bonginoreport--2020-11-13--Anti-Trump Pennsylvania Secretary of State Won’t Order Recount

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar ( D ) on Friday said she would not order a recount her state ’ s election results as the Trump campaign attempts legal challenges in key battleground states .
The Pennsylvania Department of State said in a statement : “ Based on the unofficial returns submitted by all the counties to the Department of State , Secretary Boockvar has determined that she will not be ordering a recount and recanvass of the election returns in the counties , as no statewide candidate was defeated by one-half of one percent or less of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races : President of the United States , Attorney General , Auditor General , and State Treasurer.
” The announcement comes as former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania by roughly 60,000 votes .
40,000 provisional ballots cast have been counted or partially tallied , according to state officials .
“ We are extremely grateful to all 67 counties who have been working overtime and putting in an extraordinary effort to count every vote , with so far more than 6.8 million votes having been counted , ” Boockvar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjudicate and count the approximately 100,000 provisional ballots issued to voters at the polls on Election Day , as well as the more than 28,000 military and overseas ballots that were cast in this election.
” Earlier Friday , attorneys for the Trump campaign withdrew from representing him in challenges to election results in Pennsylvania .
The New York Times reported that Porter Wright lawyers “ have held internal meetings to voice similar concerns about their firm ’ s election-related work for Mr. Trump and the Republican Party , according to people at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quit in protest .
”

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar (D) on Friday said she would not order a recount her state’s election results as the Trump campaign attempts legal challenges in key battleground states.
The Pennsylvania Department of State said in a statement: “Based on the unofficial returns submitted by all the counties to the Department of State, Secretary Boockvar has determined that she will not be ordering a recount and recanvass of the election returns in the counties, as no statewide candidate was defeated by one-half of one percent or less of the votes cast. This includes the following races: President of the United States, Attorney General, Auditor General, and State Treasurer.”
The announcement comes as former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania by roughly 60,000 votes. 40,000 provisional ballots cast have been counted or partially tallied, according to state officials.
“We are extremely grateful to all 67 counties who have been working overtime and putting in an extraordinary effort to count every vote, with so far more than 6.8 million votes having been counted,” Boockvar stated. “The counties continue to adjudicate and count the approximately 100,000 provisional ballots issued to voters at the polls on Election Day, as well as the more than 28,000 military and overseas ballots that were cast in this election.”
Earlier Friday, attorneys for the Trump campaign withdrew from representing him in challenges to election results in Pennsylvania. The New York Times reported that Porter Wright lawyers “have held internal meetings to voice similar concerns about their firm’s election-related work for Mr. Trump and the Republican Party, according to people at the firm. At least one lawyer quit in protest.”


bonginoreport--2020-11-13--Clark County Nevada Election Officials Accepted Man’s Signature on Eight Ballot Return Envelopes

Clark County election officials accepted my signature on eight ballot return envelopes during the general election .
Clark County election officials accepted my signature on eight ballot return envelopes during the general election .
It ’ s more evidence that signature verification is a flawed security measure .
For months , election officials have told Nevadans not to worry about ballots piling up in apartment trash cans or sent to wrong addresses .
“ Discarded mail ballots can not just be picked up and voted by anyone , ” a fact sheet from the secretary of state ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be signed on the ballot return envelope .
This signature is used to authenticate the voter and confirm that it was actually the voter and not another person who returned the mail ballot.
” I wanted to test that claim by simulating what might happen if someone returned ballots that didn ’ t belong to him or her .
Plenty of people had this opportunity .
Billy Geurin , a 10-year Las Vegas resident , found five loose ballots in his apartment mailroom .
A reader emailed me a picture of a pile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road , which included loose ballots .
There are numerous pictures of similar examples on social media .
Nine people participated in this test .
I wrote their names in cursive using my normal handwriting .
They then copied my version of their name onto their ballot envelope .
This two-step process was necessary to ensure no laws were broken .
On Monday , I asked Clark County Registrar Joe Gloria about this scenario .
If ballots signed by someone else “ came through , we would still have the signature match to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Asked if he was confident the safeguard would identify those ballots , he said , “ I ’ m confident that the process has been working throughout this process.
” He was wrong .
Eight of the nine ballots went through .
In other words , signature verification had an 89 percent failure rate in catching mismatched signatures .
Related : Voter fraud unproven in Nevada , despite multiple Trump campaign claims This could explain how a ballot “ signed ” by Rosemarie Hartle , who died in 2017 , made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 8 News Now .
It could explain how Jill Stokke , a longtime Las Vegas resident , was told the signature on her ballot matched , even though she said she never received it .
County officials aren ’ t working proactively to determine whether unscrupulous actors abused this vulnerability in a widespread fashion .
Gloria ’ s office doesn ’ t “ have an investigatory team.
” He said his office catches fraudulent votes “ when they ’ re reported to us.
” So if a criminal doesn ’ t admit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unlikely to find out about it .
Willful ignorance isn ’ t an election security strategy .
Leave aside the presidential race .
Fewer than 200 votes separate the leading candidates in Senate District 5 .
In 2018 , state Sen. Keith Pickard won his race by 24 votes .
Even small amounts of fraud can swing results .
Related : How are Nevada ballots counted and verified ?
It ’ s unclear how much voter fraud took place in Nevada .
But it ’ s clear signature verification isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it out to be .

A mail-in ballot for the primary election. (Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review)
Clark County election officials accepted my signature on eight ballot return envelopes during the general election. It’s more evidence that signature verification is a flawed security measure.
For months, election officials have told Nevadans not to worry about ballots piling up in apartment trash cans or sent to wrong addresses.
“Discarded mail ballots cannot just be picked up and voted by anyone,” a fact sheet from the secretary of state’s office says. “All mail ballots must be signed on the ballot return envelope. This signature is used to authenticate the voter and confirm that it was actually the voter and not another person who returned the mail ballot.”
Related: Nevada attorney general denounces elections lawsuits
I wanted to test that claim by simulating what might happen if someone returned ballots that didn’t belong to him or her. Plenty of people had this opportunity. Billy Geurin, a 10-year Las Vegas resident, found five loose ballots in his apartment mailroom. A reader emailed me a picture of a pile of mail on the side of the road, which included loose ballots. There are numerous pictures of similar examples on social media.
Nine people participated in this test. I wrote their names in cursive using my normal handwriting. They then copied my version of their name onto their ballot envelope. This two-step process was necessary to ensure no laws were broken.
On Monday, I asked Clark County Registrar Joe Gloria about this scenario. If ballots signed by someone else “came through, we would still have the signature match to rely on for identity,” he said. Asked if he was confident the safeguard would identify those ballots, he said, “I’m confident that the process has been working throughout this process.”
He was wrong. Eight of the nine ballots went through. In other words, signature verification had an 89 percent failure rate in catching mismatched signatures.
Related: Voter fraud unproven in Nevada, despite multiple Trump campaign claims
This could explain how a ballot “signed” by Rosemarie Hartle, who died in 2017, made it through signature verification, as reported by 8 News Now. It could explain how Jill Stokke, a longtime Las Vegas resident, was told the signature on her ballot matched, even though she said she never received it.
County officials aren’t working proactively to determine whether unscrupulous actors abused this vulnerability in a widespread fashion. Gloria’s office doesn’t “have an investigatory team.” He said his office catches fraudulent votes “when they’re reported to us.” So if a criminal doesn’t admit he committed voter fraud, Clark County is unlikely to find out about it. Willful ignorance isn’t an election security strategy.
Leave aside the presidential race. Fewer than 200 votes separate the leading candidates in Senate District 5. In 2018, state Sen. Keith Pickard won his race by 24 votes. Even small amounts of fraud can swing results.
Related: How are Nevada ballots counted and verified?
It’s unclear how much voter fraud took place in Nevada. But it’s clear signature verification isn’t the fail-safe security check elections officials made it out to be.
Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698.


bonginoreport--2020-11-13--Oppression Olympics: College “English Departments” Now Racist

Cornell University ’ s English department voted to change its name to the “ department of literatures in English ” to challenge “ structural forms of racism.
” In their first faculty meeting of the semester , Cornell faculty introduced the proposal in order to combat the “ conflation of English as a language and English as a nationality , ” Director of Undergraduate Studies professor Kate McCullough told the Cornell Daily Sun .
… The term “ English Department ” might give students the idea that English literature was invented by the English , which would mean that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people ’ s ancestors did not , which can not be true .
The term “ Department of Literatures in English ” demonstrates that African-American literature owes no debts to English literature .
They just are literatures that happen to be in English .
It ’ s not like African-American writers have been influenced by , say , the King James Bible .
Carole Boyce-Davies [ right ] one of the professors who wrote the original name change proposal , says she was motivated by the increasing popularity of the Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd .
… Levine said that the name change “ is in keeping with the University ’ s call to have us really rethink our everyday practices around racism.
” “ Around ” is Preposition of the Year .

From Campus Reform:
To fight racism, Cornell renames its English department Benjamin Zeisloft | Pennsylvania Senior Campus Correspondent
Thursday, November 5, 2020 10:52 AM Cornell University’s English department voted to change its name to the “department of literatures in English” to challenge “structural forms of racism.” In their first faculty meeting of the semester, Cornell faculty introduced the proposal in order to combat the “conflation of English as a language and English as a nationality,” Director of Undergraduate Studies professor Kate McCullough told the Cornell Daily Sun. …
The term “English Department” might give students the idea that English literature was invented by the English, which would mean that some people’s ancestors accomplished things that other people’s ancestors did not, which cannot be true.
The term “Department of Literatures in English” demonstrates that African-American literature owes no debts to English literature. They just are literatures that happen to be in English. It’s not like African-American writers have been influenced by, say, the King James Bible.
Carole Boyce-Davies [right] one of the professors who wrote the original name change proposal, says she was motivated by the increasing popularity of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd. … Levine said that the name change “is in keeping with the University’s call to have us really rethink our everyday practices around racism.”
“Around” is Preposition of the Year.
[Comment at Unz.com]


bonginoreport--2020-11-13--Arizona GOP Files Lawsuit Challenging State’s Standard for Verifying Accurate Vote Counts

The Arizona Republican Party filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging the state 's standard of verifying accurate vote counts through checking a small sample of ballots , arguing that the check should be conducted by precinct rather than by vote center .
Arizona law requires county election officials to conduct a hand-count of at least 2 % of precincts in the county , a measure to ensure quality and accuracy in the election process .
The Maricopa County Elections Department said Monday that it had conducted that hand audit with representatives from the Republican , Democratic , and Libertarian parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the machine tally .
Maricopa County , the most populous county in the state , allows flexibility for voters to cast ballots at any `` voting center '' rather than requiring voters to cast ballots at a specific precinct location .
There were 175 vote centers and 748 precincts in the county this year .
The hand audit was conducted in four of the 175 voting centers .
The Arizona Republican Party argues that the hand-count audit should consist of at least 15 of the 748 precincts instead .
`` Arizona voters deserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed and that only legal votes will be counted , ” Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward said in a statement Thursday evening .
According to Arizona Mirror reporter Jeremy Duda , the standard of using voting centers instead of precinct-based counting was changed in 2011 .

The Arizona Republican Party filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging the state's standard of verifying accurate vote counts through checking a small sample of ballots, arguing that the check should be conducted by precinct rather than by vote center.
Arizona law requires county election officials to conduct a hand-count of at least 2% of precincts in the county, a measure to ensure quality and accuracy in the election process. The Maricopa County Elections Department said Monday that it had conducted that hand audit with representatives from the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian parties and found a 100% match with the machine tally.
Maricopa County, the most populous county in the state, allows flexibility for voters to cast ballots at any "voting center" rather than requiring voters to cast ballots at a specific precinct location. There were 175 vote centers and 748 precincts in the county this year. The hand audit was conducted in four of the 175 voting centers.
The Arizona Republican Party argues that the hand-count audit should consist of at least 15 of the 748 precincts instead.
"Arizona voters deserve complete assurance that the law will be followed and that only legal votes will be counted,” Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward said in a statement Thursday evening.
According to Arizona Mirror reporter Jeremy Duda, the standard of using voting centers instead of precinct-based counting was changed in 2011.


bonginoreport--2020-11-13--National Coin Shortage Could Cut Donations to Salvation Army’s “Red Kettle” Fundraiser in Half

The Salvation Army is pivoting its annual fundraising this year in the midst of the pandemic and a national coin shortage .
The Red Kettle fundraiser , known for its signature bell ringing outside of stores that cues the official start to the holiday season , will kick off early this year as the organization faces what could be the greatest risk to its fundraising goals .
While a resurgence of coronavirus cases poses a major threat to brick-and-mortar shops come November and December , consumers have less change in their pockets due to a decrease in coin circulation nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kettle traffic and a dramatic decrease in requests for services , The Salvation Army is concerned that kettle donations could drop by as much as 50 % .
WHY COINS ARE HARD TO FIND DURING THE PANDEMIC Last year , the campaign raised $ 126 million through about 30,000 red kettles .
That number is expected to significantly decrease this year .
“ The seriousness of the situation has caused us to take action , by launching our holiday campaign early , ” commander of the Salvation Army Northern Division , Lt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ The pandemic ’ s impact will severely limit our ability to raise funds through our traditional holiday kettles and , combined with the dramatic increase in demand for assistance , we felt the need to start the campaign now to raise awareness in our communities .
The pandemic has created somewhat of a double-edged sword for The Salvation Army .
On one hand , the economic slump has spurred an unprecedented increase in demand for services , with a 155 % surge in the number of people served since March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing pandemic has raised concern among potential volunteers for the Red Kettle initiative , which has been evident through reduced volunteer registrations this year .
WILL CORONAVIRUS BE THE END OF PAPER MONEY ?
“ Our ability to raise vital funds to serve those in need this Christmas and beyond is at risk , ” national commander of The Salvation Army , Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder , told FOX Business .
“ We need everyone who has the capacity to come alongside us and ensure that the holiday season is bright for millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help rescue Christmas with us by providing support in any way they can .
Our hope is to offset these challenges to meet the increasing demand for services across our nation.
” Since The Salvation Army raises 40 % of its annual funds during the holiday season , this year ’ s shortfalls put the nonprofit ’ s bottom line at stake .
However , the charitable organization is finding new ways to meet people where they are and circumvent the coin dilemma by pushing for digital donations .
CORONAVIRUS COIN SHORTAGE HAS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Apple Pay and Google Pay are now accepted at any red kettle across the country through a QR code .
Other stay-at-home ways to make contributions include using Amazon Alexa , by saying , “ Alexa , donate to The Salvation Army , ” as well as texting KETTLE to 91999 .
Even though The Salvation Army anticipates fewer red buckets , ringing bells and tangible donations , its approach to embracing digital formats can nonetheless expand its reach to many more consumers who are shopping online this year .
CLICK HERE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coin shortage comes as more people shift their shopping habits from cash purchases to online transactions and ditch their spare change .
The Fed has even taken measures to up the flow of coins through the launch of the Coin Task Force , made up of representatives from the Federal Reserve , the U.S. Mint , banks , merchants , industry groups and credit unions , among others .
The # GetCoinMoving campaign aims to bring awareness and promote strategies to resolve the coin supply chain issue .
However , with the grim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially as many cities reenter stay-at-home orders , the circulation of coins could be further disrupted .
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

The Salvation Army is pivoting its annual fundraising this year in the midst of the pandemic and a national coin shortage.
The Red Kettle fundraiser, known for its signature bell ringing outside of stores that cues the official start to the holiday season, will kick off early this year as the organization faces what could be the greatest risk to its fundraising goals.
While a resurgence of coronavirus cases poses a major threat to brick-and-mortar shops come November and December, consumers have less change in their pockets due to a decrease in coin circulation nationwide. With fewer ringing locations, reduced kettle traffic and a dramatic decrease in requests for services, The Salvation Army is concerned that kettle donations could drop by as much as 50%.
WHY COINS ARE HARD TO FIND DURING THE PANDEMIC
Last year, the campaign raised $126 million through about 30,000 red kettles. That number is expected to significantly decrease this year.
“The seriousness of the situation has caused us to take action, by launching our holiday campaign early,” commander of the Salvation Army Northern Division, Lt. Colonel Dan Jennings, said in a statement. “The pandemic’s impact will severely limit our ability to raise funds through our traditional holiday kettles and, combined with the dramatic increase in demand for assistance, we felt the need to start the campaign now to raise awareness in our communities.
The pandemic has created somewhat of a double-edged sword for The Salvation Army.
On one hand, the economic slump has spurred an unprecedented increase in demand for services, with a 155% surge in the number of people served since March. At the same time, the ongoing pandemic has raised concern among potential volunteers for the Red Kettle initiative, which has been evident through reduced volunteer registrations this year.
WILL CORONAVIRUS BE THE END OF PAPER MONEY?
“Our ability to raise vital funds to serve those in need this Christmas and beyond is at risk,” national commander of The Salvation Army, Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder, told FOX Business. “We need everyone who has the capacity to come alongside us and ensure that the holiday season is bright for millions. We’re asking Americans to help rescue Christmas with us by providing support in any way they can. Our hope is to offset these challenges to meet the increasing demand for services across our nation.”
Since The Salvation Army raises 40% of its annual funds during the holiday season, this year’s shortfalls put the nonprofit’s bottom line at stake. However, the charitable organization is finding new ways to meet people where they are and circumvent the coin dilemma by pushing for digital donations.
CORONAVIRUS COIN SHORTAGE HAS PEOPLE CASHING IN ON SPARE CHANGE
Payments through Apple Pay and Google Pay are now accepted at any red kettle across the country through a QR code. Other stay-at-home ways to make contributions include using Amazon Alexa, by saying, “Alexa, donate to The Salvation Army,” as well as texting KETTLE to 91999.
Even though The Salvation Army anticipates fewer red buckets, ringing bells and tangible donations, its approach to embracing digital formats can nonetheless expand its reach to many more consumers who are shopping online this year.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
The coin shortage comes as more people shift their shopping habits from cash purchases to online transactions and ditch their spare change. The Fed has even taken measures to up the flow of coins through the launch of the Coin Task Force, made up of representatives from the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Mint, banks, merchants, industry groups and credit unions, among others. The #GetCoinMoving campaign aims to bring awareness and promote strategies to resolve the coin supply chain issue.
However, with the grim outlook for in-person shopping this year, especially as many cities reenter stay-at-home orders, the circulation of coins could be further disrupted.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE


bonginoreport--2020-11-13--Minneapolis Police Chief Begs for More Resources Amid “Defund the Police” Hysteria

And so far , the Minneapolis city council still seems utterly lost on the point .
Crime has jumped by double digits in the city , and homicides and gun violence have already hit 15-year records , as the Star Tribune noted yesterday , with seven weeks yet to go in 2020 .
Yet when police chief Medaria Arradondo went to the city council this week to explain that the sudden reduction in staffing and the rise in crime required an emergency infusion of resources , the same city council who fueled both of those trends with their “ abolish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was doing with his current budget .
Arradondo was more polite and professional about it than I would have been ( via the Daily Wire ) : With dozens of people dead and roughly 500 wounded by gunfire so far in 2020 — the highest tally in at least 15 years — residents have been begging city leaders for a strategy to stem the violence .
With an unprecedented number of officers on leave , Arradondo pleaded for money to bring in help from nearby departments .
“ Resources are hemorrhaging .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m trying to do all I can to stop that bleeding , ” the chief said .
Councilor Steve Fletcher griped that the city was already paying $ 185 million for police , and that they had cut back on community-policing initiatives already .
Where were those resources , Fletcher wondered ?
“ So , we ’ re going to take a thing that has not been working very well and has not been addressing carjackings , has not been addressing the rise in violent crime … and say if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that will get us to a better place .
I ’ m struggling to get my head around why that is a good idea , ” Fletcher said .
Arradondo pushed back hard , saying 74 people have been killed and nearly 500 shot and wounded in Minneapolis this year .
“ We can go back and forth on the $ 185 million but that is not stopping the bloodshed that is occurring every day in our city , ” the chief said .
Here ’ s a clip of that exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells Fletcher and the rest of the council to stop playing games .
Ninety percent of the police budget goes to salaries and benefits , he explains , so there aren ’ t any extra resources laying around for this crime wave .
“ If you choose to say no to these victims of crime , ” Arradondo blasted Fletcher , “ then please stand by that ” : Just to repeat : the police budget was set a year ago , long before this crime wave took place .
The crime wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reaction of local government to its own police force , making the entire force the bogeyman instead of their own complete failure to properly oversee it .
Officers fled through retirements , disability claims , or just flat-out quitting , while police recruiting became useless while the council talked about completely disbanding the force .
The Strib ’ s numbers suggest that the force has lost 20 % of its effective manpower since May and the death of George Floyd : At the beginning of the year , the department had 874 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on some form of leave .
As of Monday , it had 834 officers , 121 of whom were on leave , according to spokesman John Elder .
Some of the officers on leave have filed PTSD claims stemming from their response to the unrest that followed Floyd ’ s death .
All of that signaled an environment of impunity to criminals in the area .
They have reacted as one would easily predict to such signals and incentives , as did police who grasped that the council would not support them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After all , why should they stick their necks out for a city that wants to fire them ?
If the council isn ’ t willing to confront crime and still sees police as the bigger problem , then it isn ’ t “ bull [ expletive ] ” and “ insincere ” to tell them to defend that position with their constituents , as councilor Jeremiah Ellison claimed .
It ’ s called accountability , and the Minneapolis city council has been ducking it long enough .

And so far, the Minneapolis city council still seems utterly lost on the point. Crime has jumped by double digits in the city, and homicides and gun violence have already hit 15-year records, as the Star Tribune noted yesterday, with seven weeks yet to go in 2020. Yet when police chief Medaria Arradondo went to the city council this week to explain that the sudden reduction in staffing and the rise in crime required an emergency infusion of resources, the same city council who fueled both of those trends with their “abolish the police” strategy wondered what Arradondo was doing with his current budget.
Arradondo was more polite and professional about it than I would have been (via the Daily Wire):
With dozens of people dead and roughly 500 wounded by gunfire so far in 2020 — the highest tally in at least 15 years — residents have been begging city leaders for a strategy to stem the violence. With an unprecedented number of officers on leave, Arradondo pleaded for money to bring in help from nearby departments. “Resources are hemorrhaging. Our city is bleeding at this moment. I’m trying to do all I can to stop that bleeding,” the chief said.
Councilor Steve Fletcher griped that the city was already paying $185 million for police, and that they had cut back on community-policing initiatives already. Where were those resources, Fletcher wondered?
“So, we’re going to take a thing that has not been working very well and has not been addressing carjackings, has not been addressing the rise in violent crime … and say if we just do 5% more of it, that will get us to a better place. I’m struggling to get my head around why that is a good idea,” Fletcher said. Arradondo pushed back hard, saying 74 people have been killed and nearly 500 shot and wounded in Minneapolis this year. “We can go back and forth on the $185 million but that is not stopping the bloodshed that is occurring every day in our city,” the chief said.
Here’s a clip of that exchange, in which a clearly angry Arradondo tells Fletcher and the rest of the council to stop playing games. Ninety percent of the police budget goes to salaries and benefits, he explains, so there aren’t any extra resources laying around for this crime wave. “If you choose to say no to these victims of crime,” Arradondo blasted Fletcher, “then please stand by that”:
Just to repeat: the police budget was set a year ago, long before this crime wave took place. The crime wave took place in large part thanks to the reaction of local government to its own police force, making the entire force the bogeyman instead of their own complete failure to properly oversee it. Officers fled through retirements, disability claims, or just flat-out quitting, while police recruiting became useless while the council talked about completely disbanding the force.
The Strib’s numbers suggest that the force has lost 20% of its effective manpower since May and the death of George Floyd:
At the beginning of the year, the department had 874 police officers, seven of whom were on some form of leave. As of Monday, it had 834 officers, 121 of whom were on leave, according to spokesman John Elder. Some of the officers on leave have filed PTSD claims stemming from their response to the unrest that followed Floyd’s death.
All of that signaled an environment of impunity to criminals in the area. They have reacted as one would easily predict to such signals and incentives, as did police who grasped that the council would not support them in future confrontations regardless of the circumstances. After all, why should they stick their necks out for a city that wants to fire them?
If the council isn’t willing to confront crime and still sees police as the bigger problem, then it isn’t “bull [expletive]” and “insincere” to tell them to defend that position with their constituents, as councilor Jeremiah Ellison claimed. It’s called accountability, and the Minneapolis city council has been ducking it long enough.


bonginoreport--2020-11-13--$600+ Million in Limbo as Gambling Sites Refuse to Call Election for Biden

President Trump is not the only one who adamantly refuses to credit Joe Biden with winning the 2020 presidential election .
Honchos at online gambling sites around the world , which take wagers on election outcomes , are also refusing to call Biden president-elect , despite the final tallies in his favor in what ’ s been called a historically secure election .
Now , millions of dollars in gamblers ’ wins and losses hang in the balance .
At one site alone , London-based Betfair , nearly $ 600 million in presidential wagers are hanging tight .
Bookmakers typically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bucks when Super Bowls go sideways or boxing matches go to hell .
In 1990 , Buster Douglas shocked the world by knocking out mighty Mike Tyson , defying odds as high as 42-1 and leading one gambler to win $ 57,000 on a $ 1,500 wager ( before the disparity even peaked ) .
But this time , online gambling sites ( which offer a mode of betting that is illegal in the US ) are keeping hands in pockets during this month ’ s commander-in-chief stalemate .
“ We still have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burns , sportsbook manager of BetOnline , told The Post .
Burns said he ’ s reserving a decision until Trump exhausts his legal options .
“ People who bet Trump say it is not over .
People who bet Biden say it is .
This makes for a tricky situation where we have to be sure .
It ’ s not like a football game ” in terms of there being a clear-cut victor , Burns said .
It ’ s also not like a football game in terms of money that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site brought in a seven-figure total for this election .
Others brought in similar totals .
“ The presidential election was bigger than the Super Bowl , which is normally our biggest event of the year , ” said Burns .
“ We kept taking action , with fluctuating odds for a few days after the election .
But now the bet is [ no longer available ] and we ’ re hoping for an official decision.
” According to Bloomberg Wealth , gambling sites have learned their lessons from past missteps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ PaddyPower paid out more than $ 1 million on Hillary Clinton as the winner — prior to Election Day .
But , even as presidential bettors cool their heels , they are not completely out in the cold .
The gambling site 888 is offering action on whether Trump will last the full term in office ( betting “ no ” will get you 6-1 odds ) and Biden winning in 2024 is 12-1 at BetOnline , with thinner odds planned for wagers on Kamala Harris taking over the presidency in 2022 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 7-1 or something like that , ” said Burns .
“ The age thing plays into it , ” he said , referring to Biden , 77 , and Harris , 56 .
For now , though , he is most keenly focused on a definitive outcome of the presidential election .
Personal politics aside , Burns admits to pulling for Biden as a professional play .
“ If Biden comes in , it ’ s a big win for us , ” he said , explaining that the site ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is declared the winner , we will take a bath .
It will not be a happy day here .
”

President Trump is not the only one who adamantly refuses to credit Joe Biden with winning the 2020 presidential election.
Honchos at online gambling sites around the world, which take wagers on election outcomes, are also refusing to call Biden president-elect, despite the final tallies in his favor in what’s been called a historically secure election. Now, millions of dollars in gamblers’ wins and losses hang in the balance.
At one site alone, London-based Betfair, nearly $600 million in presidential wagers are hanging tight.
Bookmakers typically have no qualms about coughing up big bucks when Super Bowls go sideways or boxing matches go to hell. In 1990, Buster Douglas shocked the world by knocking out mighty Mike Tyson, defying odds as high as 42-1 and leading one gambler to win $57,000 on a $1,500 wager (before the disparity even peaked). But this time, online gambling sites (which offer a mode of betting that is illegal in the US) are keeping hands in pockets during this month’s commander-in-chief stalemate.
“We still have not graded a winner,” Adam Burns, sportsbook manager of BetOnline, told The Post.
Burns said he’s reserving a decision until Trump exhausts his legal options.
“People who bet Trump say it is not over. People who bet Biden say it is. This makes for a tricky situation where we have to be sure. It’s not like a football game” in terms of there being a clear-cut victor, Burns said.
It’s also not like a football game in terms of money that has been wagered. Burns said his site brought in a seven-figure total for this election. Others brought in similar totals.
“The presidential election was bigger than the Super Bowl, which is normally our biggest event of the year,” said Burns. “We kept taking action, with fluctuating odds for a few days after the election. But now the bet is [no longer available] and we’re hoping for an official decision.”
According to Bloomberg Wealth, gambling sites have learned their lessons from past missteps. In 2016, the Irish gambling platform PaddyPower paid out more than $1 million on Hillary Clinton as the winner — prior to Election Day.
Check out the best sports betting sites and apps
But, even as presidential bettors cool their heels, they are not completely out in the cold. The gambling site 888 is offering action on whether Trump will last the full term in office (betting “no” will get you 6-1 odds) and Biden winning in 2024 is 12-1 at BetOnline, with thinner odds planned for wagers on Kamala Harris taking over the presidency in 2022.
“We’ll probably put it at 7-1 or something like that,” said Burns. “The age thing plays into it,” he said, referring to Biden, 77, and Harris, 56.
For now, though, he is most keenly focused on a definitive outcome of the presidential election. Personal politics aside, Burns admits to pulling for Biden as a professional play.
“If Biden comes in, it’s a big win for us,” he said, explaining that the site’s customers favored Trump. “If Trump is declared the winner, we will take a bath. It will not be a happy day here.”


bonginoreport--2020-11-14--HHS Secretary Rejects Future Lockdowns

HHS Secretary Rejects Future Lockdowns

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Friday rejected the notion of another shutdown in the U.S. to curb a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country .
`` You do n't need lockdowns , '' Azar said .
`` The data clearly demonstrate the interventions we need are simple , they 're demonstrated , they 're proven .
But they 're not forcing people to stay in their homes , shutting down our businesses , shutting our schools . ''
PFIZER 'S COVID-19 VACCINE : WHAT TO KNOW Azar 's comments came as daily confirmed coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 153,000 on Thursday .
The total number of cases in the U.S. has reached about 10.5 million , and more than 238,000 people have died , according to Johns Hopkins data .
The number of people hospitalized with the virus hit an all-time high of more than 67,000 on Thursday , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
Certain places in the U.S. that have seen a flare-up in COVID-19 infections are also closing down parts of their economies , including Illinois , which banned indoor dining ; Denver , Colo. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions ; and El Paso , Texas , which announced a two-week shutdown of nonessential services ( although a judge placed a temporary halt on that order ) .
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE New York City , meanwhile , is on the brink of closing down its public schools as it sees a surge in virus cases .
Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested schools could suspend in-person learning as early as Monday despite research that has shown they are not key drivers of infections .
( Internal school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates of just around 0.15 % ) .
`` Here 's the amazing thing , '' Azar said .
`` In the United States , as soon as we see disease spread , so many local leaders and governors go immediately to shutting down our schools .
You know what the Europeans do ?
And you know how cautious the Europeans are .
The Europeans have placed a primacy on keeping their universities and their K-12 schools open .
They 've done so even as they take other aggressive measures in their countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ON FOX BUSINESS

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Friday rejected the notion of another shutdown in the U.S. to curb a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country.
"You don't need lockdowns," Azar said. "The data clearly demonstrate the interventions we need are simple, they're demonstrated, they're proven. But they're not forcing people to stay in their homes, shutting down our businesses, shutting our schools."
PFIZER'S COVID-19 VACCINE: WHAT TO KNOW
Azar's comments came as daily confirmed coronavirus infections are shattering records, hitting more than 153,000 on Thursday. The total number of cases in the U.S. has reached about 10.5 million, and more than 238,000 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins data.
The number of people hospitalized with the virus hit an all-time high of more than 67,000 on Thursday, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Certain places in the U.S. that have seen a flare-up in COVID-19 infections are also closing down parts of their economies, including Illinois, which banned indoor dining; Denver, Colo., which tightened its restaurant and social gathering restrictions; and El Paso, Texas, which announced a two-week shutdown of nonessential services (although a judge placed a temporary halt on that order).
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
New York City, meanwhile, is on the brink of closing down its public schools as it sees a surge in virus cases. Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested schools could suspend in-person learning as early as Monday despite research that has shown they are not key drivers of infections. (Internal school testing shows that schools have produced infection rates of just around 0.15%).
"Here's the amazing thing," Azar said. "In the United States, as soon as we see disease spread, so many local leaders and governors go immediately to shutting down our schools. You know what the Europeans do? And you know how cautious the Europeans are. The Europeans have placed a primacy on keeping their universities and their K-12 schools open. They've done so even as they take other aggressive measures in their countries."
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS


bonginoreport--2020-11-14--Michael Barone: A Country Where People Are Afraid to Tell Pollsters What They Think

`` I like a good contrarian argument as much as the next guy , '' tweets mild-mannered RealClearPolitics senior elections analyst Sean Trende , `` but there 's really no getting around the fact that the 2020 polling was a pile of steaming garbage . ''
`` The national polls were even worse than they were four years ago , '' writes New York Times polling guru Nate Cohn .
`` ( W ) hatever steps pollsters took to improve after 2016 were canceled out by a new set of problems . ''
Trende and Cohn have earned credibility as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotted , before Donald Trump 's surprise victory , that white non-college graduates were underrepresented in media and exit polls and their potential for voting more Republican was overlooked .
This year , pollsters adjusted their samples to include accurate proportions of that demographic , but the responses did n't match the results .
The result : Polls significantly overstated Joe Biden 's popular vote margin nationally and consistently showed President Donald Trump and Republican candidates running worse than they ended up doing in target states .
The errors were largest in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ error ?
Left-wing ace analyst David Shor argues that Democrats , locked down in their home offices by COVID-19 , were more willing to respond to polls , just as they were more likely than in the past to donate money to Democrats and tweet their loathing of the Republican president .
There 's probably something to that .
The Pew Research Center finds that fewer than 1 out of 10 people contacted will respond to its polls , and if one party 's fans do so more often , the results will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some voter categories are less likely to be polled .
Who are they ?
Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini 's chart comparing preelection polling and the Associated Press VoteCast exit polls identifies white college graduates , women as well as men , as voting much more Republican than indicated in preelection polling .
National Journal 's Josh Kraushaar showed how this produced unexpected results in House races : Public and partisan polls showed Democrats gaining seats , but Republicans have actually gained 6 to 13 seats .
As Kraushaar recounts , Democrats failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost several such districts they had captured in 2018 .
Kraushaar cited two Republican strategists ' interviews of suburban voters over six months in which respondents complained about `` the excesses of so-called 'cancel culture , ' pointing to a stifling environment where employees worry they can be fired or punished for heterodox political views expressed at the workplace . ''
Such voters may not be willing to voice those views to an interviewer who may have their name or address , but they vote against such political correctness at the ballot box @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from political scientists Eric Kaufmann , a London-based Canadian of Jewish , Chinese and Latino ancestry whose 2019 book `` Whiteshift '' puts today 's ethnic changes in historic perspective .
He notes that ethnic and racial categories change over time and that , as people rise economically and intermarry , grievances and racial identity fade .
`` Republican supporters with degrees tend to work in graduate-dominated environments , where organisations and peers are more likely to enforce norms of political correctness , '' Kaufmann writes in the British online magazine Unherd .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly-educated Republican supporters who are most shy about revealing their beliefs at work . ''
He cites polling evidence that 45 % of Republican college grads versus only 23 % of Democratic grads `` said they feared that their careers could be at risk if their views became known . ''
This is a case of political speech , in daily life and even in polling interviews , being suppressed out of fear .
Just as it is out of date to lament that big-money Republicans are buying elections , now that Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margin , so it is out of date to suppose that the greatest threats to free expression come in conservatives trying to stamp out obscenity and silence threats of violence .
The greatest threat to free speech today comes from the left : from college and university campuses with speech codes ; from the social media monopolies where recent graduates shut down and stamp out information that , while accurate , may be ( as a Biden press aide put it ) `` misleading '' ; from the corporate human resources departments that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words make anyone else `` uncomfortable . ''
When I was in the polling business , from 1974 to 1981 , I came to think that one measure of a free society is that you could conduct polls there that turned out to be accurate .
This year 's `` steaming garbage '' polls suggest that our society is significantly less free than we like to think .
Pollsters will keep trying to improve their techniques .
But if large numbers of Americans are afraid to speak freely , pollsters wo n't entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political analyst for the Washington Examiner , resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics .

"I like a good contrarian argument as much as the next guy," tweets mild-mannered RealClearPolitics senior elections analyst Sean Trende, "but there's really no getting around the fact that the 2020 polling was a pile of steaming garbage."
"The national polls were even worse than they were four years ago," writes New York Times polling guru Nate Cohn. "(W)hatever steps pollsters took to improve after 2016 were canceled out by a new set of problems."
Trende and Cohn have earned credibility as two of the few political analysts who spotted, before Donald Trump's surprise victory, that white non-college graduates were underrepresented in media and exit polls and their potential for voting more Republican was overlooked. This year, pollsters adjusted their samples to include accurate proportions of that demographic, but the responses didn't match the results.
The result: Polls significantly overstated Joe Biden's popular vote margin nationally and consistently showed President Donald Trump and Republican candidates running worse than they ended up doing in target states. The errors were largest in the states most frequently polled.
Why the error? Left-wing ace analyst David Shor argues that Democrats, locked down in their home offices by COVID-19, were more willing to respond to polls, just as they were more likely than in the past to donate money to Democrats and tweet their loathing of the Republican president. There's probably something to that. The Pew Research Center finds that fewer than 1 out of 10 people contacted will respond to its polls, and if one party's fans do so more often, the results will be skewed.
But that also means some voter categories are less likely to be polled. Who are they? Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini's chart comparing preelection polling and the Associated Press VoteCast exit polls identifies white college graduates, women as well as men, as voting much more Republican than indicated in preelection polling.
National Journal's Josh Kraushaar showed how this produced unexpected results in House races: Public and partisan polls showed Democrats gaining seats, but Republicans have actually gained 6 to 13 seats. As Kraushaar recounts, Democrats failed to capture the high-education districts they targeted and lost several such districts they had captured in 2018.
Kraushaar cited two Republican strategists' interviews of suburban voters over six months in which respondents complained about "the excesses of so-called 'cancel culture,' pointing to a stifling environment where employees worry they can be fired or punished for heterodox political views expressed at the workplace." Such voters may not be willing to voice those views to an interviewer who may have their name or address, but they vote against such political correctness at the ballot box.
Rigorous support for this view comes from political scientists Eric Kaufmann, a London-based Canadian of Jewish, Chinese and Latino ancestry whose 2019 book "Whiteshift" puts today's ethnic changes in historic perspective. He notes that ethnic and racial categories change over time and that, as people rise economically and intermarry, grievances and racial identity fade.
"Republican supporters with degrees tend to work in graduate-dominated environments, where organisations and peers are more likely to enforce norms of political correctness," Kaufmann writes in the British online magazine Unherd. "As a result, it is highly-educated Republican supporters who are most shy about revealing their beliefs at work." He cites polling evidence that 45% of Republican college grads versus only 23% of Democratic grads "said they feared that their careers could be at risk if their views became known." This is a case of political speech, in daily life and even in polling interviews, being suppressed out of fear.
Just as it is out of date to lament that big-money Republicans are buying elections, now that Democrats routinely outspend their opponents by a vast margin, so it is out of date to suppose that the greatest threats to free expression come in conservatives trying to stamp out obscenity and silence threats of violence.
The greatest threat to free speech today comes from the left: from college and university campuses with speech codes; from the social media monopolies where recent graduates shut down and stamp out information that, while accurate, may be (as a Biden press aide put it) "misleading"; from the corporate human resources departments that discipline and fire employees whose choice of words make anyone else "uncomfortable."
When I was in the polling business, from 1974 to 1981, I came to think that one measure of a free society is that you could conduct polls there that turned out to be accurate. This year's "steaming garbage" polls suggest that our society is significantly less free than we like to think. Pollsters will keep trying to improve their techniques. But if large numbers of Americans are afraid to speak freely, pollsters won't entirely succeed.
Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.


bonginoreport--2020-11-14--Neil Patel: Georgia May Decide the Future of our Country

Every single American should want the recount process to play out so the states can properly certify the presidential election .
We have had an election , but that certification has n't happened yet .
The biggest problem we have in our country today is a lack of trust .
The president 's supporters voted him into office in 2016 largely because they had lost faith in our country 's political leaders and institutions .
You may agree or disagree with the merits of that motivation , but you ca n't deny its reality .
From Washington ignoring the opioid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families to its seeming lack of regard for the economic stagnation felt by too many of our citizens to the massive numbers of public servants that directly cash out of government and into the corporate influence business , the loss of faith in Washington has been driving a good share of our politics for years now .
This lack of trust is also driving many people online to pose as amateur election lawyers and election detectives .
There are all sorts of theories being proposed .
Luckily , for all our faults , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system where these issues can be adjudicated fairly .
President Donald Trump also has his choice of top legal representation .
He has asked for recounts in the states where he 's eligible for one .
The vote was close but not close enough that it seems likely to change .
Nonetheless , the president owes it to his voters to leave no stone unturned .
Between that and his court cases , we will have results officially certified soon .
That 's the way the system is supposed to work .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one way or another .
We all should want that .
Short-circuiting it and leaving a huge swath of America with even less faith in our process is in no one 's interest .
While this process plays out , the importance of the two outstanding Senate seats in Georgia has increased dramatically .
The Republicans have 50 seats in the Senate .
If the Democrats win both Georgia races , then , including the two independents who always vote with them , Democrats would have a 50-50 Senate tie .
Presumptive Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote and would give the Democrats effective control over both the executive branch and the legislative branch .
Every single American to the right of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should be worried about this outcome .
With control of the Senate in hand , left-wing Democrats will push to end the Senate filibuster .
That 's not a far-out fantasy .
Many powerful Democrats have announced this intention .
Without the filibuster , House and Senate Democrats would be able to pass any laws they want without a single Republican vote .
Are there moderate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this train ?
Maybe .
Are there any that have a long history of doing so and bucking their party ?
Not even a little bit .
What sorts of radical laws could we be dealing with in this worst-case scenario ?
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said it best : `` Now we take Georgia ; then we change America ! ''
For those of us who do n't want radical left-wing change , that better be a wake-up call .
In recent decades , the differences the right and left fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a top tax rate of 35 % versus 39 % is not inconsequential , but it 's not existential either .
That 's not the sort of thing the left is talking about these days .
They are talking about structural changes to alter our system forever and a full march to the left in numerous policy areas .
On the structural side , Democrats have spent a great deal of time focusing on expanding the Supreme Court .
Our founders wisely set up our three branches of government to share power and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of power from any one branch .
Some Democrats want to erase those checks and balances .
Expanding the Supreme Court to the point that it becomes a partisan Democratic blank check would change our system forever .
Next on the structural side would be adding states to the union .
The Constitution allows new states to be created just like any other law is passed .
With the filibuster out of the way , Democrats could add states such as Puerto Rico and Washington , D.C. , thereby guaranteeing themselves four new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They could even go further and divide up current Democrat-controlled states to create even more reliable Senate votes .
How does North and South California grab you ?
Those new Senate seats would then serve as insulation to any voter backlash against a newly radical agenda .
Once the Supreme Court rubber stamp and the new left-wing Senate votes are in place , the left can proceed with its new agenda .
This agenda could include policies such as a Green New Deal to outlaw fossil fuels , a single-payer health care system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a President Joe Biden stop all this ?
Maybe .
He has said he wants to bring people together .
These ideas would , of course , tear us apart .
But Biden was squirrely on these issues during the campaign , so we can not bank on him fighting the left to stop them .
Georgia used to be reliably Republican .
Our current election proves that is no longer the case .
You do n't have to be a conservative Republican to worry about the direction we could go with single-party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason to worry right now .
There 's an appetite for radical change .
The voters of Georgia are all that may stand in the way .
Neil Patel co-founded The Daily Caller , one of America 's fastest-growing online news outlets , which regularly breaks news and distributes it to over 15 million monthly readers .
Patel also co-founded The Daily Caller News Foundation , a nonprofit news company that trains journalists , produces fact-checks and conducts longer-term investigative reporting .
The Daily Caller News Foundation licenses its content free of charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially hundreds of millions of people per month .

Every single American should want the recount process to play out so the states can properly certify the presidential election. We have had an election, but that certification hasn't happened yet. The biggest problem we have in our country today is a lack of trust. The president's supporters voted him into office in 2016 largely because they had lost faith in our country's political leaders and institutions. You may agree or disagree with the merits of that motivation, but you can't deny its reality. From Washington ignoring the opioid crisis until it ravaged huge numbers of families to its seeming lack of regard for the economic stagnation felt by too many of our citizens to the massive numbers of public servants that directly cash out of government and into the corporate influence business, the loss of faith in Washington has been driving a good share of our politics for years now.
This lack of trust is also driving many people online to pose as amateur election lawyers and election detectives. There are all sorts of theories being proposed. Luckily, for all our faults, our country still has a well-functioning court system where these issues can be adjudicated fairly. President Donald Trump also has his choice of top legal representation. He has asked for recounts in the states where he's eligible for one. The vote was close but not close enough that it seems likely to change. Nonetheless, the president owes it to his voters to leave no stone unturned. Between that and his court cases, we will have results officially certified soon. That's the way the system is supposed to work. Then everyone can calm down and move forward one way or another. We all should want that. Short-circuiting it and leaving a huge swath of America with even less faith in our process is in no one's interest.
While this process plays out, the importance of the two outstanding Senate seats in Georgia has increased dramatically. The Republicans have 50 seats in the Senate. If the Democrats win both Georgia races, then, including the two independents who always vote with them, Democrats would have a 50-50 Senate tie. Presumptive Vice President Kamala Harris would be the tie-breaking vote and would give the Democrats effective control over both the executive branch and the legislative branch. Every single American to the right of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should be worried about this outcome.
With control of the Senate in hand, left-wing Democrats will push to end the Senate filibuster. That's not a far-out fantasy. Many powerful Democrats have announced this intention. Without the filibuster, House and Senate Democrats would be able to pass any laws they want without a single Republican vote. Are there moderate Democrats who would step forward to stop this train? Maybe. Are there any that have a long history of doing so and bucking their party? Not even a little bit.
What sorts of radical laws could we be dealing with in this worst-case scenario? Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said it best: "Now we take Georgia; then we change America!" For those of us who don't want radical left-wing change, that better be a wake-up call. In recent decades, the differences the right and left fight about have often been marginal. Debating a top tax rate of 35% versus 39% is not inconsequential, but it's not existential either. That's not the sort of thing the left is talking about these days. They are talking about structural changes to alter our system forever and a full march to the left in numerous policy areas.
On the structural side, Democrats have spent a great deal of time focusing on expanding the Supreme Court. Our founders wisely set up our three branches of government to share power and act as checks and balances against abuses of power from any one branch. Some Democrats want to erase those checks and balances. Expanding the Supreme Court to the point that it becomes a partisan Democratic blank check would change our system forever.
Next on the structural side would be adding states to the union. The Constitution allows new states to be created just like any other law is passed. With the filibuster out of the way, Democrats could add states such as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., thereby guaranteeing themselves four new Senate seats for the foreseeable future. They could even go further and divide up current Democrat-controlled states to create even more reliable Senate votes. How does North and South California grab you? Those new Senate seats would then serve as insulation to any voter backlash against a newly radical agenda.
Once the Supreme Court rubber stamp and the new left-wing Senate votes are in place, the left can proceed with its new agenda. This agenda could include policies such as a Green New Deal to outlaw fossil fuels, a single-payer health care system and truly confiscatory tax rates.
Would a President Joe Biden stop all this? Maybe. He has said he wants to bring people together. These ideas would, of course, tear us apart. But Biden was squirrely on these issues during the campaign, so we cannot bank on him fighting the left to stop them.
Georgia used to be reliably Republican. Our current election proves that is no longer the case. You don't have to be a conservative Republican to worry about the direction we could go with single-party rule. Moderates of all stripes have reason to worry right now. There's an appetite for radical change. The voters of Georgia are all that may stand in the way.
Neil Patel co-founded The Daily Caller, one of America's fastest-growing online news outlets, which regularly breaks news and distributes it to over 15 million monthly readers. Patel also co-founded The Daily Caller News Foundation, a nonprofit news company that trains journalists, produces fact-checks and conducts longer-term investigative reporting. The Daily Caller News Foundation licenses its content free of charge to over 300 news outlets, reaching potentially hundreds of millions of people per month.


bonginoreport--2020-11-14--Chris Barron: If The Legal Challenges Fall Short, President Trump Should Immediately Announce His 20

Chris Barron: If The Legal Challenges Fall Short, President Trump Should Immediately Announce His 2024 Bid

This weekend , tens of thousands of Trump supporters will make their way to Washington , DC from every corner of this country to show their support for President Trump .
The March for Trump , which is being sponsored by Women for America First , will rally at Freedom Plaza and then march to the steps of the Supreme Court .
This massive DC rally comes on the heels of hundreds of smaller rallies that have spontaneously happened all across the country , in the wake of the Presidential election .
What do these rallies show ?
They show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is firmly behind President Trump .
RELATED : Chris Wallace Predicts You ’ ll Likely Never See Trump Concede What does it mean for Trump ?
It means that he has the support necessary to exhaust every legal challenge available to him in making sure that every legal vote is counted .
The Future Of The Republican Party It means something much bigger for the future of the Republican Party .
Simply put , this is Trump ’ s party now .
If for some reason the legal challenges being mounted by President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Biden is sworn in as the President in January , then Trump should immediately announce his intention to seek the Republican nomination in 2024 .
The old Republican coalition – which included neocons , unbridled free traders , open borders advocates and Wall Street firsters – is dead .
The new Republican coalition , which relies heavily on working class voters , rural voters and increasing numbers of Latinos , blacks , Asian-Americans and LGBT individuals – is the coalition that Trump put together .
So far , there has been little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without Trump .
Indeed , the difference between the 2018 nightmare in the House for Republicans and the shocking 2020 gains made by Republicans in the House was Trump ’ s name on the ballot .
The Old Coalition Is Dead While the old coalition is dead , the establishment isn ’ t prepared to admit that is case .
The establishment has been lying in wait , waiting for the moment to declare the Trump moment over .
We have already seen the Romneys , Boltons , and Michael Steeles of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The party can not afford to have a vacuum that would allow the establishment to try to dig up the corpse of the old Republican coalition and Dr. Frankenstein it back to life .
The way to stop the establishment dead in their tracks and the way to keep the new Republican coalition together is for President Trump to immediately declare his intention to run for the Republican nomination in 2024 .
Trump and his campaign would immediately become a shadow Presidency .
He could continue to rally Republicans – first in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and then in 2022 , where he can lead the effort to fire Nancy Pelosi and return a Republican majority in the House .
RELATED : AOC Says She Plans To Work ‘ Very Hard ’ On Georgia Runoffs – State Dems Say Please Stay Away The energy and enthusiasm in the Republican party is with President Trump .
The coalition that Trump put together in 2016 and 2020 needs Trump .
I am confident that one day the new Republican coalition will be secure enough in our control of the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top of the ticket .
We are not there yet .
Joe Biden is not the President yet , he ’ s not even the President-elect yet .
It is entirely possible that the President ’ s legal challenges will be successful and that Trump will be sworn in for a second term in January .
In the event , however , that doesn ’ t happen – we still need Trump .

This weekend, tens of thousands of Trump supporters will make their way to Washington, DC from every corner of this country to show their support for President Trump.
The March for Trump, which is being sponsored by Women for America First, will rally at Freedom Plaza and then march to the steps of the Supreme Court.
President @realDonaldTrump DO NOT CONCEDE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES🇺🇸 I need you to stay & fight this voter fraud The left has attempted to steal this election I will not let them steal my freedom We will #MarchforTRUMP NEXT Saturday in DC Nov 14th, 12PM We are w/ you! pic.twitter.com/2KI34tYn2m — Amy Kremer (@AmyKremer) November 7, 2020
This massive DC rally comes on the heels of hundreds of smaller rallies that have spontaneously happened all across the country, in the wake of the Presidential election.
What do these rallies show? They show that the base of the Republican Party is firmly behind President Trump.
RELATED: Chris Wallace Predicts You’ll Likely Never See Trump Concede
What does it mean for Trump? It means that he has the support necessary to exhaust every legal challenge available to him in making sure that every legal vote is counted.
The Future Of The Republican Party
It means something much bigger for the future of the Republican Party. Simply put, this is Trump’s party now.
If for some reason the legal challenges being mounted by President Trump and his campaign fall short, and Biden is sworn in as the President in January, then Trump should immediately announce his intention to seek the Republican nomination in 2024.
The old Republican coalition – which included neocons, unbridled free traders, open borders advocates and Wall Street firsters – is dead.
The new Republican coalition, which relies heavily on working class voters, rural voters and increasing numbers of Latinos, blacks, Asian-Americans and LGBT individuals – is the coalition that Trump put together.
So far, there has been little evidence that the new Republican coalition exists without Trump. Indeed, the difference between the 2018 nightmare in the House for Republicans and the shocking 2020 gains made by Republicans in the House was Trump’s name on the ballot.
The Old Coalition Is Dead
While the old coalition is dead, the establishment isn’t prepared to admit that is case. The establishment has been lying in wait, waiting for the moment to declare the Trump moment over. We have already seen the Romneys, Boltons, and Michael Steeles of the world planning for a post-Trump Republican Party.
The party cannot afford to have a vacuum that would allow the establishment to try to dig up the corpse of the old Republican coalition and Dr. Frankenstein it back to life.
The way to stop the establishment dead in their tracks and the way to keep the new Republican coalition together is for President Trump to immediately declare his intention to run for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Trump To Run In 2024
Trump and his campaign would immediately become a shadow Presidency. He could continue to rally Republicans – first in Georgia to guarantee we keep the Senate – and then in 2022, where he can lead the effort to fire Nancy Pelosi and return a Republican majority in the House.
RELATED: AOC Says She Plans To Work ‘Very Hard’ On Georgia Runoffs – State Dems Say Please Stay Away
The energy and enthusiasm in the Republican party is with President Trump. The coalition that Trump put together in 2016 and 2020 needs Trump.
I am confident that one day the new Republican coalition will be secure enough in our control of the party that we can succeed with Trump at the top of the ticket. We are not there yet.
Joe Biden is not the President yet, he’s not even the President-elect yet. It is entirely possible that the President’s legal challenges will be successful and that Trump will be sworn in for a second term in January. In the event, however, that doesn’t happen – we still need Trump.


bonginoreport--2020-11-14--Larry O’Connor: Time for Manchin to Man Up

Democrat Joe Manchin has been running against his own party since his first campaign for Senate in 2010 .
That year , the year of the Tea Party and the historic Republican victories in the House of Representatives , Manchin was the only real victory for Democrats .
The former governor of West Virginia secured his victory with a television ad ( remember television ) where he loaded a rifle , proclaimed his fealty to the National Rifle Association , the Second Amendment , pledged to `` take on '' the Obama Administration , repeal the `` bad parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullet through a copy of the Cap and Trade Bill that would have taxed fossil fuels to help empower the Democrats ' environmental agenda that year .
Since that victory , Manchin has maintained a consistent pattern of behavior : Every election year , pledge to `` take on '' the Democrats from within his party , oppose their lurch to the radical Left , and then consistently vote with Chuck Schumer in the intervening years .
He voted with Democrats on the critical opportunity to repeal Obamacare in 2017 ( he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill the Affordable Care Act ) and he voted to impeach President Donald Trump .
He endorsed Hillary Clinton even though her pledge to end coal jobs would have sent legions of West Virginians to the unemployment line ( he now admits his Clinton endorsement was `` a mistake '' ) .
He voted against Trump 's popular and effective tax cut law and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett , even though he claimed at the time his vote was not against the justice but `` against a precedent , '' referring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In short , Manchin has been able to win and maintain his lofty position as a US senator by promising West Virginians he 'd oppose the radical nature of his party .
Yet when the chips are down and his vote is needed , he generally falls in line with Schumer , Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren .
Until now , he 's had the luxury of his vote melding into the pack and not being consequential in any way .
Those days are over .
This week , Manchin has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious interviews ( with Fox News and Salena Zito ) , Manchin reiterated his independence from the radical Left dominating the Democrats .
Townhall 's Katie Pavlich points out the reaction to Manchin 's very West Virginian stance on the Green New Deal and on pulling funding and political support from police officers .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , the iconic representation of the socialist energy leading the Democrats ' charge , tweeted out a picture of herself ( she does that a lot ) delivering a stare of death at Manchin .
AOC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ? )
would have the Democrats defund the police , pack the Supreme Court , `` reform '' the entire Federal Judiciary to favor a whole slate of anticipated Biden appointees , and most significantly to Manchin , she would enact the Green New Deal given the slimmest opportunity .
The lines have been drawn , and now , Manchin has the opportunity to take a significant , not symbolic stand .
Now is the time for Joe Manchin to be a man of consequence .
Now is the time for Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a difference for his state and the nation he loves .
Manchin should walk into Sen. Chuck Schumer 's office and demand an influential and pivotal position in leadership so he can have the power to direct the Democrats ' agenda .
If Schumer hedges , the message is clear : Manchin is not welcome in his own party .
Manchin should then leave Schumer 's office , walk right into Sen. Mitch McConnell 's office and pledge his fealty to his true ideological home : The Republican Party .
By moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately be the most important person in that body .
He will secure a GOP majority and thus fulfill his stated goal : To be a barrier to the steamroll effect of his party 's radical agenda .
If the Senate falls into Schumer 's hands , it 's AOC 's agenda that will prevail , not Manchin 's .
And he knows it .
Joe , you shot a bullet through `` Cap and Trade '' to get elected .
The Green New Deal makes `` Cap and Trade '' look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , Manchin is a Republican .
His state is Republican .
It 's time to be bold , be consequential and actually make a difference .
Time for Manchin to man up .

Democrat Joe Manchin has been running against his own party since his first campaign for Senate in 2010. That year, the year of the Tea Party and the historic Republican victories in the House of Representatives, Manchin was the only real victory for Democrats.
The former governor of West Virginia secured his victory with a television ad (remember television) where he loaded a rifle, proclaimed his fealty to the National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment, pledged to "take on" the Obama Administration, repeal the "bad parts of Obamacare" and then literally shot a bullet through a copy of the Cap and Trade Bill that would have taxed fossil fuels to help empower the Democrats' environmental agenda that year.
Since that victory, Manchin has maintained a consistent pattern of behavior: Every election year, pledge to "take on" the Democrats from within his party, oppose their lurch to the radical Left, and then consistently vote with Chuck Schumer in the intervening years.
He voted with Democrats on the critical opportunity to repeal Obamacare in 2017 (he said it wasn't the best way to kill the Affordable Care Act) and he voted to impeach President Donald Trump. He endorsed Hillary Clinton even though her pledge to end coal jobs would have sent legions of West Virginians to the unemployment line (he now admits his Clinton endorsement was "a mistake").
He voted against Trump's popular and effective tax cut law and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, even though he claimed at the time his vote was not against the justice but "against a precedent," referring to the timeline of the confirmation process.
In short, Manchin has been able to win and maintain his lofty position as a US senator by promising West Virginians he'd oppose the radical nature of his party. Yet when the chips are down and his vote is needed, he generally falls in line with Schumer, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Until now, he's had the luxury of his vote melding into the pack and not being consequential in any way. Those days are over.
This week, Manchin has been flexing his ideological muscles. In two serious interviews (with Fox News and Salena Zito), Manchin reiterated his independence from the radical Left dominating the Democrats.
WATCH: Many Americans have been led to believe that the Democratic Party is the party of socialism, the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, and that’s absolutely not who we are. This falsehood has scared the bejeezus out of people. Do not believe these Republican scare tactics. pic.twitter.com/IwPoP9rt7y — Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 10, 2020
Defund the police? Defund, my butt. I'm a proud West Virginia Democrat. We are the party of working men and women. We want to protect Americans' jobs & healthcare. We do not have some crazy socialist agenda, and we do not believe in defunding the police. https://t.co/EIFHX5OQ37 — Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 11, 2020
Townhall's Katie Pavlich points out the reaction to Manchin's very West Virginian stance on the Green New Deal and on pulling funding and political support from police officers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the iconic representation of the socialist energy leading the Democrats' charge, tweeted out a picture of herself (she does that a lot) delivering a stare of death at Manchin.
AOC (are we allowed to call her that?) would have the Democrats defund the police, pack the Supreme Court, "reform" the entire Federal Judiciary to favor a whole slate of anticipated Biden appointees, and most significantly to Manchin, she would enact the Green New Deal given the slimmest opportunity.
The lines have been drawn, and now, Manchin has the opportunity to take a significant, not symbolic stand.
Now is the time for Joe Manchin to be a man of consequence. Now is the time for Joe Manchin's stated beliefs and principles to make a difference for his state and the nation he loves.
Manchin should walk into Sen. Chuck Schumer's office and demand an influential and pivotal position in leadership so he can have the power to direct the Democrats' agenda. If Schumer hedges, the message is clear: Manchin is not welcome in his own party.
Manchin should then leave Schumer's office, walk right into Sen. Mitch McConnell's office and pledge his fealty to his true ideological home: The Republican Party.
By moving to the Republican Party, Manchin will immediately be the most important person in that body. He will secure a GOP majority and thus fulfill his stated goal: To be a barrier to the steamroll effect of his party's radical agenda. If the Senate falls into Schumer's hands, it's AOC's agenda that will prevail, not Manchin's.
And he knows it.
Joe, you shot a bullet through "Cap and Trade" to get elected. The Green New Deal makes "Cap and Trade" look like a pro-coal subsidy.
Let's face it, Manchin is a Republican. His state is Republican. It's time to be bold, be consequential and actually make a difference.
Time for Manchin to man up.


bonginoreport--2020-11-14--Todd Starnes: Cuomo Will Have to Pry the Turkey Leg From My Cold, Dead Hands

Democrats are waging a war on Thanksgiving from border to border , coast to coast .
Governors and mayors have announced bans on family gatherings – telling people who they can and can not have inside their homes .
I warned Americans about this in my new book , “ Culture Jihad : How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.
” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot implemented a month-long shutdown -- telling citizens to cancel Thanksgiving Day plans .
It 's the same story in Washington state , New York state and Michigan .
`` Thanksgiving is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to , '' Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer said .
`` Medical experts across the country strongly recommend that we do not host Thanksgiving with people from outside of our own households .
I know this will be hard , but we can not afford for people to head to a family member 's , friend 's , or loved one 's house for Thanksgiving , contract the virus , and bring it back to their communities and their homes . ''
The Centers for Disease Control says family gatherings are dangerous and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virus cases .
Some New Yorkers are threatening to defy orders .
Karol Markowicz – the New York Post columnist – told homeowners they should refuse to let Turkey Day police inside their homes – unless they had a warrant .
`` Do not let anyone into your home .
Not even to 'see , ' '' she wrote in a viral Twitter post .
`` 'Come back with a warrant ' is made for situations like these . ''
“ I ’ ll be having more than 10 ppl at my house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record .
Some family will come from ( gasp ! )
New Jersey , ” the Republican city councilman wrote on Twitter .
“ Kids will see their grandparents , cousins will play in the yard , sis in law will bring strawberry rhubarb pie , & a turkey will be overcooked . ''
I don ’ t know about you folks , but the government will never tell me who I can invite into my home for Thanksgiving , Christmas , or to watch the Tennessee Volunteers play on a Saturday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turkey leg when you pry it from my cold dead hands .

Democrats are waging a war on Thanksgiving from border to border, coast to coast.
Governors and mayors have announced bans on family gatherings – telling people who they can and cannot have inside their homes. I warned Americans about this in my new book, “Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot implemented a month-long shutdown -- telling citizens to cancel Thanksgiving Day plans. It's the same story in Washington state, New York state and Michigan.
"Thanksgiving is going to look different this year. It just has to," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. "Medical experts across the country strongly recommend that we do not host Thanksgiving with people from outside of our own households. I know this will be hard, but we cannot afford for people to head to a family member's, friend's, or loved one's house for Thanksgiving, contract the virus, and bring it back to their communities and their homes."
The Centers for Disease Control says family gatherings are dangerous and could lead to an explosion of China Virus cases.
Some New Yorkers are threatening to defy orders. Karol Markowicz – the New York Post columnist – told homeowners they should refuse to let Turkey Day police inside their homes – unless they had a warrant.
"Do not let anyone into your home. Not even to 'see,'" she wrote in a viral Twitter post. "'Come back with a warrant' is made for situations like these."
Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli blasted Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s restrictions on indoor family gatherings.
“I’ll be having more than 10 ppl at my house on Thanksgiving. My address is public record. Some family will come from (gasp!) New Jersey,” the Republican city councilman wrote on Twitter. “Kids will see their grandparents, cousins will play in the yard, sis in law will bring strawberry rhubarb pie, & a turkey will be overcooked."
I don’t know about you folks, but the government will never tell me who I can invite into my home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or to watch the Tennessee Volunteers play on a Saturday afternoon.
I’ll give you that turkey leg when you pry it from my cold dead hands.


bonginoreport--2020-11-14--Percent of Voters Who Say America’s Best Days Are Ahead Plummets After Media Declares Biden Victory

The number of U.S. voters who think the United States ' best days are ahead of it has plummeted since @ @ @ @ @ a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen .
While 61 % of @ @ @ @ @ election thought the country still had its best days in front of it , 46 @ @ @ @ @ way immediately after the election concluded .
A third of voters said the best days @ @ @ @ @ come and gone . ''
The results of the election have been bitterly contested since @ @ @ @ @ news media organizations calling the race for Democrat Biden about three days after Election Day @ @ @ @ @ that the election was beset by widespread fraud , citing voting irregularities in numerous swing @ @ @ @ @ made up of 1,200 registered voters and conducted by Rasmussen from Nov. 5-7 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ this poll 's cross-demographic tabulations .
Click here to see this poll 's methodology and @ @ @

The number of U.S. voters who think the United States' best days are ahead of it has plummeted since the election, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.
While 61% of voters just prior to the election thought the country still had its best days in front of it, 46% of voters felt that way immediately after the election concluded.
A third of voters said the best days of the country have "come and gone."
Image Just the News Daily Poll With Scott Rasmussen
The results of the election have been bitterly contested since the polls closed, with news media organizations calling the race for Democrat Biden about three days after Election Day. President Trump has insisted that the election was beset by widespread fraud, citing voting irregularities in numerous swing states.
The survey was made up of 1,200 registered voters and conducted by Rasmussen from Nov. 5-7, 2020.
Click here to see this poll's cross-demographic tabulations.
Click here to see this poll's methodology and sample demographics.


bonginoreport--2020-11-14--Tim Graham: Anti-Trump Lions in the Press Turn Into Cuddly Biden Kittens

In President Donald Trump 's briefing room , Politico chief Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza defined himself as a furious competitor for the title of Rudest Journalist .
He asked White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , `` Does President Trump believe that it was a good thing that the South lost the Civil War ? ''
Earlier in the year , when the official count of coronavirus deaths reached 100,000 , he asked her , `` What does the White House view as the number of dead Americans where you can say that you successfully defeated this pandemic ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ started getting abuse on Twitter on Nov. 10 for observing `` discouraging signs about the Biden team and press access so far . ''
He wrote for Politico : `` Beat reporters covering Biden tell me that the basement strategy of the 2020 campaign has continued into the transition .
...
The press is being kept in the dark about what exactly the president-elect is doing most of the day beyond vague descriptions of 'internal meetings . '
'' Should we feign a shocked face ?
This underlines what every conservative and liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and his handlers would like to curtail access to the press to exactly the degree that his voters ( including all his voters in the press corps ) will allow .
This becomes downright comical when a measure of access is granted , such as his Nov. 10 press briefing .
As Lizza noted , `` a press aide controlled who got to ask questions , which were limited to five outlets . ''
There were no Jim Acosta-like disturbances from Fox News .
Marvel at that mauler Mike Memoli of NBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonder if you have a message for the president , who may well be watching right now , and how do you expect to be able to work with Republicans when so many have thus far refused to even acknowledge your victory ? ''
And that gladiator Jeff Zeleny of CNN : `` Have you spoken to your longtime friend in the Senate Mr. McConnell ?
And what do you make of his specific comments over the last 24 hours ? ''
And that karate-kicker Mary Bruce of ABC : `` How will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to refuse to concede ? ''
Could Biden handle the fists of fury from Josh Jamerson of the Wall Street Journal ?
`` During the lame duck , will you be coordinating with Speaker Pelosi on how she should be negotiating with Republicans ? ''
he asked .
The finishing blows came from a local assassin , Meredith Newman of The News Journal : `` What do you say to the Americans that are anxious over the fact that President Trump has yet to concede and what that might mean for the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishing blow was n't enough , there was more : `` How do you expect to work with Republicans if they wo n't even acknowledge you as president-elect ? ''
a reporter asked .
They played clips of these marshmallows on `` Fox & Friends , '' and media reporter Joe Concha joked about the Fox shutout .
`` Biden avoids Peter Doocy the way that Harrison Ford avoided Tommy Lee Jones in 'The Fugitive . '
'' Concha slammed the press for obsessing over Trump .
If Joe Biden is the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way ?
What makes this charade even funnier is remembering how the `` objective '' press was outraged whenever Donald Trump doled out questions to journalists who supported him .
Now the press has n't uttered the slightest whisper about the exclusion of anyone who would dare ask Biden a question about ... Biden .
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org .
To find out more about Tim Graham , and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ www.creators.com .

In President Donald Trump's briefing room, Politico chief Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza defined himself as a furious competitor for the title of Rudest Journalist. He asked White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, "Does President Trump believe that it was a good thing that the South lost the Civil War?" Earlier in the year, when the official count of coronavirus deaths reached 100,000, he asked her, "What does the White House view as the number of dead Americans where you can say that you successfully defeated this pandemic?"
So, it was fascinating when Lizza started getting abuse on Twitter on Nov. 10 for observing "discouraging signs about the Biden team and press access so far." He wrote for Politico: "Beat reporters covering Biden tell me that the basement strategy of the 2020 campaign has continued into the transition. ... The press is being kept in the dark about what exactly the president-elect is doing most of the day beyond vague descriptions of 'internal meetings.'"
Should we feign a shocked face? This underlines what every conservative and liberal and squishy centrist should have known: Biden and his handlers would like to curtail access to the press to exactly the degree that his voters (including all his voters in the press corps) will allow.
This becomes downright comical when a measure of access is granted, such as his Nov. 10 press briefing. As Lizza noted, "a press aide controlled who got to ask questions, which were limited to five outlets." There were no Jim Acosta-like disturbances from Fox News.
Marvel at that mauler Mike Memoli of NBC, who asked Biden, "I wonder if you have a message for the president, who may well be watching right now, and how do you expect to be able to work with Republicans when so many have thus far refused to even acknowledge your victory?"
And that gladiator Jeff Zeleny of CNN: "Have you spoken to your longtime friend in the Senate Mr. McConnell? And what do you make of his specific comments over the last 24 hours?"
And that karate-kicker Mary Bruce of ABC: "How will you move ahead if the president continues to refuse to concede?"
Could Biden handle the fists of fury from Josh Jamerson of the Wall Street Journal? "During the lame duck, will you be coordinating with Speaker Pelosi on how she should be negotiating with Republicans?" he asked.
The finishing blows came from a local assassin, Meredith Newman of The News Journal: "What do you say to the Americans that are anxious over the fact that President Trump has yet to concede and what that might mean for the country?"
Oh, and if that punishing blow wasn't enough, there was more: "How do you expect to work with Republicans if they won't even acknowledge you as president-elect?" a reporter asked.
They played clips of these marshmallows on "Fox & Friends," and media reporter Joe Concha joked about the Fox shutout. "Biden avoids Peter Doocy the way that Harrison Ford avoided Tommy Lee Jones in 'The Fugitive.'" Concha slammed the press for obsessing over Trump. If Joe Biden is the new president, why not treat him that way?
What makes this charade even funnier is remembering how the "objective" press was outraged whenever Donald Trump doled out questions to journalists who supported him. Now the press hasn't uttered the slightest whisper about the exclusion of anyone who would dare ask Biden a question about ... Biden.
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.