alternet--2020-12-24--The pick of Alex Padilla to replace Sen. Harris is 'is very historic and symbolic' for Latinos: prof

The pick of Alex Padilla to replace Sen. Harris is 'is very historic and symbolic' for Latinos: professor

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla has been named by Governor Gavin Newsom to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate , making history as the first Latinx senator to represent the state .
Padilla was first elected to public office at 26 , when he joined the Los Angeles City Council , and went on to serve two terms in the state Senate , followed by two terms as the state 's secretary of state .
`` This is really a reflection of the historic importance of Latinos , '' says Fernando Guerra , professor of political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also the director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I 'm Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed California 's Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate .
Padilla will make history as the first Latinx senator to represent California , a state with a population that 's 40 % Latinx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office at 26 years old when he joined the Los Angeles City Council .
He went on to serve two terms in the state Senate , followed by two terms as the state 's secretary of state .
Alex Padilla is the son of Mexican immigrants .
In a video posted by Governor Newsom to Twitter , Padilla talked about how his family 's background has shaped his political work .
AMY GOODMAN : Alex Padilla is a close ally of Governor Gavin Newsom .
He has not taken a public stance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All , the Green New Deal , abolishing ICE — that 's Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
For more on his appointment , we go to Los Angeles , where we 're joined by Fernando Guerra .
He 's a professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University , where he 's also director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles .
We welcome you to Democracy Now !
, Professor Guerra .
It 's great to have you back after a number of years .
Can you start off by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who Alex Padilla is , someone you 've known for many , many years ?
FERNANDO GUERRA : Well , obviously , the significance is very historic and symbolic that Latinos now have this position .
There 's been tremendous amount of Latino political mobilization , and you 've seen Latino mayors , like Antonio Villaraigosa ; lieutenant governor ; secretary of state , like Alex Padilla .
You 've seen Latinos be the head of the Legislature as speaker or as a president pro tem of the Senate .
Really , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't gained in modern times is the U.S. Senate , which they 've never held in California , and governor .
There was a Latino governor back in the 1870s .
But this is really a reflection of the historic importance of Latinos .
Also politically , you know , we think about Latinos are 40 % of the population , and they 're also a significant number of the electorate .
It is because of Latino political mobilization that California is deeply blue .
Without that Latino mobilization , California would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would change the whole dynamics of national politics .
You know , I remind people that for many presidential elections , Republicans always won California .
It was n't until 1992 that Democrats started winning , and barely winning , because of — we all know the Ross Perot factor there .
But after that , it really depended on the Latino vote .
And the Latino vote is the backbone of California being Democratic , which becomes the backbone of the Democrats having a chance in the Electoral College .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also political significance .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Professor Guerra , Alex Padilla , from what I can tell , is part of this whole sort of generation of key Latino leaders in California — and I include in that Antonio Villaraigosa ; Gil Cedillo , the city councilman from L.A. ; Xavier Becerra ; Kevin de León — who all came , sort of , of age in the fight against Proposition 187 in the mid-'90s and really began to exercise their leadership .
But he 's not necessarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group .
Could you talk about his sort of political leanings ?
FERNANDO GUERRA : Sure .
You are right , and it 's a great point .
Alex Padilla is part of the original resistance to the Republican anti-immigrant policies of the early 1990s .
Many of your viewers remember , in 1994 , there was a proposition in California , Proposition 187 , which was anti-immigrant , anti-Latino .
Out of that resistance came people like Kevin de León , Gil Cedillo , Fabian Núñez and Alex Padilla .
At that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20-year-old who had just graduated from MIT with an engineering degree , and he had started his career in engineering and decided to get involved in the public sector .
And he grows out of 1994 , as do a ton of progressive Latinos .
But you 're right in terms of his politics .
He is much more moderate .
He is not a progressive in the same sense that an AOC or someone like that .
Now , he will not be against the New Green Deal .
He will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't think he will be in the forefront of those issues .
I think the most important issues to him are going to be , yes , immigrant rights , yes , equity in economics and education , and , most importantly , voting rights , because that is his one area of expertise .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And in terms of — there was a whole lot of jockeying within the political forces in California on Gavin Newsom .
There were those who wanted an African American woman , either Barbara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris .
What 's your sense of how Gavin Newsom dealt with those competing pressures on him ?
FERNANDO GUERRA : Well , at the end of the day , he dealt with them masterfully .
It just shows what a politician , great politician , he is in terms of the inside game .
You are , you know , absolutely right that there was tremendous amount of pressure on him to appoint a Latino , to appoint an African American female , to appoint someone from the LGBT community , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern California , to appoint a woman .
And there were newspaper ads taken out in the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle and the Sacramento newspapers from different constituent groups , all urging him to appoint someone that they were obviously supporting .
At the end of the day , he understood the historic significance for Latinos .
He also had other variables , number one , that Alex Padilla has been a strong ally of the governor for many years .
Not only did he endorse him for governor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for governor in 2010 , when Newsom was thinking about running against Jerry Brown .
Also , you know , they share a lot of the same perspective .
In addition , he also thinks that Alex Padilla can hold the seat in 2022 .
You do n't want , as a governor , to appoint somebody , and then they quickly lose the seat .
He 's held statewide office before , and he 'll have a good shot at staying in that seat in '22 .
He 'll definitely have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ inaudible ] .
He 'll probably have Vice President Kamala Harris 's endorsement .
Now , he is vulnerable to a progressive candidate , like Congressman [ Ro Khanna ] , someone like that , and so he has to be careful .
But again , he will be a strong ally of Biden .
He will be very much in the liberal Democrat , but do n't expect him to be the leader of progressives .
AMY GOODMAN : So , to replace Alex Padilla as California secretary of state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weber .
If confirmed , she would become the first Black secretary of state in California 's history .
If you can comment on this , and what this means for the landscape of the Senate to have a — if you would n't say progressive , would you say liberal Democratic Senator Alex Padilla — AMY GOODMAN : — when you look at the other Latinx senators , from Cruz to Rubio to Menendez ?
FERNANDO GUERRA : Yeah .
So , first , the appointment of Shirley Weber , I mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to in the past , how brilliant Governor Newsom was .
He was able to deflect criticism about not appointing an African American woman to the U.S. Senate by simultaneously appointing an African American woman to secretary of state .
It was a brilliant move .
And so , it 's difficult for someone to say , `` Hey , this was terrible .
You did n't appoint an African American woman . ''
He 's like , `` Hey , what are you talking about ?
The first African American woman secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yeah .
And so , yes , he 's going to be a moderate .
He 's going to be a lot more liberal than the Latino U.S. senators that exist .
You have two Cubans , in Cruz and Rubio , who are also Republican .
But you have now four Democrats — Menendez and in Nevada and a new one in Luján in New Mexico .
He will , I think , be more progressive than any of those .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , I want to thank you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in touch with you , professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University , director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles .
That does it for our show .
On [ Thursday ] , tune in to our documentary Four Days in Western Sahara ; on Friday , our interview with the late John le Carré .
Remember , wearing a mask is an act of love .
I 'm Amy Goodman , with Juan González .

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla has been named by Governor Gavin Newsom to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, making history as the first Latinx senator to represent the state. Padilla was first elected to public office at 26, when he joined the Los Angeles City Council, and went on to serve two terms in the state Senate, followed by two terms as the state's secretary of state. "This is really a reflection of the historic importance of Latinos," says Fernando Guerra, professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University. He is also the director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I'm Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed California's Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate. Padilla will make history as the first Latinx senator to represent California, a state with a population that's 40% Latinx. He was first elected to public office at 26 years old when he joined the Los Angeles City Council. He went on to serve two terms in the state Senate, followed by two terms as the state's secretary of state. Alex Padilla is the son of Mexican immigrants. In a video posted by Governor Newsom to Twitter, Padilla talked about how his family's background has shaped his political work.
SECRETARY OF STATE ALEX PADILLA: I can't tell you how many pancakes my dad flipped or eggs he scrambled trying to provide for us, or the many, many years of my mom cleaning houses, doing the same thing. It's why I try so hard to make sure that our democracy is as inclusive in California as we built. And it's a hell of an important perspective to bring to Washington.
AMY GOODMAN: Alex Padilla is a close ally of Governor Gavin Newsom. He has not taken a public stance on popular progressive issues such as Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, abolishing ICE — that's Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
For more on his appointment, we go to Los Angeles, where we're joined by Fernando Guerra. He's a professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University, where he's also director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
We welcome you to Democracy Now!, Professor Guerra. It's great to have you back after a number of years. Can you start off by talking about the significance of this appointment and who Alex Padilla is, someone you've known for many, many years?
FERNANDO GUERRA: Well, obviously, the significance is very historic and symbolic that Latinos now have this position. There's been tremendous amount of Latino political mobilization, and you've seen Latino mayors, like Antonio Villaraigosa; lieutenant governor; secretary of state, like Alex Padilla. You've seen Latinos be the head of the Legislature as speaker or as a president pro tem of the Senate. Really, the only two positions that Latinos haven't gained in modern times is the U.S. Senate, which they've never held in California, and governor. There was a Latino governor back in the 1870s. But this is really a reflection of the historic importance of Latinos.
Also politically, you know, we think about Latinos are 40% of the population, and they're also a significant number of the electorate. It is because of Latino political mobilization that California is deeply blue. Without that Latino mobilization, California would be purple, and maybe even red, and would change the whole dynamics of national politics. You know, I remind people that for many presidential elections, Republicans always won California. It wasn't until 1992 that Democrats started winning, and barely winning, because of — we all know the Ross Perot factor there. But after that, it really depended on the Latino vote. And the Latino vote is the backbone of California being Democratic, which becomes the backbone of the Democrats having a chance in the Electoral College. And so, it's a historic significance, but also political significance.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Professor Guerra, Alex Padilla, from what I can tell, is part of this whole sort of generation of key Latino leaders in California — and I include in that Antonio Villaraigosa; Gil Cedillo, the city councilman from L.A.; Xavier Becerra; Kevin de León — who all came, sort of, of age in the fight against Proposition 187 in the mid-'90s and really began to exercise their leadership. But he's not necessarily one of the most progressive of this group. Could you talk about his sort of political leanings?
FERNANDO GUERRA: Sure. You are right, and it's a great point. Alex Padilla is part of the original resistance to the Republican anti-immigrant policies of the early 1990s. Many of your viewers remember, in 1994, there was a proposition in California, Proposition 187, which was anti-immigrant, anti-Latino. Out of that resistance came people like Kevin de León, Gil Cedillo, Fabian Núñez and Alex Padilla. At that time, Alex Padilla was a young 20-year-old who had just graduated from MIT with an engineering degree, and he had started his career in engineering and decided to get involved in the public sector. And he grows out of 1994, as do a ton of progressive Latinos.
But you're right in terms of his politics. He is much more moderate. He is not a progressive in the same sense that an AOC or someone like that. Now, he will not be against the New Green Deal. He will not be against abolishing ICE. But I don't think he will be in the forefront of those issues. I think the most important issues to him are going to be, yes, immigrant rights, yes, equity in economics and education, and, most importantly, voting rights, because that is his one area of expertise.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And in terms of — there was a whole lot of jockeying within the political forces in California on Gavin Newsom. There were those who wanted an African American woman, either Barbara Lee or Karen Bass, to replace Kamala Harris. What's your sense of how Gavin Newsom dealt with those competing pressures on him?
FERNANDO GUERRA: Well, at the end of the day, he dealt with them masterfully. It just shows what a politician, great politician, he is in terms of the inside game. You are, you know, absolutely right that there was tremendous amount of pressure on him to appoint a Latino, to appoint an African American female, to appoint someone from the LGBT community, to appoint someone from Southern California versus Northern California, to appoint a woman. And there were newspaper ads taken out in the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle and the Sacramento newspapers from different constituent groups, all urging him to appoint someone that they were obviously supporting.
At the end of the day, he understood the historic significance for Latinos. He also had other variables, number one, that Alex Padilla has been a strong ally of the governor for many years. Not only did he endorse him for governor in 2018, Alex Padilla actually endorsed Newsom for governor in 2010, when Newsom was thinking about running against Jerry Brown. Also, you know, they share a lot of the same perspective.
In addition, he also thinks that Alex Padilla can hold the seat in 2022. You don't want, as a governor, to appoint somebody, and then they quickly lose the seat. He's held statewide office before, and he'll have a good shot at staying in that seat in '22. He'll definitely have the [inaudible]. He'll have [inaudible]. He'll probably have Vice President Kamala Harris's endorsement. Now, he is vulnerable to a progressive candidate, like Congressman [Ro Khanna], someone like that, and so he has to be careful. But again, he will be a strong ally of Biden. He will be very much in the liberal Democrat, but don't expect him to be the leader of progressives.
AMY GOODMAN: So, to replace Alex Padilla as California secretary of state, Gavin Newsom has named state Assemblywoman Shirley Weber. If confirmed, she would become the first Black secretary of state in California's history. If you can comment on this, and what this means for the landscape of the Senate to have a — if you wouldn't say progressive, would you say liberal Democratic Senator Alex Padilla —
FERNANDO GUERRA: Oh, yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: — when you look at the other Latinx senators, from Cruz to Rubio to Menendez?
FERNANDO GUERRA: Yeah. So, first, the appointment of Shirley Weber, I mean, this is what I was referring to in the past, how brilliant Governor Newsom was. He was able to deflect criticism about not appointing an African American woman to the U.S. Senate by simultaneously appointing an African American woman to secretary of state. It was a brilliant move. And so, it's difficult for someone to say, "Hey, this was terrible. You didn't appoint an African American woman." He's like, "Hey, what are you talking about? The first African American woman secretary of state."
AMY GOODMAN: We have 20 seconds.
FERNANDO GUERRA: Yeah. And so, yes, he's going to be a moderate. He's going to be a lot more liberal than the Latino U.S. senators that exist. You have two Cubans, in Cruz and Rubio, who are also Republican. But you have now four Democrats — Menendez and in Nevada and a new one in Luján in New Mexico. He will, I think, be more progressive than any of those.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you, Fernando Guerra. We'll be getting back in touch with you, professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
That does it for our show. On [Thursday], tune in to our documentary Four Days in Western Sahara; on Friday, our interview with the late John le Carré. Remember, wearing a mask is an act of love. I'm Amy Goodman, with Juan González.


alternet--2020-12-24--Trump just pardoned Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, and Charles Kushner

On Wednesday night , the White House released a new round of names of 26 people who President Donald Trump has given presidential pardons , in addition to three people who received commutations on their sentences for crimes .
Most notable of the people receiving pardons were former Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort , Trump ally Roger Stone , and Charles Kushner .
Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner , the president 's son in law .
Manafort and Stone were charged as a part of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation , which the president is clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes included conduct far beyond the scope of the 2016 election .
He was found guilty of various financial crimes dating back and years and for illegally concealing his work as an agent of Ukraine .
He also obstructed the Mueller investigation itself and lied to the FBI .
Stone , meanwhile , was found guilty of lying to Congress , obstructing an investigation , and tampering with a witness as a part of the Russia investigation .
This last charge involved pressuring his friend Randy Credico to lie to investigators and threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone 's sentence for this crime during the summer so that he did n't serve any prison time .
The White House claimed that the prosecutors acted unfairly against Manafort and Stone , but no evidence of such allegations has emerged .
In the Mueller Report , the special counsel argued that Trump 's repeated suggestions during the course of the investigation that figures including Stone and Manafort might receive pardons could constitute a criminal offense of obstruction of justice on the president 's part .
If this line of argument were successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pardon them could count as further evidence of this crime .
He has pardoned other figures found guilty in the investigation as well , including George Papadopoulos , Michael Flynn , and Alexander van der Zwaan .
Charles Kushner was convicted for `` preparing false tax returns , witness retaliation , and making false statements to the FEC . ''
He was sentenced to a two-year sentence as a result , which he finished in 2006 .
He was charged in the case by Trump ally Chris Christie , a fact that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president 's son-in-law .
The White House said that former United States Attorney Brett Tolman , along with the American Conservative Union 's Matt Schlapp and David Safavian recommended the pardon for the elder Kushner .
It conspicuously did not say that Jared Kushner had advocated for his father 's pardon .
The elder Kushner has also been a major donor to the president .
`` Mr. Kushner pled guilty , he admitted the crimes , '' Christie said recently in an interview with Margaret Hoover .
`` It 's one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I prosecuted when I was US Attorney , and I was US Attorney in New Jersey , Margaret , so we had some loathsome and disgusting crime going on there . ''
Trump also pardoned Margaret Hunter , the wife of former California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter .
They were both convicted of misusing his campaign funds .
When the charges first emerged , the congressman attempted to pin the blame on his wife , and she admitted to her crimes .
An early endorser of the president , Duncan Hunter was pardoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed deeply unfair for the husband to receive a pardon and not the wife , which may have led to the additional pardon on Wednesday .
Margaret Hunter has filed for divorce .

On Wednesday night, the White House released a new round of names of 26 people who President Donald Trump has given presidential pardons, in addition to three people who received commutations on their sentences for crimes.
Most notable of the people receiving pardons were former Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort, Trump ally Roger Stone, and Charles Kushner. Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, the president's son in law.
Manafort and Stone were charged as a part of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which the president is clearly seeking to undo. But Manafort's crimes included conduct far beyond the scope of the 2016 election. He was found guilty of various financial crimes dating back and years and for illegally concealing his work as an agent of Ukraine. He also obstructed the Mueller investigation itself and lied to the FBI.
Stone, meanwhile, was found guilty of lying to Congress, obstructing an investigation, and tampering with a witness as a part of the Russia investigation. This last charge involved pressuring his friend Randy Credico to lie to investigators and threatening his dog. Trump had already commuted Stone's sentence for this crime during the summer so that he didn't serve any prison time.
The White House claimed that the prosecutors acted unfairly against Manafort and Stone, but no evidence of such allegations has emerged. In the Mueller Report, the special counsel argued that Trump's repeated suggestions during the course of the investigation that figures including Stone and Manafort might receive pardons could constitute a criminal offense of obstruction of justice on the president's part. If this line of argument were successful, Trump's choice to in fact pardon them could count as further evidence of this crime. He has pardoned other figures found guilty in the investigation as well, including George Papadopoulos, Michael Flynn, and Alexander van der Zwaan.
Charles Kushner was convicted for "preparing false tax returns, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the FEC." He was sentenced to a two-year sentence as a result, which he finished in 2006. He was charged in the case by Trump ally Chris Christie, a fact that has caused tension between the former prosecutor and the president's son-in-law.
The White House said that former United States Attorney Brett Tolman, along with the American Conservative Union's Matt Schlapp and David Safavian recommended the pardon for the elder Kushner. It conspicuously did not say that Jared Kushner had advocated for his father's pardon. The elder Kushner has also been a major donor to the president.
"Mr. Kushner pled guilty, he admitted the crimes," Christie said recently in an interview with Margaret Hoover. "It's one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was US Attorney, and I was US Attorney in New Jersey, Margaret, so we had some loathsome and disgusting crime going on there."
Trump also pardoned Margaret Hunter, the wife of former California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter. They were both convicted of misusing his campaign funds. When the charges first emerged, the congressman attempted to pin the blame on his wife, and she admitted to her crimes. An early endorser of the president, Duncan Hunter was pardoned Tuesday night. Many noted that it seemed deeply unfair for the husband to receive a pardon and not the wife, which may have led to the additional pardon on Wednesday. Margaret Hunter has filed for divorce.


alternet--2020-12-23--Tea Party official lashes out at Trump for pushing more stimulus: 'You are no better than AOC'

On Wednesday , Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein quoted an unnamed official at FreedomWorks , a right-wing activist organization long @ @ @ @ @ Party movement , railing against outgoing President Donald Trump for demanding the size of the @ @ @ @ @ than tripled , from $ 600 per person and dependent to $ 2,000 . ''
@ @ @ @ @ argument on universal basic income , '' said the official .
`` You are not @ @ @ @ @ '' — referencing progressive champion Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) .
The president 's @ @ @ @ @ legislation , the product of months of standoffs and compromise to defuse Republican obstruction , @ @ @ @ @ by surprise .
The bill passed by a margin sufficient to override a veto , @ @ @ @ @ it will retain GOP support in an override vote .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( @ @ @ @ @ is willing to increase the size of the stimulus if Trump wants it .

On Wednesday, Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein quoted an unnamed official at FreedomWorks, a right-wing activist organization long affiliated with the Obama-era Tea Party movement, railing against outgoing President Donald Trump for demanding the size of the direct stimulus payments be more than tripled, from $600 per person and dependent to $2,000."
"Trump is surrendering the argument on universal basic income," said the official. "You are not better than AOC right now" — referencing progressive champion Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
The president's threat to veto the stimulus legislation, the product of months of standoffs and compromise to defuse Republican obstruction, took lawmakers on Capitol Hill by surprise. The bill passed by a margin sufficient to override a veto, but it is unclear if it will retain GOP support in an override vote.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has signaled she is willing to increase the size of the stimulus if Trump wants it.


alternet--2020-12-23--The Biden Democrats already show they learned little from Trump's loss

The spectacle of political `` leaders '' disconnected from basic social realities survived Trump 's defeat .
He and his GOP had shown little grasp of the two great crises of 2020 : the crash of capitalism and the COVID-19 pandemic .
Trump 's resulting political defeat did not reconnect them .
The Biden Democrats already show they learned little from Trump 's loss ; disconnection governs them too .
A basic social reality of the United States is its capitalist economic system that organizes enterprises internally into a small minority ( employers ) dominating the majority ( employees ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products .
Like capitalisms everywhere , the U.S. version crashes recurringly .
Variously called crises , recessions , or depressions , they have happened , on average , every four to seven years throughout capitalism 's history .
With three in this century 's first 20 years ( `` dot-com '' in 2000 , `` subprime mortgage '' in 2008 , and `` COVID-19 '' in 2020 ) , the United States illustrates that four-to-seven-year schedule .
The 2020 crash is second only to the Great Depression of the 1930s in its social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy interventions on the scale , at least , of what was done then ( including the creation of Social Security , federal unemployment insurance , the first minimum wage , and the creation of millions of federal jobs ) .
Moreover , the 1930s were not simultaneously a time of deadly viral pandemic .
Given the uniquely immense challenge of 2020 's two crises , no remotely adequate policies were undertaken nor even contemplated by Trump , Biden , Republican or Democratic establishments .
They just do n't get it .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the deadly 1918 influenza pandemic to recent SARS , MERS , and Ebola outbreaks .
Coping with them requires having ready ( or quickly acquiring ) adequate supplies of tests , masks , ventilators , hospital facilities , and trained personnel .
Where supplies of these essential resources were left mostly to the private capitalist sector , fatal failure resulted .
It was not privately profitable ( and far too risky ) to produce , stockpile , and maintain these supplies for years until a pandemic enabled them to be sold .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ less risky investments .
Private capitalism , as many had forewarned , was unreliable for protecting public health .
Of course , the government could have intervened to offset private capitalism 's failure to safeguard public health .
It could have purchased tests , masks , and ventilators as fast as private capitalists produced them at prices profitable for those capitalists .
The government could then have stockpiled them at taxpayers ' expense for use when the next dangerous virus threatened .
In fact , the U.S. government already does that , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stockpiles missiles , warships , and tanks from private capitalists because profit-driven capitalists would not stockpile them .
In the United States , Republican and Democratic establishments promote the government 's full socialization of military costs as patriotism while they demonize and block an equivalent socialization of public health costs as `` socialism . ''
Inadequate preparation for COVID-19 was followed by failure to contain it .
Trump and the GOP never considered , let alone implemented , massive government intervention .
Many other countries did , mobilizing private and public resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plus corrupt political calculation drove Trump and the GOP .
As to the pandemic 's effects , they just did not get it .
Either a capitalist crash or the COVID-19 pandemic alone would have been a critical challenge for the United States .
Having both occur together , a staggering combination , requires just what Trump did not and Biden is not doing : a similarly unprecedented government response .
Thus , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are not even trying for an adequately large stimulus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime example of too little , too late .
Neither party leadership advanced policies enlarging upon what worked well in the 1930s : a massive federal jobs program to end unemployment , a Green New Deal , and a national system of COVID-19 testing , tracking , and treatment in additionally constructed hospitals and clinics .
Nothing suggests Biden 's centrist Cabinet sees the magnitude of the need .
They just do n't get it .
For both Republican and Democratic establishments , political strategies are similar .
Each endorses , privileges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other party for negative results that flow from the social dominance of private capitalism .
Neither dares blame private capitalism for social problems like unemployment and pandemic casualties .
Instead , each has its preferred set of scapegoats to blame .
Republicans blame immigrants , foreign trading partners ( especially China ) , non-whites , pro-abortion rights activists , mainstream media , liberals , and socialists .
Democrats blame Russia and Russians , China , gun enthusiasts , white supremacists and racists , Fox News , and Trump and his supporters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ political playing field .
It would include a new political party that criticizes and opposes the capitalist system because of its responsibility for critical social problems .
It would break the political monopoly run by Republicans and Democrats just as many economic monopolies have ended in the nation 's past .
Today 's crises , inequalities , divisions , and the sufferings of so many deserve no less .
Yet the political monopolists want to keep their control .
They just do n't get it .
Richard D. Wolff is professor of economics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amherst , and a visiting professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University , in New York .
Wolff 's weekly show , `` Economic Update , '' is syndicated by more than 100 radio stations and goes to 55 million TV receivers via Free Speech TV .
His three recent books with Democracy at Work are The Sickness Is the System : When Capitalism Fails to Save Us From Pandemics or Itself , Understanding Marxism , and Understanding Socialism .
This article was produced by Economy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Media Institute .

The spectacle of political "leaders" disconnected from basic social realities survived Trump's defeat. He and his GOP had shown little grasp of the two great crises of 2020: the crash of capitalism and the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump's resulting political defeat did not reconnect them. The Biden Democrats already show they learned little from Trump's loss; disconnection governs them too.
A basic social reality of the United States is its capitalist economic system that organizes enterprises internally into a small minority (employers) dominating the majority (employees), with markets to distribute resources and products. Like capitalisms everywhere, the U.S. version crashes recurringly. Variously called crises, recessions, or depressions, they have happened, on average, every four to seven years throughout capitalism's history. With three in this century's first 20 years ("dot-com" in 2000, "subprime mortgage" in 2008, and "COVID-19" in 2020), the United States illustrates that four-to-seven-year schedule. The 2020 crash is second only to the Great Depression of the 1930s in its social impact. That fact alone demands major policy interventions on the scale, at least, of what was done then (including the creation of Social Security, federal unemployment insurance, the first minimum wage, and the creation of millions of federal jobs). Moreover, the 1930s were not simultaneously a time of deadly viral pandemic. Given the uniquely immense challenge of 2020's two crises, no remotely adequate policies were undertaken nor even contemplated by Trump, Biden, Republican or Democratic establishments. They just don't get it.
The COVID-19 pandemic replicates past viral outbreaks: from the deadly 1918 influenza pandemic to recent SARS, MERS, and Ebola outbreaks. Coping with them requires having ready (or quickly acquiring) adequate supplies of tests, masks, ventilators, hospital facilities, and trained personnel. Where supplies of these essential resources were left mostly to the private capitalist sector, fatal failure resulted. It was not privately profitable (and far too risky) to produce, stockpile, and maintain these supplies for years until a pandemic enabled them to be sold. Private capitalists chose other more profitable and/or less risky investments. Private capitalism, as many had forewarned, was unreliable for protecting public health.
Of course, the government could have intervened to offset private capitalism's failure to safeguard public health. It could have purchased tests, masks, and ventilators as fast as private capitalists produced them at prices profitable for those capitalists. The government could then have stockpiled them at taxpayers' expense for use when the next dangerous virus threatened. In fact, the U.S. government already does that, but not for public health. It buys and stockpiles missiles, warships, and tanks from private capitalists because profit-driven capitalists would not stockpile them. In the United States, Republican and Democratic establishments promote the government's full socialization of military costs as patriotism while they demonize and block an equivalent socialization of public health costs as "socialism."
Inadequate preparation for COVID-19 was followed by failure to contain it. Trump and the GOP never considered, let alone implemented, massive government intervention. Many other countries did, mobilizing private and public resources effectively against COVID-19. Crude laissez-faire ideology plus corrupt political calculation drove Trump and the GOP. As to the pandemic's effects, they just did not get it.
Either a capitalist crash or the COVID-19 pandemic alone would have been a critical challenge for the United States. Having both occur together, a staggering combination, requires just what Trump did not and Biden is not doing: a similarly unprecedented government response. Thus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are not even trying for an adequately large stimulus. Their joint product promises to be a prime example of too little, too late. Neither party leadership advanced policies enlarging upon what worked well in the 1930s: a massive federal jobs program to end unemployment, a Green New Deal, and a national system of COVID-19 testing, tracking, and treatment in additionally constructed hospitals and clinics. Nothing suggests Biden's centrist Cabinet sees the magnitude of the need. They just don't get it.
For both Republican and Democratic establishments, political strategies are similar. Each endorses, privileges, and supports private capitalism. Each blames the other party for negative results that flow from the social dominance of private capitalism. Neither dares blame private capitalism for social problems like unemployment and pandemic casualties. Instead, each has its preferred set of scapegoats to blame. Republicans blame immigrants, foreign trading partners (especially China), non-whites, pro-abortion rights activists, mainstream media, liberals, and socialists. Democrats blame Russia and Russians, China, gun enthusiasts, white supremacists and racists, Fox News, and Trump and his supporters.
A solution would be a genuinely level political playing field. It would include a new political party that criticizes and opposes the capitalist system because of its responsibility for critical social problems. It would break the political monopoly run by Republicans and Democrats just as many economic monopolies have ended in the nation's past. Today's crises, inequalities, divisions, and the sufferings of so many deserve no less. Yet the political monopolists want to keep their control.
They just don't get it.
Richard D. Wolff is professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a visiting professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University, in New York. Wolff's weekly show, "Economic Update," is syndicated by more than 100 radio stations and goes to 55 million TV receivers via Free Speech TV. His three recent books with Democracy at Work are The Sickness Is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us From Pandemics or Itself, Understanding Marxism, and Understanding Socialism.
This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute.


alternet--2020-12-23--Mitch McConnell comes under fire as Trump opens the door to $2,000 relief checks

With President Donald Trump and the two top Democrats in Congress now behind the push for $ 2,000 direct payments , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday faced growing pressure from lawmakers and activists who characterized the Republicans as the two chief obstacles remaining in the way of significantly larger relief checks .
`` Hey , Senator McConnell .
The ball 's in your court , '' tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders ' ( I-Vt. ) , a leader in the progressive push for larger direct payments that began months ago .
`` Schumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to pass a $ 2,000 direct payment for working-class Americans who are facing more economic desperation than at any time since the Great Depression .
Leader McConnell , let the Senate vote ! ''
Just 24 hours after the House and Senate approved a roughly $ 900 billion relief package that would extend soon-to-expire unemployment benefits and send $ 600 payments to many Americans , Trump on Tuesday night released a video address in which he slammed the legislation as a `` disgrace '' and suggested he might not sign it if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the checks to $ 2,000 , among other changes .
If Trump refuses to sign the relief legislation , which was paired with a sprawling omnibus spending package , the government will shut down on December 29 and 14 million people could lose unemployment benefits .
Many Democratic lawmakers and the party 's leadership quickly seized upon Trump 's demand for larger relief checks , vowing to request unanimous consent this week to boost the direct payments and slamming their Republican counterparts for persistently opposing robust relief for the increasingly desperate U.S. public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) late Tuesday unveiled a one-page amendment that would hike the $ 600 payments currently in the relief bill to $ 2,000 .
`` I 'm 100 % on board with $ 2,000 survival checks for struggling families , '' Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
tweeted Wednesday .
`` House and Senate Dems are united on this .
What do you say , Senate Majority Leader McConnell ?
Does your caucus have the heart to give the American people the relief they 've needed for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) added that Democrats are `` ready to pass $ 2,000 survival payments . ''
In a Dear Colleague letter on Wednesday , Pelosi wrote that moving ahead with the unanimous consent request `` requires the agreement '' of McCarthy .
`` If the president truly wants to join us in $ 2,000 payments , he should call upon Leader McCarthy to agree to our unanimous consent request , '' Pelosi added .
`` We are scheduled to go in for a pro forma session tomorrow at 9:00 am .
We are awaiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader McCarthy will agree to or reject our unanimous consent request . ''
Neither McCarthy nor McConnell have commented publicly on Trump 's demand for $ 2,000 checks .
Even if McCarthy agrees to the Democrats ' unanimous consent request , it is highly unlikely that the request will ultimately be granted , given that any single lawmaker can block the effort .
Outside progressives are urging Pelosi to call members of the House back to Washington , D.C. for a floor vote on the $ 2,000 payments if the unanimous consent request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , it would face an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate—a reality that further highlights the stakes of the Senate runoffs in Georgia .
As Common Dreams reported Wednesday , Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have both endorsed $ 2,000 checks .
`` If you do n't see that in your bank account , '' tweeted Natalie Montelongo , executive director of People First Future , `` you have Mitch McConnell to thank . ''
Jeremy Funk , spokesperson for watchdog group Accountable.US , said in a statement Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obstructionists found plenty of money for tax goodies for corporations and the richest among us in the latest stimulus bill . ''
Among the giveaways , as the New York Times reported , is a provision that tax experts are describing as `` a $ 200 billion giveaway to the rich . ''
`` The McConnell Senate now has no excuse for refusing $ 2,000 checks to workers making incredible sacrifices during the holiday season amid a pandemic that President Trump and his allies bungled from the beginning , '' said Funk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ poised to have a very merry holiday season thanks to McConnell 's stimulus handouts .
The least he can do is support a less-than-insulting bit of additional help for the tens of millions out of work in the Trump recession .
They 're the ones who really need a Christmas bonus . ''

With President Donald Trump and the two top Democrats in Congress now behind the push for $2,000 direct payments, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday faced growing pressure from lawmakers and activists who characterized the Republicans as the two chief obstacles remaining in the way of significantly larger relief checks.
"Hey, Senator McConnell. The ball's in your court," tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.), a leader in the progressive push for larger direct payments that began months ago. "Schumer, Pelosi, and Trump all want us to pass a $2,000 direct payment for working-class Americans who are facing more economic desperation than at any time since the Great Depression. Leader McConnell, let the Senate vote!"
Just 24 hours after the House and Senate approved a roughly $900 billion relief package that would extend soon-to-expire unemployment benefits and send $600 payments to many Americans, Trump on Tuesday night released a video address in which he slammed the legislation as a "disgrace" and suggested he might not sign it if lawmakers don't increase the size of the checks to $2,000, among other changes.
If Trump refuses to sign the relief legislation, which was paired with a sprawling omnibus spending package, the government will shut down on December 29 and 14 million people could lose unemployment benefits.
Many Democratic lawmakers and the party's leadership quickly seized upon Trump's demand for larger relief checks, vowing to request unanimous consent this week to boost the direct payments and slamming their Republican counterparts for persistently opposing robust relief for the increasingly desperate U.S. public. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) late Tuesday unveiled a one-page amendment that would hike the $600 payments currently in the relief bill to $2,000.
"I'm 100% on board with $2,000 survival checks for struggling families," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted Wednesday. "House and Senate Dems are united on this. What do you say, Senate Majority Leader McConnell? Does your caucus have the heart to give the American people the relief they've needed for months?"
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) added that Democrats are "ready to pass $2,000 survival payments."
"Senate Majority Leader, are you?" Lee asked.
In a Dear Colleague letter on Wednesday, Pelosi wrote that moving ahead with the unanimous consent request "requires the agreement" of McCarthy.
"If the president truly wants to join us in $2,000 payments, he should call upon Leader McCarthy to agree to our unanimous consent request," Pelosi added. "We are scheduled to go in for a pro forma session tomorrow at 9:00 am. We are awaiting word from Leader Hoyer as to whether Leader McCarthy will agree to or reject our unanimous consent request."
Neither McCarthy nor McConnell have commented publicly on Trump's demand for $2,000 checks.
Even if McCarthy agrees to the Democrats' unanimous consent request, it is highly unlikely that the request will ultimately be granted, given that any single lawmaker can block the effort. Outside progressives are urging Pelosi to call members of the House back to Washington, D.C. for a floor vote on the $2,000 payments if the unanimous consent request fails.
Should the measure clear the House, it would face an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate—a reality that further highlights the stakes of the Senate runoffs in Georgia. As Common Dreamsreported Wednesday, Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have both endorsed $2,000 checks.
"If you don't see that in your bank account," tweeted Natalie Montelongo, executive director of People First Future, "you have Mitch McConnell to thank."
Jeremy Funk, spokesperson for watchdog group Accountable.US, said in a statement Wednesday that "McConnell and his fellow Senate obstructionists found plenty of money for tax goodies for corporations and the richest among us in the latest stimulus bill." Among the giveaways, as the New York Timesreported, is a provision that tax experts are describing as "a $200 billion giveaway to the rich."
"The McConnell Senate now has no excuse for refusing $2,000 checks to workers making incredible sacrifices during the holiday season amid a pandemic that President Trump and his allies bungled from the beginning," said Funk. "The rich and powerful are already poised to have a very merry holiday season thanks to McConnell's stimulus handouts. The least he can do is support a less-than-insulting bit of additional help for the tens of millions out of work in the Trump recession. They're the ones who really need a Christmas bonus."


alternet--2020-12-23--Mike Pence accidentally admits the real reason Republicans hate Democrats so much

The grassroots organization People for Bernie on Tuesday advised the Democratic Party to take a page from an unlikely source—right-wing Vice President Mike Pence—after Pence told a rally crowd in Florida that progressives and Democrats `` want to make rich people poorer , and poor people more comfortable . ''
`` Good message , '' tweeted the group , alerting the Democratic National Committee to adopt the vice president 's simple , straightforward description of how the party can prioritize working people over corporations and the rich .
Suggesting that a progressive approach to the economy will harm the country—despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invest heavily in making low- and middle-income `` more comfortable '' by taxing corporations and very high earners—Pence touted the Republicans ' aim to `` cut taxes '' and `` roll back regulations . ''
The vice president did n't mention how the Trump administration 's 2017 tax cuts overwhelmingly benefited wealthy households and powerful corporations , with corporate income tax rates slashed from 35 % to 21 % , corporate tax revenues plummeting , and a surge in stock buybacks while workers saw `` no discernible wage increase '' according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Policy Institute and the Center for Popular Democracy .
Similarly , the Republican Party 's recent attempts to roll back regulations include measures that have actively harmed working families , including the administration 's termination of overtime protections for workers—resulting in an estimated $ 1.2 billion in lost earnings—and of requirements that federal contractors meet labor and wage standards .
While the GOP during the coronavirus pandemic has allowed enhanced unemployment benefits to expire and cited concerns over the federal deficit while blocking legislation to offer Americans a second round of $ 1,200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has grown by trillions of dollars under President Donald Trump—progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) have consistently called for robust economic relief for workers .
Along with Sen. Ed Markey ( D-Mass . )
and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris , Sanders introduced legislation to provide Americans with monthly payments of $ 2,000 in May , saying the $ 1,200 direct payment included in the CARES Act last March was `` not nearly enough . ''
In August , Sanders also introduced a bill to tax the `` obscene wealth gains '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which would raise at least $ 420 billion—a sum that would allow the popular Medicare program to pay all out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for everyone in the U.S. for a year .
Pence 's description of progressive goals was `` exactly '' correct , author and commentator Anand Giridharadas tweeted .
`` Yes , and what 's wrong with making poor people more comfortable ? ''
asked Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) .
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen denounced Pence for suggesting the government should not prioritize the wellbeing of Americans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including an estimated 50 million people expected to face food insecurity this year .
`` You have to be all sorts of twisted to think 'making poor people more comfortable ' is a bad thing , '' tweeted the group .

The grassroots organization People for Bernie on Tuesday advised the Democratic Party to take a page from an unlikely source—right-wing Vice President Mike Pence—after Pence told a rally crowd in Florida that progressives and Democrats "want to make rich people poorer, and poor people more comfortable."
"Good message," tweeted the group, alerting the Democratic National Committee to adopt the vice president's simple, straightforward description of how the party can prioritize working people over corporations and the rich.
Suggesting that a progressive approach to the economy will harm the country—despite the fact that other wealthy nations already invest heavily in making low- and middle-income "more comfortable" by taxing corporations and very high earners—Pence touted the Republicans' aim to "cut taxes" and "roll back regulations."
The vice president didn't mention how the Trump administration's 2017 tax cuts overwhelmingly benefited wealthy households and powerful corporations, with corporate income tax rates slashed from 35% to 21%, corporate tax revenues plummeting, and a surge in stock buybacks while workers saw "no discernible wage increase" according to a report released last year by the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Popular Democracy.
Similarly, the Republican Party's recent attempts to roll back regulations include measures that have actively harmed working families, including the administration's termination of overtime protections for workers—resulting in an estimated $1.2 billion in lost earnings—and of requirements that federal contractors meet labor and wage standards.
While the GOP during the coronavirus pandemic has allowed enhanced unemployment benefits to expire and cited concerns over the federal deficit while blocking legislation to offer Americans a second round of $1,200 stimulus checks—despite the fact that the deficit has grown by trillions of dollars under President Donald Trump—progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have consistently called for robust economic relief for workers.
Along with Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Sanders introduced legislation to provide Americans with monthly payments of $2,000 in May, saying the $1,200 direct payment included in the CARES Act last March was "not nearly enough."
In August, Sanders also introduced a bill to tax the "obscene wealth gains" of U.S. billionaires during the pandemic, which would raise at least $420 billion—a sum that would allow the popular Medicare program to pay all out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for everyone in the U.S. for a year.
Pence's description of progressive goals was "exactly" correct, author and commentator Anand Giridharadas tweeted.
"Yes, and what's wrong with making poor people more comfortable?" asked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen denounced Pence for suggesting the government should not prioritize the wellbeing of Americans who are struggling financially during a pandemic, including an estimated 50 million people expected to face food insecurity this year.
"You have to be all sorts of twisted to think 'making poor people more comfortable' is a bad thing," tweeted the group.


alternet--2020-12-23--Trump leaves office historically disgraced in the eyes of the public — while Biden gets high marks

Although Joe Biden 's inauguration is less than a month away , President Donald Trump is still refusing to acknowledge his win and pushing debunked claims that widespread fraud tainted the election .
But while Trump seems to have convinced much of his party that the election was illegitimate , recent polls from Fox News and Gallup show his dismal standing with the population as a whole .
Analyzing the data , CNN 's Harry Enten stressed that Trump is leaving office with historically low marks .
One of the most striking numbers : 42 percent of Fox News ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` one of the country 's worst presidents . ''
And 44 % said they `` strongly disapprove '' of his job performance .
`` Pollsters have been asking Americans about how history will take stock of different presidents at the end of their presidencies since Gerald Ford , '' Enten wrote .
`` No president has garnered as many strongly negative feelings as Trump .
The only president who came even close to getting as many low ratings , in a five-category question , was George W. Bush in a Gallup poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36 % said he would go down as a 'poor ' president . ''
Only 22 % of people said Trump would be remembered as `` one of the country 's greatest presidents '' — the way he explicitly sells himself .
Another 8 percent said he was `` below average '' as a president .
Fox News did find that 47 % of Americans approve of Trump 's job as president , while 52 % do n't — matching the result of the 2020 election popular vote almost exactly .
Gallup 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 39 % of Americans approve of Trump 's performance as president , falling from 43 % in November .
`` The president 's job approval rating is the lowest it has been since June when it fell sharply amid protests nationwide about racial injustice following George Floyd 's death while in police custody , '' Gallup said .
It continued : '' The public 's overall mood has soured since Gallup 's post-election measure in November , '' Gallup 's Megan Brenan explained .
`` Specifically , satisfaction with the direction of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. have worsened significantly . ''
She continued : `` Overall , 16 % of U.S. adults are now satisfied with the direction of the country .
This is the second consecutive month that satisfaction has fallen .
It was as high as 45 % in February , but it declined as the pandemic took hold in the U.S. , hitting a low point of 13 % in July and August .
After a brief pre-election rebound , satisfaction is dropping again . ''
Fox News asked respondents , `` Do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse off today than it was four years ago , or about the same ? ''
And 55 % of them replied worse off , while only 32 % replied better off .
Enten argued that the amount of opposition to Trump has n't really been properly recognized .
`` Yes , Trump certainly has his loyal base , as indicated by the 22 % of voters who say history will remember Trump as one of the best presidents ever , '' he wrote .
Yet , those who think of him as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a larger chunk of the pie . ''
And while he is n't president yet , Biden is , thus far , making a relatively strong impression on the country .
`` Since being projected as the winner of the presidential election on Nov. 8 , Biden has named many of his aides and Cabinet nominees ; 65 % of Americans , including 96 % of Democrats , 67 % of independents and 23 % of Republicans , approve of the way he is handling his presidential transition , '' Gallup found .

Although Joe Biden's inauguration is less than a month away, President Donald Trump is still refusing to acknowledge his win and pushing debunked claims that widespread fraud tainted the election.
But while Trump seems to have convinced much of his party that the election was illegitimate, recent polls from Fox News and Gallup show his dismal standing with the population as a whole. Analyzing the data, CNN's Harry Enten stressed that Trump is leaving office with historically low marks.
One of the most striking numbers: 42 percent of Fox News' respondents said he will be remembered as "one of the country's worst presidents." And 44% said they "strongly disapprove" of his job performance.
"Pollsters have been asking Americans about how history will take stock of different presidents at the end of their presidencies since Gerald Ford," Enten wrote. "No president has garnered as many strongly negative feelings as Trump. The only president who came even close to getting as many low ratings, in a five-category question, was George W. Bush in a Gallup poll at the end of his presidency; 36% said he would go down as a 'poor' president."
Only 22% of people said Trump would be remembered as "one of the country's greatest presidents" — the way he explicitly sells himself. Another 8 percent said he was "below average" as a president.
Fox News did find that 47% of Americans approve of Trump's job as president, while 52% don't — matching the result of the 2020 election popular vote almost exactly. Gallup's poll, meanwhile, found that only 39% of Americans approve of Trump's performance as president, falling from 43% in November.
"The president's job approval rating is the lowest it has been since June when it fell sharply amid protests nationwide about racial injustice following George Floyd's death while in police custody," Gallup said. It continued:
Trump joins Jimmy Carter as defeated incumbents whose approval ratings fell after failing to win reelection. By contrast, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush saw their ratings rise after voters denied them a second presidential term
Trump's approval rating has fallen seven and eight points, respectively, among Republicans and independents since Gallup's final preelection readings in October. Currently, 87% of Republicans, 34% of independents and 6% of Democrats approve of his job performance.It's quite possible Trump's refusal to accept the results of the election have hurt his public standing. But people could also be turning against him as the pandemic and economic crisis have worsened sharply.
"The public's overall mood has soured since Gallup's post-election measure in November," Gallup's Megan Brenan explained. "Specifically, satisfaction with the direction of the country and views of economic conditions in the U.S. have worsened significantly."
She continued: "Overall, 16% of U.S. adults are now satisfied with the direction of the country. This is the second consecutive month that satisfaction has fallen. It was as high as 45% in February, but it declined as the pandemic took hold in the U.S., hitting a low point of 13% in July and August. After a brief pre-election rebound, satisfaction is dropping again."
Fox News asked respondents, "Do you think the country is better off or worse off today than it was four years ago, or about the same?" And 55% of them replied worse off, while only 32% replied better off.
Enten argued that the amount of opposition to Trump hasn't really been properly recognized.
"Yes, Trump certainly has his loyal base, as indicated by the 22% of voters who say history will remember Trump as one of the best presidents ever," he wrote. Yet, those who think of him as a failure have pretty much always been a larger chunk of the pie."
And while he isn't president yet, Biden is, thus far, making a relatively strong impression on the country.
"Since being projected as the winner of the presidential election on Nov. 8, Biden has named many of his aides and Cabinet nominees; 65% of Americans, including 96% of Democrats, 67% of independents and 23% of Republicans, approve of the way he is handling his presidential transition," Gallup found.


alternet--2020-12-23--Here's why Trump advisers increasingly fear his actions as he copes with being a 'loser': report

In the United States , lame duck presidents have a long history of working with members of the incoming administration and trying to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible — even if they were disappointed by the election results .
President Donald Trump , on the other hand , is still fuming over being voted out of office and refuses to acknowledge Joe Biden as president-elect .
New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt , in an article published this week , analyze Trump 's behavior during this lame-duck period — describing the outgoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried about his political future .
Trump , according to Haberman and Schmidt , `` remains the most powerful person in the world , yet he is focused on the one area in which he is powerless to get what he wants : a way to avoid leaving office as a loser .
He spends his days flailing for any hope , if not of actually reversing the outcome of the election , then at least of building a coherent case that he was robbed of a second term . ''
Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disengaged from leading the nation even as Americans are being felled by the coronavirus at record rates '' — and he has mostly `` sequestered himself in the White House , playing host to a cast of conspiracy theorists and hardcore supporters who traffic in ideas like challenging the election 's outcome in Congress and even invoking martial law . ''
`` It is not clear that Mr. Trump 's latest behavior is anything other than a temper tantrum , attention-seeking or a form of therapy for the man who controls a nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charitable , view is that it is strategic groundwork for a grievance-filled run in 2024 , '' the Times journalists report .
`` If nothing else , it will make for an especially anxious next 27 days in Washington . ''
Haberman and Schmidt 's article , they note , is `` based on interviews with more than a dozen current and former administration officials , Republicans and allies of the president . ''
`` Current advisers have described a daily struggle to keep Mr. Trump from giving in to his impulse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he wants to hear , '' Haberman and Schmidt explain .
`` And former advisers say the most worrisome issue is the gradual disappearance of the core group of West Wing aides who , often working in unison , consistently could get him to turn away from risky , legally dubious and dangerous ideas . ''
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton told the Times , `` The number of people who are telling him things he does n't want to hear has diminished . ''
And according to Haberman and Schmidt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his closest of allies '' — including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , Attorney General William Barr , Sen. John Thune of North Dakota and White House Counsel Pat A. Cipollone .
`` Mr. Trump has spent his days watching television , calling Republicans in search of advice on how to challenge the electoral outcome and urging them to defend him on television , '' Haberman and Schmidt report .
`` As always , he turns to Twitter for boosts of support and to vent his anger . ''

In the United States, lame duck presidents have a long history of working with members of the incoming administration and trying to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible — even if they were disappointed by the election results. President Donald Trump, on the other hand, is still fuming over being voted out of office and refuses to acknowledge Joe Biden as president-elect. New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt, in an article published this week, analyze Trump's behavior during this lame-duck period — describing the outgoing president as angry, totally self-absorbed and worried about his political future.
Trump, according to Haberman and Schmidt, "remains the most powerful person in the world, yet he is focused on the one area in which he is powerless to get what he wants: a way to avoid leaving office as a loser. He spends his days flailing for any hope, if not of actually reversing the outcome of the election, then at least of building a coherent case that he was robbed of a second term."
Trump, they add, "is almost entirely disengaged from leading the nation even as Americans are being felled by the coronavirus at record rates" — and he has mostly "sequestered himself in the White House, playing host to a cast of conspiracy theorists and hardcore supporters who traffic in ideas like challenging the election's outcome in Congress and even invoking martial law."
"It is not clear that Mr. Trump's latest behavior is anything other than a temper tantrum, attention-seeking or a form of therapy for the man who controls a nuclear arsenal — though one alternative, if charitable, view is that it is strategic groundwork for a grievance-filled run in 2024," the Times journalists report. "If nothing else, it will make for an especially anxious next 27 days in Washington."
Haberman and Schmidt's article, they note, is "based on interviews with more than a dozen current and former administration officials, Republicans and allies of the president."
"Current advisers have described a daily struggle to keep Mr. Trump from giving in to his impulse to listen to those who are telling him what he wants to hear," Haberman and Schmidt explain. "And former advisers say the most worrisome issue is the gradual disappearance of the core group of West Wing aides who, often working in unison, consistently could get him to turn away from risky, legally dubious and dangerous ideas."
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton told the Times, "The number of people who are telling him things he doesn't want to hear has diminished." And according to Haberman and Schmidt, Trump is now "turning on his closest of allies" — including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Attorney General William Barr, Sen. John Thune of North Dakota and White House Counsel Pat A. Cipollone.
"Mr. Trump has spent his days watching television, calling Republicans in search of advice on how to challenge the electoral outcome and urging them to defend him on television," Haberman and Schmidt report. "As always, he turns to Twitter for boosts of support and to vent his anger."


alternet--2020-12-23--Trump breaks with the GOP and vetoes $740 billion defense bill

President Donald J. Trump vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) Wednesday in a move that defied Congress @ @ @ @ @ been passed by Congress every year since 1967 .
The $ 740 billion defense spending @ @ @ @ @ the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities , which could set up a potential fight @ @ @ @ @ 's veto power .
`` The Act fails even to make any meaningful changes to @ @ @ @ @ Decency Act , despite bipartisan calls for repealing that provision , '' Trump said in @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
He continued , `` My Administration recognizes the importance of the Act to @ @ @ @ @ , the Act fails to include critical national security measures , includes provisions that fail @ @ @ @ @ our military 's history , and contradicts efforts by my Administration to put America first @ @ @ @ @ foreign policy actions . ''
He then said it was a `` gift to China @ @ @ @

President Donald J. Trump vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Wednesday in a move that defied Congress. The bill had previously been passed by Congress every year since 1967.
The $740 billion defense spending bill had been passed by the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities, which could set up a potential fight to override the outgoing president's veto power.
"The Act fails even to make any meaningful changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, despite bipartisan calls for repealing that provision," Trump said in a message to the House Wednesday.
He continued, "My Administration recognizes the importance of the Act to our national security. Unfortunately, the Act fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military's history, and contradicts efforts by my Administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions."
He then said it was a "gift to China and Russia."


alternet--2020-12-23--Trump's 11th-hour betrayal: Republicans get what they deserve

Let 's get one thing straight : Donald Trump does not care about the American people .
Whatever Trump may say , he is not threatening to blow up the coronavirus stimulus bill Senate Republicans finally agreed to pass because the bill is n't generous enough .
Trump could not care less if all Americans starve to death , and he certainly is n't breaking a sweat trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine out to the public .
He was not defending working Americans when he released a video calling the GOP-endorsed coronavirus bill a `` disgrace '' and pushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,000 checks instead of the $ 600 ones Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to .
No , what 's likely going on is that Trump , the self-identified master negotiator , is turning to the only negotiation tactic he 's ever really known : Extortion .
Trump likely thinks he 's blackmailing McConnell into stealing the election for him .
While we have no direct proof this is an extortion scheme , the circumstantial evidence is abundant and compelling .
Here 's what we know : Trump really does believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nullifying the election he just lost , and that they 're just not revealing it to him for some reason .
In reality , Republicans probably would help him steal the election if they could , but they ca n't .
But Trump refuses to accept this so he is constantly wheedling GOP officials to do more and whining publicly that they 're holding out on him .
He 's even considering canceling a Mar-A-Lago trip and staying in D.C. for Christmas , probably because he 's talked himself into believing he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
Trump is particularly incensed at McConnell right now for not doing more to make Trump 's failed coup successful .
On Monday , Trump 's office sent out emails to congressional Republicans in which Trump took credit ( falsely ) for McConnell 's successful re-election , and implied that McConnell should show his gratitude by doing more to steal the presidential election for Trump .
Trump believes that Congress will have an opportunity to overturn the election on January 6 , by refusing to certify the Electoral College vote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ though it 's false because he 's been scheming with House Republicans on how to do it .
We also know — because Trump keeps tweeting about it — that Trump believes Senate Republicans are , for whatever reason , not doing enough to help him and need so more threats to get motivated to back his coup .
McConnell believes that this $ 900 billion coronavirus bill is needed to help Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , the two Georgia Republicans trying to retain their Senate seats in the January 5 run-offs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that `` Kelly and David are getting hammered '' by their Democratic opponents for not passing a bill .
This $ 900 billion package , which is only a fraction of the spending Democrats in the House passed months ago , is the smallest bill McConnell can get away with while still saving those two Senate seats he needs to keep his majority .
Trump 's most ardent supporters have singled out the Republicans ' desire to win in Georgia as a leverage point , and keep threatening to tank that race if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump steal the election .
To be clear , this is n't 11th level chess .
It 's actually Trump employing junior high school bully logic : McConnell wants a thing ( this paltry coronavirus relief bill ) , and so Trump is threatening to take it away unless Trump gets what he wants ( a successful coup ) .
Trump , being very dumb , has not considered the possibility that McConnell could n't give in to the extortion if he tried because there 's actually no secret file in McConnell 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election . ''
Nor has Trump apparently given much consideration to how Democrats might react to him threatening McConnell by pretending that he wants a more generous bill .
Washington Post reporter Mike DeBonis confirmed that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is planning the unanimous consent vote Christmas Eve , which will force Republicans to go on the record against mailing $ 2,000 checks to Americans .
Considering that McConnell is hoping $ 600 checks will be enough to buy off Georgia voters on January 5 , a vote against a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely hope to avoid .
In no way does this theory require believing Trump is crafty , clever , or heaven forbid , intelligent .
Trump is a moron who is employing what he thinks is a clever Roy Cohn-style scheme to blackmail McConnell .
It is , however , an idiotic misfire , because he 's trying to extort something McConnell simply does n't have , that is some deeply buried secret method to steal the election .
The best part about this is that Democrats handed Republicans a chance to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the Democratic-controlled House impeached Trump for , yep , another one of Trump 's many extortion schemes to keep himself in office .
( As a refresher , Trump threatened to withdraw military aid from Ukraine if the Ukrainian president did n't help him cheat in the 2020 election . )
But rather than accept this golden opportunity to rid themselves of an erratic and disloyal narcissist in favor of a more easily controlled President Mike Pence , Senate Republicans chose to acquit Trump and keep him around .
To thank them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spot on this coronavirus bill .
Because Trump is loyal to no one and can only be failed .
To him , you 're only as good as the last illegal or unethical thing you did to help him .
And boy , it 's hard not to wonder if McConnell is n't regretting his choice to acquit Trump .
Because if he 'd just taken the chance Democrats gave him back then , he 'd have President Pence happily just doing what he 's told .
But no , like so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump enablers , McConnell made the mistake of thinking he could somehow protect and enable Trump without Trump screwing him over .
But Trump will always betray his allies in the end .
It 's like the moral of the story Trump loved telling at campaign rallies : Republicans knew Trump was a snake when they picked him up .

Let's get one thing straight: Donald Trump does not care about the American people. Whatever Trump may say, he is not threatening to blow up the coronavirus stimulus bill Senate Republicans finally agreed to pass because the bill isn't generous enough. Trump could not care less if all Americans starve to death, and he certainly isn't breaking a sweat trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine out to the public. He was not defending working Americans when he released a video calling the GOP-endorsed coronavirus bill a "disgrace" and pushing for a Democrat-friendly plan to send out $2,000 checks instead of the $600 ones Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to.
No, what's likely going on is that Trump, the self-identified master negotiator, is turning to the only negotiation tactic he's ever really known: Extortion.
Trump likely thinks he's blackmailing McConnell into stealing the election for him. While we have no direct proof this is an extortion scheme, the circumstantial evidence is abundant and compelling. Here's what we know:
Trump really does believe that Republicans know some super secret method for nullifying the election he just lost, and that they're just not revealing it to him for some reason. In reality, Republicans probably would help him steal the election if they could, but they can't. But Trump refuses to accept this so he is constantly wheedling GOP officials to do more and whining publicly that they're holding out on him. He's even considering canceling a Mar-A-Lago trip and staying in D.C. for Christmas, probably because he's talked himself into believing he can strike a "deal" to nullify the election.
Trump is particularly incensed at McConnell right now for not doing more to make Trump's failed coup successful. On Monday, Trump's office sent out emailsto congressional Republicans in which Trump took credit (falsely) for McConnell's successful re-election, and implied that McConnell should show his gratitude by doing more to steal the presidential election for Trump. Trump believes that Congress will have an opportunity to overturn the election on January 6, by refusing to certify the Electoral College vote. We know he believes this, even though it's false because he's been scheming with House Republicans on how to do it. We also know — because Trump keeps tweeting about it — that Trump believes Senate Republicans are, for whatever reason, not doing enough to help him and need so more threats to get motivated to back his coup.
McConnell believes that this $900 billion coronavirus bill is needed to help Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, the two Georgia Republicans trying to retain their Senate seats in the January 5 run-offs. McConnell told Senate Republicans last week that "Kelly and David are getting hammered" by their Democratic opponents for not passing a bill. This $900 billion package, which is only a fraction of the spending Democrats in the House passed months ago, is the smallest bill McConnell can get away with while still saving those two Senate seats he needs to keep his majority. Trump's most ardent supporters have singled out the Republicans' desire to win in Georgia as a leverage point, and keep threatening to tank that race if Republicans don't do more to help Trump steal the election.
To be clear, this isn't 11th level chess. It's actually Trump employing junior high school bully logic: McConnell wants a thing (this paltry coronavirus relief bill), and so Trump is threatening to take it away unless Trump gets what he wants (a successful coup). Trump, being very dumb, has not considered the possibility that McConnell couldn't give in to the extortion if he tried because there's actually no secret file in McConnell's office labeled "How To Steal Any Election." Nor has Trump apparently given much consideration to how Democrats might react to him threatening McConnell by pretending that he wants a more generous bill.
Democrats have called Trump's bluff.
Washington Post reporter Mike DeBonis confirmed that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is planning the unanimous consent vote Christmas Eve, which will force Republicans to go on the record against mailing $2,000 checks to Americans. Considering that McConnell is hoping $600 checks will be enough to buy off Georgia voters on January 5, a vote against a more generous bill is clearly something Republican politicians likely hope to avoid.
In no way does this theory require believing Trump is crafty, clever, or heaven forbid, intelligent. Trump is a moron who is employing what he thinks is a clever Roy Cohn-style scheme to blackmail McConnell. It is, however, an idiotic misfire, because he's trying to extort something McConnell simply doesn't have, that is some deeply buried secret method to steal the election.
The best part about this is that Democrats handed Republicans a chance to get rid of Trump a year ago, when the Democratic-controlled House impeached Trump for, yep, another one of Trump's many extortion schemes to keep himself in office. (As a refresher, Trump threatened to withdraw military aid from Ukraine if the Ukrainian president didn't help him cheat in the 2020 election.) But rather than accept this golden opportunity to rid themselves of an erratic and disloyal narcissist in favor of a more easily controlled President Mike Pence, Senate Republicans chose to acquit Trump and keep him around.
To thank them, Trump is now blowing up their spot on this coronavirus bill. Because Trump is loyal to no one and can only be failed. To him, you're only as good as the last illegal or unethical thing you did to help him.
And boy, it's hard not to wonder if McConnell isn't regretting his choice to acquit Trump. Because if he'd just taken the chance Democrats gave him back then, he'd have President Pence happily just doing what he's told. But no, like so many discarded lawyers, staffers, and other Trump enablers, McConnell made the mistake of thinking he could somehow protect and enable Trump without Trump screwing him over. But Trump will always betray his allies in the end. It's like the moral of the story Trump loved telling at campaign rallies: Republicans knew Trump was a snake when they picked him up.