crooksandliars--2020-09-11--Democratic Swing State Voters Have Big Lead  In Requests For Ballots

Good morning , campers !
Here 's something that certainly started my day in an optimistic frame of mind : Democrats are amassing an `` enormous '' lead in early voting , making it that much harder for Republicans , who need a huge Election Day turnout during a pandemic outbreak to even come close .
Via Politico : The Democratic dominance spreads across an array of battleground states , according to absentee ballot request data compiled by state election authorities and analyzed by Democratic and Republican data experts .
In North Carolina and Pennsylvania , Democrats have a roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests .
In Florida — a must-win for President Donald Trump — the Democratic lead stands at more than 700,000 ballot requests , while the party also leads in New Hampshire , Ohio and Iowa .
Even more concerning for Republicans , Democrats who did n't vote in 2016 are requesting 2020 ballots at higher rates than their GOP counterparts .
The most striking example is Pennsylvania , where nearly 175,000 Democrats who sat out the last race have requested ballots , more than double the number of Republicans , according to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm TargetSmart .
Though the figures are preliminary , they provide a window into Democratic enthusiasm ahead of the election and offer a warning for Republicans .
While Democrats stockpile votes and bring in new supporters , Trump ’ s campaign is relying on a smooth Election Day turnout operation at a time when it ’ s confronting an out-of-control pandemic and a mounting cash crunch .

Good morning, campers! Here's something that certainly started my day in an optimistic frame of mind: Democrats are amassing an "enormous" lead in early voting, making it that much harder for Republicans, who need a huge Election Day turnout during a pandemic outbreak to even come close. Via Politico:
The Democratic dominance spreads across an array of battleground states, according to absentee ballot request data compiled by state election authorities and analyzed by Democratic and Republican data experts. In North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Democrats have a roughly three-to-one advantage over Republicans in absentee ballot requests. In Florida — a must-win for President Donald Trump — the Democratic lead stands at more than 700,000 ballot requests, while the party also leads in New Hampshire, Ohio and Iowa.
Even more concerning for Republicans, Democrats who didn't vote in 2016 are requesting 2020 ballots at higher rates than their GOP counterparts. The most striking example is Pennsylvania, where nearly 175,000 Democrats who sat out the last race have requested ballots, more than double the number of Republicans, according to an analysis of voter rolls by the Democratic firm TargetSmart.
Though the figures are preliminary, they provide a window into Democratic enthusiasm ahead of the election and offer a warning for Republicans. While Democrats stockpile votes and bring in new supporters, Trump’s campaign is relying on a smooth Election Day turnout operation at a time when it’s confronting an out-of-control pandemic and a mounting cash crunch.


crooksandliars--2020-09-12--An October Surprise For An Audience Of One?

We know that Donald Trump 's reelection campaign has wasted millions of dollars on advertising the campaign knows wo n't affect the election outcome , just to please the boss : Some spending choices appear devised , at least in part , to satisfy Mr. Trump himself , including the Super Bowl ads , which were purchased as part of an advertising arms race with [ then-presidential candidate Mike ] Bloomberg .
The two ads on game day cost more than the Trump campaign spent on local television through the end of July in each of four battleground states : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan ( $ 3.6 million ) , Iowa ( $ 2 million ) and Minnesota ( $ 1.3 million ) .
Another Trump-pleasing expense : more than $ 1 million in ads aired in the Washington , D.C. , media market , a region that is not likely to be competitive in the fall but where the president , a famously voracious television consumer , resides .
D.C. is solidly blue .
So are Maryland and Virginia .
And yet the Trump campaign was advertising in D.C. because seeing ads for himself during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm beginning to feel the same way about the least surprising October surprise in American politcal history , the upcoming report William Barr commissioned from John Durham .
It 's big news today that a top aide to Durham just resigned .
Federal prosecutor Nora Dannehy , a top aide to U.S. Attorney John H. Durham in his Russia investigation , has quietly resigned — at least partly out of concern that the investigative team is being pressed for political reasons to produce a report before its work is done , colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor ... has worked with or for Durham for decades ... .
Colleagues said Dannehy is not a supporter of President Trump and has been concerned in recent weeks by what she believed was pressure from Barr , who appointed Durham , to produce results before the election .
The process of generating this political hit job is a bizarre combination of punctiliousness and partisan hackery .
We know that the report is intended to harm Trump 's enemies just before the election , and yet Barr hired Durham , who 's considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durham hired at least one prosecutor who 's not a Trump fan .
So they care about making this look at least somewhat legitimate .
That 's why , even though it 's believed that Durham might be looking into Ukraine ( and thus possibly Hunter Biden ) as well as the folks who brought us the Russia investigation , I believe that Barr might have been speaking the truth when he implied that Hunter Biden wo n't be a target : Whether Mr. Barr and Mr. Durham plan to take public investigative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a longstanding Justice Department practice of avoiding overt activity within 60 days of an election if it could have a political impact on the vote , has been the subject of growing scrutiny .
Mr. Barr ... has put forward a narrow interpretation of the so-called 60-day rule , saying it only meant the department should not indict a candidate for office or a close campaign associate .
“ The idea is you don ’ t go after candidates , you don ’ t indict candidates , or perhaps someone that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is essentially the same — within a certain number of days before an election , ” Mr. Barr said in an April interview with the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt .
“ But , you know , as I say , I don ’ t think any of the people whose actions are under review by Durham fall into that category.
” Maybe Barr was lying .
Maybe what he said was true at the time and is n't true now .
Or maybe this will be his way of insisting that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
We did n't go after anyone close to Joe Biden within sixty days of the election -- because he considers the Russia investigation a target-rich environment .
But as I 've said before , most of America tuned out Russiagate even before the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd -- the narrative is too convoluted , the cast of characters too unwieldy .
Angry Trump haters care , and Trump fans care -- they 're angry at the investigators .
Most of all , Trump cares .
The Russia investigation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It implies that his glorious victory in the 2016 election was n't legitimate .
He wants the narrative rewritten and the investigators punished .
So I think what we 'll get just before the election is a politicized assault on prosecutors and investigators most of the public does n't care about -- but Trump does .
I think we 'll get a report that will cheer millions of voters who were 100 % certain to vote for Trump anyway , while it infuriates voters who were 100 % certain not to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rank-and-file voter , while thrilling Trump .
In other words , this will be the equivalent of running Trump ads on television in D.C .
It 's for Trump 's consumption more than anything .
It 's for the audience of one .
On the other hand , it 's possible that Barr was weighing his words very carefully when he said the Durham report would n't go after anyone `` officially close '' to Biden just before the election -- Biden 's son , after all , is n't close to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The only way this October surprise will be effective is if Hunter Biden is targeted .
But my bet is that the targets will be the investigators , because that 's what Trump wants .
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

We know that Donald Trump's reelection campaign has wasted millions of dollars on advertising the campaign knows won't affect the election outcome, just to please the boss:
Some spending choices appear devised, at least in part, to satisfy Mr. Trump himself, including the Super Bowl ads, which were purchased as part of an advertising arms race with [then-presidential candidate Mike] Bloomberg. The two ads on game day cost more than the Trump campaign spent on local television through the end of July in each of four battleground states: Wisconsin ($3.9 million), Michigan ($3.6 million), Iowa ($2 million) and Minnesota ($1.3 million). Another Trump-pleasing expense: more than $1 million in ads aired in the Washington, D.C., media market, a region that is not likely to be competitive in the fall but where the president, a famously voracious television consumer, resides.
D.C. is solidly blue. So are Maryland and Virginia. And yet the Trump campaign was advertising in D.C. because seeing ads for himself during his daily TV binge pleased Trump.
I'm beginning to feel the same way about the least surprising October surprise in American politcal history, the upcoming report William Barr commissioned from John Durham. It's big news today that a top aide to Durham just resigned.
Federal prosecutor Nora Dannehy, a top aide to U.S. Attorney John H. Durham in his Russia investigation, has quietly resigned — at least partly out of concern that the investigative team is being pressed for political reasons to produce a report before its work is done, colleagues said. Dannehy, a highly regarded prosecutor ... has worked with or for Durham for decades.... Colleagues said Dannehy is not a supporter of President Trump and has been concerned in recent weeks by what she believed was pressure from Barr, who appointed Durham, to produce results before the election.
The process of generating this political hit job is a bizarre combination of punctiliousness and partisan hackery. We know that the report is intended to harm Trump's enemies just before the election, and yet Barr hired Durham, who's considered respectable, and we now know that Durham hired at least one prosecutor who's not a Trump fan. So they care about making this look at least somewhat legitimate.
That's why, even though it's believed that Durham might be looking into Ukraine (and thus possibly Hunter Biden) as well as the folks who brought us the Russia investigation, I believe that Barr might have been speaking the truth when he implied that Hunter Biden won't be a target:
Whether Mr. Barr and Mr. Durham plan to take public investigative steps close to the election, flouting a longstanding Justice Department practice of avoiding overt activity within 60 days of an election if it could have a political impact on the vote, has been the subject of growing scrutiny. Mr. Barr ... has put forward a narrow interpretation of the so-called 60-day rule, saying it only meant the department should not indict a candidate for office or a close campaign associate. “The idea is you don’t go after candidates, you don’t indict candidates, or perhaps someone that’s officially close to a candidate — that is essentially the same — within a certain number of days before an election,” Mr. Barr said in an April interview with the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “But, you know, as I say, I don’t think any of the people whose actions are under review by Durham fall into that category.”
Maybe Barr was lying. Maybe what he said was true at the time and isn't true now.
Or maybe this will be his way of insisting that he's not a politcal operative -- See? We didn't go after anyone close to Joe Biden within sixty days of the election -- because he considers the Russia investigation a target-rich environment.
But as I've said before, most of America tuned out Russiagate even before the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd -- the narrative is too convoluted, the cast of characters too unwieldy. Angry Trump haters care, and Trump fans care -- they're angry at the investigators.
Most of all, Trump cares. The Russia investigation is a source of deep shame for him. It implies that his glorious victory in the 2016 election wasn't legitimate. He wants the narrative rewritten and the investigators punished.
So I think what we'll get just before the election is a politicized assault on prosecutors and investigators most of the public doesn't care about -- but Trump does. I think we'll get a report that will cheer millions of voters who were 100% certain to vote for Trump anyway, while it infuriates voters who were 100% certain not to vote for Trump, and bores every other rank-and-file voter, while thrilling Trump.
In other words, this will be the equivalent of running Trump ads on television in D.C. It's for Trump's consumption more than anything. It's for the audience of one.
****
On the other hand, it's possible that Barr was weighing his words very carefully when he said the Durham report wouldn't go after anyone "officially close" to Biden just before the election -- Biden's son, after all, isn't close to the candidate in an "official" capacity. The only way this October surprise will be effective is if Hunter Biden is targeted. But my bet is that the targets will be the investigators, because that's what Trump wants.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-09-12--Natasha Bertrand: Russian Disinfo Is Being ‘Mainstreamed And Legitimized’ By GOP Senate

