The Morning Dispatch: The Upcoming SCOTUS Term Is Going to Be Nuts

Plus, an early look at the new book ‘A Very Stable Genius.’

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Happy Monday! We are on strict orders from the boss to not mention last night’s NFC championship game. So, again, we will not be mentioning that the Packers were losing to the 49ers 27-0 at halftime. You’ll have to check a different morning newsletter for updates on the Packers’ 37-20 loss to the 49ers. Sorry for any inconvenience. (Editor’s Note: The 8-8 Chicago Bears watched the NFC Championship from home. Again. Patrick Mahomes, the NFL MVP quarterback the Bears  passed over to select Mitch Trubisky, is headed to Miami for the Super Bowl.)

Quick Hits: What You Need to Know

  • With President Trump’s impeachment trial set to begin tomorrow, the White House’s legal team is set. In addition to White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, constitutional law professor Alan Dershowitz (in a limited role) and former independent counsel Ken Starr will be arguing on behalf of President Trump. Robert Ray, Jane Raskin, Pam Bondi, and Eric Herschmann have joined the team as well. 

  • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the State Department will look into allegations of an effort to surveil Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was ousted from her post last year. Pompeo said he was unaware of any such surveillance.

  • Chris Collins, former Republican congressman from New York and an early supporter of Donald Trump, was sentenced to 26 months in jail after pleading guilty to insider trading charges.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Michael Salardino

    The most likable president of my 70 year lifetime was easily George W. Bush.!

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      Julie Richardson

      Agreed...so down to earth.

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    Rob W

    I'm sure Declan refrained from pointing out that all 37 points scored by SF were scored by former Bears.

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      Declan Garvey staff-badge Staff

      It's basically like *we* won the NFC Championship game, right? Right?

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        Michael Carpenter

        In a funny side note, it appears that the Detroit Tigers baseball team has drafted more Superbowl starting-quarterbacks than the Detroit Lions. https://dailycaller.com/2020/01/20/detroit-tigers-lions-super-bowl-quarterbacks/

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          Declan Garvey staff-badge Staff

          As a Bears fan I am split on how to greet this news

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      2. Avatar photo
        Rob W

        Essentially.

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          Steve Hayes

          Editor's Note: Looks like we may have to take Declan off of fact-check duty...

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            Rob W

            Steve, if by any chance you see this in the next few minutes, I just picked up Culver's for dinner and I'm wondering what the right pairing is for a bacon butter burger and cheese curds. Old Vines Garnacha or a Toro?

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    Pat Riot

    I think the generals and other officials around Trump are going to learn that, in the end, they should have followed each and every order Trump uttered no matter how destructive and insane, and no matter how many Americans would be killed immediately. As it is, all they have done is propped up Trump and set the stage for much worse things to come. All of these books sound like so much "bla bla bla" when the reality on the ground is that no Americans have died yet.

    Of course, if Americans indeed die in the future at the hands of an insane Trump order, all of the Republicans who ignored all of these books, the anonymous NYT op-eds, etc. will have those souls on their consciouses forever...

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    Kevin Durant?

    “But it will now be up to Mattis and Kelly to determine what, if anything, Americans need to know about their service before 2020. Do they owe a duty of silence as political appointees who agreed to serve a flawed commander in chief until he leaves office? Or do they owe a duty to voters who could benefit from their experience?”
    ——————————————
    They owe it to us to explain how things are horrible when they aren’t, and to do so while facing an opposition that wants to delete the military

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    Earl King

    Alan K. Simpson a guy I have a beer with.
    Curious I gather. Your missive to Generals Mattis and Kelly. I imagine in the past you would have wanted to be a fly on the wall with every President. Great for the telling of history. On the other hand there is a reason we don't expose how the sausage is made in Congress or at the Presidential level. For those who idolize Presidents too much exposure to Regan might burn the myth...the same for those who idolize Obama. I'm actually OK not listening to the petulant, narcissist utter every cognitive dissonant idea or thought. He is not perfect and I accept that....but he is way better than any of the current Democrat candidates. We live in a world of unpalatable choices. I love steak but should eat the eggplant...One unhealthy but tastes good, the other is healthy but leaves one cold about the eating. I choose to listen to the preening of intellectuals tell me that Trump is so deplorable I have to vote for a Democrat...its also distasteful.

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    Ckirk

    Reagan was most likable to me. He seemed stable and caring.

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    Theirn Scott

    In 1988 I had a momentary bout of insanity and voted for Mike Dukakis as I thought George H.W. Bush was too much an elitist but he's by far the most likable politician IMHO.

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