crooksandliars--2020-08-25--Trump Admin Paid Up To $500M Too Much For Ventilators,  Investigators Say

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Citing “ evidence of fraud , waste , and abuse , ” a congressional subcommittee investigating the federal government ’ s purchase of $ 646.7 million worth of Philips ventilators has asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to launch its own investigation of the deal .
The House subcommittee launched its review after ProPublica stories in March and April showed how a U.S. subsidiary of Royal Philips N.V. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago to develop a low-cost ventilator for pandemics but didn ’ t deliver it .
Instead , as the coronavirus began spreading around the globe and U.S. hospitals were desperate for more , Philips was selling commercial versions of the government-funded ventilator overseas from its Pennsylvania factory .
Then in April , despite having not fulfilled the initial contract , the Dutch company struck a much more lucrative deal to sell the government 43,000 ventilators for four times the price .
Under this new deal , ventilators that the Obama administration had agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost $ 15,000 .
When the deal was announced in April , neither HHS nor Philips would say how the more expensive ventilators differed from the cheaper ones .
It turns out that they were “ functionally identical , ” according to investigators with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform ’ s Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy , and the “ waste of taxpayer funds ” may have reached $ 500 million .
The investigators reviewed thousands of pages of emails and other records obtained from Philips and concluded that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump Administration denied the country the ventilators it needed.
” And the subcommittee ’ s report , which it shared with the inspector general ’ s office , named names : Peter Navarro , President Donald Trump ’ s director of trade and manufacturing policy , was the administration ’ s point man on the deal .
In addition , Jared Kushner , the president ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser , and HHS Secretary Alex Azar participated in calls with Philips ’ executives .
In a letter to the inspector general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat who chairs the subcommittee , wrote : “ The Subcommittee requests that you immediately open an investigation into this apparent waste of taxpayer funds , how it was able to happen unchecked , and how to prevent it in the future .
Moreover , the Subcommittee requests that your office ’ s review include an assessment of the reasonableness of the price of the contract and the amount of excess profits received.
” He attached the subcommittee ’ s 49-page report of its investigative findings .
In a written statement , Philips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its ramp-up plans , pricing and allocation policies , and that it cooperated with the subcommittee .
“ We do not recognize the conclusions in the subcommittee ’ s report , and we believe that not all the information that we provided has been reflected in the report , ” Philips CEO Frans van Houten said .
“ I would like to make clear that at no occasion has Philips raised prices to benefit from the crisis situation.
” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere called the House investigators ’ report “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicize the coronavirus.
” “ Because of the president ’ s leadership , the United States leads the world in the production and acquisition of ventilators , ” Deere said .
“ No American who needed a ventilator was denied one , and no American who needs a ventilator in the future will be denied one .
Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for this misleading and inaccurate report.
” An HHS spokesperson said the department moved with “ deliberate and determined speed ” and followed federal contracting rules in reaching the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philips ventilators are already being used to treat patients with COVID-19 .
The federal government ’ s quest for a cheap , durable ventilator that could be stockpiled for emergencies began a decade ago during the Obama administration .
The first deal fell apart after a small California ventilator manufacturer was bought by a much larger competitor , which dropped the project .
Philips in 2014 struck a $ 13.8 million deal with HHS ’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to develop a low-cost , portable ventilator that would be easy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( In their report , the congressional investigators wrote that Philips later was granted an additional $ 547,000 to develop the ventilator . )
The original deal included an option to purchase 10,000 of the ventilators for $ 3,280 each with delivery by June 2019 .
HHS under the Obama administration granted one extension , and then the Trump administration allowed several more .
When Philips finally won Food and Drug Administration clearance for the stockpile ventilator in July 2019 , it also got the green light to sell a commercial version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher prices .
The government didn ’ t exercise the option to buy the stockpile ventilators until September 2019 .
Under the timeline in the original contract , there would have been four waves of deliveries starting in June 2020 and ending in June 2021 and the government would have the power to increase its order in times of need , the House investigators wrote in their report .
Among the most surprising findings of the investigation was an email communication between the company and the government on the day the U.S. reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 , a Philips manager sent a news story about that case to an HHS contracting officer and asked “ how we could help out or if you may expect a need to accelerate any shipments.
” Yet nobody from the federal government responded to Philips for six weeks , the investigators found .
On March 4 , the HHS contracting officer told Philips managers in an email that Azar ’ s office had directed him to “ expedite production of the ventilators.
” Philips responded the same day suggesting a contract modification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Rather than speed up delivery , though , the modification Philips suggested gave the company until September 2022 to deliver any of the stockpile ventilators .
Still , HHS signed off on the deal , the investigators found .
“ Philips appears to have duped the Administration into thinking that this amendment , which permits a lengthy delay , was necessary for it to expedite production , ” the congressional investigators wrote .
That same month , as the administration sought to cut a new deal , a Philips executive shared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present to Navarro .
In the presentation , Philips described the government-funded stockpile ventilator design as “ the best solution to confront exactly the pandemic we are facing.
” However , Philips soon steered Navarro and his colleagues to a more expensive option , the $ 15,000 Trilogy EV300 , saying in one email to an associate director in Navarro ’ s office that this hospital ventilator had “ more clinician friendly screens.
” Yet , the House investigators found the screens of the pricier model were identical to the less-expensive stockpile version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend hundreds of millions of extra dollars for non-existent ‘ more clinician-friendly screens ’ constitutes waste , ” they wrote .
The White House negotiators were “ gullible , ” the investigators wrote , “ and conceded to Philips on all significant matters , including price.
” The contract called for Philips to make monthly deliveries between April and December 2020 with more than half arriving in the final three months .
Philips spokesman Steve Klink on March 28 told ProPublica that the company had only made the stockpile version of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to ramp up production on a model it had never mass produced .
Rather , he said , the company wanted to “ stick with what we have and ramp up and not lose time because we can not afford to lose time.
” HHS echoed that sentiment in a written statement at that time , saying the agency was purchasing “ what was immediately available.
” But the congressional investigators wrote that the records Philips turned over showed that was false .
Philips did not have a long track record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company did not start making that version until March , the month the federal negotiators agreed to buy them .
And the White House knew this , the investigators wrote .
“ In a March 18 , 2020 email to the White House , Philips explained that the Trilogy EV300 was a new product being introduced and that it would take time to build up inventory , ” they wrote .
“ By selecting the $ 15,000 model , the Administration demonstrated that it either failed the most basic duty of reading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not concerned about overpaying.
” Navarro and his colleagues never tried to lower the $ 645 million price and agreed to pay an additional $ 1.7 million for circuits and filters , the investigators found .
In its statement , Philips said the list price of the EV300 ventilator , stand and accessories that HHS selected is “ over $ 21,000 , ” so the final price does reflect a discount “ while taking into account part of the higher costs for the expedited delivery schedule.
” The records Philips turned over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 27 , Philips sold 5,339 other Trilogy EV300 ventilators in the U.S. No buyer paid more than HHS did .
One Missouri purchaser bought a single ventilator for $ 9,327 , records show .
“ It would stand to reason that a purchaser of 43,000 units would be able to negotiate a better deal than a purchaser of a single unit , ” the House investigators wrote .
The ranking Republicans on the House committee and subcommittee said they disagreed with the findings of the investigation .
In a prepared statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the House committee , and Michael Cloud of Texas , who sits on the subcommittee , accused the congressional investigators of failing to take “ the most basic investigative steps to ensure they get the facts right.
” “ Democrats read a few documents produced by the cooperating company and made a bundle of assumptions , ” they wrote .
“ They received no briefings , conducted no transcribed interviews or depositions , and did not try to engage with the Administration to understand their side of the story.
” Krishnamoorthi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the investigators ’ report to Christi Grimm , who remains in charge of the HHS Office of Inspector General , though President Donald Trump has sought to replace her after her office in April wrote about shortages of testing supplies and protective equipment at hospitals .

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Citing “evidence of fraud, waste, and abuse,” a congressional subcommittee investigating the federal government’s purchase of $646.7 million worth of Philips ventilators has asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to launch its own investigation of the deal.
The House subcommittee launched its review after ProPublica stories in March and April showed how a U.S. subsidiary of Royal Philips N.V. received millions in federal tax dollars years ago to develop a low-cost ventilator for pandemics but didn’t deliver it. Instead, as the coronavirus began spreading around the globe and U.S. hospitals were desperate for more, Philips was selling commercial versions of the government-funded ventilator overseas from its Pennsylvania factory. Then in April, despite having not fulfilled the initial contract, the Dutch company struck a much more lucrative deal to sell the government 43,000 ventilators for four times the price.
Under this new deal, ventilators that the Obama administration had agreed to buy for $3,280 each suddenly cost $15,000. When the deal was announced in April, neither HHS nor Philips would say how the more expensive ventilators differed from the cheaper ones.
It turns out that they were “functionally identical,” according to investigators with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, and the “waste of taxpayer funds” may have reached $500 million.
The investigators reviewed thousands of pages of emails and other records obtained from Philips and concluded that “inept contract management and incompetent negotiating by the Trump Administration denied the country the ventilators it needed.” And the subcommittee’s report, which it shared with the inspector general’s office, named names: Peter Navarro, President Donald Trump’s director of trade and manufacturing policy, was the administration’s point man on the deal. In addition, Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, and HHS Secretary Alex Azar participated in calls with Philips’ executives.
In a letter to the inspector general, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Illinois Democrat who chairs the subcommittee, wrote: “The Subcommittee requests that you immediately open an investigation into this apparent waste of taxpayer funds, how it was able to happen unchecked, and how to prevent it in the future. Moreover, the Subcommittee requests that your office’s review include an assessment of the reasonableness of the price of the contract and the amount of excess profits received.”
He attached the subcommittee’s 49-page report of its investigative findings.
In a written statement, Philips said that it has been transparent about its ramp-up plans, pricing and allocation policies, and that it cooperated with the subcommittee. “We do not recognize the conclusions in the subcommittee’s report, and we believe that not all the information that we provided has been reflected in the report,” Philips CEO Frans van Houten said. “I would like to make clear that at no occasion has Philips raised prices to benefit from the crisis situation.”
White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere called the House investigators’ report “a stunt that is only meant to politicize the coronavirus.”
“Because of the president’s leadership, the United States leads the world in the production and acquisition of ventilators,” Deere said. “No American who needed a ventilator was denied one, and no American who needs a ventilator in the future will be denied one. Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for this misleading and inaccurate report.”
An HHS spokesperson said the department moved with “deliberate and determined speed” and followed federal contracting rules in reaching the deal. She noted that some of the Philips ventilators are already being used to treat patients with COVID-19.
The federal government’s quest for a cheap, durable ventilator that could be stockpiled for emergencies began a decade ago during the Obama administration. The first deal fell apart after a small California ventilator manufacturer was bought by a much larger competitor, which dropped the project. Philips in 2014 struck a $13.8 million deal with HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to develop a low-cost, portable ventilator that would be easy to use by people with limited medical training. (In their report, the congressional investigators wrote that Philips later was granted an additional $547,000 to develop the ventilator.) The original deal included an option to purchase 10,000 of the ventilators for $3,280 each with delivery by June 2019.
HHS under the Obama administration granted one extension, and then the Trump administration allowed several more. When Philips finally won Food and Drug Administration clearance for the stockpile ventilator in July 2019, it also got the green light to sell a commercial version, which the company sold at far higher prices. The government didn’t exercise the option to buy the stockpile ventilators until September 2019. Under the timeline in the original contract, there would have been four waves of deliveries starting in June 2020 and ending in June 2021 and the government would have the power to increase its order in times of need, the House investigators wrote in their report.
Among the most surprising findings of the investigation was an email communication between the company and the government on the day the U.S. reported its first coronavirus case. On Jan. 21, a Philips manager sent a news story about that case to an HHS contracting officer and asked “how we could help out or if you may expect a need to accelerate any shipments.” Yet nobody from the federal government responded to Philips for six weeks, the investigators found.
On March 4, the HHS contracting officer told Philips managers in an email that Azar’s office had directed him to “expedite production of the ventilators.” Philips responded the same day suggesting a contract modification “to allow for the earlier shipments.”
Rather than speed up delivery, though, the modification Philips suggested gave the company until September 2022 to deliver any of the stockpile ventilators. Still, HHS signed off on the deal, the investigators found.
“Philips appears to have duped the Administration into thinking that this amendment, which permits a lengthy delay, was necessary for it to expedite production,” the congressional investigators wrote.
That same month, as the administration sought to cut a new deal, a Philips executive shared with Azar the slide deck he planned to present to Navarro. In the presentation, Philips described the government-funded stockpile ventilator design as “the best solution to confront exactly the pandemic we are facing.”
However, Philips soon steered Navarro and his colleagues to a more expensive option, the $15,000 Trilogy EV300, saying in one email to an associate director in Navarro’s office that this hospital ventilator had “more clinician friendly screens.”
Yet, the House investigators found the screens of the pricier model were identical to the less-expensive stockpile version. “The Administration’s willingness to spend hundreds of millions of extra dollars for non-existent ‘more clinician-friendly screens’ constitutes waste,” they wrote.
The White House negotiators were “gullible,” the investigators wrote, “and conceded to Philips on all significant matters, including price.” The contract called for Philips to make monthly deliveries between April and December 2020 with more than half arriving in the final three months.
Philips spokesman Steve Klink on March 28 told ProPublica that the company had only made the stockpile version of the ventilator in small batches and didn’t want to ramp up production on a model it had never mass produced. Rather, he said, the company wanted to “stick with what we have and ramp up and not lose time because we cannot afford to lose time.” HHS echoed that sentiment in a written statement at that time, saying the agency was purchasing “what was immediately available.”
But the congressional investigators wrote that the records Philips turned over showed that was false. Philips did not have a long track record making the $15,000 Trilogy EV300; the company did not start making that version until March, the month the federal negotiators agreed to buy them. And the White House knew this, the investigators wrote.
“In a March 18, 2020 email to the White House, Philips explained that the Trilogy EV300 was a new product being introduced and that it would take time to build up inventory,” they wrote. “By selecting the $15,000 model, the Administration demonstrated that it either failed the most basic duty of reading what Philips sent it or that it was not concerned about overpaying.”
Navarro and his colleagues never tried to lower the $645 million price and agreed to pay an additional $1.7 million for circuits and filters, the investigators found.
In its statement, Philips said the list price of the EV300 ventilator, stand and accessories that HHS selected is “over $21,000,” so the final price does reflect a discount “while taking into account part of the higher costs for the expedited delivery schedule.”
The records Philips turned over to the congressional subcommittee showed that before May 27, Philips sold 5,339 other Trilogy EV300 ventilators in the U.S. No buyer paid more than HHS did. One Missouri purchaser bought a single ventilator for $9,327, records show.
“It would stand to reason that a purchaser of 43,000 units would be able to negotiate a better deal than a purchaser of a single unit,” the House investigators wrote.
The ranking Republicans on the House committee and subcommittee said they disagreed with the findings of the investigation. In a prepared statement, James Comer of Kentucky, who sits on the House committee, and Michael Cloud of Texas, who sits on the subcommittee, accused the congressional investigators of failing to take “the most basic investigative steps to ensure they get the facts right.”
“Democrats read a few documents produced by the cooperating company and made a bundle of assumptions,” they wrote. “They received no briefings, conducted no transcribed interviews or depositions, and did not try to engage with the Administration to understand their side of the story.”
Krishnamoorthi, the subcommittee chairman, sent his letter and the investigators’ report to Christi Grimm, who remains in charge of the HHS Office of Inspector General, though President Donald Trump has sought to replace her after her office in April wrote about shortages of testing supplies and protective equipment at hospitals.


crooksandliars--2020-08-25--A Preview Of Rudy Giuliani's RNC Speech: ‘We Don’t Have To Be A Socialist Country Like Europe’

In a preview of his Republican National Convention speech , Rudy Giuliani insisted that the United States does not “ have to be a socialist country like Europe .
” The president ’ s attorney made the remarks on Fox & Friends on Monday in response to a question from host Steve Doocy .
“ Not only are they going to have one surprise — an announced guest or some stunt — during each 10 p.m. hour , ” Doocy reported .
“ Some kind of surprise is going to happen tonight at 10 p.m. ” “ What is your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host asked Giuliani .
“ I ’ m speaking on Thursday , ” Giuliani noted .
“ My message is going to be a lot about crime and the differences between a Biden America , which would be Portland , New York , Chicago — all those Democrat cities that are out of control.
” “ If you want to take a look at Joe Biden ’ s America , take a look at Portland last night where they had a riot , ” he continued .
“ Take a look at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church yesterday .
Take a look at the 51 shootings in New York.
” According to Giuliani , Trump ’ s convention will have “ a very uplifting message to give the American people.
” “ We can be as great as we want to be , ” he said .
“ We don ’ t have to be a socialist country like Europe .
”

In a preview of his Republican National Convention speech, Rudy Giuliani insisted that the United States does not “have to be a socialist country like Europe.
”The president’s attorney made the remarks on Fox & Friends on Monday in response to a question from host Steve Doocy.
“Not only are they going to have one surprise — an announced guest or some stunt — during each 10 p.m. hour,” Doocy reported. “Some kind of surprise is going to happen tonight at 10 p.m.”
“What is your message tonight?” the Fox News host asked Giuliani.
“I’m speaking on Thursday,” Giuliani noted. “My message is going to be a lot about crime and the differences between a Biden America, which would be Portland, New York, Chicago — all those Democrat cities that are out of control.”
“If you want to take a look at Joe Biden’s America, take a look at Portland last night where they had a riot,” he continued. “Take a look at the woman who punches the other woman in Church yesterday. Take a look at the 51 shootings in New York.”
According to Giuliani, Trump’s convention will have “a very uplifting message to give the American people.”
“We can be as great as we want to be,” he said. “We don’t have to be a socialist country like Europe.”


crooksandliars--2020-08-25--Republicanism As A Death Cult: GOP Voters Say U.S. COVID-19 Death Rate Is 'Acceptable'

Republicanism is now nothing more than a cult .
That 's the takeaway message of a new CBS News poll splitting out Republican voter sentiments from those of the rest of the nation .
Taken together , America 's registered voters now say America is not better off than four years ago by an overwhelming 65 % -35 % margin .
Republican voters , however , believe it is—and by a 75 % to 25 % spread .
Republicans believe the United States ' battle against COVID-19 is `` going well '' , also by a 3-to-1 margin ; among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is in fact going `` badly . ''
Republicans believe COVID-19 deaths are being exaggerated ; a plurality of all voters believe it is being undercounted .
And , most troubling at all , Republicans are split from the country in whether the now 180,000 United States COVID-19 deaths and rising are `` acceptable . ''
Republicans say the number of deaths has been `` acceptable , '' 57-43 % .
Other voting groups believe 180,000 pandemic deaths are not acceptable , and by very wide margins .
Even a sociopath would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked whether the death of 180,000 people was a reasonable and acceptable outcome .
For these voters , however , protecting conservatism , even crooked and incompetent conservatism , from the consequences of its failures is all-consuming .
And it continues to break a very large number of brains .
What we 're seeing here is a segment of America that has divorced itself from reality—a now-cult that simply denies any news , from economic collapse to mass deaths , that might cause Dear Pasty Leader to look bad .
The cult 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Republicans who , when asked why they believe America is better off than four years ago , cite their own `` confidence in Donald Trump . ''
That 's it .
America is doing `` better '' because Donald Trump is in charge , and he says so , and so the same Fox News-primed cult that sent themselves into a froth over ebola , over Benghazi , and over a dozen or more conspiracy theories about the nation 's first Black president and first woman to be nominated , say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even a pandemic non-response that the rest of the world finds horrifyingly incompetent is in fact Good , with 180,000 deaths are an `` acceptable '' price to pay in exchange for the nebulous whatever Trump and his allies are doing inside Republican voter heads .
Modern Republicanism is , to repeat , at present a fascist movement .
It is willing to forgive mass death as price for ideological purity .
It is not just willing to lie about everything , all the time , to protect the movement 's floundering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who refuse to embrace the lies themselves .
Lawbreaking is considered good when those of the movement do it ; laws elsewhere are tightened to more vigorously punish movement opponents .
It is obsessed with the national purity of the white , especially over immigrants , and demands not just that immigrants be blocked , but punished .
That the police state be made more aggressive , not less .
That lives matter only in accordance with Dear Ignorant Crooked Leader .
To self-identified Republicans , 180,000 pandemic deaths are `` acceptable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mustered .
Perhaps it is a hoax ; perhaps they were all old , and vulnerable ; perhaps 180,000 people would have died of something , so what 's the point of keeping track .
But it will not be different when the numbers top 250,000 .
The numbers in the polls will barely change .
There are Republicans , and there are Americans , and the two no longer share the same reality .
The former will do nothing , no matter which laws Trump might break to stay in power or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the next 100,000 deaths .
The willingly corrupt Senate proves that much .

Republicanism is now nothing more than a cult. That's the takeaway message of a new CBS News poll splitting out Republican voter sentiments from those of the rest of the nation. Taken together, America's registered voters now say America is not better off than four years ago by an overwhelming 65%-35% margin. Republican voters, however, believe it is—and by a 75% to 25% spread.
Republicans believe the United States' battle against COVID-19 is "going well", also by a 3-to-1 margin; among all voters, 6 in 10 say it is in fact going "badly." Republicans believe COVID-19 deaths are being exaggerated; a plurality of all voters believe it is being undercounted. And, most troubling at all, Republicans are split from the country in whether the now 180,000 United States COVID-19 deaths and rising are "acceptable."
Republicans say the number of deaths has been "acceptable," 57-43%. Other voting groups believe 180,000 pandemic deaths are not acceptable, and by very wide margins.
Even a sociopath would know to at least lie, when asked whether the death of 180,000 people was a reasonable and acceptable outcome. For these voters, however, protecting conservatism, even crooked and incompetent conservatism, from the consequences of its failures is all-consuming. And it continues to break a very large number of brains.
What we're seeing here is a segment of America that has divorced itself from reality—a now-cult that simply denies any news, from economic collapse to mass deaths, that might cause Dear Pasty Leader to look bad. The cult's extent can be gleaned from the 82% of Republicans who, when asked why they believe America is better off than four years ago, cite their own "confidence in Donald Trump."
That's it. America is doing "better" because Donald Trump is in charge, and he says so, and so the same Fox News-primed cult that sent themselves into a froth over ebola, over Benghazi, and over a dozen or more conspiracy theories about the nation's first Black president and first woman to be nominated, say that America is "better" now. Even a pandemic non-response that the rest of the world finds horrifyingly incompetent is in fact Good, with 180,000 deaths are an "acceptable" price to pay in exchange for the nebulous whatever Trump and his allies are doing inside Republican voter heads.
Modern Republicanism is, to repeat, at present a fascist movement. It is willing to forgive mass death as price for ideological purity. It is not just willing to lie about everything, all the time, to protect the movement's floundering "leaders," but aggressively purges those who refuse to embrace the lies themselves. Lawbreaking is considered good when those of the movement do it; laws elsewhere are tightened to more vigorously punish movement opponents. It is obsessed with the national purity of the white, especially over immigrants, and demands not just that immigrants be blocked, but punished. That the police state be made more aggressive, not less. That lives matter only in accordance with Dear Ignorant Crooked Leader.
To self-identified Republicans, 180,000 pandemic deaths are "acceptable" for whatever reasons can be lazily mustered. Perhaps it is a hoax; perhaps they were all old, and vulnerable; perhaps 180,000 people would have died of something, so what's the point of keeping track. But it will not be different when the numbers top 250,000. The numbers in the polls will barely change.
There are Republicans, and there are Americans, and the two no longer share the same reality. The former will do nothing, no matter which laws Trump might break to stay in power or which lies he might tell to brush off the next 100,000 deaths. The willingly corrupt Senate proves that much.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-08-25--What Are You Doing Instead Of Watching The RNC?

Republicanism is now nothing more than a cult .
That 's the takeaway message of a new CBS News poll @ @ @ @ @ from those of the rest of the nation .

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crooksandliars--2020-08-25--There Won't Be A Brayden Harrington At The GOP Convention

A consensus has formed around the final night of the Democratic convention : Joe Biden exceeded expectations and gave the speech of his life -- but the most moving moment of the night belonged to Brayden Harrington .
Here 's what some New York Times columnists and contributors said when asked what last night 's best moment was : Wajahat Ali Brayden Harrington , a 13-year-old with a stutter , said Joe Biden listened to him and gave him courage .
Brayden stood up and addressed the nation last night , and he gave us the best reason to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harrington .
I ’ m sure I won ’ t be the only person to say this , but it took a tremendous amount of courage for that young man to speak to the country about his disability .
As someone who spent years in speech therapy as a child , I found it very affecting and powerful ... .
Liz Mair Joe Biden ’ s speech , and the lead-in video , were both great .
But Brayden Harrington , who told his story of bonding with Biden over their shared stutter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
And it 's hard to imagine Trump waking up the morning after his big speech and learning that his oration was widely praised , but someone else moved the audience even more .
Yas is right : Trump would never acknowledge a disability .
But it 's possible to imagine a 13-year-old speaking at the Republican convention about a shared grievance -- perhaps a child who lost a parent to a crime Republicans want to blame on Democrats .
If this hypothetical child gave an extraordinary speech , Trump would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , he would n't praise the kid .
He 'd bring the subject back around to himself and talk about how great he thought his own speech was .
By contrast , I 'm sure Joe Biden will be absolutely delighted at the response to Harrington .
Trump does n't even take pride in the fact that his son and namesake , Don Junior , is a wildly popular figure on the right .
Junior is , according to one pollster , the second most popular potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Can you imagine Biden 's reaction if he 'd been elected president in 2008 and his son Beau was seen as a top contender for the presidency in 2016 or 2020 ?
He would have been thrilled .
Yes , Trump praises Ivanka .
But he seems to regard her as platonic ( we hope ) arm candy , a hot babe whose presence by his side reflects on him .
( The alternate reading is that Trump thinks : `` I built this .
Is n't it gorgeous ? ''
) Whereas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of his wife and his late son , and genuinely likes to share the spotlight with the rest of his family ( including son Hunter , who made a few appearances this week ) , as well as other Democrats and ordinary citizens .
Except by Ivanka , Trump ca n't bear to be upstaged .
One reason he chose Mike Pence as his running mate was that he could tell Pence would never upstage him .
( He does n't know that about Nikki Haley , which is one big reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
Biden , of course , chose a charismatic running mate with a big personality who 's a better speaker than he is .
He seems fine with that .
With less than 10 days to go before the start of the scaled-back Republican National Convention , plans are taking shape for what will be a four-day celebration of President Donald Trump ... .
Trump will be the central focus of the convention on each of the four days , organizers said , a plan that breaks with the long-standing tradition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention to showcase the presidential nominee .
Biden had a long moment of glory Thursday night .
I 'm sure he 's very happy that Brayden Harrington had a great moment , too .
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

A consensus has formed around the final night of the Democratic convention: Joe Biden exceeded expectations and gave the speech of his life -- but the most moving moment of the night belonged to Brayden Harrington. Here's what some New York Times columnists and contributors said when asked what last night's best moment was:
Wajahat Ali Brayden Harrington, a 13-year-old with a stutter, said Joe Biden listened to him and gave him courage. Brayden stood up and addressed the nation last night, and he gave us the best reason to vote for Biden.... Jamelle Bouie Brayden Harrington. I’m sure I won’t be the only person to say this, but it took a tremendous amount of courage for that young man to speak to the country about his disability. As someone who spent years in speech therapy as a child, I found it very affecting and powerful.... Liz Mair Joe Biden’s speech, and the lead-in video, were both great. But Brayden Harrington, who told his story of bonding with Biden over their shared stutter, stole the show and absolutely killed it.
Yastreblyansky writes:
No, it couldn't happen. Starters, Trump would have to admit he has a disability, and he'll never do that. Then he'd have to have taken an interest in a kid. And he can't even take an interest in his own kids. — Yas, Semite! (@Yastreblyansky) August 21, 2020
And it's hard to imagine Trump waking up the morning after his big speech and learning that his oration was widely praised, but someone else moved the audience even more. Yas is right: Trump would never acknowledge a disability. But it's possible to imagine a 13-year-old speaking at the Republican convention about a shared grievance -- perhaps a child who lost a parent to a crime Republicans want to blame on Democrats.
If this hypothetical child gave an extraordinary speech, Trump would be graceless. If reporters asked him about it, he wouldn't praise the kid. He'd bring the subject back around to himself and talk about how great he thought his own speech was. By contrast, I'm sure Joe Biden will be absolutely delighted at the response to Harrington.
Trump doesn't even take pride in the fact that his son and namesake, Don Junior, is a wildly popular figure on the right. Junior is, according to one pollster, the second most popular potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate among Republican voters, after Mike Pence:
2024 GOP primary poll
Pence 31%
Trump Jr 17%
Haley 11%
Romney 9%
Cruz 8%
Carlson 7%
Rubio 5%
Ryan 4%
Ivanka 3%
Pompeo 3%
Leger poll, 8/13/2020
Source: https://t.co/zaIlEauGbd… pic.twitter.com/jh8wUgBJtw — Populism Updates (@PopulismUpdates) August 13, 2020
Can you imagine Biden's reaction if he'd been elected president in 2008 and his son Beau was seen as a top contender for the presidency in 2016 or 2020? He would have been thrilled.
Yes, Trump praises Ivanka. But he seems to regard her as platonic (we hope) arm candy, a hot babe whose presence by his side reflects on him. (The alternate reading is that Trump thinks: "I built this. Isn't it gorgeous?") Whereas Biden seems genuinely to admire the hell out of his wife and his late son, and genuinely likes to share the spotlight with the rest of his family (including son Hunter, who made a few appearances this week), as well as other Democrats and ordinary citizens.
Except by Ivanka, Trump can't bear to be upstaged. One reason he chose Mike Pence as his running mate was that he could tell Pence would never upstage him. (He doesn't know that about Nikki Haley, which is one big reason he won't dump Pence for her.) Biden, of course, chose a charismatic running mate with a big personality who's a better speaker than he is. He seems fine with that.
CNBC reported last week:
With less than 10 days to go before the start of the scaled-back Republican National Convention, plans are taking shape for what will be a four-day celebration of President Donald Trump.... Trump will be the central focus of the convention on each of the four days, organizers said, a plan that breaks with the long-standing tradition of waiting until the last day of the convention to showcase the presidential nominee.
Biden had a long moment of glory Thursday night. I'm sure he's very happy that Brayden Harrington had a great moment, too.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--Sen. Kamala Harris Hammers Trump On His Many Failures Right Before His Big RNC Night

So , in absolutely inspired timing , Sen. Kamala Harris delivered a 20-minute speech deriding Donald Trump for his incompetence , weakness , and ego — just hours before his big party night to close out the Republican National Convention .
Trump is probably mainlining tranquilizers as we speak so that he can keep him self from screaming the n-word throughout the night on a hot mic .
She offered sympathy to Americans at the mercy of Hurricane Laura , the wildfires in California , spoke to the devastation of COVID-19 exacerbated by Trump , and the racial reckoning this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from this much justified unrest from police brutality against Black people .
We also see pain , hurt , and destruction in the aftermath of yet another Black man shot by police .
Jacob Blake , shot 7 times in the back in broad daylight in front of his 3 young sons .
7 times… in the back… in broad daylight… in front of his 3 sons .
As Vice President Biden put it , the shots fired at Mr. Blake pierced the soul of our nation .
It ’ s sickening to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ familiar .
And it must end .
We should not confuse them [ peaceful protesters ] [ /peaceful ] with those looting and committing acts of violence , including , the shooter who was arrested for murder .
And make no mistake , we will not let these vigilantes and extremists derail the path to justice .
She promised these anguished mothers and fathers a seat at the table in a Biden/Harris administration .
And she did NOT let it go unmentioned that the reason for the unrest was violence against Black bodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of white supremacist violence .
When she moved on to the COVID-19 crisis , she was more prosecutorial than ever .
And I say that with admiration and awe .
I will take on anyone who views her professional experience as a drawback .
Nearly 6 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus .
180,000 lives lost .
More than 50 million claims for unemployment this year alone .
We need to see—and we need to hear—what ’ s happening in our country .
The quiet desperation that has taken over so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality of America right now .
A reality completely absent from this week ’ s Republican National Convention .
Because unlike the Democratic convention , which was clear-eyed about the challenges we are facing and how we will tackle them ...
The Republican convention is designed for one purpose—to soothe Donald Trump ’ s ego .
To make him feel good .
Because he is a functional semi-illiterate with a pathological need for self-aggrandizement , self-soothing , and personal gratification , and that is all he ever was .
Of course , Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it still cuts like glass .
Because we know the truth .
Donald Trump has failed at the most basic and important job of a President of the United States .
He failed to protect the American people .
Plain and simple .
Trump showed what we , in the legal profession , would call a reckless disregard for the well-being of the American people .
A reckless disregard for the danger a pandemic would pose to American lives .
For the devastation it would do to our economy .
For the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color who have been subjected to structural racism for generations .
For the chaos that would upend our daily lives… make it impossible for many of our kids to go to school… make it impossible to live normally and with certainty .
Here ’ s the thing , Donald Trump ’ s incompetence is nothing new .
That has always been on full display .
But in January of this year , it became deadly .
That ’ s when the threat of a virus that would endanger the world first emerged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sounded the alarm .
It would be the beginning of a pattern that persists to this day.Trump telling us not to worry , that the virus will , quote , “ disappear , ” that a quote , “ miracle ” is coming .
Joe Biden , saying we need a plan , a national strategy , a President who is willing to lead , willing to be a role model for our nation .
For our children .
Trump still doesn ’ t have a plan .
Joe Biden , released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what you have to understand about the nature of a pandemic .
It ’ s relentless .
You can ’ t stop it with a tweet .
You can ’ t create a distraction and hope it ’ ll go away .
It doesn ’ t go away .
By its nature , a pandemic is unforgiving .
If you get it wrong at the beginning , the consequences are catastrophic .
It ’ s very hard to catch up .
You don ’ t get a second chance at getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got it wrong in the beginning .
And then , he got it wrong again… and again .
And the consequences have been catastrophic .
She went on prosecuting her case , point by point , eviscerating his every failure , and ended with his ultimate toddler trait : his refusal to accept responsibility .
And contrasted it with detailed plans for what Joe Biden will do to actually help us beat the pandemic .
Even now—some eight months into this crisis—Donald Trump still won ’ t take responsibility .
He still won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of this is… it didn ’ t have to be this bad .
Just look around .
It ’ s not like this in the rest of the world .
All we needed was a competent president—one who was willing to listen , willing to lead , take responsibility , have a plan , do their job .
As she concluded , she finally , FINALLY spoke about something we need to be hearing about EVERY DAY .
Trump is trying to cut Social Security benefits !
Why are n't we hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Social Security Administration said a cut to Social Security like the one Trump is proposing would end disability benefits within one year and end All benefits within 3 years .
Let me be as clear as possible , if Donald Trump ’ s extreme proposal goes into effect , the checks that America ’ s seniors rely on to pay your bills , to buy your medicine—to live—will stop coming .
The very people who have suffered so greatly in this crisis .
It ’ s unthinkable .
And in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his own actions , Donald Trump is in court right now trying to throw out the entire Affordable Care Act , including the protections it provides for people with pre-existing conditions .
That means , if you are fortunate enough to survive COVID-19 , insurers could deny you coverage for treating any long-term effects .
Sen. Harris tells us she believes we will choose the path of light , given the chance .
She has a lot of faith in us .
I hope we deserve it .

So, in absolutely inspired timing, Sen. Kamala Harris delivered a 20-minute speech deriding Donald Trump for his incompetence, weakness, and ego — just hours before his big party night to close out the Republican National Convention.
Trump is probably mainlining tranquilizers as we speak so that he can keep him self from screaming the n-word throughout the night on a hot mic.
She offered sympathy to Americans at the mercy of Hurricane Laura, the wildfires in California, spoke to the devastation of COVID-19 exacerbated by Trump, and the racial reckoning this nation needs in order to move forward from this much justified unrest from police brutality against Black people.
We also see pain, hurt, and destruction in the aftermath of yet another Black man shot by police. Jacob Blake, shot 7 times in the back in broad daylight in front of his 3 young sons. 7 times… in the back… in broad daylight… in front of his 3 sons. As Vice President Biden put it, the shots fired at Mr. Blake pierced the soul of our nation. It’s sickening to watch. It’s all too familiar. And it must end. [...] We should not confuse them [peaceful protesters] [/peaceful]with those looting and committing acts of violence, including, the shooter who was arrested for murder. And make no mistake, we will not let these vigilantes and extremists derail the path to justice.
She promised these anguished mothers and fathers a seat at the table in a Biden/Harris administration. And she did NOT let it go unmentioned that the reason for the unrest was violence against Black bodies, and the protests turning deadly was because of white supremacist violence.
When she moved on to the COVID-19 crisis, she was more prosecutorial than ever. And I say that with admiration and awe. I will take on anyone who views her professional experience as a drawback.
Nearly 6 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. 180,000 lives lost. More than 50 million claims for unemployment this year alone. We need to see—and we need to hear—what’s happening in our country. The quiet desperation that has taken over so many lives in America. [...] That is the reality of America right now. A reality completely absent from this week’s Republican National Convention. Because unlike the Democratic convention, which was clear-eyed about the challenges we are facing and how we will tackle them...The Republican convention is designed for one purpose—to soothe Donald Trump’s ego. To make him feel good.
Oh, sh*t.
But here’s the thing, he’s the President of the United States. And it’s not supposed to be about him. It’s supposed to be about the health, and the safety, and the well-being of the American people. And on that measure, Donald Trump has failed. You see, at its most basic level, Donald Trump doesn’t understand the presidency.
Because he is a functional semi-illiterate with a pathological need for self-aggrandizement, self-soothing, and personal gratification, and that is all he ever was. Of course, Sen. Harris says it much more diplomatically. But it still cuts like glass.
Because we know the truth. Donald Trump has failed at the most basic and important job of a President of the United States. He failed to protect the American people. Plain and simple. Trump showed what we, in the legal profession, would call a reckless disregard for the well-being of the American people. A reckless disregard for the danger a pandemic would pose to American lives. For the devastation it would do to our economy. For the damage it would do to communities of color who have been subjected to structural racism for generations. For the chaos that would upend our daily lives… make it impossible for many of our kids to go to school… make it impossible to live normally and with certainty. [...] Here’s the thing, Donald Trump’s incompetence is nothing new. That has always been on full display. But in January of this year, it became deadly. That’s when the threat of a virus that would endanger the world first emerged. Trump dismissed the threat. Joe Biden, sounded the alarm. It would be the beginning of a pattern that persists to this day.Trump telling us not to worry, that the virus will, quote, “disappear,” that a quote, “miracle” is coming. Joe Biden, saying we need a plan, a national strategy, a President who is willing to lead, willing to be a role model for our nation. For our children. Trump still doesn’t have a plan. Joe Biden, released his first plan in March. Here’s what you have to understand about the nature of a pandemic. It’s relentless. You can’t stop it with a tweet. You can’t create a distraction and hope it’ll go away. It doesn’t go away. By its nature, a pandemic is unforgiving. If you get it wrong at the beginning, the consequences are catastrophic. It’s very hard to catch up. You don’t get a second chance at getting it right. Well, President Trump got it wrong in the beginning. And then, he got it wrong again… and again. And the consequences have been catastrophic.
She went on prosecuting her case, point by point, eviscerating his every failure, and ended with his ultimate toddler trait: his refusal to accept responsibility. And contrasted it with detailed plans for what Joe Biden will do to actually help us beat the pandemic.
Even now—some eight months into this crisis—Donald Trump still won’t take responsibility. He still won’t act. The tragedy in all of this is… it didn’t have to be this bad. Just look around. It’s not like this in the rest of the world. All we needed was a competent president—one who was willing to listen, willing to lead, take responsibility, have a plan, do their job.
As she concluded, she finally, FINALLY spoke about something we need to be hearing about EVERY DAY. Trump is trying to cut Social Security benefits! Why aren't we hearing about this more?
Just this week, the Social Security Administration said a cut to Social Security like the one Trump is proposing would end disability benefits within one year and end All benefits within 3 years. Let me be as clear as possible, if Donald Trump’s extreme proposal goes into effect, the checks that America’s seniors rely on to pay your bills, to buy your medicine—to live—will stop coming. The very people who have suffered so greatly in this crisis. It’s unthinkable. And in the middle of a health crisis made worse by his own actions, Donald Trump is in court right now trying to throw out the entire Affordable Care Act, including the protections it provides for people with pre-existing conditions. That means, if you are fortunate enough to survive COVID-19, insurers could deny you coverage for treating any long-term effects.
Sen. Harris tells us she believes we will choose the path of light, given the chance. She has a lot of faith in us. I hope we deserve it.


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--GOP Convention Shows Footage From Spain To Warn About 'Biden's America'

You did n't expect anything truthful from the Republican National Convention , did you ?
On the first night , as one of their videos played , voiceovers forecasted the evil violent unrest that awaits should Joe Biden be elected president .
The images that flashed across the screen , however , were n't of unrest in Biden 's America .
In fact , one of them was n't even a photo of America at all .
It was a photo of fires burning in a street in Spain .
As first reported by Catalonian public broadcaster CCMA and independently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the four images of protests was filmed in October 2019 in Barcelona .
Protests broke out in the city after Spanish courts sentenced Catalan separatist activists to prison .
The image used during the RNC video showed fires burning in the streets .
One of those same streets can be seen as being in Barcelona by using Google Street View .
Never mind the fact that the unrest that is happening now is the result of police brutality that 's happening in Donald Trump 's America , under his watch as president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Short to admit this morning .
( Though if we are to be TRULY honest , it 's not Trump 's America , either .
It 's America 's America that 's brutally racist , but that 's a somewhat different post . )
BuzzFeed News was able to find identical footage on Shutterstock , a website that ’ s a common source for stock images and videos .
In this case , the Barcelona footage used in the RNC segment is described as “ Young rebel riot revolutionary anarchist.
” Although that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was shot in , another angle shot by Getty Images does .
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment .

You didn't expect anything truthful from the Republican National Convention, did you?
On the first night, as one of their videos played, voiceovers forecasted the evil violent unrest that awaits should Joe Biden be elected president. The images that flashed across the screen, however, weren't of unrest in Biden's America. In fact, one of them wasn't even a photo of America at all.
It was a photo of fires burning in a street in Spain.
According to Buzzfeed News:
As first reported by Catalonian public broadcaster CCMA and independently verified by BuzzFeed News, one of the four images of protests was filmed in October 2019 in Barcelona. Protests broke out in the city after Spanish courts sentenced Catalan separatist activists to prison. The image used during the RNC video showed fires burning in the streets. One of those same streets can be seen as being in Barcelona by using Google Street View.
Never mind the fact that the unrest that is happening now is the result of police brutality that's happening in Donald Trump's America, under his watch as president, as Alisyn Camerota tried to get Marc Short to admit this morning. (Though if we are to be TRULY honest, it's not Trump's America, either. It's America's America that's brutally racist, but that's a somewhat different post.)
More from Buzzfeed:


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--White Pack-A-Day Smoker Bleached Blonde Racist Florida Woman 'Feels Secure' With Trump

A supporter of President Donald Trump on Wednesday told MSNBC that she was backing him even though she couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ What do you plan to do with your vote in November ?
” a voter @ @ @ @ @ while she lounged in a pool at a country club in Florida .
“ Of @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Trump !
He ’ s the only president I could ever relate to.
@ @ @ @ @ that you can point to that he has said he ’ d do and that @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re really happy with ?
” the MSNBC reporter pressed .
“ Not @ @ @ @ @ , ” Dinapoli replied after a moment of silence .
“ I ’ m just @ @ @ @ @ .
Like I said , I feel secure .
”

A supporter of President Donald Trump on Wednesday told MSNBC that she was backing him even though she couldn’t explain why.
“What do you plan to do with your vote in November?” a voter named Jean Dinapoli was asked while she lounged in a pool at a country club in Florida.
“Of course,” Dinapoli said. “Trump! He’s the only president I could ever relate to.”
“Is there anything that you can point to that he has said he’d do and that he’s done that you’re really happy with?” the MSNBC reporter pressed.
“Not that I can think of,” Dinapoli replied after a moment of silence. “I’m just glad he’s there. Like I said, I feel secure.”


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--Mike Pence On Trump: Believe Me Or Your Lying Eyes And Ears!

If you watched Pence 's speech last night , it was as if the entire Trump presidency never happened .
Have Obama and Biden have been ruling over the country these last three and a half years ?
Apparently Mike Pence would like you to think so .
Reality check : a pandemic rips throughout the country , and civil rights protests are logical responses to the continued murders and assaults of Black Americans by law enforcement .
Yet , instead of being a calming presence , Donald Trump and his administration have inflamed protesters and incited violence and murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are hoping to be deputized in their efforts to attack protesters with no consequences .
Today another 1 million Americans filed for unemployment after the virus shut down America , yet Mike Pence bragged that they helped the economy gain millions of jobs back .
Pence , like Larry Kudlow before him , claimed that before Trump took office our economy was in a recession .
That 's a lie .
Obama moved the unemployment rate from 10 % ( the 2008 crash ) to 4.7 % in his eight years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence said was that Trump is fighting to defend America 's shameful heritage of slavery in the Confederacy : `` And if you want a president who falls silent when our heritage is demeaned or insulted , then he ’ s not your man.
” `` Our '' heritage ?
You know EXACTLY who he was talking to .
In another crazy section of hypocrisy and law enforcement pornography , Pence never mentioned the horrendous shooting of Jacob Blake by the police .
This horrendous shooting has spurred on a new wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world of sports , but Pence restated the Trump administration 's unending support of the members of the thin blue line .
President Trump and I will always support the right of Americans to peacefully protest .
But rioting and looting is not peaceful protest .
Tearing down statues is not free speech , and those who do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law .
The hard truth is you will not be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America .
Under President Trump , we will always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thin blue line , and we are not going to defund the police — not now , not ever .
These protests are directly because of Donald Trump 's actions and lack of leadership during an unprecedented time of civil unrest .
And no one has forgotten the spread of a coronavirus that has claimed the lives of over 180K Americans so far .
Pence wants Americans to believe in unicorns , but when a vaccine and treatment for COVID-19 is released , it will not be because it 's a miracle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science .
Trump and Pence have put us in this position .
We must rid ourselves of the pestilence occupying the White House .
Politifact does a great job of fact checking Pence and the other speakers during Day 3 of the Trump convention .
Video above via The Washington Post .
Frances Langum contributed to this post .

If you watched Pence's speech last night, it was as if the entire Trump presidency never happened.
Have Obama and Biden have been ruling over the country these last three and a half years? Apparently Mike Pence would like you to think so.
Reality check: a pandemic rips throughout the country, and civil rights protests are logical responses to the continued murders and assaults of Black Americans by law enforcement.
Yet, instead of being a calming presence, Donald Trump and his administration have inflamed protesters and incited violence and murder by right-wing militia and white supremacist movements who are hoping to be deputized in their efforts to attack protesters with no consequences.
Today another 1 million Americans filed for unemployment after the virus shut down America, yet Mike Pence bragged that they helped the economy gain millions of jobs back.
Pence, like Larry Kudlow before him, claimed that before Trump took office our economy was in a recession. That's a lie. Obama moved the unemployment rate from 10% (the 2008 crash) to 4.7% in his eight years in office.
One of the craziest things Pence said was that Trump is fighting to defend America's shameful heritage of slavery in the Confederacy: "And if you want a president who falls silent when our heritage is demeaned or insulted, then he’s not your man.” "Our" heritage? You know EXACTLY who he was talking to.
In another crazy section of hypocrisy and law enforcement pornography, Pence never mentioned the horrendous shooting of Jacob Blake by the police. This horrendous shooting has spurred on a new wave of protests around the country and in the world of sports, but Pence restated the Trump administration's unending support of the members of the thin blue line.
President Trump and I will always support the right of Americans to peacefully protest. But rioting and looting is not peaceful protest. Tearing down statues is not free speech, and those who do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The hard truth is you will not be safe in Joe Biden’s America. Under President Trump, we will always stand with those who stand on the thin blue line, and we are not going to defund the police — not now, not ever.
These protests are directly because of Donald Trump's actions and lack of leadership during an unprecedented time of civil unrest.
And no one has forgotten the spread of a coronavirus that has claimed the lives of over 180K Americans so far.
Pence wants Americans to believe in unicorns, but when a vaccine and treatment for COVID-19 is released, it will not be because it's a miracle, but because it was brought about by science.
Trump and Pence have put us in this position.
Do you feel safe?
Do you feel happy?
We must rid ourselves of the pestilence occupying the White House.
Politifact does a great job of fact checking Pence and the other speakers during Day 3 of the Trump convention.
Michael Cohen: "The President is going to talk to you about law and order. That's laughable. Virtually everyone who worked for his campaign has been convicted of a crime or is under indictment. Myself included." https://t.co/LpVyIvFZMg pic.twitter.com/jMDhYRsDO9 — The Hill (@thehill) August 25, 2020
Asked to respond to VP Mike Pence last night saying "You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America," @JoeBiden replies on MSNBC with a laugh: "The problem we have right now is we're in Donald Trump's America." — Sarah Mucha (@sarahmucha) August 27, 2020
Pence: "Joe Biden's agenda is based on government control. Our agenda is based on freedom."
I sure wish the "Trump's America" would stop tear-gassing us with freedom and shooting freedom 7 times into black people's backs.#Thursdaythoughts pic.twitter.com/5igNFYVg8T — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) August 27, 2020
Video above via The Washington Post. Frances Langum contributed to this post.


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--What We Know About 17-year Old Kyle Rittenhouse, Alleged Killer Of Protesters

Rachel Maddow recapped the series of events that led to the arrest of Kyle Rittenhouse , a 17-year-old white male from Antioch , Illinois for shooting three protesters and killing two of them in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
[ ... ] In the video , you can see an armed white man running from protesters , falls and then while he is on the ground , while seated he starts shooting .
One protester falls and never gets up .
Another runs away , clearly hurt with a gunshot wound .
You can hear him , there , screaming for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were shot last night .
Two of them were killed .
Another person seriously wounded .
MADDOW : And the reason that is happening is because of a dramatic development in a story that we have all been following all week out of Wisconsin , specifically Kenosha , Wisconsin , where police shot an African-American man named Jacob Blake .
They shot him multiple times in the back on Sunday evening while he was getting into a car with his three young children inside .
There were visual images and video tape of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media .
The protests against that police shooting have been ongoing since Sunday night , since it happened .
On Monday night the demonstrations in Kenosha turned fairly chaotic .
Last night in Kenosha , police deployed tear gas .
They used large armored military style vehicles to disperse protesters , and that is when a subset of protesters left the scene of the demonstrations last night and , as was widely documented last night as it happened , that they encountered a group of men with guns who were not police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect a gas station.
[ ... ] In the video , you can see an armed white man running from protesters , falls and then while he is on the ground , while seated he starts shooting .
One protester falls and never gets up .
Another runs away , clearly hurt with a gunshot wound .
You can hear him , there , screaming for a medic .
At least three people were shot last night .
Two of them were killed .
Another person seriously wounded .
And the apparent shooter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is next seen walking away from the shooting scene still carrying this rifle walking towards police trucks with his hands raised .
This is after the shootings , but he is not apprehended by police last night .
Today police announce they had arrested a suspect .
A 17-year-old who is not being identified by the police because of his age .
He has been charged with homicide .
They have not yet said whether that person in custody is that person in the video .
These videos circulating all last night and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become more angry about the situation in Wisconsin .
Here is what so many people are asking , and have been since the moment these videos began to circulate last night .
How is it possible that a white teenaged boy , with a LARGE semi-automatic weapon slung across the front of his body , his hands raised , walking away from a crowd of protesters , can walk TOWARDS police in armored vehicles , have the police ask him if people behind him are hurt , that teen WITH THE BIG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people behind him have been hurt , others are shouting TO THE POLICE about the teen WITH THE BIG GUN that he just shot people , and the WHITE TEEN WITH THE BIG GUN just gets to walk on past , unmolested by those same police ?
It took police in his hometown of Antioch , Illinois to apprehend him ?
!
?
Here is what we know about him now .
His name is Kyle Rittenhouse , and he is being charged with first degree murder .
We know he looooooves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself quite the ammosexual militia dude .
Seems a bit of a misogynist , too , just for fun .
His TikTok handle was @ 4doorsmorewhores .
Is n't that sweet ?
But just for some real perspective ...

Rachel Maddow recapped the series of events that led to the arrest of Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old white male from Antioch, Illinois for shooting three protesters and killing two of them in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
[...]
In the video, you can see an armed white man running from protesters, falls and then while he is on the ground, while seated he starts shooting. One protester falls and never gets up. Another runs away, clearly hurt with a gunshot wound. You can hear him, there, screaming for a medic. At least three people were shot last night. Two of them were killed. Another person seriously wounded. MADDOW: And the reason that is happening is because of a dramatic development in a story that we have all been following all week out of Wisconsin, specifically Kenosha, Wisconsin, where police shot an African-American man named Jacob Blake. They shot him multiple times in the back on Sunday evening while he was getting into a car with his three young children inside. There were visual images and video tape of that shooting captured and widely circulated on social media. The protests against that police shooting have been ongoing since Sunday night, since it happened. On Monday night the demonstrations in Kenosha turned fairly chaotic. Last night in Kenosha, police deployed tear gas. They used large armored military style vehicles to disperse protesters, and that is when a subset of protesters left the scene of the demonstrations last night and, as was widely documented last night as it happened, that they encountered a group of men with guns who were not police, who said they were there to protect a gas station.[...]In the video, you can see an armed white man running from protesters, falls and then while he is on the ground, while seated he starts shooting. One protester falls and never gets up. Another runs away, clearly hurt with a gunshot wound. You can hear him, there, screaming for a medic. At least three people were shot last night. Two of them were killed. Another person seriously wounded. And the apparent shooter from that footage we just showed you is next seen walking away from the shooting scene still carrying this rifle walking towards police trucks with his hands raised. This is after the shootings, but he is not apprehended by police last night. Today police announce they had arrested a suspect. A 17-year-old who is not being identified by the police because of his age. He has been charged with homicide. They have not yet said whether that person in custody is that person in the video. These videos circulating all last night and today have led a lot of people to become more angry about the situation in Wisconsin.
Here is what so many people are asking , and have been since the moment these videos began to circulate last night.
How is it possible that a white teenaged boy, with a LARGE semi-automatic weapon slung across the front of his body, his hands raised, walking away from a crowd of protesters, can walk TOWARDS police in armored vehicles, have the police ask him if people behind him are hurt, that teen WITH THE BIG GUN answers in the affirmative that YES, people behind him have been hurt, others are shouting TO THE POLICE about the teen WITH THE BIG GUN that he just shot people, and the WHITE TEEN WITH THE BIG GUN just gets to walk on past, unmolested by those same police?
It took police in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois to apprehend him?!?
Here is what we know about him now. His name is Kyle Rittenhouse, and he is being charged with first degree murder.
Kyle Rittenhouse drove across state lines with his AR-15, put on latex gloves to prevent gunpower residue on his hands, and murdered two people.
That shit was NOT self defense.
That was pre-meditated murder. — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) August 26, 2020
We know he looooooves President Trump.
NEW: Kyle Howard Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who was charged with shooting and killing two people and injuring another in Kenosha during protests for Jacob Blake appeared in the front row at a Donald Trump rally in January, BuzzFeed reports.https://t.co/CNM2UZFCCg — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 26, 2020
We know he fancies himself quite the ammosexual militia dude. Seems a bit of a misogynist, too, just for fun. His TikTok handle was @4doorsmorewhores. Isn't that sweet?
Tonight's shooter Kyle Rittenhouse was recorded on video receiving water and being thanked by the police for being out there to help.
The police are claiming they dont know who the shooter is yet.
But they know him well, he's a Public Safety Cadet. pic.twitter.com/WD9lX58uxo — Clint Kamstra (@ClintKamstra) August 26, 2020
But just for some real perspective...


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--Jared Kushner Runs Away After Suggesting NBA Players Are 'Privileged'

CBS White House correspondent Paula Reid noted on Twitter : `` Jared Kushner refuses to answer questions from @ Yamiche or myself about # JacobBlake # HurricanLaura or new # coronavirus testing guidelines , after he spoke with CNBC . ''
Jared Kushner to CNBC : `` The NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they 're able to take a night off from work without having to have the consequences to themselves financially . ''
Wow .
`` Take a night off from work . ''
Wow .
pic.twitter.com/jrI7ICIDgu Jared Kushner made $ 135 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump advisor ... he does not speak got working Americans .
He needs to keep LeBron 's name out his damn mouth .
https : //t.co/1aRHezU3QE Jared , who made at least $ 36 million last year and has real estate holdings worth between $ 204 million and $ 783 million , wants to speak derisively about the financial situation of others .
https : //t.co/oWuzh1DgXC It 's pretty obvious who is `` checking out '' from work .
Jared is looking for a lifeboat on which he and his wife and kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shitshow with their money .
Their massive , massive , amount of grifted money .

CBS White House correspondent Paula Reid noted on Twitter: "Jared Kushner refuses to answer questions from @Yamiche or myself about #JacobBlake #HurricanLaura or new #coronavirus testing guidelines, after he spoke with CNBC."
The CNBC interview with Kushner was...special.
Jared Kushner to CNBC: "The NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they're able to take a night off from work without having to have the consequences to themselves financially."
Wow. "Take a night off from work." Wow. pic.twitter.com/jrI7ICIDgu — The Recount (@therecount) August 27, 2020
Jared Kushner made $135 million last year despite being an unpaid Trump advisor...he does not speak got working Americans. He needs to keep LeBron's name out his damn mouth. https://t.co/1aRHezU3QE — BlackWomenViews Media (@blackwomenviews) August 27, 2020
Jared, who made at least $36 million last year and has real estate holdings worth between $204 million and $783 million, wants to speak derisively about the financial situation of others. https://t.co/oWuzh1DgXC — Mikah O’Mara (@MikahMiriam) August 27, 2020
It's pretty obvious who is "checking out" from work. Jared is looking for a lifeboat on which he and his wife and kids can sail away from the White House shitshow with their money. Their massive, massive, amount of grifted money.


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--Tucker Carlson Lets His Viewers Know: It's Perfectly Understandable If You Kill People

Tucker Carlson is a very dangerous man , and last night he reminded me why .
He always oh so carefully phrases his comments , walks right up to the line but does n't quite cross it , but manages to push all those stochastic buttons .
You can read the transcripts , and it all sounds relatively harmless , but his viewers always know exactly what he means .
And he knows it .
He 's good at it !
Like this , last night , after Kyle Rittenhouse , a 17-year-old white militia member , shot and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into anarchy because the authorities abandoned the people .
Those in charge , from the governor on down , refused to enforce the law .
They ’ ve stood back and watched Kenosha burn .
Are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder ?
Good old stochastic terrorism !
Keeps your hands completely clean while someone else does the dirty work , amirite ?
Are we surprised ?
Yes , Tucker .
Decent people were surprised .
People were actually shocked , and called for his firing : Hillary was @ @ @ @ @ @

Tucker Carlson is a very dangerous man, and last night he reminded me why. He always oh so carefully phrases his comments, walks right up to the line but doesn't quite cross it, but manages to push all those stochastic buttons. You can read the transcripts, and it all sounds relatively harmless, but his viewers always know exactly what he means.
And he knows it. He's good at it!
Like this, last night, after Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old white militia member, shot and killed two men in Kenosha:
Kenosha devolved into anarchy because the authorities abandoned the people. Those in charge, from the governor on down, refused to enforce the law. They’ve stood back and watched Kenosha burn. Are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder?
Good old stochastic terrorism! Keeps your hands completely clean while someone else does the dirty work, amirite?
Are we surprised? Yes, Tucker. Decent people were surprised.
People were actually shocked, and called for his firing:
I will answer @TuckerCarlson. My daughter was killed by an 18 year with an AR 15. Just walked into her school. Tucker, you are a fucking lunatic who will get people killed. I hope advertisers dropp you immediately today. You should be removed for the safety of our kids. https://t.co/uclTKu2zkZ — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 27, 2020
This goes beyond being provocateurs. Ann Coulter, Tucker Carlson and Fox News are encouraging Americans to murder one another. pic.twitter.com/uVp2jxG1Iv — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) August 27, 2020
If you want to begin to understand how casually Tucker Carlson was able to excuse a double homicide here’s a sampling of how Tucker has covered the BLM movement this summer. https://t.co/xBx9WxvuVH — nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) August 27, 2020
It's strange that Josh Hawley and Tucker Carlson would show such undisguised contempt for Tucker's viewers by lying in their faces so brazenly, but I guess both of them have their reasons for wanting to keep telling this lie. https://t.co/Y8OENF9ZpR — Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 27, 2020
Tucker Carlson suggests teen charged with killing Kenosha protesters had to "maintain order when no one else would" https://t.co/O5HWBLnLMo — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 27, 2020
Today in the Penzey’s Spices newsletter: someone wrote to Bill Penzey (who lives near Kenosha) saying “you’d be more angry about looting if it was your store being looted.” Bill: “would I tho” pic.twitter.com/2XFV3Hr1A0 — Helen R. (@hels) August 27, 2020
Hillary was right. They are deplorables.


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--Daniel Dale On Convention Lies: 'It's Hard For Me To Know Where To Start'

This was a response to last night 's RNC sh*tshow we can all relate to .
Anderson Cooper asked Daniel Dale what kind of fact-checking he had .
`` Anderson , there is just so much dishonesty and inaccuracy at this convention , it 's hard for me to know where to start , '' Dale said .
`` It 's not just big things , on broad revisionism on the pandemic .
It 's inaccuracy , carelessness .
Lara Trump cites a fake Abraham Lincoln quote .
A number of false claims from vice president Mike Pence .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because of them we now have veterans choice .
`` As I said over and over , Obama signed that Choice law in 2014 .
Trump signed a 2018 law that modified and expanded the Choice program but did not create it .
`` Trump boasted twice that Trump had , quote , 'suspended all travel from China . '
He did n't .
He imposed a partial travel restriction that contained multiple exemptions .
Tens of thousands of people kept coming over after that .
`` Pence said Biden wants open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it 's just wrong .
I think it 's also notable how speakers like Laura Trump pretend that the pandemic did not happen at all .
She said that 4.3 million new jobs have been created for women .
Well , it was a gain of about 4 million since January 17 , as of March .
Then we had a crash .
As of July , women have lost a net over 3 million jobs during Trump 's presidency .
`` We also heard more wildly inaccurate attempts to smear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of Congress promote the same socialism my father fought against in World War II .
The U.S. was n't fighting any actual socialists in World War II .
The Nazis called themselves national socialists .
They were n't anything like Bernie Sanders , who , by the way , had family members killed in the Holocaust .
They were genocidal , totalitarian .
`` We had Congresswoman Elise Stefanik call Trump 's impeachment illegal .
Come on , it 's legal .
Impeachment is in the constitution .
Like Trump himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands by Americans with pre-existing conditions .
`` Look , Trump has repeatedly tried to get bills passed to weaken Obamacare 's protections for people with pre-existing conditions and he 's currently in court fighting to get the entirety of Obamacare overturned .
Now , he has promised some sort of executive order protecting people , but it has n't come yet , and Anderson , that certainly does n't change his history on the subject . ''

This was a response to last night's RNC sh*tshow we can all relate to. Anderson Cooper asked Daniel Dale what kind of fact-checking he had.
"Anderson, there is just so much dishonesty and inaccuracy at this convention, it's hard for me to know where to start," Dale said.
"It's not just big things, on broad revisionism on the pandemic. It's inaccuracy, carelessness. Lara Trump cites a fake Abraham Lincoln quote. A number of false claims from vice president Mike Pence. He repeated one of Trump's own lies.
Because of them we now have veterans choice.
"As I said over and over, Obama signed that Choice law in 2014. Trump signed a 2018 law that modified and expanded the Choice program but did not create it.
"Trump boasted twice that Trump had, quote, 'suspended all travel from China.' He didn't. He imposed a partial travel restriction that contained multiple exemptions. Tens of thousands of people kept coming over after that.
"Pence said Biden wants open borders. I know this is rhetoric, but it's just wrong. I think it's also notable how speakers like Laura Trump pretend that the pandemic did not happen at all. She said that 4.3 million new jobs have been created for women. Well, it was a gain of about 4 million since January 17, as of March. Then we had a crash. As of July, women have lost a net over 3 million jobs during Trump's presidency.
"We also heard more wildly inaccurate attempts to smear Democrats as extremists. Said that popular members of Congress promote the same socialism my father fought against in World War II. The U.S. wasn't fighting any actual socialists in World War II. The Nazis called themselves national socialists. They weren't anything like Bernie Sanders, who, by the way, had family members killed in the Holocaust. They were genocidal, totalitarian.
"We had Congresswoman Elise Stefanik call Trump's impeachment illegal. Come on, it's legal. Impeachment is in the constitution. Like Trump himself, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claiming that Trump stands by Americans with pre-existing conditions.
"Look, Trump has repeatedly tried to get bills passed to weaken Obamacare's protections for people with pre-existing conditions and he's currently in court fighting to get the entirety of Obamacare overturned. Now, he has promised some sort of executive order protecting people, but it hasn't come yet, and Anderson, that certainly doesn't change his history on the subject."


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--CDC Changes COVID Testing Rules While Dr. Fauci Was Having Surgery

Donald Trump has been pushing the CDC to change their testing guidelines and recommendations for COVID based on his desire to lower the overall positive number of cases ahead of the election .
So , the CDC did his bidding - on the exact day that Dr. Fauci was under anesthesia , having surgery for throat polyps .
CNN reports that the COVID Task Force meeting occurred on August 20th and during this meeting , they updated their guidelines to reflect the position that `` asymptomatic people may not need to be tested for Covid-19 , even if they 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person . ''
`` I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations .
I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern .
In fact it is . ''
As a reminder , the Washington Post reported that up to 40 % of people with COVID are asymptomatic !
And now the CDC does n't want them tested at all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around infecting everyone .
This is NOT a good recommendation , unless you are trying to desperately win reelection and the only way you think you can do that is by lying to the entire country about the numbers of cases going down .
Just a reminder : the virus does not care about polls or testing .
It will infect whoever it wants .
Dr. Fauci told Dr. Sanjay Gupta that the CDC was pressured `` from the top down '' to change the testing guidelines .
When asked about this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newest coronavirus testing point person ( aka paid liar ) told reporters on Wednesday that `` the new guidelines had the White House Coronavirus Task Force 's stamp of approval . ''
Of course they do .
Trump asked for them .
When asked if Dr. Fauci signed off on them , Giroir flat-out lied by saying : `` Yes , all the docs signed off on this before it even got to the task force level .
We worked on this all together to make sure that there was absolute consensus that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best public health for the American people . ''
The new guidelines were `` quietly published on the CDC website on Monday '' , in an apparent effort to fly under the radar .
But , the media caught on almost immediately .
Many state officials , including Governor Cuomo ( NY ) and Governor Newsom ( CA ) have already publicly stated that they will not follow these guidelines .
Not testing does n't mean the cases go away .
It just means we wo n't know about them .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .

Donald Trump has been pushing the CDC to change their testing guidelines and recommendations for COVID based on his desire to lower the overall positive number of cases ahead of the election. So, the CDC did his bidding - on the exact day that Dr. Fauci was under anesthesia, having surgery for throat polyps.
CNN reports that the COVID Task Force meeting occurred on August 20th and during this meeting, they updated their guidelines to reflect the position that "asymptomatic people may not need to be tested for Covid-19, even if they've been in close contact with an infected person."
Dr. Fauci said:
"I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations. I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact it is."
As a reminder, the Washington Post reported that up to 40% of people with COVID are asymptomatic! And now the CDC doesn't want them tested at all, so they are literally going to walk around infecting everyone. This is NOT a good recommendation, unless you are trying to desperately win reelection and the only way you think you can do that is by lying to the entire country about the numbers of cases going down.
Just a reminder: the virus does not care about polls or testing. It will infect whoever it wants.
Dr. Fauci told Dr. Sanjay Gupta that the CDC was pressured "from the top down" to change the testing guidelines. When asked about this, Admiral Brett Giroir, the administration's newest coronavirus testing point person (aka paid liar) told reporters on Wednesday that "the new guidelines had the White House Coronavirus Task Force's stamp of approval."
Of course they do. Trump asked for them.
When asked if Dr. Fauci signed off on them, Giroir flat-out lied by saying: "Yes, all the docs signed off on this before it even got to the task force level. We worked on this all together to make sure that there was absolute consensus that reflected the best possible evidence, and the best public health for the American people."
The new guidelines were "quietly published on the CDC website on Monday", in an apparent effort to fly under the radar. But, the media caught on almost immediately. Many state officials, including Governor Cuomo (NY) and Governor Newsom (CA) have already publicly stated that they will not follow these guidelines.
Not testing doesn't mean the cases go away. It just means we won't know about them. And that does nothing to stop the spread of the virus.


crooksandliars--2020-08-27--Former Sheriff David Clarke Was Key Fundraiser For Bannon’s ‘We Build The Wall’

As you probably know , last week , Bannon and Kolfage were arrested and charged with lining their own pockets with money donated to their nonprofit for the purpose of building the border wall ( that Trump promised Mexico would pay for ) .
Urban Milwaukee 's Bruce Murphy explains how Clarke ’ s cowboy hat and law-and-order image made him invaluable for getting those donors to pony up .
For instance , in July 2019 Clarke appeared at a “ Summer-Long Wall-a-Thon ” to raise money for We Build the Wall .
As inspiring music played , Clarke offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privately build the wall ” to “ secure our border against illegal immigration , crime , drugs and human smuggling , ” something a tough sheriff like him knew all about , having encountered such problems in Milwaukee , he explained .
“ Never underestimate the determination of the American people when they want to get something done , ” he declared .
“ You can always count on the American people to step up in a moment of crisis.… to dig deep in their pockets , give whatever they can… If American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can ’ t get this thing done . ''
Murphy noted that Clarke also promoted We Build the Wall in Cincinnati , Detroit and Sunland Park , New Mexico .
Clarke posted on Facebook , too , where he wrote about how shocked he was at the immigrant “ burden ” along the Mexican border Clarke may well have had nothing to do with the finances or any fraud .
But he certainly had reasons to be suspicious .
Murphy points out that Clarke was still fronting the group one month after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launching an investigation into it .
There 's also the question of how much Clarke was paid by the nonprofit for his services .
According to Murphy , he “ has a reputation as someone whose services don ’ t come cheap.
” I suspect the donors will be asking that question , too , before long .

As you probably know, last week, Bannon and Kolfage were arrested and charged with lining their own pockets with money donated to their nonprofit for the purpose of building the border wall (that Trump promised Mexico would pay for).
Urban Milwaukee's Bruce Murphy explains how Clarke’s cowboy hat and law-and-order image made him invaluable for getting those donors to pony up.
For instance, in July 2019 Clarke appeared at a “Summer-Long Wall-a-Thon” to raise money for We Build the Wall. As inspiring music played, Clarke offered a rhapsodic call for donations to “privately build the wall” to “secure our border against illegal immigration, crime, drugs and human smuggling,” something a tough sheriff like him knew all about, having encountered such problems in Milwaukee, he explained. “Never underestimate the determination of the American people when they want to get something done,” he declared. “You can always count on the American people to step up in a moment of crisis.… to dig deep in their pockets, give whatever they can… If American people don’t step up, we can’t get this thing done."
Murphy noted that Clarke also promoted We Build the Wall in Cincinnati, Detroit and Sunland Park, New Mexico. Clarke posted on Facebook, too, where he wrote about how shocked he was at the immigrant “burden” along the Mexican border
When you’re looking for a visual to evoke border security, it’s hard to top a cowboy hatted lawman. … Clarke was a certified law enforcement professional, almost out of central casting for selling donors on border security.
Clarke may well have had nothing to do with the finances or any fraud. But he certainly had reasons to be suspicious. Murphy points out that Clarke was still fronting the group one month after the Florida Agriculture Commissioner announced he was launching an investigation into it.
There's also the question of how much Clarke was paid by the nonprofit for his services. According to Murphy, he “has a reputation as someone whose services don’t come cheap.”
I suspect the donors will be asking that question, too, before long.


crooksandliars--2020-08-28--Former Liberty University Student Alleges Coercive Sex Encounter With Becki Falwell

I just want to point out : This is n't a problem because of the sex , or because Becki Falwell seems to be a sexual adventurer .
This is a problem because the Falwells financially benefited from a draconian honor system at Liberty University that resulted in approximately as much money from fines as it did from tuition , and ruined many students ' lives .
( One of the rules , which cover everything from what music you 're allowed to listen to , to what you 're allowed to wear to class , is that sex outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A former Liberty University student says Becki Falwell , the wife of the university ’ s then-President Jerry Falwell Jr. , jumped into bed with him and performed oral sex on him while he stayed over at the Falwell home after a band practice with her eldest son in 2008 .
The student was 22 at the time of the encounter , near the start of Liberty ’ s fall semester .
He said she initiated the act , and he went along with it .
But despite his rejection of further advances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , offering him gifts and engaging in banter through Facebook messages .
“ She was the aggressor , ” he said .
The Falwells , of course , deny it .
But if it 's anything like other sex scandals , the first story opens a floodgate of other , similar stories .
We 'll see .
A comedian named Blair Erskine responded in character as the Falwell 's imaginary daughter :

I just want to point out: This isn't a problem because of the sex, or because Becki Falwell seems to be a sexual adventurer. This is a problem because the Falwells financially benefited from a draconian honor system at Liberty University that resulted in approximately as much money from fines as it did from tuition, and ruined many students' lives. (One of the rules, which cover everything from what music you're allowed to listen to, to what you're allowed to wear to class, is that sex outside of marriage is not acceptable.)
Via Politico:
A former Liberty University student says Becki Falwell, the wife of the university’s then-President Jerry Falwell Jr., jumped into bed with him and performed oral sex on him while he stayed over at the Falwell home after a band practice with her eldest son in 2008. The student was 22 at the time of the encounter, near the start of Liberty’s fall semester. He said she initiated the act, and he went along with it. But despite his rejection of further advances, he said, Falwell continued pursuing him, offering him gifts and engaging in banter through Facebook messages. “She was the aggressor,” he said.
The Falwells, of course, deny it. But if it's anything like other sex scandals, the first story opens a floodgate of other, similar stories. We'll see.
A comedian named Blair Erskine responded in character as the Falwell's imaginary daughter:
I’m the daughter of Jerry and Becki Falwell and I have some things to say!! pic.twitter.com/0FoWqgm5ZU — blaire erskine (@blaireerskine) August 24, 2020
"One of the sex pics problems started when Jerry [Falwell] was sending some nudes of Becki to Ben and accidentally cc’d most of the executive staff of Liberty University." https://t.co/OVX5vQhyy3 — ryan cooper (@ryanlcooper) August 24, 2020
Photo: Donald Trump with Becki Falwell, who serves on the ‘Women for Trump’ advisory board, which also advocates Biblical threesomes with pool boys. pic.twitter.com/0xJalWiaB5 — 𝙑𝙤𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙘 (@JbarGarden) August 24, 2020