alternet--2020-11-25--Trump pardons Michael Flynn — making himself look even more guilty

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a `` full pardon '' for his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn , a key figure from the start of Russia investigation and the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller .
Flynn had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential transition .
The reason for his lying was never fully explained .
He also admitted to working as an unregistered foreign agent for Turkey while serving on the Trump campaign , work that included publishing a ghost-written op-ed in The Hill that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seen as an enemy of the Turkish government .
After admitting to his crimes , Flynn attempted to recant and withdraw his guilty plea , an issue which had yet to be resolved by the courts .
Trump was widely expected to give a pardon to Flynn , who has become a hero on the right for his perceived martyrdom in the Russia probe .
Despite the fact that he admitted his guilt and there is strong evidence behind the charges , Flynn was seen by many conservative figures as wrongfully prosecuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct the pardon covers .
Trump 's tweet about the matter did not specify how the pardon is worded , which could be significant for any potential future case against Flynn .
Flynn 's pardon follows Trump 's Summer commutation of the sentence of Roger Stone , another of his allies who was charged by the Mueller team .
Additional pardons for others involved or those charged in other cases may bet yet to come .
It 's worth noting that the pardons undermine the whole point of having a special counsel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that implicate the president 's interest from the White House 's influence .
In the Mueller report , the special counsel argued that the president 's repeated suggestions that pardons may be awaiting Flynn , Stone , and others could constitute criminal acts of obstruction of justice .
Trump 's following through on giving these pardons could be seen as additional evidence for this crime .
In the case of Flynn , the report explained : Trump 's effort induce Comey to drop the case against Flynn , which the former FBI director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was among the key events that prompted the appointment of a special counsel .
`` Donald Trump has repeatedly abused the pardon power to reward friends and protect those who covered up for him .
This time he pardons Michael Flynn , who lied to hide his dealings with the Russians .
It 's no surprise that Trump would go out as he came in , '' said Rep. Adam Schiff , who led the impeachment effort of Trump in the House of Representatives .
`` Crooked to the end . ''
Correction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone .
In fact , Trump commuted his sentence .

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a "full pardon" for his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, a key figure from the start of Russia investigation and the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Flynn had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential transition. The reason for his lying was never fully explained. He also admitted to working as an unregistered foreign agent for Turkey while serving on the Trump campaign, work that included publishing a ghost-written op-ed in The Hill that argued for extraditing an American resident who is seen as an enemy of the Turkish government. After admitting to his crimes, Flynn attempted to recant and withdraw his guilty plea, an issue which had yet to be resolved by the courts.
Trump was widely expected to give a pardon to Flynn, who has become a hero on the right for his perceived martyrdom in the Russia probe. Despite the fact that he admitted his guilt and there is strong evidence behind the charges, Flynn was seen by many conservative figures as wrongfully prosecuted.
It's not clear yet what conduct the pardon covers. Trump's tweet about the matter did not specify how the pardon is worded, which could be significant for any potential future case against Flynn.
Flynn's pardon follows Trump's Summer commutation of the sentence of Roger Stone, another of his allies who was charged by the Mueller team. Additional pardons for others involved or those charged in other cases may bet yet to come.
It's worth noting that the pardons undermine the whole point of having a special counsel, which is meant to protect sensitive cases that implicate the president's interest from the White House's influence.
In the Mueller report, the special counsel argued that the president's repeated suggestions that pardons may be awaiting Flynn, Stone, and others could constitute criminal acts of obstruction of justice. Trump's following through on giving these pardons could be seen as additional evidence for this crime.
In the case of Flynn, the report explained:
After Flynn withdrew from a joint defense agreement with the President and began cooperating with the government, the President's personal counsel left a message for Flynn's attorneys reminding them of the President's warm feelings towards Flynn, which he said "still remains," and asking for a "heads up" if Flynn knew "information that implicates the President." When Flynn's counsel reiterated that Flynn could no longer share information pursuant to a joint defense agreement, the President's personal counsel said he would make sure that the President knew that Flynn's actions reflected "hostility" towards the President.
---
On December 1, 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements pursuant to a cooperation agreement.841 The next day, the President told the press that he was not concerned about what Flynn might tell the Special Counsel.842 In response to a question about whether the President still stood behind Flynn, the President responded, "We'll see what happens." Over the next several days, the President made public statements expressing sympathy for Flynn and indicating he had not been treated fairly. On December 15, 2017, the President responded to a press inquiry about whether he was considering a pardon for Flynn by saying, "I don't want to talk about pardons for Michael Flynn yet. We'll see what happens. Let's see. I can say this: When you look at what's gone on with the FBI and with the Justice Department, people are very, very angry."
It also explained:
During the presidential transition, incoming National Security Advisor Michael Flynn had two phone calls with the Russian Ambassador to the United States about the Russian response to U.S. sanctions imposed because of Russia's election interference. After the press reported on Flynn's contacts with the Russian Ambassador, Flynn lied to incoming Administration officials by saying he had not discussed sanctions on the calls. The officials publicly repeated those lies in press interviews. The FBI, which previously was investigating Flynn for other matters, interviewed him about the calls in the first week after the inauguration, and Flynn told similar lies to the FBI. On January 26, 2017, Department of Justice (DOJ) officials notified the White House that Flynn and the Russian Ambassador had discussed sanctions and that Flynn had been interviewed by the FBI. The next night, the President had a private dinner with FBI Director James Comey in which he asked for Comey's loyalty. On February 13, 2017, the President asked Flynn to resign. The following day, the President had a one-on-one conversation with Comey in which he said, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go."
Trump's effort induce Comey to drop the case against Flynn, which the former FBI director made public after he was fired, was among the key events that prompted the appointment of a special counsel.
"Donald Trump has repeatedly abused the pardon power to reward friends and protect those who covered up for him. This time he pardons Michael Flynn, who lied to hide his dealings with the Russians. It's no surprise that Trump would go out as he came in," said Rep. Adam Schiff, who led the impeachment effort of Trump in the House of Representatives. "Crooked to the end."
Correction: This story initially said Trump pardoned Stone. In fact, Trump commuted his sentence.


alternet--2020-11-25--Report reveals a GOP anti-Muslim push led to 5 wrongful termination claims — costing the House $850k

President Donald Trump and some of his Republican allies have not been shy about fear-mongering over Muslims .
And that fear-mongering , according to the New York Times reporters Noam Scheiber and Nicholas Fandos , is costing the federal government a lot of money .
Scheiber and Fandos are reporting that this year , the U.S. House of Representatives `` quietly '' paid a total of $ 850,000 to `` settle wrongful termination claims by five Pakistani-American technology specialists , after a set of routine workplace allegations against them morphed into fodder for right-wing conspiracy theories amplified by President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` What started as a relatively ordinary House inquiry into procurement irregularities by Imran Awan , three members of his family and a friend — who had a bustling practice providing members of Congress with technology support — was twisted into lurid accusations of hacking government information . ''
Scheiber and Fandos recall that when Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki , Finland in 2018 , he `` implied that one of the employees involved in the House case — a 'Pakistani gentleman , ' he said — could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic officials leaked during the 2016 campaign .
His own intelligence agencies had concluded that the stolen e-mails were part of an election interference campaign ordered by Moscow . ''
Rep. Ted Deutch , the Florida Democrat who chairs the House Ethics Committee , used Awan for tech support in the past — and he slammed Trump for defaming the Pakistani-American tech specialists .
Deutch told the Times , `` It is tragic and outrageous the way right-wing media and Republicans all the way up to President Trump attempted to destroy the lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scurrilous allegations .
Their names were smeared on cable TV , their children were harassed at school , and they genuinely feared for their lives .
The settlement is an acknowledgment of the wrong done to this family . ''
The case , however , preceded Trump 's presidency and originated in 2016 .
Scheiber and Fandos explain , `` Officials in the House , then controlled by Republicans , began investigating claims that the specialists had improperly accounted for purchases of equipment and bent employment rules as they worked part-time for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the hands of the chamber 's inspector general and later the Capitol Police , the investigation slowly expanded to include concerns that the workers had illicitly gained access to , transferred or removed government data and stolen equipment . ''
The Daily Caller , a right-wing media outlet co-founded by Fox News ' Tucker Carlson , only made things worse — as did Trump after he entered the White House .
Scheiber and Fandos report , `` The Daily Caller… .
published allegations that the workers had hacked into congressional computer networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group were Pakistani spies .
Mr. Trump , in addition to his comments in Helsinki , repeatedly amplified conspiracy theories about the investigation on Twitter , where he referred to a 'Pakistani mystery man . '
'' But the U.S. Department of Justice , according to the Times reporters , `` found 'no evidence ' that Mr. Awan illegally removed data , stole or destroyed House equipment , or improperly gained access to sensitive information . ''
Eventually , Awan and the four other tech specialists agreed to a settlement in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California in January and paid out this summer , Scheiber and Fandos report .

