Seeing North Korea Clearly
Plus: Will Saletan takes a closer look about what the special counsels wrote about Trump & Biden.
Recently in The Bulwark:
BILL KRISTOL & ANDREW EGGER: Suozzi Wins the Gatsby Seat
SONNY BUNCH: āMadame Webā Review
You can support The Bulwark by subscribing to Bulwark+ or just by sharing this newsletter with someone you think would value it.
GARRY KASPAROV: Seeing North Korea Clearly
ON MY SIXTH BIRTHDAY, I woke up to find an enormous globe next to my bed, a gift from my father. It is the best present I have ever received. My favorite stories as a child were the ones my father read to me aloud about the voyages of Marco Polo, Columbus, and Magellan. Our favorite game was to trace the journeys of these great explorers across this globe. These are the last and fondest memories I have of my father, and this love of exploration was his greatest gift to me.
I like to joke to Americans that I was born in the Deep South, right next to Georgia. The punchline is that itās the deep south of the Soviet Union. But one difference between my hometown of Baku and, say, Atlanta, is that an American child could realistically expect to be able to travel the world. Barred from traveling by poverty and internal restrictions, most kids in the Soviet Union could only see the world in globes. And yet an even worse prison state exists today.
š„ PODCASTS AND VIDEOS š§
Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller: Rep. Dean Phillips: The Pitch [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.
WILL SALETAN: Decision 2024: A āWell-Meaningā Old Man vs. a Corrupt Old Man.
āA SYMPATHETIC WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY MAN with a poor memory.ā Thatās how Special Counsel Robert Hur describes President Joe Biden in his February 5 report on Bidenās treatment of classified documents. The report clears Biden, finding that his handling of documents didnāt merit prosecution. But Hurās references to Bidenās memory issues have infuriated Democrats. They worry that any mention of Bidenās mental acuity will hurt him in the 2024 election.
Theyāre right to worry. But the election wonāt be a choice between an old man and a young one. It will be a choice between two old men, each of whom has been investigated by a special counsel. These investigations have exposed two fundamental differences between the candidates. First, Biden is well-meaning, but Trump isnāt, and thatās why Trump, unlike Biden, committed crimes. And second, Bidenās cognitive flaws are small and benign, while Trumpās are enormous and dangerous.
KIM WEHLE: Trump, Indicted for Mishandling Classified Documents, Asks Judge for More Classified Documents.
ON MONDAY, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE AILEEN CANNON held a closed-door hearing in the classified documents case pending in Florida against Donald J. Trump and two co-defendants, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. Trumpāwho appointed Cannon to the benchāshowed up for the hearing, which was held in a SCIF (a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) for the security of the classified subjects under discussion.
This is the same Donald J. Trump who stole the classified documents in the first place.
Editorās note: Sign up for Kimās new āLittle Law Schoolā to stay abreast of the complex issues facing America this election cycle.
šØOVERTIMEšØ
Happy Ash Wednesday to those who observe, and yes, you can say that! Also, Happy Valentineās Day! I already celebrated it, but itās quickly become a new favorite holiday of my twins.
šµOn the Jukeboxā¦šµ Willow Avalon - Honey Ain't No Sweeter
Letās rustle up the Space Cowboys! A weird alarm was raised today: āSources tell CNN the national security threat is a āhighly concerning and destabilizingā Russian capability.ā Was it that one of Americaās two major political parties has handed over the keys to a Putin-loving stooge? No? Apparently Russia is going to launch nukes into outer space to weaponize it, which is basically the plot of Space Cowboys. Iām just glad that Republicans arenāt celebrating Mother Russiaās glorious achievement. Thereās still time, sadly.
Mark Warner and Marco Rubio said in a release: āThe Senate Intelligence Committee has the intelligence in question, and has been rigorously tracking this issue from the start. We continue to take this matter seriously and are discussing an appropriate response with the administration. In the meantime, we must be cautious about potentially disclosing sources and methods that may be key to preserving a range of options for U.S. action.ā Conspiratorial āBasedā Mike Lee is already doing what he does best: just asking questions!
A celebration quickly turns to mourningā¦ At the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade, one is dead and 10-15 are injured in a mass shooting. The victims are mostly children. A suspected gunman was tackled by a fan.
Action on border security bill would be a great first stepā¦ but manufacturers need a deal now, argues Bulwark+ reader and friend of the newsletter Kip Eideberg in The Hill.
What would it takeā¦ To convince Americans that the economy is fine? RogĆ© Karma argues in The Atlantic that āwhen it comes to prosperity, Americans trust feelings more than facts.ā
Feds Crack Downā¦ on Rogue South Philly Drone Pilot (PhillyMag).
I wonder if Salena Zito1 regrets this yetā¦ Michael Beschloss reports that āRepublican Senator Roger Marshall (Kansas) says that countries upset by Trump's talk about NATO āneed to get over it.ā Marshall says, āPeople should take everything he says seriously, but not literally.āā
Mary Trump responds: āIt would be extremely helpful if Republicans would give us the formula to determine when to take Donald seriously but not literally, literally but not seriously, both, or neither. FFS.ā
Democrats ignore the problem of Bidenās ageā¦ at their peril, argues Max Burns at The Hill.
Love in the Time of Cryptographyā¦ Most romances today have deep digital footprints. This one didnāt ā and to the state, that was a problem. (Wired)
Daddy Died a MAGAā¦ A tough read from Jess Piper. David French reflects: āOne of the most dreadful things about this miserable era is the way in which Trumpism became imprinted into the identities and ethos of so very many older Americans. They're spending their final years angry out outraged rather than enjoying time with family and friends. I've seen it with my own eyes, and it's horrible. The total obsession with politics overwhelms everything else.ā
Miami Steps Upā¦ in the Watch World (NYT.)
Meanwhile, in Arizonaā¦ A teacher with a name you might remember got fired for having an āOnlyFansā account (KVOA).
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.
She, unfortunately, is responsible for this Trump-enabling excuse.
ā30ā
