As if 9 were 15
If six days have already gone by, why does Mike Pence continue to say “fifteen days to slow the spread” and not “we now have only nine days”? Instead of urgency, we get a special blend of stupidity and dishonesty.
Poor Dr. Fauci
Now with music.
Rewriting history
The New York Times: “The president tried to rewrite his history with advising Americans about the coronavirus. His own words prove him wrong.” Or as a non-Times writer once put it, “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
Hat trick
WAFA.
Unfit
I’m watching Donald Trump* struggle to read what’s been written for him and thinking, Unfit, unfit, unfit. What are those standing behind him thinking?
Even in a pandemic
Representative Adam Schiff (D, California-18): “You know you can’t trust this president to do what’s right for this country. You can trust he will do what’s right for Donald Trump.”
Community spread
“A resident of Washington, D.C., has been identified as the source of the community spread of coronavirus misinformation throughout the United States.”
“You must persist”
From an e-mail Elizabeth Warren sent this morning to donors, announcing the suspension of her campaign for the presidency.
The blind king
A New Yorker cover.
“The 4d’s”
“Dismiss the message, distort the facts, distract the audience, and express dismay at the whole thing.”
Back to the USSR canard
Hearing the assertion that Bernie and Jane Sanders honeymooned in the Soviet Union, I thought, What? And then I remembered writing a post about that canard in 2016.
Trump* in Colorado
If you can stand it, Aaron Rupar has short clips from Donald Trump*’s rally last night in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“The truth still matters”
United States District Judge Amy Bergman Jackson, sentencing Roger Stone today: “The truth still exists. The truth still matters.”
Sherrod Brown on fear and power
Sherrod Brown: “For the stay-in-office-at-all-cost representatives and senators, fear is the motivator.”
Unhinged and wired
Sniff. Sniff. Sniff.
“Lying”
An especially good episode of the BBC Radio 4 podcast Word of Mouth: “Lying,” with Michael Rosen, Laura Wright, and guest Dawn Archer, professor of pragmatics and corpus linguistics.
“Don’t be surprised, be angry”
Words from Garry Kasparov.
Autocratic solipsism
Alan Dershowitz, I regret to say, is the Rudolph Giuliani of Stanley Fishes.
16,241
The Washington Post reports that Donald Trump* has made 16,241 false or misleading claims since becoming president.
Trump* and lies
The Washington Post reports that Donald Trump has made more than 15,000 “false or misleading claims” while in office. So when Trump says that Qassim Suleimani “was planning a very major attack,” there is no reason to believe what he says.
“Not part of my portfolio”
She’s complicit.
The Lincoln Project
A Times opinion piece by George T. Conway III, Steve Schmidt, John Weaver, and Rick Wilson, “We Are Republicans, and We Want Trump Defeated,” announces the Lincoln Project.
“A perfect summary of this whole scheme”
Adam Schiff: “The President doesn’t give a shit about what’s good for our country, what’s good for Ukraine. It’s all about what’s in it for him personally and for his reëlection campaign.”
Karlan +3
I would like every witness for today’s impeachment hearing to be Pamela S. Karlan.
Telling the truth
ieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a few minutes ago, addressing his father: “Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth.”
NYT commentary
On today’s impeachment hearing.
Thuggery
Complete with witness intimidation in real time!
Object vs. subject
I’m impressed by William Taylor’s distinction between Ukraine as object (a nation to be exploited, manipulated) and Ukraine as subject (a nation seeking to exercise agency, autonomy).
NYT commentary
The New York Times has a running commentary on today’s impeachment hearing, with eight reporters. Very helpful.
“Language that will clarify”
In The New York Times, a plea from thirty-three writers: “Please use language that will clarify the issues at hand.” “Bribery” or “extortion.” Not “quid pro quo.”