occupydemocrats--2020-09-16--Trump’s press secretary tries to wave away Trump’s disturbing town hall rambling as “medical terms”

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rampage its way across the country , the Trump administration has all but given up taking any major steps to combat it , preferring to simply roll the dice and focus on painting Joe Biden as a communist instead of doing anything to stop the thousand-plus level daily death toll .
Last night during his ABC town hall , Donald Trump asserted that over time COVID-19 would just “ go away ” and we ’ ll develop “ like a herd immunity ” that is “ herd developed.
” “ Over a period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it goes away , ” Trump said , “ and you ’ ll develop , you ’ ll develop like a herd immunity— it ’ s going to be herd-developed , and that ’ s going to happen .
That will all happen.
” Of course , the issue with a “ herd immunity ” is that in order for that to actually work , anywhere from 70 % to 90 % of the population has to have been exposed to the virus .
Given that the novel coronavirus currently has a mortality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would mean that achieving herd immunity would lead to the deaths of 3.8 million people .
Such a figure is simply horrifying to even consider , but that ’ s the grim reality that is hidden in the president ’ s ramblings .
When questioned about the president ’ s policy of “ do nothing and let people die , ” the President ’ s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tried to pass it off as “ medical terms.
” “ Well , the term herd immunity is a medical term , which means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population have antibodies , you have herd immunity .
And it can be done via a vaccine or via prior illness , you develop the antibodies .
It ’ s a medical term…And what the president said very clearly there with that is that a vaccine gets you there quickest.
” This is an outrageous attempt to muddy the waters and disguise the monstrous implications of the president ’ s refusal to lift a finger to protect the American people .

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rampage its way across the country, the Trump administration has all but given up taking any major steps to combat it, preferring to simply roll the dice and focus on painting Joe Biden as a communist instead of doing anything to stop the thousand-plus level daily death toll.
Last night during his ABC town hall, Donald Trump asserted that over time COVID-19 would just “go away” and we’ll develop “like a herd immunity” that is “herd developed.”
“Over a period of time, sure, with time, it goes away,” Trump said, “and you’ll develop, you’ll develop like a herd immunity— it’s going to be herd-developed, and that’s going to happen. That will all happen.”
This is not a man you want to trust with the management of a national vaccine distribution. pic.twitter.com/l6spYTL25H — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 16, 2020
Of course, the issue with a “herd immunity” is that in order for that to actually work, anywhere from 70% to 90% of the population has to have been exposed to the virus. Given that the novel coronavirus currently has a mortality rate of around 2.2%, that would mean that achieving herd immunity would lead to the deaths of 3.8 million people.
Such a figure is simply horrifying to even consider, but that’s the grim reality that is hidden in the president’s ramblings.
When questioned about the president’s policy of “do nothing and let people die,” the President’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tried to pass it off as “medical terms.”
“Well, the term herd immunity is a medical term, which means that when you have a certain percentage of the population have antibodies, you have herd immunity. And it can be done via a vaccine or via prior illness, you develop the antibodies. It’s a medical term…And what the president said very clearly there with that is that a vaccine gets you there quickest.”
This is an outrageous attempt to muddy the waters and disguise the monstrous implications of the president’s refusal to lift a finger to protect the American people.
OD STAFF Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-18--Millionaire MSNBC host whines that Biden is “divisive” for using “Park Avenue” economic attack on Tr

Millionaire MSNBC host whines that Biden is “divisive” for using “Park Avenue” economic attack on Trump

On Thursday night , Democratic nominee Joe Biden made a pitch to working-class voters at a CNN town hall , declaring that “ I view this as a campaign between Scranton and Park Avenue.
” Taking the side of blue-collar town Scranton against the uppity bourgeois enclave of Manhattan ’ s Park Avenue , home to some of the most expensive homes in an outrageously overpriced city , Biden was clearly drawing a contrast with alleged billionaire Donald Trump and his utter contempt for America ’ s working families .
But some of the wealthy members of the so-called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pearls and bitching piteously about this effective and correct assessment of the 2020 election .
MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle grew extremely angry at Biden ’ s fairly tame remarks , interpreting them as a personal attack on her , who worked her butt off for fourteen years helping European hedge funds set up the 2008 global market crash and now makes $ 2 million a year to publicly shame Democrats for any kind of talk that Wall Street might not appreciate .
“ Joe Biden said yesterday is Scranton vs. Park Avenue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and conquer approach ?
That ’ s Trump ’ s approach .
I don ’ t live on Park Avenue , but I live pretty damn close , and I got there by working my butt off .
He doesn ’ t want my vote ?
” This is your so-called “ liberal ” media , helmed by self-centered privileged elites who made their careers dismantling the social welfare states of poor Eastern European countries and will turn their backs on you the very second that you say one thing that might threaten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or in any way even insinuate that their inevitably destructive life choices are anything but virtuous and commendable .
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
The double standard here is outrageous .
Donald Trump will casually accuse every single Black Lives Matter protestor of being a George Soros-funded Antifa thug that hungers for white suburban bloodshed and the media will frame it as “ a law-and-order pitch ” but the minute Joe Biden tries to correctly frame this election as a battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker it ’ s all of a sudden toO diViSivE .
We should have all seen this coming from the appalling disrespect and seething contempt that the mainstream media treated Bernie Sanders and his message of economic justice , but it is still eye-opening to see this kind of reaction towards Joe Biden , the candidate that they ostensibly support , as he makes his pitch towards the working-class voters that helped usher Trump into office in the first place .
For a multi-millionaire to use her national platform to complain that Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of people are out of work and are struggling to make ends meet as their political leaders refuse to lift a finger to help them keep food on their table and a roof over their heads just goes to show how wildly out of touch the elites in this country are — and how desperately we need to do something about the people that present the news to us .
Unless of course , this is all a 4D-chess troll job designed to get more attention to Biden ’ s remarks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an enemy of Joe Biden , in which case I say bien joue .

On Thursday night, Democratic nominee Joe Biden made a pitch to working-class voters at a CNN town hall, declaring that “I view this as a campaign between Scranton and Park Avenue.” Taking the side of blue-collar town Scranton against the uppity bourgeois enclave of Manhattan’s Park Avenue, home to some of the most expensive homes in an outrageously overpriced city, Biden was clearly drawing a contrast with alleged billionaire Donald Trump and his utter contempt for America’s working families.
Biden: All Trump sees from Park Avenue is Wall Street. That’s why the only metric of the American prosperity for him is the value of the Dow Jones. pic.twitter.com/dI2Vxd73ip — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 18, 2020
But some of the wealthy members of the so-called “liberal media” immediately began clutching their pearls and bitching piteously about this effective and correct assessment of the 2020 election.
MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle grew extremely angry at Biden’s fairly tame remarks, interpreting them as a personal attack on her, who worked her butt off for fourteen years helping European hedge funds set up the 2008 global market crash and now makes $2 million a year to publicly shame Democrats for any kind of talk that Wall Street might not appreciate.
“Joe Biden said yesterday is Scranton vs. Park Avenue. Why is he going for this divide and conquer approach? That’s Trump’s approach. I don’t live on Park Avenue, but I live pretty damn close, and I got there by working my butt off. He doesn’t want my vote?”
This is your so-called “liberal” media, helmed by self-centered privileged elites who made their careers dismantling the social welfare states of poor Eastern European countries and will turn their backs on you the very second that you say one thing that might threaten their comfy lifestyle or raise their taxes or in any way even insinuate that their inevitably destructive life choices are anything but virtuous and commendable.
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
Or… both. NYC’s Park Avenue is amazing. No need to knock it. Would be nice to have a President who sees every American as worth fighting for. Thank you. — Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) September 18, 2020
The double standard here is outrageous. Donald Trump will casually accuse every single Black Lives Matter protestor of being a George Soros-funded Antifa thug that hungers for white suburban bloodshed and the media will frame it as “a law-and-order pitch” but the minute Joe Biden tries to correctly frame this election as a battle for the economic future of the American worker it’s all of a sudden toO diViSivE.
We should have all seen this coming from the appalling disrespect and seething contempt that the mainstream media treated Bernie Sanders and his message of economic justice, but it is still eye-opening to see this kind of reaction towards Joe Biden, the candidate that they ostensibly support, as he makes his pitch towards the working-class voters that helped usher Trump into office in the first place.
For a multi-millionaire to use her national platform to complain that Biden is being mean to her personally while millions of people are out of work and are struggling to make ends meet as their political leaders refuse to lift a finger to help them keep food on their table and a roof over their heads just goes to show how wildly out of touch the elites in this country are — and how desperately we need to do something about the people that present the news to us.
Unless of course, this is all a 4D-chess troll job designed to get more attention to Biden’s remarks and portray the fake news media as being an enemy of Joe Biden, in which case I say bien joue.
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--2020-09-18--Twitter explodes with mockery after Melania Trump’s hideous new statue is unveiled in Slovenia

After a state of Melania Trump in the tiny Slovenian town of Sevnica was mysteriously burned by arsonists , an @ @ @ @ @ make a replacement .
The new statue has finally been revealed — and it really @ @ @ @ @ The artist , an American named Brad Downey , told the New York Times that @ @ @ @ @ Matter protests , there ’ s been a tendency to rip down monuments , so @ @ @ @ @ permanent one.
” It certainly is more permanent .
It also looks like Melania is @ @ @ @ @ was a LEGO person .
Social media immediately erupted in mockery and derision at the @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s First Lady , who has done almost nothing as First Lady beyond @ @ @ @ @ tears our democracy to shreds around him and promote white supremacy from the White House @ @ @ @ @ tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !

After a state of Melania Trump in the tiny Slovenian town of Sevnica was mysteriously burned by arsonists, an artist was quickly commissioned to make a replacement. The new statue has finally been revealed — and it really is something to behold.
I was in no way prepared for what the statue would look like https://t.co/zqd1tJs89o — i bless the rains down in castamere (@Chinchillazllla) September 18, 2020
The artist, an American named Brad Downey, told the New York Times that “with the Black Lives Matter protests, there’s been a tendency to rip down monuments, so I wanted to install a permanent one.”
It certainly is more permanent. It also looks like Melania is being depicted as if she was a LEGO person.
Social media immediately erupted in mockery and derision at the frankly hideous depiction of Donald Trump’s First Lady, who has done almost nothing as First Lady beyond stay silent while her husband tears our democracy to shreds around him and promote white supremacy from the White House.
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
Obsessed with the slow reveal haha — mattyskerns (@LionelKitchy) September 18, 2020
Wow…that's a really nice statue, kiddo. Is…is that a mummy…or…uh…what's that supposed to…of Melania Trump! Oh, yeah, of course, can't believe I didn't see that. Let's put this in the closet shelf where people can look at it if they want to, ok? pic.twitter.com/irI2qeTpjv — A_Suburbian (@ASuburbian) September 18, 2020
In Slovenia, a wooden statue of Melania, which was burned, has been replaced by a bronze version. Passersby commented:
– "It captures her beauty and is less flammable"
– "At first I thought it was her"
– "Like Melania, it's strong and never moves"
– "That's her smile" pic.twitter.com/jd7WqtVk0C — Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) September 16, 2020
When do they finish it https://t.co/XAy9DQflbF — Drew Magary (@drewmagary) September 18, 2020
The artist used the BE BEST matterial perfectly pic.twitter.com/vkm4tWDsr1 — Robert LoMonaco (@robertinflorid) September 18, 2020
Amazing. The lifeless, expressionless, cold hard statue is… more lifelike and has more empathy and compassion, than actual real life Melania. Brilliant work. https://t.co/rfOk3V6vc1 — Meagan Paullin (@SunandSipCups) September 18, 2020
Had to double check that it wasn't @TheOnion. Honestly, I'm still not sure. — Chris Hicks (@WriteChrisWrite) September 18, 2020
OD STAFF Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-18--McConnell panics about Democrats retaking the Senate and getting their revenge

As the November 2020 election approaches and incumbent Republican Senators look increasingly vulnerable , the Grim Reaper of American legislation is growing more and more worried about the reckoning that is to come for him and his extremist cronies .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) , perhaps the single biggest obstacle to progress in our nation ’ s entire history , issued a stark warning to his Republican allies on Friday morning : if they lose the Senate , there might be some unacceptable outbreaks of democracy in the United States of America .
But even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political stranglehold that McConnell and a minority of right-wing voters hold over our entire government might be permanently ended — and that the Democrats might employ the partisan political ruthlessness that McConnell pioneered against him and his wealthy buddies .
Mitch McConnell is wholly unqualified to serve in government because at his core , he doesn ’ t believe in democracy .
He has used his power to squash every conceivable effort to expand voting rights and smears any effort to politically enfranchise non-white citizens as a “ power grab.
” Sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
However , he ’ d better start getting used to the idea .
23 Republican Senate seats are up in the 2020 cycle against only 12 Democratic seats ; the blue team needs to pick up just four to have the 61-vote threshold to abolish the filibuster and start passing legislation without a single Republican vote .
Currently , polling models have Democrats slightly favored to win control of the Senate ; just two seats are in states that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — like Lindsey Graham ’ s seat in South Carolina — show the Democratic challenger polling neck and neck .
For far too long , Mitch McConnell and his cronies have heaped hardship on the American people while dismantling our democratic institutions as we are forced to watch helplessly .
It ’ s about time he receives a taste of his own medicine — and for the Democratic Party to finally begin reshaping this nation into one that serves all of its citizens , not just the rich white ones .
Justice demands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nightmare becomes a reality .

As the November 2020 election approaches and incumbent Republican Senators look increasingly vulnerable, the Grim Reaper of American legislation is growing more and more worried about the reckoning that is to come for him and his extremist cronies.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), perhaps the single biggest obstacle to progress in our nation’s entire history, issued a stark warning to his Republican allies on Friday morning: if they lose the Senate, there might be some unacceptable outbreaks of democracy in the United States of America.
But even more alarming to him is the thought that the political stranglehold that McConnell and a minority of right-wing voters hold over our entire government might be permanently ended — and that the Democrats might employ the partisan political ruthlessness that McConnell pioneered against him and his wealthy buddies.
MCCONNELL: "The one thing the Majority Leader gets to do, that the other 99 don't get to do, is to decide what we're going to do… We're not changing the filibuster rule. We're not admitting the District and Puerto Rico as states. And we're not packing the courts." — Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) September 18, 2020
Mitch McConnell is wholly unqualified to serve in government because at his core, he doesn’t believe in democracy. He has used his power to squash every conceivable effort to expand voting rights and smears any effort to politically enfranchise non-white citizens as a “power grab.”
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
However, he’d better start getting used to the idea. 23 Republican Senate seats are up in the 2020 cycle against only 12 Democratic seats; the blue team needs to pick up just four to have the 61-vote threshold to abolish the filibuster and start passing legislation without a single Republican vote. Currently, polling models have Democrats slightly favored to win control of the Senate; just two seats are in states that Hillary Clinton won in 2016, but certain races in deep-red states — like Lindsey Graham’s seat in South Carolina — show the Democratic challenger polling neck and neck.
Graphic from FiveThirtyEight.com
For far too long, Mitch McConnell and his cronies have heaped hardship on the American people while dismantling our democratic institutions as we are forced to watch helplessly. It’s about time he receives a taste of his own medicine — and for the Democratic Party to finally begin reshaping this nation into one that serves all of its citizens, not just the rich white ones. Justice demands that we make sure Mitch McConnell’s nightmare becomes a reality.
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--2020-09-19--Trump gets livid over Susan Collins’ refusal to support his right to fill Ginsburg’s Supreme Court s

Trump gets livid over Susan Collins’ refusal to support his right to fill Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat

After beleaguered Senator Susan Collins ( R-ME ) announced today that she believed that any replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s seat should be nominated “ by the President who is elected on November 3rd , ” Donald Trump did not take it well .
Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before departing to another one of the COVID-19 parties that he calls his political rallies , Trump attacked the Maine Senator whose vote of not guilty he so carefully courted during his impeachment trial .
The decision by the president and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to ignore the Majority Leader ’ s invented doctrine of refusing to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in the last months of a president ’ s term — when it suddenly applies to their own party —ran into a couple of obstacles today when it became clear that not all GOP senators may agree with their extremely hypocritical and blatantly partisan move .
After Senator Lisa Murkowski announced last week even before Justice Ginsburg ’ s passing that she “ would not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee ” because “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an election , ” Senator Collins ’ announcement today that “ the decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the President who is elected on November 3rd ” clearly rankled Trump .
With Senator Collins now badly trailing her Democratic opponent in the latest polls for her re-election bid , she is trying to avoid doing anything that could further erode her support both among Maine ’ s Trump supporters and among the state ’ s independent voters .
Those crucial independents have likely been alienated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lockstep voting for Donald Trump ’ s most important priorities , including her vote to find the president innocent of the impeachment charges lodged against him and her vote to confirm Trump ’ s last Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh despite the many serious allegations made against him .
Collins is now likely hoping that her opposition to confirming any nominee that Trump may submit before he is graded by the U.S. electorate will help convince enough voters of her independence from party orthodoxy and help her sway the ultimate results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be seen whether Maine ’ s undecided voters take a “ fool me once , shame on you ” attitude towards the Senator whose compliant voting record indicates that she has not much moderation or independence left to claim .
With Murkowski already on record as supporting holding off on considering any Trump nominee and Collins ’ announcement today , the path for Senate confirmation of any replacement for Ginsburg before the new president is sworn in has become much narrower and uncertain .
With 51 remaining GOP senators remaining , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more maverick Republicans to tank the effort by Trump and McConnell to ram any nomination through despite the precedent from 2016 .
With Martha McSally ( R-AZ ) and Cory Gardner ( R-CO ) struggling in their re-election efforts , either one of them may find it more politically palatable to not stake their future on supporting a president who is trailing in the polls in both their states .
Besides these two vulnerable candidates whose future in the Senate will depend on this next election , political observers have mentioned three other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump nominee .
Senator Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) has already shown his willingness to defy Donald Trump out of the strength of his convictions with his vote to impeach Trump in February , but two senators who are retiring at the end of their terms once the current Congress finishes its business may also choose to demonstrate their commitment to the institution of the Senate — rather than to their party — by taking a principled stance on the nomination of a Ginsburg replacement .
If any of the Republicans mentioned above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nominee , then this scheme to steal yet another Supreme Court seat will be effectively dead , assuming that Biden wins the election .
The next few days will be crucial in determining how this plays out .
Flood the offices of every Republican senator with calls , emails , and letters demanding that they treat any Trump nominee with the same disrespect that they showed Merrick Garland after President Barack Obama nominated him .
This nomination belongs to the person elected in the vote scheduled less than 7 weeks away .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill the hallowed shoes of Justice Rith Bader Ginsburg .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

After beleaguered Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announced today that she believed that any replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat should be nominated “by the President who is elected on November 3rd,” Donald Trump did not take it well.
Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before departing to another one of the COVID-19 parties that he calls his political rallies, Trump attacked the Maine Senator whose vote of not guilty he so carefully courted during his impeachment trial.
“I totally disagree with her. We won,” the ungrateful president said, without parenthetically asking what Collins has done for him lately, but adding that he is likely to nominate a woman and wants her confirmed before election day.
The decision by the president and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to ignore the Majority Leader’s invented doctrine of refusing to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in the last months of a president’s term — when it suddenly applies to their own party —ran into a couple of obstacles today when it became clear that not all GOP senators may agree with their extremely hypocritical and blatantly partisan move.
After Senator Lisa Murkowski announced last week even before Justice Ginsburg’s passing that she “would not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee” because “we are 50 some days away from an election,” Senator Collins’ announcement today that “the decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the President who is elected on November 3rd” clearly rankled Trump.
My statement on the Supreme Court vacancy: pic.twitter.com/jvYyDN5gG4 — Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) September 19, 2020
With Senator Collins now badly trailing her Democratic opponent in the latest polls for her re-election bid, she is trying to avoid doing anything that could further erode her support both among Maine’s Trump supporters and among the state’s independent voters.
Those crucial independents have likely been alienated by their supposedly “moderate” Republican senator’s lockstep voting for Donald Trump’s most important priorities, including her vote to find the president innocent of the impeachment charges lodged against him and her vote to confirm Trump’s last Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh despite the many serious allegations made against him.
Collins is now likely hoping that her opposition to confirming any nominee that Trump may submit before he is graded by the U.S. electorate will help convince enough voters of her independence from party orthodoxy and help her sway the ultimate results of her re-election campaign.
It remains to be seen whether Maine’s undecided voters take a “fool me once, shame on you” attitude towards the Senator whose compliant voting record indicates that she has not much moderation or independence left to claim.
With Murkowski already on record as supporting holding off on considering any Trump nominee and Collins’ announcement today, the path for Senate confirmation of any replacement for Ginsburg before the new president is sworn in has become much narrower and uncertain.
With 51 remaining GOP senators remaining, it would only take the defection of 2 more maverick Republicans to tank the effort by Trump and McConnell to ram any nomination through despite the precedent from 2016. With Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) struggling in their re-election efforts, either one of them may find it more politically palatable to not stake their future on supporting a president who is trailing in the polls in both their states.
Besides these two vulnerable candidates whose future in the Senate will depend on this next election, political observers have mentioned three other possible GOP defectors who could torpedo any Trump nominee.
Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has already shown his willingness to defy Donald Trump out of the strength of his convictions with his vote to impeach Trump in February, but two senators who are retiring at the end of their terms once the current Congress finishes its business may also choose to demonstrate their commitment to the institution of the Senate — rather than to their party — by taking a principled stance on the nomination of a Ginsburg replacement.
If any of the Republicans mentioned above defects from the support of Trump’s nominee, then this scheme to steal yet another Supreme Court seat will be effectively dead, assuming that Biden wins the election.
The next few days will be crucial in determining how this plays out.
Flood the offices of every Republican senator with calls, emails, and letters demanding that they treat any Trump nominee with the same disrespect that they showed Merrick Garland after President Barack Obama nominated him.
This nomination belongs to the person elected in the vote scheduled less than 7 weeks away. Make sure they get the opportunity to fill the hallowed shoes of Justice Rith Bader Ginsburg.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-19--Senator Susan Collins announces her decision on Trump’s nominee to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The decision by Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) to ignore the senator ’ s invented doctrine in refusing to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in the last months of a president ’ s term — when it suddenly applies to their own party —ran into a couple of obstacles today when it became clear that not all GOP senators may agree with their extremely hypocritical and blatantly partisan move .
After Senator Lisa Murkowski announced last week even before Justice Ginsburg ’ s passing that she “ would not vote to confirm a Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 some days away from an election , ” another female Senator considered a Republican moderate declared that “ the decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the President who is elected on November 3rd.
” With Senator Susan Collins ( R-ME ) now badly trailing her Democratic opponent in the latest polls for her re-election bid , she is trying to avoid doing anything that could further erode her support both among Maine ’ s Trump supporters and among the state ’ s independent voters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by their supposedly “ moderate ” Republican senator ’ s lockstep voting for Donald Trump ’ s most important priorities , including her vote to find the president innocent of the impeachment charges lodged against him and her vote to confirm Trump ’ s last Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh despite the many serious allegations made against him .
Collins is now likely hoping that her opposition to confirming any nominee that Trump may submit before he is graded by the U.S. electorate will help convince enough voters of her independence from party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results of her re-election campaign .
It remains to be seen whether Maine ’ s undecided voters take a “ fool me once , shame on you ” attitude towards the Senator whose compliant voting record indicates that she has not much moderation or independence left to claim .
With Murkowski already on record as supporting holding off on considering any Trump nominee and Collins ’ announcement today , the path for Senate confirmation of any replacement for Ginsburg before the new president is sworn in has become much narrower and uncertain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would only take the defection of 2 more maverick Republicans to tank the effort by Trump and McConnell to ram any nomination through despite the precedent from 2016 .
With Martha McSally ( R-AZ ) and Cory Gardner ( R-CO ) struggling in their re-election efforts , either one of them may find it more politically palatable to not stake their future on supporting a president who is trailing in the polls in both their states .
Besides these two vulnerable candidates whose future in the Senate will depend on this next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other possible GOP defectors who could torpedo any Trump nominee .
Senator Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) has already shown his willingness to defy Donald Trump out of the strength of his convictions with his vote to impeach Trump in February , but two senators who are retiring at the end of their terms once the current Congress finishes its business may also choose to demonstrate their commitment to the institution of the Senate — rather than to their party — by taking a principled stance on the nomination of a Ginsburg replacement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above defects from support of Trump ’ s nominee , then this scheme to steal yet another Supreme Court seat will be effectively dead , assuming that Biden wins the election .
The next few days will be crucial in determining how this plays out .
Flood the offices of every Republican senator with calls , emails , and letters demanding that they treat any Trump nominee with the same disrespect that they showed Merrick Garland after President Barack Obama nominated him .
This nomination belongs to the person elected in the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Make sure they get the opportunity to fill the hallowed shoes of Justice Rith Bader Ginsburg .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

