theguardian--2020-02-14--Pete Buttigieg is Biden without the black friends | Malaika Jabali

While Pete Buttigieg might feel pretty good about effectively tying with Bernie Sanders in Iowa – the votes are still being counted – and landing in second place in New Hampshire , Democrats can count his relative success as a spectacular loss .
The problem with the current Democratic primary system is that it doesn ’ t prove candidates ’ viability in a general election ; it just proves how good they are at winning Iowa and New Hampshire .
Buttigieg is representative of this problem .
Buttigieg ’ s difficulty attracting black Democratic voters – who are important in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is well documented .
A November Quinnipiac poll showed he had essentially zero support from black South Carolina voters .
Since then , that support has grown to 2 % .
Buttigieg ’ s donor base is richer and whiter than the bases of the other Democratic candidates .
And of course there are issues with his treatment of racism and inequality in South Bend , Indiana , where he served as mayor and where racial inequality is more stark than the US on average .
These failures alone don ’ t rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s still time for him to try to gain ground .
But based on his campaign ’ s current engagement levels with black voters it is tough to believe he will catch up .
Reports from Buttigieg ’ s southern campaign trail indicate that black voters haven ’ t really gotten to know him ; he has emphasized the fact that he ’ s an upstart with whom black voters simply aren ’ t familiar .
However , his campaign doesn ’ t seem especially committed to overcoming the problem .
This can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground game .
Although Buttigieg has made some personal stops in South Carolina , he has the fewest field offices there of any Democratic frontrunner , with just four in the state .
( Even Joe Biden , who has longstanding name recognition and doesn ’ t especially need South Carolina field offices , has more . )
None of Buttigieg ’ s offices are in majority black cities , even though the primary importance of South Carolina is to appeal to black Democratic voters .
Instead of tackling this gap head-on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa and New Hampshire .
He had more field offices in Iowa ( 33 ) than in all other states combined ( 28 ) .
Iowa and New Hampshire also happen to be among the five whitest states in the country and wholly unreflective of who actually supports Democrats in general elections .
Black Americans made up 25 % of the Democratic party ’ s 2016 primary voters .
They are a mere 1.7 % of the population in New Hampshire and 4 % in Iowa .
The implied contrast , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with black voters , benefits from strong name recognition from the Obama years , and frequently visits South Carolina , often in the company of the African American congressman Jim Clyburn .
While Biden ’ s political policies have often been terrible for black Americans , he is , on average , their most popular choice .
But Buttigieg straddles the worst of neoliberal worlds .
He appeals to the Democratic party ’ s elite donors – alienating him from some working-class voters – without having done even the minimal and purely performative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any Democratic candidate .
Basically , he ’ s Biden without the black friends .
Most other Democratic candidates have struggled to attract black support and support among voters of color more generally , though Sanders ’ popularity with people of color has markedly improved .
Yet Buttigieg ’ s failures are particularly problematic when you consider the other candidates .
Warren , whose donor base is almost as white and affluent as Buttigieg ’ s , has had multiple roundtables to earn the support of progressive black women organizers , like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over twice the field staff as Buttigieg in South Carolina , including in the vastly majority black city of Orangeburg .
He has also launched a number of tours across historically black colleges and universities , and he has over a dozen field offices in California .
Buttigieg , meanwhile , does not have a single field office in California , according to his campaign website , which grossly hinders his ground game with Latino voters .
His campaign has touted black support where it doesn ’ t exist , including by falsely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Douglass Plan for Black America .
Further , the campaign underplayed how much the plan was buttressed by white endorsers .
Buttigieg ’ s success reveals both the abject uselessness of focusing on early states that don ’ t reflect the Democratic party ’ s diversity and the essential hollowness of his campaign .
Like his political career , it allows him to collect accomplishments without much sense that he is particularly qualified .

While Pete Buttigieg might feel pretty good about effectively tying with Bernie Sanders in Iowa – the votes are still being counted – and landing in second place in New Hampshire, Democrats can count his relative success as a spectacular loss. The problem with the current Democratic primary system is that it doesn’t prove candidates’ viability in a general election; it just proves how good they are at winning Iowa and New Hampshire. Buttigieg is representative of this problem.
Buttigieg’s difficulty attracting black Democratic voters – who are important in March’s Super Tuesday contests – is well documented. A November Quinnipiac poll showed he had essentially zero support from black South Carolina voters. Since then, that support has grown to 2%. Buttigieg’s donor base is richer and whiter than the bases of the other Democratic candidates. And of course there are issues with his treatment of racism and inequality in South Bend, Indiana, where he served as mayor and where racial inequality is more stark than the US on average.
These failures alone don’t rule him out. Hypothetically, there’s still time for him to try to gain ground. But based on his campaign’s current engagement levels with black voters it is tough to believe he will catch up. Reports from Buttigieg’s southern campaign trail indicate that black voters haven’t really gotten to know him; he has emphasized the fact that he’s an upstart with whom black voters simply aren’t familiar. However, his campaign doesn’t seem especially committed to overcoming the problem.
This can be measured, in part, by ground game. Although Buttigieg has made some personal stops in South Carolina, he has the fewest field offices there of any Democratic frontrunner, with just four in the state. (Even Joe Biden, who has longstanding name recognition and doesn’t especially need South Carolina field offices, has more.) None of Buttigieg’s offices are in majority black cities, even though the primary importance of South Carolina is to appeal to black Democratic voters.
Instead of tackling this gap head-on, Buttigieg exorbitantly front-loaded his field presence in Iowa and New Hampshire. He had more field offices in Iowa (33) than in all other states combined (28). Iowa and New Hampshire also happen to be among the five whitest states in the country and wholly unreflective of who actually supports Democrats in general elections. Black Americans made up 25% of the Democratic party’s 2016 primary voters. They are a mere 1.7% of the population in New Hampshire and 4% in Iowa.
The implied contrast, of course, is Biden. Biden polls well with black voters, benefits from strong name recognition from the Obama years, and frequently visits South Carolina, often in the company of the African American congressman Jim Clyburn. While Biden’s political policies have often been terrible for black Americans, he is, on average, their most popular choice.
But Buttigieg straddles the worst of neoliberal worlds. He appeals to the Democratic party’s elite donors – alienating him from some working-class voters – without having done even the minimal and purely performative outreach to people of color expected of any Democratic candidate. Basically, he’s Biden without the black friends.
Buttigieg’s failures are particularly problematic when you consider the other candidates
Most other Democratic candidates have struggled to attract black support and support among voters of color more generally, though Sanders’ popularity with people of color has markedly improved.
Yet Buttigieg’s failures are particularly problematic when you consider the other candidates. Warren, whose donor base is almost as white and affluent as Buttigieg’s, has had multiple roundtables to earn the support of progressive black women organizers, like the Black Womxn For coalition. Sanders has over twice the field staff as Buttigieg in South Carolina, including in the vastly majority black city of Orangeburg. He has also launched a number of tours across historically black colleges and universities, and he has over a dozen field offices in California.
Buttigieg, meanwhile, does not have a single field office in California, according to his campaign website, which grossly hinders his ground game with Latino voters. His campaign has touted black support where it doesn’t exist, including by falsely claiming that certain black leaders had endorsed his Douglass Plan for Black America. Further, the campaign underplayed how much the plan was buttressed by white endorsers.
Buttigieg’s success reveals both the abject uselessness of focusing on early states that don’t reflect the Democratic party’s diversity and the essential hollowness of his campaign. Like his political career, it allows him to collect accomplishments without much sense that he is particularly qualified.


theguardian--2020-02-14--US expresses 'disappointment' in China's response to coronavirus – video

Larry Kudlow , the National Economic Council director , said the US was 'disappointed ' in the response of China @ @ @ @ @ He said it was a concern for the wellbeing of people in China , adding @ @ @ @ @ contained in the US .
The senior White House official called on Beijing to be @ @ @ @ @ of the outbreak amid moves by Chinese authorities to expand 'wartime ' measures to limit @ @ @ @ @ senior US official accuses China of lack of transparency

Larry Kudlow, the National Economic Council director, said the US was 'disappointed' in the response of China to the coronavirus outbreak. He said it was a concern for the wellbeing of people in China, adding that the virus had been contained in the US. The senior White House official called on Beijing to be more transparent over its handling of the outbreak amid moves by Chinese authorities to expand 'wartime' measures to limit its spread


theguardian--2020-02-15--Roger Stone attorneys demand new trial after Trump tweets – live

Bill de Blasio , the New York mayor , has officially endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ said on Friday .
De Blasio himself made a bid for the White House in @ @ @ @ @ just a few weeks .
He will travel with Sanders to Nevada on Sunday ahead @ @ @ @ @ caucuses on 22 February .
“ New Yorkers know all too well the damage caused @ @ @ @ @ xenophobia , bigotry and recklessness , and Bernie is the candidate to take him on @ @ @ @ @ ” the announcement quoted de Blasio as saying .
“ I have called for a @ @ @ @ @ and that ’ s exactly what Senator Sanders has championed for decades.
” In 2016 @ @ @ @ @ Clinton over Sanders , but later said he believes Sanders could have beaten Trump .

