crooksandliars--2020-07-07--Brianna Keilar Slams Ken Cuccinelli For Spinelessness On Confederate Flag

It 's amazing acting Department of Homeland Security Chief Ken Cuccinelli had time to do an interview with CNN 's Brianna Keilar , since you would think he 'd be preoccupied with finding his missing spine .
Keilar played a clip of Donald Trump from 2015 , in which he said he thought the Confederate Flag should be retired , and `` put in a museum , '' and that he would take it down .
Then she asked Cuccinelli to reconcile that clearly expressed sentiment with the 2020 Trump administration 's passionate embrace and protectiveness of all things Confederate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are coming to the same conclusion as 2015 Trump reached .
The Cooch hemmed and hawed , claimed Trump was asked about South Carolina , he never said he was gon na DO it as president , States Rights , blah blah .
Keilar pushed back , saying it sounded like he was speaking generally , and asked why Trump was so critical of NASCAR for banning the Confederate flag if the administration was allegedly neutral .
Strap in for some epic gaslighting .
CUCCINELLI : No .
He was asked in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , do you think this should be addressed ?
CUCCINELLI : You heard what you wanted to hear .
CUCCINELLI : You 're the one taking liberties with it .
So , he has n't changed any position that I 'm aware of in terms of this .
And , basically , as I view it , he has n't taken a position about what the federal government should do about whether it 's nascar , or South Carolina , or any other states ' display or use of the Confederate flag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty consistent in keeping the federal government out of those questions .
Is n't that cute ?
I love how he tells her she is ( 1 ) making up words she did not hear , and ( 2 ) Trump has NOT changed his position from what he said in that 2015 video .
It gets better , though .
He tries to argue that the Confederate flag does not represent disdain for the federal government .
The man who , as Keilar points out , is from VIRGINIA , tries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` strike at the very heart of the federal government . ''
Keilar continues to ask The Cooch to state Trump 's position on the Confederate flag .
Give her points for perseverence .
CUCCINELLI : I think the president thinks that 's a healthy thing , but he is n't going to start trying to order people what to do in one place or another .
CUCCINELLI : As a president of the federal government .
KEILAR : I 'm not talking about him ordering anything , just taking a position as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And he ca n't .
CUCCINELLI : Well , you 're asking me to — I 'm a lawyer — to commit hearsay .
You want me to tell you his personal position .
KEILAR : I asked you what YOU thought , and you also would not commit .
CUCCINELLI : Let me finish .
Let me finish .
He gave a personal position in the answer to the 2015 question that you played .
I 'm not aware of him addressing his personal view other than that anywhere else .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's not for me to , you know , say anything else about his personal views .
KEILAR : What about yours ?
CUCCINELLI : You played the only version of it that I 've heard .
CUCCINELLI : I work for an administration right now that has kept the federal government out of these questions and respected the states ' ability and the position to address these questions and people who know my history know I respect the states ' role vis-a-vis the federal government .
So , there 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving these things to the states .
In other words , `` Ya got me , lady . ''
He said what he said in 2015 to help himself get elected , now he wishes it were ACTUALLY 1864 , and Ken Cuccinelli wants nothing to do with this interview , especially if he has to give an actual opinion of his own .
`` There 's no reason I would take any issue ... '' with ( insert most general possible statement here . )
Keilar was n't about to let him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cornered him with this beauty : KEILAR : I know your position on Birtherism , which is why I 'm particularly curious about your position on the Confederate flag .
CUCCINELLI : You can have all the curiosity you like .
My position is that states and local governments where this is an issue ought to address it inside their polity at their level .
This is not for the federal government to tell others how to deal with that issue in their state or in their city .
What a complete douche @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he just folds his arms and says `` I 'm not gon na tell you and you ca n't make me . ''
God forbid Cuccinelli should say anything that might ( 1 ) make his boss mad , or ( 2 ) display an ounce of conviction .

It's amazing acting Department of Homeland Security Chief Ken Cuccinelli had time to do an interview with CNN's Brianna Keilar, since you would think he'd be preoccupied with finding his missing spine.
Keilar played a clip of Donald Trump from 2015, in which he said he thought the Confederate Flag should be retired, and "put in a museum," and that he would take it down. Then she asked Cuccinelli to reconcile that clearly expressed sentiment with the 2020 Trump administration's passionate embrace and protectiveness of all things Confederate, now that so many more people are coming to the same conclusion as 2015 Trump reached.
The Cooch hemmed and hawed, claimed Trump was asked about South Carolina, he never said he was gonna DO it as president, States Rights, blah blah. Keilar pushed back, saying it sounded like he was speaking generally, and asked why Trump was so critical of NASCAR for banning the Confederate flag if the administration was allegedly neutral.
Strap in for some epic gaslighting.
CUCCINELLI: No. He was asked in 2015 essentially if you were here in South Carolina, do you think this should be addressed? KEILAR: I didn't hear "essentially." Sounds like you're taking liberties. CUCCINELLI: You heard what you wanted to hear. KEILAR: I heard words that I'm following. CUCCINELLI: You're the one taking liberties with it. So, he hasn't changed any position that I'm aware of in terms of this. And, basically, as I view it, he hasn't taken a position about what the federal government should do about whether it's nascar, or South Carolina, or any other states' display or use of the Confederate flag. And I think he has been pretty consistent in keeping the federal government out of those questions.
Isn't that cute? I love how he tells her she is (1) making up words she did not hear, and (2) Trump has NOT changed his position from what he said in that 2015 video. It gets better, though. He tries to argue that the Confederate flag does not represent disdain for the federal government. The man who, as Keilar points out, is from VIRGINIA, tries to argue that the Confederate flag does not "strike at the very heart of the federal government."
Just adorable.
Keilar continues to ask The Cooch to state Trump's position on the Confederate flag. Give her points for perseverence.
CUCCINELLI: I think the president thinks that's a healthy thing, but he isn't going to start trying to order people what to do in one place or another. KEILAR: I'm not talking about ordering. CUCCINELLI: As a president of the federal government. KEILAR: I'm not talking about him ordering anything, just taking a position as to whether he personally agrees with it. And he can't. CUCCINELLI: Well, you're asking me to — I'm a lawyer — to commit hearsay. You want me to tell you his personal position. KEILAR: I asked you what YOU thought, and you also would not commit. CUCCINELLI: Let me finish. Let me finish. He gave a personal position in the answer to the 2015 question that you played. I'm not aware of him addressing his personal view other than that anywhere else. I'll let his answer stand. It's not for me to, you know, say anything else about his personal views. KEILAR: What about yours? CUCCINELLI: You played the only version of it that I've heard. KEILAR: What's your view? CUCCINELLI: I work for an administration right now that has kept the federal government out of these questions and respected the states' ability and the position to address these questions and people who know my history know I respect the states' role vis-a-vis the federal government. So, there's no reason I would take any issue with leaving these things to the states.
In other words, "Ya got me, lady." He said what he said in 2015 to help himself get elected, now he wishes it were ACTUALLY 1864, and Ken Cuccinelli wants nothing to do with this interview, especially if he has to give an actual opinion of his own. "There's no reason I would take any issue..." with (insert most general possible statement here.)
Keilar wasn't about to let him get away with THAT, so she cornered him with this beauty:
KEILAR: I know your position on Birtherism, which is why I'm particularly curious about your position on the Confederate flag. CUCCINELLI: You can have all the curiosity you like. My position is that states and local governments where this is an issue ought to address it inside their polity at their level. This is not for the federal government to tell others how to deal with that issue in their state or in their city.
What a complete douche. He knows he's been outsmarted, and he just folds his arms and says "I'm not gonna tell you and you can't make me." God forbid Cuccinelli should say anything that might (1) make his boss mad, or (2) display an ounce of conviction.


crooksandliars--2020-07-07--Peter Navarro Doesn't See Racism Because He Drank From A 'Colored-Only' Water Fountain Once

Peter Navarro , told The Hill that he 's frustrated that our country is focusing on rampant law enforcement abuse and cop murder within Black community instead of the `` real problems in this country . ''
Navarro , trade advisor and staunch supporter of Donald Trump , was on CNN for a myopic interview and then relayed an off-the-wall story via The Hill for no apparent reason .
Navarro tried to explain why he 's somehow colorblind and does n't understand the race problems in America because he was told not to drink from a colored water fountain when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the race issue is when he was eight years old in a Woolworth 's store in West Palm Beach Florida , '' he said .
`` When I walked over and I took a drink from a colored water fountain , because I wanted to see colored water , and this , this woman came up to me and gently said you ca n't drink from that .
Why ?
That 's for colored people .
And it did n't make any sense to me . ''
You were eight years old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense to a child ?
Racism is taught , not genetically predisposed .
`` None of these racial divisions have made any sense to me , '' he said .
Maybe Peter needs to discuss it with his white supremacist boss .
And then he brought the great state of California into the mix and claimed the state is racism free .
`` We do n't see race out there , '' he said .
And yes , it was n't a satirical remark Except of course he 's old enough to remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beating video , the police acquittal and and then riots , etc .
See no evil , hear no evil , right Peter ?
After trying to downplay racism he then shat on the entire Black population of America .
Navarro said , `` It troubles me that we have so much of this discussion when in fact we have got real problems in this country . ''
It 's always comforting to hear an old white wealthy man , who has never been abused because of the color of his skin , @ @ @

