crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Proof COVID Doesn't Just Kill Old People, Adeline Fagan Edition

To commemorate the 200,000 dead Americans from coronavirus , Kate Bolduan was joined by Maureen Fagan , sister of 28-year old COVID victim Maureen Fagan , to remind us just how much each death represents .
Maureen Fagan devastatingly made that point as she tearfully told the story of her sister ’ s death , just Saturday .
Adeline Fagan had been in the second year of her residency and had been fighting COVID-19 since July .
The family thought she was getting better until she took a sudden turn for the worse : MAUREEN FAGAN : On Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disconnected from her ECMO machine and was on and off the ventilator , which were both great things , so we really thought in the near future that she was going to be going to rehab .
But that evening , I believe around 10:00 p.m. , the staff came in for a routine check of Adeline and she was unresponsive .
And an emergency CT showed that Adeline did have a massive brain bleed , which could have been caused by a number of things and it is one of the factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen due to COVID and the machines that she were on .
But it was only made worse because she was on blood thinners .
And they called up my parents and one of the options was to do emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in her brain , but the doctor said that it would have been a one in a million chance that Adeline was anything of what we knew her to be and they did not end up doing it , just because of the chance , and they honestly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to save Adeline , and so around 4:00 in the morning on Saturday , Adeline did pass away in my mom and dad 's arms .
Bolduan , who said she has three sisters , choked up along with Maureen .
But Bolduan also wanted to illustrate how COVID deaths impact the living , so she asked Maureen to speak to the loss .
FAGAN : We ’ ve thought long and hard about , you know , what we are as a family and one of the things that a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the glue for our family .
But even though she really was , she passed so much of herself on to the rest of us , and we each now know exactly what Adeline wanted and what she gave in this life and I think that is enough to keep her alive within us and keep our family together because there is so much of Adeline that she can still give to this world even if she 's not here because she 's shaped us and provided and made us grow to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in this life .
So , there are still going to be very close sisters and I know Adeline would be very , very proud of us for doing this and would want us to remain as close as when she was alive .
Maureen also had a message for the rest of us , to help us avoid more tragedy like her own : FAGAN : Everyone could be an Adeline and that ’ s the scary part of this .
And if you can do something as simple as wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just using hand sanitizer to do your part .
I know , like you said , do n't want to get into politics , but my heart breaks every time I look at something and I remember Adeline and I wake up in the morning and I realize that she 's not here and I 'm going to have to do that for years and years and years and I pray that it gets easier but I know it will always be with me and if you can do something so that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't in this situation , I think you have a right to do that just as a human being and trying to be a good person .
At that point , Bolduan was overtly crying .
If you 're at all like me , you will be , too .

To commemorate the 200,000 dead Americans from coronavirus, Kate Bolduan was joined by Maureen Fagan, sister of 28-year old COVID victim Maureen Fagan, to remind us just how much each death represents.
Maureen Fagan devastatingly made that point as she tearfully told the story of her sister’s death, just Saturday. Adeline Fagan had been in the second year of her residency and had been fighting COVID-19 since July. The family thought she was getting better until she took a sudden turn for the worse:
MAUREEN FAGAN: On Friday, we were told that Adeline had been disconnected from her ECMO machine and was on and off the ventilator, which were both great things, so we really thought in the near future that she was going to be going to rehab. But that evening, I believe around 10:00 p.m., the staff came in for a routine check of Adeline and she was unresponsive. And an emergency CT showed that Adeline did have a massive brain bleed, which could have been caused by a number of things and it is one of the factors that physicians and staff were aware could happen due to COVID and the machines that she were on. But it was only made worse because she was on blood thinners. And they called up my parents and one of the options was to do emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in her brain, but the doctor said that it would have been a one in a million chance that Adeline was anything of what we knew her to be and they did not end up doing it, just because of the chance, and they honestly told my parents that it wasn't going to save Adeline, and so around 4:00 in the morning on Saturday, Adeline did pass away in my mom and dad's arms.
Bolduan, who said she has three sisters, choked up along with Maureen. But Bolduan also wanted to illustrate how COVID deaths impact the living, so she asked Maureen to speak to the loss.
FAGAN: We’ve thought long and hard about, you know, what we are as a family and one of the things that a lot of us say is that Adeline was the glue for our family. But even though she really was, she passed so much of herself on to the rest of us, and we each now know exactly what Adeline wanted and what she gave in this life and I think that is enough to keep her alive within us and keep our family together because there is so much of Adeline that she can still give to this world even if she's not here because she's shaped us and provided and made us grow to be as great of a person as she was in this life. So, there are still going to be very close sisters and I know Adeline would be very, very proud of us for doing this and would want us to remain as close as when she was alive.
Maureen also had a message for the rest of us, to help us avoid more tragedy like her own:
FAGAN: Everyone could be an Adeline and that’s the scary part of this. And if you can do something as simple as wearing the mask, social distancing, even just using hand sanitizer to do your part. I know, like you said, don't want to get into politics, but my heart breaks every time I look at something and I remember Adeline and I wake up in the morning and I realize that she's not here and I'm going to have to do that for years and years and years and I pray that it gets easier but I know it will always be with me and if you can do something so that, like I said, someone you know isn't in this situation, I think you have a right to do that just as a human being and trying to be a good person.
At that point, Bolduan was overtly crying. If you're at all like me, you will be, too.


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--In The Debates, Biden Can Make Trump Expose Himself As A Racist Crackpot

[ Above : July 2020 , Joe Biden said he ca n't wait to debate the stable genius . ]
President Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Minnesota on Saturday that they ’ re genetically blessed .
“ You have good genes , you know that , right ?
You have good genes .
A lot of it is about the genes , isn ’ t it , do n't you believe ?
The racehorse theory .
You think we ’ re so different ?
You have good genes in Minnesota.
” The “ racehorse theory ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born genetically superior to others ... .
I 'm not sure Trump understands how racist this is .
As I 've noted in the past , he firmly believes in his own genetic superiority .
Trump invited The New York Times to the White House for an exclusive interview ... .
His 5-year-old granddaughter Arabella Kushner provided a singular moment of levity throughout the lengthy conversation , showing off her knowledge of the Chinese language while telling the president she loved him in Mandarin .
`` I consider my health , stamina and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump tweeted in December 2015 .
`` The world has watched me for many years and can so testify—great genes ! ''
The president has also fielded several questions via Twitter from users asking about his energy and family , repeatedly pointing to his genes as the basis for his success .
`` You 're up at 5am and you 're awake at 1am .
How do you have so much energy ?
Seriously !
? ''
He also seemed to apparently miss a thinly veiled dig in June 2013 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realDonaldTrump your dad gives good brain ?
?
Damn . ''
`` Dr. John Trump , uncle , for many years at M.I.T.
, '' he also wrote in May 2013 .
`` Good genes , I get it ! ''
Most people have never seen Trump talk this way .
But Joe Biden could expose this racist crackpottery to the world .
During the debates , when -- inevitably -- the subject of race relations in America comes up , Biden can quote this Minnesota rally statement and say it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add that Trump has bragged about his own genes in the past .
The reason this is worth doing is that Trump will walk right into the trap .
He thinks boasts about his supposedly superior genes are delightful items to drop into conversation .
He feels the same way about his insults .
So -- thinking Biden has just walked into a trap -- he 'll get a big , stupid grin on his face and say , '' See , folks , there it is .
I was raised to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's eyes , and that if we 're given an opportunity , we can all do something special with our lives .
But he believes some people , some groups , are genetically superior to others .
He think he 's genetically superior to others .
As you know , that kind of talk has been very , very dangerous in world history .
We fought a war against that belief system not that long ago .
It scares me that the president of the United States believes that some people are just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that all men -- and all women -- are created equal . ''
If this happens , it will be the most memorable moment in the debates .
Trump and eugenics will be linked in the public 's mind permanently .
Obviously , Trump 's base will be fine with this , but I think most people will believe that Trump is a racist , a believer in pseudo-science -- or , at the very least , delusional about his own greatness .
It 's worth doing .
Republished by permission from No @ @ @ @ @

