;)
The Commentariat -- March 11, 2020
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Jamie Ducharme of Time: "The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic, pointing to the over 118,000 cases of the coronavirus illness in over 110 countries and territories around the world and the sustained risk of further global spread. 'This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will touch every sector,' said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, at a media briefing. 'So every sector and every individual must be involved in the fights.' An epidemic refers to an uptick in the spread of a disease within a specific community. By contrast, the WHO defines a pandemic as global spread of a new disease, though the specific threshold for meeting that criteria is fuzzy."
Quint Forgey & Nolan McCaskill of Politico: "The nation's top health officials cautioned Wednesday that the U.S. will see more coronavirus cases as the domestic outbreak spreads, a stark warning that comes as Congress looks to head off the outbreak's economic impact and global health organizations declare it a full-blown pandemic. More than 1,000 people in the U.S. have already been diagnosed with the coronavirus in 38 states, leaving at least 29 people dead. But Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told members of the House Oversight Committee that 'we will see more cases, and things will get worse. How much worse ... will depend on our ability to do two things: to contain the influx in people who are infected coming from the outside and the ability to contain and mitigate within our own country,' Fauci said.... Fauci ... not[ed] that it's 10 times more lethal than influenza, which kills nearly .01 percent of Americans who get it each year."
Mrs. McCrabbie: Bernie Sanders just made a remarkable speech. I'll post a video of it when one becomes available. I swear Bernie is the finest human being I ever didn't want to win the nomination. Joe Biden is a fine person, too, but he's no Bernie (and I didn't want Joe to win the nomination, either). Here we go (if the video doesn't start at 6:54 min. in for you, start it there):
~~~ This is how you accept your own defeat but not the defeat of your platform.
~~~ Sydney Ember, et al., of the New York Times: "Senator Bernie Sanders said on Wednesday that he was continuing his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination despite suffering big primary losses this week, and that he planned to attend the scheduled debate on Sunday against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Mr. Sanders, appearing at an afternoon news conference here, said he was not quitting the race and wanted to debate Mr. Biden, who handily defeated Mr. Sanders in four states on Tuesday." Politico's story is here.
Jordain Carney of the Hill: "Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) cancelled a vote scheduled for Wednesday afternoon on a subpoena stemming from his months-long probe into Hunter Biden and Burisma Holdings. 'Out of an abundance of caution, and to allow time for you to receive additional briefings, I will postpone a vote to subpoena records and an appearance from former Blue Star Strategies consultant Andrii Telizhenko about his work for the lobbying firm,' Johnson said in a note to committee members...."
Chris Francescani & Aaron Katersky of ABC News: "Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years on sex crime convictions in New York on Wednesday. That sentence includes 20 years for criminal sexual assault in the first degree, which stems from an accusation from former "Project Runway" production assistant Mimi Haley, and three years for rape in the third degree, which stems from an accusation from Jessica Mann, who is now being named by ABC News as she told the district attorney's office after a verdict was reached she does not object to being named publicly. The sentences are set to run consecutively."
Fred Imbert of CNBC: "Stocks plummeted on Wednesday in another volatile session as Wall Street worried about a possible fiscal stimulus package aimed at curbing slower economic growth due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 850 points lower, or more than 3%. The S&P 500 slid 3% while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.7%."
Noah Higgins-Dunn & Berkeley Lovelace of CNBC: "... Donald Trump has summoned top U.S. health officials to an emergency meeting at the White House Wednesday morning, cutting a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill short, said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. 'This morning we were informed that President Trump and Vice President Pence have called our witnesses to an emergency meeting at the White House. We don't know the details, just that it's extremely urgent,' Maloney, D-NY, said before opening a hearing on the nation]s preparedness and response to the coronavirus outbreak that has swept across the nation." Mrs. McC: That's one way to muzzle top government health experts. ~~~
~~~ Update. AND Here's the CYA Move. Aram Roston & Melissa Taylor of Reuters: "The White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level coronavirus meetings as classified, an unusual step that has restricted information and hampered the U.S. government's response to the contagion, according to four Trump administration officials." Mrs. McC: So we'll never know if Wednesday's meeting had a purpose other than to shorten the Congressional hearing. The officials said that dozens of classified discussions about such topics as the scope of infections, quarantines and travel restrictions have been held since mid-January in a high-security meeting room at the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), a key player in the fight against the coronavirus. Staffers without security clearances, including government experts, were excluded from the interagency meetings, which included video conference calls, the sources said. 'We had some very critical people who did not have security clearances who could not go,' one official said. 'These should not be classified meetings. It was unnecessary.'"
~~~~~~~~~~
The New York Times' live election results for the Democratic presidential nomination are here. ABC News' live updates are here. The Guardian's liveblog of the election & related developments is here.