Rudy Giuliani may be bonkers but his collaboration with Russian agent Andriy Derkach should be taken very seriously .
For some reason , MSNBC ’ s Jonathan Capehart thought it would be useful to interview Giuliani this morning about his association with Derkach , now that he has been identified and sanctioned as an “ active Russian agent ” by the U.S. Treasury Department .
The Daily Beast has more on these two : I don ’ t know what Capehart thought he ’ d get out of Giuliani , but the two went at it this morning with nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuliani unconvincingly reiterating he had no idea that Derkach is a Russian agent and that his association with Derkach had nothing to do with his investigations into Biden .
Capehart insisted the obvious , that Giuliani had to know .
We were also treated to Giuliani spewing a bunch of conspiracy theories about Biden , Bob Mueller and George Soros .
What really matters is what ’ s being done with the Russian disinformation .
In a follow-up discussion , Politico ’ s Natasha Bertrand provided the significant takeaways .
First , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with Rudy 's work on Biden .
“ Derkach has been holding press conferences since late last year , ” she said , and claiming that Biden has been involved in some corrupt dealings with Ukraine ’ s former president , Petro Poroshenko .
( It ’ s worth noting that C & L reported on Giuliani ’ s collusion with Derkach to get dirt on Biden last December . )
“ These have all been part of a campaign to discredit Joe Biden ahead of the election , ” Bertrand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart of the nightmare : Derkach ’ s Russian disinformation is getting the U.S. Senate ’ s stamp of approval and legitimacy : BERTRAND : It 's not just that Derkach is speaking in a vacuum here , he ’ s also been sending information to members of Congress and some of that information has informed investigations that are going on right now , investigations that are going to produce a report prior to Election day .
I ’ m speaking , of course , an investigation that ’ s being conducted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate Homeland Security Committee , into these allegations that are being made out of Ukraine by these Ukrainian figures that are then being funneled back here , put into the mainstream and legitimized by congressional probes .
This is all part of the same operation here .
What ultimately got the president impeached is now being funneled into these congressional investigations , either through Rudy Giuliani , who said that he 's submitting his own report to Congress , through people like Derkach , who are trying to , who actually just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trying to get him meetings on Capitol Hill with lawmakers and with other important people about this Biden issue .
This is all part of the massive disinformation campaign to undermine Biden ahead of the election , that the intelligence community has specifically been warning about for weeks now .
It ’ s 2016 all over again for the Russians , but this time with the GOP Senate standing in for WikiLeaks .

Rudy Giuliani may be bonkers but his collaboration with Russian agent Andriy Derkach should be taken very seriously.
For some reason, MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart thought it would be useful to interview Giuliani this morning about his association with Derkach, now that he has been identified and sanctioned as an “active Russian agent” by the U.S. Treasury Department. The Daily Beast has more on these two:
Andriy Derkach worked closely with Giuliani—and with the Trump-friendly cable network OANN—to push accusations of political misconduct against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Derkach, a member of Kyiv’s parliament and son of a former KGB officer, has also been supplying documents to Republicans on Capitol Hill, where Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is conducting an election-eve investigation into the Bidens.
I don’t know what Capehart thought he’d get out of Giuliani, but the two went at it this morning with nothing more to come out of it than Giuliani unconvincingly reiterating he had no idea that Derkach is a Russian agent and that his association with Derkach had nothing to do with his investigations into Biden. Capehart insisted the obvious, that Giuliani had to know. We were also treated to Giuliani spewing a bunch of conspiracy theories about Biden, Bob Mueller and George Soros.
What really matters is what’s being done with the Russian disinformation.
In a follow-up discussion, Politico’s Natasha Bertrand provided the significant takeaways. First, she debunked the notion that Derkach had nothing to do with Rudy's work on Biden. “Derkach has been holding press conferences since late last year,” she said, and claiming that Biden has been involved in some corrupt dealings with Ukraine’s former president, Petro Poroshenko. (It’s worth noting that C&L reported on Giuliani’s collusion with Derkach to get dirt on Biden last December.) “These have all been part of a campaign to discredit Joe Biden ahead of the election,” Bertrand added.
Then Bertrand got to the heart of the nightmare: Derkach’s Russian disinformation is getting the U.S. Senate’s stamp of approval and legitimacy:
BERTRAND: It's not just that Derkach is speaking in a vacuum here, he’s also been sending information to members of Congress and some of that information has informed investigations that are going on right now, investigations that are going to produce a report prior to Election day. I’m speaking, of course, an investigation that’s being conducted by Senator Johnson and Chuck Grassley, on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, into these allegations that are being made out of Ukraine by these Ukrainian figures that are then being funneled back here, put into the mainstream and legitimized by congressional probes. This is all part of the same operation here. What ultimately got the president impeached is now being funneled into these congressional investigations, either through Rudy Giuliani, who said that he's submitting his own report to Congress, through people like Derkach, who are trying to, who actually just recently parted ways with a lobbyist who was trying to get him meetings on Capitol Hill with lawmakers and with other important people about this Biden issue. This is all part of the massive disinformation campaign to undermine Biden ahead of the election, that the intelligence community has specifically been warning about for weeks now.
It’s 2016 all over again for the Russians, but this time with the GOP Senate standing in for WikiLeaks.


crooksandliars--2020-09-12--Rudy Giuliani Spews Soros, Mueller, And Biden Conspiracies On MSNBC

On the day before the 19th anniversary of September 11th , Rudy Giuliani 's close associate was sanctioned by the Treasury Department for being a Russian agent interfering in a United States presidential election .
According to The Washington Post : The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday placed sanctions on a member of Ukraine ’ s parliament for running an “ influence campaign ” against former vice president Joe Biden , dubbing the lawmaker “ an active Russian agent for over a decade ” who has maintained “ close connections with Russian intelligence services.
” The sanctions against Andriy Derkach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic nominee for president released pilfered and edited phone conversations that Biden had years ago with Ukraine ’ s leadership — come less than two months before the 2020 presidential election and mark the most aggressive public action the U.S. government has taken to date to stanch foreign interference ahead of the vote .
And Giuliani had met with him at least three times , publicizing him and his theories , and `` elevating what the Treasury Department has now characterized as a foreign interference campaign by an active Russian agent aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On AM Joy , Jonathan Capehart interviewed Rudy Giuliani , and it was exactly as big a sh*tshow as you would expect .
Within the first few minutes , Giuliani was permitted to spew lies and conspiracy theories , throwing out the lazy anti-Semitism of blaming everything on George Soros , spitting outlandish lies about Mueller prosecutors wiping their cell phones clean , and denying he had the capacity to know of Derkach 's ties to Russia .
Throw in a soupçon of blatant racist condescension , and you have the results of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist .
Things , perhaps , got off on the wrong foot when Capehart asked him straight up , `` So why were you working with a Russian agent to interfere in the 2020 election ? ''
Of course , Giuliani denies he was working with him .
He says he was just `` interviewing '' him .
Uh-huh .
GIULIANI : I was n't working with him .
I was interviewing him .
There 's a big difference between working with someone and interviewing them and also it was long after I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that were committed .
I submitted that five months earlier to the state department .
So Derkach played no role in that , not a single bit , nor does he have any evidence about Joe Biden .
The evidence that he has is all secondary .
He read the prosecutor 's report so he 's a useless witness for that point of view but he did provide evidence about $ 5.3 billion in foreign aid that 's unaccounted for in Ukraine .
Three billion of which is American money for which two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukranian government and I have no reason to believe that 's untrue .
But I do n't have to verify it either .
It looks like it is true that about $ 5 billion in American foreign aid is unaccounted for .
The Ukranian government had covered it up under Poroshenko , who was a well known crook .
That 's why he got dismissed in the election , virtually destroyed and right now for the first time there may be a chance we can recover that money .
They just indicted two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soros , they actually work with George Soros -- See , now , at that point , a lot of us wished Capehart had just cut of his mic with a sad trombone playing , and the game show host 's , `` I 'm sorry , we have these lovely parting gifts for you .
Please try again tomorrow . ''
But he did n't , and the scene devolved from there .
When Giuliani claimed unbelievably that he did n't know Derkach was a Russian agent , Capehart was incredulous , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuliani 's background .
See , now , being challenged twice was too much for `` America 's Mayor , '' so he went to that place where all white men go as another way to oppress marginalized folks : the tone policing road .
Okay , first of all , never , NEVER in the history of EVER has telling someone to `` calm down '' produced the effect of calming them down .
And secondly , where on god 's green earth does Giuliani get off thinking HE gets to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I mean , if anything , Capehart was n't challenging ENOUGH to Giuliani , and I wish he 'd said MORE to counteract those lies , but dignified ?
?
?
Capehart is dignity PERSONIFIED throughout that entire interview , and Giuliani is a sniveling troll who eats Trump 's ass for breakfast , while they 're both wearing Klan hoods .
Please , please , do n't give this Giuliani loon any more airtime .

On the day before the 19th anniversary of September 11th, Rudy Giuliani's close associate was sanctioned by the Treasury Department for being a Russian agent interfering in a United States presidential election.
According to The Washington Post:
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday placed sanctions on a member of Ukraine’s parliament for running an “influence campaign” against former vice president Joe Biden, dubbing the lawmaker “an active Russian agent for over a decade” who has maintained “close connections with Russian intelligence services.” The sanctions against Andriy Derkach — who in an attempt to tarnish the Democratic nominee for president released pilfered and edited phone conversations that Biden had years ago with Ukraine’s leadership — come less than two months before the 2020 presidential election and mark the most aggressive public action the U.S. government has taken to date to stanch foreign interference ahead of the vote.
And Giuliani had met with him at least three times, publicizing him and his theories, and "elevating what the Treasury Department has now characterized as a foreign interference campaign by an active Russian agent aimed at influencing the 2020 election."
On AM Joy, Jonathan Capehart interviewed Rudy Giuliani, and it was exactly as big a sh*tshow as you would expect. Within the first few minutes, Giuliani was permitted to spew lies and conspiracy theories, throwing out the lazy anti-Semitism of blaming everything on George Soros, spitting outlandish lies about Mueller prosecutors wiping their cell phones clean, and denying he had the capacity to know of Derkach's ties to Russia.
Throw in a soupçon of blatant racist condescension, and you have the results of Rudy being challenged by a respected Black journalist. Things, perhaps, got off on the wrong foot when Capehart asked him straight up, "So why were you working with a Russian agent to interfere in the 2020 election?"
LOL
Of course, Giuliani denies he was working with him. He says he was just "interviewing" him. Uh-huh.
GIULIANI: I wasn't working with him. I was interviewing him. There's a big difference between working with someone and interviewing them and also it was long after I completed my report on the Ukranian crimes that were committed. I submitted that five months earlier to the state department. So Derkach played no role in that, not a single bit, nor does he have any evidence about Joe Biden. The evidence that he has is all secondary. He read the prosecutor's report so he's a useless witness for that point of view but he did provide evidence about $5.3 billion in foreign aid that's unaccounted for in Ukraine. Three billion of which is American money for which two people have already been indicted by the Ukranian government and I have no reason to believe that's untrue. But I don't have to verify it either. It looks like it is true that about $5 billion in American foreign aid is unaccounted for. The Ukranian government had covered it up under Poroshenko, who was a well known crook. That's why he got dismissed in the election, virtually destroyed and right now for the first time there may be a chance we can recover that money. They just indicted two people that are very close to George Soros, they actually work with George Soros--
See, now, at that point, a lot of us wished Capehart had just cut of his mic with a sad trombone playing, and the game show host's, "I'm sorry, we have these lovely parting gifts for you. Please try again tomorrow." But he didn't, and the scene devolved from there.
When Giuliani claimed unbelievably that he didn't know Derkach was a Russian agent, Capehart was incredulous, asking how that was possible, given Giuliani's background. See, now, being challenged twice was too much for "America's Mayor," so he went to that place where all white men go as another way to oppress marginalized folks: the tone policing road.
GIULIANI: Jonathan, calm down. I -- CAPEHART: Answer the question. GIULIANI: I do not have access -- don't yell at me, Jonathan. That isn't dignified. Pretend to give fair coverage. Pretend. I know you won't cover the obstruction of justice by the 12 Mueller prosecutors who wiped their phones clean.
Okay, first of all, never, NEVER in the history of EVER has telling someone to "calm down" produced the effect of calming them down. And secondly, where on god's green earth does Giuliani get off thinking HE gets to tell JONATHAN CAPEHART what constitutes dignified??? I mean, if anything, Capehart wasn't challenging ENOUGH to Giuliani, and I wish he'd said MORE to counteract those lies, but dignified??? Capehart is dignity PERSONIFIED throughout that entire interview, and Giuliani is a sniveling troll who eats Trump's ass for breakfast, while they're both wearing Klan hoods.
Please, please, don't give this Giuliani loon any more airtime.


crooksandliars--2020-09-12--'Antifa Arson' Hoax Rumors Spread About Wildfires In Besieged West Coast Areas

Fresh on the heels of spreading hoax rumors about “ antifa buses ” coming to rural towns to create mayhem , right-wing conspiracists eager to spread the narrative about the supposed existential threat posed by black-clad antifascist activists have a hot new fraud for their armies of gullible social-media followers : The forest fires raging along the West Coast from California to Washington are an antifa plot !
The rumors—spread first by far-right activists , then parroted by followers living in areas where the fires are raging—claim that a handful of arrests for arson in unrelated fires are proof that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intending harm to befall rural Trump-supporting regions .
“ It ’ s the antifa burning EVERYTHING down !
” shrieked one QAnon believer who chimed in on Twitter .
Among the leading spreaders of the false rumors is a right-wing online publication catering to police officers , Law Enforcement Today , which posted an article claiming that the “ wildfires on the West Coast may be a ‘ coordinated and planned ’ attack.
” “ Law enforcement throughout the west coast is reportedly being put on alert to look out for ‘ opportunists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sinister motives , ” the article claimed .
It then went on to list six arson incidents either related to the fires or in their general vicinity , but offered no evidence that they were coordinated in any fashion .
Nonetheless , it claimed to have a warning from a federal law-enforcement source : The article adds a caveat at the end : “ There are current concerns and allegations that many of these people who have started fires may be related to Antifa .
However , these allegations have not be confirmed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires themselves on social media—and so did calls to rural police departments .
In Molalla , Oregon—which is surrounded by the fires and was given Stage 3 evacuation orders Thursday—the police department posted a plea for people to call 911 and report “ any suspicious activity ( strange people walking around/looking into cars and houses/vehicles driving through neighborhoods that don ’ t belong there ) , ” because “ a lot of rumors and posts are going around about looters.
” This plea was promptly interpreted by right-wing conspiracists as the work of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police bulletin with a message of her own : “ WARNING : Multiple sources in Emergency Response have confirmed that the fires along the West Coast are caused by dozens of arsonists , ” she wrote .
“ These fires are allegedly linked to Antifa and the Riots.
” Shortly afterward , Molalla Police posted an update to their original bulletin : “ This is about possible looters , not antifa or setting fires .
There has been NO antifa in town as of this posting about 02:00 a.m .
Please , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense.
” A somewhat more mainstream Republican figure—failed senatorial candidate Paul Romero , who lost to QAnon cultist Jo Rae Perkins in Oregon ’ s May GOP primary—tweeted out a similar warning : “ Oregon is on fire !
Pallet Company in Oregon City confirmed Antifa arsonist on camera .
Douglas County Sheriff has 6 ANTIFA arsonists in custody .
Many fires in Oregon .
Obviously there are more to track down and arrest .
Governor Kate Brown built this.
” Similarly , in Medford , Oregon , someone began circulating a fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local police department , reporting “ 5 Proud Boys arrested for arson.
” The department posted a correction labeling the fake post “ False , ” explaining : “ This is a made up graphic and story .
We did not arrest this person for arson , nor anyone affiliated with Antifa or ‘ Proud Boys ’ as we ’ ve heard throughout the day .
Also , no confirmed gatherings of Antifa which has also been reported.
” Likewise , the Douglas County Sheriff ’ s Office in Roseburg , next door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded to the rumors posted by Romero and others with a Facebook post urging residents to reel it in : The pushback from local law enforcement—already grappling with ensuring people endangered by the fires had accurate information—appeared to have little to no effect on the people spreading the rumors on social media .
In particular , the Twitter feed of Daviscourt—a representative of the right-wing campus organization Turning Point USA from Seattle best known for marching with Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer at far-right provocation events in Seattle and Portland—became a nonstop parade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to the fires .
None of the incidents she cites , in fact , are linked in any definitive way to antifascists .
One arson suspect is suspicious because he has tattoos whose content are unspecified .
Another claimed that a Portland antifascist was the subject of a manhunt in Albany , though there appeared to be no relationship between that case and the fires .
One claims that a glass found in a grassy field with paper in it was an “ incendiary device.
” The response on Facebook and elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump .
“ Gee the Medford police arrested 7 antifa members for arson you libs are despicable !
And gee was he supposed to panic the whole United states you libs seem to forget china lied the corrupt dnc rats also helped spread the covid bs !
Do some research smfh , ” one read .
Another ranted : “ @ OregonGovBrown 7 of your Antifa terrorist started the Medford fires !
!
!
You EVIL MARXIST need to step down NOW !
!
Those of you that lost your homes or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BROWN !
!
Run her out of office along with @ tedwheeler.
” One pleaded to Trump : “ Please help !
!
!
!
Southern Oregon on Fire , our Governor is nuts , and the fires that are happening are a terrorist attack by Anitfa… ” In reality , many of the fires remain under investigation , according to Joy Krawczyk , a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Forestry , who told the New York Times that officials have seen no evidence whatsoever that the fires are the product of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not seeing any indications of a mass politically-influenced arson campaign , ” Krawczyk said .
Nonetheless , the false rumors appear to have provoked the same heavily armed response by vigilante militiamen as the “ antifa buses ” hoax in the affected rural areas .
Portland videographer Scott Keeler traveled to the Molalla area intent on reporting on the efforts there to flee the flames and combat them , but discovered that locals had pegged him for a nefarious antifa activist and reported him to police .
“ Two vehicles on scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ press ’ vests , ” reported a Molalla local on Facebook .
“ KEEP YOUR EYES OUT .
ALREADY REPORTED FIRE AND PLATE NUMBERS TO 911.
” “ This was kinda funny to me at first , ” Keeler commented .
“ However , after talking to Molalla PD , I was way too close to getting shot tonight .
If my partner did n't see one of the reposts , I was planning to go back a few hours later and film some more .
Sounds like I would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indeed , another journalist , Oregon Public Broadcasting ’ s Sergio Olmos , was greeted with precisely that response when he and other journalists attempted to report from the same area : Two men armed with semiautomatic rifles confronted them on the roadway at a militia-style checkpoint and told them to “ get the fuck out of here.
” “ It ’ s scary knowing there are people who legitimately think ‘ antifa liberals ’ are setting these towns on fire , ” tweeted one of the other journalists with Olmos , Alissa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documenting and interviewing folks .
Our pictures were taken and so was the car and license plate.
” She later added : “ I ’ m gon na be completely honest ... that was scary as hell .
Before [ freelance journalist ] Justin [ Yau ] walked over one of the men cocked his assault rifle at me .
They were 3 large assault rifles and extremely confrontational .
We ’ re dressed in normal clothing and we ’ re wearing our press credentials.
” When Australia was ravaged by wildfires last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe and combat the blazes were endlessly complicated by misinformation that spread faster on social media than the fires themselves—notably , claims that rather than global climate change being the reason for the fires , an “ arson emergency ” in which fires were set by mysterious leftist agitators was to blame .
Now , people living on the West Coast appear to be enduring a similar plague .

Fresh on the heels of spreading hoax rumors about “antifa buses” coming to rural towns to create mayhem, right-wing conspiracists eager to spread the narrative about the supposed existential threat posed by black-clad antifascist activists have a hot new fraud for their armies of gullible social-media followers: The forest fires raging along the West Coast from California to Washington are an antifa plot!
The rumors—spread first by far-right activists, then parroted by followers living in areas where the fires are raging—claim that a handful of arrests for arson in unrelated fires are proof that the fires are being coordinated by leftists intending harm to befall rural Trump-supporting regions. “It’s the antifa burning EVERYTHING down!” shrieked one QAnon believer who chimed in on Twitter.
Among the leading spreaders of the false rumors is a right-wing online publication catering to police officers, Law Enforcement Today, which posted an article claiming that the “wildfires on the West Coast may be a ‘coordinated and planned’ attack.”
“Law enforcement throughout the west coast is reportedly being put on alert to look out for ‘opportunists’ and those who may have more sinister motives,” the article claimed. It then went on to list six arson incidents either related to the fires or in their general vicinity, but offered no evidence that they were coordinated in any fashion.
Nonetheless, it claimed to have a warning from a federal law-enforcement source:
“We are reacting to a coordinated series of attempts to start fires anywhere and everywhere in Oregon. Public and Private lands, incorporated and unincorporated areas.“By all indications so far in the preliminary stages of these investigations there is a coordinated effort on the part of these individuals to start fires in areas that are the least protected and most vulnerable then slowing working their way into more populated areas and neighborhoods.”
The article adds a caveat at the end: “There are current concerns and allegations that many of these people who have started fires may be related to Antifa. However, these allegations have not be confirmed.”
The claims spread faster than the fires themselves on social media—and so did calls to rural police departments. In Molalla, Oregon—which is surrounded by the fires and was given Stage 3 evacuation orders Thursday—the police department posted a plea for people to call 911 and report “any suspicious activity (strange people walking around/looking into cars and houses/vehicles driving through neighborhoods that don’t belong there),” because “a lot of rumors and posts are going around about looters.”
This plea was promptly interpreted by right-wing conspiracists as the work of antifa. Far-right provocateur Katie Daviscourt retweeted the police bulletin with a message of her own: “WARNING: Multiple sources in Emergency Response have confirmed that the fires along the West Coast are caused by dozens of arsonists,” she wrote. “These fires are allegedly linked to Antifa and the Riots.”
Shortly afterward, Molalla Police posted an update to their original bulletin: “This is about possible looters, not antifa or setting fires. There has been NO antifa in town as of this posting about 02:00 a.m. Please, folks, stay calm and use common sense.”
A somewhat more mainstream Republican figure—failed senatorial candidate Paul Romero, who lost to QAnon cultist Jo Rae Perkins in Oregon’s May GOP primary—tweeted out a similar warning: “Oregon is on fire! Pallet Company in Oregon City confirmed Antifa arsonist on camera. Douglas County Sheriff has 6 ANTIFA arsonists in custody. Many fires in Oregon. Obviously there are more to track down and arrest. Governor Kate Brown built this.”
Similarly, in Medford, Oregon, someone began circulating a fake Facebook post claiming to be from the local police department, reporting “5 Proud Boys arrested for arson.” The department posted a correction labeling the fake post “False,” explaining: “This is a made up graphic and story. We did not arrest this person for arson, nor anyone affiliated with Antifa or ‘Proud Boys’ as we’ve heard throughout the day. Also, no confirmed gatherings of Antifa which has also been reported.”
Likewise, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Roseburg, next door to Medford’s Jackson County, responded to the rumors posted by Romero and others with a Facebook post urging residents to reel it in:
Remember when we said to follow official sources only. Remember when we said rumors make this already difficult incident even harder? Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON. THIS IS NOT TRUE! Unfortunately, people are spreading this rumor and it is causing problems. Do your part, STOP. SPREADING. RUMORS!
The pushback from local law enforcement—already grappling with ensuring people endangered by the fires had accurate information—appeared to have little to no effect on the people spreading the rumors on social media. In particular, the Twitter feed of Daviscourt—a representative of the right-wing campus organization Turning Point USA from Seattle best known for marching with Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer at far-right provocation events in Seattle and Portland—became a nonstop parade of posts reporting on various arson incidents related to the fires.
None of the incidents she cites, in fact, are linked in any definitive way to antifascists. One arson suspect is suspicious because he has tattoos whose content are unspecified. Another claimed that a Portland antifascist was the subject of a manhunt in Albany, though there appeared to be no relationship between that case and the fires. One claims that a glass found in a grassy field with paper in it was an “incendiary device.”
The response on Facebook and elsewhere was hysterical, intermingled with defenses of Donald Trump. “Gee the Medford police arrested 7 antifa members for arson you libs are despicable! And gee was he supposed to panic the whole United states you libs seem to forget china lied the corrupt dnc rats also helped spread the covid bs! Do some research smfh,” one read. Another ranted: “@OregonGovBrown 7 of your Antifa terrorist started the Medford fires!!! You EVIL MARXIST need to step down NOW!! Those of you that lost your homes or business SUE THE SHIT OUT OF KATE BROWN!! Run her out of office along with @tedwheeler.”
One pleaded to Trump: “Please help!!!! Southern Oregon on Fire, our Governor is nuts, and the fires that are happening are a terrorist attack by Anitfa…”
In reality, many of the fires remain under investigation, according to Joy Krawczyk, a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Forestry, who told the New York Times that officials have seen no evidence whatsoever that the fires are the product of an organized effort. “We’re not seeing any indications of a mass politically-influenced arson campaign,” Krawczyk said.
Nonetheless, the false rumors appear to have provoked the same heavily armed response by vigilante militiamen as the “antifa buses” hoax in the affected rural areas. Portland videographer Scott Keeler traveled to the Molalla area intent on reporting on the efforts there to flee the flames and combat them, but discovered that locals had pegged him for a nefarious antifa activist and reported him to police.
“Two vehicles on scene and two guys wearing gas masks and ‘press’ vests,” reported a Molalla local on Facebook. “KEEP YOUR EYES OUT. ALREADY REPORTED FIRE AND PLATE NUMBERS TO 911.”
“Are you kidding me shoot em,” responded a commenter.
“This was kinda funny to me at first,” Keeler commented. “However, after talking to Molalla PD, I was way too close to getting shot tonight. If my partner didn't see one of the reposts, I was planning to go back a few hours later and film some more. Sounds like I would have been met [by] armed citizens.”
Indeed, another journalist, Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Sergio Olmos, was greeted with precisely that response when he and other journalists attempted to report from the same area: Two men armed with semiautomatic rifles confronted them on the roadway at a militia-style checkpoint and told them to “get the fuck out of here.”
“It’s scary knowing there are people who legitimately think ‘antifa liberals’ are setting these towns on fire,” tweeted one of the other journalists with Olmos, Alissa Azar. “We are very clearly documenting and interviewing folks. Our pictures were taken and so was the car and license plate.”
She later added: “I’m gonna be completely honest... that was scary as hell. Before [freelance journalist] Justin [Yau] walked over one of the men cocked his assault rifle at me. They were 3 large assault rifles and extremely confrontational. We’re dressed in normal clothing and we’re wearing our press credentials.”
When Australia was ravaged by wildfires last winter, the efforts to keep people safe and combat the blazes were endlessly complicated by misinformation that spread faster on social media than the fires themselves—notably, claims that rather than global climate change being the reason for the fires, an “arson emergency” in which fires were set by mysterious leftist agitators was to blame. Now, people living on the West Coast appear to be enduring a similar plague.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-09-12--In Debate, Susan Collins Refuses To Say Who She'll Vote For President

The always precious Susan Collins tries to have things both ways again , propping up Trump 's presidency while pretending there 's any real distance between them .
This tired little game of hers looks to be just about over in Maine , thankfully .
And if you 're a Republican and you ca n't bring yourself to say that you 're voting for Trump , or not voting for Trump , you 're in deep trouble .
And that is just as it should be for Susan Collins .
PORTLAND , Maine ( AP ) — Democrat Sara Gideon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of Maine , with President Donald Trump during their first debate Friday night , and she demanded several times that Collins say whether she ’ ll vote for him — a dare Collins wouldn ’ t take .
Collins , who has said she didn ’ t vote for Trump four years ago , brushed off the question , saying voters are more interested in talking to her about issues than who she supports in the presidential race .
“ Let me say this : I don ’ t think the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support for president , ” Collins said .

The always precious Susan Collins tries to have things both ways again, propping up Trump's presidency while pretending there's any real distance between them. This tired little game of hers looks to be just about over in Maine, thankfully. And if you're a Republican and you can't bring yourself to say that you're voting for Trump, or not voting for Trump, you're in deep trouble. And that is just as it should be for Susan Collins.
Source: Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Democrat Sara Gideon sought to link Republican Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, with President Donald Trump during their first debate Friday night, and she demanded several times that Collins say whether she’ll vote for him — a dare Collins wouldn’t take. Collins, who has said she didn’t vote for Trump four years ago, brushed off the question, saying voters are more interested in talking to her about issues than who she supports in the presidential race. “Let me say this: I don’t think the people of Maine need my advice on whom to support for president,” Collins said.
Sara Gideon's question, and Collins' lame-ass response.
When pressed by @SaraGideon to announce publicly who she will support for President of the United States in tonight's US Senate debate in Maine, @SenatorCollins chickened out and declined to endorse Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/IOhbvvhgIZ — Alex Mohajer (@AlexMohajer) September 12, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-09-12--Florida Appeals Court OKs Poll Tax For Florida Felons

You may recall that a supermajority of Florida voters approved , in 2018 , a constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to felons who completed their sentences .
But in the never-ending GOP War on democracy ( especially in a state Donald Trump needs to win in November ) , Florida ’ s Trumpy Gov .
Ron DeSantis and his Republican pals in the legislature passed a law designed to sabotage the will of the voters with the hurdle that felons may not register to vote until they ’ ve paid all court costs , fines , and fees associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , today 's ruling upholding the law means that hundreds of thousands of Florida felons who have completed their sentences will be prevented from voting unless they pay all fees and fines owed to the state .
If you think this isn ’ t a poll tax , think again .
USA Today notes that George W. Bush won Florida , and thus the White House , by only 537 votes .
And it just so happens that the ruling was written by Chief Judge William Pryor , named to the court by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s list of potential Supreme Court nominees .
What a coincidence !
The good news is that LeBron James ’ More Than A Vote initiative has already committed $ 100,000 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition .
Ditto for The Miami Dolphins Social Impact Committee as well as attorney John Morgan .
( You can donate here . )
FRRC says it has already raised close to $ 3 million but has more than $ 7 million to go .
Wouldn ’ t this be a great project for Michael Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his plans to elect Democrats , it would be a nice way to make reparations for his odious stop-and-frisk policies he has since apologized for .
If you agree , you can tweet him @ MikeBloomberg with that suggestion .

You may recall that a supermajority of Florida voters approved, in 2018, a constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to felons who completed their sentences.
But in the never-ending GOP War on democracy (especially in a state Donald Trump needs to win in November), Florida’s Trumpy Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Republican pals in the legislature passed a law designed to sabotage the will of the voters with the hurdle that felons may not register to vote until they’ve paid all court costs, fines, and fees associated with their sentences.
As USA Today explains, today's ruling upholding the law means that hundreds of thousands of Florida felons who have completed their sentences will be prevented from voting unless they pay all fees and fines owed to the state.
If you think this isn’t a poll tax, think again. USA Today notes that George W. Bush won Florida, and thus the White House, by only 537 votes. And it just so happens that the ruling was written by Chief Judge William Pryor, named to the court by Bush 43, who is now on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees. What a coincidence!
The good news is that LeBron James’ More Than A Vote initiative has already committed $100,000 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. Ditto for The Miami Dolphins Social Impact Committee as well as attorney John Morgan. (You can donate here.) FRRC says it has already raised close to $3 million but has more than $7 million to go.
Wouldn’t this be a great project for Michael Bloomberg? Not only would it help advance his plans to elect Democrats, it would be a nice way to make reparations for his odious stop-and-frisk policies he has since apologized for. If you agree, you can tweet him @MikeBloomberg with that suggestion.


crooksandliars--2020-09-12--Democrats: Time To Cut The BS On Either/Or Politics

I tend to pull my hair out when listening to Democrats who engage in endless debates over whether to have a message that appeals to base voters or swing voters .
I have been hearing these debates for my entire 40-year career in Democratic and progressive politics , and especially now , with the stakes so damn high , I can ’ t believe I am hearing them again .
We don ’ t have to choose , folks .
In fact , if we do choose an either/or path , we will once again lose an election .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we lose this one , democracy in the good old USA is done for , along with any chance of lessening the devastating effects of climate change .
So to all my Democratic friends : it ’ s time to cut the bullshit .
Elections are most assuredly won with both kinds of voters .
We can ’ t win if most of the swing voters go against us .
We also can ’ t win if we don ’ t get big turnouts from Blacks , Latinos , Latinas , Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the data is pretty clear that the second factor matters more than the first in this election , as the biggest worry I see is lack of enthusiasm among young and Latino voters .
But the data is equally clear that in those crucial battleground states : we need them all , folks .
We need big numbers from all those different kinds of voters , because even if we could squeeze out a narrow victory with just swing voters or just base voters , the way we keep Trump from destroying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Republican enablers so thoroughly that they can ’ t steal this election .
Let 's focus for a moment on the idiocy of the either/or thing .
Yes , African-Americans , Latinos , and Latinas , and the Bernie and Elizabeth supporters in the Democratic primaries , and the working-class white people in the suburbs and rural America who tend to be swing voters ( as opposed to the working-class white people who are strong Trump supporters ) all have some ways of looking at the world that are very distinctive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are language choices that can be important ; and some of the differences are on specific issues that matter more to some than to others .
It makes sense to talk farm policy and rural economic development in the small town of Ellsworth , Wisconsin ; not so much in inner city Milwaukee .
In those Black neighborhoods in Milwaukee and Kenosha , talking about the urgent importance of policing and criminal justice reform is going to be essential ; maybe to those folks in Ellsworth , not so much .
But working-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much more in common than they have differences .
Read this powerful column by Stan Greenberg about the focus groups he has been doing with white , working-class voters , and then try to tell me those white , working-class folks have too little in common with working-class people of color or young , working-class Bernie voters for a common message to work .
All of those different kinds of voters are hard pressed , squeezed and beaten down by Covid , by rising health costs , by an economy that didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them even before COVID , and now has them on the edge of a high cliff about to fall .
The over-arching Democratic message needs to speak directly to the tough economic times facing all these voters .
It needs to be clear we will be doing something tangible about those folks ’ rising out-of-pocket health care expenses and the urgent troubles of having a secure health care plan if they get laid off or their employer isn ’ t paying for health care .
Such a message is not going to seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will break through with voters who are desperate for real answers from their political leaders .
It ’ s the kind of message that will not only solidify Biden ’ s 8-point lead in the polls , it will expand it to more like 10 points .
And it will assure victory in both those crucial Midwestern states like the ones where Greenberg did his focus groups , and in the Southern and Southwestern states that are also swing states .
Right now , the one issue area where Trump still seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
We have to turn that around .
So far , the Biden campaign has been running on two simultaneous tracks .
They have laid out a solid issue agenda on the economy in their Build Back Better program , and that agenda appeals to a wide range of constituencies that will be important to winning the campaign .
But most of their overall messaging has been about Joe Biden ’ s empathy , compassion , and character -- in contrast to the distinct lack of those qualities in Donald Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been genuinely moving , and have done a great job of setting the tone for this campaign .
They have been keeping things more general on the issues , because they are trying to satisfy this big tent coalition they have worked so hard to build .
All of that is understandable .
But the campaign is going to need to turn to those economic and health care issues that matter heavily to all those working-class voters they need to win this election .
Those voters are going to have to stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jump through all those hoops that Republicans working to suppress the vote are putting in their way .
For those voters who voted for Trump last time but are over him now , the main thing holding them back is their doubts over whether Biden will deliver for them on the hard economic and health care issues they are facing .
To motivate them to vote for Democrats and go through the hassles of voting during a pandemic , these voters need to know more than Biden is a good guy and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to need to know that electing Biden and other Democrats will make a genuine , tangible difference in their lives .
They are going to have to inspire and motivate their base voters , and also convince those swing voters it will matter in their lives to vote blue .
I have been heartened to hear from the campaign and see in the press that they will be talking more about the economy and health care in the weeks to come .
That is great news , but in addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see ads on the economy and health care that have some edge and grit to them , that speak to all those people who , as Elizabeth Warren puts it , live at the ragged edge of the middle class .
With COVID and the economic crisis landing on top of a decades-long squeezing of those folks , a majority of Americans now live on that ragged edge .
The Biden campaign , and Democrats in general , need to speak directly to those voters with messaging and policy that recognizes the depth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people that they really will come through for them .
I need to conclude with some unpleasant business , because this article is circulating widely on every progressive listserv and social media platform I am on , and progressive writers like Bob Kuttner are starting to write columns about it .
The article begins with this loveliness : I am compelled to make some comments on this .
First , to my progressive allies out there , know this : these unnamed campaign people being quoted by the unnamed investment banker do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know who actually support what their boss has been saying on policy , and will fight to get these policies put into law if Democrats win this election .
Beyond that , the cynical insiders promising their Wall Street friends that nothing will change don ’ t have the power to back up their promises.There is a rising progressive movement in this country , and given how deep a hole we are going to be in when Democrats take office next January , that movement ’ s demands for big changes are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the campaign insiders who stab Vice-President Biden in the back and undercut his credibility by making these promises to the big money guys ( because they mostly all are guys ) , you need to just stop .
I don ’ t know whether you said those things to try to raise a few extra bucks , or to try to get high-paying clients when the campaign was over , but what you said was disloyalty pure and simple .
When I worked at the Clinton White House or on his campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton didn ’ t mean what he said and was going to break the promises he had just made , and the president had heard me say it , I know I would have been fired , and I would have deserved to be .
Joe Biden does not deserve that kind of disloyalty .
For another thing , I always question the motivation of anonymous leakers and would never trust the word of regulation-hating Wall Street bankers .
A lot of those guys are big Republicans or Republican-leaning or have no real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be lying to the press to divide the Democratic vote to throw the election to Trump and the GOP .
Joe Biden has made the right decisions to work to bring the Democratic Party together , and to promise in this moment of crisis to be the most transformational president since FDR .
If pro-Big Business Democrats try to undermine a Biden presidency by blocking needed reforms , they will split this party down the middle and make a successful Biden presidency impossible .
Joe Biden will win this election if those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) struggling to make ends meet believe he will make changes that make a difference in their lives .
They increasingly understand that Trump is a liar who cares nothing for them , and if they are motivated enough to get through the obstacle course to vote , they will sweep Trump and his enablers out of office and give Democrats a chance to govern .
If we get that chance , our party needs to be unified enough to deliver real change to those voters , to make their lives substantively better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay in the elections to come .

I tend to pull my hair out when listening to Democrats who engage in endless debates over whether to have a message that appeals to base voters or swing voters. I have been hearing these debates for my entire 40-year career in Democratic and progressive politics, and especially now, with the stakes so damn high, I can’t believe I am hearing them again. We don’t have to choose, folks. In fact, if we do choose an either/or path, we will once again lose an election. And, as we all well know, if we lose this one, democracy in the good old USA is done for, along with any chance of lessening the devastating effects of climate change. So to all my Democratic friends: it’s time to cut the bullshit.
Elections are most assuredly won with both kinds of voters. We can’t win if most of the swing voters go against us. We also can’t win if we don’t get big turnouts from Blacks, Latinos, Latinas, Bernie voters, and Elizabeth voters. I think the data is pretty clear that the second factor matters more than the first in this election, as the biggest worry I see is lack of enthusiasm among young and Latino voters. But the data is equally clear that in those crucial battleground states: we need them all, folks. We need big numbers from all those different kinds of voters, because even if we could squeeze out a narrow victory with just swing voters or just base voters, the way we keep Trump from destroying this country is to beat him and his Republican enablers so thoroughly that they can’t steal this election.
Let's focus for a moment on the idiocy of the either/or thing. Yes, African-Americans, Latinos, and Latinas, and the Bernie and Elizabeth supporters in the Democratic primaries, and the working-class white people in the suburbs and rural America who tend to be swing voters (as opposed to the working-class white people who are strong Trump supporters) all have some ways of looking at the world that are very distinctive. Some of it is cultural; there are language choices that can be important; and some of the differences are on specific issues that matter more to some than to others. It makes sense to talk farm policy and rural economic development in the small town of Ellsworth, Wisconsin; not so much in inner city Milwaukee. In those Black neighborhoods in Milwaukee and Kenosha, talking about the urgent importance of policing and criminal justice reform is going to be essential; maybe to those folks in Ellsworth, not so much.
But working-class voters of all races and regions have so much more in common than they have differences. Read this powerful column by Stan Greenberg about the focus groups he has been doing with white, working-class voters, and then try to tell me those white, working-class folks have too little in common with working-class people of color or young, working-class Bernie voters for a common message to work. All of those different kinds of voters are hard pressed, squeezed and beaten down by Covid, by rising health costs, by an economy that didn’t feel all that fabulous to them even before COVID, and now has them on the edge of a high cliff about to fall.
The over-arching Democratic message needs to speak directly to the tough economic times facing all these voters. It needs to be clear we will be doing something tangible about those folks’ rising out-of-pocket health care expenses and the urgent troubles of having a secure health care plan if they get laid off or their employer isn’t paying for health care. Such a message is not going to seem like a scary lefty message. It will break through with voters who are desperate for real answers from their political leaders. It’s the kind of message that will not only solidify Biden’s 8-point lead in the polls, it will expand it to more like 10 points. And it will assure victory in both those crucial Midwestern states like the ones where Greenberg did his focus groups, and in the Southern and Southwestern states that are also swing states.
Right now, the one issue area where Trump still seems to have an edge is on is the economy. We have to turn that around.
So far, the Biden campaign has been running on two simultaneous tracks. They have laid out a solid issue agenda on the economy in their Build Back Better program, and that agenda appeals to a wide range of constituencies that will be important to winning the campaign. But most of their overall messaging has been about Joe Biden’s empathy, compassion, and character -- in contrast to the distinct lack of those qualities in Donald Trump. Many of the ads they have run have been genuinely moving, and have done a great job of setting the tone for this campaign. They have been keeping things more general on the issues, because they are trying to satisfy this big tent coalition they have worked so hard to build. All of that is understandable.
But the campaign is going to need to turn to those economic and health care issues that matter heavily to all those working-class voters they need to win this election. Those voters are going to have to stand in long lines to vote, or jump through all those hoops that Republicans working to suppress the vote are putting in their way. For those voters who voted for Trump last time but are over him now, the main thing holding them back is their doubts over whether Biden will deliver for them on the hard economic and health care issues they are facing. To motivate them to vote for Democrats and go through the hassles of voting during a pandemic, these voters need to know more than Biden is a good guy and that Trump is an awful one. They are going to need to know that electing Biden and other Democrats will make a genuine, tangible difference in their lives. They are going to have to inspire and motivate their base voters, and also convince those swing voters it will matter in their lives to vote blue.
I have been heartened to hear from the campaign and see in the press that they will be talking more about the economy and health care in the weeks to come. That is great news, but in addition to rolling out policies, I hope we see ads on the economy and health care that have some edge and grit to them, that speak to all those people who, as Elizabeth Warren puts it, live at the ragged edge of the middle class. With COVID and the economic crisis landing on top of a decades-long squeezing of those folks, a majority of Americans now live on that ragged edge. The Biden campaign, and Democrats in general, need to speak directly to those voters with messaging and policy that recognizes the depth of this economic crisis, and assures people that they really will come through for them.
I need to conclude with some unpleasant business, because this article is circulating widely on every progressive listserv and social media platform I am on, and progressive writers like Bob Kuttner are starting to write columns about it. The article begins with this loveliness:
When Joe Biden released economic recommendations two months ago, they included a few ideas that worried some powerful bankers: allowing banking at the post office, for example, and having the Federal Reserve guarantee all Americans a bank account. But in private calls with Wall Street leaders, the Biden campaign made it clear those proposals would not be central to Biden’s agenda. “They basically said, ‘Listen, this is just an exercise to keep the Warren people happy, and don’t read too much into it,’ ” said one investment banker, referring to liberal supporters of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). The banker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private talks, said that message was conveyed on multiple calls.
I am compelled to make some comments on this. First, to my progressive allies out there, know this: these unnamed campaign people being quoted by the unnamed investment banker do not represent the scores of Biden staffers I know who actually support what their boss has been saying on policy, and will fight to get these policies put into law if Democrats win this election.
Beyond that, the cynical insiders promising their Wall Street friends that nothing will change don’t have the power to back up their promises.There is a rising progressive movement in this country, and given how deep a hole we are going to be in when Democrats take office next January, that movement’s demands for big changes are going to be impossible to ignore.
And to the campaign insiders who stab Vice-President Biden in the back and undercut his credibility by making these promises to the big money guys (because they mostly all are guys), you need to just stop. I don’t know whether you said those things to try to raise a few extra bucks, or to try to get high-paying clients when the campaign was over, but what you said was disloyalty pure and simple. When I worked at the Clinton White House or on his campaign, if I had told anyone that Clinton didn’t mean what he said and was going to break the promises he had just made, and the president had heard me say it, I know I would have been fired, and I would have deserved to be. Joe Biden does not deserve that kind of disloyalty.
For another thing, I always question the motivation of anonymous leakers and would never trust the word of regulation-hating Wall Street bankers. A lot of those guys are big Republicans or Republican-leaning or have no real ideology other than making money, and might be lying to the press to divide the Democratic vote to throw the election to Trump and the GOP.
Joe Biden has made the right decisions to work to bring the Democratic Party together, and to promise in this moment of crisis to be the most transformational president since FDR. If pro-Big Business Democrats try to undermine a Biden presidency by blocking needed reforms, they will split this party down the middle and make a successful Biden presidency impossible.
Joe Biden will win this election if those hard-pressed voters (both base and swing) struggling to make ends meet believe he will make changes that make a difference in their lives. They increasingly understand that Trump is a liar who cares nothing for them, and if they are motivated enough to get through the obstacle course to vote, they will sweep Trump and his enablers out of office and give Democrats a chance to govern. If we get that chance, our party needs to be unified enough to deliver real change to those voters, to make their lives substantively better, or there will be hell to pay in the elections to come.


crooksandliars--2020-09-13--Dakotas Surge To Lead The United States In COVID Cases As Both States Reject Mask Mandates

Anti-maskers were out in full force at a city council meeting earlier this month for a vote mandating wearing face masks in businesses .
Their first meeting was called `` intimidating '' ( seen above on Sept 2 ) so it was moved to an arena where the motion ultimately passed ( on Sept 8 ) .
SIOUX FALLS , S.D .
( AP ) — Coronavirus infections in the Dakotas are growing faster than anywhere else in the nation , fueling impassioned debates over masks and personal freedom after months in which the two states avoided the worst of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raged this week in Brookings , South Dakota , as the city council considered requiring face coverings in businesses .
The city was forced to move its meeting to a local arena to accommodate intense interest , with many citizens speaking against it , before the mask requirement ultimately passed .
Amid the brute force of the pandemic , health experts warn that the infections must be contained before care systems are overwhelmed .
North Dakota and South Dakota lead the country in new cases per capita over the last two weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Johns Hopkins University researchers .
South Dakota has also posted some of the country ’ s highest positivity rates for COVID-19 tests in the last week — over 17 percent — an indication that there are more infections than tests are catching .
Infections have been spurred by schools and universities reopening and mass gatherings like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally , which drew hundreds of thousands of people from across the country .

Anti-maskers were out in full force at a city council meeting earlier this month for a vote mandating wearing face masks in businesses. Their first meeting was called "intimidating" ( seen above on Sept 2) so it was moved to an arena where the motion ultimately passed (on Sept 8).
Source: Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Coronavirus infections in the Dakotas are growing faster than anywhere else in the nation, fueling impassioned debates over masks and personal freedom after months in which the two states avoided the worst of the pandemic.
The argument over masks raged this week in Brookings, South Dakota, as the city council considered requiring face coverings in businesses. The city was forced to move its meeting to a local arena to accommodate intense interest, with many citizens speaking against it, before the mask requirement ultimately passed.
Amid the brute force of the pandemic, health experts warn that the infections must be contained before care systems are overwhelmed. North Dakota and South Dakota lead the country in new cases per capita over the last two weeks, ranking first and second respectively, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.
South Dakota has also posted some of the country’s highest positivity rates for COVID-19 tests in the last week — over 17 percent — an indication that there are more infections than tests are catching.
Infections have been spurred by schools and universities reopening and mass gatherings like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which drew hundreds of thousands of people from across the country.


crooksandliars--2020-09-13--'60 Minutes' Tonight: Bob Woodward Talks 'RAGE'

'60 Minutes ' tonight features Bob Woodward talking about his new book 'RAGE , ' which made headlines last week .
Trump gave Woodward eighteen interviews ; it will be interesting to see what the author drops during his talk .
On CBS '60 Minutes ' Bob Woodward talks to correspondent Scott Pelley about his taped interviews with President Trump .
In the interview , Woodward says Donald Trump 's failure to tell Americans the coronavirus 's truth is a tragedy .
The author and journalist talked to the president for this new book , 'Rage , ' conducting nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these recordings made public last week , allowed millions of people to hear the president in his voice talk to Woodward about the deadly virus , race relations , and more .
The audio recordings revealed in the 'Rage ' interviews are telling .
Trump acknowledged the journalist who knew the coronavirus could be transmitted through the air and was five times more deadly than the flu , even as he was publicly downplaying the virus and even calling it a 'hoax . '
Watch Woodward 's interview on '60 Minutes ' tonight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All Access ( subscription or trial subscription required ) .

'60 Minutes' tonight features Bob Woodward talking about his new book 'RAGE,' which made headlines last week. Trump gave Woodward eighteen interviews; it will be interesting to see what the author drops during his talk.
On CBS '60 Minutes' Bob Woodward talks to correspondent Scott Pelley about his taped interviews with President Trump.
In the interview, Woodward says Donald Trump's failure to tell Americans the coronavirus's truth is a tragedy. The author and journalist talked to the president for this new book, 'Rage,' conducting nine hours of on-the-record interviews. Portions of these recordings made public last week, allowed millions of people to hear the president in his voice talk to Woodward about the deadly virus, race relations, and more.
The audio recordings revealed in the 'Rage' interviews are telling. Trump acknowledged the journalist who knew the coronavirus could be transmitted through the air and was five times more deadly than the flu, even as he was publicly downplaying the virus and even calling it a 'hoax.'
Watch Woodward's interview on '60 Minutes' tonight at 7pm EST or live on CBS All Access (subscription or trial subscription required).


crooksandliars--2020-09-13--Trump Keeps Bragging About Nonexistent 'Bay Of Pigs Award' He Invented For Himself

Trump took to Twitter this Sunday and used an old lie he 's been repeating since 2016 about an award that does n't exist to attack Joe Biden and tell his followers how much the Hispanic community supposedly loves him .
Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to Hispanics .
Now he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out .
That won ’ t work !
Remember , Miami Cubans gave me the highly honored Bay of Pigs Award for all I have done for our great Cuban Population !
CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone who might be confused as to the origin of this so-called `` award '' just what Trump was really talking about .
For those confused by Trump ’ s claim he got the “ highly honored Bay of Pigs Award ” : He got an endorsement in 2016 from the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association .
It ’ s not an award .
He has a long history of turning endorsements and other non-awards into awards .
`` The Bay of Pigs Award '' LOL !
Just one small thing about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exist .
But if it did , it would be appropriate to give it to Trump , because the Bay of Pigs invasion was a monumental failure and foreign policy disaster .
Trump con job on Cuba : He illegally reached out to Cuba to set up a deal with Castro to prepare for a hoped-for opening of casinos .
Months later , in his 1st run for president , he condemned Castro & those who 'd do business with him in speech to @ voiceofcanf pic.twitter.com/aDGVcfM5Ii A ) there is no such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ B ) if you know anything about the Bay of Pigs , you 'd know it 's not something for an award to be named after

(Trump tells a crowd at a rally in New Mexico in September of 2019 that the Cubans in Miami have given him the "Bay of Pigs Award.")
Trump took to Twitter this Sunday and used an old lie he's been repeating since 2016 about an award that doesn't exist to attack Joe Biden and tell his followers how much the Hispanic community supposedly loves him.
Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to Hispanics. Now he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out. That won’t work! Remember, Miami Cubans gave me the highly honored Bay of Pigs Award for all I have done for our great Cuban Population! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2020
CNN's fact checker Daniel Dale explained to anyone who might be confused as to the origin of this so-called "award" just what Trump was really talking about.
For those confused by Trump’s claim he got the “highly honored Bay of Pigs Award”:
He got an endorsement in 2016 from the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association. It’s not an award. He has a long history of turning endorsements and other non-awards into awards. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) September 13, 2020
And Twitter responded in kind:
"The Bay of Pigs Award" LOL!
Just one small thing about this "award" - it doesn't exist. But if it did, it would be appropriate to give it to Trump, because the Bay of Pigs invasion was a monumental failure and foreign policy disaster. — Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) September 13, 2020
Fact check: LIE
No matter how many times you get fact-checked, you still repeat the lie.https://t.co/y9TuaoUrIx pic.twitter.com/P9F3bXJISW — D Villella ❄ (@dvillella) September 13, 2020
You’ll never get an award from cows 🐮 — Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 (@DevinCow) September 13, 2020
Trump con job on Cuba: He illegally reached out to Cuba to set up a deal with Castro to prepare for a hoped-for opening of casinos. Months later, in his 1st run for president, he condemned Castro & those who'd do business with him in speech to @voiceofcanf pic.twitter.com/aDGVcfM5Ii — Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) September 13, 2020
A) there is no such thing as the Bay of Pigs Award
B) if you know anything about the Bay of Pigs, you'd know it's not something for an award to be named after — Pé (@4everNeverTrump) September 13, 2020
Joe Biden is at church. you've been rage-tweeting from a hotel room for three solid hours — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) September 13, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-09-13--RNC Chair Falsely Claims Biden Was Privy To Same Intelligence On Pandemic As Trump

While Chuck Todd did a decent job of debunking a good deal of the constant stream of lies that poured out of RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel 's mouth , he let her get away with lying about Biden being privy to the same intelligence on the coronavirus as Trump in the early days of the pandemic .
During an appearance on this Sunday 's Meet the Press , McDaniel was asked about the Woodward tapes and the ridiculous notion that he has any aversion to inciting panic after watching him in action fearmongering over everything from migrant caravans to BLM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name it , and the fact that he 's openly fought against mask mandates and refused to wear one himself for months on end .
Todd pushed back hard when McDaniel straight up lied about Trump being supportive of mask wearing , but gave McDaniel a huge pass when she deflected to blaming Democrats when asked why the United States was doing so much worse than the rest of the Western world in getting the pandemic under control : CHUCK TODD : Well , it is -- I think there is a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what you said there , considering how the president continues to try to downplay the severity of the virus .
We ’ re still have a caseload that is much higher than the Western world .
I mean , again , you can say all these things .
The results speak for themselves .
We , we have -- you compare us to the rest of the Western world , and we have failed .
Is there any way to look at this and compare to the Western world and say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
RONNA McDANIEL : I will just tell you right now if Democrats were in charge , if Joe Biden had his way , go look at his statements in January when he said the president was being xenophobic -- RONNA McDANIEL : -- and hysterical for closing the borders to China -- RONNA McDANIEL : No .
No , no .
He was running for president , and he had the same data and the same information .
And while Democrats were trying to impeach this president , this president was taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's disgusting to take a crisis in our country and try and lay it at the feet of the president .
And where is the outrage at China , as we 're hearing more and more stories come forward and research coming forward that they knew about it earlier , that they were n't transparent ?
What about the WHO that had one job , Chuck ?
One job , to warn the world about a pandemic .
And they failed .
And this is a president saying , `` We 're going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to give you hundreds of millions of dollars . ''
This is a president who took decisive action early on that was derided by Democrats .
So he saved lives with the actions he has taken .
And the fact that we 've ramped up testing -- CHUCK TODD : You just , you just -- RONNA McDANIEL : -- and the fact that we 're close to a vaccine is because of this president .
CHUCK TODD : You just said that the WHO didn ’ t warn , did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a pandemic .
The president of the United States has admitted that he 's purposely downplaying the severity of this virus to not panic the public .
So -- CHUCK TODD : -- both of your statements ca n't be true -- RONNA McDANIEL : He 's saying he 's trying not to panic -- CHUCK TODD : He said that .
RONNA McDANIEL : No , he 's saying he was n't going to create a panic .
What would it mean if the president came out and said , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be panicked '' ?
He presented calm and a steady hand and a plan .
And that is what a president should do .
You know , we just commemorated 9/11 this week .
And I watched Andy Card walk over to George Bush and say , `` The second tower has been hit .
America is under attack . ''
And George Bush did n't stand up and say , `` America 's been attacked by terrorists .
Everyone panic . ''
They created a plan and they presented calm and certainty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different this time is Democrats are politicizing it because we have an election , instead of saying , `` Let 's work with you , Mr. President , and make sure we 're all fighting a virus like we 've never seen together . ''
CHUCK TODD : All right .
You keep accusing the Democrats of politicizing .
There 's a report overnight in Politico that political operatives in , at HHS are manipulating data and manipulating some of the CDC recommendations before they go public in order to , quote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
That is the definition of politicizing the pandemic .
Is it not ?
While I 'm glad he reminded McDaniel that Biden is not the president and is not responsible for the response , and that Republicans and the Trump administration are the ones that have actually politicized the crisis , he allowed her to push the same lie being told on Fox this week , unchallenged , which is that Biden was somehow privy to the same intelligence as Trump on the pandemic , when he did n't actually start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's a step up from the nonsense viewers were treated to on ABC with George Stephanopoulos pressing Biden surrogate Symone Sanders why the former vice president did not do more to stop the coronavirus pandemic , despite the fact that he was not running the country at the time , but not by much .
None of them should allow these gaslighting Republicans on the air if they 're not going to be fact-checked on ALL of the lies they tell in real time .

While Chuck Todd did a decent job of debunking a good deal of the constant stream of lies that poured out of RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel's mouth, he let her get away with lying about Biden being privy to the same intelligence on the coronavirus as Trump in the early days of the pandemic.
During an appearance on this Sunday's Meet the Press, McDaniel was asked about the Woodward tapes and the ridiculous notion that he has any aversion to inciting panic after watching him in action fearmongering over everything from migrant caravans to BLM protests across the country, to you name it, and the fact that he's openly fought against mask mandates and refused to wear one himself for months on end.
Todd pushed back hard when McDaniel straight up lied about Trump being supportive of mask wearing, but gave McDaniel a huge pass when she deflected to blaming Democrats when asked why the United States was doing so much worse than the rest of the Western world in getting the pandemic under control:
CHUCK TODD: Well, it is -- I think there is a lot of people that take issue with most of what you said there, considering how the president continues to try to downplay the severity of the virus. We’re still have a caseload that is much higher than the Western world. I mean, again, you can say all these things. The results speak for themselves. We, we have -- you compare us to the rest of the Western world, and we have failed. Is there any way to look at this and compare to the Western world and say that we've done better than other countries? RONNA McDANIEL: I will just tell you right now if Democrats were in charge, if Joe Biden had his way, go look at his statements in January when he said the president was being xenophobic -- CHUCK TODD: He's not the president. RONNA McDANIEL: -- and hysterical for closing the borders to China -- CHUCK TODD: He's not the president. RONNA McDANIEL: No. No, no. He was running for president, and he had the same data and the same information. And while Democrats were trying to impeach this president, this president was taking decisive action. So I think it's disgusting to take a crisis in our country and try and lay it at the feet of the president. And where is the outrage at China, as we're hearing more and more stories come forward and research coming forward that they knew about it earlier, that they weren't transparent? What about the WHO that had one job, Chuck? One job, to warn the world about a pandemic. And they failed. And this is a president saying, "We're going to hold you accountable. We're not going to give you hundreds of millions of dollars." This is a president who took decisive action early on that was derided by Democrats. So he saved lives with the actions he has taken. And the fact that we've ramped up testing -- CHUCK TODD: You just, you just -- RONNA McDANIEL: -- and the fact that we're close to a vaccine is because of this president. CHUCK TODD: You just said that the WHO didn’t warn, didn't do enough to warn the world of a pandemic. The president of the United States has admitted that he's purposely downplaying the severity of this virus to not panic the public. So -- RONNA McDANIEL: No, Chuck, he's not. CHUCK TODD:-- both of your statements can't be true -- RONNA McDANIEL: He's saying he's trying not to panic -- CHUCK TODD: He said that. RONNA McDANIEL: No, he's saying he wasn't going to create a panic. What would it mean if the president came out and said, "The sky is falling and everybody should be panicked"? He presented calm and a steady hand and a plan. And that is what a president should do. You know, we just commemorated 9/11 this week. And I watched Andy Card walk over to George Bush and say, "The second tower has been hit. America is under attack." And George Bush didn't stand up and say, "America's been attacked by terrorists. Everyone panic." They created a plan and they presented calm and certainty in a difficult time. What's different this time is Democrats are politicizing it because we have an election, instead of saying, "Let's work with you, Mr. President, and make sure we're all fighting a virus like we've never seen together." CHUCK TODD: All right. You keep accusing the Democrats of politicizing. There's a report overnight in Politico that political operatives in, at HHS are manipulating data and manipulating some of the CDC recommendations before they go public in order to, quote, "fit with the president's positions." That is the definition of politicizing the pandemic. Is it not?
While I'm glad he reminded McDaniel that Biden is not the president and is not responsible for the response, and that Republicans and the Trump administration are the ones that have actually politicized the crisis, he allowed her to push the same lie being told on Fox this week, unchallenged, which is that Biden was somehow privy to the same intelligence as Trump on the pandemic, when he didn't actually start receiving briefings until sometime in mid-June.
It's a step up from the nonsense viewers were treated to on ABC with George Stephanopoulos pressing Biden surrogate Symone Sanders why the former vice president did not do more to stop the coronavirus pandemic, despite the fact that he was not running the country at the time, but not by much.
None of them should allow these gaslighting Republicans on the air if they're not going to be fact-checked on ALL of the lies they tell in real time.


crooksandliars--2020-09-13--Jonathan Karl Explains Why He Called Trump A Liar To His Face: 'There's No Other Way To Put It'

ABC White House correspondent Jonathan Karl on Sunday revealed why he finally relented and used the word `` lie '' to describe how President Donald Trump withheld information about COVID-19 from the American people .
At a press conference on Friday , Karl had confronted Trump about an audio tape in which the president admits that he publicly downplayed the virus even though he knew it was much more serious .
`` Why did you lie to the American people and why should we trust what you say now ? ''
Karl asked the president , who responded by calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Sunday , CNN 's Brian Stelter asked Karl why he chose to use the word `` lie . ''
`` I 've resisted using that word for five years of covering Donald Trump , as a candidate and as president , '' Karl explained .
`` But I went in there feeling that there was no other way to put it . ''
According to the ABC reporter , audio tapes recorded by journalist Bob Woodward make it clear `` that the president knew what the truth was and , in fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not telling the truth . ''
`` That is by definition a lie , '' Karl observed .
`` So , I just felt I needed to ask the question as directly and plainly as possible . ''

ABC White House correspondent Jonathan Karl on Sunday revealed why he finally relented and used the word "lie" to describe how President Donald Trump withheld information about COVID-19 from the American people.
At a press conference on Friday, Karl had confronted Trump about an audio tape in which the president admits that he publicly downplayed the virus even though he knew it was much more serious.
"Why did you lie to the American people and why should we trust what you say now?" Karl asked the president, who responded by calling the reporter a "disgrace."
On Sunday, CNN's Brian Stelter asked Karl why he chose to use the word "lie."
"I've resisted using that word for five years of covering Donald Trump, as a candidate and as president," Karl explained. "But I went in there feeling that there was no other way to put it."
According to the ABC reporter, audio tapes recorded by journalist Bob Woodward make it clear "that the president knew what the truth was and, in fact, explained to Woodward his reason for not telling the truth."
"That is by definition a lie," Karl observed. "So, I just felt I needed to ask the question as directly and plainly as possible."