theguardian--2020-02-18--It's time politicians embraced their sexual desires | Dave Madden

When sex enters America ’ s national politics , it ’ s almost always the result of assault or scandal .
The current president is a self-avowed perpetrator who defended the alleged pedophile Roy Moore and was buddies with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein .
Bill Clinton faced a scandal over his relationship with Monica Lewinsky , and was accused of sexual assault by several women .
The former New York congressman Anthony Weiner was convicted of sending dick pics to a minor .
More often , though , sex isn ’ t allowed to enter our politics at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment last month , Pete Buttigieg ’ s campaign canceled a fundraiser at an iconic gay bar because the owner refused to remove a dance pole from the premises .
The campaign ’ s demurral captured a criticism that many people in the queer community have made of the first viable out-of-the-closet candidate for the US presidency : he ’ s just not queer enough .
But the reality is it would be hard to imagine any candidate holding a fundraiser at a strip club .
No matter what their positions were on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion access , or any other policies that could improve women ’ s lives , they would be pundited right out of the polls .
That ’ s because there ’ s a bigger issue at play here and in American politics writ large : our corrosive sexual shame .
So many of us believe that the work of our genitals is far less noble than the work of our minds ; that our desires make us bad , or lesser , or unclean .
This shame not only diminishes us as individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collective political power of those who want a freer and more equal America – one that ’ s not dominated by those ( primarily men ) who use sex as a weapon .
You might be wondering why sex even matters in a campaign season loaded with such urgent issues as income inequality , universal healthcare and the climate emergency .
Everyone understands that we are a deeply divided nation , yet no one understands what we can do about it .
But this is precisely where sexual desire can be one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other ’ s desires is more radical and more democratizing than almost anything else candidates are doing on the campaign trail .
The revolutionary power of sex is something the queer community has tried to teach America .
Sex brought us queers together in alleyways and underground toilets , where we found we weren ’ t alone .
Then it brought us together in bars and bathhouses , where our numbers grew .
Then it took us “ out of the closet and into the streets ” , where we won elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to love and have sex with whoever we want however we want gave this country one of its most significant civil rights victories .
Desire ’ s apolitical nature is oddly its political asset .
Sex brings people together regardless of race , class and even politics .
Love can do this too , but sex – and especially queer sex – accomplishes it in a way that is more transformative because queers recognize that no one ’ s desire is more or less shameful than another ’ s .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Normal : In contrast , sexual shame attempts to police that variety and assign value to some forms over others .
In the political realm , it inevitably favors the cis-gendered , heterosexual patriarchy under which we all live , with the accompanying cruelties of capitalism under which most of us labor .
In addition to homophobia , think of the ways slut-shaming has been used as an effective weapon in excluding women from political and economic power .
Business and politics as usual promote networking , which is exclusionary and consolidates power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places we have it – not just bedrooms and sofas , but porn theaters , public toilets , cruising areas – promote contact , which fosters encounters across classes and groups , the writer Samuel R Delany points out .
“ Given the mode of capitalism under which we live , ” Delaney writes , “ life is at its most rewarding , productive , and pleasant when large numbers of people understand , appreciate , and seek out interclass contact and communication conducted in a mode of goodwill.
” Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always about contact , and shaming isn ’ t always a bad thing .
Donald Trump ’ s Access Hollywood tape didn ’ t show us his sexuality , it showed his belief in men ’ s domination over women .
Sexual assault , in all its forms , is one way men have asserted this dominance , and this is what the # MeToo movement has insisted we talk about .
We will no longer excuse or ignore these abuses .
Anyone whose sexuality disregards consent should be shamed and punished , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values .
“ A democratic morality should judge sexual acts by the way partners treat one another , ” the anthropologist Gayle Rubin wrote in her pathbreaking essay , Thinking Sex : If the people united will not be divided , then shaming our consensual forms of sex and sexuality is the best way to prevent this most poignant form of union .
We don ’ t have to buy into it , however , and one way to fight this trickle-down sexual shame is by insisting our politicians talk frankly and positively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know – some of us may recall how long it took Ronald Reagan to even say the word “ Aids ” in public – so in the meantime , we need to lead the conversations ourselves .
Call out your politicians when they reproduce attitudes of sexual shame .
Ask them potentially uncomfortable questions about birth control , comprehensive sex education and decriminalizing sex work .
The point isn ’ t to invade anybody ’ s privacy .
I don ’ t need to know which sexual positions the presidential candidates prefer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their business .
But that politicians have sex , and that they overcome their shame or neuroses about it , is all of our business , because it can do so much to move our unhealthy culture toward the future we want for it .
Dave Madden is the author of If You Need Me I ’ ll Be Over There and The Authentic Animal : Inside the Odd and Obsessive World of Taxidermy ; he ’ s currently writing a book on sex and shame .

When sex enters America’s national politics, it’s almost always the result of assault or scandal. The current president is a self-avowed perpetrator who defended the alleged pedophile Roy Moore and was buddies with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Clinton faced a scandal over his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, and was accused of sexual assault by several women. The former New York congressman Anthony Weiner was convicted of sending dick pics to a minor.
More often, though, sex isn’t allowed to enter our politics at all. In a small but revealing moment last month, Pete Buttigieg’s campaign canceled a fundraiser at a gay bar because the owner refused to remove a dance pole from the premises. The campaign’s demurral captured a criticism that many people in the queer community have made of the first viable out-of-the-closet candidate for the US presidency: he’s just not queer enough. But the reality is it would be hard to imagine any candidate holding a fundraiser at a strip club. No matter what their positions were on living wage laws, parental leave, abortion access or any other policies that could improve women’s lives, they would be pundited right out of the polls.
That’s because there’s a bigger issue at play here and in American politics writ large: our corrosive sexual shame. So many of us believe that the work of our genitals is far less noble than the work of our minds; that our desires make us bad, or lesser, or unclean. This shame not only diminishes us as individuals, it also works to undermine the collective political power of those who want a freer and more equal America – one that’s not dominated by those (primarily men) who use sex as a weapon.
You might be wondering why sex even matters in a campaign season loaded with such urgent issues as income inequality, universal healthcare and the climate emergency. Everyone understands that we are a deeply divided nation, yet no one understands what we can do about it. But this is precisely where sexual desire can be one of our most revolutionary political tools. Acknowledging each other’s desires is more radical and more democratizing than almost anything else candidates are doing on the campaign trail.
‘One way to fight this trickle-down sexual shame is by insisting our politicians talk frankly and positively about sex.’ Photograph: Image Broker/REX
The revolutionary power of sex is something the queer community has tried to teach America. Sex brought us queers together in alleyways and underground toilets, where we found we weren’t alone. Then it brought us together in bars and bathhouses, where our numbers grew. Then it took us “out of the closet and into the streets”, where we won elected positions. The battles we fought for the right to love and have sex with whoever we want however we want gave this country one of its most significant civil rights victories.
Desire’s apolitical nature is oddly its political asset. Sex brings people together regardless of race, class and even politics. Love can do this too, but sex – and especially queer sex – accomplishes it in a way that is more transformative because queers recognize that no one’s desire is more or less shameful than another’s. As Michael Warner writes in The Trouble with Normal:
In those circles where queerness has been most cultivated, the ground rule is that one doesn’t pretend to be above the indignity of sex … Sex is understood to be as various as the people who have it. It is not required to be tidy, normal, uniform, or authorized by the government.
In contrast, sexual shame attempts to police that variety and assign value to some forms over others. In the political realm, it inevitably favors the cis-gendered, heterosexual patriarchy under which we all live, with the accompanying cruelties of capitalism under which most of us labor. In addition to homophobia, think of the ways slut-shaming has been used as an effective weapon in excluding women from political and economic power.
Business and politics as usual promote networking, which is exclusionary and consolidates power within groups, whereas sex and the places we have it – not just bedrooms and sofas, but porn theaters, public toilets, cruising areas – promote contact, which fosters encounters across classes and groups, the writer Samuel R Delany points out. “Given the mode of capitalism under which we live,” Delaney writes, “life is at its most rewarding, productive, and pleasant when large numbers of people understand, appreciate, and seek out interclass contact and communication conducted in a mode of goodwill.”
Desire’s apolitical nature is oddly its political asset. Sex brings people together regardless of race, class, and even politics
Of course, the act of sex isn’t always about contact, and shaming isn’t always a bad thing. Donald Trump’s Access Hollywood tape didn’t show us his sexuality, it showed his belief in men’s domination over women. Sexual assault, in all its forms, is one way men have asserted this dominance, and this is what the #MeToo movement has insisted we talk about. We will no longer excuse or ignore these abuses. Anyone whose sexuality disregards consent should be shamed and punished, because shame corrects behavior that violates our values.
“A democratic morality should judge sexual acts by the way partners treat one another,” the anthropologist Gayle Rubin wrote in her pathbreaking essay, Thinking Sex:
… the presence or absence of coercion, and the quantity and quality of the pleasures they provide. Whether sex acts are gay or straight, coupled or in groups, naked or in underwear, commercial or free, with or without video should not be the ethical concerns.
If the people united will not be divided, then shaming our consensual forms of sex and sexuality is the best way to prevent this most poignant form of union. We don’t have to buy into it, however, and one way to fight this trickle-down sexual shame is by insisting our politicians talk frankly and positively about sex. A tall order, I know – some of us may recall how long it took Ronald Reagan to even say the word “Aids” in public – so in the meantime, we need to lead the conversations ourselves. Call out your politicians when they reproduce attitudes of sexual shame. Ask them potentially uncomfortable questions about birth control, comprehensive sex education and decriminalizing sex work.
The point isn’t to invade anybody’s privacy. I don’t need to know which sexual positions the presidential candidates prefer. The sex that politicians have is their business. But that politicians have sex, and that they overcome their shame or neuroses about it, is all of our business, because it can do so much to move our unhealthy culture toward the future we want for it.
Dave Madden is the author of If You Need Me I’ll Be Over There and The Authentic Animal: Inside the Odd and Obsessive World of Taxidermy; he’s currently writing a book on sex and shame


theguardian--2020-02-18--Trump falsely declares himself 'the chief law enforcement officer' of the US – live

Elizabeth Warren has been on the offensive against Mike Bloomberg , with her account tweeting critiques of the former New @ @ @ @ @ in what could be a preview of tomorrow ’ s debate in Las Vegas .
@ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg on his policing policies , and the fact that he is using his vast @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
“ It ’ s a shame Mike Bloomberg can buy his way into @ @ @ @ @ said in one of her targeted tweets .
Bloomberg is surging in polls , even @ @ @ @ @ has lagged .
In Nevada , where Warren had one of the earliest and strongest @ @ @ @ @ banking on a strong showing of support at the caucuses to boost her back up @ @ @ @ @ ll and the other Democratic contenders face off for the first time against Bloomberg who @ @ @ @ @ Las Vegas debate after the Democratic National Committee relaxed its qualification requirements .

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now), Joan E Greve in Washington and Paul Owen (earlier)

19 Feb 2020 01.07 GMT Summary Mike Bloomberg has plunged into another controversy over his past comments — this time after newly uncovered video from last year showed him using dehumanizing language to describe trans people.
has plunged into another controversy over his past comments — this time after newly uncovered video from last year showed him using dehumanizing language to describe trans people. The billionaire former mayor of New York will face his competitors on the debate stage for the first time tomorrow in Las Vegas .
. Elizabeth Warre n , Bernie Sanders , and Joe Biden have all singled out Bloomberg today, critiquing his record on race and policing, as well as his self-funded campaign.
, , and have all singled out Bloomberg today, critiquing his record on race and policing, as well as his self-funded campaign. Ahead of the Nevada caucuses this week, Sanders held a double-digit lead over his competitors, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Another poll, from NBC and the Wall Street Journal also found Sanders in the lead, but has been criticized for appearing to leave Warren off a question that gauged candidates’ chances of winning a general election against Donald Trump.
held a double-digit lead over his competitors, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Another poll, from NBC and the Wall Street Journal also found Sanders in the lead, but has been criticized for appearing to leave off a question that gauged candidates’ chances of winning a general election against Donald Trump. The president falsely claimed he was “the chief law enforcement officer” of the US. Earlier today he commuted the sentence of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich , who has served seven years in prison on corruption charges after being caught on tape trying to sell a US Senate seat.
, who has served seven years in prison on corruption charges after being caught on tape trying to sell a US Senate seat. Trump also pardoned former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik and financier Michael Milken.
and financier Trump condemned what he called a “fraudulent investigation” into Roger Stone though he did not indicate whether he would pardon the longtime ally who was convicted of lying to Congress and obstructing Trump-Russia inquiry
Updated at 01.55 GMT
19 Feb 2020 01.07 GMT Bernie Sanders’ campaign will ask for a partial recount of the Iowa caucus results, following state Democratic Party’s recanvass. The recanvass updates reported results, but it doesn’t correct math errors. It appeared to narrow the gap between Sanders and Pete Buttigieg even further.
Buttigieg lead in Iowa appears to fall to a mere 0.08 SDEs after recanvass
Buttigieg 563.207
Sanders 563.127https://t.co/ScWQUecTRb — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) February 19, 2020 “While it is clear that Sen. Sanders won the popular vote in Iowa by 6,000 votes, the recanvass process reduced the State Delegate Equivalent deficit by 97 percent,” said Sanders’ adviser Jeff Weaver. “We now believe a recount will give Sen. Sanders enough State Delegate Equivalents to put him over the top by that metric as well. We want to thank the people of Iowa, our supporters, our volunteers and everyone who made this possible.” The Iowa Democrats began a recanvass at the request of Sanders and Buttigieg’s campaigns. Although the party awarded Buttigieg the most delegates, the AP has still not declared a winner. The rollout of the results has been delayed due to issues with reporting and collecting data on election night, and errors in the complex math required to calculate the outcomes.
Updated at 01.19 GMT
19 Feb 2020 00.27 GMT Warren isn’t the only candidate to single out Bloomberg. In response to news that the billionaire former mayor would sell his company if elected president, Joe Biden’s campaign pointed out that Bloomberg once said he’d sell his company if he ran for president. *If he wins* wasn't the promise, @TimOBrien. It was if he *ran.* Why is he breaking his word? https://t.co/Ysa4SrIdSv pic.twitter.com/ouQPIPiBwx — Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) February 18, 2020
Updated at 00.28 GMT
19 Feb 2020 00.09 GMT Elizabeth Warren has been on the offensive against Mike Bloomberg, with her account tweeting critiques of the former New York mayor throughout the day in what could be a preview of tomorrow’s debate in Las Vegas. Mike Bloomberg approved and oversaw a program that surveilled and tracked Muslim communities in mosques, restaurants, and even college campuses—leaving permanent damage. He refuses to apologize for it. https://t.co/oUDQIlySHn — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 18, 2020 The Massachusetts senator had hit Bloomberg on his policing policies, and the fact that he is using his vast wealth to fund his own campaign. “It’s a shame Mike Bloomberg can buy his way into the debate,” Warren said in one of her targeted tweets. .@FredTJoseph personally knows the damage that Mike Bloomberg’s policies and agendas have caused. He knows that our party deserves better. pic.twitter.com/2sJEJ7crCf — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 18, 2020 It’s a shame Mike Bloomberg can buy his way into the debate. But at least now primary voters curious about how each candidate will take on Donald Trump can get a live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire. https://t.co/H02radEZcv — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 18, 2020 Mike Bloomberg's expansion of “stop and frisk” devastated Black and Brown communities. For years, he used racist justifications to defend the practice—and more comments are already resurfacing. We need a nominee that Democratic voters can trust. https://t.co/AZa84e5Qt0 — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 18, 2020 Bloomberg is surging in polls, even as Warren’s support has lagged. In Nevada, where Warren had one of the earliest and strongest campaigns, she’s banking on a strong showing of support at the caucuses to boost her back up. Tomorrow, she’ll and the other Democratic contenders face off for the first time against Bloomberg who qualified to participate in the Las Vegas debate after the Democratic National Committee relaxed its qualification requirements.
Updated at 00.10 GMT
18 Feb 2020 23.34 GMT The mayor of Chicago said Donald Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of the former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, “sends the wrong message”. Blagojevich has served seven years in prison on corruption charges. He was caught on tape trying to sell a US Senate seat. Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago said that commuting Blagojevich’s sentence “would be controversial under any president, but President Trump embodies the worst in public leadership through his brazen disrespect for the rule of law and good governance”. Commuting former Gov. Blagojevich's sentence would be controversial under any president, but President Trump embodies the worst in public leadership through his brazen disrespect for the rule of law and good governance. Given his track record, this action sends the wrong message. https://t.co/IWtNznqLFl — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) February 18, 2020
18 Feb 2020 23.24 GMT Oddly, though the NBC/WSJ poll asked voters to weigh in on a theoretical race between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Mike Bloomberg and Amy Klobuchar, it didn’t test a matchup between the president and Elizabeth Warren. Warren ranked fourth among voters who participated in the same poll, above Buttigieg and Klobuchar. Does NBC/WSJ poll have a hotline number where I can report a missing woman? https://t.co/2b5fdxx7YY — Will Bunch 🆘 (@Will_Bunch) February 18, 2020
18 Feb 2020 23.08 GMT Bloomberg would sell his company if elected president, according to an adviser. Photograph: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images Mike Bloomberg said he would sell Bloomberg LP if he were elected president, according to his advisor. Bloomberg would put the company into a bling trust, and the trustee would sell it, adviser Tim O’Brien told the AP. Proceeds from the sale would go to Bloomberg Philanthropies, the charitable arm of the former New York mayor’s business. “We want to be 180 degrees apart from Donald Trump around financial conflicts of interest,” O’Brien told the AP. “We think it’s one of the biggest stains on the presidency, and Trump’s record is his refusal to disengage himself in his own financial interests. And we want to be very transparent and clean and clear with voters about where Mike is on these things.” Bloomberg retained ownership of his company while serving as New York mayor.
18 Feb 2020 22.49 GMT A new poll finds Bernie Sanders would win against Mike Bloomberg in a two-way race. Notable from NBC/WSJ poll of Dem primary voters: If you had to choose between...
Sanders 57%
Bloomberg 37%
---
Sanders 54%
Buttigieg 38%https://t.co/2asdlVJs8Y — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) February 18, 2020 When asked how they’d vote if they had to choose between Sanders and Bloomberg, 57% of Democratic primary voters polled chose the former. Bloomberg’s campaign has cast the primaries has a “two-man” race between the former New York mayor and the Vermont senator. According to the poll by NBC and the Wall Street Journal, Sanders also did best in matchups between the Democratic candidates and Donald Trump. New NBC/WSJ out just now
Sanders 27%
Biden 15%
Bloomberg 14%
Warren 14%
Buttigieg 13%
Klobuchar 7%
Notable that Trump performs best in match-up against Sanders, compared to the rest
Biden 52%, Trump 44%
Bloomberg 50%, Trump 43%
Sanders 50%, Trump 46%
Buttigieg 48%, Trump 44% — Jason K. Morrell (@CNNJason) February 18, 2020
Updated at 23.01 GMT
18 Feb 2020 22.14 GMT Report: video shows Mike Bloomberg using language that dehumanizes trans people A newly uncovered video from a forum in March 2019 shows Bloomberg saying that trans rights were about “some guy wearing a dress and whether he, she, or it can go to the locker room with their daughter, that’s not a winning formula for most people”, according to a report by Buzzfeed News. The revelation comes on the same day that Bloomberg’s campaign released a video touting the former New York mayor’s record on LGBTQ+ issues, Buzzfeed notes. Bloomberg’s sensitivity was far less apparent at a forum hosted by the Bermuda Business Development Agency on March 21, 2019, in Manhattan, where Bloomberg derided Democratic candidates for talking about transgender protections. “If your conversation during a presidential election is about some guy wearing a dress and whether he, she, or it can go to the locker room with their daughter, that’s not a winning formula for most people,” he said. Bloomberg made a similar remark about a “man wearing a dress” in 2016, but his comments uncovered Tuesday — remarks he made less than a year ago — came amid the early stages of the 2020 Democratic primary. The video was posted to YouTube shortly after the March event, but has received few views. Bloomberg was not a candidate for president at the time, but announced his campaign just eight months after he made the remarks.
Updated at 22.35 GMT
18 Feb 2020 22.00 GMT Evening summary That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands: Trump falsely claimed he was “the chief law enforcement officer” of the US, a title that actually belongs to attorney general William Barr.
falsely claimed he was “the chief law enforcement officer” of the US, a title that actually belongs to attorney general Trump commuted the sentence of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich , who has served seven years in prison on corruption charges after being caught on tape trying to sell a US Senate seat.
, who has served seven years in prison on corruption charges after being caught on tape trying to sell a US Senate seat. The Blagojevich commutation was one in a series of acts of clemency from Trump, who also pardoned former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik and financier Michael Milken.
and financier The sentencing of former Trump associate Roger Stone will take place on Thursday, as scheduled, while Stone’s legal team continues to push for a new trial.
will take place on Thursday, as scheduled, while Stone’s legal team continues to push for a new trial. Trump appeared to indicate his support for granting Stone a new trial in a series of tweets quoting a Fox News analyst. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
18 Feb 2020 21.47 GMT Bernie Sanders’ campaign has responded to Pete Buttigieg’s earlier comment that he has concerns about Sanders’ ability to win in a general election against Trump. The Sanders campaign pointed to the candidate’s formidable fundraising operation and popularity with people of color, particularly Latinx voters, as evidence of the Vermont senator’s broad appeal. The Sanders campaign responds to Pete Buttigieg in Vegas today (via @GregJKrieg): https://t.co/oQDFGpcEry https://t.co/cU5AQq1wZu pic.twitter.com/vAE2hAIEDp — DJ Judd (@DJJudd) February 18, 2020 But some of Sanders’ critics fear he will see his polling numbers dangerously slide once the Trump campaign starts focusing on the self-described democratic socialist. Trump himself appears to relish the idea of facing Sanders and has repeatedly accused the Democratic party of trying to prevent Sanders from winning the nomination, although he has offered no evidence for that claim.
18 Feb 2020 21.26 GMT A new poll from Maine shows Republican senator Susan Collins locked in a close race with her expected Democratic opponent, state House speaker Sara Gideon. The Colby College poll found that 42% of Maine voters support Collins, compared to 43% who support Gideon. In comparison, Collins won reelection in 2014 with more than 68% of the vote. The poll also found that Collins’ vote to acquit Trump in the Senate impeachment trial is hurting her with the state’s many independent voters. Of the independents polled, 39% said Collins’ acquittal vote made them less likely to support her, compared to 13% who said it made them more likely to support her. Democrats consider Collins’ seat to be one of their top pick-up opportunities as they attempt to take control of the Senate, which would require flipping four Republican seats (or three if they can also win the White House).
18 Feb 2020 21.13 GMT In a pair of tweets, Trump accused Mike Bloomberg of “illegally buying” the Democratic presidential nomination as the billionaire candidate spends hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising. .....Mini is illegally buying the Democrat Nomination. They are taking it away from Bernie again. Mini Mike, Major Party Nominations are not for sale! Good luck in the debate tomorrow night and remember, no standing on boxes! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2020 Some of Bloomberg’s critics have raised concerns about the former New York mayor receiving endorsements from lawmakers who have benefitted from his political donations, but those endorsements do not run afoul of campaign finance laws.


