thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--John Kasich’s journey from conservative darling to Democratic convention speaker

On Monday night , former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich completed his journey from conservative darling and Republican rising star to speaker at the Democratic National Convention .
“ I ’ m a lifelong Republican , but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country , ” Kasich said at the event .
“ That ’ s why I ’ ve chosen to appear at this convention .
In normal times , something like this would probably never happen , but these are not normal times.
” Kasich led a small group of Republican dissidents at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But unlike former New Jersey Gov .
Christine Todd Whitman , former New York Rep. Susan Molinari , or businesswoman Meg Whitman , Kasich wasn ’ t identified with the GOP ’ s centrist wing for most of his career .
An anti-abortion budget cutter , Kasich identified with conservatives since winning a seat in the Ohio state Senate at age 26 .
“ John was a conservative early on , ” said a former Ohio Republican official .
“ He was a fighter.
” The son of a mailman , Kasich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio congressional district in 1982 , originally rose to national prominence as a foot soldier in Newt Gingrich ’ s “ Republican Revolution ” in the 1990s .
With the election of the first House majority in 40 years , at 42 , he ascended to the chairmanship of the House Budget Committee , a post from which he crafted blueprints for cutting federal spending , lowering taxes , reforming welfare , and balancing the budget .
Most controversially , Kasich sought to reduce the rate of growth of Medicare spending to achieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats assailed as necessary only to pay for the GOP ’ s proposed $ 245 billion tax cut .
He also wanted to trim the foreign aid budget 30 % across the board , exempting Israel .
Republicans were savaged in the press for trying to defund Big Bird via zeroing out federal funds for public broadcasting and cutting the National Endowment for the Arts .
Some of these cuts never happened .
But by 1997 , Kasich was credited with working with then-President Bill Clinton to deliver the first balanced federal budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of elective office , Kasich was elected governor of Ohio on a balanced-budget platform in 2010 , the beginning of the Tea Party era , unseating an incumbent Democrat .
In office , he pushed for privatization , championed concealed carry rights for gun owners , supported defunding Planned Parenthood , and signed legislation pro-choice activists blamed for the closure of half of the abortion clinics in Ohio .
Like Scott Walker in Wisconsin , he tried to curb collective bargaining by public sector unions .
The measure was reversed by voters when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a referendum .
After that setback , some allies began to sense a shift in Kasich .
Reelected easily in 2014 , he fought conservatives in his own party to win approval for expanding Medicaid in Ohio through Obamacare .
The New York Times a story about the battle , “ Ohio Governor defies GOP with defense of social safety net , ” quoting Kasich as saying , “ I ’ m concerned about the fact there seems to be a war on the poor.
” The New York Times reported Kasich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Lyndon B. Johnson than to Ronald Reagan.
” “ I had a conversation with one of the members of the legislature the other day , ” Kasich in 2013 .
“ I said , ‘ I respect the fact that you believe in small government .
I do , too .
I also know that you ’ re a person of faith.
’ ” He added : “ ‘ Now , when you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter , he ’ s probably not going to ask you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government small .
But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor .
You better have a good answer.
’ ” After a 2015 tour promoting a federal balanced budget amendment , Kasich jumped into the Republican presidential race .
Like prior John Weaver-advised GOP candidates John McCain in 2000 and Jon Huntsman in 2012 , he received favorable press coverage and was competitive in New Hampshire , where he finished a distant second with nearly 16 % of the vote , but he couldn ’ t break through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vocal critic of front-runner Donald Trump and , unlike many other candidates , remained one after Trump secured the nomination , refusing to vote for him that November .
This time Kasich is actively supporting the Democratic ticket .
Though criticized by Never Trumpers in 2016 for not dropping out quickly enough to allow the field to coalesce around a single anti-Trump candidate , he became a spokesman for their concerns about Trump 's temperament and fitness for office .
“ I know that Joe Biden , with his experience and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us together to help us find that better way , ” Kasich said Monday night .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among the liberal Democrats critical of Kasich getting such a large role at their convention , similar to ones played by Democrats Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman at GOP confabs in 2004 and 2008 , respectively .
Republicans have also panned Kasich ’ s conversion .
“ John Kasich ’ s party and ideology were always selfishly about John Kasich more than the GOP or conservatism , ” said Republican strategist Nicholas Everhart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ways , it just burns Kasich that Trump was able to take over and mold the party in his own image in a way Kasich had always hoped he ’ d be able to , but clearly failed.
” '' After tonight , his future as a Republican is over , and Democrats will have no further use for him , '' said Bradley Blakeman , a former aide to President George W. Bush .
`` It was opening and closing night for Kasich ’ s one act play . ''

On Monday night, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich completed his journey from conservative darling and Republican rising star to speaker at the Democratic National Convention.
“I’m a lifelong Republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country,” Kasich said at the event. “That’s why I’ve chosen to appear at this convention. In normal times, something like this would probably never happen, but these are not normal times.”
Kasich led a small group of Republican dissidents at the mostly virtual convention’s opening night. But unlike former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, former New York Rep. Susan Molinari, or businesswoman Meg Whitman, Kasich wasn’t identified with the GOP’s centrist wing for most of his career. An anti-abortion budget cutter, Kasich identified with conservatives since winning a seat in the Ohio state Senate at age 26.
“John was a conservative early on,” said a former Ohio Republican official. “He was a fighter.”
The son of a mailman, Kasich, first elected to represent a central Ohio congressional district in 1982, originally rose to national prominence as a foot soldier in Newt Gingrich’s “Republican Revolution” in the 1990s. With the election of the first House majority in 40 years, at 42, he ascended to the chairmanship of the House Budget Committee, a post from which he crafted blueprints for cutting federal spending, lowering taxes, reforming welfare, and balancing the budget.
Most controversially, Kasich sought to reduce the rate of growth of Medicare spending to achieve $270 billion in savings, which Democrats assailed as necessary only to pay for the GOP’s proposed $245 billion tax cut. He also wanted to trim the foreign aid budget 30% across the board, exempting Israel. Republicans were savaged in the press for trying to defund Big Bird via zeroing out federal funds for public broadcasting and cutting the National Endowment for the Arts.
Some of these cuts never happened. But by 1997, Kasich was credited with working with then-President Bill Clinton to deliver the first balanced federal budget since 1969.
After a decade out of elective office, Kasich was elected governor of Ohio on a balanced-budget platform in 2010, the beginning of the Tea Party era, unseating an incumbent Democrat. In office, he pushed for privatization, championed concealed carry rights for gun owners, supported defunding Planned Parenthood, and signed legislation pro-choice activists blamed for the closure of half of the abortion clinics in Ohio. Like Scott Walker in Wisconsin, he tried to curb collective bargaining by public sector unions. The measure was reversed by voters when labor leaders put it on the ballot as a referendum.
After that setback, some allies began to sense a shift in Kasich. Reelected easily in 2014, he fought conservatives in his own party to win approval for expanding Medicaid in Ohio through Obamacare. The New York Times headlined a story about the battle, “Ohio Governor defies GOP with defense of social safety net,” quoting Kasich as saying, “I’m concerned about the fact there seems to be a war on the poor.” The New York Times reported Kasich “occasionally sounds more like an heir to Lyndon B. Johnson than to Ronald Reagan.”
“I had a conversation with one of the members of the legislature the other day,” Kasich said in 2013. “I said, ‘I respect the fact that you believe in small government. I do, too. I also know that you’re a person of faith.’”
He added: “‘Now, when you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter, he’s probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small. But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor. You better have a good answer.’”
After a 2015 tour promoting a federal balanced budget amendment, Kasich jumped into the Republican presidential race. Like prior John Weaver-advised GOP candidates John McCain in 2000 and Jon Huntsman in 2012, he received favorable press coverage and was competitive in New Hampshire, where he finished a distant second with nearly 16% of the vote, but he couldn’t break through with conservatives nationally. Kasich emerged as a vocal critic of front-runner Donald Trump and, unlike many other candidates, remained one after Trump secured the nomination, refusing to vote for him that November.
This time Kasich is actively supporting the Democratic ticket. Though criticized by Never Trumpers in 2016 for not dropping out quickly enough to allow the field to coalesce around a single anti-Trump candidate, he became a spokesman for their concerns about Trump's temperament and fitness for office. “I know that Joe Biden, with his experience and his wisdom and his decency, can bring us together to help us find that better way,” Kasich said Monday night.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among the liberal Democrats critical of Kasich getting such a large role at their convention, similar to ones played by Democrats Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman at GOP confabs in 2004 and 2008, respectively. Republicans have also panned Kasich’s conversion.
“John Kasich’s party and ideology were always selfishly about John Kasich more than the GOP or conservatism,” said Republican strategist Nicholas Everhart. “I think in a lot of ways, it just burns Kasich that Trump was able to take over and mold the party in his own image in a way Kasich had always hoped he’d be able to, but clearly failed.”
"After tonight, his future as a Republican is over, and Democrats will have no further use for him," said Bradley Blakeman, a former aide to President George W. Bush. "It was opening and closing night for Kasich’s one act play."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--GOP concerned as Democratic convention showcases 'average' Republicans backing Biden

Joe Biden put Republican voters who supported President Trump four years ago front and center on Night One of the Democratic convention , a tactic Republican operatives said could help move fence-saddling Republicans into Biden 's corner .
In a series of home-made cellphone videos , rank-and-file voters , who identified themselves as Republicans who backed Trump in 2016 , said they regret their choice and plan to support Biden this November .
The videos bolstered the theme of unity that tied together the first session of Biden ’ s nominating convention Monday evening .
Republican operatives concede that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP voters disappointed in Trump feel comfortable supporting the former vice president .
“ I think the real people will be a lot more persuasive than lobbyists or sour-grapes former opponents or an elitist lefty ” like former New Jersey Gov .
Christine Todd Whitman , said a veteran Republican strategist who backs Trump and is rooting for him to win a second term .
Whitman served in President George W. Bush ’ s cabinet and is from a prominent Republican family .
In endorsing Biden and speaking at the first night of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was joined by Susan Molinari , a former Republican congresswoman from New York ; Meg Whitman , a former eBay CEO and Republican candidate for governor of California in 2010 ; and ex-Ohio Gov .
John Kasich , who lost his bid for the GOP presidential nomination to Trump four years ago .
“ In normal times , something like this would probably never happen , ” Kasich said in a prerecorded speech from Ohio .
“ But these are not normal times.
” Republican insiders were not impressed .
They argue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have little influence or stature in the party are unlikely to convince GOP regulars to vote for Biden — even if they are unhappy with Trump ’ s leadership amid a coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn .
But they acknowledged that hearing from “ real people ” who share their concerns about the president could make a difference .
The videos , spliced together by convention organizers , featured about a half-dozen self-identified Republicans urging a vote for Biden not on policy grounds , but because , they claim , the former vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House and return political life in the United States “ back to normal.
” “ I ’ ve been a long-standing Republican , ” said a man identified as Michael from Rhode Island .
“ I ’ m telling you — you ’ ve got to vote for Joe Biden.
” “ I have voted for and campaigned for Republican campaigns since the Reagan years , ” added a woman identified as Debra from Wisconsin .
“ But I won ’ t be voting for Donald Trump in November.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Republican Voters Against Trump in a battleground advertising campaign .
The group , run by Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller , Republican operatives who oppose Trump , has compiled thousands of such videos for its effort .
Longwell praised the Biden campaign for using the videos in the convention , saying that presenting the former vice president as a “ uniter ” is an effective way to reach GOP voters on the fence about reelecting the president .
Doug Heye , a Republican strategist periodically critical of Trump , agreed that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rank-and-file voters , as opposed to bitter GOP establishment figures — could pay dividends for Biden in the fall .
“ I went home to North Carolina in 2016 and heard frequently from Republicans and independents that they were voting for Trump because they couldn ’ t vote for Hillary — but they would have voted for Biden , ” he said .
“ Now that we have Trump in practice instead of Trump in theory , those voters could be real .
”

Joe Biden put Republican voters who supported President Trump four years ago front and center on Night One of the Democratic convention, a tactic Republican operatives said could help move fence-saddling Republicans into Biden's corner.
In a series of home-made cellphone videos, rank-and-file voters, who identified themselves as Republicans who backed Trump in 2016, said they regret their choice and plan to support Biden this November. The videos bolstered the theme of unity that tied together the first session of Biden’s nominating convention Monday evening. Republican operatives concede that it might be an effective way to make GOP voters disappointed in Trump feel comfortable supporting the former vice president.
“I think the real people will be a lot more persuasive than lobbyists or sour-grapes former opponents or an elitist lefty” like former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, said a veteran Republican strategist who backs Trump and is rooting for him to win a second term.
Whitman served in President George W. Bush’s cabinet and is from a prominent Republican family.
In endorsing Biden and speaking at the first night of the largely virtual Democratic convention, she was joined by Susan Molinari, a former Republican congresswoman from New York; Meg Whitman, a former eBay CEO and Republican candidate for governor of California in 2010; and ex-Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who lost his bid for the GOP presidential nomination to Trump four years ago.
“In normal times, something like this would probably never happen,” Kasich said in a prerecorded speech from Ohio. “But these are not normal times.”
Republican insiders were not impressed. They argue that endorsements from elite, establishment figures who have little influence or stature in the party are unlikely to convince GOP regulars to vote for Biden — even if they are unhappy with Trump’s leadership amid a coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn.
But they acknowledged that hearing from “real people” who share their concerns about the president could make a difference. The videos, spliced together by convention organizers, featured about a half-dozen self-identified Republicans urging a vote for Biden not on policy grounds, but because, they claim, the former vice president will return “decency” to the White House and return political life in the United States “back to normal.”
“I’ve been a long-standing Republican,” said a man identified as Michael from Rhode Island. “I’m telling you — you’ve got to vote for Joe Biden.”
“I have voted for and campaigned for Republican campaigns since the Reagan years,” added a woman identified as Debra from Wisconsin. “But I won’t be voting for Donald Trump in November.”
The videos are similar to those being used by Republican Voters Against Trump in a battleground advertising campaign. The group, run by Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller, Republican operatives who oppose Trump, has compiled thousands of such videos for its effort. Longwell praised the Biden campaign for using the videos in the convention, saying that presenting the former vice president as a “uniter” is an effective way to reach GOP voters on the fence about reelecting the president.
Doug Heye, a Republican strategist periodically critical of Trump, agreed that this approach — specifically relying on the validation of rank-and-file voters, as opposed to bitter GOP establishment figures — could pay dividends for Biden in the fall.
“I went home to North Carolina in 2016 and heard frequently from Republicans and independents that they were voting for Trump because they couldn’t vote for Hillary — but they would have voted for Biden,” he said. “Now that we have Trump in practice instead of Trump in theory, those voters could be real.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Andrew Cuomo ripped for calling coronavirus a 'metaphor' for 'America’s body politic'

Andrew Cuomo faced sharp criticism for saying that the coronavirus pandemic , which tore through his state and resulted in more than 32,000 deaths there , was a metaphor for the state of American politics .
`` We went through hell , but we 've learned much .
We know that our problems go beyond the COVID virus , '' the New York governor said in a speech Monday for the Democratic National Convention .
`` COVID is the symptom , not the illness , '' Cuomo continued .
`` Our nation is in crisis , and in many ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A virus attacks when the body is weak and when it can not defend itself .
Over these past few years , America ’ s body politic has been weakened . ''
He also referred to the virus , which originated in Wuhan , China , as the `` European virus . ''
More coronavirus deaths have occurred in New York than in any other state .
Commentators criticized Cuomo for saying that the virus , which had very tangible catastrophic effects , was a metaphor : '' Andrew Cuomo ’ s appearance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stark reminder of the Democrats ’ failed responses to pandemics `` said Steve Guest , Republican National Committee rapid response director .

Andrew Cuomo faced sharp criticism for saying that the coronavirus pandemic, which tore through his state and resulted in more than 32,000 deaths there, was a metaphor for the state of American politics.
"We went through hell, but we've learned much. We know that our problems go beyond the COVID virus," the New York governor said in a speech Monday for the Democratic National Convention.
"COVID is the symptom, not the illness," Cuomo continued. "Our nation is in crisis, and in many ways, COVID is just a metaphor. A virus attacks when the body is weak and when it cannot defend itself. Over these past few years, America’s body politic has been weakened."
He also referred to the virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, as the "European virus."
More coronavirus deaths have occurred in New York than in any other state.
Commentators criticized Cuomo for saying that the virus, which had very tangible catastrophic effects, was a metaphor:
Wonder if COVID would have gone better if Cuomo knew the difference between the words "pandemic" and "metaphor" https://t.co/sVpEQayEgq — Duncan Smith (@DuncanSmithNBA) August 18, 2020
if COVID is just a metaphor, then Cuomo's response is just like poetry: it sucks https://t.co/nVQiveEMCg — 💀 tbone 💀 (@crulge) August 18, 2020
“Covid is the symptom, not the illness.. Covid is just a metaphor.” I understand why Cuomo wants to think that, but Covid is in fact the illness. — Jon Fasman (@jonfasman) August 18, 2020
If my administration had stuffed covid+ patients back into nursing homes where they could infect everyone else, I'd probably want to think of covid as a metaphor, too. https://t.co/jU3XSb3T2m — Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) August 18, 2020
He actually thinks this! He thinks the virus is a sub-issue to the racial injustice — Robby Soave (@robbysoave) August 18, 2020
COVID isn't a metaphor, it's an infectious disease, but Andrew Cuomo is a metaphor for megalomaniacs who appoint themselves some kind of bizarre philosopher king — Michael Tracey (@mtracey) August 18, 2020


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Biden to team up with Tom Hanks for grassroots fundraiser

Joe Biden and actor Tom Hanks will hold a fundraising event together the same week as the 2020 Democratic National Convention .
Biden supporters received a text message Monday evening amid the convention inviting them to join a “ grassroots fundraiser ” on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m .
The link asked supporters to donate “ anything ” they can but noted that “ most people are chipping in $ 25.
” “ I would love the chance to sit down with you and Tom to talk about how we ’ re going to beat [ President ] Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read .
The Washington Examiner reached out to Biden ’ s campaign for further details about the event .
The event comes as the Democratic Party holds the four-day convention , which is largely virtual given the coronavirus pandemic .
Hanks and his wife , Rita Wilson , contracted COVID-19 early on in the health crisis and spent their quarantine in Australia .
Day One of the convention featured speeches from Sens .
Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , as well as former first lady Michelle Obama .
Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
John Kasich and included former New Jersey Gov .
Christine Todd Whitman , former New York Rep. Susan Molinari , and former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman .

Joe Biden and actor Tom Hanks will hold a fundraising event together the same week as the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Biden supporters received a text message Monday evening amid the convention inviting them to join a “grassroots fundraiser” on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. The link asked supporters to donate “anything” they can but noted that “most people are chipping in $25.”
“I would love the chance to sit down with you and Tom to talk about how we’re going to beat [President] Trump and the Republicans,” the text message read. The Washington Examiner reached out to Biden’s campaign for further details about the event.
The event comes as the Democratic Party holds the four-day convention, which is largely virtual given the coronavirus pandemic. Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, contracted COVID-19 early on in the health crisis and spent their quarantine in Australia.
Day One of the convention featured speeches from Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as former first lady Michelle Obama. Republican speakers were led by former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and included former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, former New York Rep. Susan Molinari, and former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama lands sharpest jabs at Trump yet as Democrats vie for his supporters

Unburdened by the political weight of an official role , former first lady Michelle Obama excoriated President Trump on the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention .
Obama is no fan of Trump .
But her past criticisms of the incumbent seem mild compared to her keynote address Monday , in which she laid bare his perceived deficiencies as a president and a person .
`` Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country .
He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job , but he is clearly in over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this moment .
He simply can not be who we need him to be for us .
It is what it is , '' she said .
She added , wearing a gold `` vote '' necklace , “ If you think things can not possibly get worse , trust me , they can and they will if we don ’ t make a change in this election .
We have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.
” Yet Obama also struck a softer note in support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as opposed to trying to simply mobilize the party against Trump .
She evoked her standout moment from the 2016 convention , in which she urged Democrats to `` go high '' when Trump and Republicans `` go low , '' applying that mantra to the current cycle .
`` Going high is the only thing that works , '' she said .
`` But let ’ s be clear : Going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty .
Going high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top . ''
While Obama made a deeply personal pitch for Biden this time around , the online medium , detached from a traditionally crowded convention hall , felt different in contrast to her message for 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton .
`` I know Joe .
He is a profoundly decent man guided by faith .
He was a terrific vice president .
He knows what it takes to rescue an economy , beat back a pandemic , and lead our country , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in essence a character testimony , is her first appearance on the campaign trail for Biden , the two-term vice president of her husband , former President Barack Obama .
Barack Obama will address the four-day virtual convention on Wednesday night .
Michelle Obama joined Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and a slate of Republicans , including former GOP Ohio Gov .
John Kasich , in speaking to the theme `` We the People '' for the program , hosted by actress Eva Longoria Baston .
The opening night was laden with overtures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Jersey Gov .
Christine Todd Whitman , previous New York Rep. Susan Molinari , and Meg Whitman , the 2010 California Republican gubernatorial nominee , to a farmer from Pennsylvania named Rick Telesz .
`` I do n't have all the answers , but if something does n't work for you , it 's time for a change , '' Telesz said .
Earlier Monday , Biden campaign co-chair Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond said their inclusion was deliberate and important to building a winning coalition in the fall against Trump , almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I call them the 'silent Biden voters , ' which are those Republicans that feel bullied , those Republicans that feel that they will be isolated if they support Biden , and that they will be picked on , '' Richmond said .
`` This will show them that they 're not alone . ''
In between the remarks and musical performances from the likes of Leon Bridges and Maggie Rogers , Democrats also paused on Monday for a moment of silence to mark the death of George Floyd , a black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while being detained by a squad of white police officers .
`` George should be alive today .
Breonna Taylor should be alive today .
Ahmaud Arbery should be alive today .
Eric Garner , Stephon Clark , Atatiana Jefferson , Sandra Bland — they should all be alive today , '' Philonise Floyd , George 's brother , said .
`` It ’ s up to us to carry on the fight for justice . ''

Unburdened by the political weight of an official role, former first lady Michelle Obama excoriated President Trump on the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Obama is no fan of Trump. But her past criticisms of the incumbent seem mild compared to her keynote address Monday, in which she laid bare his perceived deficiencies as a president and a person.
"Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is," she said.
She added, wearing a gold "vote" necklace, “If you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can and they will if we don’t make a change in this election. We have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.”
Yet Obama also struck a softer note in support of 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as opposed to trying to simply mobilize the party against Trump.
She evoked her standout moment from the 2016 convention, in which she urged Democrats to "go high" when Trump and Republicans "go low," applying that mantra to the current cycle.
"Going high is the only thing that works," she said. "But let’s be clear: Going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top."
While Obama made a deeply personal pitch for Biden this time around, the online medium, detached from a traditionally crowded convention hall, felt different in contrast to her message for 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton.
"I know Joe. He is a profoundly decent man guided by faith. He was a terrific vice president. He knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic, and lead our country," she said.
Obama's speech, in essence a character testimony, is her first appearance on the campaign trail for Biden, the two-term vice president of her husband, former President Barack Obama. Barack Obama will address the four-day virtual convention on Wednesday night.
Michelle Obama joined Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and a slate of Republicans, including former GOP Ohio Gov. John Kasich, in speaking to the theme "We the People" for the program, hosted by actress Eva Longoria Baston.
The opening night was laden with overtures to independents and disenchanted Republicans, from ex-GOP New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, previous New York Rep. Susan Molinari, and Meg Whitman, the 2010 California Republican gubernatorial nominee, to a farmer from Pennsylvania named Rick Telesz.
"I don't have all the answers, but if something doesn't work for you, it's time for a change," Telesz said.
Earlier Monday, Biden campaign co-chair Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond said their inclusion was deliberate and important to building a winning coalition in the fall against Trump, almost giving them permission to defect.
"I call them the 'silent Biden voters,' which are those Republicans that feel bullied, those Republicans that feel that they will be isolated if they support Biden, and that they will be picked on," Richmond said. "This will show them that they're not alone."
In between the remarks and musical performances from the likes of Leon Bridges and Maggie Rogers, Democrats also paused on Monday for a moment of silence to mark the death of George Floyd, a black man who died on Memorial Day in Minnesota while being detained by a squad of white police officers.
"George should be alive today. Breonna Taylor should be alive today. Ahmaud Arbery should be alive today. Eric Garner, Stephon Clark, Atatiana Jefferson, Sandra Bland — they should all be alive today," Philonise Floyd, George's brother, said. "It’s up to us to carry on the fight for justice."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Republican women trash Trump at DNC

Republican women trash Trump at DNC

A trio of once-prominent Republican women trashed President Trump on the opening night of the virtual Democratic National Convention to highlight a segment of the GOP that is backing Joe Biden for president .
“ I 'm a longtime Republican and a longtime CEO , ” Meg Whitman , a former top executive and GOP candidate for California governor in 2010 , said .
“ And let me tell you , Donald Trump has no clue how to run a business , let alone an economy .
Joe Biden , on the other hand , has a plan.
” Whitman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Christine Todd Whitman , who is also backing Biden .
“ This is n't about a Republican or Democrat , ” Whitman , who was governor from 1994 to 2001 , said , explaining her appearance at the convention .
“ It 's about a person — a person decent enough , stable enough , and strong enough to get our economy back on track .
A person who can work with everyone . ''
Following Whitman , former House GOP lawmaker Susan Molinari introduced former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who urged people to put party affiliation aside and vote for Biden .
Molinari called Trump “ so disappointing , and lately , so disturbing.
” Trump ’ s campaign attacked the three women ahead of their convention appearances , calling them “ fake Republicans ” who support a far-left Democratic agenda .
Campaign officials pointed to Molinari ’ s history serving as a lobbyist on behalf of Russian interests and the fact that she lobbied Biden while he was a senator .
Molinari served in the House representing New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that both Meg and Christie Todd Whitman voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
“ A sore loser , a Putin pal , and two Crooked supporters , ” the Trump campaign statement said .
“ Who would want those endorsements ?
”

A trio of once-prominent Republican women trashed President Trump on the opening night of the virtual Democratic National Convention to highlight a segment of the GOP that is backing Joe Biden for president.
“I'm a longtime Republican and a longtime CEO,” Meg Whitman, a former top executive and GOP candidate for California governor in 2010, said. “And let me tell you, Donald Trump has no clue how to run a business, let alone an economy. Joe Biden, on the other hand, has a plan.”
Whitman was followed by former New Jersey GOP Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, who is also backing Biden.
“This isn't about a Republican or Democrat,” Whitman, who was governor from 1994 to 2001, said, explaining her appearance at the convention. “It's about a person — a person decent enough, stable enough, and strong enough to get our economy back on track. A person who can work with everyone."
Following Whitman, former House GOP lawmaker Susan Molinari introduced former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, another prominent Republican and Trump foe, who urged people to put party affiliation aside and vote for Biden.
Molinari called Trump “so disappointing, and lately, so disturbing.”
Trump’s campaign attacked the three women ahead of their convention appearances, calling them “fake Republicans” who support a far-left Democratic agenda.
Campaign officials pointed to Molinari’s history serving as a lobbyist on behalf of Russian interests and the fact that she lobbied Biden while he was a senator. Molinari served in the House representing New York City from 1990 to 1997.
Officials noted that both Meg and Christie Todd Whitman voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
“A sore loser, a Putin pal, and two Crooked supporters,” the Trump campaign statement said. “Who would want those endorsements?”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Bernie Sanders calls for unity in DNC remarks

Bernie Sanders helped conclude the first day of the 2020 Democratic National Convention by pleading with progressives to jump behind Joe Biden 's campaign , claiming `` the future of our democracy is at stake '' in the November election .
“ My friends , I say to you , and to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election : The future of our democracy is at stake .
The future of our economy is at stake .
The future of our planet is at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prerecorded speech filmed in his Burlington , Vermont , home .
Sanders 's remarks highlighted his role as a uniter who , despite this year 's Democratic primary proving significantly less competitive than that of 2016 , has been tasked with shoring up the Democratic Party 's progressive base .
For months , Biden 's campaign has been concerned that younger voters , who overwhelmingly supported Sanders in the primary , wo n't show up to the polls for Biden .
“ We must come together , defeat Donald Trump , and elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next president and vice president , '' Sanders said .
`` My friends , the price of failure is just too great to imagine.
” Despite the stark differences between how Sanders and the former vice president ran their respective primary campaigns , particularly on issues of healthcare and support for a `` Green New Deal , '' Sanders 's remarks generally stayed clear of policy and instead on the most immediate task at hand : defeating Trump in November .
Sanders was allotted eight minutes of speaking time , more than nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely virtual Democratic convention .
Without a live audience , his speech came without any protesting from his supporters .
In 2016 , a number of them booed nominee Hillary Clinton and claimed the primary process was rigged .
Instead , most frustrations from progressives were vented on social media and in conference calls held by Democratic Party officials .
Pro-Sanders delegates griped that they could not vote for the Democratic Party platform because it omitted a pledge to pass `` Medicare for all '' and other left-wing wish-list items .
Sanders dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after pulling off three consecutive first-place finishes in early primary contests .
His campaign effectively ended after Biden won a definitive double-digit victory in South Carolina and most of his former primary competitors backed Biden .
`` It was not long ago that people considered these ideas radical and fringe .
Today , these are mainstream ideas , and many of them are being implemented in cities and states across the country , '' Sanders said in April .
`` Together , we have transformed American consciousness as to what kind of nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major step forward in the never-ending struggle for economic justice , social justice , racial justice , and environmental justice .
”

Bernie Sanders helped conclude the first day of the 2020 Democratic National Convention by pleading with progressives to jump behind Joe Biden's campaign, claiming "the future of our democracy is at stake" in the November election.
“My friends, I say to you, and to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election: The future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake," Sanders said in a prerecorded speech filmed in his Burlington, Vermont, home.
Sanders's remarks highlighted his role as a uniter who, despite this year's Democratic primary proving significantly less competitive than that of 2016, has been tasked with shoring up the Democratic Party's progressive base. For months, Biden's campaign has been concerned that younger voters, who overwhelmingly supported Sanders in the primary, won't show up to the polls for Biden.
“We must come together, defeat Donald Trump, and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president," Sanders said. "My friends, the price of failure is just too great to imagine.”
Despite the stark differences between how Sanders and the former vice president ran their respective primary campaigns, particularly on issues of healthcare and support for a "Green New Deal," Sanders's remarks generally stayed clear of policy and instead on the most immediate task at hand: defeating Trump in November.
Sanders was allotted eight minutes of speaking time, more than nearly every other attendee at this year's largely virtual Democratic convention. Without a live audience, his speech came without any protesting from his supporters. In 2016, a number of them booed nominee Hillary Clinton and claimed the primary process was rigged.
Instead, most frustrations from progressives were vented on social media and in conference calls held by Democratic Party officials. Pro-Sanders delegates griped that they could not vote for the Democratic Party platform because it omitted a pledge to pass "Medicare for all" and other left-wing wish-list items.
Sanders dropped out of the race in early April after pulling off three consecutive first-place finishes in early primary contests. His campaign effectively ended after Biden won a definitive double-digit victory in South Carolina and most of his former primary competitors backed Biden.
"It was not long ago that people considered these ideas radical and fringe. Today, these are mainstream ideas, and many of them are being implemented in cities and states across the country," Sanders said in April. "Together, we have transformed American consciousness as to what kind of nation we have become and taken this country a major step forward in the never-ending struggle for economic justice, social justice, racial justice, and environmental justice.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-19--Biden is officially the Democratic presidential nominee

You can now drop the `` presumptive '' when referring to Joe Biden as the Democratic Party nominee .
Following the tradition of both political parties , Biden was officially named the Democratic Party presidential candidate after a roll call of his roughly 2,690 delegates collected in the various primary contests throughout the winter and spring .
Winning the official nomination marks the end of a 30-plus-year-long quest for Biden , who first ran for president in the 1988 cycle and then again in 2008 .
Both campaigns ended shortly in disaster , dropping out the first time over plagiarism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both creating punchlines for late-night comics .
But Biden 's role as President Barack Obama 's vice president and subsequent decisive victories in the 2020 Democratic primaries have solidified him as the leader of the Democratic Party and one of its only hopes to unseat President Trump in November .
Despite the competing ideological forces within the Democratic Party , all convention speakers , ranging from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to former Ohio governor and 2016 GOP presidential candidate John Kasich agreed the most important task at hand was defeating Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` Medicare for all '' and a `` Green New Deal '' were largely absent , as virtually everyone agreed the current president represents a unique threat to the country and its institutions .
With Biden nominated , California Sen. Kamala Harris 's role as vice president represents yet another historic ticket for the Democratic Party .
As vice president , Harris would be the first woman to reach the West Wing of the White House .
Although many Democratic voters were looking for a fresh voice to represent them in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , who virtually clinched the nomination by April .
Sanders dropped out , facing resounding losses on Super Tuesday and other primary contests in states he historically performed well in , such as Ohio and Wisconsin .
Biden enjoys the support from celebrities and Democratic icons such as first lady Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton , all of whom have pledged to work tirelessly to get him a victory in November .
“ Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country .
He has had more than enough time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job , but he is clearly in over his head , ” former first lady Michelle Obama said Monday .
“ He simply can not be who we need him to be for us .
It is what it is .
”

You can now drop the "presumptive" when referring to Joe Biden as the Democratic Party nominee.
Following the tradition of both political parties, Biden was officially named the Democratic Party presidential candidate after a roll call of his roughly 2,690 delegates collected in the various primary contests throughout the winter and spring.
Winning the official nomination marks the end of a 30-plus-year-long quest for Biden, who first ran for president in the 1988 cycle and then again in 2008. Both campaigns ended shortly in disaster, dropping out the first time over plagiarism charges and winning zero delegates the second, both creating punchlines for late-night comics.
But Biden's role as President Barack Obama's vice president and subsequent decisive victories in the 2020 Democratic primaries have solidified him as the leader of the Democratic Party and one of its only hopes to unseat President Trump in November.
Despite the competing ideological forces within the Democratic Party, all convention speakers, ranging from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to former Ohio governor and 2016 GOP presidential candidate John Kasich agreed the most important task at hand was defeating Trump in the fall. Discussion of issues such as "Medicare for all" and a "Green New Deal" were largely absent, as virtually everyone agreed the current president represents a unique threat to the country and its institutions.
With Biden nominated, California Sen. Kamala Harris's role as vice president represents yet another historic ticket for the Democratic Party. As vice president, Harris would be the first woman to reach the West Wing of the White House.
Although many Democratic voters were looking for a fresh voice to represent them in the general election, they ultimately settled on Biden, who virtually clinched the nomination by April. Sanders dropped out, facing resounding losses on Super Tuesday and other primary contests in states he historically performed well in, such as Ohio and Wisconsin.
Biden enjoys the support from celebrities and Democratic icons such as first lady Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton, all of whom have pledged to work tirelessly to get him a victory in November.
“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head,” former first lady Michelle Obama said Monday. “He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-19--Bill Clinton convention speech overshadowed by 'Me Too' criticism

Bill Clinton hoped his tearing into President Trump and call to unity would be the highlight of his Democratic convention speech .
Instead , it was his very action of speaking at the convention at all that was the most noteworthy as scrutiny of his behavior toward women again bubbled to the surface of political conversation on Tuesday .
`` Donald Trump says we ’ re leading the world , '' the former president said in his speech .
`` Well , we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple .
At a time like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a command center .
Instead , it ’ s a storm center .
There ’ s only chaos .
Just one thing never changes — his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame .
The buck never stops there.
” Clinton took a dig a Trump 's frequent use of Twitter .
`` Now you have to decide whether to renew his contract or hire someone else .
If you want a president who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The nation 's 42nd president pushed hard trying to make presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden the 46th one .
“ Our party is united in offering you a very different choice : a go-to-work president .
A down-to-earth , get-the-job-done guy .
A man with a mission : to take responsibility , not shift the blame ; concentrate , not distract ; unite , not divide .
Our choice is Joe Biden.
” Those with an eye on the convention , though , were more focused on Clinton 's place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence at the convention sends .
On Tuesday , the Daily Mail reported never-before-published photos of Clinton receiving a massage from Jeffrey Epstein ’ s accusers , Chauntae Davies , during a trip to Africa in 2002 .
While Davies was 22 at the time and said that Clinton `` was a perfect gentleman during the trip '' and that she `` saw absolutely no foul play involving him , ” the images called attention not only to the unproven allegation that he visited Epstein 's private island but other numerous allegations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his sexual relationship with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky .
Following the release of the photograph with Davies , CNN 's Andrew Kaczynski asked a question that went viral on Twitter : `` How is Bill Clinton still getting prime time speaking spots post Me Too era ? ''
Commentators on both the Left and the Right chimed in to express disapproval of the former president receiving a speaking slot .
The criticism leaked into some Democratic National Convention events .
One person in a public chat during a Native American Caucus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many talented , powerful , amazing women ... why is the DNC allowing Bill Clinton talk tonight ? ''
Evidence that Democrats would rather Clinton stay out of Democratic events going forward goes further than comments on the internet .
A CBS national poll conducted Aug. 12-14 found that 44 % of Democrats said that they would not like to hear Clinton speak at the Democratic National Convention , more than any of the 11 speakers measured in the survey except former Republican Gov .
John Kasich .
For comparison , 63 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear from New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , while 37 % said they would not .
For Hillary Clinton , 58 % said yes , and 42 % said no .
In 2018 , the New York Times wrote that the former president did not campaign for any candidates in the midterm elections that year and was thrown into `` political purgatory , unable to overcome past personal and policy choices now considered anathema within the rising liberal wing of his party . ''

Bill Clinton hoped his tearing into President Trump and call to unity would be the highlight of his Democratic convention speech. Instead, it was his very action of speaking at the convention at all that was the most noteworthy as scrutiny of his behavior toward women again bubbled to the surface of political conversation on Tuesday.
"Donald Trump says we’re leading the world," the former president said in his speech. "Well, we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple. At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it’s a storm center. There’s only chaos. Just one thing never changes — his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there.”
Clinton took a dig a Trump's frequent use of Twitter.
"Now you have to decide whether to renew his contract or hire someone else. If you want a president who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media, he's your man," he said.
The nation's 42nd president pushed hard trying to make presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden the 46th one.
“Our party is united in offering you a very different choice: a go-to-work president. A down-to-earth, get-the-job-done guy. A man with a mission: to take responsibility, not shift the blame; concentrate, not distract; unite, not divide. Our choice is Joe Biden.”
Those with an eye on the convention, though, were more focused on Clinton's place in the Democratic Party and what message his presence at the convention sends.
On Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported never-before-published photos of Clinton receiving a massage from Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers, Chauntae Davies, during a trip to Africa in 2002.
While Davies was 22 at the time and said that Clinton "was a perfect gentleman during the trip" and that she "saw absolutely no foul play involving him,” the images called attention not only to the unproven allegation that he visited Epstein's private island but other numerous allegations of sexual assault and harassment, as well as his sexual relationship with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Following the release of the photograph with Davies, CNN's Andrew Kaczynski asked a question that went viral on Twitter: "How is Bill Clinton still getting prime time speaking spots post Me Too era?" Commentators on both the Left and the Right chimed in to express disapproval of the former president receiving a speaking slot.
How is Bill Clinton still getting prime time speaking spots post Me Too era? — andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) August 18, 2020
The criticism leaked into some Democratic National Convention events. One person in a public chat during a Native American Caucus meeting wrote, "There are so many talented, powerful, amazing women... why is the DNC allowing Bill Clinton talk tonight?"
A user criticized Bill Clinton in a chat during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 18, 2020. (Screenshot/Democratic National Committee)
Evidence that Democrats would rather Clinton stay out of Democratic events going forward goes further than comments on the internet.
A CBS national poll conducted Aug. 12-14 found that 44% of Democrats said that they would not like to hear Clinton speak at the Democratic National Convention, more than any of the 11 speakers measured in the survey except former Republican Gov. John Kasich. For comparison, 63% of respondents said that they would like to hear from New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while 37% said they would not. For Hillary Clinton, 58% said yes, and 42% said no.
In 2018, the New York Times wrote that the former president did not campaign for any candidates in the midterm elections that year and was thrown into "political purgatory, unable to overcome past personal and policy choices now considered anathema within the rising liberal wing of his party."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--DNC disables chatroom after trolls crash Warren appearance at Native American caucus meeting

So many trolls flooded a Democratic Convention Native American Caucus meeting where Elizabeth Warren was slated to speak that organizers disabled a chatroom accompanying the livestreamed event .
The Trump campaign and other conservatives on social media pointed out that the Massachusetts senator would be speaking at the event on Tuesday while alluding to Warren 's previous claims to Native American ancestry .
Some critics of Warren noticed that the sidebar chat in the convention room was accessible to anyone , some on Twitter encouraged others to join and post criticisms of Warren .
Posters sent messages referencing Pocahontas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about Warren ; `` 1/1024 , '' a reference to the small amount of Native American ancestry Warren could have based on a 2018 DNA test that showed she has a Native American ancestor six to 10 generations ago ; and sent dozens of snake emojis , a way of calling Warren a `` snake . ''
`` Hi my name is Elizabeth Warren and I 'm here to take your culture for my own personal benefit , '' read one message from someone who identified as `` Chief White Snake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad-mouthing Warren .
`` Please be respectful .
No matter your opinion on Sen Warren 's heritage , she established one of the strongest platforms for Indian Country , '' said an attendee identified as Dr. Aaron Payment .
`` Please do not alienate her .
We need all the help we can get . ''
Organizers were apparently trying to manage the flood of trolls .
About a half-hour into the event , before Warren was slated to speak , organizers disabled the chat .
`` They disabled the chat !
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed record for bullying the DNC into silencing free speech ! ''
one person who had been encouraging the trolls said in a tweet .
Warren has long faced intense criticism for her claims to Native American heritage and family lore that her parents eloped due to her mother being part “ Cherokee and Delaware.
” She listed herself as an “ American Indian ” on her Texas State Bar card and contributed recipes to a “ Pow Wow Chow ” cookbook .
Trump often calls Warren “ Pocahontas ” in reference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took and made public a DNA test that found she had overwhelming European ancestry and one Native American ancestor six to 10 generations back , making her as little as 1/1024 in Native American heritage .
After enduring criticism , Warren repeatedly apologized for identifying herself as a minority .
In a speech at the event , Warren said that Trump disrespects Native American tribes , referencing his administration revoking reservation status for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe .
`` I say it 's time to have a president who will fight even harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
With Joe Biden in office , Indian country will not need to worry about that kind of disrespect any longer .
Joe Biden understands and will honor the United States moral and legal obligations to tribal nations , '' Warren said .
Warren was not the only non-Native American person to speak at the event .
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker also delivered a speech .
The first two Native American women elected to Congress , Reps. Deb Haaland of New Mexico and Sharice Davids of Kansas , also spoke at @ @ @

So many trolls flooded a Democratic Convention Native American Caucus meeting where Elizabeth Warren was slated to speak that organizers disabled a chatroom accompanying the livestreamed event.
The Trump campaign and other conservatives on social media pointed out that the Massachusetts senator would be speaking at the event on Tuesday while alluding to Warren's previous claims to Native American ancestry.
Some critics of Warren noticed that the sidebar chat in the convention room was accessible to anyone, some on Twitter encouraged others to join and post criticisms of Warren.
Posters sent messages referencing Pocahontas, a slur that President Trump uses when talking about Warren; "1/1024," a reference to the small amount of Native American ancestry Warren could have based on a 2018 DNA test that showed she has a Native American ancestor six to 10 generations ago; and sent dozens of snake emojis, a way of calling Warren a "snake."
"Hi my name is Elizabeth Warren and I'm here to take your culture for my own personal benefit," read one message from someone who identified as "Chief White Snake."
Others in the chatroom condemned those bad-mouthing Warren.
"Please be respectful. No matter your opinion on Sen Warren's heritage, she established one of the strongest platforms for Indian Country," said an attendee identified as Dr. Aaron Payment. "Please do not alienate her. We need all the help we can get."
Organizers were apparently trying to manage the flood of trolls. About a half-hour into the event, before Warren was slated to speak, organizers disabled the chat.
"They disabled the chat! We’ve singlehandedly set a new land speed record for bullying the DNC into silencing free speech!" one person who had been encouraging the trolls said in a tweet.
Warren has long faced intense criticism for her claims to Native American heritage and family lore that her parents eloped due to her mother being part “Cherokee and Delaware.” She listed herself as an “American Indian” on her Texas State Bar card and contributed recipes to a “Pow Wow Chow” cookbook. Trump often calls Warren “Pocahontas” in reference to the claims.
In 2018, Warren took and made public a DNA test that found she had overwhelming European ancestry and one Native American ancestor six to 10 generations back, making her as little as 1/1024 in Native American heritage. After enduring criticism, Warren repeatedly apologized for identifying herself as a minority.
In a speech at the event, Warren said that Trump disrespects Native American tribes, referencing his administration revoking reservation status for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
"I say it's time to have a president who will fight even harder, but this time to protect Indian country. With Joe Biden in office, Indian country will not need to worry about that kind of disrespect any longer. Joe Biden understands and will honor the United States moral and legal obligations to tribal nations," Warren said.
Warren was not the only non-Native American person to speak at the event. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker also delivered a speech. The first two Native American women elected to Congress, Reps. Deb Haaland of New Mexico and Sharice Davids of Kansas, also spoke at the event.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--First night Democratic convention viewership dips after digital-only debut

An estimated 18.7 million people tuned into the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention , a drop compared to four years ago , according to early Nielsen ratings .
The top five broadcast and cable news networks agreed to take the second and final hour of Monday 's virtual convention program , the first time either party has tested the format .
While the majority of viewers from 10-11:15 p.m. turned on CNN and MSNBC , which carried the full scheduled two hours , an average of 2.1 million people watched via Fox News , Nielsen Media Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total audience , including on ABC , CBS , and NBC , were aged 25-54 years , a demographic advertisers covet .
Those numbers represent a decline from the 2016 convention .
Last cycle , Democrats drew an estimated 26 million via traditional TV on the first night during the same time slot .
The initial figures may be revised with data from smaller networks .
The Biden campaign appeared to anticipate a ratings hit on Tuesday morning , citing their online reach during a press briefing .
Biden staff also touted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mix of produced content and live speakers .
`` We really wanted to think about this as a convention across America , '' Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield told reporters .
`` We 've really thought about how we can reach people on non-traditional platforms and how we can really make this a dynamic experience for the person watching from home who might not otherwise tune in to an hour-plus of convention coverage . ''
Later Tuesday , the team announced the convention notched up 10.2 million views via livestreams .
The coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a partially digital convention last week , including hosting reporters and TV crews in the host city of Milwaukee .
The development meant last-minute coverage changes in the days leading up to the event .

An estimated 18.7 million people tuned in to the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, a drop compared to four years ago, according to early Nielsen ratings.
The top five broadcast and cable news networks agreed to take the second and final hour of Monday's virtual convention program, the first time either party has tested the format.
While the majority of viewers from 10 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. turned on CNN and MSNBC, which carried the full scheduled two hours, an average of 2.1 million people watched via Fox News, Nielsen Media Research found. About 4.7 million of the total audience, including on ABC, CBS, and NBC, were aged 25-54 years, a demographic advertisers covet.
Those numbers represent a decline from the 2016 convention. Last cycle, Democrats drew an estimated 26 million via traditional TV on the first night during the same time slot. The initial figures may be revised with data from smaller networks.
The Biden campaign appeared to anticipate a ratings hit on Tuesday morning, citing its online reach during a press briefing. Biden staff also touted the "dynamic experience" they created through a mix of produced content and live speakers.
"We really wanted to think about this as a convention across America," Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield told reporters. "We've really thought about how we can reach people on nontraditional platforms and how we can really make this a dynamic experience for the person watching from home who might not otherwise tune in to an hour-plus of convention coverage."
Later Tuesday, the team announced the convention notched up 10.2 million views via livestreams.
NEWS: 28.9 million Americans tuned in to @DemConvention last night across TV & digital platforms, up from 2016 & shattering the previous record for digital streams, which totaled 10.2m even as numbers still come in.
We are producing a digital convention, and people are watching. — TJ Ducklo (@TDucklo) August 18, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic forced Democrats to scrap their plans for a partially digital convention last week, including hosting reporters and TV crews in the host city of Milwaukee. The development meant last-minute coverage changes in the days leading up to the event.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Cringeworthy virtual Democratic convention is a ratings bomb

Despite having the support of every entertainer from Tinseltown to Tribeca , the Democratic National Committee put together a cringeworthy eyesore of a virtual convention , plagued by shockingly low production values and Eva Longoria Baston as the de facto emcee , leading to the whole affair feeling more like a low-rent infomercial than the winning party 's national celebration .
And now , the ratings are in , and the verdict from the public proves the 2020 DNC is a total dud .
At press time , posted viewership marks nearly a 28 % drop from the high-stakes DNC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBS , and NBC were down a staggering 42 % with just 6.7 million viewers at 10 p.m. Cable networks Fox News , MSNBC , and CNN were down 16 % to nearly 12 million viewers .
In total , that 's fewer than 19 million views — or 28 % the viewership of the 2016 DNC .
That 's roughly on par with the higher-rated Democratic primary debates , not one of which came within a stone 's throw of the best-rated 2016 Republican debates .
The 2020 DNC was always destined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who locked up the nomination extremely early , had a much less contentious relationship with socialist firebrand Bernie Sanders .
Also , Democrats resigned themselves early on to a virtual convention due to the coronavirus pandemic .
But given the ample time to plan and with a broadly liked , uncontroversial nominee in tow , it was n't doomed .
No , the galling visual display and choppy series of clips threading together Monday night 's affair was a choice — and a telling one at that .
The opening night of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the People , '' or uniting Republicans and Democrats under the Biden ticket .
But the best Democrats could do was finding GOP has-beens and barely-weres such as Meg Whitman and John Kasich .
And the message of Biden 's moderation was complicated by socialist Sanders 's lead-off performance for the night .
Couple that with the fact that other than Sanders and Michelle Obama , the night was solely occupied with politicians and random strangers positing a vacuum of stage presence , and it was a recipe for boredom .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure of production .
Placing a lone Longoria Baston in a studio to redirect randomly to Zoom calls from people affected by the coronavirus and the Orange Man made most of the night feel like an infomercial .
The mix of live and pre-filmed videos brought the worst of both worlds .
Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser , who already has the charisma of a used car salesman , was stuck awkwardly staring next to the camera as she read in a monotone from a misplaced teleprompter .
The former first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she did n't even say anything about Kamala Harris as Biden 's running mate .
The increasingly cringey musical interludes served as a cherry on top , capping off with Billy Porter and Steven Stills perfoming a public access television-themed rendition of `` For What It 's Worth . ''
It was such an egregious auditory and visual assault on the audience that every single networked raced to cut away from the humiliation .
The worst is yet to come .
Tonight , we get to cheer on the predatory Bill Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graced with the charisma of Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris .
Biden is set to speak on Thursday , if he can remember .

Despite having the support of every entertainer from Tinseltown to Tribeca, the Democratic National Committee put together a cringeworthy eyesore of a virtual convention, plagued by shockingly low production values and Eva Longoria Baston as the de facto emcee, leading to the whole affair feeling more like a low-rent infomercial than the winning party's national celebration.
And now, the ratings are in, and the verdict from the public proves the 2020 DNC is a total dud.
At press time, posted viewership marks nearly a 28% drop from the high-stakes DNC of 2016. Broadcast channels ABC, CBS, and NBC were down a staggering 42% with just 6.7 million viewers at 10 p.m. Cable networks Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN were down 16% to nearly 12 million viewers. In total, that's fewer than 19 million views — or 28% the viewership of the 2016 DNC. That's roughly on par with the higher-rated Democratic primary debates, not one of which came within a stone's throw of the best-rated 2016 Republican debates.
The 2020 DNC was always destined to be a little lackluster. Biden, who locked up the nomination extremely early, had a much less contentious relationship with socialist firebrand Bernie Sanders. Also, Democrats resigned themselves early on to a virtual convention due to the coronavirus pandemic. But given the ample time to plan and with a broadly liked, uncontroversial nominee in tow, it wasn't doomed. No, the galling visual display and choppy series of clips threading together Monday night's affair was a choice — and a telling one at that.
The opening night of the convention was centered on "We the People," or uniting Republicans and Democrats under the Biden ticket. But the best Democrats could do was finding GOP has-beens and barely-weres such as Meg Whitman and John Kasich.
And the message of Biden's moderation was complicated by socialist Sanders's lead-off performance for the night. Couple that with the fact that other than Sanders and Michelle Obama, the night was solely occupied with politicians and random strangers positing a vacuum of stage presence, and it was a recipe for boredom.
But the true travesty of the night was the failure of production. Placing a lone Longoria Baston in a studio to redirect randomly to Zoom calls from people affected by the coronavirus and the Orange Man made most of the night feel like an infomercial. The mix of live and pre-filmed videos brought the worst of both worlds.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, who already has the charisma of a used car salesman, was stuck awkwardly staring next to the camera as she read in a monotone from a misplaced teleprompter. The former first lady had filmed her speech so early that she didn't even say anything about Kamala Harris as Biden's running mate.
The increasingly cringey musical interludes served as a cherry on top, capping off with Billy Porter and Steven Stills perfoming a public access television-themed rendition of "For What It's Worth." It was such an egregious auditory and visual assault on the audience that every single networked raced to cut away from the humiliation.
Thanks @theebillyporter + Steven Stills for helping us close night one of the #DemConvention! 🎵
So much more to come! Come back tomorrow ⬇https://t.co/NEJtNqxFPV pic.twitter.com/vqXfLCUVfk — 2020 #DemConvention 🇺🇸 (@DemConvention) August 18, 2020
The worst is yet to come. Tonight, we get to cheer on the predatory Bill Clinton, and tomorrow, we'll be graced with the charisma of Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. Biden is set to speak on Thursday, if he can remember.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--V-shaped economic recovery requires more free trade, not tariffs

It seems evident that President Trump will need a blockbuster economic revival if he hopes to win reelection in November .
Part of the equation to achieve that spring back is to resist trade protectionist temptations .
But will he ?
While everyone likes the sentiment of bringing manufacturing jobs back to America , trade barriers have never been beneficial .
What has been useful for Trump as more than 1 million blue-collar jobs have come back to these shores has been a competitiveness burst by cutting taxes , slashing regulations , etc .
But protectionism against our friendly trading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head .
Here are three stark examples .
First , steel and aluminum tariffs keep rising , and these have added to the costs of everything from beer to cars to building a new home .
The Peterson Institute estimates the tariffs ( mostly against Canada ) cost consumers upwards of $ 900,000 — multiple times the salaries of the workers .
Now , beer and soft drink producers are claiming a shortage of cans , which will drive up prices at the grocery store .
Another emerging multibillion-dollar trade brawl involves mattresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Led by Leggett & Platt , Corsicana Mattress Company , and Elite Comfort Solutions , domestic companies are trying to manipulate U.S. trade laws and unfairly protect a dominant market share .
It ’ s a case study in corporate welfare under the guise of “ protecting jobs.
” On March 31 , this cadre of manufacturers filed multiple petitions alleging that the importation of mattresses from strong U.S. allies and trading partners in Southeast Asia is causing material injury to the domestic mattress industry .
It ’ s a baseless claim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many of the petitioners , such as Tempur-Sealy , have expanded and watched their sales soar by nearly 20 % in the current conditions .
If these companies succeed in securing the trade barriers , mattress distributors ( and retailers that import materials from partner countries such as Thailand , Malaysia , and Vietnam ) would see oppressive tariffs placed on their goods .
It will eliminate thousands of domestic jobs , shrink margins for retailers , and significantly raise prices for consumers .
A recent survey published in CivicScience found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are at least somewhat concerned about the impact of recent trade policies and tariffs on their household expenses in the month of April.
” The mattress manufacturers have tried this ruse before .
Many of these mattress manufacturers have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in hefty fines for attempts at price-fixing and violating antitrust laws in the past .
The U.S. Department of Justice recently raised the issue of higher costs and asked trade officials to “ take the competitive effects of the ongoing pandemic and its likely aftermath — including potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other consumers and whether domestic supply can meet current demand — into account when assessing the extent to which domestic industry may be harmed by the conduct alleged in this case.
” Finally , there is the case of phosphate fertilizers .
Mosaic , a domestic supplier , is requesting taxes on imported phosphate fertilizer of 71.5 % for imports from Morocco and 31 % for imports from Russia in response to alleged foreign subsidies .
The American Farm Bureau Federation warns that `` if these duties are imposed , production costs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soybeans , cotton , wheat , and other crops will increase for the next planting season.
” The Agricultural Retailers Association adds , “ Granting this petition will very likely limit fertilizer supply options for America ’ s farmers and ranchers and increase their input costs.
” In each of these cases , consumers and some domestic producers get shafted and pay the price — this at a time when people are squeezed financially .
It all comes when China should be the target , given Beijing ’ s rising threat to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceded that point in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal when he said , “ This is not the moment to engage in new trade fights with allies.
” In this time of hopefully swift economic recovery , the Trump administration would be wise to resist special interest trade protection rackets and concentrate on rebuilding American jobs through tax cuts and deregulation — which worked before and will work again .

It seems evident that President Trump will need a blockbuster economic revival if he hopes to win reelection in November.
Part of the equation to achieve that spring back is to resist trade protectionist temptations. But will he?
While everyone likes the sentiment of bringing manufacturing jobs back to America, trade barriers have never been beneficial. What has been useful for Trump as more than 1 million blue-collar jobs have come back to these shores has been a competitiveness burst by cutting taxes, slashing regulations, etc.
But protectionism against our friendly trading partners has started to rear its ugly head.
Here are three stark examples. First, steel and aluminum tariffs keep rising, and these have added to the costs of everything from beer to cars to building a new home. The Peterson Institute estimates the tariffs (mostly against Canada) cost consumers upwards of $900,000 — multiple times the salaries of the workers. Now, beer and soft drink producers are claiming a shortage of cans, which will drive up prices at the grocery store.
Another emerging multibillion-dollar trade brawl involves mattresses and whether to allow their importation. Led by Leggett & Platt, Corsicana Mattress Company, and Elite Comfort Solutions, domestic companies are trying to manipulate U.S. trade laws and unfairly protect a dominant market share. It’s a case study in corporate welfare under the guise of “protecting jobs.”
On March 31, this cadre of manufacturers filed multiple petitions alleging that the importation of mattresses from strong U.S. allies and trading partners in Southeast Asia is causing material injury to the domestic mattress industry. It’s a baseless claim, not to mention one laced with irony as many of the petitioners, such as Tempur-Sealy, have expanded and watched their sales soar by nearly 20% in the current conditions.
If these companies succeed in securing the trade barriers, mattress distributors (and retailers that import materials from partner countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam) would see oppressive tariffs placed on their goods. It will eliminate thousands of domestic jobs, shrink margins for retailers, and significantly raise prices for consumers.
A recent survey published in CivicScience found that “71% of Americans indicated they are at least somewhat concerned about the impact of recent trade policies and tariffs on their household expenses in the month of April.”
The mattress manufacturers have tried this ruse before. Many of these mattress manufacturers have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in hefty fines for attempts at price-fixing and violating antitrust laws in the past.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently raised the issue of higher costs and asked trade officials to “take the competitive effects of the ongoing pandemic and its likely aftermath — including potential effects on mattress prices for hospitals and other consumers and whether domestic supply can meet current demand — into account when assessing the extent to which domestic industry may be harmed by the conduct alleged in this case.”
Finally, there is the case of phosphate fertilizers. Mosaic, a domestic supplier, is requesting taxes on imported phosphate fertilizer of 71.5% for imports from Morocco and 31% for imports from Russia in response to alleged foreign subsidies.
The American Farm Bureau Federation warns that "if these duties are imposed, production costs to farmers across the country for corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat, and other crops will increase for the next planting season.” The Agricultural Retailers Association adds, “Granting this petition will very likely limit fertilizer supply options for America’s farmers and ranchers and increase their input costs.”
In each of these cases, consumers and some domestic producers get shafted and pay the price — this at a time when people are squeezed financially. It all comes when China should be the target, given Beijing’s rising threat to our economic and national security.
Even Trump conceded that point in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal when he said, “This is not the moment to engage in new trade fights with allies.”
In this time of hopefully swift economic recovery, the Trump administration would be wise to resist special interest trade protection rackets and concentrate on rebuilding American jobs through tax cuts and deregulation — which worked before and will work again.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Bret Stephens: Give Democrats what they want because they scare me

Four years ago , Bret Stephens revealed himself to be a political defeatist without a clue .
Now heading into the next election , he apparently thought his readers needed a reminder that nothing has changed .
The New York Times columnist wrote Monday that he ’ s setting aside politics ( how noble ) and voting for Joe Biden because even though he and the former vice president have nothing in common ideologically , he ’ s ready for things to quiet down a little , and a Biden presidency will accomplish that goal .
Gosh , what will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Stephens on their side ?
“ The success of liberal centrism , ” wrote Stephens , “ now rests on the success of Biden ’ s candidacy ; if Trump defeats him in November , the party could lurch far to the left , just as Republicans lurched far to the right after the successive losses by the McCain and Romney campaigns .
Conservatives who worry that a Biden win will empower progressive Wokesters should fear how much more empowered they ’ ll be should he lose.
” There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one : I ’ m scared of what liberals and the social justice mob will do if we don ’ t put them in power , so just give it to them !
The piece is humiliating in its self-spanking .
Stephens writes at one point , “ Whatever else he does , Biden won ’ t expend his political capital belittling , demeaning and humiliating other Americans.
” Sure , President Trump tweets mean things about the people who hate him or want him to fail .
Why would that in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over to the AOCs and Ilhan Omars over America ?
Stephens said that , no , Biden ’ s win means that , in fact , “ even if the most vocal and visible sides of the Democratic Party have become more progressive , a majority of its voters haven ’ t. ” That ’ s not what happened .
The voters didn ’ t rush to Biden .
He went to them .
When Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said last week , “ As soon as we get him in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these task forces that we had , we were able to significantly push Joe Biden to do things that he hadn ’ t signed on to before , ” that ’ s what she was talking about .
Biden even got a full-throated endorsement from Bernie Sanders , something that the last Democratic presidential nominee didn ’ t get — even after giving Sanders a prime-time speaking slot at the 2016 convention !
The bottom line is that Stephens does n't like the fight , so his default position is to surrender .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ long time .
In 2016 , he wrote that “ the best hope for what ’ s left of a serious conservative movement in America is the election in November of a Democratic president.
” In 2015 , he wrote an open letter to “ fellow conservatives , ” advising they all “ fast-forward past that sinking October feeling when we belatedly realize we ’ re going to lose — and lose badly.
” ( Trump ended up winning , and Republicans had control of the White House and both houses of Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
Immediately after the 2012 election , he wrote that “ the GOP dodged a bullet with [ Mitt ] Romney 's loss.
” And at the start of that year , he wrote that “ Republicans deserve to lose.
” When was the last time Stephens actually predicted or even rooted for the success of the party that is supposed to be , at the very least , an opposing force against the liberal excesses he criticizes ?
Stephens admits he ’ s now a “ Biden conservative.
” But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a loser .

Four years ago, Bret Stephens revealed himself to be a political defeatist without a clue. Now heading into the next election, he apparently thought his readers needed a reminder that nothing has changed.
The New York Times columnist wrote Monday that he’s setting aside politics (how noble) and voting for Joe Biden because even though he and the former vice president have nothing in common ideologically, he’s ready for things to quiet down a little, and a Biden presidency will accomplish that goal.
Gosh, what will conservatives do now without an influential warrior such as Stephens on their side?
“The success of liberal centrism,” wrote Stephens, “now rests on the success of Biden’s candidacy; if Trump defeats him in November, the party could lurch far to the left, just as Republicans lurched far to the right after the successive losses by the McCain and Romney campaigns. Conservatives who worry that a Biden win will empower progressive Wokesters should fear how much more empowered they’ll be should he lose.”
There’s a winning argument if there ever was one: I’m scared of what liberals and the social justice mob will do if we don’t put them in power, so just give it to them!
The piece is humiliating in its self-spanking. Stephens writes at one point, “Whatever else he does, Biden won’t expend his political capital belittling, demeaning and humiliating other Americans.” Sure, President Trump tweets mean things about the people who hate him or want him to fail. Why would that in any way be justification for handing the keys over to the AOCs and Ilhan Omars over America?
Stephens said that, no, Biden’s win means that, in fact, “even if the most vocal and visible sides of the Democratic Party have become more progressive, a majority of its voters haven’t.”
That’s not what happened. The voters didn’t rush to Biden. He went to them.
When Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said last week, “As soon as we get him in the White House, and even before with these task forces that we had, we were able to significantly push Joe Biden to do things that he hadn’t signed on to before,” that’s what she was talking about.
Biden even got a full-throated endorsement from Bernie Sanders, something that the last Democratic presidential nominee didn’t get — even after giving Sanders a prime-time speaking slot at the 2016 convention!
The bottom line is that Stephens doesn't like the fight, so his default position is to surrender.
He's been that way for a long time.
In 2016, he wrote that “the best hope for what’s left of a serious conservative movement in America is the election in November of a Democratic president.”
In 2015, he wrote an open letter to “fellow conservatives,” advising they all “fast-forward past that sinking October feeling when we belatedly realize we’re going to lose — and lose badly.” (Trump ended up winning, and Republicans had control of the White House and both houses of Congress for the first time in a decade.)
Immediately after the 2012 election, he wrote that “the GOP dodged a bullet with [Mitt] Romney's loss.”
And at the start of that year, he wrote that “Republicans deserve to lose.”
When was the last time Stephens actually predicted or even rooted for the success of the party that is supposed to be, at the very least, an opposing force against the liberal excesses he criticizes?
Stephens admits he’s now a “Biden conservative.” But he’s also, in every sense, a loser.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Senate will question US postmaster general at Friday hearing on mail delivery

Senate lawmakers will question U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Friday at a last-minute hearing aimed at responding to claims of late mail delivery and other service problems that could jeopardize the delivery of mail-in ballots in November .
DeJoy was summoned by Sen. Ron Johnson , a Republican and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee , which oversees the post office .
The hearing , which will take place at 9 a.m. by video conference , will come days ahead of a similar hearing planned in the House , where Democrats control the gavel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that mail sorting machines have been removed , overtime slashed , and other policies put in place to hinder mail delivery and mail-in balloting .
Johnson announced the Senate panel would examine “ the finances and operations of the United States Postal Service during COVID-19 and upcoming elections.
” “ The Postal Service has had significant financial problems for years , and it is important for everyone to fully understand its current fiscal challenges , '' Johnson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner Tuesday .
`` The postmaster general should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going before a hostile House committee determined to conduct a show trial.
” President Trump appointed DeJoy to reform the financially troubled post office .
The USPS has lost nearly $ 70 billion over roughly a decade and is on an unsustainable financial path , a Government Accountability Office report recently determined .
Democrats believe DeJoy , a prominent GOP donor , is working with Trump to hurt the Postal Service ahead of the November election , which will take place by mail-in balloting in many states .
The post office recently warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be postmarked on time to be counted by Nov. 3 unless they are sent early .
Voters in states that issue mail-in ballots closest to the election are most at risk of delayed delivery , post office officials said .
Trump opposes mass mail-in balloting , arguing it will contribute to fraud .
Several primaries have encountered significant problems counting mail-in ballots this summer .

Senate lawmakers will question U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Friday at a last-minute hearing aimed at responding to claims of late mail delivery and other service problems that could jeopardize the delivery of mail-in ballots in November.
DeJoy was summoned by Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees the post office.
The hearing, which will take place at 9 a.m. by video conference, will come days ahead of a similar hearing planned in the House, where Democrats control the gavel and are eager to grill DeJoy about claims that mail sorting machines have been removed, overtime slashed, and other policies put in place to hinder mail delivery and mail-in balloting.
Johnson announced the Senate panel would examine “the finances and operations of the United States Postal Service during COVID-19 and upcoming elections.”
“The Postal Service has had significant financial problems for years, and it is important for everyone to fully understand its current fiscal challenges," Johnson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner Tuesday. "The postmaster general should have an opportunity to describe those realities before going before a hostile House committee determined to conduct a show trial.”
President Trump appointed DeJoy to reform the financially troubled post office. The USPS has lost nearly $70 billion over roughly a decade and is on an unsustainable financial path, a Government Accountability Office report recently determined.
Democrats believe DeJoy, a prominent GOP donor, is working with Trump to hurt the Postal Service ahead of the November election, which will take place by mail-in balloting in many states.
The post office recently warned 46 states it could not ensure ballots will be postmarked on time to be counted by Nov. 3 unless they are sent early. Voters in states that issue mail-in ballots closest to the election are most at risk of delayed delivery, post office officials said.
Trump opposes mass mail-in balloting, arguing it will contribute to fraud. Several primaries have encountered significant problems counting mail-in ballots this summer.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-18--Trump campaign rips Democratic convention as 'Hollywood-produced infomercial'

The Trump campaign blasted the first night of the Democratic National Convention as a production disaster .
On Monday , the Democratic convention opener , which featured speakers such as Govs .
Andrew Cuomo , Gretchen Whitmer , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , and former first lady Michelle Obama , was mocked by the Trump campaign as a `` Hollywood-produced infomercial '' with little substance .
“ Perhaps it was just an oversight , but the first night of the Democrat convention left out the fact that Joe Biden would raise taxes on more than 80 percent of Americans by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missing was his open borders policy , with amnesty and work permits for 11 million illegal aliens , '' said Hogan Gidley , Trump campaign 's national press secretary .
`` There was no mention of Joe Biden ’ s desire to cut police funding , kill ten million energy jobs with a green new deal , or give free healthcare to illegal aliens , but in fairness , it was only the first night .
Biden also failed to highlight his opposition to President Trump ’ s decision to restrict travel from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American lives .
With history as our guide , if Joe Biden had been president , the coronavirus crisis would be dramatically worse , '' he continued .
Senior Trump campaign adviser Brad Parscale compared the two-hour event to a `` Hollywood award show , '' and Sen. Marco Rubio sarcastically declared the inclusion of celebrities such as Eva Longoria a `` brilliant move . ''
Meanwhile , some felt Obama 's keynote address livened up the night .
`` I wanted to like it .
I really did , I promise I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contender Marianne Williamson , who was not present at the convention .
Some liberal commentators , such as Kyle Kulinski , mocked the convention 's end-of-show performance by singer Billy Porter .
The four-night , mostly virtual event will pick back up on Tuesday .

The Trump campaign blasted the first night of the Democratic National Convention as a production disaster.
On Monday, the Democratic convention opener, which featured speakers such as Govs. Andrew Cuomo, Gretchen Whitmer, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former first lady Michelle Obama, was mocked by the Trump campaign as a "Hollywood-produced infomercial" with little substance.
“Perhaps it was just an oversight, but the first night of the Democrat convention left out the fact that Joe Biden would raise taxes on more than 80 percent of Americans by at least $4 trillion. Also missing was his open borders policy, with amnesty and work permits for 11 million illegal aliens," said Hogan Gidley, Trump campaign's national press secretary.
"There was no mention of Joe Biden’s desire to cut police funding, kill ten million energy jobs with a green new deal, or give free healthcare to illegal aliens, but in fairness, it was only the first night. Biden also failed to highlight his opposition to President Trump’s decision to restrict travel from China and Europe, which saved countless American lives. With history as our guide, if Joe Biden had been president, the coronavirus crisis would be dramatically worse," he continued.
Senior Trump campaign adviser Brad Parscale compared the two-hour event to a "Hollywood award show," and Sen. Marco Rubio sarcastically declared the inclusion of celebrities such as Eva Longoria a "brilliant move." Meanwhile, some felt Obama's keynote address livened up the night.
Is this the Democratic National Convention or a Hollywood award show? — Brad Parscale (@parscale) August 18, 2020
Brilliant move! No one is more in touch with the challenges & obstacles faced by everyday Americans than actors & celebrities. https://t.co/nzHOniMHPN — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 18, 2020
Michelle Obama just turned the infomercial format into a literary genre. — jelani cobb (@jelani9) August 18, 2020
"I wanted to like it. I really did, I promise I did," said former Democratic presidential contender Marianne Williamson, who was not present at the convention.
I wanted to like it. I really did, I promise I did. — Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) August 18, 2020
Some liberal commentators, such as Kyle Kulinski, mocked the convention's end-of-show performance by singer Billy Porter.
"The moment Trump won re-election," Kulinski said.
The moment Trump won re-election pic.twitter.com/nEuUp8F0zp — Secular Talk (@KyleKulinski) August 18, 2020
The four-night, mostly virtual event will pick back up on Tuesday.