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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Friday, February 22, 2019 7:58 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Friday,
February 22, 2019


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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=001-8cf&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Friday, February 22, 2019 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• WTimes: Biden Likely Would Have Support From “Trump-Like Coalition” In
Democratic Race. <#S1>

• Ex-RNC Chief Steele Has Words Of Praise For Biden. <#S2>

• Biden, Klobuchar Met With Hillary Clinton This Month About 2020 Race.
<#S3>

• Media Outlets Highlight NBC News Story On Biden’s 2020 Deliberations.
<#S4>

• Polling Experts: Harris, Sanders, Warren Would Likely Benefit The Most
From Biden’s Absence. <#S5>

• Focusing On 2020 Democratic Race, Columnist Discusses “Electability.”
<#S6>

• Business Insider Examines Age Factor In 2020 Race. <#S7>

• Peebles Floats Idea Of Biden Tapping Harris As His Running Mate. <#S8>

• Group Co-Chaired By Biden Asks Candidates To Not “Aid And Abet” Foreign
Election Interference. <#S9>

• Democrat-Aligned Super PAC Says It Will Spend $100M In Key 2020
Battlegrounds. <#S10>

• Politico: Sanders Holds Edge Over Warren Early In Fight For Support From
The Left. <#S11>

• Harris, Warren Support Slavery Reparations. <#S12>

• Klobuchar Banking On Moderate Approach In Quest For Democratic Nomination.
<#S13>

• Raft Of Top New Jersey Democrats Back Booker’s 2020 Bid. <#S14>

• Castro Stumps In Iowa. <#S15>

• New Super PAC Focused On Climate Change Would Back Inslee In 2020 Race.
<#S16>

• WPost Examines Democrat Delaney’s 2020 Policy Platform. <#S17>

• Visiting Iowa, Bennet Blasts Trump, Freedom Caucus Members As “Tyrants.”
<#S18>

• NYTimes: De Blasio’s Attacks On Amazon Possibly Made With 2020 In Mind.
<#S19>

• WPost’s Tumulty Profiles Buttigieg. <#S20>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• Giuliani Expects Mueller Report “In The Next Two Weeks.” <#S21>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• Pompeo: North Korea’s “Complete Denuclearization” Remains US’ Objective.
<#S22>

• US And Chinese Officials Reportedly Making Progress On Several
“Structural Issues.” <#S23>

• Despite US Pressure, Huawei Prospering In Other Countries. <#S24>

• Pence To Visit South America Monday, Make Case For Maduro’s Departure.
<#S25>

• Putin: Russia Is Prepared For Another Cuban Missile-Style Crisis. <#S26>

• EU Weighs Three-Month “Technical” Brexit Delay. <#S27>

• Two Hundred US Troops To Stay In Syria. <#S28>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Senate Democrats To Introduce Legislation To Block Border Emergency
Declaration. <#S29>

• Trump: Smollett Insulted “Tens Of Millions” With “Racist And Dangerous
Comments.” <#S30>

• Coast Guard Officer Accused Of Compiling “Hit List” Denied Bail. <#S31>

• McConnell Urges Trump To Name Craft UN Ambassador. <#S32>

• Judge: Acosta Broke Law By Hiding Epstein Plea Deal From Underage Girls
He Trafficked. <#S33>

• Many Taxpayers Facing Tax Bills Instead Of Refunds Under New Tax Law.
<#S34>

• Trump Touts Economy At Black History Month Event. <#S35>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• City Of Hope Receives Third Lymphoma SPORE Grant From NCI. <#S36>

• Integrating Heart Disease, Cancer Care Could Lower Costs, According To
Study. <#S37>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S38>

• Washington Post. <#S39>
Biden in the News
WTimes: Biden Likely Would Have Support From “Trump-Like Coalition” In
Democratic Race.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=002-9e4&t=c>
(2/21, McLaughlin) reports that if former Vice President Joe Biden enters
the 2020 race for the White House, “he’s looking at a Trump-like coalition
of support within the Democratic Party, with backing from men, the
less-educated and older voters.” The Times says, “The latest Monmouth
Polling Institute national survey showed” Biden with “a double-digit lead
over the pack of contenders. Self-described moderates, the 50-plus crowd,
white voters without a college degree, and men are his most fervent
supporters. That’s a serious deviation from the liberal multiracial
coalition that powered President Barack Obama – and Mr. Biden, on the same
ticket – to victories in 2008 and 2012, then boosted Democrats to a
majority in the House in November’s elections.”
Ex-RNC Chief Steele Has Words Of Praise For Biden.

Yahoo! News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=003-c90&t=c>
(2/21, Nazaryan) reports that ex-RNC chief Michael Steele views the 2020
Democratic presidential field “as moving too far left for a nation that, he
maintains, is ‘center-right’ at its ideological core.” However, in an
interview, Steele praised former Vice President Joe Biden, saying, “He is
everyman. He’s a guy who goes to a fish fry and is as comfortable talking
to folks with greasy fingers as he is sipping tea at a tea soirée.” Steele
dismissed “any age-related concerns” about Biden and also doesn’t think
Biden’s lengthy time in the Senate “poses a potential minefield of
questionable decisions about his opposition to school desegregation and,
later, lack of support for Anita Hill” during the hearings on Supreme Court
nominee Clarence Thomas. Of those hearings, Steele said, “We’ve litigated
that. Go out and poll and ask people about Anita Hill and Joe Biden. and
let me know what you get. I’m gonna tell you what you’re gonna get:
nothing.”
Biden, Klobuchar Met With Hillary Clinton This Month About 2020 Race.

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=004-859&t=c>
(2/21, Merica) reported that Hillary Clinton earlier this month met with
former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) “to talk
about the 2020 presidential election,” according to “a source close to the
2016 Democratic presidential nominee.” CNN added, “The meetings happened at
Clinton’s home in Washington, DC, and focused on Biden and Klobuchar’s
possible 2020 bids.” CNN said it “reported in January that Clinton had
previously met with Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth
Warren, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
to talk about 2020.” Drawing from the CNN article, The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=005-331&t=c>
(2/21, Burke) and the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=006-95e&t=c>
(2/21, Yilek) also report on the story.
Media Outlets Highlight NBC News Story On Biden’s 2020 Deliberations.

