theguardian--2020-01-18--'The red wall is cracking': Buttigieg gets ovation after expecting protests

Pete Buttigieg knew he was foraying into unfriendly confines when he was en route to Orange City , the seat of Iowa ’ s most conservative county .
The gay ex-mayor of South Bend , Indiana , may be in the top tier of Democratic presidential candidates seeking to win this vital first voting state next month , but his sexuality was seen as likely to be a major issue in this corner of the state , Sioux county .
The campaign braced for protesters in light of public burnings of library books depicting gay relationships and vociferous opposition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ festival , said Ben Halle , Buttigieg ’ s Iowa communications director , to the Guardian .
Halle said didn ’ t know what to expect as far as a crowd , but he said it was fair to expect opposition as Buttigieg ’ s campaign rolled into town .
“ What you need to realize with Sioux county is there ’ s a very strong religious flavor there , from their courts to their public squares , ” said Ned Bjornstad , a former elected prosecutor in north-west Iowa turned veteran defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ For a candidate like Buttigieg , I ’ d expect protesters.
” As Buttigieg entered the Prairie Winds Events Center in downtown Orange City , a crowd of around 200 instead roared in a standing ovation .
Regan Harms , a 22-year-old senior majoring in biblical studies at Northwestern College in Orange City , said she wasn ’ t at all surprised with the turnout .
As she introduced Buttigieg , she described him as a neighbor and fellow midwesterner , one who understands life in rural America .
“ Iowans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Harms said .
“ The second you meet him , you get that impression that he almost knows you .
Of course he can come into Orange City , and people will like him .
There ’ s that common bond among midwesterners.
” But Orange City is hostile territory to Democrats and fervently socially conservative .
There , no Democrat running for governor or president has registered over 18 % support since 2008 .
In Orange City , penalties are levied for work on Sunday .
In July , a petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City public library to ban books related to homosexual relationships and transgender people .
A man was even convicted of burning said books outside the library .
In nearby Sioux Center in September , the Sioux County Conservatives alleged a restaurant was “ celebrating sin ” by hosting Pride brunch on a Sunday .
When asked whether people in Orange City cared about whether Buttigieg was gay , Harms said she wouldn ’ t answer that question .
“ It ’ s a divisive topic here in town , of course , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people care , but look at this crowd .
Others don ’ t. ” Buttigieg maintains he ’ s the candidate who can blaze the trail .
After he announced he was gay , he won a second term in South Bend with a greater share of the vote .
While the Orange City crowd wasn ’ t roaring when Buttigieg announced his socially progressive platforms , only one crowd member asked him whether the country was ready for its first gay president .
Buttigieg replied that it had taken a leap of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Bend , and it would take another to win the presidency .
“ In the last 50 years , every Democratic president has a perspective outside Washington , is new on the national scene , and is of a new generation , ” he said .
“ I check all those boxes.
” With less than three weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses , Buttigieg ’ s chances are as good as any , said Brad Best , professor of political science at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top four in Iowa and New Hampshire since the late summer , but has suffered a slide as of late as the campaign enters a frenetic final period .
“ I can ’ t think of anyone more anathema to the seat of Sioux county , but a packed house there suggests there ’ s broad appeal , for whatever reason , ” Best said .
Some Democrats believe that Trump ’ s behavior in office and scandal-plagued personal and political life may be hurting him even in this Republican stronghold and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg – who himself confesses a deep religious faith .
“ Look at it this way : the red wall has begun to crack , ” said the former state senator David Johnson , who used to represent the area .
Johnson left the Republican party and declared himself an independent after it declared Trump its nominee .
“ Think about it : there were over 200 people in Orange City to see Pete Buttigieg and there aren ’ t even 2,000 registered Democrats in that county .
That means there are independents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Price said .
Corrie Hayes , a 21-year-old senior at Northwestern College , said she was impressed particularly with his response to a question about abortion rights , when he said that in the Book of Genesis , life begins with breath .
She wouldn ’ t get into her positions on policy – she said she was deeply religious and her faith guided her every day – but she said she could tell Buttigieg was sincere about his faith .
Hayes feels it isn ’ t fair to question whether Buttigieg is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s gay .
“ People [ in Orange City ] love each other regardless of who you are , ” she said .
“ And that ’ s the reason I like Pete .
He feels the same way .
”

Pete Buttigieg knew he was foraying into unfriendly confines when he was en route to Orange City, the seat of Iowa’s most conservative county.
The gay ex-mayor of South Bend, Indiana, may be in the top tier of Democratic presidential candidates seeking to win this vital first voting state next month, but his sexuality was seen as likely to be a major issue in this corner of the state, Sioux county.
The campaign braced for protesters in light of public burnings of library books depicting gay relationships and vociferous opposition to the town’s annual gay Pride festival, said Ben Halle, Buttigieg’s Iowa communications director, to the Guardian.
Halle said he didn’t know what to expect as far as a crowd, but he said it was fair to expect opposition as Buttigieg’s campaign rolled into town.
“What you need to realize with Sioux county is there’s a very strong religious flavor there, from their courts to their public squares,” said Ned Bjornstad, a former elected prosecutor in north-west Iowa turned veteran defense attorney who practices regularly in Orange City. “For a candidate like Buttigieg, I’d expect protesters.”
There weren’t any.
As Buttigieg entered the Prairie Winds Events Center in downtown Orange City, a crowd of around 200 instead roared in a standing ovation.
Regan Harms, a 22-year-old senior majoring in biblical studies at Northwestern College in Orange City, said she wasn’t at all surprised with the turnout. As she introduced Buttigieg, she described him as a neighbor and fellow midwesterner, one who understands life in rural America.
“Iowans long for someone who understands them,” Harms said. “The second you meet him, you get that impression that he almost knows you. Of course he can come into Orange City, and people will like him. There’s that common bond among midwesterners.”
But Orange City is hostile territory to Democrats and fervently socially conservative. There, no Democrat running for governor or president has registered over 18% support since 2008. In Orange City, penalties are levied for work on Sunday. In July, a petition listing over 300 signatures asked the Orange City public library to ban books related to homosexual relationships and transgender people. A man was even convicted of burning said books outside the library.
In nearby Sioux Center in September, the Sioux County Conservatives alleged a restaurant was “celebrating sin” by hosting Pride brunch on a Sunday.
When asked whether people in Orange City cared about whether Buttigieg was gay, Harms said she wouldn’t answer that question.
“It’s a divisive topic here in town, of course,” she said. “Obviously, some people care, but look at this crowd. Others don’t.”
Buttigieg maintains he’s the candidate who can blaze the trail. After he announced he was gay, he won a second term in South Bend with a greater share of the vote.
While the Orange City crowd wasn’t roaring when Buttigieg announced his socially progressive platforms, only one crowd member asked him whether the country was ready for its first gay president. Buttigieg replied that it had taken a leap of faith to run as a gay man in South Bend, and it would take another to win the presidency.
“In the last 50 years, every Democratic president has a perspective outside Washington, is new on the national scene, and is of a new generation,” he said. “I check all those boxes.”
With less than three weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, Buttigieg’s chances are as good as any, said Brad Best, professor of political science at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Buttigieg has consistently polled in the top four in Iowa and New Hampshire since the late summer, but has suffered a slide as of late as the campaign enters a frenetic final period.
“I can’t think of anyone more anathema to the seat of Sioux county, but a packed house there suggests there’s broad appeal, for whatever reason,” Best said.
Buttigieg meets with members of the audience following an election rally in Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday. Photograph: Nati Harnik/AP
Some Democrats believe that Trump’s behavior in office and scandal-plagued personal and political life may be hurting him even in this Republican stronghold and opening an unlikely door to candidates like Buttigieg – who himself confesses a deep religious faith.
“Look at it this way: the red wall has begun to crack,” said the former state senator David Johnson, who used to represent the area. Johnson left the Republican party and declared himself an independent after it declared Trump its nominee.
“Think about it: there were over 200 people in Orange City to see Pete Buttigieg and there aren’t even 2,000 registered Democrats in that county. That means there are independents and Republicans in that crowd,” Price said.
Corrie Hayes, a 21-year-old senior at Northwestern College, said she was impressed particularly with his response to a question about abortion rights, when he said that in the Book of Genesis, life begins with breath. She wouldn’t get into her positions on policy – she said she was deeply religious and her faith guided her every day – but she said she could tell Buttigieg was sincere about his faith.
Hayes feels it isn’t fair to question whether Buttigieg is “electable” simply because he’s gay.
“People [in Orange City] love each other regardless of who you are,” she said. “And that’s the reason I like Pete. He feels the same way.”


theguardian--2020-01-18--The Age of Illusions review: anti-anti-Trump but for … what, exactly?

Andrew Bacevich is right that America squandered victory in the cold war but curiously reluctant to offer ways it might atone Winston Churchill supposedly said : “ Americans will always do the right thing , only after they have tried everything else.
” In his new book , Andrew Bacevich goes far towards proving the second half of that sentence and casts doubt on the first , without offering much in the way of alternatives .
In what is mostly a social history of the post-cold war era – don ’ t expect to find an analysis of the Balkan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US “ wasted little time in squandering the advantage it had gained ” .
Few would disagree .
Yet he defines America ’ s supposed post-cold war consensus as “ globalized neoliberalism ” , “ global leadership ” , “ freedom ” ( as the expansion of personal “ autonomy , with traditional moral prohibitions declared obsolete and the removal of constraints maximizing choice ” ) , and “ presidential supremacy ” .
The 2016 election , he writes , presented the “ repudiation of that very consensus ” .
The villains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed the consensus heedless of other views or interests – “ expectations raised , but unfulfilled ; outraged citizens left with no place to stand ” – to the point where Donald Trump was elected and no one could understand why .
In 2016 , he writes , “ financial impotence was to turn into political outrage , bringing the post-cold war era to an abrupt end .
As for the people who shop for produce at Whole Foods , wear vintage jeans and ski in Aspen , they never saw it coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it occurred.
” Bacevich argues that the seeds of this failure were present throughout the cold war , notably in Vietnam and Ross Perot ’ s insurgent White House run in 1992 .
But how could there ever have been a “ consensus ” if the country were so divided ?
We have been here before , both in the history of the US and of ideology .
Post-1989 featured the same “ universal self-congratulation and flinging up of caps ” that Thomas Carlyle critiqued in The French Revolution .
Bacevich is right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is surely wrong to claim , for instance , that “ Reagan ’ s entire presidency was a pseudo-event , its achievements based on the masterful creation and manipulation of images ” .
Mikhail Gorbachev , for one , doesn ’ t think so .
Acerbic , even curmudgeonly – his catalogue of America ’ s social ills is harsh but fair – Bacevich veers between the commonplace and the sarcastic .
“ The promotion of globalization included a generous element of hucksterism , ” he writes , “ the equivalent of labeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ grande dark roast ’ while referring to the server handing it to you as a ‘ barista ’ .
” Clearly , for those who favor an expansive role for America and the west , and operating according to the principles of grand statecraft , the post-cold war years were the years the locust has eaten .
Social mobility declined .
The plight of the poor worsened .
But JD Vance wrote more sensitively about this in Hillbilly Elegy and Bacevich adds little on either the wars or the peace .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Revolution in Military Affairs ” only “ purported to describe the culmination of a long evolutionary march toward perfection ” , which great power today does not rely on technology for military might ?
And what , other than isolationism , “ would preclude the possibility of another Vietnam ” ?
Similarly , even as he chronicles their failures Bacevich is harshly critical of the view that presidents direct history .
Abraham Lincoln , call your office .
FDR too .
The “ elites ” Bacevich chides had many faults , and no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content .
But sometimes the author ’ s strategy , as well as his history , is simply wrong .
“ The horrors of 9/11 notwithstanding , ” he writes , “ terrorism does not pose an existential threat to the United States and never has .
As innumerable commentators have noted , terrorism is merely a tactic , and an ancient one at that.
” Yet “ one nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day ” , as the bumper sticker read , and any leader is responsible for maintaining vigilance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ piracy ?
Chemical weapons ?
Nuclear smuggling ?
Bacevich never offers what he would do to states harboring terrorists , even while noting failures in Afghanistan and Iraq .
The book starts out critical of Trump but then takes a more nuanced position .
Chiding Barack Obama as the one who “ saved globalized neoliberalism ” and “ inadvertently laid the way for a powerful backlash ” , he says Trump ’ s “ detractors commit this categorial error .
They confuse cause and effect .
They charge him with dividing America.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens so harshly and took delight in smashing the norms of political debate ?
Bacevich focuses on the neoconservative project in terms of wars but ignores its Burkean focus on domestic policy , not least David Brooks ’ idea of “ national greatness conservatism ” , a very different thing than Maga .
John McCain , who articulated a similar vision of national purpose , and whose policies were designed to help Joe the Plumber far more than Trump has , gets one brief mention .
Some people saw what was happening and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked and Bacevich cites : “ Without the cold war , what ’ s the point of being an American ?
” They were ignored .
Bacevich now urges Americans to ignore the tweets and focus on events .
But the tweets are events , the way in which the old guardrails are broken down and the boundaries of legitimate discourse weakened , which has let loose some very dangerous ideas , not least on race and republican norms .
A tweet is not a notification to Congress under the War Powers Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation on issues formerly “ beyond the pale ” such as abandoning globalism and “ militarism ” , his book has a fatal weakness : he never quite says what or who he is for .
He is too good a historian not to know there was a tendency of “ anti-anti-communism ” during the cold war .
Perhaps his book is about “ anti-anti-Trumpism ” .
But “ the pale ” is there for a reason One hopes some future historian will find the seeds of success in our present troubles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pieces as best they can .

Winston Churchill supposedly said: “Americans will always do the right thing, only after they have tried everything else.” In his new book, Andrew Bacevich goes far towards proving the second half of that sentence and casts doubt on the first, without offering much in the way of alternatives.
In what is mostly a social history of the post-cold war era – don’t expect to find an analysis of the Balkan wars – Bacevich seeks to chronicle how the US “wasted little time in squandering the advantage it had gained”. Few would disagree.
Yet he defines America’s supposed post-cold war consensus as “globalized neoliberalism”, “global leadership”, “freedom” (as the expansion of personal “autonomy, with traditional moral prohibitions declared obsolete and the removal of constraints maximizing choice”), and “presidential supremacy”. The 2016 election, he writes, presented the “repudiation of that very consensus”.
The villains in this telling are the elites who pushed the consensus heedless of other views or interests – “expectations raised, but unfulfilled; outraged citizens left with no place to stand” – to the point where Donald Trump was elected and no one could understand why.
In 2016, he writes, “financial impotence was to turn into political outrage, bringing the post-cold war era to an abrupt end. As for the people who shop for produce at Whole Foods, wear vintage jeans and ski in Aspen, they never saw it coming and couldn’t believe it when it occurred.”
Bacevich argues that the seeds of this failure were present throughout the cold war, notably in Vietnam and Ross Perot’s insurgent White House run in 1992. But how could there ever have been a “consensus” if the country were so divided?
We have been here before, both in the history of the US and of ideology. Post-1989 featured the same “universal self-congratulation and flinging up of caps” that Thomas Carlyle critiqued in The French Revolution. Bacevich is right to criticize it again. But it is surely wrong to claim, for instance, that “Reagan’s entire presidency was a pseudo-event, its achievements based on the masterful creation and manipulation of images”. Mikhail Gorbachev, for one, doesn’t think so.
Acerbic, even curmudgeonly – his catalogue of America’s social ills is harsh but fair – Bacevich veers between the commonplace and the sarcastic. “The promotion of globalization included a generous element of hucksterism,” he writes, “the equivalent of labeling a large cup of strong coffee a ‘grande dark roast’ while referring to the server handing it to you as a ‘barista’.”
Clearly, for those who favor an expansive role for America and the west, and operating according to the principles of grand statecraft, the post-cold war years were the years the locust has eaten. Social mobility declined. The plight of the poor worsened. But JD Vance wrote more sensitively about this in Hillbilly Elegy and Bacevich adds little on either the wars or the peace.
Even if the Donald Rumsfeld-endorsed, technology-friendly “Revolution in Military Affairs” only “purported to describe the culmination of a long evolutionary march toward perfection”, which great power today does not rely on technology for military might? And what, other than isolationism, “would preclude the possibility of another Vietnam”?
Similarly, even as he chronicles their failures Bacevich is harshly critical of the view that presidents direct history. Abraham Lincoln, call your office. FDR too.
The “elites” Bacevich chides had many faults, and no president of the period left office fully content. But sometimes the author’s strategy, as well as his history, is simply wrong.
“The horrors of 9/11 notwithstanding,” he writes, “terrorism does not pose an existential threat to the United States and never has. As innumerable commentators have noted, terrorism is merely a tactic, and an ancient one at that.”
Yet “one nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day”, as the bumper sticker read, and any leader is responsible for maintaining vigilance. Which threats can be ignored? Air piracy? Chemical weapons? Nuclear smuggling? Bacevich never offers what he would do to states harboring terrorists, even while noting failures in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The book starts out critical of Trump but then takes a more nuanced position. Chiding Barack Obama as the one who “saved globalized neoliberalism” and “inadvertently laid the way for a powerful backlash”, he says Trump’s “detractors commit this categorial error. They confuse cause and effect. They charge him with dividing America.” Yet which other recent president attacked fellow citizens so harshly and took delight in smashing the norms of political debate?
John McCain speaks in Annapolis, Maryland in 2008. Photograph: Paul J Richards/AFP/Getty Images
Bacevich focuses on the neoconservative project in terms of wars but ignores its Burkean focus on domestic policy, not least David Brooks’ idea of “national greatness conservatism”, a very different thing than Maga. John McCain, who articulated a similar vision of national purpose, and whose policies were designed to help Joe the Plumber far more than Trump has, gets one brief mention.
Some people saw what was happening and sought to answer the question Rabbit Angstrom asked and Bacevich cites: “Without the cold war, what’s the point of being an American?” They were ignored.
Bacevich now urges Americans to ignore the tweets and focus on events. But the tweets are events, the way in which the old guardrails are broken down and the boundaries of legitimate discourse weakened, which has let loose some very dangerous ideas, not least on race and republican norms. A tweet is not a notification to Congress under the War Powers Act.
Despite Bacevich’s call for conversation on issues formerly “beyond the pale” such as abandoning globalism and “militarism”, his book has a fatal weakness: he never quite says what or who he is for. He is too good a historian not to know there was a tendency of “anti-anti-communism” during the cold war. Perhaps his book is about “anti-anti-Trumpism”. But “the pale” is there for a reason
One hopes some future historian will find the seeds of success in our present troubles. Meanwhile, Americans must pick up the pieces as best they can.


