hotair--2020-06-24--Grim milestone: U.S. breaks single-day record for confirmed coronavirus cases

The word “ confirmed ” in the headline is important .
It may well be that we had more actual cases on days in March and early April , when New York was drowning , and simply failed to detect many of them because testing at the time was more of a fond wish than a reality .
But in a way that magnifies the grimness of the current moment .
We do have widespread testing now , which is supposed to help us detect new outbreaks early and suppress them .
We also know more about the disease and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did three months ago .
And cloth masks are abundant to help us hold down the spread .
Even so : Nearly 39,000 confirmed infections yesterday , the highest ever for the United States .
It was said frequently during April that there isn ’ t so much an “ American epidemic ” of COVID-19 as a “ New York tri-state area epidemic , ” which was generally true .
It no longer is .
New York , for the moment , is one of the safest places in the country .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast that are sinking .
Trump likes to say that the reason we ’ re seeing more cases is because we ’ re doing more testing .
It ’ s not true .
We are doing more testing , but cases are rising faster than the testing is : The national positivity rate now stands at 7.7 percent .
Just a week ago it was 4.9 percent .
It ’ s risen more than 50 percent in seven days .
Why ?
Morons partying on Memorial Day , probably : July 4th is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lesson from this debacle and stay home or will we be the slovenly idiots that we truly are by hosting barbecues and pool parties , etc ?
I have every confidence that we can top today ’ s record in July , assuming we don ’ t top it sooner .
The numbers are especially ominous in the hot-spot states of California , Texas , Florida , and Arizona : California reported more than 7,000 new cases , according to Washington Post tracking .
That ’ s 42 percent higher than the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hospitalizations of people with covid-19 or suspected to have the virus were up 7 percent from the day before .
Florida blew past its previous record from the weekend by well over 1,000 cases , reporting more than 5,500 new infections in a day .
The Sunshine State has broken its rolling-average new cases for 17 days now .
Numbers on Florida ’ s current hospitalizations were not available on its dashboard , but the daily average change in cumulative hospitalizations has been edging upward… In Arizona , intensive care unit beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds are 86 percent full , according to state data .
Doctors and top health experts such as former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb warn that the health care system in Arizona and several other states could become overburdened .
The state reports 2,270 hospitalized covid-19 patients , up from 2,136 reported Tuesday .
If the Europeans are holding off on finalizing their ban list to give us every last chance of turning things around sometime soon , they might as well pull the trigger .
It ’ s an open question whether we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before fall , when public-health experts like Fauci expect things to start getting really bad as the weather turns cooler .
By the way , there ’ s another state that ’ s spiking right now that hasn ’ t gotten as much attention as its neighbor to the south : Oklahoma , site of Saturday night ’ s presidential rally , where they ’ ve hit a record high in the rolling average of cases 12 days in a row .
Yesterday the state saw 482 confirmed cases , a four-percent jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new infections were reported in Tulsa County , where President Trump held a campaign rally over the weekend , ” WaPo noted in its story .
Here ’ s the graph of the county ’ s outbreak .
It ’ s , uh , dramatic : Did … did the president ’ s rally seed an explosion in COVID-19 cases ?
Nah , said the mayor and the health department chief .
Or rather , there ’ s no evidence of that yet .
For one thing , it ’ s way too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week to incubate and Trump ’ s rally was held just days ago .
For another thing , they seem to have some sense of where the latest infections originated : We ’ ll check back in two weeks .
In the meantime , amid all the anxiety about cases skyrocketing , the not-so-minor fact remains that deaths aren ’ t skyrocketing along with them .
There were fewer deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. yesterday than there were a week ago despite the growth in cases .
The pessimistic view of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a matter of time .
The infection fatality rate is what it is ; more cases means more deaths as a matter of simple math .
It just takes awhile for a new infection to turn fatal .
The optimistic view is that maybe doctors have learned enough about treating the disease in the past two months that they can hold down deaths to a significant degree .
We have remdesivir and dexamethasone now ; we have more widely available testing to diagnose people early as well .
Maybe we ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mixed-bag view is that the lack of deaths is largely a function of the fact that infections are trending younger right now .
Young adults are more likely to go party and shop , which means more cases , but they ’ re also more likely to survive their infections , which means fewer deaths .
The mixed-bag part comes from the fact that eventually they ’ ll infect older people .
Again , July ’ s shaping up to be ugly .
In lieu of an exit question , here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration plans to transition certain coronavirus testing sites from federal funding to public-private partnerships .
Given that one of his major liabilities in recent polling is his handling of the pandemic , I don ’ t know why his team would risk a headline like “ TRUMP ENDS FUNDING FOR TESTING ” to save a few bucks .
But here we are .

The word “confirmed” in the headline is important. It may well be that we had more actual cases on days in March and early April, when New York was drowning, and simply failed to detect many of them because testing at the time was more of a fond wish than a reality.
But in a way that magnifies the grimness of the current moment. We do have widespread testing now, which is supposed to help us detect new outbreaks early and suppress them. We also know more about the disease and how it’s transmitted than we did three months ago. And cloth masks are abundant to help us hold down the spread.
Even so: Nearly 39,000 confirmed infections yesterday, the highest ever for the United States. It was said frequently during April that there isn’t so much an “American epidemic” of COVID-19 as a “New York tri-state area epidemic,” which was generally true. It no longer is. New York, for the moment, is one of the safest places in the country. It’s the south and the west coast that are sinking.
The real news today is that the U.S. set a record for new cases today: 38,672. The previous record was April 25 at 36,001. pic.twitter.com/pcFcLUeeKk — The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) June 24, 2020
Trump likes to say that the reason we’re seeing more cases is because we’re doing more testing. It’s not true. We are doing more testing, but cases are rising faster than the testing is:
The surge of new cases across the southern US can’t be explained by more testing. Here's the evidence:https://t.co/0s9GsE5dxi pic.twitter.com/Is9cuA80GM — The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) June 24, 2020
The national positivity rate now stands at 7.7 percent. Just a week ago it was 4.9 percent. It’s risen more than 50 percent in seven days.
Why? Morons partying on Memorial Day, probably:
The change in the national picture since June 15, when there were less than 19k new cases reported, is stunning. But the movement really began in the South in late May. The dot in the right chart is May 29, Memorial Day. pic.twitter.com/CQF8Z66wSc — The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) June 24, 2020
July 4th is coming up. Will we learn our lesson from this debacle and stay home or will we be the slovenly idiots that we truly are by hosting barbecues and pool parties, etc? I have every confidence that we can top today’s record in July, assuming we don’t top it sooner.
The numbers are especially ominous in the hot-spot states of California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona:
California reported more than 7,000 new cases, according to Washington Post tracking. That’s 42 percent higher than the previous peak of 5,019, set on Tuesday. Hospitalizations of people with covid-19 or suspected to have the virus were up 7 percent from the day before. Florida blew past its previous record from the weekend by well over 1,000 cases, reporting more than 5,500 new infections in a day. The Sunshine State has broken its rolling-average new cases for 17 days now. Numbers on Florida’s current hospitalizations were not available on its dashboard, but the daily average change in cumulative hospitalizations has been edging upward… In Arizona, intensive care unit beds are 88 percent full, while inpatient beds are 86 percent full, according to state data. Doctors and top health experts such as former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb warn that the health care system in Arizona and several other states could become overburdened. The state reports 2,270 hospitalized covid-19 patients, up from 2,136 reported Tuesday.
If the Europeans are holding off on finalizing their ban list to give us every last chance of turning things around sometime soon, they might as well pull the trigger. It’s an open question whether we’ll meaningfully flatten the new curve before fall, when public-health experts like Fauci expect things to start getting really bad as the weather turns cooler.
By the way, there’s another state that’s spiking right now that hasn’t gotten as much attention as its neighbor to the south: Oklahoma, site of Saturday night’s presidential rally, where they’ve hit a record high in the rolling average of cases 12 days in a row. Yesterday the state saw 482 confirmed cases, a four-percent jump in just 24 hours. “Record new infections were reported in Tulsa County, where President Trump held a campaign rally over the weekend,” WaPo noted in its story. Here’s the graph of the county’s outbreak. It’s, uh, dramatic:
Did … did the president’s rally seed an explosion in COVID-19 cases? Nah, said the mayor and the health department chief. Or rather, there’s no evidence of that yet. For one thing, it’s way too soon: The virus typically needs about a week to incubate and Trump’s rally was held just days ago. For another thing, they seem to have some sense of where the latest infections originated:
“We’re really going to watch the next six weeks, because chances are there were people that were exposed over the weekend … the incubation period is anywhere from two to 14 days,” and the virus could be spread for weeks after that by those exposed during the rally, said Tulsa Health Department Director Bruce Dart. Dart and Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said the new cases have been linked to other gatherings such as funerals, weddings and people going to bars.
We’ll check back in two weeks. In the meantime, amid all the anxiety about cases skyrocketing, the not-so-minor fact remains that deaths aren’t skyrocketing along with them. There were fewer deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. yesterday than there were a week ago despite the growth in cases. The pessimistic view of that is that it’s just a matter of time. The infection fatality rate is what it is; more cases means more deaths as a matter of simple math. It just takes awhile for a new infection to turn fatal. The optimistic view is that maybe doctors have learned enough about treating the disease in the past two months that they can hold down deaths to a significant degree. We have remdesivir and dexamethasone now; we have more widely available testing to diagnose people early as well. Maybe we’re not doomed to another death surge.
The mixed-bag view is that the lack of deaths is largely a function of the fact that infections are trending younger right now. Young adults are more likely to go party and shop, which means more cases, but they’re also more likely to survive their infections, which means fewer deaths. The mixed-bag part comes from the fact that eventually they’ll infect older people. Again, July’s shaping up to be ugly.
In lieu of an exit question, here’s CNBC reporting today that Trump’s administration plans to transition certain coronavirus testing sites from federal funding to public-private partnerships. Given that one of his major liabilities in recent polling is his handling of the pandemic, I don’t know why his team would risk a headline like “TRUMP ENDS FUNDING FOR TESTING” to save a few bucks. But here we are.


hotair--2020-06-24--Food Network host posts ugly 'joke' tweet including Barron Trump, Mama Melania responds

Don ’ t we all know the drill by now ?
The minor children of the president are off-limits .
That lesson hasn ’ t been learned by some public figures , apparently , as the Food Network ’ s John Henson found out the hard way .
In order to slam President Trump on Father ’ s Day , Henson posted an ugly tweet and dragged 14-year-old Barron Trump into the mix .
To be honest , I don ’ t even know who John Henson is .
A quick search tells me he is a comedian , game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and actor .
He was a celebrity guest on Food Network ’ s Worst Cooks in America where he was a semi-finalist and won money for a charity to which he and his wife contribute .
Somehow I ’ ve missed all of this .
That Food Network appearance was back in 2016 .
Now he is the host Food Network ’ s “ Halloween Baking Championship ” On Father ’ s Day Henson tweeted this : “ I hope Barron [ Trump ] gets to spend today with whoever his dad is.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Henson has deleted it .
This isn ’ t even the first time that the paternity of Barron has been questioned .
The Queen of Resting Smirk Face , MSNBC ’ s Mika Brzezinski , herself the daughter of a former public official , questioned if President Trump is the father of Barron during her early morning television show .
It doesn ’ t matter from whom it comes , the ugliness directed at Trump that takes Barron as collateral damage is undeniably hideous .
It must be stressful enough growing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrities taking shots at the kid on social media .
The last time someone dragged Barron into a slam against President Trump was last December and it was a college professor that time .
She did so during a Congressional hearing .
Melania Trump soon set the professor straight and told her in no uncertain words to leave her child alone .
The First Lady has now spoken up this time , too .
Through her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham , Melania addressed Henson .
To show what an insincere and unapologetic person he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticizing him on social media , of which there were many .
“ With respect.
” Right .
So , no apology from the unfunny comedian , at least as of 1:20 p.m. Central Time as I write this .
He wasn ’ t even man enough to own his mistake and issue a non-apology apology .
You know , the kind that goes “ I ’ m sorry if I offended anyone… ” He has two kids of his own .
I imagine he expects the privacy of his own children to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henson tweeted Tuesday that he ’ s thinking of attacking Kellyanne Conway next .
This is odd timing given that Wednesday morning on Fox and Friends , Kellyanne was asked about the unfunny “ joke ” tweet .
She told Ainsley Earhardt she didn ’ t even want to bring up Henson ’ s name and give him a platform after his poor choice of tweets .
“ So , Kellyanne , it ’ s one thing to criticize a president , but it ’ s another thing to criticize his , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earhardt began .
“ And that ’ s what happened .
This guy John Henson , I used to think he was so funny on Talk Soup , but very disappointed in what he tweeted over the weekend.
” After noting that the tweet , which went out to Henson ’ s 30,000 followers , has since been deleted , Earhardt put it on screen and read it aloud : “ I hope Barron gets to spend today with whoever his dad is.
” “ Well , I may part company a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the guy who sent the tweet because I think you ’ re giving him a platform , ” Conway replied as Earhardt started to squirm .
“ I thought about that , too , ” Earhardt jumped in , scratching her arm , “ but it is news.
” “ Kids are off limits , ” Conway snapped back .
“ I didn ’ t even know who he was and now people do.
” She went on to say that all children of politicians should be treated like “ Fabergé eggs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-limits , you don ’ t touch them , you don ’ t talk about them .
I feel very strongly about that.
” Just leave the kids out of it .
Henson wasn ’ t clever enough to tweet something amusing while bashing Trump , he just took a cheap shot on Father ’ s Day which , by the very nature of the day , included Barron .
Henson isn ’ t stupid , he knows it .
He just doesn ’ t want to own up to bad judgment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some time to hone his comedic skills .
I don ’ t watch Food Network regularly .
I don ’ t remember the last time I watched one of its shows .
This tweet is pinned to the top of their Twitter account .
I didn ’ t realize how political the network is now , though this is 2020 and I should have expected it .
Perhaps the network would like to make a statement about respect for kids , too .

Don’t we all know the drill by now? The minor children of the president are off-limits. That lesson hasn’t been learned by some public figures, apparently, as the Food Network’s John Henson found out the hard way. In order to slam President Trump on Father’s Day, Henson posted an ugly tweet and dragged 14-year-old Barron Trump into the mix.
To be honest, I don’t even know who John Henson is. A quick search tells me he is a comedian, game show host, talk show host, and actor. He was a celebrity guest on Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America where he was a semi-finalist and won money for a charity to which he and his wife contribute. Somehow I’ve missed all of this. That Food Network appearance was back in 2016. Now he is the host Food Network’s “Halloween Baking Championship”
On Father’s Day Henson tweeted this: “I hope Barron [Trump] gets to spend today with whoever his dad is.” I would show you the tweet but Henson has deleted it.
This isn’t even the first time that the paternity of Barron has been questioned. The Queen of Resting Smirk Face, MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski, herself the daughter of a former public official, questioned if President Trump is the father of Barron during her early morning television show. It doesn’t matter from whom it comes, the ugliness directed at Trump that takes Barron as collateral damage is undeniably hideous. It must be stressful enough growing up in the White House without random D-List celebrities taking shots at the kid on social media.
The last time someone dragged Barron into a slam against President Trump was last December and it was a college professor that time. She did so during a Congressional hearing. Melania Trump soon set the professor straight and told her in no uncertain words to leave her child alone. The First Lady has now spoken up this time, too. Through her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham, Melania addressed Henson.
“Sadly we continue to see inappropriate and insensitive comments about the President’s son,” said Stephanie Grisham, chief of staff and spokeswoman for the first lady, in a statement to The Hill on Tuesday. “As with every other administration, a minor child should be off-limits and allowed to grow up with no judgment or hate from strangers and the media,” the statement continued.
To show what an insincere and unapologetic person he is, Henson doubled down on those criticizing him on social media, of which there were many.
With respect, I think you dissecting it is the issue. The joke was aimed at Trump and the mere mention of Barron’s name doesn’t mean it’s at his expense. Although I respect your right to take issue with it. — John Henson (@John_Henson) June 21, 2020
“With respect.” Right. So, no apology from the unfunny comedian, at least as of 1:20 p.m. Central Time as I write this. He wasn’t even man enough to own his mistake and issue a non-apology apology. You know, the kind that goes “I’m sorry if I offended anyone…” He has two kids of his own. I imagine he expects the privacy of his own children to be respected.
As a bonus, Henson tweeted Tuesday that he’s thinking of attacking Kellyanne Conway next.
Thinking about a run of jokes on Kellyanne Conway next. — John Henson (@John_Henson) June 23, 2020
This is odd timing given that Wednesday morning on Fox and Friends, Kellyanne was asked about the unfunny “joke” tweet. She told Ainsley Earhardt she didn’t even want to bring up Henson’s name and give him a platform after his poor choice of tweets.
“So, Kellyanne, it’s one thing to criticize a president, but it’s another thing to criticize his, or one day her, children,” Earhardt began. “And that’s what happened. This guy John Henson, I used to think he was so funny on Talk Soup, but very disappointed in what he tweeted over the weekend.” After noting that the tweet, which went out to Henson’s 30,000 followers, has since been deleted, Earhardt put it on screen and read it aloud: “I hope Barron gets to spend today with whoever his dad is.” “Well, I may part company a little bit with even mentioning this and naming the guy who sent the tweet because I think you’re giving him a platform,” Conway replied as Earhardt started to squirm. “I thought about that, too,” Earhardt jumped in, scratching her arm, “but it is news.” “Kids are off limits,” Conway snapped back. “I didn’t even know who he was and now people do.” She went on to say that all children of politicians should be treated like “Fabergé eggs,” reiterating, “They’re off-limits, you don’t touch them, you don’t talk about them. I feel very strongly about that.”
Just leave the kids out of it. Henson wasn’t clever enough to tweet something amusing while bashing Trump, he just took a cheap shot on Father’s Day which, by the very nature of the day, included Barron. Henson isn’t stupid, he knows it. He just doesn’t want to own up to bad judgment and a lousy joke. Perhaps he needs some time to hone his comedic skills.
I don’t watch Food Network regularly. I don’t remember the last time I watched one of its shows. This tweet is pinned to the top of their Twitter account. I didn’t realize how political the network is now, though this is 2020 and I should have expected it.
Food Network and Cooking Channel are committed to being active participants in change. This is just a start. pic.twitter.com/g0fTJrBi9H — Food Network (@FoodNetwork) June 19, 2020
Perhaps the network would like to make a statement about respect for kids, too.


hotair--2020-06-24--Chait: A progressive listserv meltdown is a 'case study' of what is happening in the progressive uni

Chait: A progressive listserv meltdown is a 'case study' of what is happening in the progressive universe

Earlier this month , Jonathan Chait wrote a piece about the firing of a progressive data analyst named David Shor .
Shor was fired after tweeting out some research that supported the idea that “ race riots ” wind up hurting the Democratic Party , an idea that many progressives find offensive .
As Chait pointed out , Shor wasn ’ t citing his own research but that of Princeton professor Omar Wasow who is black .
Shor was called out by Ari Trujillo Wesler who runs a Democratic canvassing group .
Wesler suggested the tweet reeked “ of anti-blackness.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ imperfect messenger but the backlash was so strong he lost his job .
It turns out that wasn ’ t the end of the story .
After Chait ’ s piece appeared it launched a discussion within a progressive listserv called Progressphiles , which started out as an online hangout for progressive data specialists .
Both Shor and Wesler were members along with about 1,000 other people until Shor was ousted over the same tweet .
Yesterday , Chait revealed that he has now received a record of the complete discussion about Shor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While he doesn ’ t use anyone ’ name , he argues this is “ a case study in the norms of discussing race and gender within the progressive universe.
” And what he sees looks like the modern equivalent of a struggle session .
Here ’ s Chait followed by a quote from the listserv : Shor ’ s expulsion prompted a heated but heavily one-sided debate .
The handful of members who defended Shor were met with reminders that a person who says they were victimized must be believed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to undergo self-examination : I rarely post here , but I think the way this conversation has unfolded has been egregious , and I feel called to name that .
I thought this was meant to be a progressive space .
Many of us are not acting like it .
I ’ m really disappointed to see so many people here reacting to defend a white man who was being held accountable for his actions , and prioritizing that over the harm he did to a queer person of color .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading this , you deserve better than how this space is behaving .
To my fellow white people : If you find yourself leaping to defend a white person when they ’ ve been called in for doing something racist , notice that impulse , and then SLOW DOWN .
Stop .
Sit down and breathe and feel your feelings , take a really close look at what you ’ re doing and why .
Find another white person who is an appropriate person to help you process them .
( I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folks !
Email me directly . )
Find a different , more constructive action .
Keep breathing .
Black lives matter , Black safety matters , Black mental health matters , Black emotions matter .
Shor ’ s citation of data was itself considered problematic : You might think the “ progressive data space ” would give more leeway to the citation of data .
But that assumption proved incorrect .
The majority of posters affirmed that sharing Wasow ’ s paper was indeed ipso facto racist , because it could be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is harmful : For those of you who don ’ t realize what makes the tweet problematic , try not to overanalyze the statistical validity of the research paper and think about the broader impact it will have if people perceive it to be true .
Democrats will wave this tweet urging people to protest their oppression peacefully , which will conveniently ignore how the majority of the most visible of these actions have occurred in areas where we have Democrats running the city council .
Shor had initially defended his tweet by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to lead to better behavior by cops , ” and I ’ m certain many people here would be inclined to agree .
But it is this sort of binary thinking that we have that can be so oppressive as well .
Helping Trump get un-elected ( in itself ) is not going to lead to better behavior by cops , when the goal of abolitionist work isn ’ t to have better-trained/nicer/POC cops but to systematically dismantle the very institution of policing to begin with .
Personally , I find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police isn ’ t just something that randos in the street are shouting , it ’ s something some members of the professional left also endorse and support .
Shor was accused by the moderators of the listserv of going directly to Jonathan Chait and begging him to write the article critical of his firing .
Today , Chait denies that saying that Shor never came to him .
In fact , Chait discovered the exchange between Shor and Wesler on Twitter on his own .
He described Shor as ” uncooperative and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was allegedly harassed because of Chait ’ s article and the listserv blames that on Shor ( for allegedly going to Chait in the first place ) .
Chait points out that when one member of the listserv asked for evidence this was true , he was told this was insensitive : Chait argues that the vocal minority who pushed Shor out of the listserv don ’ t represent everyone there but they probably did make many people afraid to speak up .
He may be right because today one person did speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American Conservative .
This person who Dreher calls Walter ( not his real name ) believes Shor ’ s firing may even have been justified but thinks the moderators of the listserv went way too far by blaming him for threats against Wesler : If they had said that they were removing him for making bad arguments that help Republicans , a lot of us would have grumbled about it , but we could have said it made sense .
But they didn ’ t say that .
They accused him of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him on this list .
It did not happen that David Shor called up Jonathan Chait and said this happened to me and you should write a blog post about it .
That did not happen .
According to Walter , the problems at the listserv began after Trump ’ s election when a group of hardcore feminists demanded the right to take over : After Hillary Clinton ’ s loss in 2016 , said Walter , some of the women on the Progressphiles list became very assertive and authoritarian .
To disagree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set yourself up for an accusation of sexism .
“ These people started complaining that they were being undermined by the patriarchy , and demanded that the list ’ s leadership be given to women exclusively , without term — meaning that they would be able to govern the list like they wanted , without end , ” alleged Walter .
“ Under their tenure , this list has become more terrifying to be on , ” he continued .
“ There are sublists now formed where people get together and plan what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list , who they ’ re going to attack .
There are Facebook groups where people do this .
There are people on the list saying things like ‘ cis white males should not apply for this job.
’ ” … Since Jonathan Chait first started writing about the Shor controversy , Walter said , a number of Democratic Party donors and campaign managers have begun inundating campaign professionals with e-mails and phone calls .
They are afraid that the accurate numbers and analysis that they ’ re paying for , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for ideological reasons .
“ This is all happening because these hard left women have taken over the list , ” said Walter .
Clearly , there is a hard core element at Progressphiles , just as there is on college campuses , that cares less about data and more about the ideology of identity politics .
And just like we saw at Evergreen State College , the extremists can ’ t rely on superior numbers so they use intimidation and threats against people ’ s careers and professional lives .
It really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s demand that biology professor Bret Weinstein be fired to the firing of David Shor .
Meanwhile most of the left sits quietly watching it happen but saying nothing because they know they could become the next target of the cultural revolutionaries .

Earlier this month, Jonathan Chait wrote a piece about the firing of a progressive data analyst named David Shor. Shor was fired after tweeting out some research that supported the idea that “race riots” wind up hurting the Democratic Party, an idea that many progressives find offensive.
As Chait pointed out, Shor wasn’t citing his own research but that of Princeton professor Omar Wasow who is black. Shor was called out by Ari Trujillo Wesler who runs a Democratic canvassing group. Wesler suggested the tweet reeked “of anti-blackness.” Shor eventually apologized for being an imperfect messenger but the backlash was so strong he lost his job.
It turns out that wasn’t the end of the story. After Chait’s piece appeared it launched a discussion within a progressive listserv called Progressphiles, which started out as an online hangout for progressive data specialists. Both Shor and Wesler were members along with about 1,000 other people until Shor was ousted over the same tweet.
Yesterday, Chait revealed that he has now received a record of the complete discussion about Shor’s firing that appeared on Progressphiles. While he doesn’t use anyone’ name, he argues this is “a case study in the norms of discussing race and gender within the progressive universe.” And what he sees looks like the modern equivalent of a struggle session. Here’s Chait followed by a quote from the listserv:
Shor’s expulsion prompted a heated but heavily one-sided debate. The handful of members who defended Shor were met with reminders that a person who says they were victimized must be believed, and that anybody who questioned the charge needed to undergo self-examination: I rarely post here, but I think the way this conversation has unfolded has been egregious, and I feel called to name that. I thought this was meant to be a progressive space. Many of us are not acting like it. I’m really disappointed to see so many people here reacting to defend a white man who was being held accountable for his actions, and prioritizing that over the harm he did to a queer person of color. To all the BIPOC and especially Black folks reading this, you deserve better than how this space is behaving. To my fellow white people: If you find yourself leaping to defend a white person when they’ve been called in for doing something racist, notice that impulse, and then SLOW DOWN. Stop. Sit down and breathe and feel your feelings, take a really close look at what you’re doing and why. Find another white person who is an appropriate person to help you process them. (I am willing to do that for a few folks! Email me directly.) Find a different, more constructive action. Keep breathing. Black lives matter, Black safety matters, Black mental health matters, Black emotions matter.
Shor’s citation of data was itself considered problematic:
You might think the “progressive data space” would give more leeway to the citation of data. But that assumption proved incorrect. The majority of posters affirmed that sharing Wasow’s paper was indeed ipso facto racist, because it could be used to support the conclusion that violent protest is harmful: For those of you who don’t realize what makes the tweet problematic, try not to overanalyze the statistical validity of the research paper and think about the broader impact it will have if people perceive it to be true. Democrats will wave this tweet urging people to protest their oppression peacefully, which will conveniently ignore how the majority of the most visible of these actions have occurred in areas where we have Democrats running the city council. Shor had initially defended his tweet by saying “Helping Trump get re-elected is not going to lead to better behavior by cops,” and I’m certain many people here would be inclined to agree. But it is this sort of binary thinking that we have that can be so oppressive as well. Helping Trump get un-elected (in itself) is not going to lead to better behavior by cops, when the goal of abolitionist work isn’t to have better-trained/nicer/POC cops but to systematically dismantle the very institution of policing to begin with.
Personally, I find it interesting to know that abolishing the police isn’t just something that randos in the street are shouting, it’s something some members of the professional left also endorse and support.
Shor was accused by the moderators of the listserv of going directly to Jonathan Chait and begging him to write the article critical of his firing. Today, Chait denies that saying that Shor never came to him. In fact, Chait discovered the exchange between Shor and Wesler on Twitter on his own. He described Shor as ” uncooperative and fearful.” In any case, Wesler was allegedly harassed because of Chait’s article and the listserv blames that on Shor (for allegedly going to Chait in the first place). Chait points out that when one member of the listserv asked for evidence this was true, he was told this was insensitive:
“Present the evidence” is incredibly insensitive to the nature of situations like these. Victims have a right to privacy, and I ask you to pause and consider that.
Chait argues that the vocal minority who pushed Shor out of the listserv don’t represent everyone there but they probably did make many people afraid to speak up. He may be right because today one person did speak up by going to Rod Dreher at the American Conservative. This person who Dreher calls Walter (not his real name) believes Shor’s firing may even have been justified but thinks the moderators of the listserv went way too far by blaming him for threats against Wesler:
If they had said that they were removing him for making bad arguments that help Republicans, a lot of us would have grumbled about it, but we could have said it made sense. But they didn’t say that. They accused him of inciting a mob. They have libeled him on this list. It did not happen that David Shor called up Jonathan Chait and said this happened to me and you should write a blog post about it. That did not happen.
According to Walter, the problems at the listserv began after Trump’s election when a group of hardcore feminists demanded the right to take over:
After Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016, said Walter, some of the women on the Progressphiles list became very assertive and authoritarian. To disagree with them as a male was to set yourself up for an accusation of sexism. “These people started complaining that they were being undermined by the patriarchy, and demanded that the list’s leadership be given to women exclusively, without term — meaning that they would be able to govern the list like they wanted, without end,” alleged Walter. “Under their tenure, this list has become more terrifying to be on,” he continued. “There are sublists now formed where people get together and plan what they are going to say on this list, who they’re going to attack. There are Facebook groups where people do this. There are people on the list saying things like ‘cis white males should not apply for this job.’”… Since Jonathan Chait first started writing about the Shor controversy, Walter said, a number of Democratic Party donors and campaign managers have begun inundating campaign professionals with e-mails and phone calls. They are afraid that the accurate numbers and analysis that they’re paying for, and that they depend on, are being distorted for ideological reasons. “This is all happening because these hard left women have taken over the list,” said Walter.
Clearly, there is a hard core element at Progressphiles, just as there is on college campuses, that cares less about data and more about the ideology of identity politics. And just like we saw at Evergreen State College, the extremists can’t rely on superior numbers so they use intimidation and threats against people’s careers and professional lives. It really is a short walk from the student’s demand that biology professor Bret Weinstein be fired to the firing of David Shor. Meanwhile most of the left sits quietly watching it happen but saying nothing because they know they could become the next target of the cultural revolutionaries.


hotair--2020-06-24--More polls: Trump trails Biden by eight in Wisconsin, by one in Ohio

The Times poll is the big news of the day but that ’ s a national poll , and we don ’ t have national elections .
We have 50 state elections .
The state polls matter more .
But the state polls today are sending the same message as the national one : There ’ s been a meaningful shift towards Biden that ’ s put Trump nine or so points off the pace he set against Hillary Clinton four years ago .
He won Ohio by eight in 2016 ; today it ’ s a jump ball according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 46/45 lead .
That ’ s not an outlier either .
A Fox News poll of the state taken three weeks ago found Biden up two .
Four years ago in Wisconsin Trump famously eked out a win by less than a point in a state Clinton didn ’ t bother to campaign in .
Today Biden leads 49/41 according to a new poll from Marquette Law .
Marquette has had the race tight in its other polls this year , ranging from a tie in February to a four-point Biden lead in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by three .
Suddenly that lead has more than doubled , in keeping with various other polling ( like the NYT survey ) showing a strong recent trend towards the Democrat .
My theory in the post about the Times poll was that Trump ’ s recent handling of the pandemic was doing him more harm than anyone realized .
The Marquette poll , though , suggests that it really is the national protests against racism and Trump ’ s response to them that are hurting him most .
Approval is lowest for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death of George Floyd in police custody .
Thirty percent approve of Trump ’ s handing of the protests , and 58 percent disapprove .
Eleven percent say they don ’ t know .
Approval of his handling of the coronavirus outbreak is 44 percent , and disapproval is 52 percent , with 3 percent who don ’ t know .
In May , 44 percent approved and 51 percent disapproved… In May , Trump led Biden among Republicans 93 percent to 1 percent .
In June , his lead over Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans .
Independents had preferred Trump over Biden in May by 34 percent to 27 percent .
That preference reversed in June , with Biden supported by 38 percent to Trump ’ s 30 percent .
Very little change from May to June on his handling of the pandemic but 30/58 on the protests is an ugly number .
Given that various surveys show Americans approve of the protests generally , it may be costing him — not just among independents but among his own party .
Trump likes to tout the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the Republican Party ” but his party is less loyal to him in Wisconsin when matched against Biden than Democrats are to Sleepy Joe .
Biden wins Dems 97/1 ( ! )
whereas Trump wins Republicans 83/8 .
This helps explains why the president ’ s share of the vote lately in some head-to-head polling has been lower than his job approval : Some Republicans who otherwise approve of him , however tepidly , are crossing the aisle when offered Biden as an alternative .
Maybe there are enough BLM sympathizers within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there are other possible explanations .
Axios recently conducted a small focus group with swing voters in the swing state of Pennsylvania and asked them what their issues are with Trump .
Some complained about his handling of the pandemic ( “ annoyed , ” “ irritated , ” and “ frustrated ” that he won ’ t wear a mask ) , others complained about his handling of the protests ( “ I would like to see him make a call for unity and actually follow through on that ” ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall sense of “ chaos ” : “ People are just over it .
They ’ re over his mouth , they ’ re over his everything about him and his whole bit , that they ’ re ready for any kind of change.
” That ’ s an underrated explanation for the shift towards Biden .
More so than any single issue , the feeling that the country is out of control and the sense of fatigue at Trump ’ s antics may be leading people , including some Republicans , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanation is Trump consistently picking the unpopular side of issues as they arise and drilling down on them .
I mentioned that in the post about the Times poll in the context of wearing masks and holding rallies .
The public likes masks and dislikes mass gatherings indoors ; rather than throw them a bone by donning a mask and at least holding his events outdoors , Trump does things his way and may be paying an electoral price .
A possibly more damaging example is his outspoken criticism of voting by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least pretends to think ) is rife with fraud but which most of the public supports .
What ’ s especially stupid about his crusade against mail-in ballots is that it ’ s destined to make it harder for members of his own party to vote for him this fall .
There ’ s already evidence of it , in fact : Politico reports today that 300,000 more Democrats than Republicans have signed up to vote by mail in Florida so far .
Four years ago the Democratic advantage at this point was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beating Clinton there by just 100,000 or so votes and currently trails Biden by an average of 6.2 points .
He needs every vote he can get , so why is he discouraging fans to use all means available to them to cast their ballots for him ?
One more Florida data point for you , again on the topic of Trump picking losing battles .
This comes from a poll of Jacksonville , which sits in a county that Trump won in 2016 and where he ’ s prepared to accept the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents are happy about that , right ?
No , of course not : Normally a city would be glad to host an event like this , knowing what it can do for the local economy .
But in an age of COVID and civil unrest , residents seem about as excited for it as Tulsa residents were for Trump ’ s rally last weekend .
Fully 71 percent of Jacksonvillians say they ’ re at least somewhat concerned about coronavirus transmission stemming from the event and 65 percent say they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and civil unrest ” around the convention .
Trump can ’ t afford to do anything to alienate voters in northern Florida , as that was his bread and butter in 2016 .
If he loses that region he probably loses the state , and if he loses the state he ’ s almost certainly going to lose the presidency .
But he can ’ t grasp — or doesn ’ t care — that Americans ’ appetite for indoor mass gatherings right now isn ’ t the same as his so he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s one more possible explanation for Biden ’ s polling rise .
People just like him better than Trump ( and Hillary Clinton ) , and as Trump does things that annoy them it may be leading them to like Biden more .
Ari Fleischer put it this way a few days ago : Matt Bai fleshed that out a bit in a column : Of the 47 percent of voters who said Clinton wasn ’ t qualified to serve , only 5 percent voted for her .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of the 61 percent of voters who said the same thing about Trump , however , 17 percent ignored their judgment and voted for him anyway .
In Florida , where Trump won by just over a single percentage point , more than half the electorate found him unqualified , and yet 16 percent of those voters cast a ballot for him .
In Pennsylvania , where he won by an even slimmer margin , a stunning 21 percent of voters who said Trump didn ’ t have the right temperament for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
In other words , on the night that marked his apex in political life , Trump ’ s margin of victory came from reluctant voters who almost certainly thought they were voting for the losing candidate , and who felt confident he ’ d make a terrible president .
Trump is the ultimate lesser-of-two-evils candidate .
In 2016 he was richly blessed with an opponent whom one might plausibly argue was the greater evil .
That argument doesn ’ t work nearly as well against Biden .
And although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ ll say again that the pandemic and the George Floyd fallout are both crises that serve Biden unusually well and Trump unusually poorly by playing up their hugely different capacities for expressing empathy .
Trump ’ s reaction amid all that death and grief was to chatter incessantly about opening up for business and threatening looters with military force .
Biden ’ s reaction was to do the more familiar presidential shtick about healing and unity .
Maybe that , and nothing more complicated , explains the greater appetite for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll leave you with this .

The Times poll is the big news of the day but that’s a national poll, and we don’t have national elections. We have 50 state elections. The state polls matter more.
But the state polls today are sending the same message as the national one: There’s been a meaningful shift towards Biden that’s put Trump nine or so points off the pace he set against Hillary Clinton four years ago. He won Ohio by eight in 2016; today it’s a jump ball according to Quinnipiac, with Biden holding a 46/45 lead. That’s not an outlier either. A Fox News poll of the state taken three weeks ago found Biden up two.
Four years ago in Wisconsin Trump famously eked out a win by less than a point in a state Clinton didn’t bother to campaign in. Today Biden leads 49/41 according to a new poll from Marquette Law. Marquette has had the race tight in its other polls this year, ranging from a tie in February to a four-point Biden lead in January. Last month it was Biden by three. Suddenly that lead has more than doubled, in keeping with various other polling (like the NYT survey) showing a strong recent trend towards the Democrat.
My theory in the post about the Times poll was that Trump’s recent handling of the pandemic was doing him more harm than anyone realized. The Marquette poll, though, suggests that it really is the national protests against racism and Trump’s response to them that are hurting him most.
Approval is lowest for Trump’s handling of protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody. Thirty percent approve of Trump’s handing of the protests, and 58 percent disapprove. Eleven percent say they don’t know. Approval of his handling of the coronavirus outbreak is 44 percent, and disapproval is 52 percent, with 3 percent who don’t know. In May, 44 percent approved and 51 percent disapproved… In May, Trump led Biden among Republicans 93 percent to 1 percent. In June, his lead over Biden was 83 percent to 8 percent among Republicans. Independents had preferred Trump over Biden in May by 34 percent to 27 percent. That preference reversed in June, with Biden supported by 38 percent to Trump’s 30 percent.
Very little change from May to June on his handling of the pandemic but 30/58 on the protests is an ugly number. Given that various surveys show Americans approve of the protests generally, it may be costing him — not just among independents but among his own party. Trump likes to tout the fact that he has “95 percent approval within the Republican Party” but his party is less loyal to him in Wisconsin when matched against Biden than Democrats are to Sleepy Joe. Biden wins Dems 97/1(!) whereas Trump wins Republicans 83/8. This helps explains why the president’s share of the vote lately in some head-to-head polling has been lower than his job approval: Some Republicans who otherwise approve of him, however tepidly, are crossing the aisle when offered Biden as an alternative. Maybe there are enough BLM sympathizers within the GOP to account for that.
But there are other possible explanations. Axios recently conducted a small focus group with swing voters in the swing state of Pennsylvania and asked them what their issues are with Trump. Some complained about his handling of the pandemic (“annoyed,” “irritated,” and “frustrated” that he won’t wear a mask), others complained about his handling of the protests (“I would like to see him make a call for unity and actually follow through on that”). But generally people complained about the overall sense of “chaos”: “People are just over it. They’re over his mouth, they’re over his everything about him and his whole bit, that they’re ready for any kind of change.” That’s an underrated explanation for the shift towards Biden. More so than any single issue, the feeling that the country is out of control and the sense of fatigue at Trump’s antics may be leading people, including some Republicans, to throw in the towel.
Another possible explanation is Trump consistently picking the unpopular side of issues as they arise and drilling down on them. I mentioned that in the post about the Times poll in the context of wearing masks and holding rallies. The public likes masks and dislikes mass gatherings indoors; rather than throw them a bone by donning a mask and at least holding his events outdoors, Trump does things his way and may be paying an electoral price. A possibly more damaging example is his outspoken criticism of voting by mail, which he thinks (or at least pretends to think) is rife with fraud but which most of the public supports. What’s especially stupid about his crusade against mail-in ballots is that it’s destined to make it harder for members of his own party to vote for him this fall. There’s already evidence of it, in fact:
In the key swing state of Pennsylvania, which began allowing no-excuse absentee voting this year, 1.3 million Democrats requested a mail-in ballot for the June 2 primary, nearly two-and-a-half times the number of Republican voters who did so. Democrats also outpaced Republicans in absentee voting in Iowa’s primary that same day, and pulled even with Republicans in Georgia’s primary on June 9 after years of running behind… “He is disadvantaging Republican candidates and campaigns,” [GOP consultant Rob Stutzman] said. “I don’t know any strategist that thinks it’s a good idea to be pooh-poohing vote-by-mail.”
Politico reports today that 300,000 more Democrats than Republicans have signed up to vote by mail in Florida so far. Four years ago the Democratic advantage at this point was just 8,800 votes. Trump ended up beating Clinton there by just 100,000 or so votes and currently trails Biden by an average of 6.2 points. He needs every vote he can get, so why is he discouraging fans to use all means available to them to cast their ballots for him?
One more Florida data point for you, again on the topic of Trump picking losing battles. This comes from a poll of Jacksonville, which sits in a county that Trump won in 2016 and where he’s prepared to accept the GOP nomination later this summer. Naturally residents are happy about that, right? No, of course not:
Normally a city would be glad to host an event like this, knowing what it can do for the local economy. But in an age of COVID and civil unrest, residents seem about as excited for it as Tulsa residents were for Trump’s rally last weekend. Fully 71 percent of Jacksonvillians say they’re at least somewhat concerned about coronavirus transmission stemming from the event and 65 percent say they’re at least somewhat concerned about “protests and civil unrest” around the convention. Trump can’t afford to do anything to alienate voters in northern Florida, as that was his bread and butter in 2016. If he loses that region he probably loses the state, and if he loses the state he’s almost certainly going to lose the presidency.
But he can’t grasp — or doesn’t care — that Americans’ appetite for indoor mass gatherings right now isn’t the same as his so he’s going to follow through anyway.
There’s one more possible explanation for Biden’s polling rise. People just like him better than Trump (and Hillary Clinton), and as Trump does things that annoy them it may be leading them to like Biden more. Ari Fleischer put it this way a few days ago:
The name “Sleepy” Joe Biden should be retired. It’s not working for Trump, and after 3 1/2 years of red hot Trump, and now the pandemic, many voters may welcome a quieter, sleepier era, thinking Biden is the right anecdote, even if they think he’s kind of old and lacks energy. — Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) June 22, 2020
Matt Bai fleshed that out a bit in a column:
Of the 47 percent of voters who said Clinton wasn’t qualified to serve, only 5 percent voted for her. That’s about what you’d expect. Of the 61 percent of voters who said the same thing about Trump, however, 17 percent ignored their judgment and voted for him anyway. In Florida, where Trump won by just over a single percentage point, more than half the electorate found him unqualified, and yet 16 percent of those voters cast a ballot for him. In Pennsylvania, where he won by an even slimmer margin, a stunning 21 percent of voters who said Trump didn’t have the right temperament for the job voted to send him to the White House. In other words, on the night that marked his apex in political life, Trump’s margin of victory came from reluctant voters who almost certainly thought they were voting for the losing candidate, and who felt confident he’d make a terrible president.
Trump is the ultimate lesser-of-two-evils candidate. In 2016 he was richly blessed with an opponent whom one might plausibly argue was the greater evil. That argument doesn’t work nearly as well against Biden. And although I’ve made this point before, I’ll say again that the pandemic and the George Floyd fallout are both crises that serve Biden unusually well and Trump unusually poorly by playing up their hugely different capacities for expressing empathy. Trump’s reaction amid all that death and grief was to chatter incessantly about opening up for business and threatening looters with military force. Biden’s reaction was to do the more familiar presidential shtick about healing and unity. Maybe that, and nothing more complicated, explains the greater appetite for Biden among voters lately.
I’ll leave you with this.


hotair--2020-06-24--Newcomer bests Trump endorsed candidate for Meadows' former seat in North Carolina

Look out , AOC , your record as the youngest person in modern history to be elected to Congress is about to be broken – by a Republican .
Madison Cawthorn is a 24-year-old newcomer to politics , yet he handily beat his run-off opponent last night .
Cawthorn ran for North Carolina ’ s 11th District seat formerly held by President Trump ’ s Chief of Staff , Mark Meadows .
Cawthorn will celebrate his 25th birthday before the November election when he faces off against Democrat Morris Davis , an Air Force veteran who was the chief prosecutor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will be eligible to hold the office .
The district is considered a safe Republican district .
He finished behind his opponent , Lynda Bennett , in a 12 person primary in March .
Bennett is said to have been hand-picked by Meadows for the seat and has a friendship with both Meadows and his wife .
Cawthorn has a connection to Meadows – he nominated Cawthorn to attend the United States Naval Academy .
Mr. Cawthorn finished behind Ms. Bennett in a 12-person primary in March , but no candidate won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the weeks since , he has run as Ms. Bennett ’ s conservative equal , emphasizing his support for gun rights and his opposition to abortion and “ socialized medicine.
” He tried to turn Ms. Bennett ’ s high-profile endorsements against her , arguing she would arrive in Washington already beholden to interests beyond her constituents .
Some Republicans in the district were bitter that Mr. Meadows announced he would not seek re-election just before the December filing deadline and speculated that he had timed the move to give Ms. Bennett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cawthorn has no government experience .
He was nominated by Mr. Meadows in 2014 to attend the United States Naval Academy , but a severe car crash left him paralyzed from the waist down and reliant on a wheelchair .
He featured the story prominently in his campaign .
A photograph on his campaign website showed Mr. Cawthorn dressed in hunting gear while in his wheelchair , with a rifle slung over his shoulder .
Even though he didn ’ t have the endorsement of Trump and Meadows , Cawthorn wasted no time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and voiced his support for the president .
As he made his appeal to Trump voters , he reminded them that he ’ s ready to take on the left in Congress as a member of the new generation of Republicans .
“ I want to make something clear : I support our great president , ” he said .
“ I do not believe this election has been a referendum on the president ’ s influence .
The people of western North Carolina are wise and discerning .
You observed both candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is best for our district.
” Mr. Cawthorn campaigned as the embodiment of a new generation of politicians on the right who are ready to go toe-to-toe with young officials ascending on the progressive left , like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York .
“ While the far left is lighting our cities on fire , we are lifting the light of liberty , ” he said in his statement .
He defeated Lynda Bennett with nearly two-thirds of the vote , which is an impressive victory for any candidate , especially a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empathized support for gun rights , his opposition to abortion , and his opposition to socialized medicine .
He embraces border security and religious freedom .
He dinged Bennett for high profile endorsements , claiming she would be beholden to special interests if she won .
Cawthorn earned the endorsements of three retired lawmakers and former 11th district candidates .
He has a long list of endorsements from county commissioners and sheriffs around the region .
Both candidates have business experience in real estate .
Cawthorn owned a real estate investment company and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own story of surviving the car wreck that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair .
Bennett has a background as a real estate broker .
No offense to Ms. Bennett , who is 62 years old , but it ’ s good to see young conservatives running for office .
It ’ s time for some fresh faces and enthusiasm for the work .
He supports smaller , leaner government , which is a step in the right direction .
Those currently in Congress seem to have given up on that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he puts his motivational speaking skills into inspiring other lawmakers to get back to some basic Republican principles like fiscal responsibility .

