theguardian--2020-09-05--Bill Barr is acting like Trump's attack dog, not his attorney general | Austin Sarat and Dennis Afte

Bill Barr is acting like Trump's attack dog, not his attorney general | Austin Sarat and Dennis Aftergut

Earlier this year a slew of distinguished lawyers signed an open letter to the Washington DC legal bar , asking it to investigate and discipline the US attorney general , William Barr , for possible ethical violations .
The complaint charged him with violating his oath and the constitution by , among other things , representing “ the personal and political interests of Donald Trump , not the interests of the United States ” .
It quoted a legal ethics professor , Stephen Gillers : “ We don ’ t have an attorney general now .
We have an additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s outrageous interview with CNN on Wednesday is anything to go by , the professional discipline complaint gave him too much credit .
In his interview with Wolf Blitzer , Barr acted less like America ’ s highest law enforcement officer and more like a campaign press aide for Donald Trump .
The distinction is extremely important .
Lawyers deal in evidence and law .
Campaign press spokesmen mimic their candidate ’ s talking points .
Prosecutors are careful not to speak publicly about a criminal investigation .
Campaign press aides make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is not the way an attorney general should behave .
After Watergate , Edward Levi affirmed that “ our law is not an instrument of partisan purpose ” .
The next attorney general , Griffin Bell , proclaimed the justice department “ a neutral zone ” beyond politics .
Barr lowered the bar even on his prior public appearances .
Let ’ s look at five things he said .
Trump has continually attacked the post office and vote-by-mail .
Barr amplified that sentiment on Wednesday , speculating that universal mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ open to fraud and coercion ” and “ reckless and dangerous ” .
When Blitzer asked Barr how many mail-in voter fraud cases his justice department has prosecuted , however , Barr demurred : “ I don ’ t know off the top of my head.
” In fact , the evidence is clear : mail voting fraud is practically nonexistent .
Utah , one of the most conservative states in the union , has had universal mail-in voting since 2012 .
Utah county ’ s Republican clerk reports that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of vote-by-mail fraud .
And we ’ ve looked.
” Out of billions of mail-in votes cast between 2000 and 2012 , the University of California law professor Richard L Hasen recently found 491 cases of fraud nationwide among absentee ballots between 2000 and 2012 .
That would be a percentage under 0.000025 .
Indeed , in 2017 , Trump set up a whole new election fraud commission to disprove the idea that Hillary Clinton legitimately vanquished him in the popular vote .
The commission quietly disbanded without producing a shred of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse .
The president said in August that foreign countries might try to “ grab batches ” of vote-by-mail ballots from the US Postal Service .
Barr , acting less like a lawyer and more like a propagandist , took it a step further .
Consider this fearmongering exchange with Blitzer : “ If we use a ballot system , a system that states are just now trying to adopt , it leaves it open to counterfeiting , ” Barr said .
“ Do you think a foreign country could do that ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody could do that , ” Barr said .
“ But have you seen any evidence that they ’ re trying to do that ?
” Blitzer asked .
“ No , but most things can be counterfeited , ” Barr said .
There was also this : In North Carolina on Wednesday , Trump went from the ridiculous to the sublime , encouraging his supporters to vote both by mail and then in person , a clear violation of the law in that state .
After Barr tried to make sense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it was legal to vote twice .
Barr ’ s answer ?
“ I am not familiar with the law of the particular states.
” Incredulous , the CNN host repeated the question , and the attorney general repeated his answer .
We do expect lawyers to know , and to state unequivocally , that voting twice is election fraud , and against the law .
It would amount to a class I felony in North Carolina .
Apparently , knowing that was too much to ask of the attorney general of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made statements for which he lacked evidence ; he also made statements contradicting public evidence .
We know that the president has done everything possible to deny Russian election interference .
This year , he has taken to arguing that China is the one trying to steal the election – for his opponent .
Singing from the same songbook , the attorney general did not hesitate to name China over Russia , when Blitzer asked him on Wednesday which country was the most aggressive election interferer in 2020 .
When Blitzer asked , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ China.
” When Blitzer inquired about the basis for the AG ’ s opinion , Barr answered , “ I ’ ve seen the intelligence , ” and refused to say more .
But what did Trump ’ s own Office of National Intelligence say ?
That Russia is using “ active measures ” to help Trump , while China “ prefers ” Biden because Trump is “ unpredictable ” , and that China is using more traditional foreign policy measures in Biden ’ s favor .
There is a world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using diplomatic tools .
Barr ’ s answer contradicted the intelligence community ’ s statement .
When Blitzer asked Barr about the tragic shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin , he repeated another Trump mantra .
He denied that there was systemic racism in the US justice system and argued there was a “ false narrative ” that the country was in an “ epidemic ” of unarmed Black people being killed by police officers .
He even suggested that if anything reforms of the past 60 years have built into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Barr veered from justice department regulations that prohibit prosecutors from commenting on cases before charges are filed when he talked about the Blake shooting .
He alleged that Blake “ had a weapon ” and “ was in the process of committing a felony ” .
Never mind that Blake had his three children in the car while he was supposedly committing that felony .
Never mind that Blake ’ s family has said he did not have a weapon and that no one has reported seeing a weapon .
Never mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times in the back while holding Blake ’ s T-shirt from behind .
Barr ’ s CNN interview makes clear that he has trashed the scruples of his post-Watergate predecessors and sunk to the level of a common campaign flack .
And it shows his worldview to be indistinguishable from that of the president he so dutifully serves .
By devoting himself to promoting the president ’ s partisan aims , he disserves the interests of the American people that he is duty bound to represent .
• None Austin Sarat is William @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science at Amherst College and the author of Gruesome Spectacles : Botched Executions and America ’ s Death Penalty .
Dennis Aftergut is a former federal prosecutor who writes on national affairs

