crooksandliars--2020-10-23--Desperate Americans Beg For Handouts On Venmo And Cash App

A college student pleading for grocery money .
A driver in need of an unexpected car repair .
A worker out of a job because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
A single mom who needs to pay the internet bill to support her kids ’ distance learning .
In all of these cases , people turned to Twitter to ask for financial support during the pandemic .
Not thousands of dollars .
Just a few bucks .
Whatever online followers could spare .
As a consumer sociologist , I study digital culture and social media .
I ’ ve noticed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , TikTok and Instagram , which are made possible by the growing popularity of peer-to-peer payment platforms like PayPal , Venmo , Cash App and Zelle .
This diverges from traditional crowdfunding in which official online campaigns are set up for lofty fundraising goals .
And it isn ’ t the same as asking a friend to cover the tab .
Digital handouts on social media that help people make everyday ends meet point to the power and generosity of online communities .
At the same time , they represent yet another sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s social safety net .
In America , asking strangers for money has long been stigmatized .
In England , during the 16th and 17th centuries , the begging poor were criminalized , with poverty portrayed as a moral failing caused by lack of industriousness .
In reality , the ruling class wanted to control the labor market and discouraged government-funded welfare .
These ideals of industriousness were shipped to the United States and repackaged as the “ American dream , ” the credo that anyone with pluck can pull themselves up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you can ’ t , it ’ s your own fault .
For these reasons , the stitching together of a social safety net has been a fraught political enterprise , with starts , stops and backsliding through the decades .
People in need are often forced to turn to churches , family and the generosity of strangers .
The internet , however , ushered in new ways of asking for money , particularly with the rise of crowdfunding , the practice of pooling donations from a large number of individuals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1997 , and dedicated crowdfunding platforms cropped up online throughout the 2000s .
Through crowdfunding , people who may not have had access to financial resources can raise money for health care treatments , adoptions , college tuition , racial justice and other causes .
Sending cash with the click of a button Peer-to-peer payment platforms like PayPal , Venmo , Cash App and Zelle have made it even easier to ask for and receive cash assistance .
Over 60 % of American millennials report using at least one of these payment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelle suggests Gen X and baby boomers are overcoming their skepticism of digital cash transfers .
When friends go out to dinner , they can simply split the dinner bill using the mobile apps .
Roommates can use it to pay rent , and vendors can use it to directly charge customers .
But these apps have also given rise to a growing cultural trend : asking complete strangers for money via social media .
The process is simple .
Write a social media post about a financial need .
Include details for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ Cashtag on Cash App , a username for Venmo , a custom PayPal.me link .
Share the post .
Within a few clicks , a stranger can stumble upon your post and complete the requested cash transfer .
By design , peer-to-peer payment platforms remove fees incurred through credit card donations or more formal crowdfunding websites .
The full donation goes directly and instantly to the person in need .
Some might be quick to categorize this practice as traditional crowdfunding , but my research suggests social media-based cash transfers are unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is shaped like a funnel : many donors contributing to one centralized recipient , such as a civic organization or charitable cause .
Crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe and Kickstarter provide a central portal for tracking and safeguarding money exchange .
Social media-based requests for money are shaped more like a web : many potential donors contributing to many recipients in one-off transactions .
This web of financial requests is sprawling on social media .
There ’ s no website to visit to track the progress of a fundraiser , and fewer safeguards are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In traditional crowdfunding , the financial goals are lofty , sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars .
Crowdfunders create formal campaigns with detailed explanations of why they are raising money , how the money will be used and who will benefit .
Progress toward a financial goal is publicly tracked .
In contrast , social media-based solicitations allow for smaller , one-time requests , like covering a utility bill .
It ’ s akin to spotting a stranger a few bucks .
This web of financial requests and offers is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , # SettlerSaturday encourages donations to Indigenous people and causes ; # TransCrowdFund solicits financial support for transgender and nonbinary individuals ; and # ShowUpForWishes provides a space for people to make more general financial requests for things they want – not just what they need .
The hashtags create communities for people to seek financial support .
These communities engage in “ signal boosting ” by sharing a post widely within and across social media platforms , in hopes of getting more attention .
Shares , likes , retweets and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media-based cash requests to go viral , which can lead to more donations .
With a steady stream of financial requests coming through social media , individual donors can act as a dam for individuals to survive .
But as these requests for money become more popular , what does it say about the lack of public resources for individuals struggling to pay for needs like rent , tuition or surprise medical bills ?
During the coronavirus outbreak , people flocked to traditional crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe to try to save their businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these campaigns , however , fail to meet their goals .
These larger campaigns have overshadowed the constant flurry of smaller requests for digital handouts on social media .
To me , both types of requests – large and small – reflect a systemic failure to protect citizens facing financial hardship .
Government programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food stamps provide much-needed resources to help people make ends meet .
But research suggests many of the people most in need are often disconnected from the social safety net , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these programs differently .
For many , living paycheck to paycheck has been transformed into living Venmo to Venmo .
It would be easy to classify the rise in requests for digital handouts on social media as just another iteration of the “ begging poor ” – bringing to mind all of the morality myths and stigmas surrounding poverty .
[ Deep knowledge , daily .
Sign up for The Conversation ’ s newsletter . ]
But it ’ s bigger than that .
The pandemic has revealed gaps in the social safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handouts is a microcosm of the financial uncertainty facing Americans .
Donating to strangers – and asking for digital handouts – is not a bad thing .
But the ad hoc willingness of individual Americans to support one another financially shouldn ’ t act as a substitute for more permanent , systemic solutions .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Jenna Drenten, Loyola University Chicago
A college student pleading for grocery money. A driver in need of an unexpected car repair. A worker out of a job because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A single mom who needs to pay the internet bill to support her kids’ distance learning.
In all of these cases, people turned to Twitter to ask for financial support during the pandemic. Not thousands of dollars. Just a few bucks. Whatever online followers could spare.
As a consumer sociologist, I study digital culture and social media. I’ve noticed an uptick in these requests on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram, which are made possible by the growing popularity of peer-to-peer payment platforms like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and Zelle.
This diverges from traditional crowdfunding in which official online campaigns are set up for lofty fundraising goals. And it isn’t the same as asking a friend to cover the tab.
Digital handouts on social media that help people make everyday ends meet point to the power and generosity of online communities. At the same time, they represent yet another sign that there are deep holes in America’s social safety net.
Brother, can you spare a dime … online?
In America, asking strangers for money has long been stigmatized.
In England, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the begging poor were criminalized, with poverty portrayed as a moral failing caused by lack of industriousness. In reality, the ruling class wanted to control the labor market and discouraged government-funded welfare. These ideals of industriousness were shipped to the United States and repackaged as the “American dream,” the credo that anyone with pluck can pull themselves up by their bootstraps.
The subtext? If you can’t, it’s your own fault.
For these reasons, the stitching together of a social safety net has been a fraught political enterprise, with starts, stops and backsliding through the decades. People in need are often forced to turn to churches, family and the generosity of strangers.
The internet, however, ushered in new ways of asking for money, particularly with the rise of crowdfunding, the practice of pooling donations from a large number of individuals. The first known online crowdfunding campaign launched in 1997, and dedicated crowdfunding platforms cropped up online throughout the 2000s.
Through crowdfunding, people who may not have had access to financial resources can raise money for health care treatments, adoptions, college tuition, racial justice and other causes.
Sending cash with the click of a button
Peer-to-peer payment platforms like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and Zelle have made it even easier to ask for and receive cash assistance.
Over 60% of American millennials report using at least one of these payment platforms, and a new survey from Zelle suggests Gen X and baby boomers are overcoming their skepticism of digital cash transfers.
When friends go out to dinner, they can simply split the dinner bill using the mobile apps. Roommates can use it to pay rent, and vendors can use it to directly charge customers.
But these apps have also given rise to a growing cultural trend: asking complete strangers for money via social media.
The process is simple. Write a social media post about a financial need. Include details for your preferred peer-to-peer payment platform: a $Cashtag on Cash App, a username for Venmo, a custom PayPal.me link. Share the post. Within a few clicks, a stranger can stumble upon your post and complete the requested cash transfer.
By design, peer-to-peer payment platforms remove fees incurred through credit card donations or more formal crowdfunding websites. The full donation goes directly and instantly to the person in need.
The difference from crowdfunding
Some might be quick to categorize this practice as traditional crowdfunding, but my research suggests social media-based cash transfers are unique in a few ways.
Traditional crowdfunding is shaped like a funnel: many donors contributing to one centralized recipient, such as a civic organization or charitable cause. Crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe and Kickstarter provide a central portal for tracking and safeguarding money exchange.
Social media-based requests for money are shaped more like a web: many potential donors contributing to many recipients in one-off transactions. This web of financial requests is sprawling on social media. There’s no website to visit to track the progress of a fundraiser, and fewer safeguards are in place to protect donors from scams.
In traditional crowdfunding, the financial goals are lofty, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Crowdfunders create formal campaigns with detailed explanations of why they are raising money, how the money will be used and who will benefit. Progress toward a financial goal is publicly tracked.
In contrast, social media-based solicitations allow for smaller, one-time requests, like covering a utility bill. It’s akin to spotting a stranger a few bucks.
This web of financial requests and offers is often catalyzed by a common hashtag. For example, #SettlerSaturday encourages donations to Indigenous people and causes; #TransCrowdFund solicits financial support for transgender and nonbinary individuals; and #ShowUpForWishes provides a space for people to make more general financial requests for things they want – not just what they need.
The hashtags create communities for people to seek financial support. These communities engage in “signal boosting” by sharing a post widely within and across social media platforms, in hopes of getting more attention. Shares, likes, retweets and cross-posting create more potential for these social media-based cash requests to go viral, which can lead to more donations.
With a steady stream of financial requests coming through social media, individual donors can act as a dam for individuals to survive.
Living Venmo to Venmo
But as these requests for money become more popular, what does it say about the lack of public resources for individuals struggling to pay for needs like rent, tuition or surprise medical bills?
During the coronavirus outbreak, people flocked to traditional crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe to try to save their businesses or cover health care costs. Most of these campaigns, however, fail to meet their goals.
These larger campaigns have overshadowed the constant flurry of smaller requests for digital handouts on social media.
To me, both types of requests – large and small – reflect a systemic failure to protect citizens facing financial hardship. Government programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food stamps provide much-needed resources to help people make ends meet. But research suggests many of the people most in need are often disconnected from the social safety net, as individual eligibility varies and states implement these programs differently.
For many, living paycheck to paycheck has been transformed into living Venmo to Venmo. It would be easy to classify the rise in requests for digital handouts on social media as just another iteration of the “begging poor” – bringing to mind all of the morality myths and stigmas surrounding poverty.
[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]
But it’s bigger than that. The pandemic has revealed gaps in the social safety net, and the reliance on digital handouts is a microcosm of the financial uncertainty facing Americans.
Donating to strangers – and asking for digital handouts – is not a bad thing. But the ad hoc willingness of individual Americans to support one another financially shouldn’t act as a substitute for more permanent, systemic solutions.
Jenna Drenten, Associate Professor of Marketing, Loyola University Chicago
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


crooksandliars--2020-10-23--Someone Owes Kristin Welker An Apology

Someone Owes Kristin Welker An Apology

Kristin Welker `` broke the space-time continuum '' ( per Rachel Maddow ) by getting Trump to talk about actual issues .
It wo n't matter , but the Fox News/Don Jr. attacks on her pre-debate should be withdrawn and apologies made .
Donald Trump Jr , aided and abetted by Fox News , worked the refs by attacking Welker pre-debate .
Fox even attacked the political donations of Welker 's PARENTS .
They all owe her an apology .
And of course ... Much of the media gave Trump a better rating on his debate performance , just because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not act like a moronic teenager who blames the world for all their issues and takes no responsibility for their choices or actions .
In Eric Bohlert 's newsletter he writes , `` By his sub-basement standards , Trump `` behaved '' at the Thursday debate .
He also lied nonstop .
And the press did n't seem to notice . ''
As Eric Alterman tweeted : `` One of Trump 's ( and the Republican Party 's ) greatest victories in their efforts to undermine our democracy is how little attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtually everything he said last night was a lie . ''
As Digby wrote for Salon , `` The problem this time wasn ’ t that his feral personality was on display .
The problem was that when you actually got to hear the two candidates answer questions about policy without all the theatrics , it ’ s clearer than ever that even after almost four years in office , Donald Trump still has no idea what he is doing .
Even in his subdued state , he played his most obnoxious greatest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stale , stupid and offensive .
Biden , on the other hand , was well-informed about policy , answered all the questions directly and showed himself to be a normal human being .
After what we ’ ve been through with Trump , those banal qualities almost have a magical feeling to them .
The bar was set so low for a Trump debate performance after his last train wreck that all he had to do was not get muted by Welker .
That resulted in the media giving him a big gold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school .
But he still had many moments of pure wretchedness .
All the snap polls I saw showed that Biden won .

Kristin Welker "broke the space-time continuum" (per Rachel Maddow) by getting Trump to talk about actual issues. It won't matter, but the Fox News/Don Jr. attacks on her pre-debate should be withdrawn and apologies made.
Donald Trump Jr, aided and abetted by Fox News, worked the refs by attacking Welker pre-debate.
Classy! Don Jr. promises a heckler OF THE MODERATOR at tonight's debate, sponsored by the Trump campaign? Are you kidding? https://t.co/irdCvwSnQG — Crooks and Liars (@crooksandliars) October 22, 2020
Fox even attacked the political donations of Welker's PARENTS.
If any other outlet started covering the political donations of *the parents* of folks who work at Fox there would be widespread outrage and rightly so. This is hideous and unjournalistic. And another example of how bad actors use standards against those who uphold them. https://t.co/4FlfsVeyLU — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 19, 2020
They all owe her an apology.
And of course...
Much of the media gave Trump a better rating on his debate performance, just because he was forced by the debate commission to not act like a moronic teenager who blames the world for all their issues and takes no responsibility for their choices or actions.
In Eric Bohlert's newsletter he writes, "By his sub-basement standards, Trump "behaved" at the Thursday debate. He also lied nonstop. And the press didn't seem to notice."
As Eric Alterman tweeted: "One of Trump's (and the Republican Party's) greatest victories in their efforts to undermine our democracy is how little attention is being paid to the fact that virtually everything he said last night was a lie."
As Digby wrote for Salon, "The problem this time wasn’t that his feral personality was on display. The problem was that when you actually got to hear the two candidates answer questions about policy without all the theatrics, it’s clearer than ever that even after almost four years in office, Donald Trump still has no idea what he is doing. Even in his subdued state, he played his most obnoxious greatest hits without any awareness that they are stale, stupid and offensive.
Biden, on the other hand, was well-informed about policy, answered all the questions directly and showed himself to be a normal human being. After what we’ve been through with Trump, those banal qualities almost have a magical feeling to them.
The bar was set so low for a Trump debate performance after his last train wreck that all he had to do was not get muted by Welker.
That resulted in the media giving him a big gold star, like any child in elementary school.
But he still had many moments of pure wretchedness.
Trump in an instant— one of the purest distillations ever.
Absolutely vile racism combined with the idea that voluntarily following rules is for suckers and that breaking the law is what smart people do. https://t.co/5F3E3mG1Ni — Jacob T. Levy (@jtlevy) October 23, 2020
All the snap polls I saw showed that Biden won.


crooksandliars--2020-10-23--What The Hell, Sarah Palin

What The Hell, Sarah Palin

I wonder if Sarah Palin thought if she out-drank Rudy Guiliani she might leapfrog him and become Trump 's new FBI director ?
Newsweek : In the 59-second clip shared on Monday , Palin starts the video by saying `` Lisa Murkowski , '' referring to the Alaskan senator .
The words `` Dear Lisa '' appear super-imposed on the footage .
Palin repeatedly points to her house , telling the camera , `` This is my house , '' emphasizing a different part of the phrase each time .
`` I 'm willing to give it up for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she continues .
`` The great state . ''
The video , which feels like a series of outtakes blended together , then abruptly cuts to Palin saying , `` You ca n't find it within yourself to do the right thing this time , and at least give a fair shake to the Supreme Court nominee that your president will be bringing before you . ''
Shared BY WHOM , Newsweek ?
Who let this out of their camera ?
We assume it was Sarah herself thinking her Instagram would benefit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magazine suggests Palin may be challenging Lisa Murkowski 's Senate seat ?
If only !

I wonder if Sarah Palin thought if she out-drank Rudy Guiliani she might leapfrog him and become Trump's new FBI director? Newsweek:
In the 59-second clip shared on Monday, Palin starts the video by saying "Lisa Murkowski," referring to the Alaskan senator. The words "Dear Lisa" appear super-imposed on the footage. Palin repeatedly points to her house, telling the camera, "This is my house," emphasizing a different part of the phrase each time. "I'm willing to give it up for the greater good of this country," she continues. "The great state." The video, which feels like a series of outtakes blended together, then abruptly cuts to Palin saying, "You can't find it within yourself to do the right thing this time, and at least give a fair shake to the Supreme Court nominee that your president will be bringing before you."
Shared BY WHOM, Newsweek? Who let this out of their camera?
We assume it was Sarah herself thinking her Instagram would benefit. Because yeah.
UPDATE: New York Magazine suggests Palin may be challenging Lisa Murkowski's Senate seat? If only!


crooksandliars--2020-10-23--LOL!  Steve Bannon Says Rudy Giuliani Will Be FBI Director

ONLY THE BEST PEOPLE .
Steve Bannon , out on bail for ( allegedly ! )
defrauding MAGA types willing to shell out their own dineros for a wall that Mexico was definitely going to pay for ( three whole miles built in four years , snap ! )
, now predicts that Rudy Giuliani ... ...
Yes , THAT Rudy Giuliani of the drinks in the bedroom pants tucking ... ... will be our next FBI Director !
Yay !
STEVE BANNON ( HOST ) : We have called for , since last Thursday when the New York Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rudy Giuliani said it first , that Wray should resign .
I say he should be fired if he could n't answer the questions .
The Washington Post broke a big scoop that the president is thinking about Wray .
Note to Washington Post , you 've got to get an intern to start watching the show because you 're missing something , that 's not a scoop , that 's stale , right ?
I 've got a scoop for you , though .
I think the interim -- they 're going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
… You 're going to be fired .
You can take that to the bank and cash it .
You 're going to be fired , OK ?
You 're going to be fired .
I 'm going to break some news here .
I think the interim -- I think the interim director of the FBI is going to be Rudy Giuliani and his wingman is going to be Ric Grenell .
Take it to the bank like the MAGA checks you used to pay off your personal credit cards , @ @ @ @ @ @

ONLY THE BEST PEOPLE.
Steve Bannon, out on bail for (allegedly!) defrauding MAGA types willing to shell out their own dineros for a wall that Mexico was definitely going to pay for (three whole miles built in four years, snap!), now predicts that Rudy Giuliani...
...Yes, THAT Rudy Giuliani of the drinks in the bedroom pants tucking...
...will be our next FBI Director! Yay!
Transcript via Media Matters:
STEVE BANNON (HOST): We have called for, since last Thursday when the New York Post story broke, for either the -- Rudy Giuliani said it first, that Wray should resign. I say he should be fired if he couldn't answer the questions. The Washington Post broke a big scoop that the president is thinking about Wray. Note to Washington Post, you've got to get an intern to start watching the show because you're missing something, that's not a scoop, that's stale, right? I've got a scoop for you, though. I think the interim -- they're going to fire Wray, Wray's done.
…
You're going to be fired. You can take that to the bank and cash it. You're going to be fired, OK? You're going to be fired. I'm going to break some news here. I think the interim -- I think the interim director of the FBI is going to be Rudy Giuliani and his wingman is going to be Ric Grenell.
Take it to the bank like the MAGA checks you used to pay off your personal credit cards, (allegedly!) Steve?


crooksandliars--2020-10-23--Watch For Yourself:  Rudy Giuliani's Compromising Video In 'Borat's Subsequent Moviefilm'

Sasha Baron Cohen strikes again with `` Borat Subsequent Moviefilm '' and this time it was Trump henchman Rudy Giuliani caught with his hand in his pants .
Rudy was being interviewed by Maria Bakalova , posing as an underage girl .
After the interview ended , she said , `` Shall we have a drink in the bedroom ? ''
Instead of declining , Rudy immediately got up from his chair and sauntered his way into the bedroom .
As he sits on the bed Rudy tells her that she can give him her phone number and address as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears she 's starting to undress him .
As her hands reach down to his waist , Rudy just sits there and then sticks his hand down his pants .
Longest .
Tuck .
Ever .
Rudy was drunk , sweating , and flirting with this very young looking girl .
She asked him to go for drinks in the bedroom .
He patted her hip in a way that seemed to ask for permission to go further .
Rudy is a prime honeypot target , if nothing else .
https : //t.co/BGzoKQG3wE

Sasha Baron Cohen strikes again with "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" and this time it was Trump henchman Rudy Giuliani caught with his hand in his pants.
Rudy was being interviewed by Maria Bakalova, posing as an underage girl.
After the interview ended, she said, "Shall we have a drink in the bedroom?"
Instead of declining, Rudy immediately got up from his chair and sauntered his way into the bedroom.
As he sits on the bed Rudy tells her that she can give him her phone number and address as he pats her lower back.
It appears she's starting to undress him.
As her hands reach down to his waist, Rudy just sits there and then sticks his hand down his pants.


crooksandliars--2020-10-23--Friday News Dump: Trump Order Guts The Civil Service, And Other News

If Trump is reelected , this will be devastating to the institutional knowledge held by career civil servants .
At the moment , a win does n't seem likely -- but it shows how little regard Trump has for experienced governance .
His directive would strip protections from employees who work in policy ( you know , like Dr. Fauci ) without cause or recourse .
But let 's not dwell on it just yet , because he probably wo n't win .
In Dane County , more than 90 people are in the hospital suffering from COVID-19 , 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stay at least 6 feet from people you do n't live with .
It 's up to all of us to stop the spread .
# MaskUpMadison pic.twitter.com/pZmV9DmHDw it ’ s worth considering that trump is so deep into his extremely online fox news cinematic universe that he really and truly believes he ’ s up ten points right now and the first time he ’ s considered actually losing will be election night watching teevee along with the rest of us Cora has been lobbying to dye parts of her hair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we think 12yo is too young + there are alternatives .
Yesterday , she submitted a 6 pg powerpoint : `` Why I want to dye my hair . ''
I 'm impressed by her research , proud of her tenacity .
Future lawyer .
Still no .
pic.twitter.com/sDhChH80Az I 'm trying to imagine what the left-wing equivalent of the `` Fox News Cinematic Universe '' would be ... and then realized how much of the Twitter far left does n't need an *equivalent* because it inhabits the Fox News Cinematic Universe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but as characters https : //t.co/apYrnE6o8h DEPT .
OF 'SMILE THOUGH YOUR HEART IS ACHING' We 're almost there , people !
Hang in just a little longer !
Wash your hands and wear your masks !
Here 's some Kurt Vile to make you happy :

If Trump is reelected, this will be devastating to the institutional knowledge held by career civil servants. At the moment, a win doesn't seem likely -- but it shows how little regard Trump has for experienced governance. His directive would strip protections from employees who work in policy (you know, like Dr. Fauci) without cause or recourse. But let's not dwell on it just yet, because he probably won't win.
"Trump issues sweeping order for tens of thousands of career federal employees to lose civil service protections":https://t.co/ruEuVzBD2m — RonSupportsYou (@RonSupportsYou) October 23, 2020
If you weren't paying attention, Trump signed an Exec Order deeply undermining the professional federal civil service & setting up his cronies to burrow into permanent jobs in the USG: https://t.co/Af8QQ1X9hl — Tamara Cofman Wittes (@tcwittes) October 22, 2020
I‘ve been warning for some time that, if Trump is re-elected, he’ll work to politicize the civil service and set America on a path back to the 19th century, when the spoils system made Feds loyal to political patrons. That‘s bad if you don’t like corruption and abuses of power. https://t.co/SC57G1JTGL — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 21, 2020
*******************
Trump responded to Biden’s reiteration that 500 kids can’t find their families by muttering “Good.”
This is literally the only thing you need to know about the last 4 years in America. #Debates2020 — Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) October 23, 2020
It sounds like Trump said "go ahead" not "good" here pic.twitter.com/YLHU17qQzl — Brandon Wall (@Walldo) October 23, 2020
President Trump claimed falsely last night that Russia prefers Biden. In fact, the US intel assessment, as detailed by his National Counterintelligence & Security Center Director Bill Evanina in August, is that Russian interference is intended to “primarily denigrate” @JoeBiden — Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 23, 2020
Seriously, we have never had a President who is so comfortable lying and simply making shit up. — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) October 23, 2020
the desperation, the panic, the coke bloodstream infusion ... it’s like mana from heaven to sustain us in the final days https://t.co/fEnrde3SKW — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 23, 2020
Last night Trump attacked Medicare for All as "socialized medicine." Funny. I didn't hear him complain when he received the best socialized medicine in the world for free at a 100% government run hospital. Yup. Trump loves socialism for himself, rugged individualism for the rest. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 23, 2020
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN): "She doesn't belong in our party."https://t.co/urmtSyrPIn — Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) October 23, 2020
Fact checker Daniel Dale describes fact-checking Trump’s lies at the debate, “...like the ‘I Love Lucy’ episode in the chocolate factory where you don’t know which one to pick up because there’s just so much.“ https://t.co/04EyGU6FUW — Philly Snowflake (@phillysnowflake) October 23, 2020
If you want to learn about what it will take to manufacture and distribute a COVID vaccine and how the Trump Admin has totally dropped the ball in preparation, read @TopherSpiro and @ZekeEmanuel https://t.co/FT1oCzypDS — Kenneth Baer (@KennethBaer) October 23, 2020
In Dane County, more than 90 people are in the hospital suffering from COVID-19, 25 are in intensive care. Mask up and stay at least 6 feet from people you don't live with. It's up to all of us to stop the spread. #MaskUpMadison pic.twitter.com/pZmV9DmHDw — City of Madison, Wisconsin (@CityofMadison) October 22, 2020
As stimulus talks drag on, millions of small busineses await guidance on PPP loan forgiveness https://t.co/hHtAH0tUW3 — CNBC (@CNBC) October 23, 2020
Donald Trump’s long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2020 https://t.co/46g5b7jVbG — Matt Murphy (@MattMurph24) October 23, 2020
A growing number of people are organising their love and sex lives via spreadsheets. Is this really how to excel in relationships? https://t.co/rjIExYaofx From @1843mag — The Economist (@TheEconomist) October 23, 2020
it’s worth considering that trump is so deep into his extremely online fox news cinematic universe that he really and truly believes he’s up ten points right now and the first time he’s considered actually losing will be election night watching teevee along with the rest of us — kilgore trout, a crushed algorithm (@KT_So_It_Goes) October 23, 2020
If Trump is directing a sh#tload of money to Rove, and it appears he is trying, that is a huge red flag. #ProtectOurVotes https://t.co/hICzSDhE6H — Jennifer Cohn ✍🏻 📢 (@jennycohn1) October 21, 2020
Trump tells @60Minutes in footage he released that he wants to see the Supreme Court wipe out Obamacare.
“I hope that they end it.” — Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 22, 2020
Last night was the first debate I've ever seen in which I thought the audience would benefit from some having kind of decoder ring. https://t.co/XjaAAwPyzY — Steve Benen (@stevebenen) October 23, 2020
Read @McCormickJohn on how the coronavirus pandemic — the disease itself and the economic fallout — is hitting Bucks and other key counties in battleground Pennsylvania. https://t.co/NDOYbUaE1N — Ben Pershing (@benpershing) October 23, 2020
Cora has been lobbying to dye parts of her hair blue. Conan & I said no, we think 12yo is too young + there are alternatives. Yesterday, she submitted a 6 pg powerpoint: "Why I want to dye my hair." I'm impressed by her research, proud of her tenacity. Future lawyer. Still no. pic.twitter.com/sDhChH80Az — Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) October 23, 2020
Amazon adds free curbside pickup at all Whole Foods stores, but is it too little, too late? https://t.co/DBbWa90ZQN — Intl. Business Times (@IBTimes) October 23, 2020
LOL This clip is a good way to start your morning! pic.twitter.com/bfALGtMbCM — John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳🌈 (@aravosis) October 23, 2020
jarring headline in the @washingtonpost this morning pic.twitter.com/IvdAgfhNLq — Judy Woodruff (@JudyWoodruff) October 23, 2020
Polls aren’t votes. Just go VOTE. 🗳 https://t.co/XRpvghq4dK — Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (@malcolmkenyatta) October 23, 2020
Coronavirus case increase sets new U.S. record, rising to over 77K in one day https://t.co/LcGMXm9MB9 via @nbcnews — Matt Murphy (@MattMurph24) October 23, 2020
Stephen Colbert Celebrates Trump's Last Debate Ever: 'Tonight Was Like Getting Our Last Wisdom Tooth Taken Out' https://t.co/EwTzhj5Wxj — Mediaite (@Mediaite) October 23, 2020
Well...
Coronavirus outbreak strikes L.A. megachurch that defied public health orders https://t.co/cOye0lupeF — Miss Aja (@brat2381) October 23, 2020
Trump's desperate attempt to create the appearance of wrongdoing by Joe Biden isn't working https://t.co/qZfIjvTLEH — Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) October 23, 2020
The massive Kelvinator Foodarama fridge, 1956. pic.twitter.com/h83VthUl3j — Things from the past 📷🎥 (@moodvintage) October 23, 2020
Trump is so pathetic I was able to stand on a street corner unannounced and pass out 100 Biden/Harris yard signs in very red Midland Texas in 30 minutes! #TrumpIsPathetic pic.twitter.com/aCmshQq6Ln — Sara Spector (@Miriam2626) October 22, 2020
I'm trying to imagine what the left-wing equivalent of the "Fox News Cinematic Universe" would be ... and then realized how much of the Twitter far left doesn't need an *equivalent* because it inhabits the Fox News Cinematic Universe itself, not only as fans, but as characters https://t.co/apYrnE6o8h — David Frum (@davidfrum) October 23, 2020
Here's a YouTube link to the video if you're so inclined:https://t.co/lGC9OwYDev — Eric Champnella (@champnella) October 22, 2020
Madison Cawthorn, a Republican candidate for the House from North Carolina, created an attack website accusing a journalist of leaving a job in academia “to work for non-white males, like Cory Booker, who aims to ruin white males running for office.” https://t.co/6975jQP7nE — The New York Times (@nytimes) October 23, 2020
🚨Poll workers needed 🚨
Flint, MI
Polk County, FL
Gwinnett County, GA
Allentown/Lehigh Valley, PA
San Antonio, TX
Pittsburgh, PA
Green Bay, WI
Racine, WI#DemCast
sign up with @powerthepolls https://t.co/76VYnwmeJn — Lori Coleman, I voted, did you? (@DemocracyStorm) October 23, 2020
Is @US_FDA getting cold feet about emergency use authorizations as a tool to rapidly deploy #Covid19 vaccines? It seemed pretty clear from yesterday's VRBPAC meeting the agency may be thinking about other routes to use. https://t.co/UpKvblvTe9 — Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 23, 2020
@JoeBiden for President will host a virtual meeting to discuss Veteran mental and physical health issues related to service and how those issues impact the opportunities to build a meaningful life after service.#Vets4Joe @NSLforBiden @JasonKander https://t.co/mS0TwOlp6q — 🇺🇸Veterans For Biden🇺🇸 (@Vets4Biden) October 23, 2020
Here’s the full Rudy Giuliani clip from Borat.
Judge for yourself...pic.twitter.com/CQHzI23GFb — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) October 23, 2020
Hi! We're looking for Creative Commons supporters who'd be willing to participate in focus group research we're doing about the future of CC. Interested in helping? Please fill out this brief survey: https://t.co/rW2eljDVP9 — Creative Commons (@creativecommons) October 22, 2020
At last, Joe Biden leaned into climate.
While Trump doubled down on fringe pseudoscience and outdated economic thinking, the Democratic nominee touted a labor-backed decarbonization plan and got personal about environmental justice. Polls show why. https://t.co/ioInGGNNio — Alexander Kaufman (@AlexCKaufman) October 23, 2020
Covid cases are rising in 34 states and territorieshttps://t.co/v7brNHMJ7w pic.twitter.com/FHbou1GPp4 — Tim Stenovec (@timsteno) October 23, 2020
DEPT. OF 'SMILE THOUGH YOUR HEART IS ACHING'
Exclusive: We spoke to @PaulMcCartney for his first interview about McCartney III – a DIY solo album 40 years on from his last that's "just me – that's the truth." #mccartney3 @capitolrecords https://t.co/WhERcEVAbv — Loud And Quiet (@LoudAndQuietMag) October 21, 2020
ORANGEYS OF THE WORLD: UNITE!! pic.twitter.com/36FV80wA7u — Patrick Skinner (@SkinnerPm) October 23, 2020
OH on the morning PreK4 Zoom class: “Dinosaurs don’t poop or pee and I don’t know why.”
Teacher (making a valiant effort): “Okay, but what is something you want to learn about trees?” — ((Mike Crittenden))) (@CritterDJ) October 23, 2020
Timeline cleanser.
good boy playing pool... pic.twitter.com/AuhXwRJwNP — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) October 23, 2020
For the first time in recorded history, the Arctic isn’t freezing in October. https://t.co/PpyZnZCy57 — Jim Roberts (@nycjim) October 22, 2020
Exciting Friday personal news drop: I’M GETTING A KITTEN!!! Her name is Piccadilly (Dilly for short) and i’m probably keeping the name because it fits her 🥰
I still have to be approved by the shelter, but it’s a formality.
(Photos by her foster mom) https://t.co/Wo6njTodyJ pic.twitter.com/7AN407vPRt — Shira Stein (@shiramstein) October 3, 2020
We're almost there, people! Hang in just a little longer! Wash your hands and wear your masks!
Browser not supported. Visit www.270towin.com
Here's some Kurt Vile to make you happy:


crooksandliars--2020-10-23--None Of The Undecided Voters In CNN Focus Group Thought Trump Won Last Night's Debate

`` As of this morning , more than 2.4 million voters in North Carolina have already cast their ballot .
That is 80 % of the total of the early vote in North Carolina that they had in 2016 , '' CNN 's John Berman said .
`` Polls show that the race there is very , very close , but after some really hard looking , we were able to find some undecided voters , and CNN 's Gary Tuchman caught up with them and watched the debate last night . ''
`` Four identify as Democrats , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of these North Carolinians still not sure which candidate they want to be president .
We watched the final debate with them , the group leaving no doubt who they think did best , '' Gary Tuchman said .
`` Who do you think won the debate , how many of you think Donald Trump won this debate ?
No hands being raised for that .
How many of you think Joe Biden won the debate ?
One , two , three , four , five , six , seven , eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` How many of you feel it was a draw ? ''
`` Two .
Two for a draw .
Zero for Trump .
Nine for Biden .
So why did this group feel Joe Biden did so well ?
James voted for Donald Trump in 2016 but is now concerned about the nation 's lack of unity .
What do you think the most important moment of the debate was ? ''
he asked .
`` Definitely when Joe Biden was talking about that he 's going to be an American president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that he does n't support the blue states , '' one man said .
`` John also voted for President Trump in 2016 .
Joe Biden 's debate comments about American families around the dinner table meant quite a bit to him , '' Tuchman said .
`` And Trump responded with some mockery of that .
And I think for me , politics are about relationships and people and this is all about the American family .
So that was quite revealing and disturbing for me to hear , '' John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton four years ago , but has been undecided because she did not like Joe Biden 's role in the 1994 crime bill .
But after the debate , she feels differently , '' the reporter said .
`` So what resonated with me was the fact that Joe Biden owned the crime bill , and his role in the crime bill , and that he owned the fact that they made a mistake . ''
`` Nathan voted for Donald Trump in 2016 , and is one of the two who feels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the economy must continue opening . ''
`` Both of them want to open it .
I think we need to open it faster than slower , not wait for the coronavirus to go away .
`` When it comes to the major question , are any of the eleven ready to make a decision ?
No response more interesting than this from Harrison . ''
`` I would like to vote for Joe Biden , almost totally except for the fact that he is going to increase abortion access in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'll feel a little bit safer about that not happening if Amy Barrett is on the Supreme Court . ''
`` You 're saying if she is confirmed you 'll vote for Biden most likely ? ''
The debate seemed to settle the question for most of these voters .
`` Of the seven who are ready to cast your votes , how many are ready to vote for Donald Trump ?
Zero .
How many are ready to vote for Joe Biden ?
All seven .
As far as the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but their indecisiveness is not , '' Tuchman concluded .

"As of this morning, more than 2.4 million voters in North Carolina have already cast their ballot. That is 80% of the total of the early vote in North Carolina that they had in 2016," CNN's John Berman said.
"Polls show that the race there is very, very close, but after some really hard looking, we were able to find some undecided voters, and CNN's Gary Tuchman caught up with them and watched the debate last night."
"Four identify as Democrats, three as Republicans, four as independents. All of these North Carolinians still not sure which candidate they want to be president. We watched the final debate with them, the group leaving no doubt who they think did best," Gary Tuchman said.
"Who do you think won the debate, how many of you think Donald Trump won this debate? No hands being raised for that. How many of you think Joe Biden won the debate? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine," he said.
"How many of you feel it was a draw?"
"Two. Two for a draw. Zero for Trump. Nine for Biden. So why did this group feel Joe Biden did so well? James voted for Donald Trump in 2016 but is now concerned about the nation's lack of unity. What do you think the most important moment of the debate was?" he asked.
"Definitely when Joe Biden was talking about that he's going to be an American president, because Donald Trump has made it clear that he doesn't support the blue states," one man said.
"John also voted for President Trump in 2016. Joe Biden's debate comments about American families around the dinner table meant quite a bit to him," Tuchman said.
"And Trump responded with some mockery of that. And I think for me, politics are about relationships and people and this is all about the American family. So that was quite revealing and disturbing for me to hear," John said.
"Terry voted for Hillary Clinton four years ago, but has been undecided because she did not like Joe Biden's role in the 1994 crime bill. But after the debate, she feels differently," the reporter said.
"So what resonated with me was the fact that Joe Biden owned the crime bill, and his role in the crime bill, and that he owned the fact that they made a mistake."
"Nathan voted for Donald Trump in 2016, and is one of the two who feels the debate was a draw. He says the economy must continue opening."
"Both of them want to open it. I think we need to open it faster than slower, not wait for the coronavirus to go away.
"When it comes to the major question, are any of the eleven ready to make a decision? No response more interesting than this from Harrison."
"I would like to vote for Joe Biden, almost totally except for the fact that he is going to increase abortion access in America, and so, you know, I'll feel a little bit safer about that not happening if Amy Barrett is on the Supreme Court."
"You're saying if she is confirmed you'll vote for Biden most likely?"
"Yes."
The debate seemed to settle the question for most of these voters.
"Of the seven who are ready to cast your votes, how many are ready to vote for Donald Trump? Zero. How many are ready to vote for Joe Biden? All seven. As far as the other four, the debates are over, but their indecisiveness is not," Tuchman concluded.


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--Javanka Threatens To Sue Never-Trumpers Group Over Times Square Ads

Citing the fantasy that exists in her mind only that once Daddy is re-elected , he will singlehandedly tear up all those pesky Constitutional amendments ( hey !
kidding ! )
Ivanka Trump and her perpetually pre-pubescent hubby , Jared threatened to sue The Lincoln Project for ads that paint them exactly as they are — complicit in the deaths of nearly quarter of a million Americans from COVID-19 .
The ads are placed prominently in Times Square .
One quotes Kushner 's statement that New Yorkers deserve to suffer , and the other has Ivanka smiling vapidly while gesturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Raw Story reported that the couple 's attorney , Marc Kasowitz wrote a letter stating the ads are false and defamatory , and , “ If these billboards are not immediately removed , we will sue you for what will doubtless be enormous compensatory and punitive damages . ''
This all has a very `` Do you know who my Daddy is ? ''
( and a `` Do you know who my wife 's Daddy is ? ''
) feel to it , no ?
Fear not .
The Lincoln @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued a devastating statement in response .
`` We fully intend on making this civics lesson as painful as possible . ''
Please see to it that the civic lesson includes a unit on the criminal justice system and jail terms .

Citing the fantasy that exists in her mind only that once Daddy is re-elected, he will singlehandedly tear up all those pesky Constitutional amendments (hey! kidding!) Ivanka Trump and her perpetually pre-pubescent hubby, Jared threatened to sue The Lincoln Project for ads that paint them exactly as they are — complicit in the deaths of nearly quarter of a million Americans from COVID-19. The ads are placed prominently in Times Square. One quotes Kushner's statement that New Yorkers deserve to suffer, and the other has Ivanka smiling vapidly while gesturing to the gruesome death statistics from the pandemic.
Raw Story reported that the couple's attorney, Marc Kasowitz wrote a letter stating the ads are false and defamatory, and, “If these billboards are not immediately removed, we will sue you for what will doubtless be enormous compensatory and punitive damages."
It’s a good morning in Times Square for Ivanka and Jared. pic.twitter.com/gbtiHq9NtK — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 22, 2020
This all has a very "Do you know who my Daddy is?" (and a "Do you know who my wife's Daddy is?")
feel to it, no?
Fear not. The Lincoln Project is not intimidated. They soon issued a devastating statement in response.
Jared and Ivanka have always been entitled, out-of-touch bullies who have never given the slightest indication they have any regard for the American people.
We plan on showing them the same level of respect.
Our full statement: pic.twitter.com/M3K5nOE5qd — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 24, 2020
"We fully intend on making this civics lesson as painful as possible."
Please see to it that the civic lesson includes a unit on the criminal justice system and jail terms.


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--Former Trump Voter Begs Republicans To Vote For Biden

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have threatened to sue The Lincoln Project over their Times Square billboards , which paint @ @ @ @ @ accomplices to murder that they are .

Can you help us out?
For 18 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--Joe Biden Finds Trump's COVID-19 Plan!

Joe Biden Finds Trump's COVID-19 Plan!

Joe Biden has excellent news !
He has managed to locate the White House 's super secret , totally awesome @ @ @ @ @ tough , hugely smart and amazing COVID Healthcare Trump White House Plan to combat the @ @ @ @ @ not Donald Trump 's fault because the Dear Leader did an amazing job saving 15,000,000 @ @ @ @ @ brilliant leadership that no one else could have matched .
And guys , it is @ @ @ @ @ visit www.TrumpCovidPlan.com for all the details !
You will be surprised , impressed and shocked @ @ @ @ @ on the website .
It is the most comprehensive plan Donald Trump has put out @ @ @ @ @ I know I was completely blown away .

Joe Biden has excellent news! He has managed to locate the White House's super secret, totally awesome, incredibly strong, very tough, hugely smart and amazing COVID Healthcare Trump White House Plan to combat the Chinese Virus that was totally not Donald Trump's fault because the Dear Leader did an amazing job saving 15,000,000 lives through his strong and brilliant leadership that no one else could have matched.
And guys, it is a great plan.
Please visit www.TrumpCovidPlan.com for all the details!
You will be surprised, impressed and shocked by the stunning detail contained on the website. It is the most comprehensive plan Donald Trump has put out in almost four years. I know I was completely blown away.


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--Trump Tries To Take All The Credit For All Of Our Work On COVID-19

Trump , defending his administration 's pandemic response , claimed Thursday that `` 2.2 million people — modeled out — were expected to die '' from the coronavirus .
Trump has made this claim previously — that original projections for coronavirus deaths in America said the country would lose 2.2 million people to the virus .
This is misleading .
Trump is referring to a model published on March 17 by Imperial College London , which did predict that 2.2 million people in America could die from the virus , but only if no mitigation efforts whatsoever were in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus Task Force response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told NBC 's `` Today '' that the projection of 1.6 million to 2.2 million deaths referred to what could happen if America did `` nothing '' to stop the spread of the virus .
`` If we do things together , well , almost perfectly , we could get in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 fatalities , '' Birx said at the time .
As of Thursday evening , there have been 223,262 deaths attributed to the virus in America , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also made its way into Trump 's interview with Lesley Stahl : It 's good that NBC is pointing out that Trump is comparing America 's pandemic response to a complete non-response .
And NBC is n't alone -- Daniel Dale made the same point last night on CNN .
But the problem here is n't just that Trump is holding himself to the wrong standard .
It 's that he 's taking all the credit for what millions of us have done .
We 've quarantined .
We wear masks .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We avoid visits to elderly relatives .
We avoid visits to non-elderly relatives .
We avoid indoor time with people we 're close to .
Many of us have employers that have told us to work from home .
And governments all over the country , to varying degrees , have mandated measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
Medical personnel and emergency workers have done heroic work .
They 've saved many lives , at great personal risk to themselves .
And yes , the Trump administration has done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving himself all the credit for the difference between 220,000 deaths and 2.2 million deaths .
That 's an insult to first responders , and to everyone else who 's done something to make up for his administration 's inadequate response .
I assume Trump is n't trying to deceive us .
I assume he actually believes that the difference between our current death toll and the worst-case scenario is all due to him .
He should be called on this .
He 's insulting everyone who -- unlike him -- cares about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No More Mister Nice Blog .

Here's a debate fact check from NBC News:
Trump, defending his administration's pandemic response, claimed Thursday that "2.2 million people — modeled out — were expected to die" from the coronavirus. Trump has made this claim previously — that original projections for coronavirus deaths in America said the country would lose 2.2 million people to the virus. This is misleading. Trump is referring to a model published on March 17 by Imperial College London, which did predict that 2.2 million people in America could die from the virus, but only if no mitigation efforts whatsoever were in place. In late March, White House Coronavirus Task Force response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told NBC's "Today" that the projection of 1.6 million to 2.2 million deaths referred to what could happen if America did "nothing" to stop the spread of the virus. "If we do things together, well, almost perfectly, we could get in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 fatalities," Birx said at the time. As of Thursday evening, there have been 223,262 deaths attributed to the virus in America, according to NBC News data.
This talking point also made its way into Trump's interview with Lesley Stahl:
And we closed it up and I saved millions of lives. Millions of lives we saved.
It's good that NBC is pointing out that Trump is comparing America's pandemic response to a complete non-response. And NBC isn't alone -- Daniel Dale made the same point last night on CNN.
But the problem here isn't just that Trump is holding himself to the wrong standard. It's that he's taking all the credit for what millions of us have done.
We've quarantined. We wear masks. We practice social distancing. We avoid gatherings. We avoid visits to elderly relatives. We avoid visits to non-elderly relatives. We avoid indoor time with people we're close to.
Many of us have employers that have told us to work from home. And governments all over the country, to varying degrees, have mandated measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Medical personnel and emergency workers have done heroic work. They've saved many lives, at great personal risk to themselves.
And yes, the Trump administration has done some worthwhile things.
But Trump is giving himself all the credit for the difference between 220,000 deaths and 2.2 million deaths. That's an insult to first responders, and to everyone else who's done something to make up for his administration's inadequate response.
I assume Trump isn't trying to deceive us. I assume he actually believes that the difference between our current death toll and the worst-case scenario is all due to him.
He should be called on this. He's insulting everyone who -- unlike him -- cares about saving lives.
Republished with permission from No More Mister Nice Blog.


