;)
March 16, 2022
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Kaitlin Collins, et al., of CNN: "President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine.... 'The world is united in our support for Ukraine and our determination to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin pay a very heavy price,' Biden said before signing a presidential memorandum at the White House to deliver the military assistance.... 'This could be a long and difficult battle. But the American people will be steadfast in our support of the people of Ukraine in the face of Putin's immoral, unethical attacks on civilian population.' According to the White House, the $800 million in security assistance will provide Ukraine with: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 100 drones, 'over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds,' 25,000 sets of body armor, 25,000 helmets, 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, 400 shotguns, as well as "2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems.'" ~~~
Rick Noack of the Washington Post: "Russia was ordered to halt its invasion of Ukraine by the United Nations' top court Wednesday, in a preliminary decision that appeared to have largely symbolic significance. Ukraine initiated the case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague to contest ... Vladimir Putin's official explanation for entering the country as an effort to end a 'genocide' of pro-Russian separatists. The court voted 13 to 2 in favor of ordering Russia to 'suspend' military operations in Ukraine and to prevent armed units that are directed or supported by Russia from taking further action. Of the two judges in opposition, one was from Russia, the other from China."
Adela Suliman, et al., of the Washington Post: "Officials from both Russia and Ukraine expressed cautious optimism Wednesday that peace talks were making progress toward ending almost three weeks of fighting across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address overnight Tuesday that negotiations with Moscow were heading in a 'more realistic' direction, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that there is 'hope for reaching a compromise.' However, both sides also stressed that the talks were difficult, with differences remaining over what neutrality, or security guarantees, for Ukraine would look like." An AP story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: I suppose it won't happen, but I think Russia should have to fix what they broke, as much as that is possible. They should pay to repair or replace all the structures they damaged or toppled, and they should pay reparations to people they wounded & to the families of those they murdered. This is not the same as bringing Germany to its knees after WWI. Russia has plenty of oil to pay for damages. In the meantime, since China claims it's ever-so dedicated to preserving the peace, President Biden should ring up President Xi & ask China to enforce no-fly zones, at least over humanitarian corridors throughout Ukraine.
Steve Inskeep of NPR: U.S. "Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that merely stopping the invasion of Ukraine may not be enough for Russia to gain relief from Western economic sanctions. The U.S. also wants an assurance that there will never be another such invasion. In an interview with NPR, Blinken spoke of Western sanctions that cratered the Russian ruble, led global firms to shutter their Russian operations, and closed the Moscow stock market. He said the unplugging of much of Russia's economy from the West is beginning to wreak long-term effects that are 'growing over time.' He insisted that U.S. sanctions against Russia are 'not designed to be permanent,' and that they could 'go away' if Russia should change its behavior. But he said any Russian pullback would have to be, 'in effect, irreversible.'..."
Christian Shepherd & Lily Kuo of the Washington Post: "Three weeks into the largest military clash in Europe since World War II, China's effort to displease neither Russia nor the international coalition imposing sanctions on Putin is looking increasingly untenable. A disconnect is growing between the image of neutrality Beijing wants to project and President Xi Jinping's long-term strategy of fostering ties with Russia as a critical partner in the standoff with the United States and its allies. Pressure from Western governments -- and from pockets of Chinese academia and public opinion -- is mounting on the Chinese leadership to use its economic ties with Russia to force a cease-fire. But to do so is a risk for Chinese leaders, who have little experience dealing with geopolitical crises far from their shores."
I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award. -- Hillary Clinton, reacting to Russia's sanctioning her, in a tweet
The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "... President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine delivered an urgent, impassioned plea to Congress on Wednesday for more military aid to defeat Russia, describing the threat his nation faces as an attack on the democratic values championed by the United States.... In a remarkably direct appeal by a wartime leader to policymakers in Washington, Mr. Zelensky addressed lawmakers on a large screen in a movie theater-style auditorium under the Capitol, invoking the memories of Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- when the United States came under attack -- as he pleaded for support saying, 'we need you right now.'" Includes reporters' comments on President Zelensky's speech. Missing: the usual snark attacks.
Lisa Mascaro of the AP: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cited Pearl Harbor and the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 on Wednesday as he appealed to the U.S. Congress to do more to help Ukraine's fight against Russia, but acknowledged the no-fly zone he has sought to 'close the sky' over his country may not happen. Livestreamed into the Capitol complex, Zelenskyy said the U.S. must sanction Russian lawmakers and block imports, and he showed a packed auditorium of lawmakers an emotional video of the destruction and devastation his country has suffered in the war." ~~~
AP: “The Council of Europe on Wednesday expelled Russia from the continent’s foremost human rights body in an unprecedented move over Moscow’s invasion and war in Ukraine. The 47-nation organization’s committee of ministers said in statement that 'the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership.'... Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted Wednesday that it would have left the body regardless.” MB: Yeah, you can't fire me. I quit.
Maria Sacchetti & Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it will grant temporary protected status, or TPS, to Afghan nationals living in the United States without permanent legal status, adding them to a long list of immigrants waiting for the same protection under the law. Approximately 74,500 Afghans are eligible to apply for the status, which grants them protection from deportation for 18 months and eligibility for a work permit. Afghans residing in the United States as of March 15 are eligible to apply, and they must pay a fee and pass a background check. For most Afghans, the protection is redundant: The vast majority were paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome and allowed to apply for work permits free of charge. DHS said in a statement that this additional protection will mainly affect approximately 2,000 foreign nationals who were not evacuated -- such as international students -- and whose visas could expire and leave them in legal limbo." CNN's report is here.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here.
Carl Hulse of the New York Times: Senate Republicans have been vilifying Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and some other judicial nominees for their work as public defenders, "by suggesting that they acted inappropriately in representing clients accused of serious, sometimes vicious crimes. Democrats say the tactic ignores a fundamental principle of the America justice system -- that everyone has the constitutional right to be represented by counsel -- and effectively seeks to disqualify from the bench anyone who has taken that obligation seriously.... The Republican strategy is a response to a concerted push by the Biden administration to diversify the federal bench by nominating more people with experience in criminal defense work, many of them women of color.... The nomination of Judge Jackson, who would be the first public defender and the first Black woman to sit on the high court, will be the biggest test yet of whether a lawyer who represented accused criminals can draw broad Republican support." ~~~
~~~ Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "No politician better exemplifies the triumph of partisanship over duty to country than Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). But unlike some of his more brazen colleagues, he often feels obliged to concoct reasons for his ruthless partisanship, unintentionally revealing that power is his only objective.... He conceded there is 'no question' that President Biden's nominee for the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, is qualified. So ... his reason for opposing her, in all likelihood, is nothing short of ridiculous: Liberal interest groups back her.... White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain weighed in on Twitter: 'Just for the record, Judge Jackson's supporters include the Fraternal Order of Police, conservative former federal judges Tom Griffith and Michael Luttig, a bipartisan group of former Supreme Court clerks, and the International Association of the Chiefs of Police.'"
Karla Adam & Liz Sly of the Washington Post: "Two British Iranians who spent years in prison in Iran are on their way back to the United Kingdom, a development that suggests that a revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could be imminent. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a charity worker, and Anoosheh Ashoori, a retired civil engineer, 'will return to the U.K. today,' Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Wednesday. She also said that a third person, Morad Tahbaz, who has British, Iranian and American citizenship, has been 'released from prison on furlough' to his house in Tehran."
~~~~~~~~~~
Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.
