alternet--2020-11-02--Supreme Court sides with Black Lives Matter activist sued by a police officer

On Monday , November 2 — the day before Election Day 2020 — the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson in his battle against a lawsuit from a police officer who was injured at a protest McKesson attended in 2016 .
The ruling , according to CNBC , was a 7-1 decision , with far-right Justice Clarence Thomas being the only dissenter .
Justice Amy Coney Barrett , the most recent addition to the High Court , recused herself from the case .
CNBC 's Tucker Higgins reports , `` The justices , in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals court should have obtained guidance from a Louisiana state court before allowing the officer 's lawsuit to move forward , and sent the case back to be reconsidered….. McKesson 's case stemmed from a protest of the killing of Alton Sterling , a Black man , by police officers in Baton Rouge , Louisiana , in July of 2016 .
The protest took place on a highway in front of the police headquarters in the city . ''
An officer who was unnamed in the lawsuit against McKesson was hit by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not accused of throwing it , but the lawsuit alleged that he was responsible simply because he organized the protest where the officer said he was injured .
`` A federal district court rejected the officer 's claim , but a panel of the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision and allowed it to proceed on the basis that ' a violent confrontation with a police officer was a foreseeable effect of negligently directing a protest ' onto the road , '' Higgins notes .
`` The Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left open the possibility that the police officer could ultimately win the case . ''

On Monday, November 2 — the day before Election Day 2020 — the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson in his battle against a lawsuit from a police officer who was injured at a protest McKesson attended in 2016.
The ruling, according to CNBC, was a 7-1 decision, with far-right Justice Clarence Thomas being the only dissenter. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the most recent addition to the High Court, recused herself from the case.
CNBC's Tucker Higgins reports, "The justices, in an unsigned order, wrote that a federal appeals court should have obtained guidance from a Louisiana state court before allowing the officer's lawsuit to move forward, and sent the case back to be reconsidered….. McKesson's case stemmed from a protest of the killing of Alton Sterling, a Black man, by police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in July of 2016. The protest took place on a highway in front of the police headquarters in the city."
An officer who was unnamed in the lawsuit against McKesson was hit by a piece of rock or concrete. McKesson was not accused of throwing it, but the lawsuit alleged that he was responsible simply because he organized the protest where the officer said he was injured.
"A federal district court rejected the officer's claim, but a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision and allowed it to proceed on the basis that 'a violent confrontation with a police officer was a foreseeable effect of negligently directing a protest' onto the road," Higgins notes. "The Supreme Court reversed the appeals court ruling but left open the possibility that the police officer could ultimately win the case."


alternet--2020-11-02--'White House on lockdown': Trump to host election night party House behind newly-erected 'non-scalab

'White House on lockdown': Trump to host election night party House behind newly-erected 'non-scalable' fence

Federal authorities are expected to erect a `` non-scalable '' fence around the White House ahead of Tuesday 's election amid concerns of civil unrest .
Federal law enforcement agents will erect the fence around the perimeter of the White House complex , the Ellipse and Lafayette Square , NBC News ' Geoff Bennett reported as he described a `` White House on lockdown . ''
About 250 National Guard troops have been put on standby , according to the report .
CNN confirmed the development , noting that a similar fence had been erected during Black Lives Matter protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly rushed President Donald Trump and his family to the White House 's underground bunker during a protest against police brutality following the death of George Floyd .
The new fence comes as Trump plots to fight the results of the election as polls show him trailing badly across the nation and in key swing states .
`` We 're going to go in the night of , '' Trump declared on Sunday during a rally in Charlotte .
`` As soon as that election is over , we 're going in with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies that he plans to announce victory prematurely if it appears he is ahead , Axios reported on Sunday .
It is very possible that early results show Trump ahead in certain swing states before mail-in ballots , which have been overwhelmingly sent in by Democrats , are counted .
The nation 's capital has been on edge ahead of the election , with some businesses boarding up windows .
`` It is widely believed that there will be civil unrest after the November election regardless of who wins , '' D.C. Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers last month .
`` It is also believed that there is a strong chance of unrest when Washington , D.C. , hosts the inauguration in January . ''
The new fence will go up ahead of Trump 's election night party at the White House after plans were scrapped to host it at his Washington hotel , according to The New York Times and Reuters .
The event was supposed to be a `` small gathering , '' but it is now expected to pack in about 400 attendees in the East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The Times .
The party will be held after Trump , his wife , youngest son and numerous other allies and attendees tested positive for COVID-19 following a White House event to announce Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett 's nomination earlier this fall .
Washington recorded its highest number of new cases since June over the weekend .
Biden , meanwhile , plans to spend election night in his hometown of Wilmington , Del.
, according to his campaign .
The planned White House event raised concerns about safety .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 30,000 infections and 700 deaths had been linked to rallies Trump held between June and September .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , warned over the weekend that indoor gatherings could result in large infection spikes during the fall and winter .
`` We 're in for a whole lot of hurt .
It 's not a good situation , '' he told The Washington Post , adding that the country `` could not possibly be positioned more poorly . ''
Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new record-high of nearly 100,000 new cases on Friday and after at least 31 states hit one-day record highs in the past month .
Trump , during a rally in Florida on Sunday , suggested he may fire Fauci , who has served as the nation 's top infectious disease expert since 1984 , after the election .
Under federal law , Trump does not have the power to directly fire Fauci .
The president could order political appointees to dismiss him , though Fauci could appeal such a move .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me wait until a little bit after the election , '' Trump told a mostly maskless crowd .
`` I appreciate the advice . ''
`` One candidate has said he will make Fauci his top medical advisor on the pandemic .
The other says he intends to fire him , '' Ron Klain , the former Obama administration Ebola response czar who is rumored to be Joe Biden 's chief of staff pick if Democrats win the election , wrote .
`` You decide which is the best path to protect your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again . ''

Federal authorities are expected to erect a "non-scalable" fence around the White House ahead of Tuesday's election amid concerns of civil unrest.
Federal law enforcement agents will erect the fence around the perimeter of the White House complex, the Ellipse and Lafayette Square, NBC News' Geoff Bennett reported as he described a "White House on lockdown." About 250 National Guard troops have been put on standby, according to the report.
CNN confirmed the development, noting that a similar fence had been erected during Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. The Secret Service reportedly rushed President Donald Trump and his family to the White House's underground bunker during a protest against police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
The new fence comes as Trump plots to fight the results of the election as polls show him trailing badly across the nation and in key swing states.
"We're going to go in the night of," Trump declared on Sunday during a rally in Charlotte. "As soon as that election is over, we're going in with our lawyers."
Trump has told allies that he plans to announce victory prematurely if it appears he is ahead, Axios reported on Sunday. It is very possible that early results show Trump ahead in certain swing states before mail-in ballots, which have been overwhelmingly sent in by Democrats, are counted.
The nation's capital has been on edge ahead of the election, with some businesses boarding up windows.
"It is widely believed that there will be civil unrest after the November election regardless of who wins," D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham told the city's lawmakers last month. "It is also believed that there is a strong chance of unrest when Washington, D.C., hosts the inauguration in January."
The new fence will go up ahead of Trump's election night party at the White House after plans were scrapped to host it at his Washington hotel, according to The New York Times and Reuters.
The event was supposed to be a "small gathering," but it is now expected to pack in about 400 attendees in the East Room amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Times. The party will be held after Trump, his wife, youngest son and numerous other allies and attendees tested positive for COVID-19 following a White House event to announce Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's nomination earlier this fall. Washington recorded its highest number of new cases since June over the weekend.
Biden, meanwhile, plans to spend election night in his hometown of Wilmington, Del., according to his campaign.
The planned White House event raised concerns about safety. A recent Stanford University study estimated that at least 30,000 infections and 700 deaths had been linked to rallies Trump held between June and September.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned over the weekend that indoor gatherings could result in large infection spikes during the fall and winter.
"We're in for a whole lot of hurt. It's not a good situation," he told The Washington Post, adding that the country "could not possibly be positioned more poorly."
Fauci's comments came after the U.S. hit a new record-high of nearly 100,000 new cases on Friday and after at least 31 states hit one-day record highs in the past month.
Trump, during a rally in Florida on Sunday, suggested he may fire Fauci, who has served as the nation's top infectious disease expert since 1984, after the election. Under federal law, Trump does not have the power to directly fire Fauci. The president could order political appointees to dismiss him, though Fauci could appeal such a move.
"Don't tell anybody, but let me wait until a little bit after the election," Trump told a mostly maskless crowd. "I appreciate the advice."
"One candidate has said he will make Fauci his top medical advisor on the pandemic. The other says he intends to fire him," Ron Klain, the former Obama administration Ebola response czar who is rumored to be Joe Biden's chief of staff pick if Democrats win the election, wrote. "You decide which is the best path to protect your family, and get our country going again."


alternet--2020-11-02--The legacy media are normalizing the GOP's brazen attempts to corrupt this election

`` Democrats at all levels remained privately terrified of another surprise result , despite far greater confidence in polling that point [ s ] to a victory for former vice president Joe Biden , '' reports The Washington Post .
`` Republicans put their faith , once again , in the president 's showmanship as he mounted a final series of irreverent rally spectacles in violation of public health guidance , hoping to motivate a massive late surge of turnout . ''
This framing completely obscures what is happening in America on the eve of the election .
Republicans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's showmanship . ''
As I wrote last week , they 're responding to a drumbeat of rosy predictions in the conservative press , where Trump 's victory is imminent -- possibly in a landslide -- based on boat- and truck-parades , dubious theories about `` shy '' Trump voters and carefully cherry-picked polls from firms with established GOP leans , or `` house effects . ''
Most of them are unprepared for defeat and primed to see a loss as prima facie evidence of fraud , and that is a very dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true that many Democrats were traumatized by the 2016 election , attributing their anxiety only to concerns that we might see an even greater polling error this year elides the fact that we 're witnessing not only the most comprehensive voter suppression campaign since the Jim Crow era , but also active attempts to prevent untold numbers of legitimate ballots to not be counted .
A lawsuit seeking to trash 127,000 Democratic-leaning ballots in Harris County , Texas , has been the most high-profile attempt to do so thus far , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , who has urged violent extremists to `` stand by , '' is planning to declare victory on Tuesday night if he 's ahead after a partial count , despite the fact that millions of mail ballots will remain uncounted , military ballots tend to come in late and seven counties in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania do n't plan on starting to count absentee ballots until Wednesday , according to NBC .
The US Postal Service , managed by a Trump donor with serious conflicts of interest , has announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit , Greater Michigan , Central Pennsylvania and other localities have been delayed due to `` COVID-19 and employee unavailability , '' according to The Hill 's John Kruzel .
Michigan wo n't count those ballots if they 're received after Election Day .
Pennsylvania voters ' ballots are supposed to be counted if they arrive by November 6 , but the GOP is suing to shorten that deadline .
Meanwhile , Trump 's hand-picked Supreme Court Justices have adopted a once-extreme legal theory holding that state courts do n't have the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state constitutions .
And after a judge lifted an almost 40-year-old consent decree barring the GOP from intimidating voters with unauthorized `` election observers '' stationed at the polls , Trump has called for an `` army '' of supporters to confront voters trying to exercise their franchise , and they have responded .
So there is far more for Trump 's opponents to worry about than a polling error .
That 's probably the least of their worries .
And in a functional democratic republic where a bipartisan consensus held that eligible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that their votes should be counted , it would be Trump 's supporters who would be chewing their nails to the quick while Democrats would be looking forward to this election with excitement .
While Trump has a chance of winning -- the leading forecast models peg the likelihood at between 5 % and 10 % -- consider these indicators : • According to preliminary data from the 2020 Cooperative Election Study , which surveyed a massive sample of 50,000 likely voters , Biden is leading Trump nationally among those who did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a third party , by a 56-27 margin .
And three times as many of Trump 's 2016 supporters prefer Biden ( 6 percent ) than Clinton supporters back Trump ( 2 percent ) .
• That trend is reflected in crucial swing states in NYT/ Siena College surveys .
In Arizona , more than one-fifth of likely voters did n't vote in 2016 , and Biden leads among that group by 7 points ; in Wisconsin , he 's ahead by 19 points with those who sat out 2016 ; in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in Pennsylvania , he leads Trump by 12 points among the 18 % who sat out the last election , according to Greg Sargent .
• There has been a huge shift in independents over the past four years ; Trump won them by four points in 2016 , and Biden leads the incumbent among this group by double digits in most polls .
• And of course , Trump 's approval rating went under water -- with more people disapproving than approving of his performance -- on his 15th day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and his party have trailed Biden and the Democrats every single day of this race by significant margins .
• While Trump was n't on the ballot directly in 2018 , he sucks up all the oxygen in a room .
A surge of turnout led Democrats to their biggest midterm win in history .
They also turned out and won key races in the off-year elections in 2017 and 2019 .
All of which is to say that it is abundantly clear from every available metric that a majority of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , have wanted Trump gone ever since .
And it is not vague fears of a polling error that is causing them stress -- it 's the very real possibility that Donald Trump will attempt to pull off a coup .

"Democrats at all levels remained privately terrified of another surprise result, despite far greater confidence in polling that point[s] to a victory for former vice president Joe Biden," reports The Washington Post. "Republicans put their faith, once again, in the president's showmanship as he mounted a final series of irreverent rally spectacles in violation of public health guidance, hoping to motivate a massive late surge of turnout."
This framing completely obscures what is happening in America on the eve of the election.
Republicans are not putting their "faith in Trump's showmanship." As I wrote last week, they're responding to a drumbeat of rosy predictions in the conservative press, where Trump's victory is imminent--possibly in a landslide--based on boat- and truck-parades, dubious theories about "shy" Trump voters and carefully cherry-picked polls from firms with established GOP leans, or "house effects." Most of them are unprepared for defeat and primed to see a loss as prima facie evidence of fraud, and that is a very dangerous situation.
And while it's certainly true that many Democrats were traumatized by the 2016 election, attributing their anxiety only to concerns that we might see an even greater polling error this year elides the fact that we're witnessing not only the most comprehensive voter suppression campaign since the Jim Crow era, but also active attempts to prevent untold numbers of legitimate ballots to not be counted. A lawsuit seeking to trash 127,000 Democratic-leaning ballots in Harris County, Texas, has been the most high-profile attempt to do so thus far, but we can expect more of the same.
Trump, who has urged violent extremists to "stand by," is planning to declare victory on Tuesday night if he's ahead after a partial count, despite the fact that millions of mail ballots will remain uncounted, military ballots tend to come in late and seven counties in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania don't plan on starting to count absentee ballots until Wednesday, according to NBC.
The US Postal Service, managed by a Trump donor with serious conflicts of interest, has announced that mail ballots returned by voters in Detroit, Greater Michigan, Central Pennsylvania and other localities have been delayed due to "COVID-19 and employee unavailability," according to The Hill's John Kruzel. Michigan won't count those ballots if they're received after Election Day. Pennsylvania voters' ballots are supposed to be counted if they arrive by November 6, but the GOP is suing to shorten that deadline. Meanwhile, Trump's hand-picked Supreme Court Justices have adopted a once-extreme legal theory holding that state courts don't have the power to protect voting rights according to their state constitutions.
And after a judge lifted an almost 40-year-old consent decree barring the GOP from intimidating voters with unauthorized "election observers" stationed at the polls, Trump has called for an "army" of supporters to confront voters trying to exercise their franchise, and they haveresponded.
So there is far more for Trump's opponents to worry about than a polling error. That's probably the least of their worries.
And in a functional democratic republic where a bipartisan consensus held that eligible citizens should be encouraged to participate, and that their votes should be counted, it would be Trump's supporters who would be chewing their nails to the quick while Democrats would be looking forward to this election with excitement.
While Trump has a chance of winning--the leading forecast models peg the likelihood at between 5% and 10%--consider these indicators:
According to preliminary data from the 2020 Cooperative Election Study, which surveyed a massive sample of 50,000 likely voters, Biden is leading Trump nationally among those who didn't vote in 2016, or voted for a third party, by a 56-27 margin. And three times as many of Trump's 2016 supporters prefer Biden (6 percent) than Clinton supporters back Trump (2 percent).
That trend is reflected in crucial swing states in NYT/ Siena College surveys. In Arizona, more than one-fifth of likely voters didn't vote in 2016, and Biden leads among that group by 7 points; in Wisconsin, he's ahead by 19 points with those who sat out 2016; in Florida, he's up by 17 and in Pennsylvania, he leads Trump by 12 points among the 18% who sat out the last election, according to Greg Sargent.
There has been a huge shift in independents over the past four years; Trump won them by four points in 2016, and Biden leads the incumbent among this group by double digits in most polls.
And of course, Trump's approval rating went under water--with more people disapproving than approving of his performance--on his 15th day in office, which is unprecedented, and he and his party have trailed Biden and the Democrats every single day of this race by significant margins.
While Trump wasn't on the ballot directly in 2018, he sucks up all the oxygen in a room. A surge of turnout led Democrats to their biggest midterm win in history. They also turned out and won key races in the off-year elections in 2017 and 2019.
All of which is to say that it is abundantly clear from every available metric that a majority of Americans, having voted for Hillary Clinton four years ago, have wanted Trump gone ever since. And it is not vague fears of a polling error that is causing them stress--it's the very real possibility that Donald Trump will attempt to pull off a coup.


alternet--2020-11-02--Trump's 2020 'closing message': A threat to fire Dr. Fauci after the election

President Donald Trump on Sunday night suggested he would fire Dr. Anthony Fauci `` a little after the election '' —comments that came after the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , one of the nation 's most respected public health experts , criticized the administration 's response to the coronavirus pandemic in an interview with the Washington Post .
At a late-night rally in Florida , Trump supporters broke into a chant of `` Fire Fauci ! ''
after the president complained about news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiking in states including Wisconsin , South Dakota , and Iowa .
Trump repeated a baseless claim that the U.S. is `` rounding the turn '' even as healthcare workers in Wisconsin and Texas worked in field hospitals that have been set up to cope with the influx of Covid-19 patients , before saying the press would `` like to talk about Covid and then ... November 4 , you wo n't hear too much about it . ''
`` Do n't tell anybody , but let me wait until a little bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the chant , leading the audience to erupt in cheers .
The White House was angered over the weekend by Fauci 's interview with the Post , in which the doctor said the U.S. is poorly positioned to confront the pandemic during the winter months , as the president has undermined public health messaging about simple safety precautions people can take to avoid the spread of Covid-19 .
Fauci called for an `` abrupt change '' in public health practices , such as adherence to social distancing and mask-wearing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , and noted that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has been `` taking it seriously from a public health perspective '' while Trump is focused on reopening the economy regardless of how many people are becoming ill and dying .
Although the president does not have the authority to dismiss a career civil servant , he signed an executive order last month making it easier for some federal employees to be fired without cause .
It 's unclear if Fauci 's job security could be affected by the order .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responses on social media .
Trump 's suggestion that he would fire the nation 's top public health expert was `` quite a closing message as Covid cases spike across the country , '' tweeted PBS Newshour reporter Yamiche Alcindor .

President Donald Trump on Sunday night suggested he would fire Dr. Anthony Fauci "a little after the election"—comments that came after the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the nation's most respected public health experts, criticized the administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic in an interview with the Washington Post.
At a late-night rally in Florida, Trump supporters broke into a chant of "Fire Fauci!" after the president complained about news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 230,000 Americans this year and is currently spiking in states including Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Iowa.
Trump repeated a baseless claim that the U.S. is "rounding the turn" even as healthcare workers in Wisconsin and Texas worked in field hospitals that have been set up to cope with the influx of Covid-19 patients, before saying the press would "like to talk about Covid and then...November 4, you won't hear too much about it."
"Don't tell anybody, but let me wait until a little bit after the election," Trump said in response to the chant, leading the audience to erupt in cheers.
The White House was angered over the weekend by Fauci's interview with the Post, in which the doctor said the U.S. is poorly positioned to confront the pandemic during the winter months, as the president has undermined public health messaging about simple safety precautions people can take to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
Fauci called for an "abrupt change" in public health practices, such as adherence to social distancing and mask-wearing, in order to mitigate the spread of the virus, and noted that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has been "taking it seriously from a public health perspective" while Trump is focused on reopening the economy regardless of how many people are becoming ill and dying.
Although the president does not have the authority to dismiss a career civil servant, he signed an executive order last month making it easier for some federal employees to be fired without cause. It's unclear if Fauci's job security could be affected by the order.
A viral video of the rally garnered stunned responses on social media.
Trump's suggestion that he would fire the nation's top public health expert was "quite a closing message as Covid cases spike across the country," tweeted PBS Newshour reporter Yamiche Alcindor.


alternet--2020-11-02--Here's a breakdown of the 3 possible ways Trump could try to steal the election

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has been warning that unless former Vice President Joe Biden defeats President Donald Trump by more than 5 % , Trump will use the courts to `` steal the election . ''
And Carville is hardly alone in warning that Trump and his GOP allies have a variety of possible dirty tricks in mind .
Journalist Barton Gellman , in a listicle published in The Atlantic on Monday , November 2 — the day before Election Day — outlines three ways in which Trump could attempt to steal the election .
The three possible scenarios @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) `` sending the troops , '' ( 2 ) `` intercepting the mail , '' and ( 3 ) `` the law enforcement option . ''
Biden , Gellman stresses , knows how unscrupulous Trump is , which is why his campaign has an army of Democratic lawyers on hand .
`` A wretched presidential campaign has played out at last , but Election Day is not how this story ends , '' Gellman argues .
`` Unable to overtake his opponent in the polls , Donald Trump decided months ago to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race does not conclude when the ballots are counted .
Trump has raged against fictional plots to steal his victory , maligning routine procedures such as voting by mail and counting ballots until there are no more to count .
His rage will not diminish if he is defeated . ''
Gellman continues , `` Our electoral system was not built to withstand a sustained assault on its legitimacy .
We are capable of defending it , but that is a collective enterprise .
A healthy start would be to recognize that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Election Day and the period to follow will be moments of maximum temptation for Trump .
Can he find a way to interfere with the tabulation of votes ?
Impound ballots in the mail ?
Dispatch armed personnel to quell alleged disturbances in Democratic neighborhoods ? ''
The journalist stresses that Trump `` will not concede defeat '' and `` will use every means at his disposal to maintain a grip on power . ''
In Scenario # 1 : Gellman notes , Trump would try using the military to stay in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. armed forces is among the most potent powers of any president .
Could Trump dispatch active-duty forces to Democratic strongholds in swing states — say , Philadelphia , Detroit and Milwaukee — with intent to suppress the vote or interfere with the count ?
... .
Could it happen ?
Not easily , and not likely , but it is not impossible either .
If Trump cared at all about conforming to law , he would need a reason under the Insurrection Act of 1807 for the use of troops in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that `` Trump , in theory , could seize upon any violence around polling places — even violence touched off by his own supporters — to justify the deployment '' and `` might even cast his intervention as a bid to protect voters ' civil rights . ''
`` Those justifications would be slender reeds , and they would run into a major legal obstacle , '' Gellman explains .
`` Trump 's power as commander in chief is exclusive , but not unbounded : it is subject to statutory limits . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that mail-in voting encourages voter fraud .
Describing Scenario # 2 : Intercepting the Mail , Gellman notes that Trump has gone out of his way to undermine the U.S .
Postal Service .
`` Trump and his political advisers have good reason to assume that ballots sent by mail are likely to be Biden votes , '' Gellman observes .
`` Trump himself is the principal driver of that skew , because he has equated absentee voting with fraud — and many of his supporters believe him .
It might be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interfere with the delivery of those ballots .
Could he ? ''
Gellman continues , `` Experts considered one scenario that the Biden team has gamed out .
John Ratcliffe , the director of national intelligence , passes word that top-secret information suggests an effort by China to forge absentee ballots — a risk that Attorney General Bill Barr has publicly raised as a matter of 'common sense . '
The report reaches Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , a major campaign contributor to Trump .
DeJoy instructs the chief of the U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ballots sent by mail .
Here , even a temporary delay is strategically valuable to a sufficiently ruthless president .
Twenty-eight states require that absentee ballots arrive by Election Day ; the other 22 have deadlines within a few days . ''
Describing # 3 : The Law Enforcement Option , Gellman notes , `` In this scenario , federal authorities would purport to be investigating voter fraud and take steps to stop the counting .
There is not much plausible authority to do that under federal law , but the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the FBI or U.S .
Marshals showed up at a county election board with orders to seize the ballots , local officials would probably comply .
Biden 's vast legal team , Gellman stresses , has been going over a wide range of dirty tricks that Team Trump might pull .
`` Behind the scenes , they are preparing for the worst , '' Gellman explains .
`` A special working group of high-powered lawyers led by three former solicitors general — Walter Dellinger ; Donald B. Verrilli Jr. ; and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseen a massive planning exercise for rapid responses to dozens of scenarios in which Trump tries to interfere with the normal functioning of the election .
Thousands of pages of legal analysis , according to an authoritative campaign source , have been boiled down into 'template pleadings ' for at least 49 pre-drafted emergency motions in state or federal court . ''

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has been warning that unless former Vice President Joe Biden defeats President Donald Trump by more than 5%, Trump will use the courts to "steal the election." And Carville is hardly alone in warning that Trump and his GOP allies have a variety of possible dirty tricks in mind. Journalist Barton Gellman, in a listicle published in The Atlantic on Monday, November 2 — the day before Election Day — outlines three ways in which Trump could attempt to steal the election.
The three possible scenarios that Gellman describes are: (1) "sending the troops," (2) "intercepting the mail," and (3) "the law enforcement option." Biden, Gellman stresses, knows how unscrupulous Trump is, which is why his campaign has an army of Democratic lawyers on hand.
"A wretched presidential campaign has played out at last, but Election Day is not how this story ends," Gellman argues. "Unable to overtake his opponent in the polls, Donald Trump decided months ago to run against the election itself. That race does not conclude when the ballots are counted. Trump has raged against fictional plots to steal his victory, maligning routine procedures such as voting by mail and counting ballots until there are no more to count. His rage will not diminish if he is defeated."
Gellman continues, "Our electoral system was not built to withstand a sustained assault on its legitimacy. We are capable of defending it, but that is a collective enterprise. A healthy start would be to recognize that the assault has yet to begin in earnest. Election Day and the period to follow will be moments of maximum temptation for Trump. Can he find a way to interfere with the tabulation of votes? Impound ballots in the mail? Dispatch armed personnel to quell alleged disturbances in Democratic neighborhoods?"
The journalist stresses that Trump "will not concede defeat" and "will use every means at his disposal to maintain a grip on power." In Scenario #1: Gellman notes, Trump would try using the military to stay in power.
Gellman writes, "Command of U.S. armed forces is among the most potent powers of any president. Could Trump dispatch active-duty forces to Democratic strongholds in swing states — say, Philadelphia, Detroit and Milwaukee — with intent to suppress the vote or interfere with the count?.... Could it happen? Not easily, and not likely, but it is not impossible either. If Trump cared at all about conforming to law, he would need a reason under the Insurrection Act of 1807 for the use of troops in domestic law enforcement."
Gellman adds that "Trump, in theory, could seize upon any violence around polling places — even violence touched off by his own supporters — to justify the deployment" and "might even cast his intervention as a bid to protect voters' civil rights."
"Those justifications would be slender reeds, and they would run into a major legal obstacle," Gellman explains. "Trump's power as commander in chief is exclusive, but not unbounded: it is subject to statutory limits."
Trump has repeatedly made the false claim that mail-in voting encourages voter fraud. Describing Scenario #2: Intercepting the Mail, Gellman notes that Trump has gone out of his way to undermine the U.S. Postal Service.
"Trump and his political advisers have good reason to assume that ballots sent by mail are likely to be Biden votes," Gellman observes. "Trump himself is the principal driver of that skew, because he has equated absentee voting with fraud — and many of his supporters believe him. It might be in Trump's interest, then, to interfere with the delivery of those ballots. Could he?"
Gellman continues, "Experts considered one scenario that the Biden team has gamed out. John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence, passes word that top-secret information suggests an effort by China to forge absentee ballots — a risk that Attorney General Bill Barr has publicly raised as a matter of 'common sense.' The report reaches Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major campaign contributor to Trump. DeJoy instructs the chief of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to halt the delivery of ballots sent by mail. Here, even a temporary delay is strategically valuable to a sufficiently ruthless president. Twenty-eight states require that absentee ballots arrive by Election Day; the other 22 have deadlines within a few days."
Describing #3: The Law Enforcement Option, Gellman notes, "In this scenario, federal authorities would purport to be investigating voter fraud and take steps to stop the counting. There is not much plausible authority to do that under federal law, but the law would not really be the point. If the FBI or U.S. Marshals showed up at a county election board with orders to seize the ballots, local officials would probably comply.
Biden's vast legal team, Gellman stresses, has been going over a wide range of dirty tricks that Team Trump might pull.
"Behind the scenes, they are preparing for the worst," Gellman explains. "A special working group of high-powered lawyers led by three former solicitors general — Walter Dellinger; Donald B. Verrilli Jr.; and a recent addition, Seth Waxman — has overseen a massive planning exercise for rapid responses to dozens of scenarios in which Trump tries to interfere with the normal functioning of the election. Thousands of pages of legal analysis, according to an authoritative campaign source, have been boiled down into 'template pleadings' for at least 49 pre-drafted emergency motions in state or federal court."


alternet--2020-11-02--Mail delays escalated over the last 3 days in critical battleground states

The U.S .
Postal Service ( USPS ) is operating under a judicial order to report its on-time performance every day , and those reports are trending badly in some key battleground states .
For the third day in a row , on Sunday it reported moving fewer ballots on time than the previous day , That puts ballots in the system at risk of not being received in time in 28 states that require ballots be received on or before Election Day .
The USPS reported moving 97 % of ballots on time Wednesday , then 93 % on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's at a national level .
In battleground states , the on-time rate is below 90 % and in some of these states , it 's disastrously low .
In central Pennsylvania , the on-time rate for ballots was just 62 % on Saturday .
Atlanta 's was just 64 % , same as ballots processed in Maine and New Hampshire .
Less than half—43 % —of ballots were on time Saturday in Colorado .
Colorado conducts its elections by mail , sending ballots to everyone , with some in-person early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Election Day .
`` Arizona , Michigan , Wisconsin , Minnesota , North Carolina , the rest of Pennsylvania and parts of Texas and Florida were under the 90 % mark as well , '' CNN reports .
Meanwhile in South Miami-Dade County , Florida , the discovery of four dozen undelivered ballots sitting in a post office last Friday has prompted an investigation and sweep of mail facilities to make sure there are n't more ballots sitting around .
The majority of those discovered ballots , 42 , were going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered on Saturday .
The rest were destined for voters who had already voted early in person or had already obtained replacement ballots .
Six of them had been voted , and are now at the elections office .
A concerned postal worker alerted State Rep. Kionne McGhee about the backlog of mail , including the abandoned ballots , at their facility with a video that McGhee released .
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle immediately called for a search of every mail distribution center on Friday evening , but it 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USPS is responding—they 're not saying how many centers are being searched .
The mail problem is n't news to Miami-Dade residents , though .
As of Friday , 70,000 of them who had requested mail-in ballots had cancelled them to vote early in person .
In some areas nationally , the USPS has set up processes where ballots are postmarked and taken directly to elections offices , not going through the regular mail process .
Judge Emmet Sullivan and Stanley Bastian of the Eastern District of Washington—the federal judges who have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other steps can be taken to get all the ballots delivered in those states where they have to be on Tuesday .
That included mail collection on Sunday on some routes , early collections on Monday and Tuesday , and carriers checking `` every residential mailbox '' for outgoing ballots .
Some post offices will set up drop-off areas for ballots , all to be directly delivered to elections offices .
At this point , there should not be any more ballots going in the mail—last Tuesday was really the deadline for that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home , do n't mail it .
Take it to a drop box or your local elections office .
As you 're making your GOTV calls , be sure to advise voters that it 's too late to rely on the regular mail .
It 's another motivating factor for voters—we 've got to elect Democrats to oust Trump 's saboteurs at the USPS , Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , and the board of governors who have happily worked to destroy the institution .

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is operating under a judicial order to report its on-time performance every day, and those reports are trending badly in some key battleground states. For the third day in a row, on Sunday it reported moving fewer ballots on time than the previous day,
That puts ballots in the system at risk of not being received in time in 28 states that require ballots be received on or before Election Day. The USPS reported moving 97% of ballots on time Wednesday, then 93% on Friday, and 91% on Saturday. That's at a national level. In battleground states, the on-time rate is below 90% and in some of these states, it's disastrously low. In central Pennsylvania, the on-time rate for ballots was just 62% on Saturday. Atlanta's was just 64%, same as ballots processed in Maine and New Hampshire. Less than half—43%—of ballots were on time Saturday in Colorado. Colorado conducts its elections by mail, sending ballots to everyone, with some in-person early voting. Ballots there must be received by Election Day. "Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina, the rest of Pennsylvania and parts of Texas and Florida were under the 90% mark as well," CNN reports.
Meanwhile in South Miami-Dade County, Florida, the discovery of four dozen undelivered ballots sitting in a post office last Friday has prompted an investigation and sweep of mail facilities to make sure there aren't more ballots sitting around. The majority of those discovered ballots, 42, were going to voters, and 24 of them were delivered on Saturday. The rest were destined for voters who had already voted early in person or had already obtained replacement ballots. Six of them had been voted, and are now at the elections office. A concerned postal worker alerted State Rep. Kionne McGhee about the backlog of mail, including the abandoned ballots, at their facility with a video that McGhee released. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle immediately called for a search of every mail distribution center on Friday evening, but it's not clear as of now how extensively the USPS is responding—they're not saying how many centers are being searched. The mail problem isn't news to Miami-Dade residents, though. As of Friday, 70,000 of them who had requested mail-in ballots had cancelled them to vote early in person.
In some areas nationally, the USPS has set up processes where ballots are postmarked and taken directly to elections offices, not going through the regular mail process. Judge Emmet Sullivan and Stanley Bastian of the Eastern District of Washington—the federal judges who have taken on oversight of the mail—are considering what other steps can be taken to get all the ballots delivered in those states where they have to be on Tuesday. That included mail collection on Sunday on some routes, early collections on Monday and Tuesday, and carriers checking "every residential mailbox" for outgoing ballots. Some post offices will set up drop-off areas for ballots, all to be directly delivered to elections offices.
At this point, there should not be any more ballots going in the mail—last Tuesday was really the deadline for that. If you've got a ballot at home, don't mail it. Take it to a drop box or your local elections office. As you're making your GOTV calls, be sure to advise voters that it's too late to rely on the regular mail.
It's another motivating factor for voters—we've got to elect Democrats to oust Trump's saboteurs at the USPS, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and the board of governors who have happily worked to destroy the institution.


alternet--2020-11-02--Trump slammed for 'condoning violence and intimidation' after praising Texas supporters for harassin

Trump slammed for 'condoning violence and intimidation' after praising Texas supporters for harassing Biden bus

Amnesty International on Sunday condemned President Donald Trump for `` condoning violence and intimidation '' after the president applauded the caravan of his truck-driving supporters that surrounded a Biden campaign bus on a Texas highway Friday , prompting allegations of reckless endangerment and an FBI probe of the incident .
`` In my opinion , these patriots did nothing wrong , '' Trump tweeted hours after absurdly claiming that his supporters were `` protecting '' the Biden campaign 's bus .
`` Instead , the FBI & Justice should be investigating the terrorists , anarchists , and agitators of ANTIFA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat run cities and hurting our people ! ''
Following the swarming of the Biden campaign bus by dozens of Trump supporters attempting to bring the bus to a halt , Texas Democrats canceled three scheduled events for the former vice president due to safety concerns .
In a series of tweets late Friday , Dr. Eric Cervini , a historian and Biden campaign volunteer , said the pickup trucks with Trump flags were `` sitting along I-35 , waiting to ambush the Biden/Harris campaign bus as it traveled from San Antonio to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-Texas ) , who represents constituents in San Antonio and Austin , told The Guardian that `` this aggressive , abusive conduct by his supporters results from Trump continuing to incite acts of intimidation and violence . ''
`` We have to stand up to these bullies , '' Doggett added , `` just as we seek to protect the right of every last Texan to vote out the Bully-in-Chief . ''
The president 's supporters also wreaked havoc in New Jersey and New York on Sunday , bringing traffic to a halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a preview of Trump-endorsed mass chaos to come on Election Day and the days that follow .
`` I took the Throggs Neck .
Heard there was a pileup of chumps on the Whitestone [ Bridge ] , '' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) quipped in response to a Trump supporter 's video of the blockade in New York .
New York state Sen. David Carlucci , a Democrat , called the Trump backers ' behavior `` aggressive , dangerous , and reckless '' and accused them of `` causing danger to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York State Police should be working to identify these individuals and charging them , '' said Carlucci .
`` We all have the right to show support for a presidential candidate , but we do not have the right to endanger others and break the law . ''

Amnesty International on Sunday condemned President Donald Trump for "condoning violence and intimidation" after the president applauded the caravan of his truck-driving supporters that surrounded a Biden campaign bus on a Texas highway Friday, prompting allegations of reckless endangerment and an FBI probe of the incident.
"In my opinion, these patriots did nothing wrong," Trump tweeted hours after absurdly claiming that his supporters were "protecting" the Biden campaign's bus. "Instead, the FBI & Justice should be investigating the terrorists, anarchists, and agitators of ANTIFA, who run around burning down our Democrat run cities and hurting our people!"
Following the swarming of the Biden campaign bus by dozens of Trump supporters attempting to bring the bus to a halt, Texas Democrats canceled three scheduled events for the former vice president due to safety concerns.
In a series of tweets late Friday, Dr. Eric Cervini, a historian and Biden campaign volunteer, said the pickup trucks with Trump flags were "sitting along I-35, waiting to ambush the Biden/Harris campaign bus as it traveled from San Antonio to Austin."
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who represents constituents in San Antonio and Austin, toldThe Guardian that "this aggressive, abusive conduct by his supporters results from Trump continuing to incite acts of intimidation and violence."
"We have to stand up to these bullies," Doggett added, "just as we seek to protect the right of every last Texan to vote out the Bully-in-Chief."
The president's supporters also wreaked havoc in New Jersey and New York on Sunday, bringing traffic to a halt on two major highways and potentially offering a preview of Trump-endorsed mass chaos to come on Election Day and the days that follow.
"I took the Throggs Neck. Heard there was a pileup of chumps on the Whitestone [Bridge]," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) quipped in response to a Trump supporter's video of the blockade in New York.
New York state Sen. David Carlucci, a Democrat, called the Trump backers' behavior "aggressive, dangerous, and reckless" and accused them of "causing danger to themselves and others."
"The New York State Police should be working to identify these individuals and charging them," said Carlucci. "We all have the right to show support for a presidential candidate, but we do not have the right to endanger others and break the law."


alternet--2020-11-03--Bald eagles soar over Biden — while giant American flag collapses in front of Trump

Do you believe in omens ?
While Joe Biden was giving his final speech in Iowa , these two guys flew in circles over top of him : I looked it up .
Florida and Alaska have the most bald eagles .
Yet I 've lived all over Florida these past 25 years and have never once encountered one .
It 's a rare sight , and in this case , very poetic .
This is n't even the first time an eagle has visited Biden when he was speaking .
In September , another eagle flew above Biden during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talk about his late son , Beau Biden .
He remarked that he had n't seen a bald eagle since Beau died in 2015 .
Now he sees one on the eve of his presidency .
Coincidence ?
Bald eagles are fickle creatures .
They may have visited Biden multiple times , but Trump has only had one encounter .
It was a bit less majestic : If you believe the spirit of our nation sent those birds for Biden , then you would also have to believe it toppled a giant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Trump 's hate rally in North Carolina .
The giant flag was being held with two large scissor lifts , which was a stupid idea .
No planning , half-assed execution , and a total disregard for safety .
In other words , a perfect Trump event .
Luckily , the lift fell backwards into a building .
If the gust of wind had blown the other way , the big story tonight would have been that Trump killed his supporters .
Sorry guys , you 'll just have to wait for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super-spreader events .
I would say Trump 's malicious incompetence almost killed people tonight , but that would be an incomplete statement .
Trump 's malicious incompetence has already killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans , and this needs to end .
( BTW , speaking of reckless endangerment : after all the bad press Trump got for abandoning his supporters to the freezing cold in Omaha , how in the hell did he manage to do the exact same thing AGAIN today in Georgia !
? )
I 'll end on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ omen .
No , this was NOT planned .
It 's a scene from Joe Biden 's speech .
As the meme says , post in comments if you get it .
Yeah , the data , the polls , and the turnout all look pretty damn good tonight .
We 're ready .
But if you are superstitious at all , the omens work in our favor as well .

Do you believe in omens?
While Joe Biden was giving his final speech in Iowa, these two guys flew in circles over top of him:
I looked it up. Florida and Alaska have the most bald eagles. Yet I've lived all over Florida these past 25 years and have never once encountered one. It's a rare sight, and in this case, very poetic.
This isn't even the first time an eagle has visited Biden when he was speaking. In September, another eagle flew above Biden during a speech, and it promoted him to talk about his late son, Beau Biden. He remarked that he hadn't seen a bald eagle since Beau died in 2015. Now he sees one on the eve of his presidency. Coincidence?
Bald eagles are fickle creatures. They may have visited Biden multiple times, but Trump has only had one encounter. It was a bit less majestic:
Trump's expression was priceless.
If you believe the spirit of our nation sent those birds for Biden, then you would also have to believe it toppled a giant American flag being used as a prop during Trump's hate rally in North Carolina.
The giant flag was being held with two large scissor lifts, which was a stupid idea. No planning, half-assed execution, and a total disregard for safety. In other words, a perfect Trump event. Luckily, the lift fell backwards into a building. If the gust of wind had blown the other way, the big story tonight would have been that Trump killed his supporters.
Sorry guys, you'll just have to wait for the COVID like the rest of his super-spreader events.
I would say Trump's malicious incompetence almost killed people tonight, but that would be an incomplete statement. Trump's malicious incompetence has already killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans, and this needs to end. (BTW, speaking of reckless endangerment: after all the bad press Trump got for abandoning his supporters to the freezing cold in Omaha, how in the hell did he manage to do the exact same thing AGAIN today in Georgia!?)
I'll end on a positive note, with one final omen. No, this was NOT planned. It's a scene from Joe Biden's speech. As the meme says, post in comments if you get it.
Yeah, the data, the polls, and the turnout all look pretty damn good tonight. We're ready. But if you are superstitious at all, the omens work in our favor as well.


alternet--2020-11-03--Philly DA warns 'wannabe fascists'  who dress 'up like GI Joe' to intimidate voters will be prosecut

Philly DA warns 'wannabe fascists'  who dress 'up like GI Joe' to intimidate voters will be prosecuted

Philadelphia 's Democratic district attorney Larry Krasner is warning armed , so-called `` poll watchers '' to stay away from the city 's voting precincts unless they want to find themselves explaining to a jury why they `` thought it was okay to come to Philly and steal our votes . ''
`` If you want to dress up like a G.I .
Joe and claim you are protecting the polls when we all know what you 're really doing is intimidating voters , '' Krasner told CNN on Friday , `` you 're getting locked up . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
`` If your idea of how to have a democratic election is to steal it , then I 've got something for you .
I 've got a jail cell , and I 've got criminal charges . ''
Krasner 's fierce condemnation of potential voter intimidation in Philadelphia—described by the DA as not only the biggest city in one of the most important battleground states in the country but also `` the birthplace of American democracy '' —preceded a press conference on Monday , during which he explained the steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 90 city prosecutors and detectives are taking to ensure that Philadelphians are able to cast ballots without fear on Tuesday .
`` I want Philly voters to be assured that we are all working together to make sure you have a clean and fair Election Day '' Krasner said Monday .
`` I do not expect any threats or harassment tomorrow , but let me be clear : Anyone intending to steal Philadelphians ' votes by breaking the law to disrupt a fair and free election could find themselves in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a Philadelphia jury wondering why you thought it was okay to steal their votes . ''
As the New York Times reported on Sunday , `` many jurisdictions have sought to educate both the public and law enforcement of what is permissible at the polls , '' a task that has taken on heightened importance due to President Donald Trump 's repeated incitement of political intimidation and violence that has prompted dozens of historians of authoritarianism to warn about the existential threats facing democracy .
According to the Times , Krasner `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the police , noting for example that anyone can face five years in jail for a misdemeanor if they 'unlawfully strike , wound , or commit an assault and battery upon the person of any elector ' in or near a polling place . ''
Whereas Philadelphia normally deploys a task force of 60 prosecutors and detectives to safeguard presidential contests , Krasner activated this year 's beefed-up , 90-plus person task force on October 7 , much earlier than usual .
Citing the `` historic and unprecedented nature of the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militias and violence , '' Krasner vowed last month that the DA 's Office would `` work alongside the city commissioners and our partners in law enforcement , government , and community to ensure that no Philadelphian is intimidated , misled , threatened , or harmed as they cast their ballot . ''
Krasner denounced `` voter suppression efforts '' being encouraged by the president , saying that `` brandishing a firearm in an attempt to menace voters or election workers ... is dangerous and anti-American behavior , and it will be prosecuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Krasner told Trump to `` keep your Proud Boys , goon squads , and uncertified 'poll watchers ' out of our city . ''
`` The Trump administration 's efforts to suppress votes amid a global pandemic fueled by their disregard for human life , '' Krasner said , `` will not be tolerated . ''
`` Philadelphians from a diversity of political opinions believe strongly in the rule of law , in fair and free elections , and in a democratic system of government , '' he added .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lawless , power-hungry despot . ''
Krasner 's comments on Monday echoed those he made last month , when the DA said that `` anyone who comes to the cradle of American democracy to suppress the vote , and violates the law and commits crimes , is going to find themselves in a jail cell talking to a Philadelphia jury . ''

Philadelphia's Democratic district attorney Larry Krasner is warning armed, so-called "poll watchers" to stay away from the city's voting precincts unless they want to find themselves explaining to a jury why they "thought it was okay to come to Philly and steal our votes."
"If you want to dress up like a G.I. Joe and claim you are protecting the polls when we all know what you're really doing is intimidating voters," Krasner told CNN on Friday, "you're getting locked up."
"Wannabe fascists stay home," he added. "If your idea of how to have a democratic election is to steal it, then I've got something for you. I've got a jail cell, and I've got criminal charges."
CNN 10 30 2020 07 29 53 youtu.be
Krasner's fierce condemnation of potential voter intimidation in Philadelphia—described by the DA as not only the biggest city in one of the most important battleground states in the country but also "the birthplace of American democracy"—preceded a press conference on Monday, during which he explained the steps that an election task force made up of more than 90 city prosecutors and detectives are taking to ensure that Philadelphians are able to cast ballots without fear on Tuesday.
"I want Philly voters to be assured that we are all working together to make sure you have a clean and fair Election Day" Krasner said Monday. "I do not expect any threats or harassment tomorrow, but let me be clear: Anyone intending to steal Philadelphians' votes by breaking the law to disrupt a fair and free election could find themselves in a jail cell, facing criminal charges and a Philadelphia jury wondering why you thought it was okay to steal their votes."
As the New York Timesreported on Sunday, "many jurisdictions have sought to educate both the public and law enforcement of what is permissible at the polls," a task that has taken on heightened importance due to President Donald Trump's repeated incitement of political intimidation and violence that has prompted dozens of historians of authoritarianism to warn about the existential threats facing democracy.
According to the Times, Krasner "issued a six-page memo on the law to the police, noting for example that anyone can face five years in jail for a misdemeanor if they 'unlawfully strike, wound, or commit an assault and battery upon the person of any elector' in or near a polling place."
Whereas Philadelphia normally deploys a task force of 60 prosecutors and detectives to safeguard presidential contests, Krasner activated this year's beefed-up, 90-plus person task force on October 7, much earlier than usual.
Citing the "historic and unprecedented nature of the 2020 election" and warning "against armed militias and violence," Krasner vowed last month that the DA's Office would "work alongside the city commissioners and our partners in law enforcement, government, and community to ensure that no Philadelphian is intimidated, misled, threatened, or harmed as they cast their ballot."
Krasner denounced "voter suppression efforts" being encouraged by the president, saying that "brandishing a firearm in an attempt to menace voters or election workers... is dangerous and anti-American behavior, and it will be prosecuted by my office."
Last week, Krasner told Trump to "keep your Proud Boys, goon squads, and uncertified 'poll watchers' out of our city."
"The Trump administration's efforts to suppress votes amid a global pandemic fueled by their disregard for human life," Krasner said, "will not be tolerated."
"Philadelphians from a diversity of political opinions believe strongly in the rule of law, in fair and free elections, and in a democratic system of government," he added. "We will not be cowed or ruled by a lawless, power-hungry despot."
Krasner's comments on Monday echoed those he made last month, when the DA said that "anyone who comes to the cradle of American democracy to suppress the vote, and violates the law and commits crimes, is going to find themselves in a jail cell talking to a Philadelphia jury."


alternet--2020-11-03--Dr. Birx suggests Trump White House has not taken 'aggressive' action against COVID-19

Dr. Deborah Birx , top White House coordinator for the Coronavirus Task Force , is pushing back against President Donald Trump suggesting that `` aggressive action '' is needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic .
On Monday , Birx released a report about the virus as she expressed concern about the United States ' growing number of coronavirus cases .
On Friday , the United States surpassed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in a single day .
The grim milestone Dr. Anthony Fauci projected weeks signals serious problems ahead for the country — and now , Birx has opted to sound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic … leading to increasing mortality , '' Birx 's November 2 report said .
`` This is not about lockdowns — It has n't been about lockdowns since March or April .
It 's about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented . ''
Birx 's remarks come as Trump continues to spread misinformation about the virus .
Over the last several days , Trump has held countless rallies in cities across the Midwest and East coast .
At each rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drew thousands of maskless rallygoers who followed his lead .
Despite the obvious warning signs that the virus is spreading at an accelerated rate , Trump continues to spread misinformation that is the complete opposite of Birx 's warning .
On Friday , Fauci also expressed concern about the White House 's inconsistent message on the virus .
`` They needed to have a medical message that was essentially consistent with what they were saying , and one of the ways to say , 'The outbreak is over .
[ Mitigation strategies are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make any difference .
All you need to do is prevent people from dying and protect people in places like the nursing homes , ' '' Fauci said .
On Monday , November 2 , the United States reported over 88,000 new cases , nationwide bringing the national number of cases to a staggering 9,567,543 .
The United States ' coronavirus death toll also continues to rise .
Nearly 237,000 Americans have died from coronavirus .

Dr. Deborah Birx, top White House coordinator for the Coronavirus Task Force, is pushing back against President Donald Trump suggesting that "aggressive action" is needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, Birx released a report about the virus as she expressed concern about the United States' growing number of coronavirus cases. On Friday, the United States surpassed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in a single day. The grim milestone Dr. Anthony Fauci projected weeks signals serious problems ahead for the country — and now, Birx has opted to sound the alarm.
"We are entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic … leading to increasing mortality," Birx's November 2 report said. "This is not about lockdowns — It hasn't been about lockdowns since March or April. It's about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented."
Birx's remarks come as Trump continues to spread misinformation about the virus. Over the last several days, Trump has held countless rallies in cities across the Midwest and East coast. At each rally, Trump disregarded mitigation guidelines as he drew thousands of maskless rallygoers who followed his lead. Despite the obvious warning signs that the virus is spreading at an accelerated rate, Trump continues to spread misinformation that is the complete opposite of Birx's warning.
On Friday, Fauci also expressed concern about the White House's inconsistent message on the virus.
"They needed to have a medical message that was essentially consistent with what they were saying, and one of the ways to say, 'The outbreak is over. [Mitigation strategies are] really irrelevant because it doesn't make any difference. All you need to do is prevent people from dying and protect people in places like the nursing homes,'" Fauci said.
On Monday, November 2, the United States reported over 88,000 new cases, nationwide bringing the national number of cases to a staggering 9,567,543. The United States' coronavirus death toll also continues to rise. Nearly 237,000 Americans have died from coronavirus.


alternet--2020-11-03--'Ignore this garbage': GOP officials debunk Trump Team lie that Democrats will 'steal' election by c

'Ignore this garbage': GOP officials debunk Trump Team lie that Democrats will 'steal' election by counting all votes

President Donald Trump and his top aides drew a rebuke from several current and former Republican officials over their repeated attacks on voting .
Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller on Sunday echoed Trump 's false claims about vote counting , an act which is never complete in any state on election night and is expected to take even longer this year due to the influx of mail-in ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The embattled aide suggested in an interview with ABC News that counting all of the votes cast would be tantamount to stealing the election from a deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls .
`` If you speak with many smart Democrats , they believe that President Trump will be ahead on election night .
Probably getting 280 electors — somewhere in that range .
And they 're just going to try to steal it back after the election , '' Miller claimed .
`` We believe we 'll be over 290 electoral votes on election night .
So no matter what they try to do — what kind of hijinks or lawsuits or whatever kind of nonsense they try to pull off — we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes to get President Trump re-elected . ''
The remarks echoed Trump 's false complaints that all votes wo n't be counted on election night — something which never happens .
`` I think it 's a terrible thing when people or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over , '' Trump said on Sunday in North Carolina .
`` I think it 's terrible when we ca n't know the results of an election the night of the election in a modern-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Spencer Cox , who is expected to win the state 's gubernatorial race this week , rejected such claims .
`` Please ignore this type of garbage .
The truth is that elections are never decided on election night , '' he wrote on Twitter .
`` In Utah ( and most states ) it takes 2 weeks to finalize counting and certify results .
It really does n't matter who is ahead on election night , it only matters when every eligible vote is counted and each county canvasses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media outlets may `` call '' certain races , such actions are `` technically meaningless , '' Cox added .
The New York Times noted over the weekend that Trump 's demand for all votes to be counted on election night was `` not possible and never has been . ''
In 2008 , for example , Missouri was not called until Nov. 19 .
In 2012 , Florida was not called until four days after the election .
And in 2016 , Michigan was not called for more than two weeks after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may appear ahead in certain states like Pennsylvania and Michigan after the Election Day vote is counted .
That may change once mail-in ballots — which take longer to count and have overwhelmingly been used by Democrats — are tallied .
Trump and Republicans have also sued to try to invalidate mail-in ballots cast before the election which do not arrive until after Election Day in states like Pennsylvania and Minnesota .
Longtime top Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsberg , a key figure in the 2000 Bush v. Gore case , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's attacks on voting were `` as un-American as it gets . ''
`` Trump has failed the test of leadership .
His bid for re-election is foundering .
And his only solution has been to launch an all-out , multimillion-dollar effort to disenfranchise voters , '' he wrote .
`` It returns the Republican Party to the bad old days of 'voter suppression ' .
.
.
[ and ] puts the party on the wrong side of demographic changes in this country that threaten to make the GOP a permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 38 years as a Republican election lawyer , the party had failed to identify a single case of widespread voter fraud to substantiate its false claims about voting security .
Ginsberg criticized the GOP for backing Trump 's false claims .
He submitted a court brief on Monday urging a federal judge to reject a bid by Texas Republicans to throw out about 127,000 valid ballots cast in Harris County 's drive-through voting locations .
The brief said Ginsberg was `` particularly sensitive to the irony that Republicans are now seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of what would amount to a technical error by elections officials . ''
He and co-counsel Amy Coney Barrett , now a Supreme Court justice , fought a similar argument by Democrats in the 2000 recount .
Ginsberg was joined in the brief by fellow Republican Joseph Straus , the former speaker of the Texas House of Representatives .
`` The lawsuit attempting to disenfranchise more than 100,000 voters in Harris County is patently wrong , '' he wrote on social media .
`` The Republican Party needs to return to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persuasion rather than trying to intimidate and silence our fellow citizens .
I hope all elected statewide leaders in the Texas Republican Party will stand up against these desperate tactics . ''

President Donald Trump and his top aides drew a rebuke from several current and former Republican officials over their repeated attacks on voting.
Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller on Sunday echoed Trump's false claims about vote counting, an act which is never complete in any state on election night and is expected to take even longer this year due to the influx of mail-in ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic. The embattledaide suggested in an interview with ABC News that counting all of the votes cast would be tantamount to stealing the election from a deeply unpopular president who trails badly in the polls.
"If you speak with many smart Democrats, they believe that President Trump will be ahead on election night. Probably getting 280 electors — somewhere in that range. And they're just going to try to steal it back after the election," Miller claimed. "We believe we'll be over 290 electoral votes on election night. So no matter what they try to do — what kind of hijinks or lawsuits or whatever kind of nonsense they try to pull off — we're still going to have enough electoral votes to get President Trump re-elected."
The remarks echoed Trump's false complaints that all votes won't be counted on election night — something which never happens.
"I think it's a terrible thing when people or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over," Trump said on Sunday in North Carolina. "I think it's terrible when we can't know the results of an election the night of the election in a modern-day age of computers."
Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who is expected to win the state's gubernatorial race this week, rejected such claims.
"Please ignore this type of garbage. The truth is that elections are never decided on election night," he wrote on Twitter. "In Utah (and most states) it takes 2 weeks to finalize counting and certify results. It really doesn't matter who is ahead on election night, it only matters when every eligible vote is counted and each county canvasses and certifies the vote totals."
While media outlets may "call" certain races, such actions are "technically meaningless," Cox added.
The New York Times noted over the weekend that Trump's demand for all votes to be counted on election night was "not possible and never has been." In 2008, for example, Missouri was not called until Nov. 19. In 2012, Florida was not called until four days after the election. And in 2016, Michigan was not called for more than two weeks after Election Day.
This year, Trump may appear ahead in certain states like Pennsylvania and Michigan after the Election Day vote is counted. That may change once mail-in ballots — which take longer to count and have overwhelmingly been used by Democrats — are tallied.
Trump and Republicans have also sued to try to invalidate mail-in ballots cast before the election which do not arrive until after Election Day in states like Pennsylvania and Minnesota.
Longtime top Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsberg, a key figure in the 2000 Bush v. Gore case, said in a Washington Post op-ed on Sunday that Trump's attacks on voting were "as un-American as it gets."
"Trump has failed the test of leadership. His bid for re-election is foundering. And his only solution has been to launch an all-out, multimillion-dollar effort to disenfranchise voters," he wrote. "It returns the Republican Party to the bad old days of 'voter suppression' . . . [and] puts the party on the wrong side of demographic changes in this country that threaten to make the GOP a permanent minority."
Ginsberg wrote that in his 38 years as a Republican election lawyer, the party had failed to identify a single case of widespread voter fraud to substantiate its false claims about voting security.
Ginsberg criticized the GOP for backing Trump's false claims. He submitted a court brief on Monday urging a federal judge to reject a bid by Texas Republicans to throw out about 127,000 valid ballots cast in Harris County's drive-through voting locations.
The brief said Ginsberg was "particularly sensitive to the irony that Republicans are now seeking to throw out votes cast by eligible voters because of what would amount to a technical error by elections officials." He and co-counsel Amy Coney Barrett, now a Supreme Court justice, fought a similar argument by Democrats in the 2000 recount.
Ginsberg was joined in the brief by fellow Republican Joseph Straus, the former speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
"The lawsuit attempting to disenfranchise more than 100,000 voters in Harris County is patently wrong," he wrote on social media. "The Republican Party needs to return to a place where we win with ideas and persuasion rather than trying to intimidate and silence our fellow citizens. I hope all elected statewide leaders in the Texas Republican Party will stand up against these desperate tactics."


alternet--2020-11-03--'Hillbilly Elegy' author JD Vance faces backlash over remarks connecting nationalism to fertility ra

'Hillbilly Elegy' author JD Vance faces backlash over remarks connecting nationalism to fertility rate

J.D .
Vance , the author of the best-selling Rust Belt memoir `` Hillbilly Elegy '' and the whisperer of the white working-class , is under fire after calling himself a `` nationalist who worries about America 's low fertility . ''
Critics view the label as a nod to both white nationalism and the `` great replacement '' conspiracy theory , the racist fear that falling birthrates among white women will lead to whites being replaced by non-whites .
`` As a parent of young children and a nationalist who worries about America 's low fertility I can say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fertility by at least 10 percent , '' Vance wrote in a Sunday evening tweet .
Vance later characterized his tweet as a joke , though he did not clarify its meaning .
He also neither explained his use of the word `` nationalist , '' which over the last few years has been widely associated with white nationalism , nor his curious claims about fertility .
( Most Americans set their clocks back an hour over the weekend , returning to standard time . )
Vance 's 2017 memoir about growing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was widely hailed as a sort of Rosetta stone for understanding the plight of the white working-class who supported President Donald Trump in 2016 .
The book topped best seller lists , making Vance a momentary celebrity pundit as Democrats grappled with Trump 's election .
The New York Times called it `` a compassionate , discerning sociological analysis of the white underclass . ''
But Vance has also been widely criticized for the conclusions he draws from his experiences , as well as for ignoring racial undertones in the culture about which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend drew similar criticism after being seen by many as dogwhistles for white nationalism and misogyny .
While some have argued that `` nationalism '' with no adjectival modifier may apply to anyone who feels positively about their country , Vance , a white man and graduate of Yale law , explicitly connects a worry about fertility rates to his nationalism .
People quickly pointed out that Vance 's phrasing echoed the ideology of white supremacists , who have worried for years about declining white birth rates in Western countries .
For instance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mass shooting at a New Zealand mosque in 2018 repeated the phrase `` it 's about the birth rates '' several times in his manifesto .
A number of right-wing figures in Trump 's circle play loosely with the phrase , including Stephens Miller and Bannon , who publicly soften their far-right views with phrases like `` populism '' and `` economic nationalism '' and a strategically nonspecific concern for `` our civilization . ''
White supremacists have also embraced the generic use of the word `` nationalism '' as a wink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to troll critics .
`` Americans act with the understanding that Trump 's nationalism promises to restore traditional boundaries of race , gender , and sexuality , '' The Atlantic 's Adam Serwer wrote in 2017 .
`` The nature of that same nationalism is to deny its essence , the better to salve the conscience and spare the soul . ''
Jared Yates Sexton , an author and political journalist who grew up in Indiana , has criticized Vance 's book as `` traditional right-wing propaganda '' that traffics in white supremacist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's comments revealed what many people had long suspected .
`` J.D .
Vance has spent the past few years sanitizing right-wing appeals and camouflaging white supremacist-pandering , '' Sexton said .
`` I 'm surprised it took him this long to let his mask slip . ''
Salon 's Amanda Marcotte pointed out that Vance 's remarks also reveal the misogyny that undergirds white nationalist ideology .
`` It 's an effective troll , because you ca n't 'prove ' that these people are malicious when there 's always the outside , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they 're saying , '' Marcotte said .
`` But it is also part and parcel of what white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys do : making white nationalist arguments that are rooted in misogyny . ''
While Vance later framed his concern as applying to the country 's ability to sustain its social net as the population ages , the U.S. has historically supplemented its workforce with an open immigration policy .
It is unclear why internal birth rates would alone cause Vance such concern .
Indeed , a 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Prevention found that while the country 's fertility rate had been dropping , that fact was nothing new .
`` The ( total fertility ) rate has generally been below replacement since 1971 and consistently below replacement since 2007 , '' the report read .
Salon reached out to Vance through his publisher , but did not receive a reply .

J.D. Vance, the author of the best-selling Rust Belt memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" and the whisperer of the white working-class, is under fire after calling himself a "nationalist who worries about America's low fertility."
Critics view the label as a nod to both white nationalism and the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, the racist fear that falling birthrates among white women will lead to whites being replaced by non-whites.
"As a parent of young children and a nationalist who worries about America's low fertility I can say with confidence that daylight savings time reduces fertility by at least 10 percent," Vance wrote in a Sunday evening tweet.
Vance later characterized his tweet as a joke, though he did not clarify its meaning.
He also neither explained his use of the word "nationalist," which over the last few years has been widely associated with white nationalism, nor his curious claims about fertility. (Most Americans set their clocks back an hour over the weekend, returning to standard time.)
Vance's 2017 memoir about growing up in what he describes as extended Appalachia was widely hailed as a sort of Rosetta stone for understanding the plight of the white working-class who supported President Donald Trump in 2016. The book topped best seller lists, making Vance a momentarycelebritypundit as Democrats grappled with Trump's election. The New York Times called it "a compassionate, discerning sociological analysis of the white underclass."
But Vance has also been widely criticized for the conclusions he draws from his experiences, as well as for ignoring racial undertones in the culture about which he writes. His comments over the weekend drew similar criticism after being seen by many as dogwhistles for white nationalism and misogyny.
While some have argued that "nationalism" with no adjectival modifier may apply to anyone who feels positively about their country, Vance, a white man and graduate of Yale law, explicitly connects a worry about fertility rates to his nationalism.
People quickly pointed out that Vance's phrasing echoed the ideology of white supremacists, who have worried for years about declining white birth rates in Western countries. For instance, the white supremacist who carried out a mass shooting at a New Zealand mosque in 2018 repeated the phrase "it's about the birth rates" several times in his manifesto.
A number of right-wing figures in Trump's circle play loosely with the phrase, including Stephens Miller and Bannon, who publicly soften their far-right views with phrases like "populism" and "economic nationalism" and a strategically nonspecific concern for "our civilization." White supremacists have also embraced the generic use of the word "nationalism" as a wink, and Trump himself has used it to troll critics.
"Americans act with the understanding that Trump's nationalism promises to restore traditional boundaries of race, gender, and sexuality," The Atlantic's Adam Serwer wrote in 2017. "The nature of that same nationalism is to deny its essence, the better to salve the conscience and spare the soul."
Jared Yates Sexton, an author and political journalist who grew up in Indiana, has criticized Vance's book as "traditional right-wing propaganda" that traffics in white supremacist undertones. He told Salon that Vance's comments revealed what many people had long suspected.
"J.D. Vance has spent the past few years sanitizing right-wing appeals and camouflaging white supremacist-pandering," Sexton said. "I'm surprised it took him this long to let his mask slip."
Salon's Amanda Marcotte pointed out that Vance's remarks also reveal the misogyny that undergirds white nationalist ideology.
"It's an effective troll, because you can't 'prove' that these people are malicious when there's always the outside, absurd possibility that they might not know what they're saying," Marcotte said. "But it is also part and parcel of what white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys do: making white nationalist arguments that are rooted in misogyny."
While Vance later framed his concern as applying to the country's ability to sustain its social net as the population ages, the U.S. has historically supplemented its workforce with an open immigration policy. It is unclear why internal birth rates would alone cause Vance such concern.
Indeed, a 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that while the country's fertility rate had been dropping, that fact was nothing new. "The (total fertility) rate has generally been below replacement since 1971 and consistently below replacement since 2007," the report read.
Salon reached out to Vance through his publisher, but did not receive a reply.


alternet--2020-11-03--New report finds Trump is haunted by the possibility of prosecution if he loses

In a piece describing Donald Trump 's incessant whining to his staff about election woes and his staff 's continued efforts to gaslight him into thinking he 's ahead in the polls rather than face another one of his screaming fits , the Trump whisperers at The New York Times bring us this tidbit from inside Trump 's team : `` In unguarded moments , Mr. Trump has for weeks told advisers that he expects to face intensifying scrutiny from prosecutors if he loses .
He is concerned not only about existing investigations in New York , but the potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to people who have spoken with him . ''
There 's all the investigations that Attorney General William Barr has personally squashed or slow-walked in an attempt to let Trump 's various crime-doing loyalists off the hook .
There 's four years worth of press reporting on things in Trump 's taxes that look , smell , and taste like fraud .
There 's the charges brought up in impeachment—which implicate a few of Trump 's cabinet members in an international extortion scheme , and that 's not going to just go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unfortunately for Trump , even though he knows that keeping the presidency is the only way to hold back a tide of criminal investigations , he 's still too scatterbrained and incompetent to mount a reelection bid not dependent on mass public delusion .
Yeah , that stuff is going to come up just as soon as you lose presidential immunities .
Golf clap for you , buddy , for figuring it out .
If Trump loses , and let us presume for a moment that he does , it seems almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blanket pardons to himself , his family , everyone he knows , and anyone who 's ever cut him a check for eeeeeverything .
That 'll be what 's on the pardon proclamation : `` I pardon myself and these other people for absolutely all crimes , including all the stuff nobody found out about yet . ''
It might actually work , for federal crimes .
The states ?
Not so much .
I still say there is a damn good chance Donald J. Trump becomes the first American president to flee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air Force One could make it to Moscow without refueling , right ?
Honestly , we 'd probably tell Putin to keep the plane while he 's at it—we 'd just be that thrilled to be rid of him .
Then again , there are other possibilities as well : That seems literally too stupid a premise to believe , but this is Donald Trump we 're talking about .
He is an accused rapist , tax cheat , pedophile , money launderer , and extortionist already ; using the U.S. Army to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't quite out of the realm of possibilities for this fascist jackass .

In a piece describing Donald Trump's incessant whining to his staff about election woes and his staff's continued efforts to gaslight him into thinking he's ahead in the polls rather than face another one of his screaming fits, the Trump whisperers at The New York Times bring us this tidbit from inside Trump's team: "In unguarded moments, Mr. Trump has for weeks told advisers that he expects to face intensifying scrutiny from prosecutors if he loses. He is concerned not only about existing investigations in New York, but the potential for new federal probes as well, according to people who have spoken with him."
Yeah. Ya think? Ya THINK?
There's all the investigations that Attorney General William Barr has personally squashed or slow-walked in an attempt to let Trump's various crime-doing loyalists off the hook. There's four years worth of press reporting on things in Trump's taxes that look, smell, and taste like fraud. There's the charges brought up in impeachment—which implicate a few of Trump's cabinet members in an international extortion scheme, and that's not going to just go away if Trump slouches off toward Mar-a-Lago.
Unfortunately for Trump, even though he knows that keeping the presidency is the only way to hold back a tide of criminal investigations, he's still too scatterbrained and incompetent to mount a reelection bid not dependent on mass public delusion. Yeah, that stuff is going to come up just as soon as you lose presidential immunities. Golf clap for you, buddy, for figuring it out.
If Trump loses, and let us presume for a moment that he does, it seems almost certain that his close-of-office action will be blanket pardons to himself, his family, everyone he knows, and anyone who's ever cut him a check for eeeeeverything. That'll be what's on the pardon proclamation: "I pardon myself and these other people for absolutely all crimes, including all the stuff nobody found out about yet."
It might actually work, for federal crimes. The states? Not so much.
I still say there is a damn good chance Donald J. Trump becomes the first American president to flee prosecution and ask for foreign asylum. Air Force One could make it to Moscow without refueling, right? Honestly, we'd probably tell Putin to keep the plane while he's at it—we'd just be that thrilled to be rid of him.
Then again, there are other possibilities as well:
That seems literally too stupid a premise to believe, but this is Donald Trump we're talking about. He is an accused rapist, tax cheat, pedophile, money launderer, and extortionist already; using the U.S. Army to hold the nation hostage for immunity negotiations isn't quite out of the realm of possibilities for this fascist jackass.


alternet--2020-11-05--Trump clings to hopes of stealing the election

Donald Trump will likely be a prisoner of the U.S. legal system for the foreseeable future , and he has clearly decided he 'd rather be wrapped up in electoral proceedings than criminal ones .
Trump and his campaign lawyers appear to be mounting a full court press in any state where Trump does n't like what 's happening with the vote tallies , including Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and even Georgia ( abruptly added on Wednesday night has his margins started eroding ) .
Stop the counts !
But continue them in Arizona ( where Trump is behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't stop the count in Michigan , where Biden has now won and halting the tally would render him the victor .
It 's a both-and situation .
Oh , and recount those Wisconsin votes !
Anyway , details-schmetails !
You get the idea : Trumper does n't like where things are headed , and he 's throwing as many lawsuits as he can dream up at the whole thing and hoping something might stick .
In fact , let 's head straight to the Supreme Court ( which is n't how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots thrown out ( burn the ballots ! )
.
Right-o .
But then again , why not ?
Because all the legal matters Trump is facing if he 's ousted are going to be far less pleasant for him .
There 's the tax matters and the defamation suits and what ever happened to those campaign finance violations .
Plus , the investigations are coming from all directions—Congress , the New York Attorney General , the Manhattan D.A.
, private lawsuits , etc .
And as a bonus , many of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as former campaign adviser and White House aide Steve Bannon and current personal attorney Rudy Giuliani .
What could go wrong with Rudy in the mix ?
Anyway , Donald Trump has a litigation coming down the pike , and these lawsuits may be his last hurrah while he still has a campaign , the U.S. government , and taxpayer dollars to do his bidding .
Those resources appear to be in dwindling supply for Trump .
But do n't be surprised to see him quickly announce a bid for 2024 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ For months , as his chances of being re-elected dwindled , Mr. Trump told advisers — sometimes joking , sometimes not — that should he lose he would promptly announce that he was running again in 2024 .
Two advisers said they anticipate he will make good on that declaration if his legal challenges fail and is defeated , a move that if nothing else would allow him to raise money to finance the rallies that sustain him . ''
Trump may still be on the grift if he loses , but at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government at his disposal to use as a shield .

Donald Trump will likely be a prisoner of the U.S. legal system for the foreseeable future, and he has clearly decided he'd rather be wrapped up in electoral proceedings than criminal ones.
Trump and his campaign lawyers appear to be mounting a full court press in any state where Trump doesn't like what's happening with the vote tallies, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and even Georgia (abruptly added on Wednesday night has his margins started eroding).
Stop the counts! But continue them in Arizona (where Trump is behind)! But also do and don't stop the count in Michigan, where Biden has now won and halting the tally would render him the victor. It's a both-and situation. Oh, and recount those Wisconsin votes! Anyway, details-schmetails! You get the idea: Trumper doesn't like where things are headed, and he's throwing as many lawsuits as he can dream up at the whole thing and hoping something might stick. In fact, let's head straight to the Supreme Court (which isn't how it works) and just get those pesky ballots thrown out (burn the ballots!).
Right-o. But then again, why not? Because all the legal matters Trump is facing if he's ousted are going to be far less pleasant for him. There's the tax matters and the defamation suits and what ever happened to those campaign finance violations. Plus, the investigations are coming from all directions—Congress, the New York Attorney General, the Manhattan D.A., private lawsuits, etc. And as a bonus, many of Trump's associates continue to draw scrutiny, such as former campaign adviser and White House aide Steve Bannon and current personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. What could go wrong with Rudy in the mix?
Anyway, Donald Trump has a litigation coming down the pike, and these lawsuits may be his last hurrah while he still has a campaign, the U.S. government, and taxpayer dollars to do his bidding. Those resources appear to be in dwindling supply for Trump.
But don't be surprised to see him quickly announce a bid for 2024. The New York Timesreports, "For months, as his chances of being re-elected dwindled, Mr. Trump told advisers — sometimes joking, sometimes not — that should he lose he would promptly announce that he was running again in 2024. Two advisers said they anticipate he will make good on that declaration if his legal challenges fail and is defeated, a move that if nothing else would allow him to raise money to finance the rallies that sustain him."
Trump may still be on the grift if he loses, but at least—it appears—he won't have the U.S. government at his disposal to use as a shield.