1. Pope questions Trump’s Christianity
On a visit to Mexico, Pope Francis was asked about Trump’s proposal for a “great, great wall” on the Mexican border. “This man is not Christian if he has said things like that,” Francis replied.
Trump: pope’s words ‘disgraceful’
Trump fired back at Francis: “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.” Trump also called the pope a “pawn” of the Mexican government.
Summary
If and when the Vatican is attacked by Isis, which as everyone knows is Isis’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president. – Donald Trump
Video: Pope tweaks Trump
Video: Trump tweaks pope
Trump camp points out Vatican is walled
Amazing comments from the Pope- considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls. pic.twitter.com/g3iVLDVGe5
— Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) February 18, 2016
2. Rubio seeks South Carolina splash
Back on planet Earth, Palmetto governor Nikki Haley cut a commercial for Marco Rubio, who is hoping at least for a strong second place, behind Trump, in the state on Saturday.
Video: Haley and Rubio hit trail
Summary
But standing in Rubio’s way is Ted Cruz, whose campaign distributed a mailer depicting Rubio shaking hands with Barack Obama (shiver). It looked like a case of bad photoshop.
3. Clinton presses Nevada flesh
Spotted: Hillary Clinton, in the Las Vegas Rio casino-hotel employee dining room. Nevada Democrats caucus on Saturday, and with low turnout the norm, every handshake counts.
Your Nevada poll is wrong
How hard to poll NV?
— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) February 18, 2016
CNN in '08 two days before GOP:
McCain-29
Huck-20
Romney-19
Rudy-14
Paul--6
---
Actual:
Romney--51
Paul-14
McCain--13
4. Sanders meets with civil rights groups
After campaigning with Erica Garner in South Carolina and deploying his surrogate Killer Mike in Atlanta, Bernie Sanders met with civil rights leaders in Washington DC.
5. Every candidate is on TV tonight
If you hate politics, unplug the telly. Clinton and Sanders will meet in a Las Vegas forum broadcast by Telemundo, and Republicans have dueling forums slated in South Carolina.
6. O’Connor weighs in on court vacancy
Retired supreme court justice Sandra Day O’Connor, a Reagan appointee, said Obama should fill late justice Antonin Scalia’s seat ASAP. “Let’s get on with it,” she said.
Updated
7. Obama to visit scenic Cuba
Next month, Barack Obama will become the first US president to set foot on the island nation of Cuba since 1928, the White House said. Not a universally popular decision.
This is the only video that should be in the time capsule to explain the 2016 presidential election for the aliens. https://t.co/6xN3OwA8d3
— Chris Moody (@moody) February 17, 2016
