buzzfeed--2020-02-06--The Iowa Caucus Results May Be Delayed Even Further

The Iowa Democratic Party is slowly releasing the results of Monday 's Iowa presidential caucuses after a nightmarish delay — and now it might take even longer .
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez called on the Iowa Democratic Party to `` recanvass '' the caucus results on Thursday morning .
In practice , that would mean a hand audit of the papers used in each precinct to ensure the math calculating delegates is correct .
As the state party has continued to report results — they 're now up to 97 % — some people have found what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the extremely close results .
Currently , Pete Buttigieg has an extremely narrow lead over Bernie Sanders in the delegate count .
The Iowa Democratic Party has not yet said whether it will recanvass .
Sanders , meanwhile , thanked Iowa for a resounding victory on Monday at a press conference in New Hampshire .
`` This difference , '' Sanders added , `` no matter who inches ahead in the end , is meaningless because we are both likely to receive the same number of national delegates to the Democratic National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was claiming victory when Buttigieg has also claimed victory , Sanders said , `` Because I got 6,000 more votes . ''
For the first time this year , the IDP released three sets of results .
When you attend a Democratic caucus in Iowa , you select your candidate on the first vote .
A caucus chair counts up everyone in the room .
This is called the first alignment .
After that , if your candidate doesn ’ t meet 15 % of the vote , you can pick another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an alliance with enough people who no longer have a viable candidate to hit 15 % .
Then the caucus chair counts again .
That ’ s the final alignment .
The final alignment is used to determine delegates for the state convention and , ultimately , delegates for the national convention this summer .
This is called the delegate equivalent .
We 're showing you the final alignment and the state delegate equivalent here .
The data is still incomplete and not necessarily indicative of what the margins will be .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The Iowa Democratic Party has now reported 100% of the results of Monday's Iowa presidential caucuses after a nightmarish delay — but it still might take even longer to determine an actual winner because of what look like errors in the data.
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez called on the Iowa Democratic Party to "recanvass" the caucus results on Thursday morning. In practice, that would mean a hand audit of the papers used in each precinct to ensure the math calculating delegates is correct.
The Iowa Democratic Party indicated on Thursday that the party will only recanvass if a campaign formally requests the process. But news outlets, including NBC News, have already said they will not project a winner off of the data.
As the state party has continued to report results, some news outlets have found what they believe to be errors in the reporting of the extremely close results. Currently, Pete Buttigieg has an extremely narrow lead over Bernie Sanders in the delegate count — less than two delegates — in a virtual tie.
For the first time this year, the IDP released three sets of results. When you attend a Democratic caucus in Iowa, you select your candidate on the first vote. A caucus chair counts up everyone in the room. This is called the first alignment.
After that, if your candidate doesn’t meet 15% of the vote, you can pick another candidate, go home, or form an alliance with enough people who no longer have a viable candidate to hit 15%. Then the caucus chair counts again. That’s the final alignment.
The final alignment is used to determine delegates for the state convention and, ultimately, delegates for the national convention this summer. This is called the delegate equivalent.
Sanders, meanwhile, thanked Iowa for a resounding victory on Monday at a press conference in New Hampshire.
"This difference," Sanders added, "no matter who inches ahead in the end, is meaningless because we are both likely to receive the same number of national delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee."
Asked why he was claiming victory when Buttigieg has also claimed victory, Sanders said, "Because I got 6,000 more votes."
We're showing you the final alignment and the state delegate equivalent here. The data is still incomplete. So please be cautious with this data:


buzzfeed--2020-02-07--A Russian Propagandist Ran An Ad In The Washington Post — And Then Ran Victory Laps In Russian Media

The Washington Post may have violated US government sanctions when it ran an ad online from Russian propagandist Alexander Malkevich — and handed a propaganda coup to a man who appears to have been part of Russia ’ s interference with the 2018 midterm elections in the United States and has been pushing false information to sow political chaos across the globe .
Malkevich , the chair of the Foundation for National Values Protection ( FNVP ) , a Moscow-based think tank , confirmed to BuzzFeed News that he paid for the ad posted on Jan. 30 , an open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mustafa al-Sarraj , calling on him to release two Russian nationals .
“ President of the Foundation Alexander Malkevich demands from the head of the Libyan government [ … ] free the employees of the Foundation Maxim Shugalei and Samer Hassan Ali Seifan , who were arrested by the Libyan militaries in Tripoli in May 2019 , ” read the letter , published last Thursday .
The United States currently forbids business transactions with Malkevich after he was sanctioned in 2018 for `` attempted election interference '' while working as the editor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has since left the site ) .
Under Malkevich ’ s leadership , the site “ engaged in efforts to post content focused on divisive political issues but is generally ridden with inaccuracies , ” the US Treasury Department said in a December 2018 press release .
“ In June 2018 , USA Really attempted to hold a political rally in the United States , though its efforts were unsuccessful.
” Articles published during Malkevich 's tenure mirror the same kind of false , misleading , and purposefully offensive content peddled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troll farm that interfered in the 2016 presidential election in the US .
Headlines include the anti-Semitic “ Star of David Spotted Amidst Migrant Caravan : Who ’ s Behind the Invasion ? ''
and the anti-trans `` New Shocking Facts About Michelle Obama 's Gender .
`` The advertiser did not align with our advertising standards , and the ad never should have run , '' a spokesperson for the Washington Post told BuzzFeed News .
`` We removed it quickly from our site , and the advertiser is in the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was published on the site ’ s branded content platform WP BrandStudio , which offers advertisers `` the Washington Post 's award-winning investigative lens and a deep understanding of our audience to create compelling multimedia stories — from concept to production , '' according to marketing materials .
BrandStudio clients include Amazon , JPMorgan Chase , and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , among others .
`` The Washington Post Newsroom is not involved in the creation of this content , ” reads a disclaimer on the site .
Malkevich told BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention of the international community ” to Shugalei , a political strategist , and Seifan , an interpreter , both of whom work for the FNVP .
In July , Libyan authorities arrested the men for attempting to set up a meeting with Seif al-Islam Gadhafi , the fugitive son of the toppled dictator , as part of an alleged Kremlin-backed plot to interfere in national elections last year .
Libyan authorities claimed to have evidence linking them to the infamous Kremlin troll farm .
Malkevich denied wrongdoing and said the men were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ businessmen and for other people who are in need of them . ''
The publication of the ad garnered headlines in Russia Today , which is funded by the Russian government , and the Federal News Agency , the parent company of USA Really and a founding member of Patriot Media Group , created last October by Robert Mueller–indicted catering oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin , known as “ Putin ’ s cook.
” “ The Washington Post will help free Russians from Libyan captivity , ” read one headline on Nation-News.ru , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian-language sites reported that Malkevich had paid for the letter , with some sites falsely claiming that the Post had endorsed Malkevich ’ s demands .
One news outlet deceptively cropped a screenshot of the letter to remove a message informing readers that it was a paid ad .
In an interview last Friday on Ren TV , an independent Russian television network , Malkevich obfuscated his role in placing the ad , expressing delight that the “ liberal ” Post had “ published material ” critical of the “ Tripolitan bandits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are finding it increasingly difficult to explain to the world community why they behave in this way.
” Malkevich described Libya ’ s treatment of Shugalei and Seifan as “ a flagrant violation of human rights '' and said he had sent a copy of his letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres , asking him to intervene in their case .
It ’ s not the first time Shugalei has been linked to Russian interference efforts .
In April , BBC Africa identified him as a member of a group of Russians masquerading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead-up to Madagascar ’ s 2018 presidential election .
According to the BBC , Shugalei worked for Omer Beriziky , one of 36 candidates vying for president .
`` [ Shugalei ] said that he would help us and would provide us with technical support , ” Beriziky 's campaign manager Onja Rasamimanana told BBC Africa .
“ It 's like they decided what we should do , and we had to just do it .
”

