wnd--2020-12-04--100 small business owners defy COVID closure demands

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
While big box stores are allowed to remain open for holiday shopping , our politicians in Colorado are closing our small businesses , putting many thousands out of work during the holidays .
For months , small business owners in cities like Loveland have been working with government officials to keep the community safe while keeping their doors open and employees working .
We ’ ve followed changing regulations and made investments for the sake of our community and our customers .
TRENDING : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Trump Then just two days before Thanksgiving and four days before Small Business Saturday , small businesses were told to close our doors .
We were given no deadline , and there seemed to be no real plan from politicians for reprieve .
The new restrictions from the Larimer County Health Department unfairly single out small businesses .
All a person has to do is walk into a big box store to know this is true ; they were stuffed with people last week for Thanksgiving shopping and Black Friday .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed a pact to defy the new government restrictions .
We are staying open .
We are staying open because if we don ’ t , thousands of workers will lose their jobs and businesses will be forced to shut their doors for good .
Everyone in the pact is committed to staying open under the same “ yellow restrictions ” we ’ ve been living under for months .
Those include operating at roughly 50 % capacity for retailers and restaurants , breweries , gyms and salons , and keeping offices open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would mean laying off thousands of people who then don ’ t know if they can pay rent or give their family a nice Christmas .
Following this order would result in many of our businesses going under .
And it would result in greater unemployment numbers , contributing to the economic , social , mental and overall community health decline .
These orders are no longer about public health , because if that were true , the county and state health department would actually take the whole health of the community into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solve one problem -- we have to have a dialogue about how we work together as a community .
We know COVID-19 is serious , and we ’ ve been the first ones to help .
But we also now know COVID-19 is not a death sentence for the majority of people who get it , whereas this order is for many Loveland businesses .
Small businesses in Colorado are crying out for solutions .
We are the restaurants , breweries , salons , gyms and other establishments in your communities that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s happening across Colorado and across the United States .
This pact is a plea for help , for a dialogue , for solutions .
We are not trying to circumvent the rules .
Our leaders have had months to figure this out , and they knew this new spike was coming .
Yet , their solution is to put people out of work , close small businesses and allow big box stores to remain open .
Our leaders have failed small businesses by creating blanket regulations that are killing us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jared Polis now .
In the meantime , we will remain open following safety regulations that have been working .
We are committed to staying in business and to keeping our employees employed so that they can pay their rent and have Christmas .
Morgen Harrington is CFO at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse in Loveland , Colo. , where she indulges her passion for producing premium beer , and Clay Caldwell is chef and head of hospitality at his restaurant , Betta Gumbo , in Loveland .
[ Editor 's note : This story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Morgen Harrington & Clay Caldwell
Real Clear Politics
While big box stores are allowed to remain open for holiday shopping, our politicians in Colorado are closing our small businesses, putting many thousands out of work during the holidays.
For months, small business owners in cities like Loveland have been working with government officials to keep the community safe while keeping their doors open and employees working. We’ve followed changing regulations and made investments for the sake of our community and our customers.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Then just two days before Thanksgiving and four days before Small Business Saturday, small businesses were told to close our doors. We were given no deadline, and there seemed to be no real plan from politicians for reprieve.
The new restrictions from the Larimer County Health Department unfairly single out small businesses. All a person has to do is walk into a big box store to know this is true; they were stuffed with people last week for Thanksgiving shopping and Black Friday.
This is why nearly 100 small business owners signed a pact to defy the new government restrictions. We are staying open.
We are staying open because if we don’t, thousands of workers will lose their jobs and businesses will be forced to shut their doors for good. Everyone in the pact is committed to staying open under the same “yellow restrictions” we’ve been living under for months. Those include operating at roughly 50% capacity for retailers and restaurants, breweries, gyms and salons, and keeping offices open with minimal staffs.
Should small businesses defy COVID closure demands? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 98% (51 Votes) 2% (1 Votes)
Following this order would mean laying off thousands of people who then don’t know if they can pay rent or give their family a nice Christmas. Following this order would result in many of our businesses going under. And it would result in greater unemployment numbers, contributing to the economic, social, mental and overall community health decline.
These orders are no longer about public health, because if that were true, the county and state health department would actually take the whole health of the community into account. We can’t just solve one problem -- we have to have a dialogue about how we work together as a community.
We know COVID-19 is serious, and we’ve been the first ones to help. But we also now know COVID-19 is not a death sentence for the majority of people who get it, whereas this order is for many Loveland businesses.
Small businesses in Colorado are crying out for solutions. We are the restaurants, breweries, salons, gyms and other establishments in your communities that have been unfairly targeted with COVID-19 regulations. It’s happening across Colorado and across the United States.
This pact is a plea for help, for a dialogue, for solutions. We are not trying to circumvent the rules. Our leaders have had months to figure this out, and they knew this new spike was coming. Yet, their solution is to put people out of work, close small businesses and allow big box stores to remain open. Our leaders have failed small businesses by creating blanket regulations that are killing us.
We need action from Gov. Jared Polis now. In the meantime, we will remain open following safety regulations that have been working. We are committed to staying in business and to keeping our employees employed so that they can pay their rent and have Christmas.
Morgen Harrington is CFO at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse in Loveland, Colo., where she indulges her passion for producing premium beer, and Clay Caldwell is chef and head of hospitality at his restaurant, Betta Gumbo, in Loveland.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]


wnd--2020-12-04--Unemployment claims drop to 712,000, beating expectations

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 712,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , according to the Department of Labor .
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics ( BLS ) figure released Thursday represented a decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Nov. 21 , in which there were 778,000 new jobless claims reported .
New jobless claims have stayed below 800,000 for more than a month .
Economists expected Thursday ’ s jobless claims number to come in around 780,000 , CNBC reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in the first week of August , which was the first time the weekly claims had fallen below 1 million since March .
TRENDING : 6 reasons I 'm not giving up on Trump “ What we ’ re seeing overall is some stagnation in the labor market , ” Kathy Bostjancic , an economist at Oxford Economics , told The Wall Street Journal .
“ I think you ’ re seeing a marked cooling in demand for workers amid overall slowing in economic momentum.
” Roughly 20.2 million Americans continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BLS report Thursday .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged at the end of November , surpassing 30,000 for the first time in the index ’ s history due to positive vaccine developments , according to CNBC .
The U.S. added 638,000 jobs in October , while unemployment fell to 6.9 % , according to the Department of Labor data released Nov. 6 .
The U.S. economy surged by a record 33.1 % in the third quarter .
Jobless claims hovered around 200,000 per week before the pandemic , according to WSJ .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world .
Average coronavirus cases and deaths per million have been increasing steadily in the U.S. since mid-October , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
On Wednesday , the U.S. reported 2,733 new coronavirus-related deaths and 195,695 new cases while 100,226 Americans remained hospitalized from the virus .
The Department of Labor will release the November unemployment report on Friday .
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ email protected ]

By Thomas Catenacci
Daily Caller News Foundation
The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 712,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) figure released Thursday represented a decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Nov. 21, in which there were 778,000 new jobless claims reported. New jobless claims have stayed below 800,000 for more than a month.
Economists expected Thursday’s jobless claims number to come in around 780,000, CNBC reported. New jobless claims fell below 1 million in the first week of August, which was the first time the weekly claims had fallen below 1 million since March.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
“What we’re seeing overall is some stagnation in the labor market,” Kathy Bostjancic, an economist at Oxford Economics, told The Wall Street Journal. “I think you’re seeing a marked cooling in demand for workers amid overall slowing in economic momentum.”
Roughly 20.2 million Americans continue to collect unemployment benefits, according to the BLS report Thursday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged at the end of November, surpassing 30,000 for the first time in the index’s history due to positive vaccine developments, according to CNBC.
The U.S. added 638,000 jobs in October, while unemployment fell to 6.9%, according to the Department of Labor data released Nov. 6. The U.S. economy surged by a record 33.1% in the third quarter.
Are unemployment claims beating expectations? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 100% (3 Votes) 0% (0 Votes)
Jobless claims hovered around 200,000 per week before the pandemic, according to WSJ. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world.
Average coronavirus cases and deaths per million have been increasing steadily in the U.S. since mid-October, according to The COVID Tracking Project. On Wednesday, the U.S. reported 2,733 new coronavirus-related deaths and 195,695 new cases while 100,226 Americans remained hospitalized from the virus.
The Department of Labor will release the November unemployment report on Friday.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


wnd--2020-12-04--Counterintelligence chief warns Beijing targeting Biden team with influence ops

The U.S. government ’ s top counterintelligence official said Wednesday that the Chinese government is waging a “ malign foreign influence ” campaign directed at incoming Biden administration officials and their associates .
William Evanina , the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence , said at a cybersecurity summit that the Chinese government effort was an example of foreign influence “ on steroids.
” “ We ’ ve also seen an uptick , which was planned and we predicted , that China would now re-vector their influence campaigns to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Aspen Cyber Summit , hosted by the Aspen Institute .
TRENDING : 6 reasons I 'm not giving up on Trump “ And when I say that , that malign foreign influence , that diplomatic influence plus , or on steroids , we ’ re starting to see that now play across the country to not only the folks starting in the new administration , but those who are around those folks in the new administration.
” Evanina said that counterintelligence officials have seen a spike in the activity in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evanina did not provide details of Beijing ’ s efforts to cozy up to Biden associates .
He also did not suggest that any Biden associates have fallen victim to China ’ s influence efforts .
He said that U.S. intelligence community officials will be tasked with informing the incoming administration about Beijing ’ s tactics .
The Biden administration is widely expected to be softer on the Chinese government than the Trump administration has been .
The South China Morning Post reported last month that the Chinese government views Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blinken , as “ someone Beijing can work with.
” President Donald Trump enforced hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs on Chinese goods and has criticized the Chinese government over its response to the coronavirus pandemic .
The Justice Department under Trump has also ramped up prosecutions of Chinese nationals operating as covert foreign agents at U.S. universities .
Several officials tapped to serve in the Biden administration have called for strengthening diplomatic ties with China .
Jake Sullivan , who will serve as Biden ’ s national security adviser , appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing-controlled propaganda outlet , to criticize Trump ’ s announcement that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel .
Steve Ricchetti , who will serve as Biden ’ s counselor , helped President Bill Clinton in 2000 secure support in Congress for a bill that established Permanent Normal Trade Relations ( PNTR ) with China .
Progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized the bill at the time , saying it would kill American jobs .
A study from Yale in 2012 said that the bill caused a “ sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evanina issued a statement in August warning that the Chinese government preferred that President Trump lose the election to Biden .
“ We assess that China prefers that President Trump – whom Beijing sees as unpredictable – does not win reelection , ” Evanina said in a statement on Aug. 7 .
“ China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States , pressure political figures it views as opposed to China ’ s interests , and deflect and counter-criticism of China.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ email protected ]

By Chuck Ross
Daily Caller News Foundation
The U.S. government’s top counterintelligence official said Wednesday that the Chinese government is waging a “malign foreign influence” campaign directed at incoming Biden administration officials and their associates.
William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said at a cybersecurity summit that the Chinese government effort was an example of foreign influence “on steroids.”
“We’ve also seen an uptick, which was planned and we predicted, that China would now re-vector their influence campaigns to the new administration,” Evanina said at the Aspen Cyber Summit, hosted by the Aspen Institute.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
“And when I say that, that malign foreign influence, that diplomatic influence plus, or on steroids, we’re starting to see that now play across the country to not only the folks starting in the new administration, but those who are around those folks in the new administration.”
Evanina said that counterintelligence officials have seen a spike in the activity in the wake of the election last month.
WATCH:
Is Beijing targeting the Biden team with influence ops? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 100% (21 Votes) 0% (0 Votes)
Evanina did not provide details of Beijing’s efforts to cozy up to Biden associates. He also did not suggest that any Biden associates have fallen victim to China’s influence efforts.
He said that U.S. intelligence community officials will be tasked with informing the incoming administration about Beijing’s tactics.
The Biden administration is widely expected to be softer on the Chinese government than the Trump administration has been. The South China Morning Post reported last month that the Chinese government views Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, as “someone Beijing can work with.”
President Donald Trump enforced hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs on Chinese goods and has criticized the Chinese government over its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Justice Department under Trump has also ramped up prosecutions of Chinese nationals operating as covert foreign agents at U.S. universities.
Several officials tapped to serve in the Biden administration have called for strengthening diplomatic ties with China.
Jake Sullivan, who will serve as Biden’s national security adviser, appeared in December 2017 on CGTN, a Beijing-controlled propaganda outlet, to criticize Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Steve Ricchetti, who will serve as Biden’s counselor, helped President Bill Clinton in 2000 secure support in Congress for a bill that established Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China.
Progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized the bill at the time, saying it would kill American jobs. A study from Yale in 2012 said that the bill caused a “sharp drop” in U.S. manufacturing jobs.
Evanina issued a statement in August warning that the Chinese government preferred that President Trump lose the election to Biden.
“We assess that China prefers that President Trump – whom Beijing sees as unpredictable – does not win reelection,” Evanina said in a statement on Aug. 7.
“China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China’s interests, and deflect and counter-criticism of China.”
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


wnd--2020-12-04--Durham's appointment as special counsel creates 'political' cost if Biden fires him

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by The Daily Signal . ]
The appointment of John Durham as special counsel likely means his probe of potential misconduct by FBI and other government officials in beginning the Trump-Russia investigation will continue well into 2021 , regardless of who the president is .
One former FBI lawyer , Kevin Clinesmith , already has pleaded guilty to making false statements to obtain a warrant to spy on a Trump campaign aide in 2016 .
TRENDING : 6 reasons I 'm not giving up on Trump Attorney General William Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House and Senate Judiciary Committees that in October he had appointed Durham , U.S. attorney in Connecticut , as special counsel for the ongoing probe .
1 .
How Could This Affect a Biden Administration ?
A special counsel typically is someone brought in from outside the Justice Department to oversee an investigation .
Durham likely would lose his post as a U.S. attorney should former Vice President Joe Biden , who major media outlets project defeated President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election , ultimately assume the presidency .
But Durham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 18 months at Barr ’ s request , will remain the special counsel on the matter even if Trump concedes the election after pressing litigation in several states .
A continuing probe by Durham doesn ’ t mean that Biden would be a target , said J. Christian Adams , a former Justice Department lawyer .
But , Adams said , it could complicate matters for aspiring members of a new Democratic administration who might have played a role in illegal or unethical conduct that led to unfounded allegations of collusion between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A lot of people who want jobs with the Biden administration will likely be affected by this and it could really impact the rest of Biden ’ s national security team , ” Adams , now president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation , a watchdog group , told The Daily Signal .
In the waning days of Obama ’ s presidency , Biden and other Obama administration officials submitted “ unmasking ” requests for communications of retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn at a time when Flynn was Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named U.S. Attorney John Bash , of the Western District of Texas , to investigate Obama administration officials in that aspect of the Flynn case .
Subsequent news reports revealed that Durham also was investigating the matter .
Still , Biden may be found to have been involved in related matters as the broader Durham probe plays out , said Curt Levey , president of the Committee for Justice , a conservative legal group .
“ To the extent that it affects Biden by potentially implicating him in a plot against Flynn [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden , but wouldn ’ t likely affect his presidency , ” Levey told The Daily Signal .
The Justice Department under a Biden administration could fire Durham and end his investigation of the beginnings of the Trump-Russia probe .
But that would be difficult both legally and politically , experts say .
“ It was a brilliant move to appoint a special counsel because it has now boxed in the next attorney general , ” Adams told The Daily Signal .
“ They can ’ t fire a special counsel without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special counsel is different from an independent counsel , who couldn ’ t be fired by the executive branch under the old federal statute .
Still , a special counsel has considerably more leeway .
“ What changes is that the attorney general can ’ t just tell Durham to stop doing what he ’ s doing , ” John Malcolm , director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation , told The Daily Signal .
“ The only way to get rid of a special counsel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Also , if a special counsel wants to bring charges against someone and the attorney general prevents that from happening , the attorney general has to inform Congress and explain the reason for blocking the special counsel from bringing charges , Malcolm noted .
The Justice Department ’ s inspector general , Michael Horowitz , issued a report in 2019 on the predicate for the Trump-Russia probe , documenting many of the department ’ s lapses , namely misinforming a secretive surveillance court to get a warrant to spy on former Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , doesn ’ t have the power to prosecute or even to issue subpoenas .
Barr appointed Durham , a career prosecutor experienced in high-profile public corruption and mafia prosecutions , to review the case in May 2019 .
Durham subsequently determined that he was investigating the beginnings of the Russia probe as a criminal matter .
Barr ’ s order naming Durham as a special counsel , dated Oct. 9 but only revealed Tuesday to Congress , says : Crossfire Hurricane was the name of the FBI operation that began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election campaign but morphed into a probe of Trump and campaign associates such as Flynn and Page .
Barr ’ s order goes on to say that Durham “ shall submit to the Attorney General a final report , and such interim reports as he deems appropriate , in a form that will permit public dissemination.
” Levey , of the Committee for Justice , said specific details of the order likely will keep the investigation focused on the origins of the Russia-Trump probe .
He noted that expanding the investigation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney general .
That would be unlikely to occur under a Democratic Justice Department .
Levey cited the example of then-independent counsel Kenneth Starr ’ s investigation of the Whitewater scandal surrounding President Bill Clinton , which led to his investigation of Clinton ’ s affair with a former White House intern , Monica Lewinsky .
Under the now-expired statute governing independent counsels , Starr had to get the permission of a three-judge panel before expanding the probe to look into an unrelated matter .
Thus , a special counsel has considerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent counsel had under the old statute .
It ’ s more important that the investigation be completed and all the facts fully known , Levey said .
“ What ’ s important is to hold people accountable and to set the record straight , ” Levey said .
“ That ’ s what should be important to President Trump , is that history remembers there was a plot against him , and it ’ s certainly worthwhile to document that.
” Hans von Spakovsky , a former Justice Department lawyer who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation , noted in a Fox News op-ed : However , a Justice Department regulation would not apply to the president .
So , von Spakovsky added , a President Biden could fire Durham , albeit with political consequences .
“ The constitutional argument can be made that any president can fire a special counsel , regardless of any Justice Department regulations , ” von Spakovsky wrote .
“ As the Supreme Court said in 1926 in Myers v. U.S. , the president ’ s authority under Article II , Section 2 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive branch necessarily carries with it the authority to remove such officers ( with certain exceptions , such as federal judges ) .
” In his letter to Congress , Barr noted that he had anticipated that Durham ’ s investigation would be wrapped up sooner , but the COVID-19 pandemic created delay .
“ Although I expected Mr. Durham to complete his work by the summer of 2020 , the COVID-19 pandemic , as well as additional information he uncovered , prevented him from doing so , ” Barr wrote in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , R-S.C. ; House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. ; and ranking members Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif. , and Rep. Jim Jordan , R-Ohio , respectively .
“ In advance of the presidential election , I decided to appoint Mr. Durham as a Special Counsel to provide him and his team with the assurances that they could complete their work , without regard to the outcome of the election , ” Barr wrote .
Nadler , a leader in Democrats ’ attempt to impeach Trump last year , strongly objected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the powers of his office to settle old scores for the president.
” Nadler also questioned whether Durham was legally qualified for the post .
In a public statement , the New York Democrat said : Graham noted the findings of Senate hearings and the Justice Department ’ s inspector general ’ s report , and said he hopes this approach leads to accountability .
“ To restore credibility to the Department of Justice and FBI after this disgraceful episode , people have to be held accountable—either through criminal prosecution or administrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public statement .
“ I have complete confidence that Mr. Durham is the right man at the right time to be appointed special counsel , ” Graham said .
“ I hope his work product will help restore confidence in the Department of Justice and FBI after the debacle called Crossfire Hurricane.
” In a 46-minute video message about the disputed election results released late Wednesday afternoon , Trump mentioned the pending Durham report .
“ We are still waiting for a report from a man named Durham who I have never spoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president said , adding : They can go after me before the election as much as they want .
But unfortunately , Mr. Durham didn ’ t want to go after these people or have anything to do with going after them before the election .
So who knows if he is even going to ever do a report .
… The hardest thing I have to do is explain why all these people that got caught spying on my campaign—it has never happened before and it should never happen again to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by The Daily Signal . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]
By Fred Lucas
The Daily Signal
The appointment of John Durham as special counsel likely means his probe of potential misconduct by FBI and other government officials in beginning the Trump-Russia investigation will continue well into 2021, regardless of who the president is.
One former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, already has pleaded guilty to making false statements to obtain a warrant to spy on a Trump campaign aide in 2016.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Attorney General William Barr announced in a letter Tuesday to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees that in October he had appointed Durham, U.S. attorney in Connecticut, as special counsel for the ongoing probe.
1. How Could This Affect a Biden Administration?
A special counsel typically is someone brought in from outside the Justice Department to oversee an investigation.
Durham likely would lose his post as a U.S. attorney should former Vice President Joe Biden, who major media outlets project defeated President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election, ultimately assume the presidency.
Will the probe into John Durham's potential misconduct continue? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 50% (12 Votes) 50% (12 Votes)
But Durham, who has been overseeing the probe for 18 months at Barr’s request, will remain the special counsel on the matter even if Trump concedes the election after pressing litigation in several states.
A continuing probe by Durham doesn’t mean that Biden would be a target, said J. Christian Adams, a former Justice Department lawyer.
But, Adams said, it could complicate matters for aspiring members of a new Democratic administration who might have played a role in illegal or unethical conduct that led to unfounded allegations of collusion between Trump or his campaign and Russia.
“A lot of people who want jobs with the Biden administration will likely be affected by this and it could really impact the rest of Biden’s national security team,” Adams, now president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a watchdog group, told The Daily Signal.
In the waning days of Obama’s presidency, Biden and other Obama administration officials submitted “unmasking” requests for communications of retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn at a time when Flynn was Trump’s incoming national security adviser.
Barr previously named U.S. Attorney John Bash, of the Western District of Texas, to investigate Obama administration officials in that aspect of the Flynn case. Subsequent news reports revealed that Durham also was investigating the matter.
Still, Biden may be found to have been involved in related matters as the broader Durham probe plays out, said Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice, a conservative legal group.
“To the extent that it affects Biden by potentially implicating him in a plot against Flynn [that] would be a black mark for Biden, but wouldn’t likely affect his presidency,” Levey told The Daily Signal.
2. Could a Biden Administration Fire Durham?
The Justice Department under a Biden administration could fire Durham and end his investigation of the beginnings of the Trump-Russia probe. But that would be difficult both legally and politically, experts say.
“It was a brilliant move to appoint a special counsel because it has now boxed in the next attorney general,” Adams told The Daily Signal. “They can’t fire a special counsel without it looking like a cover-up.”
A special counsel is different from an independent counsel, who couldn’t be fired by the executive branch under the old federal statute. Still, a special counsel has considerably more leeway.
“What changes is that the attorney general can’t just tell Durham to stop doing what he’s doing,” John Malcolm, director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal. “The only way to get rid of a special counsel is to fire him for cause.”
Also, if a special counsel wants to bring charges against someone and the attorney general prevents that from happening, the attorney general has to inform Congress and explain the reason for blocking the special counsel from bringing charges, Malcolm noted.
The Justice Department’s inspector general, Michael Horowitz, issued a report in 2019 on the predicate for the Trump-Russia probe, documenting many of the department’s lapses, namely misinforming a secretive surveillance court to get a warrant to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
An inspector general, however, doesn’t have the power to prosecute or even to issue subpoenas.
Barr appointed Durham, a career prosecutor experienced in high-profile public corruption and mafia prosecutions, to review the case in May 2019. Durham subsequently determined that he was investigating the beginnings of the Russia probe as a criminal matter.
Barr’s order naming Durham as a special counsel, dated Oct. 9 but only revealed Tuesday to Congress, says:
The Special Counsel is authorized to investigate whether any federal official, employee or any other person or entity violated the law in connecting with the intelligence, counter-intelligence, or law enforcement activities directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, individuals associated with the administration, or President Donald J. Trump, including but not limited to Crossfire Hurricane and the investigation [by] Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III. If the Special Counsel believes it is necessary and appropriate, the Special Counsel is authorized to prosecute federal crimes arising from his investigation of those matters.
Crossfire Hurricane was the name of the FBI operation that began looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election campaign but morphed into a probe of Trump and campaign associates such as Flynn and Page.
Barr’s order goes on to say that Durham “shall submit to the Attorney General a final report, and such interim reports as he deems appropriate, in a form that will permit public dissemination.”
Levey, of the Committee for Justice, said specific details of the order likely will keep the investigation focused on the origins of the Russia-Trump probe.
He noted that expanding the investigation to any other matter would require authorization from the attorney general. That would be unlikely to occur under a Democratic Justice Department.
Levey cited the example of then-independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s investigation of the Whitewater scandal surrounding President Bill Clinton, which led to his investigation of Clinton’s affair with a former White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.
Under the now-expired statute governing independent counsels, Starr had to get the permission of a three-judge panel before expanding the probe to look into an unrelated matter.
Thus, a special counsel has considerable autonomy, but less so than an independent counsel had under the old statute.
It’s more important that the investigation be completed and all the facts fully known, Levey said.
“What’s important is to hold people accountable and to set the record straight,” Levey said. “That’s what should be important to President Trump, is that history remembers there was a plot against him, and it’s certainly worthwhile to document that.”
Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department lawyer who is a senior legal fellow with The Heritage Foundation, noted in a Fox News op-ed:
So if some former Obama administration official complains to a Biden White House or a Biden attorney general that he is being investigated, subpoenaed, or interviewed, Durham can’t be told by the attorney general to stop what he is doing unless it is ‘inappropriate or unwarranted.’ If the attorney general takes such action to squash something the special counsel wants to do, he is required under the regulation to ‘notify Congress.’ … Most importantly, and probably the key reason why the Durham appointment was made, is that under the Justice Department regulations, Durham can only be removed from office by ‘the personal action of the Attorney General.’
However, a Justice Department regulation would not apply to the president. So, von Spakovsky added, a President Biden could fire Durham, albeit with political consequences.
“The constitutional argument can be made that any president can fire a special counsel, regardless of any Justice Department regulations,” von Spakovsky wrote. “As the Supreme Court said in 1926 in Myers v. U.S., the president’s authority under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution to appoint officers of the executive branch necessarily carries with it the authority to remove such officers (with certain exceptions, such as federal judges).”
3. What’s the Political Fallout?
In his letter to Congress, Barr noted that he had anticipated that Durham’s investigation would be wrapped up sooner, but the COVID-19 pandemic created delay.
“Although I expected Mr. Durham to complete his work by the summer of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as additional information he uncovered, prevented him from doing so,” Barr wrote in the letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.; and ranking members Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, respectively.
“In advance of the presidential election, I decided to appoint Mr. Durham as a Special Counsel to provide him and his team with the assurances that they could complete their work, without regard to the outcome of the election,” Barr wrote.
Nadler, a leader in Democrats’ attempt to impeach Trump last year, strongly objected to the appointment, claiming that Barr “used the powers of his office to settle old scores for the president.” Nadler also questioned whether Durham was legally qualified for the post.
In a public statement, the New York Democrat said:
On its face, this appointment appears to violate the Department’s own regulations—which stipulate, among other requirements, that ‘the special counsel shall be selected from outside the United States government.’ The sitting U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut is simply not eligible for the job. In addition, the Attorney General has provided no real explanation for his decision to appoint a special counsel when he did, or for his decision to delay notification to Congress until today.
Graham noted the findings of Senate hearings and the Justice Department’s inspector general’s report, and said he hopes this approach leads to accountability.
“To restore credibility to the Department of Justice and FBI after this disgraceful episode, people have to be held accountable—either through criminal prosecution or administrative action,” Graham said in a public statement.
“I have complete confidence that Mr. Durham is the right man at the right time to be appointed special counsel,” Graham said. “I hope his work product will help restore confidence in the Department of Justice and FBI after the debacle called Crossfire Hurricane.”
In a 46-minute video message about the disputed election results released late Wednesday afternoon, Trump mentioned the pending Durham report.
“We are still waiting for a report from a man named Durham who I have never spoken to and have never met,” the president said, adding:
They can go after me before the election as much as they want. But unfortunately, Mr. Durham didn’t want to go after these people or have anything to do with going after them before the election. So who knows if he is even going to ever do a report. … The hardest thing I have to do is explain why all these people that got caught spying on my campaign—it has never happened before and it should never happen again to a president of the United States.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]


wnd--2020-12-04--Economy added 245,000 jobs in November

Economy added 245,000 jobs in November

( WASHINGTON EXAMINER ) -- The economy added 245,000 jobs and the unemployment rate dipped to 6.7 % in November @ @ @ @ @ on Friday , as the labor market clawed back jobs lost early this year in @ @ @ @ @ gains were much less than forecasters expected .
“ My concern is we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ are new employers opening and creating brand new jobs… We ’ re still backfilling the @ @ @ @ @ ’ re still short from February , ” said Jane Oates , president of WorkingNation @ @ @ @ @ on employment , and a former U.S. Department of Labor official in the Obama administration @

(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) -- The economy added 245,000 jobs and the unemployment rate dipped to 6.7% in November, the Labor Department reported on Friday, as the labor market clawed back jobs lost early this year in the pandemic shutdowns.
The gains were much less than forecasters expected.
“My concern is we’re not seeing evidence that there are new employers opening and creating brand new jobs… We’re still backfilling the ten million jobs that we’re still short from February,” said Jane Oates, president of WorkingNation, a nonprofit campaign focused on employment, and a former U.S. Department of Labor official in the Obama administration.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-12-04--AOC scolded for naïve criticism of GOP work ethic

( FOX NEWS ) -- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. took Republicans to task who have previously mocked her background @ @ @ @ @ that they themselves ca n't handle such a job .
The Democratic `` Squad '' @ @ @ @ @ Thursday evening and spoke about the unique `` work ethic '' she brings to Congress @ @ @ @ @ `` The thing that these conservative Senators don ’ t seem to understand is that @ @ @ @ @ a physically difficult working-class job without good healthcare most of my adult life . ''
@ @ @ @ @ bring that work ethic to Congress & to my community .
They sit around on @ @ @ @ @ ''

(FOX NEWS) -- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. took Republicans to task who have previously mocked her background as a waitress by suggesting that they themselves can't handle such a job.
The Democratic "Squad" member took to Twitter on Thursday evening and spoke about the unique "work ethic" she brings to Congress while swiping conservative lawmakers.
"The thing that these conservative Senators don’t seem to understand is that I’ve actually had a physically difficult working-class job without good healthcare most of my adult life." Ocasio-Cortez wrote. "I bring that work ethic to Congress & to my community. They sit around on leather chairs all day."
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-12-05--Rush Limbaugh: Trump needs 'nonstop bombshells' to win

With the Electoral College vote looming , President Trump and his legal team need to produce the `` bombshell evidence '' they promised if they expect to have any chance of overturning the results of the 2020 election , said Rush Limbaugh on Friday .
`` We 've got 10 days , and Trump and his team need nonstop bombshells if we 're gon na move this to the next level , '' Limbaugh told his listeners , arguing the evidence needs to persuade the public as well as courts .
Republicans in Georgia argue they found a bombshell in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing on Thursday that showed black containers full of ballots being wheeled out from under a table and counted after poll monitors left .
TRENDING : Republican senators find body bags and anti-Trump messages on their doorsteps If there are enough `` bombshells '' -- enough convincing evidence to change the vote count in at least three battleground states -- what is Trump 's possible path to victory ?
On Thursday , Trump campaign lawyer Jordan Sekulow said the most likely path for the president would be for the U.S. Supreme Court to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together determine the outcome of the election .
The matter could then go to the House , where the Constitution gives each state delegation one vote .
Republicans control 26 state delegations while Democrats have 23 .
The election also could go to the House via state legislatures , and Republicans in a number of the battleground states are discussing asserting their constitutional authority to dispute the selection of electors to the Electoral College .
Here 's a round-up of some of the latest developments in six battleground states : —Phillip Kline , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has filed election suits in several battleground states , said Friday that in Arizona , `` the data shows that the total number of illegal ballots counted and legal ballots not counted likely exceeds 300,000 votes — far more than the number of votes separating the presidential candidates . ''
—The leaders of the Arizona State Legislature on Friday demanded an independent audit of the Dominion Voting Systems machines used in the Nov. 3 election , alleging voters ' suspicions of fraud in the presidential election deserved the government 's full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to withhold the state 's Electoral College votes for Joe Biden because `` he believes there is enough significant evidence of fraud to invalidate the state ’ s votes , '' Republican state Rep. Mark Finchem is calling on his fellow lawmakers to recall Arizona 's certification of the vote .
Finchem charged : `` I believe Doug Ducey signed a fraudulent document and he knew it ! ''
—The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit in Georgia on Friday claiming more than 300,000 ballots were processed illegally .
—Some 20 House Republicans demanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into the Georgia election , citing video showing suitcases of ballots during the counting .
They also urged Barr to issue a restraining order or temporary injunction to block groups suspected of registering illegal or invalid voters from the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff election .
—The office of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Friday it 's investigating the circumstances surrounding the video that shows black containers being wheeled out from under a table after poll monitors left .
—A lawsuit filed Thursday in Wayne County on behalf of poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to order an immediate audit of election results .
Michigan Republicans on Friday challenged a memo by Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to `` delete Electronic Poll Book software and associated files '' amid calls to audit the election .
—A judge in Antrim County , Michigan , where 6,000 votes counted by a Dominion voting machine were flipped from Trump to Biden , has ordered a forensic examination of 22 Dominion voting machines , according to Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani .
—A witness at an evidentiary hearing in Carson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disks used to store vote totals from election machines during the early vote period had the vote tallies inexplicably changed overnight , according to a presentation at —Members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate are calling on Congress to dispute the state ’ s 20 electors when the Joint Session of Congress meets on Jan. 6 .
In a letter to the Pennsylvania state delegation , the GOP lawmakers noted that the U.S. Constitution `` empowers Congress to reject electoral votes that are not ‘ regularly given ’ or ‘ lawfully certified .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct of the state 's executive branch during the election `` has undermined the lawful certification of Pennsylvania ’ s delegation to the Electoral College . ''
—On Thursday , the Trump campaign filed affidavits and declarations in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against election officials , asking the court to refer allegations of `` unlawful and unconstitutional '' acts to the state legislature .
The complaint charges , among other things , that elections officials ignored or compromised state law limits on the availability of mail-in balloting , allowed the proliferation of unmanned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted ballots outside of the view of poll watchers ; and allowed election workers to alter the certification of the voter or witness on mail-in ballots .
Do you appreciate WND 's unfiltered hard-hitting news and commentary ?
Read us AD-FREE by becoming a WND Insider !
Find out more .

With the Electoral College vote looming, President Trump and his legal team need to produce the "bombshell evidence" they promised if they expect to have any chance of overturning the results of the 2020 election, said Rush Limbaugh on Friday.
"We've got 10 days, and Trump and his team need nonstop bombshells if we're gonna move this to the next level," Limbaugh told his listeners, arguing the evidence needs to persuade the public as well as courts.
Republicans in Georgia argue they found a bombshell in a video presented to a state Senate hearing on Thursday that showed black containers full of ballots being wheeled out from under a table and counted after poll monitors left.
WATCH: Video footage from Georgia shows suitcases filled with ballots pulled from under a table AFTER supervisors told poll workers to leave room and 4 people stayed behind to keep counting votes pic.twitter.com/AcbTI1pxn4 — Team Trump (@TeamTrump) December 3, 2020
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
If there are enough "bombshells" -- enough convincing evidence to change the vote count in at least three battleground states -- what is Trump's possible path to victory?
On Thursday, Trump campaign lawyer Jordan Sekulow said the most likely path for the president would be for the U.S. Supreme Court to combine cases from several states that would together determine the outcome of the election. The matter could then go to the House, where the Constitution gives each state delegation one vote. Republicans control 26 state delegations while Democrats have 23.
The election also could go to the House via state legislatures, and Republicans in a number of the battleground states are discussing asserting their constitutional authority to dispute the selection of electors to the Electoral College.
Is Rush correct that Trump will need 'nonstop bombshells' to win? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 87% (720 Votes) 13% (110 Votes)
Here's a round-up of some of the latest developments in six battleground states:
Arizona (11 Electoral College votes, Biden +10,457)
—Phillip Kline, an attorney for the Thomas More Society, which has filed election suits in several battleground states, said Friday that in Arizona, "the data shows that the total number of illegal ballots counted and legal ballots not counted likely exceeds 300,000 votes — far more than the number of votes separating the presidential candidates."
—The leaders of the Arizona State Legislature on Friday demanded an independent audit of the Dominion Voting Systems machines used in the Nov. 3 election, alleging voters' suspicions of fraud in the presidential election deserved the government's full attention.
—After issuing a call Monday to withhold the state's Electoral College votes for Joe Biden because "he believes there is enough significant evidence of fraud to invalidate the state’s votes," Republican state Rep. Mark Finchem is calling on his fellow lawmakers to recall Arizona's certification of the vote.
Finchem charged: "I believe Doug Ducey signed a fraudulent document and he knew it!"
Georgia (16 Electoral College votes, Biden +12,670)
—The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit in Georgia on Friday claiming more than 300,000 ballots were processed illegally.
—Some 20 House Republicans demanded Friday that Attorney General William Barr open an investigation into the Georgia election, citing video showing suitcases of ballots during the counting.
They also urged Barr to issue a restraining order or temporary injunction to block groups suspected of registering illegal or invalid voters from the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff election.
—The office of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Friday it's investigating the circumstances surrounding the video that shows black containers being wheeled out from under a table after poll monitors left.
Michigan (16 Electoral College votes, Biden +154,188)
—A lawsuit filed Thursday in Wayne County on behalf of poll watchers alleging election fraud asked a judge to order an immediate audit of election results.
Michigan Republicans on Friday challenged a memo by Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to "delete Electronic Poll Book software and associated files" amid calls to audit the election.
—A judge in Antrim County, Michigan, where 6,000 votes counted by a Dominion voting machine were flipped from Trump to Biden, has ordered a forensic examination of 22 Dominion voting machines, according to Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
BIG WIN FOR HONEST ELECTIONS. Antrim County Judge in Michigan orders forensic examination of 22 Dominion voting machines. This is where the untrustworthy Dominion machine flipped 6000 votes from Trump to Biden. Spiking of votes by Dominion happenned all over the state. — Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) December 5, 2020
Nevada (6 Electoral College votes, Biden +33,596)
—A witness at an evidentiary hearing in Carson City on Thursday alleged that the memory disks used to store vote totals from election machines during the early vote period had the vote tallies inexplicably changed overnight, according to a presentation at
Pennsylvania (20 Electoral College votes, Biden +81,660)
—Members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate are calling on Congress to dispute the state’s 20 electors when the Joint Session of Congress meets on Jan. 6.
In a letter to the Pennsylvania state delegation, the GOP lawmakers noted that the U.S. Constitution "empowers Congress to reject electoral votes that are not ‘regularly given’ or ‘lawfully certified.'" They contend that while the conduct of the state's executive branch during the election "has undermined the lawful certification of Pennsylvania’s delegation to the Electoral College."
Wisconsin (10 Electoral College votes, Biden +20,682)
—On Thursday, the Trump campaign filed affidavits and declarations in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against election officials, asking the court to refer allegations of "unlawful and unconstitutional" acts to the state legislature.
The complaint charges, among other things, that elections officials ignored or compromised state law limits on the availability of mail-in balloting, allowed the proliferation of unmanned mail-in ballot drop boxes, processed and counted ballots outside of the view of poll watchers; and allowed election workers to alter the certification of the voter or witness on mail-in ballots.
Do you appreciate WND's unfiltered hard-hitting news and commentary? Read us AD-FREE by becoming a WND Insider! Find out more.


wnd--2020-12-05--Report: Dominion machine analyzed, and yes, it switched votes

A witness at a Georgia Senate hearing said an analysis of a Dominion voting machine found it flipped 37 votes in a tiny Georgia county from President Trump to Joe Biden .
Steve Bannon ’ s `` War Room '' reported someone testifying for the Trump team analyzed the machine .
The comments about the Georgia machine start about 52:30 : TRENDING : Republican senators find body bags and anti-Trump messages on their doorsteps The Dominion systems are used in many states across the nation , including a majority of swing states where Trump had significant leads when the polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' almost exclusively for Joe Biden put the Democrat in the lead .
The Gateway Pundit noted that when the 37 votes are extrapolated to the entire state , they represent more than 14,000 votes in a state Biden won by 12,670 .
`` This also shows that we now know conclusively in Georgia that the Dominion voting machines were flipping votes .
It supports our reporting that votes were switched across the country .
We were the first to report a month ago that millions of votes were being removed from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ column based on an analysis of data from the election , '' the Gateway Pundit reported .
Lawsuits in several states that have alleged that Dominion Voting Systems machines were used to flip votes from Trump to Biden .
An investigation into Securities and Exchange Commission filings has revealed that the firm that owns Dominion Voting Systems received $ 400 million from a Swiss bank with close links to the Chinese government less than a month before the election , reported the Gateway Pundit .
Dominion has customers in 28 U.S. states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The president and his supporters have charged that the system was utilized to switch `` millions '' of votes from the president to Biden .
The transaction with Dominion , first reported by Infowars , was made Oct. 9 .
Staple Street Capital filed SEC Form D offerings and sales amounting to $ 400 million , according to the SEC .
The Sales Compensation Recipient was identified as UBS Securities .
Another payment of $ 200 million went through in 2014 .
UBS Securities is a Swiss bank that owns nearly 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese investment bank .
The rest is owned by the Chinese government .
Dominion also has made donations to the Clinton Foundation , and senators were warned before the election of concerns about Dominion systems switch votes .
Previously , a video unveiled at the Georgia hearings showing poll workers being told to go home but several remaining behind .
When they are alone they pull out suitcases from beneath a table that contained ballots and begin counting .
Politico later reported a county official denied the GOP team had obtained any machine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Ware County Election Supervisor Carlos Nelson told me this is false : No one has obtained any machine from his office .
There was a human-error tabulation issue discovered during the hand recount , the tallies of which were matched by the just-ended machine recount . ''

A witness at a Georgia Senate hearing said an analysis of a Dominion voting machine found it flipped 37 votes in a tiny Georgia county from President Trump to Joe Biden.
Steve Bannon’s "War Room" reported someone testifying for the Trump team analyzed the machine.
The comments about the Georgia machine start about 52:30:
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The Dominion systems are used in many states across the nation, including a majority of swing states where Trump had significant leads when the polls closed. Later, vote "dumps" almost exclusively for Joe Biden put the Democrat in the lead.
BREAKING: Trump team now has a Dominion machine from Ware County, #Georgia with EVIDENCE of Trump votes being switched to Biden. Source: John Fredericks on Steve Bannon War Room — ¹⁷ (@JamesThe17th) December 3, 2020
Do you think Dominion machines switched votes? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 93% (804 Votes) 7% (65 Votes)
The Gateway Pundit noted that when the 37 votes are extrapolated to the entire state, they represent more than 14,000 votes in a state Biden won by 12,670.
"This also shows that we now know conclusively in Georgia that the Dominion voting machines were flipping votes. It supports our reporting that votes were switched across the country. We were the first to report a month ago that millions of votes were being removed from the Trump column and/or moved to the Biden column based on an analysis of data from the election," the Gateway Pundit reported.
Lawsuits in several states that have alleged that Dominion Voting Systems machines were used to flip votes from Trump to Biden.
An investigation into Securities and Exchange Commission filings has revealed that the firm that owns Dominion Voting Systems received $400 million from a Swiss bank with close links to the Chinese government less than a month before the election, reported the Gateway Pundit.
Dominion has customers in 28 U.S. states, including nine of the top 20 counties.
The president and his supporters have charged that the system was utilized to switch "millions" of votes from the president to Biden.
The transaction with Dominion, first reported by Infowars, was made Oct. 9. Staple Street Capital filed SEC Form D offerings and sales amounting to $400 million, according to the SEC. The Sales Compensation Recipient was identified as UBS Securities. Another payment of $200 million went through in 2014.
UBS Securities is a Swiss bank that owns nearly 25% of UBS Securities Co., a Chinese investment bank. The rest is owned by the Chinese government.
Dominion also has made donations to the Clinton Foundation, and senators were warned before the election of concerns about Dominion systems switch votes.
Previously, a video unveiled at the Georgia hearings showing poll workers being told to go home but several remaining behind. When they are alone they pull out suitcases from beneath a table that contained ballots and begin counting.
The suitcase video:
WATCH: Video footage from Georgia shows suitcases filled with ballots pulled from under a table AFTER supervisors told poll workers to leave room and 4 people stayed behind to keep counting votes pic.twitter.com/AcbTI1pxn4 — Team Trump (@TeamTrump) December 3, 2020
This is the footage Rudy Giuliani just showed. https://t.co/0EyuVVwl3O — Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 3, 2020
Politico later reported a county official denied the GOP team had obtained any machine from the county.
The report said: "Ware County Election Supervisor Carlos Nelson told me this is false: No one has obtained any machine from his office. There was a human-error tabulation issue discovered during the hand recount, the tallies of which were matched by the just-ended machine recount."
:


wnd--2020-12-05--Arizona lawmakers call for audit of Dominion machines

Officials in three states have discussed , or have been pressured to consider , asserting their constitutional authority to select the electors to the Electoral College without being bound by the popular vote .
Now lawmakers in one of those states , Arizona , are calling for an independent audit of the Dominion software and electronic voting equipment used by Maricopa County in the 2020 general election .
Arizona Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Russell Bowers were joined in the request by incoming Senate Government Chair Michelle Ugenti-Rita and House Majority Leader Warren Petersen .
`` As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election system , I am pleased to learn that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is supportive of conducting an independent audit of their voting software and equipment , '' said Sen. Ugenti-Rita .
`` It is important we maintain all of the voting public 's confidence in our elections and this is a positive first step in the right direction . ''
TRENDING : Republican senators find body bags and anti-Trump messages on their doorsteps Petersen added : `` A significant number of voters believe that fraud occurred and with the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why .
Especially concerning are the allegations made surrounding the vendor Dominion .
It is imperative that the county immediately do a forensic audit on the Dominion software and equipment to make sure the results were accurate . ''
Arizona State Rep. Mark Finchem previously discussed the idea of legislators asserting their constitutional authority to choose electors to the Electoral College .
He has now declared that he believes Gov .
Doug Ducek signed a `` fraudulent document , '' and he is `` requesting we recall Arizona 's certification . ''
WND @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have considered clawing back their authority to name electors .
Officials in Georgia have been under pressure to do the same .
The three states are among the swing states that this year reported highly unusual election results , with President Trump holding significant margins of victory when the polls closed .
Over the subsequent days , huge vote `` dumps '' with up to 95 % of the votes for Joe Biden , were added to the totals .
Should the results of as few as three states be reversed , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Several constitutional experts have pointed out that state lawmakers have great latitude in determining their electors , and for whom they vote , if they have evidence of vote fraud or other misbehavior .
Concerns include not only the Dominion electronic voting machines and software but also mass , mail-in balloting procedures in Pennsylvania that violated the law .
WND reported two constitutional-law experts , William J. Olson and Patrick M. McSweeney , have explained that Republican-controlled state legislatures that the authority to appoint slates of Republican electors to the Electoral College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That could happen if there is evidence of fraud and other remedies are not available .
`` During the 2020 presidential election , many of the so-called swing states , including Arizona , saw unprecedented – and unlawful – erosions of procedural safeguards as well as administration irregularities on Election Day , '' the constitutional experts have explained .
`` People deserve an honest accounting of who won .
… With respect to identifying and remediating fraudulent or mistaken results , it is now or never , whatever can be done must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to carefully examine the election process , and take action if significant election fraud is found , would be simply giving effect to the vote of the people , not denying it . ''

Officials in three states have discussed, or have been pressured to consider, asserting their constitutional authority to select the electors to the Electoral College without being bound by the popular vote.
Now lawmakers in one of those states, Arizona, are calling for an independent audit of the Dominion software and electronic voting equipment used by Maricopa County in the 2020 general election.
Arizona Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Russell Bowers were joined in the request by incoming Senate Government Chair Michelle Ugenti-Rita and House Majority Leader Warren Petersen.
"As a longtime advocate for improving and modernizing our election system, I am pleased to learn that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is supportive of conducting an independent audit of their voting software and equipment," said Sen. Ugenti-Rita. "It is important we maintain all of the voting public's confidence in our elections and this is a positive first step in the right direction."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Petersen added: "A significant number of voters believe that fraud occurred and with the number of irregularities it is easy to understand why. Especially concerning are the allegations made surrounding the vendor Dominion. It is imperative that the county immediately do a forensic audit on the Dominion software and equipment to make sure the results were accurate."
I believe that @dougducey signed a fraudulent document. And he knew it! I’m requesting we recall Arizona’s certification. #StopTheSteaI🗳 — Mark Finchem (@MarkFinchem) December 4, 2020
Glad to see this development, more evidence is always a good thing. #stopthesteal https://t.co/vqv2Bj8iRl — Mark Finchem (@MarkFinchem) December 4, 2020
Should Dominion machines be audited? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 99% (137 Votes) 1% (1 Votes)
Arizona State Rep. Mark Finchem previously discussed the idea of legislators asserting their constitutional authority to choose electors to the Electoral College.
He has now declared that he believes Gov. Doug Ducek signed a "fraudulent document," and he is "requesting we recall Arizona's certification."
WND previously reported officials in Arizona and Pennsylvania have considered clawing back their authority to name electors. Officials in Georgia have been under pressure to do the same. The three states are among the swing states that this year reported highly unusual election results, with President Trump holding significant margins of victory when the polls closed.
Over the subsequent days, huge vote "dumps" with up to 95% of the votes for Joe Biden, were added to the totals.
Should the results of as few as three states be reversed, it would assure Trump of a second term.
Several constitutional experts have pointed out that state lawmakers have great latitude in determining their electors, and for whom they vote, if they have evidence of vote fraud or other misbehavior.
Concerns include not only the Dominion electronic voting machines and software but also mass, mail-in balloting procedures in Pennsylvania that violated the law.
WND reported two constitutional-law experts, William J. Olson and Patrick M. McSweeney, have explained that Republican-controlled state legislatures that the authority to appoint slates of Republican electors to the Electoral College if the voters chose the Democratic candidate.
That could happen if there is evidence of fraud and other remedies are not available.
"During the 2020 presidential election, many of the so-called swing states, including Arizona, saw unprecedented – and unlawful – erosions of procedural safeguards as well as administration irregularities on Election Day," the constitutional experts have explained. "People deserve an honest accounting of who won. … With respect to identifying and remediating fraudulent or mistaken results, it is now or never, whatever can be done must be done.
"Legislators who want to carefully examine the election process, and take action if significant election fraud is found, would be simply giving effect to the vote of the people, not denying it."


wnd--2020-12-05--Pelosi admits she played politics while Americans suffered

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , who for months has given a thumbs-down to dozens of Republican-proposed aid packages for Americans suffering from the Chinese coronavirus pandemic , has abruptly reversed course .
Congress last winter approved three packages to help individuals and businesses , spending trillions of dollars .
But Washington decided more help was needed .
This week , members of Congress indicated agreement on a bill of about $ 1 trillion to help state and local governments and businesses , and provide modest help for the unemployed .
It 's a compromise on Pelosi 's demand for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal of some $ 500 billion .
Asked this week why she was now willing to do a smaller package , she said , `` That 's OK now because we have a new president . ''
TRENDING : Republican senators find body bags and anti-Trump messages on their doorsteps Pelosi originally had wanted billions of dollars to bail out poorly run state and local governments suffering from problems that were created long before COVID-19 hit .
Republicans were reluctant to have taxpayers in North Dakota , for example , bail out California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help small business owners and taxpayers over the summer and fall .
Explaining her change of heart on Friday , she said , wagging her finger at reporters : `` Perhaps you missed what I said earlier .
Joe Biden committed to ending and crushing the virus , and having a builder better America initiative .
Build back better .
A vaccine .
Answer to our prayers .
An answer to our prayers .
Of 95 % effectiveness in terms of Pfizer and Moderna and there may be others , uh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is a total game changer a new president and a vaccine . ''
She tried to explain her priorities : `` So there 's nothing to these are different .
What was then before was not more of this , this is , has simplicity .
It is what we had in our bills .
It 's for a shorter period of time .
But that 's OK now because we have a new president , a president who recognizes that we need to depend on science to stop the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ families need to have money in their pockets . ''
It actually was President Trump whose cutting of red tape and crafting of a public-private partnership led to development of several vaccines in record-setting time .
Some of the vaccines could even be available as early as this month .
The AP reported Pelosi was `` optimistic '' about a `` burst of legislative action to reverse months of frustration on pandemic relief . ''
The report cited the `` months of failed promises '' and credited Biden with rallying `` behind the @ @ @ @

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who for months has given a thumbs-down to dozens of Republican-proposed aid packages for Americans suffering from the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, has abruptly reversed course.
Congress last winter approved three packages to help individuals and businesses, spending trillions of dollars. But Washington decided more help was needed.
This week, members of Congress indicated agreement on a bill of about $1 trillion to help state and local governments and businesses, and provide modest help for the unemployed. It's a compromise on Pelosi's demand for more than $3 trillion and Republicans' proposal of some $500 billion.
Asked this week why she was now willing to do a smaller package, she said, "That's OK now because we have a new president."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Nancy Pelosi says she is willing to do a smaller covid-19 deal citing the "game changer" of Biden's election and vaccine development: "That's OK now because we have a new president. A president who recognizes that we need to depend on science..." pic.twitter.com/Egk9kxWWJV — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 4, 2020
Pelosi originally had wanted billions of dollars to bail out poorly run state and local governments suffering from problems that were created long before COVID-19 hit. Republicans were reluctant to have taxpayers in North Dakota, for example, bail out California cities.
Pelosi rejected dozens of proposals to help small business owners and taxpayers over the summer and fall.
Did Pelosi play politics while Americans suffered? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 100% (576 Votes) 0% (2 Votes)
Explaining her change of heart on Friday, she said, wagging her finger at reporters: "Perhaps you missed what I said earlier. Joe Biden committed to ending and crushing the virus, and having a builder better America initiative. Build back better. A vaccine. Answer to our prayers. An answer to our prayers. Of 95% effectiveness in terms of Pfizer and Moderna and there may be others, uh, coming forward.
"That makes, that is a total game changer a new president and a vaccine."
She tried to explain her priorities: "So there's nothing to these are different. What was then before was not more of this, this is, has simplicity. It is what we had in our bills. It's for a shorter period of time. But that's OK now because we have a new president, a president who recognizes that we need to depend on science to stop the virus. A president who understands America's working families need to have money in their pockets."
It actually was President Trump whose cutting of red tape and crafting of a public-private partnership led to development of several vaccines in record-setting time. Some of the vaccines could even be available as early as this month.
The AP reported Pelosi was "optimistic" about a "burst of legislative action to reverse months of frustration on pandemic relief."
The report cited the "months of failed promises" and credited Biden with rallying "behind the bipartisan measure."


wnd--2020-12-05--Trump must take charge to avoid bloody revolution

In my new book , `` It Takes a Revolution : Forget the Scandal Industry ! ''
I chronicle my personal and professional experience with my once proud alma mater , the U.S. Department of Justice , as well as the Deep State in the executive branch .
Indeed , this experience , where I saw politics elevated over the rule of law – as I also describe in even greater detail with regard to our compromised federal judiciary , whose judges are literally bought and paid for by special interests – is what caused me to conceive of and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freedom Watch , which I now run .
But as I write in `` Revolution , '' even hard-hitting court cases are not enough to arrest the now cancerous stage-4 corruption that has all but destroyed our body politic and the nation , as we continue our nosedive into extinction .
And , with the claimed election of the brain-dead Joe Biden and his evil female twin Kamala Harris – whom he chose for his vice president primarily because she is a black woman – the republic is hanging by a thread .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have predicted from the get-go , the compromised and corrupted federal judiciary , including those at the Supreme Court , are unlikely to step in and prevent the crowning of Biden and Harris .
Most of them are establishment hacks , owing their jobs to the same establishment that Trump has steadfastly opposed .
Had the country 's attorney general and his Justice Department and its FBI stepped in earlier , rather than stepping in it , the situation might have been different .
In evaluating our latest attorney general , whom I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am reminded of the valedictorian speech of Rodney Dangerfield to his graduating class in his Hollywood comedy `` Back to School . ''
His advice was to `` look out for number one , and do n't step in number two ! ''
Barr , who has taken a dive with regard to properly investigating and then indicting criminals such as James Comey , Andrew McCabe , Bruce Ohr , the lovebirds Peter Strzok and Lisa Page , Obama intel czars James Clapper and John Brennan , has of course also declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clintons and now the Bidens .
One can only conclude that Barr is looking out for his own standing and skin in the cesspool of corruption we call Washington , D.C .
It is likely that some if not all of these criminals , if past is prologue , have dirt on Barr and have made it clear they will use it to destroy him if he pushes hard and actually enforces the rule of law .
The same was true with regard to his hapless predecessor , Jeff Sessions .
TRENDING : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages on their doorsteps Barr , apparently content to see President Trump go down in flames to protect himself , is looking out for number one and thus avoiding stepping in number two .
But while this is obvious to any observer who really understands the way the swamp works , the bigger question is why Trump , as the head of the executive branch , and thus the Justice Department and FBI as well , has not fully taken charge ?
In a recent interview with Fox host Maria Bartiromo , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Justice Department and its FBI .
But he has always had the ability , like Dorothy in `` The Wizard of Oz , '' to return law enforcement from the Land of Oz back to the world of reality by forcing Sessions , and now Barr , to do their jobs .
What has held him back ?
Perhaps the Deep State , embedded in the Justice Department and FBI , as well as the rogue intelligence agencies , have signaled that they will take the president and his family down if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explain why Trump is apparently now considering pardoning himself and his family members , a fact even suggested by diehard supporters like Sean Hannity .
The bottom line , fellow patriots and true Americans , is that because time is short before November 's presidential election is truly lost for good , the president must put his fears aside , fire Blowhard Bill , appoint a non-swamp-infected interim AG and clean out the rats ' nest .
In so doing , the interim AG must order his department to support the president in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if necessary , to lay the groundwork for the declaration of martial law , until the fraud that `` elected '' Biden and Harris is fully uncovered and a new election held – one without mail-in ballots and crooked computer systems like Dominion to tabulate and `` count '' the votes .
Short of that , violent revolution may be on the horizon , as it was in the early stages of the formation of our republic .
To see what I am saying in greater detail , order my new book `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scandal Industry ! ''
at Amazon.com .
And , go to FreedomWatchUsa.org and join and support our Justice League , as the Justice Department and its FBI are not representing the vital interests of the American people .
Do you appreciate WND 's unfiltered hard-hitting news and commentary ?
Read us AD-FREE by becoming a WND Insider !
Find out more .

In my new book, "It Takes a Revolution: Forget the Scandal Industry!" I chronicle my personal and professional experience with my once proud alma mater, the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as the Deep State in the executive branch. Indeed, this experience, where I saw politics elevated over the rule of law – as I also describe in even greater detail with regard to our compromised federal judiciary, whose judges are literally bought and paid for by special interests – is what caused me to conceive of and found Judicial Watch in 1994 and later Freedom Watch, which I now run.
But as I write in "Revolution," even hard-hitting court cases are not enough to arrest the now cancerous stage-4 corruption that has all but destroyed our body politic and the nation, as we continue our nosedive into extinction. And, with the claimed election of the brain-dead Joe Biden and his evil female twin Kamala Harris – whom he chose for his vice president primarily because she is a black woman – the republic is hanging by a thread.
Despite widespread election fraud, as I have predicted from the get-go, the compromised and corrupted federal judiciary, including those at the Supreme Court, are unlikely to step in and prevent the crowning of Biden and Harris. Most of them are establishment hacks, owing their jobs to the same establishment that Trump has steadfastly opposed.
Had the country's attorney general and his Justice Department and its FBI stepped in earlier, rather than stepping in it, the situation might have been different. In evaluating our latest attorney general, whom I call "Blowhard" Bill Barr, I am reminded of the valedictorian speech of Rodney Dangerfield to his graduating class in his Hollywood comedy "Back to School." His advice was to "look out for number one, and don't step in number two!"
Barr, who has taken a dive with regard to properly investigating and then indicting criminals such as James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Bruce Ohr, the lovebirds Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, Obama intel czars James Clapper and John Brennan, has of course also declared "off limits" the Obamas, Clintons and now the Bidens. One can only conclude that Barr is looking out for his own standing and skin in the cesspool of corruption we call Washington, D.C. It is likely that some if not all of these criminals, if past is prologue, have dirt on Barr and have made it clear they will use it to destroy him if he pushes hard and actually enforces the rule of law. The same was true with regard to his hapless predecessor, Jeff Sessions.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Barr, apparently content to see President Trump go down in flames to protect himself, is looking out for number one and thus avoiding stepping in number two.
But while this is obvious to any observer who really understands the way the swamp works, the bigger question is why Trump, as the head of the executive branch, and thus the Justice Department and FBI as well, has not fully taken charge?
In a recent interview with Fox host Maria Bartiromo, Trump lamented that he has no control over his Justice Department and its FBI. But he has always had the ability, like Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," to return law enforcement from the Land of Oz back to the world of reality by forcing Sessions, and now Barr, to do their jobs. What has held him back?
Perhaps the Deep State, embedded in the Justice Department and FBI, as well as the rogue intelligence agencies, have signaled that they will take the president and his family down if he assumes control. This would also explain why Trump is apparently now considering pardoning himself and his family members, a fact even suggested by diehard supporters like Sean Hannity.
The bottom line, fellow patriots and true Americans, is that because time is short before November's presidential election is truly lost for good, the president must put his fears aside, fire Blowhard Bill, appoint a non-swamp-infected interim AG and clean out the rats' nest. In so doing, the interim AG must order his department to support the president in his election contest and take steps, if necessary, to lay the groundwork for the declaration of martial law, until the fraud that "elected" Biden and Harris is fully uncovered and a new election held – one without mail-in ballots and crooked computer systems like Dominion to tabulate and "count" the votes.
Short of that, violent revolution may be on the horizon, as it was in the early stages of the formation of our republic.
To see what I am saying in greater detail, order my new book "It Takes a Revolution: Forget the Scandal Industry!" at Amazon.com. And, go to FreedomWatchUsa.org and join and support our Justice League, as the Justice Department and its FBI are not representing the vital interests of the American people.
Do you appreciate WND's unfiltered hard-hitting news and commentary? Read us AD-FREE by becoming a WND Insider! Find out more.


wnd--2020-12-05--Senator warns GOP over web 'content moderation' under Biden

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
On Tuesday , President Trump threatened to veto the U.S. military budget if it didn ’ t include a non-germane item – repeal of Section 230 , the measure that protects social media platforms from lawsuits over content posted by their users .
These is an extreme tactic , but the president is hardly an outlier .
In a recent hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee , Republican senators outdid their liberal colleagues turning up the flame in the grilling of Facebook CEO Marc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The goal of senators from both parties seemed clear – to level accusations against Facebook , Twitter and other big social media companies that would support efforts to strip them of legal protections against a barrage of lawsuits .
From the left , the companies were accused of fomenting violent extremism by Sen. Richard Blumenthal .
From the right , senators were angry about the suppression of The New York Post ’ s Hunter Biden laptop story .
Sen. Ted Cruz accused the two companies of having a “ monopoly on public discourse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them of cooperating to control speech .
TRENDING : Republican senators find body bags and anti-Trump messages on their doorsteps It wasn ’ t until Sen. Ben Sasse spoke up that the Republican side of the committee – which , as the majority , had called the hearing – began to show signs of wondering what might happen if , like the proverbial dog , the GOP actually caught the car .
Sasse started by voicing skepticism about the way the two companies moderate content “ because I don ’ t think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think the execution is very consistent.
” At first , it seemed as if Sasse was going to follow his partisan colleagues across the goal line .
Then this … “ I am more skeptical than a lot of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle about whether or not there is a regulatory fix that will make it better instead of worse , ” Sasse said .
“ I think it is very odd that so many in my party are zealous to do this right now when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party that would be writing the new rules and regulations.
” Sasse then noted that his Democratic colleague , Sen. Blumenthal , was “ giddy ” about creating “ a new government agency to police online speech.
” Republicans and conservatives , Sasse said , “ should take pause.
” Support for this point came from an odd corner , Twitter ’ s Jack Dorsey , who drolly said that “ a centralized global control moderation system does not scale.
” Sen. Sasse ’ s Republican colleagues would do well to consider his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media companies have made “ content moderation ” decisions that seem to fall harder on conservatives than on liberals .
There have been high-profile issues , such as limitations on The New York Post story .
Accounts of being in “ Facebook jail ” and Twitter suspensions have conservatives angry enough to lash out at these companies , damn the consequences .
But their response overlooks salient details .
The actions of Facebook and Twitter , if anything , stretched out the Hunter Biden laptop story by days .
And these sites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” on online political discourse .
There are many other platforms and venues , from The Wall Street Journal editorial page to the Drudge Report to the website of The New York Post , that attract millions of visitors a day .
Or consider the diversity within Facebook .
I have a Facebook account with hundreds of conservative friends .
If Facebook is a monopolist bent on stamping out conservative news and views , they ’ re doing a poor job of it .
On a recent day , the top rankings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to @ Facebook ’ s Top 10 , included conservative talk show host Dan Bongino , President Trump , Fox News , the Rev .
Franklin Graham and Breitbart .
Bernie Sanders and CNN were in ninth and 10th place .
Sen. Sasse reminds us that it doesn ’ t take a great deal of imagination to see that government-regulated “ content moderation ” of speech , either by the terms of an antitrust settlement or a Biden administration agency , will quickly turn into something not to the liking of Sens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A Republican argument for the stripping away of Section 230 liability protections is starting to look like madness .
There is no group financially tighter with the Democratic Party and progressives than trial lawyers .
So the Republican plan is to regulate political speech by turning the national dialogue over to the tender mercies of the plaintiffs ’ bar ?
It is easy to understand how the wokeness of Silicon Valley irritates conservative Republicans .
But conservatives have long prided themselves on putting reason before emotion to assess the danger of unintended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaration , perhaps more Republicans will begin to wonder if their current strategy is a massive miscalculation .

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Robert H. Bork Jr.
Real Clear Politics
On Tuesday, President Trump threatened to veto the U.S. military budget if it didn’t include a non-germane item – repeal of Section 230, the measure that protects social media platforms from lawsuits over content posted by their users. These is an extreme tactic, but the president is hardly an outlier. In a recent hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republican senators outdid their liberal colleagues turning up the flame in the grilling of Facebook CEO Marc Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
The goal of senators from both parties seemed clear – to level accusations against Facebook, Twitter and other big social media companies that would support efforts to strip them of legal protections against a barrage of lawsuits. From the left, the companies were accused of fomenting violent extremism by Sen. Richard Blumenthal. From the right, senators were angry about the suppression of The New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story. Sen. Ted Cruz accused the two companies of having a “monopoly on public discourse” online. Sen. Josh Hawley accused them of cooperating to control speech.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
It wasn’t until Sen. Ben Sasse spoke up that the Republican side of the committee – which, as the majority, had called the hearing – began to show signs of wondering what might happen if, like the proverbial dog, the GOP actually caught the car.
Sasse started by voicing skepticism about the way the two companies moderate content “because I don’t think the standards are very transparent and I don’t think the execution is very consistent.” At first, it seemed as if Sasse was going to follow his partisan colleagues across the goal line. Then this …
“I am more skeptical than a lot of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle about whether or not there is a regulatory fix that will make it better instead of worse,” Sasse said. “I think it is very odd that so many in my party are zealous to do this right now when you have an incoming administration of the other party that would be writing the new rules and regulations.”
Sasse then noted that his Democratic colleague, Sen. Blumenthal, was “giddy” about creating “a new government agency to police online speech.” Republicans and conservatives, Sasse said, “should take pause.” Support for this point came from an odd corner, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, who drolly said that “a centralized global control moderation system does not scale.”
Will the internet have 'content moderation' under a Biden administration? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 65% (31 Votes) 35% (17 Votes)
Sen. Sasse’s Republican colleagues would do well to consider his worries.
As Sasse noted, the social media companies have made “content moderation” decisions that seem to fall harder on conservatives than on liberals. There have been high-profile issues, such as limitations on The New York Post story. Accounts of being in “Facebook jail” and Twitter suspensions have conservatives angry enough to lash out at these companies, damn the consequences. But their response overlooks salient details. The actions of Facebook and Twitter, if anything, stretched out the Hunter Biden laptop story by days. And these sites do not have an actual “monopoly” on online political discourse. There are many other platforms and venues, from The Wall Street Journal editorial page to the Drudge Report to the website of The New York Post, that attract millions of visitors a day.
Or consider the diversity within Facebook. I have a Facebook account with hundreds of conservative friends. If Facebook is a monopolist bent on stamping out conservative news and views, they’re doing a poor job of it. On a recent day, the top rankings of Facebook’s most visited sites, according to @Facebook’s Top 10, included conservative talk show host Dan Bongino, President Trump, Fox News, the Rev. Franklin Graham and Breitbart. Bernie Sanders and CNN were in ninth and 10th place.
Sen. Sasse reminds us that it doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to see that government-regulated “content moderation” of speech, either by the terms of an antitrust settlement or a Biden administration agency, will quickly turn into something not to the liking of Sens. Cruz, Hawley or any conservative. A Republican argument for the stripping away of Section 230 liability protections is starting to look like madness. There is no group financially tighter with the Democratic Party and progressives than trial lawyers. So the Republican plan is to regulate political speech by turning the national dialogue over to the tender mercies of the plaintiffs’ bar?
It is easy to understand how the wokeness of Silicon Valley irritates conservative Republicans. But conservatives have long prided themselves on putting reason before emotion to assess the danger of unintended consequences. With Sen. Sasse’s declaration, perhaps more Republicans will begin to wonder if their current strategy is a massive miscalculation.