Peter Navarro, told The Hill that he's frustrated that our country is focusing on rampant law enforcement abuse and cop murder within Black community instead of the "real problems in this country."
(I can barely listen to this jackass anymore and I've covered Republican liars since 2004, almost every day for going on sixteen years.)
Navarro, trade advisor and staunch supporter of Donald Trump, was on CNN for a myopic interview and then relayed an off-the-wall story via The Hill for no apparent reason.
Navarro tried to explain why he's somehow colorblind and doesn't understand the race problems in America because he was told not to drink from a colored water fountain when he was 8.
"My awakening on the race issue is when he was eight years old in a Woolworth's store in West Palm Beach Florida," he said.
"When I walked over and I took a drink from a colored water fountain, because I wanted to see colored water, and this, this woman came up to me and gently said you can't drink from that. Why? That's for colored people. And it didn't make any sense to me."
You were eight years old! Why is racism supposed to make sense to a child? Racism is taught, not genetically predisposed.
"None of these racial divisions have made any sense to me," he said.
Maybe Peter needs to discuss it with his white supremacist boss.
And then he brought the great state of California into the mix and claimed the state is racism free.
"We don't see race out there," he said. And yes, it wasn't a satirical remark
Except of course he's old enough to remember the Watts riots, the Rodney King beating video, the police acquittal and and then riots, etc.
See no evil, hear no evil, right Peter?
After trying to downplay racism he then shat on the entire Black population of America.
Navarro said, "It troubles me that we have so much of this discussion when in fact we have got real problems in this country."
WTF?
It's always comforting to hear an old white wealthy man,who has never been abused because of the color of his skin, dismiss racism.
Please, f**k off.


crooksandliars--2020-07-07--Zerlina Maxwell And 'The End Of White Politics'

If you 're gon na boo Zerlina Maxwell , be aware she 'll open her book with you .
A faction of people at Politicon ( yeah ) decided to boo Zerlina Maxwell for not being liberal enough or something .
The experience led her to write `` The End of White Politics . ''
One reviewer put it very well : It ’ s unfortunate that the people who most need to read this book will be the ones who won ’ t , and the people most likely to read the book already are the ones convinced of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s main premise is that whites will be a minority of the population by 2045 , and the party representing progressives needs to begin acknowledging this fact *now* rather than waiting until that date .
She points to the coalitions formed by President Obama in his 2008 and 2012 campaigns as models for the Democrats to follow if they hope to regain or retain power , and black women are a significant part of this coalition .
She denies that the lesson of the 2018 midterm elections was that Democratic candidates need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to win elections .
Democrats lost the presidential election in 2016 because Trump successfully appealed to white voters , while Clinton failed to generate sufficient enthusiasm among black voters .
The author supports this conclusion by noting that the millions of black voters who turned out for Obama but stayed home in 2016 far exceeded the 77,000 votes that led to Clinton ’ s loss .
The author stresses the importance of candidates identifying and addressing the needs of their constituents .
She asserts that this is how candidates like Alexandria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Squad ” as well as candidates such as Katie Porter were able to unseat long-term incumbents and proceed to electoral victory .
She denies that candidates will win by appealing to white Obama voters who switched to Trump in 2016 .
The era of the white majority vote is coming to a close , the author declares .
She emphasizes intersectionality , the connection of gender and race , for example .
Much of what the author has to say will be familiar to viewers of MSNBC and readers of progressive media .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ new to be found here .
The benefits of the book are the marshaling of all of the arguments supporting her position , and speaking from a place of experience as a former campaign worker for President Obama and Secretary Clinton .

If you're gonna boo Zerlina Maxwell, be aware she'll open her book with you.
A faction of people at Politicon (yeah) decided to boo Zerlina Maxwell for not being liberal enough or something. The experience led her to write "The End of White Politics." One reviewer put it very well:
It’s unfortunate that the people who most need to read this book will be the ones who won’t, and the people most likely to read the book already are the ones convinced of its main points. The author’s main premise is that whites will be a minority of the population by 2045, and the party representing progressives needs to begin acknowledging this fact *now* rather than waiting until that date.
She points to the coalitions formed by President Obama in his 2008 and 2012 campaigns as models for the Democrats to follow if they hope to regain or retain power, and black women are a significant part of this coalition. She denies that the lesson of the 2018 midterm elections was that Democratic candidates need to fall back to more moderate political positions in order to win elections. Democrats lost the presidential election in 2016 because Trump successfully appealed to white voters, while Clinton failed to generate sufficient enthusiasm among black voters. The author supports this conclusion by noting that the millions of black voters who turned out for Obama but stayed home in 2016 far exceeded the 77,000 votes that led to Clinton’s loss.
The author stresses the importance of candidates identifying and addressing the needs of their constituents. She asserts that this is how candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of “The Squad” as well as candidates such as Katie Porter were able to unseat long-term incumbents and proceed to electoral victory. She denies that candidates will win by appealing to white Obama voters who switched to Trump in 2016. The era of the white majority vote is coming to a close, the author declares. She emphasizes intersectionality, the connection of gender and race, for example.
Much of what the author has to say will be familiar to viewers of MSNBC and readers of progressive media. For this audience, there is little new to be found here. The benefits of the book are the marshaling of all of the arguments supporting her position, and speaking from a place of experience as a former campaign worker for President Obama and Secretary Clinton.


crooksandliars--2020-07-07--The New Trump Lie:  Mortality Rates

The New Trump Lie:  Mortality Rates

Donald Trump lied in his latest tweet , saying we have `` the lowest mortality rate in the world on COVID-19 '' And of course , this lie was immediately picked up and promoted by his Fox and Friends echo chamber .
The Trump administration began this new charade on Monday when the White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany started to recite their new line of statistics on Fox News ' America 's Newsroom .
`` We as an American society have stepped up .
We have the lowest mortality rate , one of the lowest in the entire world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said .
Trump followed on that lie with a tweet today : That was quickly debunked by Newsweek , who posted actual facts about worldwide mortality rates : But the U.S. currently ranks ninth highest in the world for its death toll per 100,000 residents , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
-- When looking just at the 20 countries that are currently the most affected by the pandemic , the U.S. ranks even worse .
In terms of the fatality rate from confirmed cases , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 20 countries .
When it comes to deaths per 100,000 people , the U.S. ranks second only to the United Kingdom .
Fox News ' Steve Doocy waxed poetic about the mortality rate numbers and attacked the media for reporting only on the number of COVID-19 cases instead of Trump 's lie , all to express his love of his heinous so-called president .
Doocy said , `` I think it 's because the media are reporting the number of cases .
It 's not the number of deaths or hospitalizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NY Post op-ed to back up his claim , rather than actual research from John Hopkins .
`` The daily COVID numbers of deaths have actually been declining for the last two months , '' he said .
He continued , `` Our daily average deaths are about 500 , which is terrible , but ... 1400 people die in nursing homes every day according to The Post . ''
Yeah , that 's from natural causes and not from a f**king highly infectious virus .
If the mortality rate goes down by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rises 150 % , what does that tell you ?
More people are getting infected , then sick and more people are dying .
And the coronavirus has not been contained .
If the Trump administration spent as much time actually trying to stop this spread of the coronavirus instead of denying the effects of it by taking immediate and correct actions , the United States would be a much healthier nation and further along on its way to getting back to normal .
But Trump is always in campaign mode .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses to `` run '' this country .
Nothing else matters , even your lives .

Donald Trump lied in his latest tweet, saying we have "the lowest mortality rate in the world on COVID-19"
And of course, this lie was immediately picked up and promoted by his Fox and Friends echo chamber.
The Trump administration began this new charade on Monday when the White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany started to recite their new line of statistics on Fox News' America's Newsroom.
"We as an American society have stepped up. We have the lowest mortality rate, one of the lowest in the entire world and that's because of American innovation," she said.
Trump followed on that lie with a tweet today:
“COVID-19 (China Virus) Death Rate PLUNGES From Peak In U.S.” A Tenfold Decrease In Mortality. The Washington Times @WashTimes Valerie Richardson. We have the lowest Mortality Rate in the World. The Fake News should be reporting these most important of facts, but they don’t! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2020
That was quickly debunked by Newsweek, who posted actual facts about worldwide mortality rates:
But the U.S. currently ranks ninth highest in the world for its death toll per 100,000 residents, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
-- When looking just at the 20 countries that are currently the most affected by the pandemic, the U.S. ranks even worse. In terms of the fatality rate from confirmed cases, the U.S. ranks as the sixth highest out of the 20 countries. When it comes to deaths per 100,000 people, the U.S. ranks second only to the United Kingdom.
Here's the data via Johns Hopkins.
Fox News' Steve Doocy waxed poetic about the mortality rate numbers and attacked the media for reporting only on the number of COVID-19 cases instead of Trump's lie, all to express his love of his heinous so-called president.
Doocy said, "I think it's because the media are reporting the number of cases. It's not the number of deaths or hospitalizations."
Doocy then read from a NY Post op-ed to back up his claim, rather than actual research from John Hopkins.
"The daily COVID numbers of deaths have actually been declining for the last two months," he said.
He continued, "Our daily average deaths are about 500, which is terrible, but ... 1400 people die in nursing homes every day according to The Post."
Yeah, that's from natural causes and not from a f**king highly infectious virus.
If the mortality rate goes down by 39%, but the infection rate rises 150%, what does that tell you?
More people are getting infected, then sick and more people are dying. And the coronavirus has not been contained.
If the Trump administration spent as much time actually trying to stop this spread of the coronavirus instead of denying the effects of it by taking immediate and correct actions, the United States would be a much healthier nation and further along on its way to getting back to normal.
But Trump is always in campaign mode.
His self preservation is the paramount policy he uses to "run" this country.
Nothing else matters, even your lives.
UPDATE:


crooksandliars--2020-07-07--Rush Limbaugh Promotes 'Herd Immunity' Over Masks

Cancer patient with great insurance Rush Limbaugh stays on brand .
Transcript via Media Matters : RUSH LIMBAUGH ( HOST @ @ @ @ @ reporting the number of deaths per million .
In other words , they 're not @ @ @ @ @ The answer here : Do n't mandate closures , do n't mandate social dist -- @ @ @ @ @ .
Encourage people who are old or who have a compromised immune system to stay @ @ @ @ @ , do not go out .
But let the young and the healthy go out @ @ @ @ @ Go ahead and live their lives and spread herd immunity because that 's ultimately , @ @ @ @ @ a vaccine , herd immunity is going to be the answer to this .
Only @ @ @ @ @ my better half said it .