theguardian--2020-01-18--Trump impeachment: president's legal team to include Bill Clinton investigator Ken Starr – as it hap

Trump impeachment: president's legal team to include Bill Clinton investigator Ken Starr – as it happened

The House intelligence committee has released new documents this evening relating to Lev Parnas , the close associate of Trump @ @ @ @ @ Rudy Giuliani .
Parnas made headlines this week when he added to evidence that Trump @ @ @ @ @ pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival .
The new records include contact between Parnas @ @ @ @ @ Devin Nunes , the Republican congressman and Trump ally : Some more details on the @ @ @ @ @ from a Politico reporter .

Sam Levin in Los Angeles (now) and Amanda Holpuch (earlier)

18 Jan 2020 00.47 GMT The House intelligence committee has released new documents this evening relating to Lev Parnas, the close associate of Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Parnas made headlines this week when he added to evidence that Trump personally directed an effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival. The new records include contact between Parnas and a top aide to Devin Nunes, the Republican congressman and Trump ally: JUST IN: New evidence filed by House Intel Committee shows frequent contact between Parnas and top Nunes aide Derek Harvey.https://t.co/UqmIzJgWb0 — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 17, 2020 Some more details on the new documents in this thread from a Politico reporter.
18 Jan 2020 00.37 GMT Three more men linked to neo-Nazi group arrested Police have arrested three men linked to a violent white supremacist group called The Base, charging them with conspiring to kill members of an anti-fascist group. The arrests come one day after three other alleged members of the neo-Nazi group were arrested on federal charges in Maryland and Delaware. Authorities have alleged that members had discussed opening fire at a pro-gun rally in Virginia: NEW: Another member of the Base was arrested in Wisconsin after allegedly vandalizing a synagogue, as officials revealed other suspected gang members discussed opening fire at a pro-gun rally in Richmond. @jon_kamp @djfroschWSJ https://t.co/mdzjU3hIdQ — Sadie Gurman (@sgurman) January 17, 2020 More from the AP: A criminal complaint included details of how some of the men built an assault rifle using parts, purchased thousands of rounds of ammunition and traded vests that could carry body armor. They were believed to be planning to attend the pro-gun rally in Richmond, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to the AP. In encrypted chat rooms, members of The Base have discussed committing acts of violence against blacks and Jews, ways to make improvised explosive devices and their desire to create a white “ethno-state”, the FBI has said in court papers. On Friday, police in Georgia confirmed that three other men linked to The Base were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and participating in a criminal street gang. Authorities said the men planned to kill a married couple who were anti-fascist protesters and believed killing the couple would send a message to enemies of The Base.
18 Jan 2020 00.18 GMT Officials revealed today that 11 US troops were flown out of Iraq for evaluation of concussion-like symptoms after the Iranian missile strike. Trump previously had said that there were no injuries or harm caused to US forces. From the AP: The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Jonathan Hoffman, said defense secretary Mark Esper did not know of the injuries until he was told Thursday afternoon that the 11 troops had been sent for evaluation at US medical facilities — eight in Germany and three in Kuwait. Hoffman said the notification to Esper was in line with military procedures, which he said do not require notification of service member casualties to the Pentagon unless they involve the loss of life, limb or eyesight. As recently as Tuesday night, Trump said he had been told no American had been harmed in the Iranian missile strike on 8 January. The question of American casualties was especially significant at the time because the missile attack’s results were seen as influencing a US decision on whether to retaliate and risk a broader war with Iran. Earlier on Friday, Iran’s supreme leader delivered a rare sermon describing Trump as a “clown” who pretended to support the Iranian people but would push a poisonous dagger into their backs. Some background on the 11 injuries: Days ago, @leloveluck reported U.S. troops suffered concussions in the Iranian missile attack, with some flung from a guard tower.
The Pentagon didn't announce the severity of injuries, or that 11 troops were evaced, until @DefenseOne reported new details https://t.co/8ySNfp1dw3 — Alex Horton (@AlexHortonTX) January 17, 2020
17 Jan 2020 23.44 GMT Trump has arrived at Mar-a-Lago for his first fundraiser of the new year, 94th as president. First Family arrives at their Mar-a-Lago estate. This evening Pres Trump attends a $10-million event for the Trump Victory fund, which splits contributions between the RNC and the Trump Campaign. Closed to press coverage. It's Trump's 1st fundraiser of the new year, 94th as pres. — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) January 17, 2020 It’s apparently his 344th day at a Trump property as president.
17 Jan 2020 23.25 GMT Former congressman sentenced to 26 months for insider trading Chris Collins, a former congressman and one of Trump’s earliest supporters, has just been sentenced to two years and two months in federal prison in an insider trading case. Collins was previously forced to resign and had admitted he helped his son and others dodge $800,000 in stock market losses when he learned that a drug trial by a small pharmaceutical company had failed. Collins arrives to federal court on Monday. Photograph: Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters From the AP: Collins, 69, was sentenced by US district judge Vernon S Broderick in Manhattan after the Republican pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and lying to law enforcement officials. Collins broke down and apologized to his family and his former constituents and colleagues. “I stand here today as a disgraced former member of Congress,” he said. “My life has been shattered.” The sentence came even after Collins’ lawyers argued he was sorry and should face no prison time in the insider trading case. Prosecutors asked for a five-year sentence.
17 Jan 2020 22.32 GMT There’s new info out on the rules for the next Democratic debate, on 7 February in New Hampshire, which will be the first one after voting has begun. Based on the new rules, the qualifying candidates appear to be Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren, according to ABC News, which is hosting the debate. That’s the same (all-white) group that debated earlier this week. NEW: DNC outlines qualifying criteria for the @ABC News debate in New Hampshire, and adds new delegate threshold
The Feb. 7 debate will be the first matchup after voting begins. https://t.co/ymZXPZ2AqY — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 17, 2020


theguardian--2020-01-18--Trump lawyers and House Democrats indicate trial tactics

