thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-30--Biden OMB pick Neera Tanden draws opposition from Left and Right

There 's at least one thing many left-wing activists and GOP senators agree on : not being fans of Neera Tanden .
On Sunday , President-elect Joe Biden announced a slew of picks for senior administration positions .
Most of the names were expected , such as longtime Democratic operative Jen Psaki as press secretary or Kate Bedingfield for White House communications director .
Neither position requires Senate confirmation .
But the news had many on the Left and Right saying , `` It could be worse , '' a common refrain after many Biden announcements .
Biden 's pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Management and Budget , however , did n't earn the same kind of charity .
Tanden , the current president of the Center for American Progress , a left-wing think tank , has become a lightning rod over the years due to her vocal support for the conspiracy theory that President Trump was compromised by the Russian government and repeated criticism of socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Already , both Republicans in the Senate and liberals are speaking out against the pick .
A spokesman for Texas Sen. John Cornyn said her confirmation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belligerent criticisms of the Republican Party .
`` Neera Tanden , who has an endless stream of disparaging comments about the Republican Senators ’ whose votes she ’ ll need , stands zero chance of being confirmed , '' Drew Brandewie wrote on Twitter Sunday evening .
Tanden has begun purging her Twitter feed and deleting any tweets about centrist Republicans who could stand in the way of her confirmation , like Maine Sen. Susan Collins .
In the last several weeks , Tanden has deleted over 1,000 of her tweets , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modified 2016 vote totals to swing pivotal states like Wisconsin in the president 's favor .
`` Why would hackers hack in unless they could change results ? ''
she wrote in 2017 .
`` What 's the point ? ''
That same day , Tanden said reports of potential breaches into Wisconsin and Arizona voter databases are why `` Trump was as surprised as everyone else '' that he won the election .
Some of her speculation about the Russia investigation remains on her feed , including repeated claims that nothing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As recently as 2019 , Tanden was asking , `` What parts of the dossier have been disproven ?
I will wait . ''
During his inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election , special counsel Robert Mueller investigated a number of claims made by Christopher Steele , a British former intelligence agent hired by Hillary Clinton 's presidential campaign to dig up potentially damaging information on Trump , and found them to be completely fallacious .
As much as her remarks about Trump will give fodder to GOP senators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have long opposed her heavy involvement in Democratic politics .
Knives from the Left have been out for her since her time at the CAP , which some argue drifted rightward during her tenure as president .
`` IMO , it is not a coincidence that they are putting Neera Tanden -- the single biggest , most aggressive Bernie Sanders critic in the United States of America -- specifically at OMB while Sanders is Senate Budget Committee ranking/chair , '' tweeted former Sanders speechwriter David Sirota on Sunday night .
Leaked emails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then-CAP employee Faiz Shakir debating the Obama administration 's intervention in the Libyan civil war , with Tanden cheering on U.S. involvement as potentially lucrative .
`` We have a giant deficit .
They have a lot of oil , '' Tanden wrote .
`` Most Americans would choose not to engage in the world because of that deficit .
If we want to continue to engage in the world , gestures like having oil rich countries partially pay us back does n't seem crazy to me .
Do we prefer cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live in deficit politics , and that 's what is happening and will be happening even more . ''
Shakir went on to manage Sanders 's 2020 Democratic presidential campaign .
In 2018 , Tanden was the subject of more unflattering press when a report described how , during an all-staff meeting , she disclosed the name of an employee who was allegedly the victim of sexual harassment .
A subsequent statement from the CAP said the disclosure of the name was unintentional , although many employees believed at the time that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to comment on how he would vote on Tanden 's nomination , other senior alumni of his now-defunct presidential campaign have called the pick a betrayal of Biden 's supposed liberal bona fides .
`` Neera Tanden supports cuts to the social safety net , which , like a Republican , she refers to as 'entitlements . '
Biden supported cuts to Social Security .
And so does his team , '' wrote 2020 Sanders press secretary Briahna Joy Gray on Twitter , referencing comments Tanden made in 2010 .
`` About half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 90 % or more of their retirement income . ''

There's at least one thing many left-wing activists and GOP senators agree on: not being fans of Neera Tanden.
On Sunday, President-elect Joe Biden announced a slew of picks for senior administration positions. Most of the names were expected, such as longtime Democratic operative Jen Psaki as press secretary or Kate Bedingfield for White House communications director. Neither position requires Senate confirmation.
But the news had many on the Left and Right saying, "It could be worse," a common refrain after many Biden announcements.
Biden's pick for the leader of the Office of Management and Budget, however, didn't earn the same kind of charity. Tanden, the current president of the Center for American Progress, a left-wing think tank, has become a lightning rod over the years due to her vocal support for the conspiracy theory that President Trump was compromised by the Russian government and repeated criticism of socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Already, both Republicans in the Senate and liberals are speaking out against the pick. A spokesman for Texas Sen. John Cornyn said her confirmation is in doubt, citing her sometimes belligerent criticisms of the Republican Party.
"Neera Tanden, who has an endless stream of disparaging comments about the Republican Senators’ whose votes she’ll need, stands zero chance of being confirmed," Drew Brandewie wrote on Twitter Sunday evening.
Tanden has begun purging her Twitter feed and deleting any tweets about centrist Republicans who could stand in the way of her confirmation, like Maine Sen. Susan Collins. In the last several weeks, Tanden has deleted over 1,000 of her tweets, which included baseless implications that the Russian government modified 2016 vote totals to swing pivotal states like Wisconsin in the president's favor.
"Why would hackers hack in unless they could change results?" she wrote in 2017. "What's the point?" That same day, Tanden said reports of potential breaches into Wisconsin and Arizona voter databases are why "Trump was as surprised as everyone else" that he won the election.
Some of her speculation about the Russia investigation remains on her feed, including repeated claims that nothing in the discredited Steele dossier has been debunked. As recently as 2019, Tanden was asking, "What parts of the dossier have been disproven? I will wait."
During his inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, special counsel Robert Mueller investigated a number of claims made by Christopher Steele, a British former intelligence agent hired by Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign to dig up potentially damaging information on Trump, and found them to be completely fallacious.
As much as her remarks about Trump will give fodder to GOP senators, Tanden's potential nomination has agitated liberals who have long opposed her heavy involvement in Democratic politics. Knives from the Left have been out for her since her time at the CAP, which some argue drifted rightward during her tenure as president.
"IMO, it is not a coincidence that they are putting Neera Tanden -- the single biggest, most aggressive Bernie Sanders critic in the United States of America -- specifically at OMB while Sanders is Senate Budget Committee ranking/chair," tweeted former Sanders speechwriter David Sirota on Sunday night.
Leaked emails from 2011 showed an exchange between Tanden and then-CAP employee Faiz Shakir debating the Obama administration's intervention in the Libyan civil war, with Tanden cheering on U.S. involvement as potentially lucrative.
"We have a giant deficit. They have a lot of oil," Tanden wrote. "Most Americans would choose not to engage in the world because of that deficit. If we want to continue to engage in the world, gestures like having oil rich countries partially pay us back doesn't seem crazy to me. Do we prefer cuts to Head Start? ... Because we live in deficit politics, and that's what is happening and will be happening even more."
Shakir went on to manage Sanders's 2020 Democratic presidential campaign.
In 2018, Tanden was the subject of more unflattering press when a report described how, during an all-staff meeting, she disclosed the name of an employee who was allegedly the victim of sexual harassment. A subsequent statement from the CAP said the disclosure of the name was unintentional, although many employees believed at the time that it was retaliatory.
Although Sanders has yet to comment on how he would vote on Tanden's nomination, other senior alumni of his now-defunct presidential campaign have called the pick a betrayal of Biden's supposed liberal bona fides.
"Neera Tanden supports cuts to the social safety net, which, like a Republican, she refers to as 'entitlements.' Biden supported cuts to Social Security. And so does his team," wrote 2020 Sanders press secretary Briahna Joy Gray on Twitter, referencing comments Tanden made in 2010. "About half of Black seniors rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their retirement income."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-01--Hedge funds and Wall Street bet big on Biden. Will he deliver?

Remember when Joe Biden tried to sound like the populist in the race by claiming he was the candidate of Scranton , Pennsylvania , while President Trump was the candidate of Park Avenue ?
It was a nice phrase , and reporters loved it , but it was also malarkey , totally undermined by campaign finance data .
Biden outraised Trump 8 to 1 from Park Avenue , and Trump raised more from Scranton than from Park Avenue .
Now , we have a nearly complete view of who funded whom in the 2020 election , and Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts .
The most politically interested and politically active industries favored Biden with their donations and expect to reap the rewards of his victory .
Biden quadrupled Trump ’ s haul from hedge funds and Wall Street , according to numbers from the Center for Responsive Politics .
Biden raked in a record $ 74.4 million from Wall Street ( the “ Securities/Investment ” industry as counted by the Center for Responsive Politics ) , more than four times Trump ’ s $ 18.1 million .
Likewise , Biden raised $ 42.6 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and employees in 2020 , more than four times Trump ’ s haul of $ 9.4 million .
Commercial banks supported Biden by more than 2 to 1 , $ 5.1 million to $ 2.1 million .
Overall , the financial sector , which includes the above industries , favored Biden $ 201.7 million to $ 84.1 million .
This doesn ’ t merely undermine Biden ’ s self-crafted image — it also undermines the message Trump tried to convey during the campaign : that the markets would tank under a Biden win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign : “ Far from panicking at the prospect of a Biden win , Wall Street CEOs , traders , and investment managers now mostly say they would be fine with a change in the White House that reduces the Trump noise , lowers the threat of further trade wars , and ensures a continuation of the government spending they ’ ve seen in recent years.
” So , if the Republicans hold the Senate by winning one of two Georgia runoffs , is that a loss for Wall Street ?
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wide-open spigot of government spending , but I do n't think it would be a disaster .
The existing firms on Wall Street and the existing commercial banks will do particularly well under Biden .
He will push more regulation , which historically protects incumbent financial firms .
He also has historically supported bailouts .
Biden also will try to increase state-industry cooperation .
His chief of staff will be a former lobbyist for Fannie Mae , the pinnacle of corporatism .
His nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government-industry cooperation .
That cooperation often takes the form of government-backed financing , which means free money for banks .
The Left arguably has more clout today than it did under Obama , but I expect the next four years will be a reprise of Obamanomics , which is good for the financial sector 's incumbents .

Remember when Joe Biden tried to sound like the populist in the race by claiming he was the candidate of Scranton, Pennsylvania, while President Trump was the candidate of Park Avenue? It was a nice phrase, and reporters loved it, but it was also malarkey, totally undermined by campaign finance data. Biden outraised Trump 8 to 1 from Park Avenue, and Trump raised more from Scranton than from Park Avenue.
Now,we have a nearly complete view of who funded whom in the 2020 election, and Biden’s populist posturing is destroyed by the actual facts. The most politically interested and politically active industries favored Biden with their donations and expect to reap the rewards of his victory.
Biden quadrupled Trump’s haul from hedge funds and Wall Street, according to numbers from the Center for Responsive Politics.
Biden raked in a record $74.4 million from Wall Street (the “Securities/Investment” industry as counted by the Center for Responsive Politics), more than four times Trump’s $18.1 million. Likewise, Biden raised $42.6 million from hedge fund partners, executives, and employees in 2020, more than four times Trump’s haul of $9.4 million.
Commercial banks supported Biden by more than 2 to 1, $5.1 million to $2.1 million. Overall, the financial sector, which includes the above industries, favored Biden $201.7 million to $84.1 million.
This doesn’t merely undermine Biden’s self-crafted image — it also undermines the message Trump tried to convey during the campaign: that the markets would tank under a Biden win.
Ben White at Politico explained during the campaign: “Far from panicking at the prospect of a Biden win, Wall Street CEOs, traders, and investment managers now mostly say they would be fine with a change in the White House that reduces the Trump noise, lowers the threat of further trade wars, and ensures a continuation of the government spending they’ve seen in recent years.”
So, if the Republicans hold the Senate by winning one of two Georgia runoffs, is that a loss for Wall Street? It would dampen the hopes for a reliably wide-open spigot of government spending, but I don't think it would be a disaster.
The existing firms on Wall Street and the existing commercial banks will do particularly well under Biden. He will push more regulation, which historically protects incumbent financial firms. He also has historically supported bailouts.
Biden also will try to increase state-industry cooperation. His chief of staff will be a former lobbyist for Fannie Mae, the pinnacle of corporatism. His nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, Neera Tanden, was a longtime champion of government-industry cooperation. That cooperation often takes the form of government-backed financing, which means free money for banks.
The Left arguably has more clout today than it did under Obama, but I expect the next four years will be a reprise of Obamanomics, which is good for the financial sector's incumbents.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-01--Dems think low profile Biden will be key post-Trump

President-elect Joe Biden is set to move into the White House in January , but the basement could come with him .
Republicans are already pillorying Biden for keeping a relatively low profile , but Democrats think that could be exactly what the voters want after four years of the ubiquitous President Trump .
A hairline fracture in Biden ’ s right foot while playing with his dog is the latest thing that could sideline the 78-year-old incoming president , who was mocked by opponents for frequently calling early ends to his day and keeping a light public schedule for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do n't think it is a positive first step for this new administration , but it could be a very apt metaphor for the new president , ” said Republican strategist John Feehery .
“ He is starting off as a lame duck , both figuratively and literally.
” Democrats are quick to point out that the jibes about Biden 's basement encampment did little to derail his candidacy , despite GOP that Trump ’ s would carry the day .
Biden ’ s approach differed from Trump ’ s aggressive style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the realities of the pandemic , which has forced millions to embrace social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
And 51.1 % of the electorate responded favorably to the quieter candidate , though Trump has yet to concede and is still contesting the results in multiple states .
“ Most Americans were tired of Donald Trump getting in their faces every day .
Joe Biden , a direct descendant of the ‘ No Drama Obama ’ administration , understood that Americans needed a mental vacation from Trump 's daily trials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon .
“ Biden believes that less is more when it comes to presidential visibility and power .
Republicans can and will complain .
But Americans will find a low-profile presidency a welcome relief after four long , hard years of Trump.
” “ One of the worst aspects of Trump ’ s presidency is the way he simply consumed all of our mental bandwidth , so that it became all but impossible to think of anyone or anything else , ” Bret Stephens , a Never Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times .
“ Experiencing his presidency was like a bad reaction to dog dander .
Or a painfully long bout of hiccups .
Or trying to swat away a determined mosquito as it buzzes your ear as you are drifting off to sleep .
Or a 6 a.m. car alarm that won ’ t stop .
Or a case of poison ivy in some delicate part of the anatomy.
” The president ’ s supporters counter that Biden was not being fully transparent , staying quiet in order to avoid gaffes or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Reporters are also anticipating Biden , who recently announced his expected White House communications team , will be selective about media interviews , a practice for which Trump was sometimes criticized .
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were occasionally criticized for failing to take questions from the press after delivering remarks .
Reporters also chastised Trump for not taking questions for three weeks following the election , including at an appearance at the podium with Vice President Mike Pence to celebrate the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting 30,000 .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped him defeat 16 more-established Republican presidential candidates and then overcome Democratic rival Hillary Clinton ’ s paid advertising edge in the fall .
A frequent subject of tabloid coverage as a New York City real estate developer , Trump at times appeared to believe in the maxim attributed to P.T .
Barnum : “ There ’ s no such thing as bad publicity.
” But Biden was already well known after eight years as vice president under Barack Obama and wanted to frame the election largely as a referendum on Trump rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and himself .
A lower profile was consistent with that strategy .
As someone who explicitly campaigned on the idea of being a calming presence in the Oval Office compared to Trump , Biden might bring this modus operandi to the White House .
“ I sometimes fear the Trump administration has reduced us , emotionally and intellectually , to a single thought , played like a Gregorian chant on an endless loop , ” complained the New York Times ’ s Stephens .
“ Just .
Make .
It .
Stop .
@

