talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--The Biden Transition Isn’t Freaking Out About Trump Admin Obstruction… Yet

Nearly a week after all major media networks projected that Joe Biden was the President-elect , Biden ’ s transition team is not sweating the Trump administration ’ s continued refusal to begin the official transition process — mostly .
Sure , transition adviser Jen Psaki acknowledged in a briefing Friday , it ’ s in America ’ s interest for the incoming administration to have up-to-date intelligence briefings and additional information on such topics as the status of COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans .
Biden ’ s team still doesn ’ t have access to secure facilities , thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance to communicate with foreign heads of state , or even .gov email addresses .
And none of that can change until the head of the General Services Administration , Emily Murphy , officially “ ascertains ” that Biden won the election .
“ Our preference would be that the GSA ascertainment happens , that the letter is signed , and we all move forward in preparing President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to govern , ” Psaki said .
But , she added , “ We ’ re not interested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GSA administrator or anyone , really.
” Psaki kept up the rhetorical poker face throughout the briefing : While it was “ imperative ” that the transition team quickly get access to COVID-19-related information , she said at one point , Biden ’ s own COVID-19 advisory board — “ some of the foremost experts in the country ” — has plenty of advice they can provide in the interim .
“ Their role was never going to be to directly engage with federal officials , so they can continue providing advice just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ But certainly we would prefer , and I think the American people would prefer , if the incoming administration and the incoming President could have access to the real-time current information and plans.
” Johannes Abraham , who ’ s running the transition ’ s day-to-day operations , said separately that the transition had been in “ regular contact ” with administration officials working on the transition as part of the GSA ’ s Agency Transition Directors Council .
Americans don ’ t need to look to the Biden team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources is dangerous .
Sen. James Lankford ( R-OK ) was one of several Republicans to ring alarm bells this week about Biden not receiving intelligence briefings .
Republicans and Democrats from multiple past administrations , as well as former Trump administration officials , have also noted the 9/11 Commission ’ s finding that George W. Bush ’ s truncated transition period distracted his national security team from the threats America faced in the months leading up to the Sept. 11 , 2001 terrorist attacks .
Biden , of course , is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who “ knows his way around the Situation Room , ” Psaki said Friday .
And plenty of his transition team ’ s members are very recent federal employees who know their way around the executive branch bureaucracy .
But that ’ s not really the point , she said .
The transition team wants up-to-date information , especially on national security matters .
And on that front , every new day without access to the government is worst than the last .
“ It ’ s been six days , but with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more concerning that our national security team and the president-elect and the vice president-elect don ’ t have access to those threat assessments , intelligence briefings , real-time information about our engagements around the world , ” Psaki said .
“ You don ’ t know what you don ’ t know .
”

Nearly a week after all major media networks projected that Joe Biden was the President-elect, Biden’s transition team is not sweating the Trump administration’s continued refusal to begin the official transition process — mostly.
Sure, transition adviser Jen Psaki acknowledged in a briefing Friday, it’s in America’s interest for the incoming administration to have up-to-date intelligence briefings and additional information on such topics as the status of COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans.
Biden’s team still doesn’t have access to secure facilities, thousands of pages of government memos, State Department assistance to communicate with foreign heads of state, or even .gov email addresses. And none of that can change until the head of the General Services Administration, Emily Murphy, officially “ascertains” that Biden won the election.
“Our preference would be that the GSA ascertainment happens, that the letter is signed, and we all move forward in preparing President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to govern,” Psaki said.
But, she added, “We’re not interested in having a food fight with the GSA administrator or anyone, really.”
Psaki kept up the rhetorical poker face throughout the briefing: While it was “imperative” that the transition team quickly get access to COVID-19-related information, she said at one point, Biden’s own COVID-19 advisory board — “some of the foremost experts in the country” — has plenty of advice they can provide in the interim.
“Their role was never going to be to directly engage with federal officials, so they can continue providing advice just as we had planned,” she said. “But certainly we would prefer, and I think the American people would prefer, if the incoming administration and the incoming President could have access to the real-time current information and plans.”
Johannes Abraham, who’s running the transition’s day-to-day operations, said separately that the transition had been in “regular contact” with administration officials working on the transition as part of the GSA’s Agency Transition Directors Council.
Americans don’t need to look to the Biden team to make the case that withholding transition resources is dangerous. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) was one of several Republicans to ring alarm bells this week about Biden not receiving intelligence briefings.
Republicans and Democrats from multiple past administrations, as well as former Trump administration officials, have also noted the 9/11 Commission’s finding that George W. Bush’s truncated transition period distracted his national security team from the threats America faced in the months leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Biden, of course, is a decades-over D.C. veteran and former vice president who “knows his way around the Situation Room,” Psaki said Friday. And plenty of his transition team’s members are very recent federal employees who know their way around the executive branch bureaucracy.
But that’s not really the point, she said. The transition team wants up-to-date information, especially on national security matters. And on that front, every new day without access to the government is worst than the last.
“It’s been six days, but with every day that passes, it becomes more concerning that our national security team and the president-elect and the vice president-elect don’t have access to those threat assessments, intelligence briefings, real-time information about our engagements around the world,” Psaki said. “You don’t know what you don’t know.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Trump’s Vaccine Chief Wants To Be Allowed To Brief The Biden Team

The official in charge of the Trump administration ’ s bid to speed up vaccine development wants permission from the White House to begin briefing the Biden transition , the Financial Times reported .
Moncef Slaoui heads Operation Warp Speed , the joint Health and Human Services-Department of Defense program to spur the creation of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine .
Slaoui told the newspaper that he would need approval from the Trump administration before he could reach out to the transition team led by President-elect Joe Biden .
“ I hope nothing interferes with [ Operation Warp Speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life and death for thousands of people , ” he said .
The FT reported that , when asked if the vaccine program ’ s success was contingent on access to the Biden team , Slaoui replied : “ I would assume , yes.
” The Trump administration , as part of its project to develop an alternate reality in which the President was re-elected , has refused to provide the Biden transition team with briefings or access to government departments to allow them to prepare to take over in January .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sign a document recognizing Biden ’ s victory and allowing the process to go forward .
On vaccines , it ’ s a particularly sensitive issue .
Operation Warp Speed is developing multiple databases to track vaccine deployment across the country , and will play a crucial role in overseeing the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines once they are first approved .
Slaoui told the Financial Times that he would like to be able to brief the Biden team .
“ It ’ s not for us to decide , frankly , ” @ @ @ @ @

The official in charge of the Trump administration’s bid to speed up vaccine development wants permission from the White House to begin briefing the Biden transition, the Financial Times reported.
Moncef Slaoui heads Operation Warp Speed, the joint Health and Human Services-Department of Defense program to spur the creation of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
Slaoui told the newspaper that he would need approval from the Trump administration before he could reach out to the transition team led by President-elect Joe Biden.
“I hope nothing interferes with [Operation Warp Speed]. It is a matter of life and death for thousands of people,” he said.
The FT reported that, when asked if the vaccine program’s success was contingent on access to the Biden team, Slaoui replied: “I would assume, yes.”
The Trump administration, as part of its project to develop an alternate reality in which the President was re-elected, has refused to provide the Biden transition team with briefings or access to government departments to allow them to prepare to take over in January.
Instead, the Government Services Administration has refused to sign a document recognizing Biden’s victory and allowing the process to go forward.
On vaccines, it’s a particularly sensitive issue. Operation Warp Speed is developing multiple databases to track vaccine deployment across the country, and will play a crucial role in overseeing the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines once they are first approved.
Slaoui told the Financial Times that he would like to be able to brief the Biden team.
“It’s not for us to decide, frankly,” he told the newspaper.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Networks Finally Project Biden As Winner In Georgia

President-elect Joe Biden is projected to win Georgia — adding 16 electoral votes to his lead over President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ multiple networks on Friday .
Both CNN and NBC made the call on Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ of the traditionally ruby red state which came into play as a battleground state in @ @ @ @ @ Georgia was among the last states to be called , more than one week after @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tally to 306 electoral votes nationwide — far surpassing the 270 baseline that @ @ @ @ @ he became the President-elect .
President Trump , who was projected to win North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ .
Although the votes do not affect the election ’ s overall outcome , Biden @ @ @ @ @ means that he flipped five states won by Trump in 2016 .

President-elect Joe Biden is projected to win Georgia — adding 16 electoral votes to his lead over President Donald Trump, according to reports from multiple networks on Friday.
Both CNN and NBC made the call on Friday afternoon, marking a surprising flip of the traditionally ruby red state which came into play as a battleground state in the 2020 presidential election.
Georgia was among the last states to be called, more than one week after Election Day, bringing Biden’s tally to 306 electoral votes nationwide — far surpassing the 270 baseline that he crossed on Saturday when he became the President-elect. President Trump, who was projected to win North Carolina, has 232 electoral votes.
Although the votes do not affect the election’s overall outcome, Biden’s feat in Georgia means that he flipped five states won by Trump in 2016.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--White House Aides Dutifully Keep Up Fantasy About Trump Victory

In a wildly distorted view of what abiding by the will of the people means in a democracy , a number of White House officials are still refusing to come down from the fantasy that President Donald Trump will remain at his perch in the West Wing on Inauguration Day , when President-elect Joe Biden formally takes his place as the nation ’ s leader .
When asked by Fox Business Network ’ s Stuart Varney on Friday whether or not Trump would attend the inauguration of his successor , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany offered the head-in-the-sand response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend his own inauguration.
” “ We are going to show the nation that we absolutely believe when every legal vote is counted , President Trump will win , ” McEnany said , urging Americans to watch a recount in Georgia .
But even if the Trump campaign were to make inroads to subtract a small batch of votes in Georgia , Biden won by margins too large for Trump to overturn the Democrat ’ s win nationwide .
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro seemed to echo a similarly distorted belief on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Trump lost the election , he told Fox Business Network ’ s Maria Bartiromo on Friday of plans to move forward with a second term for the man who fell short of the electoral votes needed to clinch the White House for another four years .
“ We ’ re moving forward here at the White House under the assumption that there will be a second Trump term , ” Navarro said , apparently refusing to answer a question about whether a forthcoming Biden administration was likely to undo an executive order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans from investing in a group of Chinese companies .
Navarro then pushed the a baseless vote-counting conspiracy that Biden ’ s win was all part of “ an immaculate deception.
” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made similar comments on Tuesday when he called for “ a second Trump administration , ” in a contradictory effort to undermine democratic institutions in the United States as he leads efforts abroad to advance democracy .
The refusal of Trump loyalists in the White House to accept his defeat , and continue to kick and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as government officials directly involved in securing the elections and monitoring cybersecurity as votes rolled in on Nov. 3 , issued a statement late Thursday lauding last week ’ s election for being the “ most secure in American history .
”

In a wildly distorted view of what abiding by the will of the people means in a democracy, a number of White House officials are still refusing to come down from the fantasy that President Donald Trump will remain at his perch in the West Wing on Inauguration Day, when President-elect Joe Biden formally takes his place as the nation’s leader.
When asked by Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney on Friday whether or not Trump would attend the inauguration of his successor, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany offered the head-in-the-sand response that she thinks “the president will attend his own inauguration.”
"I think the president will attend his own inauguration" — Kayleigh McEnany still hasn't acknowledged the reality that Trump lost to Biden and it wasn't particularly close pic.twitter.com/ErAvGsRVgT — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 13, 2020
“We are going to show the nation that we absolutely believe when every legal vote is counted, President Trump will win,” McEnany said, urging Americans to watch a recount in Georgia.
But even if the Trump campaign were to make inroads to subtract a small batch of votes in Georgia, Biden won by margins too large for Trump to overturn the Democrat’s win nationwide.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro seemed to echo a similarly distorted belief on the same network.
Nearly a week after Trump lost the election, he told Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo on Friday of plans to move forward with a second term for the man who fell short of the electoral votes needed to clinch the White House for another four years.
“We’re moving forward here at the White House under the assumption that there will be a second Trump term,” Navarro said, apparently refusing to answer a question about whether a forthcoming Biden administration was likely to undo an executive order signed by Trump on Thursday to ban Americans from investing in a group of Chinese companies.
Navarro then pushed the a baseless vote-counting conspiracy that Biden’s win was all part of “an immaculate deception.”
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro: “We’re moving forward here at the White House under the assumption that there will be a second Trump term … We have, what appears in some sense to be, an immaculate deception." (FWIW, there will not be a second Trump term.) pic.twitter.com/qiVfAyZ5G9 — The Recount (@therecount) November 13, 2020
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made similar comments on Tuesday when he called for “a second Trump administration,” in a contradictory effort to undermine democratic institutions in the United States as he leads efforts abroad to advance democracy.
The refusal of Trump loyalists in the White House to accept his defeat, and continue to kick and scream of a stolen election, comes as government officials directly involved in securing the elections and monitoring cybersecurity as votes rolled in on Nov. 3, issued a statement late Thursday lauding last week’s election for being the “most secure in American history.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Trump Campaign Bails On Its Arizona ‘SharpieGate’-Lite Lawsuit

The second Arizona SharpieGate lawsuit shall meet a similar fate as the first one .
The Trump campaign said Friday in a court filing that it was backing away from a lawsuit filed in recent days that alleged that scores of voters may have been disenfranchised by how Maricopa County election workers were handling an issue with tabulators reading their ballots .
The campaign ’ s case was the latest iteration of a conspiracy theory that went viral on MAGA-loving social media and that was amplified by members of Trump ’ s inner circle .
The theory started with fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposely being given sharpies to fill out their ballots so that their votes wouldn ’ t be counted .
A group of conservative activists were the first to try to bring SharpieGate ’ s claims to court , but they sought dismissal of the lawsuit after the theory was widely debunked .
The campaign , when it filed its lawsuit on Saturday , tried to distance itself from the more bizarre aspects of the theory .
Its lawyer told the court Thursday that it wasn ’ t alleging any fraud , but rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they assisted voters whose ballots weren ’ t being read properly by the tabulators .
But their own witnesses and the affidavits they filed referenced elements of the SharpieGate theory , nonetheless .
Thursday ’ s hearing also featured the judge tearing apart the process the campaign had conducted to collect its “ evidence ” for the case .
On Friday , the campaign filed a notice that a ruling , as it affected the presidential race , was now “ unnecessary ” because of where that count stands in Arizona .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State ’ s office Friday morning , Biden ’ s 11,434-vote lead over Trump was greater than the total ballots left to count .
Only about 190 presidential votes were put in question by the Trump campaign ’ s lawsuit .

The second Arizona SharpieGate lawsuit shall meet a similar fate as the first one.
The Trump campaign said Friday in a court filing that it was backing away from a lawsuit filed in recent days that alleged that scores of voters may have been disenfranchised by how Maricopa County election workers were handling an issue with tabulators reading their ballots.
The campaign’s case was the latest iteration of a conspiracy theory that went viral on MAGA-loving social media and that was amplified by members of Trump’s inner circle. The theory started with fake but fast-spreading claims that Trump voters were purposely being given sharpies to fill out their ballots so that their votes wouldn’t be counted.
A group of conservative activists were the first to try to bring SharpieGate’s claims to court, but they sought dismissal of the lawsuit after the theory was widely debunked.
The campaign, when it filed its lawsuit on Saturday, tried to distance itself from the more bizarre aspects of the theory. Its lawyer told the court Thursday that it wasn’t alleging any fraud, but rather inadvertent errors by election workers in how they assisted voters whose ballots weren’t being read properly by the tabulators. But their own witnesses and the affidavits they filed referenced elements of the SharpieGate theory, nonetheless. Thursday’s hearing also featured the judge tearing apart the process the campaign had conducted to collect its “evidence” for the case.
On Friday, the campaign filed a notice that a ruling, as it affected the presidential race, was now “unnecessary” because of where that count stands in Arizona. According to a filing from the Arizona Secretary of State’s office Friday morning, Biden’s 11,434-vote lead over Trump was greater than the total ballots left to count. Only about 190 presidential votes were put in question by the Trump campaign’s lawsuit.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--130+ Secret Service Officers Temporarily Off The Job Amid Growing COVID Outbreak

More than 130 Secret Service officers involved in White House security and protecting President Trump when he travels are under orders to isolate or quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus or having close contact with an infected co-worker , the Washington Post reported on Friday .
The order to isolate or quarantine effectively benches roughly 10 percent of the agency ’ s core security team , according to the Post .
The outbreak may be linked to a flurry of campaign rallies that Trump held in the weeks before the Nov. 3 election when Trump made five campaign stops on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events where a majority of his supporters did not wear masks , three people familiar with agency staffing told the Post .
Secret service officers took on the role of screening attendees and securing the perimeter around those events .
The absence of the officers amid the outbreak shows just how coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the security unit surrounding Trump .
The limited numbers of officers adds stress to remaining officers to make up for missing co-workers .
The report is the latest example of Trump ’ s cavalier attitude toward risking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The President was widely criticized last month when he put agents at risk after insisting on taking a ride outside Walter Reed hospital accompanied by Secret Service to wave to supporters when he was fighting his own COVID-19 infection .
The news of the quarantined security officers follows another cluster of infections reported earlier this week that included , among others , White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , outside political advisers Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie , as well as HUD Secretary Ben Carson and White House political director Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the administration takes “ every case seriously , ” referring questions about the Secret Service outbreak to agency officials .
But several staffers told the Post that they had concerns about returning to work at the White House amid news of the outbreak .
“ I ’ m trying to work from home , ” one senior administration official told the Post on Wednesday .
“ It ’ s not really safe to be in there right now .
”

More than 130 Secret Service officers involved in White House security and protecting President Trump when he travels are under orders to isolate or quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus or having close contact with an infected co-worker, the Washington Post reported on Friday.
The order to isolate or quarantine effectively benches roughly 10 percent of the agency’s core security team, according to the Post.
The outbreak may be linked to a flurry of campaign rallies that Trump held in the weeks before the Nov. 3 election when Trump made five campaign stops on each of the last two days at events where a majority of his supporters did not wear masks, three people familiar with agency staffing told the Post.
Secret service officers took on the role of screening attendees and securing the perimeter around those events.
The absence of the officers amid the outbreak shows just how coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the security unit surrounding Trump. The limited numbers of officers adds stress to remaining officers to make up for missing co-workers.
The report is the latest example of Trump’s cavalier attitude toward risking the health of those in his orbit. The President was widely criticized last month when he put agents at risk after insisting on taking a ride outside Walter Reed hospital accompanied by Secret Service to wave to supporters when he was fighting his own COVID-19 infection.
The news of the quarantined security officers follows another cluster of infections reported earlier this week that included, among others, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, outside political advisers Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, as well as HUD Secretary Ben Carson and White House political director Brian Jack.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said the administration takes “every case seriously,” referring questions about the Secret Service outbreak to agency officials.
But several staffers told the Post that they had concerns about returning to work at the White House amid news of the outbreak.
“I’m trying to work from home,” one senior administration official told the Post on Wednesday. “It’s not really safe to be in there right now.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-14--‘Life-Or-Death Situation’: Governors Order New Restrictions As COVID Rages

PROVIDENCE , R.I. ( AP ) — The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet to the latest wave of coronavirus infections shattering records across the U.S. , even as many of their counterparts in other states show little appetite for reimposing the hard-line restrictions of last spring .
“ We are in a life-or-death situation , and if we don ’ t act right now , we can not preserve the lives , we can ’ t keep saving lives , and we will absolutely crush our current health care system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico said in imposing a two-week stay-at-home order .
Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown ordered a two-week “ freeze ” starting Wednesday , under which all businesses will be required to close their offices to the public and mandate work-from-home “ to the greatest extent possible.
” While most Oregon stores will remain open , gyms , museums , pools , movie theaters and zoos will be forced to close , and restaurants and bars will be limited to takeout .
Social gatherings will be restricted to six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violators could face fines or arrest .
“ For the last eight months , I have been asking Oregonians to follow to the letter and the spirit of the law , and we have not chosen to engage law enforcement , ” Brown said .
“ At this point in time , unfortunately , we have no other option.
” Both states had lockdowns earlier in the year , but the coronavirus is coming back with a vengeance across the country , and the U.S. is facing a long , dark winter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed infections and almost a quarter-million deaths in the U.S. , with the closely watched University of Washington model projecting nearly 439,000 dead by March 1 .
Deaths have climbed to about 1,000 a day on average .
New cases per day are soaring , reaching another all-time high on Thursday of more than 153,000 .
Hospitals are getting swamped .
Still , there is little will among many governors and other elected officials for going back to the kind of lockdowns and large-scale business closings seen last spring .
Some governors also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among the reasons given : public fatigue , fear of doing more damage to already-crippled businesses , lack of support from Washington , and the way efforts to tame the virus have become fiercely politicized .
“ I think that governors and mayors are , again , in a really tough spot .
The American population is emotionally and economically exhausted , ” Dr. Megan Ranney , an emergency physician and professor at Brown University in Providence , Rhode Island .
President Donald Trump asked all Americans to remain “ vigilant ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Hopefully , whatever happens in the future , who knows which administration it will be , I guess time will tell , but I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown , ” Trump said in his first public remarks since his defeat by President-elect Joe Biden .
Governors in many states , such as New York , Maryland , Virginia and Minnesota , have taken largely incremental measures over the past few days , such as limiting the size of gatherings , making businesses close early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales earlier in the evening .
Starting Saturday , most people in North Dakota will be ordered to wear masks at indoor public spaces and outdoors where social distancing isn ’ t possible , Republican Gov .
Doug Burgum ordered late Friday .
Businesses will also have restrictions on capacity and hours of operation , according to the executive order .
Nevada Democratic Gov .
Steve Sisolak has repeatedly argued that containing the virus is largely up to individuals .
“ Some people are going to ask , ‘ Why not limit retail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now ?
’ That ’ s a fair question , ” he said .
“ That is the tightrope of trying to balance controlling the COVID-19 spread , protecting our hospitals from surges , and at the same time , not destroying and shutting down our economy.
” In Texas , which this week became the first state to surpass 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases , Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott has emphasized new treatments and vaccines that are expected to become available soon .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , suing after El Paso closed nonessential businesses because of a surge so severe that mobile morgues are being brought in .
An appeals court Thursday temporarily lifted the shutdown .
On Friday , the appeals court sent the case back to a state district judge with instructions to halt the shutdown .
In a statement that Paxton ’ s office tweeted , he called the appeals court ’ s Friday decision “ outstanding , ” adding that “ I will not let rogue political subdivisions try to kill small businesses and holiday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have gotten pushback from some constituents , especially business owners who fear for their livelihoods .
In Ohio , Bahram Akradi , founder , chairman and CEO of Life Time health clubs , objected when the governor added gyms to a list of businesses that could be shuttered if cases continue to rise .
“ Another shutdown would just be completely devastating and simply unjust , ” Akradi said .
He added : “ The damage of not allowing people to have healthy activity is much more than the gain.
” In Montana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 % in the past week , Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock said he is wary of imposing tougher statewide restrictions without additional federal aid to unemployed individuals and small businesses .
“ I never wanted to punish the businesses that are doing right in this pandemic to keep their employees and customers safe .
Shutting down those businesses would do just that , ” he said .
The political perils of statewide mandates have been on display in Wisconsin .
Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers issued a “ safer at home ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican lawmakers and struck down by the conservative-controlled state Supreme Court in May .
The result has been a hodgepodge of local limits across the state , with some of the strictest in places like Milwaukee , which is moving forward with imposing steep fines of between $ 500 and $ 5,000 for violations of local health orders .
Other governors have likewise relied on local and county officials to tackle the crisis , creating a patchwork of restrictions around the country .
But that strategy has its limits against a virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he doesn ’ t plan on reinstating restrictions on the city ’ s honky-tonks and other businesses .
He said shutting down just one county would probably be ineffective against the virus because the surrounding areas wouldn ’ t be following the same guidelines .
“ We are also subject to what goes on in our state , and we can ’ t keep just our county safe , ” Cooper said .
Some economists say the crisis has been falsely portrayed as a choice between the economy and public health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not recover until the virus is brought under control and people are confident enough to go shopping , eat at restaurants and do other things again .
Experts have argued , too , that strict but relatively short lockdowns could ultimately result in less economic pain than the half-measures employed now , which have only succeeded in dragging out the crisis .
Dr. Michael Fine , former director of Rhode Island ’ s Health Department , said the outbreak requires more aggressive strategies .
Closing bars earlier in the evening , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July , but there ’ s not a chance they ’ ll work now .
It ’ s like taking an eyedropper to a forest fire.
” “ Short of very profound lockdowns , I don ’ t think we have a chance of slowing the spread , ” Fine said .
Johnson reported from Washington state ; Pane reported from Boise , Idaho .
AP journalists around the U.S. contributed to this report .

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet to the latest wave of coronavirus infections shattering records across the U.S., even as many of their counterparts in other states show little appetite for reimposing the hard-line restrictions of last spring.
“We are in a life-or-death situation, and if we don’t act right now, we cannot preserve the lives, we can’t keep saving lives, and we will absolutely crush our current health care system and infrastructure,” Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico said in imposing a two-week stay-at-home order.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown ordered a two-week “freeze” starting Wednesday, under which all businesses will be required to close their offices to the public and mandate work-from-home “to the greatest extent possible.”
While most Oregon stores will remain open, gyms, museums, pools, movie theaters and zoos will be forced to close, and restaurants and bars will be limited to takeout. Social gatherings will be restricted to six people.
The Democratic governor warned that violators could face fines or arrest.
“For the last eight months, I have been asking Oregonians to follow to the letter and the spirit of the law, and we have not chosen to engage law enforcement,” Brown said. “At this point in time, unfortunately, we have no other option.”
Both states had lockdowns earlier in the year, but the coronavirus is coming back with a vengeance across the country, and the U.S. is facing a long, dark winter. The scourge is blamed for 10.7 million confirmed infections and almost a quarter-million deaths in the U.S., with the closely watched University of Washington model projecting nearly 439,000 dead by March 1.
Deaths have climbed to about 1,000 a day on average. New cases per day are soaring, reaching another all-time high on Thursday of more than 153,000. Hospitals are getting swamped.
Still, there is little will among many governors and other elected officials for going back to the kind of lockdowns and large-scale business closings seen last spring. Some governors also continue to resist issuing statewide mask rules.
Among the reasons given: public fatigue, fear of doing more damage to already-crippled businesses, lack of support from Washington, and the way efforts to tame the virus have become fiercely politicized.
“I think that governors and mayors are, again, in a really tough spot. The American population is emotionally and economically exhausted,” Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician and professor at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
President Donald Trump asked all Americans to remain “vigilant” but ruled out a nationwide “lockdown.”
“Hopefully, whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration it will be, I guess time will tell, but I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown,” Trump said in his first public remarks since his defeat by President-elect Joe Biden.
Governors in many states, such as New York, Maryland, Virginia and Minnesota, have taken largely incremental measures over the past few days, such as limiting the size of gatherings, making businesses close early, restricting capacity or cutting off alcohol sales earlier in the evening.
Starting Saturday, most people in North Dakota will be ordered to wear masks at indoor public spaces and outdoors where social distancing isn’t possible, Republican Gov. Doug Burgum ordered late Friday. Businesses will also have restrictions on capacity and hours of operation, according to the executive order.
Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak has repeatedly argued that containing the virus is largely up to individuals.
“Some people are going to ask, ‘Why not limit retail, or casino resorts, or restaurants right now?’ That’s a fair question,” he said. “That is the tightrope of trying to balance controlling the COVID-19 spread, protecting our hospitals from surges, and at the same time, not destroying and shutting down our economy.”
In Texas, which this week became the first state to surpass 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has emphasized new treatments and vaccines that are expected to become available soon.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken an even harder line against new restrictions, suing after El Paso closed nonessential businesses because of a surge so severe that mobile morgues are being brought in. An appeals court Thursday temporarily lifted the shutdown. On Friday, the appeals court sent the case back to a state district judge with instructions to halt the shutdown.
In a statement that Paxton’s office tweeted, he called the appeals court’s Friday decision “outstanding,” adding that “I will not let rogue political subdivisions try to kill small businesses and holiday gatherings through unlawful executive orders.”
Officials have gotten pushback from some constituents, especially business owners who fear for their livelihoods.
In Ohio, Bahram Akradi, founder, chairman and CEO of Life Time health clubs, objected when the governor added gyms to a list of businesses that could be shuttered if cases continue to rise.
“Another shutdown would just be completely devastating and simply unjust,” Akradi said. He added: “The damage of not allowing people to have healthy activity is much more than the gain.”
In Montana, where cases are up more than 16% in the past week, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock said he is wary of imposing tougher statewide restrictions without additional federal aid to unemployed individuals and small businesses.
“I never wanted to punish the businesses that are doing right in this pandemic to keep their employees and customers safe. Shutting down those businesses would do just that,” he said.
The political perils of statewide mandates have been on display in Wisconsin. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers issued a “safer at home” order in March that was challenged by Republican lawmakers and struck down by the conservative-controlled state Supreme Court in May.
The result has been a hodgepodge of local limits across the state, with some of the strictest in places like Milwaukee, which is moving forward with imposing steep fines of between $500 and $5,000 for violations of local health orders.
Other governors have likewise relied on local and county officials to tackle the crisis, creating a patchwork of restrictions around the country. But that strategy has its limits against a virus.
In Tennessee, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said he doesn’t plan on reinstating restrictions on the city’s honky-tonks and other businesses. He said shutting down just one county would probably be ineffective against the virus because the surrounding areas wouldn’t be following the same guidelines.
“We are also subject to what goes on in our state, and we can’t keep just our county safe,” Cooper said.
Some economists say the crisis has been falsely portrayed as a choice between the economy and public health. Instead, they argue that the economy cannot recover until the virus is brought under control and people are confident enough to go shopping, eat at restaurants and do other things again.
Experts have argued, too, that strict but relatively short lockdowns could ultimately result in less economic pain than the half-measures employed now, which have only succeeded in dragging out the crisis.
Dr. Michael Fine, former director of Rhode Island’s Health Department, said the outbreak requires more aggressive strategies. Closing bars earlier in the evening, he said, “might have worked in July, but there’s not a chance they’ll work now. It’s like taking an eyedropper to a forest fire.”
“Short of very profound lockdowns, I don’t think we have a chance of slowing the spread,” Fine said.
___
Johnson reported from Washington state; Pane reported from Boise, Idaho. AP journalists around the U.S. contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-14--Giuliani Time: Trump Taps Rudy To Lead Legal Challenges That Are Going Nowhere

One-term President Donald Trump has tapped his loyal bag man and personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to lead his campaign ’ s long-shot legal challenges to the election results , the New York Times reported Friday evening .
The Times said Giuliani was brought in as the face of the increasingly desperate effort to overrule the will of the American people , who delivered a decisive win for President-elect Joe Biden in both the Electoral College and popular vote , after the campaign ’ s efforts in Arizona fizzled .
Politico confirmed the Times ’ reporting .
Giuliani led the infamous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Landscaping in Philadelphia , which Trump apparently mistook for the luxury hotel in downtown Philly .
As the networks projected Biden the winner of the presidency late Saturday morning , Giuliani ranted at reporters from the landscaping company ’ s drab headquarters , which are sandwiched between an adult bookstore and a crematorium .
Politico reported that the Four Seasons stunt scared away lawyers who no longer wanted to be associated with the campaign ’ s efforts .
Giuliani has dutifully pursued the President ’ s most dubious schemes , from trying and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bidens in Ukraine to peddling bogus conspiracies involving Hunter Biden ’ s laptop .

One-term President Donald Trump has tapped his loyal bag man and personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to lead his campaign’s long-shot legal challenges to the election results, the New York Times reported Friday evening.
The Times said Giuliani was brought in as the face of the increasingly desperate effort to overrule the will of the American people, who delivered a decisive win for President-elect Joe Biden in both the Electoral College and popular vote, after the campaign’s efforts in Arizona fizzled.
Politico confirmed the Times’ reporting. Giuliani led the infamous weekend press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia, which Trump apparently mistook for the luxury hotel in downtown Philly. As the networks projected Biden the winner of the presidency late Saturday morning, Giuliani ranted at reporters from the landscaping company’s drab headquarters, which are sandwiched between an adult bookstore and a crematorium.
Politico reported that the Four Seasons stunt scared away lawyers who no longer wanted to be associated with the campaign’s efforts.
Giuliani has dutifully pursued the President’s most dubious schemes, from trying and failing to dig up dirt on the Bidens in Ukraine to peddling bogus conspiracies involving Hunter Biden’s laptop.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-15--Federal Judge Rules That Acting DHS Chief Didn’t Have Authority To Suspend DACA

NEW YORK ( AP ) — A federal judge in New York ruled Saturday that Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf assumed his position unlawfully , a determination that invalidated Wolf ’ s suspension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , which shields young people from deportation .
“ DHS failed to follow the order of succession as it was lawfully designated , ” U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis wrote .
“ Therefore , the actions taken by purported Acting Secretaries , who were not properly in their roles according to the lawful order of succession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolf issued a memorandum in July effectively suspending DACA , pending review by DHS .
A month earlier , the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that President Donald Trump failed to follow rule-making procedures when he tried to end the program , but the justices kept a window open for him to try again .
About 650,000 people are part of DACA , which allows young immigrants who were brought to the country as children to legally work and shields them from deportation .
Karen Tumlin , an attorney who represented a plaintiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolf ’ s authority , called the ruling “ another win for DACA recipients and those who have been waiting years to apply for the program for the first time.
” In August , the Government Accountability Office , a bipartisan congressional watchdog , said Wolf and his acting deputy , Ken Cuccinelli , were improperly serving and ineligible to run the agency under the Vacancies Reform Act .
The two have been at the forefront of administration initiatives on immigration and law enforcement .
In Garaufis ’ ruling Saturday , the judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an order of succession established when then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned in April 2019 .
Kevin McAleenan , who succeeded Nielsen until he resigned in October 2019 , also didn ’ t have statutory authority to hold the position , Garaufis wrote .
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling .
The department has maintained that Wolf ’ s appointment was legal even without Senate confirmation , which is still pending in the final weeks of the Trump administration .
President-elect Joe Biden plans to reinstate DACA and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reverse some of Trump ’ s other immigration actions .

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in New York ruled Saturday that Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf assumed his position unlawfully, a determination that invalidated Wolf’s suspension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shields young people from deportation.
“DHS failed to follow the order of succession as it was lawfully designated,” U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis wrote. “Therefore, the actions taken by purported Acting Secretaries, who were not properly in their roles according to the lawful order of succession, were taken without legal authority.”
Wolf issued a memorandum in July effectively suspending DACA, pending review by DHS. A month earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that President Donald Trump failed to follow rule-making procedures when he tried to end the program, but the justices kept a window open for him to try again.
About 650,000 people are part of DACA, which allows young immigrants who were brought to the country as children to legally work and shields them from deportation.
Karen Tumlin, an attorney who represented a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits that challenged Wolf’s authority, called the ruling “another win for DACA recipients and those who have been waiting years to apply for the program for the first time.”
In August, the Government Accountability Office, a bipartisan congressional watchdog, said Wolf and his acting deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, were improperly serving and ineligible to run the agency under the Vacancies Reform Act. The two have been at the forefront of administration initiatives on immigration and law enforcement.
In Garaufis’ ruling Saturday, the judge wrote that DHS didn’t follow an order of succession established when then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned in April 2019. Kevin McAleenan, who succeeded Nielsen until he resigned in October 2019, also didn’t have statutory authority to hold the position, Garaufis wrote.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. The department has maintained that Wolf’s appointment was legal even without Senate confirmation, which is still pending in the final weeks of the Trump administration.
President-elect Joe Biden plans to reinstate DACA and is expected to use executive orders to reverse some of Trump’s other immigration actions.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-14--Dear Leader Drive-By: Trump Motorcade Parades Past Million Meh-AGA March

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Fervent supporters of President Donald Trump rallied in Washington on Saturday behind his spurious claim of a stolen election and swarmed his motorcade when he detoured for a drive-by on his way out of town .
“ I just want to keep up his spirits and let him know we support him , ” one loyalist , Anthony Whittaker of Winchester , Virginia , said from outside the Supreme Court , where a few thousand assembled after a march along Pennsylvania Avenue from Freedom Plaza , near the White House .
A week after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , their fury at the prospect of a transfer of executive power showed no signs of abating , taking a cue from a president unrelenting in asserting he won an election he actually lost .
Trump persists even though a broad coalition of top government and industry officials has declared that the Nov. 3 voting and the following count unfolded smoothly with no more than the usual minor hiccups — “ the most secure in American history , ” they said , repudiating his efforts to undermine the integrity of the contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the morning when cheers rang out as Trump ’ s limousine neared Freedom Plaza .
People lined both sides of the street .
Some stood just a few feet away from Trump ’ s vehicle ; others showed their enthusiasm by running along with the caravan .
They chanted “ USA , USA ” and “ four more years , ” and many carried American flags and signs to show their displeasure with the vote tally .
After making the short detour for the slow drive around the site , the motorcade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golf club .
Among the speakers was a Georgia Republican newly elected to the U.S. House .
Marjorie Taylor Greene , who has expressed racist views and support for QAnon conspiracy theories , urged people to march peacefully toward the Supreme Court .
The marchers included members of the Proud Boys , a neo-fascist group known for street brawling with ideological opponents at political rallies .
The march was largely peaceful , with some tension along the margins as counterdemonstrators heckled the Trump supporters with chants of “ You lost !
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoted on social media , raising concerns that it could spark conflict with anti-Trump demonstrators , who have gathered near the White House in Black Lives Matter Plaza for weeks .
In preparation , police closed off wide swaths of downtown , where many stores and offices have been boarded up since Election Day .
Chris Rodriguez , director of the city ’ s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency , said the police were experienced at keeping the peace .
The issues that Trump ’ s campaign and its allies have pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems with signatures , secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots , as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost .
With Biden leading Trump by wide margins in key battleground states , none of those issues would have any impact on the outcome of the election .
Trump ’ s campaign has also filed legal challenges complaining that their poll watchers were unable to scrutinize the voting process .
Many of those challenges have been tossed out by judges , some within hours of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sebastian Gorka , whipped up the crowd by the Supreme Court by saying , “ We can win because he did win.
” But , he added , “ It ’ s going to be tough .
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fervent supporters of President Donald Trump rallied in Washington on Saturday behind his spurious claim of a stolen election and swarmed his motorcade when he detoured for a drive-by on his way out of town.
“I just want to keep up his spirits and let him know we support him,” one loyalist, Anthony Whittaker of Winchester, Virginia, said from outside the Supreme Court, where a few thousand assembled after a march along Pennsylvania Avenue from Freedom Plaza, near the White House.
A week after the presidential race was called for Democrat Joe Biden, their fury at the prospect of a transfer of executive power showed no signs of abating, taking a cue from a president unrelenting in asserting he won an election he actually lost.
Trump persists even though a broad coalition of top government and industry officials has declared that the Nov. 3 voting and the following count unfolded smoothly with no more than the usual minor hiccups — “the most secure in American history,” they said, repudiating his efforts to undermine the integrity of the contest.
The crowd was beginning to gather in the morning when cheers rang out as Trump’s limousine neared Freedom Plaza. People lined both sides of the street. Some stood just a few feet away from Trump’s vehicle; others showed their enthusiasm by running along with the caravan.
President Trump just drove by the #MillionMAGAMarch in DC and the crowd went crazy. I ran along side the motorcade. Notice him waving right after you see security walking beside the car. pic.twitter.com/EQMFogOVN4 — Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) November 14, 2020
They chanted “USA, USA” and “four more years,” and many carried American flags and signs to show their displeasure with the vote tally. After making the short detour for the slow drive around the site, the motorcade headed to the president’s Virginia golf club.
View from President Trump Motorcade at Freedom Plaza … #MillionMAGAMarch rally supporting President Trump pic.twitter.com/okUVxFEQEB — Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) November 14, 2020
Among the speakers was a Georgia Republican newly elected to the U.S. House. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has expressed racist views and support for QAnon conspiracy theories, urged people to march peacefully toward the Supreme Court.
The marchers included members of the Proud Boys, a neo-fascist group known for street brawling with ideological opponents at political rallies.
The march was largely peaceful, with some tension along the margins as counterdemonstrators heckled the Trump supporters with chants of “You lost!”
The “Million MAGA March” was heavily promoted on social media, raising concerns that it could spark conflict with anti-Trump demonstrators, who have gathered near the White House in Black Lives Matter Plaza for weeks.
In preparation, police closed off wide swaths of downtown, where many stores and offices have been boarded up since Election Day. Chris Rodriguez, director of the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said the police were experienced at keeping the peace.
The issues that Trump’s campaign and its allies have pointed to are typical in every election: problems with signatures, secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots, as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost. With Biden leading Trump by wide margins in key battleground states, none of those issues would have any impact on the outcome of the election.
Trump’s campaign has also filed legal challenges complaining that their poll watchers were unable to scrutinize the voting process. Many of those challenges have been tossed out by judges, some within hours of their filing.
A former administration official, Sebastian Gorka, whipped up the crowd by the Supreme Court by saying, “We can win because he did win.” But, he added, “It’s going to be tough.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-14--Biden Likely To Take Historic Step In Choosing Woman To Lead Pentagon

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President-elect Joe Biden is expected to take a historic step and select a woman to head the Pentagon for the first time , shattering one of the few remaining barriers to women in the department and the presidential Cabinet .
Michele Flournoy , a politically moderate Pentagon veteran , is regarded by U.S. officials and political insiders as a top choice for the position .
Her selection would come on the heels of a tumultuous Pentagon period that has seen five men hold the top job under President Donald Trump .
The most recent defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was fired by Trump on Monday after pushing back on issues including troop withdrawals and the use of the military to quell civilian unrest .
If confirmed , Flournoy would face a future that is expected to involve shrinking Pentagon budgets and potential military involvement in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine .
Democrats have long sought to name a woman to the top post in a department that didn ’ t open all combat jobs to female service members until about five years ago .
Flournoy had been the expected choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 election .
Her name surfaced early as a front-runner for Biden ’ s Cabinet , said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters .
Seen as a steady hand who favors strong military cooperation abroad , Flournoy , 59 , has served multiple times in the Pentagon , starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012 .
She serves on the board of Booz Allen Hamilton , a defense contractor , which could raise concerns from some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely ensure wide bipartisan support in a position that requires Senate confirmation .
Few other names have been mentioned , though former Department of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson was listed as a possible choice at one point .
Choosing a woman would be consistent with Biden ’ s pledge to have a diverse Cabinet .
She has been outspoken on American foreign and defense policy , particularly over the past year .
She favors closer international cooperation after four years of a Trump White House that touted an “ America First ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of allies .
“ Whoever the next president is , ” she said in March , “ whether it ’ s a second Trump term or Vice President Biden or whoever it is , one of the top agenda items is going to try to , I think , repair some of that perception ” that America may no longer be a reliable partner .
“ But I don ’ t think it ’ s going to be easy or happen overnight .
I think it ’ s going to take a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recover that trust and that standing.
” She has also cautioned against drastic , immediate changes .
“ One of the most dangerous tendencies is for — after a change of administration , particularly when there ’ s a change of party — for the new team to come in and use the term ‘ repudiation.
’ But to come in and assume that everything their predecessors did was wrong , you know , they throw the baby out with the bathwater , basically , and they overcorrect in another direction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forum .
Arnold Punaro , a retired Marine two-star general and former staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee under then-Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia , said recently that he regards Flournoy as “ incredibly well-qualified ” to lead the Pentagon .
The Defense Department is one of three Cabinet agencies — the others being Treasury and Veterans Affairs — that have never been led by a woman .
Some of the 28 men who have held the top defense job since it was created in 1947 , including three who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Mattis , Esper and current acting Secretary Christopher Miller — have been military veterans .
Flournoy did not serve in the military .
Like Mattis and Esper , Flournoy views China as the most significant long-term challenge to American predominance on the world stage .
In July , she said the United States is losing its military technological advantage over key competitors like China and that reversing this trend must be the Pentagon ’ s top priority .
She has , however , also warned against abandoning the Middle East and instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence ” there .
As an example , she has backed a limited role in Afghanistan that focuses more on countering the terror threat and less on rebuilding the country .
“ We want to reduce our commitment , but we want to do it in a way that ’ s smart and that safeguards our interests in the process , ” she said in March about Afghanistan , adding that she hopes “ we don ’ t just cut and run.
” Trump has pushed for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but so far the Pentagon has no orders to do that .
On North Korea , she said in an October online forum that while nuclear disarmament should remain the ultimate goal , she finds it “ hard to see ” Kim Jong Un agreeing to give up all his nuclear weapons , which she said he sees as his regime ’ s “ survival card.
” On Iran , Flournoy has argued for a revised approach of deterring the Islamic Republic by breaking the familiar pattern of sending more American forces to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the Trump administration did in May 2019 after what it called credible threats to U.S. interests in the region .
Flournoy is a co-founder of Westexec Advisors , a consulting firm that provides advice and geopolitical risk analysis to corporate clients .
She works with a mixture of former senior government officials — including Antony Blinken , a former deputy secretary of state and currently Biden ’ s top foreign policy adviser — and military experts such as retired Army Gen. Vincent Brooks , who led U.S. forces in Korea until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a think tank , the Center for a New American Security .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is expected to take a historic step and select a woman to head the Pentagon for the first time, shattering one of the few remaining barriers to women in the department and the presidential Cabinet.
Michele Flournoy, a politically moderate Pentagon veteran, is regarded by U.S. officials and political insiders as a top choice for the position.
Her selection would come on the heels of a tumultuous Pentagon period that has seen five men hold the top job under President Donald Trump. The most recent defense secretary to go was Mark Esper, who was fired by Trump on Monday after pushing back on issues including troop withdrawals and the use of the military to quell civilian unrest.
If confirmed, Flournoy would face a future that is expected to involve shrinking Pentagon budgets and potential military involvement in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.
Democrats have long sought to name a woman to the top post in a department that didn’t open all combat jobs to female service members until about five years ago. Flournoy had been the expected choice of Hillary Clinton if she had won the 2016 election. Her name surfaced early as a front-runner for Biden’s Cabinet, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
Seen as a steady hand who favors strong military cooperation abroad, Flournoy, 59, has served multiple times in the Pentagon, starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012. She serves on the board of Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor, which could raise concerns from some lawmakers. But her moderate views would likely ensure wide bipartisan support in a position that requires Senate confirmation.
Few other names have been mentioned, though former Department of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson was listed as a possible choice at one point. Choosing a woman would be consistent with Biden’s pledge to have a diverse Cabinet.
She has been outspoken on American foreign and defense policy, particularly over the past year. She favors closer international cooperation after four years of a Trump White House that touted an “America First” policy and was more distrustful and critical of allies.
“Whoever the next president is,” she said in March, “whether it’s a second Trump term or Vice President Biden or whoever it is, one of the top agenda items is going to try to, I think, repair some of that perception” that America may no longer be a reliable partner. “But I don’t think it’s going to be easy or happen overnight. I think it’s going to take a lot of work over a number of years to recover that trust and that standing.”
She has also cautioned against drastic, immediate changes.
“One of the most dangerous tendencies is for — after a change of administration, particularly when there’s a change of party — for the new team to come in and use the term ‘repudiation.’ But to come in and assume that everything their predecessors did was wrong, you know, they throw the baby out with the bathwater, basically, and they overcorrect in another direction,” she said in a Hudson Institute forum.
Arnold Punaro, a retired Marine two-star general and former staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee under then-Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia, said recently that he regards Flournoy as “incredibly well-qualified” to lead the Pentagon.
The Defense Department is one of three Cabinet agencies — the others being Treasury and Veterans Affairs — that have never been led by a woman. Some of the 28 men who have held the top defense job since it was created in 1947, including three who served in Trump’s administration — Jim Mattis, Esper and current acting Secretary Christopher Miller — have been military veterans. Flournoy did not serve in the military.
Like Mattis and Esper, Flournoy views China as the most significant long-term challenge to American predominance on the world stage. In July, she said the United States is losing its military technological advantage over key competitors like China and that reversing this trend must be the Pentagon’s top priority.
She has, however, also warned against abandoning the Middle East and instead advocates “more modest levels of continuous presence” there. As an example, she has backed a limited role in Afghanistan that focuses more on countering the terror threat and less on rebuilding the country.
“We want to reduce our commitment, but we want to do it in a way that’s smart and that safeguards our interests in the process,” she said in March about Afghanistan, adding that she hopes “we don’t just cut and run.” Trump has pushed for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of the year, but so far the Pentagon has no orders to do that.
On North Korea, she said in an October online forum that while nuclear disarmament should remain the ultimate goal, she finds it “hard to see” Kim Jong Un agreeing to give up all his nuclear weapons, which she said he sees as his regime’s “survival card.”
On Iran, Flournoy has argued for a revised approach of deterring the Islamic Republic by breaking the familiar pattern of sending more American forces to the Gulf in response to Iranian provocations, as the Trump administration did in May 2019 after what it called credible threats to U.S. interests in the region.
Flournoy is a co-founder of Westexec Advisors, a consulting firm that provides advice and geopolitical risk analysis to corporate clients. She works with a mixture of former senior government officials — including Antony Blinken, a former deputy secretary of state and currently Biden’s top foreign policy adviser — and military experts such as retired Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, who led U.S. forces in Korea until 2019.
In 2007, Flournoy helped create a think tank, the Center for a New American Security.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-14--Bloomberg’s Big Election Spending Was Pretty Much A Bust

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — After pouring more than $ 1.2 billion of his personal fortune into presidential politics this election , former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has little to show for it .
His only win during a short-lived Democratic bid for the White House was in the territory of American Samoa .
And after pledging to spend “ whatever it takes ” to defeat President Donald Trump , he routed $ 110 million to Florida , Ohio and Texas — all states that President-elect Joe Biden lost .
Bloomberg , who built a media and financial services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has long used his $ 55 billion in estimated wealth to play kingmaker , with no shortage of candidates and causes seeking favor .
Yet after dumping $ 1.1 billion into his campaign , he waited until September to follow through on his vow to spend big to unseat Trump .
His investment was especially disappointing in Florida , a battleground state that is normally decided by razor-thin margins but that Trump won this year by 3.4 percentage points .
The showing could raise questions about Bloomberg ’ s ability to use his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future .
Some Democrats are now questioning the mystique that has long shrouded Bloomberg ’ s political operation , which promotes itself as shrewd , dispassionate and data-driven when making decisions about how to invest in campaigns .
“ He made a lot of noise about putting $ 100 million into Florida .
We didn ’ t see any of that money until six weeks out , ” said Alex Sink , the 2010 Democratic nominee for Florida governor who endorsed Bloomberg ’ s presidential bid .
“ Yes , he spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to how and when we talk to our voters .
It was too late , and the airwaves were already saturated.
” The 2020 campaign proved that money does not always translate into votes .
Fundraising powerhouses like Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison in South Carolina were soundly defeated .
Bloomberg advisers say it ’ s unfair to blame him for not doing enough to help Biden in Florida .
They note that no one else donated anywhere near as much as he did , which paid for voter mobilization programs and advertising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only Democrat or group committing resources to the state , though he did receive an outsize share of the publicity .
“ It would be hard to take anyone with a straight face who says Mike Bloomberg didn ’ t do enough in Florida , if that is seriously the contention , ” said Kevin Sheekey , one of Bloomberg ’ s top political advisers .
“ Florida was always a state that we viewed as difficult for a Democrat to win against Donald Trump.
” Republicans and Democrats alike say that Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three Democratic counties in South Florida contributed to his loss in the state .
For months , Republicans ran blistering attacks against Biden and other Democrats , accusing them of embracing socialism .
They appear to have resonated with the area ’ s sizable population of Cuban and Venezuelan voters .
“ You saw Democratic groups try to sound the alarm , ” said Cam Savage , a Republican strategist and adviser to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez , who ousted Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in the Nov. 3 election .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York or Washington , D.C. , and people have a conversation about what socialism means , it ’ s hard for them to understand that that actually means something different in South Florida because these people have lived through it.
” Bloomberg ’ s super political action committee , Independence USA , also spent just over $ 6 million in Texas and a little more than $ 4 million in Ohio on ads supporting Biden in the week before the election , according to data from the ad tracking firm Kantar/CMAG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 percentage points ; Trump won Texas by nearly 6 percentage points .
Bloomberg has had more success in previous election cycles .
In 2018 , he was praised for donating tens of millions of dollars to help Democrats retake the House .
And his philanthropic giving to causes including gun control and fighting climate change earned him goodwill .
This year , one of the groups he founded and funds , Everytown for Gun Safety , committed to spending $ 60 million on elections , and Bloomberg also gave another $ 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as $ 11.4 million to House Majority PAC , the major Democratic super PAC helping elect Democrats to the House .
Democrats lost seats in the House on Election Day and failed to flip statehouse chambers they had targeted .
Still , Bloomberg has sometimes been a source of controversy in the party .
Initially a Democrat , he became a Republican in 2000 before his first run for New York City mayor .
He left the GOP in 2007 and wasn ’ t affiliated with either party until registering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To many progressives , his wealth and years on Wall Street make him an embodiment of the corporate strain of Democrat that has limited their policy ambitions .
During his bid for the White House , he was repeatedly attacked by rivals such as Sens .
Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for trying to “ buy ” the race .
Some of the rancor also stems from his exit from the race , when he laid off campaign staffers he ’ d promised to employ through November .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in leftover campaign funds to the Democratic National Committee , many party leaders and donors started to question whether he ’ d renege on his pledge to spend big defeating Trump as the months ticked down .
“ Before the Democratic establishment tries to blame the left for what happened on Election Day , they should have a talk with Michael Bloomberg , ” said Rebecca Katz , a progressive strategist and former aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev. “ After vowing to spend ‘ whatever it takes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election.
” Sheekey , the Bloomberg adviser , said critics of his Florida effort aren ’ t seeing the big picture .
He said Bloomberg ’ s investment freed up Democratic groups to spend elsewhere while forcing Trump ’ s cash-strapped campaign to spend even more in Florida , which detracted from their spending in Great Lake state battlegrounds Biden won .
“ At the end of the day , a win is a win and Joe Biden will take office in January and Donald Trump will leave , ” Sheekey said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision we made , the reasons that we made it and the end result .
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — After pouring more than $1.2 billion of his personal fortune into presidential politics this election, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has little to show for it.
His only win during a short-lived Democratic bid for the White House was in the territory of American Samoa. And after pledging to spend “whatever it takes” to defeat President Donald Trump, he routed $110 million to Florida, Ohio and Texas — all states that President-elect Joe Biden lost.
Bloomberg, who built a media and financial services empire before turning to electoral politics, has long used his $55 billion in estimated wealth to play kingmaker, with no shortage of candidates and causes seeking favor.
Yet after dumping $1.1 billion into his campaign, he waited until September to follow through on his vow to spend big to unseat Trump. His investment was especially disappointing in Florida, a battleground state that is normally decided by razor-thin margins but that Trump won this year by 3.4 percentage points.
The showing could raise questions about Bloomberg’s ability to use his vast financial resources to sway politics in the future. Some Democrats are now questioning the mystique that has long shrouded Bloomberg’s political operation, which promotes itself as shrewd, dispassionate and data-driven when making decisions about how to invest in campaigns.
“He made a lot of noise about putting $100 million into Florida. We didn’t see any of that money until six weeks out,” said Alex Sink, the 2010 Democratic nominee for Florida governor who endorsed Bloomberg’s presidential bid. “Yes, he spent a lot. But it goes back to how and when we talk to our voters. It was too late, and the airwaves were already saturated.”
The 2020 campaign proved that money does not always translate into votes. Fundraising powerhouses like Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison in South Carolina were soundly defeated.
Bloomberg advisers say it’s unfair to blame him for not doing enough to help Biden in Florida. They note that no one else donated anywhere near as much as he did, which paid for voter mobilization programs and advertising. And Bloomberg wasn’t the only Democrat or group committing resources to the state, though he did receive an outsize share of the publicity.
“It would be hard to take anyone with a straight face who says Mike Bloomberg didn’t do enough in Florida, if that is seriously the contention,” said Kevin Sheekey, one of Bloomberg’s top political advisers. “Florida was always a state that we viewed as difficult for a Democrat to win against Donald Trump.”
Republicans and Democrats alike say that Biden’s poor performance among Latinos in three Democratic counties in South Florida contributed to his loss in the state. For months, Republicans ran blistering attacks against Biden and other Democrats, accusing them of embracing socialism. They appear to have resonated with the area’s sizable population of Cuban and Venezuelan voters.
“You saw Democratic groups try to sound the alarm,” said Cam Savage, a Republican strategist and adviser to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez, who ousted Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in the Nov. 3 election. “When you’re at a cocktail party in New York or Washington, D.C., and people have a conversation about what socialism means, it’s hard for them to understand that that actually means something different in South Florida because these people have lived through it.”
Bloomberg’s super political action committee, Independence USA, also spent just over $6 million in Texas and a little more than $4 million in Ohio on ads supporting Biden in the week before the election, according to data from the ad tracking firm Kantar/CMAG. Biden lost Ohio by more than 8 percentage points; Trump won Texas by nearly 6 percentage points.
Bloomberg has had more success in previous election cycles.
In 2018, he was praised for donating tens of millions of dollars to help Democrats retake the House. And his philanthropic giving to causes including gun control and fighting climate change earned him goodwill.
This year, one of the groups he founded and funds, Everytown for Gun Safety, committed to spending $60 million on elections, and Bloomberg also gave another $60 million to support Democrats in House races, as well as $11.4 million to House Majority PAC, the major Democratic super PAC helping elect Democrats to the House.
Democrats lost seats in the House on Election Day and failed to flip statehouse chambers they had targeted.
Still, Bloomberg has sometimes been a source of controversy in the party.
Initially a Democrat, he became a Republican in 2000 before his first run for New York City mayor. He left the GOP in 2007 and wasn’t affiliated with either party until registering as a Democrat again last year.
To many progressives, his wealth and years on Wall Street make him an embodiment of the corporate strain of Democrat that has limited their policy ambitions. During his bid for the White House, he was repeatedly attacked by rivals such as Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for trying to “buy” the race.
Some of the rancor also stems from his exit from the race, when he laid off campaign staffers he’d promised to employ through November.
And after he initially transferred $18 million in leftover campaign funds to the Democratic National Committee, many party leaders and donors started to question whether he’d renege on his pledge to spend big defeating Trump as the months ticked down.
“Before the Democratic establishment tries to blame the left for what happened on Election Day, they should have a talk with Michael Bloomberg,” said Rebecca Katz, a progressive strategist and former aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. “After vowing to spend ‘whatever it takes,’ he disappeared for most of the election.”
Sheekey, the Bloomberg adviser, said critics of his Florida effort aren’t seeing the big picture. He said Bloomberg’s investment freed up Democratic groups to spend elsewhere while forcing Trump’s cash-strapped campaign to spend even more in Florida, which detracted from their spending in Great Lake state battlegrounds Biden won.
“At the end of the day, a win is a win and Joe Biden will take office in January and Donald Trump will leave,” Sheekey said. “We feel quite good about the decision we made, the reasons that we made it and the end result.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-16--‘This Isn’t A Game’: Michelle Obama Calls Out Trump For Impeding Biden’s Formal Transition

Former first lady Michelle Obama rebuked President Trump on Monday as the sitting president ’ s refusal to concede has held up President-elect Joe Biden ’ s formal transition process .
The President-elect ’ s transition has already come across hurdles amid Trump ’ s refusal to officially concede .
General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy — a Trump appointee who has sole authority over whether Biden ’ s transition can officially move forward — has not signed the letter of “ ascertainment , ” which would allow Biden ’ s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In an Instagram post on Monday , Obama recalled being “ hurt and disappointed ” by then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ’ s loss to Trump in 2016 .
The former first lady then said that she and her husband , then-President Barack Obama , followed the example set by preceding POTUS George W. Bush and his wife Laura by running a “ respectful , seamless transition of power.
” Obama described inviting then-President-elect Trump into their offices and prepared “ detailed memos ” that offered what they had learned during their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a move the former first lady said was anything but easy , “ I have to be honest and say that none of this was easy for me .
Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that had put my family in danger .
That wasn ’ t something I was ready to forgive , ” Obama said .
“ But I knew that , for the sake of our country , I had to find the strength and maturity to put my anger aside.
” In welcoming first lady Melania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that she shared her experience and answered “ every question she had , ” which included concerns over the “ heightened scrutiny that comes with being First Lady to what it ’ s like to raise kids in the White House.
” Obama added that she knew in her heart that fostering a smooth transition for an incoming president she doesn ’ t ideologically agree with was “ the right thing to do — because our democracy is so much bigger than anybody ’ s ego.
” The former first lady also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims of widespread voter fraud amid his refusal to concede .
“ Our love of country requires us to respect the results of an election even when we don ’ t like them or wish it had gone differently—the presidency doesn ’ t belong to any one individual or any one party , ” Obama said .
“ To pretend that it does , to play along with these groundless conspiracy theories—whether for personal or political gain—is to put our country ’ s health and security in danger.
” Obama concluded “ this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she urged all Americans , especially the country ’ s leaders to “ honor the electoral process and do your part to encourage a smooth transition of power , just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history .
”

Former first lady Michelle Obama rebuked President Trump on Monday as the sitting president’s refusal to concede has held up President-elect Joe Biden’s formal transition process.
The President-elect’s transition has already come across hurdles amid Trump’s refusal to officially concede. General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy — a Trump appointee who has sole authority over whether Biden’s transition can officially move forward — has not signed the letter of “ascertainment,” which would allow Biden’s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Obama recalled being “hurt and disappointed” by then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016.
The former first lady then said that she and her husband, then-President Barack Obama, followed the example set by preceding POTUS George W. Bush and his wife Laura by running a “respectful, seamless transition of power.”
Obama described inviting then-President-elect Trump into their offices and prepared “detailed memos” that offered what they had learned during their eight years in the White House — a move the former first lady said was anything but easy,
“I have to be honest and say that none of this was easy for me. Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that had put my family in danger. That wasn’t something I was ready to forgive,” Obama said. “But I knew that, for the sake of our country, I had to find the strength and maturity to put my anger aside.”
In welcoming first lady Melania Trump into the White House, Obama said that she shared her experience and answered “every question she had,” which included concerns over the “heightened scrutiny that comes with being First Lady to what it’s like to raise kids in the White House.”
Obama added that she knew in her heart that fostering a smooth transition for an incoming president she doesn’t ideologically agree with was “the right thing to do — because our democracy is so much bigger than anybody’s ego.” The former first lady also took aim at Trump’s bogus claims of widespread voter fraud amid his refusal to concede.
“Our love of country requires us to respect the results of an election even when we don’t like them or wish it had gone differently—the presidency doesn’t belong to any one individual or any one party,” Obama said. “To pretend that it does, to play along with these groundless conspiracy theories—whether for personal or political gain—is to put our country’s health and security in danger.”
Obama concluded “this isn’t a game” as she urged all Americans, especially the country’s leaders to “honor the electoral process and do your part to encourage a smooth transition of power, just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-16--Report: Georgia Secretary Of State Says Graham Pressed Him To Toss Legal Ballots

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) has been pressuring him to find ways to toss legally cast ballots in recent days , according to the Washington Post .
Raffensperger , a Republican , told the Post that Graham asked if political bias could have compelled election workers to accept ballots with mismatched signatures , and inquired whether entire batches of legal ballots could be tossed from counties with high levels of signature mismatch .
Raffensperger told the Post he was “ stunned ” by the inquiries .
On Monday night , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters on Capitol Hill that he was “ surprised ” to hear how Raffensperger characterized the conversation , calling his conclusion that Graham was trying to get ballots tossed “ ridiculous.
” “ I was trying to find out how the signature stuff worked , ” Graham said .
“ It was good , he did a good job explaining to me how to verify signatures.
” The same day Graham spoke to Raffensperger , Trump supporter and Atlanta lawyer Lin Wood filed a lawsuit challenging how signatures are checked .
Raffensperger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it could potentially reveal how people voted .
Raffensperger has become an unlikely hero to some in the state , with his no-nonsense pushback to the election fraud lies promulgated by Graham and other allies of President Donald Trump .
Among that number are the two Georgia senators , both of whom have called for Raffensperger ’ s resignation .
“ Our secretary of state is a Republican , but he ’ s doing great job holding his own , ” Sheila Levy , secretary of Dekalb County Democrats , told TPM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set people straight.
” On Sunday night , Raffensperger went on a Facebook debunking spree , fact-checking Trump ’ s tweets about mail-in voting and ballot counting monitors .
He also touted his own efforts to make voting harder by imposing strict signature matching requirements , among other measures .
Georgia is currently conducting an audit , re-canvass and hand recount “ all at once , ” as Raffensperger put it , after President-Elect Joe Biden finished just over 14,000 votes ahead of Trump in the state .

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been pressuring him to find ways to toss legally cast ballots in recent days, according to the Washington Post.
Raffensperger, a Republican, told the Post that Graham asked if political bias could have compelled election workers to accept ballots with mismatched signatures, and inquired whether entire batches of legal ballots could be tossed from counties with high levels of signature mismatch.
Raffensperger told the Post he was “stunned” by the inquiries.
On Monday night, after the Post report came out, Graham told reporters on Capitol Hill that he was “surprised” to hear how Raffensperger characterized the conversation, calling his conclusion that Graham was trying to get ballots tossed “ridiculous.”
“I was trying to find out how the signature stuff worked,” Graham said. “It was good, he did a good job explaining to me how to verify signatures.”
The same day Graham spoke to Raffensperger, Trump supporter and Atlanta lawyer Lin Wood filed a lawsuit challenging how signatures are checked. Raffensperger vowed to fight the lawsuit, saying that it could potentially reveal how people voted.
Raffensperger has become an unlikely hero to some in the state, with his no-nonsense pushback to the election fraud lies promulgated by Graham and other allies of President Donald Trump. Among that number are the two Georgia senators, both of whom have called for Raffensperger’s resignation.
“Our secretary of state is a Republican, but he’s doing great job holding his own,” Sheila Levy, secretary of Dekalb County Democrats, told TPM. “He’s attempting to set people straight.”
On Sunday night, Raffensperger went on a Facebook debunking spree, fact-checking Trump’s tweets about mail-in voting and ballot counting monitors.
He also touted his own efforts to make voting harder by imposing strict signature matching requirements, among other measures.
Georgia is currently conducting an audit, re-canvass and hand recount “all at once,” as Raffensperger put it, after President-Elect Joe Biden finished just over 14,000 votes ahead of Trump in the state.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-16--Biden Jabs Scott Atlas For Attacking MI Gov: ‘What The Hell Is The Matter With These Guys?’

President-elect Joe Biden appeared to excoriate Dr. Scott Atlas — who has become President Trump ’ s favorite COVID-19 adviser due to the doctor ’ s push to reopen the country — for encouraging people to “ rise up ” against Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) in response to her new pandemic-related restrictions , during remarks on Monday .
When asked whether governors should be closing nonessential businesses and reinstating stay-at-home orders in light of surging COVID-19 cases nationwide , Biden replied that “ it depends on the state.
” Biden then offered praise for “ conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued mandates for wearing a mask ” and pointed to Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine ( R ) as an example .
Biden also praised Whitmer , who served as a national chair for his presidential campaign , before appearing to torch Atlas for his incendiary tweet calling on the public to “ rise up ” against the Michigan governor for implementing COVID-19 restrictions .
“ I mean , you know , the idea that the President ’ s now existing remaining economic adviser on COVID is saying they should ‘ resist ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with these guys ?
” Biden said .
“ What is the matter with them ?
Resist ?
” Biden noted that leading health experts say that 100,000 lives can be saved between now and January 21 ( the day after his inauguration ) by wearing masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19 .
“ It ’ s going to take a while for the vaccine to be able to be available and distributed and get to people .
We ’ re talking about 350,000 to 400,000 people dying , ” Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they doing ?
It ’ s totally irresponsible.
” Hours after coming under fire for his tweet calling for some kind of revolt against Whitmer , Atlas claimed he wasn ’ t trying to incite violence against the Michigan governor , who was the target of an alleged kidnapping scheme that the FBI foiled last month .

President-elect Joe Biden appeared to excoriate Dr. Scott Atlas — who has become President Trump’s favorite COVID-19 adviser due to the doctor’s push to reopen the country — for encouraging people to “rise up” against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in response to her new pandemic-related restrictions, during remarks on Monday.
When asked whether governors should be closing nonessential businesses and reinstating stay-at-home orders in light of surging COVID-19 cases nationwide, Biden replied that “it depends on the state.”
Biden then offered praise for “conservative Republican governors who have stepped up and issued mandates for wearing a mask” and pointed to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) as an example.
Biden also praised Whitmer, who served as a national chair for his presidential campaign, before appearing to torch Atlas for his incendiary tweet calling on the public to “rise up” against the Michigan governor for implementing COVID-19 restrictions.
“I mean, you know, the idea that the President’s now existing remaining economic adviser on COVID is saying they should ‘resist’ — what the hell is the matter with these guys?” Biden said. “What is the matter with them? Resist?”
Biden noted that leading health experts say that 100,000 lives can be saved between now and January 21 (the day after his inauguration) by wearing masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s going to take a while for the vaccine to be able to be available and distributed and get to people. We’re talking about 350,000 to 400,000 people dying,” Biden said. “I mean, what are they doing? It’s totally irresponsible.”
Hours after coming under fire for his tweet calling for some kind of revolt against Whitmer, Atlas claimed he wasn’t trying to incite violence against the Michigan governor, who was the target of an alleged kidnapping scheme that the FBI foiled last month.
Hey. I NEVER was talking at all about violence. People vote, people peacefully protest. NEVER would I endorse or incite violence. NEVER!! https://t.co/LljvwMvjDV — Scott W. Atlas (@ScottWAtlas) November 16, 2020
Watch Biden’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-16--Report: GSA Admin Inquiring About Job Opportunities Amid Biden Transition Mess

Though she ’ s refused to officially certify Joe Biden as president-elect and is thereby blocking his transition process , @ @ @ @ @ ) Emily Murphy reportedly seems to recognize that the Democrat will prevail against the Trump @ @ @ @ @ ABC News reported on Monday that it had obtained a recent message from Murphy to @ @ @ @ @ asks about other job opportunities in the coming year .
A GSA official told TPM @ @ @ @ @ this characterization and account ” and that Murphy is “ focused on doing her job @ @ @ @ @ ” The administrator has been under scrutiny in recent days over her role in President @ @ @ @ @ to undermine Biden ’ s victory and falsely sow doubt on the legitimacy of the @ @ @ @ @ to sign a letter declaring the “ apparent winner ” of the race that would @ @ @ @ @ funds and resources needed to begin the transition to the new administration .

Though she’s refused to officially certify Joe Biden as president-elect and is thereby blocking his transition process, General Services Administrator (GSA) Emily Murphy reportedly seems to recognize that the Democrat will prevail against the Trump administration’s stonewalling.
ABC News reported on Monday that it had obtained a recent message from Murphy to an acquaintance in which she asks about other job opportunities in the coming year.
A GSA official told TPM that the agency “denies this characterization and account” and that Murphy is “focused on doing her job, that’s it.”
The administrator has been under scrutiny in recent days over her role in President Donald Trump’s attempt to undermine Biden’s victory and falsely sow doubt on the legitimacy of the election. Murphy has declined to sign a letter declaring the “apparent winner” of the race that would give the Biden team the funds and resources needed to begin the transition to the new administration.