The decision by Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to ignore the senator’s invented doctrine in refusing to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in the last months of a president’s term — when it suddenly applies to their own party —ran into a couple of obstacles today when it became clear that not all GOP senators may agree with their extremely hypocritical and blatantly partisan move.
After Senator Lisa Murkowski announced last week even before Justice Ginsburg’s passing that she “would not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee” because “we are 50 some days away from an election,” another female Senator considered a Republican moderate declared that “the decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the President who is elected on November 3rd.”
My statement on the Supreme Court vacancy: pic.twitter.com/jvYyDN5gG4 — Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) September 19, 2020
With Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) now badly trailing her Democratic opponent in the latest polls for her re-election bid, she is trying to avoid doing anything that could further erode her support both among Maine’s Trump supporters and among the state’s independent voters.
Those crucial independents have likely been alienated by their supposedly “moderate” Republican senator’s lockstep voting for Donald Trump’s most important priorities, including her vote to find the president innocent of the impeachment charges lodged against him and her vote to confirm Trump’s last Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh despite the many serious allegations made against him.
Collins is now likely hoping that her opposition to confirming any nominee that Trump may submit before he is graded by the U.S. electorate will help convince enough voters of her independence from party orthodoxy and help her sway the ultimate results of her re-election campaign.
It remains to be seen whether Maine’s undecided voters take a “fool me once, shame on you” attitude towards the Senator whose compliant voting record indicates that she has not much moderation or independence left to claim.
With Murkowski already on record as supporting holding off on considering any Trump nominee and Collins’ announcement today, the path for Senate confirmation of any replacement for Ginsburg before the new president is sworn in has become much narrower and uncertain.
With 51 remaining GOP senators remaining, it would only take the defection of 2 more maverick Republicans to tank the effort by Trump and McConnell to ram any nomination through despite the precedent from 2016. With Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) struggling in their re-election efforts, either one of them may find it more politically palatable to not stake their future on supporting a president who is trailing in the polls in both their states.
Besides these two vulnerable candidates whose future in the Senate will depend on this next election, political observers have mentioned three other possible GOP defectors who could torpedo any Trump nominee.
Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has already shown his willingness to defy Donald Trump out of the strength of his convictions with his vote to impeach Trump in February, but two senators who are retiring at the end of their terms once the current Congress finishes its business may also choose to demonstrate their commitment to the institution of the Senate — rather than to their party — by taking a principled stance on the nomination of a Ginsburg replacement.
If any of the Republicans mentioned above defects from support of Trump’s nominee, then this scheme to steal yet another Supreme Court seat will be effectively dead, assuming that Biden wins the election.
The next few days will be crucial in determining how this plays out.
Flood the offices of every Republican senator with calls, emails, and letters demanding that they treat any Trump nominee with the same disrespect that they showed Merrick Garland after President Barack Obama nominated him.
This nomination belongs to the person elected in the vote scheduled less than 7 weeks away. Make sure they get the opportunity to fill the hallowed shoes of Justice Rith Bader Ginsburg.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-19--Graham spitefully blames Dems for his support for Trump’s nomination of a Ginsburg replacement

Senator Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) knew that he had to come up with a good excuse for his hypocritical reversal of a very public declaration he made when he supported Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s unconscionable decision to not allow President Barack Obama ’ s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court with the invented doctrine that no president should be allowed to nominate a candidate during an election year .
After all , there was little wiggle room in Senator Graham ’ s Statement at the time .
Sign the petition to tell Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
Now , with Graham serving as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and someone who could ensure that consideration of any Trump nomination of a replacement for Justice Ginsburg is at least postponed until after the November election results are tabulated , he walking back his words with a series of tweets that he believes provides justification for his act of ultimate partisan hypocrisy .
Graham didn ’ t switch his position immediately .
He telegraphed the decision he announced in later tweets with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post this morning announcing that he fully intended to nominate a right-wing , Federalist Society-approved judge to the bench , the abandoned McConnell doctrine be damned .
Understanding where the president is coming from and agreeing to cooperate in the political affront to the Democrats and those who value a level playing field in the governance of our nation are two different things , but it didn ’ t take Graham long to start equivocating on his way to the national betrayal he fully intends to commit .
Graham ’ s partisan excuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tweets .
Blaming Democrats ’ treatment of Trump ’ s last Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh — a man who arguably should have been prevented from taking the bench based on his perjury during his confirmation hearings , not to mention the credible accusations of his committing sexual assault levied by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and others — for his change of heart demonstrates that the only deeply-held principle that Graham possesses is his instincts for political survival and the preservation of his own and his party ’ s power .
Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to abandon ethical conduct with his next posts which were blatantly political messages aimed at any South Carolina voter considering voting for his Democratic opponent in his upcoming November re-election bid , or , even more likely , at GOP loyalists to motivate them to turn up to the polls .
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
The pessimism of even the closest supporters of Donald Trump was evidenced by Graham ’ s premature co-option of the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans are already planning their opposition strategy once Democrats retake the White House and the Majority in the Senate .
Hopefully , South Carolina voters will see through Senator Graham ’ s excuses and hypocrisy and replace him in Congress with Democrat Jaime Harrison , making the GOP resistance and status as a minority party a permanent feature of our political system .
If Graham thought that Democrats gave Justice Kavanaugh a hard time during his confirmation hearings , after this foolishly partisan move by Trump and the GOP Senate , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle waged over any nominee that the president may submit for confirmation .
Proceed at your own electoral peril , Senator Graham and your fellow Republicans in Congress .
While you may want to take advantage of your power while you still wield it , the result may only hasten the loosening of your grip on power and result in the addition of several new seats to the Supreme Court by vengeful Democrats who can change the rules once they are in the majority themselves .
The GOP will reap what they sow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) knew that he had to come up with a good excuse for his hypocritical reversal of a very public declaration he made when he supported Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s unconscionable decision to not allow President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court with the invented doctrine that no president should be allowed to nominate a candidate during an election year.
After all, there was little wiggle room in Senator Graham’s Statement at the time.
“I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination." pic.twitter.com/quD1K5j9pz — Vanita Gupta (@vanitaguptaCR) September 19, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
Now, with Graham serving as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and someone who could ensure that consideration of any Trump nomination of a replacement for Justice Ginsburg is at least postponed until after the November election results are tabulated, he walking back his words with a series of tweets that he believes provides justification for his act of ultimate partisan hypocrisy.
Graham didn’t switch his position immediately. He telegraphed the decision he announced in later tweets with his response to Donald Trump’s Twitter post this morning announcing that he fully intended to nominate a right-wing, Federalist Society-approved judge to the bench, the abandoned McConnell doctrine be damned.
I fully understand where President @realDonaldTrump is coming from. https://t.co/qlhtEwTCdX — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
Understanding where the president is coming from and agreeing to cooperate in the political affront to the Democrats and those who value a level playing field in the governance of our nation are two different things, but it didn’t take Graham long to start equivocating on his way to the national betrayal he fully intends to commit.
As to my view of filling a Supreme Court vacancy in 2020, I’d encourage you to review these most recent statements. NBC Newshttps://t.co/wGnCdcpJjr The Hillhttps://t.co/cagapf6S9t — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
Graham’s partisan excuses became even clearer with his next series of tweets.
The two biggest changes regarding the Senate and judicial confirmations that have occurred in the last decade have come from Democrats. #1 — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
In light of these two events, I will support President @realDonaldTrump in any effort to move forward regarding the recent vacancy created by the passing of Justice Ginsburg. #3 — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
Blaming Democrats’ treatment of Trump’s last Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh — a man who arguably should have been prevented from taking the bench based on his perjury during his confirmation hearings, not to mention the credible accusations of his committing sexual assault levied by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and others — for his change of heart demonstrates that the only deeply-held principle that Graham possesses is his instincts for political survival and the preservation of his own and his party’s power.
Senator Graham proved the partisan nature of his decision to abandon ethical conduct with his next posts which were blatantly political messages aimed at any South Carolina voter considering voting for his Democratic opponent in his upcoming November re-election bid, or, even more likely, at GOP loyalists to motivate them to turn up to the polls.
Jaime Harrison will be a loyal foot soldier in the cause of the radical liberals to destroy America as we know it. As to me – I will be part of the Resistance and oppose their radical liberal agenda as they try to fundamentally change America. #5 — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
The pessimism of even the closest supporters of Donald Trump was evidenced by Graham’s premature co-option of the “Resistance” label which indicates that the Republicans are already planning their opposition strategy once Democrats retake the White House and the Majority in the Senate.
Hopefully, South Carolina voters will see through Senator Graham’s excuses and hypocrisy and replace him in Congress with Democrat Jaime Harrison, making the GOP resistance and status as a minority party a permanent feature of our political system.
If Graham thought that Democrats gave Justice Kavanaugh a hard time during his confirmation hearings, after this foolishly partisan move by Trump and the GOP Senate, he’s likely to see an even greater battle waged over any nominee that the president may submit for confirmation.
Proceed at your own electoral peril, Senator Graham and your fellow Republicans in Congress.
While you may want to take advantage of your power while you still wield it, the result may only hasten the loosening of your grip on power and result in the addition of several new seats to the Supreme Court by vengeful Democrats who can change the rules once they are in the majority themselves.
The GOP will reap what they sow.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-19--Trump supporters swarm to block and intimidate voters at Virginia early voting site

In a preview of the chaos and voter intimidation that could erupt on election day itself , MAGA-hatted supporters of Donald Trump launched a protest outside an early voting polling place in Fairfax , Virginia this morning .
Anthony Tilghman , an award-winning filmmaker and photographer , was on the scene and posted videos of the Trump supporters ’ illegal interference in the electoral process by blocking access to the polling place and intimidating any voters who did not share their enthusiasm for the failed Trump presidency .
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
It ’ s uncertain if any potential voters turned away after encountering the demonstration or if any declined to risk the increased chances of exposure to the COVID-19 virus when voters were forced to move to the confined spaces inside the polling place to wait to while avoiding the mostly maskless demonstrators .
Tilghman posted additional footage of the MAGA protestors impeding access to the polls , as well as an update about the dissolution of the demonstration once additional security was brought to the scene to break up the illegal electioneering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s on Tilghman ’ s posts provided advice to voters who may encounter similar obstacles at their local polls between now and election day as early voting commences in some states around the country .
Others called for the demonstrators to be held accountable for an activity that violated federal election laws .
Today ’ s activities by the Trump supporters do not bode well for a peaceful ballot process on election day .
All the more reason to vote early — either by mail or at an early voting location , depending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden wins the election to toss Trump and his deplorables out of office and back into the minority where they can ’ t harm the majority of sane Americans .
Don ’ t be intimidated by these anti-democratic ( with a small “ d ” ) protestors .
Vote to make them irrelevant again !
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

In a preview of the chaos and voter intimidation that could erupt on election day itself, MAGA-hatted supporters of Donald Trump launched a protest outside an early voting polling place in Fairfax, Virginia this morning.
Anthony Tilghman, an award-winning filmmaker and photographer, was on the scene and posted videos of the Trump supporters’ illegal interference in the electoral process by blocking access to the polling place and intimidating any voters who did not share their enthusiasm for the failed Trump presidency.
Trump Supporters continue to protest at the #EarlyVoteVA site in Fairfax VA. They have to move voters inside because they are blocking the site for voters. #Vote #vote2020 — Anthony Tilghman (@AnthonyTilghman) September 19, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
It’s uncertain if any potential voters turned away after encountering the demonstration or if any declined to risk the increased chances of exposure to the COVID-19 virus when voters were forced to move to the confined spaces inside the polling place to wait to while avoiding the mostly maskless demonstrators.
Tilghman posted additional footage of the MAGA protestors impeding access to the polls, as well as an update about the dissolution of the demonstration once additional security was brought to the scene to break up the illegal electioneering and voter intimidation.
Update: Most of the #MAGA Supporters cleared out when extra security came to monitor the voting site. — Anthony Tilghman (@AnthonyTilghman) September 19, 2020
The comment’s on Tilghman’s posts provided advice to voters who may encounter similar obstacles at their local polls between now and election day as early voting commences in some states around the country.
866-OUR-VOTE is the number to call anywhere in the US to report election interference. — Wanda (@itsWanda) September 19, 2020
Others called for the demonstrators to be held accountable for an activity that violated federal election laws.
52 USC § 10101(b) — No person…acting under color of law or otherwise, shall intimidate, threaten, coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose… https://t.co/tGNrHPtrfy — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) September 19, 2020
Was about to type the same thing. Hey Mr. President of "Law and Order," where is the National Guard? @realDonaldTrump — Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) September 19, 2020
Not allowed within a predetermined distance of any polling place — Veronica Bulla (@vamezqui) September 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/AirMax1963/status/1307374321430560769?s=20
Wearing red hats and blocking the doors to the polls, probably. — Lucky Jim (@67LuckyJim) September 19, 2020
Today’s activities by the Trump supporters do not bode well for a peaceful ballot process on election day.
All the more reason to vote early — either by mail or at an early voting location, depending on local regulations — and ensure that Joe Biden wins the election to toss Trump and his deplorables out of office and back into the minority where they can’t harm the majority of sane Americans.
Don’t be intimidated by these anti-democratic (with a small “d”) protestors. Vote to make them irrelevant again!
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-19--NRA and Trump campaign alleged to be illegally coordinating advertising strategy

Regulations regarding the conduct and financing of political campaigns are very clear .
It simply isn ’ t legal for a candidate ’ s political organization to coordinate any of its activities with sympathetic outside political action committees ( PACs ) in order to magnify their campaign efforts and increase their chances of victory .
At this stage of the election , with Donald Trump trailing Joe Biden in the polls by nearly seven points , legality seems to matter little to the Trump campaign .
Hence , The Daily Beast report today on the potentially illegal campaign arrangement between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t particularly astonishing , given how it fits into the other desperate and likely unlawful moves the president has taken to ensure that he wins the election and avoids the legal consequence from which his presidential position currently shields him .
“ The NRA and the Trump campaign placed … ads through two companies that appear separate on paper , but reporting by The Trace indicates they are affiliates of National Media Research , Planning and Placement , an influential conservative firm in Alexandria , Virginia , ” wrote The Daily Beast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified four National Media employees whose names or signatures also appear on recent documents related to the shell companies .
In fact , the three firms are so closely linked that they share a phone number .
Earlier reporting by The Trace showed that National Media was at the center of a similar ad-buying strategy in 2016.
” Dugan gives an example of the evidence of coordination in ad buying and placement in crucial swing states where Trump-supporting NRA-purchased ads suspiciously replaced the official campaign ads on the airwaves as the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of spending on TV advertising .
“ The ominous 30-second spot , called ‘ Carjack , ’ aired more than 10,000 times in swing districts across Michigan , Pennsylvania , Arizona , North Carolina , and Wisconsin during a two-week period in late August and early September .
The NRA paid more than $ 4.1 million for the ad to run during shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live !
and The View , ” Dugan reports .
“ During that time , re-election ads for President Donald Trump that had been playing as early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , the president ’ s ads—which became less frequent on all national airwaves during this period—started up again days after the NRA ’ s ad buy ended.
” Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
The suspect timing of the transition from the official campaign ads to the NRA-purchased spots raised eyebrows among government watchdogs and former campaign monitoring officials .
“ Former high-ranking Federal Election Commission ( FEC ) members and government watchdogs told The Trace that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemingly choreographed timing , suggest an arrangement that violates campaign-finance laws , ” Dugan reveals .
“ The FEC , which oversees political advertising , bars candidates ’ campaigns from working in concert with independent groups—such as , in this case , the NRA .
If these campaigns did in fact coordinate , millions of dollars in spending could count as in-kind contributions to the Trump campaign , and the firms could face civil fines and a possible criminal referral to the Justice Department.
” With Trump ’ s hand-picked Attorney General in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unlikely that the NRA and the Trump campaign face any immediate danger of prosecution .
However , the election of a new Democratic president could drastically change that situation come January and only add to the avalanche of legal woes that Trump is likely to face the moment Biden ’ s hand is on the Bible on the podium at his inauguration .
All the more reason to elect Joe Biden in a landslide so that “ Law & Order ” can truly be restored in our nation .
We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Regulations regarding the conduct and financing of political campaigns are very clear.
It simply isn’t legal for a candidate’s political organization to coordinate any of its activities with sympathetic outside political action committees (PACs) in order to magnify their campaign efforts and increase their chances of victory.
At this stage of the election, with Donald Trump trailing Joe Biden in the polls by nearly seven points, legality seems to matter little to the Trump campaign.
Hence, The Daily Beast report today on the potentially illegal campaign arrangement between the Trump campaign and the NRA isn’t particularly astonishing, given how it fits into the other desperate and likely unlawful moves the president has taken to ensure that he wins the election and avoids the legal consequence from which his presidential position currently shields him.
“The NRA and the Trump campaign placed … ads through two companies that appear separate on paper, but reporting by The Trace indicates they are affiliates of National Media Research, Planning and Placement, an influential conservative firm in Alexandria, Virginia,” wrote The Daily Beast‘s Kevin Dugan. “We identified four National Media employees whose names or signatures also appear on recent documents related to the shell companies. In fact, the three firms are so closely linked that they share a phone number. Earlier reporting by The Trace showed that National Media was at the center of a similar ad-buying strategy in 2016.”
Dugan gives an example of the evidence of coordination in ad buying and placement in crucial swing states where Trump-supporting NRA-purchased ads suspiciously replaced the official campaign ads on the airwaves as the president’s dwindling campaign coffers forced the rollback of spending on TV advertising.
“The ominous 30-second spot, called ‘Carjack,’ aired more than 10,000 times in swing districts across Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, and Wisconsin during a two-week period in late August and early September. The NRA paid more than $4.1 million for the ad to run during shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The View,” Dugan reports. “During that time, re-election ads for President Donald Trump that had been playing as early as May effectively stopped. In some cases, the president’s ads—which became less frequent on all national airwaves during this period—started up again days after the NRA’s ad buy ended.”
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
The suspect timing of the transition from the official campaign ads to the NRA-purchased spots raised eyebrows among government watchdogs and former campaign monitoring officials.
“Former high-ranking Federal Election Commission (FEC) members and government watchdogs told The Trace that the overlapping personnel, and the ads’ seemingly choreographed timing, suggest an arrangement that violates campaign-finance laws,” Dugan reveals. “The FEC, which oversees political advertising, bars candidates’ campaigns from working in concert with independent groups—such as, in this case, the NRA. If these campaigns did in fact coordinate, millions of dollars in spending could count as in-kind contributions to the Trump campaign, and the firms could face civil fines and a possible criminal referral to the Justice Department.”
With Trump’s hand-picked Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department, it’s unlikely that the NRA and the Trump campaign face any immediate danger of prosecution. However, the election of a new Democratic president could drastically change that situation come January and only add to the avalanche of legal woes that Trump is likely to face the moment Biden’s hand is on the Bible on the podium at his inauguration.
All the more reason to elect Joe Biden in a landslide so that “Law & Order” can truly be restored in our nation.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Matthew Chapman at RawStory.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-19--Trump and GOP dance on Ginsburg’s grave with vow to replace her without delay

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg — the epitome of the progressive wing of the Supreme Court — adds another twist to the nation ’ s election season that the coronavirus pandemic has already transformed into the most chaotic in decades .
Donald Trump wasted no time in murdering Senator Mitch McConnell ’ s ( R-KY ) doctrine that no nominee to the court will be considered in the months before a presidential election — a doctrine that apparently only applied to Merrick Garland , President Barack Obama ’ s nominee in his final months , since McConnell has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be applicable in the current situation .
Trump signaled his intentions in a morning Twitter post that trumpeted his minority mandate as an excuse for the hypocritical , power-grabbing move .
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
The post led to a flurry of immediate condemnations in the comments section of the president ’ s social media feed with many Democrats calling for a future Democratic-controlled Congress to expand the number of seats on the court if Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Society-approved reactionary justice to the court .
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
It remains to be seen whether the outrage over Republican hypocrisy will further energize the Democratic electorate and cost the GOP both the presidency and control of the Senate , but if this doesn ’ t add extra impetus to motivate Trump ’ s opponents to elect Joe Biden on a landslide , who knows what other atrocity can ?
Vote as soon as you can !
We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg — the epitome of the progressive wing of the Supreme Court — adds another twist to the nation’s election season that the coronavirus pandemic has already transformed into the most chaotic in decades.
Donald Trump wasted no time in murdering Senator Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) doctrine that no nominee to the court will be considered in the months before a presidential election — a doctrine that apparently only applied to Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s nominee in his final months, since McConnell has already declared that it inexplicably wouldn’t be applicable in the current situation.
Trump signaled his intentions in a morning Twitter post that trumpeted his minority mandate as an excuse for the hypocritical, power-grabbing move.
.@GOP We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices. We have this obligation, without delay! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
The post led to a flurry of immediate condemnations in the comments section of the president’s social media feed with many Democrats calling for a future Democratic-controlled Congress to expand the number of seats on the court if Trump and McConnell are successful in adding another Federalist Society-approved reactionary justice to the court.
3. Mitch McConnell refused to hold a Senate vote on President Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland. Rushing a vote less than 2 months before an election is the height of hypocrisy. 4. In addition to losing the White House, you ghouls will lose the Senate too. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/RonWaxman/status/1307323770294743044?s=20
The Electoral College has placed a candidate that LOST by 2.8 million votes as POTUS. Let’s all remember that a minority of voters have taken away the “Will of the People” due to the antiquated Electoral College. — Ruth “RaeAnn” Emery-Posner (@RaeAnnEmerySAG) September 19, 2020
Money and power – all he's ever cared about. How many times has he mentioned the economy while 200,000 people have died due to his inaction? — Ron Clements (@Ron_Clements) September 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/glamelegance/status/1307330966004944901?s=20
History will not be kind to any of them. — SassyMillie Believes in the Soul of America! (@SassyMillie2) September 19, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
The solution: This GOP hypocrisy will cost McSally, Gardner, Tillis and Collins their seats. Dems have Senate. Biden in White House, then we expand the Court. GOP took the gloves off first. F%ck 'em. RIPRBG. Let's win this for her. VOTE and take power. — Eric Applebaum (@applebaum_eric) September 19, 2020
It remains to be seen whether the outrage over Republican hypocrisy will further energize the Democratic electorate and cost the GOP both the presidency and control of the Senate, but if this doesn’t add extra impetus to motivate Trump’s opponents to elect Joe Biden on a landslide, who knows what other atrocity can?
Vote as soon as you can!
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-21--Trump quickly refuses to answer a question about who poisoned Putin’s political rival

Donald Trump may wonder why his relationship with Russia is still under question after he ’ s told people so many times that there was “ NO COLLUSION ” with Vladimir Putin to help him steal the 2016 election .
It ’ s not like his unusual deference to the Kremlin leader in public gatherings of world leaders , or the seizure of the interpreter ’ s notes after their closed-door meetings together , or the refusal to hold Putin accountable for the reported Russian bounties paid to the Taliban for the dead bodies of American armed forces might raise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must wonder what kind of signal the president thinks his rapid avoidance of a question about the Russian president ’ s possible involvement in the poisoning of his domestic political rival Alexei Navalny recently may be sending .
A White House correspondent managed to sneak an undesirable query to Trump about the subject today as the president was jetting off to another superspreader campaign event in Swanton , Ohio .
( Remember to mark your calendar to check on the new infection rates in the state in 14 days . )
Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
x ` The government of America ’ s one-time ally , Germany , likely has an opinion on that matter , since they were the ones who confirmed that the mysterious illness that Navalny suddenly succumbed to on a flight back to Moscow from the central Russian city of Tomsk was in fact the result of “ unequivocal evidence ” of his poisoning “ with a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapon developed by the Soviet Union that was used at least once before in recent years in an attack on a Kremlin enemy , ” as The New York Times recounted the story .
The Novichok poison is a “ dangerous weapon ” that the German government and Western intelligence agencies — at least those that are not being muzzled by proto-fascist presidents — have determined “ that only the Russian government would likely have access to.
” Perhaps Trump deflected the question because he hasn ’ t finished reading the scientific literature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of deadly nerve agents and double-checking the research of the German scientists who confirmed that Navalny was in fact slipped the normally-lethal chemical substance .
Or perhaps he didn ’ t want to face the consequences of criticizing the Russian president who may or may not have enough damaging info on the American president to ensure his defeat in this election as easily as he ensured his victory in the last one , as many people allege .
Whatever his motive , it was clear that Trump was not going anywhere near that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can watch the president squirm his way out of that simple interrogatory in the video excerpt attached below .
In the meantime , avoid the poisoning of your mind by deceptive Russian social media campaigns and cast your vote for Joe Biden to get back to a time when Amercian presidents still had the moral authority — and the cojones — to call out murderous dictators .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Donald Trump may wonder why his relationship with Russia is still under question after he’s told people so many times that there was “NO COLLUSION” with Vladimir Putin to help him steal the 2016 election.
It’s not like his unusual deference to the Kremlin leader in public gatherings of world leaders, or the seizure of the interpreter’s notes after their closed-door meetings together, or the refusal to hold Putin accountable for the reported Russian bounties paid to the Taliban for the dead bodies of American armed forces might raise suspicions or anything, right?
One must wonder what kind of signal the president thinks his rapid avoidance of a question about the Russian president’s possible involvement in the poisoning of his domestic political rival Alexei Navalny recently may be sending.
A White House correspondent managed to sneak an undesirable query to Trump about the subject today as the president was jetting off to another superspreader campaign event in Swanton, Ohio. (Remember to mark your calendar to check on the new infection rates in the state in 14 days.)
“Who do you think poisoned Alexei Navalny in Russia?” the reporter slipped in the question while Trump was speaking with the press before his departure.
Trump was taken aback by the unexpectedly pointed question.
“Uhm,” Trump replied evasively. “We’ll talk about that at another time.”
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!x`
The government of America’s one-time ally, Germany, likely has an opinion on that matter, since they were the ones who confirmed that the mysterious illness that Navalny suddenly succumbed to on a flight back to Moscow from the central Russian city of Tomsk was in fact the result of “unequivocal evidence” of his poisoning “with a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok family, a potent class of chemical weapon developed by the Soviet Union that was used at least once before in recent years in an attack on a Kremlin enemy,” as The New York Times recounted the story.
The Novichok poison is a “dangerous weapon” that the German government and Western intelligence agencies — at least those that are not being muzzled by proto-fascist presidents — have determined “that only the Russian government would likely have access to.”
Perhaps Trump deflected the question because he hasn’t finished reading the scientific literature outlining the development of the Novichok family of deadly nerve agents and double-checking the research of the German scientists who confirmed that Navalny was in fact slipped the normally-lethal chemical substance.
Or perhaps he didn’t want to face the consequences of criticizing the Russian president who may or may not have enough damaging info on the American president to ensure his defeat in this election as easily as he ensured his victory in the last one, as many people allege.
Whatever his motive, it was clear that Trump was not going anywhere near that perfectly legitimate question anytime soon.
You can watch the president squirm his way out of that simple interrogatory in the video excerpt attached below.
Reporter: "Who do you think poisoned Alexei Navalny in Russia?" Pres. Trump: "Uhhhhh, we'll talk about that at another time." https://t.co/e9dsNRyMws pic.twitter.com/vWr3DWAHMP — Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) September 21, 2020
In the meantime, avoid the poisoning of your mind by deceptive Russian social media campaigns and cast your vote for Joe Biden to get back to a time when Amercian presidents still had the moral authority — and the cojones — to call out murderous dictators.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-21--DeSantis unveils draconian new law criminalizing BLM protests and legalizing driving over protestors

Americans may have thought that the Constitution ’ s 1st Amendment would protect their rights to the free expression that they exercise when they protest the rampant misuse of police power .
Unfortunately for those who live in Florida , their Republican governor seems to think that the Bill of Rights begins and ends with the 2nd Amendment ’ s right to bear arms .
It ’ s difficult to avoid that conclusion after Governor Ron DeSantis ( R ) made it quite clear through a bill that he is proposing that attacks the freedom of speech of his state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to peacefully protest to petition the government for a redressing of grievances .
DeSantis proposed a bill that would limit what he considers “ disorderly assemblies ” and classify any blocking of roads , public harassment , or toppling of monuments to dead defenders of slavery as a felony under state law .
The law would also mandate minimum six-month jail terms for anyone found guilty of throwing an object at law enforcement officers .
Another provision would appear to offer a get out of jail free card for any maniacal motorist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protestors blocking their way at an intersection , granting drivers immunity from liability “ for injury and death caused if fleeing for safety from a mob.
” DeSantis also said anyone arrested during protests would not be eligible for bail before their initial court hearing and that the state would attempt to identify any groups that are funding or organizing such protests .
Desantis may as well have been lip-syncing to an audiotape of Donald Trump when he offered the rationale behind his decision to push the bill to the Florida legislature .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
The Florida governor ’ s motives were questioned by Stephanie Porta , the executive director of the progressive group Organize Florida , who labeled the proposed law as “ an election stunt focused on tamping down current protests that are being planned around the Supreme Court , as well as people getting into the streets to demand that every ballot gets counted…This is out there to absolutely scare people into not using their constitutional rights for freedom of speech.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his opposition to the governor ’ s planned bill .
Miami activist Freddy Peralta , who has been arrested at demonstrations 11 times in the past three months , expressed his outrage at DeSantis ’ efforts .
Indeed , activists are afraid that the bill ’ s provisions granting immunity to motorists who only have to claim fear as an excuse to ram down people whose political views they disagree with are tantamount to granting right-wing extremists a hunting license on progressive dissenters .

Americans may have thought that the Constitution’s 1st Amendment would protect their rights to the free expression that they exercise when they protest the rampant misuse of police power.
Unfortunately for those who live in Florida, their Republican governor seems to think that the Bill of Rights begins and ends with the 2nd Amendment’s right to bear arms.
It’s difficult to avoid that conclusion after Governor Ron DeSantis (R) made it quite clear through a bill that he is proposing that attacks the freedom of speech of his state’s citizens, including the right to peacefully protest to petition the government for a redressing of grievances.
DeSantis proposed a bill that would limit what he considers “disorderly assemblies” and classify any blocking of roads, public harassment, or toppling of monuments to dead defenders of slavery as a felony under state law.
The law would also mandate minimum six-month jail terms for anyone found guilty of throwing an object at law enforcement officers.
“Seven or more people ‘involved in an assembly [who] cause damage to property or injury to other persons” would be committing a felony, and city and counties that try to defund the police would lose their state funding,” according to an account of the proposed bill in The Orlando Sentinel.
Another provision would appear to offer a get out of jail free card for any maniacal motorist who takes it upon themselves to mow down protestors blocking their way at an intersection, granting drivers immunity from liability “for injury and death caused if fleeing for safety from a mob.”
DeSantis also said anyone arrested during protests would not be eligible for bail before their initial court hearing and that the state would attempt to identify any groups that are funding or organizing such protests.
Desantis may as well have been lip-syncing to an audiotape of Donald Trump when he offered the rationale behind his decision to push the bill to the Florida legislature.
“Our right to peacefully assemble is one of our most cherished as Americans, but throughout the country we’ve seen that right being taken advantage of by professional agitators, bent on sowing disorder and causing mayhem in our cities,” DeSantis said. “I will not allow this kind of violence to occur here in Florida.”
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
The Florida governor’s motives were questioned by Stephanie Porta, the executive director of the progressive group Organize Florida, who labeled the proposed law as “an election stunt focused on tamping down current protests that are being planned around the Supreme Court, as well as people getting into the streets to demand that every ballot gets counted…This is out there to absolutely scare people into not using their constitutional rights for freedom of speech.”
“We should be clear when we’re talking about this: this is not law, and it’s not going to be law,” Porta emphasized. “It’s not constitutional, and we’re going to stop it from passing in the Legislature.”
At least one Democratic Florida legislator signaled his opposition to the governor’s planned bill.
“This proposed legislation is a distraction from the real problems Floridians face,” Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) said. “I can only assume the Republican majority is scared of what the November 2020 elections will bring so they do what they know best: lie, create fear, and scapegoat others.”
Miami activist Freddy Peralta, who has been arrested at demonstrations 11 times in the past three months, expressed his outrage at DeSantis’ efforts.
“This is part of a national policy by Trump’s group to continue violating the right we have as citizens to protest and fight against the ongoing injustices in our country,” said Peralta. “This law attempts to criminalize protests against what is going on. It’s an infringement of our civil liberties.”
Indeed, activists are afraid that the bill’s provisions granting immunity to motorists who only have to claim fear as an excuse to ram down people whose political views they disagree with are tantamount to granting right-wing extremists a hunting license on progressive dissenters.
Polk Sheriff Grady Judd showed just how dangerous it could be if the determination of what is considered a peaceful protest and what is considered a felonious riot is left up to the decisions of those whose actions and policies are inspiring the demonstrations.
“I can tell you folks, so that there’s no misunderstanding today,” Judd said, while holding up two photos. “This is a peaceful protest. This is a riot. We can tell the difference. The governor can tell the difference. Our law enforcement officers can tell the difference.” By admitting that the final decisions for arrest will be made by parties with a direct political interest in the outcome of the decision, the sheriff demonstrates exactly why the Republican politicians can’t be trusted to be the final arbiters of the legitimacy of any protest. “Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
You step out of line
The man come and take you away We better stop, hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.” — “For What It’s Worth” — Buffalo Springfield “Fascists on the attack, we will fight them back. Fascists on the attack, we will counter attack.” — “Fite Dem Back” — Linton Kwesi Johnson Now go out and vote like your lives depend on it, because they clearly do. Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter. Original reporting by Richard Tribou, Mario Ariza, and Sgven Lemongello at The Orlando Sentinel. We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-21--NY AG Letitia James fires back after Eric Trump claims he’s “too busy” to testify

The rich and privileged operate under different rules than ordinary Americans .
If you need proof of that statement , just try defying a subpoena some time or telling the court that your extensive travel schedule simply won ’ t allow you to turn up at the appointed time , but perhaps you could pencil them in sometime after election day .
That ’ s essentially what presidential spawn Eric Trump told New York State Attorney General Letitia James regarding the subpoena for his testimony about the financial and tax irregularities being alleged against the Trump Organization after the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beans about the differing assessments of property values in their loan applications and tax filings .
Eric Trump ’ s attorneys argued in court that his “ extreme travel schedule ” campaigning for his father would prevent him from testifying anytime before the election in New York State ’ s civil investigation of the Trump Organization .
The lawyers also claimed to want “ to avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes.
” Hmmm , isn ’ t all that campaigning Eric has on his calendar being done for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give a timely deposition be exempt from being fair game for political humiliation ?
Attorney General James had a decidedly different view of the situation than the Trump scion ’ s lawyers .
The younger Mr. Trump was originally scheduled for a voluntary interview with state officials to discuss the allegations that his family business lied about the value of its assets in order to get loans or tax benefits way back in July , but Attorney General James was forced to issue a subpoena for the slippery presidential offspring after Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers are trying to push the argument that most law-enforcement agencies should avoid taking any actions involving political figures during the 60 days before an election .
They seemingly forget the actions of former FBI Director James Comey , who sent a letter to Congress a week before the 2016 presidential election regarding the reopening of an investigation into Hillary Clinton ’ s emails .
In the end , the scheduling of the deposition will be up to neither Eric Trump , his lawyers , nor the state attorney general .
A New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say on the matter at a hearing scheduled for next Wednesday in state court in Manhattan .
Until then we can only speculate about whether Eric Trump ’ s multiple levels of privilege will allow him and his family to evade the consequences of a lawful subpoena — and the fallout from whatever revelations his testimony may generate — before the American people are asked to decide whether to give his father four more years in the White House rather than a lengthier prison sentence .
Let ’ s hope that Attorney General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is above the law , period ” proves to be true .
Original reporting by The Associated Press .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

The rich and privileged operate under different rules than ordinary Americans.
If you need proof of that statement, just try defying a subpoena some time or telling the court that your extensive travel schedule simply won’t allow you to turn up at the appointed time, but perhaps you could pencil them in sometime after election day.
That’s essentially what presidential spawn Eric Trump told New York State Attorney General Letitia James regarding the subpoena for his testimony about the financial and tax irregularities being alleged against the Trump Organization after the company’s former fixer Michael Cohen spilled the beans about the differing assessments of property values in their loan applications and tax filings.
Eric Trump’s attorneys argued in court that his “extreme travel schedule” campaigning for his father would prevent him from testifying anytime before the election in New York State’s civil investigation of the Trump Organization. The lawyers also claimed to want “to avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes.”
Hmmm, isn’t all that campaigning Eric has on his calendar being done for political purposes? Why should his refusal to give a timely deposition be exempt from being fair game for political humiliation?
Attorney General James had a decidedly different view of the situation than the Trump scion’s lawyers.
“We won’t allow any entity or individual to dictate how our investigation will proceed or allow anyone to evade a lawful subpoena. No one is above the law, period,” James said in a statement responding to the attorney’s “Oh, he’s much too busy” excuse.
The younger Mr. Trump was originally scheduled for a voluntary interview with state officials to discuss the allegations that his family business lied about the value of its assets in order to get loans or tax benefits way back in July, but Attorney General James was forced to issue a subpoena for the slippery presidential offspring after Eric abruptly canceled that planned meeting.
The lawyers are trying to push the argument that most law-enforcement agencies should avoid taking any actions involving political figures during the 60 days before an election.
They seemingly forget the actions of former FBI Director James Comey, who sent a letter to Congress a week before the 2016 presidential election regarding the reopening of an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.
“Eric Trump’s lawyers have proposed four dates for him to testify, the earliest being Nov. 19, which they contend is just 30 days after others are scheduled to be deposed in the investigation. They are also seeking assurances that the attorney general’s office won’t share testimony and evidence it collects with other law-enforcement agencies or regulators,” the Assoicated Press reports.
In the end, the scheduling of the deposition will be up to neither Eric Trump, his lawyers, nor the state attorney general.
A New York State judge will have the final say on the matter at a hearing scheduled for next Wednesday in state court in Manhattan.
Until then we can only speculate about whether Eric Trump’s multiple levels of privilege will allow him and his family to evade the consequences of a lawful subpoena — and the fallout from whatever revelations his testimony may generate — before the American people are asked to decide whether to give his father four more years in the White House rather than a lengthier prison sentence.
Let’s hope that Attorney General James’ assertion that “No one is above the law, period” proves to be true.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by The Associated Press.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-21--Republican Senator runs bizarre, dark new ad featuring Attila the Hun joking about killing “liberal

Republican Senator runs bizarre, dark new ad featuring Attila the Hun joking about killing “liberal scribes”

It ’ s not a controversial statement to say that under Trump , the Republican Party has completely lost its mind .
Just take a look at the latest campaign ad for Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler , who made headlines earlier this year for illegally profiteering off the coronavirus crisis .
In the ad , Loeffler claimed that she was more conservative than 5th-century tribal warlord Attila the Hun , who did not have strong opinions on gun control , abortion , or trickle-down economics .
Bizarrely — and disturbingly — the ad does a Family Guy-style cutaway that shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ liberal scribes , ” which is almost certainly a joke about killing journalists and the media .
Course , it wouldn ’ t be a Republican joke if they didn ’ t get some basic facts wrong .
Attila the Hun never attacked China , instead ravaging central Europe , Italy , and the Byzantine Empire ; the lazy ad makers must have gotten him mixed up with Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan , who did conquer China .
Loeffler was appointed to her seat in November 2019 following the resignation of Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a special election to finish out his term .
Under Georgia election law , special elections feature an open primary with the top two candidates going to a runoff if nobody gets over 50 % .
New polling shows Democratic challenger Rev .
Raphael Warnock clawing his way into striking distance — and this ad could come back to bite Loeffler in a big way if she and Warnock go to a runoff .
Loeffler has voted with Trump 100 % of the time and is MAGA to the core .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right-wing has become with its barely disguised threats of violence against our free press — but also to remember that this absurd nonsense just goes to show how desperate she is .
If a Republican is doing this poorly in the deep-red state of Georgia , then something is definitely changing across America ’ s electoral landscape .

It’s not a controversial statement to say that under Trump, the Republican Party has completely lost its mind. Just take a look at the latest campaign ad for Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler, who made headlines earlier this year for illegally profiteering off the coronavirus crisis.
In the ad, Loeffler claimed that she was more conservative than 5th-century tribal warlord Attila the Hun, who did not have strong opinions on gun control, abortion, or trickle-down economics. Bizarrely — and disturbingly — the ad does a Family Guy-style cutaway that shows “Attila” ordering the elimination of “liberal scribes,” which is almost certainly a joke about killing journalists and the media.
Now here's an ad for you: Sen. Kelly Loeffler's new spot is all about how she's "more conservative than Attila the Hun," and includes an actor portraying a grunting Attila who delivers orders to, among other things, "eliminate the liberal scribes." pic.twitter.com/080nIJGwng — Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) September 21, 2020
Course, it wouldn’t be a Republican joke if they didn’t get some basic facts wrong. Attila the Hun never attacked China, instead ravaging central Europe, Italy, and the Byzantine Empire; the lazy ad makers must have gotten him mixed up with Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan, who did conquer China.
Loeffler was appointed to her seat in November 2019 following the resignation of Sen. Johnny Isakson and is currently running in a special election to finish out his term. Under Georgia election law, special elections feature an open primary with the top two candidates going to a runoff if nobody gets over 50%.
New polling shows Democratic challenger Rev. Raphael Warnock clawing his way into striking distance — and this ad could come back to bite Loeffler in a big way if she and Warnock go to a runoff.
GEORGIA Senate polling — from Warnock campaign (D): Loeffler 29, Warnock 25, Collins 19, Lieberman 11, Tarver 5. Biden LEADS Trump, 49-46% https://t.co/tj5sb8lvs3 — Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) September 21, 2020
Loeffler has voted with Trump 100% of the time and is MAGA to the core. It’s extremely disturbing to see how casual the right-wing has become with its barely disguised threats of violence against our free press — but also to remember that this absurd nonsense just goes to show how desperate she is. If a Republican is doing this poorly in the deep-red state of Georgia, then something is definitely changing across America’s electoral landscape.
https://twitter.com/mattdpearce/status/1308115223379718144
ANYWAY trying to win primaries with "jokes" about killing journalists is a thing that happens when the head of your party is explicitly in favor of party members assaulting them. https://t.co/jRdVL2HKYg — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) September 21, 2020
OD STAFF Latest Posts