thenation--2020-12-23--The USOPC Defends Olympic Athletes’ Right To Protest

There is an old joke that floats through Olympic circles : How many members of the International Olympic Committee does it take to screw in a lightbulb ?
The Answer ?
Zero .
They are too busy screwing over athletes who wish to express political dissent .
Indeed , the IOC has a long history of punishing and threatening athletes who have the temerity to speak out on social justice issues , whether it ’ s John Carlos and Tommie Smith after their iconic medal stand protest in 1968 or Damien Hooper , the Australian boxer who at the 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrating his Aboriginal roots .
A bold move by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee may render that joke moot .
Last week , the USOPC announced that it would not sanction US Olympic athletes who protest “ peacefully and respectfully…in support of racial and social justice for all human beings.
” This was a direct repudiation of a rule in the Olympic Charter that states , “ No kind of demonstration or political , religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites , venues or other areas.
” With Team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circles , pressure mounts on the IOC to reconsider its rule prohibiting political dissent—the infamous Rule 50—in advance of the postponed Tokyo Summer Olympics .
This sharp shift in direction by the USOPC did not come out of nowhere .
In recent years , the IOC ’ s rule forbidding jock activism has become a major source of discontent among Olympic athletes .
Groups like Global Athlete and the Athletics Association have been fighting for athlete rights both in the public sphere and behind the scenes .
But the game changer was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , which saw many athletes both speak out and take it to the streets .
In response to this political tinderbox , the USOPC set up an athletes ’ working group—the 44-member Council on Racial and Social Justice—and charged it with providing “ recommendations with the aim of eradicating social injustice and cultivating change through strengthened athlete voices.
” The IOC ’ s increasingly out-of-tune rule against dissent fell smack into the group ’ s purview .
All too often , blue-ribbon commissions are places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But not in this instance .
The group made firm recommendations that cut against the grain of IOC power and preference .
And to the USOPC ’ s credit , its leaders listened .
One recommendation demands that the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee “ update guidelines to allow for peaceful actions that specifically advocate for human rights and racial and social justice.
” It must be noted that the group differentiated “ those acts from to-be-defined ‘ divisive demonstrations ’ —including , but not limited to , currently prohibited acts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political statements and discrimination.
” In the future , one could certainly see conflict between what one person sees as a call for racial justice and what another could brand a “ political statement , ” but for now this is broadly a step in the right direction .
This was a direct response to guidelines issue by the IOC earlier this year that specifically forbade activism at the Tokyo Olympics , prohibiting “ gestures of a political nature , like a hand gesture or kneeling.
” The IOC stated that their guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoy the experience of the Olympic Games without any divisive disruption , ” but they were clear and obvious jabs at two US Olympians—hammer-thrower Gwen Berry and fencer Race Imboden—who raised a fist and took a knee , respectively , at the 2019 Pan American Games to fight back against racial inequality .
When asked about these specific gestures of dissent , USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland replied , “ I can ’ t imagine that kneeling or raising a fist would be considered ” insensitive .
In a letter to US Olympians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Gwen Berry who said , “ I ’ m happy with the recommendations announced by the USOPC Racial and Social Justice committee this morning and USOPC ’ s statement that athletes will no longer be sanctioned for peaceful protests .
I was also happy to read about [ World Athletics President ] Seb Coe ’ s ongoing support for the rights of athletes to protest .
The ball is firmly now in the IOC ’ s court to do what ’ s right and ban Rule 50 altogether.
” But that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She also made clear that our focus should not be on the “ right to gesture ” as much as it should be on “ the reasons behind our protests in the first place.
” “ The fact is , ” she said , ” that Incarceration of blacks in America , the killing of innocent black people by police and the gap in equity between the wealthiest Americans and black people is worse than it was 52 years ago when Tommie and John protested in Mexico .
I will continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than worrying about the IOC who is detached from reality , and I will doing whatever I can to help because in reality , education and support for black youths and support for black businesses are ways to proactively improve black lives in America.
” Statements like these are a reminder that this isn ’ t about the securing the right for some kind of performative atmosphere but the right of athletes to use their platforms to draw attention to injustice .
Hopefully they will also push the USOPC to challenge the IOC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 in the Olympic Charter .
Today , John Carlos and Tommie Smith are regarded as heroes , even featured in a video on the damn Olympic Channel .
The idea of praising the rebels of the past while squelching those of the present and future is simply untenable .

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There is an old joke that floats through Olympic circles: How many members of the International Olympic Committee does it take to screw in a lightbulb? The Answer? Zero. They are too busy screwing over athletes who wish to express political dissent. Indeed, the IOC has a long history of punishing and threatening athletes who have the temerity to speak out on social justice issues, whether it’s John Carlos and Tommie Smith after their iconic medal stand protest in 1968 or Damien Hooper, the Australian boxer who at the 2012 Olympics wore a T-shirt into the ring celebrating his Aboriginal roots.
A bold move by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee may render that joke moot. Last week, the USOPC announced that it would not sanction US Olympic athletes who protest “peacefully and respectfully…in support of racial and social justice for all human beings.” This was a direct repudiation of a rule in the Olympic Charter that states, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.” With Team USA a major power broker in Olympic circles, pressure mounts on the IOC to reconsider its rule prohibiting political dissent—the infamous Rule 50—in advance of the postponed Tokyo Summer Olympics.
This sharp shift in direction by the USOPC did not come out of nowhere. In recent years, the IOC’s rule forbidding jock activism has become a major source of discontent among Olympic athletes. Groups like Global Athlete and the Athletics Association have been fighting for athlete rights both in the public sphere and behind the scenes.
But the game changer was the massive, nationwide protests this summer after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which saw many athletes both speak out and take it to the streets. In response to this political tinderbox, the USOPC set up an athletes’ working group—the 44-member Council on Racial and Social Justice—and charged it with providing “recommendations with the aim of eradicating social injustice and cultivating change through strengthened athlete voices.” The IOC’s increasingly out-of-tune rule against dissent fell smack into the group’s purview.
All too often, blue-ribbon commissions are places where good ideas go to die. But not in this instance. The group made firm recommendations that cut against the grain of IOC power and preference. And to the USOPC’s credit, its leaders listened. One recommendation demands that the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee “update guidelines to allow for peaceful actions that specifically advocate for human rights and racial and social justice.” It must be noted that the group differentiated “those acts from to-be-defined ‘divisive demonstrations’—including, but not limited to, currently prohibited acts of hate speech, racist propaganda, political statements and discrimination.” In the future, one could certainly see conflict between what one person sees as a call for racial justice and what another could brand a “political statement,” but for now this is broadly a step in the right direction. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung
This was a direct response to guidelines issue by the IOC earlier this year that specifically forbade activism at the Tokyo Olympics, prohibiting “gestures of a political nature, like a hand gesture or kneeling.” The IOC stated that their guidelines were simply meant to help people “enjoy the experience of the Olympic Games without any divisive disruption,” but they were clear and obvious jabs at two US Olympians—hammer-thrower Gwen Berry and fencer Race Imboden—who raised a fist and took a knee, respectively, at the 2019 Pan American Games to fight back against racial inequality. When asked about these specific gestures of dissent, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland replied, “I can’t imagine that kneeling or raising a fist would be considered” insensitive.
In a letter to US Olympians, Hirshland went further: Current Issue View our current issue
I would be remiss to not address the experiences of Team USA athletes Dr. John Carlos, Dr. Tommie Smith, Gwen Berry and Race Imboden, whose peaceful and courageous protests were met with reprimand or indifference. It is now clear that this organization should have supported instead of condemned, and advocated for understanding instead of relying on previous precedent. For that I apologize.
We reached out to Gwen Berry who said, “I’m happy with the recommendations announced by the USOPC Racial and Social Justice committee this morning and USOPC’s statement that athletes will no longer be sanctioned for peaceful protests. I was also happy to read about [World Athletics President] Seb Coe’s ongoing support for the rights of athletes to protest. The ball is firmly now in the IOC’s court to do what’s right and ban Rule 50 altogether.”
But that is not all Gwen Berry had to say. She also made clear that our focus should not be on the “right to gesture” as much as it should be on “the reasons behind our protests in the first place.”
“The fact is,” she said, ”that Incarceration of blacks in America, the killing of innocent black people by police and the gap in equity between the wealthiest Americans and black people is worse than it was 52 years ago when Tommie and John protested in Mexico. I will continue to be focused on these issues, more than worrying about the IOC who is detached from reality, and I will doing whatever I can to help because in reality, education and support for black youths and support for black businesses are ways to proactively improve black lives in America.”
Statements like these are a reminder that this isn’t about the securing the right for some kind of performative atmosphere but the right of athletes to use their platforms to draw attention to injustice. Hopefully they will also push the USOPC to challenge the IOC directly to finally abolish the infamous Rule 50 in the Olympic Charter.
Today, John Carlos and Tommie Smith are regarded as heroes, even featured in a video on the damn Olympic Channel. The idea of praising the rebels of the past while squelching those of the present and future is simply untenable.


thenation--2020-12-22--A Victory for Latino Democrats, a Disappointment for Many Black Women

There ’ s no doubt the United States Senate needs more racial diversity .
And class diversity , too .
By picking California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill Vice President–elect Kamala Harris ’ s soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat , Governor Gavin Newsom met both goals .
Padilla , the working-class son of Mexican immigrants , will become the first Latino senator from California , a state that is roughly 40 percent Latino .
Watch this , and then try to argue Newsom made a bad pick .
It ’ s tough .
Still , it ’ s also tough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 17 female Democratic senators—and its only Black woman .
Californians have been represented by two women in the Senate for nearly 30 years , and with Senator Dianne Feinstein ’ s increasing challenges , politically and otherwise , it ’ s hard not to wish Newsom had been able to keep it that way .
He had an almost impossible job .
A Latina Democrat would have been a perfect choice , but as evidence of the barriers they face , there are none in statewide roles and few in Congress in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected with Black Women United urged the governor to pick either Representative Barbara Lee of Oakland or Representative Karen Bass of Los Angeles , two choices that would have pleased progressives too .
Some progressives also pushed for Orange County Representative Katie Porter , who is white .
But Newsom probably had to worry about removing another member of Nancy Pelosi ’ s shrinking House majority , at least until special elections , and Porter ’ s seat is purplish , not necessarily solid blue .
Can the GOP Doofus Caucus Block Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Optimism , or More Despair ?
We Still Don ’ t Know .
Predictably , liberal Latino advocacy groups praised the move .
“ We congratulate Secretary Padilla on his appointment to the United States Senate .
This marks a long-overdue milestone for the Latino community , and it ’ s a bold step towards having a Senate that looks like the communities it serves , ” said Nathalie Rayes , president of the Latino Victory Fund , which ran a “ Pick Padilla ” campaign .
Some of the black women who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman as vice president , and succeeded with Harris , but failed to get Newsom to appoint a black woman to replace her , are openly disappointed by the pick .
“ Well , now Black women don ’ t have a voice in the Senate , ” political consultant Karen Finney tweeted quickly .
She later amplified : “ I am both disappointed having no Black women in the US Senate and happy for Alex Padilla who will no doubt serve my home state of California well .
There is also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political barriers that create fewer opportunities for leaders of color to move up.
” Higher Heights cofounder Glynda Carr , who worked with Finney and others to push Harris last summer , shared her disappointment .
“ We made a major step forward with the election of Kamala Harris .
This appointment is a giant step backward , ” she told me .
“ So today we double down and accelerate the work to expand the number of women and elect Black women to the US Senate.
” Indeed .
The problem is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only Black female senator ( and only the second ever elected ) , while Padilla will be California ’ s first Latino senator .
These historic firsts have come too late ; our communities , including Democratic women , should not be pitted against one another .
Latinos are entitled to be elated ; Black women are entitled to be disappointed .
We need to increase the pipeline of women , young people , and candidates of color—especially progressive young female candidates of color—so these opportunities don ’ t play out , again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game .

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There’s no doubt the United States Senate needs more racial diversity. And class diversity, too. By picking California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill Vice President–elect Kamala Harris’s soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, Governor Gavin Newsom met both goals. Padilla, the working-class son of Mexican immigrants, will become the first Latino senator from California, a state that is roughly 40 percent Latino.
Watch this, and then try to argue Newsom made a bad pick. It’s tough.
Still, it’s also tough to see the Senate lose one of only 17 female Democratic senators—and its only Black woman. Californians have been represented by two women in the Senate for nearly 30 years, and with Senator Dianne Feinstein’s increasing challenges, politically and otherwise, it’s hard not to wish Newsom had been able to keep it that way.
He had an almost impossible job. A Latina Democrat would have been a perfect choice, but as evidence of the barriers they face, there are none in statewide roles and few in Congress in California. A coalition of 100-plus women connected with Black Women United urged the governor to pick either Representative Barbara Lee of Oakland or Representative Karen Bass of Los Angeles, two choices that would have pleased progressives too. Some progressives also pushed for Orange County Representative Katie Porter, who is white. But Newsom probably had to worry about removing another member of Nancy Pelosi’s shrinking House majority, at least until special elections, and Porter’s seat is purplish, not necessarily solid blue. More From Joan Walsh The Promise of Justice in Fani Willis’s Indictment August 15, 2023 Please, Please Stop Blaming “Progressives” for Donald Trump’s Fascism August 11, 2023 The Ron-mentum Continues… Circling the Drain August 9, 2023
Predictably, liberal Latino advocacy groups praised the move. “We congratulate Secretary Padilla on his appointment to the United States Senate. This marks a long-overdue milestone for the Latino community, and it’s a bold step towards having a Senate that looks like the communities it serves,” said Nathalie Rayes, president of the Latino Victory Fund, which ran a “Pick Padilla” campaign.
Some of the black women who first pushed Biden to pick a black woman as vice president, and succeeded with Harris, but failed to get Newsom to appoint a black woman to replace her, are openly disappointed by the pick. “Well, now Black women don’t have a voice in the Senate,” political consultant Karen Finney tweeted quickly. She later amplified: “I am both disappointed having no Black women in the US Senate and happy for Alex Padilla who will no doubt serve my home state of California well. There is also a larger issue of structural, cultural and political barriers that create fewer opportunities for leaders of color to move up.”
Higher Heights cofounder Glynda Carr, who worked with Finney and others to push Harris last summer, shared her disappointment. “We made a major step forward with the election of Kamala Harris. This appointment is a giant step backward,” she told me. “So today we double down and accelerate the work to expand the number of women and elect Black women to the US Senate.”
Indeed. The problem is that Harris was the nation’s only Black female senator (and only the second ever elected), while Padilla will be California’s first Latino senator. These historic firsts have come too late; our communities, including Democratic women, should not be pitted against one another. Latinos are entitled to be elated; Black women are entitled to be disappointed. We need to increase the pipeline of women, young people, and candidates of color—especially progressive young female candidates of color—so these opportunities don’t play out, again and again, as a frustrating zero-sum game.


thenation--2020-12-22--Can the GOP Doofus Caucus Block Joe Biden on January 6?

If the likelihood of a plot ’ s succeeding correlates at all with the intelligence of the people behind it , then the far-right effort to block Joe Biden ’ s election in Congress on January 6 is doomed .
It ’ s being run by the Congressional Doofus Caucus—Representatives Mo Brooks , Matt Gaetz , Jody Hice , Jim Jordan , and Andy Biggs and Representative-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene of QAnon fame .
According to Politico , they noshed on meatballs and pigs in blankets—brain food—on Monday while they plotted with Trump to deny Biden the Electoral College votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold onto the White House .
The crew says it plans to block electors from at least six Biden states .
They ’ re currently debating how much evidence of “ voter fraud ” they need to present to Congress , which would be a tough job even if they were smarter , because even outgoing Attorney General Bill Barr says it was virtually nonexistent .
They ’ ll also need a senator to back them up and so far none has agreed , although Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville ( who will immediately qualify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dumbest sitting senator ; sorry , Ron Johnson ) says he ’ s interested .
The only thing that makes the gathering remotely interesting , except for its freak show value , is the participation of Vice President Mike Pence , whose job it is to preside over the congressional proceedings .
He was there , Mo Brooks says , “ trying to make sure that we understand what his view of the procedural requirements are , so we can comply with them.
” This would seem a perversion of what should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonpartisan constitutional role—Vice President Al Gore had to confirm his own defeat in 2000 , even as Democratic House members tried to challenge Florida ’ s electors , and Biden certified Trump ’ s victory over Hillary Clinton four years ago .
Pence has no business strategizing with the Doofus Caucus about their crackpot and certainly doomed effort to block Biden .
He ’ s clearly continuing to try to stay in Trump ’ s good graces as well as court the GOP ’ s wing nut base in order to keep his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latino Democrats , a Disappointment for Many Black Women Time for Optimism , or More Despair ?
We Still Don ’ t Know .
Even so , Trump is reportedly angry at poor Mike—as he is with virtually everyone around him—for “ not fighting hard enough for him , ” Jonathan Swan of Axios reports , adding , “ Trump would view Pence performing his constitutional duty—and validating the election result—as the ultimate betrayal.
” January 6 will ultimately be a meaningless date—Biden will be confirmed the president-elect—but it ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Elsewhere around the party , even former Trump stooges are discouraging the Doofus Caucus plan .
Senator John Thune of South Dakota told reporters Monday that the House GOP ’ s effort is “ going down like a shot dog.
” Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is discouraging it .
Cowardly House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy , who has otherwise encouraged Trump ’ s delusions of a rigged election , has stayed mum on this particular crackpot plot .
Trump himself only becomes more delusional , by all reports , entertaining talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines to keep himself in office .
It would be nice to see more high-ranking Republicans come out against his plans , but we ’ ve got to give up on wishful thinking .
So do we need to worry about it ?
Not unless it ’ s your job , as it is ( slightly ) mine .
Pay attention to Georgia ’ s Senate runoff and trust in the GOP ’ s capacity to sabotage itself on multiple fronts .
And enjoy the holidays .

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If the likelihood of a plot’s succeeding correlates at all with the intelligence of the people behind it, then the far-right effort to block Joe Biden’s election in Congress on January 6 is doomed. It’s being run by the Congressional Doofus Caucus—Representatives Mo Brooks, Matt Gaetz, Jody Hice, Jim Jordan, and Andy Biggs and Representative-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene of QAnon fame. According to Politico, they noshed on meatballs and pigs in blankets—brain food—on Monday while they plotted with Trump to deny Biden the Electoral College votes he won in key states, and hold onto the White House.
The crew says it plans to block electors from at least six Biden states. They’re currently debating how much evidence of “voter fraud” they need to present to Congress, which would be a tough job even if they were smarter, because even outgoing Attorney General Bill Barr says it was virtually nonexistent. They’ll also need a senator to back them up and so far none has agreed, although Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville (who will immediately qualify for the Doofus Caucus as perhaps the dumbest sitting senator; sorry, Ron Johnson) says he’s interested.
The only thing that makes the gathering remotely interesting, except for its freak show value, is the participation of Vice President Mike Pence, whose job it is to preside over the congressional proceedings. He was there, Mo Brooks says, “trying to make sure that we understand what his view of the procedural requirements are, so we can comply with them.” This would seem a perversion of what should be, and always has been, a nonpartisan constitutional role—Vice President Al Gore had to confirm his own defeat in 2000, even as Democratic House members tried to challenge Florida’s electors, and Biden certified Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton four years ago.
Pence has no business strategizing with the Doofus Caucus about their crackpot and certainly doomed effort to block Biden. He’s clearly continuing to try to stay in Trump’s good graces as well as court the GOP’s wing nut base in order to keep his political future alive. More From Joan Walsh The Promise of Justice in Fani Willis’s Indictment August 15, 2023 Please, Please Stop Blaming “Progressives” for Donald Trump’s Fascism August 11, 2023 The Ron-mentum Continues… Circling the Drain August 9, 2023
Even so, Trump is reportedly angry at poor Mike—as he is with virtually everyone around him—for “not fighting hard enough for him,” Jonathan Swan of Axios reports, adding, “Trump would view Pence performing his constitutional duty—and validating the election result—as the ultimate betrayal.” January 6 will ultimately be a meaningless date—Biden will be confirmed the president-elect—but it’s going to be a terrible day to be Pence.
Elsewhere around the party, even former Trump stooges are discouraging the Doofus Caucus plan. Senator John Thune of South Dakota told reporters Monday that the House GOP’s effort is “going down like a shot dog.” Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is discouraging it. Cowardly House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who has otherwise encouraged Trump’s delusions of a rigged election, has stayed mum on this particular crackpot plot.
Trump himself only becomes more delusional, by all reports, entertaining talk of martial law and of impounding voting machines to keep himself in office. It would be nice to see more high-ranking Republicans come out against his plans, but we’ve got to give up on wishful thinking.
So do we need to worry about it? Not unless it’s your job, as it is (slightly) mine. Pay attention to Georgia’s Senate runoff and trust in the GOP’s capacity to sabotage itself on multiple fronts. And enjoy the holidays.


thenation--2020-12-22--Here’s the Progressive Biden Should Pick to Run America’s Consumer Watchdog

Few federal agencies see the pain plaguing American families quite like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau .
As the nation ’ s consumer watchdog , the CFPB has received a dramatic increase in complaints during the pandemic—from predatory payday lenders ’ tactics to companies using consumers ’ personal information improperly and everything in between .
But after being neutered for four years under President Trump and his lackeys , the bureau is now ill-equipped to fully protect Americans from financial abuse .
As one of his first acts , President-elect Joe Biden should rebuild the agency that the outgoing administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put it , build it back better .
A good way to start is to nominate a true progressive with consumer regulatory chops , such as Mark J .
Green , who was exactly that during his time as New York City ’ s consumer affairs commissioner and then its public advocate .
The CFPB ’ s roots show the promise of and the power vested in the agency .
Originating out of a 2007 article written by Elizabeth Warren , who was then a Harvard professor , the bureau became reality with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law in 2010 .
Over the course of the Obama administration , the CFPB returned almost $ 12 billion to the pockets of nearly 30 million Americans , helping them climb out of the depths of the 2008 recession .
Read the full text of Katrina ’ s column here .

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week we cross-post an excerpt from Katrina vanden Heuvel’s column at the WashingtonPost.com. Read the full text of Katrina’s column here.
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Few federal agencies see the pain plaguing American families quite like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As the nation’s consumer watchdog, the CFPB has received a dramatic increase in complaints during the pandemic—from predatory payday lenders’ tactics to companies using consumers’ personal information improperly and everything in between.
But after being neutered for four years under President Trump and his lackeys, the bureau is now ill-equipped to fully protect Americans from financial abuse. As one of his first acts, President-elect Joe Biden should rebuild the agency that the outgoing administration has torn down—and, as he might put it, build it back better. A good way to start is to nominate a true progressive with consumer regulatory chops, such as Mark J. Green, who was exactly that during his time as New York City’s consumer affairs commissioner and then its public advocate.
The CFPB’s roots show the promise of and the power vested in the agency. Originating out of a 2007 article written by Elizabeth Warren, who was then a Harvard professor, the bureau became reality with the passage of the Dodd-Frank financial regulation law in 2010. Over the course of the Obama administration, the CFPB returned almost $12 billion to the pockets of nearly 30 million Americans, helping them climb out of the depths of the 2008 recession.
Read the full text of Katrina’s column here.


thenation--2020-12-22--Trump Is Guilty of Sedition and Must Be Brought to Justice

The Signal : Trump is now talking the sedition talk on a daily basis , and , one has to assume , actively planning ways to walk the sedition walk over the next month .
He is meeting regularly with Sidney Powell , Steve Bannon and other plotters , and daily he is being fed a diet of ever more extreme scenarios for overturning the election results .
This is no idle chatter , and even if we had once been inclined to dismiss it with words to the effect of “ Oh , it ’ s only the crazy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we no longer have that luxury .
In increasingly specific language , Trump and his band of traitors are advocating some combination of martial law , national emergency , and paramilitarism as a way to cling to power .
Witness : On Friday , Trump reportedly argued , to the dismay of many of his top officials , that he should appoint Sidney Powell ( of “ Hugo Chávez stole the US election ” fame ) as a special counsel to investigate election fraud .
That was , apparently , too nuts an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; it was also a distraction from Giuliani ’ s own unfathomably outlandish plan to have the Department of Homeland Security step in and seize voting machines from the states , in a giant fishing expedition searching for fraud .
Meanwhile , Giuliani ’ s plan , despite being denounced as unconstitutional or unhinged or some combination of both by everyone from White House counsel Pat Cipollone to ex–national security adviser John Bolton , was apparently too moderate for another ex–national security adviser , Michael Flynn .
Flynn was also at the Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of declaring some form of martial law , which would involve sending the military into swing states Trump lost , forcing new elections , and , presumably , not resting until those new elections generated the “ correct ” result , one that ended up with Trump the winner .
And if anyone was tempted to give Trump the benefit of the doubt here—to argue that Trump himself wasn ’ t advocating martial law but was just giving an 11th-hour platform to an eccentric old friend—the president himself put that line of reasoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his trade adviser , Peter Navarro , who published a lengthy report on alleged fraud in the November 3 election , No .
45 went full-on paramilitarist .
In a tweet that seemed half-fascist , half–teenager having just discovered a secret new house party , he informed his followers that “ Peter Navarro releases 36-page report alleging election fraud ‘ more than sufficient ’ to swing victory to Trump .
A great report by Peter .
Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election.
” Trump continued , inviting his followers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to interrupt Congress ’ s certification of the Electoral College vote early in the new year .
“ Big protest in D.C. on January 6th .
Be there , will be wild !
” Is a Civil War Brewing Within the GOP ?
“ Wild !
” indeed .
A sitting president encouraging his violence-prone followers , including groups like the Proud Boys and conspiracists such as Alex Jones , who have pledged to keep Trump in office by whatever means necessary , to rise up against the constitutional process and the peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , despite the Supreme Court ’ s latest decision on the election , and the fact that the Electoral College has already met and confirmed Biden ’ s win , the Trump campaign is , once again , appealing lower-court decisions on the election back up to the Supreme Court .
On Sunday , the Trumpists filed yet another appeal , this time attempting to get Pennsylvania ’ s results overturned .
If I were a lawyer , I ’ d say that Trump is building a pretty good sedition case against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of American democracy and substituting loyalty to the person of Trump for loyalty to the country , the Constitution , and the institutions that he , and all of his government colleagues , have sworn an oath to protect .
But I ’ m not a lawyer , so I ’ ll just call it as I see it .
Having lost the popular vote by 7 million , having lost the Electoral College vote too , and having failed at every level of the court system to get judges to intervene to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lemons of defeat , Trump is now grasping not only at one frivolous lawsuit after the other but at the straws of violence : specifically , military and paramilitary violence .
The people he is looking to for support in this attempted coup are , not surprisingly , the sewage of humanity—Powell , Flynn , Giuliani , the Proud Boys , Alex Jones .
These are shameless con artists and thugs ; people who lack any sense of morality or humility in the face of the popular will .
They are , temperamentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they are entirely comfortable embracing the notion that the ends justify the means .
It is tempting to write them all off as a clown show , people too clumsy to even tie the laces of their jackboots correctly .
And it ’ s true , there is more than an element of the comical to them .
But even while we mock them and laugh , it is also important to keep in mind just how immensely dangerous these plotters are .
The United States is adrift .
Its government has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustain the unstable ego of Donald J. Trump .
There is no coordinated response to the massive computer hack of official agencies that was revealed last week .
There is no sense of empathy from the administration for the thousands of people dying of Covid-19 on a daily basis .
That , this week of all weeks , the president ’ s inner circle was so distracted by Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the results of a national election that it didn ’ t have the intellectual firepower left over to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be said about this administration ’ s priorities .
Remember the old saying : If it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck , it ’ s almost certainly a duck .
In this case , Trump is walking and talking like a fascist , and doing so while the country slides ever further into crisis .
He ’ s gone beyond being a clear and present danger to the Constitution , and every day he ’ s allowed to remain in power , that danger grows .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from power : He could be re-impeached by the House for his efforts to subvert the Constitution and immediately convicted by Mitch McConnell ’ s Senate ; or he could be removed via the 25th Amendment .
Both scenarios would be extraordinary with only four weeks to go until the inauguration ; but as the Trump drumbeat to not abide by the peaceful transfer of power gets louder , so too does the need become ever more immediate to find ways to neuter Trump politically before he can do even worse , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since McConnell and the rest of the GOP Senate leadership have finally admitted that Biden is the president-elect , it ’ s unconscionable that they are , at the same time , still standing silently by while Trump and his henchmen plot to unleash violence and mayhem against fellow Americans in their increasingly frantic efforts to keep The Donald in power .

The Signal: Trump is now talking the sedition talk on a daily basis, and, one has to assume, actively planning ways to walk the sedition walk over the next month. He is meeting regularly with Sidney Powell, Steve Bannon and other plotters, and daily he is being fed a diet of ever more extreme scenarios for overturning the election results. This is no idle chatter, and even if we had once been inclined to dismiss it with words to the effect of “Oh, it’s only the crazy old guy blowing off steam,” we no longer have that luxury. In increasingly specific language, Trump and his band of traitors are advocating some combination of martial law, national emergency, and paramilitarism as a way to cling to power.
Witness: On Friday, Trump reportedly argued, to the dismay of many of his top officials, that he should appoint Sidney Powell (of “Hugo Chávez stole the US election” fame) as a special counsel to investigate election fraud. That was, apparently, too nuts an idea even for Rudy Giuliani to stomach; it was also a distraction from Giuliani’s own unfathomably outlandish plan to have the Department of Homeland Security step in and seize voting machines from the states, in a giant fishing expedition searching for fraud.
Meanwhile, Giuliani’s plan, despite being denounced as unconstitutional or unhinged or some combination of both by everyone from White House counsel Pat Cipollone to ex–national security adviser John Bolton, was apparently too moderate for another ex–national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Flynn was also at the Friday White House meeting, arguing in favor of declaring some form of martial law, which would involve sending the military into swing states Trump lost, forcing new elections, and, presumably, not resting until those new elections generated the “correct” result, one that ended up with Trump the winner.
And if anyone was tempted to give Trump the benefit of the doubt here—to argue that Trump himself wasn’t advocating martial law but was just giving an 11th-hour platform to an eccentric old friend—the president himself put that line of reasoning to rest on Saturday. Egged on by his trade adviser, Peter Navarro, who published a lengthy report on alleged fraud in the November 3 election, No. 45 went full-on paramilitarist. In a tweet that seemed half-fascist, half–teenager having just discovered a secret new house party, he informed his followers that “Peter Navarro releases 36-page report alleging election fraud ‘more than sufficient’ to swing victory to Trump. A great report by Peter. Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election.” Trump continued, inviting his followers to descend on the nation’s capital to interrupt Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote early in the new year. “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung More Signal:Noise Is a Civil War Brewing Within the GOP? Sasha Abramsky The Madness of Kook Donald Sasha Abramsky
“Wild!” indeed. A sitting president encouraging his violence-prone followers, including groups like the Proud Boys and conspiracists such as Alex Jones, who have pledged to keep Trump in office by whatever means necessary, to rise up against the constitutional process and the peaceful transfer of power.
At the same time, despite the Supreme Court’s latest decision on the election, and the fact that the Electoral College has already met and confirmed Biden’s win, the Trump campaign is, once again, appealing lower-court decisions on the election back up to the Supreme Court. On Sunday, the Trumpists filed yet another appeal, this time attempting to get Pennsylvania’s results overturned.
If I were a lawyer, I’d say that Trump is building a pretty good sedition case against himself, urging war against the institutions of American democracy and substituting loyalty to the person of Trump for loyalty to the country, the Constitution, and the institutions that he, and all of his government colleagues, have sworn an oath to protect. Current Issue View our current issue
But I’m not a lawyer, so I’ll just call it as I see it. Having lost the popular vote by 7 million, having lost the Electoral College vote too, and having failed at every level of the court system to get judges to intervene to squeeze a victory out of the bitter lemons of defeat, Trump is now grasping not only at one frivolous lawsuit after the other but at the straws of violence: specifically, military and paramilitary violence.
The people he is looking to for support in this attempted coup are, not surprisingly, the sewage of humanity—Powell, Flynn, Giuliani, the Proud Boys, Alex Jones. These are shameless con artists and thugs; people who lack any sense of morality or humility in the face of the popular will. They are, temperamentally, fascists, and like all fascists, they are entirely comfortable embracing the notion that the ends justify the means.
It is tempting to write them all off as a clown show, people too clumsy to even tie the laces of their jackboots correctly. And it’s true, there is more than an element of the comical to them. But even while we mock them and laugh, it is also important to keep in mind just how immensely dangerous these plotters are.
The United States is adrift. Its government has been reduced to puffery and fantasy to sustain the unstable ego of Donald J. Trump. There is no coordinated response to the massive computer hack of official agencies that was revealed last week. There is no sense of empathy from the administration for the thousands of people dying of Covid-19 on a daily basis.
That, this week of all weeks, the president’s inner circle was so distracted by Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of a national election that it didn’t have the intellectual firepower left over to work on these problems says all that needs to be said about this administration’s priorities.
Remember the old saying: If it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s almost certainly a duck. In this case, Trump is walking and talking like a fascist, and doing so while the country slides ever further into crisis. He’s gone beyond being a clear and present danger to the Constitution, and every day he’s allowed to remain in power, that danger grows.
There are constitutional provisions to remove such a person from power: He could be re-impeached by the House for his efforts to subvert the Constitution and immediately convicted by Mitch McConnell’s Senate; or he could be removed via the 25th Amendment. Both scenarios would be extraordinary with only four weeks to go until the inauguration; but as the Trump drumbeat to not abide by the peaceful transfer of power gets louder, so too does the need become ever more immediate to find ways to neuter Trump politically before he can do even worse, even more irreparable damage to American democracy.
Since McConnell and the rest of the GOP Senate leadership have finally admitted that Biden is the president-elect, it’s unconscionable that they are, at the same time, still standing silently by while Trump and his henchmen plot to unleash violence and mayhem against fellow Americans in their increasingly frantic efforts to keep The Donald in power.


thenation--2020-12-23--A Campaign Under Quarantine

A Campaign Under Quarantine

A September 30 post on the Facebook feed of Manuel ’ s Tavern shows two photos of the parking lot outside the six-decade-old Atlanta bar and restaurant , taken four years apart .
In the first photo , taken on election night of 2016 , hundreds are on their feet , covering every possible inch of the pavement , except that occupied by tables to be set with drinks or food , and a smoking , outdoor grill .
The second , taken hours before it was posted , shows about two dozen people sitting , some slouching , before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump-Biden debates .
The post reads , “ If you want to see the impact on Atlanta Business caused by COVID… ” Two months later , in early December , after losing about $ 25,000 a month since the summer , owner Brian Maloof was planning on telling his staff , already cut in half to 26 part-time employees , that he was ready to shut the tavern ’ s doors .
Georgia was at the center of the political universe , after supporting a Democrat for president for the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia ’ s own political universe—especially for the Democratic Party—was on its last legs .
The place where thousands of Atlantans and visitors alike have shared everything from a man ’ s landing on the moon to the election of the nation ’ s first Black president was trying to get by on reduced hours , limited inside seating , and to-go orders—and failing .
“ I went into a panic , ” recalls Angelo Fuster , a regular for decades who served on the staffs of Maynard Jackson , Atlanta ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the civil rights leader who replaced Jackson .
Not having Manuel ’ s open at full capacity during this past year has been particularly hard for Georgia Democrats .
Every Democratic candidate for president—McGovern , Carter , Obama , Bill and Hillary Clinton—has made Manuel ’ s a stop on the campaign trail , Fuster said .
A photo of John F. Kennedy hangs above the bar .
When Representative-elect Nikema Williams came to Atlanta from Alabama in August 2002 , the 24-year-old “ wanted to get involved ” in Democratic politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she recalled .
Two months later , she found herself at a Young Democrats of Fulton County meeting—at Manuel ’ s .
“ It absolutely became the place I went to , ” she said .
Recently , as President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President–elect Kamala Harris have visited Atlanta , “ we would have taken them to Manuel ’ s Tavern , ” said Williams , who is also chair of the state Democratic Party .
With so much at stake , and after spending decades at his “ second home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a GoFundMe .
He set a goal of $ 75,000 , after talking with Maloof about how much was needed to pay for 2021 liquor licenses and insurance , plus payroll and food for several months .
The goal was met within 24 hours .
Fuster left the post online ; it now approaches $ 185,000 .
“ It ’ s really remarkable , that people are donating to a business , ” Fuster said in a recent call .
“ It bespeaks the affection people have for this place.
” The dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decades of important political and personal moments spent at Manuel ’ s—from founding movements to meetings spouses .
There are former students , political organizers , Shakespearean actors , firefighters .
The tavern is named after Manuel Maloof , a son of Lebanese immigrants who opened the bar and restaurant in 1956 .
The Maloof family already had been in the bar business , and a vital part of Georgia ’ s political and social life , for four decades , as his father , Gibran , ran the Tip Top Billiard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocks from the state capitol .
The wooden bar from the Tip Top is now at the center of the main room of Manuel ’ s .
That bar isn ’ t the only bit of history in the tavern .
When Manuel ’ s took on a renovation in late 2015 , present and former customers from around the world called to let Brian know their concerns about the hundreds of photos , posters , and other objects lining the walls and shelves of the bar .
Those objects included plaques with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death , hung above the places where “ regulars ” used to sit—even an urn with one regular ’ s ashes .
A group of three universities—Georgia State , Emory , and the Savannah College of Art and Design—created a digital archive of the tavern ’ s interior .
But even the most faithful document can ’ t recreate the sense of being at the actual tavern , and that has been absent during one of the most urgent political seasons in living memory .
“ We would have seen firsthand a level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Maloof .
“ There ’ s not a whole bunch of photos that show you were there ” when Biden was elected president , he said .
“ As eventful as it ’ s been , it ’ s like it ’ s been erased.
” There ’ s also the loss of a “ sense of community , a sense of structure ” with the tavern ’ s not being open to capacity , he said .
Manuel ’ s has been a meeting place not just for politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a well-traveled site for one of the vocation ’ s most powerful assets : word of mouth .
If it had been open at capacity this past year , reporters parachuting from all over the country to sort out the chaos would have found their way to Manuel ’ s , said Jim Galloway , who recently announced his retirement from being a political columnist at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after four decades .
“ Our God is a cruel and jealous one , ” said Galloway .
“ He gives us all this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fire.
” For Maloof , it ’ s also been frustrating being a restaurant and bar owner in this pandemic and not receiving adequate support from the federal government .
“ We ’ ve done everything we ’ re supposed to do , ” he said—closing altogether for three weeks when required , filing for unemployment benefits on behalf of his employees , raising their hourly wages to compensate for a lack of tips , using his savings to fill holes .
He hasn ’ t paid himself since March .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it didn ’ t last very long .
Now he ’ s working with the Small Business Administration to determine if he needs to repay part of the loan , which would be an additional burden .
“ I ’ ve been abandoned by the federal government , ” he said—and many other restaurant owners he knows are in the same situation , or worse .
“ These have been the most miserable nine months of my life , ” said Maloof , who is 53 .
Fuster sees symbolic meaning in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It is reassuring and has some extra meaning that a bar and restaurant that is closely identified with the Democratic Party suffering from the malfeasance of Trump is being rescued by the people , ” he said .

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A September 30 post on the Facebook feed of Manuel’s Tavern shows two photos of the parking lot outside the six-decade-old Atlanta bar and restaurant, taken four years apart. In the first photo, taken on election night of 2016, hundreds are on their feet, covering every possible inch of the pavement, except that occupied by tables to be set with drinks or food, and a smoking, outdoor grill. The second, taken hours before it was posted, shows about two dozen people sitting, some slouching, before a 75-inch screen, watching one of the Trump-Biden debates.
The post reads, “If you want to see the impact on Atlanta Business caused by COVID…”
Two months later, in early December, after losing about $25,000 a month since the summer, owner Brian Maloof was planning on telling his staff, already cut in half to 26 part-time employees, that he was ready to shut the tavern’s doors. Georgia was at the center of the political universe, after supporting a Democrat for president for the first time in decades. But the center of Georgia’s own political universe—especially for the Democratic Party—was on its last legs. The place where thousands of Atlantans and visitors alike have shared everything from a man’s landing on the moon to the election of the nation’s first Black president was trying to get by on reduced hours, limited inside seating, and to-go orders—and failing.
“I went into a panic,” recalls Angelo Fuster, a regular for decades who served on the staffs of Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first Black mayor, and Andrew Young, the civil rights leader who replaced Jackson. Not having Manuel’s open at full capacity during this past year has been particularly hard for Georgia Democrats. Every Democratic candidate for president—McGovern, Carter, Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton—has made Manuel’s a stop on the campaign trail, Fuster said. A photo of John F. Kennedy hangs above the bar. democracy down south Casting a Historic Vote in Georgia Timothy Pratt
When Representative-elect Nikema Williams came to Atlanta from Alabama in August 2002, the 24-year-old “wanted to get involved” in Democratic politics. “I literally knew nobody,” she recalled. Two months later, she found herself at a Young Democrats of Fulton County meeting—at Manuel’s. “It absolutely became the place I went to,” she said.
Recently, as President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President–elect Kamala Harris have visited Atlanta, “we would have taken them to Manuel’s Tavern,” said Williams, who is also chair of the state Democratic Party.
With so much at stake, and after spending decades at his “second home,” Fuster decided to set up a GoFundMe. He set a goal of $75,000, after talking with Maloof about how much was needed to pay for 2021 liquor licenses and insurance, plus payroll and food for several months. The goal was met within 24 hours. Fuster left the post online; it now approaches $185,000. Current Issue View our current issue
“It’s really remarkable, that people are donating to a business,” Fuster said in a recent call. “It bespeaks the affection people have for this place.” Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung
The dozens of comments on the GoFundMe attest to the decades of important political and personal moments spent at Manuel’s—from founding movements to meetings spouses. There are former students, political organizers, Shakespearean actors, firefighters.
The tavern is named after Manuel Maloof, a son of Lebanese immigrants who opened the bar and restaurant in 1956. The Maloof family already had been in the bar business, and a vital part of Georgia’s political and social life, for four decades, as his father, Gibran, ran the Tip Top Billiard Parlor in the early 20th century only blocks from the state capitol. The wooden bar from the Tip Top is now at the center of the main room of Manuel’s.
That bar isn’t the only bit of history in the tavern. When Manuel’s took on a renovation in late 2015, present and former customers from around the world called to let Brian know their concerns about the hundreds of photos, posters, and other objects lining the walls and shelves of the bar. Those objects included plaques with names, birthdates, and dates of death, hung above the places where “regulars” used to sit—even an urn with one regular’s ashes. A group of three universities—Georgia State, Emory, and the Savannah College of Art and Design—created a digital archive of the tavern’s interior.
But even the most faithful document can’t recreate the sense of being at the actual tavern, and that has been absent during one of the most urgent political seasons in living memory. “We would have seen firsthand a level of excitement that we’ve missed,” said Maloof. “There’s not a whole bunch of photos that show you were there” when Biden was elected president, he said. “As eventful as it’s been, it’s like it’s been erased.”
There’s also the loss of a “sense of community, a sense of structure” with the tavern’s not being open to capacity, he said. Manuel’s has been a meeting place not just for politicians but also political reporters. It was a well-traveled site for one of the vocation’s most powerful assets: word of mouth. If it had been open at capacity this past year, reporters parachuting from all over the country to sort out the chaos would have found their way to Manuel’s, said Jim Galloway, who recently announced his retirement from being a political columnist at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after four decades. “Our God is a cruel and jealous one,” said Galloway. “He gives us all this trouble and no place to put out the fire.”
For Maloof, it’s also been frustrating being a restaurant and bar owner in this pandemic and not receiving adequate support from the federal government. “We’ve done everything we’re supposed to do,” he said—closing altogether for three weeks when required, filing for unemployment benefits on behalf of his employees, raising their hourly wages to compensate for a lack of tips, using his savings to fill holes. He hasn’t paid himself since March. He applied for PPP and received it, but it didn’t last very long. Now he’s working with the Small Business Administration to determine if he needs to repay part of the loan, which would be an additional burden. “I’ve been abandoned by the federal government,” he said—and many other restaurant owners he knows are in the same situation, or worse.
“These have been the most miserable nine months of my life,” said Maloof, who is 53.
Fuster sees symbolic meaning in the success to date of the GoFundMe. “It is reassuring and has some extra meaning that a bar and restaurant that is closely identified with the Democratic Party suffering from the malfeasance of Trump is being rescued by the people,” he said.


thenation--2020-12-23--Trump’s Chaos Makes Christmas Come Early for Nancy Pelosi

Jeb Bush , even as a member of a political dynasty distinguished for its verbal ineptitude , is not an eloquent man .
Yet one comment he made in 2015 during his run for the presidency is worth preserving : He referred to Donald Trump as a “ chaos candidate ” who is likely to become a “ chaos president.
” Trump has indeed governed in a tumultuous fashion—and with a month left to go , his administration is only becoming more shambolic .
On Tuesday , a spate of stories broke underscoring the growing bedlam in the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN , reported , “ With just some 30 days to go before the US military watches its current commander in chief leave office , there is growing anxiety in the ranks about what Trump might do in these remaining days .
Will the President order some unexpected military action , such as a strike on Iran , or will he somehow draw the military into his efforts to overthrow the election results ?
” That same day , Trump used his pardon power on behalf of his political cronies , convicted Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times reported , “ In an audacious pre-Christmas round of pardons , President Trump granted clemency on Tuesday to two people who pleaded guilty in the special counsel ’ s Russia inquiry , four Blackwater guards convicted in connection with the killing of Iraqi civilians and three corrupt former Republican members of Congress.
” Finally , Trump topped off the day by denouncing the stimulus bill he had already agreed to as a “ disgrace.
” He strongly implied that he might veto the bill .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has almost nothing to do with Covid , ” Trump said in a video .
“ I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $ 600 to $ 2,000.
” The CIA Is Running Death Squads in Afghanistan Ironically , Trump ’ s call for a larger check is the position Democrats have taken for many months .
While Trump ’ s apparent attempt to scuttle the existing deal threatens to throw the government into chaos , it also opens the opportunity for Democrats to either get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very least gain a political advantage over the Republicans .
With two crucial senatorial races in Georgia just two weeks away that will determine which party has a majority in the Senate , Democrats have a chance to paint Republican candidates as being stingier than their own party ’ s standard-bearer .
On CNN , Georgia Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff was quick to seize on Trump ’ s remarks .
“ President Trump is as ever erratic and all over the place but on this point tonight , he ’ s right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They should send $ 2000 checks to the American people right now because people are hurting.
” Ossoff went on to needle his opponent David Perdue for opposing an earlier round of stimulus checks .
Fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock has made a similar argument against his opponent Kelly Loeffler .
In a cagey move , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided to take Trump ’ s rhetoric at face value to force him to live up to it .
“ Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last , the President has agreed to $ 2,000—Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent .
Let ’ s do it !
” Why would Trump pull a turnaround on stimulus funding that hurts the Republicans ?
It ’ s partially of a pattern , as Ossoff suggests , with Trump ’ s long-standing disarray .
But Trump has also become unmoored for a new reason : He no longer needs a close alliance with congressional Republicans .
During his presidency , Trump kept to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he let them micromanage issues like tax cuts and court appointments , in exchange for Trump and his administration ’ s being shielded from oversight and investigation .
But with Trump as a lame-duck president , this deal is no longer in Trump ’ s benefit .
Trump might well resent the fact that GOP leaders like Mitch McConnell are not supporting efforts to overturn the election results .
On the stimulus , Trump ’ s own long-term interests no longer align with the GOP ’ s .
If he ran for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he could say that he tried to give a generous stimulus but was thwarted by Congress .
MSNBC host Chris Hayes has speculated along this line : The reason , the number one reason , there wasn ’ t a deal sooner , with a higher price tag , was that Trump *completely* ignored the entirety of the negotiations .
It was always clear he could get a deal at a number closer to Pelosi ’ s if he actually cared and wanted to lean on Senate R ’ s .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t care .
And post-election he has spent literally all of his political capital attempting to overturn American democracy .
On that task he has been quite focused !
There ’ s no official too low-level to lobby !
So why did he just decide to suddenly pay attention ?
I think the Occam ’ s razor is *to screw McConnell* .
He ’ s pissed that McConnell acknowledged Biden ’ s victory and this is his revenge .
The most stalwart opposition to $ 2000 checks is McConnell ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s deal and screws Loeffler and Purdue who ’ ve now been wrong footed .
Pelosi is right to call the bluff .
Push as far as you can and force a showdown between Trump and McConnell because ultimately that ’ s big battle that has to happen before this era ends .
Pelosi ’ s play is the right one and could pay off for the Democrats in a variety of ways .
If Trump refuses the offer , his own bad management and dishonesty will be highlighted .
If Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt them in Georgia and future elections .
If Trump and the Senate GOP do go along , then there will be a much bigger stimulus .
The danger is that a robust new stimulus will be an achievement Trump can run on in 2024 .
But even in that eventuality , driving a wedge between Trump and congressional Republicans offers enough immediate advantages to be worth the risk .
As the Bible says , sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof .
Pelosi should push for a strong deal now .

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Jeb Bush, even as a member of a political dynasty distinguished for its verbal ineptitude, is not an eloquent man. Yet one comment he made in 2015 during his run for the presidency is worth preserving: He referred to Donald Trump as a “chaos candidate” who is likely to become a “chaos president.” Trump has indeed governed in a tumultuous fashion—and with a month left to go, his administration is only becoming more shambolic.
On Tuesday, a spate of stories broke underscoring the growing bedlam in the White House. Barbara Starr, Pentagon reporter for CNN, reported, “With just some 30 days to go before the US military watches its current commander in chief leave office, there is growing anxiety in the ranks about what Trump might do in these remaining days. Will the President order some unexpected military action, such as a strike on Iran, or will he somehow draw the military into his efforts to overthrow the election results?”
That same day, Trump used his pardon power on behalf of his political cronies, convicted Republican politicians, and war criminals. As The New York Times reported, “In an audacious pre-Christmas round of pardons, President Trump granted clemency on Tuesday to two people who pleaded guilty in the special counsel’s Russia inquiry, four Blackwater guards convicted in connection with the killing of Iraqi civilians and three corrupt former Republican members of Congress.”
Finally, Trump topped off the day by denouncing the stimulus bill he had already agreed to as a “disgrace.” He strongly implied that he might veto the bill. “It’s called the Covid relief bill, but it has almost nothing to do with Covid,” Trump said in a video. “I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000.” More From Jeet Heer The Indigenous Roots of Robbie Robertson’s Rock and Roll Revolution August 14, 2023 Why Does This Racist Keep Getting Silicon Valley Money? August 11, 2023 When Phallocrats Go Limp August 4, 2023
Ironically, Trump’s call for a larger check is the position Democrats have taken for many months. While Trump’s apparent attempt to scuttle the existing deal threatens to throw the government into chaos, it also opens the opportunity for Democrats to either get a much better stimulus deal or at the very least gain a political advantage over the Republicans. With two crucial senatorial races in Georgia just two weeks away that will determine which party has a majority in the Senate, Democrats have a chance to paint Republican candidates as being stingier than their own party’s standard-bearer.
On CNN, Georgia Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff was quick to seize on Trump’s remarks. “President Trump is as ever erratic and all over the place but on this point tonight, he’s right. $600 is a joke. They should send $2000 checks to the American people right now because people are hurting.” Ossoff went on to needle his opponent David Perdue for opposing an earlier round of stimulus checks. Fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock has made a similar argument against his opponent Kelly Loeffler. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung
In a cagey move, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided to take Trump’s rhetoric at face value to force him to live up to it. “Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks,” Pelosi tweeted. “At last, the President has agreed to $2,000—Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!” Current Issue View our current issue
Why would Trump pull a turnaround on stimulus funding that hurts the Republicans? It’s partially of a pattern, as Ossoff suggests, with Trump’s long-standing disarray.
But Trump has also become unmoored for a new reason: He no longer needs a close alliance with congressional Republicans. During his presidency, Trump kept to a de facto deal with GOP leaders where he let them micromanage issues like tax cuts and court appointments, in exchange for Trump and his administration’s being shielded from oversight and investigation.
But with Trump as a lame-duck president, this deal is no longer in Trump’s benefit. Trump might well resent the fact that GOP leaders like Mitch McConnell are not supporting efforts to overturn the election results. On the stimulus, Trump’s own long-term interests no longer align with the GOP’s. If he ran for president again in 2024, it would help if he could say that he tried to give a generous stimulus but was thwarted by Congress.
MSNBC host Chris Hayes has speculated along this line:
The reason, the number one reason, there wasn’t a deal sooner, with a higher price tag, was that Trump *completely* ignored the entirety of the negotiations. It was always clear he could get a deal at a number closer to Pelosi’s if he actually cared and wanted to lean on Senate R’s. But he didn’t! Because he didn’t care. And post-election he has spent literally all of his political capital attempting to overturn American democracy. On that task he has been quite focused! There’s no official too low-level to lobby! So why did he just decide to suddenly pay attention? I think the Occam’s razor is *to screw McConnell*. He’s pissed that McConnell acknowledged Biden’s victory and this is his revenge. The most stalwart opposition to $2000 checks is McConnell’s own caucus. This blows up McConnell’s deal and screws Loeffler and Purdue who’ve now been wrong footed. Pelosi is right to call the bluff. Push as far as you can and force a showdown between Trump and McConnell because ultimately that’s big battle that has to happen before this era ends.
Pelosi’s play is the right one and could pay off for the Democrats in a variety of ways. If Trump refuses the offer, his own bad management and dishonesty will be highlighted. If Republicans scuttle the deal, that’ll hurt them in Georgia and future elections. If Trump and the Senate GOP do go along, then there will be a much bigger stimulus.
The danger is that a robust new stimulus will be an achievement Trump can run on in 2024. But even in that eventuality, driving a wedge between Trump and congressional Republicans offers enough immediate advantages to be worth the risk. As the Bible says, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Pelosi should push for a strong deal now.


Ebenezer McConnell

Charles Dickens sketched a dire portrait of Ebenezer Scrooge as “ a squeezing , wrenching , grasping , scraping , clutching , covetous , old sinner ” who would “ edge his way along the crowded paths of life , warning all human sympathy to keep its distance.
” The author gave us his Scrooge as the very embodiment of a certain cruel disregard for the misery of others that manifests in the most loathsome of individuals .
Yet the growling miser of A Christmas Carol can ’ t hold a candle to Mitch McConnell , the heartless Senate majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to steal the promise of genuine relief by demanding a miserly and misdirected “ stimulus ” measure .
The long-delayed legislation was finally approved Monday night , just four days before a pandemic Christmas characterized not merely by rising coronavirus death tolls but by reports of millions of displaced families struggling with hunger and homelessness .
It included bare-necessities funding for health care , nutrition , rental assistance , child care , broadband , schools , small businesses , and the Postal Service .
However , because of Senate Republicans , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state and local governments , adequate unemployment insurance , or survival checks to get suffering Americans through what President-elect Joe Biden warns will be a “ long , dark winter.
” The constraining of direct cash payments to half the level of the $ 1,200 per individual relief delivered by last spring ’ s Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act , was McConnell ’ s cruelest “ victory.
” “ McConnell is responsible for this failure of a deal .
Everyone else in the room wanted higher stimulus checks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Democrat who has emerged as the House ’ s most ardent advocate for needed payments .
“ $ 600 in no way addresses the scope of this crisis.
” Can the GOP Doofus Caucus Block Joe Biden on January 6 ?
But that was all that seemed possible until Tuesday evening , when President Trump decried the stimulus measure he had been expected to sign as a “ disgrace .
Trump demanded a rewrite with a lot more money for cash payments .
“ I ’ m asking Congress to amend this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600 to $ 2,000 or $ 4,000 per couple , ” the president announced in a video released on Twitter .
“ I ’ m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items in this legislation or to send me a suitable bill.
” Trump wasn ’ t being noble .
He was messing with McConnell for refusing to play along with the president ’ s scheming to get Congress to reject 2020 election results from battleground states that went for Democrat Joe Biden .
But House Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s bluff and embraced the $ 2,000 proposal .
That put McConnell in a bind , as the prospect of meaningful money going to people who need it was brought back into play—by a Republican president who was mad at a Republican majority leader .
Now , as Representative Mark Pocan ( D-Wis. ) says , it seems like McConnell is “ the only roadblock to getting the American people $ 2,000 checks.
” It ’ s hard to say where this debate goes next .
What we do know is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payment of $ 600 .
Khanna has championed a model for direct relief that would guarantee a $ 2,000 monthly payment to every qualifying American for up to 12 months .
That is the right response , if perhaps a politically challenging one in a divided Congress with a cautious House and a cruel Senate .
Right now , progressives are seizing every opening .
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders responded to Trump ’ s Tuesday night intervention by recalling , “ I first introduced a bill to provide a $ 2,000 direct payment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Markey seven months ago .
Now , Mr. President , get Mitch McConnell and your Republican friends to stop opposing it and we can provide working class Americans with $ 2,000 .
Let ’ s do it.
” During the long negotiations over the latest stimulus package , Sanders joined Josh Hawley , a conservative Republican from Missouri , in pushing a plan to provide cash payments of $ 1,200 for individuals who make up to $ 75,000 .
Hawley said , “ What I ’ m proposing is what every senator has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m proposing will give working folks in my state and across this country a shot…at getting back up on their feet.
” Sanders echoed the call , saying , “ If this country means anything , if the US government means anything , it means that we can not turn our backs on that suffering , and that we can not leave Washington for the holidays to go back to our families unless we address the pain and anxiety of other families throughout this country.
” McConnell and his allies objected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress on Monday approved more than a dozen spending bills that included tax breaks for corporations and full funding of the military-industrial complex , it scrimped on cash payments to Americans who are looking at the prospect of the bleakest Christmas since the Great Depression .
With the denial of funding for state and local governments , and McConnell ’ s rejection of real relief , the warping of the process added up to what Khanna describes as “ shameful way to head into the holidays.
” Trump ’ s new demand has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress to free up more money .
But rest assured that McConnell will be on the watch for ways to deny working Americans the relief they need for as long as he has the power to do so .
If McConnell ’ s Republicans retain control of the Senate , the promise of a better 2021 will remain at risk .
That ’ s why the Georgia January 5 runoffs for a critical pair of US Senate seats are so damn consequential .
They will decide whether two of McConnell ’ s most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loeffler and David Perdue , are able to maintain the Republican majority .
If both Loeffler and Perdue are defeated by challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff , the Senate will be split 50-50 and Vice President–elect Kamala Harris will tip the balance to the Democrats—disempowering McConnell .
An assessment earlier this week from the Working Families Party , which has organized canvassing in Georgia , put the politics of the runoffs in perspective .
“ Mitch McConnell has blocked any relief for working families—and his loyal foot soldiers Kelly Loeffler and David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They took the proposal for another round of $ 1,200 checks and watered it down to a measly $ 600 .
They held up negotiations to try and get tax breaks and massive giveaways to corporations .
And they removed critical aid to states and cities that is needed to prevent massive job losses next year , ” explained the WFP team .
“ There ’ s only one way forward if we want to see the next Congress pass the type of emergency care we need—and that ’ s to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority in 15 days.
” When Scrooge responded to pleas to ease the misery of the poor by dismissively growling , “ It ’ s not my business , ” Dickens conjured an otherworldly intercession .
It took visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past , Present , and Future to redeem Scrooge , who would eventually conclude that the poor were , indeed , his business .
He was a better man for it , becoming , Dickens tells us , “ as good a friend , as good a master , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the good old city knew , or any other good old city , town , or borough , in the good old world.
” But McConnell has yet to provide any evidence of an impulse toward human decency .
For that , he ’ ll need more than a temper-tantrum push for Trump .
On the chance that the majority leader is not confronted by spirits on Christmas Eve , the voters of Georgia should be prepared to intervene on January 5 .

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Sign up for our Wine Club today. Did you know you can support The Nation by drinking wine?
Charles Dickens sketched a dire portrait of Ebenezer Scrooge as “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner” who would “edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance.” The author gave us his Scrooge as the very embodiment of a certain cruel disregard for the misery of others that manifests in the most loathsome of individuals.
Yet the growling miser of A Christmas Carol can’t hold a candle to Mitch McConnell, the heartless Senate majority leader who has gone out of his way to steal the promise of genuine relief by demanding a miserly and misdirected “stimulus” measure.
The long-delayed legislation was finally approved Monday night, just four days before a pandemic Christmas characterized not merely by rising coronavirus death tolls but by reports of millions of displaced families struggling with hunger and homelessness. It included bare-necessities funding for health care, nutrition, rental assistance, child care, broadband, schools, small businesses, and the Postal Service. However, because of Senate Republicans, the measure failed to provide a lifeline for state and local governments, adequate unemployment insurance, or survival checks to get suffering Americans through what President-elect Joe Biden warns will be a “long, dark winter.”
The constraining of direct cash payments to half the level of the $1,200 per individual relief delivered by last spring’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, was McConnell’s cruelest “victory.” “McConnell is responsible for this failure of a deal. Everyone else in the room wanted higher stimulus checks,” declared Representative Ro Khanna, the California Democrat who has emerged as the House’s most ardent advocate for needed payments. “$600 in no way addresses the scope of this crisis.” Congress Can the GOP Doofus Caucus Block Joe Biden on January 6? Joan Walsh
But that was all that seemed possible until Tuesday evening, when President Trump decried the stimulus measure he had been expected to sign as a “disgrace. Trump demanded a rewrite with a lot more money for cash payments. “I’m asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000 per couple,” the president announced in a video released on Twitter. “I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items in this legislation or to send me a suitable bill.”
Trump wasn’t being noble. He was messing with McConnell for refusing to play along with the president’s scheming to get Congress to reject 2020 election results from battleground states that went for Democrat Joe Biden. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Trump’s bluff and embraced the $2,000 proposal. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. My Homeland Is Being Ruled by Terror. The World Must Pay Attention. Manny Maung
That put McConnell in a bind, as the prospect of meaningful money going to people who need it was brought back into play—by a Republican president who was mad at a Republican majority leader. Now, as Representative Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) says, it seems like McConnell is “the only roadblock to getting the American people $2,000 checks.” Current Issue View our current issue
It’s hard to say where this debate goes next. What we do know is that working Americans need more than a one-time payment of $600.
Khanna has championed a model for direct relief that would guarantee a $2,000 monthly payment to every qualifying American for up to 12 months. That is the right response, if perhaps a politically challenging one in a divided Congress with a cautious House and a cruel Senate.
Right now, progressives are seizing every opening. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders responded to Trump’s Tuesday night intervention by recalling, “I first introduced a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment with Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Ed Markey seven months ago. Now, Mr. President, get Mitch McConnell and your Republican friends to stop opposing it and we can provide working class Americans with $2,000. Let’s do it.”
During the long negotiations over the latest stimulus package, Sanders joined Josh Hawley, a conservative Republican from Missouri, in pushing a plan to provide cash payments of $1,200 for individuals who make up to $75,000. Hawley said, “What I’m proposing is what every senator has supported already, this year.… What I’m proposing will give working folks in my state and across this country a shot…at getting back up on their feet.”
Sanders echoed the call, saying, “If this country means anything, if the US government means anything, it means that we cannot turn our backs on that suffering, and that we cannot leave Washington for the holidays to go back to our families unless we address the pain and anxiety of other families throughout this country.”
McConnell and his allies objected. So it was that, while the Congress on Monday approved more than a dozen spending bills that included tax breaks for corporations and full funding of the military-industrial complex, it scrimped on cash payments to Americans who are looking at the prospect of the bleakest Christmas since the Great Depression. With the denial of funding for state and local governments, and McConnell’s rejection of real relief, the warping of the process added up to what Khanna describes as “shameful way to head into the holidays.”
Trump’s new demand has reopened the debate. It could force Congress to free up more money. But rest assured that McConnell will be on the watch for ways to deny working Americans the relief they need for as long as he has the power to do so.
If McConnell’s Republicans retain control of the Senate, the promise of a better 2021 will remain at risk. That’s why the Georgia January 5 runoffs for a critical pair of US Senate seats are so damn consequential. They will decide whether two of McConnell’s most crooked and conniving collaborators, Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, are able to maintain the Republican majority. If both Loeffler and Perdue are defeated by challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, the Senate will be split 50-50 and Vice President–elect Kamala Harris will tip the balance to the Democrats—disempowering McConnell.
An assessment earlier this week from the Working Families Party, which has organized canvassing in Georgia, put the politics of the runoffs in perspective. “Mitch McConnell has blocked any relief for working families—and his loyal foot soldiers Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have been right by his side. They took the proposal for another round of $1,200 checks and watered it down to a measly $600. They held up negotiations to try and get tax breaks and massive giveaways to corporations. And they removed critical aid to states and cities that is needed to prevent massive job losses next year,” explained the WFP team. “There’s only one way forward if we want to see the next Congress pass the type of emergency care we need—and that’s to put an end to Mitch McConnell’s majority in 15 days.”
When Scrooge responded to pleas to ease the misery of the poor by dismissively growling, “It’s not my business,” Dickens conjured an otherworldly intercession. It took visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to redeem Scrooge, who would eventually conclude that the poor were, indeed, his business. He was a better man for it, becoming, Dickens tells us, “as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.”
But McConnell has yet to provide any evidence of an impulse toward human decency. For that, he’ll need more than a temper-tantrum push for Trump. On the chance that the majority leader is not confronted by spirits on Christmas Eve, the voters of Georgia should be prepared to intervene on January 5.