crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Kamala Harris' VP Nomination Acceptance Speech

Kamala Harris picked up where President Obama left off , calling the ghosts of the Black women whose footsteps she walked in to the place she stands today .
Speaking to a group of appropriately socially distanced reporters and state delegation signs , she delivered a speech with sharp jabs at Trump and the Republican Party while also drawing viewers into a better picture of the future .
She definitely stuck the ending : We will tell them what we did .
Years from now , this moment will have passed .
And our children and our grandchildren will look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where were you when the stakes were so high ?
They will ask us , what was it like ?
And we will tell them .
We will tell them , not just how we felt .
Amen .
Her full remarks as prepared for delivery are below .
It is truly an honor to be speaking with you .
That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me .
Women and men who believed so fiercely in the promise of equality , liberty , and justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment .
And we celebrate the women who fought for that right .
Yet so many of the Black women who helped secure that victory were still prohibited from voting , long after its ratification .
But they were undeterred .
Without fanfare or recognition , they organized , testified , rallied , marched , and fought—not just for their vote , but for a seat at the table .
These women and the generations that followed worked to make democracy and opportunity real in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed .
They paved the way for the trailblazing leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton .
And these women inspired us to pick up the torch , and fight on .
Women like Mary Church Terrell and Mary McCleod Bethune .
Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash .
Constance Baker Motley and Shirley Chisholm .
We ’ re not often taught their stories .
But as Americans , we all stand on their shoulders .
There ’ s another woman , whose name isn ’ t known , whose story isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I stand on .
And that ’ s my mother—Shyamala Gopalan Harris .
She came here from India at age 19 to pursue her dream of curing cancer .
At the University of California Berkeley , she met my father , Donald Harris—who had come from Jamaica to study economics .
They fell in love in that most American way—while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s .
In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley , I got a stroller ’ s-eye view of people getting into what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble.
” When I was 5 , my parents split and my mother raised us mostly on her own .
Like so many mothers , she worked around the clock to make it work—packing lunches before we woke up— and paying bills after we went to bed .
Helping us with homework at the kitchen table—and shuttling us to church for choir practice .
She made it look easy , though I know it never was .
My mother instilled in my sister , Maya , and me the values that would chart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised us to be proud , strong Black women .
And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage .
She taught us to put family first—the family you ’ re born into and the family you choose .
Family , is my husband Doug , who I met on a blind date set up by my best friend .
Family is our beautiful children , Cole and Ella , who as you just heard , call me Momala .
Family is my sister .
Family is my best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Family is my uncles , my aunts—my chitthis .
Family is Mrs. Shelton—my second mother who lived two doors down and helped raise me .
Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha ... our Divine 9…and my HBCU brothers and sisters .
Family is the friends I turned to when my mother—the most important person in my life—passed away from cancer .
And even as she taught us to keep our family at the center of our world , she also pushed us to see a world beyond ourselves .
She taught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the struggles of all people .
To believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility .
That led me to become a lawyer , a District Attorney , Attorney General , and a United States Senator .
And at every step of the way , I ’ ve been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom : Kamala Harris , For the People .
I ’ ve fought for children , and survivors of sexual assault .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I took on the biggest banks , and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges .
I know a predator when I see one .
My mother taught me that service to others gives life purpose and meaning .
And oh , how I wish she were here tonight but I know she ’ s looking down on me from above .
I keep thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman—all of five feet tall—who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland , California .
On that day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would be standing before you now speaking these words : I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America .
I do so , committed to the values she taught me .
To the Word that teaches me to walk by faith , and not by sight .
And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares .
A vision of our nation as a Beloved Community—where all are welcome , no matter what we look like , where we come from , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we may not agree on every detail , but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth , deserving of compassion , dignity and respect .
A country where we look out for one another , where we rise and fall as one , where we face our challenges , and celebrate our triumphs—together .
Donald Trump 's failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods .
If you 're a parent struggling with your child ’ s remote learning , or you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that screen , you know that what we ’ re doing right now isn ’ t working .
And we are a nation that ’ s grieving .
Grieving the loss of life , the loss of jobs , the loss of opportunities , the loss of normalcy .
And yes , the loss of certainty .
And while this virus touches us all , let ’ s be honest , it is not an equal opportunity offender .
Black , Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effect of structural racism .
Of inequities in education and technology , health care and housing , job security and transportation .
The injustice in reproductive and maternal health care .
In the excessive use of force by police .
And in our broader criminal justice system .
This virus has no eyes , and yet it knows exactly how we see each other—and how we treat each other .
And let ’ s be clear—there is no vaccine for racism .
We ’ ve got ta do the work .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For the lives of too many others to name .
For our children .
For all of us .
We ’ ve got ta do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law .
Because , none of us are free ... until all of us are free ... We 're at an inflection point .
The constant chaos leaves us adrift .
The incompetence makes us feel afraid .
The callousness makes us feel alone .
And here 's the thing : We can do better and deserve so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president who will bring something different , something better , and do the important work .
A president who will bring all of us together—Black , White , Latino , Asian , Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want .
I knew Joe as Vice President .
I knew Joe on the campaign trail .
But I first got to know Joe as the father of my friend .
Joe ’ s son , Beau , and I served as Attorneys General of our states , Delaware and California .
During the Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly every day , working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks that foreclosed on people ’ s homes .
And Beau and I would talk about his family .
How , as a single father , Joe would spend 4 hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington .
Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad .
They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories .
And while they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little boys Always knew that they were deeply , unconditionally loved .
And what also moved me about Joe is the work he did , as he went back and forth .
This is the leader who wrote the Violence Against Women Act—and enacted the Assault Weapons Ban .
Who , as Vice President , implemented The Recovery Act , which brought our country back from The Great Recession .
He championed The Affordable Care Act , protecting millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions .
Who spent decades promoting American values and interests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our allies and standing up to our adversaries .
Right now , we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons .
Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose .
Joe will bring us together to build an economy that doesn ’ t leave anyone behind .
Where a good-paying job is the floor , not the ceiling .
Joe will bring us together to end this pandemic and make sure that we are prepared for the next one .
Joe will bring us together to squarely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work of generations .
Joe and I believe that we can build that Beloved Community , one that is strong and decent , just and kind .
One in which we all can see ourselves .
That ’ s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for .
The vision that made my own life possible .
The vision that makes the American promise—for all its complexities and imperfections—a promise worth fighting for .
Make no mistake , the road ahead will not be not easy .
We will stumble .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly .
We will speak truths .
And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us .
We believe that our country—all of us , will stand together for a better future .
We already are .
We see it in the doctors , the nurses , the home health care workers and the frontline workers who are risking their lives to save people they ’ ve never met .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers , the factory workers and farmers , the postal workers and the Poll workers , all putting their own safety on the line to help us get through this pandemic .
And we see it in so many of you who are working , not just to get us through our current crises , but to somewhere better .
There 's something happening , all across the country .
It 's not about Joe or me .
It 's about you .
It ’ s about us .
People of all ages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes , taking to the streets , and also persuading our family members , rallying our friends , organizing our neighbors , and getting out the vote .
And we ’ ve shown that , when we vote , we expand access to health care , expand access to the ballot box , and ensure that more working families can make a decent living .
I ’ m inspired by a new generation of leadership .
You are pushing us to realize the ideals of our nation , pushing us to live the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , justice and love .
You are the patriots who remind us that to love our country is to fight for the ideals of our country .
In this election , we have a chance to change the course of history .
We ’ re all in this fight .
You , me , and Joe—together .
What an awesome responsibility .
What an awesome privilege .
So , let ’ s fight with conviction .
Let ’ s fight with hope .
Let ’ s fight with confidence in ourselves , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the America we know is possible .
The America , we love .
Years from now , this moment will have passed .
And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us : Where were you when the stakes were so high ?
They will ask us , what was it like ?
And we will tell them .
We will tell them , not just how we felt .
We will tell them what we did .
Thank you .
God bless you .
And God bless @ @ @ @ @ @

Kamala Harris picked up where President Obama left off, calling the ghosts of the Black women whose footsteps she walked in to the place she stands today. Speaking to a group of appropriately socially distanced reporters and state delegation signs, she delivered a speech with sharp jabs at Trump and the Republican Party while also drawing viewers into a better picture of the future.
She definitely stuck the ending:
We will tell them what we did.
Years from now, this moment will have passed. And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us: Where were you when the stakes were so high? They will ask us, what was it like? And we will tell them. We will tell them, not just how we felt.
Amen. Her full remarks as prepared for delivery are below.
Greetings America.
It is truly an honor to be speaking with you.
That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me. Women and men who believed so fiercely in the promise of equality, liberty, and justice for all.
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. And we celebrate the women who fought for that right.
Yet so many of the Black women who helped secure that victory were still prohibited from voting, long after its ratification.
But they were undeterred.
Without fanfare or recognition, they organized, testified, rallied, marched, and fought—not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table. These women and the generations that followed worked to make democracy and opportunity real in the lives of all of us who followed.
They paved the way for the trailblazing leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
And these women inspired us to pick up the torch, and fight on.
Women like Mary Church Terrell and Mary McCleod Bethune. Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash. Constance Baker Motley and Shirley Chisholm.
We’re not often taught their stories. But as Americans, we all stand on their shoulders.
There’s another woman, whose name isn’t known, whose story isn’t shared. Another woman whose shoulders I stand on. And that’s my mother—Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
She came here from India at age 19 to pursue her dream of curing cancer. At the University of California Berkeley, she met my father, Donald Harris—who had come from Jamaica to study economics.
They fell in love in that most American way—while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley, I got a stroller’s-eye view of people getting into what the great John Lewis called “good trouble.”
When I was 5, my parents split and my mother raised us mostly on her own. Like so many mothers, she worked around the clock to make it work—packing lunches before we woke up— and paying bills after we went to bed. Helping us with homework at the kitchen table—and shuttling us to church for choir practice.
She made it look easy, though I know it never was.
My mother instilled in my sister, Maya, and me the values that would chart the course of our lives.
She raised us to be proud, strong Black women. And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage.
She taught us to put family first—the family you’re born into and the family you choose.
Family, is my husband Doug, who I met on a blind date set up by my best friend. Family is our beautiful children, Cole and Ella, who as you just heard, call me Momala. Family is my sister. Family is my best friend, my nieces and my godchildren. Family is my uncles, my aunts—my chitthis. Family is Mrs. Shelton—my second mother who lived two doors down and helped raise me. Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha...our Divine 9…and my HBCU brothers and sisters. Family is the friends I turned to when my mother—the most important person in my life—passed away from cancer.
And even as she taught us to keep our family at the center of our world, she also pushed us to see a world beyond ourselves.
She taught us to be conscious and compassionate about the struggles of all people. To believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility.
That led me to become a lawyer, a District Attorney, Attorney General, and a United States Senator.
And at every step of the way, I’ve been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom: Kamala Harris, For the People.
I’ve fought for children, and survivors of sexual assault. I’ve fought against transnational gangs. I took on the biggest banks, and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges.
I know a predator when I see one.
My mother taught me that service to others gives life purpose and meaning. And oh, how I wish she were here tonight but I know she’s looking down on me from above. I keep thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman—all of five feet tall—who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California.
On that day, she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now speaking these words: I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America.
I do so, committed to the values she taught me. To the Word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight. And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares. A vision of our nation as a Beloved Community—where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love.
A country where we may not agree on every detail, but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect.
A country where we look out for one another, where we rise and fall as one, where we face our challenges, and celebrate our triumphs—together.
Today... that country feels distant.
Donald Trump's failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods.
If you're a parent struggling with your child’s remote learning, or you’re a teacher struggling on the other side of that screen, you know that what we’re doing right now isn’t working.
And we are a nation that’s grieving. Grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, the loss of opportunities, the loss of normalcy. And yes, the loss of certainty.
And while this virus touches us all, let’s be honest, it is not an equal opportunity offender. Black, Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately.
This is not a coincidence. It is the effect of structural racism.
Of inequities in education and technology, health care and housing, job security and transportation.
The injustice in reproductive and maternal health care. In the excessive use of force by police. And in our broader criminal justice system.
This virus has no eyes, and yet it knows exactly how we see each other—and how we treat each other.
And let’s be clear—there is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work.
For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name. For our children. For all of us.
We’ve gotta do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law. Because, none of us are free...until all of us are free...
We're at an inflection point.
The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid. The callousness makes us feel alone.
It's a lot.
And here's the thing: We can do better and deserve so much more.
We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work. A president who will bring all of us together—Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want.
We must elect Joe Biden.
I knew Joe as Vice President. I knew Joe on the campaign trail. But I first got to know Joe as the father of my friend.
Joe’s son, Beau, and I served as Attorneys General of our states, Delaware and California. During the Great Recession, we spoke on the phone nearly every day, working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks that foreclosed on people’s homes.
And Beau and I would talk about his family.
How, as a single father, Joe would spend 4 hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington. Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad. They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories. And while they endured an unspeakable loss, these two little boys Always knew that they were deeply, unconditionally loved.
And what also moved me about Joe is the work he did, as he went back and forth. This is the leader who wrote the Violence Against Women Act—and enacted the Assault Weapons Ban. Who, as Vice President, implemented The Recovery Act, which brought our country back from The Great Recession. He championed The Affordable Care Act, protecting millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. Who spent decades promoting American values and interests around the world, standing up with our allies and standing up to our adversaries.
Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons.
Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose.
Joe will bring us together to build an economy that doesn’t leave anyone behind. Where a good-paying job is the floor, not the ceiling.
Joe will bring us together to end this pandemic and make sure that we are prepared for the next one.
Joe will bring us together to squarely face and dismantle racial injustice, furthering the work of
generations.
Joe and I believe that we can build that Beloved Community, one that is strong and decent, just and kind. One in which we all can see ourselves.
That’s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for. The vision that made my own life possible. The vision that makes the American promise—for all its complexities and imperfections—a promise worth fighting for.
Make no mistake, the road ahead will not be not easy. We will stumble. We may fall short. But I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly. We will speak truths. And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us.
We believe that our country—all of us, will stand together for a better future. We already are.
We see it in the doctors, the nurses, the home health care workers and the frontline workers who are risking their lives to save people they’ve never met.
We see it in the teachers and truck drivers, the factory workers and farmers, the postal workers and the Poll workers, all putting their own safety on the line to help us get through this pandemic.
And we see it in so many of you who are working, not just to get us through our current crises, but to somewhere better.
There's something happening, all across the country.
It's not about Joe or me.
It's about you.
It’s about us. People of all ages and colors and creeds who are, yes, taking to the streets, and also persuading our family members, rallying our friends, organizing our neighbors, and getting out the vote.
And we’ve shown that, when we vote, we expand access to health care, expand access to the ballot box, and ensure that more working families can make a decent living.
I’m inspired by a new generation of leadership. You are pushing us to realize the ideals of our nation, pushing us to live the values we share: decency and fairness, justice and love.
You are the patriots who remind us that to love our country is to fight for the ideals of our country.
In this election, we have a chance to change the course of history. We’re all in this fight.
You, me, and Joe—together.
What an awesome responsibility. What an awesome privilege.
So, let’s fight with conviction. Let’s fight with hope. Let’s fight with confidence in ourselves, and a commitment to each other. To the America we know is possible. The America, we love.
Years from now, this moment will have passed. And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us: Where were you when the stakes were so high?
They will ask us, what was it like?
And we will tell them. We will tell them, not just how we felt.
We will tell them what we did.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--President Obama: Don't Let Trump Take Away Your Democracy

President Obama was not hopey-changey tonight .
He was plain-spoken , warning that if we do n't show up this time around and vote , there wo n't be a democracy ( or a country ) left to save .
He 's right .
Eddie Glaude calls him the `` American Jeremiah '' in this speech .
When viewed first with Kamala Harris ' speech following , it was a true rhetorical victory .
Here are his remarks , as prepared for delivery : Good evening , everybody .
As you ’ ve seen by now , this isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not a normal time .
So tonight , I want to talk as plainly as I can about the stakes in this election .
Because what we do these next 76 days will echo through generations to come .
I ’ m in Philadelphia , where our Constitution was drafted and signed .
It wasn ’ t a perfect document .
It allowed for the inhumanity of slavery and failed to guarantee women – and even men who didn ’ t own property – the right to participate in the political process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a North Star that would guide future generations ; a system of representative government – a democracy – through which we could better realize our highest ideals .
Through civil war and bitter struggles , we improved this Constitution to include the voices of those who ’ d once been left out .
And gradually , we made this country more just , more equal , and more free .
The one Constitutional office elected by all of the people is the presidency .
So at minimum , we should expect a president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the safety and welfare of all 330 million of us – regardless of what we look like , how we worship , who we love , how much money we have – or who we voted for .
But we should also expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy .
We should expect that regardless of ego , ambition , or political beliefs , the president will preserve , protect , and defend the freedoms and ideals that so many Americans marched for and went to jail for ; fought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are running for president .
I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies .
I did hope , for the sake of our country , that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously ; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care .
But he never did .
For close to four years now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting in the work ; no interest in finding common ground ; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends ; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves .
Donald Trump hasn ’ t grown into the job because he can ’ t .
And the consequences of that failure are severe .
170,000 Americans dead .
Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impulses unleashed , our proud reputation around the world badly diminished , and our democratic institutions threatened like never before .
Now , I know that in times as polarized as these , most of you have already made up your mind .
But maybe you ’ re still not sure which candidate you ’ ll vote for – or whether you ’ ll vote at all .
Maybe you ’ re tired of the direction we ’ re headed , but you can ’ t see a better path yet , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the person who wants to lead us there .
So let me tell you about my friend Joe Biden .
Twelve years ago , when I began my search for a vice president , I didn ’ t know I ’ d end up finding a brother .
Joe and I came from different places and different generations .
But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience , born of too much struggle ; his empathy , born of too much grief .
Joe ’ s a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treat every person he meets with respect and dignity , living by the words his parents taught him : “ No one ’ s better than you , Joe , but you ’ re better than nobody.
” That empathy , that decency , the belief that everybody counts – that 's who Joe is .
When he talks with someone who ’ s lost her job , Joe remembers the night his father sat him down to say that he ’ d lost his .
When Joe listens to a parent who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together right now , he does it as the single dad who took the train back to Wilmington each and every night so he could tuck his kids into bed .
When he meets with military families who ’ ve lost their hero , he does it as a kindred spirit ; the parent of an American soldier ; somebody whose faith has endured the hardest loss there is .
For eight years , Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision .
He made me a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got the character and the experience to make us a better country .
And in my friend Kamala Harris , he ’ s chosen an ideal partner who ’ s more than prepared for the job ; someone who knows what it ’ s like to overcome barriers and who ’ s made a career fighting to help others live out their own American dream .
Along with the experience needed to get things done , Joe and Kamala have concrete policies that will turn their vision of a better , fairer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll get this pandemic under control , like Joe did when he helped me manage H1N1 and prevent an Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores .
They ’ ll expand health care to more Americans , like Joe and I did ten years ago when he helped craft the Affordable Care Act and nail down the votes to make it the law .
They ’ ll rescue the economy , like Joe helped me do after the Great Recession .
I asked him to manage the Recovery Act , which jumpstarted the longest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And he sees this moment now not as a chance to get back to where we were , but to make long-overdue changes so that our economy actually makes life a little easier for everybody – whether it ’ s the waitress trying to raise a kid on her own , or the shift worker always on the edge of getting laid off , or the student figuring out how to pay for next semester ’ s classes .
Joe and Kamala will restore our standing in the world – and as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that matters .
Joe knows the world , and the world knows him .
He knows that our true strength comes from setting an example the world wants to follow .
A nation that stands with democracy , not dictators .
A nation that can inspire and mobilize others to overcome threats like climate change , terrorism , poverty , and disease .
But more than anything , what I know about Joe and Kamala is that they actually care about every American .
And they care deeply about this democracy .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to vote is sacred , and we should be making it easier for people to cast their ballot , not harder .
They believe that no one – including the president – is above the law , and that no public official – including the president – should use their office to enrich themselves or their supporters .
They understand that in this democracy , the Commander-in-Chief doesn ’ t use the men and women of our military , who are willing to risk everything to protect our nation , as political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our own soil .
They understand that political opponents aren ’ t “ un-American ” just because they disagree with you ; that a free press isn ’ t the “ enemy ” but the way we hold officials accountable ; that our ability to work together to solve big problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up .
None of this should be controversial .
These shouldn ’ t be Republican principles or Democratic principles .
They ’ re American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this president and those who enable him , have shown they don ’ t believe in these things .
Tonight , I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala ’ s ability to lead this country out of these dark times and build it back better .
But here ’ s the thing : no single American can fix this country alone .
Not even a president .
Democracy was never meant to be transactional – you give me your vote ; I make everything better .
It requires an active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also asking you to believe in your own ability – to embrace your own responsibility as citizens – to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure .
Because that ’ s what at stake right now .
Our democracy .
Look , I understand why many Americans are down on government .
The way the rules have been set up and abused in Congress make it easy for special interests to stop progress .
Believe me , I know .
I understand why a white factory worker who ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipped overseas might feel like the government no longer looks out for him , and why a Black mother might feel like it never looked out for her at all .
I understand why a new immigrant might look around this country and wonder whether there ’ s still a place for him here ; why a young person might look at politics right now , the circus of it all , the meanness and the lies and crazy conspiracy theories and think , what ’ s the point ?
Well , here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and those in power – those who benefit from keeping things the way they are – they are counting on your cynicism .
They know they can ’ t win you over with their policies .
So they ’ re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote , and to convince you that your vote doesn ’ t matter .
That ’ s how they win .
That ’ s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life , and the lives of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected , how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks .
That ’ s how a democracy withers , until it ’ s no democracy at all .
We can ’ t let that happen .
Do not let them take away your power .
Don ’ t let them take away your democracy .
Make a plan right now for how you ’ re going to get involved and vote .
Do it as early as you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can vote too .
Do what Americans have done for over two centuries when faced with even tougher times than this – all those quiet heroes who found the courage to keep marching , keep pushing in the face of hardship and injustice .
Last month , we lost a giant of American democracy in John Lewis .
Some years ago , I sat down with John and the few remaining leaders of the early Civil Rights Movement .
One of them told me he never imagined he ’ d walk into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who looked like his grandson .
Then he told me that he ’ d looked it up , and it turned out that on the very day that I was born , he was marching into a jail cell , trying to end Jim Crow segregation in the South .
What we do echoes through the generations .
Whatever our backgrounds , we ’ re all the children of Americans who fought the good fight .
Great grandparents working in firetraps and sweatshops without rights or representation .
Farmers losing their dreams to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Latinos told to go back where they came from .
Jews and Catholics , Muslims and Sikhs , made to feel suspect for the way they worshipped .
Black Americans chained and whipped and hanged .
Spit on for trying to sit at lunch counters .
Beaten for trying to vote .
If anyone had a right to believe that this democracy did not work , and could not work , it was those Americans .
Our ancestors .
They were on the receiving end of a democracy that had fallen short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far the daily reality of America strayed from the myth .
And yet , instead of giving up , they joined together and said somehow , some way , we are going to make this work .
We are going to bring those words , in our founding documents , to life .
I ’ ve seen that same spirit rising these past few years .
Folks of every age and background who packed city centers and airports and rural roads so that families wouldn ’ t be separated .
So that another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So that our kids won ’ t grow up on an uninhabitable planet .
Americans of all races joining together to declare , in the face of injustice and brutality at the hands of the state , that Black Lives Matter , no more , but no less , so that no child in this country feels the continuing sting of racism .
To the young people who led us this summer , telling us we need to be better – in so many ways , you are this country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be persuaded that everyone has equal worth .
For you , it ’ s a given – a conviction .
And what I want you to know is that for all its messiness and frustrations , your system of self-government can be harnessed to help you realize those convictions .
You can give our democracy new meaning .
You can take it to a better place .
You ’ re the missing ingredient – the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this election .
But any chance of success depends entirely on the outcome of this election .
This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that ’ s what it takes to win .
So we have to get busy building it up – by pouring all our effort into these 76 days , and by voting like never before – for Joe and Kamala , and candidates up and down the ticket , so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for – today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

President Obama was not hopey-changey tonight. He was plain-spoken, warning that if we don't show up this time around and vote, there won't be a democracy (or a country) left to save. He's right.
Eddie Glaude calls him the "American Jeremiah" in this speech. When viewed first with Kamala Harris' speech following, it was a true rhetorical victory.
Here are his remarks, as prepared for delivery:
Good evening, everybody. As you’ve seen by now, this isn’t a normal convention. It’s not a normal time. So tonight, I want to talk as plainly as I can about the stakes in this election. Because what we do these next 76 days will echo through generations to come.
I’m in Philadelphia, where our Constitution was drafted and signed. It wasn’t a perfect document. It allowed for the inhumanity of slavery and failed to guarantee women – and even men who didn’t own property – the right to participate in the political process. But embedded in this document was a North Star that would guide future generations; a system of representative government – a democracy – through which we could better realize our highest ideals. Through civil war and bitter struggles, we improved this Constitution to include the voices of those who’d once been left out. And gradually, we made this country more just, more equal, and more free.
The one Constitutional office elected by all of the people is the presidency. So at minimum, we should expect a president to feel a sense of responsibility for the safety and welfare of all 330 million of us – regardless of what we look like, how we worship, who we love, how much money we have – or who we voted for.
But we should also expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy. We should expect that regardless of ego, ambition, or political beliefs, the president will preserve, protect, and defend the freedoms and ideals that so many Americans marched for and went to jail for; fought for and died for.
I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are running for president. I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies. I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care.
But he never did. For close to four years now, he’s shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.
Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.
Now, I know that in times as polarized as these, most of you have already made up your mind. But maybe you’re still not sure which candidate you’ll vote for – or whether you’ll vote at all. Maybe you’re tired of the direction we’re headed, but you can’t see a better path yet, or you just don’t know enough about the person who wants to lead us there.
So let me tell you about my friend Joe Biden.
Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn’t know I’d end up finding a brother. Joe and I came from different places and different generations. But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience, born of too much struggle; his empathy, born of too much grief. Joe’s a man who learned – early on – to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity, living by the words his parents taught him: “No one’s better than you, Joe, but you’re better than nobody.”
That empathy, that decency, the belief that everybody counts – that's who Joe is.
When he talks with someone who’s lost her job, Joe remembers the night his father sat him down to say that he’d lost his.
When Joe listens to a parent who’s trying to hold it all together right now, he does it as the single dad who took the train back to Wilmington each and every night so he could tuck his kids into bed.
When he meets with military families who’ve lost their hero, he does it as a kindred spirit; the parent of an American soldier; somebody whose faith has endured the hardest loss there is.
For eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president – and he’s got the character and the experience to make us a better country.
And in my friend Kamala Harris, he’s chosen an ideal partner who’s more than prepared for the job; someone who knows what it’s like to overcome barriers and who’s made a career fighting to help others live out their own American dream.
Along with the experience needed to get things done, Joe and Kamala have concrete policies that will turn their vision of a better, fairer, stronger country into reality.
They’ll get this pandemic under control, like Joe did when he helped me manage H1N1 and prevent an Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores.
They’ll expand health care to more Americans, like Joe and I did ten years ago when he helped craft the Affordable Care Act and nail down the votes to make it the law.
They’ll rescue the economy, like Joe helped me do after the Great Recession. I asked him to manage the Recovery Act, which jumpstarted the longest stretch of job growth in history. And he sees this moment now not as a chance to get back to where we were, but to make long-overdue changes so that our economy actually makes life a little easier for everybody – whether it’s the waitress trying to raise a kid on her own, or the shift worker always on the edge of getting laid off, or the student figuring out how to pay for next semester’s classes.
Joe and Kamala will restore our standing in the world – and as we’ve learned from this pandemic, that matters. Joe knows the world, and the world knows him. He knows that our true strength comes from setting an example the world wants to follow. A nation that stands with democracy, not dictators. A nation that can inspire and mobilize others to overcome threats like climate change, terrorism, poverty, and disease.
But more than anything, what I know about Joe and Kamala is that they actually care about every American. And they care deeply about this democracy.
They believe that in a democracy, the right to vote is sacred, and we should be making it easier for people to cast their ballot, not harder.
They believe that no one – including the president – is above the law, and that no public official – including the president – should use their office to enrich themselves or their supporters.
They understand that in this democracy, the Commander-in-Chief doesn’t use the men and women of our military, who are willing to risk everything to protect our nation, as political props to deploy against peaceful protesters on our own soil. They understand that political opponents aren’t “un-American” just because they disagree with you; that a free press isn’t the “enemy” but the way we hold officials accountable; that our ability to work together to solve big problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up.
None of this should be controversial. These shouldn’t be Republican principles or Democratic principles. They’re American principles. But at this moment, this president and those who enable him, have shown they don’t believe in these things.
Tonight, I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala’s ability to lead this country out of these dark times and build it back better. But here’s the thing: no single American can fix this country alone. Not even a president. Democracy was never meant to be transactional – you give me your vote; I make everything better. It requires an active and informed citizenry. So I am also asking you to believe in your own ability – to embrace your own responsibility as citizens – to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure.
Because that’s what at stake right now. Our democracy.
Look, I understand why many Americans are down on government. The way the rules have been set up and abused in Congress make it easy for special interests to stop progress. Believe me, I know. I understand why a white factory worker who’s seen his wages cut or his job shipped overseas might feel like the government no longer looks out for him, and why a Black mother might feel like it never looked out for her at all. I understand why a new immigrant might look around this country and wonder whether there’s still a place for him here; why a young person might look at politics right now, the circus of it all, the meanness and the lies and crazy conspiracy theories and think, what’s the point?
Well, here’s the point: this president and those in power – those who benefit from keeping things the way they are – they are counting on your cynicism. They know they can’t win you over with their policies. So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter. That’s how they win. That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers, until it’s no democracy at all.
We can’t let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Don’t let them take away your democracy. Make a plan right now for how you’re going to get involved and vote. Do it as early as you can and tell your family and friends how they can vote too. Do what Americans have done for over two centuries when faced with even tougher times than this – all those quiet heroes who found the courage to keep marching, keep pushing in the face of hardship and injustice.
Last month, we lost a giant of American democracy in John Lewis. Some years ago, I sat down with John and the few remaining leaders of the early Civil Rights Movement. One of them told me he never imagined he’d walk into the White House and see a president who looked like his grandson. Then he told me that he’d looked it up, and it turned out that on the very day that I was born, he was marching into a jail cell, trying to end Jim Crow segregation in the South.
What we do echoes through the generations.
Whatever our backgrounds, we’re all the children of Americans who fought the good fight. Great grandparents working in firetraps and sweatshops without rights or representation. Farmers losing their dreams to dust. Irish and Italians and Asians and Latinos told to go back where they came from. Jews and Catholics, Muslims and Sikhs, made to feel suspect for the way they worshipped. Black Americans chained and whipped and hanged. Spit on for trying to sit at lunch counters. Beaten for trying to vote.
If anyone had a right to believe that this democracy did not work, and could not work, it was those Americans. Our ancestors. They were on the receiving end of a democracy that had fallen short all their lives. They knew how far the daily reality of America strayed from the myth. And yet, instead of giving up, they joined together and said somehow, some way, we are going to make this work. We are going to bring those words, in our founding documents, to life.
I’ve seen that same spirit rising these past few years. Folks of every age and background who packed city centers and airports and rural roads so that families wouldn’t be separated. So that another classroom wouldn’t get shot up. So that our kids won’t grow up on an uninhabitable planet. Americans of all races joining together to declare, in the face of injustice and brutality at the hands of the state, that Black Lives Matter, no more, but no less, so that no child in this country feels the continuing sting of racism.
To the young people who led us this summer, telling us we need to be better – in so many ways, you are this country’s dreams fulfilled. Earlier generations had to be persuaded that everyone has equal worth. For you, it’s a given – a conviction. And what I want you to know is that for all its messiness and frustrations, your system of self-government can be harnessed to help you realize those convictions.
You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. You’re the missing ingredient – the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed.
That work will continue long after this election. But any chance of success depends entirely on the outcome of this election. This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win. So we have to get busy building it up – by pouring all our effort into these 76 days, and by voting like never before – for Joe and Kamala, and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for – today and for all our days to come.
Stay safe. God bless.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Cartoon: Trump Goes Postal

Cartoon: Trump Goes Postal

AB Stoddard discusses the fact that Republicans who go along with Trump 's destruction of the United States Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ as more and more of their constituents in rural areas are directly impacted by his @ @

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crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Harris, Obama, Clinton, Warren, Pelosi: Democratic National Convention Day 3

Here 's the lineup for tonight , subject to last-minute changes : Welcome to Wisconsin The Honorable Tony Evers Governor of Wisconsin “ America Rising : March for our Lives ” Featuring activist and Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez , whose generation has risen up to say enough to gun violence .
Remarks DeAndra Dycus A mother whose son was left paralyzed by a stray bullet at the age of 13 .
Remarks The Honorable Gabrielle Giffords Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives , Arizona Remarks The Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham Governor of New Mexico The Biden Plan : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s plan to combat climate change and secure a clean-energy future , narrated by an IBEW union worker from Harrisburg , Pennsylvania .
A Conversation with Young Climate Activists Young organizers talk about how they ’ re taking control of their future , and why they need a president like Joe Biden who will work with them .
“ A Letter to Trump on Immigration ” “ Mr .
President , you tore our world apart.
” Remarks The Sanchez Family Silvia Sanchez , an undocumented immigrant in North Carolina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Dreamer , and Lucy .
America Rising : Immigrants Rebuilding America We can never say it often or loudly enough : immigrants and refugees revitalize and renew America .
Immigrants built this country , and immigrants will rebuild this country .
America Rising : From Women ’ s Suffrage to the Women ’ s March It has been 100 years this week since women won the right to vote , and they 've been leading ever since .
Remarks The Honorable Hillary Clinton 2016 Democratic Nominee for President of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States Senator , New York Remarks The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Remarks Mariska Hargitay American actress and advocate Ruth Glenn CEO and President of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Carly Dryden At-Large Regional Advisor , “ It ’ s On Us ” “ When You See Something Wrong ” A video highlighting Joe Biden ’ s leadership on the Violence Against Women Act and its legacy .
Remarks The Honorable Hilda Solis Los Angeles County Supervisor Former United States Secretary of Labor “ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union : A Conversation on the Economy with Vice President Biden Joe Biden listens to , and engages with , union workers around how to build back better a new economy for our families and the next generation .
“ America Recovering ” Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti , and U.S. Representative from Iowa Cindy Axne talk to small business owners in their communities about how they ’ re struggling in Donald Trump ’ s economy .
Remarks The Honorable Barack Obama 44th President of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nominee for Vice President of the United States United States Senator , California

Here's the lineup for tonight, subject to last-minute changes:
A MORE PERFECT UNION
Welcome to Wisconsin
The Honorable Tony Evers
Governor of Wisconsin
A MORE PERFECT SOCIETY
Introduction
Kerry Washington
American actress
A More Perfect Union Means...Ending Gun Violence
“America Rising: March for our Lives”
Featuring activist and Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez, whose generation has risen up to say enough to gun violence.
Remarks
DeAndra Dycus
A mother whose son was left paralyzed by a stray bullet at the age of 13.
Remarks
The Honorable Gabrielle Giffords
Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Arizona
A More Perfect Union...Means Tackling Climate Change
Remarks
The Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham
Governor of New Mexico
The Biden Plan: Climate Change
A video focused on Joe Biden’s plan to combat climate change and secure a clean-energy future, narrated by an IBEW union worker from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
A Conversation with Young Climate Activists
Young organizers talk about how they’re taking control of their future, and why they need a president like Joe Biden who will work with them.
Performance
Billie Eilish
American singer-songwriter
A More Perfect Union...Means Keeping Immigrant Families Together
“A Letter to Trump on Immigration”
“Mr. President, you tore our world apart.”
Remarks
The Sanchez Family
Silvia Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant in North Carolina, with her daughters Jessica, who is a Dreamer, and Lucy.
America Rising: Immigrants Rebuilding America
We can never say it often or loudly enough: immigrants and refugees revitalize and renew America. Immigrants built this country, and immigrants will rebuild this country.
Performance
Prince Royce
Dominican-American singer-songwriter
A More Perfect Union...Means Women Lead
America Rising: From Women’s Suffrage to the Women’s March
It has been 100 years this week since women won the right to vote, and they've been leading ever since.
Remarks
The Honorable Hillary Clinton
2016 Democratic Nominee for President of the United States
Former United States Secretary of State
Former United States Senator, New York
Remarks
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Remarks
Mariska Hargitay
American actress and advocate
Ruth Glenn
CEO and President of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Carly Dryden
At-Large Regional Advisor, “It’s On Us”
“When You See Something Wrong”
A video highlighting Joe Biden’s leadership on the Violence Against Women Act and its legacy.
A MORE PERFECT ECONOMY
Remarks
The Honorable Hilda Solis
Los Angeles County Supervisor
Former United States Secretary of Labor
“You Built America” - A More Perfect Union: A Conversation on the Economy with Vice President Biden
Joe Biden listens to, and engages with, union workers around how to build back better a new economy for our families and the next generation.
“America Recovering”
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and U.S. Representative from Iowa Cindy Axne talk to small business owners in their communities about how they’re struggling in Donald Trump’s economy.
Remarks
The Honorable Elizabeth Warren
United States Senator, Massachusetts
MORE PERFECT LEADERSHIP
Remarks
The Honorable Barack Obama
44th President of the United States
Nominating Speech
Maya Harris, Meena Harris, and Ella Emhoff
Remarks
The Honorable Kamala Harris
2020 Democratic Nominee for Vice President of the United States
United States Senator, California
Performance
Jennifer Hudson
American singer and actress


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Bill Barr Admits He Knew About Bannon Investigation When He Fired US Attorney Berman

Attorney General William Barr admitted on Thursday that he was aware that Steve Bannon was under investigation for fraud when he fired U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman , the top federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York .
Following Bannon ’ s arrest this week , Barr told the Associated Press that he knew of the investigation into President Donald Trump ’ s former campaign chief when he ousted Berman .
The case is expected to be handled by SDNY prosecutors .
“ Attorney General Bill Barr tells @ AP he was first made aware of the Bannon investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular briefings on the case , ” AP Justice Department correspondent Mike Balsamo revealed on Twitter .
“ He emphasized the president had opposed the work of ‘ We Build The Wall ’ and Bannon is a former Trump aide.
” Barr fired Berman in June after the prosecutor refused to resign .
“ Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning , I have asked the President to remove you as of today , and he has done so , ” Barr wrote in a letter to Berman at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear how Berman ’ s firing has impacted the Southern District ’ s case against Bannon .

Attorney General William Barr admitted on Thursday that he was aware that Steve Bannon was under investigation for fraud when he fired U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, the top federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York.
Following Bannon’s arrest this week, Barr told the Associated Press that he knew of the investigation into President Donald Trump’s former campaign chief when he ousted Berman. The case is expected to be handled by SDNY prosecutors.
“Attorney General Bill Barr tells @AP he was first made aware of the Bannon investigation several months ago but has not received regular briefings on the case,” AP Justice Department correspondent Mike Balsamo revealed on Twitter. “He emphasized the president had opposed the work of ‘We Build The Wall’ and Bannon is a former Trump aide.”
Attorney General Bill Barr tells @AP he was first made aware of the Bannon investigation several months ago but has not received regular briefings on the case. He emphasized the president had opposed the work of “We Build The Wall” and Bannon is a former Trump aide. — Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) August 20, 2020
Barr fired Berman in June after the prosecutor refused to resign.
“Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the President to remove you as of today, and he has done so,” Barr wrote in a letter to Berman at the time.
It was not immediately clear how Berman’s firing has impacted the Southern District’s case against Bannon.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Trump Lies, Says He 'Didn't Like' Steve Bannon's Wall GoFundMe Fraud

During a press conference with the Prime Minister of Iraq , Trump lied to the press and claimed he was always against the `` We Build The Wall '' fraud led by one of his top supporters and political advisors Steve Bannon .
When asked to comment about the arrest , Trump immediately claimed that he did not support the whole idea of privately funding the construction of a border wall .
`` I know nothing about the project other than I did n't like when I read about it , I did n't like it , '' he told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for government - this is n't for private people and it sounded like showboating and I think I let my opinion be very strongly stated at the time .
I did n't like it- it was show boating and maybe looking for funds . ''
Trump was distraught about Steve Bannon , saying it was a very sad thing that happened to Bannon .
To Bannon ?
Trump totally ignored the thousands of people that were swindled by the fraud they allegedly perpetrated , even if their racism was cynically played for fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump 's phony voter fraud czar and overall scumbag Kris Kobach said Trump had given his seal of approval to the project .
Mr. Kobach says the group has obtained the presidential seal of approval for the private initiative .
President Trump gave the undertaking his “ blessing ” in a telephone conversation Wednesday night , according to Mr. Kobach .
Laura Ingraham pimped it on Fox News and everyone agreed it was a wonderful way to jumpstart the wall .
Erik Prince even crowed to Mehdi Hasan that in the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
In 2018 , Trump Junior was ecstatic about the project and praised now-indicted conspirator who was also indicted : Another reporter questioned Trump 's hiring ethics , reciting all his campaign officials who have been indicted and arrested .
Trump just deflected with his usual lie about Obama spying on his campaign before moving on .
He 's moving on because he knows his close advisors Erik Prince , Kris Kobach , Don Junior and more created this scam as a way to skim some federal government bucks off the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thread for more .
There are some inaccuracies in it , especially the part where she suggests that the $ 25 million went to 4 miles of wall .
It clearly did n't .
But the linkages to government contracts tell the tale .

During a press conference with the Prime Minister of Iraq, Trump lied to the press and claimed he was always against the "We Build The Wall" fraud led by one of his top supporters and political advisors Steve Bannon.
When asked to comment about the arrest, Trump immediately claimed that he did not support the whole idea of privately funding the construction of a border wall.
"I know nothing about the project other than I didn't like when I read about it, I didn't like it," he told reporters. "I said this is for government - this isn't for private people and it sounded like showboating and I think I let my opinion be very strongly stated at the time. I didn't like it- it was show boating and maybe looking for funds."
Trump was distraught about Steve Bannon, saying it was a very sad thing that happened to Bannon. To Bannon? Trump totally ignored the thousands of people that were swindled by the fraud they allegedly perpetrated, even if their racism was cynically played for fun and profit.
In January of 2019, Trump's phony voter fraud czar and overall scumbag Kris Kobach said Trump had given his seal of approval to the project.
Mr. Kobach says the group has obtained the presidential seal of approval for the private initiative. President Trump gave the undertaking his “blessing” in a telephone conversation Wednesday night, according to Mr. Kobach.
Laura Ingraham pimped it on Fox News and everyone agreed it was a wonderful way to jumpstart the wall. Erik Prince even crowed to Mehdi Hasan that in the end, Mexico would have to pay for it.
"the last chapter...is not done yet...mark my words"
Erik Prince, in his now-infamous @AJheadtohead interview with me last year, defended both the We Build The Wall fundraising project that he's involved in & Brian Kolfage, who was arrested today alongside Steve Bannon.
Watch: pic.twitter.com/cd5FMMXKcL — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 20, 2020
In 2018, Trump Junior was ecstatic about the project and praised now-indicted conspirator who was also indicted:
Donald Trump Jr. two years ago on the We Build The Wall group whose donors Steve Bannon was charged today with defrauding:
“showing really what capitalism is all about. this is private enterprise at its finest” https://t.co/ah9BLMr1L3 — John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) August 20, 2020
Another reporter questioned Trump's hiring ethics, reciting all his campaign officials who have been indicted and arrested. Trump just deflected with his usual lie about Obama spying on his campaign before moving on.
Karoli adds:
He's moving on because he knows his close advisors Erik Prince, Kris Kobach, Don Junior and more created this scam as a way to skim some federal government bucks off the top of the larger contract.
Read this thread for more. There are some inaccuracies in it, especially the part where she suggests that the $25 million went to 4 miles of wall. It clearly didn't. But the linkages to government contracts tell the tale.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Donald Trump Loses Appeal To Keep Taxes Hidden From NY AG

Poor Donald Trump is having a very bad day .
First , one of the main architects of his campaign ( and former WH advisor ) Steve Bannon was arrested for fraud related to a GoFundMe campaign which raised over $ 25M to build a wall , but appears to have partially been used to fund personal expenses for numerous people associated with the campaign .
Second , a federal judge ruled that New York State prosecutors could have access to Trump 's accounting records and taxes , throwing the appeal out -- with prejudice , meaning he ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling comes after the Supreme Court sent the case back down to the lower court just a month ago .
Trump 's attorneys continued to claim that he had `` absolute immunity '' , which is not a legal term and is completely fabricated .
Trump has already appealed and is asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals for emergency help ( ie a Hail Mary please save me move ) .
CNN reports that the subpoena could be enforced as early as next week .
In the 103-page ruling , U.S. District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim of `` absolute immunity '' : “ As this court suggested in its earlier ruling in this litigation , that notion , applied as so robustly proclaimed by the president ’ s advocates , is as unprecedented and far-reaching as it is perilous to the rule of law and other bedrock constitutional principles on which this country was founded and by which it continues to be governed.
” The Manhattan DA , Cy Vance , has been seeing accounting records from Donald Trump and the Trump Organization to investigate whether they broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made to women Trump paid to hush about his affairs with them .
It is quite possible that they may discover many other crimes while reviewing the taxes , though , and this is almost definitely why Trump is fighting so hard to hide them .
He does not care about the hush money payments .
But , he does care about many other crimes , such as tax laws .
Vance had agreed to wait a full week to enforce the subpoena .
Trump 's attorney 's did n't even wait an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports that `` the appeals court could hear Trump 's challenge and will separately have to decide if the subpoena should be put on hold '' so this could move very fast .
They could also deny an appeal and hold that the Court 's ruling stands .
Trump would have limited options at that point .
We will update this story as the story unfolds .

Poor Donald Trump is having a very bad day. First, one of the main architects of his campaign (and former WH advisor) Steve Bannon was arrested for fraud related to a GoFundMe campaign which raised over $25M to build a wall, but appears to have partially been used to fund personal expenses for numerous people associated with the campaign. Second, a federal judge ruled that New York State prosecutors could have access to Trump's accounting records and taxes, throwing the appeal out -- with prejudice, meaning he can't come back and appeal again.
The ruling comes after the Supreme Court sent the case back down to the lower court just a month ago. Trump's attorneys continued to claim that he had "absolute immunity", which is not a legal term and is completely fabricated. Trump has already appealed and is asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals for emergency help (ie a Hail Mary please save me move). CNN reports that the subpoena could be enforced as early as next week.
In the 103-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero wrote about Trump's claim of "absolute immunity":
“As this court suggested in its earlier ruling in this litigation, that notion, applied as so robustly proclaimed by the president’s advocates, is as unprecedented and far-reaching as it is perilous to the rule of law and other bedrock constitutional principles on which this country was founded and by which it continues to be governed.”
The Manhattan DA, Cy Vance, has been seeing accounting records from Donald Trump and the Trump Organization to investigate whether they broke any state laws in regards to payments made to women Trump paid to hush about his affairs with them. It is quite possible that they may discover many other crimes while reviewing the taxes, though, and this is almost definitely why Trump is fighting so hard to hide them. He does not care about the hush money payments. But, he does care about many other crimes, such as tax laws.
Vance had agreed to wait a full week to enforce the subpoena. Trump's attorney's didn't even wait an hour before filing their appeal. CNN reports that "the appeals court could hear Trump's challenge and will separately have to decide if the subpoena should be put on hold" so this could move very fast. They could also deny an appeal and hold that the Court's ruling stands. Trump would have limited options at that point.
We will update this story as the story unfolds.
UPDATED 8/21/20: Trump has officially lost his request for a stay of the ruling of the lower court. Courthouse News reports that a Federal Judge made a quick ruling on the request for a stay. In his ruling, Judge Marrero states that the Court is concerned about "further delay on the grand jury’s" probe.
A federal judge DENIES Trump's motion to stay his ruling allowing Manhattan DA Vance to subpoena his financial records, including his tax returns.
Judge Marrero's also concerned about "further delay on the grand jury’s" probe.
Background, @CourthouseNews https://t.co/pkMdUNO9HY pic.twitter.com/ViE3blzk6f — Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) August 21, 2020
Further, Judge Marrero writes that "The court notes that its views remain unchanged with respect to the president’s likelihood of success on the merits... particularly given the concerns ... regarding the effect of further delay on the grand jury’s investigation."
"The court notes that its views remain unchanged with respect to the president’s likelihood of success on the merits... particularly given the concerns ... regarding the effect of further delay on the grand jury’s investigation."
Doc: https://t.co/iMPAya1Tas — Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) August 21, 2020
But, this does not end the matter. Trump has asked for the same stay from SCOTUS. Based on July's ruling from SCOTUS, in which they remanded the case (sent back) to the lower court, it is highly likely they will make a quick decision and do the exact same thing. If so, they could dispense the request and simply issue a denial to hear the case. If that happens, it is done and Cy Vance could get access to Trump's accounting documents within a matter of weeks, or even days.
This could move very fast. Trump has few options left to fight this case.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--CNN:  Melania Has 'No Plans' To Campaign For Donald After Convention

That 's slapping his hand away !
CNN reports that the First Lady does n't have plans to campaign amongst the MAGA faithful .
Not a surprise .
Short of the convention address , there is little else on Trump 's radar pertaining directly to assisting the reelection of her husband .
She was not a big presence on the 2016 campaign trail , either -- [ Mrs. ] Trump made fewer than 10 solo appearances and less in the way of speeches .
This time around -- an election cycle marred by the coronavirus pandemic which inhibits large crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concrete plans to attend events , speak to fundraisers , nor attempt to garner voters in any tangible way , according to a source familiar with the first lady 's travel schedule .
Her calendar for the next several weeks is open .
Some of that decision could be related to Covid-19 and an awareness about the optics of travel and the general discouragement of crowds by health officials .
Still , one wonders if even in a Covid-free world , the first lady would be making the long , hard slog across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spouses of incumbents have in the past .

That's slapping his hand away!
CNN reports that the First Lady doesn't have plans to campaign amongst the MAGA faithful. Not a surprise.
Short of the convention address, there is little else on Trump's radar pertaining directly to assisting the reelection of her husband. She was not a big presence on the 2016 campaign trail, either -- [Mrs.] Trump made fewer than 10 solo appearances and less in the way of speeches.
This time around -- an election cycle marred by the coronavirus pandemic which inhibits large crowds anyway -- the first lady has no concrete plans to attend events, speak to fundraisers, nor attempt to garner voters in any tangible way, according to a source familiar with the first lady's travel schedule. Her calendar for the next several weeks is open.
Some of that decision could be related to Covid-19 and an awareness about the optics of travel and the general discouragement of crowds by health officials. Still, one wonders if even in a Covid-free world, the first lady would be making the long, hard slog across the country that other more seasoned political spouses of incumbents have in the past.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Steve Bannon Arrested By SDNY This Morning, Charged In 'Build The Wall' Grift

Some breaking news from the Southern District Of New York this morning , as federal prosecutors indicted Steve Bannon for his part in a $ 25M fraud case .
`` Our legal analyst is on the phone .
Reading this indictment that came down from the SDNY , we are talking about raising $ 25 million .
What is being alleged here ? ''
Poppy Harlow asked former prosecutor and CNN analyst Elie Honig .
`` So this is essentially a massive embezzlement that is being alleged here and a fraud .
So the fraud , first of all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Steve Bannon , who is one of the four charged defendants , marketed this 'build the wall ' operation .
They essentially marketed it as an operation where , if you donated this money is going to be used to build the border wall , but instead -- this is the embezzlement part , Bannon and the others essentially pocketed the money , they used it to fund their own lavish lifestyle in a way to -- obviously , it 's a sensational case involving very politically charged issues relating to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steve Bannon .
But in a way it 's really a straightforward fraud and embezzlement case and the evidence looking at a indictment right now looks quite strong to me . ''
In response to a question from Jim Sciutto , yes , Bill Barr would have been notified , Honig said .
`` Look , the SDNY is famously independent .
People used to call -- still call it the sovereign district of New York because the SDNY is famously independent from politics .
That said , as you noted , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney general , and in a case like this with potential political implications , that has to go up to main Justice to the attorney general , '' he said .
`` Let 's bring in our colleague Kara Scanell .
This is your wheelhouse and you 're joining us on the phone .
This is a big deal .
These are serious allegations against Steve Bannon and others , of course , very close to the president , and we 're talking about millions of dollars here .
What do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yeah , that 's right , Poppy .
So these charges are just out today , and we 're told by the U.S. Attorney 's office that Steve Bannon is in custody , that he has been arrested , '' she said .
You can read the details here .
Bannon is looking at 25 years , and it looks like a strong case .
Wonder if he 'll cooperate with any of the other SDNY cases surrounding Trump ?
Stay tuned !
Oh , and you know who else was charged and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy .
And look at the board members !

Some breaking news from the Southern District Of New York this morning, as federal prosecutors indicted Steve Bannon for his part in a $25M fraud case.
"Our legal analyst is on the phone. Reading this indictment that came down from the SDNY, we are talking about raising $25 million. What is being alleged here?" Poppy Harlow asked former prosecutor and CNN analyst Elie Honig.
"So this is essentially a massive embezzlement that is being alleged here and a fraud. So the fraud, first of all, is in the way that the defendants, including Steve Bannon, who is one of the four charged defendants, marketed this 'build the wall' operation. They essentially marketed it as an operation where, if you donated this money is going to be used to build the border wall, but instead -- this is the embezzlement part, Bannon and the others essentially pocketed the money, they used it to fund their own lavish lifestyle in a way to --obviously, it's a sensational case involving very politically charged issues relating to the wall and a well-known person, Steve Bannon. But in a way it's really a straightforward fraud and embezzlement case and the evidence looking at a indictment right now looks quite strong to me."
In response to a question from Jim Sciutto, yes, Bill Barr would have been notified, Honig said.
"Look, the SDNY is famously independent. People used to call -- still call it the sovereign district of New York because the SDNY is famously independent from politics. That said, as you noted, it is under the control or supervision of the attorney general, and in a case like this with potential political implications, that has to go up to main Justice to the attorney general," he said.
"Let's bring in our colleague Kara Scanell. This is your wheelhouse and you're joining us on the phone. This is a big deal. These are serious allegations against Steve Bannon and others, of course, very close to the president, and we're talking about millions of dollars here. What do you know?" Harlow asked.
"Yeah, that's right, Poppy. So these charges are just out today, and we're told by the U.S. Attorney's office that Steve Bannon is in custody, that he has been arrested," she said.
You can read the details here.
NEW: Law enforcement source tells @NBCNewYork Steve Bannon was arrested this morning on board a boat off the coast of Westbrook, CT #nbc4ny https://t.co/hV9egi3SiZ — Steven Bognar (@Bogs4NY) August 20, 2020
Bannon is looking at 25 years, and it looks like a strong case. Wonder if he'll cooperate with any of the other SDNY cases surrounding Trump? Stay tuned!
Oh, and you know who else was charged and arrested in the same case? This guy.
Here's the boat listed for forfeiture in the indictment. https://t.co/IV5DkoWn2z — emptywheel (@emptywheel) August 20, 2020
And look at the board members!


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Putin Critic Aleksei Navalny In Coma After Being Poisoned In Airport

Via CNN , Putin critic Alexei Navalry has been poisoned in an airport : Moscow ( CNN ) Russian opposition @ @ @ @ @ Alexey Navalny was unconscious and on a ventilator in a Siberian hospital Thursday after falling @ @ @ @ @ his spokeswoman said .
Navalny , 44 , started feeling unwell while on a return @ @ @ @ @ Siberian city of Tomsk , his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh , said on Twitter .
The @ @ @ @ @ landing in Omsk , she added .
He only drank black tea in an airport @ @ @ @ @ told Russian radio station Echo of Moscow .
`` We assume that Alexey was poisoned @ @ @ @ @ tea .
It was the only thing that he drank in the morning .
Doctors @ @ @ @ @ faster through the hot liquid , '' Yarmysh tweeted .

Via CNN, Putin critic Alexei Navalry has been poisoned in an airport:
Moscow (CNN)Russian opposition leader and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny was unconscious and on a ventilator in a Siberian hospital Thursday after falling ill from suspected poisoning, his spokeswoman said.
Navalny, 44, started feeling unwell while on a return flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh, said on Twitter. The plane later made an urgent landing in Omsk, she added.
He only drank black tea in an airport cafe before takeoff, Yarmysh told Russian radio station Echo of Moscow.
"We assume that Alexey was poisoned with something mixed into the tea. It was the only thing that he drank in the morning. Doctors say the toxin was absorbed faster through the hot liquid," Yarmysh tweeted.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Nicole Wallace Dives Deep In Her Reaction To President Obama's Convention Speech

Joy Reid and Nicolle Wallace reacted to President Barack Obama 's speech last night , and Wallace really went deep and thoughtful in her take .
`` Let me say this about Obama .
I have a hunch that every living former president would speak from the same deep well of despair , '' Wallace said .
`` Obama 's speech shook me because of his despair laid bare .
And if you had been the president you probably feel , you probably have a well of theory that started the first day of the transition , when Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a back channel to Russia to go around the intelligence community .
By the way , there are a bunch of stars at the CIA from members of the intelligence community that died protecting this country 's national security .
First thing that Trump did when he won was to liken them to Nazis .
`` So we can not fathom the fury and the despair and the rage that every former living president -- I 'm going to out on a limb and say the dead ones , too -- feel when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've not seen any living president tap that well of despair and be vulnerable enough to share it with the country , but is my theory of the case of what President Obama did tonight .
`` And the gift it gave Senator Harris , the vice presidential campaign exists in three acts .
The first is the announcement speech .
the second is the convention speech .
And the third is the vice presidential debate .
By Obama doing what he did and being that vulnerable and sharing that urgent call to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrestled with whether or not to do that -- she was allowed to do -- I see her attacks as really nice .
`` I think the reason she slays Bill Barr is because she does it with this velvet hammer .
So I did n't see her as sort of putting aside the fierceness to be nice .
I think she is always all things , and I do n't think any woman should have to compartmentalize herself .
I 'm from the Bay area , too , and I 've grown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching all the women around her .
So to see all them there , it just let her tell that part of her story , but I think that this convention story telling is second to none .
I actually think that the stories they have told have built this drama that is Hollywood-like in its tension , in its despair , in its pain .
`` I mean to make the pain that we have all felt if you love this country to watch what Donald Trump has done to it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And to make that part of the case to the country is risky , and , you know , we wo n't know until Election Day if it works , but it is big and it is painful , and it is raw .
`` And I just think that this Obama speech was one for the ages .
And it let everybody else kind of go out and do what they be to do to tell the Biden story , but I think it 's something we 'll be talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she concluded .

Joy Reid and Nicolle Wallace reacted to President Barack Obama's speech last night, and Wallace really went deep and thoughtful in her take.
"Let me say this about Obama. I have a hunch that every living former president would speak from the same deep well of despair," Wallace said.
"Obama's speech shook me because of his despair laid bare. And if you had been the president you probably feel, you probably have a well of theory that started the first day of the transition, when Donald Trump and his son tried to set up a back channel to Russia to go around the intelligence community. By the way, there are a bunch of stars at the CIA from members of the intelligence community that died protecting this country's national security. First thing that Trump did when he won was to liken them to Nazis.
"So we cannot fathom the fury and the despair and the rage that every former living president -- I'm going to out on a limb and say the dead ones, too -- feel when they watch President Trump. And I've not seen any living president tap that well of despair and be vulnerable enough to share it with the country, but is my theory of the case of what President Obama did tonight.
"And the gift it gave Senator Harris, the vice presidential campaign exists in three acts. The first is the announcement speech. the second is the convention speech. And the third is the vice presidential debate. By Obama doing what he did and being that vulnerable and sharing that urgent call to action -- and I would guess he wrestled with whether or not to do that -- she was allowed to do -- I see her attacks as really nice.
"I think the reason she slays Bill Barr is because she does it with this velvet hammer. So I didn't see her as sort of putting aside the fierceness to be nice. I think she is always all things, and I don't think any woman should have to compartmentalize herself. I'm from the Bay area, too, and I've grown up knowing her and watching her and watching all the women around her. So to see all them there, it just let her tell that part of her story, but I think that this convention story telling is second to none. I actually think that the stories they have told have built this drama that is Hollywood-like in its tension, in its despair, in its pain.
"I mean to make the pain that we have all felt if you love this country to watch what Donald Trump has done to it has been searing. it has been gutting. And to make that part of the case to the country is risky, and, you know, we won't know until Election Day if it works, but it is big and it is painful, and it is raw.
"And I just think that this Obama speech was one for the ages. And it let everybody else kind of go out and do what they be to do to tell the Biden story, but I think it's something we'll be talking about for a really long time," she concluded.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Miles Taylor: Trump Wanted To Trade 'Dirty, Poor' Puerto Rico For Greenland

Apparently , Trump was a lot more serious -- and carries a lot more animus towards Puerto Rico -- than the so-called Paper of Record ( the New York Times ) was willing to share with their readers .
But that 's the liberal media for you .
Always willing to give the benefit of the doubt to despots and racists like Trump .
In an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday , Miles Taylor , who served as chief of staff under former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen , confirmed a New York Times story last month that said Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the president inquired to aides about trading the islands for Greenland .
“ Not only did he want to purchase Greenland , he actually said he wanted to see if we could sell Puerto Rico , ” Taylor said .
“ Could we swap Puerto Rico for Greenland because , in his words , Puerto Rico was dirty and the people were poor ? ''
“ The president expressed deep animus towards the Puerto Rican people behind the scenes .
These are people who were recovering from the worst disaster of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He should be standing by them , not trying to sell them off to a foreign country.
” The Times reported the suggestion to sell Puerto Rico was never seriously pursued .

Apparently, Trump was a lot more serious -- and carries a lot more animus towards Puerto Rico -- than the so-called Paper of Record (the New York Times) was willing to share with their readers. But that's the liberal media for you. Always willing to give the benefit of the doubt to despots and racists like Trump.
Source: NY1
In an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday, Miles Taylor, who served as chief of staff under former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, confirmed a New York Times story last month that said Trump asked about selling Puerto Rico. Taylor said the president inquired to aides about trading the islands for Greenland.
“Not only did he want to purchase Greenland, he actually said he wanted to see if we could sell Puerto Rico,” Taylor said. “Could we swap Puerto Rico for Greenland because, in his words, Puerto Rico was dirty and the people were poor?"
“The president expressed deep animus towards the Puerto Rican people behind the scenes. These are people who were recovering from the worst disaster of their lifetimes. He is their president. He should be standing by them, not trying to sell them off to a foreign country.”
The Times reported the suggestion to sell Puerto Rico was never seriously pursued.


crooksandliars--2020-08-20--Kayleigh McEnany Won't Say Whether Trump Will Accept Election Outcome: ‘He’ll See What Happens’

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday refused to say that President Donald Trump will accept the election results if he loses in November .
At a White House briefing , McEnany was asked about Trump ’ s recent remarks claiming that the only way he can lose the election is if it is “ rigged.
” “ Does the president believe there is any circumstance under which he could lose the election fairly ?
” one reporter asked the press secretary .
“ The president believes that he ’ s done a great job for the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November , ” McEnany insisted .
“ He believes that voter fraud is real , in line with what we see all across the country , particularly with mail-in ballots , which are prone to fraud.
” “ Is the president saying that if he doesn ’ t win this election that he will not accept the results ?
” a second reporter wondered .
“ The president has always said he ’ ll see what happens , ” McEnany admitted , “ and make a determination in the aftermath .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November .
He wants a free election , a fair election and he wants confidence in the results of the election , particularly when you have states like Nevada doing mass mail-out voting to their voting rolls .
”

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday refused to say that President Donald Trump will accept the election results if he loses in November.
At a White House briefing, McEnany was asked about Trump’s recent remarks claiming that the only way he can lose the election is if it is “rigged.”
“Does the president believe there is any circumstance under which he could lose the election fairly?” one reporter asked the press secretary.
“The president believes that he’s done a great job for the American people and he believes that will show in November,” McEnany insisted. “He believes that voter fraud is real, in line with what we see all across the country, particularly with mail-in ballots, which are prone to fraud.”
“Is the president saying that if he doesn’t win this election that he will not accept the results?” a second reporter wondered.
“The president has always said he’ll see what happens,” McEnany admitted, “and make a determination in the aftermath. It’s the same thing he said last November. He wants a free election, a fair election and he wants confidence in the results of the election, particularly when you have states like Nevada doing mass mail-out voting to their voting rolls.”


crooksandliars--2020-08-21--Watch Donald Trump Jr. Brutally Murder Irony, Live On Fox News

Is it just me , or is he a bit more chemically amped up than usual these days ?
I mean , that Steve Bannon arrest is probably not good news for the Trump family 's long term outlook .
After all , Don Jr. on Fox News was rather astonishingly lacking in self-awareness as he goes off on the Biden family after the successful conclusion of the DNC last night .
`` Whether it 's Hunter , whether it 's Joe Biden 's brother , whether it 's his sister , they 've all spent their entire lives profiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Little Donny said .
( Oh , my aching sides ! )
`` That 's all they know , and that 's honestly why they have n't had the decency to step in and say , 'Joe , you know what , maybe it 's not your turn , maybe it should n't be you . '
They should have done that during the primary , but they ca n't , because they have nothing else .
It 's the epitome of the swamp .
`` And that 's what this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's going to be the swamp versus freedom in America . ''
Folks , welcome to the death of irony .

Is it just me, or is he a bit more chemically amped up than usual these days? I mean, that Steve Bannon arrest is probably not good news for the Trump family's long term outlook.
After all, Don Jr. on Fox News was rather astonishingly lacking in self-awareness as he goes off on the Biden family after the successful conclusion of the DNC last night.
"Whether it's Hunter, whether it's Joe Biden's brother, whether it's his sister, they've all spent their entire lives profiting off Joe Biden's taxpayer funded offices," Little Donny said. (Oh, my aching sides!)
"That's all they know, and that's honestly why they haven't had the decency to step in and say, 'Joe, you know what, maybe it's not your turn, maybe it shouldn't be you.' They should have done that during the primary, but they can't, because they have nothing else. It's the epitome of the swamp.
"And that's what this election is gonna come down to. It's going to be the swamp versus freedom in America."
Folks, welcome to the death of irony.