alternet--2020-11-09--'Get that result changed': Inside Trump’s frantic efforts to overturn a pivotal Fox News election ca

'Get that result changed': Inside Trump’s frantic efforts to overturn a pivotal Fox News election call

As much adulation as President Donald Trump has received from Fox News opinion hosts like Tucker Carlson , Sean Hannity , Jeanine Pirro and Laura Ingraham , there have been times when he lashed out against the right-wing cable news channel .
And according to Washington Post reporters Sarah Ellison and Josh Dawsey , Trump 's relationship with Fox News might be permanently damaged because of its decision to call Arizona for former Vice President Joe Biden — now President-Elect Biden — on Election Night .
Hannity had such a close relationship with Fox that , Ellison and Dawsey note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fox host even `` advised him on his reelection strategy , from how to conduct himself in a debate to where he should hold his rallies , according to three people familiar with these exchanges . ''
And Trump `` maintained the unswerving support '' of Ingraham and Pirro .
But after Fox called Arizona for Biden , Ellison and Dawsey report , Trump hit the roof and felt betrayed .
Ingraham and Pirro attended an Election Night party in the White House , where the mood was cheerful after Florida was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Ellison and Dawsey , when Fox called Arizona for Biden .
`` Fox was on the big-screen TVs as he won the key state of Florida and the room filled with increasing optimism that their candidate had once again defied the polls , '' the Post reporters explain .
`` Until 11:20 p.m. , when Fox News called Arizona for Biden with 73 % of the expected vote counted — a 'screeching of tires ' that brought the party to a halt , said one official present .
This account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former Fox News and Trump officials , all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive dynamics between Fox News and Trumpworld . ''
In response , according to Ellison and Dawsey , Trump `` erupted in anger , telling others in the White House to 'get that result changed , ' a senior administration official said .
His chief of staff Mark Meadows phoned Fox News ' decision desk repeatedly .
Top aide Hope Hicks , who had returned to the White House earlier this year after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raj Shah , a former Trump White House staffer whom she hired at Fox , about how to get the call reversed .
Kellyanne Conway got in touch with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier to complain .
Jared Kushner reached out to Fox Corp. 's billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch . ''
Howard Kurtz , a Fox News media correspondent , acknowledged that Kushner called Fox 's Murdoch to complain .
On the `` MediaBuzz '' program , Kurtz said , `` I can confirm that Jared Kushner called Rupert Murdoch to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed crucial at the time . ''
But Arnon Mishkin , head of Fox News ' decision desk , stuck by his reporting .
Even when CNN and MSNBC would n't call Arizona for Biden , Fox News still projected Biden to be the winner of that state .
It 's important to stress that even though Fox News and Fox Business in general have a conservative slant , there is a separation between their hard news divisions and opinion hosts like Hannity , Ingraham and Carlson .
The decision desk itself has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the news industry .
According to Post sources , Trump is even angrier about Fox News calling Arizona for Biden than he is about losing the election .
`` One ally said that when Trump called on Wednesday , he expected him to complain about the results , '' Ellison and Dawsey report .
`` Instead , the ally said , Trump 'railed about Fox . '
Trump 's advisers had long discussed the possibility that when he left office , he would support a news network to compete with Fox or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said one of his close advisers , 'only exacerbates that desire . '
''

As much adulation as President Donald Trump has received from Fox News opinion hosts like Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro and Laura Ingraham, there have been times when he lashed out against the right-wing cable news channel. And according to Washington Post reporters Sarah Ellison and Josh Dawsey, Trump's relationship with Fox News might be permanently damaged because of its decision to call Arizona for former Vice President Joe Biden — now President-Elect Biden — on Election Night.
Hannity had such a close relationship with Fox that, Ellison and Dawsey note in an article published on Monday, the Fox host even "advised him on his reelection strategy, from how to conduct himself in a debate to where he should hold his rallies, according to three people familiar with these exchanges." And Trump "maintained the unswerving support" of Ingraham and Pirro.
But after Fox called Arizona for Biden, Ellison and Dawsey report, Trump hit the roof and felt betrayed.
Ingraham and Pirro attended an Election Night party in the White House, where the mood was cheerful after Florida was called for Trump. And everything changed, according to Ellison and Dawsey, when Fox called Arizona for Biden.
"Fox was on the big-screen TVs as he won the key state of Florida and the room filled with increasing optimism that their candidate had once again defied the polls," the Post reporters explain. "Until 11:20 p.m., when Fox News called Arizona for Biden with 73% of the expected vote counted — a 'screeching of tires' that brought the party to a halt, said one official present. This account is based on interviews with 11 current and former Fox News and Trump officials, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive dynamics between Fox News and Trumpworld."
In response, according to Ellison and Dawsey, Trump "erupted in anger, telling others in the White House to 'get that result changed,' a senior administration official said. His chief of staff Mark Meadows phoned Fox News' decision desk repeatedly. Top aide Hope Hicks, who had returned to the White House earlier this year after a stint at Fox Corp., messaged Raj Shah, a former Trump White House staffer whom she hired at Fox, about how to get the call reversed. Kellyanne Conway got in touch with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier to complain. Jared Kushner reached out to Fox Corp.'s billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch."
Howard Kurtz, a Fox News media correspondent, acknowledged that Kushner called Fox's Murdoch to complain. On the "MediaBuzz" program, Kurtz said, "I can confirm that Jared Kushner called Rupert Murdoch to complain about the Arizona call, which seemed crucial at the time."
But Arnon Mishkin, head of Fox News' decision desk, stuck by his reporting. Even when CNN and MSNBC wouldn't call Arizona for Biden, Fox News still projected Biden to be the winner of that state.
It's important to stress that even though Fox News and Fox Business in general have a conservative slant, there is a separation between their hard news divisions and opinion hosts like Hannity, Ingraham and Carlson. The decision desk itself has secured its independence and is widely respected across the news industry.
According to Post sources, Trump is even angrier about Fox News calling Arizona for Biden than he is about losing the election.
"One ally said that when Trump called on Wednesday, he expected him to complain about the results," Ellison and Dawsey report. "Instead, the ally said, Trump 'railed about Fox.' Trump's advisers had long discussed the possibility that when he left office, he would support a news network to compete with Fox or start his own. 'This,' said one of his close advisers, 'only exacerbates that desire.'"


alternet--2020-11-09--Here are 3 key reasons Democrats were caught off guard in 2020 (and why all the finger-pointing is w

Here are 3 key reasons Democrats were caught off guard in 2020 (and why all the finger-pointing is wrong)

It will take some time before all of the votes are counted , the last races are called and we have a granular view of what happened up and down the ballot in the 2020 election .
We know Democrats won by a significant margin at the top of the ticket , while underperforming expectations in House races and state legislative contests .
There are three likely reasons for this that should be fairly obvious .
First , since the earliest days of the Covid-19 pandemic , Trump set the tone for his party by insisting that the media and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis in order to hurt him politically , and urged Americans to reopen businesses and schools and act as if these are normal times .
The impact of that strategic choice has been catastrophic , but it most likely benefited Republicans in one specific way : They had a robust ground game , knocking on tens of millions of doors while Democrats relied on virtual canvassing and limited personal contacts .
That disparity did n't matter much for the top of the ticket in an election that was always going to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know much about their local races and those conversations with canvassers can be key to getting them engaged further down the ballot .
Second , this was a very high-turnout election for both sides , and it followed a massive Democratic wave in 2018 .
Democrats netted 40 house seats and 309 state legislative seats during the midterms , which left them defending a significant number of purple or reddish seats with freshmen lawmakers .
That provided a lot of pickup opportunities for Republicans .
As of this writing , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far flipped were in exactly these kinds of districts .
If Biden had won the national popular vote by 8 points , as the polling averages suggested , Dems probably would have expanded their margin in the House and done well in those state legislative races .
In the end , he 'll probably end up winning it by 4 or 5 points so some of those low-hanging fruit were bound to fall .
Finally , while Never-Trump Republicans did n't materialize in the kinds of numbers that would have given Dems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get them to support Biden .
It does n't take a huge number of disaffected Republicans voting for Biden -- or for a third party or write-in -- while voting for Republicans for Congress and in state legislative races to create the kind of split between Biden 's performance and that of candidates further down the ballot that 's emerging now .
And as Eric Levitz argued , Biden probably was denied that 8-point win at least in part because the CARES Act pumped tons of money into the economy -- with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and $ 1,200 stimulus checks going to millions of households -- and as a result , a majority of Americans thought they were better off financially than they were four years ago .
I 'm fairly confident that this analysis will hold up well as we get more detailed data , but it is deeply problematic in the sense that it means that those down-ballot results were n't the fault of wild-eyed leftists , the neoliberal Democratic establishment or anyone in between .
That poses a problem for a certain contingent of very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences aside for the past six months to beat Trump and are now itching for a fight .
And it 's a big problem for outlets like The Hill , Axios and Politico that leverage intra-coalition tensions on both the left and the right for scoops and web-traffic .
So Abigail Spanberger , a vulnerable Democrat who narrowly held onto her seat and has a penchant for punching left , blasted the progressive wing , blaming a GOP attack ad accusing her of wanting to defund the police for her close win and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identifying as socialists .
Whatever one thinks of these rhetorical issues , the fact is that Democrats did not run on defunding the police -- that is an ask made by activists -- and Republicans have been calling even the most centrist Democrats `` socialists '' for as long as anyone can remember .
As I wrote last week , the conservative disinformation machine is a problem for leftists , liberals and centrists alike .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez fired back , arguing that the Democratic Party lacks `` core competencies '' when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and tended to blame progressives for their own ineptitude .
I 'm sympathetic to these arguments but they elide the party 's real problems -- gerrymandered districts , a malapportioned Senate and an opposition that embraces pernicious conspiracy theories and has worked hard to insulate itself from democratic accountability by suppressing votes and packing the courts .
Others jumped at rumors that Joe Biden might appoint various Republicans to his cabinet , and revived old grievances about the Biden campaign reaching out to Republicans and stiff-arming progressives .
Meanwhile , just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted and more races are called , it 's starting to look like Democrats ' down-ballot losses wo n't be as bad as they appeared at first blush .
Intra-party debates can be salutary .
But in this case , Democrats and progressives ' enthusiasm for forming a circular firing squad appears to be blinding them to the fairly clear factors that led them to underperform relative to the top of their tiocket .

It will take some time before all of the votes are counted, the last races are called and we have a granular view of what happened up and down the ballot in the 2020 election. We know Democrats won by a significant margin at the top of the ticket, while underperforming expectations in House races and state legislative contests.
There are three likely reasons for this that should be fairly obvious. First, since the earliest days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump set the tone for his party by insisting that the media and Democrats were exaggerating the severity of the crisis in order to hurt him politically, and urged Americans to reopen businesses and schools and act as if these are normal times. The impact of that strategic choice has been catastrophic, but it most likely benefited Republicans in one specific way: They had a robust ground game, knocking on tens of millions of doors while Democrats relied on virtual canvassing and limited personal contacts. That disparity didn't matter much for the top of the ticket in an election that was always going to be a referendum on Trump, but many voters don't know much about their local races and those conversations with canvassers can be key to getting them engaged further down the ballot.
Second, this was a very high-turnout election for both sides, and it followed a massive Democratic wave in 2018. Democrats netted 40 house seats and 309 state legislative seats during the midterms, which left them defending a significant number of purple or reddish seats with freshmen lawmakers. That provided a lot of pickup opportunities for Republicans. As of this writing, most of the half-dozen House seats they have so far flipped were in exactly these kinds of districts. If Biden had won the national popular vote by 8 points, as the polling averages suggested, Dems probably would have expanded their margin in the House and done well in those state legislative races. In the end, he'll probably end up winning it by 4 or 5 points so some of those low-hanging fruit were bound to fall.
Finally, while Never-Trump Republicans didn't materialize in the kinds of numbers that would have given Dems a landslide, there were major campaigns to get them to support Biden. It doesn't take a huge number of disaffected Republicans voting for Biden--or for a third party or write-in--while voting for Republicans for Congress and in state legislative races to create the kind of split between Biden's performance and that of candidates further down the ballot that's emerging now.
And as Eric Levitz argued, Biden probably was denied that 8-point win at least in part because the CARES Act pumped tons of money into the economy--with $600 per week enhanced unemployment benefits and $1,200 stimulus checks going to millions of households--and as a result, a majority of Americans thought they were better off financially than they were four years ago.
I'm fairly confident that this analysis will hold up well as we get more detailed data, but it is deeply problematic in the sense that it means that those down-ballot results weren't the fault of wild-eyed leftists, the neoliberal Democratic establishment or anyone in between. That poses a problem for a certain contingent of very online people who have set their factional differences aside for the past six months to beat Trump and are now itching for a fight. And it's a big problem for outlets like The Hill, Axios and Politico that leverage intra-coalition tensions on both the left and the right for scoops and web-traffic.
So Abigail Spanberger, a vulnerable Democrat who narrowly held onto her seat and has a penchant for punching left, blasted the progressive wing, blaming a GOP attack ad accusing her of wanting to defund the police for her close win and angrily condemning some on the left for identifying as socialists. Whatever one thinks of these rhetorical issues, the fact is that Democrats did not run on defunding the police--that is an ask made by activists--and Republicans have been calling even the most centrist Democrats "socialists" for as long as anyone can remember. As I wrote last week, the conservative disinformation machine is a problem for leftists, liberals and centrists alike.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez fired back, arguing that the Democratic Party lacks "core competencies" when it comes to organizing and running campaigns, and tended to blame progressives for their own ineptitude. I'm sympathetic to these arguments but they elide the party's real problems--gerrymandered districts, a malapportioned Senate and an opposition that embraces pernicious conspiracy theories and has worked hard to insulate itself from democratic accountability by suppressing votes and packing the courts.
Others jumped at rumors that Joe Biden might appoint various Republicans to his cabinet, and revived old grievances about the Biden campaign reaching out to Republicans and stiff-arming progressives.
Meanwhile, just as in 2018, as more votes are counted and more races are called, it's starting to look like Democrats' down-ballot losses won't be as bad as they appeared at first blush.
Intra-party debates can be salutary. But in this case, Democrats and progressives' enthusiasm for forming a circular firing squad appears to be blinding them to the fairly clear factors that led them to underperform relative to the top of their tiocket.


alternet--2020-11-09--'What!?': Fox News host caught on hot mic reacting to claim Biden isn’t the president-elect

President Donald Trump 's reportedly still furious with Fox News for calling Arizona for President-elect Joe Biden on Nov. 3 @ @ @ @ @ to be happy with another Fox News host aghast by a Trump supporter 's claim @ @ @ @ @ official yet .
`` Whoever is decided to be the president , remember just because @ @ @ @ @ Fox News says somebody 's president does n't make 'em president , '' said the @ @ @ @ @ Mitchell .
`` What !
? ''
exclaimed host Sandra Smith , looking up from @ @ @ @ @ What is happening ?
Like , Trace , we 've called it , '' Smith @ @ @ @ @ `` Yeah , '' Gallagher replied , `` I think that 's a very good @ @ @ @ @ the video below :

President Donald Trump's reportedly still furious with Fox News for calling Arizona for President-elect Joe Biden on Nov. 3. He's not going to be happy with another Fox News host aghast by a Trump supporter's claim that the election isn't official yet.
"Whoever is decided to be the president, remember just because CNN says — or even Fox News says somebody's president doesn't make 'em president," said the Trump advocate and lawyer Cleta Mitchell.
"What!?" exclaimed host Sandra Smith, looking up from reading her notes.
"What is happening? Like, Trace, we've called it," Smith said to Trace Gallagher.
"Yeah," Gallagher replied, "I think that's a very good point there."
See the video below:


alternet--2020-11-09--WATCH: Pennsylvania official gives an emotional account of death threats received just for counting

WATCH: Pennsylvania official gives an emotional account of death threats received just for counting votes

Following the victory of President-elect Joe Biden over President Donald Trump in the 2020 election , Philadelphia might be the most hated city in the United States among Trump supporters .
Biden had the 270 electoral votes he needed after winning Pennsylvania , and many Trumpistas are making the baseless claim that the election was stolen from Trump in Philly — where the office of City Commissioner Al Schmidt , a Republican , has been receiving death threats .
Schmidt is used to hearing jokes from Philadelphians when it is reported that he is a Republican — usually , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't know that Republicans existed in Philly . ''
The point of the joke is that Philly is overwhelmingly Democratic , and the city has n't elected a Republican mayor since Bernard Samuel left office in January 1952 .
What is n't funny at all is the death threats that Schmidt 's office has been facing .
To Trumpistas , Schmidt is a RINO ( Republican In Name Only ) .
Sounding quite distressed , Schmidt told CBS News , `` We are counting eligible votes cast by voters .
The controversy surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's people making accusations that we would n't count those votes , or people are adding fraudulent votes — or , coming up with just all kinds of crazy stuff . ''
`` It feels all very deranged , '' he said .
Schmidt , interviewed for `` 60 Minutes , '' told CBS News that there have been `` calls to our offices reminding us that this is what the 2nd Amendment is for : people like us . ''
The Philadelphia city commissioner sounded shocked that his office has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes in a democracy . ''
Schmidt said , `` At the end of the day , we are counting eligible votes cast by voters .
The controversy surrounding it is something I do n't understand .
Counting votes cast on or before Election Day by eligible voters is not corruption .
It is not cheating .
It is democracy .
From the inside looking out , it all feels very deranged . ''
Trump railed against Philly during his reelection , saying , `` Bad things happen in Philadelphia '' and claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting would be used to steal Pennsylvania 's 20 electoral votes from him .
At the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia , Schmidt 's army of vote-counters worked tirelessly last week to deliver an accurate vote count in the presidential election .
Biden was way ahead in the Pennsylvania vote count on Friday , November 6 , although the state still had n't been called for him — and Philadelphians all over the city were literally dancing in the streets when it was looking , more and more , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough , he did .
Early Saturday morning , November 7 , Pennsylvania still had n't been called .
But when it became obvious that Biden 's lead in the Pennsylvania vote count was insurmountable , major media reported , later that morning , that Pennsylvania had gone to him — thus giving Biden the 270 electoral votes he needed to be elected president of the United States .
Philly went wild over the news , with dance parties breaking out in the streets , motorists honking their horns nonstop and Philadelphians acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2008 World Series .
One anti-Trump sign carried by a Biden supporter read , `` Philadelphia , throwing tyrants out since 1776 . ''

Following the victory of President-elect Joe Biden over President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, Philadelphia might be the most hated city in the United States among Trump supporters. Biden had the 270 electoral votes he needed after winning Pennsylvania, and many Trumpistas are making the baseless claim that the election was stolen from Trump in Philly — where the office of City Commissioner Al Schmidt, a Republican, has been receiving death threats.
Schmidt is used to hearing jokes from Philadelphians when it is reported that he is a Republican — usually, along the lines of, "I didn't know that Republicans existed in Philly." The point of the joke is that Philly is overwhelmingly Democratic, and the city hasn't elected a Republican mayor since Bernard Samuel left office in January 1952. What isn't funny at all is the death threats that Schmidt's office has been facing. To Trumpistas, Schmidt is a RINO (Republican In Name Only).
Sounding quite distressed, Schmidt told CBS News, "We are counting eligible votes cast by voters. The controversy surrounding it is something I don't understand. It's people making accusations that we wouldn't count those votes, or people are adding fraudulent votes — or, coming up with just all kinds of crazy stuff."
"It feels all very deranged," he said.
Schmidt, interviewed for "60 Minutes," told CBS News that there have been "calls to our offices reminding us that this is what the 2nd Amendment is for: people like us."
The Philadelphia city commissioner sounded shocked that his office has been receiving death threats "for counting votes in a democracy."
Schmidt said, "At the end of the day, we are counting eligible votes cast by voters. The controversy surrounding it is something I don't understand. Counting votes cast on or before Election Day by eligible voters is not corruption. It is not cheating. It is democracy. From the inside looking out, it all feels very deranged."
Trump railed against Philly during his reelection, saying, "Bad things happen in Philadelphia" and claiming, with no justification whatsoever, that mail-in voting would be used to steal Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes from him.
At the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia, Schmidt's army of vote-counters worked tirelessly last week to deliver an accurate vote count in the presidential election. Biden was way ahead in the Pennsylvania vote count on Friday, November 6, although the state still hadn't been called for him — and Philadelphians all over the city were literally dancing in the streets when it was looking, more and more, like Biden would win the state. Sure enough, he did.
Early Saturday morning, November 7, Pennsylvania still hadn't been called. But when it became obvious that Biden's lead in the Pennsylvania vote count was insurmountable, major media reported, later that morning, that Pennsylvania had gone to him — thus giving Biden the 270 electoral votes he needed to be elected president of the United States. Philly went wild over the news, with dance parties breaking out in the streets, motorists honking their horns nonstop and Philadelphians acting like they did after the Phillies won the 2008 World Series. One anti-Trump sign carried by a Biden supporter read, "Philadelphia, throwing tyrants out since 1776."


alternet--2020-11-09--Trump fires Secretary of Defense Mark Esper

President Donald Trump Monday announced he has `` terminated '' Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and installed his Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in his place .
`` I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller , the highly respected Director of the National Counterterrorism Center ( unanimously confirmed by the Senate ) , will be Acting Secretary of Defense , effective immediately , '' Trump tweeted .
`` Chris will do a GREAT job !
Mark Esper has been terminated .
I would like to thank him for his service . ''
Trump has long been wanting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was reported Esper had drafter a letter of resignation .
The President is angry that Esper pushed back on Trump when he wanted to flood cities with military service members in a show of force against Black Lives Matters activists and supporters .
Miller becomes President Donald Trump 's sixth Pentagon chief .
( Esper had the job twice , first as Acting .
He was then replaced , and later nominated and confirmed . )
No other president has has as many , especially in such a short period of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight years , including keeping Robert Gates , President George W. Bush 's DefSec .
Bush had just two .
President Bill Clinton had three .
President George H.W .
Bush had two over four years .
President Ronald Reagan had two .
President Jimmy Carter had just one .
This is a breaking news and developing story .

President Donald Trump Monday announced he has "terminated" Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and installed his Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in his place.
"I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller, the highly respected Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (unanimously confirmed by the Senate), will be Acting Secretary of Defense, effective immediately," Trump tweeted. "Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service."
Trump has long been wanting to fire Esper, and last week it was reported Esper had drafter a letter of resignation.
The President is angry that Esper pushed back on Trump when he wanted to flood cities with military service members in a show of force against Black Lives Matters activists and supporters.
Miller becomes President Donald Trump's sixth Pentagon chief. (Esper had the job twice, first as Acting. He was then replaced, and later nominated and confirmed.)
No other president has has as many, especially in such a short period of time.
President Barack Obama had four over eight years, including keeping Robert Gates, President George W. Bush's DefSec. Bush had just two. President Bill Clinton had three. President George H.W. Bush had two over four years. President Ronald Reagan had two. President Jimmy Carter had just one.
This is a breaking news and developing story.


alternet--2020-11-09--An effective vaccine now seems imminent. Will Trump and his followers sabotage it in one last act of

An effective vaccine now seems imminent. Will Trump and his followers sabotage it in one last act of revenge?

These past few days are full of so much good news that the majority of Americans who are n't on board the Trump train , traumatized by a hellish year , are struggling to believe it 's real .
First , Joe Biden 's victory in the 2020 election was cemented over the weekend , both because the networks called the election and because the series of frivolous lawsuits Trump filed to steal it are failing in court .
On Monday morning , as most Americans were barely recovering from their emotional and sometimes literal hangovers , the pharmaceutical giant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its coronavirus vaccine is more than 90 % effective at preventing COVID-19 in trial patients .
( This information comes from a press release , not an independent study .
It 's promising but not conclusive . )
By no means does this mean that the coronavirus pandemic is over , much less that , as Trump angrily promised on the campaign trail , after the election , `` you wo n't hear about it anymore . ''
On the contrary , the pandemic was second only to the drawn-out election results in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case rates soared to more than 100,000 positive diagnoses a day and Biden announced the formation of a coronavirus task force that begins work Monday morning .
Pfizer 's announcement of a possible vaccine only makes clear that the pandemic will be the main national concern for the next few months , defined by the rising caseload and the ongoing need for efforts to contain and control it .
Those efforts , unfortunately , are likely to be undermined by Donald Trump and his hardcore fans , like every other effort to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pfizer announcement , conspiracy theories started to spread on social media , accusing the German pharmaceutical corporation of delaying the announcement in order to damage Trump 's chances for re-election chances .
Donald Trump Jr. , a major conduit for misinformation , was on this right out of the gate : '' The timing of this is pretty amazing .
Nothing nefarious about the timing of this at all right ? ''
Don Jr. tweeted , adding an eyeroll emoji .
Sure enough , Fox News immediately picked up the baton , calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
There is , needless to say , no evidence for these conspiracy theories .
This announcement fits right in the timeline that scientific experts have been giving us for months , which is that trials would be ending in early to mid-November .
The `` timing '' conspiracy theory makes even less sense when you consider that while the election results were not entirely clear until Saturday , the last votes were cast on Tuesday , six days before this announcement .
In addition , most voters cast their ballots well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no real reason to believe a vaccine announcement was a magic bullet that would have saved Trump 's campaign .
Yes , he would have taken credit for it , and might well have implied he had a direct hand in developing it ( which of course he didn't. )
.
But there 's no reason to think anyone would have believed him .
This entire conspiracy theory makes even less sense when considering what would have happened if Trump had won the election instead of Biden : Pfizer would have announced its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Trumpian narrative would likely have been jubilant instead of paranoid , treating this announcement as some proof of the greatness of Making America Great Again , rather than as proof of some imaginary conspiracy against him .
Since the same set of actions — announcing a vaccine in the second week of November — would have had wildly divergent meanings to Trump supporters depending on the election results , we can safely say this is less about Pfizer 's choices than about the Trump machine trying to turn every news story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflection of the alleged glory of the orange-tinted half-literate grifter they all bafflingly worship .
But here we are , in the space where Trump and his followers are bitter and paranoid and the vaccine announcement is being processed through those feelings , instead of feelings of triumph .
Unfortunately , that means it 's entirely possible that , with two months left in Trump 's one and only term of office , he will do real damage to the effectiveness of this potential vaccine .
After all , this is the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plot against him and used his power to interfere with this necessary public health measure — while bragging about it .
He may be trying to take credit now — even though Pfizer 's vaccine was not part of the administration 's program — but it 's almost inevitable that Trump will start to view this vaccine , as he views everything else , as some kind of attack on him .
That could definitely be a problem .
Pfizer claims it will have enough data to apply for an emergency authorization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and will have enough doses to immunize 15 to 20 million people by the end of the year .
Those numbers may be overly rosy — again , this is all coming from a press release , not a scientific paper — but if it pans out , that means the company will need to work with the Trump administration , at least for the initial rollout .
In case you had n't noticed , Trump is only worried about his ego and the plots against him he sees everywhere , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people .
If anything , he 's probably furious with the whole country for refusing to re-elect him .
There is a good chance , of course , that Trump will be too busy to interfere with the vaccine , distracted by pointless lawsuits against local election officials and his efforts to rake in as much cash as possible before leaving office .
Or that Biden will take over management of the pandemic quickly enough that there wo n't be much Trump can do to cause real or lasting damage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theories are starting and being amplified by the president 's No .
1 troll-son — and it 's only a matter of time before Trump himself gets involved — is alarming .
After all , this is the guy who was able to politicize mask-wearing and social distancing , encouraging conservatives to reject both , which almost certainly contributed to the rampant spread of the coronavirus across the country .
In light of this , there 's a real danger that conservatives will view the vaccine with similar suspicion .
Republican voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be wary of a potential vaccine , and that was back when Trump was promising them one by Election Day .
If they are persuaded by Trump and Fox News to see this as a `` Biden vaccine , '' it 's entirely possible many of them will refuse to be vaccinated .
As tempting as it is to say that these folks deserve COVID-19 if they 're going to be so foolish about it , the reality is that if we want to stop the pandemic , vaccination needs to be widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slower the return to normal will be .
Trump spent most of the past year whining about lockdowns and demanding an early `` reopening '' of the country .
Perhaps the final irony is that he 'll end up being the biggest obstacle to that actually happening .

These past few days are full of so much good news that the majority of Americans who aren't on board the Trump train, traumatized by a hellish year, are struggling to believe it's real. First, Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election was cemented over the weekend, both because the networks called the election and because the series of frivolous lawsuits Trump filed to steal it are failing in court. On Monday morning, as most Americans were barely recovering from their emotional and sometimes literal hangovers, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced that early results show that its coronavirus vaccine is more than 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 in trial patients. (This information comes from a press release, not an independent study. It's promising but not conclusive.)
By no means does this mean that the coronavirus pandemic is over, much less that, as Trump angrily promised on the campaign trail, after the election, "you won't hear about it anymore."
On the contrary, the pandemic was second only to the drawn-out election results in the headlines over the weekend, as case rates soared to more than 100,000 positive diagnoses a day and Biden announced the formation of a coronavirus task force that begins work Monday morning. Pfizer's announcement of a possible vaccine only makes clear that the pandemic will be the main national concern for the next few months, defined by the rising caseload and the ongoing need for efforts to contain and control it.
Those efforts, unfortunately, are likely to be undermined by Donald Trump and his hardcore fans, like every other effort to control the pandemic. Within moments of the Pfizer announcement, conspiracy theories started to spread on social media, accusing the German pharmaceutical corporation of delaying the announcement in order to damage Trump's chances for re-election chances. Donald Trump Jr., a major conduit for misinformation, was on this right out of the gate:
"The timing of this is pretty amazing. Nothing nefarious about the timing of this at all right?" Don Jr. tweeted, adding an eyeroll emoji.
Sure enough, Fox News immediately picked up the baton, calling the timing of the announcement "curious."
There is, needless to say, no evidence for these conspiracy theories. This announcement fits right in the timeline that scientific experts have been giving us for months, which is that trials would be ending in early to mid-November.
The "timing" conspiracy theory makes even less sense when you consider that while the election results were not entirely clear until Saturday, the last votes were cast on Tuesday, six days before this announcement. In addition, most voters cast their ballots well before that deadline. There's also no real reason to believe a vaccine announcement was a magic bullet that would have saved Trump's campaign. Yes, he would have taken credit for it, and might well have implied he had a direct hand in developing it (which of course he didn't.). But there's no reason to think anyone would have believed him.
This entire conspiracy theory makes even less sense when considering what would have happened if Trump had won the election instead of Biden: Pfizer would have announced its vaccine results anyway.
At that point, the Trumpian narrative would likely have been jubilant instead of paranoid, treating this announcement as some proof of the greatness of Making America Great Again, rather than as proof of some imaginary conspiracy against him. Since the same set of actions — announcing a vaccine in the second week of November — would have had wildly divergent meanings to Trump supporters depending on the election results, we can safely say this is less about Pfizer's choices than about the Trump machine trying to turn every news story, large or small, into a reflection of the alleged glory of the orange-tinted half-literate grifter they all bafflingly worship.
But here we are, in the space where Trump and his followers are bitter and paranoid and the vaccine announcement is being processed through those feelings, instead of feelings of triumph. Unfortunately, that means it's entirely possible that, with two months left in Trump's one and only term of office, he will do real damage to the effectiveness of this potential vaccine.
After all, this is the same man who saw widespread virus testing as a plot against him and used his power to interfere with this necessary public health measure — while bragging about it. He may be trying to take credit now — even though Pfizer's vaccine was not part of the administration's program — but it's almost inevitable that Trump will start to view this vaccine, as he views everything else, as some kind of attack on him.
That could definitely be a problem. Pfizer claims it will have enough data to apply for an emergency authorization to distribute the vaccine later this month, and will have enough doses to immunize 15 to 20 million people by the end of the year. Those numbers may be overly rosy — again, this is all coming from a press release, not a scientific paper — but if it pans out, that means the company will need to work with the Trump administration, at least for the initial rollout. In case you hadn't noticed, Trump is only worried about his ego and the plots against him he sees everywhere, and not at all about the health of the American people. If anything, he's probably furious with the whole country for refusing to re-elect him.
There is a good chance, of course, that Trump will be too busy to interfere with the vaccine, distracted by pointless lawsuits against local election officials and his efforts to rake in as much cash as possible before leaving office. Or that Biden will take over management of the pandemic quickly enough that there won't be much Trump can do to cause real or lasting damage.
Still, the mere fact that these conspiracy theories are starting and being amplified by the president's No. 1 troll-son — and it's only a matter of time before Trump himself gets involved — is alarming. After all, this is the guy who was able to politicize mask-wearing and social distancing, encouraging conservatives to reject both, which almost certainly contributed to the rampant spread of the coronavirus across the country.
In light of this, there's a real danger that conservatives will view the vaccine with similar suspicion. Republican voters were already more likely than Democrats to be wary of a potential vaccine, and that was back when Trump was promising them one by Election Day. If they are persuaded by Trump and Fox News to see this as a "Biden vaccine," it's entirely possible many of them will refuse to be vaccinated.
As tempting as it is to say that these folks deserve COVID-19 if they're going to be so foolish about it, the reality is that if we want to stop the pandemic, vaccination needs to be widespread. The more people refuse, the slower the return to normal will be. Trump spent most of the past year whining about lockdowns and demanding an early "reopening" of the country. Perhaps the final irony is that he'll end up being the biggest obstacle to that actually happening.


alternet--2020-11-09--Michigan court flags Trump legal team for screwing up another complaint: ‘Your submission is defecti

Michigan court flags Trump legal team for screwing up another complaint: ‘Your submission is defective’

President Donald Trump 's legal team is stuck again as it appears their court filings in Michigan were unsuccessful .
A letter from the Michigan Court of Appeals explained `` This office has received your papers in the above captioned matter .
I regret to inform you that your submission is defective because it was not accompanied by the following : '' The filing required a copy of the judgment appealed , a copy of the lower court docket entries , a copy of the transcript or evidence that the transcript has been ordered and five copies of a brief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the errors if they intend to move the case forward .
The news came on the heels of a CNN interview with Trump supporters who anticipate that the election will make it to the Supreme Court to decide the election .
`` I think this will get to the Supreme Court .
I 'm not sure how or what state or what avenue , but Trump has very high-powered lawyers , some of the top people in the country , so they will find a way I 'm sure , '' said 57-year-old @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump's legal team is stuck again as it appears their court filings in Michigan were unsuccessful.
A letter from the Michigan Court of Appeals explained "This office has received your papers in the above captioned matter. I regret to inform you that your submission is defective because it was not accompanied by the following:"
The filing required a copy of the judgment appealed, a copy of the lower court docket entries, a copy of the transcript or evidence that the transcript has been ordered and five copies of a brief.
Trump has 21 days to correct the errors if they intend to move the case forward.
The news came on the heels of a CNN interview with Trump supporters who anticipate that the election will make it to the Supreme Court to decide the election.
"I think this will get to the Supreme Court. I'm not sure how or what state or what avenue, but Trump has very high-powered lawyers, some of the top people in the country, so they will find a way I'm sure," said 57-year-old Trump supporter Christine Stellabotte.


alternet--2020-11-09--2020 election delivered a crippling blow to fair elections for the coming decade — thanks to the Sup

2020 election delivered a crippling blow to fair elections for the coming decade — thanks to the Supreme Court

Nov. 3 delivered a crippling blow to fair elections for the coming decade after Republicans scored a sweeping victory in the battle for control over redistricting following this year 's census , giving them the power to gerrymander up to half of the country .
The GOP is poised to draw four or even five times as many congressional districts as Democrats , almost as extreme as the advantage the party enjoyed following the 2010 wave .
But not only did Republicans secure their grip on the cartographer 's pen across the country , they could also see the potency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the radical new 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court .
The future of redistricting depends heavily on what the court 's new far-right majority does in three different areas : • First , the court could remove remaining state-level checks on GOP legislatures , such as the ability of state courts to policy gerrymandering .
• Second , it could gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act and finish the job Chief Justice John Roberts started in 2013 , which would particularly worsen gerrymandering in the South , particularly discriminating against Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Finally , the court could let Republican lawmakers draw districts based on eligible voters instead of the broader total population , further exacerbating the GOP 's domination and hurting people of color .
The Supreme Court is n't the only threat , though , and it remains unclear just how much damage Donald Trump has done to corrupt the accuracy of the 2020 census .
Let 's delve into each of these areas , including the options Democrats have left for fighting back .
The court 's most wide-reaching impact could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two centuries of federalism by accepting an extreme and unprecedented view of the U.S. Constitution 's `` Elections Clause . ''
That clause , found in Article I , Section IV , gives the `` legislature '' in each state the power to set the `` times , places , and manner of holding '' federal elections—though it adds that Congress `` may at any time make or alter such regulations '' —which is why , for instance , there 's a federal law from the 19th century setting a uniform date for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several ongoing cases over uncounted absentee ballots that this clause only empowers the state legislature itself .
That claim would exclude all those who hold the power to set or interpret laws under state constitutions , such as state courts , voters ( via the ballot initiative process ) , or potentially even governors when they exercise their veto powers .
The Supreme Court rejected this radical interpretation of the Elections Clause in a 5-4 ruling in 2015 that upheld the right of Arizona voters to strip their Republican-run legislature of the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot initiative that established an independent redistricting commission .
However , two of the justices in the majority in that ruling , Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy , are no longer on the court and have since been replaced by justices much further to the right .
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote an angry dissent in the Arizona case and was joined by Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas , all of whom of course still serve on the court .
Neil Gorsuch , meanwhile , has signaled that he would accept this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over late-counted mail ballots in Pennsylvania , and Brett Kavanaugh appears likely to join his nihilistic colleagues .
Amy Coney Barrett has n't weighed in on the issue only because she did n't have time to do so before Election Day .
If the Supreme Court does hold that only literal state legislatures may set federal election laws absent congressional intervention , independent redistricting commissions enacted by initiatives placed on the ballot by ordinary citizens could get struck down in Arizona , California , and Michigan .
It would also eliminate the possibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiatives in states like Arkansas , Florida , Oklahoma , and more .
The court could even go further and strip governors of their ability to veto new redistricting plans , if indeed only `` legislatures '' —free from gubernatorial involvement—can determine how elections are run .
Such a move would disproportionately benefit Republicans , since it would bar many more Democratic governors in states with Republican-run legislatures ( such as Louisiana , Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin ) from blocking new gerrymanders than vice versa .
Should this most extreme state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only solution for Democrats would be to win control of more legislatures , but they 'd be fighting on gerrymandered maps deliberately tilted against them .
The second grim scenario , which is the likeliest to transpire , would largely impact gerrymandering in states Republicans already control .
Specifically , the Supreme Court could eviscerate the rest of the Voting Rights Act ( VRA ) by invalidating Section Two of the VRA 's ban on laws that have a discriminatory effect on voters .
Chief Justice John Roberts has in fact spent his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that , and he now has five allies on the bench—and only four are needed .
The court may gut Section Two either by finding it unconstitutional or by making its test for showing discriminatory impacts impossible to satisfy , the latter of which it could do in an Arizona voting case it will hear next year .
That would eliminate the requirement stretching back three decades that maps be drawn to create districts where voters belonging to racial and ethnic minorities , like Blacks and Latinos , can elect their chosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many as a dozen more congressional seats , concentrated largely in the South , and the impact on certain state legislatures would be even more dramatic .
Lastly , the Supreme Court could make GOP gerrymandering worse by allowing Republicans to draw districts based solely on the eligible voter population instead of the total overall population , which has been the longstanding norm .
Not only is the eligible voter pool whiter , it also excludes children , noncitizens , and potentially even some of the 5 million Americans disenfranchised due to felony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make Republican gerrymandering more potent in several key states such as Texas , where communities with large Latino populations that lean Democratic are typically much younger and have many more noncitizen immigrants than whiter communities with fewer children .
Furthermore , people disenfranchised due to felony convictions are disproportionately Black and concentrated in Southern states such as Mississippi , which bans one in six Black citizens from voting for life , three times the rate of whites .
A 2019 expose of leaked documents confirmed that Republicans have been plotting to bring this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not eliminate the possibility in a 2016 ruling .
However , one key wrinkle in this plan is that the Supreme Court refused to let Trump place a citizenship question on the census last year .
Trump subsequently ordered the Census Bureau to use existing administrative records to match citizenship data from other sources with the granular type of census data needed for redistricting .
However , Joe Biden could block the release of such data , and litigation over it appears likely .
But even if citizenship data is unobtainable for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the full adult population is still whiter than the total population , especially in places like Texas .
However , Trump has also tried to sabotage the accuracy of the census by rushing an incomplete count , the damage from which is yet unknown .
Despite all this , Democrats and reformers still have a number of ways to fight back .
The most important target right now is to win two Jan. 5 runoffs for the Senate in Georgia , which would split the chamber at 50 seats apiece .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden wins the presidency , Kamala Harris could break ties as vice president .
Should that come to pass , Democrats could eliminate the filibuster and pass legislation in Congress to ban congressional gerrymandering by mandating independent commissions in every state .
They could also reform the Supreme Court in a variety of different ways , including by adding more seats .
Options also remain at the state level for as long as the Supreme Court 's hardliners back away from the ledge and do n't blow up the foundation of federalism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arkansas , Florida , and North Dakota all rejected GOP-backed ballot measures this year that would have made future progressive ballot measures much harder , if not impossible .
Arkansas and North Dakota , meanwhile , were poised to vote on redistricting reform measures in 2020 before GOP-dominated courts threw them off the ballot , so future efforts this decade could yet succeed .
But this year 's elections have already brought dire news even if worst-case scenarios do n't come to pass .
After a lost decade following 2010 in which Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin despite Democrats winning more votes , Republican minority rule is becoming self-entrenching in many states .
2020 was a key opportunity to level the redistricting playing field in many states and protect majority rule , but Republican wins have ended those hopes .
Yet even if the Supreme Court does take this country down the darkest possible paths , all hope is not lost .
Examples abound of countries bringing democracy back from the brink , including a recent one nearby .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized massive street protests amid widespread discontent triggered in part by a Supreme Court that kept thwarting the country 's left-of-center governments .
These protests led to a peaceful revolution that culminated last month with Chileans voting to write a new constitution .
Americans still have other avenues for redress , but whatever conclusions we draw from them , this week 's election showed that our country remains home to a majority that believes in democracy and wants to see the will of the people honored .

Nov. 3 delivered a crippling blow to fair elections for the coming decade after Republicans scored a sweeping victory in the battle for control over redistricting following this year's census, giving them the power to gerrymander up to half of the country. The GOP is poised to draw four or even five times as many congressional districts as Democrats, almost as extreme as the advantage the party enjoyed following the 2010 wave.
But not only did Republicans secure their grip on the cartographer's pen across the country, they could also see the potency of their gerrymanders get turbocharged thanks to the radical new 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court. The future of redistricting depends heavily on what the court's new far-right majority does in three different areas:
First, the court could remove remaining state-level checks on GOP legislatures, such as the ability of state courts to policy gerrymandering. Second, it could gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act and finish the job Chief Justice John Roberts started in 2013, which would particularly worsen gerrymandering in the South, particularly discriminating against Black voters and the Democrats they heavily support. Finally, the court could let Republican lawmakers draw districts based on eligible voters instead of the broader total population, further exacerbating the GOP's domination and hurting people of color.
The Supreme Court isn't the only threat, though, and it remains unclear just how much damage Donald Trump has done to corrupt the accuracy of the 2020 census. Let's delve into each of these areas, including the options Democrats have left for fighting back.
The court's most wide-reaching impact could come if it upends a bedrock of two centuries of federalism by accepting an extreme and unprecedented view of the U.S. Constitution's "Elections Clause." That clause, found in Article I, Section IV, gives the "legislature" in each state the power to set the "times, places, and manner of holding" federal elections—though it adds that Congress "may at any time make or alter such regulations"—which is why, for instance, there's a federal law from the 19th century setting a uniform date for congressional elections.
Republicans have argued in several ongoing cases over uncounted absentee ballots that this clause only empowers the state legislature itself. That claim would exclude all those who hold the power to set or interpret laws under state constitutions, such as state courts, voters (via the ballot initiative process), or potentially even governors when they exercise their veto powers.
The Supreme Court rejected this radical interpretation of the Elections Clause in a 5-4 ruling in 2015 that upheld the right of Arizona voters to strip their Republican-run legislature of the power to draw new maps through a 2000 ballot initiative that established an independent redistricting commission. However, two of the justices in the majority in that ruling, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy, are no longer on the court and have since been replaced by justices much further to the right.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote an angry dissent in the Arizona case and was joined by Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, all of whom of course still serve on the court. Neil Gorsuch, meanwhile, has signaled that he would accept this unfounded legal theory in a pending case over late-counted mail ballots in Pennsylvania, and Brett Kavanaugh appears likely to join his nihilistic colleagues. Amy Coney Barrett hasn't weighed in on the issue only because she didn't have time to do so before Election Day.
If the Supreme Court does hold that only literal state legislatures may set federal election laws absent congressional intervention, independent redistricting commissions enacted by initiatives placed on the ballot by ordinary citizens could get struck down in Arizona, California, and Michigan. It would also eliminate the possibility of setting up independent commissions through future initiatives in states like Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, and more.
The court could even go further and strip governors of their ability to veto new redistricting plans, if indeed only "legislatures"—free from gubernatorial involvement—can determine how elections are run. Such a move would disproportionately benefit Republicans, since it would bar many more Democratic governors in states with Republican-run legislatures (such as Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) from blocking new gerrymanders than vice versa.
Should this most extreme state of affairs come to pass, the only solution for Democrats would be to win control of more legislatures, but they'd be fighting on gerrymandered maps deliberately tilted against them.
The second grim scenario, which is the likeliest to transpire, would largely impact gerrymandering in states Republicans already control. Specifically, the Supreme Court could eviscerate the rest of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by invalidating Section Two of the VRA's ban on laws that have a discriminatory effect on voters. Chief Justice John Roberts has in fact spent his four-decade career in Washington trying to do just that, and he now has five allies on the bench—and only four are needed.
The court may gut Section Two either by finding it unconstitutional or by making its test for showing discriminatory impacts impossible to satisfy, the latter of which it could do in an Arizona voting case it will hear next year. That would eliminate the requirement stretching back three decades that maps be drawn to create districts where voters belonging to racial and ethnic minorities, like Blacks and Latinos, can elect their chosen candidates. Republicans could gain perhaps as many as a dozen more congressional seats, concentrated largely in the South, and the impact on certain state legislatures would be even more dramatic.
Lastly, the Supreme Court could make GOP gerrymandering worse by allowing Republicans to draw districts based solely on the eligible voter population instead of the total overall population, which has been the longstanding norm. Not only is the eligible voter pool whiter, it also excludes children, noncitizens, and potentially even some of the 5 million Americans disenfranchised due to felony convictions.
Using the voter population would make Republican gerrymandering more potent in several key states such as Texas, where communities with large Latino populations that lean Democratic are typically much younger and have many more noncitizen immigrants than whiter communities with fewer children.
Furthermore, people disenfranchised due to felony convictions are disproportionately Black and concentrated in Southern states such as Mississippi, which bans one in six Black citizens from voting for life, three times the rate of whites. A 2019 expose of leaked documents confirmed that Republicans have been plotting to bring this change about, and the Supreme Court did not eliminate the possibility in a 2016 ruling.
However, one key wrinkle in this plan is that the Supreme Court refused to let Trump place a citizenship question on the census last year. Trump subsequently ordered the Census Bureau to use existing administrative records to match citizenship data from other sources with the granular type of census data needed for redistricting. However, Joe Biden could block the release of such data, and litigation over it appears likely.
But even if citizenship data is unobtainable for redistricting, age data won't be, and the full adult population is still whiter than the total population, especially in places like Texas. However, Trump has also tried to sabotage the accuracy of the census by rushing an incomplete count, the damage from which is yet unknown.
Despite all this, Democrats and reformers still have a number of ways to fight back. The most important target right now is to win two Jan. 5 runoffs for the Senate in Georgia, which would split the chamber at 50 seats apiece. If, as looks likely, Joe Biden wins the presidency, Kamala Harris could break ties as vice president.
Should that come to pass, Democrats could eliminate the filibuster and pass legislation in Congress to ban congressional gerrymandering by mandating independent commissions in every state. They could also reform the Supreme Court in a variety of different ways, including by adding more seats.
Options also remain at the state level for as long as the Supreme Court's hardliners back away from the ledge and don't blow up the foundation of federalism. In a silver lining, voters in Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota all rejected GOP-backed ballot measures this year that would have made future progressive ballot measures much harder, if not impossible. Arkansas and North Dakota, meanwhile, were poised to vote on redistricting reform measures in 2020 before GOP-dominated courts threw them off the ballot, so future efforts this decade could yet succeed.
But this year's elections have already brought dire news even if worst-case scenarios don't come to pass. After a lost decade following 2010 in which Republicans repeatedly won control of key states such as Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin despite Democrats winning more votes, Republican minority rule is becoming self-entrenching in many states. 2020 was a key opportunity to level the redistricting playing field in many states and protect majority rule, but Republican wins have ended those hopes.
Yet even if the Supreme Court does take this country down the darkest possible paths, all hope is not lost. Examples abound of countries bringing democracy back from the brink, including a recent one nearby.
Last year, millions of citizens in Chile organized massive street protests amid widespread discontent triggered in part by a Supreme Court that kept thwarting the country's left-of-center governments. These protests led to a peaceful revolution that culminated last month with Chileans voting to write a new constitution.
Americans still have other avenues for redress, but whatever conclusions we draw from them, this week's election showed that our country remains home to a majority that believes in democracy and wants to see the will of the people honored.


alternet--2020-11-09--Bright sign from Georgia: Democrats flip House seat in Atlanta's long-Republican suburbs

The Associated Press called the open seat race for Georgia 's 7th District for Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux on Friday , which gives House Democrats a welcome pickup after an unexpectedly rough cycle .
Bourdeaux flipped this longtime Republican-held constituency in the northwest Atlanta suburbs by beating Rich McCormick 51-49 in a contest that attracted millions in outside spending from both sides .
Bourdeaux 's win comes two years after she lost a surprisingly tight race to Republican incumbent Rob Woodall , a showing that helped prove that Georgia 's 7th was no longer safely red turf .
Gwinnett County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the district is located here , with the balance in Forsyth County ) , spent decades as a GOP stronghold up and down the ballot .
The suburb decisively voted for Ronald Reagan even as he was losing statewide in 1980 to Georgia 's former governor , President Jimmy Carter ; Gwinnett County also backed Mack Mattingly 68-32 that year in his narrow victory over Democratic Sen. Herman Talmadge , a contest that made Mattingly the Peach State 's first Republican senator since Reconstruction .
Gwinnett County would continue to overwhelmingly support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first decade of the 21st Century , and the rapidly growing community was also a major source of strength for Team Red 's gubernatorial and Senate candidates during this time .
The county also soon became very friendly turf for Republican congressmen .
Woodall spent years working as an aide to local Rep. John Linder , who never had any trouble winning reelection during his nearly two decades in Congress , and Woodall himself faced no serious general election opposition when he ran to succeed his boss in 2010 .
Gwinnett County became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John McCain carrying it just 55-45 four years after George W. Bush overwhelmingly won it 66-33 , but that did n't seem to matter much for Woodall .
Republican mapmakers did all they could to make sure the 7th District remained safely red when they redrew the maps in 2011 , and he was left with a redrawn seat that included just over 70 % of Gwinnett County as well as the same portion of Forsyth County , a smaller but far more conservative area .
( About 22 % of Gwinnett County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was assigned to the safely blue 4th District , while the balance went to the dark red 10th District . )
For a time , the GOP gerrymander worked exactly as intended .
The new 7th District backed Mitt Romney by a strong 60-38 margin even as he was carrying all of Gwinnett County only 54-45 , which was Team Red 's weakest showing in a presidential race since Carter won it back in 1976 .
National Democrats also did n't make any serious effort to unseat Woodall , who seemed completely safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Donald Trump era in this well-educated and diverse suburb .
Trump outright lost Gwinnett County 50-44 , and while he did win the 7th District , his 51-45 showing in 2016 was a big drop from what the GOP was accustomed to .
Woodall himself easily turned back an underfunded Democratic foe that year in a contest that attracted no outside attention , and he seemed ardently convinced that he would remain safe despite Trump 's drop .
In May of 2017 , Woodall even glibly said of his own race , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things noncompetitive , right ? ''
That obliviousness to his seat 's changing politics almost cost him reelection in 2018 .
Bourdeaux , a Georgia State University public policy professor , won the Democratic nomination after a crowded primary , and she proved to be a strong fundraiser .
Woodall , though , did n't run any ads for most of the campaign or even do many advertised campaign events .
However , he got something of a wake-up call late in the campaign when Independence USA , a super PAC funded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety advocate Michael Bloomberg , dropped $ 913,000 on him in the final days of the race .
Finally , on the Friday before Election Day , Woodall finally went up with his first TV spot .
Bourdeaux ended up losing to Woodall by just 433 votes in a performance that shocked both parties .
It was n't an outlier , though : Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams , despite the taint of Republican voter suppression that marred her election , performed well in Gwinnett County and other Atlanta suburbs , and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 50-49 margin .
Bourdeaux quickly made it clear that she 'd be running again , and this time , both parties were aware that they 'd have a fight in the 7th .
Republicans reportedly were n't keen on having Woodall stick around after he almost sleepwalked to victory , and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in early February of 2019 that some unnamed GOP officials were pressuring him to `` consider his options '' for the cycle .
Woodall seems to have gotten the message , and he announced his retirement days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both parties soon entered the race to succeed Woodall , but neither primary ended up going to a runoff .
Bourdeaux 's opponent this time was Rich McCormick , an emergency room physician who received serious support from the far-right anti-tax Club for Growth .
The general election also proved to be a very expensive affair , with the DCCC and House Majority PAC spending a total of $ 6.5 million on the Democratic side compared to $ 5 million from the NRCC and Congressional Leadership Fund .
Ultimately , while House Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburbs they were hoping for , Bourdeaux pulled off a victory .
This pickup came as once solidly Gwinnett County continued to move hard to the left : Joe Biden has dramatically improved on Hillary Clinton 's showing from just four years ago , and Democrats will also be looking for a strong performance here in January as they try to win as many as two U.S. Senate runoffs .

The Associated Press called the open seat race for Georgia's 7th District for Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux on Friday, which gives House Democrats a welcome pickup after an unexpectedly rough cycle. Bourdeaux flipped this longtime Republican-held constituency in the northwest Atlanta suburbs by beating Rich McCormick 51-49 in a contest that attracted millions in outside spending from both sides. Bourdeaux's win comes two years after she lost a surprisingly tight race to Republican incumbent Rob Woodall, a showing that helped prove that Georgia's 7th was no longer safely red turf.
Gwinnett County, which dominates this seat (82% of the district is located here, with the balance in Forsyth County), spent decades as a GOP stronghold up and down the ballot. The suburb decisively voted for Ronald Reagan even as he was losing statewide in 1980 to Georgia's former governor, President Jimmy Carter; Gwinnett County also backed Mack Mattingly 68-32 that year in his narrow victory over Democratic Sen. Herman Talmadge, a contest that made Mattingly the Peach State's first Republican senator since Reconstruction.
Gwinnett County would continue to overwhelmingly support every Republican presidential nominee well into the first decade of the 21st Century, and the rapidly growing community was also a major source of strength for Team Red's gubernatorial and Senate candidates during this time. The county also soon became very friendly turf for Republican congressmen. Woodall spent years working as an aide to local Rep. John Linder, who never had any trouble winning reelection during his nearly two decades in Congress, and Woodall himself faced no serious general election opposition when he ran to succeed his boss in 2010.
Gwinnett County became more competitive during the 2000s, with John McCain carrying it just 55-45 four years after George W. Bush overwhelmingly won it 66-33, but that didn't seem to matter much for Woodall. Republican mapmakers did all they could to make sure the 7th District remained safely red when they redrew the maps in 2011, and he was left with a redrawn seat that included just over 70% of Gwinnett County as well as the same portion of Forsyth County, a smaller but far more conservative area. (About 22% of Gwinnett County, including its more Democratic areas, was assigned to the safely blue 4th District, while the balance went to the dark red 10th District.)
For a time, the GOP gerrymander worked exactly as intended. The new 7th District backed Mitt Romney by a strong 60-38 margin even as he was carrying all of Gwinnett County only 54-45, which was Team Red's weakest showing in a presidential race since Carter won it back in 1976. National Democrats also didn't make any serious effort to unseat Woodall, who seemed completely safe.
However, things dramatically changed during the Donald Trump era in this well-educated and diverse suburb. Trump outright lost Gwinnett County 50-44, and while he did win the 7th District, his 51-45 showing in 2016 was a big drop from what the GOP was accustomed to. Woodall himself easily turned back an underfunded Democratic foe that year in a contest that attracted no outside attention, and he seemed ardently convinced that he would remain safe despite Trump's drop. In May of 2017, Woodall even glibly said of his own race, "It's gerrymandering that makes these things noncompetitive, right?"
That obliviousness to his seat's changing politics almost cost him reelection in 2018. Bourdeaux, a Georgia State University public policy professor, won the Democratic nomination after a crowded primary, and she proved to be a strong fundraiser. Woodall, though, didn't run any ads for most of the campaign or even do many advertised campaign events. However, he got something of a wake-up call late in the campaign when Independence USA, a super PAC funded by former New York City Mayor and gun safety advocate Michael Bloomberg, dropped $913,000 on him in the final days of the race. Finally, on the Friday before Election Day, Woodall finally went up with his first TV spot.
Bourdeaux ended up losing to Woodall by just 433 votes in a performance that shocked both parties. It wasn't an outlier, though: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, despite the taint of Republican voter suppression that marred her election, performed well in Gwinnett County and other Atlanta suburbs, and she even won the gerrymandered 7th District by a 50-49 margin.
Bourdeaux quickly made it clear that she'd be running again, and this time, both parties were aware that they'd have a fight in the 7th. Republicans reportedly weren't keen on having Woodall stick around after he almost sleepwalked to victory, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in early February of 2019 that some unnamed GOP officials were pressuring him to "consider his options" for the cycle. Woodall seems to have gotten the message, and he announced his retirement days later.
A number of candidates from both parties soon entered the race to succeed Woodall, but neither primary ended up going to a runoff. Bourdeaux's opponent this time was Rich McCormick, an emergency room physician who received serious support from the far-right anti-tax Club for Growth. The general election also proved to be a very expensive affair, with the DCCC and House Majority PAC spending a total of $6.5 million on the Democratic side compared to $5 million from the NRCC and Congressional Leadership Fund.
Ultimately, while House Democrats didn't make the gains in the suburbs they were hoping for, Bourdeaux pulled off a victory. This pickup came as once solidly Gwinnett County continued to move hard to the left: Joe Biden has dramatically improved on Hillary Clinton's showing from just four years ago, and Democrats will also be looking for a strong performance here in January as they try to win as many as two U.S. Senate runoffs.


alternet--2020-11-09--Mitch McConnell should be very worried about the Senate. Here's why

It 's almost hard to believe : Joe Biden is on the verge of turning Georgia blue , making him the first Democratic candidate for president to do so since 1992 .
It caps a remarkable transformation for a fast-diversifying state that had long seemed on the brink of flipping but had never quite gotten there—until now .
It also has enormous implications for the future of our country .
Biden 's impending Peach State victory is icing on his electoral cake , of course , since he 's already locked down the 270 electoral votes that have made him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday ?
Mine was pretty swell ! )
The most important thing it signals , rather , is that Democrats can win the two all-important runoffs for the Senate that are slated for Jan. 5 .
The math is simple : Republicans currently hold or lead in races for 50 Senate seats while Democrats have secured 48 seats .
If Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock win their respective contests in January , that 'll make for a 50-50 split , with ties broken by ( say it with me now ! )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ both be very difficult races , no doubt about it .
But Biden has just shown us that there is indeed a path for Democrats to prevail in Georgia .
And while Donald Trump demoralizes his supporters by essentially telling them that elections are pointless , Democrats are fired up and energized by Biden 's success like never before .
The vision of a blue Georgia has long been a dream .
Joe Biden just helped turn it into a reality .
Now it 's up to us to continue the progress we @ @ @ @

It's almost hard to believe: Joe Biden is on the verge of turning Georgia blue, making him the first Democratic candidate for president to do so since 1992. It caps a remarkable transformation for a fast-diversifying state that had long seemed on the brink of flipping but had never quite gotten there—until now.
It also has enormous implications for the future of our country. Biden's impending Peach State victory is icing on his electoral cake, of course, since he's already locked down the 270 electoral votes that have made him president-elect. (And how was your Saturday? Mine was pretty swell!) The most important thing it signals, rather, is that Democrats can win the two all-important runoffs for the Senate that are slated for Jan. 5.
The math is simple: Republicans currently hold or lead in races for 50 Senate seats while Democrats have secured 48 seats. If Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock win their respective contests in January, that'll make for a 50-50 split, with ties broken by (say it with me now!) Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
These will both be very difficult races, no doubt about it. But Biden has just shown us that there is indeed a path for Democrats to prevail in Georgia. And while Donald Trump demoralizes his supporters by essentially telling them that elections are pointless, Democrats are fired up and energized by Biden's success like never before.
The vision of a blue Georgia has long been a dream. Joe Biden just helped turn it into a reality. Now it's up to us to continue the progress we've already made.


alternet--2020-11-09--Bipartisan Center for Presidential Transition urges Trump to concede and let ‘post-election transiti

Bipartisan Center for Presidential Transition urges Trump to concede and let ‘post-election transition process’ begin

On Saturday , November 7 , major media outlets projected that former Vice President Joe Biden won Pennsylvania 's 20 electoral votes and will be the next president of the United States — and some Republicans are responding by imploring Trump not to concede and fight the election results in court , including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and the president 's personal attorney , former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani .
But the bipartisan Center for Presidential Transition 's advisory board vehemently disagrees and is urging Trump to concede for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official statement , the Center declared , `` We congratulate Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris on their successful and historic campaign for the White House .
In our role , we have observed the seriousness with which they have taken the transition planning process .
They embraced transition planning early , recruited a seasoned and disciplined team and resourced their transition effort commensurate with the challenges that President-elect Biden will face on January 20 .
While there will be legal disputes requiring adjudication , the outcome is sufficiently clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The Center continued , `` As candidate Biden becomes President-elect Biden , he and his transition team will quickly shift from campaigning to governing .
To build an effective government ready to address the urgent needs of our great country , the new president will have to recruit 4000 political appointees , including 1250 who require Senate confirmation ; prepare a $ 4.7 trillion budget ; implement a strong policy agenda ; and assume leadership of a workforce of 2 million civilian employees and 2 million active duty and reserve troops .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans and two Democrats .
The Republicans both served under President George W. Bush : former White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt — and the Democrats are Thomas F. McLarty , who served as White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton , and former Obama Administration Commerce Secretary Penny S. Pritzker .
`` Now , the real challenge begins , '' the Center 's statement emphasized .
`` We urge the Trump Administration to immediately begin the post-election transition process and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the resources available under the Presidential Transition Act .
This was a hard-fought campaign , but history is replete with examples of presidents who emerged from such campaigns to graciously assist their successors . ''

On Saturday, November 7, major media outlets projected that former Vice President Joe Biden won Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes and will be the next president of the United States — and some Republicans are responding by imploring Trump not to concede and fight the election results in court, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and the president's personal attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. But the bipartisan Center for Presidential Transition's advisory board vehemently disagrees and is urging Trump to concede for the good of the U.S.
In an official statement, the Center declared, "We congratulate Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris on their successful and historic campaign for the White House. In our role, we have observed the seriousness with which they have taken the transition planning process. They embraced transition planning early, recruited a seasoned and disciplined team and resourced their transition effort commensurate with the challenges that President-elect Biden will face on January 20. While there will be legal disputes requiring adjudication, the outcome is sufficiently clear that the transition process must now begin."
The Center continued, "As candidate Biden becomes President-elect Biden, he and his transition team will quickly shift from campaigning to governing. To build an effective government ready to address the urgent needs of our great country, the new president will have to recruit 4000 political appointees, including 1250 who require Senate confirmation; prepare a $4.7 trillion budget; implement a strong policy agenda; and assume leadership of a workforce of 2 million civilian employees and 2 million active duty and reserve troops."
The statement was signed by two Republicans and two Democrats. The Republicans both served under President George W. Bush: former White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt — and the Democrats are Thomas F. McLarty, who served as White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, and former Obama Administration Commerce Secretary Penny S. Pritzker.
"Now, the real challenge begins," the Center's statement emphasized. "We urge the Trump Administration to immediately begin the post-election transition process and the Biden team to take full advantage of the resources available under the Presidential Transition Act. This was a hard-fought campaign, but history is replete with examples of presidents who emerged from such campaigns to graciously assist their successors."


alternet--2020-11-09--NY Attorney General Letitia James: ‘We will continue our investigations’ of Trump

With President Donald Trump having been voted out of office and former Vice President Joe Biden now president-elect of the United States , Trump is likely to face multiple investigations at both the federal and state levels in 2021 .
Those who have been investigating Trump in New York State include New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance , Jr. , and when James appeared on MSNBC on Sunday , November 8 , she stressed to host Ari Melber that her office will continue to investigate Trump for possible `` financial improprieties '' after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in as president .
`` The investigations that we currently have against the Trump Organization will continue , '' James , a Democrat , told the 40-year-old Melber .
`` The outcome of the election will have no impact on our investigations .
And so , we will continue our investigations… .
It 's important that individuals understand that no one is above the law , and that our investigations have nothing to do with politics , but more to do with the facts and the law as we see it and as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MSNBC 's `` The Beat , '' which airs Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. eastern time .
And he appeared on MSNBC on Sunday morning to host some of the cable news outlet 's special coverage of the 2020 presidential election .
James stressed to Melber that her office 's investigation of Trump 's finances is separate from Vance 's investigations of the outgoing president .
`` Our investigation is primarily civil in nature , '' James told Melber .
`` The criminal investigation is being conducted by the district attorney of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue our civil investigation against financial improprieties against the Trump Organization .
And again , no one is above the law .
And we will just follow the facts and the evidence wherever they lead us . ''
James ' appearance on MSNBC came the day after the Associated Press announced that Biden had won Pennsylvania 's 20 electoral votes and therefore , had the 270 electoral votes needed to become president of the United States .
Early Saturday morning , November 7 , votes were still being counted inside the Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Biden already had a comfortable lead over Trump in the Pennsylvania vote count even though the state had n't been called for him yet .
But when more votes came in and it became obvious that Biden 's lead over Trump in the Keystone State was insurmountable , AP reported that Biden had won Pennsylvania and won the election .
The streets of Philly , a Democratic stronghold , went wild with joy following the news of Biden 's victory — and Philadelphians were literally dancing in the streets in a scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the 2008 World Series .
Celebrations broke out in many other U.S. cities as well , from New York to Atlanta to Chicago .
James told Melber , `` What 's so ironic about this is that Philadelphia , where the Constitution was once signed , is the state and the county which sealed the fate of a president who unfortunately , engaged in so much lawlessness .
It 's really critically important that individuals understand that and recognize that , again , we will restore the dignity and integrity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will resume our place on the world stage . ''

With President Donald Trump having been voted out of office and former Vice President Joe Biden now president-elect of the United States, Trump is likely to face multiple investigations at both the federal and state levels in 2021. Those who have been investigating Trump in New York State include New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and when James appeared on MSNBC on Sunday, November 8, she stressed to host Ari Melber that her office will continue to investigate Trump for possible "financial improprieties" after he leaves office and Biden is sworn in as president.
"The investigations that we currently have against the Trump Organization will continue," James, a Democrat, told the 40-year-old Melber. "The outcome of the election will have no impact on our investigations. And so, we will continue our investigations…. It's important that individuals understand that no one is above the law, and that our investigations have nothing to do with politics, but more to do with the facts and the law as we see it and as we analyze it."
Melber hosts MSNBC's "The Beat," which airs Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. eastern time. And he appeared on MSNBC on Sunday morning to host some of the cable news outlet's special coverage of the 2020 presidential election.
James stressed to Melber that her office's investigation of Trump's finances is separate from Vance's investigations of the outgoing president.
"Our investigation is primarily civil in nature," James told Melber. "The criminal investigation is being conducted by the district attorney of Manhattan, Mr. Vance, and we will continue our civil investigation against financial improprieties against the Trump Organization. And again, no one is above the law. And we will just follow the facts and the evidence wherever they lead us."
James' appearance on MSNBC came the day after the Associated Press announced that Biden had won Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes and therefore, had the 270 electoral votes needed to become president of the United States.
Early Saturday morning, November 7, votes were still being counted inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia — and Biden already had a comfortable lead over Trump in the Pennsylvania vote count even though the state hadn't been called for him yet. But when more votes came in and it became obvious that Biden's lead over Trump in the Keystone State was insurmountable, AP reported that Biden had won Pennsylvania and won the election. The streets of Philly, a Democratic stronghold, went wild with joy following the news of Biden's victory — and Philadelphians were literally dancing in the streets in a scene that recalled celebrations after the Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series. Celebrations broke out in many other U.S. cities as well, from New York to Atlanta to Chicago.
James told Melber, "What's so ironic about this is that Philadelphia, where the Constitution was once signed, is the state and the county which sealed the fate of a president who unfortunately, engaged in so much lawlessness. It's really critically important that individuals understand that and recognize that, again, we will restore the dignity and integrity of the United States of America. And we will resume our place on the world stage."


alternet--2020-11-09--Georgia’s Republican Lt. Gov. undercuts Trump’s bogus ‘voter fraud’ claims in his state

Georgia Lt. Gov .
Geoff Duncan on Monday undercut President Donald Trump 's claims that mass voter fraud was costing @ @ @ @ @ state .
During an interview with CNN 's John Berman , Duncan was asked if @ @ @ @ @ back up the president 's claims about voter fraud in major American cities .
`` @ @ @ @ @ close communication with the secretary of state 's office and the attorney general 's office @ @ @ @ @ if there 's any sort of systemic examples of fraud or voter disenfranchisement across the @ @ @ @ @ know , '' he said .
`` We 've not had any sort of credible @ @ @ @ @ yet . ''
Duncan then emphasized that he wants to let the president have the @ @ @ @ @ present any evidence he has .
`` We 'll continue to make sure that the @ @ @ @ @ legal ballot is counted is there , '' he explained .
`` But at this @ @ @ @ @ seen any sort of credible examples . ''

Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan on Monday undercut President Donald Trump's claims that mass voter fraud was costing him the election in his state.
During an interview with CNN's John Berman, Duncan was asked if he had seen anything to back up the president's claims about voter fraud in major American cities.
"My office has been in close communication with the secretary of state's office and the attorney general's office, and made sure that if there's any sort of systemic examples of fraud or voter disenfranchisement across the voting base to let us know," he said. "We've not had any sort of credible incidents raised to our level yet."
Duncan then emphasized that he wants to let the president have the opportunity to challenge results and present any evidence he has.
"We'll continue to make sure that the opportunity to make sure every legal ballot is counted is there," he explained. "But at this point, we've not seen any sort of credible examples."
Watch the video below.