Working towards Hitler

In his seminal two volume biography of Adolf Hitler , British historian Ian Kershaw proposes a plausible solution to a puzzling conundrum .
Students of the period have long understood that Hitler was very much a lazy dictator , involving himself in the details of government capriciously , arbitrarily .
Hitler ’ s schedule was often unpredictable , the hours he kept were odd and inconvenient to the machinery of bureaucracy .
He would frequently rise late , sometimes as late as noon .
He was allergic to paperwork and seldom involved himself in the minutiae of government .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dinners would feature long , desultory monologues that none dared — nor even could — interrupt .
He would harangue ministers and foreign leaders with his theories of racial purity and government , sometimes for hours .
At night he would stay up well past midnight watching Hollywood films .
“ King Kong , ” starring Fay Wray , was one of his favorites .
How did Hitler manage to build a terrible juggernaut like the Nazi war machine out of so odd and apparently ineffectual a lifestyle ?
Conventional wisdom is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nazi state than one might otherwise think , and much of the evil it became might have happened with or without Hitler ’ s guiding hand .
But Kershaw provides a much better theory , the correct one , I think , one that he calls “ Working Towards the Führer.
” To be sure , when a project came along that interested Hitler he became obsessively , frenetically involved .
But one could not always rely on that obsessiveness , and in its place were installed ministers and lower echelon bureaucrats who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them and engaged themselves in exhausting competitions to outdo one another by “ Working Towards the Führer.
” Thus was the power and significance of the cult of personality put into play .
Stalin , who by contrast lacked Hitler ’ s charisma and ability to give mesmerising speeches , micromanaged everything .
But Hitler didn ’ t need to .
In place of himself he had evil fanatics , and most were correct in divining what der Führer required .
The parallels between Hitler and Trump are striking in this way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfocused , disdaining paperwork and refusing to read anything more than a few paragraphs , if that .
He keeps odd hours and does as he pleases , hiding his indolence in the official White House schedule as “ executive time.
” Everyone knows what Trump is like and few have trouble guessing what he wants .
They take their cues , not so much from lunchtime or dinner time harangues , but from tweets and press gaggles and , of course , occasional direct communication .
These policies are carried out by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in government , and their Machiavellian policies engineered to undermine the rule of law and the good of the voiceless trickle down onto the heads of well-meaning but powerless lower echelons of government workers , and are guided by their unwritten rule to always be “ Working Towards Trump.
” What shocks me , and what ought to shock every thoughtful American , is the ease and relative compliance with which so lazy and incompetent a man as Donald Trump has managed to dismantle so much of the apparatus of democracy .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and worthy of mockery a figure as Hitler was before rising to power .
What on earth has happened ?
How did so many millions of people fall under the spell of this vile , ridiculous , stupid and evil man in so little time ?
How did this happen ?
I think it happened because Americans have had two hundred and forty years of trusting that the man in charge always had America ’ s best interest as a guiding principle .
We may have disagreed with his policies , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rule of law and the notion that a democratic republic , however imperfect , is as close to perfection as the human race has ever come .
So thoroughly convinced of this have we become that we have gotten into the habit of confusing the office with the man .
With 43 of those men we were relatively safe in doing so .
Even Nixon , in the end , bowed to the rule of law .
And he always believed that America ’ s was the greatest government on earth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidency , many Americans became blinded by this confusion of the man with the office .
For them Trump ’ s past was covered over in a patina of trust and tradition that he would do the right thing .
Some , of course , see him as the evil that he is and reject him .
Others see him as the evil that he is and embrace him .
For the rest , they see him as the president , and therefore , to one degree or another , the champion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blinded by the office of the presidency and therefore incapable of seeing the man for what he truly is .
Today we have people at many levels of government “ Working Towards Trump , ” enacting his policies , looking for his approval and praise .
This tendency that recently was so brazenly carried out in public by the Republican cabal of the United States Senate , is enacted in the less visible corridors of government bureaucracy every day .
William Barr ’ s acquiescence to the will of Trump in recommending a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , the resignation of the four prosecutors involved in the case , while praiseworthy , was symbolic of the ultimate impotence of those who resist .
When I look at Trump I see a rapist , a thief , a coward , a liar , a despicable human being .
I do not see the president of the United States , nor even the office of the presidency .
I know I am not alone .
But many people don ’ t see him that way , and I have to acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he could get away with it he would have every single human being who hates him and speaks out against him jailed or murdered , including me .
I have no illusions there either .
We are dealing with a profoundly evil man who will stop at nothing to cling to power , up to and including perverting and rigging the next presidential election .
That is why we have to be united .
That is why we have to work tirelessly to see him gone and safely in prison .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , never give up .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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In his seminal two volume biography of Adolf Hitler, British historian Ian Kershaw proposes a plausible solution to a puzzling conundrum. Students of the period have long understood that Hitler was very much a lazy dictator, involving himself in the details of government capriciously, arbitrarily.
Hitler’s schedule was often unpredictable, the hours he kept were odd and inconvenient to the machinery of bureaucracy. He would frequently rise late, sometimes as late as noon. He was allergic to paperwork and seldom involved himself in the minutiae of government. He preferred to talk, and his lunches and dinners would feature long, desultory monologues that none dared — nor even could — interrupt. He would harangue ministers and foreign leaders with his theories of racial purity and government, sometimes for hours. At night he would stay up well past midnight watching Hollywood films. “King Kong,” starring Fay Wray, was one of his favorites.
How did Hitler manage to build a terrible juggernaut like the Nazi war machine out of so odd and apparently ineffectual a lifestyle? Conventional wisdom is that Hitler was less involved in the Nazi state than one might otherwise think, and much of the evil it became might have happened with or without Hitler’s guiding hand. But Kershaw provides a much better theory, the correct one, I think, one that he calls “Working Towards the Führer.”
To be sure, when a project came along that interested Hitler he became obsessively, frenetically involved. But one could not always rely on that obsessiveness, and in its place were installed ministers and lower echelon bureaucrats who fanatically divined what der Führer required of them and engaged themselves in exhausting competitions to outdo one another by “Working Towards the Führer.” Thus was the power and significance of the cult of personality put into play. Stalin, who by contrast lacked Hitler’s charisma and ability to give mesmerising speeches, micromanaged everything. But Hitler didn’t need to. In place of himself he had evil fanatics, and most were correct in divining what der Führer required.
The parallels between Hitler and Trump are striking in this way. Like Hitler, Trump is lazy, unfocused, disdaining paperwork and refusing to read anything more than a few paragraphs, if that. He keeps odd hours and does as he pleases, hiding his indolence in the official White House schedule as “executive time.” Everyone knows what Trump is like and few have trouble guessing what he wants. They take their cues, not so much from lunchtime or dinner time harangues, but from tweets and press gaggles and, of course, occasional direct communication. These policies are carried out by Trump’s appointees stationed high up in government, and their Machiavellian policies engineered to undermine the rule of law and the good of the voiceless trickle down onto the heads of well-meaning but powerless lower echelons of government workers, and are guided by their unwritten rule to always be “Working Towards Trump.”
What shocks me, and what ought to shock every thoughtful American, is the ease and relative compliance with which so lazy and incompetent a man as Donald Trump has managed to dismantle so much of the apparatus of democracy. Trump used to be every inch as ridiculous and worthy of mockery a figure as Hitler was before rising to power. What on earth has happened? How did so many millions of people fall under the spell of this vile, ridiculous, stupid and evil man in so little time?
How did this happen? I think it happened because Americans have had two hundred and forty years of trusting that the man in charge always had America’s best interest as a guiding principle. We may have disagreed with his policies, but we always believed that he had reverence for the rule of law and the notion that a democratic republic, however imperfect, is as close to perfection as the human race has ever come. So thoroughly convinced of this have we become that we have gotten into the habit of confusing the office with the man. With 43 of those men we were relatively safe in doing so. Even Nixon, in the end, bowed to the rule of law. And he always believed that America’s was the greatest government on earth.
Once Trump was elected and inaugurated to the presidency, many Americans became blinded by this confusion of the man with the office. For them Trump’s past was covered over in a patina of trust and tradition that he would do the right thing. Some, of course, see him as the evil that he is and reject him. Others see him as the evil that he is and embrace him. For the rest, they see him as the president, and therefore, to one degree or another, the champion of the American people. They are blinded by the office of the presidency and therefore incapable of seeing the man for what he truly is.
Today we have people at many levels of government “Working Towards Trump,” enacting his policies, looking for his approval and praise. This tendency that recently was so brazenly carried out in public by the Republican cabal of the United States Senate, is enacted in the less visible corridors of government bureaucracy every day. William Barr’s acquiescence to the will of Trump in recommending a reduced sentence for Roger Stone is another example, the resignation of the four prosecutors involved in the case, while praiseworthy, was symbolic of the ultimate impotence of those who resist.
When I look at Trump I see a rapist, a thief, a coward, a liar, a despicable human being. I do not see the president of the United States, nor even the office of the presidency. I know I am not alone. But many people don’t see him that way, and I have to acknowledge that realistically. I also know that if he could get away with it he would have every single human being who hates him and speaks out against him jailed or murdered, including me. I have no illusions there either. We are dealing with a profoundly evil man who will stop at nothing to cling to power, up to and including perverting and rigging the next presidential election. That is why we have to be united. That is why we have to work tirelessly to see him gone and safely in prison. That is why we must never, never, never give up.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-13--The real reason Hope Hicks is going back to work at Donald Trump’s White House

In the days since Donald Trump ’ s sham acquittal , he ’ s made a number of moves that have been corrupt , vindictive , and/or simply weird .
None of these moves have helped Trump ’ s already-weak 2020 prospects one bit .
Instead he ’ s focusing on making moves that make him feel better about his impeachment and his failed presidency .
This brings us to today ’ s news , being reported by everyone from CNN to the New York Times , that Hope Hicks is going back to work at the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lengthy evidence trail , documented by various major news outlets , directly tying Hicks to Donald Trump ’ s felony obstruction of justice .
If not for Robert Mueller ’ s inexplicable ( and frankly inexcusable ) failure to bring obstruction charges against Trump ’ s alleged co-conspirators , Hicks could easily be a convicted felon by now .
In other words , Hicks got lucky – and she made the smart move of bailing out of the Trump regime at just the right time , taking a gig behind the scenes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t around for the Ukraine extortion scandal that ’ s going to put so many of Trump ’ s White House people in prison if he loses in November .
Hicks got out , unscathed .
Yet now she ’ s going back .
Does she really think that Donald Trump isn ’ t going to ask her to commit felony obstruction of justice again , or try to drag her into some other criminal scandal ?
Hicks got the free pass of a lifetime .
Now she ’ s going back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned the valuable lesson from her original escape .
She ’ d better hope she can keep her hands clean when it comes to Trump ’ s criminal scandals , or she could end up indicted a year from now , along with the rest of them .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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In the days since Donald Trump’s sham acquittal, he’s made a number of moves that have been corrupt, vindictive, and/or simply weird. None of these moves have helped Trump’s already-weak 2020 prospects one bit. Instead he’s focusing on making moves that make him feel better about his impeachment and his failed presidency.
This brings us to today’s news, being reported by everyone from CNN to the New York Times, that Hope Hicks is going back to work at the White House. This is beyond surreal. There was a lengthy evidence trail, documented by various major news outlets, directly tying Hicks to Donald Trump’s felony obstruction of justice. If not for Robert Mueller’s inexplicable (and frankly inexcusable) failure to bring obstruction charges against Trump’s alleged co-conspirators, Hicks could easily be a convicted felon by now.
In other words, Hicks got lucky – and she made the smart move of bailing out of the Trump regime at just the right time, taking a gig behind the scenes at Fox News instead. She wasn’t around for the Ukraine extortion scandal that’s going to put so many of Trump’s White House people in prison if he loses in November. Hicks got out, unscathed. Yet now she’s going back.
Does she really think that Donald Trump isn’t going to ask her to commit felony obstruction of justice again, or try to drag her into some other criminal scandal? Hicks got the free pass of a lifetime. Now she’s going back, because she clearly hasn’t learned the valuable lesson from her original escape. She’d better hope she can keep her hands clean when it comes to Trump’s criminal scandals, or she could end up indicted a year from now, along with the rest of them.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-13--House Republicans are making a complete mess for 2020

The Republicans are still on their victory lap after they made a farce of the Senate last week , but it ’ s probably going to become a liability for them unless they rein things in , something that probably won ’ t happen soon .
You might think with an election coming up , and the constant association of their party with the Russian oligarchy , that they might want to take some preventive measures on election security , however trivial or symbolic their votes on the matter actually are .
You would be wrong .
Instead , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee decided to boycott a national security hearing about how newly discovered technology could impact the security of future elections .
In their letter , addressed to House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff , House Republicans announced their refusal to attend the Wednesday hearing since Democrats won ’ t investigate the origins of the FISA warrant used on Carter Page , claiming it somehow made a two-year Russia probe illegitimate .
This begs the question that if it were true , why didn ’ t they do anything in the two years when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop it ?
While Republicans still could theoretically keep the Senate and make gains in the House , this shows them at their most desperate .
They ’ re without any real strategy to win now that their plans to gut healthcare and the social safety net are out in the open and they ’ ve managed to alienate mainstream voters with their cowardly decision to not allow impeachment witnesses .
To make things worse , they can ’ t rely as much on cheating to win this year , with state maps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down in court .
They ’ re simply doing what they can to regurgitate lies and hope that some of them stick – good luck with how many voters don ’ t get tired of it before November .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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The Republicans are still on their victory lap after they made a farce of the Senate last week, but it’s probably going to become a liability for them unless they rein things in, something that probably won’t happen soon. You might think with an election coming up, and the constant association of their party with the Russian oligarchy, that they might want to take some preventive measures on election security, however trivial or symbolic their votes on the matter actually are. You would be wrong.
Instead, this week, members of the House Intelligence Committee decided to boycott a national security hearing about how newly discovered technology could impact the security of future elections. In their letter, addressed to House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, House Republicans announced their refusal to attend the Wednesday hearing since Democrats won’t investigate the origins of the FISA warrant used on Carter Page, claiming it somehow made a two-year Russia probe illegitimate. This begs the question that if it were true, why didn’t they do anything in the two years when they had control of the House to stop it?
While Republicans still could theoretically keep the Senate and make gains in the House, this shows them at their most desperate. They’re without any real strategy to win now that their plans to gut healthcare and the social safety net are out in the open and they’ve managed to alienate mainstream voters with their cowardly decision to not allow impeachment witnesses.
To make things worse, they can’t rely as much on cheating to win this year, with state maps being redrawn and other tricks being struck down in court. They’re simply doing what they can to regurgitate lies and hope that some of them stick – good luck with how many voters don’t get tired of it before November.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-13--The real reason Donald Trump is willing to die on the Roger Stone hill

Despite the narratives that we keep hearing , Donald Trump ’ s decision to illegally meddle in the Roger Stone criminal case is nothing new for him at all .
He criminally conspired with Paul Manafort after Manafort cut a disingenuous plea deal .
He made criminal threats against Michael Cohen .
The only thing that ’ s different this time : the fact that it ’ s Stone .
Lets put it this way .
If Roger Stone ’ s sentencing date had arrived before Donald Trump ’ s acquittal , or for that matter before impeachment even began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differently ?
Of course not .
Trump ultimately decided to let people like Manafort rot because he concluded that they would remain loyal to him – or at least remain quiet – even if he let them rot .
And he ’ s turned out to be right about that .
Manafort is presumably still under the impression that Trump will magically pardon him on his way out of office , if Manafort even makes it that long .
But Stone is a different matter .
Roger Stone is the kind of guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just so he can collect dirt on them and then use it to his advantage .
This is a problem for Donald Trump , considering he and Stone have been personal friends going back forty years .
Sure , former Trump lieutenants like Michael Cohen have the kind of transactional criminal dirt on Trump that could put him in prison ( and will put him in prison if he loses the election in November ) , but Stone surely knows the kinds of dirty secrets that Trump fears even more than the prospect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just what Stone does .
As Roger Stone ’ s court appearances have gone on , he ’ s appeared more physically and psychologically frail .
At one point during his trial he reportedly refused to leave the bathroom for an extended period of time .
Our guess is he isn ’ t interested in sitting quietly in solitary until after Trump loses the election in November .
Stone surely wants a pardon now .
The trouble is , pardons aren ’ t the magic wands that MSNBC and CNN often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to worry that if he pardons Stone , it could set off a series of legal rulings on pardon power that could end up preventing Trump from being able to try to pardon himself and his kids on his way out the door .
And in terms of political impact , Trump pardoning Stone would probably cut Trump ’ s already-weak 2020 odds in half .
It could hand the Democrats a huge argument to use in swaying undecided voters .
So instead Donald Trump has been trying this highly corrupt yet still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the Roger Stone sentencing recommendation , even though the judge in this case is invariably going to still give Stone the exact same prison sentence that she was always planning to give him .
This has turned into a scandal and it ’ ll hurt Trump , without helping Stone one bit .
But Trump seems to hope that Stone is naive enough to think he ’ s being helped , so he won ’ t seek revenge .
Trump is a desperate man trying to split the difference between two losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Despite the narratives that we keep hearing, Donald Trump’s decision to illegally meddle in the Roger Stone criminal case is nothing new for him at all. He criminally conspired with Paul Manafort after Manafort cut a disingenuous plea deal. He made criminal threats against Michael Cohen. The only thing that’s different this time: the fact that it’s Stone.
Lets put it this way. If Roger Stone’s sentencing date had arrived before Donald Trump’s acquittal, or for that matter before impeachment even began, would Trump be handling it any differently? Of course not. Trump ultimately decided to let people like Manafort rot because he concluded that they would remain loyal to him – or at least remain quiet – even if he let them rot. And he’s turned out to be right about that. Manafort is presumably still under the impression that Trump will magically pardon him on his way out of office, if Manafort even makes it that long. But Stone is a different matter.
Roger Stone is the kind of guy who becomes “friends” with people just so he can collect dirt on them and then use it to his advantage. This is a problem for Donald Trump, considering he and Stone have been personal friends going back forty years. Sure, former Trump lieutenants like Michael Cohen have the kind of transactional criminal dirt on Trump that could put him in prison (and will put him in prison if he loses the election in November), but Stone surely knows the kinds of dirty secrets that Trump fears even more than the prospect of prison. After all, it’s just what Stone does.
As Roger Stone’s court appearances have gone on, he’s appeared more physically and psychologically frail. At one point during his trial he reportedly refused to leave the bathroom for an extended period of time. Our guess is he isn’t interested in sitting quietly in solitary until after Trump loses the election in November. Stone surely wants a pardon now.
The trouble is, pardons aren’t the magic wands that MSNBC and CNN often portray them as being. Trump has to worry that if he pardons Stone, it could set off a series of legal rulings on pardon power that could end up preventing Trump from being able to try to pardon himself and his kids on his way out the door. And in terms of political impact, Trump pardoning Stone would probably cut Trump’s already-weak 2020 odds in half. It could hand the Democrats a huge argument to use in swaying undecided voters.
So instead Donald Trump has been trying this highly corrupt yet still very silly idea of having Bill Barr reduce the Roger Stone sentencing recommendation, even though the judge in this case is invariably going to still give Stone the exact same prison sentence that she was always planning to give him. This has turned into a scandal and it’ll hurt Trump, without helping Stone one bit. But Trump seems to hope that Stone is naive enough to think he’s being helped, so he won’t seek revenge. Trump is a desperate man trying to split the difference between two losing options, and it’s not working.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-14--Donald Trump has a whole new problem

Donald Trump has a whole new problem

In either a rare act of bipartisanship , or a desperate attempt to save their hopes for re-election , eight Republican senators joined ranks with Democrats in a vote to limit the Trump administration ’ s war powers without the permission of Congress .
This included the notoriously unreliable Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski .
This happened despite pushback from the administration , with Donald Trump claiming a vote for the Iran War Powers Resolution would be dangerous to national security on Twitter , and Mitch McConnell calling the legislation “ blunt and clumsy ” in a Senate floor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will either veto this bill or ignore it entirely – reasons why a handful of Republicans in both the House and Senate had few qualms against signing it , despite McConnell ’ s preposterous warning that this may embolden Iran – even though the country would have no need to retaliate had Donald Trump not gone and committed an act of war in the first place .
Trump very well may veto it , but that ’ s not quite the whole picture .
Aside from the optics of how it would look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or refuses ( which would be bad either way for him and fellow Republicans ) , it once again brings Iran to the forefront at a fairly inconvenient time for Trump .
The number of potential injuries from Iran ’ s retaliatory strike continues to grow , while Trump denies there was a problem .
It brings up issues of national security for the current crop of presidential candidates in the race – something you can expect to see bleed into the next set of debates , making it difficult for Trump to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
We also know that a few Republicans like Lindsey Graham , also up for re-election , had advance knowledge of the airstrike on Soleimani .
This raises the question of what did they know and when did they know it ?

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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In either a rare act of bipartisanship, or a desperate attempt to save their hopes for re-election, eight Republican senators joined ranks with Democrats in a vote to limit the Trump administration’s war powers without the permission of Congress. This included the notoriously unreliable Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. This happened despite pushback from the administration, with Donald Trump claiming a vote for the Iran War Powers Resolution would be dangerous to national security on Twitter, and Mitch McConnell calling the legislation “blunt and clumsy” in a Senate floor speech.
Naysayers might fear that Trump will either veto this bill or ignore it entirely – reasons why a handful of Republicans in both the House and Senate had few qualms against signing it, despite McConnell’s preposterous warning that this may embolden Iran – even though the country would have no need to retaliate had Donald Trump not gone and committed an act of war in the first place.
Trump very well may veto it, but that’s not quite the whole picture. Aside from the optics of how it would look whether he gives in to the Senate or refuses (which would be bad either way for him and fellow Republicans), it once again brings Iran to the forefront at a fairly inconvenient time for Trump.
The number of potential injuries from Iran’s retaliatory strike continues to grow, while Trump denies there was a problem. It brings up issues of national security for the current crop of presidential candidates in the race – something you can expect to see bleed into the next set of debates, making it difficult for Trump to distract his way out of this one again. We also know that a few Republicans like Lindsey Graham, also up for re-election, had advance knowledge of the airstrike on Soleimani. This raises the question of what did they know and when did they know it?
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-14--Funny how that works

Funny how that works

Based on voting demographics , Joe Biden knew he was going to do poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire .
He may not have known he was going to do this poorly .
But if he ’ s going to get the nomination , it ’ ll be based on nonwhite voter turnout in the diverse states we ’ re now heading into .
Trying to gauge the viability of his campaign by looking at his Iowa and New Hampshire results is like trying to gauge someone ’ s swimming talent by asking them to do a pole vault .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Everyone in the media knows that Iowa and New Hampshire don ’ t really tell us who ’ s going to be the Democratic nominee .
Most people in the media play along with the notion that Iowa and New Hampshire do tell us something , because it ’ s easy to get ratings when they play up those two states as being important .
They can also then turn around and claim a “ miracle comeback ” when a candidate who ’ s polling well with nonwhite voters suddenly starts doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This brings us to Mike Bloomberg .
Mike Bloomberg is doing a lot of unusual things with his campaign .
He ’ s the moderate former Mayor of a diverse big city , which probably wouldn ’ t have gotten him very far with Democratic primary voters in Iowa or New Hampshire , so what did he do ?
He skipped them .
Technically , he waited so long to enter the race that those two states skipped him ( ballot deadlines and such ) , meaning he didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk getting bad headlines – by skipping those states .
So now we have the media writing off Joe Biden ’ s campaign as being dead because he dutifully went through the motions in Iowa and New Hampshire , where he wasn ’ t going to do well anyway , even as the media insists that Mike Bloomberg has “ momentum ” because he skipped those states and doesn ’ t have any proverbial blood on his shirt .
The lesson here is apparently that Biden should have entered the race and skipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course none of this matters .
If nonwhite voters turn out for Joe Biden in a manner similar to what the polls are predicting in Nevada and South Carolina , then he ’ s two weeks away from getting the “ miracle comeback ” label , and being seen as the “ new frontrunner.
” If Biden doesn ’ t get strong nonwhite voter turnout , he ’ s toast .
But Biden was always going to be toast if he didn ’ t get strong nonwhite voter turnout in these states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa and New Hampshire .
The fate of Mike Bloomberg ’ s candidacy is harder to quantify at this point .
We don ’ t know if he ’ ll do well with black voters in light of the “ stop and frisk ” controversy .
We also don ’ t know if his strategy of entering the race late , skipping the debates , and running ads aimed directly at Trump are going to translate to broad support overall .
But ask yourself this : if Bloomberg had participated in Iowa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he have been in as good of shape as he is right now ?
You really have to wonder if more candidates in the future will start entering the race after Iowa and New Hampshire .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Based on voting demographics, Joe Biden knew he was going to do poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire. He may not have known he was going to do this poorly. But if he’s going to get the nomination, it’ll be based on nonwhite voter turnout in the diverse states we’re now heading into. Trying to gauge the viability of his campaign by looking at his Iowa and New Hampshire results is like trying to gauge someone’s swimming talent by asking them to do a pole vault. Here’s the thing, though.
Everyone in the media knows that Iowa and New Hampshire don’t really tell us who’s going to be the Democratic nominee. Most people in the media play along with the notion that Iowa and New Hampshire do tell us something, because it’s easy to get ratings when they play up those two states as being important. They can also then turn around and claim a “miracle comeback” when a candidate who’s polling well with nonwhite voters suddenly starts doing well once the diverse states start voting. This brings us to Mike Bloomberg.
Mike Bloomberg is doing a lot of unusual things with his campaign. He’s the moderate former Mayor of a diverse big city, which probably wouldn’t have gotten him very far with Democratic primary voters in Iowa or New Hampshire, so what did he do? He skipped them. Technically, he waited so long to enter the race that those two states skipped him (ballot deadlines and such), meaning he didn’t have to risk offending those states – or risk getting bad headlines – by skipping those states.
So now we have the media writing off Joe Biden’s campaign as being dead because he dutifully went through the motions in Iowa and New Hampshire, where he wasn’t going to do well anyway, even as the media insists that Mike Bloomberg has “momentum” because he skipped those states and doesn’t have any proverbial blood on his shirt. The lesson here is apparently that Biden should have entered the race and skipped Iowa and New Hampshire too.
Of course none of this matters. If nonwhite voters turn out for Joe Biden in a manner similar to what the polls are predicting in Nevada and South Carolina, then he’s two weeks away from getting the “miracle comeback” label, and being seen as the “new frontrunner.” If Biden doesn’t get strong nonwhite voter turnout, he’s toast. But Biden was always going to be toast if he didn’t get strong nonwhite voter turnout in these states, even if he had done decently in Iowa and New Hampshire.
The fate of Mike Bloomberg’s candidacy is harder to quantify at this point. We don’t know if he’ll do well with black voters in light of the “stop and frisk” controversy. We also don’t know if his strategy of entering the race late, skipping the debates, and running ads aimed directly at Trump are going to translate to broad support overall. But ask yourself this: if Bloomberg had participated in Iowa and New Hampshire with middling results, would he have been in as good of shape as he is right now? You really have to wonder if more candidates in the future will start entering the race after Iowa and New Hampshire.
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palmerreport--2020-02-14--John Kelly’s attacks on Donald Trump are a sign of something much bigger going the scenes

General John Kelly is finally lashing out at Donald Trump , more than a year after he departed as Trump ’ s White House Chief of Staff .
Kelly could have spoken up a lot more soon and done the nation a lot more good , and he knows it .
But even if you want to award Kelly no points for finally speaking out now , the fact that he is speaking out is a sign of something much bigger going on right now .
Why didn ’ t John Kelly speak out sooner ?
That ’ s easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be – has been more important to him than doing the right thing for America .
He ’ s not the kind of guy who was willing to stick his neck out back when it would have counted for more .
Nor has Kelly simply decided that Trump has finally gone too far .
Kelly is not that kind of guy .
He ’ s on the board of directors of one of the companies that runs Trump ’ s immigrant child prisons .
So what ’ s Kelly doing ?
Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a guy like this would do it for the right reasons , you ’ re left to conclude that he ’ s doing it for pragmatic reasons .
In other words , he thinks it ’ s a good opportunity to get on board with… something larger .
What exactly is coming ?
We don ’ t know .
But Trump seems to think something big is coming when it comes to his former senior White House advisers , because he ’ s re-hired three of them this week , including two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost as if Trump knew something was coming , and decided he had to entice Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer to not be a part of it .
It ’ s worth noting that John Bolton , who rarely tweets anything , made a point of defending John Kelly today .
Specifically , Bolton – who didn ’ t even get along with Kelly – is insisting that conservatives defend Kelly against “ baseless attacks , ” by which he presumably means Trump ’ s baseless attacks .
None of these people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them are to be trusted .
But right now most of his top former White House advisers are either going back to work for him , or coming out against him in curious fashion .
There ’ s too much here to be happenstance .
Let ’ s keep an eye on this .

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General John Kelly is finally lashing out at Donald Trump, more than a year after he departed as Trump’s White House Chief of Staff. Kelly could have spoken up a lot more soon and done the nation a lot more good, and he knows it. But even if you want to award Kelly no points for finally speaking out now, the fact that he is speaking out is a sign of something much bigger going on right now.
Why didn’t John Kelly speak out sooner? That’s easy. His own agenda – whatever it may be – has been more important to him than doing the right thing for America. He’s not the kind of guy who was willing to stick his neck out back when it would have counted for more. Nor has Kelly simply decided that Trump has finally gone too far. Kelly is not that kind of guy. He’s on the board of directors of one of the companies that runs Trump’s immigrant child prisons.
So what’s Kelly doing? Once you’ve ruled out the notion that a guy like this would do it for the right reasons, you’re left to conclude that he’s doing it for pragmatic reasons. In other words, he thinks it’s a good opportunity to get on board with… something larger. What exactly is coming? We don’t know. But Trump seems to think something big is coming when it comes to his former senior White House advisers, because he’s re-hired three of them this week, including two guys he hates. It’s almost as if Trump knew something was coming, and decided he had to entice Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer to not be a part of it.
It’s worth noting that John Bolton, who rarely tweets anything, made a point of defending John Kelly today. Specifically, Bolton – who didn’t even get along with Kelly – is insisting that conservatives defend Kelly against “baseless attacks,” by which he presumably means Trump’s baseless attacks. None of these people are the good guys, clearly. None of them are to be trusted. But right now most of his top former White House advisers are either going back to work for him, or coming out against him in curious fashion. There’s too much here to be happenstance. Let’s keep an eye on this.
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palmerreport--2020-02-14--Mike Bloomberg just destroyed Donald Trump

Because Mike Bloomberg hasn ’ t actually appeared on the ballot anywhere yet , and because there are so many other unusual aspects to his campaign , it ’ s difficult to gauge yet whether he has a shot at the Democratic nomination or not .
What is easy to gauge is the extent to which his campaign , and his television ads , are getting under Donald Trump ’ s skin .
This morning Donald Trump launched a bizarre attack against Mike Bloomberg on Twitter , misstating Bloomberg ’ s height , and trying to create controversy between Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odd strategy on Trump ’ s part , considering Bloomberg has already publicly promised that if he ’ s not the Democratic nominee , he ’ ll run general election TV ads in support of the nominee .
Bloomberg wasn ’ t having any of it , and fired back accordingly : .
@ realDonaldTrump – we know many of the same people in NY .
Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown .
They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & the resources to defeat you .
And I will .
https : //t.co/fO4azmZaUg This prompted the phrase “ carnival barking clown ” to appear on the Twitter trending topics list .
Now more than ever it ’ s clear that Donald Trump is obsessed with Mike Bloomberg .
Perhaps it ’ s because Bloomberg is an actual billionaire , unlike Trump , or that Bloomberg is popular in Trump ’ s hometown of New York City , or that Bloomberg is planning to fund general election ads against Trump .
But as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he ’ s not spending as much time attacking the other Democratic candidates who probably have a better shot at the nomination .

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Because Mike Bloomberg hasn’t actually appeared on the ballot anywhere yet, and because there are so many other unusual aspects to his campaign, it’s difficult to gauge yet whether he has a shot at the Democratic nomination or not. What is easy to gauge is the extent to which his campaign, and his television ads, are getting under Donald Trump’s skin.
This morning Donald Trump launched a bizarre attack against Mike Bloomberg on Twitter, misstating Bloomberg’s height, and trying to create controversy between Bloomberg and Bernie Sanders. This is an odd strategy on Trump’s part, considering Bloomberg has already publicly promised that if he’s not the Democratic nominee, he’ll run general election TV ads in support of the nominee. Bloomberg wasn’t having any of it, and fired back accordingly:
.@realDonaldTrump – we know many of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence. I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will. https://t.co/fO4azmZaUg — Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) February 13, 2020
This prompted the phrase “carnival barking clown” to appear on the Twitter trending topics list. Now more than ever it’s clear that Donald Trump is obsessed with Mike Bloomberg. Perhaps it’s because Bloomberg is an actual billionaire, unlike Trump, or that Bloomberg is popular in Trump’s hometown of New York City, or that Bloomberg is planning to fund general election ads against Trump. But as long as Trump is busy attacking Bloomberg, he’s not spending as much time attacking the other Democratic candidates who probably have a better shot at the nomination.
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palmerreport--2020-02-14--Chris Hayes just nailed it

Chris Hayes just nailed it

I ’ ve been fairly critical of cable news on the whole this past week , thanks to its prevailing narrative that Donald Trump ’ s acquittal has “ emboldened ” him and that he ’ s therefore now somehow on a magic carpet ride to reelection in 2020 .
The part that ’ s largely being left out is that Trump isn ’ t even currently in contention for 2020. Credit where it ’ s due , MSNBC host Chris Hayes just nailed it : For all the talk of Trump the juggernaut , the last five polls have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 50 ( Rasmussen ) , 41 and 40 .
It is both true that he is dangerous to the rule of law *and also* that he is politically weak and unpopular .
This is crucial differentiation .
Donald Trump is criminally out of control .
But he ’ s been criminally out of control since the day he took office , and while the results have been devastating to the sanctity of democracy , none of it seems to he helping him much .
His roughly 40 % approval rating is simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far out of the running , if the election were held tomorrow , he ’ d lose in a blowout .
He ’ s so far out of contention , he wouldn ’ t even be able to cheat his way to victory .
Donald Trump has nine more months to try to significantly boost his approval rating .
He will try any number of new schemes to that end .
But none of them have gotten him anywhere thus far – partly because the Resistance has been pushing back against his every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep up the same level of fierceness it ’ s shown over the past three years , and Trump will lose .
He ’ s not some supervillain we need to hide from under our desks .
He ’ s a bumbling crook who ’ s barely maintaining a tenuous grip on his power .

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I’ve been fairly critical of cable news on the whole this past week, thanks to its prevailing narrative that Donald Trump’s acquittal has “emboldened” him and that he’s therefore now somehow on a magic carpet ride to reelection in 2020. The part that’s largely being left out is that Trump isn’t even currently in contention for 2020. Credit where it’s due, MSNBC host Chris Hayes just nailed it:
For all the talk of Trump the juggernaut, the last five polls have him at approval of 41, 40, 50 (Rasmussen), 41 and 40. It is both true that he is dangerous to the rule of law *and also* that he is politically weak and unpopular. — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) February 13, 2020
This is crucial differentiation. Donald Trump is criminally out of control. But he’s been criminally out of control since the day he took office, and while the results have been devastating to the sanctity of democracy, none of it seems to he helping him much. His roughly 40% approval rating is simply not viable. He’s so far out of the running, if the election were held tomorrow, he’d lose in a blowout. He’s so far out of contention, he wouldn’t even be able to cheat his way to victory.
Donald Trump has nine more months to try to significantly boost his approval rating. He will try any number of new schemes to that end. But none of them have gotten him anywhere thus far – partly because the Resistance has been pushing back against his every corrupt move. The Resistance merely needs to keep up the same level of fierceness it’s shown over the past three years, and Trump will lose. He’s not some supervillain we need to hide from under our desks. He’s a bumbling crook who’s barely maintaining a tenuous grip on his power.
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palmerreport--2020-02-14--Donald Trump just made things at lot worse for Bill Barr

In 2016 , Donald Trump ran one of the most ineffective presidential campaigns in modern memory , couldn ’ t even cheat with the Russians correctly , and only tripped and fell into office after James Comey wrote a boneheaded last minute letter .
Since that time Trump has corruptly bumbled his way to a 40 % approval rating and no clear path to reelection .
But we ’ re supposed to believe he ’ s an evil genius with a magic wand who can pull off anything he wants .
The illusion of Trump having a strategy was even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to insert himself into things .
In terms of villainy , Barr is one of the few relatively smart hires Trump has ever made , as opposed to Trump ’ s usual bumbling henchmen .
But even Barr is having trouble pulling off his latest con , because Trump doesn ’ t seem to understand the con .
Bill Barr is forcibly changing the DOJ ’ s sentencing recommendation for Trump ’ s former henchman Roger Stone .
Barr is trying to keep up the illusion that he ’ s doing this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too harsh .
But this only works if Trump stays out of it , and , well , Trump doesn ’ t understand that .
He keeps tweet-whining about Stone ’ s sentence , making clear he ’ s in on it .
This is a problem because Barr has to maintain it least a millimeter of reasonable doubt if he ’ s going to pull this off , and not land in prison himself once Trump is gone .
To that end , Bill Barr went on ABC News yesterday and basically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most of understood that this was all a ruse , and that Barr was simply trying to reestablish deniability , so he could go back to meddling in the Stone case .
But if he tried to explain the plan to Trump , it didn ’ t sink in .
This morning Trump posted this tweet : So we ’ re right back to Bill Barr having no deniability , either because Donald Trump is too clueless to understand how this ruse is supposed to work , or because Trump is to narcissistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By the way , this is a ruse on two levels .
Bill Barr absolutely 100 % can not change the prison sentence that the judge decides to give Roger Stone .
It ’ s at the judge ’ s sole discretion , and Barr can ’ t magically override it any more than Barr can magically make it rain today .
Barr has merely reduced the DOJ sentencing recommendation down to the range that we ’ re all expecting the judge to end up giving Stone anyway , presumably so Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually helped Stone .
Barr is pretty far out on a ledge here , but Trump fell off it a long time ago .

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In 2016, Donald Trump ran one of the most ineffective presidential campaigns in modern memory, couldn’t even cheat with the Russians correctly, and only tripped and fell into office after James Comey wrote a boneheaded last minute letter. Since that time Trump has corruptly bumbled his way to a 40% approval rating and no clear path to reelection. But we’re supposed to believe he’s an evil genius with a magic wand who can pull off anything he wants.
The illusion of Trump having a strategy was even further shattered this week when Bill Barr decided to insert himself into things. In terms of villainy, Barr is one of the few relatively smart hires Trump has ever made, as opposed to Trump’s usual bumbling henchmen. But even Barr is having trouble pulling off his latest con, because Trump doesn’t seem to understand the con.
Bill Barr is forcibly changing the DOJ’s sentencing recommendation for Trump’s former henchman Roger Stone. Barr is trying to keep up the illusion that he’s doing this because he honestly believes the sentence is too harsh. But this only works if Trump stays out of it, and, well, Trump doesn’t understand that. He keeps tweet-whining about Stone’s sentence, making clear he’s in on it. This is a problem because Barr has to maintain it least a millimeter of reasonable doubt if he’s going to pull this off, and not land in prison himself once Trump is gone.
To that end, Bill Barr went on ABC News yesterday and basically told Donald Trump to shut up. Most of understood that this was all a ruse, and that Barr was simply trying to reestablish deniability, so he could go back to meddling in the Stone case. But if he tried to explain the plan to Trump, it didn’t sink in. This morning Trump posted this tweet:
“The President has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case.” A.G. Barr This doesn’t mean that I do not have, as President, the legal right to do so, I do, but I have so far chosen not to!
So we’re right back to Bill Barr having no deniability, either because Donald Trump is too clueless to understand how this ruse is supposed to work, or because Trump is to narcissistic to simply let Barr have the spotlight.
By the way, this is a ruse on two levels. Bill Barr absolutely 100% cannot change the prison sentence that the judge decides to give Roger Stone. It’s at the judge’s sole discretion, and Barr can’t magically override it any more than Barr can magically make it rain today. Barr has merely reduced the DOJ sentencing recommendation down to the range that we’re all expecting the judge to end up giving Stone anyway, presumably so Barr can con Trump into believing that Barr actually helped Stone. Barr is pretty far out on a ledge here, but Trump fell off it a long time ago.
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palmerreport--2020-02-14--This one is for all the marbles

This one is for all the marbles

United States Attorney General William Barr is to be hauled before Jerry Nadler ’ s House Judiciary Committee at the end of next month to show cause for his extralegal support of Donald Trump .
The momentous questions the committee will put to the AG will pertain to reasons why Barr has allowed the personal interests of the president of the United States to supersede the independent remit of Barr ’ s Department of Justice .
Specifically , why has Barr allowed Trump to attempt to override the DOJ ’ s own four prosecutors ’ sentencing recommendations in the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ versus Roger Stone ?
Why has Barr suddenly reversed himself on his previous claim that the DOJ had nothing to do with Rudy Giuliani or Giuliani ’ s activities in Ukraine , and is now accepting and taking seriously information from Giuliani that is not only spurious but prejudicial against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter ?
Why has Barr recently announced that he expressly forbids any future investigations of any future presidential candidates without his personal authorization ?
While they ’ re at it , one would hope members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why is it that everything Trump does is perfectly okay with him , so much so that Barr was willing to grossly misrepresent the findings of the Mueller Report in his summary before its release .
Somewhere in there someone might want to bring along the United States Attorney General ’ s Oath of Office , which reads in full : They may wish to draw Barr ’ s particular attention to the words in the AG Oath that reads , “ without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
” There has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the purpose of evasion going on these days in the Republican defense of Donald Trump , and I don ’ t know about anybody else , but I ’ m getting awfully tired of it .
Those of us who have been close students of the misbegotten pirate ship called the “ Trump administration ” these past three years can easily guess what Barr ’ s answers will be .
They will involve flat denials .
They will involve declarations of strict adherence to proper decorum and the rule of law .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involve many extravagant portions of good old Republican feigned outrage .
Expect Barr to be shocked — shocked !
— at the mere suggestion that he did anything improper .
I can not escape the impression that we are in the middle of a dress rehearsal , or a trial balloon , that will set the tone for future Trumpian defiances of the rule of law .
This may very well be the last time Bill Barr willingly appears before Congress .
That he has agreed to appear at all is something of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s how far democracy has fallen , we must get these thugs to agree to appear now . )
So what exactly is all this Bill Barr stuff a trial balloon for ?
No one can say .
Maybe nothing .
As far as Trump and his thuggish clowns go my biggest worry is that Trump will use the power of the Department of Justice to contest any part of the 2020 election he doesn ’ t like , especially the part deciding the next president and the outcome of various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should a Democrat win the presidency , there ’ s an extremely high likelihood that both Bill Barr and Donald Trump will go to prison .
So Barr and Trump are both highly motivated to cheat if they have to .
From the standpoint of the House Judiciary Committee this is looking like the beginning of a series of inquiries leading up to another impeachment , only this time it will be both Bill Barr and Donald Trump being impeached .
It is a dangerous game of brinkmanship , and will play itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet be a case just yet of Apocalypse Now , but don ’ t be surprised if it ’ s Apocalypse Soon .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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United States Attorney General William Barr is to be hauled before Jerry Nadler’s House Judiciary Committee at the end of next month to show cause for his extralegal support of Donald Trump. The momentous questions the committee will put to the AG will pertain to reasons why Barr has allowed the personal interests of the president of the United States to supersede the independent remit of Barr’s Department of Justice.
Specifically, why has Barr allowed Trump to attempt to override the DOJ’s own four prosecutors’ sentencing recommendations in the case of the People of the United States versus Roger Stone? Why has Barr suddenly reversed himself on his previous claim that the DOJ had nothing to do with Rudy Giuliani or Giuliani’s activities in Ukraine, and is now accepting and taking seriously information from Giuliani that is not only spurious but prejudicial against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter? Why has Barr recently announced that he expressly forbids any future investigations of any future presidential candidates without his personal authorization?
While they’re at it, one would hope members of the Committee will also ask Barr why is it that everything Trump does is perfectly okay with him, so much so that Barr was willing to grossly misrepresent the findings of the Mueller Report in his summary before its release. Somewhere in there someone might want to bring along the United States Attorney General’s Oath of Office, which reads in full:
I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
They may wish to draw Barr’s particular attention to the words in the AG Oath that reads, “without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.” There has been a lot of mental reservation for the purpose of evasion going on these days in the Republican defense of Donald Trump, and I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m getting awfully tired of it.
Those of us who have been close students of the misbegotten pirate ship called the “Trump administration” these past three years can easily guess what Barr’s answers will be. They will involve flat denials. They will involve declarations of strict adherence to proper decorum and the rule of law. And, best of all, they will involve many extravagant portions of good old Republican feigned outrage. Expect Barr to be shocked — shocked! — at the mere suggestion that he did anything improper.
I cannot escape the impression that we are in the middle of a dress rehearsal, or a trial balloon, that will set the tone for future Trumpian defiances of the rule of law. This may very well be the last time Bill Barr willingly appears before Congress. That he has agreed to appear at all is something of a minor miracle. (Yes, that’s how far democracy has fallen, we must get these thugs to agree to appear now.)
So what exactly is all this Bill Barr stuff a trial balloon for? No one can say. Maybe nothing. As far as Trump and his thuggish clowns go my biggest worry is that Trump will use the power of the Department of Justice to contest any part of the 2020 election he doesn’t like, especially the part deciding the next president and the outcome of various Senate races. Whatever the case, should a Democrat win the presidency, there’s an extremely high likelihood that both Bill Barr and Donald Trump will go to prison. So Barr and Trump are both highly motivated to cheat if they have to.
From the standpoint of the House Judiciary Committee this is looking like the beginning of a series of inquiries leading up to another impeachment, only this time it will be both Bill Barr and Donald Trump being impeached. It is a dangerous game of brinkmanship, and will play itself out spectacularly in November. It may not yet be a case just yet of Apocalypse Now, but don’t be surprised if it’s Apocalypse Soon.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-14--What it really means that Andrew McCabe just defeated Donald Trump

A few months ago Bill Barr ’ s Department of Justice leaked a story to the media aimed at creating the appearance that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe had been criminally indicted for his role in exposing the Trump-Russia scandal .
The thing was , the tricky wording of the leak appeared to give away that there was no actual indictment , and of course no grand jury would have ever indicted McCabe on such laughably and obviously false charges anyway .
This prompted Andrew McCabe to fight back by going to court and getting a judge to order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an indictment , or drop the case .
Today , the DOJ announced that it ’ s dropped the case .
This means McCabe has defeated Trump and Barr in this matter .
The curious timing would also seem to point to something else .
Right now Bill Barr is actively and illegally trying to meddle in the Roger Stone criminal case .
Barr won ’ t actually be able to get Stone a shorter sentence , as sentencing is ultimately at the sole discretion of the judge , and Judge Amy Berman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then Barr was never going to be able to get Trump ’ s nemesis McCabe indicted either , because nothing works that way .
Now , even as Bill Barr is going on television and essentially whining about how Donald Trump ’ s tweets are making it harder for Barr to get away with meddling in cases , we ’ ve got Barr suddenly giving up on the ruse that he was criminally pursuing McCabe .
This will be the last thing Trump wants to hear , as he was surely under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somehow end up going to prison .
This is a reminder that for all of the brazen villainy on the part of Trump and Barr , they don ’ t have magic wands and they can ’ t just get away with whatever they want .
They ’ re just two desperate con artists , each playing their own shell game , and hoping no one catches on that there ’ s nothing underneath .

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A few months ago Bill Barr’s Department of Justice leaked a story to the media aimed at creating the appearance that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe had been criminally indicted for his role in exposing the Trump-Russia scandal. The thing was, the tricky wording of the leak appeared to give away that there was no actual indictment, and of course no grand jury would have ever indicted McCabe on such laughably and obviously false charges anyway.
This prompted Andrew McCabe to fight back by going to court and getting a judge to order the DOJ to either show proof of an indictment, or drop the case. Today, the DOJ announced that it’s dropped the case. This means McCabe has defeated Trump and Barr in this matter. The curious timing would also seem to point to something else.
Right now Bill Barr is actively and illegally trying to meddle in the Roger Stone criminal case. Barr won’t actually be able to get Stone a shorter sentence, as sentencing is ultimately at the sole discretion of the judge, and Judge Amy Berman Jackson is a straight shooter. But then Barr was never going to be able to get Trump’s nemesis McCabe indicted either, because nothing works that way.
Now, even as Bill Barr is going on television and essentially whining about how Donald Trump’s tweets are making it harder for Barr to get away with meddling in cases, we’ve got Barr suddenly giving up on the ruse that he was criminally pursuing McCabe. This will be the last thing Trump wants to hear, as he was surely under the illusion all this time that McCabe would somehow end up going to prison. This is a reminder that for all of the brazen villainy on the part of Trump and Barr, they don’t have magic wands and they can’t just get away with whatever they want. They’re just two desperate con artists, each playing their own shell game, and hoping no one catches on that there’s nothing underneath.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-14--We’re up to eight of them now

We’re up to eight of them now

It was no shock that Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial was a sham that ended in an acquittal .
But the verdict did not induce hordes of independent voters to adorn their lawns with Trump 2020 signs .
Although Senator Mitt Romney ’ s vote to remove Trump triggered a backlash , yesterday ’ s War Powers Resolution vote proved that Romney ’ s resistance did not mark the end of Senate Republicans joining Democrats to stand up to Trump .
Eight Republican senators joined all Democrats to pass the resolution , 55-45 , which prevents Trump from taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority .
Although the resolution also applies to future Presidents , it is a direct response to Trump ’ s order to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani last month that quickly led the House to vote in favor of a similar resolution .
The Senate ’ s resolution is not expected to survive a Trump veto , but it is an important bipartisan rebuke against Trump , especially in the wake of his acquittal and his lambasting of Romney .
A similar resolution written in anticipation of Trump ’ s hostile actions failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted on months before Trump ’ s impeachment inquiry began .
The eight Republican senators who voted for the resolution are not heroes .
They have much more to do before they can be honored as profiles in courage .
But the fact that a resolution restraining Trump passed in Mitch McConnell ’ s Senate a week after Trump ’ s acquittal is significant .
It is further proof that Trump did not gain a green light to be a dictator or usurp Congressional powers .
The vote also squarely puts to bed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dare defy Trump again like Romney did .
The only foolproof way to ensure that Trump does not impulsively launch World War 3 is to ensure that this fool leaves office on January 20 , if not sooner .
Last summer , Trump proclaimed that Article 2 of the Constitution gives him “ the right to do whatever I want as President.
” But the chair behind the Resolute desk is not a throne .
The day Trump is legally required to give up that chair is the day the largest existential threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be indelibly removed .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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It was no shock that Donald Trump’s impeachment trial was a sham that ended in an acquittal. But the verdict did not induce hordes of independent voters to adorn their lawns with Trump 2020 signs. Although Senator Mitt Romney’s vote to remove Trump triggered a backlash, yesterday’s War Powers Resolution vote proved that Romney’s resistance did not mark the end of Senate Republicans joining Democrats to stand up to Trump.
Eight Republican senators joined all Democrats to pass the resolution, 55-45, which prevents Trump from taking further hostile action against Iran without Congressional authority. Although the resolution also applies to future Presidents, it is a direct response to Trump’s order to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani last month that quickly led the House to vote in favor of a similar resolution.
The Senate’s resolution is not expected to survive a Trump veto, but it is an important bipartisan rebuke against Trump, especially in the wake of his acquittal and his lambasting of Romney. A similar resolution written in anticipation of Trump’s hostile actions failed last June, even though it was voted on months before Trump’s impeachment inquiry began.
The eight Republican senators who voted for the resolution are not heroes. They have much more to do before they can be honored as profiles in courage. But the fact that a resolution restraining Trump passed in Mitch McConnell’s Senate a week after Trump’s acquittal is significant. It is further proof that Trump did not gain a green light to be a dictator or usurp Congressional powers. The vote also squarely puts to bed the idea that no Republican would ever dare defy Trump again like Romney did.
The only foolproof way to ensure that Trump does not impulsively launch World War 3 is to ensure that this fool leaves office on January 20, if not sooner. Last summer, Trump proclaimed that Article 2 of the Constitution gives him “the right to do whatever I want as President.” But the chair behind the Resolute desk is not a throne. The day Trump is legally required to give up that chair is the day the largest existential threat to American democracy and world peace will be indelibly removed.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-14--What the heck did Rudy Giuliani just do?

Yesterday we saw some serious developments in the Ukraine extortion scandal .
Donald Trump , who is growing more recklessly stupid by the day , flat out admitted that he sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to stir up trouble .
Rudy then went on Fox News and insisted that he hadn ’ t been in Ukraine for years , before immediately turning around and admitting that he ’ d just been there three weeks ago .
Even as all of these serious developments were playing out , there was also the reality that Rudy Giuliani is really far gone at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sometime after midnight last night , he tried to do a Google search for images of Steve Bannon , but instead he accidentally tweeted his Google search .
Take a look : Not surprisingly , he ended up deleting it .
If you ’ re wondering , Rudy did end up finding an image of Steve Bannon , and he tweeted it about twenty minutes later .
The trouble : he picked a photo of Bannon sitting in front of a television turned to CNN , and the crawler across the bottom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Donald Trump “ idiotic.
” So good job , Rudy !
Keep in mind that Trump is still relying on witless buffoons like this guy to try to carry out his schemes .
It ’ s possible to be dangerously corrupt while also being absurdly inept at that corruption .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Yesterday we saw some serious developments in the Ukraine extortion scandal. Donald Trump, who is growing more recklessly stupid by the day, flat out admitted that he sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to stir up trouble. Rudy then went on Fox News and insisted that he hadn’t been in Ukraine for years, before immediately turning around and admitting that he’d just been there three weeks ago.
Even as all of these serious developments were playing out, there was also the reality that Rudy Giuliani is really far gone at this point. How far gone? Sometime after midnight last night, he tried to do a Google search for images of Steve Bannon, but instead he accidentally tweeted his Google search. Take a look:
Not surprisingly, he ended up deleting it. If you’re wondering, Rudy did end up finding an image of Steve Bannon, and he tweeted it about twenty minutes later. The trouble: he picked a photo of Bannon sitting in front of a television turned to CNN, and the crawler across the bottom of the screen was quoting someone who had called Donald Trump “idiotic.” So good job, Rudy! Keep in mind that Trump is still relying on witless buffoons like this guy to try to carry out his schemes. It’s possible to be dangerously corrupt while also being absurdly inept at that corruption.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-17--There will be mud

There will be mud

There ’ s a character in George Orwell ’ s 1984 , Syme , who from the point of view of the protagonist Winston Smith “ sees too clearly and speaks too plainly.
” Dangerous though such unconventional characteristics may be in Orwell ’ s fictional world , Syme is an expert in the language “ Newspeak ” and is therefore necessary to the narrative .
Syme elucidates the true purpose behind Newspeak to us , the reader .
Newspeak is English emasculated — eradicated of many verbs and adjectives and even nouns in order to rid ordinary English of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of meaning , ” as Syme explains .
It is composed of multiple portmanteaus like “ ungood ” and “ crimethink.
” Its ultimate point and purpose is to render complicated and critical thought difficult , if not impossible .
“ ’ Don ’ t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought ?
” Syme continues .
“ In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible , because there will be no words in which to express it.
” If this all sounds like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
We have all been witnesses to how this kind of “ narrowing of the range of human thought ” can work .
Words like “ Benghazi ” and “ her emails ” were as destructive and thought-limiting in the last election as “ socialist ” and “ corporate Democrat ” and “ Burisma ” no doubt will become in this election .
Welcome to the new political mud , computerized , weaponized , distilled , dishonest and calculated to narrow the range of human thought .
And far easier to pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soundbite and the lie .
Reality is often complicated and requires explaining .
That these explanations sometimes also resemble “ spin ” is both unfortunate and unavoidable .
Sometimes we just need to shut up and pay attention to what is really meant by a word or a phrase , or we need to learn the whole sordid history behind the deception it can sometimes represent .
“ Benghazi ” by rights should have been a badge of honor for Hillary Clinton .
It should have been a storage register of a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politically motivated , costly , wasteful and unnecessary investigations .
Instead it became the new political mud .
We ’ ve seen one word mudslinging before , of course .
“ Gallipoli ” was Churchill ’ s Benghazi .
The difference is it was real mud composed of a real mistake , one of the biggest mistakes of Churchill ’ s life .
Fairly or unfairly it was still being slung 25 years after the fact when Churchill was being tipped for Prime Minister .
These days truth plays , not a subservient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in modern political discourse .
Should Joe Biden become the Democratic candidate then “ Burisma ” and “ Crowdstrike ” will continue to be his mud .
Never mind that those words represent a fully debunked conspiracy theory .
Never mind that the incompetent pursuit of that conspiracy theory got Donald Trump impeached .
It will be slung as surely and as effectively as “ Benghazi ” and “ her emails ” was slung at Hillary Clinton .
Should Biden not be the candidate , talk of those bits of mud will evaporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will then be replaced by some other mud , aimed at some other candidate , with equivalent disingenuous ferocity and the same counterfeit outrage that has become the Republican trademark .
Millions will become attached to the narratives created by these new mud-slinging narratives .
Now I have some bad news for you .
The notion that you can educate anyone away from these prejudicial attachments is a false one .
Most people steadfastly refuse to be educated away from their fallacies .
For example , I have never yet encountered a conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — let alone read a book about — any alternative that contradicts their conspiracy theory .
Most people simply refuse to consider the possibility they are wrong .
Maddening though that might feel , it is reality , and we need to face it .
This is why we must unify .
The idea that we can convert the low-information Trump-supporting rabble to rational thought is foolish .
We can ’ t .
Nor will the defeat and even imprisonment of Donald Trump teach them a meaningful lesson .
We must focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generation in self-critical systems like science and rational political philosophy .
But first we must defeat Donald Trump .
That should be our first and most unifying goal .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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There’s a character in George Orwell’s 1984, Syme, who from the point of view of the protagonist Winston Smith “sees too clearly and speaks too plainly.” Dangerous though such unconventional characteristics may be in Orwell’s fictional world, Syme is an expert in the language “Newspeak” and is therefore necessary to the narrative. Syme elucidates the true purpose behind Newspeak to us, the reader.
Newspeak is English emasculated — eradicated of many verbs and adjectives and even nouns in order to rid ordinary English of its “vagueness and its useless shades of meaning,” as Syme explains. It is composed of multiple portmanteaus like “ungood” and “crimethink.” Its ultimate point and purpose is to render complicated and critical thought difficult, if not impossible. “’Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought?” Syme continues. “In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.”
If this all sounds like fiction and fancy to you, think again. We have all been witnesses to how this kind of “narrowing of the range of human thought” can work. Words like “Benghazi” and “her emails” were as destructive and thought-limiting in the last election as “socialist” and “corporate Democrat” and “Burisma” no doubt will become in this election. Welcome to the new political mud, computerized, weaponized, distilled, dishonest and calculated to narrow the range of human thought. And far easier to pull off in this new age of the soundbite and the lie.
Reality is often complicated and requires explaining. That these explanations sometimes also resemble “spin” is both unfortunate and unavoidable. Sometimes we just need to shut up and pay attention to what is really meant by a word or a phrase, or we need to learn the whole sordid history behind the deception it can sometimes represent. “Benghazi” by rights should have been a badge of honor for Hillary Clinton. It should have been a storage register of a whole complicated narrative of eleven exonerations after eleven politically motivated, costly, wasteful and unnecessary investigations. Instead it became the new political mud.
We’ve seen one word mudslinging before, of course. “Gallipoli” was Churchill’s Benghazi. The difference is it was real mud composed of a real mistake, one of the biggest mistakes of Churchill’s life. Fairly or unfairly it was still being slung 25 years after the fact when Churchill was being tipped for Prime Minister.
These days truth plays, not a subservient role, but a sadly irrelevant role in modern political discourse. Should Joe Biden become the Democratic candidate then “Burisma” and “Crowdstrike” will continue to be his mud. Never mind that those words represent a fully debunked conspiracy theory. Never mind that the incompetent pursuit of that conspiracy theory got Donald Trump impeached. It will be slung as surely and as effectively as “Benghazi” and “her emails” was slung at Hillary Clinton.
Should Biden not be the candidate, talk of those bits of mud will evaporate faster than a Spring rain. They will then be replaced by some other mud, aimed at some other candidate, with equivalent disingenuous ferocity and the same counterfeit outrage that has become the Republican trademark. Millions will become attached to the narratives created by these new mud-slinging narratives.
Now I have some bad news for you. The notion that you can educate anyone away from these prejudicial attachments is a false one. Most people steadfastly refuse to be educated away from their fallacies. For example, I have never yet encountered a conspiracy theorist who was willing to even google — let alone read a book about — any alternative that contradicts their conspiracy theory. Most people simply refuse to consider the possibility they are wrong. Maddening though that might feel, it is reality, and we need to face it.
This is why we must unify. The idea that we can convert the low-information Trump-supporting rabble to rational thought is foolish. We can’t. Nor will the defeat and even imprisonment of Donald Trump teach them a meaningful lesson. We must focus on future ages, on educating the next generation in self-critical systems like science and rational political philosophy. But first we must defeat Donald Trump. That should be our first and most unifying goal.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-16--Donald Trump crashes and burns at the Daytona 500

Earlier today , Donald Trump decided that the best use of his time was to ride around the track at the Daytona 500 in his limousine .
We can ’ t think of a more apt metaphor for his failed presidency than Trump going round and round in circles for no reason and not getting anywhere and it ’ s obvious he doesn ’ t belong there .
We ’ re not knocking NASCAR , just Trump ’ s awkward and pointless attempt at inserting himself into a NASCAR race .
He ’ s once again wasting time pandering to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to vote for him , instead of getting out there and trying to win over additional voters so he can boost his approval rating out the gutter .
But Trump is clinically compelled by his narcissism to go where he ’ s going to be cheered the most loudly , so he wastes his time on this .
Trump is also more obsessed than ever with his border wall , which isn ’ t really being built , isn ’ t a wall anyway , and is literally collapsing : Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our powerful , under construction , Southern Border Wall “ fell over ” , trying to make it sound terrible , except the reason was that the concrete foundation was just poured & soaking wet when big winds kicked in .
Quickly fixed “ forever ” .
Why is Donald Trump even talking about this ?
His fake wall / fence type thing collapsed weeks ago .
Everyone else has moved on and forgotten about it .
Now Trump is reminding everyone that he can ’ t even put up a stretch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This guy is crashing and burning at a record pace .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Earlier today, Donald Trump decided that the best use of his time was to ride around the track at the Daytona 500 in his limousine. We can’t think of a more apt metaphor for his failed presidency than Trump going round and round in circles for no reason and not getting anywhere and it’s obvious he doesn’t belong there.
We’re not knocking NASCAR, just Trump’s awkward and pointless attempt at inserting himself into a NASCAR race. He’s once again wasting time pandering to his existing base, which is already going to vote for him, instead of getting out there and trying to win over additional voters so he can boost his approval rating out the gutter. But Trump is clinically compelled by his narcissism to go where he’s going to be cheered the most loudly, so he wastes his time on this. Trump is also more obsessed than ever with his border wall, which isn’t really being built, isn’t a wall anyway, and is literally collapsing:
Last week the Fake News said that a section of our powerful, under construction, Southern Border Wall “fell over”, trying to make it sound terrible, except the reason was that the concrete foundation was just poured & soaking wet when big winds kicked in. Quickly fixed “forever”.
Why is Donald Trump even talking about this? His fake wall / fence type thing collapsed weeks ago. Everyone else has moved on and forgotten about it. Now Trump is reminding everyone that he can’t even put up a stretch of fence without it falling down. This guy is crashing and burning at a record pace.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.