crooksandliars--2020-11-22--Chuck Todd Gifts GOP Senator Air Time To Push Lies That Trump Campaign Was 'Spied On'

While Chuck Todd was correct to point out that what the Trump campaign and their lawyers have been doing over the last few weeks does basically amount to an assault on our democracy , he allowed something just as dangerous to go on during his interview with North Dakota GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer , which was to allow Cramer to push disproven lies and conspiracy theories on our airways unchecked .
During an interview on this Sunday 's Meet the Press , Todd asked Cramer if he was willing to concede that the election is finally over now , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the notion that what Giuliani and his colleagues have been doing is damaging to our democracy , and to push the lie that the Trump campaign was spied on , which the DOJ 's own watchdog and the FBI have already shot down as false .
Cramer was also allowed to lie about the Mueller investigation , claiming falsely that there was `` no evidence '' for the investigation and ignoring that Rod Rosenstein prevented Mueller from looking into Trump 's ties with Russia .
CRAMER : Chuck , thank you for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no , I do not , although I think it 's very likely .
That said , I do n't know why we 're so easily offended by a president that 's carrying out all of his legal options in court , not enhancing or encouraging any riots or burnings of buildings or beating up of Democrats coming out of the Democratic meetings or events .
It 's just a simple legal process and really there 's not been a lot of evidentiary hearings that have evolved the Trump case .
There have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used a number that was rather large of cases that have been thrown out or dismissed .
But when you look at actually looking at evidence , there have not been many , if any , and maybe the Pennsylvania was the first one .
So , I think everyone ought to calm down a little bit .
I do n't think this is an attack on our democracy .
I mean , we spent four years listening to new shows and liberals , discrediting , trying to discredit the Trump administration to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last administration , $ 40 million spent on a independent counsel that started with no evidence and ended that there was no evidence and then of course this crazy impeachment .
So I think what we 're experiencing now—everyone ought to just relax and let it play out in the legal way .
We 'll be just fine .
After giving credence to these frivolous lawsuits that the Trump campaign has been losing in swing states across the country and pretending that there 's nothing damaging about the antics we 've been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show , Cramer did admit that it 's `` past time '' for the Trump administration to cooperate with the transition , but Cramer also continued to pretend that there 's any uncertainty about whether Biden has actually won the presidential election , and accused Biden of being `` overly dramatic '' with the warnings he 's given about how dangerous this game is they 're playing when we 're in the middle of a pandemic and the fact that this stalling could end up hampering vaccine distribution once Biden takes office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition of our democracy in America , he and his producers should quit giving unfettered airtime to dangerous liars like Cramer , and start fact-checking them in real time if they 're going to have them on .
Since Todd does n't believe that 's part of his job description , I 'm not holding my breath waiting for that to change anytime soon .

While Chuck Todd was correct to point out that what the Trump campaign and their lawyers have been doing over the last few weeks does basically amount to an assault on our democracy, he allowed something just as dangerous to go on during his interview with North Dakota GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer, which was to allow Cramer to push disproven lies and conspiracy theories on our airways unchecked.
During an interview on this Sunday's Meet the Press, Todd asked Cramer if he was willing to concede that the election is finally over now, and Cramer proceeded to throw cold water on the notion that what Giuliani and his colleagues have been doing is damaging to our democracy, and to push the lie that the Trump campaign was spied on, which the DOJ's own watchdog and the FBI have already shot down as false. Cramer was also allowed to lie about the Mueller investigation, claiming falsely that there was "no evidence" for the investigation and ignoring that Rod Rosenstein prevented Mueller from looking into Trump's ties with Russia.
CRAMER: Chuck, thank you for the opportunity to be with you. And no, I do not, although I think it's very likely. That said, I don't know why we're so easily offended by a president that's carrying out all of his legal options in court, not enhancing or encouraging any riots or burnings of buildings or beating up of Democrats coming out of the Democratic meetings or events. It's just a simple legal process and really there's not been a lot of evidentiary hearings that have evolved the Trump case. There have been other hearings. I noticed you used a number that was rather large of cases that have been thrown out or dismissed. But when you look at actually looking at evidence, there have not been many, if any, and maybe the Pennsylvania was the first one. So, I think everyone ought to calm down a little bit. I don't think this is an attack on our democracy. I mean, we spent four years listening to new shows and liberals, discrediting, trying to discredit the Trump administration to the point of spying on him by the last administration, $40 million spent on a independent counsel that started with no evidence and ended that there was no evidence and then of course this crazy impeachment. So I think what we're experiencing now—everyone ought to just relax and let it play out in the legal way. We'll be just fine.
After giving credence to these frivolous lawsuits that the Trump campaign has been losing in swing states across the country and pretending that there's nothing damaging about the antics we've been seeing from Rudy Giuliani's embarrassing clown show, Cramer did admit that it's "past time" for the Trump administration to cooperate with the transition, but Cramer also continued to pretend that there's any uncertainty about whether Biden has actually won the presidential election, and accused Biden of being "overly dramatic" with the warnings he's given about how dangerous this game is they're playing when we're in the middle of a pandemic and the fact that this stalling could end up hampering vaccine distribution once Biden takes office.
If Todd is truly concerned about the condition of our democracy in America, he and his producers should quit giving unfettered airtime to dangerous liars like Cramer, and start fact-checking them in real time if they're going to have them on. Since Todd doesn't believe that's part of his job description, I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to change anytime soon.


crooksandliars--2020-11-22--Alan Dershowitz Tells Maria Bartiromo: 'The Outcome Of The Election Will Not Be Reversed'

One of President Donald Trump 's most high profile legal defenders on Sunday said that he did not expect the results of the election to be reversed .
Alan Dershowitz , who defended Trump at his impeachment trial earlier this year , told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that the president 's legal team has failed to prove claims that the election was stolen by Democrats .
`` They have to show that it affected numbers greater than the margin of victory , '' Dershowitz explained .
`` They are not going to win on retail challenges here and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning -- and it 's the perfect storm and it 's very unlikely to happen -- is if they can show retail wholesale constitutional arguments that affect a large number of voters sufficient to be greater than the margin of victory .
I do n't think they 're there .
I do n't think they can make that case . ''
According to Dershowitz , the president 's case is `` very , very uphill . ''
`` And if you 're betting widow 's and orphan 's money , if you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose , you have to bet that the outcome of the election will not be reversed , '' he explained to Bartiromo .

One of President Donald Trump's most high profile legal defenders on Sunday said that he did not expect the results of the election to be reversed.
Alan Dershowitz, who defended Trump at his impeachment trial earlier this year, told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that the president's legal team has failed to prove claims that the election was stolen by Democrats.
"They have to show that it affected numbers greater than the margin of victory," Dershowitz explained. "They are not going to win on retail challenges here and there. The only chances they have of winning -- and it's the perfect storm and it's very unlikely to happen -- is if they can show retail wholesale constitutional arguments that affect a large number of voters sufficient to be greater than the margin of victory. I don't think they're there. I don't think they can make that case."
According to Dershowitz, the president's case is "very, very uphill."
"And if you're betting widow's and orphan's money, if you're betting money you can't afford to lose, you have to bet that the outcome of the election will not be reversed," he explained to Bartiromo.


crooksandliars--2020-11-22--'Just Say It's Wrong': John Bolton Begs Republicans To Stop 'Hiding' From Trump's Election Denial

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton on Sunday encouraged Republicans to speak up about President Donald Trump 's loss in the 2020 election .
Bolton , who declined to testify in Trump 's impeachment proceedings earlier this year , told CNN that now is the time for GOP leaders to take a stand against Trump .
`` I think Biden will be sworn in , '' Bolton told CNN 's Jake Tapper .
`` I think the real question now is how much damage Trump can do before that happens .
I think right now , Trump is throwing rocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political equivalent of a street rioter . ''
According to Bolton , it `` gives Trump too much credit '' to call his election strategy a `` non-violent attempted coup . ''
`` I think that emphasizes the need for senior Republican leaders to join those who have begun to come out and say Trump 's behavior is inexcusable , '' Bolton said .
`` The Republican Party is not going to be saved by hiding in a spider hole .
We need all of our leaders to come out and say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For those who are worried about Trump 's reaction , there 's strength in numbers , '' he continued .
`` The more who come out and say , he does n't represent us , he is not following a Republican game plan here , the safer they will be . ''
Bolton argued that Republicans need to `` put Trump in the rearview mirror '' and instead concentrate on winning the Senate runoff elections in Georgia .
`` Trump is looking out for Donald Trump , '' he remarked .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for the country and for the party at the same time , not Donald Trump . ''
`` People do n't have to say what Trump is doing outrageous , just say it 's wrong , '' Bolton pleaded .
`` Until people hear that , I think they will continue to be deterred from coming back to the Republican Party .
I think we can hold the Trump voters by explaining to them actually you can lose an election fair and square even though it hurts .
Tell the truth to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of your integrity . ''

