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On the roster: - Trump makes Dems chase tails on Obama tapping - Sharp lines drawn as Gorsuch gets underway - What could determine Gorsuchs fate? - Audible: Better wed than red - What about Don?

TRUMP MAKES DEMS CHASE TAILS ON OBAMA TAPPING Say what you will aboutPresident Trumps claims that his predecessor was spying on him during the 2016 campaign, they have been a remarkably effective distraction.

Given the chance to publicly interrogate FBI DirectorJamesComeyand National Security Agency DirectorMikeRogersabout Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential campaign a topic that should be an absolute field day for the blue team Democrats instead devoted much of their questioning to disproving Trumps apparently baseless claim.

Yes, Democrats coaxed Comey into revealing some potent conclusions, especially the unambiguous declaration that Russian interference was aimed at harming Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and that the Kremlin had a distinct preference for Trump in the election.

But still, the foamy froth over Trumps tweeted allegations took up an enormous amount of time.

As one senior Republican aide on Capitol Hill put it to Halftime Report about Trump and his distractions: You never know if the guy is crazy or an absolute genius.

And, to be fair, it was pretty crazy for Trump as a sitting president to throw out an unsupported accusation againstBarackObamaof such magnitude. Reckless, even.

But the genius part was revealed today as Democrats continued to chase the red herring through much of Comeys and Rogers testimonies.

Democrats may think it a victory to get Comey to say publicly what everyone already knew: that there was no evidence of illegal Obama-ordered wiretaps of Trump, but thats pretty small beer.

The bigger takeaway for the days work ought to have been Comeys public confirmation of an ongoing investigation into whether or not anyone associated with Trumps campaign was colluding with Russian entities during the election. We knew, or at least had reason to suspect as much, before.

But because Comey has publicly declared the existence of an investigation, that means that in the probably near future there will be findings released. Either Trump and his associates will be given a clean bill of health, or criminal charges will be laid. And finally we can have some resolution.

Until that moment, however, its all about shaping the precious narrative. And in that game Trumps either intentional or accidental misinformation about Obama turns out to be very useful to the new president.

Many of Trumps supporters no doubt readily believe Trumps claims, despite debunking. Trumps critics, meanwhile, have been busy chasing their tails trying to disprove the disprovable.

As far as actually governing the nation, it hasnt been so hot. The resultant spat with Britain over some of the charges was a wasteful embarrassment. But as political theater, its been a pretty potent misdirection play.

THE RULEBOOK: CHOICE OF A LIFETIME The want of a provision for removing the judges on account of inability has been a subject of complaint. But all considerate men will be sensible that such a provision would either not be practiced upon or would be more liable to abuse than calculated to answer any good purpose.Alexander Hamilton,Federalist No. 79

TIME OUT:FEEL THE BEAT Legendary artist Chuck Berry, who died Saturday at 90-years-old, was often thought to be the father of rock n roll, with unparalleled talent. But his depictions of post-WWII America is what gives his music lasting meaning. Atlantic: The singer in Promised Land is, like the guitar-slinging [Johnny B. Goode], a young man on the make. Starting off from home in Norfolk, Virginia, in a Greyhound, the singer wants to make it to California to make his name. The song is an atlas of Americagreat cities like New Orleans and Atlanta crop up, but so do smaller ones like Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Like his contemporaries the Beat Poets, the singer is determined to travel, but unlike them he does not have the tendency toward (nor, perhaps, the privilege of) shiftlessness.

Flag on the play? -Email us atHALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COMwith your tips, comments or questions.

SHARP LINES DRAWN AS GORSUCH GETS UNDERWAY Fox News: The first day of hearings [on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court] in the Senate Judiciary Committee opened with Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley expressing his overarching views on the high court before championing Gorsuch, saying judges play a limited role in government and are not free to update the Constitution. Thats not their job. That power is retained by the people, acting through their elected representatives, the Iowa Republican said before arguing the Obama administration tried rewriting federal laws dozens of times.

[Heres a look at how the current Supreme Court justices made it through their hearings.]

What could determine Gorsuchs fate? - FiveThirtyEights Harry Enten argues public opinion has a pretty hefty factor for Supreme Court nominees: Importantly, the public likes Gorsuch.And while the public doesnt vote on Supreme Court nominees, my analysis of past votes suggests public approval is correlated with how many votes a nominee receives in the Senate once you control for other factors. Public pressure, for example,is partof what helped Clarence Thomas get confirmed. In pretty muchevery single survey taken so far, more Americans have supported Gorsuchs confirmation than opposed it. Gorsuch doesnt have quite the approval5that many nominees over the past 30 years have had, but hes not far off.

Hurts so good: Gorsuch and the corpse flower - WashTimes: Already, Democrats in the Senate have declared that they have no interest in taking Judge Gorsuch or his confirmation hearings seriously. The high burden of proof that Judge Gorsuch has to meet is largely a result of the president who nominated him, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat who was elected to the Senate from the ridiculous state of Connecticut despite repeatedly lying about fighting in the Vietnam War. In other words, according to Mr. Blumenthal, its all about politics. Nothing to do with the Constitution. He doesnt like the president, so he will never vote for Judge Gorsuchs confirmation.

PLAY-BY-PLAY Trumps new job approval rating hits new low - Gallup

Ryan says House GOP making fine-tuning adjustments to health bill - Fox News

Cabinet agencies reportedly crabby over White House minders in their midst - WaPo AUDIBLE: BETTER WED THAN RED You dont ever send anyone back to the commies. American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp recounting to the WaPo his opening gambit in his courtship with his now wife, Mercedes, the daughter of Cuban refugees who began their first debate demanding to know his position on the repatriation of Elian Gonzales.

FROM THE BLEACHERS Do you know or will you find out if the proposed American Health Care Act covers and mandates that [members of Congress], their staff and Federal employees use the system and their existing programs are abolished? Frank Bolton, Phoenix

[Ed. note: Good question! One of the requirements under ObamaCare is for members of Congress and their staffs to obtain coverage through the health insurance exchanges set up under the law. They are free to take their employer contribution and buy any coverage available, so its something of an empty gesture, but it does at least require lawmakers to experience the annoyances of an additional layer of bureaucracy in obtaining coverage. What we dont know is whether that requirement will persist if ObamaCare morphs into TrumpCare. With a proposed 3-step process for instituting the new system it may be too soon to say, and as reporters from the Columbus Dispatch found out, theres not a lot of clarity on the subject. But we will keep watching. Thanks for reading and taking the time to write.]

I am amazed that you call the President of the US Trump in most of you writings.I think I only saw one time President Trump. However, you call Pres. Obama, Pres. GW Bush, etc. Time to remind you who Trump is? Also you are the only one that calls the new Health care Trumpcare. Euthymia Hibbs, Cleveland

[Ed. note: Ms. Hibbs, there is no disrespect meant by referring to the president by his last name alone on second reference. We do deviate from the Associated Press style in one way, however. AP changed eight years ago to always use the sitting presidents full name on first reference, e.g. President Barack Obama, rather than President Obama. I find that unnecessary since everyone knows who were talking about when we say President Trump. But it is certainly not necessary to repeat any office holders title on second reference. Trump will do just fine. As for the health bill he has helped craft and is currently selling, TrumpCare is a helpful disambiguation from ObamaCare.]

In case the panda ribs business doesnt work out for you, it might be time to revisit Jonathan Swifts A Modest Proposal. Chuck Howard, Tunica, Miss.

[Ed. note: Now, Mr. Howard, unlike Swift and the poor children of Ireland, I am calling for more pandas. Were I to have my way, they would be as common as cows!]

Share your color commentary:Email us atHALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COMand please make sure to include your name and hometown. WHAT ABOUT DON? BBC: An archbishop in Sicily has moved to reclaim the term godfather from the mafia - by banning gangsters from taking the role at baptisms. Michele Pennisi, a vocal mafia critic, has his diocese in Monreale, near Palermo. He said he wanted to challenge the idea that crime bosses have a paternal side. The mafia has always taken the term godfather from the Church to give its bosses an air of religious respectability, he told AFP. Whereas in fact, the two worlds are completely incompatible. Archbishop Pennisis diocese includes the notorious village of Corleone, a vendetta-torn enclave made famous by Mario Puzos novel The Godfather.

ChrisStirewaltis the politics editor for Fox News.Sally Personscontributed to this report. Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign uphere.

Chris Stirewalt joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in July of 2010 and serves as digital politics editor based in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he authors the daily "Fox News First" political news note and hosts "Power Play," a feature video series, on FoxNews.com. Stirewalt makes frequent appearances on the network, including "The Kelly File," "Special Report with Bret Baier," and "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace." He also provides expert political analysis for Fox News coverage of state, congressional and presidential elections.

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Trump makes Dems chase tails on Obama tapping - Fox News

WH: Certain Obama Political Appointees Had Access to the Names of 'Unmasked US Citizens' CNSNews.com Following this testimony, it's clear that nothing has changed. Senior Obama intelligence officials have gone on record to confirm that there is no evidence of a Trump-Russia collusion. The Obama CIA director said so, Obama's director of national ... and more »

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WH: Certain Obama Political Appointees Had Access to the Names of 'Unmasked US Citizens' - CNSNews.com

Where on earth did Jim Pilling (letters, March 15) get his numbers? President Obama spent billions in taxpayer dollars on vacations? Please. All presidents need to take vacations. According to AOL News and Im sure other sources may vary on this by December into his second term, President Obama had taken 161 vacation days compared with George W. Bush, 405; Bill Clinton, 174; and Ronald Reagan, 390.

So far, President Trump has spent most weekends at his resort in Mar-a-Lago at a cost of $10 million plus to taxpayers. In addition to that, while hes there, the local airport nine miles away has to shut down, causing thousands in lost dollars to local businesses.

At $10 million a month, Trump will surely cost the American taxpayer billions if we let him remain in office.

Patricia Chamberlain

Springfield

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Obama a bargain next to Trump - The Register-Guard

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) reacted angrily to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ken.) on the floor of the Senate on March 15. (C-SPAN)

Stop me if youve heard this before: Two Washington politicians disagree with each other. Then they call each other names.

Except this time, the name-calling got out of hand really quickly. And now, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are just the latest example of the sorrystate of our political discourse.

Let's start from the beginning.

Wednesday afternoon,McCain was working with two Democratic senators to request a Senate vote on allowing Montenegro, a small Balkan nation, into NATO. The Senate vote is one small but important step in Montenegros nearly decade-long process to be allowed into the treaty group, which includes much of North America and Europe.

McCain spoke passionately on the Senate floor in favor of letting Montenegro in, most especially because it would serve as a direct rebuke to Russia. Russia, McCain said, wanted to kill the prime minister and overthrow the government in order to keep Montenegro from becoming part of NATO.

McCain and his two Democratic colleaguespushed for unanimous consent to approve the treaty ascension. Unanimous consent isa procedure senators can deploywhen there'shardly any opposition to their proposal. If no senatoropenly objects to it, the issue at hand will automatically pass without all 100 senators having to take a vote.

Then Paul walked in, offered his objection and walked away.

McCain was dumbfounded. And visibly angry. Here are his comments in full:

That is really remarkable. That a senator blocking a treaty that is supported by the overwhelming number, perhaps 98 at least, of his colleagues, would come to the floor and object and walk away. And walk away. The only conclusion you can draw when he walks away is he has no argument to be made. He has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO that is under assault from the Russians. So I repeat again: The senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin.

A United States senator is now working for the Russian president.Thats a striking thing to say on the Senate floor ever, let alone at a moment in time when Congress is investigating Russias meddling in the U.S. election and the FBI is looking into the presidents ties to Russia.

The next morning, Paul was on MSNBCs Morning Joe, where he was asked by host Willie Geist aboutMcCains comment.

Paul said:You know, I think he makes a really, really strong case for term limits. I think maybe hes past his prime; I think maybe hes gotten a little bit unhinged.

Not that anyones innocent in this, but Paul could have answered the question on the policy merits alone and avoided calling an 80-year-old senator unhinged. Something like, You know, the senator is entitled to his opinion. But heres why I oppose letting Montenegro into NATO would have worked.

Now Paul isin the position of escalating a name-calling battle. It undercuts Pauls argument that McCain went too far (and that two people who disagree can have a rational discussion on NATO). Andfrom McCains perspective, his quote about Paul and Putin being in cahoots overshadows the reason he said it.

(McCains office explained in a statement to The Fix on Thursday: Senator McCain believes that the person who benefits the most from Congresss failure to ratify Montenegros ascension to NATO is Vladimir Putin.")

Paul did go on to explain on MSNBC why he objected to allowing Montenegro into NATO. It would make the United States more vulnerable to situations where it might have to use force, said Paul. He and McCain exist on opposite ends of the spectrum of foreign policy views within their party. Where McCain believes military force abroad can be a tool for good, Paul isvery, very skeptical of its power and any circumstance that might lead the United States to have get involved in other nations affairs.

We get it.When two people disagree about important things, passions can run high, and sometimes you say stuff you regret.

But this Paul-McCain back-and-forth doesnt feel like an isolated personality-driven quarrel.

Rather, it feels like yet another marker in howour political discourse that thing that allows people to have civil disagreements without attacking each other personally. Last week it was a senator accusing the president of shamelessly lying. This week its two senators declaring each other unhinged and working for Vladimir Putin. Next week, it'll be something else, Im sure.

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Rand Paul calls John McCain unhinged after McCain says Paul ...

Republican Sen. Rand Paul said the House GOP health care bill is unlikely to pass in Congress because there are "enough conservatives that dont want 'Obamacare lite.'

The Kentucky senator told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" Sunday that the Republican-led Congress should repeal Obamacare in its entirety.

He says the current bill, which is set for a vote Thursday in the House, doesn't go far enough. They're going to repeal part of it and leave in place all of the stuff that causes your insurance rates to go through the roof, Paul said.

Paul added that the House GOP plan doesnt fix the fundamental problem of Obamacare, which he said are the mandates on insurance companies.

"My fear is that a year from now people are going to come back and were going to have all the same arguments that insurance premiums are still going through the roof and we still have a mess, he said.

Paul said he has his own health care plan that "actually forces prices down, forces the insurance companies to come to the table," instead of subsidizing health care.

In a separate interview Sunday on This Week, Stephanopoulos asked Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about Pauls proposal for a clean repeal of Obamacare and a wide open debate about how to replace it.

Price said that would place vulnerable people at risk.

Thats not something that the presidents willing to do, said Price. What [the president] has said is that repeal and replace need to occur essentially at the same time ... Thats what were moving forward with in this first phase.

Paul, in his interview, countered this view. They call it repeal and replace, but when it doesn't fix the problems and you say you've fixed the problems, they're going to own it. And I promise you, in a year, the insurance markets will still be unraveling ... They have in the House plan bailouts for insurance companies. Conservatives are not for bailing out the insurance companies. We're for empowering the consumer to drive prices down so you can get better-cost insurance, the Kentucky Republican said.

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Rand Paul says GOP health care bill unlikely to pass in ...