theguardian--2020-03-21--The US military would be superb at fighting coronavirus. Let's use it

In 2010 , a devastating earthquake hit Haiti .
In three minutes it killed more than 200,000 people and displaced two million more .
Our humanitarian aid organization , the Community Organized Relief Effort ( CORE ) , was on the ground in Haiti .
In Haiti – as well as on the front lines of other disasters , like Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas just a few months ago – we saw how dangerous inaction and political paralysis can be , and how rapid mobilization saves lives .
In a crisis , every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To aid Haitians after the earthquake , the United States government deployed the most effective logistical and humanitarian organization the world has ever seen : the US military , which in Haiti included 22,000 soldiers , the Army Corps of Engineers , and the USNS Comfort , a 1,000-bed trauma hospital ship .
US soldiers distributed food , organized health facilities , set up clean water access , and provided security .
During its three-month deployment among an understandably volatile population , the US military knew that being seen as an occupying force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who needed help .
Under Lieutenant General Ken Keen ’ s command , US soldiers in Haiti embraced a culture of compassion rather than force .
Working alongside them at the country ’ s largest tent camp allowed our organization , CORE , to effectively take over and manage a 60,000-person camp , with drainage , organized blocks of tents , and a hospital .
Then cholera hit .
Much like coronavirus , cholera ’ s spread can be managed with careful hygiene and quarantine .
The US military and the CDC worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities , train healthcare workers , and implement a national cholera monitoring system .
This was in Haiti , where public health infrastructure is limited and in some places nonexistent .
Imagine what the US military could do here in the US , right now , to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
We need to buy time for our scientists to develop a vaccine ; we need to build infrastructure to administer tests and treat the afflicted .
Community organizations and various local and state authorities are working overtime to protect Americans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ manpower or resources to respond adequately to coronavirus .
Our safety net is being rapidly overwhelmed .
We have the most effective armed forces in the world .
And when policies allow soldiers to care instead of kill , they are at their very best .
We have that opportunity today .
Our response must be focused above all on the direct and aggressive saving of life .
General Stanley McChrystal put it best : “ If we end up [ manufacturing ] too many ventilators … I can live with that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a quick resolution to this crisis , we can all live with that .
The National Guard has already been deployed on a limited basis to help fight coronavirus .
It ’ s not enough .
We call on President Trump to commit the federal military to provide direct support .
Our centralized , federal government can save lives now if it acts .
It can not only dribble out limited deployment through the Defense Production Act .
The military must be tasked with a full offensive against this virus .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Community Organized Relief Effort ( CORE ) , an NGO that works to save lives and strengthen communities affected by or vulnerable to crises • None Sean Penn is the founder of CORE

In 2010, a devastating earthquake hit Haiti. In three minutes it killed more than 200,000 people and displaced two million more.
Our humanitarian aid organization, the Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), was on the ground in Haiti. In Haiti – as well as on the front lines of other disasters, like Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas just a few months ago – we saw how dangerous inaction and political paralysis can be, and how rapid mobilization saves lives. In a crisis, every minute – every second – counts.
To aid Haitians after the earthquake, the United States government deployed the most effective logistical and humanitarian organization the world has ever seen: the US military, which in Haiti included 22,000 soldiers, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the USNS Comfort, a 1,000-bed trauma hospital ship. US soldiers distributed food, organized health facilities, set up clean water access, and provided security.
During its three-month deployment among an understandably volatile population, the US military knew that being seen as an occupying force would hurt its ability to help those who needed assistance. Under Lieutenant General Ken Keen’s command, US soldiers in Haiti embraced a culture of compassion rather than force.
Working alongside them at the country’s largest tent camp allowed our organization, CORE, to effectively take over and manage a 60,000-person camp, with drainage, organized blocks of tents, and a hospital. Then cholera hit. Much like coronavirus, cholera’s spread can be managed with careful hygiene and quarantine. The US military and the CDC worked rapidly to distribute supplies, establish treatment facilities, train healthcare workers, and implement a national cholera monitoring system.
This was in Haiti, where public health infrastructure is limited and in some places nonexistent. Imagine what the US military could do here in the US, right now, to fight the coronavirus pandemic. We need to buy time for our scientists to develop a vaccine; we need to build infrastructure to administer tests and treat the afflicted.
Community organizations and various local and state authorities are working overtime to protect Americans. But these heroes do not have the manpower or resources to respond adequately to coronavirus. Our safety net is being rapidly overwhelmed.
We have the most effective armed forces in the world. And when policies allow soldiers to care instead of kill, they are at their very best. We have that opportunity today.
Our response must be focused above all on the direct and aggressive saving of life. General Stanley McChrystal put it best: “If we end up [manufacturing] too many ventilators … I can live with that.” In fact, in the unlikely event of a quick resolution to this crisis, we can all live with that.
The National Guard has already been deployed on a limited basis to help fight coronavirus. It’s not enough. We call on President Trump to commit the federal military to provide direct support. Our centralized, federal government can save lives now if it acts. It cannot only dribble out limited deployment through the Defense Production Act. The military must be tasked with a full offensive against this virus.
Ann Lee is the CEO of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), an NGO that works to save lives and strengthen communities affected by or vulnerable to crises


theguardian--2020-03-21--Congress and White House resume talks on $1tn pandemic rescue deal

Negotiators from Congress and the White House resumed top-level talks Saturday on a ballooning $ 1tn-plus economic rescue package , urged by Donald Trump to strike a deal to steady a nation thoroughly upended by the coronavirus pandemic .
It was an extraordinary moment in Washington : Congress undertaking the most ambitious federal effort yet to shore up households and the US economy and a president angry and lashing out at all comers .
All while the global outbreak and the nationwide shutdown grip an anxious , isolated population bracing for a healthcare crisis and looming recession .
Officials put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said with other measures from the Federal Reserve it could pump $ 2tn into the US economy .
Trump , during a briefing at the White House on Saturday , expressed optimism that it could be agreed upon soon .
“ They ’ re all negotiating and everybody ’ s working hard and they want to get to a solution that ’ s the right solution , I think we ’ re very close , “ said Trump , who continued to strike a confident tone about the nation ’ s ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are going to be celebrating a great victory in the not too distant future , ” he said .
On Capitol Hill , key congressional and White House officials converged Saturday for more talks on the sweeping aid package , which would provide paychecks for suddenly jobless Americans , money for hospitals and aid to industry .
The Senate convened the rare weekend session with the aim of drafting the package Saturday , holding an initial vote Sunday and winning Senate passage on Monday .
Mitch McConnell , the Senate majority leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ important progress , ” but urged talks to wrap up .
“ This is not a political opportunity , this is a national emergency , ” he said .
“ It ’ s time to come together , finalize the results of our bipartisan discussions and close this out.
” Despite the enormous pressure on Washington to act swiftly , the challenges are apparent .
Lawmakers and administration officials labored late into the evening Friday over eye-popping sums and striking federal interventions , surpassing even the 2008-09 bank bailout and stimulus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ details , which lawmakers on both sides of the aisle privately acknowledge may have sped up the process , but he said Saturday that he would be lobbying the lead negotiators .
He also expressed a clear distaste for any industry , including the airlines , that would use federal assistance to buy back its own stock in an effort to increase profits .
Banning stock buy-backs is one of Democrats ’ top priorities in the emerging rescue package as lawmakers strain to avoid a repeat of earlier politically toxic bailouts .
Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no layoffs , no salary boosts for executives and no stock buy-backs .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin began negotiations with McConnell , Schumer and other senators from both parties using McConnell ’ s GOP offer as a starting point .
The GOP plan aims to pump billions into $ 1,200 direct checks to Americans and provide billions to small businesses to pay workers idled during the global pandemic .
But Democrats say McConnell ’ s plan is insufficient , arguing for greater income support for workers and a “ Marshall Plan ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing for an onslaught of newly sick patients .

Negotiators from Congress and the White House resumed top-level talks Saturday on a ballooning $1tn-plus economic rescue package, urged by Donald Trump to strike a deal to steady a nation thoroughly upended by the coronavirus pandemic.
It was an extraordinary moment in Washington: Congress undertaking the most ambitious federal effort yet to shore up households and the US economy and a president angry and lashing out at all comers. All while the global outbreak and the nationwide shutdown grip an anxious, isolated population bracing for a healthcare crisis and looming recession.
Officials put the price tag at nearly $1.4tn and said with other measures from the Federal Reserve it could pump $2tn into the US economy. Trump, during a briefing at the White House on Saturday, expressed optimism that it could be agreed upon soon.
“They’re all negotiating and everybody’s working hard and they want to get to a solution that’s the right solution, I think we’re very close,“ said Trump, who continued to strike a confident tone about the nation’s ability to defeat the pandemic soon.
“We are going to be celebrating a great victory in the not too distant future,” he said.
On Capitol Hill, key congressional and White House officials converged Saturday for more talks on the sweeping aid package, which would provide paychecks for suddenly jobless Americans, money for hospitals and aid to industry.
The Senate convened the rare weekend session with the aim of drafting the package Saturday, holding an initial vote Sunday and winning Senate passage on Monday.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said Saturday that negotiators are making “important progress,” but urged talks to wrap up.
“This is not a political opportunity, this is a national emergency,” he said. “It’s time to come together, finalize the results of our bipartisan discussions and close this out.”
Despite the enormous pressure on Washington to act swiftly, the challenges are apparent. Lawmakers and administration officials labored late into the evening Friday over eye-popping sums and striking federal interventions, surpassing even the 2008-09 bank bailout and stimulus.
Trump has largely stayed out of the details, which lawmakers on both sides of the aisle privately acknowledge may have sped up the process, but he said Saturday that he would be lobbying the lead negotiators. He also expressed a clear distaste for any industry, including the airlines, that would use federal assistance to buy back its own stock in an effort to increase profits.
Banning stock buy-backs is one of Democrats’ top priorities in the emerging rescue package as lawmakers strain to avoid a repeat of earlier politically toxic bailouts. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that meant no layoffs, no salary boosts for executives and no stock buy-backs.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin began negotiations with McConnell, Schumer and other senators from both parties using McConnell’s GOP offer as a starting point.
The GOP plan aims to pump billions into $1,200 direct checks to Americans and provide billions to small businesses to pay workers idled during the global pandemic.
But Democrats say McConnell’s plan is insufficient, arguing for greater income support for workers and a “Marshall Plan” for the US healthcare industry, which is preparing for an onslaught of newly sick patients.


theguardian--2020-03-21--Trump dismisses report on early coronavirus warnings as 'inaccurate'

Donald Trump has dismissed a report that he ignored early warnings from US intelligence agencies about the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak in China and repeated recent attacks on the press .
The agencies sounded the alarm in January and February but the president continued to minimize the risk and failed to act , the Washington Post reported .
On Saturday , Trump , who has made a habit of shooting the media messenger , attacked the Post without dealing with any of the substance of the allegations contained in the reporting .
“ I think the Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very inaccurately , ” he told reporters at the daily White House coronavirus task force briefing .
“ I saw the story .
I think it ’ s a disgrace but it ’ s the Washington Post and I guess we have to live with it .
It ’ s a very inaccurate – ” As a journalist tried to interject , Trump raised his hand and snapped : “ Quiet , quiet.
” He went on to trumpet his decision to restrict travel from China .
“ From many people I get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country very early to a very heavily infected country .
China , unfortunately , China .
“ I wish China would have told us more about what was going on in China , long prior to us reading about it.
” Trump condemned Beijing for expelling New York Times , Washington Post and Wall Street Journal correspondents but added : “ I also think it ’ s terrible when people write inaccurately about you and they write inaccurately about me every single day , every single hour.
” He went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right-wing and pro-Trump One America News Network and who had invited him to attack the Post .
The president added : “ I didn ’ t act late .
I acted early .
I acted far before anybody thought I should be .
I took tremendous criticism from the various papers.
” The Post ’ s report said intelligence agencies did not predict when the virus might reach the US or recommend particular steps that public health officials should take .
“ But they did track the spread of the virus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and warned that Chinese officials appeared to be minimizing the severity of the outbreak , ” the report said .
It added : “ Taken together , the reports and warnings painted an early picture of a virus that showed the characteristics of a globe-encircling pandemic that could require governments to take swift actions to contain it .
But despite that constant flow of reporting , Trump continued publicly and privately to play down the threat the virus posed to Americans.
” Trump spent much of January and February downplaying the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , suggesting it will fade away in warm weather and ruminating , “ One day – it ’ s like a miracle – it will disappear ” .
Meanwhile he turned down testing kits approved by the World Health Organisation and is still playing catch up .
His 2016 election rival , Hillary Clinton , tweeted on Saturday : “ The Trump administration was told in January that coronavirus was likely to become a pandemic .
They refused to act for fear of spooking the markets , losing weeks of time to prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Donald Trump has dismissed a report that he ignored early warnings from US intelligence agencies about the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak in China and repeated recent attacks on the press.
The agencies sounded the alarm in January and February but the president continued to minimize the risk and failed to act, the Washington Post reported.
On Saturday, Trump, who has made a habit of shooting the media messenger, attacked the Post without dealing with any of the substance of the allegations contained in the reporting.
“I think the Washington Post covers us very inaccurately, covers me very inaccurately,” he told reporters at the daily White House coronavirus task force briefing. “I saw the story. I think it’s a disgrace but it’s the Washington Post and I guess we have to live with it. It’s a very inaccurate –”
As a journalist tried to interject, Trump raised his hand and snapped: “Quiet, quiet.”
He went on to trumpet his decision to restrict travel from China. “From many people I get a lot of credit for having closed our country very early to a very heavily infected country. China, unfortunately, China.
“I wish China would have told us more about what was going on in China, long prior to us reading about it.”
Trump condemned Beijing for expelling New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal correspondents but added: “I also think it’s terrible when people write inaccurately about you and they write inaccurately about me every single day, every single hour.”
He went on to praise the questioner, who works for the right-wing and pro-Trump One America News Network and who had invited him to attack the Post. The president added: “I didn’t act late. I acted early. I acted far before anybody thought I should be. I took tremendous criticism from the various papers.”
The Post’s report said intelligence agencies did not predict when the virus might reach the US or recommend particular steps that public health officials should take. “But they did track the spread of the virus in China, and later in other countries, and warned that Chinese officials appeared to be minimizing the severity of the outbreak,” the report said.
It added: “Taken together, the reports and warnings painted an early picture of a virus that showed the characteristics of a globe-encircling pandemic that could require governments to take swift actions to contain it. But despite that constant flow of reporting, Trump continued publicly and privately to play down the threat the virus posed to Americans.”
Trump spent much of January and February downplaying the crisis, comparing the pathogen with common flu, suggesting it would fade away in warm weather and ruminating, “One day – it’s like a miracle – it will disappear”. Meanwhile he turned down testing kits approved by the World Health Organisation and is still playing catch up.
His 2016 election rival, Hillary Clinton, tweeted on Saturday: “The Trump administration was told in January that coronavirus was likely to become a pandemic. They refused to act for fear of spooking the markets, losing weeks of time to prepare that we won’t get back.”


theguardian--2020-03-21--How did a Hispanic-majority city end up appointing a hate group member?

In many ways , Fennville , Michigan , represents the changing face of rural America .
The small coffee shop , antique mall and mechanic in its quaint , four-block downtown are neighbors with a tortilla factory and Mexican supermarket .
A mix of Hispanic and white people went about their business on a recent afternoon .
Just outside of town , several churches offer service in Spanish .
The community center has soccer fields to go with its basketball courts .
The school district developed a program to accommodate the children of hundreds of Mexican migrant workers who earn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and blueberry fields surrounding Fennville .
It ’ s a picture of integration that ’ s essential to America ’ s agricultural industry , but Fennville ’ s story also includes a darker part of the larger narrative .
The seemingly benign appointment of Morgan Bolles to the Fennville city commission in December exploded in controversy when days later it was revealed the 32-year-old is part of the Proud Boys , a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group whose nationalistic members have pushed anti-immigrant views .
Bolles didn ’ t disclose his affiliation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointment , and Fennville ’ s commissioners say they were duped .
In the intense and emotional discussion that followed , a picture of a racially divided town emerged .
Many view Bolles ’ s presence as a stain on the Hispanic-majority city of about 1,800 in western Michigan .
Many others support him .
Fennville ’ s Hispanic residents account for about 51 % of the city ’ s population , and they are left to figure out how to respond to having a Proud Boy on the governing body .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , say they are not afraid or angry .
They are vigilant and watching , and they are also unsurprised .
“ Racism is part of America – it ’ s just who we are , ” said Sergio Reyes , a Fennville resident who moved to the US from Mexico about 40 years ago and describes himself as “ American to the bone ” .
“ What ’ s good is that we know him , this is all out in the open , and you got people like myself who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Reyes added .
“ If he does something racist in the open , now we can deal with it.
” Several Hispanic employees of a Fennville business who declined to give their name echoed that sentiment .
“ That ’ s America , ” one said .
Another added that they were not particularly concerned as long as Bolles ( pronounced “ bowls ” ) wasn ’ t pushing his views on the commission .
“ We just have to keep working and making a better life and not let it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population grew in recent decades as migrants arrived for jobs in nearby fields , as well as those at a large facility owned by the food processing giant ConAgra .
The strength in numbers is also reassuring , said another Hispanic Fennville resident who declined to give her name .
“ It ’ s a dangerous group , it ’ s a racist group , so of course some people are upset .
But what can we do at this point ?
There ’ s many of us , and now we know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she added .
The Proud Boys are widely regarded as a racist , misogynistic , anti-liberal organization that has a “ tactical defense arm ” to engage in violence with its perceived enemies .
Though it claims not to be racist or aligned with the alt-right and other white supremacist organizations , some of its members and leadership are openly Islamophobic , anti-immigrant and antisemitic .
Bolles declined multiple requests for an interview with the Guardian , though his social media posts appear to convey his feelings towards minorities and LGTBQ+ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ OK ” symbol with his hand , which is a gesture used to convey support for white supremacy .
Another shows Bolles in a T-shirt with a picture of a limp-wristed Che Guevara above the words “ Socialism Is For F-gs ” .
When a Detroit News reporter previously asked about the shirt , Bolles said it meant “ Figs ” .
His affiliation with the Proud Boys only came to light after a group called Vigilant Anti-Fascist Action posted photos outing him .
Fennville ’ s city commissioner , Jim Hayden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he learned of Bolles ’ s membership .
He and other commissioners said they were deceived by Bolles , who didn ’ t mention the Proud Boys affiliation in interviews or his application .
Bolles has previously said he didn ’ t offer the information because no one asked .
“ It ’ s just childish to say ‘ Nobody asked me ’ , ” Hayden said .
“ If you have honor , dignity , respect and care about the job , then you tell the people interviewing you ‘ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you about ’ .
” Bolles isn ’ t alone in his political ambitions on the far right .
Though there ’ s no clear data available on how many far-right extremists are running for local offices around the country , anecdotal evidence suggests more are doing so , said Cassie Miller , a research analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Center .
Leaked chats from the white nationalist group White Evropa showed the group ’ s leadership urging its members to infiltrate the GOP and run for local office , and at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office in 2018 .
Another was appointed precinct captain for the Republican party in Washington , while Matt Shea , a Washington state representative , has said that males who support abortion and same-sex marriage should be killed .
He was later found to be planning surveillance of and violence against perceived political enemies on the left , and has been labeled a domestic terrorist in a report by independent investigators commissioned by the Washington legislature .
“ Anecdotally , we ’ re seeing more extremist candidates running for office who are galvanized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his model – if you vilify immigrants and Muslims , that will rile up people and get them to vote , so we ’ re seeing more people parroting him , ” Miller said .
“ The model of the organized right has been to get people in at the local level and move up the ranks.
” Fennville ’ s city charter and state law doesn ’ t offer any remedy except a recall , and that process can ’ t be started for a year .
Bolles ’ s appointment is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s likely that he will serve the term and voters can decide his fate in November 2021 , Hayden said .
It ’ s also unclear that a recall would be successful .
Many citizens on social media and in public meetings expressed a “ give him a chance ” attitude .
Reyes said that was “ problematic ” and questioned if those residents would feel the same if a Latin Kings gang member were appointed to the commission .
In the meantime , Bolles is helping make decisions about the minutiae that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fennville will soon need to replace its aerator , and it ’ s considering selling a city-owned building to a medical marijuana company .
At a recent meeting , Bolles suggested the city consider live-streaming commission meetings as a measure to promote open government .
Though Fennville ’ s Latino population isn ’ t regularly politically active , it can be mobilized when there ’ s an issue that affects it , and Bolles is one of those , Reyes said .
He expects that Fennville will “ get him out ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a silver lining to the controversy , it ’ s that residents have gotten to know each other as they discuss it , Reyes said , and that ’ s “ the only way that racism goes away ” .
“ It ’ s gotten people together because we don ’ t want that in our town , we have to live with each other , and we have to learn that we aren ’ t bad people , “ he said .

In many ways, Fennville, Michigan, represents the changing face of rural America. The small coffee shop, antique mall and mechanic in its quaint, four-block downtown are neighbors with a tortilla factory and Mexican supermarket. A mix of Hispanic and white people went about their business on a recent afternoon.
Just outside of town, several churches offer service in Spanish. The community center has soccer fields to go with its basketball courts. The school district developed a program to accommodate the children of hundreds of Mexican migrant workers who earn their keep in the corn, soybean and blueberry fields surrounding Fennville.
It’s a picture of integration that’s essential to America’s agricultural industry, but Fennville’s story also includes a darker part of the larger narrative.
The seemingly benign appointment of Morgan Bolles to the Fennville city commission in December exploded in controversy when days later it was revealed the 32-year-old is part of the Proud Boys, a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group whose nationalistic members have pushed anti-immigrant views.
Bolles didn’t disclose his affiliation with the Proud Boys ahead of the appointment, and Fennville’s commissioners say they were duped. In the intense and emotional discussion that followed, a picture of a racially divided town emerged. Many view Bolles’s presence as a stain on the Hispanic-majority city of about 1,800 in western Michigan. Many others support him.
Fennville’s Hispanic residents account for about 51% of the city’s population, and they are left to figure out how to respond to having a Proud Boy on the governing body. Those who spoke with the Guardian, however, say they are not afraid or angry. They are vigilant and watching, and they are also unsurprised.
“Racism is part of America – it’s just who we are,” said Sergio Reyes, a Fennville resident who moved to the US from Mexico about 40 years ago and describes himself as “American to the bone”.
“What’s good is that we know him, this is all out in the open, and you got people like myself who are willing to speak up on the problem,” Reyes added. “If he does something racist in the open, now we can deal with it.”
Several Hispanic employees of a Fennville business who declined to give their name echoed that sentiment.
“That’s America,” one said. Another added that they were not particularly concerned as long as Bolles (pronounced “bowls”) wasn’t pushing his views on the commission. “We just have to keep working and making a better life and not let it affect us.”
Fennville’s Hispanic population grew in recent decades as migrants arrived for jobs in nearby fields, as well as those at a large facility owned by the food processing giant ConAgra. The strength in numbers is also reassuring, said another Hispanic Fennville resident who declined to give her name.
“It’s a dangerous group, it’s a racist group, so of course some people are upset. But what can we do at this point? There’s many of us, and now we know he’s there and we watch,” she added.
The Proud Boys are widely regarded as a racist, misogynistic, anti-liberal organization that has a “tactical defense arm” to engage in violence with its perceived enemies. Though it claims not to be racist or aligned with the alt-right and other white supremacist organizations, some of its members and leadership are openly Islamophobic, anti-immigrant and antisemitic.
Bolles declined multiple requests for an interview with the Guardian, though his social media posts appear to convey his feelings towards minorities and LGTBQ+ people. One shows Bolles flashing the “OK” symbol with his hand, which is a gesture used to convey support for white supremacy. Another shows Bolles in a T-shirt with a picture of a limp-wristed Che Guevara above the words “Socialism Is For F-gs”. When a Detroit News reporter previously asked about the shirt, Bolles said it meant “Figs”.
His affiliation with the Proud Boys only came to light after a group called Vigilant Anti-Fascist Action posted photos outing him. Fennville’s city commissioner, Jim Hayden, said he “felt terrible” when he learned of Bolles’s membership . He and other commissioners said they were deceived by Bolles, who didn’t mention the Proud Boys affiliation in interviews or his application.
Bolles has previously said he didn’t offer the information because no one asked.
“It’s just childish to say ‘Nobody asked me’,” Hayden said. “If you have honor, dignity, respect and care about the job, then you tell the people interviewing you ‘I’ve got some things to tell you about’.”
Bolles isn’t alone in his political ambitions on the far right. Though there’s no clear data available on how many far-right extremists are running for local offices around the country, anecdotal evidence suggests more are doing so, said Cassie Miller, a research analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Leaked chats from the white nationalist group White Evropa showed the group’s leadership urging its members to infiltrate the GOP and run for local office, and at least eight white nationalists ran for state office in 2018.
Another was appointed precinct captain for the Republican party in Washington, while Matt Shea, a Washington state representative, has said that males who support abortion and same-sex marriage should be killed. He was later found to be planning surveillance of and violence against perceived political enemies on the left, and has been labeled a domestic terrorist in a report by independent investigators commissioned by the Washington legislature.
“Anecdotally, we’re seeing more extremist candidates running for office who are galvanized by Trump’s rhetoric and use his model – if you vilify immigrants and Muslims, that will rile up people and get them to vote, so we’re seeing more people parroting him,” Miller said. “The model of the organized right has been to get people in at the local level and move up the ranks.”
Fennville’s city charter and state law doesn’t offer any remedy except a recall, and that process can’t be started for a year. Bolles’s appointment is for two years, so it’s likely that he will serve the term and voters can decide his fate in November 2021, Hayden said.
It’s also unclear that a recall would be successful. Many citizens on social media and in public meetings expressed a “give him a chance” attitude. Reyes said that was “problematic” and questioned if those residents would feel the same if a Latin Kings gang member were appointed to the commission.
In the meantime, Bolles is helping make decisions about the minutiae that are part of running a small town. Fennville will soon need to replace its aerator, and it’s considering selling a city-owned building to a medical marijuana company. At a recent meeting, Bolles suggested the city consider live-streaming commission meetings as a measure to promote open government.
Though Fennville’s Latino population isn’t regularly politically active, it can be mobilized when there’s an issue that affects it, and Bolles is one of those, Reyes said. He expects that Fennville will “get him out” of office in 2021.
If there’s a silver lining to the controversy, it’s that residents have gotten to know each other as they discuss it, Reyes said, and that’s “the only way that racism goes away”.
“It’s gotten people together because we don’t want that in our town, we have to live with each other, and we have to learn that we aren’t bad people, “ he said.


theguardian--2020-03-21--Bluff, bombast and blame is all that Donald Trump can offer in this crisis | Nick Cohen

The one welcome casualty of the coronavirus pandemic ought to be the culture wars .
If it achieves nothing else , the health crisis has revealed the emptiness of leaders who manufacture nationalist fears to maintain their power .
Boris Johnson now looks as out of place as a clown in a morgue .
Donald Trump looks as out of luck as a cornered conman .
Nothing is inevitable , however .
To see how a pandemic can be used to ensure that supplies of politically useful rage keep flowing , look at how US Republicans are constructing a cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
The gaps in safety nets that the virus is revealing everywhere gape in the United States .
That the world ’ s richest country somehow never got round to providing universal healthcare is bad enough , but the incompetence of Trump ’ s White House and the wider US right has been close to criminal .
“ We have it under control .
It ’ s going to be just fine , ” Trump bragged on 22 January .
He has never managed to rise from that low point .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended to make the virus seem a minor nuisance , and then , as reality dawned on the president ’ s narrow mind , to ensure blame went to anyone but himself .
He was not alone .
Fox News , which acts as a front for his administration and as the respectable face of crackpot politics , has been engaged in an equally clanking gearshift .
At the beginning of March , liberal criticisms of Trump ’ s inability to see a national emergency when it was staring him in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ” , according to one presenter .
At worst , the virus “ could be the flu ” , added a second .
Not even so bad a flu , opined a third .
The U-turn in mid-March was so fast you could smell the burning rubber on the road .
Overnight , coronavirus became a “ health crisis ” and an “ incredibly dangerous and contagious virus ” .
How do you recover from an error of such magnitude ?
The honourable course , of admitting a mistake and expressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was unavailable – and not only because fighting in a culture war means never having to say you ’ re sorry .
Honesty might be fatal to Trump ’ s hopes of re-election .
Instead , an escape attempt began with the right-wing deploying the language policing it so often deplores on the politically correct left .
Trump is now insisting that coronavirus should not be called coronavirus but “ Chinese virus ” .
The side benefits he could expect to bank ought to be obvious .
Trump could count on US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being an anti-Chinese racist .
Liberals duly walked into the trap and Trump ’ s supporters were transported from the fear of living in an unprepared country with a demonstrably inadequate leader to the familiar ground of culture war .
They could mutter : “ Oh , these people call everything they don ’ t like racist ; they ’ ll be saying it ’ s racist to call Chinese food ‘ Chinese ’ next.
” Trump could also count on the academically minded , saying scientists might once have named the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Wuhan virus ” – as the Spanish flu and Ebola were named after the places where they were thought to originate .
But the World Health Organization decided in 2015 that it wanted medically useful names .
Trump ’ s supporters could shrug aside the WHO ’ s fancy talk and say that everyone knows the outbreak started because of China ’ s appalling treatment of animals , and the Chinese Communist party then added the suppression of news to its list of crimes by hiding the outbreak ’ s existence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is a semi-senile fool – and I do – it is worth remembering that he remains a brilliant political operator , who has destroyed all opponents within and without the Republican party who made the mistake of underestimating him .
In this instance his cleverness , and the major benefit he expects to enjoy , lies in shifting the blame for his folly on to the Chinese .
It does not stop there .
If the virus is China ’ s fault , then domestic critics of his administration are traitors aiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m exaggerating ?
On 16 March , Trump tweeted a link to an article on the paranoid Federalist site .
The author , one Madeline Osburn , was explicit .
The Atlantic , a serious American magazine , had joined “ China ’ s anti-American disinformation efforts ” , she said .
Osburn , who would have had a glittering career on the People ’ s Daily if she had been born Chinese , cited the work of The Atlantic ’ s Anne Applebaum , without appearing to know that Applebaum has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of communism .
Describing how the pandemic has exposed America ’ s weaknesses in general , and its president ’ s weaknesses in particular , made Applebaum a useful idiot at best and traitor at worst , Osburn said .
The presidential retweet was not a one-off .
By 19 March , Trump was saying in public that journalists who asked hard questions were “ siding with China ” .
On 31 January , Trump had boasted : “ We pretty much shut it down coming in from China .
We have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very positive thing.
” By last week , he was counting on his supporters to have forgotten all that .
This is how a failed presidency and failed political movement fights when it is in a corner .
The hope that events will justify your beliefs is an ineradicable delusion .
Surely , now the British will see through Johnson , liberals say , rather than blindly rally to his government in a time of crisis .
Surely , the Americans will toss Trump on the scrap heap in November .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats still have to unseat a sitting president – a feat they have not managed since 1992 .
Labour still has to turn itself from a serial election-loser into an election-winning machine .
As the US shows , coronavirus can become the “ China virus ” .
And what seems an irrefutable argument for a comprehensive welfare state can become an excuse for nationalist tricksters to wrap themselves in their tattered flags .
• Nick Cohen is an Observer columnist

The one welcome casualty of the coronavirus pandemic ought to be the culture wars. If it achieves nothing else, the health crisis has revealed the emptiness of leaders who manufacture nationalist fears to maintain their power. Boris Johnson now looks as out of place as a clown in a morgue. Donald Trump looks as out of luck as a cornered conman.
Nothing is inevitable, however. To see how a pandemic can be used to ensure that supplies of politically useful rage keep flowing, look at how US Republicans are constructing a cover story. They have plenty to cover up. The gaps in safety nets that the virus is revealing everywhere gape in the United States. That the world’s richest country somehow never got round to providing universal healthcare is bad enough, but the incompetence of Trump’s White House and the wider US right has been close to criminal.
“We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine,” Trump bragged on 22 January. He has never managed to rise from that low point. All Americans have had is bluff and bombast intended to make the virus seem a minor nuisance, and then, as reality dawned on the president’s narrow mind, to ensure blame went to anyone but himself. He was not alone. Fox News, which acts as a front for his administration and as the respectable face of crackpot politics, has been engaged in an equally clanking gearshift. At the beginning of March, liberal criticisms of Trump’s inability to see a national emergency when it was staring him in the face were “just another attempt to impeach the president”, according to one presenter. At worst, the virus “could be the flu”, added a second. Not even so bad a flu, opined a third. The U-turn in mid-March was so fast you could smell the burning rubber on the road. Overnight, coronavirus became a “health crisis” and an “incredibly dangerous and contagious virus”.
The honourable course, of admitting a mistake and expressing determination to do better, was unavailable
How do you recover from an error of such magnitude? The honourable course, of admitting a mistake and expressing a determination to do better in future, was unavailable – and not only because fighting in a culture war means never having to say you’re sorry. Honesty might be fatal to Trump’s hopes of re-election.
Instead, an escape attempt began with the right-wing deploying the language policing it so often deplores on the politically correct left. Trump is now insisting that coronavirus should not be called coronavirus but “Chinese virus”.
The side benefits he could expect to bank ought to be obvious. Trump could count on US liberals playing his game by accusing him of being an anti-Chinese racist. Liberals duly walked into the trap and Trump’s supporters were transported from the fear of living in an unprepared country with a demonstrably inadequate leader to the familiar ground of culture war. They could mutter: “Oh, these people call everything they don’t like racist; they’ll be saying it’s racist to call Chinese food ‘Chinese’ next.”
Trump could also count on the academically minded, saying scientists might once have named the coronavirus the “China virus” or “Wuhan virus” – as the Spanish flu and Ebola were named after the places where they were thought to originate. But the World Health Organization decided in 2015 that it wanted medically useful names. Trump’s supporters could shrug aside the WHO’s fancy talk and say that everyone knows the outbreak started because of China’s appalling treatment of animals, and the Chinese Communist party then added the suppression of news to its list of crimes by hiding the outbreak’s existence.
However much critics may want to say Trump is a semi-senile fool – and I do – it is worth remembering that he remains a brilliant political operator, who has destroyed all opponents within and without the Republican party who made the mistake of underestimating him. In this instance his cleverness, and the major benefit he expects to enjoy, lies in shifting the blame for his folly on to the Chinese.
If the virus is China's fault, then domestic critics of Trump's administration are traitors aiding Chinese communists
It does not stop there. If the virus is China’s fault, then domestic critics of his administration are traitors aiding the Chinese communists. You think I’m exaggerating? On 16 March, Trump tweeted a link to an article on the paranoid Federalist site. The author, one Madeline Osburn, was explicit. The Atlantic, a serious American magazine, had joined “China’s anti-American disinformation efforts”, she said. Osburn, who would have had a glittering career on the People’s Daily if she had been born Chinese, cited the work of The Atlantic’s Anne Applebaum, without appearing to know that Applebaum has written two devastating histories of the atrocities of communism. Describing how the pandemic has exposed America’s weaknesses in general, and its president’s weaknesses in particular, made Applebaum a useful idiot at best and traitor at worst, Osburn said.
The presidential retweet was not a one-off. By 19 March, Trump was saying in public that journalists who asked hard questions were “siding with China”. On 31 January, Trump had boasted: “We pretty much shut it down coming in from China. We have a tremendous relationship with China, which is a very positive thing.” By last week, he was counting on his supporters to have forgotten all that. This is how a failed presidency and failed political movement fights when it is in a corner.
The hope that events will justify your beliefs is an ineradicable delusion. Surely, now the British will see through Johnson, liberals say, rather than blindly rally to his government in a time of crisis. Surely, the Americans will toss Trump on the scrap heap in November. But political battles do not win themselves. Democrats still have to unseat a sitting president – a feat they have not managed since 1992. Labour still has to turn itself from a serial election-loser into an election-winning machine. As the US shows, coronavirus can become the “China virus”. And what seems an irrefutable argument for a comprehensive welfare state can become an excuse for nationalist tricksters to wrap themselves in their tattered flags.


theguardian--2020-03-21--The US military would be superb at fighting coronavirus. Let's use it | Ann Lee and Sean Penn

In 2010 , a devastating earthquake hit Haiti .
In three minutes it killed more than 200,000 people and displaced two million more .
Our humanitarian aid organization , the Community Organized Relief Effort ( CORE ) , was on the ground in Haiti .
In Haiti – as well as on the front lines of other disasters , like Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas just a few months ago – we saw how dangerous inaction and political paralysis can be , and how rapid mobilization saves lives .
In a crisis , every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To aid Haitians after the earthquake , the United States government deployed the most effective logistical and humanitarian organization the world has ever seen : the US military , which in Haiti included 22,000 soldiers , the Army Corps of Engineers , and the USNS Comfort , a 1,000-bed trauma hospital ship .
US soldiers distributed food , organized health facilities , set up clean water access , and provided security .
During its three-month deployment among an understandably volatile population , the US military knew that being seen as an occupying force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who needed assistance .
Under Lieutenant General Ken Keen ’ s command , US soldiers in Haiti embraced a culture of compassion rather than force .
Working alongside them at the country ’ s largest tent camp allowed our organization , CORE , to effectively take over and manage a 60,000-person camp , with drainage , organized blocks of tents , and a hospital .
Then cholera hit .
Much like coronavirus , cholera ’ s spread can be managed with careful hygiene and quarantine .
The US military and the CDC worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities , train healthcare workers , and implement a national cholera monitoring system .
This was in Haiti , where public health infrastructure is limited and in some places nonexistent .
Imagine what the US military could do here in the US , right now , to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
We need to buy time for our scientists to develop a vaccine ; we need to build infrastructure to administer tests and treat the afflicted .
Community organizations and various local and state authorities are working overtime to protect Americans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ manpower or resources to respond adequately to coronavirus .
Our safety net is being rapidly overwhelmed .
We have the most effective armed forces in the world .
And when policies allow soldiers to care instead of kill , they are at their very best .
We have that opportunity today .
Our response must be focused above all on the direct and aggressive saving of life .
General Stanley McChrystal put it best : “ If we end up [ manufacturing ] too many ventilators … I can live with that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a quick resolution to this crisis , we can all live with that .
The National Guard has already been deployed on a limited basis to help fight coronavirus .
It ’ s not enough .
We call on President Trump to commit the federal military to provide direct support .
Our centralized , federal government can save lives now if it acts .
It can not only dribble out limited deployment through the Defense Production Act .
The military must be tasked with a full offensive against this virus .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Community Organized Relief Effort ( CORE ) , an NGO that works to save lives and strengthen communities affected by or vulnerable to crises • None Sean Penn is the founder of CORE


theguardian--2020-03-22--Trump talks himself up as 'wartime president' to lead America through a crisis

Bill Clinton used to lament that his time as US president was broadly peaceful , and lacked a historic test of his mettle .
Donald Trump believes that his moment has arrived : a crisis on a par with leading a nation at war .
“ I view it as a , in a sense , a wartime president , ” he said at the White House this week as he belatedly comprehended the epic scale of the coronavirus pandemic , which in the US alone has infected more than 19,000 people and killed more than 200 .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re fighting.
” The world witnessed two Trumps in often jarring conflict last week , sometimes in the same breath .
One was aspiring to be statesmanlike , reassuring an anguished public and mobilizing the awesome power of the American government .
The other was more familiar : belligerent , anti-science , racially divisive , airing grievances and resentments and blaming everyone but himself .
Yet from the blur something else was coming into focus .
Having procrastinated at the outbreak of the pandemic , this was the week Trump regained his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at his re-election .
The bid for four more years of power includes muscular language , projecting himself as a wartime leader , a dose of nationalism in stricter border controls and references to the “ Chinese virus ” , and a blitzkrieg at his old foes in the media .
Although he can no longer hold rambunctious campaign rallies , Trump is instead relishing the medium he knows best by holding televised daily briefings from the White House .
Whereas for a while he was forced to play second fiddle to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden is forced to host virtual campaign events – plagued by technical glitches - and Trump is back at the centre of events .
Steve Bannon , a former White House chief strategist , said : “ We are at war , and now by necessity he is a ‘ wartime ’ president .
Churchill rose to the occasion and secured his place in history .
Trump ’ s moment is here , to grasp or to lose.
” So far there is little sign that even this trauma , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has shifted America ’ s political divide .
Democrats have eviscerated the president for downplaying the threat of the virus – Despite Trump ’ s vague and over-optimistic claims , America is still woefully lacking in testing kits and equipment , and its notoriously flawed healthcare system could soon be overwhelmed .
However , as in so many other political flashpoints over the past three years , Republicans remain loyal to Trump , and there is no evidence that his “ base ” is deserting him .
An ABC News/Ipsos poll released on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approve of the president ’ s management of the coronavirus crisis , while 43 % disapprove .
This represented a switch from a week earlier when only 43 % approved 54 % disapproved .
The finding may reflect a discernible change in Trump ’ s attitude , starting on Friday 13 March when he declared a national emergency .
He then expanded travel restrictions on Europe , Canada and Mexico , issued guidelines against group gatherings of more than 10 people , signaled his support for sending cheques to affected Americans and invoked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment .
There was also a change in tone , as tried to sound more sombre and serious – with mixed success – and alluded to the fight against Hitler .
“ Every generation of Americans has been called to make shared sacrifices for the good of the nation , ” he said on Wednesday , citing the teenage volunteers , factory workers and ship builders of the second world war .
“ And now it ’ s our time .
We must sacrifice together because we are all in this together and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s the invisible enemy.
” Henry Olsen , a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center thinktank in Washington , said : “ It ’ s the sort of thing that will resonate with his supporters : strength , decisiveness and , let ’ s not forget , this came from a communist country.
” At first the concept of a microscopic “ invisible enemy ” did not fit the old Trump playbook that prefers to target people , often people of color .
But in the past week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branding , “ Chinese virus ” , to constantly remind the public where the respiratory infection originated .
On Thursday Trump even crossed out the word “ corona ” in his prepared remarks and hand wrote “ Chinese ” instead .
There was criticism of the term as a xenophobic ploy to fire up his “ build the wall ” support base .
Olsen said he would have awarded Trump a grade D two weeks ago but the president is now quickly waking up to reality .
“ This would be a test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as people rally round .
We ’ ve got a test of the thesis of the anti-Trump and Never Trump crowd : they always told us when a true crisis came , he wouldn ’ t be able to handle it .
Events will speak for themselves.
” If the number of deaths soars and the economy craters , Olsen noted , Trump is likely to lose in November .
But if the opposite happens , “ he ’ ll be able to say he was up to the test .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roulette table and everything is on black and we don ’ t know where it ’ s going to land.
” The virus has scrambled Washington ’ s political order .
The election has temporarily become a sideshow as Congress rushes through billions of dollars in stimulus to stave off a 1930s-style great depression .
Senate Republicans , typically the party of small government , low taxes and rugged individualism , proposed a direct payment to Americans of up to $ 1,200 .
Trump earned praise from Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California states respectively .
Yet the president could not resist tweeting attacks at Cuomo and Gretchen Whitmer , the Democratic governor of Michigan .
He played little part in negotiating with the Democratic-led House of Representatives , which impeached him a few months ago , dispatching treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin instead .
In the daily White House briefings the old Trump was never far away , with misleading claims , attempts to blame his predecessor and unhinged outbursts that likely had the career health professionals at his side inwardly cringing .
On Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message to Americans who are feeling scared .
The reply was less than Churchillian : “ I say that you ’ re a terrible reporter .
That ’ s what I say .
I think it ’ s a very nasty question and I think it ’ s a very bad signal that you ’ re putting out to the American people.
” Leon Panetta , a former defense secretary and director of the CIA , said : “ He ’ s still wrapped up in the political traps that he constantly gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats and whoever else is out there who he tweets about .
He ’ s still caught in that paralysis that prevents him , frankly , from really exercising the leadership that the country needs.
” Regarding Trump ’ s use of the phrase “ Chinese virus ” , Panetta added : “ I have to believe that he continues to use that term as a way to appeal to his base as opposed to trying to exercise what I think would be more responsible leadership in acknowledging that what we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likes it or not , is the American virus.
” Trump has generally found bad publicity to more useful than no publicity at all .
The crisis has handed him a dominant national platform where Vice President Mike Pence and other officials lavish him with praise .
Biden , meanwhile , marked his latest victories in the Democratic primary race in a streamed video from his home in Wilmington , Delaware , speaking for six minutes in front of a black curtain with no audience .
Wendy Schiller , a political science professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island , said : “ It ’ s perfectly conceivable Trump survives this and wins the election .
If he can keep the death toll down , sell the idea that it could have been worse and show he was a volatile character who turned the corner in a crisis , it ’ s going to be hard for Biden to unseat him .
“ Showing minimal compassion in the case of Donald Trump may be all he has to do to win in 2020.
” Should the coronavirus kill thousands and wreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well turn to Barack Obama ’ s vice-president for steadiness and wisdom .
Schiller said : “ Biden is the epitome of the opposite of Trump in a crisis .
If people are going to turn away from Trump , Biden is exactly the person they will go for.
” Panetta , who has endorsed Biden for president , believes this latter scenario will come to pass .
He said : “ History is not going to be kind with the fact that they knew about this pandemic going back a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country to deal with it .
”

Bill Clinton used to lament that his time as US president was broadly peaceful, and lacked a historic test of his mettle. Donald Trump believes that his moment has arrived: a crisis on a par with leading a nation at war.
“I view it as a, in a sense, a wartime president,” he said at the White House this week as he belatedly comprehended the epic scale of the coronavirus pandemic, which in the US alone has infected more than 19,000 people and killed more than 200. “I mean, that’s what we’re fighting.”
The world witnessed two Trumps in often jarring conflict last week, sometimes in the same breath. One was aspiring to be statesmanlike, reassuring an anguished public and mobilizing the awesome power of the American government. The other was more familiar: belligerent, anti-science, racially divisive, airing grievances and resentments and blaming everyone but himself.
Yet from the blur something else was coming into focus. Having procrastinated at the outbreak of the pandemic, this was the week Trump regained his footing and began to thread a narrative aimed at his re-election.
The bid for four more years of power includes muscular language, projecting himself as a wartime leader, a dose of nationalism in stricter border controls and references to the “Chinese virus”, and a blitzkrieg at his old foes in the media.
Although he can no longer hold rambunctious campaign rallies, Trump is instead relishing the medium he knows best by holding televised daily briefings from the White House. Whereas for a while he was forced to play second fiddle to the Democratic presidential primary, now rival Joe Biden is forced to host virtual campaign events – plagued by technical glitches - and Trump is back at the centre of events.
Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist, said: “We are at war, and now by necessity he is a ‘wartime’ president. Churchill rose to the occasion and secured his place in history. Trump’s moment is here, to grasp or to lose.”
So far there is little sign that even this trauma, which is shutting down much of the country, has shifted America’s political divide.
Democrats have eviscerated the president for downplaying the threat of the virus – Despite Trump’s vague and overoptimistic claims, America is still woefully lacking in testing kits and equipment , and its notoriously flawed healthcare system could soon be overwhelmed.
However, as in so many other political flashpoints over the past three years, Republicans remain loyal to Trump, and there is no evidence that his “base” is deserting him. An ABC News/Ipsos poll released on Friday found that 55% of respondents approve of the president’s management of the coronavirus crisis, while 43% disapprove. This represented a switch from a week earlier when only 43% approved and 54% disapproved.
The finding may reflect a discernible change in Trump’s attitude, starting on Friday 13 March when he declared a national emergency. He then expanded travel restrictions on Europe, Canada and Mexico, issued guidelines against group gatherings of more than 10 people, signaled his support for sending cheques to affected Americans and invoked the Defense Production Act to mass produce equipment.
There was also a change in tone, as he tried to sound more sombre and serious – with mixed success – and alluded to the fight against Hitler. “Every generation of Americans has been called to make shared sacrifices for the good of the nation,” he said on Wednesday, citing the teenage volunteers, factory workers and shipbuilders of the second world war.
“And now it’s our time. We must sacrifice together because we are all in this together and we’ll come through together. It’s the invisible enemy.”
Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center thinktank in Washington, said: “It’s the sort of thing that will resonate with his supporters: strength, decisiveness and, let’s not forget, this came from a communist country.”
At first the concept of a microscopic “invisible enemy” did not fit the old Trump playbook that prefers to target people, often people of color. But in the past week he found a fix with some characteristic branding, “Chinese virus”, to constantly remind the public where the respiratory infection originated. On Thursday Trump even crossed out the word “corona” in his prepared remarks and hand wrote “Chinese” instead.
There was criticism of the term as a xenophobic ploy to fire up his “build the wall” support base.
Olsen said he would have awarded Trump a grade D two weeks ago but the president is now quickly waking up to reality. “This would be a test of any president and things can change as people rally round. We’ve got a test of the thesis of the anti-Trump and Never Trump crowd: they always told us when a true crisis came, he wouldn’t be able to handle it. Events will speak for themselves.”
If the number of deaths soars and the economy craters, Olsen noted, Trump is likely to lose in November. But if the opposite happens, “he’ll be able to say he was up to the test. In a sense, we’re at the roulette table and everything is on black and we don’t know where it’s going to land.”
The virus has scrambled Washington’s political order. The election has temporarily become a sideshow as Congress rushes through billions of dollars in stimulus to stave off a 1930s-style great depression. Senate Republicans, typically the party of small government, low taxes and rugged individualism, proposed a direct payment to Americans of up to $1,200.
Trump earned praise from Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governors of New York and California states respectively. Yet the president could not resist tweeting attacks at Cuomo and Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan. He played little part in negotiating with the Democratic-led House of Representatives, which impeached him a few months ago, dispatching the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, instead.
In the daily White House briefings the old Trump was never far away, with misleading claims, attempts to blame his predecessor and unhinged outbursts that probably had the career health professionals at his side inwardly cringing. On Friday a reporter asked the president for his message to Americans who are feeling scared. The reply was less than Churchillian: “I say that you’re a terrible reporter. That’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question and I think it’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people.”
Leon Panetta, a former defense secretary and director of the CIA, said: “He’s still wrapped up in the political traps that he constantly gets bound by as to the press and the Democrats and whoever else is out there who he tweets about. He’s still caught in that paralysis that prevents him, frankly, from really exercising the leadership that the country needs.”
Regarding Trump’s use of the phrase “Chinese virus”, Panetta added: “I have to believe that he continues to use that term as a way to appeal to his base as opposed to trying to exercise what I think would be more responsible leadership in acknowledging that what we’re now dealing with, whether he likes it or not, is the American virus.”
Trump has generally found bad publicity to be more useful than no publicity at all. The crisis has handed him a dominant national platform where Vice-President Mike Pence and other officials lavish him with praise. Biden, meanwhile, marked his latest victories in the Democratic primary race in a streamed video from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, speaking for six minutes in front of a black curtain with no audience.
Wendy Schiller, a political science professor at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, said: “It’s perfectly conceivable Trump survives this and wins the election. If he can keep the death toll down, sell the idea that it could have been worse and show he was a volatile character who turned the corner in a crisis, it’s going to be hard for Biden to unseat him.
“Showing minimal compassion in the case of Donald Trump may be all he has to do to win in 2020.”
Should the coronavirus kill thousands and wreak economic destruction, however, voters may well turn to Barack Obama’s vice-president for steadiness and wisdom. Schiller said: “Biden is the epitome of the opposite of Trump in a crisis. If people are going to turn away from Trump, Biden is exactly the person they will go for.”
Panetta, who has endorsed Biden for president, believes this latter scenario will come to pass. He said: “History is not going to be kind with the fact that they knew about this pandemic going back a number of months and did very little to prepare the country to deal with it.”


theguardian--2020-03-22--A Citizen's Guide to Beating Donald Trump review: dispatches from a time before the virus

David Plouffe went to the White House with Obama then predicted a Clinton victory .
Has he learned from that reverse ?
Have we ?
On Tuesday , Joe Biden and his juggernaut left Bernie Sanders ’ dream in tatters .
The former vice-president swept primaries in Arizona , Florida and Illinois .
Fact : Sanders looks a lot less appealing without Hillary Clinton to kick around .
Beyond that , the pestilential confluence of Donald Trump and an economy in freefall have bequeathed the Democrats a political advantage .
Come November , the story may be a blue ocean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidents who preside over recessions or worse are generally not returned to office .
And their party gets punished – just ask Herbert Hoover .
A Democratic Senate is actually possible .
Enter David Plouffe and his campaign primer , A Citizen ’ s Guide to Beating Donald Trump .
Plouffe managed Barack Obama ’ s first presidential run , then served in his White House .
He also did a stint at Uber and partnered with Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg .
He is sharp and prescient , but not clairvoyant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ win and derided liberal doubters as “ bedwetters ” .
His worst-case scenario awarded the Democrats 324 electoral votes .
Things didn ’ t work out as planned .
Looking to avoid another debacle , Plouffe delivers a dense , nuts-and-bolts book , chock-full of advice .
Written before the first nominating contest and the global pandemic , it is a mixture of enthusiasm and partially outdated realism .
Plouffe is no longer dismissive of Trump and his political skill set .
As for Clinton ’ s loss , Plouffe observes , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” on the margins , in the swing states , and Clinton ’ s own errors .
“ Three strikes , and you know what happened next , ” writes Obama ’ s counselor .
Plouffe contends that a significant pool of “ undecided and persuadable and might-vote citizens ” will probably control the next election ’ s outcome .
Citizen ’ s Guide offers a useful description of the “ gettable ” electorate : first-time voters , Obama/Trump voters , past-Trump voters who are “ open to an alternative ” and voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but who are now open to that possibility .
Likewise , Plouffe is mindful of political identification serving as social glue and identity .
As he frames things : “ If November comes and persuadable voters testify ” that Trump drives them “ crazy with tweets ” , view him as a “ terrible person ” , but conclude that the president has been “ OK on the economy and the Democrats want to turn us into a socialist country ” , Trump will probably return to power .
To be sure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Plague 2.0 is never a good look .
First-time jobless claims have soared , major investment houses have proclaimed a global recession .
Reality is stripping Trump ’ s theatrics bare .
Yet Trump was never simply a candidate .
He led a movement .
How all this affects his support is an open question .
Breaking up is hard to do .
Understandably , Plouffe takes heart from the midterms which saw the Democrats recapture the House of Representatives .
That was about Democrats building on their traditional base of liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making inroads with suburbanites and white women and ginning up those who go to the polls less frequently .
Michigan and Pennsylvania , which went for Trump , are again leaning Democratic .
Arizona , which last voted blue in 1996 , may be fertile territory for Biden .
If these three states were to flip on election day and everywhere else remained frozen in time , the president would be out of a job .
When Tulsi Gabbard drops out of the race , it ’ s a sign that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the looks of the recent primaries , 2018 may be a limited harbinger of what comes next .
For example , turnout in the Virginia primary broke records as 1.3 million people voted , a marked increase from a previous high of about 986,000 in 2008 .
Even amid the coronavirus outbreak , more than 1.7 million Florida Democrats cast ballots in the primary , exceeding 2016 .
On the other hand , participation in Illinois dropped markedly .
Looking ahead , voting by mail may emerge as the rule , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are altering how we live and vote .
Our country and democracy are in transition .
Plouffe has publicly acknowledged Biden ’ s vulnerability with younger voters .
On that score , his concerns are to a point well-placed .
Biden won less than 40 % of Illinois Democrats under the age of 45 even as he took nearly three-in-five older voters .
Michigan told a similar story .
But Sanders was no pied piper .
Although he won younger voters , the Vermont senator did not electrify them .
In all fairness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s game .
Plouffe offers no foolproof method for energizing young Americans .
The environment is a major concern for this bloc , but issues don ’ t axiomatically translate into votes .
Just a hunch : survival in the face of a plague may take priority .
Unfortunately , Plouffe can come close to broad-brushing Trump supporters as irredeemably deplorable .
Specifically , he urges volunteers to “ record the hilarious moment when an ignorant Trump supporter slows down his car as he passes by your group on the street and yells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your candidate , I see !
’ ” Some sentiments are best left unspoken .
With the US having gone from everything is awesome to a state of national emergency in a matter of weeks , we could all use a bit less bile .
Demonstrative competence and compassion stand to go a long way in troubled times .
Biden ’ s speeches on coronavirus and last Tuesday were presidential .
They struck the right tone and mix for the presumptive nominee .
America has traveled back in time .
Edgar Alan Poe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Red Death , is no longer mere fiction .
Live campaign events and door-knocking are relics of a simpler time .
Don ’ t expect to see a Trump rally anytime soon .
His daily briefings are a tragic substitute .
Against this backdrop , Citizen ’ s Guide can not begin to tell us the whole story – nor can we expect it to .

On Tuesday, Joe Biden and his juggernaut left Bernie Sanders’ dream in tatters. The former vice-president swept primaries in Arizona, Florida and Illinois. Fact: Sanders looks a lot less appealing without Hillary Clinton to kick around.
Beyond that, the pestilential confluence of Donald Trump and an economy in freefall have bequeathed the Democrats a political advantage.
Come November, the story may be a blue ocean, not just a blue wave. Presidents who preside over recessions or worse are generally not returned to office. And their party gets punished – just ask Herbert Hoover. A Democratic Senate is actually possible.
Enter David Plouffe and his campaign primer, A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump. Plouffe managed Barack Obama’s first presidential run, then served in his White House. He also did a stint at Uber and partnered with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. He is sharp and prescient, but not clairvoyant.
In 2016, Plouffe predicted a Clinton win and derided liberal doubters as “bedwetters”. His worst-case scenario awarded the Democrats 324 electoral votes. Things didn’t work out as planned.
Looking to avoid another debacle, Plouffe delivers a dense, nuts-and-bolts book, chock-full of advice. Written before the first nominating contest and the global pandemic, it is a mixture of enthusiasm and partially outdated realism.
Plouffe is no longer dismissive of Trump and his political skill set. As for Clinton’s loss, Plouffe observes, the “killers” were the “discrepancies” on the margins, in the swing states, and Clinton’s own errors.
“Three strikes, and you know what happened next,” writes Obama’s counselor. Plouffe contends that a significant pool of “undecided and persuadable and might-vote citizens” will probably control the next election’s outcome.
Citizen’s Guide offers a useful description of the “gettable” electorate: first-time voters, Obama/Trump voters, past-Trump voters who are “open to an alternative” and voters who did not previously vote for him but who are now open to that possibility. Likewise, Plouffe is mindful of political identification serving as social glue and identity.
As he frames things: “If November comes and persuadable voters testify” that Trump drives them “crazy with tweets”, view him as a “terrible person”, but conclude that the president has been “OK on the economy and the Democrats want to turn us into a socialist country”, Trump will probably return to power.
To be sure, the economy is no longer fine: Black Plague 2.0 is never a good look. First-time jobless claims have soared, major investment houses have proclaimed a global recession. Reality is stripping Trump’s theatrics bare.
Yet Trump was never simply a candidate. He led a movement. How all this affects his support is an open question. Breaking up is hard to do.
Understandably, Plouffe takes heart from the midterms which saw the Democrats recapture the House of Representatives. That was about Democrats building on their traditional base of liberal voters, minorities and graduate degree holders, making inroads with suburbanites and white women and ginning up those who go to the polls less frequently.
Michigan and Pennsylvania, which went for Trump, are again leaning Democratic. Arizona, which last voted blue in 1996, may be fertile territory for Biden. If these three states were to flip on election day and everywhere else remained frozen in time, the president would be out of a job. When Tulsi Gabbard drops out of the race, it’s a sign that the public hungers for political comfort food.
Joe Biden speaks about Covid-19, known as the coronavirus, in Wilmington, Delaware. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
From the looks of the recent primaries, 2018 may be a limited harbinger of what comes next. For example, turnout in the Virginia primary broke records as 1.3 million people voted, a marked increase from a previous high of about 986,000 in 2008. Even amid the coronavirus outbreak, more than 1.7 million Florida Democrats cast ballots in the primary, exceeding 2016. On the other hand, participation in Illinois dropped markedly.
Looking ahead, voting by mail may emerge as the rule, not the exception. Disease and social distancing are altering how we live and vote. Our country and democracy are in transition.
Plouffe has publicly acknowledged Biden’s vulnerability with younger voters. On that score, his concerns are to a point well-placed.
Biden won less than 40% of Illinois Democrats under the age of 45 even as he took nearly three-in-five older voters. Michigan told a similar story. But Sanders was no pied piper. Although he won younger voters, the Vermont senator did not electrify them. In all fairness, elections are an older person’s game.
Plouffe offers no foolproof method for energizing young Americans. The environment is a major concern for this bloc, but issues don’t axiomatically translate into votes. Just a hunch: survival in the face of a plague may take priority.
Unfortunately, Plouffe can come close to broad-brushing Trump supporters as irredeemably deplorable. Specifically, he urges volunteers to “record the hilarious moment when an ignorant Trump supporter slows down his car as he passes by your group on the street and yells out, ‘Finding illegal votes for your candidate, I see!’”
Some sentiments are best left unspoken.
With the US having gone from everything is awesome to a state of national emergency in a matter of weeks, we could all use a bit less bile. Demonstrative competence and compassion stand to go a long way in troubled times. Biden’s speeches on coronavirus and last Tuesday were presidential. They struck the right tone and mix for the presumptive nominee.
America has traveled back in time. Edgar Allan Poe’s mid-19th-century short story, Masque of the Red Death, is no longer mere fiction. Live campaign events and door-knocking are relics of a simpler time. Don’t expect to see a Trump rally anytime soon. His daily briefings are a tragic substitute. Against this backdrop, Citizen’s Guide cannot begin to tell us the whole story – nor can we expect it to.


theguardian--2020-03-22--The coronavirus relief bill could turn into a corporate coup if we aren't careful | Matt Stoller

Congressional leaders in the United States are likely to put a very ugly deal in front of the American people , and if it passes , America may be unrecognizable after this pandemic .
But there is a way to stop it , if people on the populist left and people on the populist right work together .
Here ’ s the situation .
Mitch McConnell , Chuck Schumer and the Trump administration is negotiating a bailout package to address the coronavirus crisis .
There ’ s been a lot of chatter about the need to support workers as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is happening around the world ; the British government , for instance , is willing to pay 80 % of worker wages during this downturn for those affected by the crisis .
But in the US , our leaders seem to be falling prey to what can only be called a corporate frenzy of favor-seeking .
“ Any time there is a crisis and Washington is in the middle of it is an opportunity for guys like me , ” said one lobbyist .
Now first I should say that I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in the final bill , because the whole process is opaque and being negotiated right now by some untrustworthy political leaders .
We will only find out the details at the last minute .
So all I have to go off is rumor and reporting .
But if we wait until we know the full contours , it will likely be too late to act .
I hope I ’ m wrong , but the list of what lobbyists are asking for is long , and ugly , and often the requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover up mistakes made before the coronavirus hit .
Take Boeing .
The aerospace giant of course wants a $ 60bn bailout .
Financial problems for this corporation predated the crisis , with the mismanagement that led to the 737 Max as well as defense and space products that don ’ t work ( I noted last July a bailout was coming ) .
The corporation paid out $ 65bn in stock buybacks and dividends over the last 10 years , and it was drawing down credit lines before this crisis hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board of the corporation includes Caroline Kennedy , Ronald Reagan ’ s Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein , three Fortune 100 CEOs , a former US Trade Representative , and two Admirals , one of whom is the board ’ s only engineer .
Using the excuse of the coronavirus , Boeing is trying to get the taxpayer to foot the bill for its errors , so it can go back to making more of them .
But that ’ s not all .
Defense contractors want their payments sped up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to widen a giant loophole called ‘ other transaction authority ’ to get around restrictions on profiteering .
Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos want “ $ 5 billion in grants or loans to keep commercial space company employees on the job and launch facilities open.
” They also want the Internal Revenue Service to give them cash for R & D tax credits .
CNBC reported that hotels want $ 150bn , restaurants want $ 145bn and manufacturers wants $ 1.4tn .
And the International Council of Shopping Centers wants a guarantee of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry wants $ 5bn .
Candy industry wants $ 500m .
The New York Times reported that “ Adidas is seeking support for a long-sought provision allowing people to use pretax money to pay for gym memberships and fitness equipment.
” Gyms are of course closed .
Meatpackers want special visas so they can undercut wages of their workers , and importers want to stop paying duties they incurred for harming domestic industries for illegally dumping products into the US .
Now , I ’ m not opposed to supporting industries .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not want a lot of the productive capacity of the United States to fall apart because of a pandemic .
But the key to supporting enterprises is to make sure that there are strict conditions , so that power doesn ’ t consolidate into the hands of monopolists and financiers cherry-picking distressed assets .
Otherwise , America will simply be unrecognizable after this pandemic .
CNBC personality Jim Cramer , for instance , is worried that after this pandemic America will have just three retailers .
And he ’ s right to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how we can stop it .
There are enough members of Congress to act and prevent what really looks less like a relief package and more a corporate coup .
However , the problem is that this group is split into different political parties , and Congressional leadership is taking advantage of that dynamic to jam this through .
US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell wants big business to rule , so he ’ s playing a trick .
He is refusing aid to workers .
Democrats are negotiating with him to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McConnell knows Democrats won ’ t pay attention to corporate bailouts if he takes the public hostage , and Democrats know that they can hand out favors to big business if they just talk about how they got larger checks for workers .
So McConnell will put a bill down in front of Nancy Pelosi , with some good stuff like unemployment insurance , but also the really ugly stuff to hand over America to big business .
The corporatists in the Democratic party will tell her “ Pass the corporate coup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do something right now !
” And because she doesn ’ t have the votes from within her own caucus because of these corporatists , and because she doesn ’ t particularly care if America is sold off to big business , she will do that .
The only hope is to get together a bipartisan group from the right and the left to oppose this charade .
In 2008 , when Congress was on the brink of passing a $ 700bn bailout to Wall Street , something astonishing happened .
A motley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as outside experts , formed what was called the “ Skeptic ’ s Caucus , ” and organized enough votes to take down the package .
Congressional leaders then attached some minor tweaks , and forced the package through after the stock market crashed .
Ultimately , the skeptics failed , and the bailouts ended up shifting power and wealth to an unaccountable elite class .
But for that brief moment , it became clear that opposition to Congressional leadership on corporate subsidies is possible .
We will need another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And this time , it can succeed .
Because this time , no one is fooled by what is happening .
We can see it plainly .
So whether you are a Republican or Democrat , join a new Skeptic ’ s caucus .
And demand your member of Congress represent you , and not just big business .
Help the people by dealing with unemployment , rent , mortgages , not big business executives trying to save their cushy positions .
• None Matt Stoller is a fellow at the Open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Hundred Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy

Congressional leaders in the United States are likely to put a very ugly deal in front of the American people, and if it passes, America may be unrecognizable after this pandemic. But there is a way to stop it, if people on the populist left and people on the populist right work together.
Here’s the situation. Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer and the Trump administration is negotiating a bailout package to address the coronavirus crisis. There’s been a lot of chatter about the need to support workers as the economy goes into a freeze. This is happening around the world; the British government, for instance, is willing to pay 80% of worker wages during this downturn for those affected by the crisis.
But in the US, our leaders seem to be falling prey to what can only be called a corporate frenzy of favor-seeking. “Any time there is a crisis and Washington is in the middle of it is an opportunity for guys like me,” said one lobbyist.
Now first I should say that I don’t know exactly what is going to be in the final bill, because the whole process is opaque and being negotiated right now by some untrustworthy political leaders. We will only find out the details at the last minute. So all I have to go off is rumor and reporting. But if we wait until we know the full contours, it will likely be too late to act. I hope I’m wrong, but the list of what lobbyists are asking for is long, and ugly, and often the requests for money or legislative favors are done to cover up mistakes made before the coronavirus hit.
Take Boeing. The aerospace giant of course wants a $60bn bailout. Financial problems for this corporation predated the crisis, with the mismanagement that led to the 737 Max as well as defense and space products that don’t work (I noted last July a bailout was coming). The corporation paid out $65bn in stock buybacks and dividends over the last 10 years, and it was drawing down credit lines before this crisis hit. It is highly politically connected; the board of the corporation includes Caroline Kennedy, Ronald Reagan’s Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein, three Fortune 100 CEOs, a former US Trade Representative, and two Admirals, one of whom is the board’s only engineer. Using the excuse of the coronavirus, Boeing is trying to get the taxpayer to foot the bill for its errors, so it can go back to making more of them.
But that’s not all. Defense contractors want their payments sped up, and I’ve heard they want to widen a giant loophole called ‘other transaction authority’ to get around restrictions on profiteering. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos want “$5 billion in grants or loans to keep commercial space company employees on the job and launch facilities open.” They also want the Internal Revenue Service to give them cash for R&D tax credits.
CNBC reported that hotels want $150bn, restaurants want $145bn and manufacturers wants $1.4tn. And the International Council of Shopping Centers wants a guarantee of up to $1tn. The beer industry wants $5bn. Candy industry wants $500m. The New York Times reported that “Adidas is seeking support for a long-sought provision allowing people to use pretax money to pay for gym memberships and fitness equipment.” Gyms are of course closed. Meatpackers want special visas so they can undercut wages of their workers, and importers want to stop paying duties they incurred for harming domestic industries for illegally dumping products into the US.
Now, I’m not opposed to supporting industries. This is a crisis, and we do not want a lot of the productive capacity of the United States to fall apart because of a pandemic. But the key to supporting enterprises is to make sure that there are strict conditions, so that power doesn’t consolidate into the hands of monopolists and financiers cherry-picking distressed assets. Otherwise, America will simply be unrecognizable after this pandemic. CNBC personality Jim Cramer, for instance, is worried that after this pandemic America will have just three retailers. And he’s right to be worried about that.
Here’s how we can stop it. There are enough members of Congress to act and prevent what really looks less like a relief package and more a corporate coup. However, the problem is that this group is split into different political parties, and Congressional leadership is taking advantage of that dynamic to jam this through. US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell wants big business to rule, so he’s playing a trick. He is refusing aid to workers. Democrats are negotiating with him to try to get unemployment assistance and social welfare. McConnell knows Democrats won’t pay attention to corporate bailouts if he takes the public hostage, and Democrats know that they can hand out favors to big business if they just talk about how they got larger checks for workers.
So McConnell will put a bill down in front of Nancy Pelosi, with some good stuff like unemployment insurance, but also the really ugly stuff to hand over America to big business. The corporatists in the Democratic party will tell her “Pass the corporate coup bill, after all we have to do something right now!” And because she doesn’t have the votes from within her own caucus because of these corporatists, and because she doesn’t particularly care if America is sold off to big business, she will do that. The only hope is to get together a bipartisan group from the right and the left to oppose this charade.
And there’s a precedent.
In 2008, when Congress was on the brink of passing a $700bn bailout to Wall Street, something astonishing happened. A motley bipartisan group of roughly a hundred members, as well as outside experts, formed what was called the “Skeptic’s Caucus,” and organized enough votes to take down the package. Congressional leaders then attached some minor tweaks, and forced the package through after the stock market crashed. Ultimately, the skeptics failed, and the bailouts ended up shifting power and wealth to an unaccountable elite class.
But for that brief moment, it became clear that opposition to Congressional leadership on corporate subsidies is possible. We will need another Skeptic’s caucus, and quickly. And this time, it can succeed. Because this time, no one is fooled by what is happening. We can see it plainly.
So whether you are a Republican or Democrat, join a new Skeptic’s caucus. And demand your member of Congress represent you, and not just big business. Help the people by dealing with unemployment, rent, mortgages, not big business executives trying to save their cushy positions.


theguardian--2020-03-22--US coronavirus: Democrats block bill over lack of worker aid as Trump briefs nation – live

Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Sunday blocked legislation that would pump well over $ 1 trillion into the American economy on programs to help companies losing business during the coronavirus outbreak and unemployed workers .
The measure faltered after it failed to get the necessary 60 votes in the 100-member chamber to clear a procedural hurdle after days of negotiations .
The bill is Congress ’ third effort to blunt the economic toll of a disease that has killed at least 400 people in the United States and sickened more than 33,000 , leading governors to order nearly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay at home and putting much business activity on hold .
The measure envisages financial aid for regular Americans , small businesses and critically affected industries , including airlines .
Democrats had raised objections to the Senate bill throughout the day , with the Senate ’ s top Democrat , Chuck Schumer , saying it had “ many , many problems ” and would benefit corporate interests at the expense of hospitals , healthcare workers , cities and states .
The failure of the measure to move forward sends Democrats and Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaker of the House of Representatives , Nancy Pelosi , said earlier on Sunday that Democrats in that chamber will begin crafting an alternative to the Senate bill .

Tom Lutz in New York (now), Kenya Evelyn in Washington DC (earlier)

More from the Associated Press on the delay in the $1tn economic stimulus package today:
Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Sunday blocked legislation that would pump well over $1 trillion into the American economy on programs to help companies losing business during the coronavirus outbreak and unemployed workers.
The measure faltered after it failed to get the necessary 60 votes in the 100-member chamber to clear a procedural hurdle after days of negotiations.
The bill is Congress’ third effort to blunt the economic toll of a disease that has killed at least 400 people in the United States and sickened more than 33,000, leading governors to order nearly a third of the nation’s population to stay at home and putting much business activity on hold.
The measure envisages financial aid for regular Americans, small businesses and critically affected industries, including airlines.
Democrats had raised objections to the Senate bill throughout the day, with the Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, saying it had “many, many problems” and would benefit corporate interests at the expense of hospitals, healthcare workers, cities and states.
The failure of the measure to move forward sends Democrats and Republicans back to the negotiating table. The speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said earlier on Sunday that Democrats in that chamber will begin crafting an alternative to the Senate bill.