The Washngton Post's live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to renew his plea for air support to protect the skies over Ukraine and push back against Russia's attacks in a virtual speech to U.S. lawmakers Wednesday -- as he has with other Western allies in recent days. The Biden administration has so far resisted Kyiv's call to establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine, worried it could inflame tensions and risk a broader global conflict with nuclear-armed Russia. The White House is, however, set to announce another $800 million in security assistance Wednesday, a senior administration official said, as part of a U.S. government spending bill Biden signed Tuesday that will provide $13.6 billion in new aid to Ukraine.... In the besieged port city of Mariupol, hundreds of people, including doctors and medical personnel, are being held inside a regional hospital, according to Ukrainian officials. As many as 3 million people have fled the war-torn country since the invasion began -- half of them children."
Kaitlan Collins, et al., of CNN: "President Joe Biden is expected to announce an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday, a White House official told CNN, bringing the total to $1 billion announced in just the last week. The package of military assistance will include anti-tank missiles and more of the defensive weapons that the US has already been providing, including Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.... The assistance, however, will stop short of the no-fly zone or fighter jets that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said are necessary to sustain Ukraine's fight against Russia. News of the additional assistance, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, comes as the White House continues to face intense pressure from Congress and Zelensky to find new ways to aid Ukraine."
Darryl Coote of UPI: "The U.S. Senate late Tuesday unanimously passed legislation condemning ... Vladimir Putin and his regime for invading Ukraine as well as calls for investigations into alleged crimes committed amid the ongoing war. The bipartisan resolution, introduced early this month by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was passed by a voice vote to condemn the ongoing violence and 'support any investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity and systematic human rights abuses' levied by Putin and his military against Ukraine."
Guts in a Time of War. Azi Paybarah of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the leaders of three NATO-member countries who traveled into the war-torn capital of Ukraine for an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday and urged others to do the same. The leaders from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia who traveled to Kyiv 'fear nothing,' Mr. Zelensky said after the meeting, adding, 'I am sure that with such friends, with such countries, with such neighbors and partners, we will really be able to win.' The leaders discussed not only increasing sanctions against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, but also 'plans to rebuild our country after the end of hostilities,' Mr. Zelensky's office said, projecting an air of confidence despite a brutal campaign that has already driven more than two million Ukrainians to seek refuge in neighboring countries." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Journalist Michael Weiss pointed out on Chris Hayes' show last night that the oft-reported claim that Russian troops have "surrounded" Kyiv is not true. For instance, these leaders traveled by train across Ukraine to and from Kyiv in a pre-announced visit. Obviously, they penetrated Russia's supposed blockade of Kyiv.
"The Horror of the Russian Invasion." Greg Jaffe & Meg Kelly of the Washington Post: "In the more than two weeks that it has been cut off from the outside world, Mariupol, the southern Ukrainian port city, has become synonymous with the horror of the Russian invasion. It is a place of overflowing morgues, newly dug mass graves and bodies in some cases buried under rubble or left in the streets where they fell. Hundreds of people fled Mariupol for the second straight day via a humanitarian corridor on Tuesday, but Ukrainian officials told Reuters that those who escaped were a small fraction of the 200,000 trapped in the city and in need of urgent assistance. Russian forces have continued to block a much-needed aid convoy from getting in, Ukrainian officials said."
Eshe Nelson, et al., of the New York Times: "Russia is teetering on the edge of a possible sovereign debt default, and the first sign could come as soon as Wednesday.... On Wednesday, $117 million in interest payments on dollar-denominated government debt are due. But Russia is increasingly isolated from global financial markets, and investors are losing hope that they will see their money. As the government strives to protect what's left of its access to foreign currency, it has suggested it would pay its dollar- or euro-denominated debt obligations in rubles instead. That has prompted credit rating agencies to warn of an imminent default. The Russian currency has lost nearly 40 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar in the past month. Even if the payments were made, economic sanctions would make it difficult for Western lenders to access the rubles if they are in Russian bank accounts."
Chernobyl. digby has republished, without attribution, a large chunk of a Wall Street Journal story about conditions inside the Chernobyl nuclear facility. "Since Feb. 23, Chernobyl's technicians and support staff have been working nonstop. After arriving at 9 p.m. for a single night shift to monitor electrical transmission levels and the temperature inside the plant's gigantic sarcophagus housing radioactive waste, they are approaching 500 hours on the job -- snatching sleep on chairs in front of beeping machinery and on piles of clothes next to workstations. Their diet has dwindled to porridge and canned food, prepared by a 70-year-old cook who at one point collapsed from exhaustion. Their phones have been confiscated and they are trailed by Russian soldiers through the nuclear plant's labyrinth of reinforced-concrete corridors.... The picture that emerges is of a skeleton crew of nuclear technicians that has been working under duress for nearly three weeks." MB: I was able to find & access the WSJ story, which is firewalled. Maybe you can, too. Try Google if my link doesn't work.
Elizabeth Dwoskin, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the first four days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, viewership of more than a dozen Russian state-backed propaganda channels on YouTube spiked to unusually high levels. Just a couple of weeks later, it dropped to zero after YouTube blocked those channels globally, helping derail one of the most powerful propaganda engines in the world. Two dozen media channels backed by the Russian government on Facebook experienced similar spikes in traffic, according to a Washington Post data analysis, then plummeted as the company instated a ban in Europe. The muffling of the megaphone of the Russian state media, which has falsely framed the country's invasion of Ukraine as 'special operation' intended to protect Russian-speaking Ukrainians from Nazis, marks an unprecedented move by the social media giants to stop the spread of misinformation. And early signs show it may be working.... Facebook's regional ban appears to have been less effective than YouTube's global ban.&"
Valeriya Safronova of the New York Times: "A Russian state television employee who stormed a live broadcast on Monday was interrogated by the police for 14 hours and fined by a Moscow court on Tuesday. 'I spent two days without sleep,' the woman, Marina Ovsyannikova, said in a video recorded outside of the courtroom on Tuesday by Mediazona, an online news site. 'I wasn't allowed to contact my relatives or people close to me,' Ms. Ovsyannikova said, adding that she was not allowed 'access to any legal representation, so I was in a fairly difficult position.' Ms. Ovsyannikova, who worked for Channel 1 in Moscow, was detained on Monday after she burst onscreen during a popular news show, yelling, 'Stop the war!' and holding up a sign that read, 'They're lying to you here.'"
We Had No Idea! Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the U.S., in a Washington Post op-ed: "Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation.... Wielding the baton of sanctions at Chinese companies while seeking China's support and cooperation simply won't work.... Some people are linking Taiwan and Ukraine to play up the risks of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. This is a mistake. These are totally different things. Ukraine is a sovereign state, while Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory. The Taiwan question is a Chinese internal affair.... Our ultimate purpose is the end of war and support regional and global stability." MB: Okay then.
The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. (Also linked yesterday.)
