crooksandliars--2020-05-27--Fox News' Tucker Carlson Spews Dangerous Disinformation About Coronavirus

Tucker Carlson opened his show this Tuesday with yet another dangerous rant , accusing CNN and MSNBC of fearmongering and peddling panic over the coronavirus pandemic , and lying about whether or not lockdowns help stop the spread of the deadly disease .
Carlson did his best to downplay the images we saw over the holiday weekend of Americans packed on beaches and in swimming pools and bars at Lake of the Ozarks , telling his viewers that getting outside is good for you : We hope you had a happy Memorial Day weekend .
It 's possible you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , months trapped indoors per government order because of the coronavirus .
So , getting outside makes all the difference -- grilling a hamburger in the fresh air , hitting the park , walking on the beach for a couple of hours .
It 's essential .
All of us needed it .
Nature is medicine .
Happy , balanced people understand that intuitively .
You ca n't just sit on a couch all day barking at other people on social media .
Your soul will rot if you do that .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is that it was n't just people crowded and refusing to follow social distancing guidelines outdoors .
They were also packed into the nightclubs like sardines with no masks on .
Here 's a video taken inside one of the bars in Lake of the Ozarks that Tucker Carlson did n't bother to show his audience .
After continuing to attack CNN and MSNBC for their reporting on the dangers of violating the lockdowns and social distancing measures , and going after Nicolle Wallace and Ali Velshi for reporting on churches that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump for pandering to evangelicals by insisting churches be reopened immediately , Carlson proceeded to peddle the dangerous lie that quarantines and stay-at-home orders do nothing to slow the spread of the virus : After two months that these lockdowns have done very much to halt the spread of this virus .
Sorry .
We wish it were otherwise .
You hate to think of all those people suffering for no reason , but it 's true .
States that locked down early and aggressively are no better off today on average than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's a fact .
Those are the data that you 're talking about .
And by contrast , there 's an awful lot of science and data that going outside is vital to your health and has been for a hundred years .
We 've known that .
Exercising outdoors , getting vitamin D from the sun , this makes you healthier and less vulnerable to coronavirus .
The virus also spreads far less easily outdoors than it does indoors .
Again , this is not speculation ; it is fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever done took a look at 318 separate coronavirus infection clusters , places where the virus spread outward to other people .
What did it find ?
It found that at 317 out of 318 clusters -- that 's 99.7 percent -- the infection spread indoors , not outdoors .
Indoors .
And indoors is where Dr. Science and Data on MSNBC claims you must remain .
So no , CNN and MSNBC are not bringing you science and data .
They 're peddling panic and reckless moral judgment , and it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tucker 's claim that the virus spreads inside and not outside is a pernicious lie .
The CDC social distancing guidelines call for masks and a 6-foot distance between people outdoors because of the danger the virus poses .
Cherry picking data from states across the country that may , or may not even be accurately reporting the number of infections , that have different population densities , some of whom are doing a very good job of testing , and some who are not , and ignoring what we 've learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world have done in response to the virus is extremely reckless and irresponsible , but apparently Fox is determined to help kill off as many of their viewers as humanly possible before we finally get this pandemic under control .

Tucker Carlson opened his show this Tuesday with yet another dangerous rant, accusing CNN and MSNBC of fearmongering and peddling panic over the coronavirus pandemic, and lying about whether or not lockdowns help stop the spread of the deadly disease.
Carlson did his best to downplay the images we saw over the holiday weekend of Americans packed on beaches and in swimming pools and bars at Lake of the Ozarks, telling his viewers that getting outside is good for you:
We hope you had a happy Memorial Day weekend. It's possible you have spent, along with millions of others, months trapped indoors per government order because of the coronavirus. So, getting outside makes all the difference -- grilling a hamburger in the fresh air, hitting the park, walking on the beach for a couple of hours. It's essential. All of us needed it. Nature is medicine. Happy, balanced people understand that intuitively. You can't just sit on a couch all day barking at other people on social media. Your soul will rot if you do that.
What Carlson chose to ignore, of course, is that it wasn't just people crowded and refusing to follow social distancing guidelines outdoors. They were also packed into the nightclubs like sardines with no masks on. Here's a video taken inside one of the bars in Lake of the Ozarks that Tucker Carlson didn't bother to show his audience.
After continuing to attack CNN and MSNBC for their reporting on the dangers of violating the lockdowns and social distancing measures, and going after Nicolle Wallace and Ali Velshi for reporting on churches that have defied lockdown orders and for criticizing Trump for pandering to evangelicals by insisting churches be reopened immediately, Carlson proceeded to peddle the dangerous lie that quarantines and stay-at-home orders do nothing to slow the spread of the virus:
After two months that these lockdowns have done very much to halt the spread of this virus. Sorry. We wish it were otherwise. You hate to think of all those people suffering for no reason, but it's true. States that locked down early and aggressively are no better off today on average than states that never locked down at all. That's a fact. Those are the data that you're talking about. And by contrast, there's an awful lot of science and data that going outside is vital to your health and has been for a hundred years. We've known that. Exercising outdoors, getting vitamin D from the sun, this makes you healthier and less vulnerable to coronavirus. The virus also spreads far less easily outdoors than it does indoors. Again, this is not speculation; it is fact. The largest study of this subject ever done took a look at 318 separate coronavirus infection clusters, places where the virus spread outward to other people. What did it find? It found that at 317 out of 318 clusters -- that's 99.7 percent -- the infection spread indoors, not outdoors. Indoors. And indoors is where Dr. Science and Data on MSNBC claims you must remain. So no, CNN and MSNBC are not bringing you science and data. They're peddling panic and reckless moral judgment, and it's having an awful effect on this country.
Tucker's claim that the virus spreads inside and not outside is a pernicious lie. The CDC social distancing guidelines call for masks and a 6-foot distance between people outdoors because of the danger the virus poses.
Cherry picking data from states across the country that may, or may not even be accurately reporting the number of infections, that have different population densities, some of whom are doing a very good job of testing, and some who are not, and ignoring what we've learned from looking at how countries around the world have done in response to the virus is extremely reckless and irresponsible, but apparently Fox is determined to help kill off as many of their viewers as humanly possible before we finally get this pandemic under control.


crooksandliars--2020-05-27--Is The Campaign Press Rooting For Trump?

Published with permission of PRESS RUN , Eric Boehlert ’ s new must-read media newsletter .
Subscribe here .
Joe Biden created unwanted headlines for his campaign on Friday when he appeared on “ The Breakfast Club ” and , responding to a question from the show ’ s co-host , Charlamagne tha God , announced , “ If you have a problem figuring out whether you ’ re for me or Trump , then you ain ’ t black.
” Biden apologized within hours , saying his comments were “ much too cavalier , '' in terms of speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New York Times produced Day Three coverage of the minor story .
By contrast , over that same three-day window Trump denounced his former , hand-picked Attorney General as not being `` mentally qualified '' for the job , accused a cable news host of murder , retweeted a fat-shaming message aimed at Biden 's possible vice presidential running mate , and shared a tweet that derided Hillary Clinton as a `` skank . ''
Also , during the previous week , Trump accused former President Barack Obama of being a criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage generated more media attention and pundit chatter over the weekend .
( `` Biden '' and `` black '' were mentioned together nearly 200 times on cable news since Friday . )
What could possibly explain that kind of drastic imbalance during a presidential election season ?
And more importantly , is the campaign press rooting for Trump ?
By rooting for Trump , I do n't mean journalists and news organizations want him to serve four more years .
Rather , are news outlets hoping Trump keeps the race close so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ratings through November ?
Remember , almost every presidential contest since 1996 has been closely contested , and the Beltway press wants to keep it that way , even though Biden has opened up a sizeable and consistent polling lead as the coronavirus pandemic continues to do lasting damage to Trump 's presidency .
Here 's the dirty little secret about 2020 campaign coverage : Prior to Covid-19 , major news outlets had already dedicated huge amounts of resources to the election and set aside vast amounts of coverage for this election cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business for the news media . )
But now that White House campaign does n't really exist .
There are no rallies , neither candidate is barnstorming the country , and might not for months .
News outlets still need Biden coverage , though .
So his slight misstep on Friday got completely blown out of proportion because news organizations have a shortage of Biden stories .
At the same time , news outlets have too much Trump coverage , since he functions as a human fire hose , relentlessly pumping out false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news .
Trump 's weekend behavior , which resembled a public panic attack , gets downplayed , as Biden 's gaffe gets treated as big news .
That way the coverage of Biden and Trump appears equal because the press is being balanced covering both candidates .
And then there 's the type of campaign coverage that actively pumps up Trump 's electoral chances .
`` Trump has a real shot of winning , '' announced a CNN piece last week .
After acknowledging that Biden leads in virtually every national poll taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state polls , CNN stressed , `` Biden may be favored , but this race is far from over . ''
Whenever I read analysis like that I ca n't help thinking it 's an effort by campaign journalists to tap into Democratic anxieties about Trump , in hopes of ginning online traffic and TV ratings .
It 's hard to imagine that if a Democratic incumbent were overseeing a failed pandemic response , with the country suffering staggering losses that include 100,000 deaths and 40 million lost jobs , the Beltway press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hope for the Democratic candidate .
CNN 's Chris Cillizza last week stressed Trump can win in November because he `` gets stuff done , '' which seems like a bizarre argument to make with 40 million Americans suddenly out of work .
Cillizza never mentioned that stunning number , only that the pandemic had `` significantly weakened '' Trump 's economic case for re-election .
It 's curious that the last time a Democratic incumbent president ran for re-election , the common media narrative was , 'He might lose . '
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the common media narrative is , 'He might win . '
Both play off Democratic fears .
Fact : Arizona has voted Republican in eleven of the last twelve presidential elections .
Yet Trump has n't led there since early last winter .
That would be like if Biden were trailing in the deep blue state of Massachusetts .
Caveat : I do n't know who 's going to win and my point here is not to suggest that the press must announce Trump 's defeat months in advance .
Based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take polling into account in terms of framing the unfolding race , and the person who trails in virtually every poll , as Trump currently does , is tagged as the candidate who faces a stiff uphill challenge .
I can hear the media chorus today : Polls suggested Trump would lose in 2016 , which means 2020 could be just like 2016 , so we should n't pay attention to the polls .
Not true .
In late May of 2016 , according to all the national polls posted at RealClearPolitics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today , according to the same RCP tabulation , Trump trails Biden by six points .
Note that Trump leads in just one of the last 55 national polls taken , dating back to mid-February , or just two percent of all polls .
Four years ago , during that same stretch from mid-February to mid-May , Trump led in 6 of 37 polls taken , 16 percent of all polls .
Also , we 've been through a national election cycle since 2016 , and Democrats won the 2018 midterm cycle in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested they would .
Covering the 2020 campaign , the press should make sure they do n't put their thumb on the scale for Trump in hopes of marketing a close race .

