shareblue--2020-11-09--White House threatens to fire anyone who tries to quit

While the employment of Donald Trump and thousands of his political appointees will officially come to an end on Jan. 20 with the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden , the Associated Press is reporting that White House personnel director John McEntee told departments to fire any political appointees discovered to be looking for a new job .
An unnamed White House source said that McEntee told department heads to get rid of any political appointees looking for their next jobs while Trump is still falsely claiming he has not lost the 2020 presidential election .
Meanwhile , Trump 's campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight for the White House , but it 's unclear whether those staffers will still be employed next week , CNN reports .
On Monday , leaders of the campaign reminded staffers that the election was not over and told them , `` Stay in the fight ! ''
But the staffers , employed with contracts that expire on Nov. 15 , have not been told whether the contracts will be extended .
`` Hard for people to stay in the fight when they 'll be unemployed a week from today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a staff meeting , a campaign staffer printing their resume in the office was yelled at by an assistant to campaign manager Bill Stepien .
All this is happening as Trump and his allies mount an all-out legal battle to try to prevent the transition to a Joe Biden administration , filing lawsuit after lawsuit to toss out ballots and stop vote-counting based on unfounded claims of voter fraud .
The AP reported that a delegation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that monitored the U.S. election found no evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballot fraud : `` We looked into this , '' said the mission 's head , German lawmaker Michael Georg Link .
`` We found no violations of the rules whatsoever . ''
He added that Trump can not stop the vote-counting , noting : `` Responsibility for the count lies exclusively with states . ''
Some GOP lawmakers are also pushing back against Trump 's baseless election fraud claims .
On Friday , Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said , `` There 's simply no evidence anyone has shown me of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen .
Rob Portman of Ohio issued a statement in which , while congratulation Trump on winning in his state , he said : `` Under our Constitution , state legislatures set the rules and states administer our elections .
We should respect that process and ensure that all ballots cast in accordance with state laws are counted .
It ’ s that simple .
I hope we can reach a final resolution as quickly as possible . ''
Meanwhile , President-elect Biden and his team are proceeding with work on his transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crises facing the country are severe—from a pandemic to an economic recession , climate change to racial injustice—and the transition team will continue preparing at full speed so that the Biden-Harris Administration can hit the ground running on Day One , '' a source with the transition team told the Wall Street Journal .
The campaign 's `` Build Back Better '' website now includes information about the transition .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

While the employment of Donald Trump and thousands of his political appointees will officially come to an end on Jan. 20 with the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, the Associated Press is reporting that White House personnel director John McEntee told departments to fire any political appointees discovered to be looking for a new job.
An unnamed White House source said that McEntee told department heads to get rid of any political appointees looking for their next jobs while Trump is still falsely claiming he has not lost the 2020 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign is telling its staff to keep up the fight for the White House, but it’s unclear whether those staffers will still be employed next week, CNN reports.
On Monday, leaders of the campaign reminded staffers that the election was not over and told them, “Stay in the fight!”
But the staffers, employed with contracts that expire on Nov. 15, have not been told whether the contracts will be extended.
“Hard for people to stay in the fight when they’ll be unemployed a week from today,” a campaign source said.
After a staff meeting, a campaign staffer printing their resume in the office was yelled at by an assistant to campaign manager Bill Stepien.
All this is happening as Trump and his allies mount an all-out legal battle to try to prevent the transition to a Joe Biden administration, filing lawsuit after lawsuit to toss out ballots and stop vote-counting based on unfounded claims of voter fraud.
The AP reported that a delegation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that monitored the U.S. election found no evidence to support Trump’s claims about alleged absentee ballot fraud: “We looked into this,” said the mission’s head, German lawmaker Michael Georg Link. “We found no violations of the rules whatsoever.”
He added that Trump cannot stop the vote-counting, noting: “Responsibility for the count lies exclusively with states.”
Some GOP lawmakers are also pushing back against Trump’s baseless election fraud claims.
On Friday, Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said, “There’s simply no evidence anyone has shown me of any widespread corruption or fraud.”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois tweeted Thursday urging, “STOP Spreading debunked misinformation.”
Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio issued a statement in which, while congratulation Trump on winning in his state, he said: “Under our Constitution, state legislatures set the rules and states administer our elections. We should respect that process and ensure that all ballots cast in accordance with state laws are counted. It’s that simple. I hope we can reach a final resolution as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, President-elect Biden and his team are proceeding with work on his transition to the White House.
“The crises facing the country are severe—from a pandemic to an economic recession, climate change to racial injustice—and the transition team will continue preparing at full speed so that the Biden-Harris Administration can hit the ground running on Day One,” a source with the transition team told the Wall Street Journal.
The campaign’s “Build Back Better” website now includes information about the transition.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-09--Georgia senators demand top election official resign because Trump lost

Two Republican senators from Georgia , who are both locked in competitive runoff races to hold on to their seats , called for the state 's GOP secretary of state to resign , claiming the election was mismanaged .
Without providing any evidence , Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue claimed in a statement on Monday that `` the management of Georgia elections has become an embarrassment for our state , '' and that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger oversaw `` too many failures '' in elections over the past year .
But , according to FiveThirtyEight 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the most transparent state in the country with respect to its vote counting process , with precise updates on exactly how many ballots were left to count in which counties . ''
Instead , the `` failure '' appears to be that Donald Trump is on pace to lose the state , becoming the first Republican since 1992 to do so at the presidential level .
President-elect Joe Biden currently leads by 11,591 votes — a slim margin , but one that is almost certainly too large for a recount to overturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes along with Trump 's lies that the states where he lost were marred by fraud — a claim that he has yet to provide any proof for .
Right after Loeffler and Perdue released their statement , Trump tweeted , `` Georgia will be a big presidential win , as it was the night of the Election ! ''
Trump 's comment is false , and his campaign already lost a lawsuit in the state that sought to stop counting votes because the campaign could not provide a single shred of evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face January runoffs for their seats after they failed to garner the 50 % needed to win the race outright .
Loeffler came in second behind the Rev .
Raphael Warnock , a Democrat .
Warnock received 32.9 % of the vote , while Loeffler got 25.9 % .
Perdue is currently leading Democratic nominee Jon Osoff , 49.7 % to 47.9 % .
The outcome of both races could decide which party controls the Senate when the new Congress is sworn in in January .
Both Perdue and Loeffler appear to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations of fraud will help their efforts .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Two Republican senators from Georgia, who are both locked in competitive runoff races to hold on to their seats, called for the state’s GOP secretary of state to resign, claiming the election was mismanaged.
Without providing any evidence, Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue claimed in a statement on Monday that “the management of Georgia elections has become an embarrassment for our state,” and that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger oversaw “too many failures” in elections over the past year.
But, according to FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver, Georgia “has probably been the most transparent state in the country with respect to its vote counting process, with precise updates on exactly how many ballots were left to count in which counties.”
Instead, the “failure” appears to be that Donald Trump is on pace to lose the state, becoming the first Republican since 1992 to do so at the presidential level.
President-elect Joe Biden currently leads by 11,591 votes — a slim margin, but one that is almost certainly too large for a recount to overturn.
The message from the Georgia senators goes along with Trump’s lies that the states where he lost were marred by fraud — a claim that he has yet to provide any proof for.
Right after Loeffler and Perdue released their statement, Trump tweeted, “Georgia will be a big presidential win, as it was the night of the Election!”
Trump’s comment is false, and his campaign already lost a lawsuit in the state that sought to stop counting votes because the campaign could not provide a single shred of evidence that fraud took place.
Both senators face January runoffs for their seats after they failed to garner the 50% needed to win the race outright.
Loeffler came in second behind the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat. Warnock received 32.9% of the vote, while Loeffler got 25.9%.
Perdue is currently leading Democratic nominee Jon Osoff, 49.7% to 47.9%.
The outcome of both races could decide which party controls the Senate when the new Congress is sworn in in January.
Both Perdue and Loeffler appear to be betting that backing up Trump’s false allegations of fraud will help their efforts.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-09--Remember when Trump allies were mad Biden might not concede?

