Joe diGenova, Washington Examiner’s Eddie Scarry, Daily Caller’s Saagar Enjeti and Leadership Institute’s Morton Blackwell joined WMAL on Monday.

Mornings on the Mall

Monday, March 4, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C DEMS BELIEVE THEY HAVE A STRONG COLLUSION CASE: On the heels of last week’s testimony from President Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, Democrats appear to believe they have clear evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia and were stating their case on the Sunday news show circuit … Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Sunday said there are “enormous amounts of evidence” linking the Trump campaign to Russia — the same day House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said there’s “direct evidence” of collusion between the two. By the way, in his testimony last week, Cohen refuted claims of evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia. Still, more investigations may await Trump. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, who would oversee any impeachment proceedings against President Trump, announced that he will submit more than 60 document requests to the White House and Justice Department on Monday — a barrage that Nadler called the opening salvo in new and wide-ranging investigations.

5am – D/E     SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY COUNTIES: 14 NM counties adopt 2nd Amendment resolution. (ABQJournal) –  As gun laws make their way through the state Legislature, 14 county commissions around the state – including those from Sandoval and Valencia counties – have passed resolutions declaring their county to be a “Second Amendment sanctuary county.” The sanctuary resolution says a commission supports its sheriff in any decisions not to enforce unconstitutional laws and not to use any county resources to enforce laws that infringe on the right to bear arms. It is likely to be passed in even more counties at meetings in the coming weeks. But even though its sheriff has thrown his support behind the movement, Bernalillo County doesn’t appear likely to be one of them. “I will be very surprised if any commissioner proposes that type of resolution for Bernalillo County,” said Commission Chair Maggie Hart Stebbins. “At one point or another I believe all of us have expressed support for common-sense gun safety legislation that is being considered in Santa Fe. I can speak only for myself but I believe the commissioners all support what’s being proposed in Santa Fe.” Hart Stebbins commented on the resolution after Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales issued a statement Friday saying he “confidently supports” a Second Amendment sanctuary county. Ultimately the decision will be made by the County Commission, he said. Among the gun safety legislation that has been introduced is a bill that would expand requirements for background checks on private gun sales. Another would prohibit an individual convicted of battery on a household member – among other crimes – from having a firearm. And yet another would allow family members or police to seek court orders to temporarily take guns away from an individual they believe to be an immediate threat.

6am – A/B/C Highlights from President Trump’s Speech at CPAC 2019:

• TRUMP – we’re going to do even better in 2020…
• TRUMP – there’s no collusion….they’re going into finances and deals… these people are sick
• TRUMP mocks the green new deal:  When the wind stops blowing….
• TRUMP – you know i’m totally off script right now.. this is how I got elected
• Trump – countries that don’t respect us think we’re stupido
• TRUMP says he’s torn on the negotiations with NK because of Otto Warmbier
• TRUMP announces that he’s signing an executive order on free speech on college campuses
•  President Donald Trump invites Hayden Williams — who was violently attacked on campus last month at UC Berkeley — on stage to talk at CPAC

6am – D         Washington Post issues editor’s note over early Covington coverage. (The Hill) — The Washington Post issued an editor’s note Friday over its early coverage of a viral exchange between a student from Covington Catholic High School and a Native American veteran. The paper said subsequent evidence, including reporting, unsurfaced video and a student’s statement clarifies the interaction and either contradicts or fails to confirm the Post’s initial stories. “Subsequent reporting, a student’s statement and additional video allow for a more complete assessment of what occurred, either contradicting or failing to confirm accounts provided in that story — including that Native American activist Nathan Phillips was prevented by one student from moving on, that his group had been taunted by the students in the lead-up to the encounter, and that the students were trying to instigate a conflict,” the Post said. The controversy began earlier this year when video emerged of student Nick Sandmann, who was wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat, and Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder, in a faceoff in Washington, D.C., while they were in town for separate rallies. Reports surfaced that Sandmann and other students from the Kentucky high school were shouting at Phillips, with some reports mentioning racial obscenities, though those reports were largely disputed by Sandmann and online observers. Sandmann filed a lawsuit against the Post earlier this month over its coverage, which the student said “targeted and bullied” him and included “a series of false and defamatory print and online articles.” He is seeking $50 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages and claimed that the reporting caused “permanent harm to his reputation.”

