talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--Georgia Closes Probe Into Kemp’s Baseless 2018 Claim Of Dem Election Hacking

A memorandum from the Georgia Attorney General ’ s office confirmed this week what many suspected all along .
AG officials said in the memo that they were recommending closing the investigation into sensational 2018 claims by then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp that Democrats had tried to hack Georgia ’ s election system .
The memo said that the investigation had failed to reveal “ any evidence ” supporting a prosecution against the person who appeared to be the target of Kemp ’ s claim .
Kemp made the allegations just days before his gubernatorial election , where he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and while his office was facing scrutiny for election policies that were disproportionately burdensome for minority voters .
After posting a press release to the secretary of state ’ s website the Sunday before the 2018 election announcing that “ the Democratic Party of Georgia is under investigation for possible cyber crimes , ” Kemp aides rebuffed many questions about the allegations .
They referred reporters to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation , which also at the time declined to get into specifics .
But reporting at the time revealed that Kemp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the efforts by a private citizen to flag vulnerabilities he believed he had identified in two of Georgia ’ s election webpages .
The citizen , Richard Wright , notified both lawyers who had been involved in an election security lawsuit against Kemp and a Democratic Party volunteer about his concerns .
Wright ’ s concerns traveled to Kemp ’ s office through both channels the day before Kemp posted the press release announcing the investigation .
In the new memo , which was reported Tuesday by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , the investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ any evidence to support the criminal prosecution of Mr. Wright ” for the specific crimes laid out by memo , which include computer theft , computer trespass , computer invasion of privacy and computer forgery .
The memo said that Wright ’ s claims about vulnerabilities in Georgia ’ s system turned out not to be “ accurate ” in “ scope.
” But the investigators confirmed that a vulnerability did exist on the election webpages about which Wright raised concerns and that they had been fixed by a third party vendor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had identified an “ bad actor ” intrusion , according to the memo , but it was later determined that the intrusions were part of tests ran by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security .
“ These intrusions were unrelated to the vulnerabilities identified by Mr. Wright , ” the memo said .
Even in the face of the new memo , Kemp , who is now governor , doesn ’ t appear to be backing down from his claims .
“ We appreciate the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Attorney General ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intrusion before the November 2018 election , ” Kemp spokeswoman Candice Broce said in a statement .
Kemp ’ s office did not clarify if it was referring to Wright or DHS when citing a “ failed cyber intrusion.
” “ More importantly , we are grateful that the systems put in place by Brian Kemp as Georgia ’ s Secretary of State kept voter data safe and secure , ” Broce ’ s statement also said .
A spokesperson for Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr ( R ) did not respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
TPM was unable to reach Wright or his attorney for comment .
Bruce Brown , one of the attorneys who passed along Wright ’ s claims to Kemp ’ s advisors , told TPM Wednesday that Kemp ’ s 2018 claims of a Democratic hack of the system were an “ absurdity ” and “ completely illegitimate.
” “ The thing that really stinks about the whole thing is that the secretary of state , on the eve of the election , posted the fabricated charge that they were launching an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brown said .

A memorandum from the Georgia Attorney General’s office confirmed this week what many suspected all along.
AG officials said in the memo that they were recommending closing the investigation into sensational 2018 claims by then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp that Democrats had tried to hack Georgia’s election system.
The memo said that the investigation had failed to reveal “any evidence” supporting a prosecution against the person who appeared to be the target of Kemp’s claim.
Kemp made the allegations just days before his gubernatorial election, where he was facing a competitive race against Stacey Abrams, and while his office was facing scrutiny for election policies that were disproportionately burdensome for minority voters.
After posting a press release to the secretary of state’s website the Sunday before the 2018 election announcing that “the Democratic Party of Georgia is under investigation for possible cyber crimes,” Kemp aides rebuffed many questions about the allegations. They referred reporters to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which also at the time declined to get into specifics.
But reporting at the time revealed that Kemp’s claims appeared to refer to the efforts by a private citizen to flag vulnerabilities he believed he had identified in two of Georgia’s election webpages. The citizen, Richard Wright, notified both lawyers who had been involved in an election security lawsuit against Kemp and a Democratic Party volunteer about his concerns. Wright’s concerns traveled to Kemp’s office through both channels the day before Kemp posted the press release announcing the investigation.
In the new memo, which was reported Tuesday by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the investigators said that their probe had not uncovered “any evidence to support the criminal prosecution of Mr. Wright” for the specific crimes laid out by memo, which include computer theft, computer trespass, computer invasion of privacy and computer forgery.
The memo said that Wright’s claims about vulnerabilities in Georgia’s system turned out not to be “accurate” in “scope.” But the investigators confirmed that a vulnerability did exist on the election webpages about which Wright raised concerns and that they had been fixed by a third party vendor.
A separate third party vendor also had identified an “bad actor” intrusion, according to the memo, but it was later determined that the intrusions were part of tests ran by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“These intrusions were unrelated to the vulnerabilities identified by Mr. Wright,” the memo said.
Even in the face of the new memo, Kemp, who is now governor, doesn’t appear to be backing down from his claims.
“We appreciate the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Attorney General’s Office for investigating a failed cyber intrusion before the November 2018 election,” Kemp spokeswoman Candice Broce said in a statement. Kemp’s office did not clarify if it was referring to Wright or DHS when citing a “failed cyber intrusion.”
“More importantly, we are grateful that the systems put in place by Brian Kemp as Georgia’s Secretary of State kept voter data safe and secure,” Broce’s statement also said.
A spokesperson for Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (R) did not respond to TPM’s specific questions about the investigation. TPM was unable to reach Wright or his attorney for comment.
Bruce Brown, one of the attorneys who passed along Wright’s claims to Kemp’s advisors, told TPM Wednesday that Kemp’s 2018 claims of a Democratic hack of the system were an “absurdity” and “completely illegitimate.”
“The thing that really stinks about the whole thing is that the secretary of state, on the eve of the election, posted the fabricated charge that they were launching an investigation into a Democratic hack,” Brown said.
Read the memo below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--Pence Shook Hands With Cadets Just Days Before One Student Was Quarantined

Vice President Mike Pence shook hands with Sarasota Military Academy cadets in Florida several days before one of their classmates was quarantined due to potential contact with COVID-19 .
The now-quarantined student was not at the event .
The academy announced via Facebook on Monday that the cadet and his mother had been quarantined “ as a precautionary measure ” after the mother , who works at Sarasota Doctors Hospital , made contact with one of the two patients in Florida who have tested positive for the coronavirus .
The academy reported that both the student and his mother “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in good health and spirits.
” On the previous Friday , Pence had visited the academy and shook hands with the senior cadets .
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune was the first to report on the student .
When reached by TPM on Tuesday , Pence spokesperson Katie Miller pointed TPM to her Tuesday morning tweet .
“ Can we all take a deep breath ?
@ Mike_Pence did not meet or come into contact at all with this student , ” Miller wrote .
President Donald Trump appointed Pence to lead the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has already led to the deaths of six people in the U.S .
The vice president acknowledged on Monday that there would be “ more cases ” of the virus after the administration had repeatedly downplayed the threat of the deadly illness in a transparent effort to calm the plunging stock market and shield Trump from criticism of his floundering response to the spreading disease .
In fact , public health officials have been ordered to have their statements on COVID-19 screened by Pence before informing the public of any updates on @ @ @

Vice President Mike Pence shook hands with Sarasota Military Academy cadets in Florida several days before one of their classmates was quarantined due to potential contact with COVID-19. The now-quarantined student was not at the event.
The academy announced via Facebook on Monday that the cadet and his mother had been quarantined “as a precautionary measure” after the mother, who works at Sarasota Doctors Hospital, made contact with one of the two patients in Florida who have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The academy reported that both the student and his mother “currently are not showing any symptoms and are in good health and spirits.”
On the previous Friday, Pence had visited the academy and shook hands with the senior cadets.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune was the first to report on the student.
When reached by TPM on Tuesday, Pence spokesperson Katie Miller pointed TPM to her Tuesday morning tweet.
“Can we all take a deep breath? @Mike_Pence did not meet or come into contact at all with this student,” Miller wrote.
President Donald Trump appointed Pence to lead the administration’s response to the coronavirus, which has already led to the deaths of six people in the U.S.
The vice president acknowledged on Monday that there would be “more cases” of the virus after the administration had repeatedly downplayed the threat of the deadly illness in a transparent effort to calm the plunging stock market and shield Trump from criticism of his floundering response to the spreading disease.
In fact, public health officials have been ordered to have their statements on COVID-19 screened by Pence before informing the public of any updates on the outbreak.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki Visibly Stunned By Chris Matthews’ Abrupt Departure

MSNBC correspondent Steve Kornacki was left shocked by now-former colleague Chris Matthews ’ sudden resignation on Monday night .
“ That was a lot to take in just now , I ’ m sure , and I ’ m sure you ’ re still absorbing that and I am too , ” Kornacki said immediately after the commercial break that followed Matthews ’ announcement .
The reporter praised Matthews as “ a giant ” and “ a legend.
” “ It ’ s been an honor for me to work with him , to sit in here on occasion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how much you meant to him and I know how much he meant to you , and I think you ’ re going to miss him and I know I ’ m going to.
” Matthews announced his resignation at the very beginning of his program , “ Hardball , ” on Monday after he was slammed for his belligerent interview with 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) last week on the subject of Michael Bloomberg ’ s alleged misogynistic comments .
Several days after the interview , GQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the sexist remarks Matthews had made to her and other women .
As he was issuing his goodbye , Matthews apologized for making the comments .
“ Compliments on a woman ’ s appearance that some men , including me , might have once incorrectly thought were okay were never okay , ” the host said .
“ Not then and certainly not today , and for making such comments in the past , I ’ m sorry .
”

