alternet--2020-12-01--Trump's allies are growing increasingly dangerous and calling for violence as his coup attempt drags

Trump's allies are growing increasingly dangerous and calling for violence as his coup attempt drags on

Although the results of the 2020 presidential election have been certified in Pennsylvania , Arizona , Georgia and other battleground states , President Donald Trump continues to push the debunked idea that he was victim of a voter fraud conspiracy .
Trump obviously has no intention of acknowledging Joe Biden as president-elect , and some of his far-right allies are sounding increasingly unhinged in their rhetoric .
Trump lawyer Joe diGenova has called for the execution of former Homeland Security official Chris Krebs — although diGenova has said he was merely being rhetorical — and Georgia-based attorney Lin Wood believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by declaring martial law .
Krebs , who specialized in cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security before Trump fired him , emphatically rejected the president 's claims of fraud and has made it clear that he believes Biden won the election fair and square .
Krebs , in fact , described the 2020 election as the `` most secure in United States history . ''
Appearing on Howard Carr 's talk radio show ( which simulcasts on Newsmax ) , diGenova declared , `` Anybody who thinks the election went well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be the head of cybersecurity — that guy is a class-A moron .
He should be drawn and quartered .
Taken out at dawn and shot . ''
DiGenova went on to tell Carr , `` We 're trying to influence the jury , and that includes judges and state legislatures… .
All these governors in these states are a bunch of losers , along with their secretaries of state .
I 've never seen such wimps wearing an R. They 're going to have to be dealt with politically .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these people . ''
These comments were similar to those made by Steve Bannon , who recently said Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded .
Media Matters ' John Whitehouse , reporting on diGenova 's comments , writes , `` diGenova 's call for violence did not just broadcast on the radio and on Newsmax .
Carr 's show also streams on YouTube , and the diGenova interview has already been uploaded to Apple Podcasts and Spotify .
Carr 's only response to diGenova 's remarks was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DiGenova is now saying that he was merely being rhetorical and did n't mean to advocate violence against Krebs : But this kind of political violence is n't a joke .
It was n't long ago that Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat frequently targeted by the president in the last year , was the target of an alleged kidnapping and potentially murderous plot that was thwarted by law enforcement .
Wood , meanwhile , has been fighting the election results in Georgia , where he unsuccessfully sued to stop Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wood has asked for an injunction to stop the two U.S. Senate runoff elections that are set for January 5 .
Trump has retweeted some of his unhinged posts on Twitter .
On Tuesday , Wood took he challenge to the election up a notch .
He tweeted the disturbing message : Wood is an ally of far-right Republican attorney and conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell , who has also been fighting the election results in court and claiming that Trump was victimized by widespread voter fraud .
Powell claimed that Dominion Voting Systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's favor , saying that Dominion 's software was also used to help the leftist Huge Chavez in Venezuela .
But Dominion , in response , stressed that its software has never even been used in that South American country .
On November 28 , the Washington Post reported , `` On Tuesday evening , Trump himself signaled renewed interest in Powell 's claims .
He retweeted an interview in which Powell told Fox 's Lou Dobbs that software made by the company Dominion Voting Systems and used in 28 states had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results in Venezuela , a discredited claim .
The president also retweeted a message in which conservative Georgia attorney Lin Wood said Powell would file suit Wednesday laying out new evidence of voter fraud in Georgia .
'Enemies of America will deny its allegations .
Do NOT believe them .
Believe Sidney & me .
We love America & freedom .
Our enemies do not , ' Wood wrote . ''
Here are some other unhinged tweets that Wood has recently posted :

Although the results of the 2020 presidential election have been certified in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia and other battleground states, President Donald Trump continues to push the debunked idea that he was victim of a voter fraud conspiracy. Trump obviously has no intention of acknowledging Joe Biden as president-elect, and some of his far-right allies are sounding increasingly unhinged in their rhetoric. Trump lawyer Joe diGenova has called for the execution of former Homeland Security official Chris Krebs — although diGenova has said he was merely being rhetorical — and Georgia-based attorney Lin Wood believes that Trump should fight the election results by declaring martial law.
Krebs, who specialized in cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security before Trump fired him, emphatically rejected the president's claims of fraud and has made it clear that he believes Biden won the election fair and square. Krebs, in fact, described the 2020 election as the "most secure in United States history."
Appearing on Howard Carr's talk radio show (which simulcasts on Newsmax), diGenova declared, "Anybody who thinks the election went well, like that idiot Krebs who used to be the head of cybersecurity — that guy is a class-A moron. He should be drawn and quartered. Taken out at dawn and shot."
DiGenova went on to tell Carr, "We're trying to influence the jury, and that includes judges and state legislatures…. All these governors in these states are a bunch of losers, along with their secretaries of state. I've never seen such wimps wearing an R. They're going to have to be dealt with politically. That's the only way you deal with these people."
These comments were similar to those made by Steve Bannon, who recently said Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded.
Media Matters' John Whitehouse, reporting on diGenova's comments, writes, "diGenova's call for violence did not just broadcast on the radio and on Newsmax. Carr's show also streams on YouTube, and the diGenova interview has already been uploaded to Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Carr's only response to diGenova's remarks was to laugh before changing the subject."
DiGenova is now saying that he was merely being rhetorical and didn't mean to advocate violence against Krebs:
But this kind of political violence isn't a joke. It wasn't long ago that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat frequently targeted by the president in the last year, was the target of an alleged kidnapping and potentially murderous plot that was thwarted by law enforcement.
Wood, meanwhile, has been fighting the election results in Georgia, where he unsuccessfully sued to stop Biden's victory from being certified — and Wood has asked for an injunction to stop the two U.S. Senate runoff elections that are set for January 5. Trump has retweeted some of his unhinged posts on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Wood took he challenge to the election up a notch. He tweeted the disturbing message:
Wood is an ally of far-right Republican attorney and conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell, who has also been fighting the election results in court and claiming that Trump was victimized by widespread voter fraud. Powell claimed that Dominion Voting Systems helped rig in the election in Biden's favor, saying that Dominion's software was also used to help the leftist Huge Chavez in Venezuela. But Dominion, in response, stressed that its software has never even been used in that South American country.
On November 28, the Washington Post reported, "On Tuesday evening, Trump himself signaled renewed interest in Powell's claims. He retweeted an interview in which Powell told Fox's Lou Dobbs that software made by the company Dominion Voting Systems and used in 28 states had been designed to allow Chávez to manipulate election results in Venezuela, a discredited claim. The president also retweeted a message in which conservative Georgia attorney Lin Wood said Powell would file suit Wednesday laying out new evidence of voter fraud in Georgia. 'Enemies of America will deny its allegations. Do NOT believe them. Believe Sidney & me. We love America & freedom. Our enemies do not,' Wood wrote."
Here are some other unhinged tweets that Wood has recently posted:


alternet--2020-12-01--A Senate insider has a dark warning about Mitch McConnell

Democrat Adam Jentleson can recite chapter and verse about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's bitter partisanship : he served as deputy chief of staff for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid during the Obama years .
And in an interview with New York Magazine , Jentleson has a warning for President-elect Joe Biden : expect the worst from McConnell .
Jentleson discusses the state of the U.S. Senate in his upcoming book , `` Kill Switch : The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy . ''
It remains to be seen whether McConnell will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader in 2021 — that will be determined by what happens in the two U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia in January .
And when New York Magazine 's Ben Jacobs asked Jentleson , during the interview , `` how important '' the outcome of those Senate races will be for Biden 's incoming administration , he replied , `` It 's all the difference in the world . ''
Jentleson told Jacobs , `` It is night and day .
That ranges from prospects for passing legislation and having his nominees confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day-to-day business and sets the agenda of the Senate .
So , it 's two seats that could lead to two very different prospects for Joe Biden when he is inaugurated in January . ''
The former Reid staff added , `` If Democrats win those two seats , even though it 's the barest majority possible… .
that means that instead of Mitch McConnell deciding what bill is on the floor every single day , it will be Chuck Schumer in that decision seat .
And it means that instead of Lindsey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's judicial picks , it will be a Democrat… .
And that goes all the way down , from Supreme Court picks to circuit and district court picks .
So , it is just a massive difference . ''
Biden and McConnell go way back .
The 78-year-old president-elect served in the U.S. Senate from January 1973 to January 2009 , when he was sworn in as President Barack Obama 's vice president — and McConnell , who is also 78 , was first elected to the Senate via Kentucky in 1984 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but in recent years , he has grown much more vindictive .
For example , McConnell blocked many of Obama 's judicial nominees and would n't even consider Obama 's U.S. Supreme Court nominee , Judge Merrick Garland , in 2016 .
Obama was clearly willing to meet McConnell half way with the Garland nomination , proposing someone who was quite centrist in his judicial philosophy .
But McConnell was determined to block anyone Obama nominated , however moderate .
When Jacobs asked Jentleson if it is a `` given '' that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiating in good faith , '' he responded , `` Yes… .
Even Republicans who demonstrate good faith in private are operating in a system that demands they toe the line of their base .
Their base is not going to want to see them cut deals with Biden . ''
Jentleson warned , `` I 'm pretty pessimistic .
I think that most of what Biden is going to want to get done is going to have to be done through executive action . ''

Democrat Adam Jentleson can recite chapter and verse about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's bitter partisanship: he served as deputy chief of staff for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid during the Obama years. And in an interview with New York Magazine, Jentleson has a warning for President-elect Joe Biden: expect the worst from McConnell.
Jentleson discusses the state of the U.S. Senate in his upcoming book, "Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy." It remains to be seen whether McConnell will be Senate majority leader or Senate minority leader in 2021 — that will be determined by what happens in the two U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia in January. And when New York Magazine's Ben Jacobs asked Jentleson, during the interview, "how important" the outcome of those Senate races will be for Biden's incoming administration, he replied, "It's all the difference in the world."
Jentleson told Jacobs, "It is night and day. That ranges from prospects for passing legislation and having his nominees confirmed to who controls the committees and the day-to-day business and sets the agenda of the Senate. So, it's two seats that could lead to two very different prospects for Joe Biden when he is inaugurated in January."
The former Reid staff added, "If Democrats win those two seats, even though it's the barest majority possible…. that means that instead of Mitch McConnell deciding what bill is on the floor every single day, it will be Chuck Schumer in that decision seat. And it means that instead of Lindsey Graham or another Republican overseeing all of Biden's judicial picks, it will be a Democrat…. And that goes all the way down, from Supreme Court picks to circuit and district court picks. So, it is just a massive difference."
Biden and McConnell go way back. The 78-year-old president-elect served in the U.S. Senate from January 1973 to January 2009, when he was sworn in as President Barack Obama's vice president — and McConnell, who is also 78, was first elected to the Senate via Kentucky in 1984. McConnell has always been quite conservative, but in recent years, he has grown much more vindictive. For example, McConnell blocked many of Obama's judicial nominees and wouldn't even consider Obama's U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, in 2016. Obama was clearly willing to meet McConnell half way with the Garland nomination, proposing someone who was quite centrist in his judicial philosophy. But McConnell was determined to block anyone Obama nominated, however moderate.
When Jacobs asked Jentleson if it is a "given" that "McConnell and Senate Republicans are never negotiating in good faith," he responded, "Yes…. Even Republicans who demonstrate good faith in private are operating in a system that demands they toe the line of their base. Their base is not going to want to see them cut deals with Biden."
Jentleson warned, "I'm pretty pessimistic. I think that most of what Biden is going to want to get done is going to have to be done through executive action."


alternet--2020-12-01--'The horrors of the moment': Why Stephen Colbert is still distraught over Trump

Late-night host Stephen Colbert 's current stance is like most who voted against President Donald Trump — he is absolutely exhausted .
Although Colbert has managed to make lemonade out of sour lemons over the past four years of Trump 's presidency , he has admitted just how taxing it has been to live in the Trump era of America .
During an interview with Vanity Fair , Colbert offered a breakdown of his stance .
For weeks now , Colbert recalled Trump 's press conference following Election Day as he expressed concern for America 's democracy .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of responsibility he opted to take on when he offered a candid take on Trump 's post-election legal battle .
`` It is extremely rare that you have to be that honest , '' Colbert said .
`` That was one of the horrors of the moment of his election .
I went , 'Oh , no , now there 's no escaping him . '
'' Although Biden was ultimately declared the winner of the presidential election , Colbert admitted that he still is n't exactly `` happy . ''
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he says , sighing .
`` I 'll take the sublime over the happy any day .
And there is a sublime relief in knowing that our long national reality show may be coming to an end . ''
Like Colbert , other comedians are also feeling the exhaustion .
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has also weighed in on Trump 's post-election antics .
In the past Election Day came as a breath of fresh air for those who voted for the winning candidate .
However , the 2020 election has been quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming election month .
She also noted the difference between a comedy film compared to real life issues where democracy is actually on the line .
`` I 'm so exhausted by it .
You know it 's one thing when it 's a comedy on HBO and we can laugh , but when lives are at stake as they are today , and when democracy is on the line , which is something I feel was very much the case in this last election , I want to right this ship , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also eager to move forward and leave the Trump era of America where it stands .
`` As an American concerned citizen , I 'm eager to end this madness , '' Louis-Dreyfus said .
`` And then making shows like 'Veep , ' which seem ridiculous , all of the sudden might seem funny again . ''

Late-night host Stephen Colbert's current stance is like most who voted against President Donald Trump — he is absolutely exhausted. Although Colbert has managed to make lemonade out of sour lemons over the past four years of Trump's presidency, he has admitted just how taxing it has been to live in the Trump era of America.
During an interview with Vanity Fair, Colbert offered a breakdown of his stance. For weeks now, Colbert recalled Trump's press conference following Election Day as he expressed concern for America's democracy. As a comedian, he also noted the level of responsibility he opted to take on when he offered a candid take on Trump's post-election legal battle.
"It is extremely rare that you have to be that honest," Colbert said. "That was one of the horrors of the moment of his election. I went, 'Oh, no, now there's no escaping him.'"
Although Biden was ultimately declared the winner of the presidential election, Colbert admitted that he still isn't exactly "happy." "I have often said that happy is overrated," he says, sighing. "I'll take the sublime over the happy any day. And there is a sublime relief in knowing that our long national reality show may be coming to an end."
Like Colbert, other comedians are also feeling the exhaustion. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has also weighed in on Trump's post-election antics. In the past Election Day came as a breath of fresh air for those who voted for the winning candidate. However, the 2020 election has been quite different due to Election Day, subsequently becoming election month. She also noted the difference between a comedy film compared to real life issues where democracy is actually on the line.
"I'm so exhausted by it. You know it's one thing when it's a comedy on HBO and we can laugh, but when lives are at stake as they are today, and when democracy is on the line, which is something I feel was very much the case in this last election, I want to right this ship," the 59-year-old comedian said.
Dreyfus is also eager to move forward and leave the Trump era of America where it stands. "As an American concerned citizen, I'm eager to end this madness," Louis-Dreyfus said. "And then making shows like 'Veep,' which seem ridiculous, all of the sudden might seem funny again."


alternet--2020-12-01--Why Democrats act like they lost

Why Democrats act like they lost

When the pundit corps expressed worry , wrongly , about Bernie Sanders and the rise of quote-unquote socialism in the Democratic Party , Congressman Jim Clyburn said son , please .
Black voters know white voters better than white voters know themselves .
By the time the primaries are done with Iowa and New Hampshire , Black pragmatists in South Carolina are going to seal Joe Biden 's fate .
Clyburn was right .
First , Biden won the nomination .
Then he won more votes than any candidate in US history .
Though we owe Clyburn a debt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day or so of Election Day , the House Whip was out front again .
Why did the Democrats lose seats in the House instead of gaining them , as expected ?
I think , more than anyone else , Clyburn can be blamed for the conventional wisdom that arose that day .
The reason , he said , was quote-unquote socialism and all the messaging that arose from it .
Largely thanks to Clyburn , the Democrats are now acting like losers , instead of the winners they are .
Then something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed quote-unquote socialism for the loss of House seats was talking up the champion of quote-unquote socialism .
On CNN , Clyburn actually said that , `` There are a lot of young people out there and some not-so-young people , like Bernie Sanders .
I wish he would come into the administration .
Bernie has a way of getting people to understand certain things . ''
What 's going on here ?
On the one hand , you could say Clyburn meant it when he blamed quote-unquote socialism for the unexpected loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exception for an old friend even though he 's a quote-unquote socialist .
On the other hand , maybe Clyburn did n't mean it .
Maybe he was searching for answers to hard questions like everyone does after an election .
Maybe he was just being competitive .
The party 's progressive wing is rising .
An oldster like Clyburn might not get what all the youngsters are talking about , but recognizes rivals when he sees them .
The apparent conflict between competing wings of the Democratic Party , then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is probably over normal intra-party politics .
Remember that the Democrats were united against Donald Trump .
It 's natural , then , for unity to loosen up after a giant is slain .
( Republican incumbents are indeed giants . )
It 's natural , moreover , for the various factions that united against a common foe to start jockeying for position postmortem , doing whatever they can , for as long as they can , to influence legislative affairs and achieve their respective goals .
Sanders is not going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his place in the Senate is too valuable .
But it 's nonetheless normal for him to say , as he did last month , that he and his progressive supporters are going to hold the Biden administration `` accountable . ''
It 's healthy for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others to say , as they did this week , that they oppose the appointment of `` deficit hawks . ''
They are reminding the president-elect that he owes `` the left , '' and that `` the left '' has expectations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Democrats are , however , a long way from where the Republicans were a decade ago when billionaire donors really did build an `` alt-right '' hierarchy of power to primary conventional Republicans out of existence .
They are a long way from where the GOP is now—when people like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich accuse Georgia Democrats of voter fraud while worrying that such claims might deter Republican voters from turning out for that state 's runoff elections next month .
( The outcomes will determine which party controls the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats wo n't ever cannibalize themselves .
I 'm saying that reports of their self-cannibalization are , thus far , greatly exaggerated .
It probably wo n't ever happen , though .
Consider the different ways the parties handle disagreement .
For the Democrats , disagreement is expected .
Independence of thought is valued .
The party is a big tent .
Lots of competing opinions , lots of competing goals .
The trick is finding ways to balance them and move all factions forward at the same time .
For the Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought is suspect .
It suggests disloyalty .
Loyalty matters above all .
When Republicans disagree publicly , that 's newsworthy .
It signals weakness .
When Democrats disagree publicly , that 's newsworthy , too .
But it 's not weakness that 's being signaled .
It 's strength .
Republicans self-destruct at the sight of dissent .
The Democrats , however , do n't .
The Washington press corps , alas , does n't quite get this .
It does n't fit into its amoral and two dimensional view that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For this reason , lots of normal people , even liberals , end up accusing the Democrats of being terrible communicators .
`` Why ca n't they get on message ? ''
is a question I hear often .
Even some Democrats appear to accept the charge as true , judging themselves not according to their considerable strength , but according to the Republicans ' weakness .
The result is making something healthy and normal , like intra-party rivalries , seem unhealthy and dangerous , like the rise of quote-unquote socialism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the least the Democrats can do is speak truthfully about themselves .

When the pundit corps expressed worry, wrongly, about Bernie Sanders and the rise of quote-unquote socialism in the Democratic Party, Congressman Jim Clyburn said son, please. Black voters know white voters better than white voters know themselves. By the time the primaries are done with Iowa and New Hampshire, Black pragmatists in South Carolina are going to seal Joe Biden's fate. Clyburn was right. First, Biden won the nomination. Then he won more votes than any candidate in US history.
Though we owe Clyburn a debt, no one's perfect. Within a day or so of Election Day, the House Whip was out front again. Why did the Democrats lose seats in the House instead of gaining them, as expected? I think, more than anyone else, Clyburn can be blamed for the conventional wisdom that arose that day. The reason, he said, was quote-unquote socialism and all the messaging that arose from it. Largely thanks to Clyburn, the Democrats are now acting like losers, instead of the winners they are.
Then something peculiar happened. The same man who blamed quote-unquote socialism for the loss of House seats was talking up the champion of quote-unquote socialism. On CNN, Clyburn actually said that, "There are a lot of young people out there and some not-so-young people, like Bernie Sanders. I wish he would come into the administration. Bernie has a way of getting people to understand certain things."
What's going on here? On the one hand, you could say Clyburn meant it when he blamed quote-unquote socialism for the unexpected loss of House seats, but carved out an exception for an old friend even though he's a quote-unquote socialist. On the other hand, maybe Clyburn didn't mean it. Maybe he was searching for answers to hard questions like everyone does after an election. Maybe he was just being competitive. The party's progressive wing is rising. An oldster like Clyburn might not get what all the youngsters are talking about, but recognizes rivals when he sees them. The apparent conflict between competing wings of the Democratic Party, then, is probably not over quote-unquote socialism. It is probably over normal intra-party politics.
Remember that the Democrats were united against Donald Trump. It's natural, then, for unity to loosen up after a giant is slain. (Republican incumbents are indeed giants.) It's natural, moreover, for the various factions that united against a common foe to start jockeying for position postmortem, doing whatever they can, for as long as they can, to influence legislative affairs and achieve their respective goals. Sanders is not going to be in Biden's administration, because his place in the Senate is too valuable. But it's nonetheless normal for him to say, as he did last month, that he and his progressive supporters are going to hold the Biden administration "accountable." It's healthy for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others to say, as they did this week, that they oppose the appointment of "deficit hawks." They are reminding the president-elect that he owes "the left," and that "the left" has expectations.
Healthy intra-party politics can become unhealthy. The Democrats are, however, a long way from where the Republicans were a decade ago when billionaire donors really did build an "alt-right" hierarchy of power to primary conventional Republicans out of existence. They are a long way from where the GOP is now—when people like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich accuse Georgia Democrats of voter fraud while worrying that such claims might deter Republican voters from turning out for that state's runoff elections next month. (The outcomes will determine which party controls the Senate.) I'm not saying the Democrats won't ever cannibalize themselves. I'm saying that reports of their self-cannibalization are, thus far, greatly exaggerated.
It probably won't ever happen, though. Consider the different ways the parties handle disagreement. For the Democrats, disagreement is expected. Independence of thought is valued. The party is a big tent. Lots of competing opinions, lots of competing goals. The trick is finding ways to balance them and move all factions forward at the same time. For the Republicans, disagreement is unexpected. Independence of thought is suspect. It suggests disloyalty. Loyalty matters above all. When Republicans disagree publicly, that's newsworthy. It signals weakness. When Democrats disagree publicly, that's newsworthy, too. But it's not weakness that's being signaled. It's strength. Republicans self-destruct at the sight of dissent. The Democrats, however, don't.
The Washington press corps, alas, doesn't quite get this. It doesn't fit into its amoral and two dimensional view that the parties are equally bad and equally good. For this reason, lots of normal people, even liberals, end up accusing the Democrats of being terrible communicators. "Why can't they get on message?" is a question I hear often. Even some Democrats appear to accept the charge as true, judging themselves not according to their considerable strength, but according to the Republicans' weakness. The result is making something healthy and normal, like intra-party rivalries, seem unhealthy and dangerous, like the rise of quote-unquote socialism. After four years of nonstop lying, the least the Democrats can do is speak truthfully about themselves.


alternet--2020-12-01--Bill Barr just torpedoed Trump's claims that the election was stolen

Attorney General Bill Barr blew apart President Donald Trump 's insistence that the 2020 election was `` rigged '' or otherwise stolen from him , a devastating turn from one of his most faithful allies that dramatically undermined a disinformation campaign and clownish coup attempt .
`` To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election , '' the attorney general told the Associated Press in a rare post-election comment .
This is not for lack of trying .
After the election , Barr broke with the tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indeed urge , U.S. attorneys to investigate allegations of voter fraud .
Typically , the federal government holds off on pursuing such cases until after the election results are certified to avoid the perception that it is trying to put a thumb on the scales ; state and local prosecutors are capable of investigating and charging election fraud cases without the help of the federal government anyway .
Because of Barr 's history as an aggressive defender of the president and his echoing of the Trump 's baseless attacks on mail-in voting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's divergence from typical practice and insertion of the Justice Department into the election while votes were still being tallied .
And before the election , Barr certainly seemed inclined to believe farfetched conspiracy theories about the election , positing that mail-in voting was vulnerable to mass manipulation by foreign actors , despite the fact that actual experts in election security denied that his claims were plausible .
But precisely because Barr broke with precedent and destroyed his credibility to defend Trump since he was appointed in 2019 , his admission that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud the president has alleged is all the more impactful .
And while some may read Barr 's tepid statement as a modest effort to distance himself from some of the president 's most extreme claims , it really does undermine Trump 's entire justification for refusing to concede the election thus far and continuing to fight as if he could still be granted a second term .
Trump 's claim is n't merely that he has suspicions about some votes that need to be looked into .
He has repeatedly spread and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlandish claims alleging that he actually won in a landslide ( despite losing the popular vote by more than 6 million ) , that voting machines were systematically rigged against him , and that Biden 's victory margin was statistically impossible .
If any or all of these claims were true , there would be substantial evidence of it .
This kind of theft just could n't be hidden .
But Trump 's own Justice Department has looked into it , helmed by his top defender , and come up empty .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results , '' Barr told the AP .
`` And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that , and so far , we have n't seen anything to substantiate that . ''
That does n't just mean Trump lacks evidence for his claims .
It means his claims are clearly false .
It means he has no credible basis for making them , and they should n't be taken seriously .
They 're part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distrust in democracy , akin to the efforts of foreign autocrats .

Attorney General Bill Barr blew apart President Donald Trump's insistence that the 2020 election was "rigged" or otherwise stolen from him, a devastating turn from one of his most faithful allies that dramatically undermined a disinformation campaign and clownish coup attempt.
"To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election," the attorney general told the Associated Press in a rare post-election comment.
This is not for lack of trying. After the election, Barr broke with the tradition of the department to authorize, and indeed urge, U.S. attorneys to investigate allegations of voter fraud. Typically, the federal government holds off on pursuing such cases until after the election results are certified to avoid the perception that it is trying to put a thumb on the scales; state and local prosecutors are capable of investigating and charging election fraud cases without the help of the federal government anyway.
Because of Barr's history as an aggressive defender of the president and his echoing of the Trump's baseless attacks on mail-in voting, many were disturbed by the attorney general's divergence from typical practice and insertion of the Justice Department into the election while votes were still being tallied. And before the election, Barr certainly seemed inclined to believe farfetched conspiracy theories about the election, positing that mail-in voting was vulnerable to mass manipulation by foreign actors, despite the fact that actual experts in election security denied that his claims were plausible.
But precisely because Barr broke with precedent and destroyed his credibility to defend Trump since he was appointed in 2019, his admission that there's no evidence of the widespread voter fraud the president has alleged is all the more impactful.
And while some may read Barr's tepid statement as a modest effort to distance himself from some of the president's most extreme claims, it really does undermine Trump's entire justification for refusing to concede the election thus far and continuing to fight as if he could still be granted a second term. Trump's claim isn't merely that he has suspicions about some votes that need to be looked into. He has repeatedly spread and elevated a wide range of absurd and outlandish claims alleging that he actually won in a landslide (despite losing the popular vote by more than 6 million), that voting machines were systematically rigged against him, and that Biden's victory margin was statistically impossible.
If any or all of these claims were true, there would be substantial evidence of it. This kind of theft just couldn't be hidden. But Trump's own Justice Department has looked into it, helmed by his top defender, and come up empty.
"There's been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results," Barr told the AP. "And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven't seen anything to substantiate that."
That doesn't just mean Trump lacks evidence for his claims. It means his claims are clearly false. It means he has no credible basis for making them, and they shouldn't be taken seriously. They're part of a disinformation campaign designed to spread distrust in democracy, akin to the efforts of foreign autocrats.


alternet--2020-12-01--Sean Hannity thinks Trump should 'pardon his whole family and himself' on the way out

Amid calls to investigate Donald Trump after he leaves office , Fox News host Sean Hannity suggested on Monday that the president `` pardon his whole family and himself . ''
Hannity interviewed Sidney Powell , the attorney representing recently-pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn , on his radio show .
Powell was ousted from the president 's legal team for pushing a conspiracy theory which even Giuliani and Trump thought was bonkers amid repeated losses in court .
Hannity took issue with comments made by former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann , one of former special counsel Robert Mueller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Justice to investigate Trump after President-elect Joe Biden 's inauguration .
`` I watched Andrew Weissmann come out and literally say , 'Oh , Biden 's A.G. needs to go after Donald Trump . '
And I 'm like , 'The president out the door needs to pardon his whole family and himself , because they want this witch hunt to go on in perpetuity , ' '' Hannity said .
`` They 're so full of rage and insanity against the president .
I mean , it 's — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power of the pardon is absolute , and that he should be able to pardon anybody that he wants to . ''
Though Powell agreed that Trump could pardon anyone else , even she had questions about whether he could pardon himself .
`` It is absolute .
It 's in the Constitution , '' Powell replied .
`` I do n't know about his authority to pardon himself , but it should not be necessary .
And , aside from that , the president is going to get another four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a roundly-criticized legal and PR campaign pushing baseless allegations that Dominion voting machines , which are used throughout much of the country , switched votes from Trump to Biden in a plot financed by communists from countries like Venezuela , Cuba , and China — but the conspirators got caught because the overwhelming number of votes received by the incumbent president `` broke '' the algorithm .
Powell was unable to provide a shred of evidence to Fox News host Tucker Carlson , and what little evidence she has presented in court has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already failed .
After she alleged that Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp , a Republican , was involved in the plot , Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani issued a statement claiming that she was not part of the president 's legal team , even though Trump presented her as his lawyer and she appeared alongside Giuliani at a recent press conference .
Hannity later repeated his idea to former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on his TV program after again citing Weissmann 's comments .
`` If that 's what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president — I 'd tell President Trump to pardon yourself and pardon your family , '' he said .
Though the president has the power to pardon anyone , it is unclear if he can pardon himself .
Many legal scholars say `` the only person Trump ca n't pardon is Trump , '' even though the president claims that he has the `` absolute right to PARDON myself . ''
`` The president can no more autoimmunize himself from future prosecution than he can sell himself Trump Tower or nominate himself for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a legal analysis in The Washington Post .
`` Without two parties , it is both illogical and illegal .
As a 1974 Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel memo put it : 'Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case , the President can not pardon himself . '
'' Any self-pardon `` not only would make Trump look guilty but would be a tacit admission that he was guilty , '' the analysis added .
Weissmann called for Trump to be investigated amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney general to probe his predecessor but would stay out of the decision-making process .
`` [ A ] s painful and hard as it may be for the country , I believe the next attorney general should investigate Mr. Trump , and if warranted , prosecute him for potential federal crimes , '' Weissmann , who successfully prosecuted former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort , said in a New York Times op-ed .
Weissmann noted that Mueller 's team said Justice Department guidelines precluded them from prosecuting a sitting president , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a charge that Mr. Trump obstructed justice . ''
Even if Trump does try to pardon himself , such a move would have no effect on state and local investigations .
Trump is currently under investigation for potential fraud by the Manhattan district attorney and a sweeping civil probe into his business practices by New York Attorney General Letitia James , `` which could quickly turn into a criminal inquiry , '' Weissman wrote .
`` Pardons would not preclude the new attorney general challenging a self-pardon or the state calling the pardoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to advance its investigation of Mr. Trump after he leaves office ( where , if they lied , they would still risk charges of perjury and obstruction ) , '' he added .
`` In short , being president should mean you are more accountable , not less , to the rule of law . ''

Amid calls to investigate Donald Trump after he leaves office, Fox News host Sean Hannity suggested on Monday that the president "pardon his whole family and himself."
Hannity interviewed Sidney Powell, the attorney representing recently-pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, on his radio show. Powell was ousted from the president's legal team for pushing a conspiracy theory which even Giuliani and Trump thought was bonkers amid repeated losses in court.
Hannity took issue with comments made by former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, one of former special counsel Robert Mueller's top lieutenants, who called for the Department of Justice to investigate Trump after President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
"I watched Andrew Weissmann come out and literally say, 'Oh, Biden's A.G. needs to go after Donald Trump.' And I'm like, 'The president out the door needs to pardon his whole family and himself, because they want this witch hunt to go on in perpetuity,'" Hannity said. "They're so full of rage and insanity against the president. I mean, it's — can the president — I assume that the power of the pardon is absolute, and that he should be able to pardon anybody that he wants to."
Though Powell agreed that Trump could pardon anyone else, even she had questions about whether he could pardon himself.
"It is absolute. It's in the Constitution," Powell replied. "I don't know about his authority to pardon himself, but it should not be necessary. And, aside from that, the president is going to get another four years in office."
Powell has waged a roundly-criticized legal and PR campaign pushing baseless allegations that Dominion voting machines, which are used throughout much of the country, switched votes from Trump to Biden in a plot financed by communists from countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and China — but the conspirators got caught because the overwhelming number of votes received by the incumbent president "broke" the algorithm.
Powell was unable to provide a shred of evidence to Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and what little evidence she has presented in court has largely been recycled from previous cases which have already failed. After she alleged that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, was involved in the plot, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani issued a statement claiming that she was not part of the president's legal team, even though Trump presented her as his lawyer and she appeared alongside Giuliani at a recent press conference.
Hannity later repeated his idea to former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on his TV program after again citing Weissmann's comments.
"If that's what they want to do — if Biden becomes president — I'd tell President Trump to pardon yourself and pardon your family," he said.
Though the president has the power to pardon anyone, it is unclear if he can pardon himself. Many legal scholars say "the only person Trump can't pardon is Trump," even though the president claims that he has the "absolute right to PARDON myself."
"The president can no more autoimmunize himself from future prosecution than he can sell himself Trump Tower or nominate himself for the Nobel Peace Prize," according to a legal analysis in The Washington Post. "Without two parties, it is both illogical and illegal. As a 1974 Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel memo put it: 'Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the President cannot pardon himself.'"
Any self-pardon "not only would make Trump look guilty but would be a tacit admission that he was guilty," the analysis added.
Weissmann called for Trump to be investigated amid reports that Biden does not want his attorney general to probe his predecessor but would stay out of the decision-making process.
"[A]s painful and hard as it may be for the country, I believe the next attorney general should investigate Mr. Trump, and if warranted, prosecute him for potential federal crimes," Weissmann, who successfully prosecuted former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, said in a New York Times op-ed.
Weissmann noted that Mueller's team said Justice Department guidelines precluded them from prosecuting a sitting president, but "we amassed ample evidence to support a charge that Mr. Trump obstructed justice."
Even if Trump does try to pardon himself, such a move would have no effect on state and local investigations. Trump is currently under investigation for potential fraud by the Manhattan district attorney and a sweeping civil probe into his business practices by New York Attorney General Letitia James, "which could quickly turn into a criminal inquiry," Weissman wrote.
"Pardons would not preclude the new attorney general challenging a self-pardon or the state calling the pardoned friends and family before the grand jury to advance its investigation of Mr. Trump after he leaves office (where, if they lied, they would still risk charges of perjury and obstruction)," he added. "In short, being president should mean you are more accountable, not less, to the rule of law."


alternet--2020-12-01--Here are 6 'fundamentals' that enabled the 'guardrails' of democracy to prevail in 2020: journalist

Although President Donald Trump and his legal team have been aggressively fighting the election results in six battleground states that President-elect Joe Biden won , the former vice president 's victory has been certified in all of those states — from Pennsylvania to Georgia to Arizona .
Journalist Eliza Newlin Carney , in an article published by The Fulcrum on December 1 , argues that democracy 's `` guardrails '' have held up in the U.S. despite Trump 's efforts to overturn the election results .
And she lays out some reasons why .
`` The nation 's brush with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage to public confidence in elections could be lasting , '' Carney writes .
`` Still , it 's worth acknowledging the guardrails that have held fast against the nation 's severe democracy stress test , and against Trump 's specious and ongoing fraud allegations .
There 's no guarantee these railings would hold against a more sophisticated adversary… .
but the fundamentals of American democracy appear to have prevailed . ''
According to Carney , those `` fundamentals '' prevailed because of six `` key institutions that upheld the law and relied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutions that Carney cites include `` the military , '' `` the states '' and `` the courts '' as well as `` the media , '' `` the hardware '' and `` the voters . ''
Carney praises Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , for declaring that the military would play `` no role '' in post-election arguments — and she also praises `` the long list of judges who rejected Trump 's election challenges , '' including `` several conservatives nominated by Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's legal claims as baseless in the extreme . ''
Carney speaks highly of the `` GOP secretaries of state who rejected Trump 's false fraud allegations '' as well as the media outlets that `` choked the Trump campaign 's Russia-style firehose of campaign disinformation with relentless fact checks . ''
According to Carney , voting equipment also functioned as a `` guardrail ' of democracy , as did the millions of Americans who went out of their way to vote .
Carney explains , `` The success of these and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the extent of Trump 's assault on the rule of law , the peaceful transfer of power and the basic right to vote .
Trump has created a playbook for some future would-be autocrat to follow , election law experts warn… .
But for the moment , at least , the system 's guardrails have held . ''

Although President Donald Trump and his legal team have been aggressively fighting the election results in six battleground states that President-elect Joe Biden won, the former vice president's victory has been certified in all of those states — from Pennsylvania to Georgia to Arizona. Journalist Eliza Newlin Carney, in an article published by The Fulcrum on December 1, argues that democracy's "guardrails" have held up in the U.S. despite Trump's efforts to overturn the election results. And she lays out some reasons why.
"The nation's brush with autocracy was troublingly close, and the damage to public confidence in elections could be lasting," Carney writes. "Still, it's worth acknowledging the guardrails that have held fast against the nation's severe democracy stress test, and against Trump's specious and ongoing fraud allegations. There's no guarantee these railings would hold against a more sophisticated adversary…. but the fundamentals of American democracy appear to have prevailed."
According to Carney, those "fundamentals" prevailed because of six "key institutions that upheld the law and relied on the facts" — and the institutions that Carney cites include "the military," "the states" and "the courts" as well as "the media," "the hardware" and "the voters."
Carney praises Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for declaring that the military would play "no role" in post-election arguments — and she also praises "the long list of judges who rejected Trump's election challenges," including "several conservatives nominated by Trump and his GOP predecessor…. who debunked the president's legal claims as baseless in the extreme."
Carney speaks highly of the "GOP secretaries of state who rejected Trump's false fraud allegations" as well as the media outlets that "choked the Trump campaign's Russia-style firehose of campaign disinformation with relentless fact checks." According to Carney, voting equipment also functioned as a "guardrail' of democracy, as did the millions of Americans who went out of their way to vote.
Carney explains, "The success of these and other democracy guardrails may be small consolation, given the extent of Trump's assault on the rule of law, the peaceful transfer of power and the basic right to vote. Trump has created a playbook for some future would-be autocrat to follow, election law experts warn…. But for the moment, at least, the system's guardrails have held."


alternet--2020-12-01--Former cybersecurity chief hints at possibility of taking legal action against Trump campaign attorn

Former cybersecurity chief hints at possibility of taking legal action against Trump campaign attorney

Chris Krebs , who served as the chief Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the United States Department of Homeland Security , has hinted at taking legal action against the Trump campaign attorney who suggested he be shot .
Krebs appeared on `` The Today Show '' with NBC News ' Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday where he was asked about Trump campaign lawyer Joe DiGenova 's remarks .
During an interview on Monday night , DiGenova insulted Krebs for his defense of the election outcome as he described the fired cybersecurity chief as `` a class A moron . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be drawn and quartered '' and `` taken out at dawn and shot . ''
While discussing the situation with Guthrie , Krebs shared his opinion of DiGenova 's dangerous rhetoric and behavior .
`` It 's certainly more dangerous language , more dangerous behavior , '' Krebs responded .
`` And the way I look at it is that we are a nation of laws , and I plan to take advantage of those laws .
I 've got an exceptional team of lawyers that win in court , and I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
When asked if he is considering taking legal action against DiGenova , Krebs admitted that his team is reviewing `` available opportunities . ''
The latest development comes less than one day after DiGenova 's reckless remarks .

Chris Krebs, who served as the chief Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the United States Department of Homeland Security, has hinted at taking legal action against the Trump campaign attorney who suggested he be shot.
Krebs appeared on "The Today Show" with NBC News' Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday where he was asked about Trump campaign lawyer Joe DiGenova's remarks.
During an interview on Monday night, DiGenova insulted Krebs for his defense of the election outcome as he described the fired cybersecurity chief as "a class A moron." According to DiGenova, Krebs "should be drawn and quartered" and "taken out at dawn and shot." While discussing the situation with Guthrie, Krebs shared his opinion of DiGenova's dangerous rhetoric and behavior.
"It's certainly more dangerous language, more dangerous behavior," Krebs responded. "And the way I look at it is that we are a nation of laws, and I plan to take advantage of those laws. I've got an exceptional team of lawyers that win in court, and I think they're probably going to be busy."
When asked if he is considering taking legal action against DiGenova, Krebs admitted that his team is reviewing "available opportunities." The latest development comes less than one day after DiGenova's reckless remarks.


alternet--2020-12-01--'The lack of self-awareness is stunning': Fox wonders complains about transparency over Biden's inju

'The lack of self-awareness is stunning': Fox wonders complains about transparency over Biden's injured foot

As Donald Trump 's fusillade of fucknuttery fades into history , the tan-suiting of Joe Biden can now begin !
@ @ @ @ @ '' are asking questions about Biden 's visit to the doctor yesterday — a visit @ @ @ @ @ day his injury was confirmed .
By the way , did Trump ever finish the @ @ @ @ @ ?
And did he know he had the coronavirus during that first debate ?
And @ @ @ @ @ walk down that ramp ?
And why does he keep bragging about passing a dementia @ @ @ @ @ fuck was he taking a dementia test ?
And why does he look on his @ @ @ @ @ quilt made of diseased antelope scrotums ?
I think we all deserve answers , do @ @ @

As Donald Trump's fusillade of fucknuttery fades into history, the tan-suiting of Joe Biden can now begin!
You see, "people" are asking questions about Biden's visit to the doctor yesterday — a visit his team acknowledged the same day his injury was confirmed.
"The Biden team is facing questions about why reporters weren't even told right away what happened and why they couldn't see Biden on the way to the doctor."
Uh huh …
Days before Thanksgiving last year, President Donald Trump made an unannounced and previously unscheduled trip to Walter Reed medical center. The White House said the trip was for a "quick exam and labs." We still don't know why he actually went -- or what the outcome of his visit was.
On Sunday, three days after Thanksgiving this year, President-elect Joe Biden slipped and hurt his foot while playing with his dog, Major. We were quickly told -- via the traveling press pool -- that Biden was going to see his orthopedist out of an abundance of caution. Within two hours, there was a statement from Dr. Kevin O'Connor noting that Biden's foot had been X-rayed and it appeared as though he had a sprain. A CT scan was going to be conducted just to confirm the diagnosis, however.
Then, 90 minutes after that, came this, again from O'Connor: "Initial x-rays did not show any obvious fracture, but his clinical exam warranted more detailed imaging. Follow-up CT scan confirmed hairline (small) fractures of President-elect Biden's lateral and intermediate cuneiform bones, which are in the mid-foot. It is anticipated that he will likely require a walking boot for several weeks."
By the way, did Trump ever finish the second half of his physical?
And did he know he had the coronavirus during that first debate?
And what was with the shuffling walk down that ramp?
And why does he keep bragging about passing a dementia test?
And why the fuck was he taking a dementia test?
And why does he look on his best days like a caring quilt made of diseased antelope scrotums?
I think we all deserve answers, don't you?


alternet--2020-12-01--What did Georgia's David Perdue know about COVID technology before big stock buyback?

Earlier this year , embattled Sen. David Perdue of Georgia , one of two multimillionaire Republicans facing tight runoff elections that could decide control of the Senate , sold $ 1 million worth of stock in Cardlytics , a financial firm where he once sat on the board .
What makes this stock sale especially interesting is that six weeks later , an executive shake-up at Cardlytics that sent the stock tumbling .
After the share price hit its low point in March , Perdue bought back up to $ 500,000 worth of stock , which has since quadrupled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Perdue argued that he did not personally direct any of his transactions .
The New York Times reported last week , however , that Department of Justice investigators have found that Perdue had instructed his Goldman Sachs wealth manager to make the sale two days after receiving a personal email from the Cardlytics CEO that advised of `` upcoming changes . ''
Now , new information raises questions about what else Perdue may have known was in store for the company in March , when he scooped up as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the cheap .
Around the time of Perdue 's buyback , the company quietly rolled out a `` COVID-19 Dashboard '' to help its clients track and target consumer spending during the pandemic .
Executives appear to have first mentioned this dashboard in public , however , during a first-quarter earnings call in May .
In the call , Cardlytics COO Lynne Laube told shareholders that the company had developed the dashboard to help track real-time consumer spending during the pandemic `` six , seven weeks ago '' — around the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Executives on the call repeatedly pointed to the dashboard as a key asset and market differentiator during the challenging economic conditions of the pandemic .
Outgoing CEO Scott Grimes , who had sent Perdue the `` upcoming changes '' email , said at the time that he believed the company was `` probably in its best position ever and really well positioned to grow , '' and that he was `` excited about new client opportunities that have risen in the rapid disruption of our economy . ''
Lynne Laube , Cardlytics COO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reassured shareholders that the pandemic was `` playing in our favor . ''
`` I hate to say it 's positive , because , obviously , this is a terrible situation , but it has — the trends are very much in the favor of our platform , '' Laube said on the call .
( In 2016 , Perdue , who once sat on the Cardlytics board , posted a picture of himself with Grimes and Laube to his official Senate Facebook page . )
`` We 've always talked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there was ever a time that power is really shining , it 's now , '' Laube continued , adding that the dashboard is `` why we firmly believe we 're going to be first back in for many of them , because we can spot at a very granular level where they should be spending . ''
`` So it 's a really cool dashboard , '' Laube concluded .
She elaborated further two days later at the JPMorgan Technology , Media and Communications Conference , saying the dashboard was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that it fed into a company-wide strategy and `` gave us a real advantage '' with marketers .
Here 's an extended quotation from Laube 's remarks : The earnings call in May , along with its first-quarter investor presentation that day , appears to have been the first time Cardlytics executives mentioned the dashboard publicly .
It does not appear among the press releases on the company 's website , and does not show up in news reports before May .
While Cardlytics stock closed at $ 29.90 on March 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the year , it since more than quadrupled , to nearly $ 120 .
And in November , Laube , who is now the CEO , told shareholders on an earnings call that `` we feel good about Q4 '' despite the potential for `` another wave '' of shutdowns , arguing that the company 's data is `` uniquely advantaged '' and `` more COVID-insulated . ''
This news adds to existing questions swirling around Perdue 's profiteering amid the coronavirus pandemic , as well as new concerns about unrelated trades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Securities and Exchange Commission accusing Perdue of abusing his position on a defense subcommittee to capitalize on insider trades , and a Salon report last week revealed that Perdue traded hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial stocks while passing pro-bank legislation on the Senate Banking Committee .
Perdue now holds Cardlytics stock worth up to twice as much as the profits he raked in from his $ 1 million January sale , and its value is poised to increase further along with the company 's envisioned success : He refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stock in May , despite public pressure and pending federal investigations .
The Perdue campaign did not immediately respond to Salon 's request for comment .

Earlier this year, embattled Sen. David Perdue of Georgia, one of two multimillionaire Republicans facing tight runoff elections that could decide control of the Senate, sold $1 million worth of stock in Cardlytics, a financial firm where he once sat on the board. What makes this stock sale especially interesting is that six weeks later, an executive shake-up at Cardlytics that sent the stock tumbling. After the share price hit its low point in March, Perdue bought back up to $500,000 worth of stock, which has since quadrupled in value.
The trades drew federal scrutiny, but Perdue argued that he did not personally direct any of his transactions. The New York Times reported last week, however, that Department of Justice investigators have found that Perdue had instructed his Goldman Sachs wealth manager to make the sale two days after receiving a personal email from the Cardlytics CEO that advised of "upcoming changes."
Now, new information raises questions about what else Perdue may have known was in store for the company in March, when he scooped up as much as half a million dollars worth of shares on the cheap.
Around the time of Perdue's buyback, the company quietly rolled out a "COVID-19 Dashboard" to help its clients track and target consumer spending during the pandemic. Executives appear to have first mentioned this dashboard in public, however, during a first-quarter earnings call in May.
In the call, Cardlytics COO Lynne Laube told shareholders that the company had developed the dashboard to help track real-time consumer spending during the pandemic "six, seven weeks ago" — around the time Perdue made his March 18 purchase.
Executives on the call repeatedly pointed to the dashboard as a key asset and market differentiator during the challenging economic conditions of the pandemic.
Outgoing CEO Scott Grimes, who had sent Perdue the "upcoming changes" email, said at the time that he believed the company was "probably in its best position ever and really well positioned to grow," and that he was "excited about new client opportunities that have risen in the rapid disruption of our economy."
Lynne Laube, Cardlytics COO and Grimes' successor as chief executive, reassured shareholders that the pandemic was "playing in our favor."
"I hate to say it's positive, because, obviously, this is a terrible situation, but it has — the trends are very much in the favor of our platform," Laube said on the call. (In 2016, Perdue, who once sat on the Cardlytics board, posted a picture of himself with Grimes and Laube to his official Senate Facebook page.)
"We've always talked about the power of purchase intelligence, and if there was ever a time that power is really shining, it's now," Laube continued, adding that the dashboard is "why we firmly believe we're going to be first back in for many of them, because we can spot at a very granular level where they should be spending."
"So it's a really cool dashboard," Laube concluded.
She elaborated further two days later at the JPMorgan Technology, Media and Communications Conference, saying the dashboard was the "first thing we did," and that it fed into a company-wide strategy and "gave us a real advantage" with marketers. Here's an extended quotation from Laube's remarks:
So when this happened, again, we're super advantaged in that we see all the data. So the first thing we did was build a dashboard so that marketers could really understand at a DMA level, at the week-by-week level, what was happening to their spend, their category spend and even related category spend. So they could really understand how they were faring relative to others in the category during this time. And that was a really powerful tool because even for advertisers who are doing well, so there's a category of advertisers, obviously, who benefited from this, there were plenty more doing as well as their peers. And so it gave us a real advantage to go in and have meaningful sales conversations with a number of advertisers. We've coined the strategy with how we're using this dashboard: Rise, retain and return.
The earnings call in May, along with its first-quarter investor presentation that day, appears to have been the first time Cardlytics executives mentioned the dashboard publicly. It does not appear among the press releases on the company's website, and does not show up in news reports before May.
While Cardlytics stock closed at $29.90 on March 18, one of its lowest price points of the year, it since more than quadrupled, to nearly $120. And in November, Laube, who is now the CEO, told shareholders on an earnings call that "we feel good about Q4" despite the potential for "another wave" of shutdowns, arguing that the company's data is "uniquely advantaged" and "more COVID-insulated."
This news adds to existing questions swirling around Perdue's profiteering amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as new concerns about unrelated trades. A watchdog recently filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission accusing Perdue of abusing his position on a defense subcommittee to capitalize on insider trades, and a Salon report last week revealed that Perdue traded hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial stocks while passing pro-bank legislation on the Senate Banking Committee.
Perdue now holds Cardlytics stock worth up to twice as much as the profits he raked in from his $1 million January sale, and its value is poised to increase further along with the company's envisioned success: He refused to entirely divest his holdings in Cardlytics stock in May, despite public pressure and pending federal investigations.
The Perdue campaign did not immediately respond to Salon's request for comment.


alternet--2020-12-01--Americans likely infected with COVID far earlier than 'first' US case: CDC study

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first detected the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in a Washington state patient on January 20 , 2020 .
But a new CDC study shows that Americans were likely infected with the novel coronavirus much earlier .
The CDC has now studied thousands of blood donations from the Red Cross taken between December 13 and January 17 , and found the antibodies produced in response to the potentially deadly virus in more than 100 samples , CNN and the Wall Street Journal report .
`` The 7,389 samples , collected from nine states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
SARS-CoV-2 is the scientific name for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 , '' CNN reports .
`` Of the samples tested , at least 106 were found to have antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 , including ones collected from California , Oregon and Washington from Dec. 13 through Dec. 16 , 2019 . ''
The Wall Street Journal notes this timeline suggests the virus was already present in the U.S. `` a few weeks before it was officially identified in China and about a month earlier than public health authorities found the first U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also found 67 samples with antibodies in Massachusetts , Michigan , Wisconsin or Iowa , and Connecticut or Rhode Island , '' meaning the virus antibodies were not just found on the West Coast .
U.S. Intelligence multiple times briefed the White House of the brewing `` cataclysmic '' pandemic in China as early as November .

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first detected the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in a Washington state patient on January 20, 2020. But a new CDC study shows that Americans were likely infected with the novel coronavirus much earlier.
The CDC has now studied thousands of blood donations from the Red Cross taken between December 13 and January 17, and found the antibodies produced in response to the potentially deadly virus in more than 100 samples, CNN and the Wall Street Journal report.
"The 7,389 samples, collected from nine states, were tested for SARS-CoV-2 reactive antibodies. SARS-CoV-2 is the scientific name for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19," CNN reports. "Of the samples tested, at least 106 were found to have antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, including ones collected from California, Oregon and Washington from Dec. 13 through Dec. 16, 2019."
The Wall Street Journal notes this timeline suggests the virus was already present in the U.S. "a few weeks before it was officially identified in China and about a month earlier than public health authorities found the first U.S. case."
The CDC "also found 67 samples with antibodies in Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin or Iowa, and Connecticut or Rhode Island," meaning the virus antibodies were not just found on the West Coast.
U.S. Intelligence multiple times briefed the White House of the brewing "cataclysmic" pandemic in China as early as November.


alternet--2020-12-01--The hidden deplorables don't care about Republicans — their world revolves around Trump

It 's hard to fully grasp the massive increase in voter participation this general election .
This graph , on Georgia 's turnout , does a pretty good job of visualizing it : That 's 369,000 new votes for Donald Trump compared to his first election .
It took a historically herculean effort for Democrats to overcome the massive wave of disgruntled rural white Americans—594,000 more votes compared to 2016 .
( You can see the Florida version of that chart here . )
We know where our votes came from—historically underperforming Black , brown , Asian , and young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once-Republican suburbs .
But theirs ?
Who were these people who only showed up for Trump in 2016 and 2020 , confounding the public polling and horrifying all rational , upstanding Americans ?
My `` hidden deplorables '' theory is closing on the answer .
Research shows that these Trump supporters hail from the fringes of society .
The disparity between socially connected and disconnected white voters is dramatic .
Despite being so strongly Republican as a whole , less than half of socially connected white people are Trump supporters .
It drives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alienation of a large segment of America is having on our politics .
As I wrote when introducing this theory : The NY Times ' David Brooks has come to a similar conclusion , talking about those left behind in an information economy that has created a new wealthy class concentrated in urban centers , `` While these cities have been prospering , places where fewer people have college degrees have been spiraling down : flatter incomes , decimated families , dissolved communities . ''
As a result , those in meth country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grievances .
`` This precarity has created , in nation after nation , intense populist backlashes against the highly educated folks who have migrated to the cities and accrued significant economic , cultural and political power . ''
You really do see this in country after country—rural backlashes against the urban elite .
The GOP 's challenge is how to harness that Trump turnout without , well , Trump himself .
Because it ca n't be stressed enough , the hidden deplorables are n't Republican or even conservative .
They have no ideology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their life is shit .
They want to bring down everyone else to their levels .
It 's that famous Florida woman , who in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael , said , `` I thought [ Trump ] was going to do good things .
He 's not hurting the people he needs to be hurting . ''
It 's Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler , fighting off a right-wing challenge in November 's jungle primary , running ads comparing herself to Attila the Hun , whose claim to fame was raping and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roman Empire .
No one talks about Hun culture and civilization , because there was none .
This all gets tested in Georgia in just over a month in the state 's two Senate runoff elections .
`` I had someone message me just last week saying : 'Nope , I 'm done .
Ca n't trust the election .
Never voting again , ' '' Buzz Brockway , a former Republican state representative , told the NY Times .
`` The president has a very dedicated group of supporters who do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him . ''
Remember , Trump campaigned hard for Republican gubernatorial candidates in 2019 , as well as his party 's House and Senate slates in 2018 , and they lost those elections ( including in blood-red Louisiana and Kentucky ) .
The hidden deplorables did n't turn out .
Remember , they do n't care if Trump asks them to vote , because they 're not motivated by party building or ideology .
Meanwhile , Trump himself has spent the weeks since the election claiming that he only lost Georgia because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close friends write me and say , ' I have a Republican governor and secretary of state , and they 're both useless , so why do I stay involved ? '
'' said former House Speaker and Georgian Newt Gingrich .
Trump is apparently heading down to Georgia to campaign for the Republican ticket , but does anyone really expect him to stay on message ?
Of course not , he 'll spend an hour airing his grievances , airing his conspiracy theories , and attacking the state 's Republican governor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election for him .
Whether Republicans can get these infrequent Trump-only voters will determine just how competitive future elections are .
Will they look like the 2018 Democratic wave , or 2019 , when Democrats won statewide races in Kentucky and Louisiana , or will they look like 2016 and 2020 , when a 50-50 electorate f 'd us in heavily gerrymandered down-ballot districts ?
About the only silver lining is that broader demographic trends are still in our favor—old white people are `` exiting the electorate , '' suddenly supercharged by Covidiots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more liberal .
The trends that saw Arizona and Georgia flip blue are still happening in places like Texas and South Carolina ( even as the whiter parts of the midwest trend away from us ) .
But we may be entering a new kind of bizarro world political environment , in which higher turnout hurts us where it becomes easier to turn out our more educated base groups than it is for Republicans suddenly depending on the non-educated .

It's hard to fully grasp the massive increase in voter participation this general election. This graph, on Georgia's turnout, does a pretty good job of visualizing it:
That's 369,000 new votes for Donald Trump compared to his first election. It took a historically herculean effort for Democrats to overcome the massive wave of disgruntled rural white Americans—594,000 more votes compared to 2016. (You can see the Florida version of that chart here.)
We know where our votes came from—historically underperforming Black, brown, Asian, and young voters, along with gains in the once-Republican suburbs. But theirs? Who were these people who only showed up for Trump in 2016 and 2020, confounding the public polling and horrifying all rational, upstanding Americans? My "hidden deplorables" theory is closing on the answer.
Research shows that these Trump supporters hail from the fringes of society.
In our pre-election survey on the strength of Americans' social networks, we found that nearly one in five Americans (17 percent) reported having no one they were close with, marking a 9 percentage point increase from 2013.1 What's more, we found that these socially disconnected voters were far more likely to view Trump positively and support his reelection than those with more robust personal networks. Biden was heavily favored by registered voters with larger social networks (53 percent to 37 percent), but it was Trump who had the edge among voters without any close social contacts (45 percent to 39 percent).
And this was especially true among white voters even after accounting for differences in income, education level, and racial attitudes. Sixty percent of white voters without anyone in their immediate social network favored Trump, compared to less than half (46 percent) of white voters with more robust social ties.
The disparity between socially connected and disconnected white voters is dramatic. Despite being so strongly Republican as a whole, less than half of socially connected white people are Trump supporters. It drives home just how big an impact this alienation of a large segment of America is having on our politics. As I wrote when introducing this theory:
The hidden deplorables aren't Republican. They aren't even conservative. They're apolitical, otherwise ignoring politics, because their lives legitimately suck. They live in meth country, with dim job prospects (in fact, those two factors are highly correlated). Institutions have failed them—corporations abandoned them for cheaper labor overseas, government seems and feels distant, and it's certainly not improving their lives. Cities feel like walled gardens—unattainable, unaffordable, yet that's where all the jobs are, the culture, the action. These deplorables have been left behind. So their attitude? "Fuck them all."
The NY Times' David Brooks has come to a similar conclusion, talking about those left behind in an information economy that has created a new wealthy class concentrated in urban centers, "While these cities have been prospering, places where fewer people have college degrees have been spiraling down: flatter incomes, decimated families, dissolved communities." As a result, those in meth country have rallied around those speaking to their grievances. "This precarity has created, in nation after nation, intense populist backlashes against the highly educated folks who have migrated to the cities and accrued significant economic, cultural and political power." You really do see this in country after country—rural backlashes against the urban elite.
For those awash in anxiety and alienation, who feel that everything is spinning out of control, conspiracy theories are extremely effective emotional tools. For those in low status groups, they provide a sense of superiority: I possess important information most people do not have. For those who feel powerless, they provide agency: I have the power to reject "experts" and expose hidden cabals. As Cass Sunstein of Harvard Law School points out, they provide liberation: If I imagine my foes are completely malevolent, then I can use any tactic I want.
The GOP's challenge is how to harness that Trump turnout without, well, Trump himself. Because it can't be stressed enough, the hidden deplorables aren't Republican or even conservative. They have no ideology other than the ideology of destruction. Their life is shit. They want to bring down everyone else to their levels. It's that famous Florida woman, who in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, said, "I thought [Trump] was going to do good things. He's not hurting the people he needs to be hurting." It's Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, fighting off a right-wing challenge in November's jungle primary, running ads comparing herself to Attila the Hun, whose claim to fame was raping and pillaging through Europe while extorting the Holy Roman Empire. No one talks about Hun culture and civilization, because there was none.
This all gets tested in Georgia in just over a month in the state's two Senate runoff elections. "I had someone message me just last week saying: 'Nope, I'm done. Can't trust the election. Never voting again,'" Buzz Brockway, a former Republican state representative, told the NY Times. "The president has a very dedicated group of supporters who don't really support the broader Republican Party—they support him."
Remember, Trump campaigned hard for Republican gubernatorial candidates in 2019, as well as his party's House and Senate slates in 2018, and they lost those elections (including in blood-red Louisiana and Kentucky). The hidden deplorables didn't turn out. Remember, they don't care if Trump asks them to vote, because they're not motivated by party building or ideology.
Meanwhile, Trump himself has spent the weeks since the election claiming that he only lost Georgia because of fraud. "I've had very close friends write me and say, 'I have a Republican governor and secretary of state, and they're both useless, so why do I stay involved?'" said former House Speaker and Georgian Newt Gingrich. Trump is apparently heading down to Georgia to campaign for the Republican ticket, but does anyone really expect him to stay on message? Of course not, he'll spend an hour airing his grievances, airing his conspiracy theories, and attacking the state's Republican governor and secretary of state for not stealing the election for him.
Whether Republicans can get these infrequent Trump-only voters will determine just how competitive future elections are. Will they look like the 2018 Democratic wave, or 2019, when Democrats won statewide races in Kentucky and Louisiana, or will they look like 2016 and 2020, when a 50-50 electorate f'd us in heavily gerrymandered down-ballot districts?
About the only silver lining is that broader demographic trends are still in our favor—old white people are "exiting the electorate," suddenly supercharged by Covidiots. The nation's youth is browner and more liberal. The trends that saw Arizona and Georgia flip blue are still happening in places like Texas and South Carolina (even as the whiter parts of the midwest trend away from us).
But we may be entering a new kind of bizarro world political environment, in which higher turnout hurts us , where it becomes easier to turn out our more educated base groups than it is for Republicans suddenly depending on the non-educated.


alternet--2020-12-01--Here's where blame for Democrats' down-ballot losses actually lies

In the aftermath of many down-ballot Democratic losses , from U.S. Senate races to the House to several state legislatures Democrats were hoping to flip , we are in the finger-pointing phase of the 2020 election .
While some are blaming grassroots social and political movements , the fact is that this is the second cycle in a row in which Democrats had no clear positive and substantive message to offer voters .
While Republicans seized on racial fear and division to tell a compelling , if bleak , story to moderate white America — and even some swaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AAPI and Latino voters — Democrats completely failed to tell an equally compelling narrative based on movement priorities such as economic justice , climate justice or criminal justice reform .
What we know about movements — whether it 's the movement for Black lives or the youth-driven Sunrise Movement for climate justice — is that it 's their job to create new space for what 's possible in society .
Martin Luther King Jr. and the leaders of the civil rights movement did not craft their message in terms of what they thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but rather as bold vision and rallying cry that attracted millions of people .
Movements come out of real-life experience , and are often born in pain and injustice .
Organized Black communities , despite years of calling for reform , watched an innocent Black man choked to death under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis in 2020 .
Organized young people , seeing their futures crumble before their eyes under the weight of climate change , have had enough of government , largely led by people over 60 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not blame movements for shouting from the rooftops what they need .
But we can blame the Democratic Party and the political establishment for not choosing to occupy the space that is being created by movements to make a persuasive argument to voters on these and other critical issues .
A study of the message landscape and advertising campaigns of both sides reveals that Democrats running for Senate and House seats in 2020 did not even try to align their message with the majority of Americans who believe , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or the two-thirds who believe that government should do more to address the climate crisis .
There was no clear story about the largest structure affecting Americans ' lives — our grossly unequal economy — and Democratic ads did not mention the racial reckoning and inflection point that gripped the country for the better part of 2020 .
Instead , most Senate and House Democrats ran primarily on a promise to protect people with pre-existing conditions so they could still have health care — a worthy cause , but not exactly swinging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise of `` bipartisanship '' and working with the other side of the aisle to `` clean up Washington . ''
Too often , rather than focusing on their own story , Democrats spent precious air time refuting attacks from the right , and thereby inadvertently lending more credence to the other side 's frames .
The other side of the aisle , meanwhile , told a very clear story that was specifically designed to stoke racial fear and resentment , while appealing to Americans who are struggling economically .
Of course their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy to understand : Democrats will raise your taxes , taking money out of your pockets , and they are doing it to appease all these angry Black and brown people , who by the way will break into your home and attack you .
When you call the police , no one will answer .
Literally .
You ca n't win in a fight that you do n't even bother to engage in .
What Democrats need to learn from the 2020 cycle is that in this moment , with American society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movements will continue to push the boundaries of what 's possible .
It 's the party 's job to tell an engaging , positive and politically persuasive story that works with that tide , rather than against it .

In the aftermath of many down-ballot Democratic losses, from U.S. Senate races to the House to several state legislatures Democrats were hoping to flip, we are in the finger-pointing phase of the 2020 election. While some are blaming grassroots social and political movements, the fact is that this is the second cycle in a row in which Democrats had no clear positive and substantive message to offer voters.
While Republicans seized on racial fear and division to tell a compelling, if bleak, story to moderate white America — and even some swaths of communities of color, including Black, AAPI and Latino voters — Democrats completely failed to tell an equally compelling narrative based on movement priorities such as economic justice, climate justice or criminal justice reform.
What we know about movements — whether it's the movement for Black lives or the youth-driven Sunrise Movement for climate justice — is that it's their job to create new space for what's possible in society. Martin Luther King Jr. and the leaders of the civil rights movement did not craft their message in terms of what they thought was politically feasible in the mid-1960s, but rather as bold vision and rallying cry that attracted millions of people.
Movements come out of real-life experience, and are often born in pain and injustice. Organized Black communities, despite years of calling for reform, watched an innocent Black man choked to death under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis in 2020. Organized young people, seeing their futures crumble before their eyes under the weight of climate change, have had enough of government, largely led by people over 60, doing nothing to stop it.
We cannot blame movements for shouting from the rooftops what they need. But we can blame the Democratic Party and the political establishment for not choosing to occupy the space that is being created by movements to make a persuasive argument to voters on these and other critical issues.
A study of the message landscape and advertising campaigns of both sides reveals that Democrats running for Senate and House seats in 2020 did not even try to align their message with the majority of Americans who believe, for example, that policing in America needs major changes. Or the two-thirds who believe that government should do more to address the climate crisis. There was no clear story about the largest structure affecting Americans' lives — our grossly unequal economy — and Democratic ads did not mention the racial reckoning and inflection point that gripped the country for the better part of 2020.
Instead, most Senate and House Democrats ran primarily on a promise to protect people with pre-existing conditions so they could still have health care — a worthy cause, but not exactly swinging for the fences — and on the promise of "bipartisanship" and working with the other side of the aisle to "clean up Washington." Too often, rather than focusing on their own story, Democrats spent precious air time refuting attacks from the right, and thereby inadvertently lending more credence to the other side's frames.
The other side of the aisle, meanwhile, told a very clear story that was specifically designed to stoke racial fear and resentment, while appealing to Americans who are struggling economically. Of course their story was false, but it was easy to understand: Democrats will raise your taxes, taking money out of your pockets, and they are doing it to appease all these angry Black and brown people, who by the way will break into your home and attack you. When you call the police, no one will answer. Literally.
You can't win in a fight that you don't even bother to engage in. What Democrats need to learn from the 2020 cycle is that in this moment, with American society facing multiple existential crises at once, movements will continue to push the boundaries of what's possible. It's the party's job to tell an engaging, positive and politically persuasive story that works with that tide, rather than against it.


alternet--2020-12-01--Trump's allies could throw one last Hail Mary to try and overturn the election. Here's how

President Donald Trump and his allies are scrambling to come up with more ways to delay the transfer of power to the Biden administration as the Electoral College certification date quickly approaches .
But despite writing on the wall , the president 's allies could make one final attempt to overthrow the election results .
While the Electoral College is set to certify the election vote on December 14 , individual lawmakers within the House and Senate will have the opportunity to challenge election results from the floor .
Although this tactic has rarely been used , it may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoping there could be a chance of a second Trump term .
Several House Republican have reportedly told Politico that they are considering this approach in another effort to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election .
`` Nothing is off the table , '' said Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-Fla. ) .
The publication also lays out the basis of the Electoral Count Act and how it could be factored into the certification of this election .
Back in 2017 , the tables were reversed —with former Vice President Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , Biden declared that the election was over as Republicans cheered in preparation for the incoming Trump administration .
Now , Vice President Mike Pence will be the White House official in charge of overseeing that hearing .
Here 's how lawmakers could attempt to frame their Congressional challenge in an effort to fight back on Trump 's behalf .
On Nov. 3 , the American people voted to elect Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States .
Based on the results of the election , Biden received 306 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race to 270 .
On Dec. 14 , those electors will cast formal votes for president .
`` An obscure 1887 law called the Electoral Count Act , and several subsequent updates , spell out the process , setting Jan. 6 after a presidential election as the official certification date and outlining vague , complicated procedures . ''
The federal law also allows for a small number of lawmakers the power provide written statements to challenge , and object to , the results of the election .
If there are objections , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their chambers to further discuss the matter .
The have up to two hours to do so .
Since each state 's electors are certified separately , opposing lawmakers can delay the certification of the presidential vote for extended periods of time .
While this is a long-shot scenario , there are Republican lawmakers who are still standing with Trump despite his inability to provide substantial evidence to prove widespread voter fraud .
Neither he , his presidential campaign nor the Republican National Committee have provided any evidence to substantiate the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Republicans , this particular challenge is still likely to fail due to one simple fact : numbers do not lie .

President Donald Trump and his allies are scrambling to come up with more ways to delay the transfer of power to the Biden administration as the Electoral College certification date quickly approaches. But despite writing on the wall, the president's allies could make one final attempt to overthrow the election results.
While the Electoral College is set to certify the election vote on December 14, individual lawmakers within the House and Senate will have the opportunity to challenge election results from the floor. Although this tactic has rarely been used, it may be a last resort for Republican lawmakers still hoping there could be a chance of a second Trump term.
Several House Republican have reportedly told Politico that they are considering this approach in another effort to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
"Nothing is off the table," said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). The publication also lays out the basis of the Electoral Count Act and how it could be factored into the certification of this election. Back in 2017, the tables were reversed —with former Vice President Joe Biden overseeing the same hearing.
At the time, Biden declared that the election was over as Republicans cheered in preparation for the incoming Trump administration. Now, Vice President Mike Pence will be the White House official in charge of overseeing that hearing.
Here's how lawmakers could attempt to frame their Congressional challenge in an effort to fight back on Trump's behalf.
On Nov. 3, the American people voted to elect Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Based on the results of the election, Biden received 306 electors to Trump's 232 in the race to 270. On Dec. 14, those electors will cast formal votes for president.
"An obscure 1887 law called the Electoral Count Act, and several subsequent updates, spell out the process, setting Jan. 6 after a presidential election as the official certification date and outlining vague, complicated procedures."
The federal law also allows for a small number of lawmakers the power provide written statements to challenge, and object to, the results of the election. If there are objections, the House and Senate must go back to their chambers to further discuss the matter. The have up to two hours to do so. Since each state's electors are certified separately, opposing lawmakers can delay the certification of the presidential vote for extended periods of time.
While this is a long-shot scenario, there are Republican lawmakers who are still standing with Trump despite his inability to provide substantial evidence to prove widespread voter fraud. Neither he, his presidential campaign nor the Republican National Committee have provided any evidence to substantiate the president's complaints.
Although the Senate is controlled by Republicans, this particular challenge is still likely to fail due to one simple fact: numbers do not lie.