Republicans who have been slow to acknowledge Joe Biden as the president-elect of the United States were among those outraged weeks ago at the idea that he might not concede if he lost .
And Donald Trump , who has refused to acknowledge his defeat in the 2020 election , was one of them .
As of Monday , his campaign is still claiming Trump is `` still in the fight , '' even though every major news outlet called the race for his opponent two days earlier .
A handful of current and former Republican elected officials have congratulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have still refused to do so .
Many of these intransigent Republicans expressed outrage after Hillary Clinton said during an interview in August that Biden should not do as she did in 2016 and immediately concede defeat in a close election against Trump .
`` Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this is going to drag out , and eventually , I do believe he will win if we do n't give an inch and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Showtime 's `` The Circus. ''
.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw ( R-TX ) blasted Clinton 's comments as `` eerie '' in a Fox News interview .
`` How bold she is , with just laying out their plan like that , '' he said in a video clip that was quickly amplified by Trump 's campaign .
`` And we all know that 's their plan : create as much chaos around elections as possible . ''
Weeks later , after Trump indicated that he might not accept an election defeat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's comments to allege a double standard .
`` There will be a very peaceful transition , '' House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Sept. 24 .
`` The concern I have though , too , I hope you ask the same question of Hillary Clinton , who simply said out there , 'Never concede the race . '
'' McCarthy falsely claimed on Thursday that Trump had `` won this election . ''
`` I would have the same concern when Hillary Clinton advised Biden not to concede the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-IA ) at the time .
`` We have a Constitution , and the Constitution says when the presidency ends .
You ask me just from the standpoint of what the president said : It is n't very good advice from Hillary Clinton to advise Biden about that . ''
`` There will be a peaceful transition of power — I am confident of that , '' agreed Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) .
`` And I hope Joe Biden will commit to ignoring Hillary 's advice and conceding the election if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will . ''
`` Well , there will be peaceful transfer of power if he loses .
If he wins there 'll be no transfer of power at all .
You know the advice apparently given to Senator Biden , Vice President Biden by Secretary of State Clinton — you should never concede , '' said Sen. Roy Blunt ( R-MO ) .
`` What does that mean ?
What does any of this talk mean ?
There 's an Election Day process .
There is a legal process if there are concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a transition , it will be timely and peaceful . ''
`` I think the president will accept the result .
We got to make sure it 's fair , '' said Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-NC ) .
`` Hillary Clinton said Joe Biden should not accept the result of the election under any circumstances .
You ought to ask the same question of every Democrat if they think there 's a fair election , if they 'll support the outcome of it . ''
Trump made a similar argument in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kilmeade on Sept. 24 : `` Remember crooked Hillary Clinton , a week ago , she said to Joe Biden , Do n't concede under any circumstances , do not concede under any — never concede , OK ?
Now , nobody does a story about that , right ?
But she said that last week .
And the words were 'Do n't concede under any circumstances . '
Well , it 's OK for her to say that , but if I say , well , I want the ballots to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of it .
It 's not right , it 's just the same old double standard . ''
Trump 's current calls for recounts and refusal to concede are the exact opposite of the statements he was during the campaign .
As he kicked off his unsuccessful 2020 reelection campaign in Orlando , Florida , Trump framed the race as a referendum on whether to accept the public 's will .
`` This election is a verdict on whether we want to live in a country where the people who lose an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next two years trying to shred our Constitution and rip your country apart , '' he told his booing supporters .
Smirking that he had not given a `` great answer '' when Clinton asked during a debate in 2016 whether he would support her if she won the election that year , Trump told the crowd at the rally , `` That might have been my hardest question during the debates .
Is n't it amazing that it worked the other way around , right ?
Is is n't it amazing ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent Foundation .

Republicans who have been slow to acknowledge Joe Biden as the president-elect of the United States were among those outraged weeks ago at the idea that he might not concede if he lost. And Donald Trump, who has refused to acknowledge his defeat in the 2020 election, was one of them.
As of Monday, his campaign is still claiming Trump is “still in the fight,” even though every major news outlet called the race for his opponent two days earlier.
A handful of current and former Republican elected officials have congratulated Biden, but most top GOP leaders have still refused to do so.
Many of these intransigent Republicans expressed outrage after Hillary Clinton said during an interview in August that Biden should not do as she did in 2016 and immediately concede defeat in a close election against Trump.
“Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this is going to drag out, and eventually, I do believe he will win if we don’t give an inch and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is,” she said during an appearance on Showtime’s “The Circus.”.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) blasted Clinton’s comments as “eerie” in a Fox News interview. “How bold she is, with just laying out their plan like that,” he said in a video clip that was quickly amplified by Trump’s campaign. “And we all know that’s their plan: create as much chaos around elections as possible.”
Weeks later, after Trump indicated that he might not accept an election defeat, Republicans insisted he would and used Clinton’s comments to allege a double standard.
“There will be a very peaceful transition,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Sept. 24. “The concern I have though, too, I hope you ask the same question of Hillary Clinton, who simply said out there, ‘Never concede the race.'” McCarthy falsely claimed on Thursday that Trump had “won this election.”
“I would have the same concern when Hillary Clinton advised Biden not to concede the election,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) at the time. “We have a Constitution, and the Constitution says when the presidency ends. You ask me just from the standpoint of what the president said: It isn’t very good advice from Hillary Clinton to advise Biden about that.”
“There will be a peaceful transition of power — I am confident of that,” agreed Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “And I hope Joe Biden will commit to ignoring Hillary’s advice and conceding the election if he loses, just as President Trump will.”
“Well, there will be peaceful transfer of power if he loses. If he wins there’ll be no transfer of power at all. You know the advice apparently given to Senator Biden, Vice President Biden by Secretary of State Clinton — you should never concede,” said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO). “What does that mean? What does any of this talk mean? There’s an Election Day process. There is a legal process if there are concerns about that. And if there is a transition, it will be timely and peaceful.”
“I think the president will accept the result. We got to make sure it’s fair,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). “Hillary Clinton said Joe Biden should not accept the result of the election under any circumstances. You ought to ask the same question of every Democrat if they think there’s a fair election, if they’ll support the outcome of it.”
Trump made a similar argument in an interview with Fox New Radio’s Brian Kilmeade on Sept. 24: “Remember crooked Hillary Clinton, a week ago, she said to Joe Biden, Don’t concede under any circumstances, do not concede under any — never concede, OK? Now, nobody does a story about that, right? But she said that last week. And the words were ‘Don’t concede under any circumstances.’ Well, it’s OK for her to say that, but if I say, well, I want the ballots to be fair — they make a big deal out of it. It’s not right, it’s just the same old double standard.”
Trump’s current calls for recounts and refusal to concede are the exact opposite of the statements he was during the campaign.
As he kicked off his unsuccessful 2020 reelection campaign in Orlando, Florida, Trump framed the race as a referendum on whether to accept the public’s will.
“This election is a verdict on whether we want to live in a country where the people who lose an election refuse to concede and spend the next two years trying to shred our Constitution and rip your country apart,” he told his booing supporters.
Smirking that he had not given a “great answer” when Clinton asked during a debate in 2016 whether he would support her if she won the election that year, Trump told the crowd at the rally, “That might have been my hardest question during the debates. Isn’t it amazing that it worked the other way around, right? Is isn’t it amazing?”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-09--An angry Trump fires his Pentagon chief after huge election defeat

Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday , an unprecedented move by a man struggling to accept election defeat and angry at a Pentagon leader he believes was n't loyal enough .
The decision , which could unsettle international allies and Pentagon leadership , injects another element of uncertainty to a rocky transition period as Joe Biden prepares to assume the presidency .
Presidents who win reelection often replace Cabinet members , including the secretary of defense , but losing presidents have kept their Pentagon chiefs in place until Inauguration Day to preserve stability in the name of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a tweet , saying that `` effective immediately '' Christopher Miller , the director of the National Counterterrorism Center , will serve as acting secretary , sidestepping the department 's No.2-ranking official , Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist .
`` Chris will do a GREAT job ! ''
Trump tweeted .
`` Mark Esper has been terminated .
I would like to thank him for his service . ''
Trump 's abrupt move to dump Esper triggers questions about what he may try to do in the next few months before he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence of troops overseas or other national security changes .
Biden has not said who he would appoint as defense chief , but is widely rumored to be considering naming the first woman to the post — Michele Flournoy .
Flournoy has served multiple times in the Pentagon , starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012 .
She is well known on Capitol Hill as a moderate Democrat and is regarded among U.S. allies and partners as a steady hand who favors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has most recently served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and before that was a deputy assistant Defense Secretary and top adviser to Trump on counterterrorism issues .
He has a long background with the military , having served as an enlisted infantryman in the Army Reserves and after that as a special forces officer .
He also served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq .
After his retirement from the military , Miller worked as a defense contractor .
Esper 's strained relationship with Trump came close to collapse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a debate within the administration over the proper role of the military in combating domestic unrest .
Esper 's opposition to using active duty troops to help quell protests in Washington , D.C. , infuriated Trump , and led to wide speculation that the defense chief was prepared to quit if faced with such an issue again .
During his roughly 16-month tenure , Esper generally supported Trump 's policies but more recently he was widely expected to quit or be ousted if Trump won reelection .
Presidents historically have put a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political transitions .
Since the creation of the Defense Department and the position of defense secretary in 1947 , the only three presidents to lose election for a second term — Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter and George H.W .
Bush — all kept their secretary of defense in place until Inauguration Day .
Esper , who was the official successor to former Marine Gen. James Mattis , routinely emphasized the importance of keeping the military and the Defense Department out of politics .
But it proved to be an uphill struggle as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his generals '' and denigrated top Pentagon leaders as war-mongers devoted to drumming up business for the defense industry .
Trump soured on his first defense secretary , Mattis , who resigned in December 2018 over Trump 's abrupt decision — later rescinded — to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria , and then on Esper .
The splits reflected Trump 's fundamentally different views on America 's place in the world , the value of international defense alliances and the importance of shielding the military from domestic partisan politics .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often at the center of the tumult , caught in a persistent and erratic debate over the use of American forces at war in Iraq , Syria and Afghanistan , and on U.S. soil , at the Mexico border and in cities roiled by civil unrest and rocked by the coronavirus .
Esper 's departure has appeared inevitable ever since he publicly broke with Trump in June over the president 's push to deploy military troops in the streets of the nation 's capital in response to civil unrest following the police killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's threats to invoke the two-centuries-old Insurrection Act , which would allow the president to use active-duty troops in a law enforcement role .
And Trump was furious when Esper told reporters the Insurrection Act should be invoked `` only in the most urgent and dire of situations , '' and , `` We are not in one of those situations now . ''
The June civil unrest initially drew Esper into controversy when he joined a Trump entourage that strolled from the White House to nearby St. John 's Episcopal Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Bible .
Critics condemned Esper , saying he had allowed himself to be used as a political prop .
Esper said he did n't know he was heading into a photo op , but thought he was going to view damage at the church and see National Guard troops in the area .
He was accompanied by Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , who later expressed public regret at having been present in uniform .
Trump hinted at Esper 's shaky status in August , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question about whether he still had confidence in Esper 's leadership .
`` Mark 'Yesper ' ?
Did you call him 'Yesper ? '
'' Trump said , in what appeared to be an allusion to suggestions that Esper was a yes man for the president .
Asked if he was considering firing Esper , Trump said , `` At some point , that 's what happens . ''

Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday, an unprecedented move by a man struggling to accept election defeat and angry at a Pentagon leader he believes wasn’t loyal enough.
The decision, which could unsettle international allies and Pentagon leadership, injects another element of uncertainty to a rocky transition period as Joe Biden prepares to assume the presidency.
Presidents who win reelection often replace Cabinet members, including the secretary of defense, but losing presidents have kept their Pentagon chiefs in place until Inauguration Day to preserve stability in the name of national security.
Trump announced the news in a tweet, saying that “effective immediately” Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will serve as acting secretary, sidestepping the department’s No.2-ranking official, Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist.
“Chris will do a GREAT job!” Trump tweeted. “Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.”
Trump’s abrupt move to dump Esper triggers questions about what he may try to do in the next few months before he leaves office, including adjustments in the presence of troops overseas or other national security changes.
Biden has not said who he would appoint as defense chief, but is widely rumored to be considering naming the first woman to the post — Michele Flournoy. Flournoy has served multiple times in the Pentagon, starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012. She is well known on Capitol Hill as a moderate Democrat and is regarded among U.S. allies and partners as a steady hand who favors strong U.S. military cooperation abroad.
Miller has most recently served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and before that was a deputy assistant Defense Secretary and top adviser to Trump on counterterrorism issues. He has a long background with the military, having served as an enlisted infantryman in the Army Reserves and after that as a special forces officer. He also served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. After his retirement from the military, Miller worked as a defense contractor.
Esper’s strained relationship with Trump came close to collapse last summer during civil unrest that triggered a debate within the administration over the proper role of the military in combating domestic unrest. Esper’s opposition to using active duty troops to help quell protests in Washington, D.C., infuriated Trump, and led to wide speculation that the defense chief was prepared to quit if faced with such an issue again.
During his roughly 16-month tenure, Esper generally supported Trump’s policies but more recently he was widely expected to quit or be ousted if Trump won reelection.
Presidents historically have put a high priority on stability at the Pentagon during political transitions. Since the creation of the Defense Department and the position of defense secretary in 1947, the only three presidents to lose election for a second term — Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush — all kept their secretary of defense in place until Inauguration Day.
Esper, who was the official successor to former Marine Gen. James Mattis, routinely emphasized the importance of keeping the military and the Defense Department out of politics. But it proved to be an uphill struggle as Trump alternately praised what he called “his generals” and denigrated top Pentagon leaders as war-mongers devoted to drumming up business for the defense industry.
Trump soured on his first defense secretary, Mattis, who resigned in December 2018 over Trump’s abrupt decision — later rescinded — to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria, and then on Esper. The splits reflected Trump’s fundamentally different views on America’s place in the world, the value of international defense alliances and the importance of shielding the military from domestic partisan politics.
During Trump’s tenure, the Pentagon has often at the center of the tumult, caught in a persistent and erratic debate over the use of American forces at war in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, and on U.S. soil, at the Mexico border and in cities roiled by civil unrest and rocked by the coronavirus.
Esper’s departure has appeared inevitable ever since he publicly broke with Trump in June over the president’s push to deploy military troops in the streets of the nation’s capital in response to civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. Esper publicly opposed Trump’s threats to invoke the two-centuries-old Insurrection Act, which would allow the president to use active-duty troops in a law enforcement role. And Trump was furious when Esper told reporters the Insurrection Act should be invoked “only in the most urgent and dire of situations,” and, “We are not in one of those situations now.”
The June civil unrest initially drew Esper into controversy when he joined a Trump entourage that strolled from the White House to nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo op featuring Trump hoisting a Bible. Critics condemned Esper, saying he had allowed himself to be used as a political prop.
Esper said he didn’t know he was heading into a photo op, but thought he was going to view damage at the church and see National Guard troops in the area. He was accompanied by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who later expressed public regret at having been present in uniform.
Trump hinted at Esper’s shaky status in August, making a snide response to a reporter’s question about whether he still had confidence in Esper’s leadership. “Mark ‘Yesper’? Did you call him ‘Yesper?'” Trump said, in what appeared to be an allusion to suggestions that Esper was a yes man for the president. Asked if he was considering firing Esper, Trump said, “At some point, that’s what happens.”


shareblue--2020-11-09--Trump claimed the stock market would tank if Biden won. It did the opposite.

Throughout the campaign , Donald Trump claimed multiple times that if former Vice President Joe Biden were elected to the presidency , the stock market would crash and Americans ' retirement funds would be wiped out .
But on Monday — the first day the stock market was open since Biden was declared the winner — the Dow Jones surged by nearly 1,400 points , setting a new record .
It 's proof that one of Trump 's most frequent lines of attack against Biden was demonstrably false .
Trump delivered that attack line up until Election Day .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friends '' on the morning of Nov. 3 , Trump told the Trump-friendly hosts , `` We have a headwind on the stock market because on the chance that Biden got in , you will have a stock market go down like you would n't believe , if he got in . ''
Two days before that , Trump said at a rally in Florida that , `` This election is a choice between a crippling depression or a historic boom . ''
`` It is , you 'll have a depression , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
All those 401Ks , they 're going to go right down the tubes , throw it out . ''
On Oct. 21 , Trump tweeted , `` Your 401k ’ s will crash with Biden .
Massive Biden Tax and Regulation increases will destroy all that you have built !
Additionally , 180 Million People will lose their Private Healthcare Plans . ''
Of course , none of those tweets were ever rooted in fact .
When Biden served as vice president to President Barack Obama , the stock market actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past four years of Trump , according to Fortune magazine .
Now , after Biden was declared the winner on Saturday , Trump 's line of attack has been proven false .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Throughout the campaign, Donald Trump claimed multiple times that if former Vice President Joe Biden were elected to the presidency, the stock market would crash and Americans’ retirement funds would be wiped out.
But on Monday — the first day the stock market was open since Biden was declared the winner — the Dow Jones surged by nearly 1,400 points, setting a new record.
It’s proof that one of Trump’s most frequent lines of attack against Biden was demonstrably false.
Trump delivered that attack line up until Election Day.
In a phone call with “Fox & Friends” on the morning of Nov. 3, Trump told the Trump-friendly hosts, “We have a headwind on the stock market because on the chance that Biden got in, you will have a stock market go down like you wouldn’t believe, if he got in.”
Two days before that, Trump said at a rally in Florida that, “This election is a choice between a crippling depression or a historic boom.”
“It is, you’ll have a depression,” Trump added. “All that money. All those 401Ks, they’re going to go right down the tubes, throw it out.”
On Oct. 21, Trump tweeted, “Your 401k’s will crash with Biden. Massive Biden Tax and Regulation increases will destroy all that you have built! Additionally, 180 Million People will lose their Private Healthcare Plans.”
Of course, none of those tweets were ever rooted in fact.
When Biden served as vice president to President Barack Obama, the stock market actually saw bigger gains than it has under the past four years of Trump, according to Fortune magazine.
Now, after Biden was declared the winner on Saturday, Trump’s line of attack has been proven false.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-09--8 lies GOP is throwing at the wall to convince people Trump didn't lose

