crooksandliars--2020-05-02--Candace Owens Suspended From Twitter After Urging People Violate MI Stay-At-Home Order

According to Mediaite , this is a screen grab of the tweet that got Owens suspended .
Yet Owens , who lives in New York , said nothing about doing any of what she was asking others to do .
She is , however , very eager to play up her conservative victimhood , presumably from the safety of her home .
As Mediaite reported , she sent a statement to the far-right MAGA site , Gateway Pundit , whining that her comments were no different from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ’ s call for a workers boycott and a protest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a boycott in protest of reopen orders is legal and doesn ’ t promote the spread of a pandemic .
As for the protest , AOC was saying that folks already out protesting the shutdowns should be over at the White House instead .
Unlike Owens , AOC wasn ’ t urging anyone to leave the house and break a law to protest .
Oh , and unlike Owens , AOC went out in the rain to deliver food to people in her district .
Meanwhile , Owens is defiant .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a long record here at C & L .
First and foremost , her attack on Gov .
Whitmer as a dictator is rather hypocritical given that Owens has actually praised Hitler .
`` If Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well , okay , fine , ” she said .
Think Hitler would have allowed you unlimited freedom of speech , Candace ?
A few months later , even the right-wing Talking Points USA had had enough of her , at least partly because of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t go for unfettered free speech either .
None of that stopped the GOP from having her testify as an `` expert '' on anti-white nationalism .
There , she characterized white nationalism as no big deal — that it `` is n't even in the top 100 '' list of concerns for black people .
”

According to Mediaite, this is a screen grab of the tweet that got Owens suspended.
Yet Owens, who lives in New York, said nothing about doing any of what she was asking others to do.
She is, however, very eager to play up her conservative victimhood, presumably from the safety of her home.
As Mediaite reported, she sent a statement to the far-right MAGA site, Gateway Pundit, whining that her comments were no different from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s call for a workers boycott and a protest. Apparently, Owens doesn’t know that a boycott in protest of reopen orders is legal and doesn’t promote the spread of a pandemic. As for the protest, AOC was saying that folks already out protesting the shutdowns should be over at the White House instead. Unlike Owens, AOC wasn’t urging anyone to leave the house and break a law to protest.
Oh, and unlike Owens, AOC went out in the rain to deliver food to people in her district.
Meanwhile, Owens is defiant. She said in her statement:
I stand by my statement about Governor Whitmer acting as a dictator. Both the Sherriff Departments and the citizens, and the state legislature of Michigan are in agreement with me. I will not kowtow to a socialist world order that seeks to limit my constitutional freedom of speech.
Her Smugness has a long record here at C&L.
First and foremost, her attack on Gov. Whitmer as a dictator is rather hypocritical given that Owens has actually praised Hitler. "If Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, okay, fine,” she said. Think Hitler would have allowed you unlimited freedom of speech, Candace?
A few months later, even the right-wing Talking Points USA had had enough of her, at least partly because of her Hitler love. Apparently, they didn’t go for unfettered free speech either.
None of that stopped the GOP from having her testify as an "expert" on anti-white nationalism. There, she characterized white nationalism as no big deal — that it "isn't even in the top 100" list of concerns for black people.”
Bye, Felicia.


crooksandliars--2020-05-02--Wouldn't It Be Ironic If Reade's Accusation Actually Helps Biden's Campaign?

These days , it 's predictable that Jennifer Rubin will be favorably disposed toward opponents of Donald Trump .
But I do n't think she 's really putting her thumb on the scale in this description of the interview Joe Biden gave today to Morning Joe on the subject of Tara Reade 's sexual assault allegations : I 'm not sure I 'd describe the interview as `` tough , '' but it put Biden on the record addressing the allegations in detail .
Here it is : You can argue that he might be guilty -- and he might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 're a Republican , that he 's not being held to the standard Brett Kavanaugh was , and that he 's asking voters to make an exception to the slogan `` Believe women . ''
But I suspect a lot of viewers found him disarming .
I 'm not sure how I feel about that -- as the 2020 campaign began , many of us watched highlight reels of Biden given shoulder rubs and smelling women 's hair , and it seemed a bit creepy .
A number of women who experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the public shrugged it off .
I think the voters who decided his handsiness was either harmless or forgivable would find Biden 's denials in this interview plausible .
He does n't seem defensive .
He seems perplexed by the accusation .
He comes off as a wrongly accused decent guy .
I hope that he is a wrongly accused , mostly decent guy , and that the creepy behavior we know he 's guilty of is the worst he 's done .
But although I 've been worried that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcome I still think is possible -- I find myself entertaining another possibility : What if this puts him back in the spotlight and makes him seem likable ?
What if a few public appearances responding to these allegations get him into the news cycle , after weeks during which he 's struggled to get noticed , and people respond well to him ?
Could this scandal actually help him ?
After Biden answered Mika Brzezinski 's questions about the Tara Reade allegations , he was asked a few questions by Willie Geist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been sharper at times -- he forgot the word `` Ebola '' and added an extra zero to the U.S. COVID-19 death toll -- but he came off as humane and thoughtful , and , unlike the president , serious about using the levers of government to reduce the pain caused by the pandemic .
JOE BIDEN : Well , first of all , it 's a false choice to choose between getting the disease under control and getting back to work .
If you do n't get the disease under control , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have to get the number of new cases down , and down significantly .
There needs to be widespread , easily available , and prompt testing .
The federal government should be doing more to make this happen .
We have to make sure that our hospitals and healthcare systems are ready for flareups of the disease when it 's going to occur as economic activity increases and expands .
And in the meantime , all the money that 's been passed out by the Congress , very little of it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you -- that fictitious person you described , a small business .
One of the things that I predicted when they passed the legislation -- remember , there used to be -- there 's an oversight that was supposed to take place , an inspector general .
The president got rid of the inspector general .
I was put in charge of getting , in the middle of the recession , the last recession we had , the major recession , eight hundred-plus billion dollars , eight hundred billion dollars out to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help things get set up .
We had an inspector general -- there was an entire team I put together .
I was on the phone every day , about three to four hours every day , talking to mayors and governors and people , letting them know what 's available , how we can get something done .
It requires immediate and consistent and overarching focus on what has to get going .
Could he have been more articulate ?
Sure .
Did he say `` fictitious '' when he meant `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really might sound refreshing to people who 've been watching Trump bluster and bullshit his way through the crisis , with no idea how to make things better and no real interest in doing so .
Biden seems to care , and to get what government is for -- and maybe people will pay attention to that because they 're paying attention to his answers to Tara Reade questions .
It 's just possible that this scandal will help his campaign .
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

These days, it's predictable that Jennifer Rubin will be favorably disposed toward opponents of Donald Trump. But I don't think she's really putting her thumb on the scale in this description of the interview Joe Biden gave today to Morning Joe on the subject of Tara Reade's sexual assault allegations:
Biden sat for a tough interview Friday without losing his cool. He was not angry or accusatory; he did not claim a conspiracy nor insult the accuser. He volunteered to open Senate papers (which he said are at the National Archives, not at the University of Delaware). In short, he did what an innocent person would do and say.
I'm not sure I'd describe the interview as "tough," but it put Biden on the record addressing the allegations in detail. Here it is:
You can argue that he might be guilty -- and he might be. You can argue, if you're a Republican, that he's not being held to the standard Brett Kavanaugh was, and that he's asking voters to make an exception to the slogan "Believe women."
But I suspect a lot of viewers found him disarming. I'm not sure how I feel about that -- as the 2020 campaign began, many of us watched highlight reels of Biden given shoulder rubs and smelling women's hair, and it seemed a bit creepy. A number of women who experienced it said they experienced it as creepy. But the public shrugged it off.
I think the voters who decided his handsiness was either harmless or forgivable would find Biden's denials in this interview plausible. He doesn't seem defensive. He seems perplexed by the accusation. He comes off as a wrongly accused decent guy.
I hope that he is a wrongly accused, mostly decent guy, and that the creepy behavior we know he's guilty of is the worst he's done.
But although I've been worried that this accusation could sink his candidacy -- an outcome I still think is possible -- I find myself entertaining another possibility: What if this puts him back in the spotlight and makes him seem likable? What if a few public appearances responding to these allegations get him into the news cycle, after weeks during which he's struggled to get noticed, and people respond well to him? Could this scandal actually help him?
After Biden answered Mika Brzezinski's questions about the Tara Reade allegations, he was asked a few questions by Willie Geist and Joe Scarborough. He could have been sharper at times -- he forgot the word "Ebola" and added an extra zero to the U.S. COVID-19 death toll -- but he came off as humane and thoughtful, and, unlike the president, serious about using the levers of government to reduce the pain caused by the pandemic.
A sample:
JOE BIDEN: Well, first of all, it's a false choice to choose between getting the disease under control and getting back to work. If you don't get the disease under control, not much is going to happen. We have to get the number of new cases down, and down significantly. There needs to be widespread, easily available, and prompt testing. The federal government should be doing more to make this happen. We have to make sure that our hospitals and healthcare systems are ready for flareups of the disease when it's going to occur as economic activity increases and expands. And in the meantime, all the money that's been passed out by the Congress, very little of it has been getting in to that person that you -- that fictitious person you described, a small business. One of the things that I predicted when they passed the legislation -- remember, there used to be -- there's an oversight that was supposed to take place, an
inspector general. The president got rid of the inspector general. I was put in charge of getting, in the middle of the recession, the last recession we had, the major recession, eight hundred-plus billion dollars, eight hundred billion dollars out to help people get back to work and to help things get set up. We had an inspector general -- there was an entire team I put together. I was on the phone every day, about three to four hours every day, talking to mayors and governors and people, letting them know what's available, how we can get something done. It requires immediate and consistent and overarching focus on what has to get going.
Could he have been more articulate? Sure. Did he say "fictitious" when he meant "hypothetical"? Yes. But this really might sound refreshing to people who've been watching Trump bluster and bullshit his way through the crisis, with no idea how to make things better and no real interest in doing so. Biden seems to care, and to get what government is for -- and maybe people will pay attention to that because they're paying attention to his answers to Tara Reade questions. It's just possible that this scandal will help his campaign.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-05-02--Rep. Porter And Dr. Emanuel Shred Trump’s Excuse For Blocking Fauci’s Testimony

After screwing up the U.S. pandemic response , Donald Trump is now working to prevent Americans from finding out just how bad it was .
Yesterday , The Washington Post reported that the White House claimed it blocked Fauci from testifying at a House committee hearing investigating the coronavirus outbreak and response — because it would be “ counterproductive ” — while the Trump administration is engaged in its `` whole-of-government response to COVID-19 . ''
Sure it would be .
Counterproductive to Trump ’ s attempts to shirk responsibility for his mishandling of the pandemic , they mean .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ House ( but making him available to the GOP-controlled Senate ) , Trump also just got rid of the HHS inspector general , Christi Grimm , in a late Friday night firing .
A stellar panel on AM Joy saw the obstruction efforts for what they are .
Rep. Katie Porter highlighted how Trump is systematically blocking crucial information needed by the public .
PORTER : During the critical weeks leading up to the announcement of the pandemic , in February and late January even , throughout March , Dr. Fauci testified in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , each and every single week .
And he was terrific and helpful in providing members with education and things that we could take back to our communities .
So I think he absolutely should be allowed to testify .
And I 'm very concerned about how the president continues to attack our inspector general community which exists solely to protect the American taxpayers from fraud , waste , and abuse , and to make sure that these programs are effective on the ground .
Host Joy Reid suggested that Trump needs a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George W. Bush eventually had with Hurricane Katrina , to run the pandemic response .
Trump “ seems to be running point on it himself .
And that seems to be the problem , ” Reid said .
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel thought one czar is probably not enough .
One “ whole group ” is probably needed for food distribution and another one for testing , he said , just as examples .
Then he called out the Fauci BS for what it is .
EMANUEL : I note that Tony Fauci has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and day out , standing up there for two hours .
Maybe having ten minutes of time at the podium over that stretch of time .
That did n't seem to be a waste of his time .
So I 'm not sure why going to Capitol Hill for a briefing that would be maybe two or three hours once would constitute a waste of time .
Obviously not a valid explanation .

After screwing up the U.S. pandemic response, Donald Trump is now working to prevent Americans from finding out just how bad it was. Yesterday, The Washington Post reported that the White House claimed it blocked Fauci from testifying at a House committee hearing investigating the coronavirus outbreak and response — because it would be “counterproductive” — while the Trump administration is engaged in its "whole-of-government response to COVID-19."
Sure it would be. Counterproductive to Trump’s attempts to shirk responsibility for his mishandling of the pandemic, they mean. In addition to blocking Fauci from the House (but making him available to the GOP-controlled Senate), Trump also just got rid of the HHS inspector general, Christi Grimm, in a late Friday night firing.
A stellar panel on AM Joy saw the obstruction efforts for what they are. Rep. Katie Porter highlighted how Trump is systematically blocking crucial information needed by the public.
PORTER: During the critical weeks leading up to the announcement of the pandemic, in February and late January even, throughout March, Dr. Fauci testified in a bipartisan congressional briefing for all members, each and every single week. And he was terrific and helpful in providing members with education and things that we could take back to our communities. So I think he absolutely should be allowed to testify. And I'm very concerned about how the president continues to attack our inspector general community which exists solely to protect the American taxpayers from fraud, waste, and abuse, and to make sure that these programs are effective on the ground.
Host Joy Reid suggested that Trump needs a “sort of czar,” like George W. Bush eventually had with Hurricane Katrina, to run the pandemic response. Trump “seems to be running point on it himself. And that seems to be the problem,” Reid said.
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel thought one czar is probably not enough. One “whole group” is probably needed for food distribution and another one for testing, he said, just as examples.
Then he called out the Fauci BS for what it is.
EMANUEL: I note that Tony Fauci has been at these press conferences day in and day out, standing up there for two hours. Maybe having ten minutes of time at the podium over that stretch of time. That didn't seem to be a waste of his time. So I'm not sure why going to Capitol Hill for a briefing that would be maybe two or three hours once would constitute a waste of time. Obviously not a valid explanation.


crooksandliars--2020-05-02--Trump Replaces Key Watchdog Who Identified Critical Medical Shortages

Trump got rid of another career official in the Department of Health and Human Services last night .
Her crime ?
Highlighting critical medical shortages in her report of April 6 , as well as inadequate testing for the coronavirus .
Since such facts are n't allowed within this criminal enterprise known as the Trump administration , her days were numbered as soon as Trump was made aware of the report .
Christi A. Grimm has been in government since the Clinton administration .
Naturally , these skulking cowards made the announcement after business hours , as they so often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
WASHINGTON — President Trump moved on Friday night to replace a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services who angered him with a report last month highlighting supply shortages and testing delays at hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic .
The White House waited until after business hours to announce the nomination of a new inspector general for the department who , if confirmed , would take over for Christi A. Grimm , the principal deputy inspector general who was publicly assailed by the president at a news briefing three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest effort by Mr. Trump against watchdog offices around his administration that have defied him .
In recent weeks , he fired an inspector general involved in the inquiry that led to the president ’ s impeachment , nominated a White House aide to another key inspector general post overseeing virus relief spending and moved to block still another inspector general from taking over as chairman of a pandemic spending oversight panel .

Trump got rid of another career official in the Department of Health and Human Services last night. Her crime? Highlighting critical medical shortages in her report of April 6, as well as inadequate testing for the coronavirus. Since such facts aren't allowed within this criminal enterprise known as the Trump administration, her days were numbered as soon as Trump was made aware of the report. Christi A. Grimm has been in government since the Clinton administration.
Naturally, these skulking cowards made the announcement after business hours, as they so often do with their Friday night news dumps.
Source: New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Trump moved on Friday night to replace a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services who angered him with a report last month highlighting supply shortages and testing delays at hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. The White House waited until after business hours to announce the nomination of a new inspector general for the department who, if confirmed, would take over for Christi A. Grimm, the principal deputy inspector general who was publicly assailed by the president at a news briefing three weeks ago. The nomination was the latest effort by Mr. Trump against watchdog offices around his administration that have defied him. In recent weeks, he fired an inspector general involved in the inquiry that led to the president’s impeachment, nominated a White House aide to another key inspector general post overseeing virus relief spending and moved to block still another inspector general from taking over as chairman of a pandemic spending oversight panel.
Why didn’t the I.G., who spent 8 years with the Obama Administration (Did she Report on the failed H1N1 Swine Flu debacle where 17,000 people died?), want to talk to the Admirals, Generals, V.P. & others in charge, before doing her report. Another Fake Dossier! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-05-02--Fox's Tucker Carlson Actively Encourages People To Defy Lockdown Orders

As Media Matters has documented , Fox host Tucker Carlson has been using his show to downplay the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic , and making reckless and deadly claims that social distancing does n't stop its spread : They go onto detail the claims he 's been making for the last month on his show , lying about the benefits of social distancing , and lying about the fact that they 've worked to flatten the curve and helped to stop the spread of the virus .
Carlson was rightly criticized by MSNBC 's Chris Hayes this week for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling others that it 's safe to go back to work , consequences to their health be damned , while broadcasting from the safety of isolation .
This Friday , Carlson continued to put the health and safety of his viewers at risk by going after the governors who are trying to keep their constituents safe with these stay-at-home orders , attacking the orders as `` totalitarianism , '' claiming they have no right to order people to stay home in the first place , and defending these yahoos who have been out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church services , telling his audience `` Let ’ s draw a line at some point . ''
CARLSON : The other day , prosecutors in New Jersey charged nine people for daring to participate in a Jewish wedding in their backyard .
A few months ago , this would have been news .
For 250 years , Americans have enjoyed the unfettered right to practice their faith as they choose .
Now they don ’ t .
It happened overnight .
Last month , Christians across the country were legally prohibited from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The national media barely noted it .
How exactly is this happening ?
It turns out , that ’ s not clear .
Strangely , not very many people have asked .
Politicians have no right to do any of this .
They can ’ t make it illegal for people to go to religious services .
The Constitution of the United States expressly prohibits that .
The words couldn ’ t be clearer .
The First Amendment explicitly prevents government from making any law that inhibits the exercise of religious faith .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ history and our law .
Millions of people have fled to America from around the world precisely because our Bill of Rights gives them this guarantee .
It ’ s why this country was founded .
Now it ’ s gone .
Where did politicians get the authority to do all this ?
Because some elderly , power-drunk doctor told them to ?
That ’ s not how our system works – or can work .
Occasionally , you ’ ll hear some lonely civil libertarian fret that we may be on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights .
If only .
We ’ re already there .
We ’ ve slid to the bottom of that slope .
Our rights are gone .
No one has explained how politicians are allowed to do this , to override the Constitution .
No one seems to care .
They ’ re too afraid .
But if we think this is moment scary , consider what might come next .
Now that we ’ ve ceded all authority in the country to our political leaders , what can ’ t they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power ?
That ’ s not a theoretical question .
It ’ s not an argument over philosophy or political theory .
It ’ s the most practical possible question .
The answer will define where this country goes next .
What can ’ t politicians do in the name of public health ?
As it stands , politicians won ’ t let people worship , or work , or go to school , or see their aging parents .
They ’ ve placed the nation under house arrest .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s say we all get more afraid .
What then ?
What couldn ’ t they start doing ?
Could they intern people ?
Seriously .
You can dismiss the possibility if you like .
But remember just a few months ago , most of us would have dismissed the idea of propaganda-spewing drones from above .
Now we have them .
So what ’ s next ?
What can ’ t they do ?
Let ’ s draw a line at some point .
No word from Carlson on Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power to open up the economy , while simultaneously wanting to take no responsibility for the consequences of doing so , and whether that amounted to `` totalitarianism . ''
If Fox is actually worried about the lawsuits over their dangerous coronavirus coverage , maybe they should take Carlson off the air before he 's allowed to do even more damage .

As Media Matters has documented, Fox host Tucker Carlson has been using his show to downplay the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic, and making reckless and deadly claims that social distancing doesn't stop its spread:
After state and local governments implemented social distancing measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Tucker Carlson has used his prime-time Fox News show to falsely claim that these measures failed to slow the spread of the virus. In the broader context of Fox News’ pattern of airing misinformation about the coronavirus, Carlson’s campaign to discredit social distancing policies is particularly glaring and dangerous.
They go onto detail the claims he's been making for the last month on his show, lying about the benefits of social distancing, and lying about the fact that they've worked to flatten the curve and helped to stop the spread of the virus. Carlson was rightly criticized by MSNBC's Chris Hayes this week for being a "Covid Truther," telling others that it's safe to go back to work, consequences to their health be damned, while broadcasting from the safety of isolation.
This Friday, Carlson continued to put the health and safety of his viewers at risk by going after the governors who are trying to keep their constituents safe with these stay-at-home orders, attacking the orders as "totalitarianism," claiming they have no right to order people to stay home in the first place, and defending these yahoos who have been out there in recent weeks protesting and holding church services, telling his audience "Let’s draw a line at some point."
CARLSON: The other day, prosecutors in New Jersey charged nine people for daring to participate in a Jewish wedding in their backyard. A few months ago, this would have been news. For 250 years, Americans have enjoyed the unfettered right to practice their faith as they choose. Now they don’t. It happened overnight. Last month, Christians across the country were legally prohibited from celebrating Easter in their own churches. The national media barely noted it. How exactly is this happening? It turns out, that’s not clear. Strangely, not very many people have asked. Politicians have no right to do any of this. They can’t make it illegal for people to go to religious services. The Constitution of the United States expressly prohibits that. The words couldn’t be clearer. The First Amendment explicitly prevents government from making any law that inhibits the exercise of religious faith. It’s a cornerstone of our history and our law. Millions of people have fled to America from around the world precisely because our Bill of Rights gives them this guarantee. It’s why this country was founded. Now it’s gone. Where did politicians get the authority to do all this? Because some elderly, power-drunk doctor told them to? That’s not how our system works – or can work. Occasionally, you’ll hear some lonely civil libertarian fret that we may be on a “slippery slope” toward losing our rights. If only. We’re already there. We’ve slid to the bottom of that slope. Our rights are gone. No one has explained how politicians are allowed to do this, to override the Constitution. No one seems to care. They’re too afraid. But if we think this is moment scary, consider what might come next. Now that we’ve ceded all authority in the country to our political leaders, what can’t they do? What are the limits to their power? That’s not a theoretical question. It’s not an argument over philosophy or political theory. It’s the most practical possible question. The answer will define where this country goes next. What can’t politicians do in the name of public health? As it stands, politicians won’t let people worship, or work, or go to school, or see their aging parents. They’ve placed the nation under house arrest. That’s happening today, right now. But let’s say we all get more afraid. What then? What couldn’t they start doing? Could they intern people? Seriously. You can dismiss the possibility if you like. But remember just a few months ago, most of us would have dismissed the idea of propaganda-spewing drones from above. Now we have them. So what’s next? What can’t they do? Let’s draw a line at some point.
No word from Carlson on Trump's claim that he alone had the power to open up the economy, while simultaneously wanting to take no responsibility for the consequences of doing so, and whether that amounted to "totalitarianism."
If Fox is actually worried about the lawsuits over their dangerous coronavirus coverage, maybe they should take Carlson off the air before he's allowed to do even more damage.


crooksandliars--2020-05-02--InfoWars Birther Jerome Corsi Accidentally Forwards Drug Scam To Federal Prosecutor

Even in the midst of the greatest disaster in a century , there are flickers of light .
And when those glimmers include both right-wing dirty trickster Jerome Corsi and a fake COVID-19 cure huckster earning themselves a new federal investigation solely on the basis of Corsi being blatantly careless , those moments can get refreshingly bright .
Right-wing agent provocateur Corsi is probably best known for his connection to Roger Stone and his involvement in trying to leverage a relationship with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange .
He ’ s also known for suing special counsel Robert Mueller for $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal judge promptly tossed that ridiculous lawsuit .
But despite losing his case in 2019 , and despite the special counsel ’ s office being officially closed for months , Corsi apparently left the phone number of one of Mueller ’ s prosecutors in his list of phone contacts .
That turned out to be a mistake .
Thanks to his cluttered contact list , Corsi has really outdone himself to find a way to get back on the radar of federal prosecutors .
Because when he meant to be exchanging messages with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelenko , Corsi ’ s thumb apparently missed the right entry in his address list by just one name .
Instead of the Fox-favorite Zelenko , Corsi ended up actually sending information to federal prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky—a former member of Robert Mueller ’ s team .
And now Corsi has earned himself a whole new investigation .
As The Washington Post reports , Corsi ’ s communications that were intended for Zelenko involved the pair ’ s supposed partnership in a website to “ connect doctors and patients.
” But considering the nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely that site was going to be a legitimate medical hub .
In fact , there ’ s just one topic where the two men have been united : spreading the gospel of hydroxychloroquine .
Zelenko was one of the regular voices on Fox News touting the same anti-malarial drug that Donald Trump pushed forcefully day after day .
Even after it became clear that the drug wasn ’ t just useless , but actively harmful , and even after Fox began to pretend they ’ d never heard of hydroxy … what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , Zelenko isn ’ t just a favorite of Fox , he ’ s a favorite of right-wing media and right-wing Republicans in general .
That includes White House officials and Trump ’ s latest chief of staff , Mark Meadows .
And it ’ s absolutely no surprise that Zelenko has regular conversations with legal scammer Rudy Giuliani—regular as in more than once a day .
And Zelenko was also working with Corsi .
How their website was supposed to work isn ’ t clear .
What is clear is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner Zelenko , but made something of a digital error .
And something about those texts caught the eye of the man who actually received them … Zelinsky .
In his media appearances and conversations , Zelenko has also made claims beyond just talking about the efficacy of chloroquinine .
In particular , even though he ’ s a family-practice doctor and neither a researcher nor an expert , Zelenko has claimed to be leading an FDA-approved trial of chloroquinine as a treatment for COVID-19 patients .
This claim has been repeated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearances on right-wing media a measure of authority .
After getting Corsi ’ s tests , federal prosecutor Zelinsky checked the FDA site to see if Zelenko was listed as a participant in any study .
He is now .
And , as it happens , the former member of Robert Mueller ’ s team now has another job : He is dedicated to investigating scams related to the coronavirus at the U.S. attorney ’ s office in Maryland .
Sometimes serendipity is just too good to be true .
After Corsi accidentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than his new partner , Zelinsky followed up Zelenko ’ s claims .
That triggered Zelinsky to open an investigation both into Zelenko ’ s chloroquine promotion , and to whatever it was that Corsi and Zelenko have been doing together .
Corsi has already cried foul , claiming that Zelenko simply “ made a mistake ” in pretending to be part of a study .
But Corsi has also used his podcast to warn that the FDA warnings against hydroxychloroquine were trying to “ demonize ” a “ safe drug.
” Which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perpetual scam artist is still trying to push a drug , well after real studies have been halted and real results have demonstrated it generates more harm than benefit .
It also makes it seem , just a bit , as if that website the pair was planning might have been hydroxychloroquine-connected .
Naturally , Corsi is already complaining about government overreach .
Expect him to sue Zelinsky any day .

Even in the midst of the greatest disaster in a century, there are flickers of light. And when those glimmers include both right-wing dirty trickster Jerome Corsi and a fake COVID-19 cure huckster earning themselves a new federal investigation solely on the basis of Corsi being blatantly careless, those moments can get refreshingly bright.
Right-wing agent provocateur Corsi is probably best known for his connection to Roger Stone and his involvement in trying to leverage a relationship with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He’s also known for suing special counsel Robert Mueller for $350 million, and for how a federal judge promptly tossed that ridiculous lawsuit. But despite losing his case in 2019, and despite the special counsel’s office being officially closed for months, Corsi apparently left the phone number of one of Mueller’s prosecutors in his list of phone contacts. That turned out to be a mistake.
Thanks to his cluttered contact list, Corsi has really outdone himself to find a way to get back on the radar of federal prosecutors. Because when he meant to be exchanging messages with faux coronavirus expert Vladimir “Zev” Zelenko, Corsi’s thumb apparently missed the right entry in his address list by just one name. Instead of the Fox-favorite Zelenko, Corsi ended up actually sending information to federal prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky—a former member of Robert Mueller’s team. And now Corsi has earned himself a whole new investigation.
As The Washington Post reports, Corsi’s communications that were intended for Zelenko involved the pair’s supposed partnership in a website to “connect doctors and patients.” But considering the nature of both participants, it’s unlikely that site was going to be a legitimate medical hub. In fact, there’s just one topic where the two men have been united: spreading the gospel of hydroxychloroquine.
Zelenko was one of the regular voices on Fox News touting the same anti-malarial drug that Donald Trump pushed forcefully day after day. Even after it became clear that the drug wasn’t just useless, but actively harmful, and even after Fox began to pretend they’d never heard of hydroxy … what? Zelenko kept on going. After all, Zelenko isn’t just a favorite of Fox, he’s a favorite of right-wing media and right-wing Republicans in general. That includes White House officials and Trump’s latest chief of staff, Mark Meadows. And it’s absolutely no surprise that Zelenko has regular conversations with legal scammer Rudy Giuliani—regular as in more than once a day.
And Zelenko was also working with Corsi. How their website was supposed to work isn’t clear. What is clear is that Corsi sent some notes intended for his partner Zelenko, but made something of a digital error. And something about those texts caught the eye of the man who actually received them … Zelinsky.
In his media appearances and conversations, Zelenko has also made claims beyond just talking about the efficacy of chloroquinine. In particular, even though he’s a family-practice doctor and neither a researcher nor an expert, Zelenko has claimed to be leading an FDA-approved trial of chloroquinine as a treatment for COVID-19 patients. This claim has been repeated as part of the means of lending his appearances on right-wing media a measure of authority.
After getting Corsi’s tests, federal prosecutor Zelinsky checked the FDA site to see if Zelenko was listed as a participant in any study. He is now. And, as it happens, the former member of Robert Mueller’s team now has another job: He is dedicated to investigating scams related to the coronavirus at the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland. Sometimes serendipity is just too good to be true.
After Corsi accidentally sent comments to his old prosecutor rather than his new partner, Zelinsky followed up Zelenko’s claims. That triggered Zelinsky to open an investigation both into Zelenko’s chloroquine promotion, and to whatever it was that Corsi and Zelenko have been doing together.
Corsi has already cried foul, claiming that Zelenko simply “made a mistake” in pretending to be part of a study. But Corsi has also used his podcast to warn that the FDA warnings against hydroxychloroquine were trying to “demonize” a “safe drug.” Which makes it seem very much as if the perpetual scam artist is still trying to push a drug, well after real studies have been halted and real results have demonstrated it generates more harm than benefit. It also makes it seem, just a bit, as if that website the pair was planning might have been hydroxychloroquine-connected.
Naturally, Corsi is already complaining about government overreach. Expect him to sue Zelinsky any day.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-05-02--COVID Nightmare: Right-Wingers Demonize Those Who Stay Home

Last Thursday , Bloomberg Businessweek published a story about Wuhan , where normal life is starting up again , if you stretch the definition of `` normal . ''
Every workday at Lenovo ’ s tablet and phone factory on the outskirts of Wuhan , arriving employees report to a supervisor for the first of at least four temperature checks .
The results are fed into a data collection system designed by staff .
Anyone above 37.3C ( 99.1F ) is automatically flagged , triggering an investigation by an in-house “ anti-virus task force.
” ... Before returning to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested both for the virus and for antibodies that indicate past illness , and they had to wait for their results in isolation at a dedicated dormitory .
Once cleared , they returned to work to find the capacity of meeting rooms built for six reduced to three and the formerly communal cafeteria tables partitioned off by vertical barriers covered in reminders to avoid conversation .
Signs everywhere indicate when areas were last disinfected , and robots are deployed wherever possible to transport supplies , so as to reduce the number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too , are an artifact of the Before Times ; everyone now has to take the stairs , keeping their distance from others all the way .
You can call this totalitarian or dystopian , but if you want to stop transmission of the virus until we have a vaccine or effective treatments , you need to do this , or have an alternative that works as well .
So with all this going on , at workplaces and elsewhere , do people feel safe in public ?
No .
But inasmuch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did before January , it ’ s not clear , after what they ’ ve endured , that they really want to .
Shopping malls and department stores are open again , but largely empty .
The same is true of restaurants ; people are ordering in instead .
The subway is quiet , but autos are selling : If being stuck in traffic is annoying , at least it ’ s socially distanced .
See also this tweet : Angry Fox-addled protestors in Michigan and elsewhere may have no fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially if they 're older .
The president and the plutocrats want the economy opened , and in much of America they 'll get their wish , even though we 're still experiencing more than 2,000 deaths a day from COVID-19 , at a time when the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicted we 'd be at 1,266 .
So the right can force the economy open , but many people wo n't venture out to participate .
What happens then ?
The anti-lockdown propagandists will begin to say that anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cowardly liberal who wants America to fail .
On the left , we 're used to being called enemies of the people .
But they 're about to start demonizing the healthy-but-frightened elderly , as well as people with small children who worry about being lost to them for weeks in intensive care , or worse .
They 're about to demonize anyone who has okay odds of surviving Russian Roulette with the virus but decides not to take the chance .
Shopping will be patriotism .
Legitimate fear will be treason .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordinary citizen who endorses this is a moral monster .
Published with permission of No More Mr. Nice Blog

Last Thursday, Bloomberg Businessweek published a story about Wuhan, where normal life is starting up again, if you stretch the definition of "normal."
Every workday at Lenovo’s tablet and phone factory on the outskirts of Wuhan, arriving employees report to a supervisor for the first of at least four temperature checks. The results are fed into a data collection system designed by staff. Anyone above 37.3C (99.1F) is automatically flagged, triggering an investigation by an in-house “anti-virus task force.” ... Before returning to the site, staff members had to be tested both for the virus and for antibodies that indicate past illness, and they had to wait for their results in isolation at a dedicated dormitory. Once cleared, they returned to work to find the capacity of meeting rooms built for six reduced to three and the formerly communal cafeteria tables partitioned off by vertical barriers covered in reminders to avoid conversation. Signs everywhere indicate when areas were last disinfected, and robots are deployed wherever possible to transport supplies, so as to reduce the number of people moving from place to place. Elevators, too, are an artifact of the Before Times; everyone now has to take the stairs, keeping their distance from others all the way.
You can call this totalitarian or dystopian, but if you want to stop transmission of the virus until we have a vaccine or effective treatments, you need to do this, or have an alternative that works as well.
So with all this going on, at workplaces and elsewhere, do people feel safe in public? No.
But inasmuch as citizens can return to living as they did before January, it’s not clear, after what they’ve endured, that they really want to. Shopping malls and department stores are open again, but largely empty. The same is true of restaurants; people are ordering in instead. The subway is quiet, but autos are selling: If being stuck in traffic is annoying, at least it’s socially distanced.
See also this tweet:
For the people who think the lockdowns are all that stands between us and a thriving economy, how do you explain this chart? pic.twitter.com/rn1WxJHkdp — Erik Brynjolfsson (@erikbryn) April 30, 2020
Angry Fox-addled protestors in Michigan and elsewhere may have no fear of the virus, but normal people do, especially if they're older. The president and the plutocrats want the economy opened, and in much of America they'll get their wish, even though we're still experiencing more than 2,000 deaths a day from COVID-19, at a time when the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicted we'd be at 1,266.
So the right can force the economy open, but many people won't venture out to participate.
What happens then? The anti-lockdown propagandists will begin to say that anyone who's reluctant to shop is a cowardly liberal who wants America to fail. On the left, we're used to being called enemies of the people. But they're about to start demonizing the healthy-but-frightened elderly, as well as people with small children who worry about being lost to them for weeks in intensive care, or worse. They're about to demonize anyone who has okay odds of surviving Russian Roulette with the virus but decides not to take the chance.
Shopping will be patriotism. Legitimate fear will be treason. They're not messing around.
Every ordinary citizen who endorses this is a moral monster.
Published with permission of No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Former FDA Chief Says 1,000 Deaths A Day Is The 'New Normal' Because Trump Plan 'Didn't Work'

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb predicted over the weekend that the United States would see far more deaths than President Donald Trump predicted from the novel coronavirus .
`` Around the nation , hospitalizations and new cases continue to rise , '' Gottlieb explained to CBS News host Margaret Brennan .
`` There 's about 20 states where we see a rising number of new cases . ''
`` And so , while mitigation did n't fail , I think it 's fair to say that it did n't work as well as we expected , '' he observed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more significant declines in new cases and deaths around the nation at this point and we 're just not seeing that . ''
Brennan pointed out that President Donald Trump has given varying predictions on the number of deaths , more recently saying that 70,000 could die from COVID-19 .
`` Are these White House numbers reliable at all ? ''
Brennan wondered .
`` That model initially showed a best case of 100,000 deaths but it 's come down since then to about 70,000 , '' Gottlieb said .
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's going to happen by the end of June .
It 's really hard to predict beyond June where this goes because we could have large outbreaks this summer . ''
`` It 's probably the case that we 're going to get above 100,000 deaths nationally , '' he added .
`` We looking at the prospect that this may be a persistent spread .
While the doubling time has come down dramatically to about 25 days ... from days or less than a week at the outset . ''
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 30,000 new cases a day becomes the new normal and a 1,000 or more deaths becomes the new normal as well , '' Gottlieb noted .

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb predicted over the weekend that the United States would see far more deaths than President Donald Trump predicted from the novel coronavirus.
"Around the nation, hospitalizations and new cases continue to rise," Gottlieb explained to CBS News host Margaret Brennan. "There's about 20 states where we see a rising number of new cases."
"And so, while mitigation didn't fail, I think it's fair to say that it didn't work as well as we expected," he observed. "We expected we would start seeing more significant declines in new cases and deaths around the nation at this point and we're just not seeing that."
Brennan pointed out that President Donald Trump has given varying predictions on the number of deaths, more recently saying that 70,000 could die from COVID-19.
"Are these White House numbers reliable at all?" Brennan wondered.
"That model initially showed a best case of 100,000 deaths but it's come down since then to about 70,000," Gottlieb said. "I think we have to look out to what's going to happen by the end of June. It's really hard to predict beyond June where this goes because we could have large outbreaks this summer."
"It's probably the case that we're going to get above 100,000 deaths nationally," he added. "We looking at the prospect that this may be a persistent spread. While the doubling time has come down dramatically to about 25 days... from days or less than a week at the outset."
"We may be facing the prospect where 20,000 to 30,000 new cases a day becomes the new normal and a 1,000 or more deaths becomes the new normal as well," Gottlieb noted.


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Mike Pompeo Says COVID-19 Is Man-Made And Also That It Is Not Man-Made

Secretary of State , and believer of The Rapture , talked to ABC 's Martha Raddatz on Sunday about COVID @ @ @ @ @ originated .
He has interesting views , in that he has two totally different views @ @ @ @ @ but that does n't stop him from saying in the span of 2 minutes , @ @ @ @ @ , and then the other .
He has his views .
And he believes the @ @ @ @ @ something totally different .
Are you guys as confused as me ?
Here is the @ @ @ @ @ Yes , it was man-made .
Question : DNI said it was not man-made .
@ @ @ @ @ right .
I agree with that .
Question : So , you do NOT think @ @ @ @ @ ?
Answer : Muddled answer blaming `` Chinese Communist Party '' and not really saying @ @

Secretary of State, and believer of The Rapture, talked to ABC's Martha Raddatz on Sunday about COVID and where he thinks it originated. He has interesting views, in that he has two totally different views that cannot co-exist, but that doesn't stop him from saying in the span of 2 minutes, that he agrees with one, and then the other. He has his views. And he believes the intelligence community, which believe something totally different.
Are you guys as confused as me?
Here is the transcript:
First position: Yes, it was man-made.
Question: DNI said it was not man-made.
Here's the statement they released:
Something else weird here, besides the fact that ODNI doesn't release intelligence assessments via press release: "not manmade or genetically modified"
That's not specific enough. https://t.co/xDHmEqrQot pic.twitter.com/hGbU1T5mTg — Eric Garland (@ericgarland) April 30, 2020
Second position: That's right. I agree with that.
Question: So, you do NOT think it was man-made or modified?
Answer: Muddled answer blaming "Chinese Communist Party" and not really saying anything.
Got it?
I don't either.


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Susan Rice Blasts Trump & Co's 'Effort To Cover Up And Distract From Their Own Failings'

On AM Joy , Susan Rice eviscerated all of the blame Trump is trying to lay on the Obama administration by pointing out facts about how Trump dismantled all of the parts President Obama put in place to deal with a pandemic , and wow was she on fire .
First , she took care of Jared Kushner 's `` Mission Accomplished '' declaration earlier this week .
And she 's off and running : Well , it 's really , Joy , offensive when you digest the reality that now nearly 70,000 Americans have lost their lives .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected , 30 million Americans have lost their jobs .
We know that number is an underestimate .
How one could possibly declare that a success of any sort , mission accomplished is bewildering and it is offensive because so many Americans are suffering .
We 're suffering loss of life , loss of loved ones , and the degree of our suffering in human terms and economic terms is , frankly , far greater than it needed to be because of this administration 's incompetence , the president 's denials and dishonest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the information they had beginning in early and mid-January , when we learned this was a major problem in China .
Any person with knowledge and experience of pandemics knows this was going to come to us in a major way .
Having disposed of Kushner , she then turned to this group of miscreant incompetents in the White House , and specifically , Donald Trump 's claim that there was some faulty tests that were left behind by the Obama administration .
Rice was in no mood to be even a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's , of course , preposterous .
The notion that we left them faulty tests when we left office in January of 2017 and there was n't a novel coronavirus to test for at that time is false on its face .
But the broader narrative that somehow the Obama administration left this new administration unprepared is ridiculous .
First of all , this is 3 1/2 years into the Trump administration .
They own whatever the situation is .
Secondly , we understood very clearly the real likelihood of a pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in December 2014 as we were wrestling with the Ebola epidemic .
I set up an office at the White House , solely for the purpose of tracking global health events and possible pandemics and responding to them .
We left them a 69-page playbook which I called `` pandemics for dummies '' which was designed to enable an administration to walk through a set of issues and questions and begin to prepare a response .
They dismantled the office , discarded the playbook .
They disregarded the exercise we prepared for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinds of issues in the transition , and they never prioritized pandemics as the catastrophic threat we all knew it could be .
And that , more importantly , Joy , they wasted the months of January and February in terms of gearing up our response .
That 's the time when we should have been surging the acquisition and procurement of PPE and ventilators and tests and all of the things that we now know , that all Americans now know are so badly needed .
We knew that to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete national strategic stockpile .
For the Trump administration to blame the Obama administration or blame anybody else is purely an effort to cover up and distract from their own extraordinary failings .
Thank you , Susan Rice for being forceful and straightforward about what we all know to be true .
Donald Trump and his gang OWN the disaster this pandemic has brought to our country through their own incompetence and desire to undo everything President Obama did because of Trump 's petty , ego-driven needs .
In a segment not included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rice if she was being vetted for Vice President .
She demurred .
I 've got ta say , based on what I 've seen here and elsewhere , she could definitely be a serious candidate for the nomination .
After all , she and Biden are definitely on the same page :

On AM Joy, Susan Rice eviscerated all of the blame Trump is trying to lay on the Obama administration by pointing out facts about how Trump dismantled all of the parts President Obama put in place to deal with a pandemic, and wow was she on fire.
First, she took care of Jared Kushner's "Mission Accomplished" declaration earlier this week.
And she's off and running:
Well, it's really, Joy, offensive when you digest the reality that now nearly 70,000 Americans have lost their lives. As you said, well over 1 million infected, 30 million Americans have lost their jobs. We know that number is an underestimate. How one could possibly declare that a success of any sort, mission accomplished is bewildering and it is offensive because so many Americans are suffering. We're suffering loss of life, loss of loved ones, and the degree of our suffering in human terms and economic terms is, frankly, far greater than it needed to be because of this administration's incompetence, the president's denials and dishonest statements and their refusal to act on the information they had beginning in early and mid-January, when we learned this was a major problem in China. Any person with knowledge and experience of pandemics knows this was going to come to us in a major way.
Having disposed of Kushner, she then turned to this group of miscreant incompetents in the White House, and specifically, Donald Trump's claim that there was some faulty tests that were left behind by the Obama administration.
Rice was in no mood to be even a little bit nice. It is delicious:
It's, of course, preposterous. The notion that we left them faulty tests when we left office in January of 2017 and there wasn't a novel coronavirus to test for at that time is false on its face. But the broader narrative that somehow the Obama administration left this new administration unprepared is ridiculous. First of all, this is 3 1/2 years into the Trump administration. They own whatever the situation is. Secondly, we understood very clearly the real likelihood of a pandemic. President Obama spoke to it publicly in December 2014 as we were wrestling with the Ebola epidemic. I set up an office at the White House, solely for the purpose of tracking global health events and possible pandemics and responding to them. We left them a 69-page playbook which I called "pandemics for dummies" which was designed to enable an administration to walk through a set of issues and questions and begin to prepare a response. They dismantled the office, discarded the playbook. They disregarded the exercise we prepared for them to enable them to work through these kinds of issues in the transition, and they never prioritized pandemics as the catastrophic threat we all knew it could be. And that, more importantly, Joy, they wasted the months of January and February in terms of gearing up our response. That's the time when we should have been surging the acquisition and procurement of PPE and ventilators and tests and all of the things that we now know, that all Americans now know are so badly needed. We knew that to be the case. We left a whole and complete national strategic stockpile. For the Trump administration to blame the Obama administration or blame anybody else is purely an effort to cover up and distract from their own extraordinary failings.
Thank you, Susan Rice for being forceful and straightforward about what we all know to be true. Donald Trump and his gang OWN the disaster this pandemic has brought to our country through their own incompetence and desire to undo everything President Obama did because of Trump's petty, ego-driven needs.
In a segment not included in the clip above, Joy asked Rice if she was being vetted for Vice President. She demurred. I've gotta say, based on what I've seen here and elsewhere, she could definitely be a serious candidate for the nomination. After all, she and Biden are definitely on the same page:


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Dr. Deborah Birx Calls Michigan Protests ‘Devastatingly Worrisome’

After months of feeding their viewers lies and misinformation about the dangers of the coronavirus , Dr. Deborah Birx , coordinator of Trump ’ s coronavirus task force , gave the audience at Fox a dose of reality on the dangers of these stay-at-home protests across the country , and the fact that some of these COVIDiots may live to regret their actions if they end up infecting a loved one due to their irresponsible behavior : In a `` Fox News Sunday '' interview , Birx weighed in on recent incidents ranging from crowds flocking to Califonia beaches to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but came down particularly hard on Michigan protesters who stormed the state capitol in large numbers without wearing masks .
`` It ’ s devastatingly worrisome to me personally because if they go home and infect their grandmother or their grandfather who has a co-morbid condition and they have a serious or a very unfortunate outcome , they will feel guilty for the rest of our lives , '' Birx said .
`` So we need to protect each other at the same time we ’ re voicing our discontent . ''
Birx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now being permitted by certain state governors may not be in the public 's best interest , and reminded people that the White House 's guidelines are there to let people know how to stay safe .
Several states have begun reopening , even though none have met the White House 's recommended 14-day decline in cases before doing so .

After months of feeding their viewers lies and misinformation about the dangers of the coronavirus, Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of Trump’s coronavirus task force, gave the audience at Fox a dose of reality on the dangers of these stay-at-home protests across the country, and the fact that some of these COVIDiots may live to regret their actions if they end up infecting a loved one due to their irresponsible behavior:
In a "Fox News Sunday" interview, Birx weighed in on recent incidents ranging from crowds flocking to Califonia beaches to the reopening of salons and spas, but came down particularly hard on Michigan protesters who stormed the state capitol in large numbers without wearing masks.
"It’s devastatingly worrisome to me personally because if they go home and infect their grandmother or their grandfather who has a co-morbid condition and they have a serious or a very unfortunate outcome, they will feel guilty for the rest of our lives," Birx said. "So we need to protect each other at the same time we’re voicing our discontent."
Birx also noted that even activities that are now being permitted by certain state governors may not be in the public's best interest, and reminded people that the White House's guidelines are there to let people know how to stay safe. Several states have begun reopening, even though none have met the White House's recommended 14-day decline in cases before doing so.


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Ted Cruz Spends Pandemic Fuming About Lack Of Gayness In Chinese Movies

Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) is livid that China has censored homosexuality from American movies .
In an interview on Fox News , Cruz revealed that he is sponsoring new legislation to punish Hollywood studios who cooperate with Chinese censorship requirements .
`` One of your bills is called the Script Act , '' Fox News host Maria Bartiromo announced .
`` [ Chinese officials ] have really bullied Hollywood and Hollywood producers roll over about it .
You 've mentioned a couple of films before Top Gun , Bohemian Rhapsody . ''
`` It really is tragic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and over again , to kowtow to Chinese communists and let the Chinese government censor American movies , '' Cruz opined .
Referring to a character in Top Gun , the senator complained : `` We 're saying Maverick is afraid of the damn Chinese communists . ''
`` And Bohemian Rhapsody ! ''
Bartiromo interrupted .
`` The Chinese communist government wanted them to edit out part when [ Freddie Mercury ] was gay ?
How do you tell the story of Bohemian Rhapsody and not say that Freddie was gay ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruz insisted .
`` But Hollywood was more than happy to edit the scene out .
They did it because the Chinese government did n't want to acknowledge that Freddy Mercury was homosexual .
Look , that 's a huge part of the story ! ''
`` The problem is Hollywood is more interested in making millions of dollars from the Chinese market than they are in free speech , than they are in artistic integrity , '' the senator added .
Under Cruz 's legislation , Hollywood studios would not be allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless they stopped allowing censorship in China .
It was not immediately clear why Cruz believes that a pandemic is the best time to launch his anti-China bill .

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is livid that China has censored homosexuality from American movies.
In an interview on Fox News, Cruz revealed that he is sponsoring new legislation to punish Hollywood studios who cooperate with Chinese censorship requirements.
"One of your bills is called the Script Act," Fox News host Maria Bartiromo announced. "[Chinese officials] have really bullied Hollywood and Hollywood producers roll over about it. You've mentioned a couple of films before Top Gun, Bohemian Rhapsody."
"It really is tragic that Hollywood has been willing to, over and over again, to kowtow to Chinese communists and let the Chinese government censor American movies," Cruz opined.
Referring to a character in Top Gun, the senator complained: "We're saying Maverick is afraid of the damn Chinese communists."
"And Bohemian Rhapsody!" Bartiromo interrupted. "The Chinese communist government wanted them to edit out part when [Freddie Mercury] was gay? How do you tell the story of Bohemian Rhapsody and not say that Freddie was gay?"
"You don't," Cruz insisted. "But Hollywood was more than happy to edit the scene out. They did it because the Chinese government didn't want to acknowledge that Freddy Mercury was homosexual. Look, that's a huge part of the story!"
"The problem is Hollywood is more interested in making millions of dollars from the Chinese market than they are in free speech, than they are in artistic integrity," the senator added.
Under Cruz's legislation, Hollywood studios would not be allowed to use military equipment in their movies unless they stopped allowing censorship in China. It was not immediately clear why Cruz believes that a pandemic is the best time to launch his anti-China bill.


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Ron DeSantis Says Red States Will 'Lose Competitive Advantage' If Blue States Get COVID-19 Funds

Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) argued on Sunday that Republican controlled states might lose their `` competitive advantage '' if states controlled by Democrats receive coronavirus relief funds .
`` Florida , we were flush before this , '' DeSantis told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo .
`` Obviously , this is going to hit our revenues because you 've had key sectors of our economy like tourism that have taken a huge hit . ''
`` It 's one thing to help a state with lost revenue from the pandemic , '' he continued .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bail out obligations that were run up over 20 or 30 years .
I think that would be very unfair to the states that have done it well . ''
`` And so , I think if you 're going to make a state whole from pre-pandemic , that 's one thing , '' DeSantis said .
`` But to go beyond that and to bail out pensions or to do things like that , a lot of these states were n't being managed properly and I would n't want to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they are getting bailout money and we 're not . ''

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) argued on Sunday that Republican controlled states might lose their "competitive advantage" if states controlled by Democrats receive coronavirus relief funds.
"Florida, we were flush before this," DeSantis told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. "Obviously, this is going to hit our revenues because you've had key sectors of our economy like tourism that have taken a huge hit."
"It's one thing to help a state with lost revenue from the pandemic," he continued. "But this pandemic should not be used to bail out obligations that were run up over 20 or 30 years. I think that would be very unfair to the states that have done it well."
"And so, I think if you're going to make a state whole from pre-pandemic, that's one thing," DeSantis said. "But to go beyond that and to bail out pensions or to do things like that, a lot of these states weren't being managed properly and I wouldn't want to see Florida and Texas lose our competitive advantage because they are getting bailout money and we're not."


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Fox News Issues Correction After Actor Kevin Sorbo Spouts Conspiracy Theory Comparing COVID-19 To Fl

Fox News Issues Correction After Actor Kevin Sorbo Spouts Conspiracy Theory Comparing COVID-19 To Flu

Fox News host Jillian Mele cautioned the network 's viewers on Sunday after actor Kevin Sorbo compared COVID-19 to the seasonal flu .
In an interview on Fox & Friends , Sorbo appeared with his wife Sam to explain why he had called Americans `` blind sheep '' for obeying government guidelines for fighting the novel coronavirus .
`` I 'm not saying this virus is n't dangerous , '' Sorbo opined .
`` Of course , it 's dangerous ...
But you know , look at the common flu .
The so-called common flu is 60 to 80,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu .
Are we doing anything about that ?
Are we social distancing from that ? ''
`` There 's more going on here guys and it 's about control and power over our lives , '' he insisted .
`` That 's what government wants to do . ''
`` I 've seen small businesses opening , defying the state orders , '' she explained .
`` We need business because guess what 's essential , folks .
Food is essential and feeding your family is essential .
And the fact is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberty and the pursuit of happiness .
The pursuit of happiness or prosperity is actually having a job . ''
`` Let 's send a message to Washington , '' Sam Sorbo continued .
`` Maybe your job is not essential .
Maybe you should n't be getting paid because there are people who are suffering today , who are not even getting their minimum wage pay because the government has determined that their job is not essential . ''
Sorbo interrupted to complain that golf courses are closed during the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is different and a lot more contagious than the flu , '' Mele said .
`` And we do need to take certain medical and safety precautions .
So just want to clarify that . ''
`` But there are also medical professionals who are saying we should not be social distancing , '' Sam Sorbo remarked .
`` There are medical people who have done studies ... we need herd immunity , we need people to get out and wash your hands , sure .
But maybe this was an overreaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely claimed that the Centers for Disease Control had cut the COVID-19 death toll in half .
But she got no pushback from the Fox News hosts .
`` Have you seen that , I 'm not wearing a mask , my body , my choice meme that 's going around ? ''
Sam Sorbo asked .
`` Is my body , my choice still applicable ? ''
Mele reminded the couple that Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that social distancing worked to slow the spread of the virus .
`` It means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` There 's always going to be viruses out there .
Is this virus going to go away and be gone forever ?
Eventually we have to go back to living lives . ''
`` My concern is the predictions of Fauci and Birx has not been borne out , '' Sam Sorbo chimed in .
`` In any degree .
And so the CDC revised their death toll to 37,000 ( they did n't ) which is not even on the rate of a flu at this point .
So then what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mele felt the need to correct the couple one more time .
`` Once again for our viewers , difficult to compare coronavirus to the regular flu , '' she said .
`` So just a reminder about that . ''

Fox News host Jillian Mele cautioned the network's viewers on Sunday after actor Kevin Sorbo compared COVID-19 to the seasonal flu.
In an interview on Fox & Friends, Sorbo appeared with his wife Sam to explain why he had called Americans "blind sheep" for obeying government guidelines for fighting the novel coronavirus.
"I'm not saying this virus isn't dangerous," Sorbo opined. "Of course, it's dangerous... But you know, look at the common flu. The so-called common flu is 60 to 80,000 people a year die every year from the flu. Are we doing anything about that? Are we social distancing from that?"
"There's more going on here guys and it's about control and power over our lives," he insisted. "That's what government wants to do."
Sorbo's wife suggested "civil disobedience" as a remedy.
"I've seen small businesses opening, defying the state orders," she explained. "We need business because guess what's essential, folks. Food is essential and feeding your family is essential. And the fact is we established this nation for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness or prosperity is actually having a job."
"Let's send a message to Washington," Sam Sorbo continued. "Maybe your job is not essential. Maybe you shouldn't be getting paid because there are people who are suffering today, who are not even getting their minimum wage pay because the government has determined that their job is not essential."
Sorbo interrupted to complain that golf courses are closed during the pandemic.
"It's insane!" the actor exclaimed.
Fox News host Jillian Mele paused the interview to offer viewers a warning.
"All the experts do say that this is different and a lot more contagious than the flu," Mele said. "And we do need to take certain medical and safety precautions. So just want to clarify that."
"But there are also medical professionals who are saying we should not be social distancing," Sam Sorbo remarked. "There are medical people who have done studies... we need herd immunity, we need people to get out and wash your hands, sure. But maybe this was an overreaction."
The actor's wife then falsely claimed that the Centers for Disease Control had cut the COVID-19 death toll in half.
But she got no pushback from the Fox News hosts.
"Have you seen that, I'm not wearing a mask, my body, my choice meme that's going around?" Sam Sorbo asked. "Is my body, my choice still applicable?"
Mele reminded the couple that Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that social distancing worked to slow the spread of the virus.
"It means never then," Sorbo complained. "There's always going to be viruses out there. Is this virus going to go away and be gone forever? Eventually we have to go back to living lives."
"My concern is the predictions of Fauci and Birx has not been borne out," Sam Sorbo chimed in. "In any degree. And so the CDC revised their death toll to 37,000 (they didn't) which is not even on the rate of a flu at this point. So then what?"
After the interview ended, Mele felt the need to correct the couple one more time.
"Once again for our viewers, difficult to compare coronavirus to the regular flu," she said. "So just a reminder about that."


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Larry Kudlow Defends Earlier 'Containment' Claim: 'No One Could Have Predicted' COVID Spread

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow ignored CDC warnings earlier in February in order to defend his ludicrous claim in February that the virus was contained to `` 40 or 50 cases . ''
During an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN 's State of the Union , Kudlow was asked why there was a disconnect between what health professionals say and what he has to say about the economy , specifically when he claimed the virus was `` contained '' back in February .
“ For the umpteenth time I will say , my quote then was based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were only 40 or 50 cases and it was contained , particularly after President Trump boldly put up travel restrictions with China , '' Kudlow huffed .
`` I didn ’ t make the forecast , and that was just — there was hardly any cases , okay ? ''
Yes , that was a claim made at the very end of a 2-month period where the government could have been preparing for an outbreak that could grind the entire country to a halt .
Instead of telling the truth and looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead chose to bow before the market gods and ... lie .
After getting in the obligatory potshot at Nancy Pelosi , he continued to rant .
“ You know , this sort of ankle-biting that ’ s going on in Washington is just incorrect .
You have to deal with the information at hand .
When the information changes , you change , '' he said , as though there was absolutely no information in January or February that COVID-19 was about to be a pandemic that would stop everything and change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the utter lack of action in the first two months of the year with action when the horse had already left the barn , Kudlow said , `` We changed our strategy .
so did everybody else around the world change their strategy ... We did what we had to do , as soon as the situation became much clearer.
” Experts have been warning about the possibility of a pandemic for years .
The H1N1 , Zika and Ebola crises in the last decade were warnings that should have been taken seriously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead of building on those initiatives , Donald Trump and his gang gutted them .
Laurie Garrett predicted this in 1994 .
In an interview in today 's New York Times , she predicts that 36 months will be the shortest time frame for a vaccine or an effective treatment .
And that 's just the beginning : I ’ m quite certain that this is going to go in waves , ” she added .
“ It won ’ t be a tsunami that comes across America all at once and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be micro-waves that shoot up in Des Moines and then in New Orleans and then in Houston and so on , and it ’ s going to affect how people think about all kinds of things.
” They ’ ll re-evaluate the importance of travel .
They ’ ll reassess their use of mass transit .
They ’ ll revisit the need for face-to-face business meetings .
They ’ ll reappraise having their kids go to college out of state .
So , I asked , is “ back to normal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cling to , a fantasy ?
“ This is history right in front of us , ” Garrett said .
“ Did we go ‘ back to normal ’ after 9/11 ?
No .
We created a whole new normal .
We securitized the United States .
We turned into an antiterror state .
And it affected everything .
We couldn ’ t go into a building without showing ID and walking through a metal detector , and couldn ’ t get on airplanes the same way ever again .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this.
” Not the metal detectors , but a seismic shift in what we expect , in what we endure , in how we adapt .
She goes on to say that the Trump administration 's response has been shockingly incompetent , which is evident just from this lame interview with Larry Kudlow .
`` I can sit here with you for three hours listing — boom , boom , boom — what good leadership would look like and how many more lives would be saved if we followed that path , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garrett told Frank Bruni .
“ I feel like I ’ m just coming out of maybe three weeks of being in a funk because of the profound disappointment that there ’ s not a whisper of it.
” For me , it 's more like 3 1/2 years of a funk because there 's no leadership .
Larry Kudlow just grinds salt in the wound with every word out of his mouth .

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow ignored CDC warnings earlier in February in order to defend his ludicrous claim in February that the virus was contained to "40 or 50 cases."
During an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union, Kudlow was asked why there was a disconnect between what health professionals say and what he has to say about the economy, specifically when he claimed the virus was "contained" back in February.
“For the umpteenth time I will say, my quote then was based on the actual facts which at the time there were only 40 or 50 cases and it was contained, particularly after President Trump boldly put up travel restrictions with China," Kudlow huffed. "I didn’t make the forecast, and that was just — there was hardly any cases, okay?"
Yes, that was a claim made at the very end of a 2-month period where the government could have been preparing for an outbreak that could grind the entire country to a halt. Instead of telling the truth and looking at things with clear eyes, Kudlow instead chose to bow before the market gods and...lie.
After getting in the obligatory potshot at Nancy Pelosi, he continued to rant. “You know, this sort of ankle-biting that’s going on in Washington is just incorrect. You have to deal with the information at hand. When the information changes, you change," he said, as though there was absolutely no information in January or February that COVID-19 was about to be a pandemic that would stop everything and change the world forever.
Concluding by justifying the utter lack of action in the first two months of the year with action when the horse had already left the barn, Kudlow said, "We changed our strategy. so did everybody else around the world change their strategy...We did what we had to do, as soon as the situation became much clearer.”
Experts have been warning about the possibility of a pandemic for years. The H1N1, Zika and Ebola crises in the last decade were warnings that should have been taken seriously, and were -- by President Obama. Instead of building on those initiatives, Donald Trump and his gang gutted them.
Laurie Garrett predicted this in 1994. In an interview in today's New York Times, she predicts that 36 months will be the shortest time frame for a vaccine or an effective treatment. And that's just the beginning:
I’m quite certain that this is going to go in waves,” she added. “It won’t be a tsunami that comes across America all at once and then retreats all at once. It will be micro-waves that shoot up in Des Moines and then in New Orleans and then in Houston and so on, and it’s going to affect how people think about all kinds of things.” They’ll re-evaluate the importance of travel. They’ll reassess their use of mass transit. They’ll revisit the need for face-to-face business meetings. They’ll reappraise having their kids go to college out of state. So, I asked, is “back to normal,” a phrase that so many people cling to, a fantasy? “This is history right in front of us,” Garrett said. “Did we go ‘back to normal’ after 9/11? No. We created a whole new normal. We securitized the United States. We turned into an antiterror state. And it affected everything. We couldn’t go into a building without showing ID and walking through a metal detector, and couldn’t get on airplanes the same way ever again. That’s what’s going to happen with this.” Not the metal detectors, but a seismic shift in what we expect, in what we endure, in how we adapt.
She goes on to say that the Trump administration's response has been shockingly incompetent, which is evident just from this lame interview with Larry Kudlow.
"I can sit here with you for three hours listing — boom, boom, boom — what good leadership would look like and how many more lives would be saved if we followed that path, and it’s just incredibly upsetting.” Garrett told Frank Bruni. “I feel like I’m just coming out of maybe three weeks of being in a funk because of the profound disappointment that there’s not a whisper of it.”
For me, it's more like 3 1/2 years of a funk because there's no leadership. Larry Kudlow just grinds salt in the wound with every word out of his mouth.


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--When Will Lara Trump Ask Her Father-In-Law To Provide A DNA Sample To E. Jean Carroll?

Someone let me know when Trump 's daughter-in-law decides to hold him to the same standard she 's apparently set for Joe Biden during this interview with Fox 's Jeanine Pirro this Saturday .
While discussing the dubious sexual assault allegations against Biden from his former staffer Tara Reade , who abruptly cancelled her interview with Fox 's Chris Wallace this weekend , Eric Trump 's wife Lara said this about Biden 's resistance to opening up his files at the University of Delaware , which , as Biden already explained , would not contain personnel files , and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' during his presidential campaign .
LARA TRUMP : Well , I would think if you were being accused of something , and you were totally innocent , you would go to any length possible judge to try and clear your name , including allowing people to open files like that , and make sure you turned over every single leaf to prove your innocence , and make sure people understood that these charges were false and that you did nothing wrong .
But it 's kind of curious that Joe Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeanine , he did n't understand the question .
Maybe he did n't really know what they were talking about .
Who knows anymore with Joe Biden .
He 's been hiding in his basement now for so long .
Sometimes he comes up and we see him every now and again , but it 's not a good defense for him .
Going forward he has a lot of questions to answer .
There is a long time between now and November 3 , election day , and , you know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all women , then those Democrats should come out and say , you know what , we need to hear more from Tara Reade .
Trump has been accused by dozens of women of sexual assault , and refuses to give a DNA sample to clear his name in the E. Jean Carroll case , and openly bragged about sexual assault in the now infamous Access Hollywood tape .
Lara Trump , thanks for reminding everyone that he has n't acted the way you would expect someone who is innocent and wants his @ @ @ @ @

Someone let me know when Trump's daughter-in-law decides to hold him to the same standard she's apparently set for Joe Biden during this interview with Fox's Jeanine Pirro this Saturday.
While discussing the dubious sexual assault allegations against Biden from his former staffer Tara Reade, who abruptly cancelled her interview with Fox's Chris Wallace this weekend, Eric Trump's wife Lara said this about Biden's resistance to opening up his files at the University of Delaware, which, as Biden already explained, would not contain personnel files, and are likely being sought for political "fodder" during his presidential campaign.
LARA TRUMP: Well, I would think if you were being accused of something, and you were totally innocent, you would go to any length possible judge to try and clear your name, including allowing people to open files like that, and make sure you turned over every single leaf to prove your innocence, and make sure people understood that these charges were false and that you did nothing wrong. But it's kind of curious that Joe Biden isn't allowing that to happen. Maybe Jeanine, he didn't understand the question. Maybe he didn't really know what they were talking about. Who knows anymore with Joe Biden. He's been hiding in his basement now for so long. Sometimes he comes up and we see him every now and again, but it's not a good defense for him. Going forward he has a lot of questions to answer. There is a long time between now and November 3, election day, and, you know what, if we're supposed to believe all women, then those Democrats should come out and say, you know what, we need to hear more from Tara Reade.
Trump has been accused by dozens of women of sexual assault, and refuses to give a DNA sample to clear his name in the E. Jean Carroll case, and openly bragged about sexual assault in the now infamous Access Hollywood tape.
Lara Trump, thanks for reminding everyone that he hasn't acted the way you would expect someone who is innocent and wants his name cleared to behave.


crooksandliars--2020-05-03--Biden Accuser Tara Reade Is Following The Russian Disinfo Playbook

Tara Reade , a former Senate staffer for Joe Biden , has told a bunch of different stories about an alleged sexual assault involving Joe Biden .
Back in 2019 , the Associated Press interviewed Reade , and she said that roughly 27 years ago , Biden made her `` uncomfortable , '' and the discomfort involved `` inappropriate touching . ''
She never once mentioned sexual assault until 2020 , after Biden became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
Reade claims she filed a report with the Congressional personnel office , but only after Biden agreed to allow any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remember that she never actually accused him of sexual assault OR harassment in the report .
On Friday , shortly after the Biden interview on Morning Joe on MSNBC , Reade told the AP : When asked about her initial comments to the AP from 2019 , Reade said that she “ chickened out , ” and that was her excuse for not saying more .
Reade claims that a report exists in the Senate that would prove her allegations — but once Biden personally requested that the Senate and the National Archives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a complaint , Reade changed her story again .
She now says that even if a report is found , it would not corroborate her ever-changing story .
Reade was also scheduled to do an interview on FOX News with Chris Wallace .
She cancelled that abruptly , shortly after Biden 's interview on Friday morning .
The Tara Reade story is not unique .
In fact , it is a common Russian Disinformation Playbook tactic of using fabricated stories of sexual crimes or deviance , that are hard to disprove .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ user , `` Kamala ’ s Secret Panda '' ( @ oldmancoyote22 ) in this excellent thread : Lots of stories of Russian Disinfo Playbook follow , with this story about the 2020 election : Then we get to where Tara Reade may fit in : `` Useful Idiots '' And do n't forget how much Tara Reade LOVES Putin and Russia .
In fact , she has written about it publicly .
And if she knows that Putin wants to re-elect Trump , why would n't she do everything she can to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about her former boss ?
She might gladly do it .
She may want to be a hero to Putin and Trump .
She may not have factored in Biden giving such a stellar interview on Friday , or his requesting that all records be released — a step that Reade knows would totally blow up her story .
This may be why she cancelled her interview with FOX , the only `` friendly propaganda network '' that would do her story ( lies ) justice .
I suspect the cracks will only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just one person .
Guarantee the Russian Disinfo Playbook will continue to produce even more fantastical lies and stories that the MSM will jump on and try to amplify .
Many have shown they are a gullible group of money-hungry fools , who have clearly learned nothing from 2016 .
Buckle up , folks .
The next six months are going to be BUMPY .

Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer for Joe Biden, has told a bunch of different stories about an alleged sexual assault involving Joe Biden. Back in 2019, the Associated Press interviewed Reade, and she said that roughly 27 years ago, Biden made her "uncomfortable," and the discomfort involved "inappropriate touching." She never once mentioned sexual assault until 2020, after Biden became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Reade claims she filed a report with the Congressional personnel office, but only after Biden agreed to allow any documents to be released did Reade conveniently remember that she never actually accused him of sexual assault OR harassment in the report.
Oh.
On Friday, shortly after the Biden interview on Morning Joe on MSNBC, Reade told the AP:
I remember talking about him wanting me to serve drinks because he liked my legs and thought I was pretty and it made me uncomfortable. I know that I was too scared to write about the sexual assault.
When asked about her initial comments to the AP from 2019, Reade said that she “chickened out,” and that was her excuse for not saying more. Reade claims that a report exists in the Senate that would prove her allegations — but once Biden personally requested that the Senate and the National Archives search their records to try to locate a complaint, Reade changed her story again. She now says that even if a report is found, it would not corroborate her ever-changing story.
Reade was also scheduled to do an interview on FOX News with Chris Wallace. She cancelled that abruptly, shortly after Biden's interview on Friday morning.
NEWS - Tara Reade abruptly canceled the interview she was scheduled to record on Friday afternoon with Chris Wallace for @FoxNewsSunday, to air Sunday morning.
Reade told Fox on Friday, sometime after @JoeBiden's interview with @morningmika. — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) May 2, 2020
news that Wallace was set to do the interview had been reported by @benyt.
Fox News spokesperson tells me:
"We never confirmed the interview or the New York Times story and we don’t provide details on the booking process.” — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) May 2, 2020
Fox News had been very excited about booking Reade, given that it would have been her first network television interview. Wallace was getting ready for the conversation. There’s consternation internally that it isn’t happening. — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) May 2, 2020
The Tara Reade story is not unique. In fact, it is a common Russian Disinformation Playbook tactic of using fabricated stories of sexual crimes or deviance, that are hard to disprove. These tactics were outlined very well by twitter user, "Kamala’s Secret Panda" (@oldmancoyote22) in this excellent thread:
2. Debunking those allegations well enough to stop coverage of them is extremely hard. They do not go away so long as someone who can impact the news cycle wants to mention them. That’s why it’s a favorite tactic in the Russian play book. — Kamala’s Secret Panda (@oldmancoyote22) April 29, 2020
Lots of stories of Russian Disinfo Playbook follow, with this story about the 2020 election:
13. The point of all this is to remind everyone that Russian operations against Biden *are active* and probably have been for a year. https://t.co/4pNPrJx7AF — Kamala’s Secret Panda (@oldmancoyote22) April 29, 2020
Then we get to where Tara Reade may fit in: "Useful Idiots"
16. There is a term of art for people who unwittingly signal boost these carefully crafted smear campaigns: useful idiots. I’m making a list of them in my head and choosing to ignore them the rest of the cycle. — Kamala’s Secret Panda (@oldmancoyote22) April 29, 2020
And don't forget how much Tara Reade LOVES Putin and Russia. In fact, she has written about it publicly.
In 2017, Tara Reade was amplifying tweets that attacked #Russia and #Putin, however, in 2018, she wrote this essay effusively praising Putin as a "genius" with an "alluring combination of strength with gentleness" while referencing his "sensuous image" - https://t.co/vzvM4waVYt — Kurt Bardella (@kurtbardella) April 29, 2020
And if she knows that Putin wants to re-elect Trump, why wouldn't she do everything she can to help? Even if it means lying about her former boss? She might gladly do it. She may want to be a hero to Putin and Trump. She may not have factored in Biden giving such a stellar interview on Friday, or his requesting that all records be released — a step that Reade knows would totally blow up her story. This may be why she cancelled her interview with FOX, the only "friendly propaganda network" that would do her story (lies) justice.
I suspect the cracks will only keep growing. But remember, Reade is just one person. Guarantee the Russian Disinfo Playbook will continue to produce even more fantastical lies and stories that the MSM will jump on and try to amplify. Many have shown they are a gullible group of money-hungry fools, who have clearly learned nothing from 2016.
Buckle up, folks. The next six months are going to be BUMPY.


crooksandliars--2020-05-04--Gov. Cuomo Slams Trump's Failed Travel Ban: 'The Horse Was Already Out Of The Barn'

Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D-NY ) on Sunday knocked down the idea that President Donald Trump 's so-called travel ban from China had been effective at stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus .
During his daily coronavirus briefing , Cuomo reviewed some of the lessons learned during the last two months of the pandemic .
The governor pointed to a recent CDC report which suggested that the U.S. should have taken action earlier to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
`` When they look at the different strains of the virus in the United States , '' Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases well before the East coast ... Those strains came from China . ''
`` What we have seen in New York did n't come from China , '' the governor continued .
`` Actually it is a different strain of the virus that came from Europe . ''
Cuomo noted that 139,000 travelers came from Italy in the month of February while `` the outbreak was spreading wildly and rapidly . ''
`` They land in New York and we 're all still looking at China , '' he remarked .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been helpful but the horse was already out of the barn in China .
The virus had left .
The virus was in Europe .
And meanwhile , we have European travelers coming here and they 're bringing the virus , which is now a different strain . ''
According to Cuomo , the federal government should have acted earlier to stop travel from Europe and China .
`` Nobody was watching Italy and Europe at the time , '' Cuomo said .
`` Those are words to remember going forward .
Outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it 's going to be in Europe .
From Europe , it 's going to come to the United States assuming it did n't come immediately from China . ''

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) on Sunday knocked down the idea that President Donald Trump's so-called travel ban from China had been effective at stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus.
During his daily coronavirus briefing, Cuomo reviewed some of the lessons learned during the last two months of the pandemic.
The governor pointed to a recent CDC report which suggested that the U.S. should have taken action earlier to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"When they look at the different strains of the virus in the United States," Cuomo explained, "the West coast had cases well before the East coast... Those strains came from China."
"What we have seen in New York didn't come from China," the governor continued. "Actually it is a different strain of the virus that came from Europe."
Cuomo noted that 139,000 travelers came from Italy in the month of February while "the outbreak was spreading wildly and rapidly."
"They land in New York and we're all still looking at China," he remarked. "The travel ban on China may have been helpful but the horse was already out of the barn in China. The virus had left. The virus was in Europe. And meanwhile, we have European travelers coming here and they're bringing the virus, which is now a different strain."
According to Cuomo, the federal government should have acted earlier to stop travel from Europe and China.
"Nobody was watching Italy and Europe at the time," Cuomo said. "Those are words to remember going forward. Outbreak in China -- a number of days, it's going to be in Europe. From Europe, it's going to come to the United States assuming it didn't come immediately from China."