Earlier this year a slew of distinguished lawyers signed an open letter to the Washington DC legal bar, asking it to investigate and discipline the US attorney general, William Barr, for possible ethical violations.
The complaint charged him with violating his oath and the constitution by, among other things, representing “the personal and political interests of Donald Trump, not the interests of the United States”. It quoted a legal ethics professor, Stephen Gillers: “We don’t have an attorney general now. We have an additional lawyer for the president.”
If Barr’s outrageous interview with CNN on Wednesday is anything to go by, the professional discipline complaint gave him too much credit.
In his interview with Wolf Blitzer, Barr acted less like America’s highest law enforcement officer and more like a campaign press aide for Donald Trump.
The distinction is extremely important. Lawyers deal in evidence and law. Campaign press spokesmen mimic their candidate’s talking points. Prosecutors are careful not to speak publicly about a criminal investigation. Campaign press aides make unfounded charges to dip into culture wars.
This is not the way an attorney general should behave. After Watergate, Edward Levi affirmed that “our law is not an instrument of partisan purpose”. The next attorney general, Griffin Bell, proclaimed the justice department “a neutral zone” beyond politics.
Barr lowered the bar even on his prior public appearances. Let’s look at five things he said.
1. Mail-in voting
Trump has continually attacked the post office and vote-by-mail. Barr amplified that sentiment on Wednesday, speculating that universal mail-in voting was “playing with fire”, “open to fraud and coercion” and “reckless and dangerous”.
When Blitzer asked Barr how many mail-in voter fraud cases his justice department has prosecuted, however, Barr demurred: “I don’t know off the top of my head.”
In fact, the evidence is clear: mail voting fraud is practically nonexistent. Utah, one of the most conservative states in the union, has had universal mail-in voting since 2012. Utah county’s Republican clerk reports that “there has not been a single prosecuted case of vote-by-mail fraud. And we’ve looked.”
Out of billions of mail-in votes cast between 2000 and 2012, the University of California law professor Richard L Hasen recently found 491 cases of fraud nationwide among absentee ballots between 2000 and 2012. That would be a percentage under 0.000025.
Indeed, in 2017, Trump set up a whole new election fraud commission to disprove the idea that Hillary Clinton legitimately vanquished him in the popular vote. The commission quietly disbanded without producing a shred of evidence of voter fraud.
2. Foreign ballot interference
It gets worse. The president said in August that foreign countries might try to “grab batches” of vote-by-mail ballots from the US Postal Service. Barr, acting less like a lawyer and more like a propagandist, took it a step further. Consider this fearmongering exchange with Blitzer:
“If we use a ballot system, a system that states are just now trying to adopt, it leaves it open to counterfeiting,” Barr said. “Do you think a foreign country could do that?” Blitzer asked. “I think anybody could do that,” Barr said. “But have you seen any evidence that they’re trying to do that?” Blitzer asked. “No, but most things can be counterfeited,” Barr said.
There was also this:
“You’ve said you’re worried a foreign country could send thousands of fake ballots” to US voters, Blitzer said. “What are you basing that on?” “As I’ve said repeatedly, I’m basing that on logic,” the attorney general replied. “But have you seen any evidence?” Blitzer pressed. “No,” Barr responded.
3. Voting twice
In North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump went from the ridiculous to the sublime, encouraging his supporters to vote both by mail and then in person, a clear violation of the law in that state.
After Barr tried to make sense of the statement, Blitzer asked the AG if it was legal to vote twice. Barr’s answer? “I am not familiar with the law of the particular states.” Incredulous, the CNN host repeated the question, and the attorney general repeated his answer.
We do expect lawyers to know, and to state unequivocally, that voting twice is election fraud, and against the law. It would amount to a class I felony in North Carolina. Apparently, knowing that was too much to ask of the attorney general of the United States.
4. China, not Russia
Barr not only made statements for which he lacked evidence; he also made statements contradicting public evidence.
We know that the president has done everything possible to deny Russian election interference. This year, he has taken to arguing that China is the one trying to steal the election – for his opponent.
Singing from the same songbook, the attorney general did not hesitate to name China over Russia, when Blitzer asked him on Wednesday which country was the most aggressive election interferer in 2020. When Blitzer asked, “Not Russia?” Barr repeated, “China.” When Blitzer inquired about the basis for the AG’s opinion, Barr answered, “I’ve seen the intelligence,” and refused to say more.
But what did Trump’s own Office of National Intelligence say? That Russia is using “active measures” to help Trump, while China “prefers” Biden because Trump is “unpredictable”, and that China is using more traditional foreign policy measures in Biden’s favor.
There is a world of difference between active election interference and using diplomatic tools. Barr’s answer contradicted the intelligence community’s statement.
5. Kenosha culture war
When Blitzer asked Barr about the tragic shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he repeated another Trump mantra. He denied that there was systemic racism in the US justice system and argued there was a “false narrative” that the country was in an “epidemic” of unarmed Black people being killed by police officers.
He even suggested that if anything reforms of the past 60 years have built into them “a bias toward non-discrimination”.
Barr veered from justice department regulations that prohibit prosecutors from commenting on cases before charges are filed when he talked about the Blake shooting. He alleged that Blake “had a weapon” and “was in the process of committing a felony”.
Never mind that Blake had his three children in the car while he was supposedly committing that felony. Never mind that Blake’s family has said he did not have a weapon and that no one has reported seeing a weapon. Never mind that the police officer shot Blake seven times in the back while holding Blake’s T-shirt from behind.
Barr’s CNN interview makes clear that he has trashed the scruples of his post-Watergate predecessors and sunk to the level of a common campaign flack. And it shows his worldview to be indistinguishable from that of the president he so dutifully serves.
By devoting himself to promoting the president’s partisan aims, he disserves the interests of the American people that he is duty bound to represent.


theguardian--2020-09-05--Multiple boats sink in Texas lake at pro-Trump water parade

A parade of boats in Texas celebrating their support for Donald Trump ended in disarray when multiple vessels got into trouble on apparently choppy waters leading to several sinking and a slew of distress calls being made to rescue officials .
Multiple media reports described a chaotic scene on Lake Travis , near the state capital of Austin , when a procession of boats waving Trump flags and banners motored over the waters but then got into potentially serious trouble .
Videos of the event circulating on social media showed several boats being swamped by waves and sinking as frantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Travis county sheriff ’ s office received its first call for help related to the event just after noon and multiple agencies quickly moved to assist people .
So far , no injuries have been reported , according to the New York Times .
The event , called the Lake Travis Trump boat parade , had been organized on Facebook with images of Trump campaign slogans adorning a variety of boats .
Water-borne parades of Trump supporters have taken place across the US this summer from New Jersey to South Carolina with some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boats .
Trump himself has even spoken out in support of them .
“ I just wish I had time , I ’ d get on one of those boats , and I ’ d be carrying a flag also , ” the US president said in a campaign video released in August .

A parade of boats in Texas celebrating their support for Donald Trump ended in disarray when multiple vessels got into trouble on apparently choppy waters leading to several sinking and a slew of distress calls.
Multiple media reports described a chaotic scene on Lake Travis, near the state capital of Austin, when a procession of boats waving Trump flags and banners motored over the waters but then got into potentially serious trouble.
Videos of the event circulating on social media showed several boats being swamped by waves and sinking as frantic passengers jumped into the water.
Boats partially submerged from the large wakes of a flotilla of supporters of Donald Trump. Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/Reuters
The Travis county sheriff’s office received its first call for help related to the event just after noon and multiple agencies quickly moved to assist people. So far, no injuries have been reported, according to the New York Times.
The event, called the Lake Travis Trump boat parade, had been organized on Facebook with images of Trump campaign slogans adorning a variety of boats.
Water-borne parades of Trump supporters have taken place across the US this summer from New Jersey to South Carolina with some of the parades reportedly involving several thousand boats.
Trump himself has even spoken out in support of them. “I just wish I had time, I’d get on one of those boats, and I’d be carrying a flag also,” the US president said in a campaign video released in August.


theguardian--2020-09-05--Kamala Harris says she wouldn't trust Trump on safety of Covid vaccine before election

Kamala Harris said that she would not trust Donald Trump ’ s word on the safety of any coronavirus vaccine approved for use in America before the November election .
In an interview with CNN – excerpts of which were released on Saturday – the Democratic vice-presidential nominee warned of the potential for political interference by the US president over the approval of a coronavirus vaccine in order to boost his re-election chances .
Asked if she would personally take any vaccine given the green light in the US before the November poll , Harris replied : “ I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he ’ s talking about .
I will not take his word for it.
” There have been widespread reports of pressure being put on administration health officials to accelerate the development and approval of a vaccine that could halt or blunt the impact of a pandemic that has cost more than 185,000 American lives and wreaked havoc on the economy not seen since the Great Depression .
Harris said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to make decisions on a vaccine without interference from above .
“ If past is prologue that they will not , they ’ ll be muzzled , they ’ ll be suppressed , they will be sidelined , ” Harris told CNN .
“ Because he ’ s looking at an election coming up in less than 60 days and he ’ s grasping to get whatever he can to pretend he has been a leader on this issue when he is not.
” Concerns over potential politicization of a Covid-19 treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Trump touted anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as the cure for Covid-19 despite weak evidence that the drug was effective against the virus .
The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) , the federal agency in charge of approving vaccines and treatments for public use , carried out an emergency use authorization ( EUA ) order to allow the use of the drug without the testing and trials that are usually accompanied with a drug rollout .
The EUA for hydroxychloroquine was revoked in June , with the FDA saying the drug has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have severe side effects .
In late August , Trump announced another EUA for convalescent plasma , a type of blood therapy where blood plasma from a recovered Covid-19 patient who has developed antibodies is given to a patient trying to fight the illness .
While one study conducted on the therapy suggested that the treatment could be helpful , public health experts , including Dr Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , said that there needs to be larger , randomized trials in order to ensure the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) asked states to expedite approval for vaccine distribution sites by 1 November .
Stephen Hahn , the head of the FDA , indicated that he would be willing to authorize a vaccine before phase three trials were complete – a controversial move that has been taken by China and Russia .
Hahn insisted he would not expedite a vaccine to appease the president .
Moncef Slaoui , the co-chief of the White House initiative to release a vaccine , said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine would be ready by 1 November .
“ There is a very , very low chance that the trials that are running as we speak could [ be completed ] by the end of October , ” Slaoui told NPR .
For weeks , Trump has been touting that a vaccine is right on America ’ s doorstep , an optimism that is not shared by public health experts .
Trump told a cheering crowd at the Republican national convention last week that “ we will have a safe and effective vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Trump administration has dismissed accusations that its claims of confidence in a vaccine in the next few months are a way to boost Trump for election day on 3 November .
“ I think it ’ s very irresponsible how people are trying to politicize notions of delivering a vaccine to the American people , ” Alex Azar , the health and human services department secretary , told CBS on Thursday .
Trump himself has denied that any motivation to get a vaccine out around election day has anything to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m optimistic that it will be around that date … It wouldn ’ t hurt , ” he said .
“ I ’ m not doing it for the election .
I want it fast because I want to save a lot of lives .
”

Kamala Harris said that she would not trust Donald Trump’s word on the safety of any coronavirus vaccine approved for use in America before the November election.
In an interview with CNN – excerpts of which were released on Saturday – the Democratic vice-presidential nominee warned of the potential for political interference by the US president over the approval of a coronavirus vaccine in order to boost his re-election chances.
Asked if she would personally take any vaccine given the green light in the US before the November poll, Harris replied: “I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he’s talking about. I will not take his word for it.”
There have been widespread reports of pressure being put on administration health officials to accelerate the development and approval of a vaccine that could halt or blunt the impact of a pandemic that has cost more than 185,000 lives in America and wreaked havoc on the economy not seen since the Great Depression.
Harris said she expected that medical experts would not be allowed to make decisions on a vaccine without interference from above.
“They’ll be muzzled, they’ll be suppressed, they will be sidelined,” Harris told CNN. “Because he’s looking at an election coming up in less than 60 days and he’s grasping to get whatever he can to pretend he has been a leader on this issue when he is not.”
Concerns over potential politicization of a Covid-19 treatment and vaccine began in the spring, when Trump touted anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine despite weak evidence that the drug was effective against the virus.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency in charge of approving vaccines and treatments for public use, carried out an emergency use authorization (EUA) order to allow the use of the drug without the testing and trials that are usually accompanied with a drug rollout.
The EUA for hydroxychloroquine was revoked in June, with the FDA saying the drug has not proven effective against Covid-19 and can have severe side effects.
In late August, Trump announced another EUA for convalescent plasma, a type of therapy where blood plasma from a recovered Covid-19 patient who has developed antibodies is given to a patient fighting the illness.
While one study conducted on the therapy suggested that the treatment could be helpful, public health experts, including Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said that there needs to be larger, randomized trials in order to ensure the efficacy of the treatment.
Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked states to expedite approval for vaccine distribution sites by 1 November. Stephen Hahn, the head of the FDA, indicated that he would be willing to authorize a vaccine before phase three trials were complete – a controversial move that has been taken by China and Russia. Hahn insisted he would not expedite a vaccine to appease the president.
Moncef Slaoui, the co-chief of the White House initiative to release a vaccine, said that it was possible but unlikely that a vaccine would be ready by 1 November. “There is a very, very low chance that the trials that are running as we speak could [be completed] by the end of October,” Slaoui told NPR.
For weeks, Trump has been claiming that a vaccine is right on America’s doorstep, an optimism that is not shared by public health experts. Trump told a cheering crowd at the Republican national convention last week that “we will have a safe and effective vaccine by the end of the year”.
The Trump administration has dismissed accusations that its claims of confidence in a vaccine in the next few months are a way to boost Trump for election day on 3 November.
“I think it’s very irresponsible how people are trying to politicize notions of delivering a vaccine to the American people,” Alex Azar, the health and human services department secretary, told CBS on Thursday.
Trump himself has denied that any motivation to get a vaccine out around election day has anything to do with the election itself. “I’m optimistic that it will be around that date … It wouldn’t hurt,” he said. “I’m not doing it for the election. I want it fast because I want to save a lot of lives.”


theguardian--2020-09-05--Donald Trump visits his golf club amid outrage over remarks about US war dead

Donald Trump visited one of his own golf courses on Saturday amid one of the worst recent scandals to his presidency in recent months and after expert warnings that up to 400,000 Americans could die of the coronavirus before the end of the year .
Trump ’ s re-election bid is in turmoil after multiple reports of disparaging remarks he made about veterans and US soldiers that have caused widespread outrage , including calling them “ suckers ” and “ losers ” .
The White House has strongly denied the allegations .
Separately , a new report was published by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( IHME ) at the University of Washington ’ s School of Medicine , that forecast the US death toll from the pandemic could hit 400,000 by 1 January 2021 .
However , on Saturday Trump visited the Trump National Golf Club , in Virginia , passing by various roadside protesters , including one who waved a placard that read : “ Elect A Clown Get A Circus ” .
Some supporters also held up Trump 2020 signs .
CNN , which tallies Trump ’ s visits to golf courses , reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of his own golf courses during his presidency .
During his campaign for the White House in 2016 , Trump was a harsh critic of the amount of golf Barack Obama played during his time in office .
Yet once in the White House , Trump has played far more often than his predecessor .

Donald Trump visited one of his own golf courses on Saturday amid one of the worst scandals of his presidency in recent months and after expert warnings that up to 400,000 Americans could die of the coronavirus before the end of the year.
Trump’s re-election bid is in turmoil after multiple reports of disparaging remarks he made about veterans and US soldiers that have caused widespread outrage, including calling them “suckers” and “losers”. The White House has strongly denied the allegations.
Separately, a new report was published by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, that forecast the US death toll from the pandemic could hit 400,000 by 1 January 2021.
However, on Saturday Trump visited the Trump National Golf Club, in Virginia, passing by various roadside protesters, including one who waved a placard that read: “Elect A Clown Get A Circus”. Some supporters also held up Trump 2020 signs.
CNN, which tallies Trump’s visits to golf courses, reported that this visit was the 295th trip to one of his own courses during his presidency.
During his campaign for the White House in 2016, Trump was a harsh critic of the amount of golf Barack Obama played during his time in office. Yet once in the White House, Trump has played far more often than his predecessor.


theguardian--2020-09-05--Democrats eye Arizona, Georgia and Texas as potentially winnable

Former vice-president Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign sees Arizona , Texas and Georgia as possible pathways to victory and ousting Donald Trump from the White House .
During a press briefing with reporters top Biden campaign officials displayed a map of the states that they see as winnable .
The map showed Arizona , Texas and Georgia in the light pink color marked as “ expand ” states .
“ We really feel like all of these states are legitimately in play , ” Biden ’ s campaign manager , Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , said .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states in the past two election cycles .
They all have Republican governors .
Texas in particular is a state Democrats have long hoped to put in their column , but so far to no avail .
The map put Nevada , Minnesota , Virginia and New Hampshire , which the Democrats won in 2016 , in its protect category and Iowa , Wisconsin , Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania , North Carolina and Florida in its win back category .
Donald Trump won Wisconsin , Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania , North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Friday the polling website fivethirtyeight.com , labeled Biden as slightly favored to win Arizona while Trump is slightly favored to win Georgia and favored to win Texas .
The fact that the Biden campaign , just a few months before the election , is listing southern states as ones that are hard but still within reach suggests a level of confidence after years of hand-wringing over whether usually Democratic states like Pennsylvania and Michigan have permanently tilted toward Republicans .
“ As you look at this breakout we really think we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dems .
If you look through the states that are states we won in 2016 as protect Democrats that gives you 44 more , ” O ’ Malley Dillon said .
“ So we ’ re really looking for 30 electoral votes and as you can see there ’ s a number of combinations that will get us to where we need to go and get over that 270 hump .
”

Former vice-president Joe Biden’s presidential campaign sees Arizona, Texas and Georgia as possible pathways to victory and ousting Donald Trump from the White House.
During a press briefing with reporters top Biden campaign officials displayed a map of the states that they see as winnable. The map showed Arizona, Texas and Georgia in the light pink color marked as “expand” states.
“We really feel like all of these states are legitimately in play,” Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, said.
Democrats have not won any of those three states in the past two election cycles. They all have Republican governors. Texas in particular is a state Democrats have long hoped to put in their column, but so far to no avail.
The map put Nevada, Minnesota, Virginia and New Hampshire, which the Democrats won in 2016, in its protect category and Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida in its win back category. Donald Trump won Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida in 2016.
As of Friday the polling website fivethirtyeight.com, labeled Biden as slightly favored to win Arizona while Trump is slightly favored to win Georgia and favored to win Texas.
The fact that the Biden campaign, just a few months before the election, is listing southern states as ones that are hard but still within reach suggests a level of confidence after years of hand-wringing over whether usually Democratic states like Pennsylvania and Michigan have permanently tilted toward Republicans.
“As you look at this breakout we really think we’ve started with 180 electoral votes safe Dems. If you look through the states that are states we won in 2016 as protect Democrats that gives you 44 more,” O’Malley Dillon said. “So we’re really looking for 30 electoral votes and as you can see there’s a number of combinations that will get us to where we need to go and get over that 270 hump.”


theguardian--2020-09-05--All extremists threaten us… but it's the radical right we should fear now | Nick Cohen

I once believed that you should fight the extreme right and extreme left “ at the same time and for the same reasons ” .
The phrase had a fine sound to it , even if I say so myself , and it remains true enough .
Anyone who has witnessed the public shaming of those who deviate from approved leftish ideology will find Boris Johnson ’ s attempts to purge the cabinet and civil service of all who disagree with him familiar .
The politics may be different but the oppressive spirit is the same .
But in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that moral equivalence is not the same as practical equivalence .
As the world stands , the fight against the radical right is a fight for the preservation of liberal democracy .
The fight against the far left is a fight for justice for the individual denied the freedom to express his or , and more frequently today , her opinions without post-Stalinist inquisitors demanding she confesses her ideological crimes or lose her job .
Both fights are essential but the difference in scale is so enormous it barely makes sense to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best way I can explain why is to imagine an American announcing they were voting for Donald Trump because they were repelled by how the New York Times and US universities had removed journalists and academics who would not bow their heads and bite their tongues .
You would , I think , tell them that their sense of proportion was so out of balance it was a wonder they did not topple over .
Trump has the power to threaten the American constitution .
He has stuffed his administration with cronies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to needless deaths from Covid-19 .
He is hoping to retain power by encouraging far-right terrorism and ballot rigging .
Given the anarchic glee that Trump and the Republicans display when they block defensive measures against global warming , his defeat is a necessity not just for the United States but for humanity .
I don ’ t deny that leftish cultural influence is a form of power .
If you are forced out of your job in a university or publisher , or told what you can and can not teach , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power that can crush you .
But political power with the ability to crush tens of millions of people is in the hands of the radical right .
And not just in the United States .
Britain , Hungary , Poland , Russia , India , Turkey , Brazil and the Philippines are democracies that have been taken over by governments that to varying degrees despise independent checks and are determined to humble any institution that might curb them .
However fond modern writers are of quoting Hannah Arendt and George Orwell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1930s .
We do not face the equivalent of Hitler on one side and Stalin on the other .
With the exception of the Venezuelan dictatorship , the anti-liberal movements that control democracies are all from the right .
Meanwhile , the rising superpower of China might mouth the old Maoist slogans out of force of habit , like you might half-remember a story from your childhood , but it is nothing like the old Soviet Union .
The ideology that drives it is a hyper-aggressive nationalism , not communism .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dead end of 1930s politics was Britain .
In the 2019 general election , the choice was between the competing dishonesties of the Brexit right and the Corbyn left .
Whichever way voters went , the country would have been ruined .
British political culture has changed with remarkable speed since Labour ’ s defeat .
The far left is on its way out and Labour is at last looking as if it would be better at governing the country than the Conservatives , not a hard task , given that Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The American Democrats in turn have refused to play into the Republicans ’ hands .
To Trump ’ s visible disappointment they chose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to represent them .
However vicious it may be , the far left has not overrun the western centre-left as the radical right has overrun mainstream conservatism .
Labour MPs were willing to give up their careers to fight against antisemitism and the toleration of totalitarian ideas and regimes .
Compare that with the US , where only Mitt Romney and a handful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting to stop their party becoming Trump ’ s personality cult .
British Conservatives who were prepared to oppose the national catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit were either purged by Johnson , in an example of the Stalinism on the right , or walked away from the party in despair at the last election .
They showed a courage their successors lack .
With only months to go before we could crash out of the single market and customs union , no prominent Conservative politician is prepared to speak for the national interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a right that still boasts it believes in freedom of speech is not confined to Tory MPs who Johnson can directly harm .
It extends to the conservative press , thinktanks and intellectuals .
Their slavish compliance shows that Johnson has been more successful in imposing a party line on the right than Corbyn ever was in imposing conformity on the left .
A defeat for Trump would make the contrast clearer .
Conservatives have written with accuracy about how cancel culture and political correctness have moved disgusted voters rightwards .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also applies .
Trump has destroyed America as an example for the world to follow and authorised every reaction against it .
Extremism begets extremism .
When you have an unapologetic racist as American president , all opposition is legitimate and the most zealous opposition can feel the most legitimate of all .
As I say , you should not have to choose .
But if you must , fight the power that presents the greatest threat , because once the far right is defeated , it will be easier to fight the @ @ @

I once believed that you should fight the extreme right and extreme left “at the same time and for the same reasons”. The phrase had a fine sound to it, even if I say so myself, and it remains true enough. Anyone who has witnessed the public shaming of those who deviate from approved leftish ideology will find Boris Johnson’s attempts to purge the cabinet and civil service of all who disagree with him familiar. The politics may be different but the oppressive spirit is the same.
But in this terrible year, it is worth saying that moral equivalence is not the same as practical equivalence. As the world stands, the fight against the radical right is a fight for the preservation of liberal democracy. The fight against the far left is a fight for justice for the individual denied the freedom to express his or, and more frequently today, her opinions without post-Stalinist inquisitors demanding she confesses her ideological crimes or lose her job.
Both fights are essential but the difference in scale is so enormous it barely makes sense to put them in the same category. The best way I can explain why is to imagine an American announcing they were voting for Donald Trump because they were repelled by how the New York Times and US universities had removed journalists and academics who would not bow their heads and bite their tongues. You would, I think, tell them that their sense of proportion was so out of balance it was a wonder they did not topple over. Trump has the power to threaten the American constitution. He has stuffed his administration with cronies and relatives, and damned thousands of Americans to needless deaths from Covid-19. He is hoping to retain power by encouraging far-right terrorism and ballot rigging. Given the anarchic glee that Trump and the Republicans display when they block defensive measures against global warming, his defeat is a necessity not just for the United States but for humanity.
However fond modern writers are of quoting Hannah Arendt and George Orwell, the 2020s are not a reprise of the 1930s
I don’t deny that leftish cultural influence is a form of power. If you are forced out of your job in a university or publisher, or told what you can and cannot teach, think and write, it is a power that can crush you. But political power with the ability to crush tens of millions of people is in the hands of the radical right. And not just in the United States. Britain, Hungary, Poland, Russia, India, Turkey, Brazil and the Philippines are democracies that have been taken over by governments that to varying degrees despise independent checks and are determined to humble any institution that might curb them.
However fond modern writers are of quoting Hannah Arendt and George Orwell, the 2020s are not a reprise of the 1930s. We do not face the equivalent of Hitler on one side and Stalin on the other. With the exception of the Venezuelan dictatorship, the anti-liberal movements that control democracies are all from the right. Meanwhile, the rising superpower of China might mouth the old Maoist slogans out of force of habit, like you might half-remember a story from your childhood, but it is nothing like the old Soviet Union. The ideology that drives it is a hyper-aggressive nationalism, not communism.
The nearest any developed country came to experiencing the dead end of 1930s politics was Britain. In the 2019 general election, the choice was between the competing dishonesties of the Brexit right and the Corbyn left. Whichever way voters went, the country would have been ruined. British political culture has changed with remarkable speed since Labour’s defeat. The far left is on its way out and Labour is at last looking as if it would be better at governing the country than the Conservatives, not a hard task, given that Johnson has lowered the bar to floor level. The American Democrats in turn have refused to play into the Republicans’ hands. To Trump’s visible disappointment they chose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to represent them.
Johnson has been more successful in imposing a party line on the right than Corbyn ever was on the left
However vicious it may be, the far left has not overrun the western centre-left as the radical right has overrun mainstream conservatism. Labour MPs were willing to give up their careers to fight against antisemitism and the toleration of totalitarian ideas and regimes. Compare that with the US, where only Mitt Romney and a handful of Republican politicians have risked losing office by fighting to stop their party becoming Trump’s personality cult. British Conservatives who were prepared to oppose the national catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit were either purged by Johnson, in an example of the Stalinism on the right, or walked away from the party in despair at the last election. They showed a courage their successors lack. With only months to go before we could crash out of the single market and customs union, no prominent Conservative politician is prepared to speak for the national interest or even debate it.
The silence from a right that still boasts it believes in freedom of speech is not confined to Tory MPs who Johnson can directly harm. It extends to the conservative press, thinktanks and intellectuals. Their slavish compliance shows that Johnson has been more successful in imposing a party line on the right than Corbyn ever was in imposing conformity on the left.
A defeat for Trump would make the contrast clearer. Conservatives have written with accuracy about how cancel culture and political correctness have moved disgusted voters rightwards. They always forget to mention that the converse also applies. Trump has destroyed America as an example for the world to follow and authorised every reaction against it. Extremism begets extremism. When you have an unapologetic racist as American president, all opposition is legitimate and the most zealous opposition can feel the most legitimate of all. As I say, you should not have to choose. But if you must, fight the power that presents the greatest threat, because once the far right is defeated, it will be easier to fight the far left.


theguardian--2020-09-06--'A risk to firefighters': Trump's drone ban makes it harder to stop wildfires

As wildfires grow in size and frequency , more resources are needed to keep them in check .
But experts say a Trump administration directive halting the purchase of new drones jeopardizes the rise of cutting-edge technology , curtailing the ability to manage wildfires and potentially putting more lives in danger .
In October 2019 , the US Department of the Interior grounded its fleet of more than 800 drones and put a freeze on buying new ones due to concerns of Chinese spying .
Many of the devices were used in wildfire fighting and prevention , including starting prescribed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfire .
The interior department carries out more than 10,000 drone flights a year on average , according to federal documents .
This year , a shortage of drones has made it more difficult to contain fires raging across the western United States , insiders at the interior department said in an internal memo obtained by the Financial Times .
As wildfires increase in size and number , the department ’ s fleet of drones must “ expand to meet the demand of preventative measures mandated for the reduction of wildfire via vegetation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written by members of the department ’ s Office of Aviation Services , said .
Some Chinese-made drones are still currently being used for both wildfire fighting and controlled burns under an exception – but the ban still prevented the department from purchasing 17 Ignis drones it had planned to add to its fleet in 2020 , the memo revealed .
Drone Amplified , the purveyor of Ignis drones , confirmed to the Guardian the office pulled out of its plan to purchase drones this year .
“ We spent four years building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grounding of Chinese drones put our orders on hold , ” said Simon Weibel , a sales representative at Drone Amplified .
“ It has set the program back substantially , just as the technology was starting to get traction.
” Because of that shortage , the department will have done 28 % less controlled burning in 2020 than it would have , had it purchased the new devices as planned by the end of the year , according to the memo .
Limiting access to drones means more work must be carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk , the memo adds : “ Denying the acquisition of UAS [ drone ] aerial ignition devices directly transfers risk to firefighters who must use manned aircraft to complete these missions rather than a safer option utilizing UAS.
” “ Drones are never going to replace firefighters , but it has been a particularly deadly year for fires and there are times when it is not necessary to expose pilots to situations that could be deadly when our drones could take over , ” Weibel said .
Controlled burns , also known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to manage potential forest fires .
In this practice , which was common in indigenous cultures before being made illegal , areas are burnt during cooler seasons to reduce the amount of vegetation and other fuel to prevent larger and hotter fires in the future .
Drones have been leveraged for prescribed burns because of their relative safety and ability to fly in dark and smoky conditions .
Drones , and the wildfires they prevent , are just the latest issue to be affected by ongoing tension between the US and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months after Donald Trump banned products from the Chinese firm Huawei and threatened to ban China-based social media platforms , including TikTok and WeChat .
“ Drones have gotten caught up in the cold war between the US and China , and it ’ s unfortunate , ” said Chris Anderson , whose company 3DR supplied drones for the majority of flights carried out by the interior department in the past .
3DR is one of the firms the department will no longer purchase from because its drones contain parts made in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a growing movement to decrease the use of Chinese drones for security reasons .
In May 2019 , the Department of Homeland Security warned against using Chinese-made drones and in September 2019 , a bipartisan bill was introduced to bar federal agencies from buying Chinese-made drones .
A spokesman for the interior department said the department has conducted fuel management treatments , or controlled burns , on nearly 1m acres , putting it ahead of its yearly average .
In 2019 , it burned 1.2m acres in fuel management treatments .
The spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry lobbyist and current secretary of the interior , is “ committed to deploying all resources to protect human health and safety ” .
“ The secretary ’ s order grounding the department ’ s drones achieves these important objectives while addressing national security concerns that were raised in classified briefings late last year , ” he said .
The interior department declined to comment on the report that it is set to complete 28 % less of the controlled burning it planned to do in 2020 .
The spokesman added that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without drones , and that 30,000 firefighters have been deployed across the US to fight wildfires .
The Trump administration is currently assessing potential security threats in DOI drones , he said .

As wildfires grow in size and frequency, more resources are needed to keep them in check. But experts say a Trump administration directive halting the purchase of new drones jeopardizes the rise of cutting-edge technology, curtailing the ability to manage wildfires and potentially putting more lives in danger.
In October 2019, the US Department of the Interior grounded its fleet of more than 800 drones and put a freeze on buying new ones due to concerns of Chinese spying. Many of the devices were used in wildfire fighting and prevention, including starting prescribed burns, a key tool in controlling wildfire. The interior department carries out more than 10,000 drone flights a year on average, according to federal documents.
This year, a shortage of drones has made it more difficult to contain fires raging across the western United States, insiders at the interior department said in an internal memo obtained by the Financial Times.
As wildfires increase in size and number, the department’s fleet of drones must “expand to meet the demand of preventative measures mandated for the reduction of wildfire via vegetation reduction”, the leaked memo, written by members of the department’s Office of Aviation Services, said.
Some Chinese-made drones are still currently being used for both wildfire fighting and controlled burns under an exception – but the ban still prevented the department from purchasing 17 Ignis drones it had planned to add to its fleet in 2020, the memo revealed. Drone Amplified, the purveyor of Ignis drones, confirmed to the Guardian the office pulled out of its plan to purchase drones this year.
“We spent four years building out our program and then overnight the grounding of Chinese drones put our orders on hold,” said Simon Weibel, a sales representative at Drone Amplified. “It has set the program back substantially, just as the technology was starting to get traction.”
Because of that shortage, the department will have done 28% less controlled burning in 2020 than it would have, had it purchased the new devices as planned by the end of the year, according to the memo.
Limiting access to drones means more work must be carried out manually, potentially putting lives at risk, the memo adds: “Denying the acquisition of UAS [drone] aerial ignition devices directly transfers risk to firefighters who must use manned aircraft to complete these missions rather than a safer option utilizing UAS.”
“Drones are never going to replace firefighters, but it has been a particularly deadly year for fires and there are times when it is not necessary to expose pilots to situations that could be deadly when our drones could take over,” Weibel said.
Controlled burns, also known as prescribed burns, are increasingly being used to manage potential forest fires. In this practice, which was common in indigenous cultures before being made illegal, areas are burnt during cooler seasons to reduce the amount of vegetation and other fuel to prevent larger and hotter fires in the future. Drones have been leveraged for prescribed burns because of their relative safety and ability to fly in dark and smoky conditions.
Drones, and the wildfires they prevent, are just the latest issue to be affected by ongoing tension between the US and China. Relations have soured dramatically in recent months after Donald Trump banned products from the Chinese firm Huawei and threatened to ban China-based social media platforms, including TikTok and WeChat.
“Drones have gotten caught up in the cold war between the US and China, and it’s unfortunate,” said Chris Anderson, whose company 3DR supplied drones for the majority of flights carried out by the interior department in the past. 3DR is one of the firms the department will no longer purchase from because its drones contain parts made in China.
The January directive was part of a growing movement to decrease the use of Chinese drones for security reasons. In May 2019, the Department of Homeland Security warned against using Chinese-made drones and in September 2019, a bipartisan bill was introduced to bar federal agencies from buying Chinese-made drones.
A spokesman for the interior department said the department has conducted fuel management treatments, or controlled burns, on nearly 1m acres, putting it ahead of its yearly average. In 2019, it burned 1.2m acres in fuel management treatments. The spokesman said David Bernhardt, a former oil industry lobbyist and current secretary of the interior, is “committed to deploying all resources to protect human health and safety”.
“The secretary’s order grounding the department’s drones achieves these important objectives while addressing national security concerns that were raised in classified briefings late last year,” he said.
The interior department declined to comment on the report that it is set to complete 28% less of the controlled burning it planned to do in 2020. The spokesman added that the majority of prescribed burns are carried out without drones, and that 30,000 firefighters have been deployed across the US to fight wildfires. The Trump administration is currently assessing potential security threats in DOI drones, he said.


theguardian--2020-09-06--Bernie or bust: a centrist Democrat is still as bad as Trump for some on left

This week , in one of his first in-person appearances since the pandemic started , Joe Biden made some Pennsylvania voters a promise .
“ I ’ m not banning fracking .
No matter how many times Donald Trump lies about me , ” the Democratic presidential nominee said at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh , where much of the nearby industry relies on the controversial technique for extracting natural gas .
It was a move meant to clarify his position and extend an olive branch to workers who rely on the fossil fuel industry after he reiterated his commitment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But for a different section of voters , it was another nail in the coffin .
“ I don ’ t want to vote for Joe Biden and I don ’ t want to vote for Trump , ” said Jason Kishineff , who is running for city council in American Canyon , California .
“ I think either choice is going to lead to human extinction.
” Kishineff is part of a progressive , far-left group of voters who say they will not vote for Biden , even if it means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the candidate ’ s failure to adopt a progressive agenda on healthcare , mass incarceration , the environment and policing .
In 2016 , this group was part of the estimated 5 million Americans who voted for third-party candidates , including hundreds of thousands of voters in swing states like Florida and Michigan .
But two months ahead of the presidential election – and after fours years of Trump – experts say the group is less of a factor for Democrats than it was in 2016 .
That shrinking power could serve either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coax them into an eventual vote for Biden , especially if he chooses to adopt more leftist policies .
“ That group is smaller , ” said Rashawn Ray , a political sociologist and fellow at the Brookings Institution .
“ There have been deliberate decisions made with people saying ‘ we can not make this mistake ’ again , knowing they played a role – even if it ’ s a small role – in Trump getting elected.
” Nick Cruse , a 29-year-old in Kansas City , Missouri , said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There ’ s no one who has done more damage to the Black community in the last 40 years than Biden , ” he said .
Cruse , who is Black , cited Biden ’ s authorship of the 1994 crime bill , which contributed to mass incarceration rates , and his 2005 bankruptcy bill , which made it more difficult for people with limited income to pay off their debts .
While Cruse is staunchly against Trump and the Republican party , he said Biden represents many of the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to corporate politics .
Angelica Whipple agreed that avoiding a Trump re-election was not enough reason to vote for Biden .
The 29-year-old moved from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts as a child and has been a resident there since .
A few years ago she left her job of 11 years as a personal care assistant for the elderly because of a disability .
But trying to get disability benefits was difficult , she said , and she went months without health insurance , delaying surgery for ovarian cysts in the interim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in previous elections but said that her political views changed in 2016 , when Sanders ran for president .
The Medicare for All platform , and legalization of marijuana , became non-negotiable to her .
Biden has not committed to either of those policies , though he supports a public option health plan .
“ He ’ s very steadfast in not doing anything for progressives , ” Whipple said .
“ I don ’ t see how he ’ s that much better than Trump .
At least with Trump we see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whipple said that Biden ’ s vice-presidential pick , Kamala Harris , was another drawback for progressives , mostly due to her past role as a prosecutor .
That has become an even more pointed issue during the past months of police brutality protests , since neither Biden nor Harris has explicitly condemned far-right agitators , or committed to defunding police departments .
“ He ’ s been doing all of these horrendously centrist things and surrendering to the Republican narrative of protesters being rioters , ” said Matt Myers , a software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false equivalence … it ’ s just not acceptable .
He ’ s basically kicking the left in the teeth.
” Even so , several of the progressive voters said they would consider voting for Biden if he were to adopt some of their key platforms , such as Medicare for All , which has widespread support among Democrats .
So far , they said , that hasn ’ t come to fruition .
“ If Biden is willing to support [ those policies ] I will sacrifice my own integrity and vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruse also said he would vote for Biden if he were to adopt Medicare for All and legalization of marijuana .
But , he said , that would still be a “ huge compromise ” .
And Jessica , a voter in Texas that the Guardian spoke to earlier this year said she still plans to vote for the Green party .
Myers is hoping Biden will also reform student debt , which left him bankrupt after he went to college for the first time .
While he is already planning to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vocal critic to help try to push the platform left , which he said is not only ideological but a better strategy for Democrats .
“ I kind of feel that the Democrats have been throwing easy elections because they keep running boring centrists who don ’ t excite anyone , ” he said .
“ But my bigger fear is that Biden is going to represent four more years of a weak and useless Democrat party that … just sets up the conditions for someone worse than Trump.
” Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to actively endorse Biden in a way that he didn ’ t with Hillary Clinton didn ’ t seem to resonate with his own supporters .
“ I think it has split the Sanders movement into pieces , ” Kishineff said .
“ A lot of us are not sure whether he came into this race compromised.
” Ray pointed out that Biden had adopted some of the progressive agenda , though not always explicitly .
He noted that the candidate has had public conversations with Sanders supporters , like Cardi B , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as running mate , even if Harris wasn ’ t the group ’ s chosen candidate .
He also thought Biden would end up reaching out to progressive voters in the days leading up to the election .
“ Part of what ’ s happening with Biden is he hasn ’ t had to do that yet , ” Ray said .
“ He doesn ’ t want to pull those cards out too soon.
” But for some of the # BernieorBust crowd , voting for a third-party candidate or withholding their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
It ’ s about trying to diminish the country ’ s two-party system , in which Democrats and Republicans both have compromised on what they care about the most .
Until then , and perhaps in spite of that , this group of voters have no plans to lend their support to what they see as an establishment candidate .
Kishineff said he will vote for Gloria La Riva , from the Party for Socialism and Liberation .
Cruse plans to vote Green party , he said , to send a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to write in Bernie Sanders .
“ We keep shaming progressives but maybe it ’ s time to look at Biden and push him left , ” Whipple said .
“ Let that be the change .
”

This week, in one of his first in-person appearances since the pandemic started, Joe Biden made some Pennsylvania voters a promise.
“I’m not banning fracking. No matter how many times Donald Trump lies about me,” the Democratic presidential nominee said at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where much of the nearby industry relies on the controversial technique for extracting natural gas.
It was a move meant to clarify his position and extend an olive branch to workers who rely on the fossil fuel industry after he reiterated his commitment to combating climate change in recent weeks.
But for a different section of voters, it was another nail in the coffin.
“I don’t want to vote for Joe Biden and I don’t want to vote for Trump,” said Jason Kishineff, who is running for city council in American Canyon, California. “I think either choice is going to lead to human extinction.”
Kishineff is part of a progressive, far-left group of voters who say they will not vote for Biden, even if it means a Trump victory, largely because of the candidate’s failure to adopt a progressive agenda on healthcare, mass incarceration, the environment and policing.
In 2016, this group was part of the estimated 5 million Americans who voted for third-party candidates, including hundreds of thousands of voters in swing states like Florida and Michigan.
But two months ahead of the presidential election – and after fours years of Trump – experts say the group is less of a factor for Democrats than it was in 2016. That shrinking power could serve either to further alienate progressive voters, or coax them into an eventual vote for Biden, especially if he chooses to adopt more leftist policies.
“That group is smaller,” said Rashawn Ray, a political sociologist and fellow at the Brookings Institution. “There have been deliberate decisions made with people saying ‘we cannot make this mistake’ again, knowing they played a role – even if it’s a small role – in Trump getting elected.”
Nick Cruse, a 29-year-old in Kansas City, Missouri, said it wasn’t that simple for him. “There’s no one who has done more damage to the Black community in the last 40 years than Biden,” he said.
Cruse, who is Black, cited Biden’s authorship of the 1994 crime bill, which contributed to mass incarceration rates, and his 2005 bankruptcy bill, which made it more difficult for people with limited income to pay off their debts. While Cruse is staunchly against Trump and the Republican party, he said Biden represents many of the same ideals as the current president when it comes to corporate politics.
For some, Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris has broadened his appeal; for others it just underlines the problem with him. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Angelica Whipple agreed that avoiding a Trump re-election was not enough reason to vote for Biden.
The 29-year-old moved from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts as a child and has been a resident there since. A few years ago she left her job of 11 years as a personal care assistant for the elderly because of a disability. But trying to get disability benefits was difficult, she said, and she went months without health insurance, delaying surgery for ovarian cysts in the interim.
Whipple had voted for Barack Obama in previous elections but said that her political views changed in 2016, when Sanders ran for president. The Medicare for All platform, and legalization of marijuana, became non-negotiable to her. Biden has not committed to either of those policies, though he supports a public option health plan.
“He’s very steadfast in not doing anything for progressives,” Whipple said. “I don’t see how he’s that much better than Trump. At least with Trump we see it out front.”
Both Cruse and Whipple said that Biden’s vice-presidential pick, Kamala Harris, was another drawback for progressives, mostly due to her past role as a prosecutor. That has become an even more pointed issue during the past months of police brutality protests, since neither Biden nor Harris has explicitly condemned far-right agitators, or committed to defunding police departments.
“He’s been doing all of these horrendously centrist things and surrendering to the Republican narrative of protesters being rioters,” said Matt Myers, a software engineer in Seattle. “Making the false equivalence … it’s just not acceptable. He’s basically kicking the left in the teeth.”
Even so, several of the progressive voters said they would consider voting for Biden if he were to adopt some of their key platforms, such as Medicare for All, which has widespread support among Democrats. So far, they said, that hasn’t come to fruition. “If Biden is willing to support [those policies] I will sacrifice my own integrity and vote for him,” Kishineff said.
Cruse also said he would vote for Biden if he were to adopt Medicare for All and legalization of marijuana. But, he said, that would still be a “huge compromise”. And Jessica, a voter in Texas that the Guardian spoke to earlier this year said she still plans to vote for the Green party.
Myers is hoping Biden will also reform student debt, which left him bankrupt after he went to college for the first time. While he is already planning to vote for Biden, he continues to be a vocal critic to help try to push the platform left, which he said is not only ideological but a better strategy for Democrats.
“I kind of feel that the Democrats have been throwing easy elections because they keep running boring centrists who don’t excite anyone,” he said. “But my bigger fear is that Biden is going to represent four more years of a weak and useless Democrat party that … just sets up the conditions for someone worse than Trump.”
Bernie Sanders has endorsed Joe Biden but the energy from his campaign is not automatically transferable. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Meanwhile, the fact that Sanders had come out to actively endorse Biden in a way that he didn’t with Hillary Clinton didn’t seem to resonate with his own supporters. “I think it has split the Sanders movement into pieces,” Kishineff said. “A lot of us are not sure whether he came into this race compromised.”
Ray pointed out that Biden had adopted some of the progressive agenda, though not always explicitly. He noted that the candidate has had public conversations with Sanders supporters, like Cardi B, and that he chose a Black woman as running mate, even if Harris wasn’t the group’s chosen candidate.
He also thought Biden would end up reaching out to progressive voters in the days leading up to the election. “Part of what’s happening with Biden is he hasn’t had to do that yet,” Ray said. “He doesn’t want to pull those cards out too soon.”
But for some of the #BernieorBust crowd, voting for a third-party candidate or withholding their vote is not only about Trump and Biden. It’s about trying to diminish the country’s two-party system, in which Democrats and Republicans both have compromised on what they care about the most.
Until then, and perhaps in spite of that, this group of voters have no plans to lend their support to what they see as an establishment candidate. Kishineff said he will vote for Gloria La Riva, from the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Cruse plans to vote Green party, he said, to send a message to the Democrats. Whipple plans to write in Bernie Sanders.
“We keep shaming progressives but maybe it’s time to look at Biden and push him left,” Whipple said. “Let that be the change.”


theguardian--2020-09-06--'They capitulated to Trump': Michael Steele on the fight for the Republican party's soul

Michael Steele , a top Black Republican , defies assumptions .
He appears as a pundit on the liberal-leaning MSNBC network with a quotation from Ronald Reagan displayed on his office wall .
He has been a member of the Grand Old Party for more than four decades , but is now openly and actively plotting its defeat in November .
And although his sister ’ s marriage to boxer Mike Tyson ended in 2003 , he remains close to the controversial former world heavyweight champion .
“ Mike ’ s a cool guy , ” Steele says by phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother .
We have respect for each other .
Everybody knows his story and , like all of us , he ’ s got his angels , he ’ s got his devils.
” The Republican party has its own angels and devils and Steele knows them better than most .
When he was elected the first Black chairman of the Republican National Committee ( RNC ) just 10 days after Democrat Barack Obama was sworn in as America ’ s first Black president , many saw it as a recognition that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inexorably shrinking white base .
Yet a decade later it is utterly dominated by a man who denies the existence of systemic racism and is cheered on by white supremacists .
Last month Steele , once its most influential African American voice , became the most high-profile member of the Lincoln Project , a group dedicated to delivering a knockout punch to Donald Trump and Trumpism .
It was not an easy choice , the 61-year-old explains by phone , but he regards Trump as neither Republican nor conservative .
“ What brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quote by Dr [ Martin Luther ] King that really resonated with my heart and my head at the same time ; there ’ s that moment where you go , yeah , this is why .
Dr King said : ‘ Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.
’ “ I asked myself , what are the things that matter to you ?
It mattered that this president has openly said to us , I ’ m not going to accept the outcome of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win .
It matters to me what he ’ s done with the Postal Service to prevent Americans from accessing the ballot box .
I see this is the time for choosing , and the choice that unfortunately many in my party , particularly in the party leadership , have made is that they choose Trump .
They choose winning an election at all costs over the country and I think , as an American , I should be bigger than that.
” Steele grew up in a poor area of Washington DC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then , as a New York Times magazine profile told it , spent “ three years studying for the priesthood at a monastery , where he wore the long white tunic of the Augustinian order before deciding that his call to service lay elsewhere ” .
He joined the Republican party in 1976 , breaking from his mother and wider demographic expectations of Black Americans .
“ My mom was a Democrat and my answer to the question , ‘ Why are you Republican or how did you become a Republican ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised me well ’ .
“ She raised me with certain values that align with a party that originally stood for those values .
If you understand the history of the Republican party , why it was formed in the first place , you then understand why I call myself a Lincoln Republican.
” Steele became the first African American to be elected to statewide office in Maryland , serving as lieutenant governor from 2003 to 2007 .
Obama ’ s victory over John McCain in the presidential election was seen by many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Steele ’ s ascent to the position of RNC chairman was widely regarded as a Republican riposte and embrace of a more diverse future .
Under Steele , the party won 63 seats to regain control of the House of Representatives , six Senate seats , seven governorships and the biggest share of state legislative victories since 1928 .
Facing shifting demographics that will one day put white people in the minority , he spearheaded efforts to broaden the party ’ s appeal .
But he met stiff internal resistance .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as we talked about it and didn ’ t put any money into it but the moment I created a department and gave it a million-dollar budget , everybody suddenly got nervous and concerned : ‘ He ’ s just spending all his money !
’ Well , I ’ m spending money to get the vote .
I ’ m spending money to expand the party .
That ’ s what you expect the chairman to do.
” In 2011 Steele lost his re-election bid to Reince Priebus , a white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s White House chief of staff .
A year later , the Republican nominee , Mitt Romney , lost the presidential election to Obama , prompting another bout of soul-searching and an “ autopsy report ” that concluded the party needed to appeal to young voters , women and minorities to survive .
Yet in June 2015 , Trump launched a presidential campaign premised on the exact opposite , and the party knelt before him .
Steele still sounds angry about “ collaborators ” , as he calls them .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Mexicans are murderers and rapists , I ’ m gon na build a wall , they ’ re coming after you ’ , creating this other narrative about the very people , the very voters that the party had just spent over a million dollars putting on paper that they wanted to attract .
What was the party response ?
Capitulation .
“ I can ’ t explain it because it damn sure wouldn ’ t have happened if I were chairman , I can tell you that , and people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true .
So the fact of the matter is they need to explain why they allowed Donald Trump to crap all over their plans to build out the party after they lost the 2012 election.
” He goes on : “ They have to explain why they capitulated on Russia and deficit spending and allowed Donald Trump to put children in cages and they remained silent .
They have to explain why a party that stood with the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor and promoted legal immigration and promoted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in building a wall .
I can ’ t explain that .
That goes against my values.
” Last month ’ s Republican national convention had to work harder than any convention before it to prove the party ’ s nominee is not a racist .
A host of African Americans testified to Trump ’ s good character , with retired football player Hershel Walker insisting : “ I take it as a personal insult that people think I would have a 37-year friendship with a racist.
” Trump himself declared that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community than any president since Lincoln .
Many commentators felt the pitch was aimed primarily at easing white voters ’ concerns about Trump and giving them permission to vote for their perceived self-interest .
Steele was sceptical in a year that has seen an uprising over police killings and racial injustice .
“ They like to showcase Black folks and put them out there , but then you have to look at the real substance of what you ’ re doing .
Yeah , it ’ s great that Black unemployment is low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zones legislation and absolutely , given my own work in the criminal justice area when I was a lieutenant governor , appreciate the criminal justice reforms that the president , [ Senator ] Tim Scott and others brought to the table .
“ But there ’ s more in the Black community going on than that , so while you serve that up and your expectation is that should be enough to get you to vote for me , you ’ re leaving off the table a lot of things that go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people right now .
Your law-and-order response to the killing of George Floyd speaks to that pain in a way that negates all of those wonderful statistics you like to put out there about why Black folks should support you .
“ You ’ re not Abraham Lincoln , Donald Trump .
You never will be Abraham Lincoln to Black people.
” Indeed , Trump has planted himself firmly on the side of police and law enforcement while characterizing Black Lives Matter protesters as agitators , anarchists and domestic terrorists .
Steele believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reservoir of racism in American society .
“ We dress up our racism , ” he says .
“ We put it in bright beige khaki pants and we go out and we put our little collar up on our crew shirt or whatever but it ’ s still insidious , it ’ s still ugly and it still permeates a lot of what happens in this country .
The reaction that some white folks still have to it is self-evident .
It ’ s a hide behind this law-and-order narrative as if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the code .
“ So what are you so afraid of ?
You ’ re afraid of exactly what Donald Trump wants you to be afraid of .
That ’ s why he ’ s promotes this narrative that they ’ re coming for you .
They ’ re coming to take your homes .
Well , who ’ s they ?
Well , first off , Donald Trump , Black people live in suburbia .
Hello !
That ’ s where I live .
So we ’ re here already .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who exactly are we supposed to be afraid of ?
And can we stop with the fearmongering and ask the question , why are they upset in the first place ?
” The 2020 election promises to be another watershed .
Victory for Trump will be seen as vindication of the base strategy ; defeat could trigger yet another autopsy promising overhaul and outreach efforts .
Steele , who hopes to have a role in the Republican party ’ s future , admits : “ I don ’ t know what lessons will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be the test coming out of the gate , and that will actually be the test whether Donald Trump wins or loses .
How does the party pick itself up ?
There will be a fight , a battle for the definition of the Republican party , for the definition of conservatism .
We ’ ll see how people decide to play that out .
”

Michael Steele, a top Black Republican, defies assumptions. He appears as a pundit on the liberal-leaning MSNBC network with a quotation from Ronald Reagan displayed on his office wall. He has been a member of the Grand Old Party for more than four decades, but is now openly and actively plotting its defeat in November.
And although his sister’s marriage to boxer Mike Tyson ended in 2003, he remains close to the controversial former world heavyweight champion. “Mike’s a cool guy,” Steele says by phone. “I love him like a brother. We have respect for each other. Everybody knows his story and, like all of us, he’s got his angels, he’s got his devils.”
The Republican party has its own angels and devils and Steele knows them better than most. When he was elected the first Black chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) just 10 days after Democrat Barack Obama was sworn in as America’s first Black president, many saw it as a recognition that the party urgently needed to expand beyond its inexorably shrinking white base.
Yet a decade later it is utterly dominated by a man who denies the existence of systemic racism and is cheered on by white supremacists. Last month Steele, once its most influential African American voice, became the most high-profile member of the Lincoln Project, a group dedicated to delivering a knockout punch to Donald Trump and Trumpism.
It was not an easy choice, the 61-year-old explains by phone, but he regards Trump as neither Republican nor conservative. “What brought me over to that point was a quote by Dr [Martin Luther] King that really resonated with my heart and my head at the same time; there’s that moment where you go, yeah, this is why. Dr King said: ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.’
They choose winning an election at all costs over the country and I think, as an American, I should be bigger than that
“I asked myself, what are the things that matter to you? It mattered that this president has openly said to us, I’m not going to accept the outcome of this election if I don’t win. It matters to me what he’s done with the Postal Service to prevent Americans from accessing the ballot box. I see this is the time for choosing, and the choice that unfortunately many in my party, particularly in the party leadership, have made is that they choose Trump. They choose winning an election at all costs over the country and I think, as an American, I should be bigger than that.”
Steele grew up in a poor area of Washington DC, attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and then, as a New York Times magazine profile told it, spent “three years studying for the priesthood at a monastery, where he wore the long white tunic of the Augustinian order before deciding that his call to service lay elsewhere”.
He joined the Republican party in 1976, breaking from his mother and wider demographic expectations of Black Americans. “My mom was a Democrat and my answer to the question, ‘Why are you Republican or how did you become a Republican?’ typically is ‘Because my momma raised me well’.
“She raised me with certain values that align with a party that originally stood for those values. If you understand the history of the Republican party, why it was formed in the first place, you then understand why I call myself a Lincoln Republican.”
Michael Steele with the boxing promoter Don King in 2006. Steele’s former brother-in-law is Mike Tyson – ‘Mike’s a cool guy.’ Photograph: Leslie E Kossoff/AP
Steele became the first African American to be elected to statewide office in Maryland, serving as lieutenant governor from 2003 to 2007. Obama’s victory over John McCain in the presidential election was seen by many as a seminal moment of change, and Steele’s ascent to the position of RNC chairman was widely regarded as a Republican riposte and embrace of a more diverse future.
Under Steele, the party won 63 seats to regain control of the House of Representatives, six Senate seats, seven governorships and the biggest share of state legislative victories since 1928. Facing shifting demographics that will one day put white people in the minority, he spearheaded efforts to broaden the party’s appeal. But he met stiff internal resistance.
He recalls: “It was great as long as we talked about it and didn’t put any money into it but the moment I created a department and gave it a million-dollar budget, everybody suddenly got nervous and concerned: ‘He’s just spending all his money!’ Well, I’m spending money to get the vote. I’m spending money to expand the party. That’s what you expect the chairman to do.”
In 2011 Steele lost his re-election bid to Reince Priebus, a white man from Wisconsin who would later become Trump’s White House chief of staff. A year later, the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, lost the presidential election to Obama, prompting another bout of soul-searching and an “autopsy report” that concluded the party needed to appeal to young voters, women and minorities to survive.
Yet in June 2015, Trump launched a presidential campaign premised on the exact opposite, and the party knelt before him. Steele still sounds angry about “collaborators”, as he calls them.
They need to explain why they allowed Donald Trump to crap all over their plans to build out the party after they lost in 2012
“Out of the gate, he starts, ‘Mexicans are murderers and rapists, I’m gonna build a wall, they’re coming after you’, creating this other narrative about the very people, the very voters that the party had just spent over a million dollars putting on paper that they wanted to attract. What was the party response? Capitulation.
“I can’t explain it because it damn sure wouldn’t have happened if I were chairman, I can tell you that, and people in this party know that’s true. So the fact of the matter is they need to explain why they allowed Donald Trump to crap all over their plans to build out the party after they lost the 2012 election.”
He goes on: “They have to explain why they capitulated on Russia and deficit spending and allowed Donald Trump to put children in cages and they remained silent. They have to explain why a party that stood with the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor and promoted legal immigration and promoted the ideals of this country suddenly was interested in building a wall. I can’t explain that. That goes against my values.”
Last month’s Republican national convention had to work harder than any convention before it to prove the party’s nominee is not a racist. A host of African Americans testified to Trump’s good character, with retired football player Hershel Walker insisting: “I take it as a personal insult that people think I would have a 37-year friendship with a racist.”
Trump himself declared that he has done more for the African American community than any president since Lincoln. Many commentators felt the pitch was aimed primarily at easing white voters’ concerns about Trump and giving them permission to vote for their perceived self-interest.
Steele was sceptical in a year that has seen an uprising over police killings and racial injustice. “They like to showcase Black folks and put them out there, but then you have to look at the real substance of what you’re doing. Yeah, it’s great that Black unemployment is low. I very much applaud the opportunity zones legislation and absolutely, given my own work in the criminal justice area when I was a lieutenant governor, appreciate the criminal justice reforms that the president, [Senator] Tim Scott and others brought to the table.
“But there’s more in the Black community going on than that, so while you serve that up and your expectation is that should be enough to get you to vote for me, you’re leaving off the table a lot of things that go to the heart of the pain of Black people right now. Your law-and-order response to the killing of George Floyd speaks to that pain in a way that negates all of those wonderful statistics you like to put out there about why Black folks should support you.
The Boston suburb of Arlington, Massachusetts. ‘Well, first off, Donald Trump, Black people live in suburbia. Hello!’ Photograph: Paul Marotta/Rex/Shutterstock
“You’re not Abraham Lincoln, Donald Trump. You never will be Abraham Lincoln to Black people.”
Indeed, Trump has planted himself firmly on the side of police and law enforcement while characterizing Black Lives Matter protesters as agitators, anarchists and domestic terrorists. Steele believes the president is tapping into a deep reservoir of racism in American society.
We dress up our racism … but it’s still insidious, it’s still ugly and it still permeates a lot of what happens in this country
“We dress up our racism,” he says. “We put it in bright beige khaki pants and we go out and we put our little collar up on our crew shirt or whatever but it’s still insidious, it’s still ugly and it still permeates a lot of what happens in this country. The reaction that some white folks still have to it is self-evident. It’s a hide behind this law-and-order narrative as if that’s the code. It is the code.
“So what are you so afraid of? You’re afraid of exactly what Donald Trump wants you to be afraid of. That’s why he’s promotes this narrative that they’re coming for you. They’re coming to take your homes. Well, who’s they? Well, first off, Donald Trump, Black people live in suburbia. Hello! That’s where I live. So we’re here already. ‘They’ are here. So who exactly are we supposed to be afraid of? And can we stop with the fearmongering and ask the question, why are they upset in the first place?”
The 2020 election promises to be another watershed. Victory for Trump will be seen as vindication of the base strategy; defeat could trigger yet another autopsy promising overhaul and outreach efforts.
Steele, who hopes to have a role in the Republican party’s future, admits: “I don’t know what lessons will be learned. That’s going to be the test coming out of the gate, and that will actually be the test whether Donald Trump wins or loses. How does the party pick itself up? There will be a fight, a battle for the definition of the Republican party, for the definition of conservatism. We’ll see how people decide to play that out.”