This morning began with what has become a Washington ritual. We all wake by the chirp of a morning presidential tweet and brace ourselves for what follows. Even with past tweet controversies, this morning’s missive was breathtaking. President Donald Trump attacked the hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe show in a pair of tweets that included a highly disturbing attack on co-host Mika Brzezinski. The tweet was not simply unpresidential, it was unhinged and inexcusable.Continue reading “Trump Unleashes Personal Attack On The Hosts Of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe””
Below is my column in the Hill Newspaper on the Supreme Court order lifting the stay over the Trump immigration order. With the exception of those with bona fide relationships, the Trump Administration has the authority to enforce its travel limitations. 
The victory of the Trump Administration in securing the lifting of much of the injunction on the immigration order consumed much of the analysis yesterday. The Court voted unanimously to lift the injunction for every one except those with “bona fide relationships” in the United States. The latter exception was a bit incongruous with the overall deference to the Executive Branch and led three justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch — to dissent. They would have lifted the ban without exceptions. What was most interesting however was what was not in the order: a hearing date for July. The reason is that it was not requested by the Trump Administration. Given the 90 days expiration of the order, that leads to the question of whether this appeal is a case of “planned obsolescence.”
For many weeks, I questioned the need for a Special Counsel in the Russian investigation because it seems
Democrats are clamoring for the 
I had the honor of attending the investiture of Neil Gorsuch yesterday. It was an event steeped in history and the Court’s version of pomp and circumstance. I actually love the Court’s staid and understated style at such moments. The investiture is short and dignified in the courtroom with the reading of his his commission and Gorsuch taking his chair among the nine. President Donald Trump and the First Lady were present as were as array of dignitaries. The investiture was followed by a reception that was incredibly elegant with the justices in my favorite rooms in the Supreme Court with the famous portraits of prior Chief Justices. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein presented the commission to the Court which was read by the Supreme Court Clerk. There was a notable sound of whispers when the commission from Trump mentioned that Gorsuch was entitle to all of the “emoluments” of his office.
Washington was awaken this morning with our now regular sound of a tweet from the President. At 6:55 am, President Donald Trump blasted the report that Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating him for obstruction of justice. He called the whole thing based on a “phony story” — a likely dig at former FBI Director James Comey. I 
There is an interesting article in the Washington Post entitled “
It is the presidential version of death by cop. Recently, I wrote a 
Below is my column in The Hill Newspaper on the the case against former FBI Director James Comey for leaking FBI information to the media. There has been an effort to confine the question of Comey’s actions in terms of criminality. There are laws that could be relied upon for a formal charge in court but that is unlikely and would counter prior prosecutorial practices. However, the disclosure clearly violates a host of federal rules and regulations that bar such use of FBI information. It is therefore unlawful and unprofessional. It is also potentially unethical under bar rules.