Kari Paul in San Francisco (now), Lauren Gambino in Washington (earlier), and Paul Owen (earlier)

15 Feb 2020 01.15 GMT Evening summary Kari Paul here, logging off for the night. Here is the news of the last few hours: The Trump administration has promised to deploy specially trained tactical border patrol units to crack down on sanctuary cities across the US.
Attorneys for Roger Stone demanded a new trial on Friday.
Donald Trump tweeted in memory of the Parkland, Florida massacre that killed 17 people two years ago today.
Bill de Blasio, the New York Mayor, has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president.
14 Feb 2020 23.57 GMT Bill de Blasio, the New York mayor, has officially endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic presidential race, the Sanders campaign said on Friday. De Blasio himself made a bid for the White House in September but dropped out after just a few weeks. He will travel with Sanders to Nevada on Sunday ahead of the state’s caucuses on 22 February. “New Yorkers know all too well the damage caused by Donald Trump’s xenophobia, bigotry and recklessness, and Bernie is the candidate to take him on and take him down,” the announcement quoted de Blasio as saying. “I have called for a bold, progressive agenda, and that’s exactly what Senator Sanders has championed for decades.” In 2016, de Blasio endorsed Hillary Clinton over Sanders, but later said he believes Sanders could have beaten Trump.
Updated at 00.03 GMT
14 Feb 2020 22.54 GMT On Friday, Donald Trump offered condolences on Twitter to commemorate two years since the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 people. ....Today, @FLOTUS and I encourage all Americans to cherish and honor the memory of those we have lost through acts of love and service. We will hold Parkland forever in our hearts. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2020 The president said he met with family members of victims earlier this week. Indeed Trump invited families of those killed to the White House to discuss school safety and developed an online tool to prevent violence. Not all families were invited to the event, however. In a move that has been called “vengeful”, one parent was left out. Fred Guttenberg, the parent of a 14-year-old girl who was killed in the Parkland shooting, was not allowed. He was forced to leave the State of the Union after shouting during the president’s address. “I wish the families well today and I hope that they have a great meeting”, he said. “My issue with the public schedule remains however as it is not accurate and considering this week is two years since this happened, this should have been handled differently by the White House.”
14 Feb 2020 22.35 GMT Attorneys for Roger Stone demanded a new trial on Friday, as the ally of Donald Trump awaits sentencing on charges of witness tampering and lying to Congress. The request comes after Trump sent out tweets on Thursday suggesting the trial was unfair. “Now it looks like the fore person in the jury, in the Roger Stone case, had significant bias,” Trump wrote. “Add that to everything else, and this is not looking good for the ‘Justice’ Department.” Stone was convicted in November of tampering with a witness and obstructing the congressional investigation into whether the Trump campaign orchestrated interference in the 2016 elections. The legal motion could delay sentencing for Stone, which was scheduled for 20 February.
14 Feb 2020 22.14 GMT The Trump administration will soon deploy more aggressive border patrol methods in sanctuary cities, the New York Times reported on Friday. Specially trained tactical units that function as the “SWAT of Border Patrol” will assist local Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (Ice) units to enforce immigration laws, anonymous officials familiar with the secretive mission told the Times. They will begin operating in sanctuary cities around the country, including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, New Orleans, Detroit, and Newark, New Jersey. The deployment of these teams represents an escalation of Donald Trump’s ongoing fight against “sanctuary cities”, localities that decline to prosecute immigrants for deportation and allow them to stay.
14 Feb 2020 22.05 GMT Kari Paul here, your friendly San Francisco tech reporter, hopping on the blog for the next few hours. Stay tuned for more updates.
14 Feb 2020 22.03 GMT Afternoon summary It’s been a steady news day in Washington. To recap: The DOJ declined to pursue criminal charges against Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI.
Attorney general William Barr has assigned an outside prosecutor to scrutinize the criminal case against Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, according to multiple news outlets including the New York Times and CNN.
Trump said he didn’t interfere in the Roger Stone case, but that he had the “legal right” to do so if he wanted to.
Michael Avenatti has been found guilty in the Nike extortion trial.
New polling out of Nevada and South Carolina contained good news for Bernie Sanders, the party’s new frontrunner.
US negotiators have reached a temporary truce with the Taliban to reduce violence in Afghanistan, which they hope will pave the way to a more formal ceasefire.
14 Feb 2020 21.50 GMT The US and the Taliban have agreed to a temporary truce to reduce violation in Afghanistan, a deal that, if successful, could lead to an official cease-fire, the start of peace negotiations with Afghan leaders and, eventually the withdrawal of US troops from the country. According to the Associated Press: The official said the agreement for a seven-day “reduction in violence” is “very specific” and covers the entire country, including Afghan government forces. There were indications a formal announcement could come as early as the weekend. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Taliban had committed to a halt in roadside and suicide bombings as well as rocket attacks. The official said the U.S. would monitor the truce and determine if there were any violations. Read more here.
14 Feb 2020 21.38 GMT Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib joined protests for airline catering workers in Detroit. This is how she began her political career and she vowed not to change. Previous reports said she had been arrested at the protest but in fact she just sat with the workers in solidarity. CORRECTION: Rep. @RashidaTlaib was not processed as an arrest with the other protesting workers, but did participate in solidarity in the civil disobedience, including joining the protesters in the van as officers took them for processing. — Diana Hussein 🇱🇧 (@heyadiana) February 14, 2020
Updated at 23.17 GMT
14 Feb 2020 21.28 GMT Trump is departing Washington for Mar-a-Lago this weekend. But no chopper talk before he leaves. According to a pool report, Trump and Melania Trump boarded Marine One without taking any questions.
14 Feb 2020 21.09 GMT We’ve got some new polling out of South Carolina. According to an ECU poll released today, 28% of likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina favor the Joe Biden, dropping nine percentage points since its last survey, conducted before the Iowa caucuses. Meanwhile, Sanders is closing in on Biden’s lead, at 20% with Steyer dropping to third at 14%. Post-NH South Carolina poll!
Biden 28%
Sanders 20%
Steyer 14%
Buttigieg 8%
Amy Klobuchar 7%
Elizabeth Warren 7%
Biden's lead is down quite a bit. But this is also hardly catastrophic for him.https://t.co/5E3gGTUXbI — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) February 14, 2020 Among likely voters who are African American, Biden leads with 36% compared with Sanders at 20% and Steyer with 17%. But the poll found a significant generational divide among the state’s African American electorate. African American voters who are 55 and older prefer Biden by a wide margin while Sanders holds a narrow lead among African Americans voters younger than 55. The poll suggests that the results of the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary have had an impact. After two dismal showings, Biden’s standing has dropped significantly in South Carolina, where he has staked his political fortunes. Meanwhile, Sanders, Buttigieg and Klobuchar are all enjoying a bump in the state. Still, Buttigieg and Klobuchar register only 4% and 1% support among likely African American voters, a critical constituency in the state and in the Democratic party.
14 Feb 2020 20.35 GMT Well, this is awkward. Steyer and Klobuchar did not know the name of the president of Mexico, in interviews w/ @TelemundoNews
“I forget,” says Steyer.
"Can you tell me his name?"
Klobuchar: “No."
Pete knew. pic.twitter.com/gUBqyxLfUW — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 14, 2020 For the record, the answer is Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or as he is commonly known, AMLO.
Updated at 20.38 GMT
14 Feb 2020 20.34 GMT Also during his remarks Trump understated the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the US. He said there had been 12, when the CDC confirmed a 15th case on Thursday. Trump tells the National Border Patrol Council that the number of US coronavirus cases is "like around 12." The CDC confirmed a 15th case yesterday. He has understated the number almost every time. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 14, 2020 A New York Times report on the White House’s tepid response to the outbreak revealed that public health experts fear Trump’s “extreme fear of germs, disdain for scientific and bureaucratic expertise and suspicion of foreigners could be a dangerous mix, should he wind up overseeing a severe outbreak at home.”
Updated at 20.37 GMT
14 Feb 2020 20.10 GMT At the moment, Trump is addressing the National Border Security Council. He just said that he wanted to build his wall the “old-fashioned way”. “Let’s throw up concrete. Plank!” he said, explaining that he was persuaded that the wall needed to be transparent by stories about drug dealers catapulting 150lbs-200lbs-bags of drugs over the border wall. “Sometimes it would actually hit Border Patrol agents and other people on the other side because you couldn’t see through,” he said. “And as soon as they said that, that’s what got me, I was like, you’re right. You’ve got to be able to see what’s on the other side.” He also said the wall will be too hot to touch in the baking desert sun and suggested that those trying to climb it would need serious athleticism and access to a hose. Trump, wielding photos, says a part of the wall gets "virtually untouchable" in the sun because it's black, "so not only would you have to be a good climber, but you're gonna have to bring a hose with lots of water to water it down...there aren't too many hoses in the area." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 14, 2020
Updated at 20.22 GMT


