alternet--2020-12-28--McConnell faced with 'nightmare' scenario if Senate is forced to vote on $2000 COVID checks: CNN

According to CNN political analyst Chris Cillizza , the last thing Senate Republicans want to do is be forced into a vote on upping the COVID-19 aid relief checks from $ 600 to $ 2000 , but that is the box that Donald Trump put them in when he made the suggestion before Christmas as he threatened to veto the aid package bill .
Grateful Democrats immediately jumped on the president 's suggestion and are attempting to force a vote and , as CNN 's Cillizza writes , it will likely be a `` nightmare '' for senators to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It puts them in a very small box , '' he wrote .
`` Either vote to massively increase the national debt -- by giving $ 1,400 more to every qualifying individual in the country -- or vote against what is much-needed money for people who have been devastated by the economic effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic . ''
According to the CNN regular , no matter which way GOP senators vote , it will likely come back to haunt them later : either making a stand to help out desperate constituents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the national debt even more .
`` It 's a lose-lose .
Bigly , '' he wrote .
`` Especially if you are Sens .
Kelly Loeffler or David Perdue , both locked in tight runoff races on January 5 .
Both incumbent Republicans need base conservatives with them to win , so a vote for more government spending is n't a good one .
But they also ca n't actively agitate the rest of the state -- including swing voters in the suburbs who want the government to help those struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a nearly impossible line to walk , politically speaking . ''
With that in mind , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is in an even bigger bind : Anger his biggest supporters by encouraging the rank and file to give away more tax dollars , or shoot down the proposal and risk losing the two seats in Georgia -- costing him his Republican-majority Senate .
As Cillizza put it : `` This will be a major test for McConnell .
If this winds up getting to a vote -- either on cloture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final floor vote -- it is very bad news for Senate Republicans . ''

According to CNN political analyst Chris Cillizza, the last thing Senate Republicans want to do is be forced into a vote on upping the COVID-19 aid relief checks from $600 to $2000, but that is the box that Donald Trump put them in when he made the suggestion before Christmas as he threatened to veto the aid package bill.
Grateful Democrats immediately jumped on the president's suggestion and are attempting to force a vote and, as CNN's Cillizza writes, it will likely be a "nightmare" for senators to have to vote on the record.
"It puts them in a very small box," he wrote. "Either vote to massively increase the national debt -- by giving $1,400 more to every qualifying individual in the country -- or vote against what is much-needed money for people who have been devastated by the economic effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic."
According to the CNN regular, no matter which way GOP senators vote, it will likely come back to haunt them later: either making a stand to help out desperate constituents or angering fiscally conservative voters for running up the national debt even more.
"It's a lose-lose. Bigly," he wrote. "Especially if you are Sens. Kelly Loeffler or David Perdue, both locked in tight runoff races on January 5. Both incumbent Republicans need base conservatives with them to win, so a vote for more government spending isn't a good one. But they also can't actively agitate the rest of the state -- including swing voters in the suburbs who want the government to help those struggling as much as they can. It's a nearly impossible line to walk, politically speaking."
With that in mind, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is in an even bigger bind: Anger his biggest supporters by encouraging the rank and file to give away more tax dollars, or shoot down the proposal and risk losing the two seats in Georgia -- costing him his Republican-majority Senate.
As Cillizza put it: "This will be a major test for McConnell. If this winds up getting to a vote -- either on cloture (to end debate) or a final floor vote -- it is very bad news for Senate Republicans."


alternet--2020-12-28--Here's how we know Trump isn’t serious about running in 2024 — he just want to 'burn down his party'

Here's how we know Trump isn’t serious about running in 2024 — he just want to 'burn down his party': conservative

Although the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden is less than a month away , President Donald Trump has n't publicly ruled out the possibility of running for president again in 2024 .
But conservative Washington Post opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin argues that the president 's recent actions show that there will be no 2024 campaign in his future .
`` As if an attempted coup , insulting the 'totally incompetent and weak ' Supreme Court — including three appointees who supposedly were his big gift to conservatives — and refusing even to comment on the COVID-19 surge did not make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions should show he is not seriously contemplating another presidential run in 2024 , '' Rubin writes in her column this week .
`` Not even he could be so delusional as to imagine this recent flurry of destructive behavior helps him retain plausibility as a future presidential contender . ''
Rubin goes on to list some things that she believes show that Trump is n't serious about running in 2024 .
According to Rubin , someone who wants to `` remain a viable presidential contender '' would not `` veto the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and thereby set the stage for a humiliating veto override vote '' or `` refuse , for days , to sign a stimulus bill , which meant a lapse of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans . ''
Nor would that person `` throw around a $ 2000 stimulus check figure that makes Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler seem miserly as they struggle to win runoff elections in Georgia '' or `` hector his party to make a futile effort to disrupt counting the electoral votes cast on December 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential contender for 2024 would not `` risk sending the economy into a tailspin '' or `` pardon war criminals . ''
`` If he manages to sabotage the two Georgia GOP Senate candidates , he will deprive Republicans of the Senate majority , which would greatly assist President-elect Joe Biden in getting his nominees and legislative agenda through Congress , '' Rubin explains .
`` This is the conduct of someone who wants to burn down his party — and the country — if he can not be president . ''
Rubin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's actions during his lame duck period could inflict major damage on the GOP .
`` Many of us in the Never Trumper camp have argued that the Republican Party is not worth preserving after years of its leaders ' moral abdication , refusal to uphold their oaths and toleration of racism , '' Rubin writes .
`` What we did not bank on was that after corrupting the party , Trump would be the perfect means of destroying the GOP .
In doing so , he might finally make a contribution @ @ @ @ @ @

Although the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden is less than a month away, President Donald Trump hasn't publicly ruled out the possibility of running for president again in 2024. But conservative Washington Post opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin argues that the president's recent actions show that there will be no 2024 campaign in his future.
"As if an attempted coup, insulting the 'totally incompetent and weak' Supreme Court — including three appointees who supposedly were his big gift to conservatives — and refusing even to comment on the COVID-19 surge did not make it clear, President Trump's recent actions should show he is not seriously contemplating another presidential run in 2024," Rubin writes in her column this week. "Not even he could be so delusional as to imagine this recent flurry of destructive behavior helps him retain plausibility as a future presidential contender."
Rubin goes on to list some things that she believes show that Trump isn't serious about running in 2024. According to Rubin, someone who wants to "remain a viable presidential contender" would not "veto the National Defense Authorization Act to defund the military and thereby set the stage for a humiliating veto override vote" or "refuse, for days, to sign a stimulus bill, which meant a lapse of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans." Nor would that person "throw around a $2000 stimulus check figure that makes Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler seem miserly as they struggle to win runoff elections in Georgia" or "hector his party to make a futile effort to disrupt counting the electoral votes cast on December 14."
Rubin adds that a serious presidential contender for 2024 would not "risk sending the economy into a tailspin" or "pardon war criminals."
"If he manages to sabotage the two Georgia GOP Senate candidates, he will deprive Republicans of the Senate majority, which would greatly assist President-elect Joe Biden in getting his nominees and legislative agenda through Congress," Rubin explains. "This is the conduct of someone who wants to burn down his party — and the country — if he cannot be president."
Rubin wraps up her column by stressing that Trump's actions during his lame duck period could inflict major damage on the GOP.
"Many of us in the Never Trumper camp have argued that the Republican Party is not worth preserving after years of its leaders' moral abdication, refusal to uphold their oaths and toleration of racism," Rubin writes. "What we did not bank on was that after corrupting the party, Trump would be the perfect means of destroying the GOP. In doing so, he might finally make a contribution to U.S. democracy."


alternet--2020-12-28--Here’s how Democrats plan to corner Republicans on Trump’s demand for expanded $2000 relief payments

Although President Donald Trump was threatening to veto a coronavirus relief bill because it only offered direct payments of $ 600 rather than $ 2,000 , he ended up signing the bill on Sunday , December 27 .
But Democrats in Congress , according to Reuters , have n't given up on the higher direct payments .
Trump 's push for direct payments of $ 2000 was a rare example of Democrats being in agreement with the president .
When Republicans and Democrats in Congress were working out the details of the bill , Democrats would have preferred direct payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to $ 600 because they realized that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans were n't going to agree to a larger amount .
Then , when the bipartisan bill went to Trump 's desk , he responded that $ 600 was n't enough and threatened a veto .
Many Democrats said they would have been fine with $ 2,000 rather than $ 600 , but McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy refused to budge .
AP reporters Susan Cornwell and Steve Holland explain , `` ( Trump 's ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inject further chaos into the final stretch of his presidency .
Despite that , Democratic lawmakers who have a majority in the House of Representatives and have long wanted $ 2000 relief checks , hope to use a rare point of agreement with Trump to advance the proposal — or at least put Republicans on record against it — in a vote on Monday . ''
Cornwell and Holland note that two Republicans who are thanking Trump for signing the bill are Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Sen. David Perdue , both of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be decided in January .
If the Democratic candidates in those races — the Rev .
Raphael Warnock against Loeffler , Jon Ossoff against Perdue — are victorious , Republicans will lose their majority in the U.S. Senate .
In a joint statement , Loeffler and Perdue said , `` Thanks to President Trump 's leadership , COVID relief is again on its way to millions of Georgia families and businesses who need it most . ''
Cornwell and Holland report that the bill Trump ended up signing after threatening to veto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was due to expire on December 31 , refreshes support for small-business payrolls , provides funding to help schools re-open and aid for the transport industry and vaccine distribution '' and `` includes $ 1.4 trillion in spending to fund government agencies and avert a government shutdown that would have begun on Tuesday had Trump not signed the legislation . ''