MSNBC correspondent Steve Kornacki was left shocked by now-former colleague Chris Matthews’ sudden resignation on Monday night.
“That was a lot to take in just now, I’m sure, and I’m sure you’re still absorbing that and I am too,” Kornacki said immediately after the commercial break that followed Matthews’ announcement.
The reporter praised Matthews as “a giant” and “a legend.”
“It’s been an honor for me to work with him, to sit in here on occasion,” Kornacki said. “And I know how much you meant to him and I know how much he meant to you, and I think you’re going to miss him and I know I’m going to.”
Matthews announced his resignation at the very beginning of his program, “Hardball,” on Monday after he was slammed for his belligerent interview with 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) last week on the subject of Michael Bloomberg’s alleged misogynistic comments. Several days after the interview, GQ Magazine writer Laura Bassett wrote a column on the sexist remarks Matthews had made to her and other women.
As he was issuing his goodbye, Matthews apologized for making the comments.
“Compliments on a woman’s appearance that some men, including me, might have once incorrectly thought were okay were never okay,” the host said. “Not then and certainly not today, and for making such comments in the past, I’m sorry.”
Watch Kornaki below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--Trump Mocks Biden For Frequent Verbal Gaffes: ‘So Many Mistakes’

President Donald Trump ridiculed 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Monday night for the former vice president ’ s perpetual verbal slip-ups , saying that they ’ re “ a little scary.
” “ WOW !
Sleepy Joe doesn ’ t know where he is , or what he ’ s doing , ” Trump tweeted with a Fox News video compilation of the gaffes .
“ Honestly , I don ’ t think he even knows what office he ’ s running for !
” Several hours earlier , Trump had made similar jabs at Biden during a campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the moment when the Democrat had referred to Super Tuesday as “ Super Thursday.
” “ Tomorrow , voters in states across the nation will head to the polls for Super Tuesday , not Super Thursday , ” the President said as the crowd laughed .
“ Oh , he said Super Thursday .
You can ’ t do these things.
” Trump also mocked Biden for repeatedly mixing up the states he visits on the campaign trail , such as when he confused Iowa with Ohio , and for his claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been killed by gun violence since 2007 .
“ 150 million !
That means 50 percent of our country , ” Trump exclaimed .
“ That ’ s a big story .
”

President Donald Trump ridiculed 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Monday night for the former vice president’s perpetual verbal slip-ups, saying that they’re “a little scary.”
“WOW! Sleepy Joe doesn’t know where he is, or what he’s doing,” Trump tweeted with a Fox News video compilation of the gaffes. “Honestly, I don’t think he even knows what office he’s running for!”
WOW! Sleepy Joe doesn’t know where he is, or what he’s doing. Honestly, I don’t think he even knows what office he's running for! pic.twitter.com/454v9GFpgF — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2020
Several hours earlier, Trump had made similar jabs at Biden during a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, including the moment when the Democrat had referred to Super Tuesday as “Super Thursday.”
“Tomorrow, voters in states across the nation will head to the polls for Super Tuesday, not Super Thursday,” the President said as the crowd laughed. “Oh, he said Super Thursday. You can’t do these things.”
Trump also mocked Biden for repeatedly mixing up the states he visits on the campaign trail, such as when he confused Iowa with Ohio, and for his claim that “150 million” people had been killed by gun violence since 2007.
“150 million! That means 50 percent of our country,” Trump exclaimed. “That’s a big story.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-03--MSNBC Host Chris Matthews Resigns And Apologizes After String Of Controversies

MSNBC “ Hardball ” host Chris Matthews announced on Monday night that he will be retiring from the network .
“ After conversation with NBC , I decided tonight will be my last ‘ Hardball , ' ” Matthews said at the beginning of the program .
The host explained that younger generations , who are “ improving the work place , ” are “ ready to take the reins.
” “ We ’ re talking here about better standards than what we grew up with , fairer standards , ” Matthews said .
“ A lot of it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other.
” “ Compliments on a woman ’ s appearance that some men , including me , might have once incorrectly thought were okay were never okay , ” he continued .
“ Not then and certainly not today , and for making such comments in the past , I ’ m sorry.
” Matthews ’ apology came several days after GQ Magazine writer Laura Bassett wrote an essay describing how he had made several misogynistic comments to her off-camera minutes before he was going to interview her about Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bassett had written about the experience in a 2017 HuffPost op-ed without providing Matthews ’ name ) .
Her latest essay also laid out many of the other demeaning remarks he had made to women both on and off the air over the years .
The MSNBC host also came under fire last week after he aggressively grilled 2020 candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) for siding with the female Bloomberg LLP employee who alleged that 2020 rival Michael Bloomberg had told her to “ kill it ” when she mentioned she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Matthews include confusing Sen. Tim Scott ( R-SC ) for Jaime Harrison , Sen. Lindsey Graham ’ s ( R-SC ) black Democratic challenger , and likening 2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ ( I-VT ) victory in Nevada to Nazi Germany ’ s takeover of France .

MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews announced on Monday night that he will be retiring from the network.
“After conversation with NBC, I decided tonight will be my last ‘Hardball,'” Matthews said at the beginning of the program.
The host explained that younger generations, who are “improving the work place,” are “ready to take the reins.”
“We’re talking here about better standards than what we grew up with, fairer standards,” Matthews said. “A lot of it has to do with how we talk to each other.”
“Compliments on a woman’s appearance that some men, including me, might have once incorrectly thought were okay were never okay,” he continued. “Not then and certainly not today, and for making such comments in the past, I’m sorry.”
Matthews’ apology came several days after GQ Magazine writer Laura Bassett wrote an essay describing how he had made several misogynistic comments to her off-camera minutes before he was going to interview her about Donald Trump’s history of alleged sexual assault (Bassett had written about the experience in a 2017 HuffPost op-ed without providing Matthews’ name). Her latest essay also laid out many of the other demeaning remarks he had made to women both on and off the air over the years.
The MSNBC host also came under fire last week after he aggressively grilled 2020 candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for siding with the female Bloomberg LLP employee who alleged that 2020 rival Michael Bloomberg had told her to “kill it” when she mentioned she was pregnant.
Other recent eyebrow-raising moments from Matthews include confusing Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) for Jaime Harrison, Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) black Democratic challenger, and likening 2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) victory in Nevada to Nazi Germany’s takeover of France.
Watch Matthews’ announcement below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Race-Resetting Super Tuesday Tees Up A Long Fight For The Democratic Nomination

In politics , timing is everything .
That ’ s what former Vice President Joe Biden seemed to learn Tuesday , when after weeks of failure on the campaign trail , a great few days turned into a tide-changing wave of victories .
Going into Tuesday night , when 14 states and American Samoa picked their preferred Democratic presidential contender , polls suggested Biden was doing well in the South and that Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) was positioned to win everywhere else .
Instead , Biden won Minnesota .
He won Massachusetts , in Sanders ’ backyard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shot at winning Maine , too .
Texas , which previously seemed within Sanders ’ reach , was up in the air .
Even in California , Sanders ’ delegate-rich stronghold , Biden was putting points on the board .
That ’ s on top of a landslide Biden victory in Virginia — where Biden , not Sanders , fueled a turnout record — and strong showings all over the South .
High turnout from African Americans , older voters and suburban districts fueled the charge .
“ The race has crystalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-person race , ” said Joel Benenson , a pollster who worked on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton ’ s presidential campaigns , and who worked this cycle with former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Buttigieg , along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , endorsed Biden Monday night , hours before Tuesday ’ s voting began .
Biden appeared to be riding a wave .
Exit polling showed that voters who decided in the past few days broke roughly two-to-one for Biden against Sanders , even in states in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Joe Biden did not win because of television spending , ” said Sean McElwee , executive director of the progressive polling firm Data for Progress .
“ He did not win because of a ground game .
He didn ’ t win because he had lots of field offices .
He didn ’ t win because his digital ads worked.
” “ He won because of a very strong earned media presence and the endorsements of lots of very high-profile politicians.
” Appearing in front of cheering supporters a few minutes after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s a good night !
And it seems to be getting even better !
” In the weeks leading up to Tuesday and after a split decision in Iowa , Sanders won New Hampshire outright and Nevada in a landslide .
But Biden then trounced Sanders Saturday in South Carolina .
It was possible Biden could have fizzled Tuesday night , paving the way for Sanders ’ nomination .
But his victory in The Palmetto State seemed to signal a change in the tide .
His strong showing Tuesday even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projected to win foretells a much longer fight for the Democratic nomination .
It didn ’ t hurt that Biden and Sanders ’ second-tier competitors , Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg , performed poorly across the board on Super Tuesday .
Warren ’ s campaign suggested it would keep chugging along ; Bloomberg will reportedly reassess .
“ I think the most worrying thing if you ’ re Sanders is Biden ’ s performance in states like Maine , Massachusetts , Minnesota , ” McElwee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s creating a pretty broad coalition this cycle.
” Benenson concurred , “ You ’ re seeing some surprises in Bernie Sanders ’ backyard.
” Sanders , once the lone frontrunner in a crowded Democratic field , now faces essentially a head-to-head match with the popular former vice president .
And , McElwee noted , Biden still stands to win big in soon-to-vote states like Mississippi , Georgia , Louisiana , and elsewhere around the country .
Sanders , determined as always , emphasized the long game to his supporters Tuesday night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ Thirty-one years ago today , we won the mayoral race in Burlington , Vermont .
And we won that race against all of the odds .
Everybody said it couldn ’ t be done .
And when we began this race for the presidency , everybody said it couldn ’ t be done .
Tonight , I tell you with absolutely confidence , we ’ re going to win the Democratic nomination .
”

In politics, timing is everything.
That’s what former Vice President Joe Biden seemed to learn Tuesday, when after weeks of failure on the campaign trail, a great few days turned into a tide-changing wave of victories.
Going into Tuesday night, when 14 states and American Samoa picked their preferred Democratic presidential contender, polls suggested Biden was doing well in the South and that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was positioned to win everywhere else.
Instead, Biden won Minnesota. He won Massachusetts, in Sanders’ backyard. And at press time, he had a shot at winning Maine, too. Texas, which previously seemed within Sanders’ reach, was up in the air. Even in California, Sanders’ delegate-rich stronghold, Biden was putting points on the board.
That’s on top of a landslide Biden victory in Virginia — where Biden, not Sanders, fueled a turnout record — and strong showings all over the South. High turnout from African Americans, older voters and suburban districts fueled the charge.
“The race has crystalized, after South Carolina, into a two-person race,” said Joel Benenson, a pollster who worked on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns, and who worked this cycle with former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg, along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), endorsed Biden Monday night, hours before Tuesday’s voting began.
Biden appeared to be riding a wave. Exit polling showed that voters who decided in the past few days broke roughly two-to-one for Biden against Sanders, even in states in which Biden had a tiny campaign footprint.
“Joe Biden did not win because of television spending,” said Sean McElwee, executive director of the progressive polling firm Data for Progress. “He did not win because of a ground game. He didn’t win because he had lots of field offices. He didn’t win because his digital ads worked.”
“He won because of a very strong earned media presence and the endorsements of lots of very high-profile politicians.”
Appearing in front of cheering supporters a few minutes after 10 p.m., Biden practically yelled, “It’s a good night! And it seems to be getting even better!”
In the weeks leading up to Tuesday and after a split decision in Iowa, Sanders won New Hampshire outright and Nevada in a landslide. But Biden then trounced Sanders Saturday in South Carolina.
It was possible Biden could have fizzled Tuesday night, paving the way for Sanders’ nomination. But his victory in The Palmetto State seemed to signal a change in the tide.
His strong showing Tuesday even in states where he wasn’t projected to win foretells a much longer fight for the Democratic nomination. It didn’t hurt that Biden and Sanders’ second-tier competitors, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, performed poorly across the board on Super Tuesday. Warren’s campaign suggested it would keep chugging along; Bloomberg will reportedly reassess.
“I think the most worrying thing if you’re Sanders is Biden’s performance in states like Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota,” McElwee said. “This means he’s creating a pretty broad coalition this cycle.”
Benenson concurred, “You’re seeing some surprises in Bernie Sanders’ backyard.”
Sanders, once the lone frontrunner in a crowded Democratic field, now faces essentially a head-to-head match with the popular former vice president. And, McElwee noted, Biden still stands to win big in soon-to-vote states like Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, and elsewhere around the country.
Sanders, determined as always, emphasized the long game to his supporters Tuesday night.
“It’s a funny thing,” he said. “Thirty-one years ago today, we won the mayoral race in Burlington, Vermont. And we won that race against all of the odds. Everybody said it couldn’t be done. And when we began this race for the presidency, everybody said it couldn’t be done. Tonight, I tell you with absolutely confidence, we’re going to win the Democratic nomination.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Early Biden Wins In Delegate-Rich VA and NC Show Strength Of Southern Base

Former Vice President Joe Biden was quickly declared the winner of the two of the most delegate-rich states voting on Super Tuesday , Virginia and North Carolina .
Both victories showed the strength of his candidacy in the South and the strength he ’ d gained from a great week .
The two wins for Biden , some of the earliest states announced out of the 15 “ Super Tuesday ” territories to vote , in large part echo his landslide victory in South Carolina .
In each contest , a large part of the African American voter base backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of older voters , who turned out stronger than their younger , Sanders-supporting counterparts .
When polls closed at 7 p.m. in Virginia , exit surveys immediately indicated the former vice president had won by a lot .
Biden looked likely to pick up a healthy plurality of North Carolina ’ s 110 delegates once the exit polling data was released a half hour later .
“ Not only is Biden doing really well in Northern Virginia , he ’ s doing really well all over the state , ” Kyle Kondik , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ball , the newsletter from the University of Virginia ’ s Center for Politics , told TPM .
“ Really , the only places that Sanders seems to be carrying are some of the college towns.
” In addition to a string of endorsements from candidates who ’ d dropped out of the race — Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke ( D-TX ) all endorsed Biden Monday — Biden scored a tone-setting victory in South Carolina Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina , you have a lot of black voters , but you also have a lot of higher-income suburban voters , and those are the type of votes who really went hard for Biden in South Carolina , ” Sean McElwee , executive director of the progressive think tank Data for Progress , told TPM ahead of Tuesday ’ s results .
Biden carried a range of different demographics in Virginia , aside from Sanders ’ core constituency of younger voters .
Kondik noted that the former vice president carried white voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t manage to do in South Carolina .
“ That probably tells us something good for Biden about some of the other southern states that are not as upscale and not as diverse as Virginia is — Arkansas , Tennessee and Oklahoma , ” Kondik said .
“ The night ’ s off to a real good start for Biden .
”

Former Vice President Joe Biden was quickly declared the winner of the two of the most delegate-rich states voting on Super Tuesday, Virginia and North Carolina. Both victories showed the strength of his candidacy in the South and the strength he’d gained from a great week.
The two wins for Biden, some of the earliest states announced out of the 15 “Super Tuesday” territories to vote, in large part echo his landslide victory in South Carolina. In each contest, a large part of the African American voter base backed Biden in addition to the vast majority of older voters, who turned out stronger than their younger, Sanders-supporting counterparts.
When polls closed at 7 p.m. in Virginia, exit surveys immediately indicated the former vice president had won by a lot. Biden looked likely to pick up a healthy plurality of North Carolina’s 110 delegates once the exit polling data was released a half hour later.
“Not only is Biden doing really well in Northern Virginia, he’s doing really well all over the state,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the newsletter from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told TPM.
“Really, the only places that Sanders seems to be carrying are some of the college towns.”
In addition to a string of endorsements from candidates who’d dropped out of the race — Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) all endorsed Biden Monday — Biden scored a tone-setting victory in South Carolina Saturday.
“Virginia has those similar demographics to South Carolina, you have a lot of black voters, but you also have a lot of higher-income suburban voters, and those are the type of votes who really went hard for Biden in South Carolina,” Sean McElwee, executive director of the progressive think tank Data for Progress, told TPM ahead of Tuesday’s results.
Biden carried a range of different demographics in Virginia, aside from Sanders’ core constituency of younger voters. Kondik noted that the former vice president carried white voters without college degrees, which he didn’t manage to do in South Carolina.
“That probably tells us something good for Biden about some of the other southern states that are not as upscale and not as diverse as Virginia is — Arkansas, Tennessee and Oklahoma,” Kondik said. “The night’s off to a real good start for Biden.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Bloomberg News Staffers Were Relieved When Its Owner Dropped His Campaign

Bloomberg News staffers reportedly felt a sense of relief when the former New York City mayor announced Wednesday morning that he was suspending his presidential campaign .
According to a CNN report Wednesday , tensions flared up within Bloomberg News as its journalists were assigned to cover their boss ’ presidential campaign .
When Bloomberg gained traction in polls , the newsroom began having discussions regarding what its coverage would look like under a Bloomberg presidency .
“ We really do have a firewall with the campaign , ” one journalist at Bloomberg News told CNN .
However , CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to management ’ s rules that prevented investigation into Bloomberg himself and his Democratic rivals .
Multiple Bloomberg News staffers privately told CNN Wednesday that they had no qualms with Bloomberg ’ s campaign suspension announcement .
In a memo to staff Wednesday , Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait wrote that the newsroom will return to its “ normal coverage ” of the presidential race .
“ Now that Mike has said he is leaving the race for President , we will return to our normal coverage of the election ; we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic presidential candidates and President Donald Trump , ” Micklethwait wrote in the memo .
“ We will disclose Mike ’ s financial support for other Democrats — just as we have always done where his financial support for political causes is relevant to our reporting .
”

Bloomberg News staffers reportedly felt a sense of relief when the former New York City mayor announced Wednesday morning that he was suspending his presidential campaign.
According to a CNN report Wednesday, tensions flared up within Bloomberg News as its journalists were assigned to cover their boss’ presidential campaign. When Bloomberg gained traction in polls, the newsroom began having discussions regarding what its coverage would look like under a Bloomberg presidency.
“We really do have a firewall with the campaign,” one journalist at Bloomberg News told CNN.
However, CNN noted that the campaign caused frustration due to management’s rules that prevented investigation into Bloomberg himself and his Democratic rivals.
Multiple Bloomberg News staffers privately told CNN Wednesday that they had no qualms with Bloomberg’s campaign suspension announcement.
In a memo to staff Wednesday, Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait wrote that the newsroom will return to its “normal coverage” of the presidential race.
“Now that Mike has said he is leaving the race for President, we will return to our normal coverage of the election; we will follow exactly the same coverage rules for the Democratic presidential candidates and President Donald Trump,” Micklethwait wrote in the memo. “We will disclose Mike’s financial support for other Democrats — just as we have always done where his financial support for political causes is relevant to our reporting.”
Read CNN report here.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Good Intentions May Have Met Sloppy Execution With Texas’ Primary Night Debacle

That voters in Texas ’ largest county were forced to wait several hours to cast ballots on Tuesday was rightfully derided as unacceptable — and even as an example of voter suppression , given that some of longest lines were in minority neighborhoods .
But what happened in Harris County during its Super Tuesday primary election is more complicated than being just another chapter in Texas ’ long history of restrictive voting policies , though that history certain provides an important context .
Like a similar fiasco in Arizona in the 2016 presidential primary , it appears that at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Houston area was its recent shift to a vote center model — an innovation that is generally praised by voter advocates and has worked well elsewhere in the country .
Under the vote center model , voters can choose from a number of voting centers in the county , regardless of their street address .
Harris County moved to a vote center model in 2019 .
There is still a lot to be learned about what exactly went wrong , but as Rep. Al Green ( D-AL ) , a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it appears a number of factors added up to a “ perfect storm.
” Some of the most troublesome polling places were on college campuses , like Texas Southern University , where voters reported waiting an hour just to get into the building and then another several hours to actually vote .
( Anyone who was in line by 7 p.m. , the time polls officially closed , was allowed to vote , election officials stressed . )
The last person to cast a ballot at TSU reportedly waited seven hours , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours of the next morning .
Tuesday ’ s primary was only the second Harris County election in which voters were casting ballots at vote centers — the first was last November , for local offices , and turnout was much smaller .
Advocates usually praise the vote center model because it lets voters chose where they cast their ballots .
They can vote at any polling place in the county — including near their workplace or their kids ’ school — instead of just at polling place in precinct for their residence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of polling places overall are reduced , as vote centers must be larger and more sophisticated to handle a potentially larger influx of voters who may be voting with different types of ballots depending on their precinct .
The election of Democrat Diane Trautman — who campaigned on moving to a vote center model — as Harris County clerk in 2018 was treated as a victory for voting rights , as she defeated a longtime Republican clerk whose incompetency in election administration inspired memes and a Twitter hashtag .
Mary Moreno , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group that sounded the alarm about Tuesday ’ s lines , said that generally she “ loved ” vote centers , but the set-up on Tuesday needed more polling places and better coordination between the locations .
“ I definitely believe that if vote centers are done correctly , they can be very helpful to voters , ” she said According to her group Texas Organizing Project , the two commission precincts with the most African American and Latino voters had significantly fewer vote centers than the county ’ s two other commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel for the Brennan Center ’ s Democracy Program , said this allocation may have been the result of “ questionable ” judgement about what turn out would be in those areas of Houston on Super Tuesday , and Moreno agreed with the theory that officials underestimated the turnout of certain voters .
A spokesperson for Trautman , who is the county ’ s top election official , did not respond to TPM ’ s inquiry .
Analysis of the early vote in Texas showed that voters of color made up the majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary voting .
There will no doubt be a push for the county to rethink the number of vote centers it will make available for this November ’ s election and where it will put them .
“ We ’ re going to have to take a really hard look at where those voting centers were , ” U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia ( D ) , also of Houston , told TPM , while noting that Harris County was new to the vote center system .
“ So I suspect we will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m going to strongly urge the local elected officials , especially the person in charge , to make sure she fully analyzes it.
” Beyond the switch to voter centers , other factors appear to have contributed to Harris County ’ s long waits .
One such factor may have been a shortage of equipment at the polling places ; dozens of reserve machines were sent to certain polling places with long lines as an emergency measure during the day .
There were reports at some polling places of the machines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Democrats waited for hours to vote on the machines designated for them .
Trautman explained on Twitter Tuesday that she had offered the two parties a plan for them to share primary election infrastructure , but the proposal was rejected by Republicans , who said in their rejection letter the idea would increase “ confusion , ” “ delay ” and “ cost.
” Rep. Green , who stayed at a polling place in Houston until after 1 .m.
, identified other things that went awry there .
He said that at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center shut down automatically and had to be rebooted , perhaps because they were designed to stay on only for Election Day .
Additionally , according to Green , there was an issue for some voters with individualized numbers they were given by staff at polling places to use at voting machines to cast their ballot .
Some voters were given their numbers while they were waiting in line , but apparently the numbers became void after 30 minutes , meaning those who waited longer then that were not able to use them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was a perfect storm of missteps , but I don ’ t in any way hold poll workers for it , because I think they did as best as they could , ” he said .
Zenén Pérez , the advocacy and communications director for Texas Civil Rights Project , said he heard about the issues Green described and said additionally , some polling places ran out of printer paper , further slowing down the process .
He also stressed , that the recent changes to Harris County ’ s system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ willful neglect , ” and that election officials have failed to make improving election administration a priority .
He warned that someone who may have shown up to vote for the first time Tuesday , after groups like his worked hard to mobilize them , may have been so discouraged by the long waits they won ’ t show up in November .
“ People are really losing trust in the electoral process , ” he said .

That voters in Texas’ largest county were forced to wait several hours to cast ballots on Tuesday was rightfully derided as unacceptable — and even as an example of voter suppression, given that some of longest lines were in minority neighborhoods.
But what happened in Harris County during its Super Tuesday primary election is more complicated than being just another chapter in Texas’ long history of restrictive voting policies, though that history certain provides an important context.
Like a similar fiasco in Arizona in the 2016 presidential primary, it appears that at least partially to blame for the long waits in the Houston area was its recent shift to a vote center model — an innovation that is generally praised by voter advocates and has worked well elsewhere in the country.
Under the vote center model, voters can choose from a number of voting centers in the county, regardless of their street address. Harris County moved to a vote center model in 2019.
There is still a lot to be learned about what exactly went wrong, but as Rep. Al Green (D-AL), a U.S. House member from Houston, told TPM, it appears a number of factors added up to a “perfect storm.”
Some of the most troublesome polling places were on college campuses, like Texas Southern University, where voters reported waiting an hour just to get into the building and then another several hours to actually vote. (Anyone who was in line by 7 p.m., the time polls officially closed, was allowed to vote, election officials stressed.) The last person to cast a ballot at TSU reportedly waited seven hours, leaving the vote center in the early hours of the next morning.
The last voter at Texas Southern University has walked out of the voting booth. It took Hervis Rogers nearly 7 hours to vote tonight. #supertuesday2020 pic.twitter.com/kEQ0HgPZHg — ed lavandera (@edlavaCNN) March 4, 2020
A Rocky Rollout Of A Popular Innovation
Tuesday’s primary was only the second Harris County election in which voters were casting ballots at vote centers — the first was last November, for local offices, and turnout was much smaller.
Advocates usually praise the vote center model because it lets voters chose where they cast their ballots. They can vote at any polling place in the county — including near their workplace or their kids’ school — instead of just at polling place in precinct for their residence. The flip side is that the number of polling places overall are reduced, as vote centers must be larger and more sophisticated to handle a potentially larger influx of voters who may be voting with different types of ballots depending on their precinct.
The election of Democrat Diane Trautman — who campaigned on moving to a vote center model — as Harris County clerk in 2018 was treated as a victory for voting rights, as she defeated a longtime Republican clerk whose incompetency in election administration inspired memes and a Twitter hashtag.
Mary Moreno, a spokesperson for a Texas-based voting rights group that sounded the alarm about Tuesday’s lines, said that generally she “loved” vote centers, but the set-up on Tuesday needed more polling places and better coordination between the locations.
“I definitely believe that if vote centers are done correctly, they can be very helpful to voters,” she said
According to her group Texas Organizing Project, the two commission precincts with the most African American and Latino voters had significantly fewer vote centers than the county’s two other commission precincts.
Michael Li, a senior counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, said this allocation may have been the result of “questionable” judgement about what turn out would be in those areas of Houston on Super Tuesday, and Moreno agreed with the theory that officials underestimated the turnout of certain voters.
A spokesperson for Trautman, who is the county’s top election official, did not respond to TPM’s inquiry.
Analysis of the early vote in Texas showed that voters of color made up the majority of this year’s surge in primary voting.
There will no doubt be a push for the county to rethink the number of vote centers it will make available for this November’s election and where it will put them.
“We’re going to have to take a really hard look at where those voting centers were,” U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D), also of Houston, told TPM, while noting that Harris County was new to the vote center system. “So I suspect we will have a lot of lessons to learn and I’m going to strongly urge the local elected officials, especially the person in charge, to make sure she fully analyzes it.”
A ‘Perfect Storm Of Missteps’
Beyond the switch to voter centers, other factors appear to have contributed to Harris County’s long waits. One such factor may have been a shortage of equipment at the polling places; dozens of reserve machines were sent to certain polling places with long lines as an emergency measure during the day.
There were reports at some polling places of the machines designated for Republican voters going relatively unused while Democrats waited for hours to vote on the machines designated for them.
Trautman explained on Twitter Tuesday that she had offered the two parties a plan for them to share primary election infrastructure, but the proposal was rejected by Republicans, who said in their rejection letter the idea would increase “confusion,” “delay” and “cost.”
Correction – there wasn’t an agreement between parties. One party agreed while the other did not. https://t.co/XqXzc3D9J1 — Diane Trautman (@dtrautman) March 4, 2020
Rep. Green, who stayed at a polling place in Houston until after 1 .m., identified other things that went awry there.
He said that at midnight all the machines at the voter center shut down automatically and had to be rebooted, perhaps because they were designed to stay on only for Election Day.
Additionally, according to Green, there was an issue for some voters with individualized numbers they were given by staff at polling places to use at voting machines to cast their ballot. Some voters were given their numbers while they were waiting in line, but apparently the numbers became void after 30 minutes, meaning those who waited longer then that were not able to use them once they got to voting machine.
“It was a perfect storm of missteps, but I don’t in any way hold poll workers for it, because I think they did as best as they could,” he said.
Zenén Pérez, the advocacy and communications director for Texas Civil Rights Project, said he heard about the issues Green described and said additionally, some polling places ran out of printer paper, further slowing down the process.
He also stressed, that the recent changes to Harris County’s system aside, Texas has along history of “willful neglect,” and that election officials have failed to make improving election administration a priority.
He warned that someone who may have shown up to vote for the first time Tuesday, after groups like his worked hard to mobilize them, may have been so discouraged by the long waits they won’t show up in November.
“People are really losing trust in the electoral process,” he said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Chief Justice Puts Schumer On Blast For Making ‘Threatening Statements’