President Donald Trump and some of his Republican allies have not been shy about fear-mongering over Muslims. And that fear-mongering, according to the New York Times reporters Noam Scheiber and Nicholas Fandos, is costing the federal government a lot of money. Scheiber and Fandos are reporting that this year, the U.S. House of Representatives "quietly" paid a total of $850,000 to "settle wrongful termination claims by five Pakistani-American technology specialists, after a set of routine workplace allegations against them morphed into fodder for right-wing conspiracy theories amplified by President Trump."
According to Scheiber and Fandos, "What started as a relatively ordinary House inquiry into procurement irregularities by Imran Awan, three members of his family and a friend — who had a bustling practice providing members of Congress with technology support — was twisted into lurid accusations of hacking government information."
Scheiber and Fandos recall that when Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland in 2018, he "implied that one of the employees involved in the House case — a 'Pakistani gentleman,' he said — could have been responsible for stealing e-mails of Democratic officials leaked during the 2016 campaign. His own intelligence agencies had concluded that the stolen e-mails were part of an election interference campaign ordered by Moscow."
Rep. Ted Deutch, the Florida Democrat who chairs the House Ethics Committee, used Awan for tech support in the past — and he slammed Trump for defaming the Pakistani-American tech specialists.
Deutch told the Times, "It is tragic and outrageous the way right-wing media and Republicans all the way up to President Trump attempted to destroy the lives of an immigrant Muslim-American family based on scurrilous allegations. Their names were smeared on cable TV, their children were harassed at school, and they genuinely feared for their lives. The settlement is an acknowledgment of the wrong done to this family."
The case, however, preceded Trump's presidency and originated in 2016.
Scheiber and Fandos explain, "Officials in the House, then controlled by Republicans, began investigating claims that the specialists had improperly accounted for purchases of equipment and bent employment rules as they worked part-time for the offices of dozens of Democratic lawmakers. In the hands of the chamber's inspector general and later the Capitol Police, the investigation slowly expanded to include concerns that the workers had illicitly gained access to, transferred or removed government data and stolen equipment."
The Daily Caller, a right-wing media outlet co-founded by Fox News' Tucker Carlson, only made things worse — as did Trump after he entered the White House.
Scheiber and Fandos report, "The Daily Caller…. published allegations that the workers had hacked into congressional computer networks, and other right-wing pundits speculated that the group were Pakistani spies. Mr. Trump, in addition to his comments in Helsinki, repeatedly amplified conspiracy theories about the investigation on Twitter, where he referred to a 'Pakistani mystery man.'"
But the U.S. Department of Justice, according to the Times reporters, "found 'no evidence' that Mr. Awan illegally removed data, stole or destroyed House equipment, or improperly gained access to sensitive information."
Eventually, Awan and the four other tech specialists agreed to a settlement in their case, and it was signed by Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California in January and paid out this summer, Scheiber and Fandos report.


alternet--2020-11-25--Here's the fundamental reason so many are obsessed with Trump

Are we addicted to Donald Trump ?
It 's a question that 's haunting journalists and political commentators , most of whom hate Trump but can not deny that his name drives traffic and ratings .
Even though Trump lost the election and Joe Biden will be the next president , Trump continues to be the big attention draw for political websites and cable news networks .
Part of that is completely understandable .
Trump is still big news .
He literally spent the past few weeks attempting a coup .
While he failed , that does n't change the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or that he got so much support .
Certainly Biden , whose main activity is finding boring-but-competent people to staff his administration , ca n't compete with that , and there 's no real indication that he wants to .
( Unlike Trump , Biden views governing as a job and not just an opportunity to get attention . )
But there is no doubt that the media remains flatly fascinated with Trump , in no small part because , as Salon 's Andrew O'Hehir argued Monday , `` our readers and viewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step '' and stories about Trump `` outperform every other category of reporting , commentary or analysis we can possibly offer . ''
As Philip Bump at the Washington Post documented Tuesday , since Trump first announced his run for president , he `` is the political figure who garners the most search interest , cable news mentions or screen time each month since June 2015 . ''
Because of all this , it 's become quite fashionable in some circles to haughtily declare that all this interest is tawdry , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would go away .
Hardly a week goes by on social media where I do n't get some reader who , sick of it all , will lash out at me personally and demand that I stop writing about , tweeting about or otherwise giving attention to Trump .
But the command to ignore him did n't make the bully disappear in junior high school and it certainly does n't work with the president .
Nor can Trump 's importance in our politics be easily reduced to a pop psychology assumption that all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The reality is that the Trump obsession is n't really about Trump himself anyway .
It 's about his followers .
Do n't get me wrong .
I confess some interest in his psychology , which our traffic shows is widely shared .
But let 's face it — even on the sociopath scale , Trump 's not as interesting as more exotic specimens like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer .
As a person , Trump is little more than the aged version of the yuppie villain in an '80s comedy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a sneer for the scruffy heroes .
He only has two emotional registers , whining and bullying .
He 's boring .
Bump 's own numbers show this .
Prior to his presidential campaign , Trump was n't an object of widespread fascination , no matter how much he hustled for attention .
Ratings for his reality show were in the toilet and most people did n't think about him at all .
It was only when Trump started to get support from everyday voters that he became the focal point of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captures so much attention , year in and year out , is because of his followers .
How did this two-bit moron who can barely read manage to attract a loyal following — one that has apparently grown from the 63 million people voted for him in 2016 to the 74 million who turned out in 2020 ?
These people adore him , so much so that a quarter-million Americans dead and millions more unemployed only made them more determined to give it all up for the orange guy in an ill-fitting suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know it .
It 's a legitimately fascinating mystery .
The devotion of the Red Hats is , if anything , more bizarre because Trump is so tiresome .
Going to one of his infamous rallies , for instance , is volunteering to be tortured , like being strapped to a chair while the biggest boor in the world rants incoherently at you for over an hour .
Listening to him ping-pong endlessly between whining and bragging is a form of boredom that makes solitary confinement seem pleasant by comparison .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You could see it on the faces in the crowds , as his supporters would drift away , not really listening except to perk up to applaud at the mention of buzzwords ( `` Crooked Hillary , '' `` build the wall '' , `` Hunter Biden '' ) , but never really paying much attention to what Trump was actually saying .
They were n't there for him , after all .
They were there as a show of force , to let the hated liberals know that they had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that they 'd sacrifice a night of their preciously short lives listening to a braggart ramble on about windmills and and lie about his own vitality for an hour .
Trump will never understand this , but it was never about him .
He was there for them , a vehicle for their resentments and , critically , their will to power .
He was the weapon they wielded in their war to exert dominance over American politics , even as their actual numbers dwindle .
This movement is what is interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rise of American fascism .
It 's a real threat , as demonstrated by Biden 's uncomfortably close margins in the same swing states Hillary Clinton lost in 2016 .
Indeed , it 's arguable that these forces still won in 2020 , as they ( probably ) kept control of the Senate , gained seats in the House and have overtaken the federal courts , kneecapping the ability of the majority of American voters , who support the Democrats , to exert their political will .
That the most powerful country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by an authoritarian , racist minority drunk on conspiracy theories is the biggest story in politics .
It 's part of a larger story about the entire world in the grip of rising authoritarianism .
Their power will define Joe Biden 's presidency .
Their ability to cripple him will matter more than any of his Cabinet picks or even his executive orders .
Trump is just the shorthand for this very real and ongoing problem .
The reason it feels like we ca n't quit Trump is that we ca n't quit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob Cesca argued this week at Salon , we should n't pander to those people or seek to placate them , but we also ca n't just ignore them .
Not while they still control so many levers of power .
Nowadays , most educated people reject the `` great man '' theory of history .
We understand , intellectually at least , that even legendary villains like Hitler or heroes like FDR were a product of their time and not acting out of some cosmic destiny .
But it 's still hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our brains are hardwired to focus on individuals , who have agency and psychology that we can understand , rather than the more diffuse motivations of the crowd .
But Trump could keel over tomorrow , never to tweet again , and he would n't go away .
He might even grow in power , made into a martyr now that he can no longer embarrass his followers with his routine bouts of public idiocy , such as when he suggested people inject Lysol .
Trump the symbol was always far more important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter what happens to Trump the man , the movement he represents remains a live threat to American democracy , and to the world .

Are we addicted to Donald Trump? It's a question that's haunting journalists and political commentators, most of whom hate Trump but cannot deny that his name drives traffic and ratings. Even though Trump lost the election and Joe Biden will be the next president, Trump continues to be the big attention draw for political websites and cable news networks.
Part of that is completely understandable. Trump is still big news. He literally spent the past few weeks attempting a coup. While he failed, that doesn't change the history-making fact that he even tried, or that he got so much support. Certainly Biden, whose main activity is finding boring-but-competent people to staff his administration, can't compete with that, and there's no real indication that he wants to. (Unlike Trump, Biden views governing as a job and not just an opportunity to get attention.)
But there is no doubt that the media remains flatly fascinated with Trump, in no small part because, as Salon's Andrew O'Hehir argued Monday, "our readers and viewers have enabled and encouraged us at every step" and stories about Trump "outperform every other category of reporting, commentary or analysis we can possibly offer."
As Philip Bump at the Washington Post documented Tuesday, since Trump first announced his run for president, he "is the political figure who garners the most search interest, cable news mentions or screen time each month since June 2015."
Because of all this, it's become quite fashionable in some circles to haughtily declare that all this interest is tawdry, and that if we simply ignored Trump, he would go away. Hardly a week goes by on social media where I don't get some reader who, sick of it all, will lash out at me personally and demand that I stop writing about, tweeting about or otherwise giving attention to Trump.
But the command to ignore him didn't make the bully disappear in junior high school and it certainly doesn't work with the president. Nor can Trump's importance in our politics be easily reduced to a pop psychology assumption that all fascination is inherently addiction and therefore bad.
The reality is that the Trump obsession isn't really about Trump himself anyway. It's about his followers.
Don't get me wrong. I confess some interest in his psychology, which our traffic shows is widely shared. But let's face it — even on the sociopath scale, Trump's not as interesting as more exotic specimens like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer. As a person, Trump is little more than the aged version of the yuppie villain in an '80s comedy, with a sweater tied around his neck and a sneer for the scruffy heroes. He only has two emotional registers, whining and bullying. He's boring.
Bump's own numbers show this. Prior to his presidential campaign, Trump wasn't an object of widespread fascination, no matter how much he hustled for attention. Ratings for his reality show were in the toilet and most people didn't think about him at all. It was only when Trump started to get support from everyday voters that he became the focal point of American politics.
The reason that Trump captures so much attention, year in and year out, is because of his followers. How did this two-bit moron who can barely read manage to attract a loyal following — one that has apparently grown from the 63 million people voted for him in 2016 to the 74 million who turned out in 2020? These people adore him, so much so that a quarter-million Americans dead and millions more unemployed only made them more determined to give it all up for the orange guy in an ill-fitting suit who wants to end democracy as we know it. It's a legitimately fascinating mystery.
The devotion of the Red Hats is, if anything, more bizarre because Trump is so tiresome. Going to one of his infamous rallies, for instance, is volunteering to be tortured, like being strapped to a chair while the biggest boor in the world rants incoherently at you for over an hour. Listening to him ping-pong endlessly between whining and bragging is a form of boredom that makes solitary confinement seem pleasant by comparison.
And it's not like his rally-goers felt differently. You could see it on the faces in the crowds, as his supporters would drift away, not really listening except to perk up to applaud at the mention of buzzwords ("Crooked Hillary," "build the wall", "Hunter Biden"), but never really paying much attention to what Trump was actually saying.
They weren't there for him, after all. They were there as a show of force, to let the hated liberals know that they had the numbers and the determination — so much so that they'd sacrifice a night of their preciously short lives listening to a braggart ramble on about windmills and and lie about his own vitality for an hour. Trump will never understand this, but it was never about him. He was there for them, a vehicle for their resentments and, critically, their will to power. He was the weapon they wielded in their war to exert dominance over American politics, even as their actual numbers dwindle.
This movement is what is interesting, because it's ultimately, about the rise of American fascism. It's a real threat, as demonstrated by Biden's uncomfortably close margins in the same swing states Hillary Clinton lost in 2016. Indeed, it's arguable that these forces still won in 2020, as they (probably) kept control of the Senate, gained seats in the House and have overtaken the federal courts, kneecapping the ability of the majority of American voters, who support the Democrats, to exert their political will.
That the most powerful country in the world is being held hostage by an authoritarian, racist minority drunk on conspiracy theories is the biggest story in politics. It's part of a larger story about the entire world in the grip of rising authoritarianism. Their power will define Joe Biden's presidency. Their ability to cripple him will matter more than any of his Cabinet picks or even his executive orders.
Trump is just the shorthand for this very real and ongoing problem. The reason it feels like we can't quit Trump is that we can't quit the people who elected him. As Bob Cesca argued this week at Salon, we shouldn't pander to those people or seek to placate them, but we also can't just ignore them. Not while they still control so many levers of power.
Nowadays, most educated people reject the "great man" theory of history. We understand, intellectually at least, that even legendary villains like Hitler or heroes like FDR were a product of their time and not acting out of some cosmic destiny.
But it's still hard not to reduce politics to personality. Our brains are hardwired to focus on individuals, who have agency and psychology that we can understand, rather than the more diffuse motivations of the crowd.
But Trump could keel over tomorrow, never to tweet again, and he wouldn't go away. He might even grow in power, made into a martyr now that he can no longer embarrass his followers with his routine bouts of public idiocy, such as when he suggested people inject Lysol. Trump the symbol was always far more important than Trump the man. And no matter what happens to Trump the man, the movement he represents remains a live threat to American democracy, and to the world.


alternet--2020-11-25--Trump is facing new debt collectors — and they're coming from El Paso

When President Donald Trump held a MAGA rally in El Paso in February 2019 , it cost the West Texas city more than half a million dollars — and almost two years later , according to KTSM-TV ( an NBC affiliate in El Paso ) , the city government is still trying to get Team Trump to cover those expenses .
KTSM 's Taniana Favela reports that El Paso City Councilman Peter Svarzbein , on Tuesday , said , `` We all are seeing firsthand the struggles that everyday El Paso families have , in addition to the challenges that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , this amount of money is not inconsequential — and also , the message that we send that nobody is above the law is also an important one for our community to understand as well . ''
El Paso is a Democrat-leaning city in a light red state that Trump carried by 6 % in the 2020 presidential election .
Although Texas on the whole leans Republican , its largest urban centers — including Houston , Austin and Dallas — lean Democrat .
Nonetheless , Trump chose blue El Paso for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit and event , according to KTSM , cost the city a total of $ 569,204.63 .
This week , the El Paso City Council , including Svarzbein , unanimously voted in favor of hiring outside legal counsel — attorney Snapper L. Carr 's law office — in an effort to get that money from the Trump campaign .
But Karla Nieman , city attorney for El Paso , acknowledged that after the 2020 presidential election , Trump 's reelection campaign is `` likely to face a large amount of debt . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of El Paso might not sue Trump 's campaign — although Nieman did n't rule out the possibility .
The Texas Tribune quoted Nieman as saying , `` It does not necessarily mean that the City will be filing a lawsuit , but that we will be using various methods to attempt to collect the debt owed to the City of El Paso . ''

When President Donald Trump held a MAGA rally in El Paso in February 2019, it cost the West Texas city more than half a million dollars — and almost two years later, according to KTSM-TV (an NBC affiliate in El Paso), the city government is still trying to get Team Trump to cover those expenses.
KTSM's Taniana Favela reports that El Paso City Councilman Peter Svarzbein, on Tuesday, said, "We all are seeing firsthand the struggles that everyday El Paso families have, in addition to the challenges that we have in our own budget. So, this amount of money is not inconsequential — and also, the message that we send that nobody is above the law is also an important one for our community to understand as well."
El Paso is a Democrat-leaning city in a light red state that Trump carried by 6% in the 2020 presidential election. Although Texas on the whole leans Republican, its largest urban centers — including Houston, Austin and Dallas — lean Democrat. Nonetheless, Trump chose blue El Paso for a rally in February 2019. And that visit and event, according to KTSM, cost the city a total of $569,204.63.
This week, the El Paso City Council, including Svarzbein, unanimously voted in favor of hiring outside legal counsel — attorney Snapper L. Carr's law office — in an effort to get that money from the Trump campaign. But Karla Nieman, city attorney for El Paso, acknowledged that after the 2020 presidential election, Trump's reelection campaign is "likely to face a large amount of debt." And according to Nieman, the City of El Paso might not sue Trump's campaign — although Nieman didn't rule out the possibility.
The Texas Tribune quoted Nieman as saying, "It does not necessarily mean that the City will be filing a lawsuit, but that we will be using various methods to attempt to collect the debt owed to the City of El Paso."


alternet--2020-11-25--How Americans can help the frontline workers battling COVID-19

Chad Longpre Shepersky repeatedly took COVID-19 tests—and waited on pins and needles for results each time—during a coronavirus outbreak at Guardian Angels Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hibbing , Minnesota .
Longpre Shepersky , a certified nursing assistant ( CNA ) , never contracted the virus .
But he watched in agony as dozens of his patients and coworkers fell ill and fought for their lives .
As a weary nation enters the holiday season , Americans have an opportunity to help health care workers like Longpre Shepersky and start bringing the raging pandemic under control .
Consistently wearing face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other safety precautions will slow COVID-19 's spread and provide much-needed relief to the frontline workers battling burnout as well as the virus .
`` Everyone should do their part , '' insisted Longpre Shepersky , financial secretary and steward for United Steelworkers ( USW ) Local 9349 , which represents workers at Guardian Angels .
`` Just the other day , I witnessed people in Walmart not wearing masks or following 6-foot distancing .
Too many people are n't doing what they can to fight the virus . ''
As infection rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 months into the pandemic , it continues to take a disproportionately deadly toll on frail , vulnerable nursing home residents and the people who care for them .
So many residents and workers at Guardian Angels contracted the virus that the Minnesota National Guard sent a five-person medical team in October to help keep the 90-bed facility operating .
Even then , as he worried about his own safety and mourned the deaths of several patients , Longpre Shepersky logged grueling amounts of overtime to fill in for ill colleagues .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dreaded going to work because you did n't know what the day was going to bring , '' recalled Longpre Shepersky , a CNA for 21 years who considers his coworkers and patients a second family .
`` But there was no one else there to do it .
I just pulled up my big boy pants and went in to work and got through the day . ''
Many nursing home workers endured staffing shortages at their facilities long before the pandemic .
Because of low Medicaid payments for patient care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wages , skimped on staff or battled chronic turnover .
When COVID-19 struck , turnover and staff sicknesses compounded the chronic understaffing .
Now , nursing home workers struggle to stay physically and psychologically healthy while putting in extra shifts to ensure residents receive the highest quality care around-the-clock .
Besides longer hours , many also took on additional responsibilities , such as serving as surrogate family members to residents cut off from visitors during facility lockdowns .
These everyday heroes feel stretched to the breaking point .
Many nursing home workers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of burnout and other mental health concerns as they worry not only about their own safety but the fate of their patients and the possibility of bringing the virus home to their own family members .
`` I try to go in with a positive mindset , '' explained Shirley Richardson , unit president for USW Local 7898 , which represents workers at the 220-bed Veterans ' Victory House in Walterboro , South Carolina .
`` The main object is being safe .
I try to stay focused .
I do n't let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's going to get better , '' she reminds coworkers who 've endured about two dozen cases of COVID-19 , including the deaths of several patients and a nurse , at their facility .
`` This ca n't go on forever .
We just have to work through it . ''
The pandemic highlighted the essential work that nursing home staff members perform—and the necessity of treating them as essential workers from now on .
That will require fixing the nation 's health care system—even if that means allocating additional tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their services .
Then the facilities can hire and retain adequate numbers of workers—and provide hazard pay and paid sick leave to ensure staffing remains at high levels during emergencies .
`` It 's just the staffing that 's been the worst part of this year , '' explained Chris Sova , unit president for USW Local 15301-1 , which represents nurses at Bay County Medical Care Facility in Essexville , Michigan .
`` I feel like a zombie , almost .
I honestly do n't know how we do it anymore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing home worker , who described his routine some weeks as , `` Wake up .
Go to work .
Come home .
Wake up .
Go to work . ''
It infuriates Sova to know that while he and his coworkers put their lives on the line every day , some Americans refuse to take simple steps to slow the virus ' spread .
Across the country , some people fail to wear masks even as infection rates in their own communities skyrocket and strain the capacity of local hospitals .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 , more than 65,000 of them in nursing homes .
Universal mask-wearing , according to one new study , could prevent 130,000 more deaths in the U.S. in coming months .
`` People wear seatbelts , but they have a big thing about face masks ? ''
Sova fumed .
Longpre Shepersky faces the upcoming holidays with trepidation , realizing that the family gatherings and parties Americans long for so earnestly this year also present additional opportunities for spreading the virus .
The residents at Guardian Angels wear masks whenever they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of another outbreak , they also could face limits on visitors this holiday season .
If they can make sacrifices to help contain the virus , other Americans can as well .
`` Everyone definitely has to take this seriously , '' Longpre Shepersky said .
Tom Conway is the international president of the United Steelworkers Union ( USW ) .
This article was produced by the Independent Media Institute .

