thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Biden Transition Team Get To Work Amid Election Limbo

Kaufman is a former senator from Delaware who was appointed to fill the seat vacated when Biden was elected vice president .
He also worked on Barack Obama ’ s transition team in 2008 , and helped write legislation formalizing the presidential transition process .
Biden first asked Kaufman to start work on a just-in-case transition in April , shortly after the former vice president locked up the presidential nomination at the conclusion of a once-crowded Democratic primary .
Now , each day after the election that goes by without a declared winner is one day fewer to formally begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the meantime , an odd political limbo has taken told .
The Biden team is moving forward but can ’ t tackle all that needs to be accomplished ; President Donald Trump continues to claim without evidence that the election is being stolen from him .
It ’ s at least somewhat reminiscent of the 2000 presidential race and that year ’ s post-election legal fight over the recount in Florida .
After more than a month , the dispute between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore was decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition period to just 39 days before the January 2001 inauguration .
Clay Johnson , who headed Bush ’ s transition team , said Biden ’ s advisers “ can ’ t wait to be sure that the president-elect really is the president-elect .
They have to hurry up and move forward.
” Johnson said that in June of 1999 — about 17 months before Election Day 2000 — Bush approached him about heading the possible transition , having seen his father go through the process 11 years earlier .
Prior to Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andy Card to serve as chief of staff for both the transition and at the White House .
After an initial 10 days or so , Bush ’ s running mate , Dick Cheney , told Johnson to begin raising money and making staffing decisions , declaring that the race “ is going to be resolved one way or the other.
” The Bush team was unable to conduct FBI background checks on potential Cabinet members and other appointees with no official winner declared .
Instead , it used a former White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct interviews designed to screen for potential problems that might have turned up in background checks .
“ You have to assume you are it and not be presumptuous but they better be working hard as if they are it , ” Johnson said of Biden ’ s team .
“ And they should have started doing that last Tuesday night.
” Biden ’ s campaign has refused to comment on the transition process .
His closest advisers say the top priority will be announcing a White House chief of staff , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
A president gets 4,000 appointees , and more than 1,200 of them must be confirmed by the Senate .
That could be a challenge for Biden since the Senate may well remain controlled by the Republicans .
It ’ s also unclear if the president would meet personally Biden .
President Barack Obama met with Trump less than a week after the election , but there was no dispute about him having topped Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College .
Whenever the process starts , Biden will have to cope with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 230,000 Americans .
Biden has promised to use his transition period to meet with the governors of every state and ask them to impose a nationwide mask-wearing mandate .
He says he plans to go around any holdouts to secure such rules from county and local officials .
Another key decision will be how Biden decides to deploy his running mate , California Sen. Kamala Harris .
His campaign has indicated that Biden will establish a White House-level coronavirus task force like Trump did , but it ’ s not clear if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Vice President Mike Pence heads the current panel .
As his team awaits the results of the ballot counting , Biden is huddling in his Wilmington home with top advisers and family .
Harris has stuck close too , occupying a Delaware hotel with her family since Election Night and joining Biden as he gave remarks in recent days .

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WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Joe Biden’s transition team isn’t waiting for a verdict in the presidential race before getting to work.
As officials continue to count ballots in several undecided states, longtime Biden aide Ted Kaufman is leading efforts to ensure the former vice president can begin building out a government in anticipation of a victory.
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Kaufman is a former senator from Delaware who was appointed to fill the seat vacated when Biden was elected vice president. He also worked on Barack Obama’s transition team in 2008, and helped write legislation formalizing the presidential transition process.
Biden first asked Kaufman to start work on a just-in-case transition in April, shortly after the former vice president locked up the presidential nomination at the conclusion of a once-crowded Democratic primary. Now, each day after the election that goes by without a declared winner is one day fewer to formally begin preparing to take over the White House.
The transition can be a frenzied process even under normal circumstances.
In the meantime, an odd political limbo has taken told. The Biden team is moving forward but can’t tackle all that needs to be accomplished; President Donald Trump continues to claim without evidence that the election is being stolen from him.
It’s at least somewhat reminiscent of the 2000 presidential race and that year’s post-election legal fight over the recount in Florida. After more than a month, the dispute between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore was decided by the Supreme Court — truncating the transition period to just 39 days before the January 2001 inauguration.
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Clay Johnson, who headed Bush’s transition team, said Biden’s advisers “can’t wait to be sure that the president-elect really is the president-elect. They have to hurry up and move forward.”
Johnson said that in June of 1999 — about 17 months before Election Day 2000 — Bush approached him about heading the possible transition, having seen his father go through the process 11 years earlier. Prior to Election Day, Bush had already settled on Andy Card to serve as chief of staff for both the transition and at the White House.
Johnson thought they were ahead of schedule. But then came the recount.
After an initial 10 days or so, Bush’s running mate, Dick Cheney, told Johnson to begin raising money and making staffing decisions, declaring that the race “is going to be resolved one way or the other.”
The Bush team was unable to conduct FBI background checks on potential Cabinet members and other appointees with no official winner declared. Instead, it used a former White House general counsel from the Reagan administration to conduct interviews designed to screen for potential problems that might have turned up in background checks.
“You have to assume you are it and not be presumptuous but they better be working hard as if they are it,” Johnson said of Biden’s team. “And they should have started doing that last Tuesday night.”
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Biden’s campaign has refused to comment on the transition process. His closest advisers say the top priority will be announcing a White House chief of staff, then assembling the pieces needed to tackle the coronavirus.
A president gets 4,000 appointees, and more than 1,200 of them must be confirmed by the Senate. That could be a challenge for Biden since the Senate may well remain controlled by the Republicans.
The transition process formally starts once the General Service Administration determines the winner based on all available facts. That’s vague enough guidance that Trump could pressure the agency’s director to stall.
It’s also unclear if the president would meet personally Biden. President Barack Obama met with Trump less than a week after the election, but there was no dispute about him having topped Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College.
Whenever the process starts, Biden will have to cope with the coronavirus, which has killed more than 230,000 Americans. Biden has promised to use his transition period to meet with the governors of every state and ask them to impose a nationwide mask-wearing mandate. He says he plans to go around any holdouts to secure such rules from county and local officials.
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Another key decision will be how Biden decides to deploy his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris. His campaign has indicated that Biden will establish a White House-level coronavirus task force like Trump did, but it’s not clear if he will tap Harris to run it. Vice President Mike Pence heads the current panel.
As his team awaits the results of the ballot counting, Biden is huddling in his Wilmington home with top advisers and family. Harris has stuck close too, occupying a Delaware hotel with her family since Election Night and joining Biden as he gave remarks in recent days.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a former Biden presidential primary rival, said he expects Harris to be “a real partner” to Biden and hopes to see her “managing major issues of importance.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Organized Labor Helped Boost Biden In Critical Battlegrounds

Trece Andrews spent the last three months phone-banking and sometimes canvassing for Joe Biden in Michigan .
The nursing home worker focused her efforts on Detroit residents and fellow members of the Service Employees International Union , telling them a Biden administration would protect their health care and do more to raise their wages .
Although several battleground states remain too close to call , Biden is on track to win the necessary 270 electoral votes if his leads hold .
With a Democratic presidency close at hand , unions say they played a critical role in turning members and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in dense urban areas of swing states , like Detroit , Milwaukee , Philadelphia , Phoenix and Las Vegas .
Richard Trumka , head of the AFL-CIO labor federation , told reporters on a call Thursday that his union members came out overwhelmingly in favor of Biden .
The AFL-CIO conducted a poll of 1,000 members on Nov. 2 and 3 and found that they preferred Biden to Trump 58 % to 37 % .
Trumka said that was about four points better than Hillary Clinton did in a similar poll of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But unions also made a big contribution to the Biden campaign through their get-out-the-vote efforts .
Andrews ’ union , SEIU , said it focused its efforts on Black and Latino residents who had sat out the 2016 election in cities in Michigan and Wisconsin .
It conducted outreach alongside its Fight for $ 15 campaign , which is well known for its worker strikes in the fast-food industry .
Andrews took leave from her job to spend time calling fellow union members around the country , as well as residents of Detroit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic ticket .
Like her nursing-home co-workers , most of the voters she was contacting were people of color .
Turnout in Detroit was slightly higher this year than in 2016 , and Trump did receive a few thousand more votes there this time around .
“ To me , those are the people that ’ ve been essential through all the pandemic , ” Andrews said .
“ A lot of people on the Black and brown side , they just want some leadership that cares about all people.
” Many unions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shied away from face-to-face canvassing this election due to the pandemic ― a decision some on the left have questioned , as Republicans generally continued going door-to-door to promote their candidates .
Andrews said canvassing was a small part of the work she did , in the last weeks of the campaign .
The hospitality union Unite Here carried out an aggressive door-knocking campaign in Nevada , Arizona , Florida and Pennsylvania , arguing that it could be done safely and was crucial to defeating Trump .
Its Nevada local , the Culinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its get-out-the-vote muscle in Clark County that boosts Democratic candidates .
Many union members who took part in the paid canvassing program had been laid-off from their jobs in the hotel and food service industries , and Unite Here said it consulted epidemiologists to make sure its efforts were safe .
“ We did not want an excuse not to go out on the doors , ” D. Taylor , the union ’ s president , said Thursday .
“ We ’ re going to deliver Arizona , Nevada and Pennsylvania .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were getting people to vote.
” Rosslyn Wuchinich , president of the union ’ s Philadelphia local , said its members hit 575,000 doors in Philadelphia during the campaign .
She said 60,000 residents the union reached had pledged to vote for Biden , and that approximately 30,000 of those people said they did not vote in 2016 .
Unite Here also ran a program specifically in Maricopa County , which includes Phoenix .
Votes from Maricopa continue to be counted as of Friday and will help determine whether Arizona falls in Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Maricopa results released by election officials Friday , Trump had a slight edge over Biden .
( Arizona ’ s electoral votes , however , appear to still be in Biden ’ s column . )
Susan Minato , co-president of Unite Here Local 11 , which includes California and Arizona , said the union had between 350 and 500 members knocking on doors each week in Maricopa , which is more than 30 % Latino .
She said the fact that the pandemic kept so many residents at home led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canvassers were able to reach 250,000 people going door-to-door .

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Trece Andrews spent the last three months phone-banking and sometimes canvassing for Joe Biden in Michigan. The nursing home worker focused her efforts on Detroit residents and fellow members of the Service Employees International Union, telling them a Biden administration would protect their health care and do more to raise their wages.
With Biden on the cusp of winning the White House, Andrews is feeling proud of her efforts.
“A lot of people, once I started having conversations, they had the same concerns,” said Andrews, 50. “We put in a lot of hard work. I feel like we’ll win.”
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Although several battleground states remain too close to call, Biden is on track to win the necessary 270 electoral votes if his leads hold. With a Democratic presidency close at hand, unions say they played a critical role in turning members and other voters out at the polls, especially in dense urban areas of swing states, like Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The Associated Press and other news outlets have already projected that Biden will win Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona, and he holds a lead over President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO labor federation, told reporters on a call Thursday that his union members came out overwhelmingly in favor of Biden. The AFL-CIO conducted a poll of 1,000 members on Nov. 2 and 3 and found that they preferred Biden to Trump 58% to 37%. Trumka said that was about four points better than Hillary Clinton did in a similar poll of federation members around the 2016 election.
“In Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Joe Biden’s firewall was union-made,” Trumka said.
Preliminary exit polling suggests Biden did perform well with union households in the Midwest, with the possible exception of Ohio, which Trump won again by a healthy margin.
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But unions also made a big contribution to the Biden campaign through their get-out-the-vote efforts. Andrews’ union, SEIU, said it focused its efforts on Black and Latino residents who had sat out the 2016 election in cities in Michigan and Wisconsin. It conducted outreach alongside its Fight for $15 campaign, which is well known for its worker strikes in the fast-food industry.
“We did not want an excuse not to go out on the doors.” - D. Taylor, president of Unite Here
Andrews took leave from her job to spend time calling fellow union members around the country, as well as residents of Detroit, urging them to vote for the Democratic ticket. Like her nursing-home co-workers, most of the voters she was contacting were people of color. Turnout in Detroit was slightly higher this year than in 2016, and Trump did receive a few thousand more votes there this time around.
When pundits talk about the “working class” vote in the Midwest, they are generally talking about white people. Andrews said the Black working class gets overlooked during elections.
“To me, those are the people that’ve been essential through all the pandemic,” Andrews said. “A lot of people on the Black and brown side, they just want some leadership that cares about all people.”
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Norberto Meniano, a member of Unite Here Local 226, canvasses a Las Vegas neighborhood in support of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Oct. 22. Miranda Alam for HuffPost
Many unions, like Democratic campaigns in general, shied away from face-to-face canvassing this election due to the pandemic ― a decision some on the left have questioned, as Republicans generally continued going door-to-door to promote their candidates. Andrews said canvassing was a small part of the work she did, in the last weeks of the campaign.
SEIU and the Fight for $15 said their canvassers knocked on 155,000 doors in Michigan in the run-up to Nov. 3.
The hospitality union Unite Here carried out an aggressive door-knocking campaign in Nevada, Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania, arguing that it could be done safely and was crucial to defeating Trump. Its Nevada local, the Culinary Workers Union, is well known for its get-out-the-vote muscle in Clark County that boosts Democratic candidates.
Many union members who took part in the paid canvassing program had been laid-off from their jobs in the hotel and food service industries, and Unite Here said it consulted epidemiologists to make sure its efforts were safe.
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The union did not shy away from taking some credit for turnout in cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Philadelphia, all of which could play a deciding factor in the race.
“We did not want an excuse not to go out on the doors,” D. Taylor, the union’s president, said Thursday. “We’re going to deliver Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania. We rolled up our sleeves ... and we were getting people to vote.”
Rosslyn Wuchinich, president of the union’s Philadelphia local, said its members hit 575,000 doors in Philadelphia during the campaign. She said 60,000 residents the union reached had pledged to vote for Biden, and that approximately 30,000 of those people said they did not vote in 2016.
Unite Here also ran a program specifically in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix. Votes from Maricopa continue to be counted as of Friday and will help determine whether Arizona falls in Biden’s column. In a batch of Maricopa results released by election officials Friday, Trump had a slight edge over Biden. (Arizona’s electoral votes, however, appear to still be in Biden’s column.)
Susan Minato, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, which includes California and Arizona, said the union had between 350 and 500 members knocking on doors each week in Maricopa, which is more than 30% Latino. She said the fact that the pandemic kept so many residents at home led to a high contact rate, and that canvassers were able to reach 250,000 people going door-to-door.
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Minato said the main message canvassers wanted to convey was that people’s votes would be counted and that they would matter.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Donald Trump Haunted By His Past Rants In Jimmy Fallon Montage

President Donald Trump got interrupted by his own past rants in a montage that aired on Friday ’ s broadcast @ @ @ @ @ ” Jimmy Fallon ’ s team inserted Trump ’ s previous bizarre musings into his @ @ @ @ @ during which he once again attacked the democratic process , as votes cast in the @ @ @ @ @ counted .

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Jimmy Kimmel Reveals One Way He Hopes To Forget All About Donald Trump's Presidency

So , on Friday ’ s episode of “ Jimmy Kimmel Live !
, ” the late-night comedian revealed what @ @ @ @ @ if he loses the 2020 election to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , which is @ @ @ @ @ all projections .


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Joe Biden To Name Coronavirus Task Force Headed by Former Surgeon General On Monday

President-elect Joe Biden plans on Monday to name a 12-member coronavirus task force to be co-chaired by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy , according to several media reports citing anonymous sources .
The immediate focus on creating a task force as part of Biden ’ s transition planning underscored his concern about COVID-19 , which has killed nearly 250,000 Americans this year .
The number of daily cases in the nation is spiking by record amounts ; more than 125,000 cases were reported on Friday .
Task force members have already begun advising Biden on public policy concerning the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Donald Trump warned at a campaign rally last month that if Biden were elected president , he would “ listen to the scientists ” concerning the disease .
Biden responded in a tweet : “ Yes.
” Instead , Trump has focused on suggestions from his new health adviser , Scott Atlas , a neuroradiologist with no background in infectious diseases .
Atlas believes that COVID-19 should be allowed to spread among the young and healthy in a push to develop herd immunity — a strategy that infectious disease experts said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet from Atlas for sharing “ misleading information ” after he wrote that masks don ’ t help to stop the spread COVID-19 .
Trump suggested at a recent rally that he would “ fire ” Fauci should he be reelected .
Fauci told The Washington Post last week regarding Atlas , “ I have real problems with that guy.
” He added : He ’ s “ talking about things that I believe he doesn ’ t have any real insight or knowledge or experience in .
He keeps talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] make any sense.
” Fauci added that the nation “ could not be positioned more poorly ” for fighting the disease now , particularly as Americans head into the winter flu season and spend more time indoors amid colder weather .
Fauci praised Biden for taking COVID-19 “ seriously from a public health perspective.
” Trump , on the other hand , is focused on the “ economy and opening businesses , ” he said .
Trump in May named former pharmaceutical company executive Moncef Slaoui to lead a vaccine push for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would divest millions of dollars from companies linked to vaccine development after complaints of a conflict of interest .
But he still held stock as recently as September .

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President-elect Joe Biden plans on Monday to name a 12-member coronavirus task force to be co-chaired by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, according to several media reports citing anonymous sources.
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The immediate focus on creating a task force as part of Biden’s transition planning underscored his concern about COVID-19, which has killed nearly 250,000 Americans this year. The number of daily cases in the nation is spiking by record amounts; more than 125,000 cases were reported on Friday.
Task force members have already begun advising Biden on public policy concerning the pandemic and on safety protocols for his campaign.
President Donald Trump warned at a campaign rally last month that if Biden were elected president, he would “listen to the scientists” concerning the disease. Biden responded in a tweet: “Yes.”
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Instead, Trump has focused on suggestions from his new health adviser, Scott Atlas, a neuroradiologist with no background in infectious diseases. Atlas believes that COVID-19 should be allowed to spread among the young and healthy in a push to develop herd immunity — a strategy that infectious disease experts said is ill-advised.
Twitter last month deleted a tweet from Atlas for sharing “misleading information” after he wrote that masks don’t help to stop the spread COVID-19.
Trump suggested at a recent rally that he would “fire” Fauci should he be reelected.
Fauci told The Washington Post last week regarding Atlas, “I have real problems with that guy.” He added: He’s “talking about things that I believe he doesn’t have any real insight or knowledge or experience in. He keeps talking about things that ... [don’t] make any sense.”
Fauci added that the nation “could not be positioned more poorly” for fighting the disease now, particularly as Americans head into the winter flu season and spend more time indoors amid colder weather.
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Fauci praised Biden for taking COVID-19 “seriously from a public health perspective.” Trump, on the other hand, is focused on the “economy and opening businesses,” he said.
Trump in May named former pharmaceutical company executive Moncef Slaoui to lead a vaccine push for the federal government. Slaoui announced he would divest millions of dollars from companies linked to vaccine development after complaints of a conflict of interest. But he still held stock as recently as September.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--President Trump Releases Statement From The Golf Course On Projected Biden Win

“ The simple fact is this election is far from over .
Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states , let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts , or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor , ” Trump said in the statement .
Elections are usually called by news media , which tracks votes in local jurisdictions across the U.S. , before results are officially certified because that process can take weeks and generally does not yield a different outcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made for several days and , as in those cases , he offered no evidence to back up his “ wrongdoing ” claims .
Nor have state election officials reported any suspicions of any consequential voter fraud .
Observers from both parties are allowed to watch the counting process and report any irregularities to proper authorities .
In Pennsylvania ― the state that pushed Biden over the edge to victory ― the Trump campaign complained that their observers were not allowed close enough to the ballots on Election Day to be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the room to watch .
A judge intervened to allow the observers to be six feet from the first row of tables , The Philadelphia Inquirer reported .
This statement , that he received the most ever votes for a sitting president , is actually true -- Biden is simply expected to receive more votes from both the public and the Electoral College .
For months , Trump has attempted to undermine the election , repeatedly touting baseless conspiracy theories about the alleged fraud risk of mail-in voting .
His claims are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long history in the U.S. , and voter fraud of all types , including when mail-in ballots are used , is extremely rare in this country .
Yet the president continued to push these lies from Election Day on , insisting without evidence that Biden was besting him in battleground states because of “ illegal votes.
” In his statement , he baselessly claimed that the Biden campaign wanted “ ballots counted even if they are fraudulent , manufactured , or cast by ineligible or deceased voters.
” The 50 states all have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail , and many of them changed the rules due to the risk of voting in person while the coronavirus continues to spread across large swaths of the country .
Some other states enacted universal mail-in voting well before Trump even took office .
There has been no evidence that voting by mail leads to widespread election fraud , and no such proof has emerged in this year ’ s widespread use of it .
The president ’ s campaign already has filed lawsuits in several states to stop vote counting and disqualify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ file others next week in the most contentious battleground states .

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Moments after Democrat Joe Biden was projected to be the winner of the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, President Donald Trump released a statement declaring that his opponent “is rushing to falsely pose as the winner.”
Trump was spotted arriving at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, earlier Saturday morning.
President Donald Trump was golfing when news broke that he had lost the election. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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“The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,” Trump said in the statement.
Elections are usually called by news media, which tracks votes in local jurisdictions across the U.S., before results are officially certified because that process can take weeks and generally does not yield a different outcome.
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated,” Trump said, accusing the Democratic Party of “wrongdoing.”
“So what is Biden hiding? I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands,” Trump concluded.
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His comments echoed those he has made for several days and, as in those cases, he offered no evidence to back up his “wrongdoing” claims. Nor have state election officials reported any suspicions of any consequential voter fraud.
Later, after returning to the White House, Trump made his frustrations known over Twitter, falsely asserting, “I WON THE ELECTION.”
He focused his rage on “BAD THINGS” he claimed happened during the counting process, saying “OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.”
Observers from both parties are allowed to watch the counting process and report any irregularities to proper authorities. In Pennsylvania ― the state that pushed Biden over the edge to victory ― the Trump campaign complained that their observers were not allowed close enough to the ballots on Election Day to be able to observe meaningfully. They were always allowed in the room to watch. A judge intervened to allow the observers to be six feet from the first row of tables, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Trump exploded over Twitter late Saturday afternoon. HuffPost UK
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This statement, that he received the most ever votes for a sitting president, is actually true -- Biden is simply expected to receive more votes from both the public and the Electoral College. HuffPost UK
For months, Trump has attempted to undermine the election, repeatedly touting baseless conspiracy theories about the alleged fraud risk of mail-in voting. His claims are unsubstantiated. Voting by mail has a long history in the U.S., and voter fraud of all types, including when mail-in ballots are used, is extremely rare in this country.
Yet the president continued to push these lies from Election Day on, insisting without evidence that Biden was besting him in battleground states because of “illegal votes.” In his statement, he baselessly claimed that the Biden campaign wanted “ballots counted even if they are fraudulent, manufactured, or cast by ineligible or deceased voters.”
Statement just issued by Pres. @realDonaldTrump :
“The simple fact is this election is far from over.”
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated.” pic.twitter.com/NvOr9GIEL5 — Dianne Gallagher (@DianneG) November 7, 2020
Trump similarly complained in one all-caps tweet that “MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!”
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The 50 states all have different systems and rules for voting by mail, and many of them changed the rules due to the risk of voting in person while the coronavirus continues to spread across large swaths of the country. Some other states enacted universal mail-in voting well before Trump even took office.
There has been no evidence that voting by mail leads to widespread election fraud, and no such proof has emerged in this year’s widespread use of it.
Trump has also repeatedly claimed victory ― most notably in the wee hours of Wednesday when millions of votes remained uncounted in many states.
The president’s campaign already has filed lawsuits in several states to stop vote counting and disqualify ballots, and it is expected to file others next week in the most contentious battleground states.
So far, Trump’s legal efforts have proved ineffective. But he has indicated that he will continue filing challenges until he runs out of options.
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“It’s going to end up perhaps at the highest court in the land,” the president has said previously.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Trump's 'Big' Press Conference At Four Seasons Total Landscaping Sows Confusion

Less than an hour before news broke that Joe Biden was projected to win the 2020 presidential election , President Donald Trump announced that his legal team would be holding a press conference at “ Four Seasons ” in Philadelphia .
Trump , a hotelier at heart , announces a press conference at Philadelphia 's `` Four Seasons '' at 11 , before specifying it 's at Four Seasons Total Landscaping at 11:30. pic.twitter.com/HmTIPeukNG — Josh Wingrove ( @ josh_wingrove ) November 7 , 2020 While many people assumed he meant the event would be held at a luxury hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big press conference ” would take place at Four Seasons Total Landscaping , a landscaping company located on an industrial street .
Just in case there was any remaining confusion , the Four Seasons Hotel quickly confirmed that the press conference would not be happening on its premises , and that it has “ no relation ” to the landscaping company .
To clarify , President Trump ’ s press conference will NOT be held at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia .
It will be held at Four Seasons Total Landscaping— no relation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia at Comcast Center ( @ FSPhiladelphia ) November 7 , 2020 People on Twitter commented on the strange venue choice and the absurdity of the confusion caused by Trump ’ s initial tweet .
the switcheroo from the four seasons hotel to “ four seasons total landscaping ” feels like an metaphor for the president ’ s standing in the Pa tally as the week has progressed https : //t.co/lkCTtWguge — Justin Sink ( @ justinsink ) November 7 , 2020 When the history books look back at this period , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started with a ride down an escalator and ended with a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
” — Seth Fiegerman ( @ sfiegerman ) November 7 , 2020 At the press conference , Rudy Giuliani told reporters that the campaign planned to challenge the election in court , alleging election fraud .
( Trump , who was golfing , was not present . )
Those allegations are unsubstantiated .
The event largely was overshadowed by the news of Biden being projected to win the presidential election , with some reporters leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Less than an hour before news broke that Joe Biden was projected to win the 2020 presidential election, President Donald Trump announced that his legal team would be holding a press conference at “Four Seasons” in Philadelphia.
Trump, a hotelier at heart, announces a press conference at Philadelphia's "Four Seasons" at 11, before specifying it's at Four Seasons Total Landscaping at 11:30. pic.twitter.com/HmTIPeukNG — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) November 7, 2020
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While many people assumed he meant the event would be held at a luxury hotel, the president clarified that the “big press conference” would take place at Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a landscaping company located on an industrial street.
Just in case there was any remaining confusion, the Four Seasons Hotel quickly confirmed that the press conference would not be happening on its premises, and that it has “no relation” to the landscaping company.
To clarify, President Trump’s press conference will NOT be held at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.
It will be held at Four Seasons Total Landscaping— no relation with the hotel. — Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center (@FSPhiladelphia) November 7, 2020
People on Twitter commented on the strange venue choice and the absurdity of the confusion caused by Trump’s initial tweet.
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Four Seasons Total Landscaping is the most 30 Rock joke of the entire election cycle — Evan Rytlewski (@Evanryt) November 7, 2020
the switcheroo from the four seasons hotel to “four seasons total landscaping” feels like an metaphor for the president’s standing in the Pa tally as the week has progressed https://t.co/lkCTtWguge — Justin Sink (@justinsink) November 7, 2020
YOU'VE BEEN REPLACED BY FOUR SEASONS TOTAL LANDSCAPING pic.twitter.com/0e5yb9z8qC — Benjamin Dreyer (@BCDreyer) November 7, 2020
Waiting for announcement that owner of Four Seasons Total Landscaping is now head of nukes stockpile https://t.co/R4CE2dzYsZ — rosanne cash (@rosannecash) November 7, 2020
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I’ve arrived at Four Seasons Landscaping. It’s next to an adult book store called Fantasy Island. pic.twitter.com/hMy9JP8X5R — Richard Hall (@_RichardHall) November 7, 2020
Four Seasons // Four Seasons Landscaping pic.twitter.com/v0ekd6A6VR — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) November 7, 2020
Four Seasons Total Landscaping is like a business Michael Scott would’ve started. https://t.co/q9ialyLsXt — D. Lo (@lilthoughts17) November 7, 2020
When the history books look back at this period, the first sentence should be: “It started with a ride down an escalator and ended with a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping.” — Seth Fiegerman (@sfiegerman) November 7, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Joe Biden Wins Historic 2020 Presidential Election, Vanquishing Donald Trump

The decisive call came in Pennsylvania , which gave Biden the necessary electoral votes to clinch the presidency .
Biden was projected to win Nevada shortly thereafter .
He could further pad his Electoral College victory in Arizona , where he leads , and Georgia , where he narrowly leads and faces a recount .
( President Donald Trump has a more comfortable lead in North Carolina . )
Biden already flipped two other states that Trump won in 2016 : Michigan and Wisconsin , reclaiming Democrats ’ Rust Belt “ blue wall.
” Trump used his presidential powers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enrich his family and encourage far-right conspiracy theorists .
He mocked American troops who died in war , made racist comments and tried to use the Justice Department as his own personal enforcement agency to go after his political enemies .
He was also only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached by the House .
Even though Biden won , the polls , once again , underestimated support and turnout for Trump .
The president made inroads with Latinos , and he actually performed better this year than he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates .
Trump also won the majority of votes in states with the highest death rates from the disease , including Florida and Texas , although many of those areas are more conservative and more likely to shun the mask-wearing and social distancing that Trump has also mocked .

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Joe Biden is projected to become the next president of the United States after an election that was historic, messy, chaotic and uncertain.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) will be with him as vice president, the first woman, Black person and Asian American to ever hold the position.
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Scroll down or click here for the latest updates from HuffPost’s election live blog.
The decisive call came in Pennsylvania, which gave Biden the necessary electoral votes to clinch the presidency. Biden was projected to win Nevada shortly thereafter. He could further pad his Electoral College victory in Arizona, where he leads, and Georgia, where he narrowly leads and faces a recount. (President Donald Trump has a more comfortable lead in North Carolina.) Biden already flipped two other states that Trump won in 2016: Michigan and Wisconsin, reclaiming Democrats’ Rust Belt “blue wall.”
The former vice president also decisively won the popular vote, receiving the most votes in American history and besting Trump by more than 4 million. In a statement, Biden said he is “honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed” in him and Harris. “In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America,” he continued, saying, “It’s time for America to unite. And to heal.” In a speech on Friday, Biden pointed to his large vote lead and claimed a broad “mandate for action” on the coronavirus, the economy, climate change and systemic racism. Trump quickly released a statement on Saturday saying the election “is far from over.” “Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,” he said. Trump found out about his loss while at the golf course, where he spent much of his presidency. It came on the same day that the White House was dealing with a new coronavirus outbreak among the administration. Chief of staff Mark Meadows is among those infected. For months, Trump had been laying the groundwork to reject the election results if they didn’t go his way. He not only tried to undermine mail-in voting but claimed that if the winner wasn’t declared on election night, the results would be suspect ― even though some state rules allow mail-in ballots to be received after Election Day.
And sure enough, Trump did exactly as he said he would.
“Frankly, we did win this election,” Trump said Wednesday shortly after 2 a.m. Eastern, while millions of ballots had yet to be counted, a number of key swing states were still in limbo and no news organization had yet to project a winner.
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He also tweeted that Democrats were trying to “STEAL the Election” and wrote, “Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!” (No votes were cast after the polls closed.)
On Thursday, he held a lie-filled news conference in which he baselessly claimed that there was vote fraud, without providing any evidence.
Defeating an incumbent president is difficult and rare. It hasn’t happened in nearly 30 years. It’s only the fifth time it’s happened in the past 100 years. Biden did it during a pandemic against a president with a devoted following who is willing to lie and cheat.
Spontaneous celebrations immediately broke out around the country. In Washington, D.C., cars and trucks honked, people shouted and cheered, and a large crowd quickly assembled in front of the White House on what is now known as Black Lives Matter Plaza.
A woman dances after spraying prosecco onto the crowd as people celebrate on Black Lives Matter Plaza across from the White House in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 7. Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
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People celebrate in Times Square in New York after Joe Biden was declared winner of the 2020 presidential election on Nov. 7. Kena Betancur via Getty Images
Biden amassed more than 70 million votes, the most a presidential candidate has ever received in a U.S. election.
Yet the Electoral College meant that the nation was obsessing over the latest batches of votes in places like Arizona and Georgia to see who would be declared the winner ― even as Biden was leading Trump by about 4 million votes nationwide.
Democrats expected the election to be a referendum on Trump’s handling of the coronavirus. Biden and the party kept their message squarely on the virus and health care, while Trump tried to divert attention to crime, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), China and Biden’s son Hunter.
There’s no doubt that the coronavirus hurt the reelection prospects of the president, who wanted to run on the health of the economy under his watch. Without the pandemic, arguably, Trump may have won.
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Early exit polls show that more voters said the pandemic was the most important issue facing the country. Those voters went for Biden, while people who cited the economy and jobs went for Trump.
Defeating Trump was an incredible achievement for Democrats and will have significant consequences.
Trump used his presidential powers to separate migrant children from their parents, enrich his family and encourage far-right conspiracy theorists. He mocked American troops who died in war, made racist comments and tried to use the Justice Department as his own personal enforcement agency to go after his political enemies. He was also only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached by the House.
His toxic brand of racism, sexism and fear-based politics propelled him into the White House in 2016. But it wasn’t enough this time. He was no longer an outsider who could come into Washington and shake up a tired old establishment.
Instead, the nation chose Biden, a man who embodies the political establishment. He spent 36 years as a senator from Delaware and eight years as vice president. He will be 78 when he is inaugurated in January, the oldest president in history.
Biden ran on character. He showed qualities that Trump didn’t seem to possess: kindness, empathy, a history of overcoming adversity, experience, caution and an aversion to drama.
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And many voters ― many of whom had to vote by mail because they’re still waiting out the raging coronavirus pandemic ― decided that was exactly the person they were ready for this time. Turnout was massive, the highest in 200 years.
At first, Trump tried to pretend the coronavirus wasn’t a problem. He said it wasn’t all that worse than the common flu and predicted it would be gone by April. At the Republican National Convention, Trump and his allies portrayed the crisis as largely over, defeated by the valiant president.
Even after Trump himself was hit with a positive coronavirus diagnosis ― a perhaps inevitable conclusion to his refusal to wear masks and his insistence on holding large in-person gatherings ― he and his administration continued on course, using the experience to claim that the illness wasn’t all that bad.
“Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump tweeted on Oct. 5, after more than 200,000 Americans had died from it.
Donald Trump was golfing in Virginia when media outlets declared the election for Biden. Patrick Semansky/Associated Press
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Biden took a far different approach. He kept his focus squarely on the coronavirus pandemic. He wore masks, cautioned the public to listen to scientists and stopped large in-person rallies and events. His campaign even stopped door-knocking for most of the campaign, restarting it only at the very end.
And he showed empathy for people who had struggled with the virus.
Biden is a politician who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s had little choice. A month after being elected to the Senate for the first time in 1972, he lost his wife and daughter in a car crash. In 2015, his son Beau ― the attorney general of Delaware ― died from brain cancer.
Those struggles helped people relate to him. And he responded in kind to people who shared their stories of loss with him.
The Democratic Party aggressively encouraged voters to cast ballots by mail to avoid potentially long, dangerous lines during the pandemic. Trump, meanwhile, engaged in fearmongering about voting by mail, insisting the election results wouldn’t be legitimate and falsely claiming the method is ripe for fraud and abuse.
That rhetoric was a problem, and the Republican Party worked to clean up his mess by sending out mailers and robocalls insisting to people that voting by mail was safe ― even doctoring Trump’s own tweets to make it seem like the president agreed.
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Still, it was not the decisive blow that Democrats hoped for. The election revealed larger trends and problems that have nothing to do with Biden that the party will be dealing with for years.
“Yes, Trump is horrible, but it’s never been all about about Trump,” said a Democratic Senate strategist. “And now because of events, it’s just that much more obvious. There’s the Supreme Court and not having the Senate and everything they’ve done to rig democracy.”
“We got what we needed, which is to end the Trump presidency,” a House Democratic lawmaker told HuffPost. “We didn’t get what we wanted.”
Even though Biden won, the polls, once again, underestimated support and turnout for Trump. The president made inroads with Latinos, and he actually performed better this year than he did in 2016 in counties with high coronavirus rates. Trump also won the majority of votes in states with the highest death rates from the disease, including Florida and Texas, although many of those areas are more conservative and more likely to shun the mask-wearing and social distancing that Trump has also mocked.
People celebrate from their cars outside Independence Mall in Philadelphia on Nov. 7. Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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Significantly, Biden’s success didn’t translate down the ballot. Democratic hopes of picking up a robust majority in the Senate melted away, and Democrats appear set to lose ground in the House. A surge of grassroots donations in Senate races like South Carolina, Kentucky and Texas weren’t enough to overcome Republican dominance in those states. And Republicans who were considered sitting ducks for Democratic wins ― like Susan Collins in Maine ― won reelection.
“It was a bad night,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said on MSNBC Wednesday, adding that Democrats “need to sharpen our message.”
And the larger picture looks tough for Democrats. The election results underscored that the Senate grants disproportionate power to rural Americans ― who are far more likely to be old, white and conservative than other voters — and basically ensures that the Democratic Party won’t pursue the demands of its left flank.
Democrats also failed to cut into GOP control of state legislatures ahead of redistricting next year.
The challenges facing Biden are enormous. He has a steadily growing pandemic and an economy suffering from the fallout, an emboldened racial justice movement that wants to see reform, climate change, a hollowed-out civil service and a fractured country. His policies will no doubt be challenged in the courts, where they will ultimately come up against a U.S. Supreme Court with a 6-3 conservative majority.
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And he will have to get as much as done as he can without the robust Senate majority for which he had no doubt hoped. Control of the chamber is still up in the air. If it stays in Republican hands, Biden will be the first president since George H.W. Bush who will take office without his party controlling Congress.
“If Democrats don’t win the Senate, governing in the Biden era will make the post-Tea Party years of the Obama Administration seem idyllic in comparison,” a senior Senate Democratic aide predicted.
Trump will not be disappearing. His campaign has filed last-ditch lawsuits challenging the results in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
And he’s still the dominant force in the Republican Party with no obvious successor, aside from his own son.
For now, however, he is what he has always feared the most: a loser.
Read live updates on the election below. (Note: An ad blocker may prevent you from seeing the blog, so if you’re using one, please pause or turn it off.)


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--The Scariest Days Of The Trump Presidency Could Be The Final 74

“ He will create as much chaos as humanly possible , ” said Michael Cohen , Trump ’ s former lawyer and fixer who was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for , in part , arranging illegal hush money payments to keep women from revealing affairs they had had with Trump just prior to the 2016 election .
“ Donald Trump will take to the airwaves , to radio and print media whining about how the election was stolen from him due to fraud and foreign interference , ” Cohen said .
“ He could never accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is incompetent and arrogant.
” President-elect Joe Biden is set to assume the office at noon on Jan. 20 , but Trump retains all of the powers of the presidency for the 74 remaining days until that moment , including his role as commander in chief of the United States armed forces and the country ’ s nuclear arsenal .
Trump has indicated that he is not inclined to cooperate in a transition because of the FBI ’ s investigation into the assistance Russia gave his campaign in 2016 , something the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What about the transition I had where you spied on my campaign and you tried to take down the president of the United States ?
” he complained at a Pennsylvania rally last week .
Either fire Wray , Fauci and Haspel and act out .
Or he will behave to get good will .
Will be interesting to watch .
And it ’ s 50-50 .
A longtime Trump adviser , on how he may spend the final days of his presidency Trump offered some clues about his likely path in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
He relentlessly lied both on social media and in a 16-minute diatribe to reporters , where he accused Democrats of “ stealing ” the election from him and asserted ― bizarrely ― that he had already “ claimed ” certain states as his own .
The president has had nothing on his public schedule since the election , beyond that briefing room appearance Thursday evening .
One former White House official said on condition of anonymity that worries like Cohen ’ s are overwrought .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ordinary , ” he said of Trump .
“ Issue all sorts of executive orders rolling back additional Obama regulations , implement new regulations without proper notice and comment , kneecap and handcuff various agencies , use the levers of power to grease the wheels for his personal financial interests post-presidency , ” Goldman said .
“ And , of course , pardons like you ’ ve never seen before.
” One of Trump ’ s possible pardons , of course , could be for himself , to remove the threat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have committed , both before taking office ( bank and tax fraud ) and during these past four years ( obstruction of justice , for example ) .
It ’ s unclear whether he is actually permitted to self-pardon , but Trump has shown he is willing to break guidelines and laws when useful for him .
“ No one has tried it before , so no court has considered the issue , ” said Renato Mariotti , a former federal prosecutor .
“ It is an open question , but many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pardon clause implies that the person granting the pardon and the person receiving the pardon are different people .
”

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WASHINGTON — Americans nervous about a president who wanted troops to shoot border crossers, and who suggested using nuclear weapons against hurricanes, could be facing the scariest days of Donald Trump’s presidency: the final ones.
As intemperate, foolhardy and reckless as many of Trump’s actions have been to date, critics warn that they all took place as Trump faced a referendum from voters. Now, that pending job review has passed.
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“He will create as much chaos as humanly possible,” said Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer who was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for, in part, arranging illegal hush money payments to keep women from revealing affairs they had had with Trump just prior to the 2016 election.
“Donald Trump will take to the airwaves, to radio and print media whining about how the election was stolen from him due to fraud and foreign interference,” Cohen said. “He could never accept the fact that he lost because he is incompetent and arrogant.”
President-elect Joe Biden is set to assume the office at noon on Jan. 20, but Trump retains all of the powers of the presidency for the 74 remaining days until that moment, including his role as commander in chief of the United States armed forces and the country’s nuclear arsenal.
Trump has indicated that he is not inclined to cooperate in a transition because of the FBI’s investigation into the assistance Russia gave his campaign in 2016, something the president has characterized as “spying.”
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“What about the transition I had where you spied on my campaign and you tried to take down the president of the United States?” he complained at a Pennsylvania rally last week.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment about this story.
“Either fire Wray, Fauci and Haspel and act out. Or he will behave to get good will. Will be interesting to watch. And it’s 50-50.” - A longtime Trump adviser, on how he may spend the final days of his presidency
Trump offered some clues about his likely path in the three days of vote counting that followed the election. He relentlessly lied both on social media and in a 16-minute diatribe to reporters, where he accused Democrats of “stealing” the election from him and asserted ― bizarrely ― that he had already “claimed” certain states as his own. The president has had nothing on his public schedule since the election, beyond that briefing room appearance Thursday evening.
One former White House official said on condition of anonymity that worries like Cohen’s are overwrought. “I don’t think he will do anything out of the ordinary,” he said of Trump.
But a longtime adviser, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he can easily see Trump firing infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, FBI Director Christopher Wray and CIA Director Gina Haspel for contradicting his various claims.
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“Either fire Wray, Fauci and Haspel and act out. Or he will behave to get good will,” the adviser said. “Will be interesting to watch. And it’s 50-50.”
George Conway, who supported Trump in 2016 but soon thereafter became one of his most strident critics, said a purge is almost certain.
“He’s going to fire anyone who’s ever looked at him crosswise,” said Conway, who is the husband of former top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian and authoritarianism expert at New York University, agreed that Trump is likely to use his powers to “take revenge on those who are not loyal enough.”
Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who served as House Democrats’ lead lawyer during Trump’s impeachment hearings, said he predicts the president and his aides will have a busy 10 weeks or so.
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“Issue all sorts of executive orders rolling back additional Obama regulations, implement new regulations without proper notice and comment, kneecap and handcuff various agencies, use the levers of power to grease the wheels for his personal financial interests post-presidency,” Goldman said. “And, of course, pardons like you’ve never seen before.”
One of Trump’s possible pardons, of course, could be for himself, to remove the threat of federal prosecution for potential crimes he may have committed, both before taking office (bank and tax fraud) and during these past four years (obstruction of justice, for example). It’s unclear whether he is actually permitted to self-pardon, but Trump has shown he is willing to break guidelines and laws when useful for him.
“No one has tried it before, so no court has considered the issue,” said Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor. “It is an open question, but many people think he can’t, because the pardon clause implies that the person granting the pardon and the person receiving the pardon are different people.”
As for last-minute regulations, those can be blocked in the courts if they are improperly drafted or implemented. And any of Trump’s executive orders can be immediately rescinded by Biden after he takes office.
It’s not clear how much interest Trump will have in any of this, though, now that he has lost. Anthony Scaramucci, a longtime Trump friend and for a brief time a White House adviser, needed just two words to describe Trump’s likeliest lame-duck agenda: “Play golf.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--CNN Host Van Jones Moved To Tears Over Biden's Win

Jones began by stating that Biden ’ s win made it “ easier to be a parent this morning.
” He went on , becoming more and more choked up : “ It ’ s easier to be a dad .
It ’ s easier to tell your kids character matters , telling the truth matters , being a good person matters .
And it ’ s easier for a whole lot of people .
If you ’ re Muslim in this country , you don ’ t have to worry the president doesn ’ t want you here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have to worry the president gon na be happy to have babies snatched away or send dreamers back for no reason .
It ’ s vindication for a lot of people who have really suffered .
‘ I cant breathe ’ — that wasn ’ t just George Floyd ; that was a lot of people who felt they couldn ’ t breathe .
Every day you ’ re waking up , you ’ re getting these tweets and you ’ re going to the store and people — who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — are getting nastier and nastier.
” Jones wept as he spoke about the hate that had swept across the United States during Trump ’ s four years as president , and finally called Biden ’ s future as the 46th president of the United States a “ big deal for us just to be able to get some peace and have a chance for a reset.
” “ I just want my sons to look at this , ” Jones said .
“ It ’ s easy to do it the cheap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it comes back around , and it ’ s a good day for this country .
I ’ m sorry for the people who lost — for them it ’ s not a good day .
But for a whole lot of people , it ’ s a good day .
”

Jones began by stating that Biden’s win made it “easier to be a parent this morning.”
He went on, becoming more and more choked up:
“It’s easier to be a dad. It’s easier to tell your kids character matters, telling the truth matters, being a good person matters. And it’s easier for a whole lot of people. If you’re Muslim in this country, you don’t have to worry the president doesn’t want you here. If you’re an immigrant you don’t have to worry the president gonna be happy to have babies snatched away or send dreamers back for no reason. It’s vindication for a lot of people who have really suffered. ‘I cant breathe’ — that wasn’t just George Floyd; that was a lot of people who felt they couldn’t breathe. Every day you’re waking up, you’re getting these tweets and you’re going to the store and people — who have been afraid to show their racism — are getting nastier and nastier.”
Jones wept as he spoke about the hate that had swept across the United States during Trump’s four years as president, and finally called Biden’s future as the 46th president of the United States a “big deal for us just to be able to get some peace and have a chance for a reset.”
“I just want my sons to look at this,” Jones said. “It’s easy to do it the cheap way and get away with stuff, but it comes back around, and it’s a good day for this country. I’m sorry for the people who lost — for them it’s not a good day. But for a whole lot of people, it’s a good day.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Major The Dog Came From An Animal Shelter. Now He's Headed To The White House.

After four years of President Donald Trump ’ s famously pet-free tenure , Joe Biden winning the 2020 presidential election means that the patter of furred feet will likely be heard inside the White House once more .
The Biden family has two German shepherds : Champ , purchased from a breeder in 2008 , and Major , adopted from an animal shelter 10 years later .
When the Bidens got Champ , they were criticized for purchasing a puppy from a high-volume commercial breeder that some described as a puppy mill .
The family took a different path the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018 .
Major had been surrendered to the shelter along with his littermates , and the whole crew was in poor health .
The Bidens first took in Major as a foster puppy and ultimately decided to adopt him permanently .
( His siblings also all found homes . )
Since then , the pair has made regular appearances on social media , particularly in photos from Jill Biden .
Though Major has been described on social media and on some news sites as the “ first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that isn ’ t accurate .
Lyndon B. Johnson had a beloved dog named Yuki who was found by his daughter at a Texas gas station on Thanksgiving in 1966 .
President Lyndon B. Johnson introduces his pet dog Yuki on the South Lawn of the White House in September 1967 .
“ LBJ ’ s favorite dog was a rescue named Yuki , a white mutt who had been abandoned by his owner in a gas station in LBJ ’ s hometown of Johnson City , Texas , ” wrote Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Presidential Pet Museum .
“ They shared a very significant bond that personified the American spirit : Only in America could a poor boy from Johnson City end up in the White House.
” And while decidedly not a dog , at least one other presidential pet had similarly scrappy roots .
Socks , the famous black and white cat belonging to the Clinton family , was originally a stray who jumped into Chelsea Clinton ’ s arms in Arkansas .

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The White House is going back to the dogs ― including a shelter dog.
After four years of President Donald Trump’s famously pet-free tenure, Joe Biden winning the 2020 presidential election means that the patter of furred feet will likely be heard inside the White House once more.
The Biden family has two German shepherds: Champ, purchased from a breeder in 2008, and Major, adopted from an animal shelter 10 years later.
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When the Bidens got Champ, they were criticized for purchasing a puppy from a high-volume commercial breeder that some described as a puppy mill. The family took a different path the next time around, and adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018.
Joe Biden and Major at the Delaware Humane Assocation in 2018. Steph Gomez via Delaware Humane Association
Major had been surrendered to the shelter along with his littermates, and the whole crew was in poor health. The Bidens first took in Major as a foster puppy and ultimately decided to adopt him permanently. (His siblings also all found homes.)
Since then, the pair has made regular appearances on social media, particularly in photos from Jill Biden.
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Though Major has been described on social media and on some news sites as the “first rescue dog” in the White House, that isn’t accurate. Lyndon B. Johnson had a beloved dog named Yuki who was found by his daughter at a Texas gas station on Thanksgiving in 1966.
President Lyndon B. Johnson introduces his pet dog Yuki on the South Lawn of the White House in September 1967. Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
“LBJ’s favorite dog was a rescue named Yuki, a white mutt who had been abandoned by his owner in a gas station in LBJ’s hometown of Johnson City, Texas,” wrote Johnson’s grandson, Lyndon Nugent, according to the Presidential Pet Museum. “They shared a very significant bond that personified the American spirit: Only in America could a poor boy from Johnson City end up in the White House.”
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And while decidedly not a dog, at least one other presidential pet had similarly scrappy roots. Socks, the famous black and white cat belonging to the Clinton family, was originally a stray who jumped into Chelsea Clinton’s arms in Arkansas.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Joe Biden Had To Beat Donald Trump With One Hand Tied Behind His Back

President-elect Joe Biden just did something incredibly difficult : He defeated an incumbent president for the first time in 28 years , and only the fifth time in 100 .
Beyond overcoming the traditional advantages held by an incumbent , Biden had to maneuver through the archaic Electoral College , which denied the clear winner of the popular vote an easy victory .
He also had to surmount a stunning series of decisions by conservative courts and Republican legislatures that made it harder both to vote and to count the vote .
And finally , there was Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government resources to aid his reelection bid .
If Biden had racked up only a slightly slimmer lead in key states , these obstacles might have cost the Democrat the election , even if he ’ d maintained a large lead in the popular vote .
Now that he has defeated this increasingly broken system , he will face many urgent calls to reform it .
Biden ’ s biggest obstacle was the same one that tripped up Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Al Gore in 2000 : the Electoral College .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ nail-biter ” by the press was because he needed to win a select group of states with competitive electorates .
The reality , in the popular vote , is that the election was not remotely close .
Biden was winning the national popular vote by more than 4.1 million votes , or 2.8 % , as of Saturday morning .
Both margins exceed Clinton ’ s 2016 popular vote leads and are expected to grow substantially as millions of votes are left to be counted in the Democratic strongholds of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends , Biden will have won the second-largest victory by popular vote margin since the disputed 2000 election and grabbed the largest vote share for a challenger defeating an incumbent since Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 .
Voters had to overcome the usual suppression strategies pioneered by Republican state legislatures in recent years , including obtaining the proper identification and finding out if they had been improperly purged from the voter rolls , as hundreds of thousands were in Georgia .
They also had to cope with legislatures and courts refusing to expand or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Throughout the summer and fall , the U.S. Supreme Court used its “ shadow docket ” to strike down lower court decisions loosening state absentee voting rules due to the pandemic by tightly embracing a precedent that federal courts can ’ t change election laws close to an election .
The court knocked down rulings that would have allowed everyone in Texas to vote by mail , loosened Alabama ’ s absentee ballot voter identification and witness requirements , eliminated South Carolina ’ s absentee witness requirement , and extended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high court ’ s conservative majority also continued to advance its normal anti-voting rights agenda when it upheld a law passed by the Florida legislature requiring felons who ’ ve served their time to also pay fines to get back on the voting rolls .
The Republican state government enacted the law in response to a popularly passed ballot initiative granting ex-felons the right to vote again .
Critics of the law called it a modern-day poll tax .
GOP-controlled legislatures in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin refused to allow election clerks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day .
This gave Trump breathing room to falsely claim victory and allege fraud while ballots were still being tallied after the polls closed on Election Day .
If those three states had allowed ballots to be processed or counted ahead of time , the election would have been called for Biden on Tuesday night .
And then there was Trump ’ s unprecedented use of the federal government to his benefit .
His campaign wasted so much money on extravagant consulting fees , which were potentially fraudulent , and payments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who know too much that he improperly turned to the federal government to boost his reelection bid .
Trump used the White House both for the Republican National Convention ― even hosting a televised naturalization ceremony with the help of the Department of Homeland Security ― and as his final war room on election night .
Kayleigh McEnany , his White House press secretary , acted as a campaign spokesperson even though her paycheck comes from the federal government .
The U.S .
Postal Service slowed down mail operations , which interfered with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Department of the Interior released a “ propaganda ” video mimicking Trump campaign messaging .
Agents of the Homeland Security and Justice departments overly engaged with protesters in cities over the summer to create “ viral online content ” supporting the president ’ s reelection pitch .
Attorney General William Barr also sent out misleading press releases about alleged mail-in ballot irregularities to back up Trump ’ s false accusations that such ballots were fraudulent .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other national security advisers visited swing states ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some of these violations are now under investigation by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel after a complaint filed by Rep. Bill Pascrell ( D-N.J. ) .
But the use of federal government resources no doubt helped Trump ’ s reelection efforts as his campaign ran low on money in its final days .
Despite these many obstacles , the American people came out to vote in record numbers and Biden won .
He almost certainly can ’ t do away with the Electoral College , but House Democrats plan to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
1 , before he even takes office in January , according to Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) .
It will address elections , voting rights and campaign finance reform .
One of those other anti-majoritarian chokepoints — the U.S. Senate — will make passing this legislation a very tall task .
But it may be incumbent on Biden to try .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President-elect Joe Biden just did something incredibly difficult: He defeated an incumbent president for the first time in 28 years, and only the fifth time in 100. Beyond overcoming the traditional advantages held by an incumbent, Biden had to maneuver through the archaic Electoral College, which denied the clear winner of the popular vote an easy victory. He also had to surmount a stunning series of decisions by conservative courts and Republican legislatures that made it harder both to vote and to count the vote. And finally, there was Donald Trump’s unprecedented and perhaps illegal use of federal government resources to aid his reelection bid.
If Biden had racked up only a slightly slimmer lead in key states, these obstacles might have cost the Democrat the election, even if he’d maintained a large lead in the popular vote. Now that he has defeated this increasingly broken system, he will face many urgent calls to reform it.
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Biden’s biggest obstacle was the same one that tripped up Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Al Gore in 2000: the Electoral College. The only reason his election was called a “nail-biter” by the press was because he needed to win a select group of states with competitive electorates. The reality, in the popular vote, is that the election was not remotely close.
Biden was winning the national popular vote by more than 4.1 million votes, or 2.8%, as of Saturday morning. Both margins exceed Clinton’s 2016 popular vote leads and are expected to grow substantially as millions of votes are left to be counted in the Democratic strongholds of California and New York. When the counting ends, Biden will have won the second-largest victory by popular vote margin since the disputed 2000 election and grabbed the largest vote share for a challenger defeating an incumbent since Franklin Roosevelt in 1932.
Summiting the Electoral College was made even harder for Biden by legal obstacles put in place by state governments and federal courts.
Voters had to overcome the usual suppression strategies pioneered by Republican state legislatures in recent years, including obtaining the proper identification and finding out if they had been improperly purged from the voter rolls, as hundreds of thousands were in Georgia. They also had to cope with legislatures and courts refusing to expand or loosen absentee voting rules during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Throughout the summer and fall, the U.S. Supreme Court used its “shadow docket” to strike down lower court decisions loosening state absentee voting rules due to the pandemic by tightly embracing a precedent that federal courts can’t change election laws close to an election. The court knocked down rulings that would have allowed everyone in Texas to vote by mail, loosened Alabama’s absentee ballot voter identification and witness requirements, eliminated South Carolina’s absentee witness requirement, and extended the ballot receipt deadline in Wisconsin.
“The Court’s decision will disenfranchise large numbers of responsible voters in the midst of hazardous pandemic conditions,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent from the conservative majority’s ruling overturning the extension of the ballot receipt deadline in Wisconsin.
The high court’s conservative majority also continued to advance its normal anti-voting rights agenda when it upheld a law passed by the Florida legislature requiring felons who’ve served their time to also pay fines to get back on the voting rolls. The Republican state government enacted the law in response to a popularly passed ballot initiative granting ex-felons the right to vote again. Critics of the law called it a modern-day poll tax.
President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential race after overcoming a series of anti-democratic ― and in some cases potentially illegal ― obstacles. Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images
“This Court’s inaction continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent.
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GOP-controlled legislatures in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin refused to allow election clerks to process or count mailed ballots prior to Election Day. This gave Trump breathing room to falsely claim victory and allege fraud while ballots were still being tallied after the polls closed on Election Day. If those three states had allowed ballots to be processed or counted ahead of time, the election would have been called for Biden on Tuesday night.
And then there was Trump’s unprecedented use of the federal government to his benefit. His campaign wasted so much money on extravagant consulting fees, which were potentially fraudulent, and payments to his properties, family members and associates who know too much that he improperly turned to the federal government to boost his reelection bid.
Some of these violations are now under investigation by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel after a complaint filed by Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.). But the use of federal government resources no doubt helped Trump’s reelection efforts as his campaign ran low on money in its final days.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-07--Senate Set To Block Joe Biden At Every Turn

Right now , the makeup is split , with four races yet to be called .
Democrats picked up two seats , and Republicans picked up one .
But Democrats were widely expected to net more .
Control of the Senate could have to wait until Jan. 5 , when Georgia ’ s two Senate seats will be determined in runoff races .
“ For a President Biden , governing will have a Jekyll and Hyde feel , ” said a senior Democratic Senate aide .
Like others interviewed for this article , they requested anonymity to speak freely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a substantial number of steps he can take via executive action .
Moreover , a sizable portion of the country will be relieved that the person sitting behind the Resolute Desk is no longer a madman.
” “ So once this election is finalized and behind us , it will be time for us to do what we have always done as Americans , ” Biden said in a speech Wednesday afternoon .
“ To put the harsh rhetoric of the campaign behind us .
...
I know this won ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Neither of us are .
I know how deep and hard the opposing views are in our country on so many things .
But I also know this as well : To make progress we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy.
” But with results more mixed for Democrats down-ballot , it ’ s likely that Republicans will disagree and refuse to go along with his agenda .
On the other hand , the 2022 Senate map is considered more favorable for Democrats , so there might be vulnerable GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Republicans will have to decide if they want to govern or run the Obama-era playbook of obstruction , ” said the senior Democratic Senate aide .
“ The consequences of that decision can not be understated .
If one takes a step back , it ’ s obvious we ’ re living in a nation on the brink .
The question of what we ’ re on the brink of if nothing gets done only leads to a very dark place.
” “ Maybe Senate Republicans act differently without Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another hard cycle in 2022 ?
But do they work together on anything ?
Infrastructure week , anyone ?
Do they block everything ?
Do they want to wash the bad taste out of their mouth ?
” they wondered .
But without a majority , Biden will need at least some Republican cooperation to get his nominees through the Senate , leading progressives to worry that it could lead to a more centrist Cabinet .
A source close to McConnell told Axios that the GOP leader would work with Biden ― but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden is “ a man who is a dealmaker , ” the former majority leader said Thursday on MSNBC .
“ Legislation is the art of compromise .
Compromise is not a dirty word , and Joe Biden understands that .
I have every confidence that Joe Biden as president of the United States will do everything he can with executive orders , but he ’ ll also do everything he can to work with Democrats and Republicans .
”

Joe Biden could face a Senate run by Republicans, with Mitch McConnell as majority leader. Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press
Democrats didn’t want to repeat the overconfidence of 2016, but they couldn’t help but start to dream: What would be possible if they won not only the presidency but also a healthy Senate majority as well?
They started talking about adding seats to the Supreme Court, abolishing the filibuster and moving forward with big climate change legislation. Activists around the country poured money into Senate races, and candidates were significantly outraising and outspending their Republican Party opponents.
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But President-elect Joe Biden will not have the robust Senate majority for which he had no doubt hoped. In fact, he could be the first president since George H.W. Bush to take office without his party controlling both chambers of Congress.
The filibuster will be sticking around, at least for now. And many of those big plans that Democrats had won’t be happening.
“Legislating in the next Congress just got a lot tougher. Among other things, the progressive wishlist from the House is in serious trouble in the Senate,” said Jim Manley, who served as a top aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
Control of the Senate remains uncertain, but it could very well remain in Republican hands. Even if Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) does become majority leader, it won’t be with much of a cushion.
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Right now, the makeup is split, with four races yet to be called. Democrats picked up two seats, and Republicans picked up one. But Democrats were widely expected to net more. Control of the Senate could have to wait until Jan. 5, when Georgia’s two Senate seats will be determined in runoff races.
“For a President Biden, governing will have a Jekyll and Hyde feel,” said a senior Democratic Senate aide. Like others interviewed for this article, they requested anonymity to speak freely. “On one level, there is a substantial number of steps he can take via executive action. Moreover, a sizable portion of the country will be relieved that the person sitting behind the Resolute Desk is no longer a madman.”
“On another level, legislating will be a real grind,” they added. “If Democrats don’t win the Senate, governing in the Biden era will make the post-tea party years of the Obama administration seem idyllic in comparison.”
Biden already faced enormous challenges in the best of circumstances. He has to tackle a growing pandemic, heal a fractured country and please activists who want him to make big changes to structural problems.
The question now is how he will be able to do any of that with a Democratic-led House and a divided Senate. (Democrats held on to the House, but they appear set to lose ground after expecting to pick up seats.)
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“So once this election is finalized and behind us, it will be time for us to do what we have always done as Americans,” Biden said in a speech Wednesday afternoon. “To put the harsh rhetoric of the campaign behind us. ... I know this won’t be easy. I’m not naïve. Neither of us are. I know how deep and hard the opposing views are in our country on so many things. But I also know this as well: To make progress we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy.”
Biden has long pitched his ability to work across the aisle as a selling point, saying he believes that GOP lawmakers will be different once Trump is gone. In May, he lamented that “an awful lot of Republicans have become intimidated by the president.”
″The thing that will fundamentally change things is with Donald Trump out of the White House ― not a joke ― you will see an epiphany occur among many of my Republican friends,” he added.
It’s not clear if Biden still believes that Republicans will start cooperating with Democrats after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rushed through a conservative replacement on the Supreme Court for liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg a week before the election. That move had nothing to do with Trump and everything to do with longstanding Republican priorities.
“If you think that McConnell’s going to be in a mood to cut deals, you’ve got to get your head examined.” - Former Democratic Senate aide Jim Manley
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On Wednesday, McConnell said he was “not troubled at all” by the president prematurely declaring reelection victory when millions of votes had yet to be counted.
Another Democratic Senate aide said McConnell has two options: Obstruct Biden at every step, like he did with Barack Obama, “or work with him a little because they know each other.”
“Count me very skeptical on Option 2,” the aide said.
“I also think they will get a middle ground COVID deal passed, but not a big one that actually makes a difference because, you know, deficits,” they added sarcastically, since the GOP has largely been content to let the deficit balloon under Trump.
On Friday night, Biden said voters had given him “a mandate for action on COVID, the economy, climate change and systemic racism.
But with results more mixed for Democrats down-ballot, it’s likely that Republicans will disagree and refuse to go along with his agenda. On the other hand, the 2022 Senate map is considered more favorable for Democrats, so there might be vulnerable GOP senators willing to play ball.
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“Senate Republicans will have to decide if they want to govern or run the Obama-era playbook of obstruction,” said the senior Democratic Senate aide. “The consequences of that decision cannot be understated. If one takes a step back, it’s obvious we’re living in a nation on the brink. The question of what we’re on the brink of if nothing gets done only leads to a very dark place.”
Another Democratic staffer said it was just too soon to tell.
“Maybe Senate Republicans act differently without Trump in the White House, particularly knowing they have another hard cycle in 2022? But do they work together on anything? Infrastructure week, anyone? Do they block everything? Do they want to wash the bad taste out of their mouth?” they wondered.
But without a majority, Biden will need at least some Republican cooperation to get his nominees through the Senate, leading progressives to worry that it could lead to a more centrist Cabinet. A source close to McConnell told Axios that the GOP leader would work with Biden ― but only if his picks are more moderate.
Reid also predicted that Biden would be working with McConnell.
Biden is “a man who is a dealmaker,” the former majority leader said Thursday on MSNBC. “Legislation is the art of compromise. Compromise is not a dirty word, and Joe Biden understands that. I have every confidence that Joe Biden as president of the United States will do everything he can with executive orders, but he’ll also do everything he can to work with Democrats and Republicans.”
There seems to be a fairly universal recognition that Biden is going to need to do what he can with his executive power if he wants to get anything done.
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“Biden’s got to use executive orders,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said Wednesday on MSNBC.
Trump embraced executive orders, even though in 2016 he criticized Obama for using them. He called them “the easy way out” and said if elected president he would “do away with executive orders for the most part.”
Trump ended up issuing 193, compared with 147 for Obama in his first term, 171 for George W. Bush and 128 for Bill Clinton. And, according to The Washington Post, Trump was eager to use them rather than turning to them as a last resort, as most presidents do.
Biden could use them for everything from immigration reform to canceling student debt to promoting unionization to undoing Trump cuts to safety net benefits to increasing wages for some workers.
“One of the first things [Biden officials] need to learn is how to use the executive order,” Manley added. “As Trump found out, it’s not the answer to everything. Many of his orders end up in court, but that’s also because many of them were sloppily drafted. If you draft them correctly and go through the process, you can get some wins. I assume that’s what Team Biden is going to have to work at very closely.”
“If you think that McConnell’s going to be in a mood to cut deals,” he added, “you’ve got to get your head examined.”
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