The Commentariat -- February 18, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon & TrumperTantrum Update:

Peter Baker, et al., of the New York Times: "President Trump commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, the Democrat who was convicted of trying to essentially sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat for personal gain, and pardoned the financier Michael R. Milken and Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, the president announced on Tuesday.... The president's decision came the same day that he pardoned Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., a former owner of the San Francisco 49ers who pleaded guilty in 1998 to concealing an extortion attempt and eventually surrendered control of his team.... In conversations with advisers, Mr. Trump has also raised the prospect of commuting the sentence of Roger J. Stone.... Asked about a pardon for Mr. Stone on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said 'I haven't given it any thought.'" ~~~

~~~ Dan Mangan & Kevin Breuninger of CNBC: "In all, Trump granted some form of executive clemency to 11 individuals Tuesday, according to the White House.... Pardons were given to former CEO Ariel Friedler, who in 2014 admitted conspiring to hack into his competitors' computer systems; Paul Pogue, who pleaded guilty to underpaying on his taxes over a three-year period; David Safavian, who was convicted of perjury; and Angela Stanton, a Trump-supporting television personality. Trump also granted commutations to Tynice Nicole Hall and Crystal Munoz, both of whom were given lengthy prison sentences for drug-related offenses. He also signed an order granting a commutation for Judith Negron, who was sentenced to 35 years behind bars for Medicare fraud." Mrs. McC: All this, of course is the prep work for pardoning his rogues' gallary of co-conspirators & criminals.

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The top lawyer for the intelligence community, whose decision to block a whistleblower's complaint about ... Donald Trump and Ukraine from reaching Congress helped jumpstart the impeachment inquiry, is resigning from his post, officials confirmed. Jason Klitenic, the general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will depart early next month, according to an agency spokeswoman. His exit comes as the acting DNI, Joseph Maguire, nears a March 11 deadline to depart as well. Federal law prevents Maguire from serving in an acting capacity beyond that date, meaning a new director must be nominated and confirmed by then, or Trump must pick a new acting official."

Elliot Spagat of the AP: "The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will waive federal contracting laws to speed construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security said waiving procurement regulations will allow 177 miles (283 kilometers) of wall to be built more quickly in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The 10 waived laws include requirements for having open competition, justifying selections and receiving all bonding from a contractor before any work can begin. The acting Homeland Security secretary, Chad Wolf, is exercising authority under a 2005 law that gives him sweeping powers to waive laws for building border barriers." Mrs. McC: But I'm sure all the contracts let will be on the up-and-up.

Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to file retaliatory lawsuits 'all over the place' for damages he claims to have incurred as a result of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. In a multi-post morning Twitter screed, the president fiercely criticized the 22-month-long probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and also appeared to weigh in once again on the federal criminal case against his longtime political adviser Roger Stone.... 'These were Mueller prosecutors, and the whole Mueller investigation was illegally set up based on a phony and now fully discredited Fake Dossier, lying and forging documents to the FISA Court, and many other things,' Trump tweeted. 'Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out.' The president went on to accuse Mueller of lying before Congress when he told lawmakers he did not interview with Trump to apply for the job of FBI director, tweeting: 'The whole deal was a total SCAM. If I wasn't President, I'd be suing everyone all over the place. BUT MAYBE I STILL WILL. WITCH HUNT!'" Forgey also covers Trump's tweets about the Stone case. ~~~

~~~ John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Tuesday raised the possibility of suing those involved in prosecuting the Roger Stone case after sharing the opinion of a Fox News commentator [Andrew Napolitano] who said it is 'pretty obvious' that Stone, Trump's longtime political confidant, should get a new trial.... Defense lawyers for Stone demanded a new trial Friday, one day after Trump suggested that the forewoman in the federal case had 'significant bias.'... [In tweets,] Trump quoted Napolitano as saying, 'I think almost any judge in the Country would order a new trial, I'm not so sure about Judge Jackson, I don't know.' Napolitano was referring to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is presiding over Stone's case and who has drawn Trump's ire on Twitter for her treatment of another ally of his, Paul Manafort.... Trump also derided prosecutors in the Stone case as 'Mueller prosecutors'.... All four career prosecutors handling the case against Stone withdrew from the legal proceedings last week -- and one quit his job entirely -- after the Justice Department signaled it planned to undercut their sentencing recommendation. Two of those prosecutors had worked for Mueller." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Yo, Bill Barr. More tweets that "make it impossible for [you] to do your job." Better resign. ~~~

~~~ ** Update. Harper Neidig of the Hill: "A federal judge on Tuesday refused to delay Roger Stone's sentencing amid the fallout over the Trump administration's decision to intervene in the case against the president's longtime ally. The sentencing will move forward on Thursday at its originally scheduled time, the judge said, despite a new effort from Stone's defense team to get a new trial. 'I think that delaying this sentence would not be a prudent thing to do under all of the circumstances,' U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, said during a telephone conference with the two sides.... The new prosecution team, from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., argued in favor of moving forward with the sentencing hearing as planned. Jackson said that she has not decided whether to have a hearing on the defense motion [for a new trial], but said that it would be best to move forward with Thursday's hearing and delay the sentence from going into effect until the motion is decided." ~~~

     ~~~ Rachel Weiner & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "Prosecutors on Tuesday filed under seal a motion opposing Stone's request [for a new trial], and the filing was approved by Attorney General William P. Barr, said a Justice Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. That appears to put Barr at odds with Trump, who on Tuesday quoted a Fox News segment arguing that Stone should get a new trial. Trump said last week that the jury forewoman in the case had 'significant bias.'" Mrs. McC: Wow! Barr is so "independent." Or he thought Trump wouldn't hear about the prosecutors' secret filing.

Chris Francescani of ABC News: "After hearing from 35 witnesses over more than two weeks of testimony, the New York City jury in Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault case will begin deliberations this morning. Weinstein is facing five felony counts of rape and sexual assault, based on the testimony of two complaining witnesses: former 'Project Runway' production assistant Miriam 'Mimi' Haleyi -- who claims the Hollywood producer sexually assaulted her in 2006, and an accuser who claims Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel suite in 2013. ABC News is not naming the rape accuser because she has never publicly identified herself. The other five women either did so, or their lawyers gave ABC permission to name them[.] The account of a third accuser, Annabella Sciorra, is too old to prosecute, but a judge allowed her to testify in support of two predatory sexual assault charges -- which require prosecutors to prove that Weinstein attacked at least three women." ~~~

~~~ Jan Ransom of the New York Times: "Over the weekend, just days before jurors in the Harvey Weinstein case were set to begin deliberations, his lead defense lawyer, Donna Rotunno, wrote an opinion piece imploring them 'to do what they know is right.'The article in Newsweek magazine infuriated the Manhattan district attorney's office, and on Tuesday the lead prosecutor, Joan Illuzzi, called Ms. Rotunno's behavior 'inappropriate,' and tantamount to jury tampering. The judge ordered the defense team not to speak to the news media until after a verdict is reached. 'Defense team you are ordered to refrain from communicating with the press until there is a verdict in the case,' Justice James M. Burke told Mr. Weinstein's lawyers. 'I would caution you about the tentacles of your public relations juggernaut.' The jurors were not in the courtroom at the time. As in many high-profile cases, jurors have been reminded every day by the judge not to follow any news media coverage of the case."