Chad Longpre Shepersky repeatedly took COVID-19 tests—and waited on pins and needles for results each time—during a coronavirus outbreak at Guardian Angels Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hibbing, Minnesota.
Longpre Shepersky, a certified nursing assistant (CNA), never contracted the virus. But he watched in agony as dozens of his patients and coworkers fell ill and fought for their lives.
As a weary nation enters the holiday season, Americans have an opportunity to help health care workers like Longpre Shepersky and start bringing the raging pandemic under control.
Consistently wearing face masks, practicing social distancing and taking other safety precautions will slow COVID-19's spread and provide much-needed relief to the frontline workers battling burnout as well as the virus.
"Everyone should do their part," insisted Longpre Shepersky, financial secretary and steward for United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9349, which represents workers at Guardian Angels. "Just the other day, I witnessed people in Walmart not wearing masks or following 6-foot distancing. Too many people aren't doing what they can to fight the virus."
As infection rates soar to their highest levels nationwide, 10 months into the pandemic, it continues to take a disproportionately deadly toll on frail, vulnerable nursing home residents and the people who care for them.
So many residents and workers at Guardian Angels contracted the virus that the Minnesota National Guard sent a five-person medical team in October to help keep the 90-bed facility operating. Even then, as he worried about his own safety and mourned the deaths of several patients, Longpre Shepersky logged grueling amounts of overtime to fill in for ill colleagues.
"It got to the point where you dreaded going to work because you didn't know what the day was going to bring," recalled Longpre Shepersky, a CNA for 21 years who considers his coworkers and patients a second family. "But there was no one else there to do it. I just pulled up my big boy pants and went in to work and got through the day."
Many nursing home workers endured staffing shortages at their facilities long before the pandemic. Because of low Medicaid payments for patient care, among other reasons, facilities paid low wages, skimped on staff or battled chronic turnover.
When COVID-19 struck, turnover and staff sicknesses compounded the chronic understaffing.
Now, nursing home workers struggle to stay physically and psychologically healthy while putting in extra shifts to ensure residents receive the highest quality care around-the-clock. Besides longer hours, many also took on additional responsibilities, such as serving as surrogate family members to residents cut off from visitors during facility lockdowns.
These everyday heroes feel stretched to the breaking point. Many nursing home workers and other health care professionals report unprecedented levels of burnout and other mental health concerns as they worry not only about their own safety but the fate of their patients and the possibility of bringing the virus home to their own family members.
"I try to go in with a positive mindset," explained Shirley Richardson, unit president for USW Local 7898, which represents workers at the 220-bed Veterans' Victory House in Walterboro, South Carolina. "The main object is being safe. I try to stay focused. I don't let little things get to me."
"It's going to get better," she reminds coworkers who've endured about two dozen cases of COVID-19, including the deaths of several patients and a nurse, at their facility. "This can't go on forever. We just have to work through it."
The pandemic highlighted the essential work that nursing home staff members perform—and the necessity of treating them as essential workers from now on.
That will require fixing the nation's health care system—even if that means allocating additional tax dollars—so that nursing homes receive adequate payment for their services. Then the facilities can hire and retain adequate numbers of workers—and provide hazard pay and paid sick leave to ensure staffing remains at high levels during emergencies.
"It's just the staffing that's been the worst part of this year," explained Chris Sova, unit president for USW Local 15301-1, which represents nurses at Bay County Medical Care Facility in Essexville, Michigan.
"I feel like a zombie, almost. I honestly don't know how we do it anymore," marveled Sova, a third-generation nursing home worker, who described his routine some weeks as, "Wake up. Go to work. Come home. Wake up. Go to work."
It infuriates Sova to know that while he and his coworkers put their lives on the line every day, some Americans refuse to take simple steps to slow the virus' spread.
Across the country, some people fail to wear masks even as infection rates in their own communities skyrocket and strain the capacity of local hospitals.
So far, at least 259,000 Americans died of COVID-19, more than 65,000 of them in nursing homes. Universal mask-wearing, according to one new study, could prevent 130,000 more deaths in the U.S. in coming months.
"People wear seatbelts, but they have a big thing about face masks?" Sova fumed.
Longpre Shepersky faces the upcoming holidays with trepidation, realizing that the family gatherings and parties Americans long for so earnestly this year also present additional opportunities for spreading the virus.
The residents at Guardian Angels wear masks whenever they leave their rooms, and because of the risk of another outbreak, they also could face limits on visitors this holiday season.
If they can make sacrifices to help contain the virus, other Americans can as well.
"Everyone definitely has to take this seriously," Longpre Shepersky said.
Tom Conway is the international president of the United Steelworkers Union (USW).
This article was produced by the Independent Media Institute.


alternet--2020-11-25--Ivanka Trump in ‘extremely frantic damage control mode’ after father's loss: columnist

With her father , President Donald Trump , having been voted out of office and the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden less than two months away , Ivanka Trump 's days as White House senior adviser are coming to an end .
Journalist Bess Levin discusses Ivanka Trump 's post-White House future in her Vanity Fair column , arguing that the president 's daughter is finding herself in `` extremely frantic damage control mode . ''
Levin explains , `` When Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner first took jobs in the White House in 2017 , they presumably assumed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to New York and be crowned the king and queen not just of an exclusive social set but the city — nay , the entire globe .
Vogue would put them on the cover of the September issue .
Billionaires would beg them to sit on the boards of their companies to lend an air of credibility… .
Instead , they 're being unceremoniously booted out of the place after just four years , with significantly worse reputations than when they started . ''
President Trump 's one term in office , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help either his daughter 's reputation or the reputation of her husband , Kushner , who is also a White House senior adviser .
`` To be clear , '' Levin writes , `` no one was falling all over themselves to get an audience with the couple before Donald Trump was inaugurated .
But they were n't reviled among the people whose opinions they presumably once and probably do still care about , with just a narrow portion of Manhattan reportedly looking forward to their return and an open invitation from Staten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put down roots . ''
Levin notes that `` a former friend of '' Ivanka Trump and Kushner told her Vanity Fair colleague , Emily Jane Fox , `` Everyone with self-respect , a career , morals , respect for democracy — or who does n't want their friends to shame them both in private and public — will steer clear . ''
The Vanity Fair columnist cites a November 24 tweet as an example of Ivanka Trump being in `` extremely frantic damage control mode . ''
The outgoing White House senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ivanka Trump 's tweet `` might sound impressive were it not for the fact that there 's a reason greenhouse gasses are down , and it 's that her father and husband royally screwed up the country 's pandemic response — leading to the deaths of 250,000 Americans and a situation wherein no one can go anywhere . ''
Levin also notes that Ivanka Trump has been bragging about the stock market on Twitter , which Levin finds ironic in light of President Trump 's prediction that the stock market would crash if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason the Dow is up is that investors appear to be relieved Biden is going to be president , '' Levin writes .
`` Anyway , despite Ivanka 's efforts at image-rehab , it seems the couple has read the writing on the wall , and seemingly plans to spend less time in their old city than they did prior to 2017 . ''

With her father, President Donald Trump, having been voted out of office and the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden less than two months away, Ivanka Trump's days as White House senior adviser are coming to an end. Journalist Bess Levin discusses Ivanka Trump's post-White House future in her Vanity Fair column, arguing that the president's daughter is finding herself in "extremely frantic damage control mode."
Levin explains, "When Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner first took jobs in the White House in 2017, they presumably assumed that eight years later, they'd return to New York and be crowned the king and queen not just of an exclusive social set but the city — nay, the entire globe. Vogue would put them on the cover of the September issue. Billionaires would beg them to sit on the boards of their companies to lend an air of credibility…. Instead, they're being unceremoniously booted out of the place after just four years, with significantly worse reputations than when they started."
President Trump's one term in office, according to Levin, has done nothing to help either his daughter's reputation or the reputation of her husband, Kushner, who is also a White House senior adviser.
"To be clear," Levin writes, "no one was falling all over themselves to get an audience with the couple before Donald Trump was inaugurated. But they weren't reviled among the people whose opinions they presumably once and probably do still care about, with just a narrow portion of Manhattan reportedly looking forward to their return and an open invitation from Staten Island to take the ferry out and put down roots."
Levin notes that "a former friend of" Ivanka Trump and Kushner told her Vanity Fair colleague, Emily Jane Fox, "Everyone with self-respect, a career, morals, respect for democracy — or who doesn't want their friends to shame them both in private and public — will steer clear."
The Vanity Fair columnist cites a November 24 tweet as an example of Ivanka Trump being in "extremely frantic damage control mode." The outgoing White House senior adviser tweeted:
Levin's response: Ivanka Trump's tweet "might sound impressive were it not for the fact that there's a reason greenhouse gasses are down, and it's that her father and husband royally screwed up the country's pandemic response — leading to the deaths of 250,000 Americans and a situation wherein no one can go anywhere."
Levin also notes that Ivanka Trump has been bragging about the stock market on Twitter, which Levin finds ironic in light of President Trump's prediction that the stock market would crash if Biden won the election.
"The reason the Dow is up is that investors appear to be relieved Biden is going to be president," Levin writes. "Anyway, despite Ivanka's efforts at image-rehab, it seems the couple has read the writing on the wall, and seemingly plans to spend less time in their old city than they did prior to 2017."


alternet--2020-11-25--'Equivalent to manslaughter': This governor ignored pandemic mitigation efforts. Her state has the h

'Equivalent to manslaughter': This governor ignored pandemic mitigation efforts. Her state has the highest COVID death rate in the world

Since the beginning of the pandemic , South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem ( R ) has often followed the lead of President Donald Trump by disregarding science and the public health warnings regarding the coronavirus pandemic .
In Noem 's state , there is no mask mandate and very few mitigation guidelines are in place .
Now , South Dakota has the highest coronavirus death rate in the world , according to Native Sun News .
Dr. William Haseltine , president of ACCESS Health International and author of the book `` My Lifelong Fight Against Disease , '' recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Dakota as he lambasted politicians for politicizing public health .
According to Haseltine , the South Dakota COVID outbreak is `` as bad as it gets anywhere in the world . ''
He blamed the Republican governor for `` ignoring public health measures that would have been successfully used to curb the spread of the virus elsewhere in the world . ''
Describing her lacking leadership as the `` equivalent to manslaughter , '' he expressed concern about the continued refusal to enforce mitigation guidelines despite the state 's infection and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Dakota now has a 12.1 percent positivity rate for coronavirus .
On Nov. 12 , the state hit a record high of 1,821 cases reported in a single day .
Both statistics are glaring red flags that signal an accelerated spread in the state .
With a state population of less than 900,000 , statewide , the numbers are alarmingly high .
But despite the obvious signs of a dangerous outbreak , Noem refuses to enforce masks or any other mitigation guidelines .
On Monday , Nov. 23 , the governor 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Noem 's behalf .
Ignoring science yet again , Seidel claimed masks and mitigation efforts do not work although the state has not made a real attempt to follow the guidelines .
`` The facts are simple : mask mandates , harsh lockdowns , massive testing and contact tracing have n't worked – in the United States or abroad , '' Seidel reportedly wrote in an email , according to the publication .
Noem has also claimed she does not have the authority to issue a statewide mask mandate .
`` We talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a situation like this in dealing with a pandemic , '' Noem previously said .
`` At this point , frankly , I 'm getting more concerned about how neighbors are treating neighbors . ''
As of Wednesday , Nov. 25 , the United States has 13 million coronavirus cases including more than 76,000 cases in the state of South Dakota alone .

Since the beginning of the pandemic, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) has often followed the lead of President Donald Trump by disregarding science and the public health warnings regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
In Noem's state, there is no mask mandate and very few mitigation guidelines are in place. Now, South Dakota has the highest coronavirus death rate in the world, according to Native Sun News. Dr. William Haseltine, president of ACCESS Health International and author of the book "My Lifelong Fight Against Disease," recently weighed in on the alarming coronavirus outbreak in South Dakota as he lambasted politicians for politicizing public health.
According to Haseltine, the South Dakota COVID outbreak is "as bad as it gets anywhere in the world." He blamed the Republican governor for "ignoring public health measures that would have been successfully used to curb the spread of the virus elsewhere in the world." Describing her lacking leadership as the "equivalent to manslaughter," he expressed concern about the continued refusal to enforce mitigation guidelines despite the state's infection and death rates.
The Hill reports that South Dakota now has a 12.1 percent positivity rate for coronavirus. On Nov. 12, the state hit a record high of 1,821 cases reported in a single day. Both statistics are glaring red flags that signal an accelerated spread in the state. With a state population of less than 900,000, statewide, the numbers are alarmingly high.
But despite the obvious signs of a dangerous outbreak, Noem refuses to enforce masks or any other mitigation guidelines. On Monday, Nov. 23, the governor's spokesperson Maggie Seidel released a statement on Noem's behalf. Ignoring science yet again, Seidel claimed masks and mitigation efforts do not work although the state has not made a real attempt to follow the guidelines.
"The facts are simple: mask mandates, harsh lockdowns, massive testing and contact tracing haven't worked – in the United States or abroad," Seidel reportedly wrote in an email, according to the publication.
Noem has also claimed she does not have the authority to issue a statewide mask mandate. "We talk often about the government's role in a situation like this in dealing with a pandemic," Noem previously said. "At this point, frankly, I'm getting more concerned about how neighbors are treating neighbors."
As of Wednesday, Nov. 25, the United States has 13 million coronavirus cases including more than 76,000 cases in the state of South Dakota alone.


alternet--2020-11-25--The method behind Trump's bizarre Georgia madness

Despite having begrudgingly allowed the General Services Administration to issue an `` ascertainment '' that Joe Biden is the president-elect and the normal transition process could begin , Donald Trump is still relentlessly flogging the lie that the election was stolen by the Democrats and he is the rightful winner .
And he 's sending out a daily fusillade of emails begging for money , with the alleged goal of overturning the results .
There is no record of how much the Trump campaign have raised with his grift .
According to some reports , they were taking in $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election was called .
It appears Team Trump plans to use most of the money for a post-presidency slush fund , either to finance Trump 's hypothetical 2024 run or to curry favors with Republican politicians .
I do n't think we need to wonder whether any of it will wind up in Trump 's pockets , because of course it will .
So far , the legal challenges have all been thrown out of court since they offered no real evidence .
Once all the lawyers who cared about their reputations dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clown car full of fools driven by Rudy Giuliani , with the even more delusional legal sidekick Sidney Powell riding shotgun .
Powell was shoved out the door this week when her conspiracy theories proved to be too much even for the Trump campaign , which should tell you everything you need to know .
But for a worked-up , cult-like base primed by the likes of Pizzagate and QAnon to believe anything , Powell 's wild stories about how the election was stolen from Trump make perfect sense .
Powell 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into here because it 's utter nonsense .
But that 's not the reason she was canned .
She made the mistake of saying that Republicans and Democrats alike were on the take , which did n't sit well with the party .
But her bigger error was in focusing on Georgia and ranting against Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler , the pair of Republican incumbents who are fighting to hold their seats — and a GOP Senate majority — in the January runoff elections .
And Powell had the audacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dirty laundry .
Recall that Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia was one of Trump 's made men in Congress , vociferously defending him through thick and thin .
When Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned due to poor health , Trump wanted Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp to appoint Collins to the Senate .
But Kemp preferred the moneyed-up Loeffler — who , together with her husband , New York Stock Exchange chair Jeffrey Sprecher , is reportedly worth at least $ 800 million — and she was ultimately given the seat .
Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently some lingering bad blood between him and Kemp .
You know how he is .
Collins ran against Loeffler in the November special election — a nonpartisan `` jungle primary '' — and finished third , splitting the Republican vote and leading to Loeffler 's January runoff against the Rev .
Raphael Warnock , a Democrat .
( Powell claimed the vote was rigged against Collins in favor of Loeffler . )
Trump then put Collins in charge of his fruitless recount effort in the state — having already completed a hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now conducting a second machine recount — and there 's a lot of back-stabbing going on among all the players , complicating their ability to show a united front .
Trump has of course waded in , tweeting one bogus claim about voter fraud and election irregularities after another , all of them false .
Loeffler and Perdue , the other incumbent Republican senator headed for a runoff in January ( against Democrat Jon Ossoff ) , sought to please Trump by demanding the resignation of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to run an honest election .
Collins dutifully echoed Trump 's inane tweeting , garnering a harsh rebuke from Raffensperger , who called him a `` failed candidate '' and `` a liar . ''
( One ca n't help but suspect he was indirectly addressing the big guy , who fits that bill even better than Collins . )
Trump has been tagging Kemp with every one of his outrageous tweets , undoubtedly taking pleasure in taunting the Georgia governor for refusing to show proper fealty by appointing Collins in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Georgia was already a big mess , with its various players and the president engaged in a circular firing squad armed with rhetorical AR-15s .
Along came Sidney Powell , seemingly implicating the state party in a massive kickback and voter-fraud conspiracy which had to make Mitch McConnell get a little bit twitchy .
Unfortunately for Mitch , Georgia Republicans may not be able to put that toothpaste back in the tube .
All this infighting has n't just tapped into the paranoid strain among the base , it has revitalized one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old conservative movement : a powerful hatred of `` RINOs , '' or Republicans in Name Only .
Morning Consult recently polled Republican voters and found that the vast majority see Trump as reflecting their values far more than GOP leaders do : Attacking Republican officials who fail to toe the line is comfortably familiar to GOP base voters .
( Just ask former House Speaker Paul Ryan . )
They 've been ruthlessly culling their herd this way for a couple of decades now , and are always eager to show their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followers are calling for Loeffler and Perdue to step in and demand that the state 's presidential vote be audited yet again , with all signatures checked on absentee ballots .
As mentioned above , there has already been a hand count , and a machine recount is now underway .
Rechecking signatures is literally impossible , since signed envelopes were already checked and separated from the ballots in order to protect the secrecy of the vote .
Right-wing Georgia attorney Lin Wood ( who is also representing Kenosha vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with threats to withhold his vote if the two Senate candidates fail to take action : He has not backed off even in light of Powell 's removal , and he 's not alone .
The Daily Beast reports that a couple of shady groups affiliated with Roger Stone are involved as well , encouraging voters to write in Trump 's name in the Senate races to show the RINOs who 's boss .
A lawyer for one of these groups admits that Stone is a client but denies knowing anything about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be involved in any sort of dirty tricks , so that 's that . )
If Stone is involved , these shenanigans are almost certainly being conducted with Trump 's approval .
From his point of view , maybe that makes a certain amount of sense .
Trump does n't care whether the Senate stays in Republican hands , even if he 's actually planning another run in 2024 .
The idea that he 's anybody 's team player is laughable , and he may see his personal interest in demonstrating how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he plans his next moves .
It would n't surprise me if Trump 's inner circle sees an advantage in a narrative that Loeffler and Perdue were defeated because his base rejected Republicans who refused to put it all on the line for Trump .
It 's obvious that Donald Trump is in torturous psychological turmoil right now .
Demonstrating a little dominance — over whoever happens to be vulnerable — might be just what the doctor ordered .

Despite having begrudgingly allowed the General Services Administration to issue an "ascertainment" that Joe Biden is the president-elect and the normal transition process could begin, Donald Trump is still relentlessly flogging the lie that the election was stolen by the Democrats and he is the rightful winner. And he's sending out a daily fusillade of emails begging for money, with the alleged goal of overturning the results.
There is no record of how much the Trump campaign have raised with his grift. According to some reports, they were taking in $10 million a day shortly after the election was called. It appears Team Trump plans to use most of the money for a post-presidency slush fund, either to finance Trump's hypothetical 2024 run or to curry favors with Republican politicians. I don't think we need to wonder whether any of it will wind up in Trump's pockets, because of course it will.
So far, the legal challenges have all been thrown out of court since they offered no real evidence. Once all the lawyers who cared about their reputations dropped out, the only ones left were a clown car full of fools driven by Rudy Giuliani, with the even more delusional legal sidekick Sidney Powell riding shotgun.
Powell was shoved out the door this week when her conspiracy theories proved to be too much even for the Trump campaign, which should tell you everything you need to know. But for a worked-up, cult-like base primed by the likes of Pizzagate and QAnon to believe anything, Powell's wild stories about how the election was stolen from Trump make perfect sense.
Powell's "theory" isn't worth going into here because it's utter nonsense. But that's not the reason she was canned. She made the mistake of saying that Republicans and Democrats alike were on the take, which didn't sit well with the party. But her bigger error was in focusing on Georgia and ranting against Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, the pair of Republican incumbents who are fighting to hold their seats — and a GOP Senate majority — in the January runoff elections. And Powell had the audacity to air some of the party's dirty laundry.
Recall that Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia was one of Trump's made men in Congress, vociferously defending him through thick and thin. When Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned due to poor health, Trump wanted Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to appoint Collins to the Senate. But Kemp preferred the moneyed-up Loeffler — who, together with her husband, New York Stock Exchange chair Jeffrey Sprecher, is reportedly worth at least $800 million — and she was ultimately given the seat. Trump wasn't happy about that and there's apparently some lingering bad blood between him and Kemp. You know how he is.
Collins ran against Loeffler in the November special election — a nonpartisan "jungle primary" — and finished third, splitting the Republican vote and leading to Loeffler's January runoff against the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat. (Powell claimed the vote was rigged against Collins in favor of Loeffler.) Trump then put Collins in charge of his fruitless recount effort in the state — having already completed a hand audit of all the votes, Georgia is now conducting a second machine recount — and there's a lot of back-stabbing going on among all the players, complicating their ability to show a united front.
Trump has of course waded in, tweeting one bogus claim about voter fraud and election irregularities after another, all of them false. Loeffler and Perdue, the other incumbent Republican senator headed for a runoff in January (against Democrat Jon Ossoff), sought to please Trump by demanding the resignation of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who had the temerity to run an honest election. Collins dutifully echoed Trump's inane tweeting, garnering a harsh rebuke from Raffensperger, who called him a "failed candidate" and "a liar." (One can't help but suspect he was indirectly addressing the big guy, who fits that bill even better than Collins.) Trump has been tagging Kemp with every one of his outrageous tweets, undoubtedly taking pleasure in taunting the Georgia governor for refusing to show proper fealty by appointing Collins in the first place.
So, the Republican Party in Georgia was already a big mess, with its various players and the president engaged in a circular firing squad armed with rhetorical AR-15s. Along came Sidney Powell, seemingly implicating the state party in a massive kickback and voter-fraud conspiracy which had to make Mitch McConnell get a little bit twitchy. Unfortunately for Mitch, Georgia Republicans may not be able to put that toothpaste back in the tube. All this infighting hasn't just tapped into the paranoid strain among the base, it has revitalized one of the most powerful themes of the old conservative movement: a powerful hatred of "RINOs," or Republicans in Name Only.
Morning Consult recently polled Republican voters and found that the vast majority see Trump as reflecting their values far more than GOP leaders do:
Nearly 7 in 10 Republican voters (68 percent) said they consider Trump to be more in touch with the party's rank and file, compared with 20 percent who said the same of Republicans in Congress.
Attacking Republican officials who fail to toe the line is comfortably familiar to GOP base voters. (Just ask former House Speaker Paul Ryan.) They've been ruthlessly culling their herd this way for a couple of decades now, and are always eager to show their power.
Across social media, Trump followers are calling for Loeffler and Perdue to step in and demand that the state's presidential vote be audited yet again, with all signatures checked on absentee ballots. As mentioned above, there has already been a hand count, and a machine recount is now underway. Rechecking signatures is literally impossible, since signed envelopes were already checked and separated from the ballots in order to protect the secrecy of the vote. Right-wing Georgia attorney Lin Wood (who is also representing Kenosha vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse) is one of those leading the charge with threats to withhold his vote if the two Senate candidates fail to take action:
He has not backed off even in light of Powell's removal, and he's not alone. The Daily Beast reports that a couple of shady groups affiliated with Roger Stone are involved as well, encouraging voters to write in Trump's name in the Senate races to show the RINOs who's boss. A lawyer for one of these groups admits that Stone is a client but denies knowing anything about it. (We know Stone would never be involved in any sort of dirty tricks, so that's that. )
If Stone is involved, these shenanigans are almost certainly being conducted with Trump's approval. From his point of view, maybe that makes a certain amount of sense. Trump doesn't care whether the Senate stays in Republican hands, even if he's actually planning another run in 2024. The idea that he's anybody's team player is laughable, and he may see his personal interest in demonstrating how much power he still has with the base as he plans his next moves. It wouldn't surprise me if Trump's inner circle sees an advantage in a narrative that Loeffler and Perdue were defeated because his base rejected Republicans who refused to put it all on the line for Trump.
It's obvious that Donald Trump is in torturous psychological turmoil right now. Demonstrating a little dominance — over whoever happens to be vulnerable — might be just what the doctor ordered.


alternet--2020-11-25--Why Trump’s lawsuit against Pennsylvania election was horribly flawed — and even deserves ‘sanctions

Why Trump’s lawsuit against Pennsylvania election was horribly flawed — and even deserves ‘sanctions’: conservative attorney

In one of their lawsuits filed in Pennsylvania , attorneys for President Donald Trump 's reelection campaign argued that millions of votes should be thrown out — a move that Trump critics slammed as a shamelessly authoritarian attempt to overturn the will of Pennsylvania voters .
But on Tuesday , November 24 , the Electoral College results in Pennsylvania were officially certified — giving President-elect Joe Biden the Keystone State 's 20 electoral votes .
Conservative law professor Kim Wehle , in an article published by The Bulwark , slams the Trump campaign 's efforts to overturn the election results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explains why , from a legal standpoint , they were so badly flawed .
In fact , Wehle — a Never Trump conservative who teaches at the University of Baltimore School of Law — argues that Trump 's lawyers deserve to be `` sanctioned for abusing the courts this way . ''
The attorney explains , `` On Saturday , a federal district court judge issued a blistering dismissal of Donald J. Trump for President , Inc. v. Kathy Boockvar .
The opinion is a lesson in elementary lawyering — a once-in-a-career missive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students on Monday , because it reads like a toddler 's 'What 's Wrong With This Picture ' exercise for lawyers .
No wonder that Chris Christie , who was a U.S. attorney before he was New Jersey 's governor , called Trump 's legal team a 'national embarrassment ' in the wake of its dozens of legal failures . ''
Boockvar , who serves as secretary of the commonwealth in Pennsylvania under Democratic Gov .
Tom Wolf , was named as a defendant in Donald J. Trump for President , Inc. v. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 , U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann sided with Boockvar and dismissed the lawsuit .
`` The plaintiffs in the lawsuit included the Trump campaign and two voters who claimed that their mail-in ballots were improperly disqualified , '' Wehle notes .
`` The Pennsylvania legislature extended vote-by-mail to all registered voters in October 2019… .
The Trump campaign tried to ride the coattails of the individual plaintiffs , arguing that because their votes were disqualified , the campaign was entitled to throw out the election results altogether .
But the individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their two votes counted — they were seeking to cancel roughly seven million other voters ' votes . ''
Wehle adds , `` Of course , this 'mix-and-match ' made no logical or legal sense to the judge .
It also arguably crossed into the realm of sanctionable conduct , because lawyers can only ask federal courts to push existing law if their arguments are 'nonfrivolous . '
These did not qualify . ''
Brann was downright contemptuous of Team Trump 's lawsuit in Pennsylvania , writing , `` In the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disenfranchisement of a single voter , let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state . ''
According to Wehle , `` When asked by the Trump campaign for permission to amend their complaint again , the judge said no .
Enough is enough , he likely figured .
Perhaps in recognition of how weak their arguments are , Trump 's lawyers only appealed that part of the opinion to the Third Circuit — which is likely to summarily back the trial court 's refusal to allow a new round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article by saying , in essence , that anyone who thinks the U.S. Supreme Court will help Trump overturn the election results has n't been paying attention .
`` The chance that the Supreme Court will step in and ignore the facts , ignore the law , and ignore the governing procedural rules to snatch the election from Joe Biden and the American people and hand it to Donald Trump is zero , '' the attorney writes .
`` I suppose that 's something to be thankful for this week . ''

In one of their lawsuits filed in Pennsylvania, attorneys for President Donald Trump's reelection campaign argued that millions of votes should be thrown out — a move that Trump critics slammed as a shamelessly authoritarian attempt to overturn the will of Pennsylvania voters. But on Tuesday, November 24, the Electoral College results in Pennsylvania were officially certified — giving President-elect Joe Biden the Keystone State's 20 electoral votes. Conservative law professor Kim Wehle, in an article published by The Bulwark, slams the Trump campaign's efforts to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania as a total embarrassment and explains why, from a legal standpoint, they were so badly flawed.
In fact, Wehle — a Never Trump conservative who teaches at the University of Baltimore School of Law — argues that Trump's lawyers deserve to be "sanctioned for abusing the courts this way."
The attorney explains, "On Saturday, a federal district court judge issued a blistering dismissal of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Kathy Boockvar. The opinion is a lesson in elementary lawyering — a once-in-a-career missive that I assigned to my first-year law students on Monday, because it reads like a toddler's 'What's Wrong With This Picture' exercise for lawyers. No wonder that Chris Christie, who was a U.S. attorney before he was New Jersey's governor, called Trump's legal team a 'national embarrassment' in the wake of its dozens of legal failures."
Boockvar, who serves as secretary of the commonwealth in Pennsylvania under Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, was named as a defendant in Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Kathy Boockvar. On Saturday, November 21, U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann sided with Boockvar and dismissed the lawsuit.
"The plaintiffs in the lawsuit included the Trump campaign and two voters who claimed that their mail-in ballots were improperly disqualified," Wehle notes. "The Pennsylvania legislature extended vote-by-mail to all registered voters in October 2019…. The Trump campaign tried to ride the coattails of the individual plaintiffs, arguing that because their votes were disqualified, the campaign was entitled to throw out the election results altogether. But the individual voters weren't asking merely to have their two votes counted — they were seeking to cancel roughly seven million other voters' votes."
Wehle adds, "Of course, this 'mix-and-match' made no logical or legal sense to the judge. It also arguably crossed into the realm of sanctionable conduct, because lawyers can only ask federal courts to push existing law if their arguments are 'nonfrivolous.' These did not qualify."
Brann was downright contemptuous of Team Trump's lawsuit in Pennsylvania, writing, "In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state."
According to Wehle, "When asked by the Trump campaign for permission to amend their complaint again, the judge said no. Enough is enough, he likely figured. Perhaps in recognition of how weak their arguments are, Trump's lawyers only appealed that part of the opinion to the Third Circuit — which is likely to summarily back the trial court's refusal to allow a new round of pleadings."
Wehle concludes her article by saying, in essence, that anyone who thinks the U.S. Supreme Court will help Trump overturn the election results hasn't been paying attention.
"The chance that the Supreme Court will step in and ignore the facts, ignore the law, and ignore the governing procedural rules to snatch the election from Joe Biden and the American people and hand it to Donald Trump is zero," the attorney writes. "I suppose that's something to be thankful for this week."


alternet--2020-11-25--Houston doctor warns current COVID trends will lead to 'darkest days in modern American medical hist

Houston doctor warns current COVID trends will lead to 'darkest days in modern American medical history'

A Houston , Texas doctor is warning about the dark days ahead as the coronavirus continues its accelerated spread in states across the country .
During an appearance on CNN , Dr. Joseph Varon weighed in on the coronavirus pandemic as he prepared for his 251st consecutive day on the job .
As he discussed the current surge many states are experiencing as a result of the latest relentless wave of the coronavirus , he warned that the United States could see its `` darkest days in modern American medical history . ''
`` There 's no questions that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are coming in sicker and they 're coming in sicker because you know , they 're waiting longer to come to the hospital .
They 're tired of Corona .
They have what I call the Corona fatigue syndrome , '' Varon told Berman .
`` [ U ] nfortunately my concerns for the next 6 to 12 weeks is that if we do n't do things right , America is going to see the darkest days in modern American medical history , '' he added .
`` My hospital is full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that I can accommodate for the next few days , because I know that a lot of people are going to get sick after Thanksgiving . ''
Varon 's remarks follow Dr. Anthony Fauci 's warning on Sunday .
The top infectious disease expert acknowledged Americans ' `` COVID fatigue '' as he stressed the importance of remaining vigilant amid the current spread of the virus across the country .
`` When you get COVID fatigue , which is entirely understandable , that people just throw up their hands and say 'heck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to do anything about it , let 's just do what we want to do , ' that 's the wrong decision , because vaccines are coming and they 're going to be available relatively soon if we can hang in there with the mitigation methods . ''
Last Friday , Nov. 20 , the United States reached a grim milestone reporting nearly 200,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day .
As of Wednesday , Nov. 25 , the United States has reported more than 13 million positive coronavirus cases as @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A Houston, Texas doctor is warning about the dark days ahead as the coronavirus continues its accelerated spread in states across the country.
During an appearance on CNN, Dr. Joseph Varon weighed in on the coronavirus pandemic as he prepared for his 251st consecutive day on the job. As he discussed the current surge many states are experiencing as a result of the latest relentless wave of the coronavirus, he warned that the United States could see its "darkest days in modern American medical history."
"There's no questions that the patients are coming into the hospital. They are coming in sicker and they're coming in sicker because you know, they're waiting longer to come to the hospital. They're tired of Corona. They have what I call the Corona fatigue syndrome," Varon told Berman.
"[U]nfortunately my concerns for the next 6 to 12 weeks is that if we don't do things right, America is going to see the darkest days in modern American medical history," he added. "My hospital is full. I just opened two new wings so that I can accommodate for the next few days, because I know that a lot of people are going to get sick after Thanksgiving."
Varon's remarks follow Dr. Anthony Fauci's warning on Sunday. The top infectious disease expert acknowledged Americans' "COVID fatigue" as he stressed the importance of remaining vigilant amid the current spread of the virus across the country.
"When you get COVID fatigue, which is entirely understandable, that people just throw up their hands and say 'heck, we're not going to be able to do anything about it, let's just do what we want to do,' that's the wrong decision, because vaccines are coming and they're going to be available relatively soon if we can hang in there with the mitigation methods."
Last Friday, Nov. 20, the United States reached a grim milestone reporting nearly 200,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day. As of Wednesday, Nov. 25, the United States has reported more than 13 million positive coronavirus cases as the death toll inches toward 270,000.


alternet--2020-11-25--Washington GOP nominee takes a page from Trump — won’t concede election despite 56-43% defeat

Loren Culp , the extremist police chief nominated by Republicans who lost Washington state 's November gubernatorial race to incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee by a whopping 545,000 votes ( and a 57-43 percentage margin ) is following in Donald Trump 's footsteps : Culp is claiming that somehow Democratic fraud cheated him out of the victory , and is attacking his fellow Republicans along the way .
Culp 's campaign manager , Chris Gergen , began the pushback last week by posting a conspiracy-theory-fueled video to Facebook insisting that Culp `` is not , under any circumstances , going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had evidence of massive voting by ineligible foreign workers in the U.S. using H-1B visas .
Then Culp chimed in too , confirming he would n't concede , insisting he only wanted to ask `` why '' supposed vote fraud occurred .
Gergen and Culp both attacked other Republicans in the state , primarily Republican House Minority Leader J.T .
Wilcox , who criticized Culp 's campaign at a recent GOP caucus held as a postmortem on the election , and Secretary of State Kim Wyman , who called on Culp to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in his view , some of Culp 's campaign rally techniques—were `` lowbrow '' including speaking to and meeting mass crowds without wearing a mask .
Gergen told his Facebook livestream audience first that he had explored avenues similar to the Trump legal team 's by looking into the possibility that Dominion voting machines—which according to the Trump team were responsible for altered votes in key elections—might have played a role in Washington state .
As it happens , he noted , only one county in the state used Dominion systems : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( In fact , Franklin County heavily favored Culp in the election , 60-39 % , though Gergen did n't mention that . )
Then Gergen spun a story claiming that Washington 's Department of Licensing—which oversees the state 's motor-voter registration program—was responsible for `` thousands '' of illegal votes , because he had evidence that foreign workers here on H-1B visas were receiving ballots and being urged to vote .
He wrapped it all up with a menacing rant threatening revenge on his opponents both within the GOP and elsewhere , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimidate us '' : Early this week Culp held a similar livestream chat with his supporters , and similarly insisted he would never concede : He ended by warning the `` RINO Republicans '' who want him to concede that `` you got another thing comin ' .
You either stand up for we the people or get the hell out of the way . ''
Culp has a history of right-wing extremism , dating back to the origins of his political career , when he became celebrated by the far-right Constitutional Sheriffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him its `` police chief of the decade '' for his refusal to enforce a gun-control law passed by citizen initiative and 67 % of the vote .
The CSPOA , which is closely associated with the Cliven Bundy family and its armed standoffs , preaches that county sheriffs are the law of the land and can override federal laws and enforcement officers .
His campaign reflected a similar Bundyesque tone , seemingly taking many of his cues from Ammon Bundy 's campaign of resistance in Idaho against COVID-19 public-health measures by calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such steps in Washington state , and publicly refusing to wear a mask as well as refusing to enforce mask requirements at his rallies .
Culp 's Trumpian behavior has clearly aggravated the state 's GOP establishment , but most ducked for cover .
According to the Tacoma News-Tribune , no officials from either the Pierce County GOP ( second-largest in the state ) or the state Republican Party had returned calls or emails seeking comment on Culp 's refusal to concede .
`` At this point , their silence is taken as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands contrary to the will of the people , '' the paper editorialized .
Yet some Republican observers think it 's likely he is trying to build momentum for a takeover of that establishment by the far-right populist insurgency his candidacy represents .
Former state GOP chair Chris Vance—who left the party over its Trumpian turn—told the Seattle Times that he now viewed Culp as `` the leader of the Republican Party '' in the state .
`` The base of the party right now is much closer to Loren Culp than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .

Loren Culp, the extremist police chief nominated by Republicans who lost Washington state's November gubernatorial race to incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee by a whopping 545,000 votes (and a 57-43 percentage margin) is following in Donald Trump's footsteps: Culp is claiming that somehow Democratic fraud cheated him out of the victory, and is attacking his fellow Republicans along the way.
Culp's campaign manager, Chris Gergen, began the pushback last week by posting a conspiracy-theory-fueled video to Facebook insisting that Culp "is not, under any circumstances, going to concede this race," claiming that he had evidence of massive voting by ineligible foreign workers in the U.S. using H-1B visas. Then Culp chimed in too, confirming he wouldn't concede, insisting he only wanted to ask "why" supposed vote fraud occurred.
Washington GOP governor nominee Loren Culp, campaign manager refuse to concede race youtu.be
Gergen and Culp both attacked other Republicans in the state, primarily Republican House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox, who criticized Culp's campaign at a recent GOP caucus held as a postmortem on the election, and Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who called on Culp to concede. Wilcox told his caucus that, in his view, some of Culp's campaign rally techniques—were "lowbrow" including speaking to and meeting mass crowds without wearing a mask.
Gergen told his Facebook livestream audience first that he had explored avenues similar to the Trump legal team's by looking into the possibility that Dominion voting machines—which according to the Trump team were responsible for altered votes in key elections—might have played a role in Washington state. As it happens, he noted, only one county in the state used Dominion systems: Franklin County, in eastern Washington. (In fact, Franklin County heavily favored Culp in the election, 60-39%, though Gergen didn't mention that.)
Then Gergen spun a story claiming that Washington's Department of Licensing—which oversees the state's motor-voter registration program—was responsible for "thousands" of illegal votes, because he had evidence that foreign workers here on H-1B visas were receiving ballots and being urged to vote. He wrapped it all up with a menacing rant threatening revenge on his opponents both within the GOP and elsewhere, who he claimed were "trying to intimidate us":
I don't know about you people out there, but I can speak for me. I'm sick and tired of being cheated. I'm sick and tired of the left getting away with all the things that they get away with. I'm getting sick and tired of the people coming out, the antifas, different people trying to intimidate us. I will not be intimidated. Mr. Culp will not be intimidated. My staff will not be intimidated. And we're coming for you. We're going to make sure that you are out of business and out of power.
Early this week Culp held a similar livestream chat with his supporters, and similarly insisted he would never concede:
That's what we have to do—stand up for our rights. Always ask why. Why are these things happening? Why is the governor doing these kinds of things? Why is he trampling on liberty? Ask why, always. Why is the liberal new media putting out articles, along with some so-called Republicans, questioning why? Why won't Loren Culp concede? "Loren Culp hasn't conceded."
Why do they want me to concede? What's the hurry? Why not make sure every legal vote gets counted? …
And we should question everything. Why? What's the hurry? Why the pressure to concede? I won't concede. I don't give up. I made a commitment to we the people. That's who I represent. And I don't back down. …
That's who you voted for, is a fighter, not someone who'd just roll over and concede, and, 'Well, I guess that's the way it's always been.' If people did that, we would never have any kind of inventions, right? No one would have ever said, 'Well I wonder if we can make a light bulb light up? Why can't we have light from a light bulb? Why can't we make electricity create light?' Why? If no one ever asked that question, we wouldn't have lights and electricities in our homes right now. Always ask why. Always question the status quo.
He ended by warning the "RINO Republicans" who want him to concede that "you got another thing comin'. You either stand up for we the people or get the hell out of the way."
Culp has a history of right-wing extremism, dating back to the origins of his political career, when he became celebrated by the far-right Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, which named him its "police chief of the decade" for his refusal to enforce a gun-control law passed by citizen initiative and 67% of the vote. The CSPOA, which is closely associated with the Cliven Bundy family and its armed standoffs, preaches that county sheriffs are the law of the land and can override federal laws and enforcement officers.
His campaign reflected a similar Bundyesque tone, seemingly taking many of his cues from Ammon Bundy's campaign of resistance in Idaho against COVID-19 public-health measures by calling Inslee a "dictator" for taking such steps in Washington state, and publicly refusing to wear a mask as well as refusing to enforce mask requirements at his rallies.
Culp's Trumpian behavior has clearly aggravated the state's GOP establishment, but most ducked for cover. According to the Tacoma News-Tribune, no officials from either the Pierce County GOP (second-largest in the state) or the state Republican Party had returned calls or emails seeking comment on Culp's refusal to concede. "At this point, their silence is taken as a tacit endorsement of bad behavior and stands contrary to the will of the people," the paper editorialized.
Yet some Republican observers think it's likely he is trying to build momentum for a takeover of that establishment by the far-right populist insurgency his candidacy represents. Former state GOP chair Chris Vance—who left the party over its Trumpian turn—told the Seattle Timesthat he now viewed Culp as "the leader of the Republican Party" in the state. "The base of the party right now is much closer to Loren Culp than it is to J.T. Wilcox," he said.


alternet--2020-11-25--‘Do you feel embarrassed?’ Journalist Mehdi Hasan grills Newsmax CEO on why he airs claim COVID is a

‘Do you feel embarrassed?’ Journalist Mehdi Hasan grills Newsmax CEO on why he airs claim COVID is a ‘scam’

Chris Ruddy , the Trump-loving CEO of Newsmax , made a damning admission this week about the accuracy of shows on his network .
During an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan , Ruddy was shown a clip of Newsmax hosts Diamond and Silk making egregiously false claims that China deliberately released the novel coronavirus to thwart President Donald Trump 's bid to win a second term .
`` This whole fiasco was planned , including the China virus ! ''
they claimed .
Hasan proceeded to grill Ruddy on the low-quality nature of his network 's shows .
`` Given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 30 years , do you feel embarrassed to be running nonsense like that on your network ? ''
he asked .
`` I think like all the networks , networks you 've been on , there 's a lot of opinion hosts , '' Ruddy replied .
`` And they have all sorts of things I do not subscribe to .
I believe in free discourse , in people having their opinion .
We 're not saying that is accurate , in fact we 've gone out of our way in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not saying your own shows are accurate ? ''
scoffed Hasan .
`` We have gone out of our way to say we have no evidence that the Dominion software was manipulated in any way , '' he said .
`` We are reporting what people are saying , like the Trump campaign , we 're not necessarily embracing it . ''
Ruddy then tried to shame Hasan for working with MSNBC , whose hosts extensively pushed the theory that Trump collaborated with the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more factually based than claiming the pandemic is a scam ! ''
Hasan shot back .

Chris Ruddy, the Trump-loving CEO of Newsmax, made a damning admission this week about the accuracy of shows on his network.
During an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan, Ruddy was shown a clip of Newsmax hosts Diamond and Silk making egregiously false claims that China deliberately released the novel coronavirus to thwart President Donald Trump's bid to win a second term.
"This whole fiasco was planned, including the China virus!" they claimed.
Hasan proceeded to grill Ruddy on the low-quality nature of his network's shows.
"Given that you have been a journalist for more than 30 years, do you feel embarrassed to be running nonsense like that on your network?" he asked.
"I think like all the networks, networks you've been on, there's a lot of opinion hosts," Ruddy replied. "And they have all sorts of things I do not subscribe to. I believe in free discourse, in people having their opinion. We're not saying that is accurate, in fact we've gone out of our way in our news reporting…"
"You're not saying your own shows are accurate?" scoffed Hasan.
"We have gone out of our way to say we have no evidence that the Dominion software was manipulated in any way," he said. "We are reporting what people are saying, like the Trump campaign, we're not necessarily embracing it."
Ruddy then tried to shame Hasan for working with MSNBC, whose hosts extensively pushed the theory that Trump collaborated with the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election.
"I think the arguments about Russia are much more factually based than claiming the pandemic is a scam!" Hasan shot back.
Watch the video below.


alternet--2020-11-25--Trump abruptly cancels scheduled trip to Pennsylvania to attend sham fraud hearing with Rudy Giulian

Trump abruptly cancels scheduled trip to Pennsylvania to attend sham fraud hearing with Rudy Giuliani

President Donald Trump 's trip to witness a purported `` voter fraud '' hearing has been abruptly canceled .
Although @ @ @ @ @ travel with personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday to Gettysburg , Pennsylvania to watch a @ @ @ @ @ voting irregularities , CNN 's Jeremy Diamond is reporting that the trip was called off @ @ @ @ @ no reason was given for the cancelation , Diamond notes that it came `` after @ @ @ @ @ second person in the last week who tested positive for coronavirus . ''
The event @ @ @ @ @ at a Wyndham hotel , has been decried as a sham hearing .
The `` @ @ @ @ @ event in Gettysburg a 'public hearing ' being held by the Pennsylvania Senate with 'opening @ @ @ @ @ is a flat-out falsehood .
This is not a Senate event and certainly not a @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post reporter Amy Gardner .

President Donald Trump's trip to witness a purported "voter fraud" hearing has been abruptly canceled.
Although the president was scheduled to travel with personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to watch a partisan GOP hearing on supposed voting irregularities, CNN's Jeremy Diamond is reporting that the trip was called off late Wednesday morning.
Although no reason was given for the cancelation, Diamond notes that it came "after Giuliani was exposed to a second person in the last week who tested positive for coronavirus."
The event, which is being held at a Wyndham hotel, has been decried as a sham hearing.
The "Trump campaign calling its press event in Gettysburg a 'public hearing' being held by the Pennsylvania Senate with 'opening statements' and 'testimony' is a flat-out falsehood. This is not a Senate event and certainly not a government hearing," explained Washington Post reporter Amy Gardner.