crooksandliars--2020-10-12--How Many Times Has The Number Of Seats On The Supreme Court Changed?

Seven times , according to the Constitution Center .
... the Constitution allows for Congress to decide on how many Justices sit on the Supreme Court ’ s bench .
Article III , Section 1 , starts with a broad direction to Congress to establish courts .
“ The judicial Power of the United States , shall be vested in one supreme Court , and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish , ” it reads .
The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the first Supreme Court , with six Justices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled , That the supreme court of the United States shall consist of a chief justice and five associate justices , any four of whom shall be a quorum , and shall hold annually at the seat of government two sessions , the one commencing the first Monday of February , and the other the first Monday of August , ” the act read .
Since 1789 , Congress changed the maximum number of Justices on the Court several times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lame-duck Federalist Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 , which reduced the Court to five Justices in an attempt to limit incoming President Thomas Jefferson ’ s appointments to the high bench .
Jefferson and his Republicans soon repealed that act , putting the Court back to six Justices .
And in 1807 , Jefferson and Congress added a seventh Justice when it added a seventh federal court circuit .
In early 1837 , President Andrew Jackson was able to add two additional Justices after Congress again expanded the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances , Congress created a 10th circuit in 1863 during the Civil War , and it briefly had a 10th Supreme Court Justice .
However , Congress after the war passed legislation in 1866 to reduce the Court to seven Justices .
That only lasted until 1869 , when a new Judiciary Act sponsored by Senator Lyman Trumbull set the number back to nine Justices , with six Justices required at a sitting to form a quorum .
President Ulysses S. Grant eventually signed that legislation and nominated William Strong and Joseph Bradley @ @ @ @ @ @

Seven times, according to the Constitution Center.
... the Constitution allows for Congress to decide on how many Justices sit on the Supreme Court’s bench. Article III, Section 1, starts with a broad direction to Congress to establish courts. “The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish,” it reads.
The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the first Supreme Court, with six Justices. “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the supreme court of the United States shall consist of a chief justice and five associate justices, any four of whom shall be a quorum, and shall hold annually at the seat of government two sessions, the one commencing the first Monday of February, and the other the first Monday of August,” the act read.
Since 1789, Congress changed the maximum number of Justices on the Court several times. In 1801, President John Adams and a lame-duck Federalist Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801, which reduced the Court to five Justices in an attempt to limit incoming President Thomas Jefferson’s appointments to the high bench. Jefferson and his Republicans soon repealed that act, putting the Court back to six Justices. And in 1807, Jefferson and Congress added a seventh Justice when it added a seventh federal court circuit.
In early 1837, President Andrew Jackson was able to add two additional Justices after Congress again expanded the number of federal circuit court districts. Under different circumstances, Congress created a 10th circuit in 1863 during the Civil War, and it briefly had a 10th Supreme Court Justice. However, Congress after the war passed legislation in 1866 to reduce the Court to seven Justices. That only lasted until 1869, when a new Judiciary Act sponsored by Senator Lyman Trumbull set the number back to nine Justices, with six Justices required at a sitting to form a quorum. President Ulysses S. Grant eventually signed that legislation and nominated William Strong and Joseph Bradley to the newly restored seats.


crooksandliars--2020-10-12--CDC Wanted A Mask Mandate For Planes, Trains, And Buses But Mike Pence Killed It

There are points in the story of handling COVID-19 where the Trump White House appears to be merely incompetent .
Points where newspapers pull out the word “ bungled , ” and broadcasters tsk-tsk regretfully over opportunities lost .
However , there are also moments when the nation is forcefully reminded that Donald Trump did not bungle the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic ; he stood down that response deliberately , making a conscious choice to back away from providing testing , contact tracing , or any federal restrictions .
He did so because he thought it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die , then blame their deaths on others .
That wasn ’ t an accident .
That was the plan .
Friday evening brought a fresh reminder of that fact as The New York Times reported that in September , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prepared a response to rising cases of COVID-19 across the nation , and to fresh evidence that the virus is particularly dangerous inside the kind of tight quarters involved in most forms of transportation .
That order would have required both passengers and crew on planes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation to wear masks .
Right now , both the rules and the enforcement are left to individual localities or companies , resulting in frequent arguments , delays that endanger an already fragile transportation system , and Republican politicians smugly baring their faces mid-flight .
But even though the mask mandate was limited to transportation , and had the support of not just the CDC but other experts on the Coronavirus Task Force , “ Mike Pence declined to even discuss it.
” Pence understands that his role at the head of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening .
He ’ s performed that role well .
Instead , a task force official indicated that any decision on masks would be left up to state and local officials .
Which is exactly the kind of ridiculous system that has left airlines and Amtrak attempting to police unruly Trump supporters set on flouting company regulations .
Are passengers on a plane passing over a state with a mask mandate required to don them ?
If they fly over a state where the governor refuses to issue such a mandate , can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural of any transportation is exactly why interstate trains , buses , and planes are regulated at the federal level .
The argument might just as well be made that each state should set up its own FAA and develop its own set of safety guidelines .
Though … Republicans might actually support that proposition .
In insisting that the decision on masks mandates be left up to localities , the unnamed task force official made another of those unintentionally ironic statements by claiming that the approach taken “ in New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Alabama.
” And that local officials know best how the pandemic is affecting their areas .
First , it ’ s worth noting that both Alabama and Montana are seeing much more rapid growth of COVID-19 cases than New York .
Alabama already has a higher number of cases per population , and a much higher number of currently active cases than New York .
Both Alabama and Montana are currently showing over 10 % positive rates on testing .
New York is showing 1.2 % .
If state and local officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat in their area , both Alabama and Montana would have applied restrictions at least as great as those in force for New York by this point .
They haven ’ t .
Because state and local officials in Republican states are not responding to the level of threat .
They ’ re responding to the signals from Trump that tell them not to respond .
Second , a train crossing the nation from one coast to another is not defined by the level of virus activity at any point along the line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of infection on the train .
By the level of virus among passengers confined to small areas with limited circulation for long hours .
The same thing applies to buses .
And to planes .
Even if those vehicles are passing through , or arriving , at a location where the level of new cases is low , it doesn ’ t matter if the transport itself is a moving superspreader event .
But of course , not just ignoring the outbreak , but demeaning the CDC has become standard operations at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve overruled directives emerging from the agency repeatedly , even going so far as to have a pair of HHS officials directly alter CDC guidelines on testing to suggest that people who have been exposed don ’ t need to be tested unless they also exhibit symptoms .
It ’ s all part of why the United States topped 60,000 new cases on Friday—the highest value since early August—and why the level of COVID-19 deaths continues to average over 900 Americans a day .

There are points in the story of handling COVID-19 where the Trump White House appears to be merely incompetent. Points where newspapers pull out the word “bungled,” and broadcasters tsk-tsk regretfully over opportunities lost. However, there are also moments when the nation is forcefully reminded that Donald Trump did not bungle the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic; he stood down that response deliberately, making a conscious choice to back away from providing testing, contact tracing, or any federal restrictions. He did so because he thought it would be politically expedient to allow more people to die, then blame their deaths on others. That wasn’t an accident. That was the plan.
Friday evening brought a fresh reminder of that fact as The New York Times reported that in September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prepared a response to rising cases of COVID-19 across the nation, and to fresh evidence that the virus is particularly dangerous inside the kind of tight quarters involved in most forms of transportation. That order would have required both passengers and crew on planes, buses, and trains across the nation to wear masks. Right now, both the rules and the enforcement are left to individual localities or companies, resulting in frequent arguments, delays that endanger an already fragile transportation system, and Republican politicians smugly baring their faces mid-flight.
But even though the mask mandate was limited to transportation, and had the support of not just the CDC but other experts on the Coronavirus Task Force, “Mike Pence declined to even discuss it.”
Pence understands that his role at the head of the task force is to stop anything from happening. He’s performed that role well.
Instead, a task force official indicated that any decision on masks would be left up to state and local officials. Which is exactly the kind of ridiculous system that has left airlines and Amtrak attempting to police unruly Trump supporters set on flouting company regulations. Are passengers on a plane passing over a state with a mask mandate required to don them? If they fly over a state where the governor refuses to issue such a mandate, can they take them off? The transient natural of any transportation is exactly why interstate trains, buses, and planes are regulated at the federal level.
The argument might just as well be made that each state should set up its own FAA and develop its own set of safety guidelines. Though … Republicans might actually support that proposition.
In insisting that the decision on masks mandates be left up to localities, the unnamed task force official made another of those unintentionally ironic statements by claiming that the approach taken “in New York City is different than Montana, or Tuscaloosa, Alabama.” And that local officials know best how the pandemic is affecting their areas.
First, it’s worth noting that both Alabama and Montana are seeing much more rapid growth of COVID-19 cases than New York. Alabama already has a higher number of cases per population, and a much higher number of currently active cases than New York. Both Alabama and Montana are currently showing over 10% positive rates on testing. New York is showing 1.2%. If state and local officials were actually responding to the level of threat in their area, both Alabama and Montana would have applied restrictions at least as great as those in force for New York by this point. They haven’t. Because state and local officials in Republican states are not responding to the level of threat. They’re responding to the signals from Trump that tell them not to respond.
Second, a train crossing the nation from one coast to another is not defined by the level of virus activity at any point along the line. It’s defined by the level of infection on the train. By the level of virus among passengers confined to small areas with limited circulation for long hours. The same thing applies to buses. And to planes. Even if those vehicles are passing through, or arriving, at a location where the level of new cases is low, it doesn’t matter if the transport itself is a moving superspreader event.
But of course, not just ignoring the outbreak, but demeaning the CDC has become standard operations at the Trump White House. They’ve overruled directives emerging from the agency repeatedly, even going so far as to have a pair of HHS officials directly alter CDC guidelines on testing to suggest that people who have been exposed don’t need to be tested unless they also exhibit symptoms.
It’s all part of why the United States topped 60,000 new cases on Friday—the highest value since early August—and why the level of COVID-19 deaths continues to average over 900 Americans a day.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-10-12--Amy Ford, Nurse Who Spoke For Trump At RNC, Arrested In Shooting

So , a West Virginia nurse was dispatched to Texas and New York during the pandemic , spoke at the Republican National Convention .
I mean , that ’ s kinda a big deal to get to speak at a national convention .
And then she went out and shot somebody .
Amy Ford is also known as Amy Thorn .
Police said Thorn shot Jonda Whitt in the abdomen during an argument , WCHS reported .
Williamson Police Chief Grady Dotson said Thorn claimed she had become fearful for her safety and had told Whitt she had a gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and got the gun out of the car , ” Dotson said , local news outlet the Mingo Messenger reported .
Okay , here ’ s where I am confused .
If it was self defense , why did you have to go to your car to get a gun ?
Why didn ’ t you go to your car to get … the hell out Dodge .
She shot the woman in the gut .
I do not know where she was aiming .
She was charged with malicious wounding .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We don ’ t have that in Texas .
However , I suspect it ’ s a felony so she ’ ll feel right at home with the Trump administration .

So, a West Virginia nurse was dispatched to Texas and New York during the pandemic, spoke at the Republican National Convention. I mean, that’s kinda a big deal to get to speak at a national convention.
“As a healthcare professional, I can tell you without hesitation, Donald Trump’s quick action and leadership saved thousands of lives during COVID-19,” said Amy Ford, a registered nurse.
And then she went out and shot somebody.
Seriously.
Amy Ford is also known as Amy Thorn.
Police said Thorn shot Jonda Whitt in the abdomen during an argument, WCHS reported. Williamson Police Chief Grady Dotson said Thorn claimed she had become fearful for her safety and had told Whitt she had a gun. “She went to the car and got the gun out of the car,” Dotson said, local news outlet the Mingo Messenger reported.
Okay, here’s where I am confused. If it was self defense, why did you have to go to your car to get a gun? Why didn’t you go to your car to get … the hell out Dodge.
She shot the woman in the gut. I do not know where she was aiming. She was charged with malicious wounding. I don’t know what that is. We don’t have that in Texas. However, I suspect it’s a felony so she’ll feel right at home with the Trump administration.
Posted with permission from JuanitaJean.com


crooksandliars--2020-10-12--Joe Biden Breathes Fire In Toledo, Ohio: 'Trump Turned His Back On You!'

Joe Biden breathed populist fire in Toledo , Ohio Monday with a speech aimed straight at the heart of those disgruntled Democrats who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 .
After pointing out that Trump has not convened a working group from Congress to craft a coronavirus relief bill , Biden 's voice rose .
`` He spent too much time in the bunker of his golf course than in the Oval Office , '' he taunted .
And then came the thunder .
`` He ’ s turned his back on you , '' he shouted .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best part of these car rally appearances are the honks that come back to him as applause .
You love to see it .
His full remarks as prepared for delivery are below .
Mr. Mayor , thanks for the passport to the city .
Thank you , Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur , for being here .
There ’ s no more fierce defender for people she grew up with than Marcy .
She ’ s never forgotten where she came from .
She ’ s tough .
She ’ s a straight shooter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress .
And she sees you .
To Tony Totty , President of Local 14 , thanks for hosting .
And Kenyatta , thanks for that introduction and all you did for Barack and me – getting us elected and helping us govern .
You remind me of something my Dad used to say , “ Joey , a job is about a lot more than a paycheck .
It ’ s about dignity .
It ’ s about your place in the community .
It ’ s about being able to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that everything will be ok — and mean it.
” That ’ s a lesson I grew up with surrounded by hard-working families in Scranton , Pennsylvania , and Claymont , Delaware .
Just like here in Toledo .
But times are hard .
Unemployment is way up due to the pandemic .
The economic outlook remains uncertain across Ohio and the country , folks are worried about making their next rent or mortgage payment , whether or not they can purchase their prescription or put food on the table .
Worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people at the very top doing better than ever , while they ’ re left to wonder : “ who ’ s looking out for me ?
” Experts say we ’ ll lose nearly another 200,000 lives in the next few months .
All because this President is only worried about the stock market , because he refuses to follow science .
It ’ s estimated that if we just wore masks nationally we ’ d save almost 100,000 lives over the next few months .
In his own words , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was briefed in detail by the intelligence community that this was an extremely dangerous and communicable disease .
He went on a taped interview with Bob Woodward , the journalist , telling him he knew how dangerous this disease was .
But he did nothing .
Ask yourselves , why didn ’ t he tell the country ?
He said nothing .
He told Bob Woodward that he didn ’ t want to panic the American public .
We don ’ t panic .
But he did .
His reckless personal conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the longer Donald Trump is president , the more reckless he gets .
Dr. Fauci referred to the President ’ s announcement to the Supreme Court in the Rose Garden as a super spreader event .
And how is he responding ?
He had said way back in March referring to public health officials , “ I can ’ t imagine that anybody could be doing more.
” Yet Trump and his campaign deliberately lied–making it sound like Fauci was talking about him .
Fauci went public after the ad came out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give permission to use that quote.
” He wasn ’ t referring to the President .
And even after Fauci said that he did not say that , Trump and the campaign said they would continue to use the ad , knowing it was a lie .
As a consequence to this overwhelming lying , misleading , and irresponsible action on the part of Donald Trump , how many empty chairs are there around the dinner table because of his negligence ?
I view this campaign between Scranton and Park Avenue .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street .
That ’ s why the only metric of American prosperity that he values is the Dow Jones .
Like a lot of you , I spent a lot of my life with guys like Donald Trump looking down on me , guys who thought they were better than me because they had a lot of money .
Guys who inherited everything they ever got and still managed to squander it .
I have to admit , I ’ ve still got a little chip on my shoulder about it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I got elected , I ’ d be the first guy in a long time to be elected President without an Ivy League degree , like somehow a state school guy couldn ’ t do the job .
Folks , I know what it takes to be president .
My Mom taught me what you were probably taught too .
She ’ d say , “ Joey , no one is better than you .
And everyone is your equal.
” I don ’ t measure people by the size of their bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people based on whether they own a mansion , and I don ’ t judge their worth based on what country club they belong to .
You and I measure people by the strength of their character , honesty , recognizing some things are bigger than their own self interest .
For us , it ’ s about family .
Decency .
Honor .
Opportunity .
Those are the values I learned growing up in Scranton .
And my guess is those are the values you learned too .
The people I grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have money in stocks .
In our house , growing up , every penny my dad made went to pay our bills and take care of our family , and we looked out for our neighbors .
That ’ s why I have a different measure by which I judge the health of the American economy .
I see the hard working women and men who are just trying to earn an honest living and take care of their families .
We ’ re not asking for anything — just a shot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the American people have never ever let their country down .
Just think back to 2008 : Barack and I were elected and inherited the worst recession short of the Great Depression .
He put me in charge of the Recovery Act .
$ 800 billion needed to get out to save our economy .
We did it with less than two tenths percent of waste or fraud , and we were able to see to it that Ohio and the other states received substantial assistance to address the economic pain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure we kept teachers , firefighters , cops , public nurses , on the job .
So they didn ’ t have to be fired because of the lack of money .
We started the longest sustained recovery in American history .
But you know what Mitch McConnell said recently about helping the states ?
He said “ let them go bankrupt.
” We ’ ve heard that before , right ?
Republicans said the same thing about the auto industry .
The auto industry that supported 1 in 8 Ohioans was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ten years ago , but you remember it like it was yesterday .
But Barack and I bet on you , the American worker , and it paid off .
I argued the American auto worker was the finest auto worker in the world .
They didn ’ t make the mistake .
Management did .
And so over the objection of many , we stepped in and rescued the automobile industry .
General Motors and Chrysler .
Saving one million jobs .
And then what happened when Donald Trump came to office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Lordstown — “ Don ’ t move , don ’ t sell your house.
” But Lordstown shut down on Trump ’ s watch .
After the debate in Cleveland , I met with an elementary school teacher from Lordstown .
Her husband was one of the workers who lost his job .
He had to accept a transfer to a plant 8-hours away to maintain his healthcare and pension .
He now drives 16 hours every weekend to see her and their two kids .
He betrayed union workers at Goodyear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their tires based on a personal grudge .
He passed a tax bill for the super wealthy and corporations that actually provided incentives for companies to move jobs and production overseas .
Folks , manufacturing is the backbone of our economy .
But we were in a manufacturing recession because of Donald Trump , even before COVID hit .
We ’ re down 647,000 manufacturing jobs nationwide since the crisis started .
There are still 10,900 lost auto manufacturing jobs in Ohio that have not come back .
The Trump presidency will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave office with fewer jobs than when it began .
And Donald Trump ’ s only plan is more tax cuts for the super wealthy .
$ 30 Billion just for the gains the hundred richest billionaires have made this year alone .
In the middle of this pandemic , why do the Republicans have the time to hold a hearing on the Supreme Court instead of providing the significant economic need to localities ?
I ’ ll tell you why .
It ’ s all about wiping the Affordable Care Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said in the past — that the law should be struck down .
His relentless effort to eliminate the Affordable Care Act which provided health coverage for 20 million people — and protections for over 100 million people with preexisting conditions .
And he has even pledged to “ terminate ” the tax that is dedicated to financing Social Security .
You know what that ’ ll do ?
The Social Security Actuary says it could lead to Social Security going bankrupt by the middle of 2023 .
And not once has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Democrats and Republicans to the White House to deliver a new COVID relief package for working families and small business owners .
He spent too much time in the bunker of his golf course than in the Oval Office .
He ’ s turned his back on you .
I will never do that .
That ’ s why my Build Back Better plan — is built around a simple concept : It ’ s time we reward hard work in America , not wealth .
An independent analysis put out by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street firm , projects that my plan will create 18.6 million jobs — 7 million more jobs than the President ’ s economic plan and $ 1 trillion more in economic growth than the President ’ s plan .
I ’ m not going to raise taxes on anyone who makes less than $ 400,000 a year — you won ’ t pay a penny more .
In fact , tens of millions of middle-class families will get tax cuts when you need it most : when you are raising your children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying your first home , or saving for retirement .
But I ’ ll ask big corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share .
The money we raise will allow us to invest in working people and growing the middle class and make sure everyone is included in the deal .
My plan will create millions of good-paying union jobs in manufacturing building the products and technologies we will need now and in the future .
It starts with a pretty basic idea : when we spend taxpayer money , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and support American jobs .
During my first term alone , we ’ ll invest $ 400 billion to purchase American-made products and materials we need to modernize our infrastructure , replenish our critical stockpiles , and enhance our national security .
Roads , bridges , ports .
1.5 million new affordable housing units .
High-speech broadband , for every American household — more important than ever .
$ 100 billion to rebuild crumbling schools .
Retrofit 4 million buildings , weatherize 2 million homes .
All done by certified union labor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump incentives for sending jobs overseas .
Any company that offshores jobs will pay a 10 percent penalty .
But any company that brings jobs back , or reopens a closed factory — like a manufacturing plant — will get a 10 percent credit off that investment .
We ’ ll have a trade strategy that fights for every American worker and every American job and actually gets results .
Not Trump ’ s chaotic trade threats , erratic tweets , and bluster that ’ s only stiffed American workers and consumers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will stand up to China ’ s trade abuses .
I will invest in you .
Because I know no one can outcompete the American worker when you ’ re given a fair shot .
And one more thing .
The United States government owns and maintains an enormous fleet of vehicles .
We ’ re going to convert those government fleets to electric vehicles — made and sourced right here in the United States of America .
With the government providing the demand and supports to re-tool factories that are struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will step up .
It ’ ll expand capacity so that the United States — not China — leads the world in clean vehicle production .
And we ’ re going to make it easier for American consumers to switch to fuel efficient vehicles .
By building a network of 500,000 charging stations across the country , and by offering consumer rebates to swap older , fuel inefficient vehicles for new , clean , American-made models .
Together , this will mean one million good new jobs in the American auto industry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can do anything .
We are America .
Nothing can stop us .
We just have to come together .
That ’ s why I ’ m running as a proud Democrat — but I will govern as an American president .
We can be better than what we ’ ve seen .
We can be what we are at our best — the United States of America .
God bless you .
May God protect our troops .

