crooksandliars--2020-11-24--He May Have Lost, But Trump Does Not Intend To Go Quietly

As Donald Trump 's `` legal '' team loses flimsy lawsuit after flimsy lawsuit and ( ahem ) that team 's top spokescreatures begin to turn increasingly feral , in front of the television cameras , Donald Trump himself appears to be genuinely pondering what to do with himself after being turned out of office in January .
A spate of stories today asks that question , and the answers appear to be congealing around Trump both wanting to maintain absolute political power and do as little work as possible .
The most immediate concern , of course , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with attacking Republican governors who he sees as not doing as much as they should be to overturn their states ' elections to reinstall him as Dear Leader Because Reasons .
Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp , who is now being accused by Trump `` lawyer '' Sidney Powell of taking money to rig the election against Trump , and Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine , who called Joe Biden the `` president-elect '' on live television despite Trump insisting that every member of the Republican Party pretend that Biden did n't win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's anti-reality propaganda claims .
Trump has been threatening to campaign against Republicans who have wronged him even after he has left office , so this may be an interesting first test of those capabilities .
Trump television labrador Sean Hannity and other pro-fascist pundits are eagerly following Trump 's lead in bashing Kemp , especially .
Things may be different when Trump has fled to Mar-a-Lago , or they may not .
One gets the feeling that Hannity , especially , finds Trump so enormously useful that he will let Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come .
Their relationship is , shall we say , fuhrer-ous .
Whether he has won or has lost , however , Trump genuinely believes himself to be the fascist leader of a Republican Party that has been remade around his own perversions , and both he and his allies have taken extraordinary steps to purge the disloyal and reality-based from both government positions and from positions in the Party 's leadership .
Trump loyalist Ronna McDaniel , the current Republican National Committee chair , has made it known that she intends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January—with Donald Trump 's support .
While she herself insists that she does not intend to use that post to help ensure that a Trump 2024 presidential run is boosted over that of any would-be Republican challengers , everyone who has allied themselves with Trump has proven to be unrelenting liars and few members of the party , if any , actually believe her .
That leads , then , to the elephant in the , er , elephant : Trump does seem quite interested in running for the presidency again , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The New York Times outlines some of the steps Trump has taken to keep Republican Party control in his own short-fingered hands for at least that long , and the difficulties the party will have in removing him .
By diving down even into state Republican Party officials to install loyalists , Trump 's allies have attempted to ensure there is simply nobody of consequence left in the party who could stand up to him , even if someone wanted to .
That power , especially if abetted by a Trump-loyal party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kneecapping of any Republican who imagines themselves a presidential contender , in 2024 .
They are all hostage to Trump 's own decision to run , or not to run .
And it 's in Trump 's interest to `` run '' for the nomination whether he 's sincere about it or not .
Trump is not relevant unless he expresses a desire for additional power ; if there is anything Trump absolutely must have , as an addled malignant narcissist obsessed with nothing else , it is relevance .
Trump needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also needs it to continue raking in cash from his base of compulsive deplorables ; while he may not be able to spend that money directly on himself without risking jail time ( not that such niceties were observed when he was running his now shut-down family `` charity '' ) , it will remain an essential resource for Trump 's myriad legal defenses .
Expect Trump to bleed those campaign funds to pay whatever bills need paying , and approximately forever .
It 's absolutely assured , then , that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a new presidential run , and likely before Biden has even assumed office .
This will sabotage every other Republican contender , depriving the party of even the pretense of `` moving on '' from their fascist moment .
It may or may not work to exacerbate the right-wing terrorism already threatening to erupt after Trump 's loss , but Trump will not give a flying damn about that .
In the end , however , Trump is Trump .
He can operate only within the narrow limits of his own ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not , learn new tricks .
He is played out .
The Washington Post gives us its own look inside Trump 's orbit and head , and there are no particular surprises .
The Post confirms that Trump has told `` confidants '' that he may announce a 2024 campaign `` before the end of this year . ''
And it gives an honest appraisal of what 's coming next .
`` Trump also has been exploring ways to make money for relatively little work , '' says the Post , `` such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or selling tickets to rallies .
In addition , he may try to write a score-settling memoir of his time as president and appear on television , in a paid or unpaid capacity . ''
Yeah , that sounds about right .
Trump will do what he literally always has done : Find ways to make money without having to work , mostly by licensing his name to the highest bidder .
We 'll likely get a new Book of Eternal Grievances , thanks to some ghostwriter willing to listen to him drone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will take , which will be inflicted on us as pseudo-autobiography .
And , most importantly , Trump intends to give shouting speeches to adoring crowds from now until eternity .
It 's his thing .
Without it , he would wither and die like that plant you just brought home .
What all this does mean , however , is that America 's fascist moment has not yet passed .
It will continue , and with the same leader .
The fascist moment will go on a speechgiving tour .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brands and to miracle cures .
The fascist movement may invent a new burger .
But it will be back .
There is nobody in Republicanism who will shut it down , and especially not after Republican lawmakers proved to each other , countless times , that if they were to stand up to condemn Trump there would not be a person among them who would rally to that side .
They are loyalists not because they admire anything about Trump , but because their cowardice leaves them without any other option .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican that imagines themselves the next president will abandon those dreams , rather than face Trump 's insults .
The 2016 crop of opponents , which included Sens .
Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio , shapeshifted into Trump sycophants seemingly effortlessly .
The Republican Party is itself broken , no longer conservative but willingly ridiculous , deplorable , and fascist .
If there is to be opposition to a fascist return from the conservative right , it will come from a new party with a new name .
Republicanism itself can not , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is another possibility , however , and it is one that the media is not piping up on except as hints and asides .
Trump is facing unprecedented `` legal '' troubles because he is in unprecedented legal jeopardy .
Journalists have uncovered a small mountain of apparent frauds and tax dodges , and ones that can not be pardoned no matter how egregiously Trump misuses the ability .
Attorney General William Barr has put the brakes to numerous investigations of Trump 's associates , many of which directly implicate Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to resume , once Barr is removed from his post .
If Trump intends to stage a 2024 rematch , there is a nontrivial possibility he will be doing it while under indictment , or be recording his campaign speeches from a nation without an extradition treaty with the United States .
The man is a walking crime spree .
The Mueller report made it quite clear that he lied to investigators ; the Roger Stone and Michael Flynn indictments have made it clear that Trump himself was either personally directing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made aware of them .
It 's not likely all that will be going away .
But we can not assume it , and it 's not a given .
If America is going to turn back a tide of conspiracy-peddling , state-sponsored propaganda , political purges , in-office political crimes and cover-ups , calls for ethnic cleansing , violence on behalf of Dear Leader , and the rest of the fascist agenda conservative media worked diligently towards long before Trump himself captured the movement for his own self-absorbed ends , there will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it for us .
The U.S. conservative shift towards fascism did not require Trump , and it is certain to outlast him .

