alternet--2020-11-22--The fine print on Trump's 'election defense' revels the real reason he refuses to concede: Robert Re

The fine print on Trump's 'election defense' revels the real reason he refuses to concede: Robert Reich

Joe Biden has decisively won the presidency .
There is no way for Trump to overturn the results of the election , and his campaign 's post-election lawsuits have gotten dismissed left and right .
That has n't stopped him from launching an `` Official Election Defense Fund '' and bombarding his supporters with fundraising appeals to supposedly finance the campaign 's ongoing litigation .
But the fine print tells a very different story .
60 percent of a donation to Trump 's `` Official Election Defense Fund '' goes to Save America , Trump 's new leadership Political Action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week after the election .
The other 40 percent goes to the Republican National Committee .
So if someone donates $ 500 , Trump 's PAC gets $ 300 , the RNC gets the other $ 200 , and not a cent actually goes to the election defense fund .
Donations only start going to that fund once Trump 's PAC reaches the legal contribution limit of $ 5,000 – and the RNC gets $ 3,000 .
This means a supporter would have to donate over $ 8,000 before any money goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting .
Apparently enriching himself on the taxpayer dime for the past four years was n't enough for Trump .
Now he 's lining his pockets by attacking our elections and undermining our democracy – and swindling his supporters every step of the way .
Is this just a final grift before Trump leaves office ?
Or is there more at stake ?
Trump certainly wants to keep the money flowing , and a leadership PAC is an easy way to do it .
Trump 's PAC can be used to fund a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can use donors ' funds for personal expenses , like personal travel and events at Trump properties , while campaign committees can not .
But there 's more at stake than just Trump 's personal greed .
Creating a PAC solidifies Trump 's grip on the GOP , as he can distribute the funds to GOP candidates .
It helps keep his base whipped up ahead of the Georgia runoffs .
And the PAC allows him to start preparing for a potential 2024 run , an idea he 's already floated to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of things , Trump 's PAC also fuels the GOP 's cynical strategy to maintain power .
The GOP has a permanent stake in stoking a cold civil war .
A deeply divided nation serves the party 's biggest patrons , giving them unfettered access to the economy 's gains while the bottom 90 % of Americans fight each other for crumbs .
That division will persist even with Trump out of the White House , thanks to his bonkers claim of a stolen election , and a base more riled up from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have defeated Trump , but we have n't defeated Trumpism .
We must work to push the Biden administration to tackle the systemic conditions that allowed Trump to seize power in the first place .

Joe Biden has decisively won the presidency. There is no way for Trump to overturn the results of the election, and his campaign's post-election lawsuits have gotten dismissed left and right.
That hasn't stopped him from launching an "Official Election Defense Fund" and bombarding his supporters with fundraising appeals to supposedly finance the campaign's ongoing litigation.
But the fine print tells a very different story.
60 percent of a donation to Trump's "Official Election Defense Fund" goes to Save America, Trump's new leadership Political Action Committee that he set up less than a week after the election. The other 40 percent goes to the Republican National Committee.
So if someone donates $500, Trump's PAC gets $300, the RNC gets the other $200, and not a cent actually goes to the election defense fund.
Donations only start going to that fund once Trump's PAC reaches the legal contribution limit of $5,000 – and the RNC gets $3,000.
This means a supporter would have to donate over $8,000 before any money goes to the fund they think they're supporting.
Apparently enriching himself on the taxpayer dime for the past four years wasn't enough for Trump. Now he's lining his pockets by attacking our elections and undermining our democracy – and swindling his supporters every step of the way.
Is this just a final grift before Trump leaves office? Or is there more at stake?
Trump certainly wants to keep the money flowing, and a leadership PAC is an easy way to do it. Trump's PAC can be used to fund a lavish post-presidency lifestyle, as leadership PACs can use donors' funds for personal expenses, like personal travel and events at Trump properties, while campaign committees cannot.
But there's more at stake than just Trump's personal greed. Creating a PAC solidifies Trump's grip on the GOP, as he can distribute the funds to GOP candidates. It helps keep his base whipped up ahead of the Georgia runoffs. And the PAC allows him to start preparing for a potential 2024 run, an idea he's already floated to his inner circle.
In the grand scheme of things, Trump's PAC also fuels the GOP's cynical strategy to maintain power. The GOP has a permanent stake in stoking a cold civil war.
A deeply divided nation serves the party's biggest patrons, giving them unfettered access to the economy's gains while the bottom 90% of Americans fight each other for crumbs. That division will persist even with Trump out of the White House, thanks to his bonkers claim of a stolen election, and a base more riled up from racist appeals than ever.
We may have defeated Trump, but we haven't defeated Trumpism. We must work to push the Biden administration to tackle the systemic conditions that allowed Trump to seize power in the first place.


alternet--2020-11-22--Texas GOP rep says it’s time for Donald Trump to 'move on'

U.S. Rep. Kay Granger , a high-ranking member of Texas ' congressional delegation who is respected among her peers , said Friday she has “ great concerns '' about President Donald Trump 's continued efforts to overturn the country 's election results after his defeat by President-elect Joe Biden .
“ I have great concerns about it , '' she told CNN on Friday morning .
“ I think that it 's time to move on . ''
“ I think it 's time for him to really realize and be very clear about what 's going on , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president should concede .
Granger 's statements are only exceptional in the context of current Republican politics .
Trump has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the election results , and for the most part Texas Republicans in Congress have either stayed silent or also questioned the results without providing evidence of fraud on a level that would change the election 's outcome .
Trump 's legal team has lost dozens of cases in court alleging voter fraud .
Biden led Trump in the popular vote by about 6 million votes as of Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden will carry the Electoral College , 306-232 .
Even so , Trump campaign attorneys continue to wage their legal battle .
And given its setbacks in court , the team has since turned to other methods to subvert the results , including setting up a White House meeting Friday with Republican legislative leaders from Michigan as the state prepares to certify its vote totals .
Biden defeated Trump by 156,000 votes in Michigan .
The fear among many in American politics is not that Trump has any serious path to overturn the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermine public confidence in an election that the Department of Homeland Security official who oversees the country 's cybersecurity , Christopher Krebs , described as “ the most secure in American history . ''
On Tuesday , Trump fired Krebs via Twitter .
But among Republican officeholders , few are pushing back against the president .
Most Texas Republicans remain silent , and some Trump loyalists , including U.S. Rep.-elect Ronny Jackson , who was just elected to a heavily Republican seat in the Panhandle , are offering up support to Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , since she is no mere rank-and-file member of Congress .
She is the most senior female Republican in the House GOP conference and is known as a mentor to many younger female Republican members — a group that will swell in membership early next year .
Also in January , Granger will share with U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady , R-The Woodlands , the title of dean of the Texas Republican delegation in the new Congress .
She is perhaps the Texas Republican in the U.S. House who is held in the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , she won a fierce battle for the Republican leadership of the House Appropriations Committee and is poised to take over possibly the most coveted post in the House — chair of the Appropriations Committee — if Republicans take back control of the U.S. House in 2022 .
But earlier this year , she faced her toughest fight ever in her GOP primary .
Republican Chris Putnam challenged her for the party nomination in the heavily Republican district , and his central case against her was that she was not adequately supportive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a 16-point margin , thanks in part to Trump 's endorsement .
In late 2019 , months before the primary , she was seen in a luxury box with the president at the World Series .
Granger 's comments came a day after a press conference at the Republican National Committee 's Washington headquarters in which Trump 's personal lawyer , Rudolph Giuliani , led a team of lawyers in issuing allegations without evidence that charged a sweeping Democratic conspiracy to win the election .
Another Texas Republican , Jackson , expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video in which Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell claimed the team would produce evidence that Trump won the 2020 election in a landslide .
Powell has repeatedly ignored requests to produce credible evidence supporting her claims .
Jackson served as the physician to Trump , and the pair shared an affectionate friendship .
Most other Texas Republicans have not addressed the matter in public since Giuliani 's news conference .
Democrats , meanwhile , are ringing alarms that a lack of Trump administration engagement in the transition is beginning to undermine efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat the coronavirus pandemic when he takes office in January .
A number have recalled the 9/11 Commission Report 's warnings that the delayed transition between the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations may have been a contributing factor to the federal government 's inability to stop the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks .
Democrats are privately simmering , and the anger is beginning to boil over publicly .
“ The orderly transfer of power has been a bedrock of American democracy , '' wrote U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar , D-El Paso .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ temper tantrum and refusal to cooperate with President-elect @ JoeBiden are far-reaching and deadly for Americans . ''

U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, a high-ranking member of Texas' congressional delegation who is respected among her peers, said Friday she has “great concerns" about President Donald Trump's continued efforts to overturn the country's election results after his defeat by President-elect Joe Biden.
“I have great concerns about it," she told CNN on Friday morning. “I think that it's time to move on."
“I think it's time for him to really realize and be very clear about what's going on," she added, when asked if the president should concede.
Granger's statements are only exceptional in the context of current Republican politics. Trump has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the election results, and for the most part Texas Republicans in Congress have either stayed silent or also questioned the results without providing evidence of fraud on a level that would change the election's outcome. Trump's legal team has lost dozens of cases in court alleging voter fraud.
Biden led Trump in the popular vote by about 6 million votes as of Friday afternoon, and all national news organizations project Biden will carry the Electoral College, 306-232. Even so, Trump campaign attorneys continue to wage their legal battle. And given its setbacks in court, the team has since turned to other methods to subvert the results, including setting up a White House meeting Friday with Republican legislative leaders from Michigan as the state prepares to certify its vote totals. Biden defeated Trump by 156,000 votes in Michigan.
The fear among many in American politics is not that Trump has any serious path to overturn the results, but that his efforts will undermine public confidence in an election that the Department of Homeland Security official who oversees the country's cybersecurity, Christopher Krebs, described as “the most secure in American history." On Tuesday, Trump fired Krebs via Twitter.
But among Republican officeholders, few are pushing back against the president. Most Texas Republicans remain silent, and some Trump loyalists, including U.S. Rep.-elect Ronny Jackson, who was just elected to a heavily Republican seat in the Panhandle, are offering up support to Trump.
Granger's comments are notable, however, since she is no mere rank-and-file member of Congress. She is the most senior female Republican in the House GOP conference and is known as a mentor to many younger female Republican members — a group that will swell in membership early next year. Also in January, Granger will share with U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, the title of dean of the Texas Republican delegation in the new Congress.
She is perhaps the Texas Republican in the U.S. House who is held in the highest regard among her peers. Two years ago, she won a fierce battle for the Republican leadership of the House Appropriations Committee and is poised to take over possibly the most coveted post in the House — chair of the Appropriations Committee — if Republicans take back control of the U.S. House in 2022.
But earlier this year, she faced her toughest fight ever in her GOP primary. Republican Chris Putnam challenged her for the party nomination in the heavily Republican district, and his central case against her was that she was not adequately supportive of Trump. Granger won that race by a 16-point margin, thanks in part to Trump's endorsement. In late 2019, months before the primary, she was seen in a luxury box with the president at the World Series.
Granger's comments came a day after a press conference at the Republican National Committee's Washington headquarters in which Trump's personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, led a team of lawyers in issuing allegations without evidence that charged a sweeping Democratic conspiracy to win the election.
Another Texas Republican, Jackson, expressed support for the efforts and retweeted a video in which Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell claimed the team would produce evidence that Trump won the 2020 election in a landslide. Powell has repeatedly ignored requests to produce credible evidence supporting her claims. Jackson served as the physician to Trump, and the pair shared an affectionate friendship.
Most other Texas Republicans have not addressed the matter in public since Giuliani's news conference.
Democrats, meanwhile, are ringing alarms that a lack of Trump administration engagement in the transition is beginning to undermine efforts to put the Biden administration in position to combat the coronavirus pandemic when he takes office in January. A number have recalled the 9/11 Commission Report's warnings that the delayed transition between the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations may have been a contributing factor to the federal government's inability to stop the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Democrats are privately simmering, and the anger is beginning to boil over publicly.
“The orderly transfer of power has been a bedrock of American democracy," wrote U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. “The consequences of @realDonaldTrump's temper tantrum and refusal to cooperate with President-elect @JoeBiden are far-reaching and deadly for Americans."


alternet--2020-11-22--These are the long odds facing Trump's attempts to get state legislatures to override election resul

These are the long odds facing Trump's attempts to get state legislatures to override election results

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
On Friday afternoon , President Donald Trump is set to hold a meeting at the White House with the Republican leaders of Michigan 's Senate and House of Representatives .
It 's unclear what the president plans to discuss , but multiple press reports suggest Trump , in a desperate bid to cling to power , has pinned his hopes on persuading GOP-controlled legislatures in battleground states that voted for Joe Biden to intervene and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aspiration cropped up in the Trump campaign 's courtroom maneuverings this week .
Legal papers filed with a federal court in central Pennsylvania ( the campaign filed a draft version , apparently in error ) , showed that the campaign had contemplated — but ultimately decided against — asking the judge to order “ the Pennsylvania General Assembly to choose Pennsylvania 's electors . ''
Five states fit the description of battleground states with GOP-run legislatures that voted for Biden : Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania , Arizona and Georgia .
It would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the will of voters in even one state .
For Trump to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat , he would need to pull that trick off in three states .
That 's a very tall order .
There are steep political hurdles , starting with the fact that the two Michigan lawmakers visiting the White House on Friday have previously made statements rejecting legislative intervention .
But even if those lawmakers waver or succumb to Trump 's arguments , as many Republicans have , there are legal impediments , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fevered cries of election fraud — which many lawyers in the Trump camp have undercut by acknowledging in court that they have no evidence of fraud — the Trump side 's legislature theory has some basis in fact .
Article II of the U.S. Constitution holds that “ each State shall appoint , in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct , a Number of Electors '' to vote for president as a member of the Electoral College .
In the early days of the republic , some legislatures chose electors directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials .
Today , every state allocates presidential electors by popular vote ( and all but Maine and Nebraska apportion them in winner-take-all fashion ) .
As far as the Constitution is concerned , there 's nothing to stop a state legislature from reclaiming that power for itself , at least prospectively .
Separately , a federal law , the Electoral Count Act of 1887 , provides that whenever a state “ has failed to make a choice '' in a presidential election , electors can be chosen “ in such a manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct . ''
But even so , there 's a more immediate obstacle : state law .
In the five states where Trump 's team hopes GOP-run statehouses will hand him a second term , the popular vote is enshrined in the state constitution , the state 's election code or both .
Consider Michigan , which Biden carried by nearly 158,000 votes .
The state 's election code specifies that the presidential electors “ who shall be considered elected are those whose names have been certified to the secretary of state by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of votes '' for president — the winner , that is , of the popular vote .
The Michigan Constitution grants qualified citizens “ the right , once registered , to vote a secret ballot in all elections , '' including “ in the election for president and vice-president of the United States . ''
The two Michigan Republicans expected to meet with Trump on Friday , Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield , have expressed concerns about irregularities and potential fraud in the Michigan election , a pet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Trump campaign and its supporters , however , have failed to substantiate their claims , despite papering state and federal courts with affidavits from GOP election observers and others who purport to have witnessed suspicious behavior or wrongdoing by election workers in Detroit , a Democratic stronghold with a sizable Black population .
Last Friday , one Michigan judge called affidavits submitted by Republican observers “ rife with speculation and guess-work about sinister motives '' of poll workers .
On Thursday , the Trump campaign withdrew a federal lawsuit it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely , according to Michigan election officials — that the county election board for the Detroit area had declined to certify the county 's election result .
Yet — up till now , at least — both Shirkey and Chatfield have rejected the proposition that state legislators might intervene to supplant the will of Michigan voters .
“ That 's not going to happen , '' Shirkey told Bridge Michigan on Tuesday .
He noted that state law left up to the electorate who would receive the state 's 16 electoral votes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement on Nov. 6 , a few days after the election , though he gave it a Trump-y spin , calling for every “ legal vote '' to be counted , a phrase Trump and his allies have adopted to imply that there exist large numbers of illegal votes .
“ The candidate who wins the most of those votes will win Michigan 's electoral votes , just like it always has been , '' Chatfield said .
“ Nothing about that process will change in 2020 . ''
Their counterparts in Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements .
Even if Trump were to change the Michigan lawmakers ' minds on Friday , the Legislature ca n't amend state law by fiat .
A constitutional amendment has to be itself ratified by popular vote , and if it 's introduced in the Legislature , it first has to pass both houses by supermajority margins .
The GOP possesses only a bare legislative majority in either house .
Amendments to the election code , meanwhile , are subject to veto by the governor .
In Michigan , that 's Democrat Gretchen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would inevitably veto any legislative attempt at the wholesale disenfranchisement of her constituents .
Without supermajorities , Republican legislators alone are impotent to override her veto .
Trump faces a similar dynamic in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania , both of which have Democratic governors and legislatures controlled by the GOP ( but not by enough to overcome a veto by the governor ) .
Only Arizona and Georgia have Republican-dominated statehouses and Republican governors .
Legislatures there have shown no particular inclination to intervene on Trump 's behalf .
Even if they went along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would still be 11 electoral votes shy of the 270 he needs to prevail over Biden .
In concurring and dissenting opinions during the run-up to Election Day , three Supreme Court justices appeared to hint at one way around the intervention of a Democratic governor .
Trump and his supporters have apparently taken the hint ; they 've brought up the argument repeatedly in postelection litigation .
The justices , Brett Kavanaugh , Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito , seemed to argue that the Constitution assigned to each state legislature the exclusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electors , a power free from the constraints of state courts , election officials or even a governor 's veto power .
A version of this argument was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 , but two of the five justices in the majority , Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy , are no longer on the court .
( Other lawyers do n't go quite as far and argue that legislatures still have to follow their state 's constitutional lawmaking process , which preserves gubernatorial vetoes . )
Whether a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , to take the choice away from its citizens is an open question , and in any event , legal scholars say it 's unlikely the high court would agree to change the rules after an election in a way that would flip its outcome .
Some are skeptical that Kavanaugh , Gorsuch and Alito intended to go as far as they seemed to in their concurrences and dissents .
Their approach “ calls for federal courts to intervene quite assertively and resolve state law disputes between state courts or state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state legislatures on the other , '' said Robert Yablon , a law professor at the University of Wisconsin .
“ That 's not a role federal courts normally play . ''
One reason for Trump and his allies to seek to delay certification of state election results is that it could strengthen their hand as key deadlines set by federal law approach in early and mid-December .
The Electoral Count Act expressly authorizes the legislature to step in and pick electors even after its state has held a popular vote for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a choice . ''
But according to a new law review article by Justin Levitt , an election law scholar at Loyola Law School , the Electoral Count Act , more clearly than the Constitution , means for the legislature to pick electors through its ordinary lawmaking processes — passing a bill that would require the governor 's signature before becoming law .
( The article will be published in the New York University Law Review next year but has been posted to the Social Science Research Network , an online repository @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign 's arguments is to leave state legislatures squeezed from both sides .
Reuters on Thursday reported that the Trump campaign believes state lawmakers will fear that a failure to act could set off a backlash among voters in their districts loyal to the president .
A Monmouth University poll released this week found that three-quarters of Trump supporters attribute Biden 's victory to fraud , despite the absence of any evidence to support this claim .
Even so , state lawmakers enter uncharted territory if they openly subvert the will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate who was outvoted in their state .
The backlash against a naked power grab could well be far more profound than any backlash against a refusal to grab the election for an outgoing president .
Nobody knows .
That uncertainty is compounded by the fact that three state legislatures would have to intercede for Trump 's new stratagem to pay off .
The first to do so would put a lot at risk — potentially to achieve nothing .

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
On Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump is set to hold a meeting at the White House with the Republican leaders of Michigan's Senate and House of Representatives. It's unclear what the president plans to discuss, but multiplepressreports suggest Trump, in a desperate bid to cling to power, has pinned his hopes on persuading GOP-controlled legislatures in battleground states that voted for Joe Biden to intervene and throw the election to him. That aspiration cropped up in the Trump campaign's courtroom maneuverings this week. Legal papers filed with a federal court in central Pennsylvania (the campaign filed a draft version, apparently in error), showed that the campaign had contemplated — but ultimately decided against — asking the judge to order “the Pennsylvania General Assembly to choose Pennsylvania's electors."
Five states fit the description of battleground states with GOP-run legislatures that voted for Biden: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. It would be difficult to convince lawmakers to overturn the will of voters in even one state. For Trump to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, he would need to pull that trick off in three states.
That's a very tall order. There are steep political hurdles, starting with the fact that the two Michigan lawmakers visiting the White House on Friday have previously made statements rejecting legislative intervention. But even if those lawmakers waver or succumb to Trump's arguments, as many Republicans have, there are legal impediments, and they're almost certainly insurmountable.
Unlike the fevered cries of election fraud — which many lawyers in the Trump camp have undercut by acknowledging in court that they have no evidence of fraud — the Trump side's legislature theory has some basis in fact. Article II of the U.S. Constitution holds that “each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors" to vote for president as a member of the Electoral College. In the early days of the republic, some legislatures chose electors directly or vested that power in other state officials. Today, every state allocates presidential electors by popular vote (and all but Maine and Nebraska apportion them in winner-take-all fashion).
As far as the Constitution is concerned, there's nothing to stop a state legislature from reclaiming that power for itself, at least prospectively. Separately, a federal law, the Electoral Count Act of 1887, provides that whenever a state “has failed to make a choice" in a presidential election, electors can be chosen “in such a manner as the legislature of such State may direct."
But even so, there's a more immediate obstacle: state law. In the five states where Trump's team hopes GOP-run statehouses will hand him a second term, the popular vote is enshrined in the state constitution, the state's election code or both.
Consider Michigan, which Biden carried by nearly 158,000 votes. The state's election code specifies that the presidential electors “who shall be considered elected are those whose names have been certified to the secretary of state by that political party receiving the greatest number of votes" for president — the winner, that is, of the popular vote. The Michigan Constitution grants qualified citizens “the right, once registered, to vote a secret ballot in all elections," including “in the election for president and vice-president of the United States."
The two Michigan Republicans expected to meet with Trump on Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, have expressed concerns about irregularities and potential fraud in the Michigan election, a pet subject of the president and his allies. The Trump campaign and its supporters, however, have failed to substantiate their claims, despite papering state and federal courts with affidavits from GOP election observers and others who purport to have witnessed suspicious behavior or wrongdoing by election workers in Detroit, a Democratic stronghold with a sizable Black population. Last Friday, one Michigan judge called affidavits submitted by Republican observers “rife with speculation and guess-work about sinister motives" of poll workers. On Thursday, the Trump campaign withdrew a federal lawsuit it had filed in the state, claiming — falsely, according to Michigan election officials — that the county election board for the Detroit area had declined to certify the county's election result.
Yet — up till now, at least — both Shirkey and Chatfield have rejected the proposition that state legislators might intervene to supplant the will of Michigan voters. “That's not going to happen," Shirkey told Bridge Michigan on Tuesday. He noted that state law left up to the electorate who would receive the state's 16 electoral votes. Chatfield made a similar point in a statement on Nov. 6, a few days after the election, though he gave it a Trump-y spin, calling for every “legal vote" to be counted, a phrase Trump and his allies have adopted to imply that there exist large numbers of illegal votes. “The candidate who wins the most of those votes will win Michigan's electoral votes, just like it always has been," Chatfield said. “Nothing about that process will change in 2020." Their counterparts in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona have made similar statements.
Even if Trump were to change the Michigan lawmakers' minds on Friday, the Legislature can't amend state law by fiat. A constitutional amendment has to be itself ratified by popular vote, and if it's introduced in the Legislature, it first has to pass both houses by supermajority margins. The GOP possesses only a bare legislative majority in either house. Amendments to the election code, meanwhile, are subject to veto by the governor. In Michigan, that's Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, a committed Trump antagonist who would inevitably veto any legislative attempt at the wholesale disenfranchisement of her constituents. Without supermajorities, Republican legislators alone are impotent to override her veto.
Trump faces a similar dynamic in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, both of which have Democratic governors and legislatures controlled by the GOP (but not by enough to overcome a veto by the governor). Only Arizona and Georgia have Republican-dominated statehouses and Republican governors. Legislatures there have shown no particular inclination to intervene on Trump's behalf. Even if they went along with Trump's plan, the president would still be 11 electoral votes shy of the 270 he needs to prevail over Biden.
In concurring and dissenting opinions during the run-up to Election Day, three Supreme Court justices appeared to hint at one way around the intervention of a Democratic governor. Trump and his supporters have apparently taken the hint; they've brought up the argument repeatedly in postelection litigation. The justices, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito, seemed to argue that the Constitution assigned to each state legislature the exclusive power to decide how to choose presidential electors, a power free from the constraints of state courts, election officials or even a governor's veto power. A version of this argument was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015, but two of the five justices in the majority, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy, are no longer on the court. (Other lawyers don't go quite as far and argue that legislatures still have to follow their state's constitutional lawmaking process, which preserves gubernatorial vetoes.)
Whether a legislature could step in after the fact, however, to take the choice away from its citizens is an open question, and in any event, legal scholars say it's unlikely the high court would agree to change the rules after an election in a way that would flip its outcome. Some are skeptical that Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Alito intended to go as far as they seemed to in their concurrences and dissents. Their approach “calls for federal courts to intervene quite assertively and resolve state law disputes between state courts or state elections officials on the one hand and state legislatures on the other," said Robert Yablon, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin. “That's not a role federal courts normally play."
One reason for Trump and his allies to seek to delay certification of state election results is that it could strengthen their hand as key deadlines set by federal law approach in early and mid-December. The Electoral Count Act expressly authorizes the legislature to step in and pick electors even after its state has held a popular vote for president if the state “has failed to make a choice." But according to a new law review article by Justin Levitt, an election law scholar at Loyola Law School, the Electoral Count Act, more clearly than the Constitution, means for the legislature to pick electors through its ordinary lawmaking processes — passing a bill that would require the governor's signature before becoming law. (The article will be published in the New York University Law Review next year but has been posted to the Social Science Research Network, an online repository of scholarship.)
One result of the Trump campaign's arguments is to leave state legislatures squeezed from both sides. Reuters on Thursday reported that the Trump campaign believes state lawmakers will fear that a failure to act could set off a backlash among voters in their districts loyal to the president. A Monmouth University poll released this week found that three-quarters of Trump supporters attribute Biden's victory to fraud, despite the absence of any evidence to support this claim.
Even so, state lawmakers enter uncharted territory if they openly subvert the will of their constituents to prop up a candidate who was outvoted in their state. The backlash against a naked power grab could well be far more profound than any backlash against a refusal to grab the election for an outgoing president. Nobody knows. That uncertainty is compounded by the fact that three state legislatures would have to intercede for Trump's new stratagem to pay off. The first to do so would put a lot at risk — potentially to achieve nothing.


alternet--2020-11-22--Top lawyers reveal what it is like to live rent free in Trump’s head: ‘Dirty, dingy and empty’ — but

Top lawyers reveal what it is like to live rent free in Trump’s head: ‘Dirty, dingy and empty’ — but ‘very spacious’

President Donald Trump 's efforts to stay in power despite losing the 2020 presidential campaign were dealt a legally fatal @ @ @ @ @ judge on Saturday .
The ruling was described as a `` total shellacking . ''
@ @ @ @ @ Trump lashed out on Twitter , attacking Marc Elias , the chief lawyer for Democrats @ @ @ @ @ on living in Trump 's head .
`` I guess I should be happy that @ @ @ @ @ rent free in Trump 's head , except it 's dirty , dingy and empty @ @ @ @ @ George Conway , who has also received the wrath of Trump , added his thoughts @ @ @ @ @ it 's very , very spacious up there , '' Conway wrote .

President Donald Trump's efforts to stay in power despite losing the 2020 presidential campaign were dealt a legally fatal death blow by a Pennsylvania judge on Saturday.
The ruling was described as a "total shellacking."
Refusing to accept defeat and Trump lashed out on Twitter, attacking Marc Elias, the chief lawyer for Democrats.
Elias gave his perspective on living in Trump's head.
"I guess I should be happy that I am apparently now living rent free in Trump's head, except it's dirty, dingy and empty," Elias tweeted.
George Conway, who has also received the wrath of Trump, added his thoughts.
"I can attest it's very, very spacious up there," Conway wrote.


alternet--2020-11-22--Republicans panicking over Trump’s behind the scenes maneuvering to keep control of the party: repor

Republicans panicking over Trump’s behind the scenes maneuvering to keep control of the party: report

According to a report from the New York Times , Donald Trump is quietly working behind the scenes to maintain control of the Republican party — and some of its most valuable assets — after he leaves office .
With the president on his way out , he has endorsed the continuing tenure of Republican National Committee head Ronna Romney McDaniel who has become one of his most avid defenders .
The Times reports , `` her intention to run with Mr. Trump 's blessing has incited a behind-the-scenes proxy battle , dividing Republicans between those who believe the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the outgoing president and others happy for Mr. Trump to remain in control of it . ''
While some Republicans are happy with Trump remaining the face of the party , others are panicked that the GOP will be nothing but `` a vessel for Mr. Trump 's ambitions to run again in four years . ''
Equally worrying would be Trump 's access and control of the party 's most valuable asset : its mailing list of members and donors .
`` Its voter data and donors lists contain thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters .
The voter data in particular is a focus of attention , after distrust arose between the committee and the Trump campaign over the data 's use in the final months of the campaign , '' the report states .
`` While the committee and the Trump campaign are in the process of untangling joint agreements over access to that information , Mr. Trump sees control of the lists that he helped build over the past four years as a way to keep a grip on power — and to neutralize potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Republicans close to the White House . ''
That has many Republicans alarmed that they may never get out from under the thumb of the president who has no qualms about destroying fellow Republicans if he feels they are disloyal to him .
`` Senior Republican officials close to Ms. McDaniel said they were already seeking new arrangements between the R.N.C .
and the Trump campaign over the donor and data lists , which would provide Mr. Trump with copies of certain lists but also leave them available to other candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Beyond that , these Republicans said , there are limits to how influential the R.N.C .
can be in party primaries . ''
According to Mike DuHaime , RNC political director during George W. Bush 's presidency , he 's not surprised that Trump would try to main control but questioned what might happen .
`` It has the potential for great value in terms of a platform , fund-raising and relationship building , '' he explained .
`` However I 've never seen a former president try to maintain that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research the post-presidency actions of Grover Cleveland to see how he did it . ''
You can read more here .

According to a report from the New York Times, Donald Trump is quietly working behind the scenes to maintain control of the Republican party — and some of its most valuable assets — after he leaves office.
With the president on his way out, he has endorsed the continuing tenure of Republican National Committee head Ronna Romney McDaniel who has become one of his most avid defenders. The Times reports, "her intention to run with Mr. Trump's blessing has incited a behind-the-scenes proxy battle, dividing Republicans between those who believe the national party should not be a political subsidiary of the outgoing president and others happy for Mr. Trump to remain in control of it."
While some Republicans are happy with Trump remaining the face of the party, others are panicked that the GOP will be nothing but "a vessel for Mr. Trump's ambitions to run again in four years."
Equally worrying would be Trump's access and control of the party's most valuable asset: its mailing list of members and donors.
"Its voter data and donors lists contain thousands of names of contributors and detailed information about supporters. The voter data in particular is a focus of attention, after distrust arose between the committee and the Trump campaign over the data's use in the final months of the campaign," the report states. "While the committee and the Trump campaign are in the process of untangling joint agreements over access to that information, Mr. Trump sees control of the lists that he helped build over the past four years as a way to keep a grip on power — and to neutralize potential challengers for supremacy over the party, according to Republicans close to the White House."
That has many Republicans alarmed that they may never get out from under the thumb of the president who has no qualms about destroying fellow Republicans if he feels they are disloyal to him.
"Senior Republican officials close to Ms. McDanielsaid they were already seeking new arrangements between the R.N.C. and the Trump campaign over the donor and data lists, which would provide Mr. Trump with copies of certain lists but also leave them available to other candidates through the committee," Times reports. "Beyond that, these Republicans said, there are limits to how influential the R.N.C. can be in party primaries."
According to Mike DuHaime, RNC political director during George W. Bush's presidency, he's not surprised that Trump would try to main control but questioned what might happen.
"It has the potential for great value in terms of a platform, fund-raising and relationship building," he explained. "However I've never seen a former president try to maintain that control, so I'll have to research the post-presidency actions of Grover Cleveland to see how he did it."
You can read more here.


alternet--2020-11-22--Republican leaders in both Michigan and Pennsylvania join Trump scheme to halt certification of vote

Donald Trump is seeking to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election and install himself as dictator for life .
There 's no doubt about that part .
The whole idea is outlandish , infuriating , and should be such a remote possibility that it can be dismissed out of hand .
Except , after everything that has happened over the last four years , it 's really quite difficult to completely rule out this daylight coup .
That 's especially true because Republicans keep lining up for the role of minions in this criminal scheme .
On Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shovels .
That includes the chair of the Michigan GOP and Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly , both of whom are taking different routes to the same goal—disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Black voters so that Donald Trump can eek out a `` victory . ''
And just to underscore that the rot goes deep , Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel has added her support to the effort .
At first glance , the letter from Michigan Republican Chair Laura Cox should be the easiest to simply wave away .
Cox has absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , certifying the results , or selecting the electors .
So on the surface , her demand that the state board of canvassers `` adjourn for 14 days '' to conduct an audit and address `` credible reports of procedural irregularities '' that do not exist should be moving directly to the nearest circular file .
But it 's this effort where McDaniel has also signed her name , making it clear that this—in addition to wining and dining Republican legislators—is an officially sanctioned part of Trump 's plan to derail the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 155,000 votes .
The second effort , with Rep. Kelly as the headliner , is an actual court filing .
It claims that the expansion of mail in ballots under a Pennsylvania law called `` Act 77 '' is unconstitutional , and as a remedy , asks that all mail in ballots in the state , with the exception of military ballots , be thrown out .
That would be roughly 2.5 million ballots discarded—about 1.6 million of them Democratic ballots .
It also amounts to well over a third of all ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly in the running for all-time disenfranchisement king .
When listing members of Congress who are the biggest Trump lackeys , Kelly 's name does n't come up often .
But considering that Kelly compared the impeachment of Trump to the attack on Pearl Harbor , and way back in 2017 told his constituents that Barack Obama was continuing to run a `` shadow government '' that was undermining Trump … maybe he should move up in the rankings .
He certainly will after this stunt .
Joining Kelly in his lawsuit are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office in Pennsylvania .
and a scattering of `` regular '' voters who just do n't want Black people to vote .
Kelly 's lawsuit does n't just suggest that millions of votes be discarded .
In case there 's some problem with working out how that would affect the outcome , he has a ready alternative that would prevent the need for anyone to break out a calculator .
Instead he asked the judge to `` direct that the Pennsylvania General Assembly choose Pennsylvania 's electors . ''
While he 's at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay for his expenses for trying to throw out the votes of millions of Pennsylvanians .
Because why the hell not ?

Donald Trump is seeking to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election and install himself as dictator for life. There's no doubt about that part. The whole idea is outlandish, infuriating, and should be such a remote possibility that it can be dismissed out of hand. Except, after everything that has happened over the last four years, it's really quite difficult to completely rule out this daylight coup. That's especially true because Republicans keep lining up for the role of minions in this criminal scheme.
On Saturday, more Republicans picked up their democracy-burying shovels. That includes the chair of the Michigan GOP and Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly, both of whom are taking different routes to the same goal—disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Black voters so that Donald Trump can eek out a "victory." And just to underscore that the rot goes deep, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel has added her support to the effort.
At first glance, the letter from Michigan Republican Chair Laura Cox should be the easiest to simply wave away. Cox has absolutely nothing to do with tallying the votes, certifying the results, or selecting the electors. So on the surface, her demand that the state board of canvassers "adjourn for 14 days" to conduct an audit and address "credible reports of procedural irregularities" that do not exist should be moving directly to the nearest circular file. But it's this effort where McDaniel has also signed her name, making it clear that this—in addition to wining and dining Republican legislators—is an officially sanctioned part of Trump's plan to derail the process in a state where he lost by 155,000 votes.
The second effort, with Rep. Kelly as the headliner, is an actual court filing. It claims that the expansion of mail in ballots under a Pennsylvania law called "Act 77" is unconstitutional, and as a remedy, asks that all mail in ballots in the state, with the exception of military ballots, be thrown out. That would be roughly 2.5 million ballots discarded—about 1.6 million of them Democratic ballots. It also amounts to well over a third of all ballots cast in Pennsylvania, which might put Kelly in the running for all-time disenfranchisement king.
When listing members of Congress who are the biggest Trump lackeys, Kelly's name doesn't come up often. But considering that Kelly compared the impeachment of Trump to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and way back in 2017 told his constituents that Barack Obama was continuing to run a "shadow government" that was undermining Trump … maybe he should move up in the rankings. He certainly will after this stunt. Joining Kelly in his lawsuit are a collection of failed candidates for state office in Pennsylvania. and a scattering of "regular" voters who just don't want Black people to vote.
Kelly's lawsuit doesn't just suggest that millions of votes be discarded. In case there's some problem with working out how that would affect the outcome, he has a ready alternative that would prevent the need for anyone to break out a calculator. Instead he asked the judge to "direct that the Pennsylvania General Assembly choose Pennsylvania's electors."
While he's at it, Kelly asks the court to pay for his expenses for trying to throw out the votes of millions of Pennsylvanians. Because why the hell not?


alternet--2020-11-22--North Carolina set to have another competitive Senate race — and this time it'll be an open seat

Republican Sen. Richard Burr said he would not seek a fourth term all the way back in 2016 , and it 's very unlikely he 'd be able to change his mind now that he 's under investigation for the large stock transactions he made just before the markets tanked in mid-March as the coronavirus pandemic worsened .
There are a number of North Carolina Republicans who could run to succeed Burr in this light red state , and multiple media organizations reported Thursday that Lara Trump , who is the wife of Eric Trump , is considering .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked as an adviser for her father-in-law 's failed reelection campaign , was mentioned last year as a possible contender for New York 's 2nd Congressional District on Long Island , and she initially did n't rule the idea out .
Trump , who did n't end up making the race , currently lives in Westchester County , New York , which is quite far from both the Long Island-based 2nd District and especially North Carolina .
Several other Republicans could also compete here .
Outgoing Rep. Mark Walker decided not to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned his gerrymandered seat reliably blue , recently reaffirmed that he was interested in a Senate bid .
Outgoing Rep. George Holding , who also decided to retire for the same reason as Walker , did n't rule out a bid for the upper chamber last year , though he does n't appear to have said anything since then .
Oh , that 's not all .
Former Gov .
Pat McCrory , who lost reelection in 2016 , also said in late 2019 that he was mulling a campaign to succeed Burr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was interested in seeking office again , though he added that he was `` having fun '' pursuing other activities .
A few other GOP politicians are also reportedly thinking about it .
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , who resigned from Congress earlier this year , does n't seem to have said anything about his 2022 plans , but the New York Times ' Annie Karni writes that he 's `` widely expected to move back home and run for the seat as well . ''
( Update : Meadows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
Karni adds that outgoing Lt. Gov .
Dan Forest , who lost this year 's gubernatorial contest to Democrat Roy Cooper 52-47 , is `` expected to be in the field . ''
State House Speaker Tim Moore was also name-dropped as a potential contender , though there 's no word on his interest .
The Democratic field is taking longer to develop .
Outgoing state Sen. Erica Smith told the News & Observer 's Brian Murphy on Friday that she was running for the Senate again , but few national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their nominee .
Earlier this year , Republicans spent nearly $ 3 million on an unsuccessful effort to help Smith , who had raised very little money herself , win the primary against Democratic establishment favorite Cal Cunningham .
Democratic groups spent heavily to push back on the GOP meddling , and Cunningham beat Smith 57-35 before narrowly losing this month to Republican Sen. Thom Tillis .
Months later , Smith endorsed Republican Sonja Nichols ' campaign against one of her colleagues , Democratic state Sen. Jeff Jackson .
When Smith was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded by telling the poster , `` [ Y ] ou can not see beyond your sexist male privilege .
Funny that you are not attempting to deal with the real issues . ''
Jackson ended up prevailing 55-41 .

Republican Sen. Richard Burr said he would not seek a fourth term all the way back in 2016, and it's very unlikely he'd be able to change his mind now that he's under investigation for the large stock transactions he made just before the markets tanked in mid-March as the coronavirus pandemic worsened. There are a number of North Carolina Republicans who could run to succeed Burr in this light red state, and multiple media organizations reported Thursday that Lara Trump, who is the wife of Eric Trump, is considering.
Trump, a Tar Heel State native who worked as an adviser for her father-in-law's failed reelection campaign, was mentioned last year as a possible contender for New York's 2nd Congressional District on Long Island, and she initially didn't rule the idea out. Trump, who didn't end up making the race, currently lives in Westchester County, New York, which is quite far from both the Long Island-based 2nd District and especially North Carolina.
Several other Republicans could also compete here. Outgoing Rep. Mark Walker decided not to run for anything this year after court-supervised redistricting turned his gerrymandered seat reliably blue, recently reaffirmed that he was interested in a Senate bid. Outgoing Rep. George Holding, who also decided to retire for the same reason as Walker, didn't rule out a bid for the upper chamber last year, though he doesn't appear to have said anything since then.
Oh, that's not all. Former Gov. Pat McCrory, who lost reelection in 2016, also said in late 2019 that he was mulling a campaign to succeed Burr. In September, McCrory said he was interested in seeking office again, though he added that he was "having fun" pursuing other activities.
A few other GOP politicians are also reportedly thinking about it. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who resigned from Congress earlier this year, doesn't seem to have said anything about his 2022 plans, but the New York Times' Annie Karni writes that he's "widely expected to move back home and run for the seat as well." (Update: Meadows announced Friday that he wouldn't run.) Karni adds that outgoing Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who lost this year's gubernatorial contest to Democrat Roy Cooper 52-47, is "expected to be in the field." State House Speaker Tim Moore was also name-dropped as a potential contender, though there's no word on his interest.
The Democratic field is taking longer to develop. Outgoing state Sen. Erica Smith told the News & Observer's Brian Murphy on Friday that she was running for the Senate again, but few national Democrats will want to see her as their nominee. Earlier this year, Republicans spent nearly $3 million on an unsuccessful effort to help Smith, who had raised very little money herself, win the primary against Democratic establishment favorite Cal Cunningham. Democratic groups spent heavily to push back on the GOP meddling, and Cunningham beat Smith 57-35 before narrowly losing this month to Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
Months later, Smith endorsed Republican Sonja Nichols' campaign against one of her colleagues, Democratic state Sen. Jeff Jackson. When Smith was asked about her decision on Facebook, she responded by telling the poster, "[Y]ou cannot see beyond your sexist male privilege. Funny that you are not attempting to deal with the real issues." Jackson ended up prevailing 55-41.


alternet--2020-11-22--Actor Edward Norton breaks down Trump's poker 'endgame' in epic Twitter thread: 'Call. His. Bluff'

The boss of a casino should know a few things about the cards they hold .
They also know what @ @ @ @ @ hold .
They make sure drinks keep coming to hold off how long it is @ @ @ @ @ to try and get as much money out of a patron as is possible .
@ @ @ @ @ almost everyone — OK , well , Trump failed at this — however , the @ @ @ @ @ about the immediate outcome of winning a hand or to bust the player .
The @ @ @ @ @ situation out long enough that you find a way to get what you want anyway @ @ @ @ @ actor often associated with his fantastic performances in American History X and Fight Club , @ @ @ @ @ his perspective as someone who grew up the son of a federal prosecutor about the @ @ @ @ @ J. Trump is playing with democracy .

The boss of a casino should know a few things about the cards they hold. They also know what the players in the house hold. They make sure drinks keep coming to hold off how long it is before someone leaves the table to try and get as much money out of a patron as is possible. The business model works for almost everyone — OK, well, Trump failed at this — however, the strategy remains to not worry about the immediate outcome of winning a hand or to bust the player. The goal is to string the situation out long enough that you find a way to get what you want anyway.
Edward Norton, an actor often associated with his fantastic performances in American History X and Fight Club, took to Twitter and gave his perspective as someone who grew up the son of a federal prosecutor about the "game" that Donald J. Trump is playing with democracy.


alternet--2020-11-22--Kyle Rittenhouse out on bail after right-wing fans raise millions

The headline was jarring : `` Black Man Who Spent 25 Years Incarcerated for a Murder He Did n't Commit Has Been Exonerated , '' The Root 's homepage shouted at me .
The story of 62-year-old Jaythan Kendrick , who was arrested for a crime he did not commit on Thanksgiving Day 1994—when he was just 36—is a familiar one to anyone who 's paid attention to the chronic miscarriage of justice Black people face : Had law enforcement and or prosecutors actually done their job , Kendrick could have been home in time for Christmas , or maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was thin—at best .
It also was manipulated .
But this story is not about Jaythan Kendrick .
With a quick click of the Back button , and I was back to The Root 's homepage ; just below the Kendrick story I 'd just read was the face of Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old high schooler who definitely murdered two—almost three—Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha , Wisc .
with an illegally obtained AR-15 rifle back in August .
Rittenhouse was released Friday on a cash bail of $ 2 million , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fanatic usually referred to as the My Pillow Guy—and Rick Schroder , an ex-child actor best known for the vapid 1980s sitcom Silver Spoons .
While both Kendrick and Rittenhouse will be home just in time for Thanksgiving , the justice system journeys for these two men—one guilty , and one innocent , one white , and one Black—could n't be more different .
And so I rage .
Lin Wood , attorney for the newly-freed yet wholly unrepentant Rittenhouse , posted a photo of the grinning ( and maskless ) homicidal teenager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enthusiasts , endorsers of white supremacy , and lovers of Donald Trump have all latched on to the murderous teen , elevating him to hero status in their hateful white power fantasies ; over half a million dollars has been raised for Rittenhouse beyond the bail money , according to the local CBS affiliate .
Rittenhouse , who again , absolutely killed two people , has a fucking fan base .
A rabid one , with deep pockets .
The murderer , who has admitted to two murders and one attempted murder , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't regret it '' at the time of his arrest , and is currently enjoying some surreal hero 's life , admired by the sort of folks who vicariously watched cell phone footage of his cold killings and opened their wallets in support .
These folks know exactly what Rittenhouse did and respect it .
They consider his actions right and just , even as they smear his victims—all white men—to help justify their cold-blooded murders .
As Rittenhouse—an admitted killer whose injurious and life-ending acts were caught on video—settles in to enjoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Natural Born Killer , his jail time is currently a brief blip in his life 's history , despite his night-of fears of being incarcerated for `` the rest of ( his ) life . ''
Army veteran Kendrick , on the other hand , would hardly be considered anybody 's hero .
The former mail carrier was in prison for longer than Rittenhouse has breathed air , yet no six-figure fundraisers have been held in Kendrick 's name to help him reclaim some semblance of a life ; instead of the My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was only a determined family member and the good folks at the Innocence Project who fought for his freedom .
Rittenhouse 's trial—assuming he gets one and does n't plea out—will be one that both his fervent fans and justice seekers alike will follow in earnest .
Whether he walks free for taking the lives of two white men—and shooting another in the arm—remains to be seen .
It certainly seems impossible and wrong that a human being who crossed state lines with a illegally-procured device designed to kill as many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely using that weapon to create two dead bodies and an injured one .
But it also seems impossible and wrong that innocent people like Kendrick whither in prisons all day , every day , waiting for justice , while an admitted and lionized killer walks free .

The headline was jarring: "Black Man Who Spent 25 Years Incarcerated for a Murder He Didn't Commit Has Been Exonerated," The Root's homepage shouted at me. The story of 62-year-old Jaythan Kendrick, who was arrested for a crime he did not commit on Thanksgiving Day 1994—when he was just 36—is a familiar one to anyone who's paid attention to the chronic miscarriage of justice Black people face: Had law enforcement and or prosecutors actually done their job, Kendrick could have been home in time for Christmas, or maybe never arrested at all. The evidence was thin—at best. It also was manipulated.
But this story is not about Jaythan Kendrick.
With a quick click of the Back button, and I was back to The Root's homepage; just below the Kendrick story I'd just read was the face of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old high schooler who definitely murdered two—almost three—Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisc. with an illegally obtained AR-15 rifle back in August. Rittenhouse was released Friday on a cash bail of $2 million, paid in part by Mike Lindell—the Trump fanatic usually referred to as the My Pillow Guy—and Rick Schroder, an ex-child actor best known for the vapid 1980s sitcom Silver Spoons.
While both Kendrick and Rittenhouse will be home just in time for Thanksgiving, the justice system journeys for these two men—one guilty, and one innocent, one white, and one Black—couldn't be more different. And so I rage.
Lin Wood, attorney for the newly-freed yet wholly unrepentant Rittenhouse, posted a photo of the grinning (and maskless) homicidal teenager to Twitter Friday evening.
Rabid militia enthusiasts, endorsers of white supremacy, and lovers of Donald Trump have all latched on to the murderous teen, elevating him to hero status in their hateful white power fantasies; over half a million dollars has been raised for Rittenhouse beyond the bail money, according to the local CBS affiliate.
Most of the money came from small donations, and Rittenhouse's attorney took to Twitter thanking donors and saying, "We the people did not let him down."
Rittenhouse, who again, absolutely killed two people, has a fucking fan base. A rabid one, with deep pockets. The murderer, who has admitted to two murders and one attempted murder, told police "No, I don't regret it" at the time of his arrest, and is currently enjoying some surreal hero's life, admired by the sort of folks who vicariously watched cell phone footage of his cold killings and opened their wallets in support. These folks know exactly what Rittenhouse did and respect it. They consider his actions right and just, even as they smear his victims—all white men—to help justify their cold-blooded murders.
As Rittenhouse—an admitted killer whose injurious and life-ending acts were caught on video—settles in to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday as a real life Natural Born Killer, his jail time is currently a brief blip in his life's history, despite his night-of fears of being incarcerated for "the rest of (his) life." Army veteran Kendrick, on the other hand, would hardly be considered anybody's hero.
The former mail carrier was in prison for longer than Rittenhouse has breathed air, yet no six-figure fundraisers have been held in Kendrick's name to help him reclaim some semblance of a life; instead of the My Pillow Guy and a washed up actor, it was only a determined family member and the good folks at the Innocence Project who fought for his freedom.
"Mr. Kendrick has endured an unimaginable injustice for over 25 years. He has spent decades trying to right this wrong, but the system failed him at every step," said Susan Friedman, Mr. Kendrick's Innocence Project attorney. "This is a textbook case of wrongful conviction exposing the worst flaws in our system – racial profiling, unduly suggestive identification procedures and a lack of police accountability at very least. Thankfully, the new evidence in this case, including DNA, has provided overwhelming proof of Mr. Kendrick's innocence."
"I never thought this day would materialize. Tomorrow I am going to wake up and go home," said Mr. Kendrick. "I saw so many other people get to leave and I was still here. Finally the truth is out that I didn't commit this crime."
Rittenhouse's trial—assuming he gets one and doesn't plea out—will be one that both his fervent fans and justice seekers alike will follow in earnest. Whether he walks free for taking the lives of two white men—and shooting another in the arm—remains to be seen. It certainly seems impossible and wrong that a human being who crossed state lines with a illegally-procured device designed to kill as many people as possible might walk free after absolutely using that weapon to create two dead bodies and an injured one.
But it also seems impossible and wrong that innocent people like Kendrick whither in prisons all day, every day, waiting for justice, while an admitted and lionized killer walks free.
And so I rage.


alternet--2020-11-22--Plaintiffs in Trump's lawsuits are embracing conspiracy theories — and even violating election laws

Plaintiffs in a number of the Trump campaign 's lawsuits challenging the president 's electoral defeat have peddled conspiracy theories and made racist comments .
One of them , a plaintiff represented by Rudy Giuliani in federal court this week , was even implicated in an election fraud scheme of his own .
The new revelations , first reported by Salon , add another dimension of doubt to President Donald Trump 's widely discredited , last-ditch legal challenges to President-elect Joe Biden 's electoral victory .
`` We are through the looking glass when Rudy Giuliani is appearing in court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race on behalf of a plaintiff who has previously been implicated in election fraud schemes himself , '' Kyle Herrig , president of government watchdog Accountable.US , told Salon in a statement .
`` The plaintiffs in these cases have long histories peddling conspiracy theories online .
It is time for this legal freak-show to exit the courtroom and go back to the chat room where it belongs . ''
Among the more recent of the campaign 's lawsuits is a complaint filed in Pennsylvania , which seeks a court order to block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Giuliani took over that case on Tuesday , when he made his first arguments before a federal bench since 1992 .
The amended complaint to that case includes allegations from a Uniontown resident named Larry Roberts , who claims the state did not notify him after his ballot was canceled .
`` We are through the looking glass when Rudy Giuliani is appearing in court to allege voter fraud in the presidential race on behalf of a plaintiff who has previously been implicated in election fraud schemes himself , '' Kyle Herrig @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Salon in a statement .
`` The plaintiffs in these cases have long histories peddling conspiracy theories online .
It is time for this legal freak-show to exit the courtroom and go back to the chat room where it belongs . ''
Among the more recent of the campaign 's lawsuits is a complaint filed in Pennsylvania , which seeks a court order to block the certification of votes in the state .
Giuliani took over that case on Tuesday , when he made his first arguments before a federal bench since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case includes allegations from a Uniontown resident named Larry Roberts , who claims the state did not notify him after his ballot was canceled .
Roberts is a former Pennsylvania Democratic state representative , who served from 1993-2006 .
During that time , he was accused of violating campaign laws multiple times , including election fraud .
In 2004 , Roberts was accused of bribing a stalking-horse candidate to siphon primary votes from a Democratic challenger .
That spoiler candidate , Michael Ciampanelli , at the time 20 years old , told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid him $ 200 to put his name on the ballot .
A state grand jury investigated the claims , as did the attorney general , but what became of the probe is unclear .
That same year , the rival also accused Roberts of forging 33 signatures on his own nominating petition .
The allegation was backed up by a woman who worked in one of Roberts ' offices .
The woman said Roberts staff told her to lie about the matter , warning her she could face jail time `` if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Associated Press .
In 2007 , the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission slapped Roberts with a $ 600 fine for violations in 2001 and 2004 , including unlawfully using legislative staff to organize campaign events and co-opting his legislative office as a drop-off point for campaign materials .
A separate Pennsylvania lawsuit dropped on Thursday by the campaign featured Ted Dannerth as a plaintiff , a man who has repeatedly spread conspiracy theories online .
For instance , Dannerth has tweeted multiple times this year about `` Project Blue Beam , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theory falsely claiming that a NASA-Illuminati joint effort is engineering earthquakes in order to establish a new-age religion led by the antichrist .
Dannerth has also called women a `` weapon '' against what he considers to be the `` imminent threat '' of sterility that would accompany a COVID-19 vaccine .
The Trump campaign plaintiff stitched a number of baseless fringe , QAnon-adjacent theories together in a lengthy Facebook post this April .
Among other things , he claimed that Oprah Winfrey 's house had been raided in a sex-trafficking sting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , who `` is working from the bottom up , to remove the Democrat/Communist/Socialist Epstein/Deep State/CCP scourge from the planet . ''
Dannerth was also involved in a previous 2020 election lawsuit challenging public use of a private grant to fund election initiatives over his opposition to `` the election of progressive candidates in local , state and federal elections . ''
That suit was dismissed by District Judge Matthew Brann , who is presiding over the Trump campaign 's current lawsuit .
Several plaintiffs in the campaign 's challenge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present similar personal histories .
Eric Ostergen , a Republican poll challenger named in the suit , has repeatedly pushed misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic .
This April , he shared a Washington Times op-ed calling coronavirus `` the biggest hoax in political history , '' on Facebook .
In a separate post , he endorsed the since-discredited treatment hydroxychloroquine .
Ostergen posted two times on Facebook about lawsuits he filed against Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , D-Mich. , over coronavirus measures , saying that `` the tyrants will now be reeled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change science on Facebook , a platform where he has also posted baseless claims about Hunter Biden 's laptop and voter fraud in Detroit 's 2016 election .
The Trump campaign 's Michigan case also features another coronavirus truther , Marian Sheridan , head of the Michigan Conservative Coalition ( MCC ) , who in October led a `` guard the vote '' project after Trump 's calls to recruit an `` army '' of poll-watchers .
In April , Sheridan 's group staged `` Operation Gridlock , '' where thousands of protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicles to express displeasure with Whitmer 's stay-home orders .
MCC also launched `` Operation Haircut '' in defense of a barber who opened his shop for illegal haircuts amid the state 's lockdowns .
And Sheridan hosted a Tea Party event to educate the public about `` the common roots of COVID-19 hysteria and climate change . ''
A third plaintiff in the Michigan lawsuit , Grosse Pointe City Councilman Matt Seely , has mocked allegations of sexual assault in social media posts , including against Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BAD MAN TOUCHED YOU INAPPROPRIATELY , '' read one meme , featuring a crying woman , which Seely shared during the Kavanaugh hearings .
`` LET 'S WAIT 30 OR 40 YEARS … UNTIL HE RUNS FOR OFFICE … AGAINST A DEMOCRAT . ''
Seely also drew criticism for a social media post in which he connected four Democratic Congresswomen of color , known collectively as `` the Squad , '' to the 9/11 terrorist attacks .
In the post — which was published on the 2019 anniversary of the attacks — Seely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress was `` proof we have forgotten '' about 9/11 .
The words accompanied a picture of the Twin Towers on fire .
Seely pushed back against criticism over the post , saying he could express political views on his private Facebook page .
In doing so , he was backed by the mayor of Grosse Pointe Shores and other city council members .
In Nevada , former Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle — who already had a mail-in ballot case tossed in October — filed a lawsuit parallel to other GOP election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court to stop the state from certifying its votes .
Angle is known for repeatedly pushing right-wing conspiracy theories , such as warning that American towns would fall to Sharia law and claiming fluoride in drinking water is a `` communist plot to undermine Western democracy . ''
In a radio interview ahead of the 2010 midterms , Angle , who at the time was running against Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , alluded to armed insurrection as a remedy for a liberal Congress , saying — citing Thomas Jefferson — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have a revolution every 20 years . ''
`` I hope that 's not where we 're going , but , you know , if this Congress keeps going the way it is , people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies and saying , 'My goodness , what can we do to turn this country around ? ''
Angle said .
`` I 'll tell you the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out . ''

Plaintiffs in a number of the Trump campaign's lawsuits challenging the president's electoral defeat have peddled conspiracy theories and made racist comments. One of them, a plaintiff represented by Rudy Giuliani in federal court this week, was even implicated in an election fraud scheme of his own.
The new revelations, first reported by Salon, add another dimension of doubt to President Donald Trump's widely discredited, last-ditch legal challenges to President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory.
"We are through the looking glass when Rudy Giuliani is appearing in court to allege voter fraud in the presidential race on behalf of a plaintiff who has previously been implicated in election fraud schemes himself," Kyle Herrig, president of government watchdog Accountable.US, told Salon in a statement. "The plaintiffs in these cases have long histories peddling conspiracy theories online. It is time for this legal freak-show to exit the courtroom and go back to the chat room where it belongs."
Among the more recent of the campaign's lawsuits is a complaint filed in Pennsylvania, which seeks a court order to block the certification of votes in the state. Giuliani took over that case on Tuesday, when he made his first arguments before a federal bench since 1992.
The amended complaint to that case includes allegations from a Uniontown resident named Larry Roberts, who claims the state did not notify him after his ballot was canceled.
"We are through the looking glass when Rudy Giuliani is appearing in court to allege voter fraud in the presidential race on behalf of a plaintiff who has previously been implicated in election fraud schemes himself," Kyle Herrig, president of government watchdog Accountable.US, told Salon in a statement. "The plaintiffs in these cases have long histories peddling conspiracy theories online. It is time for this legal freak-show to exit the courtroom and go back to the chat room where it belongs."
Among the more recent of the campaign's lawsuits is a complaint filed in Pennsylvania, which seeks a court order to block the certification of votes in the state. Giuliani took over that case on Tuesday, when he made his first arguments before a federal bench since 1992.
The amended complaint to that case includes allegations from a Uniontown resident named Larry Roberts, who claims the state did not notify him after his ballot was canceled.
Roberts is a former Pennsylvania Democratic state representative, who served from 1993-2006. During that time, he was accused of violating campaign laws multiple times, including election fraud.
In 2004, Roberts was accused of bribing a stalking-horse candidate to siphon primary votes from a Democratic challenger. That spoiler candidate, Michael Ciampanelli, at the time 20 years old, told the local board of elections that Roberts had paid him $200 to put his name on the ballot. A state grand jury investigated the claims, as did the attorney general, but what became of the probe is unclear.
That same year, the rival also accused Roberts of forging 33 signatures on his own nominating petition. The allegation was backed up by a woman who worked in one of Roberts' offices. The woman said Roberts staff told her to lie about the matter, warning her she could face jail time "if the real story came out," according to the Associated Press.
In 2007, the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission slapped Roberts with a $600 fine for violations in 2001 and 2004, including unlawfully using legislative staff to organize campaign events and co-opting his legislative office as a drop-off point for campaign materials.
A separate Pennsylvania lawsuit dropped on Thursday by the campaign featured Ted Dannerth as a plaintiff, a man who has repeatedly spread conspiracy theories online.
For instance, Dannerth has tweetedmultiple times this year about "Project Blue Beam," an apparent reference to a fringe conspiracy theory falsely claiming that a NASA-Illuminati joint effort is engineering earthquakes in order to establish a new-age religion led by the antichrist. Dannerth has also called women a "weapon" against what he considers to be the "imminent threat" of sterility that would accompany a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Trump campaign plaintiff stitched a number of baseless fringe, QAnon-adjacent theories together in a lengthy Facebook post this April. Among other things, he claimed that Oprah Winfrey's house had been raided in a sex-trafficking sting and the media had brainwashed Americans against the president, who "is working from the bottom up, to remove the Democrat/Communist/Socialist Epstein/Deep State/CCP scourge from the planet."
Dannerth was also involved in a previous 2020 election lawsuit challenging public use of a private grant to fund election initiatives over his opposition to "the election of progressive candidates in local, state and federal elections." That suit was dismissed by District Judge Matthew Brann, who is presiding over the Trump campaign's current lawsuit.
Several plaintiffs in the campaign's challenge to block Michigan canvassers from certifying Detroit-area ballots present similar personal histories.
Eric Ostergen, a Republican poll challenger named in the suit, has repeatedly pushed misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. This April, he shared a Washington Times op-ed calling coronavirus "the biggest hoax in political history," on Facebook. In a separate post, he endorsed the since-discredited treatment hydroxychloroquine.
Ostergen posted twotimes on Facebook about lawsuits he filed against Gov. GretchenWhitmer, D-Mich., over coronavirus measures, saying that "the tyrants will now be reeled in." He has also denied climate change science on Facebook, a platform where he has also posted baseless claims about Hunter Biden's laptop and voter fraud in Detroit's 2016 election.
The Trump campaign's Michigan case also features another coronavirus truther, Marian Sheridan, head of the Michigan Conservative Coalition (MCC), who in October led a "guard the vote" project after Trump's calls to recruit an "army" of poll-watchers.
In April, Sheridan's group staged "Operation Gridlock," where thousands of protesters jammed the streets of Lansing with their vehicles to express displeasure with Whitmer's stay-home orders. MCC also launched "Operation Haircut" in defense of a barber who opened his shop for illegal haircuts amid the state's lockdowns. And Sheridan hosted a Tea Party event to educate the public about "the common roots of COVID-19 hysteria and climate change."
A third plaintiff in the Michigan lawsuit, Grosse Pointe City Councilman Matt Seely, has mocked allegations of sexual assault in social media posts, including against Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
"I'M SORRY THAT BAD MAN TOUCHED YOU INAPPROPRIATELY," read one meme, featuring a crying woman, which Seely shared during the Kavanaugh hearings. "LET'S WAIT 30 OR 40 YEARS … UNTIL HE RUNS FOR OFFICE … AGAINST A DEMOCRAT."
Seely also drew criticism for a social media post in which he connected four Democratic Congresswomen of color, known collectively as "the Squad," to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In the post — which was published on the 2019 anniversary of the attacks — Seely said the elevation of those women to Congress was "proof we have forgotten" about 9/11. The words accompanied a picture of the Twin Towers on fire.
Seely pushed back against criticism over the post, saying he could express political views on his private Facebook page. In doing so, he was backed by the mayor of Grosse Pointe Shores and other city council members.
In Nevada, former Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle — who already had a mail-in ballot case tossed in October — filed a lawsuit parallel to other GOP election challenges in the state, asking the court to stop the state from certifying its votes.
Angle is known for repeatedly pushing right-wing conspiracy theories, such as warning that American towns would fall to Sharia law and claiming fluoride in drinking water is a "communist plot to undermine Western democracy."
In a radio interview ahead of the 2010 midterms, Angle, who at the time was running against Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, alluded to armed insurrection as a remedy for a liberal Congress, saying — citing Thomas Jefferson — that "it's good for a country to have a revolution every 20 years."
"I hope that's not where we're going, but, you know, if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies and saying, 'My goodness, what can we do to turn this country around?" Angle said. "I'll tell you the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out."


alternet--2020-11-22--Watch this parent try to convince teacher that no one won the presidential election

File this one under nonsense these poor teachers have to deal with : A parent can be heard in viral video shared on Twitter Tuesday venting irrationally about the election and trying to argue that no one won it , despite clear evidence to the contrary .
In the video viewed more than five million times , a state map is colored in with blue for President-elect Joe Biden or red for President Donald Trump to represent which candidate won each state , but on the student 's map in question , X 's had been drawn on Nevada , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Pennsylvania , all of which the student colored blue to accurately reflect that Biden had won those states .
At the bottom of the assignment , the student had answered the question of who won the election correctly with Joe Biden , but the parent employed a different interpretation of reality .
She can be heard asking the teacher to talk to Anthony and the whole class about the election process , and by `` talk to them , '' she obviously means lie to them about who won .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you for sharing your concerns , and like I said , I will talk to him tomorrow , '' the teacher says at one point .
Not accepting that response , the parent pushed : `` So you 're just going to talk to Anthony ?
This assignment 's not going to get redone and have everybody understand that we have six states at this point—there were seven when this assignment was done—there are six that are still in litigation and why ? ''
She continued : `` Even if you do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third graders , to explain to them , you ca n't .
This answer 'who won the election ' should 've been , the answer was nobody .
That was the answer—nobody .
Not Joe Biden .
It was nobody .
It should not just be told to my son . ''
She went on to argue that the entire school system should be teaching that no one won the presidential election .
`` Either do n't address it or address it properly , '' the woman said .
`` There 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is gray area .
There 's six of them , so I am bringing this up .
I 'm not done .
I am upset about this . ''
She then cited the National Archives , which has n't announced election results , and the conservative news network One America News as proof her interpretation of Electoral College results is accurate .
`` If you did talk to them about that , that 's not what you told them to color in .
He told me you went up to there and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a map .
I did n't go to Google .
I went to the National Archives , and then , I also went to OAN , and it had exactly what he and I had been talking about , '' the parent said .
The poor teacher quietly let the woman vent her frustrations with reality as she continued to explain how she confused her child .
Biden has earned 290 Electoral College votes to Trump 's 232 , and the president-elect secured more than 79.3 million total votes to Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press .
The news organization , which many consider far more reputable than the unnamed parent on the phone , has called every state but Georgia , where Biden is leading .
The traditionally red state that Democrats successfully flipped blue has 16 Electoral College votes .
So technically , the only discrepancy should be whether Biden has 290 or 306 Electoral College votes .
Both scenarios put him well over the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency .
If I could leave any words for little Anthony , they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She is , however , right about one thing : Several lawsuits have been filed to challenge election results in Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Nevada , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , a testament to the sore loser and the Republicans who enable him .
Georgia has dismissed one lawsuit , and two have been upheld in Pennsylvania , Newsweek reported .
One was also upheld in Nevada , and the rest are pending .

File this one under nonsense these poor teachers have to deal with: A parent can be heard in viral video shared on Twitter Tuesday venting irrationally about the election and trying to argue that no one won it, despite clear evidence to the contrary. In the video viewed more than five million times, a state map is colored in with blue for President-elect Joe Biden or red for President Donald Trump to represent which candidate won each state, but on the student's map in question, X's had been drawn on Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, all of which the student colored blue to accurately reflect that Biden had won those states.
At the bottom of the assignment, the student had answered the question of who won the election correctly with Joe Biden, but the parent employed a different interpretation of reality. She can be heard asking the teacher to talk to Anthony and the whole class about the election process, and by "talk to them," she obviously means lie to them about who won.
"Okay I understand your concerns. Thank you for sharing your concerns, and like I said, I will talk to him tomorrow," the teacher says at one point. Not accepting that response, the parent pushed: "So you're just going to talk to Anthony? This assignment's not going to get redone and have everybody understand that we have six states at this point—there were seven when this assignment was done—there are six that are still in litigation and why?"
She continued: "Even if you don't go into that kind of detail for third graders, to explain to them, you can't. This answer 'who won the election' should've been, the answer was nobody. That was the answer—nobody. Not Joe Biden. It was nobody. It should not just be told to my son."
She went on to argue that the entire school system should be teaching that no one won the presidential election. "Either don't address it or address it properly," the woman said. "There's no, there's no, well, there is gray area. There's six of them, so I am bringing this up. I'm not done. I am upset about this."
She then cited the National Archives, which hasn't announced election results, and the conservative news network One America News as proof her interpretation of Electoral College results is accurate. "If you did talk to them about that, that's not what you told them to color in. He told me you went up to there and put up a map. I pulled up a map. I didn't go to Google. I went to the National Archives, and then, I also went to OAN, and it had exactly what he and I had been talking about," the parent said.
The poor teacher quietly let the woman vent her frustrations with reality as she continued to explain how she confused her child.
Biden has earned 290 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232, and the president-elect secured more than 79.3 million total votes to Trump's 73.5 million, according to the Associated Press. The news organization, which many consider far more reputable than the unnamed parent on the phone, has called every state but Georgia, where Biden is leading. The traditionally red state that Democrats successfully flipped blue has 16 Electoral College votes. So technically, the only discrepancy should be whether Biden has 290 or 306 Electoral College votes. Both scenarios put him well over the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency. If I could leave any words for little Anthony, they would be: Respectfully disagree with your mom.
She is, however, right about one thing: Several lawsuits have been filed to challenge election results in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, a testament to the sore loser and the Republicans who enable him. Georgia has dismissed one lawsuit, and two have been upheld in Pennsylvania, Newsweekreported. One was also upheld in Nevada, and the rest are pending.


alternet--2020-11-22--Federal judge bars US media agency head from interfering in news coverage

President Donald Trump 's appointed head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media is barred from making any further editorial or personnel decisions following a series of injunctions issued by a federal court late Friday , in what journalists called a major rebuke of the Trump administration 's attempt to reshape government-funded news broadcasters .
In Washington , D.C. , Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled in favor of five USAGM executives who were fired or suspended in August at the direction of CEO Michael Pack , who took the helm of the agency in June and promptly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called a `` Wednesday night massacre . ''
Current and former USAGM employees applauded the ruling , with chief strategy officer Shawn Powers tweeting that Pack `` has repeatedly and intentionally violated the First Amendment rights '' of journalists at the agency .
The five former employees sued to stop Pack , a close associate of former White House adviser and Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon , from interfering in the editorial affairs of Voice of America ( VOA ) , Radio Free Asia , and other broadcasters which operate under the USAGM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened an investigation into VOA 's chief White House reporter , Steve Herman , over unspecified concerns that he displayed an anti-Trump bias .
The plaintiffs and many other critics inside and outside of the agency said Pack violated the `` firewall '' between political appointees and the broadcasters ' newsrooms which is meant to keep the organizations from becoming mouthpieces for the White House .
Progressive critics have long considered VOA a vehicle for U.S. government propaganda overseas , promoting American-friendly coverage of world events .
However , the overt takeover by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
A month after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a party-line vote to run the agency , the USAGM announced it would not renew visas for foreign journalists , potentially sending dozens of reporters who have worked for VOA and other broadcasters for years , back to countries where they could be persecuted .
The decision was attributed by many critics to the Trump administration 's `` xenophobia . ''
Under Howell 's order , Pack will no longer be able to make personnel decisions for the remainder of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in January when President-elect Joe Biden takes office .
He also will not be permitted to communicate directly with editorial teams or investigate editors or their news stories .
Howell said Pack 's investigation of Herman imposed `` an unconstitutional prior restraint not just on Herman 's speech , but on the speech of [ Herman 's editors ] and journalists at VOA . ''
NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik called Howell 's ruling a `` tremendous rebuke '' of Pack 's actions during his five months at USAGM .

President Donald Trump's appointed head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media is barred from making any further editorial or personnel decisions following a series of injunctions issued by a federal court late Friday, in what journalists called a major rebuke of the Trump administration's attempt to reshape government-funded news broadcasters.
In Washington, D.C., Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled in favor of five USAGM executives who were fired or suspended in August at the direction of CEO Michael Pack, who took the helm of the agency in June and promptly dismissed several career officials in what was called a "Wednesday night massacre."
Current and former USAGM employees applauded the ruling, with chief strategy officer Shawn Powers tweeting that Pack "has repeatedly and intentionally violated the First Amendment rights" of journalists at the agency.
The five former employees sued to stop Pack, a close associate of former White House adviser and Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon, from interfering in the editorial affairs of Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia, and other broadcasters which operate under the USAGM.
The lawsuit was filed after Pack opened an investigation into VOA's chief White House reporter, Steve Herman, over unspecified concerns that he displayed an anti-Trump bias. The plaintiffs and many other critics inside and outside of the agency said Pack violated the "firewall" between political appointees and the broadcasters' newsrooms which is meant to keep the organizations from becoming mouthpieces for the White House.
Progressive critics have long considered VOA a vehicle for U.S. government propaganda overseas, promoting American-friendly coverage of world events. However, the overt takeover by a Trump loyalist has raised alarm since June.
A month after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a party-line vote to run the agency, the USAGM announced it would not renew visas for foreign journalists, potentially sending dozens of reporters who have worked for VOA and other broadcasters for years, back to countries where they could be persecuted. The decision was attributed by many critics to the Trump administration's "xenophobia."
Under Howell's order, Pack will no longer be able to make personnel decisions for the remainder of his tenure, which is set to end in January when President-elect Joe Biden takes office. He also will not be permitted to communicate directly with editorial teams or investigate editors or their news stories.
Howell said Pack's investigation of Herman imposed "an unconstitutional prior restraint not just on Herman's speech, but on the speech of [Herman's editors] and journalists at VOA."
NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik called Howell's ruling a "tremendous rebuke" of Pack's actions during his five months at USAGM.