thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-29--Green New Deal Backers Go Head-To-Head With Koch Money In Texas Congressional Race

Working Families Party Progressive groups attacked Rep. Henry Cuellar for being the first Democrat whose campaign was backed by billionaire Charles Koch .
A super PAC founded by Koch told the Federal Election Commission last week it spent $ 34,000 to support Cuellar , who is facing a tough primary challenge from Jessica Cisneros , a 26-year-old immigration attorney backed by allies of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) .
The spending marked the first time Americans for Prosperity Action campaigned for a congressional Democrat .
To counter that , the progressive Working Families Party plans to air at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes with Republicans on cable networks in Laredo , the district ’ s largest city , where the incumbent has his headquarters .
As part of the push , nonprofit Texas Organizing Project and labor unions Communications Workers of America and SEIU Texas will increase field canvassing and phone banking .
The ad buy amplifies the symbolism of a primary fight that progressives hoped to make a referendum on the state of climate politics in the Democratic Party .
At just the moment when scientists say developed countries like the United States need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use at an unprecedented rate , Koch , who spent countless millions propping up candidates and think tanks that promoted the debunked theory that climate science was uncertain about the warming effect of adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere , is looking to expand his influence over Democrats .
The mostly-Hispanic district is deep in oil country , stretching southwest from San Antonio to the Mexican border .
The industry has greased the political machine Cuellar , 64 , built over his seven terms in office .
Throughout his career , oil and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to filings collected by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics , prompting one newspaper to dub Cuellar “ Big Oil ’ s favorite Democrat.
” Once Cisneros started gaining high-profile national backers over her support for the Green New Deal , a movement to phase out fossil fuels and expand the social safety net , the industry sent in the cavalry .
Oil and gas political action committees have spent $ 116,000 on Cuellar ’ s campaign since 2019 , while fossil fuel-dependent utilities pitched in $ 28,500 .
Earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which does not disclose its donors but spent years funding climate misinformation campaigns , rolled out its own 30-second TV ad in Spanish promoting Cuellar ’ s record and reported its plans to spend $ 200,000 supporting his reelection .
In response , Cisneros supporters ramped up their efforts , hoping enough firepower could deliver the kind of seismic upset that emanated from Ocasio-Cortez ’ s surprise 2018 defeat of former Rep. Joe Crowley , one of the most powerful Democrats in the House .
The David vs. Goliath campaign narrative attracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of profiles in Mothers Jones and Vogue wondered whether the 26-year-old daughter of migrant farmers would vault to the superstar heights of Ocasio-Cortez , whose undeniable political talent has already spurred open calls for a presidential run five years before she ’ s constitutionally eligible .
Vice went as far as to suggest Cisneros was “ poised to oust ” Cuellar , despite zero public polling to indicate that the insurgent challenger ’ s message was swaying voters .
Local media struck a more skeptical tone .
Texas Monthly relayed critiques that Cisneros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign of the sort that the left wing of the party might run in , say , Austin or New York.
” The Texas Observer surmised that Cisneros was utterly outmatched by a powerful and ruthless incumbent who trounced a liberal opponent before .
I question the value of trying to dislodge him with so much effort being put into this .
What happens when the progressive movement loses badly ?
“ We all know Cuellar has a dismal record , but at the same time , he has a very strong record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he ’ s very well known , ” said the operative , who is unaligned in the race .
“ I question the value of trying to dislodge him with so much effort being put into this .
What happens when the progressive movement loses badly ?
”

Progressive groups attacked Rep. Henry Cuellar for being the first Democrat whose campaign was backed by billionaire Charles Koch. Working Families Party
Backers of the Green New Deal are going head-to-head with the right-wing billionaire who bankrolled the modern climate denial movement on the oil industry’s home turf this weekend.
Ahead of next Tuesday’s closely watched primary in Texas’s 28th Congressional District, a progressive group is spending $50,000 on ads attacking Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) over the support his reelection campaign is getting from GOP megadonor and fossil fuel magnate Charles Koch, HuffPost has learned.
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A super PAC founded by Koch told the Federal Election Commission last week it spent $34,000 to support Cuellar, who is facing a tough primary challenge from Jessica Cisneros, a 26-year-old immigration attorney backed by allies of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). The spending marked the first time Americans for Prosperity Action campaigned for a congressional Democrat.
To counter that, the progressive Working Families Party plans to air at least 400 30-second spots highlighting Cuellar’s votes with Republicans on cable networks in Laredo, the district’s largest city, where the incumbent has his headquarters. As part of the push, nonprofit Texas Organizing Project and labor unions Communications Workers of America and SEIU Texas will increase field canvassing and phone banking.
“We want his expenditure to be a black eye,” Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the progressive Working Families Party, told HuffPost by phone Friday night. “Koch money doesn’t have a place at all in a Democratic primary.”
The ad buy amplifies the symbolism of a primary fight that progressives hoped to make a referendum on the state of climate politics in the Democratic Party. At just the moment when scientists say developed countries like the United States need to scale back fossil fuel production and use at an unprecedented rate, Koch, who spent countless millions propping up candidates and think tanks that promoted the debunked theory that climate science was uncertain about the warming effect of adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, is looking to expand his influence over Democrats.
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The mostly-Hispanic district is deep in oil country, stretching southwest from San Antonio to the Mexican border. The industry has greased the political machine Cuellar, 64, built over his seven terms in office. Throughout his career, oil and gas donors contributed more than $852,000, according to filings collected by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, prompting one newspaper to dub Cuellar “Big Oil’s favorite Democrat.”
Once Cisneros started gaining high-profile national backers over her support for the Green New Deal, a movement to phase out fossil fuels and expand the social safety net, the industry sent in the cavalry. Oil and gas political action committees have spent $116,000 on Cuellar’s campaign since 2019, while fossil fuel-dependent utilities pitched in $28,500.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which does not disclose its donors but spent years funding climate misinformation campaigns, rolled out its own 30-second TV ad in Spanish promoting Cuellar’s record and reported its plans to spend $200,000 supporting his reelection.
In response, Cisneros supporters ramped up their efforts, hoping enough firepower could deliver the kind of seismic upset that emanated from Ocasio-Cortez’s surprise 2018 defeat of former Rep. Joe Crowley, one of the most powerful Democrats in the House.
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Sunrise Movement, the influential youth campaigners whose protests made the Green New Deal a household name, marshalled its thousands of supporters, including hundreds of Spanish speakers, to staff phone banks and knock on doors on Cisneros’s behalf.
Though Cuellar won support from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and racked up hundreds of local endorsements, Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Julian Castro have backed Cisneros, along with the Texas AFL-CIO.
Immigration lawyer Jessica Cisneros interned for Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) years before launching a fierce primary challenge to the seven-term incumbent. Veronica Cardenas/Reuters
The David vs. Goliath campaign narrative attracted glowing national media coverage. The headlines of profiles in Mothers Jones and Vogue wondered whether the 26-year-old daughter of migrant farmers would vault to the superstar heights of Ocasio-Cortez, whose undeniable political talent has already spurred open calls for a presidential run five years before she’s constitutionally eligible. Vice went as far as to suggest Cisneros was “poised to oust” Cuellar, despite zero public polling to indicate that the insurgent challenger’s message was swaying voters.
Local media struck a more skeptical tone. Texas Monthly relayed critiques that Cisneros “seemed to be running a prepackaged campaign of the sort that the left wing of the party might run in, say, Austin or New York.” The Texas Observer surmised that Cisneros was utterly outmatched by a powerful and ruthless incumbent who trounced a liberal opponent before.
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“I question the value of trying to dislodge him with so much effort being put into this. What happens when the progressive movement loses badly?” - A climate-focused Democratic operative
One climate-focused Democratic operative, who requested anonymity to avoid alienating political allies, said progressives were taking too risky a bet pouring so many resources into Cisneros’s race.
“We all know Cuellar has a dismal record, but at the same time, he has a very strong record of political constituent services in his district, and he’s very well known,” said the operative, who is unaligned in the race. “I question the value of trying to dislodge him with so much effort being put into this. What happens when the progressive movement loses badly?”
The eleventh-hour cable ads didn’t seem to spook Cuellar’s campaign, which accused the national groups of being “giant hypocrites.”
“They’re outside-the-district third parties running an ad criticizing an outside-the-district third party, and they don’t see the irony in that,” Colin Strother, a spokesman for Cuellar, said by phone Friday.
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With early voting already underway, he echoed Pelosi, who last week came to Laredo and said she “assumes that Henry will win.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-28--Ted Cruz Mocks AOC's Science Chops; She Reminds Him He Doesn't Believe In Evolution

Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) tried to denigrate Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ’ s scientific knowledge Friday after she slammed President Donald Trump for putting Vice President Mike Pence in charge of protecting the nation from the new coronavirus .
The New Yorker clapped back that Cruz doesn ’ t even believe in evolution .
Cruz attacked Ocasio-Cortez after she tweeted that Pence was a bad pick to battle the novel coronavirus , named COVID-19 , because he not only has no medical expertise , but he also “ doesn ’ t believe in science.
” Cruz fired back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ oracle of science ” and asked her “ what exactly is a Y chromosome ?
” That ’ s when she pointed out he ’ s not evolved when it comes to science and listed some of her own intellectual bona fides , including an award from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a teenager .
Sen. Cruz , while I understand you judge people ’ s intelligence by the lowest income they ’ ve had , I hold awards from MIT Lincoln Lab & others for accomplishments in microbiology .
Secondly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re asking about chromosomes given that you don ’ t even believe in evolution .
https : //t.co/vOIwJhpl7q — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( @ AOC ) February 28 , 2020 Ocasio-Cortez had slammed Pence as Trump ’ s pick to head the war on COVID-19 because of his lack of expertise and a sketchy history on scientific issues .
Pence has infamously claimed that “ smoking doesn ’ t kill ” and that “ global warming is a myth.
” Had he taken action sooner to battle the spread of HIV with clean needle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the infection rate in one county would have been reduced by 90 % , according to a study by researchers from the Yale School of Public Health .
Pence also does not believe in evolution — but that God created man just as it says in the Bible .
Mike Pence literally does not believe in science .
It is utterly irresponsible to put him in charge of US coronavirus response as the world sits on the cusp of a pandemic .
This decision could cost people their lives .
Pence ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ //t.co/NhMPOusOWm — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( @ AOC ) February 27 , 2020 As governor , Pence ’ s science denial contributed to one of the worst HIV outbreaks in Indiana ’ s history .
He is not a medical doctor .
He is not a health expert .
He is not qualified nor positioned in any way to protect our public health .
https : //t.co/1jVY44p2HF — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( @ AOC ) February 27 , 2020 Trump once had a very different view about who should be in charge of an operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it came to the Obama administration :

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tried to denigrate Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s scientific knowledge Friday after she slammed President Donald Trump for putting Vice President Mike Pence in charge of protecting the nation from the new coronavirus. The New Yorker clapped back that Cruz doesn’t even believe in evolution.
Cruz attacked Ocasio-Cortez after she tweeted that Pence was a bad pick to battle the novel coronavirus, named COVID-19, because he not only has no medical expertise, but he also “doesn’t believe in science.”
Cruz fired back at Ocasio-Cortez, mocking her as the “oracle of science” and asked her “what exactly is a Y chromosome?” That’s when she pointed out he’s not evolved when it comes to science and listed some of her own intellectual bona fides, including an award from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a teenager.
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As you are speaking as the oracle of science, tell us, what exactly is a Y chromosome? https://t.co/t4XVVzWr3A — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 27, 2020
Sen. Cruz, while I understand you judge people’s intelligence by the lowest income they’ve had, I hold awards from MIT Lincoln Lab &others for accomplishments in microbiology.
Secondly, I’m surprised you’re asking about chromosomes given that you don’t even believe in evolution. https://t.co/vOIwJhpl7q — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 28, 2020
Sincerely,
an Intel global finalist,
a fmr multi-year intern for Sen. Kennedy,
a cum laude dual major in Economics & International Relations,
a fmr Educational Director for national organization,
Who to you is “just a bartender,”
And also your colleague.https://t.co/9ktAgXFXDE — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 28, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez had slammed Pence as Trump’s pick to head the war on COVID-19 because of his lack of expertise and a sketchy history on scientific issues.
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Pence has infamously claimed that “smoking doesn’t kill” and that “global warming is a myth.” Had he taken action sooner to battle the spread of HIV with clean needle distribution when he was Indiana governor, the infection rate in one county would have been reduced by 90%, according to a study by researchers from the Yale School of Public Health.
Pence also does not believe in evolution — but that God created man just as it says in the Bible.
Mike Pence literally does not believe in science.
It is utterly irresponsible to put him in charge of US coronavirus response as the world sits on the cusp of a pandemic.
This decision could cost people their lives. Pence’s past decisions already have. https://t.co/NhMPOusOWm — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 27, 2020
As governor, Pence’s science denial contributed to one of the worst HIV outbreaks in Indiana’s history.
He is not a medical doctor. He is not a health expert. He is not qualified nor positioned in any way to protect our public health.
https://t.co/1jVY44p2HF — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 27, 2020
Trump once had a very different view about who should be in charge of an operation to battle a disease — at least when it came to the Obama administration:
Obama just appointed an Ebola Czar with zero experience in the medical area and zero experience in infectious disease control. A TOTAL JOKE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2014


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-28--Trump Touts Border Wall In Face Of Coronavirus: ‘Border Security Is Health Security’

President Donald Trump boasted about the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border as he spoke about the threat of the new coronavirus on Friday , saying at a rally : “ Border security is also health security.
” Health experts told HuffPost a wall at the southern border is in no way related to preventing the spread of the virus in the U.S. “ We must understand that border security is also health security , ” the president said to cheers from the crowd at a reelection campaign rally in North Charleston , South Carolina , one day before the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do everything in our power to keep the infection from entering our country .
We have no choice , ” Trump said .
“ Whether it ’ s the virus that we ’ re talking about or many other public health threats , the Democrat policy of open borders is a direct threat to the health and well-being of all Americans… Now you see it with the coronavirus.
” “ When you have this virus ... or any other problem coming in .
It ’ s not the only thing that comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And now just using this — so important , right ?
So important.
” “ Walls are not going to keep [ the virus ] out , ” Gounder said , noting there were already two cases in California in which those infected had not traveled to any countries experiencing an outbreak or been in contact with anyone known to be infected — meaning these could be the first cases of “ community spread ” of the virus in the United States .
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein , a professor of health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health , said that the coronavirus threat was “ not related to the wall being built at the U.S. southern border.
” As of Friday , there were more than 60 confirmed cases in the U.S. of COVID-19 , or the disease caused by the virus , in the U.S. — mostly of people repatriated to the U.S. from other countries .
The World Health Organization on Friday raised its risk assessment of the coronavirus outbreak at a global level to “ very high.″ Meanwhile , Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic nomination for president , called this week for defunding Trump ’ s border wall and instead using the money for the Department of Health and Human Services ’ efforts to combat the virus .
As the president frequently does at his campaign rallies , Trump repeatedly attacked the news media as “ fake news , ” and claimed the press was “ in hysteria mode ” in reporting on the virus .
“ One of my people came up to me and said , ‘ Mr .
President , they tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia .
That didn ’ t work out too well .
They couldn ’ t do it .
They tried the impeachment hoax , ’ ” Trump said .
“ This is their new hoax , ” he added , apparently in reference to Democrats ’ criticisms of his administration ’ s response to the virus .

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President Donald Trump boasted about the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border as he spoke about the threat of the new coronavirus on Friday, saying at a rally: “Border security is also health security.”
Health experts told HuffPost a wall at the southern border is in no way related to preventing the spread of the virus in the U.S.
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“We must understand that border security is also health security,” the president said to cheers from the crowd at a reelection campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, one day before the Democratic primary in the state.
“You’ve all seen the wall is going up like magic,” he continued, saying they’d “have 500 miles built by very early next year.”
“We will do everything in our power to keep the infection from entering our country. We have no choice,” Trump said. “Whether it’s the virus that we’re talking about or many other public health threats, the Democrat policy of open borders is a direct threat to the health and well-being of all Americans… Now you see it with the coronavirus.”
“When you have this virus... or any other problem coming in. It’s not the only thing that comes through the border,” Trump said. “And now just using this — so important, right? So important.”
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Dr. Celine Gounder — a clinical assistant professor of infectious diseases at New York University and host of the podcast “Epidemic” — said Trump’s remarks “show a real lack of understanding on the way diseases spread.”
“Walls are not going to keep [the virus] out,” Gounder said, noting there were already two cases in California in which those infected had not traveled to any countries experiencing an outbreak or been in contact with anyone known to be infected — meaning these could be the first cases of “community spread” of the virus in the United States.
“There’s no point with approaching this as a borders issue,” Gounder said. “It’s here.”
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a professor of health policy at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that the coronavirus threat was “not related to the wall being built at the U.S. southern border.”
The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s question as to whether Trump thinks building a border wall is related to preventing the spread of coronavirus.
As of Friday, there were more than 60 confirmed cases in the U.S. of COVID-19, or the disease caused by the virus, in the U.S. — mostly of people repatriated to the U.S. from other countries. The World Health Organization on Friday raised its risk assessment of the coronavirus outbreak at a global level to “very high.″
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Trump speaks at a campaign rally Friday in North Charleston, South Carolina. Jacquelyn Martin/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Far-right politicians in Europe, including Italy’s Matteo Salvini and France’s Marine Le Pen, have also been exploiting people’s fear and uncertainty around the virus to advocate for closed borders and anti-immigration policies.
Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, called this week for defunding Trump’s border wall and instead using the money for the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to combat the virus.
At the rally Friday, Trump insisted that his administration is “prepared for the absolute worst” and taking the coronavirus threat “very, very seriously.”
As the president frequently does at his campaign rallies, Trump repeatedly attacked the news media as “fake news,” and claimed the press was “in hysteria mode” in reporting on the virus.
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The president also claimed that “the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus.”
“One of my people came up to me and said, ‘Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia. That didn’t work out too well. They couldn’t do it. They tried the impeachment hoax,’” Trump said. “This is their new hoax,” he added, apparently in reference to Democrats’ criticisms of his administration’s response to the virus.
Similarly, this week, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney claimed the media was covering the coronavirus outbreak only because it’s “all about” damaging Trump.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-28--Reporter Reveals Sexist Comments From MSNBC's Chris Matthews

Laura Bassett , a freelance journalist who covers culture and politics , shared details of inappropriate comments and sexist behavior from MSNBC ’ s Chris Matthews dating back to 2016 in an op-ed for GQ Magazine .
Bassett , a former HuffPost reporter , revealed that Matthews was the unnamed “ famous broadcast journalist ” she wrote about in a 2017 essay in which she describes how the media figure made suggestive remarks about her looks , asking a makeup artist to keep putting makeup on her so he could “ fall in love with her , ” as she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Some of Matthews ’ s behavior has already been well-documented , ” Bassett wrote in GQ , adding that “ Matthews has a pattern of making comments about women ’ s appearances in demeaning ways ” both on and off the air .
Bassett said that there is an “ open secret ” of the host ’ s off-camera behavior , which “ creeps up to the line of sexual harassment without actually crossing it.
” “ Many women in politics or media who have interacted with the bombastic host have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them feel uncomfortable on the job , ” she continued .
“ I have my own.
” Bassett ’ s GQ column was published after Matthews aggressively confronted Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
for bringing up nondisclosure agreements and accusations of misogyny and pregnancy discrimination against her opponent Mike Bloomberg during the Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina .
Chris Matthews asks Elizabeth Warren why she believes a female employee who sued Mike Bloomberg for telling her `` kill it '' when she was pregnant over Bloomberg .
`` You believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he lie ?
Just to protect himself ?
... You ’ re confident of your accusation ? ''
pic.twitter.com/hVkkQhhXtz — Justin Baragona ( @ justinbaragona ) February 26 , 2020 During the post-debate interview , Matthews asked Warren if she really believed that Bloomberg told a female employee to “ kill it ” after finding out she was pregnant .
In response , Warren said that pregnancy discrimination was a personal topic for her and pointed to the long history of people not believing women who have been harassed , sexually assaulted or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this exchange between Matthews and Warren to highlight another instance of the host undermining women and defending a man who ’ s made sexist remarks to accomplished women .
“ There was no reason for him to harp on its veracity , except , perhaps , that he himself has made so many sexist comments over the years that he has a vested interest in Bloomberg being let off the hook , ” Bassett wrote .
As Bassett noted , Matthews has his own history with inappropriate behavior toward employees at his company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the company paid settlement money to a producer in 1999 after she complained of Matthews making inappropriate jokes about her in front of other employees .
In 2018 , New York magazine obtained footage of Matthews making a joke about slipping “ Bill Cosby ” pills into the water of then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as he prepared for a 2016 interview with her .
Matthews apologized for that comment , telling the magazine that it was “ terrible ” an “ made in poor taste .
”

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Laura Bassett, a freelance journalist who covers culture and politics, shared details of inappropriate comments and sexist behavior from MSNBC’s Chris Matthews dating back to 2016 in an op-ed for GQ Magazine.
Bassett, a former HuffPost reporter, revealed that Matthews was the unnamed “famous broadcast journalist” she wrote about in a 2017 essay in which she describes how the media figure made suggestive remarks about her looks, asking a makeup artist to keep putting makeup on her so he could “fall in love with her,” as she prepared for an appearance on his show.
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“Some of Matthews’s behavior has already been well-documented,” Bassett wrote in GQ, adding that “Matthews has a pattern of making comments about women’s appearances in demeaning ways” both on and off the air.
Bassett said that there is an “open secret” of the host’s off-camera behavior, which “creeps up to the line of sexual harassment without actually crossing it.”
“Many women in politics or media who have interacted with the bombastic host have some kind of story about him making them feel uncomfortable on the job,” she continued. “I have my own.”
MSNBC did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.
Bassett’s GQ column was published after Matthews aggressively confronted Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) for bringing up nondisclosure agreements and accusations of misogyny and pregnancy discrimination against her opponent Mike Bloomberg during the Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina.
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Chris Matthews asks Elizabeth Warren why she believes a female employee who sued Mike Bloomberg for telling her "kill it" when she was pregnant over Bloomberg.
"You believe he's lying? ...Why would he lie? Just to protect himself? ...You’re confident of your accusation?" pic.twitter.com/hVkkQhhXtz — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) February 26, 2020
During the post-debate interview, Matthews asked Warren if she really believed that Bloomberg told a female employee to “kill it” after finding out she was pregnant. In response, Warren said that pregnancy discrimination was a personal topic for her and pointed to the long history of people not believing women who have been harassed, sexually assaulted or abused.
“Well, a pregnant employee sure said that he did,” Warren told the MSNBC host. “Why shouldn’t I believe her?”
Matthews pressed Warren further by asking, “Why would he lie? Just to protect himself?”
To which Warren replied, “Yeah. Why would she lie?”
Bassett opened her op-ed with this exchange between Matthews and Warren to highlight another instance of the host undermining women and defending a man who’s made sexist remarks to accomplished women.
“There was no reason for him to harp on its veracity, except, perhaps, that he himself has made so many sexist comments over the years that he has a vested interest in Bloomberg being let off the hook,” Bassett wrote.
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As Bassett noted, Matthews has his own history with inappropriate behavior toward employees at his company. MSNBC confirmed with the Daily Caller that the company paid settlement money to a producer in 1999 after she complained of Matthews making inappropriate jokes about her in front of other employees.
In 2018, New York magazine obtained footage of Matthews making a joke about slipping “Bill Cosby” pills into the water of then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as he prepared for a 2016 interview with her. Matthews apologized for that comment, telling the magazine that it was “terrible” an “made in poor taste.”
Media Matters fellow Matthew Gertz also compiled a list of misogynistic remarks made by Matthews in a 2018 Twitter thread.
Let's start with this gargantuan compilation in 2008, highlighting Matthews' "history of degrading comments about women, in which he focuses on the physical appearances of his female guests and other women discussed on his show." 2/ https://t.co/nAlYMf6q6G — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) January 12, 2018
Matthews to one of the stars of a pro-Obama YouTube video: "[B]e careful with the advances you are making with your eyes right now. I'm not a casting agent." 11/ — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) January 12, 2018
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From 2007, Matthews to Erin Burnett: "You're a knockout"; "It's all right getting bad news from you" In this one, he repeatedly urges her to get closer to the camera. It's incredibly creepy. 13/ https://t.co/TXDGaFkT9t — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) January 12, 2018


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-28--No, 38% Of Americans Probably Didn't Stop Drinking Corona Because Of Coronavirus

Many Twitter users seemed delighted for an excuse to poke fun at the rest of the country for jumping to such a dubious presumption ( the beer , of course , is in no way related to the virus ) .
But the poll and the reaction to it present their own lessons in drawing tenuous conclusions .
“ Clearly , a lot of Americans already think that their fellow citizens are stupid , ” Yascha Mounk wrote at The Atlantic .
“ The real reason a fake finding could have spread so far so quickly is that it confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held all along.
” It ’ s certainly true that Corona beer has drawn a wave of negative associations based on the unfortunate coincidence of its name in a way that could plausibly shift consumer behavior .
But what we know about the survey driving the story falls far short of backing up the more far-reaching claims .
The press release touting the poll offers little detail on what , exactly , people were asked , and 5W Public Relations has not been immediately forthcoming in answering additional questions .
The firm provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mounk and to the conservative site The Dispatch but refused to provide exact results for each question .
5WPR did not respond to HuffPost ’ s requests to provide a list of the survey ’ s questions , answer choices and results .
There are any number of ways a careful market researcher might attempt to tease out how , if at all , coronavirus has affected perceptions of the beer .
This isn ’ t one of them .
Instead , these questions manage to fail simultaneously in two different directions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phrasing ( “ In light of the coronavirus ... ” ) implies a queasy connection between the virus and the beer that people might not have considered until they were polled .
On the other hand , the final three questions ― including the one responsible for that startling 38 % statistic ― don ’ t explicitly mention coronavirus as a motivation at all .
In other words , drinkers who said they wouldn ’ t buy Corona might simply have meant that they prefer to order a different brand of beer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more plausible statistic is that , even “ in light of the coronavirus , ” just 4 % of Americans who “ usually drink Corona ” say they “ plan to stop ” drinking it .
Even here , the framing of the question is sloppy : If respondents “ plan to stop , ” doesn ’ t that imply they haven ’ t given it up yet ?
Beyond the lack of clarity on the questionnaire , the press release is also somewhat vague about how the poll was conducted .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via phone ” and surveyed “ 737 American beer drinkers over the age of 21 on February 25 & 26 , 2020.
” Nothing about that description raises immediate red flags , and it ’ s a generally acceptable sample size for a national survey .
But it falls short of answering a number of basic methodological questions , including whether the poll used live interviewers or robocalls , how it identified respondents and how it was weighted .
Because of that lack of detail , we also don ’ t know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinks Corona and whether that subgroup is large enough to examine on its own .
There is some additional data on Corona beer beyond the 5WPR release .
The polling firm YouGov , which tracks consumer sentiment on a variety of brands , shows Corona experiencing a pretty clear uptick in negative “ buzz , ” meaning that people who ’ ve heard of the brand are more likely to say they ’ ve heard something bad about it recently .
That ’ s not surprising , especially considering a previous ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small uptick in the number of people searching for the term “ corona beer virus ” on Google .
Stories based on the latest survey are likely to lend themselves to another wave of negative buzz .
YouGov ’ s polling also finds that “ purchase intent , ” which they define as the share of people who say Corona is the brand of beer they ’ re most likely to buy , has fallen to its lowest point in two years .
But , as YouGov notes , Corona ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holidays [ and ] does see substantial seasonal fluctuation.
” Looking at the chart suggests that the brand ’ s recent drop on this metric is only slightly more dramatic than the previous ups and downs it ’ s seen in years past .
( A spokesperson for brewer Constellation Brands told CNN that Corona sales “ remain very strong.
” ) In interpreting all this data , it ’ s also worth asking a few more questions about what it would actually mean if someone said they ’ d stopped drinking Corona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a person mistakenly believes that the beer would made them sick .
But it could also encompass other rationales ― for instance , “ the name reminds me of something unpleasant I ’ d rather not think about , ” or “ ordering one at the bar feels like asking to be the setup for a joke.
” If the 38 % statistic doesn ’ t tell us much about Americans ’ reaction to a pandemic , it does present a pretty good case study in the way misinformation can spread .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat it : News outlets shouldn ’ t write about polls unless they know exactly what questions were asked , and readers should treat any stories that don ’ t provide that information with an appropriate grain of salt .

Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
A buzzy statistic about Americans ditching Corona beer for fear of coronavirus doesn’t quite hold up under sober analysis.
On Friday morning, CNN tweeted that “38% of Americans wouldn’t buy Corona beer ‘under any circumstances’ because of the coronavirus” ― a claim that promptly went, well, viral. The poll, conducted by 5W Public Relations, saw coverage in multiple media outlets.
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Many Twitter users seemed delighted for an excuse to poke fun at the rest of the country for jumping to such a dubious presumption (the beer, of course, is in no way related to the virus). But the poll and the reaction to it present their own lessons in drawing tenuous conclusions.
“Clearly, a lot of Americans already think that their fellow citizens are stupid,” Yascha Mounk wrote at The Atlantic. “The real reason a fake finding could have spread so far so quickly is that it confirmed prejudices about the world that many have held all along.”
It’s certainly true that Corona beer has drawn a wave of negative associations based on the unfortunate coincidence of its name in a way that could plausibly shift consumer behavior. But what we know about the survey driving the story falls far short of backing up the more far-reaching claims.
The press release touting the poll offers little detail on what, exactly, people were asked, and 5W Public Relations has not been immediately forthcoming in answering additional questions. The firm provided a list of the questions it asked to Mounk and to the conservative site The Dispatch but refused to provide exact results for each question. 5WPR did not respond to HuffPost’s requests to provide a list of the survey’s questions, answer choices and results.
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Here are the questions that were asked, according to The Dispatch’s Declan Garvey, combined with the results 5WPR chose to include in its press release:
Are you a beer drinker?
Are you a Corona drinker?
Is Corona related to the coronavirus? (16% of beer-drinkers were “confused” about this.)
In light of the coronavirus, do you plan to stop drinking Corona? (4% who “usually drink Corona” said they planned to stop.)
Would you buy Corona in a store?
Would you order a Corona in a restaurant/bar/public venue? (14% who “usually drink Corona” said they would not.)
Would you buy Corona under any circumstances now? (38% of “beer-drinking Americans” said they would not.)
There are any number of ways a careful market researcher might attempt to tease out how, if at all, coronavirus has affected perceptions of the beer. This isn’t one of them. Instead, these questions manage to fail simultaneously in two different directions. On one hand, some of the phrasing (“In light of the coronavirus...”) implies a queasy connection between the virus and the beer that people might not have considered until they were polled.
On the other hand, the final three questions ― including the one responsible for that startling 38% statistic ― don’t explicitly mention coronavirus as a motivation at all. In other words, drinkers who said they wouldn’t buy Corona might simply have meant that they prefer to order a different brand of beer.
The much less eye-catching but entirely more plausible statistic is that, even “in light of the coronavirus,” just 4% of Americans who “usually drink Corona” say they “plan to stop” drinking it. Even here, the framing of the question is sloppy: If respondents “plan to stop,” doesn’t that imply they haven’t given it up yet?
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Beyond the lack of clarity on the questionnaire, the press release is also somewhat vague about how the poll was conducted. According to 5WPR, it was run “via phone” and surveyed “737 American beer drinkers over the age of 21 on February 25 & 26, 2020.” Nothing about that description raises immediate red flags, and it’s a generally acceptable sample size for a national survey. But it falls short of answering a number of basic methodological questions, including whether the poll used live interviewers or robocalls, how it identified respondents and how it was weighted. Because of that lack of detail, we also don’t know what share of its sample “usually” drinks Corona and whether that subgroup is large enough to examine on its own.
There is some additional data on Corona beer beyond the 5WPR release. The polling firm YouGov, which tracks consumer sentiment on a variety of brands, shows Corona experiencing a pretty clear uptick in negative “buzz,” meaning that people who’ve heard of the brand are more likely to say they’ve heard something bad about it recently. That’s not surprising, especially considering a previous (and similarly overhyped) wave of stories about a small uptick in the number of people searching for the term “corona beer virus” on Google. Stories based on the latest survey are likely to lend themselves to another wave of negative buzz.
YouGov BrandIndex Poll On Corona Beer YouGov
YouGov’s polling also finds that “purchase intent,” which they define as the share of people who say Corona is the brand of beer they’re most likely to buy, has fallen to its lowest point in two years. But, as YouGov notes, Corona’s product “is closely associated with beach holidays [and] does see substantial seasonal fluctuation.” Looking at the chart suggests that the brand’s recent drop on this metric is only slightly more dramatic than the previous ups and downs it’s seen in years past. (A spokesperson for brewer Constellation Brands told CNN that Corona sales “remain very strong.”)
YouGov BrandIndex Poll On Corona Beer YouGov
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In interpreting all this data, it’s also worth asking a few more questions about what it would actually mean if someone said they’d stopped drinking Corona because of coronavirus. It might mean that a person mistakenly believes that the beer would made them sick. But it could also encompass other rationales ― for instance, “the name reminds me of something unpleasant I’d rather not think about,” or “ordering one at the bar feels like asking to be the setup for a joke.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-28--Trump Supporters Unmoved By 'Operation Chaos' Effort To Boost Sanders

The effort is meant to sow discord in the Democratic presidential race by boosting the candidate that many in the GOP view as the easiest rival for President Donald Trump in November .
Republicans believe the senator ’ s self-described “ democratic socialist ” label and his proposals like “ Medicare for All ” will be a drag on the Democratic ticket and down-ballot candidates in the general election .
But nearly a dozen Trump supporters who spoke with HuffPost at the president ’ s rally in North Charleston on Friday said they weren ’ t planning on casting their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them were aware of the scheme .
“ I ’ m not doing that .
I have better things to do with my time , ” said Elizabeth Angelone , a nature photographer from Bluffton .
“ None of my friends are doing it.
” A Facebook video posted ahead of the rally and flyers that were handed out outside the event urged GOP voters to have “ a little fun ” and vote in the Democratic primary : “ I ’ ve heard that all day today , ” said Ilka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Charleston , said when asked about the effort .
The petrochemical saleswoman said she heard people in line at the event discussing the idea .
During his rally at the North Charleston Coliseum on Friday , Trump polled the massive crowd about who would be easier him to face in November , suggesting his supporters vote for whoever that is in the Democratic primary “ if permissible ” by law .
“ Who do I want to run against ?
” Trump asked the crowd , floating both Biden and Sanders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe crazy Bernie , I suppose , ” he concluded from the crowd ’ s reaction , using his nickname for the Vermont senator .
Jeffrey Rubin , 67 , who moved to South Carolina from Chicago , warned before the event that Republicans pushing the scheme ought to be careful what they wish for .
“ Years ago , when Obama was first running as a candidate for Democrat , all the Republicans back then said vote for Obama because he ’ s Black and he ’ ll never get elected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not going to do that .
I don ’ t think there ’ s any candidate the Democrats can get that ’ s better or worse for Trump.
” “ I don ’ t want to encourage them .
I don ’ t want them to see they have as much support as they do , ” Ortiz said .
Most Trump rallygoers who spoke to HuffPost on Friday dismissed the entire Democratic presidential field as not serious and far too liberal .
They pointed to the unruly Democratic debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more evidence of how the party and its presidential candidates have , in their view , little to offer to the country .
But John Harkin , 74 , a retiree from Charleston , did name a Democratic contender who has made an impression on him : Tom Steyer .
The environmentalist billionaire has blanketed the airwaves in South Carolina in recent weeks ― indeed , it ’ s hard to miss his ads on radio and television .
“ He ’ s impressed me the most .
He has no political baggage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was to vote tomorrow , I ’ d vote for Tom .
I ’ d like to see him put a kick in Bernie ’ s butt , along with Biden .
Put a thorn in their side.
” Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to do well in the Palmetto State primary on Saturday , based in large part on his strength with Black voters .
But Sanders has made inroads with voters in the state , and he ’ s likely to perform better here than in 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Hillary Clinton by a large margin .

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NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. ― Republican activists in South Carolina have been urging party voters this week to support Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Saturday’s open Democratic primary, a move that’s been dubbed “Operation Chaos.”
The effort is meant to sow discord in the Democratic presidential race by boosting the candidate that many in the GOP view as the easiest rival for President Donald Trump in November. Republicans believe the senator’s self-described “democratic socialist” label and his proposals like “Medicare for All” will be a drag on the Democratic ticket and down-ballot candidates in the general election.
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But nearly a dozen Trump supporters who spoke with HuffPost at the president’s rally in North Charleston on Friday said they weren’t planning on casting their ballot for Sanders, even though most of them were aware of the scheme.
“I’m not doing that. I have better things to do with my time,” said Elizabeth Angelone, a nature photographer from Bluffton. “None of my friends are doing it.”
A Facebook video posted ahead of the rally and flyers that were handed out outside the event urged GOP voters to have “a little fun” and vote in the Democratic primary:
They are handing these Operation Chaos flyers out at the North Charleston Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/qNYWe1Ujwd — Felicity Ropp (@licityropp) February 28, 2020
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“I’ve heard that all day today,” said Ilka Reilly, 49, who recently moved to Charleston, said when asked about the effort. The petrochemical saleswoman said she heard people in line at the event discussing the idea.
During his rally at the North Charleston Coliseum on Friday, Trump polled the massive crowd about who would be easier him to face in November, suggesting his supporters vote for whoever that is in the Democratic primary “if permissible” by law.
“Who do I want to run against?” Trump asked the crowd, floating both Biden and Sanders. “I don’t know, maybe crazy Bernie, I suppose,” he concluded from the crowd’s reaction, using his nickname for the Vermont senator.
Jeffrey Rubin, 67, who moved to South Carolina from Chicago, warned before the event that Republicans pushing the scheme ought to be careful what they wish for.
“Years ago, when Obama was first running as a candidate for Democrat, all the Republicans back then said vote for Obama because he’s Black and he’ll never get elected,” Rubin said. “No, I’m not going to do that. I don’t think there’s any candidate the Democrats can get that’s better or worse for Trump.”
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Rubin, who works as a surgeon in Charleston, said he supported Trump because of his accomplishments.
“I don’t like him personally. He’s a narcissist but he does what he says he’s going to do,” Rubin added.
Deitress Smith, a Black supporter of the president who lives in Charleston, expressed a similar sentiment.
“Bernie wouldn’t be easy to beat because he’s like Trump. A lot of people thought Trump was easy to beat,” she said.
Alan Woods, 70, a retired general contractor from Edisto Island, said that voting in the Democratic primary would be a waste of his time.
“I’ve got other things to do tomorrow. I’m not coming down here and voting with a bunch of Democrats,” he said.
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Nina Ortiz, a retiree from Myrtle Beach, agreed.
“I don’t want to encourage them. I don’t want them to see they have as much support as they do,” Ortiz said.
Most Trump rallygoers who spoke to HuffPost on Friday dismissed the entire Democratic presidential field as not serious and far too liberal. They pointed to the unruly Democratic debate in Charleston earlier this week as yet more evidence of how the party and its presidential candidates have, in their view, little to offer to the country.
But John Harkin, 74, a retiree from Charleston, did name a Democratic contender who has made an impression on him: Tom Steyer. The environmentalist billionaire has blanketed the airwaves in South Carolina in recent weeks ― indeed, it’s hard to miss his ads on radio and television.
“He’s impressed me the most. He has no political baggage,” Harkin said. “If I was to vote tomorrow, I’d vote for Tom. I’d like to see him put a kick in Bernie’s butt, along with Biden. Put a thorn in their side.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to do well in the Palmetto State primary on Saturday, based in large part on his strength with Black voters. But Sanders has made inroads with voters in the state, and he’s likely to perform better here than in 2016, when he lost to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by a large margin.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-28--Mike Bloomberg Doubles Down On Anti-Muslim Policy Like Too Many Leaders Before Him

“ Did you think it was necessary to single out Muslim Americans in that way and would you do that as president ?
” asked “ PBS NewsHour ” anchor Judy Woodruff .
“ There ’ s no question about where the terrible people ― who committed the terrible atrocities of the three airplane crashes and all the people getting killed ― where they came from , so it was the natural place to go , ” Bloomberg responded .
“ When politicians are not held accountable for their policies and legislation that negatively impacts marginalized communities , we only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ types of policies , ” said Hoda Hawa , director of the Washington , D.C. , office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council .
Despite numerous calls by advocacy groups for Bloomberg to apologize and condemn the police surveillance program , the billionaire stood his ground in the PBS interview and even went on to say that spying on American Muslims was “ a natural place to go.
” “ All of the people came from the same place and all that came were from a place they happened to be one religion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorists .
“ And if they ’ d been another religion , we would ’ ve done the same thing.
” Farhana Khera , the executive director at Muslim Advocates , told HuffPost that Bloomberg ’ s latest comments only made things worse .
Her organization filed a civil rights lawsuit against New York City in 2012 .
After a federal appeals court slammed the surveillance activities , a settlement required the NYPD to cease its efforts and pay businesses and mosques for income lost as a result of the targeting and related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to correct the record and stop misleading the public about what this program was , and certainly the legalities of it , ” said Khera .
The NYPD surveillance program , which was exposed in 2011 , placed undercover law enforcement officers and informants in predominantly Muslim communities where they surveilled mosques , took pictures of worshippers and hung out in Muslim-owned businesses and hookah bars .
The NYPD didn ’ t stop its efforts at city or even state lines , spying on people in New Jersey and Connecticut including students at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City ’ s surveillance program was not the first time Muslim civil rights were disproportionately targeted in the wake of 9/11 .
In 2002 , President George W. Bush implemented the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System ( NSEERS ) , a program that registered all male foreign nationals 16 years or older from 25 predominantly Arab and Muslim-majority countries .
Even after the Department of Homeland Security terminated the program during the Obama administration , not a single politician was held accountable for the damage inflicted upon the Muslim community .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to follow in the footsteps of NSEERS and say he would “ absolutely ” require Muslims in the U.S. to register in a database .
“ NSEERS never achieved a single terrorism-related conviction and it violated people ’ s rights .
Yet there was no real meaningful accountability for that kind of program , ” said Hina Shamsi , director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Security Project , which advocates for national security policies in line with the Constitution and civil liberties .
The Counter Violent Extremism ( CVE ) project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is another problematic program that disproportionately targeted the Muslim community at large .
Civil rights organizations contend that it was both ineffective as a strategy and discriminatory in practice .
According to the CVE webpage , the program was designed to take “ proactive measures ” against extremism by recruiting community leaders to assist the government in identifying those who might be “ at risk of becoming violent extremists.
” In exchange , their communities would get millions of dollars in grant money .
But in reality , the CVE program , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only helped to reinforce false Islamophobic stereotypes that Muslim Americans pose a grave threat of terrorism .
( Multiple studies have shown that far-right domestic terrorism has actually become a more dire threat to the American public than groups like ISIS or al Qaeda . )

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On Thursday, former New York City mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg doubled down in a newly released PBS interview and defended the widely criticized surveillance program that targeted, profiled and spied on Muslim Americans in the city.
“Did you think it was necessary to single out Muslim Americans in that way and would you do that as president?” asked “PBS NewsHour” anchor Judy Woodruff.
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“There’s no question about where the terrible people ― who committed the terrible atrocities of the three airplane crashes and all the people getting killed ― where they came from, so it was the natural place to go,” Bloomberg responded.
For nearly two decades, government agencies locally and nationally have implemented policies, like the New York Police Department’s surveillance program, that targeted Muslims under the guise of national security. They’ve produced no significant gains while severely undermining Muslim Americans’ civil rights.
“When politicians are not held accountable for their policies and legislation that negatively impacts marginalized communities, we only continue to see the progression of those types of policies,” said Hoda Hawa, director of the Washington, D.C., office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council.
Despite numerous calls by advocacy groups for Bloomberg to apologize and condemn the police surveillance program, the billionaire stood his ground in the PBS interview and even went on to say that spying on American Muslims was “a natural place to go.”
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“But it wasn’t a religion that killed them,” said Woodruff, referring to the Sept. 11 victims.
“All of the people came from the same place and all that came were from a place they happened to be one religion,” said Bloomberg of the 9/11 terrorists. “And if they’d been another religion, we would’ve done the same thing.”
Muslim rights advocates said they were alarmed by Bloomberg’s unwavering conviction and deeply concerned over his inflammatory remarks implying that the Muslim community deserved to be surveilled.
Farhana Khera, the executive director at Muslim Advocates, told HuffPost that Bloomberg’s latest comments only made things worse. Her organization filed a civil rights lawsuit against New York City in 2012. After a federal appeals court slammed the surveillance activities, a settlement required the NYPD to cease its efforts and pay businesses and mosques for income lost as a result of the targeting and related stigma.
“He has an obligation to correct the record and stop misleading the public about what this program was, and certainly the legalities of it,” said Khera.
Civil rights and legal advocates hold a press conference in June 2013 to discuss legal action challenging the New York Police Department's surveillance program. TIMOTHY CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
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The NYPD surveillance program, which was exposed in 2011, placed undercover law enforcement officers and informants in predominantly Muslim communities where they surveilled mosques, took pictures of worshippers and hung out in Muslim-owned businesses and hookah bars. The NYPD didn’t stop its efforts at city or even state lines, spying on people in New Jersey and Connecticut including students at local universities outside its jurisdiction.
New York City’s surveillance program was not the first time Muslim civil rights were disproportionately targeted in the wake of 9/11. In 2002, President George W. Bush implemented the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), a program that registered all male foreign nationals 16 years or older from 25 predominantly Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
Like the NYPD program, the federal initiative did not result in a single terrorism conviction and was largely described as a policy failure that served only to vilify Muslims.
Even after the Department of Homeland Security terminated the program during the Obama administration, not a single politician was held accountable for the damage inflicted upon the Muslim community. In 2015, then-candidate Donald Trump felt free to follow in the footsteps of NSEERS and say he would “absolutely” require Muslims in the U.S. to register in a database.
“NSEERS never achieved a single terrorism-related conviction and it violated people’s rights. Yet there was no real meaningful accountability for that kind of program,” said Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Security Project, which advocates for national security policies in line with the Constitution and civil liberties.
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The Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) project, developed by Homeland Security in 2015, is another problematic program that disproportionately targeted the Muslim community at large. Civil rights organizations contend that it was both ineffective as a strategy and discriminatory in practice.
According to the CVE webpage, the program was designed to take “proactive measures” against extremism by recruiting community leaders to assist the government in identifying those who might be “at risk of becoming violent extremists.” In exchange, their communities would get millions of dollars in grant money.
But in reality, the CVE program, like NSEERS and the NYPD surveillance, only helped to reinforce false Islamophobic stereotypes that Muslim Americans pose a grave threat of terrorism. (Multiple studies have shown that far-right domestic terrorism has actually become a more dire threat to the American public than groups like ISIS or al Qaeda.)
“These programs use religion and national origin as a proxy for threat or suspicion when what they are is nothing but policy based on suspicionless bigotry.” - Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Security Project
“These programs use religion and national origin as a proxy for threat or suspicion when what they are is nothing but policy based on suspicionless bigotry,” said Shamsi.
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In recent years, several states and nonprofits have rejected the CVE grants over concerns that the program unfairly profiles and vilifies Muslims.
Advocates remain concerned, however, that the official failure to acknowledge and take responsibility for the grave harms resulting from these programs encourages the use of similar programs in the future.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-01--Judge Rules Ken Cuccinelli Unlawfully Appointed Head Of Immigration Agency

A federal judge ruled on Sunday that Ken Cuccinelli was unlawfully installed as the acting director of the U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services .
President Donald Trump ’ s appointment of Cuccinelli , who also serves as the acting deputy secretary of the Homeland Security Department , violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 , U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss declared in his 55-page decision .
Only an official designated as “ first assistant , ” as defined by the FVRA , can assume the role of acting USCIS director when the vacancy arises , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new position of principal deputy director .
At the same time , the USCIS order of succession was revised to include the principal deputy director as a first assistant .
Both of these changes occurred after the vacancy had arisen .
Policies put in place under Cuccinelli , including reducing the time granted for asylum seekers to schedule “ credible fear ” interviews during expedited deportation proceedings , are now void , Moss ruled .
Trump appointed Cuccinelli , a supporter of the president ’ s hard-line immigration agenda , as head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

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A federal judge ruled on Sunday that Ken Cuccinelli was unlawfully installed as the acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
President Donald Trump’s appointment of Cuccinelli, who also serves as the acting deputy secretary of the Homeland Security Department, violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss declared in his 55-page decision.
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Only an official designated as “first assistant,” as defined by the FVRA, can assume the role of acting USCIS director when the vacancy arises, according to the ruling. Cuccinelli initially was appointed to the new position of principal deputy director. At the same time, the USCIS order of succession was revised to include the principal deputy director as a first assistant. Both of these changes occurred after the vacancy had arisen.
“Cuccinelli may have the title of Principal Deputy Director, and the Department of Homeland Security’s order of succession may designate the office of the Principal Deputy Director as the ‘first assistant’ to the Director,” Moss wrote. “But labels — without any substance — cannot satisfy the FVRA’s default rule under any plausible reading of the statute.”
Policies put in place under Cuccinelli, including reducing the time granted for asylum seekers to schedule “credible fear” interviews during expedited deportation proceedings, are now void, Moss ruled.
Trump appointed Cuccinelli, a former attorney general of Virginia and staunch supporter of the president’s hard-line immigration agenda, as head of USCIS in June of last year.
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DHS “obviously disagree[s] with the court’s opinion and [is] looking more closely at it,” Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for the department, told Reuters in a statement.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration will likely appeal the decision, Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond’s School of Law, told HuffPost.
“If the judge’s ruling prevails, it may have broader implications for some of Trump’s many choices who have the acting title,” Tobias added.
“The ruling may also affect other immigration policies that Trump officials want to take in the immigration area if this or other judges similarly view them as acting outside the Vacancies Act,” he added.
Read Moss’ full decision below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-01--Mike Pence: There 'Will Be More' Coronavirus Cases, Possible Deaths

Vice President Mike Pence , addressing coronavirus concerns in the U.S. on Sunday morning talk shows , said the risk of Americans contracting COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , “ remains low ” though future deaths are “ possible.
” “ There will be more cases .
There ’ s no question , ” he said in an interview on NBC ’ s “ Meet The Press , ” during which he also accused Democrats of overhyping and politicizing the virus .
Pence , who was tapped by President Donald Trump last week to oversee the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed that despite the recent death of a Washington man , “ the vast majority ” of cases will recover .
Individuals facing the greatest risk of death from COVID-19 are those with other health concerns .
Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that additional cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. are expected though the risk of death from it is low .
“ For people that have other conditions that would militate toward a worse outcome ... we could have more .
We could have more sad news , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s State of the Union .
“ But the American people should know the risk for the average American remains low.
” There have been 22 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of the virus in the U.S. since late January , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
This figure does not include the 44 cases involving people who were recently repatriated to the U.S. from Asia .
“ It ’ s reassuring that so few have gotten it .
It ’ s scary that in the very few cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a death , ” he told the vice president .
Pence responded by crediting Trump , saying it could have been worse if the president had not taken swift action , including suspending travel from China to the U.S .
The latest travel restrictions in the U.S. include any foreign national who has visited Iran within the last two weeks and a heightened travel advisory for specific regions of Italy and South Korea .
When asked about companies canceling overseas travel , Pence said he wouldn ’ t necessarily call that an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes Trump would respect “ any decisions that are made at the state and local level , ” should those responses involve closing schools .
Pence , in another part of the interview , accused Democrats of inflating fears of the virus in an attempt to hurt Trump .
“ There ’ s been a lot of irresponsible rhetoric among Democrats and commentators on the left , ” he said on NBC , after being presented with commentary from right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh accusing Democrats of trying to “ weaponize ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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Vice President Mike Pence, addressing coronavirus concerns in the U.S. on Sunday morning talk shows, said the risk of Americans contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, “remains low” though future deaths are “possible.”
“There will be more cases. There’s no question,” he said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” during which he also accused Democrats of overhyping and politicizing the virus.
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Pence, who was tapped by President Donald Trump last week to oversee the administration’s response to the outbreak, stressed that despite the recent death of a Washington man, “the vast majority” of cases will recover. Individuals facing the greatest risk of death from COVID-19 are those with other health concerns.
Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that additional cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. are expected though the risk of death from it is low. NBC Meet The Press
“For people that have other conditions that would militate toward a worse outcome ... we could have more. We could have more sad news,” he said in a separate interview with CNN’s State of the Union. “But the American people should know the risk for the average American remains low.”
There have been 22 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of the virus in the U.S. since late January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This figure does not include the 44 cases involving people who were recently repatriated to the U.S. from Asia.
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NBC’s Chuck Todd summarized the rate of death in the U.S. as “not reassuring.”
“It’s reassuring that so few have gotten it. It’s scary that in the very few cases we’ve had, we already have a death,” he told the vice president.
Pence responded by crediting Trump, saying it could have been worse if the president had not taken swift action, including suspending travel from China to the U.S.
The latest travel restrictions in the U.S. include any foreign national who has visited Iran within the last two weeks and a heightened travel advisory for specific regions of Italy and South Korea.
When asked about companies canceling overseas travel, Pence said he wouldn’t necessarily call that an overreaction. He also said that he believes Trump would respect “any decisions that are made at the state and local level,” should those responses involve closing schools.
“It’s a good time to use common sense,” he said.
Pence, in another part of the interview, accused Democrats of inflating fears of the virus in an attempt to hurt Trump.
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“There’s been a lot of irresponsible rhetoric among Democrats and commentators on the left,” he said on NBC, after being presented with commentary from right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh accusing Democrats of trying to “weaponize” the virus “to bring down Donald Trump.”
Pence, when pressed to name Democrats who have purposely inflated fears to hurt Trump, named a recent column in The New York Times that suggested renaming COVID-19 “the Trump virus.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-01--Biden Jabs Sanders: Harder For Democrats To Win Back Senate If He's Nominee

Joe Biden , fresh off a landslide victory in the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary , took aim at fellow candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) during a series of appearances on Sunday morning political shows .
The former vice president warned that Sanders winning the Democratic nomination could translate to big losses for Democratic congressional candidates during the November election .
Biden told “ Fox News Sunday ” that he will support Sanders if he ’ s the nominee , even though he doesn ’ t believe it would be a winning ticket for Democrats .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said .
“ And this is no great secret to anybody : You can ’ t run as an independent socialist ― now a democratic socialist ― and ... expect to do very well in the states we have to win.
” “ I believe that if I ’ m on the top of the ticket , we ’ ll win back the Senate and we ’ ll keep the House , ” he added .
“ Look , the people aren ’ t looking for revolution , they ’ re looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate calling for a “ political revolution ” to topple President Donald Trump ’ s reelection bid in November , is narrowly leading the Democratic pack of presidential hopefuls in terms of national delegates after strong showings in the first few presidential primary contests .
Biden bounced back in the race on Saturday , winning the South Carolina primary with 48.5 % of the vote .
Sanders came in a distant second with 19.9 % .
Another moderate presidential candidate , Pete Buttigieg , has also questioned Sanders ’ ability to protect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where voters in swing states helped flip the chamber in 2018 .
“ If you want to keep the House in Democratic hands , you might want to check with the people who actually turned the House blue : 40 Democrats who are not running on your platform , ” Buttigieg told Sanders at the Democratic debate in Charleston , South Carolina , on Tuesday .
“ They are running away from your platform as fast as they possibly can.
” But Sanders pushed back on criticism from Biden and other moderates during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later on Sunday .
“ You ’ ve ... called yourself an existential threat to the Democratic establishment .
I guess that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Democrats in the House and the Senate , ” said host George Stephanopoulos .
“ Don ’ t you need their support to win in November ?
” Stephanopoulos added that Biden was on the show earlier claiming that Sanders is a “ burden ” for House Democrats and Democratic Senate candidates .
“ That ’ s absolutely untrue , ” Sanders said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corporate wing of the Democratic Party .
For too long , the Democratic Party and leaders have been going to rich people ’ s homes raising money and they ’ ve ignored the working class and the middle class and the low-income people in this country .
That has got to change.
” It is my view that every Democratic candidate for president ― no matter who wins this nominating process , clearly I hope it ’ s me ― we ’ re going to come together because we all understand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country in the modern history of this country .
...
The trick is , which candidate can reach out and bring new people into the political process , who can create the excitement and the energy for young people to come in ?
I think that ’ s our campaign .

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Joe Biden, fresh off a landslide victory in the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, took aim at fellow candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during a series of appearances on Sunday morning political shows.
The former vice president warned that Sanders winning the Democratic nomination could translate to big losses for Democratic congressional candidates during the November election.
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“He’ll have great trouble bringing along other senators, keeping the House of Representatives, winning back the Senate and down-ballot initiatives,” Biden told ABC News’ “This Week.”
NEW: @GStephanopoulos: “You’re convinced that the Democrats will lose big in November if Bernie Sanders is the nominee?
Joe Biden: “He’ll have great trouble bringing along other senators, keeping the House of Representatives, winning back the Senate...” https://t.co/23kgGkwFyy pic.twitter.com/RPkrKTi4xD — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 1, 2020
Biden told “Fox News Sunday” that he will support Sanders if he’s the nominee, even though he doesn’t believe it would be a winning ticket for Democrats.
“It makes it very difficult down-ballot,” Biden said. “And this is no great secret to anybody: You can’t run as an independent socialist ― now a democratic socialist ― and ... expect to do very well in the states we have to win.”
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“I believe that if I’m on the top of the ticket, we’ll win back the Senate and we’ll keep the House,” he added. “Look, the people aren’t looking for revolution, they’re looking for results.”
Sanders, a progressive candidate calling for a “political revolution” to topple President Donald Trump’s reelection bid in November, is narrowly leading the Democratic pack of presidential hopefuls in terms of national delegates after strong showings in the first few presidential primary contests.
Biden bounced back in the race on Saturday, winning the South Carolina primary with 48.5% of the vote. Sanders came in a distant second with 19.9%.
Another moderate presidential candidate, Pete Buttigieg, has also questioned Sanders’ ability to protect the Democrats’ majority in the House, where voters in swing states helped flip the chamber in 2018.
“If you want to keep the House in Democratic hands, you might want to check with the people who actually turned the House blue: 40 Democrats who are not running on your platform,” Buttigieg told Sanders at the Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday. “They are running away from your platform as fast as they possibly can.”
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But Sanders pushed back on criticism from Biden and other moderates during an appearance on “This Week” later on Sunday.
“You’ve ... called yourself an existential threat to the Democratic establishment. I guess that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrats in the House and the Senate,” said host George Stephanopoulos. “Don’t you need their support to win in November?”
Stephanopoulos added that Biden was on the show earlier claiming that Sanders is a “burden” for House Democrats and Democratic Senate candidates.
“That’s absolutely untrue,” Sanders said. “I’m an existential threat to the corporate wing of the Democratic Party. For too long, the Democratic Party and leaders have been going to rich people’s homes raising money and they’ve ignored the working class and the middle class and the low-income people in this country. That has got to change.”
He continued:
It is my view that every Democratic candidate for president ― no matter who wins this nominating process, clearly I hope it’s me ― we’re going to come together because we all understand that Donald Trump is the greatest threat to this country in the modern history of this country. ... The trick is, which candidate can reach out and bring new people into the political process, who can create the excitement and the energy for young people to come in? I think that’s our campaign.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-01--Bernie Sanders Responds To Attack From Israeli Official After Netanyahu Criticism

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) responded Sunday to insults and accusations from an Israeli official who disagreed with critical comments the senator made about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .
During the Feb. 24 Democratic debate , Sanders , who is Jewish , answered a question about his support for Israel by declaring that the country must be allowed to maintain its independence in the Middle East , but he criticized Netanyahu for his treatment of Palestinians and Arabs in the region .
“ I am very proud of being Jewish .
I actually lived in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ But what I happen to believe is that right now — sadly , tragically in Israel — through Bibi Netanyahu , you have a reactionary racist who is now running that country.
” Sanders ’ s comments followed his previous statements condemning the conservative American Israel Public Affairs Committee , or AIPAC , for providing a platform for “ leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights.
” Sanders ’ s comments were widely seen as criticism of Netanyahu , who is scheduled to speak at the AIPAC conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conference on Sunday , Israel ’ s ambassador to the United Nations , Danny Dannon , lobbed several insults at Sanders .
“ We don ’ t want Sanders at AIPAC .
We don ’ t want him in Israel , ” he said , according to The Jerusalem Post .
“ Anyone who calls our prime minister a ‘ racist ’ is either a liar , an ignorant fool , or both.
” A source close to Netanyahu reportedly told The Jerusalem Post that Dannon ’ s comments “ were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Sunday appearance on CBS ’ s “ Face The Nation , ” Sanders responded to Dannon , saying he supports Israel but he is aware of Palestinians suffering in the region as well .
“ I am not anti-Israel , ” Sanders said .
“ I will do everything I can to protect the independence and the security and the freedom of the Israeli people .
But what we need in this country is a foreign policy that not only protects Israel , but deals with the suffering of the Palestinian people @ @ @ @

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Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded Sunday to insults and accusations from an Israeli official who disagreed with critical comments the senator made about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the Feb. 24 Democratic debate, Sanders, who is Jewish, answered a question about his support for Israel by declaring that the country must be allowed to maintain its independence in the Middle East, but he criticized Netanyahu for his treatment of Palestinians and Arabs in the region.
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“I am very proud of being Jewish. I actually lived in Israel for some months,” Sanders said. “But what I happen to believe is that right now — sadly, tragically in Israel — through Bibi Netanyahu, you have a reactionary racist who is now running that country.”
Sanders’s comments followed his previous statements condemning the conservative American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, for providing a platform for “leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights.” Sanders’s comments were widely seen as criticism of Netanyahu, who is scheduled to speak at the AIPAC conference on Sunday.
During a discussion at the conference on Sunday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, lobbed several insults at Sanders.
“We don’t want Sanders at AIPAC. We don’t want him in Israel,” he said, according to The Jerusalem Post. “Anyone who calls our prime minister a ‘racist’ is either a liar, an ignorant fool, or both.”
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A source close to Netanyahu reportedly told The Jerusalem Post that Danon’s comments “were not coordinated with the prime minister.”
During a Sunday appearance on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” Sanders responded to Danon, saying he supports Israel but he is aware of Palestinians suffering in the region as well.
“I am not anti-Israel,” Sanders said. “I will do everything I can to protect the independence and the security and the freedom of the Israeli people. But what we need in this country is a foreign policy that not only protects Israel, but deals with the suffering of the Palestinian people as well.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-01--Susan Collins Won't Say If She Voted For Trump In 2020 Republican Primary

After vowing not to vote for then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016 , citing his “ lack of self-restraint ” and “ unsuitablity for office , ” Sen. Susan Collins ( R-Maine ) has taken a decidedly more restrained approach to his reelection bid in 2020 .
The Maine senator , who is facing what ’ s shaping up to be the toughest reelection race of her career , wouldn ’ t say during a recent interview with a local TV news program whether she ’ s voting for Trump in her state ’ s upcoming primary .
“ Are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary and will you be supporting President Trump or writing in someone else as you did in 2016 ?
” WCSH-TV anchor Pat Callaghan asked Collins during an interview on Friday .
Collins said she voted by absentee ballot ahead of Maine ’ s March 3 primary , but didn ’ t say whether she cast her ballot for Trump .
The president is the only candidate listed on Maine ’ s Republican primary ballot this year , along with the option to write in another name .
Though she wrote an op-ed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , Collins said she isn ’ t going to “ get involved in presidential politics ” this time around .
“ I would note that it ’ s on the Democratic side that there are eight candidates and my likely opponent as well as the governor and many other Democratic officials have not said who they are going to choose in what is a contested Democratic ballot , ” Collins said .
“ I ’ m focused on my job and also on my own campaign and I ’ m just not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump , on the other hand , has seemingly endorsed Collins in Maine ’ s 2020 Senate race .
He tweeted in December that he “ 100 % ” agreed with Sen. Lindsey Graham ’ s ( R-S.C. ) call for voters to support Collins , and Trump ’ s campaign staffers in Maine have been collecting signatures to get her on the ballot .
( All U.S. Senate candidates in Maine must gather 2,000 signatures from party members by March 15 to qualify for the June 9 primary . )
Kevin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , did not say whether Collins voted for Trump .
Instead , he noted that Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon , one of the senator ’ s Democratic challengers , hasn ’ t announced which candidate she will support .
“ There are eight Democrats on the contested presidential primary ballot here in Maine and , so far , House Speaker Sara Gideon has refused to say if she has voted or who she will support on Tuesday , ” Kelley said .
“ After she says who she will support , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s possible that Collins has determined that endorsing Trump would be a political misstep for her reelection in Maine , where the president ’ s disapproval rating climbed from 40 % in January 2017 to 52 % in January 2020 , according to Morning Consult .
Collins , a four-term incumbent who has handily won reelection each time , has several Democratic and independent challengers this election cycle .
Her voting record in recent years has drawn outrage from many of her left-leaning constituents .
Though Collins has voted in line with Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― about 67 % of the time ― she has cast key votes in favor of some of his most significant measures , calling into question her position as a so-called moderate .
For instance , she voted to confirm many of Trump ’ s judicial nominees who have spoken out against reproductive rights .
She also voted in favor of Trump ’ s tax bill in 2017 , voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court despite allegations of sexual misconduct against him , and voted against impeaching Trump during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president has learned from this case , ” Collins told CBS News while defending her vote to acquit Trump on two articles of impeachment stemming from his dealings with Ukraine .
“ The president has been impeached .
That ’ s a pretty big lesson .
”

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After vowing not to vote for then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016, citing his “lack of self-restraint” and “unsuitablity for office,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has taken a decidedly more restrained approach to his reelection bid in 2020.
The Maine senator, who is facing what’s shaping up to be the toughest reelection race of her career, wouldn’t say during a recent interview with a local TV news program whether she’s voting for Trump in her state’s upcoming primary.
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“Are you planning to vote in Tuesday’s primary and will you be supporting President Trump or writing in someone else as you did in 2016?” WCSH-TV anchor Pat Callaghan asked Collins during an interview on Friday.
Collins said she voted by absentee ballot ahead of Maine’s March 3 primary, but didn’t say whether she cast her ballot for Trump. The president is the only candidate listed on Maine’s Republican primary ballot this year, along with the option to write in another name.
Though she wrote an op-ed bashing Trump three months before the 2016 election, Collins said she isn’t going to “get involved in presidential politics” this time around.
“I would note that it’s on the Democratic side that there are eight candidates and my likely opponent as well as the governor and many other Democratic officials have not said who they are going to choose in what is a contested Democratic ballot,” Collins said. “I’m focused on my job and also on my own campaign and I’m just not going to get involved in presidential politics.”
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Collins declined to answer the question again during an interview with CNN on Tuesday, claiming she had “already” answered it previously. (She hasn’t.)
Trump, on the other hand, has seemingly endorsed Collins in Maine’s 2020 Senate race. He tweeted in December that he “100%” agreed with Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) call for voters to support Collins, and Trump’s campaign staffers in Maine have been collecting signatures to get her on the ballot. (All U.S. Senate candidates in Maine must gather 2,000 signatures from party members by March 15 to qualify for the June 9 primary.)
Kevin Kelley, a spokesman for Collins’ campaign, did not say whether Collins voted for Trump. Instead, he noted that Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, one of the senator’s Democratic challengers, hasn’t announced which candidate she will support.
“There are eight Democrats on the contested presidential primary ballot here in Maine and, so far, House Speaker Sara Gideon has refused to say if she has voted or who she will support on Tuesday,” Kelley said. “After she says who she will support, get back to me.”
Gideon’s campaign said Tuesday that she voted for former Vice President Joe Biden in the state’s Democratic presidential primary. But Kelley did not respond to a request for comment when HuffPost followed up with this information.
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It’s possible that Collins has determined that endorsing Trump would be a political misstep for her reelection in Maine, where the president’s disapproval rating climbed from 40% in January 2017 to 52% in January 2020, according to Morning Consult.
Collins, a four-term incumbent who has handily won reelection each time, has several Democratic and independent challengers this election cycle. Her voting record in recent years has drawn outrage from many of her left-leaning constituents.
Though Collins has voted in line with Trump less than most of her Republican colleagues ― about 67% of the time ― she has cast key votes in favor of some of his most significant measures, calling into question her position as a so-called moderate.
For instance, she voted to confirm many of Trump’s judicial nominees who have spoken out against reproductive rights. She also voted in favor of Trump’s tax bill in 2017, voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court despite allegations of sexual misconduct against him, and voted against impeaching Trump during the Senate trial.
“I believe that the president has learned from this case,” Collins told CBS News while defending her vote to acquit Trump on two articles of impeachment stemming from his dealings with Ukraine. “The president has been impeached. That’s a pretty big lesson.”
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She was lambasted over the claim and later walked back her remarks, calling them merely “aspirational.”
Collins is currently running uncontested for the Republican nomination. At least five Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination: Gideon, former Maine gubernatorial candidate Betsy Sweet, former Google executive Ross LaJeunesse, attorney Bre Kidman and travel agent Michael Bunker.
Independent candidates Tiffany Bond, Danielle VanHelsing, Linda Wooten and Maine Green Independent Party candidate Lisa Savage are also vying for Collins’ seat.
Watch Collins’ full interview with WCSH-TV below. Her comments about voting in the primary begin around the 5-minute mark.