thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--Could a closed archive hold answers on Biden sexual misconduct claim?

Tara Reade , the woman who accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her , suspects that a key document about some of her claims — a complaint she filed to a Senate office about his behavior — may lie in his personal documents stored at the University of Delaware .
A thorough review of the archive could boost Biden ’ s claim to innocence , while a copy of the complaint or other documentation could also corroborate some of Reade ’ s claims .
Those protecting the records , however , have made either scenario impossible .
Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university in 2011 , was expected to be made public sometime in 2019 .
But the university announced last year that the collection will be until two years after Biden “ retires from public life ” or two years after Dec. 31 , 2019 , whichever is later .
The university refuses to reveal information about the records gift agreement from Biden to the university .
Adding more frustration for Reade as she hopes to prove her claims , individuals who worked in the Senate at the time say there ’ s little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archives — or that it wouldn ’ t have been quickly destroyed after Reade ’ s initial complaint .
Over two decades of Biden ’ s 36 years in office came when Congress infamously faced some of the least amount of oversight of any federal institution or agency .
Donald Ritchie , historian emeritus of the United States Senate , who worked in the Senate Historical Office in the 1990s , said that record-keeping of agencies that handled workplace complaints like Reade ’ s operated with nearly complete impunity before the passage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I can understand why there ’ d be a problem with the paper trail , ” Ritchie told the Washington Examiner as Reade tried to find the record of her complainant in Senate offices .
“ That act provides a lot more support for people who lodge complaints against their boss now .
Before then , everyone just got fired , ” Ritchie said , who said many lawmakers griped to him that they regretted voting for the bill in the first place .
He added that any personnel complaints were often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other words , if a woman filed a complaint against her boss , a lawmaker had wide discretion on what to do .
Reade told the Washington Examiner that she is working on making an official request to access any of her own personnel records stored in Biden ’ s Senate archives .
Reade , who worked as an assistant in Biden ’ s Senate office in 1993 when she was 29 , says that Biden behaved inappropriately by stroking her hair , touching her neck , and sexually assaulting her in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office complex .
She has recalled a tense meeting in which another staff member told her that Biden wanted her to serve drinks at a donor event because he liked her legs .
The Biden campaign has strongly denied the allegations .
Three senior Biden staff members , who Reade says she complained to about harassment , not the assault , have told various media outlets that they have no memory of her complaints .
Former staffers in Biden ’ s office at the time have told other news outlets that they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Reade described or a request that she serve drinks at a reception , but some former Biden interns said that they do remember Reade being abruptly removed from her duties overseeing them , as Reade said .
Reade says that in 1993 she filed a complaint with an outside office about the alleged harassment , not assault , she experienced in the office .
“ I filled out a form and talked about just the incident of the sexual harassment , feeling uncomfortable .
And I was told at the window that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , call me back in .
And they never did , ” Reade said in a Democracy Now interview .
“ I ’ ve tried to track that form down , and I was told it was probably returned to Biden ’ s office , ” Reade said in the Katie Halper Podcast that revealed her sexual assault allegation for the first time .
Reade did not remember the exact name of the office with which she filed the complaint in 1993 , but the Senate Office of Fair Employment Practices handled harassment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was replaced with the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights after the passage of the Congressional Accountability Act .
She told the Washington Examiner that while trying to locate the complaint , a Senate personnel office told her that all documents regarding Biden ’ s Senate office would have been returned to him .
What senators keep from their offices in public archives , however .
Biden or his staff , if they received a record of the complaint , may have thrown it out .
“ If anything is in the Senator ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property , there ’ s no federal rule there , ” Ritchie said .
The Biden campaign told the New York Times that it did not have a record of a complaint from Reade .
But few people , if any , know the full extent of what is in the archives .
“ I don ’ t believe his archive has even been catalogued yet , ” Ritchie said .
But a record of the complaint Reade filed in a Senate personnel office is not the only needle in a haystack that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of documents from Biden ’ s time in Congress from 1973 to 2009 may include staff personnel files , office administration records , or records of meeting notes — any of which may provide hints about or dispel aspects of Reade ’ s story .
According to the Washington Post , Biden ’ s records fill 1,875 boxes and 415 gigabytes of electronic records .
Committee reports , drafts of legislation , and correspondence are included in the archive .

Tara Reade, the woman who accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her, suspects that a key document about some of her claims — a complaint she filed to a Senate office about his behavior — may lie in his personal documents stored at the University of Delaware.
A thorough review of the archive could boost Biden’s claim to innocence, while a copy of the complaint or other documentation could also corroborate some of Reade’s claims.
Those protecting the records, however, have made either scenario impossible.
Biden’s archive, donated by him to the university in 2011, was expected to be made public sometime in 2019. But the university announced last year that the collection will be sealed from the public until two years after Biden “retires from public life” or two years after Dec. 31, 2019, whichever is later. The university refuses to reveal information about the records gift agreement from Biden to the university.
Adding more frustration for Reade as she hopes to prove her claims, individuals who worked in the Senate at the time say there’s little chance the document would be in the archives — or that it wouldn’t have been quickly destroyed after Reade’s initial complaint. Over two decades of Biden’s 36 years in office came when Congress infamously faced some of the least amount of oversight of any federal institution or agency.
Donald Ritchie, historian emeritus of the United States Senate, who worked in the Senate Historical Office in the 1990s, said that record-keeping of agencies that handled workplace complaints like Reade’s operated with nearly complete impunity before the passage of the Congressional Accountability Act in 1995.
“I can understand why there’d be a problem with the paper trail,” Ritchie told the Washington Examiner as Reade tried to find the record of her complainant in Senate offices.
“That act provides a lot more support for people who lodge complaints against their boss now. Before then, everyone just got fired,” Ritchie said, who said many lawmakers griped to him that they regretted voting for the bill in the first place.
He added that any personnel complaints were often handled by each office individually. In other words, if a woman filed a complaint against her boss, a lawmaker had wide discretion on what to do.
Reade told the Washington Examiner that she is working on making an official request to access any of her own personnel records stored in Biden’s Senate archives.
Reade, who worked as an assistant in Biden’s Senate office in 1993 when she was 29, says that Biden behaved inappropriately by stroking her hair, touching her neck, and sexually assaulting her in a “semi-private” area of the Capitol office complex. She has recalled a tense meeting in which another staff member told her that Biden wanted her to serve drinks at a donor event because he liked her legs.
The Biden campaign has strongly denied the allegations.
Three senior Biden staff members, who Reade says she complained to about harassment, not the assault, have told various media outlets that they have no memory of her complaints. Former staffers in Biden’s office at the time have told other news outlets that they do not remember any inappropriate behavior from Biden like Reade described or a request that she serve drinks at a reception, but some former Biden interns said that they do remember Reade being abruptly removed from her duties overseeing them, as Reade said.
Reade says that in 1993 she filed a complaint with an outside office about the alleged harassment, not assault, she experienced in the office.
“I filled out a form and talked about just the incident of the sexual harassment, feeling uncomfortable. And I was told at the window that somebody would call back, you know, call me back in. And they never did,” Reade said in a Democracy Now interview.
“I’ve tried to track that form down, and I was told it was probably returned to Biden’s office,” Reade said in the Katie Halper Podcast interview that revealed her sexual assault allegation for the first time.
Reade did not remember the exact name of the office with which she filed the complaint in 1993, but the Senate Office of Fair Employment Practices handled harassment complaints starting in 1992. That office was replaced with the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights after the passage of the Congressional Accountability Act.
She told the Washington Examiner that while trying to locate the complaint, a Senate personnel office told her that all documents regarding Biden’s Senate office would have been returned to him.
What senators keep from their offices in public archives widely varies , however. Biden or his staff, if they received a record of the complaint, may have thrown it out.
“If anything is in the Senator’s papers, they’re his property, there’s no federal rule there,” Ritchie said.
The Biden campaign told the New York Times that it did not have a record of a complaint from Reade. But few people, if any, know the full extent of what is in the archives.
“I don’t believe his archive has even been catalogued yet,” Ritchie said.
But a record of the complaint Reade filed in a Senate personnel office is not the only needle in a haystack that could bolster her claims.
The thousands of documents from Biden’s time in Congress from 1973 to 2009 may include staff personnel files, office administration records, or records of meeting notes — any of which may provide hints about or dispel aspects of Reade’s story.
According to the Washington Post, Biden’s records fill 1,875 boxes and 415 gigabytes of electronic records. Committee reports, drafts of legislation, and correspondence are included in the archive.
Naomi Lim contributed to this report.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--Voters to judge Trump on coronavirus response, though states and WHO share responsibility: Analysts

The political burden of leading the United States out of the coronavirus pandemic is falling squarely on President Trump , despite constitutional limitations that reserve significant authority over crisis management for the governors and legitimate concerns that the World Health Organization botched its response , analysts say .
Nationally , the Trump administration shares responsibility for mitigating the coronavirus outbreak with a patchwork of state and local governments that hold equal , if not more , power to act than Washington .
Internationally , the White House is reliant on the cooperation of other countries and key nongovernmental organizations such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When voters go to the polls this November , blame or credit for the handling of the pandemic is likely to land on Trump .
“ His presidency is now a referendum on beating COVID-19 and will arguably be defined by the outcome of that battle , not perceptions of his efforts to fight it , ” said Bruce Haynes , a former Republican strategist who is now chairman of SVC Public Affairs , a D.C. government relations firm .
“ The only thing that matters is continuing to lead us through this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Republican operative and former Trump adviser who remains close with the president .
Nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. have died from the coronavirus , with the pandemic sparking a recession that has left 22 million unemployed .
Part healthcare , part personal safety , and part jobs and the economy , this issue comprises the trifecta of priorities that voters tend to care about most in every election .
Since early March , when the spread of the coronavirus accelerated in the U.S. , Trump has alternately asserted that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and claimed most responsibility for addressing the pandemic rests with governors .
In nightly news conferences , the president has lauded his role in positive developments , while simultaneously shifting responsibility for persistent problems .
Additionally , Trump halted U.S. funding for the WHO , charging incompetence that undermined Washington ’ s battle against COVID-19 .
Whether Trump is right or wrong , voters in modern times tend to put the onus for crisis management on presidents , almost all of whom go out of their way to maximize accolades for good news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ For better or , probably , worse , Americans have come to equate the president with the government , ” said Curt Nichols , an associate professor of political science at Baylor University in Waco , Texas .
“ This creates enormous , unfulfillable , expectations of an office that is constitutionally restrained.
” But after a brief boost in Trump ’ s approval ratings at the end of the month , his numbers have drifted back toward the mid-40s , where they have frequently been during the past year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ falls along partisan lines , as it does typically .
Republican voters are satisfied .
They tend to agree with Trump that governors and local officials need to be held accountable , as should the WHO , which downplayed the danger posed by the coronavirus when the first outbreak occurred in China .
Democrats are accusing the president of unfairly scapegoating others to cover up what they believe has been a complete mishandling of the pandemic .
In that regard , the coronavirus pandemic is something of a Rorschach test for how voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other issue that has arisen during his polarizing tenure .
“ To his loyal supporters , Trump is the Pied Piper who spins a tune so pleasing to the base 's ears that all else is drowned out , ” said Michael Genovese , president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles .
“ Likewise , to critics , Trump is Clown Prince who ca n't even back into the right answer .
”

The political burden of leading the United States out of the coronavirus pandemic is falling squarely on President Trump, despite constitutional limitations that reserve significant authority over crisis management for the governors and legitimate concerns that the World Health Organization botched its response, analysts say.
Nationally, the Trump administration shares responsibility for mitigating the coronavirus outbreak with a patchwork of state and local governments that hold equal, if not more, power to act than Washington. Internationally, the White House is reliant on the cooperation of other countries and key nongovernmental organizations such as the WHO.
No matter. When voters go to the polls this November, blame or credit for the handling of the pandemic is likely to land on Trump.
“His presidency is now a referendum on beating COVID-19 and will arguably be defined by the outcome of that battle, not perceptions of his efforts to fight it,” said Bruce Haynes, a former Republican strategist who is now chairman of SVC Public Affairs, a D.C. government relations firm.
“The only thing that matters is continuing to lead us through this coronavirus crisis,” added Jason Miller, a Republican operative and former Trump adviser who remains close with the president.
Nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. have died from the coronavirus, with the pandemic sparking a recession that has left 22 million unemployed. Part healthcare, part personal safety, and part jobs and the economy, this issue comprises the trifecta of priorities that voters tend to care about most in every election.
Since early March, when the spread of the coronavirus accelerated in the U.S., Trump has alternately asserted that he has expansive wartime powers over the states and claimed most responsibility for addressing the pandemic rests with governors. In nightly news conferences, the president has lauded his role in positive developments, while simultaneously shifting responsibility for persistent problems. Additionally, Trump halted U.S. funding for the WHO, charging incompetence that undermined Washington’s battle against COVID-19.
Whether Trump is right or wrong, voters in modern times tend to put the onus for crisis management on presidents, almost all of whom go out of their way to maximize accolades for good news and minimize their exposure for the bad.
“For better or, probably, worse, Americans have come to equate the president with the government,” said Curt Nichols, an associate professor of political science at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. “This creates enormous, unfulfillable, expectations of an office that is constitutionally restrained.”
But after a brief boost in Trump’s approval ratings at the end of the month, his numbers have drifted back toward the mid-40s, where they have frequently been during the past year. Assessment of Trump’s pandemic leadership falls along partisan lines, as it does typically.
Republican voters are satisfied. They tend to agree with Trump that governors and local officials need to be held accountable, as should the WHO, which downplayed the danger posed by the coronavirus when the first outbreak occurred in China. Democrats are accusing the president of unfairly scapegoating others to cover up what they believe has been a complete mishandling of the pandemic.
In that regard, the coronavirus pandemic is something of a Rorschach test for how voters are judging Trump, much like every other issue that has arisen during his polarizing tenure.
“To his loyal supporters, Trump is the Pied Piper who spins a tune so pleasing to the base's ears that all else is drowned out,” said Michael Genovese, president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. “Likewise, to critics, Trump is Clown Prince who can't even back into the right answer.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--How the Biden campaign can make the pending Hillary Clinton endorsement worth something

Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are preparing to head an all-star cast of ex-administration officials and party elders helping Joe Biden win back the White House for Democrats , but one alumna may have a less vocal and visible role .
Hillary Clinton , a divisive figure among swing state voters and independents as opposed to die-hard Democrats still smarting from her unexpected loss to President Trump in 2016 , has dipped in and out of 2020 primary politics .
However , the party 's past nominee has yet to endorse Biden .
In contrast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vanquished 2020 primary rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , this week fell in line behind the party 's next standard-bearer .
Tom Cochran , a partner with public relations firm 720 Strategies , did n't anticipate that Clinton would be on the trail with Biden `` that much , if at all . ''
Though he also questioned what the campaign would look like as the novel coronavirus pandemic hampers American life , forcing millions to stay cooped up inside their homes .
`` I see Obama in this far more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , absolutely she can play a big role , '' he told the Washington Examiner .
Yet while Clinton may not dominate the limelight during the general election , she will have a part to play as Biden goes head-to-head with Trump , a bruising contest with which the former first lady , New York senator , and Obama secretary of state is all too familiar .
`` Well , do n't forget : She won the election by 3 million votes last time .
The Electoral College math did n't work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton was jeered ahead of the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses in February for dredging up her grudge with Sanders .
The Vermont senator challenged her for the 2016 nomination before becoming Biden 's holdout opponent this year .
`` You all know I ca n't be quiet .
No , we 're gon na boo , '' said Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib , a Sanders supporter , at a rally in Iowa after Clinton claimed nobody liked him and his fans had been duped .
Although past comments such as that suggest she wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders backers anytime soon , she does have a constituency among Democrats who feel she was `` robbed '' of the White House four years ago and still resent the sexism she encountered last cycle , founder of public opinion research firm Lincoln Park Strategies Stefan Hankin said .
For Hankin , it 's not a good idea to simply `` push '' anyone aside if they can connect to voters and talk credibly about issues , including global pandemics and the importance of international alliances as the country 's former top diplomat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she can speak to and can , I think , energize in a different way than Biden can , '' Hankin told the Washington Examiner , referring to her residual cachet with Democratic women and African Americans .
He added , `` But then , I do n't imagine that she 's going to be the poster child in , you know , more rural areas .
She 's not going to be the person that they would send out to Wisconsin to start knocking on doors and talking to voters kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump in 2016 by less than 1 percentage point — about 23,000 votes .
Biden has an early advantage on Trump in the battleground state , averaging a 2.7 percentage point lead , according to RealClearPolitics polling data .
The two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator has a slighter larger berth on the incumbent in Michigan and Pennsylvania , other states where his predecessor was defeated , which many political pundits say cost her the election .
Regardless of `` animosity '' in the party , the key for Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chorus of voices espousing a Democratic vision for the country , Hankin said .
`` If you 're on the far Left , is Biden the most progressive candidate in the world ?
Obviously not , but he is sure a hell of a lot better than anything you 're going to get out of another four years of Trump , '' he added .

Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are preparing to head an all-star cast of ex-administration officials and party elders helping Joe Biden win back the White House for Democrats, but one alumna may have a less vocal and visible role.
Hillary Clinton, a divisive figure among swing state voters and independents as opposed to die-hard Democrats still smarting from her unexpected loss to President Trump in 2016, has dipped in and out of 2020 primary politics. However, the party's past nominee has yet to endorse Biden.
In contrast, Obama, as well as Biden's vanquished 2020 primary rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, this week fell in line behind the party's next standard-bearer.
Tom Cochran, a partner with public relations firm 720 Strategies, didn't anticipate that Clinton would be on the trail with Biden "that much, if at all." Though he also questioned what the campaign would look like as the novel coronavirus pandemic hampers American life, forcing millions to stay cooped up inside their homes.
"I see Obama in this far more than Clinton, but from a fundraising standpoint, absolutely she can play a big role," he told the Washington Examiner.
Yet while Clinton may not dominate the limelight during the general election, she will have a part to play as Biden goes head-to-head with Trump, a bruising contest with which the former first lady, New York senator, and Obama secretary of state is all too familiar.
"Well, don't forget: She won the election by 3 million votes last time. The Electoral College math didn't work in her favor," Cochran said.
Clinton was jeered ahead of the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses in February for dredging up her grudge with Sanders. The Vermont senator challenged her for the 2016 nomination before becoming Biden's holdout opponent this year.
"You all know I can't be quiet. No, we're gonna boo," said Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Sanders supporter, at a rally in Iowa after Clinton claimed nobody liked him and his fans had been duped.
Although past comments such as that suggest she won't bridge the gap between Biden and Sanders backers anytime soon, she does have a constituency among Democrats who feel she was "robbed" of the White House four years ago and still resent the sexism she encountered last cycle, founder of public opinion research firm Lincoln Park Strategies Stefan Hankin said.
For Hankin, it's not a good idea to simply "push" anyone aside if they can connect to voters and talk credibly about issues, including global pandemics and the importance of international alliances as the country's former top diplomat.
"There's definitely an audience that she can speak to and can, I think, energize in a different way than Biden can," Hankin told the Washington Examiner, referring to her residual cachet with Democratic women and African Americans.
He added, "But then, I don't imagine that she's going to be the poster child in, you know, more rural areas. She's not going to be the person that they would send out to Wisconsin to start knocking on doors and talking to voters kind of thing."
Clinton lost Wisconsin to Trump in 2016 by less than 1 percentage point — about 23,000 votes. Biden has an early advantage on Trump in the battleground state, averaging a 2.7 percentage point lead, according to RealClearPolitics polling data. The two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator has a slighter larger berth on the incumbent in Michigan and Pennsylvania, other states where his predecessor was defeated, which many political pundits say cost her the election.
Regardless of "animosity" in the party, the key for Biden's camp will be drowning out Trump with a chorus of voices espousing a Democratic vision for the country, Hankin said.
"If you're on the far Left, is Biden the most progressive candidate in the world? Obviously not, but he is sure a hell of a lot better than anything you're going to get out of another four years of Trump," he added.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--'Full steam ahead': RNC chairwoman says GOP plans to stage August convention despite coronavirus

The Republican National Committee has no plans to scale down the August convention to renominate President Trump , according to Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel .
The pandemic has forced the delay , cancellation , or restructuring of large events as part of an aggressive social distancing strategy to stem the rate of infections and deaths .
But less than 24 hours after Trump unveiled a blueprint to transition the United States back to normal , McDaniel said the RNC is confident that a four-day convention set to begin Aug. 24 in Charlotte , North Carolina , and draw thousands from across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are full steam ahead , ” she said in a telephone interview Friday .
“ We ’ re ready to go.
” The Democratic Party decided to postpone its mid-July Milwaukee convention to nominate former Vice President Joe Biden until Aug. 17 .
Biden said in a recent interview that he may have no choice but to accept the Democratic nomination virtually .
According to McDaniel , corporate sponsorship and other funding for the event has not been adversely affected by a pandemic-induced recession that has closed thousands of businesses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is significant because the political parties lost access to federal funding for their expensive , quadrennial nominating conventions in legislation signed by President Barack Obama in 2014 .
McDaniel said the party has not developed contingency plans for an abridged convention , which might yet be necessary because of lingering health risks from the coronavirus .
So far , 677,000 people in the United States have been infected , and 35,000 have died .
But the chairwoman said the RNC , in consultation with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early July to determine whether “ adjustments ” to the convention were needed .
McDaniel emphasized that RNC bylaws require party delegates to meet in person in some fashion to hold the vote to nominate the party 's presidential candidate .
Until nominated , Trump will not have access to the cash he has been raising for his general election campaign account .
“ A virtual convention is not on the table for us .
So no matter what , we will be having a physical convention — or a physical nominating process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign has transitioned to a virtual footing , shifting rapidly from knocking on millions of doors in battleground states to targeting voters with millions of text messages .
The president ’ s team also has launched a daily lineup of online broadcasts , featuring prominent Trump supporters and campaign officials , to spread his message and spark interest in his reelection .
But Trump , who had planned an almost weekly slate of his signature stadium campaign rallies , tends to thrive on high-energy , live events .
Unless a raging public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president is unlikely to relinquish the opportunity to accept renomination by the Republican Party in front of a large , enthusiastic audience .
McDaniel said Trump is not worried about the convention .
“ The president isn ’ t thinking about this at all , ” she said .
“ He ’ s so focused on , 'How do we pull our country out of this and balance the health and safety of the American people with getting people working again ? '
So I think it would be refreshing to get to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about having rallies again and having conventions because that means our country is healing .
”

The Republican National Committee has no plans to scale down the August convention to renominate President Trump, according to Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
The pandemic has forced the delay, cancellation, or restructuring of large events as part of an aggressive social distancing strategy to stem the rate of infections and deaths. But less than 24 hours after Trump unveiled a blueprint to transition the United States back to normal, McDaniel said the RNC is confident that a four-day convention set to begin Aug. 24 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and draw thousands from across the country would not be interrupted.
“We are full steam ahead,” she said in a telephone interview Friday. “We’re ready to go.”
The Democratic Party decided to postpone its mid-July Milwaukee convention to nominate former Vice President Joe Biden until Aug. 17. Biden said in a recent interview that he may have no choice but to accept the Democratic nomination virtually.
According to McDaniel, corporate sponsorship and other funding for the event has not been adversely affected by a pandemic-induced recession that has closed thousands of businesses and put 22 million people out of work. That is significant because the political parties lost access to federal funding for their expensive, quadrennial nominating conventions in legislation signed by President Barack Obama in 2014.
McDaniel said the party has not developed contingency plans for an abridged convention, which might yet be necessary because of lingering health risks from the coronavirus. So far, 677,000 people in the United States have been infected, and 35,000 have died. But the chairwoman said the RNC, in consultation with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and state officials, would reassess matters by early July to determine whether “adjustments” to the convention were needed.
McDaniel emphasized that RNC bylaws require party delegates to meet in person in some fashion to hold the vote to nominate the party's presidential candidate. Until nominated, Trump will not have access to the cash he has been raising for his general election campaign account.
“A virtual convention is not on the table for us. So no matter what, we will be having a physical convention — or a physical nominating process,” McDaniel said.
The Trump campaign has transitioned to a virtual footing, shifting rapidly from knocking on millions of doors in battleground states to targeting voters with millions of text messages. The president’s team also has launched a daily lineup of online broadcasts, featuring prominent Trump supporters and campaign officials, to spread his message and spark interest in his reelection.
But Trump, who had planned an almost weekly slate of his signature stadium campaign rallies, tends to thrive on high-energy, live events. Unless a raging public health crisis makes it absolutely necessary, the president is unlikely to relinquish the opportunity to accept renomination by the Republican Party in front of a large, enthusiastic audience.
McDaniel said Trump is not worried about the convention.
“The president isn’t thinking about this at all,” she said. “He’s so focused on, 'How do we pull our country out of this and balance the health and safety of the American people with getting people working again?' So I think it would be refreshing to get to a point where we’re actually talking about having rallies again and having conventions because that means our country is healing.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--ANALYSIS: In a pandemic and economic crisis, Biden’s healer-in-chief pitch rings stronger

Joe Biden ’ s healer-in-chief pitch was once solely focused on providing an alternative to the chaos of Donald Trump 's presidency and a vague notion of ending deep ideological divides , but it could find new weight and resonate with voters more now that the country is suffering through coronavirus deaths and mass economic disruption .
As Biden became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in the midst of a global pandemic , his highest-profile endorsers have stressed the former vice president ’ s empathy and ability to heal .
“ Joe has the character and the experience to guide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and heal us through a long recovery , ” former President Barack Obama said in his video his former running mate on Tuesday .
Obama added that , in a moment of crisis , the country needs “ leadership that ’ s guided by knowledge and experience , honesty and humility , empathy and grace.
” Biden has long been able to through his own personal tragedy and lived experiences .
In 1972 , his first wife Neilia and 1-year-old daughter Naomi died in a car crash just after he was first elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his son Beau Biden , Delaware ’ s attorney general and a decorated Army National Guard veteran , died from brain cancer in 2015 , which was among Biden ’ s reasons for not running for president in 2016 .
“ These experiences animate the empathy he extends to Americans who are struggling , '' Massachusetts Sen. said in her endorsement of Biden on Wednesday .
“ In this moment of crisis , it 's more important than ever that the next president restores Americans ' faith in good , effective government.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift in tone from those who endorsed Biden to stressing empathy .
South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn , who is credited with delivering Biden a South Carolina primary victory that was a turning point in the primary campaign , stressed Biden ’ s integrity rather than empathy in his endorsement speech .
Biden has been trying to pitch himself as a healer throughout his campaign .
He rolled out his presidential campaign last year with a declaration that the 2020 campaign is a “ battle for the soul of this nation , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key tag lines , while slamming President Trump for saying that there were “ very fine people on both sides ” of the white nationalist Charlottesville , Virginia , protests in 2017 .
But Biden was repeating outrage shared by Democrats as a whole , and there was little way to show or prove that he could bridge ideological and cultural divides that exist outside of the White House .
With a soaring stock market and historically low unemployment levels , there was no universal , pressing economic anxiety or crisis that Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice to those with family members sick from the coronavirus and tells them that , as a man who lost his son to brain cancer , he understands .
He talks about recognizing the fear of millions now suddenly without a job .
He can not just make a vague promise of unifying a divided country but argue that he provided stability through the latest economic downturn .
Jill Biden , appearing with her husband in an MSNBC interview on Thursday , summed up the former vice president ’ s message for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to only be the commander in chief .
He ’ s going to be , really , the healer in chief , ” the former second lady said .

Joe Biden’s healer-in-chief pitch was once solely focused on providing an alternative to the chaos of Donald Trump's presidency and a vague notion of ending deep ideological divides, but it could find new weight and resonate with voters more now that the country is suffering through coronavirus deaths and mass economic disruption.
As Biden became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in the midst of a global pandemic, his highest-profile endorsers have stressed the former vice president’s empathy and ability to heal.
“Joe has the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery,” former President Barack Obama said in his video endorsing his former running mate on Tuesday. Obama added that, in a moment of crisis, the country needs “leadership that’s guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility, empathy and grace.”
Biden has long been able to connect with voters through his own personal tragedy and lived experiences.
In 1972, his first wife Neilia and 1-year-old daughter Naomi died in a car crash just after he was first elected to the Senate. Years later, his son Beau Biden, Delaware’s attorney general and a decorated Army National Guard veteran, died from brain cancer in 2015, which was among Biden’s reasons for not running for president in 2016.
“These experiences animate the empathy he extends to Americans who are struggling," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in her endorsement of Biden on Wednesday. “In this moment of crisis, it's more important than ever that the next president restores Americans' faith in good, effective government.”
The coronavirus pandemic has brought on a shift in tone from those who endorsed Biden to stressing empathy. South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is credited with delivering Biden a South Carolina primary victory that was a turning point in the primary campaign, stressed Biden’s integrity rather than empathy in his endorsement speech.
Biden has been trying to pitch himself as a healer throughout his campaign. He rolled out his presidential campaign last year with a declaration that the 2020 campaign is a “battle for the soul of this nation,” a phrase that became one of his key tag lines, while slamming President Trump for saying that there were “very fine people on both sides” of the white nationalist Charlottesville, Virginia, protests in 2017.
But Biden was repeating outrage shared by Democrats as a whole, and there was little way to show or prove that he could bridge ideological and cultural divides that exist outside of the White House. With a soaring stock market and historically low unemployment levels, there was no universal, pressing economic anxiety or crisis that Biden could soothe.
Now, Biden offers advice to those with family members sick from the coronavirus and tells them that, as a man who lost his son to brain cancer, he understands. He talks about recognizing the fear of millions now suddenly without a job. He can not just make a vague promise of unifying a divided country but argue that he provided stability through the latest economic downturn.
Jill Biden, appearing with her husband in an MSNBC interview on Thursday, summed up the former vice president’s message for him.
“Joe’s not going to only be the commander in chief. He’s going to be, really, the healer in chief,” the former second lady said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--Challenger raises more campaign cash than Democratic Michigan senator

U.S. Senate candidate John James , a Michigan Republican , raised more money than the Democratic incumbent he 's trying to beat in November , Sen. Gary Peters .
James , who is making a second attempt at the Senate , outraised Peters by around $ 753,000 .
James banked $ 4.82 million last quarter to Peters 's $ 4.07 million , according to Federal Election Commission records .
The Republican candidate has nearly matched the incumbent ’ s cash on hand , with $ 8.58 million to $ 8.75 million .
Additionally , many polls show Peters with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of error .
The Michigan Democrat , who serves as the ranking member on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee , has managed to build up his name recognition over the past few months through his back-and-forth sparring with Republicans over issues pertaining to the Hunter Biden-related investigation spearheaded by committee Chairman Ron Johnson , a Wisconsin Republican .
Peters asserts the investigation is a partisan effort to derail the candidacy of presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , Hunter 's father .
James previously ran against the senior Democratic senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
Stabenow beat James by about 6 points , but his relatively strong showing came at a time when Democrats brought out their base to win the House majority , and James fared far better than his predecessors .
In 2012 , Stabenow beat her Republican opponent , former Rep. Pete Hoekstra , by over 20 points and crushed her GOP opponent in 2006 by a 25-point spread .
The race between James and Peters will likely end up mirroring the statewide contest between President Trump and Joe Biden , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respective party leaders .
As of now , Trump and Biden remain in a close contest with one another in the state that the president won in 2016 , helping to catapult him into the White House in a surprise victory .

U.S. Senate candidate John James, a Michigan Republican, raised more money than the Democratic incumbent he's trying to beat in November, Sen. Gary Peters.
James, who is making a second attempt at the Senate, outraised Peters by around $753,000. James banked $4.82 million last quarter to Peters's $4.07 million, according to Federal Election Commission records. The Republican candidate has nearly matched the incumbent’s cash on hand, with $8.58 million to $8.75 million. Additionally, many polls show Peters with a slim lead that is within the margin of error.
The Michigan Democrat, who serves as the ranking member on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has managed to build up his name recognition over the past few months through his back-and-forth sparring with Republicans over issues pertaining to the Hunter Biden-related investigation spearheaded by committee Chairman Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican. Peters asserts the investigation is a partisan effort to derail the candidacy of presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Hunter's father.
James previously ran against the senior Democratic senator from Michigan, Debbie Stabenow, in 2018. Stabenow beat James by about 6 points, but his relatively strong showing came at a time when Democrats brought out their base to win the House majority, and James fared far better than his predecessors.
In 2012, Stabenow beat her Republican opponent, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, by over 20 points and crushed her GOP opponent in 2006 by a 25-point spread.
The race between James and Peters will likely end up mirroring the statewide contest between President Trump and Joe Biden, as the Senate campaigns will take cues from their respective party leaders.
As of now, Trump and Biden remain in a close contest with one another in the state that the president won in 2016, helping to catapult him into the White House in a surprise victory.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--Biden must embrace transparency if he wishes to put this rape allegation to rest

It is not true , as the media are now trying to represent , that the entire conservative movement immediately and unconditionally rallied to the defense of Brett Kavanaugh when he faced a sexual assault allegation .
Sure , there were some who immediately dismissed the charges , holding that they did n't matter even if true .
But even as conservatives lambasted Democrats for their handling of the Christine Blasey Ford allegation , it is more than fair to say that most of them , and certainly those most respected on the Right , considered the claims themselves deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shapiro called the account `` credible on its face '' and noted that `` we need to hear more . ''
David French observed that if the `` beyond the pale '' attack did happen , Kavanaugh would be disqualified simply by having falsely denied it .
For at least a week , it truly looked as though Kavanaugh 's nomination was hanging in the balance , with multiple senators withholding judgment .
It was n't until Kavanaugh embraced radical transparency that he persuaded Senate Republicans and the conservative movement that his account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contemporaneous calendars , unfettered access to witnesses and people who knew him at the time , and lengthy and numerous personal accounts about his behavior related to sex and alcohol .
That he was eager to address the allegation head-on was reassuring .
That he tried to supply every iota of evidence he possessed — and he possessed a surprising amount of it — further suggested that he believed the truth would exonerate him .
It was this transparency that shifted the preponderance of the evidence to Kavanaugh 's side , against an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the incident had occurred and who could produce no contemporaneous witnesses or evidence that she had ever crossed paths with Kavanaugh .
Joe Biden , the near-certain presidential nominee for the Democrats , now faces a similarly thinly sourced , eleventh-hour charge of a serious sexual nature .
The claim that Biden assaulted a Senate staffer in the '90s , if true , would be immediately disqualifying , of course .
That 's a big `` if , '' but the word is doing less work than it had to in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ford , who might have literally never been in the same room together before 2018 , no one is disputing that Biden 's accuser , Tara Reade , worked in his Senate office .
One supposedly contemporaneously corroborating witness , Reade 's brother , has changed his story , and another , an anonymous friend , claims that Reade alleged some sort of inappropriate behavior at the time .
But a third friend , one who has spoken to multiple journalists but never for direct quotation , reportedly claims that Reade described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not seem to stack up to proof that Biden is guilty .
But that third witness leaves it an open question — one that Democrats should want to investigate .
Fortunately , the means are at hand .
Over at the Washington Examiner 's news desk , Joseph Simonson and Emily Larsen report that the proof could be locked up in his personal collection at the University of Delaware .
My colleagues report : So , both lax record-keeping rules and the possibility that Biden 's team destroyed the report could confound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a show of transparency , Biden could unseal his collection .
He should want to do so .
As with Kavanaugh 's meticulous calendars , showing his activities throughout his high school career , it would n't prove definitively exculpatory .
But it would be a show of good faith and a sign that Biden feels he has nothing to hide .
Without Kavanaugh 's Fox News interview and his complete compliance with the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing , it is doubtful that Kavanaugh would be on the Supreme Court today .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the face , tell the public from his heart that he denies it , and cooperate as much as possible in providing transparency if he genuinely believes he 'll be exonerated .
Otherwise , this story will continue to simmer until Election Day .

It is not true, as the media are now trying to represent, that the entire conservative movement immediately and unconditionally rallied to the defense of Brett Kavanaugh when he faced a sexual assault allegation.
Sure, there were some who immediately dismissed the charges, holding that they didn't matter even if true. But even as conservatives lambasted Democrats for their handling of the Christine Blasey Ford allegation, it is more than fair to say that most of them, and certainly those most respected on the Right, considered the claims themselves deeply troublesome and worthy of investigation.
Ben Shapiro called the account "credible on its face" and noted that "we need to hear more." David French observed that if the "beyond the pale" attack did happen, Kavanaugh would be disqualified simply by having falsely denied it. For at least a week, it truly looked as though Kavanaugh's nomination was hanging in the balance, with multiple senators withholding judgment.
It wasn't until Kavanaugh embraced radical transparency that he persuaded Senate Republicans and the conservative movement that his account was more credible. He provided his contemporaneous calendars, unfettered access to witnesses and people who knew him at the time, and lengthy and numerous personal accounts about his behavior related to sex and alcohol. That he was eager to address the allegation head-on was reassuring. That he tried to supply every iota of evidence he possessed — and he possessed a surprising amount of it — further suggested that he believed the truth would exonerate him.
It was this transparency that shifted the preponderance of the evidence to Kavanaugh's side, against an accuser who did not remember when or where the incident had occurred and who could produce no contemporaneous witnesses or evidence that she had ever crossed paths with Kavanaugh.
Joe Biden, the near-certain presidential nominee for the Democrats, now faces a similarly thinly sourced, eleventh-hour charge of a serious sexual nature. The claim that Biden assaulted a Senate staffer in the '90s, if true, would be immediately disqualifying, of course. That's a big "if," but the word is doing less work than it had to in the case of Kavanaugh.
Unlike with Kavanaugh and Ford, who might have literally never been in the same room together before 2018, no one is disputing that Biden's accuser, Tara Reade, worked in his Senate office. One supposedly contemporaneously corroborating witness, Reade's brother, has changed his story, and another, an anonymous friend, claims that Reade alleged some sort of inappropriate behavior at the time. But a third friend, one who has spoken to multiple journalists but never for direct quotation, reportedly claims that Reade described an assault.
No, the evidence does not seem to stack up to proof that Biden is guilty. But that third witness leaves it an open question — one that Democrats should want to investigate. Fortunately, the means are at hand.
Over at the Washington Examiner's news desk, Joseph Simonson and Emily Larsen report that the proof could be locked up in his personal collection at the University of Delaware. My colleagues report:
She told the Washington Examiner that while trying to locate the complaint, a Senate personnel office told her that all documents regarding Biden’s Senate office would have been returned to him.
What senators keep from their offices in public archives
“If anything is in the Senator’s papers, they’re his property, there’s no federal rule there,” Ritchie said.
The Biden campaign told the New York Times that it did not have a record of a complaint from Reade. But few people, if any, know the full extent of what is in the archives. Reade did not remember the exact name of the office with which she filed the complaint in 1993, but the Senate Office of Fair Employment Practices handled harassment complaints starting in 1992. That office was replaced with the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights after the passage of the Congressional Accountability Act.She told thethat while trying to locate the complaint, a Senate personnel office told her that all documents regarding Biden’s Senate office would have been returned to him.What senators keep from their offices in public archives widely varies , however. Biden or his staff, if they received a record of the complaint, may have thrown it out.“If anything is in the Senator’s papers, they’re his property, there’s no federal rule there,” Ritchie said.The Biden campaign told thethat it did not have a record of a complaint from Reade. But few people, if any, know the full extent of what is in the archives.
So, both lax record-keeping rules and the possibility that Biden's team destroyed the report could confound this potential for evidence. Still, as a show of transparency, Biden could unseal his collection. He should want to do so. As with Kavanaugh's meticulous calendars, showing his activities throughout his high school career, it wouldn't prove definitively exculpatory. But it would be a show of good faith and a sign that Biden feels he has nothing to hide.
Without Kavanaugh's Fox News interview and his complete compliance with the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, it is doubtful that Kavanaugh would be on the Supreme Court today. Biden needs to stare this allegation directly in the face, tell the public from his heart that he denies it, and cooperate as much as possible in providing transparency if he genuinely believes he'll be exonerated.
Otherwise, this story will continue to simmer until Election Day.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--'Joe Biden has a big China problem': Trump preps campaign assault on fall foe

President Trump 's reelection campaign has two main targets , Joe Biden and China , and plans to tie them together relentlessly until November .
Team Trump is preparing to make the former vice president 's remarks and familial ties to the communist country a focal point of its campaign strategy .
The political ammunition is extensive , with years of video and recorded speeches reminding people of what the campaign calls Biden 's coziness with Beijing .
And it comes at a time when the Trump administration is increasingly pointing fingers at China as the source of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in December 2019 in Wuhan , the capital of China 's Hubei province , and has since spread globally .
More than 2.16 million cases have been reported across 201 countries and territories , resulting in more than 145,000 deaths , including 34,784 in the United States .
Those close to the Trump campaign say internal polling suggests it 's one of Biden 's biggest weaknesses .
“ Joe Biden has a big China problem .
Our data shows that Biden ’ s softness on China is a major vulnerability , among many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murtaugh told the Washington Examiner .
As vice president , Biden lavished praise on China during a in August 2011 .
Biden , a Delaware senator from 1973-2009 , said he ’ d been impressed with the country since he traveled there decades ago after the two countries normalized relations .
“ Let me be clear : I believed in 1979 and said so then , and I believe now that a rising China is a positive development not only for the people of China but for the United States and the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During that speech , when discussing the U.S. budget , the then-vice president emphasized that he wasn ’ t passing judgment on China ’ s decadeslong authoritarian “ one-child ” policy , which strictly enforced family restrictions .
“ As I was talking with some of your leaders , you share a similar concern here in China .
You have no safety net .
Your policy has been one , which I fully understand and I ’ m not second-guessing , of one child per family , ” Biden said .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-interest that China continue to prosper ” because “ a more prosperous China will mean more demand for American-made goods and services and more jobs back home in the United States of America.
” Those remarks were echoed six months later in a February to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , amid he and President Barack Obama 's reelection campaign .
“ Let me be clear : I believe , as the president said also to the vice president in the Oval Office not long ago , ” he said , referencing then-Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruler .
“ We believe that a rising China is a positive development not only for China but also for the United States and the world.
” More recently , Biden was hammered by the Trump campaign and other Republicans for seemingly downplaying the economic threat posed by China .
`` China is going to eat our lunch ?
Come on , man , ” Biden in Iowa City , Iowa , in May 2019 .
`` They ca n't figure out how they ’ re going to deal with the corruption that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ They ’ re not bad folks , folks .
… They ’ re not competition for us.
” Democrats , in response , point to the Trump family 's overseas business dealings and the president 's praise for China , most recently over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
`` Trump spent vital weeks praising China 's response as successful and transparent while deceiving the American people about the extreme threat we faced and failing to prepare our country , '' said Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates .
`` China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now , all of us are paying an atrocious price for his malpractice with over 30,000 American lives taken by this outbreak , infections climbing , and our economy in a nosedive . ''
But Biden 's comments remain fodder for the Trump campaign .
In January , Biden dismissed the economic threat posed by China again , comparing it to fears about Japan ’ s growing economy in the 1980s .
“ We talk about China as our competitor ?
We should be helping and benefiting ourselves by doing that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that China is going to eat our lunch ?
It was like I remember debates in the late '90s — remember Japan was gon na own us ?
Give me a break.
” Biden 's son , Hunter Biden , has also come into the crosshairs of the Trump campaign .
Hunter Biden in October 2019 that he would resign from the board of BHR Partners , a Chinese investment firm .
The Daily Caller this week that business records showed he was still listed on the board .
Hunter 's lawyer produced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Jonathan Li , dated Friday , stating Hunter did resign last year .
Hunter has promised no foreign business dealings if his father wins in 2020 .
When Patrick Ho , a high-ranking Chinese businessman , was charged by the Justice Department with global corruption in 2017 , the first call he made after his arrest was to Joe Biden ’ s brother James Biden , who thought the call was meant for Hunter Biden .
Ho , a lieutenant to the founder of the multibillion-dollar Chinese conglomerate CEFC China Energy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at government officials in Africa , assisting Iranian sanctions evasion , and using the Chinese company ’ s connections to sell weaponry to Chad , Libya , and Qatar .
as part of his efforts to work out a liquefied natural gas deal worth tens of millions of dollars with CEFC China Energy ’ s leader Ye Jianming , who had ties to the Chinese Communist Party .
The lucrative deal fell apart when Ye disappeared after being detained by Chinese authorities in 2018 .
Ho was in federal prison last March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ex-wife , accused him of “ spending extravagantly on his own interests … while leaving the family with no funds to pay legitimate bills.
” The filing also discusses a `` large '' diamond worth $ 80,000 .
He claimed he no longer had .
In a , Hunter Biden said the diamond , which he claimed was only worth $ 10,000 , was a gift from Ye .
“ What would they be bribing me for ?
My dad wasn ’ t in office , ” Hunter Biden told the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t a good idea to take it .
I just felt like it was weird .
”

President Trump's reelection campaign has two main targets, Joe Biden and China, and plans to tie them together relentlessly until November.
Team Trump is preparing to make the former vice president's remarks and familial ties to the communist country a focal point of its campaign strategy. The political ammunition is extensive, with years of video and recorded speeches reminding people of what the campaign calls Biden's coziness with Beijing.
And it comes at a time when the Trump administration is increasingly pointing fingers at China as the source of the coronavirus pandemic. The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, and has since spread globally. More than 2.16 million cases have been reported across 201 countries and territories, resulting in more than 145,000 deaths, including 34,784 in the United States.
Those close to the Trump campaign say internal polling suggests it's one of Biden's biggest weaknesses.
“Joe Biden has a big China problem. Our data shows that Biden’s softness on China is a major vulnerability, among many,” Trump campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh told the Washington Examiner.
As vice president, Biden lavished praise on China during a state visit in August 2011. Biden, a Delaware senator from 1973-2009, said he’d been impressed with the country since he traveled there decades ago after the two countries normalized relations.
“Let me be clear: I believed in 1979 and said so then, and I believe now that a rising China is a positive development not only for the people of China but for the United States and the world as a whole,” Biden said.
During that speech, when discussing the U.S. budget, the then-vice president emphasized that he wasn’t passing judgment on China’s decadeslong authoritarian “one-child” policy, which strictly enforced family restrictions.
“As I was talking with some of your leaders, you share a similar concern here in China. You have no safety net. Your policy has been one, which I fully understand and I’m not second-guessing, of one child per family,” Biden said.
Biden claimed that “it is in our self-interest that China continue to prosper” because “a more prosperous China will mean more demand for American-made goods and services and more jobs back home in the United States of America.”
Those remarks were echoed six months later in a February speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, amid he and President Barack Obama's reelection campaign.
“Let me be clear: I believe, as the president said also to the vice president in the Oval Office not long ago,” he said, referencing then-Vice President Xi Jinping, China's current ruler. “We believe that a rising China is a positive development not only for China but also for the United States and the world.”
More recently, Biden was hammered by the Trump campaign and other Republicans for seemingly downplaying the economic threat posed by China.
"China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man,” Biden said in Iowa City, Iowa, in May 2019. "They can't figure out how they’re going to deal with the corruption that exists within the system.”
He added: “They’re not bad folks, folks. … They’re not competition for us.”
Democrats, in response, point to the Trump family's overseas business dealings and the president's praise for China, most recently over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
"Trump spent vital weeks praising China's response as successful and transparent while deceiving the American people about the extreme threat we faced and failing to prepare our country," said Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates. "China played Donald Trump for a sucker, and now, all of us are paying an atrocious price for his malpractice with over 30,000 American lives taken by this outbreak, infections climbing, and our economy in a nosedive."
But Biden's comments remain fodder for the Trump campaign.
In January, Biden dismissed the economic threat posed by China again, comparing it to fears about Japan’s growing economy in the 1980s.
“We talk about China as our competitor? We should be helping and benefiting ourselves by doing that,” Biden said . “But the idea that China is going to eat our lunch? It was like I remember debates in the late '90s — remember Japan was gonna own us? Give me a break.”
Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has also come into the crosshairs of the Trump campaign.
Hunter Biden promised in October 2019 that he would resign from the board of BHR Partners, a Chinese investment firm. The Daily Caller reported this week that business records showed he was still listed on the board. Hunter's lawyer produced a letter on Friday from BHR Partners CEO Jonathan Li, dated Friday, stating Hunter did resign last year. Hunter has promised no foreign business dealings if his father wins in 2020.
When Patrick Ho, a high-ranking Chinese businessman, was charged by the Justice Department with global corruption in 2017, the first call he made after his arrest was to Joe Biden’s brother James Biden, who thought the call was meant for Hunter Biden.
Ho, a lieutenant to the founder of the multibillion-dollar Chinese conglomerate CEFC China Energy, was indicted under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in 2017 for a bribery scheme aimed at government officials in Africa, assisting Iranian sanctions evasion, and using the Chinese company’s connections to sell weaponry to Chad, Libya, and Qatar.
Hunter Biden agreed to represent Ho as part of his efforts to work out a liquefied natural gas deal worth tens of millions of dollars with CEFC China Energy’s leader Ye Jianming, who had ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
The lucrative deal fell apart when Ye disappeared after being detained by Chinese authorities in 2018. Ho was sentenced to three years in federal prison last March.
Kathleen Biden, Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, accused him in divorce filings of “spending extravagantly on his own interests … while leaving the family with no funds to pay legitimate bills.” The filing also discusses a "large" diamond, worth $80,000, he claimed he no longer had. In a later interview , Hunter Biden said the diamond, which he claimed was only worth $10,000, was a gift from Ye.
“What would they be bribing me for? My dad wasn’t in office,” Hunter Biden told the New Yorker. “I knew it wasn’t a good idea to take it. I just felt like it was weird.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-17--Joe Biden says he's assembling transition team to prepare for his administration

Joe Biden has begun putting together a transition team , which may decide to circulate the names of some Cabinet nominees before November 's general election .
`` I don ’ t want to say we started thinking about it a month ago , we did , because that sounds like I was certain this was going to happen , that I would be the nominee .
I don ’ t want it to sound like that , but it has to happen , and that ’ s why the transition team is already being put together , ” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual fundraiser Thursday .
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee 's announcement suggests the two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator is looking past his fall fight with President Trump and making tentative preparations for governing .
While Biden declined to say who was in charge of the transition team 's selection , he indicated he was considering elevating some administration roles focused on global health security and pandemics , as well as climate change , to Cabinet-level spots .
“ If the Lord Almighty said , ‘ Joe , I tell you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three hours what your Cabinet is , or you ’ re going to be bounced out of the race , ’ I could write down who could be in the Cabinet .
There are at least two or three people qualified for every one of those positions , ” he said .
Biden , at another online fundraiser this month , said the task could take him 15 minutes .
At that event , he told donors he had discussed his potential Cabinet with former Democratic rival Bernie Sanders and his old boss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said he had started conversations with a range of people about whether they were willing to join him , seeking those who complemented his knowledge gaps and who `` physically look like the country . ''
He may err toward `` younger , really qualified '' candidates `` to build a bench '' of future leaders , according to the pool report .
On Thursday , Biden admitted one advantage to his half-century in politics was that he has met a talented pool of people across both the public and private sectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the aisle .
“ I have had literally several hundred serious , serious players who have been held positions in every department in the federal government who have said , including some Republicans , who have said , 'If you win , I want to come back .
I ’ m ready to serve , '' he said .
At the same time , Biden is continuing his hunt for a vice presidential nominee , vowing to pick a woman for the role .

Joe Biden has begun putting together a transition team, which may decide to circulate the names of some Cabinet nominees before November's general election.
"I don’t want to say we started thinking about it a month ago, we did, because that sounds like I was certain this was going to happen, that I would be the nominee. I don’t want it to sound like that, but it has to happen, and that’s why the transition team is already being put together,” Biden told about 150 donors during his second virtual fundraiser Thursday.
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee's announcement suggests the two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator is looking past his fall fight with President Trump and making tentative preparations for governing.
While Biden declined to say who was in charge of the transition team's selection, he indicated he was considering elevating some administration roles focused on global health security and pandemics, as well as climate change, to Cabinet-level spots.
“If the Lord Almighty said, ‘Joe, I tell you what. You have to decide in three hours what your Cabinet is, or you’re going to be bounced out of the race,’ I could write down who could be in the Cabinet. There are at least two or three people qualified for every one of those positions,” he said.
Biden, at another online fundraiser this month, said the task could take him 15 minutes. At that event, he told donors he had discussed his potential Cabinet with former Democratic rival Bernie Sanders and his old boss, former President Barack Obama. He also said he had started conversations with a range of people about whether they were willing to join him, seeking those who complemented his knowledge gaps and who "physically look like the country." He may err toward "younger, really qualified" candidates "to build a bench" of future leaders, according to the pool report.
On Thursday, Biden admitted one advantage to his half-century in politics was that he has met a talented pool of people across both the public and private sectors, including some from the other side of the aisle.
“I have had literally several hundred serious, serious players who have been held positions in every department in the federal government who have said, including some Republicans, who have said, 'If you win, I want to come back. I’m ready to serve," he said.
At the same time, Biden is continuing his hunt for a vice presidential nominee, vowing to pick a woman for the role.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-18--Relief at RNC: Small-dollar donors keep giving despite economic slump

Grassroots contributors are flooding the Republican National Committee with small donations for President Trump even as job losses mount because of the lockdown , RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in an interview .
At least 22 million people have filed for unemployment insurance since the pandemic hit in March .
But money from committed Republican voters and other Trump supporters who give $ 200 or less per contribution is rolling into RNC coffers to support the president ’ s reelection bid .
These donors are ostensibly some of the middle-class and blue-collar Americans most impacted by the sudden economic downturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , the small-dollar [ donations ] , through the digital and the mail program , ” McDaniel told the Washington Examiner Friday during a telephone conversation .
“ And , we ’ ve seen some pretty big days of fundraising as well.
” Instead , the decline in donations has occurred among the well-heeled who are often given personalized attention not possible during the pandemic .
Social distancing has forced McDaniel to cancel a full slate of late winter and spring fundraisers with wealthy GOP contributors , sessions that were to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence .
That development cut off a major pipeline that funnels millions in campaign cash to the RNC and the Trump campaign , although the president still managed to raise a hefty $ 212 million in the first quarter .
In the interim , McDaniel has been working the phones aggressively to touch base with the RNC ’ s major donors and ask them how the coronavirus has impacted their businesses and families .
She and her finance team have not been asking for contributions , deciding it was inappropriate to make direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But with Trump sustaining withering attacks from Democrats , McDaniel said she is nearing the point at which they will begin making fundraising calls .
“ We ’ re getting very close , ” she said .
“ To be honest , as I ’ ve been making check-in calls this week , and I ’ ve been on the phone every day doing this , people are saying , ' I want to support the president , ' without me even asking .
So , that ’ s continuing to happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes me think we ’ re getting ready to start saying , 'we ’ ve got to pivot to the campaign . '
” McDaniel has watched with interest as former Vice President Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , has turned to virtual fundraising to ramp up his campaign .
She said the RNC “ may test the waters ” with video conference finance events if security concerns can be satisfied .
“ The president ’ s not going to be fundraising right now , he ’ s just not focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But she is confident that RNC donors are going to step up .
“ They recognize that even with this going on , we have an election in November , and then they see Joe Biden out fundraising and holding virtual fundraisers , so they ’ re very cognizant of the fact that we need to have the resources to reelect this president.
” Meanwhile , McDaniel also said Friday that plans are on track for a traditional Republican convention to renominate Trump in late August in Charlotte , North Carolina .

Grassroots contributors are flooding the Republican National Committee with small donations for President Trump even as job losses mount because of the lockdown, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in an interview.
At least 22 million people have filed for unemployment insurance since the pandemic hit in March. But money from committed Republican voters and other Trump supporters who give $200 or less per contribution is rolling into RNC coffers to support the president’s reelection bid. These donors are ostensibly some of the middle-class and blue-collar people most affected by the sudden economic downturn.
“It has not dropped at all, the small-dollar [donations], through the digital and the mail program,” McDaniel told the Washington Examiner Friday during a telephone conversation. “And, we’ve seen some pretty big days of fundraising as well.”
Instead, the decline in donations has occurred among the well-heeled who are often given personalized attention not possible during the pandemic.
Social distancing has forced McDaniel to cancel a full slate of late winter and spring fundraisers with wealthy GOP contributors, sessions that were to be headlined by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. That development cut off a major pipeline that funnels millions in campaign cash to the RNC and the Trump campaign, although the president still managed to raise a hefty $212 million in the first quarter.
In the interim, McDaniel has been working the phones aggressively to touch base with the RNC’s major donors and ask them how the coronavirus has affected their businesses and families. She and her finance team have not been asking for contributions, deciding it was inappropriate to make direct, personal requests during a national crisis. But with Trump sustaining withering attacks from Democrats, McDaniel said she is nearing the point at which they will begin making fundraising calls.
“We’re getting very close,” she said. “To be honest, as I’ve been making check-in calls this week, and I’ve been on the phone every day doing this, people are saying, 'I want to support the president,' without me even asking. So, that’s continuing to happen more and more and more, which makes me think we’re getting ready to start saying, 'we’ve got to pivot to the campaign.'”
McDaniel has watched with interest as former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has turned to virtual fundraising to ramp up his campaign. She said the RNC “may test the waters” with video conference finance events if security concerns can be satisfied.
“The president’s not going to be fundraising right now, he’s just not focused on that,” the chairwoman said. But she is confident that RNC donors are going to step up. “They recognize that even with this going on, we have an election in November, and then they see Joe Biden out fundraising and holding virtual fundraisers, so they’re very cognizant of the fact that we need to have the resources to reelect this president.”
Meanwhile, McDaniel also said Friday that plans are on track for a traditional Republican convention to renominate Trump in late August in Charlotte, North Carolina.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-18--'Trump rolled over for the Chinese': Biden ad ridicules Trump response on China handling of coronavi

'Trump rolled over for the Chinese': Biden ad ridicules Trump response on China handling of coronavirus

Joe Biden 's presidential campaign released a new ad in battleground states accusing President Trump of being soft on China .
The former vice president is seeking to highlight the White House 's response to the coronavirus .
The ad also attempts to combat the Trump campaign 's recent attacks about his own relationship with the foreign country .
`` He failed to act .
So now , Trump and his allies are launching negative attacks against Joe Biden to hide the truth , '' the ad begins before alleging that the president `` rolled over for the Chinese .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese , he took their word for it .
Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February as the coronavirus spread across the world , ” the narrator states as images of various Trump tweets flash on the screen .
The ad , which will air in the key battleground states of Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Arizona , North Carolina , and Florida , goes on to attack Trump 's travel ban from China , which he announced at the end of January .
It notes that about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States after the ban ; however , it neglects to acknowledge that Biden initially called the ban xenophobic , which his campaign has refuted .
The Trump campaign has recently sought to tie Biden 's extensive ties to the communist country as reports have come out alleging the Chinese government misled the world and hampered other countries ' ability to prepare for the coronavirus .
“ Joe Biden has a big China problem .
Our data shows that Biden ’ s softness on China is a major vulnerability , among many , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's communications director , previously told the Washington Examiner .
The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan , the capital of China 's Hubei province .
More than 2.16 million cases have been reported across 201 countries and territories , resulting in more than 145,000 deaths , including 34,784 in the U.S .
The Chinese government has been accused of both covering up the number of coronavirus cases and deaths , and it also faces allegations that the origin of the virus came from a lab and not through nature @

Joe Biden's presidential campaign released a new ad in battleground states accusing President Trump of being soft on China.
The former vice president is seeking to highlight the White House's response to the coronavirus. The ad also attempts to combat the Trump campaign's recent attacks about his own relationship with the foreign country.
"He failed to act. So now, Trump and his allies are launching negative attacks against Joe Biden to hide the truth," the ad begins before alleging that the president "rolled over for the Chinese."
“When Trump rolled over for the Chinese, he took their word for it. Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February as the coronavirus spread across the world,” the narrator states as images of various Trump tweets flash on the screen.
The ad, which will air in the key battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, North Carolina, and Florida, goes on to attack Trump's travel ban from China, which he announced at the end of January. It notes that about 40,000 people came from China into the United States after the ban; however, it neglects to acknowledge that Biden initially called the ban xenophobic, which his campaign has refuted.
The Trump campaign has recently sought to tie Biden's extensive ties to the communist country as reports have come out alleging the Chinese government misled the world and hampered other countries' ability to prepare for the coronavirus.
“Joe Biden has a big China problem. Our data shows that Biden’s softness on China is a major vulnerability, among many,” Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's communications director, previously told the Washington Examiner.
The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province. More than 2.16 million cases have been reported across 201 countries and territories, resulting in more than 145,000 deaths, including 34,784 in the U.S.
The Chinese government has been accused of both covering up the number of coronavirus cases and deaths, and it also faces allegations that the origin of the virus came from a lab and not through nature.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-18--'Heartbroken' Obama 'eager' to help Biden defeat Trump in election

Former President Barack Obama seems `` very eager '' to help ex-Vice President Joe Biden defeat President Trump .
Obama insiders reportedly expect the former president to campaign for Biden during the remainder of 2020 , though he previously did not have confidence in the former vice president 's ability to win the election .
“ He is very eager to do this , ” a former senior Obama official told the New York Post .
`` I certainly expect President Obama to be very active.
” Sources continued to say that Trump 's presidency has left Obama `` heartbroken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the coronavirus pandemic as a reason for a change in leadership .
“ The coronavirus disaster and the [ federal ] government ’ s inability to lead on it is searing in his brain … more than anything else Trump has done , ” a second insider told the New York Post .
“ Obama is generally heartbroken by the Donald Trump presidency.
” Obama issued his long-anticipated endorsement of Biden for president on Tuesday , several days after the Democrat secured his place as the only remaining candidate for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made , and he became a close friend .
And I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now , ” Obama said in a video .
Prior to the endorsement , Trump speculated that Obama may `` know something '' that prompted him to withhold an earlier endorsement .
`` I do n't know why President Obama has n't supported Joe Biden a long time ago .
There 's something he feels is wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing at the White House more than a week ago , adding , `` He knows something that you do n't know , that I think I know .
But you do n't know . ''
Biden reportedly did not inspire confidence in the former president .
“ You don ’ t have to do this , Joe , you really don ’ t , ” Obama told Biden prior to his campaign launch , according to the New York Times .
However , with Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Washington , D.C. , office to develop campaign strategy .
Obama instructed them that , whether the former vice president were to win or lose the presidential race , they can not allow Biden to “ embarrass himself ” or “ damage his legacy . ''

Former President Barack Obama seems "very eager" to help ex-Vice President Joe Biden defeat President Trump.
Obama insiders reportedly expect the former president to campaign for Biden during the remainder of 2020, though he previously did not have confidence in the former vice president's ability to win the election.
“He is very eager to do this,” a former senior Obama official told the New York Post. "I certainly expect President Obama to be very active.”
Sources continued to say that Trump's presidency has left Obama "heartbroken," listing the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic as a reason for a change in leadership. “The coronavirus disaster and the [federal] government’s inability to lead on it is searing in his brain … more than anything else Trump has done,” a second insider told the New York Post. “Obama is generally heartbroken by the Donald Trump presidency.”
Obama issued his long-anticipated endorsement of Biden for president on Tuesday, several days after the Democrat secured his place as the only remaining candidate for the party's nomination. “Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made, and he became a close friend. And I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now,” Obama said in a video.
Prior to the endorsement, Trump speculated that Obama may "know something" that prompted him to withhold an earlier endorsement. "I don't know why President Obama hasn't supported Joe Biden a long time ago. There's something he feels is wrong," Trump said during a press briefing at the White House more than a week ago, adding, "He knows something that you don't know, that I think I know. But you don't know."
Biden reportedly did not inspire confidence in the former president. “You don’t have to do this, Joe, you really don’t,” Obama told Biden prior to his campaign launch, according to the New York Times.
However, with Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Obama summoned top Biden aides to his Washington, D.C., office to develop campaign strategy. Obama instructed them that, whether the former vice president were to win or lose the presidential race, they cannot allow Biden to “embarrass himself” or “damage his legacy."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-18--'Doom and gloom': Bill Maher blasts media for 'panic porn' coverage of coronavirus

HBO 's Bill Maher criticized the media 's coverage of the coronavirus , alleging that news outlets have caused additional panic by the way they are covering the pandemic .
On his show Friday night , Maher speculated the way the media is covering the pandemic could result in President Trump 's reelection in November .
“ Now that we ’ re starting to see some hope in all this , ” he began .
`` Don ’ t hope-shame me .
The problem with nonstop doom-and-gloom is it gives Trump the chance to play the optimist .
And optimists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bringing up President Franklin Roosevelt 's famous quote , `` The only thing we have to fear , is fear itself , '' Maher followed it up with , `` As full of shit as he is , I could see Trump riding that into a second term , and then , there will be no hope left for you to shame.
” “ If this insanity happens again , news sources have to rein it in .
Everyone knows corona is no walk in the park , because you literally can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ But at some point , the daily drumbeat of depression and terror veers into panic porn .
Enough with the 'life will never be the same ' headlines.
” Maher went on to ridicule specific headlines from the Washington Post and the New York Times , which he viewed as unnecessarily frightening and sensationalist .
Some of the headlines he singled out included dramatic pull quotes such as , `` It feels like a war zone , '' and `` It 's terrifying . ''

HBO's Bill Maher criticized the media's coverage of the coronavirus, alleging that news outlets have caused additional panic by the way they are covering the pandemic.
On his show Friday night, Maher speculated the way the media is covering the pandemic could result in President Trump's reelection in November.
“Now that we’re starting to see some hope in all this,” he began. "Don’t hope-shame me. The problem with nonstop doom-and-gloom is it gives Trump the chance to play the optimist. And optimists tend to win American elections."
Bringing up President Franklin Roosevelt's famous quote, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself," Maher followed it up with, "As full of shit as he is, I could see Trump riding that into a second term, and then, there will be no hope left for you to shame.”
“If this insanity happens again, news sources have to rein it in. Everyone knows corona is no walk in the park, because you literally can’t walk in the park,” he said. “But at some point, the daily drumbeat of depression and terror veers into panic porn. Enough with the 'life will never be the same' headlines.”
Maher went on to ridicule specific headlines from the Washington Post and the New York Times, which he viewed as unnecessarily frightening and sensationalist. Some of the headlines he singled out included dramatic pull quotes such as, "It feels like a war zone," and "It's terrifying."