Donald Trump ’ s legal team has delivered a fiery response to impeachment summons from the Senate , calling the two articles passed by the House “ a dangerous attack on the right of the American people to freely choose their president ” .
“ This is a brazen and unlawful attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election and interfere with the 2020 election , now just months away , ” the lawyers said on Saturday , also claiming the charges against the president were invalid as they did not concern a crime .
Impeachment is a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under the US constitution , the president can be removed if found guilty of whatever lawmakers consider to be “ high crimes and misdemeanours ” .
Trump is charged with abusing his power and obstructing Congress .
On Saturday , House impeachment managers outlined their view of the case against Trump in a legal brief of their own .
In a joint statement , the seven managers led by intelligence committee chair Adam Schiff said their case was “ simple , the facts are indisputable , and the evidence is overwhelming : President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to solicit foreign interference in our elections for his own personal political gain , thereby jeopardising our national security , the integrity of our elections , and our democracy ” .
“ And when the president got caught , he tried to cover it up by obstructing the House ’ s investigation into his misconduct.
” The case hinges on a 25 July phone call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy , in which Trump asked his counterpart to do him a “ favour ” and investigate both a conspiracy theory concerning election interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his son , Hunter Biden , and the eastern European country .
Biden remains a possible Democratic candidate for president .
At the time of the Ukraine call , Trump was withholding from Kyiv nearly $ 400m of military aid and the prospect of a White House meeting for Zelenskiy .
In the Senate trial , starting on Tuesday , Trump ’ s legal team will be led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow .
On Friday , Trump added Ken Starr , whose investigation led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former Harvard professor , Alan Dershowitz .
Both have been fixtures on Fox News .
Some in the administration have echoed warnings from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell that the lawyers must be sensitive to staid Senate traditions and not use the sharp rhetoric exhibited during House proceedings last year .
Many observers suggest the slow nature of the trial will prove a turnoff to the American public , boosting Trump ’ s hopes of surviving unscathed .
Others report that the president wants to add fire and TV knowhow to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers succeeded in keeping Trump from adding House Republicans to his team , the AP reported , but also advised against picking Dershowitz .
They are concerned about the professor ’ s association with Jeffrey Epstein , the financier who killed himself in a New York jail last summer while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges .
Dershowitz has said he will deliver constitutional arguments defending Trump from allegations he abused his power and obstructed Congress .
Former New York mayor and current Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told the AP the president had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was not disappointed to be excluded .
Giuliani , who many in the White House blame for leading Trump to impeachment over Ukraine , said his focus would be on being a potential witness .
On Friday , House Democrats released documents , text messages , audio recordings and photos turned over by Lev Parnas , a Giuliani associate indicted on campaign finance charges .
The release included photos of the Soviet-born businessman posing with Giuliani , Trump and Donald Trump Jr .
Messages between Parnas and a staffer for Devin Nunes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were also released .
Parnas appeared to be connecting the staffer to Ukrainian officials who pushed unfounded corruption allegations against the Bidens .
The documents also raised more questions about the security of Marie Yovanovitch , a former ambassador to Ukraine who testified in House impeachment proceedings .
An unidentified individual with a Belgian country code appeared to describe Yovanovitch ’ s movements .
The document release followed the announcement by the Government Accountability Office that the White House violated federal law by withholding congressionally approved security aid .
The White House said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the GAO because it is an arm of Congress .
White House officials noted that Trump did send the aid to Kyiv .
But the GAO report and Parnas documents intensified the pressure senators have been under to call more witnesses for the trial .
The White House has instructed officials to disregard subpoenas seeking testimony or information .
On Saturday Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , a moderate Republican wooed by Democrats , told reporters she was comfortable waiting to decide if more information was needed until after hearing arguments from House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from other senators .
Trump seems certain to survive the Senate trial , as a two-thirds majority will be needed to convict and remove him and Republicans remain in line behind him .
In their statement on Saturday , the House impeachment managers said senators “ must accept and fulfil the responsibility placed on them by the framers of our constitution and the oaths they have just taken to do impartial justice .
They must conduct a fair trial – fair to the president and fair to the American people ” .

Martin Pengelly in New York and agencies

Donald Trump’s legal team has delivered a fiery response to impeachment summons from the Senate, calling the two articles passed by the House “a dangerous attack on the right of the American people to freely choose their president”.
“This is a brazen and unlawful attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election and interfere with the 2020 election, now just months away,” the lawyers said on Saturday, also claiming the charges against the president were invalid as they did not concern a crime.
Impeachment is a political process, not a criminal one. Under the US constitution, the president can be removed if found guilty of whatever lawmakers consider to be “high crimes and misdemeanours”. Trump is charged with abusing his power and obstructing Congress.
On Saturday, House impeachment managers outlined their view of the case against Trump in a 111-page legal brief of their own. It pulls together private and public testimony of a dozen witnesses, ambassadors and national security officials at high levels of government.
In a joint statement, the seven managers led by the Democratic intelligence committee chair Adam Schiff said their case was “simple, the facts are indisputable, and the evidence is overwhelming: President Trump abused the power of his office to solicit foreign interference in our elections for his own personal political gain, thereby jeopardising our national security, the integrity of our elections, and our democracy”.
“And when the president got caught, he tried to cover it up by obstructing the House’s investigation into his misconduct.”
Trump’s legal team, led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow, is challenging the impeachment on both procedural and constitutional grounds, claiming Trump has been mistreated by House Democrats and that he did nothing wrong.
Trump will file a more detailed legal brief on Monday, and the House will be able to respond to the Trump filing on Tuesday.
The case hinges on a 25 July phone call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump asked his counterpart to do him a “favour” and investigate both a conspiracy theory concerning election interference and ties between former vice-president Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, and the eastern European country.
Biden remains a possible Democratic candidate for president. At the time of the Ukraine call, Trump was withholding from Kyiv nearly $400m of military aid and the prospect of a White House meeting for Zelenskiy.
Trump’s legal team for the Senate trial, starting on Tuesday,will also include Ken Starr, whose investigation led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton, and former Harvard professor, Alan Dershowitz.
Both have been fixtures on Fox News. Some in the administration have echoed warnings from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell that the lawyers must be sensitive to staid Senate traditions and not use the sharp rhetoric exhibited during House proceedings last year.
Many observers suggest the slow nature of the trial will prove a turnoff to the American public, boosting Trump’s hopes of surviving unscathed. Others report that the president wants to add fire and TV knowhow to the team mounting his defence.
White House lawyers succeeded in blocking Trump from adding House Republicans to his team, the AP reported, but also advised against picking Dershowitz. They are concerned about the professor’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who killed himself in a New York jail last summer while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Dershowitz has said he will deliver constitutional arguments defending Trump from allegations he abused his power and obstructed Congress.
Former New York mayor and current Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told the AP the president had a “top-notch” team and insisted he was not disappointed to be excluded. Giuliani, who many in the White House blame for leading Trump to impeachment over Ukraine, said his focus would be on being a potential witness.
On Friday, House Democrats released documents, text messages, audio recordings and photos turned over by Lev Parnas, a Giuliani associate indicted on campaign finance charges. The release included photos of the Soviet-born businessman posing with Giuliani, Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
Rudy Giuliani, left, with Lev Parnas at the Trump Hotel in Washington in September. Photograph: Reuters Staff/Reuters
Messages between Parnas and a staffer for Devin Nunes, a congressman and Trump ally, were also released. Parnas appeared to be connecting the staffer to Ukrainian officials who pushed unfounded corruption allegations against the Bidens.
The documents also raised more questions about the security of Marie Yovanovitch, a former ambassador to Ukraine who testified in House impeachment proceedings. An unidentified individual with a Belgian country code appeared to describe Yovanovitch’s movements.
The document release followed the announcement by the Government Accountability Office that the White House violated federal law by withholding congressionally approved security aid.
The White House said it did not have to follow decisions by the GAO because it is an arm of Congress. White House officials noted that Trump did send the aid to Kyiv.
But the GAO report and Parnas documents intensified the pressure senators have been under to call more witnesses for the trial. The White House has instructed officials to disregard subpoenas seeking testimony or information.
On Saturday Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a moderate Republican wooed by Democrats, told reporters she was comfortable waiting to decide if more information was needed until after hearing arguments from House managers and attorneys for Trump and questions from other senators.
Trump seems certain to survive the Senate trial, as a two-thirds majority will be needed to convict and remove him and Republicans remain in line behind him.
In their statement on Saturday, the House impeachment managers said senators “must accept and fulfill the responsibility placed on them by the framers of our constitution and the oaths they have just taken to do impartial justice. They must conduct a fair trial – fair to the president and fair to the American people”.


theguardian--2020-01-18--Tennessee governor seeks to amend law honouring leader of Ku Klux Klan

