;)
The Commentariat -- February 7, 2019
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
And the Lord Smote King Donald and King Donald Spake the Truth. Since the founding of our nation, many of our greatest strides, from gaining our independence to abolition of civil rights, to extending the vote for women, have been led by people of faith and started in prayer. -- Donald Trump, at the National Prayer Breakfast
Katherine Hafner & Elisha Sauers of the Virginian-Pilot: "A Virginia Military Institute yearbook overseen by future state Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment in 1968 features a host of racist photos and slurs, including blackface.... On one page of the yearbook, a student poses in blackface, surrounded by others in costumes at a party. Another page features a photo of two men in blackface holding a football. The N-word is used at least once. A student listed as being from Bangkok, Thailand, is referred to as a 'Chink' and 'Jap.' A blurb under one man's picture says: 'He was known as the 'Barracks Jew' having his fingers in the finances of the entire Corps.'... The first black students were allowed to enroll at the institute in the fall of 1968. When a reporter asked Norment to talk about the yearbook Thursday, the majority leader said, 'The only thing I'm talking about today is the budget.'... Several years ago, the school changed its process for reviewing The Bomb, [Col Stewart] MacInnis said, adding layers of review by faculty advisors and himself. But there's always tension for overseeing the student-supported publication, he added, because 'they've got their First Amendment rights.'"
Olivia Beavers of the Hill: "Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is threatening to not testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday after Democrats on the panel voted to authorize the use of a subpoena against him if he did not attend or refused to answer certain questions. Whitaker said in a statement Thursday that the Democratic-led panel 'has deviated from historic practice and protocol and taken the unnecessary and premature step of authorizing a subpoena to the me [sic], the acting attorney general, even though I had agreed to voluntarily appear.'"
Jennifer Scholtes, et al., of Politico: "Congressional deal-makers working to stave off another government shutdown said they believe a breakthrough is in reach, following a closed-door Wednesday briefing from Border Patrol officials. Conference committee negotiators tasked with crafting a border security funding plan said the bipartisan talks took a turn for the better during the meeting. The 17 lawmakers began a substantive policy and funding debate, ticking through a three-pronged approach to boosting border security spending on detection technology, agents and barriers...."
John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Trump took fresh aim Thursday at House Democrats, claiming they were going 'nuts' with unprecedented investigations into his administration and businesses. In morning tweets ahead of a scheduled appearance at a national prayer breakfast, Trump singled out House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), who announced Wednesday that his panel will scrutinize 'credible reports of money laundering and financial compromise' involving Trump's businesses as part of a fresh investigation into Trump's alleged ties with Russia. 'So now Congressman Adam B. Schiff announces, after having found zero Russian Collusion, that he is going to be looking at every aspect of my life, both financial and personal, even though there is no reason to be doing so,' Trump said on Twitter. 'Never happened before! Unlimited Presidential Harassment.'... 'The Dems and their committees are going "nuts,"' Trump wrote. 'The Republicans never did this to President Obama, there would be no time left to run government.' Without elaboration, Trump also said that congressional Democrats were 'stealing people' who work at the White House to help with the investigations." ...
... Trump: "The Republicans never did this to President Obama." Mrs. McCrabbie: Operation Fast & Furious! Solyndra! IRS! Benghaaaazi!
... Philip Bump of the Washington Post has more: "Trump, like many other fervent conservative media consumers, would have liked to have seen a bunch of random personal investigations of things such as Obama's birthplace or his college records, ideas that grew like bacteria in the swamps of the far-right during Obama's time in office.... Trump tweeted about Solyndra no fewer than 15 times, including once saying that the 'government loan and subsequent bankruptcy prove that @BarackObama is both corrupt and inept' -- an ironic position for Trump to take, given his history with failed businesses."
Democrats at the top are killing the Great State of Virginia. If the three failing pols were Republicans, far stronger action would be taken. Virginia will come back HOME Republican) in 2020! -- Racist, Mysogynist Liar living in White House, in a tweet today
Frank Rich on the SOTU speech & KKK Northam: "... from Trump's point of view, the speech seems to have failed at every level." Rich elaborates in his usual caustic -- and entertaining -- style. "Northam is a former Republican turned Democrat. Now he is considering resurrecting himself as an Indepedent, according to the Washington Post. Regardless of party affiliation, what's beyond dispute is that he's an idiot who has yet to settle on a plausible account of why his 1984 medical school yearbook page looked like a Ku Klux Klan recruitment flyer."
... Mrs. McCrabbie: For context, see my comment below.
... Mrs. McC: For context, see Akhilleus's response to my comment below.
Tiffany Tsu & Elizabeth Paton of the New York Times: "Less than a week into Black History Month, in two episodes of retail déjà vu, Adidas and Gucci have apologized and pulled products criticized as racist. The offending Gucci item was an $890 black-knit women's balaclava that could be pulled up over the lower half of the wearer's face. The sweater included bright red lips ringing an opening for the mouth, a detail widely denounced on social media as evoking blackface imagery.... In Adidas's case, the company included an almost entirely white pair of shoes in a line of clothing and sneakers inspired by the Harlem Renaissance movement and meant to commemorate Black History Month." Mrs. McC: The Gucci sweater is shocking. On the upside, Dr. Northam could buy one & save himself the pain of having to remove shoe polish from his pretty white face.
** Today's Biggest Scandal. Ben Foldy of Bloomberg: "Major U.S. banks shaved about $21 billion from their tax bills last year -- almost double the IRS's annual budget -- as the industry benefited more than many others from the Republican tax overhaul. By year-end, most of the nation's largest lenders met or exceeded their initial predictions for tax savings. On average, the banks saw their effective tax rates fall below 19 percent from the roughly 28 percent they paid in 2016. And while the breaks set off a gusher of payouts to shareholders, firms cut thousands of jobs and saw their lending growth slow." Thanks to PD Pepe for the link.
Kirk Johnson of the New York Times: "Measles, declared eliminated as a major public health threat in the United States almost 20 years ago, has re-emerged this winter in the Pacific Northwest and other states where parents have relatively broad leeway over whether to vaccinate their children. Seventy-nine cases of measles have been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since the start of this year. Fifty cases of the highly contagious disease were in Washington State. An outbreak of measles has also occurred in the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, where 64 confirmed cases of measles were reported, mostly late last year. That outbreak began, the C.D.C. said, when a child who had not had a measles vaccination caught the virus on a visit to Israel, where a large outbreak of the disease was occurring."
*****
"It's Here. It's Now." John Schwartz & Nadja Popovich of the New York Times: "NASA scientists announced Wednesday that the Earth's average surface temperature in 2018 was the fourth highest in nearly 140 years of record-keeping and a continuation of an unmistakable warming trend. The data means that the five warmest years in recorded history have been the last five, and that 18 of the 19 warmest years have occurred since 2001. The quickly rising temperatures over the past two decades cap a much longer warming trend documented by researchers and correspond with the scientific consensus that climate change is caused by human activity. 'We're no longer talking about a situation where global warming is something in the future,' said Gavin A. Schmidt, director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the NASA group that conducted the analysis. 'It's here. It's now.'"
This Russia Thing, Etc., Ctd.
Presidents should not bring threats to the floor of the House. It's not investigation; it's oversight. It's our congressional responsibility, and if we didn't do it, we would be delinquent in our duties. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Wednesday, in response to Donald Trump's SOTU remarks Tuesday ...
... Mike DeBonis & Seung Min Kim of the Washington Post: "President Trump called Democratic investigations into his administration and business 'ridiculous' and 'presidential harassment.' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in turn accused the president of delivering an 'all-out threat' to lawmakers sworn to provide a check and balance on his power. The oversight wars officially kicked into high gear this week as House Democrats began investigating the Trump administration in earnest. With Thursday hearings scheduled on presidential tax returns and family separations at the Mexican border, and a Friday session to question acting attorney general Matthew G. Whitaker, the lights are about to shine brightly on a president who has, until now, faced little examination from a Republican Congress. But Democrats are moving carefully after spending weeks forming their committees, hiring staff and laying the groundwork for coming probes -- mindful that Trump is eager to turn their investigations into a political boomerang as his critics demand swift action to uncover various alleged misdeeds." ...
... Jeremy Herb & Manu Raju of CNN: "House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff announced Wednesday a broad investigation his committee would undertake 'beyond Russia' into whether ... Donald Trump's financial interests are driving his actions.... In a statement, Schiff said the investigation would include a continued probe into Russia's actions during the 2016 election and contacts between the Russia and Trump's team, as well as an examination of 'whether any foreign actor has sought to compromise or holds leverage, financial or otherwise, over Donald Trump, his family, his business, or his associates.' Schiff said the investigation, which could involve additional congressional committees, would also look at whether Trump or his associates have 'sought to influence US government policy in service of foreign interests' and any potential obstruction into the various investigations. Schiff's announcement is the most detailed look yet into how congressional Democrats will investigate Trump's finances and possible ties to foreign entities, and how Democrats are sure to continue probing Trump and his team well after ... Robert Mueller's investigation had concluded." ...
... Here's Schiff's statement, which outlines a five-course menu of inquiries. ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: And there you have the response to Trump's SOTU threats. ...
... Andrew Desiderio of Politico: "The House Intelligence Committee voted on Wednesday to send dozens of witness interview transcripts from its Russia investigation to special counsel Robert Mueller, who could use them to prosecute potential instances of perjury. It's the first act of the intelligence panel under the leadership of Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who has vowed to revive the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mueller has already prosecuted some Trump associates for lying to Congress.... The panel's Democrats have long suggested that Donald Trump Jr. and other witnesses might have lied to the committee during its investigation and they've encouraged Mueller to examine whether perjury or obstruction of justice charges are warranted against them." ...
... Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Other committees were zeroing in on similarly sensitive oversight targets. On Thursday, Democrats will begin their quest to secure the president's long-suppressed tax returns. The chairman of the Judiciary Committee readied a subpoena for the acting attorney general, Matthew G. Whitaker, in case he tried to avoid Democratic questioning. And a House Appropriations subcommittee chairwoman began an inquiry into administration rule-bending during the 35-day partial government shutdown.... Democrats and even some Republicans conceded that the targets offered up by Mr. Trump and his administration were far more numerous than his predecessors', and his threats and protests have been more vocal.... 'He's just a political hack. He's trying to build a name for himself,' Mr. Trump said [of House Intel chair Adam Schiff], adding, 'It's called presidential harassment. And it's unfortunate. And it really does hurt our country.' Mr. Schiff shot back, 'I can understand why the idea of meaningful oversight terrifies the president. Look, several associates of his have gone to jail. Others are awaiting trial.'... Meantime, Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota, the chairwoman of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Interior Department, asked the Government Accountability Office to issue a formal opinion on the administration's diversion of user fees at the national parks to fund operations during the government shutdown. Such funds are supposed to be earmarked for long-term capital improvement projects. And Democrats on the Oversight and Reform Committee took their own swipe at the president at a hearing examining proposed ethics rules for the executive branch." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: I watched Trump's remarks about Schiff. At first, he pretended he didn't know who Schiff was: "I've never heard of him," Trump told a reporter. In November, Trump called Schiff "Adam Schitt" in a tweet. Once declaring he didn't know who Schiff was, Trump immediately pivoted to calling Schiff a "political hack ... trying to make a name for himself." It does not make sense to impugn the motives & character of someone you've never heard of; Trump attacks for the sake of cruelty.
Andrew Desiderio: "Testimony from ... Donald Trump's former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, before the House Intelligence Committee this week has been delayed, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday. 'In the interests of the investigation, Michael Cohen's testimony has been postponed until February 28th,' Schiff, the chairman of the committee, said in a brief statement." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
The Perfect Trumpy Republican -- A(n Alleged) Serial Fraudster. Betsy Woodruff & Erin Banco of the Daily Beast: "Paul Erickson, the American political operative and boyfriend of admitted Russian agent Maria Butina, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in South Dakota on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. The U.S. attorney for the district of South Dakota is handling the prosecution, which is separate from the case that was lodged against Butina in Washington, D.C. Erickson, 56, was arrested on Tuesday and entered a plea of not guilty at an arraignment, according to the court filings.... The indictment alleges that Erickson ran a criminal scheme from 1996 to 2018 using a chain of assisted living homes called Compass Care. Erickson also allegedly defrauded investors through a company called Investing with Dignity that claimed to be 'in the business of developing a wheelchair that allowed people to go to the bathroom without being lifted out of the wheelchair.' The indictment says he also ran a fraudulent scheme that claimed to be building homes in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota.... Even before he was charged, Erickson was dogged by allegations of financial shadiness. As first reported by The Daily Beast in July, individuals who have sued Erickson alleged in court documents that he and his companies failed to pay back loans. Some say he duped them into investing into what appeared to be nonexistent companies. Others allege Erickson used their money for personal expenses."
Papadopoulos & the Pee Tape Guy. Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "The man behind the salacious and unproven claim that ... Donald Trump hired Russian prostitutes to perform a 'golden shower' during a trip to Moscow also met with former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos after the 2016 presidential election and offered him employment opportunities. In a major new Washington Post report, it's revealed that Papadopulos met with a man named Sergei Millian, who is described as the 'unwitting' source for former British spy Christopher Steele's claims about Trump and Russian prostitutes. After the 2016 election, the two men [Millian & Papadopoulos] dined at a Washington, D.C.-based restaurant called the Russia House, which is regularly frequented by Russian diplomats. The dinner was the culmination of an outreach campaign by Millian in which he offered Papadopoulos 'a lucrative consulting contract to work simultaneously for Trump and an unidentified Russian, which Papadopoulos said he rebuffed.'" ...
... The WashPo story, by Rosalind Helderman & Tom Hamburger, puts together scraps of information about Millian, not all of them verified, but he remains a mysterious figure. No one seems to know, for instance, where he lives. Just one more shady character in Trump's Gang of Grifters.
The Fake State of the Union Address
Nancy Cook of Politico: "... Donald Trump kept a relatively low profile the day after his State of the Union address, staying silent on Twitter and remaining in Washington on a day when many past presidents have hit the road to amplify their annual speeches. But White House officials and close advisers say that Trump is gearing up to redouble his case for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, including with a planned trip to El Paso next week, where he will make a final case for the $5.7 billion project before parts of the federal government run out of funding again on Feb. 16.
He [Trump] was a guest in our House chamber, and we treated him with more respect than he treated us. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in remarks to Democrats, Wednesday
Mrs. McCrabbie: I usually don't re-run the videos I've run the afternoon before, but The Clap Heard 'Round the World is an exception:
... Allyson Chiu of the Washington Post: "Despite being engaged in a tense standoff with Trump over funding for his border wall, for most of the evening, Pelosi managed to limit her reactions to subtle head-shaking, pursed lips and eye rolls. But when Trump, who has been accused of exacerbating deep divisions, declared, 'We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good,' she appeared to be unable to hold back. Rising from her seat along with others in attendance, Pelosi began applauding with her arms oddly extended out toward the president. When Trump turned toward her and the pair locked eyes, Pelosi, still clapping, appeared to smirk." (Also linked yesterday.)
Rick Wilson of the Daily Beast: "... Tuesday night's effort showed every sign of being created, destroyed, cut, pasted, reboot, and then run through an English-Urdu translation program and back again. It felt more like last-minute Sharpie-scribble than wordsmithing.... Tuesday night was ... marked by his usual sniffles, the Il Douche hand gestures, and his tendency to veer between subjects without transition or pause.... Since a key requirement of Esoteric Trumpism is that its followers live always in Year Zero, the Trump-centric internet is gushing praise over President Bigly Rightwords, treating his largely incoherent word gumbo as if he had delivered a modern-day Gettysburg Address.... The uplift material in the speech was a rich vein of false equivalencies and collision with reality.... Because Trump is bleeding politically, and under rising legal pressure from every quarter, last night's State of the Union speech contained his usual pastiche of Trumpian paranoia about the border, dick-waving braggadocio, outright lies, and movie-script ideas passed off as intelligence reports.... 'An economic miracle is taking place in the United States and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous, partisan investigations. If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn't work that way,' said Trump, consciously or unconsciously echoing Nixon's fateful remarks. 'Nice country we've got going here. Either Mueller gets it, or the economy does.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Other than that, Mr. Wilson, how did you like the speech?
What a Concept! Democratic Leaders Embrace Actual Democrats. Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "The ascension of Stacey Abrams, like the unprecedentedly diverse class of Democrats elected in 2018, represents a definitive repudiation of the idea that Democrats must downplay 'identity' to appeal to the country at large.... If choosing [former Kentucky Gov. Steve] Beshear [to respond to Trump's 2017 address to Congress] symbolized an effort to play on the president's field and try to win some of his supporters, then choosing Abrams represents the opposite: a rejection of strategies aimed at that slice of white workers and an embrace of the diversity of the Democratic Party."
Jane Lytvynenko of BuzzFeed News: "Twitter is allowing an altered photo comparing women members of Congress who wore white to the State of the Union to the KKK to continue to circulate on its platform on Wednesday despite its own policy that doesn't allow 'symbols historically associated with hate groups.' Members of Congress -- mostly Democratic women -- wore white clothing on Tuesday night to honor the suffragist movement. The image, which first aired on the far-right conspiracy outlet Infowars, photoshopped white Klan-style hoods on the women. Its most popular iteration was spread on Twitter by radio host Mark Simone to his 175,000 followers. It was also shared by Katrina Pierson, a former Trump spokesperson who is a senior adviser to the president's reelection campaign, and by Ann Coulter.... Women lawmakers ... wore white to the State of the Union to make a political statement highlighting issues such as harassment, discrimination, and pay inequality. The idea came from the Democratic Women's Working Group and directed their message at President Trump." Mrs. McC: Many of the reps wingers decided to dress up in KKK hoods are women of color.
Loan Sharks Protection Bureau. Stacy Cowley of the New York Times: "Payday lenders won a major victory on Wednesday after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau moved to gut tougher restrictions that were to take effect later this year. The industry has spent years trying to fend off the new rules, which were conceived during the Obama administration. The regulations were intended to prevent spiraling debt obligations by limiting the number of consecutive loans that could be made and requiring lenders to verify that borrowers could pay back their loans on time while still covering basic living expenses. In her first major policy move, the bureau's new director, Kathleen Kraninger, proposed eliminating nearly all of the regulation's substantive requirements, including the 'ability to repay' mandate."
Congratulations, Wilbur! Gail Collins: "The votes are in, and the winner of the Worst Trump Cabinet Member competition is ... Wilbur Ross! First time a secretary of commerce has ever won the title. Don't let me hear you complaining that this administration hasn't accomplished anything. The Ross victory is a little suspect, since it came right after he gave an interview in which he expressed befuddlement about why furloughed government workers were going to food banks and homeless shelters when they could -- you know, just go see their banker and take out a loan. Do you think he was making a play for first place? Nah, that was just Wilbur being Wilbur, the guy who happily marveled that when Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia 'there was not a single hint of a protester anywhere.'" Collins goes on to mention the rich field of runners-up. Mrs. McC: There would probably be more, but about a third of the Cabinet are just "acting"; apparently playing a Cabinet official on teevee is a contest disqualifier.
Another Trump Cabinet Member under Investigation. Julie Brown of the Miami Herald: "The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta's role in negotiating a controversial plea deal with a wealthy New York investor accused of molesting more than 100 underage girls in Palm Beach. The probe is in response to a request by Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who was critical of the case following a series of stories in the Miami Herald. The Herald articles detailed how Acosta, then the U.S. attorney for Southern Florida, and other DOJ attorneys worked hand-in-hand with defense lawyers to cut a lenient plea deal with multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2008."
Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "President Trump didn't mention climate change in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, but on Wednesday Democrats worked to make sure the topic was front and center in Congress. In two separate and simultaneous House committee hearings on global warming, lawmakers testified that climate change is real, happening now and requires urgent action. It was the first hearing the Energy and Commerce Committee had held on global warming in six years; for the Natural Resources Committee it was the first in more than eight years. In both cases, the rooms were packed with spectators.... Republicans, for the most part, avoided questioning the established science of climate change, focusing primarily on criticizing economic policies put forward by Democrats, like the so-called Green New Deal legislation that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is set to introduce this week."
Tim Mak & Jessica Yarmosky of NPR: "A longtime Trump ally pushed to have two fathers of Parkland victims tossed out of a congressional hearing on gun violence.... Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., sparked commotion in the hearing when he listed circumstances in which violence was committed by undocumented immigrants, and said the solution would be to build the Trump-backed wall along the Southwest border.... This led to protests in the hearing room by the fathers of two Parkland shooting victims, Manuel Oliver and Fred Guttenberg. Gaetz responded by asking for their removal. The public is not allowed to comment during congressional hearings, and the two were given a warning.... Later, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., tried to rebut Gaetz's remarks. Listing off a number of mass shootings, Cohen noted that they were not conducted by immigrants who entered the country illegally.... The House Judiciary Committee's Wednesday hearing on gun violence was the first of its kind in nearly eight years. The panel has not had a hearing on this topic since Republicans took control of the House in 2011 following the Tea Party wave in the 2010 midterms." Emphasis added. Mrs. McC: So naturally, Gaetz had to make a mockery of the hearing. I don't know Gaetz but I have heard of him. He sure seems like a "political hack" who "is trying to make a name for himself."
Presidential Race 2020
Not Minnesota-Nice? Molly Redden & Amanda Terkel of the Huffington Post: "At least three people have withdrawn from consideration to lead Sen. Amy Klobuchar's nascent 2020 presidential campaign -- and done so in part because of the Minnesota Democrat's history of mistreating her staff, HuffPost has learned. Klobuchar, who plans to make an announcement about a potential presidential bid on Sunday in Minneapolis, has spent the past several months positioning herself to run for president. She's beloved in her state as a smart, funny and personable lawmaker and has gained national attention for her lines of questioning at high-profile hearings. But some former Klobuchar staffers, all of whom spoke to HuffPost on condition of anonymity, describe Klobuchar as habitually demeaning and prone to bursts of cruelty that make it difficult to work in her office for long.... Reached for comment, Klobuchar's office referred HuffPost to multiple ex-staffers who shared glowing statements about working for her."
Rebecca Morin of Politico: "Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu [D] ... told CNN on Wednesday morning that he does not think he will seek his party's 2020 presidential nomination, citing the already packed field of 'great candidates.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Thanks, CNN! Sophie Tatum of CNN: "CNN will host a town hall next week in Houston with former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz as he mulls a presidential bid in 2020. Schultz, who said last month he is considering a run as a 'centrist independent,' will take questions from Texas voters on Tuesday, February 12, in this live event moderated by CNN's Poppy Harlow." Mrs. McC: A good reason to stick to MSNBC & stations that carry Democracy Now!
Beyond the Beltway
Virginia Is for Losers. Jonathan Martin & Alan Blinder of the New York Times: "The third-ranking elected official in Virginia, Attorney General Mark R. Herring, acknowledged Wednesday that he had worn blackface at a party as an undergraduate student, deepening a crisis that has engulfed the state's Democratic leadership. Then, just two hours later, a woman came forward to describe in detail her accusation that Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax had sexually assaulted her in 2004, an accusation he denies. The back-to-back revelations threw the Capitol here into a state of uncertainty about who would lead Virginia, coming less than one week after the disclosure of a racist photograph on the yearbook page of Gov. Ralph Northam led to demands for his resignation. Grim-faced legislators rushed through the hallways, shaken by a series of allegations and confessions that threatened to cripple the Virginia government's three leading officials." ...
... All the News That's Fit to Print. Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "The woman who has accused Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax of Virginia of sexual assault came forward on Wednesday, issuing a statement through a law firm that described a 2004 encounter at the Democratic National Convention in Boston that, she said, began with kissing but quickly turned into an episode of forced oral sex. The woman identified herself as Vanessa C. Tyson, an associate professor and expert in black history at Scripps College in California. She has also spent years advocating for victims of sexual assault and has spoken openly about being molested by her father when she was a child. 'What began as consensual kissing quickly turned into a sexual assault,' Dr. Tyson wrote, describing her encounter in a hotel room with the future lieutenant governor. 'Mr. Fairfax put his hand behind my neck and forcefully pushed my head towards his crotch. Only then did I realize that he had unbuckled his belt, unzipped his pants, and taken out his penis.'" Read the full report. ...
... Tyson's full statement is here.
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Tyson sounds credible. But I think we're going to have to wait a bit before we can make a best guess as to whether or not we think it's true. If more victims come forward, Fairfax certainly should resign. I find it questionable that a man would do something like this only once in his life. We know, for instance, that Brett Kavanaugh often got drunk & mistreated women, according to reported accounts. I've never been forced to perform oral sex, but here's something I wonder: why wouldn't the victim either (a) tightly shut her lips, or (b) bite down hard on the guy's dick? Also, Tyson worked at a rape crisis center at the time? Wouldn't she have learned techniques for avoiding the brutal assault she described? You can write to me privately at constantweader@gmail.com if you prefer; I want to know what you think. ...
... Speaking of Brett. John Bowden of the Hill: "Virginia's embattled lieutenant governor, who is facing accusations of sexual assault, has hired the law firm that previously represented now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. A local NPR station reported Wednesday that Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) has hired Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz, which previously represented Kavanaugh." Mrs. McC: This is kinda perfect because Tyson hired Christine Blasey Ford's legal team. ...
... Kaitlyn Folmer & John Verhovek of ABC News: "Virginia Democratic Congressman Bobby Scott was made aware of allegations of sexual assault against now-Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax over a year ago by the alleged victim herself, ABC News has learned. Scott learned of the allegations directly from Dr. Vanessa Tyson, who on Wednesday released a statement detailing the alleged 2004 assault, which took place at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.... In a statement given to ABC News on Wednesday, Scott wrote, 'Allegations of sexual assault need to be taken seriously. I have known Professor Tyson for approximately a decade and she is a friend. She deserves the opportunity to have her story heard.'... When pressed by ABC News, aides said they did not know what the congressman did with that information, but that he told Tyson that he agreed to speak with the Washington Post." ...
... Unfuckingbelievable. Gregory Schneider & Laura Vozzella of the Washington Post: "Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) said Wednesday he dressed in blackface during college, elevating the Capitol’s scandals to a new level that engulfed the entire executive branch of government. 'In 1980, when I was a 19-year-old undergraduate in college, some friends suggested we attend a party dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and perform a song,' Herring said in a statement. 'It sounds ridiculous even now writing it. But because of our ignorance and glib attitudes -- and because we did not have an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of others -- we dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup.' Herring referred to it as a 'onetime occurrence' and said he accepted 'full responsibility.'... Herring's acknowledgment comes as Gov. Ralph Northam (D) faces calls for his resignation after a photo emerged on his 1984 medical school yearbook page featuring someone in blackface standing next to someone in Ku Klux Klan robes. And early Monday, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) denied the allegations of a woman who said he sexually assaulted her at the Democratic National Convention in 2004." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Update: MSNBC is reporting that Herring also resigned as the chair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association. ...
...Dylan Scott, et al., of Vox: "If every state official enmeshed in a scandal resigned, Democrats would lose control of the state government: The next in the state's line of succession is Kirk Cox, a Republican who became House speaker after a close race ended with a name being drawn out of a bowl." ...
... Cox Is a Standard-Issue Racist who Favors Gerrymandering out Black Voters. Bloomberg Law: [A] gerrymandering case, which is set to be argued at the Supreme Court on March 18, isn't related to the unfolding scandal in Richmond, but it does layer on another element of race to its politics. [AG Mark] Herring announced last year that the state would not continue to defend the now-defunct maps following a lower court's ruling that invalidated them. The court's finding that the legislature 'sorted voters into districts based on the color of their skin,' should 'be of the utmost concern,' Herring said.... [Kirk] Cox[, who would become governor if Northam, Fairfax & Herring resign] wants to intervene to defend the maps...." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: So the choices are: (1) Racist, (2) alleged sexual assaulter, (3) racist, (4) super-racist. Also too, someone might want to visit Cox at home. If there's not a photo of him in blackface on the mantel, there might be a white hood & robe in the closet. Check the laundry bin, too. Just saying. Due respects to Kirk there.
... Wingers Gone Wild. Will Sommer of the Daily Beast: "Now right-wing internet hoaxers claim they’ve found something even bigger: a picture of Hillary Clinton purportedly wearing blackface, next to a smiling Bill Clinton dressed as a country bumpkin. The photo of 'Clinton' obviously isn’t actually her. The woman in blackface has brown eyes, while Clinton has blue eyes. Bill Clinton is significantly taller than his wife, while the couple in the picture has a smaller height disparity. Additionally, the guy in the picture doesn't even look all that much like Bill Clinton. But that hasn't stopped the fringier elements of the pro-Trump right from picking it up."
Way Beyond
Cruel & Unusual. Richard Pérez-Peña of the New York Times: "The Venezuelan military has blockaded a major highway link with Colombia to prevent opponents of the government from bringing food and medicine into Venezuela, a country gripped by life-threatening shortages and a deepening political crisis. Troops positioned truck trailers and shipping containers to block the lanes of the Tienditas Bridge on the border in northwestern Venezuela on Wednesday. But it was not clear what effect the blockade ... would have. The first convoy of trucks carrying aid from the nearby city of Cúcuta, Colombia, had not yet approached the border, and there were other places it could cross."
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