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Aw, Everybody's Picking on Bill Barr*

*OR, as Ian Bassin of Protect Democracy puts it, Wow. After more than 2,000 former DOJ expressed alarm about challenges to rule of law, now the Federal Judges' Association has called an emergency meeting re concerns around independent law enforcement. Our institutions are sounding alarms.

Kevin Johnson of USA Today: "A national association of federal judges has called an emergency meeting Tuesday to address growing concerns about the intervention of Justice Department officials and President Donald Trump in politically sensitive cases, the group's president said Monday. Philadelphia U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, who heads the independent Federal Judges Association, said the group 'could not wait' until its spring conference to weigh in on a deepening crisis that has enveloped the Justice Department and Attorney General William Barr."

** Donald Ayer, U.S. Deputy Attorney General under Bush I, in the Atlantic assembles a long & helpful list of the many ways Bill Barr has interfered, on Trump's behalf & often at Trump's behest, to pervert the even-handed administration of justice. "All of this conduct -- including Barr's personal interventions to influence or negate independent investigations or the pursuit of criminal cases, and his use of the department's resources to frustrate the checks and balances provided by other branches -- is incompatible with the rule of law.... Under Barr, the Department of Justice is actively engaged on many fronts in helping realize Trump's stated goal of being able to do whatever he wants, free from interference from any branch of government.... For whatever twisted reasons, he believes that the president should be above the law, and he has as his foil in pursuit of that goal a president who, uniquely in our history, actually aspires to that status. And Barr has acted repeatedly on those beliefs in ways that are more damaging at every turn. Presently he is moving forward with active misuse of the criminal sanction, as one more tool of the president's personal interests. Bill Barr's America ... is a banana republic where all are subject to the whims of a dictatorial president and his henchmen. To prevent that, we need a public uprising demanding that Bill Barr resign immediately, or failing that, be impeached."

Get Out! Ctd. Luke Barr (no relation, we presume) of ABC News: "More than 2,000 former Department of Justice officials are calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign, according to the group Protect Democracy. 'Political interference in the conduct of a criminal prosecution is anathema to the Department's core mission and to its sacred obligation to ensure equal justice under the law,' according to the group, which has been critical of the administration in the past. The nonpartisan, nonprofit group said that the attorney general has 'flouted' that fundamental principal. The former DOJ officials said it is 'outrageous' the way Barr interfered in the Roger Stone case."

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "The judge handling the criminal case that set off a white-hot, national political controversy last week -- the prosecution of ... Donald Trump's longtime adviser Roger Stone -- has ordered both sides to take part in a telephone hearing Tuesday to discuss the status of the case. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued the unusual Sunday order after the entire four-person prosecution team withdrew from the case following Attorney General Bill Barr's intervention to rescind their recommendation of a seven-to-nine year sentence for Stone.... Defense attorneys for Stone also filed a second motion for a new trial last week, after Jackson rejected one such motion filed last year.... Stone is currently set to be sentenced Thursday morning in Washington on the seven felony counts that a jury convicted him on last November.... It's unclear whether the judge will decide to proceed with the sentencing as scheduled...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Mary Papenfuss of the Huffington Post: "Attorney General William Barr attempted to block U.S. prosecution of a Turkish bank last year after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Donald Trump for help in the matter, according to a new CNN report that supports earlier accounts. Barr personally attempted to head off prosecution of Halkbank in a suspected multibillion-dollar scheme to evade sanctions against Iran, CNN reported, citing 'a person familiar with the discussions.' He reportedly tried to steer a settlement that would have allowed the bank to dodge an indictment shortly after Erdogan pressed  Trump for help last spring. Barr ultimately failed to stop an indictment, however. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman of the Southern District of New York insisted on criminal prosecution, CNN reported. Barr faces increasing criticism for appearing to do Trump's bidding to manipulate Justice Department cases to punish the president's enemies or help his allies. In this situation, Barr's reported efforts seemed aimed at attempting to satisfy the request of an authoritarian foreign leader."

