thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Trump Quickly Proves Senators Hoping He Would ‘Learn A Lesson’ Were Wrong

WASHINGTON ― Two decades after President Bill Clinton apologized to the nation for the actions that led to his impeachment , President Donald Trump also apologized ― not for his actions , but for the “ very evil and sick people ” who put his family through “ a phony , rotten deal.
” Clinton took one minute and 19 seconds to deliver his prepared statement after his Senate acquittal in 1999 on charges based on his affair with a White House intern .
It was 129 words long , and included : “ I want to say again to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am for what I said and did to trigger these events and the great burden they have imposed on the Congress and on the American people.
” He walked away from the lectern when asked if he felt vindicated .
Trump on the day after his Senate acquittal on charges he tried to cheat in his reelection bid took an hour and three minutes to deliver 9,400 words of rambling attacks against Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California for starting impeachment proceedings against him , Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney for voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and FBI agents involved in a previous investigation against him , as well as praise for those who voted to clear him .
“ On the madness meter we ’ ve blown past ( President Richard ) Nixon ’ s late-night conversations with portraits , ” said John Weaver , a former campaign aide to the late Arizona Sen. John McCain and now the founder of the Republican anti-Trump group , Lincoln Project .
“ Trump is now both completely unhinged and unfettered , so we ’ re in a danger zone thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Senate on Wednesday voted 52-48 to acquit Trump on the charge of abuse of power for coercing Ukraine into helping his re-election and 53-47 on the charge he obstructed Congress in his efforts to keep it all secret .
All Senate Democrats voted to convict Trump on both articles .
All Republicans voted to acquit him on the second count , and all but Romney on the first .
For his statement “ to discuss our Country ’ s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax !
” as he had previewed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting , Trump had the East Room arranged with some 220 chairs set around a podium .
He invited his Cabinet members , staff , Republicans in Congress as well as outside supporters , including Laura Ingraham of Fox News and Kay Cole James of the Heritage Foundation .
They gave Trump an extended standing ovation , cheering and whooping as he entered .
While Trump repeated some of his usual boasts ― including the baseless claim that the stock market “ would have crashed ” had Democrat Hillary Clinton won the presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-the-cuff remarks were about the just concluded impeachment , which he claimed really began with special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s probe into his campaign ’ s links to Russia .
“ We were treated unbelievably unfairly .
And you have to understand we first went through Russia , Russia , Russia .
It was all bullshit , ” Trump said .
“ Had I not fired James Comey , who was a disaster , by the way , it ’ s possible I wouldn ’ t even be standing here right now.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump asked for “ loyalty.
” Trump fired him , and then the following day told the Russian ambassador during an Oval Office visit that doing so would relieve the pressure of the Russia investigation that was then in the hands of the FBI .
Mueller was appointed to take over the probe shortly thereafter .
Mueller ’ s report in April 2019 found that while Trump had been eager for Russia ’ s help and had used it heading into the election , the special counsel ’ s team could not prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find numerous instances that Trump had tried to obstruct justice by blocking the investigation , but Congress did not pursue impeachment .
At about that same time , Trump , through his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , had started an effort to pressure Volodymyr Zelensky , Ukraine ’ s newly elected president , to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden , whom Trump at the time believed would be his most dangerous Democratic opponent in 2020 .
Trump also wanted Zelensky to probe a discredited conspiracy theory suggesting that Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 campaign and that instead Ukrainian officials had framed Russia in an attempt to help Clinton .
Testimony to the House Intelligence Committee , corroborated by a rough transcript of Trump ’ s call with Zelensky released by Trump himself , showed that the U.S. president used as leverage both $ 391 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to help it fight Russian aggression , as well as the lure of a White House meeting .

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WASHINGTON ― Two decades after President Bill Clinton apologized to the nation for the actions that led to his impeachment, President Donald Trump also apologized ― not for his actions, but for the “very evil and sick people” who put his family through “a phony, rotten deal.”
Clinton took one minute and 19 seconds to deliver his prepared statement after his Senate acquittal in 1999 on charges based on his affair with a White House intern. It was 129 words long, and included: “I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did to trigger these events and the great burden they have imposed on the Congress and on the American people.” He walked away from the lectern when asked if he felt vindicated.
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President Donald Trump holds up a newspaper trumpeting his acquittal as he spoke in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trump on the day after his Senate acquittal on charges he tried to cheat in his reelection bid took an hour and three minutes to deliver 9,400 words of rambling attacks against Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California for starting impeachment proceedings against him, Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney for voting to convict him, and the prosecutors and FBI agents involved in a previous investigation against him, as well as praise for those who voted to clear him.
“This is really not a news conference. It’s not a speech. It’s not anything. It’s just … a celebration,” Trump said in the chandeliered and gold-curtained East Room, typically the site for joint appearances with foreign leaders and other official events.
“On the madness meter we’ve blown past (President Richard) Nixon’s late-night conversations with portraits,” said John Weaver, a former campaign aide to the late Arizona Sen. John McCain and now the founder of the Republican anti-Trump group, Lincoln Project. “Trump is now both completely unhinged and unfettered, so we’re in a danger zone thanks in large part to the GOP Senate.”
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Bandy Lee, a Yale University professor of psychiatry who has warned of Trump’s mental state for years, said Thursday’s performance was yet more proof.
“The speech was a demonstration of pathology from start to finish,” she said. “He, more than anyone, ‘knows’ subconsciously that the acquittal is undeserved …. He will likely act with increasing belief in unlimited power and impunity.”
The Senate on Wednesday voted 52-48 to acquit Trump on the charge of abuse of power for coercing Ukraine into helping his re-election and 53-47 on the charge he obstructed Congress in his efforts to keep it all secret. All Senate Democrats voted to convict Trump on both articles. All Republicans voted to acquit him on the second count, and all but Romney on the first.
For his statement “to discuss our Country’s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!” as he had previewed it on Wednesday shortly after the Senate finished voting, Trump had the East Room arranged with some 220 chairs set around a podium. He invited his Cabinet members, staff, Republicans in Congress as well as outside supporters, including Laura Ingraham of Fox News and Kay Cole James of the Heritage Foundation. They gave Trump an extended standing ovation, cheering and whooping as he entered.
“The speech was a demonstration of pathology from start to finish.” - Yale University psychiatry professor Bandy Lee
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While Trump repeated some of his usual boasts ― including the baseless claim that the stock market “would have crashed” had Democrat Hillary Clinton won the presidency in 2016 ― the bulk of his off-the-cuff remarks were about the just concluded impeachment, which he claimed really began with special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into his campaign’s links to Russia.
“We were treated unbelievably unfairly. And you have to understand we first went through Russia, Russia, Russia. It was all bullshit,” Trump said. “Had I not fired James Comey, who was a disaster, by the way, it’s possible I wouldn’t even be standing here right now.”
Comey was the FBI director whom Trump asked for “loyalty.” Trump fired him, and then the following day told the Russian ambassador during an Oval Office visit that doing so would relieve the pressure of the Russia investigation that was then in the hands of the FBI. Mueller was appointed to take over the probe shortly thereafter.
Mueller’s report in April 2019 found that while Trump had been eager for Russia’s help and had used it heading into the election, the special counsel’s team could not prove a criminal conspiracy. The report did find numerous instances that Trump had tried to obstruct justice by blocking the investigation, but Congress did not pursue impeachment.
At about that same time, Trump, through his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, had started an effort to pressure Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s newly elected president, to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, whom Trump at the time believed would be his most dangerous Democratic opponent in 2020. Trump also wanted Zelensky to probe a discredited conspiracy theory suggesting that Russia had not tried to help the Trump 2016 campaign and that instead Ukrainian officials had framed Russia in an attempt to help Clinton.
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Testimony to the House Intelligence Committee, corroborated by a rough transcript of Trump’s call with Zelensky released by Trump himself, showed that the U.S. president used as leverage both $391 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to help it fight Russian aggression, as well as the lure of a White House meeting.
Republicans led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky nevertheless acquitted Trump. Some GOP senators, including Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, argued that the impeachment ordeal would make Trump think twice before doing something similar again.
Trump’s own words Thursday suggest that hope is misplaced.
“We went through hell, unfairly,” he said. “I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong.”
Trump’s White House remarks followed a visit earlier to the National Prayer Breakfast, where he impugned both Romney’s and Pelosi’s religious conviction ― with his campaign later posting a clip of those insults on Twitter.
“Narcissistic sociopaths do not change, do not learn lessons,” said Norman Ornstein with the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute. “This was just what anybody who has watched Trump at all would expect. It reflects badly on all those in his audience. But especially badly on 52 Republican senators who chose party over country.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Brian Kilmeade Slams Pelosi As Too Emotional: 'I Don't Want To Get Into Gender'

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade contrasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) on Thursday , claiming that while he didn ’ t want to “ get into gender , ” Pelosi was allowing her emotions to get the best of her .
Kilmeade made the comments on “ Outnumbered , ” a Fox News talk show featuring four female panelists and one male perspective .
The panel was discussing Pelosi ’ s recent comments about President Donald Trump in a Thursday press conference .
Ahead of his State of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handshake from Pelosi , which she later said in her morning press conference “ meant nothing ” to her .
“ I extended a hand of friendship to him to welcome him as the president of the United States to the People ’ s House , ” she continued .
“ It was also an act of kindness because he looked to me like he was a little sedated .
He looked that way last year , too.
” During the Fox News segment , host Harris Faulkner mentioned that McConnell felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support impeachment , prompting Kilmeade to make a comparison between the two .
“ I ’ m going to bring something else up .
Compare Mitch McConnell ― you could say the worst thing to Mitch McConnell ... it doesn ’ t faze him .
Everyone makes fun of him , ‘ Well , he ’ s so blank.
’ He keeps his eye on the objective , ” Kilmeade said .
“ Nancy Pelosi is letting the emotion get the best of her .
And I don ’ t want to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with gender , ” he added , as Faulkner interjected .
Kilmeade continued : “ No , but I ’ m not getting into gender , but she is emotionally losing it in every public event.
” Pelosi tore up a copy of the president ’ s State of the Union address on Tuesday , and defended her actions in her regular Thursday morning press conference , saying that the act was a deliberate , premeditated statement to represent her stand against the “ misrepresentations ” peddled by Trump in the speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first portion of the address , she sought to identify “ something that clearly indicates to the American people that this is not the truth .
”

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Fox News host Brian Kilmeade contrasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday, claiming that while he didn’t want to “get into gender,” Pelosi was allowing her emotions to get the best of her.
Kilmeade made the comments on “Outnumbered,” a Fox News talk show featuring four female panelists and one male perspective. The panel was discussing Pelosi’s recent comments about President Donald Trump in a Thursday press conference.
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Ahead of his State of the Union address, Trump appeared to decline a handshake from Pelosi, which she later said in her morning press conference “meant nothing” to her.
“I extended a hand of friendship to him to welcome him as the president of the United States to the People’s House,” she continued. “It was also an act of kindness because he looked to me like he was a little sedated. He looked that way last year, too.”
During the Fox News segment, host Harris Faulkner mentioned that McConnell felt sorry for Pelosi over her decision to support impeachment, prompting Kilmeade to make a comparison between the two.
“I’m going to bring something else up. Compare Mitch McConnell ― you could say the worst thing to Mitch McConnell... it doesn’t faze him. Everyone makes fun of him, ‘Well, he’s so blank.’ He keeps his eye on the objective,” Kilmeade said.
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“Nancy Pelosi is letting the emotion get the best of her. And I don’t want to get into gender, it has nothing to do with gender,” he added, as Faulkner interjected.
“No, please don’t,” Faulkner said.
Kilmeade continued: “No, but I’m not getting into gender, but she is emotionally losing it in every public event.”
Pelosi tore up a copy of the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, and defended her actions in her regular Thursday morning press conference, saying that the act was a deliberate, premeditated statement to represent her stand against the “misrepresentations” peddled by Trump in the speech.
Pelosi said that after hearing the first portion of the address, she sought to identify “something that clearly indicates to the American people that this is not the truth.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Trump-Supporting 4chan Trolls Reportedly Flooded Iowa Caucus Hotline With Calls

Right-wing backers of President Donald Trump posted the number of the Iowa caucuses reporting hotline on 4chan and encouraged flooding the lines , exacerbating problems already disrupting the caucuses , NBC and Bloomberg reported .
“ Clog the lines , ” several participants urged on the often-extremist internet message board after the caucuses ’ voting reporting app malfunctioned and forced precinct chairs to report results via the hotline .
Soon , the phone volunteers who were supposed to be recording caucus results from precinct chairs on Monday night were also fielding calls from trolls attacking Democrats and expressing support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lines , then hung up when volunteers answered .
The communications director for the Iowa Democratic Party , Mandy McClure , confirmed in a statement that there was an “ unusually high volume of inbound phone calls to its caucus hotline , including [ by ] supporters of President Trump.
” The “ unexplained and at times hostile ” calls “ contributed to the delay in the Iowa Democratic Party ’ s collection of results , ” she added .
Some 4chan users boasted online about their impact by posting increasing wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others continued to urge more phone calls .
“ Make the call lads , ” said one .
“ Uh oh , how unfortunate it would be for a bunch of mischief makers to start clogging the lines , ” another reportedly mocked .
Rob Sand , Iowa ’ s state auditor , said the huge influx of calls appeared to have been triggered by an internet post .
“ A lot of calls came in at a certain point where it was clear somebody had published the hotline number somewhere , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Party staff members noted repeated fake calls and blocked the numbers from callers who were apparently trying to deliberately disrupt the process .
According to NBC , some on 4chan later denied being responsible for caucus night problems .
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said officials “ don ’ t know anything about this , ” adding : “ It ’ s laughable that they would try to blame Trump for their own incompetence.
” Participants on 4chan , who are anonymous , have a reputation for political trolling and online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls or flood comments to skew results .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if a deliberate disruption of the Iowa election reporting process could be prosecuted as a crime .

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Right-wing backers of President Donald Trump posted the number of the Iowa caucuses reporting hotline on 4chan and encouraged flooding the lines, exacerbating problems already disrupting the caucuses, NBC and Bloomberg reported.
“Clog the lines,” several participants urged on the often-extremist internet message board after the caucuses’ voting reporting app malfunctioned and forced precinct chairs to report results via the hotline.
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Soon, the phone volunteers who were supposed to be recording caucus results from precinct chairs on Monday night were also fielding calls from trolls attacking Democrats and expressing support for Trump. Other callers simply tied up the lines, then hung up when volunteers answered.
Democratic Party leaders were told of the phone attack in a conference call Wednesday night, Bloomberg reported.
The communications director for the Iowa Democratic Party, Mandy McClure, confirmed in a statement that there was an “unusually high volume of inbound phone calls to its caucus hotline, including [by] supporters of President Trump.” The “unexplained and at times hostile” calls “contributed to the delay in the Iowa Democratic Party’s collection of results,” she added.
Some 4chan users boasted online about their impact by posting increasing wait times on the message board, while others continued to urge more phone calls. “Make the call lads,” said one. “Uh oh, how unfortunate it would be for a bunch of mischief makers to start clogging the lines,” another reportedly mocked.
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Rob Sand, Iowa’s state auditor, said the huge influx of calls appeared to have been triggered by an internet post. “A lot of calls came in at a certain point where it was clear somebody had published the hotline number somewhere,” Sand told NBC.
Other volunteers and Democratic Party staff members noted repeated fake calls and blocked the numbers from callers who were apparently trying to deliberately disrupt the process.
According to NBC, some on 4chan later denied being responsible for caucus night problems. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said officials “don’t know anything about this,” adding: “It’s laughable that they would try to blame Trump for their own incompetence.”
Participants on 4chan, who are anonymous, have a reputation for political trolling and online harassment campaigns. They often swarm online polls or flood comments to skew results. It wasn’t immediately clear if a deliberate disruption of the Iowa election reporting process could be prosecuted as a crime.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Lindsey Graham Figures When He Dies, God Will Be Cool With Him Acquitting Trump

Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) doesn ’ t think he ’ ll be judged for his decision to acquit President Donald Trump when he meets his maker .
After the Senate voted to acquit the president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in his impeachment trial Wednesday , the senator mocked the one Republican colleague who voted against the president , Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) , on Fox News radio .
Graham called in to “ The Brian Kilmeade Show ” on Thursday and responded to a religious component in Romney ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was abiding by his oath to God when he made his “ difficult decision ” to break from his party and vote guilty .
Graham said that , although he “ always liked ” Romney , he personally felt that voting to acquit Trump was the “ easiest decision I ’ ve ever had to make.
” “ All I can tell you is that God gave us free will and common sense .
I used the common sense God gave me to understand this was a bunch of BS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , they were going to impeach him the day he got elected and if you can ’ t see through this , your religion is clouding your thinking here , ” he said .
“ When I go to meet God at the pearly gates , I don ’ t think he ’ s going to ask me , ‘ Why didn ’ t you convict Trump ?
’ I may be wrong , but I don ’ t think that ’ s going to be at the top of the list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced fierce rebukes from Republicans since his vote Friday to call witnesses to testify in the Senate trial and his vote Wednesday to convict the president on the abuse of power charge .
He was publicly told he would not be welcome at this year ’ s Conservative Political Action Conference and was the subject of a hashtag calling for his expulsion from the GOP , pushed by Donald Trump Jr .
In an interview with The Atlantic before his Senate floor announcement , Romney had acknowledged he knew his decision could leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) doesn’t think he’ll be judged for his decision to acquit President Donald Trump when he meets his maker.
After the Senate voted to acquit the president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in his impeachment trial Wednesday, the senator mocked the one Republican colleague who voted against the president, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), on Fox News radio.
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Graham called in to “The Brian Kilmeade Show” on Thursday and responded to a religious component in Romney’s speech. The Utah senator had said that he was abiding by his oath to God when he made his “difficult decision” to break from his party and vote guilty.
Graham said that, although he “always liked” Romney, he personally felt that voting to acquit Trump was the “easiest decision I’ve ever had to make.”
“All I can tell you is that God gave us free will and common sense. I used the common sense God gave me to understand this was a bunch of BS,” Graham said.
“They hate Trump, they were going to impeach him the day he got elected and if you can’t see through this, your religion is clouding your thinking here,” he said.
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“When I go to meet God at the pearly gates, I don’t think he’s going to ask me, ‘Why didn’t you convict Trump?’ I may be wrong, but I don’t think that’s going to be at the top of the list,” Graham said.
Romney has faced fierce rebukes from Republicans since his vote Friday to call witnesses to testify in the Senate trial and his vote Wednesday to convict the president on the abuse of power charge. He was publicly told he would not be welcome at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference and was the subject of a hashtag calling for his expulsion from the GOP, pushed by Donald Trump Jr.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Ex-Ethics Chief: This Is Just The Start Of Donald Trump's Authoritarianism

Walter Shaub late Thursday said “ we ’ re now in the heads-on-pikes phase of burgeoning authoritarianism ” following the GOP-controlled Senate ’ s vote to acquit President Donald Trump on impeachment charges .
The former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics tweeted a list of the moves that Trump and his allies are now making , and the people they are attacking , such as Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) , the lone Senate Republican who voted to convict the president over the Ukraine scandal .
Shaub warned : “ This is just the start.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of burgeoning authoritarianism : - Trump is going after witnesses for testifying to Congress - Trump and his allies are going after Romney - Senators , with help from Trump 's Treasury Dept.
, are going after Trump 's political rival and his son — Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) February 7 , 2020 2/ - Senators are preparing to go after the whistleblower - DHS is going after New York - Barr is investigating DOJ employees for investigating Trump - Barr issued a policy requiring DOJ investigations of Trump or his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just the start .
— Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) February 7 , 2020 Shaub has become a fierce critic of the Trump administration since leaving his position within it in mid-2017 .
He earlier shared this graphic from the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ( where he is a senior adviser ) detailing the president ’ s alleged conflicts of interest during his time in office :

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Walter Shaub late Thursday said “we’re in the heads-on-pikes phase of burgeoning authoritarianism” following the GOP-controlled Senate’s vote to acquit President Donald Trump on impeachment charges.
The former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics tweeted a list of the moves that Trump and his allies are now making, and the people they are attacking, such as Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the lone Senate Republican who voted to convict the president over the Ukraine scandal.
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Shaub warned: “This is just the start.”
Check out Shaub’s tweets here:
1/
We're in the heads-on-pikes phase of burgeoning authoritarianism:
- Trump is going after witnesses for testifying to Congress
- Trump and his allies are going after Romney
- Senators, with help from Trump's Treasury Dept., are going after Trump's political rival and his son — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 7, 2020
2/
- Senators are preparing to go after the whistleblower
- DHS is going after New York
- Barr is investigating DOJ employees for investigating Trump
- Barr issued a policy requiring DOJ investigations of Trump or his political rivals to go through Barr
This is just the start. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 7, 2020
Shaub has become a fierce critic of the Trump administration since leaving his position within it in mid-2017.
He earlier shared this graphic from the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (where he is a senior adviser) detailing the president’s alleged conflicts of interest during his time in office:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Mitt Romney Gets Love From Democrats, Even As 2020 Candidates Ignore Trump Acquittal

DERRY , N.H. ― As President Donald Trump was in Washington on Thursday celebrating his acquittal on impeachment charges , the Democratic presidential candidates were in New Hampshire largely ignoring the entire issue .
At a rally in Derry , Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( Mass . )
only briefly alluded to impeachment by saying , “ You can not embarrass Republicans in the Senate , ” and pointing to the “ fake trial ” after an attendee asked her about the judges the Republicans have been pushing through to the federal bench .
“ I think people pretty much knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said New Hampshire state Rep. Erika Connors ( D ) , who was at Warren ’ s event and is leaning toward endorsing her in Tuesday ’ s primary .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s really surprised anybody the way that the presidency has been going so far .
I don ’ t think it ’ s going to have much of an impact on the election.
” But impeachment did come up ― from the voters .
And Sen. Mitt Romney ( Utah ) was the talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican to vote to convict Trump .
Karen Facques , a schoolteacher from Bedford , was at Buttigieg ’ s event on Thursday .
At the end of a discussion about why she ’ s deciding between voting for Buttigieg or Sanders , she wanted to talk about a different man .
A woman stood outside Pete Buttigieg 's town hall in Merrimack , New Hampshire , to give thanks to Sen. Mitt Romney for voting to convict President Donald Trump on one impeachment charge .
“ I hope that the party can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I was glad they were at least unified in their vote yesterday.
” “ He ’ s a hero for me right this moment , ” she said .
“ But I liked him as governor in Massachusetts .
He did a good job down there ― brought a lot of change down there .
Good for him to stand up.
” Romney has been facing a far more hostile reception from some members of his own party .
Donald Trump Jr. said Romney should be expelled from the GOP .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points .
And the president himself took a swipe at Romney , who ran for president as the Republican nominee in 2012 , at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday .
“ I don ’ t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong , ” Trump said .
“ I am very proud that he did that , ” said Valverde , of West Newbury , Massachusetts , which is on the border with New Hampshire .
“ He is a man of his convictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is totally not right .
The man really voted the way his conscience went , which a lot of other people should have , but they didn ’ t .
I give him a lot of credit .
”

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DERRY, N.H. ― As President Donald Trump was in Washington on Thursday celebrating his acquittal on impeachment charges, the Democratic presidential candidates were in New Hampshire largely ignoring the entire issue.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) held a press conference in Manchester for more than 20 minutes. Impeachment never came up.
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Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg held a town hall with veterans in Merrimack. No mention of impeachment.
At a rally in Derry, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) only briefly alluded to impeachment by saying, “You cannot embarrass Republicans in the Senate,” and pointing to the “fake trial” after an attendee asked her about the judges the Republicans have been pushing through to the federal bench.
“I think people pretty much knew how it was going to go,” said New Hampshire state Rep. Erika Connors (D), who was at Warren’s event and is leaning toward endorsing her in Tuesday’s primary. “I don’t think it’s really surprised anybody the way that the presidency has been going so far. I don’t think it’s going to have much of an impact on the election.”
But impeachment did come up ― from the voters. And Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) was the talk of the town for being the only Republican to vote to convict Trump.
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Karen Facques, a schoolteacher from Bedford, was at Buttigieg’s event on Thursday. At the end of a discussion about why she’s deciding between voting for Buttigieg or Sanders, she wanted to talk about a different man.
“On a separate note, can we give a shoutout to Mitt Romney?” she said. “In a nonpartisan way, just as a citizen ... it was just nice to have someone say, ‘I’m making it on principle and not out of political leanings or fear-based decision-making.’ It was just very refreshing to hear in this time.” Another woman stood out in the cold and slush with signs going after the “scumbags” in the Republican Party ― except Romney.
A woman stood outside Pete Buttigieg's town hall in Merrimack, New Hampshire, to give thanks to Sen. Mitt Romney for voting to convict President Donald Trump on one impeachment charge. Amanda Terkel/HuffPost
Lorrie Belinsky, an independent retired school administrator from Derry, was at Warren’s event. She’s deciding between Warren, Buttigieg and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). She said she’s worried about the “damage” to the Democratic Party right now because of “the situation that’s been going on.” The Iowa caucuses? Nope, impeachment.
“I hope that the party can be unified,” Belinsky said. “I was glad they were at least unified in their vote yesterday.”
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And she had plenty of nice things to say about Romney.
“He’s a hero for me right this moment,” she said. “But I liked him as governor in Massachusetts. He did a good job down there ― brought a lot of change down there. Good for him to stand up.”
Romney has been facing a far more hostile reception from some members of his own party. Donald Trump Jr. said Romney should be expelled from the GOP. The White House was also circulating anti-Romney talking points.
And the president himself took a swipe at Romney, who ran for president as the Republican nominee in 2012, at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.
“I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong,” Trump said.
Eleni Valverde had a different take on Romney.
“I am very proud that he did that,” said Valverde, of West Newbury, Massachusetts, which is on the border with New Hampshire. “He is a man of his convictions. And now Trump is slamming him, which is totally not right. The man really voted the way his conscience went, which a lot of other people should have, but they didn’t. I give him a lot of credit.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--Jim Jordan Tapped As Top Republican On Powerful House Judiciary Committee: Report

Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-Ohio ) , one of President Donald Trump ’ s fiercest defenders in Congress , has been selected as the new ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee , according to multiple reports .
The GOP Steering Committee chose Jordan to be the top Republican on the committee with an overwhelming vote on Thursday , both Politico and Axios reported , citing multiple people familiar with the matter .
While the posting must be approved by the full Republican conference , the party usually supports recommendations from the body , and no other lawmaker put their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved , Jordan will take over for Rep. Doug Collins ( R-Ga. ) , also a vocal supporter of the president , who said last month that he would run for one of Georgia ’ s Senate seats later this year .
House GOP rules mandate lawmakers in leadership positions step down if they seek higher office ( although they can ask for a waiver to continue their work ) .
Jordan currently serves as the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee .
That position will be taken by another prominent Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although he is retiring at the end of this year .
Jordan recently served on Trump ’ s defense team during his impeachment trial in the Senate , a process he continually called a “ sham.
” The president was acquitted this week on two articles of impeachment related to a pressure campaign against Ukraine to try to tarnish a political rival .
The Hill noted that Jordan received broad support for the posting .
Both the White House and top Republicans advocated that he be given the Judiciary Committee role .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision for Jim to ultimately take over the Judiciary Committee once Doug steps down next month , and I think Jim ’ s going to do a great job , ” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise ( R-La . )
told The Hill .
“ He ’ s already done a great job on Oversight , and I think that Mark Meadows is going to be a very , very solid replacement for Jim over there.
” Jordan ’ s high-profile role in the trial has been a boon for his reelection prospects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the last quarter of 2019 , an all-time high for the lawmaker that was more than the donations to both of Ohio ’ s U.S. senators .

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Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest defenders in Congress, has been selected as the new ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, according to multiple reports.
The GOP Steering Committee chose Jordan to be the top Republican on the committee with an overwhelming vote on Thursday, both Politico and Axios reported, citing multiple people familiar with the matter. While the posting must be approved by the full Republican conference, the party usually supports recommendations from the body, and no other lawmaker put their name forward for the job.
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Jordan’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
If approved, Jordan will take over for Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), also a vocal supporter of the president, who said last month that he would run for one of Georgia’s Senate seats later this year. House GOP rules mandate lawmakers in leadership positions step down if they seek higher office (although they can ask for a waiver to continue their work).
Jordan currently serves as the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee. That position will be taken by another prominent Republican, Rep. Mark Meadows (N.C.), although he is retiring at the end of this year.
Jordan recently served on Trump’s defense team during his impeachment trial in the Senate, a process he continually called a “sham.” The president was acquitted this week on two articles of impeachment related to a pressure campaign against Ukraine to try to tarnish a political rival.
The Hill noted that Jordan received broad support for the posting. Both the White House and top Republicans advocated that he be given the Judiciary Committee role.
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“I was very supportive of the decision for Jim to ultimately take over the Judiciary Committee once Doug steps down next month, and I think Jim’s going to do a great job,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) told The Hill. “He’s already done a great job on Oversight, and I think that Mark Meadows is going to be a very, very solid replacement for Jim over there.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--After Virtual Tie In Iowa, Pete Buttigieg Looks For His Breakout Moment In New Hampshire

But unlike Sanders , who has broader appeal among Democratic primary voters , the former South Bend mayor ’ s chances of winning the presidential nomination could depend on victory in not only Iowa but also New Hampshire .
Polls have consistently shown that Buttigieg supporters are disproportionately made up of highly educated white Democrats , something that could pose a challenge to his campaign in the more diverse nominating states of Nevada and South Carolina later this month .
That makes the New Hampshire primary even more critical to Buttigieg ’ s campaign .
A victory next Tuesday would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help sustain his operation through Super Tuesday in early March and beyond .
Addressing voters at a forum focused on veterans issues on Thursday , Buttigieg seemed to acknowledge he was in for another kind of fight in a historically unpredictable state that prides itself on its independent-mindedness .
“ I ’ m humbled by the fact New Hampshire is New Hampshire .
It ’ s not the kind of place to let Iowa or anyone else tell you what to do , ” Buttigieg said at a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg has picked up momentum in New Hampshire over the past week .
Sanders continues to lead the Democratic field with 25 % support , but Buttigieg is closing in with a 19 % showing , according to a CBS Boston tracking poll released Wednesday .
In fact , the same poll showed Buttigieg surging 8 points over the past three days .
A clear win in New Hampshire could give Buttigieg what he didn ’ t receive after Iowa : a full boost of momentum that he ( and Sanders ) would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come out earlier and the process hadn ’ t had so many problems .
The true winner in Iowa now may never be known .
Undecided voters who lined up outside Buttigieg ’ s event on Thursday said they were curious to see how he stacked up against the other candidates , citing his charisma and strength on the debate stage as appealing characteristics in a possible Democratic nominee to take on President Donald Trump .
They also said they were more drawn to him because of how well he did in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to know whether Buttigieg is “ the guy who can beat Trump.
” Searle , a retiree from Milford , added : “ How moderate is he ?
How outlandish of spending plans does he have , and if so , how he thinks it ’ s going to fly in the general election ?
Winning the nomination is one thing .
My fear is that if someone like Bernie or Warren gets the nomination it ’ s going to drive a lot of folks like me [ into not voting ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trying to decide whether to support Buttigieg or former Vice President Joe Biden , who finished in a disappointing fourth place in Iowa and who also needs a standout performance in New Hampshire to revive his struggling campaign .
Facques , who teaches in Bedford , said he was turned off somewhat by Biden ’ s recent comments calling into question Buttigieg ’ s qualifications .
Biden had warned that it would be a “ risk ” to nominate someone who “ has never held an office higher than mayor of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That gets underneath my skin , ” Facques said of the comments on Thursday , adding that he was leaning toward supporting Buttigieg .
But he also chided the former mayor for declaring victory in Iowa in a speech on Monday night before any results had even been reported to the public .
Buttigieg ’ s attempt to seize an early victory also caught the attention of Sanders , who held a press conference in New Hampshire on Thursday to discuss the outcome of the caucuses .
The Vermont senator conceded that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good showing in Iowa , what mattered more was his apparent popular vote lead .
No matter who ends up being officially declared a winner , however , it ’ s clear both Buttigieg and Sanders have already benefited in the crucial race for fundraising .
Sanders announced Thursday that his campaign had raised more than $ 25 million in the month of January .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign , meanwhile , announced it had raised nearly $ 3 million just since the Iowa caucuses on Monday .

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MERRIMACK, N.H. ― Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) finished in a near tie in the bungled Iowa caucuses on Monday night, pending outstanding votes that have yet to be reported and a possible audit by the Iowa Democratic Party.
But unlike Sanders, who has broader appeal among Democratic primary voters, the former South Bend mayor’s chances of winning the presidential nomination could depend on victory in not only Iowa but also New Hampshire.
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Polls have consistently shown that Buttigieg supporters are disproportionately made up of highly educated white Democrats, something that could pose a challenge to his campaign in the more diverse nominating states of Nevada and South Carolina later this month. That makes the New Hampshire primary even more critical to Buttigieg’s campaign. A victory next Tuesday would solidify his position in the race and help sustain his operation through Super Tuesday in early March and beyond.
Addressing voters at a forum focused on veterans issues on Thursday, Buttigieg seemed to acknowledge he was in for another kind of fight in a historically unpredictable state that prides itself on its independent-mindedness.
“I’m humbled by the fact New Hampshire is New Hampshire. It’s not the kind of place to let Iowa or anyone else tell you what to do,” Buttigieg said at a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Merrimack.
Pete Buttigieg speaks to veterans and members of the public at a town hall event at the American Legion Post 98 in Merrimack, New Hampshire, on Feb. 6, 2020. JOSEPH PREZIOSO via Getty Images
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There is evidence that Buttigieg has picked up momentum in New Hampshire over the past week. Sanders continues to lead the Democratic field with 25% support, but Buttigieg is closing in with a 19% showing, according to a CBS Boston tracking poll released Wednesday. In fact, the same poll showed Buttigieg surging 8 points over the past three days.
A clear win in New Hampshire could give Buttigieg what he didn’t receive after Iowa: a full boost of momentum that he (and Sanders) would have had if the caucus results had come out earlier and the process hadn’t had so many problems. The true winner in Iowa now may never be known.
Undecided voters who lined up outside Buttigieg’s event on Thursday said they were curious to see how he stacked up against the other candidates, citing his charisma and strength on the debate stage as appealing characteristics in a possible Democratic nominee to take on President Donald Trump.
They also said they were more drawn to him because of how well he did in the Hawkeye State.
“I didn’t really know a whole lot about him prior to that,” said a 47-year-old Nashua man who identified himself only as Gary.
Kirk Searle said he wanted to know whether Buttigieg is “the guy who can beat Trump.” Searle, a retiree from Milford, added: “How moderate is he? How outlandish of spending plans does he have, and if so, how he thinks it’s going to fly in the general election? Winning the nomination is one thing. My fear is that if someone like Bernie or Warren gets the nomination it’s going to drive a lot of folks like me [into not voting].”
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Schoolteacher Steve Facques said he was trying to decide whether to support Buttigieg or former Vice President Joe Biden, who finished in a disappointing fourth place in Iowa and who also needs a standout performance in New Hampshire to revive his struggling campaign.
Facques, who teaches in Bedford, said he was turned off somewhat by Biden’s recent comments calling into question Buttigieg’s qualifications. Biden had warned that it would be a “risk” to nominate someone who “has never held an office higher than mayor of a town of 100,000 people in Indiana.”
“That gets underneath my skin,” Facques said of the comments on Thursday, adding that he was leaning toward supporting Buttigieg. But he also chided the former mayor for declaring victory in Iowa in a speech on Monday night before any results had even been reported to the public.
Buttigieg’s attempt to seize an early victory also caught the attention of Sanders, who held a press conference in New Hampshire on Thursday to discuss the outcome of the caucuses. The Vermont senator conceded that although he and Buttigieg both had a good showing in Iowa, what mattered more was his apparent popular vote lead.
“A margin of 6,000 votes is pretty decisive,” Sanders said at a press conference, referring to the latest figures.
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No matter who ends up being officially declared a winner, however, it’s clear both Buttigieg and Sanders have already benefited in the crucial race for fundraising. Sanders announced Thursday that his campaign had raised more than $25 million in the month of January. Buttigieg’s campaign, meanwhile, announced it had raised nearly $3 million just since the Iowa caucuses on Monday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--The Associated Press Unable To Declare Winner Of Iowa Caucuses

DES MOINES , Iowa ( AP ) — The Associated Press said Thursday that it is unable to declare a winner of Iowa 's Democratic caucuses .
With 97 % of precincts reporting from Monday 's caucuses , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg leads Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by three state delegate equivalents out of 2,098 counted .
That is a margin of 0.14 percentage points .
However , even as the Iowa Democratic Party ’ s effort to complete its tabulation of the caucus results continues , Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recanvass .
That is not a recount , but rather a check of the vote count to ensure the results were added correctly .
Perez sought the recanvass following days of uncertainty about the results reported by the Iowa Democratic Party , which includes technology problems with the mobile phone app used by the party to collect results from caucus sites , an overwhelming number of calls to the party ’ s backup phone system and a subsequent delay of several days of reporting the results .
The Iowa Democratic Party suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s request , issuing a statement that said it would conduct a recanvass if one was requested by one of the candidates .
Further , the party has yet to report results from some satellite caucus sites , from which there are still an unknown number of state delegate equivalents to be won .
“ The Associated Press calls a race when there is a clear indication of a winner .
Because of a tight margin between former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders and the irregularities in this year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine a winner at this point , '' said Sally Buzbee , AP ’ s senior vice president and executive editor .
The AP will continue to report and review the results from the Iowa Democratic Party as it completes its tabulation , as well as the results of any potential recanvass or recount .

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Associated Press said Thursday that it is unable to declare a winner of Iowa's Democratic caucuses.
With 97% of precincts reporting from Monday's caucuses, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg leads Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by three state delegate equivalents out of 2,098 counted. That is a margin of 0.14 percentage points.
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However, even as the Iowa Democratic Party’s effort to complete its tabulation of the caucus results continues, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez on Thursday asked the Iowa Democratic Party to conduct a recanvass. That is not a recount, but rather a check of the vote count to ensure the results were added correctly.
Perez sought the recanvass following days of uncertainty about the results reported by the Iowa Democratic Party, which includes technology problems with the mobile phone app used by the party to collect results from caucus sites, an overwhelming number of calls to the party’s backup phone system and a subsequent delay of several days of reporting the results.
The Iowa Democratic Party suggested it may not comply with Perez’s request, issuing a statement that said it would conduct a recanvass if one was requested by one of the candidates.
Further, the party has yet to report results from some satellite caucus sites, from which there are still an unknown number of state delegate equivalents to be won.
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“The Associated Press calls a race when there is a clear indication of a winner. Because of a tight margin between former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders and the irregularities in this year’s caucus process, it is not possible to determine a winner at this point," said Sally Buzbee, AP’s senior vice president and executive editor.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Chris Cuomo Sends Stark Warning To Republicans About Donald Trump

Chris Cuomo on Thursday warned no one is really immune from President Donald Trump ’ s attacks , not even members of his own Republican Party .
“ We are all in the same boat my brothers and sisters , ” said the host of CNN ’ s “ Cuomo Prime Time.
” “ If you don ’ t do Trump right , he will do you dirty , ” he added .
Cuomo had earlier , in response to the GOP-controlled Senate ’ s vote to acquit Trump on impeachment charges , lamented the way in which the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bears no resemblance to its traditional self , ” he said .
The party ’ s issues were “ still there ” but the values have been “ eviscerated , ” noted the news anchor .
“ Literally , the guts of their ‘ character counts ’ and ‘ live your faith ’ has been changed to this , ” he explained , before rolling footage of Trump claiming congressional investigations into him were “ bullshit.
” '' The [ Republican ] Party bears no resemblance to its traditional self .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values , they have been , I argue , eviscerated .
`` @ ChrisCuomo breaks down Pres .
Trump 's remarks after he was acquitted at his Senate impeachment trial and its impact on the GOP .
pic.twitter.com/GkLccI8UKk — Cuomo Prime Time ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) February 7 , 2020

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Chris Cuomo on Thursday warned no one is really immune from President Donald Trump’s attacks, not even members of his own Republican Party.
“We are all in the same boat my brothers and sisters,” said the host of CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time.”
“If you don’t do Trump right, he will do you dirty,” he added.
Earlier in the segment, Cuomo referenced the GOP-controlled Senate’s vote to acquit Trump on impeachment charges, and lamented the way in which the party had changed since 2012.
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It now “bears no resemblance to its traditional self,” he said.
The party’s issues were “still there” but the values have been “eviscerated,” noted the news anchor.
“Literally, the guts of their ‘character counts’ and ‘live your faith’ has been changed to this,” he explained, before rolling footage of Trump claiming congressional investigations into him were “bullshit.”
Check out the clip here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Anti-Trump Republican Group Defends 'Patriot' Mitt Romney After Trump Attacks

A Republican group that ’ s backed the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump and attacked the GOP lawmakers who enabled him has launched a new campaign praising Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) .
An ad and billboard by Republicans for the Rule of Law , led by conservative commentator Bill Kristol , thanks Romney for voting to convict Trump during the impeachment trial : The ad will run on Fox News in Utah next week .
The two billboards will appear in Salt Lake City and feature an image of Romney with the phrase “ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same organization recently ran a series of ads calling on Republicans to stand up to Trump during the impeachment process .
In the end , Romney was the sole Republican to vote to convict , citing his oath and his faith in his speech explaining the decision .
Since then , he ’ s come under constant attack from some of his fellow Republicans and especially from Trump , who took some potshots at Romney during the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday , then later dismissed him as a “ failed presidential candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barack Obama .
Had failed presidential candidate @ MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me , he could have won the election .
Read the Transcripts !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) February 6 , 2020 Republicans for the Rule of Law spokesperson Chris Truax also issued a statement praising Romney for “ his integrity , his decency , and his sense of duty .
”

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A Republican group that’s backed the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump and attacked the GOP lawmakers who enabled him has launched a new campaign praising Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).
An ad and billboard by Republicans for the Rule of Law, led by conservative commentator Bill Kristol, thanks Romney for voting to convict Trump during the impeachment trial:
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The ad will run on Fox News in Utah next week. The two billboards will appear in Salt Lake City and feature an image of Romney with the phrase “This is what a patriot looks like.”
The same organization recently ran a series of ads calling on Republicans to stand up to Trump during the impeachment process. In the end, Romney was the sole Republican to vote to convict, citing his oath and his faith in his speech explaining the decision.
Since then, he’s come under constant attack from some of his fellow Republicans and especially from Trump, who took some potshots at Romney during the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, then later dismissed him as a “failed presidential candidate” for his 2012 loss against President Barack Obama.
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Trump also tweeted:
Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--New Hampshire Officials Taking Every Step To Avoid Iowa Chaos At Primary

Both New Hampshire officials and outside experts agree the state is unlikely to experience the problems that plagued Iowa ’ s Monday contest for a variety of reasons : The New Hampshire primaries are run by towns and cities , not the political parties .
Voters mark paper ballots , which are counted by hand or by machines that are not connected to the internet .
Local election officials announce results to the public and the media on election night , and their handwritten tallies are delivered to the secretary of state ’ s office by state police the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it simple .
I ’ ve always preached that the more moving parts that you have in the election process , the more room there is for something to not function right , ” he said earlier this week .
At a news conference Thursday , Attorney General Gordon MacDonald and others described the state ’ s election preparedness and security for the Feb. 11 primary .
New Hampshire has more than 6,000 local election workers who are trained by the secretary of state ’ s office .
On Election Day , inspectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will visit each of the state ’ s 300-plus polling places and will have a team of attorneys responding to calls to a hotline for reporting problems .
“ The 2020 presidential primary will take place against the backdrop of New Hampshire ’ s long history of conducting elections that are fair , with complete integrity , well run and with a very high level of voter participation , ” he said .
Iowa kicked off the presidential nominating contests , but the results remained muddied days later by reporting delays .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an app that precinct chairs were supposed to use to record votes , then to backlogs as those volunteers tried to call in their totals .
Eddie Perez , global director of technology development for the OSET Institute , an election technology research organization , said he expects things will be different in New Hampshire because “ so many of the process failures that happened in Iowa and the uncertainty that resulted were really due to the uniqueness of the mobile app they were using , which of course is not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If something big goes wrong , the Statehouse will be opened that night to the media and campaigns so officials can keep the public informed , said Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan .
But he and others said that was highly unlikely .
Not only has New Hampshire had the first presidential primary for 100 years , it also elects its governor and 424-member Legislature every two years , meaning local election officials get lots of practice .
“ What you ’ re hearing today about the incredible details that go into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balances ... this is typically how New Hampshire runs its elections year after year after year , ” said Republican Gov .
Chris Sununu said .
“ We do it right , and frankly we do it better than anybody else does.
” David Becker , executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research , agreed that New Hampshire “ almost certainly ” will not have problems like Iowa , in large part because the primary is run by state and municipal election officials .
But he does see room for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper ballots perform audits to check results before certifying them , he said , but New Hampshire does not .
“ It ’ s very good to have a check on the machine , not just for malware , but for the much greater likelihood that machines sometimes malfunction , ” he said .
“ There ’ s always pressure , but we know how we ’ re supposed to be running it , so as long as we ’ re running it that way , we ’ re not going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tamworth , former longtime town moderator George Cleveland said he did sometimes worry about elderly eyesight coupled with poor lighting as poll workers counted ballots .
And there was that one year when the ballot box went on a bit of an adventure .
Cleveland , the grandson of President Grover Cleveland , said election officials had a long-standing tradition of going out to eat after the polls closed and before counting ballots .
One year , he put the box in the police chief ’ s car , figuring that was as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a great idea , until the chief got called away to respond to a car accident , and drove off with the ballots .

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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire voters rarely rubber-stamp the results of the Iowa caucuses. And they won’t follow the lead of Iowa’s chaotic caucuses when votes are counted and reported from the state’s first-in-the-nation primary, state officials said Thursday.
Both New Hampshire officials and outside experts agree the state is unlikely to experience the problems that plagued Iowa’s Monday contest for a variety of reasons: The New Hampshire primaries are run by towns and cities, not the political parties. Voters mark paper ballots, which are counted by hand or by machines that are not connected to the internet. Local election officials announce results to the public and the media on election night, and their handwritten tallies are delivered to the secretary of state’s office by state police the next morning.
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As Secretary of State Bill Gardner is fond of saying, “You can’t hack a pencil.”
“We’ve kept it simple. I’ve always preached that the more moving parts that you have in the election process, the more room there is for something to not function right,” he said earlier this week.
At a news conference Thursday, Attorney General Gordon MacDonald and others described the state’s election preparedness and security for the Feb. 11 primary. New Hampshire has more than 6,000 local election workers who are trained by the secretary of state’s office. On Election Day, inspectors from the attorney general’s office will visit each of the state’s 300-plus polling places and will have a team of attorneys responding to calls to a hotline for reporting problems.
“The 2020 presidential primary will take place against the backdrop of New Hampshire’s long history of conducting elections that are fair, with complete integrity, well run and with a very high level of voter participation,” he said.
Iowa kicked off the presidential nominating contests, but the results remained muddied days later by reporting delays. Officials initially attributed the delays to technical problems with an app that precinct chairs were supposed to use to record votes, then to backlogs as those volunteers tried to call in their totals.
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Eddie Perez, global director of technology development for the OSET Institute, an election technology research organization, said he expects things will be different in New Hampshire because “so many of the process failures that happened in Iowa and the uncertainty that resulted were really due to the uniqueness of the mobile app they were using, which of course is not going to be operative in New Hampshire.”
If something big goes wrong, the Statehouse will be opened that night to the media and campaigns so officials can keep the public informed, said Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan. But he and others said that was highly unlikely. Not only has New Hampshire had the first presidential primary for 100 years, it also elects its governor and 424-member Legislature every two years, meaning local election officials get lots of practice.
“What you’re hearing today about the incredible details that go into this process, the checks and the balances ... this is typically how New Hampshire runs its elections year after year after year,” said Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said. “We do it right, and frankly we do it better than anybody else does.”
David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, agreed that New Hampshire “almost certainly” will not have problems like Iowa, in large part because the primary is run by state and municipal election officials. But he does see room for improvement. Most other states that use paper ballots perform audits to check results before certifying them, he said, but New Hampshire does not.
“It’s very good to have a check on the machine, not just for malware, but for the much greater likelihood that machines sometimes malfunction,” he said.
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Michele Courser, the town clerk in Warner, said she doesn’t anticipate any problems. The town has about 2,100 registered voters, and poll workers count ballots by hand.
“There’s always pressure, but we know how we’re supposed to be running it, so as long as we’re running it that way, we’re not going to have issues,” she said.
In Tamworth, former longtime town moderator George Cleveland said he did sometimes worry about elderly eyesight coupled with poor lighting as poll workers counted ballots. And there was that one year when the ballot box went on a bit of an adventure.
Cleveland, the grandson of President Grover Cleveland, said election officials had a long-standing tradition of going out to eat after the polls closed and before counting ballots. One year, he put the box in the police chief’s car, figuring that was as safe a place as any. It was a great idea, until the chief got called away to respond to a car accident, and drove off with the ballots.
“After that, we started having dinner brought in,” he said.
___
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Vulnerable GOP Sen. Scorched By Local Newspaper: ‘Coloradans Deserve Better’

The newspaper said Gardner , who voted to acquit President Donald Trump on impeachment charges over the Ukraine scandal , “ either thinks it ’ s OK for a president to pressure a foreign government to investigate a U.S. citizen for personal and political gain or he ’ s too afraid to criticize this president for doing just that.
” “ We ’ re not sure which is worse , ” it added of the lawmaker , who pundits have described as one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the Senate and who faces re-election later this year .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a little courage , search his soul and answer the question that this impeachment was really about.
” “ Gardner once said he would stand up to his own party .
Turns out he won ’ t even be critical of the actions of a member of his own party .
He must believe what Trump did was fine .
Why won ’ t he just say that ?
” asked the board .
“ Coloradans deserve a senator who will be straightforward and honest with them , ” it concluded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ track record of bipartisanship .
Coloradans deserve a senator who will call out things that are wrong and work to correct them .
Coloradans deserve better than Cory Gardner .
”

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The Denver Post editorial board announced Thursday that “Coloradans deserve better” in a scathing column criticizing the state’s GOP Sen. Cory Gardner.
The newspaper said Gardner, who voted to acquit President Donald Trump on impeachment charges over the Ukraine scandal, “either thinks it’s OK for a president to pressure a foreign government to investigate a U.S. citizen for personal and political gain or he’s too afraid to criticize this president for doing just that.”
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“We’re not sure which is worse,” it added of the lawmaker, whom pundits have described as one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the Senate and who faces re-election later this year.
GOP Sen. Cory Gardner faces re-election later this year. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The board called on Gardner to “work up a little courage, search his soul and answer the question that this impeachment was really about.”
“Gardner once said he would stand up to his own party. Turns out he won’t even be critical of the actions of a member of his own party. He must believe what Trump did was fine. Why won’t he just say that?” asked the board.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Bernie Sanders Says Jewish Heritage Has 'Profoundly' Affected His Worldview

Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders said at a CNN town hall Thursday that his Jewish identity had “ profoundly ” affected his worldview and his politics .
“ When I try to think about how I came to the views that I hold , there are two major factors , ” the senator from Vermont said .
“ No .
1 , I grew up in a family that didn ’ t have a whole lot of money .… The second one is being Jewish.
” Sanders was responding to a question from an audience member who ’ d asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help or hindrance ” to his campaign for president .
In his response , Sanders recalled seeing Holocaust survivors in his Brooklyn neighborhood as a child and , later , visiting the town in Poland where most of his father ’ s family was massacred by the Nazis .
“ I remember , as a kid , looking at these big picture books of World War II , and tears would roll down my cheeks when I saw what happened to the Jewish people .
Six million people were killed by Hitler , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a very early age , before my political thoughts were developed , I was aware of the horrible things that human beings can do to other people in the name of racism or white nationalism , in this case Nazism.
” “ That is why I will do everything I can to end the kind of divisiveness that Trump is fomenting in this country , ” he said .
“ We are one people .
I don ’ t care if you ’ re Black , you ’ re white , Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re gay or straight , that ’ s not what it ’ s about .
We ’ re human beings , and we share common dreams and aspirations.
” As CNN noted , Sanders has spoken only rarely about his Jewish identity ― but he has opened up in more recent years about how his faith has influenced him .
Last Hanukkah , Sanders took part in a menorah-lighting ceremony in Iowa and reflected on how his family had fled religious persecution during the Holocaust .
“ What makes our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every corner of the world to live in peace and with justice here in the United States of America , ” he said .

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Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders said at a CNN town hall Thursday that his Jewish identity had “profoundly” affected his worldview and his politics.
“When I try to think about how I came to the views that I hold, there are two major factors,” the senator from Vermont said. “No. 1, I grew up in a family that didn’t have a whole lot of money .… The second one is being Jewish.”
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Sanders was responding to a question from an audience member who’d asked whether his Jewish heritage was a “help or hindrance” to his campaign for president.
In his response, Sanders recalled seeing Holocaust survivors in his Brooklyn neighborhood as a child and, later, visiting the town in Poland where most of his father’s family was massacred by the Nazis.
“I remember, as a kid, looking at these big picture books of World War II, and tears would roll down my cheeks when I saw what happened to the Jewish people. Six million people were killed by Hitler,” Sanders said. “I think at a very early age, before my political thoughts were developed, I was aware of the horrible things that human beings can do to other people in the name of racism or white nationalism, in this case Nazism.”
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Sanders said these earlier life experiences have shaped his politics.
“That is why I will do everything I can to end the kind of divisiveness that Trump is fomenting in this country,” he said. “We are one people. I don’t care if you’re Black, you’re white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, you’re gay or straight, that’s not what it’s about. We’re human beings, and we share common dreams and aspirations.”
As CNN noted, Sanders has spoken only rarely about his Jewish identity ― but he has opened up in more recent years about how his faith has influenced him.
Last Hanukkah, Sanders took part in a menorah-lighting ceremony in Iowa and reflected on how his family had fled religious persecution during the Holocaust.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-06--U.S. Journalist Glenn Greenwald Won't Face Charges 'For Now,' Brazil Judge Rules

A judge in Brazil announced Thursday that Glenn Greenwald , the co-founder of The Intercept , will “ for now ” not face cybercrime charges over his reporting on corruption in the South American country .
The Intercept reported on the news , as did Greenwald in a video on Twitter .
In his statement , Judge Ricardo Augusto Soares Leite said he would not proceed with Greenwald ’ s case because of a previous decision by the Brazilian Supreme Court that any investigation into him would be unjust .
About the judicial decision today in Brazil rejecting the criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : this ruling , while good , is insufficient as a protection of core press freedom .
We will continue reporting and will also go to the Supreme Court for an even stronger ruling : pic.twitter.com/FQhnwM3Gvn — Glenn Greenwald ( @ ggreenwald ) February 6 , 2020 “ I decline , for now , to receive the complaint against GLENN GREENWALD , due to the controversy over the extent of the injunction granted by [ Supreme Court ] Minister Gilmar Mendes ” last August , Leite wrote .
Brazil ’ s increasingly authoritarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , accusing him of participating in a “ criminal organization ” that hacked the phones of several Brazilian authorities while he reported on rampant corruption in a Brazilian anti-corruption task force known as “ Operation Car Wash. ” Greenwald and The Intercept say that was an obvious attempt by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ’ s government to stifle reporting critical of his administration .
“ The judge today said obviously that if the Supreme Court prohibited me from being investigated , it necessarily prohibited me from being prosecuted and charged for the reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was waiting for further clarification from the Supreme Court , ” Greenwald said of the developments .
“ It ’ s obviously good news , but not good enough for us , ” Greenwald said in his video .
“ Our lawyers are now going to go to the Brazilian Supreme Court and seek a much broader ruling .
We don ’ t just want a win on procedural grounds .
We want a clear ruling from the Supreme Court that any attempt to criminalize my journalism or my relationship with my sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedoms guaranteed by the Brazilian constitution.
” Leite also said Thursday that he is open to charging Greenwald in the future if the Supreme Court injunction is overturned .

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A judge in Brazil announced Thursday that Glenn Greenwald, the co-founder of The Intercept, will “for now” not face cybercrime charges over his reporting on corruption in the South American country.
The Intercept reported on the news, as did Greenwald in a video on Twitter. In his statement, Judge Ricardo Augusto Soares Leite said he would not proceed with Greenwald’s case because of a previous decision by the Brazilian Supreme Court that any investigation into him would be unjust.
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About the judicial decision today in Brazil rejecting the criminal charges brought against me.
In sum: this ruling, while good, is insufficient as a protection of core press freedom. We will continue reporting and will also go to the Supreme Court for an even stronger ruling: pic.twitter.com/FQhnwM3Gvn — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 6, 2020
“I decline, for now, to receive the complaint against GLENN GREENWALD, due to the controversy over the extent of the injunction granted by [Supreme Court] Minister Gilmar Mendes” last August, Leite wrote.
Brazil’s increasingly authoritarian government charged Greenwald with cybercrimes last month, accusing him of participating in a “criminal organization” that hacked the phones of several Brazilian authorities while he reported on rampant corruption in a Brazilian anti-corruption task force known as “Operation Car Wash.”
Greenwald and The Intercept say that was an obvious attempt by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s government to stifle reporting critical of his administration.
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“The judge today said obviously that if the Supreme Court prohibited me from being investigated, it necessarily prohibited me from being prosecuted and charged for the reporting that I was doing, and he was waiting for further clarification from the Supreme Court,” Greenwald said of the developments.
But Leite’s ruling doesn’t mean Greenwald is home free.
“It’s obviously good news, but not good enough for us,” Greenwald said in his video. “Our lawyers are now going to go to the Brazilian Supreme Court and seek a much broader ruling. We don’t just want a win on procedural grounds. We want a clear ruling from the Supreme Court that any attempt to criminalize my journalism or my relationship with my sources is a grave assault on core press freedoms guaranteed by the Brazilian constitution.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Alexander Vindman, Army Officer Who Testified Against Trump, Escorted Out Of White House

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , a decorated Army officer who served as the Ukraine expert on the National Security Council , was escorted out of the White House on Friday after reports surfaced that President Donald Trump would be punishing people who testified during his impeachment trial .
Vindman is a national security official who testified about his knowledge of a July 2019 call with the Ukrainian president that set off Trump ’ s impeachment inquiry and proceedings .
Up until Friday , Vindman worked in the White House and his term in the NSC would have ended in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vindman that he was being moved into a role at the Pentagon , The Washington Post reported late Thursday night , citing two people familiar with the plan .
Vindman had previously told senior officers that he planned to leave his posting early , the Post reported , but Trump reportedly wanted to make him a target for his fury .
The officer ’ s lawyer confirmed to HuffPost that Vindman was escorted from the White House on Friday , adding that he was “ asked to leave for telling the truth.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind of any American why this man ’ s job is over , why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House , ” attorney David Pressman said in a statement .
“ LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth .
His honor , commitment to right , frightened the powerful.
” “ Lt .
Col. Yevgeny Vindman , a senior lawyer and ethics official at the National Security Council , and a decorated Iraq war veteran , was escorted off of the grounds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no explanation , despite over two decades of loyal service to this country , ” Pressman told HuffPost .
“ He is deeply disappointed that he will not be able to continue his service at the White House.
” Earlier on Friday , ahead of a trip to North Carolina , Trump hinted at Vindman ’ s dismissal when asked by a reporter whether he wanted to see the officer “ out ” of the White House .
Vindman was the first person to testify in the House ’ s impeachment hearings who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s July 25 call with the Ukrainian president , and he told lawmakers he repeatedly expressed concerns to his superiors that Trump ’ s behavior was inappropriate .
Trump ’ s allies moved to smear Vindman at the time , despite his extensive military career and résumé , but the officer said he acted out of a “ sense of duty ” and did not fear retribution .
Despite hopes from some Republicans that Trump might have learned his “ lesson ” after being impeached , the president has signaled that he plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) as a “ horrible person ” on Thursday during what he called an acquittal “ celebration.
” He called the investigations into his actions “ evil ” and has all but assured that he plans to use the outcome to drum up support and fundraising going into his 2020 reelection campaign .
The Post noted Thursday that Trump ’ s ire may extend throughout the White House to other administration officials who spoke or testified during the impeachment inquiry .
During the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former officials detailed the president ’ s demand that the leader of Ukraine announce that he was opening an investigation into political rival Joe Biden and Biden ’ s son Hunter .

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Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a decorated Army officer who served as the Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, was escorted out of the White House on Friday after reports surfaced that President Donald Trump would be punishing people who testified during his impeachment trial.
Vindman is a national security official who testified about his knowledge of a July 2019 call with the Ukrainian president that set off Trump’s impeachment inquiry and proceedings. Up until Friday, Vindman worked in the White House and his term in the NSC would have ended in July.
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The White House planned to inform Vindman that he was being moved into a role at the Pentagon, The Washington Post reported late Thursday night, citing two people familiar with the plan.
Vindman had previously told senior officers that he planned to leave his posting early, the Post reported, but Trump reportedly wanted to make him a target for his fury.
The officer’s lawyer confirmed to HuffPost that Vindman was escorted from the White House on Friday, adding that he was “asked to leave for telling the truth.”
“There is no question in the mind of any American why this man’s job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House,” attorney David Pressman said in a statement. “LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth. His honor, commitment to right, frightened the powerful.”
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Vindman’s twin brother, Army Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, was also fired and escorted out of the White House.
“Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, a senior lawyer and ethics official at the National Security Council, and a decorated Iraq war veteran, was escorted off of the grounds of the White House, suddenly and with no explanation, despite over two decades of loyal service to this country,” Pressman told HuffPost. “He is deeply disappointed that he will not be able to continue his service at the White House.”
Here’s the full statement from Lt. Col. Vindman’s attorney saying he was escorted out of the White House today pic.twitter.com/s9vzZJ7wof — Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) February 7, 2020
Earlier on Friday, ahead of a trip to North Carolina, Trump hinted at Vindman’s dismissal when asked by a reporter whether he wanted to see the officer “out” of the White House.
“Well, I’m not happy with him,” Trump told reporters. “Do you think I’m supposed to be happy with him? I’m not.”
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Vindman was the first person to testify in the House’s impeachment hearings who had personally listened in on Trump’s July 25 call with the Ukrainian president, and he told lawmakers he repeatedly expressed concerns to his superiors that Trump’s behavior was inappropriate.
Trump’s allies moved to smear Vindman at the time, despite his extensive military career and résumé, but the officer said he acted out of a “sense of duty” and did not fear retribution.
“Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth,” Vindman told his father during his remarks at a House Intelligence Committee hearing in November.
Despite hopes from some Republicans that Trump might have learned his “lesson” after being impeached, the president has signaled that he plans to continue to target his political opponents. He attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as a “horrible person” on Thursday during what he called an acquittal “celebration.” He called the investigations into his actions “evil” and has all but assured that he plans to use the outcome to drum up support and fundraising going into his 2020 reelection campaign.
The Post noted Thursday that Trump’s ire may extend throughout the White House to other administration officials who spoke or testified during the impeachment inquiry. During the House impeachment hearings, dozens of current and former officials detailed the president’s demand that the leader of Ukraine announce that he was opening an investigation into political rival Joe Biden and Biden’s son Hunter.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Bernie Sanders Goes After Pete Buttigieg's Backing From Wealthy Donors

“ So , Pete , we look forward to you ― I know you ’ re an energetic guy and a competitive guy ― to see if you can take on Joe on that issue , ” he quipped .
“ This is why three people own more wealth than the bottom half.
” In November , Forbes counted 40 billionaires who have donated to Buttigieg and 44 to Biden .
Sanders alone has refused to accept contributions from billionaires , going as far as to return a $ 470 check from Marta Thoma Hall , a Sanders supporter married @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the side of a working class of this country , which has been battered for the last 45 years ?
Are you willing to take on the greed and corruption of the billionaire class and the 1 % , or will you continue to stand with the big-money interests ?
That is what this campaign is about , ” Sanders said .
At the event Friday , there was a bit of a disconnect between the senator ’ s fiery remarks and the banners of the event ’ s corporate sponsors on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , Dominion Resources and others .
The opening speaker also asked people to appreciate the good work of these “ corporate citizens.
” This story was updated with Buttigieg ’ s comments to Colbert and remarks from the New Hampshire Democratic Party chair .

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MANCHESTER, N.H. ― Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took a swipe at his 2020 rivals Pete Buttigieg and Michael Bloomberg on Friday, saying they are corrupting the political system by encouraging big money in politics.
“We have a corrupt political system,” Sanders said, declaring “the future of democracy is at stake in this election.”
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Sanders made his remarks at the “Politics and Eggs” breakfast, a tradition at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College.
He added that while Bloomberg ― the former mayor of New York City and a billionaire ― was entitled to run for president and is a “smart guy,” the way he was going about it was basically buying the election.
“He is spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to buy the election,” Sanders said. “There’s something wrong with that. ... How do we feel about living in a so-called democracy when a billionaire ― multibillionaire, 55 billion ― can spend unlimited sums of money?”
He then went after Buttigieg, reading off headlines about Buttigieg that showed his backing from billionaires ― “Pete Buttigieg tops billionaire donor list,” “Pete Buttigieg lures even closer look from Wall Street donors following strong Iowa caucuses performance” and others.
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“I like Pete Buttigieg,” Sanders added. “But we are in a moment where billionaires control not only our economy but our political [system].”
Buttigieg addressed the issue of money in politics on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Thursday, saying he is “not a fan of the campaign finance system we have today.”
“I’m also a fan of beating Donald Trump,” he said. “And what we’ve got to do right now ― first of all, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is not exactly an establishment fundraising powerhouse, right?”
“And I will make exactly one promise to anybody, whether they’re giving three bucks online or the maximum allowable by law ― and the promise is I’m going to take that contribution and I’m going to use it to build the campaign that’s going to defeat Donald Trump so that we can actually get the reforms that this country needs,” Buttigieg added.
Sanders often decries the effects of money on the political system, but his remarks were some of his most direct criticisms of Buttigieg, reflecting increased tensions between the candidates as the Democratic primary moves into the voting period. Despite the messy Iowa caucus results, both Sanders and Buttigieg appear to be coming out of that contest on top, with roughly the same number of delegates ― although Sanders has declared victory, noting that he won more of the popular vote.
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Buttigieg has been among the front-runners, but his showing in Iowa nevertheless took many people by surprise. He’s likely to face more attacks from his rivals due to his new status at the presidential debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Friday night.
“I think tonight’s debate is probably the most consequential debate that we’ve had in the primary, ever,” New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley said Friday, citing the closeness of the race and the number of candidates who remain viable.
“I think it’s going to be quite interesting because any slip-up will be disastrous to any one of them. Any catchy comment could give them meteoric rise,” he added.
At the Democratic presidential debate in December, Sanders also jabbed at Buttigieg for his support from billionaires, saying that he and former Vice President Joe Biden were popular with wealthy donors.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Pete Buttigieg Responds To Iowa Voter Who Withdrew Support After Realizing He's Gay

Pete Buttigieg applauded a campaign volunteer for “ trying to reach out in the name of compassion ” after being confronted by an Iowa caucus voter who rescinded her ballot after realizing the Democratic presidential candidate is gay .
Video of the Feb. 4 exchange circulated on Twitter , where it had been viewed more than three million times as of Friday morning .
In it , an unidentified woman expresses her dismay when caucus precinct captain Nikki van den Heever tells her Buttigieg is in a same-sex marriage , explaining that the candidate ’ s sexuality is “ common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want anybody like that in the White House , ” the voter proclaims , adding that Buttigieg “ better read the Bible.
” Speaking with MSNBC after a near tie with Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) in the Iowa caucuses this week , however , Buttigieg seemed unperturbed , even though he acknowledged the voter didn ’ t appear moved by van den Heever ’ s remarks .
“ It will happen , ” he said Wednesday .
“ First of all , I felt proud of our organizer , our volunteer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my behalf , was speaking to her , and speaking to her with respect [ and ] living out the values that this campaign has been asking our volunteers and organizers to live by the whole time.
” Buttigieg and his husband , Chasten , appeared on the cover of Time magazine in May of last year .
The two men married in 2018 , when Buttigieg was mayor of South Bend , Indiana .
The candidate went on to tout his mayoral tenure as evidence that voters would be able to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If someone like me , in Indiana , while Mike Pence was governor , could come out and get re-elected with 80 % of the vote , then anywhere in America I believe people can move past old prejudices , ” he said .
“ At the end of the day , [ the election ] is not about me or about this president , ” he continued .
“ It ’ s about the voters ’ questions of how their lives will be shaped by the choice they ’ re @ @ @ @ @

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Pete Buttigieg applauded a campaign volunteer for “trying to reach out in the name of compassion” after being confronted by an Iowa caucus voter who rescinded her ballot after realizing the Democratic presidential candidate is gay.
Video of the Feb. 4 exchange circulated on Twitter, where it had been viewed more than three million times as of Friday morning. In it, an unidentified woman expresses her dismay when caucus precinct captain Nikki van den Heever tells her Buttigieg is in a same-sex marriage, explaining that the candidate’s sexuality is “common knowledge.”
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“I don’t want anybody like that in the White House,” the voter proclaims, adding that Buttigieg “better read the Bible.”
#PeteButtigieg precinct captain in rural Iowa responds to a caucus-goer flipping out upon learning that he has a same-sex partner. It’s a masterclass in patience, persistence, and love. Bravo @nikkiheever #IowaCaucuses #cresco #howardcountyiowa pic.twitter.com/PhX7vRFh8X — Annabel Park (@annabelpark) February 4, 2020
Speaking with MSNBC after a near tie with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Iowa caucuses this week, however, Buttigieg seemed unperturbed, even though he acknowledged the voter didn’t appear moved by van den Heever’s remarks.
“It will happen,” he said Wednesday. “First of all, I felt proud of our organizer, our volunteer, the campaign representative who, on my behalf, was speaking to her, and speaking to her with respect [and] living out the values that this campaign has been asking our volunteers and organizers to live by the whole time.”
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Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, appeared on the cover of Time magazine in May of last year. The two men married in 2018, when Buttigieg was mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
The candidate went on to tout his mayoral tenure as evidence that voters would be able to look beyond his sexuality in the 2020 election.
“If someone like me, in Indiana, while Mike Pence was governor, could come out and get re-elected with 80% of the vote, then anywhere in America I believe people can move past old prejudices,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-07--Bloomberg Campaign Reworks Trump's Acquittal Speech And It's Literally Full Of Lies

And it ’ s full of lies and the occasional “ unfair.
” Trump appears to just repeat the words “ lie ” and “ unfair ” in the 2 1/2-minute clip that was edited and released by the former New York mayor ’ s team on Thursday .
Gingerbread men , with their pants on fire , also appear alongside the president .
Trump ’ s time in office had by mid-January been marked by more than 16,000 lies , The Washington Post reported .
During his acquittal speech , Trump called the impeachment proceedings over the Ukraine scandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia probe was “ all bullshit.
” Bloomberg ’ s ad is the latest released by his campaign , which has already outspent those of his rival Democratic candidates despite only entering the race in November .
Other spots have listed every school shooting in the Trump era and contained a tongue-in-cheek endorsement from dogs , following that awkward snout-shaking moment .
Critics have accused Bloomberg of trying to buy the presidency .
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci ( who is now a fierce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is among those who believe the billionaire media mogul is the best Democratic bet to beat Trump in November .

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Democratic 2020 hopeful Michael Bloomberg’s new campaign video reimagines President Donald Trump’s acquittal speech.
And it’s full of lies and the occasional “unfair.”
Literally.
Trump appears to just repeat the words “lie” and “unfair” in the 2 1/2-minute clip that was edited and released by the former New York mayor’s team on Thursday.
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Gingerbread men, with their pants on fire, also appear alongside the president.
Check it out here:
Trump was in rare form during his post-acquittal speech. pic.twitter.com/jq8NTTn5yd — Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) February 6, 2020
Trump’s time in office had by mid-January been marked by more than 16,000 lies, The Washington Post reported. During his acquittal speech, Trump called the impeachment proceedings over the Ukraine scandal a “witch hunt” and claimed former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe was “all bullshit.”
Bloomberg’s ad is the latest released by his campaign, which has already outspent those of his rival Democratic candidates despite only entering the race in November. Other spots have listed every school shooting in the Trump era and contained a tongue-in-cheek endorsement from dogs, following that awkward snout-shaking moment.
Critics have accused Bloomberg of trying to buy the presidency.
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci (who is now a fierce critic of Trump), however, is among those who believe the billionaire media mogul is the best Democratic bet to beat Trump in November.