Tennesse governor Bill Lee will introduce legislation to amend a law requiring the state to honor Nathan Bedford Forrest , a Confederate general who went on to lead the Ku Klux Klan .
Lee ’ s office confirmed the Republican was working on the bill but did not provide further details .
According to state law , governors of Tennessee must sign six proclamations throughout the year designating days of special observance : Robert E Lee Day ( 19 January ) , Abraham Lincoln Day ( 12 February ) , Andrew Jackson Day ( 15 March ) , Confederate Decoration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bedford Forrest Day ( 13 July ) and Veterans ’ Day ( 11 November ) .
The law encourages the governor to invite the public to observe each day in schools and churches .
It does not outline a penalty should the governor choose not to sign the proclamation .
As of Saturday , the Tennessee secretary of state ’ s website did not show Lee had signed the Robert E Lee Day proclamation .
His office did not respond to questions about whether Lee wanted to change the day celebrating that Confederate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martin Luther King Jr Day , a federal holiday named for a hero of the civil rights movement .
Previous proclamations have called Robert E Lee , who turned down a chance to lead the federal armies in the civil war and fought to secure secession and preserve slavery , “ one of the outstanding Americans of the 19th century ” .
Forrest , a cavalry general , amassed a fortune as a plantation owner and slave trader in Memphis before the civil war .
The civil war historian Shelby Foote considered him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict , Lincoln being the other .
But Forrest was in charge of Confederate troops during the battle of Fort Pillow , where an estimated 300 African American soldiers were massacred after surrendering in Tennessee in April 1864 .
The massacre provoked outrage in the north and was one of the most bitterly disputed incidents of the civil war .
Just 62 black soldiers survived what Union troops called a “ massacre ” .
Forrest was questioned by Congress for war crimes .
After the war he was the first grand wizard of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorist group dedicated to suppressing the vote among African Americans .
The display of Confederate statues and symbols and the place of the Confederacy in southern culture has been increasingly at issue since summer 2015 , when a white supremacist who posed with a Confederate battle flag killed nine churchgoers at a bible study group in an African American church in Charleston , South Carolina .
Statues , memorials and flags have been removed from government buildings and public places .
In Memphis , Tennessee , parks named for Confederate leaders including Forrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of Forrest , removed .
The holiday named for Forrest has been questioned for some time .
In Tennessee , state senator Raumesh Akbari , a Democrat from Memphis , said : “ I know that it ’ s hard to renegotiate history but at the end of the day we need to celebrate folks that bring people together and not necessarily tear people apart .
“ I hope that we will consider that and reexamine all of these proclamations for state holidays.
” London Lamar , a Democratic state representative also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove the Forrest Day designation .
Previous attempts to change the law have been unsuccessful .
Governor Lee was the subject national backlash last July when he not only signed the Nathan Bedford Forrest proclamation but also declined to answer reporters asking if he thought the law should change .
He later said he did not like signing the proclamation and would prefer to see the law changed .
“ While it is my job as governor to enforce the law , I want Tennesseans to know where my heart is on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our state ’ s history is rich , complex and in some cases painful .
With this in mind , I will be working to change this law.
” Lawmakers have debated moving a bust of Forrest that has sat inside the Tennessee statehouse for decades .
A state commission is scheduled to meet in February , months after Lee appointed two new members to the panel .

Tennesse governor Bill Lee will introduce legislation to amend a law requiring the state to honor Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general who went on to lead the Ku Klux Klan.
Lee’s office confirmed the Republican was working on the bill but did not provide further details.
According to state law, governors of Tennessee must sign six proclamations throughout the year designating days of special observance: Robert E Lee Day (19 January), Abraham Lincoln Day (12 February), Andrew Jackson Day (15 March), Confederate Decoration Day (3 June), Nathan Bedford Forrest Day (13 July) and Veterans’ Day (11 November).
The law encourages the governor to invite the public to observe each day in schools and churches. It does not outline a penalty should the governor choose not to sign the proclamation.
As of Saturday, the Tennessee secretary of state’s website did not show Lee had signed the Robert E Lee Day proclamation. His office did not respond to questions about whether Lee wanted to change the day celebrating that Confederate general, which falls the day before Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday named for a hero of the civil rights movement.
Previous proclamations have called Robert E Lee, who turned down a chance to lead the federal armies in the civil war and fought to secure secession and preserve slavery, “one of the outstanding Americans of the 19th century”.
Forrest, a cavalry general, amassed a fortune as a plantation owner and slave trader in Memphis before the civil war. The civil war historian Shelby Foote considered him one of two geniuses who shaped the conflict, Lincoln being the other.
But Forrest was in charge of Confederate troops during the battle of Fort Pillow, where an estimated 300 African American soldiers were massacred after surrendering in Tennessee in April 1864. The massacre provoked outrage in the north and was one of the most bitterly disputed incidents of the civil war.
Just 62 black soldiers survived what Union troops called a “massacre”. Forrest was questioned by Congress for war crimes.
After the war he was the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a paramilitary terrorist group dedicated to suppressing the vote among African Americans.
The display of Confederate statues and symbols and the place of the Confederacy in southern culture has been increasingly at issue since summer 2015, when a white supremacist who posed with a Confederate battle flag killed nine churchgoers at a bible study group in an African American church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Statues, memorials and flags have been removed from government buildings and public places.
In Memphis, Tennessee, parks named for Confederate leaders including Forrest have been renamed and statues, including one of Forrest, removed. The holiday named for Forrest has been questioned for some time.
In Tennessee, state senator Raumesh Akbari, a Democrat from Memphis, said: “I know that it’s hard to renegotiate history but at the end of the day we need to celebrate folks that bring people together and not necessarily tear people apart.
“I hope that we will consider that and reexamine all of these proclamations for state holidays.”
London Lamar, a Democratic state representative also from Memphis, is sponsoring a bill to remove the Forrest Day designation. Previous attempts to change the law have been unsuccessful.
Governor Lee was the subject national backlash last July when he not only signed the Nathan Bedford Forrest proclamation but also declined to answer reporters asking if he thought the law should change. He later said he did not like signing the proclamation and would prefer to see the law changed.
“While it is my job as governor to enforce the law, I want Tennesseans to know where my heart is on this issue,“ Lee said. “Our state’s history is rich, complex and in some cases painful. With this in mind, I will be working to change this law.”
Lawmakers have debated moving a bust of Forrest that has sat inside the Tennessee statehouse for decades. A state commission is scheduled to meet in February, months after Lee appointed two new members to the panel.


theguardian--2020-01-18--Trump claims Suleimani was 'saying bad things' about US before deadly strike

Addressing Republican donors at his Florida resort on Friday night , Donald Trump said Qassem Suleimani was “ saying bad things about our country ” before the US president authorised the drone strike which killed the Iranian general and pitched the Middle East to the brink of war .
“ How much of this shit do we have to listen to ?
” Trump said he asked .
“ How much are we going to listen to ?
” The speech was not open to reporters but CNN obtained a recording of Trump ’ s remarks at Mar-a-Lago , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to kill Suleimani at Baghdad airport on 3 January .
The White House has claimed Iran posed an “ imminent ” threat to US interests and lives .
Trump ’ s own statements , including the claim that four embassies were threatened , have muddied the water considerably .
He has also claimed “ it doesn ’ t really matter ” whether the attack was imminent or not or whether his advisers were in agreement , because of “ the terrorist ” Suleimani ’ s “ horrible past ” .
Congress was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its eventual notification was heavily classified and a congressional briefing prompted bipartisan protest .
Democrats have proposed legislation to rein the president in .
The death of Suleimani prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory rocket strikes on US targets in Iraq .
Having said no one was hurt , the Trump administration said on Friday 11 US service members in fact suffered blast-related concussions .
Iran has also admitted shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet in error , killing 176 people .
Amid anti-regime protests in Tehran , the threat of a US-Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Florida , CNN reported , “ Trump did not describe an ‘ imminent threat ’ ” but “ described Suleimani as a ‘ noted terrorist ’ who ‘ was down on our list ’ .
” Trump also described listening to US military officials as they narrated the strike .
“ They ’ re together sir , ” Trump said he was told .
“ Sir , they have two minutes and 11 seconds .
No emotion .
‘ Two minutes and 11 seconds to live , sir .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an armoured vehicle .
Sir , they have approximately one minute to live , sir .
Thirty seconds .
Ten , nine , eight ... ’ “ Then all of a sudden , boom .
‘ They ’ re gone , sir .
Cutting off.
’ ” “ I said , where is this guy ?
That was the last I heard from him.
” Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , the leader of Kata ’ ib Hezbollah , was also killed .
The pro-Iranian Iraqi militia was responsible for rocket attacks on US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed a contractor , prompting US strikes in retaliation which lead in turn to a siege of the US embassy in Baghdad .
Reporting in the US has cited the embassy siege as a motivation for the strike on Suleimani , as Trump did not want to look weak .
Nor did he reportedly wish to be compared to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton , who were in power when a facility in Benghazi was attacked in September 2012 and a US ambassador killed .
According to CNN , Trump told his audience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US took out “ two for the price of one ” .
He also repeated an erroneous claim that the Iraqi was “ the head of Hezbollah ” .
Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed militant group based in Lebanon .
Trump also reportedly repeated his claim that the Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was “ screaming , going crazy ” when he was killed by US special forces in Syria in October .
US officials have declined to elaborate on that claim .
CNN said the audio of Friday ’ s speech also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belgian Malinois dog wounded in the Baghdadi raid , “ became very famous ” and “ got more credit than I did ” .
After the raid Trump welcomed Conan to the White House , where he praised it expansively .
Conan became a media talking point , not least because of prolonged confusion fed by conflicting official statements , over whether it was a girl or a boy .
According to Reuters , the Mar-a-Lago event raised $ 10m for the president ’ s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Addressing Republican donors at his Florida resort on Friday night, Donald Trump said Qassem Suleimani was “saying bad things about our country” before the US president authorised the drone strike which killed the Iranian general and pitched the Middle East to the brink of war.
“How much of this shit do we have to listen to?” Trump said he asked. “How much are we going to listen to?”
The speech was not open to reporters but CNN obtained a recording of Trump’s remarks at Mar-a-Lago, which it said undermined official explanations for the decision to kill Suleimani at Baghdad airport on 3 January.
The White House has claimed Iran posed an “imminent” threat to US interests and lives. Trump’s own statements, including the claim that four embassies were threatened, have muddied the water considerably.
He has also claimed “it doesn’t really matter” whether the attack was imminent or not or whether his advisers were in agreement, because of “the terrorist” Suleimani’s “horrible past”.
Congress was not informed of the strike in advance, its eventual notification was heavily classified and a congressional briefing prompted bipartisan protest. Democrats have proposed legislation to rein the president in.
The death of Suleimani prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory rocket strikes on US targets in Iraq. Having said no one was hurt, the Trump administration said on Friday 11 US service members in fact suffered blast-related concussions.
Iran has also admitted shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet in error, killing 176 people. Amid anti-regime protests in Tehran, the threat of a US-Iran war has receded.
In the audio from Florida, CNN reported, “Trump did not describe an ‘imminent threat’” but “described Suleimani as a ‘noted terrorist’ who ‘was down on our list’.”
Trump also described listening to US military officials as they narrated the strike.
“They’re together sir,” Trump said he was told. “Sir, they have two minutes and 11 seconds. No emotion. ‘Two minutes and 11 seconds to live, sir. They’re in the car, they’re in an armoured vehicle. Sir, they have approximately one minute to live, sir. Thirty seconds. Ten, nine, eight ...’
“Then all of a sudden, boom. ‘They’re gone, sir. Cutting off.’”
“I said, where is this guy? That was the last I heard from him.”
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah, was also killed. The pro-Iranian Iraqi militia was responsible for rocket attacks on US targets in December which wounded troops and killed a contractor, prompting US strikes in retaliation which lead in turn to a siege of the US embassy in Baghdad.
Reporting in the US has cited the embassy siege as a motivation for the strike on Suleimani, as Trump did not want to look weak. Nor did he reportedly wish to be compared to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who were in power when a facility in Benghazi was attacked in September 2012 and a US ambassador killed.
According to CNN, Trump told his audience in Florida the death of al-Muhandis meant the US took out “two for the price of one”. He also repeated an erroneous claim that the Iraqi was “the head of Hezbollah”. Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed militant group based in Lebanon.
Trump also reportedly repeated his claim that the Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was “screaming, going crazy” when he was killed by US special forces in Syria in October. US officials have declined to elaborate on that claim.
CNN said the audio of Friday’s speech also included a complaint that Conan, a Belgian Malinois dog wounded in the Baghdadi raid, “became very famous” and “got more credit than I did”.
After the raid Trump welcomed Conan to the White House, where he praised it expansively. Conan became a media talking point, not least because of prolonged confusion fed by conflicting official statements, over whether it was a girl or a boy.
According to Reuters, the Mar-a-Lago event raised $10m for the president’s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee.
The White House did not immediately comment.


theguardian--2020-01-18--Alan Dershowitz: Trump impeachment acquittal would make me unhappy

The Harvard legal scholar Alan Dershowitz , a member of Donald Trump ’ s team for his impeachment trial , has said he will not vote for the president in November and that Trump ’ s acquittal by the Senate “ would produce results that make me unhappy as an individual ” .
But Dershowitz said acting “ for the survival of the constitution ” was more important than “ the short-term partisan advantage of getting my person elected to be president ” .
Dershowitz spoke to the BBC ’ s Today programme on Saturday , broadcast while the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks were no surprise : Dershowitz is a familiar voice in the media , to some degree a controversialist or gadfly , willing to go against the grain of public opinion or to represent unpopular clients , among them OJ Simpson and Jeffrey Epstein .
He is a regular presence on Fox News .
But as Washington , New York and Boston woke , it remained to be seen how a notoriously changeable president might react to his new lawyer ’ s remarks .
In the event Trump woke up to tweet about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox .
But there was plenty of coverage from less friendly outlets available should he choose to darken his mood .
The articles of impeachment charge that the president abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine to carry out investigations for his political benefit – including against former vice-president and possible 2020 nominee Joe Biden – and obstructed Congress in its efforts to investigate .
On Friday , it was reported that documents released by House Democrats showed that an aide to Devin Nunes , the ranking Republican on the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , worked with Lev Parnas on approaches to Ukraine last year .
Parnas is a Soviet-born US citizen and associate of Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s personal lawyer who drove the Ukraine effort .
Facing charges under federal campaign law , Parnas has turned against the president , discussing the Ukraine affair in wide-ranging interviews with TV , newspapers and websites .
As the White House faces into the storm , Dershowitz will join a Trump legal team that also includes Ken Starr , who played a leading role in the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Trump lawyer and regular media surrogate , and Pat Cipollone , the White House counsel , will also represent the president .
Procedural steps continue .
House Democrats this week walked the articles of impeachment to the Senate and supreme court chief justice John Roberts arrived on Capitol Hill to preside .
House impeachment managers , led by intelligence chair Adam Schiff , had a 5pm deadline on Saturday to submit a trial brief .
Trump had a 6pm deadline to respond to the charges against him .
A two-thirds majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and remove him from office .
Argument continues over whether witnesses including former national security adviser John Bolton will be allowed to testify .
But as the Senate is controlled by a Republican party controlled firmly by Trump , and as majority leader Mitch McConnell has admitted to strategising in lockstep with the White House , a conviction remains extremely unlikely .
No president has been convicted and removed : Clinton and Andrew Johnson survived Senate trials and Richard Nixon resigned before he could be formally impeached .
On the BBC , Dershowitz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good president and how he felt about potentially facilitating his re-election .
“ It ’ s a very , very different issue , ” he said .
“ I ’ m a Democrat .
I intend to vote Democrat .
I think that Democrats would be disappointed to see the president re-elected and Republicans would be pleased.
” Pressed on his personal feelings about Trump ’ s impeachment , Dershowitz said it “ creates ambivalence in me as it does whenever I represent somebody whose acquittal would produce results that make me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would never , ever allow my own partisan views to impact my views on the constitution .
“ I ’ m not going to allow my partisan views to impact my constitutional views and what I think is best for the long term survival of the constitution rather than the short-term partisan advantage of getting my person elected to be president.
” Many observers have seen Trump ’ s selection of Dershowitz and Starr as a partisan move .
In the words of the Washington Post : “ To form the crack legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment trial that begins on Tuesday , President Trump went right to the place where the most accomplished and effective lawyers can be found : Fox News.
” On Fox and elsewhere , Dershowitz has argued that abuse of power is not an impeachable offence .
On CNN on Saturday morning , he said obstruction of Congress was “ made up ” .
He also said that in the Senate trial he would be “ only arguing on behalf of the constitution ” .
He would answer questions from senators , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role ” , as agreed with Trump .
In a fiery exchange on the same network on Friday night , the legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin charged his old teacher with “ pretending to be some sort of neutral observer , rather than Donald Trump ’ s lawyer ” .
“ For some reason you don ’ t want to admit that , ” Toobin said , “ and that ’ s up to you .
But … I think straightforwardly that abuse of power , the framers recognised it , that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case and the senators are perfectly capable of determining whether what the president did is a violation of his oath.
” Dershowitz answered : “ Let me perfectly clear , I am an advocate … against impeachment .
But I ’ m politically neutral , that is I would make the same argument whether it was a Democrat or a Republican .
I don ’ t let my political preferences interfere with my constitutional analysis.
” “ I think the country is helped , ” he added , “ when they hear from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat , who has always voted Democrat.
” But , he said : “ I want the impeachment to fail .
”

The Harvard legal scholar Alan Dershowitz, a member of Donald Trump’s team for his impeachment trial, has said he will not vote for the president in November and that Trump’s acquittal by the Senate “would produce results that make me unhappy as an individual”.
But Dershowitz said acting “for the survival of the constitution” was more important than “the short-term partisan advantage of getting my person elected to be president”.
Dershowitz spoke to the BBC’s Today programme on Saturday, broadcast while the US east coast lay in darkness.
His remarks were no surprise: Dershowitz is a familiar voice in the media, to some degree a controversialist or gadfly, willing to go against the grain of public opinion or to represent unpopular clients, among them OJ Simpson and Jeffrey Epstein. He is a regular presence on Fox News.
But as Washington, New York and Boston woke, it remained to be seen how a notoriously changeable president might react to his new lawyer’s remarks.
In the event Trump woke up to tweet about the strong US economy while seemingly watching Fox. But there was plenty of coverage from less friendly outlets available should he choose to darken his mood.
The articles of impeachment charge that the president abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine to carry out investigations for his political benefit – including against former vice-president and possible 2020 nominee Joe Biden – and obstructed Congress in its efforts to investigate.
On Friday, it was reported that documents released by House Democrats showed that an aide to Devin Nunes, the ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee and a key Trump ally, worked with Lev Parnas on approaches to Ukraine last year.
Parnas is a Soviet-born US citizen and associate of Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer who drove the Ukraine effort. Facing charges under federal campaign law, Parnas has turned against the president, discussing the Ukraine affair in wide-ranging interviews with TV, newspapers and websites.
As the White House faces into the storm, Dershowitz will join a Trump legal team that also includes Ken Starr, who played a leading role in the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Jay Sekulow, a Trump lawyer and regular media surrogate, and Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, will also represent the president.
Procedural steps continue. House Democrats this week walked the articles of impeachment to the Senate and supreme court chief justice John Roberts arrived on Capitol Hill to preside.
House impeachment managers, led by intelligence chair Adam Schiff, had a 5pm deadline on Saturday to submit a trial brief. Trump had a 6pm deadline to respond to the charges against him.
01:33 Senators are sworn in as Trump's impeachment trial gets under way – video
A two-thirds majority of senators will be needed to convict Trump and remove him from office. Argument continues over whether witnesses including former national security adviser John Bolton will be allowed to testify. But as the Senate is controlled by a Republican party controlled firmly by Trump, and as majority leader Mitch McConnell has admitted to strategising in lockstep with the White House, a conviction remains extremely unlikely.
No president has been convicted and removed: Clinton and Andrew Johnson survived Senate trials and Richard Nixon resigned before he could be formally impeached. On the BBC, Dershowitz was asked if he thought Trump was a good president and how he felt about potentially facilitating his re-election.
“It’s a very, very different issue,” he said. “I’m a Democrat. I intend to vote Democrat. I think that Democrats would be disappointed to see the president re-elected and Republicans would be pleased.”
Pressed on his personal feelings about Trump’s impeachment, Dershowitz said it “creates ambivalence in me as it does whenever I represent somebody whose acquittal would produce results that make me unhappy as an individual. But I would never, ever allow my own partisan views to impact my views on the constitution.
“I’m not going to allow my partisan views to impact my constitutional views and what I think is best for the long term survival of the constitution rather than the short-term partisan advantage of getting my person elected to be president.”
Many observers have seen Trump’s selection of Dershowitz and Starr as a partisan move. In the words of the Washington Post: “To form the crack legal team that will defend him in the impeachment trial that begins on Tuesday, President Trump went right to the place where the most accomplished and effective lawyers can be found: Fox News.”
On Fox and elsewhere, Dershowitz has argued that abuse of power is not an impeachable offence. On CNN on Saturday morning, he said obstruction of Congress was “made up”.
He also said that in the Senate trial he would be “only arguing on behalf of the constitution”. He would answer questions from senators, he said, but would have a “limited role”, as agreed with Trump.
In a fiery exchange on the same network on Friday night, the legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin charged his old teacher with “pretending to be some sort of neutral observer, rather than Donald Trump’s lawyer”.
“For some reason you don’t want to admit that,” Toobin said, “and that’s up to you. But … I think straightforwardly that abuse of power, the framers recognised it, that’s what’s the issue in this case and the senators are perfectly capable of determining whether what the president did is a violation of his oath.”
Dershowitz answered: “Let me perfectly clear, I am an advocate … against impeachment. But I’m politically neutral, that is I would make the same argument whether it was a Democrat or a Republican. I don’t let my political preferences interfere with my constitutional analysis.”
“I think the country is helped,” he added, “when they hear from someone like me who is a liberal Democrat, who has always voted Democrat.”
But, he said: “I want the impeachment to fail.”


theguardian--2020-01-18--Impeachment: is Trump set to survive and win a second term?

It was , the White House tweeted on Friday , “ an incredible week ” for Donald Trump .
On that , no one could disagree .
But what kind of incredible depended on which end of Pennsylvania Avenue you were standing .
At the Capitol , the third impeachment trial of a US president got under way in hushed solemnity as senators contemplated the ultimate sanction , removing Trump from office .
It was a day his most ardent critics had long awaited and some thought inevitable .
Yet the White House , less than two miles away , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The president held a boisterous ceremony to sign a trade agreement with China , “ the biggest deal anybody has ever seen ” , and celebrated as Congress passed another deal with Canada and Mexico .
He toasted stock market records , low unemployment and a sustained fall in illegal crossings at the southern border .
It had the makings of an election year narrative of “ promises made , promises kept ” that Trump ’ s campaign hopes will resonate more than a Senate litigation of his dealings with Ukraine which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lead to his acquittal .
“ He seems determined to check as many boxes as he can , ” said Bill Galston , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington .
“ If you look at the three pillars of the distinct outlook he brought with him to the White House – getting tough on immigrants , leaning hard against unbalanced trade relationships and an ‘ America first ’ foreign policy – you ’ d have to say over recent months he ’ s gone three for three.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bad news for Trump .
Democrats from the House of Representatives marched funereally through the Capitol to transfer the articles of impeachment , for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , to their Senate counterparts .
The entrance of Chief Justice John Roberts injected sudden grandeur and gravity .
Chuck Schumer , Democratic minority leader in the Senate , said : “ When the chief justice walked in , you could feel the weight of the moment .
I saw members on both sides of the aisle visibly gulp.
” Moreover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to investigate a political rival , a federal watchdog concluded that he broke the law when he froze military aid to the country last year .
And Lev Parnas , a close associate of Trump ’ s lawyer Rudy Giuliani , tossed in another hand grenade with a TV interview that directly implicated the president in efforts to pressure Ukraine .
“ President Trump knew exactly what was going on , ” Parnas told MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow .
For most viewers of that network , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was yet another nail in the coffin of a man who has long been beyond redemption and whose re-election is unthinkable .
But not the first time , there was a profound disconnection with Trumpworld , a place where the sun is always shining .
Here , in meetings , ceremonies and rallies , the president basks in constant affirmation from fervent supporters and sycophantic staff .
Such is the bubble of self-congratulation , it is perhaps not surprising Trump is baffled by the contempt and derision he glimpses outside it .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his record could be impeached .
Galston said : “ I think there ’ s an element of genuine incomprehension .
He thinks he ’ s the greatest president of all time and his protestations of injured innocence I take seriously as a representation of his inner state.
” On Wednesday , as dozens of reporters craned their necks beneath the crystal chandeliers of the ornate East Room , Trump stood with with Chinese vice-premier Liu He for the signing of the US-China phase one trade agreement .
Before they put pen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of an hour giving shout-outs to his favourite officials and members of Congress .
Senator Lindsey Graham , for example , was a “ much better golfer than people would understand ” .
Amid the applause , adulation and levity , it was hard to believe the existential threat of impeachment was unfolding up the road .
That was just one more laugh line .
“ Kevin McCarthy , as you know , left for the hoax , ” Trump said of the Republican minority leader , prompting chuckles .
Then he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to do that , otherwise it becomes a more serious hoax.
” On Thursday , the paradox continued .
Senators passed Trump ’ s United States-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement , or USMCA , with an 89-10 vote , then were sworn in as jurors for an impeachment trial certain to be far more divisive .
Galston added : “ To have the Senate vote with nearly 90 in favour of the trade deal and be split down the middle on impeachment on the same day is stunning.
” But Galston , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic policy , recalled that the last impeachment had its own dichotomies .
“ As Clinton careened towards a Senate trial in late 1998 , Democrats won a big victory in the midterm elections and Newt Gingrich , the speaker of the House , felt compelled to resign .
Talk about a split screen .
I ’ ve seen this movie before .
“ But President Clinton was more disciplined .
When he had ceremonies at the White House he never talked about the other side of the screen .
President Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally be a week of crisis , Trump was claiming other perceived victories .
A caravan of about 2,000 Hondurans , reminiscent of those the president demonised in 2018 , was on the move but looked unlikely to reach the US-Mexico border this time , in part because of new asylum agreements with Central American countries .
The number of people crossing the border has fallen for seven months in a row .
Trump even seems to have got away with his biggest , most impulsive gamble in foreign policy , the assassination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qassem Suleimani , as the threat of all war apparently receded .
“ Trump Wins His Standoff with Iran ” , proclaimed a Washington Post headline above a column by Marc Thiessen , a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former chief speechwriter for George W Bush .
The president ’ s final boost of the week may have come at the Democratic debate in Iowa where , in the eyes of some critics , no one claimed the mantle of Trump-slayer .
“ I came away feeling worried for the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on CNN , comparing it to “ a big bowl of cold oatmeal ” and warning : “ There was nothing I saw tonight that would be able to take Donald Trump out , and I want to see a Democrat in the White House as soon as possible.
” Trump has , in fact , failed to keep many promises : making Mexico pay for a border wall ; growing the economy at 4 % a year ; repealing and replacing Barack Obama ’ s Affordable Care Act ; passing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China trade deal has been condemned as a surrender .
None of that has stopped his campaign ads portraying him as a man of action and touting a list of achievements in contrast to “ do nothing ” Democrats obsessed with the arcane business of impeachment .
Bill Whalen , a research fellow at the Hoover Institution thinktank at Stanford University in Palo Alto , California , said : “ The trial does not feature Trump himself and could turn out to be intensely boring .
A lot of viewers are not paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their lives .
That ’ s what I find when I travel.
” And the president , who has already raised millions of donor dollars off impeachment , will try to turn it to his political advantage .
Whalen added : “ Since he first started running for president , he realised he could get very far by making it an ‘ us versus them ’ mentality .
In a swaggering way , he makes himself a victim .
He ’ s not suffering but he just makes you believe he ’ s @ @ @ @

It was, the White House tweeted on Friday, “an incredible week” for Donald Trump. On that, no one could disagree. But what kind of incredible depended on which end of Pennsylvania Avenue you were standing.
At the Capitol, the third impeachment trial of a US president got under way in hushed solemnity as senators contemplated the ultimate sanction, removing Trump from office. It was a day his most ardent critics had long awaited and some thought inevitable.
Yet the White House, less than two miles away, might have been in a different cosmos. The president held a boisterous ceremony to sign a trade agreement with China, “the biggest deal anybody has ever seen”, and celebrated as Congress passed another deal with Canada and Mexico. He toasted stock market records, low unemployment and a sustained fall in illegal crossings at the southern border.
It had the makings of an election year narrative of “promises made, promises kept” that Trump’s campaign hopes will resonate more than a Senate litigation of his dealings with Ukraine which, in any case, appears certain to lead to his acquittal.
“He seems determined to check as many boxes as he can,” said Bill Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington. “If you look at the three pillars of the distinct outlook he brought with him to the White House – getting tough on immigrants, leaning hard against unbalanced trade relationships and an ‘America first’ foreign policy – you’d have to say over recent months he’s gone three for three.”
To be sure, there was plenty of bad news for Trump. Democrats from the House of Representatives marched funereally through the Capitol to transfer the articles of impeachment, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, to their Senate counterparts. The entrance of Chief Justice John Roberts injected sudden grandeur and gravity. Chuck Schumer, Democratic minority leader in the Senate, said: “When the chief justice walked in, you could feel the weight of the moment. I saw members on both sides of the aisle visibly gulp.”
03:51 Trump impeachment: how the day unfolded as House sends articles to Senate – video
Moreover, as senators prepare to weigh evidence that Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to investigate a political rival, a federal watchdog concluded that he broke the law when he froze military aid to the country last year. And Lev Parnas, a close associate of Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, tossed in another hand grenade with a TV interview that directly implicated the president in efforts to pressure Ukraine. “President Trump knew exactly what was going on,” Parnas told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.
For most viewers of that network, and millions of liberals across America, it was yet another nail in the coffin of a man who has long been beyond redemption and whose re-election is unthinkable.
I think there’s an element of genuine incomprehension. He thinks he’s the greatest president of all time Bill Galston
But not the first time, there was a profound disconnection with Trumpworld, a place where the sun is always shining. Here, in meetings, ceremonies and rallies, the president basks in constant affirmation from fervent supporters and sycophantic staff. Such is the bubble of self-congratulation, it is perhaps not surprising Trump is baffled by the contempt and derision he glimpses outside it. He frequently asks bemusedly how a president with his record could be impeached.
Galston said: “I think there’s an element of genuine incomprehension. He thinks he’s the greatest president of all time and his protestations of injured innocence I take seriously as a representation of his inner state.”
‘Clinton was more disciplined’
On Wednesday, as dozens of reporters craned their necks beneath the crystal chandeliers of the ornate East Room, Trump stood with with Chinese vice-premier Liu He for the signing of the US-China phase one trade agreement. Before they put pen to paper, the president spent the best part of an hour giving shout-outs to his favourite officials and members of Congress. Senator Lindsey Graham, for example, was a “much better golfer than people would understand”.
Amid the applause, adulation and levity, it was hard to believe the existential threat of impeachment was unfolding up the road. That was just one more laugh line. “Kevin McCarthy, as you know, left for the hoax,” Trump said of the Republican minority leader, prompting chuckles. Then he added darkly: “Well, we have to do that, otherwise it becomes a more serious hoax.”
On Thursday, the paradox continued. Senators passed Trump’s United States-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, or USMCA, with an 89-10 vote, then were sworn in as jurors for an impeachment trial certain to be far more divisive. Galston added: “To have the Senate vote with nearly 90 in favour of the trade deal and be split down the middle on impeachment on the same day is stunning.”
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders face off at the Democratic debate in Des Moines. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
But Galston, a former deputy assistant to Bill Clinton for domestic policy, recalled that the last impeachment had its own dichotomies. “As Clinton careened towards a Senate trial in late 1998, Democrats won a big victory in the midterm elections and Newt Gingrich, the speaker of the House, felt compelled to resign. Talk about a split screen. I’ve seen this movie before.
“But President Clinton was more disciplined. When he had ceremonies at the White House he never talked about the other side of the screen. President Trump is obliterating the line.”
‘Not paying attention’
In what would normally be a week of crisis, Trump was claiming other perceived victories. A caravan of about 2,000 Hondurans, reminiscent of those the president demonised in 2018, was on the move but looked unlikely to reach the US-Mexico border this time, in part because of new asylum agreements with Central American countries. The number of people crossing the border has fallen for seven months in a row.
A big bowl of cold oatmeal Van Jones on the Democratic debate
Trump even seems to have got away with his biggest, most impulsive gamble in foreign policy, the assassination of Iran’s top general, Qassem Suleimani, as the threat of all war apparently receded. “Trump Wins His Standoff with Iran”, proclaimed a Washington Post headline above a column by Marc Thiessen, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former chief speechwriter for George W Bush.
The president’s final boost of the week may have come at the Democratic debate in Iowa where, in the eyes of some critics, no one claimed the mantle of Trump-slayer.
“I came away feeling worried for the Democratic party,” political analyst Van Jones said on CNN, comparing it to “a big bowl of cold oatmeal” and warning: “There was nothing I saw tonight that would be able to take Donald Trump out, and I want to see a Democrat in the White House as soon as possible.”
Trump has, in fact, failed to keep many promises: making Mexico pay for a border wall; growing the economy at 4% a year; repealing and replacing Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act; passing a $1tn infrastructure bill. Even his China trade deal has been condemned as a surrender. None of that has stopped his campaign ads portraying him as a man of action and touting a list of achievements in contrast to “do nothing” Democrats obsessed with the arcane business of impeachment.
Bill Whalen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution thinktank at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, said: “The trial does not feature Trump himself and could turn out to be intensely boring. A lot of viewers are not paying attention. It doesn’t affect their lives. That’s what I find when I travel.”
And the president, who has already raised millions of donor dollars off impeachment, will try to turn it to his political advantage. Whalen added: “Since he first started running for president, he realised he could get very far by making it an ‘us versus them’ mentality. In a swaggering way, he makes himself a victim. He’s not suffering but he just makes you believe he’s being persecuted.”