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--Joe Biden's Drive-In Rally With Jon Bon Jovi In PA

Watch with us as Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden address a crowd in Luzerne County , PA about the economy and rebuilding it after the destruction Trump has wrought .
Legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi joined them and played some songs for the crowd , but sadly , that was before the livestream began ... boo-sad face-sniff .
Jill and Joe Biden will be joined by Jon Bon Jovi in Luzerne County , Pennsylvania on Saturday for a drive-in event , according to the Biden Campaign .
Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden are slated to speak about building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and encourage Pennsylvanians to make a plan to vote .
A source within the campaign tells WBRE/WYOU that Bon Jovi will be performing a few songs at the event .
Regardless , it is clear Joe Biden is tireless and intensely fired up for these closing days of the campaign , and it 's so energizing to see .
The crowds are loving him , honking up a storm , and he is not about to be shown up by a bully like Trump .
Interestingly , even Fox ran his speech live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today ...
But since health care is top of everyone 's mind , Biden focused on this question :

Watch with us as Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden address a crowd in Luzerne County, PA about the economy and rebuilding it after the destruction Trump has wrought. Legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi joined them and played some songs for the crowd, but sadly, that was before the livestream began... boo-sad face-sniff.
According to WKRN:
Jill and Joe Biden will be joined by Jon Bon Jovi in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania on Saturday for a drive-in event, according to the Biden Campaign. Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden are slated to speak about building back the economy better for working families and encourage Pennsylvanians to make a plan to vote. A source within the campaign tells WBRE/WYOU that Bon Jovi will be performing a few songs at the event.
Regardless, it is clear Joe Biden is tireless and intensely fired up for these closing days of the campaign, and it's so energizing to see. The crowds are loving him, honking up a storm, and he is not about to be shown up by a bully like Trump.
“I say it’s about time a state school guy gets to go to the Oval Office. Because you know what? If I’m sitting there you’ll be sitting there with me. You and I know who really built this country. It wasn’t Wall Street...the working people, middle class people built it.” @JoeBiden — Karine Jean-Pierre (@K_JeanPierre) October 24, 2020
Interestingly, even Fox ran his speech live! And this was his second speech today...
All three networks are taking @JoeBiden live again pic.twitter.com/9KH5VNHZav — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) October 24, 2020
But since health care is top of everyone's mind, Biden focused on this question:


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--Pres. Barack Obama Rips Trump AGAIN: 'Florida Man Wouldn't Even Do This Stuff'

Our forever president , Barack Obama , addressed a crowd in Miami , Florida to talk about the importance of @ @ @ @ @ State .
Interestingly , guess who voted early today in that very state ?
The @ @ @ @ @ .
Pres .
Obama had a few things to say about the current occupant of @ @ @ @ @ Trump was kind enough to release the 60 Minutes interview out of which he flounced @ @ @ @ @ had a sad , low-energy debate performance against Joe Biden on Thursday , Pres .
@ @ @ @ @ .
But No-F*cks-Obama is the man we REALLY need to be making these appearances .
@ @ @ @ @ the American soul .

Our forever president, Barack Obama, addressed a crowd in Miami, Florida to talk about the importance of early voting in the Sunshine State.
Interestingly, guess who voted early today in that very state? The tyrannical Tangerine Twatwaffle Trump himself. Pres. Obama had a few things to say about the loser sucker current occupant of the White House. Since Trump was kind enough to release the 60 Minutes interview out of which he flounced in a huff, and had a sad, low-energy debate performance against Joe Biden on Thursday, Pres. Obama had plenty of material.
"When 60 Minutes and Lesley Stahl are too tough for you, you ain't all that tough" -- Obama pic.twitter.com/KcFVaoyQ7B — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 24, 2020
Obama: "Listen, if [Trump] cannot answer a tough question like, 'What would you like to do in your second term,' then it is our job to make sure he does not get a second term." pic.twitter.com/YsqgqzpSX8 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 24, 2020
Even "Florida Man" made an appearance!
Obama: "We will not have a POTUS who threatens people with jail for just criticizing him. That is not normal behavior, Florida. You would not tolerate it from a coworker ... 'Florida man' wouldn't even do this stuff. Why are we accepting it from the the president?" pic.twitter.com/VkscnSJaqd — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 24, 2020
But No-F*cks-Obama is the man we REALLY need to be making these appearances.
This is the version of Barack Obama I need right now. https://t.co/dS5nl2ckXY — Tim Fullerton (@TimFullerton) October 24, 2020
Barack Obama is balm for the American soul.


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--MJ Hegar Bites Back With Kick-A**, Profanity-Laden Response To Cornyn's Tone-Policing

The fragile Senator from Texas , John Cornyn , is deeply offended by the use of profanity on the campaign trail by his opponent , a mere lady with feminine lady woman femaleness , MJ Hegar .
In fact , her allowing foul language to besmirch her lady feminine female girl woman not-a-man 's mouth is the only thing he highlights about her in the following campaign ad .
A campaign ad , mind you , in which the only thing he mentions about himself is that he has not ( been caught on camera so far , or ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would NEVER !
.
While campaigning , she had the nerve to say things like `` We are going to kick some serious ass !
`` , `` You do n't fuck with Texas women !
`` , and `` Are you shitting me ? ''
when talking about the Trump administration and Cornyn 's disgusting slavish support of it at every turn .
Cornyn 's ad shows these , then presents himself as a polite alternative .
`` He treats people with respect ! ''
says a woman who sounds like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ box of Ernst and Julio Gallo .
Cornyn 's media peeps also dug up a quote from 2-0-1-6 by the Dallas Morning News that says he found a way to `` cut through the rancor . ''
THIS IS ALL YA GOT , JOHNNY ?
Sad !
Cornyn 's ad even has a `` GRAPHIC LANGUAGE '' warning on it , yet when he showed footage of Hegar , he BLEEPED OUT all the good stuff !
Come ON , John , if you 're gon na promise graphic language , leave in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't all that ... well , we know why we should n't get our textbooks from his state , put it that way .
Reports are that MJ Hegar heard Senator Cornyn 's rebuke , and took it to heart .
After huddling with her family , and consulting her pastor , and reading the entirety canon of works written by Phyllis Schlaffly , Hegar says she has learned the error of her ways and plans to clean up her act and behave as a lady should from this point forward .

The fragile Senator from Texas, John Cornyn, is deeply offended by the use of profanity on the campaign trail by his opponent, a mere lady with feminine lady woman femaleness, MJ Hegar. In fact, her allowing foul language to besmirch her lady feminine female girl woman not-a-man's mouth is the only thing he highlights about her in the following campaign ad. A campaign ad, mind you, in which the only thing he mentions about himself is that he has not (been caught on camera so far, or) used obscenities on the campaign trail, and would NEVER!.
While campaigning, she had the nerve to say things like "We are going to kick some serious ass!", "You don't fuck with Texas women!", and "Are you shitting me?" when talking about the Trump administration and Cornyn's disgusting slavish support of it at every turn. Cornyn's ad shows these, then presents himself as a polite alternative. "He treats people with respect!" says a woman who sounds like she swallowed her Xanax with half a box of Ernst and Julio Gallo. Cornyn's media peeps also dug up a quote from 2-0-1-6 by the Dallas Morning News that says he found a way to "cut through the rancor." THIS IS ALL YA GOT, JOHNNY? Sad!
Cornyn's ad even has a "GRAPHIC LANGUAGE" warning on it, yet when he showed footage of Hegar, he BLEEPED OUT all the good stuff! Come ON, John, if you're gonna promise graphic language, leave in the obscenities! Exhibit 7,361 that Cornyn isn't all that...well, we know why we shouldn't get our textbooks from his state, put it that way.
Reports are that MJ Hegar heard Senator Cornyn's rebuke, and took it to heart. After huddling with her family, and consulting her pastor, and reading the entirety canon of works written by Phyllis Schlaffly, Hegar says she has learned the error of her ways and plans to clean up her act and behave as a lady should from this point forward.
HAHAHAHA JUST KIDDING
.@JohnCornyn wants to make an issue about my language? In this economy and pandemic?
Here's what Texans really find offensive: — MJ Hegar (@mjhegar) October 23, 2020
An out of control pandemic that has infected more than 800,000 Texans and killed more than 17,000, and the fact that @JohnCornyn and his allies didn't do shit to prevent it. https://t.co/B9njEyCCl8 — MJ Hegar (@mjhegar) October 23, 2020
An economy that is collapsing. https://t.co/qHW9ri5HO9 — MJ Hegar (@mjhegar) October 23, 2020
Children being separated from their families — and this administration losing track of their parents. https://t.co/PWQsZnrFXU — MJ Hegar (@mjhegar) October 23, 2020
And above all, we're offended by a Senator who looks after his own self-interest instead of looking out for his constituents. https://t.co/XqUyitKao5 — MJ Hegar (@mjhegar) October 23, 2020
If my language offends your delicate sensibilities, @JohnCornyn, just wait until you see the election results. Texans care a hell of a lot more about integrity and character than "demeanor." We’re done with you, because clearly you don’t. — MJ Hegar (@mjhegar) October 23, 2020
And the coup de grâce:


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--Trump Debt To Deutsche Bank Reason Enough To Throw Him Out Of Office

Appearing on AM Joy this morning , Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston discussed Trump ’ s nearly half a billion dollars in debt , much of it due in the next four years , and much of it owed to Deutsche Bank .
The Trump family ’ s relationship with the bank is already under scrutiny because of purchases of apartments from the Kushners by Trump ’ s private banker and her colleagues at Deutsche Bank .
Now Johnston added more details to the stink : JOHNSTON : Deutsche bank , which has actively promoted illegal tax shelters that - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times and other conduct - I think is reasonably looked upon , from an American point of view , as a criminal organization in America with a banking license .
[ Trump ] doesn ’ t appear to have the resources to pay back his notes when they would come due during a second administration .
Does anybody think that a licensed bank regulated by Donald Trump 's appointees would foreclose on him ?
I mean this is just rife with corruption , and it 's why presidents of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or to put it another way , it ’ s why a “ businessman ” like Trump should not be president of the United States .

Appearing on AM Joy this morning, Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston discussed Trump’s nearly half a billion dollars in debt, much of it due in the next four years, and much of it owed to Deutsche Bank. The Trump family’s relationship with the bank is already under scrutiny because of purchases of apartments from the Kushners by Trump’s private banker and her colleagues at Deutsche Bank.
Now Johnston added more details to the stink:
JOHNSTON: Deutsche bank, which has actively promoted illegal tax shelters that - I exposed them four years ago in The New York Times and other conduct - I think is reasonably looked upon, from an American point of view, as a criminal organization in America with a banking license. [Trump] doesn’t appear to have the resources to pay back his notes when they would come due during a second administration. Does anybody think that a licensed bank regulated by Donald Trump's appointees would foreclose on him? I mean this is just rife with corruption, and it's why presidents of the United States should not be running businesses.
Or to put it another way, it’s why a “businessman” like Trump should not be president of the United States.


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--We Are Completely Eff’ed In The Dark (Trump-Virus COVID Edition)

And you may ask yourself why Dr. Fauci is saying that now , and Axios has the answer : The U.S. confirmed at least 83,010 coronavirus cases on Friday , the country ’ s highest daily total since the pandemic started , according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.By the numbers : Friday ’ s total surpassed the U.S. ’ s previous record set on July 17 when 76,842 cases were recorded .
• The current surge is more widespread than the uptick seen on July 17 , when just four states accounted for more than 40,000 cases recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve read that we are nearing 100K cases a day territory .
The Trump-Virus is spreading like a common wildfire in California .
Why it matters : “ Increasing mask use is one of the best strategies that we have right now to delay the imposition of social distancing mandates , ” Dr. Christopher Murray of the University of Washington told the N.Y. Times .
“ We strongly believe we are heading into a pretty grim winter season.
” The new study estimates hospitalizations and deaths will rise until January , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spring .
It “ also offered a rough estimate of the pandemic ’ s toll in the United States : perhaps 500,000 deaths by March 2021 , even with social distancing mandates reinstated in most states , ” the Times notes .
If anyone you know is going maskless , shun them .
They are endangering your life and well-being , and that of your family , friends , and neighbors .
The only Both Sides here are the living and the dead .

CNN buries the lede 7 paras down:
“Well, if people are not wearing masks, then maybe we should be mandating it,” Fauci told CNN’s Erin Burnett Friday.
And you may ask yourself why Dr. Fauci is saying that now, and Axios has the answer:
The U.S. confirmed at least 83,010 coronavirus cases on Friday, the country’s highest daily total since the pandemic started, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.By the numbers: Friday’s total surpassed the U.S.’s previous record set on July 17 when 76,842 cases were recorded. The current surge is more widespread than the uptick seen on July 17, when just four states accounted for more than 40,000 cases recorded, according to the Washington Post.
I’ve read that we are nearing 100K cases a day territory. The Trump-Virus is spreading like a common wildfire in California.
Also Axios:
Nearly 130,000 fewer people will die of COVID-19 this winter if 95% of Americans wear face masks in public, according to new research published today.
Good luck with that, buddy.
Why it matters: “Increasing mask use is one of the best strategies that we have right now to delay the imposition of social distancing mandates,” Dr. Christopher Murray of the University of Washington told the N.Y. Times. “We strongly believe we are heading into a pretty grim winter season.”
The new study estimates hospitalizations and deaths will rise until January, then continue at that level until the spring.
It “also offered a rough estimate of the pandemic’s toll in the United States: perhaps 500,000 deaths by March 2021, even with social distancing mandates reinstated in most states,” the Times notes.
HALF A MILLION PEOPLE DEAD BY MARCH!
If anyone you know is going maskless, shun them. They are endangering your life and well-being, and that of your family, friends, and neighbors. The only Both Sides here are the living and the dead.
Republished with permission from Mock Paper Scissors.


crooksandliars--2020-10-24--Republican John James Totally Bombs Health Care Questions During Live Interview

Unable to agree upon terms for a debate , U.S. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan and Republican challenger John James agreed to go on Local 4 WDIV and be separately interviewed by WDIV ’ s Devin Scillian about their positions and policies .
Both men were given about 20 minutes of interview time and both were asked the same set of questions .
The first question they were asked , and also one of the top issues for voters this election cycle , was about health care , and their ideas about what to do regarding rising insurance and drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to do the impossible : pretend that both he and the Republican Party had a plan while also saying we need to get rid of the Affordable Care Act ( ACA ) .
This meant that he had to say he was for protecting preexisting conditions while arguing that we should get rid of the law that protects … preexisting conditions .
Republicans have taken various tacts in trying to both appeal to the Republican Party while also pretending not to have anything to do with … the Republican Party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James fumble the ACA question is truly something to watch .
Scillian brought up that James has given a lot of lip service and spent a lot of television ad money claiming that he wants to protect people with preexisting conditions .
At the same time , James has called for the repeal of the ACA .
James very quickly jumped in to say , “ Repeal and what , David ?
Repeal and what ?
” Careful what you wish for , Mr. James .
Scillian very calmly says : “ Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m going to ask you .
What will you replace it with ?
The Republicans have had 10 years to show us a new healthcare plan to replace it with .
The president has promised one time and time again .
Time and time again , it doesn ’ t come .
And I don ’ t see a full healthcare plan on your website.
” James very quickly attacked Peters for having a “ gold-plated ” healthcare plan that the public doesn ’ t have access to .
This is true , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Congress has universal health care .
But Peters isn ’ t trying to repeal the ACA .
He wants to make it more universal .
James then confusingly goes through all of the problems with healthcare insurance costs and rising deductibles before saying that he has a business where he continues to pay premiums for his employees with preexisting conditions .
This is a good thing that he ’ s doing .
Of course , that doesn ’ t answer the first or the second or the third question being asked here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement by saying : “ I believe fair is fair , and I believe that people need to have choices .
And they need to make their own choices , and not the federal government insurance [ sic ] companies.
” The fact that Scillian continues to keep a calm and collected cadence through this is truly remarkable , in my opinion .
Clearly seeing that James is not going to answer the question stated that way , Scillian decides to remind James of what he said the last time the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roh again .
James , in what can only be called the slipperiest of car salesman styles , begins by saying , “ What I meant by that , ” and then quickly switching into , “ And thank you for asking for clarification , Devin , I appreciate that.
” He goes on to ramble about people “ being able to make your own choice.
” This , of course , is the old “ You can have a Bugatti Chiron if you want to [ mumbling ] ; I ” ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” James then finishes this run-on logic by demanding that there be legislation protecting those with preexisting conditions .
You know , something like in the ACA .
The provision being threatened for the last decade by James ’ Republican Party .
James then tried to end by arguing that the fact that his business , as required by law , covers his employees for preexisting conditions , and that his son has preexisting conditions , means he will … something ?
He then said he supported the Republican Party ’ s push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one that will likely make it easier to do away with the preexisting conditions coverage .
Unfortunately for James , his personal experiences with preexisting conditions do not replace the fact that he clearly has zero ideas for policies that would replace the insurance he claims to want to fix .
This makes him either stupid or nakedly dishonest .
And if he is willing to ignore the realities of having a child with preexisting conditions and for people who don ’ t have a successful financial business , then that would mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I don ’ t think he ’ s stupid .

Unable to agree upon terms for a debate, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan and Republican challenger John James agreed to go on Local 4 WDIV and be separately interviewed by WDIV’s Devin Scillian about their positions and policies. Both men were given about 20 minutes of interview time and both were asked the same set of questions. The first question they were asked, and also one of the top issues for voters this election cycle, was about health care, and their ideas about what to do regarding rising insurance and drug costs.
Republican James went first and tried to do the impossible: pretend that both he and the Republican Party had a plan while also saying we need to get rid of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This meant that he had to say he was for protecting preexisting conditions while arguing that we should get rid of the law that protects … preexisting conditions. Republicans have taken various tacts in trying to both appeal to the Republican Party while also pretending not to have anything to do with … the Republican Party’s policies and actions and president. Watching James fumble the ACA question is truly something to watch.
Scillian brought up that James has given a lot of lip service and spent a lot of television ad money claiming that he wants to protect people with preexisting conditions. At the same time, James has called for the repeal of the ACA. James very quickly jumped in to say, “Repeal and what, David? Repeal and what?” Careful what you wish for, Mr. James. Scillian very calmly says: “Well, that’s what I’m going to ask you. What will you replace it with? The Republicans have had 10 years to show us a new healthcare plan to replace it with. The president has promised one time and time again. Time and time again, it doesn’t come. And I don’t see a full healthcare plan on your website.”
Ruh roh!
James very quickly attacked Peters for having a “gold-plated” healthcare plan that the public doesn’t have access to. This is true, of course; legislators and everyone serving in Congress has universal health care. But Peters isn’t trying to repeal the ACA. He wants to make it more universal. James then confusingly goes through all of the problems with healthcare insurance costs and rising deductibles before saying that he has a business where he continues to pay premiums for his employees with preexisting conditions.
This is a good thing that he’s doing. Of course, that doesn’t answer the first or the second or the third question being asked here. James ends this whirling dervish of a statement by saying: “I believe fair is fair, and I believe that people need to have choices. And they need to make their own choices, and not the federal government insurance [sic] companies.”
The fact that Scillian continues to keep a calm and collected cadence through this is truly remarkable, in my opinion. Clearly seeing that James is not going to answer the question stated that way, Scillian decides to remind James of what he said the last time the two men talked about health insurance.
DAVIN SCILLIAN: The last time you were on this program, I asked you what kind of healthcare model there should be, and you said it should be sort of like the way that people have a house or they have a car. That stuck with me, because that would suggest that not everybody should be entitled to the same kind of health care. Is that correct?
Ruh roh again. James, in what can only be called the slipperiest of car salesman styles, begins by saying, “What I meant by that,” and then quickly switching into, “And thank you for asking for clarification, Devin, I appreciate that.” He goes on to ramble about people “being able to make your own choice.” This, of course, is the old “You can have a Bugatti Chiron if you want to [mumbling]; I”ll just need to see $2,990,000 first.”
James then finishes this run-on logic by demanding that there be legislation protecting those with preexisting conditions. You know, something like in the ACA. The provision being threatened for the last decade by James’ Republican Party. James then tried to end by arguing that the fact that his business, as required by law, covers his employees for preexisting conditions, and that his son has preexisting conditions, means he will … something? He then said he supported the Republican Party’s push through of Amy Coney Barrett. The one that will likely make it easier to do away with the preexisting conditions coverage.
Unfortunately for James, his personal experiences with preexisting conditions do not replace the fact that he clearly has zero ideas for policies that would replace the insurance he claims to want to fix. This makes him either stupid or nakedly dishonest. And if he is willing to ignore the realities of having a child with preexisting conditions and for people who don’t have a successful financial business, then that would mean something even worse about James’ character. And I don’t think he’s stupid.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-10-25--Eric Boehlert: Trump Running Back To His 'Safe Space' In Final Weeks Of Campaign

AM Joy guest host Maria Teresa Kumar asked PressRun media critic Eric Boehlert for his reaction to Trump 's 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl , where he could n't even answer a simple question about what his “ biggest domestic priority ” is right now , and as Boehlert explained , we 're watching Trump run back to his “ safe space ” of attacking the media as the “ final note ” of his campaign , because he sure does n't have anything to offer to the country that 's just witnessed well over two hundred thousand of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
BOEHLERT : Oh ... that 's kind of typical Trump , right ?
When the tough gets going , he kind of gets up and walks away .
Look , there is no semblance of a campaign left , right ?
As Kurt was just talking about , he does n't have an infrastructure , he does n't have advisers , nobody knows what is going on .
So in the conservative world particularly in the Fox News era , when the going to gets tough , you whine about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whining about 60 Minutes .
He 's whining about CBS .
He 's whining about the moderator before the debate .
This is just kind of a hallmark of the conservative movement in America .
It does them absolutely no good .
Electorally , it is a total loser .
Who cares ?
The people who love him already hate the press .
He 's not going to win one suburban voter stalking out of a 60 Minutes interview .
But this is kind of a nervous breakdown , slow motion nervous breakdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's his safe space , right ?
I 'm going to walk out on 60 Minutes .
I 'm going to post this video , even though the White House , as every White House always does promised that they would not release it .
He releases the unedited version and people watching it are like “ What 's this ?
” You know , she 's asking moderately tough questions to a sitting president who has 220,000 dead Americans at his feet .
Who knows .
Again , it does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe spot .
You know , he 's trying to press the Hunter Biden thing .
That 's not going anywhere .
Fox News , I think Media Matters calculated 30 hours on Hunter Biden .
If the mainstream media does n't buy in to these Republican attacks , it does n't matter .
Fox News could spend 300 hours on Hunter Biden .
If the mainstream press does n't think this is a story , and they do n't , and it 's not , it 's not going to go anywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ... you know , you know , he 's kind of wrapped up in ball complaining about the media and that will be his final note of this campaign .

AM Joy guest host Maria Teresa Kumar asked PressRun media critic Eric Boehlert for his reaction to Trump's 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl, where he couldn't even answer a simple question about what his “biggest domestic priority” is right now, and as Boehlert explained, we're watching Trump run back to his “safe space” of attacking the media as the “final note” of his campaign, because he sure doesn't have anything to offer to the country that's just witnessed well over two hundred thousand of our fellow Americans die due to the pandemic.
BOEHLERT: Oh... that's kind of typical Trump, right? When the tough gets going, he kind of gets up and walks away. Look, there is no semblance of a campaign left, right? As Kurt was just talking about, he doesn't have an infrastructure, he doesn't have advisers, nobody knows what is going on.
So in the conservative world particularly in the Fox News era, when the going to gets tough, you whine about the press, right? So he is whining about 60 Minutes. He's whining about CBS. He's whining about the moderator before the debate.
This is just kind of a hallmark of the conservative movement in America. It does them absolutely no good. Electorally, it is a total loser. Who cares? The people who love him already hate the press. He's not going to win one suburban voter stalking out of a 60 Minutes interview.
But this is kind of a nervous breakdown, slow motion nervous breakdown that we've been watching. So it's his safe space, right? I'm going to walk out on 60 Minutes. I'm going to post this video, even though the White House, as every White House always does promised that they would not release it.
He releases the unedited version and people watching it are like “What's this?” You know, she's asking moderately tough questions to a sitting president who has 220,000 dead Americans at his feet. Who knows. Again, it doesn't make any sense. It is the safe spot.
You know, he's trying to press the Hunter Biden thing. That's not going anywhere. Fox News, I think Media Matters calculated 30 hours on Hunter Biden. If the mainstream media doesn't buy in to these Republican attacks, it doesn't matter. Fox News could spend 300 hours on Hunter Biden. If the mainstream press doesn't think this is a story, and they don't, and it's not, it's not going to go anywhere.
So he's just left with this... you know, you know, he's kind of wrapped up in ball complaining about the media and that will be his final note of this campaign.


crooksandliars--2020-10-25--Michael Cohen: 'Rudy Is Just A Moron' And An 'Absolute Joke'

On AM Joy , Michael Cohen laughed at the ease with which Rudy Giuliani fell into Sacha Baron Cohen 's trap for the Borat Subsequent Moviefilm movie released on Friday .
Amidst this humiliating , career-ending absurdity , Giuliani is still trying to pedal the delusion that he is a serious international player who is receiving info from Ukraine about Hunter Biden .
Maria Teresa Kumar asked Cohen about it , and his response left no room for debate .
COHEN : Yeah , first of all , I do n't believe it .
As far as I 'm concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A man who was once `` America 's Mayor '' is now the laughingstock of not just the country , but the world .
I mean , to get played like that , he 's a liability to the campaign , he 's a liability to Donald Trump .
He 's a liability to the United States of America .
The man is easily capable of being bought .
First of all , I 've said this before , he drinks too much .
When you drink too much , especially if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that world , they realize that you have a weakness and they will jump right on that weakness , and that 's how somebody like Rudy Giuliani will get caught with his pants open laying down on bed for a Borat movie .
I mean , he 's a moron .
There 's no other way to describe it .
Rudy is just a moron .
It 's worth watching the whole clip , though , because Kumar then asks about how this ends , regarding Donald Trump .
Cohen explains that while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voluntarily , it will end very badly for Trump , and it will indeed end .
`` We 're all just tired of the nonsense .
And we really do just want to go back to a much more peaceful way of life .
The only way to do that is to rid ourselves of Captain Chaos . ''
We may rid ourselves of Captain Chaos , but as Kumar rightly pushes back , we wo n't be able to go back to our old way or life , nor should we .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to rebuild . ''

On AM Joy, Michael Cohen laughed at the ease with which Rudy Giuliani fell into Sacha Baron Cohen's trap for the Borat Subsequent Moviefilm movie released on Friday. Amidst this humiliating, career-ending absurdity, Giuliani is still trying to pedal the delusion that he is a serious international player who is receiving info from Ukraine about Hunter Biden. Maria Teresa Kumar asked Cohen about it, and his response left no room for debate.
COHEN: Yeah, first of all, I don't believe it. As far as I'm concerned, Rudy is an absolute joke. A man who was once "America's Mayor" is now the laughingstock of not just the country, but the world. I mean, to get played like that, he's a liability to the campaign, he's a liability to Donald Trump. He's a liability to the United States of America. The man is easily capable of being bought. First of all, I've said this before, he drinks too much. When you drink too much, especially if you are going to get yourself involved into that world, they realize that you have a weakness and they will jump right on that weakness, and that's how somebody like Rudy Giuliani will get caught with his pants open laying down on bed for a Borat movie. I mean, he's a moron. There's no other way to describe it. Rudy is just a moron.
It's worth watching the whole clip, though, because Kumar then asks about how this ends, regarding Donald Trump. Cohen explains that while he won't leave the White House voluntarily, it will end very badly for Trump, and it will indeed end. "We're all just tired of the nonsense. And we really do just want to go back to a much more peaceful way of life. The only way to do that is to rid ourselves of Captain Chaos."
We may rid ourselves of Captain Chaos, but as Kumar rightly pushes back, we won't be able to go back to our old way or life, nor should we. As she put it, "We need to rebuild."


crooksandliars--2020-10-25--Trump Voter Says She Doesn't Wear A Mask Because Virus Is 'So Small'

A voter who supports President Donald Trump 's handling of COVID-19 told CBS News on Sunday that she does not wear a mask because the virus is too small .
During a panel discussion with voters on Face the Nation , host Margaret Brennan asked which panelist wore face masks .
`` Beth , you do n't wear a mask ? ''
Brennan asked one of the voters .
`` I do when I 'm in public spaces where they insist that you do , '' Beth replied .
`` But otherwise , no . ''
`` And so when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off by the CDC director , you hear Dr. Fauci say wearing a mask could really stop the spread , why do you doubt that ? ''
Brennan pressed .
`` Because the virus is a virus , '' Beth stated .
`` The particle is so teeny-tiny that it ca n't even be seen without a microscope .
So while prophylactically and out in public it may help .
Certainly if I was around someone who was older was ill , you know , I would do it . ''
`` But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she added .
`` It 's so small .
It 's going to do what viruses do .
So I think that you best offense is a really good strong defense .
Be healthy , you know , eat well , exercise well , sleep well . ''
Another Trump supporter named Walter insisted that the president could not have done a better job handling the virus because it was an `` unknown . ''
`` I think the job that was done was magnificent compared to the circumstances , '' he said @

A voter who supports President Donald Trump's handling of COVID-19 told CBS News on Sunday that she does not wear a mask because the virus is too small.
During a panel discussion with voters on Face the Nation, host Margaret Brennan asked which panelist wore face masks.
"Beth, you don't wear a mask?" Brennan asked one of the voters.
"I do when I'm in public spaces where they insist that you do," Beth replied. "But otherwise, no."
"And so when you hear the statistics that are rattled off by the CDC director, you hear Dr. Fauci say wearing a mask could really stop the spread, why do you doubt that?" Brennan pressed.
"Because the virus is a virus," Beth stated. "The particle is so teeny-tiny that it can't even be seen without a microscope. So while prophylactically and out in public it may help. Certainly if I was around someone who was older was ill, you know, I would do it."
"But the virus is a virus," she added. "It's so small. It's going to do what viruses do. So I think that you best offense is a really good strong defense. Be healthy, you know, eat well, exercise well, sleep well."
Another Trump supporter named Walter insisted that the president could not have done a better job handling the virus because it was an "unknown."
"I think the job that was done was magnificent compared to the circumstances," he said.