thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--Senate gridlock could keep Biden from satisfying liberals

President-elect Joe Biden hoped to model his administration on Franklin Roosevelt 's , pushing through New Deal-esque legislation and signing a raft of executive orders during his first 100 days in office .
But then , Democrats failed to flip the Senate , at least so far .
Depending on the two Jan. 5 Georgia runoffs , Biden 's agenda could be blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a GOP-controlled chamber .
While conservatives will rejoice , having feared an onslaught of liberal bills and regulations , far-left Democrats will have the opposite reaction .
Biden bragged about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nov. 3 election .
But his spectrum of supporters , ranging from far-left activists to disaffected Republicans , wo n't make it easy for him to govern .
With diverse policy interests and priorities , he 'll no longer have an anti-President Trump sentiment to bind them all together .
Bill Dauster , a chief of staff to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , agreed the liberal Democratic agenda hinges on the Georgia races .
Otherwise , the Senate will remain a place where good ideas go to die , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , expanding healthcare coverage , combating climate change , gun background checks , raising the minimum wage , universal pre-K , campaign finance reform , paid family leave , D.C. statehood , protecting workplace democracy and unions , and police reform will stand little chance if Sen. McConnell continues to lead the Senate , '' Dauster told the Washington Examiner .
But Dauster , a Senate , White House , and campaign veteran , believed liberal Democrats understood the predicament .
Instead , they 'll pressure Biden to act via executive fiat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential candidate and nominee , and administrative rule-making .
`` Some progressives will want to try to shame Republicans into addressing some of the larger social issues facing our country legislatively , but I don ’ t expect that they ’ ll succeed , '' he said .
Dauster suggested common ground may be found regarding a coronavirus package , investments in infrastructure , higher education , rural broadband , and community health centers , as well as extending the Child Tax Credit and `` restoring the former consensus on national defense .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to a bold progressive agenda , but they ’ re not nothing , '' he said .
John Pitney , a Claremont McKenna College politics professor and former House Republican Research Committee aide , reminded the Washington Examiner Biden had already promised to take executive action on immigration , including reinstating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and overturning Trump 's so-called Muslim travel ban .
`` He will surely rejoin the Paris climate accords and the World Health Organization , '' Pitney said of Biden .
But after coronavirus-related initiatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or economic stimulus , Pitney suspected bipartisanship would get `` tougher . ''
He singled out nixing Trump 's tax cuts or introducing anything resembling the `` Green New Deal '' as pipe dreams .
`` If the Supreme Court rules the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional , he will try to fix the problems by statute .
Most Republicans will resist .
At that point , Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins will be his new best friends , '' he said of Biden and the Republican senators from Alaska and Maine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsides , lawmakers will remember `` the federal debt is north of 100 % of GDP and that Social Security is running out of money , '' Pitney predicted , using the acronym for gross domestic product .
`` Then the real fun begins , '' he quipped .
Biden will be the first president since George H.W .
Bush to be sworn in without a united government , according to Thad Kousser , a University of California San Diego politics professor .
`` Everyone 's come in with a chance to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear Electoral College and popular vote mandate but very likely wo n't have the votes in the Senate , '' the political consultant said .
Although Biden 's predecessors were able to ram proposals through Congress , they were met with contempt in their first midterm cycle .
`` The silver lining on the cloud of his party 's poor performance in the House and Senate races is that Joe Biden 's not the one who 's going to have to say no to progressives , '' Kousser said .
`` Progressives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing a major policy change , but I think the blame will be focused rightly if that happens on Mitch McConnell , not Joe Biden . ''
Of the internal party politics , he added , `` Having the power and having the votes in the Senate then provides great responsibility .
Joe Biden does n't have that power , but he does n't have the responsibility . ''

President-elect Joe Biden hoped to model his administration on Franklin Roosevelt's, pushing through New Deal-esque legislation and signing a raft of executive orders during his first 100 days in office.
But then, Democrats failed to flip the Senate, at least so far.
Depending on the two Jan. 5 Georgia runoffs, Biden's agenda could be blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a GOP-controlled chamber.
While conservatives will rejoice, having feared an onslaught of liberal bills and regulations, far-left Democrats will have the opposite reaction.
Biden bragged about his broad coalition that helped him win the Nov. 3 election. But his spectrum of supporters, ranging from far-left activists to disaffected Republicans, won't make it easy for him to govern. With diverse policy interests and priorities, he'll no longer have an anti-President Trump sentiment to bind them all together.
Bill Dauster, a chief of staff to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, agreed the liberal Democratic agenda hinges on the Georgia races. Otherwise, the Senate will remain a place where good ideas go to die, he said.
"Legislation like strengthening voting rights, expanding healthcare coverage, combating climate change, gun background checks, raising the minimum wage, universal pre-K, campaign finance reform, paid family leave, D.C. statehood, protecting workplace democracy and unions, and police reform will stand little chance if Sen. McConnell continues to lead the Senate," Dauster told the Washington Examiner.
But Dauster, a Senate, White House, and campaign veteran, believed liberal Democrats understood the predicament. Instead, they'll pressure Biden to act via executive fiat, a strategy he maligned as a presidential candidate and nominee, and administrative rule-making.
"Some progressives will want to try to shame Republicans into addressing some of the larger social issues facing our country legislatively, but I don’t expect that they’ll succeed," he said.
Dauster suggested common ground may be found regarding a coronavirus package, investments in infrastructure, higher education, rural broadband, and community health centers, as well as extending the Child Tax Credit and "restoring the former consensus on national defense."
"These don’t add up to a bold progressive agenda, but they’re not nothing," he said.
John Pitney, a Claremont McKenna College politics professor and former House Republican Research Committee aide, reminded the Washington Examiner Biden had already promised to take executive action on immigration, including reinstating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and overturning Trump's so-called Muslim travel ban.
"He will surely rejoin the Paris climate accords and the World Health Organization," Pitney said of Biden.
But after coronavirus-related initiatives, whether it's concerning vaccine distribution or economic stimulus, Pitney suspected bipartisanship would get "tougher." He singled out nixing Trump's tax cuts or introducing anything resembling the "Green New Deal" as pipe dreams.
"If the Supreme Court rules the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional, he will try to fix the problems by statute. Most Republicans will resist. At that point, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins will be his new best friends," he said of Biden and the Republican senators from Alaska and Maine, respectively.
Even after the pandemic subsides, lawmakers will remember "the federal debt is north of 100% of GDP and that Social Security is running out of money," Pitney predicted, using the acronym for gross domestic product.
"Then the real fun begins," he quipped.
Biden will be the first president since George H.W. Bush to be sworn in without a united government, according to Thad Kousser, a University of California San Diego politics professor.
"Everyone's come in with a chance to move on their mandate. Joe Biden won a clear Electoral College and popular vote mandate but very likely won't have the votes in the Senate," the political consultant said.
Although Biden's predecessors were able to ram proposals through Congress, they were met with contempt in their first midterm cycle.
"The silver lining on the cloud of his party's poor performance in the House and Senate races is that Joe Biden's not the one who's going to have to say no to progressives," Kousser said. "Progressives will be disappointed and maybe disenchanted without seeing a major policy change, but I think the blame will be focused rightly if that happens on Mitch McConnell, not Joe Biden."
Of the internal party politics, he added, "Having the power and having the votes in the Senate then provides great responsibility. Joe Biden doesn't have that power, but he doesn't have the responsibility."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--2020 was a reminder that money can't buy elections

One of the most undercommented on features of the 2016 election was the fact that Hillary Clinton outspent President Trump 2-to-1 .
She lost a squeaker .
In 2020 , little changed .
Joe Biden outspent Trump by nearly 2-to-1 .
Although he won , his margin of victory in the states that he needed for the required electoral votes was smaller .
For all of his financial dominance , the favored candidate won by the skin of his teeth .
Earlier this year , Tom Steyer spent hundreds of millions of dollars to go nowhere in the Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mark on that folly with his futile presidential candidacy .
It turns out that you can spend a billion dollars and get nowhere in an election .
This year was filled with such reminders that the Left ’ s obsession with campaign finance and the Citizens United decision specifically is misguided .
Although the final totals are still out , the Republicans ’ miraculous hold in the Senate occurred despite Democrats ’ outspending GOP candidates ( including incumbents ) by massive amounts as of Oct. 14 .
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponent as Democratic donors poured $ 88 million into the black hole of Amy McGrath ’ s candidacy .
Sen. Joni Ernst , an Iowa Republican , who was expected by some last month to lose her seat , ended up winning by a comfortable 7 points despite being outspent 2-to-1 by the Democratic realtor who ran against her .
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , who was also expected to lose , won soundly despite being outspent by more than 2-to-1 by her Democratic opponent .
Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged him despite being outspent , $ 38 million to $ 26 million , as of last month .
Even in states where Democratic hopes were minimal or nonexistent , their Senate candidates enjoyed massive financial advantages as they went down to defeat .
In Kansas , Democrat Barbara Bollier had outspent Rep. Roger Marshall by about 4-to-1 ( as of mid-October ) on her way to a 12-point loss .
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham ’ s opponent outspent him in South Carolina .
The hopeless Sen. Doug Jones , a Democrat from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 4-to-1 and was clobbered .
In Alaska , the losing Democratic nominee outspent Sen. Dan Sullivan , a Republican , 2-to-1 .
Perhaps you notice the pattern : Not even a massive financial advantage guarantees victory in politics .
Even in competitive states , and even in competitive races , the money spent to disseminate political messages can not , by itself , determine election outcomes .
To be sure , money serves as a barrier to entry for unserious candidates — those lacking the support to raise anything .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a popular movement where there is no support .
It can not turn an odious candidate into an admirable one .
It can not make attractive policies out of the ones that voters reject .
Money doesn ’ t buy elections — not even close .
And that means one can not fix politics simply by fixing campaign finance .
These inconvenient facts demolish the liberal fallacy that it is worth diminishing the freedom of speech even slightly in the name of regulating campaign finance .

One of the most undercommented on features of the 2016 election was the fact that Hillary Clinton outspent President Trump 2-to-1. She lost a squeaker.
In 2020, little changed. Joe Biden outspent Trump by nearly 2-to-1. Although he won, his margin of victory in the states that he needed for the required electoral votes was smaller. For all of his financial dominance, the favored candidate won by the skin of his teeth.
Earlier this year, Tom Steyer spent hundreds of millions of dollars to go nowhere in the Democratic presidential primary. Michael Bloomberg put an exclamation mark on that folly with his futile presidential candidacy. It turns out that you can spend a billion dollars and get nowhere in an election.
This year was filled with such reminders that the Left’s obsession with campaign finance and the Citizens United decision specifically is misguided.
Although the final totals are still out, the Republicans’ miraculous hold in the Senate occurred despite Democrats’ outspending GOP candidates (including incumbents) by massive amounts as of Oct. 14.
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was outspent almost 2-to-1 by his hapless opponent as Democratic donors poured $88 million into the black hole of Amy McGrath’s candidacy.
Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, who was expected by some last month to lose her seat, ended up winning by a comfortable 7 points despite being outspent 2-to-1 by the Democratic realtor who ran against her.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who was also expected to lose, won soundly despite being outspent by more than 2-to-1 by her Democratic opponent.
Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana handily defeated the popular Democratic governor who challenged him despite being outspent, $38 million to $26 million, as of last month.
Even in states where Democratic hopes were minimal or nonexistent, their Senate candidates enjoyed massive financial advantages as they went down to defeat. In Kansas, Democrat Barbara Bollier had outspent Rep. Roger Marshall by about 4-to-1 (as of mid-October) on her way to a 12-point loss. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s opponent outspent him in South Carolina. The hopeless Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat from Alabama, outspent his Republican challenger by more than 4-to-1 and was clobbered. In Alaska, the losing Democratic nominee outspent Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, 2-to-1.
Perhaps you notice the pattern: Not even a massive financial advantage guarantees victory in politics. Even in competitive states, and even in competitive races, the money spent to disseminate political messages cannot, by itself, determine election outcomes.
To be sure, money serves as a barrier to entry for unserious candidates — those lacking the support to raise anything. But not even a billion dollars can create a popular movement where there is no support. It cannot turn an odious candidate into an admirable one. It cannot make attractive policies out of the ones that voters reject.
Money doesn’t buy elections — not even close. And that means one cannot fix politics simply by fixing campaign finance. These inconvenient facts demolish the liberal fallacy that it is worth diminishing the freedom of speech even slightly in the name of regulating campaign finance.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--Republicans hope Trump's future ambitions will guide how he handles 2020 race ending

As President Trump ’ s legal options for contesting the presidential race dwindle , Republicans are hopeful he can be persuaded to put the 2020 election in the past and focus on his political future .
Persistent rumors that either Trump will run for president again in 2024 or one of his children will remain active in Republican politics may give GOP leaders the leverage they need to persuade him to stand down , concede , and work on keeping the Senate under the party ’ s control by campaigning for both Republican candidates in the Georgia runoff .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don Jr. wants to run , that won ’ t be helped by losing in Georgia and costing us the Senate , ” said a Republican political consultant .
“ [ Senate Majority Leader ] Mitch McConnell needs to make this clear to him.
” Republican elected officials have mostly stood patiently behind Trump ’ s efforts to contest the results in multiple battleground states that went narrowly for President-elect Joe Biden , some are starting to back away as legal setbacks mount , evidence of widespread voter fraud has failed to materialize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the states in question begin to certify their election results .
The General Services Administration announced Monday evening that it would begin the official White House transition process .
Earlier in the day , even Trump-friendly lawmakers were calling for this to begin .
`` Vice President Biden and Senator Harris should begin receiving all appropriate briefings related to national security and COVID-19 to facilitate a smooth transfer of power in the likely event that they are to take office on January 20 , '' said GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 40 points , in a carefully worded statement .
While acknowledging Trump ’ s right to pursue legal challenges , she added , “ However , at some point , the 2020 election must end .
The window for legal challenges and recounts is rapidly closing as states certify their results in the coming days.
” Trump tweeted approvingly of the GSA beginning the transition while maintaining he was going to continue to challenge the results .
Top conservative commentators , ranging from Fox News ’ s Tucker Carlson to nationally syndicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also pressed the Trump legal team to substantiate their claims of wide-ranging fraud .
Both Carlson and Limbaugh are supportive of Trump , and both say they have failed to see proof of the alleged conspiracy .
The legal team itself has fractured , with Sidney Powell , the lawyer who went the furthest in claiming communists and voting software stole the election from the president , on the outs .
Powell even declared that Republican leaders in Georgia were a part of the stolen election conspiracy .
GOP leaders fear it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ahead of the two runoff elections that will determine the Senate majority .
Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s son and a family member seen as a possible future political candidate or even party leader , tweeted in opposition to those who say Republicans should withhold their support from GOP Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler to protest the presidential election .
“ That is NONSENSE , ” he wrote .
“ IGNORE those people.
” Under federal law , states need to have their slates of electors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College meets to vote six days later .
The Georgia runoffs aren ’ t until Jan. 5 , potentially giving Trump time to process the result .
Other Republicans aren ’ t holding their breath for Trump to back down anytime soon .
“ I do n't think anybody , with the possible exception of McConnell , has any leverage over Trump , ” said a GOP operative in Washington , D.C. “ The bottom line is that Trump cares very little about anyone but himself , and his decisions and actions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also believe that his changes in 2024 are better if Republican voters see him as having been cheated out of an election he rightfully won rather than the 2020 loser .
The Trump campaign remained defiant after Biden was certified the winner in Michigan .
“ Certification by state officials is simply a procedural step , ” said senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis in a statement .
“ We are going to continue combatting election fraud around the country as we fight to count all the legal votes .
Americans must be assured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimate.
” “ The smartest and most productive move he could make would be to concede the election and do everything he can to help our two candidates in Georgia , ” said the operative .
“ But he wo n't , and it could cost us the Senate .
I do believe , however , that this will hurt him in a 2024 run and that it 'll bring other candidates to a GOP presidential primary.
” Some party insiders are hopeful an appeal to Trump ’ s legacy will help — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stronger position than George W. Bush did — while others are skeptical .
“ No , Trump doesn ’ t feel like he needs the support of anyone and will do whatever he thinks is best for himself , ” said a Republican strategist who has advised one of the president ’ s biggest allies within the party .

As President Trump’s legal options for contesting the presidential race dwindle, Republicans are hopeful he can be persuaded to put the 2020 election in the past and focus on his political future.
Persistent rumors that either Trump will run for president again in 2024 or one of his children will remain active in Republican politics may give GOP leaders the leverage they need to persuade him to stand down, concede, and work on keeping the Senate under the party’s control by campaigning for both Republican candidates in the Georgia runoff.
“If he wants to run again or Don Jr. wants to run, that won’t be helped by losing in Georgia and costing us the Senate,” said a Republican political consultant. “[Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell needs to make this clear to him.”
Republican elected officials have mostly stood patiently behind Trump’s efforts to contest the results in multiple battleground states that went narrowly for President-elect Joe Biden, some are starting to back away as legal setbacks mount, evidence of widespread voter fraud has failed to materialize to the satisfaction of many lawmakers, and the states in question begin to certify their election results.
The General Services Administration announced Monday evening that it would begin the official White House transition process. Earlier in the day, even Trump-friendly lawmakers were calling for this to begin.
"Vice President Biden and Senator Harris should begin receiving all appropriate briefings related to national security and COVID-19 to facilitate a smooth transfer of power in the likely event that they are to take office on January 20," said GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, a state Trump won by 40 points, in a carefully worded statement. While acknowledging Trump’s right to pursue legal challenges, she added, “However, at some point, the 2020 election must end. The window for legal challenges and recounts is rapidly closing as states certify their results in the coming days.”
Trump tweeted approvingly of the GSA beginning the transition while maintaining he was going to continue to challenge the results.
Top conservative commentators, ranging from Fox News’s Tucker Carlson to nationally syndicated radio show host Rush Limbaugh, have also pressed the Trump legal team to substantiate their claims of wide-ranging fraud. Both Carlson and Limbaugh are supportive of Trump, and both say they have failed to see proof of the alleged conspiracy. The legal team itself has fractured, with Sidney Powell, the lawyer who went the furthest in claiming communists and voting software stole the election from the president, on the outs.
Powell even declared that Republican leaders in Georgia were a part of the stolen election conspiracy. GOP leaders fear it could demoralize the party’s voters in the state ahead of the two runoff elections that will determine the Senate majority.
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son and a family member seen as a possible future political candidate or even party leader, tweeted in opposition to those who say Republicans should withhold their support from GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler to protest the presidential election. “That is NONSENSE,” he wrote. “IGNORE those people.”
Under federal law, states need to have their slates of electors set by Dec. 8. The Electoral College meets to vote six days later. The Georgia runoffs aren’t until Jan. 5, potentially giving Trump time to process the result.
Other Republicans aren’t holding their breath for Trump to back down anytime soon. “I don't think anybody, with the possible exception of McConnell, has any leverage over Trump,” said a GOP operative in Washington, D.C. “The bottom line is that Trump cares very little about anyone but himself, and his decisions and actions are based on that premise.”
Trump could also believe that his changes in 2024 are better if Republican voters see him as having been cheated out of an election he rightfully won rather than the 2020 loser.
The Trump campaign remained defiant after Biden was certified the winner in Michigan. “Certification by state officials is simply a procedural step,” said senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis in a statement. “We are going to continue combatting election fraud around the country as we fight to count all the legal votes. Americans must be assured that the final results are fair and legitimate.”
“The smartest and most productive move he could make would be to concede the election and do everything he can to help our two candidates in Georgia,” said the operative. “But he won't, and it could cost us the Senate. I do believe, however, that this will hurt him in a 2024 run and that it'll bring other candidates to a GOP presidential primary.”
Some party insiders are hopeful an appeal to Trump’s legacy will help — he has left congressional Republicans in a stronger position than George W. Bush did — while others are skeptical.
“No, Trump doesn’t feel like he needs the support of anyone and will do whatever he thinks is best for himself,” said a Republican strategist who has advised one of the president’s biggest allies within the party.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--Trump ally says it would be 'folly' for president to stump for Georgia's GOP senators

President Trump should stay far away from Georgia 's Senate runoff elections , according to one top ally and campaign adviser .
A visit by Trump to the state to stump for Republican Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue `` would be folly , '' said John Fredericks , a radio host and Trump campaign advisory board member .
Though the pair of Senate races will determine whether the Republican Party maintains control of the chamber , Fredericks sees a more pressing issue : Trump 's own race , which hangs in the balance until state 's electors vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not come to Georgia , '' Fredericks told the Washington Examiner on Monday .
`` Georgia Republicans have to get out Georgia voters . ''
Instead , the president should do `` exactly what he 's doing : run the country and stay on top of his legal team to make sure that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is thrown out , '' he said .
Fearful what a Democratic White House paired with majorities in the Senate and House could mean , Georgia Republicans are clamoring for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no turnout operation that rivals him , '' one longtime Georgia GOP operative told the Washington Examiner on Friday , as Vice President Mike Pence made stops in Canton and Gainesville .
Former Rep. Jack Kingston , a Republican who held Georgia 's 1st Congressional District for more than two decades , said he hoped Trump would unleash his `` firepower '' in time for early voting , which begins Dec. 15 .
Fredericks warned that if the runoffs were held today , `` both Democrats would win , '' thanks , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orchestrating '' turnout .
`` They 're going to flood the zone again , '' he said .
On Monday , Donald Trump Jr. called on Trump supporters to back Loeffler and Perdue , as some fear that the president 's absence from the top of the ticket could limit turnout .
Trump is contesting the results of the presidential race in Georgia and several other states , and in a move backed by Sens .
Perdue and Loeffler , filed a request for a recount over the weekend .
According to results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden leads Trump by 12,670 votes of about 5 million total cast , a 0.25 % margin that falls well within the 0.5 % limit permitted by state law .
Among the Trump campaign 's concerns is the matching of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes to voter registration .
Fredericks pointed to Trump 's claims of irregularities and said voters may be thinking , `` Why bother voting when they 're just going to steal it again ? ''
If Republicans do n't back Trump , `` the party is going to collapse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans will lose a core base of support .
`` There 'll be no party , '' he added .
`` It does n't exist . ''
But Georgians must first show up for Trump as he contests the results of the state 's presidential race , he said .
`` If [ Republicans ] want to win these two Senate races , they better stand and fight now because if they do n't , 15 % to 20 % of those Trump voters in rural areas in Georgia are not coming out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Fredericks .
A source close to Trump told the Washington Examiner that Trump would visit before the Jan. 5 runoffs , though the president 's campaign has said not to expect any major action before the results of his own race are finalized .
Not all Georgia Republicans want to continue the fight .
`` The fact is , we have to move on past the presidential .
And we need the president to rally the troops for the senators , '' said one longtime GOP operative in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over our electoral votes is distracting from the election that is still ongoing : One is done .
One is to come .
And we 're focused on what is done . ''
This source echoed concerns about voters thinking their ballot wo n't be counted .
`` We do n't want Republicans to think that their votes wo n't count , that the system is broken , '' he said .
`` We need unity .
And we need the president to help with turnout . ''
But Fredericks said the effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country . ''
Once all Trump 's legal challenges play out , `` if Biden is the legitimate winner , then [ Trump ] concedes , and we try to back this new President Biden the best way that we can . ''
He added , `` But right now , court is out in a literal sense . ''

President Trump should stay far away from Georgia's Senate runoff elections, according to one top ally and campaign adviser.
A visit by Trump to the state to stump for Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue "would be folly," said John Fredericks, a radio host and Trump campaign advisory board member.
Though the pair of Senate races will determine whether the Republican Party maintains control of the chamber, Fredericks sees a more pressing issue: Trump's own race, which hangs in the balance until state's electors vote on Dec. 14.
Trump "absolutely should not come to Georgia," Fredericks told the Washington Examiner on Monday. "Georgia Republicans have to get out Georgia voters."
Instead, the president should do "exactly what he's doing: run the country and stay on top of his legal team to make sure that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is thrown out," he said.
Fearful what a Democratic White House paired with majorities in the Senate and House could mean, Georgia Republicans are clamoring for a Trump visit.
"We have no turnout operation that rivals him," one longtime Georgia GOP operative told the Washington Examiner on Friday, as Vice President Mike Pence made stops in Canton and Gainesville.
Former Rep. Jack Kingston, a Republican who held Georgia's 1st Congressional District for more than two decades, said he hoped Trump would unleash his "firepower" in time for early voting, which begins Dec. 15.
Fredericks warned that if the runoffs were held today, "both Democrats would win," thanks, in part, to Stacey Abrams "brilliantly orchestrating" turnout. "They're going to flood the zone again," he said.
On Monday, Donald Trump Jr. called on Trump supporters to back Loeffler and Perdue, as some fear that the president's absence from the top of the ticket could limit turnout.
I’m seeing a lot of talk from people that are supposed to be on our side telling GOP voters not to go out & vote for @KLoeffler and @PerdueSenate.
That is NONSENSE.
IGNORE those people.
We need ALL of our people coming out to vote for Kelly & David.#MAGA #GASEN — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 23, 2020
Trump is contesting the results of the presidential race in Georgia and several other states, and in a move backed by Sens. Perdue and Loeffler, filed a request for a recount over the weekend.
According to results certified by the state Friday, Joe Biden leads Trump by 12,670 votes of about 5 million total cast, a 0.25% margin that falls well within the 0.5% limit permitted by state law.
Among the Trump campaign's concerns is the matching of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes to voter registration.
Fredericks pointed to Trump's claims of irregularities and said voters may be thinking, "Why bother voting when they're just going to steal it again?"
If Republicans don't back Trump, "the party is going to collapse," he said, meaning that Republicans will lose a core base of support. "There'll be no party," he added. "It doesn't exist."
But Georgians must first show up for Trump as he contests the results of the state's presidential race, he said.
"If [Republicans] want to win these two Senate races, they better stand and fight now because if they don't, 15% to 20% of those Trump voters in rural areas in Georgia are not coming out for two senators they don't know," said Fredericks.
A source close to Trump told the Washington Examiner that Trump would visit before the Jan. 5 runoffs, though the president's campaign has said not to expect any major action before the results of his own race are finalized.
Not all Georgia Republicans want to continue the fight.
"The fact is, we have to move on past the presidential. And we need the president to rally the troops for the senators," said one longtime GOP operative in the state. "The debates and continuing fighting over our electoral votes is distracting from the election that is still ongoing: One is done. One is to come. And we're focused on what is done."
This source echoed concerns about voters thinking their ballot won't be counted.
"We don't want Republicans to think that their votes won't count, that the system is broken," he said. "We need unity. And we need the president to help with turnout."
But Fredericks said the effort underway is "for the good of the country."
Once all Trump's legal challenges play out, "if Biden is the legitimate winner, then [Trump] concedes, and we try to back this new President Biden the best way that we can."
He added, "But right now, court is out in a literal sense."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--General Services administrator officially allows Biden to begin transition process

President-elect Joe Biden will be allowed to start the formal presidential transition .
Emily Murphy , administrator of the General Services Administration and the arbiter of when funds and fuller national security briefing access can be made available to the president-elect , sent a letter notifying Biden that she determined the process can begin on Monday , nearly three weeks after the Nov. 3 general election and more than two weeks after Biden was projected by major news organizations to be the winner of the presidential election .
The announcement came after weeks of pressure on Murphy to give Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
In a letter to Biden announcing her determination , first reported by CNN , Murphy explained her delay in making transition services available was due to “ recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results ” and suggested that it was not pressure from Trump that caused the delay .
“ I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service , and I have always strived to do what is right , ” Murphy said in the letter .
“ Please know that I came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law and available facts .
I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official — including those who work at the White House or GSA — with regard to the substance or timing of me decision.
” Trump expressed approval of the decision but without a concession , indicating that he still believes he can win the election through various challenges to election results .
“ I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country .
She has been harassed , threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not want to see this happen to her , her family , or employees of GSA , ” Trump said in a tweet .
“ Our case STRONGLY continues , we will keep up the good fight , and I believe we will prevail !
Nevertheless , in the best interest of our Country , I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols , and have told my team to do the same.
” More than 30 lawsuits from Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results have failed .
On Sunday , the campaign 's legal team distanced itself from former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell , who has alleged mass , malicious irregularities in voting machines without presenting hard evidence .
Earlier on Monday , the Michigan Board of Canvassers certified the state 's election results , another blow to Trump 's effort .
Biden on Monday announced several Cabinet appointments he plans to make , most of which deal with foreign affairs and national security , in an apparent push to pressure Murphy to allow full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden tapped Tony Blinken to be secretary of state , Alejandro Mayorkas for the Department of Homeland Security , Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations , John Kerry as the special presidential envoy for climate , and Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary .
`` Today ’ s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation , including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track , '' Biden-Harris Transition Executive Director Yohannes Abraham said of the GSA determination in a statement .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies .
In the days ahead , transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response , have a full accounting of our national security interests , and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration ’ s efforts to hollow out government agencies . ''
Murphy called for reform to the transition process in regard to how the GSA ascertains the apparent president-elect .
“ The statute provides no procedures or standards for this process , so I looked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and incomplete counts , ” Murphy said in the letter to Biden .
“ I do not think that an agency charged with improving federal procurement and property management should place itself above the constitutionally-based election process .
I strongly urge Congress to consider amendments to the Act .
”

President-elect Joe Biden will be allowed to start the formal presidential transition.
Emily Murphy, administrator of the General Services Administration and the arbiter of when funds and fuller national security briefing access can be made available to the president-elect, sent a letter notifying Biden that she determined the process can begin on Monday, nearly three weeks after the Nov. 3 general election and more than two weeks after Biden was projected by major news organizations to be the winner of the presidential election.
The announcement came after weeks of pressure on Murphy to give Biden access despite President Trump refusing to concede the election.
In a letter to Biden announcing her determination, first reported by CNN, Murphy explained her delay in making transition services available was due to “recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results” and suggested that it was not pressure from Trump that caused the delay.
“I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right,” Murphy said in the letter. “Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official — including those who work at the White House or GSA — with regard to the substance or timing of me decision.”
Here's the full letter from Murphy to Biden: pic.twitter.com/DJ4SFLzrfP — Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) November 23, 2020
Trump expressed approval of the decision but without a concession, indicating that he still believes he can win the election through various challenges to election results.
“I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country. She has been harassed, threatened, and abused — and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA,” Trump said in a tweet. “Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”
...fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2020
More than 30 lawsuits from Trump’s legal team alleging fraud and irregularities in election results have failed. On Sunday, the campaign's legal team distanced itself from former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell, who has alleged mass, malicious irregularities in voting machines without presenting hard evidence.
Earlier on Monday, the Michigan Board of Canvassers certified the state's election results, another blow to Trump's effort.
Biden on Monday announced several Cabinet appointments he plans to make, most of which deal with foreign affairs and national security, in an apparent push to pressure Murphy to allow full security briefings to incoming administration officials.
Biden tapped Tony Blinken to be secretary of state, Alejandro Mayorkas for the Department of Homeland Security, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations, John Kerry as the special presidential envoy for climate, and Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary.
"Today’s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track," Biden-Harris Transition Executive Director Yohannes Abraham said of the GSA determination in a statement. "This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies. In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies."
Murphy called for reform to the transition process in regard to how the GSA ascertains the apparent president-elect.
“The statute provides no procedures or standards for this process, so I looked to precedent from prior elections involving legal challenges and incomplete counts,” Murphy said in the letter to Biden. “I do not think that an agency charged with improving federal procurement and property management should place itself above the constitutionally-based election process. I strongly urge Congress to consider amendments to the Act.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--Michigan state canvassers vote to certify the election in blow to Trump

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted 3-0 to certify the results of its election after weeks of post-election acrimony and attempts to delay the process .
The four members of the canvassing board , split equally between Republicans and Democrats , voted to approve the results on Monday , paving the way for President-elect Joe Biden to receive the state ’ s 16 Electoral College votes .
One Republican voted to abstain while the other Republican and both Democrats voted in favor .
The board ’ s certification votes are not typically noteworthy and are more of a formality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign and Republicans have alleged irregularities and election issues that have raised the public profile of the canvassing process .
The lone person not to vote to certify the election was Norman Shinkle , a Republican board member who had said earlier he had hoped for a delay so that an audit into the election results could be conducted .
Several public speakers at the meeting asserted that it wasn ’ t legally possible for the state to conduct an audit until the results are certified by the board .
The second Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was inquisitive throughout the hearing and repeatedly asked speakers on both sides of the debate about their thoughts about the board of canvassers ’ authority .
He expressed early on in the meeting that he felt it was his obligation as a member of the board to vote to certify the election , noting that doing so would actually allow the state to conduct a review or audit of the votes .
He asserted that the board does not have the ability to prompt its own audit .
“ There is nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority to request an audit , ” said Langevelde at one point during the meeting .
The overwhelming majority of election misconduct allegations from the Trump campaign stemmed from Wayne County , where Detroit is located .
The county ’ s board of canvassers drew national attention last week when it deadlocked on its decision to certify , with both Republicans ( Monica Palmer and William Hartmann ) voting against doing so because of mismatched poll books .
There was an intense public comment period following the deadlock where the two Republicans were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After hours of comment , they then relented and voted to certify the county ’ s results .
Then , in another twist , both Palmer and Hartmann signed sworn affidavits that said they had rescinded their support for certifying the county ’ s vote totals .
The Trump campaign then swiftly dismissed its federal lawsuit that was seeking to block certification of Michigan ’ s election results .
Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox spoke during the Monday meeting .
She said that she didn ’ t want the board to certify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irregularities and election misconduct her party has lodged .
“ I ’ m asking you to delay certification , ” Cox said .
“ There are too many questions that need to be answered regarding this election .
Too many numerical anomalies and credible reports of procedural irregularities.
” GOP poll challengers in Wayne County have claimed they endured harassment and “ intimidation ” from poll workers at the TCF Center , the consolidated location where absentee ballots for the county were tabulated .
“ I appreciate the hard work of election officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican challengers be disrespected and shoved out of the process , ” Cox said at the meeting .
Another one of the speakers at Monday ’ s gathering was Michigan ’ s former elections director Chris Thomas , who served as a special adviser to the office of Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey during this year ’ s election .
He stressed that the board must vote to certify .
“ The remedy stage begins after you say ‘ yes , ’ ” Thomas said in response to a question from Langevelde , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After more than three-and-a-half hours , the group finally voted on the motion to certify the results .
Prior to the vote , Langevelde said he supported a comprehensive audit of the results but emphasized that the board has “ a clear legal duty ” to certify the results that were given to them .
Shinkle said that he would not vote in favor because of questions still remaining about the results in Wayne County and spoke about larger structural issues with elections in Michigan .
Shinkle also proposed a motion asking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year 's election .
It passed unanimously .
Following the Monday certification , Trump campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis put out a statement that said vote `` certification by state officials is simply a procedural step . ''
`` We are going to continue combating election fraud around the country as we fight to count all the legal votes .
Americans must be assured that the final results are fair and legitimate , '' she said .
Biden leads Trump by more than 155,000 votes in the Wolverine State , with Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump ’ s 47.8 % of the share .

