American Credibility Is on the Line in Ukraine
Plus: Fani Willis Should Have Known Better
Recently in The Bulwark:
BILL KRISTOL & ANDREW EGGER: In South Carolina, Pro-Haley Groups Seek a Big Tent
JVL: The Party of Trump Will Not Participate in the Justice System š
JOE PERTICONE: Biden Impeachment Inquiry Is Political Improv š
You can support The Bulwark by subscribing to Bulwark+ or just by sharing this newsletter with someone you think would value it.
WILL SELBER: American Credibility Is on the Line in Ukraine.
MUHAMMAD TOOK ONE LAST PULL off his cigarette before putting it out next to the other three heād smoked in our hour-long meeting. He was a middle-aged Sons of Iraq commander from Diyala, the governate between Baghdad and the Iranian border, and he was responsible for security in a few critical towns near Forward Operating Base Warhorse. By the time of our conversation in 2010, Iraqās security had improved so much that I could walk in certain areas without my Kevlar. Muhammadās group of former Sunni nationalist insurgents who flipped during the Anbar Awakening was largely to credit.
āWhat will happen to us when you leave?ā Muhammad asked. He had good reason to worry. Iraqās prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, a Shia, had the security apparatus under his thumb and was using them to target Sunni leaders like Muhammad.
āWeāre not going anywhere, sir,ā I responded.
BILL LUEDERS: Tim Sheehyās Cry for Help.
TIM SHEEHY NEEDS MY HELP. He told me so himself. The email he sent me the other day cut to the chase: āI cannot tell you how valuable your input would be to me and my team as we work to flip Montana and defeat Jon Tester in November.ā
My input? Fancy that.
Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat thatās up for election this cycle in Montana. I do not live in Montana, but apparently Sheehy still wants my advice. Also, it turns out, my money.
š„ PODCASTS AND VIDEOS š§
Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller: Glenn Thrush and Tim Mak: Russia's Plots Against the West [Ad-Freeš]
Did you know? Bulwark+ members can listen to an ad-free version of these podcasts on the player of their choice.
Learn more at Bulwark+ Podcast FAQ.
KIM WEHLE: Fani Willis Should Have Known Better.
LAST WEEK, FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY Fani Willis reluctantly took the witness stand to testify about her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, whom she hired in November 2021 to lead the Georgia 2020 election interference case against Donald Trump. In Wadeās acrimonious divorce proceedings, evidence emerged that he used roughly $65,000 from his work as a prosecutor to pay for vacations for the two of them. On January 8, a motion was filed by one of Trumpās co-defendants, Michael Roman, complaining about a potential conflict of interest arising from āself-dealingā between Willis and Wade, and seeking to get her thrown off the Trump case. In subsequent filings, Trump and another co-defendant, Robert Cheeley, signed on to the effort to throw the prosecution into chaos.
CATHY YOUNG: Navalny Lives On.
āIāM NOT SURE WHETHER THIS IS THE START of a new era, or the old one turning even darker and bleaker,ā journalist Yulia Latynina, a prominent voice in Russian independent media in exile, remarked a few days after the death of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. There is a widespread sense among Russian dissidents that Navalnyās death in an Arctic Circle penal colony called āPolar Wolfā is a turning point. Its timing is rich with symbolism: Vladimir Putin prepares to be crowned for a new presidential term in a faux election next month, even as his reign approaches its twenty-five-year mark (in December) and as his war in Ukraine reaches the two-year mark this week. Where Russia goes from here, and how the West will respond, is a more urgent question than ever.
šØOVERTIMEšØ
4 Myths About Ukraine that Might Sound Rightā¦ But Are Actually Wrong by Eric Edelman and David J. Kramer (Politico).
Meanwhile, at CPACā¦. āWelcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely.ā
ā¦and how could we forgetā¦ The J6 CPAC parade.
Luckily for us, the adults who grew up in the conservative movement have the Principles First conference, which starts tomorrow. And we look forward to seeing you there!
There Is Much More at Stake in Trumpās Manhattan Case ā¦ Than Just Hush Money (NYT).
FOX on the Trump Sneakersā¦ Itās as yikes as you can imagine.
Inside the G.O.P.āsā¦ State Party Problem (NYT).
Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Respond to this message
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.
ā30ā
