thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--‘Democracies are fragile’: Anxieties about election legitimacy and violence rise

WARREN , Michigan — Voters on both sides of the aisle are experiencing rising anxieties about worst-case post-election scenarios no matter who wins — anxieties over a year of economic and health hardship , social isolation , and riots across a deeply divided country , outrage at the result of the election , and the suspicion that it is illegitimate .
“ I have never in my life been more terrified , ” Susan Stephenson told the Washington Examiner , adding , “ if Trump gets elected , that there is going to be all this craziness … this huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retired teacher who resides in Slippery Rock , Pennsylvania , had just experienced a near-shouting match with a pro-Trump demonstrator outside where Joe Biden gave a speech in Warren , Michigan , on Wednesday .
The Trump supporter yelled about Democrats being crooks and socialists , so she , a Biden supporter , whipped out her cellphone to record him .
It was not the only between pro-Trump demonstrators and a handful of Biden supporters that day .
Those tense exchanges and deep divisions are fueling voter worries on both sides of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be accepted and whether doubt could spark violent uprisings .
Retiree Freddie Wilson , a Trump supporter in Warren , agreed , though , and was somewhat hyperbolic with his reasoning .
`` This is probably the most violent time in history — even the tumultuous 60s , '' he said , citing that as a cause for ” concern ” about unrest after the election .
Stephenson pointed to Trump supporters bringing weapons to protests and said that the Biden sign in her yard has been repeatedly vandalized .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
Musing about the fall of Rome and the age of the nation , she added : “ Democracies are fragile.
” A Monmouth University conducted Sept. 3-8 found that a significant number of voters could be suspicious of the election result , no matter whether it ’ s President Trump or Biden who wins .
“ We usually focus on the majority ’ s view when describing public opinion , but in this case , minority opinion could be sizable enough to have an impact on the election ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any disbelief in the outcome might lead to other consequences , ” said Patrick Murray , director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute .
The majority of voters , 61 % , said they are very or somewhat confident that the November election will be conducted fairly and accurately .
Yet 24 % said that they are not too confident about that , and 13 % said that they are not confident at all .
That sentiment seems to be bipartisan .
While voters firmly decided on Biden were somewhat more confident than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 % from each group said that they are not at all confident about the election process .
The poll suggests that voters are responding to doomsday post-election scenarios that political insiders have been warning about for weeks .
Biden has for months suggested that Trump may refuse to leave the Oval Office , and a group of professors and policy experts have conducted “ ” based on that concern — also exploring the possibility that Biden won ’ t accept the election result .
Election experts are warning that because of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may take weeks to know the election result .
Yet Trump says that he thinks a winner should be declared on election night .
Meanwhile , former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton publicly says that she does not think Biden should resign .
“ There 's talk like he 'll challenge the election , he 'll say it was a fraud because of the mail-in voting , and he 'll say it was n't legitimate , and he 'll look at the Supreme Court to rule on it , ” said Don Terrier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Detroit metro area who works in video production .
“ It might not be a peaceful transition.
” To some voters , narratives from both sides of the aisle seem like a self-fulfilling prophecy .
“ Either way it goes , there 's gon na be an uprising , ” said Meghan Sotelo , 34 , a Biden supporter who owns a landscape company .
She worries about riots in Detroit reaching her home in the suburbs .
“ The Trump supporters will think that , you know , because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that if Trump wins , they ’ re going to say that Russia helped get him in .
”

WARREN, Michigan — Voters on both sides of the aisle are experiencing rising anxieties about worst-case post-election scenarios no matter who wins — anxieties over a year of economic and health hardship, social isolation, and riots across a deeply divided country, outrage at the result of the election, and the suspicion that it is illegitimate.
“I have never in my life been more terrified,” Susan Stephenson told the Washington Examiner, adding, “if Trump gets elected, that there is going to be all this craziness … this huge, violent thing.”
Stephenson, a retired teacher who resides in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, had just experienced a near-shouting match with a pro-Trump demonstrator outside where Joe Biden gave a speech in Warren, Michigan, on Wednesday. The Trump supporter yelled about Democrats being crooks and socialists, so she, a Biden supporter, whipped out her cellphone to record him. It was not the only heated exchange of words between pro-Trump demonstrators and a handful of Biden supporters that day.
Those tense exchanges and deep divisions are fueling voter worries on both sides of the aisle about whether the election result can be accepted and whether doubt could spark violent uprisings.
Retiree Freddie Wilson, a Trump supporter in Warren, agreed, though, and was somewhat hyperbolic with his reasoning. "This is probably the most violent time in history — even the tumultuous 60s," he said, citing that as a cause for ”concern” about unrest after the election.
Stephenson pointed to Trump supporters bringing weapons to protests and said that the Biden sign in her yard has been repeatedly vandalized. “I’ve had to buy security gear,” she said. Musing about the fall of Rome and the age of the nation, she added: “Democracies are fragile.”
A Monmouth University national poll conducted Sept. 3-8 found that a significant number of voters could be suspicious of the election result, no matter whether it’s President Trump or Biden who wins.
“We usually focus on the majority’s view when describing public opinion, but in this case, minority opinion could be sizable enough to have an impact on the election’s legitimacy. The question is whether any disbelief in the outcome might lead to other consequences,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
The majority of voters, 61%, said they are very or somewhat confident that the November election will be conducted fairly and accurately. Yet 24% said that they are not too confident about that, and 13% said that they are not confident at all.
That sentiment seems to be bipartisan. While voters firmly decided on Biden were somewhat more confident than firm Trump voters in the process, 13% from each group said that they are not at all confident about the election process.
The poll suggests that voters are responding to doomsday post-election scenarios that political insiders have been warning about for weeks. Biden has for months suggested that Trump may refuse to leave the Oval Office, and a group of professors and policy experts have conducted “ war games ” based on that concern — also exploring the possibility that Biden won’t accept the election result.
Election experts are warning that because of a huge increase in mail-in voting, it may take weeks to know the election result . Yet Trump says that he thinks a winner should be declared on election night. Meanwhile, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton publicly says that she does not think Biden should resign.
“There's talk like he'll challenge the election, he'll say it was a fraud because of the mail-in voting, and he'll say it wasn't legitimate, and he'll look at the Supreme Court to rule on it,” said Don Terrier, 60, a Biden supporter in the Detroit metro area who works in video production. “It might not be a peaceful transition.”
To some voters, narratives from both sides of the aisle seem like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“Either way it goes, there's gonna be an uprising,” said Meghan Sotelo, 34, a Biden supporter who owns a landscape company. She worries about riots in Detroit reaching her home in the suburbs. “The Trump supporters will think that, you know, because of the mail-in voting that Biden won. And I think that if Trump wins, they’re going to say that Russia helped get him in.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Trump threatening to end Democrats' half-century lock on Minnesota

Minnesota , reliably Democratic in presidential elections since it went for Richard Nixon in 1972 , is emerging as a swing state this year , possibly just in time to salvage President Trump ’ s reelection bid .
Trump trails Democratic nominee Joe Biden in as many as eight swing states — Arizona , Florida , Michigan , Nevada , New Hampshire , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin — while holding narrow leads in the typically deep red battlegrounds of Georgia and Texas .
With so many flanks to guard , Trump ’ s rising fortunes in Minnesota , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity , could prove critical to his second-term prospects .
With the Labor Day kickoff of the fall campaign in the rearview mirror , Biden ’ s lead over Trump in Minnesota was down to 5 percentage points , 49.5 % to 44.5 % .
That puts the president in striking distance of the state ’ s 10 Electoral College votes .
Trump is gaining ground with culturally conservative , blue-collar voters across rural northern Minnesota that have voted Democratic for decades .
The transformation is part of a trend that began in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and down-ballot Republicans , convert longtime Democratic voters into Republicans because of concerns that the Democrats have become a party of liberal , coastal elites .
In late August , six Democratic mayors in northeast Minnesota ’ s Iron Range endorsed Trump , citing Biden ’ s support for international trade deals and the Democratic Party ’ s hostility to mining , a major driver of jobs in the region .
This realignment also is boosting Republican Jason Lewis , who is hoping to pull off a surprise upset of incumbent Democratic Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any chances .
His campaign began advertising on television in Minnesota in late August .
But the former vice president and Smith still have the advantage there , less than eight weeks before Election Day , despite civil unrest that roiled Minneapolis after George Floyd , a black man , died when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul dominates Minnesota politics .
And , not only is the region home to a thriving population of liberal voters , the adjacent suburban communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican for president and Congress , continue to reject Trump .
That is true despite the destruction from riots in downtown Minneapolis and Trump ’ s promise to restore “ law and order ” and warning that Biden in the White House would lead to more violence .
If Minnesota moves more in Trump ’ s direction , expect to see more outside groups , Democratic and Republican , invest in the state .

Minnesota, reliably Democratic in presidential elections since it went for Richard Nixon in 1972, is emerging as a swing state this year, possibly just in time to salvage President Trump’s reelection bid.
Trump trails Democratic nominee Joe Biden in as many as eight swing states — Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — while holding narrow leads in the typically deep red battlegrounds of Georgia and Texas. With so many flanks to guard, Trump’s rising fortunes in Minnesota, a state representing perhaps his lone offensive opportunity, could prove critical to his second-term prospects.
With the Labor Day kickoff of the fall campaign in the rearview mirror, Biden’s lead over Trump in Minnesota was down to 5 percentage points, 49.5% to 44.5%. That puts the president in striking distance of the state’s 10 Electoral College votes.
Trump is gaining ground with culturally conservative, blue-collar voters across rural northern Minnesota that have voted Democratic for decades. The transformation is part of a trend that began in 2016 and has seen the president, and down-ballot Republicans, convert longtime Democratic voters into Republicans because of concerns that the Democrats have become a party of liberal, coastal elites.
In late August, six Democratic mayors in northeast Minnesota’s Iron Range endorsed Trump, citing Biden’s support for international trade deals and the Democratic Party’s hostility to mining, a major driver of jobs in the region. This realignment also is boosting Republican Jason Lewis, who is hoping to pull off a surprise upset of incumbent Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.
Biden is not taking any chances. His campaign began advertising on television in Minnesota in late August. But the former vice president and Smith still have the advantage there, less than eight weeks before Election Day, despite civil unrest that roiled Minneapolis after George Floyd, a black man, died when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul dominates Minnesota politics. And, not only is the region home to a thriving population of liberal voters, the adjacent suburban communities that, in past years, voted Republican for president and Congress, continue to reject Trump. That is true despite the destruction from riots in downtown Minneapolis and Trump’s promise to restore “law and order” and warning that Biden in the White House would lead to more violence.
If Minnesota moves more in Trump’s direction, expect to see more outside groups, Democratic and Republican, invest in the state.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Conservative grumbling amid applause for Trump’s Supreme Court list

The reaction to President Trump ’ s updated list of potential Supreme Court nominees revealed new fissures on the Right over what conservatives should be looking for in Republican high-court nominees .
The addition of Republican Sens .
Ted Cruz of Texas , Tom Cotton of Arkansas , and Josh Hawley of Missouri to Trump ’ s prospective nominees especially highlighted disagreements among conservatives prioritizing judicial philosophy versus certain outcomes on the court .
Conservative responses were overwhelmingly positive .
Anti-abortion activist Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List hailed the Trump list as “ filled with all-stars ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s firm and proven commitment to only nominating Supreme Court justices who will respect the Constitution and the inalienable right to life.
” March for Life President Jeanine Mancini concurred : “ One of President Trump ’ s greatest accomplishments has been the restoration of the judicial system through the appointment of judges who respect life and the U.S. Constitution.
” “ President Trump continues to keep his promise to prioritize the appointment of judges while Joe Biden continues to duck the issue and hide his list , ” Judicial Crisis Network President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But digging beneath the surface , some conservatives considered names on the list .
Others that Hawley was on the shortlist but Judge Neomi Rao was not .
Ashley Baker , policy director at the Committee for Justice , a right-leaning organization that supports constitutionalist judges , tweeted that she was “ absolutely livid ” that Rao was excluded and expressed reservations about what she described as Hawley ’ s “ outright abandonment of textualism when considering our nominees.
” Hawley has taken himself out of the running , writing on Twitter that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in the Senate , and I have no interest in the high court.
” But after the Supreme Court handed down its Bostock decision on LGBT employment nondiscrimination , authored by Trump-appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch , Hawley wondered on the Senate floor whether the conservative legal movement as it had existed since the Reagan administration might be in need of a major overhaul .
“ It ’ s time for religious conservatives to take the lead rather than being pushed to the back , ” he said .
John Malcolm , vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation , called Trump ’ s picks a “ fine list , ” noting some overlap with his own recommendations .
Yet , he said , “ There are a fair number of names of people on this list who are known to social conservatives who might not be known to others.
” In his own remarks announcing the list on Wednesday , Trump cited both judicial philosophy and policy outcomes .
“ Radical justices will erase the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and require taxpayers to fund extreme late-term abortions , ” he said .
The president launched a preemptive strike on his Democratic opponent ’ s likely high-court nominees .
“ If this extreme movement is granted a majority on the Supreme Court , it will fundamentally transform America without a single vote of Congress , ” Trump declared .
“ They will give unelected bureaucrats the power to destroy millions of American jobs .
They will remove the words ‘ under God ’ from the Pledge of Allegiance .
They will erase national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grant new protections to anarchists , rioters , violent criminals , and terrorists.
” Running in 2016 with a thin record to appeal to social conservatives , Trump vowed to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia ’ s death with someone in the same “ mold ” as the conservative jurist and made public a list from which he would choose .
Trump now has a stronger record on these issues from a conservative perspective , but many on the Right have remained frustrated by the Republican appointees ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Roe v. Wade .
“ I think having litmus tests is a bad idea for a whole host of reasons , ” Malcolm said .
“ But I understand the frustration.
” Hawley has vowed to vote against future nominees who will not say Roe was wrongly decided .
“ It ’ s time for Roe v. Wade to go , ” Cotton tweeted after the new list was announced .
Some liberals have proposed expanding the size of the Supreme Court if Biden is elected and Democrats capture the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the legislative filibuster is eliminated .
Much is also riding on where the next high-court vacancy comes from .
Malcolm predicted that if Trump nominates a successor to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , it will make Brett Kavanaugh ’ s hearings look like a “ pillow fight.
” “ Going from Anthony Kennedy to Kavanaugh is akin to going from Sandra Day O ’ Connor to Sam Alito , ” he said .
“ Going from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to [ a Trump nominee ] is akin to going from Thurgood Marshall @ @ @ @ @

The reaction to President Trump’s updated list of potential Supreme Court nominees revealed new fissures on the Right over what conservatives should be looking for in Republican high-court nominees.
The addition of Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Josh Hawley of Missouri to Trump’s prospective nominees especially highlighted disagreements among conservatives prioritizing judicial philosophy versus certain outcomes on the court.
Conservative responses were overwhelmingly positive. Anti-abortion activist Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List hailed the Trump list as “filled with all-stars” and reflective of “the president’s firm and proven commitment to only nominating Supreme Court justices who will respect the Constitution and the inalienable right to life.” March for Life President Jeanine Mancini concurred: “One of President Trump’s greatest accomplishments has been the restoration of the judicial system through the appointment of judges who respect life and the U.S. Constitution.”
“President Trump continues to keep his promise to prioritize the appointment of judges while Joe Biden continues to duck the issue and hide his list,” Judicial Crisis Network President Carrie Severino said in a statement.
But digging beneath the surface, some conservatives considered names on the list too libertarian . Others protested that Hawley was on the shortlist but Judge Neomi Rao was not. Ashley Baker, policy director at the Committee for Justice, a right-leaning organization that supports constitutionalist judges, tweeted that she was “absolutely livid” that Rao was excluded and expressed reservations about what she described as Hawley’s “outright abandonment of textualism when considering our nominees.”
Hawley has taken himself out of the running, writing on Twitter that “Missourians elected me to fight for them in the Senate, and I have no interest in the high court.” But after the Supreme Court handed down its Bostock decision on LGBT employment nondiscrimination, authored by Trump-appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch, Hawley wondered on the Senate floor whether the conservative legal movement as it had existed since the Reagan administration might be in need of a major overhaul. “It’s time for religious conservatives to take the lead rather than being pushed to the back,” he said.
John Malcolm, vice president for the Institute for Constitutional Government and director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, called Trump’s picks a “fine list,” noting some overlap with his own recommendations. Yet, he said, “There are a fair number of names of people on this list who are known to social conservatives who might not be known to others.”
In his own remarks announcing the list on Wednesday, Trump cited both judicial philosophy and policy outcomes. “Radical justices will erase the Second Amendment, silence political speech, and require taxpayers to fund extreme late-term abortions,” he said. The president launched a preemptive strike on his Democratic opponent’s likely high-court nominees.
“If this extreme movement is granted a majority on the Supreme Court, it will fundamentally transform America without a single vote of Congress,” Trump declared. “They will give unelected bureaucrats the power to destroy millions of American jobs. They will remove the words ‘under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance. They will erase national borders, cripple police departments, and grant new protections to anarchists, rioters, violent criminals, and terrorists.”
Running in 2016 with a thin record to appeal to social conservatives, Trump vowed to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death with someone in the same “mold” as the conservative jurist and made public a list from which he would choose. Trump now has a stronger record on these issues from a conservative perspective, but many on the Right have remained frustrated by the Republican appointees’ inability or unwillingness to overturn liberal precedents such as Roe v. Wade.
“I think having litmus tests is a bad idea for a whole host of reasons,” Malcolm said. “But I understand the frustration.”
Hawley has vowed to vote against future nominees who will not say Roe was wrongly decided. “It’s time for Roe v. Wade to go,” Cotton tweeted after the new list was announced.
Some liberals have proposed expanding the size of the Supreme Court if Biden is elected and Democrats capture the Senate, an idea that could be expedited if the legislative filibuster is eliminated. Much is also riding on where the next high-court vacancy comes from.
Malcolm predicted that if Trump nominates a successor to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it will make Brett Kavanaugh’s hearings look like a “pillow fight.”
“Going from Anthony Kennedy to Kavanaugh is akin to going from Sandra Day O’Connor to Sam Alito,” he said. “Going from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to [a Trump nominee] is akin to going from Thurgood Marshall to Clarence Thomas.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Biden's likability advantage matters

Biden's likability advantage matters

`` The challenge for Donald Trump is that for the last 50 years , Americans have not voted for someone who they didn ’ t like more than the others , '' said pollster Frank Luntz .
Unless Trump becomes more likable in a hurry , that pattern will continue for four more years .
Trump will lose the presidency .
Trump , Luntz told Fox News , is “ selling strength .
He ’ s selling determination .
He ’ s selling passion .
He ’ s selling intensity , which is important .
But Joe Biden is selling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American politics.
” Luntz was being nicer to the president than he deserved .
Trump spends much of his time counterpunching anyone who criticizes him , picking fights with lesser figures , insulting allies , calling people dumb , generally making himself difficult to deal with , and causing anyone who leaves his administration to depart on bad terms .
The amazing thing is that millions of people who loathe Trump are planning to vote for his reelection on Nov. 3 .
They believe Democrats would be worse for the country than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York .
And they make a pretty good case .
But I suspect there are too few of such people at the moment , millions too few , for Trump to win .
True , he defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by nullifying the popular vote with an Electoral College majority .
Repeating that miracle is unlikely .
And Biden is a superior opponent to Clinton .
Trump has been successful enough as president to be reelected .
He surprised conservatives by becoming one of them .
But the dislike of him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection to happen , as it did for Presidents George W. Bush , Bill Clinton , and Barack Obama .
Likability may be Trump ’ s only solution .
It ’ s doable .
It ’ s not brain surgery .
Many politicians are skilled at being likable .
And It ’ s not as if Trump doesn ’ t have a likable side .
I ’ ve talked to people who ’ ve met with him privately and came away liking him .
I spent a friendly hour with him in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meacham ’ s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Thomas Jefferson : The Art of Power .
Jefferson is a model of a partisan politician with strong ideas who succeeded in getting along with everyone , including foes .
The Jefferson style was “ smooth rather than rough , polite rather than confrontational , ” Meacham writes .
“ He was a warrior for the causes in which he believed , but he conducted his battles at a remove , tending to use friends and allies to write and publish and promulgate the messages he thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s difficult to imagine Trump leaving the fighting to others .
Jefferson ’ s “ calculated decision ” to do so “ was based on his experience of men and of politics that direct conflict was unproductive and ineffective , ” Meacham writes .
Trump ’ s experience in New York real estate and as a TV personality didn ’ t teach him to step back rather than dominate every moment , whether major or trivial .
He ’ s paying a price for that lesson today .
President Ronald Reagan was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was .
Reagan had the advantage of not having to fake being likable .
He kept his public appearances to a minimum .
This elevated him .
Reagan played hard-to-get and was rewarded for it .
In the rankings of presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt , he is at the top or nearby .
Trump is hard to avoid , and he ’ s at the bottom .
Reagan made people eager to see more of him .
With Trump , they ’ d be happy with less .
The debates , assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to change his style .
But he may be tempted not to and instead pummel Biden for two hours in the expectation that he will collapse under the pressure .
But what if Biden doesn ’ t fall apart ?
What if Biden shows up with a clever strategy ?
With weeks to practice , Biden could surprise Trump , embarrass him , and be declared the winner .
In his debates with Clinton in 2016 , Trump appeared not to have prepared anything new .
He simply repeated what he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Clinton won .
To prevail against Biden , it should be easy to fool him and the media .
They see Trump as one-dimensional .
What if he ’ s relaxed , clever , and humorous and refers to Biden without being mean or angry ?
That ’ s what likability would look like .

"The challenge for Donald Trump is that for the last 50 years, Americans have not voted for someone who they didn’t like more than the others," said pollster Frank Luntz. Unless Trump becomes more likable in a hurry, that pattern will continue for four more years. Trump will lose the presidency.
Trump, Luntz told Fox News, is “selling strength. He’s selling determination. He’s selling passion. He’s selling intensity, which is important. But Joe Biden is selling likability, and … likability does sell in American politics.”
Luntz was being nicer to the president than he deserved. Trump spends much of his time counterpunching anyone who criticizes him, picking fights with lesser figures, insulting allies, calling people dumb, generally making himself difficult to deal with, and causing anyone who leaves his administration to depart on bad terms.
The amazing thing is that millions of people who loathe Trump are planning to vote for his reelection on Nov. 3. They believe Democrats would be worse for the country than Mayor Bill de Blasio has been for New York. And they make a pretty good case.
But I suspect there are too few of such people at the moment, millions too few, for Trump to win. True, he defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by nullifying the popular vote with an Electoral College majority. Repeating that miracle is unlikely. And Biden is a superior opponent to Clinton.
Trump has been successful enough as president to be reelected. He surprised conservatives by becoming one of them. But the dislike of him personally is too widespread for a routine reelection to happen, as it did for Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
Likability may be Trump’s only solution. It’s doable. It’s not brain surgery. Many politicians are skilled at being likable. And It’s not as if Trump doesn’t have a likable side. I’ve talked to people who’ve met with him privately and came away liking him. I spent a friendly hour with him in 2015.
Trump could benefit from consulting Jon Meacham’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power. Jefferson is a model of a partisan politician with strong ideas who succeeded in getting along with everyone, including foes.
The Jefferson style was “smooth rather than rough, polite rather than confrontational,” Meacham writes. “He was a warrior for the causes in which he believed, but he conducted his battles at a remove, tending to use friends and allies to write and publish and promulgate the messages he thought crucial to the public debate.”
It’s difficult to imagine Trump leaving the fighting to others. Jefferson’s “calculated decision” to do so “was based on his experience of men and of politics that direct conflict was unproductive and ineffective,” Meacham writes.
Trump’s experience in New York real estate and as a TV personality didn’t teach him to step back rather than dominate every moment, whether major or trivial. He’s paying a price for that lesson today.
President Ronald Reagan was almost as different from Trump as Jefferson was. Reagan had the advantage of not having to fake being likable. He kept his public appearances to a minimum. This elevated him.
Reagan played hard-to-get and was rewarded for it. In the rankings of presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt, he is at the top or nearby. Trump is hard to avoid, and he’s at the bottom. Reagan made people eager to see more of him. With Trump, they’d be happy with less.
The debates, assuming they happen, are an opportunity for Trump to change his style. But he may be tempted not to and instead pummel Biden for two hours in the expectation that he will collapse under the pressure.
But what if Biden doesn’t fall apart? What if Biden shows up with a clever strategy? With weeks to practice, Biden could surprise Trump, embarrass him, and be declared the winner.
In his debates with Clinton in 2016, Trump appeared not to have prepared anything new. He simply repeated what he’d been saying at rallies for months. Clinton won.
To prevail against Biden, it should be easy to fool him and the media. They see Trump as one-dimensional. What if he’s relaxed, clever, and humorous and refers to Biden without being mean or angry? That’s what likability would look like.
Fred Barnes is a Washington Examiner senior columnist.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Revving up for Trump

Revving up for Trump

There ’ s something about President Trump that appeals to people who also enjoy small-motor-based recreation — bikers and boaters in particular .
While visiting family over Labor Day weekend at the border of North and South Carolina , I watched dozens of boaters motor up and down Lake Wylie proudly displaying their red , white , and blue flags declaring , `` Make America Great Again , '' `` Keep America Great , '' or `` Trump 2020 . ''
Over the course of three days on the water , I saw just two flags with Joe Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many middle fingers the driver receives on any given day .
This is n't just a Southern thing .
WKBW in Buffalo , New York , reported that same weekend that “ hundreds of motorcycles and hundreds of boats all gathered to support President Donald Trump.
” Again , it 's that same overlap of interests : small internal combustion engines and Trump 's reelection .
There were similar displays in Texas , Washington , D.C. , and Georgia .
The boat parade phenomenon has caught the White House 's attention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parades for a political candidate .
This has led to a befuddled response from the major media : `` Wait , boat parades ? ''
New York magazine has derisively referred to them as Trump ’ s “ well-off , pleasure-craft-owning supporters , ” “ wealthy , suburban weekenders who already own several flags with his name on them.
” ( My sister ’ s family of four did purchase a new Stingray deck boat this summer , but they would hardly refer to themselves as “ wealthy . ''
) Perhaps it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media types spend their disposable income on upstate New York homes that allow for social distancing , while in Trump 's America , boats and bikes are the leisure consumption of choice .
Maybe there 's something all-American about the sound of a roaring engine burning up petroleum products .
Maybe it 's the blend of community and individualism that the biker and boater worlds provide .
Whatever it is , the love is unbeatable .
After a handful of boats in Texas sunk in Lake Travis during a pro-Trump boat parade on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parades popped up around the country .

There’s something about President Trump that appeals to people who also enjoy small-motor-based recreation — bikers and boaters in particular.
While visiting family over Labor Day weekend at the border of North and South Carolina, I watched dozens of boaters motor up and down Lake Wylie proudly displaying their red, white, and blue flags declaring, "Make America Great Again," "Keep America Great," or "Trump 2020." Over the course of three days on the water, I saw just two flags with Joe Biden’s name. I wondered to myself how many middle fingers the driver receives on any given day.
This isn't just a Southern thing. WKBW in Buffalo, New York, reported that same weekend that “hundreds of motorcycles and hundreds of boats all gathered to support President Donald Trump.” Again, it's that same overlap of interests: small internal combustion engines and Trump's reelection.
There were similar displays in Texas, Washington, D.C., and Georgia. The boat parade phenomenon has caught the White House's attention, leading to boasts of the largest-ever boat parades for a political candidate. This has led to a befuddled response from the major media: "Wait, boat parades?"
New York magazine has derisively referred to them as Trump’s “well-off, pleasure-craft-owning supporters,” “wealthy, suburban weekenders who already own several flags with his name on them.” (My sister’s family of four did purchase a new Stingray deck boat this summer, but they would hardly refer to themselves as “wealthy.")
Perhaps it's just different tastes. New York media types spend their disposable income on upstate New York homes that allow for social distancing, while in Trump's America, boats and bikes are the leisure consumption of choice.
Maybe there's something all-American about the sound of a roaring engine burning up petroleum products. Maybe it's the blend of community and individualism that the biker and boater worlds provide.
Whatever it is, the love is unbeatable. After a handful of boats in Texas sunk in Lake Travis during a pro-Trump boat parade on choppy waters, more Labor Day boat parades popped up around the country.
Vroom! Vroom!


Haunted by Hillary

Those who are active on political Twitter have become accustomed to seeing the phrase “ But her emails !
” pop up on their screens for nearly four years .
The phrase is used when President Trump behaves badly , saying or doing something that ’ s unseemly or indefensible to anybody but blind partisans .
The deployment of the phrase can be traced back to a gripe that liberals had about media coverage of the 2016 election .
While conservatives saw nothing but media attacks on Trump , to liberals , the media were too harsh on Hillary Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it came to the amount of attention paid to the controversy surrounding Clinton ’ s use of her private email server as secretary of state and her mass email deletions .
To these Democratic partisans , the email controversy was small potatoes , and the time spent drawing news consumers to it created the impression that Trump and Clinton were equally bad .
These critics view Trump as a much more serious , indeed historic , threat to American democracy .
Whereas providing critical coverage to all presidential candidates was once viewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the age of Trump , that philosophy has been referred to derisively as “ both siderism , ” a complaint of false equivalence .
Appending “ But her emails !
” to stories about Trump ’ s misdeeds became a way of taunting journalists , making them feel guilty and culpable for imposing Trump on the world .
However , the taunts also had a longer-term objective .
The hope was to work the refs so that in the future , reporters wouldn ’ t repeat the “ mistake ” of seriously scrutinizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , the strategy has hit pay dirt .
Joe Biden managed to use the coronavirus as an excuse to spend the better part of six months campaigning from his basement and only submitting to interviews that he knew would be easy .
Now that he ’ s emerged to hold some press conferences , reporters are just offering up one softball after another .
Additionally , the media have worked overtime to douse potentially damaging stories against Biden .
To be sure , Biden did receive scrutiny during the Democratic nomination fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for being a bit too touchy-feely around young women .
And the media cheered on onetime opponent Kamala Harris for mauling him in a debate for his record on school busing .
But the statute of limitations on negative Biden coverage expired in March , as soon as it was clear he would be the Democratic nominee and thus the only person standing in the way of a second Trump term .
Shortly after Biden had effectively secured the nomination , his former staffer Tara Reade reemerged with a more detailed allegation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office in the 1990s , Biden pinned her against the wall and penetrated her with his fingers .
After having spent the fall of 2018 pushing the “ believe all women ” standard during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings , the media spent weeks digging up dirt on Reade , helping not only to discredit her but to intimidate any other potential accusers from coming forward .
While there were and are certainly reasons to question Reade ’ s account , the story was in many ways more credible than that of Christine Blasey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While it was confirmed that Reade did work for Biden , there is no evidence that Ford and Kavanaugh ever even met .
While there is evidence that Reade spoke to multiple people within a few months or years of her accusation about Biden , it took nearly 30 years for Ford to tell anybody any version of her story .
Yet while Ford was treated as a saint by the media and her story was accepted as completely true , journalists went into attack mode with Reade .
Politico had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a former landlord , and ran a hit piece with the headline “ ‘ Manipulative , deceitful , user ’ : Tara Reade left a trail of aggrieved acquaintances.
” To give too much credence to an accusation against Biden would be to repeat the grave error of 2016 .
That is , subjecting Biden to the Kavanaugh standard when it comes to accusations of sexual misconduct would risk a false equivalence between Biden ’ s behavior and the multiple sexual assault accusations against Trump ( as well as his own boast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you-know-what ) .
So fearful are journalists of being tagged as enablers that they ’ ve been willing to embarrass themselves whenever they get a chance to speak with Biden .
My colleague Becket Adams has been regularly chronicling some of the absurd questions , if you can call them that , being teed up for Biden during one-on-one interviews and press conferences .
In March , NBC ’ s Chuck Todd Biden about Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus : “ Do you think there ’ s already — do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's hands considering the slow response ?
Or is that too harsh of a criticism ?
” Within the same week , CNN ’ s Brooke Baldwin also Biden if Trump was responsible for deaths .
She also offered Biden this doozy : “ Your strength , really , your strength is in traveling around the country and connecting with people , right ?
Connecting with voters , looking them in the eye , a hug , a handshake , especially in these crucial months before the election , and you ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Vice President , does that worry you ?
” This set the stage for months of easy interviews that followed .
Biden largely eschewed press conferences as a candidate but , in September , finally succumbed .
And the media were there to help him get through the experience without a scratch .
Atlantic writer Edward-Isaac Dovere , who highlighted some of Reade ’ s past writings praising Vladimir Putin after her allegation against Biden first surfaced , used the opportunity of a press conference to promote a report in his publication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marines as “ losers ” and “ suckers.
” Dovere then asked Biden , “ When you hear these remarks — ‘ suckers , ’ ‘ losers , ’ recoiling from amputees — what does it tell you about President Trump ’ s soul and the life he leads ?
” CBS News ’ s Ed O ’ Keefe offered more of an attack on Trump than a question .
He noted that Trump “ once again suggested to his supporters that they should consider voting twice if they are in one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request an absentee ballot .
Say , ‘ Fill that out , ’ and then go try voting again in person .
State officials have said it ’ s a felony , in some cases .
Just curious what you make of it.
” This is the sort of questioning we should expect from the press in the closing weeks of the election .
Liberals have spent the past four years heckling journalists , and making sure that they ’ d think twice about negative coverage of the eventual Democratic nominee .
Journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by conservative commentators than be subjected to the wrath of liberal elites who are closer to their social circles and whose approval they seek .
A lashing from a like-minded journalism school professor burns more than a flood of angry tweets from the Right .
Now , in 2020 , political journalists know that they have to be looking over their shoulders whenever they think about running a negative story about Biden or asking him a challenging question .
Because if they do properly scrutinize him , they will be subjected to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of being complicit in reelecting Trump .
Philip Klein is executive editor of the Washington Examiner .

Those who are active on political Twitter have become accustomed to seeing the phrase “But her emails!” pop up on their screens for nearly four years. The phrase is used when President Trump behaves badly, saying or doing something that’s unseemly or indefensible to anybody but blind partisans.
The deployment of the phrase can be traced back to a gripe that liberals had about media coverage of the 2016 election. While conservatives saw nothing but media attacks on Trump, to liberals, the media were too harsh on Hillary Clinton — especially, in their minds, when it came to the amount of attention paid to the controversy surrounding Clinton’s use of her private email server as secretary of state and her mass email deletions. To these Democratic partisans, the email controversy was small potatoes, and the time spent drawing news consumers to it created the impression that Trump and Clinton were equally bad. These critics view Trump as a much more serious, indeed historic, threat to American democracy. Whereas providing critical coverage to all presidential candidates was once viewed as the goal of journalism, in the age of Trump, that philosophy has been referred to derisively as “both siderism,” a complaint of false equivalence.
Appending “But her emails!” to stories about Trump’s misdeeds became a way of taunting journalists, making them feel guilty and culpable for imposing Trump on the world. However, the taunts also had a longer-term objective. The hope was to work the refs so that in the future, reporters wouldn’t repeat the “mistake” of seriously scrutinizing any Democratic challenger to Trump.
In 2020, the strategy has hit pay dirt. Joe Biden managed to use the coronavirus as an excuse to spend the better part of six months campaigning from his basement and only submitting to interviews that he knew would be easy. Now that he’s emerged to hold some press conferences, reporters are just offering up one softball after another. Additionally, the media have worked overtime to douse potentially damaging stories against Biden.
To be sure, Biden did receive scrutiny during the Democratic nomination fight for seemingly having lost a step and for being a bit too touchy-feely around young women. And the media cheered on onetime opponent Kamala Harris for mauling him in a debate for his record on school busing. But the statute of limitations on negative Biden coverage expired in March, as soon as it was clear he would be the Democratic nominee and thus the only person standing in the way of a second Trump term.
Shortly after Biden had effectively secured the nomination, his former staffer Tara Reade reemerged with a more detailed allegation that while she was working in his Senate office in the 1990s, Biden pinned her against the wall and penetrated her with his fingers. After having spent the fall of 2018 pushing the “believe all women” standard during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, the media spent weeks digging up dirt on Reade, helping not only to discredit her but to intimidate any other potential accusers from coming forward.
While there were and are certainly reasons to question Reade’s account, the story was in many ways more credible than that of Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s main accuser. While it was confirmed that Reade did work for Biden, there is no evidence that Ford and Kavanaugh ever even met. While there is evidence that Reade spoke to multiple people within a few months or years of her accusation about Biden, it took nearly 30 years for Ford to tell anybody any version of her story.
Yet while Ford was treated as a saint by the media and her story was accepted as completely true, journalists went into attack mode with Reade. Politico had a reporter speak to people who had crossed paths with Reade , including a former landlord, and ran a hit piece with the headline “‘Manipulative, deceitful, user’: Tara Reade left a trail of aggrieved acquaintances.”
To give too much credence to an accusation against Biden would be to repeat the grave error of 2016. That is, subjecting Biden to the Kavanaugh standard when it comes to accusations of sexual misconduct would risk a false equivalence between Biden’s behavior and the multiple sexual assault accusations against Trump (as well as his own boast of “grabbing” women by the you-know-what).
So fearful are journalists of being tagged as enablers that they’ve been willing to embarrass themselves whenever they get a chance to speak with Biden. My colleague Becket Adams has been regularly chronicling some of the absurd questions, if you can call them that, being teed up for Biden during one-on-one interviews and press conferences.
In March, NBC’s Chuck Todd asked Biden about Trump’s handling of the coronavirus: “Do you think there’s already — do you think there is blood on the president's hands considering the slow response? Or is that too harsh of a criticism?” Within the same week, CNN’s Brooke Baldwin also asked Biden if Trump was responsible for deaths. She also offered Biden this doozy: “Your strength, really, your strength is in traveling around the country and connecting with people, right? Connecting with voters, looking them in the eye, a hug, a handshake, especially in these crucial months before the election, and you can't do any of that right now. Mr. Vice President, does that worry you?”
This set the stage for months of easy interviews that followed. Biden largely eschewed press conferences as a candidate but, in September, finally succumbed. And the media were there to help him get through the experience without a scratch.
Atlantic writer Edward-Isaac Dovere, who highlighted some of Reade’s past writings praising Vladimir Putin after her allegation against Biden first surfaced, used the opportunity of a press conference to promote a report in his publication claiming that Trump referred to fallen U.S. Marines as “losers” and “suckers.” Dovere then asked Biden, “When you hear these remarks — ‘suckers,’ ‘losers,’ recoiling from amputees — what does it tell you about President Trump’s soul and the life he leads?”
CBS News’s Ed O’Keefe offered more of an attack on Trump than a question. He noted that Trump “once again suggested to his supporters that they should consider voting twice if they are in one of those states that can allow you to request an absentee ballot. Say, ‘Fill that out,’ and then go try voting again in person. State officials have said it’s a felony, in some cases. Just curious what you make of it.”
This is the sort of questioning we should expect from the press in the closing weeks of the election.
Liberals have spent the past four years heckling journalists, and making sure that they’d think twice about negative coverage of the eventual Democratic nominee. Journalists would rather be accused of liberal bias by conservative commentators than be subjected to the wrath of liberal elites who are closer to their social circles and whose approval they seek. A lashing from a like-minded journalism school professor burns more than a flood of angry tweets from the Right.
Now, in 2020, political journalists know that they have to be looking over their shoulders whenever they think about running a negative story about Biden or asking him a challenging question. Because if they do properly scrutinize him, they will be subjected to the worst insult imaginable. They will be accused of being complicit in reelecting Trump.
Philip Klein is executive editor of the Washington Examiner.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Max Rose bets on blasting Bill de Blasio to win reelection

Rep. Max Rose , who represents Staten Island and part of Brooklyn , is campaigning to win reelection in New York City 's most conservative district by blasting Mayor Bill de Blasio , a fellow Democrat .
Rose , a first-term member of Congress , defeated Republican Rep. Dan Donovan in 2018 in the 11th Congressional District , rated an R+3 toss-up by the Cook Political Report .
The seat has swung frequently between both parties in recent election cycles due to redistricting , retirements , scandals , and resignations .
However , the district is the most politically conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where many law enforcement officers and firefighters reside with their families .
Since the beginning of his tenure of nearly seven years , the mayor of New York never had many allies among this group of city workers .
Many New York Police Department officers blame de Blasio for the skyrocketing violent crime in the city as a result of the policies by the mayor and the City Council that they say are hostile to law enforcement .
Rose decided to capitalize off of de Blasio ’ s unpopularity in his district and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He dropped a political ad this week , reiterating that “ Bill de Blasio is the worst mayor in the history of New York City ” in a six-second spot .
“ That ’ s the whole ad , ” he says , looking at the camera .
The New York Democrat made the same claim in a 15-second spot , adding with a laugh , “ That ’ s it , guys .
Seriously .
That ’ s the whole ad.
” One New York law enforcement source who lives in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ad , Rose is also known for marching with Black Lives Matters protesters .
However , the congressman has an `` army '' of volunteers to assist him in his campaign .
Rose is in a tight race against New York Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis , who currently represents parts of New York ’ s 11th Congressional District , Staten Island and Bay Ridge in the borough of Brooklyn .
Malliotakis was the Republican candidate for mayor against de Blasio in 2017 .
Rose told former Trump White House press secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving in Afghanistan in 2013 , so he did not vote for any candidate for mayor when de Blasio first ran .
But in 2017 , he voted for Reform Party candidate Sal Albanese for mayor .
Malliotakis campaign spokesman Rob Ryan responded to the Rose ad , telling the Washington Examiner , “ It ’ s fun to watch two far-left New York politicians like Max Rose and Bill de Blasio bicker over who ’ s the worst mayor .
The fact remains that Max Rose had the opportunity to join nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Nicole Malliotakis in the 2017 race for mayor.
” Ryan added , “ It ’ s obvious , Max Rose is so desperate that he ’ ll say or do anything to win this race , including attacking his buddy , Bill de Blasio .
”

Rep. Max Rose, who represents Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, is campaigning to win reelection in New York City's most conservative district by blasting Mayor Bill de Blasio, a fellow Democrat.
Rose, a first-term member of Congress, defeated Republican Rep. Dan Donovan in 2018 in the 11th Congressional District, rated an R+3 toss-up by the Cook Political Report. The seat has swung frequently between both parties in recent election cycles due to redistricting, retirements, scandals, and resignations.
However, the district is the most politically conservative in the city, and it is where many law enforcement officers and firefighters reside with their families. Since the beginning of his tenure of nearly seven years, the mayor of New York never had many allies among this group of city workers.
Many New York Police Department officers blame de Blasio for the skyrocketing violent crime in the city as a result of the policies by the mayor and the City Council that they say are hostile to law enforcement.
Rose decided to capitalize off of de Blasio’s unpopularity in his district and the mayor’s lame-duck status. He dropped a political ad this week, reiterating that “Bill de Blasio is the worst mayor in the history of New York City” in a six-second spot. “That’s the whole ad,” he says, looking at the camera.
Bill de Blasio is the worst Mayor in the history of New York City.
Just stating the facts in my latest ad #NY11 pic.twitter.com/SHfBEix5l6 — Max Rose (@MaxRose4NY) September 9, 2020
The New York Democrat made the same claim in a 15-second spot, adding with a laugh, “That’s it, guys. Seriously. That’s the whole ad.”
One New York law enforcement source who lives in the district told the Washington Examiner that regardless of the ad, Rose is also known for marching with Black Lives Matters protesters. However, the congressman has an "army" of volunteers to assist him in his campaign.
Rose is in a tight race against New York Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, who currently represents parts of New York’s 11th Congressional District, Staten Island and Bay Ridge in the borough of Brooklyn. Malliotakis was the Republican candidate for mayor against de Blasio in 2017.
Rose told former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Twitter that he was serving in Afghanistan in 2013, so he did not vote for any candidate for mayor when de Blasio first ran. But in 2017, he voted for Reform Party candidate Sal Albanese for mayor.
Malliotakis campaign spokesman Rob Ryan responded to the Rose ad, telling the Washington Examiner, “It’s fun to watch two far-left New York politicians like Max Rose and Bill de Blasio bicker over who’s the worst mayor. The fact remains that Max Rose had the opportunity to join nearly 70% of his constituents who voted for Nicole Malliotakis in the 2017 race for mayor.”
Ryan added, “It’s obvious, Max Rose is so desperate that he’ll say or do anything to win this race, including attacking his buddy, Bill de Blasio.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Susan Collins trailing Maine Democratic Senate challenger by over 8 points: Poll

A new survey of Maine voters finds that Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces an uphill climb to winning reelection in November .
The poll , conducted by Citizen Data , shows Collins earning 40.82 % support from voters in the state versus 48.95 % support for her Democratic challenger , Sara Gideon .
Another 6.67 % of voters remain unsure of who they will support .
Citizen Data interviewed 600 likely voters between Friday and Monday .
The survey carries a 4-point margin of error .
A RealClearPolitics average of recent polls , which does not include the latest from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current speaker of the Maine House of Representatives , leading by 4.5 points .
Collins first entered the Senate in 1997 .
Long known as a centrist , Collins has taken heat during President Trump 's administration for towing the GOP party line , including backing the fall 2018 nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh .
The Maine race is among five top-tier Senate contests that Democrats are targeting in their bid to win a majority in the chamber .
Republicans currently have a 53-47 edge .
On Wednesday , former Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Lieberman announced his endorsement for Collins .
“ I ’ m a lifelong Democrat , but I put my country first , always .
That ’ s why I ’ m supporting Susan Collins for Senate , ” Lieberman said in a new campaign ad .
“ She ’ s independent , thoughtful , and a fighter for women ’ s issues .
”

A new survey of Maine voters finds that Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces an uphill climb to winning reelection in November.
The poll, conducted by Citizen Data, shows Collins earning 40.82% support from voters in the state versus 48.95% support for her Democratic challenger, Sara Gideon. Another 6.67% of voters remain unsure of who they will support.
Citizen Data interviewed 600 likely voters between Friday and Monday. The survey carries a 4-point margin of error.
A RealClearPolitics average of recent polls, which does not include the latest from Citizen Data, has Gideon, the current speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, leading by 4.5 points.
Collins first entered the Senate in 1997. Long known as a centrist, Collins has taken heat during President Trump's administration for towing the GOP party line, including backing the fall 2018 nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The Maine race is among five top-tier Senate contests that Democrats are targeting in their bid to win a majority in the chamber. Republicans currently have a 53-47 edge.
On Wednesday, former Democratic nominee for vice president and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman announced his endorsement for Collins.
“I’m a lifelong Democrat, but I put my country first, always. That’s why I’m supporting Susan Collins for Senate,” Lieberman said in a new campaign ad. “She’s independent, thoughtful, and a fighter for women’s issues.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Biden is consoler in chief to Trump's commander in chief at Shanksville 9/11 memorial

The stage had been stripped bare and the flower arrangements removed by the time Joe Biden arrived at the Flight 93 memorial , three hours after President Trump had addressed a Sept. 11 ceremony on the very spot .
The Democratic nominee laid a wreath with his wife , Jill , beneath the name of one of the crew members of the doomed flight and then chatted quietly with the victim 's relatives .
“ It never goes away , ” he said to Cheryl and Camal Homer , “ Does it ?
” The two candidates for president made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Names at the crash site where 40 passengers and crew died in a rural Pennsylvania field .
But they did it in their own styles , offering different visions of how a president can relate to the nation .
In the morning , Trump addressed some 200 relatives and officials with a message of American exceptionalism and bravery in a speech that showcased decisive action against terrorist leaders .
In contrast , Biden had already told reporters that he would not be making news on the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing that his campaign was suspending advertising for the day ) .
And when he arrived at the memorial near Shanksville , he spent 10 minutes talking quietly with the family of First Officer Leroy Homer , one of the pilots who died as crew and passengers tried to wrest back control of the plane from al Qaeda suicide hijackers .
A few snatches of conversation were audible from a distance as he dispensed Bidenisms .
“ If my Dad was here now , ” he said , as he embarked on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There were no prepared remarks , no ceremony .
Although politics was off the schedule for the day , it was difficult not to see two different electoral pitches , two different modes of leadership on display .
It is the choice facing voters who must decide who they want to lead them out of a pandemic .
One offers empathy and understanding , who , when confronted by grief , talks about his experience of loss .
The other offers solutions borne by willpower and brute force .
Biden had quietly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground zero , offering words of comfort to Amanda Barreto , who lost her godmother and aunt in the attacks , and handing a rose to a 90-year-old mother who had lost her son .
Yet in Shanksville , Biden , like Trump , also offered a message of fortitude when asked how new generations could honor the 9/11 dead .
“ Bravery resides in all of us , ” he said his mother had once told him .
“ The question is how people respond .
It ’ s incredible.
” And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the servicemen and servicewomen who joined the armed forces in the wake of such terrible attacks .
“ After 9/11 , there were literally millions of that generation who signed up knowing they were going to put on desert boots and go to Iraq and Afghanistan .
My son was one of those , ” he said .
The National Park Service originally planned a brief ceremony to mark the anniversary while protecting attendees from COVID-19 .
But when Biden and then Trump announced plans to visit , it updated the schedule to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of the interior .
Trump spoke from a stage in front of flags — United States , Germany , Japan , and New Zealand , representing the nationalities of the dead — for 15 minutes .
“ The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger , no matter the threat , no matter the odds , America will always rise up , stand tall , and fight back , ” he said , before also laying a wreath .
The flags had been removed , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been allowed back on to the site before Biden ’ s motorcade arrived .

The stage had been stripped bare and the flower arrangements removed by the time Joe Biden arrived at the Flight 93 memorial, three hours after President Trump had addressed a Sept. 11 ceremony on the very spot.
The Democratic nominee laid a wreath with his wife, Jill, beneath the name of one of the crew members of the doomed flight and then chatted quietly with the victim's relatives.
“It never goes away,” he said to Cheryl and Camal Homer, “Does it?”
The two candidates for president made pilgrimages on Friday to the marble Wall of Names at the crash site where 40 passengers and crew died in a rural Pennsylvania field. But they did it in their own styles, offering different visions of how a president can relate to the nation.
In the morning, Trump addressed some 200 relatives and officials with a message of American exceptionalism and bravery in a speech that showcased decisive action against terrorist leaders.
In contrast, Biden had already told reporters that he would not be making news on the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks (even as he made headlines by announcing that his campaign was suspending advertising for the day).
And when he arrived at the memorial near Shanksville, he spent 10 minutes talking quietly with the family of First Officer Leroy Homer, one of the pilots who died as crew and passengers tried to wrest back control of the plane from al Qaeda suicide hijackers.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden greets Vice President Mike Pence at the 19th anniversary ceremony in observance of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Mary Altaffer/AP
A few snatches of conversation were audible from a distance as he dispensed Bidenisms. “If my Dad was here now,” he said, as he embarked on an anecdote that elicited giggles from his audience.
There were no prepared remarks, no ceremony.
Although politics was off the schedule for the day, it was difficult not to see two different electoral pitches, two different modes of leadership on display. It is the choice facing voters who must decide who they want to lead them out of a pandemic.
One offers empathy and understanding, who, when confronted by grief, talks about his experience of loss. The other offers solutions borne by willpower and brute force.
Biden had quietly consoled families at a morning commemoration at ground zero, offering words of comfort to Amanda Barreto, who lost her godmother and aunt in the attacks, and handing a rose to a 90-year-old mother who had lost her son.
Yet in Shanksville, Biden, like Trump, also offered a message of fortitude when asked how new generations could honor the 9/11 dead.
“Bravery resides in all of us,” he said his mother had once told him. “The question is how people respond. It’s incredible.”
President Donald Trump speaks at a 19th anniversary observance of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., Friday, Sept. 11, 2020 Gene J. Puskar/AP
And like Trump, he paid tribute to the servicemen and servicewomen who joined the armed forces in the wake of such terrible attacks.
“After 9/11, there were literally millions of that generation who signed up knowing they were going to put on desert boots and go to Iraq and Afghanistan. My son was one of those,” he said.
The National Park Service originally planned a brief ceremony to mark the anniversary while protecting attendees from COVID-19. But when Biden and then Trump announced plans to visit, it updated the schedule to include remarks from the president and the secretary of the interior.
Trump spoke from a stage in front of flags — United States, Germany, Japan, and New Zealand, representing the nationalities of the dead — for 15 minutes.
“The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back,” he said, before also laying a wreath.
The flags had been removed, the seating cleared, and the general public had been allowed back on to the site before Biden’s motorcade arrived.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Michigan crowd's chant prompts Trump to tell them to stop because he may 'start to cry'

Supporters of President Trump gathered at a Michigan rally started a chant of “ We love you , ” prompting a warning from the president that he might cry if they don ’ t stop .
“ Don ’ t say that .
I ’ ll start to cry , ” Trump said after the Michigan crowd began chanting , “ We love you.
” “ That wouldn ’ t be good for my image .
You don ’ t want to see me cry.
” The airport manager at the hangar where Trump addressed the crowd said 5,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates guess that .
“ We were really overflowing .
Our old parking lot which had 1,400 spaces was rapidly filled .
We were then parking people in the grass — which then also filled up , and people were parking along the roadside , '' airport manager James Cander said .
`` I eventually had to tell people to start parking at the new terminal parking lot , which was a mile away.
” Trump carried the state of Michigan in 2016 over Hillary Clinton by a margin of 0.3 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the key Rust Belt state .

Supporters of President Trump gathered at a Michigan rally started a chant of “We love you,” prompting a warning from the president that he might cry if they don’t stop.
“Don’t say that. I’ll start to cry,” Trump said after the Michigan crowd began chanting, “We love you.” “That wouldn’t be good for my image. You don’t want to see me cry.”
"I'll start to cry," @realDonaldTrump responds to chants of "We love you" from a Michigan crowd. pic.twitter.com/emvysNZ3Kw — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 11, 2020
The airport manager at the hangar where Trump addressed the crowd said 5,000 people were expected to attend, but preliminary estimates guess that roughly 10,000 people were in attendance .
“We were really overflowing. Our old parking lot which had 1,400 spaces was rapidly filled. We were then parking people in the grass — which then also filled up, and people were parking along the roadside," airport manager James Cander said. "I eventually had to tell people to start parking at the new terminal parking lot, which was a mile away.”
Trump carried the state of Michigan in 2016 over Hillary Clinton by a margin of 0.3%, and recent polling suggests he is currently trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the key Rust Belt state.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--House GOP to roll out new agenda next week

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told rank-and-file Republican lawmakers Friday he will roll out a new agenda next week focused on ending the coronavirus outbreak , rebuilding jobs , and preserving conservative priorities , including school choice and ending U.S. dependence on China .
In a memo to Republicans , McCarthy said the framework will distinguish the GOP agenda from that of the Democrats and that it “ encapsulates our mission and plan moving forward . ''
McCarthy ’ s Friday memo doesn ’ t provide many details but advises Republicans it will be the focus of a Monday night GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , more than ever , our constituents deserve to know exactly where we stand and how we plan to combat the radical Democrat agenda to defund our police , Border Patrol , and military , dismantle our Constitution and democratic institutions , and destroy our economy and standing in the world , ” McCarthy said in the memo .
The framework was written in collaboration with the Trump administration and 150 ideas submitted by GOP lawmakers .
No .
1 on the list is ending the coronavirus pandemic while preserving constitutional freedoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue state lockdowns , and McCarthy pointed out last week that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has pledged to “ shut everything down ” if advised to do so by health officials .
The framework pledges to rebuild the economy by adding 10 million new , good-paying jobs and ending dependence on China .
The plan also calls for infrastructure investments and supporting schools and school choice .
“ From day one , our goal was to present a unified Commitment to America offered by Republicans across the country , while pointing out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our colleagues on the Left , ” McCarthy said .
Republicans would have to win more than 20 Democratic-held seats to regain the majority they lost in the 2018 midterm elections .

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told rank-and-file Republican lawmakers Friday he will roll out a new agenda next week focused on ending the coronavirus outbreak, rebuilding jobs, and preserving conservative priorities, including school choice and ending U.S. dependence on China.
In a memo to Republicans, McCarthy said the framework will distinguish the GOP agenda from that of the Democrats and that it “encapsulates our mission and plan moving forward."
McCarthy’s Friday memo doesn’t provide many details but advises Republicans it will be the focus of a Monday night GOP conference meeting in the Capitol.
“Now, more than ever, our constituents deserve to know exactly where we stand and how we plan to combat the radical Democrat agenda to defund our police, Border Patrol, and military, dismantle our Constitution and democratic institutions, and destroy our economy and standing in the world,” McCarthy said in the memo.
The framework was written in collaboration with the Trump administration and 150 ideas submitted by GOP lawmakers.
No. 1 on the list is ending the coronavirus pandemic while preserving constitutional freedoms. Republicans have been critical of prolonged blue state lockdowns, and McCarthy pointed out last week that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has pledged to “shut everything down” if advised to do so by health officials.
The framework pledges to rebuild the economy by adding 10 million new, good-paying jobs and ending dependence on China.
The plan also calls for infrastructure investments and supporting schools and school choice.
“From day one, our goal was to present a unified Commitment to America offered by Republicans across the country, while pointing out the very real contrasts we have with our colleagues on the Left,” McCarthy said.
Republicans would have to win more than 20 Democratic-held seats to regain the majority they lost in the 2018 midterm elections.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--USPS sends postcards encouraging voters to 'make a plan' for mail-in ballots

The United States Postal Service is mailing postcards that encourage voters to make a plan on how they will vote by mail if they plan to use that method to cast ballots .
`` If you plan to vote by mail , plan ahead , '' the 5.5-by-8.5-inch postcard says on one side , noting that the information is for `` U.S .
citizens . ''
On the reverse is a checklist for voters on how to prepare to vote by mail , which encourages voters to `` start today '' and give `` ample time to complete the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each state , to request a ballot at least 15 days before Election Day , to follow the instructions thoroughly and to return the ballot at least seven days before Election Day .
[ Read : The facts about voting early , by mail or absentee ] The mailer is part of a USPS campaign `` to educate the public on the Postal Service 's role in the mail-in ballot process '' that started in August .
`` The nonpartisan campaign neither encourages nor discourages mail-in voting ; rather , it is designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the importance of planning ahead if they plan to vote by mail , '' a USPS spokesperson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner .
`` The campaign includes print , TV and radio ads , direct mail to residential customers , retail signage in Post Office lobbies , social media , and online resources , including the recently launched Election Mail website on usps.com.
” Figures on how many Postal Service customers will receive the mailing and the cost of the mailing were not immediately available .
Unlike the Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difference between the terms `` mail-in voting '' and `` absentee '' voting , the mailer does not make a distinction .
`` Request your mail-in ballot ( often called `` absentee '' ballot ) at least 15 days before Election Day , '' it reads .
While the mailing does not induce any partisan messages , it echoes a number of liberal organizations funded by Democrats that push similar messages in the hopes of increasing voter turnout , which tends to benefit Democrats in elections .
Thought President Trump finds limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automatic , universal mail-in voting for fear of voter fraud has aided in creating a partisan divide in the number of absentee and mail-in ballots requested , with far more Democrats requesting ballots than Republicans .
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy came under fire from Congress last month after accusations swirled that Trump was trying to undermine mail-in voting .
DeJoy told Congress that he is `` very , very confident '' in on-time ballot delivery .
More voters than ever will be eligible to cast ballots by mail this year because states expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hoping to prevent the spread of the virus at polling sites and among poll workers who are often elderly and are more at risk of dying from the virus .
The expansion of mail-in voting presents logistical challenges for election administrators who will deal with masses of absentee ballots for the first time .
Experts warn that the surge of mail-in voting could mean election winners will not be known for days or weeks .

The United States Postal Service is mailing postcards that encourage voters to make a plan on how they will vote by mail if they plan to use that method to cast ballots.
"If you plan to vote by mail, plan ahead," the 5.5-by-8.5-inch postcard says on one side, noting that the information is for "U.S. citizens."
On the reverse is a checklist for voters on how to prepare to vote by mail, which encourages voters to "start today" and give "ample time to complete the process," to verify the rules in each state, to request a ballot at least 15 days before Election Day, to follow the instructions thoroughly and to return the ballot at least seven days before Election Day.
[Read: The facts about voting early, by mail or absentee]
(Emily Larsen/Washington Examiner)
The mailer is part of a USPS campaign "to educate the public on the Postal Service's role in the mail-in ballot process" that started in August.
"The nonpartisan campaign neither encourages nor discourages mail-in voting; rather, it is designed to reach and inform all voters about the importance of planning ahead if they plan to vote by mail," a USPS spokesperson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. "The campaign includes print, TV and radio ads, direct mail to residential customers, retail signage in Post Office lobbies, social media, and online resources, including the recently launched Election Mail website on usps.com.”
Figures on how many Postal Service customers will receive the mailing and the cost of the mailing were not immediately available.
(Emily Larsen/Washington Examiner)
Unlike the Trump campaign, which has worked hard to define a difference between the terms "mail-in voting" and "absentee" voting, the mailer does not make a distinction. "Request your mail-in ballot (often called "absentee" ballot) at least 15 days before Election Day," it reads.
While the mailing does not induce any partisan messages, it echoes a number of liberal organizations funded by Democrats that push similar messages in the hopes of increasing voter turnout, which tends to benefit Democrats in elections.
Thought President Trump finds limited absentee voting acceptable, his opposition to automatic, universal mail-in voting for fear of voter fraud has aided in creating a partisan divide in the number of absentee and mail-in ballots requested, with far more Democrats requesting ballots than Republicans.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy came under fire from Congress last month after accusations swirled that Trump was trying to undermine mail-in voting. DeJoy told Congress that he is "very, very confident" in on-time ballot delivery.
More voters than ever will be eligible to cast ballots by mail this year because states expanded the practice due to the coronavirus pandemic, hoping to prevent the spread of the virus at polling sites and among poll workers who are often elderly and are more at risk of dying from the virus.
The expansion of mail-in voting presents logistical challenges for election administrators who will deal with masses of absentee ballots for the first time. Experts warn that the surge of mail-in voting could mean election winners will not be known for days or weeks.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Democrats sound dumb attacking Trump for worrying about the economy at the start of the pandemic

Joe Biden and his friends in the media think it 's a sick burn to accuse the president of being overly concerned with the health of the economy as the coronavirus pandemic readied to kill what is coming close to 200,000 people in the United States .
But the point really only reveals that Democrats are hysterical maniacs about a virus that has , to date , killed one half of a tenth of a percent of the U.S. population and with the death rate plummeting since April ( minus a brief uptick in July ) .
For that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial markets collapse , sacrifice millions of jobs , and watch our entire economy spiral into a depression that would last for years , perhaps never fully recovering .
New York Times liberal Michelle Goldberg wrote Thursday , `` Of course , Trump usually loves creating panic — about immigrants , about antifa , about low-income people invading the suburbs .
But there is one place he wants to maintain tranquility — in the financial markets . ''
It 's the same line Biden slurred through earlier this week .
Asked about Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during which he repeatedly and wrongly predicted that it would quickly disappear , he said , “ It was all about making sure the stock market didn ’ t come down , that his wealthy friends didn ’ t lose any money.
” ( Would someone tell Biden that millions of perfectly middle-class families also rely on the stock markets performing well so that their retirement accounts , by consequence , also do well ? )
I know that the `` People will die ! ''
line is the go-to for Democrats when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in this case , it should serve as a signal to voters that they really only have one answer as to how they would have managed the pandemic , and it 's to shut the country down indefinitely while hoping against hope that some elusive cure or vaccine with a 100 % effective rate comes along .
Well , we 're now going into the ninth month of this virus — it started spreading in China back in December — and no scientist anywhere has come up with either of those things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nationwide scale for close to two months and are now sitting on 8 % unemployment .
Imagine what would have happened if we did it Biden 's way and kept it closed for another three or four or more ?
The very thought should repulse anyone who understands that deaths were bound to come and that our only choice was to strike a balance in saving as many lives as possible while ensuring that the economy did n't shatter to a trillion irreparable pieces .
Yes , Trump was very worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are n't Democrats worried enough ?

Joe Biden and his friends in the media think it's a sick burn to accuse the president of being overly concerned with the health of the economy as the coronavirus pandemic readied to kill what is coming close to 200,000 people in the United States.
But the point really only reveals that Democrats are hysterical maniacs about a virus that has, to date, killed one half of a tenth of a percent of the U.S. population and with the death rate plummeting since April (minus a brief uptick in July).
For that, we were apparently supposed to let the financial markets collapse, sacrifice millions of jobs, and watch our entire economy spiral into a depression that would last for years, perhaps never fully recovering.
New York Times liberal Michelle Goldberg wrote Thursday, "Of course, Trump usually loves creating panic — about immigrants, about antifa, about low-income people invading the suburbs. But there is one place he wants to maintain tranquility — in the financial markets."
It's the same line Biden slurred through earlier this week. Asked about Trump's early response to the coronavirus, during which he repeatedly and wrongly predicted that it would quickly disappear, he said, “It was all about making sure the stock market didn’t come down, that his wealthy friends didn’t lose any money.” (Would someone tell Biden that millions of perfectly middle-class families also rely on the stock markets performing well so that their retirement accounts, by consequence, also do well?)
I know that the "People will die!" line is the go-to for Democrats when it comes to literally any issue. But in this case, it should serve as a signal to voters that they really only have one answer as to how they would have managed the pandemic, and it's to shut the country down indefinitely while hoping against hope that some elusive cure or vaccine with a 100% effective rate comes along.
Well, we're now going into the ninth month of this virus — it started spreading in China back in December — and no scientist anywhere has come up with either of those things. We closed our economy for on a nationwide scale for close to two months and are now sitting on 8% unemployment. Imagine what would have happened if we did it Biden's way and kept it closed for another three or four or more?
The very thought should repulse anyone who understands that deaths were bound to come and that our only choice was to strike a balance in saving as many lives as possible while ensuring that the economy didn't shatter to a trillion irreparable pieces.
Yes, Trump was very worried about the economy and rightfully so. Why aren't Democrats worried enough?


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--NIH director: Crowded Trump rally left him 'pretty puzzled and rather disheartened'

National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said the latest Trump rally left him feeling `` disheartened . ''
During a Thursday evening interview on CNN , the top health official discussed the lack of precautionary measures taken by people who were in attendance at President Trump 's crowded campaign rally in Michigan at that same time .
“ It just deeply puzzles me , Sanjay , '' Collins said to CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta before criticizing the politicization of coronavirus prevention .
`` Imagine you were an alien who landed on planet Earth , and you saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious disease and that masks were an effective way to prevent the spread , '' he said .
`` And yet , when you went around , you saw some people not wearing them and some people wearing them .
And you tried to figure out why , and it turned out it was their political party .
And you would scratch your head and think , ‘ This is just not a planet that has much promise for the future if something that is so straightforward can somehow get twisted into decision-making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , I 'm , as a scientist , I am pretty puzzled and rather disheartened . ''
An estimated 5,500 people packed together to witness Trump speak in an aircraft hangar in Freeland , Michigan , some of whom were not wearing masks .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer has instituted coronavirus restrictions in her state , including limiting public outdoor gatherings to 100 people or fewer , but there are exceptions for events protected by the First Amendment .
The White House is battling backlash over taped conversations released this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Woodward in which the president talked about publicly downplaying the coronavirus early on in the pandemic , including at rallies before he stopped holding them for a time because of the health crisis .
In one of the taped interviews , which took place on Feb. 7 , Trump called the virus `` deadly stuff '' and noted that it may be five times `` more deadly '' than the flu .
Trump told Woodward during another conversation on March 19 that he `` wanted to always play it down '' and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I do n't want to create a panic . ''
The White House has argued that Trump did not mislead the public , and as Woodward defends himself from criticism for not releasing the tapes sooner instead of waiting for the release of his new book next week , Trump claimed the journalist knew his comments about downplaying the virus were `` good and proper . ''

National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said the latest Trump rally left him feeling "disheartened."
During a Thursday evening interview on CNN, the top health official discussed the lack of precautionary measures taken by people who were in attendance at President Trump's crowded campaign rally in Michigan at that same time.
“It just deeply puzzles me, Sanjay," Collins said to CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta before criticizing the politicization of coronavirus prevention.
"Imagine you were an alien who landed on planet Earth, and you saw that our planet was afflicted by an infectious disease and that masks were an effective way to prevent the spread," he said. "And yet, when you went around, you saw some people not wearing them and some people wearing them. And you tried to figure out why, and it turned out it was their political party. And you would scratch your head and think, ‘This is just not a planet that has much promise for the future if something that is so straightforward can somehow get twisted into decision-making that really makes no sense.' So, I'm, as a scientist, I am pretty puzzled and rather disheartened."
An estimated 5,500 people packed together to witness Trump speak in an aircraft hangar in Freeland, Michigan, some of whom were not wearing masks. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has instituted coronavirus restrictions in her state, including limiting public outdoor gatherings to 100 people or fewer, but there are exceptions for events protected by the First Amendment.
The White House is battling backlash over taped conversations released this week that were between Trump and journalist Bob Woodward in which the president talked about publicly downplaying the coronavirus early on in the pandemic, including at rallies before he stopped holding them for a time because of the health crisis.
In one of the taped interviews, which took place on Feb. 7, Trump called the virus "deadly stuff" and noted that it may be five times "more deadly" than the flu. Trump told Woodward during another conversation on March 19 that he "wanted to always play it down" and that "I still like playing it down because I don't want to create a panic."
The White House has argued that Trump did not mislead the public, and as Woodward defends himself from criticism for not releasing the tapes sooner instead of waiting for the release of his new book next week, Trump claimed the journalist knew his comments about downplaying the virus were "good and proper."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Biden and Pence bump elbows at 9/11 memorial

Joe Biden crossed paths with his presidential ticket rival and vice presidential successor Mike Pence at a 9/11 memorial In @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus pandemic , the two mask-wearing men bumped elbows rather than shaking hands @ @ @ @ @ other .
The Democratic presidential nominee and the Republican vice president attended a ceremony commemorating @ @ @ @ @ 9/11 attacks on Friday .
Their wives , Jill Biden and Karen Pence , were @ @ @ @ @ greetings .
Both Biden and President Trump are scheduled to visit the annual ceremony taking @ @ @ @ @ Memorial in Shanksville , Pennsylvania on Friday , but they are not expected to run @ @ @ @ @ Pence and Biden have maintained a friendly relationship .
Early during the Trump administration , @ @ @ @ @ Dick Cheney would often talk to Pence and counsel him on foreign policy matters and @ @ @ @ @ office they have all shared .
Biden 's campaign paused all advertising spending for the @ @ @ @ @ .

Joe Biden crossed paths with his presidential ticket rival and vice presidential successor Mike Pence at a 9/11 memorial In New York City.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two mask-wearing men bumped elbows rather than shaking hands as they briefly greeted each other.
The Democratic presidential nominee and the Republican vice president attended a ceremony commemorating the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Friday. Their wives, Jill Biden and Karen Pence, were also in attendance and exchanged greetings.
Both Biden and President Trump are scheduled to visit the annual ceremony taking place at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on Friday, but they are not expected to run into each other there.
- Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joesph R. Biden Jr. attends the 19th September 11 commemoration ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, Sept. 11, 2020. Amr Alfiky/The New York Times Sent using Beam (30248925A/CU6A6321-1599829391528.jpg). Original. NYTCREDIT: Amr Alfiky/The New York Times (Amr Alfiky/AP)
Joe Biden and Mike Pence are both at Ground Zero. Biden tapped Pence’s shoulder and said hi pic.twitter.com/1vZScVHRks — Emma Kinery (@EmmaKinery) September 11, 2020
Pence and Biden have maintained a friendly relationship. Early during the Trump administration, Biden and former Vice President Dick Cheney would often talk to Pence and counsel him on foreign policy matters and other issues related to the office they have all shared.
Biden's campaign paused all advertising spending for the day in recognition of 9/11.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-11--Biden pulls campaign advertising on 9/11

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced before departing for New York City to mark the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks that his campaign would pull down its advertising in honor of the `` solemn '' occasion .
Biden and his wife Jill Biden were scheduled Friday to take part in Sept. 11 remembrance ceremonies in lower Manhattan and Shanksville , Pennsylvania .
The former vice president told reporters as he was boarding his plane in Delaware for the flight to New York that no press conferences were planned and that he had no plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to oust President Trump out of respect for those who died in the terrorist attacks .
`` I 'm not going to talk about anything other than 9/11 , '' Biden told reporters .
`` We took all of our advertising down .
It 's a solemn day , and that 's how we 're going to keep it . ''
At Biden 's first stop , at the site of the twin towers destroyed on Sept. 11 , 2001 , Biden chatted briefly with Vice President Mike Pence , with the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elbows .
Both were members of Congress ( Biden a senator , Pence served in the House ) the day jihadis hijacked four passenger airliners and struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon just across the Potomac River from Washington , D.C .
The fourth plane was headed toward Washington when passengers charged the cockpit and forced it down in rural Pennsylvania .
Trump and Biden are headed there today but are not expected to cross paths .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced before departing for New York City to mark the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that his campaign would pull down its advertising in honor of the "solemn" occasion.
Biden and his wife Jill Biden were scheduled Friday to take part in Sept. 11 remembrance ceremonies in lower Manhattan and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The former vice president told reporters as he was boarding his plane in Delaware for the flight to New York that no press conferences were planned and that he had no plans to make any news regarding his campaign to oust President Trump out of respect for those who died in the terrorist attacks.
"I'm not going to talk about anything other than 9/11," Biden told reporters. "We took all of our advertising down. It's a solemn day, and that's how we're going to keep it."
At Biden's first stop, at the site of the twin towers destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, Biden chatted briefly with Vice President Mike Pence, with the two political rivals greeting each other by bumping elbows. Both were members of Congress (Biden a senator, Pence served in the House) the day jihadis hijacked four passenger airliners and struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
The fourth plane was headed toward Washington when passengers charged the cockpit and forced it down in rural Pennsylvania. Trump and Biden are headed there today but are not expected to cross paths.