Several media outlets highlight an online NBC News article
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=007-363&t=c>
– covered in yesterday’s briefing – reporting on former Vice President Joe
Biden’s deliberations on a 2020 run for president. Citing the NBC News
report, The Week
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=008-194&t=c>
(2/21, Krawczyk) said that Biden “is really, really close to running for
president. There’s just one thing holding him back: his family.” The Week
added that Biden “is worried opponents will turn his family into a weapon,
Biden aides tell NBC News.” Drawing from NBC News’ story, Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=009-a9c&t=c>
(2/21, Starr) reported, “Given Biden’s fierce loyalty to his family and the
tragedies he has faced – the death of his first wife and daughter in a car
accident and the death four years ago of his son Beau – he may be too
sensitive to any criticism of his personal life that could come his way
from the GOP and/or President Donald Trump.”
Polling Experts: Harris, Sanders, Warren Would Likely Benefit The Most From
Biden’s Absence.

Under the headline “9 Polling Experts Explain What Could Happen If Joe
Biden Doesn’t Run For The Presidency,” Vox
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=00a-876&t=c>
(2/21, Zhou) published brief capsules detailing what “nine polling experts
had to say about the candidates who could take advantage of” the situation,
if former Vice President Joe Biden opted against entering the 2020 race for
president. For instance, Morning Consult’s Cameron Easley said, “Our
figures indicate that at the moment, [Sen. Bernie] Sanders would be the
biggest beneficiary,” followed by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D-CA). Overall, the general consensus among the polling
experts was that Biden’s absence would benefit Harris, Sanders, and Warren
the most.
Focusing On 2020 Democratic Race, Columnist Discusses “Electability.”

Data analyst and immigration columnist David Byler writes for the Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=00b-676&t=c>
(2/21) that in terms of presidential candidates, people “often assume that
what ‘electability’ means is the ability to win over blue-collar white
Midwesterners. And while they’re an extremely important” demographic, “they
aren’t the whole ballgame. There are also votes to be gained among Asians,
Hispanics, blacks and college-educated whites across the country. If
Democrats want to win in 2020, they should pick a truly demographically
electable candidate – one who can appeal to all these groups
simultaneously.” Byler mentions former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen.
Kamala Harris (D-CA) as contenders with the potential “multidimensionality”
to appeal to a swath of demographics.
Business Insider Examines Age Factor In 2020 Race.

Under the heading “Are Bernie Sanders And Joe Biden Too Old To Run For
President? Data Suggests The Answer Is No,” Business Insider
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=00c-337&t=c>
(2/21, Kiersz) reports on the age factor in the 2020 race for president,
saying that former Vice President Joe Biden “will be 77 years old on
Election Day,” while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “will be 79.” While
presidential “candidates have tended to get older, life expectancies have
gotten longer, largely balancing each other out. That said, a 79-year-old
man like Sanders in 2020 would have an average life expectancy of about
8.29 more years, according to the Social Security Administration,” which
“would be the lowest of any major party candidate since 1900. Biden comes
close behind, as a 77-year-old man would on average expect to live” a
little less than 10 more years. In terms of “presidential age, rising life
expectancies mean that old age isn’t what it used to be.”
Peebles Floats Idea Of Biden Tapping Harris As His Running Mate.

In an online article, Fox Business
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=00d-547&t=c>
(2/21, Fernandez) reported that during a Thursday appearance on Fox
Business, Peebles Corp. CEO Don Peebles said that former Vice President Joe
Biden could choose Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) “as his potential running mate
and that the Democratic duo could be a powerful force to go toe-to-toe
against President Trump. ‘Biden saying I am going to do it for four years
because of my age and we are going to groom Kamala Harris to be president,
I think that would be a more compelling and attractive basis to the broader
audience to the party,’ he said.” Peebles “said having Harris as vice
president could present an opportunity for” her “to be groomed for
president after Biden’s first term is completed. ‘Give her time to become
qualified to become president because today she is not,’ Peebles said.”
Group Co-Chaired By Biden Asks Candidates To Not “Aid And Abet” Foreign
Election Interference.

In his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=00e-ade&t=c>
(2/21, Rogin) column, Josh Rogin writes that preventing America’s “enemies
from influencing our next election requires Americans to stop helping them
do it. That’s what former vice president Joe Biden,” in his role as
co-chair of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, “is asking
US candidates and political parties to promise right now.” Rogin says,
“When US politicians take false information that’s part of a foreign
intelligence influence operation and promote it or otherwise use it to
their advantage, that’s tantamount to aiding and abetting the attack, Biden
told an audience in Munich this past weekend.” Rogin adds that “the group’s
latest initiative involves asking first European, then US candidates and
parties to sign a pledge not to ‘aid and abet’ foreign election
interference.”
Democrat-Aligned Super PAC Says It Will Spend $100M In Key 2020
Battlegrounds.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=00f-cc1&t=c>
(2/21, Slodysko) reports that Priorities USA, a Democrat-aligned super PAC,
“plans to spend at least $100 million in battleground states during the
2020 election in hopes of denying President Donald Trump a second term.
Surveys conducted by Priorities USA suggest Trump is vulnerable in many of
the same Rust Belt states that sealed his victory in 2016, such as
Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, as well as Florida.”