theguardian--2020-02-18--Trump calls for Roger Stone's conviction to be thrown out

Donald Trump has called for his longtime ally Roger Stone ’ s recent conviction for witness tampering and lying to Congress to be thrown out .
Trump ’ s barrage of Tuesday morning tweets comes days after his own attorney general , William Barr , sparked a furore over his apparent intervention in the case .
“ Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and , in my opinion , should be thrown out , ” one of Trump ’ s tweets said .
Trump tweeted Fox News commentator Andrew Napolitano ’ s comment that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
He called out Judge Amy Berman Jackson by name , saying almost any judge in the country would throw out the conviction .
Stone was convicted in November of a seven-count indictment that accused him of lying to Congress , tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election .
Prosecutors had recommended a tough sentence of between seven to nine years in federal prison , but Barr reversed that decision and recommended a less harsh punishment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the case .
Eric Holder , US attorney general under Barack Obama , said in a statement at the time that the conduct over Stone had “ put at risk the perceived – and real – neutral enforcement of our laws and , ultimately , endanger the fabric of our democracy ” .
Barr later denied that Trump ’ s Twitter denunciation of the sentencing recommendation had influenced his decision ; in an interview with ABC News , Barr said he had not been asked by Trump to look into the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompted widespread outrage .
More than 2,000 former justice department employees have signed an open letter calling for Barr ’ s resignation and expressing support of the four prosecutors .
Jackson said Stone ’ s sentencing would take place on Thursday , as planned .
There had been questions raised about a potential delay in sentencing , as Stone ’ s lawyers push for a new trial due to the allegations of anti-Trump bias of one of the jurors .
However , Jackson said the sentencing should occur as scheduled , while noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of concerns raised by Stone ’ s team .
Stone , 67 , is the sixth former Trump aide to be convicted in cases prompted by Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation .
In their court filing last Monday , the prosecutors had argued that Stone – who was found guilty in November of seven crimes including obstruction of justice , witness tampering and lying to Congress – has shown “ contempt for this court and the rule of law ” .
But the following day Trump claimed in a tweet : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side , as nothing happens to them .
Can not allow this miscarriage of justice !
” Hours later , on Tuesday afternoon , a new court filing was released , proposing that the sentence guidelines for Stone be cut .
Defense attorneys for Stone last week filed a second motion for a new trial .
The first was rejected by Jackson last year .
Associated Press contributed to this report

Miranda Bryant, Joan E Greve and agencies

Donald Trump has called for his longtime ally Roger Stone’s recent conviction for witness tampering and lying to Congress to be thrown out.
Trump’s barrage of Tuesday morning tweets came days after his own attorney general, William Barr, sparked a furore over his apparent intervention in the case.
“Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out,” one of Trump’s tweets said.
Trump tweeted the Fox News commentator Andrew Napolitano’s comment that the jury appears to have been biased against Trump. He called out Judge Amy Berman Jackson by name, saying almost any judge in the country would throw out the conviction.
The president also on Tuesday made the eye-popping, and false, claim that he is “the chief law enforcement officer of the United States”. Many were quick to point out that Barr is in fact the chief law enforcement officer of the US government. Trump made the remarks at a military base in Maryland, in response to reporters’ questions on the Stone case and Barr’s recent rebuke that Trump’s tweets “make it impossible to do my job”.
“The attorney general is a man with incredible integrity,” Trump said, but he refused to rule out the possibility of weighing in on Stone’s case. “Just so you understand, I chose not to be involved. I’m allowed to be totally involved. I’m actually, I guess, the chief law enforcement officer of the country. But I’ve chosen not to be involved.”
Trump said he was not considering pardoning Stone but complained that his former associate was being treated “very unfairly”.
01:33 Trump falsely declares himself 'the chief law enforcement officer' of the US – video
Stone was convicted in November of a seven-count indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election.
Prosecutors had recommended a tough sentence of between seven to nine years in federal prison, but Barr reversed that decision and recommended a less harsh punishment, prompting the entire prosecution team to resign from the case.
Eric Holder, US attorney general under Barack Obama, said in a statement at the time that the conduct over Stone had “put at risk the perceived – and real – neutral enforcement of our laws and, ultimately, endanger the fabric of our democracy”.
Barr later denied that Trump’s Twitter denunciation of the sentencing recommendation had influenced his decision; in an interview with ABC News, Barr said he had not been asked by Trump to look into the case.
But the highly unusual intervention has prompted widespread outrage. More than 2,000 former justice department employees have signed an open letter calling for Barr’s resignation and expressing support of the four prosecutors.
Jackson said Stone’s sentencing would take place on Thursday, as planned.
There had been questions raised about a potential delay in sentencing, as Stone’s lawyers push for a new trial due to the allegations of anti-Trump bias of one of the jurors.
However, Jackson said the sentencing should occur as scheduled, while noting that its implementation may be delayed because of concerns raised by Stone’s team.
Stone, 67, is the sixth former Trump aide to be convicted in cases prompted by Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
In their court filing last Monday, the prosecutors had argued that Stone – who was found guilty in November of seven crimes including obstruction of justice, witness tampering and lying to Congress – has shown “contempt for this court and the rule of law”.
But the following day Trump claimed in a tweet: “The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!”
Hours later, on Tuesday afternoon, a new court filing was released, proposing that the sentence guidelines for Stone be cut.
Defense attorneys for Stone last week filed a second motion for a new trial. The first was rejected by Jackson last year.
Associated Press contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-02-18--Stephen Miller's New York Times wedding announcement sparks backlash