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued a blistering statement Wednesday in response to “ threatening statements ” he accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) of making about the justices earlier in the day .
“ This morning , Senator Schumer spoke at a rally in front of the Supreme Court while a case was being argued inside .
Senator Schumer referred to two Members of the Court by name and said he wanted to tell them that ‘ You have released the whirlwind , and you will pay the price .
You will not know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these awful decisions , ' ” he said .
“ Justices know that criticism comes with the territory , but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate , they are dangerous , ” he continued .
“ All Members of the Court will continue to do their job , without fear or favor , from whatever quarter.
” Schumer spoke as the court heard oral arguments about an abortion regulation case out of Louisiana , and was referring to Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments were a reference to the political price Senate Republicans will pay for putting these justices on the court , and a warning that the justices will unleash a major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision , ” Schumer spokesperson Justin Goodman told TPM .
“ For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing ’ s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said , while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg last week , shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ identical case out of Texas , Whole Woman ’ s Health v. Hellerstedt , and struck it down two years ago for the “ undue burden ” it placed on women seeking abortions .
Now , the composition of the court has changed .
With Justice Anthony Kennedy , the swing vote on Whole Woman ’ s Health , retired and Gorsuch and Kavanaugh on the bench , the Louisiana law will see a courtroom likely much more hostile to abortion rights .
Abortion rights activists say that the Louisiana law , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privileges at nearby hospitals for doctors who perform abortions , is an attempt to defang Roe v. Wade by putting abortion clinics out of service .
While proponents of the law say that the admitting privileges requirement makes women safer , opponents argue that abortion is a safe and rarely surgical procedure that almost never requires subsequent hospitalization .

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued a blistering statement Wednesday in response to “threatening statements” he accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) of making about the justices earlier in the day.
“This morning, Senator Schumer spoke at a rally in front of the Supreme Court while a case was being argued inside. Senator Schumer referred to two Members of the Court by name and said he wanted to tell them that ‘You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,'” he said.
“Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous,” he continued. “All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.”
Schumer spoke as the court heard oral arguments about an abortion regulation case out of Louisiana, and was referring to Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.
“Sen. Schumer’s comments were a reference to the political price Senate Republicans will pay for putting these justices on the court, and a warning that the justices will unleash a major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision,” Schumer spokesperson Justin Goodman told TPM. “For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes.”
The court took up a virtually identical case out of Texas, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, and struck it down two years ago for the “undue burden” it placed on women seeking abortions.
Now, the composition of the court has changed. With Justice Anthony Kennedy, the swing vote on Whole Woman’s Health, retired and Gorsuch and Kavanaugh on the bench, the Louisiana law will see a courtroom likely much more hostile to abortion rights.
Abortion rights activists say that the Louisiana law, which like the Texas one, concerns admitting privileges at nearby hospitals for doctors who perform abortions, is an attempt to defang Roe v. Wade by putting abortion clinics out of service.
While proponents of the law say that the admitting privileges requirement makes women safer, opponents argue that abortion is a safe and rarely surgical procedure that almost never requires subsequent hospitalization.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Two Billionaires Tried To Buy A Presidency. How’d That Go?

Can you believe billboards that mocked President Donald Trump for cheating at golf and eating burnt steak didn ’ t have the 99 percent tripping over itself to vote for Michael Bloomberg ?
The former New York City mayor ( net worth $ 58.4 billion ) and Democratic megadonor Tom Steyer ( net worth $ 1.6 billion ) dropped into the 2020 Democratic primary race in a golden parachute and poured over $ 500 million and $ 250 million into their respective campaigns .
And yet those massive cashflows yielded little beyond a modest bump in the polls ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s case ) .
A disastrous Super Tuesday forced Bloomberg to end his campaign on Wednesday , a little over a week after Steyer took his off life support .
It turns out the 1 percent can ’ t actually spend their way to the White House after all , something even Trump recognizes .
“ Pandering Mini Mike Bloomberg , along with his wacky friend , Tom Steyer , have found out the hard way that you can ’ t buy the election !
” he tweeted .
So what went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starters , it wasn ’ t exactly a great year for billionaires to join the race .
Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) and Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) have been hammering against wealthy people ’ s disproportionate sway over U.S. politics since they launched their bids , and Steyer and Bloomberg ’ s campaigns proved their point perfectly .
“ Running against people like Sanders and Warren didn ’ t make it easy , ” Professor Todd Belt , the director of George Washington University ’ s Political Management program at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told TPM Wednesday .
And their billionaire status still wouldn ’ t have done them any favors even without the two progressive senators in the equation .
“ Americans are skeptical of those who use wealth to buy the election , especially Democrats , ” Belt said .
The Republican party , in contrast , is friendlier to the ultra-wealthy , which is one reason then-candidate Donald Trump didn ’ t face the same problem in 2016 .
Another important factor : Trump ran on an actual platform with his cries for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Trump had very specific policy proposals , ” Belt said .
And that ’ s where Bloomberg and Steyer ran into another wall .
Their primary campaign efforts were about increasing name recognition with massive ad blitzes , but the ads offered little in the way of substance .
That proved to be big issue , particularly for Steyer .
“ He had no electoral or political record to run on , no base of support , ” Michael Gordon , who served as a spokesperson for the Justice Department under former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told TPM .
Sure , Steyer appeared in virtually every single one of the debates to make a case for his ability to connect to voters… but he didn ’ t make that case very well .
“ Money can ’ t buy a personality , ” Gordon said , describing the billionaire as “ wooden.
” Bloomberg had the same problem .
“ When you ’ re a politician , you need to be able to connect with people on a human level , and he failed that test , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg had experience as a mayor and was known for his activism on gun control and climate change .
His ad campaign further raised his profile – but then people got to know him a little too well .
“ Ads can get people to learn about you , but they aren ’ t going to love what they learn , ” Belt said .
Not only did Bloomberg ’ s ads fail to lay out any meaningful policy positions , the rise in prominence they propelled also exposed the depth of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining the race , the former mayor was forced to answer to his racist stop-and-frisk policy ( which he had defended as recently as 2015 while claiming all crime happened in minority neighborhoods ) .
The astonishingly misogynistic comments he ’ d made to and about his female employees at Bloomberg LP came into view .
A 2016 audio tape of him telling a room full of Goldman-Sachs financiers he ’ d “ defend the banks ” as president was published .
With every passing scandal , it became harder and harder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defeat in November .
Two dismal debate performances and one devastating Super Tuesday later , Bloomberg ’ s campaign crumbled and so too did the notion that truckloads of cash alone will carry you to the top of a presidential race .
“ Money is a factor , ” Gordon said .
“ It ’ s not the only factor .
”

Can you believe billboards that mocked President Donald Trump for cheating at golf and eating burnt steak didn’t have the 99 percent tripping over itself to vote for Michael Bloomberg?
The former New York City mayor (net worth $58.4 billion) and Democratic megadonor Tom Steyer (net worth $1.6 billion) dropped into the 2020 Democratic primary race in golden parachutes and poured over $500 million and $250 million into their respective campaigns.
And yet those massive cashflows yielded little beyond a modest bump in the polls (and only in South Carolina, in Steyer’s case). A disastrous Super Tuesday forced Bloomberg to end his campaign on Wednesday, a little over a week after Steyer took his own off life support.
It turns out the 1 percent can’t actually spend their way to the White House after all, something even Trump, a billionaire himself, apparently recognizes.
“Pandering Mini Mike Bloomberg, along with his wacky friend, Tom Steyer, have found out the hard way that you can’t buy the election!” he tweeted.
So what went wrong for Bloomberg and Steyer? For starters, it wasn’t exactly a great year for billionaires to join the race.
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have been hammering against wealthy people’s disproportionate sway over U.S. politics since they launched their bids, and Steyer and Bloomberg’s campaigns proved their point perfectly.
“Running against people like Sanders and Warren didn’t make it easy,” Professor Todd Belt, the director of George Washington University’s Political Management program at the Graduate School of Political Management, told TPM on Wednesday.
And their billionaire status still wouldn’t have done them any favors even without the two progressive senators in the equation.
“Americans are skeptical of those who use wealth to buy the election, especially Democrats,” Belt said.
The Republican party, in contrast, is friendlier to the ultra-wealthy, which is one reason then-candidate Donald Trump didn’t face the same problem in 2016. Another important factor: Trump ran on an actual platform with his cries for a border wall and crackdowns on immigration.
“Trump had very specific policy proposals,” Belt said.
And that’s where Bloomberg and Steyer hit another snag.
Their primary campaign efforts were about increasing name recognition with massive ad blitzes, but the ads offered little in the way of substance. That proved to be a big issue, particularly for Steyer.
“He had no electoral or political record to run on, no base of support,” Michael Gordon, a Democratic strategist who served as a spokesperson for the Justice Department under former President Bill Clinton’s administration, told TPM.
Sure, Steyer appeared in virtually every single one of the debates to make a case for his ability to connect to voters… but he didn’t make that case very well.
“Money can’t buy a personality,” Gordon said, describing the billionaire as “wooden.” Bloomberg had the same problem.
“When you’re a politician, you need to be able to connect with people on a human level, and he failed that test,” the former Clinton official said.
At least Bloomberg had experience as a mayor and was known for his activism on gun control and climate change. His ad campaign further raised his profile – but then people got to know him a little too well.
“Ads can get people to learn about you, but they aren’t going to love what they learn,” Belt said.
Not only did Bloomberg’s ads fail to lay out any meaningful policy positions, the rise in prominence they propelled also exposed the many skeletons in his closet.
Soon after joining the race, the former mayor was forced to answer to his racist stop-and-frisk policy (which he had defended as recently as 2015 while claiming all crime happened in minority neighborhoods). The astonishingly misogynistic comments he’d made to and about his female employees at Bloomberg LP were exposed. A 2016 audio tape of him telling a room full of Goldman-Sachs financiers he’d “defend the banks” as president was published. With every passing scandal, it became harder and harder to distinguish Bloomberg from the man he had vowed to defeat in November.
Two dismal debate performances and one devastating Super Tuesday later, Bloomberg’s campaign crumbled and so too did the notion that truckloads of cash alone will carry you to the highest office in the land.
“Money is a factor,” Gordon said. “It’s not the only factor.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Bernie-Aligned Lawmakers Urge ‘Moving Forward’ From Biden’s Big Night

Some of Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ ( I-VT ) biggest congressional supporters were eager to move on Wednesday , as the Sanders campaign picked itself up from a bruising Super Tuesday contest .
“ This thing is not done , ” Rep. Pramila Jayapal ( D-WA ) told reporters on Capitol Hill .
“ We ’ ve got a vote in a week , and so I want to make sure that people don ’ t think that we don ’ t matter .
We matter.
” On Tuesday night , former Vice President Joe Biden rode a big South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday rout .
He ran up huge margins in Southern states , and clinched wins in states he wasn ’ t expected to be competitive in — including Maine and Massachusetts .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-CA ) pointed attention to one of the few positive Sanders results from Tuesday : California .
“ Bernie won the biggest prize of the night , so now we need to focus on moving forward , ” she told TPM .
Despite Sanders ’ first-place finish in the state Tuesday , both Biden and Sanders netted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
“ One thing that we saw of course last night was the consolidation of this race really around two central candidates , ” she added .
“ So now this race is decisively between Biden and Bernie.
” Ocasio-Cortez declined to say if Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) should drop out after her disappointing night , saying that in lieu of an “ egregious scandal , ” it ’ s not her place to tell a candidate when to suspend her campaign .
Warren did not win a state on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been a particularly stinging finish , took third place in her home state of Massachusetts .
Rep. Rashida Tlaib ( D-MI ) also declined to say if Warren should take her leave , and focused on her chosen candidate ’ s wins so far .
“ He is somebody that people are gon na look back and say look how far he got with not following the same kind of formula that others had , that meant he would have to put people second , ” she said .
“ He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t sold his soul.
” Jayapal suggested that voters were opting for Biden because of his familiarity .
“ Sometimes there ’ s a notion that something is safer just because we know the devil that is , but you know , that ’ s still the devil , ” she said before quickly clarifying that she was not , in fact , likening Biden to the dark prince .

Some of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) biggest congressional supporters were eager to move on Wednesday, as the Sanders campaign picked itself up from a bruising Super Tuesday contest.
“This thing is not done,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) told reporters on Capitol Hill. “We’ve got a vote in a week, and so I want to make sure that people don’t think that we don’t matter. We matter.”
On Tuesday night, former Vice President Joe Biden rode a big South Carolina win into a stunning ten-state Super Tuesday rout. He ran up huge margins in Southern states, and clinched wins in states he wasn’t expected to be competitive in — including Maine and Massachusetts.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) pointed attention to one of the few positive Sanders results from Tuesday: California.
“Bernie won the biggest prize of the night, so now we need to focus on moving forward,” she told TPM. Despite Sanders’ first-place finish in the state Tuesday, both Biden and Sanders netted substantial delegates (counting is still underway).
“One thing that we saw of course last night was the consolidation of this race really around two central candidates,” she added. “So now this race is decisively between Biden and Bernie.”
Ocasio-Cortez declined to say if Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) should drop out after her disappointing night, saying that in lieu of an “egregious scandal,” it’s not her place to tell a candidate when to suspend her campaign.
Warren did not win a state on Tuesday night and, in what must have been a particularly stinging finish, took third place in her home state of Massachusetts.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also declined to say if Warren should take her leave, and focused on her chosen candidate’s wins so far.
“He is somebody that people are gonna look back and say look how far he got with not following the same kind of formula that others had, that meant he would have to put people second,” she said. “He has never had to do that because he hasn’t sold his soul.”
Jayapal suggested that voters were opting for Biden because of his familiarity.
“Sometimes there’s a notion that something is safer just because we know the devil that is, but you know, that’s still the devil,” she said before quickly clarifying that she was not, in fact, likening Biden to the dark prince.
Tierney Sneed contributed reporting from Washington D.C.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Burisma Is Back! Senate GOPers Suggest Probe Will Haunt Biden’s Campaign

It ’ s not just former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s campaign experiencing a resurrection in light of his strong Super Tuesday performance .
After telling CNN reporter Manu Raju Wednesday morning that he told President Trump that Biden will be “ tough ” to beat in the general election , Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) appeared to suggest that Senate Republicans plan to go after the former vice president for his son ’ s tenure on the board of Ukraine energy company Burisma .
“ If you are going to run for President , and you were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as vice president , and your son is sitting on the most corrupt company in the country while you ’ re trying to clean up the country , yeah that will come up , ” Graham said .
When asked whether he plans to launch an investigation in the Senate Judiciary Committee , Graham responded that Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) is “ doing it.
” On Monday , Johnson signaled to his colleagues on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee in a letter that he wants to begin issuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden ’ s work for Ukraine energy firm Burisma .
Johnson ’ s investigation piggybacks off of debunked allegations that the DNC colluded with the Ukrainian government in 2016 to damage Trump ’ s presidential candidacy .
Last week , Senate Democrats attempted to block a subpoena for testimony for Andrii Telizhenko , a former staffer at Ukraine ’ s embassy in Washington who has stoked baseless allegations of Ukrainian government interference in the 2016 election .
Politico reporter Andrew Desiderio tweeted Wednesday morning that Johnson said Biden “ never adequately answered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters would want “ satisfactorily answered.
” TPM reached out to Biden ’ s campaign for comment .
We will update this post if we hear back .

It’s not just former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign experiencing a resurrection in light of his strong Super Tuesday performance.
After telling CNN reporter Manu Raju Wednesday morning that he told President Trump that Biden will be “tough” to beat in the general election, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) appeared to suggest that Senate Republicans plan to go after the former vice president for his son’s tenure on the board of Ukraine energy company Burisma.
“If you are going to run for President, and you were in charge of the Ukrainian anti-corruption campaign as vice president, and your son is sitting on the most corrupt company in the country while you’re trying to clean up the country, yeah that will come up,” Graham said.
When asked whether he plans to launch an investigation in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham responded that Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is “doing it.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham: "If you're going to run for President and you were in charge of the Ukrainian anti-corruption campaign as VP and your son's sitting on the most corrupt company in the country while you're trying to clean up the country — yeah, that'll come up." pic.twitter.com/tTyBoxmmOG — The Hill (@thehill) March 4, 2020
On Monday, Johnson signaled to his colleagues on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee in a letter that he wants to begin issuing subpoenas as part of his probe into Hunter Biden’s work for Ukraine energy firm Burisma. Johnson’s investigation piggybacks off of debunked allegations that the DNC colluded with the Ukrainian government in 2016 to damage Trump’s presidential candidacy.
Last week, Senate Democrats attempted to block a subpoena for testimony for Andrii Telizhenko, a former staffer at Ukraine’s embassy in Washington who has stoked baseless allegations of Ukrainian government interference in the 2016 election.
Politico reporter Andrew Desiderio tweeted Wednesday morning that Johnson said Biden “never adequately answered” Ukraine scandal-related questions that Democratic primary voters would want “satisfactorily answered.”
“These are questions that Joe Biden has never adequately answered,” Johnson tells us. — Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) March 4, 2020
TPM reached out to Biden’s campaign for comment. We will update this post if we hear back.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--‘Putin’s Chef’ Swears His Company Will Show Up For Its Election Interference Trial

In a statement Wednesday that would have come as a shock two years ago , a close ally of the Kremlin said that his company — accused of funding Russia ’ s 2016 internet trolling — “ has every intention of participating in the trial ” that is set to start next week .
Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin filed the declaration in court after prosecutors accused the company , Concord Management , of defying a subpoena and asked that a federal judge find the company in contempt in court .
At a hearing Monday on the request , prosecutor Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ some concern about whether Concord is really participating in this case , ” given its alleged issues in complying with the subpoena , and suggested it might “ not be either possible or prudent to adhere to the current trial schedule.
” Prigozhin ’ s declaration shot back at the idea that his company might bail before the trial — which many legal observers have expected throughout the two years of proceedings since special counsel Robert Mueller unveiled the indictment .
“ As to whether Concord is actively participating in this case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the March 2 , 2020 hearing , I can assure the Court that Concord has gone to great lengths to participate in this case and has every intention of participating in the trial , appearing through our counsel as U.S. law provides , ” Prigozhin said .
His declaration went into detail about what steps he supposedly took to try to produce the documents the subpoenas demanded .
It started with an assurance that Concord Management ’ s attorneys “ explained to me that giving false testimony in a court proceeding is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I affirm that the statements contained herein are truthful to the best of my knowledge.
” Prigozhin ’ s declaration was filed in Russian and his lawyers provided the court with an English translation .
TPM independently confirmed the translation .
A grand jury indicted Prigozhin , his companies Concord Catering and Concord Management , and several Russian individuals for a conspiracy to defraud the U.S .
Some of the individuals faced additional charges related to their alleged social media manipulation in the 2016 election .
When Mueller announced the indictment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case would make it to the courtroom , given how unlikely it was that Russia would extradite the defendants for prosecution .
It was a surprise then when Concord Management lawyered up with American attorneys who entered an appearance on the docket that April .
Prigozhin , a catering magnate who has earned the nickname “ Putin ’ s chef , ” has himself not submitted to the court ’ s jurisdiction .
Concord Management ’ s attorneys , meanwhile , have offered an extremely confrontational defense of the company , often lashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge .
Prigozhin on Wednesday provided several reasons for why his company did not produce the documents covered by the subpoenas .
For instance , he claimed he did not become involved with the company until late Feb. 2018 , after the period for which prosecutors were seeking his calendar entries .
He also said that Concord Management has a policy of deleting emails every three months , while explaining why the company hadn ’ t produced the communications the prosecutors sought .
Potential jurors for the trial are scheduled to show up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on April 1 , and the trial is expected to start in earnest the following week .
In a joint filing earlier this week , Concord Management ’ s lawyers and the prosecutors said they estimated that the trial will last four weeks .

In a statement Wednesday that would have come as a shock two years ago, a close ally of the Kremlin said that his company — accused of funding Russia’s 2016 internet trolling — “has every intention of participating in the trial” that is set to start next week.
Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin filed the declaration in court after prosecutors accused the company, Concord Management, of defying a subpoena and asked that a federal judge find the company in contempt in court.
At a hearing Monday on the request, prosecutor Adam Jed said that the Justice Department had “some concern about whether Concord is really participating in this case,” given its alleged issues in complying with the subpoena, and suggested it might “not be either possible or prudent to adhere to the current trial schedule.”
Prigozhin’s declaration shot back at the idea that his company might bail before the trial — which many legal observers have expected throughout the two years of proceedings since special counsel Robert Mueller unveiled the indictment.
“As to whether Concord is actively participating in this case, a question raised by the prosecutors at the March 2, 2020 hearing, I can assure the Court that Concord has gone to great lengths to participate in this case and has every intention of participating in the trial, appearing through our counsel as U.S. law provides,” Prigozhin said.
His declaration went into detail about what steps he supposedly took to try to produce the documents the subpoenas demanded. It started with an assurance that Concord Management’s attorneys “explained to me that giving false testimony in a court proceeding is a crime in the United States, and I affirm that the statements contained herein are truthful to the best of my knowledge.”
Prigozhin’s declaration was filed in Russian and his lawyers provided the court with an English translation. TPM independently confirmed the translation.
A grand jury indicted Prigozhin, his companies Concord Catering and Concord Management, and several Russian individuals for a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Some of the individuals faced additional charges related to their alleged social media manipulation in the 2016 election.
When Mueller announced the indictment in Feb. 2018, few expected that the case would make it to the courtroom, given how unlikely it was that Russia would extradite the defendants for prosecution.
It was a surprise then when Concord Management lawyered up with American attorneys who entered an appearance on the docket that April. Prigozhin, a catering magnate who has earned the nickname “Putin’s chef,” has himself not submitted to the court’s jurisdiction.
Concord Management’s attorneys, meanwhile, have offered an extremely confrontational defense of the company, often lashing out at the prosecutors and even the judge.
Prigozhin on Wednesday provided several reasons for why his company did not produce the documents covered by the subpoenas. For instance, he claimed he did not become involved with the company until late Feb. 2018, after the period for which prosecutors were seeking his calendar entries. He also said that Concord Management has a policy of deleting emails every three months, while explaining why the company hadn’t produced the communications the prosecutors sought.
Potential jurors for the trial are scheduled to show up at court for the jury selection process on April 1, and the trial is expected to start in earnest the following week. In a joint filing earlier this week, Concord Management’s lawyers and the prosecutors said they estimated that the trial will last four weeks.
Read Prigozhin’s declaration below:
Josh Kovensky contributed reporting.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--SCOTUS Liberals Take Last Stand In The Face Of Almost Certain Abortion Case Defeat

The liberal contingent of the Supreme Court sounded off during Wednesday ’ s oral arguments about the legality of Louisiana ’ s abortion regulation law , which is nearly identical to a Texas law the court struck down two years ago .
What ’ s changed since then is the composition of the Court , which has shifted to the right since Justice Anthony Kennedy ’ s 2018 departure .
Kennedy had joined the liberals in ruling against the Texas law in the 2016 case Whole Woman ’ s Health v. Hellerstedt .
But Wednesday , despite the almost certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hands of Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — along with the old conservative guard — the liberal justices spent much of the hour-long hearing jumping up and down on the state ’ s arguments .
Justice Stephen Breyer , who voted to strike down the Texas law , got particularly exasperated as the proceedings continued , bashing Department of Justice Deputy Solicitor Jeffrey Wall for helping bring a case before the court that they virtually already decided .
“ If you really want us to go back and reexamine this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marbury v. Madison !
” he exclaimed , referring to the Court ’ s landmark 1803 decision .
“ You have good arguments — but why depart from what ’ s pretty clear precedent ?
” “ I don ’ t want to go back to 1789 , ” Wall responded before Breyer cut in : “ You want to go back 40 years !
” he said , presumably referencing Roe v. Wade , the decision that legalized abortion nationwide .
The other liberal justices more subtly conveyed their vexation with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ruth Bader Ginsburg hammered the law ’ s “ admitting privileges ” provision , which requires the hospital be within 30 miles of the clinic .
Ginsburg pointed out that the distance from the clinic bears “ no relationship ” to where the woman lives ; the plaintiffs argued that women who do experience complications from abortions most often experience them from their homes , after the procedure .
“ I think everybody also agrees that the most likely place a woman will be if she needs to be in a hospital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ginsburg said at one point , interrupting Wall .
“ It ’ s starting at the clinic , where she won ’ t be.
” The admitting privileges requirement was central to the 2016 Texas case as well .
Proponents say the requirement makes women safer .
Opponents point to the scores of abortion clinics that have shuttered due to the imposition of the requirement , adding that abortions are a safe and non-surgical procedure which rarely require subsequent hospitalization .
In addition , hospitals , by nature , take patients in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor who performed the initial procedure is on staff .
The requirement , along with the other regulations red states have sought to impose on clinics , stands to force many abortion providers to close .
Justice Sonia Sotomayor brought up the possible burden to women such a limited number of abortion clinics would pose .
“ Are you taking the position that there is no woman in Louisiana that feels burdened by this law ?
” she asked Wall incredulously .
“ There ’ s going to be some woman who lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that ’ s an unusually long period of time for me to have to drive and then drive back the same day.
” The conservative justices spoke much less .
Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked about the legality of admitting privileges in general and Justice Samuel Alito brought up the question of standing , that doctors can sue on behalf of their clients .
“ That ’ s amazing , ” Alito said as Julie Rikelman , attorney for the abortion clinic that sued the state , made her case .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly contrary ” the those of the patients .
Chief Justice John Roberts , whose vote is being closely watched , also had little to ask .
But he did appear focused on how the effect of the admitting privileges requirement would differ between Texas and Louisiana .
It was unclear if his question was an indication that he was uncomfortable with the court reversing course from the Texas case .
He ’ s the most natural candidate to cross the ideological aisle , now that Kennedy has retired .
As protesters from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breyer drifted off on a tangent that perhaps most neatly captured the forces at work both inside and outside the courtroom .
“ There are good arguments on both sides , ” he said , adding that some feel abortion is “ morally wrong.
” “ I think personally the Court is struggling with the problem of : what kind of rule of law do you have in a country with both kinds of people ?
”

The liberal contingent of the Supreme Court sounded off during Wednesday’s oral arguments about the legality of Louisiana’s abortion regulation law, which is nearly identical to a Texas law the court struck down two years ago.
What’s changed since then is the composition of the Court, which has shifted to the right since Justice Anthony Kennedy’s 2018 departure. Kennedy had joined the liberals in ruling against the Texas law in the 2016 case Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.
But Wednesday, despite the almost certain coming loss for abortions rights advocates at the hands of Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — along with the old conservative guard — the liberal justices spent much of the hour-long hearing jumping up and down on the state’s arguments.
Justice Stephen Breyer, who voted to strike down the Texas law, got particularly exasperated as the proceedings continued, bashing Department of Justice Deputy Solicitor Jeffrey Wall for helping bring a case before the court that they virtually already decided.
“If you really want us to go back and reexamine this, let’s go back and reexamine Marbury v. Madison!” he exclaimed, referring to the Court’s landmark 1803 decision. “You have good arguments — but why depart from what’s pretty clear precedent?”
“I don’t want to go back to 1789,” Wall responded before Breyer cut in: “You want to go back 40 years!” he said, presumably referencing Roe v. Wade, the decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
The other liberal justices more subtly conveyed their vexation with the case.
Throughout the proceedings, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hammered the law’s “admitting privileges” provision, which requires the hospital be within 30 miles of the clinic. Ginsburg pointed out that the distance from the clinic bears “no relationship” to where the woman lives; the plaintiffs argued that women who do experience complications from abortions most often experience them from their homes, after the procedure.
“I think everybody also agrees that the most likely place a woman will be if she needs to be in a hospital, she’ll be at home,” Ginsburg said at one point, interrupting Wall. “It’s starting at the clinic, where she won’t be.”
The admitting privileges requirement was central to the 2016 Texas case as well.
Proponents say the requirement makes women safer. Opponents point to the scores of abortion clinics that have shuttered due to the imposition of the requirement, adding that abortions are a safe and non-surgical procedure which rarely require subsequent hospitalization. In addition, hospitals, by nature, take patients in states of emergency whether or not the doctor who performed the initial procedure is on staff.
The requirement, along with the other regulations red states have sought to impose on clinics, stands to force many abortion providers to close.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor brought up the possible burden to women such a limited number of abortion clinics would pose.
“Are you taking the position that there is no woman in Louisiana that feels burdened by this law?” she asked Wall incredulously. “There’s going to be some woman who lives 330 miles away, who is going to say that’s an unusually long period of time for me to have to drive and then drive back the same day.”
The conservative justices spoke much less. Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked about the legality of admitting privileges in general and Justice Samuel Alito brought up the question of standing, that doctors can sue on behalf of their clients.
“That’s amazing,” Alito said as Julie Rikelman, attorney for the abortion clinic that sued the state, made her case. He called the interests of the doctor “directly contrary” the those of the patients.
Chief Justice John Roberts, whose vote is being closely watched, also had little to ask. But he did appear focused on how the effect of the admitting privileges requirement would differ between Texas and Louisiana. It was unclear if his question was an indication that he was uncomfortable with the court reversing course from the Texas case. He’s the most natural candidate to cross the ideological aisle, now that Kennedy has retired.
As protesters from both camps mobbed the steps outside, Breyer drifted off on a tangent that perhaps most neatly captured the forces at work both inside and outside the courtroom.
“There are good arguments on both sides,” he said, adding that some feel abortion is “morally wrong.”
“I think personally the Court is struggling with the problem of: what kind of rule of law do you have in a country with both kinds of people?”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--Bloomberg Drops Out After Super Tuesday Gambit Goes Up In Smoke

This is what $ 500 million will get you .
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that he was ending his campaign after failing to yield the Super Tuesday votes he had been banking on to jumpstart his self-funded campaign .
“ Three months ago , I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump , ” Bloomberg said in a statement .
“ Today , I am leaving the race for the same reason : to defeat Donald Trump — because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement of Joe Biden , whom Bloomberg said has “ the best shot ” at winning the White House .
“ I could have told him long ago that he didn ’ t have what it takes , and he would have saved himself a billion dollars , the real cost , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Now he will pour money into Sleepy Joe ’ s campaign , hoping to save face .
It won ’ t work !
” The former mayor did initially manage to climb to third place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a targeted ad blitz ( a total of $ 505.8 million by February 24 ) , but his rise didn ’ t last long .
Dogged by his racist stop-and-frisk policy as mayor , the NDAs he had his female employees at Bloomberg LP sign on their allegations of sexual harassment , and a host of other scandals , Bloomberg was soon put in a precarious position .
Then came the debates , during which the billionaire was veritably flayed onstage by his rivals , particularly Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
His feeble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the end , he could only claim one lone victory on Super Tuesday : The America Samoa .

This is what $500 million will get you.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that he was ending his campaign after failing to yield the Super Tuesday votes he had been banking on to jumpstart his self-funded campaign.
“Three months ago, I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump — because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult.”
The announcement included an endorsement of Joe Biden, whom Bloomberg said has “the best shot” at winning the White House.
Naturally, President Donald Trump gloated over Bloomberg’s demise.
“I could have told him long ago that he didn’t have what it takes, and he would have saved himself a billion dollars, the real cost,” Trump tweeted. “Now he will pour money into Sleepy Joe’s campaign, hoping to save face. It won’t work!”
The former mayor did initially manage to climb to third place in the polls after pouring millions of dollars into a targeted ad blitz (a total of $505.8 million by February 24), but his rise didn’t last long.
Dogged by his racist stop-and-frisk policy as mayor, the NDAs he had his female employees at Bloomberg LP sign on their allegations of sexual harassment, and a host of other scandals, Bloomberg was soon put in a precarious position.
Then came the debates, during which the billionaire was veritably flayed onstage by his rivals, particularly Sen. Elizabeth Warren. His feeble performances further sunk his campaign, and in the end, he could only claim one lone victory on Super Tuesday: American Samoa.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-04--No Mercy: Trump Gleefully Relishes Sessions’ Dismal AL Senate Primary Performance

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is headed to a runoff in the GOP Alabama Senate primary after failing to reach a majority on Tuesday – and his old boss is delighted .
“ This is what happens to someone who loyally gets appointed Attorney General of the United States & then doesn ’ t have the wisdom or courage to stare down & end the phony Russia Witch Hunt , ” President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning .
“ Recuses himself on FIRST DAY in office , and the Mueller Scam begins !
” ( Sessions did not recuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack is a big slap in the face for Sessions : Not only did the former attorney general say last year that he ’ s “ certainly going to hope ” Trump endorses him , but he also claimed the President had told him he would , at the very least , hold his fire as Sessions tries to reclaim his old seat .
“ He said he ’ s not going to attack me in the race , ” Sessions said during a Fox News interview .
Now he ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a runoff after reaching 31.1 percent of the vote to Tuberville ’ s 32.2 percent , per Politico .
The White House would not respond on the record when asked if Trump ’ s comment meant he would not endorse Sessions if he ran head-to-head against Sen. Doug Jones ( D-AL ) in the general election .
The Sessions campaign did not immediately responded to TPM ’ s request for comment .

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is headed to a runoff in the GOP Alabama Senate primary after failing to reach a majority on Tuesday – and his old boss is delighted.
“This is what happens to someone who loyally gets appointed Attorney General of the United States & then doesn’t have the wisdom or courage to stare down & end the phony Russia Witch Hunt,” President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. “Recuses himself on FIRST DAY in office, and the Mueller Scam begins!” (Sessions did not recuse himself until March 2017.)
The attack is a big slap in the face for Sessions: Not only did the former attorney general say last year that he’s “certainly going to hope” Trump endorses him, but he also claimed the President had told him he would, at the very least, hold his fire as Sessions tries to reclaim his old seat.
“He said he’s not going to attack me in the race,” Sessions said during a Fox News interview.
Now he’s going to face primary rival Tommy Tuberville in a runoff after reaching 31.1 percent of the vote to Tuberville’s 32.2 percent, per Politico.
The White House would not respond on the record when asked if Trump’s comment meant he would not endorse Sessions if he ran head-to-head against Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) in the general election.
The Sessions campaign did not immediately responded to TPM’s request for comment.