washingtonmonthly--2020-11-23--Everyone’s Moving to the Suburbs

Everyone’s Moving to the Suburbs

Among the many cultural artifacts that COVID-induced isolation has led Americans to rediscover , the “ Why I Left New York ” essay is becoming the most common .
The exodus from Gotham and other cities is grist for newspapers and magazines and blogposts and Medium brimming with once committed Cobble Hill residents who now delight ( or despair ) about moving to Chatham or Cos Cob .
And while it may be too early to know if these trends are permanent , FlatRate Moving reported moves from New York to Connecticut increased 74 percent between March and April of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while New Jersey and Long Island saw 38 and 48 percent spikes , respectively , per the New York Times .
The logic of saying “ Bye ” to Brooklyn is fairly straightforward — in an era of social distancing , why pay astonishing sums for cramped quarters , a greater likelihood of contracting the virus , at least initially , and no ability to frequent the events , nightlife , and cultural activities that make America ’ s cities worth living in , not to mention a crime spike , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shuts down despite low transmission rates in many districts ?
Suburbs , once shunned as boring , conformist , with bad casual dining restaurants , have begun to look better in recent years .
Some of the cool families were already crossing the Hudson to Montclair or Maplewood .
Now , everybody , it seems , is heading for the PATH trains and Metro North .
The questions now are whether this migration is temporary and will be swiftly forgotten when a vaccine is distributed — or is it more enduring ?
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less advantage to living near the ( now empty ) office tower , then why stay in Williamsburg even when the pandemic ends ?
It ’ s also important to know that the suburbs ’ mythic underpinnings — homeownership , the nuclear family , and sprawl — are changing as American priorities change and suburban tax bases are reconfigured .
“ The culture that created Levittown doesn ’ t exist anymore , ” said Brian O ’ Looney , an architect of sustainable urbanism and a panelist at the National Press Foundation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , A Changed Landscape ?
” program last week .
In the American imagination , the suburbs are conceptualized as high-income , exclusive , white spaces with great schools , the Pew Research Center ’ s Richard Fry said demographic and economic data show a different pattern .
Over the last 20 years , suburbs have become more diversified , both ethnically and economically .
Large suburban counties have gained 17 million people between 2000 and 2018 , Fry said , outpacing cities ’ growth .
But when broken down by age group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage in one notable demographic — people aged 25 to 44 , or those in their prime working years .
With growth concentrated on either side of the age spectrum , suburbs are expected to provide a strong education and healthcare infrastructure , but without the prime-age workers .
They do not necessarily have the tax base to support that .
Poverty has grown at a sharper rate in large suburban counties than in urban or rural areas , while average household incomes have fallen in the suburbs since 2000 .
Property values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cores , or at least they were until this recent panic .
“ On any number of economic outcomes , what we see is suburban areas are lagging what we see in the urban core , ” Fry said .
If COVID trends hold , suburbs could attract the 24-to-44 age demographic .
But the suburbs , which were designed around the ideas of owning a car and segregation , both racial and economic , do not resemble the urban neighborhoods that these working professionals prefer .
That mismatch could facilitate what June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the City College of New York and the co-author of a forthcoming book in her “ Retrofitting Suburbia ” series , calls much-needed “ incremental metropolitanism , ” where suburbs are remade to be more sustainable and resilient .
Williamson proposes three strategies for retrofitting suburbs to meet new cultural and economic realities — “ reinhabitation , ” in which abandoned and struggling office parks and big box stores are adapted for residential and mixed-use , redevelopment , which includes new construction to maximize walkability , density , and transit , and re-greening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corridors .
“ Certain trends that drive the retrofitting of suburban form have been going on already for some time , and the pandemic seems to be accelerating and intensifying some of them , ” Williamson said , listing the death of the shopping mall , vacated office parks , and bankruptcies as examples .
“ These losses are painful at the local level — loss of tax revenue , jobs , and the eyesore properties that are left beyond .
( They are ) also places of opportunity , especially for well-located @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Suburbs ’ long history of exclusionary zoning was designed to keep property values high , incentivize homeownership , and , often to maintain racial segregation .
But values have changed — subsidized affordable housing has become a priority and a necessity , particularly in inner-ring suburbs .
Younger millennials are much more interested in renting than owning .
Older people often want to downsize while staying in the suburbs .
Meanwhile , the middle class is often priced out .
To address these challenges , Williamson said the suburbs need zoning reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburbanites who moved post-pandemic might be incentivized to incite change .
As downsizing and renting become more popular , creating new developments to accommodate multigenerational households , home rental , and retrofitting commercial property to meet the needs of seniors — for example , building cottages around a central green on an acre of property — would open up opportunities that meet current needs .
O ’ Looney said creating these alternative lifestyle developments can be difficult in a country like the U.S. , where so much of land use control is local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and environmental policy , can be more efficiently solved at the state level .
He also said the U.S. lags in housing affordability , particularly due to the expenses associated with cars , such as having to build multiple parking spaces for single-family homes .
If they ever appear , new transit opportunities could improve affordability and help give suburbs a more modern character .
If suburbs can be made more affordable , accessible , and livable , it may even ease the urban pressures that lead to gentrification , Williamson said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more like cities as well .
President Trump ’ s appeal to suburban voters based on the notion that Democrats would bring crime-plagued , low-income housing to your neighborhood didn ’ t help him in the big suburban countries that ring America ’ s cities .
“ That whole political narrative was like shadow boxing with a ghost of this persistent stereotype of what suburbs were in the past , ” Williamson said .
“ It had some traction , but it actually led to more activism in certain pockets to say ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are today !
’ ” .
“ As ( millennials ) get older , maybe they ’ re going to move to those inner suburbs because of the prices…If it ’ s near a transit stop , if there ’ s a coffee shop , if there ’ s a different kind of townhouse they can buy or some older house they can remodel and work from home , they ’ re going to remake those suburbs .
”

Among the many cultural artifacts that COVID-induced isolation has led Americans to rediscover, the “Why I Left New York” essay is becoming the most common.
The exodus from Gotham and other cities is grist for newspapers and magazines and blogposts and Medium brimming with once committed Cobble Hill residents who now delight (or despair) about moving to Chatham or Cos Cob. And while it may be too early to know if these trends are permanent, FlatRate Moving reported moves from New York to Connecticut increased 74 percent between March and April of this year as compared to last year, while New Jersey and Long Island saw 38 and 48 percent spikes, respectively, per the New York Times.
The logic of saying “Bye” to Brooklyn is fairly straightforward — in an era of social distancing, why pay astonishing sums for cramped quarters, a greater likelihood of contracting the virus, at least initially, and no ability to frequent the events, nightlife, and cultural activities that make America’s cities worth living in, not to mention a crime spike, more homelessness, and a school system that shuts down despite low transmission rates in many districts? Suburbs, once shunned as boring, conformist, with bad casual dining restaurants, have begun to look better in recent years. Some of the cool families were already crossing the Hudson to Montclair or Maplewood. Now, everybody, it seems, is heading for the PATH trains and Metro North.
The questions now are whether this migration is temporary and will be swiftly forgotten when a vaccine is distributed — or is it more enduring? If there’s more Zoom work and less advantage to living near the (now empty) office tower, then why stay in Williamsburg even when the pandemic ends?
It’s also important to know that the suburbs’ mythic underpinnings — homeownership, the nuclear family, and sprawl — are changing as American priorities change and suburban tax bases are reconfigured.
“The culture that created Levittown doesn’t exist anymore,” said Brian O’Looney, an architect of sustainable urbanism and a panelist at the National Press Foundation’s “The Suburbs: After COVID, A Changed Landscape?” program last week.
In the American imagination, the suburbs are conceptualized as high-income, exclusive, white spaces with great schools, the Pew Research Center’s Richard Fry said demographic and economic data show a different pattern. Over the last 20 years, suburbs have become more diversified, both ethnically and economically.
Large suburban counties have gained 17 million people between 2000 and 2018, Fry said, outpacing cities’ growth. But when broken down by age group, the cities still retain a growth advantage in one notable demographic — people aged 25 to 44, or those in their prime working years. With growth concentrated on either side of the age spectrum, suburbs are expected to provide a strong education and healthcare infrastructure, but without the prime-age workers. They do not necessarily have the tax base to support that. Poverty has grown at a sharper rate in large suburban counties than in urban or rural areas, while average household incomes have fallen in the suburbs since 2000. Property values are appreciating more slowly than in urban cores, or at least they were until this recent panic.
“On any number of economic outcomes, what we see is suburban areas are lagging what we see in the urban core,” Fry said.
If COVID trends hold, suburbs could attract the 24-to-44 age demographic. But the suburbs, which were designed around the ideas of owning a car and segregation, both racial and economic, do not resemble the urban neighborhoods that these working professionals prefer. That mismatch could facilitate what June Williamson, a professor of architecture at the City College of New York and the co-author of a forthcoming book in her “Retrofitting Suburbia” series, calls much-needed “incremental metropolitanism,” where suburbs are remade to be more sustainable and resilient.
Williamson proposes three strategies for retrofitting suburbs to meet new cultural and economic realities — “reinhabitation,” in which abandoned and struggling office parks and big box stores are adapted for residential and mixed-use, redevelopment, which includes new construction to maximize walkability, density, and transit, and re-greening, to restore wetlands ecologies and wildlife corridors.
“Certain trends that drive the retrofitting of suburban form have been going on already for some time, and the pandemic seems to be accelerating and intensifying some of them,” Williamson said, listing the death of the shopping mall, vacated office parks, and bankruptcies as examples. “These losses are painful at the local level — loss of tax revenue, jobs, and the eyesore properties that are left beyond. (They are) also places of opportunity, especially for well-located sites in high growth and transit-friendly areas.”
Suburbs’ long history of exclusionary zoning was designed to keep property values high, incentivize homeownership, and, often to maintain racial segregation. But values have changed — subsidized affordable housing has become a priority and a necessity, particularly in inner-ring suburbs. Younger millennials are much more interested in renting than owning. Older people often want to downsize while staying in the suburbs. Meanwhile, the middle class is often priced out.
To address these challenges, Williamson said the suburbs need zoning reform — and expressed hope that the new suburbanites who moved post-pandemic might be incentivized to incite change. As downsizing and renting become more popular, creating new developments to accommodate multigenerational households, home rental, and retrofitting commercial property to meet the needs of seniors — for example, building cottages around a central green on an acre of property — would open up opportunities that meet current needs.
O’Looney said creating these alternative lifestyle developments can be difficult in a country like the U.S., where so much of land use control is local when efforts, particularly around affordable housing and environmental policy, can be more efficiently solved at the state level.
He also said the U.S. lags in housing affordability, particularly due to the expenses associated with cars, such as having to build multiple parking spaces for single-family homes. If they ever appear, new transit opportunities could improve affordability and help give suburbs a more modern character.
If suburbs can be made more affordable, accessible, and livable, it may even ease the urban pressures that lead to gentrification, Williamson said.
Politically, suburbs are beginning to look more like cities as well. President Trump’s appeal to suburban voters based on the notion that Democrats would bring crime-plagued, low-income housing to your neighborhood didn’t help him in the big suburban countries that ring America’s cities.
“That whole political narrative was like shadow boxing with a ghost of this persistent stereotype of what suburbs were in the past,” Williamson said. “It had some traction, but it actually led to more activism in certain pockets to say ‘That’s not what the suburbs are today!’”.
“As (millennials) get older, maybe they’re going to move to those inner suburbs because of the prices…If it’s near a transit stop, if there’s a coffee shop, if there’s a different kind of townhouse they can buy or some older house they can remodel and work from home, they’re going to remake those suburbs.”


washingtonmonthly--2020-11-23--Attorney General Barr Will Go Out With a Whimper, Not a Bang

As Donald Trump continues to rage on Twitter about a “ rigged election , ” Joe Biden has assured us that on January 20th , the 45th president will leave the White House or be escorted out the door .
Stephen Miller , Mike Pompeo , Betsy DeVos , Mike Pence and others who wrought so much damage to our democratic ideals and institutions will depart with him .
But no one in the Trump administration has done more damage than Attorney General William Barr .
Mark Joseph Stern of Slate documented it all in , “ Goodbye Bill Barr.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ General William Barr transformed the Department of Justice into a sleazy , third-rate law firm devoted to shielding Donald Trump and his friends from the consequences of their crimes .
A coterie of attorneys with prestigious law degrees and sterling résumés joined Barr ’ s crusade to place Trump above the law .
The attorney general ’ s tenure played out as a natural experiment : What happens when the embodiment of the right-wing Federalist Society becomes the nation ’ s chief law enforcement officer ?
The answer has been a ghastly disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than issuing an edict instructing U.S .
Attorneys to investigate Trump ’ s baseless claims of voter fraud ( which , of course , produced nothing ) , we haven ’ t heard much from the attorney general lately .
There has not been a peep out of John Durham , the U.S. Attorney from Connecticut that Barr appointed to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe .
Durham failed to produce an October surprise in the form of a report damning the investigation .
Now , there are also rumors that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the past , Barr has been unable to stay silent .
He broke with Justice Department policy to comment on the Durham investigation while it was still underway , declaring that the Trump-Russia investigation was “ one of the greatest travesties ” in American history based on a “ bogus scandal.
” When DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz issued his finding in December 2019 that the FBI had adequate reason to investigate the Trump campaign ’ s ties to Russia , Barr disagreed .
“ The F.B.I .
launched an intrusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thinnest of suspicions that , in my view , were insufficient to justify the steps taken , ” he said .
Investigative journalist Murray Waas reports that he talked to two sources familiar with the Durham investigation who told him why the U.S. Attorney and his team haven ’ t come up with anything .
First of all , Nora Dannehy , Durham ’ s trusted deputy , resigned from the investigation in September , telling colleagues that it was in response to Barr ’ s pressure for them to release a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Waas ’ s sources , Durham called Barr shortly after that and made it clear that “ his office would not be releasing a report or taking any other significant public actions before Election Day.
” The implied threat was that if the attorney general kept up the pressure , Dannehy wouldn ’ t be the only one to walk away .
Durham and other members of his team might follow suit .
Waas ’ s sources also told him that “ there has been no evidence found , after 18 months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims that Trump was targeted by politically biased Obama officials to prevent his election.
” In other words , Durham and his team are reaching the same conclusions as Inspector General Horowitz and the Senate Intelligence Committee , not to mention the internal CIA investigation conducted by Mike Pompeo .
So , as the Trump presidency comes to an end , let ’ s review what we know about its relationship with Moscow .
• None The Mueller team found that the Trump campaign had colluded with the Russian government .
But because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal matters , the special counsel ’ s report stated that the evidence didn ’ t reach the criminal conspiracy standard .
• None The Mueller team found that the president had attempted to on at least 10 occasions , but Barr simply dismissed the charges .
• None The FBi never finished its into the Trump campaign ’ s ties to the Russian government , nor has any other agency .
• None No one who has investigated the origins of the Trump-Russia probe has found any evidence to support Barr ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bogus scandal.
” These are facts that Attorney General Barr has attempted to obfuscate , and right-wing media continues to ignore .
Barr has two months left as attorney general , so he could still release a Durham investigation report .
But if Waas and his sources are right , it is more likely that we ’ ll hear nothing further because the last thing Barr wants is a report that exonerates the Trump-Russia probe—proving , once again , that he can ’ t be trusted .

As Donald Trump continues to rage on Twitter about a “rigged election,” Joe Biden has assured us that on January 20th, the 45th president will leave the White House or be escorted out the door. Stephen Miller, Mike Pompeo, Betsy DeVos, Mike Pence and others who wrought so much damage to our democratic ideals and institutions will depart with him.
But no one in the Trump administration has done more damage than Attorney General William Barr. Mark Joseph Stern of Slate documented it all in, “Goodbye Bill Barr.”
In just two years, Attorney General William Barr transformed the Department of Justice into a sleazy, third-rate law firm devoted to shielding Donald Trump and his friends from the consequences of their crimes. A coterie of attorneys with prestigious law degrees and sterling résumés joined Barr’s crusade to place Trump above the law. The attorney general’s tenure played out as a natural experiment: What happens when the embodiment of the right-wing Federalist Society becomes the nation’s chief law enforcement officer? The answer has been a ghastly disaster for the rule of law.
Other than issuing an edict instructing U.S. Attorneys to investigate Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud (which, of course, produced nothing), we haven’t heard much from the attorney general lately. There has not been a peep out of John Durham, the U.S. Attorney from Connecticut that Barr appointed to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe. Durham failed to produce an October surprise in the form of a report damning the investigation. Now, there are also rumors that there will be no Durham report at all.
In the past, Barr has been unable to stay silent. He broke with Justice Department policy to comment on the Durham investigation while it was still underway, declaring that the Trump-Russia investigation was “one of the greatest travesties” in American history based on a “bogus scandal.” When DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz issued his finding in December 2019 that the FBI had adequate reason to investigate the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, Barr disagreed. “The F.B.I. launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken,” he said.
Investigative journalist Murray Waas reports that he talked to two sources familiar with the Durham investigation who told him why the U.S. Attorney and his team haven’t come up with anything. First of all, Nora Dannehy, Durham’s trusted deputy, resigned from the investigation in September, telling colleagues that it was in response to Barr’s pressure for them to release a report before the election. According to Waas’s sources, Durham called Barr shortly after that and made it clear that “his office would not be releasing a report or taking any other significant public actions before Election Day.” The implied threat was that if the attorney general kept up the pressure, Dannehy wouldn’t be the only one to walk away. Durham and other members of his team might follow suit.
Waas’s sources also told him that “there has been no evidence found, after 18 months of investigation, to support Barr’s claims that Trump was targeted by politically biased Obama officials to prevent his election.” In other words, Durham and his team are reaching the same conclusions as Inspector General Horowitz and the Senate Intelligence Committee, not to mention the internal CIA investigation conducted by Mike Pompeo.
So, as the Trump presidency comes to an end, let’s review what we know about its relationship with Moscow.
The Mueller team found that the Trump campaign had colluded with the Russian government. But because former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein limited the investigation to criminal matters, the special counsel’s report stated that the evidence didn’t reach the criminal conspiracy standard. The Mueller team found that the president had attempted to obstruct justice on at least 10 occasions, but Barr simply dismissed the charges. The FBi never finished its counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to the Russian government, nor has any other agency. No one who has investigated the origins of the Trump-Russia probe has found any evidence to support Barr’s claim that it was a “bogus scandal.”
These are facts that Attorney General Barr has attempted to obfuscate, and right-wing media continues to ignore.
Barr has two months left as attorney general, so he could still release a Durham investigation report. But if Waas and his sources are right, it is more likely that we’ll hear nothing further because the last thing Barr wants is a report that exonerates the Trump-Russia probe—proving, once again, that he can’t be trusted.


washingtonmonthly--2020-11-24--No, It Wasn’t a Coup Attempt. It Was Another Trump Money Scam.

President Trump ’ s post-election machinations are not a bungled coup attempt ; they add up to a scam to enrich himself .
A coup would require broad collaboration from the courts and , failing that , from the military .
The evidence suggests that Trump may not even be serious about election fraud .
If he were , he would have recruited serious election law experts in the states he has contested .
Instead , Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell blanketed the country with a blizzard of lawsuits , offering fever dreams from the dark web as their legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s post-election campaign demonstrates his singular talent for taking care of himself even when he loses .
It is a momentous historic attack on the democratic process , on the order of Reconstruction .
But for Trump , as Michael Corleone put it , “ it ’ s just business.
” Ultimately , Trump ’ s goals are to remain a star , make money , and solidify his clout .
The corrosive effects on democracy are collateral damage .
Donald Trump has always craved fame , a drive common to national politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to politics through his stint as a reality TV star .
That ’ s where he learned how he could weave a narrative around his personality that tapped into the fantasies of a national audience .
His quixotic claim to have won an election that he knows he lost rests entirely on his curated public persona .
And as long as he pursues his claims , he is the center of attention instead of an ignored , sad , lame duck .
Trump ’ s intrigues embody his drive to come out ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign hardly touched on the pandemic , the economy , or even his signature complaints about immigrants .
Instead , he offered a narrative about systemic voter fraud and a stolen election .
The strategy was smarter than Trump ’ s consultants and most media understood .
It strengthened his connection to Americans who feel vulnerable to powerful shadowy forces beyond their reach , sufficient to drive nearly enough of them to reelect him .
This approach also laid a foundation for Trump to come out on top again , albeit not as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soon after the polls closed , his campaign announced an “ Official Election Defense Fund ” to help pay for his election challenges – with much of the proceeds diverted to his personal PAC , Save America .
And by mobilizing his millions of true believers around a false narrative that his enemies have cost them their leader , Trump secured an enormous fan base for whatever he does as an ex-president .
Millions will pay to attend more rallies or perhaps subscribe to a new Trump streaming service or cable network .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage to spotlight his inevitable grievances with President Joe Biden .
It could become a means to mobilize public pressure against ongoing criminal investigations and possible indictments .
Even from Mar-a-Lago , he could keep officeholders aligned with his interests , even as an ex-president .
Ensuring that Trump benefits even when he loses—and so never appears to fail – is an approach he has honed over his career .
It nearly always involves making himself richer .
He forged the strategy in Atlantic City .
When he issued $ 100 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Plaza casino in 1993 temporarily , he used half of those proceeds to cover his personal debts .
When his three casino hotels went bankrupt , he collected $ 160 million in management fees from the time the hotels declared Chapter 11 to the inevitable moment , years later , when he had to surrender them to his creditors .
Trump had figured out how to win while losing other people ’ s money .
The final collapse of his Atlantic City properties also became personal paydays : He walked away with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on $ 3.4 billion in defaulted debts owed to the banks and junk bondholders that actually put up the capital .
To make it legal , Trump had assumed personal liability for the loans .
But that was at the heart of the scam : Since he had not put up his own money , he couldn ’ t claim the losses without putting himself technically “ at-risk ” for the loans .
As president , Trump continues to profit from losing other people ’ s money .
He owns 16 golf courses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put up the money to buy and operate them .
As any real estate operator knows , golf courses are notorious money losers .
Here too , Trump is personally “ at-risk ” for those loans – because otherwise , he couldn ’ t write off their annual losses .
Based on the tax returns described in the New York Times , he claimed $ 15.3 million in those tax losses in 2017 , his first year in the White House .
For that year , he also reported personal income of nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income tied to his old reality TV show , and revenues from favor seekers joining Mar-A-Lago and taking suites at his hotels .
The losses Trump claimed for ventures paid for with other people ’ s money enabled him , even as president , to avoid paying personal income tax on all of his $ 14.8 million income .
Winning by failing has been Donald Trump ’ s signature business strategy , and now it is his political strategy .
Since he couldn ’ t force the Justice Department to arrest Biden or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results , he is left to enrich himself and maintain his influence with his fans and GOP elected officials .
Thankfully for democracy , Americans now face not a coup d ’ état but yet another scam from Donald Trump – and probably not his last .

President Trump’s post-election machinations are not a bungled coup attempt; they add up to a scam to enrich himself. A coup would require broad collaboration from the courts and, failing that, from the military. The evidence suggests that Trump may not even be serious about election fraud. If he were, he would have recruited serious election law experts in the states he has contested. Instead, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell blanketed the country with a blizzard of lawsuits, offering fever dreams from the dark web as their legal justification and evidence.
The president’s post-election campaign demonstrates his singular talent for taking care of himself even when he loses. It is a momentous historic attack on the democratic process, on the order of Reconstruction. But for Trump, as Michael Corleone put it, “it’s just business.” Ultimately, Trump’s goals are to remain a star, make money, and solidify his clout. The corrosive effects on democracy are collateral damage.
Donald Trump has always craved fame, a drive common to national politicians. But he alone honed his approach to politics through his stint as a reality TV star. That’s where he learned how he could weave a narrative around his personality that tapped into the fantasies of a national audience. His quixotic claim to have won an election that he knows he lost rests entirely on his curated public persona. And as long as he pursues his claims, he is the center of attention instead of an ignored, sad, lame duck.
Trump’s intrigues embody his drive to come out ahead whether he succeeds or fails. His campaign hardly touched on the pandemic, the economy, or even his signature complaints about immigrants. Instead, he offered a narrative about systemic voter fraud and a stolen election. The strategy was smarter than Trump’s consultants and most media understood. It strengthened his connection to Americans who feel vulnerable to powerful shadowy forces beyond their reach, sufficient to drive nearly enough of them to reelect him.
This approach also laid a foundation for Trump to come out on top again, albeit not as president, and monetize the loss. Soon after the polls closed, his campaign announced an “Official Election Defense Fund” to help pay for his election challenges – with much of the proceeds diverted to his personal PAC, Save America. And by mobilizing his millions of true believers around a false narrative that his enemies have cost them their leader, Trump secured an enormous fan base for whatever he does as an ex-president. Millions will pay to attend more rallies or perhaps subscribe to a new Trump streaming service or cable network.
The strategy will give Trump a global stage to spotlight his inevitable grievances with President Joe Biden. It could become a means to mobilize public pressure against ongoing criminal investigations and possible indictments. Even from Mar-a-Lago, he could keep officeholders aligned with his interests, even as an ex-president.
Ensuring that Trump benefits even when he loses—and so never appears to fail – is an approach he has honed over his career. It nearly always involves making himself richer. He forged the strategy in Atlantic City. When he issued $100 million in junk bonds to bail out the failing Trump Plaza casino in 1993 temporarily, he used half of those proceeds to cover his personal debts. When his three casino hotels went bankrupt, he collected $160 million in management fees from the time the hotels declared Chapter 11 to the inevitable moment, years later, when he had to surrender them to his creditors.
Trump had figured out how to win while losing other people’s money. The final collapse of his Atlantic City properties also became personal paydays: He walked away with $916 million in tax losses based on $3.4 billion in defaulted debts owed to the banks and junk bondholders that actually put up the capital. To make it legal, Trump had assumed personal liability for the loans. But that was at the heart of the scam: Since he had not put up his own money, he couldn’t claim the losses without putting himself technically “at-risk” for the loans.
As president, Trump continues to profit from losing other people’s money. He owns 16 golf courses, all financed by accommodating lenders who put up the money to buy and operate them. As any real estate operator knows, golf courses are notorious money losers. Here too, Trump is personally “at-risk” for those loans – because otherwise, he couldn’t write off their annual losses. Based on the tax returns described in the New York Times, he claimed $15.3 million in those tax losses in 2017, his first year in the White House. For that year, he also reported personal income of nearly $14.8 million from branding deals, income tied to his old reality TV show, and revenues from favor seekers joining Mar-A-Lago and taking suites at his hotels. The losses Trump claimed for ventures paid for with other people’s money enabled him, even as president, to avoid paying personal income tax on all of his $14.8 million income.
Winning by failing has been Donald Trump’s signature business strategy, and now it is his political strategy. Since he couldn’t force the Justice Department to arrest Biden or coerce the courts to overturn the election results, he is left to enrich himself and maintain his influence with his fans and GOP elected officials. Thankfully for democracy, Americans now face not a coup d’état but yet another scam from Donald Trump – and probably not his last.


washingtonmonthly--2020-11-25--Pardon Me: Michael Flynn’s Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card Lands Face Up

“ Lock her up !
Lock her up !
” The crowd said their prayer , their mantra at the Republican National Convention in 2016 , and Lt. General Michael Flynn ( Ret . )
went right along with them from the podium .
Even Trump has never gone quite that far .
.
” Lock her up .
That ’ s right… I have called on Hillary Clinton to drop out of the race , ” Flynn told the crowd .
“ If I did a tenth , a tenth of what she did , I would be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irony , thank you .
Flynn won ’ t be going to jail now that the president has pardoned him for lying to the FBI .
On Wednesday , Trump tweeted , “ It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon .
Congratulations to @ GenFlynn and his wonderful family .
I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving !
” The pardon marks the end of a three-year legal battle .
In 2017 , Flynn pled guilty to lying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying for the past year to withdraw his guilty plea in the case , which involved him giving false claims about his conversations with the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. during the Obama-Trump transition .
Since then , Flynn has dug in his Army boots and insisted he ’ s innocent of the crime to which he admitted guilt .
He ’ s tried to withdraw the plea .
The Justice Department , in a widely condemned move , tried to get the guilty plea kicked out of court but met resistance from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amidst the strangest transition ever , Flynn ’ s legal drama comes full circle .
Trump adds another ally to his list of Friends with Pardons .
Amazingly , Flynn was briefly considered to be Trump ” s running mate in 2016 but being pro-choice–a position he abandoned with gymnastic elasticity–made him unacceptable .
He was a crank , a coot from the beginning .
To his credit , Chris Christie , when he ran the transition , urged Trump not to hire Flynn .
But , hey , Christie got dumped as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became national security adviser , the same job once held by Condi Rice , Colin Powell , Henry Kissinger , McGeorge Bundy , and Brent Scowcroft .
Flynn lasted 22 days before he was forced out after it emerged that he lied to Mike Pence and others about his call with Sergei Kislyak , the Russian Ambassador , a call where he seemed to promise that all those bad Obama sanctions on Russia would go away .
Lying to the FBI made it a crime .
And when the call , the lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public , Flynn was doomed .
Remember this is what Sally Yates , the acting attorney general and maybe the next one , called Don McGhan about after the intel of the call was digested .
We still can ’ t be entirely sure why Flynn pled guilty and then changed his mind , fighting it out in court , waiting for DOJ intervention , and then getting a pardon in Trump ’ s final days .
Why didn ’ t Trump go straight to the pardon ?
Why plead guilty in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comey to go easy on Flynn during their infamous White House dinner ?
And why didn ’ t Flynn , a veteran intel officer , assume the call was being recorded in the first place ?
Did he think the intel community would overlook it ?
So many questions , then and now : Why is Flynn spouting QAnon nonsense ?
Is he all in or just seeking allies .
Sidney Powell , the F. Lee Bailey of this cult , is Flynn ’ s lawyer .
The most fevered speculation about Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never proven .
However , that RT dinner with Putin remains one of the weirdest images of the previous decade .
But is it any weirder than being a consultant to Turkey during the entire campaign and into the transition in 2016 , helping the Erdogan government try to extradite a dissident clergyman living in exile in Pennsylvania ?
It ’ s hard to believe that Flynn was once a storied intelligence official who rose to become Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency before his forced retirement in 2014 , hence the Obama-Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security official during the transition in 2016 : “ Please tell me Flynn isn ’ t as bad as they say.
” “ He ” s worse , ” the official told me .
Now he ’ s free , out of dough from legal expenses , but ready for his closeup on Trump TV .

“Lock her up! Lock her up!”
The crowd said their prayer, their mantra at the Republican National Convention in 2016, and Lt. General Michael Flynn (Ret.) went right along with them from the podium. Even Trump has never gone quite that far.
“Lock her up. That’s right… I have called on Hillary Clinton to drop out of the race,” Flynn told the crowd. “If I did a tenth, a tenth of what she did, I would be in jail today.”
O Sweet Gods of Irony, thank you.
Flynn won’t be going to jail now that the president has pardoned him for lying to the FBI. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted, “It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family. I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!”
The pardon marks the end of a three-year legal battle. In 2017, Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI. He’s been trying for the past year to withdraw his guilty plea in the case, which involved him giving false claims about his conversations with the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. during the Obama-Trump transition. Since then, Flynn has dug in his Army boots and insisted he’s innocent of the crime to which he admitted guilt. He’s tried to withdraw the plea. The Justice Department, in a widely condemned move, tried to get the guilty plea kicked out of court but met resistance from a still independent judiciary. Now, amidst the strangest transition ever, Flynn’s legal drama comes full circle. Trump adds another ally to his list of Friends with Pardons.
Amazingly, Flynn was briefly considered to be Trump”s running mate in 2016 but being pro-choice–a position he abandoned with gymnastic elasticity–made him unacceptable. He was a crank, a coot from the beginning. To his credit, Chris Christie, when he ran the transition, urged Trump not to hire Flynn. But, hey, Christie got dumped as head of the transition. Michael Flynn became national security adviser, the same job once held by Condi Rice, Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, McGeorge Bundy, and Brent Scowcroft. Flynn lasted 22 days before he was forced out after it emerged that he lied to Mike Pence and others about his call with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian Ambassador, a call where he seemed to promise that all those bad Obama sanctions on Russia would go away.
Lying to the FBI made it a crime. And when the call, the lies, and the rest of it went public, Flynn was doomed. Remember this is what Sally Yates, the acting attorney general and maybe the next one, called Don McGahn about after the intel of the call was digested.
We still can’t be entirely sure why Flynn pled guilty and then changed his mind, fighting it out in court, waiting for DOJ intervention, and then getting a pardon in Trump’s final days. Why didn’t Trump go straight to the pardon? Why plead guilty in the first place? Why was Trump asking Comey to go easy on Flynn during their infamous White House dinner? And why didn’t Flynn, a veteran intel officer, assume the call was being recorded in the first place? Did he think the intel community would overlook it?
So many questions, then and now: Why is Flynn spouting QAnon nonsense? Is he all in or just seeking allies. Sidney Powell, the F. Lee Bailey of this cult, is Flynn’s lawyer.
The most fevered speculation about Flynn that he was a Russian asset was never proven. However, that RT dinner with Putin remains one of the weirdest images of the previous decade. But is it any weirder than being a consultant to Turkey during the entire campaign and into the transition in 2016, helping the Erdogan government try to extradite a dissident clergyman living in exile in Pennsylvania?
It’s hard to believe that Flynn was once a storied intelligence official who rose to become Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency before his forced retirement in 2014, hence the Obama-Clinton hatred. I asked a senior Obama national security official during the transition in 2016: “Please tell me Flynn isn’t as bad as they say.”
“He’s worse,” the official told me.
Now he’s free, out of dough from legal expenses, but ready for his closeup on Trump TV.


washingtonmonthly--2020-11-24--Janet Yellen, Tony Blinken, Ron Klain and the End of Crazy Time

The announcement of cabinet members out of Biden transition headquarters should be soothing as Trump ’ s post-election declarations are alarming .
No one doubts that Jake Sullivan , the forthcoming national security adviser , or Tony Blinken , the soon to be secretary of state , are serious people .
Lahnee Chen , Mitt Romney ’ s top policy advisor during the 2012 presidential race , described Sullivan , who he knows well , as a “ top caliber ” individual on MSNBC .
You can disagree with the pro-multilateral views of the two , their take on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin ’ s aggression against former Soviet republics .
Still , you ’ re not going to see bonkers .
Seb Gorka , the baritone giant with the memorable accent , famously said at the outset of the Trump administration , “ the era of the pajama boys is over .
The alpha males are back.
” You might say the era of the straight-jacket crazy men is over .
There ’ s no more Mike Flynn , Richard Grenell , John Ratcliffe , or Steve Bannon who had a seat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even Donald Trump ’ s accomplished and courtly first Secretary of State , Rex Tillerson , who seems like Metternich compared to what followed , somehow managed to piss off the Hill , Foggy Bottom , and the White House–a rare hat trick–before getting shown the door .
I know Blinken and like him and his wife , Evan Ryan , herself a much-admired veteran of the State Department and Office of the Vice President .
We ’ ve got many friends in common .
We ’ re both the same age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long time .
Stay in Washington long enough , and the people you knew as youngins become George Marshall and James Baker .
As Barack Obama said this week , Blinken is consistently gracious and diplomatic , which will be a welcome change from Mike Pompeo .
YouTube videos of Blinken speaking fluently on a Parisian talk show are making the rounds , as well as his Spotify recordings .
It ’ s all very refreshing .
What I find interesting is that this is the first Secretary of State as staff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but John Kerry , Henry Kissinger , James Baker , Cy Vance , Ed Muskie were closer to presidential peers than top aides .
Some of that is that age difference ; Blinken is 20 years younger than Biden .
I haven ’ t done the math , but just eyeballing it , I can ’ t imagine we ’ ve had a Secretary of State 20 years younger than the president in this century or ever .
Still , at 58 Blinken is older than Condi Rice when she took the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This doesn ’ t mean Biden runs State or Blinken lacks his predecessors ’ wide command to implement foreign policy .
It does mean a healthy , close , and pre-existing relationship between president and secretary .
It ’ s probably the closest of any since Rice and George W. Bush and before that James Baker and George H.W .
Bush .
If Biden and Blinken pursue bad policies , intimacy won ’ t save them , but it is likely to help with unforced errors .
No one will doubt Blinken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopefully , it does mean that historical tensions between State and Defense or State and the NSC advisor are likely to be quickly cooled if there are any at all .
The other Biden picks all seem super solid , and choosing a Secretary of Homeland Security , Alejandro Mayorkas , who is strongest on the immigration side , was wise .
Figuring out DACA , reuniting separated families , preparing for what surely be another wave of immigration from Central America makes more sense than someone whose bent is more like Marine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside .
I noted on Twitter that it was an exciting pick for the U.S .
Ambassador to Russia , Jay Carney .
He and Blinken are very close , and Blinken recruited him to be Joe Biden ’ s press secretary in 2009 , a job Carney had before he was White House Press Secretary .
Biden and Carney are very close .
( Disclosure ; I know and like Jay .
We worked together as colleagues at Time and as competitors covering the White House and other beats before that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a correspondent for Time in Moscow during the tumultuous Gorbachev-Yeltsin years .
( His wife , Claire Shipman , the author , covered Moscow for CNN at the time . )
Carney really could do the job .
Having a Russian ambassador close to the secretary and president would be good .
Would Carney want to give up what must be an insanely lucrative perch running public affairs for Amazon ?
Trading DC and Seattle and money for the gloomy autocracy of Putin may not be tempting .
But if the shares have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the country .
Janet Yellen is in a class by herself .
She ’ s as ready to be Treasury Secretary as anyone and at 74 will be one of the oldest , older than Lloyd Bentsen ( 72 ) or Andrew Mellon ( 65 ) .
She ’ s universally liked and respected which is why even Trump almost kept her at the Fed .
Steve Mnuchin has been among the least awful Trump cabinet members but this will feel like a big step up the first time you see her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the currency It ’ s a couple of days late , but I share in all of the accolades for Ron Klain .
His Zelig-like ability to be everywhere is genuinely remarkable .
Less remarked upon in his bio than , say , his tenure as Ebola czar is this : In 1993 , Klain was asked by his old boss Justice Byron “ Whizzer ” White to inform the new Clinton White House of his retirement .
Since then , he ’ s done everything , including two stints as chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once for Al Gore and once for Joe Biden .
His toughest moment may have been having Kevin Spacey portray him in the HBO film about the Florida recount .
I ’ ve known Klain as a journalist , but 20 years ago , I negotiated with him .
I had an idea when I was at Time that the magazine should join with its then corporate partner , CNN , to sponsor a Democratic Primary Debate at the Apollo Theatre , which was managed by AOL-Time-Warner .
I sold the idea internally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duties to set it up .
It meant a lot of time on the phone with the Bill Bradley and Al Gore camps .
Everyone had the usual debate demands about time and podiums .
But because this was in Harlem , the mecca for Black America , each campaign had all kinds of questions about seats , who would speak , offer benedictions , and whatnot .
( Al Sharpton , on his way from provocateur to eminence grise , helped out informally . )
Someone in Gore world had Klain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smiley , the broadcaster , has some kind of role .
CNN and Time had their journalists and weren ’ t going to budge .
Klain knew that , I ’ m sure , but he used it as a tool to get other things and had game .
Later that year , helping his O ’ Melveny mentor Warren Christopher lead the Gore fight in the Florida recount did not go his way .
But it was a reminder for Klain about how tough Republicans can be .
He ’ d seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an aide to Janet Reno and in the White House , but it was a stark reminder that being a Wise Man in the age of the likes of Trump and Mitch McConnell requires being a brawler as well as a statesman .
Biden has a weak hand : not enough congressional ballast and a pandemic to boot .
In Klain , Blinken , and others , he has a very strong one .

The announcement of cabinet members out of Biden transition headquarters should be as soothing as Trump’s post-election declarations are alarming. No one doubts that Jake Sullivan, the forthcoming national security adviser, or Tony Blinken, the soon to be secretary of state, are serious people. Lahnee Chen, Mitt Romney’s top policy advisor during the 2012 presidential race, described Sullivan, who he knows well, as a “top caliber” individual on MSNBC. You can disagree with the pro-multilateral views of the two, their take on the Iran arms deal, or their efforts to contain Vladimir Putin’s aggression against former Soviet republics. Still, you’re not going to see bonkers. Seb Gorka, the baritone giant with the memorable accent, famously said at the outset of the Trump administration, “The era of the pajama boys is over. The alpha males are back.” You might say “The era of the straightjacket crazy men is over. “There’s no more Mike Flynn, Richard Grenell, John Ratcliffe, or Steve Bannon who had a seat on the National Security Council for a time. Even Donald Trump’s accomplished and courtly first Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who seems like Metternich compared to what followed, somehow managed to piss off the Hill, Foggy Bottom, and the White House–a rare hat trick–before getting shown the door.
I know Blinken and like him and his wife, Evan Ryan, herself a much-admired veteran of the State Department and Office of the Vice President. We’ve got many friends in common. We’re both the same age and have been in D.C. for a long time. Stay in Washington long enough, and the people you knew as youngins become George Marshall and James Baker. As Barack Obama said this week, Blinken is consistently gracious and diplomatic, which will be a welcome change from Mike Pompeo. YouTube videos of Blinken speaking fluently on a Parisian talk show are making the rounds, as well as his Spotify recordings. It’s all very refreshing.
What I find interesting is that this is the first Secretary of State as staff. I don’t mean that pejoratively but John Kerry, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Cy Vance, Ed Muskie were closer to presidential peers than top aides. Some of that is that age difference; Blinken is 20 years younger than Biden. I haven’t done the math, but just eyeballing it, I can’t imagine we’ve had a Secretary of State 20 years younger than the president in this century or ever. Still, at 58 Blinken is older than Condi Rice when she took the job at 55 or Henry Kissinger at 50.
This doesn’t mean Biden runs State or Blinken lacks his predecessors’ wide command to implement foreign policy. It does mean a healthy, close, and pre-existing relationship between president and secretary. It’s probably the closest of any since Rice and George W. Bush and before that James Baker and George H.W. Bush. If Biden and Blinken pursue bad policies, intimacy won’t save them, but it is likely to help with unforced errors. No one will doubt Blinken speaks for the president. And, hopefully, it does mean that historical tensions between State and Defense or State and the NSC advisor are likely to be quickly cooled if there are any at all. The other Biden picks all seem super solid, and choosing a Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, who is strongest on the immigration side, was wise. Figuring out DACA, reuniting separated families, preparing for what surely be another wave of immigration from Central America makes more sense than someone whose bent is more like Marine John Kelly’s.
An interesting aside. I noted on Twitter that it was an exciting pick for the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Jay Carney. He and Blinken are very close, and Blinken recruited him to be Joe Biden’s press secretary in 2009, a job Carney had before he was White House Press Secretary. Biden and Carney are very close. (Disclosure; I know and like Jay. We worked together as colleagues at Time and as competitors covering the White House and other beats before that.) Jay speaks fluent Russian and was a correspondent for Time in Moscow during the tumultuous Gorbachev-Yeltsin years. (His wife, Claire Shipman, the author, covered Moscow for CNN at the time.) Carney really could do the job. Having a Russian ambassador close to the secretary and president would be good. Would Carney want to give up what must be an insanely lucrative perch running public affairs for Amazon? Trading DC and Seattle and money for the gloomy autocracy of Putin may not be tempting. But if the shares have vested, it would be of service to the country.
Janet Yellen is in a class by herself. She’s as ready to be Treasury Secretary as anyone and at 74 will be one of the oldest, older than Lloyd Bentsen (72) or Andrew Mellon (65). She’s universally liked and respected which is why even Trump almost kept her at the Fed. Steve Mnuchin has been among the least awful Trump cabinet members but this will feel like a big step up the first time you see her (yes, her!) signature on the currency
It’s a couple of days late, but I share in all of the accolades for Ron Klain. His Zelig-like ability to be everywhere is genuinely remarkable. Less remarked upon in his bio than, say, his tenure as Ebola czar is this: In 1993, Klain was asked by his old boss Justice Byron “Whizzer” White to inform the new Clinton White House of his retirement. Since then, he’s done everything, including two stints as chief of staff to the Vice President, once for Al Gore and once for Joe Biden. His toughest moment may have been having Kevin Spacey portray him in the HBO film about the Florida recount.
I’ve known Klain as a journalist, but 20 years ago, I negotiated with him. I had an idea when I was at Time that the magazine should join with its then corporate partner, CNN, to sponsor a Democratic Primary Debate at the Apollo Theatre, which was managed by AOL-Time-Warner. I sold the idea internally and took off my bureau and reporting duties to set it up. It meant a lot of time on the phone with the Bill Bradley and Al Gore camps. Everyone had the usual debate demands about time and podiums. But because this was in Harlem, the mecca for Black America, each campaign had all kinds of questions about seats, who would speak, offer benedictions, and whatnot. (Al Sharpton, on his way from provocateur to eminence grise, helped out informally.) Someone in Gore world had Klain, the Gore negotiator, insist that Tavis Smiley, the broadcaster, has some kind of role. CNN and Time had their journalists and weren’t going to budge. Klain knew that, I’m sure, but he used it as a tool to get other things and had game.
Later that year, helping his O’Melveny mentor Warren Christopher lead the Gore fight in the Florida recount did not go his way. But it was a reminder for Klain about how tough Republicans can be. He’d seen it on Capitol Hill, and as an aide to Janet Reno and in the White House, but it was a stark reminder that being a Wise Man in the age of the likes of Trump and Mitch McConnell requires being a brawler as well as a statesman. Biden has a weak hand: not enough congressional ballast and a pandemic to boot. In Klain, Blinken, and others, he has a very strong one.


washingtonmonthly--2020-11-24--Trump’s Enablers Are Sabotaging the Georgia Senate Runoff Election–and Helping Democrats

It is impossible to overstate the importance of the Senate runoff elections in Georgia .
The January 5 contests will determine which party has a bare majority in the body .
If Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff both win , the Senate will be tied at 50-50 , with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris being the tie breaker .
If either Republican incumbent , Kelly Loeffler or David Perdue , holds on , Mitch McConnell remains Senate Majority Leader .
Does Donald Trump care which party controls the Senate ?
At this point , his narcissistic ego continues to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rigged election ” that he lost .
If that ’ s the case , it ’ s easy to picture him not giving a damn about Loeffler ( who he opposed ) , or Perdue , or anyone else .
As the president seeks to undermine confidence in the country ’ s entire election system with his lies , it is possible that , perhaps for the first time , his interests and those of the Republican Party are at odds .
Frank Luntz , Republican pollster and strategist , addressed the conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ] continues to disillusion voters … by saying that the elections were rigged and that your vote doesn ’ t matter , this could have severe consequences…in trying to keep those two seats Republican.
” On the social media platform Parler , Trump ’ s most avid supporters are already talking about boycotting the Georgia Senate election .
Investigative reporter Marcus Baraum posed a question to Georgia ’ s voters : “ If voting machines are rigged , how can you trust the runoff election ?
” Here are some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The only way to send a message is to BOYCOTT the vote .
Make it HURT for them .
WE CAN ’ T !
!
!
!
WRITE IN TRUMP OR BOYCOTT .
Voting in an illegitimate election is tantamount to accepting deep state control .
Your vote = the illusion of freedom .
# boycottgeorgiarunoffs STAY HOME .
OSSOFF AND WARNOCK ARE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY .
DO NOT VOTE IN THE GEORGIA RUNOFFS , THE DEEP STATE WILL BE COLLECTING EVERYONE ’ S INFO .
THIS IS A CHARADE , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T VOTE DEMOCRAT It is unclear whether those comments represent a movement or simply a small subset of Georgia voters .
But in a close race , it could only take a small number of disaffected Republicans to throw the race to the Democrats .
Support for this effort isn ’ t limited to individual voters in Georgia .
The Committee for American Sovereignty , a super PAC with ties to Roger Stone , unveiled a new web site , “ Hack the Runoff , ” calling on Georgians to write-in Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough write-ins in the Georgia senate race , we can tilt the balance in Georgia in Trump ’ s favor !
If we can do this , we have a real chance at getting these RINO senators to act on the illegitimate and corrupt election presided over by a Democrat party that is invested in the Communist takeover of Our Great Nation .
We will not stop fighting for you , the American Patriot , against the evils of Socialism and inferior Religions .
This is a Christian Nation and will be as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our sovereignty .
Georgia ’ s most famous conservative , former House Speaker Newt Gingrich , added fuel to the fire by suggesting that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are on the “ other side , ” inferring that they would help Democrats steal the election .
Gingrich declared that “ the anger over the secretary of state ’ s incompetence and the governor ’ s failure to lead could mean that Republicans just stay home.
” Joining the fray is L. Lin Wood , an Atlanta-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s legal team .
Wood filed a suit in Georgia to have all mail-in ballots disqualified , but it was summarily dismissed by a Trump-appointed judge .
Wood is now threatening to boycott the Senate races .
Demonstrating Wood ’ s following among Trump ’ s supporters , that statement was retweeted over 9,000 times .
Watching this unfold is a reminder that Donald Trump launched himself onto the national political scene via the birtherism conspiracy theory .
Mitch McConnell didn ’ t mind that as long as it helped him maintain power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s conspiracy theorists wound up being the ones to sabotage the leader ’ s Senate majority ?

It is impossible to overstate the importance of the Senate runoff elections in Georgia. The January 5 contests will determine which party has a bare majority in the body. If Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff both win, the Senate will be tied at 50-50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris being the tie breaker. If either Republican incumbent, Kelly Loeffler or David Perdue, holds on, Mitch McConnell remains Senate Majority Leader.
Does Donald Trump care which party controls the Senate? At this point, his narcissistic ego continues to be obsessed with conspiracy theories about a “rigged election” that he lost. If that’s the case, it’s easy to picture him not giving a damn about Loeffler (who he opposed), or Perdue, or anyone else.
As the president seeks to undermine confidence in the country’s entire election system with his lies, it is possible that, perhaps for the first time, his interests and those of the Republican Party are at odds. Frank Luntz, Republican pollster and strategist, addressed the conflict by saying that, “If [Trump] continues to disillusion voters … by saying that the elections were rigged and that your vote doesn’t matter, this could have severe consequences…in trying to keep those two seats Republican.”
On the social media platform Parler, Trump’s most avid supporters are already talking about boycotting the Georgia Senate election. Investigative reporter Marcus Baraum posed a question to Georgia’s voters: “If voting machines are rigged, how can you trust the runoff election?” Here are some of the responses:
YOU CAN’T! The only way to send a message is to BOYCOTT the vote. Make it HURT for them. WE CAN’T!!!! WRITE IN TRUMP OR BOYCOTT. Voting in an illegitimate election is tantamount to accepting deep state control. Your vote = the illusion of freedom. #boycottgeorgiarunoffs STAY HOME. OSSOFF AND WARNOCK ARE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY. DO NOT VOTE IN THE GEORGIA RUNOFFS, THE DEEP STATE WILL BE COLLECTING EVERYONE’S INFO. THIS IS A CHARADE, MEANT TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO DON’T VOTE DEMOCRAT
It is unclear whether those comments represent a movement or simply a small subset of Georgia voters. But in a close race, it could only take a small number of disaffected Republicans to throw the race to the Democrats.
Support for this effort isn’t limited to individual voters in Georgia. The Committee for American Sovereignty, a super PAC with ties to Roger Stone, unveiled a new web site, “Hack the Runoff,” calling on Georgians to write-in Trump’s name on their ballots.
With enough write-ins in the Georgia senate race, we can tilt the balance in Georgia in Trump’s favor! If we can do this, we have a real chance at getting these RINO senators to act on the illegitimate and corrupt election presided over by a Democrat party that is invested in the Communist takeover of Our Great Nation. We will not stop fighting for you, the American Patriot, against the evils of Socialism and inferior Religions. This is a Christian Nation and will be as long as we fight, together, for our sovereignty.
Georgia’s most famous conservative, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, added fuel to the fire by suggesting that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are on the “other side,” inferring that they would help Democrats steal the election. Gingrich declared that “the anger over the secretary of state’s incompetence and the governor’s failure to lead could mean that Republicans just stay home.”
Joining the fray is L. Lin Wood, an Atlanta-based lawyer who is part of Trump’s legal team. Wood filed a suit in Georgia to have all mail-in ballots disqualified, but it was summarily dismissed by a Trump-appointed judge. Wood is now threatening to boycott the Senate races.
https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1330218328225353735
Demonstrating Wood’s following among Trump’s supporters, that statement was retweeted over 9,000 times.
Watching this unfold is a reminder that Donald Trump launched himself onto the national political scene via the birtherism conspiracy theory. Mitch McConnell didn’t mind that as long as it helped him maintain power. How ironic would it be if Trump’s conspiracy theorists wound up being the ones to sabotage the leader’s Senate majority?


washingtonmonthly--2020-11-26--Trump’s Last Act: Risking National Security to Honor the Confederacy

It ’ s been 59 years since Congress failed to send an annual Defense Appropriations Bill to the president for signature .
Still , that streak is now in danger in a dispute over the renaming of bases and ships that honor Confederate officers .
Ironically , lawmakers in the House and Senate actually agree that the time has come to make the change , but they are facing a veto threat over the issue from President Trump .
The question is how to respond .
The House adopted an amendment sponsored by Democratic Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compels the Pentagon to do away with Confederate names by the end of 2021 , while the Senate Armed Services Committee ’ s language , which was sponsored by Democrat Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , would allow the changes to be phased in over three years .
Neither version is acceptable to the president , who wants to preserve our country ’ s heritage of white supremacy .
Nonetheless , a lot of the negotiation between the House and Senate has involved the distinction between the phase-in times .
The House Democrats eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate version only to discover that the Mitch McConnell-run Senate won ’ t introduce a bill that Trump has promised to veto , “ This is a simple provision that was in the Senate language , ” [ House Armed Services chairman Adam ] Smith said Friday , “ What we are insisting — this is the irony — the House is insisting that the conference report accept the Senate language.
” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma is seeking to strip the renaming language from the bill entirely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If they stand firm , they ’ ll have to explain why our national security is threatened for lack of funds and weather a fight over who is to blame .
This may not be advisable for a party that may have a House majority of just five seats after all the counting is done .
On the other hand , the Republicans would have their own problems rationalizing their defense of a 19th-Century armed insurrection in defense of slavery .
For now , the Democrats who want to cave on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the Congressional Black Caucus remains adamant that the provision stay in the bill .
Yet , they argue that President-elect Joe Biden can quickly rectify the situation by executive order .
Therefore , it ’ s unnecessary to take political risks or put our defense funding in jeopardy .
It ’ s a point echoed at the White House , where an unnamed source told NBC News , “ Why put a large , important bill at risk for something that will come to pass anyway ?
” On Wednesday , Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ It is imperative that the conference report include provisions that secure this essential priority .
Our bases should reflect our highest ideals as Americans.
” Yet , even though the House and Senate both passed their bills with veto-proof majorities , she can ’ t compel the Senate to bring a reconciled bill including the name changes up for a vote .
The Military Times suggests that the two January 3rd Senate runoff elections in Georgia are a factor , “ Either way , the issue seems to be a loser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler .
Breaking with Trump to override the veto could mean a loss in support among core GOP voters , while standing in favor of keeping the base names could drain support from independents.
” For McConnell , the best option is to avoid a vote altogether and blame the Democrats for putting the country at risk .
The vote on the Defense Appropriations Authorization Act must occur in early December before the holiday recess if it ’ s going to be enacted by this Congress , but there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impasse .
The only hint at a compromise came from White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , who reportedly floated the idea that Trump would relent on the Confederate issue if the Democrats agree to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 .
This provision allows websites to post content from users without facing legal liability , and thankfully it ’ s not something the Democrats will trade away .
So far , the Biden transition hasn ’ t offered specific guidance , but Biden has been supportive of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other important provisions in the bill , including a pay raise for our military , but it could be that Biden is happy to see the bill fail so that he can be at the center of crafting a replacement next year .
It would be a fitting end to the Trump presidency , with defense spending lapsing because Trump doesn ’ t want insult fans of the Confederacy , and McConnell ’ s Republicans are unwilling to use a veto-proof majority to override him .

It’s been 59 years since Congress failed to send an annual Defense Appropriations Bill to the president for signature. Still, that streak is now in danger in a dispute over the renaming of bases and ships that honor Confederate officers. Ironically, lawmakers in the House and Senate actually agree that the time has come to make the change, but they are facing a veto threat over the issue from President Trump. The question is how to respond.
The House adopted an amendment sponsored by Democratic Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland and Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska that compels the Pentagon to do away with Confederate names by the end of 2021, while the Senate Armed Services Committee’s language, which was sponsored by Democrat Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, would allow the changes to be phased in over three years. Neither version is acceptable to the president, who wants to preserve our country’s heritage of white supremacy.
Nonetheless, a lot of the negotiation between the House and Senate has involved the distinction between the phase-in times. The House Democrats eventually agreed to go along with the slower Senate version only to discover that the Mitch McConnell-run Senate won’t introduce a bill that Trump has promised to veto, “This is a simple provision that was in the Senate language,” [House Armed Services chairman Adam] Smith said Friday, “What we are insisting — this is the irony — the House is insisting that the conference report accept the Senate language.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma is seeking to strip the renaming language from the bill entirely, causing some internal division among House Democrats. If they stand firm, they’ll have to explain why our national security is threatened for lack of funds and weather a fight over who is to blame. This may not be advisable for a party that may have a House majority of just five seats after all the counting is done. On the other hand, the Republicans would have their own problems rationalizing their defense of a 19th-Century armed insurrection in defense of slavery.
For now, the Democrats who want to cave on the issue prefer to remain anonymous, especially because the Congressional Black Caucus remains adamant that the provision stay in the bill. Yet, they argue that President-elect Joe Biden can quickly rectify the situation by executive order. Therefore, it’s unnecessary to take political risks or put our defense funding in jeopardy. It’s a point echoed at the White House, where an unnamed source told NBC News, “Why put a large, important bill at risk for something that will come to pass anyway?”
On Wednesday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t back down, “It is imperative that the conference report include provisions that secure this essential priority. Our bases should reflect our highest ideals as Americans.” Yet, even though the House and Senate both passed their bills with veto-proof majorities, she can’t compel the Senate to bring a reconciled bill including the name changes up for a vote. The Military Times suggests that the two January 5th Senate runoff elections in Georgia are a factor, “Either way, the issue seems to be a loser for Georgia’s Republican senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Breaking with Trump to override the veto could mean a loss in support among core GOP voters, while standing in favor of keeping the base names could drain support from independents.” For McConnell, the best option is to avoid a vote altogether and blame the Democrats for putting the country at risk.
The vote on the Defense Appropriations Authorization Act must occur in early December before the holiday recess if it’s going to be enacted by this Congress, but there is no clear way out of the impasse. The only hint at a compromise came from White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who reportedly floated the idea that Trump would relent on the Confederate issue if the Democrats agree to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. This provision allows websites to post content from users without facing legal liability, and thankfully it’s not something the Democrats will trade away.
So far, the Biden transition hasn’t offered specific guidance, but Biden has been supportive of the renaming issue. There are many other important provisions in the bill, including a pay raise for our military, but it could be that Biden is happy to see the bill fail so that he can be at the center of crafting a replacement next year.
It would be a fitting end to the Trump presidency, with defense spending lapsing because Trump doesn’t want to insult fans of the Confederacy, and McConnell’s Republicans are unwilling to use a veto-proof majority to override him.


washingtonmonthly--2020-11-27--The Unfair Attack on Raphael Warnock

The Unfair Attack on Raphael Warnock

When Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court , conservatives steeled themselves for attacks on Barrett ’ s religious faith .
They didn ’ t come .
The issue at hand was how her conservative Catholicism would influence her views on Supreme Court precedents , like women ’ s reproductive freedom and marriage equality .
One of those defending Barrett ’ s faith was Senator Kelly Loeffler , who tweeted that the anti-faith attacks against the nominee were “ disgusting.
” But less than two months later , Loeffler was attacking Raphael Warnock—her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election—for his religious faith .
Warnock is pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta , where Rev .
Martin Luther King , Jr. served at the time of his assassination in 1968 .
The video in Loeffler ’ s tweet is an edited clip of him preaching a sermon in 2011 titled “ When Truth Meets Power.
” In it , he refers to something Jesus said during his Sermon on the Mount : “ No one can serve two masters , for either he will hate the one and love the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one and despise the other.
” That is the context for his statement about not being able to serve both God and the military .
Loeffler has also criticized Warnock for sermons condemning police brutality , advocating for criminal justice reform , and expressing support for measures to reduce gun violence—all issues of immediate concern to members of his church .
But perhaps the most telling charge is that Loeffler equates Warnock with Rev .
Jeremiah Wright , the Chicago minister who became a cudgel for attacks on Barack Obama in 2008 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warnock ’ s appearance on Fox News in 2008 when he said , “ We celebrate Rev .
Wright in the same way that we celebrate the truth-telling tradition of the Black church , which when preachers tell the truth , very often it makes people uncomfortable.
” When Warnock refers to “ the truth-telling tradition of the Black church , ” he ’ s talking about the prophetic tradition rooted in the Bible , something Walter Brueggemann , professor emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary , wrote about .
If you take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagination part of that is that the prophets are able to imagine the world other than the way that is in front of them…So prophetic imagination is grounded in the conviction that God is doing something lively in the world .
That it may be slow , but it is very sure , and that a new world is coming into being .
The reason Warnock said that this kind of prophetic preaching often makes people uncomfortable is that it challenges the status quo and imagines a process by which God is acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one into being .
It is precisely why the Black church has been a beacon of hope since slavery .
In calling out the status quo , the prophetic tradition enumerates how the people have strayed from God and condemns their allegiance to other masters ( ie , money ) , as Jesus did in the Sermon on the Mount .
This prophetic tradition is not unique to the Black church .
It is very much a part of white evangelical Christianity today , only with a focus on things like abortion and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which people have strayed from God .
That difference is why the white people Loeffler is appealing to view attacks on Coney Barrett ’ s positions as an attack on her faith , but fail to see the same thing when Loeffler attacks Warnock .
The gulf between the prophetic tradition of the Black church and white evangelicals is exposed in all its clarity in this video of rallies held on the same day in North Carolina by Franklin Graham and Rev .
William Barber .
For Graham , the prophetic tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while condemning other religions and denouncing civil rights protections for LGBTQ Americans .
Barber says that Jesus came to preach the good news to the poor and those who have been made to feel unacceptable .
A political message based on that Gospel will be focused on minimum wage , equal rights , criminal justice reform , and health care for all .
Both Franklin and Barber claim that their faith is rooted in the Bible .
And yet their prophetic vision couldn ’ t be more at odds .
Republicans have fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christians and use it to defend Coney Barrett from attacks on her faith .
On the other hand , Democrats—who value the separation of church and state—haven ’ t been as vocal in defending the prophetic vision of Black ministers .
Perhaps that is as it should be when one of those ministers is running for office .
It explains why Warnock took a whole different approach to the attacks being levied against him by Loeffler .

When Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, conservatives steeled themselves for attacks on Barrett’s religious faith. They didn’t come. The issue at hand was how her conservative Catholicism would influence her views on Supreme Court precedents, like women’s reproductive freedom and marriage equality.
One of those defending Barrett’s faith was Senator Kelly Loeffler, who tweeted that the anti-faith attacks against the nominee were “disgusting.” But less than two months later, Loeffler was attacking Raphael Warnock—her opponent in the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff election—for his religious faith.
Warnock is pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. served at the time of his assassination in 1968. The video in Loeffler’s tweet is an edited clip of him preaching a sermon in 2011 titled “When Truth Meets Power.” In it, he refers to something Jesus said during his Sermon on the Mount: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other.” That is the context for his statement about not being able to serve both God and the military.
Loeffler has also criticized Warnock for sermons condemning police brutality, advocating for criminal justice reform, and expressing support for measures to reduce gun violence—all issues of immediate concern to members of his church.
But perhaps the most telling charge is that Loeffler equates Warnock with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the Chicago minister who became a cudgel for attacks on Barack Obama in 2008. That line of attack stems from Warnock’s appearance on Fox News in 2008 when he said, “We celebrate Rev. Wright in the same way that we celebrate the truth-telling tradition of the Black church, which when preachers tell the truth, very often it makes people uncomfortable.”
When Warnock refers to “the truth-telling tradition of the Black church,” he’s talking about the prophetic tradition rooted in the Bible, something Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary, wrote about.
If you take the phrase “prophetic imagination,” the imagination part of that is that the prophets are able to imagine the world other than the way that is in front of them…So prophetic imagination is grounded in the conviction that God is doing something lively in the world. That it may be slow, but it is very sure, and that a new world is coming into being.
The reason Warnock said that this kind of prophetic preaching often makes people uncomfortable is that it challenges the status quo and imagines a process by which God is acting in the world to bring a new one into being. It is precisely why the Black church has been a beacon of hope since slavery. In calling out the status quo, the prophetic tradition enumerates how the people have strayed from God and condemns their allegiance to other masters (ie, money), as Jesus did in the Sermon on the Mount.
This prophetic tradition is not unique to the Black church. It is very much a part of white evangelical Christianity today, only with a focus on things like abortion and marriage equality as demonstrations of the ways in which people have strayed from God. That difference is why the white people Loeffler is appealing to view attacks on Coney Barrett’s positions as an attack on her faith, but fail to see the same thing when Loeffler attacks Warnock.
The gulf between the prophetic tradition of the Black church and white evangelicals is exposed in all its clarity in this video of rallies held on the same day in North Carolina by Franklin Graham and Rev. William Barber.
For Graham, the prophetic tradition means calling out progressives as atheists, while condemning other religions and denouncing civil rights protections for LGBTQ Americans. Barber says that Jesus came to preach the good news to the poor and those who have been made to feel unacceptable. A political message based on that Gospel will be focused on minimum wage, equal rights, criminal justice reform, and health care for all. Both Franklin and Barber claim that their faith is rooted in the Bible. And yet their prophetic vision couldn’t be more at odds.
Republicans have fully embraced the prophetic vision of white evangelical Christians and use it to defend Coney Barrett from attacks on her faith. On the other hand, Democrats—who value the separation of church and state—haven’t been as vocal in defending the prophetic vision of Black ministers. Perhaps that is as it should be when one of those ministers is running for office. It explains why Warnock took a whole different approach to the attacks being levied against him by Loeffler.