thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-10--Dominion offers to testify about 'baseless and defamatory' voting machine claims before Michigan Sen

Dominion offers to testify about 'baseless and defamatory' voting machine claims before Michigan Senate

Dominion Voting Systems offered to testify before the Michigan state Senate in an effort to debunk voter fraud allegations about its operations and voting machines .
John Poulos , the CEO of the company , sent a letter to Senate Oversight Committee Chairman Ed McBroom , a Republican , on Wednesday , thanking him for offering the opportunity to have a company representative testify Tuesday or Wednesday about “ the continuing malicious and widespread disinformation campaign ” against Dominion , according to the missive , which was obtained by the Detroit Free Press .
“ I appreciate the opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made about our systems .
They are harmful not only to Dominion , but also to the countless hardworking election officials across the State , as well all Michigan public officials elected through a fair process , ” Poulos said .
The company has been in the crosshairs of President Trump ’ s legal team and other Republican groups , particularly after a problem attributed to human error in Michigan ’ s Antrim County resulted temporarily in 6,000 votes erroneously being tabulated for President-elect Joe Biden rather than Trump .
Prior to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oversight Committee Chairman Matt Hall stated that the company had not gotten back to him about requests to testify .
Poulos ’ s offer comes a day after Republican Rep. Lee Chatfield , who is the speaker in the state 's House of Representatives , said the legislature would vote on granting the Oversight Committee broad subpoena power in an effort to get Dominion in front of the lawmakers .
The Washington Examiner reached out to Dominion for a full copy of Poulos ’ s communique with McBroom but did not immediately receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations of electoral malfeasance , another matter with Dominion Voting Systems is also floating around the legal system .
In Antrim County , a voter named William Bailey took filed suit to challenge a local marijuana retailer proposal that passed by a thin margin after three ballots were not included in a retabulation because they were damaged .
A judge allowed a team to use “ forensic imaging ” to look at Dominion voting machines on Sunday .
The state responded to the decision by warning against a “ group ” of bad-faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voting software .
“ It is disappointing , though not surprising , that the primary goal of this group is to continue spreading false information designed to erode the public ’ s confidence in the election , ” said Michigan Department of State spokesman Jake Rollow .
“ By doing so , they injure our democracy and dishonor the 5.5 million Michigan citizens who cast ballots.
” Michigan also moved to intervene in the case , which would allow state officials better access to scrutinize the plaintiff ’ s claims of election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest in Plaintiff ’ s claims that the officials whom she supervises either failed to operate the Dominion voting system tabulator properly or otherwise failed to perform their canvassing duties to ensure a proper canvass as to all candidate races , local and state , as well as all ballot proposals in the County , as a result of any purported tabulator errors or intentional fraud , ” the Wednesday motion read .
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ’ s office also said Wednesday that a zero-margin risk-limiting audit will be conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essentially be “ a hand tally of every ballot , which can be compared with the machine-tabulated results.
” The Washington Examiner reached out to see if the Antrim County audit was pre-planned but did not receive a response .
Biden won the state of Michigan by more than 150,000 votes .
His total projected Electoral College votes are 306 to 232 for Trump .

Dominion Voting Systems offered to testify before the Michigan state Senate in an effort to debunk voter fraud allegations about its operations and voting machines.
John Poulos, the CEO of the company, sent a letter to Senate Oversight Committee Chairman Ed McBroom, a Republican, on Wednesday, thanking him for offering the opportunity to have a company representative testify Tuesday or Wednesday about “the continuing malicious and widespread disinformation campaign” against Dominion, according to the missive, which was obtained by the Detroit Free Press.
“I appreciate the opportunity to correct the baseless and defamatory claims being made about our systems. They are harmful not only to Dominion, but also to the countless hardworking election officials across the State, as well all Michigan public officials elected through a fair process,” Poulos said.
The company has been in the crosshairs of President Trump’s legal team and other Republican groups, particularly after a problem attributed to human error in Michigan’s Antrim County resulted temporarily in 6,000 votes erroneously being tabulated for President-elect Joe Biden rather than Trump.
Prior to the letter sent on Wednesday, Republican House Oversight Committee Chairman Matt Hall stated that the company had not gotten back to him about requests to testify. Poulos’s offer comes a day after Republican Rep. Lee Chatfield, who is the speaker in the state's House of Representatives, said the legislature would vote on granting the Oversight Committee broad subpoena power in an effort to get Dominion in front of the lawmakers.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Dominion for a full copy of Poulos’s communique with McBroom but did not immediately receive a response.
As legislators look into allegations of electoral malfeasance, another matter with Dominion Voting Systems is also floating around the legal system. In Antrim County, a voter named William Bailey took filed suit to challenge a local marijuana retailer proposal that passed by a thin margin after three ballots were not included in a retabulation because they were damaged.
A judge allowed a team to use “forensic imaging” to look at Dominion voting machines on Sunday. The state responded to the decision by warning against a “group” of bad-faith actors who seek to spread disinformation about the voting software.
“It is disappointing, though not surprising, that the primary goal of this group is to continue spreading false information designed to erode the public’s confidence in the election,” said Michigan Department of State spokesman Jake Rollow. “By doing so, they injure our democracy and dishonor the 5.5 million Michigan citizens who cast ballots.”
Michigan also moved to intervene in the case, which would allow state officials better access to scrutinize the plaintiff’s claims of election fraud.
“The Secretary has an interest in Plaintiff’s claims that the officials whom she supervises either failed to operate the Dominion voting system tabulator properly or otherwise failed to perform their canvassing duties to ensure a proper canvass as to all candidate races, local and state, as well as all ballot proposals in the County, as a result of any purported tabulator errors or intentional fraud,” the Wednesday motion read.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office also said Wednesday that a zero-margin risk-limiting audit will be conducted in Antrim County this month and will essentially be “a hand tally of every ballot, which can be compared with the machine-tabulated results.” The Washington Examiner reached out to see if the Antrim County audit was pre-planned but did not receive a response.
Biden won the state of Michigan by more than 150,000 votes. His total projected Electoral College votes are 306 to 232 for Trump.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-10--Biden puts fundraising prowess to work for Democrats in key Georgia runoffs

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are putting their fundraising muscle in the Democratic Party 's efforts to win control of the Senate , soliciting contributions to the “ Flip Georgia Fund ” supporting candidates running in two critical Jan. 5 runoff elections .
The move by the Biden/Harris campaign comes as the president-elect prepares to head to Atlanta on Tuesday to stump for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , who are challenging incumbent Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler , respectively .
If Democrats win both runoffs , they will control the Senate for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris ’ s tie-breaking vote .
“ These races are so important that I will be traveling to Georgia next Tuesday , ” Biden said in an email fundraising appeal announcing the Flip Georgia Fund .
Biden narrowly won Georgia Nov. 3 , becoming the first Democratic nominee to carry the state ’ s electoral votes since 1992 .
The president-elect has spent most of his time since defeating President Trump focused on staffing his incoming administration .
But with the runoff contests less than a month away and the control of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is acting for the first time to boost Ossoff and Warnock .
Biden was a formidable fundraiser during the campaign , collecting $ 1.69 billion .
His first trip to Georgia follows Trump , who campaigned in Valdosta on Saturday .
Prominent Republicans , including Vice President Mike Pence , have flooded Georgia since the runoff campaigns kicked off last month .
Ossoff lost to Perdue by 1.8 percentage points in the general election , but the first-term Republican failed to crack 50 % of the vote , forcing a runoff .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to elect a permanent successor to Republican Johnny Isakson , Warnock topped Loeffler by 7 points in a crowded field .
But the Democrat also fell short of 50 % , necessitating a second runoff .
Polls suggest each of the contests could be close .
Loeffler was appointed to the Senate in January by Gov .
Brian Kemp after Isakson resigned for health reasons .
If she wins on Jan. 5 , she would finish out the remainder of the term Isakson won in 2016 and be on the ballot again in @ @

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are putting their fundraising muscle in the Democratic Party's efforts to win control of the Senate, soliciting contributions to the “Flip Georgia Fund” supporting candidates running in two critical Jan. 5 runoff elections.
The move by the Biden/Harris campaign comes as the president-elect prepares to head to Atlanta on Tuesday to stump for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who are challenging incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively. If Democrats win both runoffs, they will control the Senate for the next two years by virtue of Harris’s tie-breaking vote.
“These races are so important that I will be traveling to Georgia next Tuesday,” Biden said in an email fundraising appeal announcing the Flip Georgia Fund.
Biden narrowly won Georgia Nov. 3, becoming the first Democratic nominee to carry the state’s electoral votes since 1992. The president-elect has spent most of his time since defeating President Trump focused on staffing his incoming administration. But with the runoff contests less than a month away and the control of the Senate on the line, the president-elect is acting for the first time to boost Ossoff and Warnock.
Biden was a formidable fundraiser during the campaign, collecting $1.69 billion. His first trip to Georgia follows Trump, who campaigned in Valdosta on Saturday. Prominent Republicans, including Vice President Mike Pence, have flooded Georgia since the runoff campaigns kicked off last month.
Ossoff lost to Perdue by 1.8 percentage points in the general election, but the first-term Republican failed to crack 50% of the vote, forcing a runoff. In a special election held the same day to elect a permanent successor to Republican Johnny Isakson, Warnock topped Loeffler by 7 points in a crowded field. But the Democrat also fell short of 50%, necessitating a second runoff. Polls suggest each of the contests could be close.
Loeffler was appointed to the Senate in January by Gov. Brian Kemp after Isakson resigned for health reasons. If she wins on Jan. 5, she would finish out the remainder of the term Isakson won in 2016 and be on the ballot again in 2022.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-10--Georgia opens inquiry into county that had trouble certifying results

Georgia 's secretary of state opened an investigation into how Coffee County , a small county in southern Georgia , handled its certification of the 2020 presidential election recount .
Georgia counties were supposed to complete their second recount by Dec. 2 at midnight .
By Thursday , six counties were still finalizing their recount results , and Coffee County officials `` were working with the Secretary of State 's office and Dominion Voting Systems to resolve a discrepancy of 50 votes , '' according to a press release .
By Friday , Coffee County still had not certified its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger saying that the county `` can not certify the electronic recount numbers given its inability to repeatably duplicate credible election results , '' according to WALB 10 .
The county would instead vote to certify the results from the election night report .
Coffee County Election Director Misty Martin told the state election board that `` the hand audit showed that they were off by 1 vote from the original count , but now , following the recount , Coffee County ’ s tally was off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the county ’ s tally was showing two batch uploads of 50 ballots each , '' a statement from Raffensperger 's office read .
`` It became apparent that Ms. Martin was unsure whether she had scanned a batch of 50 ballots twice , which would account for the 50-vote discrepancy ( Ms. Martin also noted that Coffee County had comingled their Advance Voting and Election Day ballots , adding further disorganization to the process ) .
Again , though she could not say for certain that she had scanned the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed a likely possibility . ''
According to Raffensperger 's office , Coffee County did submit the data from the mechanical recount with documentation from its election management system `` to back up their uploaded results . ''
`` Every other county was able to complete this task within the given time limits , '' Raffensberger 's office wrote .
`` In some cases , counties realized they made mistakes in scanning ballots and had to rescan , or realized they neglected to scan some ballots and had to correct that error .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recount on time .
The Secretary of State ’ s office will investigate Coffee County for their recount procedures and ascertain if the case needs to be brought to the State Election Board for review and potential action . ''
President Trump and his allies have repeatedly accused Dominion Voting Systems , which had equipment used in states across the country for the 2020 election , of being involved in voter fraud .
The company has denied the claims and pointed to a joint statement released by Trump 's Department of Homeland Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most secure in American history , '' adding that `` there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes , changed votes , or was in any way compromised . ''

Georgia's secretary of state opened an investigation into how Coffee County, a small county in southern Georgia, handled its certification of the 2020 presidential election recount.
Georgia counties were supposed to complete their second recount by Dec. 2 at midnight. By Thursday, six counties were still finalizing their recount results, and Coffee County officials "were working with the Secretary of State's office and Dominion Voting Systems to resolve a discrepancy of 50 votes," according to a press release.
By Friday, Coffee County still had not certified its recount, and county officials sent a letter to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger saying that the county "cannot certify the electronic recount numbers given its inability to repeatably duplicate credible election results," according to WALB 10. The county would instead vote to certify the results from the election night report.
Coffee County Election Director Misty Martin told the state election board that "the hand audit showed that they were off by 1 vote from the original count, but now, following the recount, Coffee County’s tally was off by 51 votes."
"Further, the county’s tally was showing two batch uploads of 50 ballots each," a statement from Raffensperger's office read. "It became apparent that Ms. Martin was unsure whether she had scanned a batch of 50 ballots twice, which would account for the 50-vote discrepancy (Ms. Martin also noted that Coffee County had comingled their Advance Voting and Election Day ballots, adding further disorganization to the process). Again, though she could not say for certain that she had scanned the same batch of 50 ballots twice, that seemed a likely possibility."
According to Raffensperger's office, Coffee County did submit the data from the mechanical recount with documentation from its election management system "to back up their uploaded results."
"Every other county was able to complete this task within the given time limits," Raffensberger's office wrote. "In some cases, counties realized they made mistakes in scanning ballots and had to rescan, or realized they neglected to scan some ballots and had to correct that error. But nonetheless, those counties completed the recount on time. The Secretary of State’s office will investigate Coffee County for their recount procedures and ascertain if the case needs to be brought to the State Election Board for review and potential action."
President Trump and his allies have repeatedly accused Dominion Voting Systems, which had equipment used in states across the country for the 2020 election, of being involved in voter fraud. The company has denied the claims and pointed to a joint statement released by Trump's Department of Homeland Security that asserted the 2020 election was "the most secure in American history," adding that "there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-11--Biden and Trump battle to seize credit for COVID-19 vaccine

President Trump and President-elect Joe Biden are locked in a pitched battle to take credit for the vaccines that could bring the COVID-19 pandemic to a close and return life to normal .
All this is taking place against the backdrop of bipartisan “ anti-vax ” sentiment , leaving some people reluctant to receive the vaccine .
The vaccines were developed and tested under the Trump administration but , barring a legal long shot , will largely be administered by Biden ’ s .
“ America has never been more prepared to combat this virus than we are today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month ’ s announcement that 100 million kits had been assembled for administering the vaccine .
Earlier this week , Biden promised 100 million vaccinations within his first 100 days in office .
The president ’ s allies quickly pointed out that the vaccine and reopening schools were key to the Trump plan too .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany hailed the Pfizer and Moderna products heading into distribution as “ the Trump vaccine.
” “ From the instant the coronavirus invaded our shores , we raced into action to develop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed .
It would normally take five years , six years , seven years , or even more , ” Trump said earlier this week .
“ In order to achieve this goal , we harnessed the full power of government , the genius of American scientists , and the might of American industry to save millions and millions of lives all over the world.
” “ Before Operation Warp Speed , the typical time frame for development and approval , as you know , could be infinity , ” the president added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help was soon on the way .
`` It 's near the end of one of the toughest years we 've faced as a nation , '' he said in remarks from Wilmington , Delaware .
`` Out of our collective pain , we 're going to find collective purpose to control the pandemic , to save lives , and to heal as a nation . ''
Trump admitted a Biden administration might benefit from “ the incredible science ” he says was unleashed by his own .
“ The work that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be incredible for the next administration , ” he told reporters .
“ And hopefully , the next administration will be the Trump administration because you ca n't steal hundreds of thousands of votes.
” This isn ’ t the first time Trump and Biden have sparred over COVID-19 .
The president-elect made flaws in Trump ’ s management of the outbreak the centerpiece of his campaign .
At the vice presidential debate , Kamala Harris called it “ the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside , Biden wasn ’ t proposing much different from what the incumbent was offering beyond more lockdowns .
“ The reality is , when you look at the Biden plan , it reads an awful lot like what President Trump and I and our task force have been doing every step of the way , ” Pence said .
“ And quite frankly , when I look at their plan that talks about advancing testing , creating new PPE , developing a vaccine , it looks a little bit like plagiarism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little bit about.
” Outside Washington , it could all be dismissed as noise .
“ I feel no one cares who gets credit as long as the vaccines are here and being executed in a timely manner , ” said Republican strategist Noelle Nikpour .
“ But I also feel both Biden and Trump will tout credit for the vaccine.
” “ No one cares about the battle to take credit for the vaccines , ” said Republican strategist Curt Anderson .
“ It ’ s not going to affect anything , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process .
By the time the next elections roll around , no one will be arguing about which politician did what on the vaccine.
” A recent Gallup poll showed 63 % of the public is willing to take the vaccine , below the 75 % to 85 % believed necessary to achieve herd immunity .
Democrats were initially worried Trump would rush out a vaccine to help his reelection , now only about 50 % of Republicans were ready to be vaccinated .
Former Presidents Barack Obama , George W. Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be willing to receive the vaccine publicly to help boost confidence in it .
“ We need to put to rest any concept it was rushed in an inappropriate way , ” Anthony Fauci , who has advised both Trump and Biden on COVID-19 , said last month .
“ This is really solid.
” “ We see a large number of people in our polls who say that they will likely take the vaccine eventually , but they don ’ t want to right away , preferring to see how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can ’ t say if that is quite a majority opinion , but it may be a plurality , at least in some states .
”

President Trump and President-elect Joe Biden are locked in a pitched battle to take credit for the vaccines that could bring the COVID-19 pandemic to a close and return life to normal.
All this is taking place against the backdrop of bipartisan “anti-vax” sentiment, leaving some people reluctant to receive the vaccine.
The vaccines were developed and tested under the Trump administration but, barring a legal long shot, will largely be administered by Biden’s.
“America has never been more prepared to combat this virus than we are today,” Vice President Mike Pence said at last month’s announcement that 100 million kits had been assembled for administering the vaccine. Earlier this week, Biden promised 100 million vaccinations within his first 100 days in office.
The president’s allies quickly pointed out that the vaccine and reopening schools were key to the Trump plan too. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany hailed the Pfizer and Moderna products heading into distribution as “the Trump vaccine.”
“From the instant the coronavirus invaded our shores, we raced into action to develop a safe and effective vaccine at breakneck speed. It would normally take five years, six years, seven years, or even more,” Trump said earlier this week. “In order to achieve this goal, we harnessed the full power of government, the genius of American scientists, and the might of American industry to save millions and millions of lives all over the world.”
“Before Operation Warp Speed, the typical time frame for development and approval, as you know, could be infinity,” the president added.
Biden meanwhile promised the public that help was soon on the way. "It's near the end of one of the toughest years we've faced as a nation," he said in remarks from Wilmington, Delaware. "Out of our collective pain, we're going to find collective purpose to control the pandemic, to save lives, and to heal as a nation."
Trump admitted a Biden administration might benefit from “the incredible science” he says was unleashed by his own. “The work that's been done is incredible, and it will be incredible for the next administration,” he told reporters. “And hopefully, the next administration will be the Trump administration because you can't steal hundreds of thousands of votes.”
This isn’t the first time Trump and Biden have sparred over COVID-19. The president-elect made flaws in Trump’s management of the outbreak the centerpiece of his campaign. At the vice presidential debate, Kamala Harris called it “the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country.”
But Trump supporters countered that symbolism aside, Biden wasn’t proposing much different from what the incumbent was offering beyond more lockdowns. “The reality is, when you look at the Biden plan, it reads an awful lot like what President Trump and I and our task force have been doing every step of the way,” Pence said. “And quite frankly, when I look at their plan that talks about advancing testing, creating new PPE, developing a vaccine, it looks a little bit like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about.”
Outside Washington, it could all be dismissed as noise. “I feel no one cares who gets credit as long as the vaccines are here and being executed in a timely manner,” said Republican strategist Noelle Nikpour. “But I also feel both Biden and Trump will tout credit for the vaccine.”
“No one cares about the battle to take credit for the vaccines,” said Republican strategist Curt Anderson. “It’s not going to affect anything, and anyone demanding credit diminishes themselves in the process. By the time the next elections roll around, no one will be arguing about which politician did what on the vaccine.”
A recent Gallup poll showed 63% of the public is willing to take the vaccine, below the 75% to 85% believed necessary to achieve herd immunity. Democrats were initially worried Trump would rush out a vaccine to help his reelection, now only about 50% of Republicans were ready to be vaccinated. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have said they would be willing to receive the vaccine publicly to help boost confidence in it.
“We need to put to rest any concept it was rushed in an inappropriate way,” Anthony Fauci, who has advised both Trump and Biden on COVID-19, said last month. “This is really solid.”
“We see a large number of people in our polls who say that they will likely take the vaccine eventually, but they don’t want to right away, preferring to see how it goes,” Anderson said. “I can’t say if that is quite a majority opinion, but it may be a plurality, at least in some states.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-11--With Florida going red, Senate Republicans in a strong position for 2022 cycle

Senate Republicans begin the 2022 cycle defending more seats than the Democrats , with the added liability that President Trump plans to remain politically active after exiting the White House .
But they have been here before and preserved their majority .
Twenty Republican-held seats are on the ballot , compared to 13 on the line for the Democrats .
Depending on the outcome of one of two Georgia runoff elections set for Jan. 5 , that number will increase by one for one of the parties .
Of those 20 Republican seats , at least six are in battleground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeats Democrat Raphael Warnock in Georgia .
Trump ’ s presence could be another complicating factor .
Senate Republicans ' biggest advantage heading into 2022 is the rightward swing of Florida , where GOP Sen. Marco Rubio had been expected to face a tough challenge .
Trump won Florida in 2016 and 2018 , while Republican Sen. Rick Scott defeated an incumbent Democrat there in 2018 .
And this year , Republicans nabbed a pair of House seats .
But the Democrats have challenges , too .
First and foremost : President-elect Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds the White House loses seats in a president ’ s first midterm election .
And , even in 2016 and 2018 and 2020 , when Republicans were forced to navigate the twin political challenges of Trump and a perilous Senate map , they defended the majority even as many GOP candidates were significantly outraised by their Democratic opponents .
“ Once again , Republicans start on the defensive , but we 're a long way from knowing what the overall political climate will be in the midterm elections , ” said Nathan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nonpartisan handicapper .
“ Voters ' satisfaction with the first couple years of the Biden administration will impact the most competitive races as well as the shape and size of the Senate battlefield.
” Senate Republicans are focused on Georgia , where , in a second runoff , Sen. David Perdue is trying to hold off Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff .
If the Democrats are victorious in both runoffs , they will win the Senate by virtue of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ’ s tie-breaking vote .
Once complete , the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate map that will feature contests for GOP-held seats in Florida , Iowa , North Carolina , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .
In Florida , Rubio is running for reelection , Sen .
Rob Portman of Ohio is likely to do the same , a boost for Republicans in each race .
Unknown is what Sen. Ron Johnson plans to do in Wisconsin and what Sen. Chuck Grassley , 87 , plans to do in Iowa .
If he seeks an eighth term , that race is over .
In North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open seats .
With Biden in office , Republican insiders are confident of holding the Senate majority or winning it back if Loeffler and Perdue fall in Georgia .
At the outset of the 2022 election cycle , the wild card in their projections is Trump .
Some party operatives worry Trump will be ubiquitous on the national scene , elevating Biden ’ s image and generating headwinds for Republicans where there should be tail winds .
“ If he ’ s in the news , that ’ s good for Democrats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Senate Democrats are running against history and their own recent futility , not to mention the fact that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer could face a competitive Democratic primary in New York .
The party lost seven seats in 2010 , President Barack Obama ’ s first midterm election , although they retained the majority .
But four years later , in Obama ’ s second midterm election , they lost the majority after shedding an additional nine seats .
In 2018 , even as Democrats won the House in a 40-seat swing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ net seats even as they picked off incumbent Republicans in Arizona and Nevada .
With Biden in office , their task is unlikely to get easier in 2022 .
Democrats are defending incumbents in Arizona , where Sen. Mark Kelly just won a close race in a special election to finish the term won by John McCain in 2016 .
Democrats also are presumably defending incumbent Sens .
Michael Bennet of Colorado , Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada , and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire .
Although not competitive in the general election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate to assume the vice presidency could spark a competitive primary in deep-blue California .
Democratic sources say that Alex Padilla , the secretary of state , is the favorite to receive Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s appointment to succeed the vice president-elect .
Other Democrats might challenge him in the 2022 primary .
Under state law , the top two finishers advance regardless of party affiliation .
Here is a look at potential candidates in some of the key 2022 contests .
Florida : Democratic Reps. Val Demings , Ted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might also try and recruit state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried , currently the only Democrat elected to a statewide office .
New Hampshire : Republican Kelly Ayotte , ousted by Hassan in 2016 , military veteran Donald Bolduc , who sought the GOP nomination for Senate in 2020 , wealthy Republican businessman Jay Lucas , and GOP Gov .
Chris Sununu , likely the party ’ s first choice , although he has said he is not interested .
North Carolina : Among Democrats : Erica Smith , who sought the 2020 Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among Republicans : Lara Trump , the president ’ s daughter-in-law , and outgoing Rep. Mark Walker .
Pennsylvania : Among Democrats : Lt. Gov .
John Fetterman , Rep. Brendan Boyle , and Rep. Conor Lamb .
Among Republicans : Lamb ’ s 2020 challenger , Sean Parnell , former Rep. Ryan Costello , and former Rep. Lou Barletta , the party ’ s Senate nominee in 2018 .

Senate Republicans begin the 2022 cycle defending more seats than the Democrats, with the added liability that President Trump plans to remain politically active after exiting the White House.
But they have been here before and preserved their majority.
Twenty Republican-held seats are on the ballot, compared to 13 on the line for the Democrats. Depending on the outcome of one of two Georgia runoff elections set for Jan. 5, that number will increase by one for one of the parties. Of those 20 Republican seats, at least six are in battleground states, seven if Sen. Kelly Loeffler defeats Democrat Raphael Warnock in Georgia. Trump’s presence could be another complicating factor.
Senate Republicans' biggest advantage heading into 2022 is the rightward swing of Florida, where GOP Sen. Marco Rubio had been expected to face a tough challenge. Trump won Florida in 2016 and 2018, while Republican Sen. Rick Scott defeated an incumbent Democrat there in 2018. And this year, Republicans nabbed a pair of House seats.
But the Democrats have challenges, too. First and foremost: President-elect Joe Biden. Historically, the party that holds the White House loses seats in a president’s first midterm election. And, even in 2016 and 2018 and 2020, when Republicans were forced to navigate the twin political challenges of Trump and a perilous Senate map, they defended the majority even as many GOP candidates were significantly outraised by their Democratic opponents.
“Once again, Republicans start on the defensive, but we're a long way from knowing what the overall political climate will be in the midterm elections,” said Nathan Gonzales, publisher of Inside Elections, a nonpartisan handicapper. “Voters' satisfaction with the first couple years of the Biden administration will impact the most competitive races as well as the shape and size of the Senate battlefield.”
Senate Republicans are focused on Georgia, where, in a second runoff, Sen. David Perdue is trying to hold off Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff. If the Democrats are victorious in both runoffs, they will win the Senate by virtue of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote. Once complete, the GOP will turn its attention to a 2022 Senate map that will feature contests for GOP-held seats in Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
In Florida, Rubio is running for reelection, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio is likely to do the same, a boost for Republicans in each race. Unknown is what Sen. Ron Johnson plans to do in Wisconsin and what Sen. Chuck Grassley, 87, plans to do in Iowa. If he seeks an eighth term, that race is over. In North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Republicans are defending open seats.
With Biden in office, Republican insiders are confident of holding the Senate majority or winning it back if Loeffler and Perdue fall in Georgia. At the outset of the 2022 election cycle, the wild card in their projections is Trump. Some party operatives worry Trump will be ubiquitous on the national scene, elevating Biden’s image and generating headwinds for Republicans where there should be tail winds.
“If he’s in the news, that’s good for Democrats,” a Republican strategist said.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are running against history and their own recent futility, not to mention the fact that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer could face a competitive Democratic primary in New York.
The party lost seven seats in 2010, President Barack Obama’s first midterm election, although they retained the majority. But four years later, in Obama’s second midterm election, they lost the majority after shedding an additional nine seats. In 2018, even as Democrats won the House in a 40-seat swing, Democrats in the Senate lost two net seats even as they picked off incumbent Republicans in Arizona and Nevada.
With Biden in office, their task is unlikely to get easier in 2022. Democrats are defending incumbents in Arizona, where Sen. Mark Kelly just won a close race in a special election to finish the term won by John McCain in 2016. Democrats also are presumably defending incumbent Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire.
Although not competitive in the general election, Harris’s pending resignation from the Senate to assume the vice presidency could spark a competitive primary in deep-blue California. Democratic sources say that Alex Padilla, the secretary of state, is the favorite to receive Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointment to succeed the vice president-elect. Other Democrats might challenge him in the 2022 primary. Under state law, the top two finishers advance regardless of party affiliation.
Here is a look at potential candidates in some of the key 2022 contests.
Florida: Democratic Reps. Val Demings, Ted Deutch, and Stephanie Murphy. Democrats might also try and recruit state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, currently the only Democrat elected to a statewide office.
Ohio: Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, outgoing state Democratic Chairman David Pepper, and Democrat Emilia Sykes, the state House minority leader.
Nevada: Republican former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt.
New Hampshire: Republican Kelly Ayotte, ousted by Hassan in 2016, military veteran Donald Bolduc, who sought the GOP nomination for Senate in 2020, wealthy Republican businessman Jay Lucas, and GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, likely the party’s first choice, although he has said he is not interested.
North Carolina: Among Democrats: Erica Smith, who sought the 2020 Senate nomination, and state Sen. Jeff Jackson. Among Republicans: Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, and outgoing Rep. Mark Walker.
Pennsylvania: Among Democrats: Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Rep. Brendan Boyle, and Rep. Conor Lamb. Among Republicans: Lamb’s 2020 challenger, Sean Parnell, former Rep. Ryan Costello, and former Rep. Lou Barletta, the party’s Senate nominee in 2018.


Every vote counts

Challenger Lauren Barnes had 1,502 votes at the end of election night , putting her painfully close to incumbent Gail Lyons , who had 1,558 in the two-woman race for Area 5 of the Brea Olinda school board in California .
The absentee ballots benefited Barnes , though , and when all were counted , she appeared to have pulled off an upset , being declared the winner 1,805 to 1,804 .
Yes , by one vote .
It wasn ’ t over , though .
“ A ballot that a machine count thought was blank , ” the Orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have a faint but discernible ' x ' mark for incumbent Gail Lyons.
” In a democracy of more than 300 million people with thousands and thousands of races from president of the United States down to Division 7 of a municipal water district , every imaginable result will occur .
And plenty of them did this year .
In North Dakota ’ s state representative race for the 46th District , it wasn ’ t merely the opponents ’ vote totals that were nearly identical ; it was the candidates ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ben W. Hanson , a Democrat with reddish hair , a beard , and glasses , ran for the state representative seat based in downtown Fargo .
Ben M. Hanson , a Democrat with reddish hair , a beard , and glasses , ran for that same seat .
Two representatives represent each district in North Dakota 's lower chamber .
In June , Ben Hanson and Ben Hanson both qualified for the general election as they were the only two names ( one name ? )
on the Democratic primary ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,349 votes , finishing in third place — three votes ahead of Ben W. , who garnered 3,346 .
How ’ d that one resolve ?
Barnes and Lyons met on Dec. 5 to cast a pair of six-sided dice ( sanitized between rolls ) with the higher sum to be declared the winner .
Barnes went first and , obviously cursed by the Fates , rolled snake eyes .
Lyons , with now the lowest possible hurdle to clear , rolled a one on one die and a two on the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a three are 1-in-36 ( or 2.78 % ) — which , to be honest , is much more likely than the election ending in a tie in the first place .

Challenger Lauren Barnes had 1,502 votes at the end of election night, putting her painfully close to incumbent Gail Lyons, who had 1,558 in the two-woman race for Area 5 of the Brea Olinda school board in California.
The absentee ballots benefited Barnes, though, and when all were counted, she appeared to have pulled off an upset, being declared the winner 1,805 to 1,804. Yes, by one vote.
It wasn’t over, though. “A ballot that a machine count thought was blank,” the Orange Juice Blog reported, “turned out to have a faint but discernible 'x' mark for incumbent Gail Lyons.”
Tie ballgame.
In a democracy of more than 300 million people with thousands and thousands of races from president of the United States down to Division 7 of a municipal water district, every imaginable result will occur. And plenty of them did this year.
In North Dakota’s state representative race for the 46th District, it wasn’t merely the opponents’ vote totals that were nearly identical; it was the candidates’ names — and, frankly, appearances. Ben W. Hanson, a Democrat with reddish hair, a beard, and glasses, ran for the state representative seat based in downtown Fargo. Ben M. Hanson, a Democrat with reddish hair, a beard, and glasses, ran for that same seat.
Two representatives represent each district in North Dakota's lower chamber. In June, Ben Hanson and Ben Hanson both qualified for the general election as they were the only two names (one name?) on the Democratic primary ballot. Come November, Ben M. received 3,349 votes, finishing in third place — three votes ahead of Ben W., who garnered 3,346.
That’s a blowout compared to Brea Olinda’s Area 5 race.
How’d that one resolve? Barnes and Lyons met on Dec. 5 to cast a pair of six-sided dice (sanitized between rolls) with the higher sum to be declared the winner. Barnes went first and, obviously cursed by the Fates, rolled snake eyes. Lyons, with now the lowest possible hurdle to clear, rolled a one on one die and a two on the other.
The odds of winning a contest with a three are 1-in-36 (or 2.78%) — which, to be honest, is much more likely than the election ending in a tie in the first place.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-12--Cruz offer to argue before Supreme Court gives him some 2024 luster

Sen. Ted Cruz , a Texas Republican , has established himself as a leading defender of President Trump ’ s election challenges , going so far as to say he would plead the president ’ s case before the Supreme Court if the opportunity arose .
It did n't .
Friday evening , the Supreme Court rejected the Texas challenge to the certification of election results in four states won by President-elect Joe Biden .
But the offer alone could improve Cruz ’ s standing with core Trump voters ahead of 2024 and once again raise his profile after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley .
Cruz was the runner-up behind Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries .
The lawsuit was filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton , joined by 17 other states Trump carried in November , the president himself , and a majority of House Republicans .
It alleged that four decisive battleground states — Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin , and Georgia — did not follow their election laws and therefore cast doubt on the results .
Nearly two dozen other states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The president asked Sen. Cruz on Tuesday night to argue the Texas case , and he told the president that if the Supreme Court took it up , he would do so , ” said a Cruz spokesperson .
Cruz is a former Texas solicitor general who has previously argued nine cases before the Supreme Court .
The Harvard Law School graduate previously said on Twitter that he stood ready to “ present the oral argument ” in the Pennsylvania case that justices declined to hear .
Politically , Cruz ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including voters who were turned off by his reluctance to endorse Trump after their 2016 primary contest turned nasty .
While Cruz eventually threw his support behind Trump , he told delegates at the Republican National Convention that year to vote their conscience in November .
Trump had insulted both Cruz 's wife and father .
Cruz has been a staunch proponent of the president since Trump took office in 2017 .
“ A lot of what Cruz has done since the 2016 election can be seen through the prism of reingratiating himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joshua Blank , research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin .
“ It is not a departure but a continuation of how he has positioned himself toward Trump since their acrimonious relationship in 2016.
” On Thursday , a group of leading conservative activists endorsed the viewpoint that the election was essentially stolen from Trump , including Tea Party leaders who backed Cruz ’ s election to the Senate in 2012 .
“ The evidence overwhelmingly shows officials in key battleground states — as the result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allied groups — violated the Constitution , state and federal law in changing mail-in voting rules that resulted in unlawful and invalid certifications of Biden victories , ” the conservatives .
“ There is no doubt President Donald J. Trump is the lawful winner of the presidential election .
Joe Biden is not president-elect.
” Cruz came to Washington as a top conservative bomb-thrower in 2013 , leading fights to defund Obamacare and block liberal policy initiatives .
He ran for president while still a freshman senator .
Since losing the nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improving relationships with Senate colleagues — none endorsed him for president , though a number of House conservatives did — and he was reelected in a competitive race against Democratic challenger Beto O ’ Rourke in the 2018 midterm elections .
“ This will be a feather in Ted ’ s cap for 2024 , ” said a Republican strategist .
“ The question is whether people see this as sincere.
” '' Cruz offering to argue it only serves his shortsighted political interests of pleasing Trump at the cost of his integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former communications director for the Cruz 2016 campaign who has been critical of the president .
Tyler called the Texas case `` absurd . ''
“ Trump retains the overwhelming support of the vast majority of Texas Republicans , ” Blank said .
“ Cruz , like any enterprising politician , is trying to see where the voters are.
” And while Trump also had a tighter race than some past GOP nominees , Blank pointed to his institution did in the last two presidential races .
In October 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were voting for him because they wanted to see him become president versus 53 % who wanted to stop Hillary Clinton .
Four years later , those numbers had improved to 81 % wanting Trump to 19 % who wished to stop Biden .
Cruz has backed Trump on his election claims nearly from the beginning .
`` I am angry , and I think the American people are angry , '' Cruz told Fox News ’ s Sean Hannity two days after Election Day .
`` Because by throwing the observers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a shroud of darkness , they are setting the stage to potentially steal an election . ''

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, has established himself as a leading defender of President Trump’s election challenges, going so far as to say he would plead the president’s case before the Supreme Court if the opportunity arose.
It didn't. Friday evening, the Supreme Court rejected the Texas challenge to the certification of election results in four states won by President-elect Joe Biden.
But the offer alone could improve Cruz’s standing with core Trump voters ahead of 2024 and once again raise his profile after the emergence of potential rivals ranging from former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley. Cruz was the runner-up behind Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.
The lawsuit was filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, joined by 17 other states Trump carried in November, the president himself, and a majority of House Republicans. It alleged that four decisive battleground states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia — did not follow their election laws and therefore cast doubt on the results. Nearly two dozen other states filed in opposition to this suit.
“The president asked Sen. Cruz on Tuesday night to argue the Texas case, and he told the president that if the Supreme Court took it up, he would do so,” said a Cruz spokesperson.
Cruz is a former Texas solicitor general who has previously argued nine cases before the Supreme Court. The Harvard Law School graduate previously said on Twitter that he stood ready to “present the oral argument” in the Pennsylvania case that justices declined to hear.
Politically, Cruz’s position resonates with the Republican base, including voters who were turned off by his reluctance to endorse Trump after their 2016 primary contest turned nasty. While Cruz eventually threw his support behind Trump, he told delegates at the Republican National Convention that year to vote their conscience in November. Trump had insulted both Cruz's wife and father. Cruz has been a staunch proponent of the president since Trump took office in 2017.
“A lot of what Cruz has done since the 2016 election can be seen through the prism of reingratiating himself to the Trump base,” said Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. “It is not a departure but a continuation of how he has positioned himself toward Trump since their acrimonious relationship in 2016.”
On Thursday, a group of leading conservative activists endorsed the viewpoint that the election was essentially stolen from Trump, including Tea Party leaders who backed Cruz’s election to the Senate in 2012. “The evidence overwhelmingly shows officials in key battleground states — as the result of a coordinated pressure campaign by Democrats and allied groups — violated the Constitution, state and federal law in changing mail-in voting rules that resulted in unlawful and invalid certifications of Biden victories,” the conservatives wrote . “There is no doubt President Donald J. Trump is the lawful winner of the presidential election. Joe Biden is not president-elect.”
Cruz came to Washington as a top conservative bomb-thrower in 2013, leading fights to defund Obamacare and block liberal policy initiatives. He ran for president while still a freshman senator. Since losing the nomination to Trump, he has worked on improving relationships with Senate colleagues — none endorsed him for president, though a number of House conservatives did — and he was reelected in a competitive race against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in the 2018 midterm elections.
“This will be a feather in Ted’s cap for 2024,” said a Republican strategist. “The question is whether people see this as sincere.”
"Cruz offering to argue it only serves his shortsighted political interests of pleasing Trump at the cost of his integrity," said Republican strategist Rick Tyler, a former communications director for the Cruz 2016 campaign who has been critical of the president. Tyler called the Texas case "absurd."
“Trump retains the overwhelming support of the vast majority of Texas Republicans,” Blank said. “Cruz, like any enterprising politician, is trying to see where the voters are.” And while Trump also had a tighter race than some past GOP nominees, Blank pointed to some polling his institution did in the last two presidential races. In October 2016, 47% of Texas Trump supporters said they were voting for him because they wanted to see him become president versus 53% who wanted to stop Hillary Clinton. Four years later, those numbers had improved to 81% wanting Trump to 19% who wished to stop Biden.
Cruz has backed Trump on his election claims nearly from the beginning. "I am angry, and I think the American people are angry," Cruz told Fox News’s Sean Hannity two days after Election Day. "Because by throwing the observers out, by clouding the vote counting in a shroud of darkness, they are setting the stage to potentially steal an election."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-11--New gun rights group led by ex-NRA strategist Chris Cox enters Georgia runoffs

A new super PAC led by former National Rifle Association strategist Chris Cox is jumping into the Georgia runoff elections with plans for a $ 1 million campaign to turn out gun owners for Republican Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue .
Gun Owners Action Fund launched Friday with a radio advertisement warning voters President-elect Joe Biden will curb Second Amendment rights if Democrats win in Georgia on Jan. 5 .
Loeffler and Perdue are facing stiff challenges from Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff , respectively .
Democratic victories in both races would deliver the Senate to Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 seats and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris breaking ties .
With full control of Congress , the president-elect ’ s White House agenda would be received more hospitably on Capitol Hill .
The prospect of being shut out of power in Washington sparked an all-hands-on-deck response from prominent Republicans and several groups aligned with the GOP .
But Cox told the Washington Examiner that Gun Owners Action Fund believes there is an opportunity to make a critical difference in the Georgia contests by spending big money to motivate voters who prioritize gun rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We plan on communicating the importance of this election , the consequences of a Jon Ossoff-Raphael Warnock win , and what it would mean to the destruction of the Second Amendment in every way possible , ” Cox said .
Cox left the NRA in early July 2019 after spending years as the organization ’ s top lobbyist and chief campaign strategist .
He took the helm of Gun Owners Action Fund after being approached by wealthy Republican donors “ who wanted to make sure we leveraged one of the most powerful groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s gun owners in the state of Georgia.
” Cox said the group plans to raise and spend more than $ 1 million on digital , direct mail , and radio advertising , plus direct contact with voters as part of a targeted turnout operation .
The first spot from Gun Owners Action Fund claims Biden is hiding his plans to defund the police and implement strict gun control regulations ( the president-elect opposes the former but supports the latter . )
“ Joe Biden has a secret , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until after Jan. 5 .
It ’ s defunding the police .
But Biden can ’ t talk about it till after Jan. 5 , ” the voiceover says as the spot opens , before playing comments from the president-elect leaked from a conference call he held with civil rights leaders that was first reported by the Intercept .
“ I don ’ t think we should make that a big issue going into — before Jan. 5 , when the election takes place down in Georgia , ” Biden is heard saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returns : “ Biden ’ s afraid .
If Georgians know he ’ s preparing to defund the police , you ’ ll reject Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock … If Warnock and Ossoff win , you lose .
First , they defund the police .
Then they take away your gun rights .
How will you protect yourself ?
” Cox declined to reveal the financial backers behind Gun Owners Action Fund , saying they would be disclosed with the group ’ s regularly scheduled Federal Election Commission filings .

A new super PAC led by former National Rifle Association strategist Chris Cox is jumping into the Georgia runoff elections with plans for a $1 million campaign to turn out gun owners for Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.
Gun Owners Action Fund launched Friday with a radio advertisement warning voters President-elect Joe Biden will curb Second Amendment rights if Democrats win in Georgia on Jan. 5. Loeffler and Perdue are facing stiff challenges from Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. Democratic victories in both races would deliver the Senate to Biden’s party, with each party holding 50 seats and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris breaking ties.
With full control of Congress, the president-elect’s White House agenda would be received more hospitably on Capitol Hill.
The prospect of being shut out of power in Washington sparked an all-hands-on-deck response from prominent Republicans and several groups aligned with the GOP. But Cox told the Washington Examiner that Gun Owners Action Fund believes there is an opportunity to make a critical difference in the Georgia contests by spending big money to motivate voters who prioritize gun rights to support Loeffler and Perdue.
“We plan on communicating the importance of this election, the consequences of a Jon Ossoff-Raphael Warnock win, and what it would mean to the destruction of the Second Amendment in every way possible,” Cox said.
Cox left the NRA in early July 2019 after spending years as the organization’s top lobbyist and chief campaign strategist. He took the helm of Gun Owners Action Fund after being approached by wealthy Republican donors “who wanted to make sure we leveraged one of the most powerful groups in American politics — in this case, it’s gun owners in the state of Georgia.”
Cox said the group plans to raise and spend more than $1 million on digital, direct mail, and radio advertising, plus direct contact with voters as part of a targeted turnout operation. The first spot from Gun Owners Action Fund claims Biden is hiding his plans to defund the police and implement strict gun control regulations (the president-elect opposes the former but supports the latter.)
“Joe Biden has a secret, and you won’t know about it until after Jan. 5. It’s defunding the police. But Biden can’t talk about it till after Jan. 5,” the voiceover says as the spot opens, before playing comments from the president-elect leaked from a conference call he held with civil rights leaders that was first reported by the Intercept.
“I don’t think we should make that a big issue going into — before Jan. 5, when the election takes place down in Georgia,” Biden is heard saying in the spot.
The voiceover then returns: “Biden’s afraid. If Georgians know he’s preparing to defund the police, you’ll reject Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock … If Warnock and Ossoff win, you lose. First, they defund the police. Then they take away your gun rights. How will you protect yourself?”
Cox declined to reveal the financial backers behind Gun Owners Action Fund, saying they would be disclosed with the group’s regularly scheduled Federal Election Commission filings.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-11--More and more Democrats admit ‘defund the police’ hurt them in 2020

Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee of California is siding with President-elect Joe Biden , who told civil rights leaders in a private meeting that the “ defund the police ” movement killed the Democratic Party in the polls in 2020 .
Lee , who is more liberal than centrist , threw her support behind the president-elect during an interview with CNN ’ s Erin Burnett .
“ I want to give you a chance to react to President-elect Biden , ” said the cable news host .
“ The quote he said is Republicans , quote , ‘ beat the living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ he says , because of the ‘ defund the police ’ movement , because of those words , and he says that is not what Democrats are talking about . ''
And she asked , “ What ’ s your response ?
What do you say ?
” Without batting an eye , the congresswoman , who is reportedly under consideration to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the Senate , replied , “ Well , it ’ s not .
Yes , it ’ s not , and President-elect Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reiterating Biden ’ s overall point that the GOP made Democrats pay for “ defund.
” However , she added , it ’ s not that the movement itself is bad .
It ’ s that Republicans have supposedly mischaracterized its goals .
“ The Republicans in many ways weaponized police reform policies , and that is what they did in their ads , and that is the misrepresentation of what police reform is about , ” said Lee .
Now is a good time to remind everyone that congressional Democrats killed South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police reform bill earlier this year .
“ So , ” Lee continued , “ the Republicans have this way of just trying to misrepresent what we ’ re doing , so we move forward on our police reform efforts , and I believe that we ’ re going to be successful with the Biden-Harris administration.
” For the record , the “ defund the police ” movement ’ s most ardent supporters , including Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota , Rep.-elect Cori Bush of Missouri , and Project NIA Director Mariame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it sounds like .
They say they want the literal abolition of the police .
On CNN , Burnett kept at it , saying to Lee , “ I just want to kind of push you a little bit more here .
I understand your point about Republicans , but it isn ’ t just Republicans .
There are Democrats who are saying that , too , and it appears that the president-elect is going to take them on.
” Lee responded , saying , “ Most Democrats want to hold the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police should not be delivering mental health services.
” “ Most people know that the black and brown communities want public safety and that we have to restructure our funding priorities in terms of how we make our communities safe , ” she said .
“ And so , most Democrats understand the need for accountability , and they need to make sure there is justice in our criminal justice system.
” OK , but there is also that whole “ we mean literally abolish the police ” thing .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they merely repeated back what the “ defund ” movement ’ s own backers are saying about it .
The funniest thing about all of this is that it is obvious “ defund the police ” hurt the Democrats in 2020 .
Yet , the ultra-liberal wing of the party continues to fight this assessment , indignantly and incessantly , going as far as to dismiss fellow left-wing luminaries , including former President Barack Obama , even though they are on their side .
Good idea , alienating your own allies after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is the path to meaningful reform .

The list continues to grow.
Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee of California is siding with President-elect Joe Biden, who told civil rights leaders in a private meeting that the “defund the police” movement killed the Democratic Party in the polls in 2020.
Lee, who is more liberal than centrist, threw her support behind the president-elect during an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett.
“I want to give you a chance to react to President-elect Biden,” said the cable news host. “The quote he said is Republicans, quote, ‘beat the living hell out of us across the country,’ he says, because of the ‘defund the police’ movement, because of those words, and he says that is not what Democrats are talking about." And she asked, “What’s your response? What do you say?”
Without batting an eye, the congresswoman, who is reportedly under consideration to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the Senate, replied, “Well, it’s not. Yes, it’s not, and President-elect Biden is absolutely correct.”
Lee continued, reiterating Biden’s overall point that the GOP made Democrats pay for “defund.” However, she added, it’s not that the movement itself is bad. It’s that Republicans have supposedly mischaracterized its goals.
“The Republicans in many ways weaponized police reform policies, and that is what they did in their ads, and that is the misrepresentation of what police reform is about,” said Lee.
Now is a good time to remind everyone that congressional Democrats killed South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s police reform bill earlier this year.
“So,” Lee continued, “the Republicans have this way of just trying to misrepresent what we’re doing, so we move forward on our police reform efforts, and I believe that we’re going to be successful with the Biden-Harris administration.”
For the record, the “defund the police” movement’s most ardent supporters, including Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rep.-elect Cori Bush of Missouri, and Project NIA Director Mariame Kabe, say the movement is exactly what it sounds like. They say they want the literal abolition of the police.
On CNN, Burnett kept at it, saying to Lee, “I just want to kind of push you a little bit more here. I understand your point about Republicans, but it isn’t just Republicans. There are Democrats who are saying that, too, and it appears that the president-elect is going to take them on.”
Lee responded, saying, “Most Democrats want to hold the police accountable. Most Democrats know that the police should not be delivering mental health services.”
“Most people know that the black and brown communities want public safety and that we have to restructure our funding priorities in terms of how we make our communities safe,” she said. “And so, most Democrats understand the need for accountability, and they need to make sure there is justice in our criminal justice system.”
OK, but there is also that whole “we mean literally abolish the police” thing. You can’t accuse Republicans of election-year trickery when they merely repeated back what the “defund” movement’s own backers are saying about it.
The funniest thing about all of this is that it is obvious “defund the police” hurt the Democrats in 2020. Yet, the ultra-liberal wing of the party continues to fight this assessment, indignantly and incessantly, going as far as to dismiss fellow left-wing luminaries, including former President Barack Obama, even though they are on their side.
Good idea, alienating your own allies after having already alienated voters. Surely, this is the path to meaningful reform.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-11--Top Republican: Georgia Senate races ‘very positive,’ ahead on absentee voting

Both of the Georgia Senate races are looking “ very positive ” for the Republicans , in part because the GOP and President Trump have put a big focus on retaining the seats , according to the party ’ s top Republican organizer .
Republican Indiana Sen. Todd Young , chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee , also was upbeat about keeping up with Democrats in absentee voting , typically something the party lags on .
“ The initial signs are very positive , ” said Young of the races of Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for going down to Georgia .
He said multiple times that the people of Georgia should get out there , as disappointed as they may be about the presidential race , and vote for David and Kelly .
It is really important for him to drive that message , but what 's also important is he emphasized the importance of voting early and voting absentee if eligible , ” he told members of the centrist Republican Ripon Society this week .
The races are key to the GOP keeping control of the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Mike Pence has made the Georgia races a focus of his attention .
A poll provided to Secrets Friday from AARP showed that the race is tight .
Democrat Jon Ossoff is edging Perdue ( 48 % -46 % ) ; Democrat Raphael Warnock leads Loeffler ( 47 % -46 % ) .
Among voters 50 and older , the Republicans are comfortably ahead .
The special elections , called because neither candidate passed the required 50 % in the election earlier this month , have been in turmoil because of GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prior election .
But despite those claims , and the focus on concerns in mail-in voting , Young said that the GOP is holding its own in absentee voting .
“ Democrats traditionally surpass Republicans when it comes to absentee voting , but they 're only outclassing us by a few points right now .
We are way ahead of schedule on absentee voting , and we 're also doing well with respect to voter contacts , ” he said .

Both of the Georgia Senate races are looking “very positive” for the Republicans, in part because the GOP and President Trump have put a big focus on retaining the seats, according to the party’s top Republican organizer.
Republican Indiana Sen. Todd Young, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, also was upbeat about keeping up with Democrats in absentee voting, typically something the party lags on.
“The initial signs are very positive,” said Young of the races of Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.
“I have to commend the president for going down to Georgia. He said multiple times that the people of Georgia should get out there, as disappointed as they may be about the presidential race, and vote for David and Kelly. It is really important for him to drive that message, but what's also important is he emphasized the importance of voting early and voting absentee if eligible,” he told members of the centrist Republican Ripon Society this week.
The races are key to the GOP keeping control of the Senate. In addition to Trump, Vice President Mike Pence has made the Georgia races a focus of his attention.
A poll provided to Secrets Friday from AARP showed that the race is tight. Democrat Jon Ossoff is edging Perdue (48%-46%); Democrat Raphael Warnock leads Loeffler (47%-46%). Among voters 50 and older, the Republicans are comfortably ahead.
The special elections, called because neither candidate passed the required 50% in the election earlier this month, have been in turmoil because of GOP and Trump claims of fraud in the prior election.
But despite those claims, and the focus on concerns in mail-in voting, Young said that the GOP is holding its own in absentee voting.
“Democrats traditionally surpass Republicans when it comes to absentee voting, but they're only outclassing us by a few points right now. We are way ahead of schedule on absentee voting, and we're also doing well with respect to voter contacts,” he said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-11--Actress Justine Bateman adds name to petition to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom: 'How do we get rid of thi

Actress Justine Bateman adds name to petition to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom: 'How do we get rid of this guy?'

Actress Justine Bateman added her name to a petition circulating in California to recall Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
`` OK , how do we get rid of this guy ?
” the Family Ties star reportedly asked before signing the petition at a Recall Gavin 2020 trailer in Los Angeles , according to the Daily Mail .
The actress is said to have taken a “ to go ” packet with her in order to encourage others to sign the petition and also voiced her support for the recall effort on Twitter .
“ # RecallGavin2020 @ KitsonLA SATURDAY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
11-5.
” The campaign needs to gather 1.5 million signatures by March 17 , 2021 , in order to prompt a special election to remove Newsom from office , and a said that the governor ’ s team is `` increasingly concerned '' about the effort .
California became only the second state in U.S. history to recall a governor successfully when voters removed Democrat Gray Davis from office in 2003 .
Newsom has been widely criticized for his handling of the coronavirus and outraged many Californians when he was photographed maskless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angry residents have against Newsom ’ s coronavirus restrictions across the state , and several restaurants and businesses have .
Last week , several California sheriffs said they will not enforce Newsom ’ s latest coronavirus lockdown , including one sheriff who

Actress Justine Bateman added her name to a petition circulating in California to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom.
"OK, how do we get rid of this guy?” the Family Ties star reportedly asked before signing the petition at a Recall Gavin 2020 trailer in Los Angeles, according to the Daily Mail.
The actress is said to have taken a “to go” packet with her in order to encourage others to sign the petition and also voiced her support for the recall effort on Twitter. “#RecallGavin2020 @KitsonLA SATURDAY,” Bateman tweeted. “TOMORROW. 11-5.”
The campaign needs to gather 1.5 million signatures by March 17, 2021, in order to prompt a special election to remove Newsom from office, and a report earlier this week said that the governor’s team is "increasingly concerned" about the effort.
Those close to Governor Newsom are reportedly growing concerned that the current recall effort against him could gain steam and make it onto the ballot amidst ongoing public frustration over his handling of the pandemic & recent negative headlines. https://t.co/D2ZTZC6xXo — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) December 10, 2020
California became only the second state in U.S. history to recall a governor successfully when voters removed Democrat Gray Davis from office in 2003.
Newsom has been widely criticized for his handling of the coronavirus and outraged many Californians when he was photographed maskless at a large dinner party, violating his own virus restrictions .
Angry residents have organized protests against Newsom’s coronavirus restrictions across the state, and several restaurants and businesses have openly defied his orders .


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-12--Michigan attorney moves to release findings from Dominion voting machines forensic audit in Antrim C

Michigan attorney moves to release findings from Dominion voting machines forensic audit in Antrim County

A Michigan attorney wants to release the findings from a forensic audit of Dominion Voting Systems equipment for the public to see .
Matthew DePerno , who is representing an Antrim County resident behind a lawsuit challenging a local marijuana retailer proposal , told Newsmax TV on Friday that his broader ambition is to convince state lawmakers to overturn the results of the presidential election with what he says is evidence of voting machine tampering .
`` We 've called on Mike Shirkey , who is the Senate majority leader in the Michigan Senate , to send a separate slate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , based on what we think we have found , '' he told host Greg Kelly , who asked if there was any way to flip Michigan .
`` I filed an emergency motion this afternoon with the Antrim County Circuit Court asking them to lift a protective order so that we can release the results of the forensic examination to the American people , to the Michigan House of Representatives , to the Michigan Senate , and to anyone else who wants to see the results so they can judge for themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
The emergency motion says the `` initial preliminary results '' are `` an issue of national security '' and `` important for the public , the U.S. government and the Michigan Legislature to review and understand . ''
William Bailey , a realtor and member of Antrim County ’ s planning commission , filed the lawsuit to challenge a local marijuana retailer proposal that barely passed after three ballots were not included in a retabulation because they had been damaged .
A judge allowed Bailey and a team from Dallas-area cybersecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a forensic audit of Dominion hardware last weekend , after which Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson warned of an effort to spread `` false information designed to erode the public ’ s confidence in the election . ''
Michigan Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer ruled in favor of the state ’ s motion during a Thursday hearing conducted virtually over Zoom to allow Benson to intervene in the case .
The case , which lists Antrim County as the defendant , gained outsize publicity and attention from President Trump ’ s legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on Dominion voting machines and the forensic audit .
Antrim County first drew national headlines a couple of weeks ago after votes were found to be counted incorrectly in unofficial results in the Republican-leaning county .
Officials determined it was human error , in particular a failure to update software , that resulted in 6,000 votes erroneously being tabulated for President-elect Joe Biden rather than Trump .
Dominion Voting Systems , whose machines were used in Antrim and in other places across the country , has vociferously denied allegations about the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme , billing them as being part of a `` disinformation '' effort .
And although Trump and allies , including attorney Sidney Powell , claim there was widespread fraud that stole the election from the president , high-level members of Trump 's own government , including Attorney General William Barr , have said they have not seen evidence to support those claims .
The Trump legal team and other associated groups have filed a litany of lawsuits in the Wolverine State , which Biden won by more than 150,000 votes , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but those efforts have largely fallen flat .
They are also hoping to convince GOP-led legislatures in multiple battleground states to dispute Biden 's victory and instead send Trump 's electors to Congress .
The information gathered in the Antrim County forensic audit on Sunday is subject to a court-issued protective order that restricts the “ use , distribution or manipulation of the forensic images and/or other information gleaned from the forensic investigation ” without court permission , according to the Traverse City Record-Eagle .
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel 's office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to `` what appears to be a swirl of misinformation being circulated among Republican activists accusing the Department of Attorney General of suppressing information . ''
This followed former state Sen. Patrick Colbeck , identified as a `` Michigan election challenger , '' telling Fox Business host Lou Dobbs on Thursday in a viral interview that Elsenheimer `` ruled in favor of an order that was requested by the attorney general , Dana Nessel of Michigan , to prohibit the disclosure of those forensic results . ''
Kelly Rossman-McKinney , the communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General , said that during Thursday 's hearing , `` the plaintiff ’ s attorney indicated that the results of the inspection of the Antrim County tabulator being conducted by the plaintiff and his agents has not been completed .
Therefore , no information regarding the inspection has been made available to Judge Elsenheimer , Secretary Benson , or the Department of Attorney General Dana Nessel .
Further , this information is already subject to a protective order issued by Judge Elsenheimer.
” During his Newsmax interview on Friday , DePerno mentioned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the forensic audit since Sunday .
`` The secretary of state , Jocelyn Benson , said it happened by human error .
We 've discovered that 's not true .
That 's a lie , '' he said , again accusing Dominion of being the perpetrator of fraud .
Dominion CEO John Poulos sent a letter to Michigan Senate Oversight Committee Chairman Ed McBroom , a Republican , saying that his company is open to having a representative testify next week .
“ I appreciate the opportunity to correct the baseless and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are harmful not only to Dominion , but also to the countless hardworking election officials across the State , as well all Michigan public officials elected through a fair process , ” Poulos said .
Benson ’ s office said on Wednesday that a zero-margin risk-limiting audit will be conducted in Antrim County in December to ensure further the veracity of the results and offer increased transparency .
The judge is expected to hold a hearing on DePerno 's request to lift the protective order on Monday , the same day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convene in Lansing .

A Michigan attorney wants to release the findings from a forensic audit of Dominion Voting Systems equipment for the public to see.
Matthew DePerno, who is representing an Antrim County resident behind a lawsuit challenging a local marijuana retailer proposal, told Newsmax TV on Friday that his broader ambition is to convince state lawmakers to overturn the results of the presidential election with what he says is evidence of voting machine tampering.
"We've called on Mike Shirkey, who is the Senate majority leader in the Michigan Senate, to send a separate slate of electors to Lansing, Republican electors, based on what we think we have found," he told host Greg Kelly, who asked if there was any way to flip Michigan.
"I filed an emergency motion this afternoon with the Antrim County Circuit Court asking them to lift a protective order so that we can release the results of the forensic examination to the American people, to the Michigan House of Representatives, to the Michigan Senate, and to anyone else who wants to see the results so they can judge for themselves how the system operates," DePerno added.
The emergency motion says the "initial preliminary results" are "an issue of national security" and "important for the public, the U.S. government and the Michigan Legislature to review and understand."
William Bailey, a realtor and member of Antrim County’s planning commission, filed the lawsuit to challenge a local marijuana retailer proposal that barely passed after three ballots were not included in a retabulation because they had been damaged.
A judge allowed Bailey and a team from Dallas-area cybersecurity firm Allied Security Operations Group to conduct a forensic audit of Dominion hardware last weekend, after which Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson warned of an effort to spread "false information designed to erode the public’s confidence in the election." Michigan Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer ruled in favor of the state’s motion during a Thursday hearing conducted virtually over Zoom to allow Benson to intervene in the case.
The case, which lists Antrim County as the defendant, gained outsize publicity and attention from President Trump’s legal team and his allies because of the focus on Dominion voting machines and the forensic audit. Antrim County first drew national headlines a couple of weeks ago after votes were found to be counted incorrectly in unofficial results in the Republican-leaning county. Officials determined it was human error, in particular a failure to update software, that resulted in 6,000 votes erroneously being tabulated for President-elect Joe Biden rather than Trump.
Dominion Voting Systems, whose machines were used in Antrim and in other places across the country, has vociferously denied allegations about the company being involved in a massive voter fraud scheme, billing them as being part of a "disinformation" effort. And although Trump and allies, including attorney Sidney Powell, claim there was widespread fraud that stole the election from the president, high-level members of Trump's own government, including Attorney General William Barr, have said they have not seen evidence to support those claims.
The Trump legal team and other associated groups have filed a litany of lawsuits in the Wolverine State, which Biden won by more than 150,000 votes, and elsewhere seeking to turn the election results, but those efforts have largely fallen flat. They are also hoping to convince GOP-led legislatures in multiple battleground states to dispute Biden's victory and instead send Trump's electors to Congress.
The information gathered in the Antrim County forensic audit on Sunday is subject to a court-issued protective order that restricts the “use, distribution or manipulation of the forensic images and/or other information gleaned from the forensic investigation” without court permission, according to the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office issued a press release on Friday to respond to "what appears to be a swirl of misinformation being circulated among Republican activists accusing the Department of Attorney General of suppressing information."
This followed former state Sen. Patrick Colbeck, identified as a "Michigan election challenger," telling Fox Business host Lou Dobbs on Thursday in a viral interview that Elsenheimer "ruled in favor of an order that was requested by the attorney general, Dana Nessel of Michigan, to prohibit the disclosure of those forensic results."
Secret Audit: @pjcolbeck slams efforts by Michigan’s AG and the courts to hide a forensic audit of Dominon’s voting machines in a county where 6,000 votes were flipped from @realDonaldTrump to Biden. #MAGA #AmericaFirst #Dobbs pic.twitter.com/juQqUfi0Et — Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) December 10, 2020
Kelly Rossman-McKinney, the communications director of the Michigan Department of Attorney General, said that during Thursday's hearing, "the plaintiff’s attorney indicated that the results of the inspection of the Antrim County tabulator being conducted by the plaintiff and his agents has not been completed. Therefore, no information regarding the inspection has been made available to Judge Elsenheimer, Secretary Benson, or the Department of Attorney General Dana Nessel. Further, this information is already subject to a protective order issued by Judge Elsenheimer.”
During his Newsmax interview on Friday, DePerno mentioned that his team has been running an analysis of the forensic audit since Sunday.
"The secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, said it happened by human error. We've discovered that's not true. That's a lie," he said, again accusing Dominion of being the perpetrator of fraud.
Dominion CEO John Poulos sent a letter to Michigan Senate Oversight Committee Chairman Ed McBroom, a Republican, saying that his company is open to having a representative testify next week.
“I appreciate the opportunity to correct the baseless and defamatory claims being made about our systems. They are harmful not only to Dominion, but also to the countless hardworking election officials across the State, as well all Michigan public officials elected through a fair process,” Poulos said.
Benson’s office said on Wednesday that a zero-margin risk-limiting audit will be conducted in Antrim County in December to ensure further the veracity of the results and offer increased transparency.
The judge is expected to hold a hearing on DePerno's request to lift the protective order on Monday, the same day Michigan's presidential electors are set to convene in Lansing.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-12--Thousands of Trump supporters sing national anthem and cheer as president passes overhead on Marine

Thousands of Trump supporters sing national anthem and cheer as president passes overhead on Marine One

Supporters of President Trump from across the country gathered in Washington , D.C. , on Saturday , and many of them joined together in singing the national anthem as the president flew overhead on Marine One .
Videos posted on social media showed a large group of people packed into Freedom Plaza singing the national anthem in unison and then cheering as President Trump flew overhead .
“ Wow !
” the president tweeted earlier in the day .
“ Thousands of people forming in Washington ( D.C. ) for Stop the Steal .
Didn ’ t know about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them !
# MAGA ” “ There he is !
There is our guy !
” one woman could be heard saying as she pointed at the sky .
Former national security adviser retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn , recently pardoned by the president , was present and at a “ Stop the Steal ” rally designed to show support for the president ’ s continued effort to dispute the validity of election results across the country .
`` Our Constitution is about individual liberties ... not collective liberties that only these people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Flynn told the crowd .

Supporters of President Trump from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, and many of them joined together in singing the national anthem as the president flew overhead on Marine One.
Videos posted on social media showed a large group of people packed into Freedom Plaza singing the national anthem in unison and then cheering as President Trump flew overhead.
.@realDonaldTrump supporters gathered in D.C. sing the national anthem as Marine One flies over.pic.twitter.com/HZUfXRksqM — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 12, 2020
“Wow!” the president tweeted earlier in the day. “Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them! #MAGA”
Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them! #MAGA — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
“There he is! There is our guy!” one woman could be heard saying as she pointed at the sky.
Former national security adviser retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, recently pardoned by the president, was present and spoke to supporters at a “Stop the Steal” rally designed to show support for the president’s continued effort to dispute the validity of election results across the country.
"Our Constitution is about individual liberties ... not collective liberties that only these people in Washington, D.C., understand,” Flynn told the crowd.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-12--Twitter 'inadvertently' blocks users from promoting Trump tweet claiming he won election 'IN A LANDS

Twitter 'inadvertently' blocks users from promoting Trump tweet claiming he won election 'IN A LANDSLIDE'

Twitter accidentally prevented users from promoting a tweet from President Trump that claimed he won the presidential election `` IN A LANDSLIDE . ''
Shortly after the president tweeted on Saturday morning saying , `` I WON THE ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE , but remember , I only think in terms of legal votes , not all of the fake voters and fraud that miraculously floated in from everywhere !
What a disgrace !
`` , users found themselves unable to like the tweet , but they could still retweet it .
A Twitter spokesperson told the Washington Examiner on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action to limit engagements '' and that the `` action has been reversed . ''
Twitter placed a label on the president 's tweet that reads , `` This claim about election fraud is disputed , '' and it provided a link to more information .
The spokesperson said the label will remain on the tweet `` in line with our Civic Integrity Policy policy it will continue to be labeled in order to give more context for anyone who might see the Tweet . ''
`` Throughout the year , we made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more thoughtful consideration and reduce the potential for misleading information to spread on Twitter , '' the social media platform 's representative continued .
Trump has repeatedly challenged the outcome of the election , which he lost to President-elect Joe Biden .
The president , his campaign , and his supporters have said that the election was rigged against him , and they have sought legal remedies to overturn the results , but they have made limited progress on this front .
Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 .

Twitter accidentally prevented users from promoting a tweet from President Trump that claimed he won the presidential election "IN A LANDSLIDE."
Shortly after the president tweeted on Saturday morning saying, "I WON THE ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE, but remember, I only think in terms of legal votes, not all of the fake voters and fraud that miraculously floated in from everywhere! What a disgrace!", users found themselves unable to like the tweet, but they could still retweet it.
A Twitter spokesperson told the Washington Examiner on Saturday morning that it "inadvertently took action to limit engagements" and that the "action has been reversed."
Twitter placed a label on the president's tweet that reads, "This claim about election fraud is disputed," and it provided a link to more information. The spokesperson said the label will remain on the tweet "in line with our Civic Integrity Policy policy it will continue to be labeled in order to give more context for anyone who might see the Tweet."
I WON THE ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE, but remember, I only think in terms of legal votes, not all of the fake voters and fraud that miraculously floated in from everywhere! What a disgrace! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
"Throughout the year, we made product changes and policy updates to encourage more thoughtful consideration and reduce the potential for misleading information to spread on Twitter," the social media platform's representative continued.
Trump has repeatedly challenged the outcome of the election, which he lost to President-elect Joe Biden. The president, his campaign, and his supporters have said that the election was rigged against him, and they have sought legal remedies to overturn the results, but they have made limited progress on this front. Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.