Look out, AOC, your record as the youngest person in modern history to be elected to Congress is about to be broken – by a Republican. Madison Cawthorn is a 24-year-old newcomer to politics, yet he handily beat his run-off opponent last night. Cawthorn ran for North Carolina’s 11th District seat formerly held by President Trump’s Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows.
Cawthorn will celebrate his 25th birthday before the November election when he faces off against Democrat Morris Davis, an Air Force veteran who was the chief prosecutor at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, so he will be eligible to hold the office. The district is considered a safe Republican district. He finished behind his opponent, Lynda Bennett, in a 12 person primary in March. Bennett is said to have been hand-picked by Meadows for the seat and has a friendship with both Meadows and his wife. Cawthorn has a connection to Meadows – he nominated Cawthorn to attend the United States Naval Academy.
Mr. Cawthorn finished behind Ms. Bennett in a 12-person primary in March, but no candidate won enough votes to avoid a runoff. In the weeks since, he has run as Ms. Bennett’s conservative equal, emphasizing his support for gun rights and his opposition to abortion and “socialized medicine.” He tried to turn Ms. Bennett’s high-profile endorsements against her, arguing she would arrive in Washington already beholden to interests beyond her constituents. Some Republicans in the district were bitter that Mr. Meadows announced he would not seek re-election just before the December filing deadline and speculated that he had timed the move to give Ms. Bennett an edge in the race. Mr. Cawthorn has no government experience. He was nominated by Mr. Meadows in 2014 to attend the United States Naval Academy, but a severe car crash left him paralyzed from the waist down and reliant on a wheelchair. He featured the story prominently in his campaign. A photograph on his campaign website showed Mr. Cawthorn dressed in hunting gear while in his wheelchair, with a rifle slung over his shoulder.
Even though he didn’t have the endorsement of Trump and Meadows, Cawthorn wasted no time in striking a note of party unity and voiced his support for the president. As he made his appeal to Trump voters, he reminded them that he’s ready to take on the left in Congress as a member of the new generation of Republicans.
“I want to make something clear: I support our great president,” he said. “I do not believe this election has been a referendum on the president’s influence. The people of western North Carolina are wise and discerning. You observed both candidates and simply made the choice you believed is best for our district.” Mr. Cawthorn campaigned as the embodiment of a new generation of politicians on the right who are ready to go toe-to-toe with young officials ascending on the progressive left, like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. “While the far left is lighting our cities on fire, we are lifting the light of liberty,” he said in his statement.
He defeated Lynda Bennett with nearly two-thirds of the vote, which is an impressive victory for any candidate, especially a newcomer. During the campaign, he empathized support for gun rights, his opposition to abortion, and his opposition to socialized medicine. He embraces border security and religious freedom. He dinged Bennett for high profile endorsements, claiming she would be beholden to special interests if she won. Cawthorn earned the endorsements of three retired lawmakers and former 11th district candidates. He has a long list of endorsements from county commissioners and sheriffs around the region.
Both candidates have business experience in real estate. Cawthorn owned a real estate investment company and was a motivational speaker, often telling his own story of surviving the car wreck that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Bennett has a background as a real estate broker.
No offense to Ms. Bennett, who is 62 years old, but it’s good to see young conservatives running for office. It’s time for some fresh faces and enthusiasm for the work. He supports smaller, leaner government, which is a step in the right direction. Those currently in Congress seem to have given up on that these days. Let’s hope he puts his motivational speaking skills into inspiring other lawmakers to get back to some basic Republican principles like fiscal responsibility.


hotair--2020-06-24--Sen. Tim Scott after filibuster of reform bill: 'The actual problem is not what is being offered it

Sen. Tim Scott after filibuster of reform bill: 'The actual problem is not what is being offered it is who is offering it'

Earlier today I wrote about Nancy Pelosi ’ s claim that the Republican police reform bill in the Senate was tantamount with trying to get away with the murder of George Floyd .
That statement came in advance of a filibuster today to prevent passage of the motion to proceed on the bill .
The vote did take place and , as expected , Republicans fell a few votes short of the 60 needed to move forward .
Afterwards , Sen. Tim Scott , who has led the push for the GOP bill , gave a lengthy speech about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s clear that the objections Democrats had to the bill were never sincere .
As he put it , “ The actual problem is not what is being offered it is who is offering it.
” He went on to say that Democrats were clearly worried that Republicans might be seen as responsive to the issues of black voters .
And that ’ s something they don ’ t want the country to see .
Sen. Scott explained how every time Democrats brought an objection to him he offered an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support it .
“ Sen .
Schumer sent a letter telling…Sen .
McConnell there are five things in the legislation that needed to be improved , ” Scott said .
He continued , “ I said lets give them the five amendments .
I sat down with more Senators and they said ‘ Wait , wait !
It ’ s not just five , there ’ s twenty.
’ I said how about twenty amendments .
And they walked out.
” A bit later he added , “ Their answer to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us 20 amendments…because Mitch McConnell won ’ t give you 20 amendments.
’ I spoke to Mitch McConnell , he said ‘ You can have 20 amendments . '
” Sen. Scott gave examples of some of the specific objections Democrats made to his bill .
For instance , they said his bill didn ’ t collect enough data on police use of force .
Scott ’ s response was , “ Put it in an amendment and I ’ ll support it.
” “ They said we need you to ban no-knock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I said ‘ Uour bill does not ban no-knock warrants for the Breonna Taylor situation .
Your bill bans it for federal agents.
’ There ’ s not a secret service agent showing up at Breonna Taylor ’ s door .
That was a local police department .
So the fact is they are saying they want to ban no-knock warrants knowing they can not ban no-knock warrants tells me that this is not about the underlying issue.
” There was a similar argument involving chokeholds .
“ They said you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like , I could have sworn I banned chokeholds in there somewhere .
And then I read the bill .
They don ’ t ban chokeholds on the local level or the state level .
Do you know why ?
There ’ s this little thing called the constitution .
They can ’ t ban chokeholds .
Eric Garner ’ s situation would not have been cured by their ban on chokeholds because their ban on chokeholds were for ?
Federal agents.
” Eventually , Sen. Scott said it dawned on him what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally realized what the problem is , Mr. President .
The actual problem is not what is being offered it is who is offering it .
Took me a long time to figure out the most obvious thing the room , ” he said .
“ I believe if we ’ d gotten on the bill we would have passed this bill .
But that is the problem by the way , ” Scott said .
“ What I missed in this issue is that the stereotyping of Republicans is just as toxic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most vulnerable communities in this nation .
That ’ s the issue.
” Sen. Scott said it was clear that Democrats had decided to punt the issue until after the election rather than accept 80 % of what they wanted now .
“ Why wouldn ’ t you take the 80 percent now , see if you can win the election and add on the other 20 percent ?
…Because the who matters .
They can not allow this party to be seen as a party that reaches out to all communities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without the kind of objectivity in the media that is necessary to share the message of what ’ s actually happening no one will ever know…If you don ’ t see it on TV on MSNBC or CNN it must not be true.
” “ Let me tell you what the biggest threat is .
The biggest threat is that this Republican party keeps showing up and delivering , ” Scott said .
He concluded his remarks saying , “ All these cities could have banned choke-holds themselves .
They could have increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more data information themselves .
The could have deescalation training themselves .
They could have duty to intervene themselves…All these communities have been run by Democrats for decades .
Decades !
”

Earlier today I wrote about Nancy Pelosi’s claim that the Republican police reform bill in the Senate was tantamount with trying to get away with the murder of George Floyd. That statement came in advance of a filibuster today to prevent passage of the motion to proceed on the bill. The vote did take place and, as expected, Republicans fell a few votes short of the 60 needed to move forward.
Afterwards, Sen. Tim Scott, who has led the push for the GOP bill, gave a lengthy speech about what had just happened. In his view, it’s clear that the objections Democrats had to the bill were never sincere. As he put it, “The actual problem is not what is being offered it is who is offering it.” He went on to say that Democrats were clearly worried that Republicans might be seen as responsive to the issues of black voters. And that’s something they don’t want the country to see.
Sen. Scott explained how every time Democrats brought an objection to him he offered an amendment to fix the problem and promised to support it. “Sen. Schumer sent a letter telling…Sen. McConnell there are five things in the legislation that needed to be improved,” Scott said. He continued, “I said lets give them the five amendments. I sat down with more Senators and they said ‘Wait, wait! It’s not just five, there’s twenty.’ I said how about twenty amendments. And they walked out.”
A bit later he added, “Their answer to me was ‘You can’t offer us 20 amendments…because Mitch McConnell won’t give you 20 amendments.’ I spoke to Mitch McConnell, he said ‘You can have 20 amendments.'”
Sen. Scott gave examples of some of the specific objections Democrats made to his bill. For instance, they said his bill didn’t collect enough data on police use of force. Scott’s response was, “Put it in an amendment and I’ll support it.”
“They said we need you to ban no-knock warrants because of the Breonna Taylor situation. I said ‘Uour bill does not ban no-knock warrants for the Breonna Taylor situation. Your bill bans it for federal agents.’ There’s not a secret service agent showing up at Breonna Taylor’s door. That was a local police department. So the fact is they are saying they want to ban no-knock warrants knowing they cannot ban no-knock warrants tells me that this is not about the underlying issue.”
There was a similar argument involving chokeholds. “They said you don’t ban chokeholds. I was like, I could have sworn I banned chokeholds in there somewhere. And then I read the bill. They don’t ban chokeholds on the local level or the state level. Do you know why? There’s this little thing called the constitution. They can’t ban chokeholds. Eric Garner’s situation would not have been cured by their ban on chokeholds because their ban on chokeholds were for? Federal agents.”
Eventually, Sen. Scott said it dawned on him what the real problem was. “I finally realized what the problem is, Mr. President. The actual problem is not what is being offered it is who is offering it. Took me a long time to figure out the most obvious thing the room,” he said.
“I believe if we’d gotten on the bill we would have passed this bill. But that is the problem by the way,” Scott said. “What I missed in this issue is that the stereotyping of Republicans is just as toxic and poison to the outcomes of the most vulnerable communities in this nation. That’s the issue.”
Sen. Scott said it was clear that Democrats had decided to punt the issue until after the election rather than accept 80% of what they wanted now. “Why wouldn’t you take the 80 percent now, see if you can win the election and add on the other 20 percent?…Because the who matters. They cannot allow this party to be seen as a party that reaches out to all communities in this nation.
“And unfortunately, without the kind of objectivity in the media that is necessary to share the message of what’s actually happening no one will ever know…If you don’t see it on TV on MSNBC or CNN it must not be true.”
“Let me tell you what the biggest threat is. The biggest threat is that this Republican party keeps showing up and delivering,” Scott said.
He concluded his remarks saying, “All these cities could have banned choke-holds themselves. They could have increased police reporting themselves. They could have more data information themselves. The could have deescalation training themselves. They could have duty to intervene themselves…All these communities have been run by Democrats for decades. Decades!”


hotair--2020-06-24--Sharpton: We're not done with the NASCAR noose; Wallace: Maybe we are

Like clockwork , no ?
This is easily the most predictable outcome of NASCAR ’ s faceplant over a noose that turned out to be a garage-door pull cord .
Despite an FBI investigation involving 15 agents that concluded that there was no racial animus involved and no connection to Bubba Wallace , Al Sharpton isn ’ t ready to let it go .
Which will surprise exactly no one : In Wednesday morning ’ s edition of Morning Joe , co-host Willie Geist referenced the FBI report , telling Sharpton “ We should take it as good news that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his stall specifically , as the only full-time black driver in NASCAR , who pushed to have those Confederate flags removed from NASCAR events , and NASCAR did take that step last week .
But it does appear there was a noose , as the FBI is calling it , placed in that garage last fall.
” “ The FBI identified it as a noose , NASCAR said it was a noose , so went along with the FBI ’ s characterization .
It was a noose , ” Sharpton said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did not know that Bubba Wallace was going to use that stall , why was a noose in the stall ?
It ’ s clear what a noose represents.
” “ And I think to go , whether or not they knew that sooner or later the one black driver would use that stall , really doesn ’ t answer why it was in the stall at all , ” Rev .
Sharpton added .
“ And then , did someone know that it was in the stall when they did belatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think this answers a lot of questions , and clearly from what we just saw , of Bubba Wallace , it does not seem he , who was the victim and possible target in this matter , seems to be satisfied with this .
So I do not think that we ’ ve seen closure in this particular inquiry.
” Demagogues got ta demagogue , and Sharpton ’ s the master at that craft .
It ’ s worth noting , even if it makes no difference to Sharpton , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” there as much as someone was using it as a garage door pull cord .
Fifteen FBI agents conducted an inquiry under federal hate-crime statutes and didn ’ t find any criminal intent to it .
Wallace wasn ’ t a “ victim ” of it , since he ( a ) never saw it , and ( b ) its “ placement ” long predated Wallace ’ s assignment to that stall .
If fifteen FBI agents on an incident like this can ’ t provide closure , nothing will .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with the public flogging of this story .
Some fundraising appeals are just too darned seductive to let pass .
Sharpton will eat lunch off this non-cident for weeks , if not months .
And for the moment , it looks like NASCAR ’ s going to provide an assist too .
Willie Geist has the proper take for the rest of us , which is that we ’ re happy it turned out to be a misunderstanding .
Isn ’ t that what we should have hoped it ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying yes to that question , a bit belatedly ( via VIP Gold member Stephanie ) : Good for Wallace .
Hopefully this will put an end to it , but I ’ m not betting that way .

Like clockwork, no? This is easily the most predictable outcome of NASCAR’s faceplant over a noose that turned out to be a garage-door pull cord. Despite an FBI investigation involving 15 agents that concluded that there was no racial animus involved and no connection to Bubba Wallace, Al Sharpton isn’t ready to let it go.
Which will surprise exactly no one:
Sharpton not ready to give up on the NASCAR “noose” story: "It’s clear what a noose represents … And then did someone know that it was in the stall when they did belatedly assign Bubba there? … I do not think that we’ve seen closure in this particular inquiry." pic.twitter.com/xzq5hQIWC5 — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 24, 2020
In Wednesday morning’s edition of Morning Joe, co-host Willie Geist referenced the FBI report, telling Sharpton “We should take it as good news that someone didn’t place it into his stall specifically, as the only full-time black driver in NASCAR, who pushed to have those Confederate flags removed from NASCAR events, and NASCAR did take that step last week. But it does appear there was a noose, as the FBI is calling it, placed in that garage last fall.” “The FBI identified it as a noose, NASCAR said it was a noose, so went along with the FBI’s characterization. It was a noose,” Sharpton said. “So the question is, even if they did not know that Bubba Wallace was going to use that stall, why was a noose in the stall? It’s clear what a noose represents.” “And I think to go, whether or not they knew that sooner or later the one black driver would use that stall, really doesn’t answer why it was in the stall at all,” Rev. Sharpton added. “And then, did someone know that it was in the stall when they did belatedly assigned Bubba there? So I don’t think this answers a lot of questions, and clearly from what we just saw, of Bubba Wallace, it does not seem he, who was the victim and possible target in this matter, seems to be satisfied with this. So I do not think that we’ve seen closure in this particular inquiry.”
Demagogues gotta demagogue, and Sharpton’s the master at that craft. It’s worth noting, even if it makes no difference to Sharpton, that the noose wasn’t “placed” there as much as someone was using it as a garage door pull cord. Fifteen FBI agents conducted an inquiry under federal hate-crime statutes and didn’t find any criminal intent to it. Wallace wasn’t a “victim” of it, since he (a) never saw it, and (b) its “placement” long predated Wallace’s assignment to that stall. If fifteen FBI agents on an incident like this can’t provide closure, nothing will.
Not that these points will have anything to do with the public flogging of this story. Some fundraising appeals are just too darned seductive to let pass. Sharpton will eat lunch off this non-cident for weeks, if not months. And for the moment, it looks like NASCAR’s going to provide an assist too. Willie Geist has the proper take for the rest of us, which is that we’re happy it turned out to be a misunderstanding. Isn’t that what we should have hoped it’d be?
Give Bubba Wallace credit for saying yes to that question, a bit belatedly (via VIP Gold member Stephanie):
Good for Wallace. Hopefully this will put an end to it, but I’m not betting that way.


hotair--2020-06-24--The arrest that led to the riot in Madison, Wisconsin last night

Allahpundit wrote about the rioting in Madison , Wisconsin last night .
Even MSNBC ’ s Chris Hayes seemed mystified by it .
What happened in Madison last night wasn ’ t a peaceful protest that turned inexplicably violent .
This was intended to be a riot almost from the start .
Why ?
Because people were angry about an arrest that took place earlier in the day .
Johnson got into a of dispute with a man who was eating outside the restaurant .
When the man walked into the restaurant , Johnson followed him and used a bullhorn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson also had a baseball bat with “ black lives matter ” painted on it over his shoulder .
After the man he ’ d been harassing walked away , Johnson then went on a rant about white Jesus and how he was stolen from the Egyptian deity Horus .
At one point during the rant , Johnson said , “ My name is Yeshua Musa and I am disturbing the s**t out of this restaurant , and I got a f**kin ’ bat.
” Meanwhile , the manager appears to be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Johnson was leaving and arrested him .
Video of the arrest circulated yesterday .
Lots of NSFW language in this one : Johnson was clearly resisting arrest .
In fact , because police never handcuffed him , he escaped from the rear of the police vehicle after he was carried inside .
In this clip you can see him run across the street before being tackled .
Watch the left side of the video .
Johnson continued to scream as he was put inside the car for the second time and bystanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was charged , not surprisingly , with “ disorderly conduct while armed , resisting arrest and attempted escape.
” But because Johnson is frequently a part of local BLM marches , his arrest prompted an angry response .
The crowd that gathered later that night never intended to be peaceful .
This was a riot from the start : By early evening , protesters gathered outside the Dane County Jail , where Johnson is being held , and began marching Downtown .
Roughly 300 protesters blocked traffic , yelling at drivers and telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few drivers drove through small crowds of protesters , leaving at least one man injured .
Organizers stood on top of a tow truck , vowing that the night would not be peaceful .
“ This is not a peaceful protest , so if you came out here for a peaceful protest , you missed it , ” one organizer said .
“ We ’ re done being peaceful .
Now we demanding justice.
” Here ’ s video of people on top of the seized tow truck .
You can hear one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their phones away so there ’ s no recording of what she says next : There are also several videos of the incidents involving people stopping cars in the street .
Here ’ s video of one of the incidents involving a car being stopped by protesters .
As you can see , the driver is trying to get away and people are literally leaning on the hood .
Someone tries to break the passenger window with a skateboard : In addition to pulling down statues and attacking a state senator , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last night : Protesters set a small fire on one of the windows of the City-County Building Downtown , which also houses the Madison Police Department ’ s Downtown station .
A group shattered the front entrance windows of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership , which houses several state offices , and others knocked down street cameras or spray painted over the lenses .
Verveer said the small fire was in a city engineering office and was caused by a Molotov cocktail… Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday , as protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors of the Capitol , police arrived in riot gear and said the group was “ unlawfully gathered.
” Officers warned everyone to leave the area .
“ Free Yeshua , ” some in the crowd chanted as they hurled taunts and insults at police officers .
The confrontation ended at about 2:30 a.m. as the crowd thinned and police stood down .
Here ’ s video of the people chanting “ Free Yeshua !
” at the end of a long night of rioting .
The mayor has issued a statement about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ exceedingly dangerous.
” What exactly was supposed to happen here ?
If someone walks into a restaurant with a bat and a megaphone and is harassing people that ’ s a situation where you should call the police .
Johnson literally confessed to disturbing the peace as he was doing it so there ’ s really no question about what happened .
There ’ s also no question that he also resisted arrest and attempted to escape .
So the arrest and the charges all seem appropriate .
And yet the response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ windows , harass drivers , throw at least one Molotov cocktail , beat up a state senator and try to break into the capitol .
All of that to demand that Johnson escape consequences for his actions .
It ’ s one thing for the leadership in Madison ( and elsewhere ) to be willing to say enough is enough and stop coddling the protesters .
The real challenge is getting the national media to do likewise .

Allahpundit wrote about the rioting in Madison, Wisconsin last night. Even MSNBC’s Chris Hayes seemed mystified by it.
So the Madison crowd last night: knocked over the statue of an abolitionist immigrant who died fighting for the union, a statue commemorating women's suffrage and beat up a 60 year old state senator and left him lying on the ground.https://t.co/ZAQqZySAUe — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 24, 2020
What happened in Madison last night wasn’t a peaceful protest that turned inexplicably violent. This was intended to be a riot almost from the start. Why? Because people were angry about an arrest that took place earlier in the day.
Devonere Johnson, 28, was arrested after causing a disturbance in a restaurant on the Capitol Square, according to Madison police and video of the incident. Videos of the arrest — some circulating on social media and others provided by the Madison Police Department — show as many as five officers taking Johnson to the sidewalk and carrying him to a police squad car after Johnson initially resisted arrest.
Johnson got into a of dispute with a man who was eating outside the restaurant. When the man walked into the restaurant, Johnson followed him and used a bullhorn to call him a racist repeatedly. Johnson also had a baseball bat with “black lives matter” painted on it over his shoulder. After the man he’d been harassing walked away, Johnson then went on a rant about white Jesus and how he was stolen from the Egyptian deity Horus. At one point during the rant, Johnson said, “My name is Yeshua Musa and I am disturbing the s**t out of this restaurant, and I got a f**kin’ bat.” Meanwhile, the manager appears to be on the phone calling police.
Police arrived as Johnson was leaving and arrested him. Video of the arrest circulated yesterday. Lots of NSFW language in this one:
Johnson was clearly resisting arrest. In fact, because police never handcuffed him, he escaped from the rear of the police vehicle after he was carried inside. In this clip you can see him run across the street before being tackled. Watch the left side of the video.
Johnson continued to scream as he was put inside the car for the second time and bystanders continued to harangue the police.
Johnson was charged, not surprisingly, with “disorderly conduct while armed, resisting arrest and attempted escape.” But because Johnson is frequently a part of local BLM marches, his arrest prompted an angry response. The crowd that gathered later that night never intended to be peaceful. This was a riot from the start:
By early evening, protesters gathered outside the Dane County Jail, where Johnson is being held, and began marching Downtown. Roughly 300 protesters blocked traffic, yelling at drivers and telling them to join the demonstration. A few drivers drove through small crowds of protesters, leaving at least one man injured. Organizers stood on top of a tow truck, vowing that the night would not be peaceful. “This is not a peaceful protest, so if you came out here for a peaceful protest, you missed it,” one organizer said. “We’re done being peaceful. Now we demanding justice.”
Here’s video of people on top of the seized tow truck. You can hear one of the organizers telling everyone to put their phones away so there’s no recording of what she says next:
There are also several videos of the incidents involving people stopping cars in the street. Here’s video of one of the incidents involving a car being stopped by protesters. As you can see, the driver is trying to get away and people are literally leaning on the hood. Someone tries to break the passenger window with a skateboard:
In addition to pulling down statues and attacking a state senator, the mob did a lot of other damage last night:
Protesters set a small fire on one of the windows of the City-County Building Downtown, which also houses the Madison Police Department’s Downtown station. A group shattered the front entrance windows of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership, which houses several state offices, and others knocked down street cameras or spray painted over the lenses. Verveer said the small fire was in a city engineering office and was caused by a Molotov cocktail… Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, as protesters began trying to break the windows and doors of the Capitol, police arrived in riot gear and said the group was “unlawfully gathered.” Officers warned everyone to leave the area. “Free Yeshua,” some in the crowd chanted as they hurled taunts and insults at police officers. The confrontation ended at about 2:30 a.m. as the crowd thinned and police stood down.
Here’s video of the people chanting “Free Yeshua!” at the end of a long night of rioting.
Tuesday night’s protests entered Wednesday morning and organizers’ message was simple, “We will leave when y’all leave”. Madison Police did just that, left Hamilton and ended the long standoff. pic.twitter.com/IT4Ywhf18W — George Balekji (@GeorgeBalekji) June 24, 2020
The mayor has issued a statement about what happened last night, calling it “exceedingly dangerous.”
Lengthy statement from @MayorOfMadison about last night’s protests pic.twitter.com/JDqoNlUFNj — Jessie Opoien (@jessieopie) June 24, 2020
What exactly was supposed to happen here? If someone walks into a restaurant with a bat and a megaphone and is harassing people that’s a situation where you should call the police. Johnson literally confessed to disturbing the peace as he was doing it so there’s really no question about what happened. There’s also no question that he also resisted arrest and attempted to escape. So the arrest and the charges all seem appropriate.
And yet the response was to pull down statues, smash windows, harass drivers, throw at least one Molotov cocktail, beat up a state senator and try to break into the capitol. All of that to demand that Johnson escape consequences for his actions. It’s one thing for the leadership in Madison (and elsewhere) to be willing to say enough is enough and stop coddling the protesters. The real challenge is getting the national media to do likewise.


hotair--2020-06-24--Newly released Strzok notes finger Biden for Logan Act probe?

Did the Department of Justice set a perjury trap of sorts for … Joe Biden ?
The probe into the investigation of Michael Flynn turned up notes and other evidence withheld from the defense , which a subsequent review revealed to the court and Flynn ’ s attorney Sidney Powell .
The court kept those notes under seal until today , and their content suggests that the demand to keep the investigation into Flynn going came from the very top ( via RedState ) .
And when we say “ the very top , ” we mean … The fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weighed in to declare the conversations between Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak “ legit ” is a bombshell of its own .
Supposedly , the FBI and previous DoJ prosecutors insisted that the contacts were suspect from the beginning .
Here we have James Comey telling Barack Obama and Joe Biden somewhere between January 3-5 , 2017 that the conversations “ appear legit.
” As incoming National Security Director in a presidential transition , Flynn would have authority to make those contacts .
And yet , according to Strzok ’ s notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on an investigation .
Strzok didn ’ t attend this meeting , so someone — presumably Comey — briefed him on what transpired in it .
And the part about Biden is highly curious : That ’ s interesting for two reasons .
Shortly after this meeting , the FBI did use the Logan Act as the absurd pretext for continuing the investigation , including the now-infamous interrogation of an unsuspecting Flynn .
Second , Joe Biden explicitly denied any knowledge of the investigation into Michael Flynn .
At least , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then Lawrence O ’ Donnell : That ’ s about as categorical a denial as possible .
Biden never says , “ I don ’ t recall , ” or “ nothing comes to mind.
” He says , “ I was never a part or had any knowledge of any criminal investigation into Michael Flynn while I was in office .
Period.
” These notes — assuming they can be corroborated — would prove that to be a flat-out lie .
And that ’ s important , because less than ten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request on intel surveillance involving Michael Flynn .
It certainly appears that Biden and Obama wanted dirt on Flynn .
Did they manipulate the FBI to force him out of the incoming administration , and then work with the FBI to cover it up with a bogus criminal prosecution for obstruction ?
It certainly looks that way — and we can be absolutely sure that no one in that January 4 meeting can be relied upon to tell the truth about it .

Did the Department of Justice set a perjury trap of sorts for … Joe Biden? The probe into the investigation of Michael Flynn turned up notes and other evidence withheld from the defense, which a subsequent review revealed to the court and Flynn’s attorney Sidney Powell. The court kept those notes under seal until today, and their content suggests that the demand to keep the investigation into Flynn going came from the very top (via RedState).
And when we say “the very top,” we mean …
🚨Peter Strzok notes from 1/4/17 released in Flynn case: Discussion among Obama, Comey, Yates, Biden, and Susan Rice. Biden: "Logan Act" Obama: "Have the right people on" Flynn case. Comey: The Flynn/Kislyak calls "appear legit." pic.twitter.com/20a3z46Z9Z — Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) June 24, 2020
The fact that the director of the FBI had weighed in to declare the conversations between Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak “legit” is a bombshell of its own. Supposedly, the FBI and previous DoJ prosecutors insisted that the contacts were suspect from the beginning. Here we have James Comey telling Barack Obama and Joe Biden somewhere between January 3-5, 2017 that the conversations “appear legit.” As incoming National Security Director in a presidential transition, Flynn would have authority to make those contacts.
And yet, according to Strzok’s notes, Obama directed Comey to press forward on an investigation. Strzok didn’t attend this meeting, so someone — presumably Comey — briefed him on what transpired in it. And the part about Biden is highly curious:
According to Strzok’s notes, it appears that Vice President Biden personally raised the idea of the Logan Act.
That’s interesting for two reasons. Shortly after this meeting, the FBI did use the Logan Act as the absurd pretext for continuing the investigation, including the now-infamous interrogation of an unsuspecting Flynn. Second, Joe Biden explicitly denied any knowledge of the investigation into Michael Flynn.
At least, that’s what he told George Stephanopoulos, and then Lawrence O’Donnell:
Joe Biden May 14, 2020: "I was never a part or had any knowledge of any criminal investigation into Flynn while I was in office, period. Not one single time."
Here's the actual video.
pic.twitter.com/Mp3ySb4sjL — Rising serpent 🇺🇸 (@rising_serpent) June 24, 2020
That’s about as categorical a denial as possible. Biden never says, “I don’t recall,” or “nothing comes to mind.” He says, “I was never a part or had any knowledge of any criminal investigation into Michael Flynn while I was in office. Period.” These notes — assuming they can be corroborated — would prove that to be a flat-out lie. And that’s important, because less than ten days later, Biden made an unmasking request on intel surveillance involving Michael Flynn.
It certainly appears that Biden and Obama wanted dirt on Flynn. Did they manipulate the FBI to force him out of the incoming administration, and then work with the FBI to cover it up with a bogus criminal prosecution for obstruction? It certainly looks that way — and we can be absolutely sure that no one in that January 4 meeting can be relied upon to tell the truth about it.