Published with permission of PRESS RUN, Eric Boehlert’s new must-read media newsletter. Subscribe here.
Joe Biden created unwanted headlines for his campaign on Friday when he appeared on “The Breakfast Club” and, responding to a question from the show’s co-host, Charlamagne tha God, announced, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” Biden apologized within hours, saying his comments were “much too cavalier," in terms of speaking for black voters.
On Sunday, the New York Times produced Day Three coverage of the minor story. By contrast, over that same three-day window Trump denounced his former, hand-picked Attorney General as not being "mentally qualified" for the job, accused a cable news host of murder, retweeted a fat-shaming message aimed at Biden's possible vice presidential running mate, and shared a tweet that derided Hillary Clinton as a "skank." Also, during the previous week, Trump accused former President Barack Obama of being a criminal. Yet the Biden "gaffe" coverage generated more media attention and pundit chatter over the weekend. ("Biden" and "black" were mentioned together nearly 200 times on cable news since Friday.)
What could possibly explain that kind of drastic imbalance during a presidential election season? And more importantly, is the campaign press rooting for Trump?
By rooting for Trump, I don't mean journalists and news organizations want him to serve four more years. Rather, are news outlets hoping Trump keeps the race close so the election story will generate clicks and ratings through November? Remember, almost every presidential contest since 1996 has been closely contested, and the Beltway press wants to keep it that way, even though Biden has opened up a sizeable and consistent polling lead as the coronavirus pandemic continues to do lasting damage to Trump's presidency.
Here's the dirty little secret about 2020 campaign coverage: Prior to Covid-19, major news outlets had already dedicated huge amounts of resources to the election and set aside vast amounts of coverage for this election cycle. (Campaign seasons are indeed big business for the news media.) But now that White House campaign doesn't really exist. There are no rallies, neither candidate is barnstorming the country, and might not for months. News outlets still need Biden coverage, though. So his slight misstep on Friday got completely blown out of proportion because news organizations have a shortage of Biden stories.
At the same time, news outlets have too much Trump coverage, since he functions as a human fire hose, relentlessly pumping out false claims and misinformation under the guise of news. Trump's weekend behavior, which resembled a public panic attack, gets downplayed, as Biden's gaffe gets treated as big news. That way the coverage of Biden and Trump appears equal because the press is being balanced covering both candidates.
And then there's the type of campaign coverage that actively pumps up Trump's electoral chances. "Trump has a real shot of winning," announced a CNN piece last week. After acknowledging that Biden leads in virtually every national poll taken this year, and most key swing state polls, CNN stressed, "Biden may be favored, but this race is far from over."
Whenever I read analysis like that I can't help thinking it's an effort by campaign journalists to tap into Democratic anxieties about Trump, in hopes of ginning online traffic and TV ratings. It's hard to imagine that if a Democratic incumbent were overseeing a failed pandemic response, with the country suffering staggering losses that include 100,000 deaths and 40 million lost jobs, the Beltway press would be scrambling to find electoral rays of hope for the Democratic candidate.
CNN's Chris Cillizza last week stressed Trump can win in November because he "gets stuff done," which seems like a bizarre argument to make with 40 million Americans suddenly out of work. Cillizza never mentioned that stunning number, only that the pandemic had "significantly weakened" Trump's economic case for re-election.
It's curious that the last time a Democratic incumbent president ran for re-election, the common media narrative was, 'He might lose.' Today, Trump's running for re-election and the common media narrative is, 'He might win.' Both play off Democratic fears.
Fact: Arizona has voted Republican in eleven of the last twelve presidential elections. Yet Trump hasn't led there since early last winter. That would be like if Biden were trailing in the deep blue state of Massachusetts.
Caveat: I don't know who's going to win and my point here is not to suggest that the press must announce Trump's defeat months in advance. Based on decades of modern campaign coverage, journalists take polling into account in terms of framing the unfolding race, and the person who trails in virtually every poll, as Trump currently does, is tagged as the candidate who faces a stiff uphill challenge.
I can hear the media chorus today: Polls suggested Trump would lose in 2016, which means 2020 could be just like 2016, so we shouldn't pay attention to the polls.
Not true. In late May of 2016, according to all the national polls posted at RealClearPolitics, Trump was tied with Hillary Clinton. Today, according to the same RCP tabulation, Trump trails Biden by six points. Note that Trump leads in just one of the last 55 national polls taken, dating back to mid-February, or just two percent of all polls. Four years ago, during that same stretch from mid-February to mid-May, Trump led in 6 of 37 polls taken, 16 percent of all polls. Also, we've been through a national election cycle since 2016, and Democrats won the 2018 midterm cycle in a rout, just as the polling suggested they would.
Covering the 2020 campaign, the press should make sure they don't put their thumb on the scale for Trump in hopes of marketing a close race.


crooksandliars--2020-05-27--Wall Street Journal Op-Ed: 'Mr. Trump Is Debasing His Office'

In recent weeks Donald Trump has been attacking MSNBC host Joe Scarborough by promoting a debunked conspiracy theory that he had murdered a 28-year-old woman named Lori Klausutis , who worked in in his office back in 2001 .
Trump started his vicious attacks because Scarborough ( who once was a friend and now sees the light ) has been criticizing Trump , especially his handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
Lori 's widower is so infuriated that he has stepped in and demanded Twitter take down all of Trump 's vile tweets .
Even another Trump media ally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's unserious and dangerous attacks : '' But it is far , far more unfortunate that the latest person to trumpet and repeat this vile slander is the president supposedly leading this nation through a time of crisis .
Whatever his issues with Scarborough , President Trump 's crazed Twitter rant on this subject was vile and unworthy of his office .
Some will undoubtedly shrug it off as Trump being Trump , but one could hardly be blamed for reading it and doubting his fitness to lead . ''
Yesterday , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary was disgusting when she was asked about Trump 's despicable behavior .
In typical Trump fashion she refused to answer direct questions and instead ranted about an Imus interview from seventeen years ago to justify his debased actions .
It was an abominable performance , but one in sync with the lies and conspiracy theories being spread by Trump and his acolytes .
The WSJ editorial board took exception to his latest actions , did not mince words and agrees with C & L 's position on Trump : Rep. Adam Kinzinger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it right when he tweeted on the weekend : “ Completely unfounded conspiracy .
Just stop .
Stop spreading it , stop creating paranoia .
It will destroy us.
” We don ’ t write this with any expectation that Mr. Trump will stop .
Perhaps he even thinks this helps him politically , though we can ’ t imagine how .
But Mr. Trump is debasing his office , and he ’ s hurting the country in doing so .
Trump has been debasing the office of the presidency since he began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only gotten worse and worse .
Unfortunately for America during this national health crisis , people are dying because of his behavior .
The Wall Street Journal is noticing because Trump 's behavior is taking down the Republican Party , and Rupert Murdoch 's as cuts , with him .

In recent weeks Donald Trump has been attacking MSNBC host Joe Scarborough by promoting a debunked conspiracy theory that he had murdered a 28-year-old woman named Lori Klausutis, who worked in in his office back in 2001.
Trump started his vicious attacks because Scarborough (who once was a friend and now sees the light) has been criticizing Trump, especially his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lori's widower is so infuriated that he has stepped in and demanded Twitter take down all of Trump's vile tweets.
It is revealing that the family is appealing to Twitter to delete Trump's tweets rather than to Trump to stop doing them. There's just zero expectation that the president not behave like a monster. — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) May 26, 2020
Even another Trump media ally, The Washington Examiner is livid over Trump's unserious and dangerous attacks:
"But it is far, far more unfortunate that the latest person to trumpet and repeat this vile slander is the president supposedly leading this nation through a time of crisis. Whatever his issues with Scarborough, President Trump's crazed Twitter rant on this subject was vile and unworthy of his office. Some will undoubtedly shrug it off as Trump being Trump, but one could hardly be blamed for reading it and doubting his fitness to lead."
Yesterday, Trump's new campaign spokeswoman , I mean, press secretary was disgusting when she was asked about Trump's despicable behavior.
In typical Trump fashion she refused to answer direct questions and instead ranted about an Imus interview from seventeen years ago to justify his debased actions.
It was an abominable performance, but one in sync with the lies and conspiracy theories being spread by Trump and his acolytes.
The WSJ editorial board took exception to his latest actions, did not mince words and agrees with C&L's position on Trump:
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois, had it right when he tweeted on the weekend: “Completely unfounded conspiracy. Just stop. Stop spreading it, stop creating paranoia. It will destroy us.” We don’t write this with any expectation that Mr. Trump will stop. Perhaps he even thinks this helps him politically, though we can’t imagine how. But Mr. Trump is debasing his office, and he’s hurting the country in doing so.
Trump has been debasing the office of the presidency since he began his candidacy in 2015, and has only gotten worse and worse.
”Ugly even for him”
Where has the WSJ been for the last 3+ years? Because @JoeNBC is media, & one of their own, they suddenly notice how evil Trump is?
Better late than never, I guess
Looking forward to the WSJ editorial demanding Trump’s resignation — FYIKitty 💗🐶🇺🇸🌈🥕😇 (@mdbbrooks) May 27, 2020
Unfortunately for America during this national health crisis, people are dying because of his behavior. The Wall Street Journal is noticing because Trump's behavior is taking down the Republican Party, and Rupert Murdoch's as cuts, with him.


