Collectors of Classified Documents

When leaving the White House, everybody takes home some souvenir secret documents. It seems like that, anyway. Trump had 300. Ex-VP Biden had a few. Now it turns out that ex-Veep Mike Pence had some back home in Indiana, too. It’s a questionable hobby.

The federal government began the modern system of document classification in 1951, updating it in 1953 and 2009. Maybe the FBI also needs to search the homes of Harry Truman, Alben Barkley, Ike, Nixon, JFK, LBJ, Hubert Humphrey, Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, George W. Bush,  Dick Cheney, and Barack Obama.

Kamala Harris, take heed.

More:

“Trump Angrily Orders Pence to Return All Classified Documents to Mar-a-Lago,” Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker

Updates:

See? We told you.

“Classified records pose conundrum stretching back to Carter,” Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri, Colleen Long, and Jill Colvin, Associated Press

“US National Archives asks ex-presidents to check for classified papers,” Hugo Lowell, The Guardian

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Mike Pence, Coronavirus Czar

President Trump has named Vice President Mike Pence to lead his administration’s fight against the Coronavirus epidemic. Mr. Pence gained extensive medical experience during his stint as Indiana governor, when his Medicaid “expansion” cut health coverage for thousands. His response to the state’s HIV epidemic was to “go home and pray on it,” a policy that caused HIV deaths to spike. A longtime critic of science-based policy, he denied that smoking causes cancer while running for Congress in 2000.

Since joining the Trump administration Mike Pence has filled the federal health establishment with Indiana cronies like former pharmaceutical lobbyist and drug company exec Alex Azar, now Secretary of Health and Human Services, who tripled the price of insulin when he headed Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly. In congressional testimony last Wednesday Mr. Azar would not guarantee that any coronavirus vaccine would be affordable.

More:

“Trump Put Mike Pence In Charge Of The Coronavirus Response. Public Health Experts Aren’t Having It.” Brianna Sacks, BuzzFeed

“Let’s Revisit Coronavirus Czar Mike Pence’s History on Public Health Initiatives,” Shannon Palus, Slate

“Mike Pence was criticized for his handling of Indiana’s HIV outbreak. He will lead the U.S. coronavirus response.” Washington Post

“Mike Pence ‘not up to task’ of leading US coronavirus response, say experts,” Adam Gabbatt, The Guardian

Uh-Oh:

“Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus?” Kathryn Krawczyk, The Week

“Student Quarantined Days After Classmates Shook Mike Pence’s Hand, Report Says,” Jamie Ross, Daily Beast

Updates:

“Trump wanted, and got, a coronavirus lead who would give politics primary consideration,” Philip Bump, Washington Post

“Pence Will Control All Coronavirus Messaging From Health Officials,” Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman, New York Times

“Coronavirus: Pence defends Trump Jr claim Democrats want ‘millions’ to die,” Martin Pengelly and Amanda Holpuch, The Guardian

“HHS Secretary Azar: ‘I’m still chairman of the task force’ on coronavirus after Trump says Pence is leading response,” Caroline Kelly, CNN

“Trump backers see a coronavirus conspiracy,” Ben Schreckinger and Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico

“Mick Mulvaney: Media Is Exaggerating Coronavirus Coverage to ‘Bring Down the President,’” Pilar Melendez, Daily Beast

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Mike Pence Casting Out the Lobbyists From the Trump Transition Team

“Swamp-drainer” Donald Trump’s initial transition team was chock full of the very lobbyists he had railed against on the campaign trail. It was embarrassing, so the president-elect brought in holy warrior Mike Pence to drive the money changers out of Trump Tower. Trump Tower has revolving doors, but the new administration’s incoming officials will pledge to forego lobbying for 5 years. As we know, ethics are very important to the founder of Trump University.

More:

“Donald Trump’s Lobbying Ban Effectively Bans Very Little,” on Schwarz, The Intercept

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That Mexican Thing

Former talk radio host and Indiana Governor Mike Pence has a way with words, but during his prime-time smirk-a-thon with over-caffeinated Senator Tim Kaine he out-did himself. Although he chastised Mr. Kaine for repeating talking points —  “pre-done lines” — Mr. Pence had one of his own. When Tim Kaine referred to Donald Trump’s smear of Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals, Mike Pence, in a clumsy attempt at Reagan’s “There you go again,” replied “Senator, you whipped out that Mexican thing again.”

“That Mexican thing” will be all anyone remembers about Tuesday’s so-called debate.

More:

“‘That Mexican thing’: Mike Pence’s defense of Trump’s rhetoric goes viral,” Nicole Puglise, The Guardian

“‘That Mexican Thing’ Takes On Life After the Debate,” Katie Rogers, New York Times

“‘That Mexican Thing’ Is Your New Favorite Meme,” Jack Holmes, Esquire

“Cartoon: Whip out that Mexican thing,” Lalo Alcaraz, Fusion

Mike Pence Wins Trump Beauty Contest

Indiana Governor Mike Pence has been selected as Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was chosen Miss Congeniality.

Unlike Mr. Trump, Gov. Pence is anti-gay, anti-choice, and pro-foreign-free-trade pacts. So why was he chosen over Gov. Christie, Newt Gingrich, Lt. General Michael Flynn, General Stanley McChrystal, Ben Carson, Bob Corker, Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, or Joni Ernst?

“I think he will pick Pence because he looks like somebody who would hang out with Donald Trump: He’s handsome and cuts a smart figure, but he isn’t going to overshadow Trump,” said Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) Thursday morning. “Donald Trump cares more about how people look than the substance.”

In order to run for vice president, “Handsome Mike” Spence had to give up his gubernatorial re-election bid, but he’s not too popular in that job, anyway.

More:

“7 ways Mike Pence is nothing like Donald Trump,” Nick Gass, Politico

“Where Donald Trump And Mike Pence Disagree,” Sara Jerde, TPM Livewire

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.