alternet--2020-12-16--New report exposes Trump's corruption of the CDC — but don't miss the bigger picture

Wednesday morning , the New York Times published an exposé documenting the complaints of two Trump appointees at the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) who witnessed `` the White House 's slow suffocation of the agency 's voice , the meddling in its messages and the siphoning of its budget . ''
It 's an important and well-researched piece — but it 's hard not to feel bad for the journalist , Noah Weiland , whose hard work will undoubtedly be met with a familar chorus of `` no duhs '' from liberal readers and `` fake news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to document the atrocities of the Trump era .
That said , man , it 's frustrating that the whistleblowers in question — Kyle McGowan and Amanda Campbell , former Republican congressional staffers who were appointed to the CDC before quitting in protest earlier this year — appear to be under the illusion that it was Trump who somehow invented Republican lying about public health care for political ends .
`` Every time that the science clashed with the messaging , messaging won , '' said McGowan , a lifelong Republican who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services ( HHS ) Secretary Tom Price , after working for Price during his stint as a GOP congressman from Georgia .
`` What was so different [ under Trump ] , though , was the political involvement , not only from H.H.S .
but then the White House , ultimately , that in so many ways hampered what our scientists were able to do , '' Campbell , who was also brought on by Price after working for his congressional offices , added .
This is flat-out nonsense , and both Campbell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they spent years dutifully working for Price , an avid purveyor of misinformation about sexual and reproductive health care .
Indeed , it 's likely that the reason Price got his appointment to HHS in the first place is because he was a reliable opponent of scientifically sound policy regarding health care that affects women and LGBTQ people .
Their old boss was such a fan of lying about health care that he was a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons , which sounds like a nice group , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spreading lies about abortion , HIV , vaccination , and other hot button medical issues .
The GOP has politicized medical science for years .
Trump 's approach to the coronavirus pandemic — to lie , distort , and minimize — was merely following the approach that Price , and indeed the entire Republican party , has taken to sexual health care issues for decades .
For instance , Price defended his opposition to including birth control coverage in women 's health insurance plans by saying pro-choice advocates could n't find `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to afford birth control .
In fact , about a third of women struggled to afford contraception at the time , which is why the Affordable Care Act 's mandate that insurance cover contraception led to more birth control use and lower abortion rates .
Price also backed the outrageous lie that Planned Parenthood is involved in the `` harvesting and sale of baby parts , '' a claim which stems from a right-wing hoax so ridiculous that it should have been self-evident at the time .
Truly , it 's up there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lungs might cure the coronavirus , but because it involved the taboo topic of reproductive health care , the outrageous lie got a pass that Trump 's lies about the coronavirus did n't get from the media .
Even Price 's wife , Betty , a Georgia state representative , was caught on video in 2017 opposing condoms for HIV prevention .
`` What are we legally able to do ? ''
Price asked .
`` I do n't want to say the quarantine word , but I guess I just said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive people was a popular idea among the homophobic right in the 80s , and apparently still rots the hateful brain cavities of the people the GOP has put up as experts on health care long before Trump took up the art of denying the science behind epidemiology .
Unfortunately , this behavior is n't limited to the Prices .
On the contrary , the entire GOP has been consumed with lies about sexual health care for decades .
They lie about abortion , falsely claiming legal access `` hurts '' women , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and again that it 's an important part of women 's health care .
Before he was lying about the coronavirus , Trump — under advisement from the rest of the Republican party — was installing health care officials who promoted lies about birth control being `` dangerous '' .
Vice President Mike Pence was chosen to be a soothing `` normal '' Republican under Trump , and , like a normal Republican , Pence had a long history of lying about condoms , falsely claiming they are `` very , very poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too `` modern , liberal '' to be acceptable as a way to prevent disease .
Why should anyone be surprised that these same people apply the same false logic to mask-wearing to prevent coronavirus transmission ?
Nor is this the first time that the work of the CDC has been distorted by Republicans with a political agenda .
During the George W. Bush administration , the White House strong-armed the CDC into putting out false or misleading information on all manner of sexual health issues .
The CDC was pressured into distorting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that they do n't work to prevent teen pregnancy .
Government websites were strong-armed into pretending abortion causes breast cancer , which is simply not true .
And information about condom usage and efficacy were taken down from CDC websites .
On top of the abuse of CDC messaging , the Bush administration also pushed abstinence-only programs into the majority of American public schools , exposing millions of young people to misinformation about sexual health , such as lies about the efficacy of contraception or the dangers of abortion .
Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency to avoid authorizing the sale of over-the-counter emergency contraception , not because the drug was dangerous — it 's perfectly safe — but because Republican officials were furious at the idea that women might avoid unwanted pregnancy .
For decades , Republicans have made it clear that they are willing to sacrifice people 's health and lives to bolster their hard right-wing views on sexuality .
But because the primary victims of previous Republican lies are women , LGBTQ people , and young people , this sort of widespread medical disinformation campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now that the same strategies of lying about health care have been employed by Trump in his quest to minimize the coronavirus pandemic , the results have been catastrophic for the nation , with over 300,000 dead and the number of infected quickly approaching 17 million .
But no one should be allowed to pretend that Trump invented this kind of lying about medical science .
He 's just doing to the rest of the nation what Republicans have done to women and LGBTQ people for decades .

Wednesday morning, the New York Times published an exposé documenting the complaints of two Trump appointees at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) who witnessed "the White House's slow suffocation of the agency's voice, the meddling in its messages and the siphoning of its budget." It's an important and well-researched piece — but it's hard not to feel bad for the journalist, Noah Weiland, whose hard work will undoubtedly be met with a familar chorus of "no duhs" from liberal readers and "fake news" from conservatives.
It's important to document the atrocities of the Trump era. That said, man, it's frustrating that the whistleblowers in question — Kyle McGowan and Amanda Campbell, former Republican congressional staffers who were appointed to the CDC before quitting in protest earlier this year — appear to be under the illusion that it was Trump who somehow invented Republican lying about public health care for political ends.
"Every time that the science clashed with the messaging, messaging won," said McGowan, a lifelong Republican who was brought on by former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, after working for Price during his stint as a GOP congressman from Georgia. "What was so different [under Trump], though, was the political involvement, not only from H.H.S. but then the White House, ultimately, that in so many ways hampered what our scientists were able to do," Campbell, who was also brought on by Price after working for his congressional offices, added.
This is flat-out nonsense, and both Campbell and McGowan should know it, as they spent years dutifully working for Price, an avid purveyor of misinformation about sexual and reproductive health care. Indeed, it's likely that the reason Price got his appointment to HHS in the first place is because he was a reliable opponent of scientifically sound policy regarding health care that affects women and LGBTQ people. Their old boss was such a fan of lying about health care that he was a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, which sounds like a nice group, but is in fact rabidly anti-science and devoted to spreading lies about abortion, HIV, vaccination, and other hot button medical issues.
The GOP has politicized medical science for years. Trump's approach to the coronavirus pandemic — to lie, distort, and minimize — was merely following the approach that Price, and indeed the entire Republican party, has taken to sexual health care issues for decades.
For instance, Price defended his opposition to including birth control coverage in women's health insurance plans by saying pro-choice advocates couldn't find "one woman" who needed such coverage to afford birth control. In fact, about a third of women struggled to afford contraception at the time, which is why the Affordable Care Act's mandate that insurance cover contraception led to more birth control use and lower abortion rates.
Price also backed the outrageous lie that Planned Parenthood is involved in the "harvesting and sale of baby parts," a claim which stems from a right-wing hoax so ridiculous that it should have been self-evident at the time. Truly, it's up there with Trump suggesting that bleaching people's lungs might cure the coronavirus, but because it involved the taboo topic of reproductive health care, the outrageous lie got a pass that Trump's lies about the coronavirus didn't get from the media.
Even Price's wife, Betty, a Georgia state representative, was caught on video in 2017 opposing condoms for HIV prevention. "What are we legally able to do?" Price asked. "I don't want to say the quarantine word, but I guess I just said it."
"Leper colonies" HIV positive people was a popular idea among the homophobic right in the 80s, and apparently still rots the hateful brain cavities of the people the GOP has put up as experts on health care long before Trump took up the art of denying the science behind epidemiology.
Unfortunately, this behavior isn't limited to the Prices.
On the contrary, the entire GOP has been consumed with lies about sexual health care for decades. They lie about abortion, falsely claiming legal access "hurts" women, when in fact, research shows time and again that it's an important part of women's health care. Before he was lying about the coronavirus, Trump — under advisement from the rest of the Republican party — was installing health care officials who promoted lies about birth control being "dangerous". Vice President Mike Pence was chosen to be a soothing "normal" Republican under Trump, and, like a normal Republican, Pence had a long history of lying about condoms, falsely claiming they are "very, very poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases" and too "modern, liberal" to be acceptable as a way to prevent disease.
Why should anyone be surprised that these same people apply the same false logic to mask-wearing to prevent coronavirus transmission?
Nor is this the first time that the work of the CDC has been distorted by Republicans with a political agenda.
During the George W. Bush administration, the White House strong-armed the CDC into putting out false or misleading information on all manner of sexual health issues. The CDC was pressured into distorting research findings on abstinence-only programs to conceal the fact that they don't work to prevent teen pregnancy. Government websites were strong-armed into pretending abortion causes breast cancer, which is simply not true. And information about condom usage and efficacy were taken down from CDC websites. On top of the abuse of CDC messaging, the Bush administration also pushed abstinence-only programs into the majority of American public schools, exposing millions of young people to misinformation about sexual health, such as lies about the efficacy of contraception or the dangers of abortion.
Bush also politicized the FDA, forcing the agency to avoid authorizing the sale of over-the-counter emergency contraception, not because the drug was dangerous — it's perfectly safe — but because Republican officials were furious at the idea that women might avoid unwanted pregnancy.
For decades, Republicans have made it clear that they are willing to sacrifice people's health and lives to bolster their hard right-wing views on sexuality. But because the primary victims of previous Republican lies are women, LGBTQ people, and young people, this sort of widespread medical disinformation campaign has been shoved down the memory hole. Now that the same strategies of lying about health care have been employed by Trump in his quest to minimize the coronavirus pandemic, the results have been catastrophic for the nation, with over 300,000 dead and the number of infected quickly approaching 17 million. But no one should be allowed to pretend that Trump invented this kind of lying about medical science. He's just doing to the rest of the nation what Republicans have done to women and LGBTQ people for decades.


alternet--2020-12-16--'Trump could be inaugurated': Newsmax's Greg Kelly breaks from network by refusing to accept Biden's

'Trump could be inaugurated': Newsmax's Greg Kelly breaks from network by refusing to accept Biden's victory

Not even the Electoral College vote has stopped some of the conspiracy theories and misinformation being circulated by right-wing media sites and news outlets .
While Newsmax has admitted Joe Biden is the President-elect of the United States , the network also insists : `` We also recognize President Trump continues to contest the results and we will cover aspects of that news story . ''
And on his recent broadcasts , network host Greg Kelly 's is digging in his heels on Trump 's contestation by refusing to move on and accept the election results .
The network saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winner of the election on November 7 — and Kelly has made it a point to continue sowing false seeds of hope .
On Monday evening after Electoral College voting concluded , Kelly , the network 's most-watched host , adamantly disagreed with conservative members of the media who began acknowledging Biden as the president-elect .
Kelly said , `` Now , I do know that there are smart , informed people who are saying that Joe Biden is the president-elect .
Now , I disagree with them , and it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on , it 's the Constitution . ''
Despite the Trump campaign having more than 50 lawsuits tossed out of court due to no substantial evidence to back claims of voter fraud , Kelly is still arguing that justification is needed .
`` At this point , there is some political and some historical justification for them to do so at this point .
I personally feel they 're wrong . ''
During the same segment , Kelly criticized Biden 's address following the Electoral College vote as he insisted that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump could be the candidate inaugurated in January 2021 .
`` Hey , remember Joe Biden 's speech yesterday when purportedly , he clinched the Electoral College ?
He did n't do too much talking , '' Kelly said .
`` He did more coughing , it seemed like .
A small sample of the coughs and I 'm concerned because the way it 's looking for Joe , his health , I do n't think he 's gon na make it for Donald Trump 's second inauguration . ''
He added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do believe that there is a significant chance that Donald Trump could be inaugurated . ''
Repeatedly , Kelly continued to spread dangerous misinformation as he argued that the election is still `` not over . ''
`` Hey , it is not over , '' Kelly said , adding , `` It 's not , actually .
You can look it up in the Constitution .
See what happens folks . ''

Not even the Electoral College vote has stopped some of the conspiracy theories and misinformation being circulated by right-wing media sites and news outlets. While Newsmax has admitted Joe Biden is the President-elect of the United States, the network also insists: "We also recognize President Trump continues to contest the results and we will cover aspects of that news story."
And on his recent broadcasts, network host Greg Kelly's is digging in his heels on Trump's contestation by refusing to move on and accept the election results. The network saw a rating surge after Biden was declared the winner of the election on November 7 — and Kelly has made it a point to continue sowing false seeds of hope.
On Monday evening after Electoral College voting concluded, Kelly, the network's most-watched host, adamantly disagreed with conservative members of the media who began acknowledging Biden as the president-elect.
Kelly said, "Now, I do know that there are smart, informed people who are saying that Joe Biden is the president-elect. Now, I disagree with them, and it's not just a hunch that I'm going on, it's the Constitution."
Despite the Trump campaign having more than 50 lawsuits tossed out of court due to no substantial evidence to back claims of voter fraud, Kelly is still arguing that justification is needed. "At this point, there is some political and some historical justification for them to do so at this point. I personally feel they're wrong."
During the same segment, Kelly criticized Biden's address following the Electoral College vote as he insisted that there is still a "significant chance" Trump could be the candidate inaugurated in January 2021.
"Hey, remember Joe Biden's speech yesterday when purportedly, he clinched the Electoral College? He didn't do too much talking," Kelly said. "He did more coughing, it seemed like. A small sample of the coughs and I'm concerned because the way it's looking for Joe, his health, I don't think he's gonna make it for Donald Trump's second inauguration."
He added, "Yes, on January 20th, I do believe that there is a significant chance that Donald Trump could be inaugurated."
Repeatedly, Kelly continued to spread dangerous misinformation as he argued that the election is still "not over."
"Hey, it is not over," Kelly said, adding, "It's not, actually. You can look it up in the Constitution. See what happens folks."


alternet--2020-12-16--'Jail them': Shock as emails reveal Trump appointee’s 'monstrous' call to spread COVID-19 in America

According to a new report from POLITICO , a former top Trump appointee urged for health officials to adopt a @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus pandemic , allowing for millions of people to be infected .
`` @ @ @ @ @ , we need to establish herd , and it only comes about allowing the non-high @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
PERIOD , '' then-science adviser Paul Alexander wrote on July 4 to @ @ @ @ @ Human Services assistant secretary for public affairs Michael Caputo , and six other senior officials @ @ @ @ @ , teens , young people , young adults , middle aged with no conditions etc @ @ @ @ @ risk….so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected… '' he added .
The @ @ @ @ @ outrage from President Trump 's critics on Twitter .

According to a new report from POLITICO, a former top Trump appointee urged for health officials to adopt a "herd immunity" approach to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing for millions of people to be infected.
"There is no other way, we need to establish herd, and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD," then-science adviser Paul Alexander wrote on July 4 to his boss, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for public affairs Michael Caputo, and six other senior officials.
"Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk….so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected…" he added.
The news sparked a wave of outrage from President Trump's critics on Twitter.


alternet--2020-12-16--Detroit attorneys want Sidney Powell and her associates sanctioned for frivolous Michigan lawsuit

Attorney Sidney Powell 's antics following the 2020 presidential election have been so outrageous that even members of President Donald Trump 's legal team , including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani , distanced themselves from her .
And in Michigan — one of the battleground states where Powell tried to get the election results thrown out — attorneys for the City of Detroit are calling for tough sanctions against Sidney Powell and her allies .
Although Powell is no longer representing the Trump campaign , she has continued to battle the election results in court and claimed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim of widespread voter fraud in Michigan , Georgia , Pennsylvania and other battleground states that President-elect Joe Biden won .
Powell 's lawsuits have been unsuccessful , and the Electoral College certified the election results in all 50 states and the District of Columbia on Monday , December 14 .
David Fink and other attorneys representing the City of Detroit believe that Powell and her colleagues should pay a stiff price for wasting the courts ' time in Michigan , and the City of Detroit is recommending a heavy fine and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` It 's time for this nonsense to end .
The lawyers filing these frivolous cases that undermine democracy must pay a price . ''
A Michigan-related lawsuit from Powell received a stern rebuke from U.S. District Judge Linda Parker , who made it clear that she considered the election results in that state perfectly legitimate and had no desire to grant Powell 's request to throw out millions of votes there .
In a 36-page ruling , Parker explained her reasons for dismissing that lawsuit and wrote , `` the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is among the most sacred rights of our democracy and , in turn , uniquely defines us as Americans .
The struggle to achieve the right to vote is one that has been both hard fought and cherished throughout our country 's history .
Local , state and federal elections give voice to this right through the ballot .
And elections that count each vote celebrate and secure this cherished right . ''
In a motion calling for sanctions against Powell , attorneys for the City of Detroit argued , `` The key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnesses , some of whom attempt to cloak their identities while attacking democracy , have been debunked .
The allegations about supposed fraud in the processing and tabulation of absentee ballots by the City at the TCF Center have been rejected by every court which has considered them .
If any of the claims in this lawsuit had merit , that would have been demonstrated in those cases . ''
Law & Crime 's Adam Klasfeld notes that although Powell 's frivolous election lawsuits have been thrown out in court , they cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` this abuse of the legal process at the expense of states should not go unpunished . ''

Attorney Sidney Powell's antics following the 2020 presidential election have been so outrageous that even members of President Donald Trump's legal team, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, distanced themselves from her. And in Michigan — one of the battleground states where Powell tried to get the election results thrown out — attorneys for the City of Detroit are calling for tough sanctions against Sidney Powell and her allies.
Although Powell is no longer representing the Trump campaign, she has continued to battle the election results in court and claimed, without evidence, that Trump was the victim of widespread voter fraud in Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania and other battleground states that President-elect Joe Biden won. Powell's lawsuits have been unsuccessful, and the Electoral College certified the election results in all 50 states and the District of Columbia on Monday, December 14.
David Fink and other attorneys representing the City of Detroit believe that Powell and her colleagues should pay a stiff price for wasting the courts' time in Michigan, and the City of Detroit is recommending a heavy fine and other penalties.
Fink told Law & Crime, "It's time for this nonsense to end. The lawyers filing these frivolous cases that undermine democracy must pay a price."
A Michigan-related lawsuit from Powell received a stern rebuke from U.S. District Judge Linda Parker, who made it clear that she considered the election results in that state perfectly legitimate and had no desire to grant Powell's request to throw out millions of votes there.
In a 36-page ruling, Parker explained her reasons for dismissing that lawsuit and wrote, "the people have spoken. The right to vote is among the most sacred rights of our democracy and, in turn, uniquely defines us as Americans. The struggle to achieve the right to vote is one that has been both hard fought and cherished throughout our country's history. Local, state and federal elections give voice to this right through the ballot. And elections that count each vote celebrate and secure this cherished right."
In a motion calling for sanctions against Powell, attorneys for the City of Detroit argued, "The key 'factual' allegations from the supposed fact witnesses, some of whom attempt to cloak their identities while attacking democracy, have been debunked. The allegations about supposed fraud in the processing and tabulation of absentee ballots by the City at the TCF Center have been rejected by every court which has considered them. If any of the claims in this lawsuit had merit, that would have been demonstrated in those cases."
Law & Crime's Adam Klasfeld notes that although Powell's frivolous election lawsuits have been thrown out in court, they cost the taxpayers money.
Fink stressed, "this abuse of the legal process at the expense of states should not go unpunished."


alternet--2020-12-16--Trump elevates far-right attorney's call for Georgia governor and secretary of state to be jailed

Making baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election , far-right Georgia attorney Lin Wood recently showed his authoritarian side by asking President Donald Trump to declare martial law .
Now , Wood is calling for Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp and Gov .
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to be jailed , and Trump forwarded a tweet in which Wood predicted that they will be incarcerated .
Republicans Kemp and Raffensperger are both Trump supporters , but Trump recently turned against them when they acknowledged Joe Biden as president-elect in Georgia .
And as Wood sees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in voter fraud — which , of course , is nonsense .
The courts have rejected one Republican GOP lawsuit after another , deciding that there is zero evidence of the type of widespread voter that they 've alleged .
And Republican Christopher Krebs , who headed a cybersecurity division in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security , said that the 2020 presidential election was the most secure in U.S. history Nonetheless , Wood , on December 15 , posted a tweet slamming Kemp and Raffensperger and claimed that they `` will soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet depicted Kemp and Raffensperger wearing face masks with the Chinese flag on them : Trump liked Wood 's tweet enough to forward it .
But the two of them have different views on whether or not Republican voters in Georgia should vote in two U.S. Senate runoffs in January .
Wood , along with fellow conspiracy theorist and far-right attorney Sidney Powell , has said that because the two Senate races are rigged , GOP voters should sit the races out .
But Trump has campaigned for the Republican incumbent senators in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is competing with Democrat Jon Ossoff ) and Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( whose Democratic challenger is the Raphael Warnock ) .
The outcome of those races will determine whether or not Republicans keep their majority in the U.S. Senate .
Wood has also called for martial law in various tweets : Wood and Powell have been filing lawsuits against the election results not only in Georgia , but also , in other states that Biden won .
And Powell 's antics have been so over-the-top that even Trump 's campaign , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .

Making baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, far-right Georgia attorney Lin Wood recently showed his authoritarian side by asking President Donald Trump to declare martial law. Now, Wood is calling for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Gov. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to be jailed, and Trump forwarded a tweet in which Wood predicted that they will be incarcerated.
Republicans Kemp and Raffensperger are both Trump supporters, but Trump recently turned against them when they acknowledged Joe Biden as president-elect in Georgia. And as Wood sees it, Kemp and Raffensperger are complicit in voter fraud — which, of course, is nonsense. The courts have rejected one Republican GOP lawsuit after another, deciding that there is zero evidence of the type of widespread voter that they've alleged. And Republican Christopher Krebs, who headed a cybersecurity division in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said that the 2020 presidential election was the most secure in U.S. history
Nonetheless, Wood, on December 15, posted a tweet slamming Kemp and Raffensperger and claimed that they "will soon be going to jail." The tweet depicted Kemp and Raffensperger wearing face masks with the Chinese flag on them:
Trump liked Wood's tweet enough to forward it. But the two of them have different views on whether or not Republican voters in Georgia should vote in two U.S. Senate runoffs in January. Wood, along with fellow conspiracy theorist and far-right attorney Sidney Powell, has said that because the two Senate races are rigged, GOP voters should sit the races out. But Trump has campaigned for the Republican incumbent senators in those races: Sen. David Perdue (who is competing with Democrat Jon Ossoff) and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (whose Democratic challenger is the Raphael Warnock). The outcome of those races will determine whether or not Republicans keep their majority in the U.S. Senate.
Wood has also called for martial law in various tweets:
Wood and Powell have been filing lawsuits against the election results not only in Georgia, but also, in other states that Biden won . And Powell's antics have been so over-the-top that even Trump's campaign, including attorney Rudy Giuliani, distanced itself from her.


alternet--2020-12-16--'Party-fail': Pompeo under quarantine after throwing sparsely-attended indoor holiday party

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 's Christmas party at the State Department turned out to be an epic failure with less than 70 out of 900 guests attending .
Now , Pompeo is under quarantine after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus .
Of course , none of this was missed by Twitter users and now , many are having a field day trolling him over the failed event .
According to the Washington Post , approximately 70 guests responded via RSVP but it is being reported that even fewer people actually attended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration officials regarding travel and large indoor gatherings during the pandemic .
In fact , the number of guests was so sparse , Pompeo reportedly opted not to deliver his speech .
Twitter users have shared an array of responses to Pompeo 's latest fiasco .
While some find the failing event comical , others have noted how irresponsible it was for Pompeo to attempt holding such a large event in the middle of a raging pandemic .
The Washington Post reports that invitees were greatly disappointed in Pompeo 's decision to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post the party `` put at risk diplomats , their families and the staff involved in putting on the event .
One spouse of a diplomat said she declined the invitation because her husband was serving abroad and if she had attended and gotten sick , no one would have been able to take care of their children . ''
The unnamed woman said , `` It was a completely irresponsible party to throw . ''
Sen. Robert Menendez ( D-N.J. ) also penned a letter to Pompeo earlier this month to voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed the staggering number of invitations that had been sent out .
Menendez wrote , `` I am concerned that these parties pose a significant health risk , not only to attendees , but to the employees and workers who must staff these events , as well as to State Department employees who may feel pressured to attend . ''
Shortly after the Christmas party , a spokesperson from Pompeo 's office announced the secretary 's plan to quarantine , according to CNBC .
`` Secretary Pompeo has been identified as having come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID .
For reasons of privacy we ca n't identify that individual , '' the spokesperson said in a statement .
`` The Secretary has been tested and is negative .
In accordance with CDC guidelines , he will be in quarantine .
He is being closely monitored by the Department 's medical team . ''
CNBC reached out to Pompeo 's office with questions about whether or not COVID exposure was the reason he declined to give his speech .
However , his office did not respond .

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's Christmas party at the State Department turned out to be an epic failure with less than 70 out of 900 guests attending. Now, Pompeo is under quarantine after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
Of course, none of this was missed by Twitter users and now, many are having a field day trolling him over the failed event. According to the Washington Post, approximately 70 guests responded via RSVP but it is being reported that even fewer people actually attended the event amid concerns from Trump's own administration officials regarding travel and large indoor gatherings during the pandemic.
In fact, the number of guests was so sparse, Pompeo reportedly opted not to deliver his speech. Twitter users have shared an array of responses to Pompeo's latest fiasco. While some find the failing event comical, others have noted how irresponsible it was for Pompeo to attempt holding such a large event in the middle of a raging pandemic.
The Washington Post reports that invitees were greatly disappointed in Pompeo's decision to hold the event. One invitee tolf the Post the party "put at risk diplomats, their families and the staff involved in putting on the event. One spouse of a diplomat said she declined the invitation because her husband was serving abroad and if she had attended and gotten sick, no one would have been able to take care of their children."
The unnamed woman said, "It was a completely irresponsible party to throw."
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) also penned a letter to Pompeo earlier this month to voice his concerns about the event after reports confirmed the staggering number of invitations that had been sent out.
Menendez wrote, "I am concerned that these parties pose a significant health risk, not only to attendees, but to the employees and workers who must staff these events, as well as to State Department employees who may feel pressured to attend."
Shortly after the Christmas party, a spokesperson from Pompeo's office announced the secretary's plan to quarantine, according to CNBC. "Secretary Pompeo has been identified as having come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID. For reasons of privacy we can't identify that individual," the spokesperson said in a statement.
"The Secretary has been tested and is negative. In accordance with CDC guidelines, he will be in quarantine. He is being closely monitored by the Department's medical team."
CNBC reached out to Pompeo's office with questions about whether or not COVID exposure was the reason he declined to give his speech. However, his office did not respond.