occupydemocrats--2020-03-18--Warren to the rescue!: Senator releases her ironclad conditions for future corporate bailouts

Senator Elizabeth Warren may have abandoned her campaign for the Democratic nomination for president , but she ’ s demonstrating what a huge mistake the party made in not keeping her a front runner in the race by her fierce response to the coronavirus pandemic hitting our country and to the accompanying economic collapse following in its wake .
The woman who campaigned by developing plans for just about every conceivable ill that faces our society wasted no time in developing a platform of principles that she feels should govern the federal response to the financial ills brought on by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid the mistakes made in the government bailouts of the last economic meltdown due to Republican incompetency .
Senator Warren took to Twitter to publish her guidelines to prevent the government ’ s coronavirus response from helping maintain the same sort of income inequality that bailed out large financial institutions the last time around while failing to assist struggling homeowners from defaulting on their mortgages — resulting in a record number of foreclosures followed by the quick snapping up of suddenly empty homes at fire-sale prices by investors whose net worth still allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bargains .
The Massachusetts Senator displayed her expertise as a Harvard professor specializing in bankruptcy law with her list of suggested mandated requirements for any companies seeking federal relief from the economic downturn in their businesses .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
Using federal dollars to save your business while laying off employees to maintain profit margins would be prohibiti4ed under Warren ’ s plan .
Two more sensible steps that can help bring the nation back from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest number of people , reducing the income inequality that has been growing since the 1980s and eliminating the tactic used by many large companies after the Republican billionaire tax cut to drive up the prices of shares that form a good proportion of senior executives compensation while doing little to help the average employee .
Warren sees federal assistance programs for corporations as not just a one-way street but as an opportunity to impose the same sorts of rules and restrictions that lenders often force borrowers to agree to before they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of union contracts because of the change in economic circumstances for corporations under Warren ’ s plan , and no self-serving political contributions unless all the company ’ s stakeholders agree to their value .
Personal accountability for CEOs and an enforcement mechanism with real teeth are the last two items on Senator Warren ’ s well-thought-out checklist .
As Trump dithers and blathers and focuses on the needs of his billionaire buddies in the airline and hotel industries , here we have a woman who is ready with a plan that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lead the charge to see that the recovery is done right — benefiting all Americans equally , rather than being a new profit center for the already wealthy .
With the coronavirus pandemic upending the primaries and with the Democratic nomination still to be determined , it ’ s not too late for grassroots Democrats to push for Warren as the compromise candidate for president who can bridge the gap between Senator Bernie Sanders ’ progressive supporters and the moderate wing of the party that has coalesced around former Vice President Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point , then her quick action to jump into the fray to help shape the Democratic proposals to fight against the disastrous economic effects of the pandemic surely should catapult Warren to the top of the list of Vice Presidential candidates for both Biden or Sanders if either of them claims the top spot on the ticket .
Meanwhile let ’ s hope that all of our 70-plus-year-old contenders for the Democratic nomination are washing their hands frequently , practicing social distancing , and working from home while communicating via teleconference so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to bounce back from the two major catastrophes that have hit our nation simultaneously — the COVID-19 outbreak and the Trump presidency .
What do you think ?

Senator Elizabeth Warren may have abandoned her campaign for the Democratic nomination for president, but she’s demonstrating what a huge mistake the party made in not keeping her a front runner in the race by her fierce response to the coronavirus pandemic hitting our country and to the accompanying economic collapse following in its wake.
The woman who campaigned by developing plans for just about every conceivable ill that faces our society wasted no time in developing a platform of principles that she feels should govern the federal response to the financial ills brought on by the COVID-19 virus and that would help avoid the mistakes made in the government bailouts of the last economic meltdown due to Republican incompetency.
Senator Warren took to Twitter to publish her guidelines to prevent the government’s coronavirus response from helping maintain the same sort of income inequality that bailed out large financial institutions the last time around while failing to assist struggling homeowners from defaulting on their mortgages — resulting in a record number of foreclosures followed by the quick snapping up of suddenly empty homes at fire-sale prices by investors whose net worth still allowed them to spend their wealth on obvious bargains.
The Massachusetts Senator displayed her expertise as a Harvard professor specializing in bankruptcy law with her list of suggested mandated requirements for any companies seeking federal relief from the economic downturn in their businesses.
1. Companies must maintain their payrolls and use funds to keep people working or on payroll. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
Using federal dollars to save your business while laying off employees to maintain profit margins would be prohibited under Warren’s plan.
3. Companies are permanently prohibited from engaging in share repurchases. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
Two more sensible steps that can help bring the nation back from this financial setback more quickly while benefiting the largest number of people, reducing the income inequality that has been growing since the 1980s and eliminating the tactic used by many large companies after the Republican billionaire tax cut to drive up the prices of shares that form a good proportion of senior executives compensation while doing little to help the average employee.
5. Companies must set aside at least one seat – but potentially two or more, as the amount of relief increases – on the board of directors for representatives elected by workers. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
Warren sees federal assistance programs for corporations as not just a one-way street but as an opportunity to impose the same sorts of rules and restrictions that lenders often force borrowers to agree to before they will issue a loan.
7. Corporations must obtain shareholder and board approval for all political expenditures. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
No weaseling out of union contracts because of the change in economic circumstances for corporations under Warren’s plan, and no self-serving political contributions unless all the company’s stakeholders agree to their value.
Congress must set up an oversight body, modeled on the Congressional Oversight Panel and the SIGTARP program for the bank bailout, but with real funding & subpoena power. We need real accountability to make sure these conditions are met. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
Personal accountability for CEOs and an enforcement mechanism with real teeth are the last two items on Senator Warren’s well-thought-out checklist.
As Trump dithers and blathers and focuses on the needs of his billionaire buddies in the airline and hotel industries, here we have a woman who is ready with a plan that anticipates potential future problems and is ready to lead the charge to see that the recovery is done right — benefiting all Americans equally, rather than being a new profit center for the already wealthy.
With the coronavirus pandemic upending the primaries and with the Democratic nomination still to be determined, it’s not too late for grassroots Democrats to push for Warren as the compromise candidate for president who can bridge the gap between Senator Bernie Sanders’ progressive supporters and the moderate wing of the party that has coalesced around former Vice President Joe Biden.
If that seems unrealistic at this point, then her quick action to jump into the fray to help shape the Democratic proposals to fight against the disastrous economic effects of the pandemic surely should catapult Warren to the top of the list of Vice Presidential candidates for both Biden or Sanders if either of them claims the top spot on the ticket.
Meanwhile let’s hope that all of our 70-plus-year-old contenders for the Democratic nomination are washing their hands frequently, practicing social distancing, and working from home while communicating via teleconference so that we have all the brainpower we need to bounce back from the two major catastrophes that have hit our nation simultaneously — the COVID-19 outbreak and the Trump presidency.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-18--Rand Paul delays vote on virus relief package with demand for entirely unrelated amendment

After days of Republican delays , the House ’ s first coronavirus bill was all set to cruise through the Senate — but right on cue , the Senate ’ s most obnoxious and obstinate member derailed it with a ridiculous stunt .
Libertarian blowhard Senator Rand Paul ( R-KY ) has announced that he will be objecting to the package in order to force a vote on his personal pet project amendment .
Even Sen. Mitch McConnell promised it would pass through the Senate at “ warp speed.
” In typical Rand Paul fashion , that amendment heaps hardship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inserts an outrageous foreign policy demand in a domestic spending package .
Rand Paul wants the coronavirus relief bill to both amend the tax code to deny child tax credits to undocumented immigrants and to unilaterally end the United States ’ entire military operations in Afghanistan .
In addition , there is a curious and ominous demand that the President be given the “ authority to transfer funds as necessary.
” One shudders to think of how President Trump would abuse that power .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic immediately !
While there is a very good reason that we need to consider a unilateral end to military operations in Afghanistan , using the issue as a cheap trick to delay an entirely unrelated and desperately needed epidemic relief package is beyond the pale .
Paul has already voted against the first emergency coronavirus bill ; before that , he delayed that one too with an amendment calling for “ cuts to State Department Cultural Exchange programs and reduces funding for the United States Agency for International Development , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is so psychotically opposed to any government spending at all he ’ s willing to allow Americans to continue to suffer just so he can grandstand in the Senate and pretend he ’ s the only rEaL cOnSeRvaTivE left .
What do you think ?