Karen Scannell & Erica Orden of CNN: "Federal prosecutors are weighing new charges against associates of Rudy Giuliani in connection with a company that paid him $500,000, according to people familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors with the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York are considering whether to charge Giuliani associate Lev Parnas and at least one of his business partners with misleading potential investors for Fraud Guarantee, the Florida-based company that paid Giuliani.... Parnas co-founded Fraud Guarantee with the idea of providing insurance to companies to protect against fraud. The scrutiny of Fraud Guarantee brings the investigation closer to Giuliani ... and raises questions about what role the former mayor played, if any, in the marketing of the company. A lawyer for Giuliani said his client never had any conversations about investor pitches or marketing with Parnas or his business partner David Correia." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Karen DeYoung & Kirk Ross of the Washington Post: "Former White House national security adviser John Bolton on Monday questioned whether it was 'fair' that President Trump has called him a liar on the subject of Ukraine, but 'I can't talk about it.' In his first public remarks since Trump was impeached by the House and acquitted by the Senate, Bolton said his own views of national security policies, and descriptions of interactions with Trump on Ukraine and other issues, risk being 'suppressed' and censored by the administration.... In a 90-minute question-and-answer session before students, faculty and members of the public at Duke University, Bolton voiced familiar hard-line views on North Korea, Iran and other issues. He said he viewed Ukraine and the impeachment 'as sprinkles on the ice cream sundae' compared with other subjects he deals with in the book. Asked whether he agreed with the president's assessment that Trump's July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was 'perfect,' Bolton said 'You'll love Chapter 14.'" A CNN story is here. ~~~

~~~ Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Mr. Bolton refused to go into the details of the Ukraine matter that led to Mr. Trump's impeachment, and he did not offer an opinion about the outcome of the trial that acquitted the president. At various points, he instead offered coy answers, suggesting it would all come out in his book if he is allowed to publish it.... His reluctance to speak out more explicitly has been enormously frustrating for months to Democrats who say that he could simply tell what he knows without waiting for a subpoena or White House permission. Indeed, the Duke audience applauded twice at suggestions that he should have testified in the House or simply given a news conference telling what he knew."

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: IOW, this was an event in which Bolton said nothing about the matter of greatest interest, and for which he probably was paid (I can't confirm this), to promote sales of his book which he "hints" covers what people came to hear. Capitalism is awesome. I watched part of the History Channel's "Washington" show last night. Benedict Arnold betrayed the nation for money, too.

Jonathan Swan & Margaret Talev of Axios: "Top Trump administration officials are in discussions to reassign deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates to the Department of Energy from the National Security Council, per two sources familiar with the planning.... Coates' working relationship with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, who elevated her to the deputy role only months ago, has strained amid an effort by some people inside the administration to tag her as 'Anonymous' -- a charge she has vehemently denied to colleagues.... As Politico first reported, Coates has been the target of a whisper campaign in recent weeks making a circumstantial case that she was the identity behind an op-ed in the New York Times and later a bestselling book describing a resistance movement against President Trump in his own White House. One of the literary agents behind Anonymous' book, 'A Warning,' went so far as to release a statement saying explicitly that Coates is not the author, did not edit the book, did not see it in advance and did not know about it."

I have some information ... about the Obama administration -- which will be disclosed in a lawsuit at some point, but I'm not prepared to disclose it now -- about how President Obama personally asked the FBI to investigate somebody on behalf of George Soros, who was a close ally of his. -- Alan Dershowitz to Breitbart News

This citation comes via a right-wing source, so I can't verify it. If Dershowitz really said this, he's nuttier than I thought. -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "... Harvard Law school graduate Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) descended into sheer quackery and decided to perpetrate conspiracies about the origin of the coronavirus.... It is not as if anti-intellectualism suddenly appeared with the election of President Trump. The habitual rejection of expertise on everything from climate change to the economic impact of immigration has been rampant in the Republican Party for some time.... [Add to this,] Trump's authoritarian contempt for truth [which] sets the tone, forcing military hawks such as Cotton to remain mum when Trump dismisses traumatic brain injuries as 'headaches' and former Cold Warriors such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) to parrot Russian propaganda on Ukraine. Their know-nothingism is sustained and hardened inside the right-wing media loop.... Know-nothingism and authoritarianism are mutually reinforcing. A dictator commandeers reality...."

Presidential Race

Dareh Gregorian, et al., of NBC News: "Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg on Tuesday qualified for his first appearance in a Democratic presidential primary debate.... The DNC announced last month that it was doing away with the grassroots donor threshold that had been used in the qualifications for the previous eight debates. The campaign of [Bernie] Sanders -- who leads in national polls, according to a RealClearPolitics average -- has accused the DNC of doing Bloomberg's bidding with the rule change. Bloomberg had not qualified for earlier debates because he was not accepting campaign donations." Other candidates who have qualified for the upcoming debate, by NBC's calculation are Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. Tom Steyer, who appeared in the last debate, has not qualified. ~~~

~~~ Christopher Cadelago & Sally Goldenberg of Politico: "... making the debate stage threatens to lay bare one vulnerability Bloomberg's wealth cannot guard against: himself.... His rivals, who have been piling on in recent days, will try to rattle him by attacking his record, campaign aides have told Politico.... So Bloomberg has spent weeks getting ready. 'You know me: I like a fight, and so I think it'd be fun to go and compete,' he said during an interview in Detroit earlier this month. Likening it to his sometimes contentious press conferences during his 12 years as mayor, he added, 'I always thought that was fun to joust.'... Bloomberg has a history of losing his cool in public. He once grew visibly annoyed at a reporter in a wheelchair who interrupted his press conference when he dropped a recording device. More recently, he urged a reporter to 'get on with it' when he was pressed about his controversial stop-and-frisk policing tactic."

Thomas Kaplan, et al., of the New York Times: "Former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's presidential campaign, which has largely focused its attacks on President Trump, on Monday mounted a frontal offensive against one of his Democratic rivals for the first time, comparing Senator Bernie Sanders's campaign tactics with those employed by the president. Mr. Sanders struck back at a campaign rally later in the afternoon, drawing comparisons between Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Trump. But Mr. Bloomberg was not alone in targeting the Vermont liberal: Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., in a television interview, called on Mr. Sanders to disavow attacks by some of his supporters on officials at a Nevada labor union, behavior that Mr. Biden said was 'Trump-like.'... Mr. Bloomberg's campaign began the day by posting a video cataloging instances of online aggression and threats from Sanders supporters toward rival Democrats, then followed with a statement offering an unflattering comparison of Mr. Sanders and Mr. Trump."

Meredith McGraw of Politico: "... Donald Trump's reelection machine took full advantage of the millions of NASCAR eyeballs watching on race day by airing an ad on Fox and flying a bright red 'KEEP AMERICA GREAT!' banner near the track. Fox carried the event live on television, and Fox News commentator and Trump stalwart Judge Jeanine Pirro, Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle watched from a VIP section of the track. Trump's President's Day weekend in Florida demonstrated how Trump plans to approach his 2020 campaign -- showcasing the presidency to his MAGA base and raising money with high dollar donors across the country. Before heading to Daytona, Trump raised $10 million for his reelection and the Republican National Committee with a small private dinner of 40 of his wealthiest supporters." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ David Edwards of the Raw Story: "The FOX broadcast network seemingly snubbed the president of the United States on Sunday when it cut to commercial while he was speaking. Viewers complained on Twitter that FOX Sports cut away prior to ... Donald Trump's campaign-style speech at the Daytona 500, where he was named grand marshal. FOX's cameras were also criticized for cutting away from Trump's lap at the Daytona 500 in his presidential limo. Instead, fans were treated to a commercial from Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg." One view complained that Fox network cut away because "Communists own the media." (Also linked yesterday.)

Mike Baker of the New York Times: "The Boy Scouts of America, an iconic presence in the nation's experience for more than a century, filed for bankruptcy protection early Tuesday, succumbing to financial pressures that included a surge in legal costs over its handling of sexual abuse allegations. Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts have long maintained internal files at their headquarters in Texas detailing decades of allegations involving nearly 8,000 'perpetrators,' according to an expert hired by the organization. Lawyers have said in recent months that former scouts have come forward to identify hundreds of other abusers not included in those files. The bankruptcy filing, in Delaware, is expected to disrupt continuing litigation and establish a deadline for when former scouts can pursue claims.... The Boy Scouts' troubles have lingered for decades. In a 1935 article in The New York Times, the organization described having files on hundreds of people who had been leaders in the scouts but had been labeled 'degenerates.'" An NBC News story is here.

The Rich Are Different from You and Me. If you have enough money, your little horse can ride first-class air, at least for now.

Beyond the Beltway

AP & WJLA (Washington, D.C.): "Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's push to ban the sale of assault weapons failed on Monday after some of his fellow Democrats balked at the proposal. Senators voted to shelve the bill for the year and ask the state crime commission to study the issue, an outcome that drew cheers from a committee room packed with gun advocates. Four moderate Democrats joined Republicans in Monday's committee vote, rejecting legislation that would have prohibited the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms, including popular AR-15 style rifles, and banned the possession of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds." (Also linked yesterday.)

News Ledes

The New York Times' live updates of developments in the coronavirus epidemic are here. ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates are here. "A respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan died Tuesday after contracting the novel coronavirus, despite a 'full-effort rescue,' according to Wuhan's municipal health commission. Liu Zhiming, 51, became the most prominent victim of the outbreak since another doctor, whistleblower Li Wenliang, died Feb 7, sparking an outpouring of public anger and grief. Liu's death follows that last week of a nurse, Liu Fan, from the same hospital. A total of eight front-line health workers have died, while as many as 3,000 have been infected with the coronavirus."

The Commentariat -- February 17, 2020

Afternoon Update:

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "The judge handling the criminal case that set off a white-hot, national political controversy last week -- the prosecution of ... Donald Trump's longtime adviser Roger Stone -- has ordered both sides to take part in a telephone hearing Tuesday to discuss the status of the case. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued the unusual Sunday order after the entire four-person prosecution team withdrew from the case following Attorney General Bill Barr's intervention to rescind their recommendation of a seven-to-nine year sentence for Stone.... Defense attorneys for Stone also filed a second motion for a new trial last week, after Jackson rejected one such motion filed last year.... Stone is currently set to be sentenced Thursday morning in Washington on the seven felony counts that a jury convicted him on last November.... It's unclear whether the judge will decide to proceed with the sentencing as scheduled...."

Karen Scannell & Erica Orden of CNN: "Federal prosecutors are weighing new charges against associates of Rudy Giuliani in connection with a company that paid him $500,000, according to people familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors with the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York are considering whether to charge Giuliani associate Lev Parnas and at least one of his business partners with misleading potential investors for Fraud Guarantee, the Florida-based company that paid Giuliani.... Parnas co-founded Fraud Guarantee with the idea of providing insurance to companies to protect against fraud. The scrutiny of Fraud Guarantee brings the investigation closer to Giuliani ... and raises questions about what role the former mayor played, if any, in the marketing of the company. A lawyer for Giuliani said his client never had any conversations about investor pitches or marketing with Parnas or his business partner David Correia."

Meredith McGraw of Politico: "... Donald Trump's reelection machine took full advantage of the millions of NASCAR eyeballs watching on race day by airing an ad on Fox and flying a bright red 'KEEP AMERICA GREAT!' banner near the track. Fox carried the event live on television, and Fox News commentator and Trump stalwart Judge Jeanine Pirro, Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle watched from a VIP section of the track. Trump's President's Day weekend in Florida demonstrated how Trump plans to approach his 2020 campaign -- showcasing the presidency to his MAGA base and raising money with high dollar donors across the country. Before heading to Daytona, Trump raised $10 million for his reelection and the Republican National Committee with a small private dinner of 40 of his wealthiest supporters." ~~~

~~~ David Edwards of the Raw Story: "The FOX broadcast network seemingly snubbed the president of the United States on Sunday when it cut to commercial while he was speaking. Viewers complained on Twitter that FOX Sports cut away prior to ... Donald Trump's campaign-style speech at the Daytona 500, where he was named grand marshal. FOX's cameras were also criticized for cutting away from Trump's lap at the Daytona 500 in his presidential limo. Instead, fans were treated to a commercial from Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg." One view complained that Fox network cut away because "Communists own the media."

AP & WJLA (Washington, D.C.): "Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's push to ban the sale of assault weapons failed on Monday after some of his fellow Democrats balked at the proposal. Senators voted to shelve the bill for the year and ask the state crime commission to study the issue, an outcome that drew cheers from a committee room packed with gun advocates. Four moderate Democrats joined Republicans in Monday's committee vote, rejecting legislation that would have prohibited the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms, including popular AR-15 style rifles, and banned the possession of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds."

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Russia, Russia, Russia. Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: "Seven months after [Robert] Mueller's marathon testimony brought finality to the Russia investigation, Trump is actively seeking to rewrite the narrative that had been meticulously documented by federal law enforcement and intelligence officials, both for immediate political gain and for history. Turbocharged by his acquittal in the Senate's impeachment trial and confident that he has acquired the fealty of nearly every Republican in Congress, Trump is claiming vindication and exoneration not only over his conduct with Ukraine -- for which the House voted to impeach him -- but also from the other investigations that have dogged his presidency.... Last week alone, Trump called the Russia investigation 'tainted' 'dirty,' 'rotten,' 'illegal,' 'phony,' a 'disgrace,' a 'shakedown,' a 'scam,' 'a fixed hoax' and 'the biggest political crime in American History, by far.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Daniel Chaitin of the Washington Examiner: "One of Robert Mueller's former top prosecutors said the outside prosecutor picked [by AG Bill Barr] to review the case against retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn is a ruse to investigate President Trump's perceived enemies. Andrew Weissmann, a former Justice Department official who was known as Mueller's 'pit bull' during the Russia investigation, said the Justice Department swapped out the 'loser case' of Andrew McCabe, who escaped criminal charges on Friday for allegedly lying to investigators about authorizing media disclosures, for a fresh one targeting top former FBI officials, including McCabe, led by Jeffrey Jensen, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. 'All they did was swapped out a loser case for starting an investigation that is going to be of Comey, McCabe, Pete Strzok,' Weissmann told MSNBC host Chuck Todd.... [Weissmann] said Jensen's appointment was 'interesting' considering that the judge presiding over the Flynn case rejected claims that Flynn was set up by the FBI after seeing the facts about the underlying investigation."

Scott Pelley of CBS News reprises how Trump's fake Crowdstrike conspiracy theory evolved, with help from Vladimir Putin. A "60 Minutes" segment is embedded in the article; Mrs McC: I can't get the video to start.

Get Out! Justin Wise of the Hill: "More than 1,100 former Justice Department (DOJ) officials are calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign in the wake of the DOJ's decision to ask for a shorter prison sentence for Roger Stone.... 'Barr's actions in doing the President's personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words,' the group of ex-officials wrote in a letter shared on Sunday by Protect Democracy, a nonprofit advocacy group. 'Those actions, and the damage they have done to the Department of Justice's reputation for integrity and the rule of law, require Mr. Barr to resign.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Nothing could be more destructive of our system of government, of the rule of law, or Department of Justice as an institution, than any toleration of political interference with the enforcement of the law. -- William Barr, 1991 and 2019 confirmation hearings

~~~ Joyce Vance, in a Time opinion piece: "The President has plainly stated that he does not believe DOJ's criminal work should be free from improper political interference.... So if Barr in fact disagrees with Trump's claim that a President can intervene in criminal prosecutions, including and especially those of his own close friends and associates, he must say so. Silence in the face of so egregious a claim signals agreement.... If Barr truly believes in the rule of law, this is his moment. He can resign to show the country the President is not above the law, but in the more than 48 hours since Trump's tweet [asserting his right to interfere in criminal cases], we've heard nothing from Barr."

OMG! We take time out from our regularly-featured political news & commentary to bring you disturbing news from the society page: ~~~

~~~ New York Times: "Katie Rose Waldman and Stephen Miller, who both work in the Trump White House, were married Feb. 16 at Trump International Hotel in Washington. Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, who is a senior adviser to David Friedman, the United States ambassador to Israel, officiated. Mrs. Miller, 28, is a special assistant to President Trump and the press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence. From November 2017 to February 2019, she served as a spokeswoman for the United States Department of Homeland Security during the tenure of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Mr. Miller 34, is a senior White House adviser, which includes serving as Mr. Trump's top immigration adviser, directly shaping policies that aim to restrict the number of immigrants coming to the country." ~~~

     ~~~ Rishika Dugyala of Politico: "... Donald Trump attended the wedding.... Waldman was also the spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, where she defended the administration's family separations policy and made some controversial comments about immigrants." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: "Controversial comments"? New York Times (Jan. 3, 2019): "Early Tuesday, American border officers sent tear gas, pepper spray and smoke into Mexico when a group of about 150 migrants tried to cross a border barrier.... In an interview, Fernando Duarte, a 22-year-old Honduran, said the tear gas had affected small children, among others. 'That's when people got furious and started throwing rocks, and I joined them,' he said. 'I was so mad they were throwing that gas when they know there were children with us.'... The Associated Press reported that women, children and journalists were affected by the tear gas, and that its journalists saw rocks thrown only after the tear gas was launched." AP (Jan 1, 2019): "'Once again we have had a violent mob of migrants attempt to enter the United States illegally by attacking our agents with projectiles,' said Katie Waldman, a Homeland Security spokeswoman.... Ms. Waldman said the migrants appeared to be trying to stage a photo-op of their actions in front of 'conveniently invited media.'"

Tom Cotton Pushes Chinese Conspiracy Theory. David Edwards of RawStory: "Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) suggested on Sunday the coronavirus, which has killed over 1,000 Chinese citizens, is a biological weapon developed by the Chinese military.... Cotton admitted that he has no evidence that the disease originated [in a] laboratory.... 'We have such laboratories ourselves in the United States, run by our military,' Cotton explained. 'The burden of proof is on the Chinese Communist Party... we do want to err on the side of caution.'" --s (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Cotton has been pushing this "lab-produced" coronavirus conspiracy theory for a couple of weeks, including during a Senate committee hearing. I hope the committee is looking into how Hunter Biden is behind the coronavirus pandemic plot. Cotton has two degrees from Harvard. I wonder if the Harvard poobahs are figuring out that wrapping wingers in sheepskins is hurting the university's reputation as a serious educational institution. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Paulina Firozi of the Washington Post: "... Cotton acknowledged there is no evidence that the disease originated at the lab. Instead, he suggested it's necessary to ask Chinese authorities about the possibility, fanning the embers of a conspiracy theory that has been repeatedly debunked by experts.... Numerous experts dismissed the possibility the coronavirus may be man-made." Firozi cites other instances in which Cotton cited the conspiracy theory & demanded the "communists" disprove it -- even though the theory has effectively been disproved.

Presidential Race

The Houston Chronicle Editors endorse Amy Klobuchar for the Democratic presidential nomination. They cite her exchange with nasty-boy Brett Kavanaugh: "There in that exchange, we see some of what plagues American political discourse and one thing that can save it: a strong leader who can outwit anger, rise above contempt and exercise the good sense to walk us back from the edge rather than push us closer to it.... Above all, Klobuchar has the secret sauce many Democrats prize most: electability. A candidate whose presidential election would make history, her crossover appeal in and of itself packs a powerful punch. Democrats need someone who can stare down a bully while keeping an eye out for the little guy, someone who can grow the ranks, not divide them. Klobuchar is the woman for the job."

Mrs. McCrabbie: I can't access the Dallas Morning News page, but the paper's editors are declining to endorse any presidential candidate in 2020. They say they're endorsing "policy ideas" instead.

Evan Semones of Politico: "... Joe Biden suggested on Sunday that winning South Carolina's primary is of the utmost importance for continuing his beleaguered campaign. Biden was asked by NBC's Chuck Todd on' Meet the Press' whether South Carolina is the former vice president's last chance to make up ground in the 2020 presidential race after he suffered lopsided losses in Iowa and New Hampshire. 'Well, I think I have to do really well in it, but right,' Biden said. Biden added that then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton endured a string of primary losses in 1992 before picking up his first win, saying that upcoming delegate-rich states with demographics that are favorable to him will help make him the frontrunner before the end of March. Clinton lost in Iowa, New Hampshire Maine and South Dakota before securing his first win in Georgia."

David Leonhardt of the New York Times: "Every Democrat to be elected president in the past half century -- Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter -- started as a long shot, as did a couple of Republicans (Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan).... [In this race,] The problem wasn't Biden. It was the way other Democrats overreacted to him."

Got Milk? Shant Shahrigian of the New York Daily News: In Carson City, Nevada, Sen. Bernie Sanders "had just finished introducing his wife Jane O'Meara Sanders as 'the next First Lady' when a woman walked up to the mic and started rambling about subsidies for the dairy industry, video posted to social media showed.... Two topless kindred spirits hopped onstage to join her. They poured milk on themselves and preened around the podium for just a few moments before security took the protesters away.... The presidential candidate seemed to take the interruption in stride, quipping, 'This is Nevada, there's always a little bit of excitement at no extra cost.' [New York City Mayor Bill] de Blasio, who had introduced Sanders minutes earlier..., was seen on video averting his gaze from the stage and walking away as the scene unfolded."

Devan Cole of CNN: "... Pete Buttigieg responded Sunday to Rush Limbaugh's recent homophobic remarks, saying he doesn't take 'lectures on family values' from the conservative radio host...." Mrs. McC: Limbaugh has been married four times and divorced three times. (Also linked yesterday.)

Mrs. McCrabbie: Mike Bloomberg has a remarkable record of saying stupid stuff. Here are a few to add to the list: ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Kaczynski & Em Steck of CNN: "Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg said the final Obamacare bill would do 'absolutely nothing to fix the big health care problems' and also called the program 'a disgrace' in comments made in 2010, just months after the law's passage. Speaking at Dartmouth College in July of that year, Bloomberg added that law was just 'another program that's going to cost a lot more money.'It is just one of several comments from Bloomberg identified by CNN's KFile criticizing the landmark Affordable Care Act in the years following its passage, including saying the bill was 'really dysfunctional' and did nothing to solve rising health care costs. Now, a decade later, as he hopes to become the Democratic presidential nominee, Bloomberg has fully embraced the Affordable Care Act, even proposing an additional 'Medicare-like public option' that builds on the law." ~~~

     ~~~ Natasha Korecki of Politico: "In his final year as New York mayor, Bloomberg compared two groups core to the Democratic base -- a local faction of the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York City teachers union -- to the NRA. 'We don't need extremists on the left or the right running our police department, whether it's the NRA or the NYCLU,' the then-mayor Bloomberg said of the New York Civil Liberties Union, in a 2013 speech in which he defended the city's controversial stop-and-frisk policy." ~~~

     ~~~ In case you missed it over the weekend, here's an edifying Washington Post story by Michael Kranish on Bloomberg's sexist remarks & actions, also linked Sunday & late Saturday. ~~~

~~~ Charles Blow of the New York Times: "It is truly a devastating sight to watch liberals who have winced for years at Donald Trump's issues on wealth, race and women allow fear, propaganda and influence mercenaries to push them into supporting a man who has his own issues concerning wealth, women and race.... It's not as if Democrats don't have viable candidates to choose from, none of whom even come close to the scale of Bloomberg's transgressions.... Many voters have bought into the hopeful, cheerful Bloomberg shown in his barrage of ads.... He has done some admirable work as a private citizen. A private citizen is what he should remain." ~~~

~~~ Evan Semones of Politico: "White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday slammed sexist remarks Michael Bloomberg reportedly made to women who worked for him, saying they are 'far worse' than what ... Donald Trump said on the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tapes." Mrs. McC: For more on the Conway family's opinion of Donald Trump, see what George has to say in the op-ed linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.)

A Florida Man Opens Daytona 500. Michelle Martinelli of USA Today: "... Donald Trump participated in the ceremonial pre-race events at Sunday's Daytona 500, the biggest NASCAR race of the year.... The President was greeted with loud cheers during a pre-race speech.... Trump then served as the race's grand marshal -- only the fourth sitting president to do so for a race at Daytona International Speedway -- giving what's commonly described as the most famous words in motor sports: 'Gentlemen, start your engines.' In recent years, the command traditionally has started with the gender-neutral address 'Drivers,' but there were no women competing in the Daytona 500 this year. After fulfilling this grand marshal duties, the motorcade drove down pit road and around the iconic 2.5-mile race track, with the 40-car field and the pace car behind it, which was a first for a sitting president." ~~~

~~~ Daniel Dale of CNN: "... Donald Trump's campaign manager deleted a tweet featuring a dramatic photo of Air Force One at the Daytona 500 after users pointed out that the shot was from President George W. Bush's visit to the NASCAR race in 2004, not from Trump's visit on Sunday. Brad Parscale tweeted the 2004 photo, which shows Air Force One rising above packed stands at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, and wrote, '.@realDonaldTrump won the #Daytona500 before the race even started.'" Mrs. McC: Yeah, 16 years before the race event started.

News Lede

The New York Times' live updates of developments in the coronavirus epidemic are here.

The Commentariat -- February 16, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Russia, Russia, Russia. Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: "Seven months after [Robert] Mueller's marathon testimony brought finality to the Russia investigation, Trump is actively seeking to rewrite the narrative that had been meticulously documented by federal law enforcement and intelligence officials, both for immediate political gain and for history. Turbocharged by his acquittal in the Senate's impeachment trial and confident that he has acquired the fealty of nearly every Republican in Congress, Trump is claiming vindication and exoneration not only over his conduct with Ukraine -- for which the House voted to impeach him -- but also from the other investigations that have dogged his presidency.... Last week alone, Trump called the Russia investigation 'tainted' 'dirty,' 'rotten,' 'illegal,' 'phony,' a 'disgrace,' a 'shakedown,' a 'scam,' 'a fixed hoax' and 'the biggest political crime in American History, by far.'"

Get Out! Justin Wise of the Hill: "More than 1,100 former Justice Department (DOJ) officials are calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign in the wake of the DOJ's decision to ask for a shorter prison sentence for Roger Stone .... 'Barr's actions in doing the President's personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words,' the group of ex-officials wrote in a letter shared on Sunday by Protect Democracy, a nonprofit advocacy group. 'Those actions, and the damage they have done to the Department of Justice's reputation for integrity and the rule of law, require Mr. Barr to resign.'"

Evan Semones of Politico: "White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday slammed sexist remarks Michael Bloomberg reportedly made to women who worked for him, saying they are 'far worse' than what ... Donald Trump said on the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tapes." Mrs. McC: For more on the Conway family's opinion of Trump, see what George has to say in the linked op-ed below.

Tom Cotton Pushes Chinese Conspiracy Theory. David Edwards of RawStory: "Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) suggested on Sunday the coronavirus, which has killed over 1,000 Chinese citizens, is a biological weapon developed by the Chinese military.... Cotton admitted that he has no evidence that the disease originated [in a] laboratory.... 'We have such laboratories ourselves in the United States, run by our military,' Cotton explained. 'The burden of proof is on the Chinese Communist Party ... we do want to err on the side of caution.'" --s ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Cotton has been pushing this "lab-produced" coronavirus conspiracy theory for a couple of weeks, including during a Senate committee hearing. I hope the committee is looking into how Hunter Biden is behind the coronavirus pandemic plot. Cotton has two degrees from Harvard. I wonder if the Harvard poobahs are figuring out that wrapping wingers in sheepskins is hurting the university's reputation as a serious educational institution.

Devan Cole of CNN: "... Pete Buttigieg responded Sunday to Rush Limbaugh's recent homophobic remarks, saying he doesn't take 'lectures on family values' from the conservative radio host...." Mrs. McC: Limbaugh has been married four times and divorced three times.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Turning Paranoia into Policy." Peter Baker & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Mr. Trump has always been convinced that he is surrounded by people who cannot be trusted. But in the 10 days since he was acquitted by the Senate, he has grown more vocal about it and turned paranoia into policy, purging his White House of more career officials, bringing back loyalists and tightening the circle around him to a smaller and more faithful coterie of confidants.... In the last week and a half, Mr. Trump has pushed out two witnesses who testified in the House inquiry, stripped a nomination from an official he blamed for being insufficiently loyal and assailed prosecutors, a judge and even the jury forewoman in the case of his friend Roger J. Stone Jr. His national security adviser has just finished transferring more than 50 career professionals out of the White House and back to their home agencies. The president has brought back two of his earliest and most trusted aides, Hope Hicks and Johnny McEntee, as he retreats into a cocoon of his original 2016 campaign team. And more personnel moves are likely in the days to come.... His decision to turn the Office of Presidential Personnel over to Mr. McEntee, a 29-year-old aide who was once ordered marched out of the White House by John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff at the time, was born out of concern about who is surrounding him, people familiar with the move said."

George Conway in a Washington Post op-ed: "Anticipating Trump's narcissistic whims and desires ... remains the key to survival in his administration, and outside the White House proper, no one does it better than [Bill] Barr.... So when it came to [Roger] Stone's sentence, Barr likely knew what to do, without ever being told. And he has known what to do, whenever feasible, to keep Trump happy all along.... The most important thing Barr did for Trump, though, involved the arms-for-dirt-on-Biden Ukraine scandal -- which should have prompted a full-blown criminal investigation with a special counsel.... But instead of investigating the Ukraine shakedown, Barr's Justice Department immediately gave the president a clean bill of health. Saving Trump from that criminal investigation was more than what Roy Cohn ever did for any of his clients.... [Trump] now brags, as he tweeted on Saturday, that he is '"the King"' who was targeted but not taken down. And, drawing on a story in the New York Times that suggested he is stained but unshackled, Trump boasted that he has indeed survived '"triumphant"' and '"emboldened"' and '"focused"' more than ever on prosecuting '"his case of grievance, persecution, and resentment."'"”

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department in the Trump era has repeatedly tasked U.S. attorneys from far-flung offices to parachute into politically explosive cases in Washington, raising concerns among current and former officials that agency leaders are trying to please the president by reviewing and reinvestigating cases in which he is personally or politically invested. After a tumultuous week for federal law enforcement..., several current and former officials expressed alarm at what they characterized as a troubling pattern.... Trump has been asking for advice on who he should fire.... On Saturday morning, Trump fired off a tweet summarizing the Justice Department inspector general's findings that McCabe misled investigators on four separate occasions about authorizing a media disclosure and stating, incorrectly, that the 'IG RECOMMENDED MCCABE'S FIRING.'... Current and former officials said the move to add new prosecutors to the Flynn case seemed to be part of a new pattern of Justice Department political leadership spinning up inquiries that might help Trump and his friends and hurt their perceived foes." ~~~

~~~ Katie Benner, et al., of the New York Times: "In more than three dozen interviews in recent days, lawyers across the federal government's legal establishment wondered aloud whether Mr. Trump was undermining the Justice Department's treasured reputation for upholding the law without favor or political bias -- and whether Attorney General William P. Barr was able or willing to protect it.... Their worries are compounded by the fact that people in Mr. Trump's circle have been mired in so many criminal or ethical scandals that practically any legal action on those cases could be seen through a political lens." When Jessie Liu, whom Trump had appointed U.S. attorney in the D.C. office decided there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Andrew McCabe, Trump rescinded her nomination to a Treasury post, and Steve Mnuchin "delivered the news" to her.

     ~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: In his big ABC interview, this is the best Barr could come up with to defend the 10,000 lawyers who work for him: "I hope there are no more resignations. We, we like our prosecutors and hope they stay." Thanks, Bill. ~~~

~~~ Erica Orden & Kara Scannell of CNN: "... the Stone situation has reverberated across the country in the past few days, with prosecutors incensed over the apparent intervention by Attorney General William Barr to lighten the sentencing recommendation for Trump's ally, along with fear of what some perceive as a growing political directive coming from Washington. On the West Coast, one federal prosecutor said there was an overwhelming sense of 'outrage' felt in his office.... The fears over potential political interference are particularly acute in New York, where prosecutors with the US attorney's office in Manhattan handle high-profile cases.... Some concerns arose even before the Stone situation. In the past two weeks, the Justice Department has twice ordered US attorney's offices around the country to participate in what some of them perceive as politically charged actions, according to people familiar with the matter. First, the department ordered prosecutors to hold news conferences, make statements and use social media to promote Barr's initiative to crack down on 'sanctuary cities.'... the Justice Department later retracted the demand, the person said.... The department also instructed federal prosecutors to write op-eds to push for passage of pending legislation on fentanyl."

Nimble Bill Often Asks, "How High?" When Trump Says "Jump." Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: Bill Barr's intervention in the Mike Flynn case "bears striking similarities to the case of Roger Stone, whose sentence recommendation Barr intervened to reduce this week, triggering upheaval within the Justice Department. In each case, Trump criticized the department's treatment of a Trump ally; in both cases, Barr has inserted himself in an unorthodox manner that invites accusations of politicization. Those also invite comparison to U.S. Attorney John Durham's investigation. Trump practically begged the Justice Department to probe the origins of the Russia investigation. After former attorney general Jeff Sessions begged off such theories, Barr took over and appointed Durham to look into it. The New York Times reported this week that Durham appears to be 'hunting for a basis to accuse Obama-era intelligence officials of hiding evidence or manipulating analysis.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Blake cites Andy McCabe as the prime example of one who got away. But that's not quite true. Somebody at Justice held up a decision on McCabe's case for two years and likely gave up only at the judge's insistence & the department's failure to make a case to a grand jury as convincing as those against the proverbial ham sandwich. Moreover, Barr is still going after McCabe in appointing a Trump-friendly U.S. attorney to "review" prosecutors' handling of the McCabe matter. It's unlikely McCabe will be indicted, but he's still under a lumpy Trumpy cloud. AND he still got fired & lost his pension some of his pension benefits because of a dubious 11th-hour order signed by Jeff Sessions.

Jack Guy & Nada Bashir of CNN: "In a CNN interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday strongly rejected ... Donald Trump's claim Ukraine is corrupt. He also said he is ready for another phone call with Trump and open to visiting the White House.... '... When I had a meeting with President Trump and he said that in previous years (Ukraine) was such a corrupt country, I told him very honestly and I was very open with him. I told him that we fight with corruption. We fight each day," Zelensky told Christiane Amanpour during [a] town hall interview [in Munich, Germany]. 'Please, please stop saying that Ukraine is a corrupt country, because from now, it's not true. We want to change this image,' he added."

Ken Dilanian, et al., of NBC News: "When the CIA gave Trump a list of major terror leaders to kill, he said he'd never heard of them. Instead..., 'He would say, "I've never heard of any of these people. What about Hamza bin Laden?"' one former official said, [naming the youngest son of Osama bin Laden]. 'That was the only name he knew,' a Pentagon official added.... An examination of the process that led to the strike against Hamza bin Laden puts a spotlight on how Trump has approached what is among the most weighty responsibilities of the U.S. president in the post 9/11 era: deciding which of America's enemies should be marked for death.... Former CIA official Douglas London, who led an agency unit targeting senior terrorists in 2018, says that what he called Trump's 'obsession' with bin Laden's son 'is one example of the president's preference for a "celebrity" targeted killing versus prioritizing options that could prove better for U.S. security.'" Mrs. McC: Significant factor: "Fox News ... devoted significant airtime to the release of ... CIA documents and [a]the video of the younger bin Laden."

Presidential Race

AP: "Democrats are starting to cast votes in Nevada's presidential caucuses as the still-crowded field of candidates is fanning out across Las Vegas. Early voting started Saturday morning at more than 80 locations across the state. Nevada Democrats are holding four days of early voting for their caucuses, the first test of a candidate's appeal to a diverse population with strong labor unions. Early votes cast on paper ballots will be added to in-person caucus votes made on Feb. 22, when Democrats will attend about 2,000 precinct meetings around the state." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Michelle Price & Steve Peoples of the AP post a roundup of yesterday's campaign events in Nevada. Biden attacked Sanders & Sanders attacked Bloomberg, an attack that would make more sense if Bloomberg were actually running in Nevada.

Sarah Burnette & Michelle Price of the AP: "... Amy Klobuchar says she no longer believes English should be the national language of the U.S., disavowing a vote she took more than a decade ago as she tries to build support in a state where Hispanics make up a critical constituency.... The senator also faced questions about comments she made about border security during a 2006 campaign debate, and her 2007 vote for an immigration bill that would have beefed up fencing and enforcement among the U.S.-Mexico border.... [Pete] Buttigieg ... knocked Klobuchar without naming her for supporting the confirmation of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan."

Sahil Kapur & Ali Vitali of NBC News: "... Elizabeth Warren is pitching herself as the Democratic candidate who can unify the party's progressive and moderate wings, a play that could lead her down [a] bridge to nowhere, unless her message can quickly find some resonance. At the same time, Warren's also feeling pressure from outside allies to return to her old 'fighter' persona.... 'The problem that Warren has is all of the Bernie people think she's a neoliberal shill and all of the centrists think she's a raging Maoist,' said Sean McElwee, a left-wing organizer.... 'The people who want Medicare for All don't believe she wants it, and the people who don't want Medicare for All do believe she wants it.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: I don't see a contradiction here: Warren is saying she can (1) unify the party (2) to fight for ordinary Americans. It makes sense to me. However, I agree that it's hard to discern the actual policy positions of the candidate who has the most detailed policy positions. Nonetheless, for the most part, the candidates' position papers don't matter as much as their ability to get something through Congress, and that can happen only if Mitch McConnell is not majority leader. That's an argument for a "unifier" and against a hardliner or neophyte.

Saturday was Bloomberg Day at the Times & WashPo: ~~~

~~~ The New York Times story, by Alexander Burns & Nicholas Kulish, begins with an anecdote about Michael Bloomberg's expressed doubts about the #MeToo movement & sex abuse allegations against TV personality Charlie Rose and ending with his $100MM contributions to mostly female 2018 Congressional candidates. "A Times examination of Mr. Bloomberg's philanthropic and political spending in the years leading up to his presidential bid illustrates how he developed a national infrastructure of influence, image-making and unspoken suasion that has helped transform a former Republican mayor of New York City into a plausible contender for the Democratic nomination.... In all, Mr. Bloomberg has spent at least $10 billion on his charitable and political pursuits. The vast majority has gone to philanthropy, for causes that reflect his personal interests and passions, including $3.3 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post story, by Michael Kranish, centers on Bloomberg's treatment of women: "Several lawsuits have been filed over the years alleging that women were discriminated against at Bloomberg's business-information company, including a case brought by a federal agency and one filed by a former employee, who blamed Bloomberg for creating a culture of sexual harassment and degradation. The most high-profile case was from a former saleswoman. She sued Bloomberg personally as well as his company, alleging workplace discrimination. She alleged Bloomberg told her to 'kill it' when he learned she was pregnant. Bloomberg has denied her allegation under oath, and he reached a confidential settlement with the saleswoman.... While allegations about Bloomberg's comments and treatment of women have received notice over the years, a review by The Post of thousands of pages of court documents, depositions obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and interviews with witnesses underscores how Bloomberg and his company, Bloomberg LP, have fought the claims...." Includes a link to The Compleat Book of Profane & Sexist Remarks by Mike Bloomberg. Mrs. McC: On the upside, we can be sure he's pro-choice! (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Eric Levitz of New York on why Democrats should not sell their souls to a billionaire: "Mike Bloomberg has offered blue America a Faustian bargain: Forfeit all credibility on the issues of money in politics and democratic reform, and he will spend whatever it takes to make the bad man in the White House go away.... But Democrats would be fools to accept Bloomberg's indecent proposal.... As a political matter, allowing a Wall Street tycoon to win the Democratic nomination by leveraging his personal fortune to outbid all of his rivals (and many state and local Democratic Party organizations) for top-shelf campaign staff, and inundate the airwaves with an unprecedentedly exorbitant blitzkrieg of paid messaging, would deprive Democrats of what has long been their chief electoral asset: the perception that their party is less beholden to the rich than the GOP... Hillary Clinton's mere perceived coziness with such fat cats ... was (ostensibly) sufficient to undermine the Democrats' populist edge four years ago...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Isaac Stanley-Becker of the Washington Post: "... a detailed review by The Post found that the chaotic [Iowa caucus counts] were years in the making, and that the responsibility extends beyond the local party leaders who have borne the brunt of the criticism."

Evan Semones of Politico: "Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Saturday said he'll back Bill Weld for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination, an endorsement the Weld campaign touted as the first sitting Republican governor to publicly oppose ... Donald Trump's reelection. In a press conference, first reported by Vermont's WPTZ, Scott announced his decision to back the fellow Republican and former Massachusetts governor."

Way Beyond the Beltway

Amy Qin of the New York Times: "Under fire for its response to the coronavirus epidemic, China's authoritarian government appears to be pushing a new account of events that presents President Xi Jinping as taking early action to fight the outbreak that has convulsed the country. But in doing so, the authorities have acknowledged for the first time that Mr. Xi was aware of the epidemic and involved in the response nearly two weeks before he first spoke publicly about it -- and while officials at its epicenter in the city of Wuhan were still playing down its dangers. That new account risks drawing the president, China's most powerful leader in decades, directly into questions about whether top officials did too little, too late." ~~~

~~~ Raymond Zhong & Paul Mozur of the New York Times: China "is battling the coronavirus outbreak with a grass-roots mobilization reminiscent of Mao-style mass crusades not seen in China in decades, essentially entrusting front line epidemic prevention to a supercharged version of a neighborhood watch.... Residential lockdowns of varying strictness -- from checkpoints at building entrances to hard limits on going outdoors -- now cover at least 760 million people in China, or more than half the country's population, according to a New York Times analysis of government announcements in provinces and major cities."

News Lede

Washington Post: "The status of passengers on two cruise ships -- the Diamond Princess in Japan and the Westerdam in Cambodia -- are posing logistical and public health challenges for governments as they try to contain the spread of covid-19 and to repatriate citizens. In China, meanwhile, the rate of growth for new cases appears to be slowing. Forty-four Americans who were traveling on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan have been infected. They will stay at hospitals in Japan to recover. Hundreds of Americans who've been quarantined on the Diamond Princess since Feb. 5 have been evacuated from the ship and will be flown to the U.S. on chartered planes -- then quarantined again for 14 more days. Several governments are scrambling after an 83-year-old American woman on board the Westerdam cruise liner docked in Cambodia tested positive twice for the coronavirus infection after traveling to Malaysia."