crooksandliars--2020-03-24--Jennifer Rubin:  OANN's Chanel Rion Is A 'Propagandist' And A 'Kook'

There 's a growing chorus calling for networks to stop running live coverage and streaming of Trump 's horrifying COVID-19 `` task force '' press conferences .
The theory is that Trump is holding these daily disaster briefings because he can no longer hold rallies .
Helping to verify this , Joy Reid and Jennifer Rubin pointed to a couple of extremely questionable `` reporters '' being allowed into the briefing room , whose job it seemed to be to fluff and soothe the ego-in-chief : Sean Spicer and Chanel Rion .
You remember Rion , right ?
The one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered `` Chinese food '' racist `` because it 's food that originates in China ? ''
( pssst ... Chanel ... most American Chinese food *isn't* even food that originated in China , but whatever ... ) Then she went on to assert that `` major left-wing news media '' had `` teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives '' by calling out the language he uses surrounding COVID-19 as racist .
Jennifer Rubin had a great deal to say about Rion , none of it flattering , all of it accurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprised there was n't reaction in the room as this was going on to object .
That individual is not a reporter .
She 's a propagandist , she 's a kook , she 's , she 's a nut .
I think there 's several things going on .
First of all , Donald Trump , from the beginning , treated this like an immigration problem .
His first impulse is to block out the rest of the world , to blame others .
He does n't seem to understand the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's already here .
The problem is , he did nothing , as Rick said .
So , I think his effort to either whip up prejudice or toss the blame somewhere else really is this pathetic need for reaffirmation , and to have an enemy that he can blame .
I will say one thing .
If they are going to broadcast these things , no reporter should ask Donald Trump a question .
He 's going to talk , but they should direct all questions to the experts .
He may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to those experts again and again .
I thought that was one of the most effective displays when Dr. Fauci did jump in of saying , hey , this guy does n't know what he 's talking about .
It 's dangerous .
Stop .
So , I think part of it is , if they 're going to do it , stop asking him questions .
And I do think we 're getting to the point where there are other ways in which we can communicate this information .
Governors are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources , newsprint and online can directly quote from Dr. Fauci , as they are doing .
We do n't need to inform the public by going to Donald Trump .
That 's counterproductive .
HEY !
That 's funny , because I swear , I had no idea she said that when I tweeted basically the exact same suggestion right before his presser later that afternoon ... Why are reporters even asking him anything anymore ?
Does anyone think they 're going to get anything truthful as an answer ?
Anything NOT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before ?
Anything remotely helpful or useful in this time where we need sober , knowledgable heads to prevail ?
Please , please , media , follow Jennifer Rubin 's advice .
Ask the experts .
Not the dotard .

There's a growing chorus calling for networks to stop running live coverage and streaming of Trump's horrifying COVID-19 "task force" press conferences. The theory is that Trump is holding these daily disaster briefings because he can no longer hold rallies. Helping to verify this, Joy Reid and Jennifer Rubin pointed to a couple of extremely questionable "reporters" being allowed into the briefing room, whose job it seemed to be to fluff and soothe the ego-in-chief:
Sean Spicer and Chanel Rion.
You remember Rion, right? The one who asked with faux outrage if Trump considered "Chinese food" racist "because it's food that originates in China?" (pssst...Chanel...most American Chinese food *isn't* even food that originated in China, but whatever...) Then she went on to assert that "major left-wing news media" had "teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives" by calling out the language he uses surrounding COVID-19 as racist.
Yeah, THAT Chanel Rion.
Jennifer Rubin had a great deal to say about Rion, none of it flattering, all of it accurate:
RUBIN: Yeah, I'm surprised there wasn't reaction in the room as this was going on to object. That individual is not a reporter. She's a propagandist, she's a kook, she's, she's a nut. I think there's several things going on. First of all, Donald Trump, from the beginning, treated this like an immigration problem. His first impulse is to block out the rest of the world, to blame others. He doesn't seem to understand the problem we have is community spread. It's already here. The problem is, he did nothing, as Rick said. So, I think his effort to either whip up prejudice or toss the blame somewhere else really is this pathetic need for reaffirmation, and to have an enemy that he can blame. I will say one thing. If they are going to broadcast these things, no reporter should ask Donald Trump a question. He's going to talk, but they should direct all questions to the experts. He may butt in, but they should come back to those experts again and again. I thought that was one of the most effective displays when Dr. Fauci did jump in of saying, hey, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. It's dangerous. Stop. So, I think part of it is, if they're going to do it, stop asking him questions. And I do think we're getting to the point where there are other ways in which we can communicate this information. Governors are reliable sources, the scientists are reliable sources, newsprint and online can directly quote from Dr. Fauci, as they are doing. We don't need to inform the public by going to Donald Trump. That's counterproductive.
HEY! That's funny, because I swear, I had no idea she said that when I tweeted basically the exact same suggestion right before his presser later that afternoon...
Dear #media ,
Stations, pls don't run it live. If he says anything true or newsworthy, run it later.
Reporters in the room, pls don't even ask him any questions. Just take down what he says and leave.
Sincerely,
A tired nation@Karoli @maddow @DavidCornDC @ElieNYC https://t.co/swrbzqGFeN — (((Bad at Ballet))) (@AlizaWrites) March 22, 2020
Why are reporters even asking him anything anymore? Does anyone think they're going to get anything truthful as an answer? Anything NOT racist? Anything they have not heard before? Anything remotely helpful or useful in this time where we need sober, knowledgable heads to prevail?
Please, please, media, follow Jennifer Rubin's advice. Ask the experts. Not the dotard.


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--Pandemic, Distance Learning, Shows Urgent Need Treat Internet As Public Utility

While Senate Democrats continue to hold the line against a third GOP coronavirus package condemned as a corporate bailout that leaves behind the nation 's most vulnerable , concerns about remote education and digital connectivity during the pandemic are rising , bolstering the argument for treating the internet as a public utility like water and electricity .
In a letter Sunday to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , 20 senators requested that the new COVID-19 relief package include at least $ 2 billion in E-Rate funds for schools and libraries to provide hotspots or other Wi-Fi capable devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Children without connectivity are at risk of not only being unable to complete their homework during this pandemic , but being unable to continue their overall education , '' warns the letter , led by Sens .
Ed Markey ( D-Mass . )
, Chris Van Hollen ( D-Md . )
, and Michael Bennet ( D-Colo. ) .
`` Congress must address this issue by providing additional financial support for home internet access in the next emergency relief package so that no child falls behind in their education . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Federal Communications Commission , welcomed the push for increasing student internet access in a tweet Monday and wrote that because of the ongoing public health crisis , `` millions of kids are out of school and struggling to go online for class . ''
Free Press Action on Monday proposed a spending plan for Congress and the FCC to keep people connected to the internet during the pandemic .
It calls for $ 1 billion in immediate funding for Lifeline , a federal program that provides affordable communications to people with low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lifeline benefit of up to $ 50 per month for a home-internet connection ; $ 5 billion for the E-Rate educational connectivity program ; and $ 50 billion to deploy high-capacity broadband networks in rural and unserved areas .
`` The coming weeks will lay bare the already-cruel reality of the digital divide : tens of millions of Americans can not access or can not afford the home broadband connections they need to telework , access medical information , and help young people learn when school is closed . ''
—Geoffrey Starks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allocating up to $ 100 billion in subsidies , rebates , and tax relief to create a broadband system `` that would benefit people , not just companies . ''
`` What the country needs right now is massive spending to replace lost incomes and to keep society functioning while most people are confined to their homes , '' Free Press Action research director S. Derek Turner said in a statement .
`` Our leaders need to act quickly to ensure that kids can continue to learn , seniors can move their routine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many workers as possible can continue to do their jobs remotely . ''
Dana Floberg , policy manager at Free Press , explained in a Guardian op-ed Monday that `` nationwide , approximately 22 % of households do n't have home internet , including more than 4 million households with school-age children .
Poor families and people of color are particularly affected—only 56 % of households making less than $ 20,000 have home broadband , and black and Hispanic households lag behind their white counterparts even when we control for income differences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ households just have mobile broadband , and `` only about half of school-age children who live in mobile-only households personally use the internet at home , perhaps because of the difficulty of sharing mobile devices , '' Floberg added .
`` And while it 's better than being completely disconnected , mobile-only access is n't ideal , '' she wrote .
`` Mobile services are often limited by data caps , and mobile devices can make certain tasks incredibly challenging .
Imagine studying for your calculus exam or writing a world-history paper on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a lot of students who do n't have home broadband . ''
`` Study after study shows that people do n't have internet because they ca n't afford it , and because systemic racial discrimination blocks them from subscribing , '' noted Floberg .
She argued that although some schools have tried to address these inequities by loaning students in need computers and mobile hotspots , broader action from both policymakers and internet service providers ( ISPs ) is needed .
Earlier this month , Free Press called on the country 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges , pause service disconnections for non-payment , eliminate eligibility requirements for any low-income targeted plans , and `` waive all billing for low-income households , seniors , furloughed workers , and households with public school students who have been sent home due to school closures . ''
Floberg reiterated those demands Monday and declared that `` we need public policies that bring real price competition to ensure universally affordable broadband access . ''
The new coronavirus , which in the United States has infected over 46,000 people and led to nearly 600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , has spurred various calls for action , including a March 19 New York Times op-ed from the FCC 's other Democratic commissioner , Geoffrey Starks .
`` The coming weeks will lay bare the already-cruel reality of the digital divide : tens of millions of Americans can not access or can not afford the home broadband connections they need to telework , access medical information , and help young people learn when school is closed , '' Starks wrote .
`` When public health requires social distancing and even quarantine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our safety and economic security . ''
Starks argued the FCC—in order `` to support Americans in need '' —should act to increase lendable free hotspots at schools and libraries , expand the reach of telemedicine , and enhance Lifeline .
Rosenworcel delivered a similar message on `` The Vergecast '' last week , saying that `` broadband is front and center in this crisis .
We are telling the nation to go online for work , for school , for healthcare like never before .
We 're going to stress our networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital divide , and I think the FCC has got to pay attention to what is happening and take every step it can to connect more people right now . ''
Others , such as Democratic congressional candidate Shawna Roberts of Ohio , have made the case that the coronavirus outbreak provides just the latest evidence that internet access should be considered a public utility :

While Senate Democrats continue to hold the line against a third GOP coronavirus package condemned as a corporate bailout that leaves behind the nation's most vulnerable, concerns about remote education and digital connectivity during the pandemic are rising, bolstering the argument for treating the internet as a public utility like water and electricity.
In a letter Sunday to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), 20 senators requested that the new COVID-19 relief package include at least $2 billion in E-Rate funds for schools and libraries to provide hotspots or other Wi-Fi capable devices for students lacking internet access at home.
"Children without connectivity are at risk of not only being unable to complete their homework during this pandemic, but being unable to continue their overall education," warns the letter, led by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). "Congress must address this issue by providing additional financial support for home internet access in the next emergency relief package so that no child falls behind in their education."
Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission, welcomed the push for increasing student internet access in a tweet Monday and wrote that because of the ongoing public health crisis, "millions of kids are out of school and struggling to go online for class."
Millions of kids are out of school and struggling to go online for class. We need a big and bold effort to fix this #homeworkgap and get students the internet access they need. Thank you @SenMarkey for your efforts to ensure that no child is left offline.https://t.co/BFyG5L1f8z — Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) March 23, 2020
Free Press Action on Monday proposed a spending plan for Congress and the FCC to keep people connected to the internet during the pandemic. It calls for $1 billion in immediate funding for Lifeline, a federal program that provides affordable communications to people with low incomes; $25 billion for a Lifeline benefit of up to $50 per month for a home-internet connection; $5 billion for the E-Rate educational connectivity program; and $50 billion to deploy high-capacity broadband networks in rural and unserved areas.
"The coming weeks will lay bare the already-cruel reality of the digital divide: tens of millions of Americans cannot access or cannot afford the home broadband connections they need to telework, access medical information, and help young people learn when school is closed."
—Geoffrey Starks, FCC
Overall, the plan calls for allocating up to $100 billion in subsidies, rebates, and tax relief to create a broadband system "that would benefit people, not just companies."
"What the country needs right now is massive spending to replace lost incomes and to keep society functioning while most people are confined to their homes," Free Press Action research director S. Derek Turner said in a statement. "Our leaders need to act quickly to ensure that kids can continue to learn, seniors can move their routine doctors' office visits online, and as many workers as possible can continue to do their jobs remotely."
Dana Floberg, policy manager at Free Press, explained in a Guardian op-ed Monday that "nationwide, approximately 22% of households don't have home internet, including more than 4 million households with school-age children. Poor families and people of color are particularly affected—only 56% of households making less than $20,000 have home broadband, and black and Hispanic households lag behind their white counterparts even when we control for income differences."
Research shows 8% of households just have mobile broadband, and "only about half of school-age children who live in mobile-only households personally use the internet at home, perhaps because of the difficulty of sharing mobile devices," Floberg added.
"And while it's better than being completely disconnected, mobile-only access isn't ideal," she wrote. "Mobile services are often limited by data caps, and mobile devices can make certain tasks incredibly challenging. Imagine studying for your calculus exam or writing a world-history paper on a cellphone. This is a reality for a lot of students who don't have home broadband."
Yet another reason we need to make internet service a public good. https://t.co/6Hrq3dxN3L — #OccupyWallStreet & #CLOSErikers with #NoNewJails (@OccupyWallStNYC) March 23, 2020
"Study after study shows that people don't have internet because they can't afford it, and because systemic racial discrimination blocks them from subscribing," noted Floberg. She argued that although some schools have tried to address these inequities by loaning students in need computers and mobile hotspots, broader action from both policymakers and internet service providers (ISPs) is needed.
Earlier this month, Free Press called on the country's ISPs to suspend data caps and overage charges, pause service disconnections for non-payment, eliminate eligibility requirements for any low-income targeted plans, and "waive all billing for low-income households, seniors, furloughed workers, and households with public school students who have been sent home due to school closures."
Floberg reiterated those demands Monday and declared that "we need public policies that bring real price competition to ensure universally affordable broadband access."
The new coronavirus, which in the United States has infected over 46,000 people and led to nearly 600 deaths since emerging in China late last year, has spurred various calls for action, including a March 19 New York Times op-ed from the FCC's other Democratic commissioner, Geoffrey Starks.
In a new @NYTimes op-ed, I laid out my plan for a "connectivity stimulus" to support the #COVID19 public health effort and our economy. The entire telecom sector, including @FCC, must cooperate to rapidly increase broadband capacity, access, and adoption. https://t.co/ytLumcAzQs — Geoffrey Starks (@GeoffreyStarks) March 19, 2020
"The coming weeks will lay bare the already-cruel reality of the digital divide: tens of millions of Americans cannot access or cannot afford the home broadband connections they need to telework, access medical information, and help young people learn when school is closed," Starks wrote. "When public health requires social distancing and even quarantine, closing the digital divide becomes central to our safety and economic security."
Starks argued the FCC—in order "to support Americans in need"—should act to increase lendable free hotspots at schools and libraries, expand the reach of telemedicine, and enhance Lifeline.
With at-home work & online learning our new normal, the consequences of being without home internet access are devastating. Your must-listen on connectivity in the time of coronavirus: @JRosenworcel's convo with @verge's @reckless & @kellymakenahttps://t.co/mGucFu0Z4v — The Web Foundation (@webfoundation) March 23, 2020
Rosenworcel delivered a similar message on "The Vergecast" last week, saying that "broadband is front and center in this crisis. We are telling the nation to go online for work, for school, for healthcare like never before. We're going to stress our networks. We're going to expose the digital divide, and I think the FCC has got to pay attention to what is happening and take every step it can to connect more people right now."
Others, such as Democratic congressional candidate Shawna Roberts of Ohio, have made the case that the coronavirus outbreak provides just the latest evidence that internet access should be considered a public utility:
Rural internet is a huge barrier to development. #COVID19 is showing us so many ways we have failed. Work from home? Ok, but I will drink a cup of coffee waiting for the site to load. Go online and talk with healthcare providers? Ok, but I will have to drive to the library. https://t.co/AxxXbmKdWR — Shawna Roberts (@RobertsOhioD6) March 23, 2020 Yep. Internet access needs to be a utility. — Shawna Roberts (@RobertsOhioD6) March 23, 2020
Republished from Common Dreams (Jessica Corbett, staff writer) under a Creative Commons License.


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--Enraged Trump Snarls At Bill Hemmer: 'We Did Not Screw Up!'

Bill Hemmer tried to do the impossible : get Trump to agree he was n't perfect .
Considering Hemmer is a Fox `` News '' guy , maybe THAT is the real story , but regardless , here he is recounting quite plainly for Trump his own words back to him about his COVID-19 response .
HEMMER : A month ago , the CDC had an initial test that failed .
At that moment , late February , you said , `` It 's perfect . ''
And it was n't perfect .
So what happened , there , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Got ta say , I like this framing .
He does n't even ask Trump if he screwed up .
He just says , `` Something was n't perfect , son .
What happened ? ''
Trump , though , who can not let even the softest of softballs go by if it contains the slightest whiff of criticism ( see Peter Alexander ) , spit back like the rabid ankle-biter he is .
How dare anyone imply something he did was less than perfect ?
!
TRUMP : Well , what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head of the Ukraine , that 's what I really said was perfect , okay ?
That was another whole scandal , nonsense , a total witch hunt .
But this one is a much different thing .
NARRATOR VOICE : The phone call with Ukraine 's president was NOT perfect .
Also , *twitch* UKRAINE , you walking sh*t funnel , not THE Ukraine .
*twitch* Finally , Trump DID indeed say the tests were perfect , comparing it to his phone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine .
But gaslighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , so here we are .
Oh , and do n't forget the lying ... TRUMP : We had other administrations , not just the last one , they built up a platform , they built up a test .
But the test was no good .
It did n't handle large numbers of people .
It was okay for a very small group , but not for a large group .
I think I speak for most people with an elementary school education and above when I say , `` What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you talking about ? ''
This lie is so obvious , so pathetic , how can he continue to repeat it and think people believe him ?
But goddess bless Bill Hemmer for pressing on to let him know at least HE was not buying it .
Then Trump continued with the previous lie about how they had a test that only worked for a small number of people , and added on the one about how no one could have seen this coming , and there is no way anyone could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Would n't it have been interesting to see , though , the results had the White House pandemic team NOT been disbanded two years ago ?
Would n't it have been neat to see what today might look like if they could have helped a thinking president , who believed in science , and cared about the health of their citizens , to see this coming and be prepared for it ?
We 'll never know .

Bill Hemmer tried to do the impossible: get Trump to agree he wasn't perfect.
Silly Bill Hemmer.
Considering Hemmer is a Fox "News" guy, maybe THAT is the real story, but regardless, here he is recounting quite plainly for Trump his own words back to him about his COVID-19 response.
HEMMER: A month ago, the CDC had an initial test that failed. At that moment, late February, you said, "It's perfect." And it wasn't perfect. So what happened, there, in the early stages in late February?
Gotta say, I like this framing. He doesn't even ask Trump if he screwed up. He just says, "Something wasn't perfect, son. What happened?" Trump, though, who cannot let even the softest of softballs go by if it contains the slightest whiff of criticism (see Peter Alexander), spit back like the rabid ankle-biter he is. How dare anyone imply something he did was less than perfect?!
TRUMP: Well, what I said was perfect was my conversation with the head of the Ukraine, that's what I really said was perfect, okay? That was another whole scandal, nonsense, a total witch hunt. But this one is a much different thing.
NARRATOR VOICE: The phone call with Ukraine's president was NOT perfect.
Also, *twitch* UKRAINE, you walking sh*t funnel, not THE Ukraine. *twitch*
Finally, Trump DID indeed say the tests were perfect, comparing it to his phone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine. But gaslighting is more normal than breathing to this man, so here we are. Oh, and don't forget the lying...
TRUMP: We had other administrations, not just the last one, they built up a platform, they built up a test. But the test was no good. It didn't handle large numbers of people. It was okay for a very small group, but not for a large group.
I think I speak for most people with an elementary school education and above when I say, "What in the name of holy hell are you talking about?" This lie is so obvious, so pathetic, how can he continue to repeat it and think people believe him? But goddess bless Bill Hemmer for pressing on to let him know at least HE was not buying it.
HEMMER: So, did the CDC screw up, or did you screw up? Where did this go wrong? TRUMP: No, we did not screw up. And I don't think CDC screwed up, either. They had a test that would have worked for a small group of people...
Then Trump continued with the previous lie about how they had a test that only worked for a small number of people, and added on the one about how no one could have seen this coming, and there is no way anyone could have been prepared, blah blah blah.
Wouldn't it have been interesting to see, though, the results had the White House pandemic team NOT been disbanded two years ago? Wouldn't it have been neat to see what today might look like if they could have helped a thinking president, who believed in science, and cared about the health of their citizens, to see this coming and be prepared for it? We'll never know.


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--Mike Pence Gaslights Cuomo's Request For Ventilators

Earlier this morning Andrew Cuomo of New York demanded to know why the federal government is hoarding 20,000 ventilators in its stockpile and only sent 400 , in what he characterized as a death sentence to many New Yorkers .
Your first priority is health .
You have 20,000 ventilators in the stockpile .
Release the ventilators to New York . '
” “ How can we be in a situation where you can have New Yorkers possibly dying because they can ’ t get a ventilator , but a federal agency saying , I ’ m going to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added .
“ I mean , have we really come to that point ?
” During a town hall-type event on Fox News , host Bill Hemmer interviewed the supposed leader of the task force , Mike Pence .
Hemmer 's first question was about Gov Cuomo 's demand for thousands of stockpiled ventilators .
`` Moments ago New York 's Governor Andrew Cuomo is imploring the construction immediately of up to 30,000 ventilators to be shipped to New York , '' Hemmer said .
`` What would be the hold up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pence 's response was typical gaslighting and obfuscation of the question .
Like the rest of the White House , Pence refused to answer any specific question about Coronavirus solutions .
Instead , he glorified Trump 's reaction to the virus .
Pence replied , `` Let me say first and foremost as the president announced action earlier this week from New York to Washington State for California . ''
`` That from very early in this process President Trump has forged a seamless partnership with our governors , `` Pence said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cuomo screaming until he 's blue in the face about the Trump administration 's hoarding of the ventilators ?
VP Pence then lectured Americans on how `` they respond '' to health crisis in America .
`` It 's locally executed , the healthcare workers and at time 's law enforcement on the ground , community officials that are in the lead .
It 's state-managed , Bill .
And then it 's federally supported , '' Pence said .
Cuomo is yelling that they are getting no support from the Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the feds are holding 20,000 ventilators away from New York and instead offering up congratulations to the private sector for stepping up their efforts to combat the coronavirus .
Pence continued with a lengthy monologue about all the other things they are doing to help states , except of course , he never responded to Gov .
Cuomo directly .
Outnumbered host Harris Faulkner then took over and asked Mike Pence an actual follow-up question that Hemmer neglected to do .
`` He 's ( Gov .
Cuomo ) He saying that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ventilators , '' Harris said .
Faulkner then talked about the spike in cases in New York .
Faulkner asked , `` Why not just release that stockpile now ?
” Pence replied , `` Well , what I can tell you and your viewers is that we ’ re doing just that .
We ’ re in the process of literally sending the entire national stockpile out.
” Then why does n't Governor Cuomo know about it ?
Pence then shifted off to his conversations with the New York City mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then brought up the idea of having other equipment modified to become ventilators .
Faulkner then asked what 's faster going through the system as you 're describing or the stockpile , real quick ?
Pence replied .
`` The president said it 's in an `` all of the above '' strategy . ''
It appears that Gov .
Cuomo has not been informed of what they 're talking about and is getting no response from the White House .
That 's why he 's communicating his disgust at the way the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators .
What we know for sure is we have an administration ( Trump ) that refuses to unleash the full power and might of the federal government to combat a pandemic .
And he has incompetents out front misleading the American public .

Earlier this morning Andrew Cuomo of New York demanded to know why the federal government is hoarding 20,000 ventilators in its stockpile and only sent 400, in what he characterized as a death sentence to many New Yorkers.
Your first priority is health. You have 20,000 ventilators in the stockpile. Release the ventilators to New York.'” “How can we be in a situation where you can have New Yorkers possibly dying because they can’t get a ventilator, but a federal agency saying, I’m going to leave the ventilators in the stockpile?” he added. “I mean, have we really come to that point?”
During a town hall-type event on Fox News, host Bill Hemmer interviewed the supposed leader of the task force, Mike Pence.
Hemmer's first question was about Gov Cuomo's demand for thousands of stockpiled ventilators.
"Moments ago New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo is imploring the construction immediately of up to 30,000 ventilators to be shipped to New York ," Hemmer said.
"What would be the hold up?" the Fox News host asked.
Pence's response was typical gaslighting and obfuscation of the question. Like the rest of the White House, Pence refused to answer any specific question about Coronavirus solutions. Instead, he glorified Trump's reaction to the virus.
Pence replied, "Let me say first and foremost as the president announced action earlier this week from New York to Washington State for California."
"That from very early in this process President Trump has forged a seamless partnership with our governors, " Pence said.
Really? Then why was Gov. Cuomo screaming until he's blue in the face about the Trump administration's hoarding of the ventilators?
VP Pence then lectured Americans on how "they respond" to health crisis in America.
"It's locally executed, the healthcare workers and at time's law enforcement on the ground, community officials that are in the lead. It's state-managed, Bill. And then it's federally supported," Pence said.
Cuomo is yelling that they are getting no support from the Federal government. Mr. Pence. Right now the feds are holding 20,000 ventilators away from New York and instead offering up congratulations to the private sector for stepping up their efforts to combat the coronavirus.
Pence continued with a lengthy monologue about all the other things they are doing to help states, except of course, he never responded to Gov. Cuomo directly.
Outnumbered host Harris Faulkner then took over and asked Mike Pence an actual follow-up question that Hemmer neglected to do.
"He's (Gov. Cuomo) He saying that the administration is saying no on the stockpile of ventilators," Harris said.
Faulkner then talked about the spike in cases in New York.
Faulkner asked, "Why not just release that stockpile now?”
Pence replied, "Well, what I can tell you and your viewers is that we’re doing just that. We’re in the process of literally sending the entire national stockpile out.”
Then why doesn't Governor Cuomo know about it?
Pence then shifted off to his conversations with the New York City mayor and the governor two days ago and then brought up the idea of having other equipment modified to become ventilators.
Faulkner then asked what's faster going through the system as you're describing or the stockpile, real quick?
Pence replied. "The president said it's in an "all of the above" strategy."
It appears that Gov. Cuomo has not been informed of what they're talking about and is getting no response from the White House. That's why he's communicating his disgust at the way the Trump administration is handling their stockpile of ventilators.
What we know for sure is we have an administration (Trump) that refuses to unleash the full power and might of the federal government to combat a pandemic.
And he has incompetents out front misleading the American public.


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--Andrew Cuomo Demands HHS Release 20K Stockpiled Ventilators

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) on Tuesday pleaded with the President of the United States to @ @ @ @ @ been stockpiled by the federal government .
During his daily pandemic briefing , Cuomo said @ @ @ @ @ additional 30,000 ventilators due to the spike in coronavirus cases .
“ The federal government @ @ @ @ @ thereabouts , in the federal stockpile , ” Cuomo explained .
“ Secretary [ Alex @ @ @ @ @ called HHS — Health and Human Services .
I asked the secretary , ‘ Look @ @ @ @ @ the title of the agency you run .
It is health .
Your first priority @ @ @ @ @ 20,000 ventilators in the stockpile .
Release the ventilators to New York . '
” @ @ @ @ @ Langum ) : Some doctors are getting creative on how to ventilate multiple patients with @ @ @ @ @ is where we are .
( h/t Susan Madrak )

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Tuesday pleaded with the President of the United States to release 20,000 ventilators that have been stockpiled by the federal government.
During his daily pandemic briefing, Cuomo said that New York needs an additional 30,000 ventilators due to the spike in coronavirus cases.
“The federal government has 20,000 ventilators, or thereabouts, in the federal stockpile,” Cuomo explained. “Secretary [Alex Azar] runs an agency called HHS — Health and Human Services. I asked the secretary, ‘Look at the first word in the title of the agency you run. It is health. Your first priority is health. You have 20,000 ventilators in the stockpile. Release the ventilators to New York.'”
Editor's note (Frances Langum): Some doctors are getting creative on how to ventilate multiple patients with one ventilator, because this is where we are. (h/t Susan Madrak)


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--Sean Hannity Whines About The 'Media Mob' Reporting On His Network's Dangerous COVID-19 Lies

Fox and Trump have been spreading dangerous lies and doing their best to downplay the COVID-19 pandemic for weeks on end now , and it appears the pressure may finally be getting to Sean Hannity , who spent a good portion of his show this Monday lashing out at the so-called `` media mob '' for daring to quote him , his fellow propagandists , and Trump and the reversals they 've made after originally calling legitimate concern over the virus nothing more than a `` hoax '' designed to keep Trump from being reelected .
HANNITY : Now clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rating for a reason .
They 're almost as unpopular as the media mob .
Now tonight Americans have lost all trust in the mob , in the media , because ... for good reasons .
Now now some in the dishonest press are more interested in lying about the president and more interested in lying about yours truly , and this network and president Trump than actually reporting the facts .
They 're claiming that we called the coronavirus a hoax .
That is a complete and total lie .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen .
I put the time line up on hannity.com .
Now , it shows from day one , this program has taken this virus extremely seriously .
We always urge facts without fear .
We told people not to panic .
Oh , six days after the first confirmed American case , I had Dr. Anthony Fauci on this program , and numerous times thereafter .
I interviewed him on January 27th , six days after the first known case , even before the ban was implemented .
Again , February 10th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous times and starting in January , I was concerned , uh oh ... asymptomatic people can infect other people , and , yeah , that 's a bad thing if it 's aerosol .
We 've had multiple doctors on this program to discuss all of the challenges , but I 've always had faith in our medical community and faith in the American people .
Then the mob , oh yeah , according to them , Sean Hannity called it a hoax .
No , I said what they were doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let 's see , New York Times , Trump virus , if you 're feeling awful , you know who to blame .
Those that said Trump 's Katrina , Trump 's Chernobyl .
Yeah , I 'll say they were weaponizing it .
Oh , they wanted it to be the next attack against Donald Trump , the next hoax .
That 's what I was saying about them , not about the virus .
They purposely distort , lie , misinform .
The same people that have done it for three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nasty , divisive , anti-Trump madness and hysteria that is continuing to this day .

Fox and Trump have been spreading dangerous lies and doing their best to downplay the COVID-19 pandemic for weeks on end now, and it appears the pressure may finally be getting to Sean Hannity, who spent a good portion of his show this Monday lashing out at the so-called "media mob" for daring to quote him, his fellow propagandists, and Trump and the reversals they've made after originally calling legitimate concern over the virus nothing more than a "hoax" designed to keep Trump from being reelected.
HANNITY: Now clearly Congress has a twenty two percent approval rating for a reason. They're almost as unpopular as the media mob.
Now tonight Americans have lost all trust in the mob, in the media, because... for good reasons.
Now now some in the dishonest press are more interested in lying about the president and more interested in lying about yours truly, and this network and president Trump than actually reporting the facts.
They're claiming that we called the coronavirus a hoax. That is a complete and total lie. They are lying about me. Look at your screen. I put the time line up on hannity.com.
Now, it shows from day one, this program has taken this virus extremely seriously. We always urge facts without fear. We told people not to panic.
Oh, six days after the first confirmed American case, I had Dr. Anthony Fauci on this program, and numerous times thereafter.
I interviewed him on January 27th, six days after the first known case, even before the ban was implemented. Again, February 10th, he's been on this program numerous times and starting in January, I was concerned, uh oh... asymptomatic people can infect other people, and, yeah, that's a bad thing if it's aerosol.
We've had multiple doctors on this program to discuss all of the challenges, but I've always had faith in our medical community and faith in the American people .
Then the mob, oh yeah, according to them, Sean Hannity called it a hoax. No, I said what they were doing, those that said, oh, let's see, New York Times, Trump virus, if you're feeling awful, you know who to blame. Those that said Trump's Katrina, Trump's Chernobyl.
Yeah, I'll say they were weaponizing it. Oh, they wanted it to be the next attack against Donald Trump, the next hoax. That's what I was saying about them, not about the virus. They purposely distort, lie, misinform. The same people that have done it for three long years.
It is that kind of nasty, divisive, anti-Trump madness and hysteria that is continuing to this day.


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--Jerry Falwell Jr. Opens Liberty University To Students So They Won't 'Disrupt Their College Life'

Amidst what Surgeon General Jerome Adams predicted would be the worst week so far of COVID-19 cases and deaths , right-wing Christian nut-job Jerry Falwell Jr. has decided to go against the tide and open his university back up to students .
Not only that , he ordered — ordered — the faculty back to work .
“ I think we have a responsibility to our students — who paid to be here , who want to be here , who love it here — to give them the ability to be with their friends , to continue their studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve already paid for and to not interrupt their college life , ” Falwell said .
Let the kids have fun !
They have paid for their dorms !
We would n't want to have to give them refunds , would we ?
Let 's see how nearby , sanely-run universities have decided to handle things : In response to the pandemic , several nearby institutions have instructed faculty to work remotely and have limited dorms to students unable to return home .
At the University of Lynchburg , 19 students continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College just five remain on campus .
In contrast with other schools , Liberty ’ s dorms , academic buildings , library and fitness center remain open .
The fitness center remains open .
THE FITNESS CENTER .
Because when they rip your shirt off as they wheel you into the Emergency Room because you 're unable to breathe from COVID-19 , you wan na be JACKED , bro !
Let 's see what else might be behind Falwell Jr. 's alleged reasoning for this blatant disregard for the guidance of every respected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice social distancing : “ I think we , in a way , are protecting the students by having them on campus together , ” he said .
“ Ninety-nine percent of them are not at the age to be at risk and they don ’ t have conditions that put them at risk.
” Oh , rrreeeaaaallllyyyyy ?
?
?
I 'm so very sorry , Jerry , but Dr. Anthony Fauci disagrees .
Fauci was responding to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , showed that about 40 percent of those who were hospitalized for the virus as of March 16 were ages 20 to 54 .
Among the most critical cases , 12 percent of intensive care admissions were among those ages 20 to 44 , while 36 percent were for those 45 to 64 .
Not to mention the degree to which young people are as likely as anyone to be carriers and spreaders of COVID-19 as anyone else .
THAT is the greatest reason for isolating and social distancing .
But why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something as insignificant as medicine , science , logic and social responsibility , when he could be influenced by money , power , and politics ?
Something tells me Darwin will have the last word on the campus that eschews his teachings with derision and glee .

Amidst what Surgeon General Jerome Adams predicted would be the worst week so far of COVID-19 cases and deaths, right-wing Christian nut-job Jerry Falwell Jr. has decided to go against the tide and open his university back up to students. Not only that, he ordered — ordered — the faculty back to work.
Why?
“I think we have a responsibility to our students — who paid to be here, who want to be here, who love it here — to give them the ability to be with their friends, to continue their studies, enjoy the room and board they’ve already paid for and to not interrupt their college life,” Falwell said.
Let the kids have fun! They have paid for their dorms! We wouldn't want to have to give them refunds, would we?
Let's see how nearby, sanely-run universities have decided to handle things:
In response to the pandemic, several nearby institutions have instructed faculty to work remotely and have limited dorms to students unable to return home. At the University of Lynchburg, 19 students continue to live in dorms while at Randolph College just five remain on campus. In contrast with other schools, Liberty’s dorms, academic buildings, library and fitness center remain open.
The fitness center remains open. THE FITNESS CENTER. Because when they rip your shirt off as they wheel you into the Emergency Room because you're unable to breathe from COVID-19, you wanna be JACKED, bro!
Let's see what else might be behind Falwell Jr.'s alleged reasoning for this blatant disregard for the guidance of every respected medical voice begging folks to isolate and practice social distancing:
“I think we, in a way, are protecting the students by having them on campus together,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent of them are not at the age to be at risk and they don’t have conditions that put them at risk.”
Oh, rrreeeaaaallllyyyyy??? I'm so very sorry, Jerry, but Dr. Anthony Fauci disagrees.
Fauci was responding to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which, after studying more than 4,000 cases in the U.S., showed that about 40 percent of those who were hospitalized for the virus as of March 16 were ages 20 to 54. Among the most critical cases, 12 percent of intensive care admissions were among those ages 20 to 44, while 36 percent were for those 45 to 64.
Not to mention the degree to which young people are as likely as anyone to be carriers and spreaders of COVID-19 as anyone else. THAT is the greatest reason for isolating and social distancing. But why would Jerry Falwell Jr. be influenced by something as insignificant as medicine, science, logic and social responsibility, when he could be influenced by money, power, and politics?
Something tells me Darwin will have the last word on the campus that eschews his teachings with derision and glee.
This is a drink-the-Kool-Aid moment for Liberty University, with Jerry Falwell Jr. asking students and staff to risk their lives. https://t.co/sEKgiLOu5n — Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) March 24, 2020
Liberty University, an evangelical school that refutes evolution, has invited students to return to campus weeks before the coronavirus pandemic is expected to peak for an unintentional lesson in natural selection. — Middle Age Riot (@middleageriot) March 24, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--GOP Congressman Wants Oversight For State Spending, But Not For Trump Slush Fund

Ayman Mohyeldin cut right to the chase with Texas Republican Rep. Kevin Brady this morning .
`` Were you satisfied with the fact that the $ 500 billion slated to go to corporations did not have a point person or an oversight person other than the secretary of the treasury or the White House , as the president yesterday said in his comments ? ''
`` Yeah , absolutely not .
it was fine .
This is how -- '' '' You 're fine with the Secretary of the Treasury overseeing this ? ''
He listed the reasons why he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand man control the money .
`` One , he helped working with Republicans and Democrats to craft this proposal .
Secondly , he does understand those industries in a major way .
They 're not getting bailouts .
They 're getting lending and loans to keep them afloat through this .
So , yeah , I think asking for extraordinary oversight really was designed just to slow that portion where you help major industries keep their workers and keep themselves afloat through this , i just think that was -- like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues , like the union bailouts , it had nothing to do with this , '' Brady said .
`` Let me understand this part if I can .
Republicans were concerned that the money going to state and local governments could be used by those state and local governments for something else other than combating the coronavirus epidemic and its fallout .
They wanted more oversight on state and local governments .
They did n't care about the oversight when it came to the big corporations . ''
`` I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagree on this .
In fact , we were using traditional ways , community development block grants , help to state and local -- '' '' But you were concerned that the money -- but you were -- '' '' There were no additional restraints on that . ''
`` Right .
you were concerned that state and local governments were going to get a lot of money and did n't have oversight .
At the same time , though , with corporations , you were fine with the Secretary of the Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You 're mischaracterizing all of that , '' Brady said .
`` The Republicans support not just help for our hospitals and our communities , but using the traditional way we do it in natural disasters to give those state and local governments the resources they need .
So I disagree with the fundamental point you just made . ''
So you do n't actually dispute it , you 're just spinning it .

Ayman Mohyeldin cut right to the chase with Texas Republican Rep. Kevin Brady this morning.
"Were you satisfied with the fact that the $500 billion slated to go to corporations did not have a point person or an oversight person other than the secretary of the treasury or the White House, as the president yesterday said in his comments?"
"Yeah, absolutely not. it was fine. This is how --"
"You're fine with the Secretary of the Treasury overseeing this?"
"Absolutely."
He listed the reasons why he was okay with letting Trump's right hand man control the money.
"One, he helped working with Republicans and Democrats to craft this proposal. Secondly, he does understand those industries in a major way. They're not getting bailouts. They're getting lending and loans to keep them afloat through this. So, yeah, I think asking for extraordinary oversight really was designed just to slow that portion where you help major industries keep their workers and keep themselves afloat through this, i just think that was -- like the windmills, like the election early voting issues, like the union bailouts, it had nothing to do with this," Brady said.
"Let me understand this part if I can. Republicans were concerned that the money going to state and local governments could be used by those state and local governments for something else other than combating the coronavirus epidemic and its fallout. They wanted more oversight on state and local governments. They didn't care about the oversight when it came to the big corporations."
"I don't -- excuse me. look, we disagree on this. In fact, we were using traditional ways, community development block grants, help to state and local --"
"But you were concerned that the money -- but you were --"
"There were no additional restraints on that."
"Right. you were concerned that state and local governments were going to get a lot of money and didn't have oversight. At the same time, though, with corporations, you were fine with the Secretary of the Treasury having to do that."
"You're mischaracterizing all of that," Brady said. "The Republicans support not just help for our hospitals and our communities, but using the traditional way we do it in natural disasters to give those state and local governments the resources they need. So I disagree with the fundamental point you just made."
So you don't actually dispute it, you're just spinning it.


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--For The First Time Ever, Summer Olympics Are Postponed To Next Year

Now we 're losing another live sports event to distract us .
`` The prime minister of Japan just announced a plan to delay the summer Olympic games .
Again , the summer Olympics are going to be postponed .
The prime minister says until 2021 at the latest , '' CNN 's John Berman said .
`` This is unprecedented .
The Olympics have never been delayed .
They have been canceled , but they have never been delayed .
Will Ripley is live in Tokyo with the breaking details . ''
`` It is remarkable , this historic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
World War I and World War II canceled three Olympic games in the history of the modern Olympics .
They have never been postponed until today , '' Ripley said .
`` Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe moments ago speaking with reporters after getting off a call with the president of the international Olympic committee , Thomas Bach and Prime Minister Abe confirmed he requested that the Olympics that were supposed to be held on July 24th here in Tokyo , the Tokyo 2020 summer games , games that this country won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they built a new stadium , they 're still building infrastructure , signs everywhere around this city , this has been a cornerstone of Japan 's identity for the last seven years since they won the bid and now it is not happening in 2020 , but they 're hoping it is going to happen in the summer of 2021 , which will be months later , the winter Olympics in Beijing .
`` Quite an extraordinary year , 2021 and 2022 .
For the year 2020 , the Olympics are a casualty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on track to spend $ 20 billion already on these games .
They have been way over budget .
now some economists are saying a postponement could cost an additional $ 5 billion , $ 5.5 billion .
There is a logistical nightmare they have to work out .
All the venues they need to basically reschedule . ''

Now we're losing another live sports event to distract us.
"The prime minister of Japan just announced a plan to delay the summer Olympic games. Again, the summer Olympics are going to be postponed. The prime minister says until 2021 at the latest," CNN's John Berman said.
"This is unprecedented. The Olympics have never been delayed. They have been canceled, but they have never been delayed. Will Ripley is live in Tokyo with the breaking details."
"It is remarkable, this historic moment we're living in, John. World War I and World War II canceled three Olympic games in the history of the modern Olympics. They have never been postponed until today," Ripley said.
"Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe moments ago speaking with reporters after getting off a call with the president of the international Olympic committee, Thomas Bach and Prime Minister Abe confirmed he requested that the Olympics that were supposed to be held on July 24th here in Tokyo, the Tokyo 2020 summer games, games that this country won the bid for seven years ago, they built a new stadium, they're still building infrastructure, signs everywhere around this city, this has been a cornerstone of Japan's identity for the last seven years since they won the bid and now it is not happening in 2020, but they're hoping it is going to happen in the summer of 2021, which will be months later, the winter Olympics in Beijing.
"Quite an extraordinary year, 2021 and 2022. For the year 2020, the Olympics are a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. And Japan is on track to spend $20 billion already on these games. They have been way over budget. now some economists are saying a postponement could cost an additional $5 billion, $5.5 billion. There is a logistical nightmare they have to work out. All the venues they need to basically reschedule."


crooksandliars--2020-03-24--COVID-19 Forces Trump Campaign To Postpone Plans For Avalanche Of Vicious Attacks On Biden

Boy , the coronavirus pandemic is really causing the Trump campaign a lot of problems .
It ca n't brag about the economy , Trump has to appear all serious and stuff , and the plan to unleash an avalanche of attacks on Joe Biden has to be postponed .
The plan was to take advantage of the moment when Biden would be working to unite the Democratic Party while raising enough money to compete in the general election , and hit him with a barrage of attack ads to define him in the minds of voters before Biden could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic strategy the Obama campaign used against Mitt Romney in 2012 , but we ’ re talking about the Trump campaign here , so the 2020 version was going to be wildly dishonest at every turn .
After all , this is the campaign of the man who already tried to take Biden down by extorting a foreign nation .
The Trump campaign and its officials are taking regular shots at Biden on Twitter , so it ’ s not like they ’ re giving up on negative campaigning .
But so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad look to pour millions of dollars into attack ads while Trump is trying to appear very serious and focused on the pandemic .
Even if Trump himself can ’ t resist sniping at Biden during coronavirus updates .
Of course , the Trump campaign continues to raise money and stockpile it for a wave of ugliness the moment its leaders decide it ’ s time , whether that ’ s because the threat of coronavirus has subsided or because it ’ s the final weeks before the election and they stop caring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these days , all the lies they ’ re preparing will come out .

Boy, the coronavirus pandemic is really causing the Trump campaign a lot of problems. It can't brag about the economy, Trump has to appear all serious and stuff, and the plan to unleash an avalanche of attacks on Joe Biden has to be postponed.
The plan was to take advantage of the moment when Biden would be working to unite the Democratic Party while raising enough money to compete in the general election, and hit him with a barrage of attack ads to define him in the minds of voters before Biden could define himself. That’s the basic strategy the Obama campaign used against Mitt Romney in 2012, but we’re talking about the Trump campaign here, so the 2020 version was going to be wildly dishonest at every turn. After all, this is the campaign of the man who already tried to take Biden down by extorting a foreign nation.
The Trump campaign and its officials are taking regular shots at Biden on Twitter, so it’s not like they’re giving up on negative campaigning. But so far even they recognize it would be a bad look to pour millions of dollars into attack ads while Trump is trying to appear very serious and focused on the pandemic. Even if Trump himself can’t resist sniping at Biden during coronavirus updates.
Of course, the Trump campaign continues to raise money and stockpile it for a wave of ugliness the moment its leaders decide it’s time, whether that’s because the threat of coronavirus has subsided or because it’s the final weeks before the election and they stop caring about propriety or appearances. One of these days, all the lies they’re preparing will come out.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-03-25--Kafkaesque Battle For Religious Freedom Coming To The Screen

For 15 years , the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been defending the men and women who defend America when their First Amendment religious freedom comes under attack from fundamentalist religious zealots .
The close-knit tribal , hierarchical culture of the military makes it virtually impossible for individual servicemembers to stand up for themselves , which is what makes MRFF an invaluable life-saver in countless incidents—hundreds every month that never see the light of day—as well as a handful every year that do gain attention , but are rarely well understood by those outside of the military .
But that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 , MRFF Founder and President Mikey Weinstein announced a deal with screenwriter and producer Jesse Maiman to tell MRFF 's story in a feature film or tv series .
`` I am just thrilled to be able to announce this , '' Weinstein said in a press release .
`` Jesse is a genuinely gifted young screenwriting talent .
He has been able to grasp and capture the raw essence and myriad complexities of the often brutal MRFF civil rights advocacy mission as no one else in Hollywood has ever done before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocacy on behalf of service-members and their families is not only an inspiration , but also a wake up call , '' Maiman said .
`` It demands we ask the question , ‘ Do we know what ’ s happening in our military ?
’ His stranger- than-fiction battles with politicians , pundits , power brokers , and zealots provide an entertaining tapestry for examining that core question . ''
Religious coercion is a serious problem—and not just for religious minorities .
Indeed , 95 % of MRFF ’ s clients over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s struggle is not—as the religious right would have it—a battle of unbelievers against Christians .
It ’ s a battle of all sorts of believers—and non-believers—in defense of religious freedom for all , and against coercion for anyone .
It ’ s a struggle going on all across America , but with particular intensity inside the military , where dissent is especially difficult .
Now , that struggle will be seen as never before .
“ When you have a movie that comes out , it can be an extraordinary transformative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maiman isn ’ t new to the subject of how religious manipulation hurts people .
He wrote screenplay adaption of Being Christian a novel about a modern-day Elmer Gantry-type figure , whose author played a key role in paving the way for this new project .
“ She had introduced me to Mikey 's work , ” Maiman told Crooks and Liars , “ But one day she mentioned that he had always wanted a movie to be done on the topic , and I told her to absolutely put us in touch.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ realizing that he really wanted to take a wider angle lens… that this is systemic and not just interpersonal , ” Maiman said .
Once he realized that Weinstein wasn ’ t just looking for “ a keyhole story about a single cadet or recruit , ” that ’ s when he started seeing the potential of something like Dr. Strangelove or Thank You For Smoking “ that really takes on an issue from every angle .
That 's what really got me excited , ” he said .
“ Every angle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battles , and different tones , as well .
While the subject is deadly serious , absurdist humor—he also cites Catch-22 as well—clearly will play a role .
“ These are movies that deal with the absurdity of the discourse , they deal with the absurdity of our time , in a way that has humor to it , and I absolutely want to do that , ” Maiman said .
“ One way to do that I think is to really play the politics for its absurdism.
” While he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ it ’ s in my DNA , ” he confessed—it ’ s character that matters most to him .
“ I consider myself a character writer , I like to do character studies , ” he said .
In the case of Being Christian “ resisting the temptation to make that character evil was very important thing to me , ” he stressed .
“ Trying to get at what makes that character tick , trying to get at what we have in common with that character , and where the sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took a different path than you or I.
That ’ s what really drew me to that script , ” he explained .
“ I like to call Being Christian ‘ The Wolf of Wall Street in the mega-churches.
’ ” Maiman also loves movies about how “ uniquely American unscrupulous business practices work , ” citing There Will Be Blood as “ one of my favorite films of all time.
” So all that attracted him to the Being Christian project .
With the MRFF project , “ Think of everything I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ It is much more of an ensemble piece , it is much more 360° in the sense that we 're looking at many different types of people , but I ’ m doing that same thing , I ’ m asking the questions , ‘ What motivates this person ?
“ Where are those inflection points where they chose a different path than the other guys ?
and ‘ How does that inform this system that is invested in tearing down the First Amendment ?
” Although it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in it looms large , and clearly excites Maiman .
“ One thing I love about what Mikey does is the cliché is ‘ defending the First Amendment.
’ We always talk about ‘ defending the First Amendment , ’ But what I love about what Mikey does is he goes on the offensive for the First Amendment , ” Maiman said .
“ He fights battles on enemy territory on behalf of the First Amendment .
And I think that ’ s something that ’ s a fascinating thing for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it revolutionary , in a way , as Weinstein ’ s own comments later revealed .
“ The idea that we do n't have to sit back and wait for incursions , that we can seek out the incursions before they occur , and try and prevent them in real time , I think is really a powerful idea , ” Maiman said , “ especially in these times where we can fell a little helpless – especially in the middle of our sheltering in place , but even before that , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paralyzed by just all the things that we have to fix to get back to the promise of this country.
” There ’ s an old-fashioned grittiness Maiman keys in on .
“ I think it 's very powerful to see how Mikey goes right into the teeth of it , ” he said .
“ He does n't wait for the big case .
He is quite willing to pound the pavement on the minutia to make sure that we never get to the big case .
And I think that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think that 's a very powerful thing.
” His assessment matched my own from have reported on MRFF over the past couple of years .
In reporting on any story , there were always references to other cases which were quietly resolved without ever attracting attention , but which shed light on the story I was reporting on .
MRFF gets a constant stream of thank-you emails for this sort of work that never gains public notice—so much so , that the military pretends they aren ’ t even there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times story reported that while the Pentagon claimed `` it had received 50 complaints of religious discrimination from all of the branches from 2005 to 2007 , '' yet at the same time , Weinstein `` said his group now received more than 500 complaints of religious bias a month from members of the military . ''
Given that volume of unrecognized battles , when I asked Weinstein for a comment , I was amused , but not surprised by his response .
That NYT story reported Weinstein 's meeting with Air Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schwartz , `` the first time the group has gotten an audience with a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , '' and Weinstein recalled that encounter in more specific detail .
When he me with Schwartz , “ He told me , ‘ Look , I know you take a lot of flak for being aggressive , and upfront , but , ’ he said , ‘ Let me tell you something .
If you ever lose your vitriol , this five-sided building will stop listening to you.
” That dovetails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Our civil rights activism…our job is not to be the pearl in the oyster , ” he said .
“ On the contrary , our job is to be the irritant inside of the oyster that causes a pearl to form.
” To underscore his point , he added , “ The only way to fight back is just like our American colonists found they had to fight a certain way , and that was a lot of times using guerrilla war tactics against the British Empire.
” When asked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with , the first thing Maiman mentioned was the predatory attitude toward conversions , highlighted in this video with Army Chalain Major Douglas Duerksen .
“ He was talking about those soldiers being as ripe as black bananas , for conversion , [ a prime example of ] the whole government-paid missionary approach , ” Maiman said .
“ That is right out front and center in terms of what animates me about this .
Taking advantage of people in a moment of weakness just really riles me up , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out men and women beaten down by the rigors of training in order to try and convert them just upsets me on a visceral level , ” he explained “ That 's something I definitely want to pick from real life into the movie , the misuse of the chaplaincy to take advantage of kids that the government has taken responsibility for.
” Another example he cites is the Jesus Rifles controversy brought to national attention in January 2010 , when ABC News reported that a military contractor , Trijicon , inscribed bible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. military .
Weinstein told ABC that many MRFF clients had complained about inscriptions .
`` This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country , '' Weinstein told ABC .
`` It 's literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we 're fighting .
We 're emboldening an enemy . ''
`` It is a rallying cry for the Taliban , ” Al Jazeera 's Kabul correspondent , David Chater , said at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool . ''
That ’ s what makes it so compelling for Maiman .
“ I feel like if Joe Public found out about it , even if they were religiously Christian , even if they were politically conservative , they can understand how dangerous these things are , ” he said .
“ And that 's an important thing for me , I don ’ t want this movie to only play to half the country.
” Finally , there ’ s one crucial question that ’ s left to be answered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well who 's going to play you Mikey ?
’ ” Weinstein said .
“ As a joke , my children , being somewhat unkind have said ‘ Danny DeVito would be great .
But he 's too tall .
’ ”

For 15 years, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been defending the men and women who defend America when their First Amendment religious freedom comes under attack from fundamentalist religious zealots. The close-knit tribal, hierarchical culture of the military makes it virtually impossible for individual servicemembers to stand up for themselves, which is what makes MRFF an invaluable life-saver in countless incidents—hundreds every month that never see the light of day—as well as a handful every year that do gain attention, but are rarely well understood by those outside of the military.
But that's about to change. On March 18, MRFF Founder and President Mikey Weinstein announced a deal with screenwriter and producer Jesse Maiman to tell MRFF's story in a feature film or tv series.
"I am just thrilled to be able to announce this," Weinstein said in a press release. "Jesse is a genuinely gifted young screenwriting talent. He has been able to grasp and capture the raw essence and myriad complexities of the often brutal MRFF civil rights advocacy mission as no one else in Hollywood has ever done before."
"Mikey’s tireless advocacy on behalf of service-members and their families is not only an inspiration, but also a wake up call," Maiman said. "It demands we ask the question, ‘Do we know what’s happening in our military?’ His stranger- than-fiction battles with politicians, pundits, power brokers, and zealots provide an entertaining tapestry for examining that core question."
Religious coercion is a serious problem—and not just for religious minorities. Indeed, 95% of MRFF’s clients over the years have been Christians. MRFF’s struggle is not—as the religious right would have it—a battle of unbelievers against Christians. It’s a battle of all sorts of believers—and non-believers—in defense of religious freedom for all, and against coercion for anyone. It’s a struggle going on all across America, but with particular intensity inside the military, where dissent is especially difficult.
Now, that struggle will be seen as never before. “When you have a movie that comes out, it can be an extraordinary transformative transcendent experience,” Weinstein said.
Maiman isn’t new to the subject of how religious manipulation hurts people. He wrote screenplay adaption of Being Christian a novel about a modern-day Elmer Gantry-type figure, whose author played a key role in paving the way for this new project. “She had introduced me to Mikey's work,” Maiman told Crooks and Liars, “But one day she mentioned that he had always wanted a movie to be done on the topic, and I told her to absolutely put us in touch.”
The key in that conversation was “realizing that he really wanted to take a wider angle lens… that this is systemic and not just interpersonal,” Maiman said. Once he realized that Weinstein wasn’t just looking for “a keyhole story about a single cadet or recruit,” that’s when he started seeing the potential of something like Dr. Strangelove or Thank You For Smoking “that really takes on an issue from every angle. That's what really got me excited,” he said.
“Every angle” means different perspectives, different specific battles, and different tones, as well. While the subject is deadly serious, absurdist humor—he also cites Catch-22 as well—clearly will play a role. “These are movies that deal with the absurdity of the discourse, they deal with the absurdity of our time, in a way that has humor to it, and I absolutely want to do that,” Maiman said. “One way to do that I think is to really play the politics for its absurdism.”
While he’s drawn to the subject of religious manipulation—“it’s in my DNA,” he confessed—it’s character that matters most to him. “I consider myself a character writer, I like to do character studies,” he said. In the case of Being Christian “resisting the temptation to make that character evil was very important thing to me,” he stressed. “Trying to get at what makes that character tick, trying to get at what we have in common with that character, and where the sort of inflection points are, where he took a different path than you or I. That’s what really drew me to that script,” he explained. “I like to call Being Christian ‘The Wolf of Wall Street in the mega-churches.’”
Maiman also loves movies about how “uniquely American unscrupulous business practices work,” citing There Will Be Blood as “one of my favorite films of all time.” So all that attracted him to the Being Christian project.
With the MRFF project, “Think of everything I just said, but Balkanized,” he said. “It is much more of an ensemble piece, it is much more 360° in the sense that we're looking at many different types of people, but I’m doing that same thing, I’m asking the questions, ‘What motivates this person? “Where are those inflection points where they chose a different path than the other guys? and ‘How does that inform this system that is invested in tearing down the First Amendment?”
Although it's an ensemble story, Weinstein’s role in it looms large, and clearly excites Maiman. “One thing I love about what Mikey does is the cliché is ‘defending the First Amendment.’ We always talk about ‘defending the First Amendment,’ But what I love about what Mikey does is he goes on the offensive for the First Amendment,” Maiman said. “He fights battles on enemy territory on behalf of the First Amendment. And I think that’s something that’s a fascinating thing for people to see.”
You could almost call it revolutionary, in a way, as Weinstein’s own comments later revealed. “The idea that we don't have to sit back and wait for incursions, that we can seek out the incursions before they occur, and try and prevent them in real time, I think is really a powerful idea,” Maiman said, “especially in these times where we can fell a little helpless – especially in the middle of our sheltering in place, but even before that, I think that we can feel a little paralyzed by just all the things that we have to fix to get back to the promise of this country.”
There’s an old-fashioned grittiness Maiman keys in on. “I think it's very powerful to see how Mikey goes right into the teeth of it,” he said. “He doesn't wait for the big case. He is quite willing to pound the pavement on the minutia to make sure that we never get to the big case. And I think that's, in terms of a character study, I think that's a very powerful thing.”
His assessment matched my own from have reported on MRFF over the past couple of years. In reporting on any story, there were always references to other cases which were quietly resolved without ever attracting attention, but which shed light on the story I was reporting on. MRFF gets a constant stream of thank-you emails for this sort of work that never gains public notice—so much so, that the military pretends they aren’t even there. For example, s 2009 New York Times story reported that while the Pentagon claimed "it had received 50 complaints of religious discrimination from all of the branches from 2005 to 2007," yet at the same time, Weinstein "said his group now received more than 500 complaints of religious bias a month from members of the military."
Given that volume of unrecognized battles, when I asked Weinstein for a comment, I was amused, but not surprised by his response.
That NYT story reported Weinstein's meeting with Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, "the first time the group has gotten an audience with a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," and Weinstein recalled that encounter in more specific detail. When he me with Schwartz, “He told me, ‘Look, I know you take a lot of flak for being aggressive, and upfront, but,’ he said, ‘Let me tell you something. If you ever lose your vitriol, this five-sided building will stop listening to you.”
That dovetails neatly with how Weinstein sees his mission. “Our civil rights activism…our job is not to be the pearl in the oyster,” he said. “On the contrary, our job is to be the irritant inside of the oyster that causes a pearl to form.” To underscore his point, he added, “The only way to fight back is just like our American colonists found they had to fight a certain way, and that was a lot of times using guerrilla war tactics against the British Empire.”
When asked about the kinds of battles he planned to deal with, the first thing Maiman mentioned was the predatory attitude toward conversions, highlighted in this video with Army Chalain Major Douglas Duerksen. “He was talking about those soldiers being as ripe as black bananas, for conversion, [a prime example of ] the whole government-paid missionary approach,” Maiman said. “That is right out front and center in terms of what animates me about this. Taking advantage of people in a moment of weakness just really riles me up, and the notion that they would be consciously seeking out men and women beaten down by the rigors of training in order to try and convert them just upsets me on a visceral level,” he explained “That's something I definitely want to pick from real life into the movie, the misuse of the chaplaincy to take advantage of kids that the government has taken responsibility for.”
Another example he cites is the Jesus Rifles controversy brought to national attention in January 2010, when ABC News reported that a military contractor, Trijicon, inscribed bible verses on high-powered rifle sights provided to the U.S. military. Weinstein told ABC that many MRFF clients had complained about inscriptions.
"This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country," Weinstein told ABC. "It's literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we're fighting. We're emboldening an enemy."
"It is a rallying cry for the Taliban,” Al Jazeera's Kabul correspondent, David Chater, said at the time. “It gives them a propaganda tool."
That’s what makes it so compelling for Maiman. “I feel like if Joe Public found out about it, even if they were religiously Christian, even if they were politically conservative, they can understand how dangerous these things are,” he said. “And that's an important thing for me, I don’t want this movie to only play to half the country.”
Finally, there’s one crucial question that’s left to be answered. “People have asked, ‘Well who's going to play you Mikey?’” Weinstein said. “As a joke, my children, being somewhat unkind have said ‘Danny DeVito would be great. But he's too tall.’”


crooksandliars--2020-03-25--'Shut Up!' Dem Senator Slams GOP Colleagues For Holding Up Stimulus Bill

Senator Mazie Hirono is out of patience with her selfish Republican colleagues , especially Senators Tim Scott , Lindsey Graham and Ben Sasse .
They are holding up the passage of a massive stimulus bill with massive corporate subsidies because some poor schmuck in Alabama might get more in his unemployment check than he does in his paycheck .
Let that sink in for a minute .
The bill provides that the usual unemployment benefit will be bumped up by $ 600 per check to replace income lost while the nation locks down to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ such stingy unemployment benefits , a worker might receive more in his/her unemployment check than they would in their paycheck .
Hence , the Senators ' objections .
Senator Mazie Hirono objects to their objections .
Strongly .
Here 's what she told Ali Velshi in response to his question about their stall .
I find the utmost of selfishness to hold up this huge bill that 's going to help working people because some states pay so little in unemployment compensation that in our effort to craft something that would be fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the workers in these states , some of the poorer states will get a little bit more .
I think that speaks a lot to what these people are talking about .
Were it not for the 72 hours that we fought for workers and for what Chuck Schumer refers to as the Marshal Plan , the same people who brought us the $ 1.5 trillion in tax cuts for the richest people and companies in our country would be getting what they want .
Once again , very little for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought so hard .
Concluding , she told Velshi : `` It 's amazing to me that some of my colleagues are saying we 're giving too much for these people who are getting so little already .
I just want to say , hey , SHUT UP . ''
Correction : It was Graham , Sasse and Tim Scott , not Rick Scott .
I regret the error .

Senator Mazie Hirono is out of patience with her selfish Republican colleagues, especially Senators Tim Scott, Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott Ben Sasse. They are holding up the passage of a massive stimulus bill with massive corporate subsidies because some poor schmuck in Alabama might get more in his unemployment check than he does in his paycheck.
Let that sink in for a minute. The bill provides that the usual unemployment benefit will be bumped up by $600 per check to replace income lost while the nation locks down to slow the spread of COVID-19. Because states like Alabama and Florida have such stingy unemployment benefits, a worker might receive more in his/her unemployment check than they would in their paycheck.
Hence, the Senators' objections. Senator Mazie Hirono objects to their objections. Strongly. Here's what she told Ali Velshi in response to his question about their stall.
I find the utmost of selfishness to hold up this huge bill that's going to help working people because some states pay so little in unemployment compensation that in our effort to craft something that would be fair to the majority of workers that some of the workers in these states, some of the poorer states will get a little bit more. I think that speaks a lot to what these people are talking about. Were it not for the 72 hours that we fought for workers and for what Chuck Schumer refers to as the Marshal Plan, the same people who brought us the $1.5 trillion in tax cuts for the richest people and companies in our country would be getting what they want. Once again, very little for the workers, and that's why we fought so hard.
Concluding, she told Velshi: "It's amazing to me that some of my colleagues are saying we're giving too much for these people who are getting so little already. I just want to say, hey, SHUT UP."
Can I hear an AMEN?
Correction: It was Graham, Sasse and Tim Scott, not Rick Scott. I regret the error.


crooksandliars--2020-03-25--How Are Your Right Wing Relatives Dealing With The Pandemic?

Like a lot of you out there , I 've got loved ones that I 've lost to Fox `` news , '' and lots of people whom I care about and interact with in real life who are Republicans and Trump supporters .
It 's been something watching this administration 's incompetence finally hit them squarely in the face and seeing their reaction to it .
For the most part , they 're just scared .
My retired friends who are all in the high risk category are terrified about even going to the grocery store and doing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quarantines started , I personally have n't heard anyone downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic , even though a few of them were doing just that before the virus started to spread in the United States .
I tried to get through to my Republican father just how dangerous Fox has been with spreading outright lies about the pandemic and downplaying it , only to have him try to `` both sides '' me with how terrible he thinks all of the media is , and then resort to the `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about politics '' line of defense to get out of talking about a subject he knows he ca n't defend .
I told him when they 're putting people 's lives at risk that I love it goes beyond politics , and that was the end of that conversation .
I do n't want to beat up on him too much on the topic , because he 's having a rough enough time as it is .
My mom has early onset Alzheimer 's and has been in a nursing home for over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't visit her and check on her .
My dad was normally there every day , twice a day to feed her and the separation is breaking his heart .
And while I 've seen a few chinks in the armor from people who are finally growing weary of Trump and his lies , most of them are still circling the wagons and attacking -- you guessed it -- Democrats for the response to the pandemic .
Here 's a small portion of what I 've been unfortunate enough to have in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still firmly planted on Team Trump : Sharing articles like this one from the Moonie Times quoting Dr. Drew attacking the media : Dr. Drew says press should be 'held accountable ' for coronavirus panic : 'They are hurting people' Asking how many people who hate Trump are going to cash their stimulus checks .
Asking who still wants to keep Republicans in power .
Calling Pelosi , Schiff and Nadler the `` swamp '' and encouraging people who do n't live in their districts to vote them out of office : And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi held up coronavirus response funds over abortion : Thankfully , I have n't seen a whole lot of likes on any of those posts , which was n't the case not long ago .
So maybe that 's a good sign that some of his support is dwindling .
Who else out there is dealing with the constant stream of lies being put out by Trump and the right with the people you interact with in real life , and how are you coping with them ?
Have you seen anyone finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circling the wagons ?
How are they reacting to the latest talking point from the right that the sick , vulnerable and the elderly should just die quickly and sacrifice themselves to the Wall Street gods , or are they largely just ignoring it ?
Please share your personal stories in the comments section and I hope everyone is doing their best to stay safe during his crisis if they can .

Like a lot of you out there, I've got loved ones that I've lost to Fox "news," and lots of people whom I care about and interact with in real life who are Republicans and Trump supporters. It's been something watching this administration's incompetence finally hit them squarely in the face and seeing their reaction to it.
For the most part, they're just scared. My retired friends who are all in the high risk category are terrified about even going to the grocery store and doing their best to keep themselves safe. Since the quarantines started, I personally haven't heard anyone downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic, even though a few of them were doing just that before the virus started to spread in the United States.
I tried to get through to my Republican father just how dangerous Fox has been with spreading outright lies about the pandemic and downplaying it, only to have him try to "both sides" me with how terrible he thinks all of the media is, and then resort to the "I don't want to argue with you about politics" line of defense to get out of talking about a subject he knows he can't defend.
I told him when they're putting people's lives at risk that I love it goes beyond politics, and that was the end of that conversation. I don't want to beat up on him too much on the topic, because he's having a rough enough time as it is. My mom has early onset Alzheimer's and has been in a nursing home for over five years, and now we can't visit her and check on her. My dad was normally there every day, twice a day to feed her and the separation is breaking his heart.
And while I've seen a few chinks in the armor from people who are finally growing weary of Trump and his lies, most of them are still circling the wagons and attacking -- you guessed it -- Democrats for the response to the pandemic.
Here's a small portion of what I've been unfortunate enough to have in my Facebook News Feed from people who are still firmly planted on Team Trump:
Demanding Pelosi resign:
Sharing articles like this one from the Moonie Times quoting Dr. Drew attacking the media:
Dr. Drew says press should be 'held accountable' for coronavirus panic: 'They are hurting people'
Asking how many people who hate Trump are going to cash their stimulus checks.
Asking who still wants to keep Republicans in power.
Calling Pelosi, Schiff and Nadler the "swamp" and encouraging people who don't live in their districts to vote them out of office:
And of course, promoting the lie that Pelosi held up coronavirus response funds over abortion:
Thankfully, I haven't seen a whole lot of likes on any of those posts, which wasn't the case not long ago. So maybe that's a good sign that some of his support is dwindling.
Who else out there is dealing with the constant stream of lies being put out by Trump and the right with the people you interact with in real life, and how are you coping with them?
Have you seen anyone finally break with Trump, or are they circling the wagons?
How are they reacting to the latest talking point from the right that the sick, vulnerable and the elderly should just die quickly and sacrifice themselves to the Wall Street gods, or are they largely just ignoring it?
Please share your personal stories in the comments section and I hope everyone is doing their best to stay safe during his crisis if they can.


crooksandliars--2020-03-25--Rep. Ruben Gallego: Trump Talks Out Of His Ass When It Comes To The Coronavirus

Many of us do n't trust a word that comes out of Trump .
But 90 % of Republicans do .
And a disappointing 53 % approve of the shitshow that is the White House response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Arizona Democratic Congressman and Iraq War veteran Ruben Gallego told SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah that President Donald Trump “ just talks out of his ass ” about the coronavirus pandemic , and that “ it ’ s very dangerous ” to .
On Tuesday ’ s edition of SiriusXM ’ s The Dean Obeidallah Show , Obeidallah talked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen the economy on Easter without the approval of the experts on his task force , and asked “ How can this guy be believable to anyone ?
” “ I mean , he can ’ t , he just talks out of his ass , ” Gallego said .
“ He just hopes that things land in the right way , like everything has for him in the past.
” ... “ I don ’ t believe anything that comes out of his mouth .
I ’ d rather hear it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gallego said .
“ It ’ s sad that the word of the President of the United States can not be trusted .
”

Many of us don't trust a word that comes out of Trump. But 90% of Republicans do. And a disappointing 53% approve of the shitshow that is the White House response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Mediaite
Arizona Democratic Congressman and Iraq War veteran Ruben Gallego told SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah that President Donald Trump “just talks out of his ass” about the coronavirus pandemic, and that “it’s very dangerous” to.
On Tuesday’s edition of SiriusXM’s The Dean Obeidallah Show, Obeidallah talked with Gallego about Trump’s latest decision to reopen the economy on Easter without the approval of the experts on his task force, and asked “How can this guy be believable to anyone?”
“I mean, he can’t, he just talks out of his ass,” Gallego said. “He just hopes that things land in the right way, like everything has for him in the past.”
...
“I don’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth. I’d rather hear it from Fauci or some other governmental official,” Gallego said. “It’s sad that the word of the President of the United States cannot be trusted.”


crooksandliars--2020-03-25--Fox News Refuses To Run Ad On Trump's COVID Failures

Fox News is right-wing propaganda , but you knew that .
You also know that Fox News , like every @ @ @ @ @ very interested in selling ads .
But it turns out they rejected this ad , @ @ @ @ @ `` Unite The Country . ''
Wonder why ?
You can tell when a political @ @ @ @ @ and tells the truth about Donald Trump .
Fox wo n't run those ads .

Fox News is right-wing propaganda, but you knew that.
You also know that Fox News, like every cable news outlet, is very interested in selling ads.
But it turns out they rejected this ad, from the pro-Biden super PAC "Unite The Country." Wonder why?
Last night, @FoxNews rejected our latest ad called “Crisis Comes." Here’s the ad they don’t want you to see. #covid19 #coronaviruspic.twitter.com/G8HvZ3AST2 — Unite the Country (@UniteCountryPAC) March 25, 2020
You can tell when a political ad hits the sweet spot and tells the truth about Donald Trump. Fox won't run those ads.


crooksandliars--2020-03-25--Trump Demands Governors Seeking Coronavirus Aid 'Be Nice To Me Or Else'

One thing we know about Trump is that he knows how to issue veiled threats .
Trump sees his reelection prospects suffering because of his handling of the Trump 19 coronavirus and the resulting plunge of the stock markets .
He is also very , very sensitive to the slightest criticism .
Now he 's threatening to withhold lifesaving federal government assistance to the states hit hardest by the virus .
That means to the people of Washington State , California and New York .
During Tuesday 's Fox News faux town hall , Trump demanded that these states seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I think we 're doing very well but you know it 's a two-way street , '' Trump said .
He continued , `` They have to treat us well also .
They ca n't say , oh gee , we should get this we should get that .
We are doing a great job . ''
There is no two-way street when battling against a pandemic .
Either you help or you do n't .
Why ca n't New York State Governor Cuomo demand assistance from the federal government when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gavin Newsom was smart to complement Trump when the virus spread in California because he knows that if he strokes Trump 's ego even a little bit , it might help save lives in the state ... which is horrifying .
We are in a national health emergency .
Trump called the coronavirus `` a Democratic hoax '' for weeks , which slowed down the overall response to the pandemic .
Then he came on and had his surrogates like Larry Kudlow tell the American people the virus was all but contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have never been tested in any fashion on , I mean COVID-19 as a possible cure .
Trump 's criminal pettiness in a normal world would yield several House and Senate investigations of his mismanagement of this crisis .
If Trump is holding back resources to states because governors are criticizing him , that should be an impeachable offense .
Furthermore , he should be arrested and put on trial after he finishes his stint as commander-in-chief .

One thing we know about Trump is that he knows how to issue veiled threats.
Trump sees his reelection prospects suffering because of his handling of the Trump 19 coronavirus and the resulting plunge of the stock markets. He is also very, very sensitive to the slightest criticism.
Now he's threatening to withhold lifesaving federal government assistance to the states hit hardest by the virus. That means to the people of Washington State, California and New York.
During Tuesday's Fox News faux town hall, Trump demanded that these states seeking federal help better treat him nicely.
"I think we're doing very well but you know it's a two-way street," Trump said.
He continued, "They have to treat us well also. They can't say, oh gee, we should get this we should get that. We are doing a great job."
There is no two-way street when battling against a pandemic. Either you help or you don't.
Why can't New York State Governor Cuomo demand assistance from the federal government when the feds are hoarding 20,000 ventilators?
Gov. Gavin Newsom was smart to complement Trump when the virus spread in California because he knows that if he strokes Trump's ego even a little bit, it might help save lives in the state... which is horrifying.
We are in a national health emergency. Trump called the coronavirus "a Democratic hoax" for weeks, which slowed down the overall response to the pandemic.
Then he came on and had his surrogates like Larry Kudlow tell the American people the virus was all but contained.
Then he started promoting drugs that have never been tested in any fashion on Trump 19 , I mean COVID-19 as a possible cure.
Trump's criminal pettiness in a normal world would yield several House and Senate investigations of his mismanagement of this crisis.
If Trump is holding back resources to states because governors are criticizing him, that should be an impeachable offense.
Furthermore, he should be arrested and put on trial after he finishes his stint as commander-in-chief.
Watching Trump's batsh*t performance yesterday, Digby writes: