alternet--2020-12-14--A Republican group of fake Georgia 'electors' met to vote for Trump — despite Biden's win

Because President-elect Joe Biden won the popular vote in Georgia , he is entitled to the state 's 16 votes in the Electoral College — and on Monday , 16 Democratic electors in the Peach State officially cast their votes for the former vice president .
But while Georgia 's real electors were acknowledging Biden 's victory , a group of Republican fake `` electors '' were casting their `` votes '' for President Donald Trump .
After the real electors in Georgia cast their votes , the group applauded .
And Democrat Stacey Abrams , the presiding officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleased to announce that Joseph R. Biden has received 16 votes for president of the United States . ''
Those votes , approved under the process put in place by Georgia 's legislatures and certified by top Republican officials in the state , will actually matter when Congress convenes on Jan. 6 to count the votes for the next president .
The Republican pseudo-electors , meeting separately , cast their `` votes '' for Trump — and one of them claimed , `` The contest of the election is ongoing . ''
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed the president 's challenges to the election , because they are either meritless or legally flawed .
Although the coronavirus pandemic has been surging all over the U.S. , a photo posted on Twitter showed the GOP `` electors '' not wearing face masks during their meeting .
Among those electors casting a pseudo-vote for Trump was CJ Pearson : His argument , however , has little legal merit .
The state legislatures are empowered to establish the manner of the presidential election , which every state has done by giving its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in how the electors are selected .
That process has played out , and Biden won decisively .
Some fringe legal theories suggest the state legislatures could try to overturn those results and appoint an alternate slate of electors ; but even if this highly dubious theory were correct , that 's not even what 's happening here .
The Georgia legislature has n't met to appoint a separate slate of electors .
These people are claiming authority they simply do not have .
It 's a farce .
Other individuals in separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politico 's Kyle Cheney pointed out , their claims are meritless :

Because President-elect Joe Biden won the popular vote in Georgia, he is entitled to the state's 16 votes in the Electoral College — and on Monday, 16 Democratic electors in the Peach State officially cast their votes for the former vice president. But while Georgia's real electors were acknowledging Biden's victory, a group of Republican fake "electors" were casting their "votes" for President Donald Trump.
After the real electors in Georgia cast their votes, the group applauded. And Democrat Stacey Abrams, the presiding officer, told the electors, "I'm pleased to announce that Joseph R. Biden has received 16 votes for president of the United States."
Those votes, approved under the process put in place by Georgia's legislatures and certified by top Republican officials in the state, will actually matter when Congress convenes on Jan. 6 to count the votes for the next president.
The Republican pseudo-electors, meeting separately, cast their "votes" for Trump — and one of them claimed, "The contest of the election is ongoing." It is not — the courts have consistently dismissed the president's challenges to the election, because they are either meritless or legally flawed.
Although the coronavirus pandemic has been surging all over the U.S., a photo posted on Twitter showed the GOP "electors" not wearing face masks during their meeting.
Among those electors casting a pseudo-vote for Trump was CJ Pearson:
His argument, however, has little legal merit. The state legislatures are empowered to establish the manner of the presidential election, which every state has done by giving its voters the right to have a say in how the electors are selected. That process has played out, and Biden won decisively. Some fringe legal theories suggest the state legislatures could try to overturn those results and appoint an alternate slate of electors; but even if this highly dubious theory were correct, that's not even what's happening here. The Georgia legislature hasn't met to appoint a separate slate of electors. These people are claiming authority they simply do not have. It's a farce.
Other individuals in separate states tried similar gambits, but as Politico's Kyle Cheney pointed out, their claims are meritless:


alternet--2020-12-14--Proud Boys' party is over: Trump fans throw tantrums because they know they're losing

In vino veritas , or perhaps more appropriately , in Bud Light veritas : These were the words that came to mind while I watched Saturday 's Proud Boys riot in Washington , D.C. For years , the Proud Boys have angrily resisted critics who say the group is racist , claiming instead to be for `` Western chauvinism . ''
Before the heat got to him and he quit , Proud Boys founder ( and onetime Vice co-founder ) Gavin McInnes described the group as being `` alt-right without the racism . ''
The Boys ' insistence that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of racists even led to ugly infighting when a splinter group broke off over the refusal of group leaders to commit to overtly white nationalist beliefs .
But on one Saturday night in Washington , fueled by alcohol and rage over Donald Trump 's electoral defeat , the pretense that `` Western chauvinism '' is not a racist ideology collapsed .
After hours of drinking and ginning themselves up , the Proud Boys stole Black Lives Matter flags and targeted counter-protesters who were gathered in Black Lives Matter Plaza .
A group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter flag on fire , while flashing the `` OK '' sign , which of late has been appropriated by racists as a `` white power '' symbol .
Vandalism at two historically Black churches , Asbury United Methodist Church and Metropolitan A.M.E. Church , is being investigated as a hate crime .
Four people were stabbed in altercations between the Proud Boys and counter-protesters .
Saturday 's rally was ostensibly about protesting Trump 's loss and claiming that he was the victim of a `` rigged '' election .
But with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literal ( as well as metaphorical ) darkness , the truth was illuminated : The rage about Donald Trump 's electoral fate is about racism .
It 's a part of the growing fury taking hold of conservatives as their control over American culture slips further and further out of their grasp .
Trump is just the latest vehicle for this anger , but this story is about a lot more than him .
It 's bigger even than electoral politics .
This is about a more fundamental issue : over who gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reactionary outrage over being outnumbered by more liberal , more diverse and more cosmopolitan Americans , and feeling unable to stop the tide of progress .
Trump was able to amass an extraordinary 74.2 million voters with a message of resentment at `` political correctness '' and `` woke '' culture , a story about how conservative white people are supposedly being victimized by a changing America .
But as much as that campaign whipped up millions of Americans , at the heart of it all was a misdirection .
What conservatives really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is n't something that can be won at the ballot box , and they know it .
If the actual goal of the angry right were control over governance and policy , they should be thrilled by the past year .
Despite Trump 's defeat , the GOP has maintained control over the Senate ( pending the results of Georgia 's runoff elections next month ) and gained at least 10 seats in the House , nibbling the Democratic majority down to a bare minimum .
They have also packed the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be impossible to enact for at least a generation .
Unless Democrats can pull upsets in both of the Georgia races to be decided on Jan. 5 , incoming President Joe Biden will be hamstrung by all-too-familiar obstructionist Republicans .
But instead of being happy or at least begrudgingly accepting what was mostly a win for Republicans , the right has exploded in rage .
That 's because Donald Trump 's defeat was a reminder that no matter how much Republicans maintain power through a drastically tilted electoral playing field , conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minority — and one that 's shrinking rapidly , at that .
This is why right-wingers always act like angry losers , no matter how many political wins they stack up .
There 's a limit to how much cultural change can be reversed at the ballot box or even in the courts .
Of course , the policy fights over police reform , reproductive rights , same-sex marriage and immigration matter quite a bit to real people 's lives .
But even when the right wins on policy , the cultural changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equality , the mainstreaming of LGBTQ people — march on .
That 's why Proud Boys targeted Black Lives Matter iconography instead of , say , the offices of Democratic Party leaders or progressive think tanks .
The same weekend that Proud Boys were throwing a public tantrum in Washington , Cleveland 's baseball team finally gave in to longstanding pressure and announced it would drop its venerable but racist name , the `` Indians . ''
The move comes after the NFL team in D.C. dropped its former name , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans .
Trump , unsurprisingly , whined about the Cleveland decision on Twitter , calling it `` Cancel culture at work , '' even though the team 's private owners made the decision and its players will take the field next season as usual .
Even in using that term , Trump tacitly admitted that his power as president , and as massive cultural icon to the right , can do nothing to stop the anti-racist pressure campaign that caused the name change .
Trump 's ultimately futile war over the military 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bases currently named after Confederate figures is similar .
That 's a lost cause , and not just because Trump will soon leave office and the military will just proceed with its plans under Biden .
Military leaders are making these decisions themselves , reflecting changes that have already occurring within military culture as the services have become more racially diverse and more open to women .
There are any number of other examples .
Even as the right keeps on railing against these cultural changes , it ca n't help but reflect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right-wing rally featured an extremely lame hip-hop act , juxtaposing right-wing cultural appropriation with overt acts of racism .
But this seeming contradiction is just SOP for Trumpers .
Trump himself would dance badly to songs by the Village People at rallies where he 'd promise to appoint more right-wing judges to strip LGBTQ people of their rights .
What else are conservatives supposed to do ?
Have crap music at their events ?
Even `` Western chauvinists '' understand that if they limit themselves to white , straight , conservative-oriented music , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party .
So they borrow very heavily from the same cultures they view as an existential threat to `` America . ''
Again , that 's why right-wingers eternally act like victims , no matter how many electoral wins they rack up .
`` MAGA '' was a promise to restore a fantasy version of an American white-bread past .
The entire Republican National Convention was a lengthy whine about `` cancel culture '' and `` political correctness , '' which are right-wing scare terms to demonize shifting social mores that reject open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by electing Trump for four more years , he would make it socially acceptable to be shitty again .
That promise turned out more than 74 million people .
Make no mistake , Trump did a lot of damage in four years : He wrecked the economy , unleashed a pandemic , made the lives of immigrants miserable and rolled back environmental protections — the list goes on .
But he was n't able to do the one thing that his supporters most dearly wanted , which was to remake the culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do that in four years , and he was n't going to do it in eight .
It 's not impossible to use political power to do such a thing — the Jim Crow South and Nazi Germany being the most obvious examples — but it generally requires heavy-handed state violence and censorship crackdowns that Trump flirted with but was never remotely able to implement on the scale necessary to fulfill those MAGA desires .
None of which is to say that everything will be just dandy now that Trump is leaving office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other bigotries continue to be a major poison .
Systematic racism still creates major inequalities in health , wealth and other social markers .
To say that the culture is changing is n't to say that it has changed , and the right-wing assault on human rights is causing real people real pain every day .
But none of these realities placate conservatives , who are still enraged that progressives continue to push for and often gain ground , especially in the cultural sphere .
And now a neofascist movement has been unleashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was , for him , about ego and power .
For his supporters , however , it was a symbol of their long-term hopes of managing to wrest back control over the culture despite being both outnumbered and largely incapable of generating attractive cultural touchstones to lure other Americans to their side .
The right is losing the culture war , and its anger over that will continue to grow , even as Trump himself is pushed out of the spotlight .

In vino veritas, or perhaps more appropriately, in Bud Light veritas: These were the words that came to mind while I watched Saturday's Proud Boys riot in Washington, D.C.
For years, the Proud Boys have angrily resisted critics who say the group is racist, claiming instead to be for "Western chauvinism." Before the heat got to him and he quit, Proud Boys founder (and onetime Vice co-founder) Gavin McInnes described the group as being "alt-right without the racism." The Boys' insistence that they are absolutely, definitely not a bunch of racists even led to ugly infighting when a splinter group broke off over the refusal of group leaders to commit to overtly white nationalist beliefs.
But on one Saturday night in Washington, fueled by alcohol and rage over Donald Trump's electoral defeat, the pretense that "Western chauvinism" is not a racist ideology collapsed. After hours of drinking and ginning themselves up, the Proud Boys stole Black Lives Matter flags and targeted counter-protesters who were gathered in Black Lives Matter Plaza. A group of Proud Boys dramatically lit a large Black Lives Matter flag on fire, while flashing the "OK" sign, which of late has been appropriated by racists as a "white power" symbol. Vandalism at two historically Black churches, Asbury United Methodist Church and Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, is being investigated as a hate crime. Four people were stabbed in altercations between the Proud Boys and counter-protesters.
Saturday's rally was ostensibly about protesting Trump's loss and claiming that he was the victim of a "rigged" election. But with inhibitions loosened by booze, anger and literal (as well as metaphorical) darkness, the truth was illuminated: The rage about Donald Trump's electoral fate is about racism. It's a part of the growing fury taking hold of conservatives as their control over American culture slips further and further out of their grasp. Trump is just the latest vehicle for this anger, but this story is about a lot more than him. It's bigger even than electoral politics. This is about a more fundamental issue: over who gets to define America, and the widespread reactionary outrage over being outnumbered by more liberal, more diverse and more cosmopolitan Americans, and feeling unable to stop the tide of progress.
Trump was able to amass an extraordinary 74.2 million voters with a message of resentment at "political correctness" and "woke" culture, a story about how conservative white people are supposedly being victimized by a changing America. But as much as that campaign whipped up millions of Americans, at the heart of it all was a misdirection. What conservatives really want is control over the culture. That isn't something that can be won at the ballot box, and they know it.
If the actual goal of the angry right were control over governance and policy, they should be thrilled by the past year.
Despite Trump's defeat, the GOP has maintained control over the Senate (pending the results of Georgia's runoff elections next month) and gained at least 10 seats in the House, nibbling the Democratic majority down to a bare minimum. They have also packed the federal courts so thoroughly that meaningful Democratic legislation may be impossible to enact for at least a generation. Unless Democrats can pull upsets in both of the Georgia races to be decided on Jan. 5, incoming President Joe Biden will be hamstrung by all-too-familiar obstructionist Republicans.
But instead of being happy or at least begrudgingly accepting what was mostly a win for Republicans, the right has exploded in rage. That's because Donald Trump's defeat was a reminder that no matter how much Republicans maintain power through a drastically tilted electoral playing field, conservatives are still, culturally speaking, a minority — and one that's shrinking rapidly, at that.
This is why right-wingers always act like angry losers, no matter how many political wins they stack up. There's a limit to how much cultural change can be reversed at the ballot box or even in the courts. Of course, the policy fights over police reform, reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and immigration matter quite a bit to real people's lives. But even when the right wins on policy, the cultural changes — racial diversity, women's increased equality, the mainstreaming of LGBTQ people — march on. That's why Proud Boys targeted Black Lives Matter iconography instead of, say, the offices of Democratic Party leaders or progressive think tanks.
The same weekend that Proud Boys were throwing a public tantrum in Washington, Cleveland's baseball team finally gave in to longstanding pressure and announced it would drop its venerable but racist name, the "Indians." The move comes after the NFL team in D.C. dropped its former name, which was a far more vicious slur against Native Americans. Trump, unsurprisingly, whined about the Cleveland decision on Twitter, calling it "Cancel culture at work," even though the team's private owners made the decision and its players will take the field next season as usual. Even in using that term, Trump tacitly admitted that his power as president, and as massive cultural icon to the right, can do nothing to stop the anti-racist pressure campaign that caused the name change.
Trump's ultimately futile war over the military's move to ban Confederate iconography and rename bases currently named after Confederate figures is similar. That's a lost cause, and not just because Trump will soon leave office and the military will just proceed with its plans under Biden. Military leaders are making these decisions themselves, reflecting changes that have already occurring within military culture as the services have become more racially diverse and more open to women.
There are any number of other examples. Even as the right keeps on railing against these cultural changes, it can't help but reflect them. For instance, Saturday's right-wing rally featured an extremely lame hip-hop act, juxtaposing right-wing cultural appropriation with overt acts of racism. But this seeming contradiction is just SOP for Trumpers. Trump himself would dance badly to songs by the Village People at rallies where he'd promise to appoint more right-wing judges to strip LGBTQ people of their rights.
What else are conservatives supposed to do? Have crap music at their events? Even "Western chauvinists" understand that if they limit themselves to white, straight, conservative-oriented music, they're doomed to host a lame party. So they borrow very heavily from the same cultures they view as an existential threat to "America."
Again, that's why right-wingers eternally act like victims, no matter how many electoral wins they rack up. "MAGA" was a promise to restore a fantasy version of an American white-bread past. The entire Republican National Convention was a lengthy whine about "cancel culture" and "political correctness," which are right-wing scare terms to demonize shifting social mores that reject open bigotry. The implicit promise was that, by electing Trump for four more years, he would make it socially acceptable to be shitty again. That promise turned out more than 74 million people.
Make no mistake, Trump did a lot of damage in four years: He wrecked the economy, unleashed a pandemic, made the lives of immigrants miserable and rolled back environmental protections — the list goes on. But he wasn't able to do the one thing that his supporters most dearly wanted, which was to remake the culture in their image. He couldn't do that in four years, and he wasn't going to do it in eight. It's not impossible to use political power to do such a thing — the Jim Crow South and Nazi Germany being the most obvious examples — but it generally requires heavy-handed state violence and censorship crackdowns that Trump flirted with but was never remotely able to implement on the scale necessary to fulfill those MAGA desires.
None of which is to say that everything will be just dandy now that Trump is leaving office. Racism, sexism, homophobia and other bigotries continue to be a major poison. Systematic racism still creates major inequalities in health, wealth and other social markers. To say that the culture is changing isn't to say that it has changed, and the right-wing assault on human rights is causing real people real pain every day. But none of these realities placate conservatives, who are still enraged that progressives continue to push for and often gain ground, especially in the cultural sphere.
And now a neofascist movement has been unleashed in the U.S. Trump's failed coup was, for him, about ego and power. For his supporters, however, it was a symbol of their long-term hopes of managing to wrest back control over the culture despite being both outnumbered and largely incapable of generating attractive cultural touchstones to lure other Americans to their side. The right is losing the culture war, and its anger over that will continue to grow, even as Trump himself is pushed out of the spotlight.


alternet--2020-12-14--Michigan House Republican punished for hinting at violent Electoral College disruption

During a Monday morning appearance on Michigan 's WPHM-AM , far-right Republican Gary Eisen — who serves in the Michigan House of Representatives — hinted that he would take actions to disrupt the meeting of the Electoral College .
And the Michigan House , according to the Detroit Free Press , has removed Eisen from his committee assignments because of it .
The Free Press ' Dave Boucher reports that when Eisen appeared on WPHM , he `` was asked about the Electoral College , set to meet Monday in the state Senate chamber to cast the state 's 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` Eisen made the comments in the context of he and others in Lansing having some sort of event , either at the capitol or somewhere else , '' Boucher explains .
`` He said he could not rule out the possibility of violence . ''
According to Boucher , `` Eisen also made reference to a threat he said was received regarding safety at the capitol .
He questioned the veracity of threat , however , calling it 'convenient ' and implying it would impede efforts for Trump supporters to contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has joined President Donald Trump in claiming , without evidence , that he was the victim of widespread voter fraud and that Joe Biden is n't really president-elect .

During a Monday morning appearance on Michigan's WPHM-AM, far-right Republican Gary Eisen — who serves in the Michigan House of Representatives — hinted that he would take actions to disrupt the meeting of the Electoral College. And the Michigan House, according to the Detroit Free Press, has removed Eisen from his committee assignments because of it.
The Free Press' Dave Boucher reports that when Eisen appeared on WPHM, he "was asked about the Electoral College, set to meet Monday in the state Senate chamber to cast the state's 16 electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden."
"Eisen made the comments in the context of he and others in Lansing having some sort of event, either at the capitol or somewhere else," Boucher explains. "He said he could not rule out the possibility of violence."
According to Boucher, "Eisen also made reference to a threat he said was received regarding safety at the capitol. He questioned the veracity of threat, however, calling it 'convenient' and implying it would impede efforts for Trump supporters to contest the Electoral College proceedings."
Eisen has joined President Donald Trump in claiming, without evidence, that he was the victim of widespread voter fraud and that Joe Biden isn't really president-elect.


alternet--2020-12-14--WSJ writer who attacked Jill Biden once wrote he 'would wish homosexuality off the face of this Eart

WSJ writer who attacked Jill Biden once wrote he 'would wish homosexuality off the face of this Earth'

Joseph Epstein is under fire after writing an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal attacking incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for using the well-earned honorific `` Dr. '' in her name .
Epstein , who is 83 , once wrote an article attacking gay people that was so vile it is remembered 50 years later for being `` an incredibly homophobic tour-de-force . ''
On Friday the Journal published Epstein 's op-ed ( to which NCRM will not link ) trying to belittle Dr. Biden .
`` Madame First Lady—Mrs .
Biden—Jill—kiddo , '' it began , incredibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter .
Any chance you might drop the 'Dr . '
before your name ?
'Dr .
Jill Biden ' sounds and feels fraudulent , not to say a touch comic . ''
50 years ago Epstein turned his hate on a different target : gay men .
In the cover story for the September , 1970 edition of Harper 's magazine , this was the last paragraph of Epstein 's hit piece : '' They are different front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different , moreover , in a way that cuts deeper than other kinds of human differences—religious , class , racial—in a way that is , somehow , more fundamental .
Cursed without clear cause , afflicted without apparent cure , they are an affront to our rationality , living evidence of our despair of ever finding a sensible , an explainable , design to the world .
One can tolerate homosexuality , a small enough price to be asked to pay for someone else 's pain , but accepting it , really accepting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I find I can accept it least of all when I look at my children .
There is much my four sons can do in their lives that might cause me anguish , that might outrage me , that might make me ashamed of them and of myself as their father .
But nothing they could ever do would make me sadder than if any of them were to become homosexual .
For then I should know them condemned to a state of permanent niggerdom among men , their lives , whatever adjustment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be lived out as part of the pain of the earth . ''
In 2016 NCRM published a piece by Claude Summers discussing Epstein 's concern that the words `` Noted Homophobe '' will be carved on his gravestone .
Pointing to the word `` noted , '' a retired law professor on Twitter told me yesterday : `` This guy never stops congratulating himself . ''

Joseph Epstein is under fire after writing an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal attacking incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for using the well-earned honorific "Dr." in her name. Epstein, who is 83, once wrote an article attacking gay people that was so vile it is remembered 50 years later for being "an incredibly homophobic tour-de-force."
On Friday the Journal published Epstein's op-ed (to which NCRM will not link) trying to belittle Dr. Biden.
"Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo," it began, incredibly disrespectfully, "a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter. Any chance you might drop the 'Dr.' before your name? 'Dr. Jill Biden' sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic."
50 years ago Epstein turned his hate on a different target: gay men. In the cover story for the September, 1970 edition of Harper's magazine, this was the last paragraph of Epstein's hit piece:
"They are different front the rest of us. Homosexuals are different, moreover, in a way that cuts deeper than other kinds of human differences—religious, class, racial—in a way that is, somehow, more fundamental. Cursed without clear cause, afflicted without apparent cure, they are an affront to our rationality, living evidence of our despair of ever finding a sensible, an explainable, design to the world. One can tolerate homosexuality, a small enough price to be asked to pay for someone else's pain, but accepting it, really accepting it, is another thing altogether. I find I can accept it least of all when I look at my children. There is much my four sons can do in their lives that might cause me anguish, that might outrage me, that might make me ashamed of them and of myself as their father. But nothing they could ever do would make me sadder than if any of them were to become homosexual. For then I should know them condemned to a state of permanent niggerdom among men, their lives, whatever adjustment they might make to their condition, to be lived out as part of the pain of the earth."
In 2016 NCRM published a piece by Claude Summers discussing Epstein's concern that the words "Noted Homophobe" will be carved on his gravestone.
Pointing to the word "noted," a retired law professor on Twitter told me yesterday: "This guy never stops congratulating himself."


alternet--2020-12-14--Republicans and fringe secessionist groups are no longer separate — they're joined at the hip: conse

Republicans and fringe secessionist groups are no longer separate — they're joined at the hip: conservative

In recent days , some supporters of President Donald Trump — from Texas GOP Chairman Allen West to talk radio host Rush Limbaugh — have been floating the idea of Republicans seceding from the United States if President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20 , 2021 .
Conservative Never Trump journalist Tim Miller , in an article published by The Bulwark , argues that far-right secessionist groups can no longer be viewed as an entity separate from the Republican Party .
Now , Miller laments , the GOP and radical secessionists are joined at the hip .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have branded their states 'New California ' and 'New Nevada ' — no word from New New York — filed an amicus brief ( on December 11 ) joining with 100-plus Republican leaders urging the Supreme Court to cancel the legally cast votes of millions of Americans in four states and reinstall President Donald Trump against the will of the people , '' Miller explains .
`` This is not a trolly take on American news using the tropes normally employed to describe events in Third World countries .
It is a simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become . ''
In the lawsuit that Miller describes , Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out millions of votes in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Wisconsin and Michigan — and the High Court rejected the lawsuit .
`` The majority of the Republican Party establishment — including the president himself , the runner-up in the last presidential primary , the House majority leader , and the chief law enforcement officials in 17 states — is teaming up with a crank secessionist movement for a coup , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are at . ''
Miller , an ex-Republican who formerly served as communications director for former Florida Gov .
Jeb Bush , notes that when Robert Thomas , chairman of the New Nevada movement , filed an amicus brief supporting the Texas lawsuit , his `` closing request '' for the High Court was `` to validate the standing of two new states that have seceded from the Union as well as to approve the efforts of his comrades-in-arms to invalidate the election by judicial fiat . ''
The conservative writer explains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crazy , bored coots in Nevada tootling off letters to the editor about the End Times and overthrowing tyrants is nothing particularly new or noteworthy… .
What 's new is that the coot claiming that democracy is tyrannical and must be disobeyed is making an argument that fits perfectly with the other Supreme Court briefs being filed by a preponderance of the members of a major political party . ''
Miller wraps up his article by arguing that New Nevada and New California should n't be regarded as fringe groups that most Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now mainstream within his former party .
`` That 's what it has come to in December 2020 , '' Miller writes .
`` The crazy FW : FW : FW : e-mail guy ranting about how 'democracy is tyranny ' is a replacement-level participant in a Republican Party and conservative establishment for whom overthrowing tyrannical democracy is now the entry-level position .
The New Nevada Party is the GOP , and the GOP is the New Nevada Party . ''

In recent days, some supporters of President Donald Trump — from Texas GOP Chairman Allen West to talk radio host Rush Limbaugh — have been floating the idea of Republicans seceding from the United States if President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20, 2021. Conservative Never Trump journalist Tim Miller, in an article published by The Bulwark, argues that far-right secessionist groups can no longer be viewed as an entity separate from the Republican Party. Now, Miller laments, the GOP and radical secessionists are joined at the hip.
"A group of secessionists out west who have branded their states 'New California' and 'New Nevada' — no word from New New York — filed an amicus brief (on December 11) joining with 100-plus Republican leaders urging the Supreme Court to cancel the legally cast votes of millions of Americans in four states and reinstall President Donald Trump against the will of the people," Miller explains. "This is not a trolly take on American news using the tropes normally employed to describe events in Third World countries. It is a simple accounting of what the totalitarian party has become."
In the lawsuit that Miller describes, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out millions of votes in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan — and the High Court rejected the lawsuit.
"The majority of the Republican Party establishment — including the president himself, the runner-up in the last presidential primary, the House majority leader, and the chief law enforcement officials in 17 states — is teaming up with a crank secessionist movement for a coup," Miller warns. "That is where we are at."
Miller, an ex-Republican who formerly served as communications director for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, notes that when Robert Thomas, chairman of the New Nevada movement, filed an amicus brief supporting the Texas lawsuit, his "closing request" for the High Court was "to validate the standing of two new states that have seceded from the Union as well as to approve the efforts of his comrades-in-arms to invalidate the election by judicial fiat."
The conservative writer explains, "Here's the thing. Crazy, bored coots in Nevada tootling off letters to the editor about the End Times and overthrowing tyrants is nothing particularly new or noteworthy…. What's new is that the coot claiming that democracy is tyrannical and must be disobeyed is making an argument that fits perfectly with the other Supreme Court briefs being filed by a preponderance of the members of a major political party."
Miller wraps up his article by arguing that New Nevada and New California shouldn't be regarded as fringe groups that most Republicans would never associate with — such groups are now mainstream within his former party.
"That's what it has come to in December 2020," Miller writes. "The crazy FW: FW: FW: e-mail guy ranting about how 'democracy is tyranny' is a replacement-level participant in a Republican Party and conservative establishment for whom overthrowing tyrannical democracy is now the entry-level position. The New Nevada Party is the GOP, and the GOP is the New Nevada Party."


alternet--2020-12-14--Watergate congresswoman who voted to impeach Nixon lays out a compelling case for prosecuting Trump

Democrat Elizabeth Holtzman , now 79 , has vivid memories of the Watergate scandal .
The former congressman was serving on the House Judiciary Committee when , in 1974 , she recommended three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon — and many years later , Holtzman called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump .
Although Trump was acquitted during his impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate earlier this year , he was voted out of office in November .
And Holtzman believes there is a strong case for a criminal prosecution of Trump after he leaves the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. Department of Justice has a policy against prosecuting a sitting president .
But Trump will no longer be president after President-elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris are sworn in on January 20 — and Holtzman , in an op-ed published by The Hill on December 13 , outlines some reasons she believes Trump could face legal exposure after his presidency .
`` Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller identified ten ways Trump might have obstructed justice in connection with the Russia collusion investigation , '' explains Holtzman , whose book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' was published in early 2019 .
`` Mueller did not determine whether Trump should be indicted , but nearly 700 former U.S. prosecutors believed there was enough evidence for prosecution .
Other possible criminal misconduct , such as Trump 's financial dealings and his efforts to upend the 2020 election , may also warrant examination . ''
There has been much talk of Trump granting himself a preemptive pardon before he leaves the White House .
But Holtzman , in her op-ed , stresses that Trump is not above the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law during the 1970s .
`` Presidents are not entitled to immunity , '' Holtzman writes .
`` The ( U.S. ) Constitution explicitly states that a president can be tried and prosecuted for crimes committed in office .
Former President Nixon and Trump himself were subjects of criminal investigations , and a grand jury named Nixon an unindicted co-conspirator .
If presidents who commit crimes in office can not be prosecuted while in office — and are n't to be prosecuted when they leave — they have impunity .
That presents a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strongest deterrent to presidential criminality . ''
Holtzman , in her op-ed , vehemently rejects the idea that prosecutions of Trump should be avoided so that the U.S. can `` heal '' after he leaves office .
The former congressman argues , `` Is 'healing ' a more important national objective than protecting our democracy from future presidents who commit crimes thinking they 're immune from criminal law ?
Is it more important than the principle of equality under law , so that a spy who sells secrets to China gets punished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , say , to win an election , does n't ? ''
After Nixon announced his resignation on August 8 , 1974 , Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as president the following day — and when Ford granted Nixon a presidential pardon , Holtzman was highly critical of him .
`` As a member of the House Judiciary Committee that voted to impeach Nixon , I challenged Ford when he testified before Congress about the pardon , '' Holtzman recalls .
`` Ford said that the country needed 'tranquility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Nixon 's punishment .
Those arguments resonate today .
But I had little concern about tranquility because America had already withstood the Nixon impeachment effort without serious unrest .
I was much more concerned that setting a precedent of presidential impunity and establishing a dual system of justice — one for presidents and another for everyone else — would come back to haunt us .
And it did . ''
Holtzman is n't the only veteran of the Watergate era who has denounced Trump as corrupt and unethical .
Others have ranged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carl Bernstein and Dan Rather to John Dean ( who served as White House counsel in the Nixon Administration ) .
Holtzman , however , acknowledges that Trump still has an enthusiastic base that refuses to believe he ever did anything wrong .
`` A serious investigation and prosecution , resting on robust evidence and conducted fairly , may have a similar effect as the Watergate hearings , '' Holtzman explains .
`` Even if Trump 's core supporters are n't persuaded by airing factual evidence , millions of other Americans will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set an indelible precedent — and lay down a marker that future presidents must heed . ''

Democrat Elizabeth Holtzman, now 79, has vivid memories of the Watergate scandal. The former congressman was serving on the House Judiciary Committee when, in 1974, she recommended three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon — and many years later, Holtzman called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Although Trump was acquitted during his impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate earlier this year, he was voted out of office in November. And Holtzman believes there is a strong case for a criminal prosecution of Trump after he leaves the White House on January 20, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Justice has a policy against prosecuting a sitting president. But Trump will no longer be president after President-elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris are sworn in on January 20 — and Holtzman, in an op-ed published by The Hill on December 13, outlines some reasons she believes Trump could face legal exposure after his presidency.
"Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller identified ten ways Trump might have obstructed justice in connection with the Russia collusion investigation," explains Holtzman, whose book, "The Case for Impeaching Trump," was published in early 2019. "Mueller did not determine whether Trump should be indicted, but nearly 700 former U.S. prosecutors believed there was enough evidence for prosecution. Other possible criminal misconduct, such as Trump's financial dealings and his efforts to upend the 2020 election, may also warrant examination."
There has been much talk of Trump granting himself a preemptive pardon before he leaves the White House. But Holtzman, in her op-ed, stresses that Trump is not above the law any more than Nixon was above the law during the 1970s.
"Presidents are not entitled to immunity," Holtzman writes. "The (U.S.) Constitution explicitly states that a president can be tried and prosecuted for crimes committed in office. Former President Nixon and Trump himself were subjects of criminal investigations, and a grand jury named Nixon an unindicted co-conspirator. If presidents who commit crimes in office cannot be prosecuted while in office — and aren't to be prosecuted when they leave — they have impunity. That presents a grave threat to our democracy by removing the strongest deterrent to presidential criminality."
Holtzman, in her op-ed, vehemently rejects the idea that prosecutions of Trump should be avoided so that the U.S. can "heal" after he leaves office.
The former congressman argues, "Is 'healing' a more important national objective than protecting our democracy from future presidents who commit crimes thinking they're immune from criminal law? Is it more important than the principle of equality under law, so that a spy who sells secrets to China gets punished but a president who conspires with Russia, say, to win an election, doesn't?"
After Nixon announced his resignation on August 8, 1974, Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as president the following day — and when Ford granted Nixon a presidential pardon, Holtzman was highly critical of him.
"As a member of the House Judiciary Committee that voted to impeach Nixon, I challenged Ford when he testified before Congress about the pardon," Holtzman recalls. "Ford said that the country needed 'tranquility,' not 'prolonged and divisive debate' about Nixon's punishment. Those arguments resonate today. But I had little concern about tranquility because America had already withstood the Nixon impeachment effort without serious unrest. I was much more concerned that setting a precedent of presidential impunity and establishing a dual system of justice — one for presidents and another for everyone else — would come back to haunt us. And it did."
Holtzman isn't the only veteran of the Watergate era who has denounced Trump as corrupt and unethical. Others have ranged from Watergate-era prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks to journalists Carl Bernstein and Dan Rather to John Dean (who served as White House counsel in the Nixon Administration).
Holtzman, however, acknowledges that Trump still has an enthusiastic base that refuses to believe he ever did anything wrong.
"A serious investigation and prosecution, resting on robust evidence and conducted fairly, may have a similar effect as the Watergate hearings," Holtzman explains. "Even if Trump's core supporters aren't persuaded by airing factual evidence, millions of other Americans will be. Most importantly, prosecuting Trump would set an indelible precedent — and lay down a marker that future presidents must heed."


alternet--2020-12-14--Trump suffers one final massive legal blow just before Electoral College certifies Joe Biden vote

President Donald Trump still has n't conceded the 2020 presidential election , despite suffering one humiliating legal defeat after another @ @ @ @ @ of legal losses continued on Monday when the Wisconsin Supreme Court shot down the Trump @ @ @ @ @ overturn President-elect Joe Biden 's victory .
As reported by the Associated Press 's Scott @ @ @ @ @ by conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn was delivered just one hour before Wisconsin 's electors are @ @ @ @ @ for Biden in the electoral college .
Hagedorn wrote in his opinion that the campaign @ @ @ @ @ to receive the relief it was seeking that would have thrown out more than 200,000 @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee County .
Trump on Friday suffered a door-slamming defeat at the United States Supreme @ @ @ @ @ even hear a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to throw @ @ @ @ @ swing states .

President Donald Trump still hasn't conceded the 2020 presidential election, despite suffering one humiliating legal defeat after another.
The president's string of legal losses continued on Monday when the Wisconsin Supreme Court shot down the Trump campaign's last-minute gambit to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's victory.
As reported by the Associated Press's Scott Bauer, the ruling written by conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn was delivered just one hour before Wisconsin's electors are scheduled to meet and vote for Biden in the electoral college.
Hagedorn wrote in his opinion that the campaign "is not entitled" to receive the relief it was seeking that would have thrown out more than 200,000 ballots in Dan County and Milwaukee County.
Trump on Friday suffered a door-slamming defeat at the United States Supreme Court, which refused to even hear a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to throw out election results in four swing states.


alternet--2020-12-14--Jerry Falwell Jr. pumped millions of dollars into pro-Trump causes at Liberty University: report

The Christian right , from Franklin Graham to Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson , was bitterly disappointed when President Donald Trump was voted out of office and former Vice President Joe Biden became president-elect of the United States .
Another prominent evangelical ally of Trump was former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. , who , according to Politico journalist Maggie Severns , spent millions of dollars promoting the outgoing president and his causes .
Falwell Jr. , Severns reports , `` pumped millions of the nonprofit religious institution 's funds into Republican causes and efforts to promote the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education and politics . ''
`` The culmination of his efforts was the creation of a university-funded campus 'think tank ' — which has produced no peer-reviewed academic work and bears little relation to study centers at other universities — that ran pro-Trump ads , hired Trump allies including former adviser Sebastian Gorka and current Trump attorney Jenna Ellis to serve as fellows and , in recent weeks , has aggressively promoted Trump 's baseless claims of election fraud , '' Severns explains .
`` The think tank — called the Falkirk Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that of GOP activist Charlie Kirk , who co-founded it — purchased campaign-season ads on Facebook , at least $ 50,000 's worth of which were designated by the network as political ads , that promoted Trump and other Republican candidates by name . ''
Liberty University , based in Lynchburg , Virginia , was founded by the late Rev .
Jerry Falwell , Sr. in 1971 .
Falwell Sr. later co-founded the Moral Majority , one of the top Christian Right organizations of the 1980s — and after Falwell Sr. died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Falwell Jr. , took over as president of Liberty University .
The Falwell family has long been political .
During the 1950s and 1960s , Falwell Sr. was a notorious segregationist and used his pulpit to defend racist Jim Crow laws in the Deep South .
But Marybeth Baggett , who formerly taught at Liberty University , believes that the Christian fundamentalist college became even more overtly political during the Trump era .
Baggett told Politico , `` The apparatus of the university has turned more and more towards political ends and concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yes .
But I do n't feel like it was ever so agenda-driven as it was in the last four of five years . ''
Baggett has a problem with Liberty University giving the Falkirk Center so much support when the college 's humanities programs were being slashed .
The former Liberty teacher told Politico , `` All of these deep cuts are happening in humanities departments , departments that are dedicated to the intellectual life and thinking hard about complicated questions .
Falkirk offers very , very easy , simple answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taught at Liberty University for 21 years before her departure , believes that the Falkirk Center should be discontinued .
Prior told Politico , `` The Falkirk Center , to me , represents everything that was wrong with Liberty when Jerry ( Falwell Jr. ) was there .
It 's brazenly partisan . ''

The Christian right, from Franklin Graham to Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson, was bitterly disappointed when President Donald Trump was voted out of office and former Vice President Joe Biden became president-elect of the United States. Another prominent evangelical ally of Trump was former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., who, according to Politico journalist Maggie Severns, spent millions of dollars promoting the outgoing president and his causes.
Falwell Jr., Severns reports, "pumped millions of the nonprofit religious institution's funds into Republican causes and efforts to promote the Trump Administration, blurring the lines between education and politics."
"The culmination of his efforts was the creation of a university-funded campus 'think tank' — which has produced no peer-reviewed academic work and bears little relation to study centers at other universities — that ran pro-Trump ads, hired Trump allies including former adviser Sebastian Gorka and current Trump attorney Jenna Ellis to serve as fellows and, in recent weeks, has aggressively promoted Trump's baseless claims of election fraud," Severns explains. "The think tank — called the Falkirk Center, a portmanteau of Falwell's name and that of GOP activist Charlie Kirk, who co-founded it — purchased campaign-season ads on Facebook, at least $50,000's worth of which were designated by the network as political ads, that promoted Trump and other Republican candidates by name."
Liberty University, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, was founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, Sr. in 1971. Falwell Sr. later co-founded the Moral Majority, one of the top Christian Right organizations of the 1980s — and after Falwell Sr. died in 2007, his son, Jerry Falwell Jr., took over as president of Liberty University.
The Falwell family has long been political. During the 1950s and 1960s, Falwell Sr. was a notorious segregationist and used his pulpit to defend racist Jim Crow laws in the Deep South. But Marybeth Baggett, who formerly taught at Liberty University, believes that the Christian fundamentalist college became even more overtly political during the Trump era.
Baggett told Politico, "The apparatus of the university has turned more and more towards political ends and concerns. Obviously, the school is conservative, yes. But I don't feel like it was ever so agenda-driven as it was in the last four of five years."
Baggett has a problem with Liberty University giving the Falkirk Center so much support when the college's humanities programs were being slashed. The former Liberty teacher told Politico, "All of these deep cuts are happening in humanities departments, departments that are dedicated to the intellectual life and thinking hard about complicated questions. Falkirk offers very, very easy, simple answers."
Karen Swallow Prior, who taught at Liberty University for 21 years before her departure, believes that the Falkirk Center should be discontinued.
Prior told Politico, "The Falkirk Center, to me, represents everything that was wrong with Liberty when Jerry (Falwell Jr.) was there. It's brazenly partisan."


alternet--2020-12-14--Stephen Miller blames 'the media' for Trump losing court cases — says 'alternate' electors will 'cer

Stephen Miller blames 'the media' for Trump losing court cases — says 'alternate' electors will 'certify' him

White House senior advisor Stephen Miller is blaming `` the media '' for President Donald Trump losing nearly 60 election cases in court , but says right now `` alternate '' electors are voting to `` certify Donald Trump as the winner of the election . ''
Miller , one of the most prominent white nationalists aside from the president working in the White House , appeared on Fox News Monday in his capacity as a `` senior Trump campaign advisor , '' something experts say at best draws questions of `` the appearance of impropriety . ''
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 , so we have more than enough time to right the wrong of this fraudulent election and certify Donald Trump as the winner of the election , '' Miller said on `` Fox & Friends . ''
His claim that election was `` fraudulent '' is a lie .
86 judges across the country in 59 court cases – including at the U.S. Supreme Court – have refused to indulge the Trump team 's lies .
Miller continued to spread falsehoods , while Fox News hosts allowed him to do so unchallenged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he then said , `` an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we are going to send those results to Congress . ''
The Trump campaign can send to Congress anything they like but without each state 's certification by the Secretary of State those documents are meaningless .
Miller also falsely claimed `` the media '' is to blame for the 59 court case losses .
Fox News ' Brian Kilmeade , fresh off his `` groveling '' interview with President Trump on Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election as he spoke with Miller .
But he finally confronted Miller with a few facts .
`` Your legal team , in almost every state , 50 times , lost – some with Trump judges .
So do you have the worst legal team who just do n't seem to be presenting a good case ?
Or [ are ] you just too late and this case should have been brought before the election ? ''
Miller crafted a remarkably dishonest attack on the whole of America 's judiciary in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the pressure from the corrupt corporate media to make everybody cave and bend is overwhelming , '' he lied .
`` And so , yes , judges are caving .
politicians are caving . ''
He then uttered this dangerous call to action : `` We need heroes to step up and do the right thing , '' before spreading even more falsehoods .

White House senior advisor Stephen Miller is blaming "the media" for President Donald Trump losing nearly 60 election cases in court, but says right now "alternate" electors are voting to "certify Donald Trump as the winner of the election."
Miller, one of the most prominent white nationalists aside from the president working in the White House, appeared on Fox News Monday in his capacity as a "senior Trump campaign advisor," something experts say at best draws questions of "the appearance of impropriety."
"The only date in the Constitution is January 20, so we have more than enough time to right the wrong of this fraudulent election and certify Donald Trump as the winner of the election," Miller said on "Fox & Friends."
His claim that election was "fraudulent" is a lie. 86 judges across the country in 59 court cases – including at the U.S. Supreme Court – have refused to indulge the Trump team's lies.
Miller continued to spread falsehoods, while Fox News hosts allowed him to do so unchallenged.
"As we speak," he then said, "an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we are going to send those results to Congress."
The Trump campaign can send to Congress anything they like but without each state's certification by the Secretary of State those documents are meaningless.
Miller also falsely claimed "the media" is to blame for the 59 court case losses.
Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, fresh off his "groveling" interview with President Trump on Sunday, continued to spread Trump's lies about the election as he spoke with Miller.
But he finally confronted Miller with a few facts.
"Your legal team, in almost every state, 50 times, lost – some with Trump judges. So do you have the worst legal team who just don't seem to be presenting a good case? Or [are] you just too late and this case should have been brought before the election?"
Miller crafted a remarkably dishonest attack on the whole of America's judiciary in response.
"What you have to realize is the pressure from the corrupt corporate media to make everybody cave and bend is overwhelming," he lied. "And so, yes, judges are caving. politicians are caving."
That's false.
He then uttered this dangerous call to action: "We need heroes to step up and do the right thing," before spreading even more falsehoods.


alternet--2020-12-14--‘Fan fiction’: Conservative journalists slam Fox News and right-wing media for promoting Trump’s bo

‘Fan fiction’: Conservative journalists slam Fox News and right-wing media for promoting Trump’s bogus voter fraud claims

Right-wing media outlets have marginalized conservatives who are critical of President Donald Trump , often pretending that Never Trump journalists like CNN 's S.E .
Cupp and Daily Beast columnist Matt Lewis do n't exist .
And when Cupp and Lewis appeared on CNN 's `` Reliable Sources '' on Sunday , December 13 , they slammed the right-wing outlets that are giving their audiences `` fan fiction '' and promoting Trump 's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud .
Cupp told `` Reliable Sources '' host Brian Stelter , `` Fox News and OAN and Newsmax are not telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They 're telling them what they want to hear .
That 's fan fiction . ''
News outlets , according to Cupp , have a responsibility to `` tell facts as they exist , even if they are not what your viewers want to hear . ''
Cupp and Lewis make it abundantly clear that they consider Joe Biden president-elect and believe that Trump 's claims of widespread voter fraud are nonsense .
But Lewis lamented that millions of Trump voters who consume right-wing media honestly buy into Trump 's claims and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disinformation .
Lewis told Stelter , `` These conservatives really do believe the election was stolen .
It 's an alternate reality… .
You ca n't get past that belief , and it 's sincere . ''
The Daily Beast columnist also voiced some criticisms of the mainstream media , saying , `` I 've long been a critic of liberal media bias .
I think it exists . ''
But Lewis told Stelter that in the past , conservatives and liberals — for all their disagreements — `` had a shared set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Lewis slammed Fox News ' Brian Kilmeade , who recently interviewed Trump , for not pushing back against the president 's voter fraud claims .
`` This is a con from Donald Trump and Fox News , and OAN and Newsmax , '' Lewis told Stelter .
`` They know it 's a con . ''

Right-wing media outlets have marginalized conservatives who are critical of President Donald Trump, often pretending that Never Trump journalists like CNN's S.E. Cupp and Daily Beast columnist Matt Lewis don't exist. And when Cupp and Lewis appeared on CNN's "Reliable Sources" on Sunday, December 13, they slammed the right-wing outlets that are giving their audiences "fan fiction" and promoting Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
Cupp told "Reliable Sources" host Brian Stelter, "Fox News and OAN and Newsmax are not telling their viewers what they need to hear. They're telling them what they want to hear. That's fan fiction."
News outlets, according to Cupp, have a responsibility to "tell facts as they exist, even if they are not what your viewers want to hear."
Cupp and Lewis make it abundantly clear that they consider Joe Biden president-elect and believe that Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud are nonsense. But Lewis lamented that millions of Trump voters who consume right-wing media honestly buy into Trump's claims and don't realize that they're consuming disinformation.
Lewis told Stelter, "These conservatives really do believe the election was stolen. It's an alternate reality…. You can't get past that belief, and it's sincere."
The Daily Beast columnist also voiced some criticisms of the mainstream media, saying, "I've long been a critic of liberal media bias. I think it exists." But Lewis told Stelter that in the past, conservatives and liberals — for all their disagreements — "had a shared set of facts. They don't anymore."
Lewis slammed Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, who recently interviewed Trump, for not pushing back against the president's voter fraud claims.
"This is a con from Donald Trump and Fox News, and OAN and Newsmax," Lewis told Stelter. "They know it's a con."


alternet--2020-12-14--Here's the case for indicting Trump for federal crimes — even if he pardons himself: attorney

In a comprehensive column for the conservative Bulwark , attorney Philip Rotner examined the multiple legal perils Donald Trump is facing after he leaves office before suggesting federal authorities should indict the president — if warranted — even if he pardons himself .
Although it is only speculation at this point that the president will attempt to absolve himself of all federal crimes by bestowing a presidential pardon upon himself before leaving office , there is also speculation that he will resign and then Vice President Mike Pence would issue the pardon once he assumes the presidency — if only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
As Rotner writes , and has been well documented , the president will lose his immunity from prosecution at the state level once he leaves office but federal crimes is a completely different matter .
As former federal prosecutors Donald Ayers and Dennis Afergut wrote in USA Today , should Trump self-pardon , `` … its legality will be decided in the Supreme Court if Trump were indicted '' for federal crimes .
As Rotner explained , Justice Department officials — without interference from the incoming Biden administration — should make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes and then proceed to file charges regardless of a possible self-pardon — then let the courts decide whether they can proceed .
Put simply , he wrote , if the president hands himself an all-encompassing pardon all bets should be off . ''
Differentiating from a Pence pardon , which he wrote would be game over if it came to appeals to the court to overturn it , Rotner wrote that Trump 's self-pardon would be a great test case on the limits of presidential power and could serve as a warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should view a purported self-pardon as an invitation to file any charges warranted by the facts , full stop .
Criminal indictments would not only hold him legally accountable , but also would vindicate the principle that in the United States a president is not a king , can not be his own judge and jury , and does not have the constitutional authority to pardon himself , '' he wrote .
Using the opinions of some legal scholars who believe , `` …self-pardoning is inconsistent with Article I 's insistence that someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment , trial , judgment and punishment , '' the Bulwark columnist wrote that — should the self-pardon situation arise , prosecutors should put the question of the limitation to the test .
`` The only way to test a purported self-pardon would be to file charges , let Trump assert a defense that his self-pardon immunizes him from prosecution , and defeat that defense in court , '' Rotner wrote .
`` If there 's insufficient evidence to support a criminal charge , that 's fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indict , that 's fine too .
If Trump attempts to pardon himself , it should be challenged by bringing any appropriate criminal charges against him . ''
Rotner went on to state the president not only has a trail of multiple crimes committed while he has been office that may be prosecutable , but he might be involved in criminality trying to disrupt the transfer of power to the new administration .
Explaining , Trump 's `` crusade to subvert and overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election … has serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly in violation of a federal law making it a criminal act `` to 'oppress , threaten , or intimidate ' any person in the free exercise of any right secured by the Constitution or the laws of the United States .
Other statutes dealing with undermining or interfering with elections would also come into play . ''
However , he suggested investigators might want to avoid going down that rabbit hole writing that it would be a `` holy mess . ''
Summing up , Rotner wrote , `` if Trump purports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not forgo any prosecution they were otherwise planning to bring , '' before adding , `` Trump should be held accountable outside of the criminal justice system , and the Biden administration should actively pursue concrete changes to the laws , regulations , and norms that govern the presidency . ''
You can read much more here .

In a comprehensive column for the conservative Bulwark, attorney Philip Rotner examined the multiple legal perils Donald Trump is facing after he leaves office before suggesting federal authorities should indict the president — if warranted — even if he pardons himself.
Although it is only speculation at this point that the president will attempt to absolve himself of all federal crimes by bestowing a presidential pardon upon himself before leaving office, there is also speculation that he will resign and then Vice President Mike Pence would issue the pardon once he assumes the presidency — if only briefly until President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.
As Rotner writes, and has been well documented, the president will lose his immunity from prosecution at the state level once he leaves office but federal crimes is a completely different matter.
As former federal prosecutors Donald Ayers and Dennis Afergut wrote in USA Today, should Trump self-pardon, "… its legality will be decided in the Supreme Court if Trump were indicted" for federal crimes.
As Rotner explained, Justice Department officials — without interference from the incoming Biden administration — should make the call whether the president committed indictable crimes and then proceed to file charges regardless of a possible self-pardon — then let the courts decide whether they can proceed.
Put simply, he wrote, if the president hands himself an all-encompassing pardon all bets should be off."
Differentiating from a Pence pardon, which he wrote would be game over if it came to appeals to the court to overturn it, Rotner wrote that Trump's self-pardon would be a great test case on the limits of presidential power and could serve as a warning for future presidents.
"Federal prosecutors should view a purported self-pardon as an invitation to file any charges warranted by the facts, full stop. Criminal indictments would not only hold him legally accountable, but also would vindicate the principle that in the United States a president is not a king, cannot be his own judge and jury, and does not have the constitutional authority to pardon himself," he wrote.
Using the opinions of some legal scholars who believe, "…self-pardoning is inconsistent with Article I's insistence that someone removed from office by impeachment shall "nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment," the Bulwark columnist wrote that — should the self-pardon situation arise, prosecutors should put the question of the limitation to the test.
"The only way to test a purported self-pardon would be to file charges, let Trump assert a defense that his self-pardon immunizes him from prosecution, and defeat that defense in court," Rotner wrote. "If there's insufficient evidence to support a criminal charge, that's fine. If there's sufficient evidence to indict, that's fine too. If Trump attempts to pardon himself, it should be challenged by bringing any appropriate criminal charges against him."
Rotner went on to state the president not only has a trail of multiple crimes committed while he has been office that may be prosecutable, but he might be involved in criminality trying to disrupt the transfer of power to the new administration.
Explaining, Trump's "crusade to subvert and overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election … has serious criminal implications," and has is clearly in violation of a federal law making it a criminal act "to 'oppress, threaten, or intimidate' any person in the free exercise of any right secured by the Constitution or the laws of the United States. Other statutes dealing with undermining or interfering with elections would also come into play."
However, he suggested investigators might want to avoid going down that rabbit hole writing that it would be a "holy mess."
Summing up, Rotner wrote, "if Trump purports to pardon himself, federal prosecutors should not forgo any prosecution they were otherwise planning to bring," before adding, "Trump should be held accountable outside of the criminal justice system, and the Biden administration should actively pursue concrete changes to the laws, regulations, and norms that govern the presidency."
You can read much more here.


alternet--2020-12-14--How right-wing conservatives and their insidious 'trickle-down' philosophy inflicted 50 years of dam

How right-wing conservatives and their insidious 'trickle-down' philosophy inflicted 50 years of damage on the US

What is a conservative ?
We 've seen a lot of them in 2020 , refusing to respect the needs of society .
The Heritage Foundation says : `` Foremost among [ conservatism 's ] transcendent values is the individual 's use of his God-given free will , whence derives his right to be free from the restrictions of arbitrary force . ''
Stanford University adds : `` For conservatives , individuals and local communities are better assessors of their own needs and problems than distant bureaucrats . ''
A 2003 study for the American Psychological Association stated : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change and justification of inequality . ''
There are many other forms and definitions of conservatism as political , economic , and social philosophies .
The usage here may best be understood as the evolving marriage of individualism and neoliberalism ( privatization , deregulation , low taxes , austerity ) since the 1970s .
Conservatism has made 'social ' a dirty word .
Here are some of the details of fifty years of damage inflicted on America .
The Disastrous Effect of Placing Individuals Over Society The anti-government , `` all about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terribly in a time of national emergency .
How did the misdirected mindset get its start ?
With Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman , who are commonly referenced with connection to neoliberalism .
Friedman is the author of some remarkable quotes : `` The free market system distributes the fruits of economic progress among all people . ''
And , according to The Guardian : `` There is evidence that a democratic society , once established , destroys a free economy . ''
Then came Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher .
The former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` There is no such thing !
There are individual men and women and there are families .
`` Reagan , whose campaign slogan was , familiarly , `` Let 's make America great again , '' famously stated that `` Government is not the solution to our problem ; government IS the problem . ''
So now , at a time when we need to work together as a society rather than as a crowd of individuals , we 've been betrayed by conservatism .
As historian Neil J .
Young puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later amid a global pandemic , that unbridled individualism has shown its deadly dimensions in Trump and the Republicans ' lack of response to COVID-19 ... it 's evident in the millions of Americans who—in refusing to wear masks , practice social distance , and momentarily deny their self-gratification—have selfishly exploited the language of 'individual responsibility ' as license for their own recklessness . ''
Just as frightening is the recent conservative Supreme Court church-gathering decision that `` placed religious freedom before pandemic precautions . ''
Deregulation and Subsidies : Corporations Running Rampant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an example of the deceptive measures used by conservatives .
CU refers to an initiative that `` seeks to reassert the traditional American values of limited government , freedom of enterprise , strong families , and national sovereignty and security . ''
But it helps corporations , not citizens , by allowing unlimited funding for corporate-friendly candidates .
Conservatives argue for less government intervention—except when it comes to subsidies .
Leading the pack of favor-seeking lobbyist groups is the pharmaceutical industry .
Few companies have benefited more than Pfizer , whose former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes had his company fighting `` with one hand tied behind our back . ''
In 2019 Pfizer made nearly half of its $ 17.7 billion in profits in the U.S. , yet the company claimed $ 1.8 billion in federal and state tax refunds .
And it takes from America in another way .
In recent years Pfizer has increased the prices of dozens of prescription drugs at over ten times the rate of inflation .
Now Pfizer is basking in the glow of media coverage for the so-called `` Pfizer Vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its all-out efforts to distribute the medication to millions of people .
But the vaccine was created by the Turkish/German founders of BioNTech , Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci , who guided the development of the messenger RNA process that triggers an immune reaction against Covid .
The groundwork for the relatively rapid production of the vaccine was laid in place at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Pennsylvania by research on the prior SARS and MERS outbreaks .
More expertise came from the taxpayer-funded Department of Health and Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control ( CDC ) .
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci , `` The speed is a reflection of years of work that went before . ''
Indeed , a successful vaccine is the product of long-term social cooperation , not individualism .
Inequality : Going Viral Thanks to the insidious conservative-minded 50-year-old `` trickle-down '' philosophy—which astoundingly continues to be preached by many of the super-rich—inequality has stretched our nation nearly to the breaking point .
At one end , the 25 million adults who make up the richest 10 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year by an average of $ 200,000 each .
At the other end : it is estimated by Moody 's Analytics that nearly 12 million American renters will owe an average of $ 5,850 in back rent and utilities by the beginning of 2021 .
Little of America 's surging income and wealth since the 1970s has gone to the poorest 50 % .
Some Hope ?
Philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill once said , `` Conservatives are not necessarily stupid , but most stupid people are conservatives . ''
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also gravitated to the conservative side .
Among them were the aforementioned anti-government crusaders Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman , who expressed support for a Universal Basic Income .
In fact , the UBI concept has been promoted by both political parties over the years .
But it will take the will and fortitude of Congress to make it a reality .
And Congress is overflowing with John Stuart Mill 's conservatives .

What is a conservative? We've seen a lot of them in 2020, refusing to respect the needs of society.
The Heritage Foundation says: "Foremost among [conservatism's] transcendent values is the individual's use of his God-given free will, whence derives his right to be free from the restrictions of arbitrary force." Stanford University adds: "For conservatives, individuals and local communities are better assessors of their own needs and problems than distant bureaucrats." A 2003 study for the American Psychological Association stated: "The core ideology of conservatism stresses resistance to change and justification of inequality." There are many other forms and definitions of conservatism as political, economic, and social philosophies. The usage here may best be understood as the evolvingmarriage of individualism and neoliberalism (privatization, deregulation, low taxes, austerity) since the 1970s.
Conservatism has made 'social' a dirty word. Here are some of the details of fifty years of damage inflicted on America.
The Disastrous Effect of Placing Individuals Over Society
The anti-government, "all about freedom" individuality of conservatives has failed terribly in a time of national emergency. How did the misdirected mindset get its start? With Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman, who are commonly referenced with connection to neoliberalism. Friedman is the author of some remarkable quotes: "The free market system distributes the fruits of economic progress among all people." And, according to The Guardian: "There is evidence that a democratic society, once established, destroys a free economy."
Then came Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. The former UK Prime Minister said about society: "There is no such thing! There are individual men and women and there are families."Reagan, whose campaign slogan was, familiarly, "Let's make America great again," famously stated that "Government is not the solution to our problem; government IS the problem."
So now, at a time when we need to work together as a society rather than as a crowd of individuals, we've been betrayed by conservatism. As historian Neil J. Young puts it, "Now, 40 years later amid a global pandemic, that unbridled individualism has shown its deadly dimensions in Trump and the Republicans' lack of response to COVID-19...it's evident in the millions of Americans who—in refusing to wear masks, practice social distance, and momentarily deny their self-gratification—have selfishly exploited the language of 'individual responsibility' as license for their own recklessness."
Just as frightening is the recent conservative Supreme Court church-gathering decision that "placed religious freedom before pandemic precautions."
Deregulation and Subsidies: Corporations Running Rampant
The euphemistically-named Citizens United(CU) is an example of the deceptive measures used by conservatives. CU refers to an initiative that "seeks to reassert the traditional American values of limited government, freedom of enterprise, strong families, and national sovereignty and security." But it helps corporations, not citizens, by allowing unlimited funding for corporate-friendly candidates.
Conservatives argue for less government intervention—except when it comes to subsidies. Leading the pack of favor-seeking lobbyist groups is the pharmaceutical industry. Few companies have benefited more than Pfizer, whose former CEO Ian Read once complained that U.S. taxes had his company fighting "with one hand tied behind our back." In 2019 Pfizer made nearly half of its $17.7 billion in profits in the U.S., yet the company claimed $1.8 billion in federal and state tax refunds. And it takes from America in another way. In recent years Pfizer has increased the prices of dozens of prescription drugs at over ten times the rate of inflation.
Now Pfizer is basking in the glow of media coverage for the so-called "Pfizer Vaccine." The company deserves credit for its all-out efforts to distribute the medication to millions of people. But the vaccine was created by the Turkish/German founders of BioNTech, Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, who guided the development of the messenger RNA process that triggers an immune reaction against Covid. The groundwork for the relatively rapid production of the vaccine was laid in place at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Pennsylvania by research on the prior SARS and MERS outbreaks. More expertise came from the taxpayer-funded Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC). According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, "The speed is a reflection of years of work that went before." Indeed, a successful vaccine is the product of long-term social cooperation, not individualism.
Inequality: Going Viral
Thanks to the insidious conservative-minded 50-year-old "trickle-down" philosophy—which astoundingly continues to be preached by many of the super-rich—inequality has stretched our nation nearly to the breaking point.
At one end, the 25 million adults who make up the richest 10% of America increased their wealth in this pandemic year by an average of $200,000 each.
At the other end: it is estimated by Moody's Analytics that nearly 12 million American renters will owe an average of $5,850 in back rent and utilities by the beginning of 2021. Little of America's surging income and wealth since the 1970s has gone to the poorest 50%.
Some Hope?
Philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill once said, "Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives."
As Mill made clear, smart people have also gravitated to the conservative side. Among them were the aforementioned anti-government crusaders Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman, who expressed support for a Universal Basic Income. In fact, the UBI concept has been promoted by both political parties over the years. But it will take the will and fortitude of Congress to make it a reality. And Congress is overflowing with John Stuart Mill's conservatives.


alternet--2020-12-14--Florida newspapers sue DeSantis administration for lack of transparency on COVID-19 pandemic

Although some Republican governors have aggressively promoted social distancing measures and coronavirus restrictions in their states — including Maryland 's Larry Hogan , Massachusetts ' Charlie Baker and Ohio 's Mike DeWine — Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis has drawn a great deal of criticism from Democrats for not taking the COVID-19 pandemic as seriously as he should .
And Florida newspapers have been critical of DeSantis for not being more up-front about the pandemic 's impact on the Sunshine State , including some newspapers that have taken aggressive legal action .
The Associated Press reports that two Florida newspapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Orlando Sun Sentinel , are suing the DeSantis ' administration for failing to publicly release reports about pandemic conditions in the state .
Julie Anderson , who serves as editor-in-chief of both publications , is quoted as saying , `` The state has given us no explanation as to why this crucial health information should be withheld .
We had no choice but to ask a court to intervene to uphold the public records law . ''
The White House coronavirus task force , according to AP , believes that Florida needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of COVID-19 .
The Center for Public Integrity , AP notes , has obtained a copy of a report the task force issued on December 6 — and the report 's recommendations for Florida include more social distancing and discouraging indoor gatherings in bars and restaurants .
According to the report , `` Florida has seen stability in new cases , an increase in test positivity and increasing hospitalizations and deaths , indicating unrelenting community spread and inadequate mitigation . ''
DeSantis , however , has been resisting a mask mandate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The far-right Florida governor recently said , `` No one 's losing their job because of a government dictate .
Nobody 's losing their livelihood or their business . ''
The White House 's coronavirus task force is headed by outgoing Vice President Mike Pence , and Dr. Deborah Birx is its response coordinator .
Expert immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci is also part of the task force , and President-elect Joe Biden has asked Fauci to be a chief medical adviser for his coronavirus response team in 2021 .
Last week , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days yet during the coronavirus pandemic — including more than 3300 deaths on Thursday , December 10 .
According to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore , the pandemic has killed more than 1.6 million people worldwide and over 299,000 people in the U.S .

Although some Republican governors have aggressively promoted social distancing measures and coronavirus restrictions in their states — including Maryland's Larry Hogan, Massachusetts' Charlie Baker and Ohio's Mike DeWine — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has drawn a great deal of criticism from Democrats for not taking the COVID-19 pandemic as seriously as he should. And Florida newspapers have been critical of DeSantis for not being more up-front about the pandemic's impact on the Sunshine State, including some newspapers that have taken aggressive legal action.
The Associated Press reports that two Florida newspapers, the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the Orlando Sun Sentinel, are suing the DeSantis' administration for failing to publicly release reports about pandemic conditions in the state. Julie Anderson, who serves as editor-in-chief of both publications, is quoted as saying, "The state has given us no explanation as to why this crucial health information should be withheld. We had no choice but to ask a court to intervene to uphold the public records law."
The White House coronavirus task force, according to AP, believes that Florida needs to do a lot more to discourage the spread of COVID-19. The Center for Public Integrity, AP notes, has obtained a copy of a report the task force issued on December 6 — and the report's recommendations for Florida include more social distancing and discouraging indoor gatherings in bars and restaurants.
According to the report, "Florida has seen stability in new cases, an increase in test positivity and increasing hospitalizations and deaths, indicating unrelenting community spread and inadequate mitigation."
DeSantis, however, has been resisting a mask mandate and tougher coronavirus restrictions for businesses. The far-right Florida governor recently said, "No one's losing their job because of a government dictate. Nobody's losing their livelihood or their business."
The White House's coronavirus task force is headed by outgoing Vice President Mike Pence, and Dr. Deborah Birx is its response coordinator. Expert immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci is also part of the task force, and President-elect Joe Biden has asked Fauci to be a chief medical adviser for his coronavirus response team in 2021.
Last week, the United States suffered some of its deadliest days yet during the coronavirus pandemic — including more than 3300 deaths on Thursday, December 10. According to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the pandemic has killed more than 1.6 million people worldwide and over 299,000 people in the U.S.


alternet--2020-12-14--Armed MAGA fanatics spread politics of violence around the country with shooting in Olympia, Washing

Armed MAGA fanatics spread politics of violence around the country with shooting in Olympia, Washington

The pattern has become clear : Wherever pro-Donald Trump `` Stop the Steal '' rallies are organized , the thugs who come out in large numbers to participate wreak violence on anyone who comes out to protest them .
This weekend , even as Proud Boys and other Trump supporters were bringing violence to the streets of Washington , D.C. , a similar but much smaller group of MAGA fanatics was doing the same thing across the country in the Washington state capital .
And for the second week in a row in Olympia , a Trump supporter fired a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Steal '' event—this time , hitting and injuring a man who was wounded and hospitalized at the culmination of a running series of brawls .
Police arrested the man , along with three other people at the event .
The shooter , identified as 26-year-old Trump supporter Forest Michael Machala of Seattle , was charged with first-degree assault , the state 's equivalent of an attempted-murder charge .
The victim , a Black man who has not been identified , was transported by street medics to a local hospital with a stomach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proud Boy named Christopher Guenzler , 27 , marching in a similar event , pointed a gun at counterprotesters and fired , but only inflicted a graze wound .
He was also arrested and charged with first-degree assault .
Saturday 's rally began at the state Capitol campus , where it was mostly peaceful .
According to the Washington Post , several `` Boogaloo '' civil-war movement members dressed in Hawaiian shirts were among them .
Many of them came armed with guns and knives .
But when the crowd there to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 50 to 80 people—began to march into downtown Olympia , the much larger crowd of largely antifascist counterprotesters greeted them with jeers , insults , and hurled objects .
Brawls broke out in short order .
Olympia and state police forces numbering around 100 attempted to keep the sides separate , and began making arrests .
One Proud Boy was arrested for brandishing a gun to threaten protesters .
Two counterprotesters were arrested for allegedly assaulting police officers , one with a baton and the other with a piece of concrete .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted to make its way back to their cars and were pursued by counterprotesters .
Videographer Robert Zerfing , a Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys supporter , told the Seattle Times that `` pretty much all of the 'Patriot ' crowd came up here into the parking lot , they were running into their cars , trying to get out . ''
As they were pursued by antifascists , `` that 's when I heard the shot . ''
Afterward , state police reported they found an undetonated improvised explosive device near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been lit and thrown , but failed to detonate , '' they reported .
`` Had the device detonated , it could have caused significant injury . ''

The pattern has become clear: Wherever pro-Donald Trump "Stop the Steal" rallies are organized, the thugs who come out in large numbers to participate wreak violence on anyone who comes out to protest them. This weekend, even as Proud Boys and other Trump supporters were bringing violence to the streets of Washington, D.C., a similar but much smaller group of MAGA fanatics was doing the same thing across the country in the Washington state capital.
And for the second week in a row in Olympia, a Trump supporter fired a gun at counterprotesters for a "Stop the Steal" event—this time, hitting and injuring a man who was wounded and hospitalized at the culmination of a running series of brawls. Police arrested the man, along with three other people at the event.
Olympia pro-Trump 'Stop the Steal' rally devolves into brawls, shooting youtu.be
The shooter, identified as 26-year-old Trump supporter Forest Michael Machala of Seattle, was charged with first-degree assault, the state's equivalent of an attempted-murder charge. The victim, a Black man who has not been identified, was transported by street medics to a local hospital with a stomach wound.
One week before, a Proud Boy named Christopher Guenzler, 27, marching in a similar event, pointed a gun at counterprotesters and fired, but only inflicted a graze wound. He was also arrested and charged with first-degree assault.
Saturday's rally began at the state Capitol campus, where it was mostly peaceful. According to the Washington Post, several "Boogaloo" civil-war movement members dressed in Hawaiian shirts were among them. Many of them came armed with guns and knives.
But when the crowd there to protest Trump's defeat in the November election—estimated at 50 to 80 people—began to march into downtown Olympia, the much larger crowd of largely antifascist counterprotesters greeted them with jeers, insults, and hurled objects. Brawls broke out in short order.
Olympia and state police forces numbering around 100 attempted to keep the sides separate, and began making arrests. One Proud Boy was arrested for brandishing a gun to threaten protesters. Two counterprotesters were arrested for allegedly assaulting police officers, one with a baton and the other with a piece of concrete.
The shooting occurred as the pro-Trump crowd attempted to make its way back to their cars and were pursued by counterprotesters. Videographer Robert Zerfing, a Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys supporter, told the Seattle Timesthat "pretty much all of the 'Patriot' crowd came up here into the parking lot, they were running into their cars, trying to get out." As they were pursued by antifascists, "that's when I heard the shot."
Afterward, state police reported they found an undetonated improvised explosive device near the location of the shooting. "Device had been lit and thrown, but failed to detonate," they reported. "Had the device detonated, it could have caused significant injury."


alternet--2020-12-14--Texas Republicans want to secede over Trump’s loss — but they’re fighting another losing battle of t

Texas Republicans want to secede over Trump’s loss — but they’re fighting another losing battle of their own: GOP strategist

Some Texas Republicans are threatening to secede from the United States over President Donald Trump 's election loss , but one GOP strategist says that 's the last gasp from a dying majority .
Party leaders and lawmakers threatened to leave the country after Texas attorney general Ken Paxton failed in his bid to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the election , but GOP strategist Susan Del Percio says in a new column for NBC News that they 're fighting another type of losing battle .
`` Even as the Texas GOP attempts to pledge its undying loyalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas will eventually go blue , '' Del Percio wrote .
`` While 2020 polls showed a tight race , it was always highly unlikely that Biden would win Texas .
However , he was able to close the gap to just 6 points , an improvement on Hillary Clinton 's 9-point gap in 2016 .
Yes , 6 points is a solid victory , but Trump won the same 52 percent in 2020 as he did in 2016 , showing no growth for the Republican on the ballot . ''
Texas added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade , the largest population growth in the country , and Hispanics make up about half of that growth , and those changing demographics will strengthen Democratic chances there — just as they did in Georgia .
`` When this change does come to Texas , will Republicans work to recognize the diversity in their state — or will they become even more outspoken as they become outnumbered ? ''
Del Percio wrote .
`` In a state where elected officials are already willing to incite sedition or propose sedition , the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually lose their power , unless they learn that governing is about respecting the needs of the constituents — all of them . ''

Some Texas Republicans are threatening to secede from the United States over President Donald Trump's election loss, but one GOP strategist says that's the last gasp from a dying majority.
Party leaders and lawmakers threatened to leave the country after Texas attorney general Ken Paxton failed in his bid to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the election, but GOP strategist Susan Del Percio says in a new column for NBC News that they're fighting another type of losing battle.
"Even as the Texas GOP attempts to pledge its undying loyalty to Trump, the reality is that Texas will eventually go blue," Del Percio wrote. "While 2020 polls showed a tight race, it was always highly unlikely that Biden would win Texas. However, he was able to close the gap to just 6 points, an improvement on Hillary Clinton's 9-point gap in 2016. Yes, 6 points is a solid victory, but Trump won the same 52 percent in 2020 as he did in 2016, showing no growth for the Republican on the ballot."
Texas added about 3.9 million people in the last decade, the largest population growth in the country, and Hispanics make up about half of that growth, and those changing demographics will strengthen Democratic chances there — just as they did in Georgia.
"When this change does come to Texas, will Republicans work to recognize the diversity in their state — or will they become even more outspoken as they become outnumbered?" Del Percio wrote. "In a state where elected officials are already willing to incite sedition or propose sedition, the future looks bleak. Politicians of all stripes eventually lose their power, unless they learn that governing is about respecting the needs of the constituents — all of them."