National

How can President Obama appoint a Supreme Court Justice and finish off the Republican Party, tearing out their lungs street fighter style? Easy. Register as a Republican. GOP Senators are openly saying that they'd confirm a pick at this point in the term of the Republican President, so call them on it. It would lay the coup de grâce on that punch-drunk staggering waste of space called the GOP and flip the court in the direction of sanity as if by magic. Of course, Obama would have to live and socialize among the worst bottom feeding drecks of humanity, but look at the payoff? Doesn't he love America? This is his opportunity to show it.

During a Thursday morning radio interview, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) candidly explained that Senate Republicans would take a different approach to a Supreme Court nominee if a Republican president were in office and replacing a conservative justice.

Arguing the affirmative stance is Celia: He is 77, and that is pretty old. Republicans are sending out some whipper snapper named Carl Pace to do jumping jacks or some…

Jonathan Chait says the best attack against Trump is one his Republicans can't and won't deliver, but the Democrats will:

Ted Cruz, true to his paranoia, has charged that mainstream news outlets are sitting on a series of explosive reports about Donald Trump’s history, planning — as a nefarious plot to help Hillary Clinton — to unleash them only after Trump has secured the nomination. The accusation is almost certainly false. (“Almost” being a necessary qualifier, since one can’t prove a negative.) At the same time, Cruz’s charge reflects a broader truth. There are cutting charges that might sever Trump from his loyal base that have not seen the light of day. The thing is, Cruz and his fellow anti-Trump conservatives are perfectly aware of what they are. They have chosen to holster those attacks for reasons entirely their own. [...] There’s a devastating response to Trump’s message: He’s not planning to be greedy for us; he’s planning to be greedy for himself. The centerpiece of Trump’s domestic program is a massive tax cut that would mainly benefit fellow rich people: The reason Republicans refuse to exploit this vulnerability is obvious — they all propose to do the same thing.

Not to mention that Trump will use his position to further enrich himself and his companies by pawning off all his wares on us. The official wine of the United States: Trump Wine. Public water? No. Trump Water. Steaks? Trump Steaks.

Well, Bernie got his first quality narrative changing shocking upset of a win in Michigan last night. All his prior wins could be discounted in one way or another: caucus states, states close to Vermont, states that were overly white and liberal electorates. Michigan is the first state that is nearly identical to the demographics of the nation as a whole where he won. Sure, it's a very narrow win, and sure, Hillary actually won the delegate count, both in Michigan and throughout the night, thus expanding her almost insurmountable lead, but a win is a win. And you need wins, especially the unexpected shocking upsets kind of wins to change narratives and momentum, and campaigns are all about narratives and momentum. So for the last two weeks, I have been crowing about Hillary's success, so Bernie supporters, feel free to crow here about his success last night. Hey, if Hillary had won Michigan, I would have been saying the race is over. Remember what Chris Bowers said yesterday, that Bernie needed to win Michigan. He did. Celebrate it if you feel that rash commonly referred to as the Bern. Tomorrow, we will begin to talk about whether this win changes the course of the race.

Rebecca Traister imagines a Clinton/Trump race:

Clinton’s South Carolina speech, which emphasized racial unity and a message of peace, love, and understanding, forecasts how she plans to frame her campaign in opposition to the bombastic demagogue who trades on anger and prejudice. But it also points up just how much they are running in two separate elections, to be president of two different countries. Trump is running in the country that is in the midst of a dramatic and terrifying backlash to the social movements of the past 50 years; Clinton herself represents the very victories of some of those movements and is seeking to modestly stabilize their gains. In the end, this may be an epic, gory battle between those who are threatened by the changing face of power in America and those who are doing the changing.

Usually, the more optimistic and hopeful campaign wins, especially when the economy is good (which it is) and when presidential approval is good (which it is, as Obama is over 50% approval).

Some thoughts on the Democratic debate last night: Rick Klein: “The race for the Democratic nomination may be effectively over, or at least well on its way. But the populist fire that’s being stoked by Bernie Sanders’ campaign isn’t dying down -– at least if Sanders has anything to do with it.” “Clinton and Sanders have kept the campaign about substance, for the most part, even if the same ground has been tread repeatedly. Given the noise being generated by the GOP these days, the passion on the Democratic side may be a welcome dynamic.” Mark Halperin: “The usual rhythms of Clinton versus Sanders—feisty, crotchety, substantive, exasperated but respectful—were replicated in another one-on-one debate.” Vox's Dara Lind has the winners and losers from the debate: Bernie and Hillary are both winners, along with Flint, Michigan, the site of the debate, and whose water crisis was the subject of much of the first part of the debate. The losers were Don Lemon for his dumb questions about racism, and the entire Republican Party, for looking horrible in comparison to the substantive reasonable rational adult Democrats.

By now everyone has seen this viral video of Ben Carson toppling out of the back of the GOP clown car and wondering around dazed on a highway for a…