As Donald Trump's "legal" team loses flimsy lawsuit after flimsy lawsuit and (ahem) that team's top spokescreatures begin to turn increasingly feral, in front of the television cameras, Donald Trump himself appears to be genuinely pondering what to do with himself after being turned out of office in January. A spate of stories today asks that question, and the answers appear to be congealing around Trump both wanting to maintain absolute political power and do as little work as possible.
The most immediate concern, of course, is vengeance. Trump is preoccupied this weekend with attacking Republican governors who he sees as not doing as much as they should be to overturn their states' elections to reinstall him as Dear Leader Because Reasons. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is now being accused by Trump "lawyer" Sidney Powell of taking money to rig the election against Trump, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who called Joe Biden the "president-elect" on live television despite Trump insisting that every member of the Republican Party pretend that Biden didn't win, so as to better prop up Trump's anti-reality propaganda claims.
Trump has been threatening to campaign against Republicans who have wronged him even after he has left office, so this may be an interesting first test of those capabilities. Trump television labrador Sean Hannity and other pro-fascist pundits are eagerly following Trump's lead in bashing Kemp, especially. Things may be different when Trump has fled to Mar-a-Lago, or they may not. One gets the feeling that Hannity, especially, finds Trump so enormously useful that he will let Trump dictate his show's compulsions for years to come. Their relationship is, shall we say, fuhrer-ous.
Whether he has won or has lost, however, Trump genuinely believes himself to be the fascist leader of a Republican Party that has been remade around his own perversions, and both he and his allies have taken extraordinary steps to purge the disloyal and reality-based from both government positions and from positions in the Party's leadership. Trump loyalist Ronna Romney McDaniel, the current Republican National Committee chair, has made it known that she intends to run to keep her position in January—with Donald Trump's support. While she herself insists that she does not intend to use that post to help ensure that a Trump 2024 presidential run is boosted over that of any would-be Republican challengers, everyone who has allied themselves with Trump has proven to be unrelenting liars and few members of the party, if any, actually believe her.
That leads, then, to the elephant in the, er, elephant: Trump does seem quite interested in running for the presidency again, in 2024, or at least pretending to. The New York Times outlines some of the steps Trump has taken to keep Republican Party control in his own short-fingered hands for at least that long, and the difficulties the party will have in removing him. By diving down even into state Republican Party officials to install loyalists, Trump's allies have attempted to ensure there is simply nobody of consequence left in the party who could stand up to him, even if someone wanted to.
That power, especially if abetted by a Trump-loyal party chair like Romney McDaniel, means the likely kneecapping of any Republican who imagines themselves a presidential contender, in 2024. They are all hostage to Trump's own decision to run, or not to run. And it's in Trump's interest to "run" for the nomination whether he's sincere about it or not. Trump is not relevant unless he expresses a desire for additional power; if there is anything Trump absolutely must have, as an addled malignant narcissist obsessed with nothing else, it is relevance.
Trump needs to run for office to maintain relevance. He also needs it to continue raking in cash from his base of compulsive deplorables; while he may not be able to spend that money directly on himself without risking jail time (not that such niceties were observed when he was running his now shut-down family "charity"), it will remain an essential resource for Trump's myriad legal defenses. Expect Trump to bleed those campaign funds to pay whatever bills need paying, and approximately forever.
It's absolutely assured, then, that Trump will at least go through the motions of a new presidential run, and likely before Biden has even assumed office. This will sabotage every other Republican contender, depriving the party of even the pretense of "moving on" from their fascist moment. It may or may not work to exacerbate the right-wing terrorism already threatening to erupt after Trump's loss, but Trump will not give a flying damn about that.
In the end, however, Trump is Trump. He can operate only within the narrow limits of his own ability, and cannot, literally cannot, learn new tricks. He is played out.
The Washington Post gives us its own look inside Trump's orbit and head, and there are no particular surprises. The Post confirms that Trump has told "confidants" that he may announce a 2024 campaign "before the end of this year." And it gives an honest appraisal of what's coming next.
"Trump also has been exploring ways to make money for relatively little work," says the Post, "such as giving paid speeches to corporate groups or selling tickets to rallies. In addition, he may try to write a score-settling memoir of his time as president and appear on television, in a paid or unpaid capacity."
Yeah, that sounds about right. Trump will do what he literally always has done: Find ways to make money without having to work, mostly by licensing his name to the highest bidder. We'll likely get a new Book of Eternal Grievances, thanks to some ghostwriter willing to listen to him drone on for however many hundreds of hours that will take, which will be inflicted on us as pseudo-autobiography. And, most importantly, Trump intends to give shouting speeches to adoring crowds from now until eternity. It's his thing. Without it, he would wither and die like that plant you just brought home.
What all this does mean, however, is that America's fascist moment has not yet passed. It will continue, and with the same leader. The fascist moment will go on a speechgiving tour. The fascist moment will license itself to pillow brands and to miracle cures. The fascist movement may invent a new burger. But it will be back. There is nobody in Republicanism who will shut it down, and especially not after Republican lawmakers proved to each other, countless times, that if they were to stand up to condemn Trump there would not be a person among them who would rally to that side. They are loyalists not because they admire anything about Trump, but because their cowardice leaves them without any other option.
It is not hard to imagine every Republican that imagines themselves the next president will abandon those dreams, rather than face Trump's insults. The 2016 crop of opponents, which included Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, shapeshifted into Trump sycophants seemingly effortlessly. The Republican Party is itself broken, no longer conservative but willingly ridiculous, deplorable, and fascist.
If there is to be opposition to a fascist return from the conservative right, it will come from a new party with a new name. Republicanism itself cannot, and will not, provide it.
There is another possibility, however, and it is one that the media is not piping up on except as hints and asides. Trump is facing unprecedented "legal" troubles because he is in unprecedented legal jeopardy. Journalists have uncovered a small mountain of apparent frauds and tax dodges, and ones that cannot be pardoned no matter how egregiously Trump misuses the ability. Attorney General William Barr has put the brakes to numerous investigations of Trump's associates, many of which directly implicate Trump and his own family; those investigations are likely to resume, once Barr is removed from his post.
If Trump intends to stage a 2024 rematch, there is a nontrivial possibility he will be doing it while under indictment, or be recording his campaign speeches from a nation without an extradition treaty with the United States. The man is a walking crime spree. The Mueller report made it quite clear that he lied to investigators; the Roger Stone and Michael Flynn indictments have made it clear that Trump himself was either personally directing their criminal actions or was at least being made aware of them.
It's not likely all that will be going away. But we cannot assume it, and it's not a given. If America is going to turn back a tide of conspiracy-peddling, state-sponsored propaganda, political purges, in-office political crimes and cover-ups, calls for ethnic cleansing, violence on behalf of Dear Leader, and the rest of the fascist agenda conservative media worked diligently towards long before Trump himself captured the movement for his own self-absorbed ends, there will be no deus ex machina that does it for us. The U.S. conservative shift towards fascism did not require Trump, and it is certain to outlast him.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-11-24--The Press Is Normalizing Trump's Multi-Pronged War On America

Published with permission of PRESS RUN , Eric Boehlert ’ s must-read media newsletter .
Subscribe here .
Trump ’ s election sabotage campaign is running out of time , but the damage he ’ s inflicting will have long lasting consequences .
Covering this unprecedented attack on American election integrity , the press is still not being honest about Trump ’ s ruinous final chapter .
The Daily Beast last week reported on Trump ’ s “ quixotic and potentially destructive effort ” to steal a victory .
“ Quixotic ” and “ possibly destructive ” ?
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has not accepted the election results , after losing by six million votes .
Worse , he ’ s been on a three-month crusade to denigrate free and fair elections in America , and he ’ s making it impossible for there to be a smooth transition of power .
This is so far beyond “ quixotic.
” Of course it ’ s destructive to our democracy — does anyone think the Republican Party will soon return to the days of rationally accepting ballot results ?
The GOP has blown a permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hallmark failure of the press for four years has been that it refuses to use the proper language to describe the truly lawless nature of Trump and today ’ s GOP .
Instead of referring to his treasonous post-election behavior surrounding the would-be coup by a power-hungry authoritarian out to steal an election , we get news updates about Trump ’ s “ tactics , ” his vague “ moves ” and “ chicanery ” ; his legal “ strategy ” and “ power play ” while “ sulking ” and “ brooding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that captures the historic events that have unfolded since Election Day .
Events that if they occurred in a foreign country would be covered much differently by the American press .
The idea that Trump ’ s harmlessly wandering the West Wing in a funk , despondent over his loss doesn ’ t match reality .
In truth , Trump has spent weeks , with laser-like focus , actively trying to engineer the open theft of a presidential contest .
He ’ s dispatched an army of lawyers who are committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible .
When that has proven to be a failure , he ’ s shifted to getting state Republicans to block or delay the certification of the popular votes in their states .
And much of the Republican Party supports him , either publicly or tacitly by standing by and watching .
Trump ’ s just “ sulking ” and Republicans are nervous and upset about his actions — that ’ s the false narrative too many in the press are pushing .
“ Senior GOP lawmakers grow anxious over Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read a recent CNN headline .
But CNN could find just three Republicans who were supposedly “ anxious ” about Trump trying to overturn an election where more than 150 million Americans voted .
One CNN report last week suggested Republicans had “ no choice ” but to back Trump ’ s election sabotage .
Politico dismissed Trump ’ s ongoing rampage as nothing more than “ performance art ” and “ bad sportsmanship.
” When Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) called Georgia ’ s Republican Secretary of State to making the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the New York Times headline made it seem like a quirky strategy : “ Lindsey Graham ’ s Long-Shot Mission to Unravel the Election Results.
” Amidst Trump ’ s stunning election sabotage campaign , the Times sat down with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-CA ) for a lengthy Q & A .
The paper did not pose a single question to McCarthy about how the Republican president was trying to get legitimate votes thrown out and overturn an election .
Instead , McCarthy and the Times reporters discussed what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican Party after he leaves office .
Additionally , the Times cast a sympathetic eye on Republicans state officials who supposedly face the tough “ choice ” of certifying verified voting results , or helping Trump cast doubt on them as he tries to overturn an election .
That ’ s a truly dangerous way to view , and to present , what ’ s currently unfolding .
Incredibly , Trump-appointed General Services Administrator Emily Murphy who refuses to acknowledge Joe Biden ’ s victory — her call would officially begin the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage as the press depicts her as simply caught in a tricky position .
She ’ s “ struggling ” to do the right thing , CNN stressed , while quoting anonymous friends about how honorable she is .
What ’ s the struggle ?
Biden won , period .
Murphy is purposefully making the transition more difficult .
Yet , the Washington Post framed the story as a partisan one , suggesting Democrats were “ fuming.
” Fact is , no GSA in history has refused to acknowledge the clear election winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authoritarianism has been on display for weeks now , as Trump throws all his energy into casting doubt over free and fair elections in the world ’ s oldest democracy .
The daily news coverage needs to say so , and drop the idea that Trump ’ s simply passing his days feeling sorry for himself , in a state of “ denial.
” He ’ s been waging a multi-pronged war on America .

