alternet--2020-10-26--Trump's last-ditch campaign message is a disaster and betrayal

In the last week before Election Day , Donald Trump and his team have decided the best possible message on the coronavirus pandemic is the same one Trump wanted back in the spring .
`` I wanted to always play it down , '' Trump told Bob Woodward in a taped conversation on March 19 .
`` I still like playing it down , because I do n't want to create a panic . ''
By `` panic , '' of course , Trump meant he did n't want people to have negative feelings that he was worried might imperil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from never facing meaningful consequences for decades of sociopathic behavior , the president embraced the idea that as long as he kept accusing the media of exaggerating the virus in order to damage him politically , the public ( or at least his public ) would n't take the coronavirus seriously .
On Feb. 28 , when the coronavirus had only just started to threaten the U.S. , Trump gave a speech in South Carolina where he declared , `` This is their new hoax , '' saying that `` Democrats want us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were willing to exaggerate the threat of the virus in order to endanger his re-election .
Now , with more than 225,000 people dead and 8.6 million infected , all trends make clear that the situation is getting worse , as the U.S. sets new records in transmission rates , dwarfing earlier peaks in the spring and summer .
The virus has torn through the White House , infecting Trump and his wife and his son and dozens of others close to the president , including five aides to Vice President Pence whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite this , Trump is still committed to the same lie he rolled out in February : The panic is a hoax perpetuated by Democrats and the media to hurt him .
`` That 's all I hear about now .
Turn on television , 'COVID , COVID , COVID , COVID , COVID.
, ' '' Trump said at a Saturday campaign rally in North Carolina .
`` A plane goes down , 500 people dead , they do n't talk about it .
'COVID COVID COVID COVID . '
By the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wo n't hear about it anymore . ''
There has been no such plane crash anywhere in the world , an example Trump appears to have made up whole cloth .
But it 's also telling that the number of fake dead that Trump conjured up in this imaginary disaster was still well below the 943 people who had died of COVID-19 the previous day .
On Monday , Trump doubled down , tweeting that it should `` be an election law violation '' to cover `` COVID , COVID , COVID '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further confirms what Trump told Woodward in the spring : He knows he 's lying when he accuses his opponents of exaggerating the pandemic .
He remains confident that he can brazen this out , and believes his lies have the power to erase the millions infected and the death toll that 's quickly approaching a quarter of a million .
( Either that , or he recognizes he 's got no other options . )
`` We are not going to control the pandemic , '' White House chief of staff Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday , in the condescending tone that is standard for Trump officials talking to reporters .
Meadows went on to say they are `` going to control the fact that we get vaccines , therapeutics and other mitigation areas , '' which is just more Trumpian lying designed to trick people into believing that mask-wearing and other social distancing efforts are not necessary .
Meanwhile , in many parts of the country , hospitals are being overwhelmed with patients and morgues are running out of room .
As Democratic nominee Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a candid acknowledgment of what President Trump 's strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this crisis , '' which was to ignore the whole thing and hope `` the virus would simply go away . ''
Or , as journalist Lindsay Beyerstein put it bluntly on Twitter , the Trump campaign 's closing argument is , `` F*ck you , die of COVID . ''
Trump 's strategy of waving his hands and telling people not to notice the pandemic that 's wreaking havoc on the country is working on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have a cult-like devotion to him .
A new Pew Research poll shows that only 24 % of Trump supporters believe the coronavirus is an important election issue , compared to 82 % of Biden supporters .
This represents a sharp decline in Trump voters taking this seriously since August , when 39 % of Trump voters saw the pandemic as an important issue .
Trump 's injured ego and his unwillingness ever to admit he was wrong has infected his entire base of support .
Most of his voters have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risking death is a better option than facing that the hated liberals were right about Trump all along .
This polling also made clear that maintaining one 's support for Trump means embracing an increasingly incoherent set of rationalizations .
Eighty-four percent of Trump supporters claimed that `` the economy '' was their main voting concern .
That , of course , is profoundly delusional , since the economic crisis facing the country is a direct result of Trump and the Republicans failing to take the coronavirus seriously .
Now the pandemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only deepen the economic crisis , but so far Republicans are refusing to pass any meaningful legislation to curtail the economic damage .
Trump may think the lying-and-whining strategy is a good one , since he has evidently convinced his already loyal followers to walk straight off a cliff with him .
But it does n't seem to have any impact on the rest of the country , except perhaps to stiffen the resolve of the strong majority of voters who dislike Trump to overcome the myriad obstacles Republicans have put in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But even if Trump 's `` what coronavirus ? ''
strategy does n't win him re-election , it will still have major ramifications going into the winter .
Trump has made it a loyalty test for his supporters to shun social distancing and masks , which has clearly contributed to the spread of the virus .
Even if he loses in November and his supporters become less belligerent and reckless — and there 's no guarantee of that — it will be too late for many people .
The pandemic is entering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will get sick and die who otherwise would n't have .
Our entire nation will once again pay an unfathomable price , all because Trump 's voters were more concerned about sticking it to the liberals than about their own families and their own lives .

In the last week before Election Day, Donald Trump and his team have decided the best possible message on the coronavirus pandemic is the same one Trump wanted back in the spring.
"I wanted to always play it down," Trump told Bob Woodward in a taped conversation on March 19. "I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic."
By "panic," of course, Trump meant he didn't want people to have negative feelings that he was worried might imperil his re-election. With the confidence borne from never facing meaningful consequences for decades of sociopathic behavior, the president embraced the idea that as long as he kept accusing the media of exaggerating the virus in order to damage him politically, the public (or at least his public) wouldn't take the coronavirus seriously.
On Feb. 28, when the coronavirus had only just started to threaten the U.S., Trump gave a speech in South Carolina where he declared, "This is their new hoax," saying that "Democrats want us to fail so badly" that they were willing to exaggerate the threat of the virus in order to endanger his re-election.
Now, with more than 225,000 people dead and 8.6 million infected, all trends make clear that the situation is getting worse, as the U.S. sets new records in transmission rates, dwarfing earlier peaks in the spring and summer. The virus has torn through the White House, infecting Trump and his wife and his son and dozens of others close to the president, including five aides to Vice President Pence whose diagnoses were announced over the weekend.
Despite this, Trump is still committed to the same lie he rolled out in February: The panic is a hoax perpetuated by Democrats and the media to hurt him.
"That's all I hear about now. Turn on television, 'COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID.,'" Trump said at a Saturday campaign rally in North Carolina. "A plane goes down, 500 people dead, they don't talk about it. 'COVID COVID COVID COVID.' By the way, on Nov. 4, you won't hear about it anymore."
There has been no such plane crash anywhere in the world, an example Trump appears to have made up whole cloth. But it's also telling that the number of fake dead that Trump conjured up in this imaginary disaster was still well below the 943 people who had died of COVID-19 the previous day.
On Monday, Trump doubled down, tweeting that it should "be an election law violation" to cover "COVID, COVID, COVID" this close to the election.
This further confirms what Trump told Woodward in the spring: He knows he's lying when he accuses his opponents of exaggerating the pandemic. He remains confident that he can brazen this out, and believes his lies have the power to erase the millions infected and the death toll that's quickly approaching a quarter of a million. (Either that, or he recognizes he's got no other options.)
"We are not going to control the pandemic," White House chief of staff Mark Meadowsshouted at Jake Tapper of CNN on Sunday, in the condescending tone that is standard for Trump officials talking to reporters.
Meadows went on to say they are "going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas," which is just more Trumpian lying designed to trick people into believing that mask-wearing and other social distancing efforts are not necessary. Meanwhile, in many parts of the country, hospitals are being overwhelmed with patients and morgues are running out of room.
As Democratic nominee Joe Biden said in a statement, this "was a candid acknowledgment of what President Trump's strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this crisis," which was to ignore the whole thing and hope "the virus would simply go away."
Or, as journalist Lindsay Beyerstein put it bluntly on Twitter, the Trump campaign's closing argument is, "F*ck you, die of COVID."
Trump's strategy of waving his hands and telling people not to notice the pandemic that's wreaking havoc on the country is working on one set of people: His followers, who have a cult-like devotion to him.
A new Pew Research poll shows that only 24% of Trump supporters believe the coronavirus is an important election issue, compared to 82% of Biden supporters. This represents a sharp decline in Trump voters taking this seriously since August, when 39% of Trump voters saw the pandemic as an important issue.
Trump's injured ego and his unwillingness ever to admit he was wrong has infected his entire base of support. Most of his voters have apparently now decided that getting infected and risking death is a better option than facing that the hated liberals were right about Trump all along.
This polling also made clear that maintaining one's support for Trump means embracing an increasingly incoherent set of rationalizations. Eighty-four percent of Trump supporters claimed that "the economy" was their main voting concern. That, of course, is profoundly delusional, since the economic crisis facing the country is a direct result of Trump and the Republicans failing to take the coronavirus seriously. Now the pandemic is spiraling out of control, which will only deepen the economic crisis, but so far Republicans are refusing to pass any meaningful legislation to curtail the economic damage.
Trump may think the lying-and-whining strategy is a good one, since he has evidently convinced his already loyal followers to walk straight off a cliff with him. But it doesn't seem to have any impact on the rest of the country, except perhaps to stiffen the resolve of the strong majority of voters who dislike Trump to overcome the myriad obstacles Republicans have put in their way to vote him out of office.
But even if Trump's "what coronavirus?" strategy doesn't win him re-election, it will still have major ramifications going into the winter. Trump has made it a loyalty test for his supporters to shun social distancing and masks, which has clearly contributed to the spread of the virus. Even if he loses in November and his supporters become less belligerent and reckless — and there's no guarantee of that — it will be too late for many people. The pandemic is entering into another critical stage, and many people will get sick and die who otherwise wouldn't have. Our entire nation will once again pay an unfathomable price, all because Trump's voters were more concerned about sticking it to the liberals than about their own families and their own lives.


alternet--2020-10-26--Voting Rights Roundup: Supreme Court poised to upend federalism itself to gut voting protections

● Pennsylvania : The U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on Pennsylvania Republicans ' request to stay two state Supreme Court rulings that had sided against Republican requests to restrict voting access and enable voter intimidation , leaving the state court 's orders in place .
The decision , however , has catastrophic implications for the future of voting rights in the likely event that Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the bench , signaling that the justices are prepared to eviscerate long-settled doctrines of federalism in the service of actively undermining fair elections .
The rulings in question saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court reject the GOP 's request to block counties from setting up drop boxes for returning mail ballots .
The court also turned back Republican demands that ballots only count if received by Election Day ( the state will accept ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within three days ) .
In addition , the court determined that ballots lacking a postmark would `` be presumed to have been mailed by Election Day '' unless there is strong evidence to the contrary .
Finally , the justices rejected allowing `` poll watchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not registered to vote , a thinly veiled attempt at voter intimidation by Trump , who has repeatedly incited his supporters to harass voters at polling places in Philadelphia and other localities with large Black populations .
While Chief Justice John Roberts ' decision to side with the Supreme Court 's three liberals leaves the Pennsylvania court 's orders in place for now , that 's no guarantee they 'll remain in effect much longer .
Republicans swiftly filed a new federal lawsuit seeking to block the mail ballot return deadline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the U.S. Supreme Court soon after Barrett is confirmed .
Barrett could therefore cast the deciding vote , potentially even after Election Day , to overturn the state court 's ruling and throw out thousands of ballots that were postmarked by Election Day but not received until afterward .
It has been a cornerstone of American federalism for more than two centuries that when state courts make decisions based solely on state constitutional grounds that do n't conflict with federal law—as is the case here—those decisions are insulated from federal review .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution 's Elections Clause giving the `` legislature '' in each state the power to set the `` times , places , and manner of holding '' federal elections means that only the legislature itself may exercise that power , not those tasked with setting or interpreting state laws , such as state courts .
In other words , Republicans are arguing that state courts—as well as voter-initiated ballot measures and potentially even governors—lack the power to set election laws when they disagree with the legislature .
Such a notion would shatter the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level .
In a state such as Pennsylvania , where the GOP holds gerrymandered legislative majorities despite Democrats winning more votes in 2018 , it would cement minority rule by removing any real check on ill-gained legislative power .
This outcome would eliminate any real recourse that voters have to end gerrymandering when lawmakers wo n't act .
The last few months have seen the U.S. Supreme Court and federal judges appointed by Republicans repeatedly rule against voting rights .
This Pennsylvania case is an ominous indicator that right-wing judges will go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entrench the GOP in power for the foreseeable future .
Should Democrats overcome these barriers next month and win the presidency and Senate , they will likely soon face the difficult choice of either reforming the structure of the courts or watch voting rights wither away under an unrelenting judicial assault .
● Ballot Measures : Daily Kos Elections takes a look at 24 ballot measures going before voters around the country that would reshape how elections and voting work , with some seeking to protect fair elections while others attempt to undermine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the adoption of voting systems that promote majority winners , efforts to lower the voting age in local elections , and Republican-backed efforts to restrict future ballot initiatives .
Key contests include whether to adopt redistricting reform in Virginia or variations of instant-runoff voting in Alaska and Massachusetts ; Colorado 's membership in the National Popular Vote Compact for the Electoral College ; and Puerto Rico 's latest referendum on statehood .
Be sure to bookmark our spreadsheet for Election Night as results come in .
● Arizona : Democrats have filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Gov .
Doug Ducey has illegally undermined the impartiality of Arizona 's independent redistricting commission by injecting partisanship into the process for selecting members of the panel .
In 2000 , Arizona became the first state to adopt an independent redistricting commission enshrined in its constitution after voters passed a ballot initiative by a wide 56-44 margin .
That development , however , deprived Republicans of their expected control over redistricting , prompting the GOP to fight the commission 's existence nonstop for years .
The commission is made up of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unaffiliated member .
All are selected from a pool of 25 applicants screened by the state 's commission on appellate court appointments , a panel that was established as a way to help insulate judicial appointments from partisan politics .
Legislative leaders from both parties in the state House and Senate each get to pick one member .
Those four commissioners then choose an unaffiliated tiebreaker .
The commission 's maps are required to adhere to nonpartisan criteria and prioritize political competitiveness .
While this system is supposed to remove either party 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is just what Republicans appear intent on doing .
Democrats say that Ducey has illegally stacked the applicant pool by stacking the court appointment commission itself .
Indeed , Ducey has refused to nominate any Democrats to the judicial nominating commission despite a rule that no more than eight of its 15 members can belong to the same party .
That has left the panel with only Republicans and independents , some of whom have ties to the GOP .
Thanks to Ducey stacking the judicial nominating commission , multiple candidates from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appellate court commission appear to be decidedly Republican-leaning .
Democrats want the state court to disqualify gun store owner Robert Wilson for having hosted a rally for the Trump campaign , as well as utilities attorney Loquvam because he was a lobbyist registered with the state 's Corporation Commision , which regulates utilities .
Arizona 's constitution prohibits commissioners who have served as a lobbyist within the past three years .
Ducey 's efforts are only the latest attempt to thwart the will of voters .
After independent commissioner Colleen Mathis chose proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans claimed she was a closet Democratic partisan and tried to impeach her , only to be rebuked by the state Supreme Court .
But the partisanship of the maps she selected can be measured by statistics , which showed no unfair advantage for the GOP and are among the fairest nationally , especially when considering the commission 's competitiveness mandate .
Republicans then twice sued all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court , seeking both to strike down the commission itself and the maps it produced .
However , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Kennedy cast the decisive vote , the court upheld the constitutionality of using ballot initiatives to enact laws such as Arizona 's redistricting commission .
But thanks to the GOP 's unrelenting assault on judicial independence , the independence of Arizona 's redistricting commission may now be at risk .
That 's because in 2016 , Ducey packed the state Supreme Court by adding two seats to cement a hardline conservative majority , leaving in doubt whether Democrats have a chance to succeed with this lawsuit .
But even if Democrats do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Supreme Court could still overturn its 2015 precedent and strike down the commission now that Justices Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are no longer on the court .
● Redistricting : Next month 's elections are the last that will take place before states are required to redraw their congressional and state legislative districts to reflect population changes in the 2020 census .
That makes them critical in the fight against gerrymandering .
In a new article , Daily Kos Elections looks at what are the key elections for governors , state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot measures in the states that could change who 's in charge of the redistricting process for the coming decade .
Be sure to bookmark the spreadsheet version of this info since we 'll update it as results come in .
As things stand today , Republicans would get to draw three to four times as many congressional districts as Democrats if nothing changes in 2020 , and the picture is similar for state legislative maps .
But Democrats are well-positioned to flip a number of key races that would break GOP 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In just four states home to one-fifth of the House 's seats , control over Ohio 's Supreme Court and the state houses in Florida , North Carolina , and Texas could decide whether the GOP has unfettered power to gerrymander there or whether Democrats will have a seat at the table .
● Michigan : A 6th Circuit Court of Appeals panel has ruled 2-1 along ideological lines to overturn a lower court decision that had blocked Michigan 's unique law banning third-party organizations from hiring paid transportation to take voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's two GOP appointees siding with Michigan Republicans .
● Texas : A panel of three GOP-appointed judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court ruling that required Texas to adopt a uniform process statewide for giving voters a chance to fix purported problems with their signature on absentee mail ballots .
The plaintiffs appeared to concede defeat , saying they would now try to persuade counties to voluntarily change their procedures to avoid disenfranchising voters .
● New Jersey : Democrats in a state Assembly committee have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establish two weeks of in-person early voting for general elections beginning with next year 's state elections .
Democrats in the state Senate passed a similar bill in committee earlier this year .
● 2020 Census : A federal district court in California has become the second lower court to block Trump 's executive memo ordering the census to exclude undocumented immigrants from the counts used to determine the apportionment of congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states after the 2020 census , prompting Trump to appeal to the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ruling against Trump in this matter , the Supreme Court has set oral arguments for Nov. 30 over Trump 's appeal .
Please bookmark our litigation tracker for a complete summary of the latest developments in every lawsuit regarding changes to elections and voting procedures as a result of the coronavirus .
● Alabama : The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with Republicans and blocked a lower court ruling that had suspended Alabama 's ban on curbside voting .
● Alaska : A state court judge has refused to require that officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fix purported problems with their mail ballot signature instead of rejecting their ballots .
● Indiana : A panel of three GOP-appointed judges on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a lower court decision that had ruled that ordinary voters had standing to sue in court to seek an extension of Election Day polling hours in the event of voting problems , meaning once more that only county election boards will have that ability .
Indiana 's polls close at 6 PM , making it the earliest state in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa 's conservative-dominated state Supreme Court has upheld a law passed by Republicans earlier this year that bars county officials from using the state 's voter database to fill in missing information on mail ballot applications such as a voter 's `` PIN '' when their identity is otherwise known .
The law instead requires that officials individually contact voters to fill in missing data , increasing the turnaround time for processing and potentially risking that some voters will not receive their ballots in time .
Republicans have used this law to throw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail ballot applications that voters had already submitted .
● Maine : The Democratic-appointed majority on Maine 's Supreme Court has refused to require that mail ballots be counted so long as they 're postmarked by Election Day and received within a few days afterward , instead requiring they be received by Election Day .
The court additionally rejected the plaintiffs ' request that it order local officials to notify voters and give them a chance to fix supposed problems with mail ballot signatures ; Democratic Secretary of State Matt Dunlap had previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take such steps , but the plaintiffs wanted further assurance in court .
● Missouri : A federal appeals court has blocked a lower court ruling that would have allowed mail voters in Missouri to return their ballots in person .
Under an almost unparalleled state law , such voters can only return their ballots via U.S. mail .
● Mississippi : Voting rights advocates who had sued Mississippi officials in federal court over expanding voting access have reached a settlement that will allow curbside voting for those with COVID symptoms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chance to fix any problems .
The agreement leaves in place the state 's requirement that voters who request an absentee ballot present an excuse in order to do so .
Mississippi is one of just five states with such a requirement still in place this year and the only one that also lacks any form of in-person early voting .
● Nevada : Donald Trump 's campaign has filed a suit in state court demanding that election officials in Clark County , Nevada stop counting mail ballots , claiming that officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilitate transparency , '' but a lower court denied Trump 's request for a temporary restraining order on Friday while the case proceeds .
This year , Nevada is conducting its elections almost entirely by mail for the first time , an approach that is being followed statewide .
Clark County , which is home to Las Vegas and roughly two-thirds of the state 's registered voters , is a Democratic stronghold .
● North Carolina : The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals , with all 15 judges sitting en banc , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority on the North Carolina Board of Elections extending the absentee ballot receipt deadline from three days after Election Day to nine days after ( ballots must still be postmarked by Election Day ) .
Republicans are appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court .
Meanwhile in a separate state-level lawsuit , the Democratic majority on North Carolina 's Supreme court has rejected issuing a stay in the GOP 's attempt to overturn the state board 's settlement in state court , leaving provisions in place making it easier for voters to fix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans have not indicated if they will also appeal this ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court .
● Pennsylvania : The Pennsylvania Supreme Court , which has a 5-2 Democratic majority , has unanimously ruled that election officials may not reject mail ballots because of alleged signature mismatches .
● Tennessee : A federal appeals court has declined to overturn a lower court order that put on hold a Tennessee law forbidding first-time voters who register by mail or online from voting absentee and instead requiring them to vote in person .
● @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is entirely Republican , has rejected a Republican lawsuit that had sought to block curbside voting in Harris County , the most populous in the state .
Meanwhile , a state Court of Appeals panel has upheld a lower court order that blocked GOP Gov .
Greg Abbott 's order limiting counties to only one location for dropping off mail ballots regardless of population size .
Republicans said they would appeal to the state Supreme Court , which would suspend the ruling from going into effect while the appeal is pending .

LEADING OFF
●Pennsylvania: The U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on Pennsylvania Republicans' request to stay two state Supreme Court rulings that had sided against Republican requests to restrict voting access and enable voter intimidation, leaving the state court's orders in place.
The decision, however, has catastrophic implications for the future of voting rights in the likely event that Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the bench, signaling that the justices are prepared to eviscerate long-settled doctrines of federalism in the service of actively undermining fair elections.
The rulings in question saw the Democratic majority on Pennsylvania's top court reject the GOP's request to block counties from setting up drop boxes for returning mail ballots. The court also turned back Republican demands that ballots only count if received by Election Day (the state will accept ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within three days).
In addition, the court determined that ballots lacking a postmark would "be presumed to have been mailed by Election Day" unless there is strong evidence to the contrary. Finally, the justices rejected allowing "poll watchers" from serving in counties where they were not registered to vote, a thinly veiled attempt at voter intimidation by Trump, who has repeatedly incited his supporters to harass voters at polling places in Philadelphia and other localities with large Black populations.
While Chief Justice John Roberts' decision to side with the Supreme Court's three liberals leaves the Pennsylvania court's orders in place for now, that's no guarantee they'll remain in effect much longer. Republicans swiftly filed a new federal lawsuit seeking to block the mail ballot return deadline in an attempt to get the question back before the U.S. Supreme Court soon after Barrett is confirmed. Barrett could therefore cast the deciding vote, potentially even after Election Day, to overturn the state court's ruling and throw out thousands of ballots that were postmarked by Election Day but not received until afterward.
It has been a cornerstone of American federalism for more than two centuries that when state courts make decisions based solely on state constitutional grounds that don't conflict with federal law—as is the case here—those decisions are insulated from federal review. However, Republicans argue that the U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause giving the "legislature" in each state the power to set the "times, places, and manner of holding" federal elections means that only the legislature itself may exercise that power, not those tasked with setting or interpreting state laws, such as state courts.
In other words, Republicans are arguing that state courts—as well as voter-initiated ballot measures and potentially even governors—lack the power to set election laws when they disagree with the legislature. Such a notion would shatter the principle of judicial review at the state level. In a state such as Pennsylvania, where the GOP holds gerrymandered legislative majorities despite Democrats winning more votes in 2018, it would cement minority rule by removing any real check on ill-gained legislative power. This outcome would eliminate any real recourse that voters have to end gerrymandering when lawmakers won't act.
The last few months have seen the U.S. Supreme Court and federal judges appointed by Republicans repeatedly rule against voting rights. This Pennsylvania case is an ominous indicator that right-wing judges will go to new extremes to eviscerate voting protections to entrench the GOP in power for the foreseeable future. Should Democrats overcome these barriers next month and win the presidency and Senate, they will likely soon face the difficult choice of either reforming the structure of the courts or watch voting rights wither away under an unrelenting judicial assault.
BALLOT MEASURES
●Ballot Measures: Daily Kos Elections takes a look at 24 ballot measures going before voters around the country that would reshape how elections and voting work, with some seeking to protect fair elections while others attempt to undermine them. Major issues include redistricting reform, the adoption of voting systems that promote majority winners, efforts to lower the voting age in local elections, and Republican-backed efforts to restrict future ballot initiatives.
Key contests include whether to adopt redistricting reform in Virginia or variations of instant-runoff voting in Alaska and Massachusetts; Colorado's membership in the National Popular Vote Compact for the Electoral College; and Puerto Rico's latest referendum on statehood. Be sure to bookmark our spreadsheet for Election Night as results come in.
REDISTRICTING
●Arizona: Democrats have filed a lawsuit in state court arguing that Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has illegally undermined the impartiality of Arizona's independent redistricting commission by injecting partisanship into the process for selecting members of the panel.
In 2000, Arizona became the first state to adopt an independent redistricting commission enshrined in its constitution after voters passed a ballot initiative by a wide 56-44 margin. That development, however, deprived Republicans of their expected control over redistricting, prompting the GOP to fight the commission's existence nonstop for years.
The commission is made up of two Democrats, two Republicans, and one unaffiliated member. All are selected from a pool of 25 applicants screened by the state's commission on appellate court appointments, a panel that was established as a way to help insulate judicial appointments from partisan politics. Legislative leaders from both parties in the state House and Senate each get to pick one member. Those four commissioners then choose an unaffiliated tiebreaker. The commission's maps are required to adhere to nonpartisan criteria and prioritize political competitiveness.
While this system is supposed to remove either party's ability to ram through gerrymandered maps, that is just what Republicans appear intent on doing. Democrats say that Ducey has illegally stacked the applicant pool by stacking the court appointment commission itself. Indeed, Ducey has refused to nominate any Democrats to the judicial nominating commission despite a rule that no more than eight of its 15 members can belong to the same party. That has left the panel with only Republicans and independents, some of whom have ties to the GOP.
Thanks to Ducey stacking the judicial nominating commission, multiple candidates from the five supposed independents approved by the appellate court commission appear to be decidedly Republican-leaning. Democrats want the state court to disqualify gun store owner Robert Wilson for having hosted a rally for the Trump campaign, as well as utilities attorney Loquvam because he was a lobbyist registered with the state's Corporation Commision, which regulates utilities. Arizona's constitution prohibits commissioners who have served as a lobbyist within the past three years.
Ducey's efforts are only the latest attempt to thwart the will of voters. After independent commissioner Colleen Mathis chose proposals put forward by Democrats in 2011, Republicans claimed she was a closet Democratic partisan and tried to impeach her, only to be rebuked by the state Supreme Court. But the partisanship of the maps she selected can be measured by statistics, which showed no unfair advantage for the GOP and are among the fairest nationally, especially when considering the commission's competitiveness mandate.
Republicans then twice sued all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking both to strike down the commission itself and the maps it produced. However, in a 2015 ruling in which former swing Justice Anthony Kennedy cast the decisive vote, the court upheld the constitutionality of using ballot initiatives to enact laws such as Arizona's redistricting commission.
But thanks to the GOP's unrelenting assault on judicial independence, the independence of Arizona's redistricting commission may now be at risk. That's because in 2016, Ducey packed the state Supreme Court by adding two seats to cement a hardline conservative majority, leaving in doubt whether Democrats have a chance to succeed with this lawsuit. But even if Democrats do prevail at the state level, the U.S. Supreme Court could still overturn its 2015 precedent and strike down the commission now that Justices Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are no longer on the court.
●Redistricting: Next month's elections are the last that will take place before states are required to redraw their congressional and state legislative districts to reflect population changes in the 2020 census. That makes them critical in the fight against gerrymandering. In a new article, Daily Kos Elections looks at what are the key elections for governors, state legislatures, state supreme courts, and ballot measures in the states that could change who's in charge of the redistricting process for the coming decade. Be sure to bookmark the spreadsheet version of this info since we'll update it as results come in.
As things stand today, Republicans would get to draw three to four times as many congressional districts as Democrats if nothing changes in 2020, and the picture is similar for state legislative maps. But Democrats are well-positioned to flip a number of key races that would break GOP's control over redistricting in important swing states. In just four states home to one-fifth of the House's seats, control over Ohio's Supreme Court and the state houses in Florida, North Carolina, and Texas could decide whether the GOP has unfettered power to gerrymander there or whether Democrats will have a seat at the table.
VOTER SUPPRESSION
●Michigan: A 6th Circuit Court of Appeals panel has ruled 2-1 along ideological lines to overturn a lower court decision that had blocked Michigan's unique law banning third-party organizations from hiring paid transportation to take voters to polling places, with the panel's two GOP appointees siding with Michigan Republicans.
●Texas: A panel of three GOP-appointed judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court ruling that required Texas to adopt a uniform process statewide for giving voters a chance to fix purported problems with their signature on absentee mail ballots. The plaintiffs appeared to concede defeat, saying they would now try to persuade counties to voluntarily change their procedures to avoid disenfranchising voters.
VOTING ACCESS
●New Jersey: Democrats in a state Assembly committee have passed a bill along party lines to establish two weeks of in-person early voting for general elections beginning with next year's state elections. Democrats in the state Senate passed a similar bill in committee earlier this year.
2020 CENSUS
●2020 Census: A federal district court in California has become the second lower court to block Trump's executive memo ordering the census to exclude undocumented immigrants from the counts used to determine the apportionment of congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states after the 2020 census, prompting Trump to appeal to the Supreme Court. In the other case that saw a ruling against Trump in this matter, the Supreme Court has set oral arguments for Nov. 30 over Trump's appeal.
ELECTION CHANGES
Please bookmark our litigation tracker for a complete summary of the latest developments in every lawsuit regarding changes to elections and voting procedures as a result of the coronavirus.
●Alabama: The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with Republicans and blocked a lower court ruling that had suspended Alabama's ban on curbside voting.
●Alaska: A state court judge has refused to require that officials notify voters and give them a chance to fix purported problems with their mail ballot signature instead of rejecting their ballots.
●Indiana: A panel of three GOP-appointed judges on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a lower court decision that had ruled that ordinary voters had standing to sue in court to seek an extension of Election Day polling hours in the event of voting problems, meaning once more that only county election boards will have that ability. Indiana's polls close at 6 PM, making it the earliest state in the country alongside Kentucky.
●Iowa: Iowa's conservative-dominated state Supreme Court has upheld a law passed by Republicans earlier this year that bars county officials from using the state's voter database to fill in missing information on mail ballot applications such as a voter's "PIN" when their identity is otherwise known.
The law instead requires that officials individually contact voters to fill in missing data, increasing the turnaround time for processing and potentially risking that some voters will not receive their ballots in time. Republicans have used this law to throw out tens of thousands of partially pre-filled mail ballot applications that voters had already submitted.
●Maine: The Democratic-appointed majority on Maine's Supreme Court has refused to require that mail ballots be counted so long as they're postmarked by Election Day and received within a few days afterward, instead requiring they be received by Election Day. The court additionally rejected the plaintiffs' request that it order local officials to notify voters and give them a chance to fix supposed problems with mail ballot signatures; Democratic Secretary of State Matt Dunlap had previously issued an order directing local election officials to take such steps, but the plaintiffs wanted further assurance in court.
●Missouri: A federal appeals court has blocked a lower court ruling that would have allowed mail voters in Missouri to return their ballots in person. Under an almost unparalleled state law, such voters can only return their ballots via U.S. mail.
●Mississippi: Voting rights advocates who had sued Mississippi officials in federal court over expanding voting access have reached a settlement that will allow curbside voting for those with COVID symptoms and give absentee voters whose ballots are rejected the chance to fix any problems. The agreement leaves in place the state's requirement that voters who request an absentee ballot present an excuse in order to do so. Mississippi is one of just five states with such a requirement still in place this year and the only one that also lacks any form of in-person early voting.
●Nevada: Donald Trump's campaign has filed a suit in state court demanding that election officials in Clark County, Nevada stop counting mail ballots, claiming that officials are not following proper procedures "that facilitate transparency," but a lower court denied Trump's request for a temporary restraining order on Friday while the case proceeds. This year, Nevada is conducting its elections almost entirely by mail for the first time, an approach that is being followed statewide. Clark County, which is home to Las Vegas and roughly two-thirds of the state's registered voters, is a Democratic stronghold.
●North Carolina: The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, with all 15 judges sitting en banc, has upheld a settlement made by the Democratic majority on the North Carolina Board of Elections extending the absentee ballot receipt deadline from three days after Election Day to nine days after (ballots must still be postmarked by Election Day). Republicans are appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile in a separate state-level lawsuit, the Democratic majority on North Carolina's Supreme court has rejected issuing a stay in the GOP's attempt to overturn the state board's settlement in state court, leaving provisions in place making it easier for voters to fix purported signature problems on mail ballots. Republicans have not indicated if they will also appeal this ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
●Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which has a 5-2 Democratic majority, has unanimously ruled that election officials may not reject mail ballots because of alleged signature mismatches.
●Tennessee: A federal appeals court has declined to overturn a lower court order that put on hold a Tennessee law forbidding first-time voters who register by mail or online from voting absentee and instead requiring them to vote in person.
●Texas: The Texas Supreme Court, which is entirely Republican, has rejected a Republican lawsuit that had sought to block curbside voting in Harris County, the most populous in the state. Meanwhile, a state Court of Appeals panel has upheld a lower court order that blocked GOP Gov. Greg Abbott's order limiting counties to only one location for dropping off mail ballots regardless of population size. Republicans said they would appeal to the state Supreme Court, which would suspend the ruling from going into effect while the appeal is pending.


alternet--2020-10-26--Michigan congresswoman has a ‘voter protection plan’ to keep Trump from stealing the election

In Michigan 's 8th Congressional District , Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has not only been campaigning for reelection — the former CIA officer has also been sounding the alarm about the possibility voter intimidation and things that President Donald Trump might do to steal the election .
And she discusses some of her concerns in an interview with Politico published this week .
Politico 's Tim Alberta explains , `` ( Slotkin ) worries that just winning is no longer enough .
With the president regularly lobbing allegations of a rigged election — one that he can not possibly lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former CIA officer , worries that America could be hurtling toward a civil and constitutional crisis .
This is not what a vulnerable freshman campaigner is often preoccupied with down the home stretch of their maiden reelection campaign , but Slotkin can think of little else these days . ''
It is n't hard to understand why Slotkin is worried .
Her state is one in which the Democratic governor , Gretchen Whitmer , was recently the target of a kidnapping/terrorist plot by far-right white nationalists .
Slotkin told Politico , `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Election Day without any incidents of violence , without any threatening behavior so we can conduct our elections free and fair and devoid of intimidation .
I 've been working on that — literally just today , we had a big meeting of all the elected leaders in the district , from our clerks to our town supervisors to our police chiefs .
One topic on the agenda was Election Day , the protocols and the plan , if there are instances of intimidation or attempted intimidation . ''
The congresswoman stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials in her state as well as law enforcement officers in an effort to make sure that Michigan residents do n't experience voter intimidation—and that votes are counted accurately in her state .
`` My impression when talking to my peers outside of our state is that we are actually quite decently prepared , '' Slotkin told Politico .
`` The fact that our primary was so late , and we had kind of a dry run , was important .
And if you look at the results from that primary — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever had — I think we had basically all the results within 36 hours . ''
In addition to Michigan , Slotkin cited Pennsylvania , New York and Florida as three states she is `` watching really closely . ''
Slotkin told Politico , `` If Republican leaders refuse to accept that Biden wins in any scenario , then we 're in some of the more destabilizing scenarios . ''
During the interview , Slotkin discussed the specifics of her `` voter protection plan . ''
`` There 's basically four problem sets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One , worst-case scenario : intimidation inside a polling location — someone brings a weapon to make a point and refuses to leave .
Second , a threat —intimidation is within a hundred feet from the polling locations .
They 're allowed to be there .
They 're allowed to campaign for whoever they want , but people feel like they have to walk a gauntlet in order to get inside a polling location . ''
Slotkin continued , `` Third , a much lesser problem is the disincentives for people voting — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most of these lines are going to be outside .
How do we keep people motivated to stay ?
How do we identify those places where , if they 're standing in line for three hours — I do n't expect this in a lot of places — but what do we do in that scenario ?
And the fourth was just bad weather , I think . ''

In Michigan's 8th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has not only been campaigning for reelection — the former CIA officer has also been sounding the alarm about the possibility voter intimidation and things that President Donald Trump might do to steal the election. And she discusses some of her concerns in an interview with Politico published this week.
Politico's Tim Alberta explains, "(Slotkin) worries that just winning is no longer enough. With the president regularly lobbing allegations of a rigged election — one that he cannot possibly lose fair and square — Slotkin, a former CIA officer, worries that America could be hurtling toward a civil and constitutional crisis. This is not what a vulnerable freshman campaigner is often preoccupied with down the home stretch of their maiden reelection campaign, but Slotkin can think of little else these days."
It isn't hard to understand why Slotkin is worried. Her state is one in which the Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, was recently the target of a kidnapping/terrorist plot by far-right white nationalists.
Slotkin told Politico, "I want to make sure that we get through Election Day without any incidents of violence, without any threatening behavior so we can conduct our elections free and fair and devoid of intimidation. I've been working on that — literally just today, we had a big meeting of all the elected leaders in the district, from our clerks to our town supervisors to our police chiefs. One topic on the agenda was Election Day, the protocols and the plan, if there are instances of intimidation or attempted intimidation."
The congresswoman stressed that she has been speaking to elections officials in her state as well as law enforcement officers in an effort to make sure that Michigan residents don't experience voter intimidation—and that votes are counted accurately in her state.
"My impression when talking to my peers outside of our state is that we are actually quite decently prepared," Slotkin told Politico. "The fact that our primary was so late, and we had kind of a dry run, was important. And if you look at the results from that primary — and we processed more absentee ballots than we ever had — I think we had basically all the results within 36 hours."
In addition to Michigan, Slotkin cited Pennsylvania, New York and Florida as three states she is "watching really closely." Slotkin told Politico, "If Republican leaders refuse to accept that Biden wins in any scenario, then we're in some of the more destabilizing scenarios."
During the interview, Slotkin discussed the specifics of her "voter protection plan."
"There's basically four problem sets," Slotkin told Politico. "One, worst-case scenario: intimidation inside a polling location — someone brings a weapon to make a point and refuses to leave. Second, a threat —intimidation is within a hundred feet from the polling locations. They're allowed to be there. They're allowed to campaign for whoever they want, but people feel like they have to walk a gauntlet in order to get inside a polling location."
Slotkin continued, "Third, a much lesser problem is the disincentives for people voting — they see lines when they drive by, most of these lines are going to be outside. How do we keep people motivated to stay? How do we identify those places where, if they're standing in line for three hours — I don't expect this in a lot of places — but what do we do in that scenario? And the fourth was just bad weather, I think."


alternet--2020-10-26--Here are 5 possible ways to make Trump leave quietly if he loses the election

The week before Election Day 2020 , Democrats have a variety of worries and anxieties — from the possibility of President Donald Trump managing to win enough swing states to pull off a narrow Electoral College victory to Trump prematurely claiming victory before all the votes are counted to Republicans trying to steal the election via the courts and their army of attorneys .
Liberal Washington Post opinion writer Greg Sargent , in his October 26 column , lays out five possible scenarios in which Trump might agree to leave the White House quietly if Biden wins .
Sargent starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former personal attorney Michael Cohen , who recently warned , `` There will never be a peaceful transition of power under Donald J .
Trump . ''
`` We already know Trump hopes to prematurely declare himself winner while invalidating millions of mail ballots , which could unleash a sustained post-election struggle , '' Sargent argues .
`` But if you squint , you can discern various scenarios in which Trump ends up going quietly — or relatively so .
Presuming for now that Joe Biden wins , here are five such possibilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a landslide win is unlikely , '' Sargent writes .
`` Trump is still narrowly favored in Texas and Georgia .
But as Harry Enten notes , Biden is closer to winning places like that than Trump is to winning Michigan and Wisconsin , which makes a landslide as plausible as a Trump victory .
If so , there would be no possibility that post-election litigation in , say , Pennsylvania could rescue Trump .
And large swaths of Trump 's supporters might accept the inevitable , leaving no support base for holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that `` Biden wins Florida on Election Night . ''
`` Because Florida 's voting rules permit mail ballots to be counted well in advance of Election Day , an election night call here is likely , '' Sargent explains .
`` This means avoiding a scenario in which Trump declares himself winner even as enormous numbers of mail ballots remain outstanding in key states .
Since Trump has no plausible path without Florida , it would probably mean a winner is called on Election Night . ''
# 3 on Sargent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and runs strong enough in the Rust Belt . ''
And # 4 is `` vote-by-mail goes well for Biden in Pennsylvania . ''
`` Once Amy Coney Barrett is seated on the Supreme Court , '' Sargent notes , `` Republicans will try again to overrule a lower ruling allowing for the counting of absentee ballots that arrive after Election Day ... .
Early voting has been so explosive in Pennsylvania — nearly 1.5 million people have already voted by mail there — that it 's plausible late-arriving ballots might not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ item on Sargent 's list is `` Fox News behaves responsibly . ''
`` Fox News ' decision desk is one area of the network that 's reportedly immune to pressure from Trump and his propagandists , '' Sargent argues .
`` So , it 's plausible that Fox News might call the election against Trump before he and his supporters are willing to surrender…..
If Fox News ' decision desk handles this responsibly , educating viewers about the realities of Trump 's pending loss , it could badly cripple such efforts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News ' Rupert Murdoch has predicted a landslide win for Biden , much to the chagrin of many Trumpistas who feel betrayed .
Sargent concludes his column by hoping that `` bedlam '' does n't occur on Election Day .
`` None of this is meant to sound sanguine about avoiding serious bedlam , '' Sargent writes .
`` All kinds of terrible outcomes in the courts remain possible , as does serious violence .
But there are ways this could end with a relative whimper — and a barrage of ALL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far worse .
And there 's one way to make these scenarios more likely : vote in enormous enough numbers to make them happen . ''

The week before Election Day 2020, Democrats have a variety of worries and anxieties — from the possibility of President Donald Trump managing to win enough swing states to pull off a narrow Electoral College victory to Trump prematurely claiming victory before all the votes are counted to Republicans trying to steal the election via the courts and their army of attorneys. Liberal Washington Post opinion writer Greg Sargent, in his October 26 column, lays out five possible scenarios in which Trump might agree to leave the White House quietly if Biden wins.
Sargent starts out his column by quoting Trump's former personal attorney
Michael Cohen, who recently warned, "There will never be a peaceful transition of power under Donald J. Trump."
"We already know Trump hopes to prematurely declare himself winner while invalidating millions of mail ballots, which could unleash a sustained post-election struggle," Sargent argues. "But if you squint, you can discern various scenarios in which Trump ends up going quietly — or relatively so. Presuming for now that Joe Biden wins, here are five such possibilities."
#1, Sargent writes, is "Biden wins by a landslide."
"To be sure, a landslide win is unlikely," Sargent writes. "Trump is still narrowly favored in Texas and Georgia. But as Harry Enten notes, Biden is closer to winning places like that than Trump is to winning Michigan and Wisconsin, which makes a landslide as plausible as a Trump victory. If so, there would be no possibility that post-election litigation in, say, Pennsylvania could rescue Trump. And large swaths of Trump's supporters might accept the inevitable, leaving no support base for holding out."
Sargent's second possibility is that "Biden wins Florida on Election Night."
"Because Florida's voting rules permit mail ballots to be counted well in advance of Election Day, an election night call here is likely," Sargent explains. "This means avoiding a scenario in which Trump declares himself winner even as enormous numbers of mail ballots remain outstanding in key states. Since Trump has no plausible path without Florida, it would probably mean a winner is called on Election Night."
#3 on Sargent's list is "Biden wins Arizona and runs strong enough in the Rust Belt." And #4 is "vote-by-mail goes well for Biden in Pennsylvania."
"Once Amy Coney Barrett is seated on the Supreme Court," Sargent notes, "Republicans will try again to overrule a lower ruling allowing for the counting of absentee ballots that arrive after Election Day.... Early voting has been so explosive in Pennsylvania — nearly 1.5 million people have already voted by mail there — that it's plausible late-arriving ballots might not be pivotal."
The fifth and final item on Sargent's list is "Fox News behaves responsibly."
"Fox News' decision desk is one area of the network that's reportedly immune to pressure from Trump and his propagandists," Sargent argues. "So, it's plausible that Fox News might call the election against Trump before he and his supporters are willing to surrender….. If Fox News' decision desk handles this responsibly, educating viewers about the realities of Trump's pending loss, it could badly cripple such efforts in the minds of his supporters."
Fox News' Rupert Murdoch has predicted a landslide win for Biden, much to the chagrin of many Trumpistas who feel betrayed.
Sargent concludes his column by hoping that "bedlam" doesn't occur on Election Day.
"None of this is meant to sound sanguine about avoiding serious bedlam," Sargent writes. "All kinds of terrible outcomes in the courts remain possible, as does serious violence. But there are ways this could end with a relative whimper — and a barrage of ALL CAPS tweets — as opposed to something far worse. And there's one way to make these scenarios more likely: vote in enormous enough numbers to make them happen."


alternet--2020-10-26--Mitch McConnell gloats over what he's about to lose

The Senate is on a crash course to confirm another illegitimate Supreme Court nominee Monday evening , having stayed in over the weekend for procedural votes .
That 's a sense of urgency from Mitch McConnell totally lacking on responding to COVID-19 , even while we 're seeing record-breaking new infections and a bleak winter outlook .
They voted on cloture Sunday night , 51-48 , to advance the nomination to a final vote Monday evening .
Vice President Mike Pence is planning on taking a victory lap and presiding over the Senate Monday night , despite the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another COVID-19 outbreak in the White House .
Senate Democrats have written to him asking him to keep his damn coronavirus-exposed self the hell away .
`` Your presence along could be very dangerous to many people , '' they wrote , to them and to `` all the truly essential staff—both Democratic and Republican '' who have to be there to make the U.S. Capitol function .
Like he cares .
In fact , the White House is planning another superspreader event for the ceremonial swearing in of Barrett either Monday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have only 9 days before the election is over .
When you wake up on November 4 , we need to know we did absolutely everything to save our democracy .
Sign up with 2020 Victory , and make phone calls to battleground state voters to get out the vote .
All you need is a personal computer , and a burning desire to throw Donald Trump out of office .
McConnell could n't control his glee over the prospect of this vote .
Over the fact that he has engineered this takeover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contribution to the future of this country , '' he said after the cloture vote .
`` A lot of what we 've done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election .
They wo n't be able to do much about this for a long time to come . ''
That 's a lot of bravado for a man who is about to lose his Senate majority .
He 's banking on Democrats being unwilling to reform the courts .
He 's wrong .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding the floor all night .
It could n't change the outcome of the event , but it demonstrates a united front against McConnell 's unprecedented and unprincipled power grab .
Even Independent Sen. Angus King is on board with expanding the court , albeit reluctantly .
`` I do n't want to have to do that , '' he said on the floor Sunday , `` but if all of this rule-breaking is taking place , what does the majority expect ?
What do they expect ? ''
They need to expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , and the court .
With Barrett , Republican presidents have claimed 15 out of the last 19 Supreme Court justices , while they have lost the popular vote in six of the last seven presidential elections .
That 's called minoritarian rule , which McConnell and the Republican Party have now embraced , along with what is essentially apartheid to maintain it .
They ca n't and wo n't win the popular vote , so they have to take over every institution they can by cheating , by subverting the rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courts with ideologues who will allow them to do it .
That ends with this nomination .
Democrats are ready .
`` McConnell is clearly betting against the Democrats mustering the resolve to ever alter the structure of the court , '' Brian Fallon of Demand Justice , told NBC News .
`` Given how far the movement to add seats has already come in just two years , and how likely it is for this 6-3 court to produce rulings threatening progressive priorities , I think it 's an unwise bet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former aide to Democratic leader Chuck Schumer , so he 's not just talking out his hat .
`` It 's a travesty for the Senate , a travesty for the country , and it will be an inerasable stain on this Republican majority forevermore , '' Schumer said on the floor .
It will fuel a backlash .
Understanding that , embattled Republican Sen. Susan Collins both voted with Democrats against cloture , and will vote against Barrett .
Not on the merits of the nominee , she stressed , but because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
That 's Collins trying to split the baby—assure Republicans that she 's totally on board with this ideologically , but tell Democrats she 's all about fairness .
A little too little and way too late for Collins to pull this one out .
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is no better .
She voted against cloture as well , in muted opposition to the timing of the confirmation .
But she 's going to be a yes on confirmation .
Murkowski is running for reelection in 2022 , so you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off another challenge from the right in Alaska .
That 's her setting herself up to be the Collins of 2022—the backlash from the left will be swift and massive .

The Senate is on a crash course to confirm another illegitimate Supreme Court nominee Monday evening, having stayed in over the weekend for procedural votes. That's a sense of urgency from Mitch McConnell totally lacking on responding to COVID-19, even while we're seeing record-breaking new infections and a bleak winter outlook. They voted on cloture Sunday night, 51-48, to advance the nomination to a final vote Monday evening.
Vice President Mike Pence is planning on taking a victory lap and presiding over the Senate Monday night, despite the fact that he is at the center of yet another COVID-19 outbreak in the White House. Senate Democrats have written to him asking him to keep his damn coronavirus-exposed self the hell away. "Your presence along could be very dangerous to many people," they wrote, to them and to "all the truly essential staff—both Democratic and Republican" who have to be there to make the U.S. Capitol function. Like he cares. In fact, the White House is planning another superspreader event for the ceremonial swearing in of Barrett either Monday night following the vote or Tuesday.
We have only 9 days before the election is over. When you wake up on November 4, we need to know we did absolutely everything to save our democracy. Sign up with 2020 Victory, and make phone calls to battleground state voters to get out the vote. All you need is a personal computer, and a burning desire to throw Donald Trump out of office.
McConnell couldn't control his glee over the prospect of this vote. Over the fact that he has engineered this takeover. "We've made an important contribution to the future of this country," he said after the cloture vote. "A lot of what we've done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won't be able to do much about this for a long time to come." That's a lot of bravado for a man who is about to lose his Senate majority. He's banking on Democrats being unwilling to reform the courts. He's wrong.
Democrats demonstrated their unity against this nomination by holding the floor all night. It couldn't change the outcome of the event, but it demonstrates a united front against McConnell's unprecedented and unprincipled power grab. Even Independent Sen. Angus King is on board with expanding the court, albeit reluctantly. "I don't want to have to do that," he said on the floor Sunday, "but if all of this rule-breaking is taking place, what does the majority expect? What do they expect?"
They need to expect to lose the majority, the White House, and the court. With Barrett, Republican presidents have claimed 15 out of the last 19 Supreme Court justices, while they have lost the popular vote in six of the last seven presidential elections. That's called minoritarian rule, which McConnell and the Republican Party have now embraced, along with what is essentially apartheid to maintain it. They can't and won't win the popular vote, so they have to take over every institution they can by cheating, by subverting the rule of law, and by packing the courts with ideologues who will allow them to do it. That ends with this nomination.
Democrats are ready. "McConnell is clearly betting against the Democrats mustering the resolve to ever alter the structure of the court," Brian Fallon of Demand Justice, told NBC News. "Given how far the movement to add seats has already come in just two years, and how likely it is for this 6-3 court to produce rulings threatening progressive priorities, I think it's an unwise bet," he said. Fallon is a former aide to Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, so he's not just talking out his hat. "It's a travesty for the Senate, a travesty for the country, and it will be an inerasable stain on this Republican majority forevermore," Schumer said on the floor. It will fuel a backlash.
Understanding that, embattled Republican Sen. Susan Collins both voted with Democrats against cloture, and will vote against Barrett. Not on the merits of the nominee, she stressed, but because the vote is coming so close to the election. That's Collins trying to split the baby—assure Republicans that she's totally on board with this ideologically, but tell Democrats she's all about fairness. A little too little and way too late for Collins to pull this one out. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is no better. She voted against cloture as well, in muted opposition to the timing of the confirmation. But she's going to be a yes on confirmation. Murkowski is running for reelection in 2022, so you can bet that's a maneuver to stave off another challenge from the right in Alaska. That's her setting herself up to be the Collins of 2022—the backlash from the left will be swift and massive.


alternet--2020-10-26--Actor Billy Porter: No, America isn’t ‘better than this’ — but there’s still room for ‘collective he

Actor Billy Porter: No, America isn’t ‘better than this’ — but there’s still room for ‘collective healing’

A phrase that critics of President Donald Trump often use is , `` America is better than this . ''
But actor Billy Porter , in a biting yet hopeful op-ed published in the Daily Beast on October 26 , explains why he `` hates '' hearing that phrase — and why he believes that the United States can improve if it votes Trump out of office .
The 51-year-old Porter argues , in essence , that the problem with the phrase `` America is better than this '' is that it implies that racism , inequality and oppression started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a gay African-American man , he finds ridiculous .
Porter argues , `` Let me be clear right up front : America is not now , nor have we ever been , better than this… .
We are a country founded on the plunder and genocide of a people who were already occupying this land , and a country built on the backs of a people stolen from their homeland , shackled on ships , and brought here to be enslaved . ''
The actor continues , `` I 'm a Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America every day of my life .
My rights and humanity have been up for legislation from the moment I could comprehend thought .
And while 't is true that American slavery was abolished in 1865 , in 2020 , many of us remain enslaved… .
Ai n't never been no peace for me : a Black , gay man living in America . ''
But Porter 's op-ed does not have a defeatist tone — far from it .
The actor encourages Americans to fight oppression , and Step 1 is voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hitler happened ?
, '' Porter writes .
`` This is how that shit happened .
And yeah , I 'm cussin ' !
Cause I 'm sick of begging people to vote .
I 'm sick of beggin ' folks to participate in democracy .
Voting is one of the only powers we have as American citizens .
My ancestors died for us to have this right .
Voter suppression is also psychological — to make one think their vote does n't matter and create apathy around engagement is the point .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Vote .
Please . ''
Porter goes on to say that voters have to end Trump 's quest for `` absolute power . ''
`` As long as I can remember , '' Porter explains , `` power has been the only goal of Republicans , whatever the cost — from trickle-down economics , to mass incarceration , to stealing Supreme Court seats , and everything else .
And as we have seen the entire Republican Party in the last four years , with few exceptions , line up behind this malignant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's become clear that to reign in absolute power has always been the plan , and the vessel to get there matters not .
The GOP has been playing the long game , and the rest of us got played . ''
The actor wraps up his op-ed by stressing how important it is to vote Trump out of office next week .
`` My hope is that all the citizens of America finally own our power , and understand that when we all vote , we can show the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Porter writes .
`` Are we better than this ?
We 'll find out on November 3 .
Biden/Harris 2020 , bitches ! ''

A phrase that critics of President Donald Trump often use is, "America is better than this." But actor Billy Porter, in a biting yet hopeful op-ed published in the Daily Beast on October 26, explains why he "hates" hearing that phrase — and why he believes that the United States can improve if it votes Trump out of office.
The 51-year-old Porter argues, in essence, that the problem with the phrase "America is better than this" is that it implies that racism, inequality and oppression started with the Trump era — which, as a gay African-American man, he finds ridiculous.
Porter argues, "Let me be clear right up front: America is not now, nor have we ever been, better than this…. We are a country founded on the plunder and genocide of a people who were already occupying this land, and a country built on the backs of a people stolen from their homeland, shackled on ships, and brought here to be enslaved."
The actor continues, "I'm a Black gay man living in this mess of America every day of my life. My rights and humanity have been up for legislation from the moment I could comprehend thought. And while 'tis true that American slavery was abolished in 1865, in 2020, many of us remain enslaved…. Ain't never been no peace for me: a Black, gay man living in America."
But Porter's op-ed does not have a defeatist tone — far from it. The actor encourages Americans to fight oppression, and Step 1 is voting.
"Y'all wanna know how Hitler happened?," Porter writes. "This is how that shit happened. And yeah, I'm cussin'! Cause I'm sick of begging people to vote. I'm sick of beggin' folks to participate in democracy. Voting is one of the only powers we have as American citizens. My ancestors died for us to have this right. Voter suppression is also psychological — to make one think their vote doesn't matter and create apathy around engagement is the point. So, I'ma beg one last time: Vote. Please."
Porter goes on to say that voters have to end Trump's quest for "absolute power."
"As long as I can remember," Porter explains, "power has been the only goal of Republicans, whatever the cost — from trickle-down economics, to mass incarceration, to stealing Supreme Court seats, and everything else. And as we have seen the entire Republican Party in the last four years, with few exceptions, line up behind this malignant narcissist lock, stock and barrel, it's become clear that to reign in absolute power has always been the plan, and the vessel to get there matters not. The GOP has been playing the long game, and the rest of us got played."
The actor wraps up his op-ed by stressing how important it is to vote Trump out of office next week.
"My hope is that all the citizens of America finally own our power, and understand that when we all vote, we can show the rest of the world what collective healing looks like," Porter writes. "Are we better than this? We'll find out on November 3. Biden/Harris 2020, bitches!"


alternet--2020-10-26--Jared Kushner: 'Complaining' Black people have to 'want to be successful'

White House adviser Jared Kushner argued on Monday that the Black community is struggling because they do not `` want to be successful . ''
Kushner made the remarks on Fox & Friends after he was asked about a recent meeting with Ice Cube .
`` There 's been a lot of discussion about the issues that were needed in the Black community for the last years , particularly it intensified after the George Floyd situation , '' Kushner explained .
`` You saw a lot of people who were just virtue signaling , they 'd go on Instagram and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their jersey or write something on a basketball court .
And quite frankly , that was doing more to polarize the country than it was to bring people forward . ''
`` And again , one thing we 've seen in a lot of the Black community , which is mostly Democrat , '' he continued , `` is that President Trump 's policies are the policies that can help people break out the problems that they 're complaining about . ''
Kushner added : `` But he ca n't want them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be successful . ''
The White House adviser went on to claim that Trump has a `` groundswell of support in the Black community because they 're realizing that all the different bad things the media and the Democrats have said about President Trump are not true . ''
Watch the video below from Fox News .

White House adviser Jared Kushner argued on Monday that the Black community is struggling because they do not "want to be successful."
Kushner made the remarks on Fox & Friends after he was asked about a recent meeting with Ice Cube.
"There's been a lot of discussion about the issues that were needed in the Black community for the last years, particularly it intensified after the George Floyd situation," Kushner explained. "You saw a lot of people who were just virtue signaling, they'd go on Instagram and cry or they would put a slogan on their jersey or write something on a basketball court. And quite frankly, that was doing more to polarize the country than it was to bring people forward."
"And again, one thing we've seen in a lot of the Black community, which is mostly Democrat," he continued, "is that President Trump's policies are the policies that can help people break out the problems that they're complaining about."
Kushner added: "But he can't want them to be successful more than they want to be successful."
The White House adviser went on to claim that Trump has a "groundswell of support in the Black community because they're realizing that all the different bad things the media and the Democrats have said about President Trump are not true."
Watch the video below from Fox News.


alternet--2020-10-26--Kamala Harris laughs out loud in 60 Minutes reporter's face when asked if she's advocating a 'social

Kamala Harris laughs out loud in 60 Minutes reporter's face when asked if she's advocating a 'socialist perspective'

Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris did n't hold back when confronted by a CBS News reporter asking if she 's pushing a socialist agenda .
She laughed out loud at the reporter 's suggestion .
`` What I will do , and I promise you this , this is what Joe wants me to do , '' the California Senator , speaking about her running mate , told `` 60 Minutes '' correspondent Norah O'Donnell .
`` This was part of our deal .
I will always share with him my lived experience as it relates to any issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe that I will give him that perspective and always be honest with him . ''
O'Donnell 's response , which was panned on social media , forced Senator Harris to laugh in her face .
`` And is that a socialist or progressive perspective ? ''
O'Donnell asked .
`` No , '' Harris replied , breaking out in laughter suggesting she thought the question was absurd .
`` It is the perspective of a woman who grew up a Black child in America , who was also a prosecutor , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the age of 19 from India , who also like hip-hop , '' Harris continued , still laughing .
`` What do you want to know ? ''

Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris didn't hold back when confronted by a CBS News reporter asking if she's pushing a socialist agenda. She laughed out loud at the reporter's suggestion.
"What I will do, and I promise you this, this is what Joe wants me to do," the California Senator, speaking about her running mate, told "60 Minutes" correspondent Norah O'Donnell.
"This was part of our deal. I will always share with him my lived experience as it relates to any issue that we confront. And I promised Joe that I will give him that perspective and always be honest with him."
O'Donnell's response, which was panned on social media, forced Senator Harris to laugh in her face.
"And is that a socialist or progressive perspective?" O'Donnell asked.
"No," Harris replied, breaking out in laughter suggesting she thought the question was absurd.
"It is the perspective of a woman who grew up a Black child in America, who was also a prosecutor, who also has a mother who arrived here at the age of 19 from India, who also like hip-hop," Harris continued, still laughing. "What do you want to know?"
Watch:
This clip of Kamala discussing how her unique lived experience can inform a Biden presidency, & Norah pivoting hard with a right wing talking point, is a journey pic.twitter.com/zaJFgwPfqd
— Adam Blickstein (@AdamBlickstein) October 26, 2020


alternet--2020-10-26--Trump expected splashy Wall Street Journal coverage of Hunter Biden's emails. He was disappointed

Rudy Giuliani 's ridiculous waterlogged laptop story was n't supposed to be the way the public learned about an alleged trove of Hunter Biden emails .
It was supposed to come from a much more reputable Rupert Murdoch-owned publication .
Not even Fox News , which passed .
No , some ostensibly more reputable Trumpsters were trying to sell the email story—minus the laptop angle—to The Wall Street Journal .
Eric Herschmann , the former Trump impeachment lawyer turned White House adviser , former deputy White House counsel Stefan Passantino , and a public relations person who 's buddies with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bender in early October , The New York Times ' Ben Smith reports .
At that meeting , they handed over Hunter Biden emails—including some of the same ones Giuliani supposedly got from the laptop—and put his former business partner , Tony Bobulinski , on speaker phone to make allegations that Joe Biden had profited from Hunter 's corrupt use of the family name .
That effort to sell the story ran into one big problem : The Wall Street Journal took its time investigating and decided there was n't a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing , Giuliani got the New York Post to run his laptop story , which quickly came under question .
( Questions like `` Are you f'ing kidding me ? ''
and `` So Rudy 's basically a Russian asset now , right ? )
But Donald Trump knew that The Wall Street Journal was supposedly going to be doing a story on the emails , and he was excited , telling aides that an `` important piece '' was coming in the paper .
While `` The editors did n't like Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to do this hit job , '' a reporter told Smith , the investigation into the emails continued .
But it did n't go on Team Trump 's schedule , which called for a major , splashy article before last week 's debate .
Instead , the eventual WSJ article came after Bobulinski went to the press himself , and Trump tried to make him an issue in the debate .
The headline of the short article eventually published ?
`` Hunter Biden 's Ex-Business Partner Alleges Father Knew About Venture .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House lawyer and former White House lawyer were looking for—they wanted the New York Post insinuations laundered through the respectability of the WSJ .
And of course the whole story is further discredited by having multiple overlapping sets of Hunter Biden emails being pushed around by different parts of Team Trump .
The laptop story is dubious enough on its own—man from California delivers laptop to Delaware repair shop where blind Trump-supporting owner ca n't identify him as Hunter Biden but figures it out from Biden-related sticker on the laptop , etc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon improbability—but when you know that that was n't the only set of supposed Hunter Biden emails , well , it really screams Russian influence campaign .
And it screams Trump desperation for any game-changer in the campaign , however illegitimate .

Rudy Giuliani's ridiculous waterlogged laptop story wasn't supposed to be the way the public learned about an alleged trove of Hunter Biden emails. It was supposed to come from a much more reputable Rupert Murdoch-owned publication. Not even Fox News, which passed. No, some ostensibly more reputable Trumpsters were trying to sell the email story—minus the laptop angle—to The Wall Street Journal.
Eric Herschmann, the former Trump impeachment lawyer turned White House adviser, former deputy White House counsel Stefan Passantino, and a public relations person who's buddies with Don Jr. met with WSJ reporter Michael Bender in early October, The New York Times' Ben Smith reports. At that meeting, they handed over Hunter Biden emails—including some of the same ones Giuliani supposedly got from the laptop—and put his former business partner, Tony Bobulinski, on speaker phone to make allegations that Joe Biden had profited from Hunter's corrupt use of the family name. That effort to sell the story ran into one big problem: The Wall Street Journal took its time investigating and decided there wasn't a lot of there there.
While that investigation was ongoing, Giuliani got the New York Post to run his laptop story, which quickly came under question. (Questions like "Are you f'ing kidding me?" and "So Rudy's basically a Russian asset now, right?)
But Donald Trump knew that The Wall Street Journal was supposedly going to be doing a story on the emails, and he was excited, telling aides that an "important piece" was coming in the paper. While "The editors didn't like Trump's insinuation that we were being teed up to do this hit job," a reporter told Smith, the investigation into the emails continued. But it didn't go on Team Trump's schedule, which called for a major, splashy article before last week's debate. Instead, the eventual WSJ article came after Bobulinski went to the press himself, and Trump tried to make him an issue in the debate. The headline of the short article eventually published? "Hunter Biden's Ex-Business Partner Alleges Father Knew About Venture."
That's not exactly what the White House lawyer and former White House lawyer were looking for—they wanted the New York Post insinuations laundered through the respectability of the WSJ. And of course the whole story is further discredited by having multiple overlapping sets of Hunter Biden emails being pushed around by different parts of Team Trump. The laptop story is dubious enough on its own—man from California delivers laptop to Delaware repair shop where blind Trump-supporting owner can't identify him as Hunter Biden but figures it out from Biden-related sticker on the laptop, etc. etc. etc., improbability stacking upon improbability—but when you know that that wasn't the only set of supposed Hunter Biden emails, well, it really screams Russian influence campaign. And it screams Trump desperation for any game-changer in the campaign, however illegitimate.