- CW ...

... ** Dave Weigel of the Washington Post: "The Democratic Party arrived [in Philadelphia] still divided over the results of its presidential primary season, with anger at the nominating process, the Clinton-Kaine ticket and hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee spilling into the party's final meetings before the convention begins. On each count, supporters of Bernie Sanders found new reasons to bristle about their choice in November." -- CW ...

... Maryalice Parks of ABC News: "Bernie Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said his team was 'disappointed' by the emails from the Democratic National Committee leaked through WikiLeaks.... 'Someone does have to be held accountable,' Weaver said during an interview with ABC News.... Weaver said the emails showed misconduct at the highest level of the staff within the party and that he believed there would be more emails leaked, which would 'reinforce' that the party had 'its fingers on the scale.... You had in this case a clear example of the DNC taking sides and looking to place negative information into the political process.'" -- CW ...

... Kristen East of Politico: Brad Marshall, the chief financial officer of "the Democratic National Committee has apologized after suggesting that the organization use Bernie Sanders' religious beliefs against him in the Democratic primary." CW: Gee, Brad, that's mighty odd, because 24 hours earlier you told the Intercept that the e-mail where you slammed the Jew who might be an atheist wasn't Bernie Sanders at all, but some other candidate for some other office on a planet far, far away. (See yesterday's Commentariat.)

Senate Race

Christopher Cadelago of the Sacremento Bee: "Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez, in an interview with Univision 19 that aired this weekend, suggested that President Barack Obama's endorsement of U.S. Senate rival Kamala Harris [D] was in part based on race.... Speaking in Spanish, she noted that Obama and Harris are longtime friends, then added: 'She is African American. He is, too.'... Her remarks come days after she ripped Obama for endorsing Harris, arguing he should be focused on helping Democrats win the presidential race rather than inserting himself in a contest between two party members." -- CW

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

The Fox Casting Couch. Jim Rutenberg, et al., of the New York Times: "The Times spoke with about a dozen women who said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment or intimidation at Fox News or the Fox Business Network, and half a dozen more who said they had witnessed it. Two of them cited [former chief Roger] Ailes and the rest cited other supervisors.... Several said that inappropriate comments about a woman's appearance and sex life were frequent. Managers tried to set up their employees on dates with superiors." -- CW ...

... Gabriel Sherman of New York has more on Rudi Bakhtiar, who is featured in the Times story, & "who says she was fired from Fox News after complaining about sexual harassment." -- CW

Way Beyond the Beltway

Sayed Salahuddin & Pamela Constable of the Washington Post: "At least 80 people were killed and more than 230 wounded Saturday when attackers detonated explosives amid a huge crowd of peaceful protesters in the Afghan capital, most of them from the country's Shiite ethnic Hazara minority, Afghan officials said. Spokesmen for the Islamic State quickly claimed responsibility for the attack at a traffic circle jammed with demonstrators, according to Afghan media." -- CW

News Lede

New York Times: "Olympic officials said on Sunday that all Russian athletes were tainted by the country's state-run doping system and would not be allowed to compete in the Summer Games unless they convinced individual sports federations of their innocence. With just 12 days before the Games begin, the International Olympic Committee said in a statement that 'all Russian athletes seeking entry to the Olympic Games Rio 2016 are considered to be affected by a system subverting and manipulating the antidoping system.'" -- CW