David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: "President Biden will travel to an extraordinary NATO summit meeting in Brussels on March 24 and will also attend the European Union's summit meeting the same day, White House and European officials said on Tuesday. The high-stakes gathering is to discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Oliver Darcy of CNN: "Pierre Zakrzewski, a longtime Fox News photojournalist, was killed while reporting in Ukraine when a vehicle he was traveling in with correspondent Benjamin Hall came under fire, the network said on Tuesday.... Hall remains hospitalized in Ukraine, [Fox News Media CEO Suzanne] Scott said. Zakrzewski was a veteran war photojournalist who had 'covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria,' Scott said. Scott said that Zakrzewski had been reporting from Ukraine since February." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ The story has been updated. New lede: "A Monday attack on a Fox News crew reporting near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv left two of the network's journalists dead and its correspondent severely injured, the channel said on Tuesday. Killed in the attack were Pierre Zakrzewski, a 55-year-old longtime war photojournalist, and Oleksandra 'Sasha' Kuvshynova, a 24-year-old Ukrainian journalist working as a consultant for the network. Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was seriously injured and remains hospitalized." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Now that Russians have slaughtered his own colleagues, does Tucker Carlson still think it's a good idea to back Putin? ~~~
Maegan Vazquez of CNN: "Russia on Tuesday imposed sanctions against a wide range of American officials, including President Joe Biden.... According to a statement issued Tuesday by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the government is adding the following individuals to a 'stop list,' barring them from entering Russia: Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA Director William Burns, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh, USAID Director Samantha Power, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Adewale Adeyemo and US Export-Import Bank President Reta Jo Lewis. The 'stop list' also includes other non-governmental individuals, including the President's son, Hunter Biden, and former US presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton." Thanks to RAS for the link. MB: I'm miffed that -- as far as I know! -- Russia has not sanctioned me. ~~~
~~~ Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "The sanctions on the American officials are expected to bar them from traveling to Russia and freeze any assets they hold there. But it's unlikely many top Democratic officials will be affected by thos measures. At the White House news briefing on Tuesday, [press secretary Jen] Psaki mocked the Russian sanctions as ineffectual.... 'I'd first note that President Biden is a "junior," so they may have sanctioned his dad, may he rest in peace,' Psaki said. 'None of us are planning tourist trips to Russia and none of us have bank accounts we won't be able to access, so we will forge ahead.' The probably ineffectual nature of the Russian sanctions underscores the massive advantage the United States has over Russia in economic and financial power.... Adam Smith, a sanctions expert who served in the Obama administration, pointed out that many U.S. officials will see being hit by Russian sanctions as a badge of honor."
U.K. Mark Landler of the New York Times: "The British government said on Tuesday that it had imposed sanctions on more than 370 individuals it described as oligarchs, political allies or propagandists for ... Vladimir V. Putin..., a major new crackdown that brings it closer in line with the European Union on an issue that has long dogged Britain. The sanctions, announced by the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, include a travel ban and will freeze the assets of prominent Russians in business and government, including some of the wealthiest oligarchs and most senior officials in the Kremlin." (Also linked yesterday.)
Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump attempted to distance himself from Vladimir Putin in a new interview with David Drucker of the conservative Washington Times. 'I'm surprised -- I'm surprised. I thought he was negotiating when he sent his troops to the border. I thought he was negotiating,' Trump said. 'And then he went in -- and I think he's changed. I think he's changed. It's a very sad thing for the world. He's very much changed.'" MB: Trump's surprise is no surprise. This is hardly the first time Trump believed Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies, who warned for weeks that Russia was about to attack Ukraine. ~~~
it's just shocking how nice, kind, lovely, selfless, decent, sensible, and even-tempered people can suddenly, without warning, and completely unexpectedly become destructive, out-of-control sociopaths pic.twitter.com/qBbL6c7BYI
— George Conway🌻 (@gtconway3d) March 16, 2022
The Manchin Veto Claims Another Victim. Jeanna Smialek & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "President Biden will withdraw his nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to serve as the Federal Reserve's top bank regulator on Tuesday, after a Democratic senator [Joe Manchin] said he would join Republicans in voting against her, most likely dooming her chances of confirmation. Ms. Raskin earlier on Tuesday sent a letter to the White House asking to withdraw her name from consideration to be the Fed's vice chair for supervision, according to two people familiar with the decision. The New Yorker earlier reported the existence of the letter. 'Sarah was subject to baseless attacks from industry and conservative interest groups,' Mr. Biden said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon.... [Raskin's withdrawal] could pave the way toward confirmation for the White House's other Fed picks. Republicans ... were holding up the White House's four other Fed nominees, including Jerome H. Powell, who is seeking confirmation to a second term as Fed chair." The AP's story is here.
Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "The Senate confirmed Shalanda Young on Tuesday to serve as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, giving the agency permanent leadership for the first time in more than a year as it prepares the second budget of the Biden administration. The Senate approved Ms. Young, who is the first Black woman to head the agency, with a vote of 61 to 36. The vote came nearly a year after Ms. Young was confirmed as deputy budget director and began serving as the acting head of the agency."
Luke Broadwater & Amelia Nierenberg of the New York Times: "... on Tuesday, with almost no warning and no debate, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to do away with the biannual springing forward and falling back that most Americans have come to despise, in favor of making daylight saving time permanent. The bill's fate in the House was not immediately clear, but if the legislation were to pass there and be signed by President Biden, it would take effect in November 2023." Politico's story is here. MB: Marco Rubio proposed the legislation; it might be the only useful thing he's ever done in the Senate.
Insurrection -- The Movie. Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Jan. 6 select committee has obtained footage from a documentary film company that captured crucial moments during the run up to the assault on the Capitol -- including snippets of an encounter between leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The documentary company, Goldcrest Films International, obtained key footage while filming outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 and following members of the mob inside. But most notably, the crew was present during a 30-minute meeting between Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes, an exchange that has become of interest to federal prosecutors."
Lachlan Markay of Axios: "The Republican National Committee is suing its own email vendor, Salesforce, in a last-ditch effort to stop it from turning over extensive internal data to the Jan. 6 select committee.... The RNC is seeking an emergency injunction to block the software giant from complying with a subpoena from the panel investigating the Capitol riot by a 10am ET Wednesday deadline."
Christiana Lilly & Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A federal judge Tuesday ordered Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio, a longtime leader of the Proud Boys far-right group, to remain jailed pending trial on charges that he conspired with followers who planned in advance to threaten Congress and battle police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis of Miami ordered Tarrio to be held after federal prosecutors argued that he and co-defendants 'directed and encouraged' the actions of Proud Boys members who formed 'the tip of the spear' in the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Tarrio poses a risk of flight and danger to the community, prosecutors said, citing his purported efforts to evade law enforcement and discourage witnesses from cooperating."
Spencer Hsu & Tom Jackman of the Washington Post: "U.S. judges including those appointed by Republican presidents are increasingly sentencing defendants who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the Capitol to three-year terms of court supervision, fearing they could be misled into committing political violence in the 2024 presidential election....James 'Les' Little, 52, pleaded guilty in February after telling the FBI that he saw President Biden's election victory as 'the second Bolshevik revolution' and warned agents and the Democratic Party of civil war if it were not overturned.... Little is the 15th Jan. 6 defendant sentenced this year to probation through Nov. 5, 2024.... [U.S. District Judge Royce] Lamberth, a Ronald Reagan appointee, [who sentenced Little,] is among a growing number of judges who warn that the damage to democracy from last year's assault on the peaceful transfer of presidential power is persisting as Trump has continued to whip a majority of Republican Party officials to embrace his false election fraud charges. Judges have also raised concerns about elected officials who continue to play down the violence of [the Jan. 6] attack...." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I feel sorry for the probation officers who are stuck with trying to supervise these nitwits.
Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "... one of the key goals of the Constitution was to curb the power of the states and leash them to the broader authority of a new national government led by a powerful legislature and an unusually strong elected executive. A month before he arrived in Philadelphia as one of 55 delegates to a convention called to amend the Articles of Confederation, James Madison ... wrote a detailed critique of the existing American government, homing in on what he thought was its most glaring weakness: the states themselves.... [Madison's writings provide] a useful corrective in light of emerging theories like the 'independent state legislature' doctrine..., which rests on a states-centric view of the Constitution that falls apart on cursory contact with the history in question.... Remembering that the Constitution was written in significant part to weaken and undermine state governments is, I think, the first step toward asserting the power of Congress, not just over the states but over institutions, like the courts, whose power has run far ahead of our system's checks and balances." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Bouie is stating the obvious here, but it's a necessary statement because confederates don't know what we all learned in school: that the vaunted Founders wrote the Constitution to correct the weaknesses inherent in the Articles of Confederation, which established a form of government (or rather governments) that threatened the very concept of "one nation." Donald Trump if fond of saying, "We won't have a country any more if...," wherein the "if" clause gives him something he wants (like making him winner of the election he lost). But we would not have a country at all if the Constitution had not replaced the Confederation. Instead, there would be a bunch of more-or-less independent states, with only a few -- like maybe California, New York and Texas -- having anything like international power.