After days of Republican delays, the House’s first coronavirus bill was all set to cruise through the Senate — but right on cue, the Senate’s most obnoxious and obstinate member derailed it with a ridiculous stunt. Libertarian blowhard Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has announced that he will be objecting to the package in order to force a vote on his personal pet project amendment. Even Sen. Mitch McConnell promised it would pass through the Senate at “warp speed.”
This afternoon @senatemajldr said senate would move at “warp speed” to approve the house coronavirus aid package.
Tonight the senate can’t vote because of objections from @RandPaul — Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) March 17, 2020
In typical Rand Paul fashion, that amendment heaps hardship on society’s most vulnerable and inserts an outrageous foreign policy demand in a domestic spending package.
NEW: The Senate is NOT expected to vote on the House-passed Coronavirus Relief package tonight, two sources tell NBC. The hold up? This amendment from @RandPaul, which will likely get a vote tomorrow —> pic.twitter.com/txtIkbQQjx — Julie Tsirkin (@JulieNBCNews) March 17, 2020
Rand Paul wants the coronavirus relief bill to both amend the tax code to deny child tax credits to undocumented immigrants and to unilaterally end the United States’ entire military operations in Afghanistan. In addition, there is a curious and ominous demand that the President be given the “authority to transfer funds as necessary.”
One shudders to think of how President Trump would abuse that power.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
While there is a very good reason that we need to consider a unilateral end to military operations in Afghanistan, using the issue as a cheap trick to delay an entirely unrelated and desperately needed epidemic relief package is beyond the pale.
Paul has already voted against the first emergency coronavirus bill; before that, he delayed that one too with an amendment calling for “cuts to State Department Cultural Exchange programs and reduces funding for the United States Agency for International Development,” reports the Courier-Journal.
It appears he is so psychotically opposed to any government spending at all he’s willing to allow Americans to continue to suffer just so he can grandstand in the Senate and pretend he’s the only rEaL cOnSeRvaTivE left.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-17--AOC brutally dunks on Lindsey Graham for complaining about emergency $1000 coronavirus checks

The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread , causing mass disruptions as supply chains are decoupled , businesses shut down , and consumers stay in their homes self-quarantining .
By just about every metric , we seem to be hurtling towards a disastrous recession .
It ’ s still unclear how economically dire the situation will become , but it ’ s already apparent that major efforts on the part of the federal government will be required to keep American families afloat .
One idea that appears to be rapidly gaining steam is a proposal to give every American a check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount to a short-term emergency version of the universal basic income program proposed by Democrats like former presidential candidate Andrew Yang .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
It ’ s the kind of program that Republicans would take to the streets to protest under normal circumstances , but one which they are voicing tentative support for because they realize letting the situation deteriorate further will harm Trump ’ s 2020 prospects .
Something must be done , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the do the right thing .
Not all Republican lawmakers are on board with the idea though , and Senator Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) has stated that he is more interested in making sure people get their paychecks from their employers than giving them emergency checks from the government .
It ’ s the same hackneyed pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps rhetoric that has characterized the GOP for decades and it rings especially hollow during a crisis such as this .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) , a woman who displays in spades the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is incapable of displaying , retweeted the video of Graham ’ s comments and succinctly explained how hypocritical he is .
“ Lindsey Graham has received a check from the government every month since 1995 , ” tweeted AOC , referring to the hefty paycheck he has been pulling from the taxpayer dime since he was first voted into Congress in 1995 .
In other words , he ’ s the last person we should be listening to while weighing this proposal .
A $ 1000 to each American is a good start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
It could make the difference between some families being able to afford food or medicine .
Call your Representatives , call your Senators .
Tell them to support this measure .
What do you think ?

The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, causing mass disruptions as supply chains are decoupled, businesses shut down, and consumers stay in their homes self-quarantining.
By just about every metric, we seem to be hurtling towards a disastrous recession. It’s still unclear how economically dire the situation will become, but it’s already apparent that major efforts on the part of the federal government will be required to keep American families afloat.
One idea that appears to be rapidly gaining steam is a proposal to give every American a check for $1000, in what would amount to a short-term emergency version of the universal basic income program proposed by Democrats like former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
It’s the kind of program that Republicans would take to the streets to protest under normal circumstances, but one which they are voicing tentative support for because they realize letting the situation deteriorate further will harm Trump’s 2020 prospects. Something must be done, so some Republicans are grudgingly lining up to the do the right thing.
Not all Republican lawmakers are on board with the idea though, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has stated that he is more interested in making sure people get their paychecks from their employers than giving them emergency checks from the government. It’s the same hackneyed pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps rhetoric that has characterized the GOP for decades and it rings especially hollow during a crisis such as this.
Sen. Lindsey Graham: "My focus is not giving people a check from the government. My focus is to make sure you get your paycheck from your employer." pic.twitter.com/3eDyh7ick0 — The Hill (@thehill) March 17, 2020
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a woman who displays in spades the kind of basic humanity and empathy that Graham is incapable of displaying, retweeted the video of Graham’s comments and succinctly explained how hypocritical he is.
“Lindsey Graham has received a check from the government every month since 1995,” tweeted AOC, referring to the hefty paycheck he has been pulling from the taxpayer dime since he was first voted into Congress in 1995. In other words, he’s the last person we should be listening to while weighing this proposal.
A $1000 to each American is a good start in fighting the economic fallout of the coronavirus. It could make the difference between some families being able to afford food or medicine. Call your Representatives, call your Senators. Tell them to support this measure.
Lindsey Graham has received a check from the government every month since 1995. https://t.co/LCUVCv63xt — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 17, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-17--Senator Warren releases her list of mandatory conditions for any kind of corporate bailout

Senator Elizabeth Warren may have abandoned her campaign for the Democratic nomination for president, but she’s demonstrating what a huge mistake the party made in not keeping her a front runner in the race by her fierce response to the coronavirus pandemic hitting our country and to the accompanying economic collapse following in its wake.
The woman who campaigned by developing plans for just about every conceivable ill that faces our society wasted no time in developing a platform of principles that she feels should govern the federal response to the financial ills brought on by the COVID-19 virus and that would help avoid the mistakes made in the government bailouts of the last economic meltdown due to Republican incompetency.
Senator Warren took to Twitter to publish her guidelines to prevent the government’s coronavirus response from helping maintain the same sort of income inequality that bailed out large financial institutions the last time around while failing to assist struggling homeowners from defaulting on their mortgages — resulting in a record number of foreclosures followed by the quick snapping up of suddenly empty homes at fire-sale prices by investors whose net worth still allowed them to spend their wealth on obvious bargains.
The Massachusetts Senator displayed her expertise as a Harvard professor specializing in bankruptcy law with her list of suggested mandated requirements for any companies seeking federal relief from the economic downturn in their businesses.
1. Companies must maintain their payrolls and use funds to keep people working or on payroll. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
Using federal dollars to save your business while laying off employees to maintain profit margins would be prohibiti4ed under Warren’s plan.
3. Companies are permanently prohibited from engaging in share repurchases. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
Two more sensible steps that can help bring the nation back from this financial setback more quickly while benefiting the largest number of people, reducing the income inequality that has been growing since the 1980s and eliminating the tactic used by many large companies after the Republican billionaire tax cut to drive up the prices of shares that form a good proportion of senior executives compensation while doing little to help the average employee.
5. Companies must set aside at least one seat – but potentially two or more, as the amount of relief increases – on the board of directors for representatives elected by workers. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
Warren sees federal assistance programs for corporations as not just a one-way street but as an opportunity to impose the same sorts of rules and restrictions that lenders often force borrowers to agree to before they will issue a loan.
7. Corporations must obtain shareholder and board approval for all political expenditures. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
No weaseling out of union contracts because of the change in economic circumstances for corporations under Warren’s plan, and no self-serving political contributions unless all the company’s stakeholders agree to their value.
Congress must set up an oversight body, modeled on the Congressional Oversight Panel and the SIGTARP program for the bank bailout, but with real funding & subpoena power. We need real accountability to make sure these conditions are met. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2020
Personal accountability for CEOs and an enforcement mechanism with real teeth are the last two items on Senator Warren’s well-thought-out checklist.
As Trump dithers and blathers and focuses on the needs of his billionaire buddies in the airline and hotel industries, here we have a woman who is ready with a plan that anticipates potential future problems and is ready to lead the charge to see that the recovery is done right — benefiting all Americans equally, rather than being a new profit center for the already wealthy.
With the coronavirus pandemic upending the primaries and with the Democratic nomination still to be determined, it’s not too late for grassroots Democrats to push for Warren as the compromise candidate for president who can bridge the gap between Senator Bernie Sanders’ progressive supporters and the moderate wing of the party that has coalesced around former Vice President Joe Biden.
If that seems unrealistic at this point, then her quick action to jump into the fray to help shape the Democratic proposals to fight against the disastrous economic effects of the pandemic surely should catapult Warren to the top of the list of Vice Presidential candidates for both Biden or Sanders if either of them claims the top spot on the ticket.
Meanwhile let’s hope that all of our 70-plus-year-old contenders for the Democratic nomination are washing their hands frequently, practicing social distancing, and working from home while communicating via teleconference so that we have all the brainpower we need to bounce back from the two major catastrophes that have hit our nation simultaneously — the COVID-19 outbreak and the Trump presidency.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-18--Sen. Cornyn embarks on racist rant against China to excuse Trump’s pandemic incompetence

Now that it ’ s clear that Donald Trump has totally bungled the federal government ’ s response to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic , the GOP is desperately scrambling to deflect blame .
The president seems to have decided that the best way to distract from his myriad shortcomings is to deploy some of his trademark xenophobia .
Pathetically , he ’ s trying to rebrand the coronavirus as the “ Chinese virus.
” While it ’ s true that the pandemic started in China and the Communist Party botched its response to the virus ’ s spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imply that this entire crisis is solely China ’ s fault .
Trump deserves much of the blame .
Not only did he fire the government ’ s pandemic response team , but he helped the coronavirus spread by downplaying concerns and calling it a “ Democratic hoax.
” More importantly , Trump isn ’ t saying “ Chinese virus ” in an effort to be geographically precise .
He ’ s tapping into the old “ Yellow Peril ” trope because he knows that a huge part of his base is constantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
As should be expected , the Republican Party is quickly falling in line behind their leader .
Senator John Cornyn ( R-TX ) has managed to set himself apart though by employing some of the vilest , most stereotypical rhetoric yet .
Speaking to reporters today , he said that the virus is China ’ s fault because Chinese people “ eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ website showcases an article which speaks fondly of eating snakes .
Apparently , such consumption is only acceptable when ( presumably white ) Texans do it .
As if the otherizing comments weren ’ t ignorant enough on their own , he went on to inaccurately claim that MERS and the Swine Flu originated in China when in fact the former was first discovered in Saudia Arabia and the latter in the United States .
Of course , Cornyn is not one to let a simple thing like the truth get in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no excuse for this kind of behavior and now more than ever we need our leaders uniting us , not sowing racial and national division .
Remember this come November and hold the entire Republican Party responsible .
What do you think ?

Now that it’s clear that Donald Trump has totally bungled the federal government’s response to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the GOP is desperately scrambling to deflect blame. The president seems to have decided that the best way to distract from his myriad shortcomings is to deploy some of his trademark xenophobia. Pathetically, he’s trying to rebrand the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus.”
I only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, but we are all in this TOGETHER! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020
While it’s true that the pandemic started in China and the Communist Party botched its response to the virus’s spread, it’s completely inaccurate to imply that this entire crisis is solely China’s fault. Trump deserves much of the blame. Not only did he fire the government’s pandemic response team, but he helped the coronavirus spread by downplaying concerns and calling it a “Democratic hoax.”
More importantly, Trump isn’t saying “Chinese virus” in an effort to be geographically precise. He’s tapping into the old “Yellow Peril” trope because he knows that a huge part of his base is constantly salivating for an excuse to be overtly racist.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
As should be expected, the Republican Party is quickly falling in line behind their leader. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has managed to set himself apart though by employing some of the vilest, most stereotypical rhetoric yet. Speaking to reporters today, he said that the virus is China’s fault because Chinese people “eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that.”
Hypocritically, Cornyn’s own website showcases an article which speaks fondly of eating snakes. Apparently, such consumption is only acceptable when (presumably white) Texans do it.
As if the otherizing comments weren’t ignorant enough on their own, he went on to inaccurately claim that MERS and the Swine Flu originated in China when in fact the former was first discovered in Saudia Arabia and the latter in the United States. Of course, Cornyn is not one to let a simple thing like the truth get in the way of his racism.
There is no excuse for this kind of behavior and now more than ever we need our leaders uniting us, not sowing racial and national division. Remember this come November and hold the entire Republican Party responsible.
Sen. John Cornyn: "China is to blame because the culture where people eat bats & snakes & dogs & things like that, these viruses are transmitted from the animal to the people and that's why China has been the source of a lot of these viruses like SARS, like MERS, the Swine Flu." pic.twitter.com/N4TIlGFqAL — The Hill (@thehill) March 18, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-18--Trump imposes new sanctions on coronavirus-ravaged Iran, likely worsening crisis

It ’ s not just domestic politics that Donald Trump refuses to abandon in the face of the dire emergency that is the coronavirus outbreak .
The president ’ s international grudges remain open despite the shuttering of restaurants , sports events , and theaters across the nation .
Despite Iran being one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic — with photos of mass graves taken from orbiting satellites popping up on the internet to show the extent of just how hard the virus has hit the Islamic country — Trump ’ s State Department announced a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three individuals in the country “ who have engaged in activity that could enable the Iranian regime ’ s violent behavior.
” The move is a response to a rocket attack in Iraq — attributed to Iranian-backed militias — that killed two U.S. service members last week at the Camp Taji base , north of Baghdad , where coalition forces fighting ISIS are stationed .
The extension of further sanctions against the Tehran government at a time when that country — like so many around the world — is struggling to care for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect the further spread of an infection that knows no borders is sure to hurt not just the millions of innocent Iranian citizens but will also harm efforts to stop the virus from expanding beyond its current parameters .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
Iranian-American journalist Negar Mortazavi , a commentator for BBC World , posted a chilling prediction of the catastrophic future that the Iranian people face due to the combination of international sanctions and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own government , proving that America doesn ’ t have a monopoly on incompetent responses by those in power .
Arash Karami of the Middle East news outlet Al-Monitor posted the latest horrifying statistics coming out of Iran on Twitter earlier today .
As the Trump administration ignored humanitarian concerns to seek vengeance on Iran ’ s political leaders , more rational and compassionate voices called for an end to policies that cause further harm to everyday Iranians during the global crisis .
With every ounce of our attention that is squandered on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the COVID-19 virus , America is losing valuable time that could otherwise be dedicated to saving lives here in our own country — something that you would think that the president who ran on a platform of “ America first ” would surely realize .
Unfortunately , rationality and consistency are two qualities sorely lacking in the Trump presidency , which will hopefully be the biggest victim that the coronavirus pandemic claims after the administration ’ s lies and failures in its initial underwhelming response to the crisis .
Original reporting by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you think ?

It’s not just domestic politics that Donald Trump refuses to abandon in the face of the dire emergency that is the coronavirus outbreak. The president’s international grudges remain open despite the shuttering of restaurants, sports events, and theaters across the nation.
Despite Iran being one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic — with photos of mass graves taken from orbiting satellites popping up on the internet to show the extent of just how hard the virus has hit the Islamic country — Trump’s State Department announced a new set of sanctions on nine entities and three individuals in the country “who have engaged in activity that could enable the Iranian regime’s violent behavior.”
The move is a response to a rocket attack in Iraq — attributed to Iranian-backed militias — that killed two U.S. service members last week at the Camp Taji base, north of Baghdad, where coalition forces fighting ISIS are stationed.
“The actions of these individuals and entities provide revenue to the regime that it may use to fund terror and other destabilizing activities, such as the recent rocket attacks on Iraqi and Coalition forces located at Camp Taji in Iraq,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
The extension of further sanctions against the Tehran government at a time when that country — like so many around the world — is struggling to care for those already infected with the coronavirus and to protect against the further spread of an infection that knows no borders is sure to hurt not just the millions of innocent Iranian citizens but will also harm efforts to stop the virus from expanding beyond its current parameters.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
Iranian-American journalist Negar Mortazavi, a commentator for BBC World, posted a chilling prediction of the catastrophic future that the Iranian people face due to the combination of international sanctions and the mismanagement of the health emergency by their own government, proving that America doesn’t have a monopoly on incompetent responses by those in power.
Iran faces coronavirus catastrophe: Researchers estimate Iran will not reach the peak of epidemic till late May, and up to to 3.5 million people could die as a result – thanks to a lack of international aid and government mismanagement.
@ShabnamvonHein https://t.co/MhfhHuDQv8 — Negar Mortazavi نگار مرتضوی (@NegarMortazavi) March 18, 2020
Arash Karami of the Middle East news outlet Al-Monitor posted the latest horrifying statistics coming out of Iran on Twitter earlier today.
As the Trump administration ignored humanitarian concerns to seek vengeance on Iran’s political leaders, more rational and compassionate voices called for an end to policies that cause further harm to everyday Iranians during the global crisis.
Iran is facing a catastrophic toll from the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. sanctions should not be contributing to this humanitarian disaster. As a caring nation, we must lift any sanctions hurting Iran’s ability to address this crisis, including financial sanctions. https://t.co/OBjff1nsxz — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 18, 2020
With every ounce of our attention that is squandered on anything other than fighting the common enemy of the COVID-19 virus, America is losing valuable time that could otherwise be dedicated to saving lives here in our own country — something that you would think that the president who ran on a platform of “America first” would surely realize.
Unfortunately, rationality and consistency are two qualities sorely lacking in the Trump presidency, which will hopefully be the biggest victim that the coronavirus pandemic claims after the administration’s lies and failures in its initial underwhelming response to the crisis.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Tal Axelrod at The Hill.
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--2020-03-18--Social media mocks draft-dodging Trump after he declares himself a “wartime president”

