https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-tweets-deranged-democrats-coronavirus-response
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/485115-trump-says-us-is-way-ahead-on-coronavirus-response-due-to-his-actions
More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-didnt-just-botch-the-coronavirus-response-he-enabled-its-spread
Trump Didn’t Just Botch the Coronavirus Response. He Enabled Its Spread.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/28/1922697/-The-first-time-Trump-s-team-had-to-deal-with-COVID-19-they-made-a-critical-mistake-with-a-cost
The first time Trump's team had to deal with COVID-19, it made a critical mistake—with a cost
[NB: It's an old trick -- when you screw up and your opponents criticize you for it, you blame THEM for taking political advantage of a bad situation that you created.]
More: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/02/28/for-trump-coronavirus-is-a-public-relations-issue/
For Trump, Coronavirus Is a Public Relations Issue
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-identifies-the-real-coronavirus-victim-his-presidency
According to three sources who have independently discussed the crisis with him in the last three weeks, Trump has appeared preoccupied with his theory that liberals and the press were attempting to use coronavirus to make him “look bad” prior to the November election. . . .
https://politicalwire.com/2020/02/28/trump-tells-supporters-coronavirus-is-a-hoax/
“President Trump on Friday night tried to cast the global outbreak of the coronavirus as a liberal conspiracy intended to undermine his first term, lumping it alongside impeachment and the Mueller investigation” . . . Said Trump: “The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. They’re politicizing it. They don’t have any clue . . .” Then Trump called the coronavirus “their new hoax.”
There is no bottom to their malevolence
https://www.salon.com/2020/02/28/don-jr-democrats-hope-coronavirus-comes-here-and-kills-millions-to-end-my-dads-winning-streak_partner/
Don Jr.: Democrats "hope coronavirus comes here and kills millions" to end my dad's winning streak
Blaming the messenger
https://politicalwire.com/2020/02/28/mulvaney-admits-coronavirus-may-cause-disruptions/
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledged that the coronavirus is likely to cause disruptions to everyday life, such as school closures and changes to public transportation, Bloomberg reports. Said Mulvaney: “Are you going to see some schools shut down? Probably. Maybe see impacts on public transportation? Sure, but we do this. We know how to handle this.” He added: “Really what I’d like to do today to calm the markets is tell people to turn their televisions off for 24 hours.” Mulvaney also claimed that the media is only covering the virus because they believe doing so will “take down the president.”
More: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/28/mick-mulvaney-blames-the-media-for-coronavirus-panic-118133
Here's the precise moment when Dr. Anthony Fauci ended up on Trump's s--t list
https://digbysblog.net/2020/02/pence-muzzles-dr-fauci-for-contradicting-trump-on-the-speed-of-making-vaccine-spockosbrain/
More: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/485147-rep-garamendi-nih-director-fauci-cancelled-on-five-sunday-talk-shows-after
Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) on Friday said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was told to "stand down" and not appear on five Sunday morning talk shows to discuss the coronavirus . . . "I can repeat what he said, he said, 'I was not muzzled. However, I was to go on the Sunday talk shows five of them. The vice president’s office then took over the control of this situation, and told me to stand down, not to do those shows,'" Garamendi said, quoting Fauci.
So VP Pence is supposedly "heading up" the coronavirus response (giving Trump someone else to blame if it goes badly). But you couldn't tell it from his schedule
More: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/02/28/for-trump-coronavirus-is-a-public-relations-issue/
For Trump, Coronavirus Is a Public Relations Issue
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-identifies-the-real-coronavirus-victim-his-presidency
According to three sources who have independently discussed the crisis with him in the last three weeks, Trump has appeared preoccupied with his theory that liberals and the press were attempting to use coronavirus to make him “look bad” prior to the November election. . . .
https://politicalwire.com/2020/02/28/trump-tells-supporters-coronavirus-is-a-hoax/
“President Trump on Friday night tried to cast the global outbreak of the coronavirus as a liberal conspiracy intended to undermine his first term, lumping it alongside impeachment and the Mueller investigation” . . . Said Trump: “The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. They’re politicizing it. They don’t have any clue . . .” Then Trump called the coronavirus “their new hoax.”
There is no bottom to their malevolence
https://www.salon.com/2020/02/28/don-jr-democrats-hope-coronavirus-comes-here-and-kills-millions-to-end-my-dads-winning-streak_partner/
Don Jr.: Democrats "hope coronavirus comes here and kills millions" to end my dad's winning streak
Blaming the messenger
https://politicalwire.com/2020/02/28/mulvaney-admits-coronavirus-may-cause-disruptions/
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledged that the coronavirus is likely to cause disruptions to everyday life, such as school closures and changes to public transportation, Bloomberg reports. Said Mulvaney: “Are you going to see some schools shut down? Probably. Maybe see impacts on public transportation? Sure, but we do this. We know how to handle this.” He added: “Really what I’d like to do today to calm the markets is tell people to turn their televisions off for 24 hours.” Mulvaney also claimed that the media is only covering the virus because they believe doing so will “take down the president.”
More: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/28/mick-mulvaney-blames-the-media-for-coronavirus-panic-118133
Here's the precise moment when Dr. Anthony Fauci ended up on Trump's s--t list
https://digbysblog.net/2020/02/pence-muzzles-dr-fauci-for-contradicting-trump-on-the-speed-of-making-vaccine-spockosbrain/
More: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/485147-rep-garamendi-nih-director-fauci-cancelled-on-five-sunday-talk-shows-after
Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) on Friday said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was told to "stand down" and not appear on five Sunday morning talk shows to discuss the coronavirus . . . "I can repeat what he said, he said, 'I was not muzzled. However, I was to go on the Sunday talk shows five of them. The vice president’s office then took over the control of this situation, and told me to stand down, not to do those shows,'" Garamendi said, quoting Fauci.
So VP Pence is supposedly "heading up" the coronavirus response (giving Trump someone else to blame if it goes badly). But you couldn't tell it from his schedule
https://politicalwire.com/2020/02/28/huckabee-makes-bizarre-defense-of-trump/
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee told Fox & Friends that President Trump didn’t get enough credit for what he’s done to halt the spread of coronavirus. Said Huckabee: “He could personally suck the virus out of every one of the 60,000 people in the world, suck it out of their lungs, swim to the bottom of the ocean and spit it out, and he would be accused of pollution for messing up the ocean.”
https://crooksandliars.com/2020/02/midst-two-crises-trump-meets-diamond-and-0
In Midst Of Two Crises, Trump Meets With Diamond And Silk
[NB: They like me! And they're black! Therefore, blacks should like me!]
Trump is lackadaisical about the coronavirus, but it's ALL HANDS ON DECK to try to do something about the stock market
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/28/1922834/-Trump-administration-considers-this-is-not-a-joke-tax-cuts-to-respond-to-coronavirus
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/28/interest-rate-cut-federal-reserve-118207
In investigation news . . .
John Ratcliffe did a good job defending Trump during the impeachment hearings -- which included casting doubts on the intelligence community -- so now Trump wants to make him the head of it
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/28/1922859/-Trump-says-he-s-going-to-nominate-the-guy-Republicans-rejected-last-year-to-intelligence-chief
Trump says he's going to nominate the guy Republicans rejected last year as intelligence chief
More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-appoints-congressman-john-ratcliffe-to-be-director-of-national-intelligence
Ratcliffe, a large Trump donor, dropped out from the nomination process last year, blaming unfair media coverage. But shortly after Trump announced his initial nomination of Ratcliffe, U.S. media organizations have published multiple reports of holes in the congressman’s biography and his exaggeration of the work he did as a former U.S. Attorney in Texas.
GOP Senator is telling people privately that a Biden investigation could help the Russians
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/report-gop-senate-intel-chair-worried-biden-investigations-could-backfire
Good luck!
https://www.thedailybeast.com/nadler-demands-barr-hands-over-trump-messages-related-to-stone-sentencing
Judiciary Committee Demands Barr Hands Over Trump Messages Related to Stone Sentencing
More: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/nadler-barr-letter-stone-case-prosecutor-interviews
House Democrats are seeking interviews with several Justice Department officials that could speak to improper political interference in the Department, including the handful of prosecutors who quit Roger Stone’s case over a sentencing dispute...
A big win for Trump
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/dc-circuit-appeals-court-mcgahn-ruling-trump-win
A federal appeals court in D.C. gave President Trump a major legal win on Friday by refusing to enforce the House’s subpoena of former White House Counsel Don McGahn.
More: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/dissent-excoriates-mcgahn-decision-for-assuring-future-presidential-stonewalling
Dissent Excoriates McGahn Decision For Assuring ‘Future Presidential Stonewalling’
In other news . . .
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/report-gop-senate-intel-chair-worried-biden-investigations-could-backfire
Good luck!
https://www.thedailybeast.com/nadler-demands-barr-hands-over-trump-messages-related-to-stone-sentencing
Judiciary Committee Demands Barr Hands Over Trump Messages Related to Stone Sentencing
More: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/nadler-barr-letter-stone-case-prosecutor-interviews
House Democrats are seeking interviews with several Justice Department officials that could speak to improper political interference in the Department, including the handful of prosecutors who quit Roger Stone’s case over a sentencing dispute...
A big win for Trump
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/dc-circuit-appeals-court-mcgahn-ruling-trump-win
A federal appeals court in D.C. gave President Trump a major legal win on Friday by refusing to enforce the House’s subpoena of former White House Counsel Don McGahn.
More: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/dissent-excoriates-mcgahn-decision-for-assuring-future-presidential-stonewalling
Dissent Excoriates McGahn Decision For Assuring ‘Future Presidential Stonewalling’
In other news . . .
Nothing is going right for Elizabeth Warren -- and now she might lose the primary in her home state
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/28/warren-sanders-massachusetts-118054
The one thing people do respect about Fox World is their polling department. But since they show Trump losing, he has to attack it
https://crooksandliars.com/2020/02/trump-flips-out-about-new-fox-news
52% of the country would vote him out of office right now as opposed to 42% that said they would not. . . . [read on]
More: https://www.vox.com/2020/2/28/21157803/trump-fox-news-poll-losing-to-biden-sanders-bloomberg
There are fewer registered Republicans than Independents
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/485255-there-are-fewer-registered-republicans-than-independents-for-the-first-time
Is the Dem race going to come down to Sanders/Biden?
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-02-28/south-carolina-primary-what-democrats-should-expect-k765mv8g
We’re probably at a tipping point. The more it looks like no one will win a majority, the more the also-rans have an incentive to stay in and win enough delegates to hope to have some clout at the convention. Take, for example, Amy Klobuchar. After disappointing in Nevada, Klobuchar no longer appears to have any realistic chance at winning the nomination. She’s polling in single digits nationally and in South Carolina; her plausible path involved Biden’s collapse, which was certainly possible but hasn’t happened. Still, Silver’s model projects her to win about 65 delegates if she sticks around. That's not much, but if her delegates would vote for the candidate of her choice in a contested convention, it might be worth the costs of staying in. . . . [read on]
Disturbing
https://politicalwire.com/2020/02/28/why-trump-isnt-trying-to-bring-down-bernie/
“Team Trump views Sanders as the weakest candidate left on the Democratic side, and isn’t eager to do anything to impede his rise, several of the president’s past and present political advisers told me. They seem to see Sanders as a no-lose proposition: The president wins whether the senator from Vermont captures the nomination or not.” “Should Sanders prevail, Trump’s strategy will be to spotlight his democratic-socialist identity in an attempt to make voters fear he’ll take away their freedom. (Trump will try to brand any Democratic nominee a socialist—Team Trump just thinks it’ll be easier with the guy whose self-description includes the word.)” “If Sanders falters, Trump will argue that he was unfairly robbed of a nomination he earned. Trump has long stoked suspicions of an anti-Sanders conspiracy within the Democratic Party, for what seems to be two purposes: leaving Sanders’s following so disillusioned that they stay home on Election Day, or perhaps persuading them to switch sides and vote Republican. Sanders may not need Trump, but for the time being, Trump needs Sanders.”
More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/at-cpac-they-hate-socialism-but-love-bernie-sanders
[NB: I will say that the political spin business also includes the double-reverse Br'er Rabbit psych-out. We actually fear Sanders, so we say we want him because he's so easy to beat, and then maybe that will scare the Dems away from nominating him. But sometimes you can overthink these things.]
https://politicalwire.com/2020/02/28/why-trump-isnt-trying-to-bring-down-bernie/
“Team Trump views Sanders as the weakest candidate left on the Democratic side, and isn’t eager to do anything to impede his rise, several of the president’s past and present political advisers told me. They seem to see Sanders as a no-lose proposition: The president wins whether the senator from Vermont captures the nomination or not.” “Should Sanders prevail, Trump’s strategy will be to spotlight his democratic-socialist identity in an attempt to make voters fear he’ll take away their freedom. (Trump will try to brand any Democratic nominee a socialist—Team Trump just thinks it’ll be easier with the guy whose self-description includes the word.)” “If Sanders falters, Trump will argue that he was unfairly robbed of a nomination he earned. Trump has long stoked suspicions of an anti-Sanders conspiracy within the Democratic Party, for what seems to be two purposes: leaving Sanders’s following so disillusioned that they stay home on Election Day, or perhaps persuading them to switch sides and vote Republican. Sanders may not need Trump, but for the time being, Trump needs Sanders.”
More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/at-cpac-they-hate-socialism-but-love-bernie-sanders
[NB: I will say that the political spin business also includes the double-reverse Br'er Rabbit psych-out. We actually fear Sanders, so we say we want him because he's so easy to beat, and then maybe that will scare the Dems away from nominating him. But sometimes you can overthink these things.]
Bonus item: Bad Lip Reading does Trump's State of the Union speech
https://crooksandliars.com/2020/02/long-last-bad-lip-reading-sotu-2020
https://crooksandliars.com/2020/02/long-last-bad-lip-reading-sotu-2020
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