crooksandliars--2020-05-09--We Can Probably Thank Fox News For Stephen Miller In The White House

As I ’ ve recently noted , Megyn Kelly ’ s attacks on the Duke lacrosse case ( her skepticism totally absent with Tara Reade ) helped make Kelly a Fox star .
But a 2017 New York Magazine article makes a compelling argument that the Duke case gave birth to the whole alt-right , including Miller ’ s career .
As the article notes , Miller , a senior at Duke at the time , became obsessed with the case .
Right along with Fox News .
Miller seems to have leveraged his Fox News appearance ( s ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject .
From New York Magazine : [ Miller ] published a column in the student newspaper titled “ A Portrait of Radicalism , ” just a few days after he appeared on Bill O ’ Reilly ’ s Fox News show to chastise Duke ’ s faculty .
... Miller devoted more of his column to the lacrosse scandal than any other topic .
… “ If you find yourself in the presence of a student who insists the lacrosse players are a bunch of racist criminals and that the players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says — put them in their place , ” Miller wrote .
“ If you don ’ t , I will.
” ... Miller also recognized the value of taking cues from Fox News .
“ You know what you and your paper should do ?
” Bill O ’ Reilly told him , at the end of one appearance .
“ You get your own petition against [ the faculty ] , and we ’ ll see how many students sign it .
And we ’ ll have your back.
” Miller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The article doesn ’ t mention whether Miller returned to The O ’ Reilly Factor with the petition ( though I ’ ll bet he did ) but it does say he became a “ sought-after guest for cable-news bookers desperate for a conservative campus voice .
… At one point , he appeared during prime time five nights in a single week , and regularly went on Nancy Grace ’ s show , where he displayed no fear of getting into fights.
” The problem was that while the players may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecutor was later disbarred ) , “ everyone could see there was something wrong with a group of 40 white college students hiring a black stripper , only to greet her arrival with one of the players saying , ‘ We asked for whites , not n*ggers , ’ ” as New York noted .
But not Miller .
He claimed to care about due process , `` and yet , when he condemned the lack of faculty outrage about the alleged rape of a white Duke student by a black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did so two years before that case was properly adjudicated . ''
He doesn ’ t seem to have had a problem with the “ lock her up ” chants at Trump rallies about Hillary Clinton , either .

As I’ve recently noted, Megyn Kelly’s attacks on the Duke lacrosse case (her skepticism totally absent with Tara Reade) helped make Kelly a Fox star. But a 2017 New York Magazine article makes a compelling argument that the Duke case gave birth to the whole alt-right, including Miller’s career.
As the article notes, Miller, a senior at Duke at the time, became obsessed with the case. Right along with Fox News. Miller seems to have leveraged his Fox News appearance(s) into becoming the conservative student voice on the subject. From New York Magazine:
[Miller] published a column in the student newspaper titled “A Portrait of Radicalism,” just a few days after he appeared on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News show to chastise Duke’s faculty.
... Miller devoted more of his column to the lacrosse scandal than any other topic. … “If you find yourself in the presence of a student who insists the lacrosse players are a bunch of racist criminals and that the players are guilty no matter what the evidence says — put them in their place,” Miller wrote. “If you don’t, I will.” ...
Miller also recognized the value of taking cues from Fox News. “You know what you and your paper should do?” Bill O’Reilly told him, at the end of one appearance. “You get your own petition against [the faculty], and we’ll see how many students sign it. And we’ll have your back.” Miller returned to campus and started a petition.
The article doesn’t mention whether Miller returned to The O’Reilly Factor with the petition (though I’ll bet he did) but it does say he became a “sought-after guest for cable-news bookers desperate for a conservative campus voice. … At one point, he appeared during prime time five nights in a single week, and regularly went on Nancy Grace’s show, where he displayed no fear of getting into fights.”
The problem was that while the players may have been innocent of the rape (the prosecutor was later disbarred), “everyone could see there was something wrong with a group of 40 white college students hiring a black stripper, only to greet her arrival with one of the players saying, ‘We asked for whites, not n*ggers,’” as New York noted.
But not Miller. He claimed to care about due process, "and yet, when he condemned the lack of faculty outrage about the alleged rape of a white Duke student by a black man that happened after the lacrosse scandal, he did so two years before that case was properly adjudicated." He doesn’t seem to have had a problem with the “lock her up” chants at Trump rallies about Hillary Clinton, either.


crooksandliars--2020-05-09--Will There Ever Be Justice For Ahmaud Arbery?

More than two inexcusably long months after the modern-day lynching of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery , the two men who ambushed and shot him for the `` crime '' of jogging-while-Black have been arrested and denied bond .
Mind you , it took that long , and cycling through three district attorneys to find one who would even go so far as to seat a grand jury to consider if there was enough evidence to charge these men with a crime , let alone arrest them .
They were walking around free as birds , while Mr. Arbery 's mother approached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Day without him , in anguish .
What finally got them arrested , charged , and denied bond was the leaking of video taken by a man driving a truck behind the two who killed Mr. Arbery , shooting a video as grotesquely nonchalant as if he was simply recording his kids in a cute game of Cops and Robbers .
Ironically , the video was leaked by a friend of the arrested men , in an attempt to clarify events surrounding the shooting .
It was the resulting national outcry that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitive action to cage the beasts and charge them with murder .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over and is now in charge of the case .
Joy Reid hosted renowned attorney , Lee Merritt , who has been retained by Mr. Arbery 's family , and they discussed the video , and the laws in Georgia that have promulgate a culture that allows such a thing to happen with such ease , and to be swept under the rug for so long .
She first asked Merritt about the role of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men who killed Mr. Arbery .
Were they together , chasing him on purpose , or was it a coincidence that he `` happened '' to catch everything on video ?
MERRITT : So we 're not clear yet , because there was never really a full investigation into what happened .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation , for the first time , is sending out agents to gather this information .
The video alone , though , establishes that there was an ambush set up for Ahmaud during his run , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' previous statements have established that they were coordinating together .
They were blocking Ahmaud 's points of ingress and egress , and they were tracking him and they eventually killed him .
As a result , anyone who participated in that coordinated ambush is a criminal suspect .
REID : When you say it was an ambush and they blocked his egress , does that mean both cars were blocking him , that basically two cars made it impossible for him to get away ?
MERRITT : That 's exactly it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the car in the back .
And actually , if you listen closely to that recording , you hear him cock his gun .
And so , that is an armed man who is recording this incident .
And if you notice , he does n't even flinch when Ahmaud is killed .
He does n't say , `` Oh , my god , '' or anything , he 's not surprised .
He 's documenting his role in this ambush .
There was never a full investigation into what happened , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The GBI is just now beginning to investigate .
And yet , the authorities knew at the time that they had ambushed Mr. Arbery and killed him .
Unarmed as he was .
Without cause .
Reid asked Merritt about the laws in Georgia , and how it is they give so much police-like power to civilians ( let 's be honest — only the white ones ) .
MERRITT : In Georgia , citizens do have the right to perform a citizen 's arrest , but there are parameters by which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observe a felony or be in the immediate knowledge of a felony .
What they alleged to observe was Ahmaud entering a property that was under construction .
Properties that are under construction people often went by .
This property , people often went by .
He did not take anything from that habitat that was under construction .
So as a result , trying to apply a citizen 's arrest to these facts does n't fit , because there 's no crime for which to perform an arrest .
REID : You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no hate crimes law in the state of Georgia .
So that 's not going to be part of the prosecution , but I 've seen other interviews where you 've described it as a lynching .
Is that what you believe this was ?
MERRITT : This was a modern lynching .
Look , these men could have believed that they were protecting their community from a criminal element , but they impugned criminality on the first black man that they saw .
So when you impugn criminality on them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force in order to stop them , and then you film it , and brag about it , and go home , and there are no consequences , that 's by definition a lynching .
There is NO HATE CRIMES LAW in Georgia .
Gee .
Raise your hand if you 're shocked by this .
And try , just TRY to imagine the following imagined scenario : a Black man , legally carrying a gun , witnesses Mr. Arbery 's killing .
He sees the entire thing , from his running past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trucks , with three armed men trying to trap him so that he could n't get away .
They shoot and kill that unarmed jogger as he ran away .
Then try to imagine this armed , male Black witness attempting to make a citizen 's arrest of any of these three white `` alleged '' murderers .
With him having met all the legal qualifications to make a citizen 's arrest .
Is there any universe in which you can imagine our heroic Black witness attempting this and getting out of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prosecuted for murder immediately ?
I did n't think so .
Neither can I .

More than two inexcusably long months after the modern-day lynching of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, the two men who ambushed and shot him for the "crime" of jogging-while-Black have been arrested and denied bond.
Mind you, it took that long, and cycling through three district attorneys to find one who would even go so far as to seat a grand jury to consider if there was enough evidence to charge these men with a crime, let alone arrest them. They were walking around free as birds, while Mr. Arbery's mother approached her son's birthday and first Mother's Day without him, in anguish.
What finally got them arrested, charged, and denied bond was the leaking of video taken by a man driving a truck behind the two who killed Mr. Arbery, shooting a video as grotesquely nonchalant as if he was simply recording his kids in a cute game of Cops and Robbers. Ironically, the video was leaked by a friend of the arrested men, in an attempt to clarify events surrounding the shooting. It was the resulting national outcry that motivated authorities in Georgia to finally take definitive action to cage the beasts and charge them with murder. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over and is now in charge of the case.
Joy Reid hosted renowned attorney, Lee Merritt, who has been retained by Mr. Arbery's family, and they discussed the video, and the laws in Georgia that have promulgate a culture that allows such a thing to happen with such ease, and to be swept under the rug for so long.
She first asked Merritt about the role of the man in the truck behind the men who killed Mr. Arbery. Were they together, chasing him on purpose, or was it a coincidence that he "happened" to catch everything on video?
MERRITT: So we're not clear yet, because there was never really a full investigation into what happened. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, for the first time, is sending out agents to gather this information. The video alone, though, establishes that there was an ambush set up for Ahmaud during his run, and the police report, and these individuals' previous statements have established that they were coordinating together. They were blocking Ahmaud's points of ingress and egress, and they were tracking him and they eventually killed him. As a result, anyone who participated in that coordinated ambush is a criminal suspect. REID: When you say it was an ambush and they blocked his egress, does that mean both cars were blocking him, that basically two cars made it impossible for him to get away? MERRITT: That's exactly it. We see the video from the perspective of the car in the back. And actually, if you listen closely to that recording, you hear him cock his gun. And so, that is an armed man who is recording this incident. And if you notice, he doesn't even flinch when Ahmaud is killed. He doesn't say, "Oh, my god," or anything, he's not surprised. He's documenting his role in this ambush.
There was never a full investigation into what happened, he said. Two months later. The GBI is just now beginning to investigate. And yet, the authorities knew at the time that they had ambushed Mr. Arbery and killed him. Unarmed as he was. Without cause.
Reid asked Merritt about the laws in Georgia, and how it is they give so much police-like power to civilians (let's be honest — only the white ones).
MERRITT: In Georgia, citizens do have the right to perform a citizen's arrest, but there are parameters by which they can do that. They need to observe a felony or be in the immediate knowledge of a felony. What they alleged to observe was Ahmaud entering a property that was under construction. Properties that are under construction people often went by. This property, people often went by. He did not take anything from that habitat that was under construction. So as a result, trying to apply a citizen's arrest to these facts doesn't fit, because there's no crime for which to perform an arrest. REID: You've described this as a lynching. There is no hate crimes law in the state of Georgia. So that's not going to be part of the prosecution, but I've seen other interviews where you've described it as a lynching. Is that what you believe this was? MERRITT: This was a modern lynching. Look, these men could have believed that they were protecting their community from a criminal element, but they impugned criminality on the first black man that they saw. So when you impugn criminality on them, and then you unlawfully use deadly force in order to stop them, and then you film it, and brag about it, and go home, and there are no consequences, that's by definition a lynching.
There is NO HATE CRIMES LAW in Georgia. Gee. Raise your hand if you're shocked by this. And try, just TRY to imagine the following imagined scenario: a Black man, legally carrying a gun, witnesses Mr. Arbery's killing. He sees the entire thing, from his running past the construction site to the convoy of trucks, with three armed men trying to trap him so that he couldn't get away. They shoot and kill that unarmed jogger as he ran away. Then try to imagine this armed, male Black witness attempting to make a citizen's arrest of any of these three white "alleged" murderers. With him having met all the legal qualifications to make a citizen's arrest. Is there any universe in which you can imagine our heroic Black witness attempting this and getting out of it alive? Let alone, not arrested and prosecuted for murder immediately?
I didn't think so. Neither can I.


crooksandliars--2020-05-09--McSally Says Next COVID Bill Shouldn't Be 'Cash Cow' For Cities As Arizona Suffers

As Arizona 's cities are laying off and furloughing workers because of cratering revenues as a result of the coronavirus pandemic , their Republican senator is telling them to toughen up .
She is n't going to help them by voting for any financial support for state local government , citing that `` blue state bailout '' bullshit .
`` I 'm just going to be frank with you guys , okay , '' she said in a virtual town meeting in Arizona .
`` This is not the time for states and cities—unlike Arizona , unlike Surprise—who have mismanaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades , for them to use this as an opportunity to see you , as a taxpayer in Arizona , as a cash cow for them in whatever city you want to talk about , whether it 's Chicago or New York or whatever . ''
Or Tempe , or Mesa , or Kingman , or Page , or Prescott , Arizona .
Or Phoenix , which is a projecting a $ 26 million shortfall .
Is she lumping all those towns in with the `` cities that have nothing to do with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managing debt , and thus need to be bailed out ?
`` This is not the time for us in Arizona and you in Surprise to be paying for mismanagement in Chicago , '' McSally continued .
`` That 's what , actually , the left is advocating for right now .
What we 're advocating for is we provide specific relief . ''
McSally might have heard from some of those cities , because her office immediately issued a statement saying that those remarks that she made on a recorded public meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public . ''
Oh .
Okay .
Her office also said that `` she was working hard to make sure towns and cities have the money and support they need during the pandemic . ''
Uh-huh .
Sure she is .
If she can keep that funding from going to any of the states and communities hardest hit by the pandemic , so far .
In case you 're wondering , Arizona was ranked in the top 10 most federally dependent states in 2019 by Wallethub .
In fact , it was number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the state government 's dependency on the feds , and number 11 for state residents ' dependency .
`` Arizona ranked sixth in terms of one of the most federally dependent states because right now its residents are receiving more money than they are paying to the government , which if you 're a resident is more bang for your buck—it 's not necessarily a bad thing , '' Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzalez explained .
For every $ 1 paid in federal taxes by residents as of last year , Arizona got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them moochers , were Democratic officials as inclined to write off whole states as Republicans .
There was a warning from Gonalez a year ago .
`` But essentially if anything were to happen with federal government , another recession , etc.
, Arizona would probably be in hot water . ''
Just like New York or Illinois or California or Washington .

As Arizona's cities are laying off and furloughing workers because of cratering revenues as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, their Republican senator is telling them to toughen up. She isn't going to help them by voting for any financial support for state local government, citing that "blue state bailout" bullshit.
"I'm just going to be frank with you guys, okay," she said in a virtual town meeting in Arizona. "This is not the time for states and cities—unlike Arizona, unlike Surprise—who have mismanaged their budgets over the course of many decades, for them to use this as an opportunity to see you, as a taxpayer in Arizona, as a cash cow for them in whatever city you want to talk about, whether it's Chicago or New York or whatever." Or Tempe, or Mesa, or Kingman, or Page, or Prescott, Arizona. Or Phoenix, which is a projecting a $26 million shortfall. Is she lumping all those towns in with the "cities that have nothing to do with coronavirus" but failed at budgeting and managing debt, and thus need to be bailed out? "This is not the time for us in Arizona and you in Surprise to be paying for mismanagement in Chicago," McSally continued. "That's what, actually, the left is advocating for right now. What we're advocating for is we provide specific relief."
McSally might have heard from some of those cities, because her office immediately issued a statement saying that those remarks that she made on a recorded public meeting "were not intended to be made public." Oh. Okay. Her office also said that "she was working hard to make sure towns and cities have the money and support they need during the pandemic." Uh-huh. Sure she is. If she can keep that funding from going to any of the states and communities hardest hit by the pandemic, so far.
In case you're wondering, Arizona was ranked in the top 10 most federally dependent states in 2019 by Wallethub. In fact, it was number 6 overall, rated at number 4 for the state government's dependency on the feds, and number 11 for state residents' dependency. "Arizona ranked sixth in terms of one of the most federally dependent states because right now its residents are receiving more money than they are paying to the government, which if you're a resident is more bang for your buck—it's not necessarily a bad thing," Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzalez explained.
For every $1 paid in federal taxes by residents as of last year, Arizona got back $1.72. Which would make them moochers, were Democratic officials as inclined to write off whole states as Republicans. There was a warning from Gonalez a year ago. "But essentially if anything were to happen with federal government, another recession, etc., Arizona would probably be in hot water." Just like New York or Illinois or California or Washington.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-05-09--Megyn Kelly ‘Grills’ Tara Reade: Were You Wearing Crotchless Underwear?

As I predicted , Kelly showed none of the tenacious questioning of the accuser ’ s story she so successfully leveraged in the Duke lacrosse case .
In that case , she was clearly fed talking points from the defendants .
In this one , she was clearly working on behalf of the accuser .
And her own ambitions to get back into right-wing media .
Kelly never bothered to ask , much less explore , many of the disturbing contradictions in Reade ’ s story that have stymied reporters .
Instead , we got a melodramatic and , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's accusation .
Throughout , Kelly did her utmost to make Reade sympathetic and credible and only pretended to ask tough questions .
For example , early on , Reade hinted at a spotty work history .
Kelly neatly summarized Reade ’ s resumé for her , with details provided by someone unnamed .
On Thursday , high-profile attorney Douglas Wigdor announced that he is representing Reade .
KELLY : So you spent most of your career at that point [ after law school ] helping domestic violence survivors , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the like .
KELLY : And is that what you were doing up until recently ?
READE : Correct .
Off and on , yes .
Reade ’ s job history does nothing to prove or disprove her allegations against Biden .
But if she has trouble holding jobs or has been fired multiple times , it does raise questions about whether or not she was really let go from Biden ’ s office out of retaliation .
Especially when her account of the sexual assault seem so incredible .
But there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She moved on to a softball , asking the age of Reade 's daughter .
Starting at 6:32 Kelly led Reade through the lewd details of the alleged sexual assault .
But Reade ’ s story is already known so Kelly could have used her time to explore what we do n't know .
For example , why did Reade suddenly reveal that she never accused Biden of sexual harassment or assault in her complaint against him until shortly after he asked the Senate and the National Archives to dig it up ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pain seems real .
Yet , there are a lot of dubious aspects that Kelly either missed or avoided .
KELLY : When you say that he went down the skirt and then back up , what does that – like , did he enter the skirt from the top of the skirt ?
KELLY : I don ’ t mean to get too graphic … but are you saying that they were crotchless ?
When you say that it was lingerie , like , can I just be clear on – did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or was that not an issue ?
READE : That was not an issue … because they were just lingerie panties , like , and I was going to meet my boyfriend later so , yeah .
What light this sheds on the matter I don ’ t know since , crotchless or not , underwear can be pushed aside .
A more relevant question would have been whether or not Reade was wearing pantyhose , which can ’ t be pushed aside .
Pantyhose would have required more time and , presumably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reade alleges the assault happened in a public hallway , during business hours .
Reade told Kelly in the interview she was wearing business attire which may well have included pantyhose for a job in the Senate in 1993 .
However , there was wide variation in dress codes .
My point here is that while fixating on the meaningless , but social media-friendly details of Reade ’ s attire , Kelly skipped over a potentially far more telling one .
Kelly went on to ask , “ How could people believe ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of the day in a Senate office building .
Which is a fake way of looking like a serious questioner .
Kelly could have asked , “ Weren ’ t there people milling about ?
” or “ Where exactly were you ?
” and shown a diagram showing whether it was possible to avoid being seen at that location .
Instead , that was really an opportunity for Reade to provide more emotion .
She said , “ I ’ ve had to live with it … it shattered my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I knew how angry he was and I remember thinking , like , taking it on myself , like , thinking I put him in a bad position , like maybe he thought I wanted to be with him ?
” Later , Reade said she went home , “ curled up in a fetal position , practically ” and talked to her mother , apparently at great length .
“ It took her a while to get it out of me because I kept – I was embarrassed about the underwear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She also said her mother was “ begging me to go to the police.
” Then why did her mother tell Larry King that there was nothing for her daughter to do except go to the press ?
And what happened to the date with the boyfriend ?
Kelly didn ’ t ask .
Instead , Kelly asked more questions that did nothing to shed light on what really happened .
As for the complaint , Kelly seemed not at all interested in why Reade never alleged harassment or assault , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copy of it .
Nor did Kelly ask why Reade backed out of interviews with Chris Wallace and Don Lemon , citing security concerns , but she felt comfortable enough to talk to Kelly .
Even the questions about Reade ’ s praise for Putin were designed to help Reade make herself look good : “ Let ’ s talk about some of the backlash you got … including being accused of being a Russian agent.
” But Kelly made sure to prompt Reade to badmouth Democrats who do not find her credible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Nancy Pelosi and Kirsten Gillibrand don ’ t believe Reade , Kelly asked , “ How did that feel ?
” and “ What do you want to say to people like that ?
” I ’ m not arguing here that the assault never happened , though I ’ m deeply skeptical .
I am saying that there are many important questions to be asked about Reade ’ s allegations and Kelly skated over all of them .

As I predicted, Kelly showed none of the tenacious questioning of the accuser’s story she so successfully leveraged in the Duke lacrosse case. In that case, she was clearly fed talking points from the defendants. In this one, she was clearly working on behalf of the accuser. And her own ambitions to get back into right-wing media.
Kelly never bothered to ask, much less explore, many of the disturbing contradictions in Reade’s story that have stymied reporters. Instead, we got a melodramatic and, I must say, compelling recitation of Reade's accusation. Throughout, Kelly did her utmost to make Reade sympathetic and credible and only pretended to ask tough questions.
For example, early on, Reade hinted at a spotty work history. Kelly neatly summarized Reade’s resumé for her, with details provided by someone unnamed. On Thursday, high-profile attorney Douglas Wigdor announced that he is representing Reade.
KELLY: So you spent most of your career at that point [after law school] helping domestic violence survivors, I’m told worked for some animal rights organizations and the like. READE: Correct. KELLY: And is that what you were doing up until recently? READE: Correct. Off and on, yes.
Reade’s job history does nothing to prove or disprove her allegations against Biden. But if she has trouble holding jobs or has been fired multiple times, it does raise questions about whether or not she was really let go from Biden’s office out of retaliation. Especially when her account of the sexual assault seem so incredible.
But there was no follow up from Kelly. She moved on to a softball, asking the age of Reade's daughter.
Starting at 6:32 Kelly led Reade through the lewd details of the alleged sexual assault. But Reade’s story is already known so Kelly could have used her time to explore what we don't know. For example, why did Reade suddenly reveal that she never accused Biden of sexual harassment or assault in her complaint against him until shortly after he asked the Senate and the National Archives to dig it up?
All that said, Reade’s pain seems real. Yet, there are a lot of dubious aspects that Kelly either missed or avoided.
KELLY: When you say that he went down the skirt and then back up, what does that – like, did he enter the skirt from the top of the skirt? […] KELLY: Were you wearing underwear? […] KELLY: I don’t mean to get too graphic … but are you saying that they were crotchless? When you say that it was lingerie, like, can I just be clear on – did he push the underwear to the side or was that not an issue? READE: That was not an issue … because they were just lingerie panties, like, and I was going to meet my boyfriend later so, yeah.
What light this sheds on the matter I don’t know since, crotchless or not, underwear can be pushed aside. A more relevant question would have been whether or not Reade was wearing pantyhose, which can’t be pushed aside. Pantyhose would have required more time and, presumably, a struggle to get past. Reade alleges the assault happened in a public hallway, during business hours.
Reade told Kelly in the interview she was wearing business attire which may well have included pantyhose for a job in the Senate in 1993. However, there was wide variation in dress codes. My point here is that while fixating on the meaningless, but social media-friendly details of Reade’s attire, Kelly skipped over a potentially far more telling one.
Kelly went on to ask, “How could people believe” that a U.S. senator assaulted Reade in the middle of the day in a Senate office building. Which is a fake way of looking like a serious questioner. Kelly could have asked, “Weren’t there people milling about?” or “Where exactly were you?” and shown a diagram showing whether it was possible to avoid being seen at that location.
Instead, that was really an opportunity for Reade to provide more emotion. She said, “I’ve had to live with it … it shattered my life” and “In that moment, I knew how angry he was and I remember thinking, like, taking it on myself, like, thinking I put him in a bad position, like maybe he thought I wanted to be with him?”
Later, Reade said she went home, “curled up in a fetal position, practically” and talked to her mother, apparently at great length. “It took her a while to get it out of me because I kept – I was embarrassed about the underwear I was wearing,” Reade said. She also said her mother was “begging me to go to the police.”
Then why did her mother tell Larry King that there was nothing for her daughter to do except go to the press? And what happened to the date with the boyfriend? Kelly didn’t ask.
Instead, Kelly asked more questions that did nothing to shed light on what really happened. As for the complaint, Kelly seemed not at all interested in why Reade never alleged harassment or assault, only why she didn’t have a copy of it. Nor did Kelly ask why Reade backed out of interviews with Chris Wallace and Don Lemon, citing security concerns, but she felt comfortable enough to talk to Kelly. Even the questions about Reade’s praise for Putin were designed to help Reade make herself look good: “Let’s talk about some of the backlash you got … including being accused of being a Russian agent.”
But Kelly made sure to prompt Reade to badmouth Democrats who do not find her credible. Rather than note why women such as Nancy Pelosi and Kirsten Gillibrand don’t believe Reade, Kelly asked, “How did that feel?” and “What do you want to say to people like that?”
I’m not arguing here that the assault never happened, though I’m deeply skeptical. I am saying that there are many important questions to be asked about Reade’s allegations and Kelly skated over all of them.


crooksandliars--2020-05-09--Entitled White Man, Todd Starnes, Whines About Wearing A Mask When He Went To Buy A Toaster

We all know that the most oppressed group in all of history is ( checks notes ) White Christian Republican @ @ @ @ @ into slavery , forbidden from drinking at certain water fountains or from riding in the @ @ @ @ @ They did n't get the right to vote until the last century .
They have @ @ @ @ @ Hell , they do n't even get to control their own bodies .
So , @ @ @ @ @ he was told by the mean store person that he had to not only wear @ @ @ @ @ had to use hand sanitizer — DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC .
Yes , to put @ @ @ @ @ own convenience is hard for the White Christian Republican Man .
After all , he @ @ @ @ @ everyone else to bend to his will , not the other way around .
This @ @ @ @ @ .
Yes , Todd .
YOUR struggle is the real one .
You are the @ @ @ @ @ Banksy portrait will be of YOU !

We all know that the most oppressed group in all of history is (checks notes) White Christian Republican Men. They were sold into slavery, forbidden from drinking at certain water fountains or from riding in the front of the bus. They didn't get the right to vote until the last century. They have never won the Presidency. Hell, they don't even get to control their own bodies.
Wait. Wrong groups.
White men control pretty much EVERYTHING.
So, imagine Todd Starnes frustration when he was told by the mean store person that he had to not only wear a mask — but he had to use hand sanitizer — DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. Yes, to put others' safety before your own convenience is hard for the White Christian Republican Man. After all, he has been raised to expect everyone else to bend to his will, not the other way around.
Here is Todd's super whiny tweet:
Dropped by a department store to buy a toaster oven. Mandatory hand sanitizer squirt and mask. One way aisles and if you deviate from the approved zone for customers - they sternly lecture you. The country as we know it has been destroyed. And I still don’t have a toaster. — toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) May 8, 2020
Twitter had thoughts:
Over 78,000 Americans no longer have a life anymore because they died from #Covid_19. But so sorry you had to use hand sanitizer. — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 9, 2020
But Congressman, he is also having to live without a toaster. Without a toaster! A more staggeringly heart wrenching tale has never been told. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) May 9, 2020
Grow the fck up. Stop assuming the whole world revolves around YOU. https://t.co/8hcyU2d1YK — Karoli (@Karoli) May 8, 2020
I heard Katie Miller has a toaster if you want. No hand sanitizer needed. Just a hug and a toaster. — Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) May 9, 2020
Todd, please DM me your address. I'll send you a top of the line toaster in exchange for you to stop whining like a little child about public health precautions. — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 8, 2020
I’m so sorry for your loss. — Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) May 9, 2020
Just in case you thought White Privilege wasn't a thing. — Dr. Rob Davidson (@DrRobDavidson) May 9, 2020
Dear God he left this tweet up. — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 9, 2020
my uncle hid in a basement in Poland for five years during world war two — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) May 9, 2020
John McCain couldn’t get a toaster at the Hanoi Hilton either. Totally the same — Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 (@DevinCow) May 9, 2020
This one made me LOSE IT.
Mic drop:
If you don’t mind a used appliance, I know a few recently dead people who aren’t using theirs anymore. — Benjamin Dreyer (@BCDreyer) May 8, 2020
Yes, Todd. YOUR struggle is the real one. You are the hero. Maybe the next Banksy portrait will be of YOU!


crooksandliars--2020-05-09--Of Course It's The Pandemic, Stupid!

Of Course It's The Pandemic, Stupid!

In 1992 , Bill Clinton ’ s campaign manager James Carville came up with one of the most famous campaign slogans in history when he pinned a note to the bulletin board of the campaign headquarters that said “ It ’ s the economy , stupid.
” There was a lot of stuff going on at the time , the tail end of the first Gulf War , the Rodney King Riots , Ross Perot ’ s quixotic campaign among other things .
But we were in a recession that wasn ’ t particularly deep but it seemed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood that everything flowed from being able to address that problem .
It seems that the Trump administration thinks that slogan applies to their circumstance .
And it is true that the record high unemployment claims and the small business crisis is as acute as anything we ’ ve ever seen .
They believe they can just “ open the country ” and everything will fall into place as people just go back to normal , maybe with a few adjustments and people over 60 staying inside their houses for the foreseeable future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are missing the point .
This piece in The Atlantic explains why : “ There is no good news in this jobs report , but it ’ s important to remember that these are not normal times , and these are not normal job losses , ” Adam Ozimek , the chief economist at Upwork , told me .
“ The task for policy makers is to ensure that when the economy opens back up , these 20.5 million jobs and the companies that employed them have not disappeared .
If even a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major recession will be all but unavoidable.
” This crisis represents a unique and existential threat to America ’ s small businesses .
Almost half of all job losses in April occurred in leisure and hospitality , where small businesses are overrepresented in places such as restaurants and stores .
The decimation of small business would have several long-lasting implications .
It would destroy jobs that would be unlikely to return quickly , delaying a recovery and creating a crisis of economically and psychologically ruinous long-term unemployment .
It would trigger an extinction-level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less likely to take a risk in the future .
And restaurants , cafés , theaters , community centers , and specialty shops that embody the civic memory of a neighborhood would be wiped off the face of the street .
This would be a first-order economic tragedy , but it would also be a social calamity .
How do we stop one horrible month from becoming a 10-year depression ?
The most obvious solution to bring the global pandemic to a halt would be a medical deus ex machina , like effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing .
But pharmaceutical science works on a multiyear time horizon , and the survival of millions of American businesses and tens of millions of jobs is endangered right now .
The White House and most Republicans seem to think that this crisis will be solved by loudly announcing the reopening of the economy .
But this is a dangerous misunderstanding of what ’ s actually driving the recession : It ’ s the pandemic , stupid .
The shutdowns themselves had “ little or no impact on economic activity ” according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Harvard .
Several papers now show that the decline in spending and employment in most cases occurred before states officially shut down their economy .
Governments didn ’ t close state economies on their own , and they can ’ t open the economies on their own , either .
Speaking to Americans as their economy was plunging into a depression in 1932 , President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that the only thing Americans had to fear was “ fear itself.
” It was a lovely line , and it might have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current crisis , there is so much more to fear than fear .
The virus is real , the hospitalizations are real , the deaths are real , the need for masks and social distancing is real , the threat to millions of restaurants and shops is real , and the incomparable levels of unemployment are real , too .
The White House plan to reverse this cavalcade of horrors is to “ reopen ” the economy .
But 20 million Americans just lost their jobs in the past few weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy , but because a pandemic scared millions of American into staying at home .
There is plenty to be wisely afraid of , but Washington thinking that a pandemic economy is like a garage door that it can reopen by pressing a button might be the scariest thing of all .
Of course people want to go back to work and resume their normal lives .
I know I do .
And businesses are desperate to re-open .
Everything they ’ ve worked for , their livelihoods are in jeopardy .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sooner rather than later is to get a handle on the fucking pandemic !
A competent government would have used the time since January to get money to individuals and businesses that need it so they can go into an induced economic coma while the government built up the health care system , put in place the testing and tracing regime , pushing the distancing guidelines as a social imperative for everyone and doing everything possible to make people feel secure enough to resume some semblance of normal life within those parameters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on the other hand , are making everything worse .

In 1992, Bill Clinton’s campaign manager James Carville came up with one of the most famous campaign slogans in history when he pinned a note to the bulletin board of the campaign headquarters that said “It’s the economy, stupid.” There was a lot of stuff going on at the time, the tail end of the first Gulf War, the Rodney King Riots, Ross Perot’s quixotic campaign among other things. But we were in a recession that wasn’t particularly deep but it seemed to be hitting certain people very hard. Carville understood that everything flowed from being able to address that problem.
It seems that the Trump administration thinks that slogan applies to their circumstance. And it is true that the record high unemployment claims and the small business crisis is as acute as anything we’ve ever seen. They believe they can just “open the country” and everything will fall into place as people just go back to normal, maybe with a few adjustments and people over 60 staying inside their houses for the foreseeable future.
But, as always, they are missing the point. This piece in The Atlantic explains why:
“There is no good news in this jobs report, but it’s important to remember that these are not normal times, and these are not normal job losses,” Adam Ozimek, the chief economist at Upwork, told me. “The task for policy makers is to ensure that when the economy opens back up, these 20.5 million jobs and the companies that employed them have not disappeared. If even a fraction of them do not, a major recession will be all but unavoidable.” This crisis represents a unique and existential threat to America’s small businesses. Almost half of all job losses in April occurred in leisure and hospitality, where small businesses are overrepresented in places such as restaurants and stores. The decimation of small business would have several long-lasting implications. It would destroy jobs that would be unlikely to return quickly, delaying a recovery and creating a crisis of economically and psychologically ruinous long-term unemployment. It would trigger an extinction-level event for entrepreneurs, who might be less likely to take a risk in the future. And restaurants, cafés, theaters, community centers, and specialty shops that embody the civic memory of a neighborhood would be wiped off the face of the street. This would be a first-order economic tragedy, but it would also be a social calamity. How do we stop one horrible month from becoming a 10-year depression? The most obvious solution to bring the global pandemic to a halt would be a medical deus ex machina, like effective antiviral treatments or accelerated vaccine development and manufacturing. But pharmaceutical science works on a multiyear time horizon, and the survival of millions of American businesses and tens of millions of jobs is endangered right now. The White House and most Republicans seem to think that this crisis will be solved by loudly announcing the reopening of the economy. But this is a dangerous misunderstanding of what’s actually driving the recession: It’s the pandemic, stupid. The shutdowns themselves had “little or no impact on economic activity” according to an analysis by a team of economists at Harvard. Several papers now show that the decline in spending and employment in most cases occurred before states officially shut down their economy. Governments didn’t close state economies on their own, and they can’t open the economies on their own, either. […] Speaking to Americans as their economy was plunging into a depression in 1932, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that the only thing Americans had to fear was “fear itself.” It was a lovely line, and it might have even been true once. But in the current crisis, there is so much more to fear than fear. The virus is real, the hospitalizations are real, the deaths are real, the need for masks and social distancing is real, the threat to millions of restaurants and shops is real, and the incomparable levels of unemployment are real, too. The White House plan to reverse this cavalcade of horrors is to “reopen” the economy. But 20 million Americans just lost their jobs in the past few weeks, not because the government shut down the economy, but because a pandemic scared millions of American into staying at home. There is plenty to be wisely afraid of, but Washington thinking that a pandemic economy is like a garage door that it can reopen by pressing a button might be the scariest thing of all.
It is terrifying.
Of course people want to go back to work and resume their normal lives. I know I do. And businesses are desperate to re-open. Everything they’ve worked for, their livelihoods are in jeopardy.
But the only way to make that happen sooner rather than later is to get a handle on the fucking pandemic!
A competent government would have used the time since January to get money to individuals and businesses that need it so they can go into an induced economic coma while the government built up the health care system, put in place the testing and tracing regime, pushing the distancing guidelines as a social imperative for everyone and doing everything possible to make people feel secure enough to resume some semblance of normal life within those parameters.
Other countries are doing this. We, on the other hand, are making everything worse.
Published with permission of Hullabaloo


crooksandliars--2020-05-09--Trump On Pence Staffer That Tested Positive For COVID19: 'I Don't Know What Happened'

After it was revealed Friday that Mike Pence 's spokesperson , who is Stephen Miller 's wife , Katie Miller , tested positive , Trump gave an illogical and moronic response to the media about her and coronavirus testing in general .
Trump said , `` She tested very good for a long period of time , and then all of a sudden today , she tested positive . ''
That 's the way any virus spreads , especially one as infectious as COVID-19 .
One day you do n't have it , and the next , if you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Trump said he and Pence tested negative after her results came back .
`` So she tested positive out of the blue , '' he said .
A person does n't test positive out of the freaking blue .
They were contaminated by somebody else .
It 's Basic Science 101 .
Trump continued , `` This is why the whole concept of tests aren ’ t necessarily great . ''
Trump has admitted how much he hates the idea of testing Americans in general , not because they are unreliable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases that are reported , and makes him look bad .
Then he made another baffling statement that makes no sense in any reality .
Trump said , `` The tests are perfect , but something can happen between a test where it ’ s good and then something happens and all of a sudden… ” If the tests are perfect , how can they be contaminated ?
The something that happens is that she was infected .
Here 's where trace testing comes into play , moron .
`` She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then today I guess for some reason she tested positive , '' he blurbed .

After it was revealed Friday that Mike Pence's spokesperson, who is Stephen Miller's wife, Katie Miller, tested positive, Trump gave an illogical and moronic response to the media about her and coronavirus testing in general.
Trump said, "She tested very good for a long period of time, and then all of a sudden today, she tested positive."
That's the way any virus spreads, especially one as infectious as COVID-19. One day you don't have it, and the next, if you're not protecting yourself, you've got it.
Trump said he and Pence tested negative after her results came back.
"So she tested positive out of the blue," he said.
A person doesn't test positive out of the freaking blue. They were contaminated by somebody else. It's Basic Science 101.
Trump continued, "This is why the whole concept of tests aren’t necessarily great."
Trump has admitted how much he hates the idea of testing Americans in general, not because they are unreliable, but because it affects the number of cases that are reported, and makes him look bad.
What a swell guy.
Then he made another baffling statement that makes no sense in any reality. Trump said, "The tests are perfect, but something can happen between a test where it’s good and then something happens and all of a sudden…”
If the tests are perfect, how can they be contaminated? The something that happens is that she was infected. Here's where trace testing comes into play, moron.
"She was tested very recently and tested negative and then today I guess for some reason she tested positive," he blurbed.
She was INFECTED!


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--'Cheap Talk From Elites': CNN Guest Rips Fox News Pundits On Web Cams Pushing Others Back To Work

Dartmouth Professor Brendan Nyhan suggested that Fox News hosts broadcasting from their home studios are hypocrites if they are also urging viewers to go back to work .
`` I wonder what you make of Fox News stars who are out there encouraging people resume their normal lives , get back to work while broadcasting from their homes , staying at home ? ''
host Brian Stelter asked Nyhan on CNN 's Reliable Sources program on Sunday .
`` I think you should watch what people do and not what they say , '' Nyhan advised .
`` There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ houses on webcams telling everyone they should go back out and resume their lives . ''
`` That 's cheap talk from elites who are n't frontline workers , '' he continued , `` who are n't in essential roles that put them at risk .
And I think it 's really being tossed out casually , in an irresponsible manner . ''
`` People are dying , '' Nyhan added .
`` In the thousands .
We 're already over the totals for the Vietnam war .
So this is just different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox was running prior to this pandemic .
The stakes are higher in a direct way for everybody . ''

Dartmouth Professor Brendan Nyhan suggested that Fox News hosts broadcasting from their home studios are hypocrites if they are also urging viewers to go back to work.
"I wonder what you make of Fox News stars who are out there encouraging people resume their normal lives, get back to work while broadcasting from their homes, staying at home?" host Brian Stelter asked Nyhan on CNN's Reliable Sources program on Sunday.
"I think you should watch what people do and not what they say," Nyhan advised. "There are a lot of people sitting in their houses on webcams telling everyone they should go back out and resume their lives."
"That's cheap talk from elites who aren't frontline workers," he continued, "who aren't in essential roles that put them at risk. And I think it's really being tossed out casually, in an irresponsible manner."
"People are dying," Nyhan added. "In the thousands. We're already over the totals for the Vietnam war. So this is just different from the kind of conspiracy content that Fox was running prior to this pandemic. The stakes are higher in a direct way for everybody."


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--Things Getting A Little Tense At White House As Covid-19 Is Spreading Close To Trump

Oh dear .
According to this segment on CNN 's New Day today , it sounds like trouble in Denial Paradise .
I would n't wish this virus on anyone , so I will be sure to send Thoughts And Prayers™ to the Trump White House .
Via Raw Story : Speaking with hosts Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul , Homes stated that the news that CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield , Dr. Anthony Fauci and FDA Director Stephen Hahn have all gone into one form of quarantine or another after two White House staffers tested positive for the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in everyday during the health crisis .
“ This is clearly not the narrative that the White House wants to have right now , ” Holmes began .
“ Remember just last week , President Trump broke his self-isolation and went to Arizona .
That trip was meant to really signal that the country was ready to reopen ; we ’ ve seen states slowly working to reopen their different businesses .
We know people are going back to work and that ’ s what the White House wanted to be talking about.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ different , it is people are scared , and it ’ s in the place where it ’ s essentially the safest place in the country arguably , ” she continued .
“ People are still getting sick here .
What does that say ?
And what does it say if three of the top doctors on the front line fighting this virus are now quarantining themselves for 14 days ?
” No one thought wearing masks was more important than bowing to King Trump , and now they 're paying the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into contact with someone who tested positive .
Where ?
Here at the White House , ” she explained .
“ So , it ’ s clearly a shift in narrative , what we are talking about .
Will anything actually change ?
That ’ s the big question now .
Well , on Friday , after the vice president ’ s press secretary tested positive , a memo went out to all staffers , essentially said that they were taking stronger measures to protect them , to prevent the spread of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touch-point places .
It also meant at some points they would be maintaining maximum staff teleworking .
One thing that wasn ’ t mentioned , though , was masks.
” In other words , they 're still not scared enough to defy the King .

Oh dear. According to this segment on CNN's New Day today, it sounds like trouble in Denial Paradise. I wouldn't wish this virus on anyone, so I will be sure to send Thoughts And Prayers™ to the Trump White House. Via Raw Story:
Speaking with hosts Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul, Homes stated that the news that CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Anthony Fauci and FDA Director Stephen Hahn have all gone into one form of quarantine or another after two White House staffers tested positive for the coronavirus has rocked staffers who are still coming in everyday during the health crisis. “This is clearly not the narrative that the White House wants to have right now,” Holmes began. “Remember just last week, President Trump broke his self-isolation and went to Arizona. That trip was meant to really signal that the country was ready to reopen; we’ve seen states slowly working to reopen their different businesses. We know people are going back to work and that’s what the White House wanted to be talking about.” “Now the narrative is completely different, it is people are scared, and it’s in the place where it’s essentially the safest place in the country arguably,” she continued. “People are still getting sick here. What does that say? And what does it say if three of the top doctors on the front line fighting this virus are now quarantining themselves for 14 days?”
No one thought wearing masks was more important than bowing to King Trump, and now they're paying the price.
“Why? Because they came into contact with someone who tested positive. Where? Here at the White House,” she explained. “So, it’s clearly a shift in narrative, what we are talking about. Will anything actually change? That’s the big question now. Well, on Friday, after the vice president’s press secretary tested positive, a memo went out to all staffers, essentially said that they were taking stronger measures to protect them, to prevent the spread of coronavirus. That meant heightened cleaning in high touch-point places. It also meant at some points they would be maintaining maximum staff teleworking. One thing that wasn’t mentioned, though, was masks.”
In other words, they're still not scared enough to defy the King.


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--Fox's Jeanine Pirro Rages Against Obama For Daring To Call Trump 'Uniquely Unqualified To Be Preside

Fox's Jeanine Pirro Rages Against Obama For Daring To Call Trump 'Uniquely Unqualified To Be President'

During the end of an extended rant where she went after the Obama administration for supposedly attempting a `` bloodless coup '' against Trump , and parroting the other hosts on her network who are doing their best to try to weaponize Barr 's intervention in the Flynn case , and criminalize the entire Mueller investigation as a political weapon to help Trump in the upcoming presidential election , Fox host Jeanine Pirro wrapped things up with an attack on President Obama for daring to call Trump unfit for office .
Heaven forbid he said something negative about the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was even born in the United States , and doing his best to help Republicans undermine his presidency , and who now seems solely driven to undo anything positive that happened under his predecessor out of sheer spite and revenge , rather than the good of the constituents he 's supposed to be serving .
PIRRO : And as for President Obama 's hatred of Donald Trump , when was the last time you recall a sitting president campaigning vigorously against the candidate of the opposing party for president ?
When was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sitting president said with venom on his lips , that a candidate of the opposing party will never be president .
When is the last time you heard an ex-president actively campaign against a sitting president ?
Fundraisers are one thing , but Barack Obama is all in .
He never stopped in his community activism against Trump .
Obama went after trump harder than Bill Clinton .
Obama rallied the Justice Department and the FBI , the intelligence communities .
A sitting president saying a candidate of the opposing party is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping terrorists is the epitome of Obama 's hatred against Trump .
More projection from Fox .
We know the one with the raging hatred is Trump , who has never gotten over the fact that Obama roasted him back in 2011 at the White House Correspondents ' Dinner .
Pirro got the treatment she deserves during the season finale of Saturday Night Live last night , where the show mocked the fact that she often looks like she 's drunk on set , which many were speculating about following her disheveled appearance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus lockdown , which a spokesperson blamed on `` technical difficulties . ''

During the end of an extended rant where she went after the Obama administration for supposedly attempting a "bloodless coup" against Trump, and parroting the other hosts on her network who are doing their best to try to weaponize Barr's intervention in the Flynn case, and criminalize the entire Mueller investigation as a political weapon to help Trump in the upcoming presidential election, Fox host Jeanine Pirro wrapped things up with an attack on President Obama for daring to call Trump unfit for office.
Heaven forbid he said something negative about the man who spent years on end questioning whether he was even born in the United States, and doing his best to help Republicans undermine his presidency, and who now seems solely driven to undo anything positive that happened under his predecessor out of sheer spite and revenge, rather than the good of the constituents he's supposed to be serving.
PIRRO: And as for President Obama's hatred of Donald Trump, when was the last time you recall a sitting president campaigning vigorously against the candidate of the opposing party for president? When was the last time in American history that a sitting president said with venom on his lips, that a candidate of the opposing party will never be president. When is the last time you heard an ex-president actively campaign against a sitting president? Fundraisers are one thing, but Barack Obama is all in. He never stopped in his community activism against Trump. Obama went after trump harder than Bill Clinton. Obama rallied the Justice Department and the FBI, the intelligence communities. A sitting president saying a candidate of the opposing party is uniquely unqualified to be president and is helping terrorists is the epitome of Obama's hatred against Trump.
More projection from Fox. We know the one with the raging hatred is Trump, who has never gotten over the fact that Obama roasted him back in 2011 at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Pirro got the treatment she deserves during the season finale of Saturday Night Live last night, where the show mocked the fact that she often looks like she's drunk on set, which many were speculating about following her disheveled appearance during her first show from home during the coronavirus lockdown, which a spokesperson blamed on "technical difficulties."


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--Kudlow: Let Free Markets Determine When It's Safe To Work

Donald Trump 's economic advisor told ABC ' This Week 's host George Stephanopoulis that the Trump administration is going to lean on free market enterprise to determine what 's best for the American worker during the pandemic .
After news broke that a few WH staffers tested positive and Dr. Fauci is in modified quarantine , George Stephanopoulos noted that the White House has access to unlimited coronavirus testing and Americans do not .
How can average Americans feel safe going back to work without access to testing which will help keep them stay safe in a work place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states that are phasing in sending Americans back to work , before making this odious declaration : `` I think that businesses , large and small , are probably going to wind up leading this charge , as we attempt to reopen the economy and deal with these heartbreaking jobs numbers , these hardship jobs numbers , which are awful . ''
`` So , my point is , why do n't we rely heavily on what the businesses , the free enterprise system can produce ?
, '' he said .
Businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death choices for their workers during a pandemic , idgit !
`` Companies are very innovative .
They know the job that has to be done .
They know , on the one hand , folks have to be safe , must be safe , '' he exclaimed .
Donald Trump 's only concern is to get people back to work so that the stock market will stay high because he believes his reelection chances hedge only on the American economy .
Kudlow has been the worst predictor and cheerleader on the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he went on national television in early March that told everybody that thecoronavirus had been totally contained and now we have over 80,000 deaths in climbing .
Trump is sidelining his medical team as much as possible and has rejected the CDC coronavirus reopening plan , blocked it from the public because not enough people are being thrown out into the open to stimulate a cratered economy .
Trump has abdicated responsibility for his administration 's failure to protect the American people and keep them safe during a pandemic to the free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever take responsibility for anything that does n't glorify his existence .
And that includes getting more Americans infected to serve his vanity .

Donald Trump's economic advisor told ABC' This Week's host George Stephanopoulis that the Trump administration is going to lean on free market enterprise to determine what's best for the American worker during the pandemic.
After news broke that a few WH staffers tested positive and Dr. Fauci is in modified quarantine, George Stephanopoulos noted that the White House has access to unlimited coronavirus testing and Americans do not.
How can average Americans feel safe going back to work without access to testing which will help keep them stay safe in a work place environment, Stephanopoulos asked.
Kudlow congratulated states that are phasing in sending Americans back to work, before making this odious declaration: "I think that businesses, large and small, are probably going to wind up leading this charge, as we attempt to reopen the economy and deal with these heartbreaking jobs numbers, these hardship jobs numbers, which are awful."
"So, my point is, why don't we rely heavily on what the businesses, the free enterprise system can produce?," he said.
Businesses are not equipped to make life and death choices for their workers during a pandemic, idgit!
"Companies are very innovative. They know the job that has to be done. They know, on the one hand, folks have to be safe, must be safe," he exclaimed.
Donald Trump's only concern is to get people back to work so that the stock market will stay high because he believes his reelection chances hedge only on the American economy.
Kudlow has been the worst predictor and cheerleader on the U.S. economy before he joined the Trump administration and he went on national television in early March that told everybody that thecoronavirus had been totally contained and now we have over 80,000 deaths in climbing.
Trump is sidelining his medical team as much as possible and has rejected the CDC coronavirus reopening plan, blocked it from the public because not enough people are being thrown out into the open to stimulate a cratered economy.
Trump has abdicated responsibility for his administration's failure to protect the American people and keep them safe during a pandemic to the free markets.
He's not a leader, he's a blamer.
And he will never, ever take responsibility for anything that doesn't glorify his existence.
And that includes getting more Americans infected to serve his vanity.


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--Ainsley Earhardt Demands To Open Church In County With 900 COVID-19 Deaths: 'We Need Christ'

Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt argued on Sunday that churches in Michigan should reopen to celebrate Mother 's Day even though the state is still under stay-at-home orders due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Earhardt spoke to her co-hosts from her New York home where she is locked down with her family .
`` We 're talking about churches wanting to get back out there , wanting to open up , '' Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth said .
`` What 's your message to pastors , to people that want to be back in church . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miss our church .
I miss our friends there .
I miss our ministers and just the music and everyone being together . ''
`` Depending on your region , I understand why people want to open back up , '' she continued .
`` Some of these counties in Michigan that the churches are suing the governor there because there are n't that many [ coronavirus ] cases . ''
According to Earhardt , two of the churches had one death in each of their counties due to the novel coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its county , she said .
`` So I understand , '' she insisted .
`` If they are going to open them up , let 's do it safely and distance yourself from one another and these churches say they have a plan to do that . ''
`` So , we need Christ , we need God , '' Earhardt continued .
`` A lot of people are hurting , suicides are up and other things are up ... A lot of people are sad and are missing their friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt argued on Sunday that churches in Michigan should reopen to celebrate Mother's Day even though the state is still under stay-at-home orders due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Earhardt spoke to her co-hosts from her New York home where she is locked down with her family.
"We're talking about churches wanting to get back out there, wanting to open up," Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth said. "What's your message to pastors, to people that want to be back in church."
"Oh, my goodness!" I miss our church. I miss our friends there. I miss our ministers and just the music and everyone being together."
"Depending on your region, I understand why people want to open back up," she continued. "Some of these counties in Michigan that the churches are suing the governor there because there aren't that many [coronavirus] cases."
According to Earhardt, two of the churches had one death in each of their counties due to the novel coronavirus. The third church had nearly 900 deaths in its county, she said.
"So I understand," she insisted. "If they are going to open them up, let's do it safely and distance yourself from one another and these churches say they have a plan to do that."
"So, we need Christ, we need God," Earhardt continued. "A lot of people are hurting, suicides are up and other things are up... A lot of people are sad and are missing their friends and there are consequences to that."


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--KT McFarland's Ludicrous Claim: Flynn Was Targeted For Wanting To 'Reform' Intelligence Agencies

As CNN 's legal analyst Jeff Toobin pointed out the other day , Barr 's shocking interference in the Michael Flynn case proves Trump is desperate to erase the Mueller investigation , and as Media Matters has reported , Fox has been laying the groundwork for the DOJ 's actions for months on end now , lying about why Flynn was charged and claiming that the FBI was trying to entrap Flynn , when the truth of the matter is there was more than enough evidence that Flynn was compromised and acting on behalf of the Russians .
Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be to try to weaponize the Flynn case , and his propaganda network is happily helping them in that endeavor in segments such as the one above with former Deputy National Security Advisor KT McFarland , who served under Flynn .
She did her best to give cover to Barr by claiming that the Obama administration `` wanted to get Flynn '' because he supposedly `` knew where all the bodies were buried '' and the only reason they had it out for him is because he wanted to `` reform , streamline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , of course , they just had it out for Trump as well , and were trying to undermine his national security team .
Here 's more from the Media Matters article on what 's actually going on , as opposed to the alternate reality being pushed by Fox : Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI during special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election , and then withdrew his guilty plea in January 2020 .
The motion to dismiss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents from the FBI indicated Flynn ’ s interview was never “ material ” to the Mueller investigation .
The filing “ was signed only by the politically appointed U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea ” and not by any career prosecutors .
Moments before the motion was filed , the top prosecutor in the Flynn case abruptly withdrew from it without explanation .
Flynn ’ s legal team claimed that the new documents turned over to them from the Department of Justice demonstrated that the FBI was trying to trap Flynn in the 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this talking point from Flynn ’ s legal team throughout the past month and showcasing his lawyer Sidney Powell regularly on the network .
In reality , as Marcy Wheeler reviews at length , none of this evidence was new .
She concludes that “ by making a claim there ’ s new information when DOJ had the information all the time but Mike Flynn did not ” that “ DOJ has become the defense attorney for a sworn felon.
” That would make Fox News co-counsel .
Fox News ’ goal all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the hook even though he pled guilty .
Now that Attorney General William Barr ’ s Justice Department -- which has a history of corrupting the legal process on Trump ’ s behalf -- has dropped the charges against Flynn , Fox News ’ narrative has been vindicated in the eyes of the most fervent Trump supporters .
One only hopes that mainstream outlets do n't fall for it .
In alternate reality land , they 're trying to turn this against the Obama administration with McFarland and company giving us a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Saturday 's Fox & Friends : HEGSETH : So , you 're saying , potentially , all the way up to President Obama , this was known , and this was intentional , and there 's more to come ?
MCFARLAND : Yeah , I think that the way Attorney General Barr has dismissed charges , indicates to me that there is a lot more to come .
There 's a treasure trove of documents , handwritten notes , or , and probably in addition , somebody is really talking .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I met with the same intelligence people as President Trump did at Trump Tower the next day .
So that was Comey , Brennan , Clapper , and they clearly hated Trump 's guts .
They could hardly be in the same room with him .
And that 's where Comey pulled Trump aside after our meeting and he talked to him about the Steele dossier , which is completely discredited , and I think it was basically an attempt to sort of shake down Trump .
They always project .
Always .

As CNN's legal analyst Jeff Toobin pointed out the other day, Barr's shocking interference in the Michael Flynn case proves Trump is desperate to erase the Mueller investigation, and as Media Matters has reported, Fox has been laying the groundwork for the DOJ's actions for months on end now, lying about why Flynn was charged and claiming that the FBI was trying to entrap Flynn, when the truth of the matter is there was more than enough evidence that Flynn was compromised and acting on behalf of the Russians.
Trump and his allies next move is going to be to try to weaponize the Flynn case, and his propaganda network is happily helping them in that endeavor in segments such as the one above with former Deputy National Security Advisor KT McFarland, who served under Flynn. She did her best to give cover to Barr by claiming that the Obama administration "wanted to get Flynn" because he supposedly "knew where all the bodies were buried" and the only reason they had it out for him is because he wanted to "reform, streamline and reorganize" our intelligence agencies, and, of course, they just had it out for Trump as well, and were trying to undermine his national security team.
Here's more from the Media Matters article on what's actually going on, as opposed to the alternate reality being pushed by Fox:
Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and then withdrew his guilty plea in January 2020. The motion to dismiss the charges against Flynn claimed that recently uncovered documents from the FBI indicated Flynn’s interview was never “material” to the Mueller investigation. The filing “was signed only by the politically appointed U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea” and not by any career prosecutors. Moments before the motion was filed, the top prosecutor in the Flynn case abruptly withdrew from it without explanation. Flynn’s legal team claimed that the new documents turned over to them from the Department of Justice demonstrated that the FBI was trying to trap Flynn in the 2017 interview. Fox News has been echoing this talking point from Flynn’s legal team throughout the past month and showcasing his lawyer Sidney Powell regularly on the network. In reality, as Marcy Wheeler reviews at length, none of this evidence was new. She concludes that “by making a claim there’s new information when DOJ had the information all the time but Mike Flynn did not” that “DOJ has become the defense attorney for a sworn felon.” That would make Fox News co-counsel. [...] Fox News’ goal all along has been to justify letting Flynn off the hook even though he pled guilty. Now that Attorney General William Barr’s Justice Department -- which has a history of corrupting the legal process on Trump’s behalf -- has dropped the charges against Flynn, Fox News’ narrative has been vindicated in the eyes of the most fervent Trump supporters. One only hopes that mainstream outlets don't fall for it.
In alternate reality land, they're trying to turn this against the Obama administration with McFarland and company giving us a preview at the end of this segment from Saturday's Fox & Friends:
HEGSETH: So, you're saying, potentially, all the way up to President Obama, this was known, and this was intentional, and there's more to come? MCFARLAND: Yeah, I think that the way Attorney General Barr has dismissed charges, indicates to me that there is a lot more to come. There's a treasure trove of documents, handwritten notes, or, and probably in addition, somebody is really talking. You know, that January 5th meeting, I met with the same intelligence people as President Trump did at Trump Tower the next day. So that was Comey, Brennan, Clapper, and they clearly hated Trump's guts. They could hardly be in the same room with him. And that's where Comey pulled Trump aside after our meeting and he talked to him about the Steele dossier, which is completely discredited, and I think it was basically an attempt to sort of shake down Trump.
They always project. Always.


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--White House Economic Adviser Worries As Virus Spreads In West Wing: 'It's Scary To Go To Work'

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett revealed on Sunday that he fears going to work in the White House because of the novel coronavirus pandemic .
`` Testing is a key component of it , but even testing does n't remove all risks , '' Hassett told CBS host Margaret Brennan .
`` The interesting or sad thing about my dear colleague who was stricken with the coronavirus this week is that we were getting testing -- because we 're close to the president every day -- and even with that , she tested negative one day and then positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to work in a community where people are being tested . ''
`` This is a very , very scary virus , '' he added .
`` People are going to go back to work and they 're going to be worried about things and it 's going to take a while for things to get back to normal , I assume . ''
`` When it comes to your work environment you just described , '' Brennan wondered , `` do you wear a mask , are you going to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House ? ''
`` I 've got a mask right here , '' Hassett said , holding his mask up to the camera .
`` The fact is I practice aggressive social distancing and I 'll wear a mask when I feel it 's necessary . ''
`` It is scary to go to work , '' he admitted .
`` I think I would be a lot safer sitting at home than I would be going to the West Wing . ''
Hassett described the White House as a `` small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little bit risky . ''
`` You have to do it because you have to serve your country , '' he remarked .

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett revealed on Sunday that he fears going to work in the White House because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
"Testing is a key component of it, but even testing doesn't remove all risks," Hassett told CBS host Margaret Brennan. "The interesting or sad thing about my dear colleague who was stricken with the coronavirus this week is that we were getting testing -- because we're close to the president every day -- and even with that, she tested negative one day and then positive the next day. And she's going to work in a community where people are being tested."
"This is a very, very scary virus," he added. "People are going to go back to work and they're going to be worried about things and it's going to take a while for things to get back to normal, I assume."
"When it comes to your work environment you just described," Brennan wondered, "do you wear a mask, are you going to continue to show up for work at the White House?"
"I've got a mask right here," Hassett said, holding his mask up to the camera. "The fact is I practice aggressive social distancing and I'll wear a mask when I feel it's necessary."
"It is scary to go to work," he admitted. "I think I would be a lot safer sitting at home than I would be going to the West Wing."
Hassett described the White House as a "small, crowded place" that is "a little bit risky."
"You have to do it because you have to serve your country," he remarked.


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--Chris Wallace To Steve Mnuchin: 'Are Your Rosy Predictions Based On Reality Or The November Election

Chris Wallace To Steve Mnuchin: 'Are Your Rosy Predictions Based On Reality Or The November Election?'

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Sunday insisted that his `` rosy '' projections about the economy have nothing to do with the November election .
`` I think it 's important that we face what the real numbers are , '' Fox News host Chris Wallace told Mnuchin .
`` The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the real number , which includes people who are not looking for work , is 22.8 % .
That does not include the 7 million people who have lost their jobs since then . ''
`` Are n't we talking close to 25 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depression neighborhood ? ''
the Fox News host asked .
`` We could be , '' Mnuchin agreed .
`` Unlike the Great Depression where you had economic issues that led to this , we closed down the economy .
It would n't be a surprise if you close down the economy , half of the workforce did n't work . ''
`` We 're very focused on rebuilding this economy , '' the Treasury secretary added .
`` That 's why we 're focused on rebuilding this economy .
We 'll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a better fourth quarter and next year is going to be a great year . ''
The Fox News host , however , did not seem convinced .
`` You and the president both say that the economy is going to come roaring back , '' Wallace noted .
`` I 've got to ask you about a number of signs that indicate that the recovery is going to be much slower than that , sir . ''
Wallace pointed to predictions that the unemployment rate will be over 9 % until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your rosy predictions based on economic reality or the November election ? ''
Wallace asked .
`` My numbers are n't rosy , '' Mnuchin replied .
`` I 've said you are going to have a very , very bad second quarter and then I think you are going to see a bounce back . ''
The Treasury secretary went on to explain that his predictions are based on the presumption that vaccines and therapies for COVID-19 would soon be available .

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Sunday insisted that his "rosy" projections about the economy have nothing to do with the November election.
"I think it's important that we face what the real numbers are," Fox News host Chris Wallace told Mnuchin. "The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the real number, which includes people who are not looking for work, is 22.8%. That does not include the 7 million people who have lost their jobs since then."
"Aren't we talking close to 25% at this point, which is Great Depression neighborhood?" the Fox News host asked.
"We could be," Mnuchin agreed. "Unlike the Great Depression where you had economic issues that led to this, we closed down the economy. It wouldn't be a surprise if you close down the economy, half of the workforce didn't work."
"We're very focused on rebuilding this economy," the Treasury secretary added. "That's why we're focused on rebuilding this economy. We'll have a better third quarter, we'll have a better fourth quarter and next year is going to be a great year."
The Fox News host, however, did not seem convinced.
"You and the president both say that the economy is going to come roaring back," Wallace noted. "I've got to ask you about a number of signs that indicate that the recovery is going to be much slower than that, sir."
Wallace pointed to predictions that the unemployment rate will be over 9% until the end of 2021.
"Are your rosy predictions based on economic reality or the November election?" Wallace asked.
"My numbers aren't rosy," Mnuchin replied. "I've said you are going to have a very, very bad second quarter and then I think you are going to see a bounce back."
The Treasury secretary went on to explain that his predictions are based on the presumption that vaccines and therapies for COVID-19 would soon be available.


crooksandliars--2020-05-10--Neo-Nazis Helped Elect Republicans In 2018, And Everyone Yawns

One of the more remarkable changes that has slowly crept up on Americans in the age of Trump is the way the identification of a wide bandwidth of far-right extremists—white nationalists , neo-Nazis , unhinged QAnon and “ Boogaloo ” conspiracy theorists , anti-vaxxers , and raving violent nativists—has become , in the eyes of the media and its conventional wisdom , utterly unremarkable .
This week , the Arizona Mirror published results of their examination of leaked chats from neo-Nazi extremists seeking to weasel their influence into the 2018 election—primarily by becoming avidly active in local Republican politics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 servers on the Discord app featuring neo-Nazi and QAnon content—were made available to the Mirror through the leak organization Distributed Denial of Secrets .
One server , named “ Red Storm , ” in particular targeted participation in the 2018 election .
Notably , its activists weren ’ t only interested in infiltrating the Republican Party and moving up in its structure as they promoted right-wing politicians .
Several also discussed running sabotage operations by posing as Democrats and infiltrating their local political operations as well .
“ Maybe be double agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ user asked .
The group also advised participants which ballot initiatives to vote for .
The GOP initially showed signs of resisting the incoming tide of white nationalists and other extremists infiltrating their ranks of supporters .
When onetime College Republican leader James Allsup—who while attending Washington State University and afterwards became an unrepentant white nationalist—attempted to become a local GOP precinct officer , he was summarily tossed out of the party and stripped of his position .
( This didn ’ t slow Allsup from mounting a high-profile career as a white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
However , extremists nonetheless have increasingly been welcomed into the Republican fold .
The Oath Keepers , a “ Patriot ” /militia group , have periodically played semi-official security roles for Trump events on repeated occasions .
“ Three Percenter ” militiamen have been linking arms with New York state Republican operatives on Facebook .
Even when the welcome mat has not been extended , there has been strategic infiltration of the party from white-nationalist groups like Identity Evropa .
The presence of extremists like Rep. Matt Shea of Washington state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and even when their antics reach a critical point—as Shea ’ s did recently , when an independent investigation found he had engaged in “ domestic terrorism ” —they manage to hang on to their power .
Shea remains in his seat in the Washington House .
The QAnon movement—which often overlaps with the “ Patriot ” and white-nationalist movements in membership—is also insinuating itself within the Republican Party .
Media Matters , which has been keeping a running count of how many Republican candidates around the country have explicitly embraced QAnon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ update ( via Alex Kaplan ) that at least four QAnon-supporting congressional candidates will be on the ballot this coming November .
Three of those will be in California , and one in Ohio .
Another—candidate Samuel Williams in Texas ’ s 16th District—faces a primary runoff this summer .
In the meantime , right-wing extremists have been quietly gearing up to attack Democratic events , including the unfurling of a Nazi banner at a Bernie Sanders rally .
More recently , a QAnon fanatic from Illinois livestreamed her drive from her home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full of knives as she ranted about her plan to “ take out Joe Biden ” when she arrived there .

One of the more remarkable changes that has slowly crept up on Americans in the age of Trump is the way the identification of a wide bandwidth of far-right extremists—white nationalists, neo-Nazis, unhinged QAnon and “Boogaloo” conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, and raving violent nativists—has become, in the eyes of the media and its conventional wisdom, utterly unremarkable.
This week, the Arizona Mirror published results of their examination of leaked chats from neo-Nazi extremists seeking to weasel their influence into the 2018 election—primarily by becoming avidly active in local Republican politics.
The chats—some 10 million messages on over 100 servers on the Discord app featuring neo-Nazi and QAnon content—were made available to the Mirror through the leak organization Distributed Denial of Secrets. One server, named “Red Storm,” in particular targeted participation in the 2018 election.
Notably, its activists weren’t only interested in infiltrating the Republican Party and moving up in its structure as they promoted right-wing politicians. Several also discussed running sabotage operations by posing as Democrats and infiltrating their local political operations as well.
“Maybe be double agents for the Dems here?” one user asked. The group also advised participants which ballot initiatives to vote for.
The GOP initially showed signs of resisting the incoming tide of white nationalists and other extremists infiltrating their ranks of supporters. When onetime College Republican leader James Allsup—who while attending Washington State University and afterwards became an unrepentant white nationalist—attempted to become a local GOP precinct officer, he was summarily tossed out of the party and stripped of his position. (This didn’t slow Allsup from mounting a high-profile career as a white nationalist provocateur recruiting heavily on college campuses.)
However, extremists nonetheless have increasingly been welcomed into the Republican fold. The Oath Keepers, a “Patriot”/militia group, have periodically played semi-official security roles for Trump events on repeated occasions. “Three Percenter” militiamen have been linking arms with New York state Republican operatives on Facebook. Even when the welcome mat has not been extended, there has been strategic infiltration of the party from white-nationalist groups like Identity Evropa.
The presence of extremists like Rep. Matt Shea of Washington state is not particularly new for the party, and even when their antics reach a critical point—as Shea’s did recently, when an independent investigation found he had engaged in “domestic terrorism”—they manage to hang on to their power. Shea remains in his seat in the Washington House.
The QAnon movement—which often overlaps with the “Patriot” and white-nationalist movements in membership—is also insinuating itself within the Republican Party. Media Matters, which has been keeping a running count of how many Republican candidates around the country have explicitly embraced QAnon conspiracies, reports in its most recent update (via Alex Kaplan) that at least four QAnon-supporting congressional candidates will be on the ballot this coming November. Three of those will be in California, and one in Ohio. Another—candidate Samuel Williams in Texas’s 16th District—faces a primary runoff this summer.
In the meantime, right-wing extremists have been quietly gearing up to attack Democratic events, including the unfurling of a Nazi banner at a Bernie Sanders rally. More recently, a QAnon fanatic from Illinois livestreamed her drive from her home to New York City with a car full of knives as she ranted about her plan to “take out Joe Biden” when she arrived there.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-05-11--Leaked Obama Call: 'The Rule Of Law Is At Risk' With Barr's Flynn Fix

`` News of Flynn 's `` get out of prosecution free '' card drew a scathing comment from the 44th @ @ @ @ @ that Barr has set , '' Joy Reid said yesterday .
> > PRESIDENT OBAMA @ @ @ @ @ last 24 hours I think has been somewhat downplayed about the Justice Department dropping charges @ @ @ @ @ the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has @ @ @ @ @ getting off scot-free .
That 's the kind of stuff where you begin to get @ @ @ @ @ just institutional norms , but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk @ @ @ @ @ is from a conference call President Obama held on Friday with former members of his @ @ @ @ @ emphasize to you enough how unusual it is for President Obama to speak out about @ @ @ @ @ to hear him say that , that is a really big deal , '' Reid @ @

"News of Flynn's "get out of prosecution free" card drew a scathing comment from the 44th president about the dangerous precedent that Barr has set," Joy Reid said yesterday. >>
PRESIDENT OBAMA: The news over the last 24 hours I think has been somewhat downplayed about the Justice Department dropping charges against Michael Flynn. And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free. That's the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic, not just institutional norms, but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk.
"That leaked audio is from a conference call President Obama held on Friday with former members of his administration. I cannot emphasize to you enough how unusual it is for President Obama to speak out about the current administration. so to hear him say that, that is a really big deal," Reid said.


crooksandliars--2020-05-11--Jill Wine-Banks Warns Barr Is Dismantling Our Government Institutions

Joy Reid introduced a segment with Jill Wine-Banks about Bill Barr 's shocking decision to drop charges against Michael Flynn .
`` Here is Adam Schiff on Thursday on All In talking about this , '' she said .
SCHIFF : What this will mean as a practical matter is in courtrooms all across the country , where prosecutors are bringing legitimate cases , juries will wonder : Is this really a valid case or is this Bill Barr 's Justice Department once again acting politically and not in the interest of justice ?
So he 's undermining his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time it is a continuation of the same kind of political patronage now in the Justice Department that Donald Trump has brought about .
And Speaker Pelosi issued a statement saying that Barr 's politicization of the Justice Department knows no bounds , Michael Flynn pleaded guilty , now attorney general Barr 's Justice Department is dropping the case to continue the cover-up for the president , '' Reid said to Jill Wine-Banks .
`` Are you surprised there have not been massive number of resignations from the Department of Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there are n't more .
I am proud there are so many , '' Wine-Banks said .
`` No prosecutor who is a career prosecutor has been involved in this .
Both in terms of the Stone sentencing , prosecutors withdrew , in terms of this , prosecutors withdrew .
I think something that both David and Michael said is really true , this is an attempt to dismantle the institutions of our government , it is to dismantle the Department of Justice , the FBI , it is dismantling anything that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Mueller probe .
`` That 's what this is really all about .
It is not just about doing injustice by getting one particular defendant off .
But it does send a message that no one should trust the Department of Justice and the FBI .
And those are serious , long-lasting threats to our democracy .
So it is really terrible .
I think you 're going to be seeing former members of the Department of Justice speaking out on this once again because we see so many times that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` So watch for that to come , '' she said .
`` Absolutely , '' Reid said .
`` They will all live in infamy and you can not unimpeach the president .
He was -- he will remain impeached throughout history . ''

Joy Reid introduced a segment with Jill Wine-Banks about Bill Barr's shocking decision to drop charges against Michael Flynn.
"Here is Adam Schiff on Thursday on All In talking about this," she said.
SCHIFF: What this will mean as a practical matter is in courtrooms all across the country, where prosecutors are bringing legitimate cases, juries will wonder: Is this really a valid case or is this Bill Barr's Justice Department once again acting politically and not in the interest of justice? So he's undermining his own people around the country, and at the same time it is a continuation of the same kind of political patronage now in the Justice Department that Donald Trump has brought about.
And Speaker Pelosi issued a statement saying that Barr's politicization of the Justice Department knows no bounds, Michael Flynn pleaded guilty, now attorney general Barr's Justice Department is dropping the case to continue the cover-up for the president," Reid said to Jill Wine-Banks.
"Are you surprised there have not been massive number of resignations from the Department of Justice?"
"I am not surprised that there aren't more. I am proud there are so many," Wine-Banks said.
"No prosecutor who is a career prosecutor has been involved in this. Both in terms of the Stone sentencing, prosecutors withdrew, in terms of this, prosecutors withdrew. I think something that both David and Michael said is really true, this is an attempt to dismantle the institutions of our government, it is to dismantle the Department of Justice, the FBI, it is dismantling anything that had to do with the Russia investigation, the Mueller probe.
"That's what this is really all about. It is not just about doing injustice by getting one particular defendant off. But it does send a message that no one should trust the Department of Justice and the FBI. And those are serious, long-lasting threats to our democracy. So it is really terrible. I think you're going to be seeing former members of the Department of Justice speaking out on this once again because we see so many times that Barr has really endangered democracy and justice.
"So watch for that to come," she said.
"Absolutely," Reid said. "They will all live in infamy and you cannot unimpeach the president. He was -- he will remain impeached throughout history."