Joe Biden breathed populist fire in Toledo, Ohio Monday with a speech aimed straight at the heart of those disgruntled Democrats who voted for Donald Trump in 2016.
After pointing out that Trump has not convened a working group from Congress to craft a coronavirus relief bill, Biden's voice rose.
"He spent too much time in the bunker of his golf course than in the Oval Office," he taunted.
And then came the thunder. "He’s turned his back on you," he shouted. "I will never do that!"
The best part of these car rally appearances are the honks that come back to him as applause. You love to see it.
His full remarks as prepared for delivery are below.
Hello, Toledo!
Mr. Mayor, thanks for the passport to the city.
Thank you, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, for being here.
There’s no more fierce defender for people she grew up with than Marcy.
She’s never forgotten where she came from. She’s tough. She’s a straight shooter. She’s influential in the Congress. And she sees you.
To Tony Totty, President of Local 14, thanks for hosting.
And Kenyatta, thanks for that introduction and all you did for Barack and me – getting us elected and helping us govern.
You remind me of something my Dad used to say, “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about dignity. It’s about your place in the community. It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say that everything will be ok — and mean it.”
That’s a lesson I grew up with surrounded by hard-working families in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware. Just like here in Toledo.
But times are hard. Unemployment is way up due to the pandemic.
The economic outlook remains uncertain across Ohio and the country, folks are worried about making their next rent or mortgage payment, whether or not they can purchase their prescription or put food on the table.
Worried about school and their kids.
They see the people at the very top doing better than ever, while they’re left to wonder: “who’s looking out for me?”
That’s Donald Trump’s presidency.
215,000 dead because of COVID-19.
Experts say we’ll lose nearly another 200,000 lives in the next few months.
All because this President is only worried about the stock market, because he refuses to follow science.
It’s estimated that if we just wore masks nationally we’d save almost 100,000 lives over the next few months.
In his own words, this President knew back in January when he was briefed in detail by the intelligence community that this was an extremely dangerous and communicable disease.
He went on a taped interview with Bob Woodward, the journalist, telling him he knew how dangerous this disease was.
But he did nothing.
Ask yourselves, why didn’t he tell the country?
He said nothing.
He told Bob Woodward that he didn’t want to panic the American public.
We don’t panic. But he did.
His reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis, is unconscionable.
And the longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets.
Dr. Fauci referred to the President’s announcement to the Supreme Court in the Rose
Garden as a super spreader event.
And how is he responding?
He’s running a national ad, quoting Dr. Fauci out of context.
He had said way back in March referring to public health officials, “I can’t imagine that anybody could be doing more.”
Yet Trump and his campaign deliberately lied–making it sound like Fauci was talking about him.
Fauci went public after the ad came out, saying, “I did not give permission to use that quote.”
He wasn’t referring to the President.
And even after Fauci said that he did not say that, Trump and the campaign said they would continue to use the ad, knowing it was a lie.
As a consequence to this overwhelming lying, misleading, and irresponsible action on the part of
Donald Trump, how many empty chairs are there around the dinner table because of his negligence?
I view this campaign between Scranton and Park Avenue.
Between Toledo and Park Avenue.
All Trump can see from Park Avenue is Wall Street.
That’s why the only metric of American prosperity that he values is the Dow Jones.
Like a lot of you, I spent a lot of my life with guys like Donald Trump looking down on me, guys who thought they were better than me because they had a lot of money.
Guys who inherited everything they ever got and still managed to squander it.
I have to admit, I’ve still got a little chip on my shoulder about it.
I read some stories that said if I got elected, I’d be the first guy in a long time to be elected President without an Ivy League degree, like somehow a state school guy couldn’t do the job.
Folks, I know what it takes to be president.
My Mom taught me what you were probably taught too. She’d say, “Joey, no one is better than you. And everyone is your equal.”
I don’t measure people by the size of their bank account. I don’t respect people based on whether they own a mansion, and I don’t judge their worth based on what country club they belong to.
You and I measure people by the strength of their character, honesty, recognizing some things are bigger than their own self interest.
For us, it’s about family. Decency. Honor. Opportunity.
Those are the values I learned growing up in Scranton.
And my guess is those are the values you learned too.
The people I grew up with in Scranton didn’t have money in stocks.
In our house, growing up, every penny my dad made went to pay our bills and take care of our family, and we looked out for our neighbors.
That’s why I have a different measure by which I judge the health of the American economy.
I see the hard working women and men who are just trying to earn an honest living and take care of their families.
We’re not asking for anything — just a shot.
And you know, given a shot, the American people have never ever let their country down.
Just think back to 2008: Barack and I were elected and inherited the worst recession short of the Great Depression.
He put me in charge of the Recovery Act. $800 billion needed to get out to save our economy.
We did it with less than two tenths percent of waste or fraud, and we were able to see to it that Ohio and the other states received substantial assistance to address the economic pain, recover, and rebuild.
To make sure we kept teachers, firefighters, cops, public nurses, on the job. So they didn’t have to be fired because of the lack of money.
We started the longest sustained recovery in American history.
But you know what Mitch McConnell said recently about helping the states? He said “let them go bankrupt.”
We’ve heard that before, right? Republicans said the same thing about the auto industry.
The auto industry that supported 1 in 8 Ohioans was on the brink. It was more than ten years ago, but you remember it like it was yesterday.
But Barack and I bet on you, the American worker, and it paid off.
I argued the American auto worker was the finest auto worker in the world.
They didn’t make the mistake. Management did.
And so over the objection of many, we stepped in and rescued the automobile industry. General Motors and Chrysler. Saving one million jobs.
And then what happened when Donald Trump came to office?
Remember what Trump said in 2017 in Lordstown — “Don’t move, don’t sell your house.”
But Lordstown shut down on Trump’s watch.
After the debate in Cleveland, I met with an elementary school teacher from Lordstown.
Her husband was one of the workers who lost his job. He had to accept a transfer to a plant 8-hours away to maintain his healthcare and pension.
He now drives 16 hours every weekend to see her and their two kids.
But Donald Trump’s betrayal doesn’t stop there.
He betrayed union workers at Goodyear when he called for a boycott of their tires based on a
personal grudge.
He passed a tax bill for the super wealthy and corporations that actually provided incentives for companies to move jobs and production overseas.
Folks, manufacturing is the backbone of our economy.
But we were in a manufacturing recession because of Donald Trump, even before COVID hit.
We’re down 647,000 manufacturing jobs nationwide since the crisis started.
There are still 10,900 lost auto manufacturing jobs in Ohio that have not come back.
The Trump presidency will be the first presidency in modern American history to leave office with fewer jobs than when it began.
And Donald Trump’s only plan is more tax cuts for the super wealthy.
$30 Billion just for the gains the hundred richest billionaires have made this year alone.
In the middle of this pandemic, why do the Republicans have the time to hold a hearing on the Supreme Court instead of providing the significant economic need to localities?
I’ll tell you why. It’s all about wiping the Affordable Care Act off the books. Because their nominee has said in the past — that the law should be struck down.
His relentless effort to eliminate the Affordable Care Act which provided health coverage for 20 million people — and protections for over 100 million people with preexisting conditions.
And he has even pledged to “terminate” the tax that is dedicated to financing Social Security. You know what that’ll do?
The Social Security Actuary says it could lead to Social Security going bankrupt by the middle of 2023.
And not once has President Trump called a high level meeting with Democrats and Republicans to the White House to deliver a new COVID relief package for working families and small business owners.
He spent too much time in the bunker of his golf course than in the Oval Office.
He’s turned his back on you. I will never do that.
That’s why my Build Back Better plan — is built around a simple concept: It’s time we reward hard work in America, not wealth.
An independent analysis put out by Moody’s, a well-respected Wall Street firm, projects that my plan will create 18.6 million jobs — 7 million more jobs than the President’s economic plan and $1 trillion more in economic growth than the President’s plan.
Here’s how my plan works.
I’m not going to raise taxes on anyone who makes less than $400,000 a year — you won’t pay a penny more.
In fact, tens of millions of middle-class families will get tax cuts when you need it most: when you are raising your children, trying to get affordable health care, buying your first home, or saving for retirement.
But I’ll ask big corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share.
The money we raise will allow us to invest in working people and growing the middle class and make sure everyone is included in the deal.
My plan will create millions of good-paying union jobs in manufacturing building the products and technologies we will need now and in the future.
It starts with a pretty basic idea: when we spend taxpayer money, we should use it to buy American products and support American jobs.
During my first term alone, we’ll invest $400 billion to purchase American-made products and materials we need to modernize our infrastructure, replenish our critical stockpiles, and enhance our national security.
We’ll invest $2 trillion to build more resilient infrastructure:
Roads, bridges, ports. 1.5 million new affordable housing units. High-speech broadband, for every American household — more important than ever. $100 billion to rebuild crumbling schools. Retrofit 4 million buildings, weatherize 2 million homes.
All done by certified union labor.
We’re going to end the Trump incentives for sending jobs overseas.
Any company that offshores jobs will pay a 10 percent penalty.
But any company that brings jobs back, or reopens a closed factory — like a manufacturing plant — will get a 10 percent credit off that investment.
We’ll have a trade strategy that fights for every American worker and every American job and actually gets results.
Not Trump’s chaotic trade threats, erratic tweets, and bluster that’s only stiffed American workers and consumers. He’s let you down. I will stand up to China’s trade abuses. I will invest in you.
Because I know no one can outcompete the American worker when you’re given a fair shot.
And one more thing.
The United States government owns and maintains an enormous fleet of vehicles.
We’re going to convert those government fleets to electric vehicles — made and sourced right here in the United States of America.
With the government providing the demand and supports to re-tool factories that are struggling to compete, the U.S. auto industry will step up.
It’ll expand capacity so that the United States — not China — leads the world in clean vehicle production.
And we’re going to make it easier for American consumers to switch to fuel efficient vehicles.
By building a network of 500,000 charging stations across the country, and by offering consumer rebates to swap older, fuel inefficient vehicles for new, clean, American-made models.
Together, this will mean one million good new jobs in the American auto industry.
It’s an example of how we can do anything. We are America. Nothing can stop us.
We just have to come together. That’s why I’m running as a proud Democrat — but I will govern as an American president.
We can be better than what we’ve seen. We can be what we are at our best — the United States of America.
So vote. Visit IWillote.com/OH.
God bless you. May God protect our troops.


crooksandliars--2020-10-12--OUCH! Sheldon Whitehouse Wipes The Floor With John Cornyn Over Dark Money

In Day One of Amy Coney Barrett 's hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee , Senator Sheldon Whitehouse roasted Senator John Cornyn on a spit for his connections and slavish devotion to the forces of dark money .
Senator Whitehouse methodically pointed out the `` follow the money '' path from the Koch Brothers to Cornyn to Amy Coney Barrett to the right-wing fever dream of abolishing Obama 's Affordable Care Act .
As Senator Whitehouse paraphrased Senator Elizabeth Warren , when he appeared on Rachel Maddow 's show last month , they will do anything to get control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with lifetime-appointed judges , will do undemocratic things - things that Congress and the president would never do .
First , Senator Whitehouse stirred things up , by finally waking the hearing up with appropriately outraged language .
`` Trump ca n't even keep the White House safe . ''
`` The whole thing , just like Trump , is an irresponsible botch . ''
`` This Supreme Court nominee has signaled , in the judicial equivalent of all caps , that she believes the Affordable Care Act must go '' `` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this nominee as a judicial torpedo they are firing at the ACA . ''
Then he called out the hypocrisy .
SEN. WHITEHOUSE : Since may the house passed two major COVID relief bills to tackle unemployment insurance , aid to the front lines , help to small business , support for hospitals , support for states and localities and plenty more .
Mitch McConnell senate republicans wo n't budge .
No urgency , he said .
But 80 minutes after we learned of Justice Ginsburg 's death , Mitch McConnell signaled he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house chose a replacement three days later .
Justice Ginsburg had n't been buried when the president and Senate Republicans celebrated Barrett 's nomination at the White House super-spreader event .
This was a hypocritical tire squealing 180 for many republican colleagues .
When they blocked Merrick Garland , we heard nonstop about the importance before an election of the American people weighing in at the ballot box .
Nonstop .
That you should n't have a nominee appointed to the Court after the PRIMARY season had begun .
Now the Americans voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we get this mad slap dash rush .
Why ?
As he answered his own question with what many others have talked about — the Nov. 10th challenge to the ACA at the Supreme Court — he set his sights sharper and sharper on Senator Cornyn .
The glorious takedown begins at 6:39 in the video above .
SEN. WHITEHOUSE : There 's a promise to big donors that must be kept .
When David Koch ran for vice president , he campaigned on getting rid of Medicare and Medicaid .
Imagine his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are spending millions right now on this nomination .
Republicans in Congress tried and failed to repeal the ACA more than 70 times .
It 's in the Republican party platform for justices to reverse the ACA decision .
Trump has over and over said this is his reason .
And now we 're in this mad rush to meet the November 10th argument deadline .
And colleagues pretend this is n't about the ACA .
Right .
The travel of the ACA case leads to one senator 's doorstep .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Texas tried to say that this rushed process is n't targeting the ACA .
Look at the record .
The district judge in Texas who struck down the ACA in the case now headed for the Court is a former aide to the senator , who 's become what the Texas Tribune called `` the favorite '' for Texas Republicans seeking big judicial wins , like torpedoing the ACA .
The senior senator from Texas introduced in committee a circuit court judge who wrote the decision on appeals striking down the ACA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brief arguing for striking down the ACA .
He led the failed Senate charge to repeal the ACA in 2017 .
He said , `` I 've introduced and co-sponsored 27 bills to repeal or defund Obamacare , and voted to do so at every opportunity , '' and now , talking about socialized medicine , the old Republican battle cry against Medicare , Senator Cornyn and all of our colleagues on this committee are pushing to get this nominee on by November 10th , the time needed to strike down the Affordable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us this is n't about the Affordable Care Act .
From Cornyn judge to Cornyn judge to this nominee , hop , hop , hop .
When Texans lose their ACA health care protections , hop , hop , to see whose doorstep that sits on .

In Day One of Amy Coney Barrett's hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse roasted Senator John Cornyn on a spit for his connections and slavish devotion to the forces of dark money.
Barrett's nomination is that devotion fully manifested.
Senator Whitehouse methodically pointed out the "follow the money" path from the Koch Brothers to Cornyn to Amy Coney Barrett to the right-wing fever dream of abolishing Obama's Affordable Care Act.
As Senator Whitehouse paraphrased Senator Elizabeth Warren, when he appeared on Rachel Maddow's show last month, they will do anything to get control of the courts because the courts, filled with lifetime-appointed judges, will do undemocratic things - things that Congress and the president would never do.
First, Senator Whitehouse stirred things up, by finally waking the hearing up with appropriately outraged language.
"Trump can't even keep the White House safe."
"The whole thing, just like Trump, is an irresponsible botch."
"This Supreme Court nominee has signaled, in the judicial equivalent of all caps, that she believes the Affordable Care Act must go"
"The big secretive influences behind this rush see this nominee as a judicial torpedo they are firing at the ACA."
Then he called out the hypocrisy.
SEN. WHITEHOUSE: Since may the house passed two major COVID relief bills to tackle unemployment insurance, aid to the front lines, help to small business, support for hospitals, support for states and localities and plenty more. Mitch McConnell senate republicans won't budge. No urgency, he said. But 80 minutes after we learned of Justice Ginsburg's death, Mitch McConnell signaled he would fill this vacancy. The white house chose a replacement three days later. Justice Ginsburg hadn't been buried when the president and Senate Republicans celebrated Barrett's nomination at the White House super-spreader event. This was a hypocritical tire squealing 180 for many republican colleagues. When they blocked Merrick Garland, we heard nonstop about the importance before an election of the American people weighing in at the ballot box. Nonstop. That you shouldn't have a nominee appointed to the Court after the PRIMARY season had begun. Now the Americans voting right now in the general election, we get this mad slap dash rush. Why?
As he answered his own question with what many others have talked about — the Nov. 10th challenge to the ACA at the Supreme Court — he set his sights sharper and sharper on Senator Cornyn. The glorious takedown begins at 6:39 in the video above.
SEN. WHITEHOUSE: There's a promise to big donors that must be kept. When David Koch ran for vice president, he campaigned on getting rid of Medicare and Medicaid. Imagine his fury when Obamacare passed. His groups are spending millions right now on this nomination. Republicans in Congress tried and failed to repeal the ACA more than 70 times. It's in the Republican party platform for justices to reverse the ACA decision. Trump has over and over said this is his reason. And now we're in this mad rush to meet the November 10th argument deadline. And colleagues pretend this isn't about the ACA. Right. The travel of the ACA case leads to one senator's doorstep. In a Politico article yesterday, the senior senator from Texas tried to say that this rushed process isn't targeting the ACA. Look at the record. The district judge in Texas who struck down the ACA in the case now headed for the Court is a former aide to the senator, who's become what the Texas Tribune called "the favorite" for Texas Republicans seeking big judicial wins, like torpedoing the ACA. The senior senator from Texas introduced in committee a circuit court judge who wrote the decision on appeals striking down the ACA. Senator Cornyn has filed brief after brief arguing for striking down the ACA. He led the failed Senate charge to repeal the ACA in 2017. He said, "I've introduced and co-sponsored 27 bills to repeal or defund Obamacare, and voted to do so at every opportunity," and now, talking about socialized medicine, the old Republican battle cry against Medicare, Senator Cornyn and all of our colleagues on this committee are pushing to get this nominee on by November 10th, the time needed to strike down the Affordable Care Act. Please don't tell us this isn't about the Affordable Care Act. From Cornyn judge to Cornyn judge to this nominee, hop, hop, hop. When Texans lose their ACA health care protections, hop, hop, to see whose doorstep that sits on.
Twitter was especially appreciative.
Sheldon Whitehouse is now explaining the big money (think Koch Brothers) behind these nominees like Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh and that the mad rush to push Barrett through is really about overturning the ACA for big money interests. He is completely correct. — Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) October 12, 2020
hop, hop, hop
it looks like some senators weren't anticipating the opposition using this in ways that be painful just before the election.... — Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) October 12, 2020
Also Whitehouse dialing in on Cornyn right now is solid politicking too. Cornyn's Senate race has tightened up — Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Hegemommy) October 12, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-10-12--Yup, Trump 'Supporters' At The White House Were Paid To Be There

Given the opportunity to promote her `` brand '' illegally ( breaking the Hatch Act as Trump2020 has done eleventy @ @ @ @ @ White House lawn , Candace Owens put out the call and paid attendees to cheer @ @ @ @ @ that Candace Owens once said `` Hitler , '' in a nice way , at @ @ @ @ @ to ABC News , `` Some guests for Saturday 's White House event on the @ @ @ @ @ be President Donald Trump 's first since testing positive for the coronavirus , had their @ @ @ @ @ by controversial conservative activist Candace Owens ' group BLEXIT ... '' Candace Owens responded to @ @ @ @ @ : Anyhow , I 'm sure this means Candace Owens Defending Hitler Tour will be @ @ @ @ @ perpetuity , amen .

Grifters gotta grift.
Given the opportunity to promote her "brand" illegally (breaking the Hatch Act as Trump2020 has done eleventy thousand times) on the White House lawn, Candace Owens put out the call and paid attendees to cheer Donald Trump.
Never forget that Candace Owens once said "Hitler," in a nice way, at a public event.
The featured speaker at the White house today is Candace Owens who last year LITERALLY defended Hitler saying "If Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, OK, fine.” These are the people trump loves https://t.co/7Y8vv8lJGy — (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) October 10, 2020
According to ABC News, "Some guests for Saturday's White House event on the South Lawn, which will be President Donald Trump's first since testing positive for the coronavirus, had their travel and lodging paid for by controversial conservative activist Candace Owens' group BLEXIT..."
Candace Owens responded to the story not at all:
When reached for comment, Owens told ABC News, "We are not interested in participating in your obvious media angle here to slander/attack the President regarding Covid-19."
Wait, what?
Anyhow, I'm sure this means Candace Owens Defending Hitler Tour will be forever invited to CPAC in perpetuity, amen.


crooksandliars--2020-10-12--Desperate Lindsey Graham Begs For Scraps Again On Fox And Friends

Sen. Graham , leading the sham Senate Judicial hearing for Ruth Bader Ginsburg 's replacement today , made time to appear on Fox News this morning .
Was he there to inform Fox viewers about this week 's confirmation hearings ?
Of course not !
He was there to bitch , complain and beg for change for his floundering re-election campaign , just as he 's done before .
Fox News is continually acting as a fundraising clearinghouse for Republican candidates , providing free airtime for fundraising pitches such as Lindsey 's .
They ca n't compete with the tremendous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collects small donations for left-wing candidates .
Goober Graham pleaded with Fox viewers to help the GOP keep control of the Senate so he can be the Budget Committee chairman instead of Bernie Sanders .
Co-host Brian Kilmeade on camera said , `` Oh , my goodness . ''
Graham then recited his website address and said , `` Help yourself by helping me . ''
Co-host Steve Doocy then remarked , `` Well the way you put it right there - a lot of people are going okay . ''
First of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fortunate enough to take back the Senate , there is no standing order that Bernie Sanders is automatically the budget chairman .
Just more lies and fearmongering from GOP a-holes like Sen. Graham to try and help themselves .
The Democratic nominee in South Carolina for the Senate Jamie Harrison has broken all records for donations and is shaking Graham to the core .
Not for nothing Senator , but when you meet Satan after your death , your torture will be to be Trump 's hair dresser for all eternity .

Sen. Graham, leading the sham Senate Judicial hearing for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's replacement today, made time to appear on Fox News this morning. Was he there to inform Fox viewers about this week's confirmation hearings?
Of course not! He was there to bitch, complain and beg for change for his floundering re-election campaign, just as he's done before.
Fox News is continually acting as a fundraising clearinghouse for Republican candidates, providing free airtime for fundraising pitches such as Lindsey's. They can't compete with the tremendous success of Actblue, a website that collects small donations for left-wing candidates.
Goober Graham pleaded with Fox viewers to help the GOP keep control of the Senate so he can be the Budget Committee chairman instead of Bernie Sanders.
Co-host Brian Kilmeade on camera said, "Oh, my goodness."
Graham then recited his website address and said, "Help yourself by helping me."
Co-host Steve Doocy then remarked, "Well the way you put it right there - a lot of people are going okay."
First of all if the Democratic Party does get fortunate enough to take back the Senate, there is no standing order that Bernie Sanders is automatically the budget chairman.
Just more lies and fearmongering from GOP a-holes like Sen. Graham to try and help themselves.
The Democratic nominee in South Carolina for the Senate Jamie Harrison has broken all records for donations and is shaking Graham to the core.
Jaime Harrison, Democratic challenger to Lindsey Graham, raises $57 million in 3rd quarter — the highest quarterly amount raised by a Senate candidate in U.S. history https://t.co/pS7iR4WGAw — CBS News (@CBSNews) October 11, 2020
Lindsey Graham: “When I go to meet God at the pearly gates I don't think he's going to ask me, 'Why didn't you convict Trump?'” Graham said. “I may be wrong, but I don't think that's gonna be at the top of the list." https://t.co/bsJu6bW7g1 — 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 (@essenviews) October 11, 2020
Not for nothing Senator, but when you meet Satan after your death, your torture will be to be Trump's hair dresser for all eternity.


crooksandliars--2020-10-12--California GOP Accused Of Posting Fake Ballot Drop Boxes

California 's top election official is investigating reports that the state 's Republican Party has set up unauthorized ballot drop boxes posing as `` official '' in several major counties , an illegal practice that could deceive voters into depositing their ballots at unsecure locations .
`` Operating unofficial ballot drop boxes—especially those misrepresented as official drop boxes—is not just misleading to voters , it 's a violation of state law , '' California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a statement responding to reports of unauthorized ballot drop boxes in Fresno , Los Angeles , and Orange counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported late Sunday , `` In a photo posted to social media last week , a young man wearing a mask with Orange County congressional candidate Michelle Steel 's name on it is holding a mail ballot and giving a thumbs up next to a box about the size of a file cabinet labeled 'Official ballot drop off box . '
'' `` The post , from Jordan Tygh , a regional field director for the California Republican Party , encouraged people to message him for 'convenient locations ' to drop their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That was just one of several instances of potentially illegal election activity by Republican officials that has been reported in recent days .
On Saturday night , the Register noted , reports emerged of `` a metal box in front of Freedom 's Way Baptist Church in Castaic that had a sign matching the one on the Orange County box . ''
`` The church posted on social media that the box was 'approved and brought by the GOP , ' '' the Register reported .
`` The post said church officials do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that GOP officials pick up the ballots ... On its website , the Fresno County Republican Party also shared a list of 'secure ' ballot collection locations .
None are official county drop box sites , with the local GOP instead listing its own headquarters , multiple gun shops , and other local businesses . ''
Under California state law , only county election officials are authorized to set up ballot drop boxes to ensure adequate security .
Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley told the Register that hundreds of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot drop box promoted by Tygh of the California Republican Party .
`` What we did was started to look into it , notified the state , and the secretary of state issued guidance this afternoon that it is illegal and you ca n't do that , '' said Kelley said .
`` It would be like me installing a mailbox out on the corner—the Post Office is the one that installs mailboxes . ''
Slate staff writer Mark Joseph Stern called the Register 's reporting `` incredibly alarming '' and said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican operatives . ''
`` California Republicans are allegedly creating fake drop boxes and tricking voters into depositing their ballots in them , '' wrote Stern .
`` Apparently they 're trying to prove voter fraud is real by committing actual election fraud . ''

California's top election official is investigating reports that the state's Republican Party has set up unauthorized ballot drop boxes posing as "official" in several major counties, an illegal practice that could deceive voters into depositing their ballots at unsecure locations.
"Operating unofficial ballot drop boxes—especially those misrepresented as official drop boxes—is not just misleading to voters, it's a violation of state law," California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a statement responding to reports of unauthorized ballot drop boxes in Fresno, Los Angeles, and Orange counties.
As the local Orange County Register reported late Sunday, "In a photo posted to social media last week, a young man wearing a mask with Orange County congressional candidate Michelle Steel's name on it is holding a mail ballot and giving a thumbs up next to a box about the size of a file cabinet labeled 'Official ballot drop off box.'"
"The post, from Jordan Tygh, a regional field director for the California Republican Party, encouraged people to message him for 'convenient locations' to drop their own ballots," the Register reported.
That was just one of several instances of potentially illegal election activity by Republican officials that has been reported in recent days. On Saturday night, the Register noted, reports emerged of "a metal box in front of Freedom's Way Baptist Church in Castaic that had a sign matching the one on the Orange County box."
"The church posted on social media that the box was 'approved and brought by the GOP,'" the Register reported. "The post said church officials don't have a key to the box and that GOP officials pick up the ballots... On its website, the Fresno County Republican Party also shared a list of 'secure' ballot collection locations. None are official county drop box sites, with the local GOP instead listing its own headquarters, multiple gun shops, and other local businesses."
Under California state law, only county election officials are authorized to set up ballot drop boxes to ensure adequate security.
Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley told the Register that hundreds of people called his attention to the potentially unlawful ballot drop box promoted by Tygh of the California Republican Party.
"What we did was started to look into it, notified the state, and the secretary of state issued guidance this afternoon that it is illegal and you can't do that," said Kelley said. "It would be like me installing a mailbox out on the corner—the Post Office is the one that installs mailboxes."
BE ON ALERT: Republicans in California have set up fake ballot drop boxes that they’re promoting on social media. Whatever your state, before you use a drop box, confirm with your local election office that it’s legitimate https://t.co/NkLhcA1L0i — David Nir (@DavidNir) October 12, 2020
Slate staff writer Mark Joseph Stern called the Register's reporting "incredibly alarming" and said it suggests "appalling criminal conduct by California Republican operatives."
"California Republicans are allegedly creating fake drop boxes and tricking voters into depositing their ballots in them," wrote Stern. "Apparently they're trying to prove voter fraud is real by committing actual election fraud."
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, staff writer) under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


crooksandliars--2020-10-13--Eric Trump Dodges A Bullet When Michigan Gun Store Cancels Event

Just days after it was revealed that 13 domestic terrorists were arrested for plotting to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer , @ @ @ @ @ have a MAGA event at Huron Valley Guns .
But alas , owner Ed Swadish @ @ @ @ @ at the very last minute .
“ In February 2020 we had a young man @ @ @ @ @ who would show up for work in a LOT of tactical gear .
We found @ @ @ @ @ '' Swadish wrote in a Facebook post .
`` We weren ’ t comfortable with @ @ @ @ @ reasons and fired him after 3 weeks .
He ended up being one of the @ @ @ @ @ Governor Whitmer kidnapping . ''
The post went on to read , “ The Governor @ @ @ @ @ day against the Trump campaign .
They would accuse the administration of sending his son @ @ @ @ @ work and train .
This could not be further from the truth , but imagine @ @ @ @ @

Just days after it was revealed that 13 domestic terrorists were arrested for plotting to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Eric Trump was scheduled to have a MAGA event at Huron Valley Guns. But alas, owner Ed Swadish helped Eric dodge a bullet at the very last minute.
“In February 2020 we had a young man that worked on the range who would show up for work in a LOT of tactical gear. We found that a little odd," Swadish wrote in a Facebook post. "We weren’t comfortable with him for a few other reasons and fired him after 3 weeks. He ended up being one of the fringe characters arrested for the Governor Whitmer kidnapping."
The post went on to read, “The Governor would have had a field day against the Trump campaign. They would accuse the administration of sending his son to a facility where terrorists work and train. This could not be further from the truth, but imagine the left spin.”
Here's the full post:


crooksandliars--2020-10-13--TURTLE SOUP: Amy McGrath Shreds #MoscowMitch In Last Night's Senate Debate

I 'd heard it for months : Write off Kentucky , Amy McGrath is a terrible candidate .
But last night , I watched the McGrath debate with Mitch McConnell , and it was freakin ' wonderful .
She kicked his ass up and down from one end of Kentucky to the other .
( Do watch the entire debate , it will really energize you . )
This debate might be what they call `` a game changer . ''
Last I heard , Amy McGrath was 15 points down ( they do n't poll much in Kentucky ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night changed a lot of minds and we should expect that spread to tighten up .
Yeah , it 's Kentucky and the idea of beating Mitch McConnell seems too far out of reach , but I 'm at least a little more hopeful this morning .
And Mitch did n't help .
He smirked , laughed , and changed the subject as McGrath landed one attack after another .
McGrath said McConnell 's one job is to `` help America through this crisis right now in passing legislation to keep our economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet .
And instead of doing that , he is trying to ram through a Supreme Court nominee right now , instead of negotiating , which is what he should have been doing all summer long to make that happen . ''
( Mitch thought that was funny . )
She pounded him again and again for his lack of leadership , and reminded Kentuckians that for the first time in a century , we have an international crisis where `` no one in the world looks to the United States for leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under control . ''
“ Sen .
McConnell built a Senate that is so dysfunctional and so partisan that even in the middle of a national crisis he can ’ t get it done , ” she said .
`` Think about that . ''
“ For that reason alone , he should be voted out of office.
” I honestly do n't know what he was laughing about , because he just got his ass kicked , live on TV , by a girl .
I hope we see what I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When voters do n't actually dislike the incumbent , but a younger , more aggressive challenger comes along and points out that maybe old Joe has n't done much for voters lately .
It reminds voters that their senator has indeed been around forever , and maybe it 's time for some fresh blood .
Now , Amy McGrath does n't need money .
She has more than enough , and that 's why she shut down her ActBlue account .
( Your dollars go far in Kentucky . )
But if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where a lot of relatives live ) , make sure they see this .
And if you want to help beat Mitch , volunteer to do remote phone banking for Amy .

I'd heard it for months: Write off Kentucky, Amy McGrath is a terrible candidate. But last night, I watched the McGrath debate with Mitch McConnell, and it was freakin' wonderful. She kicked his ass up and down from one end of Kentucky to the other. (Do watch the entire debate, it will really energize you.)
This debate might be what they call "a game changer." Last I heard, Amy McGrath was 15 points down (they don't poll much in Kentucky) -- but I suspect her performance last night changed a lot of minds and we should expect that spread to tighten up. Yeah, it's Kentucky and the idea of beating Mitch McConnell seems too far out of reach, but I'm at least a little more hopeful this morning.
And Mitch didn't help. He smirked, laughed, and changed the subject as McGrath landed one attack after another.
Trying to figure out what he is laughing about. pic.twitter.com/1bF0TuOBzy — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) October 13, 2020
McGrath said McConnell's one job is to "help America through this crisis right now in passing legislation to keep our economy afloat so that people can make ends meet. And instead of doing that, he is trying to ram through a Supreme Court nominee right now, instead of negotiating, which is what he should have been doing all summer long to make that happen." (Mitch thought that was funny.)
She pounded him again and again for his lack of leadership, and reminded Kentuckians that for the first time in a century, we have an international crisis where "no one in the world looks to the United States for leadership. We can't get the coronavirus under control."
Amy McGrath:
For the 1st time in 100 yrs we have a major international crisis and no one is looking to the U.S. for leadership.
McConnell built a Senate that’s so dysfunctional they can’t get anything done. #McGrathMcConnellDebate #MoscowMitch
pic.twitter.com/TyIFokWGjf — W Smith Ω 🧢 DJT— America's #1 Domestic Terrorist (@WesSmith123) October 13, 2020
“Sen. McConnell built a Senate that is so dysfunctional and so partisan that even in the middle of a national crisis he can’t get it done,” she said. "Think about that."
“For that reason alone, he should be voted out of office.”
I honestly don't know what he was laughing about, because he just got his ass kicked, live on TV, by a girl.
I’m Amy McGrath and I approve of this message pic.twitter.com/jFXNW7meia — MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) October 13, 2020
McGrath: We need to hold Big Pharma accountable—he’s incapable of doing that b/c he took more $ from them than anyone else. And we must protect the ACA so ppl can get treatment.
Moderator: Sen McConnell would you like to respond?
Mitch: Nah—let’s move on.
Moderator: OK then... pic.twitter.com/F2etCfjDFf — Dean Wallace 🗳🗽 (@deanofdublin) October 13, 2020
I hope we see what I think of as the Arlen Specter effect: When voters don't actually dislike the incumbent, but a younger, more aggressive challenger comes along and points out that maybe old Joe hasn't done much for voters lately. It reminds voters that their senator has indeed been around forever, and maybe it's time for some fresh blood.
Now, Amy McGrath doesn't need money. She has more than enough, and that's why she shut down her ActBlue account. (Your dollars go far in Kentucky.)
But if you have friends in Kentucky or Ohio (where a lot of relatives live), make sure they see this.
And if you want to help beat Mitch, volunteer to do remote phone banking for Amy.
Why isn’t the @CNN @MSNBC of the country giving any press to the amazing job @AmyMcGrathKY did during the debate last night? Why aren’t they hitting Mitch McConnell like they are Trump or even Lindsey Graham? We need a push @ProjectLincoln to help her win! — jess (@RobsWomanJess) October 13, 2020
UPDATE: "Confederate Voldemort" won the internet last night.


crooksandliars--2020-10-13--California GOP Confesses To Ownership Of Illegal Ballot Drop Boxes

Now that the California Republican Party ca n't buy enough voter registrations to stay viable they 've come up with a new scheme : Planting official-looking ballot collection boxes throughout the state to `` harvest '' Republican ballots .
After news got out Monday about it , Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the issuance of formal cease-and-desist orders to state and county-level Republican parties in Fresno , Los Angeles , and Orange Counties .
“ Misleading voters is wrong regardless of who is doing it , ” Padilla told reporters on Monday , emphasizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by state law.
” Becerra was more blunt .
calling the boxes “ fake , ” and stressing that it was “ illegal to tamper with a citizen ’ s vote.
” He warned that such activity could be subject to criminal prosecution or civil action .
That cease-and-desist and the statements by those Democratic officials prompted the mostly-on-life-support California Republican Party to admit that yes , those dropboxes were theirs , and too bad , California , they 're going to keep doing it .
Hector Barajas , a spokesman for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would continue to distribute the boxes , without adding any label identifying them explicitly as Republican ballot drops .
Mr. Barajas — who disclosed that Republicans were responsible for the boxes only after being bombarded by questions by reporters on Monday — said the party ’ s actions were legal because state law did not restrict “ ballot harvesting , ” a practice that allows businesses or other organizations to collect batches of completed ballots .
“ There is nothing in any of the laws or regulations cited in that advisory that indicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Mr. Barajas , who blamed Democrats for blocking anti-harvesting legislation .
“ The way Democrats wrote the law , if we wanted to use a Santa bag , we could , ” he said .
“ A locked heavy box seems a lot safer , ” Mr. Barajas said .
Secretary of State Padilla dismissed that ridiculous claim , stressing to reporters that the boxes were not covered by legal protections , because they were intended to “ mislead voters and erode the public trust.
” Here 's what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harvest Republican ballots and toss Democrats ' .
All they 'd need is a list of registered Republicans in the areas where their illegal receptacles are located to take the Republican ballots and discard the rest .
I do n't put that past them , so I hope they get the book thrown at them , sooner rather than later .

Now that the California Republican Party can't buy enough voter registrations to stay viable they've come up with a new scheme: Planting official-looking ballot collection boxes throughout the state to "harvest" Republican ballots.
After news got out Monday about it, Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the issuance of formal cease-and-desist orders to state and county-level Republican parties in Fresno, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties.
“Misleading voters is wrong regardless of who is doing it,” Padilla told reporters on Monday, emphasizing that the boxes “are not permitted by state law.”
Becerra was more blunt. calling the boxes “fake,” and stressing that it was “illegal to tamper with a citizen’s vote.” He warned that such activity could be subject to criminal prosecution or civil action.
That cease-and-desist and the statements by those Democratic officials prompted the mostly-on-life-support California Republican Party to admit that yes, those dropboxes were theirs, and too bad, California, they're going to keep doing it.
NYTimes:
Hector Barajas, a spokesman for the California Republican Party, said the party would continue to distribute the boxes, without adding any label identifying them explicitly as Republican ballot drops. Mr. Barajas — who disclosed that Republicans were responsible for the boxes only after being bombarded by questions by reporters on Monday — said the party’s actions were legal because state law did not restrict “ballot harvesting,” a practice that allows businesses or other organizations to collect batches of completed ballots. [...] “There is nothing in any of the laws or regulations cited in that advisory that indicate private organization drop boxes are not permitted,” said Mr. Barajas, who blamed Democrats for blocking anti-harvesting legislation. “The way Democrats wrote the law, if we wanted to use a Santa bag, we could,” he said. “A locked heavy box seems a lot safer,” Mr. Barajas said.
Secretary of State Padilla dismissed that ridiculous claim, stressing to reporters that the boxes were not covered by legal protections, because they were intended to “mislead voters and erode the public trust.”
Here's what I think they're intended to do: Harvest Republican ballots and toss Democrats'. All they'd need is a list of registered Republicans in the areas where their illegal receptacles are located to take the Republican ballots and discard the rest. I don't put that past them, so I hope they get the book thrown at them, sooner rather than later.


crooksandliars--2020-10-13--Chris Wallace Whacks Fox News Pundit For Whitewashing Barrett’s Likely Obamacare Vote

Fox News host Chris Wallace tangled with attorney Jonathan Turley on Monday after Senate Democrats questioned Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett about whether she will vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act .
During a break in Barrett ’ s confirmation hearing , Turley slammed Democrats for displaying photographs of Americans who benefit from the Affordable Care Act .
“ These are really not her victims , ” Turley said .
“ It would be really hard to come away visually without thinking she was threatening these individuals .
But that ’ s the disconnect with this [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A.C.A .
in most likelihood will not be struck down.
” Turley argued that at least two conservative Supreme Court justices could side with liberal justices to uphold portions of the law .
For his part , Wallace argued that Republicans exercised “ pure political power ” to prevent President Barack Obama from naming Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in his final year in office .
“ The problem with that is that President Trump has said over and over again what he hopes to get from these judges , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Affordable Care Act.
” “ And to Judge Turley and [ Fox News host ] Shannon Bream , to suggest that it ’ s really a reach to talk about the idea that they might strike down the Affordable Care Act , ” he continued .
“ In fact , what they ’ re hearing is a ruling by a Texas federal judge , which in fact struck down the entire Affordable Care Act.
” “ That ’ s the case that ’ s before the court , ” Wallace noted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s such a reach to say that is the potential implication of a 6-to-3 conservative majority on the court , that the Affordable Care Act will be on the docket.
” “ There does not appear to be conservative votes for overturning the entire act , ” he insisted .
“ Jonathan , if I may , ” Wallace interrupted .
“ The point I ’ m simply making is this , that ’ s what the court did .
You ’ re predicting how judges , including one who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet are going to vote .
I ’ m just saying , you don ’ t know.
” “ You don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen , ” Wallace said .
“ And I don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen .
But the fact is , for Democrats to talk about the cases of these individual people and to say that their lives might be at stake is not an irrational leap .
That ’ s the case that ’ s being heard by the @ @ @

Fox News host Chris Wallace tangled with attorney Jonathan Turley on Monday after Senate Democrats questioned Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett about whether she will vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act.
During a break in Barrett’s confirmation hearing, Turley slammed Democrats for displaying photographs of Americans who benefit from the Affordable Care Act.
“These are really not her victims,” Turley said. “It would be really hard to come away visually without thinking she was threatening these individuals. But that’s the disconnect with this [Affordable Care Act] case. The A.C.A. in most likelihood will not be struck down.”
Turley argued that at least two conservative Supreme Court justices could side with liberal justices to uphold portions of the law.
For his part, Wallace argued that Republicans exercised “pure political power” to prevent President Barack Obama from naming Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in his final year in office.
“The problem with that is that President Trump has said over and over again what he hopes to get from these judges,” Wallace said, “on issues like the Affordable Care Act.”
“And to Judge Turley and [Fox News host] Shannon Bream, to suggest that it’s really a reach to talk about the idea that they might strike down the Affordable Care Act,” he continued. “In fact, what they’re hearing is a ruling by a Texas federal judge, which in fact struck down the entire Affordable Care Act.”
“That’s the case that’s before the court,” Wallace noted. “So, I don’t think it’s such a reach to say that is the potential implication of a 6-to-3 conservative majority on the court, that the Affordable Care Act will be on the docket.”
Turley disagreed.
“There does not appear to be conservative votes for overturning the entire act,” he insisted.
“Jonathan, if I may,” Wallace interrupted. “The point I’m simply making is this, that’s what the court did. You’re predicting how judges, including one who’s not even on the court yet are going to vote. I’m just saying, you don’t know.”
“No!” Turley objected.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen,” Wallace said. “And I don’t know what’s going to happen. But the fact is, for Democrats to talk about the cases of these individual people and to say that their lives might be at stake is not an irrational leap. That’s the case that’s being heard by the court.”


crooksandliars--2020-10-13--Amy Klobuchar 'Follows The Tracks' Right Back To Amy Coney Barrett's Lies

Senator Amy Klobuchar 's prosecutorial chops really shone through today in her questioning of Amy Coney Barrett .
The senator 's sweet story of `` following the tracks '' left by deer and elk in the snowy woods as a kid with her mom turned to a stony line of questioning , wherein she icily promised to `` follow the tracks '' left by Barrett , who was steadfastly refusing to answer any question posed by Democrats about her publicly stated legal opinions .
So , Sen. Klobuchar laid out the `` tracks : '' Track 1 : She considers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history — her mentor .
Track 2 : She criticized Justice Roberts ' decision upholding the ACA .
Track 3 : She stated Justice Scalia had the better legal argument than Roberts in that case .
Track 4 : She signed her name to an aid calling to the end of `` the barbaric legacy of Roe v .
Wade . ''
Track 5 : She disagreed with the precedent that said felons should n't be able to get guns .
Track 6 : She disagreed with SCOTUS granting marriage equality .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide .
Those are A LOT of tracks to follow , and clearly Sen. Klobuchar was sick of this nightmare radical Catholic 's refusal to stand by or expound on any of her own publicly stated legal opinions .
Then , she turned to voting rights , and this moment was quite special .
First , she got Barrett to admit that she had no idea in how many states voting was already happening .
Sen. Klobuchar even gave her a little hint to remind her : one of her colleagues had mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
NOPE .
NO IDEA .
So , Barrett is either : • incredibly uninformed about what is happening in the mechanics of the current election around the country ( not good , given she knows Trump is counting on the election going to the Supreme Court , ) • incredibly cavalier about this sham process to the degree that she is not paying the slightest bit of attention to what the Senators are saying to her .
• lying her handmaiden 's ass off about knowing how many states have begun the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced her hand on her extremely limited views on voting rights .
Barrett thinks only certain types of people should have them , and Sen. Klobuchar helped her make that clear .
SEN. KLOBUCHAR : Beyond this immediate election , I want to turn to the Supreme Court 's critical role when it comes to the right to vote .
This area where Justice Ginsburg was such a champion .
Senator Durbin went over your dissent after length in Cantor v. Barr , where you drew a distinction between individual rights and civic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , felons should be disqualified from exercising certain rights , like the right to vote and to serve on juries .
So my question is this .
Actually it 's this next line where you said these rights belonged only to virtuous citizens .
What does that mean ?
BARRETT : Senator , I would need to look at the article to clarify but as I 'm sitting here I do n't think I said felons should lose voting rights .
I think what I was talking about is - SEN. KLOBUCHAR : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't an article just to be clear .
Right ?
This is your dissent .
BARRETT : Yes , you are right .
SEN. KLOBUCHAR : And it says felons can be disqualified from exercising certain rights , like the right to vote and serve on juries , but apart from that clause , you said these rights belong only to virtuous citizens .
That 's what I 'm trying to understand , what that means .
BARRETT : So the argument in the case , those who were challenging Heller , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the government in the Cantor case is that the second amendment is a civic right .
And that is how the Supreme Court itself framed the debate .
As a distinction between civic rights and individual rights with voting being a civic right , in literature , in the historical literature at play in that case -- SEN. KLOBUCHAR : but how would you define the word virtuous ?
Because it does n't appear in the Constitution .
I 'm just trying to know what that means .
We 're living at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are having their voting rights taken away from them .
So , what 's `` virtuous ? ''
BARRETT : I want to be clear that is not in the opinion designed to denigrate the right to vote , which is fundamental .
The distinction between civic and individual rights is one that 's present in the court 's decisions and it has to do with a jurisprudential view of what rights are .
And the virtuous citizenry idea is a historical and jurisprudential one and certainly does not mean I think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether they 're good or not and whether they 're allowed to vote .
That 's not what I said .
In my layperson 's search , the only thing I could find having to do `` virtuous citizens '' and legal jurisprudence is from Jefferson , and the notion that the citizenry must be sufficiently educated in order to conduct itself in a virtuous manner , and keep the republic afloat .
We also know what types of people our founders considered eligible for the sort of education required for virtuous citizenry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felons fit that bill , does she ?
Then Sen. Klobuchar asked simply , `` Under our constitutional structure congress holds the lead rein in making the right to vote equally real for all U.S. Citizens .
Do you agree with her conclusion that the constitution clearly empowers Congress to protect the right to vote ? ''
Barrett answered , `` Well , Senator , that would be eliciting an opinion from me whether they were right in Shelby County , and I ca n't express a view on that because it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' So the answer is `` No . ''
Amy Coney Barrett does n't believe felons have the right to vote , nor does she believe Congress has the power to protect the right to vote .
Remember , though ... felons DO have the right to buy guns , and Barrett is A-Okay with that .
Sen. Klobuchar brought out that hypocrisy perfectly , saying , `` So here 's my problem .
You go out of your way in the case that Dick Durbin was discussing to make this distinction between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you wo n't say whether or not you agree with Ginsburg . ''
And check out this devastating line of questioning , during which Sen. Klobuchar laid out all the constitutional and legal reasons voter intimidation was against the law , and asked Barrett if she agreed .
Would you like to know if Amy Coney Barrett thinks voter intimidation is illegal ?
So would we .
But she refused to say .
HOW DO YOU NOT SAY THAT VOTER INTIMIDATION IS ILLEGAL ?
HOW ?

Senator Amy Klobuchar's prosecutorial chops really shone through today in her questioning of Amy Coney Barrett. The senator's sweet story of "following the tracks" left by deer and elk in the snowy woods as a kid with her mom turned to a stony line of questioning, wherein she icily promised to "follow the tracks" left by Barrett, who was steadfastly refusing to answer any question posed by Democrats about her publicly stated legal opinions. So, Sen. Klobuchar laid out the "tracks:"
Track 1: She considers Scalia - most conservative judge in SCOTUS history — her mentor.
Track 2: She criticized Justice Roberts' decision upholding the ACA.
Track 3: She stated Justice Scalia had the better legal argument than Roberts in that case.
Track 4: She signed her name to an aid calling to the end of "the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade."
Track 5: She disagreed with the precedent that said felons shouldn't be able to get guns.
Track 6: She disagreed with SCOTUS granting marriage equality. She said it was for the states to decide.
Those are A LOT of tracks to follow, and clearly Sen. Klobuchar was sick of this nightmare radical Catholic's refusal to stand by or expound on any of her own publicly stated legal opinions. Then, she turned to voting rights, and this moment was quite special. First, she got Barrett to admit that she had no idea in how many states voting was already happening. Sen. Klobuchar even gave her a little hint to remind her: one of her colleagues had mentioned it already! But did she know? NOPE. NO IDEA. So, Barrett is either:
incredibly uninformed about what is happening in the mechanics of the current election around the country (not good, given she knows Trump is counting on the election going to the Supreme Court,)
incredibly cavalier about this sham process to the degree that she is not paying the slightest bit of attention to what the Senators are saying to her.
lying her handmaiden's ass off about knowing how many states have begun the voting process.
Then, Sen. Klobuchar forced her hand on her extremely limited views on voting rights. Barrett thinks only certain types of people should have them, and Sen. Klobuchar helped her make that clear.
SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Beyond this immediate election, I want to turn to the Supreme Court's critical role when it comes to the right to vote. This area where Justice Ginsburg was such a champion. Senator Durbin went over your dissent after length in Cantor v. Barr, where you drew a distinction between individual rights and civic rights, and you wrote that historically, felons should be disqualified from exercising certain rights, like the right to vote and to serve on juries. So my question is this. Actually it's this next line where you said these rights belonged only to virtuous citizens. What does that mean? BARRETT: Senator, I would need to look at the article to clarify but as I'm sitting here I don't think I said felons should lose voting rights. I think what I was talking about is - SEN. KLOBUCHAR: "Could." But It wasn't an article just to be clear. Right? This is your dissent. BARRETT: Sorry. My dissent. SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Yeah. Your dissent in Cantor v. -- BARRETT: Yes, you are right. SEN. KLOBUCHAR: And it says felons can be disqualified from exercising certain rights, like the right to vote and serve on juries, but apart from that clause, you said these rights belong only to virtuous citizens. That's what I'm trying to understand, what that means. BARRETT: So the argument in the case, those who were challenging Heller, and those who are arguing on the side of the government in the Cantor case is that the second amendment is a civic right. And that is how the Supreme Court itself framed the debate. As a distinction between civic rights and individual rights with voting being a civic right, in literature, in the historical literature at play in that case -- SEN. KLOBUCHAR: but how would you define the word virtuous? Because it doesn't appear in the Constitution. I'm just trying to know what that means. We're living at a time in our lives when people are having their voting rights taken away from them. So, what's "virtuous?" BARRETT: I want to be clear that is not in the opinion designed to denigrate the right to vote, which is fundamental. The distinction between civic and individual rights is one that's present in the court's decisions and it has to do with a jurisprudential view of what rights are. And the virtuous citizenry idea is a historical and jurisprudential one and certainly does not mean I think that anybody gets a measure of virtue and whether they're good or not and whether they're allowed to vote. That's not what I said.
In my layperson's search, the only thing I could find having to do "virtuous citizens" and legal jurisprudence is from Jefferson, and the notion that the citizenry must be sufficiently educated in order to conduct itself in a virtuous manner, and keep the republic afloat. We also know what types of people our founders considered eligible for the sort of education required for virtuous citizenry. Barrett doesn't seem to think felons fit that bill, does she?
Then Sen. Klobuchar asked simply, "Under our constitutional structure congress holds the lead rein in making the right to vote equally real for all U.S. Citizens. Do you agree with her conclusion that the constitution clearly empowers Congress to protect the right to vote?"
Barrett answered, "Well, Senator, that would be eliciting an opinion from me whether they were right in Shelby County, and I can't express a view on that because it would be inconsistent with the judicial role."
So the answer is "No." Amy Coney Barrett doesn't believe felons have the right to vote, nor does she believe Congress has the power to protect the right to vote. Remember, though...felons DO have the right to buy guns, and Barrett is A-Okay with that. Sen. Klobuchar brought out that hypocrisy perfectly, saying, "So here's my problem. You go out of your way in the case that Dick Durbin was discussing to make this distinction between voting rights and gun rights but now you won't say whether or not you agree with Ginsburg."
And check out this devastating line of questioning, during which Sen. Klobuchar laid out all the constitutional and legal reasons voter intimidation was against the law, and asked Barrett if she agreed. Would you like to know if Amy Coney Barrett thinks voter intimidation is illegal? So would we. But she refused to say.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett declined to answer questions on voter intimidation when Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar asked her if under federal law it is illegal to intimidate voters at the polls. https://t.co/hxzXtZ1roC pic.twitter.com/xPfs6ybojC — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) October 13, 2020
HOW DO YOU NOT SAY THAT VOTER INTIMIDATION IS ILLEGAL? HOW?


crooksandliars--2020-10-13--Maskless Rudy Giuliani At MAGA Event Says 'People Don’t Die Of 'COVID19' Anymore

On Monday , in a small but packed office space in Philadelphia , Trump 's personal attorney told MAGA supporters , “ People don ’ t die of this disease anymore.
” Nothing surprises me anymore about what comes out of the mouth of an addled-brained Giuliani but he seriously is putting Americans in danger of being infected and infecting others of the coronavirus .
The Philadelphia Inquirer covered this event , `` About 75 Donald Trump supporters — many of them wearing masks with an Italian flag and the words Save Columbus — squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder into the campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani make a case for the president . ''
Giuliani is the most despicable campaign provocateur Trump or indeed or any other American has ever seen as part of a presidential team .
`` To date , the novel coronavirus – which Giuliani referred to as the “ Chinese Communist virus ” – has killed 220,254 people in the United States alone .
1,087,371 people have died from the deadly COVID-19 disease worldwide .
8,048,249 Americans have contracted the disease .
About 50,000 more Americans each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average for coronavirus deaths in the U.S. has dropped , fortunately , from about 1000 a day to 725 a day , but that ’ s still 725 people each day who did not have to die . ''
And Rudy is fine killing a few in the name of Donald John Trump .

On Monday, in a small but packed office space in Philadelphia, Trump's personal attorney told MAGA supporters, “People don’t die of this disease anymore.”
Nothing surprises me anymore about what comes out of the mouth of an addled-brained Giuliani but he seriously is putting Americans in danger of being infected and infecting others of the coronavirus.
The Philadelphia Inquirer covered this event, "About 75 Donald Trump supporters — many of them wearing masks with an Italian flag and the words Save Columbus — squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder into the campaign’s Northeast Philadelphia office Monday night to hear former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani make a case for the president."
Giuliani is the most despicable campaign provocateur Trump or indeed or any other American has ever seen as part of a presidential team.
David Badash writes:
"To date, the novel coronavirus – which Giuliani referred to as the “Chinese Communist virus” – has killed 220,254 people in the United States alone. 1,087,371 people have died from the deadly COVID-19 disease worldwide. 8,048,249 Americans have contracted the disease. About 50,000 more Americans each day test positive for the coronavirus.The seven-day average for coronavirus deaths in the U.S. has dropped, fortunately, from about 1000 a day to 725 a day, but that’s still 725 people each day who did not have to die."
And Rudy is fine killing a few in the name of Donald John Trump.