theguardian--2020-02-14--'Can you post a meme?': Facebook changes ad rules after Bloomberg exploits loophole

Facebook decided on Friday to allow a type of paid political message that had sidestepped many of the social network ’ s rules governing political ads , in a reversal that highlights difficulties tech companies and regulators have in keeping up with the changing nature of paid political messages .
Facebook ’ s policy change comes days after the Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg exploited a loophole to run humorous messages promoting his campaign on the accounts of popular Instagram personalities followed by millions of younger people .
The Bloomberg campaign had paid more than a dozen social media influencers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts , each of which has millions of followers .
The memes showed the 78-year-old candidate , in a tongue-in-cheek awkward fashion , chatting with popular social media influencers like “ Tank Sinatra ” , asking them to help him raise his profile among younger people .
“ Can you post a meme that lets everyone know I ’ m the cool candidate ?
” Bloomberg wrote in one of the exchanges posted by an account called FuckJerry , which has nearly 15 million followers on Instagram .
The candidate then sent a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an orange polo and a zip-up vest .
The Bloomberg posts weren ’ t much more than self-deprecating humor used to sell the candidate ’ s old guy appeal , using a tactic that until now was largely used to sell skin-care products or clothing-subscription services .
But the lack of oversight and clear rules around influencer marketing , not to mention their effectiveness in reaching younger audiences , makes them ripe for misuse .
In fact , Bloomberg ’ s effort skirted many of the rules that tech companies have imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from malicious foreign and domestic interference and misinformation .
Online political ads have been controversial , especially after it was revealed Russia used them in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election .
In response , Facebook has rolled out a number of rules to prevent a repeat of that , though it has declined to factcheck political ads and refuses to ban even blatantly false messages .
“ This is a new kind of activity that simply didn ’ t exist when the rules for internet political communications were last updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Federal Election Commission .
Friday ’ s policy change involves what Facebook calls “ branded content ” , sponsored items posted by ordinary users who are typically paid by companies or organizations .
Advertisers pay the influential users directly to post about their brand .
Facebook doesn ’ t make money directly from such posts and doesn ’ t consider them advertising .
As a result , branded content wasn ’ t governed by Facebook ’ s advertising policies , which require candidates and campaigns to verify their identity with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much they spent running each ad .
Until Friday , Facebook tried to deter campaigns from using such branded content by barring them from using a tool designed to help advertisers run such posts on Facebook and Instagram , which is owned by Facebook .
The rule change now allows campaigns in the US to use this tool , provided they have been authorized by Facebook to run political ads and disclose who paid for the sponsored posts .
Campaigns that avoid using the tool , as Bloomberg had , risk having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from multiple campaigns , we agree that there ’ s a place for branded content in political discussion on our platforms , ” Facebook said in an exclusive statement to the Associated Press .
“ We ’ re allowing US-based political candidates to work with creators to run this content.
” Politicians still will not be required to disclose how much they paid the influencers to run the posts .
And the posts will not appear in Facebook ’ s ad library , which publicly catalogs political ads and allows other campaigns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ type of messages politicians are pushing in the election .
Facebook ’ s new rules will not apply to someone merely creating or sharing a post about a politician without getting paid .
The Bloomberg campaign declined to say how much it paid for the sponsored posts , or if it had more in the works .

Facebook decided on Friday to allow a type of paid political message that had sidestepped many of the social network’s rules governing political ads, in a reversal that highlights difficulties tech companies and regulators have in keeping up with the changing nature of paid political messages.
Facebook’s policy change comes days after the Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg exploited a loophole to run humorous messages promoting his campaign on the accounts of popular Instagram personalities followed by millions of younger people.
The Bloomberg campaign had paid more than a dozen social media influencers to post Bloomberg memes using their Instagram accounts, each of which has millions of followers.
The memes showed the 78-year-old candidate, in a tongue-in-cheek awkward fashion, chatting with popular social media influencers like “Tank Sinatra”, asking them to help him raise his profile among younger people.
“Can you post a meme that lets everyone know I’m the cool candidate?” Bloomberg wrote in one of the exchanges posted by an account called FuckJerry, which has nearly 15 million followers on Instagram. The candidate then sent a photo of him wearing baggy chino shorts, an orange polo and a zip-up vest.
The Bloomberg posts weren’t much more than self-deprecating humor used to sell the candidate’s old guy appeal, using a tactic that until now was largely used to sell skin-care products or clothing-subscription services.
But the lack of oversight and clear rules around influencer marketing, not to mention their effectiveness in reaching younger audiences, makes them ripe for misuse.
In fact, Bloomberg’s effort skirted many of the rules that tech companies have imposed on political ads to safeguard US elections from malicious foreign and domestic interference and misinformation.
Online political ads have been controversial, especially after it was revealed Russia used them in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election. In response, Facebook has rolled out a number of rules to prevent a repeat of that, though it has declined to factcheck political ads and refuses to ban even blatantly false messages.
“This is a new kind of activity that simply didn’t exist when the rules for internet political communications were last updated,” said Commissioner Ellen L Weintraub of the Federal Election Commission.
Friday’s policy change involves what Facebook calls “branded content”, sponsored items posted by ordinary users who are typically paid by companies or organizations. Advertisers pay the influential users directly to post about their brand.
Facebook doesn’t make money directly from such posts and doesn’t consider them advertising. As a result, branded content wasn’t governed by Facebook’s advertising policies, which require candidates and campaigns to verify their identity with a US ID or mailing address and disclose how much they spent running each ad.
Until Friday, Facebook tried to deter campaigns from using such branded content by barring them from using a tool designed to help advertisers run such posts on Facebook and Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.
The rule change now allows campaigns in the US to use this tool, provided they have been authorized by Facebook to run political ads and disclose who paid for the sponsored posts. Campaigns that avoid using the tool, as Bloomberg had, risk having their accounts suspended.
“After hearing from multiple campaigns, we agree that there’s a place for branded content in political discussion on our platforms,” Facebook said in an exclusive statement to the Associated Press. “We’re allowing US-based political candidates to work with creators to run this content.”
Politicians still will not be required to disclose how much they paid the influencers to run the posts. And the posts will not appear in Facebook’s ad library, which publicly catalogs political ads and allows other campaigns, journalists and watchdog groups to view the type of messages politicians are pushing in the election.
Facebook’s new rules will not apply to someone merely creating or sharing a post about a politician without getting paid.
The Bloomberg campaign declined to say how much it paid for the sponsored posts, or if it had more in the works.


theguardian--2020-02-14--Queer activists disrupt Pete Buttigieg event in San Francisco: 'We deserve better'

At the center of San Francisco ’ s National LGBTQ Center for the Arts , two queer activists stood up and disrupted a private fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg after he received a question from the audience about his husband , Chasten .
The packed room quickly booed down the activists , drowning out their pointed questions on Friday with chants of “ Boot-Edge-Edge !
Boot-Edge-Edge !
” as they were escorted out of the building .
“ I respect your activism , but this is a gathering for supporters of our campaign and I just got a question about my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to answer it , ” Buttigieg quipped from stage , drawing strong applause from the crowd .
The activists were part of a group protesting outside the event that reflected a growing disquiet among the LBGTQ+ community when it came to the Buttigieg campaign .
Buttigieg may be the first openly gay candidate to sweep the national stage and perform as well as he has in Iowa and New Hampshire , but more and more young queer voters say they feel he is not representative of them or their experiences .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a gay candidate has made it thus far , but it ’ s hard to enjoy or appreciate when his stances are so middle of the road and speak to a predominantly white , upper class audience , ” Celi Tamayo-Lee , one of the activists escorted out of the fundraiser , said in an interview before the event .
Friday ’ s protesters cited many of the same issues that members of the LGBTQ+ community nationwide say are giving them pause – Buttigieg ’ s unwillingness to support Medicare for All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues with communities of color , his ties to billionaire donors – all issues that are not specific to the LGBTQ+ community but still affect them at certain intersections .
“ We need better , we deserve better , ” Adiel Pollydore , a 26-year-old program director with Student Action who is black and queer , told the Guardian .
“ There ’ s a level of irony that this event costs hundreds of dollars to attend in the Mission , a historically Latinx and immigrant neighborhood .
What does it say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folks that live in the neighborhood where it ’ s being held ?
” Tickets to the fundraiser started at $ 250 .
The Guardian received a ticket from a donor associated with the groups organizing the protests .
“ You ’ re homophobes , that ’ s what you all are , you ’ re homophobes !
” a Buttigieg supporter yelled at the protesters after the event .
“ You interrupted that question , ” the Buttigieg supporter said , walking toward Tamayo-Lee .
“ You ’ re deplorable.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” another protester said , shielding Tamayo-Lee .
“ You ’ re walking up on us , going up on us because we ’ re gay men , ” the supporter responded .
“ You ’ re horrible.
” The group quickly reset after that interaction , chanting , “ Hey Pete !
Come out , we got some things to talk about !
” “ The people who disrupted that fundraiser were all queer people of color , ” Pollydore said .
“ We ’ re allowed to want the gay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and be better for queer communities of color .
There ’ s nothing homophobic about that.
” While Buttigieg has been open about his sexual orientation , with his husband Chasten playing a large role in the campaign , Pollydore felt there was a level of erasure in the way Buttigieg spoke about and presented LGBTQ+ issues .
“ Pete Buttigieg represents a very small percentage of the experiences of queer and trans people in this country , being white and being cisgender and being a man , being someone who is highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We know queer and trans folks of color , especially black queer and trans folks , live at the intersection of so many systems of oppression in this country .
This run for president could have been a really unique opportunity to lift up those experiences and talk about all the different ways we are criminalized and our safety is constantly threatened and we are shut out of institutions on the regular .
But this campaign has not been about that.
” Before the event , the line of Buttigieg supporters wrapped around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chanting and waving signs while people waited .
Some supporters seemed flummoxed by their presence .
“ Queers against Pete ?
” one attendee questioned , reading their signs .
“ We ’ re on the same team , ” someone muttered .
“ What ’ s the point ?
” someone else said .
“ Just vote for your candidate .
Don ’ t tear down the others.
” “ You ’ re coming to San Francisco , the heart of gay activism in America , ” Emily Lee , director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an interview .
“ You need to actually respond to the people of San Francisco who identify as gay or queer .
It ’ s a very fitting place to be asking him these hard questions .
”

At the center of San Francisco’s National LGBTQ Center for the Arts, two queer activists stood up and disrupted a private fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg after he received a question from the audience about his husband, Chasten.
The packed room quickly booed down the activists, drowning out their pointed questions on Friday with chants of “Boot-Edge-Edge! Boot-Edge-Edge!” as they were escorted out of the building.
“I respect your activism, but this is a gathering for supporters of our campaign and I just got a question about my husband and I’m really excited to answer it,” Buttigieg quipped from stage, drawing strong applause from the crowd.
The activists were part of a group protesting outside the event that reflected a growing disquiet among the LBGTQ+ community when it came to the Buttigieg campaign. Buttigieg may be the first openly gay candidate to sweep the national stage and perform as well as he has in Iowa and New Hampshire, but more and more young queer voters say they feel he is not representative of them or their experiences.
“I’m definitely proud of the fact that a gay candidate has made it thus far, but it’s hard to enjoy or appreciate when his stances are so middle of the road and speak to a predominantly white, upper class audience,” Celi Tamayo-Lee, one of the activists escorted out of the fundraiser, said in an interview before the event.
Friday’s protesters cited many of the same issues that members of the LGBTQ+ community nationwide say are giving them pause – Buttigieg’s unwillingness to support Medicare for All, free college for all, his issues with communities of color, his ties to billionaire donors – all issues that are not specific to the LGBTQ+ community but still affect them at certain intersections.
“We need better, we deserve better,” Adiel Pollydore, a 26-year-old program director with Student Action who is black and queer, told the Guardian. “There’s a level of irony that this event costs hundreds of dollars to attend in the Mission, a historically Latinx and immigrant neighborhood. What does it say that this event is not accessible to the folks that live in the neighborhood where it’s being held?”
Tickets to the fundraiser started at $250. The Guardian received a ticket from a donor associated with the groups organizing the protests.
“You’re homophobes, that’s what you all are, you’re homophobes!” a Buttigieg supporter yelled at the protesters after the event.
“We’re all gay!” a protester responded.
“You interrupted that question,” the Buttigieg supporter said, walking toward Tamayo-Lee. “You’re deplorable.”
“Don’t walk up on us,” another protester said, shielding Tamayo-Lee.
“You’re walking up on us, going up on us because we’re gay men,” the supporter responded. “You’re horrible.”
The group quickly reset after that interaction, chanting, “Hey Pete! Come out, we got some things to talk about!”
“The people who disrupted that fundraiser were all queer people of color,” Pollydore said. “We’re allowed to want the gay candidate who is running to do better and be better for queer communities of color. There’s nothing homophobic about that.”
Demonstrators outside the event in San Francisco on Friday. Photograph: Vivian Ho/The Guardian
While Buttigieg has been open about his sexual orientation, with his husband Chasten playing a large role in the campaign, Pollydore felt there was a level of erasure in the way Buttigieg spoke about and presented LGBTQ+ issues.
“Pete Buttigieg represents a very small percentage of the experiences of queer and trans people in this country, being white and being cisgender and being a man, being someone who is highly educated,” Pollydore said. “We know queer and trans folks of color, especially black queer and trans folks, live at the intersection of so many systems of oppression in this country. This run for president could have been a really unique opportunity to lift up those experiences and talk about all the different ways we are criminalized and our safety is constantly threatened and we are shut out of institutions on the regular. But this campaign has not been about that.”
Before the event, the line of Buttigieg supporters wrapped around the block to enter, with protesters chanting and waving signs while people waited. Some supporters seemed flummoxed by their presence. “Queers against Pete?” one attendee questioned, reading their signs.
“We’re on the same team,” someone muttered.
“What’s the point?” someone else said. “Just vote for your candidate. Don’t tear down the others.”
“You’re coming to San Francisco, the heart of gay activism in America,” Emily Lee, director of the San Francisco Rising Action Fund, said in an interview. “You need to actually respond to the people of San Francisco who identify as gay or queer. It’s a very fitting place to be asking him these hard questions.”


theguardian--2020-02-14--Good week/bad week: all the winners and losers in US politics

America ’ s leading socialist won the New Hampshire primary without any of the confusion that surrounded last week ’ s Iowa caucuses ( which still don ’ t have an official winner ) .
On top of that the field of centrists who oppose him continues to fracture – with the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar now jostling for space with the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg , former vice-president Joe Biden and billionaire businessman and former mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg .
If that split endures , Sanders could end up winning the most delegates in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority .
That would usher in a second round in which elected officials and party bigwigs , or “ superdelegates ” – many of whom seem terrified at the prospect of a Sanders win – get to play a role , raising the prospect of a hugely contentious battle at the end of the primary process .
The Minnesota centrist was this week ’ s surprise success story , jumping from single figures in the polls to win nearly 20 % of the vote in New Hampshire and place third .
Whether Klobuchar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and South Carolina is very much up for debate – like Buttigieg , she has negligible support among the minorities whose votes are crucial in those states – but for now she has been thrown an unexpected lifeline .
She ’ ll try to make the most of it with another memorable debate performance in Las Vegas on 19 February .
Voting to acquit Donald Trump in his impeachment trial last week , the moderate Republican senator Susan Collins said : “ I believe that the president has learned from this case ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future ” .
Trump didn ’ t seem to get that memo .
Instead he fired two of the officials who gave evidence against him in his impeachment – plus one guy ’ s twin brother for good measure .
Then he tweeted that the sentence faced by his friend Roger Stone was a “ horrible and unfair … miscarriage of justice ” , after which the justice department reduced its sentence recommendation and the entire prosecution team resigned .
As the controversy over the independence of his department snowballed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a staunch loyalist – told the president Trump to stop tweeting about criminal cases because it was making his job “ impossible ” .
Was this a plan agreed by Barr and Trump in order to take the heat out of the issue or the start of a damaging split with one of the administration ’ s big beasts ?
The jury ’ s out .
On the one hand , the billionaire continued to rise in the polls – he is now third nationally in polling averages – as he continued spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining the Democratic primaries on Super Tuesday ( 3 March ) .
On the other , his record on race came under fierce scrutiny , with Trump tweeting ( and then strangely deleting ) a clip of a 2015 speech in which the former New York mayor defended putting “ all the cops in minority neighbourhoods … because that ’ s where all the crime is ” .
Even before he formally kicked off his campaign , Bloomberg had apologised for his discriminatory stop-and-frisk policy , and was rising in the polls with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue , and was followed by the resurfacing of 2008 comments in which Bloomberg said the crash of that year was caused by banks ending a practice called “ redlining ” which discriminated against lending to minorities .
Rival Elizabeth Warren said his comments meant he was unfit to be the Democratic candidate .
“ I want to be clear , ” she said , “ that crisis would not have been averted if the banks had been able to be bigger racists , and anyone who thinks that should not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer and star of Curb your Enthusiasm came up with a typically witty and intricately plotted gag for the first episode of the show ’ s new season : Larry David buys a Make America Great Again hat to wear as a “ people repellent ” to get him out of unwanted social situations involving his liberal Los Angeles peers .
The hat also works the other way – a biker furious at Larry ’ s dangerous driving instantly forgives him when David puts on the red cap – and it was this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message as “ TOUGH GUYS FOR TRUMP !
” While commentators were quick to accuse the president of not getting the joke , it ’ s more likely that he and his formidable social media guru knew exactly what they were doing – appropriating another piece of pop culture to his ends as he had with Game of Thrones and the Avengers , driving liberals crazy and reducing the joke to the reductive point that fearsome-looking bikers back the president .
Poor David found himself unwittingly enlisted in the Trump 2020 re-election campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic primary race lost his frontrunner status this week , limping in fifth in New Hampshire and rushing straight on to South Carolina , which may end up being his last stand when it votes on 29 February .
Can he hold on to the African American vote that he has always seen as one of his great sources of political strength ?
In between he also has to compete in Nevada , where Sanders is looking increasingly strong .
Biden also found time this week to call a voter “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an incident that did nothing to calm worries about his temperament and acuity .
He claims the line comes from a John Wayne movie , but another one comes to mind about the faltering Biden campaign : “ Mister , you better find yourself another line of work .
This one sure don ’ t fit your pistol .
”

5/5 Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders: frontrunner. Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters
America’s leading socialist won the New Hampshire primary without any of the confusion that surrounded last week’s Iowa caucuses (which still don’t have an official winner). On top of that the field of centrists who oppose him continues to fracture – with the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar now jostling for space with the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, former vice-president Joe Biden and billionaire businessman and former mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg. If that split endures, Sanders could end up winning the most delegates in the Democratic race – although perhaps not a majority. That would usher in a second round in which elected officials and party bigwigs, or “superdelegates” – many of whom seem terrified at the prospect of a Sanders win – get to play a role, raising the prospect of a hugely contentious battle at the end of the primary process.
4/5 Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar: unexpected success. Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP
The Minnesota centrist was this week’s surprise success story, jumping from single figures in the polls to win nearly 20% of the vote in New Hampshire and place third. Whether Klobuchar can keep this momentum rolling into Nevada and South Carolina is very much up for debate – like Buttigieg, she has negligible support among the minorities whose votes are crucial in those states – but for now she has been thrown an unexpected lifeline. She’ll try to make the most of it with another memorable debate performance in Las Vegas on 19 February.
3/5 Donald Trump
Donald Trump: lessons learned? Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters
Voting to acquit Donald Trump in his impeachment trial last week, the moderate Republican senator Susan Collins said: “I believe that the president has learned from this case” and “will be much more cautious in the future”. Trump didn’t seem to get that memo. Instead he fired two of the officials who gave evidence against him in his impeachment – plus one guy’s twin brother for good measure. Then he tweeted that the sentence faced by his friend Roger Stone was a “horrible and unfair … miscarriage of justice”, after which the justice department reduced its sentence recommendation and the entire prosecution team resigned. As the controversy over the independence of his department snowballed, the attorney general, William Barr – a staunch loyalist – told the president Trump to stop tweeting about criminal cases because it was making his job “impossible”. Was this a plan agreed by Barr and Trump in order to take the heat out of the issue or the start of a damaging split with one of the administration’s big beasts? The jury’s out.
2/5 Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg: race controversies. Photograph: Go Nakamura/Reuters
On the one hand, the billionaire continued to rise in the polls – he is now third nationally in polling averages – as he continued spending freely amid palpable media excitement about him joining the Democratic primaries on Super Tuesday (3 March). On the other, his record on race came under fierce scrutiny, with Trump tweeting (and then strangely deleting) a clip of a 2015 speech in which the former New York mayor defended putting “all the cops in minority neighbourhoods … because that’s where all the crime is”. Even before he formally kicked off his campaign, Bloomberg had apologised for his discriminatory stop-and-frisk policy, and was rising in the polls with black voters. But this clip reopened the issue, and was followed by the resurfacing of 2008 comments in which Bloomberg said the crash of that year was caused by banks ending a practice called “redlining” which discriminated against lending to minorities. Rival Elizabeth Warren said his comments meant he was unfit to be the Democratic candidate. “I want to be clear,” she said, “that crisis would not have been averted if the banks had been able to be bigger racists, and anyone who thinks that should not be the leader of our party.”
1/5 Larry David
TOUGH GUYS FOR TRUMP! pic.twitter.com/DbjZjGzLWU — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2020
The writer and star of Curb your Enthusiasm came up with a typically witty and intricately plotted gag for the first episode of the show’s new season: Larry David buys a Make America Great Again hat to wear as a “people repellent” to get him out of unwanted social situations involving his liberal Los Angeles peers. The hat also works the other way – a biker furious at Larry’s dangerous driving instantly forgives him when David puts on the red cap – and it was this clip that Trump tweeted, summarising its message as “TOUGH GUYS FOR TRUMP!” While commentators were quick to accuse the president of not getting the joke, it’s more likely that he and his formidable social media guru knew exactly what they were doing – appropriating another piece of pop culture to his ends as he had with Game of Thrones and the Avengers, driving liberals crazy and reducing the joke to the reductive point that fearsome-looking bikers back the president. Poor David found himself unwittingly enlisted in the Trump 2020 re-election campaign.
0/5 Joe Biden
Joe Biden: not looking good. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters
The man once expected to dominate the Democratic primary race lost his frontrunner status this week, limping in fifth in New Hampshire and rushing straight on to South Carolina, which may end up being his last stand when it votes on 29 February. Can he hold on to the African American vote that he has always seen as one of his great sources of political strength? In between he also has to compete in Nevada, where Sanders is looking increasingly strong. Biden also found time this week to call a voter “a lying, dog-faced pony soldier” – an incident that did nothing to calm worries about his temperament and acuity. He claims the line comes from a John Wayne movie, but another one comes to mind about the faltering Biden campaign: “Mister, you better find yourself another line of work. This one sure don’t fit your pistol.”


theguardian--2020-02-14--Queer activists escorted out of Pete Buttigieg event in San Francisco – video

Queer activists were met with chants of ‘ Boot-Edge-Edge ’ after they disrupted a private fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg in @ @ @ @ @ .
The activists , escorted out of the event , reflected unease among the LBGTQ+ @ @ @ @ @

Queer activists were met with chants of 'Boot-Edge-Edge' after they disrupted a private fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg in San Francisco on Friday evening. The activists, escorted out of the event, reflected unease among the LBGTQ+ community over the Buttigieg campaign


theguardian--2020-02-16--William Barr must quit over Trump-Stone scandal – former justice officials

More than 1,000 former US justice department officials , including some of the top government lawyers in the country , have called on attorney general William Barr to resign in the wake of the Roger Stone scandal .
Some 1,143 alumni of the Department of Justice posted to Medium on Sunday a group letter that tore into Barr for “ doing the president ’ s personal bidding ” in imposing on prosecutors the recommendation of a reduced sentence for Stone , a longtime friend of Donald Trump who was convicted of lying to and obstructing Congress and threatening a witness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officials said , had damaged the reputation of the department for “ integrity and the rule of law ” .
The searing letter is the latest twist in a rapidly spiraling constitutional crisis that began earlier this week when Barr imposed his new sentencing memo , slashing a seven- to nine-year proposed prison term suggested by career prosecutors .
In the fallout , the four prosecutors who had handled the case resigned in disgust .
The letter carries weight because its signatories are exclusively drawn from past DoJ public servants .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by both Republican and Democratic presidents and section chiefs of key elements of the justice department including its antiterrorism unit .
They write that it is unheard of for top leaders of the justice department to overrule line prosecutors in order to give preferential treatment to close associates of the president .
They say that amounts to political interference that is “ anathema to the department ’ s core mission and to its sacred obligation to ensure equal justice under the law ” .
Barr ’ s action amounted to an existential threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say : “ Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics ; they are autocracies.
” Barr tried to squash the perception he had been leaned on by Trump by calling on the president to stop tweeting about criminal prosecutions .
He told ABC News such unrestrained comments were “ making it impossible for me to do my job ” .
But speculation continued to swirl that Barr had kowtowed to the president .
Demoralisation spread rapidly through the DoJ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ordered outside prosecutors to re-examine criminal cases against Trump associates including former national security adviser Michael Flynn .
Despite palpable distress among both serving and former officials , and multiple warnings that Trump and Barr are threatening the very rule of law , the White House has continued to inflame the situation .
Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday claimed the president was a victim of a “ two-tier criminal justice system ” that was actively undermining him and his associates .
Conway used Fox News Sunday to pour fuel on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was that far from making a dangerous intervention in criminal cases involving his friends and perceived enemies , Trump himself is the victim of the politicisation of the justice system .
“ If you ’ re President Trump or people associated with him there ’ s prosecutions that have gone one way , ” Conway said , alluding to the original sentence recommended for Stone which she contrasted with the decision announced by the justice department on Friday to drop charges against former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe .
Directly contradicting her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ vast powers ” , was not engaging in political interference in criminal cases , Conway proceeded to interfere in a criminal case .
She called McCabe a “ serial liar and leaker ” and went on : “ The president thinks that Andy McCabe should have been punished because he lied and lied several times to the investigators.
” McCabe , a deputy to fired FBI director James Comey and a key figure in the Russia investigation , was fired by Trump in March 2018 , two days shy of retirement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have kept a distance between the White House and federal prosecutors since Watergate began when the president slammed the proposed sentence for Stone as “ horrible and very unfair ” .
Hours later , Barr announced that he was imposing a reduced recommended sentence .
Trump then made the constitutionally dubious claim that as president he has the “ legal right ” to stick his finger into any criminal case .
On Saturday he duly re-entered the fray over McCabe , claiming falsely that DoJ inspector general Michael Horowitz recommended the former FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticisms of McCabe to prosecutors but did not recommend dismissal .
On Sunday Marc Short , chief of staff to vice-president Mike Pence , made further contentious comments on CNN ’ s State of the Union .
Like Conway , he claimed without evidence that criminal justice was skewed against the president .
“ The scales of justice aren ’ t balanced any more , ” he said , “ when someone like Roger Stone gets a prosecution that suggests a nine-year jail sentence and candidly someone like Andy McCabe who also lied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here at CNN .
People say , ‘ How is this fair ?
’ and that ’ s the source of the president ’ s frustration.
” The row has also become a major talking point among Democrats vying to take on Trump in November .
Former vice-president Joe Biden told NBC ’ s Meet the Press : “ No one , no one , including Richard Nixon , has weaponised the Department of Justice ” as much as Trump .
The crisis is personal for Biden , given the efforts to coerce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter which led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
Last week it was revealed that Barr has set up a channel to review information gathered in Ukraine by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani relating to the Bidens .
“ To have a thug like Rudy Giuliani reporting to the attorney general – I mean this is , this is almost like a really bad sitcom , ” Biden said .
“ Any self-respecting Republican or Democratic top-flight lawyer would have just resigned by now , in my view .
It ’ s just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond the pale .
”

More than 1,000 former US justice department officials, including some of the top government lawyers in the country, have called on attorney general William Barr to resign in the wake of the Roger Stone scandal.
Some 1,143 alumni of the Department of Justice posted to Medium on Sunday a group letter that tore into Barr for “doing the president’s personal bidding” in imposing on prosecutors the recommendation of a reduced sentence for Stone, a longtime friend of Donald Trump who was convicted of lying to and obstructing Congress and threatening a witness in the Russia investigation.
Barr, the officials said, had damaged the reputation of the department for “integrity and the rule of law”.
The searing letter is the latest twist in a rapidly spiraling constitutional crisis that began earlier this week when Barr imposed his new sentencing memo, slashing a seven- to nine-year proposed prison term suggested by career prosecutors. In the fallout, the four prosecutors who had handled the case resigned in disgust.
The letter carries weight because its signatories are exclusively drawn from past DoJ public servants. Among them are several former US attorneys appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents and section chiefs of key elements of the justice department including its antiterrorism unit.
They write that it is unheard of for top leaders of the justice department to overrule line prosecutors in order to give preferential treatment to close associates of the president. They say that amounts to political interference that is “anathema to the department’s core mission and to its sacred obligation to ensure equal justice under the law”.
Barr’s action amounted to an existential threat to the republic, the former officials say: “Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics; they are autocracies.”
Barr tried to squash the perception he had been leaned on by Trump by calling on the president to stop tweeting about criminal prosecutions. He told ABC News such unrestrained comments were “making it impossible for me to do my job”.
But speculation continued to swirl that Barr had kowtowed to the president. Demoralisation spread rapidly through the DoJ, intensifying when it emerged that Barr has ordered outside prosecutors to re-examine criminal cases against Trump associates including former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The president thinks Andy McCabe should have been punished because he lied and lied several times to the investigators Kellyanne Conway
Despite palpable distress among both serving and former officials, and multiple warnings that Trump and Barr are threatening the very rule of law, the White House has continued to inflame the situation. Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday claimed the president was a victim of a “two-tier criminal justice system” that was actively undermining him and his associates.
Conway used Fox News Sunday to pour fuel on the fire. The truth, she claimed, was that far from making a dangerous intervention in criminal cases involving his friends and perceived enemies, Trump himself is the victim of the politicisation of the justice system.
“If you’re President Trump or people associated with him there’s prosecutions that have gone one way,” Conway said, alluding to the original sentence recommended for Stone which she contrasted with the decision announced by the justice department on Friday to drop charges against former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.
Directly contradicting her own claim that Trump, despite his “vast powers”, was not engaging in political interference in criminal cases, Conway proceeded to interfere in a criminal case. She called McCabe a “serial liar and leaker” and went on: “The president thinks that Andy McCabe should have been punished because he lied and lied several times to the investigators.”
McCabe, a deputy to fired FBI director James Comey and a key figure in the Russia investigation, was fired by Trump in March 2018, two days shy of retirement.
Trump and Barr seen in the White House in November. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
The furore over Trump ignoring protocols that have kept a distance between the White House and federal prosecutors since Watergate began when the president slammed the proposed sentence for Stone as “horrible and very unfair”. Hours later, Barr announced that he was imposing a reduced recommended sentence.
Trump then made the constitutionally dubious claim that as president he has the “legal right” to stick his finger into any criminal case.
On Saturday he duly re-entered the fray over McCabe, claiming falsely that DoJ inspector general Michael Horowitz recommended the former FBI man’s firing. Horowitz referred criticisms of McCabe to prosecutors but did not recommend dismissal.
On Sunday Marc Short, chief of staff to vice-president Mike Pence, made further contentious comments on CNN’s State of the Union. Like Conway, he claimed without evidence that criminal justice was skewed against the president.
“The scales of justice aren’t balanced any more,” he said, “when someone like Roger Stone gets a prosecution that suggests a nine-year jail sentence and candidly someone like Andy McCabe who also lied to federal investigators gets a lucrative contract here at CNN. People say, ‘How is this fair?’ and that’s the source of the president’s frustration.”
The row has also become a major talking point among Democrats vying to take on Trump in November. Former vice-president Joe Biden told NBC’s Meet the Press: “No one, no one, including Richard Nixon, has weaponised the Department of Justice” as much as Trump.
The crisis is personal for Biden, given the efforts to coerce Ukraine into investigating him and his son Hunter which led to Trump’s impeachment. Last week it was revealed that Barr has set up a channel to review information gathered in Ukraine by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani relating to the Bidens.
“To have a thug like Rudy Giuliani reporting to the attorney general – I mean this is, this is almost like a really bad sitcom,” Biden said.
“Any self-respecting Republican or Democratic top-flight lawyer would have just resigned by now, in my view. It’s just the things that are being done are so beyond the pale.”


theguardian--2020-02-16--Mike Pompeo seeks to defund program named after envoy killed in Benghazi

Mike Pompeo rose to prominence during investigations of the deadly attack on a US facility in Benghazi in September 2012 .
Now , as Donald Trump ’ s secretary of state , he is pressing to defund a diplomatic initiative named for the US ambassador who died there .
Foreign Policy reported the move , contained in the 2021 state department budget proposal , to eliminate a $ 5m contribution to the Stevens Initiative .
Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans – Sean Smith , Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods – died after a crowd attacked a US outpost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northern Libya , on 11 September 2012 .
Republicans in Congress investigated aggressively , at one point subjecting Hillary Clinton , secretary of state at the time of the attack and a presidential candidate at the time of the investigations , to an 11-hour grilling before a House committee .
Pompeo , then a Tea party-backed congressman from Kansas , played a prominent role , accusing Clinton of putting “ political expediency and politics ahead of the men and women on the ground ” .
Clinton parried but in the 2016 election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it as a talking point at raucous campaign rallies .
After Trump ’ s victory , Pompeo became CIA director before moving to follow Clinton as America ’ s most senior diplomat .
On Sunday he was in Dakar , Senegal , meeting President Macky Sall .
According to the state department , Stevens was the first US ambassador in 30 years to be killed in the line of duty and the sixth to be killed by militants .
According to its website , the Initiative named after him was “ conceived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family and “ inspired by the meaningful international exchange experiences … Stevens had as a young man ” .
It aims to use technology to facilitate “ life-changing , cross-cultural experiences ” between young people across the world .
The state department has been subject to extensive cuts since Trump took power .
Nonetheless a US official who spoke to Foreign Policy on condition of anonymity said cutting funding for the Stevens Initiative and other cultural programmes , for a proposed total saving of $ 420.7m , ran counter to “ everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Part of the reason his family made the argument in the first place they should name a programme after him is because he was very open in advocating for exchanges with other societies , ” the official said .
State officials told Foreign Policy and the Washington Post the cut set out in the budget proposal did not mean the initiative or similar programmes would definitely lose all funding .
Attempts to cut funding to the Stevens Initiative have been made before .
Congress blocked them .
Mohamed Abdel-Kader , executive director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Policy it had “ enjoyed a great relationship with the state department , the work that we do has a lot of impact with the students we serve and the program has enjoyed bipartisan support from Congress ” .

Mike Pompeo rose to prominence during investigations of the deadly attack on a US facility in Benghazi in September 2012. Now, as Donald Trump’s secretary of state, he is pressing to defund a diplomatic initiative named for the US ambassador who died there.
Foreign Policy reported the move, contained in the 2021 state department budget proposal, to eliminate a $5m contribution to the Stevens Initiative.
Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans – Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods – died after a crowd attacked a US outpost in Benghazi, a port city in northern Libya, on 11 September 2012.
Republicans in Congress investigated aggressively, at one point subjecting Hillary Clinton, secretary of state at the time of the attack and a presidential candidate at the time of the investigations, to an 11-hour grilling before a House committee.
Pompeo, then a Tea party-backed congressman from Kansas, played a prominent role, accusing Clinton of putting “political expediency and politics ahead of the men and women on the ground”.
Clinton parried but in the 2016 election, Trump wielded Benghazi and her supposed culpability for it as a talking point at raucous campaign rallies.
After Trump’s victory, Pompeo became CIA director before moving to follow Clinton as America’s most senior diplomat. On Sunday he was in Dakar, Senegal, meeting President Macky Sall.
According to the state department, Stevens was the first US ambassador in 30 years to be killed in the line of duty and the sixth to be killed by militants.
According to its website, the Initiative named after him was “conceived and developed in close partnership” with his family and “inspired by the meaningful international exchange experiences … Stevens had as a young man”.
It aims to use technology to facilitate “life-changing, cross-cultural experiences” between young people across the world.
The state department has been subject to extensive cuts since Trump took power. Nonetheless a US official who spoke to Foreign Policy on condition of anonymity said cutting funding for the Stevens Initiative and other cultural programmes, for a proposed total saving of $420.7m, ran counter to “everything [Stevens] stood for”.
“Part of the reason his family made the argument in the first place they should name a programme after him is because he was very open in advocating for exchanges with other societies,” the official said.
State officials told Foreign Policy and the Washington Post the cut set out in the budget proposal did not mean the initiative or similar programmes would definitely lose all funding.
Attempts to cut funding to the Stevens Initiative have been made before. Congress blocked them.
Mohamed Abdel-Kader, executive director of the Stevens Initiative, told Foreign Policy it had “enjoyed a great relationship with the state department, the work that we do has a lot of impact with the students we serve and the program has enjoyed bipartisan support from Congress”.


theguardian--2020-02-16--Leading Democrats take aim at Bloomberg as Nevada caucuses loom

A week out from the Nevada caucuses , leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination came out swinging – at each other , but also at Michael Bloomberg .
“ $ 60bn can buy you a lot of advertising , ” former vice-president Joe Biden told NBC ’ s Meet the Press , about the former New York mayor ’ s fortune and massive campaign spending .
Bloomberg is not competing in Nevada but targeting instead the Super Tuesday states which vote on 3 March .
As he has risen in the polls – as Biden has faltered as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing – he has attracted increasing attacks .
This week , Bloomberg has been confronted with past comments about the stop-and-frisk policing policy which many deemed racist , questions over his analysis of the 2008 financial crisis and , on Saturday , a bombshell Washington Post report on his past comments about women and minorities while at the helm of his eponymous company .
Bloomberg reacted to the Post story by releasing testimony from female employees and saying : “ As I ’ ve demonstrated throughout my career , I will always be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Needless to say , the attacks kept coming .
Speaking in Las Vegas on Saturday night , the Vermont senator and New Hampshire winner Bernie Sanders said Bloomberg implemented “ racist policies like stop-and-frisk ” and opposed the minimum wage and higher taxes on the wealthy during the Obama administration .
A spokeswoman said in response Bloomberg raised taxes on the wealthy when he was mayor and “ as president … will raise rates on high-income earners , tax capital income more equitably , close loopholes , and bolster enforcement.
” Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Mayor Bloomberg , with all his money , will not create the kind of excitement and energy we need to have the voter turnout we must have to defeat Donald Trump.
” On Sunday Amy Klobuchar , the Minnesota senator whose third-placed finish in New Hampshire has energised her campaign from the party ’ s centre , used appearances across the political talk shows to criticise Bloomberg for failing to face such questioning from the media .
“ I don ’ t think you should be able to hide behind airways and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN ’ s State of the Union .
“ I ’ m also an advocate for him coming on the debate stage .
I know I ’ m not going to be able to beat him on the airways but I can beat him on the debate stage.
” Bloomberg has not appeared in any debates , his self-funding precluding him under rules set by the Democratic National Committee .
Those rules have been changed , but if Bloomberg does appear he will face concentrated fire .
On NBC , Biden said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about with Michael Bloomberg .
You all are going to start focusing on him like you have on me … the last six months .
You ’ re going to focus on him .
His position on issues relating to the African American community , from stop-and-frisk to the way he talked about Obama .
“ On several issues , like guns , he was a real ally .
He was a real ally .
But if you notice , he wouldn ’ t even endorse Barack in 2008 .
He wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he endorsed Bush .
He endorsed , you know , the Republican before that .
All of a sudden he ’ s his best buddy .
You know … he would not endorse him.
” Bloomberg ran for mayor of New York as a Republican before becoming an independent .
In his run for the Democratic nomination , he is attracting support from the centre of the party including , as the Guardian revealed on Saturday , prominent supporters of Obama .
In commercial breaks on the talk shows , Bloomberg ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ praising the former mayor .
“ You take a look at the stop-and-frisk proposals , ” Biden continued “ … You take a look at what he ’ s done relative to the African American community .
I ’ m anxious to debate Michael on the issues relating to , you know , what we ’ re going to face in Super Tuesday.
” African American voters form a key bloc in the Democratic primary which will come firmly into play in South Carolina , the next state to vote after Nevada .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have begun to make inroads as Biden ’ s backing has declined .
In his NBC interview , the former vice-president claimed “ overwhelming support ” but said : “ You can ’ t take it for granted .
Last time we ran it was basically taken for granted .
I ’ m the only one who has the record and has the background and has the support .
They know me .
They know who I am.
” Biden said he would have “ to do really well ” in South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re just getting to the meat of getting to the number of delegates you need to be able to win this election .
And I ’ m confident we ’ re going to be in good shape.
” Regarding Nevada , Biden took aim at Sanders over attacks by some supporters against female leaders of the Culinary Union , a key source of Democratic votes in a state dominated by the service and hospitality industries , which came out against the senator ’ s Medicare for All healthcare plan .
Sanders issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ He may not be responsible for it but he has some accountability … “ You know me well enough to know if any of my supporters did that , I ’ d disown them .
Flat disown them .
The stuff that was said online , the way they threatened these two women who are leaders in that Culinary Union .
It is outrageous .
“ …I invite anybody to go and take a look , the things they said , the vicious , malicious , misogynistic things they said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say ‘ I disassociate ’ is one thing .
Find out who the hell they are , if any of them work for me .
Fire them .
Find out .
See what ’ s going on .
”

Martin Pengelly in New York and agencies

A week out from the Nevada caucuses, leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination came out swinging – at each other, but also at Michael Bloomberg.
“$60bn can buy you a lot of advertising,” former vice-president Joe Biden told NBC’s Meet the Press, about the former New York mayor’s fortune and massive campaign spending.
“But it can’t erase your record.”
Bloomberg is not competing in Nevada but targeting instead the Super Tuesday states which vote on 3 March. As he has risen in the polls – as Biden has faltered as the standard-bearer of the party’s moderate wing – he has attracted increasing attacks.
This week, Bloomberg has been confronted with past comments about the stop-and-frisk policing policy which many deemed racist, questions over his analysis of the 2008 financial crisis and, on Saturday, a bombshell Washington Post report on his past comments about women and minorities while at the helm of his eponymous company.
Bloomberg reacted to the Post story by releasing testimony from female employees and saying: “As I’ve demonstrated throughout my career, I will always be a champion for women in the workplace.”
Needless to say, the attacks kept coming. Speaking in Las Vegas on Saturday night, the Vermont senator and New Hampshire winner Bernie Sanders said Bloomberg implemented “racist policies like stop-and-frisk” and opposed the minimum wage and higher taxes on the wealthy during the Obama administration.
A spokeswoman said in response Bloomberg raised taxes on the wealthy when he was mayor and “as president … will raise rates on high-income earners, tax capital income more equitably, close loopholes, and bolster enforcement.”
Sanders insisted: “The simple truth is that Mayor Bloomberg, with all his money, will not create the kind of excitement and energy we need to have the voter turnout we must have to defeat Donald Trump.”
On Sunday Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota senator whose third-placed finish in New Hampshire has energised her campaign from the party’s centre, used appearances across the political talk shows to criticise Bloomberg for failing to face such questioning from the media.
“I don’t think you should be able to hide behind airways and huge ad buys,” she told CNN’s State of the Union. “I’m also an advocate for him coming on the debate stage. I know I’m not going to be able to beat him on the airways but I can beat him on the debate stage.”
Bloomberg has not appeared in any debates, his self-funding precluding him under rules set by the Democratic National Committee. Those rules have been changed, but if Bloomberg does appear he will face concentrated fire.
On NBC, Biden said: “There’s a lot to talk about with Michael Bloomberg. You all are going to start focusing on him like you have on me … the last six months. You’re going to focus on him. His position on issues relating to the African American community, from stop-and-frisk to the way he talked about Obama.
“On several issues, like guns, he was a real ally. He was a real ally. But if you notice, he wouldn’t even endorse Barack in 2008. He wouldn’t endorse him. You know, he endorsed Bush. He endorsed, you know, the Republican before that. All of a sudden he’s his best buddy. You know … he would not endorse him.”
Bloomberg ran for mayor of New York as a Republican before becoming an independent. In his run for the Democratic nomination, he is attracting support from the centre of the party including, as the Guardian revealed on Saturday, prominent supporters of Obama.
In commercial breaks on the talk shows, Bloomberg’s campaign aired an ad featuring Obama praising the former mayor.
“You take a look at the stop-and-frisk proposals,” Biden continued “… You take a look at what he’s done relative to the African American community. I’m anxious to debate Michael on the issues relating to, you know, what we’re going to face in Super Tuesday.”
African American voters form a key bloc in the Democratic primary which will come firmly into play in South Carolina, the next state to vote after Nevada. Bloomberg and another billionaire, Tom Steyer, have begun to make inroads as Biden’s backing has declined.
In his NBC interview, the former vice-president claimed “overwhelming support” but said: “You can’t take it for granted. Last time we ran it was basically taken for granted. I’m the only one who has the record and has the background and has the support. They know me. They know who I am.”
Biden said he would have “to do really well” in South Carolina and added: “We’re just getting to the meat of getting to the number of delegates you need to be able to win this election. And I’m confident we’re going to be in good shape.”
Regarding Nevada, Biden took aim at Sanders over attacks by some supporters against female leaders of the Culinary Union, a key source of Democratic votes in a state dominated by the service and hospitality industries, which came out against the senator’s Medicare for All healthcare plan.
Sanders issued a statement condemning the attacks but Biden said: “He may not be responsible for it but he has some accountability …
“You know me well enough to know if any of my supporters did that, I’d disown them. Flat disown them. The stuff that was said online, the way they threatened these two women who are leaders in that Culinary Union. It is outrageous.
“…I invite anybody to go and take a look, the things they said, the vicious, malicious, misogynistic things they said. The threats they put out. And to say ‘I disassociate’ is one thing. Find out who the hell they are, if any of them work for me. Fire them. Find out. See what’s going on.”