thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-02--Elizabeth Warren Knocks 'Washington Insiders' Endorsing A 'Fellow Washington Insider'

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
said Monday night that she will be staying in the presidential race for now , even as it increasingly appeared to be shaping up as a two-person contest between Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Joe Biden .
Warren ’ s remarks came shortly after a Biden rally where three of his former rivals ― former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg , Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-Minn. ) and former Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke ( D-Texas ) ― announced their support of the former vice president .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden , with Buttigieg dropping out on Sunday and Klobuchar on Monday .
Biden has received a torrent of support from the Democratic establishment ― including from former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ( Nev. ) ― which is trying to coalesce in order to beat Sanders .
But Warren made it clear she ’ s still in it ― at least through Super Tuesday .
At a speech Monday night in Los Angeles , she took a shot at Biden and the endorsements he had received .
I also want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina .
I respect his years of service .
But no matter how many Washington insiders tell you to support him , nominating their fellow Washington insider will not meet this moment .
Nominating a man who says we do not need any fundamental change in this country will not meet this moment .
Nominating someone who wants to restore the world before Donald Trump , when the status quo has been leaving more and more people behind for decades , is a big risk for our party and our country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are “ only two lanes ” to beat President Donald Trump , saying that “ we find ourselves barreling toward another primary along the same lanes as 2016 : one for an insider , one for an outsider.
” Warren tried to present herself as an alternative , as “ someone with unshakeable values who can also get things done and bring all kinds of Democrats along with her .
Voters deserve a choice of someone who can both do the work to transform our government from the inside and who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading a grassroots movement from the outside.
” Warren notably did not take a direct shot at Sanders , but in recent days she has been sharpening her criticisms of him .
“ This crisis demands more than a senator who has good ideas but whose 30-year track record shows he consistently calls for things he fails to get done and consistently opposes things he nevertheless fails to stop , ” Warren said in a speech in Houston on Saturday .
“ Senator Warren has been an ally of the progressive movement throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she stops attacking Senator Sanders and publicly commits to give her delegates to him if he has more votes to ensure a progressive wins the nomination , ” Executive Director Alexandra Rojas said .
“ I ’ d say the same to Bernie .
Pursuing the nomination through a contested convention without accumulating the most delegates would be harmful for our movement , our party and the policies she ’ s spent her life fighting for.
” Warren is trailing in the race for delegates , with just eight pledged delegates , compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
But Super Tuesday is the big prize , with 1,357 delegates up for grabs .
One challenge for Warren will be whether she can win her own state , where Sanders is also expected to do well .
Although Warren commented on the state of the race at the top of her remarks in Los Angeles , the rest of her speech Monday focused on the city ’ s Justice for Janitors movement in the 1980s .
It ’ s one of a number of speeches that she ’ s given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights movement and women organizing for change .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Monday night that she will be staying in the presidential race for now, even as it increasingly appeared to be shaping up as a two-person contest between Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Joe Biden.
Warren’s remarks came shortly after a Biden rally where three of his former rivals ― former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) ― announced their support of the former vice president.
Advertisement
The rally capped a remarkable couple of days for Biden, with Buttigieg dropping out on Sunday and Klobuchar on Monday. Biden has received a torrent of support from the Democratic establishment ― including from former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) ― which is trying to coalesce in order to beat Sanders.
But Warren made it clear she’s still in it ― at least through Super Tuesday. At a speech Monday night in Los Angeles, she took a shot at Biden and the endorsements he had received.
I also want to congratulate Joe Biden on his win in South Carolina. I respect his years of service. But no matter how many Washington insiders tell you to support him, nominating their fellow Washington insider will not meet this moment. Nominating a man who says we do not need any fundamental change in this country will not meet this moment. Nominating someone who wants to restore the world before Donald Trump, when the status quo has been leaving more and more people behind for decades, is a big risk for our party and our country.
Warren took issue with the notion that there are “only two lanes” to beat President Donald Trump, saying that “we find ourselves barreling toward another primary along the same lanes as 2016: one for an insider, one for an outsider.”
Advertisement
Warren tried to present herself as an alternative, as “someone with unshakeable values who can also get things done and bring all kinds of Democrats along with her. Voters deserve a choice of someone who can both do the work to transform our government from the inside and who can bring pressure to bear on government by leading a grassroots movement from the outside.”
Warren notably did not take a direct shot at Sanders, but in recent days she has been sharpening her criticisms of him.
“This crisis demands more than a senator who has good ideas but whose 30-year track record shows he consistently calls for things he fails to get done and consistently opposes things he nevertheless fails to stop,” Warren said in a speech in Houston on Saturday.
On Monday, Justice Democrats, a left-leaning political group, issued a statement criticizing Warren and putting some pressure on her to drop out.
“Senator Warren has been an ally of the progressive movement throughout her entire career. But I hope she stops attacking Senator Sanders and publicly commits to give her delegates to him if he has more votes to ensure a progressive wins the nomination,” Executive Director Alexandra Rojas said. “I’d say the same to Bernie. Pursuing the nomination through a contested convention without accumulating the most delegates would be harmful for our movement, our party and the policies she’s spent her life fighting for.”
Advertisement
Warren is trailing in the race for delegates, with just eight pledged delegates, compared with 60 for Sanders and 54 for Biden. But Super Tuesday is the big prize, with 1,357 delegates up for grabs. One challenge for Warren will be whether she can win her own state, where Sanders is also expected to do well.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-02--'National Scandal': ER Doctor Slams Trump Administration's Coronavirus Testing Logjam

Infectious disease expert and Manhattan physician Matt McCarthy sounded the alarm Monday about the critical lack of available testing for the new coronavirus , blasting it as a “ national scandal ” that has “ hamstrung ” health care professionals .
A visibly frustrated McCarthy , who is on staff at New York-Presbyterian Hospital , complained on CNBC ’ s “ Squawk Box ” that he has to “ plead ” for COVID-19 testing for patients .
“ In New York state , the [ first ] person who tested positive is only the 32nd test we ’ ve done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That is a national scandal.
” The “ longer we wait to get testing up and running , the worse this is going to be.
” While other countries are testing 10,000 people a day , “ we can ’ t get this off the ground , ” said McCarthy , author of the book “ Superbugs : The Race to Stop an Epidemic ” and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine .
“ I ’ m a practitioner on the firing line , and I don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today.
” Before McCarthy arrived for the CNBC interview , he said , “ I was in the emergency room seeing patients .
I ’ m here to tell you , right now , at one of the busiest hospitals in the country , I don ’ t have [ diagnostic testing ] at my fingertips .
I still have to ... make my case , plead to test people .
This is not good.
” At latest count Monday evening , there were 102 confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. “ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle of the week ; there ’ s going to be thousands by next week , ” warned McCarthy .
“ And this is a testing issue.
” He cautioned people to “ not believe ” the “ false reassurances ” coming from the Trump administration .
McCarthy earlier warned on MSNBC that if the administration doesn ’ t “ change its tune ” about what ’ s really going on , “ it ’ s going to go from a scandal to a cover-up.
” McCarthy was asked on CNBC if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnostic test .
He snapped : “ It is easy to do for some countries.
” A study by Washington scientists has linked a recent case of coronavirus to the first one in the state in January , suggesting that community transmission of the disease has occurred undetected for six weeks .
A county health officer complained about the difficulty of obtaining testing for residents .
Six people have now died in the state , and as many as 1,500 could be infected .
The CDC and the federal Food and Drug Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tests to several more state , commercial and university labs to speed up the process .
President Donald Trump said Monday in the Oval Office that “ a lot of very exciting things ” are happening “ rapidly ” concerning the coronavirus .
He said a vaccine could be ready in a matter of “ months.
” That was immediately contradicted by Dr. Antony Fauci , the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , who said it could be a year and a half before the U.S. has @ @ @ @

Infectious disease expert and Manhattan physician Matt McCarthy sounded the alarm Monday about the critical lack of available testing for the new coronavirus, blasting it as a “national scandal” that has “hamstrung” health care professionals.
A visibly frustrated McCarthy, who is on staff at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, complained on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that he has to “plead” for COVID-19 testing for patients.
Advertisement
“In New York state, the [first] person who tested positive is only the 32nd test we’ve done in this state,” he said. “That is a national scandal.” The “longer we wait to get testing up and running, the worse this is going to be.”
While other countries are testing 10,000 people a day, “we can’t get this off the ground,” said McCarthy, author of the book “Superbugs: The Race to Stop an Epidemic” and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine. “I’m a practitioner on the firing line, and I don’t have the tools to properly care for patients today.”
Before McCarthy arrived for the CNBC interview, he said, “I was in the emergency room seeing patients. I’m here to tell you, right now, at one of the busiest hospitals in the country, I don’t have [diagnostic testing] at my fingertips. I still have to ... make my case, plead to test people. This is not good.”
At latest count Monday evening, there were 102 confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. “There are going to be hundreds by the middle of the week; there’s going to be thousands by next week,” warned McCarthy. “And this is a testing issue.” He cautioned people to “not believe” the “false reassurances” coming from the Trump administration.
Advertisement
McCarthy earlier warned on MSNBC that if the administration doesn’t “change its tune” about what’s really going on, “it’s going to go from a scandal to a cover-up.”
McCarthy was asked on CNBC if it was “easy” to create a diagnostic test. He snapped: “It is easy to do for some countries.”
A study by Washington scientists has linked a recent case of coronavirus to the first one in the state in January, suggesting that community transmission of the disease has occurred undetected for six weeks. A county health officer complained about the difficulty of obtaining testing for residents. Six people have now died in the state, and as many as 1,500 could be infected.
Advertisement
President Donald Trump said Monday in the Oval Office that “a lot of very exciting things” are happening “rapidly” concerning the coronavirus. He said a vaccine could be ready in a matter of “months.” That was immediately contradicted by Dr. Antony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who said it could be a year and a half before the U.S. has a usable vaccine.
Trump said that “we will continue to do exactly what we’re doing.”
“A lot of things are happening, a lot of very exciting things are happening and they’re happening very rapidly” pic.twitter.com/4opyUDi0Ey — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) March 2, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-03--CNN Analyst Predicts The Exact Date Trump Will Dump Pence From The Ticket

CNN political analyst Paul Begala this week “ guaranteed ” that President Donald Trump is going to dump Vice President @ @ @ @ @ is not a prediction , it ’ s a certainty , ” Begala said at @ @ @ @ @ Committee conference in Washington .
He even named an exact date : Thursday , July @ @ @ @ @ s the date the Democrat gives her or his acceptance address , ” Begala said @ @ @ @ @ that day , to interrupt that narrative , Donald Trump will call a press conference @ @ @ @ @ ’ s when Pence will be toast .
“ He ’ s going to dump @ @ @ @ @ Haley on the ticket to try to get those suburban moms , ” Begala said @ @ @ @ @ Guaranteed.
” Trump has already laid the groundwork for dismissing Pence .
“ Trump put @ @ @ @ @ to throw him under the bus , ” Begala said .
Mar-a-Lago , it should @ @ @ @ @ the summer so any press conference would likely be held elsewhere .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
CNN political analyst Paul Begala this week “guaranteed” that President Donald Trump is going to dump Vice President Mike Pence.
“This is not a prediction, it’s a certainty,” Begala said at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington.
Advertisement
He even named an exact date: Thursday, July 16.
“That’s the date the Democrat gives her or his acceptance address,” Begala said on Monday. “On that day, to interrupt that narrative, Donald Trump will call a press conference at Mar-a-Lago.”
And that’s when Pence will be toast.
“He’s going to dump Mike Pence and put Nikki Haley on the ticket to try to get those suburban moms,” Begala said. “You watch. Guaranteed.”
Trump has already laid the groundwork for dismissing Pence.
“Trump put Pence in charge of coronavirus to throw him under the bus,” Begala said.
Mar-a-Lago, it should be noted, closes in the summer so any press conference would likely be held elsewhere.
See Begala’s full comments below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-02--Buttigieg, Klobuchar, O’Rourke Endorsing Biden In Triad Of Moderate Support

The same day , Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-Minn. ) announced she ’ s dropping out of the Democratic presidential contest and endorsed Biden for the party ’ s nomination .
And completing a barrage of support for the onetime veep , former Texas Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke ( D ) , who ended his own bid for the White House last year , announced Monday that he ’ s throwing his weight behind Biden .
“ I look over at Pete during the debates , and I think , you know , that ’ s a Beau , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden told supporters , calling the compliment the “ highest ” he could give .
“ Such intellectual capacity and such a commitment to other people .
And folks , I can ’ t tell you how much it means to me that he would step up and endorse me.
” “ If you feel tired of the noise and the nonsense in our politics , and if you are tired of the extremes , you have a home with me .
And I think you have a home with Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s time for Americans to join hands instead of pointing fingers.
” Before ending the rally , Biden introduced O ’ Rourke to the stage , commending the former congressman from El Paso for his grassroots Senate campaign in 2018 that “ electrified this state and nation ” and led to an overwhelming number of seats in Texas getting flipped from red to blue .
“ Tomorrow , March 3 , 2020 , I will be casting my ballot for Joe Biden , ” O ’ Rourke told a roaring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who can beat Donald Trump .
The man in the White House today poses an existential threat to this country , to our democracy , to free and fair elections , and we need someone who can beat him.
” “ And we need someone who ’ s going to make sure that whether it is a mass shooting in a Walmart or in our schools , or the shootings that far too often take those in our communities of color ― one or two at a time , don ’ t even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the news , we don ’ t even know their names ― you ’ re going to stand up for each and every one of us , and [ against ] gun violence in America with universal background checks , extreme risk protection orders and an end to the selling of weapons of war in our communities.
” Buttigieg suspended his campaign on Sunday , having finished in fourth place in the South Carolina primaries after failing to secure any notable support among Black voters .
Biden fared far better in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential voting bloc and surging to first place .
He had previously faced underwhelming results in Iowa , New Hampshire and Nevada .
“ Today is a moment of truth , ” Buttigieg said when announcing the end of his candidacy Sunday night .
“ We have a responsibility to consider the effect of remaining in this race any further .
Our goal has always been to help unify Americans to defeat Donald Trump and to win the era for our values.
” “ This is no great secret to anybody : You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialist ― now a democratic socialist ― and ... expect to do very well in the states we have to win , ” Biden said on “ Fox News Sunday , ” although he said he would support Sanders if he wins the nomination .
“ I believe that if I ’ m on the top of the ticket , we ’ ll win back the Senate and we ’ ll keep the House .
Look , the people aren ’ t looking for revolution , they ’ re looking for results .
@

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, fresh off ending his bid for the White House, endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race on Monday.
The same day, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) announced she’s dropping out of the Democratic presidential contest and endorsed Biden for the party’s nomination. And completing a barrage of support for the onetime veep, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D), who ended his own bid for the White House last year, announced Monday that he’s throwing his weight behind Biden.
Advertisement
During a Biden campaign rally in Dallas, Buttigieg said he decided to support the former vice president’s campaign because it focused on “unity” and called a future Biden presidency one of “dignity” in the White House.
“I’m looking for a leader. I’m looking for a president who will bring us together,” Buttigieg said.
Biden, in turn, said he was deeply touched by the former mayor’s endorsement, comparing him to his son Beau Biden, who died in 2015.
“I look over at Pete during the debates, and I think, you know, that’s a Beau, because he has such enormous character,” Biden told supporters, calling the compliment the “highest” he could give. “Such intellectual capacity and such a commitment to other people. And folks, I can’t tell you how much it means to me that he would step up and endorse me.”
Joe Biden, thanking Pete Buttigieg for his endorsement tonight in Dallas, TX, says he reminds him of his late son, Beau Biden: “I know that may not mean much to most people, but to me it's the highest compliment I can give any man or woman." pic.twitter.com/377nrMZTsn — DJ Judd (@DJJudd) March 3, 2020
Advertisement
Klobuchar spoke at the rally before Biden took the stage, saying that she could not “think of a better way to end my campaign than joining his.”
“If you feel tired of the noise and the nonsense in our politics, and if you are tired of the extremes, you have a home with me. And I think you have a home with Joe Biden,” the Minnesota senator said. “It’s time for Americans to join hands instead of pointing fingers.”
Biden said he was “honored” to receive Klobuchar’s endorsement, joking that “Amy won all the debates.”
Klobuchar: “I believe we can do this together. And that is why today I am ending my campaign and endorsing Joe Biden for president” https://t.co/wQHTIvvUj9 pic.twitter.com/jt9ldfMiNF — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 3, 2020
Before ending the rally, Biden introduced O’Rourke to the stage, commending the former congressman from El Paso for his grassroots Senate campaign in 2018 that “electrified this state and nation” and led to an overwhelming number of seats in Texas getting flipped from red to blue.
Advertisement
“Tomorrow, March 3, 2020, I will be casting my ballot for Joe Biden,” O’Rourke told a roaring Dallas crowd. “We need somebody who can beat Donald Trump. The man in the White House today poses an existential threat to this country, to our democracy, to free and fair elections, and we need someone who can beat him.”
O’Rourke, who made combating gun violence central to his presidential campaign after a white supremacist killed nearly two dozen people in his largely Latino hometown last year, spoke Monday of the need for a candidate who will tackle the issue head-on.
“Whether it was Sutherland Springs, or Santa Fe High School, or El Paso, Texas, at that Walmart this last August, or Midland-Odessa in the same year ― we understand the devastating toll of gun violence in America and in this state,” O’Rourke said.
“And we need someone who’s going to make sure that whether it is a mass shooting in a Walmart or in our schools, or the shootings that far too often take those in our communities of color ― one or two at a time, don’t even make the headlines or the front page or the news, we don’t even know their names ― you’re going to stand up for each and every one of us, and [against] gun violence in America with universal background checks, extreme risk protection orders and an end to the selling of weapons of war in our communities.”
NEW: Beto O'Rourke joins Joe Biden onstage at Dallas rally. Biden hails him as a man "who electrified this state and nation...who demonstrated enormous compassion and courage in he wake of the shooting in El Paso. A man with unlimited future." https://t.co/JEMJiQn1ln pic.twitter.com/gEj3PcwT9y — ABC News (@ABC) March 3, 2020
Advertisement
The timing of the endorsements is auspicious. Tuesday is the most important day of the Democratic primary race, with 14 states — including Texas — holding nominating contests to pick who should face off against the expected GOP nominee, President Donald Trump, in November.
Without Buttigieg and Klobuchar on the ballot Tuesday, Biden will have a better chance of picking up additional support from moderate voters who aren’t on board with the more progressive agendas of candidates like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
Buttigieg suspended his campaign on Sunday, having finished in fourth place in the South Carolina primaries after failing to secure any notable support among Black voters. Biden fared far better in the state, securing key support among the influential voting bloc and surging to first place. He had previously faced underwhelming results in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
“Today is a moment of truth,” Buttigieg said when announcing the end of his candidacy Sunday night. “We have a responsibility to consider the effect of remaining in this race any further. Our goal has always been to help unify Americans to defeat Donald Trump and to win the era for our values.”
The former mayor pledged to support his fellow candidates at the time, saying he planned to do “everything in my power to make sure that we have a new Democratic president come January.”
Advertisement
Biden cheered Buttigieg’s historic campaign after he ended his bid, saying it was based on “courage, compassion, and honesty.”
“We will be a better country for his continued service,” Biden wrote of Buttigieg on Twitter. “This is just the beginning of his time on the national stage.”
Biden picked up endorsements from several other high-profile Democrats on Monday, including Rep. Jennifer Wexton (Va.), former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), former Sen. Barbara Boxer (Calif.) and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.
“There is no one kinder, more empathetic and caring than [Biden],” Rice tweeted Monday afternoon. “He will lead America with the same deep compassion and decency.”
I'm proud to endorse @JoeBiden for President.
Here he is comforting me on 1/4/17 just after my mother passed away. There is no one kinder, more empathetic and caring than @joebiden. He will lead America with the same deep compassion and decency. pic.twitter.com/4IBscj75VN — Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) March 2, 2020
Advertisement
The former vice president has emerged emboldened from his landslide victory in South Carolina, attempting to paint Sanders in particular as controversial and too great a risk for the party.
“This is no great secret to anybody: You can’t run as an independent socialist ― now a democratic socialist ― and ... expect to do very well in the states we have to win,” Biden said on “Fox News Sunday,” although he said he would support Sanders if he wins the nomination. “I believe that if I’m on the top of the ticket, we’ll win back the Senate and we’ll keep the House. Look, the people aren’t looking for revolution, they’re looking for results.”
Sanders, meanwhile, remains a political and financial powerhouse. His campaign said Sunday that it raised some $46.5 million in February, by far the greatest amount of any Democratic candidate.
“Let me be very clear, it is no surprise they do not want me to become president because our administration will transform this country to create an economy and a government that works for all of the people, not just the 1%,” Sanders told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday in response to the consolidation of the moderate vote for Biden.
“It will not be the same old same old,” he continued. “But the other reason I am running is to defeat Donald Trump. And the fact of the matter is if we want to defeat Donald Trump, we’re going to need a campaign that has energy and excitement that can speak to working people, young people, people who have given up on the political establishment.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-03--Trump Mocks Biden's Gaffes And It Goes About As Well As You'd Expect

You ca n't close an umbrella , you looked directly in to the sun during an eclipse , you think @ @ @ @ @ , etc , etc , etc .
You should shhhh ... .Or hey , if @ @ @ @ @ , debate him .

You can't close an umbrella, you looked directly in to the sun during an eclipse, you think F38's are truly invisible, etc, etc, etc. You should shhhh....Or hey, if Biden is that far gone, debate him.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-03--Trump's Fox News Feud Deepens As He Slams 'Politically Correct' Network

President Donald Trump accused Fox News of turning “ politically correct ” on Monday in a fresh swipe at the conservative cable network over coverage he views as unfavorable to him .
The conservative channel routinely features coverage lauding Trump and his administration .
However , the president wasn ’ t happy with it for hosting Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg on Monday night .
“ He ’ s being interviewed tonight on Fox .
Can you believe it ?
Fox !
” Trump said at a campaign rally in North Carolina .
“ They want to be politically correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Republicans , I don ’ t know what ’ s going on with Fox.
” Trump frequently praises many of the network ’ s personalities , including those on the morning show “ Fox & Friends ” and evening opinion hosts such as Sean Hannity .
But he has raged at the network for reporting on , for example , polls that showed him behind Democratic rivals or legal analysis critical of him and his administration .
In January , Trump asked , “ What the hell has happened ” to Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathetic ” after an interview with Sen. Chris Van Hollen ( D-Md. )
.
Last year , Trump said that there was “ something going on ” at Fox and that he was “ not happy ” with the network after it released a poll showing Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden with a 12-point lead .
And in December , he warned the network that “ only pro Trump Fox shows do well .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump accused Fox News of turning “politically correct” on Monday in a fresh swipe at the conservative cable network over coverage he views as unfavorable to him.
The conservative channel routinely features coverage lauding Trump and his administration. However, the president wasn’t happy with it for hosting Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg on Monday night.
Advertisement
“He’s being interviewed tonight on Fox. Can you believe it? Fox!” Trump said at a campaign rally in North Carolina. “They want to be politically correct, they end up interviewing more Democrats than Republicans, I don’t know what’s going on with Fox.”
Trump frequently praises many of the network’s personalities, including those on the morning show “Fox & Friends” and evening opinion hosts such as Sean Hannity. But he has raged at the network for reporting on, for example, polls that showed him behind Democratic rivals or legal analysis critical of him and his administration.
In January, Trump asked, “What the hell has happened” to Fox News, and called the network “pathetic” after an interview with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Last year, Trump said that there was “something going on” at Fox and that he was “not happy” with the network after it released a poll showing Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden with a 12-point lead. And in December, he warned the network that “only pro Trump Fox shows do well.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-03--Sean Hannity Uses Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak To Spew Hate At Democrats, Media

Fox News ’ Sean Hannity went full Sean Hannity on Monday as he used the coronavirus outbreak as an excuse to rant about Democrats and the media .
Hannity , speaking on his radio show , accused his targets of “ politicizing ” and “ weaponizing ” the spread of the virus “ to bludgeon ” President Donald Trump , who he frequently defends and has vowed to campaign for during the 2020 election .
In the process , however , Hannity himself actually politicized the serious health crisis from which six people in the U.S. have now died .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re hoping Americans die and get sick and that we all lose a fortune in the stock market because of the jittery stock market , ” Hannity said of Democrats and the media .
His gripe echoed Donald Trump Jr. ’ s claim last week that Democrats hoped millions of Americans would die so “ they can end Donald Trump ’ s streak of winning.
” Multiple other personalities on Fox have also claimed the threat of the coronavirus is being overhyped in a bid to hurt the president ’ s reelection chances @ @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Fox News’ Sean Hannity went full Sean Hannity on Monday as he used the coronavirus outbreak as an excuse to rant about Democrats and the media.
Hannity, speaking on his radio show, accused his targets of “politicizing” and “weaponizing” the spread of the virus “to bludgeon” President Donald Trump, who he frequently defends and has vowed to campaign for during the 2020 election.
Advertisement
In the process, however, Hannity himself actually politicized the serious health crisis from which six people in the U.S. have now died.
“It’s like they’re hoping Americans die and get sick and that we all lose a fortune in the stock market because of the jittery stock market,” Hannity said of Democrats and the media.
His gripe echoed Donald Trump Jr.’s claim last week that Democrats hoped millions of Americans would die so “they can end Donald Trump’s streak of winning.”
Multiple other personalities on Fox have also claimed the threat of the coronavirus is being overhyped in a bid to hurt the president’s reelection chances in November.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-03--5 Things To Watch In The Democratic Presidential Race On Super Tuesday

The delegate math looks good , not great , for Sanders .
The polls look favorable to Sanders going into Super Tuesday .
The Vermont senator has a 16 percentage point lead in California , according to the Real Clear Politics polling average , and in Texas , he has a 6-point lead .
He ’ s been leading the field in Virginia , Colorado and North Carolina as well , and with Klobuchar out , has a good chance of winning Minnesota .
He has even polled in a dead heat with Warren in her home state of Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and Bloomberg look like they are at risk of falling below that 15 % threshold in states like California .
A sweeping victory there would give Sanders a massive advantage that will be hard to catch up to .
If the polls hold up , it ’ s looking good for him either way .
Biden is relying on his win in South Carolina .
Going into Super Tuesday , it ’ s clear that Biden ’ s South Carolina win has already had an effect on other Democrats : Steyer dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hours after winning South Carolina , Biden ’ s campaign started rolling out important endorsements , including from Klobuchar , former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott ( D-Va. ) , who wields influence among Black voters in Virginia , and other California , Illinois , Florida , North Carolina and Texas electeds .
In one weekend , the campaign raised more than $ 10 million — its biggest single-day fundraising haul in the entire cycle .
Bloomberg ’ s money will finally be put to the test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of talk about Bloomberg .
But the former New York City mayor hasn ’ t actually been poll-tested in the 2020 primary race .
He decided to strategically skip the first four contests in the Democratic presidential nominating process and instead put his focus on Super Tuesday , knowing that was when a bigger share of the delegates in the primary would be decided .
Arguably , Bloomberg ’ s only test on a national stage so far has been his debate performances , and those haven ’ t been great .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina — states he hadn ’ t filed early enough to compete in — and Warren and others dragged him onstage .
His rivals hit him for his record expanding stop and frisk in New York City , his derogatory comments toward women , nondisclosure agreements with women alleging misconduct or gender discrimination at his companies , and his previous support of Republican politicians like former President George W. Bush .
Elizabeth Warren really needs this .
Warren hasn ’ t performed well so far .
The Massachusetts senator came in third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Nevada and fifth in South Carolina after struggling to gain traction with voters of color .
Going into Super Tuesday , she has eight delegates to her name — one more than Klobuchar , who dropped out of the race on Monday .
And there are some bright spots for the senator — particularly in California , where the most recent poll from the Los Angeles Times and the University of California Berkeley Institute showed Sanders and Warren as the only two candidates eligible for delegates in the state .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll .
Warren could benefit from Buttigieg and Klobuchar dropping out , as their supporters often overlapped in earlier states .
That appears to be buoying Sanders ’ rise in California and Texas .
In Texas , his support from Latino Democrats and independents is more than double Biden ’ s , according to a University of Texas at Tyler and Dallas Morning News poll conducted in late February .
It will be interesting to see if that holds up and whether it extends to states like Colorado , where Sanders has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states like Arkansas .
That said , Sanders ’ relationship with Black voters seems a little bit more complicated .
In the 2016 election cycle , he struggled to mobilize Black voters , a weakness that ultimately cost him the primary .
His campaign has invested in more outreach with Black voters overall .
But even with that organizational work , the Sanders campaign struggled to draw diverse crowds in South Carolina ; exit polls had Biden winning 61 % of Black voters and Sanders winning 17 % , only a modest improvement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The single largest day of voting in the 2020 presidential primary has arrived: Super Tuesday. Fourteen states including California and Texas, as well as American Samoa and Democrats abroad, will cast ballots on March 3, a day that will likely play a big role in shaping the race for the Democratic nomination.
Super Tuesday has already had a lasting impact on the primary race; in the last three days, California billionaire Tom Steyer, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) all dropped out of the race in what looks like a consolidation of the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party behind former Vice President Joe Biden. Klobuchar, Buttigieg and former Texas congressman and presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke endorsed Biden on Monday night.
Advertisement
That leaves four major candidates in contention: Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and billionaire Mike Bloomberg.
There’s a lot at stake Tuesday; Sanders is currently winning the delegate race and looks poised to perform well in the biggest contests on Tuesday, but Biden had a blowout win in South Carolina over the weekend that has the polls swinging wildly in his favor. Meanwhile, Warren’s campaign is looking for justification to stay in the race. And Bloomberg, who didn’t compete in any of the first four contests and has anchored his entire election strategy on performing well on Super Tuesday, has poured hundreds of millions into this race knowing he may not win in any state.
Roughly one-third of all the pledged delegates of the 2020 Democratic primary are up for grabs. The 14 states and territories that are voting are California (415 delegates), Texas (228 delegates), North Carolina (110 delegates), Virginia (99 delegates), Massachusetts (91 delegates), Minnesota (75 delegates), Colorado (67 delegates), Tennessee (64 delegates), Alabama (52 delegates), Oklahoma (37 delegates), Arkansas (31 delegates), Utah (29 delegates), Maine (24 delegates), Vermont (16 delegates) and American Samoa (6 delegates). Democrats abroad will also begin voting Tuesday, though their voting period will last a week.
Super Tuesday could render someone like Sanders unstoppable, or further complicate the future of the Democratic nomination process. Here are five things we know going into March 3.
Advertisement
The delegate math looks good, not great, for Sanders.
Jane Sanders and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wave at supporters in Los Angeles on March 1, 2020. A sweeping victory in California would give Sanders a massive advantage that will be hard for his rivals to catch up to. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
To become the nominee, one of the Democratic candidates will have to win at least 1,991 out of 3,979 total pledged delegates. So far, less than 4% of the delegates have been allocated in the Democratic primary, with Sanders in a modest lead.
That all changes Tuesday, when 1,357 delegates are up for grabs.
Earlier polls of Super Tuesday states looked favorable for Sanders, with polling aggregates giving him a double-digit lead in California, a modest edge in Texas and even leading in Virginia. But Biden’s South Carolina win, and the series of dropouts that followed, muddled the picture.
The most recent Super Tuesday polls to come out from progressive think tank Data For Progress, which take Biden’s win in South Carolina into account, cut Sanders’ lead in California nearly in half, losing to Biden by two percentage points in Texas and a whopping 15 points behind Biden in Virginia. Nationally, Sanders’ lead fell three points after South Carolina to 29% and Biden’s jumped up seven points to 26%, according to the latest numbers from Morning Consult.
On Sunday morning, after losing to Biden in South Carolina, Sanders’ campaign announced it had raised $46.5 million in February, a massive war chest to help it compete going forward.
Advertisement
Already there’s some sign that Sanders’ campaign is tempering expectations for Tuesday.
“We hope to come out of here with a delegate lead on Super Tuesday,” Jeff Weaver, a senior adviser on the campaign, told NBC. “I think that’s a very important. Last time we were in a delegate deficit — we’re going to Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and those states are going to be good for Sen. Sanders.”
It’s very possible Sanders comes out of Super Tuesday hundreds of delegates ahead of the rest of the field, with the money to finance a big campaign presence in the upcoming races.
But Democrats allocate all of their delegates proportionally. Candidates need to surpass a 15% threshold of support to be eligible for delegates. That means formidable performances from other candidates could tamp down on Sanders’ hopes of leaving the Super Tuesday contests with a clear path to the nomination.
That said, a sweeping victory in California would give Sanders a big advantage that will be hard to catch up to.
Biden is relying on his win in South Carolina.
Biden promised to win South Carolina’s primary, and he delivered. On Saturday, he won more than 48% of the vote in the Democratic primary. Sanders, the runner-up, got 19% of the vote. It was the inverse of the results in Nevada, where Sanders won more than 46% and Biden came in with 20% of the vote total.
Advertisement
After a disappointing showing in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Biden said South Carolina would reignite his campaign in the Super Tuesday states, particularly in the South, where his popularity among Black voters could prove important.
Going into Super Tuesday, it’s clear that Biden’s South Carolina win has already had an effect on other Democrats: Steyer dropped out, then Buttigieg, then Klobuchar. Hours after winning South Carolina, Biden’s campaign started rolling out important endorsements, including from Klobuchar, Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who wields influence among Black voters in Virginia, and other California, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina and Texas electeds. In one weekend, the campaign raised more than $10 million — its biggest single-day fundraising haul in the entire cycle. That consolidation of support has been reflected in the polls.
That said, Biden is facing some challenges on Super Tuesday. Bloomberg has been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into these states, campaigning on a moderate message similar to Biden’s. The former New York City mayor has reportedly shelled out $217 million on broadcast, cable, digital, radio and satellite ads in Super Tuesday states. Biden had invested $1.32 million by the end of the weekend.
The question is: Is the momentum from a big win in South Carolina enough to convince Super Tuesday states to vote for the former vice president, or will he be out-campaigned in those states?
Bloomberg’s money will finally be put to the test.
Bloomberg fans gather as Democratic presidential contender Mike Bloomberg delivers his stump speech during a campaign stop in Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 28, 2020. Jim Weber/Daily Memphian via AP
Advertisement
There’s been a lot of talk about Bloomberg. But the former New York City mayor hasn’t actually been poll-tested in the 2020 primary race. He decided to strategically skip the first four contests in the Democratic presidential nominating process and instead put his focus on Super Tuesday, knowing that was when a bigger share of the delegates in the primary would be decided.
So instead of campaigning in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, Bloomberg’s been pouring money into Super Tuesday states — so much money.
His campaign, which the billionaire is self-funding, reported spending $409 million as of Jan. 31, per the last round of financial disclosures. No other candidate still in the Democratic race comes remotely close to that number.
Arguably, Bloomberg’s only test on a national stage so far has been his debate performances, and those haven’t been great. He qualified for the debates in Nevada and South Carolina — states he hadn’t filed early enough to compete in — and Warren and others dragged him onstage. His rivals hit him for his record expanding stop and frisk in New York City, his derogatory comments toward women, nondisclosure agreements with women alleging misconduct or gender discrimination at his companies, and his previous support of Republican politicians like former President George W. Bush.
All that seems to have had some effect on Bloomberg’s numbers in the polls, stalling what looked like a clear rise in Super Tuesday states in early February. On Tuesday morning, Bloomberg told reporters that he wasn’t sure if he was going to win any states and was defensive when asked if his candidacy was hurting Biden or helping Sanders.
Advertisement
“Joe’s taking votes away from me,” Bloomberg said.
Now, Bloomberg’s money gets put to the test.
Elizabeth Warren really needs this.
Warren hasn’t performed well so far. The Massachusetts senator came in third in Iowa, fourth in New Hampshire and Nevada and fifth in South Carolina after struggling to gain traction with voters of color. Going into Super Tuesday, she has eight delegates to her name — one more than Klobuchar, who dropped out of the race on Monday.
Super Tuesday is crucial for the Warren campaign. She needs to win delegates on March 3 — and win a good number of them. The campaign is acting optimistically.
“Our internal projections continue to show Elizabeth winning delegates in nearly every state in play on Super Tuesday, and in a strong position to earn a sizable delegate haul coming out of the night,” Warren’s campaign manager Roger Lau wrote in a memo to supporters Sunday.
And there are some bright spots for the senator — particularly in California, where the most recent poll from the Los Angeles Times and the University of California Berkeley Institute showed Sanders and Warren as the only two candidates eligible for delegates in the state. Still, Sanders held a 2-to-1 lead in that poll. Warren could benefit from Buttigieg and Klobuchar dropping out, as their supporters often overlapped in earlier states.
“The Wisconsin primary is halftime, and the convention in Milwaukee is the final play.” - Roger Lau, Sen. Elizabeth Warren presidential campaign manager
Advertisement
But there’s also the chance that Sanders could beat Warren in her home state, where he has held a lead in some polls and tied with Warren in others. Sanders is making a play in Massachusetts, holding a big rally in Boston over the weekend.
Since the start of the voting process, the Warren campaign has telegraphed that it’s in this race for the long haul.
Lau was even more explicit after Warren’s loss in South Carolina.
“The Wisconsin primary is halftime, and the convention in Milwaukee is the final play,” he wrote, insinuating that Warren plans on staying in this race until the bitter end. The campaign said it had raised $29 million in the month of February.
Will Bernie Sanders’ multiracial coalition hold up?
Sanders’ campaign says it has built a multiracial coalition. Super Tuesday will be a big test of that claim.
It’s clear Sanders has had an advantage with Latino voters so far. His campaign won the precincts in Iowa that have Latino voters, and Sanders trounced his competition in Nevada with a very organized outreach program to Latinos, who make up 30% of the state’s population.
Advertisement
That appears to be buoying Sanders’ rise in California and Texas. In Texas, his support from Latino Democrats and independents is more than double Biden’s, according to a University of Texas at Tyler and Dallas Morning News poll conducted in late February. It will be interesting to see if that holds up and whether it extends to states like Colorado, where Sanders has also been leading, and even parts of states like Arkansas.
That said, Sanders’ relationship with Black voters seems a little bit more complicated. In the 2016 election cycle, he struggled to mobilize Black voters, a weakness that ultimately cost him the primary. His campaign has invested in more outreach with Black voters overall. But even with that organizational work, the Sanders campaign struggled to draw diverse crowds in South Carolina; exit polls had Biden winning 61% of Black voters and Sanders winning 17%, only a modest improvement over his 2016 performance in the state.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-02--Seoul Mayor Seeks Murder Charges Against Church At Center Of Coronavirus Outbreak

The mayor is asking Seoul ’ s central district prosecutor ’ s office to launch an investigation into key Shincheonji leaders on charges of homicide by willful negligence and violating the country ’ s infectious disease control laws .
The prosecutor ’ s office is currently reviewing the mayor ’ s criminal complaint , Reuters reported .
“ The prosecutors need to carry out a rigorous investigation and make sure it leads to a strict punishment on the Shincheonji leadership that is at the center of this crisis , ” Park said in a statement , according to a translation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of South Korea ’ s over 4,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus ’ branch in the city of Daegu , The New York Times reports .
Local politicians have accused Shincheonji leaders of missteps during the early days of the disease ’ s spread ― claiming the church failed to provide authorities with a full and accurate list of its members and buildings .
Shincheonji ’ s 88-year-old spiritual head Lee Man-hee knelt , bowed and apologized to South Koreans during a press conference on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread a “ great calamity.
” He said he regretted that so many patients were tied to his church , but denied that its leaders ’ actions contributed to the disease ’ s spread .
“ We did our best but were not able to stop the spread of the virus , ” Lee said , according to Reuters .
Lee founded the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in 1984 .
It now claims a global membership of around 245,000 , according to The Wall Street Journal .
Followers consider Lee to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ descendant of Korea ’ s ancient kings .
Some members believe he is immortal .
At the church ’ s services , members sit shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor in tight rows .
( The church has said this seating arrangement stems from a desire to maximize attendance ) .
Former members report being pressured to attend services even when sick .
The church also places a priority on recruiting newcomers , sending proselytizers to busy street corners , university campuses , and to more mainstream Christian churches .
Traditional South Korean Christian denominations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are wary of its proselytizing tactics , The New York Times reported .
Shincheonji , on the other hand , has claimed it is being unfairly persecuted by mainstream Christian churches .
A 61-year-old Shincheonji member is believed to be a link in many of the COVID-19 cases .
She attended two church services in February while feeling sick , The Wall Street Journal reported , and later tested positive for the virus .
At least 1,000 church members attended one of those two services , according to The New York Times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ case spread , social media messages from a Shincheonji leader instructed members to deny that they belonged to the church if officials asked , The New York Times reported .
The church later said that those messages did not reflect official policy .
Shincheonji gave authorities an initial list of 210,000 members last week , but civic groups and local politicians claimed the list was not exhaustive and contained inaccuracies .
The church has since submitted an additional list of 65,000 recruits .
As of Monday , at least 26 people have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The country ’ s outbreak is the largest outside mainland China , where the disease first emerged .
Italy and Iran have also been significantly impacted by the virus .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Seoul’s mayor is calling for murder charges against the leaders of a Christian sect that has been linked to the majority of South Korea’s new coronavirus cases.
Mayor Park Won-soon accused leaders of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus of putting lives at risk by failing to initially cooperate with authorities’ efforts to stop the fast-spreading illness officially known as COVID-19.
Advertisement
The mayor is asking Seoul’s central district prosecutor’s office to launch an investigation into key Shincheonji leaders on charges of homicide by willful negligence and violating the country’s infectious disease control laws. The prosecutor’s office is currently reviewing the mayor’s criminal complaint, Reuters reported.
“The prosecutors need to carry out a rigorous investigation and make sure it leads to a strict punishment on the Shincheonji leadership that is at the center of this crisis,” Park said in a statement, according to a translation by NBC.
At least 60% of South Korea’s over 4,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus’ branch in the city of Daegu, The New York Times reports.
Local politicians have accused Shincheonji leaders of missteps during the early days of the disease’s spread ― claiming the church failed to provide authorities with a full and accurate list of its members and buildings.
Advertisement
Lee Man-hee, leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, bows during a press conference at a facility of the church in Gapyeong on March 2, 2020. - via Getty Images
Shincheonji’s 88-year-old spiritual head Lee Man-hee knelt, bowed and apologized to South Koreans during a press conference on Monday, calling the virus’s spread a “great calamity.” He said he regretted that so many patients were tied to his church, but denied that its leaders’ actions contributed to the disease’s spread.
“We did our best but were not able to stop the spread of the virus,” Lee said, according to Reuters.
Lee founded the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in 1984. It now claims a global membership of around 245,000, according to The Wall Street Journal. Followers consider Lee to be a prophet promised in the Bible and a descendant of Korea’s ancient kings. Some members believe he is immortal.
A man wearing a mask walks past a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus amid a rise in confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 in Daegu, South Korea, March 2, 2020. Kim Kyung Hoon / Reuters
At the church’s services, members sit shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor in tight rows. (The church has said this seating arrangement stems from a desire to maximize attendance). Former members report being pressured to attend services even when sick. The church also places a priority on recruiting newcomers, sending proselytizers to busy street corners, university campuses, and to more mainstream Christian churches.
Advertisement
Traditional South Korean Christian denominations consider Shincheonji to be a cult and are wary of its proselytizing tactics, The New York Times reported. Shincheonji, on the other hand, has claimed it is being unfairly persecuted by mainstream Christian churches.
In a message sent to church members last week, Lee blamed the spread of COVID-19 on “the evil who got jealous of Shincheonji’s rapid growth,” The New York Times reported.
Lee Man-hee (center), leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, apologized for the spread of the disease. - via Getty Images
A 61-year-old Shincheonji member is believed to be a link in many of the COVID-19 cases. She attended two church services in February while feeling sick, The Wall Street Journal reported, and later tested positive for the virus. At least 1,000 church members attended one of those two services, according to The New York Times.
As news of the woman’s case spread, social media messages from a Shincheonji leader instructed members to deny that they belonged to the church if officials asked, The New York Times reported. The church later said that those messages did not reflect official policy.
Advertisement
The religious group has closed and disinfected its facilities, according to CNN.
Shincheonji gave authorities an initial list of 210,000 members last week, but civic groups and local politicians claimed the list was not exhaustive and contained inaccuracies. The church has since submitted an additional list of 65,000 recruits.
South Korean soldiers wearing protective gear sanitize inside the facility of a city hall after the rapid rise in confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease of (COVID-19) in Daegu, southeast of the capital Seoul, South Korea, March 2. Kim Kyung Hoon / Reuters
Kim Si-mon, the church’s spokesman, said that its members have faced discrimination since the outbreak began.
“Many church members were afraid to come out and reveal their church members, given the overwhelming blaming coming from politicians and news media that called Shincheonji the originator of the virus outbreak,” Kim told The New York Times.
As of Monday, at least 26 people have died from the novel coronavirus in South Korea. The country’s outbreak is the largest outside mainland China, where the disease first emerged. Italy and Iran have also been significantly impacted by the virus.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-03--Watergate Prosecutor Issues Chilling Warning About Donald Trump’s Re-Election

Jill Wine-Banks , a prosecutor in the Watergate scandal , is sounding the alarm about democracy should President Donald Trump win a second term in office .
“ I really fear for democracy and if he is re-elected , I lose all hope for democracy , and I ’ m not being overly dramatic .
I really , truly do , ” the lawyer said in a new interview with Salon released Monday .
“ Everything that he has done has been so , I mean , the gender and racial bias is horrible .
The rule of law is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now a legal analyst for MSNBC .
“ I ’ m not talking about his policies .
I ’ m not talking about whether he ’ s right or wrong on taxes , ” she continued .
“ I ’ m talking about what he has done to unleash hatred in this country and to make us not a democracy anymore .
So , I think it ’ s a very serious thing.
” Wine-Banks , who last week said there was “ no question in my mind ” that Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy than Richard Nixon was , ” also warned citizens about becoming desensitized to the gradual erosion of rights .
“ America , don ’ t be desensitized , ” she cautioned .
“ Don ’ t forget that we ’ re losing our rights , one at time .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Jill Wine-Banks, a prosecutor in the Watergate scandal, is sounding the alarm about democracy should President Donald Trump win a second term in office.
“I really fear for democracy and if he is reelected, I lose all hope for democracy, and I’m not being overly dramatic. I really, truly do,” the lawyer said in a new interview with Salon published Monday.
Advertisement
“Everything that he has done has been so, I mean, the gender and racial bias is horrible. The rule of law is horrible,” noted Wine-Banks, who is now a legal analyst for MSNBC.
“I’m not talking about his policies. I’m not talking about whether he’s right or wrong on taxes,” she continued. “I’m talking about what he has done to unleash hatred in this country and to make us not a democracy anymore. So, I think it’s a very serious thing.”
Wine-Banks, who last week said there was “no question in my mind” that Trump is “a much more existential threat to democracy than Richard Nixon was,” also warned citizens about becoming desensitized to the gradual erosion of rights.
“America, don’t be desensitized,” she cautioned. “Don’t forget that we’re losing our rights, one at time.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-02--The Democratic Primary In This Texas Border District Tests Limits Of A Progressive Wave

South Texas ’ s AOC — Or Something Else Entirely ?
Regardless of his work in the district , a @ @ @ @ @ in Cisneros ’ s bid an opportunity to knock off an obstacle to their policy @ @ @ @ @ begun spending heavily to elect Cisneros , making her the rare progressive challenger with substantial @ @ @ @ @ abortion rights groups , such as EMILY ’ s List , that are traditionally associated @ @ @ @ @ Several Texas labor unions , the progressive Working Families Party and EMILY ’ s List @ @ @ @ @ of more than $ 600,000 in ads and other materials supporting Cisneros and nearly $ @ @ @ @ @ The Texas Organizing Project , a progressive community organization affiliated with the Center for Popular @ @ @ @ @ canvassing effort for Cisneros in San Antonio ― outside of Cuellar ’ s political base @ @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
As Texas voters head to the polls in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, the second-largest stash of national convention delegates hangs in the balance.
But beyond the top of the ticket, where Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is battling a resurgent former Vice President Joe Biden for dominance, the state is also due to host the most closely watched Democratic House primary of the 2020 election cycle.
Advertisement
In South Texas’s vast 28th Congressional District, progressive immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros, 26, is hoping to unseat conservative Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, who is 64. Cuellar’s history of opposition to abortion rights, gun regulation and tougher union protections, as well as his support for the fossil fuel industry and some of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, have earned him the enmity of an array of labor unions, reproductive rights and progressive groups.
Although Cisneros has raised more than any of Cuellar’s challengers in recent memory and she enjoys the support of some of the country’s leading progressives — including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Sanders and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — most observers maintain that she is in a tough fight.
“Young Latino turnout is key.” - Terence Garrett, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
That’s because Cuellar, an eight-term incumbent, leads a family that dominates politics in the border city of Laredo and benefits from the largesse of the national Democratic establishment as well as deep-pocketed corporate interests and ideologically conservative groups. He also holds power in a heavily Roman Catholic, Latino region where the typical voting population has more socially conservative leanings; the growing contingent of young Latinos with more liberal views, as well as more impoverished residents, are more likely to sit out elections.
Advertisement
Since Cisneros has generated more attention and resources than any of the left’s congressional primary challengers this cycle, a loss would be disappointing. The region’s conservative bent would make her win that much more transformational, however — and inspire fear in incumbent Democrats across the country.
A win for Cisneros “would show that progressivism, as exhibited by Ocasio-Cortez, can even reach into the recesses of South Texas,” said Texas politics expert Terence Garrett, who chairs the public affairs department at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. “It would be a dramatic shift.”
The race is also a “bellwether” for Democrats hoping to turn Texas blue, according to Garrett. Higher-than-normal participation from young people and other infrequent voters in the low-turnout region would benefit Cisneros and Sanders but also portend well for Democrats’ chances of bringing the state into the party’s column in November, he predicted.
“Young Latino turnout is key,” he said.
Progressive views helped win Jessica Cisneros high-profile national endorsements. Her success depends on convincing infrequent voters that she can improve their lives. Thomas McKinless/Getty Images
South Texas’s AOC — Or Something Else Entirely?
The parallels between the campaigns of Cisneros and Ocasio-Cortez are obvious. Cisneros, a native of Laredo, is the daughter of Mexican immigrants who transcended a childhood of modest means to obtain a law degree and serve a vulnerable immigrant population in New York City. She is taking on a far more conservative male incumbent more than twice her age with a powerful political machine at his disposal. And she was the first candidate that Justice Democrats, the left-wing group that recruited Ocasio-Cortez for the 2018 elections, enlisted this cycle to take out a Democrat they deemed out of step with his district.
Advertisement
Cuellar’s conservative record in a host of key policy areas makes then-Rep. Joe Crowley, whom Ocasio-Cortez unseated, seem like a socialist by comparison. Cuellar served as secretary of state to then-Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2000, and in 2018 he raised money for a House Republican from Texas whom Democrats were trying to unseat. Prior to his 2018 reelection, Cuellar had an A rating from the National Rifle Association for opposing new gun regulations and a 15% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America. The political statistics site FiveThirtyEight estimated that in the Congress prior to the current one, Cuellar voted with Trump nearly 69% of the time.
But despite modest adjustments, including a vote to close loopholes in the gun background check system, Cuellar has largely maintained his hawkish and corporate-friendly record as he seeks reelection. In January, Cuellar was the rare House Democrat to express unqualified approval of Trump’s decision to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike in Iraq.
The following month, he was one of just seven House Democrats to vote against the PRO Act, which would make it easier for American workers to unionize. He specifically criticized the law’s abolition of state-level right-to-work laws that allow workers to enjoy union representation without having to pay dues, claiming the law “protects” workers from mandates to pay dues to the union that represents them.
“Go find somebody who’s not working hard, go find somebody who’s not working in their district and challenge them in a primary.” - Texas state Rep. Richard Peña Raymond (D)
In the current election cycle, Cuellar is the top recipient in Congress of donations from the private prison industry and the second-highest recipient of donations from payday lenders.
Advertisement
“We have a representative who represents a very poor district, a border district. He has demonstrated an allegiance not to the people in the district but to the elites in the district,” said Rick Levy, president of the Texas AFL-CIO, the state’s main labor umbrella group, which is backing Cisneros.
The parallels with Ocasio-Cortez have their limits. Unlike Crowley, Cuellar, the son of immigrant farmworkers from Mexico, is Latino, as is a majority of his constituents. He maintains a home in his district, leverages his seat on the Appropriations Committee to bring home a steady stream of federal funding and represents an electorate that is widely viewed as less progressive than residents of the Bronx and Queens.
State Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, a Cuellar ally who represents part of the 28th District in the Texas Legislature, rejected the parallel outright, arguing that progressives inspired by Ocasio-Cortez were targeting the wrong man.
“Go find somebody who’s not working hard, go find somebody who’s not working in their district and challenge them in a primary,” Raymond said. “I just think he deserves reelection.”
Raymond highlighted Cuellar’s advocacy in the past year for a revised North American Free Trade Agreement that protected the international trade that is the economic lifeblood of Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley. Trade in Laredo, a major crossing point into Mexico, continues to grow, earning the city the distinction of hosting what is now the largest trade port in the country.
Advertisement
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) speaks as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) looks on. Pelosi has supported Cuellar despite his divergence from the Democratic mainstream. Scott J. Ferrell/Getty Images
‘He Must Be Worried’
Regardless of his work in the district, a host of progressive groups sees in Cisneros’s bid an opportunity to knock off an obstacle to their policy goals. They have steadily begun spending heavily to elect Cisneros, making her the rare progressive challenger with substantial outside support, including from abortion rights groups, such as EMILY’s List, that are traditionally associated with the Democratic establishment. Several Texas labor unions, the progressive Working Families Party and EMILY’s List have spent a combined sum of more than $600,000 in ads and other materials supporting Cisneros and nearly $1 million blasting Cuellar. The Texas Organizing Project, a progressive community organization affiliated with the Center for Popular Democracy, is helming a canvassing effort for Cisneros in San Antonio ― outside of Cuellar’s political base in Laredo.
Meanwhile, Cuellar has marshaled additional financial backing from groups that otherwise almost exclusively support Republicans. The United States Chamber of Commerce has spent about $200,000 on his behalf. The conservative billionaire Charles Koch’s super PAC Americans for Prosperity Action, which is typically aligned with the right wing of the Republican Party, has spent nearly $80,000 to reelect Cuellar ― making him the first Democrat to receive the group’s backing.
In addition, a dark money group of unknown origins, calling itself Allied Workers for Progress, began a $720,000 ad blitz for Cuellar in January. And a self-styled progressive super PAC funded by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s PAC spent $250,000 on mailers characterizing Cisneros as an interloper from New York City. (Cisneros worked in legal aid there for low-income immigrant clients after law school before returning home to Laredo to run for office.)
Advertisement
In a bid to shore up some of his more liberal constituents, Cuellar has welcomed the fundraising prowess and star power of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who is to Cuellar’s left on major policy issues. Pelosi visited Cuellar’s campaign headquarters in Laredo in late February, calling for a “resounding victory” for Cuellar.
The visit surprised Garrett, given the ideological gulf between Cuellar and the House leader. “He must be worried,” Garrett said. “I was floored to see that.”
At the same time, Cuellar has refused to debate Cisneros. And some of the outside support for Cuellar from more right-wing corners has provided fodder for Cuellar’s adversaries. The support of a Koch-founded group is the subject of at least one pro-Cisneros television ad.
“Why would a right-wing Republican billionaire be supporting a supposed Democrat like Henry Cuellar?” the narrator asks in a 30-second spot that the WFP is spending $50,000 to air in the district. “It’s simple: Henry Cuellar votes with Donald Trump 70% of the time.”
“Labor would be at the table [during the drafting of climate legislation].” - Rick Levy, president, Texas AFLCIO
Advertisement
Groups supporting the Green New Deal ― a broad framework for ending fossil fuel use within 10 years ― have taken a particular interest in unseating Cuellar.
The youth-led climate group Sunrise Movement is calling on its army of activists to make calls and knock on doors for Sanders, Cisneros and two other Democrats competing in primaries to take on incumbent Texas Republicans in the House. Sunrise’s calculation is that making electoral inroads in Texas, where the oil and gas industries are strongly influential, would be a major coup for the Green New Deal movement.
“If we can show that running boldly on the Green New Deal without moderating or hedging is a path to victory for Democrats, we think it can transform the entire conversation in this nation,” Sunrise’s political director Evan Weber told HuffPost in February.
Cuellar, who has received more than $850,000 from the oil and gas industry over the course of his career ― and $116,000 from fossil fuel PACs this cycle alone ― has cast himself as a climate pragmatist capable of shepherding effective change without wiping out local jobs.
But one force working in Cisneros’s favor is the support of much of the state’s organized labor movement, which has, in other parts of the country, emerged as a vocal critic of more radical climate change policies.
Advertisement
The Texas AFL-CIO represents unions active in the fossil fuel industry but nonetheless endorses Cisneros, who supports the Green New Deal.
Asked to explain his lack of reservations about Cisneros’s positions, the Texas AFL-CIO’s Levy noted that the Green New Deal is still “aspirational” and that Cisneros assured the state’s unions that “labor would be at the table” during the drafting of climate legislation.
The labor federation has sent materials informing its 20,000 members in the district about its endorsement of Cisneros.
Texas AFL-CIO
The Texas AFL-CIO, a major labor union umbrella group, sent mailers to an estimated 20,000 families with union members in Texas's 28th Congressional District. Texas AFL-CIO
Advertisement
Progressive Stars Missing In Action?
Much of the coverage of Cisneros’s race has focused on her embrace of national progressive priorities, such as “Medicare for All” and the Green New Deal, as well as the endorsements she has picked up from Sanders, Warren and Ocasio-Cortez.
But Strother, the Cuellar campaign spokesman, has openly mocked the influence of national progressive groups, like Sunrise Movement, in the district. “If they have a footprint in this district, it must be the size of a small rabbit,” he told HuffPost in mid-February.
It’s possible that the high-profile progressive politicians backing Cisneros share Strother’s apparent lack of confidence in her prospects since none of them ― Sanders, Warren or Ocasio-Cortez ― has visited the district to campaign for Cisneros in the final weeks and days before the election.
Warren did hold a rally with Cisneros in September, and two campaign surrogates ― Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro ― have also endorsed Cisneros. (Castro is hosting a canvass kickoff for Cisneros on Tuesday.)
A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign said the New York congresswoman had to attend events in her district over the weekend and return to Washington on Monday. And a spokesperson for Sanders’s Texas operation said simply that the campaign was focused on Sanders winning delegates. The formal endorsement appears to be the extent of Sanders’s support, though someone in his Rio Grande Valley office said many of the campaign’s volunteers are also working for Cisneros.
Advertisement
“There was easy fruit to be picked off the tree down here, and it just hasn’t happened.” - Nick Kiersey, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Chuck Rocha, a Texas native who has pioneered the Sanders’s campaign’s aggressive courtship of Latinos, suggested that enterprising down-ballot progressives might still profit from the campaign’s statewide ad blitz and ground game footprint. The campaign, he said, has spent over $1 million on Spanish-language television ads alone in Texas, targeting regions like the Rio Grande Valley in Texas’s 28th District, where Latinos are more likely to primarily be Spanish speakers.
Rocha allowed, however, that the Sanders campaign had erected a ground game in more rural corners of the state later than it had hoped, opening a field office in McAllen ― a city in the Rio Grande Valley just outside the 28th District ― in mid-February.
It’s a source of disappointment for some local progressive activists.
“If anything, I would say Cisneros’ operation has been pulling Sanders’ campaign along, rather than the other way around,” said Nick Kiersey, a political science professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, who knocks on doors for both Sanders and Cisneros.
“There was easy fruit to be picked off the tree down here, and it just hasn’t happened,” he added. “AOC is venerated like a rock star down here. If she came down, if Bernie came down, it would be pure insanity.”
Advertisement
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks at a rally in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 23. His decision not to add South Texas's border regions to his campaign trail tour has disappointed some activists. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
All Politics Is Local?
To some extent, though, the lack of national celebrity may be a blessing for Cisneros, who has to find a way to translate progressive buzzwords into terms her often-apolitical, working-class constituents can understand. Even Kiersey concedes that ideas like Medicare for All resonate less at the doors than general appeals to boost wages, and to provide relief from rising health care and higher education costs. The Texas AFL-CIO’s literature likewise touts Cisneros’s commitment to “universal health care” rather than Medicare for All, which is occasionally a source of acrimony for unions that have fought hard for employer-supported health benefits.
It’s a message that Cisneros is leaning in to in the final days before the campaign.
“This race isn’t about progressive versus conservative, liberal versus moderate ― this is about electing someone who will truly fight for and represent our communities,” Cisneros said in a statement to HuffPost on Friday. “We’re tired of politicians and the status quo.”
De-nationalizing the race can benefit Cisneros in other ways as well, opening a path for conservative landowners who don’t “feel the Bern” but are angry about the construction of Trump’s border wall, according to Garrett, who argues that it’s an issue where Cuellar is vulnerable to charges that he has not sufficiently fought the wall.
Cuellar voted for a spending bill that funded the border wall in 2018. He ended up voting against a new round of funding this year. But along the way, he shaped the funding bill’s development, including through the insertion of language allotting federal funding for a riverwalk area in Laredo alongside the wall that critics fear could institutionalize the wall by allowing much-coveted federal funding to be tied to the wall’s completion.
Advertisement
“He’s been riding the fence ― figuratively and literally,” Garrett said.
“I’ve lost faith in the monster that Henry Cuellar has become.” - ex-employee, Webb County Sheriff's Office
There is also apparently local resentment about the political patronage network Cuellar and his family members operate in Webb County, where Laredo is located. He is effectively running on a slate with his brother Martin Cuellar, sheriff of Webb County; his sister Rosie Cuellar, Webb County tax assessor; and other assorted allies, such as Eduardo Chapa, a former spokesman for the sheriff’s office running for chair of the Webb County Democratic Party.
Four former employees of the Webb County Sheriff’s Office, who asked for anonymity to protect against professional retaliation, told HuffPost that Martin Cuellar had forced them to spend their off-hours and compensatory time to campaign for candidates on the Cuellar slate, including the congressman. One ex-employee recounted the sheriff demoting him from street duty to jail duty after he showed up late for a canvassing shift after spending all night on a federal immigration enforcement detail.
“I support Jessica Cisneros because the reign of the Cuellars, it needs to stop already,” the ex-employee said.
An underrated advantage for Rep. Henry Cuellar tomorrow is his family’s patronage network. His brother Martin is sheriff of Webb County. He took the whole office to vote early together. People who’ve worked there say it’s pretty clear for whom employees are expected to vote. pic.twitter.com/v8bnntUMe0 — Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) March 2, 2020
Advertisement
Strother, the Cuellar campaign spokesman, declined to respond to a question about the allegations unless the ex-employees revealed their identities. He also declined to respond to several other criticisms of Cuellar’s record.
Cuellar’s backers and his critics liken his family’s hold on the region to that of the Kennedys in Massachusetts.
“I’ve lost faith in the monster that Henry Cuellar has become,” said a second ex-employee of the sheriff’s office. “And the whole Cuellar family ― they call themselves the Kennedys of Laredo!”
State Rep. Raymond, the Cuellar ally, said that county employees have civil service protections that allow them to seek redress if they are victims of patronage-motivated discrimination. He even suggested that complaints about the Cuellars’ political dominance might be motivated by anti-Latino sentiment. (All of the ex-employees who spoke to HuffPost are Latino.)
“Nobody complained about the Bushes, nobody complained about the Kennedys ― so why complain about a Hispanic family whose father immigrated from Mexico and came from very modest circumstances?” Raymond said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-03--The Democratic Parties Decide

The Democratic Parties Decide

The Democratic establishment is an ill-defined group , to say the least .
It includes everyone from county party chairs in Minnesota to Wall Street-based bundlers to five-term senators to low-level operatives pecking at laptops in the Democratic National Committee building .
It is not a group that can actually act in concert or plan conspiracies .
It is too large and unwieldy , and the ties between its disparate elements are often weak ― state party chairs don ’ t usually hang out with partners at Goldman Sachs .
Since the rise of the internet , it has lacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to candidates or to impose messaging and ideological discipline .
But on Monday , the day before the most important day of the 2020 primary race , it showed the ability to get three former presidential candidates to rally behind a former vice president who , in an earlier political era , likely would have locked up their endorsements months earlier .
The trio ’ s move ― along with endorsements from a host of other party figures , including Sen. Tammy Duckworth ( Ill. ) and former Senate Majority Leader Harry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalescing of mainstream and moderate Democrats .
And it serves as a rebuke of Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , a democratic socialist and longtime independent who leads the Democratic primary field in delegates and who , before a wide Biden victory in South Carolina , was expected to romp on Super Tuesday , when more than 1,500 Democratic National Convention delegates are up for grabs .
At the same time , however , Sanders was consolidating support in his own portion of the party at the expense of Sen. Elizabeth Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a progressive group that had remained neutral , announced its support for Sanders after more than 80 % of its membership said they support him .
And Justice Democrats , another progressive group that has announced its opposition to Biden but had remained neutral , went out of its way to scold Warren for her attacks on Sanders ’ s effectiveness and legislative record , and suggesting her proposed path to the nomination through a contested convention “ would be harmful for our movement , our party , and the policies she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” One wing , which is more suburban , higher income and older , is focused on building a stronger social safety net without overturning the core of the existing economic order .
They are wary of rapid change and tired of political chaos , and hold out hope they can reach reasonable agreements with Republicans .
Their primary concern is Trump ’ s divisiveness , misbehavior and threats to American institutions .
Their candidate is Biden .
On Tuesday , he ’ ll win delegates from heavily Black areas in the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sun Belt .
The other wing , which is more urban , younger and lower-income , is focused on a revolution to overturn that existing economic order and is willing to wage political warfare to achieve its goals .
It is frustrated and disenchanted with the slow pace of change in a country it feels disrespects and undervalues them .
These voters ’ primary concerns have little to do with Trump and are instead material : high rents and tuition , and a lack of access to affordable health care .
Their candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegates from liberal and heavily Latino areas in the West , especially in California , the biggest delegate prize of all .
Each wing has different weapons at its disposal .
Biden can win endorsements from former presidential candidates , while Sanders is left to counter with endorsements from state legislators in Pennsylvania and Kentucky .
Biden is the only candidate left holding traditional fundraisers and courting fundraiser bundlers , potentially solving his campaign ’ s on-and-off money woes .
( Biden has raised $ 10 million in the past two days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January . )
Sanders has a deeply loyal core of supporters , compared to the Johnny-come-latelies who have jumped from candidate to candidate during the primary and are rushing to Biden following his South Carolina win .
He can rely on them to fill his campaign coffers with small donations ( he raised $ 50 million in February ) and to make social media posts attacking Biden go viral .
( A Twitter video on Biden ’ s support for the Iraq War racked up more than 1 million views in six hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is increasingly politically isolated as Biden accumulates momentum and positive earned media .
Two of his closest allies in the Senate are now working against him .
Klobuchar , who may be Sanders ’ s closest personal friend in the upper chamber ( he requested her as his partner for a CNN-sponsored health care debate against two Republican senators in 2017 ) , has now endorsed his major rival .
And repeated sniping ― and now open attacks ― have cooled his relationship with Warren , his closest ideological partner .
This dichotomy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named Sanders and Biden .
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , a multibillionaire who spent more than $ 500 million on his campaign , may soon discover that all the television commercials in the world can ’ t beat the image of your former rivals endorsing you live on CNN and MSNBC the night before Super Tuesday .
Warren , who has done more than any other candidate in the race to try to merge the two wings of the party , has made it clear she plans to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech at East Los Angeles College on Monday night , Warren pleaded with the Democratic electorate not to buy into a false choice she believes doomed the party in 2016 .
“ From the start of this campaign , despite so many great candidates with so many different perspectives , voters who were worried about beating Donald Trump have been told there are only two lanes , only two choices .
And now we find ourselves barrelling toward another primary along the same lanes as 2016 : one for an insider , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crowd of 3,000 .
“ Democratic voters should have more choice than that .
America needs more choice than that .
”

The Democratic establishment is an ill-defined group, to say the least. It includes everyone from county party chairs in Minnesota to Wall Street-based bundlers to five-term senators to low-level operatives pecking at laptops in the Democratic National Committee building. It is not a group that can actually act in concert or plan conspiracies. It is too large and unwieldy, and the ties between its disparate elements are often weak ― state party chairs don’t usually hang out with partners at Goldman Sachs. Since the rise of the internet, it has lacked the power to control the flow of money to candidates or to impose messaging and ideological discipline.
But on Monday, the day before the most important day of the 2020 primary race, it showed the ability to get three former presidential candidates to rally behind a former vice president who, in an earlier political era, likely would have locked up their endorsements months earlier.
Advertisement
On Monday night in Dallas, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) joined together to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden for the party’s nomination to challenge President Donald Trump.
“The heart of this country is bigger than the heart of the guy in the White House,” Klobuchar said as she endorsed Biden. “It is time for a president who will bring dignity and decency back.”
The trio’s move ― along with endorsements from a host of other party figures, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) ― represents a coalescing of mainstream and moderate Democrats. And it serves as a rebuke of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a democratic socialist and longtime independent who leads the Democratic primary field in delegates and who, before a wide Biden victory in South Carolina, was expected to romp on Super Tuesday, when more than 1,500 Democratic National Convention delegates are up for grabs.
At the same time, however, Sanders was consolidating support in his own portion of the party at the expense of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Democracy for America, a progressive group that had remained neutral, announced its support for Sanders after more than 80% of its membership said they support him.
Advertisement
And Justice Democrats, another progressive group that has announced its opposition to Biden but had remained neutral, went out of its way to scold Warren for her attacks on Sanders’s effectiveness and legislative record, and suggesting her proposed path to the nomination through a contested convention “would be harmful for our movement, our party, and the policies she’s spent her life fighting for.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) takes the stage at East Los Angeles College on Monday night. Mark J. Terrill/ASSOCIATED PRESS
“I hope she stops attacking Sen. Sanders and publicly commits to give her delegates to him if he has more votes to ensure a progressive wins the nomination,” said Alexandra Rojas, the group’s executive director.
If, as Sanders-supporting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said, she and Biden would be in different political parties in most European countries, then each of the two parties that divide the Democratic Party are deciding on their nominees.
One wing, which is more suburban, higher income and older, is focused on building a stronger social safety net without overturning the core of the existing economic order. They are wary of rapid change and tired of political chaos, and hold out hope they can reach reasonable agreements with Republicans. Their primary concern is Trump’s divisiveness, misbehavior and threats to American institutions. Their candidate is Biden. On Tuesday, he’ll win delegates from heavily Black areas in the South and likely from wealthy suburbs in the Sun Belt.
Advertisement
“We’ve got to beat Donald Trump and the Republican Party, but we can’t become like them,” Biden told one of the largest crowds of his campaign in Dallas. “We’ve got to heal the divisions.”
The other wing, which is more urban, younger and lower-income, is focused on a revolution to overturn that existing economic order and is willing to wage political warfare to achieve its goals. It is frustrated and disenchanted with the slow pace of change in a country it feels disrespects and undervalues them. These voters’ primary concerns have little to do with Trump and are instead material: high rents and tuition, and a lack of access to affordable health care. Their candidate is Sanders. He’ll win delegates from liberal and heavily Latino areas in the West, especially in California, the biggest delegate prize of all.
“We’ve got to beat Donald Trump and the Republican Party, but we can’t become like them. We’ve got to heal the divisions.” - Former Vice President Joe Biden
“The political establishment is getting nervous, and they look at rallies like this and they say, ‘What’s going on here?’” Sanders told a crowd in Klobuchar’s home state of Minnesota. “Imagine a Democratic Party in which working people and young people finally have a real voice.”
Each wing has different weapons at its disposal. Biden can win endorsements from former presidential candidates, while Sanders is left to counter with endorsements from state legislators in Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Biden is the only candidate left holding traditional fundraisers and courting fundraiser bundlers, potentially solving his campaign’s on-and-off money woes. (Biden has raised $10 million in the past two days, more than he raised in all of January.)
Advertisement
Sanders has a deeply loyal core of supporters, compared to the Johnny-come-latelies who have jumped from candidate to candidate during the primary and are rushing to Biden following his South Carolina win. He can rely on them to fill his campaign coffers with small donations (he raised $50 million in February) and to make social media posts attacking Biden go viral. (A Twitter video on Biden’s support for the Iraq War racked up more than 1 million views in six hours on Monday.)
Still, Sanders is increasingly politically isolated as Biden accumulates momentum and positive earned media. Two of his closest allies in the Senate are now working against him. Klobuchar, who may be Sanders’s closest personal friend in the upper chamber (he requested her as his partner for a CNN-sponsored health care debate against two Republican senators in 2017), has now endorsed his major rival. And repeated sniping ― and now open attacks ― have cooled his relationship with Warren, his closest ideological partner.
This dichotomy may leave little room for candidates not named Sanders and Biden. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a multibillionaire who spent more than $500 million on his campaign, may soon discover that all the television commercials in the world can’t beat the image of your former rivals endorsing you live on CNN and MSNBC the night before Super Tuesday.
Warren, who has done more than any other candidate in the race to try to merge the two wings of the party, has made it clear she plans to try to stay in the race. In a speech at East Los Angeles College on Monday night, Warren pleaded with the Democratic electorate not to buy into a false choice she believes doomed the party in 2016.
“From the start of this campaign, despite so many great candidates with so many different perspectives, voters who were worried about beating Donald Trump have been told there are only two lanes, only two choices. And now we find ourselves barrelling toward another primary along the same lanes as 2016: one for an insider, one for an outsider,” she told the crowd of 3,000. “Democratic voters should have more choice than that. America needs more choice than that.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-03--Trump's Coronavirus Rhetoric Has Some Supporters Unworried, Claiming It Doesn't Exist

It seems that President Donald Trump ’ s claims that Democrats are “ politicizing ” the deadly coronavirus spreading around the world and that criticism of his administration “ is their new hoax ” are resonating with many of his supporters .
A handful of attendees at Trump ’ s campaign rally on Monday night in North Carolina told NBC News reporter Monica Alba they weren ’ t worried about the illness that has sickened at least 80,000 worldwide and killed about 3,000 .
Others said they doubted the novel coronavirus even exists .
A person who was “ very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the outbreak echoed the president ’ s claim that the media is inciting “ fear and panic.
” Another said she doesn ’ t “ trust anything the Democrats do or say , ” another of Trump ’ s contentions about the virus .
Trump and his White House have repeatedly downplayed the threat of the illness , called COVID-19 .
But the president himself has gone even further , suggesting it shouldn ’ t be taken seriously .
During a South Carolina rally over the weekend , Trump told the crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
They have no clue , they can ’ t even count their votes in Iowa.
” He likened Democrats ’ criticism to his impeachment , saying “ this is their new hoax.
” Not everyone in Trump ’ s North Carolina crowd accepted the president ’ s assurances .
Some told Alba they had second thoughts about attending because of the virus .
Trump also has shown questionable leadership with false information .
He promised on Monday that “ very exciting things are happening rapidly ” in preparing for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” vaccine .
Infectious disease expert Matt McCarthy , a Manhattan hospital physician , said on Monday night ’ s CNBC ’ s “ Squawk Box ” that he ’ s had to “ plead ” for COVID-19 testing for patients because of a federal government logjam .
“ There are going to be hundreds by the middle of the week ; there ’ s going to be thousands by next week , ” said McCarthy .
“ And this is a testing issue .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
It seems that President Donald Trump’s claims that Democrats are “politicizing” the deadly coronavirus spreading around the world and that criticism of his administration “is their new hoax” are resonating with many of his supporters.
A handful of attendees at Trump’s campaign rally on Monday night in North Carolina told NBC News reporter Monica Alba they weren’t worried about the illness that has sickened at least 80,000 worldwide and killed about 3,000. Others said they doubted the novel coronavirus even exists.
Advertisement
A person who was “very pleased” with Trump’s handling of the outbreak echoed the president’s claim that the media is inciting “fear and panic.” Another said she doesn’t “trust anything the Democrats do or say,” another of Trump’s contentions about the virus.
Trump and his White House have repeatedly downplayed the threat of the illness, called COVID-19. But the president himself has gone even further, suggesting it shouldn’t be taken seriously.
During a South Carolina rally over the weekend, Trump told the crowd: “Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. They have no clue, they can’t even count their votes in Iowa.” He likened Democrats’ criticism to his impeachment, saying “this is their new hoax.”
.@realDonaldTrump has a rally in North Carolina tonight before voters hit the polls tomorrow on Super Tuesday.
WATCH: @albamonica met one supporter who doesn't believe #coronavirus exists.
Watch NOW: https://t.co/U4UZMHn7bF pic.twitter.com/2YBGEbDy2S — NBC News NOW (@NBCNewsNow) March 3, 2020
Advertisement
Not everyone in Trump’s North Carolina crowd accepted the president’s assurances. Some told Alba they had second thoughts about attending because of the virus.
Trump also has shown questionable leadership with false information. He promised on Monday that “very exciting things are happening rapidly” in preparing for an outbreak and cited a possible “quick” vaccine.
Advertisement
“There are going to be hundreds by the middle of the week; there’s going to be thousands by next week,” said McCarthy. “And this is a testing issue.”