;)
The Commentariat -- October 14, 2020
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Caitlin Oprysko of Politico: "Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday clarified that he was being sarcastic when he referred to the 'good old days of segregation' and blasted his opponent for seeking to capitalize on the comments. During a recess in the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Graham (R-S.C.) insisted to reporters that his comments were made in jest and accused Jaime Harrison of launching a disingenuous attack. 'It was with deep sarcasm that I suggested that some legislative body would want to yearn for the good old days of segregationism,' the senator said. 'The point that I'm trying to make, there's nobody in America in the legislative arena wanting to take us back to that dark period in American history and for my opponent to suggest that says far more about him than me.'" Here's the clip from Wednesday morning's hearing. Given the context, I think he was being sarcastic. You decide:
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here.
Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "Joe Biden often crosses himself and looks toward the sky when saying something he jokingly might need to apologize for, regularly referring to the nuns who taught him during 12 years in Catholic school. Now, several recent TV ads from Biden's campaign show him standing with Pope Francis or huddled with a Jesuit priest. He's reading from a pulpit, bowing his head in prayer, or standing solemnly in front of a church's stained-glass window. And a radio spot includes a parishioner from Biden's home church talking about how the Democratic presidential nominee is a regular at Sunday Mass.... In the final stretch of a campaign in which Catholic voters are seen by both parties as a decisive bloc in several battleground states, Biden's campaign has increasingly highlighted his direct connection to the faith -- and his potential to make history as the country's second Catholic president, 60 years after John F. Kennedy became the first. The strategy comes as President Trump and his allies have sought to portray Democrats as anti-Catholic...."
Michael Grynbaum & Apoorva Mandavilli of the New York Times: "NBC said on Wednesday that it would broadcast a televised town hall with Mr. Trump from Miami on Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern -- the exact time that Mr. Biden will appear on ABC for his own town-hall-style event in Philadelphia. Mr. Biden's town hall has been on the books since last week, after Mr. Trump, who had recently contracted the coronavirus, rejected plans to convert the second formal presidential debate into a virtual matchup; the debate was eventually canceled. Mr. Trump's campaign then sought its own telecast to rival Mr. Biden's, leading to a lengthy negotiation with NBC officials who wanted independent proof that the president would not pose a safety risk to other participants.... On Wednesday, NBC said the town hall would occur 'in accordance with the guidelines set forth by health officials' and proffered a statement from Clifford Lane, a clinical director at the National Institutes of Health. In the statement, Dr. Lane said he and Dr. Anthony S. Fauci ... had reviewed medical data about Mr. Trump's condition, including a P.C.R. test that the N.I.H. 'collected and analyzed' on Tuesday.... Dr. Lane concluded 'with a high degree of confidence' that the president is 'not shedding infectious virus,' NBC said." Here's an NBC News report. ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: So Thursday night, I'm tuning the teevee to ABC, whether I listen on not, just in case the gremlins come through my tubes & wires & make note of what channel I'm watching. ~~~
~~~ Update. David Edwards of the Raw Story: "Staffers at NBC, CNBC and MSNBC were said to be angry this week after learning that ... Donald Trump was offered the opportunity to hold a solo town hall event.... Others on Twitter also lashed out at NBC for 'rewarding' Trump ... [for refusing to cooperate with the presidential debate committee's rules]." And Edward-Isaac Dovere can't figured out why is willing to share so much information w/NBC about the president's health so as to make this Thursday town hall happen, but releasing when the last time pre-diagnosis that he had tested negative would violate his privacy[.]"9
Meet Your Trump Voter. Amanda Burke & Larry Parnass of the Berkshire Eagle: "In the hour before he admits he burned a political message he deplored, Lonnie Durfee stopped at a convenience store in his town.... He told another shopper he planned to set fire to hay bales across from Holiday Brook Farm that had been painted with an endorsement of the Biden-Harris presidential ticket, according to a Dalton police report. Minutes before that encounter Friday evening, he said the same thing to people inside Paddy's, a Dalton bar.... Not long after, Durfee pulled out of the Cumberland Farms on Main Street with containers of gasoline and headed for the small mountain of hay bales, and the message they displayed, though one container fell out of the back of his yellow GMC pickup onto the road, and was left behind." Read on Thanks very much to unwashed for the link. Mrs. McC: There's a country & Western song in here somewheres, along the lines of the last verse of this'un here:
The Court Proposes, Trump Disposes. Mrs. McCrabbie: Despite her pretense that she won't be a "pawn" for Trump, it is beginning to appear that Judge Amy, like many a Republican witness, is testifying for an audience of one. Here's an excerpt from the Washington Post's live coverage of Wednesday's hearing:"Barrett stated unequivocally Wednesday morning that 'no one is above the law' -- but she warned that the Supreme Court has no real recourse to make sure people, including the president, obeyed its orders.... Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) had asked Barrett whether a president could refuse to comply with a court order. Barrett's bleak assessment, in a word, was yes. 'The Supreme Court can't control what the president obeys,' she said flatly. When Leahy then asked whether the president could pardon himself for a crime, Barrett was circumspect. 'So far as I know, that question has never been litigated,' she said. 'That question may or may not arise, but it's one that calls for legal analysis about what the scope of the pardon power is.'"
~~~~~~~~~~
Stacking the Court
The New York Times' live updates of Amy Coney Barrett's Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday are here. They include live video of the proceedings, but you can shut down the audio. The Washington Post's live video for Wednesday are here. Live video also included, but you have to activate it.
Mark Sherman, et al., of the AP: "Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett ... declined to commit to recusing herself from any cases arising from [the presidential] election. 'I can't offer an opinion on recusal without short-circuiting that entire process,' she said." Mrs. McC: Looks as if Judge Amy is signaling she plans to join the massive right-wing conspiracy (and, no, I'm not kidding) to steal the election. These people truly believe they have a right to "win" by any means necessary, the will of the voters be damned. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Tom Hamburger of the Washington Post: "When asked at last month's presidential debate by moderator Chris Wallace if he was counting on the Supreme Court, including a potential Justice Barrett, to settle an election dispute, Trump responded: 'Yeah. I think I'm counting on them to look at the ballots, definitely.' Democrats and ethics experts point to a federal statute that requires judges to recuse themselves from any proceeding in which their 'impartiality might reasonably be questioned' by the public. 'In light of Trump's public statements, it will reasonably appear to the public that Trump offered her the job with the implicit understanding that just weeks later she would help him keep his,' said Stephen Gillers, an expert on judicial ethics at New York University Law School." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
The New York Times' live updates of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Tuesday are here. The Guardian's live updates are here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Every Question Is Too Hard for Judge Amy to Answer. Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "... the most chilling moment of [Barrett's] Supreme Court confirmation testimony Tuesday came when she said she would 'need to hear arguments' about whether President Trump can postpone the election.... Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, observed. 'Does the Constitution give the president of the United States the authority to unilaterally delay a general election under any circumstances? Does federal law?'... There was only one correct answer: No. But this is not the answer Barrett gave.... By the plain wording of the Constitution and the law, a president cannot unilaterally postpone an election. But this nominee, sounding more Trumpist than textualist, tells us it's debatable. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) ... ask[ed] Barrett: 'Under federal law, is it illegal to intimidate voters at the poll?' Again, an easy question with an obvious answer.... But Barrett ... [said,] 'I can't apply the law to a hypothetical set of facts.'..." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~
~~~ BUT a Bigoted, Right-Wing Answer Gives Her Away. Matthew Choi of Politico: "Amy Coney Barrett apologized Tuesday for referring to sexual orientation as a 'preference' during the second day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearing. 'I certainly didn't mean and would never mean to use a term that would cause any offense to the LGBTQ community,' Barrett said.... Barrett made the remark earlier in the day before the Senate Judiciary Committee when asked by the panel about Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court case that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage across the country. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) had asked Barrett ... if she shared the late Supreme Court justice's dissenting views on the case. Barrett responded by saying she had 'no agenda' and that 'I have never discriminated on the basis of sexual preference and would not discriminate on the basis of sexual preference.'" ~~~
~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: What's amazing about Barrett's response is that she lives in such a cocoon that she had no idea that the world outside her cocoon has long rejected the naive, anti-scientific notion that sexual orientation is a "preference."
Good Luck, Profs! Jordan Williams of the Hill: "Faculty members of the University of Notre Dame wrote a letter asking Amy Coney Barrett to 'halt' her Supreme Court nomination process until after the November presidential election. In an open letter to Barret, the faculty noted her nomination comes amid a tense 2020 election in which voters are already casting ballots. More than 11 million ballots have been cast in the 2020 election, according to data from the United States Election Project. The members noted the 'rushed nature' of the nomination process, which 'may effectively deprive the American people of a voice in selecting the next Supreme Court justice.... You are not, of course, responsible for the anti-democratic machinations driving your nomination,' the letter read before mentioning Senate Republicans' refusal to take up former President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland during the 2016 presidential election. The letter also stated that stopping the confirmation process now would fulfill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish to leave her seat on the bench open until after the November election."
Whatever Donald Wants ~~~
~~~ Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to shut down the census count ahead of schedule, a move that could allow the Census Bureau to submit tabulations excluding unauthorized immigrants by the end of the year. The court's brief, unsigned order gave no reasons, which is typical when the court acts on emergency applications. It said the count could stop while appeals moved forward. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, saying that 'the harms associated with an inaccurate census are avoidable and intolerable.' The order was a major victory for the Trump administration, which had argued that it needed to shut down census field work to meet a statutory deadline. Critics argued that the administration's plan was aimed at diluting Democratic voting power and would hurt the accuracy of the count. The administration had proposed various deadlines for completing field work and submitting the results.... In August, [the administration ordered] the field work wrapped up by Sept. 30, and delivery of totals by Dec. 31. The move came not long after the announcement in July that the administration would seek to exclude undocumented immigrants from the population totals it will send to Congress for reapportioning seats in the House. The two developments appear to be related." ~~~
~~~ Jan Wolfe of Reuters: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday put an end to a lawsuit brought by congressional Democrats that accused ... Donald Trump of violating anti-corruption provisions in the U.S. Constitution with his business dealings. The justices refused to hear an appeal by 215 Senate and House of Representatives Democrats of a lower court ruling that found that the lawmakers lacked the necessary legal standing to bring the case that focused on the Republican president's ownership of the Trump International Hotel in Washington. The lawmakers accused Trump of violating the Constitution's rarely tested 'emoluments' clauses that bar presidents from taking gifts or payments from foreign and state governments without congressional approval. The lead plaintiff in the case is U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ AND Here's Another Reason Trump Needs Judge Amy. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "Personal lawyers for President Trump, seeking to appeal their case to the Supreme Court for the second time in less than a year, asked the justices on Tuesday to delay a ruling that would allow the Manhattan district attorney to obtain Mr. Trump's financial records. In a 38-page 'emergency' application, Mr. Trump's legal team told the court that a Federal District Court judge was wrong to rule that the prosecutor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., had a legal right to subpoena the materials -- and that an appeals court panel in New York was wrong to uphold that ruling this month." ~~~
~~~ MEANWHILE. DOJ Argues Trump's Crazy-Tweets Are Not Orders. Kyle Cheney of Politico: "When Donald Trump tweeted last week that he authorized the 'total declassification of any & all documents' related to the long-running Russia investigation and Hillary Clinton's emails -- 'No redactions!' he tweeted -- he really didn't mean it, the Justice Department argued in court Tuesday. DOJ attorneys told a judge that the White House Counsel's Office effectively told DOJ to disregard Trump's tweets on the matter. They weren't accompanied by an actual declassification order, and DOJ will proceed as though the tweets hadn't occurred, continuing to redact and release documents at its discretion."
Presidential Race, Etc.
Patricia Mazzei & Thomas Kaplan of the New York Times: "Joseph R. Biden Jr. turned his attention on Tuesday to older Americans, making a case in South Florida that President Trump viewed seniors as 'expendable' and that they were paying the price for the president's poor handling of the coronavirus pandemic. 'The only senior that Donald Trump cares about -- the only senior -- is senior Donald Trump,' Mr. Biden said in a speech at a community center in Pembroke Pines, a city in the vote-rich Democratic stronghold of Broward County.... Mr. Biden, who wore a mask during his speech, offered an unsparing critique of Mr. Trump's management of the nation's monthslong public health crisis and also assailed the president over his own behavior. 'I prayed for his recovery when he got Covid, and I had hoped at least he'd come out of it somewhat chastened,' Mr. Biden said. 'But what has he done? He's just doubled down on the misinformation he did before.' He went on to say that Mr. Trump's 'reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis is unconscionable.'"
~~~ Thanks to P.D. Pepe for the link.
What Trump thinks a "suburban housewife" looks like.At Rally, Trump Makes Another Direct Racist Appeal. Tal Axelrod of the Hill: "At a campaign rally in Johnstown, Pa., Trump touted his repeal of an Obama-era regulation meant to expand low-income housing in suburbs in an attempt to quash racial discrimination and his support for law enforcement as reasons suburban voters should flock to his campaign. '... I'm about law and order. I'm about having you safe. I'm about having your suburban communities. I don't want to build low-income housing next to your house.... Suburban women, they should like me more than anybody here tonight because I ended the regulation that destroyed your neighborhood. I ended the regulation that brought crime to the suburbs, and you're going to live the American dream,' he added. 'So can I ask you to do me a favor? Suburban women, will you please like me? I saved your damn neighborhood, OK?'"
Summer Concepcion of TPM: "... Rudy Giuliani went all in on President Trump's efforts to portray himself as an all-powerful strongman who has beat COVID-19 (he has not) during an indoors Italians for Trump rally in Philadelphia Monday night. Speaking to a crowd of about 75 Trump supporters at the campaign's Northeast Philadelphia office space -- which was originally scheduled to be held at the 15,000-square-foot 2300 Arena, but was forced to relocate when the arena's owners canceled the night before after finding out the event was a Trump rally -- Giuliani falsely declared victory over COVID-19 as the country tops more than 215,000 fatalities amid the pandemic. 'People don't die of this disease anymore,' Giuliani said, before baselessly insisting that 'young people don't die at all' and that 'middle age people die very little[.]... And even elderly people have only 1 percent chance of dying,' Giuliani said, without evidence." Mrs. McC: According to the lede of a Philadelphia Inquirer story (which I can't link), people at the event were "squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder" & many of them wore "Save Colombus" masks. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
** A Barr Plot to Smear Obama & Biden, et al., Collapses. Matt Zapotosky & Shane Harris of the Washington Post: "The federal prosecutor appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr to review whether Obama-era officials improperly requested the identities of individuals whose names were redacted in intelligence documents has completed his work without finding any substantive wrongdoing, according to people familiar with the matter. The revelation that U.S. Attorney John Bash, who left the department last week, had concluded his review without criminal charges or any public report will rankle President Trump at a moment when he is particularly upset at the Justice Department. The department has so far declined to release the results of Bash's work, though people familiar with his findings say they would likely disappoint conservatives who have tried to paint the 'unmasking' of names -- a common practice in government to help understand classified documents -- as a political conspiracy." ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: The timing of this apparent leak could not be better -- for Biden. ~~~
~~~ BUT Bill Barr Is Still Trying. Reuters: "The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday accused Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, author of a tell-all book about first lady Melania Trump, of breaking their nondisclosure agreement and asked a court to set aside profits from the book in a government trust. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, Justice Department lawyers said Wolkoff, a former aide who fell out with the first lady, failed to submit to government review a draft of her book, 'Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady,' which offers an unflattering portrayal of ... Donald Trump's wife." Mrs. McC: This suit sounds like a joke and, in any event, a joke the DOJ should not have told. On the other hand, Amy Coney Barrett.
Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "The Trump campaign has suggested that Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former White House aide, pay for an ad campaign costing nearly $1 million as a 'corrective' remedy for her critical comments about President Trump in her 2018 book and in subsequent interviews." Trump's lawyers apparently are unconcerned that should Newman pay more than $2,800 for an ad campaign, she would be making an illegal campaign contribution.
Drop Boxes for Republicans But Not for Democrats. Glenn Thrush & Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "From lawsuits by the Trump campaign to a decree from the governor of Texas -- to the sudden appearance of boxes falsely labeled 'official' in California -- Republicans are intensifying efforts to eliminate the use of drop boxes to collect mail-in ballots, or using them in ways that undermine confidence in their security. In recent months, a handful of states and local governments, most of them controlled by Democrats, have expanded the use of drop boxes as a safe alternative to voting in person during the coronavirus pandemic."
Nick Corasaniti & Denise Lu of the New York Times chart when each state will process absentee ballots. "Some states begin this work weeks in advance and others are only allowed to begin on Election Day. States that begin early may have a lot more results counted by election night."
Davey Alba of the New York Times: Numerous right-wing social media figures are disseminating false stories that Democrats and/or "liberals" have various plans to steal the presidential election & effect a "left-wing coup." All of the rumors appeared to be having the same effect: Of riling up Mr. Trump's restive base, just as the president has publicly stoked the idea of election chaos. In comment after comment about the falsehoods, respondents said the only way to stop violence from the left was to respond in kind with force.... The misinformation, which has been amplified by right-wing media such as the Fox News host Mark Levin and outlets like Breitbart and The Daily Wire, adds contentiousness to an already powder-keg campaign season.... Distorted information about the election is also flowing in left-wing circles online, though to a lesser degree, according to a New York Times analysis."
Florida. Marc Caputo of Politico: "Republicans typically hold a slight edge in absentee ballot returns in Florida elections. But this year, there's been a stunning development. For the first time ever at this stage of a general election, Democrats here are outvoting Republicans -- and by a mammoth 384,000-vote margin through Tuesday."
Texas & Georgia. Devan Cole, et al., of CNN: "Early voting began in Texas on Tuesday with lines and hours-long wait times for thousands of voters at some locations.... The challenges facing voters in Texas echoed what happened a day earlier in Georgia, where some of the more than 126,000 Peach State voters who turned out for that state's first day of early voting on Monday had to stand in long lines at polling centers across the state.
Allan Smith of NBC News: "Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Tuesday he's fed up with how 'vile' and 'vituperative' American politics have become, placing the blame largely on ... Donald Trump. 'I have stayed quiet with the approach of the election,' Romney said in a statement posted to Twitter. 'But I'm troubled by our politics, as it has moved away from spirited debate to a vile, vituperative, hate-filled morass that is unbecoming of any free nation -- let alone the birthplace of modern democracy.... The president calls the Democratic vice presidential candidate "a monster;" he repeatedly labels the speaker of the House "crazy;" he calls for the Justice Department to put the prior president in jail; he attacks the governor of Michigan on the very day a plot is discovered to kidnap her,' Romney said of comments Trump has made within the last week in Fox News interviews and on Twitter. Romney then lamented commentary and actions on the left side of the aisle, saying Democrats 'launch blistering attacks of their own -- though their presidential nominee refuses to stoop as low as others.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Now here's a headline that looks unbelievable. But it's true: ~~~
~~~ Michigan Sheriff Defends Terrorists. Sara Sidner of CNN: "On May 18, the FBI was months into investigating an alleged terror plot targeting Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. On that day, a local sheriff was sharing a protest stage with one of the men who would be charged with providing material support to terrorist acts. Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf said he knew nothing of the alleged crimes being planned.... After 13 men were charged in connection with the plot, Leaf said some of their actions could have been lawful. 'A lot of people are angry with the governor and they want her arrested,' Leaf told CNN affiliate WXMI. At the May rally, Leaf had compared Whitmer's stay-at-home orders to mass detention, MLive reported. Leaf said to WXMI: 'So are they trying to arrest or was it a kidnap attempt? Because you can still, in Michigan if it's a felony, you can still make a felony arrest.... And (it) doesn't say if you are in elected office that you are exempt from that arrest. So I have to look at it from that angle. And I am hoping that's more like what it is.'" Mrs. McC: We should not be surprised. As Mitt points out, the POTUS* used the occasion of the arrests by his own Justice Department, not to deplore the alleged planned terrorist attacks, but to criticize Whitmer.
The Trumpidemic, Ctd.
Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "The White House has embraced a declaration by a group of scientists arguing that authorities should allow the coronavirus to spread among young healthy people while protecting the elderly and the vulnerable -- an approach that would rely on arriving at 'herd immunity' through infections rather than a vaccine." Mrs. McC: Dr. Sanjay Gupta of A public health expert on CNN called this "a call for mass murder."
The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here: "States across the West and Midwest are reporting record numbers of new coronavirus cases, a worrying sign of rapid transmission that could signal the arrival of a long-feared cold weather wave of infections. Since Saturday, more than 20 states have hit a new high in their seven-day average of reported case counts, and more than half of those states set records again on Tuesday, according to data tracked by The Washington Post. Midwestern states like Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are driving the surge, while states farther west -- like Colorado, Idaho and the Dakotas -- have seen their cases rise steadily for weeks."
Carolyn Johnson of the Washington Post: "Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson became the second vaccine maker to halt late-stage trials this week as investigators probe whether a participant's undisclosed illness may be linked to the vaccine. On Tuesday, Eli Lilly & Co. also paused a trial of its closely-watched monoclonal antibody drug -- the same class of medicine President Trump received and credited with his recovery — for safety concerns. Experts say the pauses of trials of vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca and a treatment from Eli Lilly demonstrate the system to protect participants' safety is working as intended. But the intense scrutiny of the fast-moving covid-19 trials mean that the lack of transparency around possible adverse events could unintentionally help foster distrust of the scientific effort to develop ways to prevent and treat the disease."
Kaitlan Collins of CNN: "The Labor Department announced in a news release Tuesday night that Secretary Eugene Scalia's wife, Trish, has tested positive for coronavirus. The announcement said that Eugene Scalia has tested negative so far but will work from home 'for the time being.' Both Eugene and Trish Scalia attended the Rose Garden event where ... Donald Trump announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett was his pick to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. They were seated in the second row, directly behind first lady Melania Trump and next to former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway -- both of whom would later test positive for Covid-19." Trish Scalia "is experiencing mild symptoms."
Donald Trump is running TV ads taking Dr. Fauci out of context and without his permission.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 12, 2020
So, here’s a message from the President in his own words. pic.twitter.com/WCYbIfrQLR
~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~
~~~ Why Is Trump Faking an Endorsement from a Man He Disses? David Nakamura, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump's long-fraught relationship with Anthony S. Fauci ... ruptured again this week in an ugly public dispute just as U.S. coronavirus cases have ticked past 50,000 per day and with three weeks left in a campaign dominated by the government's response to the pandemic. Trump on Tuesday responded to Fauci's warnings that the president's decision to resume campaign rallies this week was 'very troublesome' by mocking him in a tweet that unfavorably compared his medical guidance to his errant ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals game in July. 'Actually, Tony's pitching arm is far more accurate than his prognostications,' Trump wrote, erroneously suggesting that Fauci's advice in the early days of the pandemic that the public need not wear masks meant that the doctor was playing down the novel coronavirus."
Laura Vozzella of the Washington Post: "Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam criticized President Trump's 'cavalier' attitude toward coronavirus safety on Tuesday during his first public appearance since contracting the illness last month. Northam (D) and first lady Pam Northam began isolating in the Executive Mansion, with no staff except for a security detail, after announcing that they tested positive 18 days ago. They are believed to have contracted the virus from a mansion employee who works in the couple's private quarters. About 65 staff members who had close contact with the Northams were told to self-isolate for two weeks. Northam said none tested positive, which he called 'a testament' to the value of wearing masks. He noted that masks protected several staff members who could not physically distance from him before he tested positive.... He contrasted that with the largely mask-free Rose Garden ceremony last month that Anthony S. Fauci ... has called a superspreader event." This article is free to non-subscribers.
Jeff Stein & Erica Werner of the Washington Post: "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on Tuesday that the Senate will take up a narrow economic relief bill when it comes back in session next week. President Trump immediately undermined the move, writing on Twitter: 'STIMULUS! Go big or go home!!!' The clashing messages were a stark display of GOP disunity just three weeks before the November election, as Senate Republicans balk at a $1.8 trillion relief package Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has offered to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Trump, though, has suggested Republicans should agree to an even bigger deal than what Democrats have offered." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
David Eggert & Kathleen Foody of the AP: "Members of anti-government paramilitary groups discussed kidnapping Virginia's governor [Ralph Northam (D)] during a June meeting in Ohio, an FBI agent testified Tuesday during a court hearing for a group of men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan's governor. Special Agent Richard Trask also revealed new details about investigators' use of confidential informants, undercover agents and encrypted communication to arrest and charge six men last week in the plot aimed at Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [Michigan]." A Washington Post story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
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Reader Comments (17)
The words “Global Pandemic” don’t appear in the Constitution, so the law shouldn’t take any notice of it, apparently. And yet, the justices probably take trips on airplanes. How is that?
Milbank makes Barrett sound like a female Pretender with a brain.
Very scary.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/13/postpone-election-voter-intimidation-amy-coney-barrett-is-open-it/
This one reminds me of a now deceased American history professor and friend who many years ago said something similar to me about Roe vs. Wade that I've thought of every time the country presents the SCOTUS confirmation circus for our doubtful entertainment .
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/10/13/opinion/congress-take-your-cue-amy-coney-barrett/
If we're fortunate enough to control all three branches next year, I sincerely hope Congress heeds this advice.
Obviously, we can't count on enough voters to "Remember the Supremes." In 2016 we were about 90,000 short, and its killing us.
After losing out on “his” Nobel Peace prize for a wildly insignificant, ephemeral Middle East “peace plan” that took three whole days to work out, scribbled on the back of a McDonalds takeout bag, the Orange Menace is apoplectic after someone else won the Nobel Prize for economics.
“I’ve perfected the transformation of the presidency into a money machine for me and my mooching family. Never been done before by anyone. First time in history! Plus, even more impressive, but of course, ignored by the Democrat controlled Nobellers, I line my pockets with taxpayer money—millions!—and never pay a red cent in taxes. Never been done before. I deserved the Economics prize, not some wussy professors who did something with auctions. Losers go to auctions. I rig the game so I win every time. But no prize! Unfair to Trump!”
@Akhilleus: It's hilarious that Trump has whined about Obama's getting more coverage for winning the Nobel Peace Prize than Trump got when some far-right Scandinavian legislators nominated him. Apparently none of Trump's toadies dared tell him that any tinpot dictator can be nominated for a Nobel Prize; he needs merely to call up a legislator & order the legislator to nominate him. Not a tinpot dictator but a major asshole? You can bet there's an idiotic legislator someplace who admires you. I guess the toadies also didn't tell him that there were 318 people or organizations nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize this year.
As for actual Nobel laureates, early last month more than 80 of them with prizes in physics, chemistry and medicine endorsed Joe Biden because, you know, science. And 13 Nobel laureates in economics endorsed Biden, stating that Biden’s economic agenda would lead to “economic growth that is faster, more robust, and more equitable” than Trump's. And that doesn't include Krugman, who bashes Trump at every opportunity.
Here's a new video from Bruce Springsteen & Don Winslow that hits Trump where it hurts in key state:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/don-winslow-bruce-springsteen_n_5f865ad4c5b681f7da1cc56d
The fat racist throws what he thinks is a big meaty bone to those in the suburbs which, he obviously believes, are the same whitey-white enclaves, restricted from dirty minorities similar to those that he and old man Trump built back in the day, the housing that got them whacked by the federal government for its prejudicial policies.
American suburbs might still be predominantly white, but they are also much more diverse than they were during the Eisenhower administration, probably the last time little Donald and his KKK daddy deigned to drive through one.
These days you’re more likely to see Ward and June Cleaver living next to the Jeffersons or the Ricardos. But in Trump’s thinking, there is, or should be, an economic as well as a racial barrier to entry. Rich blacks might be sort of okay, but not those low income types! Jesus!
“I will save you from low income housing!”
Yeah. Because whites, in Fat Donald’s teeny racist brain, don’t live in low cost housing. And that leads, inevitably, to the question of where, then, should Americans considered low income, a demographic growing by the day, thanks to oligarchical Republican policies, hang their hats? Some slum? Under a bridge? In FuckOffAndDie Town?
The fact is that nearly all the red states that voted for Trump are mooching taker states with large populations of low income whites, many of whom live off state assistance. But none of those people factor into this pea brain’s wizened world view. If you ain’t well off, you just ain’t. You don’t even exist. Oh. Until Election Day.
More incontrovertible evidence that Fatty and his party of racist traitors serve only one sliver of the American public.
For me the highlight from yesterday's hearing was the presentation of Sheldon Whitehouse's "puppet theater" whose strings are pulled by that thing called DARK MONEY: Everyone should see this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcMPTNmq2ns
Thinking about originalism –-something in common Amy has with Scalia. To me this method of looking at the constitution and ruling from that angle presents a problem. I would think it better to use the founder's work as a template–-a structure to continue to build on as we have with our amendments. When Durbin was questioning Barrett about her ruling on a felony's gun possession he said "back in those days there were muskets..." Thus looking at our constitution as a living, breathing document that can be expanded as time goes on. I recall what RBG said about her dear friend Anton when someone mentioned how brilliant he was–-in her eyes–--and Ruth came back with "even brilliance makes serious errors." And then looking at those two whose views on decisions were so often the exact opposite I have always wondered what makes a person so–– and I'll use the word "stuck" here–-in "the way things were" and refuse to accept our challenging complicated world.
So given that, Amy Coney Barrett presents well but there is a sense of naiveté like a fine spray of lavender mist that settles on her person. I found it interesting that when she was asked how she "felt" about George Floyd's death she went into detail about how it affected her children but she prefaced that account with saying that they lived in a bubble (she did not use that word, but I can't recall the exact term). The fact that she has two adopted children of color, why would that be?
@PD Pepe: Of course you're right about originalism. It's a fatal flaw in Constitutional interpretation. A government structure that would try to stand still in time cannot possibly serve the people of any era, much less an era more than two centuries removed from the intent of the framers. It's like insisting that doctors follow the original Hippocratic oath, which began, " swear by Apollo Healer, by Asclepius, by Hygieia, by Panacea, and by all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture." Or worse, insisting that doctors apply only 4th-century B.C.E. medical practices to 21st-century patients.
I look upon the U.S. Constitution as an inconvenient convenience. It provides a broad description of the structure of a federal government, and that is essential. But within that structure there exist "inconveniences" that have developed over changing times and practices: for instance, the Electoral College is no longer sensible when nearly every citizen has a right to vote for president & veep. Similarly, the Constitution -- written when, for the most part, only propertied white men had a right to vote -- has no provision for a right to vote. Sensible legislators would alter some of these anti-democratic inconveniences. But "sensible legislators," in a Constitutional structure that also favors minority states, is now, and perhaps always has been, something of an oxymoron.
Moreover, the Constitution, when including even the original Amendments, much less those added later, is a document in tension with itself. The body of the document prescribes the rights of the federal government, but the Amendments, generally speaking, prescribe the rights of the governed. These are, or at least can be, mutually exclusive rights. Americans have counted on those who run the branches of the federal government to mitigate these opposing rights, to strike a sensible balance; they have seldom done a very good job of it. Certainly with Judge Amy on the Supreme Court, the Judiciary will perform in a worse-than-usual manner.
Here's an update on the case of the burning hay bales. The guy doesn't appear to be the sharpest knife in the drawer.
@unwashed: Ha ha. Thanks. In fairness to the arsonist, he sure fits the profile of a Trump voter. And, remember, he most likely does have the franchise. If he isn't still in the slammer on Nov. 3, he'll probably be standing in line, maskless, yelling at other voters.
The Anti-Citizens
One could also refer to these types as the UnCitizens, reminiscent of the UnCola ads for 7Up back in the 70's. But that description seems to say simply (as the 7Up copywriters suggested) that UnCitizens are simply not citizens.
I'm talking about something much more insidious and destructive.
Who are the Anti-Citizens? Well, here's a clue. First letter T for thug, followed by a big fat Rump.
So first, some background. The Times' recent reporting on the chicanery and fraudulence that bolstered Trump's mythology of being a self-made billionaire confirmed what most non-Kool-Aid mainliners already knew. Trump is a cheat and a liar. And he doesn't pay taxes. As has been pointed out by many, including here in RC world, there's a difference between tax avoidance (legal) and tax evasion (not). Fatty and his mooching crime family do both.
But here's the rub.
The Trump real estate empire was built on the backs of taxpayers. Fred Trump piled up his fortune, the fortune that was handed off to the coddled dauphin who, reporting has it, was raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars even as a very young boy, with the inestimable aid of low interest, taxpayer supported government loans. Combined with "creative" accounting (ie, scams, schemes, and outright fraud), he built his real estate holdings for next to nothing. Using taxpayer support.
Fast forward to present day. Fatty, because he's an ignorant, fearful narcissist, becomes infected with Covid-19. He's flown to the hospital (paid for by taxpayers), treated by doctors (paid for by taxpayers) with uber expensive experimental drugs (also paid for by taxpayers), then driven around in big SUV's (ditto) and protected by Secret Service agents (again), all put in harm's way by this cretin, then taken back to the White House (owned and paid for by us).
In short, this menace to the world owes his fortune, and the luxuries he now enjoys, to taxpayers. A demographic to which he--aggressively--does not belong.
Neither, I'm guessing do any of the Trump spawn. They contribute nothing. Not to the cultural life of the country, not to its economic well being, and not to the tax base which pays for their protection, buys their food, and bolsters their luxurious lifestyle.
Aristotle's definition of a citizen is one who contributes to the life of the country, and who engages in its political life (the Trumps do not. They slithered into power on a stolen election, with the help of America's sworn enemies) and OBEYS ITS LAWS. Trump and his party of traitors are masters at changing the laws to suit their purposes or simply ignoring ones that don't. Any others, they just break. All while insisting that Democrats keep to the exact letter of the law. None of these actions come within seven Greek city-states of the concept of citizenship.
Aristotle would likely call the Trumps Anti-Citizens. They not only do not contribute, they take, take, take, take. They give back nothing but hatred, fear, lies, and paranoia, all of which operate to the detriment of the polis. They reserve the rights of a citizen to themselves but observe none of the responsibilities laid out by Aristotle, Plato, and just about every serious writer of political theory (with the notable exception of those who truck in chaos and irresponsibility, as well as certain strains of libertarians--lookin' at you Li'l Randy).
One group of Fatty supporters calls themselves Sovereign Citizens. This is a clear oxymoron. Those who claim no loyalty or responsibility to the state are not citizens. They contribute nothing to the well being of the polity and cannot, under even the most strained definition, be considered a citizen.
If you do a search for anticitizen, you'll likely come across a reference to a character in a video game, a game set in a dysfunctional future (are there any functional future settings?) wherein an anticitizen is a hero who does not allow the government to control him.
This is a popular conceit used by both Trump and his supporters. That the government is "out to get them" and must be stopped at all costs. This means with weapons, disinformation, right-wing militias, and plotting to kidnap, try, and possibly murder elected officials from the party they despise.
They are all Anti-Citizens.
As Aristotle is quick to point out, the government is not some faceless monolithic monster. We are the government. In a democracy, that is. But that takes work, and commitment, and smarts. All of which are absent from the Trump world view. Much easier to criticize, attack, tear down, obliterate.
And Trump, who has built his life on mooching off taxpayers, to pay not a cent back into that fund, is the greediest, most reprehensible Anti-Citizen of them all.
Just an observation. I didn't (couldn't) listen to the monkey show being put on by McConnell, Graham and the rest of the traitors, for Trump's benefit, but I did read some (as much as I could stomach) of Barrett's lies, er, testimony.
So she sez she's not gonna be a pawn when the winger Supremes decide to shove Trump back into the White House even if voters say ixnay to attyfay.
Hold on...Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa...quick breath....hahahahahahaha.
Amy, Amy, Amy...This is WHY YOU WERE PICKED! To do exactly that. So save your phony indignation. Let's hear that soundbite when you vote to install your authoritarian, anti-democratic leader over the wishes of the American voters.
(Also, for a smart person, she seems to know very little about anything...)
Also, look for Republican vote stealers in other states to start installing fake ballot drop-off boxes. Such a great idea! And don't miss the huffiness of those R's in California who insist that it's really the Democrats who are trying to steal the election. This is the bank robber blaming the teller because money has been stolen.
Barrett must have swam a few laps in a pool of olive oil before her hearing, cause she's slipperier than snot on a door knob. I didn't see anyone get a straight answer out of her.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see her show up her first day on the job wearing a red MAGA cap.
I sent NBC news the following e-mail:
I am a devoted watcher of MSNBC, but I am appalled by your willingness to allow Donald Trump to one-up the televised broadcast of Joe Biden on ABC that was itself sidetracked by Trump's unwillingness to participate in a previously scheduled debate.
I will not watch nor record this ramshackle event.
Shame on you for being manipulated by Donald Trump!
@wto406: I sent a similar email but to someone I know at MSNBC, who might have some influence. I hope they get swamped. NBC almost single-handedly (okay, with a little help from CNN) made this guy president*, & they just can't quit.