;)
The Commentariat -- July 2, 2020
Afternoon Update:
The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Thursday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here.
One Military Hero Backs Another. Edward Moreno if the Hill: "Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) announced Thursday that she is blocking the Senate confirmation of 1,123 senior U.S. Armed Forces promotions until Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirms that he is not going to block the promotion of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to colonel.... She is asking for Esper to provide written confirmation that Vindman will be promoted to colonel."
Flack & Flee: The Trump Presser. Morgan Chalfant & Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump touted the new June jobs numbers at a hastily scheduled press briefing Thursday where he left before taking any questions.... The decision to not take questions was particularly notable given another controversy the administration is dealing with this week: the report that Trump was briefed on intelligence that Russia paid bounties to militants in Afghanistan to attack and kill U.S. troops." ~~~
~~~ Rachel Siegel of the Washington Post: "The U.S. unemployment rate is expected to stay above its pre-pandemic levels through the end of 2030, according to a 10-year economic report released Thursday by the Congressional Budget Office. The agency is predicting that the unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2030 will be 4.4 percent, down from 7.6 percent at the end of 2021 and 6.9 percent at the end of 2022.... The new projection shows the long-term impact that economists say the pandemic will have on the U.S. economy, the largest in the world. A severe disruption to production and hiring in March and April has had a jarring impact on the United States."
California. Zoe Richards of TPM: "More than 40 school principals in northern California have quarantined after they were exposed to the coronavirus during an in-person meeting held by a local school district. The quarantine follows news that a pre-symptomatic individual tested positive for COVID-19 within days of a June 19 meeting held by the Santa Clara County Unified School District to to discuss school reopening plans for the fall, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday."
Florida. Gary Fineout & Marc Caputo of Politico: "Florida set a new record for coronavirus cases, reporting more than 10,100 new infections as Vice President Mike Pence was to meet with Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday to discuss the state's response to the outbreak. The mounting case numbers up the political pressure on DeSantis, a Republican, as Florida prepares to host marquee events of the Republican National Convention in late August, including Trump's acceptance speech."
Max Cohen of Politico: "Former presidential candidate Herman Cain announced on Thursday that he has been hospitalized with Covid-19, almost two weeks after attending ... Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa, Okla. Cain was diagnosed with coronavirus on June 29, nine days after the president's rally, and his symptoms worsened and required hospitalization on July 1, according to a statement from his Twitter account."
Teo Armus of the Washington Post reports on this lovely white Michigan woman pulling a gun on a black woman and her daughter in a shopping area parking lot. Thanks to Rockygirl for the link.
All the Best People, Ctd. John Hudson of the Washington Post: "President Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Norway is facing demands that he abandon his pursuit of the diplomatic post following the unearthing of a 1994 court filing indicating his involvement in the production of a racist campaign flier against an African American politician in Georgia. According to the filing, Mark Burkhalter helped create a flier that distorted and exaggerated the features of Gordon Joyner, a candidate for county commissioner in north-central Georgia. Joyner was pictured with some features darkened, a large Afro, enlarged eyebrows and a warped eye. Joyner sued for libel, resulting in an out-of-court settlement, an apology signed by Burkhalter and three other men, and payment of an undisclosed sum. Burkhalter did not disclose his involvement in the controversy to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to a letter by Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the panel's ranking Democrat, that was obtained by The Washington Post."
Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Supreme Court has all but doomed House Democrats' efforts to obtain former special counsel Robert Mueller's grand jury evidence before the November elections. The justices agreed Thursday to consider whether the House should be given permission to access the grand jury secrets contained in Mueller's final report, as well as its underlying evidence. That decision, despite two lower court rulings supporting access to the secret information, ensures that no final decision will be rendered before voters decide whether to grant Trump a second term."
Jim Mustian & Larry Neumeister of the AP: "British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the FBI on Thursday on charges she helped procure underage sex partners for financier Jeffrey Epstein. An indictment made public Thursday said Maxwell, who lived for years with Epstein and was his frequent travel companion on trips around the world, facilitated Epstein's crimes by 'helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse' girls as young as 14. It also said she participated in the sexual abuse." Update: A New York Times story is here.
~~~~~~~~~~
** Axios: "President Trump attacked New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday for reallocating $1 billion from the NYPD's budget and ordering a large Black Lives Matter mural to be painted on Fifth Avenue, condemning it in a tweet as a 'symbol of hate.'... It's yet another example of the president digging in on racial issues that explicitly appeal to his base, even as his poll numbers continue to spiral in the wrong direction months ahead of the election." (Also linked yesterday.) Politico has a story here. A Washington Post story is here. ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: This is the most incendiary thing Trump ever has said or written. It's worse that "very fine people on both sides." Now we know he wears a mask after all; it's in the shape of a pointy white hood. Calling "Black Lives Matter" "a symbol of hate" is an affirmation that not only do black lives not matter, it is A-okay to shoot black people on Fifth Avenue, the site of the planned mural. For four years, I have constrained myself from hating Trump. I give up. I quit. I surrender. Uncle. I hate Donald Trump.
** As Coronavirus Cases Top 50,000, Trump Says Virus Will "Sort of Disappear."From the Washington Post's live updates, linked immediately below: "The United States reported a whopping 52,788 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the largest single-day total since the start of the pandemic. While President Trump speculated in a Fox Business interview that the virus was 'going to sort of disappear' at some point, many other officials are far less optimistic. Across the country, plans for a gradual return to normalcy are quickly being cast aside, with California, Michigan and New York City the latest to rethink some aspects of reopening." ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of coronavirus developments Wednesday are here. The New York Times' live updates for Wednesday are here: "Health officials are urging Americans to scale back Independence Day plans after virus case levels reached disheartening new highs on Tuesday, with eight states setting single-day reporting records. The Oregon Health Authority warned that 'the safest choice this holiday is to celebrate at home.' In Nebraska, state leaders suggested that holiday cookout hosts keep guest lists to make contact tracing easier. In Los Angeles County, where 10,000 new cases have been announced since Friday, the public health department ordered beaches closed and fireworks shows canceled. Elsewhere, the pleas were similar: Skip the party. Stay home. Don't make a bad situation worse." (Also linked yesterday.)
Anne Gearan, et al., of the Washington Post: "Coronavirus infections in the United States surged nearly 50 percent in June as states relaxed quarantine rules and tried to reopen their economies, data compiled Wednesday showed, and several states moved to reimpose restrictions on bars and recreation. More than 800,000 new cases were reported across the country last month, led by Florida, Arizona, Texas and California -- bringing the nation's officially reported total to just over 2.6 million, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. States that took an aggressive approach to reopening led the country in infection spikes -- along with California, the nation's most populous state, where leaders have been more cautious. California on Wednesday reported 110 new deaths, more than any other state."
Jeff Cox of CNBC: "Nonfarm payrolls jumped by 4.8 million in June and the unemployment rate fell to 11.1% as the U.S. continued its reopening from the coronavirus pandemic, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting a 2.9 million increase and a jobless rate of 12.4%. The report was released a day earlier than usual due to the July Fourth U.S. holiday.... However, because the government survey comes from the middle of the month, it does not account for the suspension or rollbacks in regions hit by a resurgence in coronavirus cases." ~~~
~~~ Fred Imbert & Thomas Franck of CNBC: "Futures contracts tied to the major U.S. stock indexes rose early Thursday as investors cheered a bigger-than-expected increase in jobs in June. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 419 points, or 1.6%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures gained 1.24% and 0.9%, respectively."
Alabama. Bill Hutchinson of ABC News: "Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 have been attending parties in the city and surrounding area as part of a disturbing contest to see who can catch the virus first, a city council member told ABC News on Wednesday. Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said students have been organizing "COVID parties" as a game to intentionally infect each other with the contagion that has killed more than 127,000 people in the United States."
North Carolina. Matthew Cox of Military.com: "U.S. Army Special Operations Command officials announced today that 90 students who were going through survival training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina have tested positive for COVID-19. The soldiers were participating in the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) course, according to a news release from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.... Out of the 110 students in the course, 82 students, along with eight instructors, tested positive for COVID-19.... The course was terminated and all 110 soldiers are being quarantined for 14 days, [a spokesperson] said."
Texas. Rosalind Adams, et al., of BuzzFeed News: "At least five members of the choir and orchestra at the Dallas megachurch visited by Vice President Mike Pence this weekend tested positive for the coronavirus in June, according to Facebook posts and internal church emails reviewed by BuzzFeed News. An additional orchestra member had symptoms several days after being exposed and was awaiting a test result in mid-June.... None of those six people were at the First Baptist church in Dallas during Pence's hour-and-a-half-hour visit on Sunday, but it's unclear how many of the musicians who performed for Pence may have been exposed during previous practices and performances with those who were infected. Public health experts have expressed particular concerns about the dangers of indoor singing and wind instruments in large groups, which can readily spread the respiratory virus." ~~~
~~~ James Hibberd of Entertainment: "Vanilla Ice is throwing a Fourth of July weekend concert deep in the heart of pandemic hotspot Texas. The Iceman will cometh this Friday at a concert venue in Austin, where all the bars are otherwise closed due to COVID-19. The concert is titled the Independence Day Throwback Beach Party and it's happening due to a legal loophole, the Austin Chronicle pointed out. The venue -- Emerald Point Bar & Grill, located on the shores of Lake Travis -- is technically a restaurant, even though it also has a large capacity outdoor general admission concert space.... The concert is selling 2,500 tickets, which is roughly half of the venue's potential capacity."
** Mujib Mashal, et al., of the New York Times: "... Rahmatullah Azizi stands as a central piece of a puzzle rocking Washington, named in American intelligence reports and confirmed by Afghan officials as a key middleman who for years handed out money from a Russian military intelligence unit to reward Taliban-linked fighters for targeting American troops in Afghanistan, according to American and Afghan officials. As security agencies connected the dots of the bounty scheme and narrowed in on him, they carried out sweeping raids to arrest dozens of his relatives and associates about six months ago, but discovered that Mr. Azizi had sneaked out of Afghanistan and was likely back in Russia. What they did find in one of his homes, in Kabul, was about half a million dollars in cash." The Week has a summary report here.
Mitch Prothero of Business Insider, republished in Task & Purpose: "Taliban commanders have confirmed that Russia has offered financial and material support to its members in exchange for attacking US forces in Afghanistan.... Three separate Taliban sources told Insider that they were aware of Russian bounty payments being made -- though they stressed that only the less-disciplined elements on the fringes of the group would take up such an offer.... The three sources all confirmed that the practice takes place, and that Russia intelligence officials are known to pay. Iran and Pakistan also fund these activities...."
Michael Crowley & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "First President Trump denied knowing about it. Then he called it a possible 'hoax.' Next, the White House attacked the news media. And now an unnamed intelligence official is to blame. The one thing Mr. Trump and his top officials have not done is to address the substance of intelligence reports that Russia paid bounties to Taliban-affiliated fighters to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan, or what they might do in response.... On Wednesday, Mr. Trump repeated his claim that he was 'never briefed' about the intelligence, which his aides called unverified but which many U.S. intelligence officials deemed credible.... Writing on Twitter, Mr. Trump called stories about the bounties 'a made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party.' His national security adviser, Robert C. O'Brien, said on Fox News that Mr. Trump's C.I.A. briefer, the person who delivers an in-person briefing to him every few days, had not brought it to his attention.... The person who usually handles that job is Beth Sanner, a C.I.A. analyst with three decades of experience. Ms. Sanner is said to have a good relationship with Mr. Trump, but the White House has cited her briefings before when deflecting responsibility for a crisis."
** Ellen Nakashima, et al., of the Washington Post: "The White House is not planning an immediate response to intelligence reports of Russian bounties given to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan because President Trump does not believe the reports are true or 'actionable,' according to two senior administration officials. Trump is not convinced he should do anything about the bounty issue.... Some of Trump's own senior intelligence officials viewed the information as credible enough to warn the Pentagon and allies so they could ensure they had measures in place to protect their forces in Afghanistan, and to begin developing options for responding to the Russian operation, national security adviser Robert C. O'Brien said Wednesday. And though the administration has sought to downplay the veracity of the intelligence, O'Brien said the CIA has asked the Justice Department to open a leak investigation on the matter.... O'Brien told reporters Wednesday that ... as soon as the Pentagon received the information, 'we made sure we had tactics in place ... to look after our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in Afghanistan.' Officials from several NATO allies in Afghanistan, however, said they were not officially informed until last week."
** Jim Sciutto of CNN: "... Donald Trump's resistance to intelligence warnings about Russia led his national security team, including those who delivered the President's Daily Brief to brief him verbally less often on Russia-related threats to the US, multiple former Trump administration officials who briefed Trump, were present for briefings and who prepared documents for his intelligence briefings tell CNN. As the White House denies Trump was briefed about Russia placing bounties on US soldiers in Afghanistan..., the question of what the President knew and when has moved to center stage. And it brings Trump's aversion to hearing negative analysis about Russia into renewed focus. Multiple former administration officials I spoke to ... paint a picture of a President often unwilling to hear bad news about Russia."
Kate Riga of TPM: "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got testy with reporters who pressed him for answers on allegations that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for murdered American and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan."
Fadel Allassan of Axios: "Former national security adviser John Bolton told CBS News' 'The Takeout' podcast on Wednesday that he would have personally briefed President Trump if he saw intelligence that Russian officials offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops, but cautioned that Trump is simply not receptive to intelligence briefings.... 'The problem with Donald Trump is not that he is ... just not receptive to new facts.'... Bolton said that because of Trump's 'lack of interest in intelligence,' the briefings he receives do not have as much information as they should. He declined to comment on reports that he had been involved in briefing the president on the Russian bounty matter in 2019.... Bolton said he agreed with Susan Rice, his predecessor in the Obama administration, who wrote in an op-ed [linked below] that she would have shown the intelligence to Obama."
Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "From the moment President Trump publicly denied knowledge of intelligence that suggested that Russia had offered bounties for killing American troops in Afghanistan, something seemed off to Representative Elissa Slotkin, Democrat of Michigan.... The emergence of the disturbing reports and Mr. Trump's responses -- a combination of denial, claims of ignorance and attacks on leakers and the news media -- have raised broader questions about how the president and his White House handle intelligence matters. And based on her personal experience, Ms. Slotkin has taken a lead role in demanding answers.... For Ms. Slotkin, the White House's explanation for Mr. Trump's ignorance of the intelligence -- that it was too uncertain to share with the president -- made no sense." The intelligence, even if sketchy, would be something a briefer would flag for any president because of its importance, Slotkin said.
Susan Rice, in a New York Times op-ed: "As a former national security adviser, I find it exceedingly difficult to believe that no one told Mr. Trump about this intelligence [about Russia paying the Taliban bounty for killing U.S. soldiers].... If Mr. Trump was told about Russian actions, why did he not respond? If he was not told, why not?... A perilous pattern persists that underscores Mr. Trump's strange propensity to serve Russian interests above America's.... Now Mr. Putin knows he can kill Americans with impunity.... At best, our commander in chief is utterly derelict in his duties, presiding over a dangerously dysfunctional national security process that is putting our country and those who wear its uniform at great risk. At worst, the White House is being run by liars and wimps catering to a tyrannical president who is actively advancing our arch adversary's nefarious interests." (Also linked yesterday.)
Sorry, Cousin Donnie. Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: "A New York court on Wednesday lifted a temporary restraining order against the publication of a book by President Trump's niece, enabling publisher Simon & Schuster to continue printing and distributing the explosive insider account by Mary L. Trump. President Trump's brother, Robert, filed a petition last week asking that Mary Trump and the publisher be prevented from publishing the book, citing a confidentiality agreement signed by Mary Trump two decades ago as part of a settlement in an inheritance dispute. On Tuesday, a state Supreme Court judge agreed to impose the restraining order to allow the parties to present their arguments next week, raising doubts about whether it would be published. However, the Supreme Court's appellate division on Wednesday lifted the restraining order that had been imposed on Simon & Schuster, while leaving in place the one regarding Mary Trump. That effectively enables the publisher to continue distributing copies of the book in preparation for the planned July 28 publication, even as the overall merits of the case are argued." ~~~
~~~ A Politico report, by Josh Gerstein, is here.
Mark Berman of the Washington Post: "Seattle police moved to clear a protest zone early Wednesday morning that had drawn national attention and has been marred by multiple shootings, including one that killed a teenager early this week. Police said they began taking action after Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) issued an executive order calling for the area to be vacated, aiming to end the weeks-long occupation around a police precinct. Officers began making a wave of arrests as they moved to enforce that directive, they said, and warned that anyone who remained in the area or returned could be taken into custody.... Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best issued a statement early Wednesday saying that she supports peaceful protests and would continue her department's work to engage with activists. 'But enough is enough,' Best said in a statement. 'The CHOP has become lawless and brutal. Four shootings -- two fatal -- robberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area. My job, and the job of our officers, is to protect and serve our community.'" A New York Times report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Sharpiegate, Ctd. Andrew Freedman & Jason Samenow of the Washington Post: "The inspector general for the Commerce Department sent a memo to Secretary Wilbur Ross Wednesday evening expressing 'deep concern' that the department is infringing on the office's independence by preventing the release of a final report on the investigation into a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration statement about Hurricane Dorian in 2019. The memo by Peggy Gustafson was posted to the Office of the Inspector General's website in what marks a rare public airing in a dispute between an agency inspector general and a Cabinet secretary.... The main conclusions of the report are already publicly known as Gustafson, an appointee of President Barack Obama, posted a summary of the findings, dated June 26, late Monday night.... The summary faults the department's handling of an unsigned Sept. 6, 2019, statement from NOAA backing President Trump's erroneous statements that Hurricane Dorian posed a major threat to Alabama -- including his infamous modification of a hurricane forecast map, an incident dubbed 'Sharpiegate.'... The NOAA statement criticized its own National Weather Service office in Birmingham for issuing a tweet to calm public concern [about Trump's false claim.].... Separately, an independent NOAA report found the agency's issuance of the statement violated its scientific integrity policy." ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Today is Thursday. Will Trump fire Gustafson tomorrow night? Or will he wait a week or two?
Elections 2020
Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "... Joseph R. Biden Jr. and the Democratic Party outraised President Trump and the Republicans for the second straight month in June, announcing a record haul of $141 million on Wednesday night only hours after Mr. Trump's campaign had trumpeted his own $131 million total. Both of the presidential candidates' hauls represented huge spikes from May, when Mr. Biden raised $80.8 million and Mr. Trump $74 million."
Elena Schneider of Politico: "Online donors poured a record $392 million into campaigns and causes via ActBlue in June, a sign of surging activism and political enthusiasm on the left that smashed the previous monthly high, from just before the 2018 election, by a whopping 50 percent. The eye-popping numbers on ActBlue, the favored digital fundraising platform for the Democratic Party as well as a growing host of left-leaning nonprofits, make for a startling split-screen next to Great Depression-level unemployment and spiking coronavirus cases across the country."
Another Trumperwhopper. Alexandra Jaffe of the AP: "... Donald Trump has fabricated a complaint that Democratic rival Joe Biden was fed questions at a news conference and read his answers from a teleprompter. This didn't happen. TRUMP:' Biden was asked questions at his so-called Press Conference yesterday where he read the answers from a teleprompter. That means he was given the questions, just like Crooked Hillary. Never have seen this before!' -- tweet Wednesday. [Trump repeated the false claim in two interviews.]... THE FACTS: Biden did not read answers off a teleprompter. Nor did The Associated Press, which asked the first question at the briefing, submit questions in advance.... Video footage shows that during nearly 30 minutes of Q&A..., Biden often looked directly at the reporter, not at the teleprompter.... Biden campaign national press secretary TJ Ducklo called Trump's allegation 'laughable, ludicrous, and a lie.'"
"'Experience' Is a Very Important Word." Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "In an interview with Sean Hannity last week, President Trump was asked how he would contrast himself with Joe Biden in the 2020 election and what his second-term agenda would be. Trump offered nothing in the way of an agenda, but he did key on one thing: his 'experience.' [Mrs. McC: Word Salad Warning] 'Well, one of the things that will be really great,' Trump replied, 'you know, the word 'experience' is still good. I always say talent is more important than experience. I've always said that. But the word 'experience' is a very important word. It's an -- a very important meaning.'... A striking new poll finds, even after 3½ years of the president serving in the role, Americans still overwhelmingly say he isn't experienced enough for the job. The USA Today-Suffolk University poll asked whether people thought Trump and Joe Biden had 'the right experience to be president.' Just 37 percent said that was true of the incumbent, while an equally remarkable 67 percent said it was true of Biden." Emphasis added.
Trump Campaign Shake-up. Jonathan Swan of Axios: "Michael Glassner, the man who organizes President Trump's rallies, has been 'reassigned,' and Trump's 2016 Arizona chair Jeff DeWit will join the campaign as chief operating officer to oversee the final stretch to election day, three sources familiar with the situation tell Axios.... Jared Kushner engineered these moves. Glassner [is] a Trump campaign original dating back to 2015.... One person familiar with the shake-up defended Glassner as the unfortunate guy whose head needed to roll for the Tulsa rally debacle, where the attendance was nowhere near what the president had anticipated."
Adam Gabbatt of the Guardian: "Historically military members and veterans tend to favor Republican candidates, and Trump's relationship with the military has so far endured his attacks on military families, and the venom Trump has directed at John McCain, even after the senator died. That support held in 2018, even as voters flocked to Democrats, when Trump's Republican party still won 58% of the military vote, but with just four months to go, Trump has found himself immediately targeted over the Russian scandal. The Lincoln Project, a group of influential anti-Trump Republicans who plan to spend big money advertising against the president during the election campaign, quickly capitalized on Trump's handling of the alleged bounty plot on Saturday." --s
Tim Reid of Reuters: "Hundreds of officials who worked for former Republican President George W. Bush are set to endorse Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden, people involved in the effort said, the latest Republican-led group coming out to oppose the re-election of Donald Trump. The officials, who include Cabinet secretaries and other senior people in the Bush administration, have formed a political action committee - 43 Alumni for Biden - to support the former vice president in his Nov. 3 race, three organizers of the group told Reuters."
Hush Money? Nah, Couldn't Be. Lachlan Markay & Sam Stein of the Daily Beast: "Last year, the Republican National Convention began cutting checks to [Chuck Labella,] a former producer of NBC's Celebrity Apprentice who was accused of having, as one contestant put it, 'all the dirt' on Donald Trump. From August 2019 through May 2020, the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Convention made a dozen payments totaling more than $66,000 to Labella Worldwide, Inc. for 'production consulting services.'... According to actor Tom Arnold, who was a contestant on the show and has since become a vociferous Trump critic, Labella was in possession of Trump's ostensibly salacious -- and, in political and media circles, long-sought -- behind-the-scenes Apprentice outtakes.... Trump's then personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, helped situate Labella with a close attorney, Keith Davidson, in late 2017." Davidson helped arrange hugh-money payments for Stormy Daniels.
House Race. Colorado. Crazier & Crazier. Paul Kane & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "Republican leaders stood by the upset winner of the GOP primary in a competitive House seat despite the gun rights activist's openness to the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theory. The National Republican Congressional Committee, overseen by top GOP leaders, embraced Lauren Boebert as their nominee Wednesday following her defeat of five-term Rep. Scott R. Tipton (R-Colo.), whom she characterized during the campaign as insufficiently supportive of President Trump. Boebert is the ninth individual to win the Republican nomination for a seat in the House or Senate who is either a full supporter of the QAnon movement or has voiced support for some of its tenets, none of which have a foundation in truth. Conspiracy theory experts consider it a webbed network filled with activists who wrongly believe a secret group of elites inside of and outside of government is working against Trump, as well as other false allegations of pedophilia among top Democratic officials."
Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "Fox News has fired Ed Henry, one of the network’s most prominent Washington-based journalists, after a former employee at the cable news channel accused him of sexual misconduct, the network said on Wednesday. In a memo to staff, Fox News leadership said it received a complaint last week alleging that Mr. Henry had engaged in 'willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago.' The network retained an outside law firm to review the claim.... A lawyer for Mr. Henry, Catherine Foti, said on Wednesday evening that the anchor denied the claim against him.... A spokeswoman for Mr. Henry's publisher, William Morrow, said on Wednesday that it would no longer release the anchor's upcoming memoir, 'Saving Colleen.' The book, about Mr. Henry's decision to donate a part of his liver to his sister, had been scheduled for September. William Morrow is a subsidiary of HarperCollins, which, like Fox News, is controlled by the Murdoch family. In 2016, Mr. Henry was forced to take a leave from Fox News after several tabloids reported that he had engaged in an extramarital relationship with a woman he had met in Las Vegas."
Ryan Mac & Caroline Haskins of Buzzfeed: "[S]everal pieces of paid content related to the Boogaloo movement on Facebook and Instagram that were uncovered by BuzzFeed News; this is despite claims by Facebook that it was doing more to take action against the group.... As right-wing extremists have used the company's tools to organize, the world's largest social network has also profited from ads pushing for white supremacy.... On Tuesday, Facebook said it would designate the Boogaloo movement as 'a dangerous organization,' banning it from the platform and Instagram. The company removed 220 Facebook accounts, 28 pages, and 106 groups, as well as 95 Instagram accounts, which made up what it called a 'violent US-based anti-government network.' Facebook also removed 400 additional groups and more than 100 pages that shared similar content." --s
Way Beyond the Beltway
China. Martha Mendoza of the AP: "Federal authorities in New York on Wednesday seized a shipment of weaves and other beauty accessories suspected to be made out of human hair taken from people locked inside a Chinese internment camp." --s
News Lede
New York Times: "Hugh Downs, whose honeyed delivery and low-key but erudite manner helped make him a familiar face and voice on television for half a century, and whose career included long stints as host of both 'Today' on NBC and '20/20' on ABC, died on Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 99."
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Reader Comments (15)
Tampa Bay Times reports Florida governor DeSantis (R-natch) continues his campaign against restoring ex-felons voting rights. An appeals court will hear the case that all fines, fees, and forfeitures be paid before eligibility is restored.
I'm bringing forward this comment by Akhilleus. He had to make it in yesterday's thread because I was late getting today's page going:
By Akhilleus:
An observation on Digby’s site brought me up short. The writer points out a headline in the WaPo concerning confederate droolers incensed about John Roberts siding with progressives on the court and against the haters and homophobes. The point is that right wing outrage always seems to garner gallons of ink; liberal outrage (even, or especially, genuine and warranted outrage), gets barely a mention.
“For some reason, major media outlets find it not newsworthy to report liberal/progressive dismay at the state this country is in unless people take to the streets. And even then, our concerns are under-reported unless crowds are immense — and even then, not always (I remember millions marching around the world against the Iraq War and that Sunday, not a single mention on the talk shows).“
This is all too accurate. Five disgruntled Trump supporters sitting in a coffee shop in Peoria munching donuts and whining about how Obama wrecked the country and how liberals hate real Americans merit a 20 page cover story in The Sunday Times Magazine, but progressives protesting actual treason on the part of the president* and his flunky party are lucky to grab a paragraph on page 12 of the Nation section. Under the fold. And when huge numbers of liberals come out in force against systemic racism or Wall St. perfidy, there is always the obligatory conditional caveats about how “some people” consider them thugs or tramps or dangerous commie traitors.
Trump can still win this. A few stories about how “some people” are still “concerned” about Hunter Biden, and Joe’s groping a woman years ago, along with two or three Republican led “investigations” and maybe a last minute Clinton e-mail type thing, along with the usual vote suppression and electoral shenanigans can pull this out for the forces of evil.
The Times will have a special report on it.
https://digbysblog.net/2020/07/implicit-media-bias/
AND while I'm at it, this post by Akhilleus is worth repeating & not just because he compliments me on raising an excellent pint. By Akhilleus's reasoning, with which I agree, it is now safe to call Trump a traitor.
By Akhilleus:
Marie,
You raise an excellent point (my auto correct somehow changed that to “pint”, and while raising an excellent pint is a good thing, we’re talking about quite awful things here.)
Even if the Orange Menace wasn’t told (still think that’s a huge lie) about Putin paying cash for American scalps, why hasn’t he said anything about it since? His pattern is to lie and keep lying, try to brazen it out. But this is not something you can bull your way through. Trump’s daddy and handler has been murdering Americans and he says nothing about it?
This, of course, lets Putin know he can shoot Americans on Fifth Ave. and get away with it, and naturally, by Trump’s lights (dim as they are), this should show the Russians that they can trust their lapdog to do their bidding and will line up to help him steal another election.
And now, to top it off, we have confederates sniffing that the whole thing is “irrelevant”, gearing up to support Trump in his latest and most heinous act of treason.
And make no mistake, this action, or inaction, as the case may be, is THE textbook definition of treason: aiding the enemy in a war against your own people. And this IS war. Fatty loves to prance around and preen and primp, presenting himself as a wartime president. And he is. Just not for the United States.
In Ancient Rome there were only two crimes for which a Roman citizen could be put to death. Treason was one (patricide was other; I guess matricide was okay...).
I’m thinking that punishment should be revived. Then it really would be time to raise an excellent pint.
THE BIG WHOOPER
Consume at your peril: This big burger may look tasty in ads or on T.V. commercials but word is out that it causes a sickness that might linger for years. The initial introduction of this poison was hailed by many and even after the revelation of its effects there still remain steadfast consumers. But right from the start those that know good burgers from bad––especially little old ladies-–-were heard yelling "WHERE'S THE BEEF?"
I am hoping Biden will chose Susan Rice for vice–-her response to this newest blunder bust "At worst, the White House is being run by liars and wimps catering to a tyrannical president who is actively advancing our arch adversary’s nefarious interests," is stark and perfect and is void of any equivocation. If not for vice then for SOS.
Marie says she can now say unequivocally that she HATES Trump. I betcha we can say, as a group, we are with you all the way. Personally, I felt this hatred years ago–and for me, known for forgiving even those who probably never deserved it––the hatred I feel for this man sometimes consumes me and I need to distance myself. In the end––and there will be an end–-I want him more than anything to be spit on and jeered in the village square ––and some where close a waving banner flies with the words: THE BIG HOAX!!
And one factor lurking behind the media bias reported by Digby and adumbrated by Akhilleus is this from yesterday:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/07/01/white-evangelical-approval-of-trump-slips-but-eight-in-ten-say-they-would-vote-for-him/
Evangelical support for the Pretender should provide material for dozens of theses on the causes and symptoms of mental illness and their close association with religious belief.
He still sounds like an idiot...
So early one day last week, I see my 9 year old out in the kitchen whipping up a surprise for his mother. “What are you doing?” I asked. My wife, down the hall, said “Who are you talking to?” at which point my son shot me a “Don’t say anything!” look. It being early and me not being too quick on my feet, I answered my wife’s question regarding to whom I was speaking with “Me. I was talking to myself.” My wife said “Wait...you’re asking yourself ‘What am I doing?’” I said, as an aside to my kid, “I sound like an idiot”. My wife howled. She’s still laughing about it. I was trying to give the little guy some cover but at least I KNEW that I sounded like an idiot.
Trump doesn’t. Never does.
Just in the last few days we get, in response to a question about slavery, “We got a great history. History is a great thing. We got a great country. Great country. Ya gotta know history [does he really think African-Americans are unaware of the history of slavery??].”
Then...
“Experience is a great word. Great word. Hey, word is a great word too. But experience...is experience because it’s great...yeah...”
He’s not covering for anybody. Even the drunk falling off the stool at the end of the bar scores higher on coherency tests. This guy is a blithering idiot.
Who thinks he’s a genius.
God help us.
Ken,
Eight in ten Evangelicals say they’ll still vote for Trump, is that it? And support among this group for the Orange Menace has slipped?? That means at least nine out of ten, and perhaps 100% of Evangelicals heartily supported a liar, a philandering adulterer, a con artist, thief and crook? And now a proven traitor??
Mental illness is a terrible thing.
@AK: "God help us" is exactly what those evangelicals believe even though some in their heart of hearts are beginning to wonder and think their land locked Savior in the White House ain't gonna make it. I haven't spoken to God for over a month of Sundays but if I recall correctly, during the last chat we had he made it quite clear he was washing his hands of the whole business and had decided to spend most of his days watching crime shows on Netflix.
And I'd like to know exactly what it was your 9 yr. old was whipping up–-that surprise for his mother. Loved that story.
And then there is this.
PD,
He was making brownies. I had shown him how to do this a few weeks earlier and he thought he’d fly solo on this attempt. Only thing is, he misread the directions. Instead of 2/3 of a cup of oil, he added 1 2/3. Yikes. When they came out of the oven, they slid across the floor and out the door never to be seen again. You got your recommended week’s allowance of vegetable oil just by standing next to them.
Rockygirl,
This is how Donald Trump has made America great. Great for unhinged, gun toting white supremacists, that is.
PD,
God bingeing crime shows on Netflix? He must have gotten tired of the thrice daily crime shows from the White House.
@Bea McCrab: Gosh, you never know who lives (hides out) in the neighborhood! Just imagine pushing your cart through the grocery aisle and realizing you're next to Ghislane Maxwell!
@MAG: Like all my neighbors, Ghislaine was wearing a mask. I didn't even recognize her. Do you think that was the point?
@Bea McCrab: Ah, kemo sabe! Indeed. Who was that masked woman?
I sometimes wonder how much sadistic pleasure Donny gets through watching his foot soldiers fall into line with each outrage du jour. I think it it's A LOT.
So he's confirmed he's shameless, despite his snowflake fragility and broken ego. Nevertheless, he has to be cognizant of how, for other people, it's not so easy to just megaphone racism or scream fake news at facts. He pushes and baits people into adopting these acts. But the fact he does so, and only pushes a select few and not every supporter, shows that he realizes how out on an island he is on most of his most extreme positions, and like a floating glacier, that island gets more remote by the day from the political mainland.
Since he's clearly a sadist, and his sex life is shot, I think he probably gets a weird "dog in heat" sensation when he goes from ultra pissed about criticism to manufacturing outrage (like calling Putin's documented plan to kill US soldiers a hoax) to perverted high as he watches the entire GOP wilt and buckle and debase themselves before the evidence. Like Putin, he probably gets a sick pleasure by seeing how far down he can get his sycophants to follow the clown car. A true psychopath doubling down on his abusive relationship.