[Above: July 2020, Joe Biden said he can't wait to debate the stable genius.]
This happened yesterday:
President Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Minnesota on Saturday that they’re genetically blessed. “You have good genes, you know that, right? You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn’t it, don't you believe? The racehorse theory. You think we’re so different? You have good genes in Minnesota.” The “racehorse theory” of genetics holds that some human beings are born genetically superior to others....
"You have good genes, you know that, right? You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn't it, don't you believe? The racehorse theory. You think we're so different? You have good genes in Minnesota." -- Trump pic.twitter.com/OiF63qZaKx — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 19, 2020
I'm not sure Trump understands how racist this is. As I've noted in the past, he firmly believes in his own genetic superiority.
Trump invited The New York Times to the White House for an exclusive interview.... His 5-year-old granddaughter Arabella Kushner provided a singular moment of levity throughout the lengthy conversation, showing off her knowledge of the Chinese language while telling the president she loved him in Mandarin. "She's unbelievable, huh?" Trump said. "Good, smart genes." ... "I consider my health, stamina and strength one of my greatest assets," Trump tweeted in December 2015. "The world has watched me for many years and can so testify—great genes!" The president has also fielded several questions via Twitter from users asking about his energy and family, repeatedly pointing to his genes as the basis for his success. "You're up at 5am and you're awake at 1am. How do you have so much energy? Seriously!?" "Good genes!" Trump replied. He also seemed to apparently miss a thinly veiled dig in June 2013, when @YoungBasedGod_g wrote to him, "@realDonaldTrump your dad gives good brain?? Damn." "It's called genes!" Trump tweeted back. "Dr. John Trump, uncle, for many years at M.I.T.," he also wrote in May 2013. "Good genes, I get it!"
Most people have never seen Trump talk this way. But Joe Biden could expose this racist crackpottery to the world.
During the debates, when -- inevitably -- the subject of race relations in America comes up, Biden can quote this Minnesota rally statement and say it's a very dangerous belief. He can add that Trump has bragged about his own genes in the past.
The reason this is worth doing is that Trump will walk right into the trap. He thinks boasts about his supposedly superior genes are delightful items to drop into conversation. He feels the same way about his insults. So -- thinking Biden has just walked into a trap -- he'll get a big, stupid grin on his face and say,
"My supporters do have good genes. I have good genes. I have the best genes. I'm sorry you have inferior genes, Joe."
Biden's response:
"See, folks, there it is. I was raised to believe that we're all equal in God's eyes, and that if we're given an opportunity, we can all do something special with our lives. But he believes some people, some groups, are genetically superior to others. He think he's genetically superior to others. As you know, that kind of talk has been very, very dangerous in world history. We fought a war against that belief system not that long ago. It scares me that the president of the United States believes that some people are just lesser people than others. I believe that all men -- and all women -- are created equal."
If this happens, it will be the most memorable moment in the debates. Trump and eugenics will be linked in the public's mind permanently.
Obviously, Trump's base will be fine with this, but I think most people will believe that Trump is a racist, a believer in pseudo-science -- or, at the very least, delusional about his own greatness. It's worth doing.
Republished by permission from No More Mister Nice Blog.


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Take Care Of This (White) House

Take Care Of This (White) House

In honor of National Voter Registration Day , `` Take Care of This House '' : Leonard Bernstein ’ s iconic song Take Care Of This House is a glorious meditation on our rights and responsibilities , urging us to preserve the sanctity and integrity of the White House as the home and the hope of all Americans , to keep it from harm , and to care for its future .
Now a diverse and multi-generational constellation of leading American artists/activists come together to perform this song as a rallying cry for our civil liberties at this critical moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ] conceived and created by iconoclastic pianist Lara Downes to support the ACLU ’ s Voting Rights initiative ...
In Lara ’ s words : “ This year of disruption and division has kept artists offstage and off the road .
But even from here at home , we can reach out to join forces and offer our music where it matters the most .
I ’ ve looked to Leonard Bernstein throughout my career as the model of a true artist/citizen , a musician who always showed up and spoke up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He gave us so much inspiration , including this perfect song that speaks to our American past , present and future in such a powerful way .
So here we are , from our homes to yours , pledging to take care of this house together .
It ’ s the hope of us all .
”

In honor of National Voter Registration Day, "Take Care of This House":
Leonard Bernstein’s iconic song Take Care Of This House is a glorious meditation on our rights and responsibilities, urging us to preserve the sanctity and integrity of the White House as the home and the hope of all Americans, to keep it from harm, and to care for its future.
Now a diverse and multi-generational constellation of leading American artists/activists come together to perform this song as a rallying cry for our civil liberties at this critical moment in our history. [This video was] conceived and created by iconoclastic pianist Lara Downes to support the ACLU’s Voting Rights initiative...
In Lara’s words: “This year of disruption and division has kept artists offstage and off the road. But even from here at home, we can reach out to join forces and offer our music where it matters the most. I’ve looked to Leonard Bernstein throughout my career as the model of a true artist/citizen, a musician who always showed up and spoke up, in good times and bad. He gave us so much inspiration, including this perfect song that speaks to our American past, present and future in such a powerful way. So here we are, from our homes to yours, pledging to take care of this house together. It’s the hope of us all.”


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Trump Is Not King, And Media Needs To Stop Acting Like He Is

I woke up Wednesday morning to an email box full of fear , thanks to Barton Gellman 's article at The Atlantic imagining all the ways the Mighty Donald Trump will not concede and will try to steal the election .
So the fck what ?
You know who else tried to claim the election was rigged , refused to concede and said he was n't going to leave his perch ?
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory .
Where is McCrory now ?
Not in the North Carolina 's governor 's mansion and not planning to run to take it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's doing some right-wing radio show in North Carolina .
So what if Trump wo n't concede ?
Who CARES what that petty chickenshit little despot does or says ?
Yet , MSNBC 's Nicolle Wallace spent a solid 10 minutes clutching her worry beads over it , wasting our time .
In this paragraph , we have Gellman repeating what anonymous Republicans have told him .
Gosh , what purpose could Republicans possibly have for telling him this ?
The subject is how states designate electors .
Remember all the efforts on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` faithless electors '' who would not honor their state 's vote totals ?
Yeah , me too .
It did not go well , even in the Supreme Court .
Good luck with that , boys .
I repeat : Republicans have a motive for putting this kind of rumor out -- it tells people their vote does n't count .
This is hardly a power play .
They are essentially powerless when the voters speak , while trying to disguise that fact by telling you that they have some secret hidden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the article , Gellman writes : Here 's the thing : Articles like this , fear mongering like this already suppresses the Biden vote .
When you tell people that Trump and his games are more powerful than the people , you 're telling them their vote does n't matter .
And if their vote does n't matter , then why should they bother to vote at all ?
All the fear mongering about what Agent Orange and his gang of GOP thugs does is suppress the vote .
It also creates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the soil upon which REPUBLICANS thrive .
I am not saying to ignore the experts .
I am saying that the answer to the bullshit Trump spews is to ignore it and vote in numbers the likes of which no one has ever seen before .
Even Gellman discounts the possibility of a landslide , despite the fact that all of the evidence points to huge turnout ( see Virginia 's early voting turnout , or the soaring requests for absentee ballots in a number of states , for example ) : It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so immense on Election Night that it places him out of Biden ’ s reach .
Unless the swing states manage to count most of their mail-in ballots that night , which will be all but impossible for some of them , the expectation of a blue shift will keep Biden fighting on .
A really big Biden lead on Election Night , on the other hand , could leave Trump without plausible hope of catching up .
If this happens , we may see it first in Florida .
But this scenario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP advantage among in-person voters , and in any case Trump will not concede defeat .
This early in the Interregnum , he will have practical options to keep the contest alive .
It is n't optimistic at all to expect a landslide .
In 2008 , Florida was called when polls closed in the Central time zone and the election was called the minute California 's polls closed .
Poor Hawaii did n't even have time to close before it was called .
This election is a turnout election .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winner is on Election Night if everyone votes .
Articles telling people it does n't matter if they vote because Trump has some magical powers to contest things are suppressive , unhelpful and best limited to email lists of election lawyers who can actually do something about Republicans ' weak efforts to grab power .

I woke up Wednesday morning to an email box full of fear, thanks to Barton Gellman's article at The Atlantic imagining all the ways the Mighty Donald Trump will not concede and will try to steal the election.
Let us not hedge about one thing. Donald Trump may win or lose, but he will never concede. Not under any circumstance. Not during the Interregnum and not afterward. If compelled in the end to vacate his office, Trump will insist from exile, as long as he draws breath, that the contest was rigged.
So the fck what? You know who else tried to claim the election was rigged, refused to concede and said he wasn't going to leave his perch? North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory.
Where is McCrory now? Not in the North Carolina's governor's mansion and not planning to run to take it back, either. No, he's doing some right-wing radio show in North Carolina.
So what if Trump won't concede? Who CARES what that petty chickenshit little despot does or says? Yet, MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace spent a solid 10 minutes clutching her worry beads over it, wasting our time.
In this paragraph, we have Gellman repeating what anonymous Republicans have told him. Gosh, what purpose could Republicans possibly have for telling him this? The subject is how states designate electors. Remember all the efforts on the Dem side to try and woo "faithless electors" who would not honor their state's vote totals? Yeah, me too. It did not go well, even in the Supreme Court.
Trump may test this. According to sources in the Republican Party at the state and national levels, the Trump campaign is discussing contingency plans to bypass election results and appoint loyal electors in battleground states where Republicans hold the legislative majority. With a justification based on claims of rampant fraud, Trump would ask state legislators to set aside the popular vote and exercise their power to choose a slate of electors directly. The longer Trump succeeds in keeping the vote count in doubt, the more pressure legislators will feel to act before the safe-harbor deadline expires.
Good luck with that, boys. I repeat: Republicans have a motive for putting this kind of rumor out -- it tells people their vote doesn't count.
This is hardly a power play. They are essentially powerless when the voters speak, while trying to disguise that fact by telling you that they have some secret hidden power. They don't.
Later in the article, Gellman writes:
But he’s not powerless to skew the proceedings—first on Election Day and then during the Interregnum. He could disrupt the vote count where it’s going badly, and if that does not work, try to bypass it altogether. On Election Day, Trump and his allies can begin by suppressing the Biden vote.
Here's the thing: Articles like this, fear mongering like this already suppresses the Biden vote. When you tell people that Trump and his games are more powerful than the people, you're telling them their vote doesn't matter. And if their vote doesn't matter, then why should they bother to vote at all? All the fear mongering about what Agent Orange and his gang of GOP thugs does is suppress the vote. It also creates an environment of fear, which is the soil upon which REPUBLICANS thrive.
I am not saying to ignore the experts. I am saying that the answer to the bullshit Trump spews is to ignore it and vote in numbers the likes of which no one has ever seen before. Even Gellman discounts the possibility of a landslide, despite the fact that all of the evidence points to huge turnout (see Virginia's early voting turnout, or the soaring requests for absentee ballots in a number of states, for example):
It is hard to imagine a Trump lead so immense on Election Night that it places him out of Biden’s reach. Unless the swing states manage to count most of their mail-in ballots that night, which will be all but impossible for some of them, the expectation of a blue shift will keep Biden fighting on. A really big Biden lead on Election Night, on the other hand, could leave Trump without plausible hope of catching up. If this happens, we may see it first in Florida. But this scenario is awfully optimistic for Biden, considering the GOP advantage among in-person voters, and in any case Trump will not concede defeat. This early in the Interregnum, he will have practical options to keep the contest alive.
It isn't optimistic at all to expect a landslide. In 2008, Florida was called when polls closed in the Central time zone and the election was called the minute California's polls closed. Poor Hawaii didn't even have time to close before it was called.
This election is a turnout election. There won't be any question about who the winner is on Election Night if everyone votes. Articles telling people it doesn't matter if they vote because Trump has some magical powers to contest things are suppressive, unhelpful and best limited to email lists of election lawyers who can actually do something about Republicans' weak efforts to grab power.


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Missouri Governor Who Shrugged At Kids Getting COVID-19 Tests Positive

Oh , my .
The governor who ordered Missouri 's children back to school even if it meant they caught @ @ @ @ @ travel and debate after he and his wife tested positive for the virus .
Gov @ @ @ @ @ event in St. Louis Wednesday and a debate on Friday after First Lady Teresa Parson @ @ @ @ @ Later Wednesday , in a brief statement on his Facebook site , Parson said he @ @ @ @ @ but was awaiting the results of a second test to confirm that result .
“ @ @ @ @ @ are both fine , ” Parson said .
“ I was tested , the preliminary @ @ @ @ @ a positive result ... .
Right now , I feel fine , no symptoms of @ @ @ @ @ buddy .
Did n't we all tell you about asymptomatic spread ?
I hope his @ @ @ @ @ safe too .
He 's about to find out why it was so evil for @ @ @ @ @ go back to school .

Oh, my. The governor who ordered Missouri's children back to school even if it meant they caught COVID has now postponed his travel and debate after he and his wife tested positive for the virus.
STLToday:
Gov. Mike Parson postponed an event in St. Louis Wednesday and a debate on Friday after First Lady Teresa Parson tested positive for COVID-19.
Later Wednesday, in a brief statement on his Facebook site, Parson said he also has tested positive, but was awaiting the results of a second test to confirm that result.
“Myself and the first lady are both fine,” Parson said. “I was tested, the preliminary results have come back as a positive result.... Right now, I feel fine, no symptoms of any kind.”


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Trump Admits He'll Fill RBG Vacancy Before Election So SCOTUS Can Help Fight Mail-In Ballots

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday evening , President Donald Trump frankly stated his motive for rushing to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg : To help him dispute the legitimacy of mail-in ballots in the November election .
`` We need nine justices .
You need that .
With the unsolicited millions of ballots that they 're sending , it 's a scam , it 's a hoax , '' said the president , who for months has falsely attacked mail-in voting as highly susceptible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And the Democrats know it better than anybody else . ''
Trump said pushing his nominee through the Republican-controlled Senate before Election Day—now just over 40 days away— '' would be a very good thing '' and baselessly claimed Democrats are `` trying to sow confusion and everything else . ''
`` And , you know , when they talk about Russia , China , and all these others , they will be able to do something here because paper ballots are very simple—whether they counterfeit them , forge them , do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very serious problem , '' Trump said , without offering a shred of evidence for the supposed threat of ballot manipulation by other nations .
`` And the Democrats know what they 're doing is wrong , and all they want to do is go forward with it .
So I think you 're going to need the nine justices . ''
Trump 's remarks Tuesday were the president 's latest attempt to preemptively cast doubt on the results of the November election by lying about mail-in voting , which states nationwide have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
As Buzzfeed reported last week , the president 's reelection campaign and the national Republican Party are `` devoting millions of dollars to wage a state-by-state legal battle against mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic , not only suing state officials but also intervening in cases where they are n't a party to limit how Americans can vote from home . ''
With the unprecedented surge of mail-in ballots expected to delay the final election results for days or even weeks , voting rights groups and Democratic lawmakers are growing increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Election Night or refuse to accept the results if he loses to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
The president 's latest comments , observers warned , suggest he is looking to rely on the conservative-dominated Supreme Court to provide his assault on the legitimacy of the election with a stamp of legal approval .
`` They are n't hiding that they want to confirm a new Trump justice so that justice can steal the election , '' Ian Millhiser , senior correspondent at Vox , tweeted late Tuesday .
Journalist Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Bond villain who ca n't help but tell us about his plan to rig the election . ''
`` That 's telling his supporters to vote in person so he wins the votes that cast on Election Day itself and then suing to stop absentee ballots from being counted , '' O'Brien added .
`` Bush v. Gore 2.0 is the plan . ''
Earlier Tuesday—just before Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) officially ensured Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) will have enough votes to move forward with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court pick on Saturday .
The current favorites , according to Politico , are Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa , right-wing judges who are both viewed as potential threats to Roe v. Wade .
`` Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee met midday Tuesday to discuss different scenarios for how quickly they can process the nominee , '' Politico reported .
`` No final decision was made , but a hearing could take place starting the week of October 12 , according to a GOP aide . ''

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump frankly stated his motive for rushing to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: To help him dispute the legitimacy of mail-in ballots in the November election.
"We need nine justices. You need that. With the unsolicited millions of ballots that they're sending, it's a scam, it's a hoax," said the president, who for months has falsely attacked mail-in voting as highly susceptible to fraud. "Everybody knows that. And the Democrats know it better than anybody else."
Trump said pushing his nominee through the Republican-controlled Senate before Election Day—now just over 40 days away—"would be a very good thing" and baselessly claimed Democrats are "trying to sow confusion and everything else."
"And, you know, when they talk about Russia, China, and all these others, they will be able to do something here because paper ballots are very simple—whether they counterfeit them, forge them, do whatever you want. It's a very serious problem," Trump said, without offering a shred of evidence for the supposed threat of ballot manipulation by other nations. "And the Democrats know what they're doing is wrong, and all they want to do is go forward with it. So I think you're going to need the nine justices."
Trump's remarks Tuesday were the president's latest attempt to preemptively cast doubt on the results of the November election by lying about mail-in voting, which states nationwide have expanded in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
As Buzzfeed reported last week, the president's reelection campaign and the national Republican Party are "devoting millions of dollars to wage a state-by-state legal battle against mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic, not only suing state officials but also intervening in cases where they aren't a party to limit how Americans can vote from home."
With the unprecedented surge of mail-in ballots expected to delay the final election results for days or even weeks, voting rights groups and Democratic lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned that Trump could falsely declare victory on Election Night or refuse to accept the results if he loses to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The president's latest comments, observers warned, suggest he is looking to rely on the conservative-dominated Supreme Court to provide his assault on the legitimacy of the election with a stamp of legal approval.
"They aren't hiding that they want to confirm a new Trump justice so that justice can steal the election," Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent at Vox, tweeted late Tuesday.
Journalist Matt O'Brien said the president "is like a Bond villain who can't help but tell us about his plan to rig the election."
"That's telling his supporters to vote in person so he wins the votes that cast on Election Day itself and then suing to stop absentee ballots from being counted," O'Brien added. "Bush v. Gore 2.0 is the plan."
Earlier Tuesday—just before Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) officially ensured Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will have enough votes to move forward with the nominee—Trump tweeted that he will announce his Supreme Court pick on Saturday.
The current favorites, according to Politico, are Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa, right-wing judges who are both viewed as potential threats to Roe v. Wade.
"Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee met midday Tuesday to discuss different scenarios for how quickly they can process the nominee," Politico reported. "No final decision was made, but a hearing could take place starting the week of October 12, according to a GOP aide."
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, Staff Writer) via a Creative Commons license.


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Call On Americans To Vote Against Hate

On Tuesday , the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a video , aired during an ABC broadcast announcing the 2020 TIME 100 .
You might know the couple as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle : MEGHAN : Now we 're just six weeks out from Election Day and today is National Voter Registration Day .
Every four years we are told the same thing , that this is the most important election of our lifetime .
But this one is .
When we vote , our values are put into action and our voices are heard .
Your voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because you do , and you deserve to be heard .
HARRY : This election I 'm not going to be able to vote here in the US , but many of you may not know that I have n't been able to vote in the UK my entire life .
As we approach this November , it 's vital that we reject hate speech , misinformation and online negativity .
MEGHAN : So as we work to reimagine the world around us , let 's challenge ourselves to build communities of compassion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how important it is to watch out for each other , to care for each other , and to inspire each other .
We are incredibly proud to join you in this historic moment in time .
BOTH : Thank you .

On Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a video, aired during an ABC broadcast announcing the 2020 TIME 100.
You might know the couple as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle:
MEGHAN: Now we're just six weeks out from Election Day and today is National Voter Registration Day. Every four years we are told the same thing, that this is the most important election of our lifetime.
But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard. Your voice is a reminder that you matter, because you do, and you deserve to be heard.
HARRY: This election I'm not going to be able to vote here in the US, but many of you may not know that I haven't been able to vote in the UK my entire life.
As we approach this November, it's vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity.
MEGHAN: So as we work to reimagine the world around us, let's challenge ourselves to build communities of compassion.
HARRY: Tonight reminds us of how important it is to watch out for each other, to care for each other, and to inspire each other.
We are incredibly proud to join you in this historic moment in time.
BOTH: Thank you.


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Ron Johnson Denounced Over Hunter Biden 'Report': ‘As If Putin Wrote It’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) lashed out at Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) on Wednesday for overseeing a probe into Hunter Biden , the son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
The report , which Johnson hopes will impact the November election , accuses Hunter Biden of “ conflicts of interest ” for a “ very awkward ” relationship with Ukrainian energy company Burisma .
The report , however , found no evidence that the relationship affected U.S. policy .
In a speech on the Senate floor , Schumer suggested that Johnson was doing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ While the rest of the country was busy fighting COVID , Senate Republicans have been abusing the power of the Senate to conduct opposition research for President Trump ’ s campaign , ” Schumer explained .
“ This morning , the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee released his report , which reads as if Putin wrote it , not United States senators.
” “ The bogus narrative of this report peddled by a Russian disinformation campaign was disproved by every witness who testified , ” he added .
“ Despite their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Biden and his family , Senate Republicans found no evidence to support the conspiracy theories pushed by Putin ’ s intelligence agents.
” Schumer went on to demand that Senators Johnson and Chuck Grassley ( R-IA ) “ reimburse taxpayers for the money they wasted.
” “ And this entire disgraceful affair and the Johnson report should be relegated to the dustbin of history , ” he concluded .

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) lashed out at Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on Wednesday for overseeing a probe into Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The report, which Johnson hopes will impact the November election, accuses Hunter Biden of “conflicts of interest” for a “very awkward” relationship with Ukrainian energy company Burisma. The report, however, found no evidence that the relationship affected U.S. policy.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Schumer suggested that Johnson was doing the bidding of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“While the rest of the country was busy fighting COVID, Senate Republicans have been abusing the power of the Senate to conduct opposition research for President Trump’s campaign,” Schumer explained. “This morning, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee released his report, which reads as if Putin wrote it, not United States senators.”
“The bogus narrative of this report peddled by a Russian disinformation campaign was disproved by every witness who testified,” he added. “Despite their zeal to smear [former Vice President] Biden and his family, Senate Republicans found no evidence to support the conspiracy theories pushed by Putin’s intelligence agents.”
Schumer went on to demand that Senators Johnson and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) “reimburse taxpayers for the money they wasted.”
“And this entire disgraceful affair and the Johnson report should be relegated to the dustbin of history,” he concluded.


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--BOOM:  Dr. Fauci Slaps Down Rand Paul By Name At Hearing

Ya know , maybe former ophthalmologist Rand Paul should STFU and listen to the infectious disease expert .
In a Senate hearing this morning , Dr. Anthony Fauci called out Rand Paul directly for “ repeatedly ” misrepresenting coronavirus data to make wacky claims about `` community immunity . ''
Rand Paul insisted at the hearing that despite New York having one of the world ’ s worst death rates , Anthony Fauci is a `` big fan '' of Governor Cuomo .
Fauci did n't shrink : “ No , you misconstrued that senator and you ’ ve done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said New York got hit badly .
`` They made some mistakes but they now have a 1 percent test positivity rate by following CDC guidelines on face masks , social distancing , outdoor activity and washing hands . ''
Fauci had had it .
He demanded from the Chair that he be allowed to respond , “ because this happens with Sen. Paul all the time.
” “ You are not listening to what the director of the CDC said that in New York it ’ s about 22 per cent [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If you believe 22 per cent is herd immunity , I believe you ’ re alone in that .
”

Ya know, maybe former ophthalmologist Rand Paul should STFU and listen to the infectious disease expert.
In a Senate hearing this morning, Dr. Anthony Fauci called out Rand Paul directly for “repeatedly” misrepresenting coronavirus data to make wacky claims about "community immunity."
Rand Paul insisted at the hearing that despite New York having one of the world’s worst death rates, Anthony Fauci is a "big fan" of Governor Cuomo.
Fauci didn't shrink: “No, you misconstrued that senator and you’ve done that repeatedly in the past.”
He said New York got hit badly. "They made some mistakes but they now have a 1 percent test positivity rate by following CDC guidelines on face masks, social distancing, outdoor activity and washing hands."
“Or they’ve developed enough community immunity,” Rand Paul whined.
Fauci had had it.
He demanded from the Chair that he be allowed to respond, “because this happens with Sen. Paul all the time.”
“You are not listening to what the director of the CDC said that in New York it’s about 22 per cent [community immunity],” Fauci said. “If you believe 22 per cent is herd immunity, I believe you’re alone in that.”
On topic...


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Rep. Ilhan Omar Claps Back At Trump's Racist Diatribe

Trump the Dummy made an ignorant and racist attack on Representative Ilhan Omar ( D-MN ) during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania Wednesday morning .
Trump apparently is n't aware that Omar came to the US as an eight-year-old .
This current so-called president who acts younger than that , like a whiny baby , most of the time .
At his rally outside Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , Trump went on a racist diatribe against what he calls `` AOC +3 , '' the young left-wing recently-elected Democratic women of color .
Not a shock there , since he 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bashing Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez over her college credentials ( which he is too stupid to realize is a joke against himself ) , Trump said , `` How about Omar of Minnesota . ''
`` She 's telling us how to run our country . ''
It 's her country too and she 's a U.S. Congresswoman .
That 's her job .
But you know racists got ta racist .
Trump yelled , `` How did you do where you came from ?
How is your country doing ? ''
Rep. Omar has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and she fled Somalia with her family when she was a child .
`` She 's telling us how to run our country . ''
This moronic imbecile attacks Rep. Omar when she was eight years old , fleeing a bloody war in Somalia .
Morning Joe responded to his disgusting attack , `` As if it 's not her country , because like Donald Trump 's mother and like Donald Trump 's grandparents , [ Omar ] was an immigrant to America . ''

Trump the Dummy made an ignorant and racist attack on Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania Wednesday morning.
Trump apparently isn't aware that Omar came to the US as an eight-year-old.
This current so-called president who acts younger than that, like a whiny baby, most of the time.
At his rally outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Trump went on a racist diatribe against what he calls "AOC +3," the young left-wing recently-elected Democratic women of color.
Not a shock there, since he's done it many times before.
After bashing Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez over her college credentials (which he is too stupid to realize is a joke against himself), Trump said, "How about Omar of Minnesota."
His non-mask wearing MAGA fools booed immediately.
"She's telling us how to run our country."
It's her country too and she's a U.S. Congresswoman. That's her job.
But you know racists gotta racist.
Trump yelled, "How did you do where you came from? How is your country doing?"
Rep. Omar has been a US citizen for 20 years and she fled Somalia with her family when she was a child.
"She's telling us how to run our country."
This moronic imbecile attacks Rep. Omar when she was eight years old, fleeing a bloody war in Somalia.
Morning Joe responded to his disgusting attack, "As if it's not her country, because like Donald Trump's mother and like Donald Trump's grandparents, [Omar] was an immigrant to America."
Rep. Omar responded.
Firstly, this is my country & I am a member of the House that impeached you.
Secondly, I fled civil war when I was 8. An 8-year-old doesn’t run a country even though you run our country like one. https://t.co/zcKKjdC8ju — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 23, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Just A Crazy Coincidence That Mrs. Chad Wolf's Employer Just Got A $6M HHS Contract

Just one of those crazy coinky-dinks that seem to dog this administration and would give the impression that everyone in it is corrupt , top to bottom .
It 's depressing , because we know that everyone who works for him is complicit , and thus deeply invested in avoiding prosecution .
So they 'll do whatever they 'll have to do to keep him in power .
NBC News : WASHINGTON — The consulting firm where the wife of acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is an executive has been awarded more than $ 6 million in contracts from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , according to records on the federal government website USA Spending .
Wolf became chief of staff at the Transportation Security Administration , a DHS agency , in 2017 and chief of staff to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in 2018 .
He took over as acting secretary in November and has been nominated to become secretary .
His confirmation hearing before the Senate is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday , Wolf 's wife , Hope Wolf , is vice president of professional staff operations at Berkeley Research Group , a consulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long history of federal contracts , it did not do work for DHS until after Wolf became the TSA 's chief of staff in 2017 .
Oh , how about that ?
Hmm .
A DHS spox said Wolf was `` not aware '' of the contracts until he was contacted for comment .
Ha , ha !

Just one of those crazy coinky-dinks that seem to dog this administration and would give the impression that everyone in it is corrupt, top to bottom. It's depressing, because we know that everyone who works for him is complicit, and thus deeply invested in avoiding prosecution. So they'll do whatever they'll have to do to keep him in power. NBC News:
WASHINGTON — The consulting firm where the wife of acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is an executive has been awarded more than $6 million in contracts from the Department of Homeland Security since September 2018, according to records on the federal government website USA Spending. Wolf became chief of staff at the Transportation Security Administration, a DHS agency, in 2017 and chief of staff to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in 2018. He took over as acting secretary in November and has been nominated to become secretary. His confirmation hearing before the Senate is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Wolf's wife, Hope Wolf, is vice president of professional staff operations at Berkeley Research Group, a consulting firm. Although the company has a long history of federal contracts, it did not do work for DHS until after Wolf became the TSA's chief of staff in 2017.
Oh, how about that? Hmm.
A DHS spox said Wolf was "not aware" of the contracts until he was contacted for comment. Ha, ha!


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Donny Deutsch Furious With Jews Who Support Trump: 'How Dare You?'

When I was a kid and watching the miniseries `` Holocaust , '' I sat there and yelled at the screen .
`` Why do n't you leave ? ''
I 'd yell .
`` Get out , do n't you see what 's coming ? ''
Now I 'm older , and I understand human nature and the power of denial .
Morning Joe regular Donny Deutsch sounded a warning to Jews supporting Donald Trump .
He pointed out the crowd at Trump 's rally last night .
`` There 's not one person of color anywhere .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of token in there , a token person .
If you scan this crowd , this is stunning , '' he said .
`` It is -- if you go not even behind him , but through the thousands and thousands of people .
And this , to me , looked like a rally from the early '30s .
`` You know , Joe , I was watching the first hour .
And as Jay Johnson was talking about , comparing to Hitler .
And you know , that 's something you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the word fascist , but then when you go 'Hitler , ' you ca n't -- oh , everybody starts to go -- but what was going on in early '30s Germany ? ''
he said .
`` Basically , you had a destruction of the belief in the free press .
You had a blurring between the executive branch and the Justice Department .
You have creating an 'other , ' whether it 's Muslims , whether it 's Mexicans , whether it 's congressmen who were n't born in this country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of free elections .
and we 're here .
`` And what is the difference between Adolph Hitler and Donald Trump ?
I 'm not saying there 's a holocaust , but when you look at the tactics .
And that is where we are right now .
And as we are heading 39 days from election , this is where we have .
and we still have people chanting , okay .
`` And on a personal level , and I for a second want to talk to my Jewish friends who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dare you ?
How dare you , with what our people have gone through in history , and you see a man who is a dictator .
and once you give a man absolute power , he is possible of anything .
And if you are a Jew in this country and you are supporting Donald Trump , you are not looking back at our history .
`` And you are blind and you are walking like a lemming off a cliff .
It is time to wake up .
I 'm sorry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no difference from what Donald Trump is preaching , from what Adolf Hitler preached in the early '30s .
Let 's just say it , once and for all . ''
You may not know who Joel Silberman was .
He died a few years ago , but he was well known to bloggers and progressive Democrats as the go-to man for media training .
We were friends , and the day Donald Trump came down the golden elevator , he called me .
`` Susie , he can win .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very dangerous man , '' he told me .
`` He 's a genius at manipulating the media .
He will destroy the country if he wins . ''
I pushed back .
`` Oh , come on .
You really think Donald Trump has the attention span to stay in the race ? ''
I said .
But he was insistent ; as a New Yorker , and as a media expert , he 'd been watching Trump for a long time .
The next day , after watching Trump on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` You were right , '' I said .
`` He 's a dangerous man , and he can win . ''
And yes , we used the F word : Fascism .
We used it throughout his candidacy .
And I never again doubted what Trump was capable of .
Nice to see that everyone else is finally catching up .

When I was a kid and watching the miniseries "Holocaust," I sat there and yelled at the screen. "Why don't you leave?" I'd yell. "Get out, don't you see what's coming?" Now I'm older, and I understand human nature and the power of denial.
Morning Joe regular Donny Deutsch sounded a warning to Jews supporting Donald Trump. He pointed out the crowd at Trump's rally last night.
"There's not one person of color anywhere. Like, usually behind him he puts one kind of token in there, a token person. If you scan this crowd, this is stunning," he said. "It is -- if you go not even behind him, but through the thousands and thousands of people. And this, to me, looked like a rally from the early '30s.
"You know, Joe, I was watching the first hour. And as Jay Johnson was talking about, comparing to Hitler. And you know, that's something you cautiously do, because we can use the word fascist, but then when you go 'Hitler,' you can't -- oh, everybody starts to go -- but what was going on in early '30s Germany?" he said.
"Basically, you had a destruction of the belief in the free press. You had a blurring between the executive branch and the Justice Department. You have creating an 'other,' whether it's Muslims, whether it's Mexicans, whether it's congressmen who weren't born in this country. And then you have the destruction of free elections. and we're here.
"And what is the difference between Adolph Hitler and Donald Trump? I'm not saying there's a holocaust, but when you look at the tactics. And that is where we are right now. And as we are heading 39 days from election, this is where we have. and we still have people chanting, okay.
"And on a personal level, and I for a second want to talk to my Jewish friends who are voting for Donald Trump. How dare you? How dare you, with what our people have gone through in history, and you see a man who is a dictator. and once you give a man absolute power, he is possible of anything. And if you are a Jew in this country and you are supporting Donald Trump, you are not looking back at our history.
"And you are blind and you are walking like a lemming off a cliff. It is time to wake up. I'm sorry. This is where we are. there is no difference from what Donald Trump is preaching, from what Adolf Hitler preached in the early '30s. Let's just say it, once and for all."
*****
You may not know who Joel Silberman was. He died a few years ago, but he was well known to bloggers and progressive Democrats as the go-to man for media training. We were friends, and the day Donald Trump came down the golden elevator, he called me.
"Susie, he can win. He can win, and he's a very dangerous man," he told me. "He's a genius at manipulating the media. He will destroy the country if he wins."
I pushed back. "Oh, come on. You really think Donald Trump has the attention span to stay in the race?" I said.
But he was insistent; as a New Yorker, and as a media expert, he'd been watching Trump for a long time.
The next day, after watching Trump on TV, I called Joel back. "You were right," I said. "He's a dangerous man, and he can win." And yes, we used the F word: Fascism. We used it throughout his candidacy.
And I never again doubted what Trump was capable of. Nice to see that everyone else is finally catching up.


crooksandliars--2020-09-23--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

Infidel753 : More than ever , the Senate matters this election .
ICIJ : From Kyiv to Cleveland , or @ @ @ @ @ billions in the American heartland .
Juanita Jean ’ s : Yet another story about @ @ @ @ @ this time in Texas .
Rude Pundit : Okay , Republicans .
What ’ s @ @ @ @ @ health care after your Supreme Court kills the Affordable Care Act ?
Speaking of which @ @ @ @ @ day : `` We 're going to have insurance for everybody . ''
( Donald @ @ @ @ @ 2017 . )
Guest blogging Mike 's Blog Round Up this week is Jon Perr @ @ @ @ @ tips , recommendations , comments and angst to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com .

Infidel753: More than ever, the Senate matters this election.
ICIJ: From Kyiv to Cleveland, or how a Ukrainian oligarch spent billions in the American heartland.
Juanita Jean’s: Yet another story about a Republican COVID vector, this time in Texas.
Rude Pundit: Okay, Republicans. What’s your plan for Americans’ health care after your Supreme Court kills the Affordable Care Act?
Speaking of which, your quote of the day:
"We're going to have insurance for everybody." (Donald Trump, January 14, 2017.)
Guest blogging Mike's Blog Round Up this week is Jon Perr from Perrspectives. Send your tips, recommendations, comments and angst to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com.


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--Donald Trump:  Get Rid Of Ballots And I'll Win

In the last few days Donald Trump has ramped up his attempts to destroy the integrity of the 2020 presidential election by denouncing ballots of any type and refusing to commit to leaving the White House peacefully if he loses .
On Wednesday , during a presser he made that last point quite clear .
Reporter : Will you commit to making sure there 's a peaceful transferal of power after the election ?
Trump : We 'll have to see what happens .
I 've been complaining very strongly about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are rioting .
Do you commit to make sure there 's a peaceful transfer of power ?
Trump : Get rid of the ballots and you 'll have a very peaceful -- there wo n't be a transfer frankly .
They 'll be a continuation .
Like every authoritarian ruler out there .
Putin is his role model .
He 'd love not to even have an election , just a continuation of power .
Since Trump ca n't string together a coherent sentence most of the time , it 's hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about all ballots , some ballots , or just mail-in ballots .
So , I 'm going to take him at his actual words and not rewrite what he 's telling America like his sycophants do .
Then on Thursday he claimed he 's not sure the election can be honest .
MSNBC 's Nicole Wallace cautioned the viewer that Trump lies throughout and she will fact check him after the video rolls .
Trump : We want to make sure the election is honest and I 'm not sure it can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be with this whole situation , unsolicited ballots .
They 're unsolicited .
Millions being sent to everybody and we 'll see .
Hillary Clinton just a week ago or so told Joe Biden do not accept the results of the election under any circumstances , but you do n't ask her that question .
You only ask me the question .
Wallace came back and pointed out that Trump lied and Hillary Clinton did not say those words at all .
`` What she said was she urged him not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes were tallied .
Aside from that he 's not running against Hillary Clinton , '' Wallace said .
Trump is trying to destroy American democracy at its core .
Vote by land , by sea , or by mail .
Just vote him out .

In the last few days Donald Trump has ramped up his attempts to destroy the integrity of the 2020 presidential election by denouncing ballots of any type and refusing to commit to leaving the White House peacefully if he loses.
On Wednesday, during a presser he made that last point quite clear.
Reporter: Will you commit to making sure there's a peaceful transferal of power after the election? Trump: We'll have to see what happens. I've been complaining very strongly about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster. Reporter: I understand that, but people are rioting. Do you commit to make sure there's a peaceful transfer of power? Trump: Get rid of the ballots and you'll have a very peaceful -- there won't be a transfer frankly. They'll be a continuation.
Like every authoritarian ruler out there. Putin is his role model. He'd love not to even have an election, just a continuation of power.
Since Trump can't string together a coherent sentence most of the time, it's hard to even understand if he's talking about all ballots, some ballots, or just mail-in ballots.
So, I'm going to take him at his actual words and not rewrite what he's telling America like his sycophants do.
Then on Thursday he claimed he's not sure the election can be honest.
MSNBC's Nicole Wallace cautioned the viewer that Trump lies throughout and she will fact check him after the video rolls.
Trump: We want to make sure the election is honest and I'm not sure it can be. I don't know that it can be with this whole situation, unsolicited ballots. They're unsolicited. Millions being sent to everybody and we'll see. Hillary Clinton just a week ago or so told Joe Biden do not accept the results of the election under any circumstances, but you don't ask her that question. You only ask me the question.
Wallace came back and pointed out that Trump lied and Hillary Clinton did not say those words at all.
"What she said was she urged him not to concede a close race before all the votes were tallied. Aside from that he's not running against Hillary Clinton," Wallace said.
Trump is trying to destroy American democracy at its core.
Vote by land, by sea, or by mail.
Just vote him out.


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--Is This The Best Get Out The Vote Ad EVER?

This has made my entire day !
Because you can ’ t make it rain if you locked up on @ @ @ @ @ — Karen is social distancing ... you should too !
( @ kwm537 ) September @ @ @

This has made my entire day! Because you can’t make it rain if you locked up on some bullshit! #GetYourBootyToThePolls
— Karen is social distancing... you should too! (@kwm537) September 23, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--Pence Defends The Insanity Of Large Trump Rallies During Pandemic

It 's telling that nowhere else in the United States are such large gatherings allowed , as they are against public safety and common sense .
But since Trump is seen to be above the law these superspreader rallies of his keep going on .
Vice President Mike Pence defended President Donald Trump 's return to holding large rallies , typically with thousands of supporters seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder and not wearing masks , even after 200,000 Americans have died from the novel coronavirus .
`` Well , we 're in an election year , '' Pence told ABC News Live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out that the governor of Nevada claimed Trump was `` putting countless lives in danger '' by hosting campaign events in Reno and Las Vegas earlier this month .
`` Not surprisingly , some politics is being played because in Nevada that governor actually saw to it that the president was denied access to three or four different outdoor sites which would have been our first choice .
But look , we have every confidence as we 're continuing to see cases decline , hospitalizations decline and most importantly , fatalities decline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as our economy is coming back , we 're opening up our schools again .
We can trust the American people to make the right decisions , given the best information , to put the health of their family and their community first as we bring this country 's economy and bring our nation all the way back . ''

It's telling that nowhere else in the United States are such large gatherings allowed, as they are against public safety and common sense. But since Trump is seen to be above the law these superspreader rallies of his keep going on.
Source: ABC News
Vice President Mike Pence defended President Donald Trump's return to holding large rallies, typically with thousands of supporters seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder and not wearing masks, even after 200,000 Americans have died from the novel coronavirus.
"Well, we're in an election year," Pence told ABC News Live Anchor Linsey Davis on Wednesday after she pointed out that the governor of Nevada claimed Trump was "putting countless lives in danger" by hosting campaign events in Reno and Las Vegas earlier this month.
"Not surprisingly, some politics is being played because in Nevada that governor actually saw to it that the president was denied access to three or four different outdoor sites which would have been our first choice. But look, we have every confidence as we're continuing to see cases decline, hospitalizations decline and most importantly, fatalities decline that as we open up again, as our economy is coming back, we're opening up our schools again. We can trust the American people to make the right decisions, given the best information, to put the health of their family and their community first as we bring this country's economy and bring our nation all the way back."


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--Florida AG 'Investigating' Bloomberg?  Bring It

Florida with the help of Republican judges is preventing ex-felons in the state from voting without paying their fines and court costs .
And Mike Bloomberg is donating money to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition , which will pay fines for ex-felons who want to vote .
Orlando Sentinel : Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody is asking federal and state law enforcement to investigate Michael Bloomberg ’ s donations to pay off the fines and fees of felons in Florida so they can vote in the upcoming election .
Moody wrote to the FBI and the Florida Department of Law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post article detailing that Bloomberg has raised $ 16 million to help felons vote in Florida , as well as state laws prohibiting inducements to vote a certain way .
“ After preliminarily reviewing this limited public information and law , it appears further investigation is warranted , ” Moody wrote .
“ Accordingly , I request your agencies further investigate this matter and take appropriate steps as merited.
” Moody may be walking into a trap .
As we reported earlier , Florida does not have a statewide database of court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owes has proven to take literally years .
Florida 's maximum statute of limitations on debt collection is five years .
And there are federal and state laws regarding debt collection that can be brought up by Bloomberg 's army of attorneys , as well .

Florida with the help of Republican judges is preventing ex-felons in the state from voting without paying their fines and court costs.
And Mike Bloomberg is donating money to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which will pay fines for ex-felons who want to vote. Orlando Sentinel:
Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody is asking federal and state law enforcement to investigate Michael Bloomberg’s donations to pay off the fines and fees of felons in Florida so they can vote in the upcoming election. Moody wrote to the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Wednesday saying she reviewed a Washington Post article detailing that Bloomberg has raised $16 million to help felons vote in Florida, as well as state laws prohibiting inducements to vote a certain way. “After preliminarily reviewing this limited public information and law, it appears further investigation is warranted,” Moody wrote. “Accordingly, I request your agencies further investigate this matter and take appropriate steps as merited.”
Moody may be walking into a trap.
As we reported earlier, Florida does not have a statewide database of court fines and discovering what an ex-felon actually owes has proven to take literally years.
Florida's maximum statute of limitations on debt collection is five years. And there are federal and state laws regarding debt collection that can be brought up by Bloomberg's army of attorneys, as well.


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--Lindsey Graham Begs For Campaign Donations On Fox And Friends

Democratic contender Jaime Harrison is giving the South Carolina Trump apologist a run for his money , as polls show it 's a neck and neck race for US Senate in South Carolina .
Yeah .
So ...
Senator Graham went on Fox News to beg and plead for scraps .
Graham , who is mute when it comes to Trump 's tax returns became a national joke last week when he demanded Harrison release his tax returns , as if the latter had something to hide .
This gave Jamie Harrison the opportunity to bash Graham and Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ could make to being a moral and ethical man by agreeing with McConnell 's ploy to ram through a new Supreme Court Justice less than two months from the election .
Now donations are flooding in to his Democratic challenger .
Graham joined Trump 's favorite state-sponsored TV program earlier today , begging for loose change .
Ainsley Earhardt asked him what 's going on in his race .
Bashing ActBlue small donations and intimating that everyone donating against him was involved in a conspiracy of `` out-of-work ' people , Sen. Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 100 million , Ainsley , in the state of South Carolina .
The most money spent on Senate race by me was in 2014 when I spent 13 million .
He raised $ 6 million from the time Justice Ginsburg passed away .
Within 72 hours ... '' Graham continued pleading , `` But I 'm being killed financially .
This money is 'cause they hate my guts . ''
Well , yeah .
There 's a lot to hate .
`` I stood up for Kavanaugh -- - the wrath of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it 's all of us , all of us are getting out-raised .
To those who are listening who want to help Republicans fight back , get on our website -- 5 or 10 bucks goes a long way if people are doing it . ''
Now he 's crying and whining for small donations from R 's like those from ActBlue .
Fox News gives another Trump supporter thousands of dollars of free on-air advertising .
They all got ta go .

Democratic contender Jaime Harrison is giving the South Carolina Trump apologist a run for his money, as polls show it's a neck and neck race for US Senate in South Carolina. Yeah.
So... Senator Graham went on Fox News to beg and plead for scraps.
Graham, who is mute when it comes to Trump's tax returns became a national joke last week when he demanded Harrison release his tax returns, as if the latter had something to hide.
Asked if Trump should release his tax returns, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told CNN on Thursday, "Yeah, I think everybody should. I've said that for a long time."
This gave Jamie Harrison the opportunity to bash Graham and Trump.
Done. Now do President Trump. https://t.co/dphjGfMY6R — Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) September 15, 2020
Sen. Graham has surrendered all claims he could make to being a moral and ethical man by agreeing with McConnell's ploy to ram through a new Supreme Court Justice less than two months from the election. Now donations are flooding in to his Democratic challenger.
Graham joined Trump's favorite state-sponsored TV program earlier today, begging for loose change. Ainsley Earhardt asked him what's going on in his race.
Bashing ActBlue small donations and intimating that everyone donating against him was involved in a conspiracy of "out-of-work' people, Sen. Graham said, "My opponent raised almost $100 million, Ainsley, in the state of South Carolina. The most money spent on Senate race by me was in 2014 when I spent 13 million. He raised $6 million from the time Justice Ginsburg passed away. Within 72 hours..."
Graham continued pleading, "But I'm being killed financially. This money is 'cause they hate my guts."
Well, yeah. There's a lot to hate.
"I stood up for Kavanaugh --- the wrath of the Left is coming down on me, but it's all of us, all of us are getting out-raised. To those who are listening who want to help Republicans fight back, get on our website -- 5 or 10 bucks goes a long way if people are doing it."
Now he's crying and whining for small donations from R's like those from ActBlue.
Fox News gives another Trump supporter thousands of dollars of free on-air advertising.
They all gotta go.


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--Larry Kudlow Calls Question About Americans In Poverty 'Nitpicking'

Trump `` economic '' `` adviser '' Larry Kudlow took heated questions from reporters this week .
Larry used pre-pandemic @ @ @ @ @ Bureau to try to claim that we 're in a `` V-shaped recovery . ''
@ @ @ @ @ that there are less people living in poverty now than under the Obama administration .
@ @ @ @ @ , and asked for more specific data , which , of course , Larry did @ @ @ @ @ asked him specifically ( the 3:30 mark in the video above ) how many Americans @ @ @ @ @ and Larry accused him of , get this , `` nitpicking . ''

Eat the rich.
Trump "economic" "adviser" Larry Kudlow took heated questions from reporters this week.
Larry used pre-pandemic economic data from the Census Bureau to try to claim that we're in a "V-shaped recovery." He also made the claim that there are less people living in poverty now than under the Obama administration.
Reporters weren't buying it, and asked for more specific data, which, of course, Larry didn't have.
One reporter asked him specifically (the 3:30 mark in the video above) how many Americans are currently living in poverty and Larry accused him of, get this, "nitpicking."
Asked if he knows how many Americans are living in poverty, Larry Kudlow tells reporter "stop nitpicking." — Person Woman Man Camera TV (@ClaraJeffery) September 23, 2020
The one thing I can say that this administration has improved is my swear word vocabulary. — Mary Tyson (@tyson_mary) September 23, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--No 'Respect' As Trump Is Booed At RBG Visitation

“ Fight for the things that you care about , but do it in a way that will lead others @ @ @ @ @ -RBG Former Law Clerks of Justice Ginsburg The army of law clerks stood on the @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday to show their respect for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg pic.twitter.com/vFEfO6WKJ9

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." -RBG
Former Law Clerks of Justice Ginsburg
The army of law clerks stood on the steps of the Supreme Court Wednesday to show their respect for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg pic.twitter.com/vFEfO6WKJ9
— ☇RiotWomenn☇ (@riotwomennn) September 24, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--Pay Attention: Naked Ballots Will Be The Focus In PA Vote-By-Mail Count

The state Supreme Court in Pennsylvania , last week ordered officials to throw out “ naked ballots ” — mail ballots that arrive without inner “ secrecy envelopes.
” That could mean disenfranchising as many as 100K voters -- and that could hand Donald Trump an electoral college victory .
So if you live in PA , pay close attention .
And share this article with anyone you know who lives there , too .
Via the Philadelphia Inquirer : It ’ s unclear how many naked ballots there will be , because this is the first year any Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most counties counted them in the June primary without tracking how many there were .
But Philadelphia ’ s top elections official warned Monday that the court ’ s ruling “ is going to cause electoral chaos , ” lead to tens of thousands of votes being thrown out , and put the state at the center of “ significant postelection legal controversy , the likes of which we have not seen since Florida in 2000.
” The decision ordering them thrown out was part of a trio of rulings Thursday that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for voters to send mail ballots back , permitted the use of drop boxes for voters to return them , and removed the Green Party ’ s presidential ticket from the ballot .

The state Supreme Court in Pennsylvania, last week ordered officials to throw out “naked ballots” — mail ballots that arrive without inner “secrecy envelopes.” That could mean disenfranchising as many as 100K voters -- and that could hand Donald Trump an electoral college victory. So if you live in PA, pay close attention. And share this article with anyone you know who lives there, too. Via the Philadelphia Inquirer:
It’s unclear how many naked ballots there will be, because this is the first year any Pennsylvania voter can vote by mail, and most counties counted them in the June primary without tracking how many there were.
But Philadelphia’s top elections official warned Monday that the court’s ruling “is going to cause electoral chaos,” lead to tens of thousands of votes being thrown out, and put the state at the center of “significant postelection legal controversy, the likes of which we have not seen since Florida in 2000.”
In a letter to GOP state leg leaders, an election official warns 100K PA voters could be disenfranchised b/c of a ruling rejecting naked ballots. It "set PA up to be the subject of significant post-election legal controversy, the likes of which we have not seen since FL in 2000." pic.twitter.com/3ml96W00EX — Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) September 21, 2020
The decision ordering them thrown out was part of a trio of rulings Thursday that, among other things, extended the deadline for voters to send mail ballots back, permitted the use of drop boxes for voters to return them, and removed the Green Party’s presidential ticket from the ballot.


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--If You're Over 65, Donald Trump Doesn't Care If You Die

I just want to say that I knew exactly what Trump meant when he said this : He does n't @ @ @ @ @ died of covid because to him , they 're nobodies .
And of course , @ @ @ @ @ Black and brown .
Which makes them even more invisible to the Narcissist In Chief @ @ @ @ @ of the newest Lincoln Project ad : 80 % of COVID-19 deaths are over age @ @ @ @ @ That 's over 160,000 dead Americans over age 65 .
[ Trump ] Nobody , @ @ @ @ @ .

I just want to say that I knew exactly what Trump meant when he said this: He doesn't care about the people who died of covid because to him, they're nobodies.
And of course, a lot of them are Black and brown. Which makes them even more invisible to the Narcissist In Chief.
Here's the text of the newest Lincoln Project ad:
Donald Trump says COVID-19- affects virtually nobody.
80% of COVID-19 deaths are over age 65.
[Trump] It affects virtually nobody.
[Narrator] That's over 160,000 dead Americans over age 65.
[Trump] It affects virtually nobody.
[Narrator] If you're over age 65,
Donald Trump doesn't care if you die.
Do you? (heart monitor beeping)
[Trump] Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody.


crooksandliars--2020-09-24--Breonna Taylor Prosecutor Is Mitch McConnell's Protege, Which Explains A Lot

Here 's Alysin Camerota talking to Benjamin Crump this morning about the shocking verdict handed down in the Breonna Taylor case yesterday .
But one of the things no one seems to be talking about ?
Daniel Cameron , the state AG .
As a former police reporter who 's familiar with legitimate police procedure , I am sometimes in the position of understanding and finding plausible the police version of events when the public sentiment is against them .
This is not one of those times .
The Breonna Taylor grand jury finding stinks to the heavens , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Why did the AG elevate one eyewitness who claims the police announced themselves over seven or eight witnesses who say they did n't ?
We do n't know who that witness is , so we have no way of assessing his credibility .
• Why did prosecutors offer Breonna Taylor 's ex-boyfriend a deal on his drug charges if he would implicate Breonna ?
After her death , mind you .
That 's straight-up obstruction of justice .
• Oh , and all the police bodycams mysteriously stopped working .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ juries prosecuting a ham sandwich , right ?
The grand jury did n't charge the cops in Breonna 's shooting death because the prosecutor did n't present evidence and ask them to .
In normal times , for those reasons alone , this is a case that should be re-investigated by the Justice Department .
Ha ha , remember those times ?
But last night , I did a little reading about Cameron .
Here 's what I learned : Our man is a purely political animal .
He 's very close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority leader 's legal counsel until 2017 , and ran the confirmation process for Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court nomination .
He was a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention .
Oh , and he 's on Trump 's shortlist for Supreme Court nominees .
Figures -- he 's a wingnut who tried to shut down abortions during the pandemic , and he 's young .
Plus , Black !
How useful .
( You know how Trump thinks : `` Clarence Thomas can resign , and we 'll replace him with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follows a familiar political pattern : Singled out as a rising star , moved around like a chess piece , and handed a pedigree to set him up for bigger things .
I call bullshit .
If I had any doubts about this case being fixed , there are none left .
The stench of political corruption is too strong .

Here's Alysin Camerota talking to Benjamin Crump this morning about the shocking verdict handed down in the Breonna Taylor case yesterday.
But one of the things no one seems to be talking about? Daniel Cameron, the state AG.
As a former police reporter who's familiar with legitimate police procedure, I am sometimes in the position of understanding and finding plausible the police version of events when the public sentiment is against them. This is not one of those times. The Breonna Taylor grand jury finding stinks to the heavens, and it seems orchestrated to confuse and defuse.
Why did the AG elevate one eyewitness who claims the police announced themselves over seven or eight witnesses who say they didn't? We don't know who that witness is, so we have no way of assessing his credibility.
Why did prosecutors offer Breonna Taylor's ex-boyfriend a deal on his drug charges if he would implicate Breonna? After her death, mind you. That's straight-up obstruction of justice.
Oh, and all the police bodycams mysteriously stopped working.
We all know the famous saying about grand juries prosecuting a ham sandwich, right? The grand jury didn't charge the cops in Breonna's shooting death because the prosecutor didn't present evidence and ask them to.
In normal times, for those reasons alone, this is a case that should be re-investigated by the Justice Department. Ha ha, remember those times?
But last night, I did a little reading about Cameron. Here's what I learned: Our man is a purely political animal.
He's very close to Mitch McConnell. He served as the majority leader's legal counsel until 2017, and ran the confirmation process for Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court nomination.
He was a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention.
Oh, and he's on Trump's shortlist for Supreme Court nominees. Figures -- he's a wingnut who tried to shut down abortions during the pandemic, and he's young. Plus, Black! How useful. (You know how Trump thinks: "Clarence Thomas can resign, and we'll replace him with the newest model!")
(I can find nothing at all to confirm this, but Kentuckians on Twitter say that Cameron's second marriage last month was to a relative of Mitch McConnell's. Mitch attended the small wedding, but oddly enough, the news coverage did not mention the name of the bride.)
So Cameron follows a familiar political pattern: Singled out as a rising star, moved around like a chess piece, and handed a pedigree to set him up for bigger things.
I call bullshit. If I had any doubts about this case being fixed, there are none left. The stench of political corruption is too strong.


crooksandliars--2020-09-25--Trump Aide Works The Fox News Refs To Game The Debate

Trump campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley suggested on Thursday that moderator Chris Wallace , a Fox News host , will tilt the upcoming presidential debate in favor of Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
During an interview on Fox News , host Sandra Smith argued that President Donald Trump and his campaign have “ set the bar pretty low as far as what we ’ ll see from Joe Biden.
” “ We haven ’ t set the bar low at all , ” Gidley insisted .
“ Joe Biden ’ s own comments and rhetoric sets the bar pretty low.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the mainstream media is going to do its level best to cover for Joe Biden no matter what he says or what he does , ” he continued .
“ Is the president actively preparing for that debate ?
” Smith wondered .
“ I ’ m not going to get into the specifics , ” Gidley said before lashing out at debate moderators .
“ Joe Biden doesn ’ t get that kind of testing .
He gets questions like , ‘ What ’ s you favorite color ?
What kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Smith interrupted : “ By doing that , aren ’ t you setting the bar pretty low ?
Isn ’ t that case in point , setting the bar low ?
” Gidley asserted that Biden “ is an expert at these debates.
” “ The point I was simply making about the media is regardless of what Joe Biden says or does on the debate stage , they will declare him the winner , ” he added .
“ Because if you can say one thing about the media , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has embraced all the radical policies that the media embraced for years .
And they want him to win.
” “ So they ’ re going to do whatever it takes to declare him victorious after that debate , ” Gidley said .
“ Well , the person sitting in that chair asking the questions Tuesday night is Chris Wallace , ” Smith pointed out before defending her colleague .
“ He is going to ask the smart questions , ” she remarked , “ and the questions the American people want to @ @ @

Trump campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley suggested on Thursday that moderator Chris Wallace, a Fox News host, will tilt the upcoming presidential debate in favor of Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
During an interview on Fox News, host Sandra Smith argued that President Donald Trump and his campaign have “set the bar pretty low as far as what we’ll see from Joe Biden.”
“We haven’t set the bar low at all,” Gidley insisted. “Joe Biden’s own comments and rhetoric sets the bar pretty low.”
“But let’s be clear, the mainstream media is going to do its level best to cover for Joe Biden no matter what he says or what he does,” he continued.
“Is the president actively preparing for that debate?” Smith wondered.
“I’m not going to get into the specifics,” Gidley said before lashing out at debate moderators. “Joe Biden doesn’t get that kind of testing. He gets questions like, ‘What’s you favorite color? What kind of tree would you be?'”
Smith interrupted: “By doing that, aren’t you setting the bar pretty low? Isn’t that case in point, setting the bar low?”
Gidley asserted that Biden “is an expert at these debates.”
“The point I was simply making about the media is regardless of what Joe Biden says or does on the debate stage, they will declare him the winner,” he added. “Because if you can say one thing about the media, they protect their own. And Joe Biden has embraced all the radical policies that the media embraced for years. And they want him to win.”
“So they’re going to do whatever it takes to declare him victorious after that debate,” Gidley said.
“Well, the person sitting in that chair asking the questions Tuesday night is Chris Wallace,” Smith pointed out before defending her colleague.
“He is going to ask the smart questions,” she remarked, “and the questions the American people want to know.”


crooksandliars--2020-09-25--EXPOSED: Far-Right Patriot Coalition Of Oregon Plots Violence To Disrupt Election

A hair-raising article in Bellingcat details what has been learned from chat logs of the Patriot Coalition of Oregon , thanks to an Antifa infiltrator .
Journalists Robert Evans and Jason Wilson describe the group as part of a growing network “ increasingly organizing around direct physical confrontations with leftist protesters in Portland and other American cities.
” The leaked chat logs appear to reveal that some members of the Patriot Coalition have taken part in multiple violent rallies throughout the summer , and that they claim to have operated a series of vigilante patrols and checkpoints during the Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show they work and fight alongside members of extremist groups like the Proud Boys , American Wolf and 1776 2.0 , the Patriot Coalition seems to have no coherent ideology beyond a desire to violently confront leftists in the name of the police and President Trump .
A user identified as Paige summed up the general feelings of the group in a post made ahead of a what turned out to be a bloody ‘ Back the Blue ’ rally on August 22nd in Portland when she wrote : “ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open firing.
” Patriot Coalition members regularly declare Democratic politicians to be “ Antifa ” and thus fair targets for violence .
Discussions of violence in the Patriot Coalition group chat are not hypothetical .
While some individuals are likely grandstanding , the chat logs show members gearing up for a number of events where very real violence occurred .
On August 22nd more than 300 heavily armed right-wing demonstrators rallied in downtown Portland for what was , nominally , a rally supporting the police .
Yet the situation quickly degenerated into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including to one of the authors of this article ) .
Those events reflected the plans that Patriot Coalition had made .
In the lead up , members discussed acquiring paintball guns and freezing their ammunition for maximum damage .
One of the many , many horrifying comments obtained from the group reads , “ The only real way to end it is start shooting everyone of them .
Fists and pepper spray are fun but don ’ t get the job done .
I think sooner or later it ’ s coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Portland will let it go on till November .
If we don ’ t take care of it ourselves .
Then there ’ s the whole prison thing I don ’ t quite like .
So your damned if do damned if you don ’ t. ” These folks have plans for the 2020 election , too .
Oregon is a vote-by-mail state , so there has been talk about monitoring and guarding the vote .
But even if violence is avoided , members of Patriot Coalition are mostly agreed on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and possibly civil war if Donald Trump loses .
Whatever happens , their chat logs show they intend to be prepared .
The entire article is a must-read .
But be warned : It could keep you up at night .

A hair-raising article in Bellingcat details what has been learned from chat logs of the Patriot Coalition of Oregon, thanks to an Antifa infiltrator. Journalists Robert Evans and Jason Wilson describe the group as part of a growing network “increasingly organizing around direct physical confrontations with leftist protesters in Portland and other American cities.”
The leaked chat logs appear to reveal that some members of the Patriot Coalition have taken part in multiple violent rallies throughout the summer, and that they claim to have operated a series of vigilante patrols and checkpoints during the Oregon wildfires. While the chats appear to show they work and fight alongside members of extremist groups like the Proud Boys, American Wolf and 1776 2.0, the Patriot Coalition seems to have no coherent ideology beyond a desire to violently confront leftists in the name of the police and President Trump. A user identified as Paige summed up the general feelings of the group in a post made ahead of a what turned out to be a bloody ‘Back the Blue’ rally on August 22nd in Portland when she wrote: “I’m waiting for the presidential go to start open firing.” … Patriot Coalition members regularly declare Democratic politicians to be “Antifa” and thus fair targets for violence. … Discussions of violence in the Patriot Coalition group chat are not hypothetical. While some individuals are likely grandstanding, the chat logs show members gearing up for a number of events where very real violence occurred. On August 22nd more than 300 heavily armed right-wing demonstrators rallied in downtown Portland for what was, nominally, a rally supporting the police. Yet the situation quickly degenerated into a mass brawl, with numerous injuries (including to one of the authors of this article). Those events reflected the plans that Patriot Coalition had made. In the lead up, members discussed acquiring paintball guns and freezing their ammunition for maximum damage.
One of the many, many horrifying comments obtained from the group reads, “The only real way to end it is start shooting everyone of them. Fists and pepper spray are fun but don’t get the job done. I think sooner or later it’s coming. Our governor and the coward mayor of Portland will let it go on till November. If we don’t take care of it ourselves. Then there’s the whole prison thing I don’t quite like. So your damned if do damned if you don’t.”
These folks have plans for the 2020 election, too. Oregon is a vote-by-mail state, so there has been talk about monitoring and guarding the vote.
But even if violence is avoided, members of Patriot Coalition are mostly agreed on their expectations for the election: widespread mayhem, and possibly civil war if Donald Trump loses. Whatever happens, their chat logs show they intend to be prepared.
The entire article is a must-read. But be warned: It could keep you up at night.


crooksandliars--2020-09-25--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

Blue NC : The two Republican members of the North Carolina elections board resigned after a settlement which made mail-in @ @ @ @ @ Group : The Trump campaign is counting on the courts to rule that the Constitution @ @ @ @ @ .
Calculated Risk : The American hotel industry is getting battered by Coronavirus .
No @ @ @ @ @ The conventional wisdom of Politico ’ s John Harris represents a subtraction from the sum @ @ @ @ @ of which , your quote of the day : `` The debt is the issue @ @ @ @ @ one that , if Obama is beginning to eye his legacy as president , could @ @ @ @ @ shaping how history remembers him .
Make this speech a deficit speech . ''
( @ @ @ @ @ Obama ’ s upcoming State of the Union address , February 10 , 2013 .
@ @ @ @ @ Blog Round Up this week is Jon Perr from Perrspectives .
Send your tips , @ @ @ @ @ to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com .

Blue NC: The two Republican members of the North Carolina elections board resigned after a settlement which made mail-in voting easier.
Blue Mass Group: The Trump campaign is counting on the courts to rule that the Constitution is indeed a suicide pact.
Calculated Risk: The American hotel industry is getting battered by Coronavirus.
No More Mister Nice Blog: The conventional wisdom of Politico’s John Harris represents a subtraction from the sum of human knowledge.
Speaking of which, your quote of the day:
"The debt is the issue of the day, and one that, if Obama is beginning to eye his legacy as president, could go a long way toward shaping how history remembers him. Make this speech a deficit speech." (Chris Cillizza, on President Obama’s upcoming State of the Union address, February 10, 2013.)
Guest blogging Mike's Blog Round Up this week is Jon Perr from Perrspectives. Send your tips, recommendations, comments and angst to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com.