thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Florida’s Gov. DeSantis Wants To Allow Armed Citizens To Shoot Looters And Rioters

It ’ s as if Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) is unaware that there ’ s a public health crisis and tropical storm cleanup he could be pouring his time into .
The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that Florida ’ s Republican governor has drafted “ anti-mob ” legislation that would drastically expand the state ’ s “ stand your ground ” law ― which currently allows people to use deadly force to defend themselves if they think they ’ re in danger of being killed or seriously harmed by another person , per Fort Myers ’ News-Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gift to would-be vigilantes .
Former Miami-Dade prosecutor Aubrey Webb told the outlet he worries that language in the drafted legislation is too vague and gives armed citizens the “ power to kill as they subjectively determine what constitutes ‘ criminal mischief.
’ ” DeSantis ’ proposal would expand the “ stand your ground ” law to property crime and allow the use of force against “ violent or disorderly assemblies ” or “ criminal mischief ” occurring within 500 feet of a business that is experiencing “ interruption or impairment ” due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herald — which said it obtained emails and a copy of the bill draft .
The legislation would also make it a “ third-degree felony to block traffic during a protest , offer immunity to drivers who claim to have unintentionally killed or injured protesters who block traffic , and withhold state funds from local governments that cut law enforcement budgets , ” the Herald reports .
“ It allows for vigilantes to justify their actions , ” Denise Georges , a former Miami-Dade County prosecutor who had handled “ stand your ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It also allows for death to be the punishment for a property crime — and that is cruel and unusual punishment .
We can not live in a lawless society where taking a life is done so casually and recklessly.
” The legislation is in response to police-brutality protests that surged across Florida and the United States this summer , after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
It also mirrors President Donald Trump ’ s attitudes toward the largely peaceful demonstrations .
In September , Trump ’ s Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Portland — three cities where anti-racism protests loomed large — as “ anarchist jurisdictions.
” The department claimed that these cities “ permitted violence and destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures to counteract criminal activities ” and threatened to take away the cities ’ federal funding as a result .
DeSantis is a major supporter of Trump ’ s , and the president endorsed DeSantis ’ run for Florida governor in 2018 .
A maskless DeSantis was also caught on video high-fiving supporters ( then touching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
“ It ’ s clear that the Trump beauty pageant is still going on with governors and senators , who all want to be the next Trump , ” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told the Herald .
“ And the governor is clearly a very good contestant .
”

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It’s as if Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is unaware that there’s a public health crisis and tropical storm cleanup he could be pouring his time into.
The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that Florida’s Republican governor has drafted “anti-mob” legislation that would drastically expand the state’s “stand your ground” law ― which currently allows people to use deadly force to defend themselves if they think they’re in danger of being killed or seriously harmed by another person, per Fort Myers’ News-Press.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Orange Bowl in 2019. Mark Brown via Getty Images
Critics blasted the bill as a gift to would-be vigilantes. Former Miami-Dade prosecutor Aubrey Webb told the outlet he worries that language in the drafted legislation is too vague and gives armed citizens the “power to kill as they subjectively determine what constitutes ‘criminal mischief.’”
DeSantis’ proposal would expand the “stand your ground” law to property crime and allow the use of force against “violent or disorderly assemblies” or “criminal mischief” occurring within 500 feet of a business that is experiencing “interruption or impairment” due to this conduct, according to the Herald — which said it obtained emails and a copy of the bill draft.
The legislation would also make it a “third-degree felony to block traffic during a protest, offer immunity to drivers who claim to have unintentionally killed or injured protesters who block traffic, and withhold state funds from local governments that cut law enforcement budgets,” the Herald reports.
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The language protecting drivers follows a wave of right-wing vehicle-ramming attacks against peaceful protesters this summer.
“It allows for vigilantes to justify their actions,” Denise Georges, a former Miami-Dade County prosecutor who had handled “stand your ground” cases, told the Herald. “It also allows for death to be the punishment for a property crime — and that is cruel and unusual punishment. We cannot live in a lawless society where taking a life is done so casually and recklessly.”
The legislation is in response to police-brutality protests that surged across Florida and the United States this summer, after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It also mirrors President Donald Trump’s attitudes toward the largely peaceful demonstrations.
President Donald Trump introduces Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a campaign rally in November 2019. Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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In September, Trump’s Justice Department designated New York City, Seattle and Portland — three cities where anti-racism protests loomed large — as “anarchist jurisdictions.” The department claimed that these cities “permitted violence and destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures to counteract criminal activities” and threatened to take away the cities’ federal funding as a result.
DeSantis is a major supporter of Trump’s, and the president endorsed DeSantis’ run for Florida governor in 2018. A maskless DeSantis was also caught on video high-fiving supporters (then touching his nose) at a Trump rally in October during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s clear that the Trump beauty pageant is still going on with governors and senators, who all want to be the next Trump,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told the Herald. “And the governor is clearly a very good contestant.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Where The Money For Trump's 'Election Defense' Fund Will Really Go

Nov 11 ( Reuters ) - As President Donald Trump seeks to discredit last week ’ s election with baseless claims of voter fraud , his team has bombarded his supporters with requests for money to help pay for legal challenges to the results : “ The Left will try to STEAL this election !
” reads one text .
The disclosures would allow Trump and the RNC to channel the donations into other political causes or campaigns , such as the two high-stakes January Senate runoff races in Georgia that could determine control of the Senate and are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in U.S. history .
Scrolling down the page would take a donor to the fine print , which shows that donations are split between “ Save America , ” which gets 60 % of the money , and the RNC , which gets the other 40 % .
None of the money flows to Trump ’ s official ” recount ” committee fund until Trump ’ s Save America share reaches the legal contribution limit of $ 5,000 , according to the disclosures .
“ It ’ s important to be up front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep into their pockets to come up with $ 25 , ” said Michael DuHaime , a former political director at theRNC .
“ If you tell them it ’ s going for legal fees , well then itshould go for legal fees.
” “ I see this as two pockets on the same pair of pants .
Itdoesn ’ t matter if it goes into the left or the right pocket , “ Scott said .
“ In the end , the money will be used for a legitimatepurpose that his supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have channeled Trump ’ s rage and hisrefusal to accept the results of an election that major mediaoutlets called on Saturday for his Democratic opponent JoeBiden , the former Vice President .
Most of the Republican Partyhas fallen in line with Trump ’ s rhetoric , either by stayingsilent or publicly supporting the election challenges .
Trump ’ s campaign has filed a flurry of lawsuits to overturnthe results in key states without producing evidence to back hischarges of illegal voting .
Trump ’ s lawsuits have insteadgenerally alleged violations of process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observers .
Legal experts said none of thecases were broad enough to invalidate the number of votesrequired to overturn Biden ’ s presumed victory .
By mid-October , the Trump campaign and the Republican Partyreelection team were left with $ 223.5 million and had to scaleback advertising .
The Trump campaign itself only had $ 43 millionentering the final three weeks of the presidential election , while Biden and the Democrats had $ 432 million in cash for thefinal stretch , including $ 177.3 million in Biden ’ s campaign .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the last several days - used names such as theElection Defense Task Force and the Official Election DefenseFund .
Initially , the disclosures said that Trump would steer alarge part of the contributions to pay down campaign debt .
Unlike campaign funds , which have tight controls on how theycan be spent , leadership PACs such as Save America carry fewrestrictions .
Republicans and Democrats alike have drawncriticism for using them to pay family members and to fundluxury events in exotic locations .
A 2018 report by the CampaignLegal Center and Issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform , said some leadership PACs have been used asvehicles to “ subsidize lavish lifestyles ” of politicians “ ontheir donors ’ dimes .
”

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Nov 11 (Reuters) - As President Donald Trump seeks to discredit last week’s election with baseless claims of voter fraud, his team has bombarded his supporters with requests for money to help pay for legal challenges to the results: “The Left will try to STEAL this election!” reads one text.
But any small-dollar donations from Trump’s grassroots donors won’t be going to legal expenses at all, according to a Reuters review of the legal language in the solicitations.
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A donor would have to give more than $8,000 before any money goes to the “recount account” established to finance election challenges, including recounts and lawsuits over alleged improprieties, the fundraising disclosures show.
The emailed solicitations send supporters to an “Official Election Defense Fund” website that asks them to sign up for recurring donations to “protect the results and keep fighting even after Election Day.”
The fine print makes clear most of the money will go to other priorities.
A large portion of the money goes to “Save America,” a Trump leadership PAC, or political action committee, set up on Monday, and the Republican National Committee (RNC). Under Federal Election Commission rules, both groups have broad leeway in how they can use the funds.
The Trump campaign, the RNC and Trump’s new Save America PAC did not respond to requests for comment.
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Leadership PACs such as Save America are often set up by prominent political figures to spend money on other candidates, while also paying for personal expenses, such as travel and hotel stays.
The disclosures would allow Trump and the RNC to channel the donations into other political causes or campaigns, such as the two high-stakes January Senate runoff races in Georgia that could determine control of the Senate and are likely to rank among the most expensive races in U.S. history.
Trump’s solicitation website carries a banner headline that says “OFFICIAL ELECTION DEFENSE FUND” and “CONTRIBUTE NOW.”
Scrolling down the page would take a donor to the fine print, which shows that donations are split between “Save America,” which gets 60% of the money, and the RNC, which gets the other 40%. None of the money flows to Trump’s official “recount” committee fund until Trump’s Save America share reaches the legal contribution limit of $5,000, according to the disclosures.
That means that, before a dollar goes into the recount fund, Save America would receive $5,000 and the RNC around $3,300. Donations to the recount committee are legally limited to $2,800.
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If a Trump donor gave $500, for instance, $300 would go to Trump’s Save America PAC, $200 would to the RNC - and nothing would go to his election defense fund.
One Republican political strategist said Trump is misleading supporters who might give small donations to whatever cause he approves.
“It’s important to be upfront with people - especially those who are digging deep into their pockets to come up with $25,” said Michael DuHaime, a former political director at the RNC. “If you tell them it’s going for legal fees, well then it should go for legal fees.”
Darrell Scott, an Ohio pastor who helped found the NationalDiversity Coalition for Trump and served on the president’s 2016transition team, says he sees no problems with diverting the money to the leadership PAC or the RNC.
“I see this as two pockets on the same pair of pants. It doesn’t matter if it goes into the left or the right pocket,” Scott said. “In the end, the money will be used for a legitimate purpose that his supporters will get behind.”
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FLURRY OF LAWSUITS
The fundraising pitches have channeled Trump’s rage and his refusal to accept the results of an election that major media outlets called on Saturday for his Democratic opponent JoeBiden, the former Vice President. Most of the Republican Party has fallen in line with Trump’s rhetoric, either by staying silent or publicly supporting the election challenges.
Trump’s campaign has filed a flurry of lawsuits to overturn the results in key states without producing evidence to back his charges of illegal voting. Trump’s lawsuits have instead generally alleged violations of process, such as a lack of access for Republican observers. Legal experts said none of the cases were broad enough to invalidate the number of votes required to overturn Biden’s presumed victory.
Judges have quickly dismissed many of the lawsuits. State election officials, including Republicans, have said there was no widespread fraud.
As the president fights what Democrats have called his inevitable ouster from the White House, his fundraising campaign seeks to replenish campaign coffers that were depleted during the presidential race, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Trump’s re-election team kicked off 2020 with an impressive cash advantage, thanks to a massive fundraising operation, including joint efforts with the Republican Party. But the advantage evaporated as Trump’s campaign burned through $1.4billion of the $1.6 billion raised over the past two years.
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By mid-October, the Trump campaign and the Republican Partyreelection team were left with $223.5 million and had to scale back advertising. The Trump campaign itself only had $43 million entering the final three weeks of the presidential election, while Biden and the Democrats had $432 million in cash for the final stretch, including $177.3 million in Biden’s campaign.
‘LAVISH LIFESTYLES’
Trump’s post-election fundraising emails - sometimes issued hourly over the last several days - used names such as the Election Defense Task Force and the Official Election DefenseFund. Initially, the disclosures said that Trump would steer a large part of the contributions to pay down campaign debt.
But the disclosure language changed after Trump’s campaign treasurer, Bradley Crate, incorporated the Save America political action committee on Monday. Crate did not reply to requests for comment.
Unlike campaign funds, which have tight controls on how they can be spent, leadership PACs such as Save America carry few restrictions. Republicans and Democrats alike have drawn criticism for using them to pay family members and to fund luxury events in exotic locations. A 2018 report by the CampaignLegal Center and Issue One, two groups that advocate campaign finance reform, said some leadership PACs have been used as vehicles to “subsidize lavish lifestyles” of politicians “on their donors’ dimes.”
Larry Noble, former general counsel at the Federal Election Commission, said Trump could use the committee to finance a post-election political career. He said the pitch is misleading for donors who don’t read the fine print.
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“He’s really making a big deal about the challenge to the election, and that may very well be why a lot of people may give without paying attention to, or understanding, what the political language is,” Noble said. “It’s pretty dangerous to our democracy to use attacking our elections as a fundraising tool.”
The North Carolina Republican Party has launched a similar strategy, using the election challenges as a way to raise money for other purposes. In several mass emails to potential donors this week, the party says - alongside images of Trump - that itis seeking money to help protect the integrity of the elections.
The legal disclosures, however, show the money is going to an account to pay for the party’s overhead costs and not directly to any challenges of this presidential election. Trump won North Carolina’s 15 electoral votes.
“They should be more transparent,” said one prominent North Carolina Republican, speaking on condition of anonymity. “If they are soliciting money to help with a legal challenge, and instead the money is going to pay the salary of the political director, that doesn’t seem right.”
Tim Wigginton, a spokesman for the North Carolina Republican Party, said in a statement that the party wants to “ensure every legal ballot is counted” but did not address questions about whether the fundraising appeals are misleading or why the donations are not being directed to legal defense.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Fox News Is Pushing Dangerous Propaganda About Election Theft

To be sure , Fox News host Laura Ingraham initially nudged President Donald Trump to act with “ grace and composure ” in defeat , and reporters on the network ’ s news side have pushed back against Trump campaign officials for their claims of election theft .
Yet rank disinformation elsewhere on the network is overwhelming these acknowledgments of Trump ’ s election loss .
On host Sean Hannity ’ s show last week , Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Tex . )
spread the debunked claim that officials have blocked Republican election observers from viewing vote-counting .
Former House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hannity , nonsensically suggested that authorities should arrest people blocking observers and repeated the falsehood that officials are counting ballots in secret to manipulate the vote .
( Both Republican and Democratic observers are present at the vote-counting centers , and Philadelphia has a public livestream of the count . )
Fox News and other right-wing outlets are embracing a conservative myth that Trump is the real victor of last week ’ s election and that Biden was only declared the winner because of election fraud and media interference .
Pro-Trump media activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of baseless conspiracy theories to back up that narrative , notably that election officials or Democrats blocked Pennsylvania poll watchers from the ballots .
That claim has been widely debunked by a variety of fact-checkers , on-the-ground reporters , and even by Fox News itself .
Trump , meanwhile , has repeatedly spread disinformation that “ observers were not allowed in the counting rooms ” and that “ bad things happened.
” At times , Trump ’ s own lawyers , who are suing to invalidate ballots and challenge election results in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s conspiracy theories .
In one case , Trump lawyer Jonathan S. Goldstein was forced to admit that he had no evidence of any fraud concerning a tranche of 592 ballots Trump was trying to get invalidated .
Republicans have presented scarce and flimsy evidence to claim that there is widespread voter fraud , some of which has already fallen apart under investigation .
One Pennsylvania postal worker who claimed he witnessed voting irregularities has recanted his claims , investigators told The Washington Post , and he signed an affidavit stating that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News has helped the GOP ’ s disinformation campaign and peddled numerous conspiracy theories surrounding the election , including by discussing widely debunked allegations that Sharpie pens somehow invalidated Republican ballots in the swing state of Arizona .
It has also featured numerous guests who outright claim Trump has won the election .
The network ’ s willingness to promote flagrant falsehoods and conspiracy theories has been especially prominent during its prime-time shows , with hosts such as Ingraham — who despite her brief nod toward Trump accepting his loss last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of malfeasance .
On Tuesday night , she interviewed an anonymous woman with a digitally altered voice and image who claimed to be a Nevada poll worker who witnessed voter fraud .
Tucker Carlson , the network ’ s top-rated host , promoted debunked claims and characterized unproven voting irregularities as an existential threat to democracy .
Carlson claimed on Monday that voter fraud did occur and referenced a discredited narrative that dead people cast ballots .
Then , on Tuesday , he asserted that “ we need to find out exactly what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also somewhat hedged his support for Trump , telling viewers he had to be “ honest ” that it wouldn ’ t change the result of the election . )
The conspiracy theories amplified on Fox News are also part of a wider effort from pro-Trump media to discredit Biden ’ s win .
Far-right media outlets such as Newsmax and One America News have blanketed their coverage of the election with falsehoods and wild allegations of election fraud , in some cases racking up millions of views on Facebook with debunked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to capitalize on Trump supporters ’ anger toward Fox News ’ decision desk , which called the election , and specifically the state of Arizona , for Biden .
“ The Democrat Party hack that Fox News has become was upset that Trump had a clear victory in Florida and was trying to breathe life into the Biden campaign , ” OAN host Christina Bobb claimed during a bizarre segment attacking the rival right-wing network .
Along with Fox News accurately calling the race for Biden , some of its anchors have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ ve challenged conspiracy theories about voter fraud and have fact-checked bogus claims ― including about Pennsylvania ’ s poll watchers .
On Monday , anchor Neil Cavuto intentionally cut away from White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany ’ s press conference as she spread groundless allegations of voter fraud .
Even Fox News reporter Eric Shawn , who has propagated falsehoods of voter fraud in the past , condemned the Trump campaign ’ s baseless poll watcher claim .
“ It ’ s not true .
It ’ s just not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are called canvas watchers ― Republicans , have been in that room where they are supposed to be , standing alongside with the Democrats , ” Shawn said .

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As the Republican Party seeks to delegitimize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, Fox News hosts are acting as eager accomplices in spreading false claims of voter fraud and lending their immense platforms to conspiracy theories that undermine trust in democracy.
To be sure, Fox News host Laura Ingraham initially nudged President Donald Trump to act with “grace and composure” in defeat, and reporters on the network’s news side have pushed back against Trump campaign officials for their claims of election theft. Yet rank disinformation elsewhere on the network is overwhelming these acknowledgments of Trump’s election loss.
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On host Sean Hannity’s show last week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) spread the debunked claim that officials have blocked Republican election observers from viewing vote-counting. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, also appearing on Hannity, nonsensically suggested that authorities should arrest people blocking observers and repeated the falsehood that officials are counting ballots in secret to manipulate the vote. (Both Republican and Democratic observers are present at the vote-counting centers, and Philadelphia has a public livestream of the count.)
Fox News and other right-wing outlets are embracing a conservative myth that Trump is the real victor of last week’s election and that Biden was only declared the winner because of election fraud and media interference. Pro-Trump media activists and Republican officials have fixated on a number of baseless conspiracy theories to back up that narrative, notably that election officials or Democrats blocked Pennsylvania poll watchers from the ballots.
That claim has been widely debunked by a variety of fact-checkers, on-the-ground reporters, and even by Fox News itself. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly spread disinformation that “observers were not allowed in the counting rooms” and that “bad things happened.”
Fox News has helped the GOP’s disinformation campaign and peddled numerous conspiracy theories surrounding the election. TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images
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At times, Trump’s own lawyers, who are suing to invalidate ballots and challenge election results in several states, have contradicted Trump’s conspiracy theories. In one case, Trump lawyer Jonathan S. Goldstein was forced to admit that he had no evidence of any fraud concerning a tranche of 592 ballots Trump was trying to get invalidated.
“Are you claiming that there is any fraud in connection with these 592 disputed ballots?” Judge Richard P. Haaz asked Trump’s lawyers.
“To my knowledge at present, no,” Goldstein replied.
Another Trump lawyer admitted that there were indeed observers in Philadelphia’s counting room after Eastern District of Pennsylvania Judge Paul Diamond specifically asked about it.
“I’m sorry, then what’s your problem?” Diamond asked after Trump’s lawyer confirmed that observers were present.
Republicans have presented scarce and flimsy evidence to claim that there is widespread voter fraud, some of which has already fallen apart under investigation. One Pennsylvania postal worker who claimed he witnessed voting irregularities has recanted his claims, investigators told The Washington Post, and he signed an affidavit stating that his initial allegations weren’t true.
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Fox News has helped the GOP’s disinformation campaign and peddled numerous conspiracy theories surrounding the election, including by discussing widely debunked allegations that Sharpie pens somehow invalidated Republican ballots in the swing state of Arizona. It has also featured numerous guests who outright claim Trump has won the election.
The network’s willingness to promote flagrant falsehoods and conspiracy theories has been especially prominent during its prime-time shows, with hosts such as Ingraham — who despite her brief nod toward Trump accepting his loss last week, has also backed up his claims of malfeasance. On Tuesday night, she interviewed an anonymous woman with a digitally altered voice and image who claimed to be a Nevada poll worker who witnessed voter fraud.
Tucker Carlson, the network’s top-rated host, promoted debunked claims and characterized unproven voting irregularities as an existential threat to democracy. Carlson claimed on Monday that voter fraud did occur and referenced a discredited narrative that dead people cast ballots. Then, on Tuesday, he asserted that “we need to find out exactly what happened in this election.” (He has also somewhat hedged his support for Trump, telling viewers he had to be “honest” that it wouldn’t change the result of the election.)
The conspiracy theories amplified on Fox News are also part of a wider effort from pro-Trump media to discredit Biden’s win. Far-right media outlets such as Newsmax and One America News have blanketed their coverage of the election with falsehoods and wild allegations of election fraud, in some cases racking up millions of views on Facebook with debunked claims. These outlets have also tried to capitalize on Trump supporters’ anger toward Fox News’ decision desk, which called the election, and specifically the state of Arizona, for Biden.
“The Democrat Party hack that Fox News has become was upset that Trump had a clear victory in Florida and was trying to breathe life into the Biden campaign,” OAN host Christina Bobb claimed during a bizarre segment attacking the rival right-wing network.
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Along with Fox News accurately calling the race for Biden, some of its anchors have taken an unusual step for the network: They’ve challenged conspiracy theories about voter fraud and have fact-checked bogus claims ― including about Pennsylvania’s poll watchers. On Monday, anchor Neil Cavuto intentionally cut away from White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s press conference as she spread groundless allegations of voter fraud. Even Fox News reporter Eric Shawn, who has propagated falsehoods of voter fraud in the past, condemned the Trump campaign’s baseless poll watcher claim.
“It’s not true. It’s just not true. The election poll watchers ― they are called canvas watchers ― Republicans, have been in that room where they are supposed to be, standing alongside with the Democrats,” Shawn said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Ron Klain, Obama's 'Ebola Czar,' To Be Biden's White House Chief Of Staff

Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press President Barack Obama tapped Ronald Klain to coordinate the United States ' response to the Ebola outbreak in Africa in 2014 .
Klain , a longtime Biden adviser who served as his vice presidential chief of staff from 2009 to 2011 , has long been rumored as a top contender for the position .
He played a lead role in Biden ’ s campaign , advising him on the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery .
The chief of staff is one of the most important positions in the White House .
Klain will oversee the hiring and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be responsible for the president ’ s daily meetings and manage negotiations with Congress .
The news was first reported by The Washington Post and The New York Times Wednesday evening .
Biden emphasized Klain ’ s experience handling the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis as well as the Ebola health crisis as his chief qualifications for the job .
“ Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together , including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daunting public health emergency in 2014 , ” Biden said in a statement .
“ His deep , varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again.
” Klain has had a long career in the public and private sector .
He worked as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Byron White before entering politics .
He worked for now-Sen. Ed Markey ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1990s , then joined Bill Clinton ’ s presidential administration and oversaw his judicial nominations — including that of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
He served as chief of staff for former Vice President Al Gore and Attorney General Janet Reno and had a stint at the official campaign arm for Senate Democrats .
He has advised presidential nominees , including John Kerry , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton and Biden , for more than a decade .
Notably , Klain is a consensus pick among Democrats .
A longtime establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure to many on the left wing of the party , who see him as the best option out of Biden ’ s inner circle .
“ He understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it , ” Warren tweeted .
“ Ron has earned trust all across the entire Democratic Party.
” Waleed Shahid , a spokesperson for Justice Democrats , a group that works to elect progressives to Congress , said previously that he hoped Klain would get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leftward shift within the party .
Klain was tapped to coordinate the United States ’ response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014 , and he set up the White House pandemic office a year later .
The Trump administration disbanded the office in 2018 during a reorganization under former national security adviser John Bolton .
Klain warned back in 2017 that the Trump administration was unprepared to handle a deadly infectious disease , and he continued to emphasize afterward that Trump ’ s policies and views “ would lead to the loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an epidemic.
” In March , when it was clear that Biden would be the Democratic presidential nominee , Klain recorded a viral video in front of a whiteboard explaining how Trump had bungled the United States ’ response to the public health crisis .
The Trump campaign zeroed in on Klain , attempting to discredit him .
“ I look forward to helping him and the Vice President-elect assemble a talented and diverse team to work in the White House , as we tackle their ambitious agenda for change , and seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Klain said in a statement .

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Ronald Klain, who oversaw the Obama administration’s response to the Ebola outbreak, will be President-elect Joe Biden’s White House chief of staff, HuffPost confirmed with Biden’s campaign.
Klain, a longtime Biden adviser who served as his vice presidential chief of staff from 2009 to 2011, has long been rumored as a top contender for the position. He played a lead role in Biden’s campaign, advising him on the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery.
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The chief of staff is one of the most important positions in the White House. Klain will oversee the hiring and management of all White House personnel, be responsible for the president’s daily meetings and manage negotiations with Congress. The news was first reported by The Washington Post and The New York Times Wednesday evening.
Biden emphasized Klain’s experience handling the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis as well as the Ebola health crisis as his chief qualifications for the job.
“Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014,” Biden said in a statement. “His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again.”
President Barack Obama tapped Ronald Klain to coordinate the United States' response to the Ebola outbreak in Africa in 2014. Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press
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Klain has had a long career in the public and private sector. He worked as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Byron White before entering politics. He worked for now-Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in the 1980s and 1990s, then joined Bill Clinton’s presidential administration and oversaw his judicial nominations — including that of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He served as chief of staff for former Vice President Al Gore and Attorney General Janet Reno and had a stint at the official campaign arm for Senate Democrats. He has advised presidential nominees, including John Kerry, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Biden, for more than a decade.
More recently, he’s been the top lawyer at a D.C.-based venture capital firm for startups called Revolution.
Notably, Klain is a consensus pick among Democrats. A longtime establishment Democratic aide, he is a welcome figure to many on the left wing of the party, who see him as the best option out of Biden’s inner circle.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) praised Biden’s choice Wednesday on Twitter, calling him a “superb choice for Chief of Staff.”
“He understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it,” Warren tweeted. “Ron has earned trust all across the entire Democratic Party.”
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.@RonaldKlain is a superb choice for Chief of Staff. He understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it. Ron has earned trust all across the entire Democratic Party. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 12, 2020
Waleed Shahid, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats, a group that works to elect progressives to Congress, said previously that he hoped Klain would get the job, noting that Klain understood the leftward shift within the party.
“As Klain said himself in the primary, the party consensus has moved into a new era,” Shahid tweeted in October, a sentiment echoed by other progressive voices.
As the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates hit record highs in the United States, the Biden administration has emphasized Klain’s background in handling infectious diseases.
Klain was tapped to coordinate the United States’ response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014, and he set up the White House pandemic office a year later. The Trump administration disbanded the office in 2018 during a reorganization under former national security adviser John Bolton.
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Klain warned back in 2017 that the Trump administration was unprepared to handle a deadly infectious disease, and he continued to emphasize afterward that Trump’s policies and views “would lead to the loss of many lives in the event of an epidemic.”
In March, when it was clear that Biden would be the Democratic presidential nominee, Klain recorded a viral video in front of a whiteboard explaining how Trump had bungled the United States’ response to the public health crisis. The Trump campaign zeroed in on Klain, attempting to discredit him.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Trump's Transition Chaos Is A National Security Nightmare

And the personnel moves in the national security arena go well beyond just the Pentagon and National Security Agency .
It ’ s clear a thorough purge is underway .
On Friday , Trump ousted Bonnie Glick , a former foreign service officer serving as the deputy head of the sprawling U.S. Agency for International Development .
The move kept his controversial appointee John Barsa in charge of the organization , despite the fact that his term as acting chief has expired .
On Monday , Barsa told his team the transition of power to Biden has not yet begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team can ’ t do much to rein Trump in .
They want to respect the fact that the U.S. only has one president at a time ― not least because of Democratic frustration with Trump acting as though he was already in charge when dealing with Russia , Israel and the United Arab Emirates before Obama left office in 2016 .
They also know the country will already be tense as Trump pursues lawsuits to deny Biden ’ s victory and baselessly alleges election fraud ; they don ’ t want more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ faith in the U.S. commitment to an orderly and peaceful transition of power .
“ If Trump escalates with Iran , it will be a ruse to try to shore up his support and further try to invalidate the elections .
… [ He ] could view a conflict with Iran as a means towards assaulting U.S. democracy more than he has already , ” Yasmine Taeb of the Center for International Policy wrote in an email .
“ The American people and progressives should be hyper cautious , be ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and company make about Iran with the utmost scrutiny.
” The president is already advancing plans to sell major new weapons systems to the United Arab Emirates and , potentially , its rival Qatar , and he could further weaken America ’ s limits on treating occupied Palestinian territory as part of Israel .
As he plans for a post-presidency future in which he has to pay back hundreds of millions of dollars in debt , Trump could cut quid-pro-quo arrangements with the cast of international leaders who have benefited from his transactional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get less out of the U.S. under Biden .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump remains commander in chief for only more 10 weeks, until President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January. But during that time, Trump is in a position to make destabilizing foreign policy choices that could sow chaos and restrict Biden’s future policies.
While the president has been raging on Twitter about an election he sees as illegitimate, his administration is rapidly exerting control over key national security positions — elevating the risk of mayhem and alarming experienced officials across Washington, D.C.
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On Monday, Trump fired Defense Secretary Mike Esper, removing one of the key officials who have, to some degree, pushed back against the president’s plans. He replaced Esper with Christopher Miller, the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, who is known for encouraging the U.S. to more aggressively confront Iran, which Trump allies want to pressure before the president leaves office.
A series of further personnel moves at the Pentagon followed: Top defense officials resigned and were replaced by Trump loyalists, including Anthony Tata, who has called former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader” and has pushed a range of unhinged conspiracy theories, and GOP operatives Kash Patel and Ezra Cohen-Watnick.
“It is hard to overstate just how dangerous high-level turnover at the Department of Defense is during a period of presidential transition,” House Armed Services Committee chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said Tuesday.
And at the National Security Agency, Trump installed Michael Ellis, who was previously involved in Republican efforts to question Russian interference in the 2016 election, as general counsel, according to The Washington Post. Ellis has been transferred to a civil servant position, making it harder for Biden to remove him, CNN reported.
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The president is desperate to declassify intelligence on Moscow’s meddling to justify his 2016 win, regardless of how that might hurt sensitive research methods and American alliances, the Post reported on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Trump forced out a senior cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security.
Experts and Democratic operatives said the risk of vengeful or irresponsible moves by Trump is particularly high when it comes to foreign policy, an area in which the president can often act unilaterally.
“The only thing that has kept Donald Trump from doing things that would have been absolutely crazy, and I would underscore absolutely, was the prospect of reelection and political pressure,” said a former Obama administration official who requested anonymity to speak frankly. In a transition period, “The limited guardrails that have been on this presidency would no longer be there.”
“We would see this president take precipitous action in ways that would be counter to our national interest but then would also set in motion crises that the Biden administration would have to account for,” the former official added.
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“I’m not really sure there are many guardrails.” - Former Obama administration official
The possibilities worrying the ex-Obama staffer and others range from Trump launching a war, to using an executive order he signed last month to place political loyalists in some influential roles usually held by civil servants.
And the personnel moves in the national security arena go well beyond just the Pentagon and National Security Agency. It’s clear a thorough purge is underway. On Friday, Trump ousted Bonnie Glick, a former foreign service officer serving as the deputy head of the sprawling U.S. Agency for International Development. The move kept his controversial appointee John Barsa in charge of the organization, despite the fact that his term as acting chief has expired. On Monday, Barsa told his team the transition of power to Biden has not yet begun, CNBC reported.
Trump also forced Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, the administrator of the agency that oversees America’s nuclear stockpile, out of her job on Friday. “That the Secretary of Energy effectively demanded her resignation during this time of uncertainty demonstrates he doesn’t know what he’s doing in national security matters,” Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said.
Trump’s General Services Administration chief, Emily Murphy, has also refused to sign a letter granting resources to Biden’s transition team, the Post reported on Sunday night, subverting a normal practice seemingly because of the president’s dishonest claims that the election is still not settled. That denies Biden not only taxpayer funding and computer systems but also full intelligence briefings, which former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican, said the president-elect should already be receiving.
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A longtime Trump adviser told HuffPost he believes that CIA director Gina Haspel and FBI director Christopher Wray could also be removed soon.
Biden’s team can’t do much to rein Trump in. They want to respect the fact that the U.S. only has one president at a time ― not least because of Democratic frustration with Trump acting as though he was already in charge when dealing with Russia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates before Obama left office in 2016. They also know the country will already be tense as Trump pursues lawsuits to deny Biden’s victory and baselessly alleges election fraud; they don’t want more squabbling that undermines Americans’ and foreigners’ faith in the U.S. commitment to an orderly and peaceful transition of power.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) departed on a foreign trip soon after the election to promote tough measures on Iran in cooperation with partners like Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz (right). POOL New / Reuters
Few Democrats expect help from the other side of the aisle. Many Republican lawmakers are already promoting Trump’s dangerous conspiracy theories about the vote. Even when GOP figures have challenged the president’s foreign policy choices, they have rarely actually blocked them. And some ambitious Republicans clearly want to stay on the Trump family’s good side, anticipating that the outgoing president will remain a force in conservative politics.
“I don’t have any faith in Mitch McConnell’s Senate. … As we’ve all seen over the last four years, the president has a lot of flexibility and leeway when it comes to national security, so I’m not really sure there are many guardrails,” the former Obama staffer said.
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Asha Rangappa, a former FBI official, predicted upcoming “sabotage, vindictiveness, and norm-breaking” beyond even the excesses of Trump’s first term. “It’s time to brace ourselves,” she tweeted on Sunday.
Global Instability
Iran will likely be Trump’s biggest target in his lame-duck period.
Hardliners in the administration believe Democrats are too soft on Iran and want to make it difficult for Biden to resurrect the Obama-era accord that gave Iran greater access to the global economy in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. Some figures associated with Trump’s maximalist Iran policy, notably Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, also believe pushing a hard line now could help them if they seek higher office later.
On Sunday, Axios reported that Trump plans to “flood” Iran with sanctions. The country of 80 million is already struggling under unprecedented U.S. restrictions and one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the coronavirus. A new wave of financial pain would boost anger and distrust on the Iranian side and eventually set up a tougher fight for Biden domestically, where he would have to justify rolling back those measures to a hawkish Congress.
Trump could also create a situation that’s so difficult Iran feels it must respond or — as some Pentagon officials worry — launch his own operations, including in secret.
The administration has already proved willing to risk a direct clash by hitting Iran-linked targets in Iraq, notably Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, the former Obama official noted. “We could certainly see more of that and even on an accelerated scale if this president isn’t bound by any sort of political pressure.”
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Iran is also thought to still want to avenge Soleimani’s killing and some analysts believe it could use the unstable transition period to do so. Tehran may avoid a confrontation, however, in preparation for a more coherent approach from Biden, said Tamara Cofman Wittes, a former State Department official now at the Brookings Institution.
Transition teams like Biden’s and career officials at agencies like the Pentagon are familiar with the risks of these periods, she added, citing past instances of North Korean escalations around the time of U.S. elections.
Meanwhile, anti-war advocates are prepared to check the president, particularly if he frames a rush to war as part of his broader attempt to cling to power.
“If Trump escalates with Iran, it will be a ruse to try to shore up his support and further try to invalidate the elections. … [He] could view a conflict with Iran as a means towards assaulting U.S. democracy more than he has already,” Yasmine Taeb of the Center for International Policy wrote in an email. “The American people and progressives should be hyper cautious, be ready to organize, and view any claims Trump and company make about Iran with the utmost scrutiny.”
A Weaker America
America enters the transition with a severely weakened professional foreign policy apparatus.
The State Department “is decimated and demoralized,” Wittes said, citing Trump’s attacks on career diplomats who have exposed actions like his bullying of Ukraine for the sake of his political vendetta against Biden. “It’s going to take a huge amount of work to come back from that damage.”
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“How many more talented, knowledgeable experts is the U.S. national security bureaucracy going to lose?” - Tamara Cofman Wittes, former State Department official
Before the president-elect can begin that work, Trump can cause additional pain. His October executive order on federal employees makes it easier for him to fire career civil servants and fill positions without going through the normal competitive hiring processes.
“How many more talented, knowledgeable experts is the U.S. national security bureaucracy going to lose? That’s putting a new administration behind the eight ball,” Wittes said. (Congress could legislate to curtail Trump’s powers under the order, she said, but is extremely unlikely to do so.)
Trump can also change the contours of international politics, limiting Biden’s flexibility to restore traditional American positions or advance progressive priorities.
The president is already advancing plans to sell major new weapons systems to the United Arab Emirates and, potentially, its rival Qatar, and he could further weaken America’s limits on treating occupied Palestinian territory as part of Israel. As he plans for a post-presidency future in which he has to pay back hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, Trump could cut quid-pro-quo arrangements with the cast of international leaders who have benefited from his transactional style and worry they will be able to get less out of the U.S. under Biden.
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“This is changing the dynamics and it’s done recklessly,” Wittes said.
In Afghanistan, it’s possible Trump will carry out the rushed troop withdrawal he has pledged for months, over concerns from Esper and others ― a move the president could claim as a legacy item, thrilling conservatives, but one that could also quickly cause bloodshed, gains for terror groups, and, eventually, a messy return for U.S. troops. That would make it impossible for Biden to pursue the more deliberate drawdown he has promised.
He could “undermine our remaining interests there, potentially causing a Biden administration to do things that no one would want to do,” the former Obama official said.
A Limited Response
The Biden team’s commitment to a standard pre-Trump transition process is unlikely to waver, even as sitting officials make parts of that impossible.
“The ability to coordinate with foreign governments is not going to be on the table,” for instance, the former Obama official said ― even if Trump ratchets up insults against counterparts abroad or makes promises they might expect Biden to keep.
Overtures to the Russian ambassador in Washington, D.C., by former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn (left) before President Barack Obama left office horrified Democrats. Sputnik Photo Agency / Reuters
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The hope is that public positions can, well, trump private assurances and the last gasps of the Trump era.
Wittes, the former diplomat, said Biden can send clear signals with choices like which international officials he engages with, as congratulatory calls and messages come in. On Monday, the transition team confirmed that he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his first call with a future counterpart. Most recent presidents have made the U.S.’s northern ally the destination for their first foreign trip. Trump instead went to Saudi Arabia.
And while Democrats see the risk of Trump appointees remaining in government to try and undermine the next administration, they feel the practice ― known as “burrowing” ― may not be as corrosive as it might have been during past transitions.
“What distinguishes Trump appointees is they don’t have a public service bone in their bodies. … They’re there because of their loyalty to President Trump; once he’s gone, their inclination to remain, even to thwart a Biden administration, I don’t think will be that powerful for a lot of these people,” the ex-Obama staffer said, suggesting they are far more likely to seek lucrative private sector work.
The Biden team, meanwhile, has a huge number of national security professionals it wants to bring in and has been quietly conducting advance work to do so quickly.
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Whatever Trump does in the weeks ahead, he can’t erase the sense of a ticking clock that’s set in in Washington and internationally.
“The rest of the world knows that they have President Trump for the next 80 or so days but then after that, they know that they will be dealing with a President Biden,” the former Obama official said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Pennsylvania Postal Worker Recants Much-Hyped Voter Fraud Allegations

A Pennsylvania postal worker who levied unfounded allegations of voter fraud recanted his statement with federal officials even as he continued to publicly cast doubt on the U.S. presidential election results .
Richard Hopkins claimed last week that a postmaster in Erie had instructed postal workers to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day .
( Mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania were only eligible if postmarked by Election Day . )
President-elect Joe Biden was declared the victor in the state on Saturday , which put him over the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House .
But President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to falsely claim that Trump won the election .
Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) cited Hopkins ’ allegation in a letter to Attorney General William Barr , who took the unusual step of authorizing U.S. attorneys to look into voter fraud allegations prior to their state ’ s certification of the election results .
Hours after Barr ’ s announcement , the Justice Department ’ s top official overseeing voter fraud investigations resigned .
On Tuesday , Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said Hopkins had signed a sworn affidavit recanting his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report on the affidavit also cited three officials briefed on the investigation .
Hopkins ’ allegations were originally brought into the spotlight by Project Veritas , a far-right disinformation outlet with a history of peddling lies that go viral .
Project Veritas founder James O ’ Keefe called Hopkins an “ American hero ” and a GoFundMe page set up for Hopkins raised nearly $ 130,000 before it was pulled down .
“ There has been awful things posted about the USPS and here is my statement .
The allegations made against me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % false made by an employee that was recently disciplined multiple times , ” Weisenbach said in a statement .
Hopkins is currently not working at the post office while an investigation is conducted .
Despite the reports that he ’ d recanted his allegations , Hopkins told Project Veritas in a video posted online Tuesday night that none of that was true and that he was sticking to his original story .
That got the attention of Trump .
“ A brave patriot .
More & more people are stepping forward to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , who has offered no evidence of widespread voter fraud , tweeted Tuesday night .
Project Veritas and Hopkins also shared what they said was secretly recorded audio of a conversation between Hopkins and federal agents .
That could spell more trouble for Hopkins , given that Pennsylvania requires two-party consent to record conversations .
Trump and his campaign have filed several lawsuits alleging voter fraud and unfair election procedures , in a strategy that appears to be little more than throwing something at the wall to see what sticks .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just because you don ’ t like the vote totals , ” Ohio State election law professor Ned Foley told MSNBC on Saturday .
“ You have to have a legal claim , and you have to have evidence to back it up .
And that ’ s just not there.
” Election officials of both parties in at least 45 states said there was “ no evidence that fraud or other irregularities played a role in the outcome of the presidential race , ” The New York Times reported Tuesday .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A Pennsylvania postal worker who levied unfounded allegations of voter fraud recanted his statement with federal officials even as he continued to publicly cast doubt on the U.S. presidential election results.
Richard Hopkins claimed last week that a postmaster in Erie had instructed postal workers to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day. (Mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania were only eligible if postmarked by Election Day.)
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President-elect Joe Biden was declared the victor in the state on Saturday, which put him over the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. But President Donald Trump and his Republican allies continue to falsely claim that Trump won the election. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) cited Hopkins’ allegation in a letter to Attorney General William Barr, who took the unusual step of authorizing U.S. attorneys to look into voter fraud allegations prior to their state’s certification of the election results. Hours after Barr’s announcement, the Justice Department’s top official overseeing voter fraud investigations resigned.
On Tuesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said Hopkins had signed a sworn affidavit recanting his allegations. The Washington Post’s report on the affidavit also cited three officials briefed on the investigation.
BREAKING NEWS: Erie, Pa. #USPS whistleblower completely RECANTED his allegations of a supervisor tampering with mail-in ballots after being questioned by investigators, according to IG.
THREAD: — Oversight Committee (@OversightDems) November 10, 2020
Hopkins’ allegations were originally brought into the spotlight by Project Veritas, a far-right disinformation outlet with a history of peddling lies that go viral. Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe called Hopkins an “American hero” and a GoFundMe page set up for Hopkins raised nearly $130,000 before it was pulled down.
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On Sunday, Erie postmaster Rob Weisenbach called Hopkins’ allegations “100% false.”
“There has been awful things posted about the USPS and here is my statement. The allegations made against me and the Erie Post Office are 100% false made by an employee that was recently disciplined multiple times,” Weisenbach said in a statement. Hopkins is currently not working at the post office while an investigation is conducted.
Despite the reports that he’d recanted his allegations, Hopkins told Project Veritas in a video posted online Tuesday night that none of that was true and that he was sticking to his original story. That got the attention of Trump.
“A brave patriot. More & more people are stepping forward to expose this Rigged Election!” the president, who has offered no evidence of widespread voter fraud, tweeted Tuesday night.
Project Veritas and Hopkins also shared what they said was secretly recorded audio of a conversation between Hopkins and federal agents. That could spell more trouble for Hopkins, given that Pennsylvania requires two-party consent to record conversations.
Trump and his campaign have filed several lawsuits alleging voter fraud and unfair election procedures, in a strategy that appears to be little more than throwing something at the wall to see what sticks.
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Today in court, a Pennsylvania judge asked a lawyer for Trump point-blank whether he was alleging fraud.
(Full transcript here https://t.co/K2mfxFbtGZ) pic.twitter.com/y17v0PFkMx — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 11, 2020
“You can’t go to court just because you don’t like the vote totals,” Ohio State election law professor Ned Foley told MSNBC on Saturday. “You have to have a legal claim, and you have to have evidence to back it up. And that’s just not there.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib Fires Back At Centrist Democrats: 'I Can't Be Silent'

“ We need to not ever use the word ‘ socialist ’ or ‘ socialism ’ ever again , ” Spanberger said on the call , audio of which was leaked to the press .
“ We lost good members because of that.
” Democratic infighting has grown in recent years with the arrival of progressives like Tlaib and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( N.Y. ) , whom House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) has tried to distance herself from in an effort to appease moderates .
Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have catered to centrist Democrats , whose faction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 by winning conservative-leaning districts .
Republicans have seized on figures like Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez to paint Democrats as extreme radicals — which is a version of GOP attacks that have been used against liberals , including Pelosi , for decades .
A memo being circulated by top progressive groups ― including Justice Democrats , the group that propelled Ocasio-Cortez to topple 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in 2018 ― lays out ways Democrats can rally more support .
“ While we are all happy about President-elect Joe Biden ’ s resounding defeat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be concerned about their underperformance down the ballot , ” states the memo , a copy of which was obtained by Politico .
“ As we speak , Congressional Democrats are debating why they underperformed and some have been quick to blame progressives , ” the memo continues , adding : “ We can not let Republican narratives drive our party away from Democrats ’ core base of support : young people , Black , Brown , working class , and social movements who are the present and future of the party.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that core base , connect economic justice to racial justice and adopt an economic message that “ connects with all working people.
” “ Scapegoating progressives and Black activists for their demands and messaging is not the lesson to be learned here , ” according to the memo .
“ It was their organizing efforts , energy and calls for change needed in their communities that drove up voter turnout.
” Tlaib and other members of the so-called Squad ― a group of progressive members of Congress that includes Tlaib , Ocasio-Cortez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pressley of Massachusetts ― say their agenda is a way to win voters not lose them .
“ If [ voters ] can walk past blighted homes and school closures and pollution to vote for Biden-Harris , when they feel like they don ’ t have anything else , they deserve to be heard , ” Tlaib told Politico .
“ I can ’ t believe that people are asking them to be quiet .
”

“We need to not ever use the word ‘socialist’ or ‘socialism’ ever again,” Spanberger said on the call, audio of which was leaked to the press. “We lost good members because of that.”
Democratic infighting has grown in recent years with the arrival of progressives like Tlaib and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), whom House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has tried to distance herself from in an effort to appease moderates.
Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have catered to centrist Democrats, whose faction helped regain control of the House in 2018 by winning conservative-leaning districts.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan Survives Spirited Challenge

Larry Downing / Reuters Sen. Dan Sullivan ( R-Alaska ) is headed to Washington for a second term .
His opponent , Dr. Al Gross , did not convince enough Alaskans to oust the incumbent .
While public polling was sparse during the election , the few surveys out there showed a close race .
And Gross managed to outraise and outspend Sullivan .
But in the end , Gross did not succeed in convincing Alaskans that Sullivan had to go ― and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s performance was not enough to carry Gross over the finish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Gov .
Sarah Palin , is often viewed as a Republican stronghold .
( Though Alaska is still counting ballots , the Associated Press also announced on Wednesday that Trump defeated Biden in the state . )
But while the Last Frontier has deep-seated libertarian tendencies , the oil- and salmon-rich state also has high rates of union membership , a large Native Alaskan population and a historic dependence on federal largesse .
Together with Alaskans ’ deep sense of state pride and self-interest , these unique characteristics have occasionally allowed Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proving that they have the state ’ s best interests at heart to win elections .
Gross , an orthopedic surgeon and commercial fisher , failed to convince Alaska voters that he would be a more effective representative of their interests than Sullivan .
Gross had the makings of just such an independent centrist .
As his TV ads made abundantly clear , Gross is a commercial fisher , a gun owner and a native of the state whose father was a popular attorney general .
After making a handsome living as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s degree in public health to better understand the reasons why the American health care system is dysfunctional .
Gross argued that he would be a better representative of Alaska ’ s interests than Sullivan .
He focused on Sullivan ’ s vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act despite the decision by senior Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski , who is also a Republican , to vote against repeal .
And Gross took Sullivan , a Marine veteran and relatively conventional Republican , to task for his neutrality toward the Pebble Mine project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mine that experts fear would endanger Alaska ’ s famously abundant sockeye salmon fisheries .
Comments made by Pebble Mine executives about Sullivan were secretly captured on camera by environmentalists and leaked in late September , turning the mine issue into a defining feature of the race .
In the video , the executives implied that Sullivan was essentially supportive of the mine but that he was “ off in a corner being quiet ” about the project in order to reduce his political risk .
As in any race to unseat an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only prove his worth , but also convince voters of the need to oust Sullivan .
Sullivan made the case that he has done what Alaskans most expect from their federal elected officials : tend to local concerns .
He has worked with Democrats on a bill aimed at reducing plastic waste in waterways , and he ’ s been outspoken in his calls for greater action to resolve the crisis of missing and murdered women in Alaska Native communities .
Gross and his allies believe that Sullivan also played dirty in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sullivan funded a digital advertisement showing Gross , who is Jewish , holding stacks of cash as Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer , who is also Jewish , looked on .
The Anti-Defamation League , a Jewish group that fights anti-Semitism , condemned the ad for conjuring harmful stereotypes of Jews as money-hungry masterminds .

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) is headed to Washington for a second term. His opponent, Dr. Al Gross, did not convince enough Alaskans to oust the incumbent. Larry Downing / Reuters
Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, has won his bid for a second term, keeping a conservative-leaning state with an independent streak in GOP hands.
Sullivan, 55, defeated Dr. Al Gross, 58, an orthopedic surgeon and independent who had planned to caucus with Senate Democrats.
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While public polling was sparse during the election, the few surveys out there showed a close race. And Gross managed to outraise and outspend Sullivan.
But in the end, Gross did not succeed in convincing Alaskans that Sullivan had to go ― and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s performance was not enough to carry Gross over the finish line.
“The Biden coattails didn’t carry Gross forward enough,” said Jim Lottsfeldt, a consultant for Alaska politicians in both parties. “He needed them.”
Alaska, which famously produced former Gov. Sarah Palin, is often viewed as a Republican stronghold. (Though Alaska is still counting ballots, the Associated Press also announced on Wednesday that Trump defeated Biden in the state.)
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But while the Last Frontier has deep-seated libertarian tendencies, the oil- and salmon-rich state also has high rates of union membership, a large Native Alaskan population and a historic dependence on federal largesse.
Together with Alaskans’ deep sense of state pride and self-interest, these unique characteristics have occasionally allowed Democrats ― or independent centrists ― capable of proving that they have the state’s best interests at heart to win elections.
Gross, an orthopedic surgeon and commercial fisher, failed to convince Alaska voters that he would be a more effective representative of their interests than Sullivan. Dr. Al Gross for Senate/Flickr
Gross had the makings of just such an independent centrist. As his TV ads made abundantly clear, Gross is a commercial fisher, a gun owner and a native of the state whose father was a popular attorney general. After making a handsome living as a surgeon, Gross obtained a master’s degree in public health to better understand the reasons why the American health care system is dysfunctional.
Gross argued that he would be a better representative of Alaska’s interests than Sullivan. He focused on Sullivan’s vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act despite the decision by senior Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who is also a Republican, to vote against repeal.
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And Gross took Sullivan, a Marine veteran and relatively conventional Republican, to task for his neutrality toward the Pebble Mine project, a proposed open-pit gold and copper mine that experts fear would endanger Alaska’s famously abundant sockeye salmon fisheries.
Comments made by Pebble Mine executives about Sullivan were secretly captured on camera by environmentalists and leaked in late September, turning the mine issue into a defining feature of the race. In the video, the executives implied that Sullivan was essentially supportive of the mine but that he was “off in a corner being quiet” about the project in order to reduce his political risk.
As in any race to unseat an incumbent, though, Gross needed to not only prove his worth, but also convince voters of the need to oust Sullivan.
Sullivan made the case that he has done what Alaskans most expect from their federal elected officials: tend to local concerns. He has worked with Democrats on a bill aimed at reducing plastic waste in waterways, and he’s been outspoken in his calls for greater action to resolve the crisis of missing and murdered women in Alaska Native communities.
Sullivan’s work won him support among some labor unions and Alaska Native communities that a Democrat would normally need to win. (Sullivan’s wife, Julie Fate Sullivan, is Koyukon Athabascan.)
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Progressive Catholics Hope Joe Biden Will Highlight The Kinder Side Of Faith

As Biden heads to the White House , some Catholics are hoping his election will highlight a different side of their faith .
These are the Catholics whose consciences place them in disagreement with church doctrine on culture war issues .
It ’ s a segment of the religion that often gets overshadowed by the loud voices from the church ’ s staunchly conservative wing .
Biden , an Irish Catholic who carries a rosary in his pocket , spoke often on the campaign trail about how his faith has led him through periods of suffering in his life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s been influenced by Catholic social doctrine , a set of church teachings about how faith should be lived in public life .
Although Biden ’ s stances on culture war issues have often placed him at odds with official church teachings , his views aren ’ t too far from those of many fellow U.S. Catholics .
Most ignore church teaching on contraception , and a majority say abortion should be legal in all or most cases .
Biden has long been more conservative than many Democrats on abortion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year included plans to strengthen women ’ s access to the procedure .
Biden has also pledged to protect queer Americans ’ rights ― even though the church views queer relationships as sinful and Catholic institutions have fiercely defended their ability to use religious exemptions to discriminate against LGBTQ people .
In 2016 , Biden served as an officiant at a wedding of a gay couple , reflecting a shift in the pews toward a more accepting view of same-sex marriage .
Most Catholics also oppose allowing small business owners to refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious reasons .
Sister Simone Campbell , executive director of the Catholic social justice advocacy group Network and a close ally of Biden ’ s , said she thinks of the president-elect as a “ Pope Francis Catholic.
” Francis has cautioned against Catholics becoming “ obsessed ” with issues like abortion , gay marriage and contraception , urging his flock to focus on serving the poor and oppressed .
Biden “ integrates [ his faith ] into his lifelong quest to improve things for people in our nation , and his compassion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too often left out , ” Campbell said .
“ He represents the fullness of our faith.
” The Republican Party has manipulated Catholics into believing that they must fight for the criminalization of abortion , Campbell said .
Biden ’ s approach to the issue is to care for the “ unborn ” by caring for pregnant mothers , Campbell said ― making sure they have health care , good nutrition , stable housing , affordable child care .
But even among the bishops , there is disagreement about whether Catholics owe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its opposition to abortion .
A handful of American bishops ― most of whom were appointed by Pope Francis ― have criticized President Donald Trump and the GOP as being “ anti-life ” for failing to care about issues such as racism , workers ’ rights , climate change and restoring protections for asylum seekers .
“ Given how much animosity and contempt some showed toward Obama , I expect it will often get ugly , ” Gehring said .
“ But my hope is there will be a distinction between reasonable conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies without attacking his faith , and the far-right Catholic fringe that has no interest in building bridges or finding common ground.
” While campaigning , Kennedy had to defend himself against centuries-old discriminatory notions that Catholics held “ dual loyalty ” ― that they couldn ’ t be trusted as citizens because they owed religious loyalty to the pope .
According to Kennedy ’ s presidential library , the first Catholic president ’ s religious identity contributed to election losses in certain states .
Decades later , Catholics ― particularly white Catholics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Congress , as state governors , and on the Supreme Court .
They are so far into the mainstream of American society that Pope Francis ’ s central message of caring for the poor , immigrants and the environment are seen as partisan issues , Imperatori-Lee said .
White Catholics ’ alliance with “ culture-war conservatism ” turned some members of the faith against a Catholic candidate who was actually in agreement with many of the church ’ s core teachings ― about the dignity of the human person , the importance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fair wage and unionized labor , she said .

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Sixty years after John F. Kennedy’s election, Americans are preparing to welcome a second Roman Catholic politician, President-elect Joe Biden, to the nation’s highest office.
Despite suggestions from some bishops that Catholics can’t be Democrats, early exit poll data suggests Biden won between 49% and 52% of the Catholic vote this year ― demonstrating the diversity of political views within America’s largest single religious institution.
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As Biden heads to the White House, some Catholics are hoping his election will highlight a different side of their faith. These are the Catholics whose consciences place them in disagreement with church doctrine on culture war issues. It’s a segment of the religion that often gets overshadowed by the loud voices from the church’s staunchly conservative wing.
Biden, an Irish Catholic who carries a rosary in his pocket, spoke often on the campaign trail about how his faith has led him through periods of suffering in his life. He’s also spoken about how he’s been influenced by Catholic social doctrine, a set of church teachings about how faith should be lived in public life.
Pope Francis shakes hands with then-Vice President Joe Biden in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, April 29, 2016. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool photo via AP)
John Gehring, Catholic program director at Faith in Public Life Action, said the “sincere pride” and “quiet humility” of Biden’s faith reminded him of how his Irish American grandmother carried her Catholicism.
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“Biden’s faith is an old-school, lunch-pail, ethnic Catholicism that animated places like Scranton,” Gehring said, referring to Biden’s hometown in Pennsylvania. “It’s a faith deeply connected to the dignity of work, respect for unions and a communitarian ethos that values the common good.”
“I imagine there will be more than a few Catholics who come from those places and that particular culture raising a beer in celebration,” he told HuffPost.
Although Biden’s stances on culture war issues have often placed him at odds with official church teachings, his views aren’t too far from those of many fellow U.S. Catholics. Most ignore church teaching on contraception, and a majority say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Biden has long been more conservative than many Democrats on abortion, but his agenda as a presidential candidate this year included plans to strengthen women’s access to the procedure.
Biden has also pledged to protect queer Americans’ rights ― even though the church views queer relationships as sinful and Catholic institutions have fiercely defended their ability to use religious exemptions to discriminate against LGBTQ people. In 2016, Biden served as an officiant at a wedding of a gay couple, reflecting a shift in the pews toward a more accepting view of same-sex marriage. Most Catholics also oppose allowing small business owners to refuse to serve gay or lesbian people for religious reasons.
Proud to marry Brian and Joe at my house. Couldn't be happier, two longtime White House staffers, two great guys. pic.twitter.com/0om1PT7bKh — VP Biden (Archived) (@VP44) August 1, 2016
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Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of the Catholic social justice advocacy group Network and a close ally of Biden’s, said she thinks of the president-elect as a “Pope Francis Catholic.” Francis has cautioned against Catholics becoming “obsessed” with issues like abortion, gay marriage and contraception, urging his flock to focus on serving the poor and oppressed.
Biden “integrates [his faith] into his lifelong quest to improve things for people in our nation, and his compassion and caring is for those who are too often left out,” Campbell said. “He represents the fullness of our faith.”
The Republican Party has manipulated Catholics into believing that they must fight for the criminalization of abortion, Campbell said. Biden’s approach to the issue is to care for the “unborn” by caring for pregnant mothers, Campbell said ― making sure they have health care, good nutrition, stable housing, affordable child care.
In her conversations with the president-elect, Campbell said she got the impression that while Biden personally opposes abortion, he doesn’t think he can force his religious views on others.
Joe Biden holds his rosary after laying a wreath at the Flight 93 Memorial on Sept. 11, 2020, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. JIM WATSON via Getty Images
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Biden has received fierce backlash from some pockets of American Catholicism for his stance on abortion. Last year, Biden was reportedly denied Holy Communion at a South Carolina Catholic church. A Rhode Island bishop suggested over the summer that Biden wasn’t a real Catholic, and a Texas bishop promoted the idea that Catholics can’t vote for Democrats.
But even among the bishops, there is disagreement about whether Catholics owe fealty to the Republican Party because of its opposition to abortion. A handful of American bishops ― most of whom were appointed by Pope Francis ― have criticized President Donald Trump and the GOP as being “anti-life” for failing to care about issues such as racism, workers’ rights, climate change and restoring protections for asylum seekers.
It’s unclear how the right-wing Catholics who attacked Biden’s faith will react to a Biden presidency. Gehring said the “quasi schism” between Catholic leaders who oppose Pope Francis and those who support him bleeds into fights about who owns the Catholic political narrative.
“Given how much animosity and contempt some showed toward Obama, I expect it will often get ugly,” Gehring said. “But my hope is there will be a distinction between reasonable conservative Catholics who will oppose some Biden administration policies without attacking his faith, and the far-right Catholic fringe that has no interest in building bridges or finding common ground.”
In this July 2, 1963, file photo, President John F. Kennedy and Pope Paul VI talk at the Vatican. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a scholar of Catholicism at Manhattan College, said she finds it “incredible” that for both of the Catholic men elected president, the pope was a liability, not an asset.
While campaigning, Kennedy had to defend himself against centuries-old discriminatory notions that Catholics held “dual loyalty”― that they couldn’t be trusted as citizens because they owed religious loyalty to the pope. According to Kennedy’s presidential library, the first Catholic president’s religious identity contributed to election losses in certain states.
Decades later, Catholics ― particularly white Catholics ― have attained positions of political power in Congress, as state governors, and on the Supreme Court. They are so far into the mainstream of American society that Pope Francis’s central message of caring for the poor, immigrants and the environment are seen as partisan issues, Imperatori-Lee said. White Catholics’ alliance with “culture-war conservatism” turned some members of the faith against a Catholic candidate who was actually in agreement with many of the church’s core teachings ― about the dignity of the human person, the importance of solidarity, and the importance of a fair wage and unionized labor, she said.
“As white Catholics have climbed the socioeconomic ranks, their concerns have turned away from labor issues (once the bread and butter for Catholics) to sexual issues,” Imperatori-Lee said.
President-elect Joe Biden leaves after Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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The mark of a “Catholic president” is governing “with the most vulnerable in mind,” Imperatori-Lee said. Biden’s win means that the conservative wing of the church has a great deal of soul searching to do on race, sexism, and what freedom of religion means, she said.
The president-elect represents many “average Catholics who are just trying to do their best,” Imperatori-Lee said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-11--Election Updates: Conservatives Continue To Support Baseless Claims Of Election Fraud

President-elect Joe Biden and his team are working toward a smooth transition , even as President Donald Trump continues to @ @ @ @ @ 2020 election .
Trump isn ’ t the only Republican making unsubstantiated claims about voter @ @ @ @ @ may put lives at risk .
For the latest results , maps and more , @ @ @ @ @ Elections Hub .
Despite Biden ’ s clear win in both the electoral vote and @ @ @ @ @ have echoed Trump ’ s rhetoric , insisting Trump has a right to challenge the @ @ @ @ @ should be counted .
Read live updates on the election below .
( Note : @ @ @ @ @ you from seeing the blog , so if you ’ re using one , please @ @ @ @ @ . )

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President-elect Joe Biden and his team are working toward a smooth transition, even as President Donald Trump continues to deny the results of the 2020 election.
Trump isn’t the only Republican making unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud, a move that may put lives at risk.
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For the latest results, maps and more, check out HuffPost’s Elections Hub.
Despite Biden’s clear win in both the electoral vote and the popular vote, Republicans have echoed Trump’s rhetoric, insisting Trump has a right to challenge the results and every legal vote should be counted.
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.)