Los Angeles Times | February 9, 2020
Doyle McManus: Column: Buttigieg wants to be the Goldilocks candidate. It just might work - "[Pete Buttigieg] has cast himself as the Goldilocks candidate: younger and more progressive than Joe Biden or Amy Klobuchar, but more moderate and less combative than Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. 'You don't have to choose between the status quo ... and the revolution,' he said recently. Much of his stump speech is a call for 'generational change,' an attempt to turn his youth and earnest Eagle Scout demeanor into an advantage."

In an accelerated primary election season where most of the convention delegates will be pledged to candidates before April, perceived momentum can be everything. If Buttigieg can somehow break through in New Hampshire and Nevada, and that's still a big "IF," Joe Biden's South Carolina firewall may not be enough to deflect a boulder that's rolling downhill. But if he can't, I think his campaign will probably (and quickly) fizzle out.

As a general rule, I don't necessarily disqualify presidential candidates from further consideration on the basis of one particular topic with which I may disagree with them. I'll only do so when they deliberately make such an issue one of the key focal points of their own respective campaigns, e.g., as a stalwart proponent of capital punishment or "state's rights," or as a vigorous opponent of a woman's right to choose or environmental law. And that's because I can see how the rest of it will eventually follow, should such a person be elected.

I know I've said this time and again, but apparently it still bears repeating: In politics, perfect is always the enemy of good. I can't stress this enough to my fellow Democrats and progressives this year. We need to win this election, not place or show. When we're divided, we generally lose. That's why I'm avoiding any overt criticisms of our party's major presidential candidates. (Take a hint, Nina Turner and Bernie Bros.) We need to stand united with our nominee, whoever he or she may be.

So as I see it, the core issue this election year is not universal healthcare, criminal justice reform or even civil rights or climate change. Rather, it's President Donald Trump and his deplorable, wretched, incompetent and corrupt conduct in office.

Because unless and until we get rid of Trump and this malevolent clown car of an administration, absolutely none of our concerns as Democrats and progressives for any of these otherwise very important, worthy and critical issues is ever going to matter.

In this particular presidential election, I'm looking for someone who's knowledgeable, honest, principled, fair-minded, emotionally mature, empathetic, diligent and competent, because that's everything the current Oval Office occupant and his opportunistic cronies are not. And right now from my perspective, I'm quite happy that each one of the major Democratic candidates meets those basic criteria.

oculus: "Sorry to learn former prosecutors are automatically disqualified as Dem. presidential nominee."

While I always appreciate the sentiments from the proprietor of this blog, who's also a criminal defense counsel, I would argue that we're looking to elect a president here, and not a state attorney general, local district attorney or judge.

As a general rule, I don't necessarily disqualify presidential candidates from further consideration on the basis of one particular topic with which I may disagree with them.

I'll only do so when they deliberately make such an issue one of the key focal points of their own respective campaigns, e.g., as a stalwart proponent of capital punishment or "state's rights," or as a vigorous opponent of a woman's right to choose or environmental law. And that's because I can see how the rest of it will eventually follow, should such a person be elected.

I know I've said this time and again, but apparently it still bears repeating: In politics, perfect is always the enemy of good. I can't stress this enough to my fellow Democrats and progressives this year. We need to win this election, not place or show. When we're divided, we generally lose. That's why I'm avoiding any overt and strident criticisms of our party's major presidential candidates. (Take a hint, Nina Turner and Bernie Bros.) We need to be able to rally together and stand united with our nominee, whoever he or she may be.

So as I see it, the core issue this election year is not universal healthcare, criminal justice reform, college student loan reform, or even civil rights or climate change. Rather, it's President Donald Trump and his deplorable, wretched, incompetent and corrupt conduct in office.

Because unless and until we get rid of Trump and this malevolent clown car of an administration, absolutely none of our concerns as Democrats and progressives for any of these otherwise very important, worthy and critical issues is ever going to matter.

In this particular presidential election, I'm looking for someone who's knowledgeable, honest, principled, fair-minded, emotionally mature, empathetic, diligent and competent, because that's everything the current Oval Office occupant and his opportunistic cronies are not. And right now from my perspective, I'm quite happy that each one of the major Democratic candidates meets those basic criteria.

Sanders Won't Commit to Releasing Medical Records

February 9, 2020 at 10:48 am EST By Taegan Goddard 53 Comments

Sen. Bernie Sanders declined to tell NBC News when he'll release more of his medical records.

Said Sanders: "We've released a substantive part."

It's the Bernie and Pete Show today.

Biden Warns that Sanders Will Lose Big

February 9, 2020 at 10:54 am EST By Taegan Goddard 47 Comments

Joe Biden intensified his warning to Democrats telling ABC News that nominating Sen. Bernie Sanders could lead to a stinging defeat in November, but he vowed to "work like hell" to help elect the Vermont senator if that's who wins the party's nomination.

• 1½ lbs. cremini mushrooms (roughly chopped)
  
• ½ lb. shiitake mushrooms (roughly chopped)
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1 cup white onions (chopped)
  
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for keeping the noodles from sticking to each other)
  
• 4 cloves garlic (chopped, about 4 teaspoons)
  
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
  
• 2 cups tomato sauce
  
• 1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes (crushed)
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 (10 oz.) boxes spinach (frozen chopped, thawed and squeezed in clean towel of excess moisture)
  
• 1 lb. lasagna noodles (16 to 20 noodles)
  
• 1 (15 or 16 oz.) container ricotta cheese
  
• ¼ cup fresh basil (chopped)
  
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
  
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Sprinkle salt over the mushrooms. The mushrooms will sizzle and then start to release water. (Note that you are not adding fat at this point to the pan; this method of cooking mushrooms in their own moisture is called "dry sautéing.")

Once the mushrooms start to release water into the pan, stir in the chopped onions. Cook until the mushrooms are no longer releasing moisture and the mushroom water has boiled away, about 5 minutes more.

Make the sauce: Add the olive oil to the mushrooms and stir to coat. Sauté the mushrooms and onions for about a minute. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in the tomato paste, cook for a minute longer. Reserve 1 cup of the tomato sauce (it will go in the bottom of the casserole dish), and put the remaining cup of tomato sauce into the pot with the mushrooms.  Add the large can of crushed tomatoes and one cup of water.

Stir in the thyme, sugar, and red pepper flakes. (If you are using dried basil instead of fresh, add it now.) Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer on a low simmer, for 20 minutes.

Once the sauce is simmering, salt the boiling pasta water, and add the dry lasagna noodles to the boiling water.  (The water should be at a vigorous, rolling boil.) Stir gently, making sure that the noodles are not sticking to each other.

Cook and prepare the pasta: Set the timer for 8 minutes, or however long is indicated on the package of the noodles. Cook uncovered on a high boil.

When the noodles are ready (al dente, cooked through but still firm to the bite), drain the noodles in a colander, and rinse them to cool them with cold water.  As you rinse them, gently separate them with your fingers so they don't stick to each other.

Prepare a couple large cookie sheets or baking sheets by spreading a tablespoon of olive oil over the baking sheets.

Place the lasagna noodles on the sheets, gently coating them with a bit of that olive oil, and spreading them out. This will help keep them from sticking to each other while you finish the sauce and prepare the layered casserole.

Assemble the lasagna: Turn off the heat on the stovetop for the sauce. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spread the one cup of reserved tomato sauce over the bottom of a large (preferably 10" x 15") casserole dish.

Place a layer of lasagna noodles down over the tomato sauce, slightly overlapping. (For a 10" x 15" dish, we ultimately fit 3 layers of 6 noodles each, with 2 extra noodles on which to nosh.)

Sprinkle half of the ricotta cheese over the noodles, and half of the defrosted, drained, and squeezed out spinach over the ricotta.

Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the spinach, and just a quarter of the parmesan cheese.

Then spoon 1/3 of your mushroom sauce over the mozzarella. Sprinkle half of the fresh basil over the sauce.

Repeat the layering process. Place a second layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread the remaining ricotta, spinach, and mozzarella over the noodles. Sprinkle another quarter of the parmesan along with the mozzarella. Top with another third of the mushroom sauce and the remaining fresh basil.

Layer your final layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread the remaining sauce over the lasagna noodles, and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake the lasagna: Pull out a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to cover the casserole dish. Spread a little olive oil over the inside of the piece of foil (the side that will have contact with the lasagna). Place the foil over the casserole dish and crimp the edges.

Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 25 minutes. Take the lasagna out of the oven when done and let it rest 10 minutes before cutting to serve.