alternet--2020-11-07--Trump signals he'll have to be dragged from the White House

Editors ' Note : The headline in the Vanity Fair article referenced below has been changed to reflect that Trump never said `` kicking and screaming . ''
We have also changed our headline to reflect a more accurate situation .
AlterNet regrets the error .
If Trump 's going to be dragged out kicking and screaming , who do we send in to do the honors ?
In all cases assume several large law enforcement / Secret Service agents are there to convey the `` do n't even think about it , Teenythumbs '' message .
This is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There 's probably no face Trump would less like to see under those circumstances .
If gravitas were gravity , President Carter would have an event horizon .
It 'd be like the end of the Dark Crystal , as Skeksis Trump meets his antithesis in the Mystic Carter .
Except Jimmy would survive — not sure about Donald .
More respect than Trump deserves , certainly , but it would convey to the nation that Trump was behaving badly .
Again , probably more respect than Trump deserves , but it 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branches of government come in to tell the ex-President it 's time to go .
`` Will you shut up and get out of my bedroom ? ''
Preferably a black woman , but just some ordinary cop doing their job .
Unlikely that they 'd just send whoever was on duty for this one , though .
Unlikely they 'll have an indictment ready to drop Jan. 20th .
But a guy can dream , right ?
Someone who lost several family members to COVID-19 Secret Service , be on your toes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let go , right ?
The two people he might listen to — if we want to preserve his dignity , for the sake of the office .
No , not to kill him .
Just to convey the message that the Pentagon is also tired of his shit .

Editors' Note: The headline in the Vanity Fair article referenced below has been changed to reflect that Trump never said "kicking and screaming." We have also changed our headline to reflect a more accurate situation. AlterNet regrets the error.
Trump has signaled to allies that the Secret Service will have to drag him from the White House kicking and screaming https://t.co/hGxPyyAHNs
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) November 6, 2020
OK, then!
If Trump's going to be dragged out kicking and screaming, who do we send in to do the honors? In all cases assume several large law enforcement / Secret Service agents are there to convey the "don't even think about it, Teenythumbs" message.
Barack Obama
This is the "twist the knife" option. There's probably no face Trump would less like to see under those circumstances.
Jimmy Carter
If gravitas were gravity, President Carter would have an event horizon. It'd be like the end of the Dark Crystal, as Skeksis Trump meets his antithesis in the Mystic Carter. Except Jimmy would survive — not sure about Donald.
All 4 living ex Presidents
More respect than Trump deserves, certainly, but it would convey to the nation that Trump was behaving badly.
Chief Justice Roberts
Again, probably more respect than Trump deserves, but it'd be a message.
Roberts and Nancy Pelosi
The other two branches of government come in to tell the ex-President it's time to go.
Joseph R. Biden
"Will you shut up and get out of my bedroom?"
Some random DC police officer
Preferably a black woman, but just some ordinary cop doing their job. Unlikely that they'd just send whoever was on duty for this one, though.
FBI agents. With some warrants.
Unlikely they'll have an indictment ready to drop Jan. 20th. But a guy can dream, right?
Someone who lost several family members to COVID-19
Secret Service, be on your toes. But a slapped face you can let go, right?
Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson
The two people he might listen to — if we want to preserve his dignity, for the sake of the office.
Seal Team Six
No, not to kill him. Just to convey the message that the Pentagon is also tired of his shit.


alternet--2020-11-08--See it: Jubilant celebrations outside White House and nationwide after Biden/Harris victory

Massive streets celebrations erupted outside the White House in Washington , D.C. as well as across other cities and communities @ @ @ @ @ word spread that Joe Biden had won the 2020 election and is now considered the @ @ @ @ @ of people—mostly masked due to the Covid-19—swarmed the streets in the nation 's capitol and @ @ @ @ @ they blared music and held signs outside the White House gates .
Similar scenes were @ @ @ @ @ , Chicago , Philadelphia , and elsewhere : '' Ah , finally , something to @ @ @ @ @ , a resident of Brooklyn , told the New York Times , while celebrating in @ @ @ @ @ fight is n't over .
But man , this feels good right now . ''

Massive streets celebrations erupted outside the White House in Washington, D.C. as well as across other cities and communities nationwide on Saturday afternoon as word spread that Joe Biden had won the 2020 election and is now considered the nation's President-elect.
Thousands of people—mostly masked due to the Covid-19—swarmed the streets in the nation's capitol and descended on Lafayette Park where they blared music and held signs outside the White House gates.
As the Washington Postreports:
Around noon, an impromptu parade broke out on the streets of the nation's capital to celebrate Biden's victory. A brass band perched on the back of a truck played upbeat jazz as people spilled out of homes, shops and restaurants in downtown D.C. to join the march.
The crowd swelled quickly as the truck moved from the heart of Adams Morgan in the direction of the White House—first a dozen, then three dozen and soon close to a hundred. A few policemen on motorcycles escorted the group as passing cars stopped to honk, their drivers cheering.
A woman on a bicycle pedaled through Columbia Heights shouting, "It's over!"
A man in Shaw stood on the curb with a stemmed glass of red wine, raising it to passersby.
"We won!" he shouted in Spanish. "We won!"
Fireworks exploded in bursts as neighbors emerged on porches with pots and pans to bang. Some simply stood there, raising their phones as if it were proof what they were seeing was real.
"The nightmare is over," a man called to his neighbor, ambling out of a rowhouse just before noon.
Similar scenes were seen in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and elsewhere:
"Ah, finally, something to celebrate," Justin Oakley, a resident of Brooklyn, told the New York Times, while celebrating in Prospect Park. "The fight isn't over. But man, this feels good right now."


alternet--2020-11-08--This is the face of radical-Republican contempt

Joe Biden just won more votes than anyone else in American history , but the next four years may go down in history as the stymied presidency .
That 's because it looks highly unlikely that the Democrats will get a majority in the Senate , leaving the chamber under the iron-fisted control of Mitch McConnell , patron saint of polluters and profiteers .
Even before noon on Jan. 20 , 2021 , Donald Trump will be in a position to do enormous harm that will complicate the Biden presidency .
Indeed , we should expect Trump is already looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks in office to punish our nation—or at least the states that voted for Biden .
That assessment comes not from me , but from Trump himself .
His life philosophy is a single word : revenge .
Trump wrote that in his book Think Big .
Then he went on for 16 pages about how what gives him pleasure is ruining the lives of anyone who does not do as he asks .
His long diatribe was intermingled with observations about his desires to do violence , especially against women , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and talk show co-host Rosie O'Donnell .
`` If you do n't get even you are just a schmuck ! ''
Trump , via his ghostwriter , wrote .
`` I really mean it , too . ''
That Trump ruined the life of a woman executive at the Trump Organization simply because she declined , for solidly ethical reasons , to make a telephone call , you can imagine the vengeance he is thinking about as he smolders in his easy chair watching even as Fox News mocks some of his ridiculous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 popular vote .
And if you think Trump might have changed his views against Christianity and renounced revenge since his book was published 12 years ago , consider this : At this year 's National Prayer Breakfast he rejected forgiveness , a foundational tenant of the Christian faith he falsely claims to embrace .
But whatever havoc Trump can wreak in the next two months , McConnell will be in a position to do lasting damage until at least Jan. 3 , 2023 , the next date when Democrats might seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McConnell 's conduct shows that has no respect for the will of the people , unless it matches his views .
This is the same Mitch McConnell who declared that he wanted to make Obama 's first term his only one and a failure , who sent three right-wing senators to plot against Obama on the night of Jan. 20 , 2009 , to ensure that the presidency of Barack Obama would be a one-term failure .
As The Washington Post headlined a column by Jonathan Capehart , `` Republicans Had It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' That 2009 meeting , secret at the time but since acknowledged by most of the 14 participants , was just one example of how McConnell 's evil lust for power has held back progress in America for most of this century .
McConnell literally looks down his nose when asked by journalists about imposing his narrow mined and corporatist views on everyone else .
A trust fund kid grown old and very rich , McConnell regularly displays his utter contempt for , our Constitution except for the parts that allow him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as McConnell refused to give an audience to Merrick Garland , the exceptionally qualified and centrist federal appeals judge whom Obama nominated for the Supreme Court , the senior senator from the Bluegrass state can refuse to confirm Biden 's nominees to the cabinet and more than 1,000 other political appointments requiring the advice and consent of the Senate .
Under Trump , McConnell has looked the way at the gross disregard for federal laws governing appointees .
Just consider how Trump installed Matthew Whitaker as the de facto attorney general even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of federal laws .
McConnell also has the power , assuming Republicans retain control of the Senate , to refuse any further coronavirus relief to be unemployed , landlords and small business owners .
You can be absolutely sure that he will use his position to grant as little relief as possible while pushing for more of the lopsided coronavirus relief we saw last spring and summer when big business made out very nicely .
Elections have consequences .
Welcome to the consequences of split government .
Witness the power of one man—elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a state with fewer than 5 million people—to thwart the will of the more than 71 million who voted for Biden .

Joe Biden just won more votes than anyone else in American history, but the next four years may go down in history as the stymied presidency. That's because it looks highly unlikely that the Democrats will get a majority in the Senate, leaving the chamber under the iron-fisted control of Mitch McConnell, patron saint of polluters and profiteers.
Even before noon on Jan. 20, 2021, Donald Trump will be in a position to do enormous harm that will complicate the Biden presidency. Indeed, we should expect Trump is already looking for ways to use his last eight weeks in office to punish our nation—or at least the states that voted for Biden.
Advertisement:
That assessment comes not from me, but from Trump himself. His life philosophy is a single word: revenge.
Trump wrote that in his book Think Big. Then he went on for 16 pages about how what gives him pleasure is ruining the lives of anyone who does not do as he asks. His long diatribe was intermingled with observations about his desires to do violence, especially against women, some of whom he has named like actress and talk show co-host Rosie O'Donnell.
"If you don't get even you are just a schmuck!" Trump, via his ghostwriter, wrote. "I really mean it, too."
Seething Trump
That Trump ruined the life of a woman executive at the Trump Organization simply because she declined, for solidly ethical reasons, to make a telephone call, you can imagine the vengeance he is thinking about as he smolders in his easy chair watching even as Fox News mocks some of his ridiculous claims about vote fraud and his winning the 2020 popular vote.
And if you think Trump might have changed his views against Christianity and renounced revenge since his book was published 12 years ago, consider this: At this year's National Prayer Breakfast he rejected forgiveness, a foundational tenant of the Christian faith he falsely claims to embrace.
But whatever havoc Trump can wreak in the next two months, McConnell will be in a position to do lasting damage until at least Jan. 3, 2023, the next date when Democrats might seat enough senators to make McConnell minority leader.
No respect
McConnell's conduct shows that has no respect for the will of the people, unless it matches his views. This is the same Mitch McConnell who declared that he wanted to make Obama's first term his only one and a failure, who sent three right-wing senators to plot against Obama on the night of Jan. 20, 2009, to ensure that the presidency of Barack Obama would be a one-term failure. As The Washington Post headlined a column by Jonathan Capehart, "Republicans Had It In for Obama Before Day 1."
That 2009 meeting, secret at the time but since acknowledged by most of the 14 participants, was just one example of how McConnell's evil lust for power has held back progress in America for most of this century. McConnell literally looks down his nose when asked by journalists about imposing his narrow mined and corporatist views on everyone else. A trust fund kid grown old and very rich, McConnell regularly displays his utter contempt for, our Constitution except for the parts that allow him to impose his will on America.
Just as McConnell refused to give an audience to Merrick Garland, the exceptionally qualified and centrist federal appeals judge whom Obama nominated for the Supreme Court, the senior senator from the Bluegrass state can refuse to confirm Biden's nominees to the cabinet and more than 1,000 other political appointments requiring the advice and consent of the Senate.
Power to block
Under Trump, McConnell has looked the way at the gross disregard for federal laws governing appointees. Just consider how Trump installed Matthew Whitaker as the de facto attorney general even though it violated our Constitution and a host of federal laws.
McConnell also has the power, assuming Republicans retain control of the Senate, to refuse any further coronavirus relief to be unemployed, landlords and small business owners. You can be absolutely sure that he will use his position to grant as little relief as possible while pushing for more of the lopsided coronavirus relief we saw last spring and summer when big business made out very nicely.
Elections have consequences. Welcome to the consequences of split government. Witness the power of one man—elected by just a portion of the people in a state with fewer than 5 million people—to thwart the will of the more than 71 million who voted for Biden.


alternet--2020-11-08--Democrats won the battle against Donald Trump. But the war against Trumpism rages on

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the 2020 presidential election .
Biden will receive at least 290 votes in the Electoral College , with the final outcome in Georgia and North Carolina still unclear .
Despite the howls of protest from Donald Trump 's supporters , his quest for re-election is effectively over .
On Saturday afternoon , the American people exploded in celebration after several days of suspense as millions of mail-in votes were slowly counted in key battleground states like Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Michigan , Georgia , North Carolina , Nevada and Arizona .
( At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will win six of those seven states , and fall just short in North Carolina . )
More than 75 million votes were cast for Biden , with millions more remaining to be counted .
That 's by far the most for any presidential candidate in American history .
But while the Biden-Harris ticket and the Democratic Party may have defeated Donald Trump the man , Trumpism — as a movement and a force in American society — has clearly not been vanquished .
Donald Trump has received nearly 71 million votes so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most votes in America 's electoral history , Trump has won the second most — at least 8 million more than he received while `` winning '' the 2016 election .
Trumpism — understood as a neofascist , authoritarian and white supremacist force of destruction — will likely remain a fixture in American social and political life for years or decades to come .
As a symbolic leader , Donald Trump will personally remain a guiding star for American neofascism , and the global right wing more generally .
Trump 's presidency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to winning re-election , should make clear all over again that there is an immense public hunger for right-wing racial authoritarianism in America .
In many ways , Trump is a proof of concept , or prototype , for the future of the Republican Party .
How can it possibly remain a potent electoral force and hold power at the highest levels of government , given America 's rapidly changing demographics ?
The answer is clear : by fully and unapologetically embracing American fascism .
This weekend 's celebration is understandable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attached .
Contrary to predictions , the Democratic Party did not gain seats in the House of Representatives .
In fact , they have lost four seats already , and will probably end up losing seven or more .
Democrats are also unlikely to win a majority in the U.S. Senate , as many observers had also predicted .
Two runoff elections in Georgia could yet lead to a 50-50 Senate and de facto Democratic control , but Democrats have already lost three or four Senate races they believed they could win .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was easily re-elected in Kentucky , will remain one of the most powerful people in Washington .
He will obstruct and sabotage the Biden administration 's agenda at every opportunity .
In that role , McConnell will also help the Trump regime to inflict pain and suffering on the American people and the country 's civic institutions during its last days in power , as punishment for this election result .
Ultimately , Joe Biden and the Democratic Party won a battle in what will be a very long and difficult war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 presidential election was a referendum on American 's national character and the goodness of its people , the outcome was a failure , or at best a draw .
Writing at Time Magazine before the final result was clear , Molly Ball offers the following context : At Lawyers , Guns , and Money , Paul Campos describes several of the likely narratives about America 's ailing democracy and the outcome of this election .
Here are just two of his points : Trumpism , and the tens of millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an influential and powerful force going forward .
The right-wing extremist movement to which they belong now has a committed political organization in the Republican Party ; a propaganda disinformation machine anchored by Fox News , right-wing talk radio and the internet ; an official religion , in the form of white evangelical `` Christianity '' ; control of most state legislatures ; and , through Trump 's judicial appointments , massive power over the federal courts .
There is also a vast network of interest groups , think tanks , lobbyists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked for decades , largely in the shadows , to cement the power of the white right and gangster capitalism over an increasingly diverse , multiracial American society .
These efforts will continue unabated during the Biden administration .
TrumpWorld endures .
Within it , tens of millions of people will continue to live in their own alternate reality , an American madhouse .
There Donald Trump ( and his potential successors ) leads a political death cult .
In the eyes and hearts of Trump 's cult members , prophecy did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convinced themselves that the 2020 election was stolen from them by the Democrats and their agents .
The solution for TrumpWorld and its acolytes is to double down on their faith and belief , convincing themselves that their hellish utopia and right-wing rapture will take place — just at a later date .
Beyond the external threat from Trump , the Republican Party and other loyalists , President Joe Biden will face other challenges .
Biden must confront his own temperament : He has already made clear that he wants a truce with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces .
Instead of proceeding from a position of strength , Biden has repeatedly said that he wants to heal America and that Trumpists and other members of the right wing are not his enemies .
Such words risk becoming a pre-emptive surrender to a right-wing movement which takes no prisoners , when what this moment demands is vigorous political combat .
Biden , a centrist and `` moderate '' to his bones , must also find a way to satisfy the liberals and progressives who united behind his campaign largely because Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat both to the United States and the world .
Biden 's allies of convenience will only support him so far before they become his enemies once again — quite possibly for valid and compelling reasons .
As Edward Luce observes in the Financial Times , Biden may quickly find himself politically neutered : Biden and the Democrats can learn a great deal from history and the difference between winning a battle and winning a war .
On June 6 , 1944 , Allied forces under the command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberation of Fortress Europe from the Nazis and the other Axis powers .
After that great and costly victory , it took almost another year and many bloody battles before Hitler 's Germany was finally defeated .
In the long struggle against Trumpism , the Republican Party and their forces , Biden and the Democrats must keep their supporters motivated and engaged .
Biden must also show himself to be a strong and bold leader .
For the last several decades , the Democratic Party and its voters have been haunted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading Democrats must beat back the tendency to retreat on every substantive issue and to seek the meaningless middle ground if they are to have a real more chance of defeating Trumpism and beginning the hard work of healing and improving American democracy and society .
On Election Day 2020 , the Democratic Party and its voters thought they would vanquish Trump and the Republicans in a decisive rout .
What is clear instead is that their partial victory was not the end of Trumpism , only the end of the beginning in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he represents .

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the 2020 presidential election. Biden will receive at least 290 votes in the Electoral College, with the final outcome in Georgia and North Carolina still unclear. Despite the howls of protest from Donald Trump's supporters, his quest for re-election is effectively over. On Saturday afternoon, the American people exploded in celebration after several days of suspense as millions of mail-in votes were slowly counted in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada and Arizona. (At this writing, it appears that Biden will win six of those seven states, and fall just short in North Carolina.)
More than 75 million votes were cast for Biden, with millions more remaining to be counted. That's by far the most for any presidential candidate in American history.
But while the Biden-Harris ticket and the Democratic Party may have defeated Donald Trump the man, Trumpism — as a movement and a force in American society — has clearly not been vanquished.
Donald Trump has received nearly 71 million votes so far. If Biden has won the most votes in America's electoral history, Trump has won the second most — at least 8 million more than he received while "winning" the 2016 election. Trumpism — understood as a neofascist, authoritarian and white supremacist force of destruction — will likely remain a fixture in American social and political life for years or decades to come. As a symbolic leader, Donald Trump will personally remain a guiding star for American neofascism, and the global right wing more generally.
Trump's presidency, including the fact that he came so close to winning re-election, should make clear all over again that there is an immense public hunger for right-wing racial authoritarianism in America. In many ways, Trump is a proof of concept, or prototype, for the future of the Republican Party. How can it possibly remain a potent electoral force and hold power at the highest levels of government, given America's rapidly changing demographics? The answer is clear: by fully and unapologetically embracing American fascism.
This weekend's celebration is understandable. But Biden's victory comes with defeat attached.
Contrary to predictions, the Democratic Party did not gain seats in the House of Representatives. In fact, they have lost four seats already, and will probably end up losing seven or more. Democrats are also unlikely to win a majority in the U.S. Senate, as many observers had also predicted. Two runoff elections in Georgia could yet lead to a 50-50 Senate and de facto Democratic control, but Democrats have already lost three or four Senate races they believed they could win.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was easily re-elected in Kentucky, will remain one of the most powerful people in Washington. He will obstruct and sabotage the Biden administration's agenda at every opportunity.
In that role, McConnell will also help the Trump regime to inflict pain and suffering on the American people and the country's civic institutions during its last days in power, as punishment for this election result.
Ultimately, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party won a battle in what will be a very long and difficult war, one they may yet lose. If the 2020 presidential election was a referendum on American's national character and the goodness of its people, the outcome was a failure, or at best a draw.
Writing at Time Magazine before the final result was clear, Molly Ball offers the following context:
But even if [Biden] becomes the next President, it seems clear that he will be governing Trump's America: a nation unpersuaded by kumbaya calls for unity and compassion, determined instead to burrow ever deeper into mutual antagonism. Win or lose, Trump has engineered a lasting tectonic shift in the American political landscape, fomenting a level of anger, resentment and suspicion that will not be easy for his successor to surmount. …
"If in fact Biden wins, it's still the case that an openly bigoted aspiring authoritarian not only won the presidency but captured the complete loyalty of one of two major political parties, and — but for a once-in-a-century pandemic — he might have been re-elected," says Ian Bassin, co-founder of Protect Democracy, a non-partisan legal group. "If that doesn't tell you that something is completely rotten in the foundations of our democracy, I don't know what would."
At Lawyers, Guns, and Money, Paul Campos describes several of the likely narratives about America's ailing democracy and the outcome of this election. Here are just two of his points:
(6) The conventional wisdom I suppose will end up being that Trump would have cruised to re-election except for COVID, but ultimately I think the lesson of this election is it doesn't matter at all what a Republican president does or doesn't do — the people who vote for him literally don't care, as long as he gives them enough of what they want, and what they want is authoritarian ethno-nationalism and Owning the Libs. Everything else, i.e., actual governance, is irrelevant.
(7) Watch how it will now turn out to be the case that Joe Biden was a Terrible Candidate Who Did It Wrong — just like in 2016 amazingly enough. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO THE DEMOCRATS RUN. Bernie would have been A Terrible Candidate — a socialist Jew! What were the Dems thinking? Warren would have been A Terrible Candidate. Pocahontas, Harvard elitist and so on. Kamala was a Cop, plus she sure seems uppity. Etc. etc etc. The problem isn't the candidate. The problem is the country.
Trumpism, and the tens of millions of Americans committed to it, will remain an influential and powerful force going forward. The right-wing extremist movement to which they belong now has a committed political organization in the Republican Party; a propaganda disinformation machine anchored by Fox News, right-wing talk radio and the internet; an official religion, in the form of white evangelical "Christianity"; control of most state legislatures; and, through Trump's judicial appointments, massive power over the federal courts.
There is also a vast network of interest groups, think tanks, lobbyists, financiers, and opinion leaders who have worked for decades, largely in the shadows, to cement the power of the white right and gangster capitalism over an increasingly diverse, multiracial American society. These efforts will continue unabated during the Biden administration.
TrumpWorld endures. Within it, tens of millions of people will continue to live in their own alternate reality, an American madhouse. There Donald Trump (and his potential successors) leads a political death cult. In the eyes and hearts of Trump's cult members, prophecy did not fail. Instead, they have already convinced themselves that the 2020 election was stolen from them by the Democrats and their agents. The solution for TrumpWorld and its acolytes is to double down on their faith and belief, convincing themselves that their hellish utopia and right-wing rapture will take place — just at a later date.
Beyond the external threat from Trump, the Republican Party and other loyalists, President Joe Biden will face other challenges.
Biden must confront his own temperament: He has already made clear that he wants a truce with the Republican Party and Trump's other forces. Instead of proceeding from a position of strength, Biden has repeatedly said that he wants to heal America and that Trumpists and other members of the right wing are not his enemies.
Such words risk becoming a pre-emptive surrender to a right-wing movement which takes no prisoners, when what this moment demands is vigorous political combat.
Biden, a centrist and "moderate" to his bones, must also find a way to satisfy the liberals and progressives who united behind his campaign largely because Trump and the Republicans Party represent an existential threat both to the United States and the world. Biden's allies of convenience will only support him so far before they become his enemies once again — quite possibly for valid and compelling reasons.
As Edward Luce observes in the Financial Times, Biden may quickly find himself politically neutered:
There is no chance Mr Biden would be able to abolish the Senate filibuster, add new states to the US, such as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, or expand the size of the Supreme Court. Should a vacancy come due in the 6-3 conservative-majority [Supreme Court], Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, can simply block Mr Biden's nominee. The best for which Mr Biden can hope is a modest stimulus package. In the meantime he would have to contend with the current White House occupant. If Mr. Biden confronts the spectre of being a lame duck, Mr Trump threatens to invent a different version of the species — a wounded duck prone to lashing out. …
So what could a President Biden do? The short answer is that he would strive to find an American middle that no longer seems to exist. Deals struck with Mr McConnell would alienate the Democratic left. Yet in the absence of an attempt at bipartisan co-operation, little can be accomplished. In the meantime he would have to contend with the current White House occupant.
Biden and the Democrats can learn a great deal from history and the difference between winning a battle and winning a war. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces under the command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower embarked upon the D-Day invasion, the liberation of Fortress Europe from the Nazis and the other Axis powers. After that great and costly victory, it took almost another year and many bloody battles before Hitler's Germany was finally defeated.
In the long struggle against Trumpism, the Republican Party and their forces, Biden and the Democrats must keep their supporters motivated and engaged. Biden must also show himself to be a strong and bold leader. For the last several decades, the Democratic Party and its voters have been haunted by the ghost of defeatism. Biden and other leading Democrats must beat back the tendency to retreat on every substantive issue and to seek the meaningless middle ground if they are to have a real more chance of defeating Trumpism and beginning the hard work of healing and improving American democracy and society.
On Election Day 2020, the Democratic Party and its voters thought they would vanquish Trump and the Republicans in a decisive rout. What is clear instead is that their partial victory was not the end of Trumpism, only the end of the beginning in a long war against Donald Trump and what he represents.


alternet--2020-11-08--Defeated Donald Trump is already tearing our government apart

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America is entering a very dangerous time .
For his next 11 weeks in office , Donald Trump will be in a position to exact revenge , a word that by his own account is his entire life philosophy .
We should all hope that he goes into one of his down emotional periods for an extended time so that lethargy , not blind rage , dominates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phony charges of ballot-box stuffing , firing officials , issuing pardons to friends and family and other acts Trump can do great damage between now and Inauguration Day , when his shield against criminal prosecution vanishes .
He can also hobble the transition to a Biden administration .
Trump 's first act of post-election political vandalism came in the wee hours Wednesday morning .
He claimed the election was being stolen ( video at 8:00 ) through `` a major fraud on our nation . ''
He has yet to show a scintilla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That 's the kind of immoral rhetoric that damages faith in democracy and furthers the goals of Vladimir Putin who aims to undermine every major democracy because he considers self-governance a joke .
On Friday , while the election outcome was still uncertain , Trump abruptly removed three high-level officials , two women , and a man of color .
In a reckless move , Trump forced the resignation of Lisa Gordon-Hagerty , who since 2018 had run the National Nuclear Security Administration , the agency whose duties include keeping high-grade radioactive elements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the hands of terrorists and rogue states .
Trump 's Energy Secretary , Dan Brouillette , wanted to cut the budget for this work while Gordon-Hagerty sought increased funding .
Senator James Inhofe , a far-right Republican from Oklahoma , criticized the Trump administration for going soft on keeping nuclear materials from rogue states and terrorist groups .
`` People who should be doing all they can to support the critical work of the NNSA are instead trying to undermine it , '' Inhofe said in September .
After Gordon-Haggerty was ousted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Brouillette , a rare break with the obsequious deference to Team Trump by Republican lawmakers over the past four years .
The firing , `` demonstrates he [ Brouillette ] does n't know what he 's doing in national security matters , '' Inhofe said .
Trump also fired Bonnie Glick , deputy administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development , in what appears to be a move to ensure that Islamophobes exercise greater power in the agency .
The third appointee , Neil Chatterjee , was demoted , from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission to being just one of the five commissioners .
Running diversity training , which Trump generally banned by executive order , was behind the demotion , Chatterjee told the Washington Post .
`` Guilty as charged , '' he told EE News .
However , it was n't diversity , but Trump 's love of dirty coal that was behind Chatterjee 's demotion , both Green Tech Media and The Wall Street Journal reported .
Chatterjee had supported a tax on carbon , which economists across the spectrum have said for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create incentives that speed the shift away from fossil fuels .
In his remaining weeks , Trump can also speed his many actions to spew more pollution under the guise of ending overly burdensome regulations .
That 's an issue DCReport has covered intensely for the last four years .
One of the most destabilizing things Trump could do is refuse to release , or severely limit , funds to pay for the transition to a Biden administration .
The General Services Agency is charged with funding the office needed to prepare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of temporary workers , many of whom will end up working in the Biden administration .
And he could really hobble the new administration by refusing to provide or limit the availability of FBI agents and other investigators to run background checks on the roughly 4,000 political appointees of the incoming Biden administration .
Let 's hope the next 70 some days are marked by golf , lazily watching Fox and Trump 's now well-known executive incompetence so that the vandalism he does commit is random and repairable come 2021 .

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America is entering a very dangerous time. For his next 11 weeks in office, Donald Trump will be in a position to exact revenge, a word that by his own account is his entire life philosophy. We should all hope that he goes into one of his down emotional periods for an extended time so that lethargy, not blind rage, dominates his behavior until Jan. 20.
Through phony charges of ballot-box stuffing, firing officials, issuing pardons to friends and family and other acts Trump can do great damage between now and Inauguration Day, when his shield against criminal prosecution vanishes. He can also hobble the transition to a Biden administration.
Trump's first act of post-election political vandalism came in the wee hours Wednesday morning. He claimed the election was being stolen (video at 8:00) through "a major fraud on our nation." He has yet to show a scintilla of evidence to support that lie.
One of the most destabilizing things Trump could do is refuse to release, or severely limit, funds to pay for the transition to a Biden administration.
That's the kind of immoral rhetoric that damages faith in democracy and furthers the goals of Vladimir Putin who aims to undermine every major democracy because he considers self-governance a joke.
Three Firings
On Friday, while the election outcome was still uncertain, Trump abruptly removed three high-level officials, two women, and a man of color.
In a reckless move, Trump forced the resignation of Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, who since 2018 had run the National Nuclear Security Administration, the agency whose duties include keeping high-grade radioactive elements, known as fissile material, out of the hands of terrorists and rogue states. Trump's Energy Secretary, Dan Brouillette, wanted to cut the budget for this work while Gordon-Hagerty sought increased funding.
Senator James Inhofe, a far-right Republican from Oklahoma, criticized the Trump administration for going soft on keeping nuclear materials from rogue states and terrorist groups. "People who should be doing all they can to support the critical work of the NNSA are instead trying to undermine it," Inhofe said in September.
After Gordon-Haggerty was ousted, Inhofe challenged the competency of Energy Secretary Brouillette, a rare break with the obsequious deference to Team Trump by Republican lawmakers over the past four years. The firing, "demonstrates he [Brouillette] doesn't know what he's doing in national security matters," Inhofe said.
Trump also fired Bonnie Glick, deputy administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, in what appears to be a move to ensure that Islamophobes exercise greater power in the agency.
The third appointee, Neil Chatterjee, was demoted, from the chairmanship of the powerful Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to being just one of the five commissioners. Running diversity training, which Trump generally banned by executive order, was behind the demotion, Chatterjee told the Washington Post. "Guilty as charged," he told EE News.
However, it wasn't diversity, but Trump's love of dirty coal that was behind Chatterjee's demotion, both Green Tech Media and The Wall Street Journal reported. Chatterjee had supported a tax on carbon, which economists across the spectrum have said for years would be the most efficient way to create incentives that speed the shift away from fossil fuels.
Spewing More Pollution
In his remaining weeks, Trump can also speed his many actions to spew more pollution under the guise of ending overly burdensome regulations. That's an issue DCReport has covered intensely for the last four years.
One of the most destabilizing things Trump could do is refuse to release, or severely limit, funds to pay for the transition to a Biden administration.
The General Services Agency is charged with funding the office needed to prepare for a new administration, including hiring hundreds of temporary workers, many of whom will end up working in the Biden administration.
And he could really hobble the new administration by refusing to provide or limit the availability of FBI agents and other investigators to run background checks on the roughly 4,000 political appointees of the incoming Biden administration.
Let's hope the next 70 some days are marked by golf, lazily watching Fox and Trump's now well-known executive incompetence so that the vandalism he does commit is random and repairable come 2021.


alternet--2020-11-08--Alex Trebek dies at 80 after battle with pancreatic cancer

Longtime game show host Alex Trebek passed away over the weekend , according to a statement from `` Jeopardy !
@ @ @ @ @ saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning , @ @ @ @ @ .
Thank you , Alex , '' the game show said in a statement on @ @ @ @ @ cancer for over a year and revealed that he had `` massive attacks of great @ @ @ @ @ if it was really worth fighting on . ''

Longtime game show host Alex Trebek passed away over the weekend, according to a statement from "Jeopardy!"
"Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex," the game show said in a statement on Twitter.
Trebek battled pancreatic cancer for over a year and revealed that he had "massive attacks of great depression that made me wonder if it was really worth fighting on."
Trebek was 80 years old.


alternet--2020-11-08--Experts break down what a Biden win means for race relations, US foreign policy and the Supreme Cour

Experts break down what a Biden win means for race relations, US foreign policy and the Supreme Court

Brian J Purnell , Bowdoin College ; Morgan Marietta , University of Massachusetts Lowell , and Neta C. Crawford , Boston University The American public has had its say and for the first time in a generation denied a sitting president a second term .
President Donald Trump 's tenure lasted just four years , but in that time he dragged policy on an array of key issues in a dramatic new direction .
Joe Biden 's victory , confirmed by the Associated Press late morning on Nov. 7 , presents an opportunity to reset the White House agenda and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Three scholars discuss what a Biden presidency may have in store in three key areas : race , the Supreme Court and foreign policy .
The next four years under a Biden administration will likely see improvements in racial justice .
But to many , it will be a low bar to clear : President Donald Trump downplayed racist violence , egged on right-wing extremists and described Black Lives Matter as a “ symbol of hate '' during his four-year tenure .
Indeed , according to polls , most Americans agree that race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden is in some ways an unlikely president to advance a progressive racial agenda .
In the 1970s , he opposed busing plans and stymied school desegregation efforts in Delaware , his home state .
And in the mid-1990s he championed a federal crime bill that made incarceration rates for Black people worse .
He bungled the hearings that brought Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court by allowing Republican senators to dismiss Anita Hill 's damning testimony of Thomas ' sexual harassment and by failing to allow other Black women to testify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 campaign , President-elect Biden consistently spoke about problems stemming from systemic racism .
Many voters will be hoping that his actions over the next four years must match his campaign words .
One area that the Biden administration will surely address is policing and racial justice .
The Justice Department can bring accountability to police reform by returning to practices the Obama administration put in place to monitor and reform police departments , such as the use of consent degrees .
More difficult reforms require redressing how mass incarceration caused widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities .
“ My administration will incentivize states to automatically restore voting rights for individuals convicted of felonies once they have served their sentences , '' Biden told The Washington Post .
The killing of George Floyd earlier this year reinvigorated talk of addressing systemic racial discrimination through fundamental changes in how police departments hold officers accountable for misconduct and excessive force .
It is unclear how far President-elect Biden will walk down this road .
But evoking the words of the late civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis , he at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that America was ready to do the hard work of “ rooting out systemic racism . ''
Biden can help address how Americans think about and deal with unexamined racial biases through reversing the previous administration 's executive order banning anti-racism training and workshops .
In so doing , Biden can build on psychological research on bias to make American workplaces , schools and government agencies equitable , just places .
Making progress fighting systemic racism will be a slow , uphill battle .
A more immediate benefit to communities of color could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – the Trump administration 's failure to stanch the spread of the coronavirus has led to deaths and economic consequences that have disproportionately fallen on racial and ethnic minorities .
On matters of race relations in the U.S. , most Americans would agree that the era of Trump saw the picture worsen .
The good news for Biden as president is there is nowhere to go but up .
Despite the fact that American voters have given Democrats control of the presidency , the conservative Supreme Court will continue to rule on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These liberties are considered by the court to be “ beyond the reach of majorities , '' meaning they are intended to be immune from the changing beliefs of the electorate .
However , appointees of Democrats and Republicans tend to have very different views on which rights the Constitution protects and which are left to majority rule .
The dominant judicial philosophy of the conservative majority – originalism – sees rights as powerful but limited .
The protection of rights recognized explicitly by the Constitution , such as the freedoms of religion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bear arms , will likely grow stronger over the next four years .
But the protection of expansive rights that the court has found in the phrase “ due process of law '' in the 14th Amendment , including privacy or reproductive rights , may well contract .
The Biden administration will probably not agree with the court 's future rulings on voting rights , gay rights , religious rights or the rights of noncitizens .
Ditto for any rulings on abortion , guns , the death penalty and immigration .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to control the independent judiciary .
Unhappy with what a strong conservative majority on the court may do – including possibly overturning the Affordable Care Act – many Democrats have advocated radical approaches to altering what the court looks like and how it operates , though Biden himself has not stated a clear position .
Suggested options include term limits , adding a retirement age , stripping the jurisdiction of the court for specific federal legislation , or increasing the size of the court .
This strategy is known historically as court packing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court , telling NPR in 2019 that “ if anything would make the court look partisan , it would be … one side saying , 'When we 're in power , we 're going to enlarge the number of judges , so we would have more people who would vote the way we want them to . '
'' The Constitution does not establish the number of justices on the court , instead leaving that to Congress .
The number has been set at nine since the 1800s , but Congress could pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 11 or 13 , creating two or four new seats .
However , this requires agreement by both houses of Congress .
The GOP seems likely to maintain a narrow control of the Senate .
A 50/50 split is possible , but that wo n't be clear until January when Georgia holds two runoff elections .
Any of the proposed reforms of the court will be difficult , if not impossible , to pass under a divided Congress .
This leaves the Biden administration hoping for retirements that would gradually shift the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most likely may be Justice Clarence Thomas , who is 72 and the longest-serving member of the current court .
Samuel Alito is 70 and Chief Justice John Roberts is 65 .
In other professions , that may sound like people soon to retire , but at the Supreme Court that is less likely .
With the other three conservative justices in their 40s or 50s , the Biden administration may be fully at odds with the court for some time to come .
President-elect Biden has signaled he will do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign policy .
First , Biden will change the tone of U.S. foreign relations .
The Democratic Party platform called its section on military foreign policy “ renewing American leadership '' and emphasized diplomacy as a “ tool of first resort . ''
Biden seems to sincerely believe in diplomacy and is intent on repairing relations with U.S. allies that have been damaged over the last four years .
Conversely , while Trump was , some say , too friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin , calling him a “ terrific person , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line with Russia , at least rhetorically .
This change in tone will also likely include rejoining some of the treaties and international agreements that the United States abandoned under the Trump administration .
The most important of these include the Paris Climate Agreement , which the U.S. officially withdrew from on Nov. 4 , and restoring funding to the United Nation 's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change .
If the U.S. is to extend the New START nuclear weapons treaty , the arms control deal with Russia due to expire in February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to work with the outgoing administration on an extension .
Biden has also signaled a willingness to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal jettisoned by Trump , if and when the Iranians return to the limits on nuclear infrastructure imposed by the agreement .
Second , in contrast to the large increases in military spending under Trump , President-elect Biden may make modest cuts in the U.S. military budget .
Although he has said that cuts are not “ inevitable '' under his presidency , Biden has hinted at a smaller military presence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priorities at the Pentagon by , for instance , emphasizing high-tech weapons .
If the Senate – which must ratify any treaties – flips to Democrats ' control , the Biden administration may take more ambitious steps in nuclear arms control by pursuing deeper cuts with Russia and ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty .
Third , the Biden administration will likely continue some Bush , Obama and Trump foreign policy priorities .
Specifically , while a Biden administration will seek to end the war in Afghanistan , the administration will keep a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Qaida .
Biden has said that he would reduce the current 5,200 U.S. forces in Afghanistan to 1,500-2,000 troops operating in the region in a counterterrorism role .
The Biden administration is likely to continue the massive nuclear weapons modernization and air and naval equipment modernization programs begun under the Obama administration and accelerated and expanded under Trump , if only because they are popular with members of Congress who see the jobs they provide in their states .
[ Deep knowledge , daily .
Sign up for The Conversation 's newsletter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump administrations , the Biden administration will prioritize the economic and military threats it believes are posed by China .
But , consistent with its emphasis on diplomacy , the Biden administration will likely also work more to constrain China through diplomatic engagement and by working with U.S. allies in the region .
Brian J Purnell , Associate Professor of Africana Studies and History , Bowdoin College ; Morgan Marietta , Associate Professor of Political Science , University of Massachusetts Lowell , and Neta C. Crawford , Professor of Political Science and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Brian J Purnell, Bowdoin College; Morgan Marietta, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Neta C. Crawford, Boston University
The American public has had its say and for the first time in a generation denied a sitting president a second term.
President Donald Trump's tenure lasted just four years, but in that time he dragged policy on an array of key issues in a dramatic new direction.
Joe Biden's victory, confirmed by the Associated Press late morning on Nov. 7, presents an opportunity to reset the White House agenda and put it on a different course.
Three scholars discuss what a Biden presidency may have in store in three key areas: race, the Supreme Court and foreign policy.
Racism, policing and Black Lives Matter protests
Brian Purnell, Bowdoin College
The next four years under a Biden administration will likely see improvements in racial justice. But to many, it will be a low bar to clear: President Donald Trump downplayed racist violence, egged on right-wing extremists and described Black Lives Matter as a “symbol of hate" during his four-year tenure.
Indeed, according to polls, most Americans agree that race relations have deterioratedunder Trump.
Still, Biden is in some ways an unlikely president to advance a progressive racial agenda. In the 1970s, he opposed busing plans and stymied school desegregation efforts in Delaware, his home state. And in the mid-1990s he championed a federal crime bill that made incarceration rates for Black people worse. He bungled the hearings that brought Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court by allowing Republican senators to dismiss Anita Hill's damning testimony of Thomas' sexual harassment and by failing to allow other Black women to testify.
But that was then.
During the 2020 campaign, President-elect Biden consistently spoke about problems stemming from systemic racism. Many voters will be hoping that his actions over the next four years must match his campaign words.
One area that the Biden administration will surely address is policing and racial justice. The Justice Department can bring accountability to police reform by returning to practices the Obama administration put in place to monitor and reform police departments, such as the use of consent degrees. More difficult reforms require redressing how mass incarceration caused widespread voter disenfranchisement in Black American and Latino communities.
“My administration will incentivize states to automatically restore voting rights for individuals convicted of felonies once they have served their sentences," Biden told The Washington Post.
The killing of George Floyd earlier this year reinvigorated talk of addressing systemic racial discrimination through fundamental changes in how police departments hold officers accountable for misconduct and excessive force. It is unclear how far President-elect Biden will walk down this road. But evoking the words of the late civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, he at least suggested at the Democratic National Convention that America was ready to do the hard work of “rooting out systemic racism."
Biden can help address how Americans think about and deal with unexamined racial biases through reversing the previous administration's executive order banning anti-racism training and workshops. In so doing, Biden can build on psychological research on bias to make American workplaces, schools and government agencies equitable, just places.
Making progress fighting systemic racism will be a slow, uphill battle. A more immediate benefit to communities of color could come through Biden's COVID-19 pandemic response – the Trump administration's failure to stanch the spread of the coronavirus has led to deaths and economic consequences that have disproportionately fallen on racial and ethnic minorities.
On matters of race relations in the U.S., most Americans would agree that the era of Trump saw the picture worsen. The good news for Biden as president is there is nowhere to go but up.
The Supreme Court
Morgan Marietta, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Despite the fact that American voters have given Democrats control of the presidency, the conservative Supreme Court will continue to rule on the nature and extent of constitutional rights.
These liberties are considered by the court to be “beyond the reach of majorities," meaning they are intended to be immune from the changing beliefs of the electorate.
However, appointees of Democrats and Republicans tend to have very different views on which rights the Constitution protects and which are left to majority rule.
The dominant judicial philosophy of the conservative majority – originalism – sees rights as powerful but limited. The protection of rights recognized explicitly by the Constitution, such as the freedoms of religion, speech and press and the freedom to bear arms, will likely grow stronger over the next four years. But the protection of expansive rights that the court has found in the phrase “due process of law" in the 14th Amendment, including privacy or reproductive rights, may well contract.
The Biden administration will probably not agree with the court's future rulings on voting rights, gay rights, religious rights or the rights of noncitizens. Ditto for any rulings on abortion, guns, the death penalty and immigration. But there is little President-elect Biden can do to control the independent judiciary.
Unhappy with what a strong conservative majority on the court may do – including possibly overturning the Affordable Care Act – many Democrats have advocated radical approaches to altering what the court looks like and how it operates, though Biden himself has not stated a clear position.
Suggested options include term limits, adding a retirement age, stripping the jurisdiction of the court for specific federal legislation, or increasing the size of the court. This strategy is known historically as court packing.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg opposed expanding the court, telling NPR in 2019 that “if anything would make the court look partisan, it would be … one side saying, 'When we're in power, we're going to enlarge the number of judges, so we would have more people who would vote the way we want them to.'"
The Constitution does not establish the number of justices on the court, instead leaving that to Congress. The number has been set at nine since the 1800s, but Congress could pass a law expanding the number of justices to 11 or 13, creating two or four new seats.
However, this requires agreement by both houses of Congress.
The GOP seems likely to maintain a narrow control of the Senate. A 50/50 split is possible, but that won't be clear until January when Georgia holds two runoff elections. Any of the proposed reforms of the court will be difficult, if not impossible, to pass under a divided Congress.
This leaves the Biden administration hoping for retirements that would gradually shift the ideological balance of the court.
One of the most likely may be Justice Clarence Thomas, who is 72 and the longest-serving member of the current court. Samuel Alito is 70 and Chief Justice John Roberts is 65. In other professions, that may sound like people soon to retire, but at the Supreme Court that is less likely. With the other three conservative justices in their 40s or 50s, the Biden administration may be fully at odds with the court for some time to come.
Foreign policy and defense
Neta Crawford, Boston University
President-elect Biden has signaled he will do three things to reset the U.S.'s foreign policy.
First, Biden will change the tone of U.S. foreign relations. The Democratic Party platform called its section on military foreign policy “renewing American leadership" and emphasized diplomacy as a “tool of first resort."
Biden seems to sincerely believe in diplomacy and is intent on repairing relations with U.S. allies that have been damaged over the last four years. Conversely, while Trump was, some say, too friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a “terrific person," Biden will likely take a harder line with Russia, at least rhetorically.
This change in tone will also likely include rejoining some of the treaties and international agreements that the United States abandoned under the Trump administration. The most important of these include the Paris Climate Agreement, which the U.S. officially withdrew from on Nov. 4, and restoring funding to the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
If the U.S. is to extend the New START nuclear weapons treaty, the arms control deal with Russia due to expire in February, the incoming Biden administration would likely have to work with the outgoing administration on an extension. Biden has also signaled a willingness to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal jettisoned by Trump, if and when the Iranians return to the limits on nuclear infrastructure imposed by the agreement.
Second, in contrast to the large increases in military spending under Trump, President-elect Biden may make modest cuts in the U.S. military budget. Although he has said that cuts are not “inevitable" under his presidency, Biden has hinted at a smaller military presence overseas and is likely to change some priorities at the Pentagon by, for instance, emphasizing high-tech weapons. If the Senate – which must ratify any treaties – flips to Democrats' control, the Biden administration may take more ambitious steps in nuclear arms control by pursuing deeper cuts with Russia and ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Third, the Biden administration will likely continue some Bush, Obama and Trump foreign policy priorities. Specifically, while a Biden administration will seek to end the war in Afghanistan, the administration will keep a focus on defeating the Islamic State and al-Qaida. Biden has said that he would reduce the current 5,200 U.S. forces in Afghanistan to 1,500-2,000 troops operating in the region in a counterterrorism role. The Biden administration is likely to continue the massive nuclear weapons modernization and air and naval equipment modernization programs begun under the Obama administration and accelerated and expanded under Trump, if only because they are popular with members of Congress who see the jobs they provide in their states.
[Deep knowledge, daily.Sign up for The Conversation's newsletter.]
And like the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations, the Biden administration will prioritize the economic and military threats it believes are posed by China. But, consistent with its emphasis on diplomacy, the Biden administration will likely also work more to constrain China through diplomatic engagement and by working with U.S. allies in the region.
Brian J Purnell, Associate Professor of Africana Studies and History, Bowdoin College; Morgan Marietta, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Neta C. Crawford, Professor of Political Science and Department Chair, Boston University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


alternet--2020-11-08--‘The time has come’: Report says Melania Trump told husband to accept defeat

First Lady Melania Trump is the latest person in President Donald Trump 's orbit to encourage him to accept the @ @ @ @ @ 2020 presidential election .
A source close to the first lady confirmed that she has @ @ @ @ @ the fight , according to CNN correspondent Shimon Prokupecz .
`` First Lady Melania Trump @ @ @ @ @ of President Trump 's inner circle advising him the time has come for him to @ @ @ @ @ source familiar with the conversations tells CNN , '' Prokupecz revealed on Twitter .

First Lady Melania Trump is the latest person in President Donald Trump's orbit to encourage him to accept the reality of defeat in the 2020 presidential election.
A source close to the first lady confirmed that she has advised Trump to give up the fight, according to CNN correspondent Shimon Prokupecz.
"First Lady Melania Trump has joined the growing chorus of President Trump's inner circle advising him the time has come for him to accept the loss, a source familiar with the conversations tells CNN," Prokupecz revealed on Twitter.


alternet--2020-11-08--Some of Texas’ most prominent Republican politicians are spreading misinformation about the election

As votes continue to be counted in the presidential race , President Donald Trump used both Twitter and the White House to sow doubts about the integrity of the electoral process .
Some of Texas ' most prominent Republican politicians , including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz , have joined the president in amplifying misinformation about the election across their platforms .
Much of the misinformation has been centered on the vote-counting process in states like Pennsylvania , a battleground territory in the race for the presidency .
The count in Pennsylvania was expected to be slow because of the large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law prevented poll workers from beginning to process them until Election Day .
Cruz appeared on Fox News ' “ Hannity '' on Thursday night and charged that Philadelphia officials are “ not allowing the election observers in , despite clear state law that requires election observers being there . ''
U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud , R-Victoria , said on a local radio show Friday morning that it was disturbing “ they wo n't let poll watchers in , after a judge 's order , is very telling . ''
And U.S. Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Philadelphia on Friday , raised the possibility , without presenting any evidence , of “ manufactured '' votes and said “ the election is in the process of being stolen . ''
The claims from Cruz and Cloud about election watchers are not true .
In a court hearing Thursday , a lawyer for Trump acknowledged that the team 's observers were being allowed in the room , according to WHYY in Philadelphia .
When the judge asked if Trump observers were allowed in the room , a Trump attorney answered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in the room . ''
The judge in the case , a Republican appointee , dismissed a lawsuit seeking an end to the count after urging both sides to come to an agreement on how many observers from each party could be in the room where the ballots were being counted .
The counting has been done in the presence of election watchers representing both parties .
But Trump has continued to claim , with no evidence , that he is being cheated .
Texas politicians and conservative figures have spread falsehoods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims .
The vote counting in Philadelphia is taking place at its sprawling convention center .
Philadelphia magazine reported that early in the count , observers had to watch the proceedings from distances ranging from approximately 15-105 feet away — making the ability to see the count difficult , according to a Republican observer 's testimony .
Most notably , one observer was photographed watching the counting with the aid of binoculars .
City officials argued that counters needed space to maintain social distancing , security and privacy protections while handling ballots .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania state judge ruled Thursday morning that observers must be within 6 feet from the counting and abide by measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
Cruz argued Friday morning on Twitter that because of the Thursday state court ruling mandating the 6-foot rule , “ Someone 20 ft away—forced to use binoculars—is not an 'observer ' ... . ''
“ No one is saying that poll watchers were not in the room in Philadelphia — they are saying they were too far away to actually see anything , '' a Cloud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is the conflict going on .
You ca n't see anything from 30 feet away . ''
Cloud also alleged , without any evidence , that officials “ stopped counting in some of these states so that they could , in the morning , come back and count the Trump-heavy areas first , so that they 'll know how many more ballots are needed '' in absentee votes to overcome that disparity .
When reached for elaboration on these allegations , the Cloud spokesperson noted that Cloud added , “ Obviously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm not sitting in Philadelphia or Detroit or Atlanta or any of these cities .
I 'm just saying when I look from here , I do n't see a transparent process . ''
“ He is not saying that he has all the answers or knows even what happens but that the process has not been transparent and that they should have been provided greater access , '' the spokesperson said .
“ It has not been a transparent process in many of these states .
That is his point . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked for the senator 's source for the allegations .
“ Republican poll watchers were denied meaningful access to the ballot processing and counting process in Philadelphia , posing a direct threat to the integrity of our elections , '' the aide emailed .
“ That 's why a Pennsylvania court ordered that observers must be allowed within six feet of all aspects of the ballot counting process , '' the spokesperson added .
“ As Sen. Cruz has said , the American people have the right to expect votes will be counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in secret . ''
Cruz and other state leaders , including Gov .
Greg Abbott , have also been critical of the pace of the counts in key states .
As of Friday , Pennsylvania , North Carolina , Georgia , Arizona , Nevada and Alaska still had enough votes to count that the results there were uncertain .
Texas was still counting votes , too ; there just was n't a small enough margin for them to matter in the presidential race .
“ How come it 's just the big Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out how to count a damn vote ? ''
Cruz said on Fox News .
In fact , Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar unsuccessfully lobbied her state 's Republican legislature to allow mail-in vote counting to begin before polls closed on Election Day .
Without that approval , the process in Pennsylvania has played out largely as expected .
Trump won the majority of votes cast and counted on Election Day — and for months he has discouraged his voters from casting ballots by mail .
But the gap narrowed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which have been more likely to go for former Vice President Joe Biden , are counted .
Abbott , who did not respond to a request for comment , raised a similar complaint as Cruz on Twitter on Thursday night .
“ Texas swiftly processed more than 11 million votes & quickly announced winners across 2 time zones , '' he wrote .
“ To ensure transparency we allow poll watchers from each party to participate in the voting & tally processes .
“ What is happening in some states undermines trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas has not declared winners in its races , though media outlets have projected winners in all but one federal race because the margins are large enough to know who will win .
The state has had its own minor glitches in reporting vote counts , as is usual when it works with 254 counties to administer hundreds of races at a time .
For instance , the state 's results page showed the wrong candidate leading in a state House race in Fort Bend County the day after Election Day .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fix on Twitter , saying the county had entered the results incorrectly .
Nor has the state finished counting all its ballots .
Tarrant County — the state 's third-most-populous county — flipped from red to blue two days after Election Day .
Texas also allows overseas ballots to be counted if they 're received five days after Election Day , and military ballots will still be accepted if they are received six days after Election Day .
Still , the state was able to report most of its results relatively quickly because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not expand absentee balloting during the coronavirus pandemic .
Many other states faced unprecedented volumes of mail-in ballots this cycle because millions of voters were reluctant to cast their ballots in person .
Michigan vote-counters were only able to begin their work the day before the election because of a bill passed by the Republican-controlled legislature and signed into law by the state 's Democratic governor .
A Las Vegas official told a TV affiliate that the delay in the vote count there is going into extended overtime because all “ active '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the counting process takes a while in order to ensure no one votes twice .
Detroit officials at one point covered up windows during vote counting because a crush of protesters were filming the process , according to CNN .
A city official told the news outlet that the aim was to preserve the secrecy of ballots and to prevent them from being filmed .
The official further said that observers and reporters were on the scene watching the process as well .
Samuel Woolley , program director for propaganda research at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Texas at Austin , said disinformation — or the deliberate spread of false information — often begins with a shred of truth .
He said comments , such as those from Trump , are “ very damaging for people 's trust and security and the integrity of the electoral system . ''
“ The process is proceeding as it 's meant to proceed , '' Woolley said .
“ But people who work to spread disinformation and propaganda are attempting to undermine the process to empower themselves . ''
A few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back against Trump 's claims .
As Trump was calling for the counting of votes to be halted earlier this week , U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington , R-Lubbock , told The Texas Tribune in a statement that “ all votes legally cast should count . ''
But , he added without providing details , “ there are legitimate concerns regarding the potential for fraud that must be addressed in order for the country to move forward . ''
Outgoing U.S. Rep. Will Hurd , R-Helotes , delivered a more forceful renunciation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president undermining our political process & questioning the legality of the voices of countless Americans without evidence is not only dangerous & wrong , it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon , '' he tweeted Thursday .
U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw , R-Houston , urged increased transparency and thorough investigations of any allegations of malfeasance .
“ If Trump loses , he loses .
It was never an impossible outcome and we must accept the final results when it is over , '' he wrote Friday on Twitter .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calmly that investigations occur and the court process plays out , '' he added .
“ Americans need to be sure of the winner and loser .
The winners should especially want that . ''
Crenshaw , Cloud , Arrington and five other Texas colleagues wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr asking whether he 'd commit to “ using all the resources at your disposal to ensure that only legal votes are being counted '' and that the count is being done transparently .
And some Republicans doubled down on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared an unverified video of a person claiming improprieties in the Philadelphia vote count .
Twitter has since blocked the video for violating the platform 's rules .
And U.S. Rep. Roger Williams , R-Austin , tweeted that “ this is the most corrupt election in our lifetime , '' despite winning his own reelection battle Tuesday by 14 percentage points .
“ Where is the DOJ and AG ? ''
Twitter later suspended the congressman 's campaign account for violating its rules .
Other less high-profile Texas sources have also contributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadly .
In a now-deleted tweet , Travis County GOP Chairman Matt Mackowiak shared a screenshot Wednesday of Michigan tallies from Decision Desk HQ that suggested that Biden received 100 % of the votes in a batch of 138,339 ballots added to the state 's count .
The influx was due to a data error — a county worker made a typo when entering numbers , and the issue was quickly corrected .
Mackowiak later deleted the tweet , saying it was an honest mistake .
But Trump still boosted the claim .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the president tweeted to his 88 million followers .
Meanwhile , Kellye SoRelle , a Texas attorney , a former state House candidate and a Lawyers for Trump member , recorded a video that went viral purporting to show extra ballots being brought into a Detroit vote-counting facility long after the ballots had been expected to arrive .
The video actually showed a photographer for local TV station WXYZ unloading camera equipment and a cooler , according to one of the station 's reporters , Ross Jones .
“ He was bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Jones tweeted .
Texas Scorecard , a website created by the hardline conservative political group Empower Texans , published an article with the video that spread through right-wing circles , briefly crashing the site .
Disclosure : The Texas secretary of state and the University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune , a nonprofit , nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members , foundations and corporate sponsors .
Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune 's journalism .
Find a @ @ @ @ @ @

As votes continue to be counted in the presidential race, President Donald Trump used both Twitter and the White House to sow doubts about the integrity of the electoral process.
Some of Texas' most prominent Republican politicians, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, have joined the president in amplifying misinformation about the election across their platforms.
Much of the misinformation has been centered on the vote-counting process in states like Pennsylvania, a battleground territory in the race for the presidency. The count in Pennsylvania was expected to be slow because of the large number of mail-in ballots and because state law prevented poll workers from beginning to process them until Election Day.
Cruz appeared on Fox News' “Hannity" on Thursday night and charged that Philadelphia officials are “not allowing the election observers in, despite clear state law that requires election observers being there." U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Victoria, said on a local radio show Friday morning that it was disturbing “they won't let poll watchers in, after a judge's order, is very telling."
And U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, who appeared in Philadelphia on Friday, raised the possibility, without presenting any evidence, of “manufactured" votes and said “the election is in the process of being stolen."
The claims from Cruz and Cloud about election watchers are not true. In a court hearing Thursday, a lawyer for Trump acknowledged that the team's observers were being allowed in the room, according to WHYY in Philadelphia. When the judge asked if Trump observers were allowed in the room, a Trump attorney answered, “There's a non-zero number of people in the room."
The judge in the case, a Republican appointee, dismissed a lawsuit seeking an end to the count after urging both sides to come to an agreement on how many observers from each party could be in the room where the ballots were being counted.
The counting has been done in the presence of election watchers representing both parties. But Trump has continued to claim, with no evidence, that he is being cheated. Texas politicians and conservative figures have spread falsehoods that have further sowed confusion about those claims.
The vote counting in Philadelphia is taking place at its sprawling convention center. Philadelphia magazine reported that early in the count, observers had to watch the proceedings from distances ranging from approximately 15-105 feet away — making the ability to see the count difficult, according to a Republican observer's testimony. Most notably, one observer was photographed watching the counting with the aid of binoculars. City officials argued that counters needed space to maintain social distancing, security and privacy protections while handling ballots.
After Republican challenges to this, a Pennsylvania state judge ruled Thursday morning that observers must be within 6 feet from the counting and abide by measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Cruz argued Friday morning on Twitter that because of the Thursday state court ruling mandating the 6-foot rule, “Someone 20 ft away—forced to use binoculars—is not an 'observer'... ."
“No one is saying that poll watchers were not in the room in Philadelphia — they are saying they were too far away to actually see anything," a Cloud spokesperson wrote to the Tribune. “That is the conflict going on. You can't see anything from 30 feet away."
Cloud also alleged, without any evidence, that officials “stopped counting in some of these states so that they could, in the morning, come back and count the Trump-heavy areas first, so that they'll know how many more ballots are needed" in absentee votes to overcome that disparity.
When reached for elaboration on these allegations, the Cloud spokesperson noted that Cloud added, “Obviously, I'm here in Texas, I'm not sitting in Philadelphia or Detroit or Atlanta or any of these cities. I'm just saying when I look from here, I don't see a transparent process."
“He is not saying that he has all the answers or knows even what happens but that the process has not been transparent and that they should have been provided greater access," the spokesperson said. “It has not been a transparent process in many of these states. That is his point."
A Cruz spokesperson also weighed in when asked for the senator's source for the allegations.
“Republican poll watchers were denied meaningful access to the ballot processing and counting process in Philadelphia, posing a direct threat to the integrity of our elections," the aide emailed.
“That's why a Pennsylvania court ordered that observers must be allowed within six feet of all aspects of the ballot counting process," the spokesperson added. “As Sen. Cruz has said, the American people have the right to expect votes will be counted fairly, with transparency, and not in secret."
Cruz and other state leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have also been critical of the pace of the counts in key states. As of Friday, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Alaska still had enough votes to count that the results there were uncertain. Texas was still counting votes, too; there just wasn't a small enough margin for them to matter in the presidential race.
“How come it's just the big Democratic cities that can't seem to figure out how to count a damn vote?" Cruz said on Fox News.
In fact, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar unsuccessfully lobbied her state's Republican legislature to allow mail-in vote counting to begin before polls closed on Election Day. Without that approval, the process in Pennsylvania has played out largely as expected. Trump won the majority of votes cast and counted on Election Day — and for months he has discouraged his voters from casting ballots by mail. But the gap narrowed in the days after the vote as mail-in ballots, which have been more likely to go for former Vice President Joe Biden, are counted.
Abbott, who did not respond to a request for comment, raised a similar complaint as Cruz on Twitter on Thursday night.
“Texas swiftly processed more than 11 million votes & quickly announced winners across 2 time zones," he wrote. “To ensure transparency we allow poll watchers from each party to participate in the voting & tally processes.
“What is happening in some states undermines trust in elections," he added.
Texas has not declared winners in its races, though media outlets have projected winners in all but one federal race because the margins are large enough to know who will win.
The state has had its own minor glitches in reporting vote counts, as is usual when it works with 254 counties to administer hundreds of races at a time. For instance, the state's results page showed the wrong candidate leading in a state House race in Fort Bend County the day after Election Day. The secretary of state's office announced the fix on Twitter, saying the county had entered the results incorrectly.
Nor has the state finished counting all its ballots. Tarrant County — the state's third-most-populous county — flipped from red to blue two days after Election Day.
Texas also allows overseas ballots to be counted if they're received five days after Election Day, and military ballots will still be accepted if they are received six days after Election Day. Still, the state was able to report most of its results relatively quickly because, unlike many states, it did not expand absentee balloting during the coronavirus pandemic. Many other states faced unprecedented volumes of mail-in ballots this cycle because millions of voters were reluctant to cast their ballots in person.
Michigan vote-counters were only able to begin their work the day before the election because of a bill passed by the Republican-controlled legislature and signed into law by the state's Democratic governor.
A Las Vegas official told a TV affiliate that the delay in the vote count there is going into extended overtime because all “active" voters receive ballots in the mail, and the counting process takes a while in order to ensure no one votes twice.
Detroit officials at one point covered up windows during vote counting because a crush of protesters were filming the process, according to CNN. A city official told the news outlet that the aim was to preserve the secrecy of ballots and to prevent them from being filmed. The official further said that observers and reporters were on the scene watching the process as well.
Samuel Woolley, program director for propaganda research at the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, said disinformation — or the deliberate spread of false information — often begins with a shred of truth. He said comments, such as those from Trump, are “very damaging for people's trust and security and the integrity of the electoral system."
“The process is proceeding as it's meant to proceed," Woolley said. “But people who work to spread disinformation and propaganda are attempting to undermine the process to empower themselves."
A few Republican officials in Texas have gently pushed back against Trump's claims. As Trump was calling for the counting of votes to be halted earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, told The Texas Tribune in a statement that “all votes legally cast should count." But, he added without providing details, “there are legitimate concerns regarding the potential for fraud that must be addressed in order for the country to move forward."
Outgoing U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, delivered a more forceful renunciation of the president's claims.
“A sitting president undermining our political process & questioning the legality of the voices of countless Americans without evidence is not only dangerous & wrong, it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon," he tweeted Thursday.
U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, urged increased transparency and thorough investigations of any allegations of malfeasance. “If Trump loses, he loses. It was never an impossible outcome and we must accept the final results when it is over," he wrote Friday on Twitter.
“It should not be partisan to suggest calmly that investigations occur and the court process plays out," he added. “Americans need to be sure of the winner and loser. The winners should especially want that."
Crenshaw, Cloud, Arrington and five other Texas colleagues wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr asking whether he'd commit to “using all the resources at your disposal to ensure that only legal votes are being counted" and that the count is being done transparently.
And some Republicans doubled down on false accusations.
On Thursday, Cruz shared an unverified video of a person claiming improprieties in the Philadelphia vote count. Twitter has since blocked the video for violating the platform's rules.
And U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, tweeted that “this is the most corrupt election in our lifetime," despite winning his own reelection battle Tuesday by 14 percentage points. “Where is the DOJ and AG?" Twitter later suspended the congressman's campaign account for violating its rules.
Other less high-profile Texas sources have also contributed to the misinformation and seen their messages amplified broadly.
In a now-deleted tweet, Travis County GOP Chairman Matt Mackowiak shared a screenshot Wednesday of Michigan tallies from Decision Desk HQ that suggested that Biden received 100% of the votes in a batch of 138,339 ballots added to the state's count. The influx was due to a data error — a county worker made a typo when entering numbers, and the issue was quickly corrected.
Mackowiak later deleted the tweet, saying it was an honest mistake. But Trump still boosted the claim. “WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?" the president tweeted to his 88 million followers.
Meanwhile, Kellye SoRelle, a Texas attorney, a former state House candidate and a Lawyers for Trump member, recorded a video that went viral purporting to show extra ballots being brought into a Detroit vote-counting facility long after the ballots had been expected to arrive.
The video actually showed a photographer for local TV station WXYZ unloading camera equipment and a cooler, according to one of the station's reporters, Ross Jones.
“He was bringing down equipment for our 12-hour shift," Jones tweeted.
Texas Scorecard, a website created by the hardline conservative political group Empower Texans, published an article with the video that spread through right-wing circles, briefly crashing the site.
Alex Samuels contributed reporting.
Disclosure: The Texas secretary of state and the University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.