crooksandliars--2020-11-26--Real Legacy Of The Pilgrims Revealed 400 Years After Plymouth

Peter C. Mancall , USC Dornsife College of Letters , Arts and Sciences The 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims ’ voyage to Plymouth will be celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic with a “ remembrance ceremony ” with state and local officials and a museum exhibit in Plymouth , England .
An autonomous marine research ship named “ The Mayflower ” has been equipped with an AI navigating system that will allow the ship to trace the course of the original journey without any humans on board .
Yet as a scholar of early 17th-century New England , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glory heaped on the Pilgrims and their settlement in Plymouth .
Native Americans had met Europeans in scores of places before 1620 , so yet another encounter was hardly unique .
Relative to other settlements , the colony attracted few migrants .
And it lasted only 70 years .
So why does it have such a prominent place in the story of America ?
And why , until recently , did the more troubling aspects to Plymouth and its founding document , the Mayflower Compact , go ignored ?
The establishment of Plymouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Pilgrims ’ decision to go to North America – and their deep attachment to their faith – was an outcome of the intense religious conflict roiling Europe after the Protestant Reformation .
Shortly before the travelers ’ arrival , the Wampanoag residents of Patuxet – the area in and around modern day Plymouth – had suffered a devastating , three-year epidemic , possibly caused by leptospirosis , a bacterial disease that can lead to meningitis , respiratory distress and liver failure .
It was during these two crises that the histories of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the shores of Massachusetts Bay .
Despite a number of advantages , including less competition for local resources because of the epidemic , Plymouth attracted far fewer English migrants than Virginia , which was settled in 1607 , and Massachusetts , which was established in 1630 .
The Pilgrims , as they told their story traveled so they could practice their religion free from persecution .
But other English joined them , including some migrants seeking profits instead of heeding prophets .
Unfortunately for those hoping to earn a quick buck , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Plymouth nonetheless went on to attain a prominent place in the history of America , primarily due to two phenomena : It was the alleged site of the first Thanksgiving , and its founders drafted the Mayflower Compact , a 200-word document written and signed by 41 men on the ship .
Generations of American students have learned that the Compact was a stepping stone towards self-government , the defining feature of American constitutional democracy .
But did Plymouth really inspire democracy ?
After all , self-governing communities existed across Indigenous New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And a year earlier , in 1619 , English colonists in Virginia had created the House of Burgesses to advance self-rule in North America for subjects of King James I .
So American self-government , however one defines it , was not born in Plymouth .
The Mayflower Compact nonetheless contained lofty ideals .
The plan signed by many of the Mayflower ’ s male passengers demanded that colonists “ Covenant & Combine ourselves into a Civil body politic , for our better ordering , & preservation.
” They promised to work together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Acts , constitutions.
” The signers pledged to work for the “ advancement of the Christian faith.
” Yet as the years after 1620 bore out , the migrants did not adhere to such principles when dealing with their Wampanoag and other Algonquian-speaking neighbors .
Gov .
William Bradford , who began writing his history of Plymouth in 1630 , wrote about the Pilgrims arriving in “ a hideous and desolate wilderness , full of wild beasts and wild men ” even though Patuxet looked more like a settled European farmland .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morton , in part because he believed that Indigenous and colonists could peacefully coexist .
And in 1637 , Plymouth ’ s authorities joined a bloody campaign against the Pequots , which led to the massacre of Indigenous people on the banks of the Mystic River , followed by the sale of prisoners into slavery .
The Compact was even used by loyalists to the British crown to argue against independence .
Thomas Hutchinson , the last royal governor of Massachusetts , pointed to the Pilgrims as proof that colonists should not rebel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signers as “ loyal subjects ” of the English king .
After the American Revolution , politicians and historians , especially those descended from Pilgrims and Puritans , were keen to trace the origins of the United States back to Plymouth .
In the process , they glossed over the Pilgrims ’ complicated legacy .
In 1802 , the future President John Quincy Adams spoke at Plymouth about the unique genius of the colony ’ s founders and their governing contract .
He announced that the Pilgrims would arrive at the biblical day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innocence ” for having shown “ kindness and equity toward the savages.
” In the mid-19th century , the historian George Bancroft claimed that it was in “ the cabin of the Mayflower ” where “ humanity recovered its rights , and instituted government on the basis of ‘ equal laws ’ for ‘ the general good.
’ ” Nineteenth-century anniversary celebrations focused on the colonists , their written Compact , and their contribution to what became the United States .
In 1870 , on the 250th anniversary , celebrants struck a commemorative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bible , the other a group of Pilgrims praying on the shoreline .
Missing , not surprisingly , were the Wampanoags .
A more nuanced view of the past By 1970 , the cultural tide had turned .
Representatives of the Wampanoag nation walked out of Plymouth ’ s public celebration of Thanksgiving that year to announce that the fourth Thursday in November should instead be known as the National Day of Mourning .
To these protesters , 1620 represented violent conquest and dispossession , the twinned legacies of exclusion .
The organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 400 ” have stressed that they want to tell a “ historically accurate and culturally inclusive history.
” They ’ ve promoted both the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and an exhibit featuring 400 years of Wampanoag History .
Unlike earlier generations of celebrants , the organizers have acknowledged the continued presence of Native residents .
Prior celebrations of Plymouth ’ s founding focused on the Pilgrims ’ role in the creation of the United States .
By doing so , these commemorations sustained an exclusionary narrative for over two centuries .
Perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold , replacing ancestor worship with a more clear-eyed view of the past .
[ Deep knowledge , daily .
Sign up for The Conversation ’ s newsletter . ]
Peter C. Mancall , Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities , USC Dornsife College of Letters , Arts and Sciences This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Peter C. Mancall, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ voyage to Plymouth will be celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic with a “remembrance ceremony” with state and local officials and a museum exhibit in Plymouth, England. An autonomous marine research ship named “The Mayflower” has been equipped with an AI navigating system that will allow the ship to trace the course of the original journey without any humans on board.
Yet as a scholar of early 17th-century New England, I’ve always been puzzled by the glory heaped on the Pilgrims and their settlement in Plymouth.
Native Americans had met Europeans in scores of places before 1620, so yet another encounter was hardly unique. Relative to other settlements, the colony attracted few migrants. And it lasted only 70 years.
So why does it have such a prominent place in the story of America? And why, until recently, did the more troubling aspects to Plymouth and its founding document, the Mayflower Compact, go ignored?
Prophets and profits
The establishment of Plymouth did not occur in a vacuum.
The Pilgrims’ decision to go to North America – and their deep attachment to their faith – was an outcome of the intense religious conflict roiling Europe after the Protestant Reformation. Shortly before the travelers’ arrival, the Wampanoag residents of Patuxet – the area in and around modern day Plymouth – had suffered a devastating, three-year epidemic, possibly caused by leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that can lead to meningitis, respiratory distress and liver failure.
It was during these two crises that the histories of western Europe and Indigenous North America collided on the shores of Massachusetts Bay.
Despite a number of advantages, including less competition for local resources because of the epidemic, Plymouth attracted far fewer English migrants than Virginia, which was settled in 1607, and Massachusetts, which was established in 1630.
The Pilgrims, as they told their story traveled so they could practice their religion free from persecution. But other English joined them, including some migrants seeking profits instead of heeding prophets. Unfortunately for those hoping to earn a quick buck, the colony never became an economic dynamo.
A shaky compact
Plymouth nonetheless went on to attain a prominent place in the history of America, primarily due to two phenomena: It was the alleged site of the first Thanksgiving, and its founders drafted the Mayflower Compact, a 200-word document written and signed by 41 men on the ship.
Generations of American students have learned that the Compact was a stepping stone towards self-government, the defining feature of American constitutional democracy.
But did Plymouth really inspire democracy? After all, self-governing communities existed across Indigenous New England long before European migrants arrived. And a year earlier, in 1619, English colonists in Virginia had created the House of Burgesses to advance self-rule in North America for subjects of King James I.
So American self-government, however one defines it, was not born in Plymouth.
The Mayflower Compact nonetheless contained lofty ideals. The plan signed by many of the Mayflower’s male passengers demanded that colonists “Covenant & Combine ourselves into a Civil body politic, for our better ordering, & preservation.” They promised to work together to write “laws, ordinances, Acts, constitutions.” The signers pledged to work for the “advancement of the Christian faith.”
Yet as the years after 1620 bore out, the migrants did not adhere to such principles when dealing with their Wampanoag and other Algonquian-speaking neighbors. Gov. William Bradford, who began writing his history of Plymouth in 1630, wrote about the Pilgrims arriving in “a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men” even though Patuxet looked more like a settled European farmland. The Pilgrims exiled an English lawyer named Thomas Morton, in part because he believed that Indigenous and colonists could peacefully coexist. And in 1637, Plymouth’s authorities joined a bloody campaign against the Pequots, which led to the massacre of Indigenous people on the banks of the Mystic River, followed by the sale of prisoners into slavery.
The Compact was even used by loyalists to the British crown to argue against independence. Thomas Hutchinson, the last royal governor of Massachusetts, pointed to the Pilgrims as proof that colonists should not rebel, highlighting the passage that defined the signers as “loyal subjects” of the English king.
History told by the victors
After the American Revolution, politicians and historians, especially those descended from Pilgrims and Puritans, were keen to trace the origins of the United States back to Plymouth.
In the process, they glossed over the Pilgrims’ complicated legacy.
In 1802, the future President John Quincy Adams spoke at Plymouth about the unique genius of the colony’s founders and their governing contract. He announced that the Pilgrims would arrive at the biblical day of judgment “in the whiteness of innocence” for having shown “kindness and equity toward the savages.”
In the mid-19th century, the historian George Bancroft claimed that it was in “the cabin of the Mayflower” where “humanity recovered its rights, and instituted government on the basis of ‘equal laws’ for ‘the general good.’”
Nineteenth-century anniversary celebrations focused on the colonists, their written Compact, and their contribution to what became the United States. In 1870, on the 250th anniversary, celebrants struck a commemorative coin: one side featured an open Bible, the other a group of Pilgrims praying on the shoreline.
Missing, not surprisingly, were the Wampanoags.
A more nuanced view of the past
By 1970, the cultural tide had turned. Representatives of the Wampanoag nation walked out of Plymouth’s public celebration of Thanksgiving that year to announce that the fourth Thursday in November should instead be known as the National Day of Mourning. To these protesters, 1620 represented violent conquest and dispossession, the twinned legacies of exclusion.
The organizers of an international group called “Plymouth 400” have stressed that they want to tell a “historically accurate and culturally inclusive history.” They’ve promoted both the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and an exhibit featuring 400 years of Wampanoag History. Unlike earlier generations of celebrants, the organizers have acknowledged the continued presence of Native residents.
Prior celebrations of Plymouth’s founding focused on the Pilgrims’ role in the creation of the United States. By doing so, these commemorations sustained an exclusionary narrative for over two centuries.
Perhaps this year a different story will take hold, replacing ancestor worship with a more clear-eyed view of the past.
[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]
Peter C. Mancall, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


crooksandliars--2020-11-26--West Virginia's Governor: We Don't Want To Be South Dakota

A bit of sanity from a Trump backer and otherwise horrible human being in West Virginia 's Jim Justice .
But I suppose when your ambitions do n't go beyond your own state , as they do with South Dakota 's loathsome Kristi Noem , there 's a certain flexibility in recognizing the reality that masks save lives and keep healthcare costs down .
West Virginia Gov .
Jim Justice blasted critics of his mask mandate Wednesday , saying he would not follow the lead of other Republican governors rejecting the advice of public health experts .
“ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Justice said at a news conference .
He then played a news clip from the state , where Gov .
Kristi Noem has refused to issue a mask mandate , reporting that South Dakota has the most deaths per capita linked to COVID-19 in the world .
There are 13 states currently without a statewide mask mandate in effect , all led by Republican governors .
“ I know that we are a strong-willed people in West Virginia and we have our rights and no one is trying to infringe on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added , a reference to some conservatives in the state who criticize his pandemic executive orders .
Justice has vocally defended mask-wearing and recently tightened a mandate to wear one indoors when in public at all times as cases have skyrocketed in rural enclaves .
He has resisted more stringent lockdown measures and championed for schools to stay open where outbreaks are less severe .

A bit of sanity from a Trump backer and otherwise horrible human being in West Virginia's Jim Justice. But I suppose when your ambitions don't go beyond your own state, as they do with South Dakota's loathsome Kristi Noem, there's a certain flexibility in recognizing the reality that masks save lives and keep healthcare costs down.
Source: KDKA, Pittsburgh
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice blasted critics of his mask mandate Wednesday, saying he would not follow the lead of other Republican governors rejecting the advice of public health experts.
“I don’t want to be South Dakota,” Justice said at a news conference. He then played a news clip from the state, where Gov. Kristi Noem has refused to issue a mask mandate, reporting that South Dakota has the most deaths per capita linked to COVID-19 in the world.
There are 13 states currently without a statewide mask mandate in effect, all led by Republican governors.
“I know that we are a strong-willed people in West Virginia and we have our rights and no one is trying to infringe on your rights in any way,” he added, a reference to some conservatives in the state who criticize his pandemic executive orders.
Justice has vocally defended mask-wearing and recently tightened a mandate to wear one indoors when in public at all times as cases have skyrocketed in rural enclaves. He has resisted more stringent lockdown measures and championed for schools to stay open where outbreaks are less severe.


crooksandliars--2020-11-26--Georgia Senator David Perdue Privately Pushed For A Tax Break For Rich Sports Teamowners

[ Above : We never get tired of watching Jon Ossoff take down David Purdue in their only 2020 debate .
-- eds . ]
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
Sen. David Perdue , R-Ga. , privately pushed Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to give wealthy sports owners a lucrative tax break last year , according to a previously unreported letter obtained by ProPublica .
After the 2017 tax bill championed by President Donald Trump passed , Mnuchin and the Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation would work in practice .
Of the hundreds of pages of new regulations the agency developed , Perdue wrote about his concern with one extremely narrow rule : The owners of professional sports teams were being excluded from a valuable tax break being granted to many other businesses that are structured so that the companies don ’ t pay taxes but the owners do .
“ I hope you will reconsider , ” Perdue wrote in the 2019 letter .
Many such letters on regulatory matters are signed by multiple senators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perdue alone wrote and signed the letter .
Why Perdue got interested in an obscure tax regulation , which would impact at most only a small set of the richest Americans , is unclear .
Perdue was not on the committee that crafted the legislation , making his in-the-weeds lobbying on the arcane regulation unusual , congressional experts said .
The Treasury ultimately declined to adopt the revision Perdue sought .
If the regulation had been altered as Perdue wanted , it would have been a boon for some of his largest donors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars in campaign contributions from the owners of professional sports clubs , including now-fellow Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler , who co-owns Atlanta ’ s WNBA team , the Dream .
Perdue ’ s office did not answer questions about why he sent the letter or whether he discussed the matter with any sports team owners .
Perdue and Loeffler , who was appointed to her role earlier this year , are locked in runoff elections to be held Jan. 5 with the balance of the Senate in play .
If both Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chamber , potentially allowing President-elect Joe Biden to implement more of his agenda than he would under a divided government .
Jon Ossoff , Perdue ’ s Democratic challenger , has cast Perdue as a member of the Washington “ swamp ” who caters to the interests of corporate donors .
Perdue was one of the 2017 tax bill ’ s biggest boosters , publicly describing it as a windfall for average Americans .
“ A single mom making $ 41,000 with a child is going to get a 75 % tax cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it passed .
“ This is a great day for the middle class.
” Before Perdue became a senator in 2015 , he was a top executive for a string of companies , including Reebok , where in the early 2000s the company inked major licensing deals with the NFL , the NBA and the NHL .
A review of his campaign contributions shows that Perdue has taken more than $ 425,000 from the owners of professional sports teams and their relatives .
Some of the top donors include the DeVos family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ingram , who owns the Nashville SC soccer team ; Los Angeles Kings owner Philip Anschutz ; and Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam .
On the same day Perdue sent Mnuchin the letter , he received $ 3,000 in donations from three lobbyists at GeorgiaLink Public Affairs Group , a lobbying firm that was representing the Atlanta Braves .
Because of the Braves ’ ownership structure , it ’ s unlikely the team would have been affected by the regulation , but around that time , MLB was lobbying on the rule , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners the tax break .
Perdue ’ s campaign expenditures suggest he was in Atlanta that day , Jan. 23 , 2019 .
One of the lobbyists who contributed , John “ Trip ” Martin , said he couldn ’ t recall if the contribution was made at a fundraiser but said he did not discuss the tax exemption with Perdue .
Another Perdue donor in the sports world is Loeffler .
Before being picked by Georgia ’ s governor to fill a vacant Senate seat in late 2019 , Loeffler and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community and major donors to Republicans in the state and nationally .
Loeffler was chief executive of Bakkt , a financial services company , and remains a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream .
Her husband , Jeffrey Sprecher , is chief executive of Intercontinental Exchange , the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange .
Together , the couple has given about $ 70,000 in campaign contributions to Perdue .
Mary Brock , who co-owns the Dream with Loeffler , has given Perdue more than $ 38,000 .
Loeffler did not respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax break regulation with Perdue .
A spokeswoman for the team also declined to answer specific questions , saying in a statement that “ the Atlanta Dream is not a political entity , and we are in the business of sports and entertainment .
We are focused on building a successful team on the court and creating a top fan experience.
” Like many WNBA teams , the Dream has not been profitable .
Reversing the regulation would have certainly benefited Loeffler if the Dream became profitable , but tax experts ProPublica spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have cut her tax burden even if the team remained in the red .
The landmark 2017 tax overhaul didn ’ t just lower the headline tax rates for corporations such as Exxon or Facebook .
It also included a more complicated but extremely valuable tax break for businesses known as pass-throughs .
A pass-through is a corporate structure — anything from a solo graphic design operation to a large professional sports team — that doesn ’ t pay taxes itself .
Instead the income “ passes through ” to the owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the taxes .
The new tax law granted a 20 % deduction to most , but not all , of these businesses .
The hastily drafted bill left open to interpretation which sorts of businesses would be eligible to get this tax break .
With tens of billions of dollars per year at stake , that ambiguity set off a flurry of lobbying as the Treasury Department set about writing regulations .
A group of prominent tax academics who analyzed the bill warned that “ complex rules governing this new deduction will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular logic as to who clearly fits into the preferred categories .
As a result , taxpayers will be incentivized to engage in aggressive and socially costly tax gaming to fall within the haphazardly drawn lines.
” Perdue ’ s January 2019 letter amounted to an effort to shift those lines to the benefit of sports team owners .
He asked that Mnuchin “ allow owners of professional sports teams to claim a Section 199A deduction , ” using the formal legal citation for the tax break .
It followed a similar push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manfred .
In his letter to the Treasury , Manfred pleaded for the agency to let club owners take the tax break .
Perdue also spoke on the phone to Mnuchin while the regulation was being hashed out in late November 2018 , according to the Treasury secretary ’ s public calendar .
The topic of the phone call is not specified .

[Above: We never get tired of watching Jon Ossoff take down David Purdue in their only 2020 debate. -- eds.]
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., privately pushed Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to give wealthy sports owners a lucrative tax break last year, according to a previously unreported letter obtained by ProPublica.
After the 2017 tax bill championed by President Donald Trump passed, Mnuchin and the Treasury had to write rules on how the legislation would work in practice.
Of the hundreds of pages of new regulations the agency developed, Perdue wrote about his concern with one extremely narrow rule: The owners of professional sports teams were being excluded from a valuable tax break being granted to many other businesses that are structured so that the companies don’t pay taxes but the owners do.
“I hope you will reconsider,” Perdue wrote in the 2019 letter.
Many such letters on regulatory matters are signed by multiple senators, sometimes dozens. But in this case Perdue alone wrote and signed the letter. Why Perdue got interested in an obscure tax regulation, which would impact at most only a small set of the richest Americans, is unclear. Perdue was not on the committee that crafted the legislation, making his in-the-weeds lobbying on the arcane regulation unusual, congressional experts said.
The Treasury ultimately declined to adopt the revision Perdue sought. If the regulation had been altered as Perdue wanted, it would have been a boon for some of his largest donors. Perdue has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the owners of professional sports clubs, including now-fellow Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who co-owns Atlanta’s WNBA team, the Dream.
Perdue’s office did not answer questions about why he sent the letter or whether he discussed the matter with any sports team owners.
Perdue and Loeffler, who was appointed to her role earlier this year, are locked in runoff elections to be held Jan. 5 with the balance of the Senate in play. If both Republicans lose, Democrats will take over the chamber, potentially allowing President-elect Joe Biden to implement more of his agenda than he would under a divided government.
Jon Ossoff, Perdue’s Democratic challenger, has cast Perdue as a member of the Washington “swamp” who caters to the interests of corporate donors.
Perdue was one of the 2017 tax bill’s biggest boosters, publicly describing it as a windfall for average Americans. “A single mom making $41,000 with a child is going to get a 75% tax cut,” he told a reporter when it passed. “This is a great day for the middle class.”
Before Perdue became a senator in 2015, he was a top executive for a string of companies, including Reebok, where in the early 2000s the company inked major licensing deals with the NFL, the NBA and the NHL.
A review of his campaign contributions shows that Perdue has taken more than $425,000 from the owners of professional sports teams and their relatives. Some of the top donors include the DeVos family, which owns the Orlando Magic; John Ingram, who owns the Nashville SC soccer team; Los Angeles Kings owner Philip Anschutz; and Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
On the same day Perdue sent Mnuchin the letter, he received $3,000 in donations from three lobbyists at GeorgiaLink Public Affairs Group, a lobbying firm that was representing the Atlanta Braves. Because of the Braves’ ownership structure, it’s unlikely the team would have been affected by the regulation, but around that time, MLB was lobbying on the rule, urging the Treasury to give its team owners the tax break.
Perdue’s campaign expenditures suggest he was in Atlanta that day, Jan. 23, 2019. One of the lobbyists who contributed, John “Trip” Martin, said he couldn’t recall if the contribution was made at a fundraiser but said he did not discuss the tax exemption with Perdue.
Another Perdue donor in the sports world is Loeffler.
Before being picked by Georgia’s governor to fill a vacant Senate seat in late 2019, Loeffler and her husband were prominent members of the business community and major donors to Republicans in the state and nationally.
Loeffler was chief executive of Bakkt, a financial services company, and remains a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, is chief executive of Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange.
Together, the couple has given about $70,000 in campaign contributions to Perdue. Mary Brock, who co-owns the Dream with Loeffler, has given Perdue more than $38,000.
Loeffler did not respond to questions about whether she discussed the tax break regulation with Perdue. A spokeswoman for the team also declined to answer specific questions, saying in a statement that “the Atlanta Dream is not a political entity, and we are in the business of sports and entertainment. We are focused on building a successful team on the court and creating a top fan experience.”
Like many WNBA teams, the Dream has not been profitable.
Reversing the regulation would have certainly benefited Loeffler if the Dream became profitable, but tax experts ProPublica spoke to were split about whether a reversal could have cut her tax burden even if the team remained in the red.
The landmark 2017 tax overhaul didn’t just lower the headline tax rates for corporations such as Exxon or Facebook. It also included a more complicated but extremely valuable tax break for businesses known as pass-throughs. A pass-through is a corporate structure — anything from a solo graphic design operation to a large professional sports team — that doesn’t pay taxes itself. Instead the income “passes through” to the owners, who then are on the hook for the taxes.
The new tax law granted a 20% deduction to most, but not all, of these businesses. The hastily drafted bill left open to interpretation which sorts of businesses would be eligible to get this tax break. With tens of billions of dollars per year at stake, that ambiguity set off a flurry of lobbying as the Treasury Department set about writing regulations.
A group of prominent tax academics who analyzed the bill warned that “complex rules governing this new deduction will invite gaming opportunities because there is no particular logic as to who clearly fits into the preferred categories. As a result, taxpayers will be incentivized to engage in aggressive and socially costly tax gaming to fall within the haphazardly drawn lines.”
Perdue’s January 2019 letter amounted to an effort to shift those lines to the benefit of sports team owners. He asked that Mnuchin “allow owners of professional sports teams to claim a Section 199A deduction,” using the formal legal citation for the tax break.
It followed a similar push in October 2018 by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. In his letter to the Treasury, Manfred pleaded for the agency to let club owners take the tax break.
Perdue also spoke on the phone to Mnuchin while the regulation was being hashed out in late November 2018, according to the Treasury secretary’s public calendar. The topic of the phone call is not specified.


crooksandliars--2020-11-26--As The Election Smoke Clears, What Are We Learning?

Whenever you start doing post-election analysis , you should do it with a huge dose of humility , especially this close after the election .
Hard for those of us in politics to do for sure , but it is so important to understand how much we don ’ t know about why voters made certain decisions , why the polls were so off again , why so many voters would vote for an obviously terrible person , or even whether what data we do have is accurate .
Exit polls , for one thing , are notoriously inaccurate even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of not-normal we are living in right now would have made them more unreliable than ever .
It ’ s also important to keep history in mind .
While the uncertainty and slowness caused by the huge numbers of mail-in ballots made this election seem nail-bitingly close , and the big polling lead in the public polls made the final margin a disappointment , the final popular vote margin looks pretty solid compared to recent history .
Since the last real landslide in 1984 , only twice has one party ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points : Clinton won in 1996 by a little over 8 points , and Obama won by a little over 7 .
Twice the margin has been about 6 , 1988 and 1992 .
In 2000 , 2004 , 2012 , and 2016 -- four of the last five elections -- the margin has been less than 4 points .
In that context , Biden being projected to win by about 5 looks pretty damn good .
All that said , I know that we all hoped -- hopes reinforced by all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was so obviously terrible , incompetent , corrupt , venal , offensive , overtly racist and sexist that this year would be different and we would break the recent historical pattern and win by a landslide .
And since that didn ’ t happen , we want to know why the hell it didn ’ t .
I have lots of theories , but most of them are not yet backed by much data : we just don ’ t have accurate numbers yet .
I don ’ t think there is much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flawed .
It seems obvious that our Latino strategy needs continued work and attention .
I feel confident in saying that we could have and should have figured out how to safely door knock far earlier so that , among other things , we could have done more in-person persuasion at the doors , and so that the Republicans would not have beaten us badly in some battleground states on voter registration .
But more research is needed on those and many other subjects .
However , there are two very big areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information to make a very informed case .
The Republicans and right-wing infrastructure are cleaning our clocks on social media , and it is hurting us badly .
Democrats were outspending Republicans on both the presidential race and in key Senate races by huge amounts on TV down the stretch , which was one reason so many people thought the public polling was right and that we would win going away .
Clearly , it didn ’ t work out that way .
Nothing else was going on in terms of the atmospherics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario from the Trump White House , no last minute gaffe by Biden , no bizarre Comey-style news that changed any fundamentals of the race despite how hard Rudy Giuliani and Ron Johnson might have tried to push the Hunter Biden non-story .
In the meantime , the COVID crisis was getting steadily worse , and Trump and much of the White House staff were getting sick .
Based on looking at all the data available and conversations with dozens of really smart political strategists , I am convinced that two main things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans and the high-powered , right-wing media infrastructure are beating us badly on social media .
This is a long-term problem , which most Democratic Party strategists only became aware of after the Trump campaign killed us on Facebook in 2016 .
There were some improvements over the last four years , one key one which I ’ ll talk about below , but mostly they are still overwhelming us here .
Just to be clear , because too many Dem campaign people don ’ t get this at all : I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Digital advertising is important in campaigns , and thankfully Democrats are finally beginning to do more of it .
But where the Republicans are beating us badly is organic social media : the content that moves from one Facebook page to the next without an ad being bought .
This is where the disinformation campaigns , the crazy conspiracies , the ugly racist memes live .
Research has shown that content that moves organically from friend to friend is far more credible than ads or mail or calls from strangers or any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans don ’ t just have the meme factories and the bot farms that everybody ’ s heard about , although they certainly traffic in such things .
Their real power is that they have millions of grassroots true believers who spread the crap they are getting from those right-wing pages to all their friends , and few people believe that their friend or family member would send them something untrue .
Those grassroots Republicans move out so much more content on social media than our side does , and that imbalance gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the closing days of a campaign .
Their surge at the end of this election and in 2016 was fundamentally tied to their dominance in social media .
We need a long-term solution to this , a solution that includes creating more pages and content that appeals to working-class folks , including people living in rural areas and small/medium sized towns ; and organizing a widely distributed network of credible activists willing to share social media content with their friends .
But in the short term , including the runoff election in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still do far better .
Fortunately , the Biden campaign figured out that organic social media really mattered , and partnered with Occupy Democrats , the biggest political Facebook page in the country , to create a consortium of most of the biggest progressive pages in the country .
That partnership succeeded at expanding the organic reach and engagement of the Biden campaign exponentially over what the Clinton campaign had done in 2016 .
It was exactly the kind of breakthrough the campaign needed to survive the surge of right-wing social media working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that one of the big reasons Biden held off the late Trump charge and Clinton didn ’ t was because we actually competed with the right in the social media trenches .
Their network is still far too deep and expansive to compete evenly with , but our side was at least competitive this time around .
Now we need to go all out with an aggressive social media strategy in Georgia .
Fortunately , Occupy Democrats is leading the same kind of consortium to help flip those crucial two Senate seats blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a sociopathic president , at the end of day , a whole lot of voters prefer whichever candidate they trust more with the economy .
Poll after poll showed that the economy was our one big issue weakness in this race .
We were winning on just about everything else , but swing voters still thought Trump was more trustworthy on the overall economy .
Donald Trump ’ s one consistent message in this campaign was that because of him , we had a strong economy before the pandemic hit , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once it was over .
We never really made the counter-argument , at least not in a consistent or compelling way .
We blamed Trump for mismanaging the COVID crisis , and thus hurting the economy , and we were generally believed on that score , but we never managed to convey that he didn ’ t know what the hell he was actually doing to the economy long-term , i.e .
screwing over workers Without an answer to his basic argument , too many people , especially working-class swing voters , believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better on the economy is one of the core reasons we lost so much ground compared to Hillary with the Latino community .
It is one of the core reasons we lost ground with young Black men .
It is the core reason that we weren ’ t able to make up much ground among working-class voters in mid-sized Rust Belt towns in states like Iowa and Ohio .
The Biden closing argument was number one , he is a more decent guy than Trump , which was easy to believe ; two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t -- again , very believable ; three , he would protect health care coverage and pre-existing conditions , again easy to believe ; and four , Biden would build the economy back better .
But because Biden ’ s economic message was the least discussed ; because it was talked about more in general than in specifics ; and most importantly because people still believed Trump ’ s framing ; too many swing voters didn ’ t find our economic message credible .
We never established a lead on Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe we should have done was more ads like this one from Americans for Tax Fairness , which unfortunately was done late and didn ’ t have much money behind it .
This message gets to the core argument we needed to be making : you say the economy is the best in history , and it is great for billionaires , but working families are still struggling .
Once that argument was engaged , I think voters would have been far more open to hearing Biden ’ s economic message about buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate crisis by creating green jobs , controlling drug prices , lowering student debt , and raising taxes on the super-rich .
These are electorally compelling ideas which should have gotten more play in campaign ads .
Since those of us on the Clinton campaign in 1992 won that election by focusing on the economy , Democrats haven ’ t talked nearly as much as they should about economic issues as they should , and that has created a much bigger opening for the Republicans than they should have given that most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Winning in Georgia , and winning the next midterms .
Both of those things will be challenging for sure , but I am convinced that Democrats can win those two Georgia Senate seats and win the 2022 midterms .
In Georgia , I have full confidence in the Stacey Abrams strategy of winning by inspiring , mobilizing , registering , and turning out people of color and young voters .
But I also think that tactically , we have to invest the resources we need to compete with the right-wing infrastructure on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going toe-to-toe with them , they will swamp us in the end .
And message-wise , we need to show voters we are fighting for working families on the economic issues that matter the most to them .
We have to showcase Mitch McConnell as the barrier to all the good things we want to do , the same way our Clinton team successfully showcased Gingrich in the 1990s .
Remember : in most midterms the president ’ s party loses seats .
But in 1998 , we picked up seats by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good on the issues people cared about in their lives .
Republicans have been running ads with spooky music saying Democrats want to change things .
We should say : damn right we do .
We want to give you a $ 15-an-hour minimum wage .
We want to create millions of new infrastructure and green energy jobs .
We want to tax people worth more than $ 50 million dollars and use the money for jobs and child care .
We want to rein in drug prices and student debt .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people again -- not Wall Street billionaires -- and that ’ s not socialism , it ’ s just good governance .
We can win in Georgia , and win the midterms .
We just have to show the people which party is fighting for them and which isn ’ t .

Whenever you start doing post-election analysis, you should do it with a huge dose of humility, especially this close after the election. Hard for those of us in politics to do for sure, but it is so important to understand how much we don’t know about why voters made certain decisions, why the polls were so off again, why so many voters would vote for an obviously terrible person, or even whether what data we do have is accurate. Exit polls, for one thing, are notoriously inaccurate even in a normal election year, and the kind of not-normal we are living in right now would have made them more unreliable than ever.
It’s also important to keep history in mind. While the uncertainty and slowness caused by the huge numbers of mail-in ballots made this election seem nail-bitingly close, and the big polling lead in the public polls made the final margin a disappointment, the final popular vote margin looks pretty solid compared to recent history. Since the last real landslide in 1984, only twice has one party’s nominee won by more than 6 points: Clinton won in 1996 by a little over 8 points, and Obama won by a little over 7. Twice the margin has been about 6, 1988 and 1992. In 2000, 2004, 2012, and 2016 -- four of the last five elections -- the margin has been less than 4 points. In that context, Biden being projected to win by about 5 looks pretty damn good.
All that said, I know that we all hoped -- hopes reinforced by all the pre-election public polling -- that because Trump was so obviously terrible, incompetent, corrupt, venal, offensive, overtly racist and sexist that this year would be different and we would break the recent historical pattern and win by a landslide. And since that didn’t happen, we want to know why the hell it didn’t.
I have lots of theories, but most of them are not yet backed by much data: we just don’t have accurate numbers yet. I don’t think there is much doubt that the polling industry is deeply flawed. It seems obvious that our Latino strategy needs continued work and attention. I feel confident in saying that we could have and should have figured out how to safely door knock far earlier so that, among other things, we could have done more in-person persuasion at the doors, and so that the Republicans would not have beaten us badly in some battleground states on voter registration. But more research is needed on those and many other subjects.
However, there are two very big areas where I feel like I have enough information to make a very informed case.
The Republicans and right-wing infrastructure are cleaning our clocks on social media, and it is hurting us badly.
Democrats were outspending Republicans on both the presidential race and in key Senate races by huge amounts on TV down the stretch, which was one reason so many people thought the public polling was right and that we would win going away. Clearly, it didn’t work out that way. Nothing else was going on in terms of the atmospherics of the race -- no October surprise scenario from the Trump White House, no last minute gaffe by Biden, no bizarre Comey-style news that changed any fundamentals of the race despite how hard Rudy Giuliani and Ron Johnson might have tried to push the Hunter Biden non-story. In the meantime, the COVID crisis was getting steadily worse, and Trump and much of the White House staff were getting sick.
Based on looking at all the data available and conversations with dozens of really smart political strategists, I am convinced that two main things explain this strange phenomena.
First, Republicans and the high-powered, right-wing media infrastructure are beating us badly on social media. This is a long-term problem, which most Democratic Party strategists only became aware of after the Trump campaign killed us on Facebook in 2016. There were some improvements over the last four years, one key one which I’ll talk about below, but mostly they are still overwhelming us here.
Just to be clear, because too many Dem campaign people don’t get this at all: I am not talking primarily about digital advertising. Digital advertising is important in campaigns, and thankfully Democrats are finally beginning to do more of it. But where the Republicans are beating us badly is organic social media: the content that moves from one Facebook page to the next without an ad being bought. This is where the disinformation campaigns, the crazy conspiracies, the ugly racist memes live. Research has shown that content that moves organically from friend to friend is far more credible than ads or mail or calls from strangers or any of the other ways campaigns communicate.
The Republicans don’t just have the meme factories and the bot farms that everybody’s heard about, although they certainly traffic in such things. Their real power is that they have millions of grassroots true believers who spread the crap they are getting from those right-wing pages to all their friends, and few people believe that their friend or family member would send them something untrue. Those grassroots Republicans move out so much more content on social media than our side does, and that imbalance gives the Republicans enthusiasm and determination, especially in the closing days of a campaign. Their surge at the end of this election and in 2016 was fundamentally tied to their dominance in social media.
We need a long-term solution to this, a solution that includes creating more pages and content that appeals to working-class folks, including people living in rural areas and small/medium sized towns; and organizing a widely distributed network of credible activists willing to share social media content with their friends.
But in the short term, including the runoff election in Georgia, we as a party can still do far better.
Fortunately, the Biden campaign figured out that organic social media really mattered, and partnered with Occupy Democrats, the biggest political Facebook page in the country, to create a consortium of most of the biggest progressive pages in the country. That partnership succeeded at expanding the organic reach and engagement of the Biden campaign exponentially over what the Clinton campaign had done in 2016. It was exactly the kind of breakthrough the campaign needed to survive the surge of right-wing social media working to beat them. I am convinced that one of the big reasons Biden held off the late Trump charge and Clinton didn’t was because we actually competed with the right in the social media trenches. Their network is still far too deep and expansive to compete evenly with, but our side was at least competitive this time around.
Now we need to go all out with an aggressive social media strategy in Georgia. Fortunately, Occupy Democrats is leading the same kind of consortium to help flip those crucial two Senate seats blue.
It’s the Economy, Stupid
Even in a pandemic, even with a sociopathic president, at the end of day, a whole lot of voters prefer whichever candidate they trust more with the economy. Poll after poll showed that the economy was our one big issue weakness in this race. We were winning on just about everything else, but swing voters still thought Trump was more trustworthy on the overall economy.
Donald Trump’s one consistent message in this campaign was that because of him, we had a strong economy before the pandemic hit, and we would have a strong one again once it was over. We never really made the counter-argument, at least not in a consistent or compelling way. We blamed Trump for mismanaging the COVID crisis, and thus hurting the economy, and we were generally believed on that score, but we never managed to convey that he didn’t know what the hell he was actually doing to the economy long-term, i.e. screwing over workers Without an answer to his basic argument, too many people, especially working-class swing voters, believed him. The idea that Trump was better on the economy is one of the core reasons we lost so much ground compared to Hillary with the Latino community. It is one of the core reasons we lost ground with young Black men. It is the core reason that we weren’t able to make up much ground among working-class voters in mid-sized Rust Belt towns in states like Iowa and Ohio.
The Biden closing argument was number one, he is a more decent guy than Trump, which was easy to believe; two, he would fix COVID and Trump wouldn’t -- again, very believable; three, he would protect health care coverage and pre-existing conditions, again easy to believe; and four, Biden would build the economy back better. But because Biden’s economic message was the least discussed; because it was talked about more in general than in specifics; and most importantly because people still believed Trump’s framing; too many swing voters didn’t find our economic message credible. We never established a lead on Trump on the overall economy.
What I believe we should have done was more ads like this one from Americans for Tax Fairness, which unfortunately was done late and didn’t have much money behind it. This message gets to the core argument we needed to be making: you say the economy is the best in history, and it is great for billionaires, but working families are still struggling.
Once that argument was engaged, I think voters would have been far more open to hearing Biden’s economic message about buying American, reviving manufacturing, solving the climate crisis by creating green jobs, controlling drug prices, lowering student debt, and raising taxes on the super-rich. These are electorally compelling ideas which should have gotten more play in campaign ads.
Since those of us on the Clinton campaign in 1992 won that election by focusing on the economy, Democrats haven’t talked nearly as much as they should about economic issues as they should, and that has created a much bigger opening for the Republicans than they should have given that most of their specific policy ideas are wildly unpopular.
Winning in Georgia, and winning the next midterms.
Both of those things will be challenging for sure, but I am convinced that Democrats can win those two Georgia Senate seats and win the 2022 midterms. In Georgia, I have full confidence in the Stacey Abrams strategy of winning by inspiring, mobilizing, registering, and turning out people of color and young voters. But I also think that tactically, we have to invest the resources we need to compete with the right-wing infrastructure on social media, because if we are not going toe-to-toe with them, they will swamp us in the end. And message-wise, we need to show voters we are fighting for working families on the economic issues that matter the most to them. We have to showcase Mitch McConnell as the barrier to all the good things we want to do, the same way our Clinton team successfully showcased Gingrich in the 1990s. Remember: in most midterms the president’s party loses seats. But in 1998, we picked up seats by building our campaign around Gingrich blocking everything good on the issues people cared about in their lives.
Republicans have been running ads with spooky music saying Democrats want to change things. We should say: damn right we do. We want to give you a $15-an-hour minimum wage. We want to create millions of new infrastructure and green energy jobs. We want to tax people worth more than $50 million dollars and use the money for jobs and child care. We want to rein in drug prices and student debt. We want to make government work for the people again -- not Wall Street billionaires -- and that’s not socialism, it’s just good governance.
We can win in Georgia, and win the midterms. We just have to show the people which party is fighting for them and which isn’t.


crooksandliars--2020-11-27--Donor Sues True The Vote To Get His $2.5 Million Back Over Promises To Prove Voter Fraud

True the Vote , the very grifty tea bagger group founded in Houston , claims they fight voter fraud .
But donor Fred Eshelman is suing True the Vote for $ 2.5 million because they could n't deliver the goods on this election .
If only he read Crooks & Liars , he would n't be in this pickle !
Via Alternet : True the Vote , which was founded by Tea Party supporter Catherine Engelbrecht 11 years ago , filed four lawsuits after the November 3 election but has dropped all of them—and in an official statement on November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` while we stand by the voters ' testimony that was brought forth , barriers to advancing our arguments , coupled with constraints on time , made it necessary for us to pursue a different path . ''
True the Vote called its efforts to challenge the 2020 election results Validate the Vote , promising lawsuits in seven battleground states and claiming that it would use `` sophisticated data modeling and statistical analysis to identify potential illegal or fraudulent balloting . ''
Eshelman donated $ 2 million to True the Vote on November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
But now , Eshelman wants his $ 2.5 million back and is saying that when he asked for updates , he was `` met with vague responses , platitudes and empty promises . ''

True the Vote, the very grifty tea bagger group founded in Houston, claims they fight voter fraud. But donor Fred Eshelman is suing True the Vote for $2.5 million because they couldn't deliver the goods on this election. If only he read Crooks & Liars, he wouldn't be in this pickle! Via Alternet:
True the Vote, which was founded by Tea Party supporter Catherine Engelbrecht 11 years ago, filed four lawsuits after the November 3 election but has dropped all of them—and in an official statement on November 17, True the Vote announced, "while we stand by the voters' testimony that was brought forth, barriers to advancing our arguments, coupled with constraints on time, made it necessary for us to pursue a different path."
True the Vote called its efforts to challenge the 2020 election results Validate the Vote, promising lawsuits in seven battleground states and claiming that it would use "sophisticated data modeling and statistical analysis to identify potential illegal or fraudulent balloting." Eshelman donated $2 million to True the Vote on November 5 and another $500,000 the following week. But now, Eshelman wants his $2.5 million back and is saying that when he asked for updates, he was "met with vague responses, platitudes and empty promises."


crooksandliars--2020-11-27--Is Sidney Powell Actually A Lawyer? Recent Filing Errors Raise Competence Questions.

Guys .
I am starting to think that the `` Kraken '' is really another word for Bad Lawyer .
Sidney Powell , the recently fired lawyer working on Donald Trump 's 'Elite Strike Force Of Idiot Lawyers ' just filed an error-filled filing in Georgia .
She creatively spelled the word `` District '' in the court caption TWO DIFFERENT WAYS .
Oh , it was TWO FILINGS and she spelled the word THREE different ways .
Is this the legal version of Covfefe ?
Michigan !
Another error filled filing !
This one has a two-fer : spelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a curveball .
One of the 7 plaintiff 's listed in the Georgia election filing NEVER AGREED TO BE PART OF IT !
Here is his statement : It is generally bad lawyering when your plaintiff 's do not even know they are plaintiffs and then they come out and publicly state this fact before the judge even looks at the motion .
But you know , this is basic lawyering .
Here is a nice breakdown on the lunacy of the Georgia filing : Outside of the clear stupidity of these filings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressed .
Is Sidney Powell mentally stable ?
Did she suffer a head injury of some sort ?
Is she actually a lawyer ?
Does she need medical intervention ?
Because these errors are not minor , by any means .
You have to either intentionally be doing these things OR you may be suffering from a stroke/brain bleed or some other functioning issue .
AND to add to the meshugas , Twitter has labeled Powell 's website 'unsafe ' .
If you click on the link , you get an error message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are trying to access has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially spammy or unsafe , in accordance with Twitter 's URL Policy . ''
It further states that the URL could fall into one of these categories : '' malicious links that could steal personal information or harm electronic devices , spammy links that mislead people or disrupt their experience , violent or misleading content that could lead to real-world harm and certain categories of content that , if posted directly on Twitter , are a violation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a good sign if your lawyer 's website is considered MALICIOUS on social media .
Maybe this is some secret Release The Kraken 17-dimensional chess that the rest of us mere mortals are not aware of ?

Guys. I am starting to think that the "Kraken" is really another word for Bad Lawyer. Sidney Powell, the recently fired lawyer working on Donald Trump's 'Elite Strike Force Of Idiot Lawyers' just filed an error-filled filing in Georgia. She creatively spelled the word "District" in the court caption TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
🚨NEW: Sidney Powell files an odd election lawsuit in Georgia.
Evidently the Kraken doesn't use spell-check. pic.twitter.com/t8XGPnYhgS — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 26, 2020
Oh, it was TWO FILINGS and she spelled the word THREE different ways.
In two separate lawsuits filed in federal district court, Sidney Powell spelled "district"
🤦♂Distrct
🤦♂Districct
🤦♂Distrcioct
There are many words that are hard to spell, district isn't one of them. — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 26, 2020
Is this the legal version of Covfefe?
Michigan! Another error filled filing! This one has a two-fer: spelling AND spacing errors!
🚨NEW: Sidney Powell files another conspiracy theory lawsuit--this time in Michigan.
The Kraken are still struggling with spelling, and now also with spacing. pic.twitter.com/R9Nv8K5tbO — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 26, 2020
And here is a curveball. One of the 7 plaintiffs listed in the Georgia election filing NEVER AGREED TO BE PART OF IT! Here is his statement:
Just in: Cobb County GOP chair Jason Shepherd, one of seven plaintiffs on Sidney Powell’s lawsuit targeting Georgia’s election, tells me he never agreed to be a part of her complaint. “Guess this is what happens when you wait until the last minute.” #gapol pic.twitter.com/2TmhVJ5ylK — Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) November 26, 2020
It is generally bad lawyering when your plaintiffs do not even know they are plaintiffs and then they come out and publicly state this fact before the judge even looks at the motion. But you know, this is basic lawyering.
Here is a nice breakdown on the lunacy of the Georgia filing:
Good morning!
I read Sidney Powell's Georgia election lawsuit she's filing and it's a regurgitation of conspiracies, lies and misunderstandings about elections that other courts+officials have shut down.
For starters: spelling is hard. #gapol
Link: https://t.co/t4P9bssdvJ pic.twitter.com/wxCm1CdmJ1 — stephen fowler covers Georgia's election! (@stphnfwlr) November 26, 2020
You *could* just stop reading on pages 4 and 5 once you see the crux of an argument is a debunked conspiracy that Dominion and Smartmatic - two voting machine competitors - were somehow created to rig votes for Chavez, who died a full 6 years before GA switched voting systems. pic.twitter.com/wzF3oPmCHM — stephen fowler covers Georgia's election! (@stphnfwlr) November 26, 2020
Here, the suit conflates monitors allegedly being told to go home early on Election Night (but state investigators were still there) with an issue the morning of Election Day with a water leak/pipe that delayed absentee processing. pic.twitter.com/G4SfIGGRnP — stephen fowler covers Georgia's election! (@stphnfwlr) November 26, 2020
The entire purchasing process for the new voting system followed state procurement timelines/guidelines/rules - and all the documents were released about RFPs, contracts, etc.
You can view them all yourself: https://t.co/BtxBj0z6ri pic.twitter.com/z6OHqTgznE — stephen fowler covers Georgia's election! (@stphnfwlr) November 26, 2020
In conclusion, there is STILL no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Georgia, with its absentee ballots+voting machines or with the counting process, and 104 pages of rehashed and regurgitated conspiracies that have been debunked by Republican elections officials =/= Kraken. — stephen fowler covers Georgia's election! (@stphnfwlr) November 26, 2020
Outside of the clear stupidity of these filings, serious competency questions need to be addressed. Is Sidney Powell mentally stable? Did she suffer a head injury of some sort? Is she actually a lawyer? Does she need medical intervention? Because these errors are not minor, by any means. You have to either intentionally be doing these things OR you may be suffering from a stroke/brain bleed or some other functioning issue.
AND to add to the meshugas, Twitter has labeled Powell's website 'unsafe'. If you click on the link, you get an error message that states: "The link you are trying to access has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially spammy or unsafe, in accordance with Twitter's URL Policy." It further states that the URL could fall into one of these categories: "malicious links that could steal personal information or harm electronic devices, spammy links that mislead people or disrupt their experience, violent or misleading content that could lead to real-world harm and certain categories of content that, if posted directly on Twitter, are a violation of the Twitter Rules."
It is generally not a good sign if your lawyer's website is considered MALICIOUS on social media. Maybe this is some secret Release The Kraken 17-dimensional chess that the rest of us mere mortals are not aware of?


crooksandliars--2020-11-27--Trump To Reporter: 'Don't Talk To Me That Way, You're Just A Lightweight'

In Trump '' s Thanksgiving press event yesterday , he sat at a very small table in the middle of @ @ @ @ @ powerful he is .
He was angry after a reporter asked if he would leave @ @ @ @ @ Electoral College voted for Biden .
`` If they do , they made a mistake @ @ @ @ @ `` Certainly I will .
Certainly I will .
And you know that . ''
@ @ @ @ @ about the `` massive fraud . ''
`` It was a rigged election ... at @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Trump lied about poll watchers not being allowed to watch the tally @ @ @ @ @ a reporter , and just repeated the lie .
He also rebuked the reporter with @ @ @ @ @ know who I am ? ''
attitude and lectured him .
`` Do n't talk @ @ @ @ @ you 're just a lightweight , '' he spat out .
And you 're just @ @ @ @ @ loser , loser .
And everytbody knows it .

In Trump''s Thanksgiving press event yesterday, he sat at a very small table in the middle of the room, insisting how powerful he is.
This is a real photo he chose to take. pic.twitter.com/uDdA56Zr2c — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) November 27, 2020
?
He was angry after a reporter asked if he would leave the White House if the Electoral College voted for Biden.
"If they do, they made a mistake," he said. "Certainly I will. Certainly I will. And you know that."
But then he started rambling about the "massive fraud."
"It was a rigged election ... at the highest level," he said.
Trump lied about poll watchers not being allowed to watch the tally in Pennsylvania got fact-checked by a reporter, and just repeated the lie. He also rebuked the reporter with some "Don't you know who I am?" attitude and lectured him.
"Don't talk to me that way, you're just a lightweight," he spat out.
And you're just a loser. Loser, loser, loser. And everytbody knows it.
And a good point here by Jake Tapper.


crooksandliars--2020-11-27--Newsmax CEO Admits Airing Conspiracy Theories As News

In an embarrassing interview on Peacock TV , Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy admitted that even though he understands that `` Diamond and Silk '' are promoting conspiracy theories and lies , he 's committing to giving them a seat on his network .
The Trump whisperer joined the excellent interviewer Mehdi Hasan , and it did not go well for Mister Newsmax .
Hasan reminded Ruddy that Diamond and Silk were fired from Fox News for being too extreme .
After playing a clip of their outrageous voter fraud lies , the host said , `` Given you yourself have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you feel embarrassed to be running nonsense like [ Diamond & Silk ] on your network & calling it news ? ''
Ruddy claimed he was just airing their opinions , and claimed he believes in free discourse even if it 's conspiracy theories that are destructive to the nation at large .
Chris Ruddy , Newsmax CEO : `` We 're not saying that is accurate . ''
Hassan laughed and said , `` You 're not saying your own shows are accurate ? ''
At one point in the interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his argument , insisting on something something `` Russia hoax . ''
He 's in on it on behalf of Trump , and he knows what he 's doing .

In an embarrassing interview on Peacock TV, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy admitted that even though he understands that "Diamond and Silk" are promoting conspiracy theories and lies, he's committing to giving them a seat on his network.
The Trump whisperer joined the excellent interviewer Mehdi Hasan, and it did not go well for Mister Newsmax.
Hasan reminded Ruddy that Diamond and Silk were fired from Fox News for being too extreme. After playing a clip of their outrageous voter fraud lies, the host said, "Given you yourself have been a journalist for 30 years, do you feel embarrassed to be running nonsense like [Diamond & Silk] on your network & calling it news?"
Ruddy claimed he was just airing their opinions, and claimed he believes in free discourse even if it's conspiracy theories that are destructive to the nation at large.
Chris Ruddy, Newsmax CEO: "We're not saying that is accurate." Hassan laughed and said, "You're not saying your own shows are accurate?"
At one point in the interview Ruddy tries to "both sides" his argument, insisting on something something "Russia hoax." He's in on it on behalf of Trump, and he knows what he's doing.
Here's the entire interview:


crooksandliars--2020-11-27--DiaperDon Melts Down, Calls For The Takedown Of Twitter On Twitter

This hashtag was trending on Twitter - Thanksgiving evening and the Orange Julius did n't like it .
After attacking @ @ @ @ @ a high chair like desk for toddlers , or baby piano players , the # @ @ @ @ @ DiaperDon .
So , of course wingnut cancel culture leader Trump wanted to destroy Twitter @ @ @ @ @ platform by invoking a national security threat .
And then Trump attacked other media giants @ @ @ @ @ , to create conspiracy theories but forgets how Zuckerberg turned Facebook into a right wing @ @ @ @ @ an OANN bogus report with no evidence that only 1000 people watched Joe Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ instead of trying to prove voter fraud , Trump wants Biden to prove his 80 @ @ @ @ @ The American people proved it by voting on November 3rd , and the states are @ @ @ @ @ the numbers ?
I mean I ca n't even ... .
The little toddler baby @ @ @ @ @ until he turns blue and maybe that will reverse his massive election loss .

#DiaperDon has struck.
This hashtag was trending on Twitter - Thanksgiving evening and the Orange Julius didn't like it.
After attacking reporters yesterday while sitting in a high chair like desk for toddlers, or baby piano players, the #1 Twitter trend became #DiaperDon.
So, of course wingnut cancel culture leader Trump wanted to destroy Twitter, his favorite social media platform by invoking a national security threat.
Trump is extremely upset that #DiaperDon is trending, so he wants to shut down Twitter, because of how conservatives love free speech. pic.twitter.com/m5dprHRMwi — David Roberts (@drvox) November 27, 2020
And then Trump attacked other media giants and the media like usual, to create conspiracy theories but forgets how Zuckerberg turned Facebook into a right wing swamp.
Big Tech and the Fake News Media have partnered to Suppress. Freedom of the Press is gone, a thing of the past. That’s why they refuse to report the real facts and figures of the 2020 Election or even, where’s Hunter! https://t.co/8lRglItLJt — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2020
Where's Hunter? Lol.
Trump then used an OANN bogus report with no evidence that only 1000 people watched Joe Biden's Thanksgiving Address.
This is Trump's source: "Reports Thursday found Biden's live stream address got only one thousand views online." Source? A random guy's tweet. Then this "news anchor" called Biden's speech "another baseless attempt to pose as the winner of the recent elections." pic.twitter.com/W7HE3T8p4O — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 27, 2020
REPORT: Biden’s Thanksgiving Day Address gets just 1000 views online, a record low. Observers say a candidate with “80,000,000” votes would get many more online viewers. Numbers don’t lie, or add up! @OANN — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2020
And now instead of trying to prove voter fraud, Trump wants Biden to prove his 80 million votes are valid. The American people proved it by voting on November 3rd, and the states are certifying them.
Biden can only enter the White House as President if he can prove that his ridiculous “80,000,000 votes” were not fraudulently or illegally obtained. When you see what happened in Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia & Milwaukee, massive voter fraud, he’s got a big unsolvable problem! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2020
Where are the numbers? I mean I can't even....
The little toddler baby should try holding his breath until he turns blue and maybe that will reverse his massive election loss.


crooksandliars--2020-11-27--Fox Would Rather Just Kill People Than Save The Restaurant Industry

Fox `` news '' has been feigning concern for the restaurant industry , but rather than taking Mitch McConnell for refusing to allow a vote on bipartisan legislation for a bailout , they 're attacking Democrats over health orders and restrictions on indoor dining .
We 've all seen Fox evolve with their coronavirus pandemic coverage , at first taking the Trump line that it was a hoax , or exaggerated , then pretending it was just a problem for Democratic cities , to finally admitting we 've got a problem everywhere but still attacking things like lockdowns , mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretending people just taking `` personal responsibility '' will get the pandemic under control .
Meanwhile they were promoting Trump 's super-spreader rallies and ignoring the fact that one of them likely killed Herman Cain .
Now that winter has arrived and cases are spiking again as people are forced to stay inside , Fox has continued to act as a public health menace by attacking new restrictions on indoor dining , and on any given day you can watch countless segments just like the one above that ran earlier this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought on a Nashville restaurant owner to attack the city 's leadership and ignore the fact that Mitch McConnell has refused to allow a vote on S.4012 , otherwise known as the RESTAURANTS Act , which has 11 Republican cosponsors in the Senate , and 10 Republican cosponsors in the House .
Apparently Fox would rather just kill off as many of us as humanly possible by making the pandemic worse than actually saving the restaurant industry , or they 'd be hammering McConnell and the rest of his party for sitting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignoring the pandemic , acting like it 's business as usual while the emergency rooms and hospitals are overflowing is going to save them .
While Fox continues to endanger the health of their viewers , Chris Hayes and Top Chef ’ s Tom Colicchio had a discussion in the reality-based world about the legislation that McConnell has been sitting on since this summer , and what it means for the restaurant industry if they do n't get some relief soon .

Fox "news" has been feigning concern for the restaurant industry, but rather than taking Mitch McConnell for refusing to allow a vote on bipartisan legislation for a bailout, they're attacking Democrats over health orders and restrictions on indoor dining.
We've all seen Fox evolve with their coronavirus pandemic coverage, at first taking the Trump line that it was a hoax, or exaggerated, then pretending it was just a problem for Democratic cities, to finally admitting we've got a problem everywhere but still attacking things like lockdowns, mask mandates and other public health measures and pretending people just taking "personal responsibility" will get the pandemic under control. Meanwhile they were promoting Trump's super-spreader rallies and ignoring the fact that one of them likely killed Herman Cain.
Now that winter has arrived and cases are spiking again as people are forced to stay inside, Fox has continued to act as a public health menace by attacking new restrictions on indoor dining, and on any given day you can watch countless segments just like the one above that ran earlier this week, where Fox & Friends cohost Ainsley Earhardt brought on a Nashville restaurant owner to attack the city's leadership and ignore the fact that Mitch McConnell has refused to allow a vote on S.4012, otherwise known as the RESTAURANTS Act, which has 11 Republican cosponsors in the Senate, and 10 Republican cosponsors in the House.
Apparently Fox would rather just kill off as many of us as humanly possible by making the pandemic worse than actually saving the restaurant industry, or they'd be hammering McConnell and the rest of his party for sitting on this legislation instead of pretending that just ignoring the pandemic, acting like it's business as usual while the emergency rooms and hospitals are overflowing is going to save them.
While Fox continues to endanger the health of their viewers, Chris Hayes and Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio had a discussion in the reality-based world about the legislation that McConnell has been sitting on since this summer, and what it means for the restaurant industry if they don't get some relief soon.