Although President Donald Trump was threatening to veto a coronavirus relief bill because it only offered direct payments of $600 rather than $2,000, he ended up signing the bill on Sunday, December 27. But Democrats in Congress, according to Reuters, haven't given up on the higher direct payments.
Trump's push for direct payments of $2000 was a rare example of Democrats being in agreement with the president. When Republicans and Democrats in Congress were working out the details of the bill, Democrats would have preferred direct payments higher than $600. But Democrats agreed to $600 because they realized that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans weren't going to agree to a larger amount. Then, when the bipartisan bill went to Trump's desk, he responded that $600 wasn't enough and threatened a veto. Many Democrats said they would have been fine with $2,000 rather than $600, but McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy refused to budge.
AP reporters Susan Cornwell and Steve Holland explain, "(Trump's) surprise, last-minute resistance had threatened to inject further chaos into the final stretch of his presidency. Despite that, Democratic lawmakers who have a majority in the House of Representatives and have long wanted $2000 relief checks, hope to use a rare point of agreement with Trump to advance the proposal — or at least put Republicans on record against it — in a vote on Monday."
Cornwell and Holland note that two Republicans who are thanking Trump for signing the bill are Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Sen. David Perdue, both of whom are competing in Senate runoff elections that will be decided in January. If the Democratic candidates in those races — the Rev. Raphael Warnock against Loeffler, Jon Ossoff against Perdue — are victorious, Republicans will lose their majority in the U.S. Senate.
In a joint statement, Loeffler and Perdue said, "Thanks to President Trump's leadership, COVID relief is again on its way to millions of Georgia families and businesses who need it most."
Cornwell and Holland report that the bill Trump ended up signing after threatening to veto it "extends a moratorium on evictions that was due to expire on December 31, refreshes support for small-business payrolls, provides funding to help schools re-open and aid for the transport industry and vaccine distribution" and "includes $1.4 trillion in spending to fund government agencies and avert a government shutdown that would have begun on Tuesday had Trump not signed the legislation."


alternet--2020-12-28--Marco Rubio accused Dr. Fauci and other 'elites' of 'tricking' Americans on COVID-19 — it did not go

Marco Rubio accused Dr. Fauci and other 'elites' of 'tricking' Americans on COVID-19 — it did not go well

Before the 2020 presidential election , many of President Donald Trump 's supporters were urging him to fire Dr. Anthony @ @ @ @ @ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , from the White House coronavirus task force @ @ @ @ @ getting a promotion : he will still head the NIAID , but President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ as chief medical adviser in his incoming administration .
Meanwhile , Republican Sen. Marco Rubio @ @ @ @ @ Fauci 's coronavirus-related advice — and is being slammed for it on Twitter .
On @ @ @ @ @ a photo of himself receiving a COVID-19 vaccine : Then , on Sunday , December @ @ @ @ @ anti-Fauci tweet : Rubio 's December 27 tweet has received a lot of angry responses @ @ @ @ @ them :

Before the 2020 presidential election, many of President Donald Trump's supporters were urging him to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, from the White House coronavirus task force. Instead, Fauci is getting a promotion: he will still head the NIAID, but President-elect Joe Biden will employ the 80-year-old immunologist as chief medical adviser in his incoming administration. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is railing against Fauci's coronavirus-related advice — and is being slammed for it on Twitter.
On December 19, Rubio tweeted a photo of himself receiving a COVID-19 vaccine:
Then, on Sunday, December 27, Rubio posted an anti-Fauci tweet:
Rubio's December 27 tweet has received a lot of angry responses. Here are some of them:


alternet--2020-12-28--Analysis breaks down the millions of dollars Trump poured into his own personal businesses during hi

Analysis breaks down the millions of dollars Trump poured into his own personal businesses during his presidency

During the United States ' 2016 presidential election , Donald Trump promised that if he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton , he would `` drain the swamp , '' fight crony capitalism and maintain a strict separation between the Trump Organization and the federal government .
But a recent analysis by HuffPost , according to reporter S.V .
Date , found that Trump `` put $ 10.5 million '' into his `` own personal businesses over the course of his presidency . ''
`` Some $ 8.5 million came from the Trump campaign and related entities that Trump controls directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2 million came from other Republican candidates and committees .
Through a trust that he controls , Trump owns the hotels , golf courses and buildings that received the money , with every penny of profit flowing to him personally . ''
According to Date , `` The HuffPost analysis is based on a review of filings by the Trump campaign , the Republican National Committee and their two joint fundraising committees , representing all spending reported between January 20 , 2017 — Trump 's inauguration day and also the day he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 , the last date for the final filing period this year . ''
Date notes that Trump Tower in New York City `` received $ 1,716,155 in donor money in the form of rent payments for space in his building , even though the campaign was based in a high-rise office building in Arlington , Virginia , across the Potomac River from the White House . ''
`` Trump 's hotel in Washington , where Trump held several fundraisers , took in $ 967,599 in donor money , '' Date observes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miami airport got $ 1,363,565 .
Trump 's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach , Florida , where Trump spent some three months of his presidency playing golf and where he also hosted several fundraisers , received $ 639,031 .
But the biggest beneficiary was Trump 's hotel in New York City , which took in a total of $ 3,039,979 over the four years of his presidency , with $ 891,003 of that in just the final four months of the campaign . ''
Jordan Libowitz of the Washington , D.C.-based watchdog group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` It should come as no surprise that millions in political money has been funneled to his businesses or through opaque corporations to hide how much was going to his inner circle . ''
Date also reports that `` Trump 's Washington hotel , just blocks from the White House , was the biggest recipient of money from Republican candidates and groups not under Trump 's control : $ 1,632,700 over four years , accounting for 84 % of the $ 1,944,243 received by all of Trump 's properties from a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legal Center attorney Brendan Fischer told HuffPost , `` The law requires that political candidates and parties tell voters how campaign money is being spent .
But Trump and the RNC routed their political spending through shell companies , leaving the public in the dark about where over three-quarters of a billion dollars have actually gone . ''

During the United States' 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump promised that if he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, he would "drain the swamp," fight crony capitalism and maintain a strict separation between the Trump Organization and the federal government. But a recent analysis by HuffPost, according to reporter S.V. Date, found that Trump "put $10.5 million" into his "own personal businesses over the course of his presidency."
"Some $8.5 million came from the Trump campaign and related entities that Trump controls directly," Date reports. "Another $2 million came from other Republican candidates and committees. Through a trust that he controls, Trump owns the hotels, golf courses and buildings that received the money, with every penny of profit flowing to him personally."
According to Date, "The HuffPost analysis is based on a review of filings by the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and their two joint fundraising committees, representing all spending reported between January 20, 2017 — Trump's inauguration day and also the day he opened his reelection account — and November 23, the last date for the final filing period this year."
Date notes that Trump Tower in New York City "received $1,716,155 in donor money in the form of rent payments for space in his building, even though the campaign was based in a high-rise office building in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from the White House."
"Trump's hotel in Washington, where Trump held several fundraisers, took in $967,599 in donor money," Date observes. "His struggling golf resort near the Miami airport got $1,363,565. Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump spent some three months of his presidency playing golf and where he also hosted several fundraisers, received $639,031. But the biggest beneficiary was Trump's hotel in New York City, which took in a total of $3,039,979 over the four years of his presidency, with $891,003 of that in just the final four months of the campaign."
Jordan Libowitz of the Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics told HuffPost, "It should come as no surprise that millions in political money has been funneled to his businesses or through opaque corporations to hide how much was going to his inner circle."
Date also reports that "Trump's Washington hotel, just blocks from the White House, was the biggest recipient of money from Republican candidates and groups not under Trump's control: $1,632,700 over four years, accounting for 84% of the $1,944,243 received by all of Trump's properties from a total of 166 GOP groups."
Campaign Legal Center attorney Brendan Fischer told HuffPost, "The law requires that political candidates and parties tell voters how campaign money is being spent. But Trump and the RNC routed their political spending through shell companies, leaving the public in the dark about where over three-quarters of a billion dollars have actually gone."


alternet--2020-12-28--Trump 'wants to screw Mitch McConnell' for betraying him on the election results: columnist

In his column for the Daily Beast , longtime political observer Michael Tomasky claims the country is watching `` The Last ( For the Time Being ) Crack-Up of King Donald , '' while the president sulks at Mar-a-Lago over his election loss and plots to damage the Republican Party as he exits the presidency .
Although the president reportedly signed the COVID-19 aid bill at the last minute Sunday night -- while also forestalling a government shutdown -- the columnist said the president did great damage to the Republican Party by delaying the signing and infuriating the public by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veto .
Calling the signing delay -- and the anxiety it caused over Christmas week -- `` insane , ' Tomasky suggested that the damage Trump is doing to the GOP is on purpose as both a loyalty test and to show Republican lawmakers that , even as he is leaving office after a humiliating defeat , he can still make them or break them .
`` Trump is a 5-year-old , and everything with him is 5-year-old simple .
Caveman simple , '' he wrote .
`` Thus , he ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate under a Biden presidency , or anything of the sort . ''
Despite the fact that the president is scheduled to campaign for Georgia Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue before their runoff election against their Democratic challengers , Tomasky wrote that the president would really like to see Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) lose control of the Senate and suffer .
`` He wants to screw Mitch McConnell .
There 's nothing complicated or tactical about this .
McConnell acknowledged that Joe Biden won the election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caveman simple , '' he wrote before adding that Trump would like to see both of the GOP Senate candidates to lose because he also lost the state .
`` Trump does n't care who runs the Senate if he 's not president , '' Tomasky wrote .
`` To the extent that he 's capable of a little strategery , he may well be thinking that he 'd rather the Democrats have the run of the place in 2021 and 2022 , and maybe even into the two years after that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or so he thinks , because he assumes that if Democrats control Congress and the White House , America will have descended into socialist hell by 2024 . ''
The columnist went on to note that the president is probably wrong about that , since the Biden administration will likely be measured on how it handles the COVID-19 crisis it inherited from Trump which inflicted so much damage on the country due to Trump 's mismanagement .
You can read more here ( subscription required ) .

In his column for the Daily Beast, longtime political observer Michael Tomasky claims the country is watching "The Last (For the Time Being) Crack-Up of King Donald," while the president sulks at Mar-a-Lago over his election loss and plots to damage the Republican Party as he exits the presidency.
Although the president reportedly signed the COVID-19 aid bill at the last minute Sunday night -- while also forestalling a government shutdown -- the columnist said the president did great damage to the Republican Party by delaying the signing and infuriating the public by spending the weekend golfing after threatening a veto.
Calling the signing delay -- and the anxiety it caused over Christmas week -- "insane,' Tomasky suggested that the damage Trump is doing to the GOP is on purpose as both a loyalty test and to show Republican lawmakers that, even as he is leaving office after a humiliating defeat, he can still make them or break them.
"Trump is a 5-year-old, and everything with him is 5-year-old simple. Caveman simple," he wrote. "Thus, he can't think about the Republican Party, or the Senate under a Biden presidency, or anything of the sort."
Despite the fact that the president is scheduled to campaign for Georgia Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue before their runoff election against their Democratic challengers, Tomasky wrote that the president would really like to see Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) lose control of the Senate and suffer.
"He wants to screw Mitch McConnell. There's nothing complicated or tactical about this. McConnell acknowledged that Joe Biden won the election. Therefore he must suffer. Boom. Caveman simple," he wrote before adding that Trump would like to see both of the GOP Senate candidates to lose because he also lost the state.
"Trump doesn't care who runs the Senate if he's not president," Tomasky wrote. "To the extent that he's capable of a little strategery, he may well be thinking that he'd rather the Democrats have the run of the place in 2021 and 2022, and maybe even into the two years after that. They'll be easier to run against. Or so he thinks, because he assumes that if Democrats control Congress and the White House, America will have descended into socialist hell by 2024."
The columnist went on to note that the president is probably wrong about that, since the Biden administration will likely be measured on how it handles the COVID-19 crisis it inherited from Trump which inflicted so much damage on the country due to Trump's mismanagement.
You can read more here (subscription required).


alternet--2020-12-28--Right-wing conspiracy theories are leading to ‘radicalization’ and ‘violent extremism’: security exp

Right-wing conspiracy theories are leading to ‘radicalization’ and ‘violent extremism’: security experts

Far-right conspiracy theorists are not a new phenomenon .
The late conservative National Review founder William F. Buckley famously railed against the John Birch Society during the 1960s , denouncing them as extremists who he believed were bad for the conservative movement .
But during the Trump era , far-right conspiracy theorists have become increasingly prominent — and experts on domestic terrorism and national security , according to National Public Radio 's Hannah Allam , fear that the number of violent attacks could escalate .
`` Domestic terrorism analysts are raising concern about the security implications of millions of conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allam reports .
`` They say the line between mainstream and fringe is vanishing , with conspiracy-minded Republicans now marching alongside armed extremists at rallies across the country . ''
Allam notes that during a recent online conference for the group Millions of Conversations , Mary McCord — a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at Georgetown University in Washington , D.C. — warned , `` This tent that used to be sort of 'far-right extremists ' has gotten a lot broader .
To me , a former counterterrorism official , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person who spoke at that online conference was Elizabeth Neumann , a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security official .
Although Neumann is conservative , she has become a vehement critic of President Donald Trump and supported former Vice President Joe Biden in the United States ' 2020 presidential election .
Neumann warned , `` Breaking through that echo chamber is critical — or else , we 'll see more violence . ''
Although President-elect Biden enjoyed a decisive victory — winning 306 electoral votes and defeating Trump by over 7 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 74 million votes .
And Allam notes that counterterrorism experts are wondering how many of those 74 million Trump voters are buying into far-right conspiracy theories .
Allam explains , `` Political conspiracies drew thousands to last weekend 's pro-Trump rally , after which the Proud Boys and other violent extremist groups wreaked havoc in Downtown Washington , D.C… .
While it 's impossible to pin down the scope of such beliefs , analysts say , the numbers are staggering if even a fraction of President Trump 's more than 74 million voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , the election was rigged , the coronavirus is a hoax , and liberals are hatching a socialist takeover . ''
Kori Schake , formerly a senior adviser for the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Security Council , told those attending Millions of Conversations ' online event , `` It really matters that the president of the United States is an arsonist of radicalization .
And it will really help when that is no longer the case . ''
Arie Kruglanski , who teaches at the University of Maryland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is worried as well .
Allam quotes Kruglanski as saying , `` We do n't trust the government .
We do n't trust the Congress .
We do n't trust the Supreme Court .
We do n't trust now the science .
We do n't trust medicine .
We do n't trust the media for sure .
So , who do we trust ?
Well , we trust our tribe .
We trust conspiracy theories that tell us what we want to hear . ''
Kruglanski warned , `` Every large political movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fringe minority .
And when it catches on , it can engulf the whole society .
So , you know , the danger is there . ''

Far-right conspiracy theorists are not a new phenomenon. The late conservative National Review founder William F. Buckley famously railed against the John Birch Society during the 1960s, denouncing them as extremists who he believed were bad for the conservative movement. But during the Trump era, far-right conspiracy theorists have become increasingly prominent — and experts on domestic terrorism and national security, according to National Public Radio's Hannah Allam, fear that the number of violent attacks could escalate.
"Domestic terrorism analysts are raising concern about the security implications of millions of conservatives buying into baseless right-wing claims," Allam reports. "They say the line between mainstream and fringe is vanishing, with conspiracy-minded Republicans now marching alongside armed extremists at rallies across the country."
Allam notes that during a recent online conference for the group Millions of Conversations, Mary McCord — a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. — warned, "This tent that used to be sort of 'far-right extremists' has gotten a lot broader. To me, a former counterterrorism official, that's a radicalization process."
Another person who spoke at that online conference was Elizabeth Neumann, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security official. Although Neumann is conservative, she has become a vehement critic of President Donald Trump and supported former Vice President Joe Biden in the United States' 2020 presidential election. Neumann warned, "Breaking through that echo chamber is critical — or else, we'll see more violence."
Although President-elect Biden enjoyed a decisive victory — winning 306 electoral votes and defeating Trump by over 7 million in the popular vote — the president received 74 million votes. And Allam notes that counterterrorism experts are wondering how many of those 74 million Trump voters are buying into far-right conspiracy theories.
Allam explains, "Political conspiracies drew thousands to last weekend's pro-Trump rally, after which the Proud Boys and other violent extremist groups wreaked havoc in Downtown Washington, D.C…. While it's impossible to pin down the scope of such beliefs, analysts say, the numbers are staggering if even a fraction of President Trump's more than 74 million voters support bogus claims that say, for example, the election was rigged, the coronavirus is a hoax, and liberals are hatching a socialist takeover."
Kori Schake, formerly a senior adviser for the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Security Council, told those attending Millions of Conversations' online event, "It really matters that the president of the United States is an arsonist of radicalization. And it will really help when that is no longer the case."
Arie Kruglanski, who teaches at the University of Maryland and has written a lot about radicalization, is worried as well. Allam quotes Kruglanski as saying, "We don't trust the government. We don't trust the Congress. We don't trust the Supreme Court. We don't trust now the science. We don't trust medicine. We don't trust the media for sure. So, who do we trust? Well, we trust our tribe. We trust conspiracy theories that tell us what we want to hear."
Kruglanski warned, "Every large political movement started at one point as a small fringe minority. And when it catches on, it can engulf the whole society. So, you know, the danger is there."


alternet--2020-12-28--Conservative GOP senator calls out Trump for 'misuse' of presidential pardons

President Donald Trump has been drawing a great deal of criticism from Democrats for the long list of cronies he has pardoned this month — a list that ranges from Paul Manafort , his 2016 campaign manager , to Charles Kushner ( father of White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner , his son-in-law ) to Rep. Duncan D. Hunter of California .
But not all of the criticism is coming from Democrats .
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania , during a December 28 appearance on `` Fox News Sunday , '' called Trump out for his `` misuse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toomey complained , `` I mean , my goodness , we have tax fraud and bank fraud , witness tampering , obstruction of justice .
But because they were close to the president , they got pardoned . ''
Manafort served time in federal prison for tax fraud and bank fraud , while Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison for campaign finance violations .
And veteran GOP operative Roger Stone , a long-time Trump ally and self-described `` dirty trickster , '' was on his way to federal prison for obstruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes when Trump commuted his sentence — a commutation that was followed by a full pardon this month .
When Toomey was asked if presidential pardons should be restricted , he responded , `` It 's a good discussion to have , but it 's a tough call .
I think it would be very challenging . ''
Toomey has never been known as a moderate Republican .
When he gave the late Sen. Arlen Specter a GOP primary challenge in 2004 , the Philadelphia Inquirer 's editorial board attacked Toomey as being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was voted out of office in 2006 and replaced by centrist Democrat Bob Casey .
But Toomey , who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and narrowly reelected in 2016 , has , at times , appeared uncomfortable with Trumpism .
And he recently announced that he will not seek another term in 2022 .

President Donald Trump has been drawing a great deal of criticism from Democrats for the long list of cronies he has pardoned this month — a list that ranges from Paul Manafort, his 2016 campaign manager, to Charles Kushner (father of White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, his son-in-law) to Rep. Duncan D. Hunter of California. But not all of the criticism is coming from Democrats. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, during a December 28 appearance on "Fox News Sunday," called Trump out for his "misuse of the power" to issue pardons.
Toomey complained, "I mean, my goodness, we have tax fraud and bank fraud, witness tampering, obstruction of justice. But because they were close to the president, they got pardoned."
Manafort served time in federal prison for tax fraud and bank fraud, while Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison for campaign finance violations. And veteran GOP operative Roger Stone, a long-time Trump ally and self-described "dirty trickster," was on his way to federal prison for obstruction of justice, witness tampering and other crimes when Trump commuted his sentence — a commutation that was followed by a full pardon this month.
When Toomey was asked if presidential pardons should be restricted, he responded, "It's a good discussion to have, but it's a tough call. I think it would be very challenging."
Toomey has never been known as a moderate Republican. When he gave the late Sen. Arlen Specter a GOP primary challenge in 2004, the Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial board attacked Toomey as being to the right of then-Sen. Rick Santorum, who was voted out of office in 2006 and replaced by centrist Democrat Bob Casey. But Toomey, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and narrowly reelected in 2016, has, at times, appeared uncomfortable with Trumpism. And he recently announced that he will not seek another term in 2022.


alternet--2020-12-28--Republicans made their own worst nightmare come true in the most lurid way imaginable

Yeah , so remember the nonsense that proto-Trump nitwit Sarah Palin spewed about `` death panels '' back when the Affordable Care Act was being debated ?
Like most of what she said , it was too crazy to believe .
I mean , seriously .
Rationing lifesaving care in America ?
Pfft .
Like that would ever happ … Oh , what fresh hell is this ?
Leave it to Republicans to make their own worst , totally fabricated nightmares come true in the most lurid way imaginable .
By the way , here 's the bit that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : To my dying day ( which could be soon if Donald Trump and his Pestilence Patrol have their way ) , I 'll never understand how the same people who nearly shat a lung over Terri Schiavo could be so blasé about the lives of thousands of perfectly healthy people who did n't need extraordinary lifesaving measures until the coronavirus put Trump on retainer as its top PR flack .
But then they live in a rarefied world , do n't they ?
Who am I to question the wisdom of a @ @ @

Yeah, so remember the nonsense that proto-Trump nitwit Sarah Palin spewed about "death panels" back when the Affordable Care Act was being debated?
Like most of what she said, it was too crazy to believe. I mean, seriously. Rationing lifesaving care in America? Pfft. Like that would ever happ …
Oh, what fresh hell is this?
Leave it to Republicans to make their own worst, totally fabricated nightmares come true in the most lurid way imaginable.
By the way, here's the bit that's circled in red in the first tweet:
2. If a patient becomes ill and the doctor believes the patient needs extra care in an ICU or needs mechanical ventilation (breathing machine), their case will be reviewed, along with other patient cases, to determine how these resources should be shared throughout the hospital.
3. If a patient becomes extremely sick and very unlikely to survive his/her illness (even with life-saving treatment) — limited medical resources may go to treat other patients who are more likely to survive.
a. If a ventilator or ICU care is not offered or is stopped, the patient has the right to ask their doctor for further detail concerning this decision and will receive everything they need to ensure they are comfortable and free of pain or discomfort.
Okay, that doesn't sound good.
To my dying day (which could be soon if Donald Trump and his Pestilence Patrol have their way), I'll never understand how the same people who nearly shat a lung over Terri Schiavo could be so blasé about the lives of thousands of perfectly healthy people who didn't need extraordinary lifesaving measures until the coronavirus put Trump on retainer as its top PR flack.
But then they live in a rarefied world, don't they? Who am I to question the wisdom of a holier-than-moi conservative?


alternet--2020-12-28--Fauci warns we're hitting a COVID 'surge on a surge' thanks to post-holiday spike

The United States will most likely experience a `` post-seasonal '' spike in coronavirus infections largely due to holiday travel and gatherings , current and former U.S. health officials said on Sunday .
`` We very well might see a post-seasonal—in the sense of Christmas , New Year's—surge ... a surge upon a surge , '' said Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an incoming chief medical adviser to President-elect Joe Biden , on CNN 's `` State of the Union . ''
`` We 're really at a very critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I share the concern of President-elect Biden that , as we get into the next few weeks , it might actually get worse , '' Fauci added , referring to Biden 's prediction earlier this week that `` our darkest days in the battle against Covid-19 are ahead of us , not behind us . ''
U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams also said that a post-holiday infection surge was likely .
`` But what the important thing for people to understand is that even if you traveled , it does n't mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air and say , oh well , '' he said on ABC 's `` This Week . ''
`` There are measures that you can take , '' said Adams , including getting tested , self-quarantining , and avoiding vulnerable people such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions .
Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb , appearing on CBS `` Face the Nation , '' predicted `` a grim month . ''
`` We have a very difficult month ahead of us , '' he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and New Jersey as places `` where cases are still building . ''
When asked how long it will be until the nation sees results from the two vaccines which have been administered to some 1.9 million Americans and counting , Gottlieb said that while vaccinations are `` going to take about three weeks to get through all the nursing homes , '' there will be `` some indication '' that mass inoculation is `` probably having an effect maybe as early as this week . ''
Fauci told CNN that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ —the effective neutralization of the virus following the infection or vaccination of enough people—70 % to 85 % of the public would likely need to be inoculated .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 179,104 new coronavirus infections and 1,309 new daily deaths on Sunday , for a total of 18.9 million U.S. infections and 330,901 Covid-19 deaths during the nine-month pandemic .
The health experts ' warnings came the morning after Trump refused to sign a $ 900 billion pandemic relief bill , allowing unemployment coverage for millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with eviction as a federal moratorium was set to expire at the end of the year .
Trump acquiesced to bipartisan pressure and later on Sunday signed a $ 2.3 trillion Covid-19 relief and spending bill that will provide vaccine distribution , unemployment , small business , and airline company assistance , and fund the U.S. government through September 2021 .

The United States will most likely experience a "post-seasonal" spike in coronavirus infections largely due to holiday travel and gatherings, current and former U.S. health officials said on Sunday.
"We very well might see a post-seasonal—in the sense of Christmas, New Year's—surge... a surge upon a surge," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an incoming chief medical adviser to President-elect Joe Biden, on CNN's "State of the Union."
"We're really at a very critical point," he warned.
"I share the concern of President-elect Biden that, as we get into the next few weeks, it might actually get worse," Fauci added, referring to Biden's prediction earlier this week that "our darkest days in the battle against Covid-19 are ahead of us, not behind us."
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams also said that a post-holiday infection surge was likely.
"But what the important thing for people to understand is that even if you traveled, it doesn't mean you just throw your hands up in the air and say, oh well," he said on ABC's "This Week."
"There are measures that you can take," said Adams, including getting tested, self-quarantining, and avoiding vulnerable people such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, appearing on CBS "Face the Nation," predicted "a grim month."
"We have a very difficult month ahead of us," he said, identifying California, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey as places "where cases are still building."
When asked how long it will be until the nation sees results from the two vaccines which have been administered to some 1.9 million Americans and counting, Gottlieb said that while vaccinations are "going to take about three weeks to get through all the nursing homes," there will be "some indication" that mass inoculation is "probably having an effect maybe as early as this week."
Fauci told CNN that in order to achieve "herd immunity"—the effective neutralization of the virus following the infection or vaccination of enough people—70% to 85% of the public would likely need to be inoculated.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 179,104 new coronavirus infections and 1,309 new daily deaths on Sunday, for a total of 18.9 million U.S. infections and 330,901 Covid-19 deaths during the nine-month pandemic.
The health experts' warnings came the morning after Trump refused to sign a $900 billion pandemic relief bill, allowing unemployment coverage for millions of Americans to expire and threatening millions more with eviction as a federal moratorium was set to expire at the end of the year.
Trump acquiesced to bipartisan pressure and later on Sunday signed a $2.3 trillion Covid-19 relief and spending bill that will provide vaccine distribution, unemployment, small business, and airline company assistance, and fund the U.S. government through September 2021.


alternet--2020-12-28--There's a secret message buried in Trump's pardons everyone seems to have missed

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The 24 pardons that Donald Trump granted last week drew a lot of attention , but no one seemed to notice the message Trump sent by not issuing pardons .
Trump 's choices made it clear that he is a white-collar crime boss .
Trump pardoned four mercenaries who murdered Iraqi civilians , but not Jeremy Ridgeway the soldier-for-hire who plead guilty to manslaughter , testified against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year and a day in federal prison .
Trump pardoned Roger Stone , his dirty trickster confidant ; General Michael Flynn his national security adviser who was on the Kremlin payroll ; and his 2016 campaign manager Paul Manafort , but not Manafort deputy Rick Gates , who turned state 's evidence and confessed to his crimes .
He also pardoned Rod Blagojevich , the former Illinois governor convicted of trying to sell a Senate seat .
But there was no pardon for Michael Cohen , Trump 's lawyer , and longtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the direction of unindicted coconspirator `` Individual 1 , '' identified in federal court as Trump .
The pardons of the mercenaries , who worked for Trump ally Erik Prince who supplies hired armies , of campaign aides Stone and Manafort , of Flynn and of Blagojevich carried a clear message .
You can bet that lawyers for others considering ratting out Trump or who are already working with authorities to rein in the Trump crime family got the message .
The message : the boss takes care of friends and allies if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent , but does nothing for those who cooperate with law enforcement .
Give Trump 's many attacks on the FBI and other law enforcement , this should surprise no one , especially journalists -- and yet it eluded them .
How is it that none of our major news organizations figured this out ?
Hint : they rely too much on the official version of events , official announcements and access instead of thinking and exercising reportorial authority , afraid they will be seen as tendentious .
If Trump declared that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations would flee from reporting that was false , crazy , or nonsense , and some would focus on how the Sun only appears to rise , never mind that it appears to rise in the East .
The pardons issued so far and more that are no doubt coming in the next three weeks , raise grave questions about the future of our democracy that have received less comment than outrage over the brazen abuse of the pardon power , especially as part of a scheme to obstruct justice .
Think about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as lawless as Trump becomes president .
Imagine a president with much more skill , smarts , and vigor than Trump , and one with better lawyers .
A future president could use the pardon power to protect elaborate criminal schemes , to subvert the Bill of Rights , to frame political opponents , and even direct political murders so long as they were committed in federal jurisdictions so no state-level charges could be brought .
The presidential pardon , remember , applies only to federal crimes .
Trump behaved last week exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could exercise the powers of the American presidency : show mercy to criminals , especially criminals who have aided your crimes or whose supporters may be useful to you in the future but do nothing for those who did the right thing once they were caught and helped bring others to justice .
This is exactly what Trump , as a private citizen , did in a series of extraordinary favors for a major international cocaine and marijuana trafficker with whom he had extensive and close business ties .
In that case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weichselbaum .
The trafficker personally managed and piloted Trump 's helicopter in the 1980s , supplied Trump with a fleet of helicopters to ferry high rollers to Atlantic City , and rented a luxury Manhattan apartment from Trump under an unusual lease that obscured how much rent was actually paid .
In a 1986 letter to the sentencing judge , Trump called Weichselbaum `` a credit to the community . ''
Trump wrote that Weichselbaum should serve no prison time for a long-running scheme in which the mules – people who drove cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Cincinnati – got 20 years .
Read carefully , Trump 's letter was really directed not at the judge , but at Weichselbaum .
Trump 's clear message to his buddy : do n't rat me out and I 'll take care of you .
Trump took excellent care of his cocaine trafficker buddy .
Weichselbaum spent just 18 months in a Manhattan prison , paid only a token sum on his $ 30,000 federal fine because he said he was broke and yet he moved into a $ 2.4 million double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Weichselbaum said the Trump Organization also gave him a new job -- as Trump 's helicopter consultant .
Now is the time to demand that Congress act to protect us from a future lawless president so he or she can not use the pardon power balm to criminal pals and an ax to eviscerate our liberties and our control of our government .
There 's a secret message buried in Trump 's pardons everyone seems to have missed

This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers. Not a subscriber? Try us and go ad-free for $1. Prefer to give a one-time tip? Click here.
The 24 pardons that Donald Trump granted last week drew a lot of attention, but no one seemed to notice the message Trump sent by not issuing pardons. Trump's choices made it clear that he is a white-collar crime boss.
Trump pardoned four mercenaries who murdered Iraqi civilians, but not Jeremy Ridgeway the soldier-for-hire who plead guilty to manslaughter, testified against the others, and was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.
Trump pardoned Roger Stone, his dirty trickster confidant; General Michael Flynn his national security adviser who was on the Kremlin payroll; and his 2016 campaign manager Paul Manafort, but not Manafort deputy Rick Gates, who turned state's evidence and confessed to his crimes.
He also pardoned Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor convicted of trying to sell a Senate seat. But there was no pardon for Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer, and longtime fixer who confessed to committing felonies at the direction of unindicted coconspirator "Individual 1," identified in federal court as Trump.
A future president could use the pardon power to protect elaborate criminal schemes, to subvert the Bill of Rights, to frame political opponents, and even direct political murders.
The pardons of the mercenaries, who worked for Trump ally Erik Prince who supplies hired armies, of campaign aides Stone and Manafort, of Flynn and of Blagojevich carried a clear message. You can bet that lawyers for others considering ratting out Trump or who are already working with authorities to rein in the Trump crime family got the message.
The message: the boss takes care of friends and allies if they lie for the boss or keep silent, but does nothing for those who cooperate with law enforcement. Give Trump's many attacks on the FBI and other law enforcement, this should surprise no one, especially journalists -- and yet it eluded them.
Missing The Story
How is it that none of our major news organizations figured this out? Hint: they rely too much on the official version of events, official announcements and access instead of thinking and exercising reportorial authority, afraid they will be seen as tendentious. If Trump declared that the Sun rises in the West many news organizations would flee from reporting that was false, crazy, or nonsense, and some would focus on how the Sun only appears to rise, never mind that it appears to rise in the East.
The pardons issued so far and more that are no doubt coming in the next three weeks, raise grave questions about the future of our democracy that have received less comment than outrage over the brazen abuse of the pardon power, especially as part of a scheme to obstruct justice.
Think about what will happen the next time someone as lawless as Trump becomes president. Imagine a president with much more skill, smarts, and vigor than Trump, and one with better lawyers. A future president could use the pardon power to protect elaborate criminal schemes, to subvert the Bill of Rights, to frame political opponents, and even direct political murders so long as they were committed in federal jurisdictions so no state-level charges could be brought. The presidential pardon, remember, applies only to federal crimes.
Trump behaved last week exactly as any crime boss would act if he could exercise the powers of the American presidency: show mercy to criminals, especially criminals who have aided your crimes or whose supporters may be useful to you in the future but do nothing for those who did the right thing once they were caught and helped bring others to justice.
Trump Helps Cocaine Trafficker Buddy
This is exactly what Trump, as a private citizen, did in a series of extraordinary favors for a major international cocaine and marijuana trafficker with whom he had extensive and close business ties.
In that case, Trump sought mercy three-time felon Joseph Weichselbaum. The trafficker personally managed and piloted Trump's helicopter in the 1980s, supplied Trump with a fleet of helicopters to ferry high rollers to Atlantic City, and rented a luxury Manhattan apartment from Trump under an unusual lease that obscured how much rent was actually paid.
In a 1986 letter to the sentencing judge, Trump called Weichselbaum "a credit to the community." Trump wrote that Weichselbaum should serve no prison time for a long-running scheme in which the mules – people who drove cars and vans loaded with drugs from Miami to Cincinnati – got 20 years.
Read carefully, Trump's letter was really directed not at the judge, but at Weichselbaum.
Trump's clear message to his buddy: don't rat me out and I'll take care of you.
Trump took excellent care of his cocaine trafficker buddy. Weichselbaum spent just 18 months in a Manhattan prison, paid only a token sum on his $30,000 federal fine because he said he was broke and yet he moved into a $2.4 million double apartment at Trump Tower upon his release. Weichselbaum said the Trump Organization also gave him a new job -- as Trump's helicopter consultant.
Now is the time to demand that Congress act to protect us from a future lawless president so he or she cannot use the pardon power balm to criminal pals and an ax to eviscerate our liberties and our control of our government.


alternet--2020-12-29--GOP rep sues Mike Pence in yet another lawsuit to nullify Joe Biden's presidential win

There is a new Dumbest Lawsuit in the Land , and it should not surprise anyone to know that Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert , a man whose battles with coherency and common sense have become the stuff of congressional legend , is the first name on the sheet .
According to the lawsuit—which is filed in Gohmert 's home district and features the names of Arizona 's supposed `` alternate '' Republican `` electors '' Kelli Ward , of all people—the manner in which presidential electoral votes have been counted by Congress all these years is completely wrong and unconstitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are filing suit against Vice President Mike Pence .
They demand that the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas declare that Pence need not count the electors from the states Donald Trump and his allies do not want counted when Pence presides over the congressional tally of Electoral College votes on Jan. 6 .
The Constitution , they say , grants Pence the power to throw out votes if he damn well wants to , upon which the election is nullified , the House and Senate meet to pick who the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that somehow leads to the Democratic-led House somehow agreeing that Donald Murderbuffoon must remain president .
The important thing to know is that lawsuit has roughly zero chance of working , because ( 1 ) the Constitution does not say that , ( 2 ) the claim that Gohmert has standing because as a congressthing , counting electors he does n't want counted will make him officially Sad , and ( 3 ) all the rest of it .
It 's a broadly dishonest retread of the previous Dumbest Lawsuit in the Land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ errors removed and new ones added .
The backstory here , though , is mildly more interesting .
Exactly a week ago , Gohmert and a host of Republican fascism-peddlers met with both Donald Trump and Mike Pence to plot out strategies for sabotaging the acceptance of the Electoral College results .
House Republicans have been strongly pressuring Pence to cause a scene at the Jan. 6 tally , Donald Trump 's pseudolegal bullshitters have been hyping conspiracy theories rallying the base around the same premise , and we can gather that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move between House Republicans and Pence to give him plausible deniability for creating a scene or , perhaps more likely , a disgruntled loner move from Gohmert himself after Pence refused to explicitly promise House crackpots that he 'd go along with their ridiculous , seditious , and doomed-to-failure plan .
So this is what they came up with .
Or , at least , what Rep. Louie Gohmert and Kelli Freaking Ward came up with .
We 're going to no doubt see different versions appear in coming days from Jim Jordan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but all of it is meant mostly as rube fodder .
It is meant to rile the far-right Republican base into believing the election was `` illegitimate '' based on hoaxes peddled by Republican leaders claiming all manner of conspiracy and fraud .
It 's already been made clear that even conservative courts are not going to go along with Republican attempts to stage an outright coup .
House Republicans and Trump are instead working to so delegitimize our elections process that the violent far right comes out to do what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably wo n't work does n't make it less dangerous .
This is another test of the system 's bounds .
They will be tested again , and again , and again .

There is a new Dumbest Lawsuit in the Land, and it should not surprise anyone to know that Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert, a man whose battles with coherency and common sense have become the stuff of congressional legend, is the first name on the sheet. According to the lawsuit—which is filed in Gohmert's home district and features the names of Arizona's supposed "alternate" Republican "electors" Kelli Ward, of all people—the manner in which presidential electoral votes have been counted by Congress all these years is completely wrong and unconstitutional.
Instead, Gohmert and the others are filing suit against Vice President Mike Pence. They demand that the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas declare that Pence need not count the electors from the states Donald Trump and his allies do not want counted when Pence presides over the congressional tally of Electoral College votes on Jan. 6. The Constitution, they say, grants Pence the power to throw out votes if he damn well wants to, upon which the election is nullified, the House and Senate meet to pick who the president will be, and in theory that somehow leads to the Democratic-led House somehow agreeing that Donald Murderbuffoon must remain president.
The important thing to know is that lawsuit has roughly zero chance of working, because (1) the Constitution does not say that, (2) the claim that Gohmert has standing because as a congressthing, counting electors he doesn't want counted will make him officially Sad, and (3) all the rest of it. It's a broadly dishonest retread of the previous Dumbest Lawsuit in the Land, with some of the most egregious errors removed and new ones added.
The backstory here, though, is mildly more interesting. Exactly a week ago, Gohmert and a host of Republican fascism-peddlers met with both Donald Trump and Mike Pence to plot out strategies for sabotaging the acceptance of the Electoral College results. House Republicans have been strongly pressuring Pence to cause a scene at the Jan. 6 tally, Donald Trump's pseudolegal bullshitters have been hyping conspiracy theories rallying the base around the same premise, and we can gather that this lawsuit against Pence was either a planned move between House Republicans and Pence to give him plausible deniability for creating a scene or, perhaps more likely, a disgruntled loner move from Gohmert himself after Pence refused to explicitly promise House crackpots that he'd go along with their ridiculous, seditious, and doomed-to-failure plan.
So this is what they came up with. Or, at least, what Rep. Louie Gohmert and Kelli Freaking Ward came up with. We're going to no doubt see different versions appear in coming days from Jim Jordan and Trump's other most willing traitors, but all of it is meant mostly as rube fodder. It is meant to rile the far-right Republican base into believing the election was "illegitimate" based on hoaxes peddled by Republican leaders claiming all manner of conspiracy and fraud.
It's already been made clear that even conservative courts are not going to go along with Republican attempts to stage an outright coup. House Republicans and Trump are instead working to so delegitimize our elections process that the violent far right comes out to do what the courts will not.
Just because it probably won't work doesn't make it less dangerous. This is another test of the system's bounds. They will be tested again, and again, and again.


alternet--2020-12-29--Biden to invoke Defense Protection Act to vaccinate Americans after Trump team fails to meet goal

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to invoke the Defense Production Act to ensure that Americans are protected against COVID-19 at the earliest date possible .
The wartime measure will boost the pandemic timeline to ensure `` adequate supply '' of `` personal protective equipment , the test capacity and the raw materials for the vaccines , '' Biden adviser Dr. Celine Gounder told CNBC 's `` Squawk Box '' on Monday .
According to the report , the Defense Protection Act `` could help U.S. secure components and specialized products that manufacturers need to produce the vaccines . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that fewer than 2 million people have received the vaccine as of Saturday .
`` That 's far below the administration 's previously stated goal of vaccinating 20 million people before the end of the month , though Adm. Brett Giroir , assistant secretary of health , has said there are delays between the states and the CDC data , '' CNBC reported .
Gounder added that under the Biden administration , the U.S. will see `` a major increase '' in testing to track mild and asymptomatic cases of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which tracks mutations of the virus to pick up on new variants .
`` We did not do that routinely , '' Gounder said , referring to genomic surveillance under the Trump administration .
`` We have the technology .
We just chose not to spend the money on that kind of public health surveillance . ''
Trump 's coronavirus vaccine czar , Moncef Slaoui , said during a press briefing on Wednesday that their original goal of 20 million vaccinations was `` unlikely to be met '' by the end of 2020 @

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to invoke the Defense Production Act to ensure that Americans are protected against COVID-19 at the earliest date possible.
The wartime measure will boost the pandemic timeline to ensure "adequate supply" of "personal protective equipment, the test capacity and the raw materials for the vaccines," Biden adviser Dr. Celine Gounder told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. According to the report, the Defense Protection Act "could help U.S. secure components and specialized products that manufacturers need to produce the vaccines."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that fewer than 2 million people have received the vaccine as of Saturday.
"That's far below the administration's previously stated goal of vaccinating 20 million people before the end of the month, though Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary of health, has said there are delays between the states and the CDC data," CNBC reported.
Gounder added that under the Biden administration, the U.S. will see "a major increase" in testing to track mild and asymptomatic cases of the virus, as well as in genomic surveillance, which tracks mutations of the virus to pick up on new variants.
"We did not do that routinely," Gounder said, referring to genomic surveillance under the Trump administration. "We have the technology. We just chose not to spend the money on that kind of public health surveillance."
Trump's coronavirus vaccine czar, Moncef Slaoui, said during a press briefing on Wednesday that their original goal of 20 million vaccinations was "unlikely to be met" by the end of 2020.


alternet--2020-12-29--New report reveals why Trump caved on his veto threat — but did he get played?

Why did President Donald Trump abandon his threat to veto the coronavirus relief package and government funding bill over the weekend ?
A new report from the Washington Post — which appeared largely to be sourced to Sen. Lindsey Graham — on Monday laid out the case that the president 's change of heart was due largely to the lobbying of the South Carolina Republican and other allies .
Graham spent recent days with Trump on the golf course in Florida , debating the merits of the bill , according to the senator .
The locale attracted much scrutiny , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bill may have had serious financial costs for people struggling financially , as CNN reported : The Post noted that Trump could have been involved in the negotiations prior to the bill 's passage through both the House and the Senate .
Instead , the president let Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin serve as his surrogate in the debates while he fought to overturn Biden 's victory .
But having thrown the bill 's future into doubt in the eleventh hour last week , Trump needed persuading to eventually sign it on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from California , Mnuchin did the same from his vacation home in Mexico , trying to salvage his reputation as Trump 's best dealmaker .
Mnuchin had represented Trump on Capitol Hill throughout eight months of off-and-on negotiations , and had assured McConnell , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) and other congressional leaders that Trump would sign the nearly 5,600-page coronavirus relief bill , '' the Post reported .
`` In the end , it was Graham 's personal touch that helped unlock the potential outlines of a deal .
Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's concerns : He had long shared Trump 's gripes about powerful tech companies .
As a senior appropriator , he had helped assemble the foreign aid package Trump had railed against .
And , unlike McConnell , he had n't urged fellow Republicans to oppose Trump 's attempts to overturn the November election . ''
Much of the public 's attention has been focused , partly because of Democrats ' effective messaging , on Trump 's demand that direct payments to individuals be increased from $ 600 to $ 2,000 .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his objections to the legislation , that was just one of many issues he raised .
He also complained about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , which gives online platforms some liability protections and which the president would like repealed .
This section has been the subject of widespread and often confused criticism in right-wing media .
And the Post suggested another category of complaints Trump had was also fueled by conservative outlets : Trump is too proud to simply back down publicly after he 's been shown his complaints are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies gave him an out .
According to the Post , Republican Sen .
Rob Portman of Ohio suggested request recissions after signing the bill — essentially , this is a way for the administration to tell Congress it does n't need the money that Congress has approved for it to spend .
But Congress can simply reject any recissions Trump proposes and insist that the money be spent as the law requires .
Trump also believed he got a promise that the Senate would hold a vote on Section 230 and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was enough for him to cave on the veto threat but still declare victory .
But it 's not really clear if the Republican-controlled Senate will actually adhere to either of these demands — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's statement on Trump 's signing did n't mention that he had made any such agreements : So here 's where Trump is left : He may get a vote on the $ 2,000 checks , after all , but if it happens , it will likely be the result of Democrats ' arm-twisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or may not be a vote on Section 230 , but it 's exceedingly unlikely to be altered while Trump is still president .
And Trump can request recissions to the budget items he thinks he does n't like , but Congress can simply reject them .
The question , then , is : Did Trump get played ?
Did his allies convince him to cave without actually giving him anything substantial in return ?
Or did he know he had nothing to gain and just accepted trivial face-saving measures .
Perhaps in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played himself .

Why did President Donald Trump abandon his threat to veto the coronavirus relief package and government funding bill over the weekend? A new report from the Washington Post — which appeared largely to be sourced to Sen. Lindsey Graham — on Monday laid out the case that the president's change of heart was due largely to the lobbying of the South Carolina Republican and other allies.
Graham spent recent days with Trump on the golf course in Florida, debating the merits of the bill, according to the senator. The locale attracted much scrutiny, especially since Trump's delay in signing the bill may have had serious financial costs for people struggling financially, as CNN reported:
...because Trump did not sign the bill on Saturday, those in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs will likely not receive a payment for the final week of the year. And the $300 federal enhancement may only last 10 weeks instead of 11 weeks for most folks. That's because states can't provide benefits for weeks that start before programs are authorized, but the legislation calls for the extra payments to end on March 14.
The Post noted that Trump could have been involved in the negotiations prior to the bill's passage through both the House and the Senate. Instead, the president let Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin serve as his surrogate in the debates while he fought to overturn Biden's victory.
But having thrown the bill's future into doubt in the eleventh hour last week, Trump needed persuading to eventually sign it on Sunday.
"While McCarthy worked the phones from California, Mnuchin did the same from his vacation home in Mexico, trying to salvage his reputation as Trump's best dealmaker. Mnuchin had represented Trump on Capitol Hill throughout eight months of off-and-on negotiations, and had assured McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other congressional leaders that Trump would sign the nearly 5,600-page coronavirus relief bill," the Post reported. "In the end, it was Graham's personal touch that helped unlock the potential outlines of a deal. Graham was uniquely positioned to address the president's concerns: He had long shared Trump's gripes about powerful tech companies. As a senior appropriator, he had helped assemble the foreign aid package Trump had railed against. And, unlike McConnell, he hadn't urged fellow Republicans to oppose Trump's attempts to overturn the November election."
Much of the public's attention has been focused, partly because of Democrats' effective messaging, on Trump's demand that direct payments to individuals be increased from $600 to $2,000. But when Trump filmed a Twitter video outlining his objections to the legislation, that was just one of many issues he raised.
He also complained about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gives online platforms some liability protections and which the president would like repealed. This section has been the subject of widespread and often confused criticism in right-wing media. And the Post suggested another category of complaints Trump had was also fueled by conservative outlets:
Another factor for Trump was chatter on right-wing websites and social media about foreign aid and other congressional "pork" — items negotiated separately from the $900 billion coronavirus measure but bundled with it into a single package. For example, Trump had complained about $25 million for democracy and gender programs in Pakistan, $25 million to combat Asian carp, and $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt, contrasting that spending with Congress's stinginess on the stimulus checks.
But Graham and others noted a political problem: Most of that money had been proposed in Trump's own budget and had Republican support in Congress. The Asian carp money, for example, is intended to combat the spread of an invasive species in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Trump is too proud to simply back down publicly after he's been shown his complaints are misguided, though, so his Republican allies gave him an out. According to the Post, Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio suggested request recissions after signing the bill — essentially, this is a way for the administration to tell Congress it doesn't need the money that Congress has approved for it to spend. But Congress can simply reject any recissions Trump proposes and insist that the money be spent as the law requires.
Trump also believed he got a promise that the Senate would hold a vote on Section 230 and the $2,000 checks, all of which was enough for him to cave on the veto threat but still declare victory. But it's not really clear if the Republican-controlled Senate will actually adhere to either of these demands — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's statement on Trump's signing didn't mention that he had made any such agreements:
So here's where Trump is left: He may get a vote on the $2,000 checks, after all, but if it happens, it will likely be the result of Democrats' arm-twisting, not Trump's. There may or may not be a vote on Section 230, but it's exceedingly unlikely to be altered while Trump is still president. And Trump can request recissions to the budget items he thinks he doesn't like, but Congress can simply reject them.
The question, then, is: Did Trump get played? Did his allies convince him to cave without actually giving him anything substantial in return? Or did he know he had nothing to gain and just accepted trivial face-saving measures. Perhaps in this scenario, one could say Trump played himself.


alternet--2020-12-29--The humiliation of Mike Pence is 'reaching a crescendo': Trump biographer

Donald Trump continues to humiliate his own vice president , according to a new analysis published by CNN .
`` The four-year humiliation of Vice President Mike Pence is reaching a crescendo , '' wrote Michael D'Antonio , the author of the book Never Enough : Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success .
D'Antonio is also the co-author , with Peter Eisner , of the book High Crimes : The Corruption , Impunity , and Impeachment of Donald Trump .
`` One-term President Donald Trump , who lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden by over seven million votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to overturn the will of the people .
He seems to think the vice president could perform this duty when Congress meets to certify the results on January 6 , '' CNN reported .
`` Fortunately , the US Constitution offers Pence no way to stop the process as he presides over the joint session of the House and Senate next week , a process that Biden presided over four years ago when Trump 's victory was certified ) . ''
`` To be fair , Pence 's tenure as vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servility .
When he was n't offering over-the-top praise to Trump and his policy choices , he stood at his side beaming , with the kind of adoring expression that recalled Nancy Reagan 's appreciative look toward her husband , former President Ronald Reagan , '' he wrote .
`` A man who regularly declares his faith , Pence is hardly the type to become a political apostate -- not with the paradise of the presidency in sight .
Pence 's dogged commitment to his wingman role may please certain Trump voters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the White House will be his for the taking .
Just consider the campaign banner displayed two months ago at an event in Nevada .
What did it say ?
'Don Jr .
2024 . '
''

Donald Trump continues to humiliate his own vice president, according to a new analysis published by CNN.
"The four-year humiliation of Vice President Mike Pence is reaching a crescendo," wrote Michael D'Antonio, the author of the book Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success. D'Antonio is also the co-author, with Peter Eisner, of the book High Crimes: The Corruption, Impunity, and Impeachment of Donald Trump.
"One-term President Donald Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden by over seven million votes, is reportedly pressuring Pence to take steps to overturn the will of the people. He seems to think the vice president could perform this duty when Congress meets to certify the results on January 6," CNN reported. "Fortunately, the US Constitution offers Pence no way to stop the process as he presides over the joint session of the House and Senate next week, a process that Biden presided over four years ago when Trump's victory was certified)."
D'Antonio offered his analysis.
"To be fair, Pence's tenure as vice president has looked like a continuous show of servility. When he wasn't offering over-the-top praise to Trump and his policy choices, he stood at his side beaming, with the kind of adoring expression that recalled Nancy Reagan's appreciative look toward her husband, former President Ronald Reagan," he wrote. "A man who regularly declares his faith, Pence is hardly the type to become a political apostate -- not with the paradise of the presidency in sight. Pence's dogged commitment to his wingman role may please certain Trump voters, but it doesn't mean the nomination or the White House will be his for the taking. Just consider the campaign banner displayed two months ago at an event in Nevada. What did it say? 'Don Jr. 2024.'"
Read the full report.


alternet--2020-12-29--Here's one senator's brilliant plan to force McConnell to hold a vote on $2,000 stimulus checks

On Monday , the House passed a bipartisan bill to increase direct stimulus payments from $ 600 per person to $ 2,000 per person , sending it to the Senate .
Its fate there is uncertain , however , because while outgoing President Donald Trump demanded this increase , there is no indication that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) is on board with it , nor a critical mass of the GOP Senate caucus .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) , however , has a plan to try to force a vote on the issue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ari Rabin-Havt : Until McConnell allows a vote on the measure , he will move to block a veto override to pass the annual defense budget .
The defense bill was vetoed by the president over a provision renaming military bases named for Confederate officers .
He also objected to Congress ' refusal to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , a liability shield for internet sites that host third-party content — something he incorrectly believes would allow him to sue Twitter and Facebook for fact-checking or removing his posts .

On Monday, the House passed a bipartisan bill to increase direct stimulus payments from $600 per person to $2,000 per person, sending it to the Senate. Its fate there is uncertain, however, because while outgoing President Donald Trump demanded this increase, there is no indication that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is on board with it, nor a critical mass of the GOP Senate caucus.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), however, has a plan to try to force a vote on the issue, outlined by both himself and longtime adviser Ari Rabin-Havt: Until McConnell allows a vote on the measure, he will move to block a veto override to pass the annual defense budget.
The defense bill was vetoed by the president over a provision renaming military bases named for Confederate officers. He also objected to Congress' refusal to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a liability shield for internet sites that host third-party content — something he incorrectly believes would allow him to sue Twitter and Facebook for fact-checking or removing his posts.


alternet--2020-12-30--Vice President-elect Kamala Harris gets vaccinated: 'I trust the scientists'

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received her first dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday .
Her husband , Doug Emhoff , received his vaccination on the same day .
`` That was easy !
Thank you .
I just barely felt it .
I barely felt it , '' Harris said after receiving the vaccine .
`` I look forward to getting the second vaccine .
Literally this is about saving lives , '' she said .
`` I trust the scientists , and it is the scientists who created and approved the vaccine .
So I urge everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinated .
It 's about saving your life , the life of your family members and the life of your community . ''
Harris followed President-elect Joe Biden in becoming vaccinated on live TV on Dec. 21 .
His wife , Dr. Jill Biden , received her first dose that day , too .
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife received their vaccinations on Dec. 18 .
President Trump and his wife Melania have not yet received their vaccinations .
`` From a scientific point of view , I will remind people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last 90 days , '' U.S .
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told Face the Nation .
`` He received monoclonal antibodies and that is actually one scenario where we tell people , 'Maybe you should hold off on getting the vaccine , talk to your health provider to find out the right time . '
Politics aside , there is a medical reason . ''
Harris ' vaccination comes at a critical time in the pandemic timeline .
It 's been proven that Black Americans are more likely to be at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received her first dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, received his vaccination on the same day.
"That was easy! Thank you. I just barely felt it. I barely felt it," Harris said after receiving the vaccine.
"I look forward to getting the second vaccine. Literally this is about saving lives," she said. "I trust the scientists, and it is the scientists who created and approved the vaccine. So I urge everyone when it is your turn, get vaccinated. It's about saving your life, the life of your family members and the life of your community."
Harris followed President-elect Joe Biden in becoming vaccinated on live TV on Dec. 21. His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, received her first dose that day, too.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife received their vaccinations on Dec. 18.
President Trump and his wife Melania have not yet received their vaccinations.
"From a scientific point of view, I will remind people that the president has had COVID within the last 90 days," U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told Face the Nation. "He received monoclonal antibodies and that is actually one scenario where we tell people, 'Maybe you should hold off on getting the vaccine, talk to your health provider to find out the right time.' Politics aside, there is a medical reason."
Harris' vaccination comes at a critical time in the pandemic timeline. It's been proven that Black Americans are more likely to be at risk of contracting and dying from the virus.
Watch the video below.


alternet--2020-12-30--Operation Warp Speed already admits it won’t hit its vaccination goals

The Trump administration officials heading up Operation Warp Speed acknowledged that the coronavirus vaccine rollout has been slower than expected and that it was `` unlikely '' to meet its goal of 20 million vaccinations by the end of the month .
The process has been `` slower than we thought it would be , '' Dr. Moncef Slaoui , who is heading up the administration 's efforts to speed up vaccine production and distribution , told reporters during a press conference last week , adding that the goal of 20 million two-dose vaccinations is `` unlikely to be met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that it aimed to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the end of the year .
About 2 million people have been vaccinated through December 28 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , though administration officials say there is a lag in the data .
`` By the end of December , we expect to have about 40 million doses of the [ Pfizer and Moderna ] vaccines available for distribution , '' Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said last month .
`` Enough to vaccinate 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Slaoui told reporters earlier this month that the Trump administration 's efforts to bolster vaccine production `` allow us to feel confident that we will be able to distribute enough vaccine to immunize 20 million people in the US in December , that 's 40 million doses . ''
Slaoui admitted last week that the process of getting `` shots in arms '' has been slower than expected and `` the commitment that we can make is to make vaccine doses available . ''
But Gen. Gustave Perna , the chief operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a press conference last week that only half of the promised doses would actually be distributed to states by January .
`` We have allocated 15.5 million doses of vaccine and we are on track to allocate another 4.5 to 5 million next week , which will bring us to 20 million doses of vaccine allocated to America before the end of the year , '' he said .
`` We 'll finish those deliveries in the first week of January . ''
Perna , who is charged with overseeing the logistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government had done a `` good job so far '' of distributing the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines but admitted that there have already been problems .
`` We have had a handful of packages that we tried to deliver that were not destined for the right place , but we captured them before they were dropped off and we rerouted them to the right place , '' he said .
`` And we had a couple of ... shipments that did not go out on the right day . ''
Perna previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with thousands of doses of Pfizer 's vaccine , which has to be stored at around minus 70 degrees Celsius .
State officials around the country have also complained that their vaccine allocations had been abruptly slashed earlier this month .
Pfizer said it had millions of doses sitting in warehouses just waiting for delivery instructions .
Perna told reporters that he takes `` personal responsibility for the miscommunication '' with state governments .
`` There is a delay between what is available and what is releasable , '' he said , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands and millions of doses that we want to make sure are right . ''
`` We all made the error or mistake of assuming that vaccine that 's actually produced and being released is already available for shipment , when , in fact , there is a two-days lag between the time at which we generate a lot of data that shows this vaccine vial is actually safe and right and the time we can ship it , '' Slaoui later told CNN .
`` The FDA has to receive certain documentation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's really where that lag period has resulted in differences in between what was in the plan and what was actually done .
I think we have addressed that . ''
Stephen Hanh , the head of the Food and Drug Administration , said that Pfizer and Moderna are required to `` submit Certificates of Analysis for each lot at least 48 hrs prior to vaccine distribution '' but they `` can distribute without waiting for the FDA 's ok. '' State officials have also warned that Trump 's delay of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed on Sunday , also prevented billions in funds for vaccine distribution from being allocated .
`` Every minute of delay impacts how many people can get the vaccine and when , '' Adriane Casalotti of the National Association of County and City Health Officials told CNBC .
Pfizer also said that the Trump administration turned down the chance to buy an additional 100 million doses for next spring , though the company later said it reached a deal that would require the administration to invoke the Defense Production Act to boost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resistance from the White House .
Using the Defense Production Act , a wartime law that allows the president to require companies to aid with production necessary for national security , will allow Pfizer to secure enough raw materials to produce up to 100 million more doses by July , the company said .
Pfizer previously slashed its estimated production by the end of the year in half due to raw material shortages .
President-elect Joe Biden will invoke the Defense Production Act to `` make sure the personal protective equipment , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccines are produced in adequate supply , '' Dr. Celine Gounder , a member of Biden 's coronavirus advisory board , told CNBC on Monday .
Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Conn. , who sits on the Senate committee that oversees public health , said that he and other Democrats have tried to `` press the Trump administration to fully invoke the DPA '' for nine months .
`` They refused , likely to protect private industry profits , '' he tweeted .
`` There is so much low hanging fruit like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

The Trump administration officials heading up Operation Warp Speed acknowledged that the coronavirus vaccine rollout has been slower than expected and that it was "unlikely" to meet its goal of 20 million vaccinations by the end of the month.
The process has been "slower than we thought it would be," Dr. Moncef Slaoui, who is heading up the administration's efforts to speed up vaccine production and distribution, told reporters during a press conference last week, adding that the goal of 20 million two-dose vaccinations is "unlikely to be met."
The Trump administration has repeatedly said that it aimed to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the end of the year. About 2 million people have been vaccinated through December 28, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though administration officials say there is a lag in the data.
"By the end of December, we expect to have about 40 million doses of the [Pfizer and Moderna] vaccines available for distribution," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said last month. "Enough to vaccinate 20 million of our most vulnerable Americans."
Slaoui told reporters earlier this month that the Trump administration's efforts to bolster vaccine production "allow us to feel confident that we will be able to distribute enough vaccine to immunize 20 million people in the US in December, that's 40 million doses."
Slaoui admitted last week that the process of getting "shots in arms" has been slower than expected and "the commitment that we can make is to make vaccine doses available."
But Gen. Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, said during a press conference last week that only half of the promised doses would actually be distributed to states by January.
"We have allocated 15.5 million doses of vaccine and we are on track to allocate another 4.5 to 5 million next week, which will bring us to 20 million doses of vaccine allocated to America before the end of the year," he said. "We'll finish those deliveries in the first week of January."
Perna, who is charged with overseeing the logistics of the vaccine rollout, said that the government had done a "good job so far" of distributing the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines but admitted that there have already been problems.
"We have had a handful of packages that we tried to deliver that were not destined for the right place, but we captured them before they were dropped off and we rerouted them to the right place," he said. "And we had a couple of ... shipments that did not go out on the right day."
Perna previously said that there were also temperature issues with thousands of doses of Pfizer's vaccine, which has to be stored at around minus 70 degrees Celsius.
State officials around the country have also complained that their vaccine allocations had been abruptly slashed earlier this month. Pfizer said it had millions of doses sitting in warehouses just waiting for delivery instructions.
Perna told reporters that he takes "personal responsibility for the miscommunication" with state governments.
"There is a delay between what is available and what is releasable," he said, "because we're talking about hundreds and thousands and millions of doses that we want to make sure are right."
"We all made the error or mistake of assuming that vaccine that's actually produced and being released is already available for shipment, when, in fact, there is a two-days lag between the time at which we generate a lot of data that shows this vaccine vial is actually safe and right and the time we can ship it," Slaoui later told CNN.
"The FDA has to receive certain documentation," he added. "And that's really where that lag period has resulted in differences in between what was in the plan and what was actually done. I think we have addressed that."
Stephen Hanh, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, said that Pfizer and Moderna are required to "submit Certificates of Analysis for each lot at least 48 hrs prior to vaccine distribution" but they "can distribute without waiting for the FDA's ok."
State officials have also warned that Trump's delay of the coronavirus relief bill, which he finally signed on Sunday, also prevented billions in funds for vaccine distribution from being allocated.
"Every minute of delay impacts how many people can get the vaccine and when," Adriane Casalotti of the National Association of County and City Health Officials told CNBC.
Pfizer also said that the Trump administration turned down the chance to buy an additional 100 million doses for next spring, though the company later said it reached a deal that would require the administration to invoke the Defense Production Act to boost the company's manufacturing capacity after months of resistance from the White House. Using the Defense Production Act, a wartime law that allows the president to require companies to aid with production necessary for national security, will allow Pfizer to secure enough raw materials to produce up to 100 million more doses by July, the company said. Pfizer previously slashed its estimated production by the end of the year in half due to raw material shortages.
President-elect Joe Biden will invoke the Defense Production Act to "make sure the personal protective equipment, the test capacity and the raw materials for the vaccines are produced in adequate supply," Dr. Celine Gounder, a member of Biden's coronavirus advisory board, told CNBC on Monday.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who sits on the Senate committee that oversees public health, said that he and other Democrats have tried to "press the Trump administration to fully invoke the DPA" for nine months.
"They refused, likely to protect private industry profits," he tweeted. "There is so much low hanging fruit like this to make our COVID response better."