The Washington Post may have violated US government sanctions when it ran an ad online from Russian propagandist Alexander Malkevich — and handed a propaganda coup to a man who appears to have been part of Russia’s interference with the 2018 midterm elections in the United States and has been pushing false information to sow political chaos across the globe.
Malkevich, the chair of the Foundation for National Values Protection (FNVP), a Moscow-based think tank, confirmed to BuzzFeed News that he paid for the ad posted on Jan. 30, an open letter addressed to Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj, calling on him to release two Russian nationals.
“President of the Foundation Alexander Malkevich demands from the head of the Libyan government […] free the employees of the Foundation Maxim Shugalei and Samer Hassan Ali Seifan, who were arrested by the Libyan militaries in Tripoli in May 2019,” read the letter, published last Thursday.
The United States currently forbids business transactions with Malkevich after he was sanctioned in 2018 for "attempted election interference" while working as the editor of the Russian propaganda site USA Really (he has since left the site).
Under Malkevich’s leadership, the site “engaged in efforts to post content focused on divisive political issues but is generally ridden with inaccuracies,” the US Treasury Department said in a December 2018 press release. “In June 2018, USA Really attempted to hold a political rally in the United States, though its efforts were unsuccessful.”
Articles published during Malkevich's tenure mirror the same kind of false, misleading, and purposefully offensive content peddled by the Internet Research Agency, the Kremlin troll farm that interfered in the 2016 presidential election in the US. Headlines include the anti-Semitic “Star of David Spotted Amidst Migrant Caravan: Who’s Behind the Invasion?" and the anti-trans "New Shocking Facts About Michelle Obama's Gender."
"The advertiser did not align with our advertising standards, and the ad never should have run," a spokesperson for the Washington Post told BuzzFeed News. "We removed it quickly from our site, and the advertiser is in the process of being refunded."
The ad was published on the site’s branded content platform WP BrandStudio, which offers advertisers "the Washington Post's award-winning investigative lens and a deep understanding of our audience to create compelling multimedia stories — from concept to production," according to marketing materials.
BrandStudio clients include Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
"The Washington Post Newsroom is not involved in the creation of this content,” reads a disclaimer on the site.
Malkevich told BuzzFeed News he hoped to “draw the attention of the international community” to Shugalei, a political strategist, and Seifan, an interpreter, both of whom work for the FNVP.
Libyan authorities arrested the men for attempting to set up a meeting with Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the fugitive son of the toppled dictator, as part of an alleged Kremlin-backed plot to interfere in national elections last year. Libyan authorities claimed to have evidence linking them to the infamous Kremlin troll farm.
Malkevich denied wrongdoing and said the men were carrying out sociological research to later sell to “businessmen and for other people who are in need of them."
The publication of the ad garnered headlines in Russia Today, which is funded by the Russian government, and the Federal News Agency, the parent company of USA Really and a founding member of Patriot Media Group, created last October by Robert Mueller–indicted catering oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as “Putin’s cook.”
“The Washington Post will help free Russians from Libyan captivity,” read one headline on Nation-News.ru, another Patriot group member.
None of the Russian-language sites reported that Malkevich had paid for the letter, with some sites falsely claiming that the Post had endorsed Malkevich’s demands. One news outlet deceptively cropped a screenshot of the letter to remove a message informing readers that it was a paid ad.
In an interview last Friday on Ren TV, an independent Russian television network, Malkevich obfuscated his role in placing the ad, expressing delight that the “liberal” Post had “published material” critical of the “Tripolitan bandits” who, he claimed, “are finding it increasingly difficult to explain to the world community why they behave in this way.”
Malkevich described Libya’s treatment of Shugalei and Seifan as “a flagrant violation of human rights" and said he had sent a copy of his letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, asking him to intervene in their case.
It’s not the first time Shugalei has been linked to Russian interference efforts. In April, BBC Africa identified him as a member of a group of Russians masquerading as tourists and election observers in the lead-up to Madagascar’s 2018 presidential election.
According to the BBC, Shugalei worked for Omer Beriziky, one of 36 candidates vying for president.
"[Shugalei] said that he would help us and would provide us with technical support,” Beriziky's campaign manager Onja Rasamimanana told BBC Africa. “It's like they decided what we should do, and we had to just do it.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-07--Iowa Democrats Have Now Reported 100% Of Results — But There's Still No Official Winner

The Iowa Democratic Party has now reported 100 % of the results of Monday 's Iowa presidential caucuses after a nightmarish delay — but it still might take even longer to determine an actual winner because of what look like errors in the data .
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez called on the Iowa Democratic Party to `` recanvass '' the caucus results on Thursday morning .
In practice , that would mean a hand audit of the papers used in each precinct to ensure the math calculating delegates is correct .
The Iowa Democratic Party indicated on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a campaign formally requests the process .
But news outlets , including NBC News , have already said they will not project a winner off of the data .
As the state party has continued to report results , some news outlets have found what they believe to be errors in the reporting of the extremely close results .
Currently , Pete Buttigieg has an extremely narrow lead over Bernie Sanders in the delegate count — less than two delegates — in a virtual tie .
For the first time this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When you attend a Democratic caucus in Iowa , you select your candidate on the first vote .
A caucus chair counts up everyone in the room .
This is called the first alignment .
After that , if your candidate doesn ’ t meet 15 % of the vote , you can pick another candidate , go home , or form an alliance with enough people who no longer have a viable candidate to hit 15 % .
Then the caucus chair counts again .
That ’ s the final alignment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine delegates for the state convention and , ultimately , delegates for the national convention this summer .
This is called the delegate equivalent .
Sanders , meanwhile , thanked Iowa for a resounding victory on Monday at a press conference in New Hampshire .
`` This difference , '' Sanders added , `` no matter who inches ahead in the end , is meaningless because we are both likely to receive the same number of national delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee . ''
Asked why he was claiming victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders said , `` Because I got 6,000 more votes . ''
We 're showing you the final alignment and the state delegate equivalent here .
The data is still incomplete .
So please be cautious with this data :


buzzfeed--2020-02-08--Alexander Vindman, A Key Witness Against Trump In The Impeachment Inquiry, Has Been Removed From His

Alexander Vindman, A Key Witness Against Trump In The Impeachment Inquiry, Has Been Removed From His White House Job

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , the National Security Council employee who testified before the House impeachment inquiry in defiance of President Trump , has been removed from his White House job , his lawyer confirmed Friday .
Attorney David Pressman released a statement to news outlets saying his client had been escorted out of the White House Friday afternoon .
“ He has spoken publicly once , and only pursuant to a subpoena from the United States Congress , ” said Pressman .
“ There is no question in the mind of any American why this man ’ s job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has one less soldier serving it at the White House .
[ Lt. Col. ] Alexander Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth.
” He added that Vindman had lost his “ job , his career , and his privacy ” for testifying before Congress .
Vindman was director for European Affairs at the National Security Council and was a Purple Heart recipient .
Last fall he was subpoenaed to testify before the impeachment inquiry because he had raised concerns that the July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House did not immediately return a request for comment .
Trump ordered administration employees not to cooperate with the House Intelligence Committee investigation , but Vindman testified anyway .
He said he received threats for speaking out , and on live TV memorably told his father — who fled Ukraine to America in the 1970s — not to worry .
“ Dad , [ that ] I ’ m sitting here today in the US Capitol talking to our elected professionals is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family , ” Vindman said during the hearing .
“ Do not worry .
I will be fine for telling the truth.
” Trump later accused Vindman without evidence of being a “ never Trumper ” and mocked him for wearing his full military uniform .
“ I never saw the man .
I understand now he wears his uniform when he goes in , ” Trump told reporters .
Jennifer Williams , a national security aide to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving her job in the White House to move to a new role at the Department of Defense .

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Ambassador Gordon Sondland, key witnesses who provided damaging testimony before the House Impeachment inquiry in defiance of President Trump, were removed from their jobs Friday.
Vindman, the National Security Council employee who testified he was concerned with Trump's phone call with Ukraine's president, was escorted out of the White House Friday afternoon, his attorney David Pressman said in a statement.
“He has spoken publicly once, and only pursuant to a subpoena from the United States Congress,” Pressman said. “There is no question in the mind of any American why this man’s job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House. [Lt. Col.] Alexander Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth.”
He added that Vindman had lost his “job, his career, and his privacy” for testifying before Congress.
Sondland also confirmed his departure as Ambassador to the European Union in a statement.
"I was advised today that the President intends to recall me effective immediately as United States Ambassador to the European Union," Sondland said. "I am proud of our accomplishments. Our work here was been the highlight of my career."
Sondland confirmed during his testimony that the president had withheld US support to Ukraine in exchange for investigations into his political rival, Joe Biden and his son.
"Was there a 'quid pro quo'?" Sondland told the committee. "The answer is yes."
Sondland had notably donated $1 million to the president's inaugural committee and, in 2018, was nominated to be ambassador to the European Union.
Vindman was director for European Affairs at the National Security Council and was a Purple Heart recipient. Last fall he was subpoenaed to testify before the impeachment inquiry because he had raised concerns that the July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatened US national security.
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.
Trump ordered administration employees not to cooperate with the House Intelligence Committee investigation, but Vindman testified anyway. He said he received threats for speaking out, and on live TV memorably told his father — who fled Ukraine to America in the 1970s — not to worry.
“Dad, [that] I’m sitting here today in the US Capitol talking to our elected professionals is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family,” Vindman said during the hearing.
“Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth.”
Trump later accused Vindman without evidence of being a “never Trumper” and mocked him for wearing his full military uniform.
“I never saw the man. I understand now he wears his uniform when he goes in,” Trump told reporters.
Jennifer Williams, a national security aide to Vice President Mike Pence, is also leaving her job in the White House to move to a new role at the Department of Defense.


buzzfeed--2020-02-07--Here’s What’s Happening In Republicans’ Biden–Ukraine Investigation

WASHINGTON — Republicans in the Senate are months into a broad investigation into matters related to Democrats and Ukraine and have made steady progress amassing documents and coordinating interviews with possible witnesses , according to sources familiar with the inquiry .
The investigation , which has been ongoing as President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment worked its way through Congress , focuses on former vice president Joe Biden ’ s relationship with Ukraine and widely refuted claims that the country interfered in the 2016 presidential election .
Since December , the lead Republicans on three Senate committees have been receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify in the vast probe , which could stretch into the summer and the primaries , where Biden is vying for the Democratic nomination .
The committees are expecting thousands more pages of records from government agencies about interactions between the Obama administration and Ukrainian officials before the last presidential election .
Those three Republican committee chairs — Sens .
Chuck Grassley , Ron Johnson , and Lindsey Graham — sent out requests in the fall to a wide range of government entities , as well as political consultants and former State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theories about Ukrainian election meddling .
( Graham has been less involved than Grassley and Johnson . )
The requests , which didn ’ t make large waves at the time , came as Democrats pursued impeachment against the president for withholding millions in foreign aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigations into the Bidens — notably , Biden ’ s son Hunter , who served on the board of Burisma , a Ukrainian gas company .
The requests focused on a series of reported events that many Republicans have argued justified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that merit scrutiny both in Ukraine and the US .
Now , Democrats are accusing the Republican senators of using their congressional resources to reelect Trump based on largely debunked theories .
“ Republicans are turning the Senate into an arm of the president ’ s political campaign , pursuing an investigation designed to further President Trump ’ s favorite conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election and smear Vice President Biden , ” said Ashley Schapitl , a spokesperson for Sen. Ron Wyden , the top Democrat on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued , however , that he ’ s pursued several investigations in recent years , including one on Russian election interference that included interviewing Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s son .
“ Over his 40-year tenure in the Senate , Grassley has developed a long history of nonpartisan oversight , regardless of what party controls Congress or the White House .
To imply that his investigations are politically-motivated or one-sided is demonstrably wrong , ” a spokesperson told BuzzFeed News .
Schapitl also said the Treasury Department has turned over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and questioned how quickly the department did so .
“ [ T ] he Trump administration refused to comply with all Democratic requests for documents and witnesses associated with impeachment , ” Schapitl said .
“ Applying a blatant double standard , Trump administration agencies like the Treasury Department are rapidly complying with Senate Republican requests—no subpoenas necessary—and producing ‘ evidence ’ of questionable origin .
The administration told House Democrats to go pound sand when their oversight authority was mandatory while voluntarily cooperating with the Senate Republicans ’ sideshow at lightning speed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ office about Treasury turning over information to the committees were first reported by Yahoo News .
In November , Grassley and Johnson , who lead the Finance and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees , wrote to a powerful law enforcement agency within the Treasury Department seeking information on any suspicious financial activity by Hunter Biden , Burisma , and others .
Schapitl declined to say what the agency , known as the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network or FinCEN , turned over to the lawmakers .
Treasury did not return a request for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators , known as suspicious activity reports , or SARs , are filed regularly to FinCEN by banks when they spot transactions that bear the hallmarks of financial crimes .
Though the reports themselves are not evidence of a crime , they can be used to support investigations and intelligence gathering .
It ’ s unclear if the materials provided to the committees are SARs and if so , to whom they pertain .
“ It 's strange that any senator would complain about receiving responses to oversight requests in a timely manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As a general matter , most oversight requests do not involve material protected by Executive Privilege , so it can be more rapidly provided to Congress .
If the administration were to claim privilege over requested material , as the Obama administration did in during the ‘ Operation Fast and Furious ’ investigation , members of Congress can use other tools at their disposal – including the courts – to compel cooperation .
In the case of impeachment , the House chose not to do so.
” On Friday , Grassley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had shared information about the investigation with Democrats on the committee `` as a courtesy '' and accusing them of trying to undermine Republicans ' `` legitimate oversight by selectively leaking information to the press . ''
“ Insofar as we requested as part of our investigation any sensitive law enforcement information regarding suspicious financial transactions , that request and any response received would be highly sensitive , '' the senators said in a joint statement .
`` Any selective leaks to publicize or confirm these actions is highly inappropriate , undermines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this important law enforcement tool .
Should such sensitive information exist , it would only prove the need to further investigate any and all suspicious activity related to it .
Accordingly , despite these inappropriate and selective leaks , we will continue undeterred . ''
Grassley , Johnson , and Graham have continued to question whether Joe Biden misused his position as vice president to protect his son — a theory that has not been backed up by any evidence .
In late 2015 and early 2016 , Biden was charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was one of several prominent Western voices to call on the country to fire its top prosecutor , Viktor Shokin , who had previously investigated Burisma .
Republicans have alleged that Biden did so to help Hunter .
However , the West ’ s widespread displeasure with Shokin was rooted in his inability to root out corruption and investigate companies like Burisma , and Biden — unlike Trump — was operating within established US foreign policy .
Republican senators , including Johnson , even signed a letter urging Shokin ’ s dismissal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans want to know more about emails that purport to show a Democratic lobbying firm called Blue Star Strategies using Hunter Biden ’ s name to score a meeting with a senior State Department official to discuss the administration ’ s labeling of Burisma as corrupt .
They ’ ve asked Blue Star , which was working on behalf of Burisma , for documents , but it ’ s unclear if the firm has turned over any records .
The firm did not respond to requests for comment , and Grassley ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the committees have received .
Additionally , the three senators asked five Obama-era State Department officials for interviews as part of their probe into “ potential conflicts of interest and political influence by Ukrainian elements.
” The senators also asked the officials for documents pertaining to Hunter Biden , Burisma , Blue Star , and more , according to a source familiar with the requests .
That source , speaking on background to discuss the investigation , said committee lawyers have held several calls with attorneys for the officials since late December .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had “ productive conversations ” with many of the people — including former Obama officials and Blue Star employees — who received request letters in the fall .
“ We ’ ve heard from the non-government witnesses , ” the spokesperson said .
“ We ’ ve heard from I believe all of them in one way or another .
They ’ re all cooperating .
We ’ ve received documents from some.
” The spokesperson said the committees are in the “ fact-finding stage ” of the probe .
As part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the State Department in early November requesting a host of documents .
Graham , the chair of the Judiciary Committee , sent a separate request to the State Department later that month seeking records on the Bidens .
The State Department is working on turning over the files and the production could be around 1,000 pages long , the Grassley spokesperson said .
The committees are also expecting approximately 10,000 pages of records from the National Archives , the spokesperson said , about meetings reported by a conservative writer between the Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic National Committee contractor named Alexandra Chalupa .
However , it ’ s unclear when the committees might receive the documents from the National Archives , as the law governing records from previous administrations allows them to review the documents before they are released .
“ NARA is in the process of responding to this special access request for Presidential records in accordance with the requirements of the Presidential Records Act , which provides the representatives of the current and former Presidents an opportunity to review any responsive records before they can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a National Archives spokesperson told BuzzFeed News on Jan. 24 .
“ The review process is currently ongoing for this request , and no records have yet been produced .
NARA has been in regular contact with committee staff.
” The request to the National Archives references another part of the Republican investigation — reported efforts by Ukrainian officials to undermine Trump ’ s campaign .
Key to those allegations is Andrii Telizhenko , a former Ukrainian diplomat whose claims about what the country ’ s DC embassy did during the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the Republican senators ’ requests .
In 2017 , Telizhenko told Politico that a senior official at the Ukrainian embassy instructed him to help Chalupa research links between Trump , then-campaign chair Paul Manafort , and the Russians .
Manafort eventually resigned from the campaign as reports about his links to Russia surfaced and is now serving a seven-year prison sentence for a series of financial crimes from before he joined Trump ’ s team .
The Ukrainian embassy has disputed Telizhenko ’ s claims , but he insists that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign and has become a prominent voice on the right as a result , meeting with Rudy Giuliani , the attorney working for Trump who led a shadow campaign in Ukraine to dig up dirt on the Bidens .
In early December , Grassley , Johnson , and Graham asked Telizhenko for an interview and documents as part of their investigation .
“ I said I would fully cooperate with the investigation they ’ re working on and provided any evidence I had , ” Telizhenko , now a political consultant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said he sent the committees copies of documents from when he worked at the embassy , but couldn ’ t provide everything , as some are sensitive government records .
“ I basically provided them what they asked for , ” he said .
Telizhenko says he also worked for Blue Star for a period and wants to provide documents from that time , but will need a subpoena to do so because of the nature of his contract with the firm .
Telizhenko said he responded to the committees ’ request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit later.
” He ’ s also had at least one call with several staff members from the committees .
“ There were like eight people on the line , ” he said .
He last spoke to the committees “ around a week ago , ” he said , and believed the committees would begin interviewing witnesses after the impeachment trial was over as part of a “ deep investigation.
” He says he wants his interview with the committees to be in an open hearing .
“ I ’ m ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ From my side , I want to go as public as possible for the protection of myself , because I don ’ t want any party , Republican or Democrat , to use my statement in a political manner to basically politicize anything I say.
” However , the Grassley spokesperson said congressional investigators “ call the shots , not the witnesses.
” Johnson and Grassley have also asked Chalupa for documents and testimony .
In a statement to BuzzFeed News , she said , “ The conspiracy theories that the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 election , and which the Trump Administration , Senator Grassley , Senator Johnson , and Senator Graham have weaponized against an American citizen who warned her country that Vladimir Putin was attacking America ’ s democracy are completely false .
They can choose who to believe an American mom with truth on her side or the Kremlin , which continues to wage disinformation warfare against Americans and attacks our elections .
Truth matters.
” The senators have requested records on Chalupa from the FBI and the Department of Justice as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working to turn anything over , the Grassley spokesperson said .
The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment from BuzzFeed News and the FBI said only that it “ confirms receipt of the letter and declines further comment.
” Grassley previously asked the Justice Department why Chalupa wasn ’ t registered as a foreign agent after the January 2017 Politico article was published — a request he renewed in September .
However , according to a source knowledgeable about the issue , the department sent Chalupa a letter in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act .
As for claims about Ukrainian election interference , intelligence officials reportedly told senators in a private briefing that Russia has sought to frame Ukraine for its own election meddling in 2016 .
The Senate Intelligence Committee , which has been working on a bipartisan investigation into Russian election interference for more than three years , reportedly investigated the claims about the Ukrainians as part of the probe and failed to find any leads worth pursuing .

In November, Grassley and Johnson, who lead the Finance and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees, wrote to a powerful law enforcement agency within the Treasury Department seeking information on any suspicious financial activity by Hunter Biden, Burisma, and others.
Schapitl declined to say what the agency, known as the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network or FinCEN, turned over to the lawmakers. Treasury did not return a request for comment.
The documents sought by the senators, known as suspicious activity reports, or SARs, are filed regularly to FinCEN by banks when they spot transactions that bear the hallmarks of financial crimes. Though the reports themselves are not evidence of a crime, they can be used to support investigations and intelligence gathering. It’s unclear if the materials provided to the committees are SARs and if so, to whom they pertain.
“It's strange that any senator would complain about receiving responses to oversight requests in a timely manner,” the Grassley spokesperson said Thursday. “As a general matter, most oversight requests do not involve material protected by Executive Privilege, so it can be more rapidly provided to Congress. If the administration were to claim privilege over requested material, as the Obama administration did in during the ‘Operation Fast and Furious’ investigation, members of Congress can use other tools at their disposal – including the courts – to compel cooperation. In the case of impeachment, the House chose not to do so.”
On Friday, Grassley and Johnson went further, saying that they had shared information about the investigation with Democrats on the committee "as a courtesy" and accusing them of trying to undermine Republicans' "legitimate oversight by selectively leaking information to the press."
“Insofar as we requested as part of our investigation any sensitive law enforcement information regarding suspicious financial transactions, that request and any response received would be highly sensitive," the senators said in a joint statement. "Any selective leaks to publicize or confirm these actions is highly inappropriate, undermines our investigation, and risks the effectiveness of this important law enforcement tool. Should such sensitive information exist, it would only prove the need to further investigate any and all suspicious activity related to it. Accordingly, despite these inappropriate and selective leaks, we will continue undeterred."
Wyden's office responded Friday night, saying that the Republican chairmen "are required to share investigative material with the minority under Senate rules. It is not a 'courtesy.' Further, Senator Wyden and his staff have not disclosed any investigative material, as every outlet has noted. It’s ridiculous to characterize an official office statement on the double standard of Trump administration cooperation with Congress as a 'leak.'"
Grassley, Johnson, and Graham have continued to question whether Joe Biden misused his position as vice president to protect his son — a theory that has not been backed up by any evidence. In late 2015 and early 2016, Biden was charged with leading the Obama administration's Ukraine policy and was one of several prominent Western voices to call on the country to fire its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, who had previously investigated Burisma. Republicans have alleged that Biden did so to help Hunter. However, the West’s widespread displeasure with Shokin was rooted in his inability to root out corruption and investigate companies like Burisma, and Biden — unlike Trump — was operating within established US foreign policy. Republican senators, including Johnson, even signed a letter urging Shokin’s dismissal at the time.
Despite that, Republicans want to know more about emails that purport to show a Democratic lobbying firm called Blue Star Strategies using Hunter Biden’s name to score a meeting with a senior State Department official to discuss the administration’s labeling of Burisma as corrupt.
They’ve asked Blue Star, which was working on behalf of Burisma, for documents, but it’s unclear if the firm has turned over any records. The firm did not respond to requests for comment, and Grassley’s spokesperson declined to discuss specifics about what the committees have received.
Additionally, the three senators asked five Obama-era State Department officials for interviews as part of their probe into “potential conflicts of interest and political influence by Ukrainian elements.” The senators also asked the officials for documents pertaining to Hunter Biden, Burisma, Blue Star, and more, according to a source familiar with the requests. That source, speaking on background to discuss the investigation, said committee lawyers have held several calls with attorneys for the officials since late December.
The Grassley spokesperson confirmed that the committees have had “productive conversations” with many of the people — including former Obama officials and Blue Star employees — who received request letters in the fall. “We’ve heard from the non-government witnesses,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve heard from I believe all of them in one way or another. They’re all cooperating. We’ve received documents from some.”
The spokesperson said the committees are in the “fact-finding stage” of the probe. As part of that, Grassley and Johnson wrote to the State Department in early November requesting a host of documents. Graham, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, sent a separate request to the State Department later that month seeking records on the Bidens. The State Department is working on turning over the files and the production could be around 1,000 pages long, the Grassley spokesperson said.
The committees are also expecting approximately 10,000 pages of records from the National Archives, the spokesperson said, about meetings reported by a conservative writer between the Obama administration, Ukrainian officials, and a Democratic National Committee contractor named Alexandra Chalupa. However, it’s unclear when the committees might receive the documents from the National Archives, as the law governing records from previous administrations allows them to review the documents before they are released.
“NARA is in the process of responding to this special access request for Presidential records in accordance with the requirements of the Presidential Records Act, which provides the representatives of the current and former Presidents an opportunity to review any responsive records before they can be released to the Senate committee requesters,” a National Archives spokesperson told BuzzFeed News on Jan. 24. “The review process is currently ongoing for this request, and no records have yet been produced. NARA has been in regular contact with committee staff.”
The request to the National Archives references another part of the Republican investigation — reported efforts by Ukrainian officials to undermine Trump’s campaign. Key to those allegations is Andrii Telizhenko, a former Ukrainian diplomat whose claims about what the country’s DC embassy did during the 2016 election have helped form the basis for many of the Republican senators’ requests. In 2017, Telizhenko told Politico that a senior official at the Ukrainian embassy instructed him to help Chalupa research links between Trump, then-campaign chair Paul Manafort, and the Russians. Manafort eventually resigned from the campaign as reports about his links to Russia surfaced and is now serving a seven-year prison sentence for a series of financial crimes from before he joined Trump’s team.
The Ukrainian embassy has disputed Telizhenko’s claims, but he insists that the embassy colluded with Democrats to hurt Trump’s campaign and has become a prominent voice on the right as a result, meeting with Rudy Giuliani, the attorney working for Trump who led a shadow campaign in Ukraine to dig up dirt on the Bidens.


buzzfeed--2020-02-09--Joe Biden Is Preparing For The Worst In New Hampshire

MANCHESTER , New Hampshire — Is it too late for Joe Biden ?
On Saturday afternoon in the first primary state , that question was as loaded as can be .
Days earlier he had finished a distant fourth in Iowa .
At the debate the night before he had effectively conceded New Hampshire .
And at the moment Biden was — literally , he might say in the earnest , finger-jabbing way of his — late for the second of only six public appearances on his weekend schedule .
Worst of all , media outnumbered the organizers and volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
One reporter , confident that whoever was in charge had ordered more pizza than was needed to feed the dozen or so door-knockers posted up for the 3 o ’ clock canvass launch , helped himself to a slice of plain cheese .
Ambient conversation drowned out the roleplaying exercise meant to teach new volunteers how to talk to the Biden supporters and undecided voters they would meet on their shift .
“ I love Joe Biden , ” said an in-character organizer playing a likely Biden voter who may need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location is .
“ I wish I could have written him in in 2016.
” And that , really , is where Joe Biden finds himself two days away from the New Hampshire primary .
He ’ s long been a beloved figure in the Democratic Party — a legacy enhanced by two terms as vice president under Barack Obama , whom Biden has been using with increasing frequency as some sort of human shield against any suggestion that he represents an old and ineffective style of politics .
But in 2020 he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire of Bernie Sanders and the youthful , hopeful promise of Pete Buttigieg .
His electability argument — which he clings to despite the fact that he was blown out in Iowa , the kind of Midwest state he ’ s supposed to appeal to — is now hanging by a thread .
Circumstances have forced Biden to reconcile out loud with the reality : This very well could be the end .
“ You know , I ’ ve lost a lot in my lifetime , like many of you have , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier campaign event Saturday in Manchester , where his remarks veered from grandfatherly to angry to dark .
“ Car accident took away my wife and daughter .
Lost my son , Beau , like many of you have done .
But I ’ ll be damned if I ’ m going to stand by and lose my country , too.
” If Biden learned anything from his poor showing in Iowa , it ’ s that he ’ s likely to finish poorly in New Hampshire , too .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said , almost fatalistically , in the opening minutes of Friday ’ s debate at Saint Anselm College .
At a Sunday afternoon town hall in Hampton , the first of two campaign stops to close out the weekend , a 21-year-old Andrew Yang supporter in town with her college group from Georgia stood up and asked Biden why voters in the rest of the country should believe that he can win , after his performance in Iowa .
Biden was at first combative , as he has been when other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trail , asking if she had ever participated in a caucus and then jokingly calling her a “ lying dog-faced pony soldier , ” a jab he ’ s previously attributed to John Wayne .
`` It was a little bit confusing in Iowa , number one , '' Biden continued .
`` But let 's assume everything was exactly right in Iowa .
The idea that you come in with half the delegates the leaders come in with in Iowa does n't necessarily say how you ’ re going to win Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win Pennsylvania . ''
But the polls here are bleak for Biden .
The best-case scenario might be third place .
The worst-case scenario would be a late push by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar that relegates Biden to an embarrassing fifth .
“ I ’ ve never paid attention to all the frontrunner talk from the time I entered the race , ” Biden said at the Manchester event .
“ Nothing in my life , like most of you , has come easily.
” That was , to be generous , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about his frontrunner status when polls showed him leading nationally and in the early states .
And later Saturday , while speaking with reporters during his visit to the nearby field office , he fell back on what he implied was still his frontrunner status .
“ If you notice , I ’ m still winning nationally , ” he said .
“ You guys keep forgetting that part , OK ?
” ( Most recent national polls show Biden edging out Sanders , though there haven ’ t been many since Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior staff has been reshuffled , with strategist Anita Dunn assuming an expanded role , apparently over campaign manager Greg Schutz .
Aides downplayed the move in a way that inadvertently put the blame for anything bad that may happen next on the candidate .
“ The person in charge of the campaign is Joe Biden , ” a senior adviser told reporters on a Friday conference call .
The expectations-setting has been all over the place since Iowa .
Advisers seem stuck between positioning him as the underdog — the better to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can manage even a third-place finish here — and as the only contender built to last .
A common , split-the-difference refrain from Biden allies post-Iowa goes something like this : The race will come back to Biden when it shifts to more diverse electorates in Nevada , South Carolina , and then to the Super Tuesday states on March 3 .
It ’ s an optimistic prognosis for a former vice president whose fundraising has so lagged other top-tier candidates that many assume he will not have the resources to survive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that department , aides are bragging about carefully parsed money milestones .
( “ Did Joe Biden win this debate ?
” a Biden spokesperson tweeted Friday night .
“ Our incredible grassroots supporters who have made this our best debate day for fundraising agree : hell yes . )
Biden and his advisers also have tried in recent days to make him into more of a fighter .
On the debate stage Friday he forcefully emphasized his record in the Senate and as vice president .
He warned viewers that Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and down the ballot as socialists this November if Sanders , a democratic socialist , wins the party ’ s presidential nomination .
He wondered aloud if Buttigieg could ever win over voters of color .
And on Saturday Biden escalated those attacks .
Before his first speech in Manchester , his team posted a video making light of Buttigieg ’ s experience as mayor of South Bend , Indiana , a city of roughly 100,000 people — not much smaller than the city where Biden was asking for votes .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A rare overflow crowd chased reporters from the balcony of the tiny Rex Theatre and sent some supporters across the street to a Mexican restaurant , where Biden briefly visited them .
And yet there was only mild enthusiasm .
About half the crowd cheered when a local organizer tried to pump them up for Biden ’ s arrival .
“ I don ’ t think I hear the people at the top , ” she said .
“ I said , ‘ Who ’ s excited to see Joe Biden ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that time , but hardly a full chorus .
Other introductory speakers made clear Biden has no intention to relinquish the electability argument .
“ He ’ s our best chance to beat you-know-who in the White House , ” said Michelle Kwan , the Olympic medal-winning figure skater who serves as Biden ’ s director of surrogates .
“ Joe Biden can beat Donald Trump , ” added John Lynch , the former New Hampshire governor .
( Lynch , the kind of warm up act typically charged with rallying supporters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ together , we will help Joe Biden do very well in the New Hampshire primary.
” ) Biden finally took the microphone about an hour later than scheduled , after aides fiddled extensively with a teleprompter that didn ’ t seem to be doing what they wanted it to .
He hunched over to greet a few of the children in the crowd , sheepishly apologizing that he was about to bore them with politics before promising ice cream afterward .
Then he switched into fighter mode .
“ Who else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems ?
” “ I ’ m not new to this issue.
” “ I ’ m the only one who ... ” On and on it went : I , I , I , I , I .
Me , me , me , me , me .
The words “ democratic socialist ” rolled off Biden ’ s tongue more acidically than they had the night before .
“ So when Sen. Sanders attacks me for having baggage , I have to tell you , 60-plus candidates I campaigned for in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 states in the 2018 election , they did n't think I had any baggage , ” Biden said .
“ So ask yourself : Will it be easier or harder for Democrats to win with a socialist — a democratic socialist at the top of the ticket , self-stated — or is it going to be harder ?
” For the 38-year-old Buttigieg , Biden had indignance .
“ Mayor Pete , who is a good guy , likes to call me part of the old failed Washington .
Really ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Mayor Pete likes to say the only time Democrats win the presidency is when we nominate someone new .
But here 's what he never mentions : The only Democrats to win the presidency is where we have overwhelming support from the African American community and don ’ t take it for granted .
That was true for Jimmy Carter , Bill Clinton , and Barack Obama.
” It ’ s the effort Buttigieg and his advisers have made to present Buttigieg as an Obamalike figure — young , historic ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) candidate who surprises the political world — that seems to most annoy Biden .
Some of those advisers , after all , worked for Obama ( and for Biden ) and in Biden ’ s mind should know better .
During the Saturday session with reporters at the field office , CNN ’ s Jeff Zeleny asked if Biden ’ s attacks on Buttigieg amounted to “ an act of desperation , ” akin to Hillary Clinton questioning Obama ’ s lack of experience in 2008 .
“ Oh come on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This guy ’ s not Barack Obama.
” There were many Come on , mans — not coincidentally a favorite Obama rejoinder — over the 20 minutes Biden took questions .
His traveling press secretary pleaded “ last question ” and “ guys , that ’ s all the time we have ” several times before prying Biden away .
So pronounced was the vibe that a BBC reporter backed into one of the four or five “ last ” questions with an observation : “ You ’ re clearly a little angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I ’ m not angry !
” So how are his spirits ?
“ My spirits are up !
Look at all of the endorsements I ’ ve gotten since Iowa — since Iowa !
This is not the campaign Biden wants to run .
Until recently , Biden has looked past the primary .
He prefaces almost every Sanders or Buttigieg critique by saying they ’ re not bad guys .
“ I have never been very comfortable attacking somebody else , ” Biden told reporters .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wants the campaign to end , with his legacy a shambles at the hands of a socialist or small town mayor .
( Of comfort to Biden aides : Some in Buttigieg ’ s cheering section Saturday night at a Democratic dinner in Manchester gave Biden a standing ovation when he talked about the importance of beating Trump . )
But it ’ s also telling that at this moment Biden is equating the prospect of losing a political race — that I ’ ll be damned if I lose my country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragedies he ’ s suffered .
His understanding of loss may be a bigger part of his political identity than his service to Obama is .
On Sunday , he detailed more of the stories of loss and suffering people have brought to him in recent weeks — one woman who was mourning her father .
A man who lost his job and didn ’ t know what to tell his family .
Another who 's been revived from three serious heart attacks , and is now dying of prostate cancer .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right as a candidate , it ’ s grief .
And this weekend , it wasn ’ t hard to see him going through the stages somewhat out of order as they relate to his campaign : the acceptance , the anger , the denial .
When Biden finally arrived at his Manchester field office Saturday — 25 minutes late , which meant the few canvassers who showed up began their shift late — he offered a maudlin vow .
“ The reports of our death , ” he promised , “ are @ @ @

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Is it too late for Joe Biden? On Saturday afternoon in the first primary state, that question was as loaded as can be. Days earlier, he had finished a distant fourth in Iowa. At the debate the night before, he had effectively conceded New Hampshire. And at the moment, Biden was — literally, he might say in his earnest, finger-jabbing way — late for the second of only six public appearances on his weekend schedule.
Worst of all, media outnumbered the organizers and volunteers waiting for Biden at his field office here. One reporter — confident that whoever was in charge had ordered more pizza than was needed to feed the dozen or so door-knockers posted up for the 3 p.m. canvass launch — helped himself to a slice of plain cheese. Ambient conversation drowned out the role-playing exercise meant to teach new volunteers how to talk to the Biden supporters and undecided voters they would meet on their shift.
“I love Joe Biden,” said an in-character organizer playing a likely Biden voter who may need to be reminded of where her polling location is. “I wish I could have written him in in 2016.”
And that, really, is where Biden finds himself two days away from the New Hampshire primary. He’s long been a beloved figure in the Democratic Party — a legacy enhanced by two terms as vice president under Barack Obama, whom Biden has been using with increasing frequency as some sort of human shield against any suggestion that he represents an old and ineffective style of politics.
But in 2020 he is stuck squarely behind the progressive ideological fire of Bernie Sanders and the youthful, hopeful promise of Pete Buttigieg. His electability argument — which he clings to despite the fact that he was blown out in Iowa, the kind of Midwest state he’s supposed to appeal to — is now hanging by a thread.
Circumstances have forced Biden to reconcile out loud with the reality: This very well could be the end.
“You know, I’ve lost a lot in my lifetime, like many of you have,” Biden told the audience at an earlier campaign event on Saturday in Manchester, where his remarks veered from grandfatherly to angry to dark. “Car accident took away my wife and daughter. Lost my son Beau, like many of you have done. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand by and lose my country too.”
If Biden learned anything from his poor showing in Iowa, it’s that he’s likely to also finish poorly in New Hampshire. “I’ll probably take a hit here,” he said, almost fatalistically, in the opening minutes of Friday’s debate at Saint Anselm College.
At a Sunday afternoon town hall in Hampton, the first of two campaign stops to close out the weekend, a 21-year-old Andrew Yang supporter in town with her college group from Georgia stood up and asked Biden why voters in the rest of the country should believe that he can win after his performance in Iowa.
Biden was at first combative, as he has been when other voters have challenged him on the campaign trail, asking if she had ever participated in a caucus. He then jokingly calling her a “lying dog-faced pony soldier,” a jab he’s previously attributed to John Wayne.
"It was a little bit confusing in Iowa, number one," Biden continued. "But let's assume everything was exactly right in Iowa. The idea that you come in with half the delegates the leaders come in with in Iowa doesn't necessarily say how you’re going to win Michigan, how you’re going to win Pennsylvania."
But the polls here are bleak for Biden. The best-case scenario might be third place. The worst-case scenario would be a late push by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar that relegates Biden to an embarrassing fifth.
“I’ve never paid attention to all the frontrunner talk from the time I entered the race,” Biden said at the Manchester event. “Nothing in my life, like most of you, has come easily.”
That was, to be generous, a fib. Biden very much enjoyed talking about his frontrunner status when polls showed him leading nationally and in the early states. And later on Saturday, while speaking with reporters during his visit to the nearby field office, he fell back on what he implied was still his frontrunner status. “If you notice, I’m still winning nationally,” he said. “You guys keep forgetting that part, OK?” (Most of the recent national polls show Biden edging out Sanders, though there haven’t been many since Iowa.)
Meanwhile, Biden’s senior staff has been reshuffled, with strategist Anita Dunn assuming an expanded role, apparently over campaign manager Greg Schultz. Aides downplayed the move in a way that inadvertently put the blame for anything bad that may happen next on the candidate. “The person in charge of the campaign is Joe Biden,” a senior adviser told reporters on a Friday conference call.
The expectations-setting has been all over the place since Iowa. Advisers seem stuck between positioning him as the underdog — the better to spin “comeback kid” headlines if he can manage even a third-place finish here — and as the only contender built to last. A common split-the-difference refrain from Biden allies post-Iowa goes something like this: The race will come back to Biden when it shifts to more diverse electorates in Nevada, South Carolina, and then the Super Tuesday states on March 3.
"I think that New Hampshire and Iowa play a critical role in the beginning of the campaign," Rep. Cedric Richmond, the Louisiana Democrat who cochairs Biden’s campaign, said in a telephone interview Sunday with BuzzFeed News. "However, it’s two of the first four, and unfortunately they’re the whitest of the first four. The vice president's base is a very diverse base with substantial support in the African American community. African Americans having a say in who the nominee is very important."
It’s an optimistic prognosis for a former vice president whose fundraising has so lagged behind other top-tier candidates that many assume he will not have the resources to survive one more beating. To project strength in that department, aides are bragging about carefully parsed money milestones. (“Did Joe Biden win this debate?” a Biden spokesperson tweeted Friday night. “Our incredible grassroots supporters who have made this our best debate day for fundraising agree: hell yes.”)
Biden and his advisers also have tried in recent days to make him into more of a fighter. On the debate stage Friday, he forcefully emphasized his record in the Senate and as vice president. He warned viewers that Donald Trump and the Republicans would brand Democrats up and down the ballot as socialists this November if Sanders, a democratic socialist, wins the party’s presidential nomination. He wondered aloud if Buttigieg could ever win over voters of color.
And on Saturday, Biden escalated those attacks. Before his first speech in Manchester, his team posted a video making light of Buttigieg’s experience as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a city of roughly 100,000 people — not much smaller than the city where Biden was asking for votes.
The Manchester event was a mixed bag. A rare overflow crowd chased reporters from the balcony of the tiny Rex Theatre and sent some supporters across the street to a Mexican restaurant, where Biden briefly visited them. And yet there was only mild enthusiasm. About half the crowd cheered when a local organizer tried to pump them up for Biden’s arrival.
“I don’t think I hear the people at the top,” she said. “I said, ‘Who’s excited to see Joe Biden?’” A few more cheers rang out that time, but hardly a full chorus.
Other introductory speakers made clear Biden has no intention of relinquishing the electability argument.
“He’s our best chance to beat you-know-who in the White House,” said Michelle Kwan, the Olympic medal–winning figure skater who serves as Biden’s director of surrogates.
“Joe Biden can beat Donald Trump,” added John Lynch, the former New Hampshire governor. (Lynch, the kind of warm-up act typically charged with rallying supporters to deliver a big win, offered only that “together, we will help Joe Biden do very well in the New Hampshire primary.”)
Biden finally took the microphone about an hour later than scheduled, after aides fiddled extensively with a teleprompter that didn’t seem to be doing what they wanted it to. He hunched over to greet a few of the children in the crowd, sheepishly apologizing that he was about to bore them with politics before promising ice cream afterward. Then he switched into fighter mode. “Who else has brought leaders together to address any problems?” “I’m not new to this issue.” “I’m the only one who...”
On and on it went: I, I, I, I, I. Me, me, me, me, me. The words “democratic socialist” rolled off Biden’s tongue more acidically than they had the night before. “So when Sen. Sanders attacks me for having baggage, I have to tell you, 60-plus candidates I campaigned for in the toughest districts in the country in 24 states in the 2018 election, they didn't think I had any baggage,” Biden said. “So ask yourself: Will it be easier or harder for Democrats to win with a socialist — a democratic socialist at the top of the ticket, self-stated — or is it going to be harder?”
For the 38-year-old Buttigieg, Biden had indignance. “Mayor Pete, who is a good guy, likes to call me part of the old failed Washington. Really?” Then the 77-year-old Biden plunged ahead: “Mayor Pete likes to say the only time Democrats win the presidency is when we nominate someone new. But here's what he never mentions: The only Democrats to win the presidency is where we have overwhelming support from the African American community and don’t take it for granted. That was true for Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.”
It’s the effort Buttigieg and his advisers have made to present Buttigieg as an Obamalike figure — a young, historic candidate (in this case a married gay man) who surprises the political world — that seems to most annoy Biden. Some of those advisers, after all, worked for Obama (and for Biden), and in Biden’s mind they should know better.
During the Saturday session with reporters at the field office, CNN’s Jeff Zeleny asked if Biden’s attacks on Buttigieg amounted to “an act of desperation,” akin to Hillary Clinton questioning Obama’s lack of experience in 2008. “Oh come on, man,” Biden responded. “This guy’s not Barack Obama.”
There were many "come on, man"s — not coincidentally a favorite Obama rejoinder — over the 20 minutes Biden took questions. His traveling press secretary pleaded “last question” and “guys, that’s all the time we have” several times before prying Biden away. So pronounced was the vibe that a BBC reporter backed into one of the four or five “last” questions with an observation: “You’re clearly a little angry this afternoon.”
Biden cut him off: “I’m not angry!”
So how are his spirits? “My spirits are up!” he said. “Look at all of the endorsements I’ve gotten since Iowa — since Iowa!”
This is not the campaign Biden wants to run. Until recently, Biden has looked past the primary. He prefaces almost every Sanders or Buttigieg critique by saying they’re not bad guys. “I have never been very comfortable attacking somebody else,” Biden told reporters.
He’s fighting back because this is not how he wants the campaign to end, with his legacy in shambles at the hands of a socialist or small-town mayor. (Of comfort to Biden aides: Some in Buttigieg’s cheering section Saturday night at a Democratic dinner in Manchester gave Biden a standing ovation when he talked about the importance of beating Trump.)
But it’s also telling that at this moment Biden is equating the prospect of losing a political race — that "I’ll be damned if I lose my country too" line — with the personal tragedies he’s suffered. His understanding of loss may be a bigger part of his political identity than his service to Obama is. On Sunday, he detailed more of the stories of loss and suffering that people have brought to him in recent weeks — one woman who was mourning her father. A man who lost his job and didn’t know what to tell his family. Another who's been revived from three serious heart attacks and is now dying of prostate cancer.
If there’s one thing Biden does right as a candidate, it’s grief. And this weekend, it wasn’t hard to see him going through the stages somewhat out of order as they relate to his campaign: the acceptance, the anger, the denial.
When Biden finally arrived at his Manchester field office Saturday — 25 minutes late, which meant the few canvassers who showed up began their shift late — he offered a maudlin vow.
“The reports of our death,” he promised, “are premature.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-08--The Democratic Primary Is A Mess. Michael Bloomberg Is Taking Advantage.

NORFOLK , Virginia — While the rest of the Democratic field showed up in New Hampshire still unclear about who , exactly , won the Iowa caucuses , Mike Bloomberg was elsewhere .
He was in Philadelphia ; he was in Providence , Rhode Island ; he was in Norfolk , Virginia .
This weekend , he ’ s going to Alabama and Oklahoma .
In light of the morass other Democrats have found themselves in after the app-induced Iowa debacle , in which days passed before it became clear that Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg essentially tied , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t winnow the field as it usually does , and the negative attacks between candidates have started to pick up .
But the former mayor of New York City , who only entered the race in November , is simply staying out of the fray — and there are signs his campaign is appealing to voters who are looking for an alternative to a struggling Joe Biden .
“ I didn ’ t make a decision to stay out , I came in too late to get in , so I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Bloomberg told me on Wednesday when I asked him whether the Iowa mess made him feel vindicated about his decision to largely skip the four early states .
“ There ’ s plenty of chances , there ’ s lots of elections coming up in every other state .
There ’ s still 46 states to hear from , and that ’ s where I ’ m gon na compete.
” “ It ’ s hard to believe that anybody could go into something with a piece of software that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunch of amateurs on the back of an envelope , I guess , because it certainly didn ’ t work , ” Bloomberg said of the Iowa caucuses .
“ It ’ s just irresponsible.
” “ After more than a year of this primary , the field is as unsettled as ever , ” Bloomberg spokesperson Galia Slayen said in a statement this week .
“ No one has made the sale or even come close to it.
” The Bloomberg way is unusual in modern presidential politics , which emphasizes vague @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more technical nuts and bolts of winning the nomination .
And yes , there ’ s no other campaign quite like Bloomberg ’ s .
First , there ’ s its sheer size ; the campaign announced this week it plans to soon swell to 2,000 staffers .
Then , there ’ s its unusual strategy : Instead of flooding states that vote early in the primary calendar in the hope of capturing momentum , Bloomberg is targeting states that vote later , many of which offer many more delegates up for grabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And he ’ s running as though in some ways he ’ s already the nominee , hardly mentioning his primary opponents and casting himself as the “ un-Trump.
” That ’ s a direct quote , which he said during his Wednesday speech in Providence , where he was joined by the state ’ s governor , Gina Raimondo , a moderate Democrat .
Raimondo endorsed Bloomberg , the first governor to do so .
Bloomberg has begun picking up high-profile endorsements , including from former Navy secretary Richard Spencer , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eddie Gallagher case .
Being a billionaire , Bloomberg is able to challenge Trump on a level that no other candidate can apart from Tom Steyer , who has chosen a much different tack .
Instead of pretending to not be a superrich guy , Bloomberg embraces it , and argues that he ’ s more real of a billionaire than Trump is .
He is not a Trump-style braggart , but he ’ s not opposed to a little of that either .
During his Rhode Island speech , he praised Raimondo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term despite the fact that she ’ ll finish her second term in 2023 .
“ I ’ m told they have term limits here , ” Bloomberg said .
“ I had term limits too.
” ( Bloomberg was mayor for three terms , running twice as a Republican and once as an independent .
The New York City Council voted to change New York ’ s rules so that a mayor could serve for three terms instead of two in 2008 , enabling Bloomberg to win a third term ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ interrupted by protesters yelling about Jeffrey Epstein ; as they were escorted out , Bloomberg joked , “ a cynic might say I hired them to make me look good.
” Bloomberg was then interrupted by a protester shouting about stop-and-frisk and NYPD surveillance of Muslim communities , policies from his mayoral administration that enraged progressives .
“ It ’ s nice that people have first amendment rights , ” Bloomberg said .
“ People ask me , ‘ Do you really want a general election between two New York billionaires ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day after the Iowa caucuses .
“ To which I say , ‘ Who ’ s the other one ?
’ ” “ I have no patience for toadies and sycophants , ” Bloomberg said in his Friday speech in Norfolk .
“ My ego doesn ’ t need the stroking .
I hate to break this to you , but I ’ m not insecure about who I am – and I ’ m comfortable with people disagreeing with me and telling me so.
” Bloomberg ’ s needling , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught Trump ’ s attention ; the president has repeatedly tweeted about him and assigned him a mean nickname , “ Mini Mike.
” Is all this bravado working ?
Depends on who you ask .
Multiple voters I spoke with at Bloomberg events this past week said they had initially thought they would support Joe Biden , but were now turned off by Biden ’ s struggling campaign .
Into this breach steps Bloomberg , who presents a moderate alternative who to some voters feels more seasoned than Buttigieg .
Amanda Nawrot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said she would “ definitely ” consider Bloomberg now that Biden ’ s campaign is stumbling .
“ I like all the candidates but I worry that Buttigieg doesn ’ t have enough experience against Trump , ” she said .
“ I already knew about him and so I came here impressed , ” said Eric S. , 67 , a software developer from Providence , who declined to give his last name .
“ But he really confirmed everything that I was thinking , which is that he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand up and not lose his head and make good decisions.
” “ The Iowa thing made me decide to come down here and see what ’ s going on , ” Eric said .
“ I was for Biden but I don ’ t think he ’ s able to prevail , and so I have to think about that.
” John Burns , 75 , who was also at Bloomberg ’ s event in Providence , said he had been leaning Biden previously .
But he ’ s detected “ no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has switched his support to Bloomberg , believing that Bloomberg can beat Trump in the key swing state of Florida .
There ’ s something happening , but it ’ s not clear yet what it is .
Bloomberg has been rising in national polling , but is still well behind the top tier .
Apart from Raimondo and Spencer , Bloomberg won the endorsement this week of Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens , another moderate Democrat whose endorsement might have gone to Biden .
Bloomberg ’ s money means he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over the country , increasing his visibility in places where other candidates haven ’ t been able to start competing .
And a DNC rules change means that Bloomberg will likely be able to participate in the next debate — since he ’ s self-funding his campaign , he had thus far been unable to qualify for debates because of DNC rules about how many individual donors a candidate must have .
Bloomberg has said that his only goal is to defeat Trump , and that even if he is not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive fortune to support whoever is .
And this in itself is a message that appeals to many Democratic voters , who are uninterested in the internecine arguments dividing the party and simply want to beat Trump no matter what .
“ Anybody , literally anybody but Trump , ” said Richard Hahn , 60 , who came out to see Bloomberg in Norfolk .
Hahn said Bloomberg was “ the only sensible candidate running right now , ” and is impressed by his being a “ self-made billionaire ” and that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has committed to paying them through the election regardless of the outcome .
“ The truth is I ’ ll vote for any Democrat , ” said Eric S , from Providence .
“ It doesn ’ t matter .
I ’ m going to be with whoever runs against Trump.
” “ I listened to [ Bloomberg ] about two weeks ago , three weeks ago .
And then I started pulling up research on him , ” said Bobby Buxton , 65 , a retired financial advisor who attended Bloomberg ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I started looking into his background .
And I started listening to other people talk to him .
And then , you know , when the noise gets loud enough that you can hear it ...
The noise was quiet in the beginning , but the noise is getting louder.
” The noise is getting loud enough that Bloomberg ’ s opponents are starting to have to respond to it .
In Friday night ’ s debate in New Hampshire , moderator George Stephanopoulos asked the candidates about Spencer ’ s endorsement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think you 're better positioned than Bloomberg to beat Trump ?
” “ I do n't think anyone ought to be able to buy their way into a nomination or to be president of the United States , ” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said .
“ I do n't think any billionaire ought to be able to do it , and I do n't think people who suck up to billionaires in order to fund their campaigns ought to do it.
” “ People do n't look at the guy in the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ richer ?
” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said .
“ I do n't think they think that .
They want to have someone that they can understand.
” “ There are millions of people who can desire to run for office , but I guess if you 're worth $ 60 billion and you can spend several hundred million dollars on commercials , you have a slight advantage , ” Sen. Bernie Sanders said .
“ That is nonsense .
”

NORFOLK, Virginia — While the rest of the Democratic field showed up in New Hampshire still unclear about who, exactly, won the Iowa caucuses, Mike Bloomberg was elsewhere.
He was in Philadelphia; he was in Providence, Rhode Island; he was in Norfolk, Virginia. This weekend, he’s going to Alabama and Oklahoma.
In light of the morass other Democrats have found themselves in after the app-induced Iowa debacle, in which days passed before it became clear that Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg essentially tied, the primary race is fluid. Iowa didn’t winnow the field as it usually does, and the negative attacks between candidates have started to pick up. But the former mayor of New York City, who only entered the race in November, is simply staying out of the fray — and there are signs his campaign is appealing to voters who are looking for an alternative to a struggling Joe Biden.
“I didn’t make a decision to stay out. I came in too late to get in, so I can’t take credit for that,” Bloomberg told me on Wednesday when I asked him whether the Iowa mess made him feel vindicated about his decision to largely skip the four early states. “There’s plenty of chances. There’s lots of elections coming up in every other state. There’s still 46 states to hear from, and that’s where I’m gonna compete.”
“It’s hard to believe that anybody could go into something with a piece of software that’s never been tested and written by a bunch of amateurs on the back of an envelope, I guess, because it certainly didn’t work,” Bloomberg said of the Iowa caucuses. “It’s just irresponsible.”
“After more than a year of this primary, the field is as unsettled as ever,” Bloomberg spokesperson Galia Slayen said in a statement this week. “No one has made the sale or even come close to it.”
The Bloomberg way is unusual in modern presidential politics, which emphasizes vague concepts like “momentum” over the more technical nuts and bolts of winning the nomination. And yes, there’s no other campaign quite like Bloomberg’s. First, there’s its sheer size; the campaign announced this week it plans to soon swell to 2,000 staffers. Then, there’s its unusual strategy: Instead of flooding states that vote early in the primary calendar in the hope of capturing momentum, Bloomberg is targeting states that vote later, many of which offer many more delegates up for grabs than Iowa or New Hampshire do. And he’s running as though in some ways he’s already the nominee, hardly mentioning his primary opponents and casting himself as the “un-Trump.”
That’s a direct quote, which he said during his Wednesday speech in Providence, where he was joined by the state’s governor, Gina Raimondo, a moderate Democrat. Raimondo endorsed Bloomberg, the first governor to do so. Bloomberg has begun picking up high-profile endorsements, including from former Navy secretary Richard Spencer, whom President Trump fired in November over the Eddie Gallagher case.
Being a billionaire, Bloomberg is able to challenge Trump on a level that no other candidate can apart from Tom Steyer, who has chosen a much different tack. Instead of pretending to not be a super-rich guy, Bloomberg embraces it and argues that he’s more real of a billionaire than Trump is. He is not a Trump-style braggart, but he’s not opposed to a little of that either. During his Rhode Island speech, he praised Raimondo, suggesting she should run for another term despite the fact that she’ll finish her second term in 2023. “I’m told they have term limits here,” Bloomberg said. “I had term limits too.” (Bloomberg was mayor for three terms, running twice as a Republican and once as an independent. The New York City Council voted to change New York’s rules so that a mayor could serve for three terms instead of two in 2008, enabling Bloomberg to win a third term).
Bloomberg’s speech in Providence was interrupted by protesters yelling about Jeffrey Epstein; as they were escorted out, Bloomberg joked, “a cynic might say I hired them to make me look good.” Bloomberg was then interrupted by a protester shouting about stop-and-frisk and NYPD surveillance of Muslim communities, policies from his mayoral administration that enraged progressives. “It’s nice that people have first amendment rights,” Bloomberg said.
“People ask me, ‘Do you really want a general election between two New York billionaires?’” Bloomberg told an audience in Philadelphia the day after the Iowa caucuses. “To which I say, ‘Who’s the other one?’”
“I have no patience for toadies and sycophants,” Bloomberg said in his Friday speech in Norfolk. “My ego doesn’t need the stroking. I hate to break this to you, but I’m not insecure about who I am — and I’m comfortable with people disagreeing with me and telling me so.”
Bloomberg’s needling, and the scale of his campaign, has caught Trump’s attention; the president has repeatedly tweeted about him and assigned him a mean nickname, “Mini Mike.”
Is all this bravado working? Depends on who you ask.
Multiple voters I spoke with at Bloomberg events this past week said they had initially thought they would support Joe Biden, but were now turned off by Biden’s struggling campaign. Into this breach steps Bloomberg, who presents a moderate alternative who to some voters feels more seasoned than Buttigieg.
Amanda Nawrot, 38, of Chesapeake, Virginia, said she would “definitely” consider Bloomberg now that Biden’s campaign is stumbling. “I like all the candidates, but I worry that Buttigieg doesn’t have enough experience against Trump,” she said.
“I already knew about him and so I came here impressed,” said Eric S., 67, a software developer from Providence, who declined to give his last name. “But he really confirmed everything that I was thinking, which is that he’s levelheaded and experienced and tough enough to stand up and not lose his head and make good decisions.”
“The Iowa thing made me decide to come down here and see what’s going on,” Eric said. “I was for Biden but I don’t think he’s able to prevail, and so I have to think about that.”
John Burns, 75, who was also at Bloomberg’s event in Providence, said he had been leaning Biden previously. But he’s detected “no enthusiasm” for Biden’s campaign and has switched his support to Bloomberg, believing that Bloomberg can beat Trump in the key swing state of Florida.
There’s something happening, but it’s not clear yet what it is. Bloomberg has been rising in national polling but is still well behind the top tier. Apart from Raimondo and Spencer, Bloomberg won the endorsement this week of Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, another moderate Democrat whose endorsement might have gone to Biden. Bloomberg’s money means he’s able to flood the airwaves with advertisements all over the country, increasing his visibility in places where other candidates haven’t been able to start competing. And a DNC rules change means that Bloomberg will likely be able to participate in the next debate — since he’s self-funding his campaign, he had thus far been unable to qualify for debates because of DNC rules about how many individual donors a candidate must have.
Bloomberg has said that his only goal is to defeat Trump, and that even if he is not the nominee, he’ll use his massive fortune to support whoever is. And this in itself is a message that appeals to many Democratic voters, who are uninterested in the internecine arguments dividing the party and simply want to beat Trump no matter what.
“Anybody, literally anybody but Trump,” said Richard Hahn, 60, who came out to see Bloomberg in Norfolk. Hahn said Bloomberg was “the only sensible candidate running right now,” and is impressed by his being a “self-made billionaire” and that he’s paying his staff well and has committed to paying them through the election regardless of the outcome.
“The truth is I’ll vote for any Democrat,” said Eric S, from Providence. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to be with whoever runs against Trump.”
“I listened to [Bloomberg] about two weeks ago, three weeks ago. And then I started pulling up research on him,” said Bobby Buxton, 65, a retired financial adviser who attended Bloomberg’s event in Norfolk. “And I started looking into his background. And I started listening to other people talk to him. And then, you know, when the noise gets loud enough that you can hear it...The noise was quiet in the beginning, but the noise is getting louder.”
The noise is getting loud enough that Bloomberg’s opponents are starting to have to respond to it. In Friday night’s debate in New Hampshire, moderator George Stephanopoulos asked the candidates about Spencer’s endorsement of Bloomberg, saying, “Why do you think you're better positioned than Bloomberg to beat Trump?”
“I don't think anyone ought to be able to buy their way into a nomination or to be president of the United States,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. “I don't think any billionaire ought to be able to do it, and I don't think people who suck up to billionaires in order to fund their campaigns ought to do it.”
“People don't look at the guy in the White House and say, can we get someone richer?” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said. “I don't think they think that. They want to have someone that they can understand.”
“There are millions of people who can desire to run for office, but I guess if you're worth $60 billion and you can spend several hundred million dollars on commercials, you have a slight advantage,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said. “That is nonsense.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-08--How You Know Pete Buttigieg Is A Frontrunner: His Rivals Kept Targeting Him In Friday’s Debate

MANCHESTER , New Hampshire — Pete Buttigieg finally got the frontrunner ’ s treatment : One by one , his rivals at Friday ’ s Democratic presidential debate took their shots .
Their focus on Buttigieg , at times egged on by the moderators , reflected how serious a threat they now regard the former mayor from South Bend , Indiana .
Buttigieg earned a virtual split victory with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in this week ’ s Iowa caucuses — a result that elevated Buttigieg over former vice president Joe Biden and others as a moderate or consensus-building alternative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Almost as soon as the debate ended , a new poll of New Hampshire showed Buttigieg in a dead heat with Sanders .
“ I don ’ t have 40 billionaires , Pete , contributing to my campaign , ” Sanders charged during the second half of the debate , landing an attack he and his supporters had been telegraphing all day and meant to brand Buttigieg as beholden to corporate interests .
Biden got the pile-on started early , after some prodding from ABC News ’ George Stephanopoulos , who noted Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Mayor Buttigieg is a great guy and a real patriot , ” Biden began politely , nodding to Buttigieg ’ s military service in Afghanistan before pivoting to a reminder of Buttigieg ’ s struggles to register support among voters of color .
“ He 's a mayor of a small city who has done some good things , but has not demonstrated he has the ability to — and we 'll soon find out — to get a broad scope of support across the support , including African Americans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who made the night ’ s most persistent case against Buttigieg , compared his inexperience in national politics to Donald Trump ’ s before he was elected president .
“ We have a newcomer in the White House , ” she said , “ and look where it got us.
” She returned to that theme again in her closing statement , emphasizing that she ’ s “ not a political newcomer with no record.
” There also was Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who bluntly answered “ no ” — before going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was satisfied with Buttigieg ’ s answer on racial inequities in the criminal justice system .
Even hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer got in on it , arguing the 38-year-old lacked the chops to take on Trump .
“ We need people with experience , ” Steyer said .
“ That ’ s why I ’ m worried about Mayor Pete .
You need to be able to go toe to toe with this guy and take him down on the debate stage or we ’ re going to lose.
” Entrepreneur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this stage to spare Buttigieg .
Buttigieg ’ s advisers had been preparing him for such confrontations for months .
But with the exception of a few minor scrapes in November and Warren ’ s memorable eruption over Buttigieg ’ s now-infamous wine cave fundraiser in December , Buttigieg had never faced a sustained barrage of attacks .
Aides sensed that could change Friday , and Buttigieg quickly parried each attack before retreating to well-rehearsed sections of his usual stump speech .
Though some of the incoming was sharp , no line seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instant-classic levels of past pre-New Hampshire primary debates .
( Think Barack Obama ’ s “ You ’ re likable enough , Hillary ” or Chris Christie ’ s takedown of Marco Rubio in 2016 . )
At one point Buttigieg even shared a kind exchange with Biden , on the question of whether investigations into the business dealings of Biden ’ s son , Hunter , would be problematic if the former vice president is the nominee .
“ No , ” Buttigieg replied firmly .
“ And we 're not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is not about Hunter Biden or Vice President Biden or any Biden .
This is about an abuse of power by the president.
” “ Look , the vice president and I and all of us are competing , ” Buttigieg continued after applause , “ but we 've got to draw a line here .
And to be the kind of president , to be the kind of human being who would seek to turn someone against his own son , who would seek to weaponize a son against his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is just one more example of why we as a party have to be completely united in doing whatever it takes at the end of the day to make sure that this president does not get a second term.
” Biden was appreciative .
“ Look , ” he said , “ I thank my colleague for saying that.
” The clash between Sanders and Buttigieg could have a more lasting impact on where Democrats go in 2020 .
Earlier Friday , during a speech at St. Anselm ’ s Politics & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name , riffing on headlines about the former mayor ’ s contributions from billionaires and setting up his line later that night .
One of Sanders ’ s advisers , David Sirota , repeatedly tweeted about Buttigieg Friday , using the hashtag # PetesBillionaires and prodding him over his opposition to Medicare for All .
His national press secretary was even sharper .

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Pete Buttigieg finally got the frontrunner’s treatment: One by one, his rivals at Friday’s Democratic presidential debate took their shots.
Their focus on Buttigieg, at times egged on by the moderators, reflected how serious a threat they now regard the former mayor from South Bend, Indiana.
Buttigieg earned a virtual split victory with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in this week’s Iowa caucuses — a result that elevated Buttigieg over former vice president Joe Biden and others as a moderate or consensus-building alternative to Sanders, a democratic socialist. Almost as soon as the debate ended, a new poll of New Hampshire showed Buttigieg in a dead heat with Sanders.
“I don’t have 40 billionaires, Pete, contributing to my campaign,” Sanders charged during the second half of the debate, landing an attack he and his supporters had been telegraphing all day and meant to brand Buttigieg as beholden to corporate interests.
Biden got the pile-on started early, after some prodding from ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, who noted Biden’s recently increased criticism of Buttigieg.
“Mayor Buttigieg is a great guy and a real patriot,” Biden began politely, nodding to Buttigieg’s military service in Afghanistan before pivoting to a reminder of the former mayor's struggles to register support among voters of color.
“He's a mayor of a small city who has done some good things, but has not demonstrated he has the ability to — and we'll soon find out — to get a broad scope of support across the support, including African Americans and Latinos.”
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who made the night’s most persistent case against Buttigieg, compared his inexperience in national politics to Donald Trump’s before he was elected president. “We have a newcomer in the White House,” she said, “and look where it got us.” She returned to that theme again in her closing statement, emphasizing that she’s “not a political newcomer with no record.”
There also was Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who bluntly answered “no” — before going into greater detail — when asked if she was satisfied with Buttigieg’s answer on racial inequities in the criminal justice system. Even hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer got in on it, arguing the 38-year-old lacked the chops to take on Trump.
“We need people with experience,” Steyer said. “That’s why I’m worried about Mayor Pete. You need to be able to go toe to toe with this guy and take him down on the debate stage or we’re going to lose.”
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang was the only candidate on this stage to spare Buttigieg.
Buttigieg’s advisers had been preparing him for such confrontations for months. But with the exception of a few minor scrapes in November and Warren’s memorable eruption over Buttigieg’s now-infamous wine cave fundraiser in December, Buttigieg had never faced a sustained barrage of attacks.
Aides sensed that could change Friday, and Buttigieg quickly parried each attack before retreating to well-rehearsed sections of his usual stump speech. Though some of the incoming was sharp, no line seemed to rise to the immediate game-changing or instant-classic levels of past pre-New Hampshire primary debates. (Think Barack Obama’s “You’re likable enough, Hillary” or Chris Christie’s takedown of Marco Rubio in 2016.)
At one point Buttigieg even shared a kind exchange with Biden, on the question of whether investigations into the business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter, would be problematic if the former vice president is the nominee.
“No,” Buttigieg replied firmly. “And we're not going to let them change the subject. This is not about Hunter Biden or Vice President Biden or any Biden. This is about an abuse of power by the president.”
“Look, the vice president and I and all of us are competing,” Buttigieg continued after applause, “but we've got to draw a line here. And to be the kind of president, to be the kind of human being who would seek to turn someone against his own son, who would seek to weaponize a son against his own father, is an unbelievably dishonorable thing that is just one more example of why we as a party have to be completely united in doing whatever it takes at the end of the day to make sure that this president does not get a second term.”
Biden was appreciative. “Look,” he said, “I thank my colleague for saying that.”
The clash between Sanders and Buttigieg could have a more lasting impact on where Democrats go in 2020. Earlier Friday, during a speech at St. Anselm’s Politics & Eggs series, Sanders criticized Buttigieg by name, riffing on headlines about the former mayor’s contributions from billionaires and setting up his line later that night. One of Sanders’s advisers, David Sirota, repeatedly tweeted about Buttigieg Friday, using the hashtag #PetesBillionaires and prodding him over his opposition to Medicare for All. His national press secretary was even sharper.