alternet--2020-10-20--Is the Republican Party over?

Is the Republican Party over?

The theme of the day was the palpable sense of rats leaving a sinking ship as Republicans , administration officials , and administration-adjacent people distanced themselves from the president .
There was a foreshadowing of that exodus on Wednesday , when Senator Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) let loose about the president in a telephone call with constituents .
Sasse was an early critic of Trump but toned down his opposition significantly in the early part of the administration .
On Wednesday , he reverted to his earlier position , saying he had `` never been on the Trump train @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump `` kisses dictators ' butts , '' and went on : `` The United States now regularly sells out our allies under his leadership , the way he treats women , spends like a drunken sailor… .
[ He ] mocks evangelicals behind closed doors…has treated the presidency like a business opportunity '' and has `` flirted with white supremacists . ''
He said : `` What the heck were any of us thinking , that selling a TV-obsessed , narcissistic individual to the American people was a good idea ?
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparent yesterday , when officials leaked the story that intelligence officials had warned Trump against listening to his lawyer Rudy Giuliani .
This was a high-level leak , and suggests that more and more staffers are starting to look for a way off the S.S. Trump .
The audience numbers for last night 's town halls was also revealing , as Biden attracted 700,000 more viewers on just one ABC outlet than Trump did on the three NBC outlets that carried his event .
Biden 's town hall was the most watched event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears that people are simply tired of watching the president and are eager for calm and reason .
Today , a group called `` 43 Alumni for Biden '' released an ad called `` Team 46 . ''
It says that they are all lifelong Republicans , but because they recognize the qualities of leadership—including empathy– everyone `` on this team '' is voting for Biden .
`` Let 's put Joe Biden in the White House . ''
The ad features a number of pictures of President George W. Bush , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone whose voice sounds like his .
Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance notes , `` This looks awfully close to an endorsement of Biden from George W .
Bush . ''
Also today , the former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Committee , Jennifer Horn , urged `` my fellow Republicans '' not to vote for Trump 's reelection .
In a piece in USA Today , Horn reminded Republicans of `` the overwhelming sorrow and grief that this president '' has inflicted on the country .
Citing Covid-19 deaths , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparity and constitutional abuses , '' all of which `` are just tools to be used to feed his narcissism , advance his political ambitions and line his pockets , '' Horn indicted both Trump and the Republican Party that enables him .
`` This election poses a unique challenge , '' she wrote .
`` It will test not Republican vs. Democrat or Trump vs. Biden , but rather , `` We the People . ''
It is our role in this constitutional republic , our leadership , and our dedication to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested .
Trump or America , '' she wrote .
`` We can not have both . ''
Under pressure , Trump changed course today and approved the emergency declaration for California that he denied yesterday .
Such a reconsideration would normally have taken until after the election , but this one happened fast .
Earlier this week , Trump tweeted : `` People are fleeing California .
Taxes too high , Crime too high , Brownouts too many , Lockdowns too severe .
VOTE FOR TRUMP , WHAT THE HELL DO YOU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today CNN began teasers for a special on Sunday that will explain how former senior Trump officials believe Trump is unfit for the presidency .
According to former White House Chief of Staff , retired Marine General John Kelly , `` The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me .
The dishonesty , the transactional nature of every relationship , though it 's more pathetic than anything else .
He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life . ''
Also today , Caroline Giuliani , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , urged people to end Trump 's `` reign of terror '' by voting for `` a compassionate and decent president , '' Joe Biden .
`` [ C ] orruption starts with 'yes-men ' and women , the cronies who create an echo chamber of lies and subservience to maintain their proximity to power , '' she wrote in a piece for Vanity Fair .
`` We 've seen this ad nauseam with Trump and his cadre of high-level sycophants ( the ones who were n't convicted , anyway ) . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris for his running mate , and wrote , `` in Joe Biden , we 'll have a leader who prioritizes common ground and civility over alienation , bullying , and scorched-earth tactics . ''
`` [ T ] ogether , '' she said , `` we can vote this toxic administration out of office . ''
And yet another story from the day : a third career prosecutor from the Department of Justice resigned after publicly attacking Attorney General William Barr for abusing his power to get Trump reelected .
`` After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the U.S. Department of Justice , '' Phillip Halpern wrote .
`` [ T ] he department 's past leaders were dedicated to the rule of law and the guiding principle that justice is blind .
That is a bygone era , but it should not be forgotten . ''
Noting that `` Barr has never actually investigated , charged or tried a case , '' Halpern expressed deep concern over Barr 's `` slavish obedience to Donald Trump 's will . ''
`` This career bureaucrat seems determined to turn our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned .
Georgetown Law Professor Paul Butler , who worked as a federal prosecutor under Barr when he was George H. W. Bush 's Attorney General , told Katie Benner of the New York Times that such criticism is `` unprecedented , '' and reflects Trump 's pressure on the AG .
`` I have never seen sitting prosecutors go on the record with concerns about the attorney general , '' he said .
And yet , Barr 's willingness to bend the Justice Department to Trump 's personal will may , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep Trump 's favor .
Angry that Barr did not produce a report attacking the Russia investigation before the election , Trump just yesterday said he was n't happy with Barr 's performance , and might not keep him on as AG if he wins a second term .
There are signs people in the administration are preparing for Trump to lose the election .
His cabinet is rushing to change regulations to lock in Trump 's goal of giving more scope to businessmen to act as they see fit .
Normally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for public comment on the changes , but the administration is shortening or eliminating those periods over changes in , for example , rules allowing railroads to move highly flammable liquefied natural gas on freight trains , what constitutes `` contract '' work , how much pollution factories can emit , and who can immigrate to America .
Russell Vought , the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget , said in a statement : `` President Trump has worked quickly from the beginning of his term to grow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job-killing regulations , '' and that the current push simply continues that effort .
But no one is missing the quiet distancing going on in Washington as Republican lawmakers are shifting away from public support for the president .
Meanwhile , at his rally tonight in Georgia , Trump told the crowd `` You should… lock up the Bidens , lock up Hillary . ''
The crowd then began to chant `` Lock them up . ''
But one thing about a bully : when people finally start to turn on him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tonight , at his Georgia rally , Trump outlined all the ways in which he was being unfairly treated , then mused : `` Could you imagine if I lose ?
… I 'm not going to feel so good .
Maybe I 'll have to leave the country , I do n't know . ''
We are pleased to be presenting daily posts from Heather Cox Richardson 's `` Letters From an American '' email newsletter .
You can sign up to receive it in your inbox here .

The theme of the day was the palpable sense of rats leaving a sinking ship as Republicans, administration officials, and administration-adjacent people distanced themselves from the president.
There was a foreshadowing of that exodus on Wednesday, when Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) let loose about the president in a telephone call with constituents. Sasse was an early critic of Trump but toned down his opposition significantly in the early part of the administration. On Wednesday, he reverted to his earlier position, saying he had "never been on the Trump train." He complained about the way Trump "kisses dictators' butts," and went on: "The United States now regularly sells out our allies under his leadership, the way he treats women, spends like a drunken sailor…. [He] mocks evangelicals behind closed doors…has treated the presidency like a business opportunity" and has "flirted with white supremacists." He said: "What the heck were any of us thinking, that selling a TV-obsessed, narcissistic individual to the American people was a good idea?"The theme of abandoning the administration became apparent yesterday, when officials leaked the story that intelligence officials had warned Trump against listening to his lawyer Rudy Giuliani. This was a high-level leak, and suggests that more and more staffers are starting to look for a way off the S.S. Trump.
The audience numbers for last night's town halls was also revealing, as Biden attracted 700,000 more viewers on just one ABC outlet than Trump did on the three NBC outlets that carried his event. Biden's town hall was the most watched event since the Oscars in February. It appears that people are simply tired of watching the president and are eager for calm and reason.
Today, a group called "43 Alumni for Biden" released an ad called "Team 46." It says that they are all lifelong Republicans, but because they recognize the qualities of leadership—including empathy– everyone "on this team" is voting for Biden. "Let's put Joe Biden in the White House." The ad features a number of pictures of President George W. Bush, the forty-third president, and is narrated by someone whose voice sounds like his. Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance notes, "This looks awfully close to an endorsement of Biden from George W. Bush."
Also today, the former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Committee, Jennifer Horn, urged "my fellow Republicans" not to vote for Trump's reelection. In a piece in USA Today, Horn reminded Republicans of "the overwhelming sorrow and grief that this president" has inflicted on the country. Citing Covid-19 deaths, "cultural divides, racial unrest, economic disparity and constitutional abuses," all of which "are just tools to be used to feed his narcissism, advance his political ambitions and line his pockets," Horn indicted both Trump and the Republican Party that enables him.
"This election poses a unique challenge," she wrote. "It will test not Republican vs. Democrat or Trump vs. Biden, but rather, "We the People." It is our role in this constitutional republic, our leadership, and our dedication to the promise of America that is being tested. Trump or America," she wrote. "We cannot have both."
Under pressure, Trump changed course today and approved the emergency declaration for California that he denied yesterday. Such a reconsideration would normally have taken until after the election, but this one happened fast. Earlier this week, Trump tweeted: "People are fleeing California. Taxes too high, Crime too high, Brownouts too many, Lockdowns too severe. VOTE FOR TRUMP, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE!!!"
Today CNN began teasers for a special on Sunday that will explain how former senior Trump officials believe Trump is unfit for the presidency. According to former White House Chief of Staff, retired Marine General John Kelly, "The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it's more pathetic than anything else. He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life."
Also today, Caroline Giuliani, the daughter of Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, urged people to end Trump's "reign of terror" by voting for "a compassionate and decent president," Joe Biden. "[C]orruption starts with 'yes-men' and women, the cronies who create an echo chamber of lies and subservience to maintain their proximity to power," she wrote in a piece for Vanity Fair. "We've seen this ad nauseam with Trump and his cadre of high-level sycophants (the ones who weren't convicted, anyway)." Giuliani cheered Biden's choice of Kamala Harris for his running mate, and wrote, "in Joe Biden, we'll have a leader who prioritizes common ground and civility over alienation, bullying, and scorched-earth tactics." "[T]ogether," she said, "we can vote this toxic administration out of office."
And yet another story from the day: a third career prosecutor from the Department of Justice resigned after publicly attacking Attorney General William Barr for abusing his power to get Trump reelected. "After 36 years, I'm fleeing what was the U.S. Department of Justice," Phillip Halpern wrote. "[T]he department's past leaders were dedicated to the rule of law and the guiding principle that justice is blind. That is a bygone era, but it should not be forgotten." Noting that "Barr has never actually investigated, charged or tried a case," Halpern expressed deep concern over Barr's "slavish obedience to Donald Trump's will." "This career bureaucrat seems determined to turn our democracy into an autocracy," he warned.
Georgetown Law Professor Paul Butler, who worked as a federal prosecutor under Barr when he was George H. W. Bush's Attorney General, told Katie Benner of the New York Times that such criticism is "unprecedented," and reflects Trump's pressure on the AG. "I have never seen sitting prosecutors go on the record with concerns about the attorney general," he said.
And yet, Barr's willingness to bend the Justice Department to Trump's personal will may, in the end, not be enough to keep Trump's favor. Angry that Barr did not produce a report attacking the Russia investigation before the election, Trump just yesterday said he wasn't happy with Barr's performance, and might not keep him on as AG if he wins a second term.
There are signs people in the administration are preparing for Trump to lose the election. His cabinet is rushing to change regulations to lock in Trump's goal of giving more scope to businessmen to act as they see fit. Normally, changes in regulations require setting aside time for public comment on the changes, but the administration is shortening or eliminating those periods over changes in, for example, rules allowing railroads to move highly flammable liquefied natural gas on freight trains, what constitutes "contract" work, how much pollution factories can emit, and who can immigrate to America.
Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said in a statement: "President Trump has worked quickly from the beginning of his term to grow the economy by removing the mountain of Obama-Biden job-killing regulations," and that the current push simply continues that effort. But no one is missing the quiet distancing going on in Washington as Republican lawmakers are shifting away from public support for the president.
Meanwhile, at his rally tonight in Georgia, Trump told the crowd "You should… lock up the Bidens, lock up Hillary." The crowd then began to chant "Lock them up." But one thing about a bully: when people finally start to turn on him, there is a stampede for the exits.
Tonight, at his Georgia rally, Trump outlined all the ways in which he was being unfairly treated, then mused: "Could you imagine if I lose?… I'm not going to feel so good. Maybe I'll have to leave the country, I don't know."
We are pleased to be presenting daily posts from Heather Cox Richardson's "Letters From an American" email newsletter. You can sign up to receive it in your inbox here.


alternet--2020-10-20--Trump and the right share a Darwinist 'herd mentality' — and preference for sacrificing the weak to

Trump and the right share a Darwinist 'herd mentality' — and preference for sacrificing the weak to capitalism

Donald Trump 's promise in an ABC News town hall last month that the United States would soon achieve herd immunity for the coronavirus , and conflating that with herd mentality , may be explained because Trump is counting on the latter to rescue his second term .
It 's otherwise impossible to imagine a campaign whose endgame is to recover the lost loyalty of voters over 65 selecting as its closing argument , `` Not enough of you have died yet . ''
It 's a safe bet that none of his 2016 Republican primary challengers would have embraced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic was more American casualties than the Civil War and World War II combined .
But many of Trump 's Republican comrades-in-arms have embraced , often eagerly , a default preference for herd immunity — harkening back to the harsh social Darwinism that underlies much of modern conservatism .
Early on in the pandemic there were Texas Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick , Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana and radio host Glenn Beck , all of whom argued that the loss of more American lives was preferable to scaling back the economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , some opponents argued `` if I 'm going to get COVID and die from it , so be it … '' Of course they really meant , `` If you are going to get COVID ... '' Wearing masks was a deprivation of freedom — although this argument seems never to have been extended by Republicans to the prohibition on public nudity .
As the pandemic surged again , by October Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin was referring to `` unjustified hysteria '' about covid , after he became infected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually can stop the progression of a contagious disease ? ''
( The obvious answer is that we have been doing so , with increasing success , since the 1854 cholera pump moment .
That is rejected by many on the right , because stopping a pandemic may require the government to prevent citizens from endangering others . )
Herd immunity can sometimes reduce mortality from a disease , but over the centuries has failed to end the curse of influenza , tuberculosis , smallpox , polio , rabies or dengue fever .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a social Darwinist framework .
Those who die are the `` weak '' — the poorest , the youngest and the oldest young — or can at any rate be classified as weak and deserving to die , because they died .
Survival of the fittest requires discarding the weak .
Remember the `` let them die '' hecklers who populated some of the 2011 Republican debates on health care .
This underlying value distortion — my personal freedom extends to my right to endanger you — spreads out across a range of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to curb pollution even when it is demonstrably is killing a power plant 's neighbors , to keep pesticides that kill farm workers out of the fields or to do anything at all about the climate crisis , which conservatives have privately conceded for years was real and caused by carbon pollution , are all illustrations of how the toxin of social Darwinism still contaminates much of the right 's thinking about freedom .
So Trump 's response to the COVID crisis — and the willingness of the Republican congressional establishment to enable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American right .
In a world in which we are , like it or not , all bound together , a tolerable conservatism is one that is willing to protect me from irresponsible neighbors , whether those are COVID-risking teenagers , irresponsible gun owners or multinational chemical companies .

Donald Trump's promise in an ABC News town hall last month that the United States would soon achieve herd immunity for the coronavirus, and conflating that with herd mentality, may be explained because Trump is counting on the latter to rescue his second term. It's otherwise impossible to imagine a campaign whose endgame is to recover the lost loyalty of voters over 65 selecting as its closing argument, "Not enough of you have died yet."
It's a safe bet that none of his 2016 Republican primary challengers would have embraced the idea that the solution to the pandemic was more American casualties than the Civil War and World War II combined. But many of Trump's Republican comrades-in-arms have embraced, often eagerly, a default preference for herd immunity — harkening back to the harsh social Darwinism that underlies much of modern conservatism. Early on in the pandemic there were Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana and radio host Glenn Beck, all of whom argued that the loss of more American lives was preferable to scaling back the economy. Then, when the issue became wearing masks , some opponents argued "if I'm going to get COVID and die from it, so be it …" Of course they really meant, "If you are going to get COVID ..." Wearing masks was a deprivation of freedom — although this argument seems never to have been extended by Republicans to the prohibition on public nudity.
As the pandemic surged again, by October Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin was referring to "unjustified hysteria" about covid, and asked, after he became infected, ""Why do we think we actually can stop the progression of a contagious disease?" (The obvious answer is that we have been doing so, with increasing success, since the 1854 cholera pump moment. That is rejected by many on the right, because stopping a pandemic may require the government to prevent citizens from endangering others.)
Herd immunity can sometimes reduce mortality from a disease, but over the centuries has failed to end the curse of influenza, tuberculosis, smallpox, polio, rabies or dengue fever. It fits neatly, however, into a social Darwinist framework. Those who die are the "weak" — the poorest, the youngest and the oldest young — or can at any rate be classified as weak and deserving to die, because they died. Survival of the fittest requires discarding the weak. Remember the "let them die" hecklers who populated some of the 2011 Republican debates on health care.
This underlying value distortion — my personal freedom extends to my right to endanger you — spreads out across a range of other issues. Today's Republican reluctance to curb pollution even when it is demonstrably is killing a power plant's neighbors, to keep pesticides that kill farm workers out of the fields or to do anything at all about the climate crisis, which conservatives have privately conceded for years was real and caused by carbon pollution, are all illustrations of how the toxin of social Darwinism still contaminates much of the right's thinking about freedom.
So Trump's response to the COVID crisis — and the willingness of the Republican congressional establishment to enable it — illustrates a deep-rooted flaw in the American right. In a world in which we are, like it or not, all bound together, a tolerable conservatism is one that is willing to protect me from irresponsible neighbors, whether those are COVID-risking teenagers, irresponsible gun owners or multinational chemical companies.


alternet--2020-10-20--Nixon's authoritarianism led us to Trump — and we must finally address the root of the problem

After Richard Nixon resigned from office in the wake of the Watergate scandal , the Congress set out to create numerous reforms designed to rein in future presidents .
After all , Nixon had set forth a view of the presidency that was downright un-American : `` If the president does it it 's not illegal , '' essentially saying that no law can apply to the executive branch .
The legal system had worked , up to a point .
Twenty-two members of the Nixon administration were convicted of crimes pertaining to Watergate .
Most of them did time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief of staff and the attorney general .
Nixon himself was guilty of numerous crimes but was never tried for any of them because he was pardoned by his successor , Gerald Ford .
But much of what Nixon did was n't illegal .
It was unethical , immoral and totally disrespectful of any and all norms of decent leadership .
It turns out that those kinds of transgressions are even harder to check than rank criminality .
There were committee investigations , such as the Church Committee in the Senate and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply into the intelligence community 's abuses , resulting in the permanent select committees on intelligence in each chamber .
Later reforms required the president to inform congressional leaders of both parties prior to major covert actions , and for leaders of the CIA to regularly brief the committees .
Unfortunately , those reforms were of limited utility .
The Iran-Contra scandal and the pardons that followed mocked the idea of intelligence oversight .
The CIA black sites and torture program program during the George W. Bush administration pretty much destroyed the illusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence services .
Throughout this period , the War Powers Act , which was enacted over Nixon 's veto in the first place , has been a joke .
As for campaign finance and ethics reforms , well , those were nice ideas .
The Supreme Court took care of the first with the Citizens United ruling , and the second turns out to be almost entirely dependent on a sense of shame — a thing that turns out to be easily discarded .
And yet , for all of that , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power of the presidency as Donald Trump has done .
He did n't do it on his own .
Yes , his personal inclination has been to treat the government as his private fiefdom , demanding loyalty oaths , conducting purges and using the office for his personal profit .
But people such as Attorney General Bill Barr and others in right-wing legal circles who were politically baptized by Nixon 's downfall have used Trump 's authoritarian instincts to institute the `` imperial presidency '' that Nixon once espoused .
When Trump says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says I can do anything I want , '' he did n't get that idea from reading the Constitution .
He has obviously never done that , and would n't understand it anyway .
He has been told this by people who believe very strongly in unaccountable presidential power : `` If the president does it , it 's not illegal . ''
Barr 's covering for Trump 's obstruction of justice in the Mueller probe , the White House refusal to cooperate with Congress , the assertion of novel rationales that render @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Justice claiming that personal cases against Trump come under the rubric of presidential immunity , among many other instances are not just exercises in Trumpian corruption .
They are assertions of executive power way beyond anything that Nixon , Reagan or Bush ever thought of .
That 's not Trump .
It 's a Republican power grab , and it 's just one of many we 've seen coming from the right in recent years .
This authoritarian strain of thought has been with us at least since the Nixon era and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other day that should the Democrats win the presidency and the Senate they must take the necessary step of expanding the Supreme Court .
There has also been considerable discussion about getting rid of the Senate filibuster and granting statehood to Washington , D.C .
These ideas and others are starting to make people nervous .
The Washington Post published an essay by Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore this past weekend in which she argues against one of the ideas percolating on the left : that a `` Truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examine what happened during the Trump administration .
This idea stems from the suspicion that the law will not adequately deal with a corrupt former president and his accomplices .
I suspect that many people believe that our system is so damaged at this point that Congress will be unable to properly handle the task of unraveling this disaster and putting it right .
So something like a truth and reconciliation commission comes into play since that would make it possible for the truth to come out , even if no legal penalties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely or possible .
At least we would know .
Lepore does n't think the situation is grave enough for that .
Trump can be dealt with by journalists and historians ; Congress will carry on with passing legislation .
But as you can see , we 've been dealing with this for more than 40 years and it 's just getting worse and worse .
Donald Trump has turned 40 % of the country into his private cult .
The Republican Party has become radical , corrupt and power-mad and America is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , unpredictable and dangerous .
We 're being tested by foreign adversaries and we do n't seem to be able to respond .
The nation 's economic situation is dire and nearly a quarter of a million people have died in the last eight months because our system is so broken .
The racial injustice at the heart of our society has become too much to bear .
Journalism and history , in Lepore 's view , are going to keep us tethered to the truth ?
There is an entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fantasy .
We live in an age where tens of millions of people live in an alternate reality , believing that the Democratic Party is run by a Satanic pedophile cult and that John F. Kennedy Jr. is coming back from the dead to help Donald Trump save the children .
We are in very big trouble .
Our immediate survival depends upon electing new leadership — that much is true .
Our democracy is under stress but it may not yet be so damaged that we ca n't make that happen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconciliation commission or a `` presidential crimes commission '' made up of independent prosecutors , as Rep. Eric Swalwell , D-Calif. , has suggested , or some other mechanism by which we document what has happened and attempt to hold people accountable , we need something .
Otherwise I 'm afraid we 'll just let it all slide out into the ether as if nothing happened at all .
Until it happens again .
For more than 40 years the U.S. has been heading down this path , sometimes pushed back by various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Watergate to keep it from going too far .
But those institutions have been failing for a while and I do n't think we can survive another onslaught , especially if someone smarter than Donald Trump comes along and picks up the the tools that Bill Barr and others have provided them .
The Democrats must do their duty and deal with this now .

After Richard Nixon resigned from office in the wake of the Watergate scandal, the Congress set out to create numerous reforms designed to rein in future presidents. After all, Nixon had set forth a view of the presidency that was downright un-American: "If the president does it it's not illegal," essentially saying that no law can apply to the executive branch.
The legal system had worked, up to a point. Twenty-two members of the Nixon administration were convicted of crimes pertaining to Watergate. Most of them did time in prison, including the White House chief of staff and the attorney general. Nixon himself was guilty of numerous crimes but was never tried for any of them because he was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford. But much of what Nixon did wasn't illegal. It was unethical, immoral and totally disrespectful of any and all norms of decent leadership. It turns out that those kinds of transgressions are even harder to check than rank criminality.
There were committee investigations, such as the Church Committee in the Senate and the Pike Committee in the House which delved deeply into the intelligence community's abuses, resulting in the permanent select committees on intelligence in each chamber. Later reforms required the president to inform congressional leaders of both parties prior to major covert actions, and for leaders of the CIA to regularly brief the committees.
Unfortunately, those reforms were of limited utility. The Iran-Contra scandal and the pardons that followed mocked the idea of intelligence oversight. The CIA black sites and torture program program during the George W. Bush administration pretty much destroyed the illusion that Congress had any control over the intelligence services. Throughout this period, the War Powers Act, which was enacted over Nixon's veto in the first place, has been a joke. As for campaign finance and ethics reforms, well, those were nice ideas. The Supreme Court took care of the first with the Citizens United ruling, and the second turns out to be almost entirely dependent on a sense of shame — a thing that turns out to be easily discarded.
And yet, for all of that, no one has come close to abusing the power of the presidency as Donald Trump has done. He didn't do it on his own. Yes, his personal inclination has been to treat the government as his private fiefdom, demanding loyalty oaths, conducting purges and using the office for his personal profit. But people such as Attorney General Bill Barr and others in right-wing legal circles who were politically baptized by Nixon's downfall have used Trump's authoritarian instincts to institute the "imperial presidency" that Nixon once espoused.
When Trump says "I have an Article II that says I can do anything I want," he didn't get that idea from reading the Constitution. He has obviously never done that, and wouldn't understand it anyway. He has been told this by people who believe very strongly in unaccountable presidential power: "If the president does it, it's not illegal." Barr's covering for Trump's obstruction of justice in the Mueller probe, the White House refusal to cooperate with Congress, the assertion of novel rationales that render oversight null and void and the Department of Justice claiming that personal cases against Trump come under the rubric of presidential immunity, among many other instances are not just exercises in Trumpian corruption. They are assertions of executive power way beyond anything that Nixon, Reagan or Bush ever thought of.
That's not Trump. It's a Republican power grab, and it's just one of many we've seen coming from the right in recent years. This authoritarian strain of thought has been with us at least since the Nixon era and it's metastasizing.
I wrote the other day that should the Democrats win the presidency and the Senate they must take the necessary step of expanding the Supreme Court. There has also been considerable discussion about getting rid of the Senate filibuster and granting statehood to Washington, D.C. These ideas and others are starting to make people nervous.
The Washington Post published an essay by Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore this past weekend in which she argues against one of the ideas percolating on the left: that a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" is needed to examine what happened during the Trump administration. This idea stems from the suspicion that the law will not adequately deal with a corrupt former president and his accomplices. I suspect that many people believe that our system is so damaged at this point that Congress will be unable to properly handle the task of unraveling this disaster and putting it right. So something like a truth and reconciliation commission comes into play since that would make it possible for the truth to come out, even if no legal penalties for the abuses that took place are likely or possible. At least we would know.
Lepore doesn't think the situation is grave enough for that. Trump can be dealt with by journalists and historians; Congress will carry on with passing legislation. But as you can see, we've been dealing with this for more than 40 years and it's just getting worse and worse.
Donald Trump has turned 40% of the country into his private cult. The Republican Party has become radical, corrupt and power-mad and America is now seen as a rogue superpower around the world, unpredictable and dangerous. We're being tested by foreign adversaries and we don't seem to be able to respond. The nation's economic situation is dire and nearly a quarter of a million people have died in the last eight months because our system is so broken. The racial injustice at the heart of our society has become too much to bear.
Journalism and history, in Lepore's view, are going to keep us tethered to the truth? There is an entire right-wing information ecosystem based on lies and fantasy. We live in an age where tens of millions of people live in an alternate reality, believing that the Democratic Party is run by a Satanic pedophile cult and that John F. Kennedy Jr. is coming back from the dead to help Donald Trump save the children.
We are in very big trouble.
Our immediate survival depends upon electing new leadership — that much is true. Our democracy is under stress but it may not yet be so damaged that we can't make that happen. But whether it's a truth and reconciliation commission or a "presidential crimes commission" made up of independent prosecutors, as Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has suggested, or some other mechanism by which we document what has happened and attempt to hold people accountable, we need something. Otherwise I'm afraid we'll just let it all slide out into the ether as if nothing happened at all. Until it happens again.
For more than 40 years the U.S. has been heading down this path, sometimes pushed back by various institutions that were designed in the wake of Watergate to keep it from going too far. But those institutions have been failing for a while and I don't think we can survive another onslaught, especially if someone smarter than Donald Trump comes along and picks up the the tools that Bill Barr and others have provided them. The Democrats must do their duty and deal with this now.


alternet--2020-10-20--Trump’s top health official lies and says the US is doing as well as the rest of the world on COVID

The Trump administration is a disaster .
It was a garbage fire when it began , but that ongoing fire , stoked by the entire Republican Party , has led to an increase in authoritarian use of law enforcement and ICE forces to dehumanize people all across our country .
On top of all of that , the bad economic policies and general culture of avarice and self-serving incompetence promoted by Trump and the Republican Party have led us to the precipice of an economic depression , and a public health crisis the likes of which has not been seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the territory of collapse .
With just over two weeks until Election Day , Trump 's surrogates—the ones not sick with COVID-19 or hiding out to pretend they are n't still milking the poisonous Trump cow—have taken to the airwaves to pretend everything is going according to plan .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was on Meet the Press Sunday , to implore Americans in his most imploring-sounding voice , to wear masks and follow the basic general protections against spreading the COVID-19 virus that experts have been promoting since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scripted his statement as a plea to Chuck Todd 's `` viewers . ''
This , obviously , surprised even Meet The Press host Chuck Todd , since Donald Trump and his administration have done the opposite now for , oh , about ... seven months .
Secretary Azar 's message to Chuck Todd 's viewers was specifically about large `` indoor gatherings . ''
This is relevant due to upcoming Halloween festivities and Thanksgiving celebrations .
Todd remarked that Azar 's statement was strange considering that just last week , Azar attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump that still may very well be COVID-19 positive .
Azar said that everyone at the indoor rally was socially distanced—sort of—and were all offered masks .
Of course , this means nothing if you do n't wear said mask .
Todd pointed out that the message being sent does n't seem consistent , as states like Wisconsin see surges in COVID-19 cases , while Donald Trump flies into those areas to promote big superspreader events .
It is here that Azar attempts to promote misinformation that does two things : It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current anti-public health farewell tour , while also absolving the administration 's criminally negligent handling of a pandemic that has claimed almost a quarter of a million American lives .
Azar says that lots of countries in lockdown are having big surges .
The implication here is that you 're damned if you do and damned if you do n't .
This is n't true .
The fact of the matter is that the United States , for the first time in years , is actually No .
1 in the world in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death rates in general during the pandemic .
We are also a leader in the world in cases per 100,000 and deaths per 100,000 .
I guess Azar is talking about how places like Aruba and Bahrain have a worse case rate ?
Todd asks why it 's been so `` difficult for the president '' to promote a public health message that would actually save thousands , if not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of lives .
Azar has been a Trump hack throughout this process and can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and confusion among certain sections of the American public in regard to COVID-19 .
He has attacked Americans and frontline responders instead of the virus .
If we lived in a just universe , Alex Azar would soon find himself doing some prison time along with the hundreds of Republican operatives and scam artists who have brought us to where we are now .
HHS Secretary Alex Azar says wear a mask but that it does n't really matter

The Trump administration is a disaster. It was a garbage fire when it began, but that ongoing fire, stoked by the entire Republican Party, has led to an increase in authoritarian use of law enforcement and ICE forces to dehumanize people all across our country. On top of all of that, the bad economic policies and general culture of avarice and self-serving incompetence promoted by Trump and the Republican Party have led us to the precipice of an economic depression, and a public health crisis the likes of which has not been seen in generations has pushed that depression into the territory of collapse.
With just over two weeks until Election Day, Trump's surrogates—the ones not sick with COVID-19 or hiding out to pretend they aren't still milking the poisonous Trump cow—have taken to the airwaves to pretend everything is going according to plan. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was on Meet the Press Sunday, to implore Americans in his most imploring-sounding voice, to wear masks and follow the basic general protections against spreading the COVID-19 virus that experts have been promoting since the beginning of this pandemic. Azar even scripted his statement as a plea to Chuck Todd's "viewers." This, obviously, surprised even Meet The Press host Chuck Todd, since Donald Trump and his administration have done the opposite now for, oh, about ... seven months.
Secretary Azar's message to Chuck Todd's viewers was specifically about large "indoor gatherings." This is relevant due to upcoming Halloween festivities and Thanksgiving celebrations. Todd remarked that Azar's statement was strange considering that just last week, Azar attended an indoor rally with President Trump—the same President Trump that still may very well be COVID-19 positive. Azar said that everyone at the indoor rally was socially distanced—sort of—and were all offered masks. Of course, this means nothing if you don't wear said mask. Todd pointed out that the message being sent doesn't seem consistent, as states like Wisconsin see surges in COVID-19 cases, while Donald Trump flies into those areas to promote big superspreader events.
It is here that Azar attempts to promote misinformation that does two things: It attempts at justifying the Trump administration's current anti-public health farewell tour, while also absolving the administration's criminally negligent handling of a pandemic that has claimed almost a quarter of a million American lives. Azar says that lots of countries in lockdown are having big surges. The implication here is that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
This isn't true. The fact of the matter is that the United States, for the first time in years, is actually No. 1 in the world in something: death rates due to COVID-19 and death rates in general during the pandemic. We are also a leader in the world in cases per 100,000 and deaths per 100,000. I guess Azar is talking about how places like Aruba and Bahrain have a worse case rate? Todd asks why it's been so "difficult for the president" to promote a public health message that would actually save thousands, if not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of lives.
ALEX AZAR: I think it's a difficult message for all western democracies. We're seeing that in Europe. The American people have given so much. People of Europe have given so much, Chuck. They've been locked down, isolated. But they're tired. But the point is, we're so close. Hang in there with us. We're so close ...
Azar has been a Trump hack throughout this process and can be justifiably blamed for much of the misinformation and confusion among certain sections of the American public in regard to COVID-19. He has attacked Americans and frontline responders instead of the virus. If we lived in a just universe, Alex Azar would soon find himself doing some prison time along with the hundreds of Republican operatives and scam artists who have brought us to where we are now.


alternet--2020-10-20--Here's what Donald Trump's hatred of women reveals about his psyche

Trump 's hatred of women and his rejection of the feminine are confirmed by his behavior on a daily basis .
Confronted with a black woman opponent , Kamala Harris , his self-loathing is expressed through his projection of his rejected feminine side and his shadow complex .
A psychological perspective on this phenomena is informed by Mary Trump 's book Too Much and Not Enough which details the early childhood wounding that led to Trump 's dysfunction behavior .
For a full analysis of Trump 's pathology read Dr .
Brandy Lee 's , a forensic psychiatrist , book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also a new film # Unfit : The Psychology of Donald Trump .
The psychologist Carl Jung proposed that males and females have contrasexual archetypal traits .
The male has a feminine side known as the anima and the masculine side of the female is known as the animus .
These archetypes are idealized images .
In young people these archetypes remain undeveloped and are mainly expressed through projection onto others .
For example , a young man who is attracted to a woman will project his ideal feminine , the anima @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to match that projection through her behavior .
This requires considerable energy .
No matter what she does , she will never live up the man 's ideal image .
As the woman reveals more of her real self , the projection wanes and the real relationship can begin .
The same phenomenon occurs for women through the projection of the animus onto male suitors .
Jung proposed that as we grow older , we integrate these contrasexual images .
The man becomes more feminine and the female more masculine .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifelong process .
We may ultimately integrate all aspects of the self and become whole .
The more integrated we become the less likely we are to project these archetypal images onto others .
However , for many males this integration never talks place .
There are various reasons including the influence of sociocultural factors and family of origins .
The complex relationship between psychological development and socialization of men that begins at birth is captured eloquently by Teresa Bernardez .
She suggests that because of socialization there is a cultural injunction against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhibiting characteristics associated with being feminine .
In our culture , the feminine is stereotyped as weak , helpless , and less competent than the male .
Affect , empathy and other feminine characteristics are belittled and rejected as unmanly .
A counter-identification process can take place .
Men divorce themselves from traits that are seen as female-like or even those associated with the mother .
Bernardez argues this negative view of women or the feminine causes an internal struggle within the male to control those unwanted feminine aspects of self by projecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` The male thus controls the female aspects of himself that he fears and devalues .
The domination of women is encouraged by the culture , but its strength comes from the need of males to control and dominate the female-self in themselves . ''
From this perspective , when a man encounters a strong women , a woman in power or a woman in a leadership position , he feels out-of-control .
He may even fear that the woman controls him and forces upon him the very feminine characteristics he eschews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Mary Trump reports in her book , Donald was abandoned by his mother and ignored by his father .
His early socialization of women was very negative .
His mother was sickly and not involved in any parenting role .
His father was disinterested in him and preferred work .
His father ruled his house `` under a dark , oppressive cloud of psychological and emotional abuse . ''
Both of his parents were haunted by their own pathology and had little interest or ability to properly parent Donald .
He developed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his relationship with his mother .
This may have coincided with his own childhood feelings , of abandonment , helplessness and being out-of-control .
To control those negative injunctions against the feminine in himself Donald projects that loathing onto women around him , particularly strong woman .
His relationship with the feminine in his outer world mirrors his own internal relationship with the feminine in him .
The extent to which he denigrates women and the anger and even hatred he projects onto them reflects , in equal measure , his own self-hatred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passivity that he associates with the feminine in him .
Donald 's favorite sexist invective toward women is 'nasty . '
He has used the word to describe both men and women .
When referring to Kamala Harris it is often meant to demean and dismiss her as a woman and as a serious political candidate .
He mispronounces her name .
He calls her a monster .
He called her the `` meanest , most horrible , most disrespectful member of the United States Senate . ''
These words that be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The most telling comment that summarizes Trump 's view of women and by extension his own feminine side occurred in 1992 when he said of women , `` You have to treat 'em like shit . ''
Trump prefers his women to be compliant .
This fits with some antiquated notion that women should be seen and not heard .
Donald 's own preference for models underscores this notion .
Jung posited another domain of the psyche called the shadow .
The shadow is a repository for all of the unwanted and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we deny , those which we wish to keep hidden from others , those that cause us shame and embarrassment and those that are outside our awareness .
Ideally , during the individuation process those darker aspects of self would be uncovered and integrated with all other aspects of the psyche .
This reclamation can lead to a fuller , more integrated and creative life .
It harnesses psyche energy rather than diffuses it .
Without this reclamation process we must manage the psychic energy that is required to repress the shadow material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we project this shadow outward onto others .
Because the shadow material remains hidden and in a dark place it is most easily projected onto people of color .
Trump 's vile racism is again a measure of his own shadow and his efforts to keep it at bay .
This is another aspect to his projection on Kamala Harris that is a function of her being black .
He labels her angry .
This is a racist trope that is meant to conjure images of an ill-tempered and ill-mannered black who does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salvo from the Trump camp , after Harris was nominated to be the vice-presidential candidate , was to label her a 'hoe '' .
His hatred of immigrants , Muslims , any person of color , Obama and now Kamala Harris are projection of his own shadow .
His descriptions of these people are reflections of his own revulsion with aspects of himself .
He even refers to mostly non-white countries as `` shitholes . ''
Mary Trump has heard Donald using the N-word .
Trump refers to Black Lives Matter protesters as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of these same characteristics have been used to describe Trump 's behavior .
Michael Cohen , Trump 's former lawyer and fixer , in his forthcoming book , Disloyal writes , '' I knew him better than even his family did because I bore witness to the real man , in strip clubs , shady business meetings , and in the unguarded moments when he revealed who he really was : a cheat , a liar , a fraud , a bully , a racist , a predator , a con man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely negative as Trump feels endangered of losing his office and by extension control of himself .
Kamala Harris , and other women are perfect screens onto which Trump will project all of the unwanted and rejected aspects of himself .
He will project his feminine side which he associates with weakness , passivity , and helplessness and his own dark side full of shame , embarrassment , and not feeling good enough .
Bud McClure is professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota Duluth .
He is the author of Putting A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chaos and the award-winning Divine Daisy : A Transpersonal Tale .
He can be reached at bmcclure @ d.umn.edu

by Bud McClure
Trump's hatred of women and his rejection of the feminine are confirmed by his behavior on a daily basis. Confronted with a black woman opponent, Kamala Harris, his self-loathing is expressed through his projection of his rejected feminine side and his shadow complex. A psychological perspective on this phenomena is informed by Mary Trump's book Too Much and Not Enough which details the early childhood wounding that led to Trump's dysfunction behavior. For a full analysis of Trump's pathology read Dr. Brandy Lee's, a forensic psychiatrist, book The Dangerous Case of Donald. There is also a new film #Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump.
The psychologist Carl Jung proposed that males and females have contrasexual archetypal traits. The male has a feminine side known as the anima and the masculine side of the female is known as the animus. These archetypes are idealized images. In young people these archetypes remain undeveloped and are mainly expressed through projection onto others. For example, a young man who is attracted to a woman will project his ideal feminine, the anima, onto her. Initially she will try to match that projection through her behavior. This requires considerable energy. No matter what she does, she will never live up the man's ideal image. As the woman reveals more of her real self, the projection wanes and the real relationship can begin. The same phenomenon occurs for women through the projection of the animus onto male suitors.
Jung proposed that as we grow older, we integrate these contrasexual images. The man becomes more feminine and the female more masculine. This is known as individualization, is a lifelong process. We may ultimately integrate all aspects of the self and become whole. The more integrated we become the less likely we are to project these archetypal images onto others. However, for many males this integration never talks place. There are various reasons including the influence of sociocultural factors and family of origins.
The complex relationship between psychological development and socialization of men that begins at birth is captured eloquently by Teresa Bernardez. She suggests that because of socialization there is a cultural injunction against appearing to be like a female or exhibiting characteristics associated with being feminine. In our culture, the feminine is stereotyped as weak, helpless, and less competent than the male. Affect, empathy and other feminine characteristics are belittled and rejected as unmanly. A counter-identification process can take place. Men divorce themselves from traits that are seen as female-like or even those associated with the mother. Bernardez argues this negative view of women or the feminine causes an internal struggle within the male to control those unwanted feminine aspects of self by projecting them outward onto women.
Bernardez summarizes, "The male thus controls the female aspects of himself that he fears and devalues. The domination of women is encouraged by the culture, but its strength comes from the need of males to control and dominate the female-self in themselves."
From this perspective, when a man encounters a strong women, a woman in power or a woman in a leadership position, he feels out-of-control. He may even fear that the woman controls him and forces upon him the very feminine characteristics he eschews - dependency, submissiveness and compliance.
As Mary Trump reports in her book, Donald was abandoned by his mother and ignored by his father. His early socialization of women was very negative. His mother was sickly and not involved in any parenting role. His father was disinterested in him and preferred work. His father ruled his house "under a dark, oppressive cloud of psychological and emotional abuse."
Both of his parents were haunted by their own pathology and had little interest or ability to properly parent Donald. He developed a very negative view of women through his relationship with his mother. This may have coincided with his own childhood feelings, of abandonment, helplessness and being out-of-control.
To control those negative injunctions against the feminine in himself Donald projects that loathing onto women around him, particularly strong woman. His relationship with the feminine in his outer world mirrors his own internal relationship with the feminine in him. The extent to which he denigrates women and the anger and even hatred he projects onto them reflects, in equal measure, his own self-hatred of his dependency, weakness, and passivity that he associates with the feminine in him.
Donald's favorite sexist invective toward women is 'nasty.' He has used the word to describe both men and women. When referring to Kamala Harris it is often meant to demean and dismiss her as a woman and as a serious political candidate. He mispronounces her name. He calls her a monster. He called her the "meanest, most horrible, most disrespectful member of the United States Senate." These words that be used to describe Trump's own presidential behavior. The most telling comment that summarizes Trump's view of women and by extension his own feminine side occurred in 1992 when he said of women, "You have to treat 'em like shit."
Trump prefers his women to be compliant. This fits with some antiquated notion that women should be seen and not heard. Donald's own preference for models underscores this notion.
Jung posited another domain of the psyche called the shadow. The shadow is a repository for all of the unwanted and rejected aspects of self. Those characteristics we deny, those which we wish to keep hidden from others, those that cause us shame and embarrassment and those that are outside our awareness. Ideally, during the individuation process those darker aspects of self would be uncovered and integrated with all other aspects of the psyche. This reclamation can lead to a fuller, more integrated and creative life. It harnesses psyche energy rather than diffuses it. Without this reclamation process we must manage the psychic energy that is required to repress the shadow material. Like the unwanted feminine traits, we project this shadow outward onto others. Because the shadow material remains hidden and in a dark place it is most easily projected onto people of color. Trump's vile racism is again a measure of his own shadow and his efforts to keep it at bay.
This is another aspect to his projection on Kamala Harris that is a function of her being black. He labels her angry. This is a racist trope that is meant to conjure images of an ill-tempered and ill-mannered black who does not know her place. The opening salvo from the Trump camp, after Harris was nominated to be the vice-presidential candidate, was to label her a 'hoe".
His hatred of immigrants, Muslims, any person of color, Obama and now Kamala Harris are projection of his own shadow. His descriptions of these people are reflections of his own revulsion with aspects of himself. He even refers to mostly non-white countries as "shitholes." Mary Trump has heard Donald using the N-word. Trump refers to Black Lives Matter protesters as thugs, looters lowlife and scrum. Many of these same characteristics have been used to describe Trump's behavior.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, in his forthcoming book, Disloyal writes,
"I knew him better than even his family did because I bore witness to the real man, in strip clubs, shady business meetings, and in the unguarded moments when he revealed who he really was: a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man,"
This race for president is extremely negative as Trump feels endangered of losing his office and by extension control of himself. Kamala Harris, and other women are perfect screens onto which Trump will project all of the unwanted and rejected aspects of himself. He will project his feminine side which he associates with weakness, passivity, and helplessness and his own dark side full of shame, embarrassment, and not feeling good enough.
Bud McClure is professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is the author of Putting A New Spin on Groups: The Science of Chaos and the award-winning Divine Daisy: A Transpersonal Tale. He can be reached at bmcclure@d.umn.edu


alternet--2020-10-20--US COVID-19 cases surge as Trump continues unmasked campaign rallies

There are now over 40 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world .
The U.S. has topped 8.1 million cases , remaining by far the most infected country , with around 20 % of known cases globally .
The U.S. death toll is nearing 220,000 .
On Friday , the U.S. reported around 70,000 new cases , the highest daily total since July .
At least 12 states set single-day case records since Friday .
Only two states — Vermont and Missouri — reported significant decreases in reported cases over the past week .
In an interview with CBS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House Coronavirus Task Force scientist Anthony Fauci shared his reaction when he saw the Rose Garden ceremony for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on TV last month .
At around the same time as Fauci 's interview aired Sunday , Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Carson City , Nevada , where he mocked Joe Biden , warning there would be more lockdowns if Biden is elected .
In response , the Biden campaign said in a statement , `` Donald Trump tanked the strong economy he inherited … by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientific and medical experts working around the clock to save lives .
Now new coronavirus cases are surging and layoffs are rising . ''
Joe Biden campaigned in the key battleground state of North Carolina this weekend , as running mate Senator Kamala Harris is back on the campaign trail and will appear today in Orlando and Jacksonville , Florida .
Trump also held rallies in two other coronavirus hot spots over the weekend — Michigan and Wisconsin — just as state officials reported record-high COVID-19 cases .
Meanwhile , Trump 's top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing a `` herd immunity '' strategy — tweeted this weekend , `` Masks work ?
NO . ''
Twitter blocked the post for violating a policy on misleading information about COVID-19 .
A federal judge struck down a Trump rule that would have thrown 700,000 people off food stamps , known as SNAP , or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , amid the pandemic and record unemployment .

There are now over 40 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world. The U.S. has topped 8.1 million cases, remaining by far the most infected country, with around 20% of known cases globally. The U.S. death toll is nearing 220,000. On Friday, the U.S. reported around 70,000 new cases, the highest daily total since July. At least 12 states set single-day case records since Friday. Only two states — Vermont and Missouri — reported significant decreases in reported cases over the past week.
In an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," top White House Coronavirus Task Force scientist Anthony Fauci shared his reaction when he saw the Rose Garden ceremony for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on TV last month.
Dr. Jonathan LaPook: "Were you surprised that President Trump got sick?"
Dr. Anthony Fauci: "Absolutely not. I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded, no separation between people, and almost nobody wearing a mask. When I saw that on TV, I said, 'Oh my goodness. Nothing good can come out of that. That's got to be a problem.' And then, sure enough, it turned out to be a superspreader event."
At around the same time as Fauci's interview aired Sunday, Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Carson City, Nevada, where he mocked Joe Biden, warning there would be more lockdowns if Biden is elected.
President Donald Trump: "If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression, instead of we're like a rocketship."
In response, the Biden campaign said in a statement, "Donald Trump tanked the strong economy he inherited … by continually discounting and attacking warnings from the scientific and medical experts working around the clock to save lives. Now new coronavirus cases are surging and layoffs are rising." Joe Biden campaigned in the key battleground state of North Carolina this weekend, as running mate Senator Kamala Harris is back on the campaign trail and will appear today in Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida.
Trump also held rallies in two other coronavirus hot spots over the weekend — Michigan and Wisconsin — just as state officials reported record-high COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, Trump's top coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas — known for pushing a "herd immunity" strategy — tweeted this weekend, "Masks work? NO." Twitter blocked the post for violating a policy on misleading information about COVID-19.
A federal judge struck down a Trump rule that would have thrown 700,000 people off food stamps, known as SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, amid the pandemic and record unemployment.


alternet--2020-10-21--There's a 3-pronged lie about Social Security that undermines the whole point of the program

The `` three-legged stool '' : That phrase may not be familiar to everyone , but most people who work in public policy or private-sector insurance have heard it used to describe the U.S. retirement system .
It suggests that our system for retirement security was designed to stand on three `` legs '' : Social Security , employer pensions , and individual savings .
Subliminally , the image evokes efficiency .
A stool is a chair for people and a table for small things , but at a much smaller size and with 25 percent fewer legs .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaves the human factor out of its equations .
It economizes on the insignificant at the expense of the invaluable .
The `` three-legged stool '' is image is misleading .
A stool is n't stable unless the legs are of equal length , and there 's nothing efficient about our patchwork retirement system .
Writing in the New York University Review of Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Nancy Altman documented the history of the phrase and debunked the thinking behind it .
Altman , who is the president of Social Security Works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , reports that the phrase was first used in a 1949 speech by an employee of Metropolitan Life Insurance .
As Altman notes , `` The metaphor was a useful image for Metropolitan Life and others promoting private pensions and seeking to sell private sector annuities that supplemented Social Security . ''
The `` stool '' idea is pernicious for at least three reasons : It deceives people about today 's Social Security , which was designed as a full pension program—and as the foundation for a much broader system .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept lowering Social Security 's benefits below what 's needed for a decent life .
For the `` stool '' to work , employers have to offer pensions that are fair and adequate .
Private-sector actors are notoriously bad at providing social benefits , for obvious reasons : it 's contrary to their financial interests .
The history of recent decades bears this out .
Many full-time workers have seen their pension plans reduced , while many millions of workers have no pension plan at all .
The result is an imminent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 recession and the pandemic .
Worst of all , the `` three-legged stool '' provides the opening for policymakers , politicians , and pundits to blame people for their own suffering .
The working public has been routinely castigated for decades for levels of savings their leaders deem morally bankrupt .
Our national culture has prized the belief in thrift as a virtue .
That 's fine—provided that people are being paid , not only a living wage , but a more than adequate living wage .
Otherwise , they wo n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's the reality for a large number of working people today .
The `` three-legged stool '' allows politicians and pundits to wag a disapproving finger at workers without savings , without taking responsibility for their inability to save .
Altman dismantles the `` three-legged stool , '' and the assumptions behind it , with lawyerly precision .
Nevertheless , the phrase took on a life of its own .
It 's not the first time , or the only time , this has happened .
Take , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` entitlements . ''
That word was originally used to indicate that people were legally entitled to receive these programs as soon as they qualified for them ( most commonly through age or disability ) .
But in the 1980s and beyond , as `` entitlement '' or `` entitled '' were increasingly used to describe selfish people , this phrase was embraced by opponents of these programs .
It fit well with another folksy-sounded attack on these programs—the notion that people who received their benefits were `` greedy geezers . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 1990s , the Clinton era .
That was when so many similar phrases entered the Democratic/centrist policy lexicon—phrases like `` skin in the game '' and `` shared responsibility , '' which imply that people in government programs are freeloaders .
Then there is the broader rhetorical attack on not just `` entitlements , '' but government programs in general : the idea that the federal government has to `` balance its budget and make the hard choices like a family sittin ' around the kitchen table . ''
( Politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do some serious g-dropping whenever they discuss cutting social programs .
This inflectional exsanguination , this suffixal suffocation , is designed to be… well , folksy . )
Whether you 're an MMT advocate , a Keynesian , or a Friedmanite , the comparison wo n't wash .
It 's absurd to compare federal lawmakers to a family sitting around the kitchen table ( on three-legged stools , presumably ) .
What family allows Grandma to starve and Junior to die of untreated sickness so that big brother can buy another jet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I do n't blame people , even experts , if they accepted the term at face value .
Like all good rhetorical devices , it 's seductive .
And , like all good rhetorical devices , it reshapes our thinking without engaging our critical faculties .
But the phrase has been debunked , thoroughly and effectively .
That confers responsibility on anyone in a position of influence—the responsibility to understand that it 's wrong , and act accordingly .
Words shape thinking , and thinking shapes policy .
The history of Social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a complete , cradle-to-grave plan to ensure financial security for everyone .
The retirement program that now bears that name was originally seen as the first step in a much broader plan that included national health care and a jobs guarantee .
Social Security carries a vision of the nation as a mutually supportive community , where no one should live in want , or in fear for their future .
That benefits all of us .
The idea of the `` three-legged stool '' suggests that Social Security was never meant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fend for themselves when times get tough .
And it desecrates the vision of a mutually supportive society .
A clear understanding of Social Security compels us to increase its now-inadequate benefits and extend its companion programs—including an improved Medicare for All—to everyone .
Richard `` RJ '' Eskow is senior adviser for health and economic justice at Social Security Works .
He is also the host of The Zero Hour , a syndicated progressive radio and television program .
This article was produced by Economy for All , a project of the @ @ @ @

The "three-legged stool": That phrase may not be familiar to everyone, but most people who work in public policy or private-sector insurance have heard it used to describe the U.S. retirement system. It suggests that our system for retirement security was designed to stand on three "legs": Social Security, employer pensions, and individual savings.
Subliminally, the image evokes efficiency. A stool is a chair for people and a table for small things, but at a much smaller size and with 25 percent fewer legs.
Our current economic order idealizes efficiency, but leaves the human factor out of its equations. It economizes on the insignificant at the expense of the invaluable.
The "three-legged stool" is image is misleading. A stool isn't stable unless the legs are of equal length, and there's nothing efficient about our patchwork retirement system.
The Three-Legged Lie
Writing in the New York University Review of Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Nancy Altman documented the history of the phrase and debunked the thinking behind it. Altman, who is the president of Social Security Works (where I am a senior adviser), reports that the phrase was first used in a 1949 speech by an employee of Metropolitan Life Insurance. As Altman notes, "The metaphor was a useful image for Metropolitan Life and others promoting private pensions and seeking to sell private sector annuities that supplemented Social Security."
The "stool" idea is pernicious for at least three reasons:
The Social Security lie.
It deceives people about today's Social Security, which was designed as a full pension program—and as the foundation for a much broader system. When people believe this, they're willing to accept lowering Social Security's benefits below what's needed for a decent life.
The employer pension lie.
For the "stool" to work, employers have to offer pensions that are fair and adequate. Private-sector actors are notoriously bad at providing social benefits, for obvious reasons: it's contrary to their financial interests. The history of recent decades bears this out. Many full-time workers have seen their pension plans reduced, while many millions of workers have no pension plan at all. The result is an imminent retirement crisis, made worse by the 2008 recession and the pandemic.
The savings lie.
Worst of all, the "three-legged stool" provides the opening for policymakers, politicians, and pundits to blame people for their own suffering. The working public has been routinely castigated for decades for levels of savings their leaders deem morally bankrupt.
Our national culture has prized the belief in thrift as a virtue. That's fine—provided that people are being paid, not only a living wage, but a more than adequate living wage. Otherwise, they won't have any excess income to set aside. That's the reality for a large number of working people today. The "three-legged stool" allows politicians and pundits to wag a disapproving finger at workers without savings, without taking responsibility for their inability to save.
Jes' Folks
Altman dismantles the "three-legged stool," and the assumptions behind it, with lawyerly precision. Nevertheless, the phrase took on a life of its own. It's not the first time, or the only time, this has happened. Take, for example, the description of Medicare and Social Security as "entitlements." That word was originally used to indicate that people were legally entitled to receive these programs as soon as they qualified for them (most commonly through age or disability).
But in the 1980s and beyond, as "entitlement" or "entitled" were increasingly used to describe selfish people, this phrase was embraced by opponents of these programs. It fit well with another folksy-sounded attack on these programs—the notion that people who received their benefits were "greedy geezers."
The phrase matched with the political mood of the 1990s, the Clinton era. That was when so many similar phrases entered the Democratic/centrist policy lexicon—phrases like "skin in the game" and "shared responsibility," which imply that people in government programs are freeloaders.
Then there is the broader rhetorical attack on not just "entitlements," but government programs in general: the idea that the federal government has to "balance its budget and make the hard choices like a family sittin' around the kitchen table." (Politicians, especially Ivy League-educated ones, tend to do some serious g-dropping whenever they discuss cutting social programs. This inflectional exsanguination, this suffixal suffocation, is designed to be… well, folksy.)
Whether you're an MMT advocate, a Keynesian, or a Friedmanite, the comparison won't wash. It's absurd to compare federal lawmakers to a family sitting around the kitchen table (on three-legged stools, presumably). What family allows Grandma to starve and Junior to die of untreated sickness so that big brother can buy another jet and Dad can hoard his millions overseas?
A Real Vision of Security
I don't blame people, even experts, if they accepted the term at face value. Like all good rhetorical devices, it's seductive. And, like all good rhetorical devices, it reshapes our thinking without engaging our critical faculties.
But the phrase has been debunked, thoroughly and effectively. That confers responsibility on anyone in a position of influence—the responsibility to understand that it's wrong, and act accordingly. Words shape thinking, and thinking shapes policy.
The history of Social Security shows that it was conceived as a complete, cradle-to-grave plan to ensure financial security for everyone. The retirement program that now bears that name was originally seen as the first step in a much broader plan that included national health care and a jobs guarantee.
Social Security carries a vision of the nation as a mutually supportive community, where no one should live in want, or in fear for their future. That benefits all of us. The idea of the "three-legged stool" suggests that Social Security was never meant to be secure. It leaves people to fend for themselves when times get tough. And it desecrates the vision of a mutually supportive society.
A clear understanding of Social Security compels us to increase its now-inadequate benefits and extend its companion programs—including an improved Medicare for All—to everyone.
Richard "RJ" Eskow is senior adviser for health and economic justice at Social Security Works. He is also the host of The Zero Hour, a syndicated progressive radio and television program.
This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute.


alternet--2020-10-20--Elon Musk becomes Twitter laughingstock after Bolivian socialist movement returns to power

Tesla CEO Elon Musk became an internet punchline on Monday after the party of Evo Morales , a left-wing Bolivian president whom Musk intimated that America had every right to overthrow , was restored to power by the Bolivian people .
The redemption at the ballot box of Morales ' party , Movement Toward Socialism , was seen as a rebuke of the role of American elites in helping to oust Morales last year .
Why this political battle became a viral moment for media pundits to own the brash billionaire CEO , however , is a longer story .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolivian election last year , facing off against far-right forces backed by the American government .
In that election , however , US-backed watchdog groups intentionally cast doubt over his victory to try to instill uncertainty in the democratic process and undermine his party 's claim to power , something that should seem familiar to Americans now that Trump is poised to do the same .
The elite media consensus that the election was `` rigged '' was also aided by the propaganda campaign waged by a US Army veteran who created a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge numbers of tweets trying to push the narrative that Morales ' opponent won fair and square .
This week , Morales watched as the Movement Toward Socialism party achieved almost certain victory in elections held on Sunday .
Morales himself is not en route to be Bolivia 's new leader — that distinction belongs to his former finance minister , Luis Arce , as Morales is in exile in Argentina .
Morales himself claimed at the time that he was pushed out by forces which opposed him because of his Aymara background @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come from its indigenous community , which comprises nearly half of Bolivia 's total population ) and because of his attempts to nationalize Bolivia 's lithium .
This is where Musk enters the story .
Musk 's business empire is reliant on cheap lithium , a fact which some saw connected to a tweet from the SpaceX CEO , who gloated after Morales ' ouster last year : `` We will coup whoever we want !
Deal with it . ''
Though Musk himself states that his companies get their lithium from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are intimately connected to nationalization ( or privatization ) policies in countries with vast reserves , like Bolivia .
In any case , Musk 's words were interpreted as an object demonstration of American neo-imperialism — that is , a foreign policy implemented by the United States which holds that the country has the right to meddle in other nations ' political affairs to serve its own self-proclaimed interests .
America has done this on a number of occasions throughout its history , from Guatemala and Nicaragua to Chile and Iran .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of , benefits from this kind of oft-violent intervention by American military and intelligence apparatuses that encourage privatization and resource control of foreign assets for the benefit of US companies and their CEOs .
Now , Twitter has been dunking on Musk in the aftermath of Arce 's victory .
`` Elon Musk in July on removal of former Bolivian President Evo Morales .
Bolivia holds world 's largest lithium deposits - critical for powering electric cars , '' journalist Daniel Medina tweeted .
`` Today : No comment from Musk as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday 's presidential election in landslide . ''
Political cartoonist Carlos Latuff expressed a similar thought , tweeting that the `` people of Bolivia said NO to the military coup , the CIA and the coup-monger asshole @ elonmusk !
Congratulations @ LuchoXBolivia and @ evoespueblo . ''
Journalist Ken Klippenstein was more succinct , tweeting that he was `` calling in a wellness check on elon musk . ''
Comedian Christine Sydelko tweeted that people should not forget Musk 's comment , writing that it is `` just your friendly reminder that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dog s**t. '' The Bolivian president that Acre is replacing , Jeanine Áñez , has been accused of racism against Bolivia 's indigenous population .
In 2013 she tweeted that the Aymara 's New Year celebration was `` satanic '' and , six years later , mocked Morales as a `` poor indian '' who was `` clinging to power . ''
Áñez herself is , in the mold of the American evangelical right , openly a right-wing Christian in her views ; she even brought a giant Bible with her as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her position as interim president .
Although she initially ran in the 2020 presidential election , she withdrew in September so that opponents of Morales ' socialist party could unify against Arce .
That plan failed .
Musk has not publicly commented on the Bolivian political situation at the time of this writing .

Tesla CEO Elon Musk became an internet punchline on Monday after the party of Evo Morales, a left-wing Bolivian president whom Musk intimated that America had every right to overthrow, was restored to power by the Bolivian people.
The redemption at the ballot box of Morales' party, Movement Toward Socialism, was seen as a rebuke of the role of American elites in helping to oust Morales last year. Why this political battle became a viral moment for media pundits to own the brash billionaire CEO, however, is a longer story.
Recall that then-President Evo Morales won the Bolivian election last year, facing off against far-right forces backed by the American government. In that election, however, US-backed watchdog groups intentionallycast doubt over his victory to try to instill uncertainty in the democratic process and undermine his party's claim to power, something that should seem familiar to Americans now that Trump is poised to do the same. The elite media consensus that the election was "rigged" was also aided by the propaganda campaign waged by a US Army veteran who created a vast botnet on Twitter that sent out huge numbers of tweets trying to push the narrative that Morales' opponent won fair and square.
This week, Morales watched as the Movement Toward Socialism party achieved almost certain victory in elections held on Sunday. Morales himself is not en route to be Bolivia's new leader — that distinction belongs to his former finance minister, Luis Arce, as Morales is in exile in Argentina. Morales himself claimed at the time that he was pushed out by forces which opposed him because of his Aymara background (he was Bolivia's first president to come from its indigenous community, which comprises nearly half of Bolivia's total population) and because of his attempts to nationalize Bolivia's lithium.
This is where Musk enters the story. Musk's business empire is reliant on cheap lithium, a fact which some saw connected to a tweet from the SpaceX CEO, who gloated after Morales' ouster last year: "We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it." Though Musk himself states that his companies get their lithium from Australia, global lithium prices and access are intimately connected to nationalization (or privatization) policies in countries with vast reserves, like Bolivia.
In any case, Musk's words were interpreted as an object demonstration of American neo-imperialism — that is, a foreign policy implemented by the United States which holds that the country has the right to meddle in other nations' political affairs to serve its own self-proclaimed interests. America has done this on a number of occasions throughout its history, from Guatemala and Nicaragua to Chile and Iran. The billionaire class, which Musk is a part of, benefits from this kind of oft-violent intervention by American military and intelligence apparatuses that encourage privatization and resource control of foreign assets for the benefit of US companies and their CEOs.
Now, Twitter has been dunking on Musk in the aftermath of Arce's victory.
"Elon Musk in July on removal of former Bolivian President Evo Morales. Bolivia holds world's largest lithium deposits - critical for powering electric cars," journalist Daniel Medina tweeted. "Today: No comment from Musk as Morales' Movimiento al Socialismo party won Sunday's presidential election in landslide."
Political cartoonist Carlos Latuff expressed a similar thought, tweeting that the "people of Bolivia said NO to the military coup, the CIA and the coup-monger asshole @elonmusk! Congratulations @LuchoXBolivia and @evoespueblo."
Journalist Ken Klippenstein was more succinct, tweeting that he was "calling in a wellness check on elon musk."
Comedian Christine Sydelko tweeted that people should not forget Musk's comment, writing that it is "just your friendly reminder that Elon Musk is a giant steaming pile of dog s**t."
The Bolivian president that Acre is replacing, Jeanine Áñez, has been accused of racism against Bolivia's indigenous population. In 2013 she tweeted that the Aymara's New Year celebration was "satanic" and, six years later, mocked Morales as a "poor indian" who was "clinging to power." Áñez herself is, in the mold of the American evangelical right, openly a right-wing Christian in her views; she even brought a giant Bible with her as she entered the national palace to assume her position as interim president. Although she initially ran in the 2020 presidential election, she withdrew in September so that opponents of Morales' socialist party could unify against Arce. That plan failed.
Musk has not publicly commented on the Bolivian political situation at the time of this writing.