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton on Sunday encouraged Republicans to speak up about President Donald Trump's loss in the 2020 election.
Bolton, who declined to testify in Trump's impeachment proceedings earlier this year, told CNN that now is the time for GOP leaders to take a stand against Trump.
"I think Biden will be sworn in," Bolton told CNN's Jake Tapper. "I think the real question now is how much damage Trump can do before that happens. I think right now, Trump is throwing rocks through windows. I think he's the political equivalent of a street rioter."
According to Bolton, it "gives Trump too much credit" to call his election strategy a "non-violent attempted coup."
"I think that emphasizes the need for senior Republican leaders to join those who have begun to come out and say Trump's behavior is inexcusable," Bolton said. "The Republican Party is not going to be saved by hiding in a spider hole. We need all of our leaders to come out and say the election is over."
"For those who are worried about Trump's reaction, there's strength in numbers," he continued. "The more who come out and say, he doesn't represent us, he is not following a Republican game plan here, the safer they will be."
Bolton argued that Republicans need to "put Trump in the rearview mirror" and instead concentrate on winning the Senate runoff elections in Georgia.
"Trump is looking out for Donald Trump," he remarked. "And the Republican Party has got to look out for the country and for the party at the same time, not Donald Trump."
"People don't have to say what Trump is doing outrageous, just say it's wrong," Bolton pleaded. "Until people hear that, I think they will continue to be deterred from coming back to the Republican Party. I think we can hold the Trump voters by explaining to them actually you can lose an election fair and square even though it hurts. Tell the truth to people. That's what convincing them of your integrity."


crooksandliars--2020-11-22--Gov. Larry Hogan: 'We Are Beginning To Look Like A Banana Republic'

Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan took his fellow Republicans to task for going along with Trump 's refusal to concede the election and called it embarrassing that more of them are n't speaking out .
During an appearance on this Sunday 's State of the Union on CNN , host Jake Tapper asked Hogan about his prediction two weeks ago that Trump would do the right thing and concede , and the fact that he 's “ done everything other than the right thing ” including pressuring state officials , phoning canvassing board officials and his shameless stunt having legislators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Hogan if he still had confidence that Trump “ will eventually do the right thing , ” and Hogan had this to say in response about the lack of courage shown by his fellow Republicans .
HOGAN : Well , I have confidence that on January 20th , the president-elect is going to be sworn in but I 'm not sure , you know , I could say I 'm confident that the president is going to the right thing .
Look .
I thought the pressuring of the legislators to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome with electors was completely outrageous .
And , quite frankly , we used to go supervise elections around the world and we were the most respected country with respect to elections , and now we are beginning to look like we 're a banana republic .
It 's time for them to stop the nonsense .
It just gets more bizarre every single day and , frankly , I 'm embarrassed that more people in the party are n't speaking up .
Tapper asked Hogan why he thought so few of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrate even basic integrity and honesty ” and Hogan explained what 's been obvious to all of us since Trump took office—they 're all terrified of being attacked by Trump and his minions on Twitter .
HOGAN : Well , I just do n't think there are a lot of profiles in courage , frankly , Jake .
I mean , we all know how vindictive the president can be , how powerful his Twitter account is , and , you know , how he can really pressure Republicans and go after them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us are willing to stand up , but there are more and more .
I mean , a number of my gubernatorial colleagues and a number of Senators and quite a few House members and I think that is slowly growing every day .
I think the others are quietly talking and telling the president their advice about what he should do .
He is just is not following any of the advice .
After Tapper played a clip of Hogan 's father who was one of the Republicans to break with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hogan told Tapper that “ History will judge everybody as they did during Watergate .
”

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan took his fellow Republicans to task for going along with Trump's refusal to concede the election and called it embarrassing that more of them aren't speaking out.
During an appearance on this Sunday's State of the Union on CNN, host Jake Tapper asked Hogan about his prediction two weeks ago that Trump would do the right thing and concede, and the fact that he's “done everything other than the right thing” including pressuring state officials, phoning canvassing board officials and his shameless stunt having legislators flown in to meet him.
Tapper asked Hogan if he still had confidence that Trump “will eventually do the right thing,” and Hogan had this to say in response about the lack of courage shown by his fellow Republicans.
HOGAN: Well, I have confidence that on January 20th, the president-elect is going to be sworn in but I'm not sure, you know, I could say I'm confident that the president is going to the right thing. Look. I thought the pressuring of the legislators to try to somehow, you know, change the outcome with electors was completely outrageous. And, quite frankly, we used to go supervise elections around the world and we were the most respected country with respect to elections, and now we are beginning to look like we're a banana republic. It's time for them to stop the nonsense. It just gets more bizarre every single day and, frankly, I'm embarrassed that more people in the party aren't speaking up.
Tapper asked Hogan why he thought so few of his colleagues have been willing “to demonstrate even basic integrity and honesty” and Hogan explained what's been obvious to all of us since Trump took office—they're all terrified of being attacked by Trump and his minions on Twitter.
HOGAN: Well, I just don't think there are a lot of profiles in courage, frankly, Jake. I mean, we all know how vindictive the president can be, how powerful his Twitter account is, and, you know, how he can really pressure Republicans and go after them. You know, very few of us are willing to stand up, but there are more and more. I mean, a number of my gubernatorial colleagues and a number of Senators and quite a few House members and I think that is slowly growing every day. I think the others are quietly talking and telling the president their advice about what he should do. He is just is not following any of the advice.
After Tapper played a clip of Hogan's father who was one of the Republicans to break with the party during the Nixon impeachment hearings, Hogan told Tapper that “History will judge everybody as they did during Watergate.”


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Koch-Funded ALEC Planned Since February To Claim The Election Was Stolen From Trump

Which adds a whole other layer of irony to Charles Koch 's recent apology tour , does n't it ?
Council for National Policy is another one of his pet projects , too .
Via Documented and Huffington Post : American Legislative Exchange Council ( ALEC ) CEO Lisa Nelson told a room full of conservative activists that ALEC had been working with three GOP attorneys on “ action items that legislators can take to question the validity of an election.
” The comments were made during a strategy session about elections at the Council for National Policy in February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump to win , ” said Lisa Nelson , chair of the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council , which was responsible for getting the at-times-lethal “ Stand your ground ” laws enacted in several states .
“ They can write a letter to the secretary of state questioning the validity of an election and saying what did happen that night , ” Nelson said .
“ So we are drafting a lot of those things .
If you have ideas in that area , let us know and we ’ ll get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can start to kind of exercise their political muscle in that area.
” ALEC writes the corporate-friendly legislation , and their members sponsor the bill .
It 's been clear that ALEC ( and right-wing groups like it ) have been writing Trump 's agenda -- with help from lobbyists like Ginni Thomas ( aka Mrs. Clarence Thomas ) .
So let 's be clear .
The election was months away , and the right wing extremists were already planning how to muscle their way into the courts and claim it as a @ @ @ @ @ @

Which adds a whole other layer of irony to Charles Koch's recent apology tour, doesn't it? Council for National Policy is another one of his pet projects, too. Via Documented and Huffington Post:
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) CEO Lisa Nelson told a room full of conservative activists that ALEC had been working with three GOP attorneys on “action items that legislators can take to question the validity of an election.” The comments were made during a strategy session about elections at the Council for National Policy in February 2020. “Obviously we all want President Trump to win,” said Lisa Nelson, chair of the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council, which was responsible for getting the at-times-lethal “Stand your ground” laws enacted in several states. “They can write a letter to the secretary of state questioning the validity of an election and saying what did happen that night,” Nelson said. “So we are drafting a lot of those things. If you have ideas in that area, let us know and we’ll get those to the state legislators and they can start to kind of exercise their political muscle in that area.”
ALEC writes the corporate-friendly legislation, and their members sponsor the bill. It's been clear that ALEC (and right-wing groups like it) have been writing Trump's agenda -- with help from lobbyists like Ginni Thomas (aka Mrs. Clarence Thomas).
So let's be clear. The election was months away, and the right wing extremists were already planning how to muscle their way into the courts and claim it as a victory -- no matter what.


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Jason Chaffetz Blames Pfizer For Not Releasing Vaccine News 'When It Was Supposed To'

Former congressman Jason Chaffetz went on Fox News to serve his GOP master , Donald Trump , who had whined earlier this week that Pfizer intentionally delayed the release of a COVID-19 vaccine until after the election in order to sink his chances of winning .
Chris Wallace was n't exactly on board with this notion , and he gave Chaffetz the chance to sound at least reasonable .
WALLACE : Congressman , last word here .
I need a pretty brief last word .
Do you think it 's credible that Pfizer was playing politics here , and delaying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is so important to the country , so important to Pfizer , just to try to hurt the president 's reelection chances ?
CHAFFETZ : I really do n't know , Chris , but it did come out just one week after the election .
I wish it had come out naturally when it was supposed to but most importantly I hope it helps and saves the lives of millions of Americans .
Ooooooo .
So close , Jason .
That second sentence sounds human , but the first one sounded like you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or an agreement between Trump and Pfizer to release a vaccine before the election to help him win .
So , I 'm sorry , you 're going to be going home with the rest of the loser GOP contestants when History remembers this chapter .
We do have some lovely parting gifts for you , though , in the form of Wingnut Welfare .