Alexander Burns & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Joseph R. Biden Jr. took command of the Democratic presidential race in decisive fashion on Tuesday, marshaling a powerful multiracial coalition in the South and the Midwest that swept aside Senator Bernie Sanders and completed Mr. Biden's rapid transformation from a sometimes-fumbling underdog into his party's likely nominee. Replicating the combination of voters that delivered him broad victories a week ago on Super Tuesday, Mr. Biden won Michigan, Missouri and Mississippi with overwhelming support from African-Americans and with large margins among suburban and rural white voters. Mr. Biden was also named the winner in Idaho, leaving little doubt by the end of the night that Mr. Sanders had lost his recent status as the progressive front-runner in a race defined for months by feuding and factionalism on the moderate wing of the Democratic Party. North Dakota and Washington remained too close to call early Wednesday morning.... Addressing supporters Tuesday night in Philadelphia, in a tone that was more sober than celebratory, Mr. Biden said voters had put him 'a step closer to restoring decency, dignity and honor to the White House' and moved to unify the party with an appeal to supporters of Mr. Sanders. 'We share a common goal,' Mr. Biden said, 'and together we'll defeat Donald Trump.'" ~~~
~~~ Update. Marty Johnson of the Hill: "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) defeated former Vice President Joe Biden in the North Dakota Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday, prevailing in a state he had also won in 2016. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Sanders received 53 percent of the vote, while Biden got just under 40 percent. North Dakota awards 14 pledged delegates, tying Wyoming for hosting the smallest nominating race in the continental United States." ~~~
~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: What a pathetic, inglorious end to a drama that began with at least a dozen candidates better-suited to go one-on-one with Trump and to handle the rigors of the presidency.
Bernie Sanders went home to Vermont & did not speak Tuesday night, according to MSNBC election anchors.
Zach Montellaro of Politico: "The Democratic National Committee says this Sunday's debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders in Phoenix will be held without an audience over concerns about the spreading coronavirus. DNC communications director Xochitl Hinojosa said the decision was made "at the request of both campaigns and out of an abundance of caution."
Jacob Pramuk of CNBC: "Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden's presidential campaigns canceled rallies set for Cleveland on Tuesday night due to coronavirus concerns, the first disruptions the outbreak has caused in the 2020 Democratic primary. In separate announcements, the Democratic presidential contenders' campaigns said they exercised caution about holding large public gatherings after hearing guidance from public health officials." Mrs. McC: At the top of his victory speech, Biden said that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) had called both campaigns to request that they not hold rallies in Cleveland because of the virus.
Bo Erickson of CBS News: "Joe Biden had a heated exchange with a construction worker who accused him of trying to take Americans' guns away during a campaign stop in Michigan.... The former vice president was touring an assembly plant under construction for Fiat Chrysler, shaking hands with and praising the electrical workers union members who are building the plant.... 'You are actively trying to end our Second Amendment right and take away our guns, [a] worker told Biden. Biden replied: 'You're full of sh[it].'" The argument went on, & Biden urged the worker, "Don't be such a horse's ass." Here's the conversation, with subtitles, between Biden & the horse's ass:
Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "With Biden emerging as the likely Democratic nominee, Trump has launched a concerted, near-daily campaign to raise doubts about the 77-year-old's mental acuity. The president has been bolstered by a conservative echo chamber flooding social media with video clips highlighting Biden's gaffes. The effort provides a window into how Trump -- who's been dogged by questions about his own mental fitness -- regularly picks apart his political opponents. He has an unmatched ability to zero in on his foe's biggest vulnerability or insecurity, and through sheer repetition bake it into the public consciousness. Unfortunately for Biden, his performance on the campaign trail has given Trump plenty to work with." (Also linked yesterday.)
Justin Wise of the Hill: "Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Ct.) is requesting an investigation into a group of executive branch agencies that are cooperating or considering cooperating with congressional probes into Hunter Biden and his work related to the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. In a letter sent to the inspectors general at the National Archives, State Department, Treasury Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Murphy expressed concern that the agencies are being 'weaponized' by President Trump to hurt his political opponents. He argued that the same agencies refused to cooperate with 'legitimate congressional investigations' into Trump, including ones focused on bringing articles of impeachment against the president."
Senate Races
Alabama. James Arkin of Politico: "... Donald Trump spurned Jeff Sessions and endorsed Tommy Tuberville in the Alabama Senate race Tuesday, an enormous blow to Trump's former attorney general, whom he had excoriated for recusing from the Justice Department's Russia investigation. The endorsement of Tuberville is a major boost for the former Auburn University football coach three weeks before the primary runoff between the two Republicans. Tuberville earned the top spot in last week's primary, narrowly edging out Sessions but falling well short of the 50 percent of the vote needed to avoid a runoff."
Mississippi. Tal Axelrod of the Hill: "Mike Espy won the Senate Democratic primary in Mississippi on Tuesday, setting up a rematch from 2018 with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R). Espy, a former agriculture secretary and congressman, beat out fellow Democrats Jensen Bohren and Tobey Bartee for the chance to take on Hyde-Smith in November. Espy garnered more than 92 percent of the vote with just over 50 percent of precincts reporting."
Life in the Time of Coronavirus. Sarah Nir & Jesse McKinley of the New York Times: "The National Guard will move in [to New Rochelle, N.Y.]. Schools, churches and synagogues will be shut down. Large indoor gatherings will be officially banned. The sights and rituals of life in this New York City suburb, which had already been altered, took an eerie turn on Tuesday when Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a drastic new step to try to control the spread of the coronavirus in the largest cluster in the United States. State officials created a one-mile radius 'containment area' in New Rochelle, in Westchester County, a move that echoed measures taken in other health crises. The midpoint of the zone was a synagogue that is at the center of the state's worst outbreak."
Sarah Jones of New York: "The story COVID-19 tells about America is an ugly one. There is a class war, and the rich are winning."
Chandelis Duster of CNN: "The Treasury Department is considering extending the April 15 tax filing deadline to curb the financial impact of coronavirus on American households and businesses, according to The Wall Street Journal. A decision on the extension or details on how it would work have not been finalized, the paper reported Tuesday night...."
Dawn Kopecki, et al., of CNBC: "... a top CDC official ... Monday recommend[ed] that people over 60 and anyone with chronic medical conditions buckle down for a lengthy stay home. 'This virus is capable of spreading easily and sustainably from person to person ... and there's essentially no immunity against this virus in the population,' Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters on a conference call, citing World Health Organization data that studied more than 70,000 cases in China.... Most people won't develop serious symptoms, but 15% to 20% of the people who are exposed to the virus get severely sick, she said.... The odds of developing COVID-19 increase with age, starting at age 60. It's especially lethal for people over 80.... The CDC is recommending people with underlying conditions or who are over 60 to stock up on medications, household items and groceries to stay at home 'for a period of time,' she said." Emphasis added. (Also linked yesterday.)
Fred Imbert, et al., of CNBC: "Stocks rose sharply in wild trading on Tuesday as investors weighed the prospects of fiscal stimulus to curb slower economic growth stemming from the coronavirus outbreak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1,167.14 points higher, or 4.9%, at 25,018.16. Tuesday's gains for the Dow cut the index's losses from Monday in half. Earlier in the day, the 30-stock average was down 160 points. The S&P 500 was up 4.9% at 2,882.23, notching its best day since Dec. 26, 2018. The Nasdaq Composite also advanced 4.9% to 8,347.40." (This is an update of a story linked yesterday.)
New York Times live market updates: "Buyers moved back into the markets on Tuesday, a day after the coronavirus and a battle among the world's biggest oil producers shook the global financial scene. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose more than 2 percent, rebounding from its steepest decline in more than a decade. European stocks also climbed, with many indexes more than 2 percent higher and Asian markets rose as well. Stocks were somewhat buoyed after President Trump on Monday night said he would work with Congress on measures to help the economy amid signs of a worsening outbreak in the United States, including a potential payroll tax cut." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Yes, but what if Trump made an empty promise about taking substantive measures to mitigate the economic impact of the virus? ~~~
~~~ Eamon Javers & Mike Calia of CNBC: "The White House is not ready to roll out specific economic proposals in its response to the widening impact of the coronavirus outbreak, administration officials told CNBC. The revelation comes as U.S. stock futures pointed toward a sharp rebound at the open Tuesday following the Dow's 2,013-point drop Monday and ... Donald Trump's suggestion that a payroll tax cut and other stimulus measures may be in the works to mitigate economic damage from the virus' spread. Trump has also invited Wall Street executives to meet at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the response. However, inside the administration, some officials were stunned by Trump's claim Monday that he would hold a press conference Tuesday to announce an economic plan. 'That was news to everyone on the inside,' one official said. The actual details of any plan remain up in the air. 'It's not there right now,' an official said. 'A lot of details need to be worked out.' The president's schedule for Tuesday includes a 5:30 p.m. ET media briefing for his coronavirus task force." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ So Then. Erica Werner, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump's meeting with Senate Republicans on Tuesday ended without any concrete plan for crafting an economic package that might address the turmoil caused by the coronavirus epidemic, sparking fears that policy makers are far apart on how to deal with growing concerns that the U.S. could enter a recession. At the meeting, Trump discussed his proposal to extend a temporary payroll tax cut for a period of months. Some lawmakers also discussed the idea of targeted infrastructure spending. Both ideas could be used to try and flood the economy with more cash, but there was not a consensus over how to proceed.... Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has privately told several allies in recent days he personally opposes the payroll tax cut idea Trump has endorsed.... And House Democrats are busily assembling their own package.... House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have also been dismissive of the payroll tax cut idea, saying they were focused on addressing the coronavirus specifically. Top House Democrats said Tuesday they planned to move as soon as this week on a relief package that narrowly targeted individuals and families affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The measures floated by Pelosi and other leaders included an expansion of unemployment insurance, food stamps and other public assistance programs as well as allowing for greater sick and family leave." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Uh, no "press conference Tuesday to announce an economic plan." ~~~
~~~ Eamon Javers & Mike Calia of CNBC: "... Donald Trump, in a meeting with Republican lawmakers Tuesday on Capitol Hill, pitched a 0% payroll tax rate for employers and employees that would last through the rest of this year, a White House official told CNBC. There was also discussion of making the payroll tax rollback permanent, said the official, who declined to be named. Payroll taxes are used to fund Medicare and Social Security." Mrs. McC: Sounds as if the Trump "plan" is to eradicate Social Security & Medicare.
Jonathan Chait: "[Monday] evening, President Trump held a press conference and announced he would soon unveil an aggressive plan to head off a recession. 'I will be here tomorrow afternoon,' he promised, 'to let you know about some of the economic steps we're taking, which will be major.'... At his press conference, Trump mentioned a few possibilities for what this package might include. One item is a bailout for owners of hotels.... By the way, did you know that the Trump Organization is in the hotel field?" ~~~
~~~ AND, as Chait also points out, there's this: Jeff Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "The White House is strongly considering pushing federal assistance for oil and natural gas producers hit by plummeting oil prices amid the coronavirus outbreak, as industry officials close to the administration clamor for help, according to four people familiar with internal deliberations.... One of the companies hardest hit was Continental Resources, founded by Harold Hamm, a Trump supporter and an adviser to the president on energy issues." ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: We've been assuming that Trump can't do too much to help himself & his avaricious friends without Congressional approval. But Covid-19 is by nearly everyone's (except Trump's!) definition of a national emergency. A president* has a lot of power to take extraordinary, counter-Constitutional steps during an emergency. So (1) even if eliminating the FICA tax is an ineffective way to help Americans most vulnerable to economic fallout from the virus & (2) even if it guts the Social Security & Medicare funds & (3) even if it normally requires an act of Congress, Trump can probably just do it. And wouldn't he love to have a fight like that: "I'm lowering your taxes! In your time of need! Democrats are fighting me!" FICA is 7.65 percent of gross salary (more if you earn more than $200K). Very few Americans would be unhappy if the president* made the tax go poof. AND, as Chait points out, Trump's pitch to GOP senators was to eliminate the payroll tax "through the November elections." (I don't know if Trump's "plan" is to eliminate the portion of FICA paid by employers -- which is equal to the portion paid by employees. Trump may not know either.)
It hit the world, we are prepared and doing a great job with it. It will go away. Just stay calm, it will go away. -- Donald Trump, in remarks Tuesday
Philip Rucker, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump confronted one of the most perilous days of his presidency Monday by first erupting in a barrage of commentary that failed to calm the cratering financial markets, struggling to inspire confidence that his administration could stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. But by the time the sun set in Washington, Trump sounded momentarily chastened by the turbulence and previewed a raft of emergency measures to shore up the economy. 'We have a very strong economy,' the president told reporters, 'but this blindsided the world.'... Trump's overall handling of the converging crises -- while spreading misinformation and blaming others -- has unsettled many of his Republican allies on Capitol Hill and even inside the White House, where some aides acknowledged that the president is compounding problems with his grievances and conspiratorial mind-set." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Jonathan Chait: "The Washington Post's account ... [linked immediately above] reveals a number of extremely harrowing presidential beliefs about the coronavirus. To wit: 1. Trump is still mad he doesn't get credit for stopping travel from China.... That would have been a great move if the virus had been prevented from spreading into the United States. But it hadn't, and the federal government squandered the time it bought. 2. Trump blames the media for covering the pandemic.... 3. Trump is personally healthier than his opponents.... 4. The coronavirus can't be a problem if he doesn't know any victims yet.... 5. Trump thinks the coronavirus will solve itself.... 'You've just got to live your life' is literally the complete opposite of the correct response."
Quinta Jurecic & Benjamin Wittes of Lawfare in the Atlantic: "Throughout the many disasters that have befallen the Trump administration, one theme has remained a constant: malevolence tempered by incompetence.... Now, however, the disease known as COVID-19 has upended this theme altogether. As the former Justice Department official Carrie Cordero declared on Twitter: 'To invert a @benjaminwittes formulation, the Trump administration #COVID19 response might be characterized as incompetence exacerbated by malevolence.'... The president can't pretend the virus does not exist. He can't suppress news of it, unlike the Chinese Communist Party [re: the severity of the coronavirus outbreak] or the Soviet government in 1986 [on Chernobyl]. But he can berate those who report on it honestly. He can deny its severity. He can lie about it -- all until the moment at which he can't anymore, the moment at which the malevolence no longer covers up the incompetence but amplifies it, at great human cost." (Also linked yesterday.)
Niv Elis of the Hill: "Russ Vought, the acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, on Tuesday doubled down on proposed cuts to health services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), despite the coronavirus outbreak. Vought came under intense questioning from Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) at a hearing about President Trump's 2021 budget request. It proposed cutting health funding by $9.5 billion, including a 15 percent cut of $1.2 billion to the CDC and a $35 million decrease to the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund.... Vought responded by saying Trump signed into law the $8.3 billion emergency supplemental package Congress approved last week. That funding, a significant increase over the $2.5 billion emergency request the White House sent over, would apply to current funding, not the funding in question for next year." Mrs. McC: Apparently Vought subscribes to Trump's theory that by next year (or by April!) the virus will just die off. ~~~
Lisa Rein of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration is racing to develop contingency plans that would allow hundreds of thousands of employees to work remotely full time, an extreme scenario to limit the coronavirus that would test whether the government can carry out its mission from home offices and kitchen tables. The Office of Personnel Management, which oversees policy for the workforce of 2.1 million, has urged agency heads in recent days to 'immediately review' their telework policies, sign paperwork with employees laying out their duties, issue laptops and grant access to computer networks. The administration has not issued a widespread mandate, but some offices already have acted. The Securities and Exchange Commission late Monday became the first federal agency in Washington to clear 2,400 employees from its headquarters after discovering that an employee might be infected. That emergency decision follows similar steps by more than a dozen Seattle-area federal field offices, the Interior Department in Denver and NASA's Silicon Valley research center, which either have closed or shifted to telework as some employees tested positive for the virus."
Unfuckingbelievable. Monique Madan of the Miami Herald: "Immigration court staff nationwide were ordered by the Trump administration to take down all coronavirus posters from courtrooms and waiting areas. The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which falls under the Department of Justice, told all judges and staff members in an email Monday that all coronavirus posters, which explain in English and Spanish how to prevent catching and spreading the virus, had to be removed immediately.... 'Per our leadership, the CDC flyer is not authorized for posting in the immigration courts. If you see one (attached), please remove it....' However on Tuesday morning -- just four hours after the Miami Herald published this story -- a Department of Justice spokesman contacted the Herald to say that the 'the signs shouldn't have been removed. It's now being rectified.'" (Also linked yesterday.)
Sheri Fink & Mike Baker of the New York Times: "Even now, after weeks of mounting frustration toward federal agencies over flawed test kits and burdensome rules, states with growing cases such as New York and California are struggling to test widely for the coronavirus. The continued delays have made it impossible for officials to get a true picture of the scale of the growing outbreak, which has now spread to at least 36 states and Washington, D.C.... Faced with a public health emergency on a scale potentially not seen in a century, the United States has not responded nimbly.... As late as last week, after expanding authorizations for commercial and academic institutions to make tests, administration officials provided conflicting accounts of when a significant increase in tests would be available." ~~~
~~~ David Lim & Brianna Ehley of Politico: "A looming shortage in lab materials is threatening to delay coronavirus test results and cause officials to undercount the number of Americans with the virus.... The growing scarcity of these 'RNA extraction' kits is the latest trouble for U.S. labs, which have struggled to implement widespread coronavirus testing in the seven weeks since the country diagnosed its first case.... Mandy Cohen, North Carolina's secretary of health, said that a shortage of extraction kits and other chemicals had hampered testing in her state. 'Folks were saying, "We are sending you the [test] kits," and I don't think they understood at first what exact part of the supply chain we needed,' she said. 'We needed extraction kits.'" ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: At his press briefing yesterday, mike pence said, "By the end of this week, there will be more than 4 million more tests made available in jurisdictions around the country. 1 million are already in place thanks to the good work of our top commercial labs that ... President Trump brought together yesterday. LabCorp and Quest are in the process now of distributing and marketing Coronavirus tests all across America. And we're working with state and local officials to ensure that that happens as rapidly as possible." But if I correctly understand Politico's report, the Labcorp & Quest kits are useless if labs don't have "RNA extraction" kits. And they don't.
Jake Lahut of Business Insider: "... following his self-quarantine aboard Air Force One on Monday after he had been in close contact with ... Donald Trump -- in the same car on the way to the flight -- [Rep.] Matt Gaetz [R-Fla.] hit the road and skipped staying in a hotel, electing instead to spend the night in a Walmart parking lot. 'I slept in a Walmart parking lot somewhere off [Interstate] 85,' Gaetz told the Pensacola News Journal from his car as he completed the drive to Florida on Tuesday. Gaetz told reporters that he planned to spend the remainder of his 14-day self-quarantine at home in Okaloosa County, Florida."
Mike DeBonis & Carolyn Johnson of the Washington Post: "Two close congressional allies of President Trump underwent coronavirus testing in recent days in apparent defiance of federal recommendations reserving those tests for patients exhibiting symptoms of infection -- and amid growing concerns about the availability of testing for Americans who are sick. Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the latter of whom Trump named last week as the next White House chief of staff, both said in statements that the tests showed no infection after exposure to a coronavirus carrier at the annual [CPAC] conference last month in suburban Washington. The two lawmakers also said they were exhibiting no symptoms of respiratory illness, raising questions of why they were tested at all. The [CDC] recommends that health-care providers prioritize tests for hospitalized patients who are exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, elderly and medically fragile individuals, along with others who have shown signs of illness.... Gaetz, 37, and Meadows, 60, are not known to belong to any groups at high risk for infection.... There were clues of White House involvement in the testing[.]... Gaetz told the Pensacola News-Journal on Tuesday that he was awaiting the results of his test from the White House physician's office."
Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The House has a right to see secret grand-jury evidence gathered in the Russia investigation. an appeals court ruled on Tuesday in a victory for Congress's power to gather information for an impeachment inquiry. In a 2-to-1 decision, a panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a lower-court ruling that the House had a right to gain access to the information, which was gathered by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, using a grand jury and blacked out in the report on his investigation released last year. The Trump administration had appealed that ruling." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Politico's story, by Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney, is here. "Appeals from the Justice Department are all but certain, and the case could still face Supreme Court review." (Also linked yesterday.)
** A Judge Takes on the Supremes. Dahlia Lithwick & Mark Stern: "U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Adelman ... criticizes the five conservative justices on the Roberts Supreme Court in an upcoming Harvard Law review article.... '... the Court's hard right majority is actively participating in undermining American democracy. Indeed, the Roberts Court has contributed to insuring that the political system in the United States pays little attention to ordinary Americans and responds only to the wishes of a relatively small number of powerful corporations and individuals,' [Adelman writes].... The court, he notes, has greatly contributed to income inequality, health care inequality, and the hollowing out of the American middle class."
Will Sommer of the Daily Beast: "Prominent right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was arrested early Tuesday morning on charges of driving while intoxicated, according to law enforcement. Jones, who as host of the Austin-based InfoWars conspiracy theory outlet has become a prominent force on the fringe right, was arrested on a class-B misdemeanor DWI charge, according to a spokeswoman for the Travis County sheriff's department.... An article on the InfoWars website claimed that Jones was 'caught up in a Travis Co. DWI dragnet' after being pulled over for speeding. In the story, Jones said he had been 'drinking a small amount of sake at a Japanese restaurant.' But ... according to [an arrest affidavit], Jones' wife called the sheriff's department on Monday night to report a 'family disturbance' between her and Jones. Jones' wife added that he had possibly been drinking, according to the report. 'The disturbance now was only verbal but earlier in the day it 'was physical,'" the affidavit reads." Read on.
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Reader Comments (31)
I agree. What a disappointing end to the primary; almost everyone was more competent than Biden, and he won't be able to hold up to the rigours of the election; he's frail and has too much baggage, which the Republicans are good at exploiting. Elizabeth Warren was the best of the lot. I think Bernie and Joe are much too old for the job, whatever one says. Biden will be nearly 84 at the end of his first term. What a terrible mess it all is.
Despondency is setting in. Fatty gets the opponent he's always wanted, even though the traitors were all set to go great guns against SOSHULISM! I see that his ratfuckers are putting together a video of Biden gaffes (it could have been a full length movie). Should the Biden camp respond in kind, it could put together a season long series of demonstrations of Trumpy dementia and rank assholism but will they? Will they create a hard hitting record of his inept and astonishingly narcissistic response to Americans dying? Who knows?
The debates will be brutal. Joe is about 10 years past his sell-by date. He probably would have been able to do a good job on the Orange Monster back then, but now he can barely remember who and where he is. Trump isn't much better but he's spent a lifetime sharpening his skills at being an insulting prick. I'm thinking serious mastication.
Did I mention despondency?
Yesterday I mentioned that the only thing Fatty and his Potemkin party of traitors care about is the money.
It's on full display today.
What's his response to the fact that his "administration" (aka, gang of mobsters and self-serving sycophants) to their alarming inability to deal effectively and humanely with a pandemic?
Money. Here ya go, schmoes, I'll give you a break on your payroll taxes.
Testing kits? Direction? A plan? Nahhhh....Here's a couple'a bucks. Keep that corona shit under your hat and make sure you vote for my greatness.
It's more Fatty projection. "Let's see. If things were horrible for me, what would make things better? Oh, yeah. Money! I'll give the whiners some money. That'll make it all better. They'll forget all about Granny
kicking the bucket cuz I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing. Plus, those Wall Street wusses will love it. See? I AM a genius!"
One more quick thought...
Can I see a show of hands? Who believes that fucking putz, Matt Gaetz really slept in his car in a WalMart parking lot? More lies. This sounds like a response okayed by a confederate focus group.
Let's see...I slept in a nice cushy hotel? Nah. Makes me sound like an elite asshole (which I am). Oh, wait. I slept in my car. Great. Yeah...in a parking lot somewhere. But where? That mall down the street with a Neiman Marcus? Shit, better not say that. Hey, I know. A WalMart parking lot. Man of the people, cares about humanity, plus I can milk the "Poor, poor Matt" response, especially helpful after looking like a sociopathic asshole (which I am) with that gas mask.
Show of hands?
Yeah. What I thought. Another self-serving, lying prick (ie, a Republican).
Okay, a couple more quick thoughts (sheesh).
My background in critical theory makes me ponder the semiotics of two Democrats hoping to unseat the ignorant traitor now inhabiting the White House, staging a debate in front of no one. It’s almost a Ray Bradbury story. Two contestants seeking a path to the salvation of the galaxy from the powers of Evil, but forced to do it in a vacuum sealed satellite hurtling across the Milky Way. I dunno. I can’t seem to get to “Gee, the symbolism of this thing is incredibly positive!”
(*sigh*)
But one hopeful thought. Biden may not be the formidable candidate we’d all like (Warren!!!), but all is not lost. The choice of a substantial VP could save the day.
At least that’s what I’m goin’ with for today. Helps with that despondency crap.
Well, it looks as if the people have decided who they want to defend the tattered remnants of our democracy, which like Joe has surely seen better days:
It'll be Joe or Bust in the fall. Welcome to our political Armageddon. As Akhilleus says, those campign spots featuring a pair of competing stumblebums ought to be quite the lark. I wince in anticipation.
But. There must be a But. A good part of the country is united--against the Pretender. He is so obviously corrupt, so obviously unfit to lead anything but a pack of jackals, so fundamenatally and visibly detestable that if decency still holds any sway in the country, his opponent's competence will not be the issue. Getting rid of our pestilent president will be.
(And if decency doesn't matter to us, the animating spirit of democracy itself is dead regardless.)
That's my lemonade squeezed from this morning's lemons.
With that quaffed, as others here have said Joe's VP pick is vitally important, because many who vote for Biden will be mindful that they might be picking a president for an undetermined portion of the next eight years, maybe beginning his or her duties in the first four.
That said, given the Biden bind we are in, who should the VP pick be?
Geography, gender and race. All should play a part. But how much--of each?
The VP selection many never have mattered more.
I open the question to RC readers.
@Ken Winkes: Not to be ghoulish, but I think it's unlikely that Biden's health -- physical and/or mental -- will hold up until early November. He looks shaky to me. So that leaves a few possibilities: (1) he's in a coma, but remains the top of the ticket; (2) his health crisis comes before the convention, and there's a free-for-all at the convention; (3) his health crisis comes after the convention, and both the veep nominee & Bernie Sanders -- both with valid claims -- insist the party elders select her/him as the nominee. This is going to be painful.
When it was clear that Biden had snapped up all those blue splashes on Gornacke's Big Board I gave a huge sigh and said goodbye. Watched PBS's American Masters featuring Norman Lear–-such a treat!
Here was a man who had a tough beginning–-at nine his father was hauled away to jail for selling scam insurance, his mother couldn't handle it and went into a deep depression, so he was raised primarily by different uncles and aunts––none, I fear, gave him much succor. And by this time he was well aware of the anti-semitism that was, like a virus, going around.
Lear had a friend whose grandfather would write letters to FDR–-"Dear darling Mr. President" was how he started all the letters and every once in awhile the grandfather would get a response. How exciting for the grandson to find an envelope in the mailbox with theWhite House seal. Norman loved that story and in time made it his own. Now, at 91, he tells us he lied; he needed that grandfather for himself just as he needed to be that boy who found joy in a presidential response.
I was quite moved by this story and that lie, in a sense, formed Lear as one of the most prolific television producers and directors whose make-believe sitcoms became REAL voices for our country at that time––he wanted truth, even if it hurt. And for many it did–-the networks were reluctant to expose the underbelly–-"The Flying Nun" was the kind of fare they fared.
After watching this I was brought back to today and thought how much we have changed and how Lear's tears at the end for what is happening to our country now but saying that his family–-which is expanding every year-- gives him so much love and joy –-even the thought every day of his morning coffee gives him pleasure. So perhaps we, too, even though not 91, can squeeze that bounty called love within family, get every last drop while we can.
I say all this now because, and I think I can speak for all of us here, we harbor such hate and distain for not only the head of the beast but so much of the party that he plays. I want to go to bed at night looking forward to my morning coffee.
From yesterday: Sorry Ken–-your Dover went over to Ak: by mistake so now I say "thank you."
and Hattie: again–-thanks for "getting it."
I was reading about the first cities that were formed: these humans suffered continual health crises: deadly epidemics that would wipe out half the population. Measles seems to have been one of the first (requires a population of 300.00 to persist) density dependent viruses, which probably originated in sheep or goats. Looks like all these diseases leap from herds to humans:
We share twenty-six diseases with poultry, thirty two with rats and mice, thirty-five with horses, forty two with pigs, forty six with sheep and goats, and sixty-five with man's best friend, the dog. No mention of bats, however, the vector of the virus we have now.
Bea,
Whew!
Glad you chose not to be ghoulish.
So much for my lemonade. Though it's too early in the morning here for that, looks like straight whiskey should be my drink of choice.
Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern in Slate. "A Federal Judge Condemns the 'Roberts' Court Assault on Democracy.', Its About Time." Lithwick, per usual, brings fire and receipts to this piece.
If Biden looks like a used dishrag now, can you imagine how he will appear campaigning next to Obama? The VP pick is increasingly critical as are the surrounding players. Dimon (who just had emergency heart surgery) or Bloomberg are being floated for the Cabinet? Yikes.
The best GIF I saw on Sanders v Biden was two T-Rex slap fighting each other with their tiny short arms. If they were toothless in wheelchairs it would have been more accurate.
https://bit.ly/2IFMRZP
@ Bea; ghoulish possibilities: hopefully the party leaders will let the 25th amendment inform an orderly transfer of (potential) power in possibility 1, and 3. Clearly, a 'do-over' primary will be out of the question.
@ Ken; VP speculation: Seeing how Biden has invoked the Obama ideal as his guiding principal repeatedly, I don't see him picking a older WASP legislator to be his right hand (man) person, but the party may have something else in mind. I could see him picking Cory Booker. But given the dissatisfaction among female voters since Warren dropped out, would Stacy Abrams be considered? - Hmmm, probably not (not that she wouldn't be a perfectly capable VP). It's hard to see how the party bosses are going to influence a pick that consolidates the disparate factions. They may decide (in tone deaf fashion) that, for the long game, it is more important to appeal to the independent and undecided republican voters than appease the left and extreme progressive voters, and recommend a centrist or center-right pick. I expect to be surprised, gobsmacked, and probably disappointed - but what the hey - voting for Biden will be better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, even if he is in a coma.
How about Obama as VP? Certainly Biden refers to him enough.
How about the other Obama half? She probably knows the ropes pretty well.
Terrance re: << What a terrible mess it all is. >>
I’m aligned with your POV, posted at the very top.
Trying (not?) to imagine Biden v Fatty having it out on the telly.
PD Pepe re: Norman Lear -
I adore this man. Immensely grateful for his artistry and his uncensored / unstoppable social consciousness. I was addicted to “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (survived less than 2 seasons). Louise Lasser, Mary Kay Place (her big break), Dodie Goodman (many now gone), et. al. were absolutely brilliant. I’d wonder how many takes were needed to keep a straight face. Huge crush on Sgt. Foley. Grandpa as The Fernwood Flasher, hilarious.
A short clip of Norman Lear re: his not fronting for blacklisted writers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G4xWLtHf2E
Anonymous,
Thanks for the tip on the Lithwick piece. She's right on, as usual. I've been saying for a long time now that progressives who step an inch out of line are hung out to dry (even by other liberals and especially by the both-siders in the MSM) while wingers who paint over the line, pretend it was never there and do jigs all over its former location, are lauded as serious Americans just doing their level best for mom, apple pie, and the stars and stripes.
And just as an aside, since her mission here is to point out the dangers these hard-right, hyper partisan jurists pose to basic democracy in the United States, this business of John Roberts being, as he snarkily called it, just a humble umpire calling balls and strikes, is one of the great cons in an age of astonishing cons. When Little Johnny and the Dwarfs disemboweled the Voting Rights Act, and sniffed that all those southern states that had been singled out for special attention because of their loooooong history of voting rights infringements (a kind word that, more like voting rights assassination), were now going to behave and play fair, they all knew full well what was going to happen.
Newly unleashed, those states wasted no time implementing the sort of roadblocks to the franchise that would have made Bull Connor smile (some were on the books less than a week after the ruling, those states realizing that the rules were about to be tossed by their buds on the court). The outcome, as Roberts and his anti-democratic brethren knew all too well (expected with baited breath is more like it) was for the Party of Traitors to further embed itself into a raft of elected positions that would have been much more difficult if minorities and Democrats were allowed to vote the way Republicans can.
That was the whole idea. The idea that these guys are ivory tower legal minds, adjudicating to the best of their ability without favor or prejudice is another disgusting con.
But at least the Supremes (some of them, anyway) have been trying to pretend that there is some legal basis for their rigorously partisan rulings. The army of new lifetime appointed Trump Nazi judges don't even bother with the pretense.
But saying so is considered a federal crime of sorts, offensive to the delicate sensibilities of thin-skinned right-wing con artists.
It's time for more decent (read: real) judges to weigh in on this toboggan ride the wingers have put us on. The bottom of that incline will be one pretty near impossible to recover from.
For those of you who have been proposing Barack Obama as the veep nominee, he is as ineligible as your new puppy.
Just watched that Bernie video.
Wow.
Joe Biden is going to be toasted and roasted on Sunday night. And Bernie is going to be FAIR TO HIM! Just think of what Trump will do, with his outright lies and insults and name-calling and, did I say lies?
I can hear it now, Biden stumbling and bumbling around on his answers. OMG, we're screwed. I can certainly hope he comes ready to rumble, but so far he's looked lost as often as he's seemed in control, and I don't think that's gonna change between now and Sunday night. Probably won't change between now and the convention, when shit gets scarily real.
But Marie's description of Bernie as a fine human being is seconded here. Everything he says is true. And honest. A rare thing these days (nowhere to be seen on the right, or in most of the media).
But the forces of darkness are gathering their brickbats, grenades, and land mines, and I'm not overly hopeful that Joe can dance around those weapons.
As our old pal Julius once said, "iacta alea est". At least that's the way it's looking now. We're strapped in for the duration of this thing. Let's hope we're all still in one piece when it ends.
What kind of security measures are being contemplated for all the government employees working from home? The FBI should be all over that, but it would go against Donnie's stupidly believed fantasies about no cyber. The security officials refused to talk about threats to the US publicly because they were afraid of Trump's reaction and getting fired. Even the private briefing was attacked. That does not give me much confidence in what is actually getting done behind the scenes.
RAS,
They’ll all use unsecured cell phones just like the chief dolt. That way Fatty can be sure that his buddy Vlad can have immediate and easy access to US government business. That should help him ratfuck the election in Fatty’s favor more efficiently. Anything to help a pal.
Or maybe this is the perfect time to finally just give Vlad his own login.
"Hey Dave, did you also get the memo from the White House to cc all your work to Vlad P.?"
Thank you, Bea, for posting Bernie Sanders’ press speech. I connect to RC via my cellphone, so this - along with *all* you provide - is immensely appreciated by me.
I think a friend is correct in finding me (too) easily effected by “presentation”. I’ve found myself, especially this campaign season, turned-off to Sanders: his interruptions, gesticulating, impatience, loud redundancies, etc. But this broadcast has silenced my judgements, annoyances. I am “hearing” him. And humbled by this mensch (my italics never seem transfer onto RC) of a guy, whose humanity has too often been hidden behind *my* dismissiveness.
His respectful referencing of his ‘friend’, Joe Biden (and of others), has - fortunately - not been lost on me. His urgently direct and articulate take-downs of Fatty put the mumblers to shame. I found him so very “presidential”.
Peace
(can’t stand that Mother’s hubby’s surname is spelled so closely)
P.S. I have found Biden’s behavior toward fellow Americans (his nasty name-calling, infantile-challenging, interpersonal insensitivity, out-of-control temper, etc.) abhorrent and shameful.
Since Dr. John Campbell UK has been saying that covfefe-19 has been a pandemic for 2 months, based on data, the WHO statements are johnny come lately.
Basic questions must be answered, now that we're in the middle of this:
when do we all start our 14 day self isolation?
all on the same day? rolling isolations, west to east?
I happen to be one of the high risk categories. I have 3 weeks of supplies and meds all set up. Now when do I start?
Because I will come out of my cave eventually. what will be the status of the pandemic at that time? Do I need to stay inside, or do I return to normal life? What is our time line?
As for now, I'm spending alot of time washing my hands. Elbow bumps? not so much.
https://youtu.be/oTG2mA6pXQQ
(If I got this right, here's another one by the group who did that fabulous ditty by the founding fathers)
Vote them out.
Another math question. They're everywhere.
So the new pandemic kills ten times the ".01 percent" the good ole flu does.
If one percent is one in a hundred, one tenth of that would be one in a thousand and one hundreth of it, one in ten thousand.
If I'm following the arithmetic correctly, the mortality rate of Covfefe-19 is believed to be one in a thousand.
The odds could be worse.
Except for those for whom they turn out to be one hundred percent.
Mara Gay made the same math mistake many of us did last week. She did it on TV and wrote about it today.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/opinion/racism-twitter.html?
Glad I haven't been treated as badly as she for my own occasional idiocy. But then I'm not black. And I don't tweet.
Curiously, the comments section was closed after only two comments. Made me wonder if/suspect the abuse continued.
About the only thing certain about the coming campaign and the November election is this will be the last hurrah for the baby boomers.
Ken,
you have the math wrong.
Flu = 0.1-0.2% mortality rate
Covfefe = between 2-4% mortality rate (or, CFR =case fatality rate)
But for those under 50, it's a mild illness. Above 60, mortality goes up very fast.
And the mortality rate varies depending on where it happens, raising the question of a mutation. Like, in Italy, mortality is closer to 4%; while in China, it was down around 2%.
Victoria,
Thanks.
Other than general disability, this is what confused me:
(see above) Fauci said.... Fauci ... not[ed] that it’s 10 times more lethal than influenza, which kills nearly .01 percent of Americans who get it each year.”
.1 or .01 percent? Makes a (big) difference.
Now I'm feeling worse.
@Ken Winkes: See my comment in the March 12 entry. I went to the videotape.
Thanks, Bea
Now I'm feeling better about something:
My old eyes.