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=010-263&t=c>
(2/21, Lim) reported, “Phase one of Priorities USA’s early voter engagement
program will target Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin,
Priorities USA chairman Guy Cecil said during a briefing for reporters. The
PAC will then widen its map to include what the group considers to be the
party’s other ‘core’ states of Nevada and New Hampshire, as well as
‘expansion’ states Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina. The cash will be
injected before the end of the year.” In an online article, NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=011-514&t=c>
(2/21, Kamisar) reported that Cecil “argued that early polling shows
Democrats have ‘opportunity to expand the electorate to the largest, if not
certainly the largest in a generation’ and that he wants to make sure the
party wastes no time in starting that work.”
Politico: Sanders Holds Edge Over Warren Early In Fight For Support From
The Left.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=012-2ac&t=c>
(2/22, Otterbein, Korecki) reports on the nascent battle between Sen.
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), saying that the
lead-up “to their presidential announcements sparked concern on the left
that having both of them in the race would split the activist base and
clear the way for a more moderate nominee.” With both now announced
candidates, Sanders begins the fight for support from the left
“indisputably ahead” of Warren, both in early fundraising and polling.
Politico adds “that the two occupy similar ideological space and will
inevitably be competing for many of the same voters. For the time being,
they seem intent on avoiding one another.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=013-03a&t=c>
(2/22, Greenwood) reported that for Sanders and Warren, “New Hampshire is
emerging as a crucial battleground” – one that’s “a sort of home-state
proxy for the two Democratic hopefuls, given their deep ties to New England
and Sanders’s resounding victory there in his 2016 primary fight against
Hillary Clinton. ‘I think there’s a very high expectation that either
Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders will win,’ said Jim Demers, a veteran
New Hampshire Democratic strategist and informal adviser to Sen. Cory
Booker (D-N.J.) in the state. ‘Only one of them can win, so it means
problems for whichever one doesn’t.’”

*Democratic Rivals To Hit Sanders Over Democratic Socialist Label. *The
Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=014-abf&t=c>
(2/22, Parnes) reports that Sanders’ rivals in the Democratic primary “are
already making the argument that he would be a weaker general election
candidate against President Trump because he is a democratic socialist –
not a Democrat.” A “senior adviser to a rival campaign” is quoted as
saying, “I think socialist is a word that someone who wants to beat Trump
should consider carefully before embracing.” The Hill added that “this
week, 2020 candidates” and potential contenders “have been actively drawing
a distinction with Sanders and his brand.” For instance, asked in New
Hampshire “if she needed to be a democratic socialist to win the Granite
State,” Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) replied, “The people of New Hampshire
will tell me what’s required to compete in New Hampshire, but I will tell
you I am not a democratic socialist.”

*Democrat Meeks: Sanders “Should Run As An Independent. He’s Not A
Democrat.” *In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=015-637&t=c>
(2/21, Kelly) reported that Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) “says...Sanders is
not a Democrat – and that he should therefore not be allowed to run to be
the party’s nominee for president.” The remarks came in the wake of reports
that Sanders, am independent, “will sign a party pledge affirming that he
will run for president as a Democrat in 2020 and, if victorious, serve as a
Democrat.” Appearing Thursday on CNN, Meeks said of Sanders, “If, in fact,
you want to be the Democratic nominee, you should be a Democrat. If you’re
not a Democrat, you should not run. He should run as an independent. He’s
not a Democrat.”

*Florida Democrats Rip Sanders For Refusing To Call Maduro A
Dictator. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=016-60a&t=c>
(2/21, Caputo) reported that Democratic lawmakers in Florida are blasting
Sanders “for refusing to call Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro a
dictator – a politically explosive issue in the nation’s biggest swing
state.” Sanders also declined to “say whether he considered Venezuela’s
assembly leader, Juan Guaidó, as the nation’s interim president, which is
the position of the” US “and a majority of Latin American countries
European countries. Both of Sanders’ positions play into the hands of
President Trump and the GOP, say Democrats.” Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) is
quoted as saying of Sanders, “He is not going to be the nominee of the
Democratic Party. He has demonstrated again that he does not understand
this situation.”

Drawing from Politico’s article, Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=017-2c9&t=c>
(2/21, Atkinson) reported that state Sen. Annette Taddeo (D-FL) said “she’s
‘dumbfounded’ by Sanders’ position. Meanwhile, the Florida Democratic Party
has said: ‘We recognize Juan Guaidó as the President of Venezuela, denounce
the legitimacy of the Maduro regime and his efforts to remain illegally in
power.’”

*In 1986 Video, Sanders Recalled His Excitement About Castro’s
“Revolution.” *The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=018-ed7&t=c>
(2/21, Jerkovich) reported that Sanders “reminisced in 1986 about watching
the 1960 presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon and
how it made him sick to hear them talk tough about Fidel Castro’s uprising.
‘But I remember, for some reason, being very excited when Fidel Castro made
the revolution in Cuba. I was a kid and I remember reading that,’” Sanders
said “in a clip posted by The Reagan Battalion on Thursday.” In the clip,
Sanders said that “Kennedy and Nixon talking about which particular method
they should use about destroying the revolution. ... I actually got up from
the room and almost left to puke because, for the first time in my adult
life, what I was seeing is the Democrats and Republicans, both of them…that
clearly there wasn’t a hold lot of difference between the two.”

Newsweek
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=019-171&t=c>
(2/21, Lemon) reports that Sanders “gave the interview to Vermont’s Channel
17/Town Meeting Television in 1985, while he was the mayor of Burlington.
The interview was first resurfaced ahead of the 2016 presidential campaign
by BuzzFeed and was shared again on Thursday by Mediaite in the wake of
Sanders’s newly launched presidential bid.” Newsweek adds that Sanders
“gave the interview after returning from Nicaragua, at the invitation of
the ruling Sandinista government. The politician also praised the leftist
Sandinistas, calling Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega ‘impressive.’”

*Under Fire From Sanders, Drugmaker Defends $375,000 Treatment
Price. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=01a-9f0&t=c>
(2/21, Mishra) reports that in the wake of criticism from Sanders over its
high drug prices, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc. defended its $375,000 price
for Firdapse, a medication for a rare neuromuscular disease. Prior to the
company being approved to sell the drug on the US market, Jacobus
Pharmaceuticals was able to offer patients Firdapse for free through the
FDA’s compassionate use program. Catalyst “said that Firdapse’s price was
similar to other products that provide a significant clinical benefit in
treating ultra-rare diseases.”
Harris, Warren Support Slavery Reparations.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=01b-334&t=c>
(2/21, Herndon) reports that some of the announced 2020 Democratic
presidential candidates “have started embracing specific goals and overtly
race-conscious legislation that even the most left-wing elected officials
stayed away from in recent years.” The Times says that last week, Sen.
Kamala Harris (D-CA) “agreed with a radio host’s recent suggestion that
government reparations for black Americans were necessary to address the
legacies of slavery and discrimination.” Harris “later affirmed that
support.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) “also said she supported reparations
for black Americans impacted by slavery – a policy that experts say could
cost several trillion dollars, and one that Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton,
Bernie Sanders and many top Democrats have not supported.”
Klobuchar Banking On Moderate Approach In Quest For Democratic Nomination.

Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=01c-00a&t=c>
(2/22, McCormick, Kinery) reports that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) “is
pushing back against some policy ideas favored by the party’s ascendant
progressive wing and championed by several of her competitors in the race”
for the Democratic presidential nomination, opposing “the idea of free
college” and calling “the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-all more
aspirations than realistic goals in meeting the challenges of climate
change and health care.” In doing so, she “is betting that bucking the
emerging party orthodoxy will pay dividends in a field already crowded with
a dozen candidates,” nearly all of whom “are positioning themselves to the
left of Klobuchar. The middle of the road could give her traction in Iowa,”
where “Democrats have a history of giving an early boost to populist
progressive candidates before ultimately landing on more centrist ones when
they get to the caucuses.”
Raft Of Top New Jersey Democrats Back Booker’s 2020 Bid.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=01d-832&t=c>
(2/21, Friedman) reported that Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a presidential
candidate, on Thursday “released a list of endorsements from virtually
every powerful Democratic elected official and leader in New Jersey. The
list of more than 50 Democrats includes Gov. Phil Murphy, First Lady Tammy
Murphy, Sen. Bob Menendez, state Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly
Speaker Craig Coughlin, all 11 Democratic members of the state’s House
delegation, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and all 21 Democratic county chairs.”
Castro Stumps In Iowa.

The Des Moines (IA) Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=01e-9b1&t=c>
(2/21, Opsahl) reports that on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, ex-HUD
Secretary Julián Castro, a presidential candidate, held a town hall event
at Grand View University, where “he answered questions on a variety of
topics, ranging from income inequality to eminent domain and LGBTQ rights.”
During the event, Castro – addressing a “crowd of around 80” – “said he
supports ‘Medicare-for-all,’ but still wants to keep an option for
supplemental private insurance. He supports overhauling the immigration
system, but also in investing more in security at the borders.”
New Super PAC Focused On Climate Change Would Back Inslee In 2020 Race.

The Seattle Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=01f-3f9&t=c>
(2/21, Brunner) reports that if Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) enters the 2020 race
for the White House, “as he’s widely expected to do soon, he’ll have
support from a newly formed super PAC. The group, called Act Now on
Climate, announced its formation Thursday, headed by Corey Platt, who was
political director for the Democratic Governors Association, which Inslee
chaired last year.” Platt, in a statement, described climate change as “the
most pressing issue of our time and the most critical issue the next
President will have to address,” and said the group was created “to ensure
that the conversations surrounding who should be our next President also
include a robust discussion of how we can ensure the very survival of our
planet.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=020-9e4&t=c>
(2/21, Strauss) reported that in an interview, Platt said “that the group
will remain active in the 2020 race even if Inslee does not kick off a
campaign. ‘We hope Jay Inslee runs, because he has been the leading
champion of solving climate change in the Democratic Party,’ Platt said.
‘If he doesn’t, we will continue to work to make sure Democratic
presidential candidates make this issue the priority.’” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=021-ea1&t=c>
(2/21, Wilson) reported that Inslee “has said repeatedly that his platform
would be based on combating climate change, casting it as an economic and
job-creating engine for a new economy, if he launches a bid.” Inslee “has
strongly hinted that he will announce his decision in a matter of weeks.”
WPost Examines Democrat Delaney’s 2020 Policy Platform.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=022-775&t=c>
(2/21, Stein) reports that ex-Rep. John DeLaney (D-MD), a presidential
hopeful, is vowing “to enact a new national service for all young
Americans, a ‘national strategy’ to prepare for the impact of artificial
intelligence on the labor market and a carbon tax among other measures to
fight climate change.” Delaney also pledges “large but unspecified cuts to
the federal debt, a new national health program for everyone younger than
65, and reentering the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.” Delaney’s
“policy platform backs large expansions of the welfare state that
congressional Republicans would almost surely oppose, including extending
prekindergarten to all children and expanding tax credits for low-income
families. It is hard to imagine how Delaney would achieve his deficit
targets, given that he has also not called for cuts to Social Security,
Medicare or the military.”
Visiting Iowa, Bennet Blasts Trump, Freedom Caucus Members As “Tyrants.”

Reporting from Dubuque, Iowa, the Denver Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=023-b8c&t=c>
(2/21, Garcia) says that Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) “introduced himself as
a possible presidential candidate Thursday night at a small Iowa house
party where he called for a new political culture in America.” Addressing
an audience of “about 30,” Bennet said, “We don’t have to settle for
disgraceful politics. We don’t have to settle for being as terrible as
Donald Trump. We don’t have to settle for Freedom Caucus tactics – those
guys are tyrants. We don’t have to accept that. In fact, we can’t and have
this country be what this country really can be.” Bennet is exploring “a
bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.”
NYTimes: De Blasio’s Attacks On Amazon Possibly Made With 2020 In Mind.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=024-c88&t=c>
(2/21, Neuman, Goodman) reports that in the wake of Amazon deciding “to
withdraw its plans to build a corporate campus in New York City,” Mayor
Bill de Blasio (D) has blasted the company for the move, “characterizing
its decision as an example of ‘the 1 percent dictating to everyone else,’”
among other broadsides. Those remarks “represented an abrupt shift for the
mayor, who had helped entice the company to come to Queens.” The Times
adds, “For Mr. de Blasio, the aggressive posture toward Amazon, a company
that has been criticized by the left for its opposition toward unions and
its cooperation with federal law enforcement officials, may be a calculated
political risk worth taking. He has suggested that he is considering
running for president in 2020.”
WPost’s Tumulty Profiles Buttigieg.

In her Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=025-1c9&t=c>
(2/21) column, Karen Tumulty profiles South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete
Buttigieg (D), a presidential hopefuls, saying that while he is beyond a
long shot candidate, “that does not mean he isn’t a serious candidate.”
Buttigieg has “a point when he notes that the rapidly growing field of 2020
Democratic contenders is thus far light on executive experience,” and he
“has what could be a compelling message for Democrats” about freedoms,
including “being able to leave a job and start a business without losing
health coverage,” woman’s ability to make reproductive choices independent
of male politicians or bosses, and the right to marry the person you love.
Additionally, “he represents the leading edge of the millennial generation
and its unique set of life experiences.”
Leading the News
Giuliani Expects Mueller Report “In The Next Two Weeks.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=026-1f9&t=c>
(2/21, Johnson) reports the President’s “legal team is bracing for the
imminent delivery of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the nearly
two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, lead
attorney Rudy Giuliani said Thursday.” Giuliani “told USA TODAY that it’s
been ‘weeks’ since Mueller’s team has contacted the president’s attorneys,
and there has been no further discussion about obtaining additional
testimony from the president for about a month.” He said “the extended
period of ‘silence’ has the president’s lawyers preparing for Mueller’s
required notification to new Attorney General William Barr that the special
counsel’s work has been completed.” Said Giuliani, “We expect something in
the next two weeks,” and “if (Mueller) clears the president, we walk away
and say, ‘Thank you.’ If it is damaging, then we will respond.” Citing
“people familiar with the discussions,” meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=027-24f&t=c>
(2/21, Barrett) says DOJ “officials...believe a confidential report could
be issued in coming days.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=028-4b3&t=c>
(2/21, Benner) reports that “no matter what the special counsel concludes,
the findings will be sure to send shock waves through Washington, with Mr.
Trump’s presidency on the line and both Democrats and Republicans poised to
spin the contents to their advantage.” The White House “is bracing for
revelations that could politically damage Mr. Trump, or open him up to the
possibility of impeachment by the Democratic-controlled House, even if he
is not accused of criminal conduct.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=029-bc3&t=c>
(2/21, Day, Tucker) says that in regards to Mueller’s report, “anyone
looking for a grand narrative on President Donald Trump, Russian election
interference and all the juicy details uncovered over the past 21 months
could end up disappointed.” According to the AP, “Justice Department
regulations require only that Mueller give the attorney general a
confidential report that explains the decisions to pursue or decline
prosecutions. That could be as simple as a bullet point list or as fulsome
as a report running hundreds of pages.”

Neal K. Katyal, acting solicitor general under President Obama,
writes in the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=02a-8ec&t=c>
(2/21, Katyal) that “a concise report will probably act as a ‘road map’ to
investigation for the Democratic House – and to further criminal
investigation by other prosecutors.” Katyal adds “the report is unlikely to
be lengthy by design: The special counsel regulations, which I had the
privilege of drafting in 1999, envision a report that is concise, ‘a
summary’ of what he found.” Moreover, “Mueller’s mandate is limited: to
look into criminal activity and counterintelligence matters surrounding
Russia and the 2016 election, as well as any obstruction of justice
relating to those investigations.” Along those lines – but with a markedly
critical tone – Kimberley A. Strassel writes in the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=02b-b2d&t=c>
(2/21, Strassel) that Democrats will take the end of Mueller’s probe as the
launch points for the second wave of their attack on the Trump’s presidency
– after causing and nurturing the special counsel’s investigation.

Meanwhile, CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=02c-690&t=c>
(2/21, Connolly) reports, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said yesterday “Democrats
in Congress will subpoena the full [Mueller] report...if the Justice
Department only discloses certain parts of it.” Blumenthal told[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=02d-377&t=c>
CNN’s “New Day” that “he is optimistic” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman
Lindsay “Graham would join Democrats in the House in subpoenaing the
Mueller report.” Democratic Chairman Jerrold Nadler of the House Judiciary
Committee “has said the full report should be made public.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=02e-472&t=c>
(2/21, Wise) notes that “asked if Congress had the authority to subpoena
Mueller’s report, Blumenthal said that a House or Senate committee could
take that step against anyone,” but “he acknowledged that the Department of
Justice may ‘resist’ a subpoena from the Judiciary panel.”

Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=02f-e0c&t=c>
(2/21), “We need to get the truth. That’s what this entire process is
about. The Mueller investigation is about finding out the truth,
determining what happened, what exactly happened in connection with the
last presidential election. ... It’s going to connect all the dots, or it
will simply provide all of the additional information in which case the
responsibility will then fall on Congress, ultimately, to determine the
full truth of what happened. Either way, the American people, Congress and
the American people need to see the Mueller report.”

*Pompeo Declines To Say Whether He Was Made Aware Of FBI’s Probe Of
Trump While At CIA. *Asked, on NBC’s Today[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=030-820&t=c>
(2/21), about former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe’s book and his
revelations in recent interviews, Secretary of State Pompeo said, “I find
it sad. Andrew McCabe had the IG from the organization he worked for
forever declare he wasn’t credible. That’s unfortunate. So I don’t put a
lot of stock into things Mr. McCabe said.” Pompeo declined to answer when
asked if, when he was CIA director, he was made aware that the FBI had
opened a “counterintelligence investigation into the President.” However,
Pompeo said that in regards to McCabe’s “remarks about the 25th amendment,”
that they are “just ludicrous.” Pompeo added, “I’ve never heard any
discussion about it by anyone, any fellow cabinet members or anyone else
that’s serving in the executive branch.”

*Hawley: McCabe Opened Probe Into Trump Over Foreign Policy
Disagreements. *Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=031-04e&t=c>
(2/21), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said McCabe has “admitt[ed] that he
launched a counterintelligence investigation of the President because he
didn’t like the President’s statements on foreign policy.” Hawley added,
“It sounds like to me like the FBI didn’t want any oversight. The FBI
didn’t want to be held accountable. When the President and others tried to
do so they retaliated against him.”

*McCabe Downplays Previous Revelations About Rosenstein’s Plans To
Oust Trump. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=032-736&t=c>
(2/21, Zapotosky) reports McCabe, speaking to reporters Thursday, “sought
to further downplay the discussion in which he says Deputy Attorney General
Rod J. Rosenstein broached using the 25th Amendment to oust President Trump
from office, asserting that Rosenstein was merely ‘thinking off the top of
his head.’” McCabe is quoted as saying, “This was a mention in a
conversation, and Rod mentioned it in a way thinking about who might
support such an effort. ... I at no time got the impression that he’d
actually sought support, or talked to those people about it, or asked
people, you know, ‘would you support this?’ or ‘would you not.’ ... It was
simply Rod thinking off the top of his head, this is a thing that could be
done, are there people that would want to do that.”

*WTimes Analysis: Steele Dossier Dropping From Trump Critics’
Rhetoric. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=033-295&t=c>
(2/21, Scarborough) reports the Steele dossier “has faded from Washington’s
political dialogue,” as, the Times adds, McCabe does not refer to it in his
new memoir, “The Threat,” and nor does he mention Steele or Fusion GPS. The
Times also reports that former FBI Director James B. Comey “downplayed the
dossier” in his memoir, “A Higher Loyalty.” The Times adds that House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-CA)
“lavished Mr. Steele with praise in 2017,” but has not mentioned the
dossier in recent public appearances.

*Ohr Testified Simpson Was Concerned About Dossier Source’s Outing *.
The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=034-bab&t=c>
(2/21) reports that Justice Department official Bruce Ohr testified last
August that Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson and former British spy
Christopher Steele “expressed concerns...about the safety of the source for
the salacious anti-Trump dossier.” Ohr “testified that during a
conversation on Jan. 20, 2017, the day of President Donald Trump’s
inauguration, Simpson said he was worried a major source for the dossier
was about to be exposed in the press.” Ohr “also testified Steele, who
wrote the dossier, asked him during one of their many conversations about
how the FBI could protect a source in the event Ohr left the Justice
Department.” The Daily Caller says “Simpson’s concerns about protecting the
dossier source appear at odds with reports he identified one of the
document’s key sources to ABC News reporter Brian Ross.”

*Senate Intel Committee Wants To Speak To Moscow-based Businessman
With Ties To Trump. *CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=035-861&t=c>
(2/21, Santos) cites “multiple sources” in reporting that investigators for
the Senate Intelligence Committee “want to question” David Geovanis, “a
Moscow-based American businessman with longstanding ties to President
Donald Trump.” CNN adds that he “helped organize a 1996 trip to Moscow by
Trump,” and also “worked for the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.”

*Cohen On Capitol Hill To Prep For Next Week’s Testimony. *ABC
World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=036-25d&t=c>
(2/21, story 3, 0:30, Thomas) reported that Michael Cohen “was on Capitol
Hill” Thursday “preparing for his public hearing next week. That hearing is
going to be on the same day that...Trump is having his summit with the
North Korean leader.” Cohen tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=037-ed5&t=c>
yesterday, “I’m looking forward to the American people hearing my story in
my voice.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=038-2c4&t=c>
(2/21, Sisak, Jalonick) reports Cohen will appear before the Senate
Intelligence Committee “behind closed doors on Tuesday,” which the AP says
“will kick off a week of congressional appearances for Cohen, who is
already scheduled to testify publicly before the House Oversight and Reform
Committee on Wednesday and then behind closed doors again on Thursday to
the House intelligence committee.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=039-71b&t=c>
(2/21, Layne, Hosenball) reports that “Democrats said that among the issues
they plan to question Cohen about are Trump’s personal finances, the making
of payments related to efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election,
and alleged public efforts by Trump and his lawyers to intimidate Cohen and
others to avoid such testimony.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=03a-db8&t=c>
(2/21, Desiderio) Rep. Jim Jordan, “the top Republican on the House
Oversight Committee said...Cohen’s appearance before the panel next week
will be ‘Phase One of the Democrats’ coordinated campaign’ to
impeach...Trump, accusing Democrats of orchestrating a ‘charade’ meant to
embarrass the president.”

Rep. André Carson (D-IN) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=03b-6e7&t=c>
(2/21), “I’ve not met in terms of preparation for his testimony, but I will
be present in a few days when he speaks before the House Intelligence
Committee. Again, we have great leadership with Chairman Adam Schiff. We
hope to ask questions that were raised last year. We’ll ask deeper
questions, to delve more deeply. The beauty of this three-pronged approach
– the House Intel Committee, Senate Intel, and Director Mueller’s efforts –
are enabling us to attack this issue from all sides to see what we get out
of it. So, we want to talk to him and ask him important questions before he
goes to jail.”

Deutch said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=03c-940&t=c>
(2/21), “I’m glad that he is coming to testify on the Hill. ... There are a
whole range of questions that need to be asked that Congress has played no
role for the past two years. Congress didn’t take its oversight
responsibility seriously under Republican rule. Finally, we have an
opportunity to probe these questions like the fact that Michael Cohen went
into court and made President Trump an unindicted co-conspirator in a
felony case to win the election. ... It’s really important that Congress
has the ability to try to get to these facts.”

New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman said on CNN’s
Anderson Cooper 360[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=03d-62a&t=c>
(2/21), “There’s consistently been frustration among the President’s team
that major news related either to the Mueller probe or aspects of the
Mueller probe has tended to drop when he was on a foreign trip. ... I think
that it’s frustrating certainly to people around the President, but that
there is an aspect of it that makes him happy, which is that he’s not going
to be sitting in front of the television watching this testimony in real
time.”

*GOP Lawmakers Criticize Cummings Over “Unsupported Accusations”
Against Trump Attorneys. *Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=03e-358&t=c>
(2/21, Treene) reports that Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Mark Meadows (R-NC)
on Thursday sent a letter to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) “criticizing his
claims that Trump’s lawyers made false statements to federal ethics
officials as ‘extremely unfair and unsupported accusations.’” Axios says,
“In a letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone on Feb. 15, Cummings said
that internal documents from the Office of Government Ethics (OGE)
described Trump’s personal lawyer, Sheri Dillon, and former White House
attorney Stefan Passantino (who now represents the Trump Organization) as
having provided ‘false information’ and ‘evolving stories’ regarding
Trump’s reimbursements to...Cohen for hush money paid to Stormy Daniels
during the 2016 campaign.”

*Prosecutors: IRS Employee Leaked Cohen Info Using Avenatti As
Conduit. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=03f-961&t=c>
(2/21, Dinan) reports “prosecutors have charged an IRS employee with
leaking secret taxpayer information about...Trump’s personal lawyer...Cohen
and apparently using anti-Trump lawyer Michael Avenatti as a conduit to
make the information public.” The Times adds “John Fry, an investigative
analyst for the IRS’s law enforcement division, stands accused of finding
and disseminating IRS suspicious activity reports (SAR).” The SARs
“detailed massive payments by major international and foreign interests to
Mr. Cohen and a new company he set up in 2016, Essential Consultants,”
which was “the entity that paid $130,000 to porn actress Stormy Daniels.”
The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=040-0eb&t=c>
(2/21, Fredericks) says “Treasury Department investigators charged that Fry
downloaded five SARS on Cohen, and that phone records showed he then
immediately made a pair of phone calls to a number for Avenatti shortly
before the document was posted on Twitter.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=041-47d&t=c>
(2/21, Barrett) reports that “Avenatti, who made the information public by
posting it on social media, did not immediately respond to a message
seeking comment. He said on Twitter that he did nothing wrong.”

*Manafort To Be Sentenced On March 8. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=042-c90&t=c>
(2/21, Sullivan, Lambert) reports that Paul Manafort “will be sentenced for
bank and tax fraud on March 8, according to a court filing posted on
Thursday, just days before he is due to be sentenced in a separate case for
lobbying violations.” Reuters says special counsel Robert Mueller is
“urging a federal judge in Virginia to impose a prison sentence of up to 24
years and a fine of up to $24 million.” Reuters notes that Manafort is
“also due to be sentenced on March 13 in a parallel federal case in
Washington.” Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=043-494&t=c>
(2/21, Voreacos), the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=044-dd0&t=c>
(2/21, Mordock) and The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=045-f50&t=c>
(2/21, Chalfant), among other news outlets, also report the story.

*Stone Placed Under Gag Order After Posting Image Of Judge Next To
Crosshairs. *NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=046-039&t=c>
(2/21, story 3, 1:30, Guthrie) reported “a federal judge dropped the hammer
on Roger Stone,” as “the long-time Trump confidant” was “hauled before the
court after he posted a picture of the judge in his case with an apparent
target next to her head.” NBC (Jackson) added the “judge ordered Stone to
stop talking about his case.” Judge Amy Berman Jackson “warned Stone not to
test her limits again. ‘I gave you a second chance,’ she said. ‘This is not
baseball, you don’t get a third chance.’” ABC World News Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=047-09a&t=c>
(2/21, story 2, 1:30, Thomas) referred to “a subdued Roger Stone clutching
his wife’s hand today as he walked into court, where he pleaded for mercy
from...Jackson for forgiveness.” The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=048-31a&t=c>
(2/21, story 2, 2:00, Reid) recounted that “on the witness stand, Stone
called the post ‘a stupid lapse in judgment,’” adding, “I am kicking myself
over my own stupidity, but not more than my wife is kicking me.”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=049-05c&t=c>
(2/21, Ross) reports Jackson “was seemingly unmoved by Stone’s apology,
saying that his mea culpa ‘rings quite hollow,’” and “imposed a gag order
on the longtime GOP operative prohibiting him from speaking about his case
beyond proclaiming his innocence and raising money for a legal defense
fund.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=04a-b86&t=c>
(2/21, Jansen) notes “Jackson said her rules are designed to prevent the
case from degenerating into a circus,” saying, “The publicity can’t
possibly subside if the defendant is out there fanning the flames.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=04b-efb&t=c>
(2/21, Mordock) reports that “at first Mr. Stone said a volunteer posted
the photo, but later told the court a volunteer sent him the image and he
posted it himself. He said he couldn’t recall who sent him the image or
which volunteers have access to his phone.” Jackson “said she didn’t find
his defense credible and ‘he couldn’t keep his story straight on the
stand.’” She also “used air quotes to describe his ‘apology’ saying it
‘rings quite hollow,’” adding, “I have serious doubts whether you’ve
learned any lesson at all.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=04c-d4a&t=c>
(2/21, Lafraniere) notes Jackson “warned Mr. Stone that any violation of
the order would be grounds for her to revoke his bail,” and the New York
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=04d-adc&t=c>
(2/21, Fredericks) that she said “there’s nothing ambiguous about
crosshairs.” Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=04e-c37&t=c>
(2/21, Harris), Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=04f-b5f&t=c>
(2/21, Lynch, Hosenball), the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=050-cfd&t=c>
(2/21, Megerian), Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=051-be2&t=c>
(2/20, Weiner), Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=052-b12&t=c>
(2/21, Basu), AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=053-fbb&t=c>
(2/21, Balsamo), Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=054-0fb&t=c>
(2/21, Samuelsohn, Gerstein, Choi), Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=055-71c&t=c>
(2/21, Yilek) and The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=056-84d&t=c>
(2/21, Wheeler), among other news outlets, run similar accounts of the
hearing.

Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Andrew Napolitano said on Fox
News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=057-183&t=c>
(2/21), “I thought that she was going to revoke his bail, because of the
veiled threat to her. Again this threat, this Instagram posting – full
disclosure, I have known Roger Stone for years, but have not discussed this
with him – combined with an effort for his lawyers to remove the judge from
the case would have been enough to revoke the bail. But she showed him some
mercy.”

Rep. Carson said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=058-c44&t=c>
(2/21), “He got off lucky. He’s lucky with what she did do. ... This is not
a show. It’s not a game. What happened with the Trump Administration and
the Russian government is very serious and very critical. ... It’s not a
game. And so him taunting the media and really enjoying the spotlight and
publicity, good or bad, I think it speaks to the kind of personality one is
dealing with when they would rather get attention.”

Deutch said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=059-89f&t=c>
(2/21), “It’s shocking what he did. The judge, I think rightfully, took
strong action against him. His efforts to try to claim that he didn’t
really know what was happening, it wasn’t really him, this is a symbol of
the occult and not a crosshairs, none of it is believable. What he did is
reckless and extremely dangerous. ... It was really appalling and
dangerous.”

CNN Legal Analyst and former US Attorney for the Southern District
of New York, Elie Honig said on CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=05a-8c7&t=c>
(2/21), “He was trying to have it both ways. This idea that he didn’t know
how the image got on his phone, or got posted. ... Two, the prosecutor and
the judge both said on the record that they found Stone’s testimony not
credible. That’s going to have a major hit if and when he gets sentenced
down the line. ... And, three, Stone could still be looking at” charges for
threatening a federal judge. He added that Stone testifying “was incredibly
risky. I was shocked when we found out this was happening. They rolled the
dice but it backfired terribly.”

CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez said on CNN’s Situation
Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=05b-56c&t=c>
(2/21), “For a media savvy person like Roger Stone, what the judge has now
done is essentially cut off his oxygen. He cannot speak publicly about this
case anymore. He can’t do any radio, no press releases, no blogs, no media
interviews, no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. If you remember, Instagram is
where that offensive message that really upset the judge. You could hear it
in her voice today in court. You could see that Roger Stone understood
that. He sat there, unlike the image you normally see of him with this
bravado.”

CNN Contributor Bianna Golodryga said on CNN’s Situation Room[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=05c-410&t=c>
(2/21), “He seemed to dig his own hole. In the beginning he apologized
profusely and then it unwound to him not understanding what this picture
meant and what it was and it was some of his volunteers, there were five or
six, and they were at his headquarters. So, just letting him speak on his
own seemed to get him in more trouble than anything else today.”

*Group Co-Chaired By Biden Asks Candidates To Not “Aid And Abet”
Foreign Election Interference. *In his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=05d-b11&t=c>
(2/21, Rogin) column, Josh Rogin writes that preventing America’s “enemies
from influencing our next election requires Americans to stop helping them
do it. That’s what former vice president Joe Biden,” in his role as
co-chair of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, “is asking
US candidates and political parties to promise right now.” Rogin says,
“When US politicians take false information that’s part of a foreign
intelligence influence operation and promote it or otherwise use it to
their advantage, that’s tantamount to aiding and abetting the attack, Biden
told an audience in Munich this past weekend.” Rogin adds that “the group’s
latest initiative involves asking first European, then US candidates and
parties to sign a pledge not to ‘aid and abet’ foreign election
interference.”
Foreign Policy
Pompeo: North Korea’s “Complete Denuclearization” Remains US’ Objective.

Interviewed on NBC’s Today[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=05e-90e&t=c>
(2/21), Secretary of State Pompeo said, “The good news is they haven’t
conducted missile tests or nuclear tests in now well over a year. So that’s
better than the place we found it when the Trump Administration came into
office. But as the President said yesterday, and the Administration has
said repeatedly, this is a long and difficult task.” Pompeo added, “I’m
very hopeful. I’m hopeful Chairman Kim will fulfill the promises he made in
Singapore in June of last year.” Asked if “complete denuclearization” is
“still the goal?” Pompeo replied, “Yes, sir. That’s the goal. ... To keep
the American people safe, we have to reduce the threat from a nuclear-armed
North Korea. ... We have the toughest economic sanctions that have ever
been placed on North Korea, and we won’t release that pressure until such
time as we’re confident that we’ve substantially reduced that risk.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=05f-e88&t=c>
(2/21, Riechmann) reports that during the interview, Pompeo also said the
US “will not move to ease economic sanctions on North Korea until it is
confident that the nuclear weapons threat from Pyongyang has been
‘substantially reduced.’” The AP adds that “asked if the U.S. was willing
to compromise on its goal of complete, verifiable denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula,” Pompeo said, “To keep the American people safe, we have
to reduce the threat from a nuclear-armed North Korea and then, in turn, we
can work on peace and security on the peninsula and a brighter future for
the North Korean people.”

Also on NBC’s Today[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=060-86a&t=c>
(2/21), Peter Alexander said President Trump, “who after their first sit
down declared North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat, now appears to be
lowering expectations, saying he is in no rush for denuclearization as long
as North Korea doesn’t renew testing its missiles.” According to Alexander,
Trump’s “intelligence chiefs warn the rogue regime remain committed to
developing a long range nuclear armed missile.”

Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=061-f89&t=c>
(2/21, Sink) reports that according to “senior administration officials,”
Trump “will meet one-on-one with Kim...next week in Hanoi in addition to a
meal and lengthier negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear arsenal in which
the two leaders will be joined by aides.” Bloomberg says “one of the
officials said the U.S. hopes to make rapid progress toward Kim’s regime
giving up its nuclear arsenal, rather than incremental steps, and that the
U.S. seeks a declaration providing a full accounting of North Korea’s
nuclear forces and facilities – a move that analysts say is necessary in
order to verify any steps the country takes to disarm.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=062-a41&t=c>
(2/21, Mason, Holland) reports “critics have said Trump gave Kim too much
simply by meeting with him in Singapore last year,” and “that criticism may
be levied again for the Vietnam summit.” To the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022201biden&r=email-7c29&l=063-212&t=c>
(2/21, Taylor), meanwhile, “last year’s meeting, while certainly historic,
produced a communique that was extremely light on details.” Moreover,
“there has been little real progress made on the stated goal of
denuclearization, with some moments of outright tension between Washington
and Pyongyang.” The Post adds “Duyeon Kim, an adjunct senior fellow at the
Center for a New American Security, put it this way: ‘The Vietnam summit
this month will determine whether real denuclearization of North Korea is
possible ever, and how much Washington is willing to pay for it, while
ensuring the regime’s survival and the country’s prosperity.’”

*House Democrats Demand White House