washingtonmonthly--2020-04-15--Who Is Willing to Die First for the Economy?

When we asked kids to sacrifice their lives on Pacific islands and European beaches so we could rid the world of fascism , there wasn ’ t a whole lot of argument .
When he asked them to sacrifice their lives to make the world safe from Ho Chi Minh , there was a lot of dissent .
It ’ s a big thing to ask , and there better be a good reason .
Anyone who makes that kind of demand on the people ought to be willing to put their own life at risk , or at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They shouldn ’ t be shopping for doctors who will falsely diagnose their sons as having flat feet or bone spurs .
They shouldn ’ t be finding a safe place for them in the National Guard .
That ’ s why I think Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana should volunteer to be the first to die for the economy .
Speaking with radio station WIBC in Indiana , Republican Rep. Trey Hollingsworth asserted that , while he appreciated the science behind the virus ’ spread , “ it is always the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life , of American lives , we have to always choose the latter.
” “ The social scientists are telling us about the economic disaster that is going on .
Our ( Gross Domestic Product ) is supposed to be down 20 % alone this quarter , ” Hollingsworth said .
“ It is policymakers ’ decision to put on our big boy and big girl pants and say it is the lesser of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evil , but it is the lesser of these two evils and we intend to move forward that direction .
That is our responsibility and to abdicate that is to insult the Americans that voted us into office.
” We already have plenty of courageous people who are putting their lives at risk to make sure this sequestered nation has the basic supplies it needs to survive in mass quarantine .
We have many others who are taking risks more through necessity than courage .
Trey Hollingsworth is not one of those people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to stay locked down if we want to prevent the rampant spread of the Covid-19 virus .
Any steps to open the economy have to be taken only after we have the ability to do massive testing and contact tracing so that new cases can be identified and isolated .
We ’ re buying time to ramp up that capability , as well as to supply our hospitals and medical professionals , and to make progress on a vaccine .
We know that more people will die once we start mingling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sacrifice we ’ ll eventually have to make .
But we don ’ t need to make it before we ’ re ready to mitigate the damage as much as we possibly can .
Rep. Hollingsworth ’ s comments caused an immediate outcry , and he tried to do some damage control by clarifying : That ’ s what he should have said in the first place .
And he should have added that that the federal government is doing a terrible job of using “ the best of biology and economics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy , which is why we ’ re way behind schedule and making little progress toward the goal .
What he actually said is that we ’ re faced with a choice between two evils .
By his own definition , that was a hyperbolic statement .
He ’ s pushing us to take on unnecessary casualties because he considers a bad economy preferable to a dead person .
I ’ d be more inclined to listen to his advice if I saw him volunteering to bag people ’ s groceries or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouldn ’ t pick on Rep. Hollingsworth .
As Politico reports , he ’ s not alone .
While most Republicans say the country should go slow and take a regional approach , there ’ s an unmistakable demand building in the party for the president to move forward , according to interviews with more than a dozen GOP members of Congress .
It ’ s a message they ’ re delivering privately in calls with Trump and his senior advisers , as well as in public op-eds and letters to the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized for just [ saying ] what is indisputably true : ‘ We need to make sure the cure isn ’ t worse than the disease.
’ And I am concerned that the cure is worse than the disease , ” said Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-Wis. ) .
“ If you ’ re a carpenter , every nail you see , the solution ’ s a hammer .
The same may be true for epidemiologists.
” It ’ s a message at odds with the public health professionals advising Trump , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guard .
But 16 million people are unemployed , Congress is struggling to respond , and Republicans seem to think the worst is close to over .
Reviving the economy is also likely to be critical to GOP fortunes in November .
If there ’ s a false dichotomy here , it ’ s not that we have a choice between a health economy and a healthy populace .
It ’ s the idea that we ’ ll get a healthy economy if we eliminate the quarantine before we have any chance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and before we have effective treatments , sufficient medical supplies , and are a lot closer to having a vaccine .
People aren ’ t staying at home simply because the government told them to .
They ’ re doing it because it ’ s not safe out there .
They aren ’ t chomping at the bit to go work in a crowded office or attend a concert or sporting event .
The economy will not recover until people are willing to do these things , and a lot of work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen .
This is why people are screaming for more testing , and for the president to get the supply chain in line for an eventual vaccine .
It ’ s why there are so many complaints that the Trump administration is hoarding medical supplies and passing them out to political allies rather than based on where the need is greatest .
Rather than holding their own president to account , people like Hollingsworth and Senator Ron Johnson are substituting their own uniformed opinion for the expertise of epidemiologists and even economists .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunch of people killed , and not for a noble cause like putting Hitler in an early grave .

When we asked kids to sacrifice their lives on Pacific islands and European beaches so we could rid the world of fascism, there wasn’t a whole lot of argument. When he asked them to sacrifice their lives to make the world safe from Ho Chi Minh, there was a lot of dissent. It’s a big thing to ask, and there better be a good reason. Anyone who makes that kind of demand on the people ought to be willing to put their own life at risk, or at least the lives of the people they love. They shouldn’t be shopping for doctors who will falsely diagnose their sons as having flat feet or bone spurs. They shouldn’t be finding a safe place for them in the National Guard.
That’s why I think Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana should volunteer to be the first to die for the economy.
Speaking with radio station WIBC in Indiana, Republican Rep. Trey Hollingsworth asserted that, while he appreciated the science behind the virus’ spread, “it is always the American government’s position to say, in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life, of American lives, we have to always choose the latter.” “The social scientists are telling us about the economic disaster that is going on. Our (Gross Domestic Product) is supposed to be down 20% alone this quarter,” Hollingsworth said. “It is policymakers’ decision to put on our big boy and big girl pants and say it is the lesser of these two evils. It is not zero evil, but it is the lesser of these two evils and we intend to move forward that direction. That is our responsibility and to abdicate that is to insult the Americans that voted us into office.”
We already have plenty of courageous people who are putting their lives at risk to make sure this sequestered nation has the basic supplies it needs to survive in mass quarantine. We have many others who are taking risks more through necessity than courage. Trey Hollingsworth is not one of those people.
The pandemic specialists are unanimous that we need to stay locked down if we want to prevent the rampant spread of the Covid-19 virus. Any steps to open the economy have to be taken only after we have the ability to do massive testing and contact tracing so that new cases can be identified and isolated. We’re buying time to ramp up that capability, as well as to supply our hospitals and medical professionals, and to make progress on a vaccine.
We know that more people will die once we start mingling freely again, and that’s a sacrifice we’ll eventually have to make. But we don’t need to make it before we’re ready to mitigate the damage as much as we possibly can.
Rep. Hollingsworth’s comments caused an immediate outcry, and he tried to do some damage control by clarifying:
“It’s hyperbolic to say that the only choices before us are the two corner solutions: no economy or widespread casualties.” “We can use the best of biology and economics to enable as much of the economy to operate as possible while we work to minimize disease transmission.
That’s what he should have said in the first place. And he should have added that that the federal government is doing a terrible job of using “the best of biology and economics” to get us prepared to open the economy, which is why we’re way behind schedule and making little progress toward the goal.
What he actually said is that we’re faced with a choice between two evils. By his own definition, that was a hyperbolic statement. He’s pushing us to take on unnecessary casualties because he considers a bad economy preferable to a dead person. I’d be more inclined to listen to his advice if I saw him volunteering to bag people’s groceries or take a commercial flight.
But we shouldn’t pick on Rep. Hollingsworth. As Politico reports, he’s not alone.
While most Republicans say the country should go slow and take a regional approach, there’s an unmistakable demand building in the party for the president to move forward, according to interviews with more than a dozen GOP members of Congress. It’s a message they’re delivering privately in calls with Trump and his senior advisers, as well as in public op-eds and letters to the administration. “The president was very unfairly criticized for just [saying] what is indisputably true: ‘We need to make sure the cure isn’t worse than the disease.’ And I am concerned that the cure is worse than the disease,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). “If you’re a carpenter, every nail you see, the solution’s a hammer. The same may be true for epidemiologists.” It’s a message at odds with the public health professionals advising Trump, who have warned against the country dropping its guard. But 16 million people are unemployed, Congress is struggling to respond, and Republicans seem to think the worst is close to over. Reviving the economy is also likely to be critical to GOP fortunes in November.
If there’s a false dichotomy here, it’s not that we have a choice between a health economy and a healthy populace. It’s the idea that we’ll get a healthy economy if we eliminate the quarantine before we have any chance of stopping the mass transmission of this disease, and before we have effective treatments, sufficient medical supplies, and are a lot closer to having a vaccine. People aren’t staying at home simply because the government told them to. They’re doing it because it’s not safe out there. They aren’t chomping at the bit to go work in a crowded office or attend a concert or sporting event. The economy will not recover until people are willing to do these things, and a lot of work needs to be done before that can happen.
This is why people are screaming for more testing, and for the president to get the supply chain in line for an eventual vaccine. It’s why there are so many complaints that the Trump administration is hoarding medical supplies and passing them out to political allies rather than based on where the need is greatest.
Rather than holding their own president to account, people like Hollingsworth and Senator Ron Johnson are substituting their own uniformed opinion for the expertise of epidemiologists and even economists. It’s going to get a bunch of people killed, and not for a noble cause like putting Hitler in an early grave.


washingtonmonthly--2020-04-15--Why Joe Biden Has Been Able to Unite Democrats

Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2020 .
With the convention postponed until August , it will be a while before that is formalized , but there is no doubt about the outcome .
Bernie Sanders ’ exit from the race sealed the deal .
But he didn ’ t just drop out .
He endorsed Biden , and on Tuesday , Sanders told Steve Peoples that “ it would be ‘ irresponsible ’ for his loyalists not to support Joe Biden , warning that progressives who ‘ sit on their hands ’ in the months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reelection.
” With Biden as the presumptive nominee , Barack Obama was able to jump in with his own endorsement on Tuesday .
Among Biden ’ s former competitors , Elizabeth Warren was the last hold-out when it comes to an endorsement .
On Wednesday , she jumped in as well .
That kind of unity prompted Jonathan Martin to announce that , at this point , Democrats are not in disarray—a major concession from a media that has been obsessed with the opposite .
I would posit that there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re witnessing from Democrats .
The first doesn ’ t have anything to do with Biden .
Over the course of this primary , a lot of Democrats had to come to grips with the reality that their favored candidate didn ’ t win .
With over 20 of them in the mix , that could have led to a lot of division and hard feelings .
The reason that hasn ’ t happened is that what unites Democrats right now is the need to defeat Donald Trump .
Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beat a Republican president .
But this time , it ’ s different .
The horror that we have been exposed to combined with Trump ’ s incompetence and cruelty means that we feel it in our bones .
I suspect that the party would have unified under any candidate who prevailed in the primaries .
Sanders put it well : anyone who sits on their hands in the coming months will simply enable Trump ’ s re-election .
Over the last few years , we ’ ve witnessed one blue wave election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin last week .
The primary driver of those elections has been to defeat the party that Donald Trump leads .
But since 2016 , he hasn ’ t been on the ballot .
That changes this November and I don ’ t think that Republicans have any idea about what ’ s coming .
While Trump ’ s base will , of course , remain loyal to him , there is a backlash to this president that was expressed the weekend he was inaugurated with the Women ’ s March and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cruelty , and incompetence , has never gone away .
That is what is uniting Democrats .
The second reason for the unity we ’ re witnessing does have something to do with Biden .
Warren captured it in her endorsement video .
Among all of the other candidates I competed with in the Democratic primary , there ’ s no one I ’ ve agreed with 100 percent of the time over the years .
But one thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is he will always tell you where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll listen—and not just listen , but really hear you and treat you with respect , no matter where you ’ re coming from .
And he ’ s shown throughout this campaign that when you come up with new facts or a good argument , he ’ s not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded .
Joe Biden was there at the very moment I became a senator—he swore me in .
And when he did , he said , “ You gave me hell !
And you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” What Warren is describing about her experience with Biden is the same kind of respect he has shown to his Republican colleagues—which often drives Democratic partisans a bit nuts .
But it is also why he is able to unite those who “ gave him hell ” in the primary : he tells you where he stands , listens with respect , and isn ’ t too proud to be persuaded if you make a good argument .
That isn ’ t merely campaign lingo .
People have been saying that about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precisely why , after a contentious primary , he has been able to unite Democrats .

Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2020. With the convention postponed until August, it will be a while before that is formalized, but there is no doubt about the outcome.
Bernie Sanders’ exit from the race sealed the deal. But he didn’t just drop out. He endorsed Biden, and on Tuesday, Sanders told Steve Peoples that “it would be ‘irresponsible’ for his loyalists not to support Joe Biden, warning that progressives who ‘sit on their hands’ in the months ahead would simply enable President Donald Trump’s reelection.”
With Biden as the presumptive nominee, Barack Obama was able to jump in with his own endorsement on Tuesday.
Among Biden’s former competitors, Elizabeth Warren was the last hold-out when it comes to an endorsement. On Wednesday, she jumped in as well.
That kind of unity prompted Jonathan Martin to announce that, at this point, Democrats are not in disarray—a major concession from a media that has been obsessed with the opposite.
I would posit that there are two reasons for the kind of unity we’re witnessing from Democrats. The first doesn’t have anything to do with Biden. Over the course of this primary, a lot of Democrats had to come to grips with the reality that their favored candidate didn’t win. With over 20 of them in the mix, that could have led to a lot of division and hard feelings.
The reason that hasn’t happened is that what unites Democrats right now is the need to defeat Donald Trump. Of course, Democrats have always been motivated to beat a Republican president. But this time, it’s different. The horror that we have been exposed to combined with Trump’s incompetence and cruelty means that we feel it in our bones. I suspect that the party would have unified under any candidate who prevailed in the primaries. Sanders put it well: anyone who sits on their hands in the coming months will simply enable Trump’s re-election.
Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed one blue wave election after another. The latest happened in Wisconsin last week. The primary driver of those elections has been to defeat the party that Donald Trump leads. But since 2016, he hasn’t been on the ballot. That changes this November and I don’t think that Republicans have any idea about what’s coming.
While Trump’s base will, of course, remain loyal to him, there is a backlash to this president that was expressed the weekend he was inaugurated with the Women’s March and, because of his daily doses of mendacity, cruelty, and incompetence, has never gone away. That is what is uniting Democrats.
The second reason for the unity we’re witnessing does have something to do with Biden. Warren captured it in her endorsement video.
Among all of the other candidates I competed with in the Democratic primary, there’s no one I’ve agreed with 100 percent of the time over the years. But one thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is he will always tell you where he stands. When you disagree, he’ll listen—and not just listen, but really hear you and treat you with respect, no matter where you’re coming from. And he’s shown throughout this campaign that when you come up with new facts or a good argument, he’s not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded. Joe Biden was there at the very moment I became a senator—he swore me in. And when he did, he said, “You gave me hell! And you’re going to do a great job.”
What Warren is describing about her experience with Biden is the same kind of respect he has shown to his Republican colleagues—which often drives Democratic partisans a bit nuts. But it is also why he is able to unite those who “gave him hell” in the primary: he tells you where he stands, listens with respect, and isn’t too proud to be persuaded if you make a good argument. That isn’t merely campaign lingo. People have been saying that about Joe Biden for years, which is precisely why, after a contentious primary, he has been able to unite Democrats.


washingtonmonthly--2020-04-15--Trump Accused Democratic Governors of Mutiny

The reality our impeached president doesn ’ t want to face is that COVID-19 continues to pose a threat in this country , particularly because he failed to address the crisis in its early stages .
As a result , the mitigation strategies that had to be employed have tanked the economy—the one thing Trump thought he could campaign on during the 2020 election .
As a result , any factual analysis of his present circumstances wouldn ’ t look good .
Because Trump doesn ’ t tend to deal with reality very well , he created a delusional alternative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy , we all went back to work , and everything immediately soared back with a big bang—thus ensuring his chances of being re-elected in November .
That was pure fantasy and Democratic governors knew it , which is why they formed regional coalitions to develop plans for when and how to reopen their economies .
States on the country ’ s East and West coasts are forming their own regional pacts to work together on how to reopen from the stay-at-home orders each has issued to limit the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be announced came Monday on the East Coast .
Democratic New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said his state , New Jersey , Connecticut , Pennsylvania , Delaware , Rhode Island and Massachusetts each plan to name a public health and economic official to a regional working group .
The chief of staff of the governor of each state also will be a part of the group , which will begin work immediately to design a reopening plan .
Later on Monday , the West Coast states of California , Washington and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a plan to begin incremental release of stay-at-home orders .
Governors of the three states will collaborate on their approach to getting back to business in “ in a safe , strategic , responsible way , ” as announced by California Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
Lest anyone think this is merely a coastal phenomenon , some heartland states are moving in that direction too .
All of that makes sense .
Governors are the ones who issued stay-at-home orders , so they are also the ones who can rescind them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the lens of his own self-interest isn ’ t going to work with those governors as they develop their plans .
Instead , Trump declared that he has total authority in these matters , not the governors .
But he didn ’ t stop there .
The president went on to say that “ the governors need us one way or the other , ” indicating that he would punish those who don ’ t bow to his demands , probably by withholding medical supplies .
With that , we can chalk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president has descended .
Governor Cuomo , however , indicated that he ’ s not about to cede authority on this one to Trump .
This is a president who casually throws out words like “ treason ” and “ mutiny ” in a way that is incredibly dangerous .
But of course , the 10th Amendment to the Constitution ensures that what the governors are planning is not mutiny .
It isn ’ t even a close call .
Beyond that , the governors ’ actions are driven by a responsibility to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their states against a president whose only interest is his own re-election .
So even if what they were planning was mutinous , it would be the responsible thing to do .
During his press briefing on Tuesday , Trump watered down his rhetoric and acknowledged that governors would make individual decisions for their states .
So this was all just another example of him talking tough , only to eventually back down and pretend like that was the plan all along .
As a reminder , there was a time when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ fire and fury.
” But when Kim Jong Un of North Korea refused to back down , Trump met with him and they eventually started exchanging love letters .
That is exactly what cowardly bullies always do .

The reality our impeached president doesn’t want to face is that COVID-19 continues to pose a threat in this country, particularly because he failed to address the crisis in its early stages. As a result, the mitigation strategies that had to be employed have tanked the economy—the one thing Trump thought he could campaign on during the 2020 election. As a result, any factual analysis of his present circumstances wouldn’t look good.
Because Trump doesn’t tend to deal with reality very well, he created a delusional alternative in which he announced a reopening of the economy, we all went back to work, and everything immediately soared back with a big bang—thus ensuring his chances of being re-elected in November.
That was pure fantasy and Democratic governors knew it, which is why they formed regional coalitions to develop plans for when and how to reopen their economies.
States on the country’s East and West coasts are forming their own regional pacts to work together on how to reopen from the stay-at-home orders each has issued to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. The first such group to be announced came Monday on the East Coast. Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his state, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts each plan to name a public health and economic official to a regional working group. The chief of staff of the governor of each state also will be a part of the group, which will begin work immediately to design a reopening plan. Later on Monday, the West Coast states of California, Washington and Oregon also announced they are joining forces in a plan to begin incremental release of stay-at-home orders. Governors of the three states will collaborate on their approach to getting back to business in “in a safe, strategic, responsible way,” as announced by California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Lest anyone think this is merely a coastal phenomenon, some heartland states are moving in that direction too.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told reporters on Monday that he spoke with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers about working together to open those states from their respective stay-at-home orders.
All of that makes sense. Governors are the ones who issued stay-at-home orders, so they are also the ones who can rescind them.
But a president who sees everything through the lens of his own self-interest isn’t going to work with those governors as they develop their plans. Instead, Trump declared that he has total authority in these matters, not the governors. But he didn’t stop there. The president went on to say that “the governors need us one way or the other,” indicating that he would punish those who don’t bow to his demands, probably by withholding medical supplies. With that, we can chalk up a new low to which this president has descended.
Governor Cuomo, however, indicated that he’s not about to cede authority on this one to Trump.
Trump responded by upping the ante.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1250075668282576898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1250075668282576898&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftalkingpointsmemo.com%2Fedblog%2Fwhere-things-stand-april-14-2020-trump-fed-up-king
This is a president who casually throws out words like “treason” and “mutiny” in a way that is incredibly dangerous. But of course, the 10th Amendment to the Constitution ensures that what the governors are planning is not mutiny. It isn’t even a close call.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Beyond that, the governors’ actions are driven by a responsibility to protect the health of the people in their states against a president whose only interest is his own re-election. So even if what they were planning was mutinous, it would be the responsible thing to do.
During his press briefing on Tuesday, Trump watered down his rhetoric and acknowledged that governors would make individual decisions for their states. So this was all just another example of him talking tough, only to eventually back down and pretend like that was the plan all along. As a reminder, there was a time when the president threatened “Little Rocket Man” with “fire and fury.” But when Kim Jong Un of North Korea refused to back down, Trump met with him and they eventually started exchanging love letters. That is exactly what cowardly bullies always do.


washingtonmonthly--2020-04-15--An Open Letter to Bernie’s Supporters

An Open Letter to Bernie’s Supporters

I ’ ve been living in a state of dread and disappointment for the better part of four years .
It all started when Donald Trump was elected in November 2016 , and then became even worse when Kamala Harris suspended her presidential campaign .
She was my candidate and my source of hope for both unseating the president and advancing my values .
Supporters of Bernie Sanders likewise have suffered four years of disappointment and dread .
Their frustration no doubt came to a head last week , when the Vermont senator withdrew from the 2020 race .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who have been behind him since his last bid , I share the following advice .
It will , by no means , assuage your mourning .
But it may help you reach a truce with the rest of the Democrats .
For starters , recognize that Joe Biden , like all of the former Democratic presidential hopefuls , would be immeasurably better than Donald Trump .
There ’ s really no comparison .
Your candidate made that clear this week , when he unequivocally endorsed Biden .
If you are following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only vote for Biden , you should leverage your social media followings , and even volunteer for him .
Like you , many Democrats will not see their first-choice candidate claim the party ’ s nomination .
The supporters of Elizabeth Warren , Pete Buttigieg , Kamala Harris , Julian Castro , or Andrew Yang are all disappointed .
As someone who grieved about Harris ’ s withdrawal from the race months ago , I know firsthand : The anger and frustration you feel right now are real , but those feelings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now commit to helping someone other than our dream candidate .
Sanders ’ s supporters have , at various points over the last year , blamed the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) for skewing the process against him .
That ’ s a misguided assumption .
Sanders , in fact , took an active part in the formulation of the DNC debate rules .
It ’ s easy to want to place blame , but even Bernie ’ s most diehard backers must realize that the DNC did not decide the nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanation I can give for why Biden clinched the nomination , in a cycle in which Democrats had the most diverse field in history , is that Americans are scared .
The notion of Bernie ’ s revolution didn ’ t appeal to a large swath of the electorate .
That same fear of change likely contributed to the rejection of candidates who were female , African American , and Hispanic .
Unsurprisingly , most voters flocked to two old white guys—and , ultimately , the safer and more moderate and experienced of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplished a lot in the process .
No doubt , he moved the party further left on policies that progressives prioritize , such as health care and education .
This will be a critical part of Sanders ’ s legacy .
It ’ s something his movement can be proud of .
Above all , this is a moment for everyone who understands the danger of Donald Trump to come together .
Anecdotally , I see this happening .
I know a lot of Democrats and independents across the country , in red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them have said they will vote for the Democratic nominee since their preferred candidates dropped out .
Even some former Republicans were prepared to vote for Bernie if he won the primary .
That ’ s because this election is bigger than any one Democratic candidate .
More than anything , it is about the incumbent .
Trump has stacked the federal courts with super conservative and young , white male judges at a faster pace than any president before him , thanks to the help of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more years , any chance of climate progress , health care progress , economic parity , gender equity and women ’ s rights progress—all of which are essential to Bernie ’ s supporters —will be lost for a generation .
Anyone who cares about the Bernie agenda has to be committed to stopping the Republicans from filling the federal courts with conservatives who are appointed for life .
Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer will retire soon .
Even worse , something could happen to them .
Ginsberg is 87 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president could have two open seats to fill on the Supreme Court that are currently occupied by liberal judges .
If those seats are filled by Trump , the successors will be young , white and conservative .
They will have a gargantuan impact on American law and society for decades .
All of the policy issues that Bernie supporters care deeply about will be non-starters for at least a generation .
Biden has said he will likely serve only one term .
Democrats , therefore , will be able to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those of us who desperately wanted a female president can take some solace in that four-year outlook .
It ’ s not ideal , but it ’ s really not that far off .
In the meantime , Biden would hit the ground running quickly as president .
For example , he will have the benefit of someone like Obama ’ s top pandemic czar Ron Klain , who was extremely successful in managing the Ebola epidemic .
Other former Obama and Biden advisors whom Biden selects can jump in and clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything works .
They can try to right the ship for all Americans .
At the same time , Sanders himself and the more progressive wing of the party can influence him and push him leftward .
Boring and stabilizing will be good enough .
In fact , it will be necessary .
We will once again cherish waking up on Saturday mornings without worrying what our president has done while we slept .
Personally , I wanted Hillary in 2016 and Kamala in 2020 .
But I will now do everything I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to be over the moon about Joe , because I ’ m ecstatic about ousting Trump .
That old cliché turns out to be true : Don ’ t let the perfect be the enemy of the good .
Democrats , many independents , and a fair number of unhappy Republicans have one mission : to get Trump out of office .
We ’ ve all made the decision to throw our support , resources , and time behind Biden because we know this isn ’ t about our first choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals .
It ’ s about the nation .
This week , Bernie made clear that he will support Joe .
More importantly , he said he wants his supporters to do the same .
Indeed , Sanders has gone as far as to advise his supporters that it would be “ irresponsible ” for them to oppose Biden .
Likewise , Biden has welcomed Sanders ’ s supporters into the fold .
This could be the start of a beautiful friendship .
For the love of our country , it ’ s @ @ @ @

I’ve been living in a state of dread and disappointment for the better part of four years. It all started when Donald Trump was elected in November 2016, and then became even worse when Kamala Harris suspended her presidential campaign. She was my candidate and my source of hope for both unseating the president and advancing my values.
Supporters of Bernie Sanders likewise have suffered four years of disappointment and dread. Their frustration no doubt came to a head last week, when the Vermont senator withdrew from the 2020 race. For Bernie’s loyal supporters, especially those who have been behind him since his last bid, I share the following advice. It will, by no means, assuage your mourning. But it may help you reach a truce with the rest of the Democrats.
For starters, recognize that Joe Biden, like all of the former Democratic presidential hopefuls, would be immeasurably better than Donald Trump. There’s really no comparison. Your candidate made that clear this week, when he unequivocally endorsed Biden. If you are following Sanders’s lead, you should not only vote for Biden, you should leverage your social media followings, and even volunteer for him.
Like you, many Democrats will not see their first-choice candidate claim the party’s nomination. The supporters of Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Julian Castro, or Andrew Yang are all disappointed. As someone who grieved about Harris’s withdrawal from the race months ago, I know firsthand: The anger and frustration you feel right now are real, but those feelings will subside. All of us must now commit to helping someone other than our dream candidate.
Sanders’s supporters have, at various points over the last year, blamed the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for skewing the process against him. That’s a misguided assumption. Sanders, in fact, took an active part in the formulation of the DNC debate rules. It’s easy to want to place blame, but even Bernie’s most diehard backers must realize that the DNC did not decide the nominee. The voters did.
The best explanation I can give for why Biden clinched the nomination, in a cycle in which Democrats had the most diverse field in history, is that Americans are scared. The notion of Bernie’s revolution didn’t appeal to a large swath of the electorate. That same fear of change likely contributed to the rejection of candidates who were female, African American, and Hispanic.
Unsurprisingly, most voters flocked to two old white guys—and, ultimately, the safer and more moderate and experienced of the two. That said, Sanders accomplished a lot in the process. No doubt, he moved the party further left on policies that progressives prioritize, such as health care and education. This will be a critical part of Sanders’s legacy. It’s something his movement can be proud of.
Above all, this is a moment for everyone who understands the danger of Donald Trump to come together. Anecdotally, I see this happening. I know a lot of Democrats and independents across the country, in red states and in blue states. All of them have said they will vote for the Democratic nominee since their preferred candidates dropped out. Even some former Republicans were prepared to vote for Bernie if he won the primary.
That’s because this election is bigger than any one Democratic candidate. More than anything, it is about the incumbent. Trump has stacked the federal courts with super conservative and young, white male judges at a faster pace than any president before him, thanks to the help of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. If Trump holds office for four more years, any chance of climate progress, health care progress, economic parity, gender equity and women’s rights progress—all of which are essential to Bernie’s supporters —will be lost for a generation. Anyone who cares about the Bernie agenda has to be committed to stopping the Republicans from filling the federal courts with conservatives who are appointed for life.
Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer will retire soon. Even worse, something could happen to them. Ginsberg is 87. Breyer is 81. That means the president could have two open seats to fill on the Supreme Court that are currently occupied by liberal judges. If those seats are filled by Trump, the successors will be young, white and conservative. They will have a gargantuan impact on American law and society for decades. All of the policy issues that Bernie supporters care deeply about will be non-starters for at least a generation.
Biden has said he will likely serve only one term. Democrats, therefore, will be able to put forth a more liberal candidate in 2024. Those of us who desperately wanted a female president can take some solace in that four-year outlook. It’s not ideal, but it’s really not that far off.
In the meantime, Biden would hit the ground running quickly as president. For example, he will have the benefit of someone like Obama’s top pandemic czar Ron Klain, who was extremely successful in managing the Ebola epidemic. Other former Obama and Biden advisors whom Biden selects can jump in and clean up efficiently because they already know how everything works. They can try to right the ship for all Americans.
At the same time, Sanders himself and the more progressive wing of the party can influence him and push him leftward.
Boring and stabilizing will be good enough. In fact, it will be necessary. We will once again cherish waking up on Saturday mornings without worrying what our president has done while we slept.
Personally, I wanted Hillary in 2016 and Kamala in 2020. But I will now do everything I can for Biden. I don’t have to be over the moon about Joe, because I’m ecstatic about ousting Trump. That old cliché turns out to be true: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Democrats, many independents, and a fair number of unhappy Republicans have one mission: to get Trump out of office. We’ve all made the decision to throw our support, resources, and time behind Biden because we know this isn’t about our first choice, nor is it about us as individuals. It’s about the nation.
This week, Bernie made clear that he will support Joe. More importantly, he said he wants his supporters to do the same. Indeed, Sanders has gone as far as to advise his supporters that it would be “irresponsible” for them to oppose Biden. Likewise, Biden has welcomed Sanders’s supporters into the fold. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship. For the love of our country, it’s time to unify.


Healthcare’s Neglected Stepchild

There ’ s nothing like a pandemic to point out the weaknesses in this country ’ s health care system .
For example , those who previously supported single-payer health insurance have suggested that coronavirus raises the stakes on the need for Medicare for All , as proposed by Bernie Sanders .
What hasn ’ t been addressed is the way in which we have neglected the step-child of our health care system : public health .
These days , most of that conversation has focused on the Strategic National Stockpile managed by the Department of Health and Human Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local and state level , as well as nationally , have a broad mandate .
While traditional health care providers treat individuals who are sick , public health professionals deal with the community conditions that affect our health .
Here is how the American Public Health Association defines their work .
From conducting scientific research to educating about health , people in the field of public health work to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy .
That can mean vaccinating children and adults to prevent the spread of disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol and tobacco .
Public health sets safety standards to protect workers and develops school nutrition programs to ensure kids have access to healthy food .
Public health works to track disease outbreaks , prevent injuries and shed light on why some of us are more likely to suffer from poor health than others .
The many facets of public health include speaking out for laws that promote smoke-free indoor air and seatbelts , spreading the word about ways to stay healthy and giving science-based solutions to problems .
As you can see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the many community concerns addressed by public health professionals .
In that particular arena , they are on the front lines of testing and tracking the spread of infectious diseases like coronavirus .
I encourage you to check whether your city or county has a local public health department , because that could be a key factor in dealing with the current crisis .
When it comes to preparing our national public health system for pandemics , presidents have been both hot and cold on making it a priority .
Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strategic National Stockpile .
As the story goes , he read the novel The Cobra Event by Richard Preston , which was published in October 1997 .
As a result , he became deeply concerned about the prospect of bioterrorism , and included $ 51 million in the 1998 budget for “ pharmaceutical and vaccine stockpiling activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
” Following 9/11 , bioterrorism continued to be the focus of concern , especially given the numerous anthrax attacks .
But in 2005 , then-Senator Barack Obama teamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Grounding a Pandemic , ” which was published in the New York Times .
Obama and Lugar went on to recommend a permanent framework for curtailing the spread of future infectious diseases that included the following .
That fall , members of the Bush administration report that , after reading John M. Barry ’ s The Great Influenza , the president created a national pandemic plan that included “ diagrams for a global early warning system , funding to develop new , rapid vaccine technology , and a robust national stockpile of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ventilators.
” Barack Obama didn ’ t have to read a book to heighten his concern about a possible pandemic .
The H1N1 flu became a reality not long after he was inaugurated .
Over the course of his presidency , Obama also faced the Ebola crisis and an outbreak of the Zika virus .
In his ongoing attempts to find someone to blame for his own failures , Trump has often suggested that Obama left the reserves of the Strategic National Stockpile depleted .
While his claim that the shelves were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is some truth to his claims .
During the H1N1 outbreak , the protective equipment in the stockpile was deployed and not replaced .
But as ProPublica documented , it was the Tea Party ’ s obsession with budget deficits and Obamacare—combined with the Republican focus on obstruction—that led Congress to deny the funding requested by the administration to restock the supplies .
Eventually , public health officials had to make a difficult decision .
It was during the 2014 Ebola crisis that Obama made an argument for a bipartisan approach that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting pandemics—the opposite of Trump ’ s “ America first ” approach .
By now , we all know that not only did Trump disband the pandemic response team established by Obama , he threw out the playbook the previous administration had developed for dealing with a pandemic .
The crisis we now face should result in a renewed and sustained commitment to public health at the global , national , and local level .
We ’ ve learned the hard way that healthcare reform without that focus is simply a recipe for @ @ @ @

There’s nothing like a pandemic to point out the weaknesses in this country’s health care system. For example, those who previously supported single-payer health insurance have suggested that coronavirus raises the stakes on the need for Medicare for All, as proposed by Bernie Sanders.
What hasn’t been addressed is the way in which we have neglected the step-child of our health care system: public health. These days, most of that conversation has focused on the Strategic National Stockpile managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. But public health offices at the local and state level, as well as nationally, have a broad mandate.
While traditional health care providers treat individuals who are sick, public health professionals deal with the community conditions that affect our health. Here is how the American Public Health Association defines their work.
From conducting scientific research to educating about health, people in the field of public health work to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy. That can mean vaccinating children and adults to prevent the spread of disease. Or educating people about the risks of alcohol and tobacco. Public health sets safety standards to protect workers and develops school nutrition programs to ensure kids have access to healthy food. Public health works to track disease outbreaks, prevent injuries and shed light on why some of us are more likely to suffer from poor health than others. The many facets of public health include speaking out for laws that promote smoke-free indoor air and seatbelts, spreading the word about ways to stay healthy and giving science-based solutions to problems.
As you can see, dealing with infectious diseases is just one of the many community concerns addressed by public health professionals. In that particular arena, they are on the front lines of testing and tracking the spread of infectious diseases like coronavirus. I encourage you to check whether your city or county has a local public health department, because that could be a key factor in dealing with the current crisis.
When it comes to preparing our national public health system for pandemics, presidents have been both hot and cold on making it a priority. Bill Clinton is the president who created the Strategic National Stockpile. As the story goes, he read the novel The Cobra Event by Richard Preston, which was published in October 1997. As a result, he became deeply concerned about the prospect of bioterrorism, and included $51 million in the 1998 budget for “pharmaceutical and vaccine stockpiling activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Following 9/11, bioterrorism continued to be the focus of concern, especially given the numerous anthrax attacks. But in the summer of 2005, then-Senator Barack Obama teamed up with Richard Lugar to write, “Grounding a Pandemic,” which was published in the New York Times.
When we think of the major threats to our national security, the first to come to mind are nuclear proliferation, rogue states and global terrorism. But another kind of threat lurks beyond our shores, one from nature, not humans—an avian flu pandemic. An outbreak could cause millions of deaths, destabilize Southeast Asia (its likely place of origin), and threaten the security of governments around the world.
Obama and Lugar went on to recommend a permanent framework for curtailing the spread of future infectious diseases that included the following.
Increasing international disease surveillance, response capacity and public education and coordination, especially in Southeast Asia. Stockpiling enough antiviral doses to cover high-risk populations and essential workers. Ensuring that, here at home, Health and Human Services and state governments put in place plans that address issues of surveillance, medical care, drug and vaccine distribution, communication, protection of the work force and maintenance of core public functions in case of a pandemic. Accelerating research into avian flu vaccines and antiviral drugs. Establishing incentives to encourage nations to report flu outbreaks quickly and fully.
That fall, members of the Bush administration report that, after reading John M. Barry’s The Great Influenza, the president created a national pandemic plan that included “diagrams for a global early warning system, funding to develop new, rapid vaccine technology, and a robust national stockpile of critical supplies, such as face masks and ventilators.”
Bush set out to spend $7 billion building out his plan. His cabinet secretaries urged their staffs to take preparations seriously. The government launched a website, www.pandemicflu.gov, that is still in use today. But as time passed, it became increasingly difficult to justify the continued funding, staffing and attention, Bossert said.
Barack Obama didn’t have to read a book to heighten his concern about a possible pandemic. The H1N1 flu became a reality not long after he was inaugurated. Over the course of his presidency, Obama also faced the Ebola crisis and an outbreak of the Zika virus.
In his ongoing attempts to find someone to blame for his own failures, Trump has often suggested that Obama left the reserves of the Strategic National Stockpile depleted. While his claim that the shelves were emptied is a massive exaggeration, there is some truth to his claims. During the H1N1 outbreak, the protective equipment in the stockpile was deployed and not replaced.
But as ProPublica documented, it was the Tea Party’s obsession with budget deficits and Obamacare—combined with the Republican focus on obstruction—that led Congress to deny the funding requested by the administration to restock the supplies. Eventually, public health officials had to make a difficult decision.
With limited resources, officials in charge of the stockpile tend to focus on buying lifesaving drugs from small biotechnology firms that would, in the absence of a government buyer, have no other market for their products, experts said. Masks and other protective equipment are in normal times widely available and thus may not have been prioritized for purchase, they said.
It was during the 2014 Ebola crisis that Obama made an argument for a bipartisan approach that would ensure America’s leadership role in fighting pandemics—the opposite of Trump’s “America first” approach.
By now, we all know that not only did Trump disband the pandemic response team established by Obama, the incoming administration ignored the exercise Obama’s team walked them through on responding to a pandemic and threw out the playbook they had developed for dealing with a pandemic.
The crisis we now face should result in a renewed and sustained commitment to public health at the global, national, and local level. We’ve learned the hard way that healthcare reform without that focus is simply a recipe for yet another disaster.


washingtonmonthly--2020-04-14--What Do the Wisconsin Results Mean for November?

I don ’ t know if there would be any blue states in America if the cities couldn ’ t vote , and that ’ s the basic theory that Republicans use to try to win states like Michigan and Wisconsin .
Usually , they only have marginal success , but in the most recent Wisconsin election , they managed to hold an election in which only three percent of Milwaukee ’ s polling locations were open .
I thought that , in combination with all the university students being sent home without time to change their address , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it didn ’ t turn out that way .
The Republicans are always looking for ways to help themselves , either through voting list purges , Voter ID laws , reduced polling stations , or other shenanigans .
In this election , however , they had their own disadvantage to contend with .
The state was holding a major election for a 10-year position on the Supreme Court and there were many other municipal and judicial elections , but the GOP did not have a competitive presidential primary while the Democrats did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy to anticipate that Democrats would be more motivated to turn out to vote , and therefore the shenanigans took on more urgency .
I thought about this when I read that Barack Obama was in contact with Bernie Sanders repeatedly over the last month as he tried to negotiate an end to the primaries .
If Sanders were to drop out before the voting in Wisconsin , much of the turnout advantage would go away .
It would be far better for Sanders to stay in the race until after the polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Perhaps that ’ s too cynical , but it would have made sense strictly from a political perspective .
In any case , the Democrats started out with a big advantage but I thought the Republicans had more than compensated for it by forcing an election in which the key Democratic constituencies were either massively inconvenienced through long lines and the public risk of gathering during a global pandemic , or outright disenfranchised because they weren ’ t even able to obtain an absentee ballot .
It didn ’ t turn out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appreciation of what happened , I recommend reading through the following Twitter thread from Ben Wikler , the chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin .
It ’ s very hard to disentangle all of the strange and unique variables that played a role in Wisconsin ’ s election .
One interpretation is that the Republicans were correct that they were going to lose because of the disparity in turnout , and nothing they attempted was sufficient to change the outcome .
Another interpretation is that there was a massive backlash against their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing substantially worse than they would have if they hadn ’ t tried so hard to cheat .
A third interpretation is that Wisconsin is simply moving sharply against Trump and the GOP , and that we can see evidence of this from the election returns , which show more Republican erosion in the suburbs and a stronger than expected result for the Democrats in rural areas .
I think what people really want to know is if we can make any assumptions from the results about how the election will turn out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats can take comfort for three reasons .
First , they clearly have a good organization which was evidenced by their ability to transition from a planned massive door-knocking campaign to a virtual campaign focused on getting people absentee ballots .
Second , they did very well in both the swing areas of the state and in rural areas , and while a lot of this is probably simply a function of having a competitive primary , perhaps that is not the full explanation .
Lastly , the people of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put their lives on the line to vote even though the Democratic governor wanted to postpone the election .
There will be lasting ill-feelings about this , so the GOP probably did significant damage to their prospects in November .
Additionally , it seems probable that winning an extra seat on the Supreme Court will prevent a massive voter purge that could have easily swung the election in Trump ’ s favor .
Given that the Democrats started out with an advantage , we should be careful about over interpreting the results , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as lost and they wound up being successful and not even that close .
On the whole , I think there is plenty of justification for any Republican who wants to panic .

I don’t know if there would be any blue states in America if the cities couldn’t vote, and that’s the basic theory that Republicans use to try to win states like Michigan and Wisconsin. Usually, they only have marginal success, but in the most recent Wisconsin election, they managed to hold an election in which only three percent of Milwaukee’s polling locations were open. I thought that, in combination with all the university students being sent home without time to change their address, would doom the Democrats on the ballot. But it didn’t turn out that way.
The Republicans are always looking for ways to help themselves, either through voting list purges, Voter ID laws, reduced polling stations, or other shenanigans. In this election, however, they had their own disadvantage to contend with. The state was holding a major election for a 10-year position on the Supreme Court and there were many other municipal and judicial elections, but the GOP did not have a competitive presidential primary while the Democrats did. As a result, it was easy to anticipate that Democrats would be more motivated to turn out to vote, and therefore the shenanigans took on more urgency.
I thought about this when I read that Barack Obama was in contact with Bernie Sanders repeatedly over the last month as he tried to negotiate an end to the primaries. If Sanders were to drop out before the voting in Wisconsin, much of the turnout advantage would go away. It would be far better for Sanders to stay in the race until after the polls closed, which is exactly what happened.
Perhaps that’s too cynical, but it would have made sense strictly from a political perspective. In any case, the Democrats started out with a big advantage but I thought the Republicans had more than compensated for it by forcing an election in which the key Democratic constituencies were either massively inconvenienced through long lines and the public risk of gathering during a global pandemic, or outright disenfranchised because they weren’t even able to obtain an absentee ballot. It didn’t turn out that way.
To get a full appreciation of what happened, I recommend reading through the following Twitter thread from Ben Wikler, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
It’s very hard to disentangle all of the strange and unique variables that played a role in Wisconsin’s election. One interpretation is that the Republicans were correct that they were going to lose because of the disparity in turnout, and nothing they attempted was sufficient to change the outcome. Another interpretation is that there was a massive backlash against their tactics, and they actually wound up doing substantially worse than they would have if they hadn’t tried so hard to cheat. A third interpretation is that Wisconsin is simply moving sharply against Trump and the GOP, and that we can see evidence of this from the election returns, which show more Republican erosion in the suburbs and a stronger than expected result for the Democrats in rural areas.
I think what people really want to know is if we can make any assumptions from the results about how the election will turn out in November. My guess is that the Democrats can take comfort for three reasons.
First, they clearly have a good organization which was evidenced by their ability to transition from a planned massive door-knocking campaign to a virtual campaign focused on getting people absentee ballots. Second, they did very well in both the swing areas of the state and in rural areas, and while a lot of this is probably simply a function of having a competitive primary, perhaps that is not the full explanation. Lastly, the people of the state will remember that they were forced to put their lives on the line to vote even though the Democratic governor wanted to postpone the election. There will be lasting ill-feelings about this, so the GOP probably did significant damage to their prospects in November.
Additionally, it seems probable that winning an extra seat on the Supreme Court will prevent a massive voter purge that could have easily swung the election in Trump’s favor.
Given that the Democrats started out with an advantage, we should be careful about over interpreting the results, but I had given up these elections as lost and they wound up being successful and not even that close. On the whole, I think there is plenty of justification for any Republican who wants to panic.


washingtonmonthly--2020-04-14--Trump’s Instincts Are The Problem

Trump’s Instincts Are The Problem

During Trump ’ s press briefing on Friday , he was asked what metrics he will use to decide when it ’ s time to reopen the economy .
When the administration simply issued “ guidelines ” for responding to COVID-19 , Trump ceded the power to both shut down and reopen the economy to the governors .
That hasn ’ t stopped him from trying to exert control now .
We ’ ll have to wait and see how all of that turns out .
At a minimum , we know that many Republican governors will follow Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t recognize the borders of states any more than they recognize the borders of countries .
So if the president decides to reopen the economy with a “ big bang ” instead of an actual plan , it is likely to threaten all of us—no matter where we live .
Most of the reactions to the exchange in the clip up above expressed a bit of horror at the idea that the metrics Trump will use to make this decision are in his head .
But I was reminded of something Michelle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House observing what it means to be president .
I have seen firsthand that being president doesn ’ t change who you are – it reveals who you are .
You see , I ’ ve gotten to see up close and personal what being president really looks like .
And I ’ ve seen how the issues that come across a president ’ s desk are always the hard ones…the judgment calls where the stakes are so high , and there is no margin for error .
And as president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice from all kinds of people .
But at the end of the day , when it comes time to make that decision , as president , all you have to guide you are your values , and your vision , and the life experiences that make you who you are .
Michelle was right .
What we are witnessing is how that is playing out for Donald Trump .
He will be getting lots of advice from different people , but ultimately , it will be his call .
That clarifies the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hands of someone like Trump .
What we know about this president ’ s values is that nothing matters except his own self-interest .
Throughout his entire presidency , and especially in the midst of this pandemic , he has shown absolutely no capacity for empathy .
So the needs of others never enter his mind .
Trump ’ s vision has always been limited to winning by dominating anyone he views as a threat .
That is what his life experiences taught him .
To survive , I concluded from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to war with the world .
It was a binary , zero-sum choice for him : You either dominated or you submitted .
You either created and exploited fear , or you succumbed to it…Trump grew up fighting for his life and taking no prisoners .
In countless conversations , he made clear to me that he treated every encounter as a contest he had to win , because the only other option from his perspective was to lose , and that was the equivalent of obliteration .
The only thing inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his own self-interest in what he views as a zero-sum contest that requires dominance .
That is who he was when he was elected and , as Michelle noted , being president has merely put that on display .
Ultimately , the problem isn ’ t that Trump pointed to his head when asked what metrics he will use to make a decision .
It ’ s what is in his head that is the problem .

During Trump’s press briefing on Friday, he was asked what metrics he will use to decide when it’s time to reopen the economy.
When the administration simply issued “guidelines” for responding to COVID-19, Trump ceded the power to both shut down and reopen the economy to the governors. That hasn’t stopped him from trying to exert control now.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1249712413219397632
We’ll have to wait and see how all of that turns out. At a minimum, we know that many Republican governors will follow Trump’s lead, and that viruses don’t recognize the borders of states any more than they recognize the borders of countries. So if the president decides to reopen the economy with a “big bang” instead of an actual plan, it is likely to threaten all of us—no matter where we live.
Most of the reactions to the exchange in the clip up above expressed a bit of horror at the idea that the metrics Trump will use to make this decision are in his head. But I was reminded of something Michelle Obama said after spending four years in the White House observing what it means to be president.
I have seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are – it reveals who you are. You see, I’ve gotten to see up close and personal what being president really looks like. And I’ve seen how the issues that come across a president’s desk are always the hard ones…the judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there is no margin for error. And as president, you can get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people. But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as president, all you have to guide you are your values, and your vision, and the life experiences that make you who you are.
Michelle was right. What we are witnessing is how that is playing out for Donald Trump. He will be getting lots of advice from different people, but ultimately, it will be his call. That clarifies the problem with putting these kinds of decisions in the hands of someone like Trump.
What we know about this president’s values is that nothing matters except his own self-interest. Throughout his entire presidency, and especially in the midst of this pandemic, he has shown absolutely no capacity for empathy. So the needs of others never enter his mind. Trump’s vision has always been limited to winning by dominating anyone he views as a threat. That is what his life experiences taught him.
To survive, I concluded from our conversations, Trump felt compelled to go to war with the world. It was a binary, zero-sum choice for him: You either dominated or you submitted. You either created and exploited fear, or you succumbed to it…Trump grew up fighting for his life and taking no prisoners. In countless conversations, he made clear to me that he treated every encounter as a contest he had to win, because the only other option from his perspective was to lose, and that was the equivalent of obliteration.
The only thing inside Trump’s head are instincts driven by his own self-interest in what he views as a zero-sum contest that requires dominance. That is who he was when he was elected and, as Michelle noted, being president has merely put that on display.
Ultimately, the problem isn’t that Trump pointed to his head when asked what metrics he will use to make a decision. It’s what is in his head that is the problem.


washingtonmonthly--2020-04-14--What Military Families Can Teach Us About Living Through COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has left millions of Americans hunkered down in isolation but bound together in fear .
While everyone is experiencing the screeching halt of daily life differently , the entire country shares a profound feeling of anxiety about what ’ s coming next .
Fortunately , there ’ s a group among us with a great deal of experience having their personal lives disrupted from time to time : military families .
They can be a valuable source of guidance to the anxious and distressed .
These families are beacons of resilience willing to have their personal freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ When ?
Where ?
For how long ?
” These are frequent questions at the dinner table .
Parents are often unsure in what city or town they ’ ll be living when a child starts preschool or high school .
Because they frequently live far from where they grew up , these spouses get through a lot of big life stuff—weddings and funerals , buying and selling homes and cars , sending kids off to college—without the support of extended family .
So for this sliver of the population , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school aren ’ t the end of the world but only the most recent inconvenient challenges to overcome .
The ebb and flow of military life is unique and calls upon the spouses of those serving to be agile and adaptable .
After 21 years of marriage—and Navy life—Shannon Crown , of Arnold , Maryland , is accustomed to the government having a say in where she lives and when she moves , so it ’ s frustrating for her to see people refusing to follow simple directions at a time of crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the grocery store , I wore a mask.
” she said .
But many people “ were not adhering to the six-feet-apart-guidelines.
” She has told her children that the groceries they have in the fridge must last .
She ’ s not going back to the store until she has no choice .
Shannon ’ s first hint of a possible pandemic began back in January .
Her husband called from Seoul , South Korea , where he has been working as the Chief of National Security Law at the Combined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioned chatter on the base about a virus .
“ At first I was more worried about him , ” Shannon said of her husband , “ because he was in the thick of it .
Now he ’ s worried about me.
” Although Shannon was not only concerned about him .
Her 18-year-old son Lucien had planned an upcoming spring break trip to visit his dad .
Shannon has wondered recently if she should have sent not only her oldest , but all three of her children to Seoul ; at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be safer there .
Entrance to the base is contingent upon a temperature check and completion of a health questionnaire .
In other words , it ’ s a much more controlled atmosphere than what she sees here at home .
Shannon doesn ’ t balk at having her life upended due to a global event beyond her control .
For her , it ’ s not the first time .
In March 2011 , when Brad was stationed in Yokosuka , Shannon was loading her three young children into a car when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was nine at the time , asked , “ Why is everything moving ?
” Shannon and Lucien were feeling the beginnings of the Great Sendai Earthquake—the most powerful earthquake on record in Japan .
The days that followed were a roller coaster of worry about a possible evacuation , as well as radiation exposure from the damaged nuclear reactors at the nearby Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant .
Shannon remembers the swirling rumors .
“ You ’ re safe , but make sure you have iodine tablets .
You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cruise ship waiting off the coast to take us all to Korea.
” During the current global pandemic , Shannon is drawing on that experience .
“ In Japan , people wear masks all the time , ” she said .
“ If you have a cold , you wear a mask .
People have them at home like we have Tylenol.
” Shannon ’ s willingness to follow instructions and make personal sacrifices for the greater good are hallmarks of military family life .
So , too , is a readiness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s husband was just finishing a two-year tour onboard a ship in the 7thFleet in Yokosuka when the first cases of COVID-19 were being reported .
She had been preparing for months for her family ’ s upcoming move to Bahrain .
Jennie has moved back and forth across the oceans seven times already .
She is practically a one-woman professional relocation service .
“ I have Excel spreadsheets on everything because I don ’ t want to have to recreate the list every eighteen months , ” she told me .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-bedroom apartment on base for shipment to Bahrain .
On March 2 , she sold her car , and the next morning invited a friend to come and take all the food that would otherwise be thrown out .
Only a couple of hours later , she received word that Bahrain had closed entry to anyone coming from Japan .
Now she ’ s in a bare apartment with her two young children and no car .
Her husband is still reporting to work on the ship , which at any moment could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in complete limbo ; nevertheless , her spirits are high .
“ We ’ re all healthy , ” she said .
“ We ’ re still together .
The base has enough food .
Japan has enough food .
There ’ s really nothing to complain about .
And everybody here is helping each other out.
” Jennie is a year-round homeschooler , so one of her biggest challenges is that most of her school supplies were packed up with the rest of her household goods and shipped to Bahrain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it would take fifteen days for the packages to arrive .
“ What if we aren ’ t here when the Amazon shipment arrives ?
” she said .
Meanwhile , three thousand miles away in Singapore , Melissa Deguire is riding out a similar “ go-with-the-flow ” situation .
Her family ’ s move to Fort Dix , New Jersey is scheduled for July , so her house isn ’ t packed up yet .
But Melissa , an Army wife , has no idea if she ’ ll actually be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother of five , who is currently juggling home schooling with a full-time job , is calm and positive .
“ I consider myself so blessed , ” she said .
“ I have the best friends—people you can cry to when you need to cry .
I have so much pride in being a military wife.
” Still , military spouses are forced to make contingency plans .
Brian Wade ’ s wife Jentry is currently serving as the night shift charge nurse in the ICU aboard USNS MERCY .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he gets sick is a top priority .
Jentry has been deployed many times , but Brian said , this one is weird : “ I ’ m used to worrying about her safety .
This is the first time she ’ s worried about me.
” Brian says Jentry was inspired to become a nurse when their then 4-year-old son Seamus was diagnosed with cancer .
Brian , a high school science teacher , supported her decision to serve her country doing the work that was so important to her when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wade family moved from Jacksonville , Florida , to San Diego last summer , when Jentry went to work at Balboa Naval Medical Center where she had planned to be for three years .
But on March 18 , the Wade family learned that Jentry would report to the MERCY for deployment to Los Angeles to help alleviate hospital overcrowding caused by the spike of COVID 19 cases .
Brian had one week to help his wife get ready and to prepare their 16-year-old daughter , Tatum , for her mother ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Seamus , now 20 , is in his dorm on the other side of the country at the University of Florida .
Brian hasn ’ t even lived in San Diego for a full year .
If he gets sick , he will count on the kindness of acquaintances to help him take care of Tatum .
In the past , his emergency plan would rely on grandparents driving in to help .
Not this time .
Shannon , Jennie , Melissa and Brian are experts in a way of life that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what comes next .
This life requires patience , a willingness to follow the guidance of experts and officials , and a refusal to let adverse circumstances crush your spirit .
These families are experts in emergency preparedness—especially managing the emotions and expectations of young children .
Our country is counting on the expertise of epidemiologists to prevent the spread of the virus and hospital doctors and nurses to care for those who are sick .
We would be wise to look to military families to show us how to make it @ @ @ @ @

The coronavirus pandemic has left millions of Americans hunkered down in isolation but bound together in fear. While everyone is experiencing the screeching halt of daily life differently, the entire country shares a profound feeling of anxiety about what’s coming next. Fortunately, there’s a group among us with a great deal of experience having their personal lives disrupted from time to time: military families. They can be a valuable source of guidance to the anxious and distressed.
These families are beacons of resilience willing to have their personal freedom restricted to ensure freedom for the whole. “When? Where? For how long?” These are frequent questions at the dinner table. Parents are often unsure in what city or town they’ll be living when a child starts preschool or high school. Because they frequently live far from where they grew up, these spouses get through a lot of big life stuff—weddings and funerals, buying and selling homes and cars, sending kids off to college—without the support of extended family. So for this sliver of the population, a government mandated stay-at-home order and cancelled school aren’t the end of the world but only the most recent inconvenient challenges to overcome.
The ebb and flow of military life is unique and calls upon the spouses of those serving to be agile and adaptable. After 21 years of marriage—and Navy life—Shannon Crown, of Arnold, Maryland, is accustomed to the government having a say in where she lives and when she moves, so it’s frustrating for her to see people refusing to follow simple directions at a time of crisis.
“The last time I went to the grocery store, I wore a mask.” she said. But many people “were not adhering to the six-feet-apart-guidelines.” She has told her children that the groceries they have in the fridge must last. She’s not going back to the store until she has no choice.
Shannon’s first hint of a possible pandemic began back in January. Her husband called from Seoul, South Korea, where he has been working as the Chief of National Security Law at the Combined Forces Command since May 2019. Brad mentioned chatter on the base about a virus.
“At first I was more worried about him,” Shannon said of her husband, “because he was in the thick of it. Now he’s worried about me.” Although Shannon was not only concerned about him. Her 18-year-old son Lucien had planned an upcoming spring break trip to visit his dad. Shannon has wondered recently if she should have sent not only her oldest, but all three of her children to Seoul; at this point, she thinks they might be safer there. Entrance to the base is contingent upon a temperature check and completion of a health questionnaire. In other words, it’s a much more controlled atmosphere than what she sees here at home.
Shannon doesn’t balk at having her life upended due to a global event beyond her control. For her, it’s not the first time. In March 2011, when Brad was stationed in Yokosuka, Shannon was loading her three young children into a car when she started to feel faint. Lucien, who was nine at the time, asked, “Why is everything moving?” Shannon and Lucien were feeling the beginnings of the Great Sendai Earthquake—the most powerful earthquake on record in Japan. The days that followed were a roller coaster of worry about a possible evacuation, as well as radiation exposure from the damaged nuclear reactors at the nearby Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Shannon remembers the swirling rumors. “You’re safe, but make sure you have iodine tablets. You’re safe, but there’s a cruise ship waiting off the coast to take us all to Korea.”
During the current global pandemic, Shannon is drawing on that experience. “In Japan, people wear masks all the time,” she said. “If you have a cold, you wear a mask. People have them at home like we have Tylenol.”
Shannon’s willingness to follow instructions and make personal sacrifices for the greater good are hallmarks of military family life. So, too, is a readiness to be flexible.
Jennie Blankert’s husband was just finishing a two-year tour onboard a ship in the 7thFleet in Yokosuka when the first cases of COVID-19 were being reported. She had been preparing for months for her family’s upcoming move to Bahrain.
Jennie has moved back and forth across the oceans seven times already. She is practically a one-woman professional relocation service. “I have Excel spreadsheets on everything because I don’t want to have to recreate the list every eighteen months,” she told me.
On February 18, movers packed up her three-bedroom apartment on base for shipment to Bahrain. On March 2, she sold her car, and the next morning invited a friend to come and take all the food that would otherwise be thrown out. Only a couple of hours later, she received word that Bahrain had closed entry to anyone coming from Japan. Now she’s in a bare apartment with her two young children and no car. Her husband is still reporting to work on the ship, which at any moment could depart or be locked down. Jennie is in complete limbo; nevertheless, her spirits are high.
“We’re all healthy,” she said. “We’re still together. The base has enough food. Japan has enough food. There’s really nothing to complain about. And everybody here is helping each other out.”
Jennie is a year-round homeschooler, so one of her biggest challenges is that most of her school supplies were packed up with the rest of her household goods and shipped to Bahrain. She could order more from Amazon, but it would take fifteen days for the packages to arrive. “What if we aren’t here when the Amazon shipment arrives?” she said.
Meanwhile, three thousand miles away in Singapore, Melissa Deguire is riding out a similar “go-with-the-flow” situation. Her family’s move to Fort Dix, New Jersey is scheduled for July, so her house isn’t packed up yet. But Melissa, an Army wife, has no idea if she’ll actually be going. The uncertainty notwithstanding, this mother of five, who is currently juggling home schooling with a full-time job, is calm and positive. “I consider myself so blessed,” she said. “I have the best friends—people you can cry to when you need to cry. I have so much pride in being a military wife.”
Still, military spouses are forced to make contingency plans. Brian Wade’s wife Jentry is currently serving as the night shift charge nurse in the ICU aboard USNS MERCY. He said that figuring out what he would do if he gets sick is a top priority. Jentry has been deployed many times, but Brian said, this one is weird: “I’m used to worrying about her safety. This is the first time she’s worried about me.”
Brian says Jentry was inspired to become a nurse when their then 4-year-old son Seamus was diagnosed with cancer. Brian, a high school science teacher, supported her decision to serve her country doing the work that was so important to her when her own child was sick.
The Wade family moved from Jacksonville, Florida, to San Diego last summer, when Jentry went to work at Balboa Naval Medical Center where she had planned to be for three years. But on March 18, the Wade family learned that Jentry would report to the MERCY for deployment to Los Angeles to help alleviate hospital overcrowding caused by the spike of COVID 19 cases.
Brian had one week to help his wife get ready and to prepare their 16-year-old daughter, Tatum, for her mother’s departure for an undetermined length of time. Seamus, now 20, is in his dorm on the other side of the country at the University of Florida.
Brian hasn’t even lived in San Diego for a full year. If he gets sick, he will count on the kindness of acquaintances to help him take care of Tatum. In the past, his emergency plan would rely on grandparents driving in to help. Not this time.
Shannon, Jennie, Melissa and Brian are experts in a way of life that has just recently become commonplace—a constant uncertainty about what comes next. This life requires patience, a willingness to follow the guidance of experts and officials, and a refusal to let adverse circumstances crush your spirit. These families are experts in emergency preparedness—especially managing the emotions and expectations of young children.
Our country is counting on the expertise of epidemiologists to prevent the spread of the virus and hospital doctors and nurses to care for those who are sick. We would be wise to look to military families to show us how to make it through this new reality.


washingtonmonthly--2020-04-13--Bill Bennett Makes It Clear That Trumpism Is Nothing New to the GOP

One of the challenges faced by Republican NeverTrumpers is whether to suggest that the current president is an anomaly in their party or to acknowledge that the seeds of this fiasco were planted long ago .
As Trump mangles this country ’ s response to the coronavirus , that question can at least be partially addressed by how leaders from previous administrations are responding to the crisis .
Bill Bennett has often been described as one of the “ big brains ” of the Republican Party .
He served as Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan and as Director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under George H.W .
Bush .
Following those positions , Bennett positioned himself as a national arbiter on questions of morality , trafficking in many of the same themes that have animated Christian nationalists for decades .
Bennett ’ s hypocrisy in that arena became obvious when his gambling addiction was exposed .
None of that has stopped Bennett from being heralded in right wing media as a Republican thought-leader .
During a recent appearance on Fox News , he pontificated about our response to the coronavirus .
The most explosive thing Bennett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that what we are experiencing is not a pandemic , something even Trump has admitted and Brian Kilmeade felt the need to correct .
That interview was based on an article Bennett wrote with Seth Leibsohn for RealClearPolitics .
It doesn ’ t take a rocket scientist to identify the fallacy they used to make an argument against the mitigation strategies that have been employed during the coronavirus crisis .
Is it too much to ask for some perspective with numbers we do know about , numbers which have never shut down our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ synagogue , much less entire industries ; numbers which have never restricted travel or put this nation into one big frenzy ?
In any given month in America , we lose about 54,000 Americans to heart disease ; 50,000 to cancer ; 14,000 to asthma , bronchitis , and emphysema ; 12,000 to stroke ; 10,000 to Alzheimer ’ s ; 7,000 to diabetes ; 5,600 to drug overdoses ; and 4,700 to influenza and pneumonia .
Since February , in America , coronavirus : 9,500…Those deaths give us over 157,000 deaths a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done about one cause of death , COVID-19 , it turns out this is a very advantaged disease , indeed .
None of those 157,000 deaths per month are the result of an infectious disease , which is the glaring difference that exposes their straw-man fallacy .
The idea of instituting social distancing to combat heart disease , cancer , or diabetes is , of course , absurd .
But Bennett and Leibsohn don ’ t want you to actually think about what they ’ re saying .
You are supposed to simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ truthiness ” that inspired Stephen Colbert back in 2005 .
What is most interesting is that , while decrying the “ elites ” and lauding Trump ’ s instincts , Bennett and Leibsohn dot their piece with words like “ maleficently ” and “ immuration , ” which are a blatant attempt to house their arguments in words that sound intellectual .
Bennett ’ s stock in trade has always been to come off as someone who is smarter and more moral than the peons he is addressing .
That is precisely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big brain in the Republican Party .
As Bennett and Leibsohn write , they view the efforts of “ elitists ” to mitigate the spread of coronavirus as an attempt to “ kill the heart and soul of our country.
” What we have are two conservatives making a post-truth argument in order to further the one thing that has always been a priority for leaders of the Republican Party : free-flowing capitalism .
Donald Trump might be more blatant in his mendacity than people like Bill Bennett .
But the intent @ @ @ @ @ @

One of the challenges faced by Republican NeverTrumpers is whether to suggest that the current president is an anomaly in their party or to acknowledge that the seeds of this fiasco were planted long ago. As Trump mangles this country’s response to the coronavirus, that question can at least be partially addressed by how leaders from previous administrations are responding to the crisis.
Bill Bennett has often been described as one of the “big brains” of the Republican Party. He served as Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan and as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under George H.W. Bush. Following those positions, Bennett positioned himself as a national arbiter on questions of morality, trafficking in many of the same themes that have animated Christian nationalists for decades. Bennett’s hypocrisy in that arena became obvious when his gambling addiction was exposed.
None of that has stopped Bennett from being heralded in right wing media as a Republican thought-leader. During a recent appearance on Fox News, he pontificated about our response to the coronavirus.
The most explosive thing Bennett said during that clip was to claim that what we are experiencing is not a pandemic, something even Trump has admitted and Brian Kilmeade felt the need to correct.
That interview was based on an article Bennett wrote with Seth Leibsohn for RealClearPolitics. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to identify the fallacy they used to make an argument against the mitigation strategies that have been employed during the coronavirus crisis.
Is it too much to ask for some perspective with numbers we do know about, numbers which have never shut down our country, much less a church or synagogue, much less entire industries; numbers which have never restricted travel or put this nation into one big frenzy? In any given month in America, we lose about 54,000 Americans to heart disease; 50,000 to cancer; 14,000 to asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema; 12,000 to stroke; 10,000 to Alzheimer’s; 7,000 to diabetes; 5,600 to drug overdoses; and 4,700 to influenza and pneumonia. Since February, in America, coronavirus: 9,500…Those deaths give us over 157,000 deaths a month. Given all that is being done about one cause of death, COVID-19, it turns out this is a very advantaged disease, indeed.
None of those 157,000 deaths per month are the result of an infectious disease, which is the glaring difference that exposes their straw-man fallacy. The idea of instituting social distancing to combat heart disease, cancer, or diabetes is, of course, absurd. But Bennett and Leibsohn don’t want you to actually think about what they’re saying. You are supposed to simply swallow it whole as the kind of “truthiness” that inspired Stephen Colbert back in 2005.
What is most interesting is that, while decrying the “elites” and lauding Trump’s instincts, Bennett and Leibsohn dot their piece with words like “maleficently” and “immuration,” which are a blatant attempt to house their arguments in words that sound intellectual. Bennett’s stock in trade has always been to come off as someone who is smarter and more moral than the peons he is addressing. That is precisely how he developed a reputation for being a big brain in the Republican Party.
As Bennett and Leibsohn write, they view the efforts of “elitists” to mitigate the spread of coronavirus as an attempt to “kill the heart and soul of our country.” What we have are two conservatives making a post-truth argument in order to further the one thing that has always been a priority for leaders of the Republican Party: free-flowing capitalism. Donald Trump might be more blatant in his mendacity than people like Bill Bennett. But the intent and message are the same.