By all accounts it was a nice day for a white wedding .
On Sunday , Stephen Miller , Donald Trump ’ s top immigration adviser , married Katie Waldman .
Waldman , who currently serves as Mike Pence ’ s press secretary , was formerly a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security under Kirstjen Nielsen .
Naturally , the loving couple held their nuptials , which the president attended , at one of his properties , Trump International Hotel in Washington DC .
News of the wedding was reported in the New York Times , much like any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be , hiding any mention of the pair ’ s ideology inside hyperlinks .
But it led to a raft of condemnation online , triggered by Miller ’ s position and record as one of the longest-serving members of the Trump administration , who has been the driving force behind policies such as the Muslim ban and the family separation policy at the border .
• None Last year , Democrats demanded Miller resign after hundreds of his emails promoting white nationalism to rightwing journalists were revealed .
Meanwhile , Waldman has referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ violent mob of migrants ” and accused them of attacking border agents .
She has also dismissed groups of migrants traveling together as a media hoax .
The simplistic New York Times wedding announcement on the ceremony made for hostile comment .
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee seized upon the news of the wedding to launch a registry in their honor .
“ Stephen Miller has made it his life ’ s mission to strip all compassion and understanding from US immigration policy , ” it reads .
“ As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to get him a wedding present that we know he ’ ll hate.
” Included is a wishlist of items from charities who help asylum seekers and migrants such as mittens , underwear and socks .
Even the political symbolism of the wedding singer came under scrutiny .
Though the bride herself did not seem put off .
The truth is that US immigration policy is no laughing matter .
Over two-thirds of migrants fleeing Guatemala , Honduras and El Salvador suffered the murder , kidnapping or disappearance of a loved one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borders .
Dozens of migrants have died in Ice custody during the Trump administration .
At least 200 migrants deported to El Salvador have been raped , murdered , or tortured .

By all accounts it was a nice day for a white wedding. On Sunday, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump’s top immigration adviser, married Katie Waldman. Waldman, who currently serves as Mike Pence’s press secretary, was formerly a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security under Kirstjen Nielsen.
Naturally, the loving couple held their nuptials, which the president attended, at one of his properties, Trump International Hotel in Washington DC.
News of the wedding was reported in the New York Times, much like any other run-of-the-mill, high-powered DC couple would be, hiding any mention of the pair’s ideology inside hyperlinks.
But it led to a raft of condemnation online, triggered by Miller’s position and record as one of the longest-serving members of the Trump administration, who has been the driving force behind policies such as the Muslim ban and the family separation policy at the border.
Last year, Democrats demanded Miller resign after hundreds of his emails promoting white nationalism to rightwing journalists were revealed. Meanwhile, Waldman has referred to asylum seekers at the border as a “violent mob of migrants” and accused them of attacking border agents. She has also dismissed groups of migrants traveling together as a media hoax.
The simplistic New York Times wedding announcement on the ceremony made for hostile comment.
Stephen Miller is a white nationalist who has helped Trump concoct and execute violent racist and xenophobic policies.
The New York Times just ran an announcement of Miller's wedding as though he's an esteemed statesman.
This is how the mainstream media supports fascism. — saira rao (@sairasameerarao) February 17, 2020
Given everything we know about Stephen Miller, seems a massive abdication of journalistic duty to publish a normalizing announcement of his wedding in @nytimesvows, and to publish said announcement with no mention that he’s a white nationalist https://t.co/RK35xWK7V5 pic.twitter.com/N95UyNhSYq — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) February 17, 2020
Comedians had a field day.
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee seized upon the news of the wedding to launch a registry in their honor.
“Stephen Miller has made it his life’s mission to strip all compassion and understanding from US immigration policy,” it reads.
“As a thank you, we at Full Frontal want to get him a wedding present that we know he’ll hate.” Included is a wishlist of items from charities who help asylum seekers and migrants such as mittens, underwear and socks.
Critics pulled no punches.
He's our Joseph Goebbels.
Will she be our Magda Goebbels?
Who is Katie Waldman? Four facts about Stephen Miller's wife after pair's wedding at Trump Hotel https://t.co/WtWLcSxlBm — Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) February 17, 2020
Katie Waldman and Stephen Miller Wed at Trump Hotel - when you marry the architect of cruelty, the banality of evil, the chief racist next to the Racist-in-Chief, is your wedding dress made from the tears of traumatized immigrant children? Is it true love? https://t.co/gdyqN86hGg — Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) February 17, 2020
Even the political symbolism of the wedding singer came under scrutiny.
Stephen Miller had an Elvis impersonator at his wedding in an homage to another man who stomped on POC to build a career. pic.twitter.com/yQ7IiDVTip — nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) February 17, 2020
Though the bride herself did not seem put off.
The most perfect day, the most perfect man surrounded with more love than we both could have ever dreamed.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Miller
2.16.20 pic.twitter.com/hMu6joPbN3 — Katie Rose Miller (@katiewaldman) February 17, 2020
The truth is that US immigration policy is no laughing matter.
Over two-thirds of migrants fleeing Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador suffered the murder, kidnapping or disappearance of a loved one before leaving, according to Doctors Without Borders.
Dozens of migrants have died in Ice custody during the Trump administration. At least 200 migrants deported to El Salvador have been raped, murdered, or tortured.


theguardian--2020-02-18--Sanders takes aim at Bloomberg as Washington state rally draws thousands

Bernie Sanders railed against his fellow Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg during his first 2020 campaign visit to Washington state , as the billionaire continues to rise in the polls despite mounting criticism over his past remarks about women and minorities .
A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published on Tuesday showed Sanders leading in the Democratic primary contest at 31 % support nationally , with Bloomberg surging into second place with 19 % support .
But the two put forward starkly different visions for the future of the Democratic party , and a post-Trump America .
More than 17,000 attendees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a city south of Seattle , on Monday evening to see Sanders , who took aim at Bloomberg ’ s much criticised stop-and-frisk policy during his tenure as New York mayor .
Sanders called the programme “ racist ” and said it “ caused communities of colour , African Americans and Latinos , to live in fear and humiliation in New York City ” .
Speaking about inequality in America , he also called out Bloomberg ’ s wealth ( he is estimated to be one of the 10 richest people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a point of contention for many of his Democratic opponents .
“ We have a corrupt political system which enables billionaires to buy elections , ” he said .
“ So today we say to those billionaires who are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to support candidates who represent the rich and the powerful ; today we say to Mayor Bloomberg : we are a democracy , not an oligarchy.
” Bloomberg has said he will not take political donations and is expected to work for only $ 1 a year if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mogul has also received recent criticism for comments he made four years ago in which he seemingly questioned the intelligence of American factory and farm workers , as well as comments he made in 2013 , in which he compared local members of the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) and New York ’ s teachers union to the gun lobbying group the National Rifle Association ( NRA ) .
According to Politico , a Bloomberg campaign spokesman , Stu Loeser , responded to the comments by saying , “ reference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike said in the heat of the moment that he now regrets.
” Sanders said : “ As a United States senator , I truly appreciate the power of the corporate elites and the 1 % ; they have endless and I mean endless amounts of money .
They own , to a large degree , the media ; they have tremendous control over our economy ; they are very , very powerful .
But at the end of the day , we are the 99 % .
” Sanders ’ extremely positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his chances of winning the Democratic nomination and ultimately beating Donald Trump .
In an unorthodox strategy , Bloomberg skipped the early states , and will instead enter the race on Super Tuesday on 3 March .
In 2016 , Sanders won Washington ’ s Democratic caucuses .
The state has since switched to the primary system and moved up its vote to 10 March .
Sanders has raised over $ 2m in Washington state , the most of any Democratic presidential candidate , according to the Seattle Times , which cited data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Election Commission .
The Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend , Indiana , mayor Pete Buttigieg , were right behind , with about $ 1.6m and $ 1.5m raised respectively .
Trump has brought in over $ 2.7m from the state .
Despite Sanders ’ criticisms of Bloomberg , several of his supporters said they would still vote for the billionaire if he wins the nomination .
“ I would be sorry to turn my back on a president who has manipulated and bought in order to get the position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a passable middle-of-the-road Republican , who also buys and barters for the position instead of turning to the people , ” said Dusty Collings , 68 , a Sanders supporter from Poulsbo , a small city north-west of Seattle .
But when asked during the rally whether she would support Bloomberg if he won the Democratic nomination , she didn ’ t hesitate .
“ I would vote for the Congress of tropical birds to get rid of Trump , ” said Collings , an artist who was a Sanders caucus delegate for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
“ If that ’ s who we nominate , that ’ s who I will vote for.
” Ryan Hull , 20 , said he supports Sanders primarily because of his stance on the environment .
But the sophomore at Clark College , in Vancouver , Washington , who drove about two hours for the rally with his mom and sister , said if Bloomberg wins the nomination , he would ultimately vote for him .
“ He shares enough of the same ideals for me that it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Hull .
But he said he would also just like to see Trump leave the White House , so “ whoever ’ s going to win for the Democrats , that ’ s who I want , ” he said .
However , not everyone at the rally shared that same sentiment .
Leanne Young , 28 , a Seattle resident , called Bloomberg “ basically the Democratic version of Trump ” , and said she would probably not vote for him if he ’ s the nominee because she doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Trump ” .
Bloomberg , who launched his presidential campaign in November , will appear in Wednesday ’ s televised presidential debate in Las Vegas alongside Biden , Sanders , Warren Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar .
Bloomberg ’ s campaign said it was seeing a groundswell of support across the country and that qualifying for Wednesday ’ s debate is the latest sign that Bloomberg ’ s plan is resonating with more Americans .
The primetime event will be a stark departure from Bloomberg ’ s highly choreographed campaign .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television advertising , a way to define himself for voters without facing criticism .
Associated Press contributed to this report

Bernie Sanders railed against his fellow Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg during his first 2020 campaign visit to Washington state, as the billionaire continues to rise in the polls despite mounting criticism over his past remarks about women and minorities.
A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published on Tuesday showed Sanders leading in the Democratic primary contest at 31% support nationally, with Bloomberg surging into second place with 19% support.
But the two put forward starkly different visions for the future of the Democratic party, and a post-Trump America.
More than 17,000 attendees packed into the arena in Tacoma, a city south of Seattle, on Monday evening to see Sanders, who took aim at Bloomberg’s much criticised stop-and-frisk policy during his tenure as New York mayor.
Sanders called the programme “racist” and said it “caused communities of colour, African Americans and Latinos, to live in fear and humiliation in New York City”.
Speaking about inequality in America, he also called out Bloomberg’s wealth (he is estimated to be one of the 10 richest people in the world), which has repeatedly been a point of contention for many of his Democratic opponents.
“We have a corrupt political system which enables billionaires to buy elections,” he said. “So today we say to those billionaires who are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to support candidates who represent the rich and the powerful; today we say to Mayor Bloomberg: we are a democracy, not an oligarchy.”
Bloomberg has said he will not take political donations and is expected to work for only $1 a year if elected to the presidency.
The media mogul has also received recent criticism for comments he made four years ago in which he seemingly questioned the intelligence of American factory and farm workers, as well as comments he made in 2013, in which he compared local members of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and New York’s teachers union to the gun lobbying group the National Rifle Association (NRA).
According to Politico, a Bloomberg campaign spokesman, Stu Loeser, responded to the comments by saying, “reference to the [teachers union] was something Mike said in the heat of the moment that he now regrets.”
Sanders said: “As a United States senator, I truly appreciate the power of the corporate elites and the 1%; they have endless and I mean endless amounts of money. They own, to a large degree, the media; they have tremendous control over our economy; they are very, very powerful. But at the end of the day, we are the 99%.”
Sanders’ extremely positive showings in Iowa and New Hampshire boosted his chances of winning the Democratic nomination and ultimately beating Donald Trump. In an unorthodox strategy, Bloomberg skipped the early states, and will instead enter the race on Super Tuesday on 3 March.
People line up at a campaign rally for Bernie Sanders at the Tacoma Dome. Photograph: Jason Redmond/Reuters
In 2016, Sanders won Washington’s Democratic caucuses. The state has since switched to the primary system and moved up its vote to 10 March.
Sanders has raised over $2m in Washington state, the most of any Democratic presidential candidate, according to the Seattle Times, which cited data through the end of 2019 from the Federal Election Commission. The Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, were right behind, with about $1.6m and $1.5m raised respectively. Trump has brought in over $2.7m from the state.
Despite Sanders’ criticisms of Bloomberg, several of his supporters said they would still vote for the billionaire if he wins the nomination.
“I would be sorry to turn my back on a president who has manipulated and bought in order to get the position to go to somebody who would be a passable middle-of-the-road Republican, who also buys and barters for the position instead of turning to the people,” said Dusty Collings, 68, a Sanders supporter from Poulsbo, a small city north-west of Seattle.
But when asked during the rally whether she would support Bloomberg if he won the Democratic nomination, she didn’t hesitate. “I would vote for the Congress of tropical birds to get rid of Trump,” said Collings, an artist who was a Sanders caucus delegate for Washington state’s Kitsap county in 2016. “If that’s who we nominate, that’s who I will vote for.”
Ryan Hull, 20, said he supports Sanders primarily because of his stance on the environment. But the sophomore at Clark College, in Vancouver, Washington, who drove about two hours for the rally with his mom and sister, said if Bloomberg wins the nomination, he would ultimately vote for him.
“He shares enough of the same ideals for me that it’s not too big of a movement,” said Hull. But he said he would also just like to see Trump leave the White House, so “whoever’s going to win for the Democrats, that’s who I want,” he said.
However, not everyone at the rally shared that same sentiment. Leanne Young, 28, a Seattle resident, called Bloomberg “basically the Democratic version of Trump”, and said she would probably not vote for him if he’s the nominee because she doesn’t “see him being much better than Trump”.
Bloomberg, who launched his presidential campaign in November, will appear in Wednesday’s televised presidential debate in Las Vegas alongside Biden, Sanders, Warren Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Bloomberg’s campaign said it was seeing a groundswell of support across the country and that qualifying for Wednesday’s debate is the latest sign that Bloomberg’s plan is resonating with more Americans.
The primetime event will be a stark departure from Bloomberg’s highly choreographed campaign. He has poured more than $300m into television advertising, a way to define himself for voters without facing criticism.
Associated Press contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-02-18--Mike Bloomberg plunges into new controversy as race comments resurface

Mike Bloomberg has been plunged into fresh controversy over his comments on race and transgender people , as scrutiny intensifies over the presidential candidate ’ s past remarks ahead of his Democratic debate debut .
On Tuesday , a 2011 PBS interview resurfaced in which Bloomberg stated that there was an “ enormous cohort of black and Latino males ” who “ don ’ t know how to behave in the workplace ” .
And separately , a newly uncovered video from March 2019 showed Bloomberg describing trans rights as being about “ some guy wearing a dress and whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to the locker room with their daughter ” .
The comments re-emerged as the multibillionaire media mogul faces questions over his other past remarks on race and women , and as he secured a presence in the televised Democratic debates for the first time .
A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published on Tuesday shows Bloomberg with 19 % support among Democrats for the presidential nomination , enough to join the debate stage alongside other leading contenders in Las Vegas on Wednesday .
In the PBS interview , Bloomberg , who was then mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported a program to boost employment prospects for minorities and lamented that “ blacks and Latinos score terribly in school testing compared to whites and Asians .
If you look at our jails , it ’ s predominantly minorities.
” Bloomberg said some progress had been made but “ nevertheless , there ’ s this enormous cohort of black and Latino males , age , let ’ s say , 16 to 25 , that don ’ t have jobs , don ’ t have any prospects , don ’ t know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what their skillsets are , don ’ t know how to behave in the workplace where they have to work collaboratively and collectively ” .
The former mayor added that crime in New York City takes place in “ minority neighborhoods ” , with victims and perpetrators of crime “ virtually all minorities ” .
In a March 2019 video , first reported by BuzzFeed News , Bloomberg criticized Democrats for focusing on transgender rights , saying it was “ not a winning formula for most people ” .
“ If your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some guy wearing a dress and whether he , she , or it can go to the locker room with their daughter , that ’ s not a winning formula for most people .
They care about healthcare , they care about education , they care about safety , and all of those kinds of things.
” The revelation comes on the same day Bloomberg ’ s campaign released a video touting the former New York mayor ’ s record on LGBTQ issues , BuzzFeed notes .
Bloomberg has achieved solid polling numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to light that have been viewed as highly problematic .
An audio clip of Bloomberg defending his “ stop-and-frisk ” approach to policing in New York from 2015 featured the former mayor attributing 95 % of murders to “ male minorities , 16 to 25 ” .
He added “ You can just take the description , Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops ” .
Bloomberg has previously apologized for the use of stop-and-frisk , saying it was “ overused ” in New York .
His rivals for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders , have accused Bloomberg of being out of step with voters and guilty of attempting to buy the nomination via his vast wealth .
Bloomberg will appear on stage in Wednesday ’ s debate in Las Vegas alongside former vice-president Joe Biden , Sanders , senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend , Indiana , mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Fellow billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is still hoping to qualify .
The Democratic National Committee recently changed its rules for how a candidate qualifies for the debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on stage and drawing the ire of some candidates who dropped out of the race for failing to make prior stages .
The candidates were previously required to receive a certain number of campaign contributions to qualify , but Bloomberg , who is worth an estimated $ 60bn , is not taking donations .
The prime-time event will be a stark departure from Bloomberg ’ s highly choreographed campaign .
He has poured more than $ 300m into television advertising , a way to define himself for voters without facing criticism .
Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his fellow Democrats .
He decided to skip the first four voting states of Iowa , New Hampshire , Nevada and South Carolina in favor of focusing on the 14 states that vote on 3 March and the contests that come afterward .
He rarely mentions his rivals by name , though his campaign is centered on the idea that none of them can beat Donald Trump .
The Associated Press contributed to this report

Mike Bloomberg has been plunged into fresh controversy over his comments on race and transgender people, as scrutiny intensifies over the presidential candidate’s past remarks ahead of his Democratic debate debut.
On Tuesday, a 2011 PBS interview resurfaced in which Bloomberg stated that there was an “enormous cohort of black and Latino males” who “don’t know how to behave in the workplace”. And separately, a newly uncovered video from March 2019 showed Bloomberg describing trans rights as being about “some guy wearing a dress and whether he, she, or it can go to the locker room with their daughter”.
The comments re-emerged as the multibillionaire media mogul faces questions over his other past remarks on race and women, and as he secured a presence in the televised Democratic debates for the first time.
A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published on Tuesday shows Bloomberg with 19% support among Democrats for the presidential nomination, enough to join the debate stage alongside other leading contenders in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
In the PBS interview, Bloomberg, who was then mayor of New York City, said he supported a program to boost employment prospects for minorities and lamented that “blacks and Latinos score terribly in school testing compared to whites and Asians. If you look at our jails, it’s predominantly minorities.”
Bloomberg said some progress had been made but “nevertheless, there’s this enormous cohort of black and Latino males, age, let’s say, 16 to 25, that don’t have jobs, don’t have any prospects, don’t know how to find jobs, don’t know what their skillsets are, don’t know how to behave in the workplace where they have to work collaboratively and collectively”.
The former mayor added that crime in New York City takes place in “minority neighborhoods”, with victims and perpetrators of crime “virtually all minorities”.
In a March 2019 video, first reported by BuzzFeed News, Bloomberg criticized Democrats for focusing on transgender rights, saying it was “not a winning formula for most people”.
“If your conversation during a presidential election is about some guy wearing a dress and whether he, she, or it can go to the locker room with their daughter, that’s not a winning formula for most people. They care about healthcare, they care about education, they care about safety, and all of those kinds of things.”
The revelation comes on the same day Bloomberg’s campaign released a video touting the former New York mayor’s record on LGBTQ issues, BuzzFeed notes.
Bloomberg has achieved solid polling numbers despite several previous interviews and comments coming to light that have been viewed as highly problematic.
An audio clip of Bloomberg defending his “stop-and-frisk” approach to policing in New York from 2015 featured the former mayor attributing 95% of murders to “male minorities, 16 to 25”. He added: “You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops.”
Bloomberg has previously apologized for the use of stop-and-frisk, saying it was “overused” in New York. His rivals for the Democratic nomination, in particular the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, have accused Bloomberg of being out of step with voters and guilty of attempting to buy the nomination via his vast wealth.
Bloomberg will appear on stage in Wednesday’s debate in Las Vegas alongside former vice-president Joe Biden, Sanders, senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar and the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg. Fellow billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is still hoping to qualify.
The Democratic National Committee recently changed its rules for how a candidate qualifies for the debate, opening the door for Bloomberg to be on stage and drawing the ire of some candidates who dropped out of the race for failing to make prior stages.
The candidates were previously required to receive a certain number of campaign contributions to qualify, but Bloomberg, who is worth an estimated $60bn, is not taking donations.
The primetime event will be a stark departure from Bloomberg’s highly choreographed campaign. He has poured more than $300m into television advertising, a way to define himself for voters without facing criticism.
Bloomberg has barely crossed paths on the trail with his fellow Democrats. He decided to skip the first four voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina in favor of focusing on the 14 states that vote on 3 March and the contests that come afterward.
He rarely mentions his rivals by name, though his campaign is centered on the idea that none of them can beat Donald Trump.
The Associated Press contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-02-18--Mike Bloomberg’s election spending spree tells an ugly story | Arwa Mahdawi

Just how much does it cost to buy the US presidency ?
$ 800m ?
A billion ?
A couple of billion ?
It looks as if Michael Bloomberg is trying to find out .
Since entering the race in November , he has spent an unprecedented amount of money trying to win the Democratic nomination .
In less than three months , Bloomberg , who is worth about $ 60bn ( £46bn ) , has spent about $ 320m on TV advertising alone – more than double the amount Tom Steyer , the other billionaire running and the second-biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since January , Bloomberg has spent more on Facebook ads than Joe Biden , Bernie Sanders , Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren combined .
His strategy ( spend , spend , spend and see what sticks ) seems to be paying off .
He has surged to third place in some opinion polls , despite skipping Iowa and New Hampshire , and has been racking up endorsements from people including the mayor of Washington DC and the former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson .
It is still early , but he may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the general election .
If these two billionaires end up battling it out for the presidency , I am not sure it matters who wins in November .
Democracy will have lost .
We will have entered a new age of American oligarchy .
A dangerous precedent will have been set .
Money and politics will become even more intertwined .
We might not see a non-billionaire become president again for a very long time .
“ Better Bloomberg than Trump !
” some will protest .
There is a strand of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t matter who beats Trump , or how , just as long as they beat him .
Bloomberg has his flaws , the logic goes , but he is exponentially better than Trump .
Sure , he has spearheaded racist policies such as stop-and-frisk , but he has also spent lots of money tackling gun violence and the climate crisis .
And , unlike the reality TV star ruining the country , Bloomberg has political experience .
Indeed , as a former mayor of New York City ( population 8.5 million ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the job than Buttigieg , the ex-mayor of South Bend , Indiana ( population 102,000 ) .
Whether Bloomberg is a “ better ” billionaire than Trump is not the point .
Democracy is broken if someone can parachute into an election at the last minute and spend unlimited amounts – there are no restrictions on self-financing – transforming themselves into a viable candidate .
Democracy is broken when a billionaire can , as Bernie Sanders put it , attempt to “ buy this election ” .
Some may argue that buying a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as buying an election , particularly as the outsized influence of money in US politics is nothing new .
According to a 2014 study by two political scientists , “ economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy ” , while average people “ have little or no independent influence ” .
Is there much difference between a billionaire self-funding and a candidate raising money from billionaires ?
Yes .
I don ’ t think you can underestimate the optics of Bloomberg ’ s unapologetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on money in politics .
It sends a dispiriting message to an already disillusioned electorate that politics is a swamp where ordinary people are not represented and where influence is bought .
Even if Bloomberg doesn ’ t win the nomination , it seems inevitable that his success so far will pave the way for more billionaires .
Bezos 2024 ?
Zuckerberg 2028 ?
It looks increasingly likely .

Just how much does it cost to buy the US presidency? $800m? A billion? A couple of billion?
It looks as if Michael Bloomberg is trying to find out. Since entering the race in November, he has spent an unprecedented amount of money trying to win the Democratic nomination. In less than three months, Bloomberg, who is worth about $60bn (£46bn), has spent about $320m on TV advertising alone – more than double the amount Tom Steyer, the other billionaire running and the second-biggest spender, has shelled out on ads. Since January, Bloomberg has spent more on Facebook ads than Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren combined.
His strategy (spend, spend, spend and see what sticks) seems to be paying off. He has surged to third place in some opinion polls, despite skipping Iowa and New Hampshire, and has been racking up endorsements from people including the mayor of Washington DC and the former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson. It is still early, but he may be the candidate who faces Donald Trump in the general election.
If these two billionaires end up battling it out for the presidency, I am not sure it matters who wins in November. Democracy will have lost. We will have entered a new age of American oligarchy. A dangerous precedent will have been set. Money and politics will become even more intertwined. We might not see a non-billionaire become president again for a very long time.
“Better Bloomberg than Trump!” some will protest. There is a strand of thinking among many liberals that it doesn’t matter who beats Trump, or how, just as long as they beat him. Bloomberg has his flaws, the logic goes, but he is exponentially better than Trump. Sure, he has spearheaded racist policies such as stop-and-frisk, but he has also spent lots of money tackling gun violence and the climate crisis. And, unlike the reality TV star ruining the country, Bloomberg has political experience. Indeed, as a former mayor of New York City (population 8.5 million), he is far more qualified for the job than Buttigieg, the ex-mayor of South Bend, Indiana (population 102,000).
Whether Bloomberg is a “better” billionaire than Trump is not the point. Democracy is broken if someone can parachute into an election at the last minute and spend unlimited amounts – there are no restrictions on self-financing – transforming themselves into a viable candidate. Democracy is broken when a billionaire can, as Bernie Sanders put it, attempt to “buy this election”.
Some may argue that buying a ton of ads is not the same as buying an election, particularly as the outsized influence of money in US politics is nothing new. According to a 2014 study by two political scientists, “economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy”, while average people “have little or no independent influence”. Is there much difference between a billionaire self-funding and a candidate raising money from billionaires?
Yes. I don’t think you can underestimate the optics of Bloomberg’s unapologetic spending spree. It lifts the veil on money in politics. It sends a dispiriting message to an already disillusioned electorate that politics is a swamp where ordinary people are not represented and where influence is bought. Even if Bloomberg doesn’t win the nomination, it seems inevitable that his success so far will pave the way for more billionaires. Bezos 2024? Zuckerberg 2028? It looks increasingly likely.


theguardian--2020-02-18--Trump falsely declares himself 'the chief law enforcement officer' of the US – video

Donald Trump has falsely claimed he is ‘ the chief law enforcement officer ’ in the US .
The chief @ @ @ @ @ country is actually the attorney general , William Barr .
Barr recently requested that Trump @ @ @ @ @ justice department because it makes it ‘ impossible for me to do my job ’ @

Donald Trump has falsely claimed he is 'the chief law enforcement officer' in the US. The chief law enforcement officer in the country is actually the attorney general, William Barr. Barr recently requested that Trump stop tweeting about about the justice department because it makes it 'impossible for me to do my job'.


theguardian--2020-02-19--Bloomberg set to make debate debut under cloud of controversy - live updates

Tonight ’ s debate will be a test for Mike Bloomberg ’ s strategy of by-passing Iowa and New Hampshire , and only getting his campaign into full stride ahead of his main aim - Super Tuesday on 3 March .
Skipping the opening caucuses and primaries has never worked for a candidate in modern times .
Democratic strategist Brian Brokaw has told Associated Press that for his first debate appearance “ He is going to have a giant target on his back from all sides .
It ’ ll either all come together brilliantly or could fall apart very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high for him.
” There ’ s a question mark over Bloomberg ’ s readiness for the format .
The last time he was on a debate stage was in 2009 , and during his campaigns to be New York City mayor he never faced more than one challenger at a time .
It is likely that the other five candidates will seize on their first opportunity to confront him in person .
And there ’ s been a lot emerging to confront him over during the last few days , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race have been highlighted .
My colleague Adam Gabbatt has gathered together the most explosive quotes here .
They are guaranteed to come up in Las Vegas tonight .
Bloomberg ’ s campaign .
though , are promising to tackle the other contenders head on .
“ I think you ’ re going to see us go toe-to-toe with Bernie Sanders on important issues ” said Bloomberg ’ s senior adviser Tim O ’ Brien , citing questions about Sanders ’ own personal wealth , and his record on criminal justice and gun @ @

20 Feb 2020 01.10 GMT Kari Paul in San Francisco, signing off for the night! Please turn to our separate live blog of tonight’s Democratic debate, headed by politics reporter Maanvi Singh who is on the ground in Las Vegas. Before you go, here are the top stories of the night: The hashtag #AskBloomberg was trending on Twitter throughout the day ahead of tonight’s debate, calling into question the former New York City mayor’s past alleged personal digressions and policy choices.
Former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll announced on Twitter Wednesday that she was fired from her previous job following intense backlash for revealing she was sexually assaulted by Donald Trump in the mid 1990s.
A super PAC has been formed to support Elizabeth Warren.
The Trump administration sided with software firm Oracle in an explosive copyright case against Google, shortly after its co-founder held a fundraiser for Donald Trump.
Nevada Democrats will not say whether the caucus results will be released the day of the elections this week.
Pop group TLC is performing at a Tom Steyer rally on Friday.
Bernie Sanders denies he ever wanted to run against Barack Obama in 2012, despite a previous Atlantic story saying so. That’s all, everyone! Again, follow Maanvi Singh for updates on tonight’s debate.
20 Feb 2020 01.02 GMT Bernie Sanders’ campaign team is now staunchly denying a previous story that said the Senator attempted to challenge Barack Obama for the 2012 Democratic presidential nomination. An earlier report from the Atlantic’s Edward-Isaac Dovere said Sanders was so seriously considering a run in 2012 that he had to be talked out of it by Senator Harry Reid. Reid is now saying he will not comment on the issue but that “Bernie was running for re-election in 2012. He would’ve been a fool to run against Obama and Bernie’s no fool”. Ari Rabin Havt, campaign manager for Sanders, said the conversation never happened, and that it never “crossed his mind to challenge Obama”.
Updated at 01.02 GMT
20 Feb 2020 00.56 GMT Today in unexpected celebrity presidential candidate endorsements: TLC is performing at a Tom Steyer rally this week in Nevada. Yes, that TLC, and yes, that Tom Steyer. The bestselling group known for 1990s hit singles including “Creep”, “Waterfalls”, and “No Scrubs” will perform on Friday ahead of the Nevada caucuses. Despite the 2003 death of one of the three members, Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, the group still performs today, having come out with its most recent album in 2017.
Updated at 00.58 GMT
20 Feb 2020 00.34 GMT Want to know who wins Saturday’s Nevada caucuses? Don’t hold your breath. Democrats in the state have refused to commit to releasing results on the same day as the election following the disaster in Iowa’s caucuses earlier this month. Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee told the Associated Press that in this vote they will take care to emphasize accuracy over speed, so to avoid the struggles faced in Iowa, wherein an app malfunction delayed the results by days. “We’re going to do our best to release results as soon as possible, but our North Star, again, is accuracy,” he said late Tuesday after touring an early voting site in Las Vegas. He said that high turnout, early voting, and other factors could make it more difficult to quickly tally all votes. Like Iowa, Nevada is for the first time reporting three stages of caucus votes rather than only the final vote. The Democratic party in Nevada had previously planned to use the same app used in Iowa to report votes, but abandoned the technology due to its failure in the first state to hold elections this year. It remains to be seen how Nevada’s backup technology will work, and from the sounds of it, it may be slow going.
Updated at 00.42 GMT
20 Feb 2020 00.07 GMT The Trump administration is siding with software company Oracle in an ongoing copyright battle which major implications for tech giants. What has been referred to as “the copyright case of the decade” will determine whether it is possible to copyright the computer code known as an application programming interface, or API, which allows software products to communicate with one another. In a Wednesday filing by the Department of Justice, the Trump administration said the Supreme court should rule in favor of Oracle, which claims that Google violated copyright law by copying 11,500 of the company’s code more than a decade ago. The administration’s support could have major consequences in the case. From the Hill: Google, backed by a broad swath of the tech industry, has argued that software developers and innovators rely on open APIs in order to create products that work together and build on one another. But Oracle, in a case that has bounced through lower courts for more than a decade, has alleged that Google exploitatively stole its code while building Android, which is today the world’s most popular operating system. The Trump administration, including U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco and Joseph Hunt, the assistant attorney general of the DOJ’s Civil Division, argued that “computer programs are copyrightable” and Oracle “holds a valid copyright” over the code in question. The Trump administration filed the brief in favor of Oracle just hours after the company’s executive chairman Larry Ellison hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump at his golf course in California. Oracle employees are planning a walk out in response to their executive’s actions.
19 Feb 2020 23.31 GMT A super PAC has formed to support presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, a noted critic of super PACs. Warren has frequently criticized the influence of big spending in politics, much of which is facilitated by PACS that are allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support a candidate. This PAC, called Persist PAC, filed papers on Tuesday and has already launched a pro-Warren ad in Nevada ahead of the debates there on Wednesday. Warren’s campaign told the Washington Post her position on PACs has still not changed. “Since day one of this campaign, she has made clear that she thinks all of the candidates should lock arms together and say we don’t want super pacs and billionaires to be deciding our Democratic nominee,” the campaign said.
19 Feb 2020 22.17 GMT Hello readers, Kari Paul in San Francisco here, taking over the blog from the West Coast. Stay tuned for more updates soon.


theguardian--2020-02-19--'Gloves will be off': Nevada debate could be pivotal for Democrats

The Democratic presidential debate in Nevada will bring together six candidates days before the state ’ s caucuses and could be a make-or-break moment for some campaigns .
Facing off in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening are Senators Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar ; the former vice-president Joe Biden ; the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor , Pete Buttigieg ; and the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg .
The debate comes one week after Sanders won the New Hampshire primary , setting the stage for a primary battle between the Vermont senator and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the heels of a strong performance in the messy Iowa caucuses , Buttigieg came in a close second in New Hampshire , where Klobuchar ’ s unexpected surge won her third place , and Warren and Biden both experienced disappointing results .
The February results make Saturday ’ s Nevada caucus a high-stakes race for many of the candidates , and the debate is providing the final opportunity for them to make their pitch on national TV .
“ The pressure is building here and the gloves are going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political science professor at Truckee Meadows community college in Reno .
Sanders is likely to become a target of many of the candidates given his frontrunner status , similar to the way Biden was a magnet for criticism in the early debates last year , Lokken predicted .
Centrist candidates such as Buttigieg , Klobuchar and Biden are expected to make the pitch to Nevada voters that they are the best “ mainstream alternative ” , said Eric Herzik , political science professor at the University of Nevada , Reno .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting , because this is how the media is covering it.
” Klobuchar had several breakout moments at the last debate in New Hampshire , including a fierce argument that Buttigieg , as a 38-year-old former mayor , lacks the experience to be president .
The strong performance may have played a role in her surprise third-place win days later , and some are looking to see whether she can break through again on the stage in Vegas .
Both centrist candidates from the midwest will need to broaden their coalitions as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly more diverse than Iowa and New Hampshire .
Nevada is nearly 30 % Latino and 10 % black and has become increasingly Democratic in recent years .
The state also has a strong record of supporting women in office , which could factor into the dynamics of the debate and caucuses .
Both US senators in Nevada are women , and the state was the first in the country to have a majority-female legislature .
With the longshot candidate Andrew Yang out of the race , the debate will once again feature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debate is a critical opportunity to rebuild the momentum she has lost after surging in polls last year .
And the gaffe-prone Biden , who is hoping for a rebound in Nevada and South Carolina , is in a particularly precarious position .
The wild card on stage will be Bloomberg , the New York billionaire who entered the race late last year and has been climbing in polls after spending more on TV and online ads than any candidate in US political history .
He will probably also be a target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrutiny of his “ stop-and-frisk ” policing strategy that disproportionately targeted black and Latinos for years .
Bloomberg ’ s campaign also recently attacked Sanders with a new ad , while the senator has increasingly criticized the former mayor on the campaign trail , telling supporters : “ We are a democracy , not an oligarchy.
” This is the first time Bloomberg has qualified for the debate , made possible by the Democratic National Committee ’ s controversial decision to remove the requirement that candidates have a certain number of individual donors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , is not known as a charismatic politician , and the debate will be a test of whether he can attract voters outside of his scripted ads and exorbitant spending .
With fewer candidates than in many previous debates , the event is an opportunity to have more in-depth policy discussions .
Voters in Nevada have rated healthcare as a No 1 concern , Lokken said , adding that he hoped there was a discussion of immigration policy , considering Nevada ’ s large population of undocumented people and Dreamers .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MSNBC , is at the Paris Theater and starts at 6pm local time .

The Democratic presidential debate in Nevada will bring together six candidates days before the state’s caucuses and could be a make-or-break moment for some campaigns.
Facing off in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening are Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar; the former vice-president Joe Biden; the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor, Pete Buttigieg; and the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The debate comes one week after Sanders won the New Hampshire primary, setting the stage for a primary battle between the Vermont senator and the more moderate candidates fighting his momentum. On the heels of a strong performance in the messy Iowa caucuses, Buttigieg came in a close second in New Hampshire, where Klobuchar’s unexpected surge won her third place, and Warren and Biden both experienced disappointing results.
The February results make Saturday’s Nevada caucus a high-stakes race for many of the candidates, and the debate is providing the final opportunity for them to make their pitch on national TV.
“The pressure is building here and the gloves are going to be off,” said Fred Lokken, a political science professor at Truckee Meadows community college in Reno.
Sanders is likely to become a target of many of the candidates given his frontrunner status, similar to the way Biden was a magnet for criticism in the early debates last year, Lokken predicted.
Centrist candidates such as Buttigieg, Klobuchar and Biden are expected to make the pitch to Nevada voters that they are the best “mainstream alternative”, said Eric Herzik, political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. “Style points are really going to start counting, because this is how the media is covering it.”
Klobuchar had several breakout moments at the last debate in New Hampshire, including a fierce argument that Buttigieg, as a 38-year-old former mayor, lacks the experience to be president. The strong performance may have played a role in her surprise third-place win days later, and some are looking to see whether she can break through again on the stage in Vegas. Both centrist candidates from the midwest will need to broaden their coalitions as they head to states like Nevada that are significantly more diverse than Iowa and New Hampshire.
Nevada is nearly 30% Latino and 10% black and has become increasingly Democratic in recent years. The state also has a strong record of supporting women in office, which could factor into the dynamics of the debate and caucuses. Both US senators in Nevada are women, and the state was the first in the country to have a majority-female legislature.
With the longshot candidate Andrew Yang out of the race, the debate will once again feature an all-white lineup.
For Warren, the debate is a critical opportunity to rebuild the momentum she has lost after surging in polls last year. And the gaffe-prone Biden, who is hoping for a rebound in Nevada and South Carolina, is in a particularly precarious position.
The wild card on stage will be Bloomberg, the New York billionaire who entered the race late last year and has been climbing in polls after spending more on TV and online ads than any candidate in US political history. He will probably also be a target at the debate, especially following escalating scrutiny of his “stop-and-frisk” policing strategy that disproportionately targeted black and Latinos for years. Bloomberg’s campaign also recently attacked Sanders with a new ad, while the senator has increasingly criticized the former mayor on the campaign trail, telling supporters: “We are a democracy, not an oligarchy.”
This is the first time Bloomberg has qualified for the debate, made possible by the Democratic National Committee’s controversial decision to remove the requirement that candidates have a certain number of individual donors. Bloomberg, who is self-funding his campaign, is not known as a charismatic politician, and the debate will be a test of whether he can attract voters outside of his scripted ads and exorbitant spending.
With fewer candidates than in many previous debates, the event is an opportunity to have more in-depth policy discussions. Voters in Nevada have rated healthcare as a No 1 concern, Lokken said, adding that he hoped there was a discussion of immigration policy, considering Nevada’s large population of undocumented people and Dreamers.
The debate, hosted by NBC News and MSNBC, is at the Paris Theater and starts at 6pm local time.


theguardian--2020-02-19--Barr reportedly considers quitting as attorney general over Trump tweets

The attorney general , William Barr , has told people close to him he is considering quitting his post , after Donald Trump failed to heed his warning to stop tweeting about justice department cases , administration officials told the Washington Post and Associated Press .
The revelation came days after Barr took a public swipe at the president , saying in a television interview that Trump ’ s tweets about justice department cases and staffers made it “ impossible ” for him to do his job .
The next day , Trump ignored Barr ’ s request and insisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to intervene in criminal cases and sidestep the department ’ s historical independence .
Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he was considering suing those involved in the special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation and opined that his confidant Roger Stone deserved a new trial after being convicted of witness tampering and obstruction .
The president also claimed , falsely , that he was “ the chief law enforcement officer ” of the US .
In fact , as attorney general , Barr is the chief law enforcement officer in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second stint as attorney general , has sought to paint himself as an independent leader who will not bow to political pressure .
But Democrats have repeatedly accused him of acting more like the president ’ s personal attorney than the attorney general .
Barr has proved to be a largely reliable Trump ally and defender of presidential power .
A week ago , after Trump tweeted criticism of federal prosecutors ’ recommendation that Stone should be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison , Barr intervened and reduced the recommendation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to make the change before Trump weighed in was met with skepticism .
Four career prosecutors quit the case as a result ; one of them left the federal government entirely .
Over the weekend , 2,000 former justice department employees signed a letter urging Barr to resign over his handling of the Stone case .
In response , a stream of Trump allies , including Senator Lindsey Graham , a South Carolina Republican , have issued statements expressing their full confidence in the Barr .
But Trump has a low tolerance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his allies and often fires back in kind .
Trump conceded to reporters earlier on Tuesday that he did make Barr ’ s job “ harder ” but said he had “ total confidence ” in his attorney general .
It is unclear whether Barr has made Trump aware that he is considering leaving his post , or how seriously he is considering leaving .

The attorney general, William Barr, has told people close to him he is considering quitting his post, after Donald Trump failed to heed his warning to stop tweeting about justice department cases, administration officials told the Washington Post and Associated Press.
The revelation came days after Barr took a public swipe at the president, saying in a television interview that Trump’s tweets about justice department cases and staffers made it “impossible” for him to do his job. The next day, Trump ignored Barr’s request and insisted that he had the “legal right” to intervene in criminal cases and sidestep the department’s historical independence.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he was considering suing those involved in the special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and opined that his confidant Roger Stone deserved a new trial after being convicted of witness tampering and obstruction.
The president also claimed, falsely, that he was “the chief law enforcement officer” of the US. In fact, as attorney general, Barr is the chief law enforcement officer in the federal government.
Barr, serving his second stint as attorney general, has sought to paint himself as an independent leader who will not bow to political pressure. But Democrats have repeatedly accused him of acting more like the president’s personal attorney than the attorney general. Barr has proved to be a largely reliable Trump ally and defender of presidential power.
A week ago, after Trump tweeted criticism of federal prosecutors’ recommendation that Stone should be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison, Barr intervened and reduced the recommendation. Barr’s claim that he had decided to make the change before Trump weighed in was met with skepticism. Four career prosecutors quit the case as a result; one of them left the federal government entirely.
Over the weekend, 2,000 former justice department employees signed a letter urging Barr to resign over his handling of the Stone case. In response, a stream of Trump allies, including Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, have issued statements expressing their full confidence in the Barr. But Trump has a low tolerance for criticism, especially public criticism, from his allies and often fires back in kind.
Trump conceded to reporters earlier on Tuesday that he did make Barr’s job “harder” but said he had “total confidence” in his attorney general. It is unclear whether Barr has made Trump aware that he is considering leaving his post, or how seriously he is considering leaving.


theguardian--2020-02-19--Inside Trump's Facebook campaign – podcast

Guardian US tech reporter Julia Carrie Wong spent a year analysing Trump ’ s Facebook campaign .
She discusses how @ @ @ @ @ is targeting voters .
And Leah Green reflects on the death of former Love Island @ @ @ @ @ , Donald Trump ’ s campaign spent nearly $ 20m ( £15.4m ) on more @ @ @ @ @ .
Julia Carrie Wong , Guardian US tech reporter , tells Rachel Humphreys about the @ @ @ @ @ investigate the contents of those adverts .
Her analysis , she says , provides new @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign chose to invest in and what makes Trump voters tick – and click @ @ @ @ @ Leah Green reflects on the death of former Love Island presenter Caroline Flack

Presented by Rachel Humphreys with Julia Carrie Wong and Leah Green; produced by Serena Barker-Singh, Courtney Yusuf and Axel Kacoutié; executive producers Nicole Jackson and Phil Maynard

Guardian US tech reporter Julia Carrie Wong spent a year analysing Trump’s Facebook campaign. She discusses how the sophisticated social media machine is targeting voters. And Leah Green reflects on the death of former Love Island presenter Caroline Flack
During 2019, Donald Trump’s campaign spent nearly $20m (£15.4m) on more than 218,000 different Facebook ads. Julia Carrie Wong, Guardian US tech reporter, tells Rachel Humphreys about the database the Guardian built to investigate the contents of those adverts.
Her analysis, she says, provides new insight into what messaging the Trump campaign chose to invest in and what makes Trump voters tick – and click.
And: Guardian journalist Leah Green reflects on the death of former Love Island presenter Caroline Flack.
Archive: Facebook; CBS; Fox News; YouTube; CNN: Twitter; MSNBC; ABC News; NBC News


theguardian--2020-02-19--Trump falsely declares himself 'the chief law enforcement officer' of the US – as it happened

Bernie Sanders ’ campaign will ask for a partial recount of the Iowa caucus results , following state Democratic Party ’ s recanvass .
The recanvass updates reported results , but it doesn ’ t correct math errors .
It appeared to narrow the gap between Sanders and Pete Buttigieg even further .
“ While it is clear that Sen. Sanders won the popular vote in Iowa by 6,000 votes , the recanvass process reduced the State Delegate Equivalent deficit by 97 percent , ” said Sanders ’ adviser Jeff Weaver .
“ We now believe a recount will give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put him over the top by that metric as well .
We want to thank the people of Iowa , our supporters , our volunteers and everyone who made this possible.
” The Iowa Democrats began a recanvass at the request of Sanders and Buttigieg ’ s campaigns .
Although the party awarded Buttigieg the most delegates , the AP has still not declared a winner .
The rollout of the results has been delayed due to issues with reporting and collecting data on election night , and errors in the complex math @ @ @ @ @ @