crooksandliars--2020-10-19--Why It's Worth Contributing To Candidates This Late In The Cycle

Millions of Americans have already voted .
By this past Friday evening 2,647,845 Texans had voted , 2,413,292 Floridians , 2,947,941 Californians , 1,397,929 Michiganders , 1,293,128 New Jerseyites , 1,333,860 Georgians , 1,248,886 North Carolinians , 1,213,480 Virginians , 911,385 Minnesotans ...
In the states that report early voting with party registrations , 55.1 % of the early votes were from registered Democrats and 23.8 were from registered Republicans .
But it would be a tragic error to think that this election is in the bag .
This is going down to the wire , if not so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the down-ballot congressional races where progressives are working to flip `` safe '' red districts that are n't quite so safe any longer .
It would be logical for a contributor to ask what campaigns can do , at this late moment , with a little more campaign money .
So we asked some of the candidates endorsed by Blue America what exactly they plan to do with last minute ActBlue contributions .
Their statements are below .
And to make it more interesting , the Blue America PAC has $ 3,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct us to give it to -- $ 2,000 for one and $ 1,500 for another .
How to decide ?
`` Vote '' by contributing to your favorite candidate by clicking on the thermometer on the right .
It opens a page and on that page -- on the right -- it says `` customize amounts , '' which will allow you to pick the candidate you want us to send the $ 2,000 check .
The candidate who gets the most contributions gets the $ 2,000 check and the candidate who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,500 check .
This is number of contributions , not amount .
So if you give $ 10 and someone else gives $ 100 , each counts as one vote .
Mike Siegel , one of the two Texas progressives we 're trying to help flip a seat was the first one to respond to our question about how his campaign will use the late contributions .
This is what he said : '' We are on the cusp of defeating one of the wealthiest , most powerful members of Congress , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running on a platform for Medicare for All and a Green New Deal , and supported by a powerful coalition of unions , Sunrise kids , local activists and national progressive leaders .
We made over 500,000 voter contacts in September and are statistically tied as of the last poll .
In response , McCaul is spending his family fortune , not only buying up TV ads from Houston to Austin , but advertising on every medium .
Just this morning my kids were watching YouTube cartoons and told me they saw a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attack piece .
With additional support we will unleash our own wave of digital ads to make sure every voter knows what I ’ m fighting for , and what my corrupt opponent represents . ''
Julie Oliver is the other Texas progressive Blue America is backing and her district borders on Mike and her opponent is another multimillionaire Trump enabler .
`` We 're running against one of the most corrupt members of Congress , '' she said , `` in a gerrymandered district that the establishment did n't think was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this district to a statistical tie , and without a single dime from any PAC we 've been able to go toe-to-toe with an entrenched GOP incumbent , calling him out on his corruption , running a huge digital , TV , mail media plan as well as one of the most aggressive grassroots field programs in the entire country .
If we can continue to get our message out there , we will win . ''
Liam O'Mara is running for a red-leaning Riverside County seat held by Corrupt Ken Calvert .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' asked O'Mara .
`` Frankly , it 's more important than ever .
Our incumbent is running radio , television , mail , and Internet ads that mention me by name , lie about my ideals , and literally call me a terrorist !
He 's more nervous than he has been in decades , and we are hammering the phones to get those ballots turned in .
We have our own advertising blitz under way , more signs than any Democrat has ever posted , and phonebanks running every day to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their votes .
We also have radio ads ready to go , in both Spanish and English , and need only your contribution to get us onto enough stereos and put us over the top .
Crooked Ken Calvert is already scared -- let 's show him he had reason to be , and help him retire with all the indignity he deserves . ''
State Rep. Jon Hoadley is running in a swing district in southwest Michigan that looks like it it finally ready to end the congressional career of Trump puppet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MI-06 has been on the receiving end of the most homophobic attacks in the country .
We ca n't let that be the only message they hear .
We know our message around healthcare and taking on the insurance companies is moving voters in a massive way .
The problem in my race is the incumbent has more name recognition .
However , after 34 years , everyone knows him and only 46 % of voters want to re-elect him .
Contributions to my campaign in this semi-rural district keep our healthcare and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially voters who we have n't been able to reach on the phone or at their doors but who do n't know me as well yet .
With a cheap media market , your contributions go a long way towards helping us win . ''
Washington state legislator Beth Doglio is in one of those D vs D congressional general election battles .
She represents the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party and her opponent , the president of the Chamber of Commerce , represents the Republican wing .
Beth 's statement : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the toughest one Blue America has gotten behind in this cycle -- a rural and small town R+24 district virtually abandoned to Trumpism by the Democratic Party .
Ellis is undaunted : `` From day one , I ’ ve said I ’ m in this race for the working people of Missouri ’ s 8th district and to help rebuild progressive infrastructure in a district that has long been ignored .
That remains true , all the way through the finish line .
We have two major funding priorities right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game , 100 % of contributions go to these areas .
The first priority is field and organizing , and specifically hiring organizing in the region .
In just the past two weeks , we ’ ve hired three field organizers who are dedicating their time to calling voters and reminding them to vote .
We ’ d like to hire two more individuals to work with us in our final get out the vote stage .
Our second priority is expanding our advertising .
In a 30-county district like MO-08 , getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tv/digital ads are some of the best ways to do it .
We recently produced an amazing ad focused on Smith ’ s record , and it ’ s producing strong results in digital ads .
We need to raise $ 15k to get that on the airwaves across the district .
For years , Smith has relied on his corporate donors to help him blanket the airwaves and dominate the conversation .
We ’ ve been challenging that from day one and are ready to take it to the next level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she needs to raise $ 458K more to win and told us what she 's talking about with people she calls on the phone asking for contributions to show them that even in this red district , it is a winnable race .
In polling last June : `` Our June poll , '' she told us , `` showed that our messaging is beating Rep. LaMalfa ’ s and we are moving voters .
We are on track to finish this race with strength . ''
She raised $ 671k in Q3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working hard to fully fund her $ 2.6 million dollar budget .
`` We are going to take this seat nobody is paying attention to .
It is also our assessment that an additional $ 500k in investment in television in the Sacramento media market would finish off Rep .
LaMalfa . ''
The West Virginia seat Cathy Kunkle is contesting is no walk in the park for a Democrat either , but Cathy is no ordinary Democrat .
She 's a populist and a progressive with ideas that make sense to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our campaign , '' she said , `` aims to raise $ 65,000 in the next two-and-a-half weeks .
That money will go towards keeping our ads on the air across our congressional district , footing the bill for the 100,000 phone calls and texts that we 'll be making to voters by election day ( we 're 35 % of the way there ) and paying the staff who are running one of the largest field operations of any West Virginia congressional campaign in recent history , despite the pandemic .
Mondaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he 's polling well but when I asked him if he needs contributions this late in the game his response was clear : `` We do !
!
! ''
One of his third-party opponents -- a Republican now running as an independent , is self-funding his congressional campaign with at least $ 500,000 and running misleading and vicious TV ads against Mondaire .
`` This week , I learned that one of my opponents decided to drop six figures in negative ads against me on television .
The Willie Horton-style ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 'free criminals ' and also flashes images of AOC , Rashida , Ilhan , and Ayanna across the screen , saying 'we do n't need any more radicals in Congress . '
It uses racist tropes to criticize my support of New York State 's common sense criminal legal reforms , which passed with overwhelming majorities last year .
We are genuinely concerned about the impact it will have across our district , especially because I look very different from the representation this majority white , suburban district is used to .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this final stretch to ensure people have accurate information about me , and we need all the support we can get to fight back . ''
Omaha progressive Kara Eastman told us she `` locked in a tight race with Trump Republican Don Bacon .
I lost to him in 2018 by just under 2 points , and I lead in the latest poll by the same margin .
But what we are seeing is phenomenal : Republican-aligned dark money Super-PACs have ALREADY spent over $ 6 million in this race , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I have only been able to fight back due to the support of my massive grassroots army of donors .
Every day we see that more and more money is being spent by the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson under the direction of Kevin McCarthy against me , so we need more and more grassroots support . ''
Trump literally let a convicted felon out of prison to run for the Atlanta district that was represented by John Lewis .
With Lewis ' passing state Sen. Nikema Williams , a tough progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She told me that `` Every contribution made to our campaign right now goes towards direct voter contact , making sure we fight against the hate and vitriol of my opponent to protect the legacy of Congressman John Lewis .
My opponent is a Donald Trump apologist who is not fit for public service .
I have a proven record of working to uplift the voices of those too often left unheard and unseen .
I ’ m fighting out loud on purpose for the promise of America , for all of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our lifetime .
Voting rights , access to abortion , access to health care and child care -- SO much is at stake . ''
JD Scholten has helped run neo-fascist Steve King out of politics and how he 's taking on King , Jr. in the only Republican-held district left in Iowa .
`` We 're focusing these last few weeks , '' he told me , `` on connecting with Independents , Republican women , and non-voters who are fed up with career politicians maintaining the status quo that props @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving the working class behind .
Any extra dollars will go to our voter contact program and pay for our tele-town halls , where we will dial out to folks across the district who can tune into J.D .
's live parking lot rallies .
For those at our parking lot rallies , folks stay in their cars and listen to J.D .
via a local radio frequency or can watch live on our Facebook page , and now we 're adding the feature of dialing out to folks at home .
Throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to follow health and safety guidelines while finding creative ways to reach out to voters and get folks involved in our democracy . ''
Adam Christensen turned 27 on Saturday , the youngest congressional candidate Blue America is supporting this cycle and if he wins , he 'll be the youngest member of Congress .
His election will prove that progressive Democrats can compete and win in rural areas .
`` Our campaign , '' he told me , `` is going to win by turning out young voters , progressive voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All three of these voting blocs are traditionally ignored but they are key to winning in Florida ’ s 3rd , and will be instrumental in also delivering Florida for Joe Biden .
Contributions to our campaign will fuel our first television ad ( which is airing in rural parts of the district even before the Democratic stronghold ) .
We are able to place cable television ads to irregular and rural Democratic voters at under $ 20 each .
$ 2,000 will keep our ad up for nearly a week in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the district .
We know these voters decide the latest of all , so late money is critically important to reaching these hard to contact voters .
This race is the best bang for your buck in the country .
Nate McMurray is amazing .
Electing this guy to Congress would be as disruptive to the status quo as anything American voters can do this cycle .
Please read his statement and you 'll see what I 'm talking about .
Nate : A win for my campaign in NY-27 will signal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Especially in NY-27 , where Trumpism got it ’ s foothold .
Trump ’ s first big endorsement in 2015 came from convicted ex-Rep. Chris Collins .
NY-27 is home to disgraced GOP operative Michael Caputo and failed big-mouthed Trump supporter Carl Paladino .
Trump won the district in 2016 by 25 percentage points and felt such strong ties here that in 2018 he campaigned in person against me for Collins .
But I defied the odds and came within 1 percent of winning in 2018 .
My opponent now hugs tight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
A win for us in NY-27 will be an actual expansion of the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives , giving progressives like me and the donors of Blue America not just the best chance in decades to implement a progressive agenda , but one that can get results even faster with a supermajority in the House that stops Trumpism in its tracks .
My progressive campaign right now is at a crucial junction , at the culmination of three years of overwhelming support from grass-roots , small donors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most far right members of Congress today .
Eighty-five percent of my donors are small dollar Western New Yorkers , most of whom continue to give through the end stages of the campaign .
It is these everyday Americans -- in need of affordable quality healthcare , good paying jobs , economic assistance for struggling businesses , improved infrastructure , and a cleaner community around them -- who are most directly hurt by the hate-filled and hurtful actions of Donald Trump and his GOP enablers .
Late-stage donor dollars will figure heavily for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and my team have more time than ever before to affect and protect the vote and we need all the resources we can muster to do it .
My team and I will put funds to use getting out the late vote , getting media up , but most critically we will need it to send my team out in the field to oversee and protect the voting process at the polls in all 8 counties that make up NY-27 during voting and after the polls close .
Absentee ballots are cast and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early voting occurs at select sites Oct. 24-Nov. 1 , then widespread in-person voting on Nov. 3 .
On Nov. 5 , two days after Election Day , New York starts a week of counting absentee ballots .
My die-hard NY-27 grassroots donors and volunteers in NY-27 will have all their donations and hard work validated and supported by late-stage big donors like Blue America .
And then a bigger fight comes after Election Day when New York State starts the absentee ballot count .
I 'm going to rely heavily on late-stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect votes cast at the polling booth and in the absentee ballot count .
My team will be dispatched across NY-27 to oversee the vote count and combining our forces with fellow Democrats for days -- maybe weeks -- thereafter to fight what we predict will be intense efforts in NY-27 by the GOP to suppress the vote count in all 8 counties .
I 'm going to need resources to keep my people engaged and ensure that every last vote cast for me is counted and we bring in a massive win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- who will you `` vote '' for ?
Do it soon , we 'll choose the winner in just a few days .
Because , every candidate you just read about needs your donations ( and votes ! )
Right Now .
Thanks for always doing what you can to make this a better world ,

Millions of Americans have already voted.
By this past Friday evening 2,647,845 Texans had voted, 2,413,292 Floridians, 2,947,941 Californians, 1,397,929 Michiganders, 1,293,128 New Jerseyites, 1,333,860 Georgians, 1,248,886 North Carolinians, 1,213,480 Virginians, 911,385 Minnesotans...
In the states that report early voting with party registrations, 55.1% of the early votes were from registered Democrats and 23.8 were from registered Republicans. But it would be a tragic error to think that this election is in the bag. This is going down to the wire, if not so much in the presidential races, then certainly in the down-ballot congressional races where progressives are working to flip "safe" red districts that aren't quite so safe any longer.
It would be logical for a contributor to ask what campaigns can do, at this late moment, with a little more campaign money. So we asked some of the candidates endorsed by Blue America what exactly they plan to do with last minute ActBlue contributions. Their statements are below.
And to make it more interesting, the Blue America PAC has $3,500 to give to two candidates our members direct us to give it to-- $2,000 for one and $1,500 for another.
How to decide? "Vote" by contributing to your favorite candidate by clicking on the thermometer on the right.
It opens a page and on that page-- on the right-- it says "customize amounts," which will allow you to pick the candidate you want us to send the $2,000 check.
The candidate who gets the most contributions gets the $2,000 check and the candidate who gets the second most gets the $1,500 check.
This is number of contributions, not amount. So if you give $10 and someone else gives $100, each counts as one vote.
Mike Siegel, one of the two Texas progressives we're trying to help flip a seat was the first one to respond to our question about how his campaign will use the late contributions. This is what he said:
"We are on the cusp of defeating one of the wealthiest, most powerful members of Congress, and he knows it. I’m running on a platform for Medicare for All and a Green New Deal, and supported by a powerful coalition of unions, Sunrise kids, local activists and national progressive leaders. We made over 500,000 voter contacts in September and are statistically tied as of the last poll. In response, McCaul is spending his family fortune, not only buying up TV ads from Houston to Austin, but advertising on every medium. Just this morning my kids were watching YouTube cartoons and told me they saw a 'Mike Siegel ad' that was really an attack piece. With additional support we will unleash our own wave of digital ads to make sure every voter knows what I’m fighting for, and what my corrupt opponent represents."
Julie Oliver is the other Texas progressive Blue America is backing and her district borders on Mike and her opponent is another multimillionaire Trump enabler. "We're running against one of the most corrupt members of Congress," she said, "in a gerrymandered district that the establishment didn't think was winnable. Nevertheless, we've pushed this district to a statistical tie, and without a single dime from any PAC we've been able to go toe-to-toe with an entrenched GOP incumbent, calling him out on his corruption, running a huge digital, TV, mail media plan as well as one of the most aggressive grassroots field programs in the entire country. If we can continue to get our message out there, we will win."
Liam O'Mara is running for a red-leaning Riverside County seat held by Corrupt Ken Calvert. "Why donate this late?," asked O'Mara. "Frankly, it's more important than ever. Our incumbent is running radio, television, mail, and Internet ads that mention me by name, lie about my ideals, and literally call me a terrorist! He's more nervous than he has been in decades, and we are hammering the phones to get those ballots turned in. We have our own advertising blitz under way, more signs than any Democrat has ever posted, and phonebanks running every day to keep people fired up and mailing in their votes. We also have radio ads ready to go, in both Spanish and English, and need only your contribution to get us onto enough stereos and put us over the top. Crooked Ken Calvert is already scared-- let's show him he had reason to be, and help him retire with all the indignity he deserves."
State Rep. Jon Hoadley is running in a swing district in southwest Michigan that looks like it it finally ready to end the congressional career of Trump puppet Fred Upton. "Our race in MI-06 has been on the receiving end of the most homophobic attacks in the country. We can't let that be the only message they hear. We know our message around healthcare and taking on the insurance companies is moving voters in a massive way. The problem in my race is the incumbent has more name recognition. However, after 34 years, everyone knows him and only 46% of voters want to re-elect him. Contributions to my campaign in this semi-rural district keep our healthcare and accountability messages in front of voters, especially voters who we haven't been able to reach on the phone or at their doors but who don't know me as well yet. With a cheap media market, your contributions go a long way towards helping us win."
Washington state legislator Beth Doglio is in one of those D vs D congressional general election battles. She represents the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party and her opponent, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, represents the Republican wing. Beth's statement:
Thank you all for standing up for progressive values and candidates that will bring a strong, strategic, tenacious voice to Congress calling for transformational change. In the final days of the campaign, your donations make a huge difference. It can make a difference in how many voters we can reach with mail, television ads and digital communications. The very first Congressional race I ever worked on was won by four votes. Four-- count them 1, 2, 3, 4! And this, after three recounts. The dollars that come in in the final days of a campaign can make that four vote difference. And, the people we elect will make the difference on how quickly we move to a fossil free future, universal healthcare, compassionate immigration reform, criminal justice reform and so much more. Make the most of the next few weeks-- sign up to call voters (you can pick any campaign in the country we're all doing virtual phone banks) and donate away...
Kathy Ellis's race in southeast Missouri is the toughest one Blue America has gotten behind in this cycle-- a rural and small town R+24 district virtually abandoned to Trumpism by the Democratic Party. Ellis is undaunted: "From day one, I’ve said I’m in this race for the working people of Missouri’s 8th district and to help rebuild progressive infrastructure in a district that has long been ignored. That remains true, all the way through the finish line. We have two major funding priorities right now, and at this point in the game, 100% of contributions go to these areas. The first priority is field and organizing, and specifically hiring organizing in the region. In just the past two weeks, we’ve hired three field organizers who are dedicating their time to calling voters and reminding them to vote. We’d like to hire two more individuals to work with us in our final get out the vote stage. Our second priority is expanding our advertising. In a 30-county district like MO-08, getting our message out can be difficult, and tv/digital ads are some of the best ways to do it. We recently produced an amazing ad focused on Smith’s record, and it’s producing strong results in digital ads. We need to raise $15k to get that on the airwaves across the district. For years, Smith has relied on his corporate donors to help him blanket the airwaves and dominate the conversation. We’ve been challenging that from day one and are ready to take it to the next level."
Audrey Denney told us that she needs to raise $458K more to win and told us what she's talking about with people she calls on the phone asking for contributions to show them that even in this red district, it is a winnable race. In polling last June:
• Audrey trails Rep. LaMalfa -5% on initial ballot.(41-46)
• Audrey is even 47-47 after introducing positive ballot statements on Audrey and Rep. LaMalfa.
• Audrey leads +8% (50-42) after full messaging.
In polling last week:
• LaMalfa’s lead has shrunk to 4-points (49% to 45% for Denney) in a district that has a double-digit Republican advantage in partisanship.
• Tracking poll represents a small percentage of our messaging plan having reached voters. At the time of the poll voters had only been exposed to 20% of our paid communications plan.
• Audrey is winning No Party Preference voters 60-29. There is a chunk of NPP voters (10%) who have a negative view of Trump, but have not yet heard of Audrey.
"Our June poll," she told us, "showed that our messaging is beating Rep. LaMalfa’s and we are moving voters. We are on track to finish this race with strength." She raised $671k in Q3 from 16,000 individual contributions and she is working hard to fully fund her $2.6 million dollar budget. "We are going to take this seat nobody is paying attention to. It is also our assessment that an additional $500k in investment in television in the Sacramento media market would finish off Rep. LaMalfa."
The West Virginia seat Cathy Kunkle is contesting is no walk in the park for a Democrat either, but Cathy is no ordinary Democrat. She's a populist and a progressive with ideas that make sense to the people in central West Virginia. "Our campaign," she said, "aims to raise $65,000 in the next two-and-a-half weeks. That money will go towards keeping our ads on the air across our congressional district, footing the bill for the 100,000 phone calls and texts that we'll be making to voters by election day (we're 35% of the way there) and paying the staff who are running one of the largest field operations of any West Virginia congressional campaign in recent history, despite the pandemic.
Mondaire Jones is in a pretty blue district and he's polling well but when I asked him if he needs contributions this late in the game his response was clear: "We do!!!" One of his third-party opponents-- a Republican now running as an independent, is self-funding his congressional campaign with at least $500,000 and running misleading and vicious TV ads against Mondaire. "This week, I learned that one of my opponents decided to drop six figures in negative ads against me on television. The Willie Horton-style ad calls me an 'extremist' who wants to 'free criminals' and also flashes images of AOC, Rashida, Ilhan, and Ayanna across the screen, saying 'we don't need any more radicals in Congress.' It uses racist tropes to criticize my support of New York State's common sense criminal legal reforms, which passed with overwhelming majorities last year. We are genuinely concerned about the impact it will have across our district, especially because I look very different from the representation this majority white, suburban district is used to. We'll be ramping up our expenditures in this final stretch to ensure people have accurate information about me, and we need all the support we can get to fight back."
Omaha progressive Kara Eastman told us she "locked in a tight race with Trump Republican Don Bacon. I lost to him in 2018 by just under 2 points, and I lead in the latest poll by the same margin. But what we are seeing is phenomenal: Republican-aligned dark money Super-PACs have ALREADY spent over $6 million in this race, attacking me with the most extreme langage. I have only been able to fight back due to the support of my massive grassroots army of donors. Every day we see that more and more money is being spent by the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson under the direction of Kevin McCarthy against me, so we need more and more grassroots support."
Trump literally let a convicted felon out of prison to run for the Atlanta district that was represented by John Lewis. With Lewis' passing state Sen. Nikema Williams, a tough progressive leader, became the Democratic nominee. She told me that "Every contribution made to our campaign right now goes towards direct voter contact, making sure we fight against the hate and vitriol of my opponent to protect the legacy of Congressman John Lewis. My opponent is a Donald Trump apologist who is not fit for public service. I have a proven record of working to uplift the voices of those too often left unheard and unseen. I’m fighting out loud on purpose for the promise of America, for all of us. This election is the most consequential of our lifetime. Voting rights, access to abortion, access to health care and child care-- SO much is at stake."
JD Scholten has helped run neo-fascist Steve King out of politics and how he's taking on King, Jr. in the only Republican-held district left in Iowa. "We're focusing these last few weeks," he told me, "on connecting with Independents, Republican women, and non-voters who are fed up with career politicians maintaining the status quo that props up corporations and the 1% while leaving the working class behind. Any extra dollars will go to our voter contact program and pay for our tele-town halls, where we will dial out to folks across the district who can tune into J.D.'s live parking lot rallies. For those at our parking lot rallies, folks stay in their cars and listen to J.D. via a local radio frequency or can watch live on our Facebook page, and now we're adding the feature of dialing out to folks at home. Throughout this pandemic, our campaign has worked hard to follow health and safety guidelines while finding creative ways to reach out to voters and get folks involved in our democracy."
Adam Christensen turned 27 on Saturday, the youngest congressional candidate Blue America is supporting this cycle and if he wins, he'll be the youngest member of Congress. His election will prove that progressive Democrats can compete and win in rural areas. "Our campaign," he told me, "is going to win by turning out young voters, progressive voters, and irregular rural Democratic voters. All three of these voting blocs are traditionally ignored but they are key to winning in Florida’s 3rd, and will be instrumental in also delivering Florida for Joe Biden. Contributions to our campaign will fuel our first television ad (which is airing in rural parts of the district even before the Democratic stronghold). We are able to place cable television ads to irregular and rural Democratic voters at under $20 each. $2,000 will keep our ad up for nearly a week in the final stretch in the most rural parts of the district. We know these voters decide the latest of all, so late money is critically important to reaching these hard to contact voters. This race is the best bang for your buck in the country.
Nate McMurray is amazing. Electing this guy to Congress would be as disruptive to the status quo as anything American voters can do this cycle. Please read his statement and you'll see what I'm talking about. Nate:


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--'Criminal!' Trump Screams At Reporters On Airport Tarmac For Not Reporting Bogus Hunter Biden Smear

President Donald Trump appeared to become angry at reporters on Monday after he was asked about why he has repeatedly called Democratic nominee Joe Biden a “ criminal.
” While speaking to reporters on an airport tarmac in Phoenix , the president predicted that he would “ do better ” than he did when he won the 2016 presidential race .
“ We ’ re way ahead of where we were in 2016 , ” Trump insisted .
“ And I ’ ve done things that nobody has ever done.
” One reporter appeared to get under the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming presidential debate with Biden .
Trump pivoted to attack debate moderator Kristen Welker .
He was then asked what he is doing to prepare for the debate .
“ I ’ m doing this , ” Trump replied .
“ You just do what you do.
” “ Your campaign strategy seems to be to call Biden a criminal , ” one correspondent pointed out .
“ Why is that ?
” “ He is a criminal !
” Trump declared .
“ He got caught .
Read his laptop .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
You ’ re a criminal for not reporting it .
You are a criminal for not reporting it .
”

President Donald Trump appeared to become angry at reporters on Monday after he was asked about why he has repeatedly called Democratic nominee Joe Biden a “criminal.”
While speaking to reporters on an airport tarmac in Phoenix, the president predicted that he would “do better” than he did when he won the 2016 presidential race.
“We’re way ahead of where we were in 2016,” Trump insisted. “And I’ve done things that nobody has ever done.”
One reporter appeared to get under the president’s skin with a question about the upcoming presidential debate with Biden. Trump pivoted to attack debate moderator Kristen Welker.
He was then asked what he is doing to prepare for the debate.
“I’m doing this,” Trump replied. “You just do what you do.”
“Your campaign strategy seems to be to call Biden a criminal,” one correspondent pointed out. “Why is that?”
“He is a criminal!” Trump declared. “He got caught. Read his laptop. And you know who’s a criminal? You’re a criminal for not reporting it. You are a criminal for not reporting it.”


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--This Nun Makes The Best Pro-Choice Argument Ever To Oppose Barrett

The Nuns on the Bus are opposed to the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett .
I 'm holding my breath until some Republican jackass calls the nuns anti-Catholic .
Sister Simone Campbell of Nuns on the Bus talked to Alex Witt on Saturday .
( Campbell is also a lawyer and executive director of The Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice . )
She gave the best pro-choice argument I have ever heard .
ALEX WITT , MSNBC : Let me ask you about Network Lobby , the ad campaign calling on Senators Graham , Ernst and Tillis to oppose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] nomination , despite her strong faith .
What are your biggest concerns about her convictions and faith ?
SISTER SIMONE CAMPBELL : She is a strong Catholic .
That 's lovely .
I 'm a lawyer and I 'm worried about her decisions .
The fact is Judge Barrett has livered in an ivory tower bubble most of her career .
She does n't know the reality of struggling people , and her approach to the Constitution is to say , `` we have to go back to 1789 and how they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have occurred , the growth in civil rights , the growth in the fact that women have the vote .
The growth in the fact that we as a nation have discovered a deeper sense of the common good .
And so I worry about what 's going to happen to voting rights .
I worry about what 's going to happen to the Affordable Care Act .
I worry about how she sees the critical social issues of our time .
WITT : You mention the Affordable Care Act and by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hope is the Affordable Care Act will stay in place .
You have abortion rights that will remain in place .
Is there any difficulty for you in that trade off ?
CAMPBELL : No , because one of the issues that 's really ripe right now in our conversation is about religious liberty .
For me , religious liberty is for each up with of us to exercise our faith and our faith values .
Right now the way the law stands , everybody can exercise their faith when it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ i 'm a Catholic sister , I 'm not going get pregnant .
That 's not an issue for me .
What I know is that women , Catholic women have the capacity to make their own choice .
I do n't think it 's right in our diverse nation for me to force my choice , my faith , onto others .
I think we 're in a strong position .
Let 's support the formation of conscience and the choices made by women , but let 's make sure pregnant women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know in Democratic administrations that the abortion rate goes down faster than Republican administrations because Democrats support pregnant women .
That 's how I care for the unborn .
Let 's ensure women have access to health care , nutrition , housing .
All the basics they need to carry a baby to term .
That matters .

The Nuns on the Bus are opposed to the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett. I'm holding my breath until some Republican jackass calls the nuns anti-Catholic.
Sister Simone Campbell of Nuns on the Bus talked to Alex Witt on Saturday. (Campbell is also a lawyer and executive director of The Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.) She gave the best pro-choice argument I have ever heard.
ALEX WITT, MSNBC: Let me ask you about Network Lobby, the ad campaign calling on Senators Graham, Ernst and Tillis to oppose the judge's [Amy Coney Barrett] nomination, despite her strong faith. What are your biggest concerns about her convictions and faith?
SISTER SIMONE CAMPBELL: She is a strong Catholic. That's lovely. I'm a lawyer and I'm worried about her decisions. The fact is Judge Barrett has livered in an ivory tower bubble most of her career. She doesn't know the reality of struggling people, and her approach to the Constitution is to say, "we have to go back to 1789 and how they thought then" without acknowledging the changes that have occurred, the growth in civil rights, the growth in the fact that women have the vote. The growth in the fact that we as a nation have discovered a deeper sense of the common good. And so I worry about what's going to happen to voting rights. I worry about what's going to happen to the Affordable Care Act. I worry about how she sees the critical social issues of our time.
WITT: You mention the Affordable Care Act and by supporting Joe Biden and the Democrats, the hope is the Affordable Care Act will stay in place. You have abortion rights that will remain in place. Is there any difficulty for you in that trade off?
CAMPBELL: No, because one of the issues that's really ripe right now in our conversation is about religious liberty. For me, religious liberty is for each up with of us to exercise our faith and our faith values. Right now the way the law stands, everybody can exercise their faith when it comes to the issue of abortion. Now i'm a Catholic sister, I'm not going get pregnant. That's not an issue for me. What I know is that women, Catholic women have the capacity to make their own choice. I don't think it's right in our diverse nation for me to force my choice, my faith, onto others. I think we're in a strong position. Let's support the formation of conscience and the choices made by women, but let's make sure pregnant women have the supports they need. We know in Democratic administrations that the abortion rate goes down faster than Republican administrations because Democrats support pregnant women. That's how I care for the unborn. Let's ensure women have access to health care, nutrition, housing. All the basics they need to carry a baby to term. That matters.


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--Trump Warns: Biden Will 'Listen To The Scientists' If Elected

... as there really are no words anymore .
The Biden campaign probably already put this in their ads and @ @ @ @ @ .
President Trump mockingly warned at his rally in Nevada late Sunday that Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ listen to the scientists ” if elected and there would be more lockdowns to curb @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump told attendees in Carson City that supporters of his opponent would surrender their @ @ @ @ @ , ” saying : “ He ’ s gon na want to lockdown.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ the scientists , ” Trump added in a mocking tone before saying , “ If @ @ @ @ @ scientists , we would right now have a country that would be in a massive @ @ @ @ @ re like a rocket ship .
Take a look at the numbers .
”

[Blank Comment]
...as there really are no words anymore. The Biden campaign probably already put this in their ads and are printing it on t-shirts.
Source: The Hill
President Trump mockingly warned at his rally in Nevada late Sunday that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would “listen to the scientists” if elected and there would be more lockdowns to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Trump told attendees in Carson City that supporters of his opponent would surrender their “future to the virus,” saying: “He’s gonna want to lockdown.”
“He’ll listen to the scientists,” Trump added in a mocking tone before saying, “If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression instead — we’re like a rocket ship. Take a look at the numbers.”


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--Birx Tells Mike Pence She Wants Trump's Fox Doc Removed From COVID19 Task Force: Report

The Washington Post is reporting there is much dissension within the COVID19 task force that Dr. Deborah Birx wants Mike Pence to get rid of the Tucker Carlson Fox News doctor for spreading disinformation to Trump Dr. Birx had been one of Trump 's favorites until she became heavily criticized for downplaying the coronavirus and now has been replaced as the face of the Task Force by faux Dr. Scott Atlas , a purveyor of right-wing fringe conspiracies and ideas on how to treat the virus .
As the White House coronavirus response coordinator , Deborah Birx is tasked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charts detailing upticks and other trends .
But Atlas routinely has challenged Birx ’ s analysis and those of other doctors , including Anthony S. Fauci , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield , and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn , with what the other doctors considered junk science , according to three senior administration officials I 've been documenting this quack Trump has taken under his wing .
Dr. Atlas has been promoting right-wing fringe theories that `` masks do n't protect you , '' `` we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids should go to school because they do n't transmit the disease or get very sick , '' and that herd immunity is the key in defeating COVID-19 . ''
Dr. Birx finally had enough of the charlatan and confronted VP Pence , who is the supposedly the leader of the Task Force .
Birx recently confronted the office of Vice President Pence , who chairs the task force , about the acrimony , according to two people familiar with the meeting .
Birx , whose profile and influence has eroded considerably since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office that she does not trust Atlas , does not believe he is giving Trump sound advice and wants him removed from the task force , the two people said .
As usual , Pence refuses to take a side so as not to offend Orange Julius , and instead , told them to bring data bolstering their perspectives to the task force and to work out their disagreements themselves , according to two senior administration officials .
Is it any wonder that the federal response to the coronavirus is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people , having been lied to and misinformed from the outset of the pandemic , are now at a more severe risk of contracting this virus as the winter approaches ?

The Washington Post is reporting there is much dissension within the COVID19 task force that Dr. Deborah Birx wants Mike Pence to get rid of the Tucker Carlson Fox News doctor for spreading disinformation to Trump
Dr. Birx had been one of Trump's favorites until she became heavily criticized for downplaying the coronavirus and now has been replaced as the face of the Task Force by faux Dr. Scott Atlas, a purveyor of right-wing fringe conspiracies and ideas on how to treat the virus.
As the White House coronavirus response coordinator, Deborah Birx is tasked with collecting and analyzing infection data and compiling charts detailing upticks and other trends. But Atlas routinely has challenged Birx’s analysis and those of other doctors, including Anthony S. Fauci, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, with what the other doctors considered junk science, according to three senior administration officials
I've been documenting this quack Trump has taken under his wing. Dr. Atlas has been promoting right-wing fringe theories that "masks don't protect you," "we should slow down testing," "kids should go to school because they don't transmit the disease or get very sick," and that herd immunity is the key in defeating COVID-19."
Dr. Birx finally had enough of the charlatan and confronted VP Pence, who is the supposedly the leader of the Task Force.
Birx recently confronted the office of Vice President Pence, who chairs the task force, about the acrimony, according to two people familiar with the meeting. Birx, whose profile and influence has eroded considerably since Atlas’s arrival, told Pence’s office that she does not trust Atlas, does not believe he is giving Trump sound advice and wants him removed from the task force, the two people said.
As usual, Pence refuses to take a side so as not to offend Orange Julius, and instead, told them to bring data bolstering their perspectives to the task force and to work out their disagreements themselves, according to two senior administration officials.
Is it any wonder that the federal response to the coronavirus is in shambles?
Is it any wonder that the American people, having been lied to and misinformed from the outset of the pandemic, are now at a more severe risk of contracting this virus as the winter approaches?


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--As Pandemic Surges In US, Trump Says 'People Are Tired Of COVID'

Hours after bragging about his persistent refusal to listen to scientists when it comes to fighting the deadly coronavirus pandemic , President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at Dr. Anthony Fauci and other public health officials , saying during a call with his campaign staff that `` people are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots . ''
`` People are tired of Covid .
People are saying , 'Whatever , just leave us alone , ' '' Trump said of a virus that has killed more than 219,000 Americans and is still spreading at an alarming rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's been here for , like , 500 years .
He 's like this wonderful sage telling us how—Fauci , if we listened to him , we 'd have 700,000 [ or ] 800,000 deaths . ''
`` If there 's a reporter on , you can have it just the way I said it , I could n't care less , '' the president added , addressing members of the press on the call .
Trump 's comments came after the airing Sunday night of Fauci 's interview on CBS ' `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation 's top infectious disease expert rejected the president 's rosy depiction of the current state of the pandemic and said the White House has been restricting his ability to speak to the press about the pandemic .
`` When you have a million deaths and over 30 million infections globally , you can not say that we 're on the road to essentially getting out of this , '' Fauci said , an assessment that directly contradicts Trump 's recent claim that the U.S. is `` rounding the turn . ''
Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign 's decision to pluck some of his comments about the Covid-19 crisis out of context and place them in a campaign ad , making it appear as if Fauci was praising the president 's handling of the pandemic .
`` I do not and nor will I ever , publicly endorse any political candidate .
And here I am , they 're sticking me right in the middle of a campaign ad , '' Fauci said of the spot , which is still running in battleground states .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @

Hours after bragging about his persistent refusal to listen to scientists when it comes to fighting the deadly coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at Dr. Anthony Fauci and other public health officials, saying during a call with his campaign staff that "people are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots."
"People are tired of Covid. People are saying, 'Whatever, just leave us alone,'" Trump said of a virus that has killed more than 219,000 Americans and is still spreading at an alarming rate across the United States. "He's been here for, like, 500 years. He's like this wonderful sage telling us how—Fauci, if we listened to him, we'd have 700,000 [or] 800,000 deaths."
"If there's a reporter on, you can have it just the way I said it, I couldn't care less," the president added, addressing members of the press on the call.
President Trump on campaign call with staffers this morning: "People are tired of COVID. I have the biggest rallies I've ever had. And we have COVID. People are saying: whatever. Just leave us alone. They're tired of it." — Monica Alba (@albamonica) October 19, 2020
People are tired of a science-denying President that has allowed over 218,000 people to die from COVID. https://t.co/GH73l5T2qB — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) October 19, 2020
Trump's comments came after the airing Sunday night of Fauci's interview on CBS' "60 Minutes," during which the nation's top infectious disease expert rejected the president's rosy depiction of the current state of the pandemic and said the White House has been restricting his ability to speak to the press about the pandemic.
"When you have a million deaths and over 30 million infections globally, you can not say that we're on the road to essentially getting out of this," Fauci said, an assessment that directly contradicts Trump's recent claim that the U.S. is "rounding the turn."
Fauci also once again voiced his displeasure with the Trump campaign's decision to pluck some of his comments about the Covid-19 crisis out of context and place them in a campaign ad, making it appear as if Fauci was praising the president's handling of the pandemic.
"I do not and nor will I ever, publicly endorse any political candidate. And here I am, they're sticking me right in the middle of a campaign ad," Fauci said of the spot, which is still running in battleground states. "I got really ticked off."
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, staff writer) under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--Judd Apatow Proves Adam Schiff Has No Future In Comedy.  HA!

Adam Schiff is not a comedian .
Nor is he a magician .
In fact , he 's got very @ @ @ @ @ entertainment '' category , period .
But the California congressman used all of his lack @ @ @ @ @ in this PSA for I Will Vote.com .
Filmmaker @ JuddApatow and I have a @ @ @ @ @ Vote .
Register to vote .
Make a plan to vote .
And then vote @ @ @ @ @ , we were able to deliver that message leveraging my personal brand of comedy — @ @ @ @ @ Vote : https : //t.co/ssworFFXGs pic.twitter.com/A0WRR9QYYd PS .
The site for voting information is I @ @ @ @ @ will vote.org '' goes to the Biden campaign because they 're smart .

Adam Schiff is not a comedian. Nor is he a magician. In fact, he's got very few skills in the "entertainment" category, period.
But the California congressman used all of his lack of skills to good use in this PSA for I Will Vote.com.
Filmmaker @JuddApatow and I have a message for every American:
Vote.
Register to vote. Make a plan to vote. And then vote.
And best of all, we were able to deliver that message leveraging my personal brand of comedy — subversive, yet relatable.
Vote:https://t.co/ssworFFXGs pic.twitter.com/A0WRR9QYYd — Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) October 18, 2020
PS. The site for voting information is I Will Vote.com. "I will vote.org" goes to the Biden campaign because they're smart.


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--Dr. Fauci Not Surprised Trump Got COVID19

Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted to 60 Minutes Sunday night many troubling aspects of how the Trump administration has handled the pandemic .
The administration blocked Fauci 's media access , discouraged wearing masks and covered up details of Trump 's infection of the virus .
In the first few minutes of the CBS interview , the preeminent scientist in the US in dealing with viruses said that Trump administration blocked many requests for him to appear on national television to inform the public .
This has been reported by ABC News , CNN , as well as other networks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ silencing Dr. Fauci , because the scientific community is at odds with the way Trump is handling the coronavirus .
Trump is more worried about his reelection than the health of the US population .
Trump 's answer to COVID is to hire Fox News huckster Dr. Scott Atlas to promote the right-wing fringe ideas that masks do n't work and that a herd Immunity is the answer to defeating the virus .
60 Minutes aired a video clip of the Amy Coney Barrett nomination in the Rose Garden .
Dr. Jon LaPook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got sick ?
Dr. Anthony Fauci : Absolutely not .
I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded , no separation between people , and almost nobody wearing a mask .
When I saw that on TV , I said , `` Oh my goodness .
Nothing good can come outta that , that 's got ta be a problem . ''
And then sure enough , it turned out to be a superspreader event .
Even with all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flaunting the CDC guidelines caused Trump to become infected and possibly infected others including the First Lady and their son Baron .
A bit later in the interview they played video of Trump blaming Dr. Fauci for saying masks do n't work ( which was at the beginning of the pandemic ) to gaslight how the Trump administration has handled the coronavirus afterwards .
At the beginning of the outbreak , Dr. Fauci recommended against routinely wearing masks , partly because he was concerned there would be a shortage of surgical masks for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fauci reversed course after , he says , it turned out people without symptoms were a significant source of spread .
And masks , even homemade ones , could help stop transmission .
Dr. Anthony Fauci : So let 's see if we could put this to rest once and for all .
It became clear that cloth coverings , things like this here , and not necessarily a surgical mask or an N95 , cloth coverings , work .
So now there 's no longer a shortage of masks .
Number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrary to what we thought , masks really do work in preventing infection .
Dr. Jon LaPook : So when you find out you were wrong , you do n't double down ?
Dr. Anthony Fauci : No .
When you find out you 're wrong , it 's a manifestation of your honesty to say , `` Hey , I was wrong .
I did subsequent experiments and now it 's this way . ''
The full interview , via 60 Minutes on Youtube , is below :

Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted to 60 Minutes Sunday night many troubling aspects of how the Trump administration has handled the pandemic.
The administration blocked Fauci's media access, discouraged wearing masks and covered up details of Trump's infection of the virus.
In the first few minutes of the CBS interview, the preeminent scientist in the US in dealing with viruses said that Trump administration blocked many requests for him to appear on national television to inform the public. This has been reported by ABC News, CNN, as well as other networks.
It's no secret that Trump is silencing Dr. Fauci, because the scientific community is at odds with the way Trump is handling the coronavirus. Trump is more worried about his reelection than the health of the US population.
"People are tired of covid," the president said. "People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots... Fauci's a nice guy, he's been here for 500 years...wonderful sage telling us..." — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 19, 2020
Trump's answer to COVID is to hire Fox News huckster Dr. Scott Atlas to promote the right-wing fringe ideas that masks don't work and that a herd Immunity is the answer to defeating the virus.
Was Fauci surprised Trump caught COVID19?
60 Minutes aired a video clip of the Amy Coney Barrett nomination in the Rose Garden.
Dr. Jon LaPook: Were you surprised that President Trump got sick? Dr. Anthony Fauci: Absolutely not. I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded, no separation between people, and almost nobody wearing a mask. When I saw that on TV, I said, "Oh my goodness. Nothing good can come outta that, that's gotta be a problem." And then sure enough, it turned out to be a superspreader event.
Even with all the protections surrounding a United States president, flaunting the CDC guidelines caused Trump to become infected and possibly infected others including the First Lady and their son Baron.
A bit later in the interview they played video of Trump blaming Dr. Fauci for saying masks don't work (which was at the beginning of the pandemic) to gaslight how the Trump administration has handled the coronavirus afterwards.
At the beginning of the outbreak, Dr. Fauci recommended against routinely wearing masks, partly because he was concerned there would be a shortage of surgical masks for healthcare workers. But a month later, Fauci reversed course after, he says, it turned out people without symptoms were a significant source of spread. And masks, even homemade ones, could help stop transmission. Dr. Anthony Fauci: So let's see if we could put this to rest once and for all. It became clear that cloth coverings, things like this here, and not necessarily a surgical mask or an N95, cloth coverings, work. So now there's no longer a shortage of masks. Number two, meta-analysis studies show that, contrary to what we thought, masks really do work in preventing infection. Dr. Jon LaPook: No doubt. Dr. Anthony Fauci: So, no doubt. Dr. Jon LaPook: So when you find out you were wrong, you don't double down? Dr. Anthony Fauci: No. When you find out you're wrong, it's a manifestation of your honesty to say, "Hey, I was wrong. I did subsequent experiments and now it's this way."
The full interview, via 60 Minutes on Youtube, is below:


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--'Use Your Power!' Kamala Harris Kicks Off Early Voting Drive In Florida

Kamala Harris holds a drive-in rally in Orlando , Florida to encourage supporters to vote early .
Early voting in the Sunshine State starts today , as tens of thousands of voters are expected to cast their ballots in the battleground state .
Early in-person voting is underway in more than half the country , and may be the safest way to make sure your vote is counted .
From the ( I 'm assuming from the colors ) AKA ladies dancing to the nostalgic drive-in movie feeling , events with Kamala Harris are always inspiring , and leave people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rainbow pin for Pride , Sen. Harris pumped up the crowd by reminding them of their symbolic and statistical importance to the race : `` You will be the first to put our country on the right track ! ''
referring to the fact that it is Florida 's first day of early voting .
She is there rallying the voters SAFELY , keeping the rally-goers physically distant from one another , masked , and out in the open air .
See , this is what it looks like when you actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .

NowThis:
Kamala Harris holds a drive-in rally in Orlando, Florida to encourage supporters to vote early. Early voting in the Sunshine State starts today, as tens of thousands of voters are expected to cast their ballots in the battleground state. Early in-person voting is underway in more than half the country, and may be the safest way to make sure your vote is counted.
From the (I'm assuming from the colors) AKA ladies dancing to the nostalgic drive-in movie feeling, events with Kamala Harris are always inspiring, and leave people wanting to do the work.
Wearing a rainbow pin for Pride, Sen. Harris pumped up the crowd by reminding them of their symbolic and statistical importance to the race: "You will be the first to put our country on the right track!" referring to the fact that it is Florida's first day of early voting. She is there rallying the voters SAFELY, keeping the rally-goers physically distant from one another, masked, and out in the open air.
See, this is what it looks like when you actually want your constituency NOT to die from COVID-19.


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--'Both Sides': Pay Attention To How The Media Covers Today's Stimulus Talks

The coverage on the stimulus negotiations is so predictable .
`` Both sides , '' `` Congress is broken , '' etc .
Let 's look at what Speaker Pelosi is actually dealing with .
She wo n't come out and say it , but the Republicans basically want to turn the stimulus spending into a discretionary pre-election slush fund .
Via CNN : Pelosi spoke this weekend about how the testing language came back with the administration replacing Democratic proposals that said money `` shall '' be spent in a specific way , with money `` may '' be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on its face , may seem trivial .
But it 's an enormous difference in practical terms -- one that is n't acceptable for Democrats .
Now , given the sheer scale of the possible legislation being considered and drafted right now , and you get a sense of just how much work needs to be done to lock in an actual agreement that can be voted on by lawmakers .
The GOP is complete disarray over Covid relief .
Yet the press keeps portraying the story as a showdown between Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premise .
Democrats have no negotiating partner on the other side because the GOP and the White House ca n't agree on what they want regarding Covid relief .
One day Trump tweets that he 's walking away from any deal .
The next day he 's demanding Congress `` go big '' and pass a $ 1.8 trillion dollar package .
How does Pelosi negotiate knowing Republican senators do n't support the White House plan , and that the White House plan changes by the day depending on the manic Twitter moods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation gets passed , especially not during a public health crisis .
And that 's why the latest , crucial Covid relief bill has not been passed — because Republicans don ’ t want it to .
And the reason Republicans do n't want it to pass is , they want to make things as bad as possible for an incoming Biden administration .
Party over country , always !
Pelosi has said if there is not agreement by the end of Tuesday , they wo n't be able to get a bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office told CNN Sunday that the 48 hours refers to the end of the day on Tuesday and that they need answers to key outstanding questions by then or they wo n't be able to get a bill passed before the election .
Negotiations would still continue after Tuesday if a deal is n't reached , but it would n't get done in time before Election Day .
The California Democrat also said during the interview with ABC the White House has watered down language Democrats have been pushing to create a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She also noted that the Trump administration had changed much of the language on testing and tracing after the two sides seemingly came to an agreement last week .
`` They took out 55 % of the language that we had there for testing and tracing , '' Pelosi said , and noted that they are `` seeking clarity '' on the details of the language .

The coverage on the stimulus negotiations is so predictable. "Both sides," "Congress is broken," etc. Let's look at what Speaker Pelosi is actually dealing with. She won't come out and say it, but the Republicans basically want to turn the stimulus spending into a discretionary pre-election slush fund. Via CNN:
Pelosi spoke this weekend about how the testing language came back with the administration replacing Democratic proposals that said money "shall" be spent in a specific way, with money "may" be spent in a specific way. That, on its face, may seem trivial. But it's an enormous difference in practical terms -- one that isn't acceptable for Democrats. Now, given the sheer scale of the possible legislation being considered and drafted right now, and you get a sense of just how much work needs to be done to lock in an actual agreement that can be voted on by lawmakers.
From Eric Boehlert's PressRun:
The GOP is complete disarray over Covid relief. Yet the press keeps portraying the story as a showdown between Democrats and Republicans. That's a false premise. Democrats have no negotiating partner on the other side because the GOP and the White House can't agree on what they want regarding Covid relief. One day Trump tweets that he's walking away from any deal. The next day he's demanding Congress "go big" and pass a $1.8 trillion dollar package. How does Pelosi negotiate knowing Republican senators don't support the White House plan, and that the White House plan changes by the day depending on the manic Twitter moods of Trump? That's not how legislation gets passed, especially not during a public health crisis. And that's why the latest, crucial Covid relief bill has not been passed — because Republicans don’t want it to.
And the reason Republicans don't want it to pass is, they want to make things as bad as possible for an incoming Biden administration. Party over country, always!
Pelosi has said if there is not agreement by the end of Tuesday, they won't be able to get a bill passed before the election:


crooksandliars--2020-10-19--Coronavirus Surges To 56,000 Cases A Day As Trump Holds Maskless Rallies

CNN 's New Day focused on the recent surge in coronavirus cases this morning .
`` The U.S. has now more than 8.1 million coronavirus cases , '' reporter Adrienne Broaddus said .
`` in the last week , at least 27 states reported an increase in new cases .
`` This , as health experts warn our darkest days could be right around the corner . ''
She said the country is averaging more than 56,000 new cases per day in the past week .
`` Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar attributing the recent surge to complacency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we 're losing that natural social distancing that happens from being out of doors and people are getting tired .
The American people have given so much .
We 're seeing mitigation fatigue right now .
Broaddus points out Wisconsin saw record hospitalizations this weekend , `` and a positivity rate at nearly 25 % despite having one of the lowest positivity rates in the Midwest .
Illinois has seen an uptick in new cases and hospitalizations in recent days . ''
It is dangerous right now .
We want people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socially distance .
We need to make sure that we have certain mitigations in place .
And of course , we 've already opened up much of our economy , but we have to maintain certain capacity limits and make sure that our people are safe and healthy .
`` Even though the country has seen a sharp rise in new cases this month , Dr. Anthony Fauci is not advocating for the country to shut down completely . ''
They would have to get really , really bad .
First of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So we want to use public health measures , not to get in the way of opening the economy , but to being a safe gateway to opening the economy .
New Mexico hospitalizations have doubled in the past month .
`` The governor issuing new restrictions , limiting gatherings to five people and requiring establishments that serve alcohol to have to close by 10 p.m .
This as President Trump travels to Arizona today to hold two rallies .
The mayor of Tucson warning the president must abide by the restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and social distancing .
Trump 's rallygoers have frequently not worn masks and have not socially distanced . ''
FAUCI : See , I think that 's less an anti-science and it 's more a statement .
FAUCI : You know , a statement of strength , like , we 're strong , we do n't need a mask , that kind of thing .
He sometimes equates wearing a mask with weakness .
REPORTER : Does that make sense to you ?
FAUCI : No , it does n't , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr. Fauci said he was n't surprised President Trump contracted covid-19 .
He said he saw the Amy Coney Barrett event at the Rose Garden and thought nothing good could come from it .
As it turned out , it was a super spreader event . ''

CNN's New Day focused on the recent surge in coronavirus cases this morning.
"The U.S. has now more than 8.1 million coronavirus cases," reporter Adrienne Broaddus said.
"in the last week, at least 27 states reported an increase in new cases. "This, as health experts warn our darkest days could be right around the corner."
She said the country is averaging more than 56,000 new cases per day in the past week.
"Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar attributing the recent surge to complacency."
We're getting colder weather and we're losing that natural social distancing that happens from being out of doors and people are getting tired. The American people have given so much. We're seeing mitigation fatigue right now.
Broaddus points out Wisconsin saw record hospitalizations this weekend, "and a positivity rate at nearly 25% despite having one of the lowest positivity rates in the Midwest. Illinois has seen an uptick in new cases and hospitalizations in recent days."
It is dangerous right now. We want people to wear masks, we want people to socially distance. We need to make sure that we have certain mitigations in place. And of course, we've already opened up much of our economy, but we have to maintain certain capacity limits and make sure that our people are safe and healthy.
"Even though the country has seen a sharp rise in new cases this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci is not advocating for the country to shut down completely."
They would have to get really, really bad. First of all, the country is fatigued with restrictions. So we want to use public health measures, not to get in the way of opening the economy, but to being a safe gateway to opening the economy.
New Mexico hospitalizations have doubled in the past month.
"The governor issuing new restrictions, limiting gatherings to five people and requiring establishments that serve alcohol to have to close by 10 p.m. This as President Trump travels to Arizona today to hold two rallies. The mayor of Tucson warning the president must abide by the restrictions in the city, including mask wearing and social distancing. Trump's rallygoers have frequently not worn masks and have not socially distanced."
FAUCI: See, I think that's less an anti-science and it's more a statement. REPORTER: What kind of a statement? FAUCI: You know, a statement of strength, like, we're strong, we don't need a mask, that kind of thing. He sometimes equates wearing a mask with weakness. REPORTER: Does that make sense to you? FAUCI: No, it doesn't, of course not.
"In that same interview, Dr. Fauci said he wasn't surprised President Trump contracted covid-19. He said he saw the Amy Coney Barrett event at the Rose Garden and thought nothing good could come from it. As it turned out, it was a super spreader event."


crooksandliars--2020-10-20--Can We Hope This Era Of Paranoia Is Burning Itself Out?

Two things bear repeating before I get to the point .
One , the president is not going to play fair .
This election is not a contest in which we can honestly say , “ May the best man win.
” If there ’ s a way to cheat , Donald Trump will find it .
Two , the weeks between Election Day and Inauguration Day are going to be scary .
The president is already extorting the electorate into choosing him—or else .
If he doesn ’ t win , we can expect white-power terrorists to react .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is there will be blood .
That said , I want to take a moment to express hope .
Polling is very encouraging .
Joe Biden is leading the president nationally by double digits in some surveys .
That ’ s where you want to be to avoid the effects of GOP voter suppression .
That ’ s where you want to be to counteract the inequities of the Electoral College .
Also encouraging has been enthusiasm for early voting .
In George and Texas , we ’ re seeing huge lines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 10 hours .
While wait-times are a national disgrace , the fact that people are determined should be seen a source of national strength .
Truly , the people are the only way of getting rid of a tyrant .
And the people are showing up .
To be honest , I had lost some faith .
Not all , but some .
Like others , 2016 gave me a lingering case of PTSD .
The choice seemed so simple .
I found myself reading a lot about propaganda , disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I concluded some Americans were not only duped ; they desired being lied to .
It made them feel good .
“ Democracies can accommodate quite a lot of irrationalism , ” wrote David Runciman .
“ What is not clear is whether they can accommodate it when it emanates from the center.
” Runciman went on to say that , “ There will always be fringe figures in any democratic society who believe the nonsense they read and decide to take matters into their own hands .
It is shocking when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pedophilia and pizza parlors will be told apart eventually , and the contagion from that kind of paranoia can be contained .
Much harder to know is what happens when the contagion of conspiracy theorizing spreads out from the heart of government ” ( my italics ) .
It was harder to know , in January 2017 , what happens when “ conspiracy theorizing spreads out from the heart of government.
” ( That ’ s when Runciman was writing for the special “ post-truth ” edition of The Chronicle Review . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of Trump ’ s presidency , there was opportunity aplenty for abject despair .
But now , as a new Election Day approaches , and as polling indicates an electorate poised to correct its previous mistake , we see something like affirmation of Runciman ’ s claim .
The people understand Trump ’ s the-Deep-State ’ s-out-to-get-me shtick .
His paranoia can be contained .
Democracy can cope with irrationalism emanating from the center .
It can cope not because the institutions are strong .
It can cope because the people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s live town hall , the president refused to disavow QAnon .
( That ’ s the conspiracy theory holding that Democrats are satanist child sex predators ; it ’ s a 21st-century update of the ancient “ blood libel ” slander against Jews . )
Trump refused to disavow it the way he refused to disavow any number of horrible things over the course of his term .
But while in the past , this seemed like a source of strength ( he can say anything and never face consequences ! )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of weakness .
Under Savannah Guthrie ’ s withering questioning , and set side-by-side with Biden ’ s calm , mild and policy-oriented town hall , the president seemed to unravel .
He is the center of American power , as all presidents are .
But his center did not hold .
Let ’ s hope the darkness is lifting .
The popularity of conspiracy theories is cyclical in American history .
It rises with rising tensions rooted in crisis .
The influx of Catholic immigrants aroused the Know Nothings in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fear of a nuclear Soviet Union , gave fruit to McCarthyism in the 1950s .
Each period tapped into a “ persistent psychic phenomenon , ” wrote Richard Hofstadter in 1964 , which is “ more or less constantly affecting a modest minority of the population.
” In each period , this psychic phenomenon eventually burns itself out .
Then it crawls back underground .
Fortunately for us , this paranoid style , like Trump ’ s style , seems to be going out of style .
Let ’ s hope that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credible become passé .
Then we can , at last , get down to the business of solving our collective problems .
Republished with permission from The Editorial Board .
Subscribe here .

Two things bear repeating before I get to the point. One, the president is not going to play fair. This election is not a contest in which we can honestly say, “May the best man win.” If there’s a way to cheat, Donald Trump will find it. Two, the weeks between Election Day and Inauguration Day are going to be scary. The president is already extorting the electorate into choosing him—or else. If he doesn’t win, we can expect white-power terrorists to react. What’s certain, unfortunately, is there will be blood.
That said, I want to take a moment to express hope. Polling is very encouraging. Joe Biden is leading the president nationally by double digits in some surveys. That’s where you want to be to avoid the effects of GOP voter suppression. That’s where you want to be to counteract the inequities of the Electoral College. Also encouraging has been enthusiasm for early voting. In George and Texas, we’re seeing huge lines. Voters are waiting to cast ballots for up to 10 hours. While wait-times are a national disgrace, the fact that people are determined should be seen a source of national strength. Truly, the people are the only way of getting rid of a tyrant. And the people are showing up.
To be honest, I had lost some faith. Not all, but some. Like others, 2016 gave me a lingering case of PTSD. The choice seemed so simple. I found myself reading a lot about propaganda, disinformation, conspiracy theories and the like. I concluded some Americans were not only duped; they desired being lied to. It made them feel good.
“Democracies can accommodate quite a lot of irrationalism,” wrote David Runciman. “What is not clear is whether they can accommodate it when it emanates from the center.” Runciman went on to say that, “There will always be fringe figures in any democratic society who believe the nonsense they read and decide to take matters into their own hands. It is shocking when it happens, but democracies can cope. Pedophilia and pizza parlors will be told apart eventually, and the contagion from that kind of paranoia can be contained. Much harder to know is what happens when the contagion of conspiracy theorizing spreads out from the heart of government” (my italics).
It was harder to know, in January 2017, what happens when “conspiracy theorizing spreads out from the heart of government.” (That’s when Runciman was writing for the special “post-truth” edition of The Chronicle Review.) In not knowing, in the early weeks of Trump’s presidency, there was opportunity aplenty for abject despair. But now, as a new Election Day approaches, and as polling indicates an electorate poised to correct its previous mistake, we see something like affirmation of Runciman’s claim. The people understand Trump’s the-Deep-State’s-out-to-get-me shtick. His paranoia can be contained. Democracy can cope with irrationalism emanating from the center. It can cope not because the institutions are strong. It can cope because the people are.
Thursday night, during NBC’s live town hall, the president refused to disavow QAnon. (That’s the conspiracy theory holding that Democrats are satanist child sex predators; it’s a 21st-century update of the ancient “blood libel” slander against Jews.) Trump refused to disavow it the way he refused to disavow any number of horrible things over the course of his term. But while in the past, this seemed like a source of strength (he can say anything and never face consequences!), this time it seemed like a source of weakness. Under Savannah Guthrie’s withering questioning, and set side-by-side with Biden’s calm, mild and policy-oriented town hall, the president seemed to unravel. He is the center of American power, as all presidents are. But his center did not hold.
Let’s hope the darkness is lifting. The popularity of conspiracy theories is cyclical in American history. It rises with rising tensions rooted in crisis. The influx of Catholic immigrants aroused the Know Nothings in the 1850s. The Cold War, and the fear of a nuclear Soviet Union, gave fruit to McCarthyism in the 1950s. Each period tapped into a “persistent psychic phenomenon,” wrote Richard Hofstadter in 1964, which is “more or less constantly affecting a modest minority of the population.” In each period, this psychic phenomenon eventually burns itself out. Then it crawls back underground. Fortunately for us, this paranoid style, like Trump’s style, seems to be going out of style. Let’s hope that by 2021, conspiracy theories passing for credible become passé. Then we can, at last, get down to the business of solving our collective problems.
Republished with permission from The Editorial Board. Subscribe here.


crooksandliars--2020-10-20--Is The Media Getting Ready To Write A Trump Comeback Story After The Final Debate?

The press is full of stories about Democratic anxiety right now .
The Washington Post : Democrats went to the polls last time certain they would elect the first woman ever to become president , and were punched in the face with a Trump upset .
This time they feel the punch coming from a thousand miles away .
The worry is visceral and widespread , unassuaged by Biden ’ s lead in the polls ... .
On the Biden side , the creeping sense of deja vu has become a dominant feeling ... .
Biden campaign manager Jen O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , activists and voters to assume that the current polling leads will not last ... .
She has said Biden does not have a double-digit lead .
... Democrats are scrambling to account for the hidden variables that could still sink their nominee — or what you might call the known unknowns ... .
There is uncertainty about the accuracy of polling in certain swing states , the efficacy of GOP voter suppression efforts and even the number of mail-in ballots that for one reason or another will be disqualified .
... Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circulating anxiety-ridden campaign memos and bracing for a long two weeks .
All of these stories note that Joe Biden has a big lead and appears to be the overwhelming favorite to win , but that Democrats are still concerned .
And in the midst of all this , there 's a debate coming up on Thursday .
Axios tells us that the president is being urged not to be obnoxious .
President Trump 's team is telling him ahead of Thursday 's final debate : Stop interrupting Joe Biden .
And try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch : Trump will tell more jokes and try , if he can stay on message , to strike a softer tone .
... Trump 's team thinks that if he 'd just yield the stage to Biden while the moderator is asking questions , Biden would wander rhetorically , `` look doddering '' and `` step on himself . ''
... Trump ’ s team went back to his third debate against Hillary Clinton in 2016 for inspiration .
“ All Trump has to do is give people permission to vote for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign tells Axios .
So is the press preparing to set the bar very low for Trump and write a `` Trump comeback ? ''
story if he 's even moderately civil ?
There are two reason this might not happen .
Axios has one of them : Right -- is Trump even capable of a debate performance that is n't obnoxious ?
He 's done a couple of town halls in which he did n't interrupt the questioners or moderators , but he was snappish and testy in both of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrative in this AP story : One reason the press might want to stick with this narrative is that it makes the press look better .
Many of us have criticized the media for giving Trump billions of dollars ' worth of free media coverage -- all those rallies broadcast unedited -- and for pushing an Evil Hillary narrative .
But if the media does n't bite this year , journalists can tell themselves : This time is different .
Biden is less corrupt .
And the Trump act was fresh in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we were right to obsess over it then and we 're right to portray it as tired this year .
Unless Joe Biden has an unusually bad debate on Thursday , I think the Trump campaign will continue to be portrayed as struggling .
There 's a risk that the press will want to go with a comeback narrative , but I do n't think there 's much risk that Trump will come off as even moderately presidential or likable .
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

The press is full of stories about Democratic anxiety right now. The Washington Post:
Democrats went to the polls last time certain they would elect the first woman ever to become president, and were punched in the face with a Trump upset. This time they feel the punch coming from a thousand miles away. The worry is visceral and widespread, unassuaged by Biden’s lead in the polls.... On the Biden side, the creeping sense of deja vu has become a dominant feeling.... Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon has been telling donors, activists and voters to assume that the current polling leads will not last.... She has said Biden does not have a double-digit lead.
ABC:
Democrats, of course, are terrified that Biden could still lose. The buzz in numbers-obsessed circles is about party registration gaps and early vote spikes among white, non-college voters; the word from the Biden campaign is not to put stock in public polling and to expect a nasty finish.
Politico:
... Democrats are scrambling to account for the hidden variables that could still sink their nominee — or what you might call the known unknowns.... There is uncertainty about the accuracy of polling in certain swing states, the efficacy of GOP voter suppression efforts and even the number of mail-in ballots that for one reason or another will be disqualified. ... Democrats are poring over early vote totals, circulating anxiety-ridden campaign memos and bracing for a long two weeks.
All of these stories note that Joe Biden has a big lead and appears to be the overwhelming favorite to win, but that Democrats are still concerned.
And in the midst of all this, there's a debate coming up on Thursday. Axios tells us that the president is being urged not to be obnoxious.
President Trump's team is telling him ahead of Thursday's final debate: Stop interrupting Joe Biden. And try to be more likable. What to watch: Trump will tell more jokes and try, if he can stay on message, to strike a softer tone. ... Trump's team thinks that if he'd just yield the stage to Biden while the moderator is asking questions, Biden would wander rhetorically, "look doddering" and "step on himself." ... Trump’s team went back to his third debate against Hillary Clinton in 2016 for inspiration. “All Trump has to do is give people permission to vote for him," one source close to the campaign tells Axios.
So is the press preparing to set the bar very low for Trump and write a "Trump comeback?" story if he's even moderately civil?
There are two reason this might not happen. Axios has one of them:
The big question: Will debate prep matter? "It was clear Trump didn’t study his debate document for round one," one campaign source said.
Right -- is Trump even capable of a debate performance that isn't obnoxious? He's done a couple of town halls in which he didn't interrupt the questioners or moderators, but he was snappish and testy in both of them.
The press might stick with the narrative in this AP story:
The president’s attempts to recycle attacks he used on Hillary Clinton that year have so far failed to effectively damage Democrat Joe Biden.... Oftentimes, it feels as though Trump is simply recycling old material. ... some Trump allies and aides believe the campaign’s inability to define Biden, while just resuscitating old talking points, is a failure....
One reason the press might want to stick with this narrative is that it makes the press look better. Many of us have criticized the media for giving Trump billions of dollars' worth of free media coverage -- all those rallies broadcast unedited -- and for pushing an Evil Hillary narrative. But if the media doesn't bite this year, journalists can tell themselves: This time is different. Biden is less corrupt. And the Trump act was fresh in 2016, but it's stale now, so we were right to obsess over it then and we're right to portray it as tired this year.
Unless Joe Biden has an unusually bad debate on Thursday, I think the Trump campaign will continue to be portrayed as struggling. There's a risk that the press will want to go with a comeback narrative, but I don't think there's much risk that Trump will come off as even moderately presidential or likable.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-10-20--Trump’s Health Secretary Paints False, Rosy Picture Of US Response To COVID

The Trump administration is a disaster .
It was a garbage fire when it began , but that ongoing fire , stoked by the entire Republican Party , has led to an increase in authoritarian use of law enforcement and ICE forces to dehumanize people all across our country .
On top of all of that , the bad economic policies and general culture of avarice and self-serving incompetence promoted by Trump and the Republican Party have led us to the precipice of an economic depression , and a public health crisis the likes of which has not been seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the territory of collapse .
With just over two weeks until Election Day , Trump ’ s surrogates—the ones not sick with COVID-19 or hiding out to pretend they aren ’ t still milking the poisonous Trump cow—have taken to the airwaves to pretend everything is going according to plan .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was on Meet the Press Sunday , to implore Americans in his most imploring-sounding voice , to wear masks and follow the basic general protections against spreading the COVID-19 virus that experts have been promoting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azar even scripted his statement as a plea to Chuck Todd ’ s “ viewers.
” This , obviously , surprised even Meet The Press host Chuck Todd , since Donald Trump and his administration have done the opposite now for , oh , about ... seven months .
Secretary Azar ’ s message to Chuck Todd ’ s viewers was specifically about large “ indoor gatherings.
” This is relevant due to upcoming Halloween festivities and Thanksgiving celebrations .
Todd remarked that Azar ’ s statement was strange considering that just last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with President Trump—the same President Trump that still may very well be COVID-19 positive .
Azar said that everyone at the indoor rally was socially distanced—sort of—and were all offered masks .
Of course , this means nothing if you don ’ t wear said mask .
Todd pointed out that the message being sent doesn ’ t seem consistent , as states like Wisconsin see surges in COVID-19 cases , while Donald Trump flies into those areas to promote big superspreader events .
It is here that Azar attempts to promote misinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at justifying the Trump administration ’ s current anti-public health farewell tour , while also absolving the administration ’ s criminally negligent handling of a pandemic that has claimed almost a quarter of a million American lives .
Azar says that lots of countries in lockdown are having big surges .
The implication here is that you ’ re damned if you do and damned if you don ’ t .
This isn ’ t true .
The fact of the matter is that the United States , for the first time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world in something : death rates due to COVID-19 and death rates in general during the pandemic .
We are also a leader in the world in cases per 100,000 and deaths per 100,000 .
I guess Azar is talking about how places like Aruba and Bahrain have a worse case rate ?
Todd asks why it ’ s been so “ difficult for the president ” to promote a public health message that would actually save thousands , if not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this process and can be justifiably blamed for much of the misinformation and confusion among certain sections of the American public in regard to COVID-19 .
He has attacked Americans and frontline responders instead of the virus .
If we lived in a just universe , Alex Azar would soon find himself doing some prison time along with the hundreds of Republican operatives and scam artists who have brought us to where we are now .

The Trump administration is a disaster. It was a garbage fire when it began, but that ongoing fire, stoked by the entire Republican Party, has led to an increase in authoritarian use of law enforcement and ICE forces to dehumanize people all across our country. On top of all of that, the bad economic policies and general culture of avarice and self-serving incompetence promoted by Trump and the Republican Party have led us to the precipice of an economic depression, and a public health crisis the likes of which has not been seen in generations has pushed that depression into the territory of collapse.
With just over two weeks until Election Day, Trump’s surrogates—the ones not sick with COVID-19 or hiding out to pretend they aren’t still milking the poisonous Trump cow—have taken to the airwaves to pretend everything is going according to plan. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was on Meet the Press Sunday, to implore Americans in his most imploring-sounding voice, to wear masks and follow the basic general protections against spreading the COVID-19 virus that experts have been promoting since the beginning of this pandemic. Azar even scripted his statement as a plea to Chuck Todd’s “viewers.” This, obviously, surprised even Meet The Press host Chuck Todd, since Donald Trump and his administration have done the opposite now for, oh, about ... seven months.
Secretary Azar’s message to Chuck Todd’s viewers was specifically about large “indoor gatherings.” This is relevant due to upcoming Halloween festivities and Thanksgiving celebrations. Todd remarked that Azar’s statement was strange considering that just last week, Azar attended an indoor rally with President Trump—the same President Trump that still may very well be COVID-19 positive. Azar said that everyone at the indoor rally was socially distanced—sort of—and were all offered masks. Of course, this means nothing if you don’t wear said mask. Todd pointed out that the message being sent doesn’t seem consistent, as states like Wisconsin see surges in COVID-19 cases, while Donald Trump flies into those areas to promote big superspreader events.
It is here that Azar attempts to promote misinformation that does two things: It attempts at justifying the Trump administration’s current anti-public health farewell tour, while also absolving the administration’s criminally negligent handling of a pandemic that has claimed almost a quarter of a million American lives. Azar says that lots of countries in lockdown are having big surges. The implication here is that you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
This isn’t true. The fact of the matter is that the United States, for the first time in years, is actually No. 1 in the world in something: death rates due to COVID-19 and death rates in general during the pandemic. We are also a leader in the world in cases per 100,000 and deaths per 100,000. I guess Azar is talking about how places like Aruba and Bahrain have a worse case rate? Todd asks why it’s been so “difficult for the president” to promote a public health message that would actually save thousands, if not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of lives.
ALEX AZAR: I think it's a difficult message for all western democracies. We're seeing that in Europe. The American people have given so much. People of Europe have given so much, Chuck. They've been locked down, isolated. But they’re tired. But the point is, we're so close. Hang in there with us. We're so close ...
Azar has been a Trump hack throughout this process and can be justifiably blamed for much of the misinformation and confusion among certain sections of the American public in regard to COVID-19. He has attacked Americans and frontline responders instead of the virus. If we lived in a just universe, Alex Azar would soon find himself doing some prison time along with the hundreds of Republican operatives and scam artists who have brought us to where we are now.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-10-20--‘Proud Boys’ Send Threatening Emails To FL Dems

According to NPR ’ s WUFT , dozens of Democratic voters have complained to the Alachua County elections office about threatening emails from the right-wing , violent extremist group Donald Trump told to “ stand back and stand by ” during the first presidential debate .
One supporter of the Proud Boys is the Florida-based Trump pal , Roger Stone .
Florida , of course , is an important swing state for Trump 's re-election .
The group celebrated their Trump endorsement .
Now they seem ready to return the favor .
The emails claim to have access to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell voters “ vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you .
… We will know which candidate you voted for .
I would take this seriously if I were you.
” The emails also instruct voters to change their party affiliation to Republican “ to let us know you received our message and will comply.
” The Proud Boys do appear to be the ones making the threats , thanks to some digging by WUFT : The emails appeared to be sent from a computer server associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the account – which was originally created in March 2017 – was changed Monday night , according to internet records .
The website was offline by Tuesday afternoon .
WUFT also notes , “ Attempting to threaten or intimidate voters in federal elections is a federal crime punishable by fines and up to one year in prison.
” Prison is exactly where these guys belong .
With any luck , they can be cellies with Trump and Stone .

According to NPR’s WUFT, dozens of Democratic voters have complained to the Alachua County elections office about threatening emails from the right-wing, violent extremist group Donald Trump told to “stand back and stand by” during the first presidential debate. One supporter of the Proud Boys is the Florida-based Trump pal, Roger Stone. Florida, of course, is an important swing state for Trump's re-election.
The group celebrated their Trump endorsement. Now they seem ready to return the favor.
The emails claim to have access to “the entire voting infrastructure,” and tell voters “vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you. … We will know which candidate you voted for. I would take this seriously if I were you.” The emails also instruct voters to change their party affiliation to Republican “to let us know you received our message and will comply.”
The Proud Boys do appear to be the ones making the threats, thanks to some digging by WUFT:
The emails appeared to be sent from a computer server associated with the officialproudboys.com internet address, but control over the account – which was originally created in March 2017 – was changed Monday night, according to internet records. The website was offline by Tuesday afternoon.
WUFT also notes, “Attempting to threaten or intimidate voters in federal elections is a federal crime punishable by fines and up to one year in prison.”
Prison is exactly where these guys belong. With any luck, they can be cellies with Trump and Stone.
UPDATE: It's happening in Alaska, too.