thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--London Wax Museum Refits Donald Trump Figure In Golf Attire Following Election Loss

A London wax museum wasted no time in giving its figure of President Donald Trump a more leisurely makeover after the U.S. presidential election last week .
Madame Tussauds London unveiled its Trump figure , now redressed in purple and plaid golf attire , shortly after Democrat Joe Biden was projected as the 46th U.S. president Saturday .
“ His campaign may not have been a hole in one , but [ Trump ] is now on course to dedicate more of his time to his favorite sport , ” museum staff wrote on Twitter over the weekend , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflect his potential 2021 wardrobe.
” Previously , the Trump figure was dressed in a suit and red tie , and displayed in a replica of the White House Oval Office .
And though the revamped exhibit is garnering international buzz , visitors will have to wait a little longer to see it in person , as Madame Tussauds London is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 .
As for the real-life president , Trump was playing a round at his golf club in Sterling , Virginia ― a Washington suburb ― when The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s favor early Saturday , four days after polls closed .
Though Trump initially appeared to be in the lead , his Democratic challenger gradually overtook him in battleground states like Pennsylvania as millions of mail-in ballots were tallied .
“ His campaign may not have been a hole in one , but [ Trump ] is now on course to dedicate more of his time to his favorite sport , ” museum staff said of the president on Twitter .
Since then , the president has refused to concede the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s also alleged ― without providing evidence ― that Biden ’ s victory is the result of voter fraud , and has mounted a series of lawsuits to press those claims .
Madame Tussauds London is not the only outpost of the popular tourist chain to take a jab at Trump in recent weeks .
The museum ’ s outlet in Berlin , Germany , loaded its figure of the president into a dumpster days ahead of the U.S. election .
The effigy was surrounded by placards displaying his incendiary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news !
” gibe .
“ Today ’ s activity is rather of a symbolic character ahead of the elections in the United States , ” Orkide Yalcindag , the marketing manager of Madame Tussauds , told Reuters last month .
“ We here at Madame Tussauds Berlin removed Donald Trump ’ s waxwork as a preparatory measure.
” Visitors will have to wait a bit longer to view the redressed Trump in person , as Madame Tussauds London is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 .

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A London wax museum wasted no time in giving its figure of President Donald Trump a more leisurely makeover after the U.S. presidential election last week.
Madame Tussauds London unveiled its Trump figure, now redressed in purple and plaid golf attire, shortly after Democrat Joe Biden was projected as the 46th U.S. president Saturday.
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“His campaign may not have been a hole in one, but [Trump] is now on course to dedicate more of his time to his favorite sport,” museum staff wrote on Twitter over the weekend, adding that the makeover was meant “to reflect his potential 2021 wardrobe.”
Madame Tussauds London said its Trump makeover is meant "to reflect his potential 2021 wardrobe." Jonathan Brady - PA Images via Getty Images
Previously, the Trump figure was dressed in a suit and red tie, and displayed in a replica of the White House Oval Office. And though the revamped exhibit is garnering international buzz, visitors will have to wait a little longer to see it in person, as Madame Tussauds London is temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
As for the real-life president, Trump was playing a round at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia ― a Washington suburb ― when The Associated Press called the presidential race in Biden’s favor early Saturday, four days after polls closed.
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Though Trump initially appeared to be in the lead, his Democratic challenger gradually overtook him in battleground states like Pennsylvania as millions of mail-in ballots were tallied.
“His campaign may not have been a hole in one, but [Trump] is now on course to dedicate more of his time to his favorite sport,” museum staff said of the president on Twitter. Jonathan Brady - PA Images via Getty Images
Since then, the president has refused to concede the election or otherwise publicly acknowledge his loss. He’s also alleged ― without providing evidence ― that Biden’s victory is the result of voter fraud, and has mounted a series of lawsuits to press those claims.
Madame Tussauds London is not the only outpost of the popular tourist chain to take a jab at Trump in recent weeks.
The museum’s outlet in Berlin, Germany, loaded its figure of the president into a dumpster days ahead of the U.S. election. The effigy was surrounded by placards displaying his incendiary tweets, including the ubiquitous “fake news!” gibe.
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“Today’s activity is rather of a symbolic character ahead of the elections in the United States,” Orkide Yalcindag, the marketing manager of Madame Tussauds, told Reuters last month. “We here at Madame Tussauds Berlin removed Donald Trump’s waxwork as a preparatory measure.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--George Stephanopoulos Slaps Down South Dakota Governor's Election Fraud Claims

George Stephanopoulos rebuffed GOP South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem ’ s assertion Sunday that any conversation about her working with President-elect Joe Biden was premature because of “ illegal activities.
” ( See the interview below . )
On “ This Week , ” the ABC host noted South Dakota ’ s spiking coronavirus rate and asked Noem , a staunch Donald Trump acolyte , if she ’ ll collaborate with Biden to get COVID-19 under control .
Noem mostly shrugged off the question and thanked Trump for letting her “ do the right thing.
” She said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echoed Trump ’ s unsubstantiated claims of Democratic fraud .
Stephanopoulos noted that Republican officials across the country and GOP secretaries of state in Georgia and Arizona told him there was “ zero evidence of widespread fraud.
” Noem countered that “ people have signed legal documents ... stating that they saw illegal activities , ” and cited a New York Times report of “ clerical errors.
” Pressed by @ GStephanopoulos on whether she has any evidence to support Pres .
Trump ’ s election claims , GOP North Dakota Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also refuses to acknowledge that Joe Biden as the apparent winner of the presidency .
https : //t.co/RxWyF4Jwuf pic.twitter.com/VMNUeml0On — This Week ( @ ThisWeekABC ) November 8 , 2020 Noem also referenced the 2000 election in which Republican George W. Bush was eventually declared the winner over Democrat Al Gore after legal challenges in Florida .
“ We gave Al Gore 37 days to run the process before we decided who was going to be president , ” Noem said .
“ Why would we not afford the 70.6 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same consideration ?
” Stephanopoulos noted that Gore trailed by a mere hundreds votes in just one state , Florida , while Biden seized the lead by tens of thousands in some deciding states .
“ That is not close .
That is not within the margin that elections are usually turned around on , ” he said .
Noem said Americans need to know “ we care about doing things right .
”

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George Stephanopoulos rebuffed GOP South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s assertion Sunday that any conversation about her working with President-elect Joe Biden was premature because of “illegal activities.” (See the interview below.)
On “This Week,” the ABC host noted South Dakota’s spiking coronavirus rate and asked Noem, a staunch Donald Trump acolyte, if she’ll collaborate with Biden to get COVID-19 under control.
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Noem mostly shrugged off the question and thanked Trump for letting her “do the right thing.” She said the country has not finished counting votes and echoed Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of Democratic fraud.
Stephanopoulos noted that Republican officials across the country, including GOP secretaries of state, told him there was “zero evidence of widespread fraud.”
Noem countered that “people have signed legal documents ... stating that they saw illegal activities,” and cited a New York Times report of “clerical errors.”
“No widespread fraud, governor,” Staphanopoulos interjected. “That’s very different.”
Pressed by @GStephanopoulos on whether she has any evidence to support Pres. Trump’s election claims, GOP North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem does not provide any evidence, but also refuses to acknowledge that Joe Biden as the apparent winner of the presidency. https://t.co/RxWyF4Jwuf pic.twitter.com/VMNUeml0On — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 8, 2020
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(The “This Week” tweet with the interview clip misidentifies Noem’s state.)
Noem also referenced the 2000 election in which Republican George W. Bush was eventually declared the winner over Democrat Al Gore after legal challenges in Florida.
“We gave Al Gore 37 days to run the process before we decided who was going to be president,” Noem said. “Why would we not afford the 70.6 million Americans that voted for President Trump the same consideration?”
Stephanopoulos noted that Gore trailed by a mere hundreds votes in just one state, Florida, while Biden seized the lead by tens of thousands in some deciding states.
“That is not close. That is not within the margin that elections are usually turned around on,” he said.
Noem said Americans need to know “we care about doing things right.”
“It starts with providing evidence, you still have not provided it,” Stephanopoulos snapped.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--30 GOP Former Members Of Congress Call On Trump To Accept Election Results

Thirty Republican former members of Congress are calling on President Donald Trump to recognize Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election , something he refuses to do even as the president-elect ’ s lead in several key states continued to grow this week .
“ We believe the statements by President Trump alleging fraud in the election are efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the election and are unacceptable , ” the former members of Congress said in a statement on Monday .
The ex-lawmakers noted that although Trump has every right to contest the results , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our elections is a bedrock of our democracy.
” INBOX : 30 former GOP lawmakers call on Trump to recognize Biden as the election victor , say `` we believe the statements by President Trump alleging fraud in the election are efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the election and are unacceptable . ''
pic.twitter.com/OtGiSo8yak — Laura Litvan ( @ LauraLitvan ) November 9 , 2020 The statement was signed by many GOP former members of Congress who had previously endorsed Biden ’ s White House bid in August , including Steve Bartlett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mo . )
, Charlie Dent ( Pa. ) and Mickey Edwards ( Okla. ) .
Only a handful of current GOP lawmakers have acknowledged Biden ’ s election victory , including Don Bacon ( Neb . )
, Francis Rooney ( Fla. ) , Will Hurd ( Texas ) , Paul Mitchell ( Mich. ) and Don Young ( Alaska ) .
Only four Republican senators have acknowledged Biden ’ s victory and congratulated him for winning the White House : Susan Collins of Maine , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , Mitt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nebraska .
Most other Republican elected officials have either stayed quiet or embraced Trump ’ s baseless claims about voter fraud .
“ No states have yet certified their election results , ” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( Ky. ) said Monday in a speech on the Senate floor .
“ I believe the president may have legal challenges underway in at least five states .
”

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Thirty Republican former members of Congress are calling on President Donald Trump to recognize Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, something he refuses to do even as the president-elect’s lead in several key states continued to grow this week.
“We believe the statements by President Trump alleging fraud in the election are efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the election and are unacceptable,” the former members of Congress said in a statement on Monday.
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The ex-lawmakers noted that although Trump has every right to contest the results, “public confidence in the outcome of our elections is a bedrock of our democracy.”
INBOX: 30 former GOP lawmakers call on Trump to recognize Biden as the election victor, say "we believe the statements by President Trump alleging fraud in the election are efforts to undermine the legitimacy of
the election and are unacceptable." pic.twitter.com/OtGiSo8yak — Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) November 9, 2020
The statement was signed by many GOP former members of Congress who had previously endorsed Biden’s White House bid in August, including Steve Bartlett (Texas), Tom Coleman (Mo.), Charlie Dent (Pa.) and Mickey Edwards (Okla.).
Only a handful of current GOP lawmakers have acknowledged Biden’s election victory, including Don Bacon (Neb.), Francis Rooney (Fla.), Will Hurd (Texas), Paul Mitchell (Mich.) and Don Young (Alaska).
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Only four Republican senators have acknowledged Biden’s victory and congratulated him for winning the White House: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Ben Sasse of Nebraska.
Most other Republican elected officials have either stayed quiet or embraced Trump’s baseless claims about voter fraud.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Mike Pence: 'It's Not Over Til It's Over,' Twitter Users: 'It's Over'

The vice president took to Twitter on Monday to declare “ It ’ s not over til it ’ s over , ” and vowed to keep fighting until “ every legal vote ” is counted .
Told @ VP Team Today , “ it ain ’ t over til it ’ s over.. and this AIN ’ T over !
” President @ realDonaldTrump has never stopped fighting for us and we ’ re gon na Keep Fighting until every LEGAL vote is counted !
🇺🇸 — Mike Pence ( @ Mike_Pence ) November 9 , 2020 Although Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press and other media outlets , based on nonpartisan analysis of the vote in several states , Trump and some of his allies have repeatedly claimed he won the election .
The president has also accused the Democratic Party of “ wrongdoing ” without providing evidence to back the allegations .
Not surprisingly , many Twitter users had a different take from Pence about the state of the election .
Narrator : `` But it was , in fact , over .
Pence continued to embarrass himself , mislead people and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump supporters who vowed to fight on , even as the solid majority that ended his political career looked on him with derision . ''
https : //t.co/Fqu6bIkrpt — Justin Hendrix # ProtectTheResults ( @ justinhendrix ) November 9 , 2020 Some people pointed out that neither the administration nor Trump campaign officials have provided any hard evidence supporting claims of the type of election malfeasance that would change the results in a handful of crucial states .
We 're still waiting to hear specific examples of voter fraud from the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case would not affect the outcome .
In the meantime , the rest of the world is treating Joe Biden as president-elect .
https : //t.co/7YMuR4ugEI — Scott Detrow ( @ scottdetrow ) November 9 , 2020 One man suggested that the timing of Pence ’ s “ keep fighting ” tweet was a little suspect , considering the vice president will be off for the rest of the week .
VP comments on election as he heads out to vacation in Florida for rest of week https : //t.co/rhoE1PjI1G — Erik Wasson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 Another guy thought it was weird that the Trump administration was stalling the inevitable .
Hillary conceded to you guys 90 minutes after the last polls closed in Alaska .
You 've had two days , and you lost by a lot more than Hillary did .
It 's over , Mike .
Concede and let the president-elect begin the transition .
https : //t.co/ApT9yUnU8Y — Dennis Mersereau ( @ wxdam ) November 9 , 2020 One woman noted that Pence ’ s use of the phrase “ every legal vote ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote is code for White votes .
They want them to stop counting the votes from Black and Brown areas from Black and Brown people .
They are not even subtle about it .
https : //t.co/czPD8SaCtv — Darlene McDonald ( @ VoteDarlene ) November 9 , 2020

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The vice president took to Twitter on Monday to declare “It’s not over til it’s over,” and vowed to keep fighting until “every legal vote” is counted.
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Told @VP Team Today, “it ain’t over til it’s over.. and this AIN’T over!” President @realDonaldTrump has never stopped fighting for us and we’re gonna Keep Fighting until every LEGAL vote is counted! 🇺🇸 — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) November 9, 2020
Although Biden was projected the winner on Saturday by The Associated Press and other media outlets, based on nonpartisan analysis of the vote in several states, Trump and some of his allies have repeatedly claimed he won the election.
The president has also accused the Democratic Party of “wrongdoing” without providing evidence to back the allegations.
Not surprisingly, many Twitter users had a different take from Pence about the state of the election.
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It's over, Mike. Hang it up. Move on. https://t.co/wXRfP99lWp — Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) November 9, 2020
Narrator: "But it was, in fact, over. Pence continued to embarrass himself, mislead people and stoke the passions of the violent subset of Trump supporters who vowed to fight on, even as the solid majority that ended his political career looked on him with derision." https://t.co/Fqu6bIkrpt — Justin Hendrix #ProtectTheResults (@justinhendrix) November 9, 2020
Some people pointed out that neither the administration nor Trump campaign officials have provided any hard evidence supporting claims of the type of election malfeasance that would change the results in a handful of crucial states.
We're still waiting to hear specific examples of voter fraud from the Trump campaign. The much-discussed PA ballots court case would not affect the outcome.
In the meantime, the rest of the world is treating Joe Biden as president-elect. https://t.co/7YMuR4ugEI — Scott Detrow (@scottdetrow) November 9, 2020
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One man suggested that the timing of Pence’s “keep fighting” tweet was a little suspect, considering the vice president will be off for the rest of the week.
VP comments on election as he heads out to vacation in Florida for rest of week https://t.co/rhoE1PjI1G — Erik Wasson (@elwasson) November 9, 2020
Another guy thought it was weird that the Trump administration was stalling the inevitable.
Hillary conceded to you guys 90 minutes after the last polls closed in Alaska.
You've had two days, and you lost by a lot more than Hillary did.
It's over, Mike. Concede and let the president-elect begin the transition. https://t.co/ApT9yUnU8Y — Dennis Mersereau (@wxdam) November 9, 2020
One woman noted that Pence’s use of the phrase “every legal vote” sounded like a dog whistle.
LEGAL vote is code for White votes. They want them to stop counting the votes from Black and Brown areas from Black and Brown people.
They are not even subtle about it. https://t.co/czPD8SaCtv — Darlene McDonald (@VoteDarlene) November 9, 2020
Another guy got a completely different vibe from Pence’s tweet.
*divorced dad at his ex-wife's lesbian wedding energy https://t.co/pu1HP2L3gW — Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) November 9, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--HUD Secretary Ben Carson Has Coronavirus

Carson is “ in good spirits & feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery , ” his chief of staff told ABC ’ s Katherine Faulders .
The retired neurosurgeon tested positive at Walter Reed after experiencing symptoms .
News of Carson ’ s diagnosis comes after he attended an election night watch party at the White House with President Donald Trump ’ s chief of staff , Mark Meadows , who was diagnosed with the virus on Friday .
In addition to Meadows and Carson , partygoers included Trump , Ivanka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr. , Bill Barr , Steve Mnuchin , Alex Azar , David Bernhardt , and hundreds of others .
Thus far , at least six White House staffers ― including Trump campaign aide Nick Trainer ― also reportedly have COVID-19 .
This election night celebration is far from the first administration event to be linked to an outbreak .
In October , Trump was diagnosed with the virus along with several other top Republicans who ’ d joined him at fundraising events and other outings .
First lady Melania Trump , adviser Hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway , former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and others have all had the virus .
Carson is notably a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force , which has aimed to coordinate and oversee “ the administration ’ s efforts to monitor , prevent , contain , and mitigate the spread ” of the virus .
More than 10 million cases of the virus have been reported in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .

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Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Carson is “in good spirits & feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery,” his chief of staff told ABC’s Katherine Faulders. The retired neurosurgeon tested positive at Walter Reed after experiencing symptoms.
News of Carson’s diagnosis comes after he attended an election night watch party at the White House with President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who was diagnosed with the virus on Friday.
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In addition to Meadows and Carson, partygoers included Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., Bill Barr, Steve Mnuchin, Alex Azar, David Bernhardt, and hundreds of others. Thus far, at least six White House staffers ― including Trump campaign aide Nick Trainer ― also reportedly have COVID-19.
This election night celebration is far from the first administration event to be linked to an outbreak. In October, Trump was diagnosed with the virus along with several other top Republicans who’d joined him at fundraising events and other outings.
First lady Melania Trump, adviser Hope Hicks, campaign manager Bill Stepien, former White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and others have all had the virus.
Carson is notably a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which has aimed to coordinate and oversee “the administration’s efforts to monitor, prevent, contain, and mitigate the spread” of the virus.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Susan Collins Becomes Fourth Republican Senator To Congratulate Biden On Victory

Sen. Susan Collins ( R-Maine ) on Monday became the fourth Republican senator to publicly congratulate President-elect Joe Biden on his election victory .
“ First , I would offer my congratulations to President-elect Biden on his apparent victory ― he loves this country , and I wish him every success , ” Collins said in a statement .
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris “ should be given every opportunity to ensure that they are ready to govern ” on Inauguration Day , scheduled for Jan. 20 , Collins said .
Emily Murphy , a Trump-appointed federal official whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s win to begin the mammoth task of transitioning between presidents , has refused to do so , potentially delaying the official transfer of power , The Washington Post reported Sunday .
Susan Collins becomes third Republican senator to publicly congratulate Biden and Harris .
“ First , I would offer my congratulations to President-elect Biden on his apparent victory – he loves this country , and I wish him every success . ''
pic.twitter.com/cVRXeit0p3 — Hayley Miller ( @ hayleymiller01 ) November 9 , 2020 Collins said Monday that Trump should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge the results of the election .
Trump has repeatedly ― and baselessly ― claimed there was widespread voter fraud and ballot-counting irregularities during the election .
“ I know that many are eager to have certainty right now , ” Collins said in her statement .
“ While we have a clear direction , we should continue to respect that process .
I urge people to be patient .
The process has not failed our country in more than 200 years , and it is not going to fail our country this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Senate last week following her toughest reelection bid to date , facing challenges from Democrat Sara Gideon and independents Lisa Savage and Max Linn .
Ahead of the 2016 election , Collins wrote that she could not vote for Trump .
This year , she refused to answer whether she voted for him .
Republican Sens .
Mitt Romney of Utah , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska have already congratulated Biden and Harris on their win .
But the vast majority of GOP lawmakers have remained silent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas , have continued to sow doubt about the election outcome .
On Sunday , Graham told Fox News that Trump should not concede .
CORRECTION : An earlier version of this post said Collins was the third Republican senator to congratulate Biden .
In fact , she appears to be the fourth .

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Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday became the fourth Republican senator to publicly congratulate President-elect Joe Biden on his election victory.
“First, I would offer my congratulations to President-elect Biden on his apparent victory ― he loves this country, and I wish him every success,” Collins said in a statement.
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Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris “should be given every opportunity to ensure that they are ready to govern” on Inauguration Day, scheduled for Jan. 20, Collins said.
Emily Murphy, a Trump-appointed federal official whose job includes signing off on the president-elect’s win to begin the mammoth task of transitioning between presidents, has refused to do so, potentially delaying the official transfer of power, The Washington Post reported Sunday.
Susan Collins becomes third Republican senator to publicly congratulate Biden and Harris.
“First, I would offer my congratulations to President-elect Biden on his apparent victory – he loves this country, and I wish him every success." pic.twitter.com/cVRXeit0p3 — Hayley Miller (@hayleymiller01) November 9, 2020
Collins said Monday that Trump should be “afforded the opportunity” to challenge the results of the election. Trump has repeatedly ― and baselessly ― claimed there was widespread voter fraud and ballot-counting irregularities during the election.
“I know that many are eager to have certainty right now,” Collins said in her statement. “While we have a clear direction, we should continue to respect that process. I urge people to be patient. The process has not failed our country in more than 200 years, and it is not going to fail our country this year.”
Collins won a fifth term in the Senate last week following her toughest reelection bid to date, facing challenges from Democrat Sara Gideon and independents Lisa Savage and Max Linn. Ahead of the 2016 election, Collins wrote that she could not vote for Trump. This year, she refused to answer whether she voted for him.
Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska have already congratulated Biden and Harris on their win. But the vast majority of GOP lawmakers have remained silent.
Others, such as Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas, have continued to sow doubt about the election outcome. On Sunday, Graham told Fox News that Trump should not concede.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post said Collins was the third Republican senator to congratulate Biden. In fact, she appears to be the fourth.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--How Democrats’ Senate Dreams Crumbled

How Democrats’ Senate Dreams Crumbled

But in the final weeks of the 2020 election , Democrats started to worry .
Their internal polls showed Collins not only fighting back , but closing the gap with Gideon .
In the days leading up to the election , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) called other members , warning them Gideon may lose .
Republicans saw a similar uptick , though many still thought Gideon would triumph after Maine ’ s ranked-choice voting process .
Republicans and Democrats working on Senate races quickly reached the same , somewhat unexpected conclusion .
The death of Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides thought would hurt Collins ’ chances by reminding Maine voters of her unpopular decision to back Brett Kavanaugh ’ s Supreme Court confirmation in 2018 ― instead gave her a renewed chance to highlight her independence with her vote against the nomination of Justice Amy Coney Barrett , persuading enough swing voters to cast ballots for both her and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Senate Democrats entered the fall riding high .
While only two of the states they were targeting ― Colorado and Maine ― voted for Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they believed they had created a map of almost unprecedented breadth .
With the help of millions of dollars of grassroots fundraising , Republican-leaning states from Alaska to Montana were in play , and swing states like North Carolina and Arizona seemed to be trending in the Democratic direction .
Democrats still have a chance at winning the Senate , where before the election they had a 53-47 disadvantage .
They ’ ve won two states ― Colorado and Arizona ― while suffering an expected loss in Alabama .
But their once-optimistic chances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either a miracle win in Alaska or on sweeping two runoff elections scheduled for January in Georgia .
By August , a once-narrow Democratic path to the Senate majority had opened up , buoyed by the successful Democratic recruitment of candidates like Hickenlooper , Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock , astronaut Mark Kelly in Arizona and party-switching state Sen. Barbara Bollier in Kansas .
Even candidates who began with a lower profile , like real estate developer Theresa Greenfield in Iowa , former Democratic National Committee official Jaime Harrison in South Carolina and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , had made their races competitive .
“ If you were to turn your TV on in every state in the country that had a competitive Senate race , you would see exactly the same ad run by every Democratic candidate , every Democratic outside group and the DSCC , ” Steven Law said .
“ Our data suggests the Democratic attacks were particularly effective there.
” Law said Republicans would need to address the issue .
“ We ’ re going to have to do more in that vein , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You ’ re foolish if you think [ these attacks are ] just going to evaporate.
” But he also wondered if Democrats were too reliant on a few key issues and whether their attacks would “ become an over-chewed piece of gum by the time the election came around.
” Democrats were confident voters would punish the GOP for recklessness on a key issue .
“ These senators , the ones who actually were elected , all won in 2014 on an ACA repeal strategy , ” Barasky said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with a replacement .
None of them did.
” Voters in these states reverted to form .
GOP internal polling showed that as voters across the board became more aware Biden was likely to win the presidency in the final weeks , it became harder for Democratic candidates to win over the Republicans and conservative-leaning independents they needed to win .
The chance to compete slipped away from Democrats in Kansas and Montana .
Greenfield ’ s advantage over Ernst in Iowa ― one poll showed the Democrat winning 10 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major groups spending on Senate races ― The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Senate Majority PAC for Democrats , plus the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Senate Leadership Fund for the GOP ― put a combined $ 660 million into Senate races across the country .
In the end , roughly $ 152 million of that total went to races that were decided by 10 percentage points or more , according to data from OpenSecrets .
By the final weeks of the race , it was clear at least some of this money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats raised from grassroots donors ― was heading straight into the political furnace .
Amy McGrath raised nearly $ 100 million for a race neither the GOP nor Democrats thought was a key battleground .
In South Carolina , Democrat Jaime Harrison desperately began to air multiple ads boosting Constitution Party candidate Bill Bledsoe , hoping to lower the bar he needed to clear to defeat Graham .

Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon had led GOP Sen. Susan Collins in polls ― public and private, Republican and Democratic ― for months. Her likely victory over the longtime incumbent was a key building block in Democrats’ plan to retake the Senate after six years in the minority.
But in the final weeks of the 2020 election, Democrats started to worry. Their internal polls showed Collins not only fighting back, but closing the gap with Gideon. In the days leading up to the election, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called other members, warning them Gideon may lose. Republicans saw a similar uptick, though many still thought Gideon would triumph after Maine’s ranked-choice voting process.
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Instead, Collins romped, winning 51% of the vote to Gideon’s 42%. Even if the ranked-choice voting process had eliminated two independent candidates, Gideon likely only would have reached about 47%.
Republicans and Democrats working on Senate races quickly reached the same, somewhat unexpected conclusion. The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ― which both sides thought would hurt Collins’ chances by reminding Maine voters of her unpopular decision to back Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation in 2018 ― instead gave her a renewed chance to highlight her independence with her vote against the nomination of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, persuading enough swing voters to cast ballots for both her and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Senate Democrats entered the fall riding high. While only two of the states they were targeting ― Colorado and Maine ― voted for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton four years earlier, they believed they had created a map of almost unprecedented breadth. With the help of millions of dollars of grassroots fundraising, Republican-leaning states from Alaska to Montana were in play, and swing states like North Carolina and Arizona seemed to be trending in the Democratic direction.
Super PACs allied with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) agreed with their wallets, pouring tens of millions of dollars into defending incumbents like Lindsey Graham in South Carolina and Steve Daines in Montana.
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Democrats still have a chance at winning the Senate, where before the election they had a 53-47 disadvantage. They’ve won two states ― Colorado and Arizona ― while suffering an expected loss in Alabama. But their once-optimistic chances have now faded dramatically, reliant on either a miracle win in Alaska or on sweeping two runoff elections scheduled for January in Georgia.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) celebrates his reelection against Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham on election night in Mooresville, North Carolina. Cunningham seemed set to unseat the unpopular incumbent, but a sex scandal helped doom his candidacy. Brian Blanco via Getty Images
Collins’ unexpected comeback in Maine is only one part of a story of how Democrats’ boldest Senate dreams crumbled ― a story that also involves sex scandals, late breaks and massive polling errors ― ultimately culminating in a wipeout in key states fueled by ultra-high Trump-powered turnout.
“I was hoping that we would sweep to victory with a number of Senate wins,” former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who defeated GOP Sen. Cory Gardner, said on MSNBC on Wednesday. “It’s not the level of excitement I was hoping to wake up to.”
By August, a once-narrow Democratic path to the Senate majority had opened up, buoyed by the successful Democratic recruitment of candidates like Hickenlooper, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, astronaut Mark Kelly in Arizona and party-switching state Sen. Barbara Bollier in Kansas. Even candidates who began with a lower profile, like real estate developer Theresa Greenfield in Iowa, former Democratic National Committee official Jaime Harrison in South Carolina and former state Sen. Cal Cunningham in North Carolina, had made their races competitive.
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“We found a lot of candidates who were uniquely good for their states and for this environment,” Justin Barasky, a senior adviser at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in an interview the day before the election. “Republicans underestimated these campaigns and these candidates.”
But each side pursued different strategies. Republicans largely developed individualized attacks for each Democratic opponent, often using opposition research. They attacked Iowa’s Theresa Greenfield over her business record, and unsuccessfully attempted to tie Kelly to the Chinese government.
Democrats relentlessly hammered incumbent Republicans, regardless of state, for supporting the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with preexisting conditions. The head of the major Senate GOP super PAC, Senate Leadership Fund, conceded the ads had a significant impact.
“If you were to turn your TV on in every state in the country that had a competitive Senate race, you would see exactly the same ad run by every Democratic candidate, every Democratic outside group and the DSCC,” Steven Law said. “Our data suggests the Democratic attacks were particularly effective there.”
Law said Republicans would need to address the issue. “We’re going to have to do more in that vein,” he said of legislation protecting preexisting conditions. “You’re foolish if you think [these attacks are] just going to evaporate.” But he also wondered if Democrats were too reliant on a few key issues and whether their attacks would “become an over-chewed piece of gum by the time the election came around.”
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Democrats were confident voters would punish the GOP for recklessness on a key issue. “These senators, the ones who actually were elected, all won in 2014 on an ACA repeal strategy,” Barasky said. “They had six years to come up with a replacement. None of them did.”
The low point for Senate Republicans essentially matched the low point for the president they ran alongside ― President Donald Trump’s off-the-walls performance in the first presidential debate, followed by the president’s coronavirus illness. GOP candidates’ standing in the polls plummeted. Over the week that followed, Republican groups would reserve $20 million worth of air time in three solidly GOP states ― South Carolina, Kansas and Alaska.
Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison thanks supporters after conceding to South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Nov. 3, in Columbia, South Carolina. Harrison's high-dollar campaign failed to unseat the Trump-loving incubent. Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
Million-dollar donations would keep coming throughout the final weeks, according to Federal Election Commission records. After raising $90 million in September, Senate Leadership Fund would bank $1 million from a coal executive on Oct. 2; $2 million from the National Association of Realtors on Oct. 6; $5 million from banking fortune heir Timothy Mellon on Oct. 9; a matching $5 million from hedge fund manager Ken Griffin on Oct. 14.
Along with record fundraising from the National Republican Senatorial Committee ― it raised $275 million this cycle, smashing a previous record of $155 million ― the cash would prove crucial to fending off Democratic candidates powered by record-breaking grassroots fundraising.
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In the midst of Trump’s personal battle with coronavirus, Republicans got their first break. A conservative website, then mainstream newspapers in North Carolina, reported that Cunningham had exchanged sexual texts with a married woman. Cunningham, a former military lawyer, had long led the unpopular Tillis by narrow margins, even running ahead of Biden.
The affair gave Republicans hope of upsetting that dynamic. Tillis’ campaign, along with outside groups, would run more than a dozen ads highlighting it in the closing weeks of the race as Cunningham dodged the press. Public surveys showed Cunningham’s image tanking, even if he held onto a small lead in the polls.
The GOP always had a clear advantage in most other states on the map. “We have, to some extent now, a home field advantage,” Law acknowledged. “We have states that mostly trend Republican in presidential elections.”
Voters in these states reverted to form. GOP internal polling showed that as voters across the board became more aware Biden was likely to win the presidency in the final weeks, it became harder for Democratic candidates to win over the Republicans and conservative-leaning independents they needed to win. The chance to compete slipped away from Democrats in Kansas and Montana. Greenfield’s advantage over Ernst in Iowa ― one poll showed the Democrat winning 10% of Trump voters ― evaporated.
The four major groups spending on Senate races ― The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Senate Majority PAC for Democrats, plus the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Senate Leadership Fund for the GOP ― put a combined $660 million into Senate races across the country. In the end, roughly $152 million of that total went to races that were decided by 10 percentage points or more, according to data from OpenSecrets.
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By the final weeks of the race, it was clear at least some of this money ― never mind the tens of millions Democrats raised from grassroots donors ― was heading straight into the political furnace. Amy McGrath raised nearly $100 million for a race neither the GOP nor Democrats thought was a key battleground. In South Carolina, Democrat Jaime Harrison desperately began to air multiple ads boosting Constitution Party candidate Bill Bledsoe, hoping to lower the bar he needed to clear to defeat Graham.
Republicans were particularly baffled by the $20 million two Democratic groups ― Senate Majority PAC and Future Forward ― poured into the Texas Senate race with only weeks left in the election. The GOP was never worried about defending Sen. John Cornyn, who eventually defeated Democrat M.J. Hegar by 10 percentage points ― 5 points ahead of Joe Biden in the state.
Republicans turned out in surprisingly high numbers across the map, dooming Greenfield, Bullock, Bollier and Harrison’s efforts in GOP-leaning states. Cunningham’s bruised image meant he ran behind Biden, who is narrowly losing in North Carolina, instead of ahead of him. Collins topped Gideon.
Before the results were known, Law ― a top ally of McConnell ― was asked if he thought Democrats had made any major mistakes over the course of the election cycle. He had a few critiques, like suggesting they had wasted money boosting Cunningham during his primary, but mostly thought they pursued the correct strategy.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Philadelphia Election Official Says Office Receiving Death Threats: 'Very Deranged'

Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt , a Republican who is one of three officials running the city ’ s elections , said his office has received death threats during the vote-counting process .
“ From the inside looking out , it feels all very deranged , ” Schmidt told CBS ’ s “ 60 Minutes ” in an interview that aired Sunday .
“ At the end of the day , we are counting eligible votes cast by voters .
The controversy surrounding it is something I don ’ t understand.
” As results continue to trickle in after Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies have made baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud and irregularities in the ballot-counting process .
Though virtually all of the major media networks ― including Trump-friendly Fox News ― have projected Joe Biden as the winner , Trump has refused to concede .
His campaign has filed multiple lawsuits in several states , but has offered little to no specific evidence of widespread irregularities .
Multiple judges have already dismissed some of the suits .
Trump and his allies have alleged that Republican election observers weren ’ t allowed into a Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers for Trump ’ s campaign admitted to a judge last week that there were more than a dozen GOP election observers at the site along with Democratic observers .
Schmidt told CBS that people have called his office to make thinly veiled threats against election workers .
About 200 city workers , along with the city ’ s three-member bipartisan board of elections , will continue to count ballots for at least another week , he said .
“ It ’ s people making accusations that we wouldn ’ t count those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or just coming up with just all sorts of crazy stuff , ” Schmidt told CBS , adding that people are falsely accusing election workers of cheating or manipulating vote tallies .
They make “ calls to our offices reminding us that this is what the Second Amendment is for , people like us , ” he continued , referring to the constitutional right to keep and bear arms .
“ For counting votes in a democracy.
” Threats have been made against election workers across the country during the 2020 presidential race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the registrar in Clark County , Nevada , said last week that his family is “ very concerned ” for him amid a growing number of threats against his office .
On Wednesday , the day after Election Day , Trump supporters surrounded polling sites in Arizona and Pennsylvania ― two battleground states ― to harass election workers and demand they count votes fairly .
There ’ s no evidence that election workers were doing anything but counting votes fairly .
Two men armed with loaded handguns were arrested on Thursday near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being tabulated .
They were arrested after the FBI in Virginia relayed a tip about the pair ’ s plans to Philadelphia police .
The Hummer the two suspects were driving was adorned with an American flag and a window sticker for the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon , reported The Associated Press .

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Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, a Republican who is one of three officials running the city’s elections, said his office has received death threats during the vote-counting process.
“From the inside looking out, it feels all very deranged,” Schmidt told CBS’s “60 Minutes” in an interview that aired Sunday. “At the end of the day, we are counting eligible votes cast by voters. The controversy surrounding it is something I don’t understand.”
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As results continue to trickle in after Election Day, President Donald Trump and his allies have made baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud and irregularities in the ballot-counting process.
Though virtually all of the major media networks ― including Trump-friendly Fox News ― have projected Joe Biden as the winner, Trump has refused to concede. His campaign has filed multiple lawsuits in several states, but has offered little to no specific evidence of widespread irregularities. Multiple judges have already dismissed some of the suits.
Trump and his allies have alleged that Republican election observers weren’t allowed into a Philadelphia polling place on Election Day. But lawyers for Trump’s campaign admitted to a judge last week that there were more than a dozen GOP election observers at the site along with Democratic observers.
Republican Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt says his office, which runs the vote count, has received death threats. https://t.co/LNXfXwJrbk pic.twitter.com/ouxX0xGhKX — 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 9, 2020
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Schmidt told CBS that people have called his office to make thinly veiled threats against election workers. About 200 city workers, along with the city’s three-member bipartisan board of elections, will continue to count ballots for at least another week, he said.
“It’s people making accusations that we wouldn’t count those votes or people are adding fraudulent votes or just coming up with just all sorts of crazy stuff,” Schmidt told CBS, adding that people are falsely accusing election workers of cheating or manipulating vote tallies.
They make “calls to our offices reminding us that this is what the Second Amendment is for, people like us,” he continued, referring to the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. “For counting votes in a democracy.”
Threats have been made against election workers across the country during the 2020 presidential race. In Nevada, Joe Gloria, the registrar in Clark County, Nevada, said last week that his family is “very concerned” for him amid a growing number of threats against his office.
On Wednesday, the day after Election Day, Trump supporters surrounded polling sites in Arizona and Pennsylvania ― two battleground states ― to harass election workers and demand they count votes fairly. There’s no evidence that election workers were doing anything but counting votes fairly.
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Two men armed with loaded handguns were arrested on Thursday near the Philadelphia convention center, where votes were being tabulated.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Georgia GOP Senators Hurl False Fraud Allegations At Republican Election Chief

Georgia Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler endorsed false allegations of voter fraud and unfair elections in a joint letter calling on Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to immediately resign after the party underperformed in the state .
“ The Secretary of State has failed to deliver honest and transparent elections .
He has failed the people of Georgia , and he should step down immediately , ” Perdue and Loeffler wrote on Monday .
The letter , which alleges “ mismanagement and lack of transparency from the Secretary of State , ” presents no evidence or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raffensperger ’ s head anyway .
Raffensperger , the top election official in Georgia , is an elected Republican who was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp .
Perdue and Loeffler now join the chorus of elected Republicans echoing Trump ’ s false claims that he won the 2020 election and his allegations of voter fraud .
Trump has repeatedly claimed since emerging as a Republican Party political figure during the Obama administration that all national elections where Republicans have not won , and even some where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud .
( There is no evidence of mass voter or election fraud either in the 2020 election or in the recent past . )
The allegations from Perdue and Loeffler came as they both failed to reach the 50 % threshold on Nov. 3 to avoid runoff elections .
They will now face Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , respectively , in elections scheduled for Jan. 5 .
The outcome of these races will determine which party controls the Senate .
Raffensperger declined to resign in a statement responding to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s elections as “ transparent ” and “ orderly ” while calling on the senators to pay more attention to their reelection campaigns .
“ Let me start by saying that is not going to happen , ” Raffensperger said about the call for him to resign .
“ The voters of Georgia hired me , and the voters will be the one to fire me.
” He called the election a “ resounding success , ” as the state saw record turnout and few problems .
While he claimed , without evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal voting , ” he said his office was thoroughly investigating any allegations , but that it was “ unlikely ” it would shrink Biden ’ s margin enough for Trump to win the state .
“ The stakes are high and emotions are high on all sides , ” Raffensperger said on Nov. 6 .
“ We will not let that debate distract us from our work .
We will get it right.
” The secretary of state ’ s voting-systems manager also said that the state has not seen “ widespread @ @ @

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Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler endorsed false allegations of voter fraud and unfair elections in a joint letter calling on Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to immediately resign after the party underperformed in the state.
“The Secretary of State has failed to deliver honest and transparent elections. He has failed the people of Georgia, and he should step down immediately,” Perdue and Loeffler wrote on Monday.
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The letter, which alleges “mismanagement and lack of transparency from the Secretary of State,” presents no evidence or even examples of such, but demands Raffensperger’s head anyway. Raffensperger, the top election official in Georgia, is an elected Republican who was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
Perdue and Loeffler now join the chorus of elected Republicans echoing Trump’s false claims that he won the 2020 election and his allegations of voter fraud. Trump has repeatedly claimed since emerging as a Republican Party political figure during the Obama administration that all national elections where Republicans have not won, and even some where they have, are tainted by mass voter fraud. (There is no evidence of mass voter or election fraud either in the 2020 election or in the recent past.)
New: @Perduesenate and @KLoeffler have issued a joint statement calling for the @GaSecofState, a Republican, to step down:
“The management of Georgia elections has become an embarrassment for our state. Georgians are outraged, and rightly so.” #GASen pic.twitter.com/Qq35OUVfft — Eli Yokley (@eyokley) November 9, 2020
The allegations from Perdue and Loeffler came as they both failed to reach the 50% threshold on Nov. 3 to avoid runoff elections. They will now face Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, in elections scheduled for Jan. 5. The outcome of these races will determine which party controls the Senate.
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Raffensperger declined to resign in a statement responding to the letter. He also defended Georgia’s elections as “transparent” and “orderly” while calling on the senators to pay more attention to their reelection campaigns.
“Let me start by saying that is not going to happen,” Raffensperger said about the call for him to resign. “The voters of Georgia hired me, and the voters will be the one to fire me.”
He called the election a “resounding success,” as the state saw record turnout and few problems. While he claimed, without evidence, that he believed there was “illegal voting,” he said his office was thoroughly investigating any allegations, but that it was “unlikely” it would shrink Biden’s margin enough for Trump to win the state.
The secretary of state previously defended Georgia’s elections on Friday amid Trump’s efforts to undermine faith in the outcome.
“The stakes are high and emotions are high on all sides,” Raffensperger said on Nov. 6. “We will not let that debate distract us from our work. We will get it right.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Anderson Cooper On Calling Trump An 'Obese Turtle': 'I Regret Using Those Words'

CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper expressed regret over the weekend for controversial remarks he made about President Donald Trump last @ @ @ @ @ that he made the comments “ in the moment.
” On Thursday , the news @ @ @ @ @ erratic and dishonest press conference as election results rolled in .
As former Vice President @ @ @ @ @ to win the election , Trump falsely claimed he would win “ if you count @ @ @ @ @ baselessly suggested many votes were illegal .
“ That is the most powerful person in @ @ @ @ @ see him like an obese turtle on his back flailing in the hot sun , @ @ @ @ @ , ” Cooper said on air immediately after Trump spoke .
Many people spoke out @ @ @ @ @ comments for being fat-phobic .

CNN’s Anderson Cooper expressed regret over the weekend for controversial remarks he made about President Donald Trump last week, explaining to viewers that he made the comments “in the moment.”
On Thursday, the news anchor lambasted Trump for his erratic and dishonest press conference as election results rolled in. As former Vice President Joe Biden looked increasingly likely to win the election, Trump falsely claimed he would win “if you count the legal votes” and baselessly suggested many votes were illegal.
“That is the most powerful person in the world, and we see him like an obese turtle on his back flailing in the hot sun, realizing his time is over,” Cooper said on air immediately after Trump spoke.
Many people spoke out against Cooper and slammed his comments for being fat-phobic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Nationals Invite Joe Biden To Throw First Pitch On Opening Day

The 2020 presidential election has been called and former vice president Joe Biden is set to move into the White House in January .
It didn ’ t take long for the local baseball team to come a-calling .
As Biden delivered his victory speech on Saturday night , the Washington Nationals posted an invitation for Biden to throw out the first pitch on opening day of the 2021 season .
The latter part of the Nationals ’ statement , in which the team said it ’ s “ excited to continue the long-standing tradition of sitting Presidents throwing out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the juicier part of the message , as it ’ s hard to ignore who interrupted that tradition .
With President Donald Trump ’ s time in the White House poised to end in January , he will become just the second president to not throw out a first pitch at an MLB game since Howard Taft started the tradition in 1910 .
The other was Jimmy Carter .
That ’ s a bit of a surprise given that Trump is a self-described “ great baseball fan , ” and it may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides .
There was also the time in 2019 when Trump attended Game 5 of the World Series at Nationals Park , but did not throw the first pitch out of security and logistical concerns .
He instead watched Trump critic Jose Andres throw the first pitch , then got loudly booed when the Nationals showed him on the big screen .
Trump did throw first pitches before becoming president , perhaps most notably when he landed a helicopter at center field before taking the mound at a minor league game .

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The 2020 presidential election has been called and former vice president Joe Biden is set to move into the White House in January.
It didn’t take long for the local baseball team to come a-calling.
As Biden delivered his victory speech on Saturday night, the Washington Nationals posted an invitation for Biden to throw out the first pitch on opening day of the 2021 season.
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We look forward to hosting President-Elect Biden on Opening Day of the 2021 season.@JoeBiden // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/n3YzL7olWA — Washington Nationals (@Nationals) November 8, 2020
The latter part of the Nationals’ statement, in which the team said it’s “excited to continue the long-standing tradition of sitting Presidents throwing out the first pitch,” might be the juicier part of the message, as it’s hard to ignore who interrupted that tradition.
With President Donald Trump’s time in the White House poised to end in January, he will become just the second president to not throw out a first pitch at an MLB game since Howard Taft started the tradition in 1910. The other was Jimmy Carter.
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That’s a bit of a surprise given that Trump is a self-described “great baseball fan,” and it may not have been for lack of trying on both sides.
There was also the time in 2019 when Trump attended Game 5 of the World Series at Nationals Park, but did not throw the first pitch out of security and logistical concerns. He instead watched Trump critic Jose Andres throw the first pitch, then got loudly booed when the Nationals showed him on the big screen.
Trump did throw first pitches before becoming president, perhaps most notably when he landed a helicopter at center field before taking the mound at a minor league game.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Everything You Need To Know About The Georgia Runoff Elections

ASSOCIATED PRESS Gary Ragland , 64 , votes for the first time at Atlanta 's State Farm Arena during early voting in October .
Georgia voters will once again head to the polls in January to determine the winners of two Senate seats after no candidate received enough votes to win .
Two runoff elections in Georgia taking place in January will ultimately determine which party controls the U.S. Senate for at least the next two years , after no candidate secured a majority of the vote for either Senate seat on Nov. 3 .
These two elections will decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Senate , giving them the power to obstruct legislation under a Joe Biden administration , or whether the chamber will swing to the Democrats .
At the time of the November election , Republicans held a 53-47 majority over Democrats in the Senate .
Two other Senate races in North Carolina and Alaska were also too close to immediately call , but Republicans were leading in both and expected to win .
These wins would put Republicans two seats above the 48 seats grasped by Democrats , who only managed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats receive two more seats , such as the ones in Georgia , there would be a 50-50 split .
This balance would effectively give Democrats control of the chamber , thanks to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ’ ability to cast a tie-breaking vote as the new vice president , so long as there ’ s a party-line vote .
A runoff is essentially a rematch .
In Georgia , a runoff is declared when none of the candidates meet the criteria for winning .
Georgia law requires that a candidate receive at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to be declared a winner .
When are the runoffs ?
When is the deadline to register to vote in the runoffs ?
Which candidates are running , and who are they ?
Raphael Warnock is a Black senior pastor from the same Atlanta church where Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. preached .
Warnock has been politically active for several years .
He was arrested in 2014 and 2017 during political protests in Washington over Republicans ’ refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and over budget cuts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earned endorsements from former Presidents Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter as well as multiple Democratic senators , including now-Vice President-elect Harris .
If elected , Warnock would be the first Black senator from Georgia .
Jon Ossoff is an investigative journalist , a former congressional staffer and a rising Democratic star who raised more than $ 21 million during the last three months of the campaign ― the largest quarterly fundraising figure for a Senate race in Georgia history .
He has criticized his competitor for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produces personal protective equipment shortly after lawmakers received the first warnings about the coronavirus .
Republican Sen. David Perdue is a former business CEO who was first elected to the Senate in 2014 .
Like Loeffler , he is a Trump supporter .
In October , he faced backlash for taking a racist jab at the pronunciation of Harris ’ first name while warming up the crowds at a Trump rally , and he was accused of running an anti-Semitic attack ad against his opponent .
He has defended his stock purchases as @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Two runoff elections in Georgia taking place in January will ultimately determine which party controls the U.S. Senate for at least the next two years, after no candidate secured a majority of the vote for either Senate seat on Nov. 3.
These two elections will decide whether the Republicans will maintain control of the U.S. Senate, giving them the power to obstruct legislation under a Joe Biden administration, or whether the chamber will swing to the Democrats.
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Gary Ragland, 64, votes for the first time at Atlanta's State Farm Arena during early voting in October. Georgia voters will once again head to the polls in January to determine the winners of two Senate seats after no candidate received enough votes to win. ASSOCIATED PRESS
At the time of the November election, Republicans held a 53-47 majority over Democrats in the Senate. Two other Senate races in North Carolina and Alaska were also too close to immediately call, but Republicans were leading in both and expected to win. These wins would put Republicans two seats above the 48 seats grasped by Democrats, who only managed a net gain of one seat.
If Democrats receive two more seats, such as the ones in Georgia, there would be a 50-50 split. This balance would effectively give Democrats control of the chamber, thanks to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ ability to cast a tie-breaking vote as the new vice president, so long as there’s a party-line vote.
Here’s what you need to know about these crucial contests:
What is a runoff election?
A runoff is essentially a rematch. In Georgia, a runoff is declared when none of the candidates meet the criteria for winning. Georgia law requires that a candidate receive at least 50% of the vote in order to be declared a winner.
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Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock secured roughly 33% of votes in Georgia’s Nov. 3 election against Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who secured 26% of the vote. Incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R) secured just under 50% of votes against Jon Ossoff (D), who won roughly 48%.
When are the runoffs?
Jan. 5, 2021
When is the deadline to register to vote in the runoffs?
Dec. 7 is the last day for Georgia residents to register to vote, if they’re not already. Prospective voters can register through the Georgia Secretary of State’s office either online or by mail.
Those who will be 18 years old by Jan. 5 are able to register now and vote on that day under Georgia law.
Which candidates are running, and who are they?
Raphael Warnock is a Black senior pastor from the same Atlanta church where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. Warnock has been politically active for several years. He was arrested in 2014 and 2017 during political protests in Washington over Republicans’ refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and over budget cuts to social services, respectively. He has earned endorsements from former Presidents Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter as well as multiple Democratic senators, including now-Vice President-elect Harris. If elected, Warnock would be the first Black senator from Georgia.
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Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff, right, and Raphael Warnock, left, attend a campaign event in Jonesboro, Georgia, in October. Both men will be competing in a January runoff election. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jon Ossoff is an investigative journalist, a former congressional staffer and a rising Democratic star who raised more than $21 million during the last three months of the campaign ― the largest quarterly fundraising figure for a Senate race in Georgia history. He has criticized his competitor for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and for purchasing stock in a company that produces personal protective equipment shortly after lawmakers received the first warnings about the coronavirus.
Republican Sen. David Perdue is a former business CEO who was first elected to the Senate in 2014. Like Loeffler, he is a Trump supporter. In October, he faced backlash for taking a racist jab at the pronunciation of Harris’ first name while warming up the crowds at a Trump rally, and he was accused of running an anti-Semitic attack ad against his opponent. He has defended his stock purchases as legal.
Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) walks with Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) in July in Atlanta. Both will be competing to hold on to their seats in the January runoff elections. ASSOCIATED PRESS
How can you vote?
Georgians can vote by absentee ballot, through early voting or in person on Jan. 5.
An absentee ballot can be requested through the voter’s local election commission. Once these requests are received, the ballots will be mailed out starting Nov. 18.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--DOTUS: The Bidens' Dogs Champ and Major Honored With Twitter Tribute Account

Saturday ’ s victory is giving President-elect Joe Biden ’ s dogs a whole new leash on life with a fetching Twitter account .
German shepherds Champ and Major Biden have no official ties with the tribute Twitter account that launched Sunday according to the Biden campaign , but neither pooch should be whining about it .
“ We are the First Dogs of the USA , Champ and Major Biden , ” their Twitter profile said .
“ You can call us # DOTUS .
We love nom noms , snuggles and we can ’ t wait to explore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to-die-for photos and awful dog puns , like “ pawsidential , ” “ pawsitive ” and “ pawblic.
” ( The pooches refer to Joe Biden as “ Dad.
” ) They also gave a woof-out to supportive “ doggos ” that stood by the humans who fought for Biden ( Beto O ’ Rourke and Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass. )
.
As of Sunday night , the dogs had already attracted nearly 64,000 followers .
They mostly followed politicians and media sites .
No surprise , countless pets introduced themselves in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the big victory : 🐾 Hello America !
Hello world !
It ’ s us , Champ and Major .
We are the Bidens ’ family puppers and First Dogs Elect ( s ) of USA .
We want to thank you all for your suppawrt by sharing our pawsidential adventures here !
Woof !
Woof !
🐶🇺🇸🐕 pic.twitter.com/J46aiXKVFW — Champ & Major Biden 🇺🇸 ( @ First_Dogs_USA ) November 8 , 2020 🐾 We ’ re so proud of our dad @ JoeBiden , the first ever presidential candidate to receive 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting a record of his own as he 's the first ever rescue pupper to live in the WH .
We ’ re gon na play all day & receive countless treats !
# DOTUS # FirstDogs pic.twitter.com/o1Hsr7nZ8e — Champ & Major Biden 🇺🇸 ( @ First_Dogs_USA ) November 9 , 2020 🐾 We woof like to thank our suppawrters , the doggos that stood by their hoomans as they ran for office and then endorsed our dad : @ First_Dog_USA , @ firstdogsSB , @ FirstDogBailey and all the other puppers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love you !
# FirstDogsCoalition # UnitedWeWoof pic.twitter.com/1WUkJCDN5E — Champ & Major Biden 🇺🇸 ( @ First_Dogs_USA ) November 8 , 2020 🐾 We love cats !
Turtles too !
We ’ re best friends with the O ’ Rourke family cat Silver , as well as their turtle Gus and of course , their doggo Artemis @ First_Dog_USA .
We ’ re very inclusive .
All pets are welcome in our # PetCoalition pic.twitter.com/bwpKMaCaKD — Champ & Major Biden 🇺🇸 ( @ First_Dogs_USA ) November 8 , 2020 Congratulations Champ and Major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Brooklyn and are rescue dogs too .
We support you and thank you for representing us !
@ MSzobota pic.twitter.com/5k2Qb3QKAF — Erik Szobota ( @ ErikSzobota ) November 9 , 2020 Hi Champ & Major !
I ’ m Baxter , I ’ m a big fan , & so excited to have a rescue dog like me in the White House !
# dogsforbiden # AdoptDontShop pic.twitter.com/TSdpPs7uWC — Kate Hamill ( @ katerone ) November 8 , 2020 We are so happy to see animals in the White House again !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pic.twitter.com/r6o8JKEu6G — Murph says “ vote Biden/Harris !
” ( @ murphy_the_gr8 ) November 9 , 2020 Clarification : This article has been updated to make clear that the account is not associated with the Biden campaign or his transition team .

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🐾 Hello America! Hello world! It’s us, Champ and Major. We are the Bidens’ family puppers and First Dogs Elect(s) of USA. We want to thank you all for your suppawrt by sharing our pawsidential adventures here! Woof! Woof! 🐶🇺🇸🐕


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Progressives Are Not Preparing To Temper Their Expectations Under A Biden Presidency

Joe Raedle via Getty Images U.S. President-elect Joe Biden arrives to address the media after receiving a briefing from the transition COVID-19 advisory board on Nov. 9 at the Queen Theater in Wilmington , Delaware .
As the incoming administration begins to take shape , progressive politicians and activists kicked off this week affirming their desire to see President-elect Joe Biden govern with consideration for the liberal wing of the Democratic Party .
Citing key Democratic victories spurred by progressive activists and liberal-leaning voting blocs in potential swing states like Arizona and Georgia , over the last few days a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said Biden must lead with an eye toward the people largely responsible for helping him win the White House .
On Monday , for example , New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doubled down on previous remarks she made in an interview advising the Biden administration against former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel , an establishment Democrat who as mayor withheld video of the police shooting of Black teenager Laquan McDonald , as a potential Cabinet pick .
In a New York Times interview published over the weekend , she said adding someone like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a hostile approach to the grass-roots and the progressive wing of the party.
” Beginning on election night , as forecasters developed a clearer picture of Biden ’ s likely victory , Democrats ’ marginal retention of the House and the still-uncertain power balance in the Senate , politicos online and on television have floated their theories about who bears responsibility for the party ’ s wins and perceived failures .
That discussion has fueled subsequent talks about who holds power in the intra-party jostle among centrist and progressive Democrats .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Democrats last week , multiple centrist candidates , including some who lost races this election cycle , blamed progressives for discussing issues they claim didn ’ t play well in their districts .
“ We need to not ever use the word ‘ socialist ’ or ‘ socialism ’ ever again , ” Rep. Abigail Spanberger ( D-Va. ) reportedly said .
“ We lost good members because of that.
” Biden rode waves of Latino , Black and Indigenous support in states like Arizona and Georgia , where high voter turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of Monday evening .
Since Biden was named the presumptive winner in the presidential election , activist groups who helped Democrats win these states have been undeterred by calls for them to temper their expectations .
“ Voters decided and they showed up for immigrant youth and their families .
They showed up for people with pre-existing conditions .
They showed up for our planet and climate change .
And they showed up for workers ’ and women ’ s rights , ” the organization ’ s co-directors said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to continue to push for bold , innovative and unapologetic agendas that center the needs of our communities.
” The president of the National Congress of American Indians , the “ oldest , largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization , ” recently said in a co-written piece that the organization expects the Biden administration to pursue a bold agenda involving truth and reconciliation for the country ’ s 574 tribal nations .
And around the country , Black progressive organizations including Black Voters Matter , Fair Fight and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black voters bring to the Democratic Party , and the need for the party to respond with policies that tangibly improve Black lives .
For his part , Biden , who stressed moderation at times throughout his presidential campaign , celebrated the diversity of his coalition during his victory speech over the weekend .
Biden thanked Americans of various identities ― “ gay , straight , transgender , white , Latino , Asian , Native American.
” “ And especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest , the African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden said .

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden arrives to address the media after receiving a briefing from the transition COVID-19 advisory board on Nov. 9 at the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware. Joe Raedle via Getty Images
As the incoming administration begins to take shape, progressive politicians and activists kicked off this week affirming their desire to see President-elect Joe Biden govern with consideration for the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.
Citing key Democratic victories spurred by progressive activists and liberal-leaning voting blocs in potential swing states like Arizona and Georgia, over the last few days a number of progressive leaders across the country have said Biden must lead with an eye toward the people largely responsible for helping him win the White House.
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On Monday, for example, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doubled down on previous remarks she made in an interview advising the Biden administration against former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, an establishment Democrat who as mayor withheld video of the police shooting of Black teenager Laquan McDonald, as a potential Cabinet pick.
“We must govern with integrity and accountability,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Monday. “Laquan McDonald’s life mattered.”
In a New York Times interview published over the weekend, she said adding someone like Emanuel to a Biden administration would be “a hostile approach to the grass-roots and the progressive wing of the party.”
The call to “govern with integrity” was repeated by Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) in a tweet on Monday and is fast becoming a progressive slogan online.
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Beginning on election night, as forecasters developed a clearer picture of Biden’s likely victory, Democrats’ marginal retention of the House and the still-uncertain power balance in the Senate, politicos online and on television have floated their theories about who bears responsibility for the party’s wins and perceived failures. That discussion has fueled subsequent talks about who holds power in the intra-party jostle among centrist and progressive Democrats.
In comments leaked from a conference call for House Democrats last week, multiple centrist candidates, including some who lost races this election cycle, blamed progressives for discussing issues they claim didn’t play well in their districts.
“We need to not ever use the word ‘socialist’ or ‘socialism’ ever again,” Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) reportedly said. “We lost good members because of that.”
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives later attributed some losses to a slew of campaigning missteps.
Biden rode waves of Latino, Black and Indigenous support in states like Arizona and Georgia, where high voter turnout put him ahead of President Donald Trump as of Monday evening. Since Biden was named the presumptive winner in the presidential election, activist groups who helped Democrats win these states have been undeterred by calls for them to temper their expectations.
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In Arizona, for example, LUCHA, a grassroots organization focusing on social, economic and racial justice, has been credited for driving successful get-out-the-vote efforts that helped turn the state blue.
“Voters decided and they showed up for immigrant youth and their families. They showed up for people with pre-existing conditions. They showed up for our planet and climate change. And they showed up for workers’ and women’s rights,” the organization’s co-directors said in a statement Saturday, adding that they are “ready to continue to push for bold, innovative and unapologetic agendas that center the needs of our communities.”
The president of the National Congress of American Indians, the “oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization,” recently said in a co-written piece that the organization expects the Biden administration to pursue a bold agenda involving truth and reconciliation for the country’s 574 tribal nations.
And around the country, Black progressive organizations including Black Voters Matter, Fair Fight and others continue to stress the incomparable value Black voters bring to the Democratic Party, and the need for the party to respond with policies that tangibly improve Black lives.
For his part, Biden, who stressed moderation at times throughout his presidential campaign, celebrated the diversity of his coalition during his victory speech over the weekend. Biden thanked Americans of various identities ― “gay, straight, transgender, white, Latino, Asian, Native American.”
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“And especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest, the African American community stood up for me,” Biden said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Democrats Urge Trump Appointee To Authorize Presidential Transition

Democrats are calling on a key government agency to sign off on President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory and aid in the mammoth task of transitioning between presidents before Biden ’ s Jan. 20 inauguration .
The General Services Administration , headed by Trump appointee Emily Murphy , has resisted signing the paperwork that would give Biden and his team access to millions of dollars in transitions funds , as well as official access to government officials and equipment to prepare the incoming administration , according to The Washington Post .
Until Murphy formally ascertains that Biden has won the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not access government funds or communicate with federal agencies .
Biden ’ s team , for example , can not receive the same intelligence briefings as Trump because of the GSA ’ s refusal to sign off on the election results .
Acknowledging Biden ’ s victory would also grant his team access to $ 9.9 million for salaries and spending up to the inauguration .
“ We hope you will recognize that every hour between now and January 20 , 2021 is critical for the transition team ’ s preparations for taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation faces , ” Maryland Sens .
Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen , who serve on committees overseeing the agency , wrote in a letter addressed to Murphy on Monday .
“ In the spirit of national unity and common purpose in addressing the needs of the American people , we request that you extend the necessary funding , resources , and assistance to the transition team upon their request and without delay , ” the senators added .
The standoff between the GSA and the Biden team is unlikely to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concede the election to Biden by citing baseless claims of widespread voter fraud .
Top Republicans ― including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( Ky. ) ― are standing with him .
Some GOP senators said on Monday that it was time to begin the transition process , even as they acknowledged Trump had a right to contest results in court , no matter how unlikely such an effort would prove at changing the result .
“ There ’ s a very likely prospect that there will be a change in administration and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and national security , we have a national interest in the transition proceeding as rapidly as can be done , ” Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) , who has congratulated Biden on his win , told HuffPost on Monday .
“ Until just a few years ago , there was no federal money for the transition .
Twenty years ago , George W. Bush didn ’ t have any money for the transition until almost January , ” Blunt told HuffPost .
“ I don ’ t think the transition is as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and saying ‘ we ’ re going to start paying for everything today ’ as it is on knowing what you ’ re doing .
”

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Democrats are calling on a key government agency to sign off on President-elect Joe Biden’s victory and aid in the mammoth task of transitioning between presidents before Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
The General Services Administration, headed by Trump appointee Emily Murphy, has resisted signing the paperwork that would give Biden and his team access to millions of dollars in transitions funds, as well as official access to government officials and equipment to prepare the incoming administration, according to The Washington Post.
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Until Murphy formally ascertains that Biden has won the election, the former vice president cannot access government funds or communicate with federal agencies. Biden’s team, for example, cannot receive the same intelligence briefings as Trump because of the GSA’s refusal to sign off on the election results. Acknowledging Biden’s victory would also grant his team access to $9.9 million for salaries and spending up to the inauguration.
Scroll down or click here for the latest updates from HuffPost’s election live blog.
“We hope you will recognize that every hour between now and January 20, 2021 is critical for the transition team’s preparations for taking on the multiple, pressing challenges our nation faces,” Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, who serve on committees overseeing the agency, wrote in a letter addressed to Murphy on Monday.
“In the spirit of national unity and common purpose in addressing the needs of the American people, we request that you extend the necessary funding, resources, and assistance to the transition team upon their request and without delay,” the senators added.
The letter cited the GSA’s obligation under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, which promotes the orderly transfer of executive power between presidents.
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The standoff between the GSA and the Biden team is unlikely to end soon. Trump continues to refuse to concede the election to Biden by citing baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Top Republicans ― including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) ― are standing with him.
A spokesperson for the GSA told Politico on Monday that the agency’s position on the matter is unchanged.
“An ascertainment has not yet been made,” the spokesperson said.
Some GOP senators said on Monday that it was time to begin the transition process, even as they acknowledged Trump had a right to contest results in court, no matter how unlikely such an effort would prove at changing the result.
“There’s a very likely prospect that there will be a change in administration and for the purposes of a smooth transition and national security, we have a national interest in the transition proceeding as rapidly as can be done,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who has congratulated Biden on his win, told HuffPost on Monday.
But Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, which handles election matters, downplayed the impact of a delayed election certification by the federal government.
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“Until just a few years ago, there was no federal money for the transition. Twenty years ago, George W. Bush didn’t have any money for the transition until almost January,” Blunt told HuffPost. “I don’t think the transition is as hinged on the federal government stepping up and saying ‘we’re going to start paying for everything today’ as it is on knowing what you’re doing.”
Read Cardin and Van Hollen’s letter below.
Read live updates on the election below. (Note: An ad blocker may prevent you from seeing the blog, so if you’re using one, please pause or turn it off.)


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Trump Camp Forced To Switch Voter Fraud Hotline Numbers To Dodge Prank Calls

President Donald Trump ’ s campaign has been forced to repeatedly change its voter fraud hotline number in a fruitless effort to avoid prank calls .
The campaign is relying on the hotline to find incidents that might actually back up Trump ’ s baseless claims of election fraud .
Instead , the hotline has become a particular favorite of TikTok pranksters and others who share it on social media .
One TikTok caller attempted to report apparently nefarious doings by an “ obese turtle that has rolled over on its back , ” referring to journalist Anderson Cooper ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Alex Hirsch , creator of the “ Gravity Falls ” cartoon , posted one of his calls to the hotline on Twitter .
He reported suspicious activities by someone who sounded suspiciously like McDonald ’ s Hamburglar , adding helpfully : “ I think he ’ s probably antifa.
” Hirsch also called in the voice of one of his characters , Stan Pines , boasting about vote-stealing .
( Listen to the video up top . )
Lara Trump , for one , is not amused .
Eric Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud seriously in a tweet announcing yet another new hotline number .
“ Keep spamming , ” she taunted .
“ We will keep changing the number.
” Another new number 👇🏽 To those who have spammed our other numbers : it ’ s shameful that you don ’ t think it ’ s important to have integrity in our elections .
It ’ s fundamental to our republic .
Keep spamming .
We will keep changing the number .
🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ILPJrqG42D — Lara Trump ( @ LaraLeaTrump ) November 7 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say about that .
Please help us fabricate fraud !
All these pesky judges keep throwing out our cases for lack of evidence .
— Atomic Rocket 🌭 ( @ AT0MICRocket ) November 9 , 2020 THERE IS FRAUD !
( Please call us and tell us where the fraud is , because we don ’ t know . )
That is what you people are saying .
Shameful .
— Kurt `` Mask Up , Vote Early '' Eichenwald ( @ kurteichenwald ) November 9 , 2020 A few turned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out efforts to hobble the U.S .
Postal Service and to “ subvert democracy with disinformation and lies.
” I think it is important .
Election fraud is very serious .
I ’ m concerned with the fraud that has been happening with the USPS and the intentional delay of mail .
I will call the hotline to leave the tip .
Perhaps you could investigate who ordered the delay and who hired that person .
— Georgia Blue Voted !
🌊 ( @ TGalore2 ) November 9 , 2020 I need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , who appears to be somewhat cognitively impaired , at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. , DC , with his sycophants trying to subvert democracy with disinformation and lies .
— JuneBug ( @ JMarieT03 ) November 9 , 2020

President Donald Trump’s campaign has been forced to repeatedly change its voter fraud hotline number in a fruitless effort to avoid prank calls.
The campaign is relying on the hotline to find incidents that might actually back up Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. Instead, the hotline has become a particular favorite of TikTok pranksters and others who share it on social media.
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One TikTok caller attempted to report apparently nefarious doings by an “obese turtle that has rolled over on its back,” referring to journalist Anderson Cooper’s controversial description of Trump last week.
Alex Hirsch, creator of the “Gravity Falls” cartoon, posted one of his calls to the hotline on Twitter. He reported suspicious activities by someone who sounded suspiciously like McDonald’s Hamburglar, adding helpfully: “I think he’s probably antifa.”
Hirsch also called in the voice of one of his characters, Stan Pines, boasting about vote-stealing. (Listen to the video up top.)
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Lara Trump, for one, is not amused. Eric Trump’s wife scolded Americans for not taking voter fraud seriously in a tweet announcing yet another new hotline number.
“Keep spamming,” she taunted. “We will keep changing the number.”
Another new number 👇🏽 To those who have spammed our other numbers: it’s shameful that you don’t think it’s important to have integrity in our elections. It’s fundamental to our republic. Keep spamming. We will keep changing the number. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ILPJrqG42D — Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) November 7, 2020
Critics on Twitter had a few things to say about that.
Please help us fabricate fraud! All these pesky judges keep throwing out our cases for lack of evidence. — Atomic Rocket 🌭 (@AT0MICRocket) November 9, 2020
LARA HELP HELP I SAW A BLACK PERSON VOTING, DO SOMETHING — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) November 9, 2020
THERE IS FRAUD! (Please call us and tell us where the fraud is, because we don’t know.)
That is what you people are saying. Shameful. — Kurt "Mask Up, Vote Early" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 9, 2020
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A few turned the tables on the Trump administration, calling out efforts to hobble the U.S. Postal Service and to “subvert democracy with disinformation and lies.”
I think it is important. Election fraud is very serious. I’m concerned with the fraud that has been happening with the USPS and the intentional delay of mail. I will call the hotline to leave the tip. Perhaps you could investigate who ordered the delay and who hired that person. — Georgia Blue Voted! 🌊 (@TGalore2) November 9, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-09--Whoopi Goldberg Doesn't Mince Words In Missive To Trump Supporters: 'Suck It Up'

Trump himself has refused to do so , even though Biden ― based on nonpartisan analysis of the vote in the key states ― has been projected the winner by all the major networks and The Associated Press .
The former vice president also has been congratulated on his victory by foreign leaders around the world .
Trump has maintained , without evidence , that Democrats cheated in the vote in various states .
That has prompted many of his followers to protest totally standard and legal vote counting processes around the country as fraudulent .
His allies in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent about his attacks on the democratic process .
“ To all those people who don ’ t believe that Americans actually got out and voted , let me say this to you .
When you-know-who was elected four years ago , Hillary Clinton didn ’ t say , ‘ Hey wait a minute , this doesn ’ t feel right , stop the count.
’ ” Goldberg noted .
“ She didn ’ t say , ‘ This isn ’ t right , I ’ m not going.
’ She didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So all of you , suck it up .
Suck it up like we sucked it up ” Goldberg continued , “ And if you ’ re not sure that you ’ re comfortable with Joe Biden , do what we did .
Find things and then take it to the law .
And if the law says it ’ s something to look at , look at it.
” She also urged Trump ’ s supporters to “ grow the pair for him that he can ’ t grow for himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminded those referencing the prolonged recount in the 2000 presidential race between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore that the comparison is flawed and off-target .
“ The difference in Florida — and the Republicans keep bringing this up — the difference was 500 votes in one state , ” she said .
( Bush ended up being declared the winner of Florida by 537 votes ― and thus won the presidency with 271 electoral votes , just one more than required . )
Biden ’ s margin over Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on one state .
Based on the AP calls , he leads with 290 electoral votes to Trump ’ s 214 , and Biden is ahead in the battle for Georgia ’ s 16 votes , pending a recount .
In Pennsylvania , the state that clinched Biden ’ s win on Saturday , he is up by more than 45,000 votes , and that figure is expected to rise a bit .
Trump carried the state in 2016 by slightly more than 44,000 votes .
“ This is the United States of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When our guys win , we got to suck it up .
When your guys win , we got to suck it up .
We each have to do what we have to do .
That ’ s the American way .
So let ’ s at least try to be respectful , because if you are not going to respect the fact that all these people came out and voted , you ’ re basically saying you don ’ t care about the American democracy .
”

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Whoopi Goldberg has a no-nonsense message for anyone questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election results and Joe Biden’s victory.
“The View” moderator on Monday’s show addressed supporters and allies of President Donald Trump, many of whom are refusing to acknowledge that Biden won the race.
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Trump himself has refused to do so, even though Biden ― based on nonpartisan analysis of the vote in the key states ― has been projected the winner by all the major networks and The Associated Press. The former vice president also has been congratulated on his victory by foreign leaders around the world.
Trump has maintained, without evidence, that Democrats cheated in the vote in various states. That has prompted many of his followers to protest totally standard and legal vote counting processes around the country as fraudulent. His allies in Congress, too, have defended or stayed silent about his attacks on the democratic process.
“To all those people who don’t believe that Americans actually got out and voted, let me say this to you. When you-know-who was elected four years ago, Hillary Clinton didn’t say, ‘Hey wait a minute, this doesn’t feel right, stop the count.’” Goldberg noted. “She didn’t say, ‘This isn’t right, I’m not going.’ She didn’t say any of that.”
“So all of you, suck it up. Suck it up like we sucked it up” Goldberg continued, “And if you’re not sure that you’re comfortable with Joe Biden, do what we did. Find things and then take it to the law. And if the law says it’s something to look at, look at it.”
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“All of you, suck it up — suck it up like we sucked it up.”@WhoopiGoldberg to those who won’t acknowledge that Biden won: “You’re bringing into question all these Americans who voted legally, came out and stood and voted. How dare you question it?” https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/LxcHhqbLXW — The View (@TheView) November 9, 2020
She also urged Trump’s supporters to “grow the pair for him that he can’t grow for himself, because this is ridiculous.”
“You’re bringing into question all these Americans who voted legally, came out, and stood, and voted. How dare you question it?” she added.
She later reminded those referencing the prolonged recount in the 2000 presidential race between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore that the comparison is flawed and off-target.
“The difference in Florida — and the Republicans keep bringing this up — the difference was 500 votes in one state,” she said. (Bush ended up being declared the winner of Florida by 537 votes ― and thus won the presidency with 271 electoral votes, just one more than required.)
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Biden’s margin over Trump in electoral votes is larger and not dependent on one state. Based on the AP calls, he leads with 290 electoral votes to Trump’s 214, and Biden is ahead in the battle for Georgia’s 16 votes, pending a recount. In Pennsylvania, the state that clinched Biden’s win on Saturday, he is up by more than 45,000 votes, and that figure is expected to rise a bit. Trump carried the state in 2016 by slightly more than 44,000 votes.