President-elect Joe Biden is set to move into the White House in January, but the basement could come with him.
Republicans are already pillorying Biden for keeping a relatively low profile, but Democrats think that could be exactly what the voters want after four years of the ubiquitous President Trump.
A hairline fracture in Biden’s right foot sustained while playing with his dog is the latest thing that could sideline the 78-year-old incoming president, who was mocked by opponents for frequently calling early ends to his day and keeping a light public schedule for most of the presidential campaign.
“I don't think it is a positive first step for this new administration, but it could be a very apt metaphor for the new president,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. “He is starting off as a lame duck, both figuratively and literally.”
Democrats are quick to point out that the jibes about Biden's basement encampment did little to derail his candidacy, despite GOP predictions that Trump’s busy rally schedule would carry the day. Biden’s approach differed from Trump’s aggressive style and, to some, better reflected the realities of the pandemic, which has forced millions to embrace social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19. And 51.1% of the electorate responded favorably to the quieter candidate, though Trump has yet to concede and is still contesting the results in multiple states.
“Most Americans were tired of Donald Trump getting in their faces every day. Joe Biden, a direct descendant of the ‘No Drama Obama’ administration, understood that Americans needed a mental vacation from Trump's daily trials and tribulations and ran a low-profile campaign,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. “Biden believes that less is more when it comes to presidential visibility and power. Republicans can and will complain. But Americans will find a low-profile presidency a welcome relief after four long, hard years of Trump.”
“One of the worst aspects of Trump’s presidency is the way he simply consumed all of our mental bandwidth, so that it became all but impossible to think of anyone or anything else,” opined Bret Stephens, a Never Trump conservative columnist, in the New York Times. “Experiencing his presidency was like a bad reaction to dog dander. Or a painfully long bout of hiccups. Or trying to swat away a determined mosquito as it buzzes your ear as you are drifting off to sleep. Or a 6 a.m. car alarm that won’t stop. Or a case of poison ivy in some delicate part of the anatomy.”
The president’s supporters counter that Biden was not being fully transparent, staying quiet in order to avoid gaffes or even conceal from voters signs of age-related decline. Reporters are also anticipating Biden, who recently announced his expected White House communications team, will be selective about media interviews, a practice for which Trump was sometimes criticized.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were occasionally criticized for failing to take questions from the press after delivering remarks. Reporters also chastised Trump for not taking questions for three weeks following the election, including at an appearance at the podium with Vice President Mike Pence to celebrate the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting 30,000.
Trump’s dominance over the airwaves in 2016 helped him defeat 16 more-established Republican presidential candidates and then overcome Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s paid advertising edge in the fall. A frequent subject of tabloid coverage as a New York City real estate developer, Trump at times appeared to believe in the maxim attributed to P.T. Barnum: “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
But Biden was already well known after eight years as vice president under Barack Obama and wanted to frame the election largely as a referendum on Trump rather than a binary choice between the incumbent and himself. A lower profile was consistent with that strategy.
As someone who explicitly campaigned on the idea of being a calming presence in the Oval Office compared to Trump, Biden might bring this modus operandi to the White House. “I sometimes fear the Trump administration has reduced us, emotionally and intellectually, to a single thought, played like a Gregorian chant on an endless loop,” complained the New York Times’s Stephens. “Just. Make. It. Stop.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-01--Trump campaign files Wisconsin lawsuit seeking to toss some 221K ballots

In another post-election lawsuit , the Trump campaign is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to throw out more than 221,000 ballots in a bid to move the state ’ s 10 Electoral College votes into President Trump ’ s ledger .
The 28-page document was filed with the Supreme Court on Tuesday by Trump campaign lawyer Jim Troupis and outlined four main categories of ballots that are being contested .
While the Trump campaign has had little success in its post-election lawsuits in other states , Troupis told the Washington Examiner in an interview that the case in Wisconsin was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confident it ’ s not going to be thrown out , ” Troupis said .
“ This action addresses explicit legal violations.
” On Saturday , Wisconsin completed a recount initiated by the Trump campaign in two counties , Dane ( home to Madison ) and Milwaukee , which are both Democratic strongholds .
The recount resulted in a net gain of 87 votes for President-elect Joe Biden , although the Tuesday lawsuit hinges on the fact that the campaign made several challenges during the recount that sought to have certain ballots tossed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic-majority board of canvassers in each county and are the same ballots that the litigation now seeks to invalidate .
Troupis , a former circuit court judge , said that during the recount , the campaign was able to get the exact names of the people who the campaign claims voted illegally under state law .
The campaign said that thousands of volunteers participated in the recount effort .
The lawsuit focuses on four main points : absentee ballots issued for in-person voting without applications , clerical editions of missing information on ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ Democracy in the Park ” events held in Dane County .
The first point alleges that absentee ballots were improperly disbursed during Wisconsin ’ s two-week in-person voting period .
Voters in Dane and Milwaukee counties filled out their absentee ballots and then signed off on the ballot envelopes , which clerks have said constitutes the equivalent of an application .
Trump ’ s team is arguing that the envelope is not the same as an application under state law , and thus , more than 170,000 of the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some other municipalities required an application .
Secondly , the campaign is arguing that some 5,500 absentee ballot envelopes were improperly edited by clerks during the election because they were missing details such as the address of a ballot witness .
Wisconsin state law stipulates that “ if a certificate is missing the address of a witness , the ballot may not be counted.
” The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance that said clerks could correct addresses if they can find the information , although that guidance is not state law and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter can fix the information .
The third issue raised was that of “ indefinitely confined ” voters who can self-certify as such and don ’ t have to show photo ID when requesting an absentee ballot because they are confined to their residences .
Clerks in the counties suggested in March that voters could list themselves as indefinitely confined because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Republicans sued , and the Supreme Court sided with the GOP and said the advice was “ legally incorrect.
” The campaign is asking that 28,395 absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 should be tossed .
Finally , the campaign has taken aim at Madison ’ s “ Democracy in the Park ” events held in September and October , which featured more than 200 locations where poll workers served as witnesses and accepted mail-in absentee ballots .
The campaign alleges they were done in contradiction of state law and amounted to in-person voting prior to the actual in-person voting period prescribed by law .
That point would strike out more than 17,000 votes should the Supreme Court agree .
The Washington Examiner reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment about the lawsuit but did not immediately receive a response .
Gov .
Tony Evers ’ s office directed the Washington Examiner to a statement he made on Monday when he certified the election , a move that the lawsuit seeks to void because it was done “ prior to the closing of the post-recount appeal deadline.
” In Evers 's statement , he described Wisconsin ’ s Nov. 3 election as “ safe , fair , and efficient.
” Several Trump campaign lawsuits in battleground states have been rejected in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he expects the Trump campaign ’ s legal arguments to win out in court .
“ The law is on our side in Wisconsin , and this lawsuit is the real deal , ” he said .
As it stands , Biden won the Badger State by more than 20,000 votes — or just about a 0.6-point margin .

In another post-election lawsuit, the Trump campaign is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to throw out more than 221,000 ballots in a bid to move the state’s 10 Electoral College votes into President Trump’s ledger.
The 28-page document was filed with the Supreme Court on Tuesday by Trump campaign lawyer Jim Troupis and outlined four main categories of ballots that are being contested. While the Trump campaign has had little success in its post-election lawsuits in other states, Troupis told the Washington Examiner in an interview that the case in Wisconsin was solid.
“I’m certainly confident it’s not going to be thrown out,” Troupis said. “This action addresses explicit legal violations.”
On Saturday, Wisconsin completed a recount initiated by the Trump campaign in two counties, Dane (home to Madison) and Milwaukee, which are both Democratic strongholds. The recount resulted in a net gain of 87 votes for President-elect Joe Biden, although the Tuesday lawsuit hinges on the fact that the campaign made several challenges during the recount that sought to have certain ballots tossed. Those challenges were denied by the Democratic-majority board of canvassers in each county and are the same ballots that the litigation now seeks to invalidate.
Troupis, a former circuit court judge, said that during the recount, the campaign was able to get the exact names of the people who the campaign claims voted illegally under state law. The campaign said that thousands of volunteers participated in the recount effort.
The lawsuit focuses on four main points: absentee ballots issued for in-person voting without applications, clerical editions of missing information on ballot envelopes, “involuntarily confined voters,” and “Democracy in the Park” events held in Dane County.
The first point alleges that absentee ballots were improperly disbursed during Wisconsin’s two-week in-person voting period. Voters in Dane and Milwaukee counties filled out their absentee ballots and then signed off on the ballot envelopes, which clerks have said constitutes the equivalent of an application. Trump’s team is arguing that the envelope is not the same as an application under state law, and thus, more than 170,000 of the early in-person ballots are unacceptable. It said some other municipalities required an application.
Secondly, the campaign is arguing that some 5,500 absentee ballot envelopes were improperly edited by clerks during the election because they were missing details such as the address of a ballot witness. Wisconsin state law stipulates that “if a certificate is missing the address of a witness, the ballot may not be counted.” The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance that said clerks could correct addresses if they can find the information, although that guidance is not state law and the campaign contends that only the witness or voter can fix the information.
The third issue raised was that of “indefinitely confined” voters who can self-certify as such and don’t have to show photo ID when requesting an absentee ballot because they are confined to their residences. Clerks in the counties suggested in March that voters could list themselves as indefinitely confined because of the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans sued, and the Supreme Court sided with the GOP and said the advice was “legally incorrect.” The campaign is asking that 28,395 absentee ballots claiming indefinitely confined status after March 25 should be tossed.
Finally, the campaign has taken aim at Madison’s “Democracy in the Park” events held in September and October, which featured more than 200 locations where poll workers served as witnesses and accepted mail-in absentee ballots. The campaign alleges they were done in contradiction of state law and amounted to in-person voting prior to the actual in-person voting period prescribed by law. That point would strike out more than 17,000 votes should the Supreme Court agree.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Wisconsin Elections Commission for comment about the lawsuit but did not immediately receive a response.
Gov. Tony Evers’s office directed the Washington Examiner to a statement he made on Monday when he certified the election, a move that the lawsuit seeks to void because it was done “prior to the closing of the post-recount appeal deadline.” In Evers's statement, he described Wisconsin’s Nov. 3 election as “safe, fair, and efficient.”
Several Trump campaign lawsuits in battleground states have been rejected in the weeks after the election. Troupis said he expects the Trump campaign’s legal arguments to win out in court.
“The law is on our side in Wisconsin, and this lawsuit is the real deal,” he said.
As it stands, Biden won the Badger State by more than 20,000 votes — or just about a 0.6-point margin.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-01--Pair of House Democrats fight for campaign chief role in tough 2022 playing field

Heading House Democrats ' campaign arm in the 2022 cycle is roughly equivalent to a football coach taking over a team with lots of talented players but many of them injured — all the while coming off a season in which the team performed poorer than expected .
Still , a pair of House Democrats are battling to head the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee : Reps. Tony Cardenas of California and Sean Patrick Maloney of New York .
Whoever wins in the secret balloting , they 'll have a challenge in keeping the narrow House majority that the Democrats will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was n't supposed to be this way , of course .
House Democratic leaders predicted the party would net between five and 15 seats , as Joe Biden beat President Trump in the White House battle royale .
But while Biden did win the presidency , House Republicans gained a slew of seats .
It 's possible that the next Congress will have 222 Democrats to 213 Republicans , one of the narrowest margins in the chamber in decades .
Maloney , who represents a district that Trump won in 2016 and narrowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow the Democratic majority after 2022 despite the president 's party losing an average of 33 seats in recent midterm elections .
A relative centrist , Maloney points to his success in winning over Trump voters as the reason he is best positioned to lead the party 's congressional strategy in 2022 .
“ I think my days of being on a front-line district are behind me , both because I ’ ve turned it blue , but because of redistricting , ” Maloney said in a recent interview .
“ But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to be in a Trump district.
” But his vision for the Democratic Party is being challenged by Cardenas , who says the party must radically restructure how it reaches out to Latino votes in the wake of Trump 's historic gains among the group .
In multiple interviews , Cardenas has stressed that the party must make the hiring of minorities a priority if it wishes to understand the concerns of various constituencies .
“ Another thing that we can do better is make sure that the DCCC looks like America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Right now , the DCCC has made some strides in increasing the diversity of women and people of color and people from all parts of the country .
… We are going to take it to the next level.
” Those who work at the DCCC point to the fact that 58 % of the group 's senior employees are people of color , and they also note the record fundraising by a number of House members .
The DCCC leadership elections take place this week , with members voting via secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following Election Day , a number of House Democrats complained to party leadership about the messaging from a number of members .
Notably , lawmakers said slogans such as `` defund the police '' and socialist policies such as `` Medicare for all '' cost Democrats seats in moderate districts .

Heading House Democrats' campaign arm in the 2022 cycle is roughly equivalent to a football coach taking over a team with lots of talented players but many of them injured — all the while coming off a season in which the team performed poorer than expected.
Still, a pair of House Democrats are battling to head the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Reps. Tony Cardenas of California and Sean Patrick Maloney of New York. Whoever wins in the secret balloting, they'll have a challenge in keeping the narrow House majority that the Democrats will have in the 117th Congress.
It wasn't supposed to be this way, of course. House Democratic leaders predicted the party would net between five and 15 seats, as Joe Biden beat President Trump in the White House battle royale. But while Biden did win the presidency, House Republicans gained a slew of seats. It's possible that the next Congress will have 222 Democrats to 213 Republicans, one of the narrowest margins in the chamber in decades.
Maloney, who represents a district that Trump won in 2016 and narrowly lost in 2020, has promised to grow the Democratic majority after 2022 despite the president's party losing an average of 33 seats in recent midterm elections.
A relative centrist, Maloney points to his success in winning over Trump voters as the reason he is best positioned to lead the party's congressional strategy in 2022.
“I think my days of being on a front-line district are behind me, both because I’ve turned it blue, but because of redistricting,” Maloney said in a recent interview. “But I have not forgotten what it’s like to be in a Trump district.”
But his vision for the Democratic Party is being challenged by Cardenas, who says the party must radically restructure how it reaches out to Latino votes in the wake of Trump's historic gains among the group. In multiple interviews, Cardenas has stressed that the party must make the hiring of minorities a priority if it wishes to understand the concerns of various constituencies.
“Another thing that we can do better is make sure that the DCCC looks like America,” he told Time magazine. “Right now, the DCCC has made some strides in increasing the diversity of women and people of color and people from all parts of the country. … We are going to take it to the next level.”
Those who work at the DCCC point to the fact that 58% of the group's senior employees are people of color, and they also note the record fundraising by a number of House members.
The DCCC leadership elections take place this week, with members voting via secret ballot on an app. Almost immediately following Election Day, a number of House Democrats complained to party leadership about the messaging from a number of members. Notably, lawmakers said slogans such as "defund the police" and socialist policies such as "Medicare for all" cost Democrats seats in moderate districts.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-01--Schumer admits in private call that Democratic chances to regain Senate control were squashed: Repor

Schumer admits in private call that Democratic chances to regain Senate control were squashed: Report

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is reportedly pointing fingers at others for the Democratic Party 's underperformance in the 2020 election .
In a recent call with donors , the New York Democrat admitted his party 's best chances of reclaiming a majority in the upper chamber of Congress were squashed , according to Axios .
He blamed failed North Carolina Senate candidate Cal Cunningham 's extramarital affair and Maine Sen. Susan Collins 's opposition to filling the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Schumer apparently boiled down Cunningham 's loss in North Carolina to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his zipper up . ''
He allegedly made the zipper comments on multiple calls with donors .
The Washington Examiner reached out to Schumer 's office for comment but did not immediately hear back .
Republicans currently hold a slight majority in the upper chamber of Congress , but special elections in Georgia leave the future party 's majority uncertain .
Democrats are hoping for a victory in Georgia to secure 48 seats for their party in the Senate .
Along with liberal independent Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Angus King , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give Democrats leverage to force Republicans to compromise on policy .
On the call , Schumer reportedly regretted the fact he could n't encourage failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to run for a Senate position , and he lamented successfully convincing Cunningham .
The senator allegedly explained to donors that he believed Collins won reelection in Maine because of her opposition to Amy Coney Barrett replacing Ginsburg , who died earlier this year .
Barrett was confirmed as an associate justice to the Supreme Court with 52 Republican votes in late October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast a critical swing vote in favor of confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court .

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is reportedly pointing fingers at others for the Democratic Party's underperformance in the 2020 election.
In a recent call with donors, the New York Democrat admitted his party's best chances of reclaiming a majority in the upper chamber of Congress were squashed, according to Axios. He blamed failed North Carolina Senate candidate Cal Cunningham's extramarital affair and Maine Sen. Susan Collins's opposition to filling the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Schumer apparently boiled down Cunningham's loss in North Carolina to the fact he "couldn't keep his zipper up." He allegedly made the zipper comments on multiple calls with donors.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Schumer's office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Republicans currently hold a slight majority in the upper chamber of Congress, but special elections in Georgia leave the future party's majority uncertain. Democrats are hoping for a victory in Georgia to secure 48 seats for their party in the Senate. Along with liberal independent Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King, a victory in the Georgia Senate runoffs would give Democrats leverage to force Republicans to compromise on policy.
On the call, Schumer reportedly regretted the fact he couldn't encourage failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to run for a Senate position, and he lamented successfully convincing Cunningham.
The senator allegedly explained to donors that he believed Collins won reelection in Maine because of her opposition to Amy Coney Barrett replacing Ginsburg, who died earlier this year. Barrett was confirmed as an associate justice to the Supreme Court with 52 Republican votes in late October. However, in 2018, Collins cast a critical swing vote in favor of confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-01--Krebs mulling legal action after Trump lawyer says he should be 'taken out and shot'

Former top U.S. election official Chris Krebs said his lawyers are considering legal action against President Trump ’ s team after one of the president 's legal advisers called for Krebs to be `` taken out and shot . ''
“ It 's certainly more dangerous language , more dangerous behavior , ” Krebs told NBC 's Today host Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday .
“ And the way I look at it is that we are a nation of laws .
And I plan to take advantage of those laws .
I 've got an exceptional team of lawyers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're probably going to be busy .
… They can know that there are things coming up.
” Joe diGenova , a former U.S. attorney who is serving on Trump ’ s election legal team , said in an interview Monday night that the former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director ought to be be “ taken out and shot.
” '' Anybody who thinks that this election went well , like that idiot Krebs , '' diGenova told radio host Howie Carr when asked about Krebs ’ s interview on CBS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That guy is a Class A moron .
He should be drawn and quartered , taken out at dawn and shot . ''
Krebs would not reveal whether he is worried about his or his family ’ s safety following the comment .
Trump announced in a tweet last month that he had fired Krebs for not overseeing a secure election after CISA declared it the most secure in U.S. history .
Krebs defended his assertion about elections security to Guthrie , pointing out that more than 90 % of votes cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper audit trail . ''
In the four weeks since Election Day , the Trump campaign has sued several states for alleged irregularities that the president has described as a Democratic effort to `` steal '' the election .
The campaign and White House have not proven these claims .
In the days following the election , CISA launched a “ Rumor Control ” page that denounced “ disinformation ” that includes White House messaging .
Krebs has been outspoken on Twitter , retweeting an election organization director ’ s message from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about voting machines , even if they 're made by the president.
” Whatever the president 's views , this did not endear Krebs to some Trump administration officials who claimed he was part of the `` deep state . ''
When asked by Guthrie if he was part of an internal effort `` working behind the scenes to undermine '' Trump , Krebs said that he is a `` lifelong Republican '' who was loyal to the Constitution .
`` When you enter federal service , you pledge and oath to uphold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic , country over party , '' said Krebs .
`` That 's what we did .
We approached it in a nonpartisan way . ''
Krebs , a former top official at Microsoft , joined the Trump administration as senior counselor to the secretary of homeland security in March 2017 .
He then was nominated and later confirmed as undersecretary for national protection and programs at the DHS .
That office was replaced by the CISA , and Krebs was made its director of operations , assisting 8,000 election systems nationwide to @ @ @ @ @

Former top U.S. election official Chris Krebs said his lawyers are considering legal action against President Trump’s team after one of the president's legal advisers called for Krebs to be "taken out and shot."
“It's certainly more dangerous language, more dangerous behavior,” Krebs told NBC's Today host Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday. “And the way I look at it is that we are a nation of laws. And I plan to take advantage of those laws. I've got an exceptional team of lawyers that win in court, and I think they're probably going to be busy. … They can know that there are things coming up.”
Joe diGenova, a former U.S. attorney who is serving on Trump’s election legal team, said in an interview Monday night that the former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director ought to be be “taken out and shot.”
"Anybody who thinks that this election went well, like that idiot Krebs," diGenova told radio host Howie Carr when asked about Krebs’s interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes Sunday night. “That guy is a Class A moron. He should be drawn and quartered, taken out at dawn and shot."
Krebs would not reveal whether he is worried about his or his family’s safety following the comment.
Trump announced in a tweet last month that he had fired Krebs for not overseeing a secure election after CISA declared it the most secure in U.S. history. Krebs defended his assertion about elections security to Guthrie, pointing out that more than 90% of votes cast in November had a "voter verifiable paper audit trail."
In the four weeks since Election Day, the Trump campaign has sued several states for alleged irregularities that the president has described as a Democratic effort to "steal" the election. The campaign and White House have not proven these claims. In the days following the election, CISA launched a “Rumor Control” page that denounced “disinformation” that includes White House messaging. Krebs has been outspoken on Twitter, retweeting an election organization director’s message from the public not to share “baseless claims about voting machines, even if they're made by the president.” Whatever the president's views, this did not endear Krebs to some Trump administration officials who claimed he was part of the "deep state."
When asked by Guthrie if he was part of an internal effort "working behind the scenes to undermine" Trump, Krebs said that he is a "lifelong Republican" who was loyal to the Constitution.
"When you enter federal service, you pledge and oath to uphold and defend the Constitution from foreign and domestic, country over party," said Krebs. "That's what we did. We approached it in a nonpartisan way."
Krebs, a former top official at Microsoft, joined the Trump administration as senior counselor to the secretary of homeland security in March 2017. He then was nominated and later confirmed as undersecretary for national protection and programs at the DHS. That office was replaced by the CISA, and Krebs was made its director of operations, assisting 8,000 election systems nationwide to secure the 2020 vote.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-01--Democrats think low-profile Biden will be key post-Trump


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-02--Biden says he's done 'something good for the country' in ousting Trump

President-elect Joe Biden believes he 's made the country better by rendering President Trump a one-term president .
“ I feel like I ’ ve done something good for the country by making sure that Donald Trump is not going to be president for four more years , ” Biden told New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman .
The two-term vice president and 36-year senator from Delaware added , though , that there was `` no moment of elation . ''
He compared his win to graduations across the country that were being celebrated without in-person events .
Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had n't defeated what Democrats malign as `` Trumpism . ''
“ Seventy-two million people is a lot of people to vote for ” Trump , he said during the hourlong interview published late Tuesday .
“ I ’ m not so sure that ugliness stays .
There may be 20 percent of it .
Twenty five percent of it , I don ’ t know.
” The first test of whether there will be any bipartisanship in Washington is whether the Republican-controlled Senate will confirm Biden 's top administration picks after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already voiced their opposition to Center for American Progress president and Clinton ally Neera Tanden , Biden 's choice to head the Office of Budget and Management .
Some have pointed to how she called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell `` Moscow Mitch '' on Twitter , arguing those comments were disqualifying .
“ That disqualifies almost every Republican senator and 90 percent of the administration , ” Biden said .
Friedman 's wide-ranging conversation covered Biden 's foreign policy regarding China and Iran .
In the case of Iran , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal to extend restrictions on the country 's fissile material production and include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as signatories .
On China , he would n't immediately roll back Trump 's tariffs .
Yet , the pair also joked about Attorney General William Barr telling the Associated Press Monday that the Justice Department had found no evidence of extensive voter fraud that would overturn the election , contradicting Trump .
`` Biden joked that Barr had just called him , 'asking if I can get him in the witness protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friedman wrote .
Friedman continued , `` Considering the Trump team ’ s hurricane of dishonest claims about the election results , the president-elect was entitled to a little laugh at their expense . ''

President-elect Joe Biden believes he's made the country better by rendering President Trump a one-term president.
“I feel like I’ve done something good for the country by making sure that Donald Trump is not going to be president for four more years,” Biden told New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman.
The two-term vice president and 36-year senator from Delaware added, though, that there was "no moment of elation." He compared his win to graduations across the country that were being celebrated without in-person events.
Biden, though, said he was aware that he hadn't defeated what Democrats malign as "Trumpism."
“Seventy-two million people is a lot of people to vote for” Trump, he said during the hourlong interview published late Tuesday. “I’m not so sure that ugliness stays. There may be 20 percent of it. Twenty five percent of it, I don’t know.”
The first test of whether there will be any bipartisanship in Washington is whether the Republican-controlled Senate will confirm Biden's top administration picks after his Jan. 20 inauguration.
GOP senators have already voiced their opposition to Center for American Progress president and Clinton ally Neera Tanden, Biden's choice to head the Office of Budget and Management. Some have pointed to how she called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell "Moscow Mitch" on Twitter, arguing those comments were disqualifying.
“That disqualifies almost every Republican senator and 90 percent of the administration,” Biden said.
Friedman's wide-ranging conversation covered Biden's foreign policy regarding China and Iran. In the case of Iran, Biden's team wants to renegotiate the nuclear deal to extend restrictions on the country's fissile material production and include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as signatories. On China, he wouldn't immediately roll back Trump's tariffs.
Yet, the pair also joked about Attorney General William Barr telling the Associated Press Monday that the Justice Department had found no evidence of extensive voter fraud that would overturn the election, contradicting Trump.
"Biden joked that Barr had just called him, 'asking if I can get him in the witness protection program for endorsing me,'" Friedman wrote.
Friedman continued, "Considering the Trump team’s hurricane of dishonest claims about the election results, the president-elect was entitled to a little laugh at their expense."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-02--GOP shifts from attacking socialists to 'corporate liberals' as Biden Cabinet takes shape

As President-elect Joe Biden ’ s team has started taking shape , Republicans have shifted from casting his incoming administration as a collection of Bernie Sanders socialist castoffs to establishment corporate shills .
The prevalence of more centrist figures in the early stages of Biden ’ s team building rather than the most liberal elements of the Democratic Party strengthens the position of Republicans who would like to anchor their own party in the populism associated with President Trump , who still has yet to concede the presidential race and continues to contest the results in multiple states .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before , about what I 'm seeing from Vice President Biden is [ that ] the people who he wants to be in his Cabinet are all a bunch of corporate liberals and warmongers , ” Sen. Josh Hawley , a Missouri Republican , told reporters .
“ So I 'd like to see him break the mold.
” Hawley has in his first Senate term as someone trying to formulate a coherent legislative agenda around Trump ’ s populist rhetoric that differs from the conventional Republican policies that have dominated since Ronald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics .
But this differs from the standard GOP criticism of Biden on the campaign trail .
“ If Biden wins in November and appoints Bernie Sanders as Secretary of State , ” Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted in September , “ we ’ ll see open hostility to our friend and ally Israel and an open embrace of tyrannical socialist dictators like Venezuela ’ s Maduro.
” One intraparty critic of Hawley suggested this is a departure from the Missouri lawmaker ’ s own warnings about a Biden administration , noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carlson that the former vice president was “ in thrall ” to the “ Marxist Left.
” “ Let me explain this to you .
Corporate liberals are woke capitalists , ” Hawley shot back .
“ The corporatists love critical race theory and all the other warmed-over Marxist garbage .
They sell out working Americans and sneer at them at the same time .
That ’ s the new Left.
” This development comes as congressional Republicans , already balking at the price tag of new COVID-19 relief legislation , an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his party , were expected to rediscover their inner libertarians in time to .
“ There haven ’ t been as many AOC types on Biden ’ s team as we thought , though they are plenty liberal enough , ” said a Republican strategist .
“ This is kind of where we are now.
” “ He is no Howell Heflin , he is no Sam Nunn , ” a second GOP strategist said of Biden , referencing Southern centrist Democrats of the past .
Biden sticking with familiar faces in staffing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reevaluate their messaging in the coming months .
“ His historic advisers are going to try to push him toward the middle , ” said Timothy Head , executive director of the conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition .
“ Those trying to push him to the left , those are new voices for him.
” Republican opposition to nominees like Office of Management and Budget pick Neera Tanden could help quiet liberal skepticism of some of Biden ’ s choices .
Democrats are trying to hold together an electoral coalition that stretched from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake in the absence of Trump as a unifying figure .
The confirmation process for Biden ’ s Cabinet nominees and other personnel that require Senate approval will be among the first tests of that unity .
Republicans gained seats in the House and may yet retain control of the Senate pending the outcome of two special elections in Georgia .
Even if Democrats win both of those seats , it would create a 50-50 split and their Senate majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tie-breaking vote — giving them little margin for error .
Republican gains down ballot plus Trump ’ s inroads with Hispanics and black men as he remained competitive in the Rust Belt raised hopes the party could create a multiracial , working-class coalition to compete with the Democrats in the future .
Trump had some success siphoning off Sanders supporters or persuading them to vote third party in 2016 , though Biden largely held on to these voters this November .
On issues ranging from trade to the Iraq War , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose views differed from Democratic nominees Biden and Hillary Clinton .
Some Republicans would like to retain that advantage .
Barring a major reversal of fortunes for Trump 's election lawsuits , Biden will be sworn in as president in January .

As President-elect Joe Biden’s team has started taking shape, Republicans have shifted from casting his incoming administration as a collection of Bernie Sanders socialist castoffs to establishment corporate shills.
The prevalence of more centrist figures in the early stages of Biden’s team building rather than the most liberal elements of the Democratic Party strengthens the position of Republicans who would like to anchor their own party in the populism associated with President Trump, who still has yet to concede the presidential race and continues to contest the results in multiple states.
"My concerns, as I've said before, about what I'm seeing from Vice President Biden is [that] the people who he wants to be in his Cabinet are all a bunch of corporate liberals and warmongers,” Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, told reporters. “So I'd like to see him break the mold.”
Hawley has attempted to distinguish himself in his first Senate term as someone trying to formulate a coherent legislative agenda around Trump’s populist rhetoric that differs from the conventional Republican policies that have dominated since Ronald Reagan, which has earned him intraparty critics.
But this differs from the standard GOP criticism of Biden on the campaign trail. “If Biden wins in November and appoints Bernie Sanders as Secretary of State,” Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted in September, “we’ll see open hostility to our friend and ally Israel and an open embrace of tyrannical socialist dictators like Venezuela’s Maduro.”
One intraparty critic of Hawley suggested this is a departure from the Missouri lawmaker’s own warnings about a Biden administration, noting he told Fox News’s Tucker Carlson that the former vice president was “in thrall” to the “Marxist Left.”
“Let me explain this to you. Corporate liberals are woke capitalists,” Hawley shot back. “The corporatists love critical race theory and all the other warmed-over Marxist garbage. They sell out working Americans and sneer at them at the same time. That’s the new Left.”
This development comes as congressional Republicans, already balking at the price tag of new COVID-19 relief legislation, an issue on which Hawley has been outnumbered in his party, were expected to rediscover their inner libertarians in time to oppose Biden’s spending initiatives .
“There haven’t been as many AOC types on Biden’s team as we thought, though they are plenty liberal enough,” said a Republican strategist. “This is kind of where we are now.”
“He is no Howell Heflin, he is no Sam Nunn,” a second GOP strategist said of Biden, referencing Southern centrist Democrats of the past.
Biden sticking with familiar faces in staffing his administration could nevertheless force Republicans to reevaluate their messaging in the coming months. “His historic advisers are going to try to push him toward the middle,” said Timothy Head, executive director of the conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition. “Those trying to push him to the left, those are new voices for him.”
Republican opposition to nominees like Office of Management and Budget pick Neera Tanden could help quiet liberal skepticism of some of Biden’s choices. Democrats are trying to hold together an electoral coalition that stretched from Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to dissident Republicans such as former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake in the absence of Trump as a unifying figure.
The confirmation process for Biden’s Cabinet nominees and other personnel that require Senate approval will be among the first tests of that unity. Republicans gained seats in the House and may yet retain control of the Senate pending the outcome of two special elections in Georgia. Even if Democrats win both of those seats, it would create a 50-50 split and their Senate majority would rely on Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote — giving them little margin for error.
Republican gains down ballot plus Trump’s inroads with Hispanics and black men as he remained competitive in the Rust Belt raised hopes the party could create a multiracial, working-class coalition to compete with the Democrats in the future. Trump had some success siphoning off Sanders supporters or persuading them to vote third party in 2016, though Biden largely held on to these voters this November.
On issues ranging from trade to the Iraq War, Trump tried to appeal to Sanders backers, whose views differed from Democratic nominees Biden and Hillary Clinton. Some Republicans would like to retain that advantage. Barring a major reversal of fortunes for Trump's election lawsuits, Biden will be sworn in as president in January.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-03--'He would have been the hero': Brad Parscale says Trump needed to show more empathy

Former campaign manager Brad Parscale said President Trump needed to show empathy during the coronavirus crisis and fears his failure to do so may have cost him a second term .
“ When you 're president , you tell a story .
Americans want storytelling , '' Parscale said in an interview with the Washington Examiner .
`` Tell the story of what they are .
Tell them that you ’ ll be there for them in the bad times . ''
Trump , with an eye toward November , continued to tout his administration ’ s historic successes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to slow the spread of the virus closed down businesses , cost jobs , and sparked a recession .
Had the president shown greater empathy , “ he would have been the hero , '' said Parscale , who said he does n't mean this to be a knock against Trump .
“ I actually really like him as a person .
Really like him , '' Parscale emphasized , `` but the problem is the people around him , the D-level people , and I 'm not gon na name names , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they could keep power next to him , for their own benefit.
” Parscale said the public needed to see compassion from the commander in chief .
Trump had to rally people and say , “ We 're all in this together.
” He added he felt that people needed to be personally assured by Trump that he was marshaling the full force of the United States government to help them .
Empathy was widely considered a strength of his Democratic challenger Joe Biden , the president-elect .
Trump is still contesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has refused to concede the race .
“ If he just would have been publicly empathetic as I told him to be , ” Parscale told the Washington Examiner .
He was removed as campaign manager and replaced by Bill Stepien in July .
Sources close to Trump said they had urged him throughout his presidency to stop making everything about him , not to treat everything as a personal battle , and not to treat every accomplishment as a personal victory .
`` We have created jobs in America — you did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We made jobs , ” a source close to Trump said .
Instead of getting sidetracked by petty wars , such as going after businessman and former professional athlete LaVar Ball or Sen. John McCain , Trump could have focused on a collective message to uplift people .
Later , as Trump planned to restart his campaign rallies over the summer , Parscale said he urged the president to call Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis , a close Trump ally , about hosting an outdoors rally in the state .
“ I begged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about letting us back in there — that 's where originally I wanted it , and he said , ' I won ’ t do it , ' ” Parscale said .
Trump instead held his first post-lockdown rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , indoors , amid consternation from public health experts .
Looking ahead , Parscale thinks Trump ’ s visit to Georgia Saturday to stump for Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue ahead of the state ’ s Jan. 5 runoffs will be important .
“ I think Trump should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and win those two races and almost say , ‘ See ?
I 'm still a power to reckon with , ’ ” he said .
“ That 's what I would do.
” Georgia Rep. Doug Collins , a Republican , challenged Loeffler for her seat in the first round of voting , campaigning largely on his forceful defense of Trump during the impeachment fight and Senate trial .
“ Just because one guy goes up and testifies and plays tough does n't mean he deserves to take out a sitting senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said that he expects the Trump family to continue as a political dynasty after Trump leaves office , he explained that this “ does n't mean they 're all going to run for office.
” “ They 're going to have power : fundraising , messaging , policy , '' he said .
`` You know , the most powerful Republicans have never been in office.
” He added : “ They 're a good family .
I love being with them and having dinner with them and doing things with them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million dollars until the very end .
”

Former campaign manager Brad Parscale said President Trump needed to show empathy during the coronavirus crisis and fears his failure to do so may have cost him a second term.
“When you're president, you tell a story. Americans want storytelling," Parscale said in an interview with the Washington Examiner. "Tell the story of what they are. Tell them that you’ll be there for them in the bad times."
Trump, with an eye toward November, continued to tout his administration’s historic successes on employment and the economy even as efforts to slow the spread of the virus closed down businesses, cost jobs, and sparked a recession.
Had the president shown greater empathy, “he would have been the hero," said Parscale, who said he doesn't mean this to be a knock against Trump.
“I actually really like him as a person. Really like him," Parscale emphasized, "but the problem is the people around him, the D-level people, and I'm not gonna name names, they actually played into his stuff, so they could keep power next to him, for their own benefit.”
Parscale said the public needed to see compassion from the commander in chief. Trump had to rally people and say, “We're all in this together.” He added he felt that people needed to be personally assured by Trump that he was marshaling the full force of the United States government to help them.
Empathy was widely considered a strength of his Democratic challenger Joe Biden, the president-elect. Trump is still contesting the election results in several states and has refused to concede the race.
“If he just would have been publicly empathetic as I told him to be,” Parscale told the Washington Examiner. He was removed as campaign manager and replaced by Bill Stepien in July.
Sources close to Trump said they had urged him throughout his presidency to stop making everything about him, not to treat everything as a personal battle, and not to treat every accomplishment as a personal victory.
"We have created jobs in America — you didn't make a single damn job. We made jobs,” a source close to Trump said.
Instead of getting sidetracked by petty wars, such as going after businessman and former professional athlete LaVar Ball or Sen. John McCain, Trump could have focused on a collective message to uplift people.
Later, as Trump planned to restart his campaign rallies over the summer, Parscale said he urged the president to call Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a close Trump ally, about hosting an outdoors rally in the state.
“I begged the president to call DeSantis and talk about letting us back in there — that's where originally I wanted it, and he said, 'I won’t do it,'” Parscale said.
Trump instead held his first post-lockdown rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, indoors, amid consternation from public health experts.
Looking ahead, Parscale thinks Trump’s visit to Georgia Saturday to stump for Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue ahead of the state’s Jan. 5 runoffs will be important.
“I think Trump should do the right thing for his legacy and win those two races and almost say, ‘See? I'm still a power to reckon with,’” he said. “That's what I would do.”
Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican, challenged Loeffler for her seat in the first round of voting, campaigning largely on his forceful defense of Trump during the impeachment fight and Senate trial. “Just because one guy goes up and testifies and plays tough doesn't mean he deserves to take out a sitting senator,” Parscale said.
Though Parscale has said that he expects the Trump family to continue as a political dynasty after Trump leaves office, he explained that this “doesn't mean they're all going to run for office.”
“They're going to have power: fundraising, messaging, policy," he said. "You know, the most powerful Republicans have never been in office.”
He added: “They're a good family. I love being with them and having dinner with them and doing things with them. They always treated me like a million dollars until the very end.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-02--Trump uses White House address to blame fraud for election defeat

President Trump used the trappings of a White House address to claim , without proof , that widespread fraud cost him the 2020 election and promised to keep fighting to overturn the results in a prerecorded video he said may be the `` most important speech '' he 's ever made .
Trump has suffered a string of setbacks as his legal challenges were defeated in court .
He has remained largely holed up at the White House as , one by one , his key allies , including Attorney General William Barr , admitted that there was no evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump returned to the idea that fraud cost him the election , suggesting President-elect Joe Biden ’ s low profile on the campaign trail was suspicious — rather than being due to coronavirus precautions .
`` My opponent was told to stay away from the election .
Do n't campaign .
We do n't need you .
We 've got it .
This election is done , ” he said .
“ In fact , they were acting like they already knew what the outcome was going to be . ''
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did , very sadly for our country .
It was all very , very strange . ''
Trump couched his claims as a defense of the Constitution and the principle that only “ legal votes ” should be counted .
But the speech also contained a string of conspiracy theories that have been debunked , such as voting machines switching Trump votes to Biden at the press of a button .
`` We have a company that is very suspect .
Its name is Dominion , ” he said from behind a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With a turn of a dial , or the change of a chip , you can press a button for Trump , and the vote goes to Biden .
What kind of a system is this ?
We have to go to paper . ''
Election officials have repeatedly pointed out that the system leaves a paper trail and that it is impossible for votes to be switched from one candidate to another .
Time is running out for Trump .
States have until Dec. 8 to resolve disputes and certify their results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hinted that he plans to disrupt the transition further .
He has so far not invited Biden to the White House and has also hinted that he may not attend the Jan. 20 inauguration , using the date instead to announce a 2024 election run .
Earlier in the day , his press secretary deflected questions about whether he would be present to see his successor sworn in .
“ I ’ ll leave that to the president to make his announcement , ” said Kayleigh McEnany .
“ He tweeted something to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his decision is , and he ’ ll make his decision at the right time.
” The result is a sense that Trump 's claims of fraud are an exercise in fundraising and a means of keeping his name in the headlines as he ponders life after the White House .
In his address , Trump adopted a steady tone and role of magnanimous leader , looking out for his country .
“ Ultimately , I am prepared to accept any accurate election result .
And I hope that Joe Biden is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But we already have the proof .
We already have tens of thousands of ballots more than we need to overturn all of these states that we 're talking about . ''
Trump is due to return to the campaign trail on Saturday .
He will travel to Georgia on Saturday for a `` victory rally , '' appearing alongside Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , who face a runoff election .

President Trump used the trappings of a White House address to claim, without proof, that widespread fraud cost him the 2020 election and promised to keep fighting to overturn the results in a prerecorded video he said may be the "most important speech" he's ever made.
Trump has suffered a string of setbacks as his legal challenges were defeated in court.
He has remained largely holed up at the White House as, one by one, his key allies, including Attorney General William Barr, admitted that there was no evidence of widespread fraud.
But on Wednesday, Trump returned to the idea that fraud cost him the election, suggesting President-elect Joe Biden’s low profile on the campaign trail was suspicious — rather than being due to coronavirus precautions.
"My opponent was told to stay away from the election. Don't campaign. We don't need you. We've got it. This election is done,” he said. “In fact, they were acting like they already knew what the outcome was going to be."
“They had it covered. And perhaps they did, very sadly for our country. It was all very, very strange."
Statement by Donald J. Trump, The President of the United States
Full Video: https://t.co/EHqzsLbbJG pic.twitter.com/Eu4IsLNsKD — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2020
Trump couched his claims as a defense of the Constitution and the principle that only “legal votes” should be counted.
But the speech also contained a string of conspiracy theories that have been debunked, such as voting machines switching Trump votes to Biden at the press of a button.
"We have a company that is very suspect. Its name is Dominion,” he said from behind a lectern bearing the presidential seal. “With a turn of a dial, or the change of a chip, you can press a button for Trump, and the vote goes to Biden. What kind of a system is this? We have to go to paper."
Election officials have repeatedly pointed out that the system leaves a paper trail and that it is impossible for votes to be switched from one candidate to another.
Time is running out for Trump. States have until Dec. 8 to resolve disputes and certify their results.
Even so, the president has hinted that he plans to disrupt the transition further. He has so far not invited Biden to the White House and has also hinted that he may not attend the Jan. 20 inauguration, using the date instead to announce a 2024 election run.
Earlier in the day, his press secretary deflected questions about whether he would be present to see his successor sworn in.
“I’ll leave that to the president to make his announcement,” said Kayleigh McEnany. “He tweeted something to the effect of, he knows what his decision is, and he’ll make his decision at the right time.”
The result is a sense that Trump's claims of fraud are an exercise in fundraising and a means of keeping his name in the headlines as he ponders life after the White House.
In his address, Trump adopted a steady tone and role of magnanimous leader, looking out for his country.
“Ultimately, I am prepared to accept any accurate election result. And I hope that Joe Biden is, as well,” he said. “But we already have the proof. We already have tens of thousands of ballots more than we need to overturn all of these states that we're talking about."
Trump is due to return to the campaign trail on Saturday. He will travel to Georgia on Saturday for a "victory rally," appearing alongside Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who face a runoff election.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-02--Roster of COVID-19 hypocritical politicians grows

Elected officials pushing for stringent COVID-19-related restrictions are proving to be among the biggest violators of rules they impose on constituents .
On Monday , reports broke that San Francisco Mayor London Breed traveled to ritzy Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry three days before local government outlawed indoor dining in the city .
The French Laundry is considered one of the most exclusive — and expensive — restaurants in the world .
And the Michelin-starred food haven attracted politicians beyond Breed , with fellow Democrat California Gov .
Gavin Newsom enjoying a meal there just weeks prior with seemingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom appeared to be lobbyists and supporters .
California has some of the strictest coronavirus protocols in the country , with Newsom going as far at one point to recommend that diners wear masks in between taking bites at meals .
Newsom later apologized after getting caught , calling the incident a `` bad mistake . ''
`` We 're all human , '' Newsom said on Nov. 17 .
`` We all fall short sometimes . ''
Newsom was n't the only politician to fall short .
In September , House Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after leaked security camera footage spotted her walking through a San Francisco salon without a mask , even as local regulations banned indoor haircuts .
The California Democrat responded to the incident by implying that the whole thing was a setup and that the salon owner deliberately wanted to make her look like a hypocrite .
`` I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood salon that I 've been to over the years many times and that when they said that we 're able to accommodate people , one person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can set up that time , I trusted that , '' Pelosi said , adding later that the salon `` owed her an apology . ''
Then there 's Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot , who was caught getting a haircut in the midst of her new stay-at-home order .
Her explanation ?
The public needs to make sure she looks presentable .
“ I ’ m the public face of this city , and you know , I ’ m a person who [ takes ] personal hygiene very seriously , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haircut , '' the mayor said in April .
`` So I got a haircut.
” And while several people were stuck home alone on Thanksgiving or risked a knock from the police on the door because they decided to have some family in , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo thought the rules limiting guests this holiday did n't apply to him .
After pleading with New Yorkers for weeks not to travel for Thanksgiving , he later admitted that both his mother and daughters would make the trip up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , home-cooked meal .
After pushback from across the political spectrum , Cuomo axed those plans , leaving his nearly 90-year-old mother alone .
Then again , Cuomo would n't have been alone .
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock , after weeks of telling residents to `` stay home as much as you can '' and to `` host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners , '' decided to fly over 1,200 miles to Mississippi to be with his family on Thanksgiving .
Neither Cuomo nor Hancock went as far as Austin Mayor Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thanksgiving by staying at his timeshare in Cabo San Lucas , Mexico .
At the very least , he reportedly flew private with eight other family members as guests .
`` I fully acknowledge that I have urged everyone to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel , '' Hancock wrote after his plans drew outrage .
`` I have shared how my family canceled our plans for our traditional multi-household Thanksgiving celebration .
What I did not share , but should have , is that my wife and my daughter have been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a job .
As the holiday approached , I decided it would be safer for me to travel to see them than to have two family members travel back to Denver . ''
One way to avoid lockdown policies is to say one is engaging in a protest or political event , at least if the person is Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser .
Earlier this month , she traveled to President-elect Joe Biden 's victory speech in Delaware , a state considered `` high risk '' for the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was considered essential travel and part of her duties as mayor .
All these incidents , and more , gave White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany fuel during her attacks on Democratic hypocrisy over coronavirus regulations .
“ Democrats seek control , ” she said during a Tuesday briefing .
“ These images behind me make clear Democrats ’ mindset : Rules for thee , but not for me .
”

Elected officials pushing for stringent COVID-19-related restrictions are proving to be among the biggest violators of rules they impose on constituents.
On Monday, reports broke that San Francisco Mayor London Breed traveled to ritzy Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry three days before local government outlawed indoor dining in the city. The French Laundry is considered one of the most exclusive — and expensive — restaurants in the world.
And the Michelin-starred food haven attracted politicians beyond Breed, with fellow Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom enjoying a meal there just weeks prior with seemingly dozens of other guests, many of whom appeared to be lobbyists and supporters. California has some of the strictest coronavirus protocols in the country, with Newsom going as far at one point to recommend that diners wear masks in between taking bites at meals.
Newsom later apologized after getting caught, calling the incident a "bad mistake."
"We're all human," Newsom said on Nov. 17. "We all fall short sometimes."
Newsom wasn't the only politician to fall short. In September, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi found herself in hot water after leaked security camera footage spotted her walking through a San Francisco salon without a mask, even as local regulations banned indoor haircuts. The California Democrat responded to the incident by implying that the whole thing was a setup and that the salon owner deliberately wanted to make her look like a hypocrite.
"I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood salon that I've been to over the years many times and that when they said that we're able to accommodate people, one person at a time, and that we can set up that time, I trusted that," Pelosi said, adding later that the salon "owed her an apology."
Then there's Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was caught getting a haircut in the midst of her new stay-at-home order. Her explanation? The public needs to make sure she looks presentable.
“I’m the public face of this city, and you know, I’m a person who [takes] personal hygiene very seriously, and I felt like I needed to have a haircut," the mayor said in April. "So I got a haircut.”
And while several people were stuck home alone on Thanksgiving or risked a knock from the police on the door because they decided to have some family in, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo thought the rules limiting guests this holiday didn't apply to him. After pleading with New Yorkers for weeks not to travel for Thanksgiving, he later admitted that both his mother and daughters would make the trip up to the Governor's Mansion to enjoy a nice, home-cooked meal. After pushback from across the political spectrum, Cuomo axed those plans, leaving his nearly 90-year-old mother alone.
Then again, Cuomo wouldn't have been alone. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, after weeks of telling residents to "stay home as much as you can" and to "host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners," decided to fly over 1,200 miles to Mississippi to be with his family on Thanksgiving.
Neither Cuomo nor Hancock went as far as Austin Mayor Steve Adler, who crossed national lines for Thanksgiving by staying at his timeshare in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. At the very least, he reportedly flew private with eight other family members as guests.
"I fully acknowledge that I have urged everyone to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel," Hancock wrote after his plans drew outrage. "I have shared how my family canceled our plans for our traditional multi-household Thanksgiving celebration. What I did not share, but should have, is that my wife and my daughter have been in Mississippi, where my daughter recently took a job. As the holiday approached, I decided it would be safer for me to travel to see them than to have two family members travel back to Denver."
One way to avoid lockdown policies is to say one is engaging in a protest or political event, at least if the person is Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser. Earlier this month, she traveled to President-elect Joe Biden's victory speech in Delaware, a state considered "high risk" for the coronavirus. That trip, according to her office, was considered essential travel and part of her duties as mayor.
All these incidents, and more, gave White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany fuel during her attacks on Democratic hypocrisy over coronavirus regulations.
“Democrats seek control,” she said during a Tuesday briefing. “These images behind me make clear Democrats’ mindset: Rules for thee, but not for me.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-02--Ex-astronaut Mark Kelly sworn in as senator from Arizona

Former astronaut Mark Kelly was sworn into his seat in the Senate on Wednesday .
The Democrat , who defeated Republican incumbent Martha McSally 51.2 % to 48.8 % last month , was sworn in on the Senate floor , accompanied by Arizona 's other Democratic senator , Kyrsten Sinema , who held the Bible on which he swore his oath .
They used a Bible passed down from the grandmother of his wife , former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords , for Kelly 's swearing-in ceremony , according to Axios .
Kelly 's arrival in the Senate reduces the Republican majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two independent senators who caucus with the Democrats .
The majority in the Senate in the next term will be determined with two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5 .
If either GOP Sens .
David Perdue or Kelly Loeffler are able to retain their seats , the GOP will maintain a small majority .
However , if Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win the two elections , then there would be an even split , and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would act as a tie-breaker .
Arizona ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McSally to the seat in January 2019 to replace Jon Kyl , a former Republican senator who agreed to fill a vacancy left by Sen. John McCain after he died of brain cancer in August 2018 .
McSally , a former House lawmaker and ex-fighter pilot , also lost a Senate race in 2018 to Sinema .
Kelly will not serve a normal six-year term like most senators .
Instead , he will complete the remainder of McCain ’ s term , which ends in 2022 .

Former astronaut Mark Kelly was sworn into his seat in the Senate on Wednesday.
The Democrat, who defeated Republican incumbent Martha McSally 51.2% to 48.8% last month, was sworn in on the Senate floor, accompanied by Arizona's other Democratic senator, Kyrsten Sinema, who held the Bible on which he swore his oath.
They used a Bible passed down from the grandmother of his wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, for Kelly's swearing-in ceremony, according to Axios.
Kelly's arrival in the Senate reduces the Republican majority to 50. There are 46 Democrats and two independent senators who caucus with the Democrats.
VP Pence swears in former astronaut Mark Kelly as Arizona’s newest senator.
GOP Senate majority narrows to 52-48. pic.twitter.com/4YHiB6WB6n — The Recount (@therecount) December 2, 2020
The majority in the Senate in the next term will be determined with two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5. If either GOP Sens. David Perdue or Kelly Loeffler are able to retain their seats, the GOP will maintain a small majority. However, if Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win the two elections, then there would be an even split, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would act as a tie-breaker.
Arizona’s GOP governor, Doug Ducey, appointed McSally to the seat in January 2019 to replace Jon Kyl, a former Republican senator who agreed to fill a vacancy left by Sen. John McCain after he died of brain cancer in August 2018. McSally, a former House lawmaker and ex-fighter pilot, also lost a Senate race in 2018 to Sinema.
Kelly will not serve a normal six-year term like most senators. Instead, he will complete the remainder of McCain’s term, which ends in 2022.