crooksandliars--2020-05-27--Minneapolis Protests Erupt Last Night After Another Police Brutality Death

Of course last night 's Minneapolis protests erupted .
Because another black man is dead in yet another incidence of police brutality , and firing the cops is not enough .
So of course people are angry .
Of course they were throwing rocks at police .
I do n't know how black people in America even get out of bed in the morning .
This is n't going to stop .
It 's not even going to slow down -- not unless white people throw themselves in front of black people to save them , both literally and figuratively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take videos instead of intervening ; they do n't want to be the next victim .
But white people ?
They should get in those cops ' faces .
They should not hesitate .
They should operate on the assumption that for most of the reasons a cop stops a black person , THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE DEATH PENALTY FOR IT .
Anyone who knows me will tell you , yes , I would intervene .
Yes , I would threaten a cop with the feds .
I would not lay hands on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure he understands we 're talking about a federal grand jury if he does n't stop what he 's doing .
When I was first divorced , I lived in a small town outside Philadelphia that was famous for its police brutality .
So late one hot night , I heard the crackle of the police radio outside my house and went downstairs .
I sat on my steps in my PJs and a robe ; the cops knew me and said hello .
The guy they were arresting for smoking crack in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said , `` Who 's she ? ''
`` Why , I 'm your insurance policy , '' I answered .
The cops laughed , but they knew I was serious .
And that 's the role we should always take in these situations .
Because when white cops understand that most white people are n't going to stand silent anymore , we might begin to change things .

Of course last night's Minneapolis protests erupted. Because another black man is dead in yet another incidence of police brutality, and firing the cops is not enough.
So of course people are angry. Of course they were throwing rocks at police. I don't know how black people in America even get out of bed in the morning.
This isn't going to stop. It's not even going to slow down -- not unless white people throw themselves in front of black people to save them, both literally and figuratively.
I can understand why black people take videos instead of intervening; they don't want to be the next victim. But white people? They should get in those cops' faces. They should not hesitate. They should operate on the assumption that for most of the reasons a cop stops a black person, THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE DEATH PENALTY FOR IT.
Damn, people.
Anyone who knows me will tell you, yes, I would intervene. Yes, I would threaten a cop with the feds. I would not lay hands on him, but I would make damn sure he understands we're talking about a federal grand jury if he doesn't stop what he's doing.
When I was first divorced, I lived in a small town outside Philadelphia that was famous for its police brutality. So late one hot night, I heard the crackle of the police radio outside my house and went downstairs. I sat on my steps in my PJs and a robe; the cops knew me and said hello.
The guy they were arresting for smoking crack in his car took umbrage at my presence and said, "Who's she?"
"Why, I'm your insurance policy," I answered. The cops laughed, but they knew I was serious.
And that's the role we should always take in these situations. Because when white cops understand that most white people aren't going to stand silent anymore, we might begin to change things.


crooksandliars--2020-05-27--Andrew Ross Sorkin Loses It On Squawk Box As Joe Kernen Makes Excuses For Trump

There 's always a lot of yelling on Squawk Box , but this time , it was Andrew Sorkin yelling about Joe Kernen 's boot licking for Trump .
`` Joe , Joe .
You missed it 100 % on the way down and you missed 100,000 deaths .
We can have this debate back and forth , and you can try to question the questions I 'm asking -- `` '' Hold on , hold on , '' Sorkin said .
`` I 'm not going do this with you , Joe .
Every morning , you try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these are questions that investors are asking every single morning .
I 'm trying to get through some of this clutter .
I may be right , I may be wrong .
That makes the market .
It does n't make people good or bad or right to act the way you are .
I 'm sorry . ''
A more little back and forth about the coronavirus crisis , and then Sorkin explodes .
`` Joseph , you did n't panic about anything .
A hundred thousand people died , Joe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your friend the president .
That 's what you did .
Every single morning on this show you abused your position , Joe . ''
`` That 's totally unfair , I 'm trying to help investors keep their cool , keep their heads .
as it turned out , that 's what they should have done , '' Kernen insisted .
`` You know what , Joseph ?
Do the news , '' Sorkin said .
`` If they had listened to you , we should be at about 8,000 , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing about selling stocks , I was arguing about people 's lives .
Do the news , I 'm begging you . ''
...

There's always a lot of yelling on Squawk Box, but this time, it was Andrew Sorkin yelling about Joe Kernen's boot licking for Trump.
"Joe, Joe. You missed it 100% on the way down and you missed 100,000 deaths. We can have this debate back and forth, and you can try to question the questions I'm asking -- "
Joe interrupted.
"Hold on, hold on," Sorkin said. "I'm not going do this with you, Joe. Every morning, you try to question the questions I'm asking, these are questions that investors are asking every single morning. I'm trying to get through some of this clutter. I may be right, I may be wrong. That makes the market. It doesn't make people good or bad or right to act the way you are. I'm sorry."
A more little back and forth about the coronavirus crisis, and then Sorkin explodes.
"Joseph, you didn't panic about anything. A hundred thousand people died, Joe. All you did was try to help your friend the president. That's what you did. Every single morning on this show you abused your position, Joe."
"That's totally unfair, I'm trying to help investors keep their cool, keep their heads. as it turned out, that's what they should have done," Kernen insisted.
"You know what, Joseph? Do the news," Sorkin said.
"If they had listened to you, we should be at about 8,000," Kernen said.
"I wasn't arguing about selling stocks, I was arguing about people's lives. Do the news, I'm begging you."
...


crooksandliars--2020-05-27--Biden On Trump: 'Talk About A Guy Who's Missing A Step'

CNN 's Dana Bash has Vice President Joe Biden 's first in-person interview since the pandemic , and she asked him about vice presidential candidates .
`` Is the vetting starting formally already ? ''
she asked .
`` Well , I 'm not going to get into detail .
Let me put it this way .
The four-person commission , they have interviewed a lot of people already , '' he said .
He described his thinking about the ideal running mate , and sidestepped a question about a black woman .
`` You know , I 'm going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you 've watched me and covered me as vice president , I think the two most important things are , you 've got to pick someone who 's compatible with you both in terms of your style -- and my style and Barack 's style were very different but they were compatible , they worked with one another -- and someone who in fact you would want to be the last person in the room when you 're making a tough decision , and who will be loyal in the sense that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the president at that moment .
and so that 's a process that 's underway , '' he said .
`` The president is stepping up his attacks on mail-in voting .
How confident are you that the election in November is going to be safe , secure and fair ? ''
Bash asked .
`` It depends a lot on whether or not the president follows through with his threats -- for example , cutting off money for the post office for mail-in ballots .
This is a guy who sits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his absentee mail-in ballot and sends it to Florida to vote in the primary .
Now , why is that not susceptible to fraud ?
There 's no evidence at all , there 's no reason why we ca n't have an honest , decent vote and the president is always lying about voting .
I heard him again .
He 's talking about how 'all those thousands of people in California going to vote two and three and four times , '' Biden said .
`` The president is trying to paint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's too old to be president and that you 're missing a step .
How are you going to combat that ? ''
Bash said .
`` Watch me , '' he said .
`` Look , I mean , talk about a guy who is missing a step , he 's missing something , man .
I do n't want to get into giving him nicknames , but this is a fella who looks like he 's having trouble controlling his own emotions .
What worries me is all this stuff about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you know , the fact of the matter is , it 's working pretty well so far doing the rules .
He 's behind in almost every state .
Does n't mean it 's going to be that way come November .
But the idea that he seems to get more erratic the more he feels like he 's behind the curve . ''

CNN's Dana Bash has Vice President Joe Biden's first in-person interview since the pandemic, and she asked him about vice presidential candidates.
"Is the vetting starting formally already?" she asked.
"Well, I'm not going to get into detail. Let me put it this way. The four-person commission, they have interviewed a lot of people already," he said.
He described his thinking about the ideal running mate, and sidestepped a question about a black woman.
"You know, I'm going to pick the best person -- look, you've watched me and covered me as vice president, I think the two most important things are, you've got to pick someone who's compatible with you both in terms of your style -- and my style and Barack's style were very different but they were compatible, they worked with one another -- and someone who in fact you would want to be the last person in the room when you're making a tough decision, and who will be loyal in the sense that whatever disagreements you have are between you and the president at that moment. and so that's a process that's underway," he said.
"The president is stepping up his attacks on mail-in voting. How confident are you that the election in November is going to be safe, secure and fair?" Bash asked.
"It depends a lot on whether or not the president follows through with his threats -- for example, cutting off money for the post office for mail-in ballots. This is a guy who sits in the Oval Office, fills out his absentee mail-in ballot and sends it to Florida to vote in the primary. Now, why is that not susceptible to fraud? There's no evidence at all, there's no reason why we can't have an honest, decent vote and the president is always lying about voting. I heard him again. He's talking about how 'all those thousands of people in California going to vote two and three and four times," Biden said.
"The president is trying to paint a picture of you as somebody who's too old to be president and that you're missing a step. How are you going to combat that?" Bash said.
"Watch me," he said.
"Look, I mean, talk about a guy who is missing a step, he's missing something, man. I don't want to get into giving him nicknames, but this is a fella who looks like he's having trouble controlling his own emotions. What worries me is all this stuff about 'Biden's hiding.'
"Well, you know, the fact of the matter is, it's working pretty well so far doing the rules. He's behind in almost every state. Doesn't mean it's going to be that way come November. But the idea that he seems to get more erratic the more he feels like he's behind the curve."


crooksandliars--2020-05-27--Trump Pals Plan Intervention So He'll Stop Tweeting About Joe Scarborough

New reporting from Gabriel Sherman confirms what we have long suspected : Trump sees himself as the biggest victim of the coronavirus pandemic : As he headed into Memorial Day weekend , Donald Trump complained that he was COVID-19 ’ s biggest victim .
“ He was just in a fucking rage , ” said a person who spoke with Trump late last week .
“ He was saying , ‘ This is so unfair to me !
Everything was going great .
We were cruising to reelection !
” Even as the death toll neared 100,000 and unemployment ranks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t see the pandemic as anything other than something that had happened to him .
“ The problem is he has no empathy , ” the adviser said .
Trump complained that he should have been warned about the virus sooner .
“ The intelligence community let me down !
” he said .
Actually , U.S. intelligence agencies issued warnings about the coronavirus “ in more than a dozen classified briefings prepared for President Trump in January and February , months during which he continued to play down the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Apparently , Trump was too busy watching Fox & Friends to read them .
Sherman also reports that Trump has shaken up his campaign staff and promoted an ally of Jared Kushner , Bill Stepien , to deputy campaign manager .
But the real problem , even Trump ’ s buddies acknowledged to Sherman , is Trump , himself .
While Americans lose jobs , get sick and die as a result of the pandemic , Trump plays golf and engages in Twitter attacks , such as obsessively smearing Joe Scarborough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by tweeting idiotic conspiracy theories about Joe Scarborough .
Women are tired of this shit , ” said another former West Wing official .
An outside adviser agreed .
“ Trump can ’ t pivot to a different strategy , ” the adviser told me .
“ He only knows one strategy—which is attack .
It worked in 2016 .
But now it ’ s not what people are looking for.
” The adviser told me that Trump ’ s New York friends are planning an intervention to get him to stop tweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At this point many Republicans I spoke to said the only hope for Trump is that Biden implodes .
As one prominent Republican put it : “ Right now the only person who can change the dynamic is Joe Biden .
”

New reporting from Gabriel Sherman confirms what we have long suspected: Trump sees himself as the biggest victim of the coronavirus pandemic:
As he headed into Memorial Day weekend, Donald Trump complained that he was COVID-19’s biggest victim. “He was just in a fucking rage,” said a person who spoke with Trump late last week. “He was saying, ‘This is so unfair to me! Everything was going great. We were cruising to reelection!” Even as the death toll neared 100,000 and unemployment ranks swelled to over 38 million, Trump couldn’t see the pandemic as anything other than something that had happened to him. “The problem is he has no empathy,” the adviser said. Trump complained that he should have been warned about the virus sooner. “The intelligence community let me down!” he said.
Actually, U.S. intelligence agencies issued warnings about the coronavirus “in more than a dozen classified briefings prepared for President Trump in January and February, months during which he continued to play down the threat,” The Washington Post has reported. Apparently, Trump was too busy watching Fox & Friends to read them.
Sherman also reports that Trump has shaken up his campaign staff and promoted an ally of Jared Kushner, Bill Stepien, to deputy campaign manager.
But the real problem, even Trump’s buddies acknowledged to Sherman, is Trump, himself. While Americans lose jobs, get sick and die as a result of the pandemic, Trump plays golf and engages in Twitter attacks, such as obsessively smearing Joe Scarborough.
“Trump is doing it to himself by tweeting idiotic conspiracy theories about Joe Scarborough. Women are tired of this shit,” said another former West Wing official. An outside adviser agreed. “Trump can’t pivot to a different strategy,” the adviser told me. “He only knows one strategy—which is attack. It worked in 2016. But now it’s not what people are looking for.” The adviser told me that Trump’s New York friends are planning an intervention to get him to stop tweeting about the Morning Joe cohost.
…
At this point many Republicans I spoke to said the only hope for Trump is that Biden implodes. As one prominent Republican put it: “Right now the only person who can change the dynamic is Joe Biden.”
Sad!


crooksandliars--2020-05-27--Who Among Us Is Essential?

Who Among Us Is Essential?

A deadly pathogen is afoot in the land .
An unknown number of us are walking around with it inside us .
We spread it unaware and asymptomatic .
The mimetic drive to recreate normalcy , to reopen businesses and expose countless millions to the virus in workplaces and in churches is itself symptomatic of a set of social pathologies that may kill the country if they don ’ t kill us individually .
Earlier , we chuckled at the preppers with their nitrogen-packed foods and backyard bunkers .
They have cached weapons and ammo , etc.
, so they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no law except the gun .
Or with their pimped-out AR-15s they ’ ll mount an armed insurrection against a Predator-equipped military when democracy turns to tyranny ( i.e.
, their tribe loses political power ) .
Turns out they can not survive a few weeks at home with power , water , and Netflix but no Chick-fil-A .
The cult of hard work measures human worth by productive potential : no work , no worth .
It is so ingrained in this consumer culture that even people prepared to ride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of worthlessness attached to not working and consuming for even a few weeks .
For the Midas cult , those elites bent on turning everything and everyone they touch into gold , the U.S. can not get workers back on the wheel fast enough .
Workers ’ diseased bodies and the old and unproductive are expendable .
Fodder .
Grist .
Those properly conditioned to it know nothing else .
“ Let us work !
Let us serve !
Let us die !
” Read between the headlines .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The novel coronavirus pandemic has exposed just how warped this culture is and just who is and is not essential .
Not that those committed to the status quo will open their eyes to see it , both those with power and those without .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren saw it all along : The central issue in American life is the imbalance of power , Anand Giridharadas believes .
The centrality of the perspectives of the powerful influences what we see on cable TV and in the halls of Congress .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
The One-percent strive to remove the governor from the country ’ s economic engine .
They paint the government as the enemy ( except when it hands out money to corporations ) under the guise of “ freedom.
” This has engendered a “ paranoid attitude ” about government , Giridharadas believes , as well as an infantile conception of freedom as the absence of government .
Conveniently for the One-percent , this blinds Americans to the threats to freedom posed by private actors : banks , employers , toxin-producing industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against them is the government , not their trusty AR-15s .
“ And so this childlike freedom obsession that tens of millions of Americans unfortunately have is literally killing us in this pandemic , ” Giridharadas says , “ because they are so focused on government oppressing them through lockdowns that they don ’ t understand that you can end up way more impressed by a virus .
You could end up way more impressed by not having economic security .
You can end up way more oppressed by having the kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home instead of get tested.
” The elite perpetuate this system and profit from feeding bodies into their economic furnaces .
We should reform corporate law to promote stakeholder capitalism , says Giridharadas .
But people like Jamie Dimon ( CEO of JPMorgan Chase ) and the Business Roundtable “ are not serious ” about it even while giving lip-service to the notion .
They are more interested in “ the moral glow of voluntary virtue.
” But heaven forfend it should be a rule .
That would be government tyranny .
Giridharadas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s infamous comment that “ Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax.
” The less discerning hear that as 47 % of Americans pay no taxes .
But working people pay withholding taxes with the first nickel they earn .
Withholding is the bulk of the taxes low-wage workers pay .
Mitt Romney ’ s complaint was that 47 % pay no income taxes , which is the bulk of what the Mitt Romneys pay .
About a decade ago , you could picture federal revenue each year ( roughly ) as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax .
Two more came from payroll taxes , and the last was corporate and other taxes .
As the rich got richer and corporations paid less , that has shifted .
One-percenters complain they pay too much in taxes and the 47 % pays too little because the One-percent pays them too little so the One-percent can collect more .
Thus , One-percenters pay even more income tax .
So instead of rebalancing the economic power in this country toward the people who are really essential , the One-percent buys off politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can keep the more .
As a bonus , they still get to complain the 47 % doesn ’ t pay anything because the One-percent still pays them too little .
But our system has been custom-tailored to suit the rich , Giridharadas say .
And it doesn ’ t have to be that way .
That is a choice .
“ So many other countries are not like this and they still have capitalism , ” he continues .
Shocking ?
“ Do you know that Germany has capitalism ?
Do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capitalism ?
They have great companies there.
” And universal health care .
Meanwhile , in the depths of this pandemic-induced depression , Republicans are worried that we are coddling the unemployed , hoping to use the threat of job loss and loss of health insurance to get them back on the wheel at risk to their lives .
And the MAGAs who this weekend will wave flags and celebrate Americans who died protecting their country are incensed about having to wear masks to protect themselves and their neighbors .
● ● ● @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Win , 3rd Edition is ready for download .
Request a copy of my free countywide GOTV mechanics guide at ForTheWin.us .
This is what winning looks like .
Note : The pandemic will upend standard field tactics in 2020 .
If enough promising “ improvisations ” come my way by June , perhaps I can issue a COVID-19 supplement .

A deadly pathogen is afoot in the land. An unknown number of us are walking around with it inside us. We spread it unaware and asymptomatic. The mimetic drive to recreate normalcy, to reopen businesses and expose countless millions to the virus in workplaces and in churches is itself symptomatic of a set of social pathologies that may kill the country if they don’t kill us individually.
Earlier, we chuckled at the preppers with their nitrogen-packed foods and backyard bunkers. They have cached weapons and ammo, etc., so they can survive Armageddon when society collapses and there is no law except the gun. Or with their pimped-out AR-15s they’ll mount an armed insurrection against a Predator-equipped military when democracy turns to tyranny (i.e., their tribe loses political power). Turns out they cannot survive a few weeks at home with power, water, and Netflix but no Chick-fil-A.
The cult of hard work measures human worth by productive potential: no work, no worth. It is so ingrained in this consumer culture that even people prepared to ride out Armageddon cannot tolerate the feeling of worthlessness attached to not working and consuming for even a few weeks. For the Midas cult, those elites bent on turning everything and everyone they touch into gold, the U.S. cannot get workers back on the wheel fast enough. Workers’ diseased bodies and the old and unproductive are expendable. Fodder. Grist.
Those properly conditioned to it know nothing else. “Let us work! Let us serve! Let us die!”
Read between the headlines. I don’t have to spell it out for you.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has exposed just how warped this culture is and just who is and is not essential. Not that those committed to the status quo will open their eyes to see it, both those with power and those without.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren saw it all along:
“I think the political moment has changed,” she said, pointing to the debate over what constitutes an essential worker during the pandemic. “Turns out it’s not an investment banker. … It’s people who get out there who put their own health at risk in order to keep life going in this country.”
The central issue in American life is the imbalance of power, Anand Giridharadas believes. The centrality of the perspectives of the powerful influences what we see on cable TV and in the halls of Congress. The shape of national policies reflect their shaping it.
The One-percent strive to remove the governor from the country’s economic engine. They paint the government as the enemy (except when it hands out money to corporations) under the guise of “freedom.” This has engendered a “paranoid attitude” about government, Giridharadas believes, as well as an infantile conception of freedom as the absence of government.
Conveniently for the One-percent, this blinds Americans to the threats to freedom posed by private actors: banks, employers, toxin-producing industries, etc. Workers’ best protection against them is the government, not their trusty AR-15s.
“And so this childlike freedom obsession that tens of millions of Americans unfortunately have is literally killing us in this pandemic,” Giridharadas says, “because they are so focused on government oppressing them through lockdowns that they don’t understand that you can end up way more impressed by a virus. You could end up way more impressed by not having economic security. You can end up way more oppressed by having the kind of healthcare system that encourages people to stay home instead of get tested.”
The elite perpetuate this system and profit from feeding bodies into their economic furnaces. We should reform corporate law to promote stakeholder capitalism, says Giridharadas. But people like Jamie Dimon (CEO of JPMorgan Chase) and the Business Roundtable “are not serious” about it even while giving lip-service to the notion. They are more interested in “the moral glow of voluntary virtue.” But heaven forfend it should be a rule. That would be government tyranny.
Giridharadas got me thinking about Mitt Romney’s infamous comment that “Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax.”
The less discerning hear that as 47% of Americans pay no taxes. But working people pay withholding taxes with the first nickel they earn. Withholding is the bulk of the taxes low-wage workers pay. Mitt Romney’s complaint was that 47% pay no income taxes, which is the bulk of what the Mitt Romneys pay.
About a decade ago, you could picture federal revenue each year (roughly) as five one-dollar bills. Two were income tax. Two more came from payroll taxes, and the last was corporate and other taxes. As the rich got richer and corporations paid less, that has shifted.
One-percenters complain they pay too much in taxes and the 47% pays too little because the One-percent pays them too little so the One-percent can collect more. Thus, One-percenters pay even more income tax. So instead of rebalancing the economic power in this country toward the people who are really essential, the One-percent buys off politicians who will cut their taxes so they can keep the more. As a bonus, they still get to complain the 47% doesn’t pay anything because the One-percent still pays them too little.
Clear?
But our system has been custom-tailored to suit the rich, Giridharadas say. And it doesn’t have to be that way. That is a choice.
“So many other countries are not like this and they still have capitalism,” he continues. Shocking? “Do you know that Germany has capitalism? Do you know that all the Scandinavian countries have capitalism? They have great companies there.” And universal health care.
Meanwhile, in the depths of this pandemic-induced depression, Republicans are worried that we are coddling the unemployed, hoping to use the threat of job loss and loss of health insurance to get them back on the wheel at risk to their lives. And the MAGAs who this weekend will wave flags and celebrate Americans who died protecting their country are incensed about having to wear masks to protect themselves and their neighbors.
Because Freedom.
A misbegotten, warped freedom obsession is killing us. pic.twitter.com/KbYaTVtR0O — Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) May 22, 2020
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
For The Win, 3rd Edition is ready for download. Request a copy of my free countywide GOTV mechanics guide at ForTheWin.us. This is what winning looks like.
Note: The pandemic will upend standard field tactics in 2020. If enough promising “improvisations” come my way by June, perhaps I can issue a COVID-19 supplement.
Published with permission of Hullabaloo


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--'About Half' Of Twitter Anti-Lockdown Tweets Are From Bots

If you 're wondering whether some good percentage of the too-stupid-to-be-real Twitter accounts demanding America end shelter-in-place orders despite a still-raging pandemic are , in fact , too stupid to be real , the answer appears to be yes .
A new Carnegie Mellon University study estimates that about one-half of the Twitter accounts pushing that demand and COVID-19 conspiracies in general are bots .
They 're fake .
America 's dumbest people are being goaded into gun-toting protests against pandemic precautions by robot-wielding trolls .
Of course they are .
It ’ s 2020 and the president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corn , so why wouldn ’ t there also be near-riots in state capitols spurred by fake internet accounts ?
As summarized by CBS News , researchers found that `` 82 % of the top 50 influential retweets are bots , and 62 % of the top 1,000 retweeters '' are fake , and that the fakes `` have largely dominated '' re-opening demands .
What researchers do n't currently know—though perhaps government intelligence agencies might , even if they 're not telling us so—is who is doing it .
It 's consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , get Americans killed in large numbers .
It could also be random collections of idiots , trolls , or Trump 's famous bedridden , 400-pound Guy Who Does These Things .
In any event , what we 're seeing is an organized and very large-scale effort to get Americans to spread the pandemic inside this country , even as other parts of the world begin to see success in reducing pandemic spread .
Not being a legal expert , I ca n't pin down which particular degree of attempted homicide this would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law expert , I can offer no solid opinion on whether , if organized in large part by a foreign power , attempting to kill off civilians by the hundreds of thousands might be considered an act of war .
It might be an intentional effort to single out and cull all the stupidest people in America in one fell swoop—like most propaganda and conspiracy efforts , it seems rather specifically targeted toward dumb people—but given the propensity of the virus to leap to nearby smarter people once it has a foothold inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 'd be a bad plan .
It would be nice to believe that this was entirely a foreign effort simply because one would think even the most malevolent of this nation 's own chan-minded trolls would quickly realize the downside of convincing their own dumbest neighbors to go out and court a deadly infection .
Maybe .
What we can take from this , however , is that the supposed ( online ) push to reopen the American economy no matter who it kills is almost entirely a propaganda effort , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professionally run bots convincing approximately one ( 1 ) American each to repeat their nonsense while polls show the vast majority of the country is quite content to help their neighbors Not Die .
As Fox News shows , you can convince a certain percentage of America to believe literally anything , if you repeat it enough times .
Also , a large percentage of the anything-believers own guns .
Lots of guns .
Really like guns , for some reason .
Is there a connection between people willing to believe anything a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who believe there may be a pressing need to murder people around them for patriotic and/or self-protecting reasons ?
Hard to say , right ?

If you're wondering whether some good percentage of the too-stupid-to-be-real Twitter accounts demanding America end shelter-in-place orders despite a still-raging pandemic are, in fact, too stupid to be real, the answer appears to be yes. A new Carnegie Mellon University study estimates that about one-half of the Twitter accounts pushing that demand and COVID-19 conspiracies in general are bots. They're fake.
America's dumbest people are being goaded into gun-toting protests against pandemic precautions by robot-wielding trolls. Of course they are. It’s 2020 and the president of the country is a can of expired creamed corn, so why wouldn’t there also be near-riots in state capitols spurred by fake internet accounts?
As summarized by CBS News, researchers found that "82% of the top 50 influential retweets are bots, and 62% of the top 1,000 retweeters" are fake, and that the fakes "have largely dominated" re-opening demands.
What researchers don't currently know—though perhaps government intelligence agencies might, even if they're not telling us so—is who is doing it. It's consistent with a foreign attempt to, well, get Americans killed in large numbers. It could also be random collections of idiots, trolls, or Trump's famous bedridden, 400-pound Guy Who Does These Things.
In any event, what we're seeing is an organized and very large-scale effort to get Americans to spread the pandemic inside this country, even as other parts of the world begin to see success in reducing pandemic spread. Not being a legal expert, I can't pin down which particular degree of attempted homicide this would equate to. Not being an international law expert, I can offer no solid opinion on whether, if organized in large part by a foreign power, attempting to kill off civilians by the hundreds of thousands might be considered an act of war.
It might be an intentional effort to single out and cull all the stupidest people in America in one fell swoop—like most propaganda and conspiracy efforts, it seems rather specifically targeted toward dumb people—but given the propensity of the virus to leap to nearby smarter people once it has a foothold inside the lungs of a dumb one, it'd be a bad plan. It would be nice to believe that this was entirely a foreign effort simply because one would think even the most malevolent of this nation's own chan-minded trolls would quickly realize the downside of convincing their own dumbest neighbors to go out and court a deadly infection. Maybe.
What we can take from this, however, is that the supposed (online) push to reopen the American economy no matter who it kills is almost entirely a propaganda effort, with an organized core of self-amplifying, likely professionally run bots convincing approximately one (1) American each to repeat their nonsense while polls show the vast majority of the country is quite content to help their neighbors Not Die. As Fox News shows, you can convince a certain percentage of America to believe literally anything, if you repeat it enough times.
Also, a large percentage of the anything-believers own guns. Lots of guns. Really like guns, for some reason. Is there a connection between people willing to believe anything a random internet account tells them and people who believe there may be a pressing need to murder people around them for patriotic and/or self-protecting reasons? Hard to say, right?
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--OANN 'Reporter' Stupidly Asks If Trump Can Depose Joe Scarborough

Donald Trump 's favorite fake news network , OANN , has been sending its play acting `` reporter '' to the White House press briefings for the last few months and her questions have gotten more ridiculous by the week .
Just last week she asked Kayleigh McEnany if Trump will pardon President Obama .
LOL .
Today she upped the ante , asking about Trump 's non-stop tweeting about the heartbreaking death of Joe Scarborough 's aide almost 20 years ago and the unproven evidence that Scarborough had anything to do with it .
The widower of the aide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dorsey ( head of Twitter ) asking for him to take down the tweets , which Twitter refused to do .
So OANN decided to keep the story in the news even longer by asking the most inane question : '' If Joe Scarborough were innocent , could n't he sue Donald Trump for defamation ?
And then , in turn , could n't Donald Trump 's attorneys immediately depose Joe Scarborough and allow him to go under oath and explain how this 28-year old woman was found dead by his desk with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump welcome a defamation suit from Joe Scarborough ? ''
WHAT ?
This woman had a heart condition and reportedly told her friends she did n't feel well earlier in the day .
she fainted and hit her head and died .
Alone .
While Joe Scarborough was almost 1,000 miles away in Washington , D.C..
This is pathetic , even by White House standards , but especially by White House Correspondents ' standards .

Donald Trump's favorite fake news network, OANN, has been sending its play acting "reporter" to the White House press briefings for the last few months and her questions have gotten more ridiculous by the week. Just last week she asked Kayleigh McEnany if Trump will pardon President Obama. LOL.
Today she upped the ante, asking about Trump's non-stop tweeting about the heartbreaking death of Joe Scarborough's aide almost 20 years ago and the unproven evidence that Scarborough had anything to do with it. The widower of the aide actually sent an impassioned letter to Jack Dorsey (head of Twitter) asking for him to take down the tweets, which Twitter refused to do.
So OANN decided to keep the story in the news even longer by asking the most inane question:
"If Joe Scarborough were innocent, couldn't he sue Donald Trump for defamation? And then, in turn, couldn't Donald Trump's attorneys immediately depose Joe Scarborough and allow him to go under oath and explain how this 28-year old woman was found dead by his desk with multiple skull fractures? Wouldn't Donald Trump welcome a defamation suit from Joe Scarborough?"
WHAT? This woman had a heart condition and reportedly told her friends she didn't feel well earlier in the day. she fainted and hit her head and died. Alone. While Joe Scarborough was almost 1,000 miles away in Washington, D.C..
This is pathetic, even by White House standards, but especially by White House Correspondents' standards.


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--Falwell Jr. Says He'll Only Wear Mask If It Features 'Governor Blackface' And Klan Hood

Jerry Falwell Jr. has been pushing anti-COVID-19 propaganda for a couple of months now .
He tried to keep Liberty University in Lynchburg , Virginia , open during quarantine .
He did this in opposition against everyone in Lynchburg and the greater area .
He was forced to close the school as reality struck .
His school has subsequently been sued for trying to keep students ’ money , having mislead many into believing the school was going to be open during the pandemic .
Falwell has taken every opportunity to promote misinformation about COVID-19 and the public health decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Tuesday , Gov .
Ralph Northam announced that citizens of the state would soon be required to wear masks when inside public spaces with others .
The requirement is for individuals 10 and older .
This comes as confirmed cases in the state approach 40,000 and daily cases continue to surge .
Falwell Jr. was dead set against this ... until he figured out a way to make it super racist .
On Wednesday , the Evangelical huckster logged on to his social media platform .
Falwell is attacking Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ year book photos , which Northam has apologized for and acknowledged were “ clearly racist and offensive.
” Fair enough—Gov .
Northam ’ s yearbook imagery was super racist .
Of course , Falwell Jr. being a special old-school racist kind of scumbag , is actually promoting white Evangelicals and Trump-supporting white folks walking around with racist imagery on their faces .
Sort of like wearing a KKK hood or a swastika .
The responses to Falwell Jr. ’ s declaration of how much of a punk he is came fast and furious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr. is selling these masks , just that he has designed his own offensive blackface mask , which he plans on wearing .

Jerry Falwell Jr. has been pushing anti-COVID-19 propaganda for a couple of months now. He tried to keep Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, open during quarantine. He did this in opposition against everyone in Lynchburg and the greater area. He was forced to close the school as reality struck. His school has subsequently been sued for trying to keep students’ money, having mislead many into believing the school was going to be open during the pandemic.
Falwell has taken every opportunity to promote misinformation about COVID-19 and the public health decisions made to stem the spread of it. On Tuesday, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that citizens of the state would soon be required to wear masks when inside public spaces with others. The requirement is for individuals 10 and older. This comes as confirmed cases in the state approach 40,000 and daily cases continue to surge. Falwell Jr. was dead set against this ... until he figured out a way to make it super racist.
On Wednesday, the Evangelical huckster logged on to his social media platform.
I was adamantly opposed to the mandate from @GovernorVA requiring citizens to wear face masks until I decided to design my own. If I am ordered to wear a mask, I will reluctantly comply, but only if this picture of Governor Blackface himself is on it!#VEXIT#EndLockdownNow pic.twitter.com/twu7r4rWhd — Jerry Falwell (@JerryFalwellJr) May 27, 2020
Falwell is attacking Gov. Northam for Northam’s well-publicized 1984 year book photos, which Northam has apologized for and acknowledged were “clearly racist and offensive.” Fair enough—Gov. Northam’s yearbook imagery was super racist. Of course, Falwell Jr. being a special old-school racist kind of scumbag, is actually promoting white Evangelicals and Trump-supporting white folks walking around with racist imagery on their faces. Sort of like wearing a KKK hood or a swastika.
The responses to Falwell Jr.’s declaration of how much of a punk he is came fast and furious.
🚮🚮🚮 — Juan Escalante (@JuanSaaa) May 27, 2020
I’m making one with you and the pool boy on it — Attorney@Law (@TheGlare_TM) May 27, 2020
WOW Jerry, you really are a P.O.S. — ‘Doc’ Baker (@J_Baker_69) May 27, 2020
There is no sign that Falwell Jr. is selling these masks, just that he has designed his own offensive blackface mask, which he plans on wearing.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--This October Tweet From Joe Biden Aged Well

That 's the presumptive Democratic 2020 candidate for president , Joe Biden , expressing deep concern about a Washington Post report citing our nation 's lack of preparedness for a pandemic .
In October 2019 .
As one twitter user pointed out , this tweet deserves — especially now — to go viral .
Back then , the MAGAts and wingers had a grand ole time skewering former VP Biden for daring to take their Lord and Traitor 's name in vain .
Let 's just say these responses have not exactly aged well : This next one is special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are A LOT smarter than Joe Biden , but only if a Trump troll like that says so .
Then , there 's always the fun anti-Semitic ones ...
Damn .
Where IS my Soros check ?
?
?
Being generally awesome in the ways of receipts and clapbacks , Tweetfolks came back with their memories and brains to check up on their pals who showed their asses in their responses to Biden 's original tweet : Now , like her , I could spend all day reading these responses , but sadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's never , ever pretend , though , that Joe Biden is as bad as Donald Trump .
They 're not even in the same universe , nor will they ever be , when it comes to reality , science , and a desire to protect our citizens from actual danger .
If you do n't believe me , though , allow Joe Biden to have the last word : And the saddest , most maddening part of all :

Well, isn't this prescient?
We are not prepared for a pandemic. Trump has rolled back progress President Obama and I made to strengthen global health security. We need leadership that builds public trust, focuses on real threats, and mobilizes the world to stop outbreaks before they reach our shores. https://t.co/1qqpgayUEX — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 25, 2019
That's the presumptive Democratic 2020 candidate for president, Joe Biden, expressing deep concern about a Washington Post report citing our nation's lack of preparedness for a pandemic. In October 2019. As one twitter user pointed out, this tweet deserves — especially now — to go viral.
How does this tweet not have 10 million retweets. He’s literally warning us six five months before the crisis that the government is not prepared. We know now how right he was. This is leadership. #Biden2020 — Lebowski Urban Achiever (@UrbanAchiever) May 28, 2020
Back then, the MAGAts and wingers had a grand ole time skewering former VP Biden for daring to take their Lord and Traitor's name in vain. Let's just say these responses have not exactly aged well:
We are probably not prepared for the meteor either. How about we focus resources on the daily problems we have instead of the 1 in 10,000 year event that is likely to not gallen anyways? — Lt. Data Science (@ScienceLt) October 25, 2019
Oh, dear.
What about being prepared if attacked by a pointed stick ? — Trebor Karlempik (@robkreilk) October 26, 2019
This next one is special...
We are finally moving in the right direction, after 8 years of bowing to dictators and giving away cash to terrorist — Mike Sinister (@sinisteracosta) October 25, 2019
Creepy Joe, the scare tactics and fear mongering doesn’t work anymore! WE THE PEOPLE are a lot smarter than you.. TRUMP 2020 — Dan Muller (@DanMull64774209) October 26, 2019
Oh, yeah. The people are A LOT smarter than Joe Biden, but only if a Trump troll like that says so.
"LOOK, A SQUIRREL!"
Lame — ☘CFitz☘ (@Cfitz77) October 25, 2019
Then, there's always the fun anti-Semitic ones...
wazup ? @georgesoros gave up on you ? — Orland Ca , (@OrlandCa1) October 25, 2019
Damn. Where IS my Soros check???
Being generally awesome in the ways of receipts and clapbacks, Tweetfolks came back with their memories and brains to check up on their pals who showed their asses in their responses to Biden's original tweet:
Hi Gary, how are you holding up during this pandemic? — Tintin (@tintintar) May 28, 2020
Different Gary, but worth including...
Gary? Garrrryyyy? Are you there? — Sciran (@Scirandj) May 28, 2020
(Hashtag Not All Garys)
Go on. — Stu Andrew (@serapeormanana) May 28, 2020
Narrator: they did not, in fact, have the leadership they needed. #COVID19 — mdmurphyla (@mdmurphyla) May 28, 2020
Came to read the old comments and the new clap backs 😁🍿. pic.twitter.com/IuhdWk9eko — Princess Pierre (@ScriptPP) May 28, 2020
Now, like her, I could spend all day reading these responses, but sadly, I have other responsibilities. Let's never, ever pretend, though, that Joe Biden is as bad as Donald Trump. They're not even in the same universe, nor will they ever be, when it comes to reality, science, and a desire to protect our citizens from actual danger.
If you don't believe me, though, allow Joe Biden to have the last word:
Two tweets from the same day in October. pic.twitter.com/rsSslLCsTW — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 28, 2020
And the saddest, most maddening part of all:


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--Kayleigh McEnany Lies About Vote By Mail; She Voted By Mail Eleven Times

Fox News , the Trump administration and now conservatives at large are flipping out because Twitter is finally fact-checking Donald Trump .
At least they 're adding a note to Stable Genius 's bogus claim that massive fraud will be committed if mail-in voting is allowed during a pandemic .
Facts and actual proof are meaningless to TrumpWorld .
To wit : Trump 's new press secretary cited phony statistics to claim that up to 12 % of all mail-in votes could be fraudulent .
After the Tampa Bay Times reported that Kayleigh McEnany has used mail-in voting around 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host Ed Henry asked her why it was okay for her to use mail-in ballots but when the rest of America uses it , she considers it fraud .
Kayleigh said Trump is fine with absentee ballots for Americans but only on his terms .
She cites working out of state as a good reason that makes it allowable but apparently a highly infectious and deadly virus that 's killed 100,000 Americans and is still active is not good enough .
Kayleigh said , `` What he ’ s not for is mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is asking for , which is subject to fraud.
” She continued , `` Where automatically let the state send all of its voter rolls a ballot where in LA County you have 112 % of the population registered , '' she said .
`` Ask yourself how that happens .
And 112 % gets a ballot wielding at least 12 % subjective fraud .
So that 's what he 's against . ''
I used the Google and found that in 2017 , right-wing frauds at Judicial Watch sued LA counties for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because there are inactive voters does not equal `` fraud '' , but that is meaningless to propagandists like Judicial Watch .
In early 2019 , Alex Padilla began the removal of these registrations .
To claim every one of them will be cast against Trump is just false .
It also does n't matter .
Voting is a civil right .
During a 2019 Meet the Press interview , Trump proclaimed that `` a million illegals '' voted in California for Hillary Clinton .
That 's is a lie .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Alex Padilla blasted Trump ’ s new allegation .
Padilla , a Democrat , has also been critical of the president ’ s past statements on voter fraud .
`` No matter how much he repeats them , Trump 's lies about voter fraud are patently untrue .
Specifically , the settlement with Judicial Watch , Los Angeles County , and the Secretary of State contains absolutely no admission to or evidence of `` illegal votes . ''
The President ’ s claims are untrue and yet There is no evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is part of the White House 's efforts to sow disinformation and claims of `` fraud '' among Trump voters in the 2020 election , if and when Trump loses .

Fox News, the Trump administration and now conservatives at large are flipping out because Twitter is finally fact-checking Donald Trump.
At least they're adding a note to Stable Genius's bogus claim that massive fraud will be committed if mail-in voting is allowed during a pandemic.
Facts and actual proof are meaningless to TrumpWorld. To wit: Trump's new press secretary cited phony statistics to claim that up to 12% of all mail-in votes could be fraudulent.
After the Tampa Bay Times reported that Kayleigh McEnany has used mail-in voting around 11 times in ten years, Fox News host Ed Henry asked her why it was okay for her to use mail-in ballots but when the rest of America uses it, she considers it fraud.
Kayleigh said Trump is fine with absentee ballots for Americans but only on his terms. She cites working out of state as a good reason that makes it allowable but apparently a highly infectious and deadly virus that's killed 100,000 Americans and is still active is not good enough.
Kayleigh said, "What he’s not for is mass, mail-in voting, what Nancy Pelosi is asking for, which is subject to fraud.”
She continued, "Where automatically let the state send all of its voter rolls a ballot where in LA County you have 112% of the population registered," she said. "Ask yourself how that happens. And 112% gets a ballot wielding at least 12% subjective fraud. So that's what he's against."
I used the Google and found that in 2017, right-wing frauds at Judicial Watch sued LA counties for not removing inactive voters off the rolls.
Because there are inactive voters does not equal "fraud", but that is meaningless to propagandists like Judicial Watch.
In early 2019, Alex Padilla began the removal of these registrations. To claim every one of them will be cast against Trump is just false. It also doesn't matter. Voting is a civil right.
During a 2019 Meet the Press interview, Trump proclaimed that "a million illegals" voted in California for Hillary Clinton. That's is a lie.
In a written statement, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla blasted Trump’s new allegation. Padilla, a Democrat, has also been critical of the president’s past statements on voter fraud. "No matter how much he repeats them, Trump's lies about voter fraud are patently untrue. Specifically, the settlement with Judicial Watch, Los Angeles County, and the Secretary of State contains absolutely no admission to or evidence of "illegal votes." The President’s claims are untrue and yet
Politifact rated Trump's claims as Pants On Fire.
There is no evidence that these inactive voters ever cast a vote.
This is part of the White House's efforts to sow disinformation and claims of "fraud" among Trump voters in the 2020 election, if and when Trump loses.


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--New Poll Has Sara Gideon Up, 51-42, Over Susan Collins

A couple of politicos , a Democrat and a Republican , mentioned the poll today in their Bangor Daily News @ @ @ @ @ heard of the polling outfit but they seem to know it .
Here 's a @ @ @ @ @ want to peruse the crosstabs .
Noticeably , Collins is down 20 ( ! )
@ @ @ @ @ among independents .
Ethan : Did you take a look at the new poll on @ @ @ @ @ just sent ?
It shows U.S. Sen. Susan Collins losing 51 percent to 42 percent @ @ @ @ @ !
Phil : A-yuh .
Sobering news for Susan .
However , I caution you @ @ @ @ @ that this is merely a momentary snapshot six months before Election Day .
Ethan : @ @ @ @ @ today !
For our readers , the poll was done by a joint left/right partnership @ @ @ @ @ Hard .
Run Fast .
Turn Left !
” a decidedly progressive organization I run @ @ @ @ @ Geek , a non-partisan data and telecom provider with mostly conservative clients .

A couple of politicos, a Democrat and a Republican, mentioned the poll today in their Bangor Daily News column. I've never heard of the polling outfit but they seem to know it. Here's a link via 538 if you want to peruse the crosstabs. Noticeably, Collins is down 20 (!) among women, and 9 among independents.
Source: Bangor Daily News
Ethan: Did you take a look at the new poll on the U.S. Senate race I just sent? It shows U.S. Sen. Susan Collins losing 51 percent to 42 percent to House Speaker Sara Gideon!
Phil: A-yuh. Sobering news for Susan. However, I caution you, my excitable friend, that this is merely a momentary snapshot six months before Election Day.
Ethan: I wish Election Day was today! For our readers, the poll was done by a joint left/right partnership. Commissioned by “Swing Hard. Run Fast. Turn Left!” a decidedly progressive organization I run, but conducted by Victory Geek, a non-partisan data and telecom provider with mostly conservative clients.


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--After Night Of Violence In Minneapolis, George Floyd's Brother Cries For Justice

After a night of violence in Minneapolis , CNN 's Alysin Camerota interviewed George Floyd 's brother Philonise .
`` We asked him what he wants to see next , '' Camerota said .
`` It just hurts right now .
I 'm constantly seeing it .
This is -- this is going to be forever .
This is not a one time thing .
It is going to last forever .
And it just -- it hurts , constantly hurts a lot , you know .
I grew up with him .
That was my oldest brother .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get my brother back , '' he said .
`` We need justice .
We need justice .
Those four officers need to be arrested .
They executed my brother in broad daylight .
People had to film that , people had to see that .
People pleaded for his life .
Kids , I know they were out there seeing this .
Nobody wants to witness that .
Nobody .
Nobody should have to witness that .
And I understand and I see why a lot of people doing a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I do n't want them to lash out like that .
But I ca n't stop people right now .
Because they have pain .
They have the same pain that I feel .
I want everything to be peaceful .
But I ca n't make everybody be peaceful .
I ca n't .
It is hard . ''
`` What is your message to police ?
What do you want the rest of us to know about what your family is experiencing ? ''
Camerota said .
`` To the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right .
Start doing your job the right way .
Because I have n't been seeing it .
Years and years , down the line , I have n't been seeing it at all .
I 'm tired of seeing black men die .
Black lives matter , too , '' Floyd said .
As I said yesterday , if I were a black American , I 'd never get out of bed in the morning .
Just knowing how little chance there was of being treated fairly , of getting justice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt .
And think of all the people who never , ever believed this was happening -- until we had cell phone cameras .

After a night of violence in Minneapolis, CNN's Alysin Camerota interviewed George Floyd's brother Philonise.
"We asked him what he wants to see next," Camerota said.
"It just hurts right now. I'm constantly seeing it. This is -- this is going to be forever. This is not a one time thing. It is going to last forever. And it just -- it hurts, constantly hurts a lot, you know. I grew up with him. That was my oldest brother. I love him. I'm never going to get my brother back," he said.
"We need justice. We need justice. Those four officers need to be arrested. They executed my brother in broad daylight. People had to film that, people had to see that. People pleaded for his life. Kids, I know they were out there seeing this. Nobody wants to witness that. Nobody. Nobody should have to witness that. And I understand and I see why a lot of people doing a lot of different things around the world.
"I don't want them to lash out like that. But I can't stop people right now. Because they have pain. They have the same pain that I feel. I want everything to be peaceful. But I can't make everybody be peaceful. I can't. It is hard."
"What is your message to police? What do you want the rest of us to know about what your family is experiencing?" Camerota said.
"To the police, I want them to get everything right. Start doing your job the right way. Because I haven't been seeing it. Years and years, down the line, I haven't been seeing it at all. I'm tired of seeing black men die. Black lives matter, too," Floyd said.
As I said yesterday, if I were a black American, I'd never get out of bed in the morning. Just knowing how little chance there was of being treated fairly, of getting justice. Of never getting the benefit of the doubt.
And think of all the people who never, ever believed this was happening -- until we had cell phone cameras.


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--WATCH:  Dem's Epic Rant As GOP Rep HIDES His Positive Covid Status

Rep. Brian Sims , a Philadelphia Democrat , went on Twitter and Facebook last night to share some shocking news .
He says a Republican colleague tested positive for COVID-19 -- and no one told the Democrats who worked on the same committee .
Via MetroWeekly : Sims , a member of the State Government Committee , specifically called for the resignation of , and the possible prosecution of , the member who allegedly tested positive , whom he identified as Rep. Russ Diamond ( R-Annville ) , as well as Speaker Mike Turzai ( R-Marshall Township ) and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceal the fact that GOP lawmakers had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Sims claims that Turzai and Republican House leaders failed to inform Democratic House members about their potential risk of exposure until Wednesday , even though Republican colleagues were aware that a member had tested positive and took steps to quarantine themselves so as not to infect their own families , without extending the same courtesy to Democrats .
Spokespeople for Diamond and Turzai were not immediately available for comment .
In his Facebook Live broadcast , Sims eviscerated Republicans for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test , and for their hypocrisy in pushing to reopen government and public spaces while knowing at least one , if not several , of their members were infected with COVID-19 .

Rep. Brian Sims, a Philadelphia Democrat, went on Twitter and Facebook last night to share some shocking news. He says a Republican colleague tested positive for COVID-19 -- and no one told the Democrats who worked on the same committee. Via MetroWeekly:
Sims, a member of the State Government Committee, specifically called for the resignation of, and the possible prosecution of, the member who allegedly tested positive, whom he identified as Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Annville), as well as Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Marshall Township) and other Republican leaders, for allegedly conspiring to conceal the fact that GOP lawmakers had tested positive for COVID-19.
Sims claims that Turzai and Republican House leaders failed to inform Democratic House members about their potential risk of exposure until Wednesday, even though Republican colleagues were aware that a member had tested positive and took steps to quarantine themselves so as not to infect their own families, without extending the same courtesy to Democrats.
Spokespeople for Diamond and Turzai were not immediately available for comment.
In his Facebook Live broadcast, Sims eviscerated Republicans for their response to the news of a positive test, and for their hypocrisy in pushing to reopen government and public spaces while knowing at least one, if not several, of their members were infected with COVID-19.


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--Latest Lincoln Project Ad Slaps A New Name On #MoscowMitch

Via Morning Consult , the new Lincoln Project ad dubs Mitch McConnell `` rich Mitch '' : A new minute-long spot from the Lincoln Project , shared with Morning Consult ahead of its Thursday release , takes aim at the Kentucky Republican ’ s personal wealth , dubbing him “ rich Mitch , ” and contrasts his financial standing with negative statistics about the Bluegrass State during his 35 years in Washington .
While the super PAC — whose stated mission is to defeat “ Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box ” — has previously produced spots aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maine , Colorado , Arizona and North Carolina , McConnell ’ s race is not on anyone ’ s list of tossups .
And unlike the others before it , the ad does not attempt to directly tie McConnell to Trump , instead only nodding to the president in passing photos alongside the majority leader .
Reed Galen , an independent political consultant and co-founder of the group , said in an interview that McConnell is a Lincoln Project target due to his status as a Washington power player and leader of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , are part of “ the beginning of the story we ’ re telling about these senators , not the end of it.
” In an email , McConnell campaign spokesperson Kate Cooksey said that “ no scam PAC of grifters has ever been less relevant and no group of consultants will be forgotten faster than this group of thieves who bet everything on three days of dishonest ads in Kentucky .
”

Via Morning Consult, the new Lincoln Project ad dubs Mitch McConnell "rich Mitch":
A new minute-long spot from the Lincoln Project, shared with Morning Consult ahead of its Thursday release, takes aim at the Kentucky Republican’s personal wealth, dubbing him “rich Mitch,” and contrasts his financial standing with negative statistics about the Bluegrass State during his 35 years in Washington.
While the super PAC — whose stated mission is to defeat “Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box” — has previously produced spots aimed at weakening Republican senators viewed as vulnerable in Maine, Colorado, Arizona and North Carolina, McConnell’s race is not on anyone’s list of tossups. And unlike the others before it, the ad does not attempt to directly tie McConnell to Trump, instead only nodding to the president in passing photos alongside the majority leader.
Reed Galen, an independent political consultant and co-founder of the group, said in an interview that McConnell is a Lincoln Project target due to his status as a Washington power player and leader of the vulnerable incumbents. The ads, Galen said, are part of “the beginning of the story we’re telling about these senators, not the end of it.”
In an email, McConnell campaign spokesperson Kate Cooksey said that “no scam PAC of grifters has ever been less relevant and no group of consultants will be forgotten faster than this group of thieves who bet everything on three days of dishonest ads in Kentucky.”


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--Trump Retweets 'The Only Good Democrat Is A Dead Democrat' Video

About a week ago , a New Mexico County Commissioner and founder of Cowboys for Trump Couy Griffin put this on their Facebook page .
We covered it here at Crooks and Liars .
Well , apparently , Trump saw the story in the Daily Beast yesterday where Griffin was n't backing down , despite the outcry .
Trump apparently liked it so much he retweeted the tweet containing the video .
As the head of Cowboys for Trump , Couy Griffin has led pro-Trump horse rides through Washington , D.C. , and posed for a photo in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a superfan of the president and on May 17 , he made the case that Democrats should die .
“ I ’ ve come to a place where I ’ ve come to a conclusion where the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat , ” Griffin said to cheers at a rally at a New Mexico church .
He was there to defy a public safety order pertaining to the coronavirus .
Griffin , a county commissioner in the state , hastily added that he only meant Democrats who were dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort at cleanup he repeated in an interview with The Daily Beast on Tuesday .
“ I could ’ ve chosen a different verbiage , you know .
I guess I need to be more careful when I choose the words that I speak , ” Griffin said .
“ But you know , it ’ s just so hypocritical of the left how they ’ re blowing this up , like I ’ m some hate-speech murderer.
” But in the interview , Griffin also repeated his claim that “ the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and signaled that he still thinks some top Democrats—such as governors Ralph Northam ( D-VA ) and Gretchen Whitmer ( D-MI ) —could be guilty of treason and the punishment that comes with it .
“ You get to pick your poison : you either go before a firing squad , or you get the end of the rope , ” Griffin said .

About a week ago, a New Mexico County Commissioner and founder of Cowboys for Trump Couy Griffin put this on their Facebook page. We covered it here at Crooks and Liars. Well, apparently, Trump saw the story in the Daily Beast yesterday where Griffin wasn't backing down, despite the outcry. Trump apparently liked it so much he retweeted the tweet containing the video.
Source: The Daily Beast
As the head of Cowboys for Trump, Couy Griffin has led pro-Trump horse rides through Washington, D.C., and posed for a photo in the White House with Donald Trump. He’s a superfan of the president and on May 17, he made the case that Democrats should die.
“I’ve come to a place where I’ve come to a conclusion where the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat,” Griffin said to cheers at a rally at a New Mexico church. He was there to defy a public safety order pertaining to the coronavirus.
Griffin, a county commissioner in the state, hastily added that he only meant Democrats who were dead in “the political sense”—an effort at cleanup he repeated in an interview with The Daily Beast on Tuesday.
“I could’ve chosen a different verbiage, you know. I guess I need to be more careful when I choose the words that I speak,” Griffin said. “But you know, it’s just so hypocritical of the left how they’re blowing this up, like I’m some hate-speech murderer.”
But in the interview, Griffin also repeated his claim that “the only good Democrat is a dead one” and signaled that he still thinks some top Democrats—such as governors Ralph Northam (D-VA) and Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)—could be guilty of treason and the punishment that comes with it.
“You get to pick your poison: you either go before a firing squad, or you get the end of the rope,” Griffin said.


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--Tulsi Gabbard Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against Hillary Clinton

As C & L ’ s Ed Scarce pointed out , Hillary Clinton didn ’ t name Gabbard when she made the remarks in October and yet we all knew whom she meant : The Russians already have their “ eye on somebody who ’ s currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate , ” she said , in an apparent reference to Gabbard .
“ She ’ s the favorite of the Russians .
They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her , so far , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podcast ’ s host and the campaign manager for former President Obama ’ s 2008 campaign .
But when Tucker Carlson asked Gabbard soon afterward if she was a “ Russian sleeper cell , ” she never denied it .
I don ’ t know about you , but if anyone asked me such a question , especially if I was running for president , I ’ d make a big point of refuting it .
Doubly so if the suggestion caused me $ 50 million worth of pain .
In January , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton held a grudge against her because she was “ the most prominent politician ” at the time to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016 .
But the lawsuit stood very little chance of success , legal experts said when it was filed .
… Gabbard … used the suit to drum up attention to her campaign and attack Clinton ahead of the Iowa caucuses , which took place days after the lawsuit was filed .
The strategy did not work , as Gabbard finished with barely any support in the contest .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fold , just as Trump ’ s re-election chances diminish : '' I know Vice President Biden and his wife and am grateful to have called his son Beau , who also served in the National Guard , a friend , '' Gabbard said in a statement .
`` Although I may not agree with the Vice President on every issue , I know that he has a good heart and is motivated by his love for our country and the American people . ''

As C&L’s Ed Scarce pointed out, Hillary Clinton didn’t name Gabbard when she made the remarks in October and yet we all knew whom she meant:
The Russians already have their “eye on somebody who’s currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate,” she said, in an apparent reference to Gabbard.
“She’s the favorite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her, so far,” Clinton told David Plouffe, the podcast’s host and the campaign manager for former President Obama’s 2008 campaign.
But when Tucker Carlson asked Gabbard soon afterward if she was a “Russian sleeper cell,” she never denied it. I don’t know about you, but if anyone asked me such a question, especially if I was running for president, I’d make a big point of refuting it. Doubly so if the suggestion caused me $50 million worth of pain.
In January, Gabbard sued Clinton for defamation, claiming Clinton held a grudge against her because she was “the most prominent politician” at the time to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016.
Today, CNN reported:
But the lawsuit stood very little chance of success, legal experts said when it was filed.
… Gabbard … used the suit to drum up attention to her campaign and attack Clinton ahead of the Iowa caucuses, which took place days after the lawsuit was filed. The strategy did not work, as Gabbard finished with barely any support in the contest.
New York’s Daily News notes:
Gabbard, who represents Hawaii in Congress, was the only Democratic primary contender who opposed Trump’s impeachment. Her small base of support was made up largely of Republicans and the handful of Democrats who support Trump.
However, Gabbard seems to be back in the fold, just as Trump’s re-election chances diminish: