occupydemocrats--2020-04-21--Trump retweets propaganda from “@SexCounseling” account

The President of the United States , the most powerful man in the world , commander-in-chief of the planet ’ s most formidable military , decided this morning to retweet a Twitter account called @ SexCounseling .
Our avowed sexual predator leader wasn ’ t offering advice to spice up Americans ’ love lives though , rather he was engaging in his usual conspiratorial nonsense .
The account—which bills itself as someone named “ Dawn Michael , PhD ” — was retweeted twice by Trump .
The first tweet was aimed at former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonsense about her funding a “ Witch Hunt.
” @ SexCounseling referred to the accomplished stateswoman as a “ Witch ” herself which is presumably why—in addition to serving as a cheap distraction from his coronavirus mistakes—the president decided to retweet it .
It was real bottom of the barrel stuff .
The second tweet from @ SexCounseling was in response to one of Trump ’ s pathetic blame spreading tweets from yesterday .
The alleged doctor agreed with the president ’ s irresponsible narrative that states are responsible for fighting COVID-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the federal government .
She ( if the unverified account is truly run by a woman ) suggested that state leaders should be “ replaced.
” This kind of dishonest , partisan mudslinging is bad enough without being retweeted by the president .
It makes it harder for state officials to do their jobs during this crisis and accomplishes absolutely nothing beyond attempting to absolve Trump of responsibility for his own myriad failings .
So who is @ SexCounseling ?
Her Twitter bio reveals her to be a Q Patriot , meaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredibly deranged QAnon movement , a group of conspiracy theorists who hold a set of shifting , outlandish beliefs primarily centered around the idea that Donald Trump is fighting against the “ Deep State ” to defeat a child sex trafficking ring at the highest levels of the Democratic Party .
It ’ s an ideology that one would have to be either incredibly stupid or deeply psychologically unwell to believe in , and here we find the president boosting an account that trades in such filth .
Add your name to reject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Suffice to say , this behavior from Trump is unacceptable .
But what ’ s worse at the end of the day , that the so-called leader of the free world lacks the attention to detail to notice that he ’ s retweeting an account called @ SexCounseling that believes in Qanon or that he did notice and retweeted it anyway ?
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The President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, commander-in-chief of the planet’s most formidable military, decided this morning to retweet a Twitter account called @SexCounseling. Our avowed sexual predator leader wasn’t offering advice to spice up Americans’ love lives though, rather he was engaging in his usual conspiratorial nonsense.
The account—which bills itself as someone named “Dawn Michael, PhD”— was retweeted twice by Trump. The first tweet was aimed at former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential popular vote winner Hillary Clinton and included some nonsense about her funding a “Witch Hunt.” @SexCounseling referred to the accomplished stateswoman as a “Witch” herself which is presumably why—in addition to serving as a cheap distraction from his coronavirus mistakes—the president decided to retweet it. It was real bottom of the barrel stuff.
https://twitter.com/SexCounseling/status/1252455721666351104?s=20
The second tweet from @SexCounseling was in response to one of Trump’s pathetic blame spreading tweets from yesterday. The alleged doctor agreed with the president’s irresponsible narrative that states are responsible for fighting COVID-19 and shouldn’t expect too much assistance from the federal government. She (if the unverified account is truly run by a woman) suggested that state leaders should be “replaced.”
This kind of dishonest, partisan mudslinging is bad enough without being retweeted by the president. It makes it harder for state officials to do their jobs during this crisis and accomplishes absolutely nothing beyond attempting to absolve Trump of responsibility for his own myriad failings.
https://twitter.com/SexCounseling/status/1252276645076975617?s=20
The president’s retweets:
So who is @SexCounseling? Her Twitter bio reveals her to be a Q Patriot, meaning she’s a member of the incredibly deranged QAnon movement, a group of conspiracy theorists who hold a set of shifting, outlandish beliefs primarily centered around the idea that Donald Trump is fighting against the “Deep State” to defeat a child sex trafficking ring at the highest levels of the Democratic Party.
It’s an ideology that one would have to be either incredibly stupid or deeply psychologically unwell to believe in, and here we find the president boosting an account that trades in such filth.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Suffice to say, this behavior from Trump is unacceptable. But what’s worse at the end of the day, that the so-called leader of the free world lacks the attention to detail to notice that he’s retweeting an account called @SexCounseling that believes in Qanon or that he did notice and retweeted it anyway?
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occupydemocrats--2020-04-21--Trump bitterly complains about Morning Joe and brags about his ratings in morning tweetburst

President Trump is reminiscent of the more grotesque Roman emperors in many ways , but it ’ s his refusal to take the national crisis seriously or take any responsibility for it that truly evokes the phrase “ fiddling while Rome burns.
” In the case of our pugilistic , narcissistic president , the modern equivalent is “ tweeting while the nation succumbs to a pandemic that he had full warning of and failed to prepare for.
” As thousands of Americans die every day , the president makes it clear he is spending his days watching television and obsessing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crisis gripping the nation and getting relief to its beleaguered people .
Tuesday morning saw the president erupt in a rage at his former friend and former Republican “ Morning ” Joe Scarborough , trashing him as “ Morning Psycho ” and bitterly complaining about the “ hatred and contempt ” that the pundit shows towards him .
It ’ s obvious the president was not pleased with this morning ’ s broadcast .
The abuse hurled at Joe Scarborough and his wife Mika is a common occurrence from the president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of letting anything go .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Every slight and perceived insult against him lodges in his craw and festers forever , the embers of wounded ego rekindling every time he discovers new evidence of their treachery — which he goes out of his way to seek , inexorably and inexplicably compelled to immerse himself in the disgust he elicits from others .
The president followed up his attack on Scarborough with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ lamestream ” media that in reality propped up his candidacy with hundreds of millions of dollars in free media coverage .
And finally ended his morning Twitter outburst with the most jarring tweet of all — yet another boast about the ratings of his daily White House press briefings .
Rather than focus on the deadly pandemic that necessitated the daily briefings in the first place , the president would rather turn it into a celebration of himself , choosing to perceive the millions of people tuning in for information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the Vietnam War as a sign of their love for him and not their desire for leadership and solace from the man in charge of the country .
It ’ s clear from his inexcusable mismanagement and his relentless push to re-open the country before it is medically safe to do so that the lives of Americans are the last thing on his mind .
Even when faced with the most serious crisis of the 21st century , the would-be emperor can still only think of himself .

President Trump is reminiscent of the more grotesque Roman emperors in many ways, but it’s his refusal to take the national crisis seriously or take any responsibility for it that truly evokes the phrase “fiddling while Rome burns.”
In the case of our pugilistic, narcissistic president, the modern equivalent is “tweeting while the nation succumbs to a pandemic that he had full warning of and failed to prepare for.”
As thousands of Americans die every day, the president makes it clear he is spending his days watching television and obsessing over his critics instead of focusing on the crisis gripping the nation and getting relief to its beleaguered people.
Tuesday morning saw the president erupt in a rage at his former friend and former Republican “Morning” Joe Scarborough, trashing him as “Morning Psycho” and bitterly complaining about the “hatred and contempt” that the pundit shows towards him. It’s obvious the president was not pleased with this morning’s broadcast.
Watched the first 5 minutes of poorly rated Morning Psycho on MSDNC just to see if he is as “nuts” as people are saying. He’s worse. Such hatred and contempt! I used to do his show all the time before the 2016 election, then cut him off. Wasn’t worth the effort, his mind is shot! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
The abuse hurled at Joe Scarborough and his wife Mika is a common occurrence from the president, more evidence that he is utterly incapable of letting anything go.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Every slight and perceived insult against him lodges in his craw and festers forever, the embers of wounded ego rekindling every time he discovers new evidence of their treachery — which he goes out of his way to seek, inexorably and inexplicably compelled to immerse himself in the disgust he elicits from others.
The president followed up his attack on Scarborough with a ridiculous boast about how he somehow defeated a “lamestream” media that in reality propped up his candidacy with hundreds of millions of dollars in free media coverage.
It is amazing that I became President of the United States with such a totally corrupt and dishonest Lamestream Media going after me all day, and all night. Either I’m really good, far better than the Fake News wants to admit, or they don’t have nearly the power as once thought! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
And finally ended his morning Twitter outburst with the most jarring tweet of all — yet another boast about the ratings of his daily White House press briefings. Rather than focus on the deadly pandemic that necessitated the daily briefings in the first place, the president would rather turn it into a celebration of himself, choosing to perceive the millions of people tuning in for information about a disease that has killed more Americans than the Vietnam War as a sign of their love for him and not their desire for leadership and solace from the man in charge of the country.
I’ve had great “ratings” my whole life, there’s nothing unusual about that for me. The White House News Conference ratings are “through the roof”(Monday Night Football, Bachelor Finale , @nytimes) but I don’t care about that. I care about going around the Fake News to the PEOPLE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
It’s clear from his inexcusable mismanagement and his relentless push to re-open the country before it is medically safe to do so that the lives of Americans are the last thing on his mind. Even when faced with the most serious crisis of the 21st century, the would-be emperor can still only think of himself.
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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--2020-04-22--Las Vegas Mayor volunteers her citizens as guinea pigs for early end to quarantine in bonkers interv

Las Vegas Mayor volunteers her citizens as guinea pigs for early end to quarantine in bonkers interview

The coronavirus is proving to be something of a litmus test for the political ideologies of our elected officials .
Those advocating for social distancing and a cautious approach to economic reopening are proving that they care about the health and safety of Americans first and foremost .
Those pushing for a dangerous , premature end to shelter at home orders are revealing themselves to be either mouthpieces for the bloody thirsty plutocrat eager to resume business even at the cost of human lives , or simply ignorant fools unable to recognize the severity of this pandemic .
The crown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibly higher mortality rates has been batted back and forth between numerous right-wing hacks over the past few weeks but now Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman , an Independent , has come roaring into first place to seize that ignominious title .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
During an interview with CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper , Goodman offered to use Las Vegas as a “ control group ” to see if loosening pandemic regulations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase mortality rates ( as any healthcare professional or epidemiologist will emphatically tell you it will ) .
The stunning comments came after Cooper correctly stated that social distancing is the reason why infection numbers aren ’ t higher .
“ How do we know until we have a control group ?
” Mayor Goodman responded , blissfully blasting her ignorance out to the entire world .
“ We offered to be a control group .
Anybody who knows anything about statistics knows , that for instance , you have a vaccine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re offering the citizens of Las Vegas to be a control group to see if your theory on social distancing works or doesn ’ t ?
” Cooper said , clearly stunned by the proposal .
“ I did offer .
It was turned down , ” Goodman said .
She then seemed to realize how truly unhinged she sounded and quickly backtracked .
“ No , no , no , wrong !
Absolutely wrong .
Don ’ t put words in my mouth.
” Anderson pushed her to explain herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she offered to use her city as a control group but a “ statistician ” told her she couldn ’ t do such a thing because citizens from other parts of Nevada not under her jurisdiction come into Las Vegas to work .
Goodman went on to say she wishes her city could be a “ placebo ” to test virus statistics and Cooper pointed out that the test group who receives the placebo “ usually gets the short end of the stick.
” “ Well , you don ’ t know .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re in part of that group ?
” Goodman responded , once again making it clear how little she understands this crisis .
Cooper then cut to the heart of the matter by asking her directly if she would be inside casinos every night if they opened , putting her life at risk the same way the workers would be .
She gave some boilerplate comments about how long she has lived in Vegas before stating that she has “ a family and she cooks a meal every night.
” Apparently , her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of casino workers .
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The coronavirus is proving to be something of a litmus test for the political ideologies of our elected officials. Those advocating for social distancing and a cautious approach to economic reopening are proving that they care about the health and safety of Americans first and foremost.
Those pushing for a dangerous, premature end to shelter at home orders are revealing themselves to be either mouthpieces for the bloody thirsty plutocrat eager to resume business even at the cost of human lives, or simply ignorant fools unable to recognize the severity of this pandemic.
The crown for “Most Shamelessly Apathetic” to possibly higher mortality rates has been batted back and forth between numerous right-wing hacks over the past few weeks but now Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, an Independent, has come roaring into first place to seize that ignominious title.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
During an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Goodman offered to use Las Vegas as a “control group” to see if loosening pandemic regulations and cutting back on social distancing will actually increase mortality rates (as any healthcare professional or epidemiologist will emphatically tell you it will). The stunning comments came after Cooper correctly stated that social distancing is the reason why infection numbers aren’t higher.
“How do we know until we have a control group?” Mayor Goodman responded, blissfully blasting her ignorance out to the entire world. “We offered to be a control group. Anybody who knows anything about statistics knows, that for instance, you have a vaccine, you give the real vaccine…”
“You’re offering the citizens of Las Vegas to be a control group to see if your theory on social distancing works or doesn’t?” Cooper said, clearly stunned by the proposal.
“I did offer. It was turned down,” Goodman said. She then seemed to realize how truly unhinged she sounded and quickly backtracked. “No, no, no, wrong! Absolutely wrong. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
Anderson pushed her to explain herself, and she once again admitted that she offered to use her city as a control group but a “statistician” told her she couldn’t do such a thing because citizens from other parts of Nevada not under her jurisdiction come into Las Vegas to work.
Goodman went on to say she wishes her city could be a “placebo” to test virus statistics and Cooper pointed out that the test group who receives the placebo “usually gets the short end of the stick.”
“Well, you don’t know. How do you know when…if you’re in part of that group?” Goodman responded, once again making it clear how little she understands this crisis.
Cooper then cut to the heart of the matter by asking her directly if she would be inside casinos every night if they opened, putting her life at risk the same way the workers would be. She gave some boilerplate comments about how long she has lived in Vegas before stating that she has “a family and she cooks a meal every night.” Apparently, her loved ones are more important than those of casino workers.
Watch the bizarre interaction below.
Las Vegas Mayor offers city as "control group", "we offer to be a control group" to see how many people die without social distancing. pic.twitter.com/NESE2hActE — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 22, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-04-22--White House press secretary gets publicly fact-checked for Trumpsplaining the CDC director

If the qualifications to become the press secretary in the Trump White House — a position that seems to regularly require new applicants judging from the rate of turnover that ’ s taken place so far — indeed include a fined-tuned ability to generate “ alternative facts ” then Kayleigh McEnany was the perfect choice for the job .
The former national spokesperson for the Republican National Committee — like her predecessors Sean Spicer , Sarah Huckabee Sanders , and the little-seen Stephanie Grisham — has held in abeyance any compunctions she may have about violating the biblical commandment against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying whatever is necessary to make her boss , the president , look as good as he can given the circumstances , no matter how little resemblance to the truth her words may contain .
McEnany ’ s prevarications are particularly dangerous during this coronavirus pandemic as she amplifies and excuses Donald Trump ’ s copious misinformation about the COVID-19 virus , its potential treatments , and the dangers inherent in reopening America ’ s businesses and recreational areas too early .
Take McEnany ’ s response to the comments made by Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention , in an interview with The Washington Post yesterday .
“ There ’ s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through , ” Redfield told The Post .
“ And when I ’ ve said this to others , they kind of put their head back , they don ’ t understand what I mean.
” “ We ’ re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Redfield said .
Seeing the CDC director ’ s warning— which was also reported by CNN — as contrary to the feel-good “ get America back to work ” message that his carefully sheltered billionaire industrialist buddies are pushing him to promote instead of policies that would prioritize the lives and safety of the poor working stiffs that generate their previously abundant profits , he posted this tweet this morning indicating that he had warned Redfield to issue a retraction .
Since McEnany ’ s loyalty is to the president rather than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acrobatic double-speak to support the president ’ s delusional misinterpretation of Director Redfield ’ s plainly apparent warning against complacency .
CBS News ‘ White House correspondent Mark Knoller noted the new press secretary ’ s attempts to spin the CDC director ’ s comments in a tweet from the White House lawn where McEnany was speaking to reporters after Trump and his First Lady pretended to do manual labor at a tree-planting ceremony today .
Give this woman an honorary Ph.D. in revisionist history !
Then again this reality diversion tactic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue a blatantly false declaration about the percentage of Americans who are “ with the president ” according to Pew Research Center in this interview with a complicit and unquestioning Fox News .
The most recent poll regarding the president ’ s pandemic response conducted by Pew Research was published a week ago and found that 65 % of Americans was too slow to address the crisis , 66 % are afraid that governments will lift restrictions too quickly , and that 73 % felt that the worst is still to come .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of major polls at fivethirtyeight.com shows that Trump ’ s disapproval rating has risen back up to 52.3 % , while the realclearpolitics.com polling average pegs his disapproval rating at 51.1 % .
McEnany may try to utilize “ alternative facts , ” “ magical thinking , ” or some sort of “ reality distortion field ” to try to make what the president wants to hear come true , but the rational world of facts keeps intruding to prove that what she actually employs are straight out lies .
America deserves a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth than to any oath of loyalty to the deranged , ego-driven fantasies of her employer .
Kayleigh McEnany is not that person .
Original reporting by Lena H. Sun at The Washington Post .
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If the qualifications to become the press secretary in the Trump White House — a position that seems to regularly require new applicants judging from the rate of turnover that’s taken place so far — indeed include a fined-tuned ability to generate “alternative facts” then Kayleigh McEnany was the perfect choice for the job.
The former national spokesperson for the Republican National Committee — like her predecessors Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and the little-seen Stephanie Grisham — has held in abeyance any compunctions she may have about violating the biblical commandment against bearing false witness as she goes about saying whatever is necessary to make her boss, the president, look as good as he can given the circumstances, no matter how little resemblance to the truth her words may contain.
McEnany’s prevarications are particularly dangerous during this coronavirus pandemic as she amplifies and excuses Donald Trump’s copious misinformation about the COVID-19 virus, its potential treatments, and the dangers inherent in reopening America’s businesses and recreational areas too early.
Take McEnany’s response to the comments made by Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in an interview with The Washington Post yesterday.
“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” Redfield told The Post. “And when I’ve said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don’t understand what I mean.” “We’re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time,” Redfield said.
Donald Trump certainly didn’t understand what Redfield meant.
Seeing the CDC director’s warning— which was also reported by CNN — as contrary to the feel-good “get America back to work” message that his carefully sheltered billionaire industrialist buddies are pushing him to promote instead of policies that would prioritize the lives and safety of the poor working stiffs that generate their previously abundant profits, he posted this tweet this morning indicating that he had warned Redfield to issue a retraction.
CDC Director was totally misquoted by Fake News @CNN on Covid 19. He will be putting out a statement. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020
Since McEnany’s loyalty is to the president rather than the truth, she had to perform some acrobatic double-speak to support the president’s delusional misinterpretation of Director Redfield’s plainly apparent warning against complacency.
CBS News‘ White House correspondent Mark Knoller noted the new press secretary’s attempts to spin the CDC director’s comments in a tweet from the White House lawn where McEnany was speaking to reporters after Trump and his First Lady pretended to do manual labor at a tree-planting ceremony today.
New WH @PressSec Kayleigh McEnany says @CDCDirector's comments about the Fall was a reference to the arrival of the seasonal flu and the need for all people to get flu shots. pic.twitter.com/nfiKsvZgu9 — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 22, 2020
Give this woman an honorary Ph.D. in revisionist history!
Then again this reality diversion tactic is not new for McEnany.
Watch her issue a blatantly false declaration about the percentage of Americans who are “with the president” according to Pew Research Center in this interview with a complicit and unquestioning Fox News.
New Press Sec Kayleigh McEnany is on Fox News slathering Spicer-like praise on Trump pic.twitter.com/UehOtbqTUN — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
80%!?!? Let’s get real.
The most recent poll regarding the president’s pandemic response conducted by Pew Research was published a week ago and found that 65% of Americans was too slow to address the crisis, 66% are afraid that governments will lift restrictions too quickly, and that 73% felt that the worst is still to come.
A quick hop over to the average of major polls at fivethirtyeight.com shows that Trump’s disapproval rating has risen back up to 52.3%, while the realclearpolitics.com polling average pegs his disapproval rating at 51.1%.
McEnany may try to utilize “alternative facts,” “magical thinking,” or some sort of “reality distortion field” to try to make what the president wants to hear come true, but the rational world of facts keeps intruding to prove that what she actually employs are straight out lies.
America deserves a press Secretary more dedicated to disseminating the truth than to any oath of loyalty to the deranged, ego-driven fantasies of her employer.
Kayleigh McEnany is not that person.
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Original reporting by Lena H. Sun at The Washington Post.
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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--2020-04-22--Trump brags he buys “a lot” of “specimen trees” in weird Earth Day ceremony

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now estimates that over 800,000 Americans have contracted COVID-19 and at least 44,000 have died .
So how is President Trump , the man who downplayed this pandemic from the beginning and who bears more responsibility than any other American for this disaster , spending his day ?
As part of an Earth Day ceremony , President Trump , First Lady Melania , Vice President Mike Pence , and Second Lady Karen Pence gathered to plant trees .
It ’ s something of a presidential tradition , but this year it felt distinctly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to spend every single second of the day talking about the coronavirus but seeing him laugh and joke while toying around with shovels and dirt felt deeply inappropriate .
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It would be one thing if he was competently handling the pandemic , if he had treated it as a serious risk from the beginning , and if his press conferences on the subject were anything more than glorified campaign rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be acceptable for him to take a little time to celebrate environmentalism .
It ’ s another thing entirely for him to ham it up at an event like this while his administration fails to adequately protect the American people .
Appropriateness aside , the event also showcased some of Donald Trump ’ s trademark weirdness .
During his remarks , he went on a long rambling discourse about specimen trees that left some scratching their heads in bewilderment .
“ We ’ re planting ten beautiful specimen trees .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may think that ’ s an exaggeration or that ’ s a Trump term .
Actually they ’ re sold as specimens .
They cost more money but they ’ re better .
I buy a lot of them , ” he claimed .
Why exactly the President of the United States finds the term “ specimen tree ” so fascinating is anyone ’ s guess , since it simply means a tree that is cultivated for its particularly pleasing appearance and used a landscape centerpiece .
His bizarre claim that he buys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can probably be chalked up to his preceding comment about their cost .
Trump likes to present himself as a rich sophisticate of developed taste so it likely popped into his head that bragging about owning expensive trees would make him look refined .
As usual , his ignorance was painfully apparent .
When it came time to use the shovels , Trump wielded his in the ungainly manner of a man who has never had to do an ounce of manual labor his entire life .
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now estimates that over 800,000 Americans have contracted COVID-19 and at least 44,000 have died. So how is President Trump, the man who downplayed this pandemic from the beginning and who bears more responsibility than any other American for this disaster, spending his day?
Gardening, apparently.
As part of an Earth Day ceremony, President Trump, First Lady Melania, Vice President Mike Pence, and Second Lady Karen Pence gathered to plant trees. It’s something of a presidential tradition, but this year it felt distinctly different. The president cannot be expected to spend every single second of the day talking about the coronavirus but seeing him laugh and joke while toying around with shovels and dirt felt deeply inappropriate.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
It would be one thing if he was competently handling the pandemic, if he had treated it as a serious risk from the beginning, and if his press conferences on the subject were anything more than glorified campaign rallies. If that were the case it would be acceptable for him to take a little time to celebrate environmentalism. It’s another thing entirely for him to ham it up at an event like this while his administration fails to adequately protect the American people.
Appropriateness aside, the event also showcased some of Donald Trump’s trademark weirdness. During his remarks, he went on a long rambling discourse about specimen trees that left some scratching their heads in bewilderment.
“We’re planting ten beautiful specimen trees. They’re specimens, all specimens. People may think that’s an exaggeration or that’s a Trump term. Actually they’re sold as specimens. They cost more money but they’re better. I buy a lot of them,” he claimed.
Why exactly the President of the United States finds the term “specimen tree” so fascinating is anyone’s guess, since it simply means a tree that is cultivated for its particularly pleasing appearance and used a landscape centerpiece.
His bizarre claim that he buys “a lot” of specimen trees can probably be chalked up to his preceding comment about their cost. Trump likes to present himself as a rich sophisticate of developed taste so it likely popped into his head that bragging about owning expensive trees would make him look refined. As usual, his ignorance was painfully apparent.
Trump spouts total nonsense about “specimen trees” and how many of them he buys while Melania looks on pic.twitter.com/sx8MnpAyDT — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
When it came time to use the shovels, Trump wielded his in the ungainly manner of a man who has never had to do an ounce of manual labor his entire life.
Producers know to inform talent NOT to wear heels if filming on grass. https://t.co/MgQJ0QuxQO — Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) April 22, 2020
Trump at a tree-planting ceremony: "We're planting 10 beautiful specimen trees. They're specimens. All specimens. People may think that's an exaggeration or that's a Trump term. Actually, they're sold as specimens. They cost more money but they are better. I buy a lot of 'em." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-04-22--McConnell: I’d rather see states go bankrupt than use public money to save them

The world is only beginning to grapple with the far-reaching and destructive effects of the coronavirus pandemic , but Republican leaders are already making it clear they ’ re willing to throw the nation to the wolves than spend a dollar more of public money than they have to .
The crisis is projected to blow a half-trillion-dollar hole in the budgets of America ’ s 50 states .
If the states are not bailed out , the shortfall is likely to trigger crushing austerity , massive job losses , and an abrupt end to critical public services that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even a great depression to rival the 1929 crash .
Yesterday , Democratic leadership made the questionable decision to punt on the issue of state bailouts and pass the third coronavirus relief bill refilling the small business bailout fund without fighting for the common-sense concessions that liberals have been angrily demanding , like relief funding for state governments , the post office , and a national vote-by-mail program .
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Predictably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via vote-by-consent , McConnell announced the Senate would no longer be passing any bills by unanimous consent and force all Senators to return to Congress .
Now that the leverage of an empty small business bailout fund is gone , Democrats have almost nothing to force the issue with — and Senator McConnell is making it clear he would rather see the country burn than spend a cent on what his office dismissed as “ Blue State Bailouts.
” Over the past four years , Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump ’ s plutocratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trillion to the national debt as their tax cuts for the wealthy funnel more and more money into the pockets of the richest Americans .
It is beyond appalling to see McConnell suddenly cry crocodile tears of fiscal responsibility now that a pandemic is ravaging the nation and killing tens of thousands of Americans , but it is just the sort of nihilistic cruelty we ’ ve come to expect from a Republican Party that has thrown off the mask and openly proclaims themselves to be a death cult in the service of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two decades , we are seeing irresponsible Republicans gut the nation and leave the next president an economic catastrophe to clean up as suffering rains down on America ’ s most vulnerable families .

The world is only beginning to grapple with the far-reaching and destructive effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but Republican leaders are already making it clear they’re willing to throw the nation to the wolves than spend a dollar more of public money than they have to.
The crisis is projected to blow a half-trillion-dollar hole in the budgets of America’s 50 states. If the states are not bailed out, the shortfall is likely to trigger crushing austerity, massive job losses, and an abrupt end to critical public services that could push our economy into years of recession or even a great depression to rival the 1929 crash.
Yesterday, Democratic leadership made the questionable decision to punt on the issue of state bailouts and pass the third coronavirus relief bill refilling the small business bailout fund without fighting for the common-sense concessions that liberals have been angrily demanding, like relief funding for state governments, the post office, and a national vote-by-mail program.
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Predictably, the moment the third bill passed via vote-by-consent, McConnell announced the Senate would no longer be passing any bills by unanimous consent and force all Senators to return to Congress.
Sen McConnell says no Phase 4 until Senate is fully back in session. No more bills by consent. Cites mounting national debt as "a matter of genuine concern." — Carl Hulse (@hillhulse) April 21, 2020
Now that the leverage of an empty small business bailout fund is gone, Democrats have almost nothing to force the issue with — and Senator McConnell is making it clear he would rather see the country burn than spend a cent on what his office dismissed as “Blue State Bailouts.”
McConnell tells Hugh Hewitt he prefers states be allowed to declare bankruptcy over sending them direct federal aid. pic.twitter.com/cvj8Hfj7Tb — Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) April 22, 2020
McConnell's office is calling them "Blue State Bailouts" pic.twitter.com/MSXD2nwiYe — Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) April 22, 2020
Over the past four years, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump’s plutocratic policies have added a staggering $3 trillion to the national debt as their tax cuts for the wealthy funnel more and more money into the pockets of the richest Americans.
It is beyond appalling to see McConnell suddenly cry crocodile tears of fiscal responsibility now that a pandemic is ravaging the nation and killing tens of thousands of Americans, but it is just the sort of nihilistic cruelty we’ve come to expect from a Republican Party that has thrown off the mask and openly proclaims themselves to be a death cult in the service of Mammon.
McConnell is fine bailing out companies that pay dividends and bonuses but he and the gang are gonna do everything they can to make sure that firefighters and teachers and state public health workers absolutely take it on the chin. — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) April 22, 2020
For the second time in two decades, we are seeing irresponsible Republicans gut the nation and leave the next president an economic catastrophe to clean up as suffering rains down on America’s most vulnerable families.
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--2020-04-22--GOP State Senator and wife liken Ohio Jewish Health Director to satanic Nazi

Barring some unforeseen and unlikely seismic shift in its morality and soul , the Republican Party is beyond saving .
The positioning of Trump as the GOP ’ s leader is the most obvious sign of the rot running to the core , but the malignancy is rampant and has been building up for decades .
This nation ’ s conservative party now stands for little more than gleeful anti-scientism , virulent racism , and the shameless enriching of the top 1 % .
From the White House all the way down to the state and local level the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier today , Tyler Buchanan of the Ohio Capital Journal tweeted out a perfect example of the kind of disgraceful Republican behavior that we ’ ve unfortunately come to expect from party diehards .
He shared Facebook screenshots showing Ohio State Senator Andrew Brenner ( R ) and his wife Sara Marie Brenner comparing Dr. Amy Acton , the Ohio Department of Health Director , to a Nazi .
As Buchanan points out , Acton is Jewish .
The original post by Mrs. Brenner smeared Acton for making the reasonable suggestion that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with COVID-19 immunity to help with the current crisis , as it would allow them to go about their business without fear .
It ’ s a clever idea , and one that could help to offset some of the negative economic impacts the pandemic has already inflicted .
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“ With a German accent , in your head say ‘ Show me your papers.
’ This is downright scary !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referencing Nazi Germany .
She goes on to slam Acton ’ s idea as “ mark of the beast type talk , ” referring to Satanic mythology from the Book of Revelations .
She writes that the coronavirus papers would be “ worse than China ” and that it actually feels like “ Hitler ’ s Germany.
” Senator Brenner cosigned his wife ’ s post by responding with “ We won ’ t allow that to happen in Ohio.
” The post is from beginning to end a perfect distillation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rampant on the political right .
A rational person would not see any similarities between a bill of good health and the brutalities of national socialism , but Republicans like Brenner don ’ t operate in the real world .
Her comments and her husband ’ s subsequent endorsement of them are especially heinous since , as Buchanan points out , they came not long after Acton gave a moving speech on Holocaust Remembrance Day .
The people of Senator Brenner ’ s district must be made aware of his disgusting behavior .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in the Ohio Statehouse ?
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Barring some unforeseen and unlikely seismic shift in its morality and soul, the Republican Party is beyond saving. The positioning of Trump as the GOP’s leader is the most obvious sign of the rot running to the core, but the malignancy is rampant and has been building up for decades.
This nation’s conservative party now stands for little more than gleeful anti-scientism, virulent racism, and the shameless enriching of the top 1%. From the White House all the way down to the state and local level the GOP is infested with ignoramuses and ghouls.
Earlier today, Tyler Buchanan of the Ohio Capital Journal tweeted out a perfect example of the kind of disgraceful Republican behavior that we’ve unfortunately come to expect from party diehards. He shared Facebook screenshots showing Ohio State Senator Andrew Brenner (R) and his wife Sara Marie Brenner comparing Dr. Amy Acton, the Ohio Department of Health Director, to a Nazi. As Buchanan points out, Acton is Jewish.
The original post by Mrs. Brenner smeared Acton for making the reasonable suggestion that the government could begin issuing certificates to people with COVID-19 immunity to help with the current crisis, as it would allow them to go about their business without fear. It’s a clever idea, and one that could help to offset some of the negative economic impacts the pandemic has already inflicted.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
“With a German accent, in your head say ‘Show me your papers.’ This is downright scary!” Brenner’s post begins, clearly referencing Nazi Germany.
She goes on to slam Acton’s idea as “mark of the beast type talk,” referring to Satanic mythology from the Book of Revelations. She writes that the coronavirus papers would be “worse than China” and that it actually feels like “Hitler’s Germany.” Senator Brenner cosigned his wife’s post by responding with “We won’t allow that to happen in Ohio.”
The post is from beginning to end a perfect distillation of the disturbing paranoia and hysteria that is absolutely rampant on the political right. A rational person would not see any similarities between a bill of good health and the brutalities of national socialism, but Republicans like Brenner don’t operate in the real world.
Her comments and her husband’s subsequent endorsement of them are especially heinous since, as Buchanan points out, they came not long after Acton gave a moving speech on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The people of Senator Brenner’s district must be made aware of his disgusting behavior. Is this really who they want representing them in the Ohio Statehouse?
Days after anti-Semitic protests and hours after @DrAmyActon spoke about hope on Holocaust Remembrance Day, here is Ohio Republican Rep. @andrewbrenner + his wife comparing Acton (who is Jewish) to Nazi Germany and concentration camps. pic.twitter.com/RBkNJMZiSf — Tyler Buchanan (@Tylerjoelb) April 22, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-04-22--Trump rattles saber at Iran with direct threat of violence

If there ’ s one thing President Trump has learned throughout his presidency , it ’ s the value of violence as a distracting tool .
Whether the issue is his impeachment , FBI investigations , or a pandemic , he knows that a bout of saber-rattling at one of the nations that the neocon foreign policy blob and the military-industrial complex has designated a Permanent Enemy brings immediate rewards .
Very Serious Op-Ed columnists will nod in approval and praise him for taking the threat to American interests seriously while the cable news networks can be relied upon to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taste of blood in the water and immediately pivot into 72 hours of rabid commentary from think tank weenies and Iraq War criminals .
So it is sadly predictable that President Trump , running out of excuses for his appalling mismanagement of a pandemic whose death toll is racing towards 50,000 American lives , took to Twitter this morning to declare that we will “ shoot down and destroy ” any Iranian gunboats that approach our ships at sea .
It appears that his outburst was prompted by the Pentagon ’ s complaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boats ” on “ harassing approaches ” against American ships in the Persian Gulf .
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Why our ships are close enough to Iran to be harassed by gunboats in the first place is never discussed ; the American right to threaten and trespass along the coastlines of other nations is a given in the exceptionalist mindset , while any response or retaliation by the other nation is cynically condemned as unprovoked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States to the brink of war with Iran when he ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Souleimani as he left the Iraqi airport in Baghdad , leading to an Iranian missile barrage against a U.S. base that resulted in over a hundred traumatic brain injuries to U.S. troops .
Tensions have since cooled , but it appears that the tidal wave of criticism that the President is facing for his failure to adequately respond to the coronavirus crisis has him looking for new distractions anywhere he can find them .
Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-off tweet inspired by something he saw on FOX News and not the beginning of something bigger .

If there’s one thing President Trump has learned throughout his presidency, it’s the value of violence as a distracting tool.
Whether the issue is his impeachment, FBI investigations, or a pandemic, he knows that a bout of saber-rattling at one of the nations that the neocon foreign policy blob and the military-industrial complex has designated a Permanent Enemy brings immediate rewards.
Very Serious Op-Ed columnists will nod in approval and praise him for taking the threat to American interests seriously while the cable news networks can be relied upon to soil themselves with glee at the slightest taste of blood in the water and immediately pivot into 72 hours of rabid commentary from think tank weenies and Iraq War criminals.
So it is sadly predictable that President Trump, running out of excuses for his appalling mismanagement of a pandemic whose death toll is racing towards 50,000 American lives, took to Twitter this morning to declare that we will “shoot down and destroy” any Iranian gunboats that approach our ships at sea.
I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020
It appears that his outburst was prompted by the Pentagon’s complaining that Iran recently sent 11 “fast boats” on “harassing approaches” against American ships in the Persian Gulf.
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Why our ships are close enough to Iran to be harassed by gunboats in the first place is never discussed; the American right to threaten and trespass along the coastlines of other nations is a given in the exceptionalist mindset, while any response or retaliation by the other nation is cynically condemned as unprovoked aggression.
President Trump recently brought the United States to the brink of war with Iran when he ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Souleimani as he left the Iraqi airport in Baghdad, leading to an Iranian missile barrage against a U.S. base that resulted in over a hundred traumatic brain injuries to U.S. troops.
Tensions have since cooled, but it appears that the tidal wave of criticism that the President is facing for his failure to adequately respond to the coronavirus crisis has him looking for new distractions anywhere he can find them.
Let’s hope this is just a one-off tweet inspired by something he saw on FOX News and not the beginning of something bigger.
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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--2020-04-23--Trump Wednesday presser: public apologies, political prevarication, and more mixed messages

Donald Trump ’ s daily press briefing started with a scene reminiscent of the reeducation camps of the Chinese cultural revolution with CDC Director Robert Redfield called before the public almost immediately by the “ great leader ” to defend his comments in a Washington Post interview — where he speculated that the COVID-19 pandemic could “ be even more difficult ” next winter than it is now — and explain how they were in no way in contradiction with the attitudes expressed by the president in his little red book of optimistic pandemic predictions .
The moment set the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrogance , narcissism , and dismissiveness that the president dispenses daily to the assembled press to demonstrate that anyone questioning his authority , the appropriateness or timeliness of his actions , or breaking ranks with the desires of the “ Great Trumpolini ” will be swiftly put in their place .
As they do each day , Aaron Rupar of Vox and Daniel Dale of CNN live-tweeted the proceedings , allowing us to present a glimpse of the briefing without forcing the readers here to sit through the frustrating experience of watching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further ado , here are today ’ s highlights .
Director Redfield looked profoundly uncomfortable as he was forced to walk the tightrope between the clear warning that he gave in his interview that a return to normal life was not going come quickly or easily and the president ’ s fantasies of a return to the time when the economy still gave him a chance at being reelected .
Like yesterday , Trump painted a picture of virus testing capabilities that only he — and a coronavirus task force too politically savvy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available to the general public in the quantities that they need .
With coronavirus preventing Trump from holding rallies , these briefings allow him to keep up his daily quota of political lies and misinformation without having to double his social media output in order to maintain his uncontested status as the most mendacious president in U.S. history .
Being the king of lies is not enough for Trump , who now wants the honorific “ king of ventilators ” added to his official credentials .
The presidential paranoia level has apparently not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to his persecution by the press complex .
Trump ’ s mixed messages of an urged reopening of America ’ s businesses and the concomitant danger of a resurgence in the number of COVID-19 infections made for a macabre combination .
One could make the same statement about the president himself in reference to the reality TV career that he should have never left .
Trump tried to have it both ways by publicly disagreeing with Georgia Governor Brian Kamp ’ s decision to reopen high-risk personal care businesses in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while refusing to exercise his claimed authority to prevent the governor from doing so .
Trump ’ s incoherent messaging was never more apparent than in his call for a grand , crowded July 4th celebration in the nation ’ s capital and his attempts at explaining how that could take place while maintaining social distancing .
He quickly moved back to bragging about what a great job his administration was doing with rolling out testing capabilities for the COVID-19 virus .
When the time for questions from the press came , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in The New York Times about the alleged politically-motivated removal of Dr. Rick Bright from his position as the director of the Department of Health and Human Services ’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) and as the deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response .
Trump ’ s nostalgia for the roar of the crowds knows no bounds as he gleefully promised wealthy sports team owners that their often publicly-financed stadiums would soon be full again , just like the good old days .
As reporters continued to press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back on his media persecution excuse rather than addressing the legitimate discrepancies between his rosy and boastful portrait of what he ’ s accomplished and the reality in the emergency rooms and hospitals across the country .
Trump made sure to point out how he is helping everyone in the categories of voters already predisposed to vote for him , including America ’ s farmers and its seniors .
The Q & A sections of the press conference can often get testy , and today was no different .
Anytime Trump was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to answer — or couldn ’ t — he used it as an opportunity to insult or demean the person asking the question , no matter how legitimate the inquiry may have been .
Trump concluded his briefing by again misstating the date of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic , likely because no one on his staff has the nerve to correct him .
Ending on another boastful , but unfactual , note .
the president walked out the door to the shouted questions from reporters foolishly seeking truthful information when by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump will deliver will be the singular message he wishes to convey — he ’ s doing a great job , better than anyone has ever done before , a job that no one else could possibly do .
This is not a president , this is a pitiful carnival barker , swimming fully-clothed in the deep end of the pool without a clue on how to swim and expecting Olympic gold .
Original reporting by Aaron Rupar at Vox and by Daniel Dale at CNN .
We want to hear what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Donald Trump’s daily press briefing started with a scene reminiscent of the reeducation camps of the Chinese cultural revolution with CDC Director Robert Redfield called before the public almost immediately by the “great leader” to defend his comments in a Washington Post interview — where he speculated that the COVID-19 pandemic could “be even more difficult” next winter than it is now — and explain how they were in no way in contradiction with the attitudes expressed by the president in his little red book of optimistic pandemic predictions.
The moment set the tone for the parade of self-praise, arrogance, narcissism, and dismissiveness that the president dispenses daily to the assembled press to demonstrate that anyone questioning his authority, the appropriateness or timeliness of his actions, or breaking ranks with the desires of the “Great Trumpolini” will be swiftly put in their place.
As they do each day, Aaron Rupar of Vox and Daniel Dale of CNN live-tweeted the proceedings, allowing us to present a glimpse of the briefing without forcing the readers here to sit through the frustrating experience of watching the propaganda puppet show in real-time.
Without further ado, here are today’s highlights.
Here's CDC Director Redfield trying to make a painstaking distinction between "worse" and "complicated" in an effort to walk back comments he made on the record indicating that a second wave of coronavirus this fall could be really bad pic.twitter.com/q9eClOqxkz — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Director Redfield looked profoundly uncomfortable as he was forced to walk the tightrope between the clear warning that he gave in his interview that a return to normal life was not going come quickly or easily and the president’s fantasies of a return to the time when the economy still gave him a chance at being reelected.
Redfield: When I commented that there was a possibility of a second wave being more difficult or complicated, when we'd have flu and coronavirus circulating at the same time, but I didn't say this was going to be "worse," just more difficult and complicated. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Redfield: The issue I'm talking about, it being more "difficult" in the second wave, is that we'll have two viruses circulating at the same time, whereas this time the flu season has ended so we can use all our flu surveillance system. Next fall and winter, it'll be both. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Redfield: "I'm accurately quoted in the Washington Post," but there's an issue with the (paraphrasing) headline that said more devastating rather than more difficult. (Let's move on and never think about this again.) — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Like yesterday, Trump painted a picture of virus testing capabilities that only he — and a coronavirus task force too politically savvy to contradict him — actually believe are available to the general public in the quantities that they need.
Trump accuses Pelosi of "having a rally in Chinatown" in San Francisco in February, which is another lie. pic.twitter.com/v2jtKUoyE8 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump could maybe bash Pelosi for not taking the threat seriously enough on that day, Feb. 24…though he himself said on that same day that "the Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA” and kept downplaying it for weeks after…but he keeps adding fake details. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
With coronavirus preventing Trump from holding rallies, these briefings allow him to keep up his daily quota of political lies and misinformation without having to double his social media output in order to maintain his uncontested status as the most mendacious president in U.S. history.
Trump: If this virus comes back, it won't come back anywhere "near" the current level…but there could be a "mess" if there are "embers of corona coupled with the flu," which is "not gonna be pleasant"…but also not "what we've gone through," and we're more prepared now. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Being the king of lies is not enough for Trump, who now wants the honorific “king of ventilators” added to his official credentials.
"King of ventilators." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Trump: One time all we talked about was ventilators, ventilators, and it was because nobody thought I would solve that problem, but "I solved it," and now nobody talks about this. (We talked about ventilators because of real concerns about ventilators.) — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
The presidential paranoia level has apparently not diminished since yesterday’s briefing when it comes to his persecution by the press complex.
Trump on the US success in providing a sufficient number of ventilators: "The fake news was very unhappy that it was done." Just complete nonsense. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Trump’s mixed messages of an urged reopening of America’s businesses and the concomitant danger of a resurgence in the number of COVID-19 infections made for a macabre combination.
Trump on how we have to guard against a rebound: "We don't want rebounds after all this DEATH. DEATH." Trump says the virus should've never left the "little area where it started" and everyone knows it. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
One could make the same statement about the president himself in reference to the reality TV career that he should have never left.
Trump tried to have it both ways by publicly disagreeing with Georgia Governor Brian Kamp’s decision to reopen high-risk personal care businesses in his state against all health experts’ recommendations while refusing to exercise his claimed authority to prevent the governor from doing so.
Trump: I told Gov. Kemp that I disagree with his move — it's "too soon" to open tattoo parlors, spas, barbershops in phase one, though "I love the people" who go to those businesses. "Safety" needs to take priority; those businesses can wait. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
TRUMP: "On July 4, we will be doing what we had at the Mall. As you know, we're gonna be doing it. Last year was a tremendous success and I would imagine we'll do it, hopefully I can use the term 'forever.' That was a great success, as you remember." pic.twitter.com/VecXPKIVkW — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump’s incoherent messaging was never more apparent than in his call for a grand, crowded July 4th celebration in the nation’s capital and his attempts at explaining how that could take place while maintaining social distancing.
He quickly moved back to bragging about what a great job his administration was doing with rolling out testing capabilities for the COVID-19 virus.
Trump says they're making efforts to expand testing in underserved areas. He touts the provisions of the new bill. He also says telehealth has become a big deal. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Trump: "Some people" are very "big" on testing, but also, "some people are much less big than I am, and they're professionals." (?) (Experts generally emphasize that testing is critical.) — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Trump is emphasizing minority communities in his prepared remarks. He's now talking about how much African-Americans and Hispanics were prospering before all this happened, again doing his usual rally boasts in the past tense. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Trump says safety might happen at a level like safety has never happened before. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Trump's past tense economic boasts don't have the same juice as they did when they were present tense boasts pic.twitter.com/9Z4YiW7eZN — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
When the time for questions from the press came, Trump was immediately asked about the report today in The New York Times about the alleged politically-motivated removal of Dr. Rick Bright from his position as the director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and as the deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response.
Asked about Rick Bright's claim he was pushed out in part because he fought back over the admin's hydroxychloroquine push, Trump says, "I've never heard of him." On the claim he was pushed out, Trump says, "Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't"; have to hear the other side. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Here's Trump comparing the crowd he got for his speech last July 4th to crowds MLK used to get for his speeches pic.twitter.com/rwaO0YPj4G — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump’s nostalgia for the roar of the crowds knows no bounds as he gleefully promised wealthy sports team owners that their often publicly-financed stadiums would soon be full again, just like the good old days.
Trump: Sports are going to be the way they used to be; I told "one of the owners" who asked me if they should take out seats that no, they shouldn't; this virus will be gone, and if it comes back, "we'll put it out very fast." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
As reporters continued to press the president on testing, Trump fell back on his media persecution excuse rather than addressing the legitimate discrepancies between his rosy and boastful portrait of what he’s accomplished and the reality in the emergency rooms and hospitals across the country.
Asked if more testing is needed, Trump keeps boasting about how much is currently being done and then says it's a "media trap": "It'll never be enough, no matter what." Experts and governors on all sides say testing is critical. This is not an anti-Trump conspiracy. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Asked to say more about his disagreement with Gov. Kemp about his move to reopen businesses, Trump changes the topic to talking about how Kemp's victory represented a win in his proxy war against the Obamas pic.twitter.com/w1DEJzkSVk — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump: "I know the people from spas and beauty parlors, tattoo parlors. Bikers for Trump. A lot of tattoos." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Trump made sure to point out how he is helping everyone in the categories of voters already predisposed to vote for him, including America’s farmers and its seniors.
Trump: Nobody ever took care of farmers like I take care of farmers. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
Trump: We're taking excellent care of our seniors, other than me. "Nobody wants to take care of me." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2020
TRUMP: "Ultimately we're doing more testing, I think, than probably any of the governors even want." (There is not a single governor to my knowledge who has expressed satisfaction with the current level of coronavirus testing.) pic.twitter.com/FUcKf5wWso — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
The Q & A sections of the press conference can often get testy, and today was no different. Anytime Trump was asked a question that he didn’t want to answer — or couldn’t — he used it as an opportunity to insult or demean the person asking the question, no matter how legitimate the inquiry may have been.
"Have you studied him? Have you reported on him?" — Trump takes umbrage after @weijia describes Dr. Bright, the HHS official who says he was ousted after he resisted Trump's hydroxychloroquine push, as "gifted" pic.twitter.com/tlSCQuBTQj — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump concluded his briefing by again misstating the date of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, likely because no one on his staff has the nerve to correct him.
Trump closes the briefing by restating his lie that the US has done more coronavirus than "all those nations put together." pic.twitter.com/brFmkxf5S3 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Ending on another boastful, but unfactual, note. the president walked out the door to the shouted questions from reporters foolishly seeking truthful information when by now they should all know that all that Trump will deliver will be the singular message he wishes to convey — he’s doing a great job, better than anyone has ever done before, a job that no one else could possibly do.
This is not a president, this is a pitiful carnival barker, swimming fully-clothed in the deep end of the pool without a clue on how to swim and expecting Olympic gold.
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Original reporting by Aaron Rupar at Vox and by Daniel Dale at CNN.
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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--2020-04-23--Joe Walsh torches Trump in A+ response to Gorka claiming only “manly men” like Trump

At the core of modern conservatism is a perverse obsession with the superficial trappings of hypermasculinity , expressed through strict adherence to a preposterous caricature of traditional gender roles .
The corollary to this is an urgent need to paint liberals and leftists as feminine and weak , inherently opposed to masculinity and intent on converting America ’ s strong males into flaccid soyboys by such radical ideas like “ engaging with their emotions ” and “ treating women as equals.
” This is a classic trope of fascism that featured prominently in Nazi ideology , it ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gorka promoting those kinds of ideas to President Trump ’ s support base on his radio show , since he himself infamously has ties to a Hungarian pro-Nazi group .
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The former White House advisor turned MAGA celebrity and podcast meme created a stir on social media this afternoon when he declared that “ the Left ” hates President Trump because they hate masculinity and that “ manly men ” don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been absolutely mystifying to watch the president ’ s delusional supporters glorify him as some sort of male icon when Trump embodies none of the classic traits of masculinity .
Overly sensitive and incapable of tolerating any kind of slight , the president is obsessed with gossip and the foppish luxuries of high society .
Far from the rippling muscles and bodily strength that the right-wing fetishizes , Trump is physically grotesque , unrepentantly gluttonous , and famously disdainful of physical exertion .
A weak-willed coward by nature , it is common knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last person to talk to him and doesn ’ t even enjoy firing people , as his reality show persona supposedly did — avoiding all confrontation , he prefers to call up the tabloids , leak to the media , or use a tweet .
Even when it comes to women , he is largely forced to purchase their affection ( “ I took her furniture shopping ” ) or resorted to taking it by force ( “ I grabbed her by the pussy ” ) .
Decaying in mind , body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump that fits in with the ideals of masculinity that the right-wing idolizes .
Former Tea Party fanatic turned NeverTrump Republican Joe Walsh took to Twitter to roast Gorka for his ridiculous arguments , laying out in no uncertain terms that nothing the president says or does is anything close to being “ manly ” according to the rules that they themselves set down !
The depths of Trumper delusion make it clear that their movement is much more akin to a cult than any kind of real political movement , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power more imperative than ever before .

At the core of modern conservatism is a perverse obsession with the superficial trappings of hypermasculinity, expressed through strict adherence to a preposterous caricature of traditional gender roles.
The corollary to this is an urgent need to paint liberals and leftists as feminine and weak, inherently opposed to masculinity and intent on converting America’s strong males into flaccid soyboys by such radical ideas like “engaging with their emotions” and “treating women as equals.”
This is a classic trope of fascism that featured prominently in Nazi ideology, it’s no surprise to see a man like Sebastian Gorka promoting those kinds of ideas to President Trump’s support base on his radio show, since he himself infamously has ties to a Hungarian pro-Nazi group.
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The former White House advisor turned MAGA celebrity and podcast meme created a stir on social media this afternoon when he declared that “the Left” hates President Trump because they hate masculinity and that “manly men” don’t hate Trump.
It has been absolutely mystifying to watch the president’s delusional supporters glorify him as some sort of male icon when Trump embodies none of the classic traits of masculinity.
Overly sensitive and incapable of tolerating any kind of slight, the president is obsessed with gossip and the foppish luxuries of high society. Far from the rippling muscles and bodily strength that the right-wing fetishizes, Trump is physically grotesque, unrepentantly gluttonous, and famously disdainful of physical exertion.
A weak-willed coward by nature, it is common knowledge that Trump is easily swayed by the last person to talk to him and doesn’t even enjoy firing people, as his reality show persona supposedly did — avoiding all confrontation, he prefers to call up the tabloids, leak to the media, or use a tweet.
Even when it comes to women, he is largely forced to purchase their affection (“I took her furniture shopping”) or resorted to taking it by force (“I grabbed her by the pussy”). Decaying in mind, body, and soul, there is little about President Trump that fits in with the ideals of masculinity that the right-wing idolizes.
Former Tea Party fanatic turned NeverTrump Republican Joe Walsh took to Twitter to roast Gorka for his ridiculous arguments, laying out in no uncertain terms that nothing the president says or does is anything close to being “manly” according to the rules that they themselves set down!
Tell me @sebgorka, what’s “manly” or “masculine” about dodging the draft, not paying your bills, cheating on your wife, sexually abusing women, not telling the truth, groveling to dictators, firing staff via Twitter, & whining about the media? Trump isn’t manly. He’s a coward. https://t.co/GKoNnnlJ96 — Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) April 23, 2020
The depths of Trumper delusion make it clear that their movement is much more akin to a cult than any kind of real political movement, making the removal of the cult leader from power more imperative than ever before.
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--2020-04-23--Ocasio-Cortez shreds Republicans for helping big business instead of the American people

Perhaps more so than any other event in recent history the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the yawning moral abyss at the heart of the Republican Party .
Lead by a president who repeatedly downplayed the risks of the virus before pivoting to shamelessly blaming everyone but himself for the federal government ’ s mismanagement of the crisis , conservatives are now calling for a premature reopening of the economy , even if it means a massive spike in the number of coronavirus deaths .
Greed and hatred are the twin engines that power the GOP and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argue that we have to get people back to work so they can support their families , even if it puts their health directly at risk .
What these right-wingers conveniently ignore is that the government could help these same people by simply sending them more stimulus money until it ’ s safe to end the shelter at home orders .
Of course , Republicans as a rule hate disbursing tax dollars to anyone but the uber-wealthy so that particular solution is anathema to then .
Add your name to reject Trump & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ lives to save the stock market !
Earlier today , Rep. Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) took to the House floor to blast the Republican Party for its collective failures during this unprecedented crisis .
In particular , she criticized their rhetoric around the next planned virus relief package .
“ It is a joke when Republicans say that they have urgency around this bill .
The only folks that they have urgency around are folks like Ruth ’ s Chris Steak House and Shake Shack .
Those are the people getting assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shake Shack was one of several large companies that were criticized for taking millions of dollars in relief while smaller family businesses struggle just to stay afloat .
While the company eventually caved and agreed to return the $ 10 million it had received , the incident highlighted the fact that the government is simply not doing enough to help Americans in need .
“ You are not trying to fix this bill for mom and pops and we have to fight to fund hospitals !
” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez went on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what we are fighting for in this bill .
It is unconscionable .
If you had urgency you would legislate like rent was due on May 1st and made sure that we include rent and mortgage relief for our constituents , ” the progressive icon went on , .
It was a powerful moment and she brought some well-deserved criticism to bear against Republicans who seem completely oblivious to the fact that many Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck and as such can not afford to wait for a slow-moving government to get them the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
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Perhaps more so than any other event in recent history the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the yawning moral abyss at the heart of the Republican Party.
Lead by a president who repeatedly downplayed the risks of the virus before pivoting to shamelessly blaming everyone but himself for the federal government’s mismanagement of the crisis, conservatives are now calling for a premature reopening of the economy, even if it means a massive spike in the number of coronavirus deaths. Greed and hatred are the twin engines that power the GOP and the former is currently in overdrive.
Republicans argue that we have to get people back to work so they can support their families, even if it puts their health directly at risk. What these right-wingers conveniently ignore is that the government could help these same people by simply sending them more stimulus money until it’s safe to end the shelter at home orders. Of course, Republicans as a rule hate disbursing tax dollars to anyone but the uber-wealthy so that particular solution is anathema to then.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Earlier today, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to the House floor to blast the Republican Party for its collective failures during this unprecedented crisis. In particular, she criticized their rhetoric around the next planned virus relief package.
“It is a joke when Republicans say that they have urgency around this bill. The only folks that they have urgency around are folks like Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Shake Shack. Those are the people getting assistance in this bill,” said Ocasio-Cortez.
Shake Shack was one of several large companies that were criticized for taking millions of dollars in relief while smaller family businesses struggle just to stay afloat. While the company eventually caved and agreed to return the $10 million it had received, the incident highlighted the fact that the government is simply not doing enough to help Americans in need.
“You are not trying to fix this bill for mom and pops and we have to fight to fund hospitals!” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez went on. “Fighting to fund testing! That is what we are fighting for in this bill. It is unconscionable. If you had urgency you would legislate like rent was due on May 1st and made sure that we include rent and mortgage relief for our constituents,” the progressive icon went on,.
It was a powerful moment and she brought some well-deserved criticism to bear against Republicans who seem completely oblivious to the fact that many Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck and as such cannot afford to wait for a slow-moving government to get them the relief they need. They must act now.
Watch the clip below.
Rep. @AOC: "It is a joke when Republicans say that they have urgency around this bill. The only folks that they have urgency around are Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and Shake Shack… If you had urgency, you would legislate like rent was due on May 1st." https://t.co/0xokgVKK5l pic.twitter.com/aXMZbDorgu — The Hill (@thehill) April 23, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-04-23--CNN’s KFILE digs up deleted racist tweets from Trump’s new HHS spokesman

The Trump administration once again finds itself mired in a racism scandal with the revelation that Michael Caputo , the new Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services , deleted several old tweets of his that contained shocking comments about Chinese people .
CNN ’ s Andrew Kaczynski reports that Caputo , who was hired to the position last week , deleted almost every single tweet he sent out before April 12 .
The deleted tweets are still available through internet archive services and are riddled with conspiracy theories , profanity , and bigotry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters.
” Another tweet addressed a Twitter user and asked : “ Don ’ t you have a bat to eat ?
” The comments are a reference to a racist meme circulating around the internet that holds that a Chinese citizen eating “ bat soup ” is what set off the COVID-19 pandemic in the first place .
Caputo also referred to a White House reporter as a “ dick ” and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country as the “ enemy of the people , ” a talking point directly borrowed from President Trump .
Additionally , Caputo alleged that media outlets are cultivating an “ intentional ” public panic to hurt the White House ’ s approval ratings .
As if that weren ’ t enough , he also accused Democrat of wanting “ 100s of thousands of Americans ” to die from COVID-19 so that Trump will lose the upcoming election .
Another tweet claimed that “ Democrats are pulling for the virus to kill a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of worldview that only makes sense to those who dwell in the paranoid fever dream that is the modern American right .
In short , Caputo engaged in the worst brand of right-wing racism and conspiracy peddling , which makes him a perfect fit for an administration stuffed with cryptofascists , white nationalists , and lunatics .
Under a normal president , these kinds of tweets would be grounds for firing .
Under Trump , they may have actually played a part in the decision to hire Caputo in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets here .

The Trump administration once again finds itself mired in a racism scandal with the revelation that Michael Caputo, the new Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services, deleted several old tweets of his that contained shocking comments about Chinese people.
CNN’s KFILE reports that Caputo, who was hired to the position last week, deleted almost every single tweet he sent out before April 12. The deleted tweets are still available through internet archive services and are riddled with conspiracy theories, profanity, and bigotry.
In March he wrote that “millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters.” Another tweet addressed a Twitter user and asked: “Don’t you have a bat to eat?” The comments are a reference to a racist meme circulating around the internet that holds that a Chinese citizen eating “bat soup” is what set off the COVID-19 pandemic in the first place.
Caputo also referred to a White House reporter as a “dick” and said that journalists are viewed by many in this country as the “enemy of the people,” a talking point directly borrowed from President Trump. Additionally, Caputo alleged that media outlets are cultivating an “intentional” public panic to hurt the White House’s approval ratings.
As if that weren’t enough, he also accused Democrat of wanting “100s of thousands of Americans” to die from COVID-19 so that Trump will lose the upcoming election. Another tweet claimed that “Democrats are pulling for the virus to kill a lot of people.” It’s the kind of worldview that only makes sense to those who dwell in the paranoid fever dream that is the modern American right.
In short, Caputo engaged in the worst brand of right-wing racism and conspiracy peddling, which makes him a perfect fit for an administration stuffed with cryptofascists, white nationalists, and lunatics. Under a normal president, these kinds of tweets would be grounds for firing. Under Trump, they may have actually played a part in the decision to hire Caputo in the first place.
View more of the archived tweets here.
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occupydemocrats--2020-04-23--Pelosi mocks McConnell’s insecurity in fiery response to his “Blue State Bailout” taunt

House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) wasted no time in firing back at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after he crudely dismissed the idea of using federal funds to relieve beleaguered state governments as “ Blue State Bailouts.
” Speaking to the Washington Post , the Speaker took aim at McConnell over what she saw as a desperate attempt to play partisan politics in the middle of a pandemic .
“ Look at the language of Mitch McConnell : ‘ I ’ m not bailing out blue states , they should go bankrupt .
Really ?
Really ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ race in Kentucky to have to resort to that pathetic language ?
” Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
For the first time in recent memory , McConnell may be vulnerable in his home state .
Recent polling shows Mitch McConnell ’ s favorability ratings in his own state scraping the bottom at just 27 % favorable vs. 45.7 % unfavorable while his Democratic opponent , former fighter pilot Amy McGrath , outraised him during the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis is projected to blow a half-trillion-dollar hole in the budgets of America ’ s 50 states .
If the states are not bailed out , the shortfall is likely to trigger crushing austerity , massive job losses , and an abrupt end to critical public services that could push our economy into years of recession or even a great depression to rival the 1929 crash .
But rather than spend the public ’ s money to protect the jobs and pensions of the first responders that politicians love to tearfully canonize as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell announced yesterday that he would rather see the states go bankrupt .
On top of that , his office dismissed the idea as “ Blue State Bailouts ” and began crying crocodile tears about fiscal responsibility despite the Majority Leader ’ s role in blowing a $ 3 trillion hole in the national debt with tax cuts for the wealthy .
Mitch McConnell ’ s own state of Kentucky relies on the federal government for 40 % of its budget .
While some might see this as a reason to poor-shame the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they deserve to lose their money for voting conservative , remember that the loss of federal funding will only hurt the state ’ s most vulnerable people and the state ’ s hardest workers — and people who have probably been disenfranchised of their ability to vote in the first place .
I wouldn ’ t care if the entire budget of the state of Kentucky came from the federal government , because they ’ re Americans and they deserve to have healthcare , unemployment insurance , and all the other benefits that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dignity and comfort .
To politicize the rescue of state governments as “ blue ” or “ red ” bailouts in the middle of a pandemic is entirely unnecessary and is yet another expression of the obvious and repulsive disregard that Mitch McConnell holds for all Americans who don ’ t funnel money into Republican war chests .

House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wasted no time in firing back at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after he crudely dismissed the idea of using federal funds to relieve beleaguered state governments as “Blue State Bailouts.”
Speaking to the Washington Post, the Speaker took aim at McConnell over what she saw as a desperate attempt to play partisan politics in the middle of a pandemic.
“Look at the language of Mitch McConnell: ‘I’m not bailing out blue states, they should go bankrupt. Really? Really? How insecure is he in his own race in Kentucky to have to resort to that pathetic language?”
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
For the first time in recent memory, McConnell may be vulnerable in his home state. Recent polling shows Mitch McConnell’s favorability ratings in his own state scraping the bottom at just 27% favorable vs. 45.7% unfavorable while his Democratic opponent, former fighter pilot Amy McGrath, outraised him during the first quarter of this year.
The coronavirus crisis is projected to blow a half-trillion-dollar hole in the budgets of America’s 50 states. If the states are not bailed out, the shortfall is likely to trigger crushing austerity, massive job losses, and an abrupt end to critical public services that could push our economy into years of recession or even a great depression to rival the 1929 crash.
But rather than spend the public’s money to protect the jobs and pensions of the first responders that politicians love to tearfully canonize as Real American Heroes (TM), McConnell announced yesterday that he would rather see the states go bankrupt.
McConnell tells Hugh Hewitt he prefers states be allowed to declare bankruptcy over sending them direct federal aid. pic.twitter.com/cvj8Hfj7Tb — Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) April 22, 2020
On top of that, his office dismissed the idea as “Blue State Bailouts” and began crying crocodile tears about fiscal responsibility despite the Majority Leader’s role in blowing a $3 trillion hole in the national debt with tax cuts for the wealthy.
Mitch McConnell’s own state of Kentucky relies on the federal government for 40% of its budget.
While some might see this as a reason to poor-shame the state and cry hypocrisy and argue that they deserve to lose their money for voting conservative, remember that the loss of federal funding will only hurt the state’s most vulnerable people and the state’s hardest workers — and people who have probably been disenfranchised of their ability to vote in the first place.
I wouldn’t care if the entire budget of the state of Kentucky came from the federal government, because they’re Americans and they deserve to have healthcare, unemployment insurance, and all the other benefits that they deserve to live a life in dignity and comfort.
To politicize the rescue of state governments as “blue” or “red” bailouts in the middle of a pandemic is entirely unnecessary and is yet another expression of the obvious and repulsive disregard that Mitch McConnell holds for all Americans who don’t funnel money into Republican war chests.
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--2020-04-23--Morning Joe explodes at Trump for wishing virus would go away by the fall

MSNBC host and former Republican Joe Scarborough unloaded on the president this morning in response to unhelpful and unrealistic comments made yesterday at his latest coronavirus press conference .
Trump claimed , with ignorance or malice , that the coronavirus pandemic “ won ’ t be coming back in the form that it was ” in the fall .
It constituted just his latest effort to downplay the severity of COVID-19 and was an assessment completely removed from reality .
The virus will definitely emerge in another serious outbreak in the fall and the president ’ s own health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s message warp expectations .
“ We will have coronavirus in the fall .
I am convinced of that , ” said Dr. Fauci , Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
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With his overly hopeful comments , Trump was either showcasing the persistent ignorance that has defined his administration or , perhaps more likely , he was projecting a false optimism in the hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is deeply irresponsible .
Scarborough sounded furious as he attacked the president ’ s remarks .
He slammed Trump ’ s previous comments about how the virus would vanish miraculously .
“ We ’ re going to have probably by the end of next week more people dead from COVID-19 than died in the entire Vietnam tragedy .
In the entire Vietnam War !
More Americans dead from COVID-19 , this thing that he said would magically go away in April , ” thundered Scarborough .
He then proceeded to reel off some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with equal emotion , working himself into a rage .
“ This is not breaking news !
” Scarborough said of the fact that the virus will return in the fall .
“ How could the president not learn from his mistakes and still ignore his doctors , when every medical person will tell you , the pandemic could be the worst , the worst , during flu season ?
” “ Why am I getting so riled up ?
Because the president wasn ’ t prepared before right ?
The president was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration that this was coming !
” Scarborough went on .
“ Even [ Peter ] Navarro warned him , 500,000 people could die .
The president ignored it !
He didn ’ t prepare !
50,000 people are dead now because of it , right ?
He didn ’ t prepare .
There should have been a lot less people dead !
” We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

MSNBC host and former Republican Joe Scarborough unloaded on the president this morning in response to unhelpful and unrealistic comments made yesterday at his latest coronavirus press conference.
Trump claimed, with ignorance or malice, that the coronavirus pandemic “won’t be coming back in the form that it was” in the fall. It constituted just his latest effort to downplay the severity of COVID-19 and was an assessment completely removed from reality. The virus will definitely emerge in another serious outbreak in the fall and the president’s own health officials made sure to say as much lest Trump’s message warp expectations.
“We will have coronavirus in the fall. I am convinced of that,” said Dr. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
With his overly hopeful comments, Trump was either showcasing the persistent ignorance that has defined his administration or, perhaps more likely, he was projecting a false optimism in the hopes of boosting his poll numbers. Either is deeply irresponsible.
Scarborough sounded furious as he attacked the president’s remarks. He slammed Trump’s previous comments about how the virus would vanish miraculously.
“We’re going to have probably by the end of next week more people dead from COVID-19 than died in the entire Vietnam tragedy. In the entire Vietnam War! More Americans dead from COVID-19, this thing that he said would magically go away in April,” thundered Scarborough. He then proceeded to reel off some of Trump’s other pandemic mistakes with equal emotion, working himself into a rage.
“This is not breaking news!” Scarborough said of the fact that the virus will return in the fall. “How could the president not learn from his mistakes and still ignore his doctors, when every medical person will tell you, the pandemic could be the worst, the worst, during flu season?”
“Why am I getting so riled up? Because the president wasn’t prepared before right? The president was told in January by everybody in his administration that this was coming!” Scarborough went on. “Even [Peter] Navarro warned him, 500,000 people could die. The president ignored it! He didn’t prepare! 50,000 people are dead now because of it, right? He didn’t prepare. There should have been a lot less people dead!”
Watch the fiery tirade below.
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