Donald Trump will not be sworn in again on Jan. 20 , 2021 , after Joe Biden 's victory in the 2020 presidential election , with Biden winning millions more votes and securing at least 279 Electoral College votes .
But Trump and his allies are refusing to accept the election results and continue to make the delusional claim that the race is not over and Trump can still win .
The lies in support of this claim are coming from a number of people , including Trump himself , Trump campaign surrogates such as Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Congress .
Some Republicans say the lies are harmful to our democracy , creating doubt about the integrity of elections by pushing baseless conspiracy theories .
But Trump and his followers continue to spew them .
Here are eight lies they 've been telling since networks called the election for Biden on Saturday .
Since Saturday , when Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election by the Associated Press , CNN , NBC , ABC , CBS , and even Fox News , the Trump campaign has been stomping its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over yet .
Trump supporters from Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel to Sen. Ted Cruz to Fox News contributor and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz have claimed the media does n't call elections .
`` The media is desperately trying to get everyone to coronate Joe Biden as the next president , but that 's not how it works .
The media does not get to select our president .
The American people get to elect our president , '' Cruz said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday morning .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these elections , not the national media , '' Chaffetz said on Fox News Monday morning , adding that no states in the country have certified their election results yet .
Of course , when the media called the election for Trump in 2016 , none of these people complained about it .
Media calls are based on math .
Experts hired by major outlets crunch the number of ballots cast compared to the number of ballots remaining to determine whether a candidate has any chance of winning .
Based on the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To try to make the point that media outlets sometimes call elections incorrectly , Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh tweeted an image of a supposed cover of an issue of the Washington Times with a headline that read `` PRESIDENT GORE '' in capital letters .
`` Greeting staff at @ TeamTrump HQ this morning , a reminder that the media does n't select the President , '' Murtaugh said in the now-deleted tweet .
However , the front page was fake .
The Washington Times never ran a headline in 2000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George W. Bush in the election that came down to a few hundred votes in Florida .
The Supreme Court ultimately ordered a recount there to stop , handing the White House to Bush .
The Washington Times responded : `` Those photos have been doctored .
The Washington Times never ran a 'President Gore ' headline . ''
As the Trump campaign mulls whether to demand recounts in states Trump lost , Reince Priebus , the former Republican National Committee chair and former Trump chief of staff , said on CBS News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .
`` Hillary Clinton had four recounts four years ago , and I just think the Trump campaign is n't going to do anything as far as making statements of congratulatory statements until that 's over , '' Priebus said .
Clinton did not ask for recounts .
She conceded on Nov. 9 , 2016 , the day after the election .
Since Election Day , Trump has been trying to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election by falsely saying it was rife with mail-in ballot fraud .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot dumps they are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction ? ''
Trump tweeted on Nov. 4 .
On Nov. 5 , he tweeted a link to a story published by the right-wing Breitbart News with the headline : `` 'No Question ' Trump Would Have Won Nevada 'Convincingly ' Without Mail-in Voting . ''
Trump actually won some states that either exclusively use mail-in ballots , like Utah , and others that have a large percentage of their ballots cast by mail , like Florida .
Trump is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And mail-in ballots skewed heavily Democratic in a number of states that utilized both absentee and in-person voting because Trump told his supporters not to use the voting method .
Large numbers of Democrats voted by mail because it was safer to cast a ballot from home than go to a polling location in the middle of a deadly pandemic .
And the only reason states such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin looked good for Trump early on in the vote-counting was that Republican-controlled legislatures in those states refused to allow election officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That created the early appearance that Trump was in the lead .
In actuality , adding the absentee ballot count to the total simply resulted in more votes cast for Biden .
Trump and his supporters claim that thousands of dead people cast ballots for Biden .
`` The dead vote appears to have swung overwhelmingly for Joe Biden , '' Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) tweeted , linking to a Breitbart News story making the claim that the names of thousands of dead people wound up on ballots in Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that `` not a single one of the names examined was of a dead person voting . ''
Cruz continued his quest to delegitimize Biden 's win and help Trump .
In his Fox News appearance on Sunday , Cruz said that a software glitch incorrectly gave 6,000 votes to Biden in Michigan .
`` They apparently caught that , but that same software is used in 47 counties throughout Michigan .
That needs to be examined to determine that there is not a problem counting the votes , '' Cruz said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Cruz 's charge is false .
`` The error in reporting unofficial results in Antrim County Michigan was the result of a user error that was quickly identified and corrected ; did not affect the way ballots were actually tabulated ; and would have been identified in the county canvass before official results were reported even if it had not been identified earlier , '' Benson said in a statement .
Trump and his aides are claiming that Republican poll watchers were not allowed into rooms to watch vote-counting .
`` Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observing the vote count ?
It 's a simple question with no satisfactory answer , '' White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted .
But the Trump campaign 's own lawyers have admitted under oath to judges hearing lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign that they have had poll watchers in the rooms where vote-counting has been conducted .
In Pennsylvania , a judge dismissed the Trump campaign 's case when the campaign admitted that it had been able to witness the vote-counting .
The Trump campaign has sued a county in Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being disqualified because they 'd filled them out with Sharpie markers .
The claim led to protests in the state , where Trump currently trails Biden in a race that has yet to be called .
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said the claim is false , while Clint Hickman , chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors , said : `` Sharpies do not invalidate ballots . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump will not be sworn in again on Jan. 20, 2021, after Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, with Biden winning millions more votes and securing at least 279 Electoral College votes.
But Trump and his allies are refusing to accept the election results and continue to make the delusional claim that the race is not over and Trump can still win.
The lies in support of this claim are coming from a number of people, including Trump himself, Trump campaign surrogates such as Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s children, and Republican members of Congress.
Some Republicans say the lies are harmful to our democracy, creating doubt about the integrity of elections by pushing baseless conspiracy theories.
But Trump and his followers continue to spew them.
Here are eight lies they’ve been telling since networks called the election for Biden on Saturday.
The media doesn’t call races
Since Saturday, when Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election by the Associated Press, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, and even Fox News, the Trump campaign has been stomping its feet and insisting the race is not over yet.
Trump supporters from Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel to Sen. Ted Cruz to Fox News contributor and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz have claimed the media doesn’t call elections.
“The media is desperately trying to get everyone to coronate Joe Biden as the next president, but that’s not how it works. The media does not get to select our president. The American people get to elect our president,” Cruz said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday morning.
“Counties administer these elections, states certify these elections, not the national media,” Chaffetz said on Fox News Monday morning, adding that no states in the country have certified their election results yet.
Of course, when the media called the election for Trump in 2016, none of these people complained about it.
Media calls are based on math. Experts hired by major outlets crunch the number of ballots cast compared to the number of ballots remaining to determine whether a candidate has any chance of winning. Based on the vote tallies as they stand, Trump lost.
Pushing a fake newspaper cover
To try to make the point that media outlets sometimes call elections incorrectly, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh tweeted an image of a supposed cover of an issue of the Washington Times with a headline that read “PRESIDENT GORE” in capital letters.
“Greeting staff at @TeamTrump HQ this morning, a reminder that the media doesn’t select the President,” Murtaugh said in the now-deleted tweet.
However, the front page was fake.
The Washington Times never ran a headline in 2000 that declared Al Gore the winner over George W. Bush in the election that came down to a few hundred votes in Florida. The Supreme Court ultimately ordered a recount there to stop, handing the White House to Bush.
The Washington Times responded: “Those photos have been doctored. The Washington Times never ran a ‘President Gore’ headline.”
Saying Hillary Clinton demanded recounts
As the Trump campaign mulls whether to demand recounts in states Trump lost, Reince Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chair and former Trump chief of staff, said on CBS News Monday morning that Hillary Clinton pursued recounts in 2016.
“Hillary Clinton had four recounts four years ago, and I just think the Trump campaign isn’t going to do anything as far as making statements of congratulatory statements until that’s over,” Priebus said.
Clinton did not ask for recounts.
She conceded on Nov. 9, 2016, the day after the election.
Absentee ballots are rife with fraud
Since Election Day, Trump has been trying to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election by falsely saying it was rife with mail-in ballot fraud.
“How come every time they count Mail-In ballot dumps they are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction?” Trump tweeted on Nov. 4.
On Nov. 5, he tweeted a link to a story published by the right-wing Breitbart News with the headline: “‘No Question’ Trump Would Have Won Nevada ‘Convincingly’ Without Mail-in Voting.”
Trump actually won some states that either exclusively use mail-in ballots, like Utah, and others that have a large percentage of their ballots cast by mail, like Florida. Trump is not calling the voting in those states fraudulent.
And mail-in ballots skewed heavily Democratic in a number of states that utilized both absentee and in-person voting because Trump told his supporters not to use the voting method.
Large numbers of Democrats voted by mail because it was safer to cast a ballot from home than go to a polling location in the middle of a deadly pandemic.
And the only reason states such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin looked good for Trump early on in the vote-counting was that Republican-controlled legislatures in those states refused to allow election officials to count absentee ballots until Election Day. That created the early appearance that Trump was in the lead. In actuality, adding the absentee ballot count to the total simply resulted in more votes cast for Biden.
Dead people voted
Trump and his supporters claim that thousands of dead people cast ballots for Biden.
“The dead vote appears to have swung overwhelmingly for Joe Biden,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted, linking to a Breitbart News story making the claim that the names of thousands of dead people wound up on ballots in Pennsylvania.
CNN examined the claims, and found that “not a single one of the names examined was of a dead person voting.”
Software glitches helped Biden
Cruz continued his quest to delegitimize Biden’s win and help Trump.
In his Fox News appearance on Sunday, Cruz said that a software glitch incorrectly gave 6,000 votes to Biden in Michigan.
“They apparently caught that, but that same software is used in 47 counties throughout Michigan. That needs to be examined to determine that there is not a problem counting the votes,” Cruz said.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Cruz’s charge is false.
“The error in reporting unofficial results in Antrim County Michigan was the result of a user error that was quickly identified and corrected; did not affect the way ballots were actually tabulated; and would have been identified in the county canvass before official results were reported even if it had not been identified earlier,” Benson said in a statement.
Poll watchers weren’t allowed to witness the counts
Trump and his aides are claiming that Republican poll watchers were not allowed into rooms to watch vote-counting.
“Why were Republican poll watchers systematically blocked from observing the vote count? It’s a simple question with no satisfactory answer,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted.
But the Trump campaign’s own lawyers have admitted under oath to judges hearing lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign that they have had poll watchers in the rooms where vote-counting has been conducted.
In Pennsylvania, a judge dismissed the Trump campaign’s case when the campaign admitted that it had been able to witness the vote-counting.
Sharpies invalidated votes in Arizona
The Trump campaign has sued a county in Arizona, claiming that some voters’ ballots were being disqualified because they’d filled them out with Sharpie markers.
The claim led to protests in the state, where Trump currently trails Biden in a race that has yet to be called.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said the claim is false, while Clint Hickman, chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, said: “Sharpies do not invalidate ballots.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-09--Republicans unbelievably pushing Trump for 2024 already

While Donald Trump and the GOP have refused to concede defeat in the 2020 election , his allies are already talking up his chances in a possible 2024 race .
`` If Donald Trump is eligible , he may run for president in 2024 , and let me be the first to say I 'd be right there with him , fighting alongside him , '' Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) told Fox News on Sunday .
`` He still gives us the best chance to win and he may be a candidate for the presidency yet again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ echoed similar sentiments in an interview with Fox News Radio on Monday .
He said that he wanted Trump to `` consider running again '' in 2024 , adding , `` I would encourage him to think about '' it .
Multiple networks , including Fox , called the race for Biden after they determined he was over 270 electoral votes .
Biden received nearly 75 million votes he has received .
Despite this stark reality , Republican officials , including Graham and Gaetz , have called for him to continue filing specious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to throw the election to Trump .
Legal experts say the lawsuits are unlikely to succeed .
From the Nov. 8 edition of Fox News ' `` The Next Revolution '' : STEVE HILTON , FOX NEWS : Just want to reemphasize , when 2018 , Donald Trump not on the ballot , not such a great night for Republicans .
Now that he 's on the ballot , the results were totally different .
He helped achieve these results in the House .
MATT GAETZ : He may be on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is eligible , he may run for president in 2024 , and let me be the first to say I 'd be right there with him , fighting alongside him .
He still gives us the best chance to win and he may be a candidate for the presidency yet again .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

While Donald Trump and the GOP have refused to concede defeat in the 2020 election, his allies are already talking up his chances in a possible 2024 race.
“If Donald Trump is eligible, he may run for president in 2024, and let me be the first to say I’d be right there with him, fighting alongside him,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Fox News on Sunday. “He still gives us the best chance to win and he may be a candidate for the presidency yet again.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) echoed similar sentiments in an interview with Fox News Radio on Monday. He said that he wanted Trump to “consider running again” in 2024, adding, “I would encourage him to think about” it.
Multiple networks, including Fox, called the race for Biden after they determined he was over 270 electoral votes. Biden received nearly 75 million votes he has received.
Despite this stark reality, Republican officials, including Graham and Gaetz, have called for him to continue filing specious legal challenges in several states in an attempt to throw the election to Trump. Legal experts say the lawsuits are unlikely to succeed.
From the Nov. 8 edition of Fox News’ “The Next Revolution”:
STEVE HILTON, FOX NEWS: Just want to reemphasize, when 2018, Donald Trump not on the ballot, not such a great night for Republicans. Now that he’s on the ballot, the results were totally different. He helped achieve these results in the House. MATT GAETZ: He may be on the ballot yet again. If Donald Trump is eligible, he may run for president in 2024, and let me be the first to say I’d be right there with him, fighting alongside him. He still gives us the best chance to win and he may be a candidate for the presidency yet again.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-09--It's all down to Georgia: 2 run-offs will decide fate of the Senate

Control of the Senate likely wo n't be decided until a January runoff in Georgia , even after Democrat Joe Biden won the White House on Saturday .
That post-election cliff-hanger will determine the balance of power in Washington , as neither party appears to have a lock on a Senate majority right now .
So far , the tally for the next Senate is 48 Republicans and 48 Democrats after Tuesday 's election .
Two seats in Georgia are headed to runoffs on Jan. 5 .
And seats in North Carolina and Alaska are still too early to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ momentous political struggle in Georgia during Donald Trump 's final lame-duck days in office .
The state is closely divided , with Democrats making gains on Republicans , fueled by a surge of new voters .
But no Democrat has been elected senator in some 20 years .
As much as $ 500 million could be spent on the two races , one strategist said .
`` Now we take Georgia , and then we change America , '' Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told a crowd celebrating Biden 's victory Saturday on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic majority in the Senate , the party that also controls the House would have a firm grasp on power in Washington .
Biden would have latitude over nominees , including for his Cabinet , and a chance to push major portions of his legislative agenda through Congress .
If Democrats fall short , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Kentucky Republican , could wield the power to check Biden 's ambitions .
`` The Senate is the last line of defense , '' tweeted the National Republican Senatorial Committee as soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
It was a fundraising appeal .
Republicans have been working to retain their majority , but even if they secure the final two races where ballots are still being counted in North Carolina and Alaska , they would still fall short of the 51 seats needed .
In North Carolina , Sen. Thom Tillis is trying to fend off Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham in a tight race that is too early to call .
Alaska GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan is favored for another term against Al Gross , an independent running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem for Republicans is that the vice president of the party holding the White House casts the tie-breaking vote in the Senate .
Next year that would be Vice President-elect Kamala Harris .
That means 50 seats for Democrats would result in control over the chamber .
But Republicans would need 51 seats to cement their hold on power .
That would put Georgia center stage , as many expect is about to happen .
Both Senate seats in the state are now held by Republican incumbents .
They were forced into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 50 % threshold needed to win outright in multi-candidate races .
GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler will face Rafael Warnock , a Black pastor from the church where Rev .
Martin Luther King , Jr. preached .
And Republican Sen. David Perdue , a top Trump ally , will face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff .
`` Now more than ever , we NEED to keep the Senate in Republican hands , '' tweeted Loeffler .
She said Saturday that she and Perdue are `` the last line of defense against the radical left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new ad , detailing a `` path to recovery '' from the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout .
He calls for following the advice of medical experts to deal with the virus and a massive infrastructure plan to create jobs .
`` We need leaders who bring us together to get this done , '' Ossoff says in the ad .
Biden had been mum on the Senate balance as he awaited the results in his own election , but he offered a preview before Tuesday 's election .
`` I ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we flip the United States Senate .
There 's no state more consequential than Georgia in that fight , '' Biden declared at an Atlanta rally on Oct. 27 , when he campaigned alongside Ossoff and Warnock .
Republicans agree .
`` It 's all on the line in Georgia , '' said Steven Law , the president of Senate Leadership Fund , the outside group aligned with McConnell that spent big trying to keep Senate control .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reminded her colleagues of the stakes for the entire party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How we conduct it in the next two months will affect how we do in Georgia , '' Pelosi told House Democrats , according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private caucus call .
She reminded colleagues to be `` respectful . ''

Control of the Senate likely won’t be decided until a January runoff in Georgia, even after Democrat Joe Biden won the White House on Saturday.
That post-election cliff-hanger will determine the balance of power in Washington, as neither party appears to have a lock on a Senate majority right now.
So far, the tally for the next Senate is 48 Republicans and 48 Democrats after Tuesday’s election. Two seats in Georgia are headed to runoffs on Jan. 5. And seats in North Carolina and Alaska are still too early to call.
The stakes are high for a momentous political struggle in Georgia during Donald Trump’s final lame-duck days in office. The state is closely divided, with Democrats making gains on Republicans, fueled by a surge of new voters. But no Democrat has been elected senator in some 20 years. As much as $500 million could be spent on the two races, one strategist said.
“Now we take Georgia, and then we change America,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told a crowd celebrating Biden’s victory Saturday on the streets of Brooklyn.
With a Democratic majority in the Senate, the party that also controls the House would have a firm grasp on power in Washington. Biden would have latitude over nominees, including for his Cabinet, and a chance to push major portions of his legislative agenda through Congress. If Democrats fall short, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, could wield the power to check Biden’s ambitions.
“The Senate is the last line of defense,” tweeted the National Republican Senatorial Committee as soon as the presidential race was called for Biden. It was a fundraising appeal.
Republicans have been working to retain their majority, but even if they secure the final two races where ballots are still being counted in North Carolina and Alaska, they would still fall short of the 51 seats needed.
In North Carolina, Sen. Thom Tillis is trying to fend off Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham in a tight race that is too early to call. Alaska GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan is favored for another term against Al Gross, an independent running as a Democrat.
The political math problem for Republicans is that the vice president of the party holding the White House casts the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. Next year that would be Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. That means 50 seats for Democrats would result in control over the chamber. But Republicans would need 51 seats to cement their hold on power.
That would put Georgia center stage, as many expect is about to happen.
Both Senate seats in the state are now held by Republican incumbents. They were forced into the January runoff contests after no candidate reached the 50% threshold needed to win outright in multi-candidate races.
GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler will face Rafael Warnock, a Black pastor from the church where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached. And Republican Sen. David Perdue, a top Trump ally, will face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff.
“Now more than ever, we NEED to keep the Senate in Republican hands,” tweeted Loeffler. She said Saturday that she and Perdue are “the last line of defense against the radical left.”
Ossoff’s campaign aired a new ad, detailing a “path to recovery” from the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. He calls for following the advice of medical experts to deal with the virus and a massive infrastructure plan to create jobs.
“We need leaders who bring us together to get this done,” Ossoff says in the ad.
Biden had been mum on the Senate balance as he awaited the results in his own election, but he offered a preview before Tuesday’s election.
“I can’t tell you how important it is that we flip the United States Senate. There’s no state more consequential than Georgia in that fight,” Biden declared at an Atlanta rally on Oct. 27, when he campaigned alongside Ossoff and Warnock.
Republicans agree. “It’s all on the line in Georgia,” said Steven Law, the president of Senate Leadership Fund, the outside group aligned with McConnell that spent big trying to keep Senate control.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reminded her colleagues of the stakes for the entire party during the lame-duck sprint ahead.
“How we conduct it in the next two months will affect how we do in Georgia,” Pelosi told House Democrats, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private caucus call. She reminded colleagues to be “respectful.”


shareblue--2020-11-10--Former Fox contributor gets top Pentagon job despite his record of bigotry

A Trump loyalist and former Fox News commentator has been moved into the Pentagon 's top policy job , defense officials said Tuesday , just a few months after he failed to get through Senate confirmation because of offensive remarks he made , including about Islam .
Officials said Anthony Tata , a retired Army one-star general , will be performing the duties of the undersecretary for defense policy .
James Anderson , who had been acting undersecretary , resigned on Tuesday , a day after Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper .
The officials spoke on condition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's move to the policy job came on Christopher Miller 's second day on the job as defense chief .
The latest change sent reverberations through the building as nervous civilian and military personnel waited for the next shoe to drop .
And it fuels concerns about efforts to politicize the military and raises fear about what the Trump administration may do in the months before President-elect Joe Biden takes office .
Trump has refused to concede his election loss .
Trump appointed Tata to the policy post earlier this year , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nomination when it became clear that it would be difficult if not impossible to get him confirmed .
Tata withdrew his name from consideration for the job , which is the third-highest position in the department .
Trump then appointed Tata to serve in the job of deputy undersecretary .
There has been continuing tumult in the Pentagon 's policy shop .
John Rood was forced to resign as undersecretary for policy in February after he drew White House ire for warning against the U.S. withholding aid to Ukraine , the issue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be `` performing the duties of '' the undersecretary job , rather than holding the `` acting '' title .
Officials who carry the `` acting '' title have more authority than those who are `` performing the duties of '' the job .
According to reports , Tata posted tweets in 2018 calling Islam the `` most oppressive violent religion I know of , '' and he called former President Barack Obama a `` terrorist leader '' and referred to him as Muslim .
The tweets were later taken down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rep. Adam Smith ( D-WA ) and chair of the House Armed Services Committee , said Trump must not prioritize loyalty over competence and install someone in a job if the `` appointee can not gain the support of the Senate , as is clearly the case with Tata . ''
Defense officials said Miller , who previously was director of the National Counterterrorism Center , continues meeting with staff and becoming familiar with the Pentagon and its wide range of complex and critical national security issues and mission .

A Trump loyalist and former Fox News commentator has been moved into the Pentagon’s top policy job, defense officials said Tuesday, just a few months after he failed to get through Senate confirmation because of offensive remarks he made, including about Islam.
Officials said Anthony Tata, a retired Army one-star general, will be performing the duties of the undersecretary for defense policy. James Anderson, who had been acting undersecretary, resigned on Tuesday, a day after Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel issues.
Tata’s move to the policy job came on Christopher Miller’s second day on the job as defense chief. The latest change sent reverberations through the building as nervous civilian and military personnel waited for the next shoe to drop. And it fuels concerns about efforts to politicize the military and raises fear about what the Trump administration may do in the months before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Trump has refused to concede his election loss.
Trump appointed Tata to the policy post earlier this year, but the Senate canceled a hearing on the nomination when it became clear that it would be difficult if not impossible to get him confirmed. Tata withdrew his name from consideration for the job, which is the third-highest position in the department.
Trump then appointed Tata to serve in the job of deputy undersecretary.
There has been continuing tumult in the Pentagon’s policy shop. John Rood was forced to resign as undersecretary for policy in February after he drew White House ire for warning against the U.S. withholding aid to Ukraine, the issue that led to Trump’s impeachment.
Tata will be “performing the duties of” the undersecretary job, rather than holding the “acting” title. Officials who carry the “acting” title have more authority than those who are “performing the duties of” the job.
According to reports, Tata posted tweets in 2018 calling Islam the “most oppressive violent religion I know of,” and he called former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader” and referred to him as Muslim. The tweets were later taken down.
At the time of the Senate hearing, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) and chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said Trump must not prioritize loyalty over competence and install someone in a job if the “appointee cannot gain the support of the Senate, as is clearly the case with Tata.”
Defense officials said Miller, who previously was director of the National Counterterrorism Center, continues meeting with staff and becoming familiar with the Pentagon and its wide range of complex and critical national security issues and mission.


shareblue--2020-11-10--Biden says Trump's refusal to accept that he lost is 'an embarrassment'

President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday that it is an `` embarrassment '' that Donald Trump is refusing to admit he lost the election .
`` I just think it 's an embarrassment , quite frankly , '' Biden told reporters at a press conference when asked about the issue .
`` I think it will not help the president 's legacy . ''
Biden went on to say he believes the majority of people who voted for Trump `` understand that we have to come together . ''
Trump 's refusal comes even as Biden 's margin of victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4.6 million votes and is ahead of him in the Electoral College 279-214 , while leading in the states of Arizona and Georgia .
REPORTER : Sir , what do you say to the Americans that are anxious over the fact that President Trump has yet to concede and what that might mean for the country ?
JOE BIDEN : Well , I just think it 's an embarrassment , quite frankly .
The only thing that — how can I say this tactfully ?
I think it will not help the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know from my discussions with foreign leaders thus far that they are hopeful that the United States ' democratic institutions are viewed once again as being strong and enduring .
But I think at the end of the day , it 's all going to come to a fruition on January 20 , and between now and then , my hope and expectation is that the American people do know , do understand that there has been a transition .
Even among Republicans , who are people who voted for the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I get that .
But I think the majority of the people who voted for the president — a lot voted for him , a significantly smaller number , but a lot voted for him — I think they understand that we have to come together .
I think they 're ready to unite , and I believe we can pull the country out of this bitter politics that we 've seen for the last , last five , six , seven years .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation @

President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday that it is an “embarrassment” that Donald Trump is refusing to admit he lost the election.
“I just think it’s an embarrassment, quite frankly,” Biden told reporters at a press conference when asked about the issue. “I think it will not help the president’s legacy.”
Biden went on to say he believes the majority of people who voted for Trump “understand that we have to come together.”
Trump’s refusal comes even as Biden’s margin of victory increases.
Biden leads Trump by over 4.6 million votes and is ahead of him in the Electoral College 279-214, while leading in the states of Arizona and Georgia.
From a Nov. 10 press conference:
REPORTER: Sir, what do you say to the Americans that are anxious over the fact that President Trump has yet to concede and what that might mean for the country? JOE BIDEN: Well, I just think it’s an embarrassment, quite frankly. The only thing that — how can I say this tactfully? I think it will not help the president’s legacy. I think that — I know from my discussions with foreign leaders thus far that they are hopeful that the United States’ democratic institutions are viewed once again as being strong and enduring. But I think at the end of the day, it’s all going to come to a fruition on January 20, and between now and then, my hope and expectation is that the American people do know, do understand that there has been a transition. Even among Republicans, who are people who voted for the president. I understand the sense of loss, I get that. But I think the majority of the people who voted for the president — a lot voted for him, a significantly smaller number, but a lot voted for him — I think they understand that we have to come together. I think they’re ready to unite, and I believe we can pull the country out of this bitter politics that we’ve seen for the last, last five, six, seven years.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-10--Pompeo enthusiastically backs Trump's attempt to steal the election

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that there would indeed be a peaceful transition in the coming days — but only to a second Donald Trump term .
`` There will be a smooth transition — to a second Trump administration , '' Pompeo said , when asked by reporters if the current White House occupant would allow for a peaceful transfer of power following President-elect Joe Biden 's election win .
`` Right , we 're ready .
The world is watching what 's taking place .
We 're gon na count all the votes , [ and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 'll be electors selected . ''
He added that there was a constitutional process that `` lays it out pretty clearly . ''
`` The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today , successful today , and successful with the president who 's in office on Jan. 20 [ ... ] . ''
Trump and his allies have attempted to stall the transition thus far , suggesting repeatedly and without proof that there was widespread election and voter fraud that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is zero evidence to support that claim .
Asked by a reporter whether he believed the United States had `` failed '' to conduct a fair election , Pompeo hedged , saying only that he was `` getting calls from across the world . ''
`` These people are watching our election , '' he said .
`` They understand that we have a legal process .
They understand that this takes time .
Right ?
Took us 37-plus days , you know , the election back in 2000 , conducted a successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we will count — and we must count — every legal vote . ''
He added , `` We must make sure that any vote that was n't lawful ought not be counted — that dilutes your vote , if it 's done improperly .
Got ta get that right , and when we get it right , we 'll get it right .
We 're in good shape . ''
Pompeo was parroting a popular refrain from the Trump campaign , which has suggested that any votes counted after Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tabulated .
The votes to which they are referring are mostly mail-in ballots cast by those who voted early to avoid crowds on Election Day — and to maintain social distancing measures intended to keep people safe during the pandemic — and absentee ballots cast by active duty military members , among others .
It is also worth noting that Trump and his allies have only opposed counting ballots in states he lost to Joe Biden , where a surge in mail ballots put the latter over the top in the days following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post , Pompeo was also asked on Tuesday about the Trump administration 's threats over the U.S. election in comparison to elections in foreign nations .
`` This department frequently sends out statements encouraging free and fair elections abroad , and for the losers ... to accept the results , '' one reporter asked .
`` Does n't President Trump 's refusal to concede discredit those efforts ? ''
While Pompeo claimed the world was critically watching the results of the U.S. election , the majority of world leaders have enthusiastically welcomed its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The Americans have chosen their President .
Congratulations @ JoeBiden and @ KamalaHarris !
We have a lot to do to overcome today 's challenges .
Let 's work together ! ''
tweeted French President Emmanuel Macron .
President Moon Jae-in of South Korea tweeted that the two countries ' `` alliance is strong and the bond between our two countries is rock-solid . ''
`` I very much look forward to working with you for our shared values , '' he added .
Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past — told the Associated Press he hoped to work with Biden in the future , noting , `` We have common values .
We have common interests .
We have a common global perspective . ''
`` During the election campaign , Joe Biden made it clear that he believes in Team Play when it comes to the United States on [ the ] international stage instead of acting by its own , '' Maas ' statement read .
`` We want the West to play as a team again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justin Trudeau called to congratulate Biden himself .
`` I just spoke with @ JoeBiden and congratulated him again on his election , '' Trudeau tweeted afterward .
`` We 've worked with each other before , and we 're ready to pick up that work and tackle the challenges and opportunities facing our two countries — including climate change and COVID-19 . ''
Pompeo 's disturbing remarks are just the latest in a long line of similar coup-like comments from GOP sycophants backing Trump 's false claims about mass election fraud .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , Attorney General Bill Barr , South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , Georgia Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , and right-wing radio host Mark Levin , who 's actively encouraged the state electors to go against the will of the voters and overthrow Biden .
Trump 's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner as well as First Lady Melania Trump are said to have encouraged Trump to concede the election , according to CNN .
Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have urged him to accept the results graciously as well .
Rather than heed their advice , Trump seems to be actively spearheading backlash with his supporters .
To many , it 's worrisome .
`` Democracy works only when losers recognize that they have lost , '' wrote political scientist Henry Farrell in a Washington Post op-ed Thursday .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that there would indeed be a peaceful transition in the coming days — but only to a second Donald Trump term.
“There will be a smooth transition — to a second Trump administration,” Pompeo said, when asked by reporters if the current White House occupant would allow for a peaceful transfer of power following President-elect Joe Biden’s election win. “Right, we’re ready. The world is watching what’s taking place. We’re gonna count all the votes, [and] when the process is complete, there’ll be electors selected.”
He added that there was a constitutional process that “lays it out pretty clearly.”
“The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today, successful today, and successful with the president who’s in office on Jan. 20 […].”
Trump and his allies have attempted to stall the transition thus far, suggesting repeatedly and without proof that there was widespread election and voter fraud that allowed Biden to claim victory. There is zero evidence to support that claim.
Asked by a reporter whether he believed the United States had “failed” to conduct a fair election, Pompeo hedged, saying only that he was “getting calls from across the world.”
“These people are watching our election,” he said. “They understand that we have a legal process. They understand that this takes time. Right? Took us 37-plus days, you know, the election back in 2000, conducted a successful transition then. I am very confident that we will count — and we must count — every legal vote.”
He added, “We must make sure that any vote that wasn’t lawful ought not be counted — that dilutes your vote, if it’s done improperly. Gotta get that right, and when we get it right, we’ll get it right. We’re in good shape.”
Pompeo was parroting a popular refrain from the Trump campaign, which has suggested that any votes counted after Election Day are somehow illegal and should not be tabulated.
The votes to which they are referring are mostly mail-in ballots cast by those who voted early to avoid crowds on Election Day — and to maintain social distancing measures intended to keep people safe during the pandemic — and absentee ballots cast by active duty military members, among others.
It is also worth noting that Trump and his allies have only opposed counting ballots in states he lost to Joe Biden, where a surge in mail ballots put the latter over the top in the days following the election.
According to the Washington Post, Pompeo was also asked on Tuesday about the Trump administration’s threats over the U.S. election in comparison to elections in foreign nations.
“This department frequently sends out statements encouraging free and fair elections abroad, and for the losers … to accept the results,” one reporter asked. “Doesn’t President Trump’s refusal to concede discredit those efforts?”
“That’s ridiculous,” Pompeo answered.
While Pompeo claimed the world was critically watching the results of the U.S. election, the majority of world leaders have enthusiastically welcomed its results and embraced a Biden presidency already.
“The Americans have chosen their President. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together!” tweeted French President Emmanuel Macron.
President Moon Jae-in of South Korea tweeted that the two countries’ “alliance is strong and the bond between our two countries is rock-solid.”
“I very much look forward to working with you for our shared values,” he added.
Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who has been friendly with Trump in the past — told the Associated Press he hoped to work with Biden in the future, noting, “We have common values. We have common interests. We have a common global perspective.”
Heiko Maas, Germany’s foreign minister, released a statement welcoming a Biden-Harris era as well.
“During the election campaign, Joe Biden made it clear that he believes in Team Play when it comes to the United States on [the] international stage instead of acting by its own,” Maas’ statement read. “We want the West to play as a team again.”
Last weekend, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called to congratulate Biden himself.
“I just spoke with @JoeBiden and congratulated him again on his election,” Trudeau tweeted afterward. “We’ve worked with each other before, and we’re ready to pick up that work and tackle the challenges and opportunities facing our two countries — including climate change and COVID-19.”
Pompeo’s disturbing remarks are just the latest in a long line of similar coup-like comments from GOP sycophants backing Trump’s false claims about mass election fraud.
Those include allegations of a rigged election by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Attorney General Bill Barr, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Georgia Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, and right-wing radio host Mark Levin, who’s actively encouraged the state electors to go against the will of the voters and overthrow Biden.
Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner as well as First Lady Melania Trump are said to have encouraged Trump to concede the election, according to CNN. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and former President George W. Bush have urged him to accept the results graciously as well.
Rather than heed their advice, Trump seems to be actively spearheading backlash with his supporters. To many, it’s worrisome.
“Democracy works only when losers recognize that they have lost,” wrote political scientist Henry Farrell in a Washington Post op-ed Thursday.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-10--GOP is scamming donors by pretending Trump hasn't lost the election

Republican John James lost his race for the Senate seat held by Democrat Gary Peters by 87,051 votes in Michigan last week , a margin too wide to be narrowed by a recount .
But James , who has not conceded to Peters , is raising money for a recount anyway , according to a report by the nonprofit Michigan Advance .
James has launched a joint legal fund with the Republican National Committee that can only legally be used for a recount or for litigation over his failed election effort .
James is one of a number of Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who are soliciting cash from donors under the pretense of needing funds to cover recounts , even though recounts have virtually no chance of changing the outcome of the 2020 elections in most races .
In some cases , the money wo n't be used for recounts at all .
South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem , a Trump ally , sent a fundraising solicitation that asked donors to `` help us bring it home for the president . ''
However , any funds raised will go into Noem 's own gubernatorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for recounts and legal challenges for the election he lost to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden .
He currently trails by nearly 5 million votes , and is on track to lose the Electoral College by the same margin he won it in 2016 — a lead he called a `` landslide . ''
Recounts are unlikely to change the outcome .
The fundraising prompt on his campaign website asks for contributions to his `` OFFICIAL ELECTION DEFENSE FUND . ''
However , a lengthy disclaimer on the donation page says that most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a recount fund at all .
Instead , 60 % of donations will go to Trump 's new Save America leadership PAC , a fundraising arm he could use to keep an iron grip on the Republican Party , according to a report published in the New York Times .
If a donor gives over $ 5,000 , then 40 % of that goes to the recount fund .
And 40 % of overall donations will go to the Republican National Committee .
Republican senators are also soliciting donations for Trump by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sens .
Lindsey Graham and Kelly Loeffler both said they donated to Trump 's recount fund .
Sen. Marsha Blackburn too urged her supporters to join her in donating to the recount effort .
The calls for recounts , along with unfounded allegations of voter fraud , are all part of the Republican push to delegitimize and throw out the results of the 2020 election .
And other Republican candidates are using those same baseless fraud allegations to explain away their own losses .
Kimberly Klacik , a Republican who ran in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that had been held by Rep. Elijah Cummings for over 20 years prior to his death in 2019 , claimed fraud accounted for her massive loss to Democratic incumbent Rep. Kweisi Mfume .
`` I beat my opponent on day of & in-person early voting , along with absentee .
However , 97k mail in ballots were found in his favor ?
Luckily , we raised enough money to investigate , '' Klacik tweeted on Sunday .
Klacik received just 28.6 % of the vote to Mfume 's 71.4 % , with 82 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment suggests she is not proficient in math , given that even if the 97,000 mail-in ballots she claims are suspicious — with no evidence whatsoever — were thrown out , she still would lose .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Republican John James lost his race for the Senate seat held by Democrat Gary Peters by 87,051 votes in Michigan last week, a margin too wide to be narrowed by a recount.
But James, who has not conceded to Peters, is raising money for a recount anyway, according to a report by the nonprofit Michigan Advance. James has launched a joint legal fund with the Republican National Committee that can only legally be used for a recount or for litigation over his failed election effort.
James is one of a number of Republicans, up to and including Donald Trump, who are soliciting cash from donors under the pretense of needing funds to cover recounts, even though recounts have virtually no chance of changing the outcome of the 2020 elections in most races.
In some cases, the money won’t be used for recounts at all.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Trump ally, sent a fundraising solicitation that asked donors to “help us bring it home for the president.”
However, any funds raised will go into Noem’s own gubernatorial fundraising account.
Trump is raising money for recounts and legal challenges for the election he lost to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden.
He currently trails by nearly 5 million votes, and is on track to lose the Electoral College by the same margin he won it in 2016 — a lead he called a “landslide.” Recounts are unlikely to change the outcome.
The fundraising prompt on his campaign website asks for contributions to his “OFFICIAL ELECTION DEFENSE FUND.” However, a lengthy disclaimer on the donation page says that most of the money he raises won’t go to a recount fund at all.
Instead, 60% of donations will go to Trump’s new Save America leadership PAC, a fundraising arm he could use to keep an iron grip on the Republican Party, according to a report published in the New York Times. If a donor gives over $5,000, then 40% of that goes to the recount fund. And 40% of overall donations will go to the Republican National Committee.
Republican senators are also soliciting donations for Trump by saying the money is for conducting recounts.
Sens. Lindsey Graham and Kelly Loeffler both said they donated to Trump’s recount fund. Sen. Marsha Blackburn too urged her supporters to join her in donating to the recount effort.
The calls for recounts, along with unfounded allegations of voter fraud, are all part of the Republican push to delegitimize and throw out the results of the 2020 election.
And other Republican candidates are using those same baseless fraud allegations to explain away their own losses.
Kimberly Klacik, a Republican who ran in the heavily Democratic Maryland 7th Congressional District that had been held by Rep. Elijah Cummings for over 20 years prior to his death in 2019, claimed fraud accounted for her massive loss to Democratic incumbent Rep. Kweisi Mfume.
“I beat my opponent on day of & in-person early voting, along with absentee. However, 97k mail in ballots were found in his favor? Luckily, we raised enough money to investigate,” Klacik tweeted on Sunday.
Klacik received just 28.6% of the vote to Mfume’s 71.4%, with 82% of the vote counted.
Her comment suggests she is not proficient in math, given that even if the 97,000 mail-in ballots she claims are suspicious — with no evidence whatsoever — were thrown out, she still would lose.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-10--GOP senator apparently doesn't get how White House transitions work

Sen. Roy Blunt ( R-MO ) falsely told reporters on Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden does not really need to start his transition because he is already getting security briefings and has a lot of experience .
According to pool reports , Blunt — who chairs the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies — was asked about the Trump administration 's refusal to let Biden prepare for the transfer of power .
`` He 's been doing this for almost 50 years , '' Blunt said of Biden .
`` They can do everything they need to be doing from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without the [ General Services Administration ] making a determination quicker than the administration thinks they should . ''
Blunt too has been involved in politics for nearly five decades .
Pressed about the fact that Biden is not even getting presidential daily briefings , the Missouri Republican demonstrated his ignorance of the situation .
`` I thought as a candidate , he got classified briefings , are you sure he 's not getting it ? ''
he replied .
A Blunt spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the General Services Administration , Emily Murphy , has refused to sign the required letter acknowledging Biden as the next president , even days after every major media outlet called the result .
The results of the election are clear and not especially close , as Biden won a sizeable lead in both the popular vote and Electoral College count .
But Trump has declared himself the victor and refused to concede .
The New York Times reported on Monday that , due to the outgoing administration 's intransigence , Biden is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every incoming administration since at least 1968 , even during the 2000 recount .
Biden 's team has also not received access to classified intelligence for hiring decisions and planning , the outlet reported .
Blunt 's comment about Biden 's lengthy tenure in Washington also indicates a lack of understanding of what the presidential transition process is .
Until Murphy signs the needed letter of `` ascertainment , '' Biden and his team will have no access to millions of dollars in transition money , no ability to do security clearances on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or coordinate with the government agencies they will soon oversee , and no ability to coordinate calls with foreign leaders through the State Department .
A bipartisan group of transition experts wrote Sunday to urge that the transition process be allowed to `` immediately '' commence .
`` To build an effective government ready to address the urgent needs of our great country , the new president will have to recruit 4,000 political appointees , '' they noted , `` including 1,250 who require Senate confirmation ; prepare a $ 4.7 trillion budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assume leadership of a workforce of 2 million civilian employees and 2 million active duty and reserve troops . ''
Reuters reported on Monday that Biden 's transition team is considering legal action if the Trump administration continues to delay .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) falsely told reporters on Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden does not really need to start his transition because he is already getting security briefings and has a lot of experience.
According to pool reports, Blunt — who chairs the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies — was asked about the Trump administration’s refusal to let Biden prepare for the transfer of power.
“He’s been doing this for almost 50 years,” Blunt said of Biden. “They can do everything they need to be doing from the point of view of a transition without the [General Services Administration] making a determination quicker than the administration thinks they should.” Blunt too has been involved in politics for nearly five decades.
Pressed about the fact that Biden is not even getting presidential daily briefings, the Missouri Republican demonstrated his ignorance of the situation.
“I thought as a candidate, he got classified briefings, are you sure he’s not getting it?” he replied.
A Blunt spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.
But Trump’s handpicked head of the General Services Administration, Emily Murphy, has refused to sign the required letter acknowledging Biden as the next president, even days after every major media outlet called the result.
The results of the election are clear and not especially close, as Biden won a sizeable lead in both the popular vote and Electoral College count. But Trump has declared himself the victor and refused to concede.
The New York Times reported on Monday that, due to the outgoing administration’s intransigence, Biden is not receiving intelligence briefings — information afforded to every incoming administration since at least 1968, even during the 2000 recount. Biden’s team has also not received access to classified intelligence for hiring decisions and planning, the outlet reported.
Blunt’s comment about Biden’s lengthy tenure in Washington also indicates a lack of understanding of what the presidential transition process is.
Until Murphy signs the needed letter of “ascertainment,” Biden and his team will have no access to millions of dollars in transition money, no ability to do security clearances on prospective hires, no ability to communicate or coordinate with the government agencies they will soon oversee, and no ability to coordinate calls with foreign leaders through the State Department.
A bipartisan group of transition experts wrote Sunday to urge that the transition process be allowed to “immediately” commence.
“To build an effective government ready to address the urgent needs of our great country, the new president will have to recruit 4,000 political appointees,” they noted, “including 1,250 who require Senate confirmation; prepare a $4.7 trillion budget; implement a strong policy agenda; and assume leadership of a workforce of 2 million civilian employees and 2 million active duty and reserve troops.”
Reuters reported on Monday that Biden’s transition team is considering legal action if the Trump administration continues to delay.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.