“A republic, if you can keep it.”
* “The (CDC) tests are all perfect, like the (Ukraine) letter was perfect, the transcription was perfect.” That was the Reassurer-in-chief inimitably conflating coronavirus with his Bidens-related Burisma communication with the president of Ukraine.
* “The coronavirus is the common cold, folks.” That was Medal of Freedom recipient Rush Limbaugh, underscoring the reality that an ideological approach to health care is beyond counterproductive–but not beyond the pale in the Trump era.
* “This is not a prediction. It’s a certainty. … (Trump’s) going to dump Mike Pence and put Nikki Haley on the ticket to try to get those suburban moms.” That was Paul Begala, CNN political analyst and former adviser to President Bill Clinton, who’s not the first pundit to give voice to such a scenario. Here’s hoping suburban moms take note–but that they also take it for the manifest insult that it is.
* The Trump Administration is accusing Dems and the mainstream media of politicizing the coronavirus. Barack Obama might call that karma. He was the 2014 political target of GOPsters–and Trump–over Ebola.
* So, sycophantic Mark Meadows is in and the marginalized Mick Mulvaney is out as Trump’s chief of staff, his fourth in 38 months. Reince Pribus is looking better all the time.
* The less-than-subtle theme of the recent four-day Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was another reminder of our zero-sum, bumper sticker politics: “America vs. Socialism.” No, there were no “Make America Nuanced Again” hats for sale.
* The latest release date for John Bolton’s book–still undergoing government scrutiny– is now May. Increasingly, this is looking like a publication strip tease.