Former congressman Jason Chaffetz went on Fox News to serve his GOP master, Donald Trump, who had whined earlier this week that Pfizer intentionally delayed the release of a COVID-19 vaccine until after the election in order to sink his chances of winning. Chris Wallace wasn't exactly on board with this notion, and he gave Chaffetz the chance to sound at least reasonable.
WALLACE: Congressman, last word here. I need a pretty brief last word. Do you think it's credible that Pfizer was playing politics here, and delaying the announcement of this vaccine, which is so important to the country, so important to Pfizer, just to try to hurt the president's reelection chances? CHAFFETZ: I really don't know, Chris, but it did come out just one week after the election. I wish it had come out naturally when it was supposed to but most importantly I hope it helps and saves the lives of millions of Americans.
Ooooooo. So close, Jason. That second sentence sounds human, but the first one sounded like you think there was an intentional delay, or an agreement between Trump and Pfizer to release a vaccine before the election to help him win. So, I'm sorry, you're going to be going home with the rest of the loser GOP contestants when History remembers this chapter.
We do have some lovely parting gifts for you, though, in the form of Wingnut Welfare.
.


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Trump Campaign Distances Themselves From Sidney Powell

Sidney Powell has since vowed to release the kraken on her own , representing We-the-people .
President Donald Trump appears to have cut ties with Sidney Powell , a key member of his legal team who also represents former national security adviser Michael Flynn in his long-running attempt to unravel a guilty plea for lying about his 2016 contacts with Russia .
The abrupt shake-up came in a terse Sunday-evening statement from the Trump campaign that offered no explanation for Powell ’ s removal .
“ Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own , ” Trump ’ s personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ellis said in the statement .
“ She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team .
She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.
” Powell had made headlines in recent weeks for her increasingly outrageous and unsupported claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election , repeatedly vowing to “ release the kraken ” of evidence , only to refuse to produce it when asked by reporters .
She has accused election officials in multiple states of committing crimes , and in recent days turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian Kemp , who on Friday helped certify President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory in the state .
Her attack on Kemp , which also included the threat of a “ biblical ” lawsuit , appeared to unsettle some of Trump ’ s allies .

Sidney Powell has since vowed to release the kraken on her own, representing We-the-people.
Source: Politico
President Donald Trump appears to have cut ties with Sidney Powell, a key member of his legal team who also represents former national security adviser Michael Flynn in his long-running attempt to unravel a guilty plea for lying about his 2016 contacts with Russia.
The abrupt shake-up came in a terse Sunday-evening statement from the Trump campaign that offered no explanation for Powell’s removal.
“Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own,” Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis said in the statement. “She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.”
Powell had made headlines in recent weeks for her increasingly outrageous and unsupported claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, repeatedly vowing to “release the kraken” of evidence, only to refuse to produce it when asked by reporters.
She has accused election officials in multiple states of committing crimes, and in recent days turned on Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, who on Friday helped certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state. Her attack on Kemp, which also included the threat of a “biblical” lawsuit, appeared to unsettle some of Trump’s allies.


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Chuck Todd Crushed For Saying ‘It Looks Like Joe Biden Is Going To Be The Apparent Winner’

NBC host Chuck Todd faced a firestorm on Twitter on Sunday over his choice of words calling President-elect Joe Biden the “ apparent winner.
” During his weekly Meet the Press program , Todd offered no pushback as Sen. Kevin Cramer ( R-ND ) falsely claimed that special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation “ started with no evidence and ended with no evidence.
” Instead , Todd moved on to a question about the refusal by General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy to allow Biden ’ s transition to formally begin .
“ I just want to confirm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning at this point ought to say the transition needs to begin ?
” Todd asked Cramer .
“ It looks like Joe Biden is going to be the apparent winner .
Yes , there ’ s more to go through.
” He continued : “ If this is what the head of GSA said , ‘ Yes , there ’ s still more to go through but it looks like Joe Biden ’ s the apparent winner , let ’ s allow the transition process to begin.
’ Should that be what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s words triggered a backlash on Twitter , where some called for him to be fired .
But others argued that the NBC host had simply asked a question .
“ Chuck Todd is a center-right Republican , fascism enabler masquerading as a serious journalist , ” Murshed Zaheed wrote .
“ He is an embarrassment to @ NBCPolitics .
”

NBC host Chuck Todd faced a firestorm on Twitter on Sunday over his choice of words calling President-elect Joe Biden the “apparent winner.”
During his weekly Meet the Press program, Todd offered no pushback as Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) falsely claimed that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation “started with no evidence and ended with no evidence.”
Instead, Todd moved on to a question about the refusal by General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy to allow Biden’s transition to formally begin.
“I just want to confirm, you believe the head of GSA tomorrow morning at this point ought to say the transition needs to begin?” Todd asked Cramer. “It looks like Joe Biden is going to be the apparent winner. Yes, there’s more to go through.”
He continued: “If this is what the head of GSA said, ‘Yes, there’s still more to go through but it looks like Joe Biden’s the apparent winner, let’s allow the transition process to begin.’ Should that be what happens tomorrow morning?”
Todd’s words triggered a backlash on Twitter, where some called for him to be fired. But others argued that the NBC host had simply asked a question.
“Chuck Todd is a center-right Republican, fascism enabler masquerading as a serious journalist,” Murshed Zaheed wrote. “He is an embarrassment to @NBCPolitics.”
“Chuck Todd is a fucking disgrace,” Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko chimed in.
“Completely fucking insane and predictable,” Matt Negrin opined.
“It looks like Biden is going to be the apparent winner. There’s still more to go through,” are real words that came out of Chuck Todd’s mouth this morning. — Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) November 22, 2020
it looks like the earth might revolve around the sun, just another few hundred years' worth of data to collect and we can nail this thing — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) November 22, 2020
Chuck Todd is a center-right Republican, fascism enabler masquerading as a serious journalist. He is an embarrassment to @NBCPolitics — Murshed Zaheed (@murshedz) November 22, 2020
Chuck Todd is a fucking disgrace. — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) November 22, 2020
Completely fucking insane and predictable — Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) November 22, 2020
So damned irresponsible. Should be disqualifying @NBCNews. @ChuckTodd should be off the air. — RayWoodson2.0 (@RWoodson20) November 22, 2020
Dear @NBCNews, please fire Chuck Todd. He’s worse than useless. His journalistic malpractice is harming your reputation, journalism in general, and the American people. Please end this. — George Casales (@casalesj) November 22, 2020
Not defending the interview, but that specific quote is taken out of context. Todd framed it in a question, asking if the head of the GSA “ought to say” it and move ahead with the transition. — Cory Bergman (@corybe) November 22, 2020
ffs deal with this, @NBCNews. — Kim Masters (@kimmasters) November 22, 2020
Why is Chuck Todd employed? This is a serious question. — Patrick Thornton (@pwthornton) November 22, 2020
"looks like" "going to be" "apparent winner"
What the fuck is this Chuck Todd? https://t.co/NTvPHf3hFw — Michelangelo Signorile, subscribe to my newsletter (@MSignorile) November 22, 2020
Why does @chucktodd think it's fair and balanced to give fascist, racist authoritarians time to spread disinformation about the 2020 election?
Joe Biden won. There's no question. @MeetThePress is a joke. — Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley) November 22, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--GSA Finally Certifies Transition To The Biden-Harris Administration

It took a full 20 days , but GSA Chief Emily Murphy FINALLY decided to DO .
HER .
DAMN .
JOB .
and signed off on the authorization to President-Elect Joe Biden , thereby freeing up funds and access to allow the Biden/Harris administration to actually start doing the real work of getting up to date on everything going on in the White House and across the various branches of government .
Also , no one pay attention to the hundreds of shredding machines and smoking trash cans on the White House front lawn or in the various offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Trump cronies .
Here is the letter She made a point of covering for Donald Trump : '' Please know that I came to my decision independently , based on the law and available facts .
I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official -- including those who work at the White House or GSA -- with regard to the substance or timing of my decision .
To be clear , I did not receive any direction to delay my determination . ''
Trump kind of conceded -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and took credit for the ascertainment .
Although there is zero chance that he wrote those tweets .
No spelling errors .
No miscapitalized words , except `` Country '' , anyway .
The GSA Administrator has ascertained President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the apparent winners of the election , providing the incoming Administration with the resources and support necessary to carry out a smooth and peaceful transfer of power .
Today ’ s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy back on track .
This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies .
In the days ahead , transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response , have a full accounting of our national security interests , and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration ’ s efforts to hollow out government agencies .

It took a full 20 days, but GSA Chief Emily Murphy FINALLY decided to DO. HER. DAMN. JOB. and signed off on the authorization to President-Elect Joe Biden, thereby freeing up funds and access to allow the Biden/Harris administration to actually start doing the real work of getting up to date on everything going on in the White House and across the various branches of government.
FINALLY.
Also, no one pay attention to the hundreds of shredding machines and smoking trash cans on the White House front lawn or in the various offices of the government that are currently occupied by Trump cronies.
NEW: GSA has informed president-elect Joe Biden the administration is ready to begin the formal transition process, according to a letter from administrator Emily Murphy sent Monday afternoon and obtained by CNN. — Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) November 23, 2020
Here is the letter
#Breaking: GSA’s Emily Murphy signs off and says the transition can begin, per @KristenhCNN pic.twitter.com/S6YKKQBrQR — Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 23, 2020
She made a point of covering for Donald Trump:
"Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official -- including those who work at the White House or GSA -- with regard to the substance or timing of my decision. To be clear, I did not receive any direction to delay my determination."
Trump kind of conceded -- as much as he ever will -- and took credit for the ascertainment.
I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country. She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA. Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2020
...fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2020
Although there is zero chance that he wrote those tweets. No spelling errors. No miscapitalized words, except "Country", anyway.
TWITTER REJOICED:
Useless @GSAEmily finally signed off on the transition. She wrote a long letter about how trump didn’t influence her. Sure Jan. — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) November 23, 2020
Hi there, @GSAEmily.
Your letter was asinine.
1) The 2000 election was not remotely an apt precedent
2) This election did not hinge on one state
3) The margin was not small
You refused to do your job. You are not a victim. This letter further reinforces your incompetence. pic.twitter.com/YjRw9YSq44 — The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) November 23, 2020
So, @GSAEmily folded before the Republican Senators did... — Susan Glasser (@sbg1) November 23, 2020
Now that @GSAEmily has *finally* done her duty and released funds and kicked off the transition process, i want to make sure you guys understand something that will happen on Jan 20. Joe Biden will become Donald Trump's landlord: https://t.co/Vf6YLdjPNS pic.twitter.com/53PMzXHGRa — Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) November 23, 2020
The letter’s worth a read. It may be the most unprofessional thing I’ve seen an agency head put on letterhead. She makes this about her. She makes excuses. She never says that she ascertains the apparent winner. But she releases funds as though she has, so there’s that at least. https://t.co/4vjePwgOZk — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) November 23, 2020
The Biden team responded in a statement minutes ago:


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--More Bang For The Buck: Astra Zeneca Vaccine Uses Smaller Dose To Get 90% Effectiveness

Some good news , if you can handle it !
This vaccine is more effective with an initial half-dose -- which means they can innoculate more people .
Via The Guardian : Oxford University and AstraZeneca have announced their jab is effective in preventing many people getting ill and it has been shown to work in different age groups , including the elderly .
There are early indications it might also help stop the spread of the disease .
... Oxford University said interim analysis from its phase 3 vaccine trial showed that the efficacy of their vaccine is 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results of two different dosing regimes , one of which was 90 % and the other was 62 % .
The 90 % regime involved a half-dose first and then a full dose of the vaccine later .
The interim analysis was based on 131 infections among participants who received the vaccine and those in a control group who were given an established meningitis shot .
In a statement , Prof Andrew Pollard , the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial , said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an effective vaccine that will save many lives .
Excitingly , we ’ ve found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90 % effective and if this dosing regime is used , more people could be vaccinated with planned vaccine supply .

Some good news, if you can handle it! This vaccine is more effective with an initial half-dose -- which means they can innoculate more people. Via The Guardian:
Oxford University and AstraZeneca have announced their jab is effective in preventing many people getting ill and it has been shown to work in different age groups, including the elderly. There are early indications it might also help stop the spread of the disease.
...
Oxford University said interim analysis from its phase 3 vaccine trial showed that the efficacy of their vaccine is 70%. But that came from combining the results of two different dosing regimes, one of which was 90% and the other was 62%. The 90% regime involved a half-dose first and then a full dose of the vaccine later. The interim analysis was based on 131 infections among participants who received the vaccine and those in a control group who were given an established meningitis shot.
In a statement, Prof Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial, said: “These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives. Excitingly, we’ve found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90% effective and if this dosing regime is used, more people could be vaccinated with planned vaccine supply.


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Michigan Board Of Canvassers Certifies Biden As The Winner

Let 's give the honor of declaring the winner to the man who has been working tirelessly to make sure every vote is counted and every state is held accountable for making sure their voters are heard : Marc Elias .
That 's right .
Michigan 's 16 electoral votes are officially Joe Biden 's , just like Georgia 's are .
Pennsylvania is supposed to certify their results today too , but Trump has appealed the District Court 's ruling to the Third Circuit because reasons .
The hearing before the certification was a contentious , angry sight to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had some strong words for board member Norman Shinkle , who was the lone holdout in an otherwise unanimous certification .
( see video above ) .
The final vote was 3 for certification and one abstention ( Shinkle ) .
Of course , it goes without saying that this was basically all theater .
Joe Biden won Michigan by more than 150,000 votes and no audit or other mechanism for disenfranchising all the Black voters in Detroit was ever going to fly .
What an enormous waste of time and resources .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winner to the man who has been working tirelessly to make sure every vote is counted and every state is held accountable for making sure their voters are heard : Marc Elias .
That 's right .
Michigan 's 16 electoral votes are officially Joe Biden 's , just like Georgia 's are .
Pennsylvania is supposed to certify their results today too , but Trump has appealed the District Court 's ruling to the Third Circuit because reasons .
The hearing before the certification was a contentious , angry sight to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had some strong words for board member Norman Shinkle , who was the lone holdout in an otherwise unanimous certification .
( see video above ) .
The final vote was 3 for certification and one abstention ( Shinkle ) .
Of course , it goes without saying that this was basically all theater .
Joe Biden won Michigan by more than 150,000 votes and no audit or other mechanism for disenfranchising all the Black voters in Detroit was ever going to fly .
What an enormous waste of time and resources .

Let's give the honor of declaring the winner to the man who has been working tirelessly to make sure every vote is counted and every state is held accountable for making sure their voters are heard: Marc Elias.
???BREAKING: Michigan Board of Canvassers votes to certify election results. Michigan is DONE.
BIden wins! — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 23, 2020
That's right. Michigan's 16 electoral votes are officially Joe Biden's, just like Georgia's are. Pennsylvania is supposed to certify their results today too, but Trump has appealed the District Court's ruling to the Third Circuit because reasons.
The hearing before the certification was a contentious, angry sight to behold. Local city and county officials had some strong words for board member Norman Shinkle, who was the lone holdout in an otherwise unanimous certification. (see video above).
The final vote was 3 for certification and one abstention (Shinkle).
Of course, it goes without saying that this was basically all theater. Joe Biden won Michigan by more than 150,000 votes and no audit or other mechanism for disenfranchising all the Black voters in Detroit was ever going to fly. What an enormous waste of time and resources.
Let's give the honor of declaring the winner to the man who has been working tirelessly to make sure every vote is counted and every state is held accountable for making sure their voters are heard: Marc Elias.
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: Michigan Board of Canvassers votes to certify election results. Michigan is DONE.
BIden wins! — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 23, 2020
That's right. Michigan's 16 electoral votes are officially Joe Biden's, just like Georgia's are. Pennsylvania is supposed to certify their results today too, but Trump has appealed the District Court's ruling to the Third Circuit because reasons.
The hearing before the certification was a contentious, angry sight to behold. Local city and county officials had some strong words for board member Norman Shinkle, who was the lone holdout in an otherwise unanimous certification. (see video above).
The final vote was 3 for certification and one abstention (Shinkle).
Of course, it goes without saying that this was basically all theater. Joe Biden won Michigan by more than 150,000 votes and no audit or other mechanism for disenfranchising all the Black voters in Detroit was ever going to fly. What an enormous waste of time and resources.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson tweeted:
Democracy has prevailed.
Today’s vote of the State Board of Canvassers’ to certify Michigan’s November election confirms the truth: the election was fair and secure, and the results accurately reflect the will of the voters. (1/4) — Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) November 23, 2020
A record breaking 5.5 million Michigan citizens cast ballots in this election, more than ever before in our state’s history.
Their will is clear and unequivocal. (2/4) — Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) November 23, 2020
Now we turn to the important work of implementing a statewide risk limiting audit & local procedural audits to affirm the integrity of the vote & identify areas for improvement. We will continue working w lawmakers to strengthen our elections even more in the months ahead. (3/4) — Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) November 23, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Stable Genius Goes Golfing, Misses G20 Covid Meeting

After briefly attending the virtual G20 summit from the White House 's Situation Room on Saturday , President Doanld Trump skipped a meeting with other leaders of the world 's 20 largest economies where the attendees discussed the coronavirus pandemic .
The `` Pandemic Preparedness and Response '' meeting included addresses by French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel , but no American government officials were listed as speakers .
Both Macron and Merkel have been leaders in the global call for a coordinated international response to the coronavirus pandemic , with the French leader calling on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the U.S. allies prepared to discuss the financing of vaccine collaborations at the two-day G20 summit , Trump retreated to his golf club in Sterling , Virginia .
In the U.S. , Covid-19 cases passed 12 million cases on Saturday , less than a week after reaching 11 million cases .
On Friday , the country set a new record for new cases recorded in a single day , with more than 198,500 cases confirmed .
Deaths are now higher than average in all 50 states and are peaking in 14 states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dakota .
Governors , including Trump 's Republican allies such as Iowa Gov .
Kim Reynolds , are attempting to undo the damage done by the president'sand his political party 's widespread dismissal of public health guidance like mask-wearing and social distancing .
Earlier this week , Reynolds pleaded with Iowans to obey a new mask mandate , which she issued after months of calling such measures `` feel-good '' restrictions .
`` If Iowans do n't buy into this , we lose , '' Reynolds said this week .
`` The cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Despite reports of overwhelmed hospitals in states including Texas , Kansas , Tennessee , and Nevada , the president has taken no questions from reporters about the pandemic since most news outlets declared President-elect Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election on November 7 .
Instead , the president has been largely focused on his efforts to prove the election , which Biden won by more than six million votes , was rigged and that so-called `` voter fraud '' is behind Biden 's victory .
On Saturday , after leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his golf club , Trump tweeted about unspecified `` big voter fraud information coming out concerning Georgia , '' which certified the election results on Friday after a hand recount confirmed that Biden won the state .
`` The president is not only missing from his post , but he 's encouraging a mutiny , '' Larry Jacobs , director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota , told The Guardian on Saturday .
`` There 's no precedent in American history for this kind @ @ @ @ @

After briefly attending the virtual G20 summit from the White House's Situation Room on Saturday, President Doanld Trump skipped a meeting with other leaders of the world's 20 largest economies where the attendees discussed the coronavirus pandemic.
The "Pandemic Preparedness and Response" meeting included addresses by French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but no American government officials were listed as speakers. Both Macron and Merkel have been leaders in the global call for a coordinated international response to the coronavirus pandemic, with the French leader calling on Saturday for "solidarity" between countries.
As the U.S. allies prepared to discuss the financing of vaccine collaborations at the two-day G20 summit, Trump retreated to his golf club in Sterling, Virginia.
No words... CNN reports that Trump appearing to be skipping G20 virtual summit side-event focused on #COVID19 pandemic. Trump just arrived at his golf course in Northern Virginia. https://t.co/LWx19G4rar pic.twitter.com/IPAjUHOsGI — Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) November 21, 2020
Nero fiddled. Trump golfed. — Dan Rather (@DanRather) November 21, 2020
In the U.S., Covid-19 cases passed 12 million cases on Saturday, less than a week after reaching 11 million cases. On Friday, the country set a new record for new cases recorded in a single day, with more than 198,500 cases confirmed. Deaths are now higher than average in all 50 states and are peaking in 14 states including Maine, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.
Governors, including Trump's Republican allies such as Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, are attempting to undo the damage done by the president'sand his political party's widespread dismissal of public health guidance like mask-wearing and social distancing. Earlier this week, Reynolds pleaded with Iowans to obey a new mask mandate, which she issued after months of calling such measures "feel-good" restrictions.
"If Iowans don't buy into this, we lose," Reynolds said this week. "The cost in human life will be high."
Despite reports of overwhelmed hospitals in states including Texas, Kansas, Tennessee, and Nevada, the president has taken no questions from reporters about the pandemic since most news outlets declared President-elect Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election on November 7.
Instead, the president has been largely focused on his efforts to prove the election, which Biden won by more than six million votes, was rigged and that so-called "voter fraud" is behind Biden's victory. On Saturday, after leaving the G20 summit and before arriving at his golf club, Trump tweeted about unspecified "big voter fraud information coming out concerning Georgia," which certified the election results on Friday after a hand recount confirmed that Biden won the state.
"The president is not only missing from his post, but he's encouraging a mutiny," Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, told The Guardian on Saturday. "There's no precedent in American history for this kind of deranged behavior."
Republished from Common Dreams (Julia Conley, staff writer) under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Michigan GOP Chair Plays Victim Card At Board Of Canvassers Meeting: 'We Were Disrespected'

Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox on Monday asked the Board of State Canvassers not to certify the 2020 election results as scheduled because Republicans were “ disrespected.
” .
Cox appeared as a witness as the board was considering whether to certify President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win in the state .
Under state law , the board must certify the results before the close of Monday ’ s meeting .
“ I ’ m asking you to delay certification , ” Cox told the board ’ s four members .
“ There are too many questions that need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too many numerical anomalies and credible reports of procedural irregularities .
We need to remove the distrust and the sense of procedural disenfranchisement felt by many Michigan voters.
” “ Every step of the election process has been stacked against Republicans , ” she continued .
“ The majority of election officials treated all challengers regardless of party with dignity and respect and let them participate meaningfully in the process.
” But according to Cox , one polling location was “ inhospitable and hostile ” to Republican poll watchers .
“ The reaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney general and partisan Democrats has been antagonistic , belligerent and disrespectful , ” Cox complained .
“ I also will not let Republican challengers be disrespected and shoved out of the process.
” “ I will continue to stand up for Republicans and demand that they be respected , ” she concluded .

Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox on Monday asked the Board of State Canvassers not to certify the 2020 election results as scheduled because Republicans were “disrespected.”.
Cox appeared as a witness as the board was considering whether to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win in the state. Under state law, the board must certify the results before the close of Monday’s meeting.
“I’m asking you to delay certification,” Cox told the board’s four members. “There are too many questions that need to be answered regarding this election, too many numerical anomalies and credible reports of procedural irregularities. We need to remove the distrust and the sense of procedural disenfranchisement felt by many Michigan voters.”
“Every step of the election process has been stacked against Republicans,” she continued. “The majority of election officials treated all challengers regardless of party with dignity and respect and let them participate meaningfully in the process.”
But according to Cox, one polling location was “inhospitable and hostile” to Republican poll watchers.
“The reaction from the secretary of state, the attorney general and partisan Democrats has been antagonistic, belligerent and disrespectful,” Cox complained. “I also will not let Republican challengers be disrespected and shoved out of the process.”
“I will continue to stand up for Republicans and demand that they be respected,” she concluded.


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Fox's Kilmeade Hysterical That Biden's Foreign Policy Will Differ From Trump

Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade was apoplectic over the fact that heaven forbid the Biden administration will rejoin the WHO , Iranian nuclear agreement and the Paris climate agreement .
While discussing potential Biden cabinet picks , and finding little to attack any of them over since , in their words , Biden has n't selected anyone who is a `` radical '' in the eyes of right-wing world , Kilmeade proceeded to rant and rave about the fact that Biden 's foreign policy will differ from Trump : In a nearly 90-second rant Kilmeade exploded , detailing all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among them : “ he will rejoin the Iran nuclear arms deal , ” the “ Paris Climate deal , ” and the World Health Organization , while scrapping “ America First.
” At the end of his maniacal monologue , his co-host Steve Doocy smacked down Kilmeade by summing it all up for him : “ Well , that ’ s what happens when a new administration comes in.
” Heaven forbid we will no longer have a president who 's a laughing stock around the world , alienates all of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How will America ever survive ?

Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade was apoplectic over the fact that heaven forbid the Biden administration will rejoin the WHO, Iranian nuclear agreement and the Paris climate agreement.
While discussing potential Biden cabinet picks, and finding little to attack any of them over since, in their words, Biden hasn't selected anyone who is a "radical" in the eyes of right-wing world, Kilmeade proceeded to rant and rave about the fact that Biden's foreign policy will differ from Trump:
In a nearly 90-second rant Kilmeade exploded, detailing all the reasons he disagrees with Biden. Among them: “he will rejoin the Iran nuclear arms deal,” the “Paris Climate deal,” and the World Health Organization, while scrapping “America First.” At the end of his maniacal monologue, his co-host Steve Doocy smacked down Kilmeade by summing it all up for him: “Well, that’s what happens when a new administration comes in.”
Heaven forbid we will no longer have a president who's a laughing stock around the world, alienates all of our allies and that pals around with autocrats. How will America ever survive?


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Dr. Fauci's Appearance On COVID Task Force Proves Trump Played Politics With Virus

On Thursday , the White House held a Coronavirus Task Force presser for the first time in months .
It was a surprise to see the formerly discarded Dr. Fauci at the presser .
As soon as Trump began his push to win re-election , the outgoing president removed Dr. Fauci from the White House podium because the esteemed doctor had a much higher approval rating than Trump .
Fauci also refused to be used for Trump 's political purposes .
Dr. Fauci had become a symbol of hope during this pandemic because he is a well-respected straight shooter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump 's reelection plans as well as Fox News lineup of Trump 's sycophantic talking heads , he had to go .
By day Fox and Friends attacked the efficacy of wearing masks and by night , Tucker Carlson , Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham began assaulting Dr. Fauci 's character and his safety instructions , claiming he was trying to undermine Trump and `` your freedoms . ''
Dr. Fauci was sidelined by the more malleable Dr. Birx and then she was replaced by a Fox News favorite of Tucker Carlson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is not a qualified virologist ) downplayed the seriousness of the CDC guidelines .
Not only was Dr. Fauci not appearing during Trump 's many task force press briefings ( Trump took those over ) but the White House refused to let him appear on all the mainstream talk shows .
So his appearance at the White House lectern last Thursday is more evidence of Trump 's refusal to lead this country through a pandemic without thinking about his own political life first and foremost .
Now to this political observer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to promote his Warp Speed program to make himself the hero in the vaccine victory .
Trump has failed the American people so miserably for almost an entire year .
Fauci is back because Trump does n't care anymore about appearing `` anti-Fauci , '' and because Trump wants credit for the vaccines arriving soon .

On Thursday, the White House held a Coronavirus Task Force presser for the first time in months.
It was a surprise to see the formerly discarded Dr. Fauci at the presser.
As soon as Trump began his push to win re-election, the outgoing president removed Dr. Fauci from the White House podium because the esteemed doctor had a much higher approval rating than Trump.
Fauci also refused to be used for Trump's political purposes.
Dr. Fauci had become a symbol of hope during this pandemic because he is a well-respected straight shooter, but once his opinions began to differ with Trump's reelection plans as well as Fox News lineup of Trump's sycophantic talking heads, he had to go.
By day Fox and Friends attacked the efficacy of wearing masks and by night, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham began assaulting Dr. Fauci's character and his safety instructions, claiming he was trying to undermine Trump and "your freedoms."
Dr. Fauci was sidelined by the more malleable Dr. Birx and then she was replaced by a Fox News favorite of Tucker Carlson. Anti-masker Dr. Scott Atlas, (who is not a qualified virologist) downplayed the seriousness of the CDC guidelines.
Not only was Dr. Fauci not appearing during Trump's many task force press briefings (Trump took those over) but the White House refused to let him appear on all the mainstream talk shows.
So his appearance at the White House lectern last Thursday is more evidence of Trump's refusal to lead this country through a pandemic without thinking about his own political life first and foremost.
Now to this political observer, it appears Trump is using Dr. Fauci to promote his Warp Speed program to make himself the hero in the vaccine victory.
Trump has failed the American people so miserably for almost an entire year. Fauci is back because Trump doesn't care anymore about appearing "anti-Fauci," and because Trump wants credit for the vaccines arriving soon.


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Resulted In COVID-19 Cases Across State Lines, According To CDC

Between the literal global pandemic and the 2020 presidential election , it ’ s easy to feel like time is a myth .
What month is it ?
What day ?
What happened over the summer can feel like a lifetime ago .
Still , you might remember when Daily Kos covered the enormous motorcycle rally held in Sturgis , South Dakota , back in August .
About 460,000 people attended the rally in spite of the pandemic , and as Daily Kos covered , few masks and many out of towners were involved .
Now , a new report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prevention ( CDC ) found that at least 86 cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota ( which borders South Dakota ) have been linked back to the rally .
Of those 86 cases , four involved hospitalizations .
One case resulted in death .
According to the report , 51 of those people attended the rally .
The remaining 35 , however , merely came into contact with people who attended the event .
This finding makes the rally even more important to consider in the larger context of the novel coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As we already know , one of the biggest concerns in mitigating this pandemic is the lack of consistent regulations across the nation .
Even from city to city , rules and guidelines sometimes differ .
In the case of the Sturgis rally , South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem , a Republican , did not have a mask mandate for the state .
Beyond the lack of mask mandate , her decision not to cancel the event itself was a mind-boggling one .
And because we don ’ t live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision that affected people who don ’ t even live in her state .
For example , you may recall that the Associated Press found that close to 300 people in 12 states tested positive for the virus after they attended the rally , which spanned 10 days .
Though Gov .
Tim Walz of Minnesota believed the rally was unnecessary given the pandemic to begin with , he had no actual sway over that decision , and in spite of Minnesota having stricter COVID-19 regulations , people in his state still contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event .
This sort of dynamic may play out again and again because we do not have national , consistent messaging on how to face the virus .
According to the CDC , the big takeaway from these findings is to “ highlight the importance of reducing the number of attendees at gatherings and emphasizing mask use , physical distancing , isolation for patients with COVID-19 , and quarantine for close contacts as strategies for reducing the spread of COVID-19.
” Basically what we know already , but clearly some people need the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repeat it : Please , wear a mask if it ’ s safe for you to do so .

Between the literal global pandemic and the 2020 presidential election, it’s easy to feel like time is a myth. What month is it? What day? What happened over the summer can feel like a lifetime ago. Still, you might remember when Daily Kos covered the enormous motorcycle rally held in Sturgis, South Dakota, back in August. About 460,000 people attended the rally in spite of the pandemic, and as Daily Kos covered, few masks and many out of towners were involved. Now, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that at least 86 cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota (which borders South Dakota) have been linked back to the rally. Of those 86 cases, four involved hospitalizations. One case resulted in death.
According to the report, 51 of those people attended the rally. The remaining 35, however, merely came into contact with people who attended the event. This finding makes the rally even more important to consider in the larger context of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Let’s break down why below.
As we already know, one of the biggest concerns in mitigating this pandemic is the lack of consistent regulations across the nation. Even from city to city, rules and guidelines sometimes differ. In the case of the Sturgis rally, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, did not have a mask mandate for the state. Beyond the lack of mask mandate, her decision not to cancel the event itself was a mind-boggling one. And because we don’t live in a bubble, it’s a decision that affected people who don’t even live in her state. For example, you may recall that the Associated Press found that close to 300 people in 12 states tested positive for the virus after they attended the rally, which spanned 10 days.
Though Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota believed the rally was unnecessary given the pandemic to begin with, he had no actual sway over that decision, and in spite of Minnesota having stricter COVID-19 regulations, people in his state still contracted the virus as a result of the event.
This sort of dynamic may play out again and again because we do not have national, consistent messaging on how to face the virus.
According to the CDC, the big takeaway from these findings is to “highlight the importance of reducing the number of attendees at gatherings and emphasizing mask use, physical distancing, isolation for patients with COVID-19, and quarantine for close contacts as strategies for reducing the spread of COVID-19.” Basically what we know already, but clearly some people need the reminder. And because it never hurts to repeat it: Please, wear a mask if it’s safe for you to do so.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--Carl Bernstein Outs GOP Senators Who Say Mad King Trump Is Unfit To Serve

Beltway reporters like to talk about how Republicans in Congress really despise President Trump , but they never name names .
So Watergate legendary reporter Carl Bernstein did it for them -- setting an example for them all .
He appeared on CNN 's New Day , and also wrote about this on Twitter : '' I 'm not violating any pledge of journalistic confidentially in reporting this : 21 Republican Sens–in convos w/ colleagues , staff members , lobbyists , W. House aides–have repeatedly expressed extreme contempt for Trump & his fitness to be POTUS , '' he wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have privately expressed their disdain for Trump are : Portman , Alexander , Sasse , Blunt , Collins , Murkowski , Cornyn , Thune , Romney , Braun , Young , Tim Scott , Rick Scott , Rubio , Grassley , Burr , Toomey , McSally , Moran , Roberts , Shelby .
( 2/3 ) '' With few exceptions , their craven public silence has helped enable Trump ’ s most grievous conduct—including undermining and discrediting the US the electoral system . ''
And almost all of them will work with Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Listen to his segment on New Day .
He talked about the Georgia secretary of state : '' He just said what every Republican member of the Senate of the United States should have been saying weeks ago .
He did and said what a patriot would do and what our senators , the Republicans in the U.S. Senate , by and large , almost all of them have failed to do , '' he said .
Then he told us what he really thinks .
`` We are witnessing a mad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reign , willing to scorch the earth of his country and bring down the whole system to undermine our whole democracy , strip it of its legitimacy , poison the confidence of our people in the institutions and the Constitution for Donald Trump 's own petulant , selfish , rabid ends , '' he said .
`` We have a president of the United States for the first time in our history sabotaging this country .
That 's where we are , and will these Republicans continue to allow it for another day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more that our system can not handle , was not designed , neither our Constitution or our institutions to handle an abberant , mad king like Donald Trump . ''
John Berman said yes , they would allow it .
That the only senators we 've even heard from is Mitt Romney and Ben Sasses , and nobody else .
And that was when Bernstein named names .
`` Many if not most of these individuals , from what I have been told , were happy to see Donald Trump defeated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate could be controlled by the Republicans , '' he said .
`` Mr. McConnell knows what 's going on and finally I 'm told in the last 24 , 48 hours , I believe he and some others are attempting to find a way to somehow bring the country off the ledge that we are on because of the mad king and what he is doing while Rudy Giuliani , Steve Bannon and others whisper these conspiracies in his ears .
`` But we have a problem .
Seventy percent , 80 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans now believe because of social media , because of Donald Trump , and his disinformation and his lying , they believe it 's been a rigged election and we 're going to have to live with the legacy of this sabotage by the president . ''
Berman asked what that would look like .
`` Well , first of all , it may be too little too late , because the confidence in our institutions that Trump was wanted in his sabotage of the country bringing us from a cold civil war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil war and igniting it , so we 're close to a real cultural civil war and perhaps violence because of his refusal to accept the will of the people in the election , because he has attempted and failed at a coup -- imagine , a coup attempt by a president of the United States to undermine our electoral system .
`` He announced before the election he was going to attempt this coup by voter suppression , by legitimizing the process , saying it was rigged against us and when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed up on the attempt at a coup .
So it might be a little late to talk us off the ledge in this country by some of these senators and I 'm not sure if they 'll succeed and what it might look like , a few , and I do n't know this yet because i 'm still trying to report exactly what 's going on , there has been resistance as we know in the intelligence community , in the defense community , to some of what Donald Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the president that he can not invade , use troops , attack Iran in some ways .
`` People are fighting back within our institutions , but it 's not clear at all that these senators will succeed , because can the system actually handle a Donald Trump ? ''

Beltway reporters like to talk about how Republicans in Congress really despise President Trump, but they never name names. So Watergate legendary reporter Carl Bernstein did it for them -- setting an example for them all. He appeared on CNN's New Day, and also wrote about this on Twitter:
"I'm not violating any pledge of journalistic confidentially in reporting this: 21 Republican Sens–in convos w/ colleagues, staff members, lobbyists, W. House aides–have repeatedly expressed extreme contempt for Trump & his fitness to be POTUS," he wrote.
"The 21 GOP Senators who have privately expressed their disdain for Trump are: Portman, Alexander, Sasse, Blunt, Collins, Murkowski, Cornyn, Thune, Romney, Braun, Young, Tim Scott, Rick Scott, Rubio, Grassley, Burr, Toomey, McSally, Moran, Roberts, Shelby. (2/3)
"With few exceptions, their craven public silence has helped enable Trump’s most grievous conduct—including undermining and discrediting the US the electoral system."
And almost all of them will work with Mitch McConnell to block President Biden on everything.
Listen to his segment on New Day. He talked about the Georgia secretary of state:
"He just said what every Republican member of the Senate of the United States should have been saying weeks ago. He did and said what a patriot would do and what our senators, the Republicans in the U.S. Senate, by and large, almost all of them have failed to do," he said.
Then he told us what he really thinks.
"We are witnessing a mad king in the final days of his reign, willing to scorch the earth of his country and bring down the whole system to undermine our whole democracy, strip it of its legitimacy, poison the confidence of our people in the institutions and the Constitution for Donald Trump's own petulant, selfish, rabid ends," he said.
"We have a president of the United States for the first time in our history sabotaging this country. That's where we are, and will these Republicans continue to allow it for another day, because every day it appears more and more that our system cannot handle, was not designed, neither our Constitution or our institutions to handle an abberant, mad king like Donald Trump."
John Berman said yes, they would allow it. That the only senators we've even heard from is Mitt Romney and Ben Sasses, and nobody else.
And that was when Bernstein named names.
"Many if not most of these individuals, from what I have been told, were happy to see Donald Trump defeated in this election, as long as the Senate could be controlled by the Republicans," he said.
"Mr. McConnell knows what's going on and finally I'm told in the last 24, 48 hours, I believe he and some others are attempting to find a way to somehow bring the country off the ledge that we are on because of the mad king and what he is doing while Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon and others whisper these conspiracies in his ears.
"But we have a problem. Seventy percent, 80% of those people who call themselves Republicans now believe because of social media, because of Donald Trump, and his disinformation and his lying, they believe it's been a rigged election and we're going to have to live with the legacy of this sabotage by the president."
Berman asked what that would look like.
"Well, first of all, it may be too little too late, because the confidence in our institutions that Trump was wanted in his sabotage of the country bringing us from a cold civil war to pouring the flames onto that cold civil war and igniting it, so we're close to a real cultural civil war and perhaps violence because of his refusal to accept the will of the people in the election, because he has attempted and failed at a coup -- imagine, a coup attempt by a president of the United States to undermine our electoral system.
"He announced before the election he was going to attempt this coup by voter suppression, by legitimizing the process, saying it was rigged against us and when the votes came in against him, he followed up on the attempt at a coup. So it might be a little late to talk us off the ledge in this country by some of these senators and I'm not sure if they'll succeed and what it might look like, a few, and I don't know this yet because i'm still trying to report exactly what's going on, there has been resistance as we know in the intelligence community, in the defense community, to some of what Donald Trump has been trying to do or perhaps talking to the president that he cannot invade, use troops, attack Iran in some ways.
"People are fighting back within our institutions, but it's not clear at all that these senators will succeed, because can the system actually handle a Donald Trump?"


crooksandliars--2020-11-23--President-Elect Biden Announces His First Cabinet Picks - UPDATED

Via the New York Times , here are the cabinet posts they have confirmed : WASHINGTON — Antony J. Blinken , a defender of global alliances and President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. ’ s closest foreign policy adviser , is expected to be nominated for secretary of state , a job in which he will try to coalesce skeptical international partners into a new competition with China , according to people close to the process .
Mr. Blinken , 58 , a former deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama , began his career at the State Department during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy credentials are expected to help calm American diplomats and global leaders alike after four years of the Trump administration ’ s ricocheting strategies and nationalist swaggering .
Mr. Biden is also expected to name another close aide , Jake Sullivan , as national security adviser , according to a person familiar with the process .
Mr. Sullivan , 43 , succeeded Mr. Blinken as Vice President Biden ’ s national security adviser , and served as the head of policy planning at the State Department under Hillary Clinton , becoming her closest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mr. Sullivan , good friends with a common worldview , have become Mr. Biden ’ s brain trust and often his voice on foreign policy matters .
And they led the attack on President Trump ’ s use of “ America First ” as a guiding principle , saying it only isolated the United States and created opportunities and vacuums for its adversaries to fill .
The president-elect is also going to appoint Linda Thomas-Greenfield , a 35-year veteran of the Foreign Service , as his ambassador to the United Nations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also restore the post to cabinet-level status , giving Ms. Thomas-Greenfield , who is Black , a seat on his National Security Council .
And of course , Mitch McConnell may obstruct any of Biden 's choices , depending on what happens with the Georgia Senate runoff elections .
Hence the speculation about Biden 's possible Treasury picks , like Fed governor Lael Brainard , .
We 'll find out tomorrow about Treasury .
UPDATE : Having the creator of the DACA program in charge of DHS will be a huge upgrade .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's pick for Treasury , according to the Wall Street Journal President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate former Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen , an economist at the forefront of policy-making for three decades , to become the next Treasury secretary , according to people familiar with the decision .
If confirmed by the Senate , Ms. Yellen would become the first woman to hold the job .
Mr. Biden ’ s selection positions the 74-year-old labor economist to lead his administration ’ s efforts to drive the recovery from the destruction caused @ @ @ @ @

Via the New York Times, here are the cabinet posts they have confirmed:
WASHINGTON — Antony J. Blinken, a defender of global alliances and President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s closest foreign policy adviser, is expected to be nominated for secretary of state, a job in which he will try to coalesce skeptical international partners into a new competition with China, according to people close to the process. Mr. Blinken, 58, a former deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama, began his career at the State Department during the Clinton administration. His extensive foreign policy credentials are expected to help calm American diplomats and global leaders alike after four years of the Trump administration’s ricocheting strategies and nationalist swaggering. Mr. Biden is also expected to name another close aide, Jake Sullivan, as national security adviser, according to a person familiar with the process. Mr. Sullivan, 43, succeeded Mr. Blinken as Vice President Biden’s national security adviser, and served as the head of policy planning at the State Department under Hillary Clinton, becoming her closest strategic adviser. Together, Mr. Blinken and Mr. Sullivan, good friends with a common worldview, have become Mr. Biden’s brain trust and often his voice on foreign policy matters. And they led the attack on President Trump’s use of “America First” as a guiding principle, saying it only isolated the United States and created opportunities and vacuums for its adversaries to fill.
The president-elect is also going to appoint Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a 35-year veteran of the Foreign Service, as his ambassador to the United Nations, according to Times sources. Biden will also restore the post to cabinet-level status, giving Ms. Thomas-Greenfield, who is Black, a seat on his National Security Council.
And of course, Mitch McConnell may obstruct any of Biden's choices, depending on what happens with the Georgia Senate runoff elections. Hence the speculation about Biden's possible Treasury picks, like Fed governor Lael Brainard,.
President-elect Joe Biden last week said he had made his pick for Treasury secretary, but is staying mum on the namehttps://t.co/hlkrijDiq4 — POLITICO (@politico) November 23, 2020
Breaking: Biden announces foreign policy & national security team: Antony Blinken, Secretary of State; Alejandro Mayorkas, DHS Sec'y; Avril Haines, DNI; Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.N. ambassador; Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor; and John Kerry, Special Envoy for Climate. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 23, 2020
We @demandprogress polled on potential @JoeBiden Treasury picks this week - the data shows that choosing Janet Yellen would be very popular. pic.twitter.com/TuuJtWqCPG — David Segal (@DavidSegalRI) November 20, 2020
We'll find out tomorrow about Treasury.
UPDATE: Having the creator of the DACA program in charge of DHS will be a huge upgrade.
Alejandro Mayorkas is a historic and experienced choice to lead an agency in desperate need of reform.
As an immigrant and a creator of the DACA program, he’s well suited to undo Trump’s damage and build a more compassionate and common sense immigration agenda. https://t.co/4pQdJ3q2GT — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) November 23, 2020
UPDATE: Janet Yellen will be Biden's pick for Treasury, according to the Wall Street Journal


crooksandliars--2020-11-24--Maddow: To Kneecap Biden, Trump Ordered Destruction Of Spy Planes Used To Monitor Russia

Last night , Rachel Maddow talked about how the delay in acknowledging Joe Biden as the president-elect has n't just been a disaster in regard to the pandemic , but in terms of national security .
In only the most recent example , she points out how Trump is trashing our national security structure -- kind of like people did in 2008 when the banks repossessed their homes .
`` I think it 's been overlooked , though , that the length of time that the president has chosen to stretch this out , you know , defying the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's some hugh going to stay in power despite the election , it 's not just been a time waster in terms of standing up the new government , it has also been a distraction from the stuff that the Trump administration is doing right now on its way out the door to mess up the country as much as they can while they 're leaving , '' she said .
`` For example , the Trump administration really did pick right now as the moment they have declared they are exiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us and for all our allied countries in Europe who have been in this treaty with us for decades , we have picked this moment , today , to leave them blind to the surveillance and other intelligence on Russia that they have been depending on through us because of this treaty since the fall of the Soviet Union .
She noted the treaty has been in place since 1992 .
`` We killed it today .
We 're leaving .
We 're not going to do those flights anymore .
and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't get access to the intelligence and surveillance data that those flights provided .
They 've been getting that data for decades .
As of today , no longer .
and just to throw one more unwrapped Baby Ruth into the kiddie pool . ''
But `` just in case '' the Biden administration might want to rejoin the treaty , she said , `` the Trump administration has decided to destroy the airplanes that we use for compliance with this treaty .
Quoting the Wall Street Journal , in a move that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he sought to re-enter the agreement , the Trump administration is taking steps to dispose of the two specially-equipped OC-135B planes the U.S. has used to carry out Open Skies flights .
`` A senior U.S. official said the planes are being designated as 'excess defense articles . '
The official said , quote , 'We 've started liquidating the equipment . '
The senior U.S. official insisted that the goal in disposing of the OC-135s is not to tie the hands of the incoming Biden administration .
That said , quote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July by then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper to cancel the program to buy newer planes to replace the OC-135s .
That 's eliminating the option of replacing the aircraft with more modern variants as well .
`` So they 're destroying the planes , and they 've made sure there wo n't be any to replace them .
Now , to be clear , it 's not even clear -- it 's not even widely agreed as to whether or not it 's legal for the Trump administration to be doing this .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consult with Congress for four months before pulling out of this treaty .
They did n't .
They just -- they just pulled out of it .
Biden , if he wanted to , could presumably use that fact to unilaterally say as president , we 're rejoining the open skies treaty .
When they said they were withdrawing , that was actually illegal .
`` It was done improperly .
Consider us to still be in it .
But if Biden does that -- and it 's not inconceivable that Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too bad . '
The Trump administration right now , as we speak is liquidating these airplanes .
Like they 're postal service sorting machines in a majority black city in a swing state , right ?
And they killed off the funding for new ones , so there 's no more planes to replace them in the pipeline and they 're very highly specialized aircraft .
`` So , you know , neener , neener .
And hey , European countries worried that they might be the next country to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad .
The U.S. is no longer here to help you keep an eye on that .
And if Joe Biden wants to be a normal U.S. president and go back to the United States helping other countries around the world in that way , well , he can start maybe at the scrap heap where we 're putting all the equipment , right ?
`` In one of those car smashers to see how small we can make it .
That 's what they 're doing right now . ''
Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get when you install a Russian asset in the Oval Office , amirite ?

Last night, Rachel Maddow talked about how the delay in acknowledging Joe Biden as the president-elect hasn't just been a disaster in regard to the pandemic, but in terms of national security. In only the most recent example, she points out how Trump is trashing our national security structure -- kind of like people did in 2008 when the banks repossessed their homes.
"I think it's been overlooked, though, that the length of time that the president has chosen to stretch this out, you know, defying the election results and keeping up this fiction that he's some how going to stay in power despite the election, it's not just been a time waster in terms of standing up the new government, it has also been a distraction from the stuff that the Trump administration is doing right now on its way out the door to mess up the country as much as they can while they're leaving," she said.
"For example, the Trump administration really did pick right now as the moment they have declared they are exiting the Open Skies treaty. So for us and for all our allied countries in Europe who have been in this treaty with us for decades, we have picked this moment, today, to leave them blind to the surveillance and other intelligence on Russia that they have been depending on through us because of this treaty since the fall of the Soviet Union.
She noted the treaty has been in place since 1992.
"We killed it today. We're leaving. We're not going to do those flights anymore. and so the other countries in the treaty won't get access to the intelligence and surveillance data that those flights provided. They've been getting that data for decades. As of today, no longer. and just to throw one more unwrapped Baby Ruth into the kiddie pool."
But "just in case" the Biden administration might want to rejoin the treaty, she said, "the Trump administration has decided to destroy the airplanes that we use for compliance with this treaty. Quoting the Wall Street Journal, in a move that could complicate President-elect Joe Biden's options if he sought to re-enter the agreement, the Trump administration is taking steps to dispose of the two specially-equipped OC-135B planes the U.S. has used to carry out Open Skies flights.
"A senior U.S. official said the planes are being designated as 'excess defense articles.' The official said, quote, 'We've started liquidating the equipment.' The senior U.S. official insisted that the goal in disposing of the OC-135s is not to tie the hands of the incoming Biden administration. That said, quote, 'The move follows a decision in July by then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper to cancel the program to buy newer planes to replace the OC-135s. That's eliminating the option of replacing the aircraft with more modern variants as well.
"So they're destroying the planes, and they've made sure there won't be any to replace them. Now, to be clear, it's not even clear -- it's not even widely agreed as to whether or not it's legal for the Trump administration to be doing this. I mean, legally they were supposed to consult with Congress for four months before pulling out of this treaty. They didn't. They just -- they just pulled out of it. Biden, if he wanted to, could presumably use that fact to unilaterally say as president, we're rejoining the open skies treaty. When they said they were withdrawing, that was actually illegal.
"It was done improperly. Consider us to still be in it. But if Biden does that -- and it's not inconceivable that Biden's going to do that -- 'neener neener, too bad.' The Trump administration right now, as we speak is liquidating these airplanes. Like they're postal service sorting machines in a majority black city in a swing state, right? And they killed off the funding for new ones, so there's no more planes to replace them in the pipeline and they're very highly specialized aircraft.
"So, you know, neener, neener. And hey, European countries worried that they might be the next country to be invaded by Russia, yeah, too bad. The U.S. is no longer here to help you keep an eye on that. And if Joe Biden wants to be a normal U.S. president and go back to the United States helping other countries around the world in that way, well, he can start maybe at the scrap heap where we're putting all the equipment, right?
"In one of those car smashers to see how small we can make it. That's what they're doing right now."
Well, that's one of the benefits you get when you install a Russian asset in the Oval Office, amirite?