talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--Biden: Give Me Access To The Vaccine Data

The incoming Biden administration needs information on the COVID-19 pandemic , including the “ all-important issue of vaccine distribution , ” from federal agencies in order to prepare to take office , President-elect Joe Biden told reporters on Thursday .
Biden added that the transition team “ hadn ’ t ruled out ” legal action against General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy , who is responsible for recognizing Biden ’ s victory and allowing federal agencies to begin sharing information with his team .
In the speech , the president-elect put emphasis on five points that he says are key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Biden also highlighted the need for cooperation from the GOP in bringing the spread of the virus to an end , and said that a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from the National Association of Governors before the speech had gone well .
Biden attempted to draw a line between institutional GOP governors and the Trump administration , which has not cooperated with his transition and denied it access to key information around vaccine distribution .
“ We don ’ t have access to all the information that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies , ” Biden said , adding that information from the states was helping his transition get around the Trump administration ’ s roadblock .
“ We haven ’ t been able to get into Operation Warp Speed , but we will take what we ’ ve learned today and build it into our plan.
” Operation Warp Speed is the Trump administration ’ s plan to accelerate production of a COVID-19 vaccine .
On a call with reporters on Wednesday , Operation Warp Speed official Gen. Gustave Perna said that that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of December of two vaccines shown to be effective to inoculate 20 million Americans .
Biden re-emphasized his priorities as discussed with the governors , which focus on fiscal support to states and small businesses , vaccine distribution , increasing national guard and FEMA funding , implementing a national mask mandate , expanding testing , and funding infrastructure investments .
Biden met with ten governors before the speech , half of whom were Democrats , and half of whom were Republicans .
The speech — and meeting — comes as President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election and overthrow Biden ’ s administration before it takes office .
The president-elect stuck fast to his message of bipartisanship , saying that “ we agreed that we ’ ll continue to work and meet with the governors on a regular basis , continue to seek their input , and that our COVID teams will follow up and coordinate on the issues coming out of that call.
” “ The bottom line : we can do this , ” Biden said .
“ There ’ s nothing beyond our capacity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country .
”

The incoming Biden administration needs information on the COVID-19 pandemic, including the “all-important issue of vaccine distribution,” from federal agencies in order to prepare to take office, President-elect Joe Biden told reporters on Thursday.
Biden added that the transition team “hadn’t ruled out” legal action against General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy, who is responsible for recognizing Biden’s victory and allowing federal agencies to begin sharing information with his team.
In the speech, the president-elect put emphasis on five points that he says are key to his plan to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden also highlighted the need for cooperation from the GOP in bringing the spread of the virus to an end, and said that a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from the National Association of Governors before the speech had gone well.
Biden attempted to draw a line between institutional GOP governors and the Trump administration, which has not cooperated with his transition and denied it access to key information around vaccine distribution.
“We don’t have access to all the information that we need to get from all the various agencies,” Biden said, adding that information from the states was helping his transition get around the Trump administration’s roadblock. “We haven’t been able to get into Operation Warp Speed, but we will take what we’ve learned today and build it into our plan.”
Operation Warp Speed is the Trump administration’s plan to accelerate production of a COVID-19 vaccine.
On a call with reporters on Wednesday, Operation Warp Speed official Gen. Gustave Perna said that that the effort would have enough doses by the end of December of two vaccines shown to be effective to inoculate 20 million Americans.
Biden re-emphasized his priorities as discussed with the governors, which focus on fiscal support to states and small businesses, vaccine distribution, increasing national guard and FEMA funding, implementing a national mask mandate, expanding testing, and funding infrastructure investments.
Biden met with ten governors before the speech, half of whom were Democrats, and half of whom were Republicans. The speech — and meeting — comes as President Trump hamfistedly tries to overturn the results of the election and overthrow Biden’s administration before it takes office.
The president-elect stuck fast to his message of bipartisanship, saying that “we agreed that we’ll continue to work and meet with the governors on a regular basis, continue to seek their input, and that our COVID teams will follow up and coordinate on the issues coming out of that call.”
“The bottom line: we can do this,” Biden said. “There’s nothing beyond our capacity, but we have to come together as a country.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--Giuliani Presser Was ‘Most Dangerous’ TV In US History, Says Security Expert Trump Fired

The recently canned director of a federal agency charged with election security said that Thursday ’ s Trump campaign press conference was “ the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history .
Chris Krebs , who until this week led the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within DHS , was referring to the outlandish claims and conspiracy theories asserted by three Trump lawyers over 90 minutes at the Republican Party headquarters in D.C .
Among other things , the attorneys — Rudy Giuliani , Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis — asserted that hundreds of thousands of legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and that voting machines and software may have “ trashed ” Trump votes , “ injected ” Biden votes , and “ flipped ” votes between the two .
The crew didn ’ t assert any specific case as much as a buffet of conspiratorial nonsense .
President Donald Trump fired Krebs , who ’ d spent much of the post-Election-Day period debunking such conspiracy theories , this week .
In a tweet , Trump said Krebs was canned because he hadn ’ t affirmed Trump ’ s baseless claims of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 elections .
After Krebs ’ ouster , observers across the aisle praised the outgoing official ’ s work .
“ It is a dark day for government integrity if Director Krebs has been fired due to his adherence to the truth , ” Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos ( D ) said .
Sen. Richard Burr ( R-NC ) said Krebs “ is a dedicated public servant who has done a remarkable job during a challenging time.
” “ Chris Krebs did a really good job — as state election officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and he obviously should not be fired , ” Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) said .

The recently canned director of a federal agency charged with election security said that Thursday’s Trump campaign press conference was “the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history.
Chris Krebs, who until this week led the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within DHS, was referring to the outlandish claims and conspiracy theories asserted by three Trump lawyers over 90 minutes at the Republican Party headquarters in D.C.
That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history. And possibly the craziest. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re lucky. — Chris Krebs (@C_C_Krebs) November 19, 2020
Among other things, the attorneys — Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis — asserted that hundreds of thousands of legitimate votes were in fact “illegal,” and that voting machines and software may have “trashed” Trump votes, “injected” Biden votes, and “flipped” votes between the two. The crew didn’t assert any specific case as much as a buffet of conspiratorial nonsense.
President Donald Trump fired Krebs, who’d spent much of the post-Election-Day period debunking such conspiracy theories, this week.
In a tweet, Trump said Krebs was canned because he hadn’t affirmed Trump’s baseless claims of “massive improprieties and fraud” in the 2020 elections.
After Krebs’ ouster, observers across the aisle praised the outgoing official’s work. “It is a dark day for government integrity if Director Krebs has been fired due to his adherence to the truth,” Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos (D) said. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) said Krebs “is a dedicated public servant who has done a remarkable job during a challenging time.”
“Chris Krebs did a really good job — as state election officials all across the nation will tell you — and he obviously should not be fired,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--Former Spy Chief Ric Grenell Resurfaces As Foot Soldier In Trump’s War On Reality

