crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Gov. Cuomo Skewers GOP Senators: 'People Are Dying, You Can't Stop The Politics Even Now?'

During his daily press conference , Governor Andrew Cuomo highlighted the efforts of Americans to make masks to protect healthcare workers in contrast to Republican senators threatening to leave New York twisting in the wind .
Cuomo ripped into DC Republican senators for their selfish attitude toward the states first .
`` Who do state and local governments fund ?
State and local governments fund police , firefighters , nurses , school teachers , food banks , '' he said .
`` That 's who I want to fund .
And that 's what it means to fund a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the choice that they 're making . ''
He went on to give a slow clap to the symbolic and useless tributes to healthcare workers , including the expensive flyovers by the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels , which he viewed as empty gestures and little more .
`` [ DC Republicans ] want to fund corporate America .
That 's who puts money in their pockets , '' Cuomo said .
`` And I say , let 's fund working Americans . ''
Warming up , he went on .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people seeing the reality , which is whose pocket they want to put money in versus whose pocket state and local governments want to fund . ''
Let 's just stop for one moment .
If there was going to be one moment to hit the pause button , the moment would be now .
You have human suffering .
You have people dying .
You ca n't stop the politics , even in this moment ?
Even in this moment when people are dying all across the country , you still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's what this is about , and that 's why it is so disturbing on a fundamental level .
Politics .
I 'm getting up and i 'm reading that death toll number .
I 'm speaking to the widows and the brothers and the sisters and the children of people who died .
And then we 're going to play politics ?
With funding that 's necessary to save people 's lives ?
I mean , when does it stop ?
And the disconnect is between the political leadership and the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this before but this time he ended on an upbeat note .
Displaying some of the thousands of homemade masks sent by Americans , he pointed out the good in people versus the rottenness of the politicians who want to serve their masters instead of ordinary people .
Follow the American people .
Look at what they 're doing .
Look at how they 're reacting .
And politicians , try to be half as good as the American people .
I want to show you a self-portrait that was done by American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , okay ?
That 's a self-portrait of America .
And you know what it spells ?
It spells love .
That 's what it spells .
You have to look carefully , but that 's what the American people are saying .
We receive thousands of masks from all across America .
Unsolicited , in the mail , homemade , creative , personal , with beautiful notes , from all across the country , literally , just saying , thinking about you , we care , we love you , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just people 's way of saying we care and we want to help .
This is what this country is about and this is what Americans are about .
A little bit more of this and a little bit less of the partisanship and the ugliness , and this country would be a better place .
Thank you .
As one mask maker among others on our C & L team , I concur .
People care and are loving and the Republicans in DC right now are not representatives of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our elderly and veterans to a Covid death and we are not going to shove states off the map by forcing them into bankruptcy .
Period .

During his daily press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo highlighted the efforts of Americans to make masks to protect healthcare workers in contrast to Republican senators threatening to leave New York twisting in the wind.
Cuomo ripped into DC Republican senators for their selfish attitude toward the states first.
"Who do state and local governments fund? State and local governments fund police, firefighters, nurses, school teachers, food banks," he said. "That's who I want to fund. And that's what it means to fund a state and local government, and that's the choice that they're making."
He went on to give a slow clap to the symbolic and useless tributes to healthcare workers, including the expensive flyovers by the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, which he viewed as empty gestures and little more.
"[DC Republicans] want to fund corporate America. That's who puts money in their pockets," Cuomo said. "And I say, let's fund working Americans."
Warming up, he went on. "It's just smoke and mirrors to avoid the American people seeing the reality, which is whose pocket they want to put money in versus whose pocket state and local governments want to fund."
Let's just stop for one moment. If there was going to be one moment to hit the pause button, the moment would be now. You have human suffering. You have people dying. You can't stop the politics, even in this moment? Even in this moment when people are dying all across the country, you still want to play your politics? That's what this is about, and that's why it is so disturbing on a fundamental level. Politics. I'm getting up and i'm reading that death toll number. I'm speaking to the widows and the brothers and the sisters and the children of people who died. And then we're going to play politics? With funding that's necessary to save people's lives? I mean, when does it stop? And the disconnect is between the political leadership and the people.
Cuomo has said a lot of this before but this time he ended on an upbeat note. Displaying some of the thousands of homemade masks sent by Americans, he pointed out the good in people versus the rottenness of the politicians who want to serve their masters instead of ordinary people.
Follow the American people. Look at what they're doing. Look at how they're reacting. And politicians, try to be half as good as the American people. I want to show you a self-portrait that was done by American people. This is a self-portrait of America, okay? That's a self-portrait of America. And you know what it spells? It spells love. That's what it spells. You have to look carefully, but that's what the American people are saying. We receive thousands of masks from all across America. Unsolicited, in the mail, homemade, creative, personal, with beautiful notes, from all across the country, literally, just saying, thinking about you, we care, we love you, we want to help. And this is just people's way of saying we care and we want to help. This is what this country is about and this is what Americans are about. A little bit more of this and a little bit less of the partisanship and the ugliness, and this country would be a better place. Thank you.
As one mask maker among others on our C&L team, I concur. People care and are loving and the Republicans in DC right now are not representatives of the people. We are not going to consign our elderly and veterans to a Covid death and we are not going to shove states off the map by forcing them into bankruptcy. Period.


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Jim Jordan: 'To Hell With Getting Sick, Get Back To Work!'

The Republican Party and their `` leaders '' on Fox News have made it very clear that the lives of the American people are expendable , so long as they go back to work during the pandemic .
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of over 59 , 000 Americans , with over a million becoming infected , but Republicans in Congress just shrug their shoulders .
Host Sandra Smith made believe Gym Jordan was heroic when he went to Congress and refused to wear a mask , in a juvenile attempt to try and thwart his own governor 's stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by attacking Nancy Pelosi for listening to medical professionals ( instead of jackasses like Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil ) and keeping Congress closed .
Sandra Smith then asked about a fourth round of stimulus .
`` Questions over whether or not there will be bipartisan support for another relief package .
Where do you stand ? ''
Sandra Smith asked .
Jordan whined , “ The best stimulus is to go back to work !
” He continued , “ The best phase four is to go back to work and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , look , we ’ ve already spent $ 3 trillion — and that was necessary -- `` '' The best approach now is let ’ s simply go back to work and we ’ re seeing states begin to do that , ” Jordan said .
These states are at direct odds with Dr. Fauci and our own CDC .
His solution for a fourth wave of a stimulus to help the American worker is for them to risk getting infected .
Republicans have changed `` All Lives Matter '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jordan continued , `` That 's the best stimulus , that 's the best bailout , that 's the best phase four , go back to work . ''
The entire country wants to go back to work , idiot , but not at the risk of dying .
Like most Republicans without a real solution , Jordan is now hoping the confidence fairy will save and protect American lives against COVID-19 .
California 's governor issued the stay-at-home order about five weeks ago and the rest of the country started to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to handle for Republicans working in Congress and the Fox News propagandists who are egging on people to protest in the streets against self quarantining .
Since FDR 's new deal , Republicans have attacked every attempt by the federal government to help the American people whether it 's civil rights , healthcare , Social Security , Medicare , voting and equality rights because it shows the populace that US government can help the lives of everyday Americans .
And we are seeing that play out during the first pandemic in the modern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jordan , without his mask go into his district 's hospitals and help the first responders yet ?

The Republican Party and their "leaders" on Fox News have made it very clear that the lives of the American people are expendable, so long as they go back to work during the pandemic.
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of over 59, 000 Americans, with over a million becoming infected, but Republicans in Congress just shrug their shoulders.
Host Sandra Smith made believe Gym Jordan was heroic when he went to Congress and refused to wear a mask, in a juvenile attempt to try and thwart his own governor's stay-at-home orders.
Jordan started the Fox interview by attacking Nancy Pelosi for listening to medical professionals (instead of jackasses like Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil) and keeping Congress closed.
Sandra Smith then asked about a fourth round of stimulus.
"Questions over whether or not there will be bipartisan support for another relief package. Where do you stand?" Sandra Smith asked.
Jordan whined, “The best stimulus is to go back to work!”
He continued, “The best phase four is to go back to work and we’re seeing states do that. So, look, we’ve already spent $3 trillion — and that was necessary -- "
"The best approach now is let’s simply go back to work and we’re seeing states begin to do that,” Jordan said.
These states are at direct odds with Dr. Fauci and our own CDC.
His solution for a fourth wave of a stimulus to help the American worker is for them to risk getting infected.
Republicans have changed "All Lives Matter" to "all lives are expendable."
Jordan continued, "That's the best stimulus, that's the best bailout, that's the best phase four, go back to work."
The entire country wants to go back to work, idiot, but not at the risk of dying.
Like most Republicans without a real solution, Jordan is now hoping the confidence fairy will save and protect American lives against COVID-19.
California's governor issued the stay-at-home order about five weeks ago and the rest of the country started to follow.
That appears to be too much to handle for Republicans working in Congress and the Fox News propagandists who are egging on people to protest in the streets against self quarantining.
Since FDR's new deal, Republicans have attacked every attempt by the federal government to help the American people whether it's civil rights, healthcare, Social Security, Medicare, voting and equality rights because it shows the populace that US government can help the lives of everyday Americans.
And we are seeing that play out during the first pandemic in the modern era.
Has anyone seen Rep. Jim Jordan, without his mask go into his district's hospitals and help the first responders yet?


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Right Wingers Nurturing 'Boogaloo' Fantasy Of Violent Civil War

The Age of Conspiracy Theories in which we are now immured has produced a kind of bastard offspring : the Shared Violent Fantasy .
Exhibit A is the “ Boogaloo , ” the far-right ’ s ironic name for the long-sought “ second civil war ” they believe is on the verge of erupting in the United States—and in which the ongoing novel-coronavirus pandemic has become a virtual petri dish for cultivating the fear of societal collapse essential to their worldview .
Like many conspiracy theories , and all such fantasies , the “ Boogaloo ” has a powerful tendency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absorb the underlying paranoid values and believe in them fervently .
A recent incident in Texas in which a self-proclaimed “ Boogaloo Boi ” set out to murder a police officer in order to help spark the civil war underscores the extent to which the believers are likely eventually to attempt manifesting their fantasies—which can entail violence not just against authorities , but sometimes even their unsuspecting neighbors .
Aaron Swenson is a 36-year-old Texarkana man who frequented “ Boogaloo ” -related Facebook pages with some frequency , sharing their frequently violent memes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the comments .
Eventually , he reached a point where he decided to act on it .
The world of “ Boogaloo ” on social media—particularly on Facebook , where over 125 such pages reside—is riddled with references , both direct and obscure , to their eagerness to begin a civil war by shooting law-enforcement who attempt to enforce gun-control measures , or for that matter any other measures that attract the ire of the far right .
Recently , these have come to include COVID-19 lockdown and social-distancing measures .
The universe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theories and “ constitutionalist ” fantasies , but with a distinctly alt-right edge .
Irony abounds everywhere : adherents wear Hawaiian shirts as a reference to “ the boog , ” or the “ Big Igloo ” ( the “ Boogaloo ” flag features an igloo and a palm tree ) .
Their memes reference “ Pepe the frog , ” white-nationalist OK signals , and the common shared belief that nefarious communists are plotting to confiscate their guns and enslave them in concentration camps .
This fantasy is the justification for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow citizens , especially those who work for the federal government or police .
On the night of April 11 , Aaron Swenson began livestreaming from his pickup truck , telling his audience that he was out hunting a police officer—anyone would do , he wasn ’ t particular—to shoot and kill , all in order to start the “ Boogaloo.
” He told them he was seeking a lone cop to “ ambush and execute.
” People began calling the Texarkana Police Department , which promptly found the page and figured out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of vehicle he was driving .
Upon locating him , he fled a squad of police cars at high speed , eventually grinding to a halt well after his tires were flattened by a spike strip .
“ He was wearing an armored plate carrier type vest when we arrested him , and officers found several loaded weapons inside his truck , ” the police department ’ s Facebook post reported .
At his own Facebook account , Swenson liked more than a dozen pages that mention boogaloo in their names , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Project ( TTP ) on the “ Boogaloo ” phenomenon described .
It also noted that “ some users leaving comments on the profile on the night of the attempted attack endorsed the targeting of police officers , while others suggested calling 911 in response to the live broadcast.
” The two videos were active on the Facebook page at the time of the report , having amassed over 1,500 and 3,400 views , respectively ; however , they have since been removed by Facebook .
Swenson has been charged with making terrorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vehicle and illegal possession of a weapon .
He is not the first such “ Boogaloo ” enthusiast intent on making the shared fantasy into a violent reality .
In January , three would-be terrorists from the neo-Nazi organization The Base were arrested by the FBI , charged with plotting to wreak havoc with their weapons at a planned anti-gun-control march in Richmond , Virginia , around which “ Boogaloo ” rhetoric was already rife .
A few days later , three more “ Boogaloo ” -loving members of The Base were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a local antifascist couple , as well as overthrow the local county government .
At the Richmond rally , the “ Boogaloo ” was a major theme—flags , signs , and social-media posts from the event all referenced and celebrated it—that continued even afterward during the debate in Virginia over its gun-control laws .
And just as the white-nationalist , conspiracist and “ accelerationist ” right has sought multiple means to exploit the novel-coronavirus pandemic , the “ Boogaloo ” theme has become a louder topic of discussion on far-right telegram channels .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation in response to the virus have particularly provided ample evidence for the conspiracists—in their minds , at least—of their long-running contention that “ globalists ” are seeking ways to enslave the world .
Signs referencing the “ Boogaloo ” have popped up at a number of the far-right-led protests against the lockdown measures .
One marcher at the “ ReOpen ” rally in Topeka , Kansas , on April 23 carried a large black “ Big Igloo ” flag .
There has also been a certain amount of somewhat predictable crossover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the far-right conspiracists of the Trump-loving QAnon world , some of whom have also been acting out violently during the pandemic—notably the locomotive engineer who attempted to ram the USNS Mercy with a train engine .
According to QAnon expert Travis View , the “ Boogaloo ” has become the preferred fallback position for people swept up in “ The Storm ” theories , believing that one day soon there will be mass arrests of leading liberal and media figures for their roles in a global child-trafficking ring , and increasingly disappointed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that change doesn ’ t come , some of the followers have made reference to what they call Plan Z , ” View says .
“ If the whole Q operation fails , then Plan Z is sort of equivalent to what the far-right extremists call the ‘ Boogaloo.
’ Which is civil war , basically.
” The COVID-19 pandemic has sharpened the interest in a civil war .
The TTP report found that most of the 125 Facebook groups devoted to the “ boogaloo ” —some 60 % —were created in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , just as the states began declaring lockdowns and social-distancing measures .
Perhaps more worryingly , “ they have attracted tens of thousands of members in the last 30 days.
” Despite these findings , TTP notes , Facebook has been slow to remove these pages .
One of the most prominent—Thicc Boog Line , which specializes in selling branded “ Boogaloo ” -themed gear and clothing—attracts thousands of readers .
It has recently been pitching messages to its readers emphasizing the opportunity to wreak “ boojahideen ” havoc during the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a similar report issued in February by the Network Contagion Research Institute , warning that “ domestic militants ” are organizing around memes to “ incite violent insurrection and terror against government and law enforcement.
” Daniel E. Stevens , executive director of Campaign for Accountability , the umbrella organization under which TTP operates , told Christopher Mathias of HuffPost in a statement that “ Facebook ’ s failure to stop their platform from being used as an organizing tool for extremists is completely unacceptable.
” “ There is nothing subtle about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s platform to advance their cause , ” Stevens said .
“ Boogaloo proponents are not simply discussing ideas or political views ; they are directly advocating for violent action and tactically planning how to defeat government entities.
” “ Boogaloo ” enthusiasts indeed have detailed plans for how to achieve their goals , both militarily and through propaganda , as the TTP report details .
However , government and law enforcement are not the only targets that “ Boogaloo ” memes discuss .
A subcurrent in a number of the violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the idea of committing home-invasion robberies targeting their relatively hapless and untrained neighbors as a means of thriving during the civil war—or a pandemic .
One popular meme among Facebook “ Boogaloo ” followers was one that showed a SWAT-style armed raid team in military gear massing outside a door , with the script : “ Me and my boys going for a grocery run at my asshole neighbor ’ s house.
” Another features a grid of graphics demonstrating military hand signals during a raid , all of which are interpreted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Shoot that dog.
” “ Cover up the evidence.
” “ I found cocaine .
It ’ s pretty good.
” “ Wrong house .
Let ’ s boogie !
” Another featured a photo of an angry Joaquin Phoenix in Joker with the script : “ When you dispatch the normie with ease to raid their stash because they stocked up on TP and not ammunition ” —with a subscript across the bottom reading : “ You get what you fucking deserve.
” One of the more commonly shared of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ preppers , ” particularly those who are suddenly new to the business amid the pandemic .
It shows a “ Virgin Prepper ” who is “ always scared , can ’ t sleep at night , ” and “ has no fun , ” then contrasts him with an obviously fun-loving “ Chad Raider ” who “ Takes your good shit and burns all the rest so no one else can have it , ” and is seen holding up a bag marked “ All Your Shit.
” He ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” These ideas are not particularly new among the more openly cynical participants in far-right conspiracism and survivalism .
Indeed , they were openly elucidated back in 2014 by a “ Patriot ” movement survivalist named Tyler Smith , who was featured on an episode of National Geographic ’ s TV series Doomsday Preppers boasting about his plans to invade the homes of his neighbors—particularly those who might also be preppers , since they would make better targets .
“ We ’ re not in it to stockpile , ” he proclaimed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the show .
“ We ’ re in it to take what you have , and there ’ s nothing you can do to stop us .
We are your worst nightmare , and we are coming.
” He told the show ’ s producers that he only had a few months ’ supplies for his family because he intended to aggressively assault his neighbors and steal their food and weapons caches .
“ All your shiny ARs , your high-powered .308 rifles , your 50,000 rounds of ammo , are all going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the show .
Smith was arrested by the sheriff of Pierce County , Washington , where he resided at the time , shortly after his appearance on national TV , because he wielded multiple guns on camera in the segment , and he was already a felon ( on a sexual-behavior-with-a-minor charge ) forbidden from owning weapons .
He spent a couple more years in prison for that , but was back on the streets by late 2016 .
He was most recently spotted marching in Portland with Patriot Prayer—the far-right street-brawling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Washington—at one of its 2017 demonstrations .
Gibson , as it happens , has been active in the anti-coronavirus-lockdown protests , traveling to Seattle and Olympia for protests .
Those protests , of course , featured plenty of “ Patriots ” wearing Hawaiian shirts underneath their body armor—a signal for what the “ boojahideen ” like to call “ the Big Luau.
” The chief organizer of the “ Boogaloo ” motif in Olympia was Matt Marshall , the leader of the III Percent of Washington , a “ Patriot ” militia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a close ally of both Gibson and state Rep. Matt Shea , the far-right legislator whose plan for a post-breakdown society called for the execution of all non-believers .
These violent fantasies keep mounting in number and vehemence .
The question increasingly is what spark will inspire them to attempt to make them manifest .

The Age of Conspiracy Theories in which we are now immured has produced a kind of bastard offspring: the Shared Violent Fantasy. Exhibit A is the “Boogaloo,” the far-right’s ironic name for the long-sought “second civil war” they believe is on the verge of erupting in the United States—and in which the ongoing novel-coronavirus pandemic has become a virtual petri dish for cultivating the fear of societal collapse essential to their worldview.
Like many conspiracy theories, and all such fantasies, the “Boogaloo” has a powerful tendency to produce real-life violence from people who absorb the underlying paranoid values and believe in them fervently. A recent incident in Texas in which a self-proclaimed “Boogaloo Boi” set out to murder a police officer in order to help spark the civil war underscores the extent to which the believers are likely eventually to attempt manifesting their fantasies—which can entail violence not just against authorities, but sometimes even their unsuspecting neighbors.
Aaron Swenson is a 36-year-old Texarkana man who frequented “Boogaloo”-related Facebook pages with some frequency, sharing their frequently violent memes and indulging the usual violent rhetoric in the comments. Eventually, he reached a point where he decided to act on it.
The world of “Boogaloo” on social media—particularly on Facebook, where over 125 such pages reside—is riddled with references, both direct and obscure, to their eagerness to begin a civil war by shooting law-enforcement who attempt to enforce gun-control measures, or for that matter any other measures that attract the ire of the far right. Recently, these have come to include COVID-19 lockdown and social-distancing measures.
The universe it occupies resides in a bubble of conspiracy theories and “constitutionalist” fantasies, but with a distinctly alt-right edge. Irony abounds everywhere: adherents wear Hawaiian shirts as a reference to “the boog,” or the “Big Igloo” (the “Boogaloo” flag features an igloo and a palm tree). Their memes reference “Pepe the frog,” white-nationalist OK signals, and the common shared belief that nefarious communists are plotting to confiscate their guns and enslave them in concentration camps. This fantasy is the justification for their announced intention to begin shooting their fellow citizens, especially those who work for the federal government or police.
On the night of April 11, Aaron Swenson began livestreaming from his pickup truck, telling his audience that he was out hunting a police officer—anyone would do, he wasn’t particular—to shoot and kill, all in order to start the “Boogaloo.” He told them he was seeking a lone cop to “ambush and execute.”
People began calling the Texarkana Police Department, which promptly found the page and figured out both where Swenson was located and what kind of vehicle he was driving. Upon locating him, he fled a squad of police cars at high speed, eventually grinding to a halt well after his tires were flattened by a spike strip. “He was wearing an armored plate carrier type vest when we arrested him, and officers found several loaded weapons inside his truck,” the police department’s Facebook post reported.
At his own Facebook account, Swenson liked more than a dozen pages that mention boogaloo in their names, as a report from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) on the “Boogaloo” phenomenon described. It also noted that “some users leaving comments on the profile on the night of the attempted attack endorsed the targeting of police officers, while others suggested calling 911 in response to the live broadcast.” The two videos were active on the Facebook page at the time of the report, having amassed over 1,500 and 3,400 views, respectively; however, they have since been removed by Facebook.
Swenson has been charged with making terrorist threats against an officer, evading with a vehicle and illegal possession of a weapon.
He is not the first such “Boogaloo” enthusiast intent on making the shared fantasy into a violent reality. In January, three would-be terrorists from the neo-Nazi organization The Base were arrested by the FBI, charged with plotting to wreak havoc with their weapons at a planned anti-gun-control march in Richmond, Virginia, around which “Boogaloo” rhetoric was already rife.
A few days later, three more “Boogaloo”-loving members of The Base were arrested in Georgia for plotting to assassinate a local antifascist couple, as well as overthrow the local county government.
At the Richmond rally, the “Boogaloo” was a major theme—flags, signs, and social-media posts from the event all referenced and celebrated it—that continued even afterward during the debate in Virginia over its gun-control laws.
And just as the white-nationalist, conspiracist and “accelerationist” right has sought multiple means to exploit the novel-coronavirus pandemic, the “Boogaloo” theme has become a louder topic of discussion on far-right telegram channels. The lockdown measures instituted by governors around the nation in response to the virus have particularly provided ample evidence for the conspiracists—in their minds, at least—of their long-running contention that “globalists” are seeking ways to enslave the world.
Signs referencing the “Boogaloo” have popped up at a number of the far-right-led protests against the lockdown measures. One marcher at the “ReOpen” rally in Topeka, Kansas, on April 23 carried a large black “Big Igloo” flag.
There has also been a certain amount of somewhat predictable crossover between the “Boogaloo” element and the far-right conspiracists of the Trump-loving QAnon world, some of whom have also been acting out violently during the pandemic—notably the locomotive engineer who attempted to ram the USNS Mercy with a train engine.
According to QAnon expert Travis View, the “Boogaloo” has become the preferred fallback position for people swept up in “The Storm” theories, believing that one day soon there will be mass arrests of leading liberal and media figures for their roles in a global child-trafficking ring, and increasingly disappointed at its failure to materialize.
“If that change doesn’t come, some of the followers have made reference to what they call Plan Z,” View says. “If the whole Q operation fails, then Plan Z is sort of equivalent to what the far-right extremists call the ‘Boogaloo.’ Which is civil war, basically.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has sharpened the interest in a civil war. The TTP report found that most of the 125 Facebook groups devoted to the “boogaloo”—some 60%—were created in the very recent past (within three months), just as the states began declaring lockdowns and social-distancing measures. Perhaps more worryingly, “they have attracted tens of thousands of members in the last 30 days.”
In several private boogaloo Facebook groups that TTP was able to access, members discussed tactical strategies, combat medicine, and various types of weapons, including how to develop explosives and the merits of using flame throwers. Some members appeared to take inspiration from President Donald Trump’s recent tweets calling on people to “liberate” states where governors have imposed stay-at-home orders.
Despite these findings, TTP notes, Facebook has been slow to remove these pages. One of the most prominent—Thicc Boog Line, which specializes in selling branded “Boogaloo”-themed gear and clothing—attracts thousands of readers. It has recently been pitching messages to its readers emphasizing the opportunity to wreak “boojahideen” havoc during the time of a pandemic.
These findings resonate with a similar report issued in February by the Network Contagion Research Institute, warning that “domestic militants” are organizing around memes to “incite violent insurrection and terror against government and law enforcement.”
The boogaloo, a joke for some, acts as a violent meme that circulates instructions for a distributed, viral insurgency for others. The topic network for boogaloo describes a coherent, multi-component and detailed conspiracy to launch an inevitable, violent, sudden, and apocalyptic war across the homeland. The conspiracy, replete with suggestions to stockpile ammunition, may itself set the stage for massive real-world violence and sensitize enthusiasts to mobilize in mass for confrontations or charged political events.
Daniel E. Stevens, executive director of Campaign for Accountability, the umbrella organization under which TTP operates, told Christopher Mathias of HuffPost in a statement that “Facebook’s failure to stop their platform from being used as an organizing tool for extremists is completely unacceptable.”
“There is nothing subtle about how these extremist groups are using Facebook’s platform to advance their cause,” Stevens said. “Boogaloo proponents are not simply discussing ideas or political views; they are directly advocating for violent action and tactically planning how to defeat government entities.”
“Boogaloo” enthusiasts indeed have detailed plans for how to achieve their goals, both militarily and through propaganda, as the TTP report details. However, government and law enforcement are not the only targets that “Boogaloo” memes discuss. A subcurrent in a number of the violent fantasies that they express in their memes is the idea of committing home-invasion robberies targeting their relatively hapless and untrained neighbors as a means of thriving during the civil war—or a pandemic.
One popular meme among Facebook “Boogaloo” followers was one that showed a SWAT-style armed raid team in military gear massing outside a door, with the script: “Me and my boys going for a grocery run at my asshole neighbor’s house.” Another features a grid of graphics demonstrating military hand signals during a raid, all of which are interpreted in the language of a home invasion: “Shoot that dog.” “Cover up the evidence.” “I found cocaine. It’s pretty good.” “Wrong house. Let’s boogie!”
Another featured a photo of an angry Joaquin Phoenix in Joker with the script: “When you dispatch the normie with ease to raid their stash because they stocked up on TP and not ammunition”—with a subscript across the bottom reading: “You get what you fucking deserve.”
One of the more commonly shared of these memes actually makes fun of other “preppers,” particularly those who are suddenly new to the business amid the pandemic. It shows a “Virgin Prepper” who is “always scared, can’t sleep at night,” and “has no fun,” then contrasts him with an obviously fun-loving “Chad Raider” who “Takes your good shit and burns all the rest so no one else can have it,” and is seen holding up a bag marked “All Your Shit.” He’s also “not scared of death or coronavirus.”
These ideas are not particularly new among the more openly cynical participants in far-right conspiracism and survivalism. Indeed, they were openly elucidated back in 2014 by a “Patriot” movement survivalist named Tyler Smith, who was featured on an episode of National Geographic’s TV series Doomsday Preppers boasting about his plans to invade the homes of his neighbors—particularly those who might also be preppers, since they would make better targets.
“We’re not in it to stockpile,” he proclaimed in a segment that was used to promote the show. “We’re in it to take what you have, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us. We are your worst nightmare, and we are coming.”
He told the show’s producers that he only had a few months’ supplies for his family because he intended to aggressively assault his neighbors and steal their food and weapons caches.
“All your shiny ARs, your high-powered .308 rifles, your 50,000 rounds of ammo, are all going to be ours,” he said on the show.
Smith was arrested by the sheriff of Pierce County, Washington, where he resided at the time, shortly after his appearance on national TV, because he wielded multiple guns on camera in the segment, and he was already a felon (on a sexual-behavior-with-a-minor charge) forbidden from owning weapons. He spent a couple more years in prison for that, but was back on the streets by late 2016.
He was most recently spotted marching in Portland with Patriot Prayer—the far-right street-brawling group led by Joey Gibson of Vancouver, Washington—at one of its 2017 demonstrations. Gibson, as it happens, has been active in the anti-coronavirus-lockdown protests, traveling to Seattle and Olympia for protests.
Those protests, of course, featured plenty of “Patriots” wearing Hawaiian shirts underneath their body armor—a signal for what the “boojahideen” like to call “the Big Luau.” The chief organizer of the “Boogaloo” motif in Olympia was Matt Marshall, the leader of the III Percent of Washington, a “Patriot” militia group based in Eatonville, Washington, and a close ally of both Gibson and state Rep. Matt Shea, the far-right legislator whose plan for a post-breakdown society called for the execution of all non-believers.
These violent fantasies keep mounting in number and vehemence. The question increasingly is what spark will inspire them to attempt to make them manifest.
Posted with permission of Daily Kos


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Wisconsin Is Literally Fighting For Its Life

The very lives of Wisconsinites hang in the balance of a pending case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court , as Republicans are putting money before the lives of the people .
On April 16 , Wisconsin Tony Evers extended the Safer at Home Order ( think stay at home ) until May 26 , due to a new increase in the daily count of COVID-19 cases .
With the extension of the order came such things as the closing of schools for the remainder of the school year and guidelines for the easement of the order which closely parallel those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups like Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce , Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce and Wisconsin Tavern League had a conniption and started putting pressure on their bought and paid for servants , Republican legislators .
In turn , the Republicans , led by Robin `` Full PPE '' Vos and Scott `` I 'm running for Congress '' Fitzgerald , had their own conniption fit and filed a lawsuit directly with the special interest-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court .
The basis of their argument is that the COVID-19 cases are leveling off and that most people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguments are , of course , false .
Wisconsin is currently seeing a spike in new cases every day .
The leading causes for this are the increased cases in meatpacking plants ( one in Green Bay is already over 500 infected people ) , nursing homes and other front line care giving sites and yes , the forced in-person elections on April 7 - over 52 cases have already been tied directly to the elections .
And that 's just in Milwaukee County .
As far as public support , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll shows that a whopping 86 % of Wisconsinites support the order .
Imagine that , people do n't want to needlessly die for someone else 's bottom line .
I 'm afraid that things do n't bode well for the people .
On Tuesday , four unions - the Milwaukee Teachers ’ Education Association , Madison Teachers Inc. , SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 - filed to intervene in the case .
Within hours , the Supreme Court offhandedly denied this request with no explanation .
One would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear from the people that would suffer irreparable harm if the order is lifted , but obviously the special interests that own the Court does n't agree .
I guess it would hurt their case too much .
Later on Tuesday , Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a response to the lawsuit , pointing out the simple fact that dropping the order would irresponsibly endanger public safety .
But even if the Republicans do win , it seems unlikely they will see the desired results .
A helluva lot of people , led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will refuse to go back to work - even if it means losing their unemployment insurance - or patronize non-essential stores that reopen before its safe .
In other words , even if the Republicans do win , it would be a Pyrrhic victory at best .

The very lives of Wisconsinites hang in the balance of a pending case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as Republicans are putting money before the lives of the people.
On April 16, Wisconsin Tony Evers extended the Safer at Home Order (think stay at home) until May 26, due to a new increase in the daily count of COVID-19 cases. With the extension of the order came such things as the closing of schools for the remainder of the school year and guidelines for the easement of the order which closely parallel those issued by Trump.
Major corporate lobbying groups like Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce and Wisconsin Tavern League had a conniption and started putting pressure on their bought and paid for servants, Republican legislators.
In turn, the Republicans, led by Robin "Full PPE" Vos and Scott "I'm running for Congress" Fitzgerald, had their own conniption fit and filed a lawsuit directly with the special interest-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court. The basis of their argument is that the COVID-19 cases are leveling off and that most people don't like the order.
Both arguments are, of course, false.
Wisconsin is currently seeing a spike in new cases every day. The leading causes for this are the increased cases in meatpacking plants (one in Green Bay is already over 500 infected people), nursing homes and other front line care giving sites and yes, the forced in-person elections on April 7 - over 52 cases have already been tied directly to the elections. And that's just in Milwaukee County.
Credit: Wisconsin Dept. of Health
As far as public support, it's squarely with Evers. A Marquette University poll shows that a whopping 86% of Wisconsinites support the order. Imagine that, people don't want to needlessly die for someone else's bottom line.
I'm afraid that things don't bode well for the people. On Tuesday, four unions - the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, Madison Teachers Inc., SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 - filed to intervene in the case. Within hours, the Supreme Court offhandedly denied this request with no explanation.
One would think that the Court would want to hear from the people that would suffer irreparable harm if the order is lifted, but obviously the special interests that own the Court doesn't agree. I guess it would hurt their case too much.
Later on Tuesday, Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a response to the lawsuit, pointing out the simple fact that dropping the order would irresponsibly endanger public safety.
But even if the Republicans do win, it seems unlikely they will see the desired results. A helluva lot of people, led by the unions, are saying they will refuse to go back to work - even if it means losing their unemployment insurance - or patronize non-essential stores that reopen before its safe. In other words, even if the Republicans do win, it would be a Pyrrhic victory at best.


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--While Dr. Fauci Warns Of Second Wave, Republicans Insist On Reopening States

`` If we 're unsuccessful or prematurely trying to open up and we have additional outbreaks that are out of control , it could be a rebound to get us right back in the same boat that we were in a few weeks ago , '' he said yesterday .
But Georgia , Texas , and Florida are starting to reopen , as CNN 's Martin Savidge explained .
In fact , Texas governor Greg Abbott told local officials they could not override his directive to relax restrictions .
Well , I look at this stuff and I think about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ override reality .
And it always rises up and hits them in the head , yet still they soldier bravely on in the face of facts .
Conservatives have been pointing to Sweden , and their awesome plan to build herd immunity with minimal restrictions .
Guess how that 's working out ?
I guess they think if they keep repeating it , it will still come true : Meanwhile , German loosened their restrictions and apparently that did n't work out so well : Lockdown sucks .
But so does being unable @ @ @ @ @ @

Dr. Fauci didn't mince words.
"If we're unsuccessful or prematurely trying to open up and we have additional outbreaks that are out of control, it could be a rebound to get us right back in the same boat that we were in a few weeks ago," he said yesterday.
But Georgia, Texas, and Florida are starting to reopen, as CNN's Martin Savidge explained. In fact, Texas governor Greg Abbott told local officials they could not override his directive to relax restrictions.
Well, I look at this stuff and I think about how consistently conservatives allow their feelings to override reality. And it always rises up and hits them in the head, yet still they soldier bravely on in the face of facts.
Conservatives have been pointing to Sweden, and their awesome plan to build herd immunity with minimal restrictions. Guess how that's working out? I guess they think if they keep repeating it, it will still come true:
Sweden did not join many of its European neighbors in imposing strict limits on citizens' lives; its death rate is now significantly higher than other Nordic countries. https://t.co/HH7oK3T3lT — CNN (@CNN) April 28, 2020
Success? Sweden has a bit more than 1/4 of Canada's population but almost the same number of coronavirus deaths. There are a couple of national success stories, Sweden isn't one of them. — Drew Patterson (@modowntown) April 28, 2020
Coronavirus in Sweden — Its government, unlike other Scandinavian countries, opted for Herd Immunity and no Lockdown, relying on recommendations and individual responsability
This is the result so far
⬇pic.twitter.com/emvZ47ntaG — Alfons López Tena (@alfonslopeztena) April 22, 2020
I still basically don’t understand @nytimes and others’ reporting that Sweden’s #Covid-19 approach has preserved its economy. Sweden projects a 7% contraction this year. US’s contraction is projected at 6%. — Eve Fairbanks (@evefairbanks) April 29, 2020
Meanwhile, German loosened their restrictions and apparently that didn't work out so well:
Germany faces the prospect of having to restore stricter lockdown measures as its number and rate of #coronavirus infections grew again https://t.co/c6BWpBtuAL — SkyNews (@SkyNews) April 28, 2020
Why we have to use extreme caution when time comes to ease some lockdown measures! #COVID19
Germany ready to tighten lockdown as coronavirus infection rate climbs again | News | The Times https://t.co/fIZHBwDzFs — Dr Philippa Whitford (@Dr_PhilippaW) April 29, 2020
Lockdown sucks. But so does being unable to breathe without a machine.


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--'Maybe I Should Have A Freezer Full Of Lysol,' Nancy Pelosi Retorts

TRUMP : The Democrats , they do n't want to come back .
They do n't want to come back .
I think they should be back here but they do n't .
They 're enjoying their vacation and they should n't be .
Yeah , I think they are .
I think they are .
If you look at Nancy Pelosi eating ice cream on late night television , yeah , I think they probably are .
They 're having a good time .
I think they should be back .
I think they should all come back and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PELOSI : So rather than spending time talking about the president 's saying we should inject Lysol in our lungs and he makes a big fuss about my having ice cream in my freezer , that 's his latest today , most current today , she has Lysol in her freezer .
I have ice cream in my freezer , I guess that 's better than having Lysol in somebody 's lungs as he is suggesting .
But , again , enough of him .
`` Leave it to the president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cream and trying to actually -- he 's so desperate because he 's talking about people injecting disinfectants in their body , asking doctors whether they should do that , talking about sticking lights inside of bodies , '' Joe Scarborough said .
`` So then he starts so the only answer is that Nancy Pelosi 's eating ice cream ?
I 've been on the floor of the House of Representatives , I do n't know if I 've told you that or not , very crowded there .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Wing , being isolated for the most part , having people going around testing you .
The last thing that any responsible president should want , that any responsible leader in Washington should want , the last thing I guarantee you that the president 's own medical advisers want are for 435 people to be crammed together in one room .
That room , not as big as it looks on TV . ''

Trump: Whine, whine, whine!
TRUMP: The Democrats, they don't want to come back. They don't want to come back. I think they should be back here but they don't. They're enjoying their vacation and they shouldn't be. Yeah, I think they are. I think they are. If you look at Nancy Pelosi eating ice cream on late night television, yeah, I think they probably are. They're having a good time. I think they should be back. I think they should all come back and we should work on this together.
PELOSI: So rather than spending time talking about the president's saying we should inject Lysol in our lungs and he makes a big fuss about my having ice cream in my freezer, that's his latest today, most current today, she has Lysol in her freezer. I have ice cream in my freezer, I guess that's better than having Lysol in somebody's lungs as he is suggesting. But, again, enough of him.
"Leave it to the president of the United States to be talking about ice cream and trying to actually -- he's so desperate because he's talking about people injecting disinfectants in their body, asking doctors whether they should do that, talking about sticking lights inside of bodies," Joe Scarborough said.
"So then he starts so the only answer is that Nancy Pelosi's eating ice cream? I've been on the floor of the House of Representatives, I don't know if I've told you that or not, very crowded there.
"It's a big difference between walking around the West Wing, being isolated for the most part, having people going around testing you. The last thing that any responsible president should want, that any responsible leader in Washington should want, the last thing I guarantee you that the president's own medical advisers want are for 435 people to be crammed together in one room. That room, not as big as it looks on TV."


crooksandliars--2020-04-30--Tomi Lahren: Stay-At-Home Orders ‘Like Willful Slavery’

On April 23 , the Fox Nation host called the shutdowns a “ trial of communism.
” On Monday , @ @ @ @ @ slavery ” until , for some unexplained reason , she deleted the tweet .
But @ @ @ @ @ grabbed it : The Daily Beast also caught her whining about the left “ now @ @ @ @ @ simply want to reopen their businesses and get back to work.
” As if shaming @ @ @ @ @ ’ s entire schtick .
By the way , Lahren has been broadcasting from her @ @ @ @ @ Nashville that boasts three bedrooms and a gourmet kitchen .
That 's some slavery and @ @ @ @ @

On April 23, the Fox Nation host called the shutdowns a “trial of communism.”
It’s time for this trial of communism to expire. #ReopenAmerica — Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) April 24, 2020
On Monday, she called it “willful slavery” until, for some unexplained reason, she deleted the tweet. But not before The Daily Beast grabbed it:
The Daily Beast also caught her whining about the left “now shaming and demonizing Americans who simply want to reopen their businesses and get back to work.” As if shaming and demonizing is not Lahren’s entire schtick.
By the way, Lahren has been broadcasting from her new $700,000 home in Nashville that boasts three bedrooms and a gourmet kitchen. That's some slavery and communism she's suffering.


crooksandliars--2020-04-30--Brooke Baldwin Beats Down Barber Defying Stay-At-Home Order To Own The Libs

Brooke Baldwin must be off somewhere getting a stiff drink after interviewing Juan Desmarais , owner of three barber shops in California .
At least , I hope she is , because she deserves it .
Desmarais has decided to defy California law , re-open his barber shops to customers , risking a $ 1,000 fine for each citation .
( Note to California authorities ... he 's right there . )
He swears to take precautions , wear masks , only allow one customer at a time into the shop , sanitize the chairs between customers , blah blah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argument before .
Times are tough , he and his employees need to earn money , and no dang gub'mint is a' gon na tell him when to open and close .
Baldwin sympathizes with the economic hardships , but when she begins to ask about the risk of catching the deadly disease — one from which she has just recovered — that is when things go truly off the rails into Yellow Submarine-land .
He 'd told her producer that he did not care if he caught COVID-19 , so Baldwin asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DESMARAIS : Absolutely .
I mean , a lot of us are going to get it .
The statistical data is that most likely we 're not going to die .
We have 99-point-something percent chance of living whether we contract it or not .
BALDWIN : Hang on , hang on , Juan .
Let me jump in because I think neither of us are doctors and I know there 's a lot of numbers being thrown out .
I 've had it .
It was not fun , and I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the folks who are on ventilators , and about half of the folks put on ventilators do n't make it out of the hospital .
So just , I do n't think you want to say , maybe , it 's okay if I get it .
DESMARAIS : Well , I do n't know if half the people who get on ventilators do n't get out of the hospital either .
BALDWIN : I know that .
That 's a stat .
That 's data .
DESMARAIS : You 're a healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I 'm a healthy young man .
I 'm gon na recover from it .
I have no underlying risks .
Any of my clients who do are welcome to not come to the shop , and quarantine as long as they feel necessary for the loved ones or themselves .
I 'm not going to force any of my clients to come to my shop .
Oh , I love my idiocy with a side of mansplaining , do n't you ?
He throws out bogus numbers and completely baseless predictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he catch it , and then he questions HER numbers about people on ventilators as if she is not a professional journalist who has not only experienced the disease , but done her homework .
After she continues to box his ears with actual facts and he has no response , he decides he needs to swing his d*ck around in the next set of questions .
You know , to reassert his macho , manly , testosteron-laden aura — or soothe his bruised snowflake ego , take your pick .
BALDWIN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how much you charge for a haircut , but if we 're talking about thousand dollar fines , how does that work out in terms of pennies , nickels and dimes because if they come knock on your door and charge you this fine , how are you in the end going to be providing for your families if you end up paying up ?
DESMARAIS : Well , listen .
I 'm not going to live in fear .
It 's not American .
I 'm a Marine officer , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decade ... Got that ?
Juan 's not gon na let a thing like a deadly disease , a thousands of dollars in fines , or jail time scare him because THIS IS AMERICA and if he wants to break the law and threaten people 's lives , dammit , that 's his right as a red-blooded lunatic !
Baldwin is barely maintaining her composure , but true professional that she is , continued to challenge him with questions .
When he comes out with more justifications based on completely bass-ackwards , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal justice system , that 's when she shuts him down for good .
BALDWIN : So you 're reopening tomorrow .
Let 's say they come knock on your door , because obviously , you 're not , this is n't a secret you 're reopening .
They come knock on your door .
But they fine you the thousand dollars .
Do you , and tomorrow 's Friday , do you then on Saturday reopen ?
DESMARAIS : Absolutely , I 'll keep rolling .
Listen .
They 're letting criminals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The courts are all shut down .
How long do you think it will be before we 're even -- BALDWIN : Juan , Juan , Juan , nobody is letting criminals out of jail left and right .
Let 's stay on topic .
DESMARAIS : They are absolutely letting criminals out of jail left and right .
BALDWIN : What does that have to do with coronavirus , sir ?
DESMARAIS : You 're asking about the citation .
BALDWIN : I 'm just asking if you defy .
DESMARAIS : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the way up to the end , if I end up with 20 tickets in the superior court , six months from now , that 's a risk I 'm willing to take .
BALDWIN : So that 's $ 20,000 and if you want to have your other barbers provide for their families , how did that math work out ?
DESMARAIS : That means I 'll have to shut down my shops and I guess someone will take my Harley or I might get time in the county jail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth it .
Remember , kids .
He said he is defying the order so that his barbers CAN earn enough money to feed their families .
Yet somehow , if he has to shut down his shops for good because he defied the order , AND owe $ 20,000 in fines AND/OR spend time in jail AND/OR have his hog repo 'd , it will be worth it , because he showed the governor he was n't afraid .
These colossal lunatics will do absolutely anything , including self-destruct , to own @ @ @

Brooke Baldwin must be off somewhere getting a stiff drink after interviewing Juan Desmarais, owner of three barber shops in California. At least, I hope she is, because she deserves it.
Desmarais has decided to defy California law, re-open his barber shops to customers, risking a $1,000 fine for each citation. (Note to California authorities...he's right there.) He swears to take precautions, wear masks, only allow one customer at a time into the shop, sanitize the chairs between customers, blah blah blah, but you've heard the argument before. Times are tough, he and his employees need to earn money, and no dang gub'mint is a'gonna tell him when to open and close.
Baldwin sympathizes with the economic hardships, but when she begins to ask about the risk of catching the deadly disease — one from which she has just recovered — that is when things go truly off the rails into Yellow Submarine-land. He'd told her producer that he did not care if he caught COVID-19, so Baldwin asked if he still felt that way.
DESMARAIS: Absolutely. I mean, a lot of us are going to get it. The statistical data is that most likely we're not going to die. We have 99-point-something percent chance of living whether we contract it or not. BALDWIN: Hang on, hang on, Juan. Let me jump in because I think neither of us are doctors and I know there's a lot of numbers being thrown out. I've had it. It was not fun, and I had it way better than a lot of the folks who are on ventilators, and about half of the folks put on ventilators don't make it out of the hospital. So just, I don't think you want to say, maybe, it's okay if I get it. DESMARAIS: Well, I don't know if half the people who get on ventilators don't get out of the hospital either. BALDWIN: I know that. That's a stat. That's data. DESMARAIS: You're a healthy young lady and you recovered from it. I'm a healthy young man. I'm gonna recover from it. I have no underlying risks. Any of my clients who do are welcome to not come to the shop, and quarantine as long as they feel necessary for the loved ones or themselves. I'm not going to force any of my clients to come to my shop.
Oh, I love my idiocy with a side of mansplaining, don't you? He throws out bogus numbers and completely baseless predictions that he will recover from COVID-19 should he catch it, and then he questions HER numbers about people on ventilators as if she is not a professional journalist who has not only experienced the disease, but done her homework.
After she continues to box his ears with actual facts and he has no response, he decides he needs to swing his d*ck around in the next set of questions. You know, to reassert his macho, manly, testosteron-laden aura — or soothe his bruised snowflake ego, take your pick.
BALDWIN: Are you willing, I don't know how much you charge for a haircut, but if we're talking about thousand dollar fines, how does that work out in terms of pennies, nickels and dimes because if they come knock on your door and charge you this fine, how are you in the end going to be providing for your families if you end up paying up? DESMARAIS: Well, listen. I'm not going to live in fear. It's not American. I'm a Marine officer, I was a law enforcement officer for over a decade...
Got that? Juan's not gonna let a thing like a deadly disease, a thousands of dollars in fines, or jail time scare him because THIS IS AMERICA and if he wants to break the law and threaten people's lives, dammit, that's his right as a red-blooded lunatic!
Baldwin is barely maintaining her composure, but true professional that she is, continued to challenge him with questions. When he comes out with more justifications based on completely bass-ackwards, unrelated, and false statements about the criminal justice system, that's when she shuts him down for good.
BALDWIN: So you're reopening tomorrow. Let's say they come knock on your door, because obviously, you're not, this isn't a secret you're reopening. They come knock on your door. But they fine you the thousand dollars. Do you, and tomorrow's Friday, do you then on Saturday reopen? DESMARAIS: Absolutely, I'll keep rolling. Listen. They're letting criminals out of jail left and right. The courts are all shut down. How long do you think it will be before we're even -- BALDWIN: Juan, Juan, Juan, nobody is letting criminals out of jail left and right. Let's stay on topic. DESMARAIS: They are absolutely letting criminals out of jail left and right. BALDWIN: What does that have to do with coronavirus, sir? DESMARAIS: You're asking about the citation. BALDWIN: I'm just asking if you defy. DESMARAIS: Right, I'm gonna defy all the way up to the end, if I end up with 20 tickets in the superior court, six months from now, that's a risk I'm willing to take. BALDWIN: So that's $20,000 and if you want to have your other barbers provide for their families, how did that math work out? DESMARAIS: That means I'll have to shut down my shops and I guess someone will take my Harley or I might get time in the county jail. For me, the trade-off would be worth it.
Remember, kids. He said he is defying the order so that his barbers CAN earn enough money to feed their families. Yet somehow, if he has to shut down his shops for good because he defied the order, AND owe $20,000 in fines AND/OR spend time in jail AND/OR have his hog repo'd, it will be worth it, because he showed the governor he wasn't afraid.
These colossal lunatics will do absolutely anything, including self-destruct, to own the libs.


crooksandliars--2020-04-30--Right Wing 'Bombshell' On Michael Flynn Is A Nothingburger

Fox News , Devin Nunes and the usual wingnut suspects like Jonathan Turley are claiming Michael Flynn has been exonerated by the release of some handwritten notes from the FBI discussing his January 2017 interview and how to handle him .
Fox News and others released the handwritten notes in an effort to smear the FBI and give Trump leverage to pardon his former national security advisor .
They did the same thing to smear the Mueller investigation .
?
?
DEVELOPING… Unsealed FBI notes reveal the intent of the FBI ’ s 1/24/17 interview of Flynn : “ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get him to lie , so we can prosecute [ Flynn ] or get him fired ?
” FBI Notes confirm it was all a pretext .
pic.twitter.com/Y4IDyE4YZm The Trump stooge Devin Nunes was party to the same type of lying behavior for Trump in 2017 , that had him lose his leadership in the Intelligence Committee tweeted this : Clear now that General Flynn was set up by dirty cops at the highest levels of our government ... Fox News , Devin Nunes and the usual wingnut suspects like Jonathan Turley are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the release of some handwritten notes from the FBI discussing his January 2017 interview and how to handle him .
Fox News and others released the handwritten notes in an effort to smear the FBI and give Trump leverage to pardon his former national security advisor .
They did the same thing to smear the Mueller investigation .
The Trump stooge Devin Nunes was party to the same type of lying behavior for Trump in 2017 , that had him lose his leadership in the Intelligence Committee tweeted this : Trump told CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that these notes basically exonerate Michael Flynn .
When Acosta asked him why he fired Flynn in the first place , he gaslighted Acosta by attacking `` dirty cops '' out to get Flynn and of all people , the scumbag that is Roger Stone .
Anyone who 's watched five minutes of a law enforcement program knows that the police often lie during an interrogation in effort to get a confession .
Law enforcement has been using this practice for decades .
Whether you like it or not , it is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to show clear evidence that the FBI forced Michael Flynn into lying to them which is a federal crime .
How is that possible ?
Flynn was a Lieutenant General and served as the 18th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Obama before he was fired for being a loose cannon .
If anyone knows how the system works , it 's him .
He knew he was lying to the FBI , understood it was a federal crime and did so anyway .
it makes a person wonder if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pardon him down the line if he lied for him .
( That 's pure conjecture on my part ) And it 's not like he was held in a secluded room for 17 hours with no water and sleep and was beaten with a phone book and rubber hoses to make him lie .
But many other lawyers told Law & Crime that there was no such proof of a “ set up.
” On the contrary , these tactics by the FBI , especially in 18 U.S. Code § 1001 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common .
They also invariably said that this will more than likely not affect the outcome of the Flynn case .
Mark Zaid , the national security lawyer who was on the Ukraine whistleblower ’ s legal team , said that the FBI notes showed routine FBI interview tactics .
“ The so-called ‘ bombshell ’ that is being touted as exonerating former General Flynn appears to be nothing more than selective documents disclosed by an aggressive defense counsel and then promoted by a supportive reporter , ” Zaid said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement interview tactics and by no means undercut General Flynn ’ s prior admissions of lying to the FBI–a felony Just smoke and mirrors , but there is an end game in mind .

Fox News, Devin Nunes and the usual wingnut suspects like Jonathan Turley are claiming Michael Flynn has been exonerated by the release of some handwritten notes from the FBI discussing his January 2017 interview and how to handle him.
Fox News and others released the handwritten notes in an effort to smear the FBI and give Trump leverage to pardon his former national security advisor. They did the same thing to smear the Mueller investigation.
?? DEVELOPING… Unsealed FBI notes reveal the intent of the FBI’s 1/24/17 interview of Flynn: “What is our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute [Flynn] or get him fired?” FBI Notes confirm it was all a pretext. pic.twitter.com/Y4IDyE4YZm
The Trump stooge Devin Nunes was party to the same type of lying behavior for Trump in 2017, that had him lose his leadership in the Intelligence Committee tweeted this:
Clear now that General Flynn was set up by dirty cops at the highest levels of our government...
Fox News, Devin Nunes and the usual wingnut suspects like Jonathan Turley are claiming Michael Flynn has been exonerated by the release of some handwritten notes from the FBI discussing his January 2017 interview and how to handle him.
Fox News and others released the handwritten notes in an effort to smear the FBI and give Trump leverage to pardon his former national security advisor. They did the same thing to smear the Mueller investigation.
🚨🚨 DEVELOPING…
Unsealed FBI notes reveal the intent of the FBI’s 1/24/17 interview of Flynn:
“What is our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute [Flynn] or get him fired?”
FBI Notes confirm it was all a pretext. pic.twitter.com/Y4IDyE4YZm — Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) April 29, 2020
The Trump stooge Devin Nunes was party to the same type of lying behavior for Trump in 2017, that had him lose his leadership in the Intelligence Committee tweeted this:
Clear now that General Flynn was set up by dirty cops at the highest levels of our government... — Devin Nunes (@DevinNunes) April 29, 2020
Trump told CNN's Jim Acosta in the video above that these notes basically exonerate Michael Flynn. When Acosta asked him why he fired Flynn in the first place, he gaslighted Acosta by attacking "dirty cops" out to get Flynn and of all people, the scumbag that is Roger Stone.
Anyone who's watched five minutes of a law enforcement program knows that the police often lie during an interrogation in effort to get a confession.
Law enforcement has been using this practice for decades. Whether you like it or not, it is what it is.
And these notes are supposed to show clear evidence that the FBI forced Michael Flynn into lying to them which is a federal crime.
How is that possible?
Flynn was a Lieutenant General and served as the 18th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Obama before he was fired for being a loose cannon.
If anyone knows how the system works, it's him. He knew he was lying to the FBI, understood it was a federal crime and did so anyway. it makes a person wonder if Trump told him right off he'd pardon him down the line if he lied for him. (That's pure conjecture on my part)
And it's not like he was held in a secluded room for 17 hours with no water and sleep and was beaten with a phone book and rubber hoses to make him lie.
Law & Crime:
But many other lawyers told Law&Crime that there was no such proof of a “set up.” On the contrary, these tactics by the FBI, especially in 18 U.S. Code § 1001 (false statements) cases , are quite common. They also invariably said that this will more than likely not affect the outcome of the Flynn case. -- Mark Zaid, the national security lawyer who was on the Ukraine whistleblower’s legal team, said that the FBI notes showed routine FBI interview tactics. “The so-called ‘bombshell’ that is being touted as exonerating former General Flynn appears to be nothing more than selective documents disclosed by an aggressive defense counsel and then promoted by a supportive reporter,” Zaid said. “The FBI notes reveal consideration of routine law enforcement interview tactics and by no means undercut General Flynn’s prior admissions of lying to the FBI–a felony
Re Flynn: Yes, federal law enforcement routinely interviews people hoping they will confess (and get prosecuted) or lie (and get prosecuted). Yes, they plan that in advance of the interview. That's how it works. That's how it has worked for a very long time.
/1 — MilestoneAchievingHat (@Popehat) April 30, 2020
Just smoke and mirrors, but there is an end game in mind.


crooksandliars--2020-04-30--Republicans Try To Grant Corporations Immunity From Covid-19 Lawsuits

A diverse coalition of nearly 120 progressive advocacy groups is urging Congress not to grant corporations sweeping immunity from coronavirus-related workplace safety lawsuits , warning that the Republican-backed proposal could have devastating consequences for both employees and customers .
In a letter ( pdf ) to Democratic and Republican congressional leaders on Wednesday , the groups said they `` strongly oppose any legislation that would establish nationwide immunity for businesses that operate in an unreasonably unsafe manner , causing returning workers and consumers to risk Covid-19 infection . ''
`` When workplaces are not properly protected , patients , customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all at risk , '' reads the letter , which was led by Public Citizen and the Center for Justice and Democracy .
`` This concern is not hypothetical .
Some essential businesses have already put employees back in the workforce without ensuring their safety .
As a result , infections have spread in and out of the workplace . ''
The letter came after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that protecting corporations from coronavirus-related legal action by workers and customers is his `` red line '' for the next Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Public Citizen tweeted Wednesday .
`` Mitch McConnell thinks the most pressing threat facing our nation right now is that people might need to take a company to court for doing something dangerous or illegal during this pandemic . ''
President Donald Trump has also voiced support for shielding companies from legal responsibility for exposing their workers to Covid-19 , a proposal pushed by the Koch network and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce .
`` We are trying to take liability away from these companies , '' Trump said during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just do n't want that because we want the companies to open and to open strong . ''
According to the Washington Post , the Trump administration is considering issuing `` a liability waiver that would clear businesses of legal responsibility from employees who contract the coronavirus on the job . ''
Debbie Berkowitz , director of the worker safety and health program at the National Employment Law Project , condemned the idea as `` one of the most appalling things I 've heard in the context of this crisis . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe economic recovery .
For that reason , we strongly oppose any legislation that would establish nationwide immunity for businesses that operate in an unreasonably unsafe manner , causing returning workers and consumers to risk Covid-19 infection .
Removing legal accountability for businesses not only would jeopardize the health and safety of workers , it would also jeopardize everyone who enters those workplaces .
This would be extremely damaging to the nation 's economic recovery .
Any recovery requires the public to have confidence that businesses are operating as safely as possible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsafely would do the opposite of instilling public confidence .
Instead , it would introduce new anxieties to an already highly-anxious public .
And it would have real-life consequences for every community , since legal liability is one of the most powerful incentives we have to ensure that businesses operate safely .
When workplaces are not properly protected , patients , customers , clients , and the community are all at risk .
This concern is not hypothetical .
Some essential businesses have already put employees back in the workforce without ensuring their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have spread in and out of the workplace .
In some cases , this has led to renewed shutdowns , slowing the pace of recovery .
From protecting the food supply chain to preventing needless deaths in nursing homes , it is clear that companies responsible for the health and safety of others must continue having every incentive to protect them .
Many companies already had serious safety problems prior to the Covid-19 pandemic , but the pandemic can not be an excuse for failing to protect workers and the public .
Moreover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trends toward deregulation and lax regulatory enforcement of workplaces .
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has substantially stepped back from its role to protect the health and safety of workers during this pandemic , and is dangerously relying on employers to self-police .
Under these circumstances , the specter of unsafe workplaces is a significant concern .
Without adequate protective equipment and other safety measures , workers will be deterred from coming back to work .
Immunity would only exacerbate these problems .
In sum , we strongly oppose any legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure safe workplaces .

A diverse coalition of nearly 120 progressive advocacy groups is urging Congress not to grant corporations sweeping immunity from coronavirus-related workplace safety lawsuits, warning that the Republican-backed proposal could have devastating consequences for both employees and customers.
In a letter (pdf) to Democratic and Republican congressional leaders on Wednesday, the groups said they "strongly oppose any legislation that would establish nationwide immunity for businesses that operate in an unreasonably unsafe manner, causing returning workers and consumers to risk Covid-19 infection."
"When workplaces are not properly protected, patients, customers, clients, and the community are all at risk," reads the letter, which was led by Public Citizen and the Center for Justice and Democracy. "This concern is not hypothetical. Some essential businesses have already put employees back in the workforce without ensuring their safety. As a result, infections have spread in and out of the workplace."
The letter came after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that protecting corporations from coronavirus-related legal action by workers and customers is his "red line" for the next Covid-19 stimulus package.
"This is obscene," Public Citizen tweeted Wednesday. "Mitch McConnell thinks the most pressing threat facing our nation right now is that people might need to take a company to court for doing something dangerous or illegal during this pandemic."
BREAKING: We and 100+ groups are demanding that Congress reject McConnell's disgraceful effort to give legal immunity to corporations that get workers and consumers sick with coronavirus. This is a new low, even for @senatemajldr.https://t.co/17SDUMAGj9 — Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) April 29, 2020
President Donald Trump has also voiced support for shielding companies from legal responsibility for exposing their workers to Covid-19, a proposal pushed by the Koch network and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
"We are trying to take liability away from these companies," Trump said during a press briefing last week. "We just don't want that because we want the companies to open and to open strong."
According to the Washington Post, the Trump administration is considering issuing "a liability waiver that would clear businesses of legal responsibility from employees who contract the coronavirus on the job."
Debbie Berkowitz, director of the worker safety and health program at the National Employment Law Project, condemned the idea as "one of the most appalling things I've heard in the context of this crisis."
Read the progressive groups' letter in full:
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer: The undersigned organizations fully support the nation's safe economic recovery. For that reason, we strongly oppose any legislation that would establish nationwide immunity for businesses that operate in an unreasonably unsafe manner, causing returning workers and consumers to risk Covid-19 infection. Removing legal accountability for businesses not only would jeopardize the health and safety of workers, it would also jeopardize everyone who enters those workplaces. This would be extremely damaging to the nation's economic recovery. Any recovery requires the public to have confidence that businesses are operating as safely as possible. Establishing legal immunity for businesses that operate unsafely would do the opposite of instilling public confidence. Instead, it would introduce new anxieties to an already highly-anxious public. And it would have real-life consequences for every community, since legal liability is one of the most powerful incentives we have to ensure that businesses operate safely. When workplaces are not properly protected, patients, customers, clients, and the community are all at risk. This concern is not hypothetical. Some essential businesses have already put employees back in the workforce without ensuring their safety. As a result, infections have spread in and out of the workplace. In some cases, this has led to renewed shutdowns, slowing the pace of recovery. From protecting the food supply chain to preventing needless deaths in nursing homes, it is clear that companies responsible for the health and safety of others must continue having every incentive to protect them. Many companies already had serious safety problems prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the pandemic cannot be an excuse for failing to protect workers and the public. Moreover, greatly compounding the problem are recent trends toward deregulation and lax regulatory enforcement of workplaces. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has substantially stepped back from its role to protect the health and safety of workers during this pandemic, and is dangerously relying on employers to self-police. Under these circumstances, the specter of unsafe workplaces is a significant concern. Without adequate protective equipment and other safety measures, workers will be deterred from coming back to work. Immunity would only exacerbate these problems. In sum, we strongly oppose any legislation that would immunize businesses that fail to ensure safe workplaces.
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, Staff Writer) under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


crooksandliars--2020-04-30--Karen Pence Claims Mike Was 'Unaware' Of Mayo Clinic's Mask Policy

Karen Pence , the wife of the so-called vice president , told Fox and Friends this morning that her husband did not know of the Mayo Clinic 's mask requirements when he visited their Minnesota headquarters on Tuesday .
Mike Pence received an avalanche of criticism for being the only one not wearing a mask during his visit to Mayo Clinic .
Co-host Ainsley Earhardt asked her straight up why the vice president was not wearing a mask .
She replied , `` Our medical experts told us wearing a mask prevents you from spreading the disease and knowing he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't wear one . ''
Mike Pence is the supposed leader of the coronavirus task force and he knows that anybody out in public should be wearing a mask -- whether they 've been tested or not , whether they are infected or not .
But Karen Pence did her wifely Trump administration duty ... and lied for her husband .
`` It was actually after he left Mayo Clinic that he found out that they had a policy of asking everyone to wear a mask , '' Karen Pence said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deleted it which said they informed the vice president about their masking policy before he arrived .
The Clinic said it told Pence 's office that the veep would be required to wear a mask .
And reporters who traveled with Pence to Minnesota say they were also told they would have to wear masks ...
The union that represents thousands of Clinic employees , SEIU Healthcare Minnesota , called Pence 's move insulting .
`` When Vice President Pence ignores the safety policy and refuses to wear a mask , he insults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care workers , '' they wrote in a statement .
`` Worse , he puts them , their patients , and their families at risk . ''
This throws fuel on the fire of the right wing morons who are protesting stay-at-home orders .
Lying is a job requirement of the Trump administration and this is yet another example of the misdirection and disinformation Trump and his people have caused during the coronavirus pandemic .
American lives are at risk and over 60,000 have died so far .

Karen Pence, the wife of the so-called vice president, told Fox and Friends this morning that her husband did not know of the Mayo Clinic's mask requirements when he visited their Minnesota headquarters on Tuesday.
Mike Pence received an avalanche of criticism for being the only one not wearing a mask during his visit to Mayo Clinic.
Co-host Ainsley Earhardt asked her straight up why the vice president was not wearing a mask.
She replied, "Our medical experts told us wearing a mask prevents you from spreading the disease and knowing he doesn't have COVID-19, he didn't wear one."
Mike Pence is the supposed leader of the coronavirus task force and he knows that anybody out in public should be wearing a mask -- whether they've been tested or not, whether they are infected or not.
But Karen Pence did her wifely Trump administration duty... and lied for her husband.
"It was actually after he left Mayo Clinic that he found out that they had a policy of asking everyone to wear a mask," Karen Pence said.
The Mayo Clinic put out a tweet and deleted it which said they informed the vice president about their masking policy before he arrived.
The Clinic said it told Pence's office that the veep would be required to wear a mask. And reporters who traveled with Pence to Minnesota say they were also told they would have to wear masks... The union that represents thousands of Clinic employees, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, called Pence's move insulting. "When Vice President Pence ignores the safety policy and refuses to wear a mask, he insults the hard work and sacrifice of all health care workers," they wrote in a statement. "Worse, he puts them, their patients, and their families at risk."
This throws fuel on the fire of the right wing morons who are protesting stay-at-home orders.
Lying is a job requirement of the Trump administration and this is yet another example of the misdirection and disinformation Trump and his people have caused during the coronavirus pandemic.
American lives are at risk and over 60,000 have died so far.


crooksandliars--2020-04-30--Whistleblower: CPFB Using Faked Statistics To Gut Payday Lending Rule

Via the New York Times : Last summer , on his final day of work at the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ a career economist sent colleagues a blunt memo .
He claimed that President Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ Financial Protection Bureau had manipulated the agency ’ s research process to justify altering a @ @ @ @ @ sharply curtailed high-interest payday loans .
The departing staff member , Jonathan Lanning , detailed @ @ @ @ @ ’ s political overseers that he considered legally risky and scientifically indefensible , including pressuring @ @ @ @ @ their findings on payday loans and use statistical gimmicks to downplay the harm consumers would @ @ @ @ @ were repealed .

Via the New York Times:
Last summer, on his final day of work at the nation’s consumer finance watchdog agency, a career economist sent colleagues a blunt memo. He claimed that President Trump’s appointees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had manipulated the agency’s research process to justify altering a 2017 rule that would have sharply curtailed high-interest payday loans.
The departing staff member, Jonathan Lanning, detailed several maneuvers by his agency’s political overseers that he considered legally risky and scientifically indefensible, including pressuring staff economists to water down their findings on payday loans and use statistical gimmicks to downplay the harm consumers would suffer if the payday restrictions were repealed.


crooksandliars--2020-04-30--COVIDiot Seeks 'Civil Rights Lawyer' After Being Furloughed Due To Stupidity

Last Friday , the pro-pandemic patriot protesters made a stop in their world tour in Madison , Wisconsin .
The purported purpose of the protest was to rebel against the Safer at Home order by Governor Tony Evers and their constitutional right to get infected and to infect others with a potentially life-threatening virus .
But one just knew that the protest has a high potential to be a real Mad Hatter 's Tea Party when event organizers and a top Republican Party official felt it necessary to admonish people not to act , well , like Republicans : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two others held last weekend have gone to great lengths to describe themselves and their events as nonpolitical , despite ample evidence that the state ’ s Republican leadership is intricately involved .
They are also trying to prevent the gatherings from becoming a platform for other conservative causes , or from appearing like de facto Trump campaign rallies .
Brian Westrate , the treasurer of the Republican Party of Wisconsin , posted to a private Facebook group for organizers and some attendees of the Madison rally , asking people not to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home order .
“ Ok folks , I implore you , please leave Confederate flags and/or AR15s , AK47s , or any other long guns at home , ” Mr. Westrate wrote .
“ I well understand that the Confederacy was more about states rights than slavery .
But that does not change the truth of how we should try to control the optics during the event.
” In an interview , Mr. Westrate acknowledged writing the post and said it may be futile to ask the rally participants to limit the variety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was futile .
All the wingnuts were there from the anti-abortionists to the gun nuts with a really crappy guillotine to this Nazi idealist : About the only kooks not in attendance were the actual Republicans .
Now , we are still a few days away from seeing what kind of bump in new COVID-19 cases might occur from this exercise in stupidity and madness , but there have already been signs of some other unintended consequences , such as accountability for one 's poor decision making .
Apparently Smith has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had looked earlier , Smith 's bio included working for ATI Ladish Forged Products , which had been deemed an essential company and was exempt from having to close under the Safer at Home order .
Kudos are due to the company for being responsible enough to hold Smith accountable for his actions and to safeguard the health and safety of its other employees by sending Smith home for two weeks .

Last Friday, the pro-pandemic patriot protesters made a stop in their world tour in Madison, Wisconsin. The purported purpose of the protest was to rebel against the Safer at Home order by Governor Tony Evers and their constitutional right to get infected and to infect others with a potentially life-threatening virus.
But one just knew that the protest has a high potential to be a real Mad Hatter's Tea Party when event organizers and a top Republican Party official felt it necessary to admonish people not to act, well, like Republicans:
The organizers of the Madison rally and the two others held last weekend have gone to great lengths to describe themselves and their events as nonpolitical, despite ample evidence that the state’s Republican leadership is intricately involved. They are also trying to prevent the gatherings from becoming a platform for other conservative causes, or from appearing like de facto Trump campaign rallies. Brian Westrate, the treasurer of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, posted to a private Facebook group for organizers and some attendees of the Madison rally, asking people not to bring emblems of causes other than resisting the stay-at-home order. “Ok folks, I implore you, please leave Confederate flags and/or AR15s, AK47s, or any other long guns at home,” Mr. Westrate wrote. “I well understand that the Confederacy was more about states rights than slavery. But that does not change the truth of how we should try to control the optics during the event.” In an interview, Mr. Westrate acknowledged writing the post and said it may be futile to ask the rally participants to limit the variety of their political motivations.
Indeed, it was futile. All the wingnuts were there from the anti-abortionists to the gun nuts with a really crappy guillotine to this Nazi idealist:
Mequon resident Alex Leykin, 52, says he's here because of government overreach.
"I think the initial response was excellent. I think the shutdown was warranted.
We now know what we're facing. It's time to let the citizens decide for themselves how and who to protect." pic.twitter.com/X2HLpyxx23 — Shawn Johnson (@SJohnsonWPR) April 24, 2020
And the obligatory 5G conspiracy nut:
About the only kooks not in attendance were the actual Republicans.
Now, we are still a few days away from seeing what kind of bump in new COVID-19 cases might occur from this exercise in stupidity and madness, but there have already been signs of some other unintended consequences, such as accountability for one's poor decision making.
Case in point, meet Jerry Smith:
Apparently Smith has since apparently deleted his Facebook page but when I had looked earlier, Smith's bio included working for ATI Ladish Forged Products, which had been deemed an essential company and was exempt from having to close under the Safer at Home order. Kudos are due to the company for being responsible enough to hold Smith accountable for his actions and to safeguard the health and safety of its other employees by sending Smith home for two weeks.


crooksandliars--2020-04-30--Louisiana Pastor Defies House Arrest, Holds Yet Another Church Service Amid Pandemic

Tony Spell , the pastor of Life Tabernacle Church outside of Baton Rouge , Louisiana , has already been charged for violating Gov .
John Bel Edwards ’ stay-at-home orders by holding packed church services amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic .
He was recently arrested on improper backing and aggravated assault charges for allegedly reversing a church van in the direction of a protester ; after turning himself in , he was quickly released to a crowd of parishioners in the parking lot of the local police station .
Unsurprisingly , he held a service that very same evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again by holding large services while placed under house arrest , as reported by local outlet The Advocate .
At the church ’ s most recent Sunday service , Spell reportedly wore an ankle bracelet .
The pastor declared : “ I ’ m not hiding anymore.
” As reported by NBC News , Spell had to wear the ankle bracelet because he would not agree to actually practice social distancing , according to his attorney , Joseph Long .
In a statement to the news outlet , Long stressed that Spell lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Local outlet WAFB-TV reported that when a judge asked Spell if he ’ d comply with orders and limit the number of people who can gather at once , Spell quoted a Bible verse .
When asked by the judge a second time , he reportedly went silent , which the judge took as a communication that Spell would not comply .
Spell has been charged with six misdemeanor counts of violating the governor ’ s coronavirus orders .
And it ’ s no meager discrepancy in number , either ; the order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At one service , as reported by Reuters , for example , 1,200 people attended .
The church also has a history of having buses sent out for people to more easily attend services .
While outreach outside of a pandemic is one thing , during a pandemic it ’ s something else entirely .
In the past , Spell has argued that his church is cleaned on a daily basis and that attendees stay six feet apart .
As The Daily Beast pointed out , however , most people did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can see the same in the Facebook live stream from Sunday .
As reported by The Advocate , Spell was released with conditions .
He must “ refrain from any and all criminal conduct , ” which includes but is not limited to “ strictly abiding by all emergency orders issued by the Governor of the State of Louisiana , ” according to the publication .
One parishioner has reportedly died from COVID-19 , though it ’ s not confirmed where he contracted the virus .
Spell has denied the death was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the result of another medical condition .
What ’ s the easiest solution for people of faith amid a pandemic ?
In today ’ s world of technology , a live stream will generally do just fine .
Even the Pope is doing it .

Tony Spell, the pastor of Life Tabernacle Church outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has already been charged for violating Gov. John Bel Edwards’ stay-at-home orders by holding packed church services amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. He was recently arrested on improper backing and aggravated assault charges for allegedly reversing a church van in the direction of a protester; after turning himself in, he was quickly released to a crowd of parishioners in the parking lot of the local police station. Unsurprisingly, he held a service that very same evening.
Most recently he defied orders yet again by holding large services while placed under house arrest, as reported by local outlet The Advocate. At the church’s most recent Sunday service, Spell reportedly wore an ankle bracelet. The pastor declared: “I’m not hiding anymore.”
As reported by NBC News, Spell had to wear the ankle bracelet because he would not agree to actually practice social distancing, according to his attorney, Joseph Long. In a statement to the news outlet, Long stressed that Spell lived within 50 yards of the church.
Local outlet WAFB-TV reported that when a judge asked Spell if he’d comply with orders and limit the number of people who can gather at once, Spell quoted a Bible verse. When asked by the judge a second time, he reportedly went silent, which the judge took as a communication that Spell would not comply.
Spell has been charged with six misdemeanor counts of violating the governor’s coronavirus orders. And it’s no meager discrepancy in number, either; the order bans crowds of more than 10 people. At one service, as reported by Reuters, for example, 1,200 people attended. The church also has a history of having buses sent out for people to more easily attend services. While outreach outside of a pandemic is one thing, during a pandemic it’s something else entirely. In the past, Spell has argued that his church is cleaned on a daily basis and that attendees stay six feet apart. As The Daily Beast pointed out, however, most people did not wear masks to the recent service. You can see the same in the Facebook live stream from Sunday.
As reported by The Advocate, Spell was released with conditions. He must “refrain from any and all criminal conduct,” which includes but is not limited to “strictly abiding by all emergency orders issued by the Governor of the State of Louisiana,” according to the publication.
One parishioner has reportedly died from COVID-19, though it’s not confirmed where he contracted the virus. Spell has denied the death was related to COVID-19 and suggested it was the result of another medical condition.
What’s the easiest solution for people of faith amid a pandemic? In today’s world of technology, a live stream will generally do just fine. Even the Pope is doing it.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.