Cancer patient with great insurance Rush Limbaugh stays on brand. Transcript via Media Matters:
RUSH LIMBAUGH (HOST): They're not reporting the number of deaths per million. In other words, they're not reporting the survivability rate. The answer here: Don't mandate closures, don't mandate social dist-- don't even mandate mask-wearing. Encourage people who are old or who have a compromised immune system to stay quarantined, stay hidden away, do not go out. But let the young and the healthy go out and live their lives. Go ahead and live their lives and spread herd immunity because that's ultimately, until we get therapeutics or a vaccine, herd immunity is going to be the answer to this.
Only one thing to say and my better half said it.


crooksandliars--2020-07-07--DHS Sent Katie Miller To Detention Camps To Make Her More Compassionate. It Didn't Work

Rachel Maddow had a stunning segment last night that opened a window into how Trump administration officials thought about immigration detention policy , including an enlightening quote from Katie `` Mrs. Stephen '' Miller : Using Jacob Soboroff 's new book , `` Separated , '' as the source , Maddow talked about how the architects and enforcers of the immigration detention policy are still employed by the federal government , and by the Trump administration .
`` They are the people most highly visible and actively directing the mismanagement of the response to the coronavirus epidemic which has killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Health and Human Services secretary .
Scott Lloyd 's boss , his job was to take care of all the kids , the ones sleeping on the floor under aluminum blankets .
`` Now he is in charge of leading the public health response to the coronavirus .
And how about Katie Miller ?
She was a vocal , unwavering defender of what we were doing taking the kids away from their parents .
Here is how he recalls a conversation with her in his new book .
Previously unreported but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller told Jacob , quote , 'My family and colleagues told me that when I have kids I will think about the separations differently .
I do n't think so .
Homeland Security sent me to the border to see the separations myself to try to make me more compassionate , but it did n't work . '
`` Jacob responds , 'It did n't work ?
I will never forget what I saw .
Seriously .
Are you a white nationalist ? '
he asked , exasperated .
`` No , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you should assimilate , why do we need to have , like , Little Havana ? '
`` '' That was Katie Miller in the throes of the national uproar over this government prying kids out of their parents arms .
Today , she has a new job .
Today , she is the press secretary for the vice president of the United States .
And in charge of all communications on coronavirus for the federal coronavirus task force .
`` As the nation continues to blunder murderously through the worst coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases a day , it 's helpful to remember who was at the wheel here , and where was the last business crisis they got their training . ''
She says Soboroff 's book is not just a good book , not just a telling of what she calls `` the dark time , but an instruction manual to inform us . ''

Rachel Maddow had a stunning segment last night that opened a window into how Trump administration officials thought about immigration detention policy, including an enlightening quote from Katie "Mrs. Stephen" Miller:
Using Jacob Soboroff's new book, "Separated," as the source, Maddow talked about how the architects and enforcers of the immigration detention policy are still employed by the federal government, and by the Trump administration.
"They are the people most highly visible and actively directing the mismanagement of the response to the coronavirus epidemic which has killed 131,000 Americans. Take, for example, the Health and Human Services secretary. Scott Lloyd's boss, his job was to take care of all the kids, the ones sleeping on the floor under aluminum blankets.
"Now he is in charge of leading the public health response to the coronavirus. And how about Katie Miller? She was a vocal, unwavering defender of what we were doing taking the kids away from their parents. Here is how he recalls a conversation with her in his new book. Previously unreported but in Jacob's new book. Katie Miller told Jacob, quote, 'My family and colleagues told me that when I have kids I will think about the separations differently. I don't think so. Homeland Security sent me to the border to see the separations myself to try to make me more compassionate, but it didn't work.'
"Jacob responds, 'It didn't work? I will never forget what I saw. Seriously. Are you a white nationalist?' he asked, exasperated.
"No, but I believe if you come to America, you should assimilate, why do we need to have, like, Little Havana?' "
"That was Katie Miller in the throes of the national uproar over this government prying kids out of their parents arms. Today, she has a new job. Today, she is the press secretary for the vice president of the United States. And in charge of all communications on coronavirus for the federal coronavirus task force.
"As the nation continues to blunder murderously through the worst coronavirus epidemic on earth, tens of thousands of cases a day, it's helpful to remember who was at the wheel here, and where was the last business crisis they got their training."
She says Soboroff's book is not just a good book, not just a telling of what she calls "the dark time, but an instruction manual to inform us."


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Trump’s Niece Says He Cheated On His SATs

Despite the Trump family ’ s best efforts to stop it , Mary Trump 's tell-all book about her uncle is now due out next week .
The book promises to be very revealing about Trump in a way that will surely have him rage tweeting for days , if not weeks and months .
The New York Times published some highlights from the book today in an article called , “ Mary Trump ’ s Book Accuses the President of Embracing ‘ Cheating as a Way of Life . '
'' The most noteworthy is this : As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump writes , Donald Trump paid someone to take a precollegiate test , the SAT , on his behalf .
The high score the proxy earned for him , Ms. Trump adds , helped the young Mr. Trump to later gain admittance when he transferred as an undergraduate to the University of Pennsylvania ’ s prestigious Wharton business school .
WaPo ’ s Aaron Blake pointed out that while Mary Trump ’ s claim is unproven , `` it tracks with many allegations calling into question just how self-made a man Trump actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims about his academic performance .
Blake added , `` Trump has cited his admission to the Wharton School as an example of his genius , calling it 'the hardest school to get into , the best school in the world . '
” But at the time , Blake noted , Wharton 's admission rate was about 40-50 % .
There ’ s also the larger picture of the man we have come to know all too well : Trump is a pathological liar who cheats at golf , cheated on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the draft and into the White House .
So why would n't he have cheated on his SATs , too ?

Despite the Trump family’s best efforts to stop it, Mary Trump's tell-all book about her uncle is now due out next week.
The book promises to be very revealing about Trump in a way that will surely have him rage tweeting for days, if not weeks and months.
The New York Times published some highlights from the book today in an article called, “Mary Trump’s Book Accuses the President of Embracing ‘Cheating as a Way of Life.'"
The most noteworthy is this:
As a high school student in Queens, Ms. Trump writes, Donald Trump paid someone to take a precollegiate test, the SAT, on his behalf. The high score the proxy earned for him, Ms. Trump adds, helped the young Mr. Trump to later gain admittance when he transferred as an undergraduate to the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton business school.
WaPo’s Aaron Blake pointed out that while Mary Trump’s claim is unproven, "it tracks with many allegations calling into question just how self-made a man Trump actually is” as well as his exaggerated claims about his academic performance. Blake added, "Trump has cited his admission to the Wharton School as an example of his genius, calling it 'the hardest school to get into, the best school in the world.'” But at the time, Blake noted, Wharton's admission rate was about 40-50%.
There’s also the larger picture of the man we have come to know all too well: Trump is a pathological liar who cheats at golf, cheated on his tax returns, cheated his way out of the draft and into the White House.
So why wouldn't he have cheated on his SATs, too?


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Ohio GOP Lawmaker Claims COVID-19 Tests Are ‘Dictatorship’ Conspiracy — ‘Stop Getting Tested!’

Ohio state Rep. Nino Vitale ( R ) on Tuesday encouraged his constituents to “ stop getting tested ” for @ @ @ @ @ post , Vitale suggested that the government is using COVID-19 tests to create a “ @ @ @ @ @ tired of living in a dictatorship yet ?
” Vitale asked .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ crazy and get tested .
STOP GETTING TESTED !
” “ It is giving the @ @ @ @ @ something is happening that is not happening at the magnitude they say it is happening @ @ @ @ @ “ Have you noticed they never talk about deaths anymore , just cases ?
And @ @ @ @ @ .
They just keep adding to numbers they have been feeding us from over 3 @ @ @ @ @ with his remarks , the Republican lawmaker included a graphic with a list of the @ @ @ @ @ will soon be required .
The graphic included a message encouraging people to “ never @ @ @ @

Ohio state Rep. Nino Vitale (R) on Tuesday encouraged his constituents to “stop getting tested” for COVID-19.
In a Facebook post, Vitale suggested that the government is using COVID-19 tests to create a “dictatorship.”
“Are you tired of living in a dictatorship yet?” Vitale asked. “This is what happens when people go crazy and get tested. STOP GETTING TESTED!”
“It is giving the government an excuse to claim something is happening that is not happening at the magnitude they say it is happening,” he continued. “Have you noticed they never talk about deaths anymore, just cases? And they never talk about recoveries. They just keep adding to numbers they have been feeding us from over 3 months ago!”
Along with his remarks, the Republican lawmaker included a graphic with a list of the Ohio counties where a mask will soon be required. The graphic included a message encouraging people to “never get tested.”


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Political Cartoon:  The Dog Whistle

Political Cartoon:  The Dog Whistle

According to niece Mary Trump , Uncle Donald cheated his way into college and thus his transfer into the prestigious @ @ @ @ @ diploma he has long held up as a sign of his genius .

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crooksandliars--2020-07-07--Kayleigh McEnany Can't Dig Herself Out Of Trump's Racist Bubba Wallace Tweet

Donald Trump 's press secretary seems to believe that if she gives the same non-sequitur response over and over again to explain Trump 's support of the confederate flag and bashing of NASCAR for banning it then suddenly it will become true .
Several members of the media asked why Trump is attacking NASCAR for removing Confederate flags and claiming they 're losing viewership .
They followed up with questions about his insistence that driver Bubba Wallace apologize for something he did n't do .
McEnany kept repeating the same lie over and over again claiming the media was taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really meant was that not every NASCAR supporter is a racist .
All Trump had to do was say that but instead he attacked Wallace for what NASCAR reported found in his garage .
And after failing to address the actual questions from the White House press pool she then complained why they kept asking the same question , apparently unable to understand that it 's their job , just like it 's hers to answer it .
McEnany has no defense for Trump 's racism beyond his culture war campaign strategy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all he 's got .
Correction : A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Bubba Wallace as Bubba Watson .
We regret the error .

Donald Trump's press secretary seems to believe that if she gives the same non-sequitur response over and over again to explain Trump's support of the confederate flag and bashing of NASCAR for banning it then suddenly it will become true.
Several members of the media asked why Trump is attacking NASCAR for removing Confederate flags and claiming they're losing viewership. They followed up with questions about his insistence that driver Bubba Wallace apologize for something he didn't do.
McEnany kept repeating the same lie over and over again claiming the media was taking Trump out of context and what Trump really meant was that not every NASCAR supporter is a racist.
All Trump had to do was say that but instead he attacked Wallace for what NASCAR reported found in his garage.
And after failing to address the actual questions from the White House press pool she then complained why they kept asking the same question, apparently unable to understand that it's their job, just like it's hers to answer it.
McEnany has no defense for Trump's racism beyond his culture war campaign strategy to try and be reelected, which is all he's got.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Bubba Wallace as Bubba Watson. We regret the error.


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Texas Republicans Have In-Person Convention, But Leaders Will Speak Via Video UPDATED: NOW CANCELLED

Despite calls to cancel the event , Texas Republicans are going ahead anyway , even during the worst outbreak of COVID-19 in the country .
The Executive Committee voted for it , but Gov .
Greg Abbott , Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick and others are taking the safe route , and will appear by video instead because it 's not safe to appear .
The more you see of Republicans , the more you wonder how The Onion stays in business .
The Republican Party of Texas is moving forward with its controversial in-person convention during the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick will be giving their scheduled speeches virtually .
“ All the elected officials are switching from a live , in-person speech to videos , ” Kyle Whatley , the party ’ s executive director , said during a town hall livestreamed Tuesday night .
“ They ’ re doing that for us in order to focus all the attention on the business of the meeting and to get everybody in and out of here as quickly and as safely as possible.
” Texas Republican officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state convention , which this year is scheduled for July 16 to 18 at Houston ’ s George R. Brown Convention Center .
Roughly 6,000 people are expected to attend the event .
Attendees will be required to wear masks during most of the gathering , according to party Chair James Dickey , after Abbott issued a statewide mask mandate last week .
Still , as the state has seen a surge in coronavirus cases , calls have been growing for the party to cancel its event .
The State Republican Executive Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party 's governing board , met last week to consider moving the convention online , but it approved a resolution supporting an in-person gathering in a 40-20 vote .
UPDATE : And now this bit of foolishness has been cancelled altogether , by Houston 's mayor , citing health concerns .
The Republican Party of Texas ' in-person convention next week has been canceled , Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday .
The news came after Turner directed the city 's legal department to work with the Houston First Corp. , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to review the contract with the state party .
Turner said officials with Houston First sent a letter this afternoon to the State Republican Executive Committee , the state party 's governing board , canceling the gathering , which was set to happen July 16-18 and was expected to draw roughly 6,000 attendees .
The state party did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
State party Chair James Dickey has said party leaders have worked on a contingency plan to host the convention online if an in-person gathering did @ @ @ @

Despite calls to cancel the event, Texas Republicans are going ahead anyway, even during the worst outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. The Executive Committee voted for it, but Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and others are taking the safe route, and will appear by video instead because it's not safe to appear.
The more you see of Republicans, the more you wonder how The Onion stays in business.
Source: Texas Tribune
The Republican Party of Texas is moving forward with its controversial in-person convention during the coronavirus pandemic — but elected officials including Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will be giving their scheduled speeches virtually. “All the elected officials are switching from a live, in-person speech to videos,” Kyle Whatley, the party’s executive director, said during a town hall livestreamed Tuesday night. “They’re doing that for us in order to focus all the attention on the business of the meeting and to get everybody in and out of here as quickly and as safely as possible.” Texas Republican officials typically headline their party’s biennial state convention, which this year is scheduled for July 16 to 18 at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center. Roughly 6,000 people are expected to attend the event. Attendees will be required to wear masks during most of the gathering, according to party Chair James Dickey, after Abbott issued a statewide mask mandate last week. Still, as the state has seen a surge in coronavirus cases, calls have been growing for the party to cancel its event. The State Republican Executive Committee, a 64-member body that serves as the party's governing board, met last week to consider moving the convention online, but it approved a resolution supporting an in-person gathering in a 40-20 vote.
UPDATE: And now this bit of foolishness has been cancelled altogether, by Houston's mayor, citing health concerns.


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Claire McCaskill Dunks On SCOTUS Birth Control Decision: Doesn't GOP Want Fewer Abortions?

The Supreme Court handed down a decision Wednesday morning that freed employers from having to offer insurance to their employees that covered birth control .
Well , kids , now these employers ARE exempt .
And not only for religious reasons , but for simply moral ones .
This applies now not just to non-profit organizations , but FOR-profit ones , too .
Claire McCaskill had the most concise take on the absurdity and misogyny of this ruling when talking to Ayman Mohyeldin .
Here 's how she responded when he said this decision potentially leaves 126,000 women out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MCCASKILL : Yeah .
And , you know , what we need to focus on here is what this decision says is that in America you might have to ask your boss permission to get birth control covered in your health insurance .
And that is just fundamentally wrong .
And here 's the weirdest thing about this , Ayman , is that we know that unwanted pregnancies have dropped since the ACA passed .
What everyone wants is fewer abortions .
That 's what — the Republicans spend an inordinate amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortions ?
Family planning prevents abortions , easy access to affordable birth control prevents abortions .
So what they really have done here is they have just put another step in a process for women to easily get birth control and frankly politically they probably have given more weight to the idea that we need a public option for people .
They should n't have to ask their boss whether or not their insurance would pay for their pill .
That 's not right .
And we need to have a different system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system where they can easily get birth control access .
Family planning access .
Let 's take it down to brass tacks , here .
The Republican Party has never been comfortable with the notion that women can and do enjoy sex .
The notion that women might like to enjoy consequence-free sex in the same way men get to is an anathema to them , assuming they could even wrap their brains around the concept .
I know , of course , that women take birth control for health reasons , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's a powerful and critical argument for considering birth control medical treatment like any other .
Same with abortion .
But that should not be the only justification for women having access to birth control in the same way they have access to antibiotics should they get strep throat .
As many on Twitter are pointing out , these same institutions , employers , politicians , and SCOTUS justices are just fine having an employer 's insurance cover their employees ' treatment for erectile dysfunction — the consequences of which , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dire as those for women who can not access birth control .
Seriously .
God might have broken your d*ck for a reason .
And just for sh*ts and giggles , let 's go all the way back to 2016 , and see what happens when I try to `` sidewalk counsel '' people against using Viagra .
Take a wild guess how many people want to hear why I thought it was my business what they did with their d*cks .

The Supreme Court handed down a decision Wednesday morning that freed employers from having to offer insurance to their employees that covered birth control.
According to NPR:
Under the ACA, churches and synagogues were automatically exempted from the birth control insurance mandate. Not automatically exempt, however, were nonprofits like religiously affiliated universities, charities and hospitals, which employ millions of people who want their health insurance plans to cover birth control for themselves and their family members.
Well, kids, now these employers ARE exempt. And not only for religious reasons, but for simply moral ones. This applies now not just to non-profit organizations, but FOR-profit ones, too.
Claire McCaskill had the most concise take on the absurdity and misogyny of this ruling when talking to Ayman Mohyeldin. Here's how she responded when he said this decision potentially leaves 126,000 women out in the cold on birth control coverage.
MCCASKILL: Yeah. And, you know, what we need to focus on here is what this decision says is that in America you might have to ask your boss permission to get birth control covered in your health insurance. And that is just fundamentally wrong. And here's the weirdest thing about this, Ayman, is that we know that unwanted pregnancies have dropped since the ACA passed. What everyone wants is fewer abortions. That's what — the Republicans spend an inordinate amount of time about preventing abortions. What prevents abortions? Family planning prevents abortions, easy access to affordable birth control prevents abortions. So what they really have done here is they have just put another step in a process for women to easily get birth control and frankly politically they probably have given more weight to the idea that we need a public option for people. They shouldn't have to ask their boss whether or not their insurance would pay for their pill. That's not right. And we need to have a different system where people can opt into a public system where they can easily get birth control access. Family planning access.
Let's take it down to brass tacks, here. The Republican Party has never been comfortable with the notion that women can and do enjoy sex. The notion that women might like to enjoy consequence-free sex in the same way men get to is an anathema to them, assuming they could even wrap their brains around the concept.
I know, of course, that women take birth control for health reasons, too, and that's super important. It's a powerful and critical argument for considering birth control medical treatment like any other. Same with abortion. But that should not be the only justification for women having access to birth control in the same way they have access to antibiotics should they get strep throat.
As many on Twitter are pointing out, these same institutions, employers, politicians, and SCOTUS justices are just fine having an employer's insurance cover their employees' treatment for erectile dysfunction — the consequences of which, if left untreated, are not nearly as dire as those for women who cannot access birth control.
I keep saying if women can't have full control of their bodies then stop providing millions of funds to men using viagra to fix their broken dicks. God broke your dick deal with it. — 👑 Black Professor 👑 (@WonderKing82) July 8, 2020
Seriously. God might have broken your d*ck for a reason.
And just for sh*ts and giggles, let's go all the way back to 2016, and see what happens when I try to "sidewalk counsel" people against using Viagra. Take a wild guess how many people want to hear why I thought it was my business what they did with their d*cks.


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Pence: CDC's Guidance Unnecessary When It Comes To Children's Safety At School

Vice President Mike Pence made the White House 's position on school reopening clear : They want to go forward regardless of what anyone says , even the CDC .
Not only that , the CDC guidelines and their advice are not wanted .
Trump made that position clear earlier in the day : Trump thinks our children 's safety is too `` expensive '' and `` very impractical '' and he plans to have a talk with them .
Like a boss or something .
Pence echoed those sentiments during a press conference on Wednesday : “ We don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC to be the reason schools don ’ t open up.
” How do you feel about your children ?
Are you willing to sacrifice them so malls can reopen and the stock market can rebound and Trump can win reelection ?
Or would you prefer your children to stay healthy and alive ?
This tweet from an ACTUAL MEDICAL DOCTOR sums it up : As always , the White House makes the absolute worst decision ever when faced with something that could save lives .
Here is a twitter thread listing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this virus .
Worth saying all their names .

Vice President Mike Pence made the White House's position on school reopening clear: They want to go forward regardless of what anyone says, even the CDC. Not only that, the CDC guidelines and their advice are not wanted.
Trump made that position clear earlier in the day:
I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
Trump thinks our children's safety is too "expensive" and "very impractical" and he plans to have a talk with them. Like a boss or something.
Pence echoed those sentiments during a press conference on Wednesday: “We don’t want the guidance from the CDC to be the reason schools don’t open up.”
How do you feel about your children? Are you willing to sacrifice them so malls can reopen and the stock market can rebound and Trump can win reelection? Or would you prefer your children to stay healthy and alive?
Twitter had thoughts:
The President thinks what the @CDCgov is asking schools to do is “impractical.” I think it’s incomprehensible in the midst of a soaring #covid pandemic to send students & staff back to school with no guidance, no safety guardrails & no funding. https://t.co/xiMjk0tWsH — Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten) July 8, 2020
Can someone please tell Mike Pence that CDC stands for Christian Dads Club so he’ll listen to their advice — Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) July 8, 2020
Yall
I'm so fucking angry
Pence actually said “We don’t want the guidance from the CDC to be the reason schools don’t open up.”
This is INSANE..we are in the middle of a pandemic and the CDC is supposed to be the experts and we are being told to ignore them by a religious cult — ABlackWomanWhoDontGiveAF*ck (@battletested5) July 8, 2020
Pence says the CDC guidelines are just there to present "a range of options" and Trump says he will cut funding to schools that don't do what he wants them to do.
This is why we are having the worst pandemic response on the planet. — digby (@digby56) July 8, 2020
Good news guys, Mike Pence is overruling those amateurs over at the CDC which stand for "Centers for Disease Control" in case you were wondering. https://t.co/spaRRO9YVI — Apparent Steve (@Steverocks35) July 8, 2020
This tweet from an ACTUAL MEDICAL DOCTOR sums it up:
Really?@VP Pence: “We don’t want the guidance from the @CDCgov to be the reason schools don’t open up.”
The CDC's job is to help schools reopen safely. If schools can't follow these guidelines, they aren't able to protect students & teachers and SHOULDN'T reopen. #covid19 — Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) July 8, 2020
As always, the White House makes the absolute worst decision ever when faced with something that could save lives.
Here is a twitter thread listing the educators and support staff who have died of this virus. Worth saying all their names.


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Tucker Carlson Calls Mask Wearing And Social Distancing 'Bizarre Health Theater'

If you 're wondering why your right-wing relatives and neighbors have been running around acting like idiots , harassing grocery and retail workers , refusing to socially distance , wear masks or take this pandemic seriously , it 's because they 've had Tucker Carlson and his fellow propagandists at Fox pouring poison like this into their brains day after day , and night after night .
Here 's Carlson jumping on the Trump bandwagon the evening after Dear Leader pressured local officials to reopen schools , and lying about face masks and social distancing limiting the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Many schools that do plan to reopen will do so under a series of restrictions that have no basis of any kind in science .
It 's a kind of bizarre health theater .
Students will be kept 6 feet apart , everyone will have to wear a mask , class size will be limited and in some there will be scheduled bathroom breaks , etcetera , etcetera .
Fox should have their license pulled for being a health hazard and menace to civil society .
Advertisers have been fleeing Carlson 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks about the Black Lives Matter movement .
Why more of them are n't just as concerned about his dangerous misinformation about the coronavirus remains a mystery .

If you're wondering why your right-wing relatives and neighbors have been running around acting like idiots, harassing grocery and retail workers, refusing to socially distance, wear masks or take this pandemic seriously, it's because they've had Tucker Carlson and his fellow propagandists at Fox pouring poison like this into their brains day after day, and night after night.
Here's Carlson jumping on the Trump bandwagon the evening after Dear Leader pressured local officials to reopen schools, and lying about face masks and social distancing limiting the spread of the virus:
TUCKER CARLSON (HOST): Many schools that do plan to reopen will do so under a series of restrictions that have no basis of any kind in science. It's a kind of bizarre health theater. Students will be kept 6 feet apart, everyone will have to wear a mask, class size will be limited and in some there will be scheduled bathroom breaks, etcetera, etcetera.
Fox should have their license pulled for being a health hazard and menace to civil society. Advertisers have been fleeing Carlson's show in recent weeks following his racist remarks about the Black Lives Matter movement. Why more of them aren't just as concerned about his dangerous misinformation about the coronavirus remains a mystery.


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--San Francisco Lawmaker Introduces CAREN Act To Crack Down On Racially-motivated 911 Calls

An ordinance whose time has come .
A San Francisco lawmaker introduced an ordinance that would make it illegal to make a fraudulent , racially-motivated 911 call in response to a number of recent incidents in which white people have called the police on Black people who were n't doing anything wrong .
Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced the Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies , or CAREN Act , Tuesday , which will `` make it illegal for people to contact law enforcement solely to discriminate on the basis of a person 's race , ethnicity , religious affiliation , gender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The ordinance will also allow individuals harmed by these calls to sue for damages up to $ 1,000 .
`` 911 calls and emergency reports are not customer service lines for racist behavior , and using these for fraudulent reports based on the perceived threats of someone 's race takes away emergency resources from actual emergencies , '' Walton said at a board of supervisors meeting .
`` Fraudulent emergency calls against people of color are a form of racial violence and should not be tolerated . ''
The ordinance 's name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nickname `` Karen '' given to many white women seen calling the police on people of color in viral videos .
Walton noted several of these incidents occurred in the Bay Area , including the videos of white women dubbed `` Permit Patty '' and `` BBQ Becky '' last year .

An ordinance whose time has come.
Source: USA Today
A San Francisco lawmaker introduced an ordinance that would make it illegal to make a fraudulent, racially-motivated 911 call in response to a number of recent incidents in which white people have called the police on Black people who weren't doing anything wrong.
Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced the Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies, or CAREN Act, Tuesday, which will "make it illegal for people to contact law enforcement solely to discriminate on the basis of a person's race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity." The ordinance will also allow individuals harmed by these calls to sue for damages up to $1,000.
"911 calls and emergency reports are not customer service lines for racist behavior, and using these for fraudulent reports based on the perceived threats of someone's race takes away emergency resources from actual emergencies," Walton said at a board of supervisors meeting. "Fraudulent emergency calls against people of color are a form of racial violence and should not be tolerated."
The ordinance's name appears to be a reference to the nickname "Karen" given to many white women seen calling the police on people of color in viral videos. Walton noted several of these incidents occurred in the Bay Area, including the videos of white women dubbed "Permit Patty" and "BBQ Becky" last year.


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Joe Biden Has An Actual Plan For Handling COVID-19, And He's Offering It To The Nation Right Now

Joe Biden may be 119 days from being elected president , but that isn ’ t stopping him from trying to help the nation right now .
From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis , Donald Trump has downplayed the seriousness of the disease , criticized governors who have taken action to save citizens , hawked ineffective snake oil , and bragged about what a great job he ’ s doing .
Through it all , Trump has resisted providing any real national plan .
He ’ s made it clear that he doesn ’ t want to run testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He doesn ’ t want states asking for supplies because the federal government “ is not a shipping clerk.
” And when it comes to anything COVID-19 related , Trump has made it clear that coming to the federal government is “ the last resort.
” Oddly enough , Joe Biden believes that a nation should have a national plan .
And unlike the Republican alternative to Obamacare—still missing in action after over 8 years—Biden ’ s COVID-19 plan actually exists .
In fact , Biden is offering up the plan right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use it all .
Because Biden ’ s plan would actually save American lives and American incomes .
A quick look at Biden ’ s plan shows that it ’ s exactly the kind of thing that healthcare professionals have been asking for since January .
Which is absolutely not a bad thing .
Rather than leading by his “ great instincts , ” Biden ’ s plan shows that he ’ s willing to listen to experts , act rationally , and use the power of the presidency to make things better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like … leadership .
• A national program of free , regular COVID-19 testing for everyone , managed by a Pandemic Testing Board that would coordinate the data and provide consistent access .
This includes expanding drive through test sites and test availability until no one has to wait , or to expose themselves to potential risk , to be tested for COVID-19 .
That compares with Trump ’ s complete withdrawal of the pitiful few federally-managed test sites , the irregular , and unpredictable testing provided by many states , and results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so slow in coming that they ’ re worthless .
• A national program of contact tracing that starts with at least 100,000 new hires and is dedicated to doing nothing but tracking COVID-19 cases , their contacts , and their progress through the healthcare system or in self-isolation .
This would work in conjunction with states that are currently throwing up their hands at the impossibility of working through contacts with the available resources .
Compare to nothing at all from Trump ’ s side , because apparently the federal government isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager , or worth a damn thing with Trump in charge .
• A consistently managed , sustainable supply chain for PPE , test kits , and safety gear for healthcare workers .
Four months into the pandemic , states are again complaining that masks , gowns , gloves , and face shields are all in short supply , just as cases are surging .
Compare to Trump , who has set state against state , and dispatched arbitrary amounts of supplies , often punishing blue states for not praising him sufficiently by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team dedicated to looking ahead to needs that may crop up in the future , rather than just addressing the requests of states at the moment .
Compare this with … whatever Jared is doing at the moment .
• A national promise to provide healthcare workers with : • additional pay for placing themselves at risk .
• emotional-health support and psychological first aid with a promise that seeking help will not impact future employment .
• emergency leave for workers who get sick , or need to care for a sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no comparison for any of this .
• A coordinated global effort to develop treatments and vaccines that doesn ’ t depend on “ a hunch ” about any drug , doesn ’ t involve taking the U.S. our of the World Health Organization , and doesn ’ t involve the U.S. trying to buy drug manufacturers to deprive other nations of access .
Compare with the opposite .
Biden is promising to immediately restore the U. S. association with and commitment to the World Health Organization .
• A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be made available to everyone , without allowing price gouging that limits benefits to the wealthy .
Compare with … have you seen the price of remdesivir ?
• Consistent national guidelines for reopening businesses and schools that include protections for worker safety , guaranteed sick leave , and guaranteed leave for those caring for a family member .
Biden ’ s plan would also provide systems by which consumers could know that stores were following safety guidelines and were “ Safer for Shoppers ” while providing small businesses with a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retain existing workers and hire new workers while dealing with necessary changes to their business .
Compare with chaos , no guidelines , and shoppers being bullied for wearing a mask .
• Finally , Biden ’ s plan would recognize something that Republicans keep saying—older Americans are at greater risk .
But rather than treating this as an excuse to kill grandma to save Wall Street , Biden offers additional funding and testing to the elderly so that they can safely obtain the things they need and get care without facing increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been implemented in May .
Imagine if it had been implemented in March .
Imagine if the plan had been spelled out in January and phased in as required .
America might now be mourning the two or three thousand who died in the COVID-19 peak that was crushed by national contact tracing in April .
Shoppers would be visiting stores safely .
Schools would be talking about reopening sensibly , knowing exactly the number of active cases in their area and that there were resources available to help them address any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let ’ s just vote , so we don ’ t have to compare .

Joe Biden may be 119 days from being elected president, but that isn’t stopping him from trying to help the nation right now. From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Donald Trump has downplayed the seriousness of the disease, criticized governors who have taken action to save citizens, hawked ineffective snake oil, and bragged about what a great job he’s doing. Through it all, Trump has resisted providing any real national plan. He’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to run testing stations “in some parking lot.” He doesn’t want states asking for supplies because the federal government “is not a shipping clerk.” And when it comes to anything COVID-19 related, Trump has made it clear that coming to the federal government is “the last resort.”
Oddly enough, Joe Biden believes that a nation should have a national plan. And unlike the Republican alternative to Obamacare—still missing in action after over 8 years—Biden’s COVID-19 plan actually exists. In fact, Biden is offering up the plan right now, and telling Donald Trump he can use it all. Because Biden’s plan would actually save American lives and American incomes.
A quick look at Biden’s plan shows that it’s exactly the kind of thing that healthcare professionals have been asking for since January. Which is absolutely not a bad thing. Rather than leading by his “great instincts,” Biden’s plan shows that he’s willing to listen to experts, act rationally, and use the power of the presidency to make things better for America. It’s almost like … leadership.
Here’s what Biden’s offering:
A national program of free, regular COVID-19 testing for everyone, managed by a Pandemic Testing Board that would coordinate the data and provide consistent access. This includes expanding drive through test sites and test availability until no one has to wait, or to expose themselves to potential risk, to be tested for COVID-19. That compares with Trump’s complete withdrawal of the pitiful few federally-managed test sites, the irregular, and unpredictable testing provided by many states, and results that are so difficult to obtain or so slow in coming that they’re worthless.
A national program of contact tracing that starts with at least 100,000 new hires and is dedicated to doing nothing but tracking COVID-19 cases, their contacts, and their progress through the healthcare system or in self-isolation. This would work in conjunction with states that are currently throwing up their hands at the impossibility of working through contacts with the available resources. Compare to nothing at all from Trump’s side, because apparently the federal government isn’t a clerk, or a manager, or worth a damn thing with Trump in charge.
A consistently managed, sustainable supply chain for PPE, test kits, and safety gear for healthcare workers. Four months into the pandemic, states are again complaining that masks, gowns, gloves, and face shields are all in short supply, just as cases are surging. Compare to Trump, who has set state against state, and dispatched arbitrary amounts of supplies, often punishing blue states for not praising him sufficiently by denying them needed supplies.
A team dedicated to looking ahead to needs that may crop up in the future, rather than just addressing the requests of states at the moment. Compare this with … whatever Jared is doing at the moment.
A national promise to provide healthcare workers with: priority access to supplies of PPE. additional pay for placing themselves at risk. free housing to workers coming into crisis points. information hotlines and trustworthy on-line consultation. emotional-health support and psychological first aid with a promise that seeking help will not impact future employment. emergency leave for workers who get sick, or need to care for a sick family member. and no, there’s no comparison for any of this.
A coordinated global effort to develop treatments and vaccines that doesn’t depend on “a hunch” about any drug, doesn’t involve taking the U.S. our of the World Health Organization, and doesn’t involve the U.S. trying to buy drug manufacturers to deprive other nations of access. Compare with the opposite. Biden is promising to immediately restore the U. S. association with and commitment to the World Health Organization.
A guarantee that therapies and vaccines for COVID-19 will be made available to everyone, without allowing price gouging that limits benefits to the wealthy. Compare with … have you seen the price of remdesivir?
Consistent national guidelines for reopening businesses and schools that include protections for worker safety, guaranteed sick leave, and guaranteed leave for those caring for a family member. Biden’s plan would also provide systems by which consumers could know that stores were following safety guidelines and were “Safer for Shoppers” while providing small businesses with a “restart package” that would help them retain existing workers and hire new workers while dealing with necessary changes to their business. Compare with chaos, no guidelines, and shoppers being bullied for wearing a mask.
Finally, Biden’s plan would recognize something that Republicans keep saying—older Americans are at greater risk. But rather than treating this as an excuse to kill grandma to save Wall Street, Biden offers additional funding and testing to the elderly so that they can safely obtain the things they need and get care without facing increased risk.
Imagine if all of this had been implemented in May. Imagine if it had been implemented in March. Imagine if the plan had been spelled out in January and phased in as required. America might now be mourning the two or three thousand who died in the COVID-19 peak that was crushed by national contact tracing in April. Shoppers would be visiting stores safely. Schools would be talking about reopening sensibly, knowing exactly the number of active cases in their area and that there were resources available to help them address any risk. Compare with … Naw. Let’s just vote, so we don’t have to compare.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Trump 2020 Spokesman: 'You're Better Off Now Than When You Were' Three Years Ago

The Trump campaign announced they are doing another outdoor campaign rally -- this time in New Hampshire -- regardless of who gets infected with COVID-19 .
Hogan Gidley , Trump 2020 's new national spokesperson went on Fox and Friends to make the most ridiculous statements ever uttered by a campaign official , ever .
`` It should be an incredible event , '' Gidley said .
Gidley said the so-called president was going to New Hampshire to talk about all of his incredible `` accomplishments that he 's done in his first term . ''
Gidley forgot to mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine to promote phony dirt on his campaign rival Joe Biden , or how the pandemic is still in its first phase , but hey , bygones .
Hogan said , `` How he 's made people 's lives better . ''
Wow .
Alternative facts : Up is down , red is blue , the sun is the moon , nobody has died from the coronavirus and Trump is the greatest president in history .
For a moment I thought I was watching seaon 1 episode 9 of Rick and Morty when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth . ''
He continued , `` To answer the age-old question , are you better off now than you were before , and the answer undoubtedly is yes . ''
I wonder if the 130,000 Americans who died of COVID so far would disagree .
Not to mention the millions of Americans that have lost their jobs .
Kilmeade actually offered some tepid resistance and said , `` With the pandemic , you know the growth is not there -- unemployment is at 11 % .
So at least because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , you 're better at least because of the pandemic , right ? ''
Gidley replied , `` Of course you can say that . ''
Gidley went on to complain that everybody in the world suffered from the pandemic so that does n't count .

The Trump campaign announced they are doing another outdoor campaign rally -- this time in New Hampshire -- regardless of who gets infected with COVID-19.
Hogan Gidley, Trump 2020's new national spokesperson went on Fox and Friends to make the most ridiculous statements ever uttered by a campaign official, ever.
"It should be an incredible event," Gidley said.
Gidley said the so-called president was going to New Hampshire to talk about all of his incredible "accomplishments that he's done in his first term."
Gidley forgot to mention Trump being impeached for trying to force Ukraine to promote phony dirt on his campaign rival Joe Biden, or how the pandemic is still in its first phase, but hey, bygones.
Hogan said, "How he's made people's lives better." Wow.
Alternative facts: Up is down, red is blue, the sun is the moon, nobody has died from the coronavirus and Trump is the greatest president in history.
For a moment I thought I was watching seaon 1 episode 9 of Rick and Morty when Rick destroyed C-137, "Cronenberg Planet Earth."
He continued, "To answer the age-old question, are you better off now than you were before, and the answer undoubtedly is yes."
I wonder if the 130,000 Americans who died of COVID so far would disagree. Not to mention the millions of Americans that have lost their jobs.
Kilmeade actually offered some tepid resistance and said, "With the pandemic, you know the growth is not there -- unemployment is at 11%. So at least because of the pandemic, you can't really say that, you're better at least because of the pandemic, right?"
Gidley replied, "Of course you can say that."
Gidley went on to complain that everybody in the world suffered from the pandemic so that doesn't count.
Fishism!


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Rick Wiles: Ghislane Maxwell 'Brokered Sale' Of Melania To Donald

So Rick Wiles goes on his own `` web show '' to chat about his various conspiracy theories regarding Ghislane Maxwell , concluding that Maxwell `` brokered the sale '' of Melania to Donald Trump , and veering off into some truly sick theories involving grinding the bones of less `` talented '' girls in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trade .
It 's three sex creep misogynists fantasizing about the sale of hot sex slaves .
At Mar-a-Lago , with Trump 's knowledge and consent .
As Tengrain noted , `` He ’ s gon na get kicked outta the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And then you realize that this guy was included in the press pool to Davos by Trump 's White House back in January .
The Independent ( UK ) : To coordinate coverage of Donald Trump ’ s trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , the White House provided press passes to the usual mix of American news organisations , including Fox News , Reuters and The New York Times .
One media outlet stood out : TruNews , a website aimed at conservative Christians whose founder , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trump ’ s impeachment as “ a Jew coup ” planned by “ a Jewish cabal ” .
... Mr Wiles ’ ability to secure credentials after his antisemitic remarks – which prompted a formal rebuke from two members of congress – has left civil rights groups deeply troubled .

So Rick Wiles goes on his own "web show" to chat about his various conspiracy theories regarding Ghislane Maxwell, concluding that Maxwell "brokered the sale" of Melania to Donald Trump, and veering off into some truly sick theories involving grinding the bones of less "talented" girls in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trade.
It's three sex creep misogynists fantasizing about the sale of hot sex slaves. At Mar-a-Lago, with Trump's knowledge and consent.
As Tengrain noted, "He’s gonna get kicked outta the Q-Club with talk like that!"
And then you realize that this guy was included in the press pool to Davos by Trump's White House back in January. The Independent (UK):
To coordinate coverage of Donald Trump’s trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the White House provided press passes to the usual mix of American news organisations, including Fox News, Reuters and The New York Times. One media outlet stood out: TruNews, a website aimed at conservative Christians whose founder, a pastor named Rick Wiles, recently described Mr Trump’s impeachment as “a Jew coup” planned by “a Jewish cabal”. ...Mr Wiles’ ability to secure credentials after his antisemitic remarks – which prompted a formal rebuke from two members of congress – has left civil rights groups deeply troubled.


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--Trump Demands All Schools Be Reopened; Threatens School Funding

Donald Trump is n't interested in protecting Americans .
He 's interested in getting re-elected .
And he 's willing to put America 's schoolchildren at risk for his own glory .
On Tuesday , he held one of his sycophantic Blights of the Round Table meetings , where he requires a cadre of staffers to gushingly glorify his existence at length .
Then he discussed the pandemic and how those mean teachers wo n't go back to work .
Incredibly , Trump demanded that governors reopen all schools in the fall with no consideration as to how the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off his mini-Me Gov .
DeSantis and said , `` [ DeSantis ] just announced that the schools will be open in the fall and we hope that most schools are going to be open . ''
He continued , `` We do n't want people to make political statements or do it for political reasons .
They think it 's going to be good for them politically so they keep the schools closed- no way . ''
Schools are closed to protect our children and students from being infected and transmitting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that hurts his poll numbers .
Then he tried to strong-arm any governor who refuses to put the lives of our next generation in jeopardy by threatening school funding ?
That 's not going to win you suburban moms , Donald .
`` So we 're very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools to get them open and it 's very important .
It 's very important for our country .
It 's very important for the well-being of the students and the parents so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of -- putting a lot of pressure on open your schools in the fall , '' Trump demanded .
Obviously the entire nation wants to get back to normal as soon as possible including having our kids back in school , but not at the risk of having more Ground Zero explosions of infection .
He 's sacrificing our most precious resource -- our children -- in an effort to save his campaign .
The way he 's conducted himself as the pandemic unfolded has been nothing short of catastrophic .
Claiming we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will just go away .
Promoting phony cures like hydroxychloroquine as well as telling people to ingest detergents .
Refusing to implement the DPA in a timely fashion and instead claimed medical staffs were stealing lifesaving equipment and selling it out the back door with no proof .
Trump has refused to nationally mandate the wearing of masks out in public to quell the transmission of the coronavirus and held unnecessary campaign rallies without CDC guidelines being implemented .
And so it goes , on and on .
I doubt parents will decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so will Trump demand that they comply or their kids will fail ?
The NEA came out and did not hold back : Teachers Say Rush to Reopen Schools Without Covid-19 Safety Plan Shows Trump and DeVos 'Do Not Care About Students '

Donald Trump isn't interested in protecting Americans. He's interested in getting re-elected.
And he's willing to put America's schoolchildren at risk for his own glory.
On Tuesday, he held one of his sycophantic Blights of the Round Table meetings, where he requires a cadre of staffers to gushingly glorify his existence at length.
Then he discussed the pandemic and how those mean teachers won't go back to work.
Incredibly, Trump demanded that governors reopen all schools in the fall with no consideration as to how the country will be handling COVID-19.
Trump bled off his mini-Me Gov. DeSantis and said, "[DeSantis] just announced that the schools will be open in the fall and we hope that most schools are going to be open."
He continued, "We don't want people to make political statements or do it for political reasons. They think it's going to be good for them politically so they keep the schools closed- no way."
Schools are closed to protect our children and students from being infected and transmitting a highly infectious virus, but to Trump that hurts his poll numbers.
Then he tried to strong-arm any governor who refuses to put the lives of our next generation in jeopardy by threatening school funding? That's not going to win you suburban moms, Donald.
"So we're very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools to get them open and it's very important. It's very important for our country. It's very important for the well-being of the students and the parents so we are going to be a lot of -- putting a lot of pressure on open your schools in the fall," Trump demanded.
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
Obviously the entire nation wants to get back to normal as soon as possible including having our kids back in school, but not at the risk of having more Ground Zero explosions of infection.
He's sacrificing our most precious resource -- our children -- in an effort to save his campaign.
The way he's conducted himself as the pandemic unfolded has been nothing short of catastrophic.
Claiming we have zero cases then saying the virus will just go away.
Promoting phony cures like hydroxychloroquine as well as telling people to ingest detergents.
Refusing to implement the DPA in a timely fashion and instead claimed medical staffs were stealing lifesaving equipment and selling it out the back door with no proof.
Trump has refused to nationally mandate the wearing of masks out in public to quell the transmission of the coronavirus and held unnecessary campaign rallies without CDC guidelines being implemented.
And so it goes, on and on.
I doubt parents will decide to send their children off to infection-school so will Trump demand that they comply or their kids will fail?
The NEA came out and did not hold back: Teachers Say Rush to Reopen Schools Without Covid-19 Safety Plan Shows Trump and DeVos 'Do Not Care About Students'
A coalition representing millions of American teachers and parents slammed President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday over their push to reopen schools by the fall without first presenting a concrete plan to protect students and educators from Covid-19. The groups warned that "without a comprehensive plan that includes federal resources to provide for the safety of our students and educators with funding for personal protective equipment, socially distanced instruction, and addressing racial inequity, we could be putting students, their families, and educators in danger."


crooksandliars--2020-07-08--It's Not Just A Few Bad Apples On The Right. The Rot And Rage Run Too Deep

This Jonathan Swan post at Axios is absurdly reductive : If you want to understand the rhetorical roots of Trump 's Independence Day speech at Mount Rushmore , go back and watch Tucker Carlson 's monologues for the past six weeks .
... Trump — or rather his speechwriter Stephen Miller — framed the president 's opposition to the Black Lives Matter protest movement using the same imagery Carlson has been laying out night after night on Fox .
... Below are grabs from Carlson monologues over the past month , followed by quotes from Trump 's July 3 speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a month , mobs of violent crazy people have roamed this country , terrorizing citizens and destroying things . ''
* Trump : `` Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders , deface our most sacred memorials , and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities . ''
* Carlson : `` The education cartel , enforced on your children , enforces their demands . ''
* Trump : `` In our schools , our newsrooms , even our corporate boardrooms , there is a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' * Carlson : `` Few people ever could have imagined that Teddy Roosevelt would be canceled .
Roosevelt was the most popular president in American history . ''
* Trump : `` One of their political weapons is 'Cancel Culture . '
'' And in a separate part of the speech , `` Theodore Roosevelt exemplified the unbridled confidence of our national culture and identity .
...
The American people will never relinquish the bold , beautiful , and untamed spirit of Theodore Roosevelt . ''
* Carlson : `` For weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for this country ? '
And the answer we 're learning is Americans .
Americans will .
It 's up to them .
Small groups of citizens are beginning to come forward to defend their laws , defend their history and their culture . ''
* Trump : `` They think the American people are weak and soft and submissive .
But no , the American people are strong and proud , and they will not allow our country , and all of its values , history , and culture , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carlson : `` The Cultural Revolution has come to the West . ''
* Trump : `` Make no mistake : This left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution . ''

