Internal links, graphic removed.
Connie Cass of the AP: "A Texas congressman drew criticism Tuesday for a tweet that used the world's response to terrorist attacks in Paris as an opportunity to compare President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. Rep. Randy Weber's official account, @TXRandy14, tweeted on Tuesday night: 'Even Adolph Hitler thought it more important than Obama to get to Paris. (For all the wrong reasons.) Obama couldn't do it for right reasons'." CW: Relax, people. He wasn't tweeting about Adolf Hitler. He was tweeting about Adolph Hitler. People like Weber are so ignorant & twisted with hate, I can't really get angry at them. The people who vote for these ignoramuses? They have no excuse.
NEW. FreakOut Nation headline: "White People Riot In Columbus After Football Game, Media Calls It A 'Celebration.'" Read the post. The author is right.
James Downie of the Washington Post: The Republicans first week of total control of Congress was mighty "scary."
Julie Davis of the New York Times: "President Obama on Tuesday will unveil new proposals to protect businesses and the government from cyberattacks, including increasing the prosecution of crimes conducted through computer networks and toughening penalties for them. Under the steps to be outlined by Mr. Obama, companies that share information about cyberthreats with the government would be shielded from liability, according to a description of the proposals provided by the White House." ...
... This Is Embarrassing. Katie Zezima of the Washington Post: "President Obama unveiled legislation to help protect consumers and students against cyberattacks Monday afternoon, as the Twitter and YouTube accounts of the U.S. Military's Central Command were apparently hacked." Here's the President's address to the FTC:
... Kim Zetter of Wired: "Twitter and YouTube accounts belonging to the military's US Central Command were hacked on Monday. Hackers supportive of the terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, took credit and issued a warning to the US military. 'AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE COMING, WATCH YOUR BACK. ISIS,' the hackers tweeted through the account for the US Central Command, which is the military command for the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia."
Julie Davis of the New York Times: "The White House, facing a barrage of criticism for President Obama's decision not to attend Sunday's peace march in Paris, said on Monday that an American official with a higher profile should have been on hand for the show of solidarity.... Asked his response to critics who say a person with more prominence than the United States ambassador to France should have attended, [White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest] said: 'We agree.'... Mr. Earnest ... cited scheduling and security concerns as playing a part." ...
... Dana Milbank: "The conservatives are guilty of a bit of inconsistency, if not hypocrisy, in criticizing the Obama administration for snubbing a people they not long ago called cheese-eating surrender monkeys." ...
... ** In Paris, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu makes a complete ass of himself. Robert Tait of the Telegraph: "The most serious criticism has been levelled at his call for members of France's Jewish community -- the largest in Europe -- to move to Israel for safety reasons following last Friday's attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris, in which four Jews were killed." Read the whole story. Bibi is the Chris Christie of Israel.
Matt Apuzzo of the New York Times profiles U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, whom President Obama has nominated to replace Attorney General Eric Holder.
Jonathan Chait of New York: "... history will be very generous with Barack Obama, who has compiled a broad record of accomplishment through three-quarters of his presidency.... Whatever the source of the current disappointment with Obama, the explanation cannot be that he failed to achieve his stated goals."
History Won't Be Very Generous with This Guy. Allison Jackson of the Global Post: "Casual racism, or just a very poorly thought-out remark? Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said a 'trained ape' would have managed the US relationship with Afghanistan better than the Obama administration.... Rumsfeld also said the US-Afghan relationship had been 'first-rate' during the Bush administration, but had gone 'downhill like a toboggan' since Obama took office." ...
... Charles Pierce: "Almost 5000 Americans, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died. ISIS was born. And now Donald Rumsfeld, who couldn't manage a toy boat in a washtub, gets to say something cute about the president. Also, it's not About Race because it never is About Race."
Matt Apuzzo: "James Risen, a New York Times reporter, will not be called to testify at a leak trial scheduled to begin this week, lawyers said Monday, ending a seven-year legal fight over whether he could be forced to identify his confidential sources." CW: I thought we learned this last week.
What If the Supreme Court Does Mitch McConnell's Bidding? Linda Blumberg, et al., of the Urban Institute: "The Supreme Court will hear the King v. Burwell case, in which the plaintiff argues that the ACA prohibits payment of premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions to people in states without state-managed Marketplaces. We estimate that a victory for the plaintiff would increase the number of uninsured by 8.2 million people and eliminate $28.8 billion in tax credits and cost-sharing reductions in 2016 ($340 billion over 10 years) for 9.3 million people. With lower cost individuals leaving the market, average nongroup premiums in 34 states would increase by 35 percent, affecting those purchasing inside and outside those Marketplaces." Via Steve Stromberg of the Washington Post. ...
... Ed Kilgore: "... politically, Republicans would have to weigh the severe damage suffered by millions of people -- many of them GOP voters -- who are suddenly facing big premium increases against the excitement of conservative activists (especially the large number who are themselves all warm and cuddly with their Medicare benefits) who will cheer any blow to the Great White Whale of the Affordable Care Act." ...
... CW: But first. There's one important person who has to "weigh the severe damage suffered by millions of people." That guy is John Roberts. The will-he or won't-he is the question for the next six months. This is not a question of law. It is a question of character. Roberts' Choice will be, in some ways, the paradigmatic manifestation of the condition of the elite conservative heart. We'll find out in June if it's dead or still beating, however faintly.
David Goodman & Al Baker of the New York Times: "After largely ignoring many minor offenses for two weeks, the [New York] Police Department's rank and file began to reverse a severe slowdown that began after two officers were killed and that raised questions about command of the department. New numbers released on Monday showed a marked increase in enforcement activity by police officers and traffic agents since the police commissioner, William J. Bratton, told police commanders and union leaders last week that he expected an end to the unsanctioned collective action by officers."
Russell Contreras of the AP: "Two Albuquerque police officers were charged with murder Monday in the shooting death of a knife-wielding homeless man that led to violent protests and brought new scrutiny to the police department amid a federal investigation."
John Schwartz of the New York Times: The West Virginia Board of Education will consider whether or not to change their climate science standard back to one that doesn't favor the fossil fuel industry.
CW: Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. If you were missing David Brooks because I always forget about him, Driftglass brought us up-to-date on Brooks' appearance on "Press the Meat" & elsewhere. Also, if you forgot what NPR stands for, Driftglass has an update there, too: "Nice, Polite Republicans." Exactly right. I think the network should make it official.
Presidential Election
Robert Costa, et al., of the Washington Post: "Mitt Romney is moving quickly to reassemble his national political network, calling former aides, donors and other supporters over the weekend and on Monday in a concerted push to signal his seriousness about possibly launching a 2016 presidential campaign. Romney's message, as he told one senior Republican, was that he 'almost certainly will' make what would be his third bid for the White House." ...
... Ed Kilgore: "Well, it will be interesting to see how Mitt handles the alleged appetite of Republicans for 'populism' going into 2016; of all his personas, I think he's ever worn that one." ...
... In keeping with the Romney news, Alex Moe of NBC News: "Paul Ryan won't run for president in 2016." Sez he can do more damage as chair of the House Ways & Means Committee (or something like that).
Santorum, that’s Latin for asshole. -- Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), ca. 1995
Jonathan Martin of the New York Times (Jan. 11): "Rick Santorum sharply criticized a group of potential rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in an interview that indicated he intends to reclaim conservative primary voters ahead of another White House bid in 2016. Mr. Santorum, the runner-up to the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, in 2012, took direct aim Friday at Mike Huckabee, Senator Rand Paul and Senator Ted Cruz, each of whom could offer the party's right wing a fresh alternative to Mr. Santorum in conservative states with early primaries or caucuses." ...
... Charles Pierce: "I don't entirely disagree with Jonathan Martin here in his assessment that there are at the moment two distinct pre-primaries going on among the Republicans. There's the fat-wallet primary between Jeb (!) and possibly Mitt Romney, and maybe Chris Christie. And then there's the one in which Santorum is embroiled. This is a solid analysis as far as it goes, as long as we accept as an obvious given that the latter primary is being conducted exclusively on the terrain of the completely insane."
News Corpse. Dave Weigel of Bloomberg Politics: "Sixteen months ago, to some fanfare, Dick Morris re-entered the anti-Clinton fray with a new PAC. He launched Dick Morris's Just Say No to Hillary PAC, registering it from Tampa. From time to time, stories about the potential hurdles for a Hillary Clinton run would cite the rise of PACs like Morris's. But there is a rather glaring problem with adding Morris to this narrative: No one has been giving money to his PAC. Literally, no one.... His profile has never quite recovered from two events in 2012. First: He went further on a limb than any comparable commentator in saying Mitt Romney would win the presidency. He would take it in a 'landslide,' said Morris on Fox News.... Morris played in the 2010 midterms via his Super PAC, which ended up paying most of what it took in -- close to $1.7 million -- to Newsmax Media." ...
... Ed Kilgore: "... it seems Morris has burned up all his credibility, even with people who live for his sort of jive. It is indeed an inspiring story for anyone wondering if the wicked always triumph."
Congressional/Gubernatorial Races
Seema Mehta of the Los Angeles Times: California "Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris will announce Tuesday that she is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Boxer, according to a Harris adviser." ...
... Alex Isenstadt of Politico: California Lt. Gov. Gavin "Newsom, who had left a message with [Kamala] Harris outlining his intentions [to run for governor of California], went ahead anyway and announced on Facebook that he wouldn't be running for Senate in 2016. Newsom's withdrawal capped a furious 72 hours of discussions among the would-be candidates and their advisers over whether to jump at the state's first open Senate seat in two decades, or hold out for a shot at leading a state that is the world's eighth-largest economy. In announcing his plans, Newsom, 47, got out ahead of Harris, 50, who has told friends that she is also interested in the job of governor. Instead, on Tuesday, she will launch a campaign for Boxer's seat, knowing that if she hesitated, it would appear that she was reluctant to choose the Senate over the governorship." ...
... Patrick McGreevy of the Los Angeles Times: "Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who announced Monday that he would not run for U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer's seat next year, signaled that he would probably support state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris if she does seek the post. Newsom called Harris on Sunday night to tell her of his decision, but he denied that the two have an agreement in which he would support her for Senate and she would support him for governor -- an office in which Newsom has previously expressed interest."
News Ledes
Boston Globe: "Attorneys for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are asking a judge to suspend jury selection in his trial for at least a month because of the terror attacks in France. The filing late Tuesday says a delay would allow time for 'the extraordinary prejudice' from the attacks last week and the comparisons to the 2013 marathon bombing to diminish."
Washington Post: "A woman riding on a Metro train died Monday and 83 other passengers were taken to hospitals, at least two in critical condition, after the train abruptly stopped, went dark and filled with smoke in a tunnel in downtown Washington, authorities said." CW: Sorry about placing this story on the wrong continent yesterday.
Guardian: "The three police officers killed in last week's attacks were honoured by French president François Hollande at a sombre and emotional ceremony at the Prefecture de Police in Paris on Tuesday."
Guardian: "The front cover of Wednesday's edition of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the first since last week's attack on its Paris offices that left 12 people dead, is a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad.... Zineb El Rhazoui, a surviving columnist at Charlie Hebdo magazine who worked on the new issue, said the cover was a call to forgive the terrorists who murdered her colleagues last week...."