Published with permission of PRESS RUN, Eric Boehlert’s must-read media newsletter. Subscribe here.
Trump’s election sabotage campaign is running out of time, but the damage he’s inflicting will have long lasting consequences. Covering this unprecedented attack on American election integrity, the press is still not being honest about Trump’s ruinous final chapter.
The Daily Beast last week reported on Trump’s “quixotic and potentially destructive effort” to steal a victory. “Quixotic” and “possibly destructive”? He’s the first president in 240 years who has not accepted the election results, after losing by six million votes. Worse, he’s been on a three-month crusade to denigrate free and fair elections in America, and he’s making it impossible for there to be a smooth transition of power.
This is so far beyond “quixotic.” Of course it’s destructive to our democracy — does anyone think the Republican Party will soon return to the days of rationally accepting ballot results? The GOP has blown a permanent hole in our election process.
A hallmark failure of the press for four years has been that it refuses to use the proper language to describe the truly lawless nature of Trump and today’s GOP.
Instead of referring to his treasonous post-election behavior surrounding the would-be coup by a power-hungry authoritarian out to steal an election, we get news updates about Trump’s “tactics,” his vague “moves” and “chicanery”; his legal “strategy” and “power play” while “sulking” and “brooding” inside the White House. None of that captures the historic events that have unfolded since Election Day. Events that if they occurred in a foreign country would be covered much differently by the American press.
The idea that Trump’s harmlessly wandering the West Wing in a funk, despondent over his loss doesn’t match reality. In truth, Trump has spent weeks, with laser-like focus, actively trying to engineer the open theft of a presidential contest. He’s dispatched an army of lawyers who are committed to throwing out as many legitimate U.S. votes as possible. When that has proven to be a failure, he’s shifted to getting state Republicans to block or delay the certification of the popular votes in their states. And much of the Republican Party supports him, either publicly or tacitly by standing by and watching.
Trump’s just “sulking” and Republicans are nervous and upset about his actions — that’s the false narrative too many in the press are pushing.
“Senior GOP lawmakers grow anxious over Trump's effort to overturn election results,” read a recent CNN headline. But CNN could find just three Republicans who were supposedly “anxious” about Trump trying to overturn an election where more than 150 million Americans voted. One CNN report last week suggested Republicans had “no choice” but to back Trump’s election sabotage. Politico dismissed Trump’s ongoing rampage as nothing more than “performance art” and “bad sportsmanship.”
When Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State to making the stunning inquiry about throwing out legal ballots, the New York Times headline made it seem like a quirky strategy: “Lindsey Graham’s Long-Shot Mission to Unravel the Election Results.”
Amidst Trump’s stunning election sabotage campaign, the Times sat down with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for a lengthy Q&A. The paper did not pose a single question to McCarthy about how the Republican president was trying to get legitimate votes thrown out and overturn an election. Instead, McCarthy and the Times reporters discussed what a long-term asset Trump could be to the Republican Party after he leaves office.
Additionally, the Times cast a sympathetic eye on Republicans state officials who supposedly face the tough “choice” of certifying verified voting results, or helping Trump cast doubt on them as he tries to overturn an election. That’s a truly dangerous way to view, and to present, what’s currently unfolding.
Incredibly, Trump-appointed General Services Administrator Emily Murphy who refuses to acknowledge Joe Biden’s victory — her call would officially begin the transition process — has been receiving kid-glove coverage as the press depicts her as simply caught in a tricky position. She’s “struggling” to do the right thing, CNN stressed, while quoting anonymous friends about how honorable she is. What’s the struggle? Biden won, period. Murphy is purposefully making the transition more difficult. Yet, the Washington Post framed the story as a partisan one, suggesting Democrats were “fuming.” Fact is, no GSA in history has refused to acknowledge the clear election winner, the way Murphy now refuses.
Authoritarianism has been on display for weeks now, as Trump throws all his energy into casting doubt over free and fair elections in the world’s oldest democracy. The daily news coverage needs to say so, and drop the idea that Trump’s simply passing his days feeling sorry for himself, in a state of “denial.” He’s been waging a multi-pronged war on America.


crooksandliars--2020-11-24--The Right's Descent Into Authoritarianism Is Not The Fault Of Liberals

The jury is still out but I have to hope that the following assessment from Tim Wu in Politico provides a little ray of light in all this madness : We ’ ve learned something important about America ’ s resistance to an authoritarian takeover .
Most republics , even the best of them , have struggled when confronted with a nationalist leader who shows up in bad economic times , blames everything on immigrants and foreigners , and promises to restore greatness .
That ’ s the fate that befell , among others , the Roman , Spanish , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was widely thought that the written Constitution and its fabled “ separation of powers ” had spared the United States from a similar fate .
But over the past four years , we ’ ve watched constitutional checks repeatedly fail to control the president , trumped by party loyalty .
Congress and the judiciary asserted limited control at best ; even impeachment turned out to be just another party-line vote .
What really mattered , in the end , was a different set of checks , upheld not by a document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independence of federal prosecutors , the neutrality of the armed forces and the independence of the electoral system .
He tried hard , but Trump ultimately couldn ’ t find a prosecutor to indict Joe Biden and his family .
The armed forces declined to embrace Trump ’ s proposed occupation of liberal cities over the summer .
And , finally , when it mattered , election officials , at a distance from the White House , conducted a fair vote .
In a manner that John Adams might have found satisfying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter more than any external checks .
I ’ m not sure how many internalized constitutional norms will continue to exist among any member of the right who consumes the disinformation and propaganda on offer in their media stream .
But maybe they aren ’ t all brainwashed yet .
That piece is from a Politico roundup of opinions on “ What Trump showed us about America.
” Unfortunately , most of the writers , from academia to culture to politics , and from both sides of aisle , agree on thing : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a failure of liberals , either to counter Trump by being more empathetic to his followers or refusing to accept that liberal elites are the reason for all the troubles in America and that the great populist horde finally rose up to put them in their place .
If there ’ s one thing we can all agree upon , it seems , is that while Trump and his GOP collaborators are a problem it ’ s nothing to the disgusting , perfidious Democrats who really need to change everything about themselves lest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m being a bit hyperbolic .
There were thoughtful observations like the one by Tim Wu above .
And some of the criticism of liberalism is right on the money .
It is hardly perfect .
But as I read through them I found myself getting angrier and angrier as I realized that instead of a united front to stop the fascist rise of the authoritarian right the left is probably going to revert to focusing on liberalism as the “ real problem ” and that is going to lead us right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evolves into — Cottonism ? )
because we won ’ t be paying attention .
And the right will exploit all the holes in our system that Trump has exposed .
So fuck this facile explanation for why the Republican Party has turned into a nihilistic , conspiracy addled bunch of unAmerican , authoritarian assholes .
It is lazy , intellectual rot and we ’ ve heard it all before .
Trump ’ s followers are not the poor and downtrodden of America .
Those are Democrats .
These Republicans are arrogant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around in monster trucks screaming “ fuck your feelings ” and worshipping the greatest con-man America has ever produced while praising Jesus as their savior in the same breath .
There is nothing liberalism did to cause that except to refuse to live in the 19th century and declare themselves to be “ avowedly with ” the right wing in all their hatreds and resentments .
Yes , establishment Democrats , center-left elites , wine-moms and hipsters and whoever else you loathe on the left side of the dial are awful .
Old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nobody is arguing otherwise .
But they are not the cause of what ’ s happened on the right .
What happened on the right is the result of a confluence of the long-term resentimmental strain in American life , a corrupt and power mad GOP establishment backed by big money and an unparalleled propaganda network that created an atmosphere allowing Donald Trump to rise to the apotheosis of American politics .
There is sickness everywhere in our politics and culture .
But blaming the “ liberal elites ” for the current @ @ @ @ @

The jury is still out but I have to hope that the following assessment from Tim Wu in Politico provides a little ray of light in all this madness:
We’ve learned something important about America’s resistance to an authoritarian takeover. Most republics, even the best of them, have struggled when confronted with a nationalist leader who shows up in bad economic times, blames everything on immigrants and foreigners, and promises to restore greatness. That’s the fate that befell, among others, the Roman, Spanish, German and Russian republics. Before Trump, it was widely thought that the written Constitution and its fabled “separation of powers” had spared the United States from a similar fate. But over the past four years, we’ve watched constitutional checks repeatedly fail to control the president, trumped by party loyalty. Congress and the judiciary asserted limited control at best; even impeachment turned out to be just another party-line vote. What really mattered, in the end, was a different set of checks, upheld not by a document but by people: namely, the independence of federal prosecutors, the neutrality of the armed forces and the independence of the electoral system. He tried hard, but Trump ultimately couldn’t find a prosecutor to indict Joe Biden and his family. The armed forces declined to embrace Trump’s proposed occupation of liberal cities over the summer. And, finally, when it mattered, election officials, at a distance from the White House, conducted a fair vote. In a manner that John Adams might have found satisfying, we have learned that internalized constitutional norms matter more than any external checks.
I’m not sure how many internalized constitutional norms will continue to exist among any member of the right who consumes the disinformation and propaganda on offer in their media stream. But maybe they aren’t all brainwashed yet.
That piece is from a Politico roundup of opinions on “What Trump showed us about America.” Unfortunately, most of the writers, from academia to culture to politics, and from both sides of aisle, agree on thing: everything that has happened is attributable to a failure of liberals, either to counter Trump by being more empathetic to his followers or refusing to accept that liberal elites are the reason for all the troubles in America and that the great populist horde finally rose up to put them in their place. If there’s one thing we can all agree upon, it seems, is that while Trump and his GOP collaborators are a problem it’s nothing to the disgusting, perfidious Democrats who really need to change everything about themselves lest the Republic implode.
Ok, I’m being a bit hyperbolic. There were thoughtful observations like the one by Tim Wu above. And some of the criticism of liberalism is right on the money. It is hardly perfect. But as I read through them I found myself getting angrier and angrier as I realized that instead of a united front to stop the fascist rise of the authoritarian right the left is probably going to revert to focusing on liberalism as the “real problem” and that is going to lead us right back to Trumpism (or whatever it evolves into — Cottonism? ) because we won’t be paying attention. And the right will exploit all the holes in our system that Trump has exposed.
So fuck this facile explanation for why the Republican Party has turned into a nihilistic, conspiracy addled bunch of unAmerican, authoritarian assholes. It is lazy, intellectual rot and we’ve heard it all before. Trump’s followers are not the poor and downtrodden of America. Those are Democrats. These Republicans are arrogant, middle class, white racists who drive around in monster trucks screaming “fuck your feelings” and worshipping the greatest con-man America has ever produced while praising Jesus as their savior in the same breath. There is nothing liberalism did to cause that except to refuse to live in the 19th century and declare themselves to be “avowedly with” the right wing in all their hatreds and resentments.
Yes, establishment Democrats, center-left elites, wine-moms and hipsters and whoever else you loathe on the left side of the dial are awful. Old baby boomer liberals like me are awful. Nobody is arguing otherwise. But they are not the cause of what’s happened on the right. What happened on the right is the result of a confluence of the long-term resentimmental strain in American life, a corrupt and power mad GOP establishment backed by big money and an unparalleled propaganda network that created an atmosphere allowing Donald Trump to rise to the apotheosis of American politics.
There is sickness everywhere in our politics and culture. But blaming the “liberal elites” for the current political atrocity is ridiculous.
Published with permission of Hullabaloo


crooksandliars--2020-11-24--Trump Insisted On Accepting Election Results For Turkey Pardon In 2018

`` If I told you that there was an excellent , phenomenal chance that the Supreme Court was going to @ @ @ @ @ victory to President Trump , I would be lying to you , ” the Fox @ @ @

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crooksandliars--2020-11-26--Trump's Plan To Burn The Civil Service To The Ground Is Moving Forward At One Major Agency

Donald Trump signed an executive order last month taking aim at the existence of a nonpartisan civil service with job protections for career employees that prevent the entire government from being politicized—and 88 % of the workers at the Office of Management and Budget are already in the crosshairs , ahead of schedule .
OMB Director Russell Vought has determined that 425 OMB workers—again , 88 % percent of them—should be converted to the new “ Schedule F , ” which would allow Trump to purge those who aren ’ t sufficiently loyal to him personally , and would potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most experienced , knowledgeable staff immediately before President-elect Joe Biden ’ s inauguration .
A long list of good government and government ethics organizations sent Congress a letter urging lawmakers to block Trump ’ s executive order , writing “ Our nonpartisan civil service has served as a model for other countries for more than a century .
Since the passage of the Pendleton Act of 1883 , civil servants have been hired based on their qualifications , and have been protected from removal based on political affiliation .
These protections do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servants themselves , but rather to ensure the government delivers services insulated from undue political influence.
” The executive order risks doing concrete damage to the function of government—as Team Trump no doubt intended .
“ At best , this EO will serve as a distraction at a time when the focus should be on ensuring a smooth transfer of power from one administration to another , ” they write .
“ At worst , career civil servants upon whom Americans rely for deep expertise and lifesaving services during the pandemic and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed for political reasons.
” And if Trump officials hire a large number of new staff following a purge of the existing civil servants , it could be incredibly difficult for the Biden administration to undo the damage .
This may sound like an obscure issue , but it is dangerous stuff , and it ’ s just one part of Trump ’ s efforts to trash the entire federal government on his way out the door .

Donald Trump signed an executive order last month taking aim at the existence of a nonpartisan civil service with job protections for career employees that prevent the entire government from being politicized—and 88% of the workers at the Office of Management and Budget are already in the crosshairs, ahead of schedule.
OMB Director Russell Vought has determined that 425 OMB workers—again, 88% percent of them—should be converted to the new “Schedule F,” which would allow Trump to purge those who aren’t sufficiently loyal to him personally, and would potentially strip the agency of many of its most experienced, knowledgeable staff immediately before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
A long list of good government and government ethics organizations sent Congress a letter urging lawmakers to block Trump’s executive order, writing “Our nonpartisan civil service has served as a model for other countries for more than a century. Since the passage of the Pendleton Act of 1883, civil servants have been hired based on their qualifications, and have been protected from removal based on political affiliation. These protections do not exist for the sake of the civil servants themselves, but rather to ensure the government delivers services insulated from undue political influence.”
The executive order risks doing concrete damage to the function of government—as Team Trump no doubt intended.
“At best, this EO will serve as a distraction at a time when the focus should be on ensuring a smooth transfer of power from one administration to another,” they write. “At worst, career civil servants upon whom Americans rely for deep expertise and lifesaving services during the pandemic and economic crisis—from approving vaccines to distributing loans—could be removed for political reasons.”
And if Trump officials hire a large number of new staff following a purge of the existing civil servants, it could be incredibly difficult for the Biden administration to undo the damage. This may sound like an obscure issue, but it is dangerous stuff, and it’s just one part of Trump’s efforts to trash the entire federal government on his way out the door.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--Least Shocking News Ever: Donald Trump Pardons Michael Flynn

In one of the least shocking moves by Donald Trump , he has extended a full pardon to convicted felon , General Michael Flynn .
Just a few months ago the DC Circuit Court denied his appeal to drop charges after he had pleaded guilty twice .
I guess Trump is starting his `` paying back his debts '' part of his lame duck presidency .
Pardoning Mike Flynn , who lied to the FBI and plead guilty , is an act of extreme corruption .
That we expect such underhanded behavior from Donald Trump , the most corrupt president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less wrong .
Donald Trump is crooked .
It 's extremely important to know what crimes Trump is pardoning Flynn for in part because he was criminally exposed in multiple ways — for lying to investigators and acting as an unregistered agent for Turkey .
Sullivan has also suggested he could face contempt of court .
Nothing great about this .
Nothing honorable about this .
Just the last gasp of a corrupt man on his way out .
https : //t.co/dpSQQsfP3s Chairman Schiff : `` It 's no surprise that Trump would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – crooked to the end . ''
I 've never met a former soldier of Flynn 's that respected him or was proud to work for him .
He was a toxic leader who belittled his subordinates and stole their work as his own .
It was always about him moving up the ladder .
He took the pardon because he is guilty .
He 's a traitor .
https : //t.co/aUSHCtGbHq Did Barack Obama pardon anyone in his administration ?
Crickets ?
Bueller ?
No ?
Why ?
BECAUSE NO ONE NEEDED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pardon is AGAIN admitting guilt .
It also removes any possibility of pleading the 5th if forced to testify in another criminal case .
Apparently Donald Trump 's lawyers failed to tell him about this .

In one of the least shocking moves by Donald Trump, he has extended a full pardon to convicted felon, General Michael Flynn. Just a few months ago the DC Circuit Court denied his appeal to drop charges after he had pleaded guilty twice. I guess Trump is starting his "paying back his debts" part of his lame duck presidency.
Pardon by tweet:
It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2020
Twitter had thoughts:
Pardoning Mike Flynn, who lied to the FBI and plead guilty, is an act of extreme corruption. That we expect such underhanded behavior from Donald Trump, the most corrupt president in our history, makes it no less wrong. Donald Trump is crooked. — Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) November 25, 2020
It's extremely important to know what crimes Trump is pardoning Flynn for in part because he was criminally exposed in multiple ways — for lying to investigators and acting as an unregistered agent for Turkey.
Sullivan has also suggested he could face contempt of court. — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) November 25, 2020
Nothing great about this. Nothing honorable about this. Just the last gasp of a corrupt man on his way out. https://t.co/dpSQQsfP3s — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 25, 2020
Chairman Schiff: "It's no surprise that Trump would go out just as he came in – crooked to the end." — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 25, 2020
I've never met a former soldier of Flynn's that respected him or was proud to work for him. He was a toxic leader who belittled his subordinates and stole their work as his own. It was always about him moving up the ladder. He took the pardon because he is guilty. He's a traitor. https://t.co/aUSHCtGbHq — Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) November 25, 2020
Mike Flynn sold out his country. A pardon doesn’t change that. — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) November 25, 2020
Just a reminder:
Did Barack Obama pardon anyone in his administration? Crickets? Bueller?
No? Why?
BECAUSE NO ONE NEEDED A PARDON. — Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) November 25, 2020
Also, accepting a pardon is AGAIN admitting guilt. It also removes any possibility of pleading the 5th if forced to testify in another criminal case. Apparently Donald Trump's lawyers failed to tell him about this.


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--Wisconsin Republicans Are Melting Down Over Election Results

Unless the gentle reader is living in a cave with no contact with the outside world , they are aware that Republicans are having a very difficult time accepting the reality that Trump lost the election a few weeks ago .
It is unfathomable to them that the majority of voters would reject Trump , who is their lord and savior .
And there are none worse than those in Wisconsin .
Even before the election , they followed the suit of Trump by throwing around baseless conspiracy theories of voter fraud , election fraud and other easily debunked lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wisconsin needed to do a recount .
But instead of doing the entire state , Trump singled out just two counties , Dane and Milwaukee .
This was not by accident .
Dane and Milwaukee Counties are not only the two biggest Democratic strongholds in the state , but they also are the home of the two largest minority populations .
Since the recall started , Republican observers have done their best to obstruct the process .
They complained about not being close enough to see the ballots and myriad other details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see the ballots , they managed to find enough to challenge tens of thousands of these ballots .
Even if they managed to win half of the challenges , it would be enough to change the outcome of the state 's election .
The gentle reader should be made aware that this was n't just an act of desperation on the Republicans ' part , but their actual strategy , as outlined by James Wigderson , a right wing blogger who said the quiet part out loud : The plan is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots to randomly draw down enough ballots in Milwaukee and Dane Counties to give President Donald Trump the lead in Wisconsin .
To throw out the early absentee ballots , the state Republican Party is claiming that every person needed to fill out an application before .
receiving a ballot to vote early in person .
However , they are not challenging the early votes anywhere else but in Milwaukee and Dane Counties .
Because there is no way to connect the ballot with the early voter , a ballot would have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
In addition , the Republicans want to throw out the ballots of the `` indefinitely confined . ''
Legislative Republicans included that provision in their voter ID law to avoid disenfranchising elderly voters .
A lawsuit prevented Dane County from abusing that provision , but not before thousands followed the bad advice of County Clerk Scott McDonell .
It 's no irony that the GOP would now use the law to protect the elderly vote against elderly voters , it 's the plan .
Meanwhile , a Republican State Representative , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suggest that the whole election results be tossed and that the electors be put into the hands of the Republican-controlled legislature .
Now , a conservative group , Wisconsin Voters ' Alliance , has taken Sanfelippo 's bizarre train of thought even further by filing a lawsuit with the Wisconsin Supreme ( ly Corrupt ) Court , asking that the election results be declared null and void .
The difference this time is that their lawsuit is based on the supposed undue influence of Mark Zuckerberg donating money to certain areas to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID 19 pandemic : The lawsuit , brought by the nonprofit Wisconsin Voters Alliance along with a number of individual voters , makes a number of unsubstantiated and far-fetched claims about Wisconsin 's elections process , some of which are similar to those made by President Donald Trump 's campaign in the ongoing recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties .
Central to the lawsuit is the allegation that several Wisconsin cities — Madison , Kenosha , Racine , Milwaukee and Green Bay — unlawfully accepted $ 6 million from the Mark Zuckerberg-backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help conduct the Nov. 3 election .
The group particularly objected to the cities ' work to promote absentee voting , which it characterized as an effort to help President-elect Joe Biden 's campaign .
Biden won the state by more than 20,000 votes , according to county canvasses .
The result is scheduled to be certified Dec. 1 .
Wisconsin 's political parties both chose a slate of electors in October .
The political party whose presidential candidate is the certified winner in Wisconsin will get all the state 's electoral votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprised they did n't include their favorite bogeyman , George Soros .
This same group had filed another lawsuit in October in federal court asking that the money be blocked , but the federal judge had rejected their request because `` the plaintiffs failed to show a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits of the case . ''
The not so hidden irony in all of this is that there is little reason to believe that this group is n't funded by conservative special interests dark money themselves .

Unless the gentle reader is living in a cave with no contact with the outside world, they are aware that Republicans are having a very difficult time accepting the reality that Trump lost the election a few weeks ago. It is unfathomable to them that the majority of voters would reject Trump, who is their lord and savior.
And there are none worse than those in Wisconsin. Even before the election, they followed the suit of Trump by throwing around baseless conspiracy theories of voter fraud, election fraud and other easily debunked lies.
Then, at Trump's request, Wisconsin needed to do a recount. But instead of doing the entire state, Trump singled out just two counties, Dane and Milwaukee. This was not by accident. Dane and Milwaukee Counties are not only the two biggest Democratic strongholds in the state, but they also are the home of the two largest minority populations.
Since the recall started, Republican observers have done their best to obstruct the process. They complained about not being close enough to see the ballots and myriad other details. But despite supposedly not being able to see the ballots, they managed to find enough to challenge tens of thousands of these ballots. Even if they managed to win half of the challenges, it would be enough to change the outcome of the state's election.
The gentle reader should be made aware that this wasn't just an act of desperation on the Republicans' part, but their actual strategy, as outlined by James Wigderson, a right wing blogger who said the quiet part out loud:
The plan is to challenge enough early absentee ballots and mail-in ballots to randomly draw down enough ballots in Milwaukee and Dane Counties to give President Donald Trump the lead in Wisconsin. To throw out the early absentee ballots, the state Republican Party is claiming that every person needed to fill out an application before. receiving a ballot to vote early in person. However, they are not challenging the early votes anywhere else but in Milwaukee and Dane Counties. Because there is no way to connect the ballot with the early voter, a ballot would have to be drawn at random to be thrown out. In addition, the Republicans want to throw out the ballots of the "indefinitely confined." Legislative Republicans included that provision in their voter ID law to avoid disenfranchising elderly voters. A lawsuit prevented Dane County from abusing that provision, but not before thousands followed the bad advice of County Clerk Scott McDonell. It's no irony that the GOP would now use the law to protect the elderly vote against elderly voters, it's the plan.
Meanwhile, a Republican State Representative, Joe Sanfelippo, actually had the gall to suggest that the whole election results be tossed and that the electors be put into the hands of the Republican-controlled legislature.
Now, a conservative group, Wisconsin Voters' Alliance, has taken Sanfelippo's bizarre train of thought even further by filing a lawsuit with the Wisconsin Supreme(ly Corrupt) Court, asking that the election results be declared null and void. The difference this time is that their lawsuit is based on the supposed undue influence of Mark Zuckerberg donating money to certain areas to help get the election done despite of the COVID 19 pandemic:
The lawsuit, brought by the nonprofit Wisconsin Voters Alliance along with a number of individual voters, makes a number of unsubstantiated and far-fetched claims about Wisconsin's elections process, some of which are similar to those made by President Donald Trump's campaign in the ongoing recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties. Central to the lawsuit is the allegation that several Wisconsin cities — Madison, Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee and Green Bay — unlawfully accepted $6 million from the Mark Zuckerberg-backed Center for Technology and Civic Life to help conduct the Nov. 3 election. The group particularly objected to the cities' work to promote absentee voting, which it characterized as an effort to help President-elect Joe Biden's campaign. Biden won the state by more than 20,000 votes, according to county canvasses. The result is scheduled to be certified Dec. 1. Wisconsin's political parties both chose a slate of electors in October. The political party whose presidential candidate is the certified winner in Wisconsin will get all the state's electoral votes.
I'm more than a little surprised they didn't include their favorite bogeyman, George Soros.
This same group had filed another lawsuit in October in federal court asking that the money be blocked, but the federal judge had rejected their request because "the plaintiffs failed to show a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits of the case."
The not so hidden irony in all of this is that there is little reason to believe that this group isn't funded by conservative special interests dark money themselves.


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--Giuliani Hosts Unhinged Press Conference For Airing Of Grievances In Gettysburg

Donald Trump and his Elite Strike Force of Rudy `` drippy hair dye '' Giuliani and Jenna `` micropenis '' Ellis are still whining about Trump winning the election , claiming that he won Virginia and Pennsylvania , even though there is zero evidence to back up this assertion .
In fact , they have lost nearly every single court case they have filed in a dozen states - I think the score is 1-35 .
But who 's counting ...
Here is the start of the Airing of Grievances in Gettysburg , PA : First , he claims ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 1 % .
One of the best witnesses shows his poll watcher certificate , I guess as some proof that he actually watched ballots be counted ?
I do n't know .
Another witness calls in and is upset that she did n't get a printout of her vote .
First she or her son say she is 84 .
Then they realize she is only 80 .
If they do n't know how old she is , how can they verify her voting experience ?
Trump calls in and a phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can rant about his amazing win .
He is delusional .
I guess the 35 judges - and State Supreme Courts and Appeals Court panels of judges - were not the `` right '' kinds of judges ?
What are they trying to accomplish with this ridiculous whinefest ?
The election was certified .
Joe Biden won .
There is nothing to debate and nothing to overturn .
Joe Biden is the President Elect and Donald Trump is the biggest loser .
He needs to put his big boy pants on and @ @ @

Donald Trump and his Elite Strike Force of Rudy "drippy hair dye" Giuliani and Jenna "micropenis" Ellis are still whining about Trump winning the election, claiming that he won Virginia and Pennsylvania, even though there is zero evidence to back up this assertion. In fact, they have lost nearly every single court case they have filed in a dozen states - I think the score is 1-35. But who's counting...
Oh, Marc Elias is counting:
One is the loneliest number🎻 pic.twitter.com/DfpNzSHypL — Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) November 24, 2020
Here is the start of the Airing of Grievances in Gettysburg, PA:
Rudy Giuliani is now speaking at the Wyndham hotel in Gettysburg -- an event Trump planned to attend, but now will not. pic.twitter.com/YpylFi4A8O — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) November 25, 2020
First, he claims (baselessly) that Biden won VA by only 1%.
Giuliani says that Virginia "turned out to be separated by 1%, I think we may actually have won Virginia."
Biden won the state by 10%, per the Department of Elections. pic.twitter.com/PZryXVOBcR — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) November 25, 2020
Wrong. Biden won VA by 10%.
One of the best witnesses shows his poll watcher certificate, I guess as some proof that he actually watched ballots be counted? I don't know.
This witness is holding up his poll watcher certificate as I guess proof that he had one, and says basically that he wasn't allowed in and then there was a dispute outside and that someone put video on Twitter and it has a lot of views but that he has fuller video of it, etc. pic.twitter.com/43pKBqHWmn — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) November 25, 2020
Another witness calls in and is upset that she didn't get a printout of her vote. First she or her son say she is 84. Then they realize she is only 80. If they don't know how old she is, how can they verify her voting experience?
An elderly woman is jointly testifying with her daughter and son-in-law (pictured here).
The woman says she voted and received a print-out that didn't appear to record her vote for president. (Her son-in-law says the woman is 84, then corrects himself to say she's 80.) pic.twitter.com/dE80HOs3cd — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) November 25, 2020
Trump calls in and a phone is held up to a microphone so he can rant about his amazing win. He is delusional.
Trump is now speaking.
"This was an election that we won easily," Trump said. "This election was rigged and we can't let that happen."
"This election has to be turned around." — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) November 25, 2020
"We won this election by a lot, we got 74 million votes," Trump says. (Biden got 80 million.) — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) November 25, 2020
Lies.
"All we need is for some judge to listen to it properly," Trump says, though it's not really clear what he's talking about.
"I want to thank Rudy Giuliani for having the courage to do this. There were other lawyers that backed down because they were being screamed at." — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) November 25, 2020
I guess the 35 judges - and State Supreme Courts and Appeals Court panels of judges - were not the "right" kinds of judges? What are they trying to accomplish with this ridiculous whinefest? The election was certified. Joe Biden won. There is nothing to debate and nothing to overturn. Joe Biden is the President Elect and Donald Trump is the biggest loser. He needs to put his big boy pants on and accept this.


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--President-Elect Biden Delivers Thanksgiving Address: 'A Season Of Shared Sacrifice'

In his address , to be delivered from Wilmington , Delaware , the president-elect is expected to discuss `` the shared sacrifices Americans are making this holiday season and say that we can and will get through the current crisis together , '' according to his transition team .
President-elect Joe Biden is delivering remarks ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday as public health officials continue to urge Americans to scale down their holiday gatherings amid the surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide .
UPDATE : ( Karoli ) President-elect Biden delivered a speech of reconciliation and unity laced with an urgency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At one point he quite pointedly said that the people have spoken and we honor the results of the election .
Here 's just one quote : Here ’ s the America I see , and I believe it ’ s the America you see , too : An America that faces facts .
An America that overcomes challenges .
An America where we seek justice and equality for all people .
An America that holds fast to the conviction that out of pain comes possibility ; out of frustration , progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In our finest hours , that ’ s who we ’ ve always been , and it ’ s who we shall be again , for I believe that this grim season of division and demonization will give way to a year of light and unity .
Why do I think so ?
Because America is a nation not of adversaries , but of neighbors .
Not of limitation , but of possibility .
Not of dreams deferred , but of dreams realized .
I ’ ve said it many times : This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good people .
This is the United States of America .

CBS:
In his address, to be delivered from Wilmington, Delaware, the president-elect is expected to discuss "the shared sacrifices Americans are making this holiday season and say that we can and will get through the current crisis together," according to his transition team.
President-elect Joe Biden is delivering remarks ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday as public health officials continue to urge Americans to scale down their holiday gatherings amid the surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide.
UPDATE:(Karoli) President-elect Biden delivered a speech of reconciliation and unity laced with an urgency that Americans persist against the virus now. At one point he quite pointedly said that the people have spoken and we honor the results of the election. Here's just one quote:
Here’s the America I see, and I believe it’s the America you see, too:
An America that faces facts. An America that overcomes challenges. An America where we seek justice and equality for all people.
An America that holds fast to the conviction that out of pain comes possibility; out of frustration, progress; out of division, unity.
In our finest hours, that’s who we’ve always been, and it’s who we shall be again, for I believe that this grim season of division and demonization will give way to a year of light and unity.
Why do I think so?
Because America is a nation not of adversaries, but of neighbors.
Not of limitation, but of possibility.
Not of dreams deferred, but of dreams realized.
I’ve said it many times: This is a great country and we are a good people.
This is the United States of America.


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--South Dakota Healthcare CEO Fired After Disparaging Mask Use, Says No COVID Crisis

Krabbenhoft 's email to staff that mask use was absurd did not go over well and within days he was let go from a job that reportedly paid him $ 1.9mil a year .
North and South Dakota have among the highest death rates per capita from COVID-19 on the planet right now .
According to their website , Sanford Health operates 46 hospitals , 210 medical clinics , and employs over 47,000 .
Kelby Krabbenhoft and Sanford Health have agreed to part ways , Sanford announced in a news release at about 5:45 p.m. today .
Bill Gassen will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive officer of Sanford effective immediately .
Gassen was the chief administrator officer for Sanford .
“ Bill is the right person to lead Sanford Health through these unprecedented times because of his substantial experience with many aspects of the organization and his deep commitment to our workforce , ” board chairman Brent Teiken said .
“ We ’ re extremely optimistic about having his steady hand at the wheel in partnership with our existing leadership team.
” Krabbenhoft last week wrote a letter to staff that caused a chain reaction .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic : “ Masks have been a symbolic issue that frankly frustrates me.
” He went on to write : “ The “ on-again , off-again ” behavior of mask use by the general population violates every notion of serious infectious management that I was trained to adhere to , so some of this is absurd .
”

Krabbenhoft's email to staff that mask use was absurd did not go over well and within days he was let go from a job that reportedly paid him $1.9mil a year.
North and South Dakota have among the highest death rates per capita from COVID-19 on the planet right now.
According to their website, Sanford Health operates 46 hospitals, 210 medical clinics, and employs over 47,000.
Source: KELO, Sioux Falls
Kelby Krabbenhoft and Sanford Health have agreed to part ways, Sanford announced in a news release at about 5:45 p.m. today. Bill Gassen will replace Krabbenhoft as the president and chief executive officer of Sanford effective immediately. Gassen was the chief administrator officer for Sanford. “Bill is the right person to lead Sanford Health through these unprecedented times because of his substantial experience with many aspects of the organization and his deep commitment to our workforce,” board chairman Brent Teiken said. “We’re extremely optimistic about having his steady hand at the wheel in partnership with our existing leadership team.” Krabbenhoft last week wrote a letter to staff that caused a chain reaction. The letter included this statement about mask-wearing during the pandemic: “Masks have been a symbolic issue that frankly frustrates me.” He went on to write: “The “on-again, off-again” behavior of mask use by the general population violates every notion of serious infectious management that I was trained to adhere to, so some of this is absurd.”
🚨BREAKING: CEO of Sanford Health—largest health system in the Dakotas—FIRED after claiming there’s no #COVID crisis and opposing mask mandates. His chief medical officer says there is a crisis, and Governor @KristiNoem should implement a mask mandate.https://t.co/06bq5zSNE8 — Dena Grayson, MD, PhD (@DrDenaGrayson) November 25, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--Trump Abruptly Cancels Visit To PA 'Voter Fraud' Hearing

Rudy Giuliani continues his inane and sophomoric handling of Trump 's legal fight to overturn the 2020 election .
The @ @ @ @ @ Gettysburg , Pennsylvania , where Republican state lawmakers would hold a faux `` hearing '' @ @ @ @ @ It was reported that Trump was going to appear there , even as aides were @ @ @ @ @ of it .
Now it 's being reported that Trump has canceled the visit .
@ @ @ @ @ that Rudy Giuliani was exposed to a second person who has Covid .
Did n't @ @ @ @ @ ?
If he 's cured and has the antibodies that are supposedly going to keep @ @ @ @ @ is that the reason he is not going ?

Rudy Giuliani continues his inane and sophomoric handling of Trump's legal fight to overturn the 2020 election.
The plan was to go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Republican state lawmakers would hold a faux "hearing" on nonexistent voter fraud.
It was reported that Trump was going to appear there, even as aides were trying to talk him out of it.
Confirmed to me by two people briefed on the plans. Some aides had tried talking him out of this. https://t.co/jBaA2cypT3 — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 25, 2020
Now it's being reported that Trump has canceled the visit. Why? The claim is that Rudy Giuliani was exposed to a second person who has Covid.
Another person in Trump’s orbit tests positive for COVID-19
Boris was just in person days ago with Rudy Giuliani (who’s heading to PA today possibly with POTUS): https://t.co/M8C5qIQ8Vr pic.twitter.com/UEOEw77v9W — Will Steakin (@wsteaks) November 25, 2020
Thoughts and prayers.
Trump's trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with Rudy Giuliani has just been canceled, 2 sources tell me & @KristenhCNN
Comes after Giuliani was exposed to a 2nd person in the last week who tested positive for coronavirus — Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) November 25, 2020
Too bad. Trump won't get to give his Gettysburg Grievance Address. What a loss for American history. https://t.co/xDlJaGNmiq — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) November 25, 2020
Didn't Trump already have the coronavirus? If he's cured and has the antibodies that are supposedly going to keep him safe afterward, why is that the reason he is not going?


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--Parler Is Censoring 'Write In Trump For GA' Effort? Say It Ain't So!

Remember ( last week ) when Ted Cruz had a freakout because he feels like Twitter and Facebook are just so mean to conservatives ?
What with trying to limit their ability to spread dangerous conspiracy theories about the election , and false information about a deadly disease and whatnot ?
Oh , he went on and on , grilling Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerburg for having the nerve to finally ( act like they ) give a flying f*ck about hate speech and voter suppression efforts , which just happens to impact the things REPUBLICANS like to post , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the conservatives have fled to Parler , a platform where Nazis can post as much as they like , and Republicans can commiserate about the darkening of the national complexion out in the open without fear of reprisal or censorship .
Or so they thought .
See , now that Trumpy Bear has lost bigly , and the GOP has n't been able to bend the Republican Secretary of State in Georgia to their will ( to allege non-existent voter fraud ) there is a movement to tank the Senate run-offs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Senate seats to the Democrats , Dr. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff — giving the Democrats the majority in the Senate .
Give The Libs More Power To Own The Libs !
No one accused these folks of being smart , but this movement is big on Parler , and they 're urging Georgia Republicans to either boycott the run-off election on January 5th , or write in Donald Trump !
There may even be a Roger Stone connection , because he can not seem to keep himself away from all manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now denying involvement .
Some GOPers have recognized this movement as a bad thing , however .
Specifically , the ones in charge of Parler - like Dan Bongino and the Mercers .
And they ... the stewards of `` free speech '' that they are ... have censored those posts encouraging Georgians to boycott the election or write in The Donald !
Say it ai n't so !
Hey , Republicans , do n't you hate censorship , though ?
Oh , it is to laugh .
It 's almost enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help these hashtags trend .

Remember (last week) when Ted Cruz had a freakout because he feels like Twitter and Facebook are just so mean to conservatives? What with trying to limit their ability to spread dangerous conspiracy theories about the election, and false information about a deadly disease and whatnot? Oh, he went on and on, grilling Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerburg for having the nerve to finally (act like they) give a flying f*ck about hate speech and voter suppression efforts, which just happens to impact the things REPUBLICANS like to post, mind you.
Well, the worst of the conservatives have fled to Parler, a platform where Nazis can post as much as they like, and Republicans can commiserate about the darkening of the national complexion out in the open without fear of reprisal or censorship. Or so they thought.
See, now that Trumpy Bear has lost bigly, and the GOP hasn't been able to bend the Republican Secretary of State in Georgia to their will (to allege non-existent voter fraud) there is a movement to tank the Senate run-offs in that state — which would throw the two Senate seats to the Democrats, Dr. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff — giving the Democrats the majority in the Senate.
Give The Libs More Power To Own The Libs!
No one accused these folks of being smart, but this movement is big on Parler, and they're urging Georgia Republicans to either boycott the run-off election on January 5th, or write in Donald Trump! There may even be a Roger Stone connection, because he cannot seem to keep himself away from all manner of batsh*ttery, but his PAC is now denying involvement.
Some GOPers have recognized this movement as a bad thing, however. Specifically, the ones in charge of Parler - like Dan Bongino and the Mercers. And they...the stewards of "free speech" that they are...have censored those posts encouraging Georgians to boycott the election or write in The Donald!
Update: Parler is working to hide posts tied to the super PAC's efforts and anything using the hashtag #WriteInTrumpForGAhttps://t.co/ay4l5qQeQL https://t.co/NJgoCBfPXJ — OpenSecrets.org (@OpenSecretsDC) November 24, 2020
Say it ain't so! Hey, Republicans, don't you hate censorship, though?
Uhoh, this sounds like censorship. @tedcruz where are you? Speak out against BigTech’s censorship!! https://t.co/5pyy56Zs1n — Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) November 24, 2020
When is the hearing to grill Parker's CEO Teddy?!?!! — 🇨🇦 Canadian Political Junky (@CADPoliticJunky) November 24, 2020
Does this mean Ted will haul the Mercers before the Senate to explain themselves... — Ruami Grey (@RuamiGrey) November 24, 2020
Oh, it is to laugh. It's almost enough to make one want to join Parler to help these hashtags trend.
Almost.


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--Seth Rich's Parents Settle Lawsuit Before Hannity And Dobbs Have To Testify

Seth Rich 's parents have settled their lawsuit against Fox News just before Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs were slated to potentially give testimony in the case , saying they were `` pleased '' with the settlement and hope the media will be more careful in the future .
Via Rolling Stone : The statement continues : “ The settlement with Fox News closes another chapter in our efforts to mourn the murder of our beloved Seth , whom we miss every single day .
It allows us to move on from the litigation we initiated in response to Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements concerning Seth ’ s murder.
” [ ... ] Seth Rich was a 27-year-old Democratic National Committee staffer who was gunned down in the early morning hours of July 10 , 2016 .
As Rolling Stone reported in August , Rich ’ s murder — which remains unsolved more than four years later — became instant fodder for conspiracy theorists , online trolls , and political opportunists who tried to claim that Rich , not Russia , had leaked tens of thousands of internal DNC documents to WikiLeaks , the radical transparency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton .
Others on the right , including Trump adviser Roger Stone , insinuated that the Clinton family was somehow behind Rich ’ s murder .
There is no evidence to support these theories .
Investigations by the Trump administration and two Republican-led congressional committees have concluded that Russia carried out the hack-and-leak attacks on the DNC and the Clinton campaign .
Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents for those cyberattacks ; Mueller ’ s final report says WikiLeaks and its founder , Julian Assange , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the source of the DNC leaks while also having “ implied falsely ” that Rich was his source .

Seth Rich's parents have settled their lawsuit against Fox News just before Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs were slated to potentially give testimony in the case, saying they were "pleased" with the settlement and hope the media will be more careful in the future. Via Rolling Stone:
The statement continues: “The settlement with Fox News closes another chapter in our efforts to mourn the murder of our beloved Seth, whom we miss every single day. It allows us to move on from the litigation we initiated in response to Fox News’ May 2017 article and televised statements concerning Seth’s murder.”
[...] Seth Rich was a 27-year-old Democratic National Committee staffer who was gunned down in the early morning hours of July 10, 2016. As Rolling Stone reported in August, Rich’s murder — which remains unsolved more than four years later — became instant fodder for conspiracy theorists, online trolls, and political opportunists who tried to claim that Rich, not Russia, had leaked tens of thousands of internal DNC documents to WikiLeaks, the radical transparency group, during the presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Others on the right, including Trump adviser Roger Stone, insinuated that the Clinton family was somehow behind Rich’s murder.
There is no evidence to support these theories. Investigations by the Trump administration and two Republican-led congressional committees have concluded that Russia carried out the hack-and-leak attacks on the DNC and the Clinton campaign. Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents for those cyberattacks; Mueller’s final report says WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange, made statements “designed to obscure” the source of the DNC leaks while also having “implied falsely” that Rich was his source.


crooksandliars--2020-11-25--El Paso Hires Lawyer To Collect Deadbeat Don's Campaign Event Costs

For now , they 're not planning to sue -- but they hired a lawyer to help them collect the @ @ @ @ @ KTSM-TV : EL PASO , Texas ( KTSM ) — The City of El Paso @ @ @ @ @ attempts of collecting over half a million dollars that ’ s owed by the Trump @ @ @ @ @ took place almost two years ago .
It ’ s almost the end of November @ @ @ @ @ year due to COVID-19 , the City has been waiting since February of last year @ @ @ @ @ been owed from the Trump campaign .
“ We all are seeing firsthand the struggles @ @ @ @ @ have in addition to the challenges that we have in our own budget , ” @ @ @ @ @ during Tuesday ’ s council meeting , “ So this amount of money is not @ @ @ @ @ that we send that nobody is above the law is also an important one for @ @ @ @ @ well .
”

For now, they're not planning to sue -- but they hired a lawyer to help them collect the almost two-year-old debt. Via KTSM-TV:
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The City of El Paso is taking further steps in attempts of collecting over half a million dollars that’s owed by the Trump campaign from a rally that took place almost two years ago.
It’s almost the end of November and with obstacles throughout the year due to COVID-19, the City has been waiting since February of last year on money that’s been owed from the Trump campaign.
“We all are seeing firsthand the struggles that everyday El Paso families have in addition to the challenges that we have in our own budget,” City Rep. Peter Svarzbein said during Tuesday’s council meeting, “So this amount of money is not inconsequential and also the message that we send that nobody is above the law is also an important one for our community to understand as well.”


Trump's Transition

None of this is new .
No one should be surprised Republicans are perfectly willing to overturn the results of @ @ @


crooksandliars--2020-11-26--GOP Voters Have Been Telling Themselves For Years That Democratic Votes Aren't Legitimate

Commentators continue to argue that what 's happening in the 2020 election is a startling new development that was inconceivable in the time before Donald Trump entered politics .
Here are Henry Farrell and Bruce Schneier , writing on the op-ed page of The New York Times : The Republican National Committee swung in to support [ Trump lawyer Sidney Powell 's ] false claim that Mr. Trump won in a landslide , while Michigan election officials have tried to stop the certification of the vote .
It is wildly unlikely that [ the Trump campaign 's ] efforts can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they may still do lasting damage to American democracy for a shocking reason : The moves have come from trusted insiders ... .
When you really need to worry is when insiders go bad .
And that is precisely what is happening in the wake of the 2020 presidential election ... .
For four years , Donald Trump has been trying to dismantle our shared beliefs about democracy .
And now , his fellow Republicans are helping him .
I agree that it took a Trump to goad the GOP to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been building up to this for years .
This morning , my Twitter pal joan_mediator directed my attention to a tweet in which Greg Sargent of The Washington Post quotes from his 2018 book , An Uncivil War .
Here 's the excerpt ; `` Ayres '' is the Republican pollster Whit Ayres : Mitt Romney , now seen as a man of principle because he acknowledges Joe Biden 's victory , told donors during his 2012 campaign that `` 47 percent '' of voters are unreachable by the GOP because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that they are victims , [ and ] believe the government has a responsibility to care for them . ''
He also said they want `` free stuff , '' a complaint echoed by another member of the GOP Establishment , Jeb Bush , when he was running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination .
A post at the website of the Mises Institute , which supports `` Austrian school '' economics , sums up this attitude succinctly : Never mind the large numbers of Republicans who collect government benefits themselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ years that Democratic votes are n't legitimate -- none of them .
Perhaps you 've seen this bumper sticker on the highway : Mainstream Republicans and the right-wing media have long encouraged this belief .
So why are we surprised when Trump 's push to nullify an election is receiving so much support from the Republican mainstream ?
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

Commentators continue to argue that what's happening in the 2020 election is a startling new development that was inconceivable in the time before Donald Trump entered politics. Here are Henry Farrell and Bruce Schneier, writing on the op-ed page of The New York Times:
The Republican National Committee swung in to support [Trump lawyer Sidney Powell's] false claim that Mr. Trump won in a landslide, while Michigan election officials have tried to stop the certification of the vote. It is wildly unlikely that [the Trump campaign's] efforts can block Joe Biden from becoming president. But they may still do lasting damage to American democracy for a shocking reason: The moves have come from trusted insiders.... When you really need to worry is when insiders go bad. And that is precisely what is happening in the wake of the 2020 presidential election.... For four years, Donald Trump has been trying to dismantle our shared beliefs about democracy. And now, his fellow Republicans are helping him.
I agree that it took a Trump to goad the GOP to this level of brazenness. But Republican rhetoric has been building up to this for years. This morning, my Twitter pal joan_mediator directed my attention to a tweet in which Greg Sargent of The Washington Post quotes from his 2018 book, An Uncivil War. Here's the excerpt; "Ayres" is the Republican pollster Whit Ayres:
Mitt Romney, now seen as a man of principle because he acknowledges Joe Biden's victory, told donors during his 2012 campaign that "47 percent" of voters are unreachable by the GOP because they are "dependent upon government, ... believe that they are victims, [and] believe the government has a responsibility to care for them." He also said they want "free stuff," a complaint echoed by another member of the GOP Establishment, Jeb Bush, when he was running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
A post at the website of the Mises Institute, which supports "Austrian school" economics, sums up this attitude succinctly:
Politicians are dividing Americans into two classes — those who work for a living and those who vote for a living.
Never mind the large numbers of Republicans who collect government benefits themselves. GOP voters have been telling themselves for years that Democratic votes aren't legitimate -- none of them. Perhaps you've seen this bumper sticker on the highway:
Mainstream Republicans and the right-wing media have long encouraged this belief. So why are we surprised when Trump's push to nullify an election is receiving so much support from the Republican mainstream?
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-11-26--'Flat-Out Sabotage': Mnuchin Tries To Put $455B In Covid Funds Out Of Biden's Reach

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is under fire for attempting to undermine the incoming Biden administration 's response to the Covid-19 pandemic on his way out the door after his department confirmed Tuesday that it intends to place $ 455 billion in unspent coronavirus relief funds into an account that requires congressional authorization to access .
Bloomberg reported that the funds , which Congress allocated to the Federal Reserve in March for emergency lending programs to assist local governments and struggling businesses , will be put in the Treasury Department 's General Fund following Mnuchin 's widely condemned decision last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the year .
Mnuchin requested that the funds be reallocated by the currently divided Congress , and the Fed has agreed to cooperate with the outgoing treasury secretary 's move .
According to Bloomberg , `` Mnuchin ' clawback would make it impossible '' for Janet Yellen , President-elect Joe Biden 's pick to lead the Treasury Department , to utilize the funds `` without lawmakers ' blessing . ''
`` The move leaves just under $ 80 billion available in the Treasury 's Exchange Stabilization Fund , a pot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some discretion by the Treasury chief , '' Bloomberg noted .
`` By contrast , the CARES Act funds had specific uses , and were n't available for general government spending purposes . ''
While Mnuchin , a former Goldman Sachs banker , insisted he is attempting to ensure the funds are put to better use , Democratic members of Congress and other observers immediately accused the treasury secretary of a potentially unlawful ploy to hamstring the Biden administration 's coronavirus response before the president-elect takes office .
According to one analyst , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' violation of the CARES Act .
`` This is Treasury 's latest ham-handed effort to undermine the Biden administration .
The good news is that it 's illegal and can be reversed next year , '' tweeted Bharat Ramamurti , a member of the congressional commission established to oversee the use of coronavirus relief money .
`` For its part , the Fed should not go along with this attempted sabotage and should retain the CARES Act funds it already has . ''
Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) , the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denounced as `` shameful '' Mnuchin 's effort to pull back the congressional relief funds and place them out of the Biden administration 's reach .
`` As the economy backslides amid skyrocketing Covid-19 cases , Secretary Mnuchin is engaged in economic sabotage , and trying to tie the Biden administration 's hands , '' Wyden said in a statement to Reuters on Tuesday .
Echoing Wyden , Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
tweeted late Tuesday that `` Secretary Mnuchin 's Covid-19 response has been a corrupt and incompetent failure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden administration from cleaning up his mess and helping states , cities , and small businesses , '' said Warren .

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is under fire for attempting to undermine the incoming Biden administration's response to the Covid-19 pandemic on his way out the door after his department confirmed Tuesday that it intends to place $455 billion in unspent coronavirus relief funds into an account that requires congressional authorization to access.
Bloomberg reported that the funds, which Congress allocated to the Federal Reserve in March for emergency lending programs to assist local governments and struggling businesses, will be put in the Treasury Department's General Fund following Mnuchin's widely condemned decision last week to cut off the relief programs at the end of the year.
Mnuchin requested that the funds be reallocated by the currently divided Congress, and the Fed has agreed to cooperate with the outgoing treasury secretary's move.
According to Bloomberg, "Mnuchin' clawback would make it impossible" for Janet Yellen, President-elect Joe Biden's pick to lead the Treasury Department, to utilize the funds "without lawmakers' blessing."
"The move leaves just under $80 billion available in the Treasury's Exchange Stabilization Fund, a pot of money that can be used with some discretion by the Treasury chief," Bloomberg noted. "By contrast, the CARES Act funds had specific uses, and weren't available for general government spending purposes."
While Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, insisted he is attempting to ensure the funds are put to better use, Democratic members of Congress and other observers immediately accused the treasury secretary of a potentially unlawful ploy to hamstring the Biden administration's coronavirus response before the president-elect takes office. According to one analyst, Mnuchin's actions are an "explicit" violation of the CARES Act.
"This is Treasury's latest ham-handed effort to undermine the Biden administration. The good news is that it's illegal and can be reversed next year," tweeted Bharat Ramamurti, a member of the congressional commission established to oversee the use of coronavirus relief money. "For its part, the Fed should not go along with this attempted sabotage and should retain the CARES Act funds it already has."
Burning it down on the way out the door. There is no reasonable justification for this. https://t.co/Nn4w1lZy7D — Michael Linden (@MichaelSLinden) November 24, 2020 This is flat out sabotage https://t.co/Dbj2MDhkyW — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 24, 2020
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, denounced as "shameful" Mnuchin's effort to pull back the congressional relief funds and place them out of the Biden administration's reach.
"As the economy backslides amid skyrocketing Covid-19 cases, Secretary Mnuchin is engaged in economic sabotage, and trying to tie the Biden administration's hands," Wyden said in a statement to Reuters on Tuesday.
Echoing Wyden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted late Tuesday that "Secretary Mnuchin's Covid-19 response has been a corrupt and incompetent failure."
"He needs to stop sabotaging the Biden administration from cleaning up his mess and helping states, cities, and small businesses," said Warren.
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, staff writer) under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.