occupydemocrats--2020-04-15--Kellyanne Conway launches insulting tirade at reporter who Trump called “disgraceful”

Kellyanne Conway is back in front of the cameras today to run interference for her execrable boss , flaunting the alienating shamelessness that got her the job in the first place .
Conway ’ s appearance on Fox & Friends earlier today ended up being an embarrassing display of her own ignorance as she accidentally revealed that she doesn ’ t know that the “ 19 ” COVID-19 stands for 2019 .
Now , Conway has taken a page directly out of Trump ’ s playbook when it comes to dealing with the media .
While speaking to reporters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBS ’ s Paula Reid , the journalist who the president himself recently attacked during a coronavirus press conference .
Reid asked Conway for specific details on Trump ’ s new council to reopen the American economy and questioned whether there is any intention to diversify it since it seems poised to contain predominantly wealthy white men .
Conway responded by reeling off different economic sectors that Trump is supposedly focused on without offering a concrete answer .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We don ’ t pick who the heads of the sports commission leagues and CEOs of companies are who want to to help… ” Conway said , in an effort to obfuscate the fact that the composition of the aforementioned economic council is absolutely something the White House will “ pick.
” Reid pointed out that the administration could pick small businesses and make sure there are diverse voices included , at which point Conway ’ s rhetoric took an ugly turn .
“ Paula , I actually don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respectfully .
I don ’ t know why you ’ ve changed and you ’ re in the briefing room screaming at Anthony Fauci and the President of the United States .
I frankly think it ’ s unbecoming , ” said Conway .
“ But that aside I ’ ll answer the question about how they ’ re going to help America which is why I ’ m here .
I think you ’ re here for a different reason it seems these days , ” Conway went on , getting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became clear that Trump ’ s disdain for the free press has infected his entire White House , but that doesn ’ t make this performance any less excusable .
It ’ s worth noting that Conway herself has “ changed ” and her past criticisms of Donald Trump makes it clear she knows what kind of man he is .
She simply doesn ’ t care because he ’ s afforded her great power and influence .
History will not be kind to this woman .
We want to hear what YOU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let us know in our NEW comment section !

Kellyanne Conway is back in front of the cameras today to run interference for her execrable boss, flaunting the alienating shamelessness that got her the job in the first place.
Conway’s appearance on Fox & Friends earlier today ended up being an embarrassing display of her own ignorance as she accidentally revealed that she doesn’t know that the “19” COVID-19 stands for 2019.
Now, Conway has taken a page directly out of Trump’s playbook when it comes to dealing with the media. While speaking to reporters, Conway launched into an insulting tirade against CBS’s Paula Reid, the journalist who the president himself recently attacked during a coronavirus press conference.
Reid asked Conway for specific details on Trump’s new council to reopen the American economy and questioned whether there is any intention to diversify it since it seems poised to contain predominantly wealthy white men. Conway responded by reeling off different economic sectors that Trump is supposedly focused on without offering a concrete answer.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
“We don’t pick who the heads of the sports commission leagues and CEOs of companies are who want to to help…” Conway said, in an effort to obfuscate the fact that the composition of the aforementioned economic council is absolutely something the White House will “pick.”
Reid pointed out that the administration could pick small businesses and make sure there are diverse voices included, at which point Conway’s rhetoric took an ugly turn.
“Paula, I actually don’t know what’s happened to you, respectfully. I don’t know why you’ve changed and you’re in the briefing room screaming at Anthony Fauci and the President of the United States. I frankly think it’s unbecoming,” said Conway.
“But that aside I’ll answer the question about how they’re going to help America which is why I’m here. I think you’re here for a different reason it seems these days,” Conway went on, getting in another cheap shot.
It long ago became clear that Trump’s disdain for the free press has infected his entire White House, but that doesn’t make this performance any less excusable.
Kellyanne Conway to reporter: "Paula, I actually don't know what's happened to you, respectfully. I don't know why you've changed." pic.twitter.com/lYU1zq4vGZ — The Hill (@thehill) April 15, 2020
It’s worth noting that Conway herself has “changed” and her past criticisms of Donald Trump makes it clear she knows what kind of man he is. She simply doesn’t care because he’s afforded her great power and influence. History will not be kind to this woman.
And here's Donald Trump's new campaign manager in April call for Trump to release his tax returns pic.twitter.com/pIxCCm39xj — John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) August 19, 2016
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-15--Don’t fall for Trump’s vile smears of the World Health Organization. This is his fault

As the coronavirus pandemic rips its way through the United States , it is painfully clear to the entire world that stunning incompetence and possibly deliberate inaction by the Trump administration has made the crisis much worse than it ever had to be .
Epidemiologists project that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if only the Trump team had taken the warnings — of which there were plenty — seriously and followed up with the kind of action recommended by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
But the sociopathically selfish Trump didn ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could damage his re-election chances , so America dragged its feet and is now paying a deadly price for it .
With the crisis out of control , his attentions and energies have been focused on convincing the public that none of this is his fault .
His latest effort to do so is the distressing decision on Monday to cut off all funding to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , wrongly accusing the United Nation ’ s health wing of “ severely mismanaging and covering up ” the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of desperately needed resources at a time it needs them the most .
Since the coronavirus crisis began in Wuhan , China , American conservatives and imperialist liberals have worked relentlessly to politicize the pandemic and turn it into an indictment of the Chinese Communist Party .
In doing so , they have dragged WHO into the mud for its work in China , accusing them of helping the Chinese government “ cover-up ” the extent of the pandemic by using the data provided by the Chinese government and clutching their pearls over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ praise for China ’ s harsh but effective containment efforts .
In particular , the right-wing has been obsessively complaining about WHO ’ s criticism of Trump ’ s last-second and useless efforts to ban Chinese citizens from traveling to America , even though WHO has simply been pointing out that the move violated the International Health Regulations of 2005 , which were put in place in order to encourage countries to report pandemics without fear of being ostracized and losing needed economic resources to travel and trade restrictions by other nations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself helped to write .
The ease with which Americans have bought into the Trump media machine ’ s disgraceful efforts to smear WHO are a reflection of how American citizens and presidents alike largely view the United Nations and its organizations as tools of hegemony that should exist solely to advance American interests and deserve to be punished or ignored whenever they fail to do so .
But the World Health Organization operates on the principle that every life in every country is of equal value and they will do whatever they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most lives it possibly can .
If that involves not recognizing the independence of Taiwan and treating the Chinese government with something other than open hostility then they will do so , if it buys them the continued cooperation of the Chinese government .
Their priority is to keep helping the 1.4 billion people who live in China , even if it means provoking the ire of the monocled jingoists at the Wall Street Journal editorial board .
WHO unfortunately does not have nearly as much power as its critics claim it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is given ; like the rest of the UN missions , it adheres to a strict mandate of neutrality and is not in a position to publicly challenge the figures provided by the Chinese government or make a big stink about Taiwan no matter how much Extremely Serious Foreign Policy Experts Who Advocated For The Iraq War And Now Reluctantly Admit They May Have Made A Mistake think they should .
The campaign to punish the World Health Organization by the Trump administration is nothing more than a repulsive excuse for the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the international community and to propagate a bad faith smear campaign dedicated entirely to re-electing Donald Trump by shunting the blame off of him and on to WHO and China .
WHO is not perfect and has made mistakes , but they are responsible for saving millions upon millions of lives around the world .
Every day , they work tirelessly to send vaccines and desperately needed medical supplies to the world ’ s most vulnerable people in nations most Americans don ’ t even know exist with a budget of just $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the U.S. spent $ 117 billion on its hospitals in the last coronavirus relief bill .
This organization deserves so much better than to be dragged through the mud as part of a morbid competition between idiot leaders over whose incompetence killed more innocents .

As the coronavirus pandemic rips its way through the United States, it is painfully clear to the entire world that stunning incompetence and possibly deliberate inaction by the Trump administration has made the crisis much worse than it ever had to be. Epidemiologists project that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if only the Trump team had taken the warnings — of which there were plenty — seriously and followed up with the kind of action recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
But the sociopathically selfish Trump didn’t want to have to deal with a crisis that could damage his re-election chances, so America dragged its feet and is now paying a deadly price for it.
With the crisis out of control, his attentions and energies have been focused on convincing the public that none of this is his fault. His latest effort to do so is the distressing decision on Monday to cut off all funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), wrongly accusing the United Nation’s health wing of “severely mismanaging and covering up” the spread of the COVID-19 virus and depriving it of desperately needed resources at a time it needs them the most.
Since the coronavirus crisis began in Wuhan, China, American conservatives and imperialist liberals have worked relentlessly to politicize the pandemic and turn it into an indictment of the Chinese Communist Party. In doing so, they have dragged WHO into the mud for its work in China, accusing them of helping the Chinese government “cover-up” the extent of the pandemic by using the data provided by the Chinese government and clutching their pearls over WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’s praise for China’s harsh but effective containment efforts.
In particular, the right-wing has been obsessively complaining about WHO’s criticism of Trump’s last-second and useless efforts to ban Chinese citizens from traveling to America, even though WHO has simply been pointing out that the move violated the International Health Regulations of 2005, which were put in place in order to encourage countries to report pandemics without fear of being ostracized and losing needed economic resources to travel and trade restrictions by other nations.
These are regulations that the United States itself helped to write.
The ease with which Americans have bought into the Trump media machine’s disgraceful efforts to smear WHO are a reflection of how American citizens and presidents alike largely view the United Nations and its organizations as tools of hegemony that should exist solely to advance American interests and deserve to be punished or ignored whenever they fail to do so.
But the World Health Organization operates on the principle that every life in every country is of equal value and they will do whatever they need to do in order to save the most lives it possibly can.
If that involves not recognizing the independence of Taiwan and treating the Chinese government with something other than open hostility then they will do so, if it buys them the continued cooperation of the Chinese government. Their priority is to keep helping the 1.4 billion people who live in China, even if it means provoking the ire of the monocled jingoists at the Wall Street Journal editorial board.
WHO unfortunately does not have nearly as much power as its critics claim it does and must work with what it is given; like the rest of the UN missions, it adheres to a strict mandate of neutrality and is not in a position to publicly challenge the figures provided by the Chinese government or make a big stink about Taiwan no matter how much Extremely Serious Foreign Policy Experts Who Advocated For The Iraq War And Now Reluctantly Admit They May Have Made A Mistake think they should.
The campaign to punish the World Health Organization by the Trump administration is nothing more than a repulsive excuse for the Trump team to further neglect its duty to the international community and to propagate a bad faith smear campaign dedicated entirely to re-electing Donald Trump by shunting the blame off of him and on to WHO and China.
WHO is not perfect and has made mistakes, but they are responsible for saving millions upon millions of lives around the world. Every day, they work tirelessly to send vaccines and desperately needed medical supplies to the world’s most vulnerable people in nations most Americans don’t even know exist with a budget of just $2.4 billion a year. For comparison, the U.S. spent $117 billion on its hospitals in the last coronavirus relief bill.
This organization deserves so much better than to be dragged through the mud as part of a morbid competition between idiot leaders over whose incompetence killed more innocents.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-15--Michigan Trump fans hold massive rally to protest virus safety orders

Call it the American death wish .
The sheer number of people of questionable mental reasoning capabilities who refuse to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously and push for re-opening the economy against the advice of medical experts — people who believe that the virus and the mitigation efforts to control it are some form of mysterious conspiracy , people who value money over health and safety , people who refuse to wear masks and practice social distancing endangering the lives of others in their communities — is an insanely large percentage of right-wing America .
Now , the Michigan Conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people whose heretical interpretation of the Constitution would likely have them arguing that they have the right to yell fire in a crowded theater , well , back when you could still go to a theater , anyway — has launched a protest against their state ’ s Governor Gretchen Whitmer ’ s shelter in place orders restricting their freedom to infect whomever they come into contact with .
Dubbed “ Operation Gridlock , ” the protest consisted of “ hundreds , perhaps thousands ” of people who drove onto the state capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol Building to create a traffic jam – a symbolic gesture of disagreement with Gretchen Whitmer ’ s Stay Safe , Stay Home directive , ” according to the local news at WJBK , the Detroit Fox affiliate .
Scenes of the protest by people more concerned about the faltering economy than the lives of their fellow citizens — no doubt inspired by Donald Trump ’ s daily broadcast propaganda fests that he has transformed the coronavirus task force press conferences into — were posted on Twitter by a reporter for the ultra-right-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what a group of people look like who may actually get to fulfill their mission of having their freedoms pried from their cold , dead hands…after a brief incubation period .
The Twitter users who responded to Ms.
Frost ’ s thread about “ Operation Gridlock ” were brutal in their assessment of the rationality and irresponsibility of the protestors .
While the crisis of the pandemic is creating massive economic hardships across the country as businesses are shuttered and layoffs mount to previously unimaginable levels , the Michigan Conservative Coalition seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wherein one ’ s personal freedoms are limited to the extent that they infringe upon the rights of others .
While those participating in “ Operation Gridlock ” may not care if they get infected with COVID-19 , valuing their cashflow over their lives , they don ’ t have any right to endanger the health of others who don ’ t share their pecunious pursuits .
If they wish to play Russian roulette with their own lives , by all means , let them prove Darwin correct…as long as they do it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from anyone with half a brain .
Meanwhile , check the COVID-19 infection statistics in Michigan in about two weeks .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Call it the American death wish.
The sheer number of people of questionable mental reasoning capabilities who refuse to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously and push for re-opening the economy against the advice of medical experts — people who believe that the virus and the mitigation efforts to control it are some form of mysterious conspiracy, people who value money over health and safety, people who refuse to wear masks and practice social distancing endangering the lives of others in their communities — is an insanely large percentage of right-wing America.
Now, the Michigan Conservative Coalition — a group of personal liberty-obsessed people whose heretical interpretation of the Constitution would likely have them arguing that they have the right to yell fire in a crowded theater, well, back when you could still go to a theater, anyway — has launched a protest against their state’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s shelter in place orders restricting their freedom to infect whomever they come into contact with.
Dubbed “Operation Gridlock,” the protest consisted of “hundreds, perhaps thousands” of people who drove onto the state capital of Lansing and “surrounded the Michigan Capitol Building to create a traffic jam – a symbolic gesture of disagreement with Gretchen Whitmer’s Stay Safe, Stay Home directive,” according to the local news at WJBK, the Detroit Fox affiliate.
“We are all concerned for those afflicted with COVID 19. Yes, many of the personal behaviors we have been reminded to use are good practices. Wash your hands. Cover your cough. Stay home if you are sick,” the Michigan Conservative Coalition posted on their website. “That said, Michiganders are fed up!”
Scenes of the protest by people more concerned about the faltering economy than the lives of their fellow citizens — no doubt inspired by Donald Trump’s daily broadcast propaganda fests that he has transformed the coronavirus task force press conferences into — were posted on Twitter by a reporter for the ultra-right-wing Sinclair Broadcast Group to show the world what a group of people look like who may actually get to fulfill their mission of having their freedoms pried from their cold, dead hands…after a brief incubation period.
HAPPENING NOW An hour and a half before the protest is set to start, here is the scene outside the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/MAf15oyNmz — Mikenzie Frost (@MikenzieFrost) April 15, 2020
There are a lot of people outside their cars. pic.twitter.com/h3OYiXotwL — Mikenzie Frost (@MikenzieFrost) April 15, 2020
This #OperationGridlock is looking similar to a Trump rally. There are a lot of MAGA/KAGA attire and flags. pic.twitter.com/zksQJBoWfw — Mikenzie Frost (@MikenzieFrost) April 15, 2020
According to WJBK:
“While Whitmer acknowledged the pressure her constituents were under as the economy sputters, she’s also rebuked calls to ease restrictions – arguing she’s ‘got to listen to medical experts to know when and how it’s safe to reengage our economy.'”
The Twitter users who responded to Ms. Frost’s thread about “Operation Gridlock” were brutal in their assessment of the rationality and irresponsibility of the protestors.
While the crisis of the pandemic is creating massive economic hardships across the country as businesses are shuttered and layoffs mount to previously unimaginable levels, the Michigan Conservative Coalition seems to ignore the basic rules of civil society wherein one’s personal freedoms are limited to the extent that they infringe upon the rights of others.
While those participating in “Operation Gridlock” may not care if they get infected with COVID-19, valuing their cashflow over their lives, they don’t have any right to endanger the health of others who don’t share their pecunious pursuits.
If they wish to play Russian roulette with their own lives, by all means, let them prove Darwin correct…as long as they do it at home or at least six feet away from anyone with half a brain.
Meanwhile, check the COVID-19 infection statistics in Michigan in about two weeks.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by WJBK, Detroit.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-15--Kellyanne mocked for bungling virus facts on Fox: “This is COVID-19 not COVID-1 folks”

There were a lot of grim eventualities that seemed possible when the most powerful nation in the history of the world first elected a washed-up game show host to lead it , but having Donald Trump oversee federal leadership during a deadly global pandemic is by far one of the most disastrous scenarios imaginable .
Our so-called president has failed to demonstrate even an ounce of leadership since the coronavirus first started ripping through this country and he seems determined to maintain that trend .
The goons the president has decided to surround himself with are unsurprisingly proving completely incompetent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some cases actively destructive .
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway hasn ’ t been at the forefront of the administration ’ s virus messaging ( as that duty has most fallen to the president himself during his unhinged press conferences ) , but today she appeared on Fox News to offer her characteristically dense thoughts on the crisis .
Speaking to the professional ignoramuses at Fox & Friends , Conway tried to spin Trump ’ s handling of the federal government ’ s virus response as a bold stroke of leadership , touting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on China in January .
She then plunged headfirst into showcasing her embarrassing misunderstanding of COVID-19 .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
“ This is COVID-19 not COVID-1 folks , ” she said , seemingly unaware that the “ 19 ” stands for 2019 and is not , in fact , a reference to 18 prior versions of the virus .
“ You would think that people charged with the World Health Organization facts and figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she went on , aping Trump ’ s attacks on the WHO .
“ This is just a pause right now .
So there is an investigation , examination to what happened .
But people should know the facts , ” said the woman responsible for coining the term “ alternative facts.
” That a senior official in the White House still doesn ’ t know what COVID-19 stands for is a perfect distillation of how fundamentally incapable of governing this entire administration is .
Vote .
Them .
Out .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

There were a lot of grim eventualities that seemed possible when the most powerful nation in the history of the world first elected a washed-up game show host to lead it, but having Donald Trump oversee federal leadership during a deadly global pandemic is by far one of the most disastrous scenarios imaginable. Our so-called president has failed to demonstrate even an ounce of leadership since the coronavirus first started ripping through this country and he seems determined to maintain that trend.
The goons the president has decided to surround himself with are unsurprisingly proving completely incompetent in the face of COVID-19 and in some cases actively destructive.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway hasn’t been at the forefront of the administration’s virus messaging (as that duty has most fallen to the president himself during his unhinged press conferences), but today she appeared on Fox News to offer her characteristically dense thoughts on the crisis.
Speaking to the professional ignoramuses at Fox & Friends, Conway tried to spin Trump’s handling of the federal government’s virus response as a bold stroke of leadership, touting his decision to institute a travel ban on China in January. She then plunged headfirst into showcasing her embarrassing misunderstanding of COVID-19.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
“This is COVID-19 not COVID-1 folks,” she said, seemingly unaware that the “19” stands for 2019 and is not, in fact, a reference to 18 prior versions of the virus.
“You would think that people charged with the World Health Organization facts and figures would be on top of that,” she went on, aping Trump’s attacks on the WHO. “This is just a pause right now. So there is an investigation, examination to what happened. But people should know the facts,” said the woman responsible for coining the term “alternative facts.”
That a senior official in the White House still doesn’t know what COVID-19 stands for is a perfect distillation of how fundamentally incapable of governing this entire administration is. Vote. Them. Out.
Kellyanne Conway: "This is COVID-19, not COVID-1 folks, and so you would think the people in charge of the World Health Organization, facts and figures, would be on top of that." pic.twitter.com/losQ3H4ZhW — Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) April 15, 2020
the "19" stands for 2019, the year it was discovered, not that this is the 19th time that this virus has appeared. kellyanne conway probably knows this; she's just serving dumbass lines that sound good because it gets the base riled up. what was that about putting politics aside? — Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) April 15, 2020
Twitter pounced on Conway immediately.
when you think that Malcolm X was the successor to Malcolm IX — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) April 15, 2020
Jesus @KellyannePolls you're supposed to help the American people and you're too stupid to understand 19 is the year? WHO didn't fail you did. People are dying because of your propaganda and lies. — Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) April 15, 2020
She hasn't seen the first 2000 Space Odysseys either. — pncwho (@pncwho) April 15, 2020
"People should know the facts" coming from Kellyanne Conjob is too much hyporcisy this early in the morning. — D Villella ❄ (@dvillella) April 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/InfPhnm/status/1250400203183656972?s=20
Kellyanne Conway must have studied science at Trump University. — Trumpy Trumpy (parody) (@outofcontroljb) April 15, 2020
Kellyanne Conway thinks President Xi was a much better leader than his predecessor, President X. — Juan Pablo Rojas (@elchapablo) April 15, 2020
I love how the Fox talking heads don’t seem to get it either lol. — preising (@preising) April 15, 2020
ohhhhh bless her soul she thinks viruses work like fast and furious movies — elijah daniel (@elijahdaniel) April 15, 2020
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-15--Bill Gates makes rare public attack on Trump over cutting WHO funding: “Dangerous as it sounds”

As the coronavirus pandemic rips its way through the United States , it is painfully clear to the entire world that stunning incompetence and possibly deliberate inaction by the Trump administration has made the crisis much worse than it ever had to be .
Epidemiologists project that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if only the Trump team had taken the warnings — of which there were plenty — seriously and followed up with decisive action when they needed to .
But the sociopathically selfish Trump didn ’ t want to have to deal with a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so America dragged its feet and is now paying a deadly price for it .
With the crisis out of control , his attentions and energies have been focused on convincing the public that none of this is his fault .
His latest effort to do so is the distressing decision on Monday to cut off all funding to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , accusing the United Nation ’ s health wing of “ severely mismanaging and covering up ” the spread of the COVID-19 virus and depriving it of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs them the most .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Since the coronavirus crisis began in Wuhan , China , American conservatives and imperialist liberals have worked relentlessly to weaponize the pandemic and turn the crisis into an indictment of the Chinese Communist Party .
WHO has been dragged into the mud for its work in China , accused of helping the Chinese government “ cover-up ” the extent of the pandemic by using the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ’ s praise for China ’ s harsh but effective containment efforts .
In particular , the right-wing has been obsessively misrepresenting WHO ’ s criticism of Trump ’ s efforts to ban Chinese citizens from traveling to America , even though WHO has simply been pointing out that the move violated the International Health Regulations of 2005 , which were put in place in order to encourage countries to report pandemics without fear of being ostracized and losing needed economic resources to travel and trade restrictions by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States itself helped to write .
Criticism of the move erupted immediately .
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates slammed the move for being as “ dangerous as it sounds.
” Former Clinton comms director Joe Lockhart mocked the Trump administration for being the only country in the world “ so insecure it needs to find so many scapegoats for their failings.
” Even the U.S. Chamber of Commerce trashed the move as being “ not in the U.S. ’ s interests given the organization ’ s critical role in assisting other countries.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ view the United Nations and its organizations as tools of hegemony that should exist solely to advance American interests and deserve to be punished or ignored whenever they fail to do so .
But the World Health Organization operates on the principle that every life in every country is of equal value — sadly an incomprehensible idea to most Americans , their minds permanently addled by grandiose delusions of exceptionalism — and they will do whatever they need to do in order to save the most lives it possibly can .
If that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and treating the Chinese government with something other than open hostility then they will do so if it means the continued cooperation of the Chinese government and a chance to keeping helping the 1.4 billion people who live there , then they will do so , even if it means provoking the ire of the monocled jingoists at the Wall Street Journal editorial board .
WHO unfortunately does not have nearly as much power as its critics claim it does and must work with what it is given ; like the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strict mandate of neutrality and is not in a position to publicly challenge the figures provided by the Chinese government or make a big stink about Taiwan no matter how much Extremely Serious Foreign Policy Experts Who Advocated For The Iraq War And Now Reluctantly Admit They May Have Made A Mistake think they should .
The campaign to smear the World Health Organization by the Trump administration is nothing more than a repulsive excuse for the Trump administration to further neglect its duty to the international community and to propagate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-electing Donald Trump .

As the coronavirus pandemic rips its way through the United States, it is painfully clear to the entire world that stunning incompetence and possibly deliberate inaction by the Trump administration has made the crisis much worse than it ever had to be. Epidemiologists project that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if only the Trump team had taken the warnings — of which there were plenty — seriously and followed up with decisive action when they needed to.
But the sociopathically selfish Trump didn’t want to have to deal with a crisis that could damage his re-election chances, so America dragged its feet and is now paying a deadly price for it.
With the crisis out of control, his attentions and energies have been focused on convincing the public that none of this is his fault. His latest effort to do so is the distressing decision on Monday to cut off all funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), accusing the United Nation’s health wing of “severely mismanaging and covering up” the spread of the COVID-19 virus and depriving it of desperately needed resources at a time it needs them the most.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Since the coronavirus crisis began in Wuhan, China, American conservatives and imperialist liberals have worked relentlessly to weaponize the pandemic and turn the crisis into an indictment of the Chinese Communist Party.
WHO has been dragged into the mud for its work in China, accused of helping the Chinese government “cover-up” the extent of the pandemic by using the data provided by the government and slammed for WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’s praise for China’s harsh but effective containment efforts.
In particular, the right-wing has been obsessively misrepresenting WHO’s criticism of Trump’s efforts to ban Chinese citizens from traveling to America, even though WHO has simply been pointing out that the move violated the International Health Regulations of 2005, which were put in place in order to encourage countries to report pandemics without fear of being ostracized and losing needed economic resources to travel and trade restrictions by other nations. These are regulations that the United States itself helped to write.
Criticism of the move erupted immediately. Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates slammed the move for being as “dangerous as it sounds.” Former Clinton comms director Joe Lockhart mocked the Trump administration for being the only country in the world “so insecure it needs to find so many scapegoats for their failings.” Even the U.S. Chamber of Commerce trashed the move as being “not in the U.S.’s interests given the organization’s critical role in assisting other countries.”
Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever. — Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 15, 2020
As far as I know, there is not a single country in the world that has cut off funding for the WHO. No other country is so insecure that they need to find so many scapegoats for their own failings. Trump redefines American exceptionalism. — Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) April 15, 2020
US Chamber of Commerce pushes back on President Trump’s effort to hold funding for the WHO: “cutting the WHO’s funding during the COVID-19 pandemic is not in US interests given the organization’s critical role assisting other countries — particularly in the developing world…” — Eamon Javers (@EamonJavers) April 15, 2020
American citizens and presidents alike largely view the United Nations and its organizations as tools of hegemony that should exist solely to advance American interests and deserve to be punished or ignored whenever they fail to do so.
But the World Health Organization operates on the principle that every life in every country is of equal value — sadly an incomprehensible idea to most Americans, their minds permanently addled by grandiose delusions of exceptionalism — and they will do whatever they need to do in order to save the most lives it possibly can.
If that involves not recognizing the independence of Taiwan and treating the Chinese government with something other than open hostility then they will do so if it means the continued cooperation of the Chinese government and a chance to keeping helping the 1.4 billion people who live there, then they will do so, even if it means provoking the ire of the monocled jingoists at the Wall Street Journal editorial board.
WHO unfortunately does not have nearly as much power as its critics claim it does and must work with what it is given; like the rest of the UN missions, it adheres to a strict mandate of neutrality and is not in a position to publicly challenge the figures provided by the Chinese government or make a big stink about Taiwan no matter how much Extremely Serious Foreign Policy Experts Who Advocated For The Iraq War And Now Reluctantly Admit They May Have Made A Mistake think they should.
The campaign to smear the World Health Organization by the Trump administration is nothing more than a repulsive excuse for the Trump administration to further neglect its duty to the international community and to propagate a bad faith smear campaign dedicated entirely to re-electing Donald Trump.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-15--Trump cuts off funding for UN virus response efforts, vows to open probe

Donald Trump moved his coronavirus press briefing outdoors today , sparing reporters the close and potentially dangerous confines of the White House briefing room .
Unfortunately , the president did not spare them from his attempts at revisionist history as he continued to look to place blame for the magnitude of the pandemic in the United States after his now-well documented failures to heed warnings about the dangers he had been warned about in intelligence reports beginning as early as last November .
Today , Trump aimed the blame both at the World Health Organization ( WHO ) — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health initiatives — and at China , as CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale and Vox reporter Aaron Rupar live-tweeted his remarks .
Trump announced that he would be cutting American financial support to the World Health Organization until his administration can conduct a thorough review of their actions during the early days of the pandemic ’ s outbreak in China .
Meanwhile , the president managed to continue to mischaracterize his own past actions towards China , denying that he had ever praised the country for their transparency in handling the crisis , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheer amount of time that Trump spent shifting blame from his own missteps to the WHO and China today demonstrates how desperate he is to move the conversation away from his extravagant claims of total authority during yesterday ’ s briefing .
The president continued to use the briefing to spread misinformation , including his insistence that China is now paying billions in tariffs to the United States due to his trade policies when any importer of goods knows that is the receiving party ( ultimately the American consumers ) who pay tariffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the taxed goods .
The most unusual thing about today ’ s briefing — which devolved into a droning litany of corporations cooperating with the federal government in addressing the crisis and a promise to build more ventilators than the world has ever seen before — was the fact that it was primarily a Trump monologue with neither Vice President Pence or the senior health officials on the pandemic task force updating the press with any new information or statistics on the spread of the virus in the US or the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s eagerness to reopen the economy was apparent , but after being roundly accused of imperial ambitions after his claims of total authority yesterday , he went out of his way to lay all responsibilities for the decisions to reopen the local schools and businesses at the feet of state governors .
The president revealed what perhaps could be his most urgent motivation for reopening the economy — and how he has been spending his leisure time — when he lamented being forced to watch reruns on sports channels , After his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions from reporters , including an exchange that , while not quite as openly hostile as yesterday ’ s tantrum , still dripped with the defensiveness that one would expect after making so many obviously challengeable statements .
Trump doesn ’ t even pretend to care about social niceties at this point .
The best thing that can be said about today ’ s briefing was that it was relatively short compared to yesterday ’ s marathon session .
As these exercises in excuses , blame , and nostalgia for Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of relevant new information seems to decrease with each briefing .
Perhaps even more than an end to social distancing , many people are looking forward to the day when we won ’ t have to listen to his braggadocious bloviating on a daily basis .
That will be the day that the biggest crisis in this country will have ended .
Original reporting by Daniel Dale at CNN and by Aaron Rupar at Vox .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know @ @ @ @ @ @

Donald Trump moved his coronavirus press briefing outdoors today, sparing reporters the close and potentially dangerous confines of the White House briefing room.
Unfortunately, the president did not spare them from his attempts at revisionist history as he continued to look to place blame for the magnitude of the pandemic in the United States after his now-well documented failures to heed warnings about the dangers he had been warned about in intelligence reports beginning as early as last November.
Today, Trump aimed the blame both at the World Health Organization (WHO) — the United Nations agency dedicated to international public health initiatives — and at China, as CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale and Vox reporter Aaron Rupar live-tweeted his remarks.
Trump accuses the WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up" the coronavirus crisis. He says the US "has a duty to insist on full accountability." He criticizes the WHO for opposing travel restrictions. He touts his own restrictions on China. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 14, 2020
Trump is using the April 14 #TrumpPressBriefing to try and shift blame by attacking the World Health Organization pic.twitter.com/6tLkEIMUM8 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2020
Trump announced that he would be cutting American financial support to the World Health Organization until his administration can conduct a thorough review of their actions during the early days of the pandemic’s outbreak in China.
Meanwhile, the president managed to continue to mischaracterize his own past actions towards China, denying that he had ever praised the country for their transparency in handling the crisis, despite the public record on Twitter.
Trump bashes the WHO for praising China's supposed transparency. "I don't THINK so," he says. Trump himself praised China's supposed transparency. pic.twitter.com/0RQshCegps — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 14, 2020
The sheer amount of time that Trump spent shifting blame from his own missteps to the WHO and China today demonstrates how desperate he is to move the conversation away from his extravagant claims of total authority during yesterday’s briefing.
The president continued to use the briefing to spread misinformation, including his insistence that China is now paying billions in tariffs to the United States due to his trade policies when any importer of goods knows that is the receiving party (ultimately the American consumers) who pay tariffs and not the manufacturers and shippers of the taxed goods.
Trump lies that China "paid us nothing in your last administration" or in "any previous administration." In addition to the fact that the tariffs are paid by Americans, it was about $12 billion a year from China tariffs from 2007 to 2016. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 14, 2020
The most unusual thing about today’s briefing — which devolved into a droning litany of corporations cooperating with the federal government in addressing the crisis and a promise to build more ventilators than the world has ever seen before — was the fact that it was primarily a Trump monologue with neither Vice President Pence or the senior health officials on the pandemic task force updating the press with any new information or statistics on the spread of the virus in the US or the number of new fatalities that have occurred.
"Pepsi Cola, Chick-fil-A, Subway, Yum Brands, Papa John's" — Trump is still reading off the names of random companies during a press briefing that is ostensibly about a deadly pandemic that is killing Americans pic.twitter.com/NgsiIWX6KD — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2020
Trump’s eagerness to reopen the economy was apparent, but after being roundly accused of imperial ambitions after his claims of total authority yesterday, he went out of his way to lay all responsibilities for the decisions to reopen the local schools and businesses at the feet of state governors.
Trump: You can talk about Constitution, you can talk about federalism, you can talk about whatever you want, but I'm talking about how from a managerial perspective, it's best to let governors manage their own states. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 14, 2020
Trump asked about testing capacity and its sufficiency for a reopening: "The individual governors have testing." "If they're not satisfied with their testing, they shouldn't open." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 14, 2020
Trump: "The governors are supposed to do testing. It's up to the governors." "It's now not up – and it hasn't been up – to the federal government." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 14, 2020
The president revealed what perhaps could be his most urgent motivation for reopening the economy — and how he has been spending his leisure time — when he lamented being forced to watch reruns on sports channels,
"The minimum was 100,000 deaths and I hope to be substantially under the minimum," says Trump, who as late as the last week of February was claiming that the coronavirus would go away on its own pic.twitter.com/sqUDfRDSdb — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2020
After his extended speech, Trump took a few questions from reporters, including an exchange that, while not quite as openly hostile as yesterday’s tantrum, still dripped with the defensiveness that one would expect after making so many obviously challengeable statements.
"Who cares? If you can't be here, that's too bad" — Trump to a reporter who tries to ask a question on behalf of a colleague who couldn't be there pic.twitter.com/MLRy9xIGhX — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2020
Trump doesn’t even pretend to care about social niceties at this point.
The best thing that can be said about today’s briefing was that it was relatively short compared to yesterday’s marathon session.
As these exercises in excuses, blame, and nostalgia for Trump’s past claimed economic successes continue, the amount of relevant new information seems to decrease with each briefing.
Perhaps even more than an end to social distancing, many people are looking forward to the day when we won’t have to listen to his braggadocious bloviating on a daily basis. That will be the day that the biggest crisis in this country will have ended.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Daniel Dale at CNN and by Aaron Rupar at Vox.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-14--Dr. Fauci opens up about his “really draining” press conferences with Trump

The one redeeming element of President Trump ’ s embarrassingly partisan and vitriolic coronavirus press conferences has been the reliable Dr. Anthony Fauci , the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
While the president has been focused on picking fights with reporters and slamming governors , Fauci has stuck to the facts , delivering crucial information about COVID-19 to the American people on a regular basis .
The doctor ’ s adherence to the truth and refusal to aid Trump in his underhanded efforts to whitewash his administration ’ s staggering failures in handling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target for the MAGA movement ’ s infamous , frothing rage .
The red hat brigade hates that Fauci has admitted the federal government could have acted sooner to save lives because such an admission makes their glorious cult leader look incompetent ( which he is ) .
In a development that would be shocking if it weren ’ t so painfully on brand , the president himself even retweeted a tweet containing the hashtag # FireFauci .
Calls to do just that have been growing amongst right-wing fanatics , prompting Senator Ed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill to block Trump from firing Fauci amidst this crisis .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Through it all , Fauci has remained steadfast and dedicated in his service to the country .
He ’ s wise enough not to get into outright fights with the president and courageous enough to gently but firmly push back against untruths .
Dr. Fauci spoke recently to The Associated Press and offered some insight into his headspace .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to as the “ Fauci mantra ” to his interview , by which he means his earnest effort to always be honest with the media .
“ So being there , to be able to answer the questions of the media I think is really important because we ’ re going through a real public health crisis in our country , ” said Fauci .
“ The downtime that we have there is really draining , ” he said , referring to the White House pressers .
“ You know you wait around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it to start .
You stand there .
You get up .
Like last night , I got home at… I don ’ t know , you know what the time was .
It must have about nine o ’ clock , ” he went on .
“ If I had been able to just make a few comments and then go to work that would have really been much better .
It ’ s the downtime .
It isn ’ t the idea of being there and answering questions which I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
One can only imagine how exhausting all of this is for Dr. Fauci .
Not only is the entire country looking to him for guidance on how to survive an unprecedented and deadly virus , but he ’ s bound at the hip to an ignoramus of a president whose unhinged followers are whipping themselves into a frenzy .
Now , more than ever Americans need Dr. Fauci and Dr. Fauci needs our support .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know @ @ @ @ @ @

The one redeeming element of President Trump’s embarrassingly partisan and vitriolic coronavirus press conferences has been the reliable Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. While the president has been focused on picking fights with reporters and slamming governors, Fauci has stuck to the facts, delivering crucial information about COVID-19 to the American people on a regular basis.
The doctor’s adherence to the truth and refusal to aid Trump in his underhanded efforts to whitewash his administration’s staggering failures in handling the virus has rapidly transformed Fauci into a target for the MAGA movement’s infamous, frothing rage. The red hat brigade hates that Fauci has admitted the federal government could have acted sooner to save lives because such an admission makes their glorious cult leader look incompetent (which he is).
In a development that would be shocking if it weren’t so painfully on brand, the president himself even retweeted a tweet containing the hashtag #FireFauci. Calls to do just that have been growing amongst right-wing fanatics, prompting Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) to introduce a bill to block Trump from firing Fauci amidst this crisis.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Through it all, Fauci has remained steadfast and dedicated in his service to the country. He’s wise enough not to get into outright fights with the president and courageous enough to gently but firmly push back against untruths.
Dr. Fauci spoke recently to The Associated Press and offered some insight into his headspace. He chose to apply what he jokingly referred to as the “Fauci mantra” to his interview, by which he means his earnest effort to always be honest with the media.
“So being there, to be able to answer the questions of the media I think is really important because we’re going through a real public health crisis in our country,” said Fauci.
“The downtime that we have there is really draining,” he said, referring to the White House pressers. “You know you wait around for it to start. You prepare for it to start. You stand there. You get up. Like last night, I got home at… I don’t know, you know what the time was. It must have about nine o’clock,” he went on.
“If I had been able to just make a few comments and then go to work that would have really been much better. It’s the downtime. It isn’t the idea of being there and answering questions which I really think is important,” Fauci added.
One can only imagine how exhausting all of this is for Dr. Fauci. Not only is the entire country looking to him for guidance on how to survive an unprecedented and deadly virus, but he’s bound at the hip to an ignoramus of a president whose unhinged followers are whipping themselves into a frenzy. Now, more than ever Americans need Dr. Fauci and Dr. Fauci needs our support.
Fauci also tells @AP that the daily press briefings are important but "really draining." pic.twitter.com/rwa9xoLM2y — Kelly Daschle (@kellydaschle) April 14, 2020
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-14--Democrat files bill to keep Trump from firing his top medical expert out of jealousy

It is highly unlikely that an obscure government official like Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , would have become a national celebrity if the coronavirus pandemic had not occurred .
As the most credible and trusted voice speaking at Donald Trump ’ s near-daily press briefings during the national crisis , Dr. Fauci has gained the respect of millions of Americans speaking from a position of scientific knowledge , often telling hard to digest truths that have seen him gently walking a tightrope as he subtly contradicts the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and when it will be truly safe to reopen the economy .
Frankly , many people are amazed that Trump hasn ’ t completely sidelined or fired the country ’ s leading infectious disease specialist , particularly after Dr. Fauci admitted in a CNN interview on Sunday that an earlier shutdown of the nation — a recommendation that faced “ pushback ” from the Trump administration — “ could have saved lives.
” Fears that Dr. Fauci ’ s days as a member of the White House ’ s pandemic response team were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a supporter that included the hashtag # FireFauci on Sunday after his CNN appearance .
Instead , however , at Trump ’ s bonkers coronavirus briefing yesterday , the president — likely cognizant of Dr. Fauci ’ s 29 point lead in approval ratings in his handling of the crisis according to a recent Fox News poll — insisted that the epidemiologist clarify his televised remarks from the previous day to dispel any implication of fault or blame on behalf of the administration in a semi-humiliating public apologia .
Senator Ed Markey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci ’ s status in the administration may still be somewhat tenuous at a time when America can not afford to lose one of the only scientifically knowledgable , rational , and sane voices at the podium during the daily updates on the progress of the federal government ’ s efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic .
Markey announced today that he would be introducing legislation that would protect the infectious disease specialist from being arbitrarily removed from his position by a president beset by jealousy and vindictiveness .
Under current law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or national centers under the National Institute of Health can be dismissed without cause at the whim of the president .
Markey ’ s bill would revise that standard to ensure that only “ malfeasance by , neglect of office by , or incapacity of the director ” would be sufficient grounds for removal .
Calling Dr. Fauci the “ most trusted voice ” within the national scientific community on COVID-19 , Senator Markey warned the president against trying to fire him over any policy disagreements .
“ Trump has an allergy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our response to the coronavirus crisis must be based on science , on data , and on the truth .
We can not allow Donald Trump to silence Dr. Fauci or any other government scientists , ” the Massachusetts senator said in a statement .
“ Educating the public about the science and the facts that will save lives is not , and should never be , a firing offense , ” Markey continued .
The protections that Senator Markey is proposing for directors at the National Insitute of Health are not unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders of independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission who have similar protections against arbitrary dismissal by the president .
Despite the president ’ s ill-timed retweet of the # FireFauci hashtag , Trump ’ s deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley has dismissed speculation that the doctor ’ s job is in jeopardy .
Given the capriciousness of Donald Trump , however , legislation such as Senator Markey is proposing would make the 80 % of America that approves of Dr. Fauci ’ s advice during the coronavirus crisis much more comfortable knowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected from any fit of envious retaliation .
Original reporting by Jordain Carney at The Hill .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

It is highly unlikely that an obscure government official like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, would have become a national celebrity if the coronavirus pandemic had not occurred.
As the most credible and trusted voice speaking at Donald Trump’s near-daily press briefings during the national crisis, Dr. Fauci has gained the respect of millions of Americans speaking from a position of scientific knowledge, often telling hard to digest truths that have seen him gently walking a tightrope as he subtly contradicts the president’s overly optimistic statements on unproven drugs and when it will be truly safe to reopen the economy.
Frankly, many people are amazed that Trump hasn’t completely sidelined or fired the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, particularly after Dr. Fauci admitted in a CNN interview on Sunday that an earlier shutdown of the nation — a recommendation that faced “pushback” from the Trump administration — “could have saved lives.”
Fears that Dr. Fauci’s days as a member of the White House’s pandemic response team were numbered rose as Trump retweeted a post from a supporter that included the hashtag #FireFauci on Sunday after his CNN appearance.
Instead, however, at Trump’s bonkers coronavirus briefing yesterday, the president — likely cognizant of Dr. Fauci’s 29 point lead in approval ratings in his handling of the crisis according to a recent Fox News poll — insisted that the epidemiologist clarify his televised remarks from the previous day to dispel any implication of fault or blame on behalf of the administration in a semi-humiliating public apologia.
Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) is concerned that Dr. Fauci’s status in the administration may still be somewhat tenuous at a time when America can not afford to lose one of the only scientifically knowledgable, rational, and sane voices at the podium during the daily updates on the progress of the federal government’s efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Markey announced today that he would be introducing legislation that would protect the infectious disease specialist from being arbitrarily removed from his position by a president beset by jealousy and vindictiveness.
Under current law, any director of a national research institute or national centers under the National Institute of Health can be dismissed without cause at the whim of the president. Markey’s bill would revise that standard to ensure that only “malfeasance by, neglect of office by, or incapacity of the director” would be sufficient grounds for removal.
Calling Dr. Fauci the “most trusted voice” within the national scientific community on COVID-19, Senator Markey warned the president against trying to fire him over any policy disagreements.
“Trump has an allergy to both — science and the truth. Our response to the coronavirus crisis must be based on science, on data, and on the truth. We cannot allow Donald Trump to silence Dr. Fauci or any other government scientists,” the Massachusetts senator said in a statement. “Educating the public about the science and the facts that will save lives is not, and should never be, a firing offense,” Markey continued.
The protections that Senator Markey is proposing for directors at the National Insitute of Health are not unprecedented, having already been afforded to the leaders of independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission who have similar protections against arbitrary dismissal by the president.
Despite the president’s ill-timed retweet of the #FireFauci hashtag, Trump’s deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley has dismissed speculation that the doctor’s job is in jeopardy.
“This media chatter is ridiculous — President Trump is not firing Dr. Fauci,” said Gidley in a statement that added that Dr. Fauci “has been and remains a trusted advisor to President Trump.”
Given the capriciousness of Donald Trump, however, legislation such as Senator Markey is proposing would make the 80% of America that approves of Dr. Fauci’s advice during the coronavirus crisis much more comfortable knowing that his voice of scientific reason is protected from any fit of envious retaliation.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Jordain Carney at The Hill.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-14--Trump likens himself to evil captain from “Mutiny On The Bounty” in bizarre attack on governors

The President of the United States continues to unravel .
The pressure of “ leading ” a country as its economy tanks and a deadly virus rips through its populace while simultaneously pouring all of his energy into convincing that same country that—despite all of the blatant evidence to the contrary—he has been doing and continues to do a good job responding to the pandemic is proving far too much for his meager facilities to handle .
Trump is acting even more erratically than usual and is increasingly picking pointless fights to distract from his own staggering incompetency .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially bizarre .
The president wrote that Democratic governors should be aware that “ Mutiny On The Bounty , ” a film about the crew of a sailing ship in the 1700 ’ s who rebel against their selfish and brutal captain , is one of his “ all time favorite movies.
” He failed to specify whether he meant the 1935 or 1962 adaptation of the story .
It ’ s likely the outburst was prompted by the decision of several West Coast states , in light of this administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan their economic reopenings and the simultaneous decision of a bloc of East Coast states to do the same .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
“ A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch , especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain , ” wrote Trump , presumably meaning that the governors are being mutinous against him even though they need his help to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not see a not-so-thinly veiled threat here : fall in line or you won ’ t get what you need from the federal government .
Only a mind as warped and self-centered as Donald Trump ’ s could classify governors pushing pack against misinformation and fighting for the medical supplies needed to save the lives of their citizens as “ mutiny.
” It ’ s important to note that governors don ’ t work for the president .
They are the executives of their individual states , duly elected and invested by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flow from the White House .
This is Trump once again flaunting his disturbed authoritarian fantasies .
Most tellingly , Trump seems to see himself in the captain of the HMS Bounty , a man named William Bligh whose greed and horrific treatment of his crew justifies their mutinying .
In other words , Trump is fantasizing about being the villain in this scenario .
While the rest of his metaphor doesn ’ t track , in this regard he ’ s absolutely correct .
Trump is a monstrous captain and he steered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

The President of the United States continues to unravel. The pressure of “leading” a country as its economy tanks and a deadly virus rips through its populace while simultaneously pouring all of his energy into convincing that same country that—despite all of the blatant evidence to the contrary—he has been doing and continues to do a good job responding to the pandemic is proving far too much for his meager facilities to handle.
Trump is acting even more erratically than usual and is increasingly picking pointless fights to distract from his own staggering incompetency. One of his morning attack tweets today was especially bizarre.
The president wrote that Democratic governors should be aware that “Mutiny On The Bounty,” a film about the crew of a sailing ship in the 1700’s who rebel against their selfish and brutal captain, is one of his “all time favorite movies.” He failed to specify whether he meant the 1935 or 1962 adaptation of the story.
It’s likely the outburst was prompted by the decision of several West Coast states, in light of this administration’s failings, to form a coalition to plan their economic reopenings and the simultaneous decision of a bloc of East Coast states to do the same.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
“A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain,” wrote Trump, presumably meaning that the governors are being mutinous against him even though they need his help to fight COVID-19. It’s impossible to not see a not-so-thinly veiled threat here: fall in line or you won’t get what you need from the federal government.
Only a mind as warped and self-centered as Donald Trump’s could classify governors pushing pack against misinformation and fighting for the medical supplies needed to save the lives of their citizens as “mutiny.”
It’s important to note that governors don’t work for the president. They are the executives of their individual states, duly elected and invested by the Constitution with powers that do not flow from the White House. This is Trump once again flaunting his disturbed authoritarian fantasies.
Most tellingly, Trump seems to see himself in the captain of the HMS Bounty, a man named William Bligh whose greed and horrific treatment of his crew justifies their mutinying. In other words, Trump is fantasizing about being the villain in this scenario. While the rest of his metaphor doesn’t track, in this regard he’s absolutely correct. Trump is a monstrous captain and he steered America right into this disaster.
Tell the Democrat Governors that “Mutiny On The Bounty” was one of my all time favorite movies. A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2020
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Follow Rob Haffey on Twitter here.
Rob Haffey Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-14--Trump cruelly mocks Gov. Cuomo for “begging” for medical supplies to save lives

President Trump ’ s behavior during the coronavirus crisis has been nothing short of appalling .
Spinning between eagerly claiming credit for every tiny glimmer of hope and viciously lashing out at any and all criticisms , the president has managed to turn even a national emergency into an extension of his ego .
However , nowhere has his conduct been more disgraceful than when conducting his endless feuds with the governors of Democratic states — feuds in which life-saving medical supplies and equipment become playing pieces on a perverse chessboard of petulance .
On Tuesday morning , the President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cruelly mocked the Governor of New York , Andrew Cuomo .
Saying that he had been “ begging for everything ” and accusing him of neglecting his own state , Trump falsely claimed he had “ got it all done for him ” and groused that now Cuomo was showing “ independence.
” It appears he is responding to comments made by Governor Cuomo this morning , in which he declared that Trump is “ not a king ” and reminded him that constitutionally , the President does not have “ total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he does .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
“ We don ’ t have a king , …We have a president .
That was a big decision .
We ran away from having a king , and George Washington was president , not King Washington .
So the president doesn ’ t have total authority ” said Cuomo on NBC .
The president caused a stir on Monday when he wrongly declared that the president had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their economies and rescind quarantine orders against their will .
His declaration makes it clear that the tanking economy is causing great distress to a leader who had been planning to coast to re-election on the strength of the economy he inherited from President Barack Obama and that he ’ s considering drastic action in order to save himself .
Densely populated New York City has become an epicenter of coronavirus infection , and Governor Cuomo has understandably been extremely vocal about his state ’ s need for medical supplies and equipment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the President — who is from New York City — has disparaged and mocked Governor Cuomo ’ s urgent requests for more and more material as “ complaining ” and accused him of being “ ungrateful ” for what he ’ s already recieved .
On top of that , Trump bizarrely and baselessly told FOX ’ s Sean Hannity that he didn ’ t believe New York , which now has over a hundred thousand cases , actually needed 30,000 to 40,000 ventilators .
While the president ’ s sociopathic disregard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , it is still a great outrage to see him treat medical supplies and equipment — and the lives that hang in the balance — as yet another weapon for him to use in his childish and monstrously petty feud with a governor who , for all his many , many , many faults , is just trying to keep people from dying .

President Trump’s behavior during the coronavirus crisis has been nothing short of appalling. Spinning between eagerly claiming credit for every tiny glimmer of hope and viciously lashing out at any and all criticisms, the president has managed to turn even a national emergency into an extension of his ego.
However, nowhere has his conduct been more disgraceful than when conducting his endless feuds with the governors of Democratic states — feuds in which life-saving medical supplies and equipment become playing pieces on a perverse chessboard of petulance.
On Tuesday morning, the President of the United States took to Twitter and cruelly mocked the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo.
Saying that he had been “begging for everything” and accusing him of neglecting his own state, Trump falsely claimed he had “got it all done for him” and groused that now Cuomo was showing “independence.”
Cuomo’s been calling daily, even hourly, begging for everything, most of which should have been the state’s responsibility, such as new hospitals, beds, ventilators, etc. I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence! That won’t happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2020
It appears he is responding to comments made by Governor Cuomo this morning, in which he declared that Trump is “not a king” and reminded him that constitutionally, the President does not have “total authority” as Trump seems to think he does.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
“We don’t have a king,…We have a president. That was a big decision. We ran away from having a king, and George Washington was president, not King Washington. So the president doesn’t have total authority” said Cuomo on NBC.
The president caused a stir on Monday when he wrongly declared that the president had the authority to force states to re-open their economies and rescind quarantine orders against their will.
….It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons. With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue. A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2020
His declaration makes it clear that the tanking economy is causing great distress to a leader who had been planning to coast to re-election on the strength of the economy he inherited from President Barack Obama and that he’s considering drastic action in order to save himself.
Densely populated New York City has become an epicenter of coronavirus infection, and Governor Cuomo has understandably been extremely vocal about his state’s need for medical supplies and equipment, especially life-saving ventilators.
For his part, the President — who is from New York City — has disparaged and mocked Governor Cuomo’s urgent requests for more and more material as “complaining” and accused him of being “ungrateful” for what he’s already recieved. On top of that, Trump bizarrely and baselessly told FOX’s Sean Hannity that he didn’t believe New York, which now has over a hundred thousand cases, actually needed 30,000 to 40,000 ventilators.
While the president’s sociopathic disregard for human life has been obvious for years, it is still a great outrage to see him treat medical supplies and equipment — and the lives that hang in the balance — as yet another weapon for him to use in his childish and monstrously petty feud with a governor who, for all his many, many, many faults, is just trying to keep people from dying.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-15--Leaked CDC report warns there’s high risk of virus resurgence if Trump goes through with his plan

After Donald Trump announced his new task force dedicated to reopening the U.S. economy shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic yesterday , a leaked draft of a report compiled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrates the inherent risk in the president ’ s rush to try to return to a thriving economic past that has turned to sand slipping through his grasping little fingers .
According to an account in The Washington Post , the national strategy for a phased reopening of the nation drafted by FEMA and the CDC notes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversal of quarantine orders in orderly phases “ will entail a significant risk of resurgence of the virus.
” The leaked internal document warns of a “ large rebound curve ” of COVID-19 cases if social distancing and stay at home orders are eased prematurely before specific anti-viral vaccines are invented and administered to the public or before widespread “ herd immunity ” is reached .
Unlike the vague and scientifically-suspect criteria to lift the anti-contagion measures that Donald Trump has been referencing at his daily press briefings , the report details exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before any area can consider a less risky return to responsible social commingling .
According to The Washington Post ‘ s account , these include : The criteria in the draft strategy would require a massive increase in both testing capabilities and the manufacture of personal protective gear than is currently in place .
The CDC is also recommending the creation of a COVID-19 Response Corps to help state and local health departments quickly begin large contact tracing to ensure that anyone who has had contact with an infected person can remain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , among other measures .
Despite the clear recommendations in the unfinalized report , there is no guarantee that the president will adhere to its conclusions since Trump is expected to also rely heavily on the feedback from his business task force whose mandate is to reopen the economy as soon as feasible .
Many health experts are concerned that economic concerns will outweigh the public health imperatives as the president considers how the plummeting economy will affect his reelection chances and the historical legacy of being remembered as the Herbert Hoover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read a summary of the detailed recommendations contained in the joint CDC/FEMA report in the original Washington Post article here .
Original reporting by James Hohmann with Maria Alfaro at The Washington Post .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

After Donald Trump announced his new task force dedicated to reopening the U.S. economy shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic yesterday, a leaked draft of a report compiled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrates the inherent risk in the president’s rush to try to return to a thriving economic past that has turned to sand slipping through his grasping little fingers.
According to an account in The Washington Post, the national strategy for a phased reopening of the nation drafted by FEMA and the CDC notes that even the most carefully staged and gradual reversal of quarantine orders in orderly phases “will entail a significant risk of resurgence of the virus.”
The leaked internal document warns of a “large rebound curve” of COVID-19 cases if social distancing and stay at home orders are eased prematurely before specific anti-viral vaccines are invented and administered to the public or before widespread “herd immunity” is reached.
Unlike the vague and scientifically-suspect criteria to lift the anti-contagion measures that Donald Trump has been referencing at his daily press briefings, the report details exactly the conditions that need to be met before any area can consider a less risky return to responsible social commingling.
According to The Washington Post‘s account, these include:
“A ‘genuinely low’ number of cases; a ‘well functioning’ monitoring system capable of ‘promptly detecting’ spikes of infections; a public health system able to react robustly to new cases and local health systems that have enough inpatient beds to rapidly scale up in the event of a surge in cases.”
The criteria in the draft strategy would require a massive increase in both testing capabilities and the manufacture of personal protective gear than is currently in place.
The CDC is also recommending the creation of a COVID-19 Response Corps to help state and local health departments quickly begin large contact tracing to ensure that anyone who has had contact with an infected person can remain in isolation to prevent further spread of the virus, among other measures.
Despite the clear recommendations in the unfinalized report, there is no guarantee that the president will adhere to its conclusions since Trump is expected to also rely heavily on the feedback from his business task force whose mandate is to reopen the economy as soon as feasible.
Many health experts are concerned that economic concerns will outweigh the public health imperatives as the president considers how the plummeting economy will affect his reelection chances and the historical legacy of being remembered as the Herbert Hoover of the 21st century.
You can read a summary of the detailed recommendations contained in the joint CDC/FEMA report in the original Washington Post article here.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by James Hohmann with Maria Alfaro at The Washington Post.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-07--Maxine Waters taunts “Moscow Mitch” over impeachment popularity

Congresswoman Maxine Waters ( D-CA ) has been onboard the Trump impeachment train longer than any other member of Congress .
Well before the Ukraine scandal that eventually led the vast majority of her Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives to vote to impeach the president , Rep .
Waters was saying things like this quote from May of 2017 : Waters ’ consistent messaging about Donald Trump ’ s untrustworthiness and her constant efforts to hold the president ’ s feet to the fire have finally paid off as the majority of America is finally catching up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this man from an office he would be completely unqualified for even if he were not a criminal defier of constitutional norms .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
Waters took a victory lap on Twitter to kick off the return of Congress to Washington DC after the holiday break — celebrating a new poll that shows that a majority of our nation ’ s citizens now believe that there is sufficient evidence of impeachable behavior to remove Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) along the way .
The FiveThirtyEight poll , conducted with Ipsos , that Rep .
Waters refers to in her tweet not only shows a majority of Americans favoring showing Trump the permanent exit door to the White House but also proves that an even larger majority want to see new witnesses called at the Senate trial , including those who were prohibited by the president from testifying at the House impeachment hearings .
Congresswoman Waters pulls no punches with her ready acknowledgment that the Republicans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the same Russian efforts to blame Ukraine rather than accept the responsibility for meddling in the 2016 presidential election as our intelligence agencies have universally found that the Kremlin did .
The feisty Southern California representative waves the poll results in Senator McConnell ’ s face in her tweet while essentially accusing the Senate Majority Leader of being terrified that the real truth behind the president ’ s actions will be revealed if senior White House officials are forced to testify under oath and penalty of perjury .
Waters poses her rhetorical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you afraid of , Mitch ?
” — while fully aware of the answer : that a full , fair and truthful trial of Donald Trump will lead to an even larger majority of Americans to call for his removal and prevent him from swiftly and effectively ramming through an acquittal of the president in the Republican-controlled chamber he leads as he has vowed to do .
As such an early and relentless advocate for impeaching Donald Trump , Congresswoman Waters more than deserves the opportunity to gloat over the changing tide of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the rules of the Senate trial yet to be determined , however , and the articles of impeachment still being held by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) until she ’ s convinced that the Senate impeachment process will be fair and not just a partisan show trial , Waters may need to tame her expectations that the Democratic successes thus far in helping to push Trump out of the White House will be lead to his removal as quickly and smoothly as she — and the majority of Americans would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you think ?

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) has been onboard the Trump impeachment train longer than any other member of Congress.
Well before the Ukraine scandal that eventually led the vast majority of her Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives to vote to impeach the president, Rep. Waters was saying things like this quote from May of 2017:
“Why would we let somebody like Trump, a con man, come in here and turn it all upside down with his lies and his disrespect? And so, I personally feel very strongly about this and I’m going to keep working until he’s impeached.”
Waters’ consistent messaging about Donald Trump’s untrustworthiness and her constant efforts to hold the president’s feet to the fire have finally paid off as the majority of America is finally catching up to her views about the need to remove this man from an office he would be completely unqualified for even if he were not a criminal defier of constitutional norms.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Waters took a victory lap on Twitter to kick off the return of Congress to Washington DC after the holiday break — celebrating a new poll that shows that a majority of our nation’s citizens now believe that there is sufficient evidence of impeachable behavior to remove Donald Trump from office — and taunting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) along the way.
Excellent new @FiveThirtyEight poll shows majority of Americans believe there is enough evidence to remove the impeached President from office. Joint GOP-Russian propaganda isn’t working. #MoscowMitch doesn’t want the truth to come out! What are you afraid of, Mitch? — Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) January 6, 2020
The FiveThirtyEight poll, conducted with Ipsos, that Rep. Waters refers to in her tweet not only shows a majority of Americans favoring showing Trump the permanent exit door to the White House but also proves that an even larger majority want to see new witnesses called at the Senate trial, including those who were prohibited by the president from testifying at the House impeachment hearings.
Congresswoman Waters pulls no punches with her ready acknowledgment that the Republicans in Congress are coordinating their messaging in line with the same Russian efforts to blame Ukraine rather than accept the responsibility for meddling in the 2016 presidential election as our intelligence agencies have universally found that the Kremlin did.
The feisty Southern California representative waves the poll results in Senator McConnell’s face in her tweet while essentially accusing the Senate Majority Leader of being terrified that the real truth behind the president’s actions will be revealed if senior White House officials are forced to testify under oath and penalty of perjury.
Waters poses her rhetorical question to McConnell — “What are you afraid of, Mitch?” — while fully aware of the answer: that a full, fair and truthful trial of Donald Trump will lead to an even larger majority of Americans to call for his removal and prevent him from swiftly and effectively ramming through an acquittal of the president in the Republican-controlled chamber he leads as he has vowed to do.
As such an early and relentless advocate for impeaching Donald Trump, Congresswoman Waters more than deserves the opportunity to gloat over the changing tide of political opinion among the American public.
With the rules of the Senate trial yet to be determined, however, and the articles of impeachment still being held by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) until she’s convinced that the Senate impeachment process will be fair and not just a partisan show trial, Waters may need to tame her expectations that the Democratic successes thus far in helping to push Trump out of the White House will be lead to his removal as quickly and smoothly as she — and the majority of Americans would like it to be.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts