talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--GOP Governor Rips Trump’s Refusal To Concede: ‘Can’t Think Of Worse Time To Stall Transition’

Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker ( R ) on Tuesday took aim President Trump for stalling President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
The sitting POTUS has continued waging baseless claims of widespread voter fraud following Biden ’ s projected win last weekend .
After criticizing the Attorney General Bill Barr ’ s memo that allows federal prosecutors to investigate unfounded allegations of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race — a reversal of long-held DOJ policy — as “ wildly inappropriate , ” Baker went on to rebuke the Trump administration ’ s refusal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially in light of surging COVID-19 cases .
“ I can ’ t think of a worse time to stall a transition than amid a deadly pandemic that the federal government continues to own primary responsibility for responding to , ” Baker said .
Baker said that if the Trump campaign “ has legitimate legal challenges , they should bring them to court , ” and that those lawsuits should be dealt with “ as quickly and as fairly as possible.
” Baker — who “ blanked ” his presidential vote after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday — added that he is “ aware of no legitimate claims of wrongdoing anywhere near the scale it would take to effect this outcome.
” “ And there ’ s no credible third party entity that ’ s verified the President ’ s claims in any way , ” Baker said .
“ Continuing to make these claims erodes trust in the system when , in fact , the election system is working exactly as it was designed to do.
” Additionally , Baker brought up that many Republican officials overseeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which include Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — had denied the Trumpworld ’ s claims of voting irregularities .
“ Every campaign season we hear a lot about doing what ’ s best for the country , ” Baker said .
“ And what this President is doing at this point in time is not in the best interest of this country .
The administration needs to move forward and cooperate with the President-elect ’ s transition team immediately.
” Last week , Baker characterized Trump ’ s efforts to delegitimize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of widespread voter fraud as Biden appeared to lead in several swing states as “ damaging to democracy.
” After multiple news outlets projected Biden ’ s presidential victory on Saturday , Baker emerged as one of the few elected Republican officials to congratulate the President-elect .

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) on Tuesday took aim President Trump for stalling President-elect Joe Biden’s transition amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The sitting POTUS has continued waging baseless claims of widespread voter fraud following Biden’s projected win last weekend.
After criticizing the Attorney General Bill Barr’s memo that allows federal prosecutors to investigate unfounded allegations of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race — a reversal of long-held DOJ policy — as “wildly inappropriate,” Baker went on to rebuke the Trump administration’s refusal to let Biden formally begin the transition process, especially in light of surging COVID-19 cases.
“I can’t think of a worse time to stall a transition than amid a deadly pandemic that the federal government continues to own primary responsibility for responding to,” Baker said.
Baker said that if the Trump campaign “has legitimate legal challenges, they should bring them to court,” and that those lawsuits should be dealt with “as quickly and as fairly as possible.”
Baker — who “blanked” his presidential vote after Biden’s presidential win was projected on Saturday — added that he is “aware of no legitimate claims of wrongdoing anywhere near the scale it would take to effect this outcome.”
“And there’s no credible third party entity that’s verified the President’s claims in any way,” Baker said. “Continuing to make these claims erodes trust in the system when, in fact, the election system is working exactly as it was designed to do.”
Additionally, Baker brought up that many Republican officials overseeing elections in battleground states with tight races — which include Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — had denied the Trumpworld’s claims of voting irregularities.
“Every campaign season we hear a lot about doing what’s best for the country,” Baker said. “And what this President is doing at this point in time is not in the best interest of this country. The administration needs to move forward and cooperate with the President-elect’s transition team immediately.”
Last week, Baker characterized Trump’s efforts to delegitimize the election process by spouting unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud as Biden appeared to lead in several swing states as “damaging to democracy.”
After multiple news outlets projected Biden’s presidential victory on Saturday, Baker emerged as one of the few elected Republican officials to congratulate the President-elect.
I congratulate President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris on their victory. This has been a long and divisive campaign, but now it is critical for us all to focus on the very real and immediate challenges facing this nation. — Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) November 7, 2020
Watch Baker’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--Defeated Trump Purges Top Pentagon, Intel Officials And Installs Loyalists

Mark Esper was just the start .
Days after President Trump lost the 2020 election , and hours after the ouster of the defense secretary that had been long in his crosshairs , several other officials in top Pentagon and Intelligence Community roles have been canned .
Their replacements all have a reputation for being Trump loyalists .
Two of them worked for Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) before joining the administration and a third has also been linked to Nunes ’ efforts to politicize intelligence to further Trump ’ s false claims about the “ Deep State.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new line-up : Michael Ellis : Michael Ellis , a top official on the National Security Council , was reportedly installed as general counsel for the National Security Agency Monday , kicking off the wave of dubious reassignments.. Ellis , a former staffer to Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) , has played a key role in some of the controversies at the White House that arose when the President ’ s agenda collided with national security protocols .
He reportedly was involved in the notorious “ midnight run , ” when Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration , provided to Nunes intelligence reports that Nunes claimed validated Trump ’ s false assertion that the Obama administration surveilled Trump Tower .
Ellis also popped up in the Ukraine impeachment scandal , as the official who put the transcript of Trump ’ s infamous phone call with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky in a more highly classified system .
He was also singled out by a career NSC classification expert for intervening in her review of former National Security Advisor John Bolton ’ s book and allegedly politicizing the review process .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined the administration in the early days and he is now replacing as the Pentagon ’ s undersecretary for intelligence the ousted James Kernan , who had been confirmed by the Senate in 2017 .
Cohen-Watnick was brought into the White House as senior director of intelligence programs at the start of Trump ’ s presidency as an acolyte of then-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn .
He survived when Flynn himself was fired for lying about his Russian contacts .
Cohen-Watnick has also been linked in news reports to the “ midnight run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months after leaving the White House , he joined the Justice Department as a national security advisor — a job he was reportedly given under orders from President Trump .
By 2020 , he made his way to the Pentagon , initially working in a counternarcotics role .
Kash Patel : Patel , another former Nunes staffer , was named chief of staff to the acting secretary .
Patel first made a name for himself as part of Nunes ’ effort to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s probe into Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , as a contact for Rudy Giuliani on the committee when Giuliani was digging up anti-Biden dirt in Ukraine .
Patel joined the White House National Security Council in 2019 and later served as an aide to Ric Grenell , the Republican operative , when Grenell became acting director of national intelligence for a spell earlier this year .
Alexander Vindman , the now-retired NSC whistleblower , testified during Trump ’ s impeachment hearings that Patel had held himself out as an expert on Ukraine to Trump , even though he didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vindman testified that he was prevented from briefing Trump on Zelensky ’ s inauguration because Trump apparently believed Patel was the NSC ’ s top Ukraine official .
Anthony Tata : One of the most jarring changes announced Tuesday may have been the elevation of Tata to the top policy job at the Pentagon .
Though Tata was once formally nominated to become undersecretary of defense for policy , his history of making outrageous and bigoted claims , and threats against his perceived enemies online , doomed his chances in the Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s done elsewhere , skipping the Senate entirely and making Tata “ the official performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.
” Now , he ’ s also the official performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for policy .
Quite a promotion , with no Senate vote in sight — just a convenient departure .
In posts uncovered by CNN , Tata falsely referred to former President Barack Obama as a Muslim , and called him a “ Manchurian candidate ” and a “ terrorist leader ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ and help Islamic countries than any president in history , ” among other things .
Once , Tata wrote to former CIA Director John Brennan , “ Might be a good time to pick your poison : firing squad , public hanging , life sentence as prison b*tch , or just suck on your pistol .
”

Mark Esper was just the start. Days after President Trump lost the 2020 election, and hours after the ouster of the defense secretary that had been long in his crosshairs, several other officials in top Pentagon and Intelligence Community roles have been canned. Their replacements all have a reputation for being Trump loyalists. Two of them worked for Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) before joining the administration and a third has also been linked to Nunes’ efforts to politicize intelligence to further Trump’s false claims about the “Deep State.”
Here’s a look at the new line-up:
Michael Ellis: Michael Ellis, a top official on the National Security Council, was reportedly installed as general counsel for the National Security Agency Monday, kicking off the wave of dubious reassignments.. Ellis, a former staffer to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), has played a key role in some of the controversies at the White House that arose when the President’s agenda collided with national security protocols. He reportedly was involved in the notorious “midnight run,” when Trump NSC officials, early on in the administration, provided to Nunes intelligence reports that Nunes claimed validated Trump’s false assertion that the Obama administration surveilled Trump Tower.
Ellis also popped up in the Ukraine impeachment scandal, as the official who put the transcript of Trump’s infamous phone call with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky in a more highly classified system. He was also singled out by a career NSC classification expert for intervening in her review of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s book and allegedly politicizing the review process.
Ezra Cohen-Watnick: Like Ellis, Cohen-Watnick joined the administration in the early days and he is now replacing as the Pentagon’s undersecretary for intelligence the ousted James Kernan, who had been confirmed by the Senate in 2017. Cohen-Watnick was brought into the White House as senior director of intelligence programs at the start of Trump’s presidency as an acolyte of then-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. He survived when Flynn himself was fired for lying about his Russian contacts.
Cohen-Watnick has also been linked in news reports to the “midnight run” episode. In 2018, a few months after leaving the White House, he joined the Justice Department as a national security advisor — a job he was reportedly given under orders from President Trump. By 2020, he made his way to the Pentagon, initially working in a counternarcotics role.
Kash Patel: Patel, another former Nunes staffer, was named chief of staff to the acting secretary. Patel first made a name for himself as part of Nunes’ effort to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and later, as a contact for Rudy Giuliani on the committee when Giuliani was digging up anti-Biden dirt in Ukraine.
Patel joined the White House National Security Council in 2019 and later served as an aide to Ric Grenell, the Republican operative, when Grenell became acting director of national intelligence for a spell earlier this year. Alexander Vindman, the now-retired NSC whistleblower, testified during Trump’s impeachment hearings that Patel had held himself out as an expert on Ukraine to Trump, even though he didn’t have the necessary expertise. Vindman testified that he was prevented from briefing Trump on Zelensky’s inauguration because Trump apparently believed Patel was the NSC’s top Ukraine official.
Anthony Tata: One of the most jarring changes announced Tuesday may have been the elevation of Tata to the top policy job at the Pentagon. Though Tata was once formally nominated to become undersecretary of defense for policy, his history of making outrageous and bigoted claims, and threats against his perceived enemies online, doomed his chances in the Senate. So the administration did what it’s done elsewhere, skipping the Senate entirely and making Tata “the official performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.” Now, he’s also the official performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for policy. Quite a promotion, with no Senate vote in sight — just a convenient departure.
In posts uncovered by CNN, Tata falsely referred to former President Barack Obama as a Muslim, and called him a “Manchurian candidate” and a “terrorist leader” who did more to harm the US “and help Islamic countries than any president in history,” among other things. Once, Tata wrote to former CIA Director John Brennan, “Might be a good time to pick your poison: firing squad, public hanging, life sentence as prison b*tch, or just suck on your pistol.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--GA’s GOP Elections Chief Is Navigating Attacks From His Own Party, Death Threats

Faced with loud criticism from President Donald Trump ’ s campaign and two Republican U.S. senators who ’ ve called for his resignation , Georgia ’ s Republican secretary of state has been forced to defend himself against the broadsides from his own party .
Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump by more than 12,500 votes in the state with 99 % of expected ballots tallied , according to the Associated Press .
And while Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says he wishes that weren ’ t the case , he can ’ t change it .
He hoped for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough folks turned out , and that ’ s where we are right now , ” Raffensperger told Jim Galloway , a columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , in an interview published Tuesday .
“ But we ’ re going to make sure that we follow through the process , that we ’ re going to count every legal ballot , and the results will be the results , ” the secretary added .
“ I ’ m a constitutional conservative .
I follow the law.
” Raffensperger has been on the defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinated attack from the Trump campaign and Sens .
David Perdue ( R-GA ) and Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) on Monday .
The latter pair called on the secretary to resign but didn ’ t provide any specific reason why he should , and Trump , exercising his powers of reality-bending , asserted that he had “ won ” Georgia on election night — before thousands of votes had been counted .
On Tuesday , several members and members-elect in Georgia ’ s congressional delegation piled on , asking Raffensperger to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia Republican Party ’ s allegations of supposedly “ serious allegations of voting irregularities.
” ( They also referred to Raffensperger as the “ George Secretary of State.
” ) Galloway noted that he was escorted by two security guards to his meeting with the secretary Monday evening , just a few hours after the senators ’ call for Raffensperger ’ s resignation .
“ There had already been death threats , you see , ” the columnist noted .
The attacks followed Georgia elections officials ’ efforts Monday morning to shoot down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s elections .
The senators have their own skin in the game : After failing to garner more than 50 % of the vote in their own Nov. 3 races , they now have to participate in run-off elections against Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , respectively , in races that could determine the balance of power in the Senate .
“ As a Republican , I am concerned about Republicans keeping the U.S. Senate , ” Raffensperger said in response to the senators ’ resignation call Monday .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing on that.
” Speaking to the newspaper ’ s columnist a couple hours later , the secretary was still feeling stung .
“ In the business world that I live in , if we have an issue with people , we call them directly and we have our conversation , ” Raffensperger told Galloway .
“ We don ’ t just send it out to the world .
”

Faced with loud criticism from President Donald Trump’s campaign and two Republican U.S. senators who’ve called for his resignation, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state has been forced to defend himself against the broadsides from his own party.
Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump by more than 12,500 votes in the state with 99% of expected ballots tallied, according to the Associated Press. And while Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says he wishes that weren’t the case, he can’t change it.
He hoped for a Trump win, “but not enough folks turned out, and that’s where we are right now,” Raffensperger told Jim Galloway, a columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in an interview published Tuesday.
“But we’re going to make sure that we follow through the process, that we’re going to count every legal ballot, and the results will be the results,” the secretary added. “I’m a constitutional conservative. I follow the law.”
Raffensperger has been on the defense ever since what appeared to be a coordinated attack from the Trump campaign and Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) on Monday. The latter pair called on the secretary to resign but didn’t provide any specific reason why he should, and Trump, exercising his powers of reality-bending, asserted that he had “won” Georgia on election night — before thousands of votes had been counted.
Georgia will be a big presidential win, as it was the night of the Election! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2020
On Tuesday, several members and members-elect in Georgia’s congressional delegation piled on, asking Raffensperger to look into into the Trump campaign and the Georgia Republican Party’s allegations of supposedly “serious allegations of voting irregularities.” (They also referred to Raffensperger as the “George Secretary of State.”)
Galloway noted that he was escorted by two security guards to his meeting with the secretary Monday evening, just a few hours after the senators’ call for Raffensperger’s resignation. “There had already been death threats, you see,” the columnist noted.
The attacks followed Georgia elections officials’ efforts Monday morning to shoot down conspiratorial claims of wrongdoing in the state’s elections.
The senators have their own skin in the game: After failing to garner more than 50% of the vote in their own Nov. 3 races, they now have to participate in run-off elections against Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, in races that could determine the balance of power in the Senate.
“As a Republican, I am concerned about Republicans keeping the U.S. Senate,” Raffensperger said in response to the senators’ resignation call Monday. “I recommend that Senators Loeffler and Perdue start focusing on that.”
Speaking to the newspaper’s columnist a couple hours later, the secretary was still feeling stung.
“In the business world that I live in, if we have an issue with people, we call them directly and we have our conversation,” Raffensperger told Galloway. “We don’t just send it out to the world.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--Trump Is Fundraising For Legal Help Fighting A ‘Stolen’ Election. Nearly All The Money Is Actually G

Trump Is Fundraising For Legal Help Fighting A ‘Stolen’ Election. Nearly All The Money Is Actually Going Elsewhere.

The Trump campaign has been unrelenting in recent days with its all-caps , bold font , exclamation-point-ridden fundraising appeals : “ THE DEMOCRATS WANT TO STEAL THIS ELECTION !
” “ We can ’ t allow the Left-wing MOB to undermine our election.
” They urge supporters to make donations to President Donald Trump ’ s election integrity defense , to ensure he has the “ resources ” he needs to keep the election from being “ stolen.
” In reality , there is no election defense fund ; the donations are siphoned into a mix of various committees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ money was being used to pay down the Trump campaign ’ s debt .
As of Tuesday morning though , the formula was changed to funnel most of the money into Trump ’ s new leadership PAC called Save America .
“ Donors who are giving in response to this urgent fundraising message to help defend the integrity of our election are actually helping fund Trump ’ s post-presidential political vehicle , ” Brendan Fischer , director of federal reform at the Campaign Legal Center , told TPM .
In the fine print @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out that 60 percent of the contributions will first go to the new PAC , up to the maximum contribution of $ 5,000 .
The remaining 40 percent goes to the RNC up to the maximum $ 35,500 .
If that first 60 percent of the donation exceeds $ 5,000 the remnants go to the campaign ’ s “ recount account ” ; if the 40 percent exceeds the $ 35,500 RNC maximum , only then does it go to the RNC ’ s legal defense fund .
“ Not a penny is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donors have maxed out their contributions to the first two committees , $ 5,000 to the leadership PAC and $ 35,500 to the RNC , ” said Paul Ryan , vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause .
Far from arming Trump in his fight against the election results , in most cases , most of the money will end up in the new leadership PAC .
( Trump ’ s baseless claims of election theft are widely acknowledged to be the complaints of a sore loser which , while harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ validity . )
The Trump campaign did not immediately return a request for comment .
The creation of the PAC was first reported by the New York Times Monday night .
The paper cast it as a way for Trump to maintain his power and authority over the party , and to harness his prolific fundraising abilities .
Some see it as something darker .
Calling leadership PACs “ notorious ” for being abused as slush funds , Ryan predicted that Trump will keep the coffers full by teasing a possible 2024 run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funnel money back to his businesses and family members .
“ This is a way that he can fleece his supporters to support his own lifestyle for the next few years regardless of whether he even runs in 2024 , ” Ryan said .
Trump couldn ’ t legally use the leadership PAC for a federal campaign , though he could use it to travel and give to other campaigns , keeping himself politically relevant .
Brett Kappell , a campaign finance expert at the Harmon Curran law firm , added that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PAC .
“ The prohibition on the personal use of campaign funds also does not apply to leadership PACs — so leadership PAC funds could be used to pay the legal fees Trump will incur after he leaves office , ” he told TPM .
This willingness to bait and switch his own supporters , like the willingness to pretend that President-Elect Joe Biden did not win this election legally and decisively , is not the work of Trump alone .
Establishment Republicans are propping him up .
“ The allocation formula is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign and RNC decided on that allocation formula , ” Fischer said .
“ There is nothing stopping them from saying that 60 percent of the donations go to the recount account , or that even 100 percent of every donation goes to the recount account until it ’ s maxed.
” “ Oh yeah , the RNC is on the gravy train , ” Ryan added .
The leadership PAC gives Trump an additional incentive to continue pretending that he can legitimately overturn a lost election , and the prospect of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be enough to get members of his administration and most congressional Republicans on board too .
Some are even hijacking the idea to fill their own campaign war chests : South Dakota governor Kristi Noem ’ s ( R ) panicky “ Democrats stealing the election ” appeals flow right to her reelection account .
The ones abandoned on the freezing tarmac in this scheme ?
Trump ’ s supporters .
Plus anyone who cares that Trump and his lackeys are kicking democracy in the shins on their way out .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the post-election litigation really undermining the integrity of the election — makes this entire scheme by Trump and the RNC despicable , ” Ryan said .

The Trump campaign has been unrelenting in recent days with its all-caps, bold font, exclamation-point-ridden fundraising appeals: “THE DEMOCRATS WANT TO STEAL THIS ELECTION!” “We can’t allow the Left-wing MOB to undermine our election.”
They urge supporters to make donations to President Donald Trump’s election integrity defense, to ensure he has the “resources” he needs to keep the election from being “stolen.”
In reality, there is no election defense fund; the donations are siphoned into a mix of various committees. Up until Tuesday, some of the money was being used to pay down the Trump campaign’s debt. As of Tuesday morning though, the formula was changed to funnel most of the money into Trump’s new leadership PAC called Save America.
“Donors who are giving in response to this urgent fundraising message to help defend the integrity of our election are actually helping fund Trump’s post-presidential political vehicle,” Brendan Fischer, director of federal reform at the Campaign Legal Center, told TPM.
In the fine print of the fundraising blasts, it lays out that 60 percent of the contributions will first go to the new PAC, up to the maximum contribution of $5,000. The remaining 40 percent goes to the RNC up to the maximum $35,500. If that first 60 percent of the donation exceeds $5,000 the remnants go to the campaign’s “recount account”; if the 40 percent exceeds the $35,500 RNC maximum, only then does it go to the RNC’s legal defense fund.
“Not a penny is dedicated to a legal expense account unless donors have maxed out their contributions to the first two committees, $5,000 to the leadership PAC and $35,500 to the RNC,” said Paul Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause.
Far from arming Trump in his fight against the election results, in most cases, most of the money will end up in the new leadership PAC. (Trump’s baseless claims of election theft are widely acknowledged to be the complaints of a sore loser which, while harmful to democracy, are completely lacking in validity.)
The Trump campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.
The creation of the PAC was first reported by the New York Times Monday night. The paper cast it as a way for Trump to maintain his power and authority over the party, and to harness his prolific fundraising abilities.
Some see it as something darker.
Calling leadership PACs “notorious” for being abused as slush funds, Ryan predicted that Trump will keep the coffers full by teasing a possible 2024 run, all the while finding ways to funnel money back to his businesses and family members.
“This is a way that he can fleece his supporters to support his own lifestyle for the next few years regardless of whether he even runs in 2024,” Ryan said.
Trump couldn’t legally use the leadership PAC for a federal campaign, though he could use it to travel and give to other campaigns, keeping himself politically relevant.
Brett Kappel, a campaign finance expert at the Harmon Curran law firm, added that there is another benefit for Trump in the PAC.
“The prohibition on the personal use of campaign funds also does not apply to leadership PACs — so leadership PAC funds could be used to pay the legal fees Trump will incur after he leaves office,” he told TPM.
This willingness to bait and switch his own supporters, like the willingness to pretend that President-Elect Joe Biden did not win this election legally and decisively, is not the work of Trump alone. Establishment Republicans are propping him up.
“The allocation formula is entirely by choice, and the Trump campaign and RNC decided on that allocation formula,” Fischer said. “There is nothing stopping them from saying that 60 percent of the donations go to the recount account, or that even 100 percent of every donation goes to the recount account until it’s maxed.”
“Oh yeah, the RNC is on the gravy train,” Ryan added.
The leadership PAC gives Trump an additional incentive to continue pretending that he can legitimately overturn a lost election, and the prospect of his sustained power within the party seems to be enough to get members of his administration and most congressional Republicans on board too. Some are even hijacking the idea to fill their own campaign war chests: South Dakota governor Kristi Noem’s (R) panicky “Democrats stealing the election” appeals flow right to her reelection account.
The ones abandoned on the freezing tarmac in this scheme? Trump’s supporters. Plus anyone who cares that Trump and his lackeys are kicking democracy in the shins on their way out.
“The underlying behavior of the sales pitch — in the post-election litigation really undermining the integrity of the election — makes this entire scheme by Trump and the RNC despicable,” Ryan said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--Ex-GOP House Intel Chair Demands Biden Receive Intel Reports: This ‘Isn’t About Politics’

Former Rep. Mike Rogers ( R-MI ) , who chaired the House Intelligence Committee during the Obama administration , on Tuesday hit back at the Trump administration ’ s restrictions on sharing national security information with President-elect Joe Biden amid the sitting POTUS ’ refusal to concede his election loss .
In a tweet posted Tuesday , Rogers wrote that the need for the President-elect to receive the President ’ s Daily Brief , a high-level intelligence report that goes to most senior U.S. officials , during his transition “ isn ’ t about politics.
” Trump could authorize Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he predictably has not done so .
Rogers ’ tweet came shortly after Biden told reporters on Tuesday that he was not receiving the daily intelligence brief , which he said “ would be useful but it ’ s not necessary ” since he ’ s “ not the sitting president now.
” “ Access to classified information is useful but I ’ m not in a position to make any decisions on these issues anyway , ” Biden said .
“ It would be nice to have it but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet was also posted hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that “ there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration ” — a remark adding to the push by the Trumpworld , and the federal government , to undermine democracy by delegitimizing the election process behind Biden ’ s legitimate election victory .
Pompeo issued his latest remarks a day after Attorney General Bill Barr released a memo in favor of the unrelenting President who refuses to concede to the Democratic President-elect .
Barr ’ s memo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election fraud in the 2020 presidential race , a reversal of long-held DOJ policy .
When asked about whether Trump ’ s refusal to concede to Biden undermines efforts by the United States to promote free and fair elections around the world , Pompeo offered a dismissive response by calling the notion “ ridiculous.
” Despite multiple outlets reporting Biden ’ s projected win on Saturday , General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy , who has sole authority over whether Biden ’ s transition can officially move forward , has not signed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an “ ascertainment ” that Biden has won the presidency would allow the President-elect ’ s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it .
On Tuesday , a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told TPM in a statement that it won ’ t support the “ ascertainment ” recognizing Biden ’ s election victory unless the GSA administrator gives the green light to do so .
“ ODNI follows the statutory direction provided in the Presidential Transition Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the administrator of GSA prior to supporting a potential presidential transition , ” the ODNI spokesperson told TPM .
“ ODNI would not have contact with any transition team until notified by the GSA administrator .
”

Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), who chaired the House Intelligence Committee during the Obama administration, on Tuesday hit back at the Trump administration’s restrictions on sharing national security information with President-elect Joe Biden amid the sitting POTUS’ refusal to concede his election loss.
In a tweet posted Tuesday, Rogers wrote that the need for the President-elect to receive the President’s Daily Brief, a high-level intelligence report that goes to most senior U.S. officials, during his transition “isn’t about politics.” Trump could authorize Biden’s access to the PDB himself, but he predictably has not done so.
Our adversaries aren't waiting for the transition to take place. @JoeBiden should receive the President's Daily Brief (PDB) starting today. He needs to know what the latest threats are & begin to plan accordingly. This isn't about politics; this is about national security. — Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogers) November 10, 2020
Rogers’ tweet came shortly after Biden told reporters on Tuesday that he was not receiving the daily intelligence brief, which he said “would be useful but it’s not necessary” since he’s “not the sitting president now.”
“Access to classified information is useful but I’m not in a position to make any decisions on these issues anyway,” Biden said. “It would be nice to have it but it’s not critical.”
Rogers’ tweet was also posted hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that “there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration” — a remark adding to the push by the Trumpworld, and the federal government, to undermine democracy by delegitimizing the election process behind Biden’s legitimate election victory.
Pompeo issued his latest remarks a day after Attorney General Bill Barr released a memo in favor of the unrelenting President who refuses to concede to the Democratic President-elect. Barr’s memo will permit investigations into unfounded allegations of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race, a reversal of long-held DOJ policy.
When asked about whether Trump’s refusal to concede to Biden undermines efforts by the United States to promote free and fair elections around the world, Pompeo offered a dismissive response by calling the notion “ridiculous.”
Despite multiple outlets reporting Biden’s projected win on Saturday, General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy, who has sole authority over whether Biden’s transition can officially move forward, has not signed the letter of “ascertainment.” The signing of an “ascertainment” that Biden has won the presidency would allow the President-elect’s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told TPM in a statement that it won’t support the “ascertainment” recognizing Biden’s election victory unless the GSA administrator gives the green light to do so.
“ODNI follows the statutory direction provided in the Presidential Transition Act, which requires ascertainment of the candidate by the administrator of GSA prior to supporting a potential presidential transition,” the ODNI spokesperson told TPM. “ODNI would not have contact with any transition team until notified by the GSA administrator.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--Most States Aren’t Ready to Distribute the Leading COVID-19 Vaccine

This story first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
As the first coronavirus vaccine takes a major stride toward approval , state governments ’ distribution plans show many are not ready to deliver the shots .
The challenge is especially steep in rural areas , many of which are contending with a surge of infections , meaning that access to the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines may be limited by geography .
Pfizer announced Monday that its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no serious bad reactions in early trial results — an impressive outcome that will pave the way for the company to seek an emergency authorization once it collects more safety data for another week or two .
But establishing that the vaccine is safe and effective is just the first step .
The Pfizer vaccine is unusually difficult to ship and store : It is administered in two doses given 28 days apart , has to be stored at temperatures of about minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit and will be delivered in dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These cartons can stay cold enough to keep the doses viable for up to 10 days , according to details provided by the company .
The ice can be replenished up to three times .
Once opened , the packages can keep the vaccine for five days but can ’ t be opened more than twice a day .
The vaccine can also survive in a refrigerator for five days but can ’ t be refrozen if unused .
Health officials haven ’ t figured out how to get the ultracold doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a ProPublica review of distribution plans obtained through open records laws in every state .
Needing to use 1,000 doses within a few days may be fine for large hospital systems or mass vaccination centers .
But it could rule out sending the vaccine to providers who don ’ t treat that many people , even doctors ’ offices in cities .
It ’ s especially challenging in smaller towns , rural areas and Native communities on reservations that are likely to struggle to administer that many doses quickly or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government ’ s vaccine program , Operation Warp Speed , has projected optimism about its readiness to distribute the vaccine .
On Monday , Gen. Gustave Perna told NPR , “ I think we ’ re in a good place , ” saying that “ with the right planning , we can execute it with zero loss of vaccine.
” But the federal program is only going to be responsible for delivering vaccines to the states , which must then figure out on their own how to get the shots to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked each state to turn in distribution plans on Nov. 2 , imagining a scenario in which a vaccine with Pfizer ’ s specifications came first .
ProPublica obtained full preliminary plans for 47 states ( Hawaii , Pennsylvania and Minnesota say they ’ re still working on theirs ) .
Many struggled with how to handle a Pfizer-like vaccine .
Washington state ’ s Health Department does not have its own warehouse that can store the Pfizer vaccine at a cold enough temperature .
Arizona expects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the state ’ s rural communities and tribal lands .
North Dakota and Oregon aren ’ t sure how to take care of migrant workers .
Kansas ’ plan appears to mistakenly assume shipments will be far smaller than 1,000 doses .
Georgia ’ s Public Health Department is relying on local districts and counties to work out their own details .
“ Early , when we don ’ t have lots of doses , I frankly do not anticipate that vaccine will be widely available in every rural community , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the CDC ’ s Vaccine Task Force , said during a call on vaccine implementation planning with rural stakeholders on Nov. 3 .
“ The first couple months will be not ideal , but we really want to listen to our rural partners and understand what we can do to make it better , ” she added .
The concern is most pronounced in places like Mt .
Vernon Countryside Manor , a nursing home in southern Illinois more than 100 miles from the nearest major city , where the staff is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first COVID-19 outbreak .
Glenda Lee Young , a nurse at the home , said four residents and an employee tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks .
The sick have been isolated from the other 70 elderly residents , and are recovering .
The surrounding county has a fatality rate of 4.5 % , more than double that of Illinois as a whole , according to data from the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard .
The staff at Mt .
Vernon is eager for a vaccine to help them and their residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care workers and people 65 years and older among the first groups to be immunized .
“ Our people would not travel , ” Young said .
“ If a vaccine becomes available , it would have to come to us.
” However , Illinois ’ plan does not specify how shots will be provided to rural parts of the state that may not have enough people or ultracold storage .
The state ’ s Department of Public Health didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment .
Young said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s silence on rural vaccine access .
“ We get the shaft on a lot of stuff.
” Officials Are Trying to Hit “ a Moving Target ” Health officials stressed that the plans are still evolving as they receive changing information .
Even though Pfizer ’ s vaccine has long been seen as the likely front-runner , details from the trial , including the vaccine ’ s efficacy in specific populations like the elderly , have yet to be published .
Shipping and storage logistics are also expected to continue to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s a moving target , ” Dr. Philip Huang , director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department , said .
“ There ’ s new info every day.
” The changing details make it harder to plan , and some officials acknowledged they haven ’ t gotten very far .
“ There are too many variables still to be worked out at the federal level , ” a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Public Health said by way of declining an interview request for this article .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will depend on the vaccine itself , when we receive it and what the protocols will be for prioritizing distribution among various populations.
” The problem with waiting for details on the vaccine to be revealed is that mass immunization is a multilayered process , involving public communication campaigns , ordering of equipment , hiring of staff , training of vaccine providers and the added complexity , in this pandemic , of making sure all vaccine sites are safe and won ’ t contribute to the spread .
Operation Warp Speed has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day that a vaccine is given the green light by the FDA , so states need to be ready at any moment .
For the initial months after the Food and Drug Administration signs off on a vaccine , the CDC advised state and local health authorities to prioritize health care workers , then move on to other essential workers and at-risk populations such as nursing home residents .
Access would expand to the general public as manufacturing ramps up to make more doses available .
But there are a lot of details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some health care workers have more exposure than others ; North Dakota wants hospitals to document how they decided whom to vaccinate first .
Maryland is prioritizing people in jails and prisons ( where sharing close quarters has led to severe outbreaks ) , but states like Idaho and Mississippi have scheduled them for later .
Arkansas , which has a large chicken industry , considers meatpacking workers to be essential .
Oklahoma is prioritizing its long-term care population .
Some states stressed communities of color , which have been disproportionately sickened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are currently in the midst of a social justice movement across the county , ” Kentucky ’ s plan notes .
Across the country , authorities are grappling with how to accommodate the Pfizer vaccine ’ s finicky specifications .
So far , state plans show few have come up with clear solutions .
Oregon , for instance , said it still needs to “ develop [ a ] plan ” for how to handle 1,000-dose orders in “ remote Oregon locations , while maintaining the ultracold chain and avoiding wastage.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Operation Warp Speed , told NPR that it ’ s up to states to buy more freezers .
That contradicts the CDC ’ s instruction to not invest in more equipment .
But many states said they ’ re doing so anyway , or at least looking into it .
They ’ re also taking stock of what facilities already exist in their states at hospitals and universities , or where they can get dry ice .
North Dakota , where the virus has killed roughly 1 out of every 1,200 people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000-dose packages and , on its own , distribute smaller quantities to individual hospitals and clinics .
“ The greatest challenge will be to moving small amounts of vaccine to widely scattered locations during Phase 1 since only a small percentage of the small population will be eligible for the vaccine , ” the state ’ s plan said .
It describes one health district that has three hospitals , two of which are more than an hour ’ s drive away from the nearest city via a two-lane road , and eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote .
“ Reaching small populations without redistribution may not [ be ] possible.
” Even in the case where prioritized health care workers were physically capable of driving themselves to the city to get a vaccine , relying on doctors and nurses to get themselves to a vaccine “ doesn ’ t compute , ” said Tim Size , executive director of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative , which represents 43 rural acute hospitals .
Wisconsin is battling its worst outbreak of the pandemic , and every hospital is stretched thin on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take time off , twice , to get the Pfizer vaccine “ means two days of lost staff time at a time we ’ re desperately short of staff.
” Size urged Pfizer to figure out a way to package its vaccine in smaller shipments so it could be delivered directly to rural hospitals .
A spokeswoman for Pfizer declined to comment on whether the company is working on that .
Later vaccines will likely have less onerous storage requirements , and at least one , made by Johnson & Johnson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so many states are hoping to have multiple options to work with that may make it easier to reach remote populations .
Some states appeared to be avoiding the issue of Pfizer ’ s packaging for now .
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment ’ s plan assumes any approved vaccine will be “ available in minimal quantities such as 100 doses per order.
” Kansas ’ department did not respond to requests for comment .
“ If Pfizer comes out and says they ’ re going to provide doses of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a game changer , ” said Imelda Garcia , associate commissioner for the Texas Department of State Health Services ’ Division for Laboratory and Infectious Disease Services .
“ The manufacturers were imagining mass vaccination efforts and not really thinking about rural areas .
We ’ ve been pushing pretty hard at the federal level for them to provide smaller packages .
We don ’ t know if that will occur or not.
” As Texas and other states consider the need to break down the 1,000-dose packages into smaller shipments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d have to shoulder , since the federal government will only pay to move the vaccines once .
Several states identified funding as a major problem .
Virginia ’ s plan included a “ preparedness gap analysis ” that estimates that it will need $ 71 million to establish and operate mass vaccination clinics , which would include hiring temporary staff and covering facility rental costs , translation services , signage and other operating costs .
The plan also calls for a further $ 2.5 million in equipment such as refrigerators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public education , including TV , radio and social media ads , as well as “ targeted outreach to clinicians , vulnerable populations and other key groups.
” CDC Director Robert Redfield has said Congress will need to provide up to $ 6 billion for vaccine distribution , but funding negotiations stalled ahead of the election .
To date , the federal government has allocated 3 % of that amount , $ 200 million , to the states to immunize the nation .
Much of the implementation will spill into the next administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a team of public health experts to advise him on the COVID-19 response .
But so far the Trump administration is refusing to cooperate with the transition .

This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
As the first coronavirus vaccine takes a major stride toward approval, state governments’ distribution plans show many are not ready to deliver the shots.
The challenge is especially steep in rural areas, many of which are contending with a surge of infections, meaning that access to the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines may be limited by geography.
Pfizer announced Monday that its vaccine demonstrated more than 90% effectiveness and no serious bad reactions in early trial results — an impressive outcome that will pave the way for the company to seek an emergency authorization once it collects more safety data for another week or two. But establishing that the vaccine is safe and effective is just the first step.
The Pfizer vaccine is unusually difficult to ship and store: It is administered in two doses given 28 days apart, has to be stored at temperatures of about minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit and will be delivered in dry ice-packed boxes holding 1,000 to 5,000 doses. These cartons can stay cold enough to keep the doses viable for up to 10 days, according to details provided by the company. The ice can be replenished up to three times. Once opened, the packages can keep the vaccine for five days but can’t be opened more than twice a day. The vaccine can also survive in a refrigerator for five days but can’t be refrozen if unused.
Health officials haven’t figured out how to get the ultracold doses to critical populations living far from cities, according to a ProPublica review of distribution plans obtained through open records laws in every state. Needing to use 1,000 doses within a few days may be fine for large hospital systems or mass vaccination centers. But it could rule out sending the vaccine to providers who don’t treat that many people, even doctors’ offices in cities. It’s especially challenging in smaller towns, rural areas and Native communities on reservations that are likely to struggle to administer that many doses quickly or to maintain them at ultracold temperatures.
The government’s vaccine program, Operation Warp Speed, has projected optimism about its readiness to distribute the vaccine. On Monday, Gen. Gustave Perna told NPR, “I think we’re in a good place,” saying that “with the right planning, we can execute it with zero loss of vaccine.” But the federal program is only going to be responsible for delivering vaccines to the states, which must then figure out on their own how to get the shots to the people who need them most. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked each state to turn in distribution plans on Nov. 2, imagining a scenario in which a vaccine with Pfizer’s specifications came first.
ProPublica obtained full preliminary plans for 47 states (Hawaii, Pennsylvania and Minnesota say they’re still working on theirs). Many struggled with how to handle a Pfizer-like vaccine. Washington state’s Health Department does not have its own warehouse that can store the Pfizer vaccine at a cold enough temperature. Arizona expects the Pfizer vaccine cannot be handled by the state’s rural communities and tribal lands. North Dakota and Oregon aren’t sure how to take care of migrant workers. Kansas’ plan appears to mistakenly assume shipments will be far smaller than 1,000 doses. Georgia’s Public Health Department is relying on local districts and counties to work out their own details.
“Early, when we don’t have lots of doses, I frankly do not anticipate that vaccine will be widely available in every rural community,” Dr. Amanda Cohn, chief medical officer for the CDC’s Vaccine Task Force, said during a call on vaccine implementation planning with rural stakeholders on Nov. 3. “The first couple months will be not ideal, but we really want to listen to our rural partners and understand what we can do to make it better,” she added.
The concern is most pronounced in places like Mt. Vernon Countryside Manor, a nursing home in southern Illinois more than 100 miles from the nearest major city, where the staff is working to contain the facility’s first COVID-19 outbreak. Glenda Lee Young, a nurse at the home, said four residents and an employee tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks. The sick have been isolated from the other 70 elderly residents, and are recovering.
The surrounding county has a fatality rate of 4.5%, more than double that of Illinois as a whole, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard. The staff at Mt. Vernon is eager for a vaccine to help them and their residents. Illinois’ distribution plan includes health care workers and people 65 years and older among the first groups to be immunized.
“Our people would not travel,” Young said. “If a vaccine becomes available, it would have to come to us.”
However, Illinois’ plan does not specify how shots will be provided to rural parts of the state that may not have enough people or ultracold storage. The state’s Department of Public Health didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Young said she was not surprised by the state’s silence on rural vaccine access. “We get the shaft on a lot of stuff.”
Officials Are Trying to Hit “a Moving Target”
Health officials stressed that the plans are still evolving as they receive changing information. Even though Pfizer’s vaccine has long been seen as the likely front-runner, details from the trial, including the vaccine’s efficacy in specific populations like the elderly, have yet to be published. Shipping and storage logistics are also expected to continue to be fine-tuned with each passing week.
“It’s a moving target,” Dr. Philip Huang, director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, said. “There’s new info every day.”
The changing details make it harder to plan, and some officials acknowledged they haven’t gotten very far.
“There are too many variables still to be worked out at the federal level,” a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Public Health said by way of declining an interview request for this article. “Much of what happens going forward will depend on the vaccine itself, when we receive it and what the protocols will be for prioritizing distribution among various populations.”
The problem with waiting for details on the vaccine to be revealed is that mass immunization is a multilayered process, involving public communication campaigns, ordering of equipment, hiring of staff, training of vaccine providers and the added complexity, in this pandemic, of making sure all vaccine sites are safe and won’t contribute to the spread. Operation Warp Speed has said its goal is to begin shipping the day that a vaccine is given the green light by the FDA, so states need to be ready at any moment.
For the initial months after the Food and Drug Administration signs off on a vaccine, the CDC advised state and local health authorities to prioritize health care workers, then move on to other essential workers and at-risk populations such as nursing home residents. Access would expand to the general public as manufacturing ramps up to make more doses available.
But there are a lot of details left to determine within those broad categories. Some health care workers have more exposure than others; North Dakota wants hospitals to document how they decided whom to vaccinate first. Maryland is prioritizing people in jails and prisons (where sharing close quarters has led to severe outbreaks), but states like Idaho and Mississippi have scheduled them for later. Arkansas, which has a large chicken industry, considers meatpacking workers to be essential. Oklahoma is prioritizing its long-term care population. Some states stressed communities of color, which have been disproportionately sickened and killed by the virus. “We are currently in the midst of a social justice movement across the county,” Kentucky’s plan notes.
Rural Communities Are “the Greatest Challenge”
Across the country, authorities are grappling with how to accommodate the Pfizer vaccine’s finicky specifications. So far, state plans show few have come up with clear solutions. Oregon, for instance, said it still needs to “develop [a] plan” for how to handle 1,000-dose orders in “remote Oregon locations, while maintaining the ultracold chain and avoiding wastage.”
Perna, the general leading logistics for Operation Warp Speed, told NPR that it’s up to states to buy more freezers. That contradicts the CDC’s instruction to not invest in more equipment. But many states said they’re doing so anyway, or at least looking into it. They’re also taking stock of what facilities already exist in their states at hospitals and universities, or where they can get dry ice.
North Dakota, where the virus has killed roughly 1 out of every 1,200 people, is considering whether to break down the 1,000-dose packages and, on its own, distribute smaller quantities to individual hospitals and clinics.
“The greatest challenge will be to moving small amounts of vaccine to widely scattered locations during Phase 1 since only a small percentage of the small population will be eligible for the vaccine,” the state’s plan said. It describes one health district that has three hospitals, two of which are more than an hour’s drive away from the nearest city via a two-lane road, and eight long-term care facilities that are even more remote. “Reaching small populations without redistribution may not [be] possible.”
Even in the case where prioritized health care workers were physically capable of driving themselves to the city to get a vaccine, relying on doctors and nurses to get themselves to a vaccine “doesn’t compute,” said Tim Size, executive director of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, which represents 43 rural acute hospitals. Wisconsin is battling its worst outbreak of the pandemic, and every hospital is stretched thin on staff, he said. Requiring everyone to take time off, twice, to get the Pfizer vaccine “means two days of lost staff time at a time we’re desperately short of staff.”
Size urged Pfizer to figure out a way to package its vaccine in smaller shipments so it could be delivered directly to rural hospitals. A spokeswoman for Pfizer declined to comment on whether the company is working on that.
Later vaccines will likely have less onerous storage requirements, and at least one, made by Johnson & Johnson, only requires one dose instead of two, so many states are hoping to have multiple options to work with that may make it easier to reach remote populations.
Some states appeared to be avoiding the issue of Pfizer’s packaging for now. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s plan assumes any approved vaccine will be “available in minimal quantities such as 100 doses per order.” Kansas’ department did not respond to requests for comment.
“If Pfizer comes out and says they’re going to provide doses of 25 instead of 1,000, that’s a game changer,” said Imelda Garcia, associate commissioner for the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Division for Laboratory and Infectious Disease Services. “The manufacturers were imagining mass vaccination efforts and not really thinking about rural areas. We’ve been pushing pretty hard at the federal level for them to provide smaller packages. We don’t know if that will occur or not.”
As Texas and other states consider the need to break down the 1,000-dose packages into smaller shipments, that’s an additional cost that they’d have to shoulder, since the federal government will only pay to move the vaccines once. Several states identified funding as a major problem.
Virginia’s plan included a “preparedness gap analysis” that estimates that it will need $71 million to establish and operate mass vaccination clinics, which would include hiring temporary staff and covering facility rental costs, translation services, signage and other operating costs.
The plan also calls for a further $2.5 million in equipment such as refrigerators and thermometers and $3 million for public education, including TV, radio and social media ads, as well as “targeted outreach to clinicians, vulnerable populations and other key groups.”
CDC Director Robert Redfield has said Congress will need to provide up to $6 billion for vaccine distribution, but funding negotiations stalled ahead of the election. To date, the federal government has allocated 3% of that amount, $200 million, to the states to immunize the nation.
Much of the implementation will spill into the next administration. President-elect Joe Biden on Monday named a team of public health experts to advise him on the COVID-19 response. But so far the Trump administration is refusing to cooperate with the transition.
Mollie Simon contributed reporting.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--WH Orders Agencies To Prep For Trump’s Budget In Yet Another Sign Admin Won’t Face Reality

The White House has told federal agencies to plan for President Donald Trump ’ s February budget proposal for fiscal @ @ @ @ @ the Washington Post , despite the fact that he won ’ t be in office @ @ @ @ @ the administration officials who spoke to the Post said that the White House is “ @ @ @ @ @ spite of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s electoral victory , which Trump has furiously worked @ @ @ @ @ fraud claims .
“ We ’ re all supposed to pretend this is normal , @ @ @ @ @ , while we know we ’ re just going to have to throw it away @ @ @ @ @ .
The White House ’ s budget plans further signal the Trump administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ , which has also involved ordering senior officials from cooperating with Biden ’ s transition @ @

The White House has told federal agencies to plan for President Donald Trump’s February budget proposal for fiscal year 2022, according to the Washington Post, despite the fact that he won’t be in office by then.
One of the administration officials who spoke to the Post said that the White House is “pretending nothing happened” in spite of President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory, which Trump has furiously worked to delegitimize with bogus voter fraud claims.
“We’re all supposed to pretend this is normal, and do all this work, while we know we’re just going to have to throw it away,” the official said.
The White House’s budget plans further signal the Trump administration’s undemocratic defiance of the election, which has also involved ordering senior officials from cooperating with Biden’s transition team.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--A Chuckling Biden Dismisses Trump’s Refusal To Concede As An ‘Embarrassment’

President-Elect Joe Biden took a relaxed posture at a Tuesday press conference , dismissing the Trump administration ’ s fact-free resistance to his election win as “ not of much consequence ” to his transition plan .
President Donald Trump and his lackeys — including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Attorney General Bill Barr and many congressional Republicans — have decided to pretend that the election results are illegitimate .
They ’ ve made vague claims of fraud even while the campaign ’ s flimsy legal arguments are laughed out of court .
Biden won both the electoral college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no actual doubt about his victory .
When reporters brought up the Trump administration ’ s recalcitrance and petulant refusal to release the transition funds Biden is entitled to , the President-Elect chuckled .
“ Well , first of all , we are already beginning the transition , ” Biden said .
“ We ’ re well underway.
” The administration ’ s refusal to accept the reality of his win , Biden added , “ does not change the dynamic at all and what we ’ re able to do.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far been willing to refer to Biden as the president-elect , while some , in particularly bad faith , are pretending that the election ’ s results are not yet known .
“ I think that the whole Republican party has been put in a position — with a few notable exceptions — of being mildly intimidated by the sitting president , ” Biden said carefully .
He later added with a grin , when asked how he ’ d work with congressional Republicans if they won ’ t even accept his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ they will.
” He emphasized throughout his remarks , though , that Trump ’ s resistance didn ’ t ultimately matter .
His team could get by without the transition funds , he said , and he ’ d already started taking calls from foreign leaders .
Having access to classified information would be “ nice , ” he acknowledged , but he couldn ’ t act on it yet anyway .
On the whole , Biden said that his team is proceeding as if the President had conceded , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either way .
“ I just think it ’ s an embarrassment , quite frankly , ” Biden said of Trump ’ s refusal to concede .
“ How can I say this tactfully — I think it will not help the President ’ s legacy .
”

President-Elect Joe Biden took a relaxed posture at a Tuesday press conference, dismissing the Trump administration’s fact-free resistance to his election win as “not of much consequence” to his transition plan.
President Donald Trump and his lackeys — including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Attorney General Bill Barr and many congressional Republicans — have decided to pretend that the election results are illegitimate. They’ve made vague claims of fraud even while the campaign’s flimsy legal arguments are laughed out of court.
Biden won both the electoral college and popular vote handily, and there is no actual doubt about his victory.
When reporters brought up the Trump administration’s recalcitrance and petulant refusal to release the transition funds Biden is entitled to, the President-Elect chuckled.
“Well, first of all, we are already beginning the transition,” Biden said. “We’re well underway.” The administration’s refusal to accept the reality of his win, Biden added, “does not change the dynamic at all and what we’re able to do.”
Only a handful of elected Republicans have so far been willing to refer to Biden as the president-elect, while some, in particularly bad faith, are pretending that the election’s results are not yet known.
“I think that the whole Republican party has been put in a position — with a few notable exceptions — of being mildly intimidated by the sitting president,” Biden said carefully. He later added with a grin, when asked how he’d work with congressional Republicans if they won’t even accept his presidency, a note of confidence: “they will.”
He emphasized throughout his remarks, though, that Trump’s resistance didn’t ultimately matter. His team could get by without the transition funds, he said, and he’d already started taking calls from foreign leaders.
Having access to classified information would be “nice,” he acknowledged, but he couldn’t act on it yet anyway. On the whole, Biden said that his team is proceeding as if the President had conceded, and that the new administration will start January 20 either way.
“I just think it’s an embarrassment, quite frankly,” Biden said of Trump’s refusal to concede. “How can I say this tactfully — I think it will not help the President’s legacy.”