Donald Trump is perhaps the worst possible person we could have in the Oval Office during a time of crisis .
Since the coronavirus first started ripping through the American populace he has been concerned about nothing but himself and his political interests .
His administration ’ s response has been torpid and painfully incompetent and despite their best efforts they ’ ve been unable to obfuscate that fact .
The man himself has rated his response to the outbreak a ten out of ten , an absurdly generous assessment given the fact that this is the same man who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team , claimed the virus ’ s outbreak was a “ hoax ” fabricated by the Democratic Party , and glibly stated that he will take no responsibility for his administration ’ s inability to provide adequate testing .
After all is said and done Trump will do what he always does and insist not only that he did a great job , but that nobody could have done a better job .
He has been gaslighting the American people since inauguration day and this outbreak will offer him the chance to escalate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier today , he gave us a glimpse of the grand mendacities yet to come .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
While addressing the press about the coronavirus , Trump stated that he considers himself a “ wartime president.
” The absurd statement was offered in part as justification for his decision to invoke a 1950 law that will allow him to expand the production of masks and other protective gear .
More than that though , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a man beset by challenges yet valiantly persisting .
As always , he ’ s the victim .
Even if one takes his comment at face value he is a president who is losing the war because of his own inability to display leadership or competence .
Trump is not a wartime president .
He ’ s barely even a president at all .
What do you think ?

Donald Trump is perhaps the worst possible person we could have in the Oval Office during a time of crisis. Since the coronavirus first started ripping through the American populace he has been concerned about nothing but himself and his political interests. His administration’s response has been torpid and painfully incompetent and despite their best efforts they’ve been unable to obfuscate that fact.
The man himself has rated his response to the outbreak a ten out of ten, an absurdly generous assessment given the fact that this is the same man who fired the government’s pandemic response team, claimed the virus’s outbreak was a “hoax” fabricated by the Democratic Party, and glibly stated that he will take no responsibility for his administration’s inability to provide adequate testing.
After all is said and done Trump will do what he always does and insist not only that he did a great job, but that nobody could have done a better job. He has been gaslighting the American people since inauguration day and this outbreak will offer him the chance to escalate that habit to previously unimagined heights. Earlier today, he gave us a glimpse of the grand mendacities yet to come.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
While addressing the press about the coronavirus, Trump stated that he considers himself a “wartime president.” The absurd statement was offered in part as justification for his decision to invoke a 1950 law that will allow him to expand the production of masks and other protective gear.
More than that though, it was a transparent attempt to paint himself as a man beset by challenges yet valiantly persisting. As always, he’s the victim. Even if one takes his comment at face value he is a president who is losing the war because of his own inability to display leadership or competence.
Trump is not a wartime president. He’s barely even a president at all.
President Trump says he considers himself a "wartime president" during the coronavirus response https://t.co/yMZlZ5gV1w pic.twitter.com/X5EmLxAAup — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 18, 2020
Trump say's he's a wartime president? I can see that.
– at war with the constitution
– at war with law & order
– at war with truth and honesty
– at war with basic moral decency
– at war with the environment
– at war with science and evidence
– at war with affordable healthcare https://t.co/jm86TmpUr7 — John Oberlin (@OMGno2trump) March 18, 2020
Twitter responded with understandable incredulity.
This is a facile analogy, but let’s play along with it: the country was being invaded by an enemy for two months while the wartime president called the invasion a hoax and failed to mobilize the government to fight back. https://t.co/9DARwU61rO — Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) March 18, 2020
So Trump is a wartime president while he fights the #TrumpPandemic ? His constant lies about the virus and testing helped spread panic and it helped the #TrumpPandemic blaze across our country like a wild fire. — Jean Faucier (@usn1979) March 18, 2020
Has he inquired about the possibility of nuking the virus? Trump likens himself to a wartime president amid coronavirus pandemic | TheHill
https://t.co/GHo63lBZDE — Walter Sobchak (@WalterS20577132) March 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/javamom66/status/1240336293751656450?s=20
@realDonaldTrump @Mike_Pence @maddow @RepAdamSchiff
You’re NOT A WARTIME PRESIDENT. It’s not war against another country. It’s a virus, that you could if stop early. THIS IS YOUR FAULT!
Let’s call it Trump/Pence screwup virus! https://t.co/F2aURQZMLu — Lisa Ronning (@lronning95) March 18, 2020
What a head-snap shift in Trump administration’s tone on this virus. From an egageration by democrats who want to hurt Trump (a hoax) to now it’s WWII, when people slept in factories for wartime mobilization. — Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) March 18, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-18--Idaho Republicans ignore coronavirus crisis to focus on bills keeping trans kids out of sports

The coronavirus epidemic has increasingly halted business as usual from being conducted across nearly all of the United States in the last few days .
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of a pandemic will stop right-wing Republican extremists from the swift completion of their appointed culture wars , however , as the Idaho legislature proved early this week .
As of yesterday , Idaho was under a state of emergency declared by GOP Governor Brad Little in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and school districts were beginning to close , but the Republican-controlled legislature was too busy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get around to considering any emergency measures to address the effects of the epidemic in the state .
On Monday evening , the Idaho state Senate passed a bill that had already been approved by the state House of Representatives that prohibited the alteration of gender designations on birth certificates issued by the local government .
The bill will now go to Governor Little for his signature and — unless he decides to take the advice of the state ’ s attorney general and veto it to avoid the inevitable expensive federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overturn it — will become the first of three anti-transgender proposals currently under consideration in Idaho .
The other two consist of a bill that would prohibit transgendered girls from participating in sports with those born as biological females and legislation that would make it a felony to treat gender-displaced youth for gender dysphoria .
While it ’ s condemnable enough that the Idaho legislature is fiddling with right-wing dog-whistle cultural issues rather than focusing on public health and safety during this crisis , the action on birth certificates is even more egregious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous measure has already been declared unconstitutional by a federal court that also ordered the state to create a process free of “ onerous burdens ” to make changes to gender designations .
Idaho Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane believes that the new bill will face the same legal barriers as the previous legislation did , despite the attempt to bypass the court ruling by using a “ biological basis ” for sex designation on birth certificates , using the need for accurate record-keeping by the government as an excuse .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to thread the rapidly shrinking constitutional eye of a needle.
” Legal experts estimate it could cost the state $ 1 million to litigate the court challenges if it is signed into law , but at least one Idaho state Senator sees that as a useful way to spend taxpayer dollars .
While voters in Idaho are among the most conservative in the country , it is unlikely that at a time when the US economy is rushing into recession faster than a log flume ride at a water park that its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wasteful expenditure of money that could be used for so many more worthwhile purposes during the health and economic crisis that has arrived so suddenly .
The GOP credo of limited government is facing its biggest challenge ever as the public realizes the value of government institutions and , yes , socialism in this emergency situation .
Yet , Idaho Republicans seem to think that the concept of limited government doesn ’ t apply when their cultural sensibilities are offended , despite all the “ Don ’ t tread on me ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bumper stickers they proudly display .
Hopefully , voters in Idaho will remember that their Republican elected representatives in the state fiddled with trivial political games while their state burned with virus-induced fevers when they go to the polls in November and elect more responsible leadership .
What do you think ?

The coronavirus epidemic has increasingly halted business as usual from being conducted across nearly all of the United States in the last few days.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of a pandemic will stop right-wing Republican extremists from the swift completion of their appointed culture wars, however, as the Idaho legislature proved early this week.
As of yesterday, Idaho was under a state of emergency declared by GOP Governor Brad Little in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and school districts were beginning to close, but the Republican-controlled legislature was too busy passing bills harmful to its transgender citizens to get around to considering any emergency measures to address the effects of the epidemic in the state.
On Monday evening, the Idaho state Senate passed a bill that had already been approved by the state House of Representatives that prohibited the alteration of gender designations on birth certificates issued by the local government.
The bill will now go to Governor Little for his signature and — unless he decides to take the advice of the state’s attorney general and veto it to avoid the inevitable expensive federal court battles that will ensue and likely overturn it — will become the first of three anti-transgender proposals currently under consideration in Idaho.
The other two consist of a bill that would prohibit transgendered girls from participating in sports with those born as biological females and legislation that would make it a felony to treat gender-displaced youth for gender dysphoria.
While it’s condemnable enough that the Idaho legislature is fiddling with right-wing dog-whistle cultural issues rather than focusing on public health and safety during this crisis, the action on birth certificates is even more egregious considering the fact that a substantially similar previous measure has already been declared unconstitutional by a federal court that also ordered the state to create a process free of “onerous burdens” to make changes to gender designations.
Idaho Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane believes that the new bill will face the same legal barriers as the previous legislation did, despite the attempt to bypass the court ruling by using a “biological basis” for sex designation on birth certificates, using the need for accurate record-keeping by the government as an excuse.
According to Kane, The legislation “appears to try to thread the rapidly shrinking constitutional eye of a needle.”
“This office cannot determine at this point whether that eye can be threaded with [the bill], but notes that based on the existent case law it will likely require the State to litigate this matter to the United States Supreme Court.”
Legal experts estimate it could cost the state $1 million to litigate the court challenges if it is signed into law, but at least one Idaho state Senator sees that as a useful way to spend taxpayer dollars.
“I think we all understand what the costs and what the risks are in making the decision to go forward,” Republican state Senator Jim Rice told NBC News.
While voters in Idaho are among the most conservative in the country, it is unlikely that at a time when the US economy is rushing into recession faster than a log flume ride at a water park that its fiscally conservative residents would approve of such a wasteful expenditure of money that could be used for so many more worthwhile purposes during the health and economic crisis that has arrived so suddenly.
The GOP credo of limited government is facing its biggest challenge ever as the public realizes the value of government institutions and, yes, socialism in this emergency situation. Yet, Idaho Republicans seem to think that the concept of limited government doesn’t apply when their cultural sensibilities are offended, despite all the “Don’t tread on me” and “Live free or die” bumper stickers they proudly display.
Hopefully, voters in Idaho will remember that their Republican elected representatives in the state fiddled with trivial political games while their state burned with virus-induced fevers when they go to the polls in November and elect more responsible leadership.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Katelyn Burns at Vox.
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--2020-03-19--The GOP Senate Intel chair is busted selling off up to $1.6 million in stocks one week before crash

The coronavirus epidemic has sent the markets into a tailspin and erased all the stock market gains made since the beginning of the Trump presidency .
While the few Americans who actually own stocks ( 10 % of Americans own 84 % of the stocks ) have suddenly found their portfolios in dire straits , the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee , Senator Richard Burr ( R-NC ) is doing just fine .
That ’ s because he sold off up to $ 1.6 million worth of stocks on February 13th in 29 separate transactions — just one week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough , Burr was getting daily briefings on the spread of the disease that the rest of the public wasn ’ t , meaning that he knew the kinds of measures we were going to need to take to stop the spread — and how that would affect his holdings in the industries that would be hit hardest by quarantines .
ProPublica reports that “ his biggest sales included companies that are among the most vulnerable to an economic slowdown .
He dumped up to $ 150,000 worth of shares of Wyndham Hotels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States that has lost two-thirds of its value .
And he sold up to $ 100,000 of shares of Extended Stay America , an economy hospitality chain .
Shares of that company are now worth less than half of what they did at the time Burr sold.
” While he lied to the public and promised us that “ the United States today is better prepared than ever before to face emerging public health threats , like the coronavirus , ” a leaked audiotape has emerged showing that he told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ it is probably more akin to the 1918 pandemic , ” likely so they too could cash out before the going got rough .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
While he did disclose the sales under 2012 “ Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge ” Act ( which he voted against with just two other Senators ) , it is clear that this represents an outrageous abuse of Senate intelligence for his own personal greed and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate enriches itself off of the information they recieve in order to better serve the public .
Read the whole report at ProPublica .
What do you think ?

The coronavirus epidemic has sent the markets into a tailspin and erased all the stock market gains made since the beginning of the Trump presidency. While the few Americans who actually own stocks (10% of Americans own 84% of the stocks) have suddenly found their portfolios in dire straits, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) is doing just fine.
That’s because he sold off up to $1.6 million worth of stocks on February 13th in 29 separate transactions — just one week before the market started crashing.
SCOOP: NC's GOP Senator Richard Burr told the public he was confident the govt can fight off COVID-19 the same time he & his wife sold up to ~$1.5 million stock in major corporations that ended up losing most of their value during the coronavirus pandemic https://t.co/JsXkaxb2Pw pic.twitter.com/lMnnbBfoNZ — Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) March 19, 2020
Conveniently enough, Burr was getting daily briefings on the spread of the disease that the rest of the public wasn’t, meaning that he knew the kinds of measures we were going to need to take to stop the spread — and how that would affect his holdings in the industries that would be hit hardest by quarantines.
ProPublica reports that “his biggest sales included companies that are among the most vulnerable to an economic slowdown. He dumped up to $150,000 worth of shares of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, a chain based in the United States that has lost two-thirds of its value. And he sold up to $100,000 of shares of Extended Stay America, an economy hospitality chain. Shares of that company are now worth less than half of what they did at the time Burr sold.”
While he lied to the public and promised us that “the United States today is better prepared than ever before to face emerging public health threats, like the coronavirus,” a leaked audiotape has emerged showing that he told the rich members of a VIP social club that “it is probably more akin to the 1918 pandemic,” likely so they too could cash out before the going got rough.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
While he did disclose the sales under 2012 “Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge” Act (which he voted against with just two other Senators), it is clear that this represents an outrageous abuse of Senate intelligence for his own personal greed and a stunning glimpse into how the United States Senate enriches itself off of the information they recieve in order to better serve the public.
Read the whole report at ProPublica.
Calls for his resignation immediately began flooding social media.
As Intel chairman, @SenatorBurr got private briefings about Coronavirus weeks ago. Burr knew how bad it would be. He told the truth to his wealthy donors, while assuring the public that we were fine. THEN he sold off $1.6 million in stock before the fall. He needs to resign. https://t.co/IAITMbJ3R5 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 19, 2020
As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I know that our committee receives sensitive information, including assessments and projections, before others in Congress and the general public (if ever). Senator Burr should suspend his chairmanship pending investigation. https://t.co/YayojgMc2V — Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) March 19, 2020
Senator Burr should resign in disgrace for putting his financial interests above the interests of American citizens during a global pandemic. — Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) March 19, 2020
If you too want to leave a message calling for Senator Burr's resignation, his DC office phone number is (202) 224-3154. It'd be helpful for our democracy if that kind of absolutely wanton corruption wasn't the sort of thing that blows over. — Parker Higgins (@xor) March 19, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-19--Close up photo of Trump’s handwritten note goes viral after coronavirus presser

Donald Trump has decided that the best way to distract from his administration ’ s utter bungling of the COVID-19 pandemic response is to rebrand the coronavirus as the “ Chinese virus.
” The reason is obvious : he wants Americans to associate the rising death toll with the Chinese Communist Party instead of the White House despite the fact that both entities bear substantial culpability for the worsening crisis .
Calling it the “ Chinese virus ” also has the added benefit of appealing to the president ’ s pathologically xenophobic and racist supporters .
Exploiting racial animus helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly thinks it can help him dig himself out of the public relations nightmare that he ’ s created for himself by failing to display the base competency needed to successfully navigate this outbreak .
While calling it the “ Chinese virus ” might not be racist in a vacuum ( in the same way that Spanish Flu is a largely benign moniker ) , there is undeniably a racist element when it comes from a man with such a long track record of racism .
The public had already internalized calling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sudden pivot to another name gives his whole game away .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
On top of that , saying “ Chinese virus ” gives the Republican Party another culture war issue to exploit to cover up their own shortcomings .
The phrase “ Chinese virus ” comes from a desire to capitalize on conservative bigotry , but the GOP has plausible deniability .
Republicans are self-righteously claiming that liberals are overreacting by pointing out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s a widespread gaslighting operation that helps drag attention away from Trump ’ s mistakes .
First , they employ racism , then they pretend that anyone who points it out is oversensitive and hysterical .
Now , a photograph of Trump ’ s notes from today ’ s White House press conference has emerged and it shows how deliberate Trump ’ s virus rebranding is .
The word “ Corona ” was scratched out in marker and replaced with the word “ Chinese.
” It would appear that not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to politically weather this pandemic , but he ’ s so scatterbrained that he doesn ’ t trust himself to remember something as simple as the word “ Chinese.
” Daily , we are confronted by the reality that our president is uniquely unfit for office .
What do you think ?

Donald Trump has decided that the best way to distract from his administration’s utter bungling of the COVID-19 pandemic response is to rebrand the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus.” The reason is obvious: he wants Americans to associate the rising death toll with the Chinese Communist Party instead of the White House despite the fact that both entities bear substantial culpability for the worsening crisis.
"We continue our relentless effort to defeat the Chinese virus" — Trump again begins today's coronavirus news conference with some casual racism pic.twitter.com/Xgcmiq38Ur — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 19, 2020
Calling it the “Chinese virus” also has the added benefit of appealing to the president’s pathologically xenophobic and racist supporters. Exploiting racial animus helped him win in 2016 and now he clearly thinks it can help him dig himself out of the public relations nightmare that he’s created for himself by failing to display the base competency needed to successfully navigate this outbreak.
While calling it the “Chinese virus” might not be racist in a vacuum (in the same way that Spanish Flu is a largely benign moniker), there is undeniably a racist element when it comes from a man with such a long track record of racism. The public had already internalized calling it “coronavirus,” Trump’s sudden pivot to another name gives his whole game away.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
On top of that, saying “Chinese virus” gives the Republican Party another culture war issue to exploit to cover up their own shortcomings. The phrase “Chinese virus” comes from a desire to capitalize on conservative bigotry, but the GOP has plausible deniability. Republicans are self-righteously claiming that liberals are overreacting by pointing out the racist dog whistle nature of the neologism. It’s a widespread gaslighting operation that helps drag attention away from Trump’s mistakes. First, they employ racism, then they pretend that anyone who points it out is oversensitive and hysterical.
Now, a photograph of Trump’s notes from today’s White House press conference has emerged and it shows how deliberate Trump’s virus rebranding is. The word “Corona” was scratched out in marker and replaced with the word “Chinese.”
It would appear that not only is Trump determined to exploit racism to politically weather this pandemic, but he’s so scatterbrained that he doesn’t trust himself to remember something as simple as the word “Chinese.” Daily, we are confronted by the reality that our president is uniquely unfit for office.
Close up of President @realDonaldTrump notes is seen where he crossed out "Corona" and replaced it with "Chinese" Virus as he speaks with his coronavirus task force today at the White House. #trump #trumpnotes pic.twitter.com/kVw9yrPPeJ — Jabin Botsford (@jabinbotsford) March 19, 2020
Twitter’s response was merciless.
https://twitter.com/_ReaalAmerican_/status/1240702419115237382?s=20
He’ll do anything to keep his racist base fed & activated. pic.twitter.com/lu81Em1u56 — JerriLynn (@Jerri_Lynn25) March 19, 2020
I'm not an emotional person but I watched Trump's horrific performance at today's briefing with tears in my eyes. That this man is president is a bigger national emergency than the virus. — John L.T. (@JohnLT12) March 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/myworldrjm/status/1240702325368340483?s=20
look at the size of that text, you could read it from outer space — Quillbo Baggins (@bbt104) March 19, 2020
He doesn't have his rallies so he has to keep the base engaged – he does this by saying "China" virus and not Corona. Whether its Muslims, WALL, Caravan, now this – dog whistles for his base to keep them focused and energized. — Bob L (@BobbyL_AZ) March 19, 2020
They didn't teach Upper Case and Lower Case letters at Trump University. — Trumpy Trumpy (parody) (@outofcontroljb) March 19, 2020
Words matter!@hrw found COVID19 motivated anti-Asian hate crimes including physical attacks & beatings, violent bullying in schools, angry threats & discrimination in workplaces. Instead of warning against that, our president is stoking those fireshttps://t.co/YVujtDgQJF — Akshaya Kumar (@AkshayaSays) March 19, 2020
Rob Haffey Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-19--Trump promotes use of drug to fight coronavirus that FDA says hasn’t been approved

The White House ’ s Thursday morning press conference featured a plethora of appalling remarks from the president as he desperately tried to pass off the blame for his administration ’ s slow response to the coronavirus onto the media , the Chinese , anyone he possibly could point a finger at .
But perhaps his most pernicious comments were his touting of the use of a malaria drug to treat the coronavirus infection that he claimed the FDA had approved .
“ It ’ s been around for a long time , so we know that if things don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not going to kill anybody , ” carelessly bragged the President , who promised it would be available almost immediately .
Of course , the FDA has not approved the use of chloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients and it ’ s unclear where the president got the idea that it has .
FDA administrator Stephen Hahn came out almost immediately after the president ’ s remarks and clarified that they are looking at the drug ’ s effectiveness in clinical trials but have not approved the drug for use in treatment yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
The president also claimed that an experimental drug called “ remdesivir ” has also been “ essentially approved , ” though he did not give any details as to what that actually means .
Trump has grown more and more desperate in his efforts to pass the buck for the coronavirus crisis , which he deliberately tried to conceal and likely inadvertently allowed to worsen in a misguided effort to protect his re-election efforts .
Now that the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union , he ’ s turned to overcompensating in an effort to show leadership and make it look like he ’ s doing a better job than he is , hyperbolic in his celebration of every tiny win and outright lying about the true severity of the crisis facing us .
But it ’ s truly terrifying to see his reckless disregard for the truth being applied to such critically important subjects like drug treatments in a pandemic or how many masks are available for healthcare workers across the country .
Every lie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What do you think ?

The White House’s Thursday morning press conference featured a plethora of appalling remarks from the president as he desperately tried to pass off the blame for his administration’s slow response to the coronavirus onto the media, the Chinese, anyone he possibly could point a finger at.
But perhaps his most pernicious comments were his touting of the use of a malaria drug to treat the coronavirus infection that he claimed the FDA had approved. “It’s been around for a long time, so we know that if things don’t go as planned it’s not going to kill anybody,” carelessly bragged the President, who promised it would be available almost immediately.
Of course, the FDA has not approved the use of chloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients and it’s unclear where the president got the idea that it has. FDA administrator Stephen Hahn came out almost immediately after the president’s remarks and clarified that they are looking at the drug’s effectiveness in clinical trials but have not approved the drug for use in treatment yet.
Dr. Hahn having to clean up after Trump and clarify that Chloroquine needs to still go through trials before being approved to treat COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/3GPMlrofyp — Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) March 19, 2020
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
The president also claimed that an experimental drug called “remdesivir” has also been “essentially approved,” though he did not give any details as to what that actually means.
Trump has grown more and more desperate in his efforts to pass the buck for the coronavirus crisis, which he deliberately tried to conceal and likely inadvertently allowed to worsen in a misguided effort to protect his re-election efforts.
Now that the virus has spread to every state in the union, he’s turned to overcompensating in an effort to show leadership and make it look like he’s doing a better job than he is, hyperbolic in his celebration of every tiny win and outright lying about the true severity of the crisis facing us.
But it’s truly terrifying to see his reckless disregard for the truth being applied to such critically important subjects like drug treatments in a pandemic or how many masks are available for healthcare workers across the country. Every lie he tells puts more lives at risk.
this doesn't bode well pic.twitter.com/7WbTW1ImYW — Eva Cantor✡More Like Chronic BRAWNchitis (@PoRiverJamBand) March 19, 2020
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--2020-03-19--Trump blames the media for his negligent, bungled coronavirus response

There are now over 10,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus within the United States with predictions that the number will skyrocket exponentially in the coming days .
The deadly outbreak has been exacerbated by the Trump administration since day one from the president ’ s decision to fire the government ’ s pandemic response team to his claim during the early days of the pandemic that it was a “ hoax ” engineered by the Democratic Party .
By every imaginable metric , Trump has botched his responsibilities to keep the American people safe .
The gross incompetency that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out since inauguration day is finally being laid bare in all its horrible totality .
Trump , of course , insists that he has done a great job responding to COVID-19 .
During a press conference earlier today , he was asked why the United States wasn ’ t prepared to carry out more testings for the virus .
Rather than accept responsibility for his outsized role in the problem , Trump instead chose to gaslight .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very prepared , ” Trump said despite all the evidence to the contrary .
“ The only thing we weren ’ t prepared for was the media .
The media has not treated it fairly , ” he added .
The media , of course , is not responsible for the White House ’ s failure to provide more testing .
Quite the contrary : the major news networks ( with the notable exception of Fox ) have been covering the coronavirus outbreak with the seriousness it deserves for quite some time whereas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a real problem .
During the same presser , while standing behind the podium with members of his administration packed in tightly around him , Trump hypocritically scolded the reporters in the room for sitting too close to each other and floated the idea of reducing the number of journalists present by 75 % or 80 % .
True to boorish form , he also said he only likes two or three of the reporters present .
Trump got in his usual shots at The Wall Street Journal , The Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for having the gall to cover the dire shortcomings of his administration accurately .
The mad circus of a press conference was rounded out with an interaction between Trump and a reporter for One America News , a fair right publication that makes Fox News look sane by comparison .
The president said OAN treats him “ nicely ” and then entertained the reporter ’ s unhinged assertion that media outlets have “ teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives.
” The ludicrous conspiracy peddling would have been swatted down by a reasonable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As this pandemic worsens we should expect him to lean more and more into this kind of fringe rhetoric as he desperately tries to distract from his abject failings as a leader .
What do you think ?

There are now over 10,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus within the United States with predictions that the number will skyrocket exponentially in the coming days. The deadly outbreak has been exacerbated by the Trump administration since day one from the president’s decision to fire the government’s pandemic response team to his claim during the early days of the pandemic that it was a “hoax” engineered by the Democratic Party.
By every imaginable metric, Trump has botched his responsibilities to keep the American people safe. The gross incompetency that has been rotting the government from the inside out since inauguration day is finally being laid bare in all its horrible totality.
Trump, of course, insists that he has done a great job responding to COVID-19. During a press conference earlier today, he was asked why the United States wasn’t prepared to carry out more testings for the virus. Rather than accept responsibility for his outsized role in the problem, Trump instead chose to gaslight.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
“We were very prepared,” Trump said despite all the evidence to the contrary. “The only thing we weren’t prepared for was the media. The media has not treated it fairly,” he added.
The media, of course, is not responsible for the White House’s failure to provide more testing. Quite the contrary: the major news networks (with the notable exception of Fox) have been covering the coronavirus outbreak with the seriousness it deserves for quite some time whereas Trump himself only recently began to admit it was a real problem.
Q: "Why was the United States not prepared with more testing?" President Trump: "We were very prepared. The only thing we weren't prepared for was the media. The media has not treated it fairly." Full video here: https://t.co/LEdrUEK92G pic.twitter.com/bdQElalEk8 — CSPAN (@cspan) March 19, 2020
During the same presser, while standing behind the podium with members of his administration packed in tightly around him, Trump hypocritically scolded the reporters in the room for sitting too close to each other and floated the idea of reducing the number of journalists present by 75% or 80%. True to boorish form, he also said he only likes two or three of the reporters present.
Pres Trump says press still sitting too close together and suggests reducing # of reporters by another 75-80%. Says there are 2 or 3 reporters he likes and that should be enough to question him. pic.twitter.com/0cvD2cgs8K — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 19, 2020
Trump got in his usual shots at The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times for having the gall to cover the dire shortcomings of his administration accurately.
The three newspapers Trump mentions here are the same three who recently had *all* of their American reporters kicked out of China. https://t.co/NF5eHmW88Q — Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) March 19, 2020
The mad circus of a press conference was rounded out with an interaction between Trump and a reporter for One America News, a fair right publication that makes Fox News look sane by comparison. The president said OAN treats him “nicely” and then entertained the reporter’s unhinged assertion that media outlets have “teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives.”
The ludicrous conspiracy peddling would have been swatted down by a reasonable president but Trump refused to do so. As this pandemic worsens we should expect him to lean more and more into this kind of fringe rhetoric as he desperately tries to distract from his abject failings as a leader.
The OAN reporter is as batshit crazy as you would come to expect pic.twitter.com/Br1GAG7qjo — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) March 19, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-18--GOP Senator argues that coronavirus fears are overblown because only 11 million Americans may die

Either some Republicans are really as heartless and uncompassionate as their reputation says they are , or Senator Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) is just really bad at math and has no idea what he ’ s saying .
Neither conclusion is particularly heartening , especially when Senator Johnson and his Republican colleagues still control one of our nation ’ s two legislative bodies that America is counting on to come up with adequate solutions to the health care capacity issues and the onrushing major depression caused by Donald Trump ’ s refusal to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissemination of the virus throughout all 50 states .
Senator Johnson was trying to paint a more optimistic picture of the current situation when he spoke to The New York Times and complained that the media was distorting the picture of the coronavirus ’ effects by focusing on the extraordinarily high rate of fatalities caused by the virus in comparison to the ordinary flu that Trump was comparing it to just a few short days ago .
“ One thing the press has not covered at all is the people who have really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ally , told The Times .
“ Right now all people are hearing about are the deaths .
I ’ m sure the deaths are horrific , but the flip side of this is the vast majority of people who get coronavirus do survive.
” Senator Johnson ’ s sunny “ look on the bright side ” outlook provides cold comfort for anyone whose grandparent just passed away after catching the deadly respiratory virus .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson said , one could chalk it up to an attempt to keep spirits up during this trying time , but he continued down a path that proved that his callousness exceeded his mathematical abilities in a followup interview with a home-state newspaper , The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal .
“ I ’ m not denying what a nasty disease COVID-19 can be , and how it ’ s obviously devastating to somewhere between 1 and 3.4 percent of the population , ” Senator Johnson said .
“ But that means 97 to 99 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunities and will be able to move beyond this .
But we don ’ t shut down our economy because tens of thousands of people die on the highways .
It ’ s a risk we accept so we can move about .
We don ’ t shut down our economies because tens of thousands of people die from the common flu , ” he continued .
Craig Gilbert , the Journal Sentinal reporter speaking with Johnson , pushed the senator on his comparison of the coronavirus to the much less deadly common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CODID-19 has a much higher death rate , but still , Johnson insisted that “ getting coronavirus is not a death sentence except for maybe no more than 3.4 percent of our population ( and ) I think probably far less.
” A death rate of 3.4 % sounds like a small fraction , but when you consider the current U.S. population is estimated to be around 327 million , the raw numbers a simple mathematical calculation produces helps you realize that Johnson is dismissing the deaths of 11 million Americans as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. economy humming along nicely for the GOP ’ s wealthy donors .
If Senator Johnson is so unconcerned about the potential deaths of 11 million Americans , one must ask the question of Wisconsin voters : Is this the man that you want to represent you and your families — including those elderly family members who will be overrepresented in the fatality tolls — as Congress addresses the pressing decisions that the coronavirus crisis presents ?
Perhaps only a maximum of 3.4 % of Senator Johnson ’ s constituents would agree that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay for a stable stock market , but we think it ’ s probably far less .
Even in raw numbers that percentage should be small enough to elect someone new when his term is up in 2022 .
Unless , of course , that 3.4 % estimate of coronavirus fatalities includes his own death , which would only go to prove that COVID-19 at least has a sense of irony .
What do you think ?

Either some Republicans are really as heartless and uncompassionate as their reputation says they are, or Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) is just really bad at math and has no idea what he’s saying.
Neither conclusion is particularly heartening, especially when Senator Johnson and his Republican colleagues still control one of our nation’s two legislative bodies that America is counting on to come up with adequate solutions to the health care capacity issues and the onrushing major depression caused by Donald Trump’s refusal to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously enough and quickly enough to prevent the widespread dissemination of the virus throughout all 50 states.
Senator Johnson was trying to paint a more optimistic picture of the current situation when he spoke to The New York Times and complained that the media was distorting the picture of the coronavirus’ effects by focusing on the extraordinarily high rate of fatalities caused by the virus in comparison to the ordinary flu that Trump was comparing it to just a few short days ago.
“One thing the press has not covered at all is the people who have really recovered,”Johnson, a reliable Trump ally, told The Times. “Right now all people are hearing about are the deaths. I’m sure the deaths are horrific, but the flip side of this is the vast majority of people who get coronavirus do survive.”
Senator Johnson’s sunny “look on the bright side” outlook provides cold comfort for anyone whose grandparent just passed away after catching the deadly respiratory virus.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
If that was all Johnson said, one could chalk it up to an attempt to keep spirits up during this trying time, but he continued down a path that proved that his callousness exceeded his mathematical abilities in a followup interview with a home-state newspaper, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal.
“I’m not denying what a nasty disease COVID-19 can be, and how it’s obviously devastating to somewhere between 1 and 3.4 percent of the population,” Senator Johnson said.
“But that means 97 to 99 percent will get through this and develop immunities and will be able to move beyond this. But we don’t shut down our economy because tens of thousands of people die on the highways. It’s a risk we accept so we can move about. We don’t shut down our economies because tens of thousands of people die from the common flu,” he continued.
Craig Gilbert, the Journal Sentinal reporter speaking with Johnson, pushed the senator on his comparison of the coronavirus to the much less deadly common flu and got him to acknowledge that CODID-19 has a much higher death rate, but still, Johnson insisted that “getting coronavirus is not a death sentence except for maybe no more than 3.4 percent of our population (and) I think probably far less.”
A death rate of 3.4% sounds like a small fraction, but when you consider the current U.S. population is estimated to be around 327 million, the raw numbers a simple mathematical calculation produces helps you realize that Johnson is dismissing the deaths of 11 million Americans as a small price to pay to keep the U.S. economy humming along nicely for the GOP’s wealthy donors.
If Senator Johnson is so unconcerned about the potential deaths of 11 million Americans, one must ask the question of Wisconsin voters: Is this the man that you want to represent you and your families — including those elderly family members who will be overrepresented in the fatality tolls — as Congress addresses the pressing decisions that the coronavirus crisis presents?
Perhaps only a maximum of 3.4% of Senator Johnson’s constituents would agree that 11 million deaths is an acceptable toll to pay for a stable stock market, but we think it’s probably far less. Even in raw numbers that percentage should be small enough to elect someone new when his term is up in 2022.
Unless, of course, that 3.4% estimate of coronavirus fatalities includes his own death, which would only go to prove that COVID-19 at least has a sense of irony.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Lisa Lerer and
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--2020-03-19--Mass. Governor confronts Trump: You told me to buy my own virus supplies then outbid me on them

The complete lack of leadership emanating from the White House as the coronavirus pandemic worsens is sure to have devastating long-term effects .
President Trump is far more concerned about covering up his botched response in the early days of the outbreak than he is in actually taking action to mitigate the fallout .
Unable to rely on the federal government for support or direction , the challenge has fallen to state and local officials to safeguard their communities against the virus .
Trump seems all too happy to let governors take the lead on the pandemic response ( even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them ) .
Earlier today , he made the asinine comment that the federal government is “ not a shipping clerk ” and so can ’ t be expected to provide states with much-needed material support .
That duty he ’ d prefer to shunt off onto state leadership .
His failure to help would be bad enough , but it now appears that his administration is undermining the governors ’ ability to do as Trump suggests .
Bloomberg News reports that Trump directed governors to purchase their own medical supplies only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and outbid them on those very same supplies .
During a video conference with the president today , Governor Charlie Baker ( R-MA ) told Trump that Massachusetts has been outbid on medical supplies three times by the federal government .
He asked for Trump to give the individuals responsible for the bidding some “ guidance ” which would seem to indicate that once again the president is oblivious to what ’ s going on in his own government .
Trump fired America ’ s pandemic response team .
Demand he reassemble it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ ve got a feeling that if someone has the chance to sell to you and to sell to me , I am going to lose on every one of those , ” said Baker .
Trump responded with a laugh and said that he still expects governors to secure their own supplies but admitted that the “ feds ” won the bids because “ prices are always a component.
” It was exactly the kind of useless observation we ’ ve come to expect from this useless president .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump administration is botching one thing after another and the result will be more dead Americans .
What do you think ?

The complete lack of leadership emanating from the White House as the coronavirus pandemic worsens is sure to have devastating long-term effects. President Trump is far more concerned about covering up his botched response in the early days of the outbreak than he is in actually taking action to mitigate the fallout. Unable to rely on the federal government for support or direction, the challenge has fallen to state and local officials to safeguard their communities against the virus.
Trump seems all too happy to let governors take the lead on the pandemic response (even as he heaps unfair criticism on some of them). Earlier today, he made the asinine comment that the federal government is “not a shipping clerk” and so can’t be expected to provide states with much-needed material support. That duty he’d prefer to shunt off onto state leadership.
TRUMP: “We're not a shipping clerk… As with testing — the governors are supposed to be doing it." Passing the buck as usual. pic.twitter.com/TpElEztpja — The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) March 19, 2020
His failure to help would be bad enough, but it now appears that his administration is undermining the governors’ ability to do as Trump suggests. Bloomberg News reports that Trump directed governors to purchase their own medical supplies only for the federal government to turn around and outbid them on those very same supplies.
During a video conference with the president today, Governor Charlie Baker (R-MA) told Trump that Massachusetts has been outbid on medical supplies three times by the federal government. He asked for Trump to give the individuals responsible for the bidding some “guidance” which would seem to indicate that once again the president is oblivious to what’s going on in his own government.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
“I’ve got a feeling that if someone has the chance to sell to you and to sell to me, I am going to lose on every one of those,” said Baker.
Trump responded with a laugh and said that he still expects governors to secure their own supplies but admitted that the “feds” won the bids because “prices are always a component.” It was exactly the kind of useless observation we’ve come to expect from this useless president. There is nothing funny about this debacle. The Trump administration is botching one thing after another and the result will be more dead Americans.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker tells Trump he took the president's instructions "very seriously" and tried to “go out and buy” supplies to battle COVID-19, instead of relying on the federal stockpile, but “on three big orders we lost to the fed.” https://t.co/PuZJemvdMR pic.twitter.com/JCh4vUZlr1 — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 19, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-20--Prominent figures react with horror to Trump’s vicious tirade at Peter Alexander

Prominent figures around the nation erupted in a chorus of disgust and criticism today after President Trump blew his top at an NBC reporter for daring to ask him to address the millions of frightened Americans looking for leadership and reassurance in a time of uncertainty and crisis .
“ I say that you are a terrible reporter .
That ’ s what I say…you ’ re doing sensationalism .
And the same with NBC and Comcast .
I don ’ t call it Comcast .
I call it ‘ Con-Cast , ” jeered the President at Peter Alexander and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tense confrontation during today ’ s coronavirus press conference .
It was an appalling show of unhinged vitriol and an astonishing abdication of leadership from our ostensible commander-in-chief .
Trump is clearly well aware of the role his deliberate neglect played in exacerbating the crisis , which in his mind implicitly frames any kind of discussion of its tangible consequences as an indictment of his presidency — which it is .
Since any criticism or blame is utterly anathema to the hypersensitive Trump , his decaying brain could only respond with spiteful venom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response team .
Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately !
Politicians , intellectuals , and media figures alike took to social media this afternoon to share their astonishment at the president ’ s refusal to show any kind of leadership and the implications of his astounding incompetence .
What do you think ?

Prominent figures around the nation erupted in a chorus of disgust and criticism today after President Trump blew his top at an NBC reporter for daring to ask him to address the millions of frightened Americans looking for leadership and reassurance in a time of uncertainty and crisis.
“I say that you are a terrible reporter. That’s what I say…you’re doing sensationalism. And the same with NBC and Comcast. I don’t call it Comcast. I call it ‘Con-Cast,” jeered the President at Peter Alexander and his “nasty question” in a tense confrontation during today’s coronavirus press conference.
NBC's @PeterAlexander asks Trump what he'd say to Americans who are frightened. Trump goes on rant against Alexander, says he asked a "nasty question," calls him a "terrible reporter" and attacks NBC and Comcast. pic.twitter.com/vZAk3M4mqR — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) March 20, 2020
It was an appalling show of unhinged vitriol and an astonishing abdication of leadership from our ostensible commander-in-chief. Trump is clearly well aware of the role his deliberate neglect played in exacerbating the crisis, which in his mind implicitly frames any kind of discussion of its tangible consequences as an indictment of his presidency — which it is. Since any criticism or blame is utterly anathema to the hypersensitive Trump, his decaying brain could only respond with spiteful venom.
Trump fired America’s pandemic response team. Demand he reassemble it to confront the coronavirus pandemic immediately!
Politicians, intellectuals, and media figures alike took to social media this afternoon to share their astonishment at the president’s refusal to show any kind of leadership and the implications of his astounding incompetence.
A real president would answer: We will tap into the immense talents of the American people to find effective treatments and a vaccine and produce all the ventilators and gear we need. We’ll respect and care for each other even at a distance. That‘s how we’ll get through this. https://t.co/IQM2IG3XQ5 — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 20, 2020
donald trump’s rant against @PeterAlexander reveals the extent of trump’s incompetence, insecurity, & juvenile petulance. He is not & never has been a leader. He is a national disgrace. https://t.co/YJ5F5EweaH — John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) March 20, 2020
And an outstanding guy. Covering Trump in India, security repeatedly refused to let me take my breast pumps/cooler into a news conference until @PeterAlexander and @Acosta stood up for me and said if my medical devices weren’t going in, none of us were. They finally said OK. https://t.co/QLWrl22OWt — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) March 20, 2020
https://twitter.com/ProudResister/status/1241107113251704833?s=20
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts