crooksandliars--2020-04-15--In Pathetic Irony, COVID Stops School Shootings

The nationwide lockdown to stem the rise of the coronavirus has had one silver lining—March 2020 was the first March since 2002 without a school shooting .
`` Depressing on mulitple levels , '' said New York Times reporter Annie Karni .
Schools around the country were ordered or recommended closed in mid-March to attempt to stem the spread of the disease , which has already infected a reported 576,695 Americans so far and killed 23,068 .
`` All it took was a pandemic and closing all the schools , '' tweeted Bloomberg editor Mark Gongloff .
Shelter in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cities , including New York City .
Author and activist Naomi Klein on Monday drew a connection between the language of both the national pandemic lockdown and the school shooting drills children around the country take part in .
`` So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to , '' said Klein .
Despite the absence of school shootings in March , gun sales in the month were the second highest on record , leading gun control advocates to fear that there may be a spike in killings once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic ends and we emerge from this physical distancing reality , the guns will remain , '' said Guns Down America executive director Igor Volsky .
`` Will there be increased mass shootings , school shootings , shootings at home , at work , at concerts ? ''

The nationwide lockdown to stem the rise of the coronavirus has had one silver lining—March 2020 was the first March since 2002 without a school shooting.
"Depressing on mulitple levels," said New York Times reporter Annie Karni.
Washington Post reporter Robert Klemko made the observation Monday morning on Twitter.
"Heartbreaking statistic," tweeted the Wall Street Journal's Robbie Whelan in reply.
Schools around the country were ordered or recommended closed in mid-March to attempt to stem the spread of the disease, which has already infected a reported 576,695 Americans so far and killed 23,068.
"All it took was a pandemic and closing all the schools," tweeted Bloomberg editor Mark Gongloff.
Shelter in place orders have been issued in some states and cities, including New York City. Author and activist Naomi Klein on Monday drew a connection between the language of both the national pandemic lockdown and the school shooting drills children around the country take part in.
"So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to," said Klein.
When my 7-year-old heard talk that our state was going into "lockdown" he looked stricken. I realized that was a word he had learned at school at shootings drills. I had to explain that we weren't under fire. So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to. https://t.co/5W3ojW5z10 — Naomi Klein (@NaomiAKlein) April 13, 2020
Despite the absence of school shootings in March, gun sales in the month were the second highest on record, leading gun control advocates to fear that there may be a spike in killings once the lockdowns end.
"When this pandemic ends and we emerge from this physical distancing reality, the guns will remain," said Guns Down America executive director Igor Volsky. "Will there be increased mass shootings, school shootings, shootings at home, at work, at concerts?"
Republished from Common Dreams (Eoin Higgins, staff writer) under a Creative Commons License.


crooksandliars--2020-04-15--It's Time We Look At Fundamental Change In The Economic System

Stephanie Ruhle might be the only person on TV who consistently brings on guests to talk about how the average working person gets screwed economically .
Yesterday she had on Scott Galloway , who 's an author and a professor of marketing at NYU .
They were talking about the essential workers who do things like deliver food as the unsung heroes of the pandemic .
`` Scott , go higher up the economic food chain and you actually have health care workers who are getting hours or -- excuse me , getting their pay cut who are working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like KKR , '' she said .
`` You 've got health care professionals who are suffering .
Yet those private equity giants who are supposed to be in a position where they take all sorts of risk -- and when you take big risk , you can get lots of upside but you risk facing great downside .
And right now , the government is stepping in and curbing that downside .
We 're having capitalism on the way up , and self-imposed socialism on the way down , '' Ruhle said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hunger Games on the way up and on the way down , a lot of call signs by CEOs that we 're in this world and a Hallmark Channel-like socialism , '' he said .
`` We need to decide if we 're capitalists , meaning if you take incredible risk , there 's incredible upside , but if you can use 96 % to buy back stock , thereby inflating your compensation and the compensation of the CEO and the directors and no cash when a crisis hits , should you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fail ?
`` And what private equity and CEOs are trying to convince us of right right now .
when your company declares chapter 11 , a lot of times there is n't job loss .
just a wipe out of equity .
So all of a sudden , we 're in this together .
We need to decide if we 're capitalist , meaning equity gets wiped out on the way down , or if we 're socialist .
But if we 're going to be socialist , and a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative -- five of the seven happiest nations have socialism .
You want your universal pre-K and universal health , but let 's not have capitalism on the way up and then when we hit a crisis , we have the worst type of socialism , we have cronyism .
`` And that 's the people with the most representation of Washington , most economic power , decide all of a sudden that we 're in this together .
and as soon as the markets start going back up , then everybody talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the government listening to them ? '
Ruhle asked .
`` We are seeing CEOs of gig economy companies urging the government to provide those Uber and Lyft drivers health care and government support .
Yet those companies never paid into the system and made any of those people employees so they never paid a payroll tax .
How could they ask this of the government ? ''
`` That 's the correct question .
Amazon has over 100 full-time lobbyists in D.C. , not lobbying for higher minimum wage but lobbying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about the companies with the most essential workers who pay them anywhere between $ 12 and $ 15 an hour .
It 's Amazon and Walmart .
And it 's no business that , today , today those stocks hit an all-time high . ''
He concluded by asking , `` Do we want a ride-sharing economy where people are vulnerable , or do we want an old economy where there 's a dignity in work and shareholders are n't going to reap as much of the profit ?
This requires structural @ @ @ @ @

Stephanie Ruhle might be the only person on TV who consistently brings on guests to talk about how the average working person gets screwed economically. Yesterday she had on Scott Galloway, who's an author and a professor of marketing at NYU.
They were talking about the essential workers who do things like deliver food as the unsung heroes of the pandemic.
"Scott, go higher up the economic food chain and you actually have health care workers who are getting hours or -- excuse me, getting their pay cut who are working in hospital systems owned by private equity giants like KKR," she said.
"You've got health care professionals who are suffering. Yet those private equity giants who are supposed to be in a position where they take all sorts of risk -- and when you take big risk, you can get lots of upside but you risk facing great downside. And right now, the government is stepping in and curbing that downside. We're having capitalism on the way up, and self-imposed socialism on the way down," Ruhle said.
Galloway agreed. "It's the Hunger Games on the way up and on the way down, a lot of call signs by CEOs that we're in this world and a Hallmark Channel-like socialism," he said. "We need to decide if we're capitalists, meaning if you take incredible risk, there's incredible upside, but if you can use 96% to buy back stock, thereby inflating your compensation and the compensation of the CEO and the directors and no cash when a crisis hits, should you be, in fact, be allowed to fail?
"And what private equity and CEOs are trying to convince us of right right now. when your company declares chapter 11, a lot of times there isn't job loss. just a wipe out of equity. So all of a sudden, we're in this together. We need to decide if we're capitalist, meaning equity gets wiped out on the way down, or if we're socialist. But if we're going to be socialist, and a lot of people say that's a better alternative --five of the seven happiest nations have socialism. You want your universal pre-K and universal health, but let's not have capitalism on the way up and then when we hit a crisis, we have the worst type of socialism, we have cronyism.
"And that's the people with the most representation of Washington, most economic power, decide all of a sudden that we're in this together. and as soon as the markets start going back up, then everybody talks about capitalism and individualism."
'Why is the government listening to them?' Ruhle asked.
"We are seeing CEOs of gig economy companies urging the government to provide those Uber and Lyft drivers health care and government support. Yet those companies never paid into the system and made any of those people employees so they never paid a payroll tax. How could they ask this of the government?"
"That's the correct question. Amazon has over 100 full-time lobbyists in D.C., not lobbying for higher minimum wage but lobbying from absence in regulation. Let's talk about the companies with the most essential workers who pay them anywhere between $12 and $15 an hour. It's Amazon and Walmart. And it's no business that, today, today those stocks hit an all-time high."
He concluded by asking, "Do we want a ride-sharing economy where people are vulnerable, or do we want an old economy where there's a dignity in work and shareholders aren't going to reap as much of the profit? This requires structural, fundamental change."
Meanwhile:


crooksandliars--2020-04-08--PROOF: Dem Governors Respond Faster To Pandemic Than Republicans

While the coronavirus pandemic is a national and international concern , state and local officials find themselves on the front lines of the public health battle .
Governors , in particular , have been in the spotlight in recent weeks .
New York ’ s Andrew Cuomo has been praised by news outlets for his leadership at the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak , while others have been criticized for slow responses .
A clear partisan gap has emerged in how quickly governors have declared emergencies and issue stay-at-home orders .
Democratic governors have issued orders three to four days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We study state governments , including their interactions with the federal government .
Our previous work on federalism and state politics has identified partisan conflict between national , state and local government .
Federalism is the distribution of power and authority across levels of government , and partisan conflict involves disagreements and competition between political parties .
Partisan conflict over policy is nothing new .
But the coronavirus has put some governors in an ideologically compromising position .
Republicans , who traditionally advocated for states ’ rights , now find themselves deferring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats are leading the nation on pandemic responses and reaping the political rewards .
They are also pushing for more federal coordination efforts , especially in obtaining high-demand medical supplies .
Although the same policies are being used across the country , the timing of decisions is likely to prove pivotal in mitigating how hard COVID-19 hits communities , as experiences in South Korea and Italy suggest .
Earlier emergency declarations and stay-at-home orders increase the chances of a better outcome for the health of people in the state .
Based on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the median date for instituting a state of emergency for Democratic governors was March 10 , and for Republican governors , March 13 .
Although stay-at-home orders have only been issued in 41 states as of April 4 , a similar trend is emerging there .
So far , all 24 Democratic governors have issued such an order with a median date of March 24 .
On the other hand , only 17 of 26 Republican governors have , and of those the median date is March 30 .
Some argue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 later or not as hard as states led by Democrats .
Yet based on data from the COVID Tracking Project , there was little difference in the number of cases in each state when governors announced these orders .
Most governors used boilerplate language citing public health experts in their announcements .
But some evidence shows that Republican governors were responding to leadership from President Donald Trump , who largely downplayed the severity of the pandemic for weeks , which discouraged governors from taking actions that contradicted the leader of their party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said “ I ’ m not concerned at all , ” and on March 10 he claimed “ it will go away .
Just stay calm.
” Additionally , nearly half of Republican governors declared emergencies on the same day – March 13 – that the president declared a national emergency , and a few have explicitly cited Trump as a reason behind their decisions .
Georgia Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp said , “ Based on President Trump ’ s emergency declaration , I will declare a public health emergency.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican who had resisted issuing a stay-at-home order despite mounting pressure from public health officials and the media , cited the shift in Trump ’ s tone and demeanor as the signal it was time to issue a stay-at-home order to contain the pandemic in his state .
Other Republican governors acted earlier .
One factor in those cases is Trump ’ s approval ratings : Republicans in states where the president is unpopular moved more quickly .
Trump ’ s net approval – the portion of survey respondents approving of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disapproving – in states with Republican governors that declared emergencies before March 13 averages +1 ; in Republican states declaring emergencies on or after March 13 , it averages +8 .
For Democratic states , Trump ’ s net approval averages -9 before March 13 , and -10 on or after March 13 .
Clearly , Trump ’ s net approval is important to the Republican governors .
Ohio ’ s Mike DeWine was the first governor to call for a statewide closure of schools on March 12 , and Maryland ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in criticizing the White House ’ s leadership , was the first Republican governor to declare an emergency , on March 5 .
Trump ’ s net approval in Ohio is 0 and in Maryland , -24 .
In contrast , Democratic governors have advocated for more aggressive response efforts at both state and federal levels .
In addition to Andrew Cuomo , who has become a key figure in recent weeks , Michigan ’ s Gretchen Whitmer has traded jabs with the president .
New Jersey ’ s Phil Murphy has called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal response to understand why it has gone so wrong .
While conflict between political parties is usually most visible in Congress , the coronavirus has put partisan conflict between the president and governors on full display as federal and state governments try to contain this pandemic .
[ Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research .
Sign up for The Conversation ’ s newsletter . ]
Luke Fowler , Associate Professor and MPA Director , Boise State University ; Jaclyn Kettler , Assistant Professor of Political Science , Boise State University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Policy , Administration and Political Science , Boise State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who did not issue a stay-at-home order for his state until April 1, 2020. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Luke Fowler, Boise State University; Jaclyn Kettler, Boise State University, and Stephanie Witt, Boise State University
While the coronavirus pandemic is a national and international concern, state and local officials find themselves on the front lines of the public health battle.
Governors, in particular, have been in the spotlight in recent weeks. New York’s Andrew Cuomo has been praised by news outlets for his leadership at the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, while others have been criticized for slow responses.
A clear partisan gap has emerged in how quickly governors have declared emergencies and issue stay-at-home orders. Democratic governors have issued orders three to four days sooner than Republican governors, on average.
Timing pivotal
We study state governments, including their interactions with the federal government. Our previous work on federalism and state politics has identified partisan conflict between national, state and local government. Federalism is the distribution of power and authority across levels of government, and partisan conflict involves disagreements and competition between political parties. Partisan conflict over policy is nothing new.
But the coronavirus has put some governors in an ideologically compromising position. Republicans, who traditionally advocated for states’ rights, now find themselves deferring to the federal government.
Meanwhile, Democrats are leading the nation on pandemic responses and reaping the political rewards. They are also pushing for more federal coordination efforts, especially in obtaining high-demand medical supplies.
Although the same policies are being used across the country, the timing of decisions is likely to prove pivotal in mitigating how hard COVID-19 hits communities, as experiences in South Korea and Italy suggest. Earlier emergency declarations and stay-at-home orders increase the chances of a better outcome for the health of people in the state.
President Trump’s early discounting of the danger of the coronavirus may have stalled action by Republican governors. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
A trend – with exceptions
Based on a review of emergency declarations, we found that the median date for instituting a state of emergency for Democratic governors was March 10, and for Republican governors, March 13.
Although stay-at-home orders have only been issued in 41 states as of April 4, a similar trend is emerging there.
So far, all 24 Democratic governors have issued such an order with a median date of March 24. On the other hand, only 17 of 26 Republican governors have, and of those the median date is March 30.
Some argue that states led by Republicans were hit by COVID-19 later or not as hard as states led by Democrats. Yet based on data from the COVID Tracking Project, there was little difference in the number of cases in each state when governors announced these orders.
Most governors used boilerplate language citing public health experts in their announcements. But some evidence shows that Republican governors were responding to leadership from President Donald Trump, who largely downplayed the severity of the pandemic for weeks, which discouraged governors from taking actions that contradicted the leader of their party. For instance, on March 7, he said “I’m not concerned at all,” and on March 10 he claimed “it will go away. Just stay calm.”
Additionally, nearly half of Republican governors declared emergencies on the same day – March 13 – that the president declared a national emergency, and a few have explicitly cited Trump as a reason behind their decisions.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said, “Based on President Trump’s emergency declaration, I will declare a public health emergency.”
Florida’s Ron DeSantis, a Republican who had resisted issuing a stay-at-home order despite mounting pressure from public health officials and the media, cited the shift in Trump’s tone and demeanor as the signal it was time to issue a stay-at-home order to contain the pandemic in his state.
Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency on March 10.
AP Photo/David Eggert
Other Republican governors acted earlier. One factor in those cases is Trump’s approval ratings: Republicans in states where the president is unpopular moved more quickly.
Trump’s net approval – the portion of survey respondents approving of Trump’s job performance minus the portion disapproving –
in states with Republican governors that declared emergencies before March 13 averages +1; in Republican states declaring emergencies on or after March 13, it averages +8. For Democratic states, Trump’s net approval averages -9 before March 13, and -10 on or after March 13. Clearly, Trump’s net approval is important to the Republican governors.
Ohio’s Mike DeWine was the first governor to call for a statewide closure of schools on March 12, and Maryland’s Larry Hogan, who has been vocal in criticizing the White House’s leadership, was the first Republican governor to declare an emergency, on March 5. Trump’s net approval in Ohio is 0 and in Maryland, -24.
Partisan conflict evident
In contrast, Democratic governors have advocated for more aggressive response efforts at both state and federal levels.
In addition to Andrew Cuomo, who has become a key figure in recent weeks, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer has traded jabs with the president. New Jersey’s Phil Murphy has called for a “postmortem” on the federal response to understand why it has gone so wrong.
While conflict between political parties is usually most visible in Congress, the coronavirus has put partisan conflict between the president and governors on full display as federal and state governments try to contain this pandemic.
[Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]
Luke Fowler, Associate Professor and MPA Director, Boise State University; Jaclyn Kettler, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University, and Stephanie Witt, Professor of Public Policy, Administration and Political Science, Boise State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


crooksandliars--2020-04-07--Surprise! Donald Trump Has A Financial Stake In Hydroxychloroquine

A New York Times article hints that Donald Trump ’ s “ aggressive advocacy of malaria drug [ hydroxychloroquine ] for treating coronavirus ” could be more about his own and his cronies ’ pocketbooks than about American lives .
You do n't say !
It ’ s not until the fifth and sixth paragraphs of its article about Trump 's advocacy that The Times reports this : Mr. Trump may ultimately be right , and physicians report anecdotal evidence that has provided hope .
But it remains far from certain , and the president ’ s assertiveness in pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Dr. Anthony S. Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious disease specialist , has driven a wedge inside his coronavirus task force and has raised questions about his motives .
If hydroxychloroquine becomes an accepted treatment , several pharmaceutical companies stand to profit , including shareholders and senior executives with connections to the president .
Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi , the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil , the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine .
Who would have guessed ?
Well , just about anyone not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put America first .
Given that Fox News has relentlessly promoted hydroxychloroquine right along with Dear Leader , you have to suspect that those pundits are in on the action , too .
Especially since The Washington Post has its own interesting reporting about Trump ’ s “ embrace of a risky drug against coronavirus.
” He hears about the controversial anti-malarial drug on the phone from friends in New York , including from his personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani .
He hears about it in White House meetings from some advisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share anecdotes of the drug working on covid-19 patients .
And he hears about it on television , from physicians on Fox News Channel panels who tout its efficacy .
In fact , Fox host Laura Ingraham and two doctors who are regular on-air guests in what she dubs her “ medicine cabinet ” visited the White House last Friday for a private meeting with Trump to talk up the drug , according to two White House officials and another person familiar with the meeting .
Really ?
Non-physician Ingraham went to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug rather than , say , testing kits , PPE or ventilators ?
And Trump , who can ’ t be bothered to make sure governors get the medical equipment they ’ re pleading for is now all about making sure they get hydroxychloroquine .
Over the weekend , Trump ’ s task force decided to rush-deliver hydroxychloroquine to hospitals and pharmacies in the New York area , Detroit , New Orleans and other coronavirus hot zones , provided that the medicine be administered to patients only on the advice of their doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach would be correct , ” Peter Navarro , a trade adviser who recently was named the administration ’ s Defense Production Act policy coordinator , said in an interview .
“ In wartime , with the potential of mass casualties , you may have to be more forward-leaning and accept additional risk.
” The action came after Trump met with Ingraham , who has been enthusiastically promoting hydroxychloroquine on her 10 p.m. show .
She brought along two guests of her program — Ramin Oskoui , a Washington-based cardiologist , and Stephen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialist — and Trump asked that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn attend as well .

A New York Times article hints that Donald Trump’s “aggressive advocacy of malaria drug [hydroxychloroquine] for treating coronavirus” could be more about his own and his cronies’ pocketbooks than about American lives. You don't say!
It’s not until the fifth and sixth paragraphs of its article about Trump's advocacy that The Times reports this:
Mr. Trump may ultimately be right, and physicians report anecdotal evidence that has provided hope. But it remains far from certain, and the president’s assertiveness in pressing the case over the advice of advisers like Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease specialist, has driven a wedge inside his coronavirus task force and has raised questions about his motives.
If hydroxychloroquine becomes an accepted treatment, several pharmaceutical companies stand to profit, including shareholders and senior executives with connections to the president. Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine.
Who would have guessed? Well, just about anyone not deeply deluded by Trump’s claims to put America first.
Given that Fox News has relentlessly promoted hydroxychloroquine right along with Dear Leader, you have to suspect that those pundits are in on the action, too. Especially since The Washington Post has its own interesting reporting about Trump’s “embrace of a risky drug against coronavirus.”
He hears about the controversial anti-malarial drug on the phone from friends in New York, including from his personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani. He hears about it in White House meetings from some advisers eager to please the boss, who share anecdotes of the drug working on covid-19 patients. And he hears about it on television, from physicians on Fox News Channel panels who tout its efficacy. In fact, Fox host Laura Ingraham and two doctors who are regular on-air guests in what she dubs her “medicine cabinet” visited the White House last Friday for a private meeting with Trump to talk up the drug, according to two White House officials and another person familiar with the meeting.
Really? Non-physician Ingraham went to the White House to talk up an experimental drug rather than, say, testing kits, PPE or ventilators? And Trump, who can’t be bothered to make sure governors get the medical equipment they’re pleading for is now all about making sure they get hydroxychloroquine.
Over the weekend, Trump’s task force decided to rush-deliver hydroxychloroquine to hospitals and pharmacies in the New York area, Detroit, New Orleans and other coronavirus hot zones, provided that the medicine be administered to patients only on the advice of their doctors. “In peacetime, the conservative approach would be correct,” Peter Navarro, a trade adviser who recently was named the administration’s Defense Production Act policy coordinator, said in an interview. “In wartime, with the potential of mass casualties, you may have to be more forward-leaning and accept additional risk.”
The action came after Trump met with Ingraham, who has been enthusiastically promoting hydroxychloroquine on her 10 p.m. show. She brought along two guests of her program — Ramin Oskoui, a Washington-based cardiologist, and Stephen Smith, a New Jersey-based infectious disease specialist — and Trump asked that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn attend as well.
I smell a rat.


crooksandliars--2020-04-08--Wisconsin Speaker Wearing Head-to-toe PPE: You Are Incredibly Safe To Go Vote

Yesterday 's insane vote in Wisconsin was highlighted by images such as this one , the State Assembly Speaker dressed @ @ @ @ @ Protective Equipment ) that voting was completely safe .
Some days you do n't know @ @ @ @ @ .
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos , R-Rochester , told a Racine Journal Times reporter Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ County drive-up polling station where he was volunteering posed less of a risk than grocery @ @ @ @ @ .
Vos — dressed in a plastic gown , rubber gloves , a surgical mask @ @ @ @ @ election organizers in Burlington gave him the personal protective equipment and said it was mandatory @ @ @ @ @ , Michelle Litjens Vos , a conservative pundit and former state lawmaker , volunteered at @ @ @ @ @ Rochester , Wis. , he said .
“ You are incredibly safe to go out @ @ @ @ @ Journal Times .
Chris Hayes ' full segment on yesterday 's insanity is below .

Yesterday's insane vote in Wisconsin was highlighted by images such as this one, the State Assembly Speaker dressed in full PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that voting was completely safe.
Some days you don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told a Racine Journal Times reporter Tuesday that voting at the Racine County drive-up polling station where he was volunteering posed less of a risk than grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic. Vos — dressed in a plastic gown, rubber gloves, a surgical mask and clear glasses — said election organizers in Burlington gave him the personal protective equipment and said it was mandatory to wear. His wife, Michelle Litjens Vos, a conservative pundit and former state lawmaker, volunteered at a poll station in nearby Rochester, Wis., he said. “You are incredibly safe to go out,” Vos told the Journal Times.
Chris Hayes' full segment on yesterday's insanity is below.


crooksandliars--2020-03-28--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

Against the odds , we 've made it to Saturday !
I 've been reading in the papers that Americans @ @ @ @ @ : baking bread and gardening .
Which I suppose is more essential news than the @ @ @ @ @ getting from Prznint Stupid 's Burn-the-Reichstag , er , COVID-19 MAGA rallies .
Yes , @ @ @ @ @ failed political press .
Driftglass tells us about the ground-shaking analysis from Fox News .
@ @ @ @ @ will win his bet , methinks .
News Corpse notices that Prznint Stupid is threatening @ @ @ @ @ if they are not nice to him .
Bonus Track : TYWKIWDBI shows us that @ @ @ @ @ hard .
Round-up by Tengrain who blogs at Mock , Paper , Scissors .
You @ @ @ @ @ Twitters , too .
Send tips , requests , and suggestions to mbru @ crooksandliars.com @ @ @ @ @ the subject line ) .

Against the odds, we've made it to Saturday! I've been reading in the papers that Americans have turned to survival mode: baking bread and gardening. Which I suppose is more essential news than the breathless coverage we've been getting from Prznint Stupid's Burn-the-Reichstag , er, COVID-19 MAGA rallies. Yes, today we look at our failed political press.
Driftglass tells us about the ground-shaking analysis from Fox News.
No More Mister Nice Blog will win his bet, methinks.
eVille Times fact-checks Fox News reporting with the NYTimes.
News Corpse notices that Prznint Stupid is threatening to revoke broadcast station licenses if they are not nice to him.
Bonus Track: TYWKIWDBI shows us that the Media's maths are hard.
Round-up by Tengrain who blogs at Mock, Paper, Scissors. You can follow Tengrain on the Twitters, too. Send tips, requests, and suggestions to mbru@crooksandliars.com (with For MBRU in the subject line).


crooksandliars--2020-03-27--Stop What You're Doing And Watch Gov. Cuomo's Speech Right Now

Take a few minutes and just watch this moment with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and remind yourself what leadership looks like .
Politically , I 've never been a fan of Cuomo 's , but in this moment he and his fellow governors have really risen to the occasion , unlike the Orange Terror .
And yes , we really are going to `` kick coronavirus 's ass , '' because we are people determined to save our fellow humans .
Media should watch and air this instead of the useless rally conferences Trump is having .
Seriously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make two points to you and I want to make two promises to you .
This is a different beast that we 're dealing with .
This is an invisible beast .
It is an insidious beast .
This is not going to be a short deployment .
This is not going to be that you go out there for a few days .
We work hard and we go home .
This is going to be weeks and weeks and weeks .
This is going to be a long day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , and it 's going to be an ugly day , and it 's going to be a sad day .
This is a rescue mission that you 're on - the mission is to save lives .
That 's what you 're doing .
The rescue mission is to save lives and as hard as we work , we 're not going to be able to save everyone .
And what 's even more cruel is this enemy does n't attack the strongest of us .
It attacks the weakest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which makes it even worse in many ways .
Because these are the people that every instinct tells us we 're supposed to protect .
These are our parents and our grandparents .
These are our aunts , our uncles .
These are a relative who was sick and every instinct says protect them .
Help them , because they need us .
And those are the exact people that this enemy attacks .
Every time I 've called out the National Guard I have said the same thing to you : I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do anything that I will not do myself .
And the same is true here .
We 're going to do this and we 're going to do this together .
My second point is , you are living a moment in history .
This is going to be one of those moment they 're going to write and they 're going to talk about for generations .
This is a moment that is going to change this nation .
This is a moment that forges character , forges people , changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them weaker -- but this is a moment that will change character .
Ten years from now , you 'll be talking about today to your children or your grandchildren and you will shed a tear because you will remember the lives lost .
You 'll remember the faces and you 'll remember the names and you 'll remember how hard we worked and that we still lost loved ones .
And you 'll shed a tear and you should because it will be sad .
But , you will also be proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you did .
You 'll be proud that you showed up .
You showed up when other people played it safe .
You had the courage to show up .
You had the skill and the professionalism to make a difference and save lives .
That 's what you will have done .
At the end of the day , nobody can ask anything more from you .
That is your duty , to do what you can when you can .
You will have shown skill and courage and talent .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 'll be there with your heart and you 'll serve with honor .
That will give you pride and you should be proud .
I know that I am proud of you .
And every time the National Guard has been called out , they have made every New Yorker proud .
I am proud to be with you yet again .
I 'm proud to fight this fight with you .
And I bring you thanks from all New Yorkers who are just so appreciative of the sacrifice that you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing , the talent that you 're bringing .
You give many New Yorkers confidence .
So I say , my friends , that we go out there today and we kick coronavirus ' ass , that 's what I say .
And we 're going to save lives and New York is going to thank you .
God bless each and every one of you .

Take a few minutes and just watch this moment with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and remind yourself what leadership looks like. Politically, I've never been a fan of Cuomo's, but in this moment he and his fellow governors have really risen to the occasion, unlike the Orange Terror.
And yes, we really are going to "kick coronavirus's ass," because we are people determined to save our fellow humans.
Media should watch and air this instead of the useless rally conferences Trump is having. Seriously, this is far better.
Transcript via ABC News:
I want to make two points to you and I want to make two promises to you. This is a different beast that we're dealing with. This is an invisible beast. It is an insidious beast. This is not going to be a short deployment. This is not going to be that you go out there for a few days. We work hard and we go home. This is going to be weeks and weeks and weeks. This is going to be a long day and it's going to be a hard day, and it's going to be an ugly day, and it's going to be a sad day.
This is a rescue mission that you're on - the mission is to save lives. That's what you're doing. The rescue mission is to save lives and as hard as we work, we're not going to be able to save everyone. And what's even more cruel is this enemy doesn't attack the strongest of us. It attacks the weakest of us. It attacks our most vulnerable which makes it even worse in many ways. Because these are the people that every instinct tells us we're supposed to protect.
These are our parents and our grandparents. These are our aunts, our uncles. These are a relative who was sick and every instinct says protect them. Help them, because they need us. And those are the exact people that this enemy attacks. Every time I've called out the National Guard I have said the same thing to you: I promise you I will not ask you to do anything that I will not do myself. And the same is true here. We're going to do this and we're going to do this together.
My second point is, you are living a moment in history. This is going to be one of those moment they're going to write and they're going to talk about for generations. This is a moment that is going to change this nation. This is a moment that forges character, forges people, changes people -- make them stronger, make them weaker -- but this is a moment that will change character.
Ten years from now, you'll be talking about today to your children or your grandchildren and you will shed a tear because you will remember the lives lost. You'll remember the faces and you'll remember the names and you'll remember how hard we worked and that we still lost loved ones. And you'll shed a tear and you should because it will be sad.
But, you will also be proud. You'll be proud of what you did. You'll be proud that you showed up. You showed up when other people played it safe. You had the courage to show up. You had the skill and the professionalism to make a difference and save lives. That's what you will have done.
At the end of the day, nobody can ask anything more from you. That is your duty, to do what you can when you can. You will have shown skill and courage and talent. You'll be there with your mind, you'll be there with your heart and you'll serve with honor. That will give you pride and you should be proud. I know that I am proud of you.
And every time the National Guard has been called out, they have made every New Yorker proud. I am proud to be with you yet again. I'm proud to fight this fight with you. And I bring you thanks from all New Yorkers who are just so appreciative of the sacrifice that you are making, the skill that you're bringing, the talent that you're bringing. You give many New Yorkers confidence.
So I say, my friends, that we go out there today and we kick coronavirus' ass, that's what I say. And we're going to save lives and New York is going to thank you. God bless each and every one of you.


crooksandliars--2020-03-28--Teen Denied Treatment Because Of Lack Of Insurance, Dies From Coronavirus

Not sure anything sums up the grotesque state of the for-profit US health care system like this all too familiar story .
A 17-year-old boy in Los Angeles County who became the first teen believed to have died from complications with covid-19 in the U.S. was denied treatment at an urgent care clinic because he didn ’ t have health insurance , according to R. Rex Parris , the mayor of Lancaster , California .
Roughly 27.5 million Americans—8.5 percent of the population—don ’ t have health insurance based on the latest government figures .
“ He didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treat him , ” Parris said in a video posted to YouTube .
The staff at the urgent care facility told the teen to try the emergency room at Antelope Valley ( AV ) Hospital , a public hospital in the area , according to the mayor .
“ En route to AV Hospital , he went into cardiac arrest , when he got to AV hospital they were able to revive him and keep him alive for about six hours , ” Parris said .
“ But by the time he got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Not sure anything sums up the grotesque state of the for-profit US health care system like this all too familiar story.
Source: Gizmodo
A 17-year-old boy in Los Angeles County who became the first teen believed to have died from complications with covid-19 in the U.S. was denied treatment at an urgent care clinic because he didn’t have health insurance, according to R. Rex Parris, the mayor of Lancaster, California. Roughly 27.5 million Americans—8.5 percent of the population—don’t have health insurance based on the latest government figures.
“He didn’t have insurance, so they did not treat him,” Parris said in a video posted to YouTube. The staff at the urgent care facility told the teen to try the emergency room at Antelope Valley (AV) Hospital, a public hospital in the area, according to the mayor.
“En route to AV Hospital, he went into cardiac arrest, when he got to AV hospital they were able to revive him and keep him alive for about six hours,” Parris said. “But by the time he got there, it was too late.”


crooksandliars--2020-05-13--Red States Expand Vote By Mail Despite Conservative Think Tanks, Trump Objections

By Jessica Huseman and Mike Spies for ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
On April 23 , during the same week that Kentucky ’ s Republican secretary of state said he was contemplating a “ significant expansion ” of vote by mail , the Public Interest Legal Foundation emailed one of his employees under the subject line “ 28 MILLION ballots lost.
” “ Putting the election in the hands of the United States Postal Service would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , president of PILF , a conservative organization that has long complained about voter fraud .
His missive contended , with scant evidence , that “ twice as many ” mailed ballots “ disappeared ” in the 2016 presidential election than made up the margin of votes between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump .
The state worker forwarded the message to his supervisor , who ignored it , according to emails obtained through a public records request .
Only days later , Kentucky finalized its plan for the biggest increase in vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Secretary of State Mike Adams ( no relation to J. Christian ) said he had little trouble persuading legislators to pass the measure .
“ I ’ ve been pleasantly surprised on social media and elsewhere , ” he said .
“ Republicans and Democrats both have been supportive of what we did.
” Not long ago , such a rebuff in a reliably red state to a conservative outlet ’ s warnings of voter fraud would have been unusual .
Think tanks like PILF and the Heritage Foundation ; advocacy groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Kris Kobach , Kansas ’ former secretary of state , have effectively lobbied Republicans for decades for voter ID laws and stricter registration rules .
They generally favor measures that would reduce turnout and oppose those , like vote by mail , that could make it easier to vote .
The Heritage Foundation has hosted confidential meetings with like-minded secretaries of state “ to strategize on advancing their shared goal of ensuring the integrity of the elections they administer in their home states , ” records show .
But now , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denouncing vote by mail , Republican election administrators are rejecting their concerns .
In Georgia , Idaho , Kentucky , Nebraska , Ohio , South Dakota and West Virginia , GOP officials are expanding vote by mail .
Even in Alabama , where Secretary of State John Merrill has long spoken out against vote by mail , the state has added the coronavirus to the reasons for which voters can request an absentee ballot .
Election officials in these states say they have confidence in their ballot security practices .
Kentucky ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot integrity safeguards , such as an application requiring personally identifiable information in order to obtain an absentee ballot , a barcode tracking system for all outgoing and incoming absentee ballots , and proactive maintenance of the voter rolls , ” said Miranda Combs , Mike Adams ’ spokeswoman .
Also , because they don ’ t see an alternative if the pandemic persists into November , many Republican officials who would otherwise oppose widening vote by mail are showing they are open to it .
And they ’ re aware that Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 1 margin .
“ While the Washington politicians may not agree , our polling shows 70 % of Georgia voters approve of the absentee ballot application process and plan on voting by mail due to the COVID-19 crisis , ” said Jordan Fuchs , a Republican and Georgia ’ s deputy secretary of state .
“ As a result , Georgia has seen more than 1 million absentee ballot requests , with more than 900,000 ballots dropped into the mail system.
” David Becker , executive director of the Center for Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t surprised that the attacks on vote by mail have failed to sway state officials .
“ The facts simply don ’ t support ” the claims , said Becker , who works directly with states to improve their election systems .
“ Election officials know what they are doing , and they know that mail voting has proper safeguards and that fraud is extremely rare in elections.
” Spokespeople for Trump , Heritage and PILF did not respond to requests for comment .
National election officials have noticed the states ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When it comes to information on how best to administer elections , I rely on state and local election officials , ” said Ben Hovland , a Democrat and chairman of the Election Assistance Commission , a national clearinghouse that offers guidance on voting procedures .
“ I have repeatedly heard from officials of both parties that absentee and mail ballots will be an integral part of their 2020 election response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
” The wide public support and the relatively smooth expansion of vote by mail on the state level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Republicans in Congress .
Trump used his formerly daily press briefings on the pandemic to cast doubt on vote by mail , often parroting the talking points used by J. Christian Adams and the Heritage Foundation ’ s Hans von Spakovsky , both of whom served on his now-disbanded voter fraud commission .
Trump has called vote by mail “ horrible ” and “ corrupt.
” With universal vote by mail , “ you ’ d never have a Republican elected in this country again , ” he said .
“ Mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country , because they ’ re cheaters , ” Trump said at a briefing in early April .
He recently tweeted about vote by mail in connection with Tuesday ’ s special congressional election in California , writing : “ Turn your Ballots in now and track them , watching for dishonesty .
Report to Law Enforcement.
” But states that backed Trump in the 2016 presidential election are largely disregarding his warnings .
In the largest expansion of vote by mail in Georgia ’ s history , its Republican secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite protests from the speaker of the Georgia house , David Ralston .
There are “ a multitude of reasons why vote by mail in my view is not acceptable , ” Ralston said in a recent interview .
“ The president said it best , this will be extremely devastating to Republicans and conservatives in Georgia.
” Ohio went all absentee for its April 28 primary with limited in-person voting for individuals with disabilities .
Ballots needed to be postmarked before Election Day but could be received through May 5 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , overwhelming clerks with requests .
Kobach , Kansas ’ former secretary of state , became prominent by promoting unsupported claims of rampant voter fraud .
Yet parts of Kansas , where he is now running for U.S. Senate , are encouraging vote by mail .
Johnson County , the state ’ s largest county , where Kobach personally appointed the current clerk in charge of elections , will mail absentee ballot applications to all active voters ahead of the June primary .
The state has allowed citizens to vote by mail up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the late 1960s , and it has in recent decades refined that process to enable voters to track their ballots online .
In an April column for Breitbart , Kobach told readers that fraud occurs “ in the vast majority of states ” that vote by mail .
“ All except Kansas , that is , ” he wrote , where most problems “ have been solved by the security reforms that I drafted and the Kansas Legislature enacted in 2011.
” Kobach was referring to voter identification requirements , signature verification and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political operatives round up and cast absentee ballots .
These measures , though , aren ’ t unique to Kansas ; 31 states have signature verification , and nearly a dozen others require a witness or a notary .
Several states require ID verification to vote by mail , and all but 13 states have laws to deter ballot harvesting .
Kobach did not respond to requests for comment .
In Louisiana , the Republican secretary of state , Kyle Ardoin , worked with the Democratic governor on a plan to let anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After Republican legislators rejected the proposal , saying it increased the risk of fraud , a scaled-down version passed a few days later .
It enables voters to seek absentee ballots if they are at higher risk for the coronavirus .
“ This is a great result for Louisiana ’ s voters and election workers , especially those most susceptible to the COVID-19 virus , ” Ardoin said in a statement .
“ Our plan serves as a temporary and pragmatic response to the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging our nation.
” Texas is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early voting period , rather than by expanding vote by mail .
On Monday night , Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott announced that early voting for a state special election on July 14 would begin on June 29 instead of July 6 .
Still , a federal court may impose an incremental extension of vote by mail in Texas .
Over the objections of the Texas attorney general , Ken Paxton , who threatened “ criminal sanctions ” for voters who apply for an absentee ballot for fear of COVID-19 , a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the definition of “ disability ” for purposes of voting by mail to include voters concerned about contracting the disease .
Across the state , election administrators say they are prepared to allow people to seek absentee ballots for this reason .
“ It will make everything so much easier , ” said one , who declined to be named .
As in Texas , courts in other states have generally been unsympathetic to allegations that vote by mail increases fraud .
Last Tuesday , a federal court in Virginia rejected arguments by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removing a requirement that absentee ballots be notarized would increase fraud .
The governor had waived the requirement for those who did not feel safe obtaining a notary signature because of the pandemic .
Similarly , a federal judge in Reno , Nevada , in April rejected True the Vote ’ s lawsuit challenging the state ’ s plan to hold its June primary largely by mail .
“ Their claim of voter fraud is without any factual basis , ” the judge wrote .
“ Plaintiffs can not demonstrate a burden upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon their preference for in-person voting.
” Some red states remain holdouts .
In Missouri , Republican Gov .
Mike Parson has declined to expand vote by mail , calling it “ inappropriate ” to change election procedures .
The secretary of state has stayed largely silent on the practice .
Von Spakovsky and J. Christian Adams have been pushing voter fraud claims since they both served in the U.S. Department of Justice ’ s civil rights division during the administration of President George W. Bush .
As early as 2010 , von @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a terrible idea whose time should never come , ” and he predicted an array of bad outcomes : rampant fraud , voter intimidation , even that the secret ballot would be “ under siege.
” He has made a habit of calling mailed ballots the “ vote thieves ’ tool of choice.
” To back up his claims , the Heritage Foundation has compiled a database of vote by mail fraud .
But Amber McReynolds , chief executive of Vote at Home , and Charles Stewart , an MIT political scientist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ database actually shows how rare fraud is .
In late April , the pair wrote for The Hill that , of the 1,200 cases in the database , “ 204 involved the fraudulent use of absentee ballots ; 143 resulted in criminal convictions.
” “ One hundred forty-three cases of fraud using mailed ballots over the course of 20 years comes out to seven to eight cases per year , nationally .
It also means that across the 50 states , there has been an average of three cases per state over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case per state every six or seven years .
We are talking about an occurrence that translates to about 0.00006 percent of total votes cast , ” they wrote .
For the last three years , von Spakovsky has pressed Republican election officials on election security and voter fraud in private , off-the-record meetings .
These get-togethers take place during the National Association of Secretaries of State conferences twice a year , in January in Washington , D.C. , and in the summer at a rotating location .
The half-day meetings gather secretaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Correspondence obtained by ProPublica through public records requests shows that the meetings ’ purpose has been “ to have in-depth discussions of these issues and to share strategy and tactics on achieving long-term goals and objectives shared by the secretaries.
” Guest speakers , such as Ed Meese , attorney general under President Ronald Reagan , occasionally make appearances .
“ I mean , you always know when the meetings are happening , because all of the most conservative secretaries are just gone ” from the regular conference events , said one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not invited .
“ What would actually be helpful is if these secretaries were present ” at the NASS trainings and briefings .
As the pandemic has raged , and states have rejected their attacks on vote by mail , von Spakovsky and Adams have slightly modified their position .
Like Kobach , von Spakovsky has touted his home state as an island of responsible practices .
He , Adams and Cleta Mitchell wrote on Fox News ’ website that Georgia — where von Spakovsky lives and speaks frequently with the secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to email records — will “ cut down ” on fraud by sending absentee ballot applications only to registered and active voters .
The authors didn ’ t point out that similar procedures have become the norm in other states .
Instead , they warned , “ No one should forget that absentee-ballot voting is vulnerable to intimidation , fraud and chaos as all-mail elections move behind closed doors beyond the oversight of election officials.
” May 12 , 2020 : This story originally misstated the political party of Ben Hovland .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
On April 23, during the same week that Kentucky’s Republican secretary of state said he was contemplating a “significant expansion” of vote by mail, the Public Interest Legal Foundation emailed one of his employees under the subject line “28 MILLION ballots lost.”
Help Us Continue Reporting on COVID-19 Are you a public health worker or front-line medical provider? Do you work for or with a government agency involved in the effort to protect the public? Have you or your family personally been affected? Show us what we should be covering or serve as an expert to make sure we’re on track. Note: If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19, such as difficulty breathing or bluish lips, get medical attention immediately. The CDC has more information on what to do if you are sick.
“Putting the election in the hands of the United States Postal Service would be a catastrophe,” wrote J. Christian Adams, president of PILF, a conservative organization that has long complained about voter fraud. His missive contended, with scant evidence, that “twice as many” mailed ballots “disappeared” in the 2016 presidential election than made up the margin of votes between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
The state worker forwarded the message to his supervisor, who ignored it, according to emails obtained through a public records request. Only days later, Kentucky finalized its plan for the biggest increase in vote by mail in the state’s history. Secretary of State Mike Adams (no relation to J. Christian) said he had little trouble persuading legislators to pass the measure. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised on social media and elsewhere,” he said. “Republicans and Democrats both have been supportive of what we did.”
Not long ago, such a rebuff in a reliably red state to a conservative outlet’s warnings of voter fraud would have been unusual. Think tanks like PILF and the Heritage Foundation; advocacy groups like True the Vote; and politicians like Kris Kobach, Kansas’ former secretary of state, have effectively lobbied Republicans for decades for voter ID laws and stricter registration rules. They generally favor measures that would reduce turnout and oppose those, like vote by mail, that could make it easier to vote. The Heritage Foundation has hosted confidential meetings with like-minded secretaries of state “to strategize on advancing their shared goal of ensuring the integrity of the elections they administer in their home states,” records show.
But now, even as Trump has joined these advocates in denouncing vote by mail, Republican election administrators are rejecting their concerns. In Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and West Virginia, GOP officials are expanding vote by mail. Even in Alabama, where Secretary of State John Merrill has long spoken out against vote by mail, the state has added the coronavirus to the reasons for which voters can request an absentee ballot.
Election officials in these states say they have confidence in their ballot security practices. Kentucky’s expansion of vote by mail included “ballot integrity safeguards, such as an application requiring personally identifiable information in order to obtain an absentee ballot, a barcode tracking system for all outgoing and incoming absentee ballots, and proactive maintenance of the voter rolls,” said Miranda Combs, Mike Adams’ spokeswoman. Also, because they don’t see an alternative if the pandemic persists into November, many Republican officials who would otherwise oppose widening vote by mail are showing they are open to it. And they’re aware that Americans support voting by mail by a 2 to 1 margin.
“While the Washington politicians may not agree, our polling shows 70% of Georgia voters approve of the absentee ballot application process and plan on voting by mail due to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Jordan Fuchs, a Republican and Georgia’s deputy secretary of state. “As a result, Georgia has seen more than 1 million absentee ballot requests, with more than 900,000 ballots dropped into the mail system.”
David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, said he isn’t surprised that the attacks on vote by mail have failed to sway state officials. “The facts simply don’t support” the claims, said Becker, who works directly with states to improve their election systems. “Election officials know what they are doing, and they know that mail voting has proper safeguards and that fraud is extremely rare in elections.”
Spokespeople for Trump, Heritage and PILF did not respond to requests for comment.
National election officials have noticed the states’ adoption of vote by mail. “When it comes to information on how best to administer elections, I rely on state and local election officials,” said Ben Hovland, a Democrat and chairman of the Election Assistance Commission, a national clearinghouse that offers guidance on voting procedures. “I have repeatedly heard from officials of both parties that absentee and mail ballots will be an integral part of their 2020 election response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The wide public support and the relatively smooth expansion of vote by mail on the state level contrast with the opposition of Trump and many Republicans in Congress. Trump used his formerly daily press briefings on the pandemic to cast doubt on vote by mail, often parroting the talking points used by J. Christian Adams and the Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky, both of whom served on his now-disbanded voter fraud commission. Trump has called vote by mail “horrible” and “corrupt.” With universal vote by mail, “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” he said.
“Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country, because they’re cheaters,” Trump said at a briefing in early April. He recently tweeted about vote by mail in connection with Tuesday’s special congressional election in California, writing: “Turn your Ballots in now and track them, watching for dishonesty. Report to Law Enforcement.”
But states that backed Trump in the 2016 presidential election are largely disregarding his warnings. In the largest expansion of vote by mail in Georgia’s history, its Republican secretary of state sent applications to every active voter, despite protests from the speaker of the Georgia house, David Ralston. There are “a multitude of reasons why vote by mail in my view is not acceptable,” Ralston said in a recent interview. “The president said it best, this will be extremely devastating to Republicans and conservatives in Georgia.”
Ohio went all absentee for its April 28 primary with limited in-person voting for individuals with disabilities. Ballots needed to be postmarked before Election Day but could be received through May 5. Nearly 2 million Ohioans requested absentee ballots, overwhelming clerks with requests.
Get Our Top Investigations Subscribe to the Big Story newsletter.
Kobach, Kansas’ former secretary of state, became prominent by promoting unsupported claims of rampant voter fraud. Yet parts of Kansas, where he is now running for U.S. Senate, are encouraging vote by mail. Johnson County, the state’s largest county, where Kobach personally appointed the current clerk in charge of elections, will mail absentee ballot applications to all active voters ahead of the June primary. The state has allowed citizens to vote by mail up to 20 days before an election since the late 1960s, and it has in recent decades refined that process to enable voters to track their ballots online.
In an April column for Breitbart, Kobach told readers that fraud occurs “in the vast majority of states” that vote by mail. “All except Kansas, that is,” he wrote, where most problems “have been solved by the security reforms that I drafted and the Kansas Legislature enacted in 2011.” Kobach was referring to voter identification requirements, signature verification and prevention of ballot harvesting, in which political operatives round up and cast absentee ballots. These measures, though, aren’t unique to Kansas; 31 states have signature verification, and nearly a dozen others require a witness or a notary. Several states require ID verification to vote by mail, and all but 13 states have laws to deter ballot harvesting.
Kobach did not respond to requests for comment.
In Louisiana, the Republican secretary of state, Kyle Ardoin, worked with the Democratic governor on a plan to let anyone worried about health risks vote by mail. After Republican legislators rejected the proposal, saying it increased the risk of fraud, a scaled-down version passed a few days later. It enables voters to seek absentee ballots if they are at higher risk for the coronavirus.
“This is a great result for Louisiana’s voters and election workers, especially those most susceptible to the COVID-19 virus,” Ardoin said in a statement. “Our plan serves as a temporary and pragmatic response to the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging our nation.”
Read More Whether the Ballot You Mail Is Counted May Depend on Where You Vote All vote by mail systems are not created equal. In Wisconsin, a vote cast in one town would have been rejected in another. In Florida, young voters’ ballots are most likely to be tossed.
Texas is responding to the pandemic by lengthening the early voting period, rather than by expanding vote by mail. On Monday night, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced that early voting for a state special election on July 14 would begin on June 29 instead of July 6. Still, a federal court may impose an incremental extension of vote by mail in Texas. Over the objections of the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, who threatened “criminal sanctions” for voters who apply for an absentee ballot for fear of COVID-19, a U.S. district court issued a temporary injunction expanding the definition of “disability” for purposes of voting by mail to include voters concerned about contracting the disease. Across the state, election administrators say they are prepared to allow people to seek absentee ballots for this reason. “It will make everything so much easier,” said one, who declined to be named.
As in Texas, courts in other states have generally been unsympathetic to allegations that vote by mail increases fraud. Last Tuesday, a federal court in Virginia rejected arguments by the state Republican Party and PILF that removing a requirement that absentee ballots be notarized would increase fraud. The governor had waived the requirement for those who did not feel safe obtaining a notary signature because of the pandemic.
Similarly, a federal judge in Reno, Nevada, in April rejected True the Vote’s lawsuit challenging the state’s plan to hold its June primary largely by mail. “Their claim of voter fraud is without any factual basis,” the judge wrote. “Plaintiffs cannot demonstrate a burden upon their voting rights, only an imposition upon their preference for in-person voting.”
Some red states remain holdouts. In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Parson has declined to expand vote by mail, calling it “inappropriate” to change election procedures. The secretary of state has stayed largely silent on the practice.
Von Spakovsky and J. Christian Adams have been pushing voter fraud claims since they both served in the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division during the administration of President George W. Bush. As early as 2010, von Spakovsky called universal vote by mail “a terrible idea whose time should never come,” and he predicted an array of bad outcomes: rampant fraud, voter intimidation, even that the secret ballot would be “under siege.” He has made a habit of calling mailed ballots the “vote thieves’ tool of choice.”
To back up his claims, the Heritage Foundation has compiled a database of vote by mail fraud. But Amber McReynolds, chief executive of Vote at Home, and Charles Stewart, an MIT political scientist who studies election administration, contend that the database actually shows how rare fraud is. In late April, the pair wrote for The Hill that, of the 1,200 cases in the database, “204 involved the fraudulent use of absentee ballots; 143 resulted in criminal convictions.”
“One hundred forty-three cases of fraud using mailed ballots over the course of 20 years comes out to seven to eight cases per year, nationally. It also means that across the 50 states, there has been an average of three cases per state over the 20-year span. That is just one case per state every six or seven years. We are talking about an occurrence that translates to about 0.00006 percent of total votes cast,” they wrote.
For the last three years, von Spakovsky has pressed Republican election officials on election security and voter fraud in private, off-the-record meetings. These get-togethers take place during the National Association of Secretaries of State conferences twice a year, in January in Washington, D.C., and in the summer at a rotating location.
The half-day meetings gather secretaries and election officials on an invitation-only basis. Correspondence obtained by ProPublica through public records requests shows that the meetings’ purpose has been “to have in-depth discussions of these issues and to share strategy and tactics on achieving long-term goals and objectives shared by the secretaries.” Guest speakers, such as Ed Meese, attorney general under President Ronald Reagan, occasionally make appearances.
“I mean, you always know when the meetings are happening, because all of the most conservative secretaries are just gone” from the regular conference events, said one secretary of state whom the Heritage Foundation has not invited. “What would actually be helpful is if these secretaries were present” at the NASS trainings and briefings.
As the pandemic has raged, and states have rejected their attacks on vote by mail, von Spakovsky and Adams have slightly modified their position. Like Kobach, von Spakovsky has touted his home state as an island of responsible practices. He, Adams and Cleta Mitchell wrote on Fox News’ website that Georgia — where von Spakovsky lives and speaks frequently with the secretary of state’s staff, according to email records — will “cut down” on fraud by sending absentee ballot applications only to registered and active voters.
The authors didn’t point out that similar procedures have become the norm in other states. Instead, they warned, “No one should forget that absentee-ballot voting is vulnerable to intimidation, fraud and chaos as all-mail elections move behind closed doors beyond the oversight of election officials.”
May 12, 2020: This story originally misstated the political party of Ben Hovland. He is a Democrat, not a Republican.
Help Us Continue Reporting on COVID-19 Are you a public health worker or front-line medical provider? Do you work for or with a government agency involved in the effort to protect the public? Have you or your family personally been affected? Show us what we should be covering or serve as an expert to make sure we’re on track. This form requires JavaScript to complete. Powered by CityBase.


crooksandliars--2020-05-13--Even If We Come Up With A Vaccine, There May Not Be Enough Vials To Put It In

What we ’ re learning from the Trump team ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is that disaster preparation measures are very complicated and involve lots of moving parts .
We ’ re learning that a nation 's ability to respond to a crisis depends very much on having government infrastructure devoted to predicting where those crises may hit and what small , seemingly innocuous bits are likely to wreck our ability to respond to the whole thing if we do n't get them right .
This is why you might , say , create a national security team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerging pandemics as opposed to having the president 's daughter 's real estate investor husband attempt to work it out on the fly .
A national security team devoted exclusively to preparing for pandemics might be able to tell you that even if we were to come up with a vaccine immediately for the current threat , we could not distribute it because there is a shortage of the sand used to make the glass used to make the little vials that the vaccine would be put into .
It turns out you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mason jars .
A Politico story brings us the details on that one—yet another issue pulled from the whistleblower complaint filed by the forced-out government vaccine expert Rick Bright .
In addition to a shortage of vaccine vials—due to a shortage of medical-grade glass , due to a shortage of a particular kind of river sand—there also aren ’ t nearly enough of the little rubber or latex caps .
It will take time to ramp up production , and the Trump administration has seemed especially devoted to rooting out anyone in government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know about such things .
This is n't something we need to worry about right now because there is no vaccine to put in the vials yet .
But government will need to worry about it , hopefully with a more robust effort than : `` What if Jared Kushner assembles a team of finance industry college buddies to cold call companies and ask them what 's up with that ? ''
And it will eventually need to be solved , in the same way that ( shudder ) testing and contract tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the Great Orange Idiot thinks so or not .
And that is so depressing a thought that we might just want to leave it there and not dwell on it too deeply .
There are a hundred different crises going on behind the scenes , every one of them an issue that an incompetent government effort could turn into the major crisis topping all others .
The Republican administration response continues to focus primarily on searching each government agency for someone who has identified these crises so that they can be well @ @ @ @

What we’re learning from the Trump team’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is that disaster preparation measures are very complicated and involve lots of moving parts. We’re learning that a nation's ability to respond to a crisis depends very much on having government infrastructure devoted to predicting where those crises may hit and what small, seemingly innocuous bits are likely to wreck our ability to respond to the whole thing if we don't get them right.
This is why you might, say, create a national security team devoted exclusively to preparing responses to newly emerging pandemics as opposed to having the president's daughter's real estate investor husband attempt to work it out on the fly. A national security team devoted exclusively to preparing for pandemics might be able to tell you that even if we were to come up with a vaccine immediately for the current threat, we could not distribute it because there is a shortage of the sand used to make the glass used to make the little vials that the vaccine would be put into. It turns out you can't just pour the stuff into Mason jars.
A Politico story brings us the details on that one—yet another issue pulled from the whistleblower complaint filed by the forced-out government vaccine expert Rick Bright. In addition to a shortage of vaccine vials—due to a shortage of medical-grade glass, due to a shortage of a particular kind of river sand—there also aren’t nearly enough of the little rubber or latex caps. It will take time to ramp up production, and the Trump administration has seemed especially devoted to rooting out anyone in government who has ever had the audacity to know about such things.
This isn't something we need to worry about right now because there is no vaccine to put in the vials yet. But government will need to worry about it, hopefully with a more robust effort than: "What if Jared Kushner assembles a team of finance industry college buddies to cold call companies and ask them what's up with that?" And it will eventually need to be solved, in the same way that (shudder) testing and contract tracing will eventually need to be solved, whether the Great Orange Idiot thinks so or not.
And that is so depressing a thought that we might just want to leave it there and not dwell on it too deeply. There are a hundred different crises going on behind the scenes, every one of them an issue that an incompetent government effort could turn into the major crisis topping all others. The Republican administration response continues to focus primarily on searching each government agency for someone who has identified these crises so that they can be well and truly punished.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike Pence gives a rambling response and changes the subject when asked by CBS reporter Paula Reid if the Trump @ @ @ @ @ the problem '' and contributing to the spread of COVID-19 by holding indoor campaign events @ @ @ @

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crooksandliars--2020-03-26--Bernie Sanders Slams GOP For Pearl Clutching Over Extra Unemployment Money

In a fiery speech on the Senate floor Wednesday ahead of the chamber 's passage of a massive coronavirus stimulus bill , Sen. Bernie Sanders ripped his Republican colleagues for doing everything in their power to ensure that poor and vulnerable people receive less financial assistance than they desperately need in this moment of nationwide crisis .
`` Now I find that some of my Republican colleagues are very distressed .
They 're very upset that somebody who 's making 10 , 12 bucks an hour might end up with a paycheck for four months , more than they received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referring to the group of Republican senators who threatened to delay passage of the stimulus bill over its temporary expansion of unemployment benefits , which they described as overly generous .
In response , as Common Dreams reported , Sanders vowed to hold up the stimulus legislation with a demand for stronger conditions on the bill 's `` corporate welfare fund '' if the Republican senators refused to drop their objections to the unemployment provisions .
The Senate ultimately defeated an amendment by Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-Neb . )
that would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed Wednesday night by a vote of 96-0 .
`` Oh my god , the universe is collapsing .
Imagine that ? ''
said Sanders , waving his arms in mock distress .
`` Somebody who 's making 12 bucks an hour now , like the rest of us , faces an unprecedented economic crisis with the $ 600 bucks on top of their normal , their regular unemployment check , might be making a few bucks more for four months .
Oh my word !
Will the universe survive ? ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What kind of value system is that ? ''
asked Sanders , a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate .
`` Meanwhile , these very same folks had no problem a couple years ago voting for a trillion dollars in tax breaks for billionaires and large profitable corporations .
Not a problem . ''
`` But when it comes to low-income workers , in the midst of a terrible crisis , maybe some of them earning or having more money than they previously made—oh my word , we got ta strip that out , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor people are down here , they do n't deserve , they do n't eat , they do n't pay rent , they do n't go to the doctor , they 're somehow inferior because they 're poor , gon na give them less .
Some of my Republican friends still have not given up on the need to punish the poor and working people . ''

In a fiery speech on the Senate floor Wednesday ahead of the chamber's passage of a massive coronavirus stimulus bill, Sen. Bernie Sanders ripped his Republican colleagues for doing everything in their power to ensure that poor and vulnerable people receive less financial assistance than they desperately need in this moment of nationwide crisis.
"Now I find that some of my Republican colleagues are very distressed. They're very upset that somebody who's making 10, 12 bucks an hour might end up with a paycheck for four months, more than they received last week," Sanders said, referring to the group of Republican senators who threatened to delay passage of the stimulus bill over its temporary expansion of unemployment benefits, which they described as overly generous.
In response, as Common Dreams reported, Sanders vowed to hold up the stimulus legislation with a demand for stronger conditions on the bill's "corporate welfare fund" if the Republican senators refused to drop their objections to the unemployment provisions.
The Senate ultimately defeated an amendment by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) that would have limited unemployment benefits and the stimulus bill passed Wednesday night by a vote of 96-0.
"Oh my god, the universe is collapsing. Imagine that?" said Sanders, waving his arms in mock distress. "Somebody who's making 12 bucks an hour now, like the rest of us, faces an unprecedented economic crisis with the $600 bucks on top of their normal, their regular unemployment check, might be making a few bucks more for four months. Oh my word! Will the universe survive?"
"How absurd and wrong is that? What kind of value system is that?" asked Sanders, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. "Meanwhile, these very same folks had no problem a couple years ago voting for a trillion dollars in tax breaks for billionaires and large profitable corporations. Not a problem."
"But when it comes to low-income workers, in the midst of a terrible crisis, maybe some of them earning or having more money than they previously made—oh my word, we gotta strip that out," Sanders continued. "You see because poor people are down here, they don't deserve, they don't eat, they don't pay rent, they don't go to the doctor, they're somehow inferior because they're poor, gonna give them less. Some of my Republican friends still have not given up on the need to punish the poor and working people."
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, staff writer) under a Creative Commons License.


crooksandliars--2020-03-26--Fox & Friends' Host Frets That The Economy Needs To Open So Women Can Get Hair And Nails Done

`` All my friends are saying — this is not a priority , people are dying , and I realize that — that they can ’ t get their nails done . ''
Not a priority except that it 's a priority .
Got it .
Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt suggested Thursday morning that the U.S. should reopen its economy , despite the growing spread of COVID-19 , so that her friends can get their hair and nails done .
“ Every day , we ’ re talking about different topics , because we ’ re moving in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now , or South Korea is now , and just getting some improvement , ” Earhardt said , adding that she lives in New York City , but doesn ’ t want to return there because it is an epicenter for the virus .
“ If you bought clothing before all this happened , if you want to return it , are stores gon na waive that 30-day period where you can get your money back ?
” Airhardt wondered .
“ This not a priority , but women have to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet out , you ’ re going to see what color our real hair is , because our roots are going to grow in .
All my friends are saying — this is not a priority , people are dying , and I realize that — that they can ’ t get their nails done .
”

"All my friends are saying — this is not a priority, people are dying, and I realize that — that they can’t get their nails done."
Not a priority except that it's a priority. Got it.
Source: Towle Road


crooksandliars--2020-03-18--Rand Paul Goes Full-On Racist, Calling Immigrants 'Non-People'

During the Senate debate over the new stimulus package that will hopefully deal with the drastic effects of COVID-19 , Sen. Rand Paul offered up an amendment that he knows has no chance of passing .
Apparently , at this grave time in our country he decided he needed to make believe that now he 's suddenly a fiscal conservative again .
So when he took to the floor , he gave himself a chance to unceremoniously bash , dehumanize , and uncouple undocumented workers from humanity .
I 'm sure Stephen Miller shed a tear of joy at such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about fiscal responsibility .
`` My amendment does just that , '' he declared .
`` My amendment says that if you want to apply for money from the government through the child tax credit program , this is money that the government gives to people , that you have to be a legitimate person , you have to have a social security number . ''
`` We 've been talking about this reform for a decade now and have not passed it .
It has nothing to do with not liking immigrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayer money should n't go to non-people , '' he said .
Sen. Paul continued , `` You should have to be a person to get taxpayer money . ''
All the white nationalists in the world stood up and cheered .

During the Senate debate over the new stimulus package that will hopefully deal with the drastic effects of COVID-19, Sen. Rand Paul offered up an amendment that he knows has no chance of passing.
Apparently, at this grave time in our country he decided he needed to make believe that now he's suddenly a fiscal conservative again.
So when he took to the floor, he gave himself a chance to unceremoniously bash, dehumanize, and uncouple undocumented workers from humanity.
I'm sure Stephen Miller shed a tear of joy at such a sentiment.
Sen. Paul was complaining about fiscal responsibility. "My amendment does just that," he declared. "My amendment says that if you want to apply for money from the government through the child tax credit program, this is money that the government gives to people, that you have to be a legitimate person, you have to have a social security number."
"We've been talking about this reform for a decade now and have not passed it. It has nothing to do with not liking immigrants, it has to do with saying taxpayer money shouldn't go to non-people," he said.
Sen. Paul continued, "You should have to be a person to get taxpayer money."
All the white nationalists in the world stood up and cheered.


crooksandliars--2020-03-19--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

Gin and Tacos : The political parties and long- versus short-term success .
Pharyngula : Why does Dennis Prager still @ @ @ @ @ account ?
Greater Good : How to keep the greater good in mind during the @ @ @ @ @ by Batocchio .
E-mail tips to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com .

Gin and Tacos: The political parties and long- versus short-term success.
Pharyngula: Why does Dennis Prager still have a Twitter and YouTube account?
Reading the Pictures: White House Flickr exposes Trump’s oval office coronavirus speech.
Poor Impulse Control: A good time to start a garden.
Greater Good: How to keep the greater good in mind during the coronavirus outbreak.
This installment by Batocchio. E-mail tips to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com.


crooksandliars--2020-03-19--Kellyanne Conway Bullies Asian Reporter About WH Official Who Used 'Kung-Flu'

A NORMAL person with a beating heart and an ounce of empathy would not put an already harmed and hurting individual in more danger .
This is Kellyanne Conway we 're talking about , here , though , so , normal does n't really apply .
So , when this happened ... Weijia Jiang — a CBS reporter — and her colleagues , including Yamiche Alcindor asked Conway if that was acceptable .
Conway deflected , whined , and said several times that she `` refused to engage in hypotheticals . ''
Understand this .
When Conway calls this a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jiang a liar .
She is saying , `` I do n't believe this happened to you . ''
Not only that , she took it further and demanded Jiang tell her on camera who it was who used that slur .
CONWAY : Weijia , who was it ?
Tell us !
JIANG : I think you understand how these conversations go .
CONWAY : No , I don ’ t know how these conversations go , and that is highly offensive so you should tell us all who it is .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the term was offensive , but she also whined , `` You guys are shouting at me when I 'm trying to help you help America , '' which is just spectacular white woman fragility on display .
Brava , Ms. Conway .
*golf clap* For Conway to pretend she does n't know how these conversations go is to pretend a journalist is n't in danger of having her credentials yanked out of revenge from this angry administration who openly detests the press .
It 's to pretend a person who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unintimidated by the white woman demanding on camera you name the racist .
It 's about as disgusting as one can expect from this administration who , just this Monday , began to refering to COVID-19 as the `` Chinese '' virus .
Well done , Ms. Conway .
You learn from and serve your master well .

A NORMAL person with a beating heart and an ounce of empathy would not put an already harmed and hurting individual in more danger. This is Kellyanne Conway we're talking about, here, though, so, normal doesn't really apply. So, when this happened...
This morning a White House official referred to #Coronavirus as the “Kung-Flu” to my face. Makes me wonder what they’re calling it behind my back. — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) March 17, 2020
Weijia Jiang — a CBS reporter — and her colleagues, including Yamiche Alcindor asked Conway if that was acceptable. Conway deflected, whined, and said several times that she "refused to engage in hypotheticals."
Understand this. When Conway calls this a "hypothetical," she is calling Jiang a liar. She is saying, "I don't believe this happened to you."
Not only that, she took it further and demanded Jiang tell her on camera who it was who used that slur.
CONWAY: Weijia, who was it? Tell us! JIANG: I think you understand how these conversations go. CONWAY: No, I don’t know how these conversations go, and that is highly offensive so you should tell us all who it is.
Conway may have agreed in this conversation that the term was offensive, but she also whined, "You guys are shouting at me when I'm trying to help you help America," which is just spectacular white woman fragility on display. Brava, Ms. Conway. *golf clap*
For Conway to pretend she doesn't know how these conversations go is to pretend a journalist isn't in danger of having her credentials yanked out of revenge from this angry administration who openly detests the press. It's to pretend a person who has been the target of racism would feel unintimidated by the white woman demanding on camera you name the racist. It's about as disgusting as one can expect from this administration who, just this Monday, began to refering to COVID-19 as the "Chinese" virus.
Well done, Ms. Conway. You learn from and serve your master well.


crooksandliars--2020-03-18--YouGov Poll: Fox News Viewers Less Concerned (And Informed) About COVID-19

Fox News viewers are less likely to be concerned about the novel coronavirus than consumers of other media , according @ @ @ @ @ A survey of Americans by The Economist and YouGov found that Fox News fans are @ @ @ @ @ be concerned about COVID-19 as viewers of MSNBC or CNN .
Only 38 % of @ @ @ @ @ were worried about the virus , compared with 74 % of MSNBC viewers and 71 @ @ @ @ @ say they are concerned .
Seventy-two percent of readers of national newspapers are also worried @ @ @ @ @ survey found .

Fox News viewers are less likely to be concerned about the novel coronavirus than consumers of other media, according to a new poll.
A survey of Americans by The Economist and YouGov found that Fox News fans are about half as likely to be concerned about COVID-19 as viewers of MSNBC or CNN.
Only 38% of Fox News viewers said they were worried about the virus, compared with 74% of MSNBC viewers and 71% of CNN viewers who say they are concerned.
Seventy-two percent of readers of national newspapers are also worried about the virus, the survey found.
Read the poll results below.
New polling on media attention and #covid-19 from YouGov and The Economist:
% who say they are worried about the virus, by media they most pay attention to:
MSNBC: 74%
National newspapers (NYT/WaPo): 72
CNN: 71
Broadcast news: 68
Local news: 57
Radio: 49
Fox News: 38 — G. Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris) March 18, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--Lou Dobbs: Trump Is Right About Hydroxychloroquine Because He's President

France has released a so-called coronavirus study that included only 20 people in an uncontrolled environment .
But that did n't stop Fox News personalities from hyping it to the American public , so they could defend Trump against his own medical experts .
On Monday 's Lou Dobbs Tonight , the Trump lovin ' host proclaimed that Trump was right and Dr. Fauci was wrong .
His `` proof '' ?
A single Laura Ingraham guest saying he was cured because of HER medical advice .
Fox host David Asman began by saying `` the media is trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor '' just because Fausi routinely has to explain away misstatements of fact by Trump .
And then Dobbs began with his effigy to the glory of Trump : '' Yes .
It 's absolutely not true .
And furthermore , the president has been exactly right about those two drugs - Hydroxychloroquine - it 's just amazing , '' Dobbs said as he canonized Trump .
He continued , `` Hydroxychloroquine - it 's just amazing .
And that is now being prescribed , it now holds great hope . ''
Who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have begun on this and many others but so far it 's not been approved for any use , but facts do n't matter to these propagandists .
And to exalt the almighty , Dobbs said , `` And the president was right and frankly Fauci was wrong .
Because he said the president is speaking as a layman .
No , he 's speaking as the President of the United States whose responsibility is for the lives and safety of millions of Americans .
Whose actions by this president , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every word Trump utters is sacrosanct .
This means Trump is the 2020 version of the US Constitutional Bible .
What you did n't hear from Lou Dobbs was that a man who took Trump-touted drugs in Arizona and died because of it .

France has released a so-called coronavirus study that included only 20 people in an uncontrolled environment.
On Twitter, infectious disease geneticist Gaetan Burgio called it utterly insane.
But that didn't stop Fox News personalities from hyping it to the American public, so they could defend Trump against his own medical experts.
On Monday's Lou Dobbs Tonight, the Trump lovin' host proclaimed that Trump was right and Dr. Fauci was wrong. His "proof"? A single Laura Ingraham guest saying he was cured because of HER medical advice.
Annnnd we now have Fox News hosts literally taking credit for saving coronavirus patients' lives. pic.twitter.com/52HuX7dJRx — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) March 24, 2020
Fox host David Asman began by saying "the media is trying to start a fight between Trump and the doctor" just because Fausi routinely has to explain away misstatements of fact by Trump.
And then Dobbs began with his effigy to the glory of Trump:
"Yes. It's absolutely not true. And furthermore, the president has been exactly right about those two drugs - Hydroxychloroquine - it's just amazing," Dobbs said as he canonized Trump.
He continued, "Hydroxychloroquine - it's just amazing. And that is now being prescribed, it now holds great hope."
Who exactly is prescribing this drug? Studies have begun on this and many others but so far it's not been approved for any use, but facts don't matter to these propagandists.
And to exalt the almighty, Dobbs said, "And the president was right and frankly Fauci was wrong. Because he said the president is speaking as a layman. No, he's speaking as the President of the United States whose responsibility is for the lives and safety of millions of Americans. Whose actions by this president, you know, depend."
To Dobbs, every word Trump utters is sacrosanct. This means Trump is the 2020 version of the US Constitutional Bible.
What you didn't hear from Lou Dobbs was that a man who took Trump-touted drugs in Arizona and died because of it.
A man has died and his wife is under critical care after the couple, both in their 60s, ingested chloroquine phosphate," one of the anti-malaria drugs that President Trump has mentioned in recent days, according to Banner Health, the hospital system that treated both patients.
The results showed a reduction of the viral load from HCQ and HCQ + Azithromycin treated patients compared to controls. Looks spectacular but wait .... No error base on these graphs. So I looked at the suppl data pic.twitter.com/UdN2y6779X — Dr Gaetan Burgio, MD, PhD. (@GaetanBurgio) March 21, 2020