A minimum of two, and possibly as many as five, tornadoes hit eastern Alabama (Lee County) near the Georgia border and devastated several small communities.  Horribly, at least 23 people were killed and the death toll is expected to rise.

(Via Reuters) BEAUREGARD, Ala. –  Alabama residents and rescue workers on Monday dug through the remnants of homes destroyed by a spate of tornadoes that killed at least 23 people, including two children, the deadliest U.S. twisters in almost six years.
The tornadoes ripped through Lee County on Sunday with winds of at least 150 miles per hour (240 kph), at the midpoint of the six-step Enhanced Fujita scale, which meteorologists use to measure tornado strength.

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These clubs (RNC & DNC) are so predictable, sometimes you just have to laugh. They follow an entirely predictable script.  After #8 entered the race CTH shared how the governors (actual executive experience) would now enter the race.  It is simply the same club sequence that is always followed: first congressional reps; then Senators, then Governors, then ‘outsiders’ and the club’s ‘chosen one’.
The congress critters are the noisy bunch, they set the lane perimeters (farthest left and farthest right). Once established, the high-brow step forward (the seasoned executives carrying the club platform), they set up the actual interior running lanes.
The goal of the governors is to use specific platform mandates (ie. the lanes or “specific interest groups”) to gain overall club registration.  [Voter support for the race]
Governor Jay Inslee (#9) brought the progressive environmental platform book. He’s recruiting the climate change activists.  Now Governor Hickenlooper (#10) brings the legalized dope platform book. He’s recruiting the national legalized marijuana coalition.

WaPo – John Hickenlooper, who served two terms as governor of Colorado, announced Monday that he is running for president, touting his accomplishments in a state that moved to the left during his time in office.

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Interesting to note.  Though it’s not really a surprise, many thought former AAG Matt Whitaker would be retained within the DOJ in some anti-corruption capacity/effort; that is not the case. It would appear AG William Barr did not make an effort to retain him.

WASHINGTON DC – Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has left the Justice Department. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec says Whitaker’s last day was Saturday.
Whitaker was replaced last month when William Barr was confirmed as attorney general. He became a counselor in the associate attorney general’s office. (more)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul becomes the fourth republican to announce he will support a resolution to rebuke President Trump’s national security declaration at the Southern border.
Paul’s vote puts the Democrat measure over the threshold of 51 votes for passage in the Senate. For Senator Paul it is a matter of ‘muh principle’:

Kentucky – […] In a speech to the crowd of nearly 200 Republican officeholders and supporters at Western Kentucky University’s Augenstein Alumni Center, Paul interjected, in a speech devoted largely to praising the work of President Donald Trump, his opinion that Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the Mexican border is a dangerous precedent.

Senator Paul joins republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis.  There could possibly be more.  The senate still doesn’t have the votes to overcome a veto threshold. However, that’s not the really frustrating issue here.  There’s something being entirely overlooked, likely intentionally overlooked.
President Trump isn’t doing anything new or unprecedented with the National Security declaration at the border.  In fact, back in July 2014 President Obama did the exact same thing.
President Obama and DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson were rebuked by congress when they asked for $4 billion in emergency appropriations for the southern border.  Sound familiar? Oh yeah, the parallels are striking. Because President Obama couldn’t get the funding for the border “crisis”, he declared a national security emergency and shifted funds from the Obamacare budget into the UAC program.  Here’s the fully cited reminder:
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House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff appears on CBS News to outline his role in the larger Pelosi impeachment strategy.
Each House Chairman: Schiff, Cummings and Nadler, have individual roles for their part of the larger impeachment narrative.  Chairman Schiff walks through his assignment:

Presidential Harassment by “crazed” Democrats at the highest level in the history of our Country. Likewise, the most vicious and corrupt Mainstream Media that any president has ever had to endure – Yet the most successful first two years for any

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2019

….President. We are WINNING big, the envy of the WORLD, but just think what it could be?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2019

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HPSCI Ranking Member Devin Nunes appears on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo for a lengthy twenty minute interview on multiple subjects.  The first half of the interview surrounds Michael Cohen’s testimony and morphs into the Steele Dossier.
The second half discusses AG William Barr, possible accountability measures and ongoing issues with the FISA process.  The final segment touches on Chinese cyber-threats and issues.

While a letter from congress to the DOJ amounts to further process frustration for those who bear witness to the corruption that took place; there is a valuable dynamic at play  which may help answer whether AG William Barr is factually going to address corruption, or whether he is apt to just cover it up.
Representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows send a letter (full pdf below) to AG William Barr questioning the independence of two members of the Mueller team, Zainab Ahmad and Andrew Weissmann.
Both Weissmann and Ahmad were involved in contacts and discussions with DOJ official Bruce Ohr as he transferred the Clinton/Steele dossier from his wife, Nellie Ohr, and from Fusion GPS into the FBI to advance a political investigation targeting Donald Trump.
[scribd id=400969471 key=key-UJ9cl2LPrcT3C6NjowpH mode=scroll]
Over time evidence has surfaced showing how a small group of approximately eighteen officials within the DOJ and FBI worked in concert with media and political operatives to target Trump for the benefit of candidate Hillary Clinton.
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Congressman Jim Jordan appears on NBC Meet The Press with Chuck Todd to debate the congressional testimony of Michael Cohen.
When it comes to issues surrounding the Clinton/Steele dossier it is quite remarkable to see how far Chuck Todd is willing to take his Mamet act: ie. pretending not to know things, because those things are counter to his necessary Trump-Russia narrative.
Jim Jordan keeps throwing facts at Todd, and Todd keeps ducking and jiving to avoid the sunlight.