The Pandemic, Ctd.
Laurie McGinley, et al., of the Washington Post: "Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, filed Tuesday for emergency authorization of a second booster shot of their coronavirus vaccine for people 65 and older, an effort to bolster waning immunity that occurs several months after the first booster, the companies announced. The submission to the Food and Drug Administration includes 'real world data' collected in Israel, one of the few countries that has authorized a second booster for older people. The decision from the FDA could come relatively quickly, especially if officials conclude the data is straightforward and does not have to be reviewed by a panel of outside vaccine experts." Access is free to nonsubscribers.
Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post: "As many as 16 million low-income Americans, including millions of children, are destined to fall off Medicaid when the nation's public health emergency ends, as states face a herculean mission to sort out who no longer belongs on rolls that have swollen to record levels during the pandemic."Marie: What a sad irony that the coronavirus, for all of the millions of Americans it sickened and the hundreds of thousands it killed, it made us -- for a brief time -- a better nation in terms of caring for the poor and the sick. Soon we'll be entirely back to being the cheap-assed nation we were, leaving the most vulnerable -- children and the sickly -- without enough support from the rest of us. (Also linked yesterday.)
Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, according to a statement from the White House. 'My symptoms are mild and I'm grateful to be both vaccinated and boosted,' Mr. Emhoff wrote on Twitter, encouraging others to get vaccinated and boosted as well. Mr. Emhoff's positive result forced Ms. Harris to back out of an event at the White House with President Biden about equal pay, according to Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for Ms. Harris, who said the vice president was skipping the event 'out of an abundance of caution.' Ms. Harris tested negative for the virus on Tuesday, Ms. Singh said." CNN's story is here.
Beyond the Beltway
Georgia Senate Race. Life is a Mysterious Mystery! Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "Herschel Walker, the leading candidate for the Republican Senate nomination in Georgia, questioned evolution at an event over the weekend, asking why apes still exist if humans have evolved from them. Walker made the remark Sunday during an appearance at Sugar Hill Church in Sugar Hill, Ga.... As The Washington Post's 'Dear Science' columnists discussed at length in 2016, humans did not evolve from chimpanzees or any other great apes that are living today. Rather, humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that lived about 10 million years ago. They are now on different evolutionary tracks. During the Sunday event, Walker also appeared to question in vitro fertilization and other forms of assisted reproductive technology. 'And then, the conception of a baby,' Walker said. 'Let me tell you, science can't do that. They're still trying to do it, but they can't, because there has to be a God.'" The Huffington Post's story is here.
Ohio Senate Race. Blake Hounshell & Leah Askarinam of the New York Times: "The leading Republican candidate in the Ohio Senate primary employed offensive stereotypes about Asian people in a 2013 podcast, citing a widely discredited book, 'The Bell Curve,' that has drawn allegations of racism and sloppy research. The Senate candidate, Mike Gibbons, a financier who has poured millions of dollars of his own money into his campaign, made the comments during a discussion of how to do business in China. The remarks ... come as Republican candidates grapple with how to address a topic that has inflamed their voters, many of whom blame Beijing for a coronavirus pandemic...." Gibbons objected to the idea that "Asians" were especially intelligent: "They're very good at copying," he said.
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Reader Comments (11)
Oh dear! If the Russians escalate the sanctions against President Biden, their next step could be impounding the 5 pm Amtrak to Wilmington.
Given that I, according to Herschel Walker (R-I-D-0it) have been conceived by the hand of God or perhaps by a lower appendage, spent two hours last night watching Frontline's Putin's War and some Russian history thrown in. Within all that coverage nary a word was mentioned of P's first wife and two daughters nor mention of his mistress and his alleged three children with her who are housed in a remote estate in Switzerland. I found that strange.
Sorry to hear Raskin's wife is no longer on the docket. Am wondering how Jamie greets Manchinny chin chin in the halls of Congress these days.
LION AMBUSH:
If only Ukraine could be saved this easily:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lion-chases-hyenas-vultures_n_6231c3ebe4b0b628202af18b
@PD Pepe: Yeah, flipping Manchin the bird seems appropriate, then claiming a muscle spasm if anybody asks about it. Just out of curiosity, I checked the confirmation vote for Elaine Chou, Mitch's wife, to be Secretary of Transportation. The vote was 93-6, with Mitch voting "present." The votes against her were Booker, Gillibrand, Merkley, Sanders, Schumer & Warren. Apparently there isn't even one GOP senator that would extend the Raskins a courtesy vote. Bastids. Manchin should be ashamed of himself.
Funny how no republicans were banned by Russia. I also watched the Frontline documentary last night; I wondered the same thing about his family. But it was just an hour and it covered a LOT of material at a pretty high level. Wasn't it GWB who looked into Putin's eyes and saw his "soul"? All I saw was dead eyes.
RLP: the Frontline extended another hour after the new one and brought back another that aired some years ago and in that one mucho warnings about what Puti had in store for Ukraine. And yes, indeed, twas the last Bush who looked into the eyes of this evil creation (by God, of course) and could see his soul. Only an artist such as Bush could have this kind of insight!
Since no Republicans have been banned by Russia, it would be a
good idea to send some of them on a peace keeping mission to meet
with Putin face to face. Trump is the Art Of The Deal, right?
They would only have to pack light (knee pads).
Maybe one way tickets?
Marie,
Manchin has no shame. He has a yacht bought with money from billionaires destroying the planet. Plus, he sees himself as an ersatz president. He doesn’t actually DO anything, he just says “NO!” When his masters goose him with a drill bit.
The Atlantic Council's report and analysis of the military aspects of the war in Ukraine is a straightforward non-partisan look at what's happening. Worth a read, gives perspective particularly after today's spinjobs from GOPers right after Z's address. The most heartening thing I saw in it is that Russians don't have the capacity to interdict mobile resupply and antiaircraft in W Ukraine -- meaning that critical items can get through and engage the Russians where it really hurts them, counter-air and counter-battery.
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/russia-crisis-military-assessment-the-weapons-ukraine-needs-most-to-win-the-war/
Forrest,
You’re being too nice. Czar Vlad doesn’t allow knee pads. His Party of Traitor vassals must suffer for their fealty, servitude and submission. I’ll bet he keeps a pit of gravel and broken glass for them to kneel on when, um, saying “We love you, Putie and we hate that Joe Biden!”
RLP and PD,
About The Decider’s ability to “see the soul” of a murderous, KGB authoritarian psychopath like Vladimir Putin, and not immediately reach for the ipecac…
We’re talking here about an incurious chimp. The beneficiary of an affirmative action admission at Yale (Poppy Bush and Grandfather Bush, aka Hitler’s best pal in the US senate, were Yale grads) and president only by dint of a Supreme Court that halted the count and installed him, by fiat, in the White House. A fucking war criminal who, very much like Putin, invaded a sovereign state that had done nothing to his country, starting multiple wars that have killed, wounded, displaced, and radicalized millions. He is the author of ISIS.
BUT, he found Jesus. So he said. And he was able to “look into Putin’s eyes and see his soul”. What color was it, pink?
I’m guessing, if you could resurrect the spirits of the many women murdered by Ted Bundy, they’d say something similar. Funny, innit, how Republicans look into the face of evil (Bush, Trump, KKkarlson, many more), and say “Gee, that looks swell. That’s my kinda guy”?