This Jonathan Swan post at Axios is absurdly reductive:
If you want to understand the rhetorical roots of Trump's Independence Day speech at Mount Rushmore, go back and watch Tucker Carlson's monologues for the past six weeks.
... Trump — or rather his speechwriter Stephen Miller — framed the president's opposition to the Black Lives Matter protest movement using the same imagery Carlson has been laying out night after night on Fox.
... Below are grabs from Carlson monologues over the past month, followed by quotes from Trump's July 3 speech.
* Carlson: "For more than a month, mobs of violent crazy people have roamed this country, terrorizing citizens and destroying things."
* Trump: "Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities."
* Carlson: "The education cartel, enforced on your children, enforces their demands."
* Trump: "In our schools, our newsrooms, even our corporate boardrooms, there is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance."
* Carlson: "Few people ever could have imagined that Teddy Roosevelt would be canceled. Roosevelt was the most popular president in American history."
* Trump: "One of their political weapons is 'Cancel Culture.'" And in a separate part of the speech, "Theodore Roosevelt exemplified the unbridled confidence of our national culture and identity. ... The American people will never relinquish the bold, beautiful, and untamed spirit of Theodore Roosevelt."
* Carlson: "For weeks we've asked, 'Who will stand up for this country?' And the answer we're learning is Americans. Americans will. It's up to them. Small groups of citizens are beginning to come forward to defend their laws, defend their history and their culture."
* Trump: "They think the American people are weak and soft and submissive. But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them."
* Carlson: "The Cultural Revolution has come to the West."
* Trump: "Make no mistake: This left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution."


crooksandliars--2020-07-09--Evangelical Minister In Pence’s Prayer Circle Is Voting For Biden

An evangelical minister who prayed and read scripture with Mike Pence has chastised him for tossing aside Christian principles and has declared support for Joe Biden , the first Democrat the minister will vote for in over 40 years .
As Raw Story explained , the Reverend Rob Schenck was part of a prayer group Pence held during his tenure as an Indiana congressman .
But now Schenck thinks Pence needs to be truer to his Christian faith and less blindly loyal to Donald Trump .
According to The Atlantic , Schenck thinks Pence 's ambition has overtaken his altruism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastoral counseling from me , I would say to him , ‘ Brother Mike , Jesus commands you to love your neighbor , not love your boss , ’ ” says Schenck , who plans to vote for Biden , the first Democrat he ’ s supported in a presidential race since Jimmy Carter in 1976 .
“ That ’ s not God ’ s command.
” Schenck says he tried to reach out to Pence a few years ago by letter , reminding him of the commandment against bearing false witness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was one of the greatest failures of this administration : truth-telling , ” Schenck told me .
“ I was trying to say to him , ‘ You need to be a truth-teller.
’ ” He never got a reply .

An evangelical minister who prayed and read scripture with Mike Pence has chastised him for tossing aside Christian principles and has declared support for Joe Biden, the first Democrat the minister will vote for in over 40 years.
As Raw Story explained, the Reverend Rob Schenck was part of a prayer group Pence held during his tenure as an Indiana congressman. But now Schenck thinks Pence needs to be truer to his Christian faith and less blindly loyal to Donald Trump.
According to The Atlantic, Schenck thinks Pence's ambition has overtaken his altruism.


crooksandliars--2020-07-09--Tulsa Sees Spike In COVID-19 Cases After Trump Rally

Tulsa and Oklahoma both saw their highest COVID-19 case totals yesterday , a little over two weeks since Trump 's infamous rally .
When asked what might have caused this spike , Dr. Bruce Dart deadpanned that there were several large events in the area , and `` that we just connect the dots . ''
The city of Tulsa is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases , a little over 2 weeks after President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in an indoor arena there .
Dr. Bruce Dart , Executive Director of the Tulsa Health Department , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are high numbers being reported this week , with nearly 500 new cases in two days and trends are showing that those numbers will increase .
There had been a 20 % decline in new Covid-19 cases the week of June 28 through July 4 .
The Tulsa Health Department reported 266 new cases on Wednesday , bringing the total number in the county to 4,571 .
There are 17,894 cases in Oklahoma and 452 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University 's tally of cases in the United States .
When asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up due to the rally on June 20 , Dart said that there were several large events a little over two weeks ago .
`` I guess we just connect the dots , '' Dart said .

Tulsa and Oklahoma both saw their highest COVID-19 case totals yesterday, a little over two weeks since Trump's infamous rally. When asked what might have caused this spike, Dr. Bruce Dart deadpanned that there were several large events in the area, and "that we just connect the dots."
Source: CNN
The city of Tulsa is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases, a little over 2 weeks after President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in an indoor arena there.
Dr. Bruce Dart, Executive Director of the Tulsa Health Department, said in a press conference on Wednesday there are high numbers being reported this week, with nearly 500 new cases in two days and trends are showing that those numbers will increase.
There had been a 20% decline in new Covid-19 cases the week of June 28 through July 4.
The Tulsa Health Department reported 266 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number in the county to 4,571. There are 17,894 cases in Oklahoma and 452 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases in the United States.
When asked if the cases in Tulsa are going up due to the rally on June 20, Dart said that there were several large events a little over two weeks ago.
"I guess we just connect the dots," Dart said.


crooksandliars--2020-07-09--Trump Strong Arms The CDC

Trump Strong Arms The CDC

Einstein proved his theory of Special Relativity and General Relativity with ingenuity and math .
Dirac 's equation is the most beautiful .
And we now have this .
“ The current state [ of the virus spread ] is really not good , ” Fauci said Tuesday on Facebook Live .
“ We are still knee deep in the first wave ” of COVID-19 infections .
Not surprisingly , Dr. Fauci was kept out of today 's school reopening presser run by VP Pence and Trump political appointees who dismissed CDC guidelines for protecting ourselves from the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to release their own guidelines , just like they did when they forced states to reopen their economies before the virus was contained .
Heaven help us .
New York Governor Cuomo struck back at the deviant in the White House .
“ School reopenings are a state decision .
Period .
That is the law and that is the way we ’ re going to proceed .
It ’ s not up the President of the United States , ” Cuomo said during a news briefing in Albany .
“ The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools .
We will open the schools if it is safe to open the schools .
Everybody wants the schools open .
”

Fact are facts.
Science is science.
The earth is round.
Einstein proved his theory of Special Relativity and General Relativity with ingenuity and math.
Dirac's equation is the most beautiful.
And we now have this.
I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
“The current state [of the virus spread] is really not good,” Fauci said Tuesday on Facebook Live. “We are still knee deep in the first wave” of COVID-19 infections.
Not surprisingly, Dr. Fauci was kept out of today's school reopening presser run by VP Pence and Trump political appointees who dismissed CDC guidelines for protecting ourselves from the virus.
Instead, the White House is going to release their own guidelines, just like they did when they forced states to reopen their economies before the virus was contained. Heaven help us.
New York Governor Cuomo struck back at the deviant in the White House.
“School reopenings are a state decision. Period. That is the law and that is the way we’re going to proceed. It’s not up the President of the United States,” Cuomo said during a news briefing in Albany. “The president does not have any authority to open schools. We will open the schools if it is safe to open the schools. Everybody wants the schools open.”


crooksandliars--2020-07-09--Costco Karen Refuses To Wear A Mask, Claims To Be A Doctor: ‘Do You Understand Science?’

A woman who claimed to be a doctor was chastised for not wearing a mask at a Costco store .
Video of the incident was shared on Twitter on Tuesday .
In the video , a man encourages the woman to put on her mask , which she is holding in her hand .
The woman ’ s elderly mother also appears mask-free in the video .
“ Call the police , ” the woman says in a mocking tone .
“ Shame me like an ass , go ahead.
” “ You can put it on right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insists .
“ I ’ ll do that when I ’ m ready , ” she replies .
“ Do you understand science ?
” “ Science ?
” the man remarks .
“ Maybe better than you do .
Apparently , I ’ m the one protecting other people by wearing a mask.
” “ I ’ m a doctor , ” the woman insists .
“ And we know what to do.
” After the man asks for the woman ’ s “ credentials , ” she responds by flashing her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about to be escorted out of the store if you don ’ t put on your mask , ” the man warns .
“ You ’ re such a good boy , ” the woman says sarcastically .
“ And you know nothing about me.
” “ What you know about me , ma ’ am , is that I ’ m wearing my mask , ” the cameraman notes .
At that point , a Costco employee vows to “ take care ” of the problem .

A woman who claimed to be a doctor was chastised for not wearing a mask at a Costco store.
Video of the incident was shared on Twitter on Tuesday.
In the video, a man encourages the woman to put on her mask, which she is holding in her hand. The woman’s elderly mother also appears mask-free in the video.
“Call the police,” the woman says in a mocking tone. “Shame me like an ass, go ahead.”
“You can put it on right now, ma’am,” the cameraman insists.
“I’ll do that when I’m ready,” she replies. “Do you understand science?”
“Science?” the man remarks. “Maybe better than you do. Apparently, I’m the one protecting other people by wearing a mask.”
“I’m a doctor,” the woman insists. “And we know what to do.”
After the man asks for the woman’s “credentials,” she responds by flashing her middle finger.
“You’re about to be escorted out of the store if you don’t put on your mask,” the man warns.
“You’re such a good boy,” the woman says sarcastically. “And you know nothing about me.”
“What you know about me, ma’am, is that I’m wearing my mask,” the cameraman notes.
At that point, a Costco employee vows to “take care” of the problem.
Watch the video clip below.