Six months ago , Ric Grenell was the nation ’ s top intelligence official and had access to some of the most highly sensitive information on the planet .
Now , he ’ s wailing on Twitter about President Donald Trump ’ s loss in Nevada , alleging electoral fraud on a scale so widespread that it would flip the state to Trump — just without any evidence whatsoever to back up the claim .
“ It is unacceptable in this country to have illegal votes counted , and that is what ’ s happening in the state of Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Team Trump ” jacket , told reporters in Las Vegas two days after Election Day .
Grenell refused to answer questions while also chastising reporters for asking the campaign for evidence of the outlandish voter fraud claims it was making .
“ All of your questions about the details are legitimate questions … and they should be asked of Clark County , ” he said .
“ What ’ s your name !
” the press shouted at Grenell as he left the mics .
“ Listen , you ’ re here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replied .
Cue press corps laughter .
A few minutes later , the crew fled the scene , shutting a van door in the face of MSNBC ’ s Jacob Soboroff as he asked for evidence .
The rapid transition back to in-the-muck , norm-defying , alternate-reality-crafting , Trumpworld politics for Grenell is unprecedented for a former director of national intelligence , even for someone in a short-lived “ acting ” position .
But this is the sort of work that ’ s marked his long career in public life : the sharp-elbowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his clients ’ enemies .
Now , for Trump , those enemies are elections officials .
“ I think he ’ s fundamentally undermining faith in democracy and our institutions , and he ’ s doing so in order to assuage , and keep in good graces with , President Trump , ” said Mark Groombridge , who worked with Grenell at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations during the Bush administration .
Since hopping on the Trump train , the former friend said , Grenell has grown more acerbic .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very silly things , ” he said .
“ If you look at his Twitter feed now , it ’ s a constant rant on the mainstream media.
” Grenell ’ s latest kick has focused on Clark Country , Nevada ’ s largest , which he ’ s said “ threw out 153k ballots ” and is re-doing a county commission race because of “ fraud.
” If that race ’ s results can ’ t be trusted , he asserted Wednesday , “ how are they so certain that that fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other races on the ballot ?
!
” The answer to that particular query is pretty straightforward , as a county spokesperson explained to Grenell on Twitter : There was a 10-vote difference in that county race and 139 discrepancies in total in the commission district .
Biden won the Nevada by more than 33,000 votes , but the Trump campaign is still suing for all of Nevada ’ s electors .
Even as acting DNI , Grenell played politics with the job .
A few days before the Senate confirmed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama officials involved in the “ unmasking ” of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn — a gift to the right-wing fever swamps .
John Sipher , who spent decades in the CIA Clandestine Service , called Grenell ’ s actions “ a threat to our national security in the short run , and to the credibility and professionalism of our non-partisan national security structures in the long run.
” But since leaving government , he ’ s dug his trench in Trump ’ s war on the election , whiffing on some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nov. 1 , for example , Grenell posted a photo of Joe Biden on a plane without a mask , calling Biden a “ Washington , D.C. phony !
” for his hypocrisy .
The photo , turns out , was taken in 2019 .
Ten days later , Grenell was duped by The Nation ’ s Ken Klippenstein into sending Veteran ’ s Day wishes to Bill Calley , the infamous war criminal who carried out the Mỹ Lai massacre .
Fox News first reported in August that Grenell had been hired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party .
FEC records show Grenell was paid a $ 45,000 for “ management consulting ” by the RNC in July and August .
The RNC hiring news came the day after the Log Cabin Republicans , the GOP LGBT group , published a video in which Grenell called Trump “ the most pro-gay president in American history.
” The following week , in a strange twist of fate , Grenell took a job as an adviser at the American Center for Law and Justice , the right-wing religious group led by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homophobe Pat Robertson .
ACLJ helped draft Defense of Marriage Act and opposed courts ’ expansions of gay rights for decades , the Advocate noted .
“ I have admired their work for years , ” Grenell said of the organization in a press release .
Around the same time , Grenell added fuel to the “ Russian collusion hoax ” flame he kindled as acting DNI .
Speaking at the Republican National Convention on Aug. 26 , Grenell said he ’ d seen the Democrats ’ case for “ Russian collusion ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — “ and what I saw made me sick to my stomach.
” “ The awful thing is he ’ s not an intelligence official , ” Sipher said .
“ He ’ s a right-wing troll that Trump stuck in the position to do his bidding .
He had no qualifications or experience.
” At the time , when a second Trump term seemed possible , speculation flew about Grenell ’ s prospects .
Axios reported after his RNC speech that aides expected Grenell to be at the “ front of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security adviser or secretary of state .
Now , Groombridge figures Grenell will have a prominent role in whatever post-presidency Trump plans Trump is cooking up .
Grenell , he said , “ has passed the most important test for Trump World , and that ’ s loyalty .
”

Six months ago, Ric Grenell was the nation’s top intelligence official and had access to some of the most highly sensitive information on the planet.
Now, he’s wailing on Twitter about President Donald Trump’s loss in Nevada, alleging electoral fraud on a scale so widespread that it would flip the state to Trump — just without any evidence whatsoever to back up the claim.
“It is unacceptable in this country to have illegal votes counted, and that is what’s happening in the state of Nevada,” Grenell, clad in a “Team Trump” jacket, told reporters in Las Vegas two days after Election Day.
Grenell refused to answer questions while also chastising reporters for asking the campaign for evidence of the outlandish voter fraud claims it was making.
“All of your questions about the details are legitimate questions … and they should be asked of Clark County,” he said.
“What’s your name!” the press shouted at Grenell as he left the mics.
“Listen, you’re here to take in information,” he replied. Cue press corps laughter. A few minutes later, the crew fled the scene, shutting a van door in the face of MSNBC’s Jacob Soboroff as he asked for evidence.
NBC’s Jacob Soboroff chases down Trump campaign officials Ric Grenell and Matt Schlapp, pressing them for evidence of their claims of fraud in Nevada. They provide none and pile into a van: pic.twitter.com/tZlFDDQSQT — The Recount (@therecount) November 5, 2020
‘Fundamentally Undermining Faith In Democracy’
The rapid transition back to in-the-muck, norm-defying, alternate-reality-crafting, Trumpworld politics for Grenell is unprecedented for a former director of national intelligence, even for someone in a short-lived “acting” position.
But this is the sort of work that’s marked his long career in public life: the sharp-elbowed press person, waging rhetorical war against his clients’ enemies. Now, for Trump, those enemies are elections officials.
“I think he’s fundamentally undermining faith in democracy and our institutions, and he’s doing so in order to assuage, and keep in good graces with, President Trump,” said Mark Groombridge, who worked with Grenell at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations during the Bush administration.
Since hopping on the Trump train, the former friend said, Grenell has grown more acerbic.
“He’ll yell at people for very silly things,” he said. “ If you look at his Twitter feed now, it’s a constant rant on the mainstream media.”
Grenell’s latest kick has focused on Clark Country, Nevada’s largest, which he’s said “threw out 153k ballots” and is re-doing a county commission race because of “fraud.” If that race’s results can’t be trusted, he asserted Wednesday, “how are they so certain that that fraud didn’t bleed into all of the other races on the ballot?!”
The answer to that particular query is pretty straightforward, as a county spokesperson explained to Grenell on Twitter: There was a 10-vote difference in that county race and 139 discrepancies in total in the commission district. Biden won the Nevada by more than 33,000 votes, but the Trump campaign is still suing for all of Nevada’s electors.
Not accurate. We have referred cases of potential fraud to the state. We take such matters seriously. Today, the @ClarkCountyNV Commission opted to hold a special election in 1 race where there was a 10-vote difference & more than 10 discrepancies. It's not a question of fraud — Erik Pappa (@epappa) November 17, 2020
‘Washington, D.C. Phony!’
Even as acting DNI, Grenell played politics with the job. A few days before the Senate confirmed his replacement, Grenell declassified the names of Obama officials involved in the “unmasking” of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn — a gift to the right-wing fever swamps.
John Sipher, who spent decades in the CIA Clandestine Service, called Grenell’s actions “a threat to our national security in the short run, and to the credibility and professionalism of our non-partisan national security structures in the long run.”
But since leaving government, he’s dug his trench in Trump’s war on the election, whiffing on some basic facts along the way.
On Nov. 1, for example, Grenell posted a photo of Joe Biden on a plane without a mask, calling Biden a “Washington, D.C. phony!” for his hypocrisy. The photo, turns out, was taken in 2019.
Ten days later, Grenell was duped by The Nation’s Ken Klippenstein into sending Veteran’s Day wishes to Bill Calley, the infamous war criminal who carried out the Mỹ Lai massacre.
Fox News first reported in August that Grenell had been hired as a senior adviser to the Republican Party. FEC records show Grenell was paid a $45,000 for “management consulting” by the RNC in July and August.
‘He’s A Right-Wing Troll’
The RNC hiring news came the day after the Log Cabin Republicans, the GOP LGBT group, published a video in which Grenell called Trump “the most pro-gay president in American history.”
“My great honor!!!” Trump responded.
The following week, in a strange twist of fate, Grenell took a job as an adviser at the American Center for Law and Justice, the right-wing religious group led by Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow and founded by the homophobe Pat Robertson. ACLJ helped draft Defense of Marriage Act and opposed courts’ expansions of gay rights for decades, the Advocate noted.
“I have admired their work for years,” Grenell said of the organization in a press release.
Around the same time, Grenell added fuel to the “Russian collusion hoax” flame he kindled as acting DNI. Speaking at the Republican National Convention on Aug. 26, Grenell said he’d seen the Democrats’ case for “Russian collusion” first-hand as acting director of national intelligence — “and what I saw made me sick to my stomach.”
“The awful thing is he’s not an intelligence official,” Sipher said. “He’s a right-wing troll that Trump stuck in the position to do his bidding. He had no qualifications or experience.”
At the time, when a second Trump term seemed possible, speculation flew about Grenell’s prospects. Axios reported after his RNC speech that aides expected Grenell to be at the “front of the line” for top jobs, including national security adviser or secretary of state.
Now, Groombridge figures Grenell will have a prominent role in whatever post-presidency Trump plans Trump is cooking up.
Grenell, he said, “has passed the most important test for Trump World, and that’s loyalty.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--Trump Lawyers Flood Zone With Increasingly Bizarre Conspiracy Theories About Election

They ’ re not sending their best .
In a 90-minute , off-the-walls press conference Thursday , three attorneys for the Trump campaign used a tactic that former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon once called “ flooding the zone with shit , ” throwing wild accusations at the wall and hectoring the media for not amplifying their nonsense even more .
The press conference , held in a crowded room at the Republican Party ’ s headquarters in Washington , D.C. , featured a mix of commentary on existing lawsuits , falsehoods about elections officials , and conspiracy theories about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ centralized ” nationwide scheme .
Sidney Powell , a familiar Trump world attorney and one of three lawyers to take the mic Thursday — along with Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis — spent most of her time talking about voting machines and software that were backed by America-hating communists in Venezuela , Cuba and , “ likely , ” also China .
( Also George Soros , Giuliani made sure to mention later . )
Powell didn ’ t make any specific claims about what the evil communist voting software did to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the software might have been used to change the weight of certain votes — “ a Biden vote counts for 1.25 , a Trump vote counts for .75 ” — to tilt multiple states away for Biden and Trump .
She made enormous claims about thousands of Trump votes being “ trashed ” and Biden votes being “ injected.
” “ These are serious federal offenses that I am confident the DOJ will be in pursuit of in very short order , if they aren ’ t already , ” Powell said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there have started crunching data themselves , in addition to multiple experts.
” Some of the theories she presented , NBC News reported last week , began in the fever swamps that are home to QAnon and other conspiracy theories .
The director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , a DHS agency tasked with election security efforts , was fired by the President this week after a valiant few weeks debunking those theories and others .
Giuliani , who appeared to have hair dye dripping down his face , promised that Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes in the state ’ s largest county by far , Wayne , home to Detroit .
Discussing Wisconsin , Giuliani said reporters shouldn ’ t ask about the campaign ’ s legal work but rather , “ you should have asked me , and you should have been more astounded by , the fact that our votes are counted in Germany and in Spain by a company owned by affiliates of Chavez and Maduro.
” The three attorneys promised more lawsuits in federal court , but they also stressed that the information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , ” as Ellis put it at one point , and that real evidence would be rolled out later .
She , too , excoriated the press for… well , something .
The head fakes , digressions and accusations of media “ censorship ” and thuggery eventually began to repeat themselves .
So , too , did the documents that the lawyers did happen to cite , including a handful of affidavits from various suits around the country .
“ We have 100 more of these , ” Giuliani said after describing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-far-unsuccessful suit in Michigan .
“ I can ’ t show them to you because these people don ’ t want to be harassed.
” “ There are many more affidavits here , I ’ d like to read them to you but I don ’ t have the time , ” he added .
“ You know how many affidavits we have in the Michigan case ?
220 affidavits .
They ’ re not all public but eight of them are !
” Giuliani also whiffed on basic facts , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Board of Canvassers in Wayne County , home to Detroit , certified the election results to the secretary of state .
Then , on Thursday , the Trump campaign incorrectly claimed in a court filing that the results hadn ’ t been certified , citing two affidavits from Republican board members who want to “ rescind ” their votes .
( Trump himself had called one of the board members in the interim . )
Those documents don ’ t carry any legal weight , Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dismissed Benson because she ’ s a Democrat .
Giuliani then recited the same talking points about voting software in Venezuela and Germany .
As The New York Times ’ Maggie Haberman pointed out , perhaps the most noteworthy thing about the legal team was who wasn ’ t present : Jay Sekulow , Pat Cipollone , and other high-profile Trumpers who worked the President ’ s impeachment defense .
“ Most people who ’ ve worked on other Trump legal issues are staying away from this endeavor , ” Haberman said @

They’re not sending their best.
In a 90-minute, off-the-walls press conference Thursday, three attorneys for the Trump campaign used a tactic that former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon once called “flooding the zone with shit,” throwing wild accusations at the wall and hectoring the media for not amplifying their nonsense even more.
The press conference, held in a crowded room at the Republican Party’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., featured a mix of commentary on existing lawsuits, falsehoods about elections officials, and conspiracy theories about voting software. The campaign alleged a “centralized” nationwide scheme.
Sidney Powell, a familiar Trump world attorney and one of three lawyers to take the mic Thursday — along with Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis — spent most of her time talking about voting machines and software that were backed by America-hating communists in Venezuela, Cuba and, “likely,” also China. (Also George Soros, Giuliani made sure to mention later.)
Sidney Powell, Mike Flynn's lawyer now working for Trump, says the election was rigged by "communist money" and a scheme devised by the late Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuala. pic.twitter.com/8XTnRHCzAM — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 19, 2020
Powell didn’t make any specific claims about what the evil communist voting software did to America. Rather, she speculated that the software might have been used to change the weight of certain votes — “a Biden vote counts for 1.25, a Trump vote counts for .75” — to tilt multiple states away for Biden and Trump. She made enormous claims about thousands of Trump votes being “trashed” and Biden votes being “injected.”
“These are serious federal offenses that I am confident the DOJ will be in pursuit of in very short order, if they aren’t already,” Powell said, adding separately that “some entrepreneurs out there have started crunching data themselves, in addition to multiple experts.”
Some of the theories she presented, NBC News reported last week, began in the fever swamps that are home to QAnon and other conspiracy theories. The director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a DHS agency tasked with election security efforts, was fired by the President this week after a valiant few weeks debunking those theories and others.
Giuliani, who appeared to have hair dye dripping down his face, promised that Michigan had actually supported Trump — excluding the votes in the state’s largest county by far, Wayne, home to Detroit.
"It changes the results of the election in Michigan if you take out Wayne county." pic.twitter.com/EcQSzOPpmc — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 19, 2020
Discussing Wisconsin, Giuliani said reporters shouldn’t ask about the campaign’s legal work but rather, “you should have asked me, and you should have been more astounded by, the fact that our votes are counted in Germany and in Spain by a company owned by affiliates of Chavez and Maduro.”
The three attorneys promised more lawsuits in federal court, but they also stressed that the information they were presenting was an “opening statement,” as Ellis put it at one point, and that real evidence would be rolled out later. She, too, excoriated the press for… well, something.
Trump campaign senior legal adviser @JennaEllisEsq says she would "strike 99%" of journalists from the jury and "I would be allowed to because of the fake news coverage you provide." pic.twitter.com/Wb9j20iBi7 — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 19, 2020
The head fakes, digressions and accusations of media “censorship” and thuggery eventually began to repeat themselves. So, too, did the documents that the lawyers did happen to cite, including a handful of affidavits from various suits around the country.
“We have 100 more of these,” Giuliani said after describing one affidavit’s claims in a so-far-unsuccessful suit in Michigan. “I can’t show them to you because these people don’t want to be harassed.”
“There are many more affidavits here, I’d like to read them to you but I don’t have the time,” he added. “You know how many affidavits we have in the Michigan case? 220 affidavits. They’re not all public but eight of them are!”
Giuliani also whiffed on basic facts, such as what had happened in Michigan this week: The Board of Canvassers in Wayne County, home to Detroit, certified the election results to the secretary of state. Then, on Thursday, the Trump campaign incorrectly claimed in a court filing that the results hadn’t been certified, citing two affidavits from Republican board members who want to “rescind” their votes. (Trump himself had called one of the board members in the interim.) Those documents don’t carry any legal weight, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has said.
Giuliani and Powell laughed and dismissed Benson because she’s a Democrat. Giuliani then recited the same talking points about voting software in Venezuela and Germany.
Giuliani: "Are you seriously going to want me to take seriously the secretary of state of Michigan when the secretary of state of Michigan never bothered to find out that the votes in her state were being counted in Germany by a Venezuelan company?" pic.twitter.com/lFlwm3ABVt — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) November 19, 2020
As The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman pointed out, perhaps the most noteworthy thing about the legal team was who wasn’t present: Jay Sekulow, Pat Cipollone, and other high-profile Trumpers who worked the President’s impeachment defense.
“Most people who’ve worked on other Trump legal issues are staying away from this endeavor,” Haberman said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--Trump Invites MI GOP Leaders To White House Amid Desperate Efforts To Overturn Biden Win

President Donald Trump has invited Michigan ’ s top Republican lawmakers to the White House on Friday as he furiously works to steal President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory in the battleground state , according to multiple reports .
The Detroit News reported that Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey ( R ) and House Speaker Lee Chatfield ( R ) are slated to visit Trump .
The President also asked Shirkey to extend the invitation to other Michigan GOP lawmakers , according to the New York Times .
It is not yet known what the meeting will be about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump will try a new gambit to overturn the state ’ s election results by pressing the lawmakers to dump the votes and appoint their own electors who would vote for the President instead .
Shirkey told Bridge Michigan earlier this week that a scenario in which Republicans overrule the will of the voters by handing the state to Trump is “ not going to happen.
” “ We are going to follow the law and follow the process , ” he said .
News of the upcoming meeting arose amid the chaos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Michigan abruptly attempting to “ rescind ” their votes to certify the election in their county , which includes Detroit .
Monica Palmer , one of those Republican canvassers , revealed that Trump had called her prior to her and her GOP colleague filing their request to take back their votes , which has virtually zero chance of succeeding .

President Donald Trump has invited Michigan’s top Republican lawmakers to the White House on Friday as he furiously works to steal President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the battleground state, according to multiple reports.
The Detroit News reported that Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R) and House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R) are slated to visit Trump.
The President also asked Shirkey to extend the invitation to other Michigan GOP lawmakers, according to the New York Times.
It is not yet known what the meeting will be about. However, it appears likely that Trump will try a new gambit to overturn the state’s election results by pressing the lawmakers to dump the votes and appoint their own electors who would vote for the President instead.
Shirkey told Bridge Michigan earlier this week that a scenario in which Republicans overrule the will of the voters by handing the state to Trump is “not going to happen.”
“We are going to follow the law and follow the process,” he said.
News of the upcoming meeting arose amid the chaos prompted by two GOP Wayne County canvassers in Michigan abruptly attempting to “rescind” their votes to certify the election in their county, which includes Detroit. Monica Palmer, one of those Republican canvassers, revealed that Trump had called her prior to her and her GOP colleague filing their request to take back their votes, which has virtually zero chance of succeeding.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--Don Jr. Catches COVID-19

Don Jr. Catches COVID-19

President Trump ’ s eldest son , Donald Trump Jr. , has tested positive for COVID-19 , Bloomberg first reported @ @ @ @ @ tested positive at some point earlier in the week , according to Bloomberg , and @ @ @ @ @ .
He is currently quarantining .
Trump Jr. ’ s infection comes a little over @ @ @ @ @ held a packed Election Night event in the wee hours of the morning at the @ @ @ @ @ President declared premature and false victory .
A number of attendees of the event have @ @ @ @ @ .
Don Jr. , of course , was there .
As the coronavirus rages across @ @ @ @ @ appears to be a COVID outbreak in the halls of Congress .
Sen. Rick Scott @ @ @ @ @ announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 , making him at least the sixth @ @ @ @ @ it .

President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has tested positive for COVID-19, Bloomberg first reported Friday evening.
Trump Jr. tested positive at some point earlier in the week, according to Bloomberg, and he claims to be asymptomatic. He is currently quarantining.
Trump Jr.’s infection comes a little over two weeks after President Trump held a packed Election Night event in the wee hours of the morning at the White House, where the President declared premature and false victory. A number of attendees of the event have since tested positive for COVID-19. Don Jr., of course, was there.
As the coronavirus rages across the country, there also appears to be a COVID outbreak in the halls of Congress. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) on Friday announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, making him at least the sixth lawmaker this week to catch it.
NBC also confirmed the news.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

• President Trump has ratcheted up his efforts to steal victory from an election he decisively lost .
After losing in court over and over again , he has set his sights on strong-arming state Republican lawmakers to appoint electors who would overrule the will of voters in states Trump lost .
• On Thursday , news broke that Trump had reached out to GOP members of Michigan ’ s Wayne County Board of Canvassers before they attempted to backtrack on their votes to certify the county ’ s election results .
• The Michigan secretary of state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal mechanism ” for the GOP members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to rescind their votes .
• But Trump is not giving up on his clown show coup .
He invited Michigan ’ s top Republican lawmakers to visit the White House on Friday .
• White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Friday that the confab “ is not an advocacy meeting ” and that no one from the campaign will be present .
• It should come as no surprise that a dripping Rudy Giuliani delivered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the week .
At a press conference Thursday at RNC headquarters in Washington , Giuliani floated some truly wild conspiracy theories .
• Chris Krebs , the DHS election security official Trump unceremoniously fired on Twitter , summed up the Giuliani spectacle pretty well : “ That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history .
And possibly the craziest.
” • TPM ’ s Josh Kovensky published an exclusive story this week detailing Giancarlo Granda ’ s long and complicated history with the Falwells : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C. , over weeks of phone calls , and through dozens of supporting documents , Granda provided TPM with the most detailed account yet of his entanglement with the Falwells , which would contribute to Jerry losing his position as president of Liberty University and leave Granda feeling besieged by embarrassing articles , wanting to change his name.
” • Because we know you ’ re busy , you can dig into the key takeaways from the story here .
But make time for the full story if you can .
A lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the piece .
Why Trump May Not Be Able To Rig Census • Issues in the data of the 2020 census will delay the release of apportionment data until after President Trump leaves office , TPM ’ s Tierney Sneed first reported on Thursday .
• The issues in the data are standard and this sort of thing is routine , according to a source , but it means Joe Biden will be President when the Census Bureau hands him the data that will be transmitted to Congress to determine House seats for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maloney ( D-NY ) , chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee , which has oversight over the census , wrote in a letter Thursday that the Census Bureau is refusing to brief her committee on the data issues that have arisen .
• “ Unfortunately , the Committee was not informed about these anomalies before they became public , ” Maloney wrote .
“ To the contrary , the Census Bureau cancelled several weekly staff briefings on the status of the 2020 Census over the past month .
In addition , when Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these new developments , they were refused.
” Is this feature useful ?
Let us know .

Start your day with TPM.
Stop The (Trump) Steal!
President Trump has ratcheted up his efforts to steal victory from an election he decisively lost. After losing in court over and over again, he has set his sights on strong-arming state Republican lawmakers to appoint electors who would overrule the will of voters in states Trump lost.
On Thursday, news broke that Trump had reached out to GOP members of Michigan’s Wayne County Board of Canvassers before they attempted to backtrack on their votes to certify the county’s election results.
The Michigan secretary of state’s office told TPM there is “no legal mechanism” for the GOP members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to rescind their votes.
But Trump is not giving up on his clown show coup. He invited Michigan’s top Republican lawmakers to visit the White House on Friday.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Friday that the confab “is not an advocacy meeting” and that no one from the campaign will be present.
It should come as no surprise that a dripping Rudy Giuliani delivered the most baffling and bizarre political moment of the week. At a press conference Thursday at RNC headquarters in Washington, Giuliani floated some truly wild conspiracy theories.
Chris Krebs, the DHS election security official Trump unceremoniously fired on Twitter, summed up the Giuliani spectacle pretty well: “That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history. And possibly the craziest.”
Sex, Lies, And Regret
TPM’s Josh Kovensky published an exclusive story this week detailing Giancarlo Granda’s long and complicated history with the Falwells: “Across days of in-person interviews outside Washington D.C., over weeks of phone calls, and through dozens of supporting documents, Granda provided TPM with the most detailed account yet of his entanglement with the Falwells, which would contribute to Jerry losing his position as president of Liberty University and leave Granda feeling besieged by embarrassing articles, wanting to change his name.”
Because we know you’re busy, you can dig into the key takeaways from the story here. But make time for the full story if you can. A lot of work and collective effort went into the piece.
Why Trump May Not Be Able To Rig Census
Issues in the data of the 2020 census will delay the release of apportionment data until after President Trump leaves office, TPM’s Tierney Sneed first reported on Thursday.
The issues in the data are standard and this sort of thing is routine, according to a source, but it means Joe Biden will be President when the Census Bureau hands him the data that will be transmitted to Congress to determine House seats for the next decade.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, which has oversight over the census, wrote in a letter Thursday that the Census Bureau is refusing to brief her committee on the data issues that have arisen.
“Unfortunately, the Committee was not informed about these anomalies before they
became public,” Maloney wrote. “To the contrary, the Census Bureau cancelled several weekly staff briefings on the status of the 2020 Census over the past month. In addition, when Committee staff requested a briefing earlier today about these new developments, they were refused.”
Is this feature useful? Let us know.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--White House Insists Trump’s Gathering With MI GOP Leaders Is ‘Not An Advocacy Meeting’

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany denied on Friday that President Donald Trump ’ s eyebrow-raising meeting with Michigan ’ s Republican leaders later in the day would be about Trump asking them to appoint electors who would overrule the will of Michigan voters and hand the state to him .
“ This is not an advocacy meeting , ” McEnany told reporters .
“ There will be no one from the campaign there.
” “ He routinely meets with lawmakers from all across the country , ” she added .
The official declined to offer any more details .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Majority Leader Mike Shirkey ( R ) and state House Speaker Lee Chatfield ( R ) .
News of the President ’ s invitation to the lawmakers drew alarm over the possibility of Trump attempting to strong-arm them into appointing pro-Trump electors to undermine President-elect Joe Biden ’ s key victory in the state .
Chatfield posted a defiant tweet on Friday afternoon in the face of the backlash against his decision to visit Trump .
“ No matter the party , when you have an opportunity to meet with the President of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take it .
I won ’ t apologize for that , ” he wrote .
“ In fact , I ’ m honored to speak with POTUS and proud to meet with him.
” Shirkey refused to tell reporters what the meeting would be about as he was traveling to the White House : Both GOP leaders have previously rejected the notion of a pro-Trump elector scheme : Shirkey asserted earlier this week that scenario is “ not going to happen , ” and Chatfield tweeted on November 6 , “ Let me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most votes will win Michigan !
Period .
End of story .
Then we move on .
”

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany denied on Friday that President Donald Trump’s eyebrow-raising meeting with Michigan’s Republican leaders later in the day would be about Trump asking them to appoint electors who would overrule the will of Michigan voters and hand the state to him.
“This is not an advocacy meeting,” McEnany told reporters. “There will be no one from the campaign there.”
“He routinely meets with lawmakers from all across the country,” she added.
The official declined to offer any more details.
Trump will be meeting with Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R) and state House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R).
News of the President’s invitation to the lawmakers drew alarm over the possibility of Trump attempting to strong-arm them into appointing pro-Trump electors to undermine President-elect Joe Biden’s key victory in the state.
Chatfield posted a defiant tweet on Friday afternoon in the face of the backlash against his decision to visit Trump.
“No matter the party, when you have an opportunity to meet with the President of the United States, of course you take it. I won’t apologize for that,” he wrote. “In fact, I’m honored to speak with POTUS and proud to meet with him.”
Shirkey refused to tell reporters what the meeting would be about as he was traveling to the White House:
?MICHIGAN state Sen Maj Leader @SenMikeShirkey(R), who will meet with Trump at WH today, faces questions from progressive journo @lawindsor about whether he will "overthrow the will of the voters" and if he thinks Biden won. Dodges Qs, begins singing pic.twitter.com/DmfH69ZWRN — John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) November 20, 2020
Both GOP leaders have previously rejected the notion of a pro-Trump elector scheme: Shirkey asserted earlier this week that scenario is “not going to happen,” and Chatfield tweeted on November 6, “Let me be very clear: whoever gets the most votes will win Michigan! Period. End of story. Then we move on.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--Report: Biden Is Considering Merrick Garland For Attorney General

Former Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland , whom Republicans brazenly blocked at every turn , is being considered for attorney general in the incoming Biden administration , NPR reported on Friday .
If selected , Garland would be saddled with restoring confidence in a Justice Department that , amid the Trump presidency , has drifted far afield from its original nonpartisan mission — routinely playing politics to do Trump ’ s bidding .
President Trump has bent leaders at the Justice Department to his will , especially with Attorney General Bill Barr at the helm , who in remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend his continuous support of Trump by suggesting “ the most basic check on prosecutorial power is politics.
” Biden has criticized President Trump ’ s meddling in the Justice Department , calling his moves corrupt while describing the agency led by Barr as “ The Department of Trump.
” “ The Justice Department has turned into the president ’ s private law firm , ” Biden said at a campaign event in Charlotte , North Carolina in September .
Garland , former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and was an Obama nominee for the Supreme Court following the death of Justice Anotonin Scalia months before the 2016 presidential election .
Senate Republicans at the time denied Garland a hearing for the role , suggesting the nomination should be made by the incoming president in a contradictory effort that was cited this year , when Republicans moved to confirm Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee , Justice Amy Coney Barrett , to the bench shortly before the 2020 election after the passing of Justice Ruth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NPR , also short-listed for the top DOJ role are a host of Obama administration alums , including former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates as well as former civil rights chief and former Massachusetts Gov .
Deval Patrick , and outgoing Sen. Doug Jones , among others .

Former Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, whom Republicans brazenly blocked at every turn, is being considered for attorney general in the incoming Biden administration, NPR reported on Friday.
If selected, Garland would be saddled with restoring confidence in a Justice Department that, amid the Trump presidency, has drifted far afield from its original nonpartisan mission — routinely playing politics to do Trump’s bidding.
President Trump has bent leaders at the Justice Department to his will, especially with Attorney General Bill Barr at the helm, who in remarks at Hillsdale College in September appeared to defend his continuous support of Trump by suggesting “the most basic check on prosecutorial power is politics.”
Biden has criticized President Trump’s meddling in the Justice Department, calling his moves corrupt while describing the agency led by Barr as “The Department of Trump.”
“The Justice Department has turned into the president’s private law firm,” Biden said at a campaign event in Charlotte, North Carolina in September.
Garland, former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, oversaw the prosecution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and was an Obama nominee for the Supreme Court following the death of Justice Anotonin Scalia months before the 2016 presidential election.
Senate Republicans at the time denied Garland a hearing for the role, suggesting the nomination should be made by the incoming president in a contradictory effort that was cited this year, when Republicans moved to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, to the bench shortly before the 2020 election after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September.
According to NPR, also short-listed for the top DOJ role are a host of Obama administration alums, including former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates as well as former civil rights chief and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and outgoing Sen. Doug Jones, among others.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--Even Retiring Sen. Alexander Won’t Dare To Call Biden President-Elect As He Urges Transition

Even Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) , who has about a month left of his political career before his retirement , won ’ t say the phrase that now amounts to a dirty word in Republican circles : President-Elect Joe Biden .
In a Friday statement , Alexander gently nudges President Donald Trump to consider allowing Biden to begin his transition with all the resources he ’ s entitled to — with plenty of protective hedging .
“ If there is any chance whatsoever that Joe Biden will be the next president , and it looks like he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration should provide the Biden team with all transition materials , resources , and meetings necessary to ensure a smooth transition so that both sides are ready on day one , ” Alexander wrote .
In reality , there is no doubt that Biden has won the presidency .
Despite the Trump campaign ’ s volley of low-quality lawsuits and parking lot press conferences proclaiming non-existent mass voter fraud , Biden ’ s win has been clear for weeks .
Still , Alexander keeps up the pretense of doubt : “ My hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election will follow Al Gore ’ s example , put the country first , congratulate the winner and help him to a good beginning of the new term , ” he added after noting that Gore conceded 37 days after the election .
In 2000 , the election all hung on a few hundred votes in Florida , which led to recounts and ultimately the infamous Supreme Court case .
Biden is ahead by nearly 6 million votes in all , and up by over 12,000 votes in his slimmest margin of victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing politically to lose , produced such a mealy-mouthed statement sheds light on the general Republican compliance to go along with Trump ’ s charade .
Only Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) has strongly denounced Trump ’ s actions as “ undemocratic.
” A small group , including Sens .
Lisa Murkowski ( R-AK ) and Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) , has at least admitted that Biden is president-elect .
But the vast majority of elected Republicans have either kept silent or helped Trump cast doubt on the election .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election involves wining and dining state-level Republicans at the White House , raising alarm that he ’ ll try to convince them to sway electors his way in states he lost .
A Michigan delegation is set to meet with Trump Friday afternoon .
The primary buffer protecting the democracy at this juncture is the margin of Biden ’ s win .
Trump would have to get elected officials and institutions on board with his attempted coup in so many states —many of which have Democrats in key positions of power — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his attempts futile .
Biden said Thursday that Trump ’ s attempted coercion of the Michigan delegation is “ going to be another incident where he will go down in history as being one of the most irresponsible presidents in America history .
”

Even Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who has about a month left of his political career before his retirement, won’t say the phrase that now amounts to a dirty word in Republican circles: President-Elect Joe Biden.
In a Friday statement, Alexander gently nudges President Donald Trump to consider allowing Biden to begin his transition with all the resources he’s entitled to — with plenty of protective hedging.
My statement on the presidential election. pic.twitter.com/m4gXnhY8ZP — Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) November 20, 2020
“If there is any chance whatsoever that Joe Biden will be the next president, and it looks like he has a very good chance, the Trump Administration should provide the Biden team with all transition materials, resources, and meetings necessary to ensure a smooth transition so that both sides are ready on day one,” Alexander wrote.
In reality, there is no doubt that Biden has won the presidency. Despite the Trump campaign’s volley of low-quality lawsuits and parking lot press conferences proclaiming non-existent mass voter fraud, Biden’s win has been clear for weeks.
Still, Alexander keeps up the pretense of doubt:
“My hope is that the loser of this presidential election will follow Al Gore’s example, put the country first, congratulate the winner and help him to a good beginning of the new term,” he added after noting that Gore conceded 37 days after the election.
In 2000, the election all hung on a few hundred votes in Florida, which led to recounts and ultimately the infamous Supreme Court case. Biden is ahead by nearly 6 million votes in all, and up by over 12,000 votes in his slimmest margin of victory in Georgia.
That Alexander, with nothing politically to lose, produced such a mealy-mouthed statement sheds light on the general Republican compliance to go along with Trump’s charade.
Only Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) has strongly denounced Trump’s actions as “undemocratic.” A small group, including Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ben Sasse (R-NE), has at least admitted that Biden is president-elect. But the vast majority of elected Republicans have either kept silent or helped Trump cast doubt on the election.
Trump’s most recent gambit to steal the election involves wining and dining state-level Republicans at the White House, raising alarm that he’ll try to convince them to sway electors his way in states he lost. A Michigan delegation is set to meet with Trump Friday afternoon.
The primary buffer protecting the democracy at this juncture is the margin of Biden’s win. Trump would have to get elected officials and institutions on board with his attempted coup in so many states —many of which have Democrats in key positions of power — to overturn the results as to make his attempts futile.
Biden said Thursday that Trump’s attempted coercion of the Michigan delegation is “going to be another incident where he will go down in history as being one of the most irresponsible presidents in America history.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--Fox News Personality Thinks Trump Deserves Consolation Prize: A Namesake COVID Vaccine

A Fox News personality wants to ensure that President Donald Trump , who has made relentless efforts to undermine science while sowing doubt about the integrity of the agencies involved in approving treatments against the coronavirus , gets a consolation prize for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine .
A network correspondent , Geraldo Rivera , said on Friday that as pharmaceutical giants put forward vaccines that they have said are more than 90 percent effective , a consideration for contenders which so far include Pfizer and Moderna , should be naming the finished product after the President who continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss .
“ I had an idea , with the world so divided and everybody telling him he has to give up and time to leave and time to transition and all the rest of it , why not name the vaccine the Trump ?
” Rivera said , “ Have you gotten your Trump yet ?
It would be a nice gesture to him.
” “ I wish we could honor him in that way because he ’ s definitely the prime architect of this Operation Warp Speed and — and but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiting , you know , into the grim winter for — for these amazing , miraculous medical breakthroughs , ” the correspondent added .
President Trump promptly credited himself for the scientific breakthroughs after Moderna ’ s vaccine announcement , saying in a tweet on Monday that history should remember the discoveries “ took place on my watch !
” President Trump has suggested for months that a “ deep state ” was conspiring against the delivery of a successful vaccine against coronavirus before the Nov. 3 election where he was defeated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September , after repeatedly assuring voters that a vaccine would be ready “ soon , ” the President told supporters at a rally in Jacksonville , Florida , that a group of unnamed detractors were coordinating a “ political hit ” to delay vaccine development to intentionally damage his reelection bid .
Trump has remained bitter since then , and his administration has extended its wrath to a refusal to brief Biden ’ s transition team about distribution of a vaccine which is expected to require significant planning to roll out .
President-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday that the impact of the Trump administration ’ s failure to cooperate in an effort to coordinate vaccine distribution “ puts us behind the eight ball ” and costs lives .
The comments come after Health and Human Secretary Alex Azar prohibited department officials from cooperating with Biden ’ s transition team .
“ It ’ s going to put us behind the eight ball by a matter of a month or more , and that ’ s lives , ” Biden said .
“ How many would be lost as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t tell you .
”

A Fox News personality wants to ensure that President Donald Trump, who has made relentless efforts to undermine science while sowing doubt about the integrity of the agencies involved in approving treatments against the coronavirus, gets a consolation prize for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
To soften the blow of defeat Fox's Geraldo proposes naming the vaccine after Trump. "It would be a nice gesture to him and years from now it would become kind of a generic name. Have you got your trump yet, I got my trump, I'm fine. I wished we could honor him in that way." pic.twitter.com/fM8qwFhxF6 — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 20, 2020
A network correspondent, Geraldo Rivera, said on Friday that as pharmaceutical giants put forward vaccines that they have said are more than 90 percent effective, a consideration for contenders which so far include Pfizer and Moderna, should be naming the finished product after the President who continues to coddle his wounds amid his election loss.
“I had an idea, with the world so divided and everybody telling him he has to give up and time to leave and time to transition and all the rest of it, why not name the vaccine the Trump?” Rivera said, “Have you gotten your Trump yet? It would be a nice gesture to him.”
“I wish we could honor him in that way because he’s definitely the prime architect of this Operation Warp Speed and — and but for him we’d still be waiting, you know, into the grim winter for — for these amazing, miraculous medical breakthroughs,” the correspondent added.
President Trump promptly credited himself for the scientific breakthroughs after Moderna’s vaccine announcement, saying in a tweet on Monday that history should remember the discoveries “took place on my watch!”
President Trump has suggested for months that a “deep state” was conspiring against the delivery of a successful vaccine against coronavirus before the Nov. 3 election where he was defeated by Democratic opponent Joe Biden.
In late September, after repeatedly assuring voters that a vaccine would be ready “soon,” the President told supporters at a rally in Jacksonville, Florida, that a group of unnamed detractors were coordinating a “political hit” to delay vaccine development to intentionally damage his reelection bid.
Trump has remained bitter since then, and his administration has extended its wrath to a refusal to brief Biden’s transition team about distribution of a vaccine which is expected to require significant planning to roll out.
President-elect Biden told reporters during a news conference on Thursday that the impact of the Trump administration’s failure to cooperate in an effort to coordinate vaccine distribution “puts us behind the eight ball” and costs lives.
The comments come after Health and Human Secretary Alex Azar prohibited department officials from cooperating with Biden’s transition team.
“It’s going to put us behind the eight ball by a matter of a month or more, and that’s lives,” Biden said. “How many would be lost as a consequence of that I can’t tell you.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--Rick Scott Becomes The 6th Member Of Congress To Test Positive This Week

Sen. Rick Scott ( R-FL ) is just the most recent member of Congress to test positive for COVID-19 this week , following a handful of his House and Senate peers .
Scott has been in quarantine in his Naples home since last Friday after coming into contact with an infected person on a flight back to Florida .
Capitol Hill , where Republican refusal to don a mask sparked a Senate floor fight earlier this week , has become a veritable petri dish for the virus .
According to one Politico reporter ’ s count , Scott is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the ninth to have contracted the disease — Sens .
Bob Casey ( D-PA ) and Tim Kaine ( D-VA ) tested positive for having antibodies .
A full 84 members of Congress have either tested positive , quarantined or come into contact with an infected person , according to a GovTrack running count .
The recent outbreak has even disrupted congressional business .
In a dramatic Tuesday afternoon episode , Democrats were able to keep Judy Shelton ’ s controversial nomination to the Federal Reserve ’ s Board of Governors from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scott in quarantine and Sen. Chuck Grassley ( R-IA ) having tested positive and also in isolation , Democrats were able to at least temporarily keep Shelton from advancing with an assist from Sens .
Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) and Susan Collins ( R-ME ) , who voted no , and Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) who was absent .
Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) was rushed back to Washington to cast the deciding vote .
This particular fight may not be over : Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow him to bring up Shelton ’ s nomination again before the end of the lame duck session .
But the episode shows how the infection is disrupting Republican senators particularly , some of whom have staked out their political allegiances by tut-tutting at safety precautions like mask-wearing and avoiding crowded indoor spaces .

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is just the most recent member of Congress to test positive for COVID-19 this week, following a handful of his House and Senate peers.
Wear a mask. Socially distance. Quarantine if you come in contact with someone positive like I did. We will beat this together, but we all must be responsible. I want to thank all the incredible health care workers who are working around the clock to care for patients. — Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) November 20, 2020
Scott has been in quarantine in his Naples home since last Friday after coming into contact with an infected person on a flight back to Florida.
Capitol Hill, where Republican refusal to don a mask sparked a Senate floor fight earlier this week, has become a veritable petri dish for the virus. According to one Politico reporter’s count, Scott is the seventh senator to test positive since March and the ninth to have contracted the disease — Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) tested positive for having antibodies. A full 84 members of Congress have either tested positive, quarantined or come into contact with an infected person, according to a GovTrack running count.
The recent outbreak has even disrupted congressional business.
In a dramatic Tuesday afternoon episode, Democrats were able to keep Judy Shelton’s controversial nomination to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors from advancing to a final vote. With Scott in quarantine and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) having tested positive and also in isolation, Democrats were able to at least temporarily keep Shelton from advancing with an assist from Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Susan Collins (R-ME), who voted no, and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) who was absent. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) was rushed back to Washington to cast the deciding vote.
This particular fight may not be over: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took procedural steps that would allow him to bring up Shelton’s nomination again before the end of the lame duck session. But the episode shows how the infection is disrupting Republican senators particularly, some of whom have staked out their political allegiances by tut-tutting at safety precautions like mask-wearing and avoiding crowded indoor spaces.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--MI GOP State Canvasser Says He May Try To Delay Election Certification

Norman Shinkle , one of the two Republican members of Michigan ’ s Board of State Canvassers , said on Thursday that he ’ s considering requesting a delay in the certification of the state ’ s votes ahead of the deadline next week .
Shinkle cited President Donald Trump and his legal team ’ s bogus claims of voter fraud in an interview with the Washington Post Thursday .
“ I do think with all of the potential problems , if any of them are true , an audit is appropriate , ” he said .
“ I take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we can get more information , why not ?
” Neither Trump nor his allies have contacted him , Shinkle told the Post , though he “ would say hi ” if they did .
“ They have a position to advocate , ” Shinkle said .
Mary Shinkle , the canvasser ’ s wife , had filed an affidavit in the Trump campaign ’ s election fraud lawsuit that the campaign has since dropped after the two Republican Wayne County canvassers representing Detroit attempted to “ rescind ” their votes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
The office of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson did not immediately respond to TPM ’ s request for comment .
Michigan has been thoroughly ensnared by Trump ’ s war against the election , which he lost to President-elect Joe Biden in part by losing the battleground state .
The two previously mentioned GOP Wayne County canvassers filed their ( legally toothless ) affidavits requesting to rescind their votes after Trump had called them , and the President also invited Michigan ’ s top GOP leaders to visit the @ @ @ @ @

Norman Shinkle, one of the two Republican members of Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers, said on Thursday that he’s considering requesting a delay in the certification of the state’s votes ahead of the deadline next week.
Shinkle cited President Donald Trump and his legal team’s bogus claims of voter fraud in an interview with the Washington Post Thursday.
“I do think with all of the potential problems, if any of them are true, an audit is appropriate,” he said. “I take one step at a time, and if we can get more information, why not?”
Neither Trump nor his allies have contacted him, Shinkle told the Post, though he “would say hi” if they did.
“They have a position to advocate,” Shinkle said.
Mary Shinkle, the canvasser’s wife, had filed an affidavit in the Trump campaign’s election fraud lawsuit that the campaign has since dropped after the two Republican Wayne County canvassers representing Detroit attempted to “rescind” their votes to certify their county’s election results on Thursday.
Michigan’s deadline for certification is Monday.
The office of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for comment.
Michigan has been thoroughly ensnared by Trump’s war against the election, which he lost to President-elect Joe Biden in part by losing the battleground state. The two previously mentioned GOP Wayne County canvassers filed their (legally toothless) affidavits requesting to rescind their votes after Trump had called them, and the President also invited Michigan’s top GOP leaders to visit the White House on Friday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--‘Undemocratic’: Romney Rebukes Trump Effort To Overturn Will Of Michigan Voters

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney ( UT ) sharply rebuked President Donald Trump on Thursday night calling the one-term President ’ s efforts to overturn his election loss in Michigan “ undemocratic.
” “ Having failed to make even a plausible case of widespread fraud or conspiracy before any court of law , the President has now resorted to overt pressure on state and local officials to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election , ” Romney said in a statement posted to Twitter .
“ It is difficult to imagine a worse , more undemocratic action by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s direct criticism of Trump for his unprecedented attack on democracy , comes as few of the lawmaker ’ s Republican colleagues have stepped forward to acknowledge reality .
Weeks after Biden ’ s win , many Republican leaders have continued to encourage President Trump to soldier on in long-shot court cases and baseless claims of voter fraud while refusing to refer to Biden formally as the President-elect .
Romney ’ s comments were met by at least one other GOP colleague , Sen. Benn Sasse ( NE ) who urged Americans not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric in public after looking at the Trump campaign ’ s actual allegations in court , noting in a statement obtained by the Washington Post that the campaign had lost or been forced to withdraw from a number of lawsuits in Michigan “ for being unable to produce any evidence.
” “ Based on what I ’ ve read in their filings , when Trump campaign lawyers have stood before courts under oath , they have repeatedly refused to actually allege grand fraud — because there are legal consequences for lying to judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noting that Trump lost the battleground state by at least 100,000 votes .
President Trump responded to Romney ’ s statement early Friday with predictable name-calling , referring to the lawmaker in a tweet as a “ RINO , ” Republican in name only .
Instead of refuting the lawmaker ’ s suggestions that his efforts to challenge the vote was “ undemocratic , ” the President goaded Romney about his loss to former President Barack Obama , saying , “ I ’ m sure , however , that he feels he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ square ’ .
”

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney (UT) sharply rebuked President Donald Trump on Thursday night calling the one-term President’s efforts to overturn his election loss in Michigan “undemocratic.”
“Having failed to make even a plausible case of widespread fraud or conspiracy before any court of law, the President has now resorted to overt pressure on state and local officials to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election,” Romney said in a statement posted to Twitter. “It is difficult to imagine a worse, more undemocratic action by a sitting American President.”
Romney’s direct criticism of Trump for his unprecedented attack on democracy, comes as few of the lawmaker’s Republican colleagues have stepped forward to acknowledge reality. Weeks after Biden’s win, many Republican leaders have continued to encourage President Trump to soldier on in long-shot court cases and baseless claims of voter fraud while refusing to refer to Biden formally as the President-elect.
Romney’s comments were met by at least one other GOP colleague, Sen. Benn Sasse (NE) who urged Americans not to be fooled by Trump’s rhetoric in public after looking at the Trump campaign’s actual allegations in court, noting in a statement obtained by the Washington Post that the campaign had lost or been forced to withdraw from a number of lawsuits in Michigan “for being unable to produce any evidence.”
“Based on what I’ve read in their filings, when Trump campaign lawyers have stood before courts under oath, they have repeatedly refused to actually allege grand fraud — because there are legal consequences for lying to judges,” Sasse said in the statement, noting that Trump lost the battleground state by at least 100,000 votes.
President Trump responded to Romney’s statement early Friday with predictable name-calling, referring to the lawmaker in a tweet as a “RINO,” Republican in name only. Instead of refuting the lawmaker’s suggestions that his efforts to challenge the vote was “undemocratic,” the President goaded Romney about his loss to former President Barack Obama, saying, “I’m sure, however, that he feels he got slaughtering by Obama ‘fair and square’.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-21--We’ll Know More About Biden’s Cabinet Soon

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President-elect Joe Biden is moving quickly to fill out his administration and could name top leaders for his Cabinet as early as next week .
Biden told reporters on Thursday that he ’ s already decided on who will lead the Treasury Department .
That pick , along with his nominee for secretary of state , may be announced before Thanksgiving , according to people close to the transition who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations .
The Cabinet announcements could be released in tranches , with groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , like the economy , national security or public health , being announced at once .
Such a move is intended to deliver the message that Biden is intent on preparing for the presidency even as President Donald Trump refuses to concede and attempts to subvert the election results in key states .
Trump ’ s roadblocks have undermined core democratic principles such as the peaceful transfer of power and are especially problematic because Biden will take office in January amid the worst public health crisis in more than a century .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And each day it gets worse , meaning a week ago , it wasn ’ t that big of a deal .
This week , it ’ s starting to get to be a bigger deal .
Next week , it ’ ll be bigger , ” said David Marchick , director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service .
“ Every new day that ’ s lost has a larger impact than the day before.
” Still , Biden ’ s transition work is progressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings from his home in Wilmington , Delaware , and a music venue downtown .
At this point , Biden is deeply involved in choosing his Cabinet , a process described by one person as similar to fitting puzzle pieces together .
In putting together the 15-person team , Biden is facing demands from multiple , competing interests , as well as the political realities of navigating a closely divided Senate .
He ’ ll have to find the right mix of nominees to appease progressives demanding evidence he ’ s committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build the most diverse government in modern history ; and pass through a more difficult than expected nomination process with a slim margin of control for either party , depending on the outcome of two Georgia Senate runoffs in January .
Those considerations appear to be already informing Biden ’ s calculus for secretary of state .
Two finalists to be America ’ s top diplomat include Antony Blinken , a former deputy national security adviser and deputy secretary of state , and Chris Coons , who holds Biden ’ s former Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Foreign Relations Committee .
Blinken and Coons are close to Biden , and both have privately and , in some cases , publicly , expressed interest in the job .
But with the balance of power in the Senate depending on two runoffs in Georgia , Blinken may have the upper hand , according to people close to the transition .
The thinking , these people said , is that even if Coons is tapped for the post and replaced with a Democrat by Delaware ’ s Democratic governor , the loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outweigh his value as secretary of state .
That Senate calculation also weighs heavily on perhaps Biden ’ s presumptive first choice , former ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser Susan Rice .
Rice , who is also close to Biden , would almost certainly face difficulty in a confirmation process with a Republican-controlled Senate because of her past comments about the deadly 2012 attack on U.S. diplomatic compounds in Benghazi , Libya .
As Biden moves forward , his team won ’ t have access to their counterparts at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and office space for the transition until the General Services Administration ascertains that Biden is the winner .
Marchick noted that the delay in that process could ultimately undermine the number of administration staff Biden is able to get in place on time .
Candidates must go through an ethics clearance process , file dozens of pages of forms , and some positions require security clearances .
The lack of ascertainment is also putting somewhat of a cash crunch on the Biden team .
According to two donors familiar with the transition ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about $ 8 million for the transition already , hitting their original goal , but without the roughly $ 6 million in federal funds afforded to Biden ’ s transition team , they ’ ve been forced to continue fundraising .
In an email to donors this week obtained by the AP , Chris Korge , the Democratic National Committee ’ s national finance chair , warned that the Biden transition didn ’ t have enough money to “ totally fund ” their efforts and told donors that “ the American people will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t immediately step up and do something about it.
” Speaking on a call with reporters Friday , Yohannes Abraham , an adviser to Biden ’ s transition , warned that the delay is affecting the transition ’ s planning .
“ This isn ’ t a game , ” he said .
“ There ’ s no replacing the real-time information that can only come from the post-ascertainment environment that we should be in right now.
” Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is moving quickly to fill out his administration and could name top leaders for his Cabinet as early as next week.
Biden told reporters on Thursday that he’s already decided on who will lead the Treasury Department. That pick, along with his nominee for secretary of state, may be announced before Thanksgiving, according to people close to the transition who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The Cabinet announcements could be released in tranches, with groups of nominees focused on a specific top area, like the economy, national security or public health, being announced at once.
Such a move is intended to deliver the message that Biden is intent on preparing for the presidency even as President Donald Trump refuses to concede and attempts to subvert the election results in key states. Trump’s roadblocks have undermined core democratic principles such as the peaceful transfer of power and are especially problematic because Biden will take office in January amid the worst public health crisis in more than a century.
“It’s a huge impact. And each day it gets worse, meaning a week ago, it wasn’t that big of a deal. This week, it’s starting to get to be a bigger deal. Next week, it’ll be bigger,” said David Marchick, director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. “Every new day that’s lost has a larger impact than the day before.”
Still, Biden’s transition work is progressing, with the president-elect holding frequent virtual meetings from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and a music venue downtown. At this point, Biden is deeply involved in choosing his Cabinet, a process described by one person as similar to fitting puzzle pieces together.
In putting together the 15-person team, Biden is facing demands from multiple, competing interests, as well as the political realities of navigating a closely divided Senate.
He’ll have to find the right mix of nominees to appease progressives demanding evidence he’s committed to major reforms; fulfill his promise to build the most diverse government in modern history; and pass through a more difficult than expected nomination process with a slim margin of control for either party, depending on the outcome of two Georgia Senate runoffs in January.
Those considerations appear to be already informing Biden’s calculus for secretary of state.
Two finalists to be America’s top diplomat include Antony Blinken, a former deputy national security adviser and deputy secretary of state, and Chris Coons, who holds Biden’s former Senate seat from Delaware and sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Blinken and Coons are close to Biden, and both have privately and, in some cases, publicly, expressed interest in the job. But with the balance of power in the Senate depending on two runoffs in Georgia, Blinken may have the upper hand, according to people close to the transition. The thinking, these people said, is that even if Coons is tapped for the post and replaced with a Democrat by Delaware’s Democratic governor, the loss of his influence in the Senate may outweigh his value as secretary of state.
That Senate calculation also weighs heavily on perhaps Biden’s presumptive first choice, former ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser Susan Rice. Rice, who is also close to Biden, would almost certainly face difficulty in a confirmation process with a Republican-controlled Senate because of her past comments about the deadly 2012 attack on U.S. diplomatic compounds in Benghazi, Libya.
As Biden moves forward, his team won’t have access to their counterparts at the various federal agencies or tap funds and office space for the transition until the General Services Administration ascertains that Biden is the winner.
Marchick noted that the delay in that process could ultimately undermine the number of administration staff Biden is able to get in place on time. Candidates must go through an ethics clearance process, file dozens of pages of forms, and some positions require security clearances.
The lack of ascertainment is also putting somewhat of a cash crunch on the Biden team. According to two donors familiar with the transition’s efforts, they’ve raised about $8 million for the transition already, hitting their original goal, but without the roughly $6 million in federal funds afforded to Biden’s transition team, they’ve been forced to continue fundraising.
In an email to donors this week obtained by the AP, Chris Korge, the Democratic National Committee’s national finance chair, warned that the Biden transition didn’t have enough money to “totally fund” their efforts and told donors that “the American people will be the big losers if we don’t immediately step up and do something about it.”
Speaking on a call with reporters Friday, Yohannes Abraham, an adviser to Biden’s transition, warned that the delay is affecting the transition’s planning.
“This isn’t a game,” he said. “There’s no replacing the real-time information that can only come from the post-ascertainment environment that we should be in right now.”
___
Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.