6am – E         New Jersey school bans students from taking limos to prom. School officials cite ‘equality.’ ‘This way we have a little more control over what’s going on.’  The one event almost every high school senior looks forward to is senior prom.But officials in one New Jersey school district have put a damper on the rite of passage after they banned students from taking limos and party buses to their prom venue, instead mandating they take chaperoned coach buses to and from the event. Officials at Lakeland Regional High School in Wanaque, New Jersey, say the change is about maintaining safety for all students — with the belief that controlling transportation will curb underage drinking — and equality because not all students can afford a limousine or party bus. But the bus will not be free. The school will charge each student $15 for transportation costs, according to WCBS-TV. “This way we have a little more control over what’s going on. [The prom venue is] 45 minutes away from campus, so we’ll make sure students get there and back safely,” school superintendent Hugh Beattie said.

6am – F         Dr. Seuss Books Like Horton Hears a Who! Branded Racist and Problematic in New Study.  “Racism spans across the entire Seuss collection,” scholars write in a new study. As Dr. Seuss’ birthday approaches on March 2, a new study argues that many of the author’s classic children’s books are racist and problematic — and only two percent of his characters represent people of color. “[This study reveals] how racism spans across the entire Seuss collection, while debunking myths about how books like Horton Hears a Who! and The Sneetches can be used to promote tolerance, anti-bias, or anti-racism,” Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens write in their February 2019 report, “The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, AntiBlackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss’ s Children’s Books,” as part of St. Catherine University’s Research on Diversity in Youth Literature. They continue: “Findings from this study promote awareness of the racist narratives and images in Dr. Seuss’ children’s books and implications to the formation and reinforcement of racial biases in children.” The study continues by explaining that some of the most iconic characters relay the troubling messages of Orientalism (the representation of Asia and Asian people based on colonialist stereotypes), anti-blackness and white supremacy. “Notably, every character of color is male. Males of color are only presented in subservient, exotified, or dehumanized roles,” the authors write as part of their findings. “This also remains true in their relation to White characters. Most startling is the complete invisibility and absence of women and girls of color across Seuss’ entire children’s book collection.”

7am – A/B/C INTERVIEW – JOE DIGENOVA – legal analyst and former US Attorney to the District of Columbia

• Trump accuses Dems of ‘presidential harassment’ as investigations ramp up
• Jerrold Nadler says ‘very clear’ Trump obstructed justice, sending 60 document requests Monday
• DEMS BELIEVE THEY HAVE A STRONG COLLUSION CASE: On the heels of last week’s testimony from President Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, Democrats appear to believe they have clear evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia and were stating their case on the Sunday news show circuit … Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Sunday said there are “enormous amounts of evidence” linking the Trump campaign to Russia — the same day House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said there’s “direct evidence” of collusion between the two. By the way, in his testimony last week, Cohen refuted claims of evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia. Still, more investigations may await Trump. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, who would oversee any impeachment proceedings against President Trump, announced that he will submit more than 60 document requests to the White House and Justice Department on Monday — a barrage that Nadler called the opening salvo in new and wide-ranging investigations.
• Pelosi’s office says House Democrats “will take all necessary steps” to get Trump’s tax returns
• Washington Post issues editor’s note over early Covington coverage
• Sandman’s lawyer Lin Wood ‏@LLinWood  Mar 2: Washington Post offers neither retraction nor apology. Failure to admit & correct its reckless & false reporting only perpetuates lies published in its original stories. Bullies always run from accountability. Post is running from truth & hiding behind legal posturing. Cowardly.

7am – D         INTERVIEW — EDDIE SCARRY – a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner, focusing on politics and culture. He is also the author of “Fraud and Fiction: The Real Truth Behind Fire and Fury” – Eddie shared his thoughts on the highlights of CPAC.

• Michelle Malkin Receives Standing Ovation at CPAC for Slamming ‘The Ghost of John McCain.’ Malkin focused much of her speech on slamming undocumented immigrants and politicians who defend their right to stay in the U.S. “Both parties are to blame,” Malkin said of undocumented immigrants. “Yes, I’m looking at you, retired Paul Ryan and yes, I’m looking at you, Mitch McConnell, and yes, I’m looking at you, Bush family. “I’m looking at you, the ghost of John McCain,” she added — to a thunderous applause from the audience.

7am – E         SANDERS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES HIS 2020 PRESIDENTIAL BID:

• Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders returned to Brooklyn, the New York City borough where he was born, to launch his 2020 Democratic presidential campaign.
• Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders held his second of two large campaign rallies this weekend, appearing at Chicago’s Navy Pier a day after speaking to thousands of supporters on the campus of Brooklyn College.

8am – A         INTERVIEW — SAAGAR ENJETI – White House correspondent, The Daily Caller – discussed the latest White House news and recapped Trump’s CPAC speech.

• Pres Trump’s speech to conservative supporters at CPAC runs 2 hrs 2 mins, longest of his presidency.
• rump accuses Dems of ‘presidential harassment’ as investigations ramp up

8am – B         AOC NEWS:

• Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Jahana Hayes are Rolling Stone’s latest cover stars. Rolling Stone magazine pays tribute to four Democratic “Women Shaping the Future” with its new cover.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) features on the front of the March issue, alongside freshman Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.).The publication shared extensive interviews with each of the four lawmakers on its website.

• AOC’s ‘GREEN’ HYPOCRISY: “Green New Deal” leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made her getaway from a St. Patrick’s Day parade in a for-hire minivan on Sunday — despite being just blocks from a Queens subway station, the New York Post reported … The leading advocate for the proposed “Green New Deal” hopped into a white Chrysler Town and County with livery plates after marching just part of the way in the 20th annual “St. Pat’s for All” parade. The 2016 model of the vehicle gets an average of just 17 mpg in the city on regular gas, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Hours before her parade appearance, Ocasio-Cortez defended her penchant for traveling in gas-guzzling private vehicles instead of using mass transit in a tweet to the Post: “Living in the world as it is isn’t an argument against working towards a better future.”

8am – C         Bryce Harper mistakenly said he wanted to bring a title to DC in his first Phillies press conference. Up until this offseason, Bryce Harper had spent the entirety of his professional baseball career with the Nationals. He was their first pick in the 2010 Draft and spent seven Major League seasons in Washington, D.C., after his debut in 2012. That’s just under nine years of calling the Nationals organization home. On Thursday, Harper agreed to a 13-year deal with the Phillies, which, by the time it’s run its course, will dwarf the amount of time he spent with the Nationals. But, old habits are hard and slow to break. Case in point: Harper was still talking about winning a World Series for DC while wearing Phillies gear.

8am – D         INTERVIEW – MORTON BLACKWELL – president of the Leadership Institute, an organization that has trained top conservatives in effectively taking on the left through grassroots activism…..  alumni of Leadership Institute include Vice President Mike Pence, Karl Rove, (and even our executive producer)

• “I will be signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research dollars” President Donald Trump   
• President Donald Trump invites Hayden Williams — who was violently attacked on campus last month at UC Berkeley — on stage to talk at CPAC
• Conservative activist Hayden Williams was brutally assaulted last Tuesday while recruiting for the conservative non-profit organization Turning Point USA at UC Berkeley. Video footage of the altercation shows a man wearing a black shirt and pants angrily accosting Williams, a campus representative for the Leadership Institute. The assailant shouted obscenities at Williams, knocked his phone out of his hand, and punched him in the face. He accused Williams of “encouraging violence” just before laying into him. The man punched the conservative several times, causing injuries to his face, including a black eye and bloody nose.
• Man Arrested In Attack On Conservative Activist At UC Berkeley. BERKELEY (CBS SF) — A man being sought for the assault of a conservative activist on the University of California, Berkeley campus last month has been arrested. A statement from UC Berkeley Public Affairs said a warrant was issued for suspect Zachary Greenberg and UC police arrested him Friday, booking him into jail at 1 p.m. Greenberg was identified as one of two men who confronted a conservative activist who had set up a table in Sproul Plaza. Hayden Williams, volunteer with conservative group Turning Points USA was displaying signs that read, “Hate Crimes Hoaxes Hurt Real Victims” – a reference to the Jussie Smollett case – and another saying “This is MAGA Country.” Greenberg was seen on video landing two punches on Williams – one a glancing blow and another much harder directly on his face. The incident was recorded by two Cal students with cellphones and video of the encounter has since gone viral. Police will formally present the case to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of the filing of criminal charges, the university said.

8am – E         Police called to check on cardboard cutout of MyPillow CEO. JORDAN, Minn. (FOX 9) – Police officers in Jordan, Minnesota were called to check on the welfare of a man standing motionless outside in the cold, wearing no coat and hugging a pillow. When officers arrived, they found the “man” was actually a cardboard cutout of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.  “Those cardboard cutouts sure can look real from a distance and the caller certainly was not wanting to get too close thinking who is this deranged person standing outside in the cold hugging a pillow,” the Jordan Police Department shared in a Facebook post. “Always better to call the police.” Lindell himself shared the police department’s post, calling it “Unreal!” This cardboard CEO isn’t the only inanimate object getting cold weather welfare checks dueing this Minnesota winter. In front of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis lies a sculpture of a homeless Jesus. Visible right along Hennepin Avenue, the statue looks so real that people are calling 911 concerned for someone overexposed to this brutal cold.  “I have witnessed an ambulance pull up and people coming out and realizing it is a sculpture. Sometimes people call 911 when they drive by and see,” said Johan Van Parys, Director of Liturgy and Sacred Arts at the Basilica.