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted 3-0 to certify the results of its election after weeks of post-election acrimony and attempts to delay the process.
The four members of the canvassing board, split equally between Republicans and Democrats, voted to approve the results on Monday, paving the way for President-elect Joe Biden to receive the state’s 16 Electoral College votes. One Republican voted to abstain while the other Republican and both Democrats voted in favor. The board’s certification votes are not typically noteworthy and are more of a formality, although this year, the Trump campaign and Republicans have alleged irregularities and election issues that have raised the public profile of the canvassing process.
The lone person not to vote to certify the election was Norman Shinkle, a Republican board member who had said earlier he had hoped for a delay so that an audit into the election results could be conducted. Several public speakers at the meeting asserted that it wasn’t legally possible for the state to conduct an audit until the results are certified by the board.
The second Republican on the board, Aaron Van Langevelde, was inquisitive throughout the hearing and repeatedly asked speakers on both sides of the debate about their thoughts about the board of canvassers’ authority. He expressed early on in the meeting that he felt it was his obligation as a member of the board to vote to certify the election, noting that doing so would actually allow the state to conduct a review or audit of the votes. He asserted that the board does not have the ability to prompt its own audit.
“There is nothing in the law that gives me the authority to request an audit,” said Langevelde at one point during the meeting.
The overwhelming majority of election misconduct allegations from the Trump campaign stemmed from Wayne County, where Detroit is located. The county’s board of canvassers drew national attention last week when it deadlocked on its decision to certify, with both Republicans (Monica Palmer and William Hartmann) voting against doing so because of mismatched poll books. There was an intense public comment period following the deadlock where the two Republicans were accused of racism and repeatedly insulted. After hours of comment, they then relented and voted to certify the county’s results.
Then, in another twist, both Palmer and Hartmann signed sworn affidavits that said they had rescinded their support for certifying the county’s vote totals. The Trump campaign then swiftly dismissed its federal lawsuit that was seeking to block certification of Michigan’s election results.
Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox spoke during the Monday meeting. She said that she didn’t want the board to certify right now, given the allegations of irregularities and election misconduct her party has lodged.
“I’m asking you to delay certification,” Cox said. “There are too many questions that need to be answered regarding this election. Too many numerical anomalies and credible reports of procedural irregularities.”
GOP poll challengers in Wayne County have claimed they endured harassment and “intimidation” from poll workers at the TCF Center, the consolidated location where absentee ballots for the county were tabulated.
“I appreciate the hard work of election officials, but I also will not let Republican challengers be disrespected and shoved out of the process,” Cox said at the meeting.
Another one of the speakers at Monday’s gathering was Michigan’s former elections director Chris Thomas, who served as a special adviser to the office of Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey during this year’s election. He stressed that the board must vote to certify.
“The remedy stage begins after you say ‘yes,’” Thomas said in response to a question from Langevelde, who was inquiring about an audit.
After more than three-and-a-half hours, the group finally voted on the motion to certify the results. Prior to the vote, Langevelde said he supported a comprehensive audit of the results but emphasized that the board has “a clear legal duty” to certify the results that were given to them. Shinkle said that he would not vote in favor because of questions still remaining about the results in Wayne County and spoke about larger structural issues with elections in Michigan.
Shinkle also proposed a motion asking the state legislature to review election procedures following this year's election. It passed unanimously.
Following the Monday certification, Trump campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis put out a statement that said vote "certification by state officials is simply a procedural step."
"We are going to continue combating election fraud around the country as we fight to count all the legal votes. Americans must be assured that the final results are fair and legitimate," she said.
Biden leads Trump by more than 155,000 votes in the Wolverine State, with Biden receiving 50.6% of the vote compared to Trump’s 47.8% of the share.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--Senate Republican dam breaking open against Trump on concession and Biden transition

Republican senators who were silent about President Trump 's need to concede to Joe Biden are becoming more vocal .
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is the latest Republican senator to say Trump should acknowledge Biden won the election and that the transition process should begin .
Including intelligence and COVID-19 briefings for President-elect Biden , the former vice president and 36-year Delaware senator , and his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris of California .
`` Vice President Biden and Senator Harris should begin receiving all appropriate briefings related to national security and COVID-19 to facilitate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event that they are to take office on January 20 , '' said Capito , who represents a state Trump won by 40 points .
And that context was reflected in Capito 's carefully-worded statement , lest it stir the wrath of Trump and his supporters .
Moore made it clear that she remains supportive of Trump and believed he had a right to various legal challenges but added , `` At some point , the 2020 election must end . ''
`` The window for legal challenges and recounts is rapidly closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming days , '' she wrote .
`` If states certify the results as they currently stand , Vice President Joe Biden will be our next president and Senator Kamala Harris will be our next vice president . ''
Capito is the latest Republican lawmaker to pressure Trump into conceding the race , which has been called by numerous news outlets , including the Washington Examiner .
On Nov. 7 , Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , a Republican but ardent critic of Trump , congratulated Biden and Harris on winning the raise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to litigate his claims , and the courts have thus far found them without merit , '' she said .
`` A pressure campaign on state legislators to influence the electoral outcome is not only unprecedented but inconsistent with our democratic process . ''
Her words were joined by Sen .
Rob Portman , who wrote in an op-ed for the Cincinnati Enquirer that `` there is no evidence as of now of any widespread fraud or irregularities that would change the result in any state . ''
`` The Biden team should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the coronavirus vaccine distribution plan , '' Portman wrote .
`` This is only prudent .
Donald Trump is our president until Jan. 20 , 2021 , but in the likely event that Joe Biden becomes our next president , it is in the national interest that the transition is seamless and that America is ready on Day One of a new administration for the challenges we face . ''
Trump won Ohio by nearly 8 points , earning 53.16 % of the vote .
The president 's campaign has filed numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although courts have ruled against them in nearly two-dozen instances , citing little evidence for their claims that potentially hundreds of thousands of fraudulent votes tipped the race to Biden .
Conservative commentators such as Tucker Carlson and Rush Limbaugh have criticized the president 's legal team for promising proof of widespread fraud , particularly the campaign 's former attorney Sidney Powell 's claims of `` massive influence of communist money through Venezuela , Cuba , and likely China , and interference with our elections . ''
On Sunday , Trump 's legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer working with the campaign .
Despite the backlash from lawmakers and influential right-wing pundits , both Powell and the Trump campaign remain adamant that they will prevail in court .

Republican senators who were silent about President Trump's need to concede to Joe Biden are becoming more vocal.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is the latest Republican senator to say Trump should acknowledge Biden won the election and that the transition process should begin. Including intelligence and COVID-19 briefings for President-elect Biden, the former vice president and 36-year Delaware senator, and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California.
"Vice President Biden and Senator Harris should begin receiving all appropriate briefings related to national security and COVID-19 to facilitate a smooth transfer of power in the likely event that they are to take office on January 20," said Capito, who represents a state Trump won by 40 points.
And that context was reflected in Capito's carefully-worded statement, lest it stir the wrath of Trump and his supporters.
Moore made it clear that she remains supportive of Trump and believed he had a right to various legal challenges but added, "At some point, the 2020 election must end."
"The window for legal challenges and recounts is rapidly closing as states certify their results in the coming days," she wrote. "If states certify the results as they currently stand, Vice President Joe Biden will be our next president and Senator Kamala Harris will be our next vice president."
Capito is the latest Republican lawmaker to pressure Trump into conceding the race, which has been called by numerous news outlets, including the Washington Examiner. On Nov. 7, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican but ardent critic of Trump, congratulated Biden and Harris on winning the raise.
On Sunday night, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski made a similar call.
"President Trump has had the opportunity to litigate his claims, and the courts have thus far found them without merit," she said. "A pressure campaign on state legislators to influence the electoral outcome is not only unprecedented but inconsistent with our democratic process."
Her words were joined by Sen. Rob Portman, who wrote in an op-ed for the Cincinnati Enquirer that "there is no evidence as of now of any widespread fraud or irregularities that would change the result in any state."
"The Biden team should receive the requested intelligence briefings and briefings on the coronavirus vaccine distribution plan," Portman wrote. "This is only prudent. Donald Trump is our president until Jan. 20, 2021, but in the likely event that Joe Biden becomes our next president, it is in the national interest that the transition is seamless and that America is ready on Day One of a new administration for the challenges we face."
Trump won Ohio by nearly 8 points, earning 53.16% of the vote.
The president's campaign has filed numerous lawsuits in several states he lost, although courts have ruled against them in nearly two-dozen instances, citing little evidence for their claims that potentially hundreds of thousands of fraudulent votes tipped the race to Biden.
Conservative commentators such as Tucker Carlson and Rush Limbaugh have criticized the president's legal team for promising proof of widespread fraud, particularly the campaign's former attorney Sidney Powell's claims of "massive influence of communist money through Venezuela, Cuba, and likely China, and interference with our elections." On Sunday, Trump's legal team released a statement that Powell was no longer working with the campaign.
Despite the backlash from lawmakers and influential right-wing pundits, both Powell and the Trump campaign remain adamant that they will prevail in court.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--Pennsylvania GOP sues to block certification of election as deadline looms

Republicans in Pennsylvania have embarked upon another effort to halt the certification of election results in a lawsuit that raises issues with the state ’ s mail-in voting process .
The litigation was filed on Saturday in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and is being spearheaded by GOP Rep. Mike Kelly .
The plaintiffs are asking for an emergency court order to block the certification of the results , which could happen as soon as Monday afternoon .
In addition to Kelly , President Trump 's ally Sean Parnell , who lost a close House race on Nov. 3 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17th Congressional District , is also part of the lawsuit .
The legal argument hinges upon a law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2019 called Act 77 .
The act allowed voters to cast their ballots by mail up to 50 days prior to an election without giving an excuse , which was previously required in order to receive an absentee ballot .
“ Plaintiffs respectfully request … an order , declaration , and/or injunction that prohibits Defendants from certifying the results of the General Elections which include mail-in ballots which Defendants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibits Defendants from certifying the results of the General Elections which include the tabulation of unauthorized votes , including mail-in ballots which did not meet the Constitutional requirements and , instead , compels Defendants to certify the results of the election based solely on the legal votes , ” the lawsuit states .
Greg Teufel , the attorney for the plaintiffs , told the Washington Examiner on Monday morning that the state ’ s constitution “ requires ” in-person voting except for a small number of circumstances , such as for disability accommodation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may request an absentee ballot .
Teufel contended that the only way to change the limited scope of who can request an absentee ballot would be through an amendment to the state ’ s constitution , not through a legislative act alone .
“ They lacked the power to do that , ” he said of the legislature ’ s move to expand mail-in voting .
Teufel said that a major part of passing a constitutional amendment is that voters have to give it the OK at the ballot box , an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tom Wolf ’ s press secretary Lyndsay Kensinger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the lawsuit was an “ extraordinary partisan attack ” and blasted it as setting “ a new low bar.
” “ To be clear , Congressman Kelly is seeking to disenfranchise the nearly 2.7 million Pennsylvania voters who voted by mail-in ballot in the general election , including over 100,000 of his own constituents , ” she said .
Counties in Pennsylvania are facing a Monday deadline to certify the election results , after which Secretary of State Kathy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Washington Examiner reached out to the state GOP for comment about the lawsuit but did not immediately receive a response .
The new lawsuit comes after a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania dismissed the Trump campaign ’ s federal lawsuit , which was also seeking to block the Keystone State from certifying its results .

Republicans in Pennsylvania have embarked upon another effort to halt the certification of election results in a lawsuit that raises issues with the state’s mail-in voting process.
The litigation was filed on Saturday in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and is being spearheaded by GOP Rep. Mike Kelly. The plaintiffs are asking for an emergency court order to block the certification of the results, which could happen as soon as Monday afternoon. In addition to Kelly, President Trump's ally Sean Parnell, who lost a close House race on Nov. 3 to Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District, is also part of the lawsuit.
The legal argument hinges upon a law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2019 called Act 77. The act allowed voters to cast their ballots by mail up to 50 days prior to an election without giving an excuse, which was previously required in order to receive an absentee ballot.
“Plaintiffs respectfully request … an order, declaration, and/or injunction that prohibits Defendants from certifying the results of the General Elections which include mail-in ballots which Defendants improperly permitted on a statewide basis; prohibits Defendants from certifying the results of the General Elections which include the tabulation of unauthorized votes, including mail-in ballots which did not meet the Constitutional requirements and, instead, compels Defendants to certify the results of the election based solely on the legal votes,” the lawsuit states.
Greg Teufel, the attorney for the plaintiffs, told the Washington Examiner on Monday morning that the state’s constitution “requires” in-person voting except for a small number of circumstances, such as for disability accommodation or military service, in which voters may request an absentee ballot.
Teufel contended that the only way to change the limited scope of who can request an absentee ballot would be through an amendment to the state’s constitution, not through a legislative act alone.
“They lacked the power to do that,” he said of the legislature’s move to expand mail-in voting. Teufel said that a major part of passing a constitutional amendment is that voters have to give it the OK at the ballot box, an opportunity Pennsylvanians were not afforded.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s press secretary Lyndsay Kensinger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the lawsuit was an “extraordinary partisan attack” and blasted it as setting “a new low bar.”
“To be clear, Congressman Kelly is seeking to disenfranchise the nearly 2.7 million Pennsylvania voters who voted by mail-in ballot in the general election, including over 100,000 of his own constituents,” she said.
Counties in Pennsylvania are facing a Monday deadline to certify the election results, after which Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar will move to certify them statewide. The Washington Examiner reached out to the state GOP for comment about the lawsuit but did not immediately receive a response.
The new lawsuit comes after a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania dismissed the Trump campaign’s federal lawsuit, which was also seeking to block the Keystone State from certifying its results.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-23--GOP's Andrew Garbarino keeps retired Rep. Peter King's New York district red

Republican Andrew Garbarino will keep New York 's 2nd Congressional District red — a seat that was formerly occupied by GOP stalwart Rep. Peter King .
Garbarino , a lawyer and small-business owner who also served as an assemblyman in local government , was able to get past Jackie Gordon , a former Babylon , New York , councilwoman and a military veteran , with King 's assistance .
The vote was 56.4 % to 42.6 % , with Green Party candidate Harry Berger also picking up 1 % .
The Associated Press has not called the race for Garbarino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gordon has conceded .
“ I am honored and excited to succeed Congressman Peter King and represent New York ’ s 2nd Congressional District in Washington , '' he said in a statement last Wednesday .
`` In addition to supporting small businesses and fighting to lower taxes , I look forward to working with our brave law enforcement to keep communities safe , fighting to preserve our environment , supporting our veterans , and delivering real results for Long Island families . ''
Republicans , with the help of King , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite beliefs that party demographic changes within the district would be advantageous for Democrats .
Leading up to the election , Democrats viewed the district as an opportunity to increase their majority in the House after King 's margin of victory fell dramatically between the 2016 and 2018 elections .
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poured resources into Gordon 's campaign through its `` Red to Blue '' program .
Garbarino , a lifelong Long Islander , has served four terms in the New York State Assembly .
His victory is another in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one that saw Republicans making up ground in the House , though they are still in the minority .
“ From the beginning , our campaign has been focused on rejecting division and extremism , exemplifying inclusion , and improving the lives of hardworking Long Islanders here on the South Shore .
I am deeply humbled by the support and encouragement we have received from voters who share our vision .
Although we were not victorious , this race was history for so many reasons , '' Gordon said in her concession statement @

Republican Andrew Garbarino will keep New York's 2nd Congressional District red — a seat that was formerly occupied by GOP stalwart Rep. Peter King.
Garbarino, a lawyer and small-business owner who also served as an assemblyman in local government, was able to get past Jackie Gordon, a former Babylon, New York, councilwoman and a military veteran, with King's assistance. The vote was 56.4% to 42.6%, with Green Party candidate Harry Berger also picking up 1%. The Associated Press has not called the race for Garbarino as of Monday morning, even though Gordon has conceded.
“I am honored and excited to succeed Congressman Peter King and represent New York’s 2nd Congressional District in Washington," he said in a statement last Wednesday. "In addition to supporting small businesses and fighting to lower taxes, I look forward to working with our brave law enforcement to keep communities safe, fighting to preserve our environment, supporting our veterans, and delivering real results for Long Island families."
Republicans, with the help of King, were able to hold on to this seat despite beliefs that party demographic changes within the district would be advantageous for Democrats. Leading up to the election, Democrats viewed the district as an opportunity to increase their majority in the House after King's margin of victory fell dramatically between the 2016 and 2018 elections. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poured resources into Gordon's campaign through its "Red to Blue" program.
Garbarino, a lifelong Long Islander, has served four terms in the New York State Assembly. His victory is another in a tough election cycle for Democrats and one that saw Republicans making up ground in the House, though they are still in the minority.
“From the beginning, our campaign has been focused on rejecting division and extremism, exemplifying inclusion, and improving the lives of hardworking Long Islanders here on the South Shore. I am deeply humbled by the support and encouragement we have received from voters who share our vision. Although we were not victorious, this race was history for so many reasons," Gordon said in her concession statement.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-25--Trump not inviting Biden to White House creates second-longest period after election without transit

Trump not inviting Biden to White House creates second-longest period after election without transition meeting

It has been 22 days and counting since the Nov. 3 election , and President Trump has neither conceded the election to President-elect Joe Biden nor offered to host him at the White House .
Biden on Tuesday said that `` of course '' he would meet with Trump if invited , since it is a modern custom for the sitting president to invite the president-elect to the White House in the days following an election .
If the two men eventually do meet at the White House , it will mark at least the second-longest delay between the general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last 40 years .
Here is the stretch of time between the election and a White House meeting with the outgoing president and the president-elect since 1980 : Trump visited President Barack Obama at the White House on Nov. 10 , 2016 , after the Nov. 8 general election .
President-elect Obama President George W. Bush at the White House on Nov. 10 , 2008 , six days after the Nov. 4 general election .
The dispute over the razor-thin Florida margin between Bush and Al Gore , resulting in recounts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nov. 7 election was not known for more than a month .
The situation was not resolved until Dec. 12 , when the Supreme Court ruled against the further counting of Florida votes and when the Florida House of Representatives voted to appoint electors for Bush .
Gore conceded the election to Bush on Dec. 13 .
President Bill Clinton met with President-elect George W. Bush on that year , one day after the Electoral College voted to make Bush president .
1992 marks the last time an incumbent president was defeated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Republican President George H.W .
Bush met with President-elect Clinton , a Democrat , at the White House on Nov. 18 , about after the Nov. 3 election .
In a brief press photo spray , Bush told the press corps that the pair would not take questions .
“ We did n't want to get into a full-scale press conference , ” Bush said .
The Bush-to-Clinton transition is better remembered , though , by a that the outgoing Republican president left to his Democratic successor in the Oval Office on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Your success now is our country ’ s success , ” Bush told Clinton in the letter .
“ I am rooting hard for you.
” Bush had received a similar letter from President Ronald Reagan .
Clinton , George W. Bush , and Obama all wrote similar letters to their successors .
The 1988 presidential transition was friendly since Republicans held on to power and because it was President Ronald Reagan ’ s own vice president who succeeded him .
Reagan at the White House with President-elect George H.W .
Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 , the day after the Nov. 8 election .
`` Even as we accept the verdict of the majority , and pledge to protect always the rights of the minority , we 've put behind us the divisions and controversies of the immediate past and begin anew , '' Reagan said .
Democratic President Jimmy Carter hosted President-elect Reagan , a Republican , at the White House on Nov. 20 , after that year ’ s Nov. 4 election .
“ We had a very enjoyable and very productive hour or so @ @ @ @ @ @

It has been 22 days and counting since the Nov. 3 election, and President Trump has neither conceded the election to President-elect Joe Biden nor offered to host him at the White House.
Biden on Tuesday said that "of course" he would meet with Trump if invited, since it is a modern custom for the sitting president to invite the president-elect to the White House in the days following an election.
If the two men eventually do meet at the White House, it will mark at least the second-longest delay between the general election and a White House meeting in the last 40 years.
Here is the stretch of time between the election and a White House meeting with the outgoing president and the president-elect since 1980:
2016: Two days
Trump visited President Barack Obama at the White House on Nov. 10, 2016, two days after the Nov. 8 general election.
2008: Six days
President-elect Obama visited President George W. Bush at the White House on Nov. 10, 2008, six days after the Nov. 4 general election.
2000: 42 days
The dispute over the razor-thin Florida margin between Bush and Al Gore, resulting in recounts and lawsuits, meant the winner of the Nov. 7 election was not known for more than a month. The situation was not resolved until Dec. 12, when the Supreme Court ruled against the further counting of Florida votes and when the Florida House of Representatives voted to appoint electors for Bush.
Gore conceded the election to Bush on Dec. 13. President Bill Clinton met with President-elect George W. Bush on Dec. 19 that year, one day after the Electoral College voted to make Bush president.
1992: 15 days
1992 marks the last time an incumbent president was defeated in an election and denied a second term. Republican President George H.W. Bush met with President-elect Clinton, a Democrat, at the White House on Nov. 18, about two weeks after the Nov. 3 election.
In a brief press photo spray, Bush told the press corps that the pair would not take questions. “We didn't want to get into a full-scale press conference,” Bush said.
The Bush-to-Clinton transition is better remembered, though, by a letter that the outgoing Republican president left to his Democratic successor in the Oval Office on Inauguration Day that later went viral.
“Your success now is our country’s success,” Bush told Clinton in the letter. “I am rooting hard for you.”
Bush had received a similar letter from President Ronald Reagan. Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama all wrote similar letters to their successors.
The letter from @GeorgeHWBush to @billclinton showed true leadership. Pres. Reagan wrote a personal letter to Pres Bush for their transition pic.twitter.com/Kfi6AxprlS — Bush Library (@Bush41Library) October 21, 2016
1988: 1 day
The 1988 presidential transition was friendly since Republicans held on to power and because it was President Ronald Reagan’s own vice president who succeeded him. Reagan delivered short remarks at the White House with President-elect George H.W. Bush and Vice President-elect Dan Quayle on Nov. 9, the day after the Nov. 8 election.
"Even as we accept the verdict of the majority, and pledge to protect always the rights of the minority, we've put behind us the divisions and controversies of the immediate past and begin anew," Reagan said.
1980: 16 days
Democratic President Jimmy Carter hosted President-elect Reagan, a Republican, at the White House on Nov. 20, 16 days after that year’s Nov. 4 election.
“We had a very enjoyable and very productive hour or so together,” Carter said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-25--'Strongly biased in favor of liberals': Psychologist says Google manipulated content ahead of electi

'Strongly biased in favor of liberals': Psychologist says Google manipulated content ahead of election that swayed votes

Research psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein believes that search giant Google manipulated what content it showed users in the weeks and months before the 2020 election in a way that was highly favorable to Democrats .
“ We found a period of days when the vote reminder on Google ’ s homepage was being sent only to liberals , ” Epstein during an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight .
“ Not one of our conservative field agents received the vote reminder.
” After Epstein made those results public , he said Google actually “ shut off that manipulation ” and were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four days before the election .
Epstein said his team included “ 733 field agents ” located in the “ three key swing states ” of Arizona , North Carolina , and Florida .
Epstein said that the team found that Google ’ s search results are “ strongly biased in favor of liberals and Democrats , ” which was not the case on smaller search engines Bing and Yahoo .
“ The bias was being shown to pretty much every demographic , ” Epstein said .
“ Including conservatives.
” “ Conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ search results than liberals , ” he continued .
Asked by Carlson if he could measure the effect Google ’ s manipulations had on the results of the election , Epstein said the search engine “ could easily have shifted at least 6 million votes in just one direction , ” going on to note that that figure was his “ bare minimum ” effect on the election .
“ The maximum , we haven ’ t even begun to estimate that yet because we have so much data to look at , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting that the 6 million vote figure is the current margin of the popular vote in the presidential election .
Epstein said the whistleblowers and leaked documents from Google clearly showed that the search engine did not want to see President Trump reelected .
“ There ’ s no question that they set about after the 2016 election to make sure that President Trump , whom I do not support by the way , to make sure that he is not reelected , ” the psychologist said .
“ The massive amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with what the whistleblowers and leaks have been telling us for a long time now , ” he said .
Epstein went on to claim that Google gets away with the manipulation because the search giant buys political candidates .
“ Google literally buys candidates and politicians , ” he said .
“ If you 're a Democrat or you ’ re a liberal , you like what Google and to some extent what these other tech companies are doing .
You like it .
It ’ s to your advantage.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t know who Google is going to be supporting tomorrow , ” he continued .
“ In different countries around the world , they don ’ t necessarily support liberals .
In some countries , they support conservatives .
In China , they worked with the Chinese government to help surveil and control the Chinese population.
” Epstein concluded by saying his team would be closely monitoring Georgia ’ s January Senate runoff .

Research psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein believes that search giant Google manipulated what content it showed users in the weeks and months before the 2020 election in a way that was highly favorable to Democrats.
“We found a period of days when the vote reminder on Google’s homepage was being sent only to liberals,” Epstein said during an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight. “Not one of our conservative field agents received the vote reminder.”
After Epstein made those results public, he said Google actually “shut off that manipulation” and were showing vote reminders to everyone in the four days before the election.
Epstein said his team included “733 field agents” located in the “three key swing states” of Arizona, North Carolina, and Florida. Epstein said that the team found that Google’s search results are “strongly biased in favor of liberals and Democrats,” which was not the case on smaller search engines Bing and Yahoo.
“The bias was being shown to pretty much every demographic,” Epstein said. “Including conservatives.”
“Conservatives got slightly more liberal bias in their search results than liberals,” he continued.
Asked by Carlson if he could measure the effect Google’s manipulations had on the results of the election, Epstein said the search engine “could easily have shifted at least 6 million votes in just one direction,” going on to note that that figure was his “bare minimum” effect on the election.
“The maximum, we haven’t even begun to estimate that yet because we have so much data to look at,” Epstein said.
Carlson responded by noting that the 6 million vote figure is the current margin of the popular vote in the presidential election.
Epstein said the whistleblowers and leaked documents from Google clearly showed that the search engine did not want to see President Trump reelected.
“There’s no question that they set about after the 2016 election to make sure that President Trump, whom I do not support by the way, to make sure that he is not reelected,” the psychologist said.
“The massive amount of data we’ve collected is consistent with what the whistleblowers and leaks have been telling us for a long time now,” he said.
Epstein went on to claim that Google gets away with the manipulation because the search giant buys political candidates.
“Google literally buys candidates and politicians,” he said. “If you're a Democrat or you’re a liberal, you like what Google and to some extent what these other tech companies are doing. You like it. It’s to your advantage.”
“The problem, though, is that we don’t know who Google is going to be supporting tomorrow,” he continued. “In different countries around the world, they don’t necessarily support liberals. In some countries, they support conservatives. In China, they worked with the Chinese government to help surveil and control the Chinese population.”
Epstein concluded by saying his team would be closely monitoring Georgia’s January Senate runoff.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-25--Pennsylvania judge halts election certification

A Pennsylvania court has ordered the state to halt work certifying elections until Friday , when it will hold a hearing on a lawsuit trying to have all mail-in votes disqualified .
Rep. Mike Kelly , congressional candidate Sean Parnell , and eight other petitioners claim last month ’ s decision to allow all voters to use mail-in ballots was unconstitutional .
Allies of President Trump have suffered setback after setback in their efforts to exclude mail-in ballots and overturn election results around the country .
“ Inasmuch as respondents , based on their press release and briefs , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other results of the election , respondents are preliminarily enjoined from certifying the remaining results of the election , pending the evidentiary hearing , '' she wrote .
This followed a filing late on Tuesday evening in which the challengers also laid out other measures the court could take , including preventing electors from meeting next month .
“ Because the electors , by law , must perform their duties at the ‘ seat of government of this Commonwealth , ’ this court may also enjoin Respondents from permitting the electors to assemble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One long-shot possibility for Trump is that states fail to certify their results by Dec. 14 , when electors are due to meet to select the 46th president of the United States .
Under such circumstances , loyal Republican state legislatures might be able to ignore the popular vote and appoint electors who would deliver Trump wins in states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden .
With 99 % of the vote counted , Biden leads Trump by more than 80,000 votes in Pennsylvania , according to multiple news organizations that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

A Pennsylvania court has ordered the state to halt work certifying elections until Friday, when it will hold a hearing on a lawsuit trying to have all mail-in votes disqualified.
Rep. Mike Kelly, congressional candidate Sean Parnell, and eight other petitioners claim last month’s decision to allow all voters to use mail-in ballots was unconstitutional.
Allies of President Trump have suffered setback after setback in their efforts to exclude mail-in ballots and overturn election results around the country.
But on Wednesday, Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia A. McCullough entered a preliminary order temporarily halting certification.
“Inasmuch as respondents, based on their press release and briefs, have not undertaken certification of any of the other results of the election, respondents are preliminarily enjoined from certifying the remaining results of the election, pending the evidentiary hearing," she wrote.
This followed a filing late on Tuesday evening in which the challengers also laid out other measures the court could take, including preventing electors from meeting next month.
“Because the electors, by law, must perform their duties at the ‘seat of government of this Commonwealth,’ this court may also enjoin Respondents from permitting the electors to assemble at such location,” they wrote.
One long-shot possibility for Trump is that states fail to certify their results by Dec. 14, when electors are due to meet to select the 46th president of the United States. Under such circumstances, loyal Republican state legislatures might be able to ignore the popular vote and appoint electors who would deliver Trump wins in states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden.
With 99% of the vote counted, Biden leads Trump by more than 80,000 votes in Pennsylvania, according to multiple news organizations that have called the state for the Democratic nominee.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-25--Rep. Ilhan Omar turns in worst underperformance for House candidate in the country

Rep. Ilhan Omar underperformed President-elect Joe Biden by 16 percentage points in her own congressional district , the largest underperformance found so far by Cook Political Report .
“ The biggest top-of-ticket underperformance by any House incumbent in the country ?
Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D ) , ” Cook Political Report editor Dave Wasserman wrote on Twitter .
“ Results in # MN05 : Biden 328,764 ( 80 % ) Trump 72,323 ( 18 % ) .
Omar ( D ) 255,920 ( 64 % ) Johnson ( R ) 102,878 ( 26 % ) .
” “ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anywhere near this severe an underperformance for any other House *candidate* in the county [ sic ] , let alone an incumbent , ” he said .
Omar also underperformed in her , when she beat Republican candidate Jennifer Zielinski 78 % -22 % .
Democrats are continuing to deal with the fallout of an election that brought the party mostly disappointing results .
While Biden was able to win the White House , pending legal challenges from President Trump , Democrats down-ballot suffered crushing defeats across the country .
Perhaps nowhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. House races , where Democrats adding as many as 22 seats to their already strong majority .
Instead , it was the Republicans who gained seats in the lower chamber , leaving Democrats with their since World War II .
In the aftermath of the disappointing results , some centrist Democrats took aim at the far-left wing of the party , of which Omar and fellow “ Squad ” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib are members .
“ We need to not ever use the word ‘ socialist ’ or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We lost good members because of that , ” Rep. Abigail Spanberger during an emotional conference call with fellow Democratic House members after the election .
“ If we are classifying Tuesday as a success … we will get f -- -ing torn apart in 2022.
” Omar defended herself and fellow progressive Democrats two weeks after the election , claiming the Democratic Party is one “ big family.
” “ When you think about our party , Speaker Pelosi always says we are a big tent , and that means that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We all have our own constituencies that we have to serve , ” she continued .
“ We are part of a caucus working on behalf of the people .
We think of ourselves as the party of the people.
” Omar claimed that it was Democratic unity that led to Biden ’ s victory over Trump .
`` There was a movement that happened this summer , and it delivered this victory , the rise of the amount of people that registered to vote , '' the Minnesota congresswoman said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure that the chaos that they voted against does not follow us to our caucus .
And to make sure that the justice that they seek is implemented in the policies that we advocate for.
” “ I know that Biden invited the American people to be a unifying force against darkness .
And as a caucus , we have to be unified against that , '' she continued .
`` To think about allowing ourselves to let the Republicans decide how we are to function as a caucus is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a party that has lied , that has smeared , that has used everything that they can to attack us . ''

Rep. Ilhan Omar underperformed President-elect Joe Biden by 16 percentage points in her own congressional district, the largest underperformance found so far by Cook Political Report.
“The biggest top-of-ticket underperformance by any House incumbent in the country? Rep. Ilhan Omar (D),” Cook Political Report editor Dave Wasserman wrote on Twitter. “Results in #MN05: Biden 328,764 (80%) Trump 72,323 (18%). Omar (D) 255,920 (64%) Johnson (R) 102,878 (26%).”
“In fact, I’m not aware of anywhere near this severe an underperformance for any other House *candidate* in the county [sic], let alone an incumbent,” he said.
In fact, I'm not aware of anywhere near this severe an underperformance for any other House *candidate* in the county, let alone an incumbent. — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) November 25, 2020
Omar also underperformed in her 2018 election victory , when she beat Republican candidate Jennifer Zielinski 78%-22%.
Democrats are continuing to deal with the fallout of an election that brought the party mostly disappointing results. While Biden was able to win the White House, pending legal challenges from President Trump, Democrats down-ballot suffered crushing defeats across the country.
Perhaps nowhere was that defeat more pronounced than in U.S. House races, where projections showed Democrats adding as many as 22 seats to their already strong majority. Instead, it was the Republicans who gained seats in the lower chamber, leaving Democrats with their slimmest House majority since World War II.
In the aftermath of the disappointing results, some centrist Democrats took aim at the far-left wing of the party, of which Omar and fellow “Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib are members.
“We need to not ever use the word ‘socialist’ or ‘socialism’ ever again. ... We lost good members because of that,” Rep. Abigail Spanberger said during an emotional conference call with fellow Democratic House members after the election. “If we are classifying Tuesday as a success … we will get f---ing torn apart in 2022.”
Omar defended herself and fellow progressive Democrats two weeks after the election, claiming the Democratic Party is one “big family.”
“When you think about our party, Speaker Pelosi always says we are a big tent, and that means that we are a big family,” Omar said .
“We all have our own constituencies that we have to serve,” she continued. “We are part of a caucus working on behalf of the people. We think of ourselves as the party of the people.”
Omar claimed that it was Democratic unity that led to Biden’s victory over Trump.
"There was a movement that happened this summer, and it delivered this victory, the rise of the amount of people that registered to vote," the Minnesota congresswoman said. "We owe to the movement to make sure that the chaos that they voted against does not follow us to our caucus. And to make sure that the justice that they seek is implemented in the policies that we advocate for.”
“I know that Biden invited the American people to be a unifying force against darkness. And as a caucus, we have to be unified against that," she continued. "To think about allowing ourselves to let the Republicans decide how we are to function as a caucus is really painful because this is, you know, a party that has lied, that has smeared, that has used everything that they can to attack us."